In a new interview with "Real Music With Gary Stuckey", FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson addressed the fact that he and his bandmates are often dismissed as a glorified cover band, particularly since founding guitarist Mick Jones no longer regularly tours with the act.

The only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, Jones suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. Ever since, it is never announced whether he will be appearing with the band for specific shows — it just depends how he is feeling.

Asked about criticism from some fans that FOREIGNER without any original members is nothing more than a "cover band," Pilson said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):"You know what's funny? You see some of that on the Internet, but it's not as pervasive as you think. And I'm actually amazed, because when we play, we get no negative feedback. So, sure, people are gonna say stuff like that online. It only takes one or two people to make it sound like there's a bunch.

"What I tell people is anytime anybody has a problem with the no-original-members thing, I just say, 'You know what? I get it. But come and see the band. And then you tell me whether we do FOREIGNER justice or not.' And I'll stand by what we do a thousand percent."

Joining Jones and Pilson in FOREIGNER's current lineup are Kelly Hansen on vocals, Michael Bluestein on keyboards, Bruce Watson on guitar, Chris Frazier on drums and Luis Maldonado on guitar.

After singer Lou Gramm left FOREIGNER in 2003, Jones took some time off before regrouping a couple years later with an entirely new lineup, featuring Hansen and Pilson, among others.

In 2018, Gramm revealed that he was retiring from touring as a solo artist. The vocalist made the announcement just months after he participated in FOREIGNER's "Double Vision: Then And Now" concerts, which featured current and original members of the band, including Jones, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood, bassist Rick Wills and guitarist/saxophonist Ian McDonald.

Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER's biggest hits, including "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold As Ice" from the band's eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like "Hot Blooded" and "I Want To Know What Love Is".

FOREIGNER's farewell tour is set to launch on July 6 at Atlanta's Ameris Bank Amphitheatre. For the first leg of the U.S. Live Nation-produced tour, FOREIGNER will be joined by LOVERBOY.

In a recent interview aboard The 80s Cruise, Gramm was asked for his opinion on FOREIGNER's announcement that the band was embarking on its farewell tour. He said: "I think it's a good thing. At this point of the FOREIGNER career, epic career, I think it's run its course. And it's been good years for all involved, especially the band that was FOREIGNER's inception. There were changes in personnel after that while I was still in, and that was a damn good band too. And Mick's choice to keep it going after there were no original members other than himself, that's his option. I can't quite get… I know his health, he's had his ups and downs. And I don't understand how they can be touring with no original members and still calling themselves FOREIGNER and going on for years like that. I guess it's not my business, and maybe it is a business decision for them, but it just doesn't feel right to me."

He added: "Honestly, for years [Mick has] been showing up for half the show or he'd come in the last four or five songs of the set. And apparently lately he's come in for the last song and the encore, and that was it. And then I know there's been many, many shows lately where he's not there at all."

Asked if he would be interested in making a special guest appearance at any of the shows on FOREIGNER's farewell tour, Lou said: "I'm not sure. I'm so at peace with where it is now and how it's ended. And we had our 40th[-anniversary] reunion of one of the albums — the first album or FOREIGNER '4' or 'Double Vision' — we had those. We played some shows with the new band and the old band, and those have been a lot of fun. But just for me to come in and sit in with a band that emotionally doesn't mean that much to me and just play for the memories of it… If there were other members of the original band onstage, I might be inclined to seriously think about it. But to come and guest with the new FOREIGNER, that doesn't appeal to me."

When Goodman noted that Gramm had previously performed with FOREIGNER's current lineup, Lou said: "Yes, when they had the reunion tours. I have not gone to any of the shows and guested myself on stage with the new band — just me. I haven't done that. It's always been with members of the original band with me."

Last October, Gramm was asked during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk"what he thinks of Hansen, who has been in the group for nearly two decades. "I think he's a good singer," Lou said. "And he sings those songs okay; he sings them good. But he mimics my style right down to the ad-libs, and I'm offended by that… I just think that if he's gonna sing the songs, he could sing the melodies that are familiar, but when it comes to the ad-libs and all the little things that set me aside as a vocalist when I sing them, he should make his own up. He should have his own ad-libs that are his own; he doesn't have to mimic me."

Gramm's comments echoed those he made a little over two months earlier when he told John Beaudin of RockHistoryMusic.com about Hansen: "Kelly is all right. He's a good singer. But I think Mick [Jones, FOREIGNER's founding guitarist and leader] really told Kelly, when he first got in the band, that he had to study me, because he sings those songs with the same musical innuendos and vocal licks and ad-libs as I have. He's mimicking me. His voice doesn't sound like me, but he's singing the songs the way I would sing them.

"Some people say, 'Well, take it as a compliment, Lou.' I don't take it as a compliment," Gramm continued. "You're a singer with a big band like that — use your voice and your style. Don't hang your coat on my hook.

"I don't think he should sing the songs verbatim like me," Lou added. "Maybe sing a couple of parts. But let his own influences show — show the fans that he's the new singer now, not me."

Asked what it was like to share the stage with Hansen and other members of the current and original FOREIGNER lineup in 2017 and 2018 to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary, Lou told RockHistoryMusic.com: "It was okay. [Kelly] was bouncing off the walls. He couldn't stand still or sit still. After a song ended, I couldn't even get a word to thank the audience or tell 'em that I was happy to be part of the reunion. At the end of the song, the last song hit, and there wasn't a quarter of a second of space before he was yapping away to the audience… It was, like, 'Jeez, will you quiet down for a minute?'"

Pressed about whether it is "over now" for him and FOREIGNER, Lou said: "I think so, yeah. I don't wanna be a part of it. Well, Ian [McDonald, guitar] has passed away and Ed Gagliardi [bass] passed away, even though he wasn't part of the reunions. Two original members of the six are now gone. And Mick is in very poor health. I think when the new FOREIGNER plays, I've heard that he comes on for one song and then waves and goes offstage. [In the recent past] he would play the whole last half of the set. But then he was in the hospital again for weeks. He had some heart problems and his recovery time was very long and tedious. And I heard that he comes out for one song now — when he comes on. Most of the time FOREIGNER has no original FOREIGNER members in it."

The 73-year-old Gramm has battled health issues in recent years, including the removal of a non-cancerous tumor. He told the Democrat & Chronicle in 2018 that he was planning to retire, but still reunited with FOREIGNER for several shows that year.

Gramm and Jones's June 2013 performance of "I Want To Know What Love Is" and "Juke Box Hero" at the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in New York City marked the first time the pair performed together in a decade after Gramm left FOREIGNER for a second time. Hansen has fronted the group for the past 18 years.

Photo credit: Karsten Staiger

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, LIVING COLOUR singer Corey Glover was asked if he and his bandmates have commenced working on the follow-up to 2017's "Shade" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Absolutely. We're always working on new music. We like to take our time in making albums. It's a blessing and a curse, 'cause you get a lot of material in the space between." Referencing the idiom "nature abhors a vacuum," which is used to express the idea that empty or unfilled spaces are unnatural as they go against the laws of nature and physics, Glover continued: "So if there's nothing to do, something will come up to do. And we all have something to do; we're working all the time. Everybody's out doing other things, so it's hard… We have to carve out time to be able to get together and really sort of concentrate on making a record, which is difficult. I know for myself, I'm a parent. My kids are going off to college."

In June 2020, LIVING COLOUR released a video for its classic song "This Is The Life" featuring footage of the peaceful protests that swelled across the U.S. and around the world over the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. The original version of "This Is The Life" appeared on LIVING COLOUR's 1990 album "Time's Up".

In a statement accompanying the video's release, LIVING COLOUR said: "'Time's Up' was released 30 years ago and sadly we're still fighting the same fight. If you don't like the current agenda, it's your responsibility to go out an VOTE!"

A few days after Floyd's death, LIVING COLOUR guitarist Vernon Reid took to his Twitter to write: " Of all the shocking mobile phone recorded extra judicial Police killings, the murder of George Floyd is the most depraved exercise in contemptuous disregard for human life I've ever seen. Next time you see it- if you can stomach it- pay attention to the hand in pocket posture."

"Shade" was released in September 2017 via Megaforce Records.

Glover's side projects in recent years have included some acting, touring as a member of jam band GALACTIC and, more recently, forming the jazz-rock supergroup ULTRAPHONIX with legendary DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch. Reid, for his part, has released solo albums and been involved in side projects with Masque and YOHIMBE BROTHERS; collaborated with Mick Jagger, Bill Frisell, Jack Bruce and Ronald Shannon Jackson, among many others; produced albums for Salif Keita and James Blood Ulmer; and composed film scores.

TESLA's Frank Hannon joined VANDENBERG, the namesake band of Dutch guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, onstage on May 1 aboard this year's Monsters Of Rock cruise to perform the WHITESNAKE classic "Still Of The Night". Fan-filmed video of Frank's appearance can be seen below.

Vandenberg was a member of WHITESNAKE for 13 years at the height of the band's fame, contributing the solo on "Here I Go Again". He was also part of supergroup MANIC EDEN, and more recently released a number of albums with VANDENBERG'S MOONKINGS.

Vandenberg's namesake band released its comeback album, titled "2020", in May 2020 via Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group. A follow-up LP, "Sin", will arrive later this year.

Adrian is joined in VANDENBERG's current lineup by vocalist Mats Levén, drummer Koen Herfst and bassist Randy Van Der Elsen.

The group's fifth full-length offering, "Sin", was produced by Bob Marlette (OZZY OSBOURNE, ALICE COOPER, ROB ZOMBIE).

Recalling his refusal to return to WHITESNAKE when frontman David Coverdale resurrected the band in 2002, Vandenberg told "White Line Fever" that the singer "wanted to stop altogether because he was kind of worn out on the road. He didn't want to do it anymore… When he called me up and said he wanted to start it up again, I couldn't do it because I had all kinds of obligations for exhibitions for my paintings. And those are always planned a year ahead, because art galleries reserve the space a year ahead because exhibitions usually last three to six months or something. I couldn't do it but we did keep in touch always. We still do."

The guitarist added that he and Coverdale became "very good friends over the years, [so] you never know what might happen... We actually have pretty specific ideas about maybe doing a blues album or an acoustic thing or whatever… Sooner or later it might happen, but right now we're really involved in [other projects]. So this is probably not the time. But I wouldn't be surprised if, sooner or later, we end up doing something together in some kind of format. I was in WHITESNAKE for 13 years, which is quite a long time. I still hold the record, I think."

Thanks: Mike Gaube / Mike Gaube's Headbangers



Hannon slayed it tonight with Vandenberg. "In the Still of the Night." MORC 2023. Frank Hannon Tesla the Band Tesla the band Tesla @ Monsters of Rock Cruise (Time to Rock Tour 2023) Monsters of Rock Cruise #vandenberg

Posted by Bernice Lee on Monday, May 1, 2023

Fan-filmed video of KROKUS's May 2 concert at Zeche in Bochum, Germany can be seen below.

Three years ago, the Swiss hard rock legends postponed their last-ever concerts in USA and Canada due to the coronavirus pandemic that was sweeping the globe. The 13-date trek was originally scheduled to kick off at Canton Hall in Dallas, Texas on September 18, 2020 and conclude at Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California on October 10, 2020. Asked in a recent interview with the "Mike Nelson Show" if the North American dates will ever happen, KROKUS singer Marc Storace said: "If it was up to us, we'd be there in a shot. But look what happened in the meantime with COVID. I mean, COVID was a huge slap in the face. In 2019, in Europe, we were over. We played our last gig in Hallenstadion [in Zürich], which is like the holy ground of rock for Switzerland — for the German-speaking part anyway. [During] the COVID lockdown we stayed at home, and that's when I decided, 'I'm gonna start working on songs for my solo album.' 'Cause I don't like sitting on my ass doing nothing. So, in the meantime, time passed. People's tickets [for the U.S. tour] — I don't even know what happened to their tickets… In the meantime, the whole economy stuff, and now with [the economic fallout from Russia’s invasion of] Ukraine… Ukraine is a real big punch in the face to show business. Already with the lockdown, lots businesses [of] every kind went bankrupt and had to close. And it's the same with bus companies, production companies and stuff. And the ones left, they feel kind of free they can ask for more. Whereas the price of gasoline is up there, and that's only one thing. If you count everything together, it's, like, do we wanna pay to tour? [Laughs] Nobody wants to do that. And we're not LED ZEPPELIN."

Last September, KROKUS played a special concert on the steps of the St. Ursus Cathedral in Solothurn, Switzerland. In addition, Solothurn honored the band with a "Stone Of Honor" on its 2000th anniversary. KROKUS has also announced a return to the "holy ground of rock" in Switzerland, the Hallenstadion in Zürich, where the group will perform on May 6.

Speaking about KROKUS's future plans, Storace told the "Mike Nelson Show": "We suddenly decided, 'Well, are we done? We're still alive.' And after the break we had from 2019, which was the last gig in Europe and the whole lockdown thing and 'Adios Amigos', we were asked to [perform at a celebration of] 2000 years of Solothurn. This is the hometown of the band. And it's 2000 years ago; it's a hell of a long time. The Romans were living in Solothurn. So it was great. We accepted to do that. And then we were thinking, like, 'Let's do one more.' And we decided we're gonna do this. And I feel great about that. Even though I've got my own [solo] band and everything, but for me it's, like, 'Beam me up, Scotty.' I wanna get back to the mothership, spend some time with the boys again. I even enjoy the rehearsals. I drive to Solothurn and back — it's only an hour from here — and spend some time with the boys. 'Cause, hey, I joined [the band] in '79. That's a hell of a long time. What's that? 40 years ago? Holy moly. So that's it. It's like a human thing, and it's a musical thing, and it's a spiritual thing. 'Cause it's in your blood. And we're looking forward to it."

Earlier last year, Storace explained to Rock Show Critique why he and his bandmates toured America so infrequently over the course of the last 20 years. The 71-year-old musician said: "Well, it starts with the work permits. And they cost money. Then the tax. Then the booking fees, the percentages, the renting out of equipment, buses, hotels and everything. So if you've gotta do a club tour, you can't even pay for all that. We haven't been there for a long while, so we don't expect to come over and do a headliner tour in stadiums; we're far from that again. Because in the meantime, there's a lot of water under the bridge. And that's how it is. The status sinks because there's no longer promoters who believe that you're gonna bring in the money back for that. I guess that's the way it is. It's like a vicious circle. You have to come over one day and get the ball rolling again and then come back the next year and the next year to reach the status that you are used to. And you have to also release a new album to accompany that. And the new album isn't enough. Albums don't sell anymore. There's Spotify — all these parasites around — streaming, which don't give you your money's worth."

When KROKUS first announced its decision to embark on a farewell tour in September 2019, the band explained in a statement: "KROKUS shows have always been special and should stay that way. That's why we decided to stop when it's still really good. That's how the fans should remember us."

Formed in 1975, KROKUS has sold over 15 million records, toured the world, and received gold and platinum discs in the USA and Canada. KROKUS was also the first Swiss band to sell out Hallenstadion and has received a diamond disc for selling one million albums in Switzerland alone.

In the course of its career, KROKUS has rocked over 2,000 shows on five continents, countless cities, unique locations, crazy gigs, and loyal fans.

English rock journalist Malcolm Dome quite rightly said: "If you look at the long-term output of this band, KROKUS is clearly one of the best hard rock bands of the last 40 years."

GERMANY HERE WE COME- LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAY FOR YOU.
THE TEMPERATURE IS RISING!

Posted by Krokus on Saturday, April 29, 2023

Californian rockers BUCKCHERRY will release their tenth studio album, "Vol. 10", on June 2. The 11-song LP features 10 new BUCKCHERRY originals and, as a bonus track, a cover of the Bryan Adams classic "Summer Of 69". The album was produced by Marti Frederiksen and recorded at Sienna Studios in Nashville. The album will be released in North America by Round Hill Records, in Japan by Sony Japan, and by Earache Records for the rest of the world.

Premiering today is the official music video for the third single, "Shine Your Light". The clip was filmed in Los Angeles and directed by Mike Watts and Tom Flynn.

Todd told Australia's Silver Tiger Media about the band's upcoming LP: "It's just a new body of work. It's where we're at today. The songs are really well written, and I think people are gonna really, really love it. There is no overall [lyrical] theme… You'll enjoy it."

Regarding BUCKCKERRY's songwriting approach this time around, Todd said: "The formula for us is to have no fillers — having a great record from beginning to end. That's what we want — we want to be able to have these unforgettable songs and melodies. And if they don't sound great, we just don't put 'em on records."

Last August, BUCKCHERRY announced that Todd and Stevie Dacanay would head to Nashville in late September to finish the writing process for the band's tenth studio album. The band was scheduled to begin recording the effort on November 4, 2022.

Frederiksen previously produced 2021's "Hellbound" as well as BUCKCHERRY's fourth album, "Black Butterfly", and co-wrote "Sorry", among other songs, with the band.

In the summer of 2020, BUCKCHERRY recruited JETBOY's Billy Rowe as its new guitarist. He joined the group as the replacement for Kevin Roentgen, who left BUCKCHERRY in July of that year.

In 2019, BUCKCHERRY enlisted Francis Ruiz as its new drummer. He joined the group as the replacement for Sean Winchester, who exited BUCKCHERRY after laying down the drum tracks on "Warpaint".

After performing 238 shows in support of "Hellbound", the band has hit the road in support of "Vol. 10". Touring kicked off on March 9 in Bowler, Wisconsin, co-headlining with SKID ROW.

Earlier last year, Todd told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he and his bandmates have never had the luxury to slack off on their work habits, even during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

"When you're in a band, it's like it's your business. So if you just sit around and wait for people to tell you what to do, then you're not running a good business," Todd said. "We've always created opportunities within ourselves. We have to make schedules, we have to stick to them. We have to show up and work hard. We're so used to doing that because people have written this band off many times and we have many peaks and valleys in the BUCKCHERRY career. We have come back from a lot of adversity and had a lot of success. And we only did that by believing in ourselves and working hard because no one else is going to do that except us."

BUCKCHERRY burst on to the scene in 1999 with its now-classic self-titled debut album. Hit singles "Lit Up", "For The Movies", "Dead Again" and "Check Your Head" brought the celebration back to the party scene, recalling the gritty glam impact of MÖTLEY CRÜE but with a Gen X-demanded, modern self-awareness . Later albums continued to develop their reputation for volatile, mercurial themes and infectious hooks; such singles as "Crazy Bitch", "Everything", "Too Drunk" and "All Night Long" became screaming choruses for fans across the world. With their irreverent and bawdy lyrics, delivered with Todd's whisky weathered vocals, paired with filthy guitar riffs and high-energy, throbbing bass lines, BUCKCHERRY has sustained a hard-earned reputation as a not-to-be-missed live presence with regular touring schedules alongside such legends as MÖTLEY CRÜE and PAPA ROACH.

Dee Snider has issued a statement after his planned performance at San Francisco Pride in June was canceled because the TWISTED SISTER singer voiced his support for Paul Stanley's controversial comments criticizing gender-affirming healthcare for children.

San Francisco Pride, which is scheduled to take place June 24-25, was about to announce TWISTED SISTER's 1980s classic "We're Not Gonna Take It" as the official anthem of its 2023 celebration and Snider had been set to perform.

"Ultimately SF Pride and Dee have mutually agreed to part ways,” the festival said in a statement, adding that Stanley's tweet was "transphobic." It added that the organization was "heartbroken and angry."

Earlier today (Friday, May 5),Snider released the following statement via social media: "So, I hear I'm transphobic. Really?

"Why did the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade invite me, Dee Snider to be a Grand Marshal in their parade and sing 'We're Not Gonna Take It' on the center stage at what could possibly be the most important LGBTQIA+ gathering in the organization's long history. To quote Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle's senior political writer, '... Dee Snider [is] a longtime supporter of LGBTQ rights...'

"I have ALWAYS stood with the community and its important causes. I was honored to accept the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade's invitation and I even gave my blessing for 'We're Not Gonna Take It' to be used as this year's battle cry ['Queer Not Gonna Take It!')."

"Is that transphobic?

"I was not aware the Transgender community expects fealty and total agreement with all their beliefs and any variation or deviation is considered 'transphobic.'

"So, my lifetime of supporting the Transgender community's right to identify as they want and honoring whatever changes they may make in how they present themselves to the world isn't enough? Why not?

"I've recently stated I do not believe young children are ready to decide their gender allocation. I believe their choices should be supported and accepted by their parents, but I do not think kids have the mental capabilities to make rational, logical decisions on things of a magnitude that will affect them for the rest of their lives. I do not believe they are mentally developed enough."

"Dr. Jennifer Katzenstein [director of psychology, neuropsychology and social work, and co-director of the Center for Behavioral Health at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital] says, '...it is important for parents to remember that development varies across children, and that one age (such as age 7) is not the end of development, or a 'deadline for developing reasoning skills.' Cognitive development continues into adulthood, and as parents, it is our responsibility to continue to challenge and support our children.'

"Well said. It's just good parenting.

"I am a proud moderate. I drive a Tesla and a Hummer. I have too many guns but strongly support intelligent gun control. I have four children yet fight for a woman's right to choose. I am a motorcycle riding environmentalist. I am a heterosexual who proudly supports LBGTQIA+ rights. To me (and I believe to many of you) none of these things are mutually exclusive.

"The Transgender community needs moderates who support their choices, even if we don't agree with every one of their edicts. For some Transgender people (not all) to accuse supporters, like me, of transphobia is not a good look for their cause.

"Don't reject people who are willing to march, sing and stand with you just because we don't perfectly see eye-to-eye. We are still your allies.

"I, Dee Snider, will continue to support the Transgender community and their right to choose even if they reject me and moving forward, I am open to educating myself so I can be a better ally.

"Sincerely, Dee Snider, your cisgender, crossdressing ally."

Last weekend, Stanley took to his Twitter to weigh in on kids' gender identities and the parents who are "normalizing and even encouraging participation" in embracing them, calling it a "sad and dangerous fad."

The 71-year-old rocker made his comments as politicians in several states have attempted to restrict trans Americans' ability to seek gender-affirming medical treatments. In some states, such as Georgia and Tennessee, bans for minors have already been enacted in the first quarter of 2023.

On Sunday, April 30, Paul shared the following statement: "My Thoughts On What I'm Seeing

"There is a BIG difference between teaching acceptance and normalizing and even encouraging participation in a lifestyle that confuses young children into questioning their sexual identification as though some sort of game and then parents in some cases allow it.

"There ARE individuals who as adults may decide reassignment is their needed choice but turning this into a game or parents normalizing it as some sort of natural alternative or believing that because a little boy likes to play dress up in his sister's clothes or a girl in her brother's, we should lead them steps further down a path that's far from the innocence of what they are doing.

"With many children who have no real sense of sexuality or sexual experiences caught up in the 'fun' of using pronouns and saying what they identify as, some adults mistakenly confuse teaching acceptance with normalizing and encouraging a situation that has been a struggle for those truly affected and have turned it into a sad and dangerous fad."

Among the people who reacted positively to Stanley's statement was Snider, who has been a longtime ally of the LGBTQ+ community.

"You know what? There was a time where I 'felt pretty' too," Snider tweeted to Stanley. "Glad my parents didn't jump to any rash conclusions!"

Snider continued: "Parents need to be less reactionary; Right and Left. No need to steer the child in either direction. Let the kid figure it out for themselves knowing their family is supportive. I had a vet/cop hardass dad who, while he shook his head A LOT…let me do my thing."

When a fan questioned Snider's comments, the singer said: "I guess I'll just need to turn in my LGBTQIA+ membership card…oh wait! I'm gonna need it in a big way TBA," apparently referring to the then-still-unannounced San Francisco Pride performance.

In 2021, about 42,000 children and teens across the United States received a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, nearly triple the number in 2017, according to data Komodo compiled for Reuters. Gender dysphoria is defined as the distress caused by a discrepancy between a person's gender identity and the one assigned to them at birth.

Transgender is a broad term for people whose "gender identity, gender expression or behavior does not conform to that typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth," according to the American Psychological Association (APA).

According to a recent survey from The Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation, 78% of transgender adults in the United States say living with a gender different from the one assigned to them at birth has made them more satisfied with their lives.

Last month, outspoken conservative rocker Ted Nugent shared a tweet in which he denounced the existence of transgender people and told people they could "debate" him if they disagreed.

"There is no such thing as transgender. You cannot change your gender. Comfortably numb is actually uncomfortably dumb. Debate me but bring your bib," he wrote.

So, I hear I'm transphobic. Really?

Posted by Dee Snider on Friday, May 5, 2023
pic.twitter.com/5Gvz6v5HUi

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) April 30, 2023


You know what? There was a time where I "felt pretty" too. Glad my parents didn't jump to any rash conclusions! Well said, @PaulStanleyLivehttps://t.co/G80uNyzD7M

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) May 1, 2023


I'm not, Elle. Parents need to be less reactionary; Right and Left. No need to steer the child in either direction. Let the kid figure it out for themselves knowing their family is supportive.

I had a vet/cop hardass dad who, while he shook his head A LOT...let me do my thing. https://t.co/qyDJabWijb

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) May 1, 2023

Back in January 2022, former Cradle of Filth backing vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva, who now fronts Torn Between Two Worlds, revealed she was gearing up to release a cover of the Siouxsie And The Banshees classic "Cities In Dust". After a long delay, the track is finally out.


Sarah: "Finally its being released, featuring two amazing musicians: Chris Twiest (I'm not overly sure if he does twist or not), for whom this track never would have been possible for me to ruin, and the amazing Ricardo Amorim (Moonspell) who did a hot guitar solo. Yes, if you know the original, it doesn't have a solo, but life is about taking chances and risks and as musicians, you need to take em!  Thank you for waiting so long to check the track out! And a massive shout out to the lovely deHuisvleermuis for this art/track cover. So very grateful!"


The song is available via Bandcamp and will be available on other digital platforms soon.




Cities In Dust by Sarah Jezebel Deva


In June 2022, Torn Between Two Worlds, Sarah Jezebel Deva and Chris Rehn, released a new EP, entitled As If We Never Existed. It is now available via Bandcamp here.





The tracklist is as follows:


"The Beauty Of Deception"
"Transparent"
"The Woman That Never Was"
"All Eyes On Me"
"Hello"


"The Woman That Never Was"





"Transparent"





"The Beauty Of Deception"





"All Eyes On Me"





"Hello"

Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his weekly solo cover song and video, this time performing Michael Bolton's 1997 hit, "Go The Distance", taken from the soundtrack for Disney's animated Hercules movie





Sabaton's final EP in the Echoes Of The Great War EP trilogy, entitled Stories From The Western Front, is now officially available on all platforms and features a never-heard-before cover of Motörhead's well-known track, “1916". Stream Stories From The Western Front here.




In celebration of this final EP, the band has also unleashed a brand-new music video for “1916” filmed in Birmingham, England, and at Britain’s famous Black Country Living Museum. The music video features an overload of historical characters from the Sabaton lore, a headbanging metal army from Birmingham, and even a cameo from the living members of Motörhead - Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell. Watch the music video below.


The Western Front was one of World War I’s main theatres of conflict. It stretched across more than 400 miles through France and Belgium from the Swiss border to the North Sea. It was a deadly place, and to put things into perspective, at least four-million men died there, although the true figure can never be confirmed.


The Stories From The Western Front EP tells stories of those who fought and fell on the Western Front, a place where the trenches and the ceaseless shelling drove men to insanity. Often, those who returned from this treacherous place did so with shell shock and chronic nightmares, PTSD or injuries that changed their lives forever.


“We are excited to release the last EP in the Echoes of The Great War series as well as a new music video, which we had a blast filming in the UK. Our new EP tells the tales that came from the Western Front, a brutal and unforgiving theatre of war. The Battle of Verdun, which was the longest battle of the First World War, the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917 in Flanders, the Battle of the Somme… these are all things we should not forget,” explains Pär Sundstrom. “And through this EP – in fact, through this whole EP collection – our sole mission has been to immortalize these stories and ensure that these are at the forefront of everyone's minds.


“Speaking of the Battle of the Somme,” Pär adds, “this conflict resulted in a huge loss of human life – around 300,000 fatalities. It was one of the bloodiest and deadliest conflicts of WW1 - and in human history! This is what “1916” was written about, and that’s why it was the missing puzzle piece of this EP.”


Meanwhile, Joakim Brodén shares more information about the band’s cover of Motörhead: “We believed that ‘1916’ was the perfect fit for this EP, not only because it’s related to the First World War, but because we just love everything about the song. Lemmy was inspired to write this track after watching a documentary about the Battle of the Somme. The lyrics are emotionally charged and perfectly describe the experiences of all the young soldiers, most of whom were essentially just kids. A lyric that really moves me and hits home is: ‘We were food for the gun, and that’s what you are when you’re soldiers.’ I can’t get that out of my head.”


“We think we did this song justice. It’s our tribute to one of the greatest bands in the world and a nod to those who fought in the First World War and made the ultimate sacrifice!” he notes.


With each EP in the Echoes Of The Great War trilogy, Sabaton is releasing an exclusive digipak in limited numbers. They often sell out immediately, so if you want one for your collection, be quick!





Tracklisting:


"1916"
"Great War"
"Hellfighters"
"The Price of A Mile"
"Fields of Verdun"
"Race To The Sea"
"Devil Dogs"


"1916" video:

On April 15, METALLICA marked National ASL Day with the announcement of a partnership with the Deaf Professional Arts Network (DPAN) and Amber G Productions teams to release every music video for every song from the band's new "72 Seasons" album in American Sign Language. The news was accompanied by the first of these ASL videos, for the title track, "72 Seasons".

Today, April 25, with the posting of the 11 remaining songs from "72 Seasons" on video with lyrics and ASL, METALLICA becomes not only first rock band to release an entire album in ASL, but the first band to release official videos side by side with an ASL interpreter.

The "72 Seasons" full album ASL video release is the result of METALLICA's connecting with Amber Galloway of AG Productions, whose team is known for signing at several music festivals the band has headlined, including Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits, and The Deaf Professional Arts Network (DPAN),a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 2006 by deaf musician Sean Forbes and music producer Joel Martin to make music accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing community.

"As a deaf musician, who has been a huge fan of METALLICA my entire life, it is an absolute honor to work with the band and Amber G Productions to make an entire album of their songs accessible in American Sign Language," said Sean Forbes. "It is our hope that more bands, artists, performers, will follow the example set by METALLICA and make their music accessible in American Sign Language. There is an entire community of deaf music fans that are ready to experience more music and METALLICA doing this speaks volumes to the deaf and signing communities."

"METALLICA has shown the world what access and inclusiveness can look like," said Amber Galloway. "Oftentimes hearing individuals think that captioning a music video is sufficient. Sadly text does not show intonations, it doesn't show the emotional connection that ASL does. These videos also capture the voices of the instruments."

According to Vice, sign language interpreters are becoming more commonplace when making major music festivals and concerts accessible to fans with hearing loss. Interpreters provide a service, giving ticketholders with a disability a more complete experience for their money.

Performance sign language interpreting requires a high level of preparation and creativity. At the concert, interpreters are not just performing the lyrics; they are also communicating the musicality of the song with their bodies.

Five years ago, LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe praised the sign language interpreter who stole the show at the band's concert by passionately signing the music and lyrics for deaf fans.

Lindsay Rothschild-Cross's interpretation of LAMB OF GOD's June 2018 performance in Austin, Texas was captured on video, which went viral on social media.

"I am always extremely pleased when I see sign language interpreters at our shows, and the show in Austin was no exception," Blythe told ABC News at the time. "A LAMB OF GOD concert is a highly visceral experience for both the performers and our fans — we all feel the music together in an emotional and physical way, creating a symbiotic exchange of energy that can and does have profound effects. Deaf fans are no different, and I have long been aware that hearing impaired folks can feel the vibrations of amplified sound waves from a loud P.A. system."

"That day, there were several interpreters taking turns — they were all working hard and doing a great job, but Lindsay's interpretation of our performance stood out to me enough that I hopped down off the stage and sang beside her for a bit," Blythe continued. "Lindsay and the other interpreters became a part of that massive exchange of energy that occurs at our shows, just as important as any of us performing on stage."

In the U.S., the Americans with Disabilities Act requires any place of public accommodation to provide interpreters if even one person requests one.

Rothschild-Cross told CNN that venues will sometimes place interpreters in mosh pits or in an inaccessible area. Occasionally, she said, the artists will not abide by the rules or will be disrespectful. Some musicians refuse to give her setlists in advance, or ask for the interpreters' spotlights to be turned off.

Canadian rock icon Lee Aaron - born Karen Greening - is featured in a career-spanning interview with Waste Some Time With Jason Green. She talks about her formative years, discusses why she never broke in the US, and reveals the origin of the name "Lee Aaron".


Lee: "Bodyrock (released in 1989) was my most successful record in Canada - it went double platinum - and at that time I was wrestling back control of my image, my musical direction, and everything that I wanted to do. 'Watcha Do To my Body' was the first single, and I suggested to the video director (Don Allen) that we flip that (rampant '80s sexism) on its head and hire a bunch of attractive young men to come in and be beefcake in the video. But, to do it with a nudge and a wink and a sense of humour so that it's not interpreted as oversexualising men. We've got guys holding puppies and babies in the video, so come on.... It was extremely well received, and it accomplished exactly what I'd hoped to accomplish, which was flipping the whole sexuality thing on its head."













Lee Aaron has released the official video for "Elevate". The song is the third single from her latest studio album, Elevate, released in North America last month via Metalville Records. Watch the clip below:





Elevate: transitive verb


1: To lift up or make higher
2: to raise in rank or status
3: to improve morally, intellectually or culturally
4: to raise the spirits of


Lee Aaron is on a roll. The award-winning, songwriter, producer, and Canadian vocalist blazed back onto the rock scene in 2016 (after a ten-year hiatus to raise her family) with a wealth of original material and more firecracker energy than artists half her age. She’s since produced six new releases, including a live CD/DVD, with Elevate being the latest and possibly coolest addition to this renewed chapter in her illustrious career.


Elevate was written during the Covid lockdown, but rather than allowing that isolation to push the band into a negative place, Lee booked a studio lockout for the fall of 2021.


Elevate contains ten original tracks steeped in what has become Aaron’s signature sound: big guitar hooks, powerful, bluesy vocals, rich melodies and harmonies, and just enough sassy attitude to tip the scales. Aaron has always been known for digging a little deeper with her lyric content, and Elevate is no exception.


Elevate was recorded in Aaron’s traditional fashion: live off the floor with her crack band - Sean Kelly (guitar), Dave Reimer (bass), and John Cody (drums) - at the Armoury Studios in Vancouver with the finishing touches recorded at the band’s home studios. After forging a strong friendship and working relationship with Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams) on the last album, he once again teams up with Lee and the band for Elevate as recording and mix engineer.


About Elevate, Aaron explains, "I think it’s a shame how social media can divide good people. Analytics guarantee everyone has their own special ‘feed’ and you’re never hearing a different perspective – it polarizes people. Elevate is about not buying into that trap; it’s about choosing to lift each other up."


As the title track inspires, "It’s not too late to re-create, let’s celebrate, let’s Elevate - LET’S ELEVATE!"





Tracklisting:


"Rock Bottom Revolution"
"Trouble Maker"
"The Devil U Know"
"Freak Show"
"Heaven's Where We Are"
"Still Alive"
"Highway Romeo"
"Red Dress"
"Spitfire Woman"
"Elevate"


"Rock Bottom Revolution" video:





"Trouble Maker"





Lee Aaron's 2023 tour schedule is as follows:


June
15 - Newfoundland - tba
16 - Burlington, Ontario - tba


July
6 - Surrey, British Columbia - tba


August
12 - Cranbrook, British Columbia - Rock The Kootenays
13 - Prince George, British Columbia - Cariboo Rocks The North
19 - Halifax, Nova Scotia - Rock The Harbour


Go to this location for tour information. Stay tuned for updates.





Lineup:


Lee Aaron - lead vocals
Sean Kelly - guitars
Dave Reimer - bass
John Cody - drums


(Photos - Theresa Mitchell)

Unearth have released their new music video (directed by Nick Forkel) "Dawn Of The Militant" from their album, The Wretched; The Ruinous, out now via Century Media.





On album number eight, The Wretched; The Ruinous, Unearth not merely continues to amp-up their metal meets hardcore intensities, but they also exceed themselves with a record that incorporates elements of classic Unearth offerings dating back to 2004’s “breakthrough” The Oncoming Storm, while exploring beyond the recent back-to-basics promise of 2018’s Extinction(s). For Unearth’s founding mainstays, Trevor Phipps and guitarist Buz McGrath, it feels like the beginning of a new chapter. “Buz took the entire pandemic to write these songs,” says Trevor. “He pushed himself to get out of his comfort zone and explore what Unearth is, both past and present. Buz adding these new elements and killer song structures inspired me to be more diverse vocally. The Wretched; the Ruinous is still Unearth, but it’s also the most dynamic record we’ve ever done.”




Teaming again with Extinction(s) producer, Will Putney (Body Count, Thy Art Is Murder), the goal was simple: create the definitive Unearth record. From the scathing title track opener to the explosive "Cremation of the Living", the brooding "Mother Betrayal" to the album’s riff-violent closer, "Theaters of War", The Wretched; The Ruinous is Unearth pulling out all the stops. “There’s certain songs where you can really hear the band’s hardcore roots,” explains Trevor. “The track 'Dawn of the Militant' is a true mix of metal and heavy hardcore, that to me define what the term 'metalcore' truly is. For the bulk of this record though, the metal, aggression, and technicality are reminiscent of our Watchers of Rule (2014) album. All of the ingredients of Unearth are present on these songs, but the band continues to explore new territories as writers and players."


The Wretched; The Ruinous is a turning point moment for Unearth. It’s first album in their canon recorded without guitarist Ken Susi, who mutually parted with the band in 2022. Trevor shares, "It simply came time for Unearth and Ken to take a break from working together. He'll always be a large part of the story of this band, and we wish him the best on all of his endeavours."


The frontman makes no bones about the arduous writing process for The Wretched; The Ruinous. “Coming out of the pandemic I found myself struggling to find my zone of creativity with writing, but I pushed through, and once I found it things caught fire.” Phipps has never been one to shy away from often scathing social commentary. “Lyrically, it’s a warning shot record,” Trevor continues. “I’ve spoken about the decline of our environment by Mankind’s hand dating back to our first record in 2001, and I've continued to write about the environmental crisis throughout our entire career. We are now at a tipping point with Mother Nature and our place on this planet, and I had to devote the entirety of this album to what is happening around us. This album is a collection of stories of what is happening, and what is to come, if we do not make monstrous changes to how we treat our only home."


“The Wretched; The Ruinous is about the eight billion people on this planet,” echoes the frontman of Unearth’s latest state of the world address. "We've created a man-made mass extinction event and have been too slow to correct our faults. Extreme weather, drought, famine, disease, erosion of land, culture wars, civil wars, wars for natural resources, and the displacement of billions of people, is all a current reality. This isn't a future problem; it is a now problem and I take this record to talk about it. As a species we are very quickly turning our once Garden of Eden into our future hellscape.”


"It's not all devastation and gloom though," adds Phipps. "On the track 'Call of Existence' I talk about how we can turn this around with swift, drastic changes to our emissions and consumption of natural resources. There is a responsible way forward that will benefit all life on our planet, and we have to embrace and act on that responsibility now."


Order the album here.





Tracklisting:


"The Wretched; The Ruinous"
"Cremation Of The Living"
"Eradicator"
"Mother Betrayal"
"Invictus"
"Call Of Existence"
"Dawn Of The Militant"
"Aniara"
"Into The Abyss"
"Broken Arrow"
"Theaters Of War"


"Into The Abyss":





"Mother Betrayal" video:





"The Wretched; The Ruinous" video:





Unearth have announced a North American album release tour in support of The Wretched; The Ruinous.


"It's been almost five years since we've headlined the Midwest and West Coast of the USA and we are excited to be coming at you all first to support our new album The Wretched; The Ruinous. We've got two killer bands joining us on all dates, Upon A Burning Body and 156/Silence, as well as some yet to be announced bands on select gigs. See you all out there." - Unearth





Dates:


May (Album Release Tour)
4 - Lubbock, TX - Jake's
5 - El Paso, TX - Rock House
6 - Tucson, AZ - The Rock
7 - Anaheim, CA - Parish Room @ House of Blues
8 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent Theater
9 - Roseville, CA - Goldfields
11 - Portland, OR - Star Theater
12 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
14 - Salt Lake City, UT - Soundwell
15 - Denver, CO - HQ
16 - Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
18 - Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups
19 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall


May (supporting The Halo Effect)
20 - Hartford, CT - The Webster
21 - Brooklyn, NY - Monarch
22 - Philadelphia, PA - Brooklyn Bowl
23 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium Upstairs
24 - Quebec City, QC - Imperial bell
25 - Montreal, QC - Fairmount Theatre
26 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
27 - Detroit, MI - Crofoot Ballroom


Recording lineup:


Vocals - Trevor Phipps
Guitars - Buz McGrath
Bass - Chris O'Toole
Drums - Nick Pierce


(Photo - Mezgarth)

Today (May 5) sees the return of heavy speed metal giants, Savage Grace, with a brand new studio album, entitled Sign Of The Cross, through Massacre Records. New video for "Stealin' My Heart Away" is available below.





On Sign Of The Cross, Savage Grace are not only introducing their new vocalist Gabriel Colon - who is described as a blend of the early Rob Halford and the young Ian Gillian - but creating and moving into a new dimension of metal while keeping true to their authentic roots. Guitarist Christian Logue assembled the most incredible musicians from across the world to create the most devastating version of Savage Grace yet.




40 years of metal experience went into crafting each of the new album songs into classics they will soon become. In addition, provocative, thought-inspiring lyrics and powerful topics weave their way through this mesmerizing collection of songs.


Christian Logue comments: "This album is my masterpiece and a grand addition to my legacy of universally acclaimed classic metal recordings. Every song on this album is powerful, there is not one weak track on this record."


Sign Of The Cross was produced by Logue and was mixed and mastered by Roland Grapow at Grapow Studios. Slated for a release as CD, ltd. Vinyl LP and Digital formats on May 5, 2023 via Massacre Records, orders are available at this location.





Tracklisting:


“Barbarians At The Gate”
“Automoton”
“Sign Of The Cross”
“Rendezvous”
“Stealin’ My Heart Away”
“Slave Of Desire”
“Land Beyond The Walls”
“Star Crossed Lovers”
“Branded”
“Helsinki Nights” (CD Bonus Track)


“Rendezvous” video:





“Star Crossed Lovers” video:





“Automaton” video:

Globally acclaimed Mongolian rock outfit The Hu have steadily been whetting listeners’ appetites with new music videos and updated tracks from the forthcoming deluxe edition of 2022’s Rumble Of Thunder. Today (May 5), The Hu have revealed an acoustic version of their feel-good single “Bii Biyelegee” which celebrates the traditional Mongolian style of “biyelgee” dancing. The acoustic version is available to stream and/or download now across all digital platforms here.





Due June 30 via Better Noise Music, Rumble Of Thunder: Deluxe Album will include the album’s original track listing along with seven new bonus tracks: four acoustic renditions and three newly recorded songs featuring guest appearances from rock’s top musicians including recently released singles “This Is Mongol (feat. William DuVall of Alice In Chains)” and “Black Thunder (feat. Serj Tankian and DL of Bad Wolves).” 




Rumble Of Thunder connected the world to Mongolian culture and its unique core values of natural preservation and spiritual connection with the earth as poignantly showcased on the eco-conscious single “Mother Nature.” The Hu will continue to champion these morals as they’ve recently announced plans to plant 12,000 Siberian Elm trees in the shape of their logo in Southeastern Mongolia to aid the area’s rapid deforestation in partnership with the environmental institution, SHAMBALE2056 Engineering Campus, LLC.








To date, The Hu have amassed over 329 million combined streams across digital platforms, 290 million video views, two Top 5 Mainstream Rock charting radio singles, sold-out worldwide headlining tours and appearances at the world’s biggest music festivals (Download, Coachella, Lollapalooza). For the Rumble Of Thunder: Deluxe Album, which is currently on preorder, the band will add four acoustic renditions and three newly recorded singles featuring guest appearances and English vocals from some of the genre’s top acts including William DuVall (Alice In Chains), Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), LP and DL (Bad Wolves). Preorder now digitally or physically on CD and vinyl at this location.


Catch The Hu on tour this summer across the UK & Europe including festival appearances at Glastonbury, Download and Hellfest followed by a jaunt to North America in the fall for Louder Than Life and Aftershock.


Dates:


June
7 - Nickelsdorf, Austria – Nova Rock
8 - Interlaken, Switzerland - Greenfield Festival
10 - Southampton, UK – Southampton Guildhall
11 - Donington, UK – Download Festival
13 - Liverpool, UK – O2 Academy Liverpool
14 - Bristol, UK – O2 Academy Bristol
16 - Landgraaf, Netherlands – Pinkpop 2023
17 - Clisson, France - Hellfest
20 - Lille, France – L’Aeronef
21 - Norwich, UK – University of East Anglia
22 - Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy Glasgow
23 - Newcastle, UK – NX Newcastle
27 - Frankfurt, Germany – Batschkapp
28 - Strasbourg, France – La Laiterie Artefact
30 - Werchter, Belgium - Rock Werchter 2023


July
2 - Helsinki, Finland – Festival Helsinki
4 - Hamburg, Germany – Grosse Freiheit 26
5 - Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Rockhal
6 - Aix-les-bains, Framce – Musilack 2023
8 - Madrid, Spain – Mad Cool Festival 2023
10 - Marseille, France – Espace Julien
12 - Munich, Germany – Backstage Werk
13 - Dresden, Germany – Alter Schlachtohf
15 - Wroclaw, Poland – Center Concert A2
16 - Vizovice, Czech Republic – Masters of Rock
17 - Budapest, Hungary – Budapest Park
20 - Bontida, Romania – Electric Castle Festival
22 - Nordfjordeid, Norway – Malakoff Festival


September
23 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life Festival


October
6 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival 

2x Grammy-nominated band, Rival Sons, will release their new album, Darkfighter, via Low Country Sound/Atlantic Records on June 2. In the new video below, Jay Buchanan and Scott Holiday of Rival Sons perform a beautiful acoustic version of single "Bird In The Hand", live in the Planet Rock studios in front of a lucky audience of listeners.






Rival Sons will mark the arrival of Darkfighter with a truly epic live schedule, including a special guest run on Smashing Pumpkins’ “The World Is a Vampire” Summer 2023 North American Tour, also featuring Stone Temple Pilots and Interpol, getting underway August 1 at Salt Lake City, UT’s USANA Amphitheatre and then continuing through early September.




In the meantime, Rival Sons will embark on an extensive five-week North American headline run deemed “The Darkfighter Tour,” which will feature support from The Black Angels, The Record Company, and Starcrawler on select dates. The trek kicks off on May 11 in Oklahoma City, OK at the Diamond Ballroom, visits major markets across the country, and concludes on June 18 in Denver, CO at the Ogden Theatre.


In between, the band will perform at a handful of festivals such as Welcome To Rockville in Daytona Beach, FL on May 20 and Sonic Temple in Columbus, OH on May 27. Tickets for all dates are on sale today. For more information on Rival Sons’ upcoming live dates, visit rivalsons.com.


“SO happy to finally announce our full North America headline tour and have new music to play for you” exclaimed guitarist Scott Holiday. “Expect this tour to comprise of the forthcoming Darkfighter album in its entirety, along with familiar songs and a few deeper cuts. We’re working on plans to make it extra special. With a big added bonus of the incredible acts we’re taking with us: The Black Angels, The Record Company and Starcrawler. It’s going to make for a REALLY fantastic night of music!”





Furthermore, Rival Sons recently shared details of a companion album entitled Lightbringer, due out in late 2023.


Expanding on the two album set, Buchanan commented, "In comparison to our previous records, we certainly took our time both writing and recording this collection. When we set out, the intention was mostly to dig as deep as possible. Even in the beginning before the body had formed, we agreed to throw the map away and chop our way through the woods to make a new path. Then lockdown hit and it felt like the whole damn country decided to throw the map away too. For myself, 2022 was like an eight-stage rocket of life changing events, so every time I thought I was finished writing, a new bull would come tearing through the clothesline and I’d have to illustrate it in some way. By the end, there were really two different sides to the same story being told. On one side, you’re fighting the darkness and, on the other, you’re bringing your own light to where there is none. One side in a corner, on the ropes, and the other advancing, cleaning the ring. Without an intermission, a refractory period, the collection would be too big a bite, so splitting it in two was the only way to do it."


Darkfighter is available for pre-order / pre-save here.


Produced by longtime collaborator and multi Grammy Award-winner Dave Cobb, Darkfighter is led by the explosive single “Nobody Wants to Die,” which is available today all streaming platforms and accompanied by an Eli Sokhn directed music video, which can be viewed below. The track notably marks the first new music from Rival Sons since the release of 2019’s Feral Roots, which earned the band two Grammy Award nominations.


Elaborating on the genesis of Darkfighter, vocalist Jay Buchanan notes, “Darkfighter represents the cultural mitosis of isolation, the Pandemic, and the national fabric of the US getting looser and looser. When I say ‘Cultural Mitosis’, there are lines being drawn constantly. We’re so divided, and you can’t step over the lines without offending someone. It certainly informed my writing. We recognized a responsibility to put a good word on people’s ears so there’s a good word coming back on their tongues too. We missed the joy of the live show and that magical interaction. When it was taken from us, that made me want to sing about topics that were important. There are strong themes on this record of loss of identity, preservation of joy, and beholding light and shape again.”


Lead guitarist Scott Holiday added, “Records are a healthy form of escapism. I hope this one takes you as far away as possible. Our intent was to create a cinematic body of work. As soon as the doors shut behind you, you’re enveloped on the ride. This is the sound of us really coming into our own. We’ve gotten further from our influences and gotten closer to what we are. Darkfighter sounds like the Rival Sons.”





Tracklisting:


"Mirrors"
"Nobody Wants To Die"
"Bird In The Hand"
"Bright Light"
"Rapture"
"Guillotine"
"Horses Breath"
"Darkside"


“Bird In The Hand” video:





"Rapture" video:





"Nobody Wants To Die" video:





(Photo - Pamela Littky)

Nazareth singer Carl Sentance, and guitarist Dario Mollo, have reunited by popular demand, with a brand new band, Twilight Road, and new studio album, Trapped.


This is the duo’s second collaboration after Dario Mollo’s Crossbones’ Rock The Cradle, released in 2016. A culmination of several months of collaboration, Trapped is an uncompromising hard rock record, and one that will delight fans of loud music across the world.


The band have released the first single, "Trapped", accompanied by a video, which can be viewed below.




Dario Mollo is an Italian guitarist/producer with a career which started in 1981, with the heavy metal band Crossbones, followed by albums with musical giants Tony Martin (Black Sabbath), Graham Bonnet (Rainbow, MSG), Don Airey (Rainbow, Ozzy, Deep Purple) and Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple).


After participating in several local bands, Carl Sentance replaced John Deverill as a vocalist in the NWOBHM band Persian Risk, following which he received an offer to join Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath) as lead singer in his solo project from 1986 to 1988. In 2015 Carl became the new singer for the legendary rock band Nazareth after founding member Dan McCafferty had to retire due to illness. More recently Carl has recorded Nazareth’s latest studio album, Surviving The Law.


Composed of eleven originals plus a rearranged version of Deep Purple’s "Perfect Strangers", Dario Mollo says: “I'm proud of every aspect of this album. We prepared fully, rehearsing the tracks live in the studio during pre-production and rearranged the song structures to perfectly fit Carl’s vocals. I’ve been lucky to find amazing local musicians, including Andy Senis on bass and Alessio Benedetto on drums. Together we’ve created a groove and a power that can only happen when you’re playing together in the same room. Working with Carl again has been an incredible; he’s a fantastic singer songwriter. I also want to give a big thank you to Eddie George, Dario Patti and Gianluca Sabbi (and his fantastic 1958 Hammond organ!) for their performances on keyboards. I'm sure that the fans will appreciate the huge efforts put in the release of this album.”


Trapped will be released on June 9 via Global Rock Records and Cherry Red Records.





Tracklisting:


"Trapped"
"Dirty Rock N Roll"
"Dark Angel"
"Perfect Strangers"
"Madonna"
"Empty Mirror"
"Mafia"
"Turn It Up"
"God Is Red"
"Warning"
"Shooter's Paradise"
"Behind The Mask"


"Trapped" video:

Dave Lombardo has released his new album, Rites Of Percussion. Order the release on CD, digital and three different vinyl variants here. A full album audio stream can be found below.





Lombardo is one of the busiest musicians working right now. Never one to rest on his laurels, the drumming pioneer recently released new albums with Dead Cross, and Venamoris, and announced Empire State Bastard, a new project with members of Biffy Clyro. He will also be hitting the road with Mr. Bungle and The Misfits in the coming months, as we as festival appearances with John Zorn (including Big Ears Fest in April).




The recording process for Rites of Percussion had a simple mantra: drums had to be drums. Mixed in early 2022 by Lombardo’s son, David A. Lombardo, the self-produced release features a large concert bass drum, a timpani, a grand piano, and a flock of shakers, maracas, Chinese and symphonic gongs, Native American drums, congas, timbales, bongos, batás, wood blocks, djembes, ibos, darbukas, octobans, cajóns, and cymbals.





Rites Of Percussion tracklist:


"Initiatory Madness"
"Separation From The Sacred"
"Inner Sanctum"
"Journey Of The Host"
"Maunder In Liminality"
"Despojo"
"Interfearium"
"Blood Let"
"Warpath"
"Guerrero"
"Vicissitude"
"Omiero"
"Animismo"


Album stream:





"Inner Sanctum" video:





Dave Lombardo was born in Havana, Cuba, relocating to Los Angeles when he was a mere two-years-old. He began playing drums as a teenager, and co-founded Slayer (and created the band’s logo) in 1981. Rolling Stone, in their list of the “100 Greatest Drummers of All Time,” dubbed him the “Cuban speed demon, “ Modern Drummer proclaimed him “The King,” and Drummerworld gave him the title of “The Godfather of double bass.” Lombardo’s eye-popping resume includes over 100 studio albums/recordings and includes both recorded and live stints with Grip Inc., Fantômas, Suicidal Tendencies, Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle, The Misfits, DJ Spooky, John Zorn, Testament, and most recently creating the soulful duo Venamoris, with his wife Paula.


(Photo - Ekaterina Gorbacheva)

In the new video below, keyboardist Rick Wakeman unboxes the numbered, limited-edition 21 LP YES set, Progeny: Seven Shows From Seventy-Two, now available exclusively via Rhino.com.





YES was firing on all cylinders in the fall of 1972. The prog-rock pioneers’ fifth studio album, Close To The Edge, was a smash success as audiences around the world packed arenas to see the legendary group perform. The band captured the magic of that tour on its first live album, YESsongs. Released in 1973, the triple-LP sold over a million copies and blew minds with Roger Dean’s iconic artwork.




In 2015, seven complete concerts from the weeks leading up to the shows heard on YESsongs were assembled in the 14-CD boxed set Progeny: Seven Shows From Seventy-Two. On December 2, the boxed set made its vinyl debut in a monumental 21 LP version.





Progeny: Seven Shows From Seventy-Two holds every note from all seven shows, recorded in the fall of 1972 as the band’s tour jumped from Canada to North Carolina, and then Georgia and Tennessee, before their last stop in New York at Nassau Coliseum on November 20. This comprehensive set comes in a cigarette-style flip top box with artwork by Dean and featuring each of the shows pressed on a different colored vinyl (ruby, orange crush, cobalt, soda bottle clear, tan, forest green, and electric blue). The collection is limited to 1,972 individually numbered copies and is available exclusively at Rhino.com.


Progeny: Seven Shows From Seventy-Two memorializes YES’ first tour with drummer Alan White, who sadly passed away earlier this year after 50 years in the band. He replaced Bill Bruford, who recorded Close To The Edge before leaving to join King Crimson. White only had three days to learn the band’s live show before his first night on stage with Jon Anderson (vocals), Steve Howe (guitar), Chris Squire (bass) and Rick Wakeman (keyboards).


Recorded three months into the tour, these powerful performances attest to how quickly the new line-up came together musically as they navigate hits like “Roundabout,” and complex pieces like “And You and I.” Even though the setlist didn’t vary much from night to night, the individual performances are strikingly different.


Find further details, and place your order, at Rhino.com.

On the full moon, Friday, May 5, Peter Gabriel releases the next track from his forthcoming album i/o. This month the song is "Four Kinds Of Horses", and first-up is the Bright-Side Mix.


Written by Peter Gabriel and produced by Peter Gabriel and Richard Russell, "Four Kinds Of Horses" was recorded at Real World Studios in Wiltshire, The Beehive and Copper House in London.


Says Gabriel: "'Four Kinds Of Horses' actually began on Richard Russell’s project Everything Is Recorded. He’s a friend (and founder of XL Records) and he asked me to pop in to his studio. I came up with some chords, melodies and words on top of a groove he was working on. We tried a few things that didn't altogether work and so it laid dormant for quite a while. Then I started playing around with it again and changed the mood and the groove and something else began to emerge with a better chorus."




There were a number of things that triggered ideas for the song as it developed, including the Buddhist parable of the Four Kinds of Horses, which describes different ways a student can approach their spiritual practice. There is also a focus on “the interesting overlap of religion and peace on the one hand and violence and terrorism on the other. There was also a wonderful film by Hany Abu-Assad called ‘Paradise Now’ which shows two young men who end up being trained to become terrorists and it's a real insight into where the head goes.”


As well as Russell, who set things in motion, "Four Kinds Of Horses" also features Brian Eno on synths which “sounded like electric worms to me,” says Gabriel. “As soon as I heard one I thought they would make a great three dimensional wall paper of sound and asked Brian to create eleven more.” John Metcalfe again provides string arrangements, “beautiful work and as the song progresses, the strings play a key role” and backing vocals from Peter’s daughter Melanie, “another lovely moment for a dad.”


Continuing the theme of working with a different artist for each song release, this month’s track is accompanied by a cover image featuring the work of Cornelia Parker.





Gabriel: "This month we have a fascinating artist, Cornelia Parker, who does some extraordinary work. When we were originally looking at the Art from Us project, I'd seen some of her stuff with exploding rooms and had been fascinated by that, so I'm really happy that she agreed to work with us on this. The photogravure technique of William Henry Fox Talbot was an inspiration for her in this piece, and some of the other glass-based images in the series. I fell in love with this particular work - it's called ‘Snap'."


Just like the previous full moon releases, "Four Kinds Of Horses" will come with differing mix approaches from Mark ‘Spike’ Stent (Bright-Side Mix). Tchad Blake (Dark-Side Mix) and Hans-Martin Buff’s Atmos mix (In-Side Mix), released later in the month.





As well as new music, Peter Gabriel is about to embark on a tour with dates in the UK, Europe and North America.


i/o - The Tour will see Gabriel playing new material from his forthcoming album i/o, as well as delving into his peerless catalogue of music, with hits, fan favourites and the unexpected. For the shows, Gabriel will be joined by regular band-mates Tony Levin, David Rhodes and Manu Katché.





Tour dates:


May
18 - Krakow, Poland - Tauron Arena
20 - Verona, Italy - Verona Arena
21 - Milan, Italy - Mediolanum Arena
23 - Paris, France - Accor Arena
24 - Lille, France - Stade Pierre-Mauroy
26 - Berlin, Germany - Waldbuehne
28 - Munich, Germany - Koenigsplatz
30 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Royal Arena
31 - Stockholm, Sweden - Avicii Arena


June
2 - Bergen, Norway - Koengen
5 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Ziggo Dome
6 - Antwerp, Belgium - Sportpaleis
8 - Zurich, Switzerland - Hallenstadion
10 - Cologne, Germany - Lanxess Arena
12 - Hamburg, Germany - Barclays Arena
13 - Frankfurt, Germany - Festhalle
15 - Bordeaux, France - Arkea Arena
17 - Birmingham, UK - Utilita Arena
19 - London, UK - The O2
20 - Nottingham, UK - Motorpoint Arena
22 - Glasgow, UK - OVO Hydro
23 - Manchester, UK - AO Arena
25 - Dublin, Ireland - 3Arena


September
8 - Quebec City, Quebec - Videotron Centre
9 - Ottawa, Ontario - Canadian Tire Centre
11 - Toronto, Ontario - Scotiabank Arena
13 - Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre
14 - Boston, Massachusetts - TD Garden
16 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Wells Fargo Center
18 - New York, New York - Madison Square Garden
20 - Washington, D.C. - Capital One Arena
22 - Buffalo, New York - KeyBank Center
23 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - PPG Paints Arena
25 - Columbus, Ohio - Nationwide Arena
27 - Cleveland, Ohio - Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
29 - Detroit, Michigan - Little Caesars Arena
30 - Chicago, Illinois - United Center


October
2 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Fiserv Forum
3 - St. Paul , Minnesota - Xcel Energy Center     
7 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Rogers Arena
8 - Seattle, Washington - Climate Pledge Arena
11 - San Francisco, California - Chase Center
13 - Los Angeles, California - Kia Forum
14 - Palm Springs, California - Acrisure Arena
16 - Denver , Colorado - Ball Arena
18 - Austin, Texas - Moody Center
19 - Dallas, Texas - American Airlines Center
21 - Houston, Texas - Toyota Center


(Photo - Nadav Kander)

Crossover group Final Assault's latest release, Zazula EP, is out now. The digital EP, released through Moshforce Records, is a tribute to Jonathan 'Jonny Z' Zazula, who founded Megaforce Records with his wife Marsha, who passed away in 2022 from a rare neurological disease (CIDP). Megaforce Records was founded in 1982 and the label's first release in 1983 was Metallica's debut, Kill 'Em All.





Zazula EP is a three-song Final Assault tribute to the godfather of thrash metal, originally released by Megaforce Records, and was mixed and mastered by Kalle Johansson of OKJ Music Productions.




The first song of the Zazula EP is Metallica's "The Four Horsemen" and the other two are Stormtroopers Of Death's (S.O.D.) "Freddy Krueger" and "United Forces". The arrangement of "The Four Horsemen'"is closer to the song's original composer Dave Mustaine's vision, as heard in The Mechanix, and the final solo in the track "United Forces" is played by Ville Valavuo (Foreseen, Speedtrap, Kohti Tuhoa).


Find the EP on Spotify, and Bandcamp.  Listen to "The Four Horsemen" below:

Queen continues the new video series, “Queen The Greatest: Live”, a year-long celebration of Queen Live. It's a 50-week YouTube series going behind the scenes to reveal what goes into creating a Queen show featuring moments from iconic performances and demonstrating why the band is regarded as the ultimate live act. The latest episode can be found below.


A message states: "A compilation of performances of 'Under Pressure' from some of Queen's most spectacular concerts throughout the 1980's, showcases a variety of iconic stage wear.  It was a decade that saw Queen at the peak of their powers, and as this episode demonstrates, the live act continued to astound audiences around the world."







"I like to be surrounded by splendid things. I want to lead a Victorian life, surrounded by exquisite clutter." - Freddie Mercury


This summer, Sotheby’s is honoured to present Freddie Mercury: A World Of His Own, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the private realm of a global icon.


Alongside his legendary public persona, Freddie Mercury was a deeply educated collector with a connoisseur’s eye, honed over years of careful research and exploration of the artists and movements that sparked his intellectual and aesthetic curiosity.


This collection has remained at Freddie’s beloved Garden Lodge for over three decades and displays a quality and diversity of works that are a testament not only to his passion, but his brilliant mind.


This rich legacy will now be shared for the very first time through a series of auctions at Sotheby’s London, in an immersive experience unlike anything that has been seen before. Join Sotheby’s this summer to celebrate Freddie Mercury: A World Of His Own.


Sign up here to be the first to receive updates on the sales, exhibition, catalogue release, events and more.





The regalia of a global icon, Freddie Mercury’s incredible stage-worn crown and robe were a commission by his friend and costume designer Diana Moseley. Indelibly linked to Freddie, he wore these for the rendition of “God Save The Queen” during his final tour with Queen in 1986, The Magic Tour. Estimate £60,000 - 80,000.

Ted Nugent has blasted "liars and haters" in the wake of the cancelation of his concert in Birmingham, Alabama due to a backlash surrounding his controversial political views.

On Thursday (May 4),AL.com reported that the legendary 74-year-old rocker's July 18 performane at Avondale Brewing Co. was scrapped, one day before tickets were to go on sale via Ticketmaster. The decision to call off the gig was apparently made in response to about 1,000 comments which were posted on Avondale Brewing's Facebook page after the show was announced, as well as more than 150 comments on the venue's Instagram page.

A Birmingham bar, Al's On 7th, issued a statement earlier this week saying it would no longer support Avondale Brewing Company or Good People Brewing Company, Avondale's parent company.

"Al's will no longer purchase any beer from Avondale Brewing Company nor Good People Brewing Company," the bar said in the social media post. "Avondale will be hosting a Ted Nugent concert in July. Nugent has recently made serious transphobic comments."

In announcing the concert's cancelation, Avondale Brewing wrote in a post on Instagram Stories: "We have heard the concerns of the Avondale community, which is so important to us, and in conjunction with our partners, have taken the necessary steps to to cancel the Ted Nugent concert scheduled for July 18."

Nugent commented on the cancelation on his Twitter by sharing the AL.com article and writing,: "liars & haters drunk on stupid incapable to debate me".

Nugent's concert in Birmingham was supposed to be part of his 28-stop tour dubbed "Adios Mofo '23", which is being advertised as his farewell tour.

Nugent has said a number of times that that his political views — which the rocker himself has proudly called "radical" — are one of the main reasons he hasn't been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

The conservative rocker, who has been eligible for the honor as a solo artist since 2000, has enjoyed a remarkably successful and eventful musical career over the past five decades, but his music is increasingly overshadowed by his political outbursts.

Nugent has long been outspoken about his political beliefs, including during the administration of former U.S. president Barack Obama, at one point calling Obama a "subhuman mongrel" in 2014. In 2017 he appeared to briefly soften his tone, telling The Washington Post "I'm not going to engage in that kind of hateful rhetoric anymore." However, just a year ago, he urged attendees at a Trump rally to go "berserk on the skulls of the Democrats and the Marxists and the communists."

Nugent is also an outspoken conspiracy theorist who has refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine. He previously spread false information about the pandemic, only to contract the virus himself and become severely sick.

In October 2021, Nugent appeared on "Off The Record" where he once again said that he wouldn't take the COVID-19 vaccine because the shots that were available in the United States were developed in less than a year are probably fake.

In April 2021, Nugent, who previously claimed the virus was "not a real pandemic," talked about the darkest days of his battle with COVID-19, saying that he had "never been so scared" in his entire life.

In the past, Nugent, a staunch Donald Trump supporter, had referred to the virus as a "leftist scam to destroy" America's 45th president. He had also repeated a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggests the official death count from the coronavirus is inflated.

Last year, Nugent once again repeated the baseless conspiracy theory that the riot at the U.S. Capitol was orchestrated by undercover FBI agents, Antifa and Black Lives Matter.

Last month, Nugent shared a tweet in which he denounced the existence of transgender people and told people they could "debate" him if they disagreed.

"There is no such thing as transgender. You cannot change your gender. Comfortably numb is actually uncomfortably dumb. Debate me but bring your bib," he wrote.

Image credit: DeadMike.com
liars & haters drunk on stupid incapable to debate me-https://t.co/P56ILUnziG

— Ted Nugent (@TedNugent) May 5, 2023

The Fortheloveofrock YouTube channel has uploaded video of ZZ TOP's May 5 concert at the Rio Vista Outdoor Amphitheater at Harrah's Laughlin in Laughlin, Nevada. Check out the clips below.
ZZ TOP and LYNYRD SKYNYRD will embark on their first co-headlining tour — "The Sharp Dressed Simple Man" tour — taking over 22 cities in North America this summer. Produced by Live Nation, the tour kicks off on Friday, July 21 at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Florida and continues with stops in Fort Worth, Phoenix, Chicago, and more before wrapping up in Camden, New Jersey at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion on Sunday, September 17.

"That Little Ol' Band From Texas" has been at it for well over a half century delivering rock, blues and boogie on stage and studio to millions of devoted fans. With iconography as distinctive as their sound, ZZ TOP is globally recognized with their beards, hotrod cars, spinning guitars and that magic keychain, all of which transcend geography and language.

It was in 1969 Houston when ZZ TOP coalesced from the core of two rival bands, Billy Gibbons's MOVING SIDEWALKS and Frank Beard and Dusty Hill's AMERICAN BLUES. ZZ TOP's 1973 release, "Tres Hombres", catapulted them to national attention with the hit "La Grange", still one of the band's signature pieces today. "Eliminator", their 1983 album was something of a paradigm shift for ZZ TOP. Their roots blues skew was intact and added to the mix came their hightech-age trappings that soon found a visual outlet with such tracks as "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs" on the nascent MTV. It was one of the record industry's first albums to have been certified diamond, far beyond gold and platinum, a reflection of sales exceeding 10 million units.

As a touring outfit, they've been without peer over the past five decades, having performed before millions of fans over four continents and have been the subject of their own Grammy-nominated documentary titled "That Little Ol' Band From Texas". The band's lineup of the bearded Gibbons and Hill and Beard, who ironically is clean shaven, remained intact for more than 50 years. When Dusty temporarily departed the tour in the summer of 2021, Elwood Francis entered the picture accepting the directive from Dusty to be the perfect choice to stand in on the bass-guitar and now handles the low-end duties for the band for the present as well as into the future.

The elements that keep ZZ TOP fresh, enduring can be summed up in the three words of the band's internal mantra: "Tone, Taste and Tenacity". As genuine roots performers, they have few peers. Their influences are both the originators of the form — Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, et al — as well as the British blues rockers and Jimi Hendrix who emerged generations before ZZ's ascendance.

They have sold hundreds of millions of records over the course of their career, have been officially designated as Heroes of The State of Texas, inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (by Keith Richards, no less) and have been referenced in countless cartoons and sitcoms. They are true rock icons and, against all odds, they're really just doing what they've always done.

Sid Falck has released a new song, "The Fool Who Would Be King", with very special guest Bobby Gustafson (Satans Taint, ex-Vio-Lence, ex-Overkill), under the Falck name.





Says Sid: “When it came to ‘’whom can I bug about doing the lead?... Whom haven’t I bugged yet?’, the list was short and Bobby’s name was at the top. Obviously, I’ve considered asking him before, as we are in regular contact, but whenever I needed a lead, the timing was off, as I knew Bobby was busy with other obligations. However, this time it worked out great. I asked, and the next day I had the lead.




When I flew it into the session, I honestly didn’t know what to expect.. I was guessing some seriously crazy shredding... instead it was an extremely tasty, very understated solo... absolutely perfect for the part. Now I can’t even begin to imagine anything different.


Just goes to show, that even when we think we know what to expect, we can still get surprised! It’s not the first time we do something together (Hail Mary with John Gallagher) and I’m sure it won’t be the last time “


Says Bobby Gustafson: “I was overjoyed when Sid asked me to join in on his projects. He’s consistently puts out some hard hitting music over the years and l love to support him.”


"The Fool Who Would Be King" can be downloaded here for “set your own price”, making it a free download, should you so choose. The track is / will also be available on all streaming and digital platforms.


An accompanying video can be viewed below:

In a new interview with the METALLICA fan-club magazine So What!, guitarist Kirk Hammett spoke about his enduring passion for playing music and performing for the band's fans. He said: "I love what I do. I love what I fucking do, okay? There's been times when the negative aspects have totally taken over me, and I've spent a lot of time highlighting those negative aspects, but don't get me wrong. The positives still outweigh the negatives, and I love what I do. Basically, it's getting up there, playing guitar for people, and showing them a good time. Because when I'm up there, I'm having a really good time. And ever since I was a kid, I have thought, 'If I'm up there having a good time and people see me having a good time, they're going to pick up on that good time and have a good time too. I learned that when I was 17 years old and first started playing shows in EXODUS. I believed it then, and I believe it now, and yes, I'm having a great time up there because I'm playing guitar. I'm playing good songs that are fun to play. We write songs that are fun to play because that's what we want to do. We don't want to write songs that are a bummer to play. Fuck that! I'd get bored. I'd probably fall asleep or walk off stage or just start soloing in an inappropriate manner — and I'm good at that.

"But we have killer songs," he continued. "I'm playing with killer musicians. They're my bros. We have an amazing fan base who understands us and then some. I still love it. And I love the fact that we can get into a big room — 50,000 people — and everyone, everyone, when we play a song, is in the same focus and the same awareness and the same presence of mind on the same thing. And we feel connected. To feel connected, all of us — 50,000 people — in a song… That feeling of community? That's what you're really feeling when you go to a rock show. It's elation from celebrating the fact that we're all together, seeing something that we all love, and experiencing something that we all want to do together.

"Huge, huge, powerful stuff, man," Kirk added. "And to be in that situation — to be at the forefront of it, guiding it, supplying it, and steering it — is magic, man. It's pure love. L-O-V-E. People laugh, but I challenge anyone who might think that's corny: go to the core of it. Go to the core of what is really motivating you to be entertained."

Hammett also discussed his personal growth in recent years, saying: "I've gotten better in just expressing myself, talking about my feelings, not being shy about my feelings… My biggest thing is withdrawal. I will just withdraw from everyone and everything. I have the capacity to do that. And it's not disassociation. It's really just wanting to withdraw from people because it's too much. So, I've recognized that I have that, and I've also recognized that it's just better for me to express what I really, truly feel all the time.

"I'm going on nine years sober pretty soon. I [attribute] so much of my own personal growth to getting sober. And I wish I would've gotten sober a long time ago, but it just wasn't in the cards, you know? But since getting sober, everything is improved in my life, pretty much everything is improved. I have focus, and I put myself in situations now that I know are positive and win-win situations, where it contributes to everyone else's well-being. And the best thing that I can do nowadays is to find ways just to contribute to other people's well-being, whether it's through art, music, just hanging out with people, doing cool creative stuff, connecting with people, being positive, and just working toward the well-being of everyone. That's what I want to do these days.

"I'm not as chaotic as I used to be. And I know that I'm not as unpredictable as I used to be. When I was younger, I had this thing; I always had this feeling that I needed adventure. I was mischievous. So, I would get myself into trouble all the time, only because that was the energy that was in me. But I don't have that anymore. I feel like I'm very well grounded. I also feel that I am my own person, and I will always be my own person. And everything that has anything to do with me begins with me and ends with me. At the end of the day, it really doesn't have anything to do with anyone else. And having that realization? It's changed me. It's changed my approach to just about everything. It's given me an awareness so that I'm less reactive and more responsive to almost every situation. Whereas back in the day, I was a reactionary, emotional animal who would just lash out all the time without even thinking because I was conditioned. That was the situation around me as I was growing up. Those are my '72 seasons,' you know? Being in a totally reactive mode all the time because I had to be that way because that's what people need to be for survival. You know, during those 72 seasons, most of it was spent in survival mode for me. And you know, it gets tiring being in that mode. I've found a way to just write myself out of that narrative and be my own person. And I realize that's all I can do, so that's what I do now."

Hammett released his first solo EP, "Portals", in April 2022. The all-instrumental four-song effort was recorded in Los Angeles, Paris, and Oahu and was produced by Hammett, who drew inspiration for the songs from horror movies, classical music, and the work of Ennio Morricone, whose "The Ecstasy Of Gold" has been opening METALLICA live shows since 1983.

This past week, METALLICA kicked off its "M72" world tour 2023-2024 with two performances at Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The career-spanning sets featured songs off the band's newest album "72 Seasons", and other classics. In total, METALLICA performed 32 different songs taken from its 11 studio albums.

METALLICA is visiting a total of 22 different cities around the world and playing two nights in each city.

METALLICA promises fans who purchase a two-day ticket that they won't see the same song twice for a total of over 30 songs spanning the band's 40-plus-year career.

"72 Seasons" sold 146,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marked the band's 12th Top 10-charting album, of which eight have reached the top two.

"72 Seasons" had the biggest week for any rock or hard rock album since TOOL's "Fear Inoculum" arrived in September 2019 with 270,000 equivalent album units.

"72 Seasons" was released on April 14 via METALLICA's own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, it is METALLICA's first full-length collection of new material since "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct".

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

METALLICA's James Hetfield recently chatted with SiriusXM host Jose Mangin on SiriusXM's "Metal Ambassador" podcast. During the conversation, James discussed all of the musical influences that make up METALLICA's latest album, "72 Seasons" and "trying to evolve" with his own vocals. James also talks about the meaning of the yellow album cover, reveals that he thinks of himself as a "wannabe drummer" and remembers hanging out with PANTERA in the Texan band's early days.

When Mangin noted that late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was "a gigantic fan of METALLICA" and covered METALLICA songs, James said: "Well, what a blessing to have been in his life and him in my life. And yeah, some of those early days, just traveling down there to the Dallas area and meeting with those guys and just hanging out. Yeah, Dimebag introduced me to the solid state amp, I remember. He had this fricking amazing crunch going on. I was, like, 'What is that?' You know? So, uh, yeah. [We] inspired each other. He inspired me as well. No doubt."

Two months ago, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich weighed in on the fact that PANTERA's surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) have united with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

Anselmo and Brown, along with Wylde and Benante, are headlining a number of major festivals across South America, Asia, North America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.

According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and Dimebag, as well as Brown, who in 2021 said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

Ulrich discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in an interview with Revolver. He said: "I think that the idea that they're out celebrating the music and the magic of PANTERA is ... I know there's been a lot of talk in the community about whether people support that or not. But I'm the type of person, if Glenn Hughes wants to go out and play a DEEP PURPLE set, I'd support that.

"I'm always in favor of people following their musical and creative ambitions; so this PANTERA reunion, I think, is good," he added. "And obviously having Charlie up there is great. I saw a video from one of the Mexico shows that felt like they were in the pocket. It'll be fun to have them out."

Speaking about METALLICA's relationship with PANTERA, which dates back to before Anselmo had even joined the band, Ulrich said: "We met the brothers on the 'Ride The Lightning' tour and became friends with them. This was in Dallas in — what — 1622 or something? It was about 400 years ago. We obviously loved both of them, and they had a posse down there, and we would see them whenever we came through Texas. We watched the band evolve over the years from more rock vibes into that creative, unique force that they became. So, we've had a relationship with them for decades and decades."

After Dimebag was murdered in December 2004, Ulrich released a statement in which he said that he was "fortunate enough to meet both Darrell and his brother in Dallas on tour" in 1985. He went on to say: "The first thing me and my friend did as soon as that tour was over was to head straight back to Dallas and hang out with Darrell and Vinnie for a long time, 'cause they were the coolest mutherfuckers that we had met after criss-crossing the states for three months. That was the beginning of a friendship that was anchored in love, respect, fun, outrageousness, music, booze, sweat, late nights, early mornings, hangovers, headaches, pounding eardrums, sore bodies... the list goes on."

He added: "Darrell and his brother were the cornerstone of musical adventures that were always groundbreaking, pushing boundaries, challenging to themselves and to their fans, respected by their peers and always true musicians' musicians."

Up until his passing, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his other home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

In a recent interview with Byrd of 97.1 FM The Drive, AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry explained why it's unlikely drummer Joey Kramer, who sat out the band's recent round of "Deuces Are Wild" residency shows in Las Vegas, will take part in AEROSMITH's upcoming "Peace Out" farewell tour. "His heart's in the right place, but, listen, playing the drums is an athletic event," Joe said. "And there's a certain point where you're just kind of, like,… every joint starts to give out, man. So at this point we're not thinking he's gonna be there. We'll see."

When AEROSMITH announced its farewell tour earlier this week, the band said about Kramer's absence from the upcoming trek: "While Joey Kramer remains a beloved founding member of AEROSMITH, he has regrettably made the decision to sit out the currently scheduled touring dates to focus his full attention on his family and health. Joey's unmistakable and legendary presence behind the drum kit will be sorely missed," the band said in a statement.

For the past year, AEROSMITH's longtime drum tech John Douglas has been filling in on drums for Kramer, whose wife, Linda Gail Kramer, died last June at the age of 55. No cause of death has been revealed.

In 2020, Kramer sued the rest of AEROSMITH for breach of contract, saying he was being blocked from performing after suffering "minor injuries" the previous year. He sought an injunction after they announced they would play without him at the 2020 MusiCares Person Of The Year and at the Grammy Awards. He lost that case.

The "Peace Out" run of 40 dates will start on September 2 in Philadelphia and wrap next year on January 26 in Montreal. Special guests THE BLACK CROWES will join AEROSMITH for the entire tour, which will celebrate AEROSMITH's five decades of music.

Produced by Live Nation, the tour will include stops in iconic arenas across the U.S. and Canada, including Los Angeles's Kia Forum, New York's Madison Square Garden, Dallas's Moody Center, Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena, Chicago's United Center, Toronto's Scotiabank Arena, and more. A highlight of the tour will be a stop in Boston for a special hometown show on New Year's Eve 2023.

AEROSMITH announced its final tour by creating a "breaking news" YouTube video featuring Eminem, Slash, Dolly Parton, Bill Burr, Ringo Starr and other entertainment stars expressing their disbelief that this really is farewell. At the end of the clip, AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler can be seen looking into the camera and declaring, "And if you think we're joking … dream on."

Most recently, AEROSMITH wrapped its critically acclaimed Las Vegas residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM. Ahead of the residency, AEROSMITH returned to its hometown in Boston to perform a record-breaking one-off show at Fenway Park as part of the legendary band's 50th anniversary celebrations. With over 38,700 people in attendance, it was the most tickets sold to date for a show at the iconic venue.

In May 2022, AEROSMITH announced that Tyler had entered a treatment program following a relapse, prompting the band to put their Las Vegas residency on a temporary hold.

Tyler had been struggling with drug and alcohol addiction since the mid-1980s. Over the course of the last four decades, he had relapsed several times, including in the early 2000s and 2009.

Joey has had his own health difficulties in recent years. Kramer suffered a health scare back in 2014, which was initially reported to be "heart-related complications".

In a new interview with Guy "Favazz" Favazza of the St. Louis, Missouri radio station KSHE 95, GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Richard Fortus said that fans may get to hear some different songs on the band's upcoming tour, which is scheduled to kick off on June 1 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. "Hopefully we'll shake things up a bit and switch around songs and stuff like that," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "But a lot of times every night is different, 'cause we don't have setlists, so…"

Pressed by Favazz about how Fortus and his bandmates know what is coming up next when they don't have a setlist, Richard said: "Our singer. Axl [Rose], he's got a button he can push that cuts off the mic from the [front]… which usually is used to tell jokes. But he'll just say, 'What do you guys wanna do?' And somebody else will say something or he'll say, 'Let's do this.'

"There's blocks of songs that we'll do together," Fortus explained. "And sometimes it's a real surprise… And we're well rehearsed. We soundcheck for at least an hour every day. Slash [GUNS N' ROSES guitarist, man, he loves to play — he loves to play… I get to play with that guy every night. It's pretty cool."

GUNS N' ROSES' North American tour will start on Saturday, August 5 in Moncton, NB at Medavie Blue Cross Stadium, and will visit historic venues across the country such as Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts on August 21 and Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois on August 24. The tour concludes in Vancouver, British Columbia at BC Place on Monday, October 16.

Fortus got his big break when his band PALE DIVINE opened for THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS. This led to Fortus forming the band LOVE SPIT LOVE with PSYCHEDELIC FURS frontman Richard Butler and drummer Frank Ferrer. In 2000, Fortus and Ferrer became touring members of the reformed PSYCHEDELIC FURS before Fortus hooked up with GUNS N' ROSES. Ferrer himself joined GN'R in 2006.

GUNS N' ROSES launched its long-rumored and long-awaited reunion tour with an April 2016 club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

GUNS N' ROSES' reunion tour features classic-lineup members McKagan, Rose and Slash, backed by Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

GUNS N' ROSES released a new four-song EP, "Hard Skool", in February 2022. The effort, which is exclusive to the GUNS N' ROSES' official store, contained the two new songs the band released in 2021 — the title track and "Absurd" (stylized as "ABSUЯD") — as well as live versions of "Don't Cry" and "You're Crazy".

The band is now reportedly working on a new studio album — the first under the GUNS banner since 2008's "Chinese Democracy" and the first to feature Rose, Slash and McKagan since 1993.

Photo credit: Katarina Benzova

"Face Down", the latest single from platinum-selling alternative-industrial rock pioneers FILTER, has just been made available digitally via Golden Robot Records.

"Face Down" follows the release of "For The Beaten", which was the first FILTER track to be issued by Golden Robot in October 2022. Written by FILTER founder Richard Patrick, "Face Down" is classic FILTER — a tight song with loads going on, including some killer drum fills and a restrained vocal delivery that seems ready to explode at any given point as the song progresses. The track lets you know early on where it is headed and locks you in from the start without ever becoming predictable. It will appear on FILTER's upcoming album, which is expected to arrive in 2023.

"'Face Down' speaks to the hate and negativity plaguing the world today," said Patrick. "I wrote it after being inundated with lies, deceptions, and pure vitriol I saw on social media. I'm pumped. I can't wait for everyone to hear the full album."

For the first time in its 30-year career, FILTER will present "California Screamin'" — a full concert global stream performed live on location in Los Angeles. HITKOR will be the official on demand streaming partner for the show, which will take place June 17. The live performance will include special guests, classic songs FILTER has not performed in over 25 years and the debut of brand-new material.

"I've been itching to do a live stream since things shut down a couple years ago but I got caught up in the studio working on our new album," said Patrick. "When Scott [Donnell, CMO HITKOR] came to me and told me about HITKOR, and then invited me down to see MINISTRY do their thing, I was sold."

"California Screamin'" tickets are $14.99 and All-Access passes are $19.99. For this special engagement, FrontRow advanced ticket discounts are $9.99 and $14.99, respectively, and are available until Friday, June 2. Purchase only at HITKOR.com.

Last September, Patrick reunited with his former bandmates in NINE INCH NAILS for the first time in over 25 years. Patrick, the first guitarist to ever tour with Trent Reznor and NINE INCH NAILS, was in the band for four years before departing to form FILTER.

Patrick's career is a vision of multifaceted creativity, which he has delivered throughout his 30-plus years producing music professionally through his band FILTER, various collaborations, side projects, super groups, scoring films and writing for soundtracks.

Patrick's initial foray into the public eye was as NINE INCH NAILS' first touring guitarist. Patrick had met Reznor in the late '80s in a music store in Cleveland. The two became close friends and then bandmates. Patrick played with the band from 1989 to 1993, appearing in numerous music videos including "Down In It", "Head Like A Hole", "Wish" and "Gave Up".

FILTER's debut album, "Short Bus", was released in 1995 and went platinum, largely due to the success of the first single "Hey Man Nice Shot". The follow-up, 1999's "Title Of Record", also went platinum driven by the huge crossover success of the song "Take A Picture". FILTER's third album, "The Amalgamut", is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The album spawned such classic songs as "Where Do We Go From Here" and "American Cliché".

In 2006, the ARMY OF ANYONE project — a supergroup led by Patrick with Dean and Robert DeLeo of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and Ray Luzier of KORN — came to light, releasing one album and a tour before each went back to their respective bands. Patrick refocused on FILTER, releasing "Anthems For The Damned" in 2008, "The Trouble With Angels" in 2010, "The Sun Comes Out Tonight" in 2013 and "Crazy Eyes" in 2016, and two singles in 2020.

Beginning in May, FILTER will embark on a six-month-long tour crisscrossing the United States and Canada before a planned trip overseas to play in Europe and Australia in 2024. FILTER's tour plans so far include headline shows, festival appearances and a place on the "Freaks On Parade" tour with ROB ZOMBIE, ALICE COOPER and MINISTRY. The band will be offering a limited number of "Filter Fanatic" VIP packages that include exclusive merch, signed tour posters, used gear items, meet-and-greets and photos with the band on many of the dates. More information and tickets are available at www.officialfilter.com.

Photo credit: Chapman Baehler

During an appearance this past Wednesday (May 3) on SiriusXM's "The Howard Stern Show", country-pop superstar Carrie Underwood performed a cover of version of Ozzy Osbourne's classic power ballad "Mama, I'm Comin' Home". She also discussed her love of GUNS N' ROSES and her friendship with Axl Rose, with whom she has shared the stage several times.

Last July, Underwood released her version of "Mama, I'm Comin' Home" for Apple Music Sessions, a live performance series launched by the tech giant.

Underwood's country-tinged rendition of the track was recorded at Apple's Nashville studio and was accompanied by a take on her 2022 single "Ghost Story" along with her 2012 hit "Blown Away".

In a press statement, Carrie said about her decision to tackle "Mama, I'm Comin' Home": "I have always been an Ozzy Osbourne fan and 'Mama, I'm Coming Home' is one of my all-time favorite songs. I've always thought it felt a lot like a country song, and I've wanted to cover it for a long time. This was a really fun opportunity for me to be able to finally make that happen. I hope we've done Ozzy proud and I hope he likes it."

In March 2023, Axl joined Carrie on stage at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California to perform the GUNS N' ROSES classic "Welcome To The Jungle".

Underwood previously brought out Rose to sing with her at the Stagecoach festival in Indio, California in May 2022. At that concert, Carrie and Axl performed the GN'R songs "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City".

When Rose performed with Underwood at Stagecoach, Carrie called the collaboration "the greatest night of my life."

Two months later, Underwood joined GUNS N' ROSES on stage during the band's concert at London, England's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Underwood made a surprise appearance toward the end of GUNS N' ROSES' main set, performing "Sweet Child O' Mine" with Axl and his bandmates. She later returned to the stage during the encore to sing "Paradise City".

In an October 2022 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Underwood was asked how she got Rose "out of hiding" to make a guest appearance with her at Stagecoach. She responded: "It was many years in the making. I've been covering GUNS N' ROSES my whole life, pretty much, and definitely onstage for the past 15 years at least. I had asked before if he would ever come sing, or if I could come to him somewhere. We had a couple almost maybes, where it almost maybe would have happened but for various reasons it wasn't the right time. But [for Stagecoach] I asked. I sent him an e-mail and said, 'We're so close to you,' and explained the why and what he meant to me. The way I learned how to sing was I would pick really hard vocalists to try to emulate, and his voice always mesmerized me. I was, like, 'How is he doing the things that he's doing?' So I told him all that… and he came! We had rehearsals and everything went very smoothly. It was easy for all of us to be around each other. Hopefully he had a good time."

Back in 2015, Underwood told E! in an interview with she really wanted to sing with Rose at some point in her life. She said: "I've covered enough GUNS N' ROSES stuff, and it was people like him who taught me how to sing."

"I look at people like him and Freddie Mercury, those people who were doing all these crazy runs. It was so different," Underwood added.

In 2013, Underwood delivered a faithful cover of "Paradise City" at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville.

Two years ago, while promoting her book "Find Your Path: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul, And Get Strong With The Fit 52 Life", Underwood appeared on an episode of "The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon" and talked about flying to Las Vegas to see her favorite band GUNS N' ROSES and called it "one of the best nights" of her life.

"We were nowhere near Las Vegas, so naturally I said, 'Let's go to Las Vegas with the band and go see GN'R play,'" Underwood shared with Fallon. "It's kind of a life-long dream of mine I never thought would happen. Couldn't waste that opportunity, so I abandoned my husband, abandoned my children, went to Vegas, and saw GUNS N' ROSES. Amazing."

She continued: "Usually, when I go to concerts, I'm like, in a box on the side, which is great — it has its perks, there's usually a bathroom in there, it's kind of awesome,' she explained. "But you miss the energy of the crowd. Because we were in Vegas, we were just in there with everyone else, it was absolutely incredible. You could feel everybody, everybody was screamin', I was screamin' — I was, like, 'I'm never gonna see none of these people ever again, I'm gonna act like a fool!. It was amazing."

Following that show, Underwood actually met Rose backstage. "It's hard to meet your heroes, because I do consider him someone who taught me how to sing," she said. "But he was super cool and great and nice and we talked. We're best friends."

Carrie said in a 2014 interview that late QUEEN frontman Freddie Mercury was high on her list of first loves.

"I've always been a huge fan and lover of Freddie Mercury," she said. "I would listen to him when I was a kid. He could do so many amazing things with his voice. People like that — who had incredible voices — I was always drawn to. I would want to try to do what they do. They were my teachers."

She also said that if you scrolled through her iPod, you'd find some really hard rock music, like MUDVAYNE.

"When I work out, I like to listen to things that are really angry," she said. "I couldn't do it on a daily basis or driving in my car. I think that would be kind of weird."

According to AL.com, Ted Nugent's concert in Birmingham, Alabama has been canceled due to a backlash surrounding his controversial political views.

The legendary 74-year-old rocker was scheduled to perform on July 18 at Avondale Brewing Co. But his appearance was scrapped on Thursday afternoon (May 4),one day before tickets were to go on sale via Ticketmaster.

The decision to call off the gig was apparently made in response to about 1,000 comments which were posted on Avondale Brewing's Facebook page after the show was announced, as well as more than 150 comments on the venue's Instagram page.

A Birmingham bar, Al's On 7th, issued a statement earlier this week saying it would no longer support Avondale Brewing Company or Good People Brewing Company, Avondale's parent company.

"Al's will no longer purchase any beer from Avondale Brewing Company nor Good People Brewing Company," the bar said in the social media post. "Avondale will be hosting a Ted Nugent concert in July. Nugent has recently made serious transphobic comments."

In announcing the concert's cancelation, Avondale Brewing wrote in a post on Instagram Stories: "We have heard the concerns of the Avondale community, which is so important to us, and in conjunction with our partners, have taken the necessary steps to to cancel the Ted Nugent concert scheduled for July 18."

Nugent's concert in Birmingham was supposed to be part of his 28-stop tour dubbed "Adios Mofo '23", which is being advertised as his farewell tour.

Nugent has said a number of times that that his political views — which the rocker himself has proudly called "radical" — are one of the main reasons he hasn't been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

The conservative rocker, who been eligible for the honor as a solo artist since 2000, has enjoyed a remarkably successful and eventful musical career over the past five decades, but his music is increasingly overshadowed by his political outbursts.

Nugent has long been outspoken about his political beliefs, including during the administration of former U.S. president Barack Obama, at one point calling Obama a "subhuman mongrel" in 2014. In 2017 he appeared to briefly soften his tone, telling The Washington Post "I'm not going to engage in that kind of hateful rhetoric anymore." However, just a year ago, he urged attendees at a Trump rally to go "berserk on the skulls of the Democrats and the Marxists and the communists."

Nugent is also an outspoken conspiracy theorist who has refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine. He previously spread false information about the pandemic, only to contract the virus himself and become severely sick.

In October 2021, Nugent appeared on "Off The Record" where he once again said that he wouldn't take the COVID-19 vaccine because the shots that were available in the United States were developed in less than a year are probably fake.

In April 2021, Nugent, who previously claimed the virus was "not a real pandemic," talked about the darkest days of his battle with COVID-19, saying that he had "never been so scared" in his entire life.

In the past, Nugent, a staunch Donald Trump supporter, had referred to the virus as a "leftist scam to destroy" America's 45th president. He had also repeated a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggests the official death count from the coronavirus is inflated.

Last year, Nugent once again repeated the baseless conspiracy theory that the riot at the U.S. Capitol was orchestrated by undercover FBI agents, Antifa and Black Lives Matter.

Last month, Nugent shared a tweet in which he denounced the existence of transgender people and told people they could "debate" him if they disagreed.

"There is no such thing as transgender. You cannot change your gender. Comfortably numb is actually uncomfortably dumb. Debate me but bring your bib," he wrote.

Al's On 7th plans to boycott Avondale Brewing Company and Good People Brewing Company over a scheduled concert at their...

Posted by Tread by Lee Hedgepeth on Wednesday, May 3, 2023