METALLICA kicked off its "M72" world tour earlier tonight (Thursday, April 27) at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The trek sees the band playing two nights in every city it visits — with each "No Repeat Weekend" featuring two completely different setlists and support lineups. The "M72" tour features a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed METALLICA Snake Pit to center stage, as well as the "I Disappear" full-tour pass and the debut of discounted tickets for fans under 16 years of age.

METALLICA launched the 16-song set in Amsterdam with "Orion", marking the first time that song has opened a METALLICA concert since December 2011. The group also performed two new songs from the "72 Seasons" album live for the first time: "Screaming Suicide" and "Sleepwalk My Life Away". Other "72 Seasons" tracks that were played in Amsterdam — "Lux Aeterna" and "If Darkness Had A Son" — were previously performed by METALLICA earlier this month in front of a studio audience as part of their four-night residency on late-night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!""Lux Aeterna" was also played during the band's All Within My Hands benefit concert last December.

METALLICA's setlist for the April 27 concert at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam, Netherlands was as follows:

01. Orion (first time as opener since December 10, 2011)
02. For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. Holier Than Thou
04. King Nothing
05. Lux Aeterna
06. Screaming Suicide (live debut)
07. Fade To Black
08. Sleepwalk My Life Away (live debut)
09. Nothing Else Matters
10. Sad But True
11. The Day That Never Comes
12. Ride The Lightning
13. Battery
14. Fuel
15. Seek & Destroy
16. Master Of Puppets

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

Opening acts include FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, MAMMOTH WVH, PANTERA, ARCHITECTS, GRETA VAN FLEET and VOLBEAT.

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.

Each weekend offers a variety of "Enhanced Experiences", ranging from access to a meet-and-greet, production and stage tour, food and beverage in the "Black Box" lounge to early entry into the venue and the Snake Pit. The very popular "Black Laminate" is back, now known as the "I Disappear Ticket", and is the ultimate pass for the fan who wants to run away with METALLICA for multiple weekends.

A single "I Disappear" ticket purchase gives you access to as many of METALLICA's 46 headlining tour dates across Europe and North America in 2023 and 2024 as you choose. You decide how many shows you'd like to attend around the world, and for how long, and METALLICA will make it as easy as possible.

During an appearance on comedian Bill Maher's "Club Random" podcast, Lars Ulrich opened up about how a child custody arrangement with one of his ex-wives led to METALLICA embracing a touring schedule that involved playing shows for no more than two weeks at a time. The METALLICA drummer said: "Maybe in the last 10, 15 years, we came around — and this is no disrespect to our managers — but we came around the other side and basically said, 'Listen, we need to start putting some boundaries and some parameters around what we're willing to do,' because back in the day we would do three [or] four in a row and then have one day off and then three in a row and then one day off, and then have a week off between going to Europe and America. And finally, like I said, maybe around 15 [years ago], maybe around the [release of the] 'Some Kind Of Monster' [documentary], we took charge and said, 'We're willing to go out for this long, for this long,' and blah blah blah. And at one point, when I was fighting a child custody case between maybe '08 to '10, maybe, give or take, we did a whole world tour for two years around not being on the road for more than two weeks at a time. We would play in Europe for two weeks, then come home, play two weeks and then come home. We did an American tour a week at a time."

Ulrich went on to explain that because he "had 50-50 custody" of his kids, "there was no budging" on the amount of uninterrupted time each parent had with the children. "So literally I would take 'em to school Monday morning and we would fly and we would play five shows in America — Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday," he explained. "Sunday night we'd fly home. I would be with my kids from that Monday morning for a week. And the rest of the guys in the band — God bless them — were gracious enough and kind enough to work with that. And it was a whole world tour for two years. So we were never gone for more than two weeks at a time."

American heavy-riff devotees CORROSION OF CONFORMITY have the official visualizer for their cover of the LYNYRD SKYNYRD track "On The Hunt", taken from the illustrious southern rock band's third studio album "Nuthin' Fancy", released in 1975. This cover version, which was originally recorded in 2004 and previously made available in 2015, brings a singular C.O.C. swagger and sludge-laden groove to the classic track.

This "On The Hunt" cover lands shortly before C.O.C. kicks off its three-week tour across Europe, set to include performances at Desertfest London, Desertfest Berlin and Soulstone Gathering in Krakow.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's Mike Dean commented: "This is our hard to find tribute to LYNYRD SKYNYRD, a major influence of C.O.C. With the recent passing of the great Gary Rossington, the last living original member of LYNYRD SKYNYRD, we thought it would be a good time to make this celebration of SKYNYRD more widely available."

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY is currently working on material for the follow-up to 2018's "No Cross No Crown" album. This past February, the band shared a short video of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan playing in the studio with drummer Stanton Moore and included the following caption: "Tune writing sessions before the Spring UK/Euro Tour!!"

Last November, Dean confirmed to MetalSucks that Moore, who previously appeared on the band's 2005's "In The Arms Of God" LP, will appear on CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's upcoming effort.

"History repeats itself all these years later," Dean said. "Stanton played on 'In The Arms Of God', and I think he's going to be working with us again for the next record. Having him aboard, I think you need to get a little nerdy to describe it because Stanton has got his own particular way that he wants to play. He wants to play kick drums in his jazzy way and likes to have the drums heads up front, so it's more of a traditional-sounding thing. And all of Stanton's fills are very second-line sounding, and he has these little phrases that are unique to him."

When asked if Stanton will join CORROSION OF CONFORMITY as a permanent replacement for Reed Mullin, who died in January 2020, Dean said: "Stanton is a different animal than Reed — we learned that back when we did 'In The Arms Of God' — and he brings an entirely new dynamic to the band. Stanton will take these straight, New Orleans-influenced, second-line things and throw them into a metal song; there's no stopping it. If you've seen Stanton Moore with GALACTIC, you'll know what I'm talking about. He's got his take, man. He's a character. But this isn't like Stanton joining the band per se, and I'm not sure that he would come out on the road and play with us because he's busy. It's more that Stanton is a good friend of ours, and we love working with him when we can when our schedules all sync up. Plus, Pepper and Stanton have known each other since they were little. It felt right to do another album with him because we loved what he did on 'In The Arms Of God', and we wanted to make this first record after Reed passed special. So, stay tuned, and we'll see how it all comes out."

Last October, Keenan told Guitar World that he still loves "No Cross No Crown". "It was a really fun experience to do and the last thing we did with Reed, unfortunately. So, it holds a special place in my heart. We're very happy with it."

Mullin died in January 2020 at the age of 53. The drummer, who co-founded CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in 1982 as a hardcore punk act alongside guitarist Woody Weatherman and Dean, had missed a number of shows in the preceding four years due to a variety of health issues, including an alcohol-related seizure he suffered back in June 2016.

Asked how Reed's passing affected him and the rest of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, Pepper told Guitar World: "We lost our left arm. It was very hard to find a drummer. We have John Green [on tour with us], who is fantastic, but you just can't replace people like that. Other people have gone through it, too — but it's not easy. You spend decades with a person writing, and you don't even have to look at them; it just comes out. This was the first time we had to regroup in a long time and try to do it with a different drummer. We've got that figured out, so now we're getting ready to focus on that."

In 2014, after nearly a straight decade traversing the globe as a guitarist with New Orleans supergroup DOWN, Pepper reconnected with the core CORROSION OF CONFORMITY trio of Weatherman, Dean and Mullin to hit the road hard. "Reed called me and mentioned maybe playing a couple shows," Keenan recalled back in 2017. "I said, 'Let's just go to Europe and see if it works.' So we went to Europe and then ended up going back four times in one year... We toured for a year and then started tracking."

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY recorded "No Cross No Crown" in about forty days over the course of a year at a North Carolina studio with longtime producer John Custer.

DISTURBED kicked off its "Take Back Your Life" 2023 North American tour last night (Thursday, April 27) at Montreal, Quebec, Canada's Bell Centre.

The trek, produced by Live Nation, features support from THEORY OF A DEADMAN in Canada and very special guests BREAKING BENJAMIN and JINJER in select markets in the United States.

"Take Back Your Life" marks DISTURBED's first full tour since 2018.

DISTURBED's setlist for the Montréal concert was as follows (according to Setlist.fm):

01. Hey You
02. Stupify
03. Ten Thousand Fists
04. Prayer
05. Are You Ready
06. Bad Man (live debut)
07. The Vengeful One
08. A Reason To Fight
09. Land Of Confusion (GENESIS cover)
10. The Game
11. The Sound Of Silence (SIMON & GARFUNKEL cover)
12. Indestructible
13. Stricken
14. The Light

Encore:

15. Unstoppable
16. Down With The Sickness
17. Inside The Fire

In a February 2023 interview with Beef Vegan, DISTURBED frontman David Draiman was asked why he and his bandmates chose to embark on a U.S. headlining tour this spring and summer as opposed to making festival appearances, like they had done in the past. He responded: "We love both, but truth be told is that when you finally decide to headline, you can bring out all your toys, and you don't have to share it with anybody. [Laughs] When you're in a festival environment, you have a whole bunch of really high-caliber bands who are performing at the top of their game, and they're trying to bring as much as they can all collectively fit on that deck. And it gets challenging. So when you're doing your thing and that's the primary focus, it really opens up the possibilities."

Asked if he and the rest of DISTURBED get together to conceptualize each tour of what they want to see, as far as the stage show is concerned, Draiman responded: "Oh, yeah. We're in the middle of it right now. We're putting together the elements of production as we speak. Dan [Donegan, guitar] and Mike [Wengren, drums] were just in L.A. helping assemble some additional musical textures for, like, segues and in-between moments for the set.

"We're doing currently our cost analysis of what we wanna spend more money on, as far as production, and my votes always go for as much pyro as possible," David said. "But we'll see what ends up happening.

"It's kind of a fun time when you're assembling what you're going to do for the cycle in general. The thing that at least doing a shed run, an amphitheater run, does is you have a predictable environment that you're dealing with night after night."

Released in November, DISTURBED's latest album, "Divisive", was recorded early last year with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee.

Donegan's divorce inspired the "Divisive" song "Don't Tell Me", which is a duet with HEART's Ann Wilson. In two decades, it breaks ground as the first-ever guest collaboration on a DISTURBED record.

According to Billboard, "Divisive" sold 26,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, with 22,000 units via album sales.

On the all-format Billboard 200 chart, "Divisive" debuted at No. 13.

DISTURBED has had five No. 1s on the all-genre chart, beginning with "Believe" in 2002.

In a new interview with The Sun, Sharon Osbourne spoke about some of Ozzy's health issues, including catching COVID-19 a year ago, which forced him to cancel some of his previously announced tours.

"Ozzy's Achilles' heel has always been his lungs, so to get something like Covid that affects your breathing and all of that, it was just torturous," she said.

"It has been very difficult. Ozzy has been plagued medically by different things that have been wrong. It is like one thing leads to another then another. For some reason he is tested all the time. I think, 'No more, please God. He has passed all the tests, he has survived — please leave him alone'."

Last month, it was announced that Ozzy will join GUNS N' ROSES, AC/DC, METALLICA, IRON MAIDEN and TOOL as one the headliners of the Goldenvoice-produced Power Trip festival, which will take place Friday, October 6 to Sunday, October 8 at the Empire Polo Club In Indio, California.

While Osbourne's health issues forced him to scrap most of his live appearances, the legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman said he would return if his condition improved.

Sharon told The Sun: "This is the longest time Ozzy has ever been at home. He is driving me crazy, every fucking day.

"Ozzy said to me during Covid, 'Do you think we are spending too much time together?' I'm like, 'Yeah, but where the fuck do I go? I can't go to a hotel, what do you want me to do? Where do you want me to go?'. And he said, 'I didn't think of that'."

Sharon said that getting Ozzy into a good enough physical shape to play live shows is now a priority.

"The biggest love affair of Ozzy's life is his audience and performing," she explained. "He misses the live audience, he misses his fans terribly. He feels he's let them down. Performing is what he is born to do. Ozzy says to me that he can't do anything as good as performing. I get heart-broken when I hear him say that and knowing he cannot go out and do what he is meant to do. But he will get there."

Earlier this month, Ozzy was photographed walking without his cane in Los Angeles. According to Page Six, the 74-year-old singer looked unbalanced as he walked alongside his carer, who picked up flowers during their daytime stroll around the neighborhood and held them out for Osbourne to take a whiff.

The news of Osbourne's participation in Power Trip came nearly two months after he released a statement in which he said that he would have to cancel his tour because of a spinal injury he suffered four years ago and other health problems.

Ozzy most recently gave an update on his touring status in February during an episode of SiriusXM's "Ozzy Speaks". He said: "Well, I've been working my guts out to try and get back on my feet. I've come to the point where Sharon says to me, 'You know what? The truth of the matter is you can't keep booking tours and failing, canceling. So, if I can ever get back to where I can tour again, fine. But right now, if you said to me, 'Can you go on the road in a month?' I couldn't say yes. I mean, if I could tour, I'd tour. But right now I can't book tours because right now I don't think I could pull them off."

Osbourne also commented on the fact that some of the media outlets reported that he was retiring from the road after he released his statement canceling his tour.

"The fucking press drive you nuts," Ozzy said. "I mean, I looked in the magazine, 'Ozzy's on his last legs.' I'm fucking not dying… Come on, guys. Haven't I've had it bad enough already? If I get okay today, if the doctor said to me today, 'Oh, you can tour, it would take another six months to get it together, you know?"

Osbourne also touched upon his ongoing health issues, saying: "You've got no idea. You got no idea what my… I feel like a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest. The only thing I've got that keeps me going is making records. But I can't do that forever. I gotta get out there… [I'm] still in constant pain. I do to the best I can to stay away from the pain medication, but there are times when I go, 'You know, I've gotta take something.' I mean, last week I couldn't… I've been sleeping great, and all of a sudden for two back-to-back nights. I never slept a wink. If you're gonna torture me, just keep me awake for a couple of days. I'll tell you whatever the fuck you want me to say."

Osbourne was due to embark on a tour of Europe later this year, but in the aforementioned statement said that he has "come to the realization that I'm not physically capable … as I know I couldn't deal with the travel required.

"This is probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to share with my loyal fans," the musician continued in his statement. "As you may all know, four years ago this month, I had a major accident, where I damaged my spine. My one and only purpose during this time has been to get back on stage. My singing voice is fine. However, after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy sessions, and most recently groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) treatment, my body is still physically weak.

"Believe me when I say that the thought of disappointing my fans really FUCKS ME UP, more than you will ever know," he wrote. "Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way."

In the statement, Osbourne added that he was looking into "ideas for where I will be able to perform without having to travel from city to city and country to country", and thanked his fans for "their endless dedication, loyalty and support, and for giving me the life that I never ever dreamed I would have".

Osbourne's previously announced European tour with guests JUDAS PRIEST, originally set for 2019 and then rescheduled three times, was officially canceled in early February. The trek was scheduled to begin in Helsinki, Finland, on May 3, and include gigs in Nottingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Dublin and London, before finishing in his original hometown of Birmingham on June 14.

Ozzy has had extensive spinal surgery and other treatment over the past four years, after a fall at home in 2019 aggravated injuries he suffered in a near-fatal quad bike crash in 2003. But despite his health problems, Osbourne has performed a couple of times in recent months, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last August and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game last September.

THE OBSESSED frontman Scott "Wino" Weinrich has confirmed to the "Heavy Galaxy" show that his band has completed work on its fifth studio album, "Gilded Sorrow", to be released later in the year on Ripple Music. "It's mastered," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "Personally, I think it's one of the best things I've ever done. Adding a second guitar player, I think, was one of the better decisions I've made over the years."

According to Weinrich, "Gilded Sorrow" will contain eight songs with a running time of "about 36 [or] 37 minutes."

"I think it's got a little bit something in it for everybody," he said. "It's sort of like traditional OBSESSED. All the songs don't sound the same."

One of the songs on the follow-up to 2017's "Sacred" is called "Stoned Back To The Bomb Age", a play on words based on when then-U.S. president George W. Bush's deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage threatened to bomb Pakistan "back to the Stone Age" immediately after 9/11.

"I always listened to the radio, so I was listening to a defense department briefing," Weinrich said. "And Armitage said, 'If Pakistan gets involved in this conflict, we're gonna bomb them back to the stone age.' So I was, like, 'Wow.' So, 'Stoned Back To The Bomb Age' — it's kind of a little bit of a comment on modern stuff."

Weinrich went on to say that he is "not really pulling any punches" on "Gilded Sorrow". "But at the same time, I'm not trying to shoot myself in the foot either," he explained. "The music has gotta talk. The reason I even have an audience at all is from the music. I appreciate the fact that I've been able to have a long and fruitful career. I really do."

THE OBSESSED was formed in the late 1970s in Potomac, Maryland by legendary Weinrich (SAINT VITUS, SPIRIT CARAVAN). The band spawned in the realm of musicians/artists such as BLACK SABBATH, Frank Zappa, THE DICTATORS and THE STOOGES. The earliest lineup consisted of Wino, bassist Mark Laue, guitarist John Reese, and drummer Dave Flood. In 1983, Wino took over vocal duties and the band became a three-piece to record the "Sodden Jackal" EP.

The band broke up in the late '80s after Wino moved to California to join SAINT VITUS. At that time, a German label, Hellhound Records, and the booking agency that had signed SAINT VITUS, released "The Obsessed", originally recorded in 1985, prompting Wino to reform THE OBSESSED. After multiple lineup changes, the band signed to Columbia Records in 1994 and released its third album, "The Church Within". Despite receiving highly acclaimed reviews, THE OBSESSED would break up following the release, after which Wino formed SPIRIT CARAVAN (then SHINE) and other projects.

In September 2011, THE OBSESSED returned to the stage at Roadburn festival with "The Church Within"'s legendary lineup (featuring Wino, Greg Rogers and Guy Pinhas). The band played a few more reunion shows over the next couple years at Hellfest 2012 and Maryland Deathfest XI in May 2013 with bassist Reid Raley.

Wino announced the full-time return of THE OBSESSED in March 2016 and the band's official signing to Relapse Records to record the follow-up to "The Church Within". The new lineup originally consisted of SPIRIT CARAVAN bassist Dave Sherman and Wino's longtime friend and former road crew member Brian Costantino (drums). On October 31, 2016, Wino announced another new lineup change for THE OBSESSED, including Bruce Falkinburg (bass) and Seraphim (guitar),making that the first time the band had been a four-piece in over thirty-five years.

In 2017, THE OBSESSED unleashed "Sacred", the band's first studio album in over twenty years, further pushing the band into the annals of heavy metal history. After a few years on the road, the lineup stabilized around Brian Costantino on drums, Chris Angleberger on bass, Jason Taylor on guitar, and, of course, Wino at the helm.

THE OBSESSED 2023 is:

Chris Angleberger - bass
Jason Taylor - guitar
Brian Costantino - drums
Scott "Wino" Weinrich - guitar and vocals

Extreme metal veterans CRADLE OF FILTH — led by frontman Dani Filth — have unleashed a thirst-quencher of epic proportions in the form of their first live album to be released in over 20 years, "Trouble And Their Double Lives", out today via Napalm Records.

In celebration of today's LP release, CRADLE OF FILTH has revealed a brand new live performance music video for one of the two new studio tracks cut from "Trouble And Their Double Lives", titled "Demon Prince Regent". The track slams in with a wall of sound and grim, blackened guitar leads before reaching a headbanging, bouncing chorus — proving itself to be a searing follow-up to the band's previous single, "She Is A Fire".

Dani says about the track and live album release: "The footage for the studio track 'Demon Prince Regent' was filmed on the road whilst recently undertaking the co-headline 'Double Trouble Live' tour with DEVILDRIVER in the U.S.

"The video is a logical visual bridge between airing the second studio track and the actual live album, wherein you also get the luxury of seeing our repugnant faces.

"As for the album itself, I hope everyone enjoys this cantankerous volley of s(hits) just as much as we enjoyed making them, with songs stolen from CRADLE shows from all across the world. And as cliche as it sounds, 'this album is totally for the fans... Let's see those f**king horns!!!'"

Recorded between 2014 and 2019 at different performances in the USA, Europe, Australia and beyond during their "Cryptoriana" world tour and dates following, the album serves as a time capsule of blisteringly intense live energy, and an astounding testament to CRADLE OF FILTH's renowned latest era.

Produced, mixed and mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios in Suffolk, England with recording captured by Danny B, the brand new live onslaught not only features a slew of fan favorites encompassing the band's electrifying discography — such as "Nymphetamine (Fix)" , "Bathory Aria" and "Blackest Magick in Practice" — but also two bonus tracks and two entirely brand new songs, the aforementioned "She Is A Fire" and "Demon Prince Regent".

The two new studio tracks provide a hefty taste of what's to come on future CRADLE OF FILTH studio releases. "She Is A Fire" starts the album with a sinister riff, ominous atmosphere and spine-tingling keys. Dani Filth's renowned vocal delivery cascades in haunting screams and whispers atop hair-raising guitar leads and unrelenting drums.

Filth adds: "I would say a live record was long overdue, judging by the 20-odd-year gap between this and our previous offering! It also serves as a great accompaniment to the forthcoming co-headlining 'Double Trouble Live' tour(s) with DEVILDRIVER, and strangely enough is also a notable gap-filler whilst we prepare our debut album for Napalm Records, due for mass excretion in 2024."

"Trouble And Their Double Lives" track listing:

01. She Is A Fire (new studio track)
02. Heaven Torn Asunder
03. Blackest Magick In Practice
04. Honey And Sulphur
05. Nymphetamine (Fix)
06. Born In A Burial Gown
07. Desire In Violent Overture
08. Bathory Aria
09. The Death Of Love (bonus track)
10. Demon Prince Regent (new studio track)
11. Heartbreak And Seance
12. Right Wing Of The Garden Triptych
13. The Promise Of Fever
14. Haunted Shores
15. Gilded Cunt
16. Saffron's Curse
17. Lustmord And Wargasm (The Lick Of Carnivorous Winds)
18. You Will Know The Lion By His Claw (bonus track)

CRADLE OF FILTH and groove metal pioneers DEVILDRIVER are just a few weeks away from embarking on the first leg of their "Double Trouble Live" U.S. co-headlining tour. Support acts on the tour are BLACK SATELLITE and ONI.

Positioned firmly at the top of the extreme metal genre, CRADLE OF FILTH reign supreme as one of the most revered, formative and notorious names in the scene, and are undeniably responsible for breaking ground for many of today's top metal artists with their trademark mixture of grim blackened heaviness, macabre theatricality and scintillating gothic style. The rule of FILTH began in 1991, followed by the unleashing of 1994's "The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh" — humble beginnings that expanded into cinematic classics like "Cruelty And The Beast" and "Midian".

The band's unyielding international touring schedule has garnered them a massive following both in the cult underground and at the top of the mainstream, defying trends while staying true to their roots. More recent offerings such as 2015's "Hammer Of The Witches" and 2017's "Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay" continued to bolster the unremitting legacy of FILTH, until the band, along with the rest of the universe, was abruptly halted by the global pandemic in 2020. But, as is evident by the staggering response from their devoted legion of followers, that time was put to good use, spurring the emergence of the band's latest, breathtakingly heavy offering, 2021's "Existence Is Futile". The album debuted at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 with Hard Rock Genre, on the Hard Music Albums charts at No. 4 in the U.S. and No. 5 in Canada, No. 9 on the German Album charts, No. 3 and No. 5 on the U.K. Rock & Metal Albums chart and U.K. Independent Albums chart respectively, No. 4 on the Finnish Albums chart and many more, proving that CRADLE OF FILTH continue to own the dark.

Photo credit: Anthony Ponce

In a new interview with Richard Wilkins of Australia's "Today" show, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield was asked what it feels like to be "back in the saddle" again with a new album, "72 Seasons", and an upcoming world tour. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Nervous and fun at the same time, as usual. Giving birth to a new baby brings up anxiety, but also brings up lots and lots of excitement."

When Wilkins noted that METALLICA's critics and fans always let the band know what they think, Hetfield concurred: "Yeah. And we do the same with ourselves, even harder. So we're used to it."

James went on to say about the response from the METALLICA fans to "72 Seasons": "It has been really pretty positive so far, and that matters a little bit to us. But internally, we know we've done a fantastic album. We've written music that we like, and we're putting it out there. So whoever else wants to show up, come on in."

After Wilkins described METALLICA's sound as "so tight", Hetfield said: "We're pretty tight. We've been playing together. We're getting better, even after 41 years. Yeah, the recording of this record really started back in the [early] COVID [days] when we were all super bored out of our minds and Zooming with each other weekly just to stay sane. And then I pulled out a guitar and kind of said, 'Hey, here's a riff. Let's start going.' Once you open that Pandora's box of riffs though, you know it's on. It's a beautiful process."

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

In the seven years since the arrival of "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", METALLICA has reissued some of its classic albums, released a second live album with the San Francisco Symphony, commissioned a covers album featuring the likes of GHOST, VOLBEAT, WEEZER, Corey Taylor and THE HU, and landed on the Billboard songs chart with "Master Of Puppets" after a prominent placement in the hit Netflix show "Stranger Things".

METALLICA's "M72" world tour will feature two-night stops in nearly two dozen cities. Presented worldwide by Liquid Death and Blackened American Whiskey (in North America only) and promoted by Live Nation, the 46-show trek will launch in Amsterdam on April 27 and will include shows all over Europe and North America through 2024. Each "No Repeat Weekend" on "M72" will feature two completely different setlists and support lineups. The "M72" tour will feature a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed METALLICA Snake Pit to center stage, as well as the "I Disappear" full-tour pass and the debut of discounted tickets for fans under 16 years of age. Opening acts for the tour include PANTERA, MAMMOTH WVH, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, ARCHITECTS, VOLBEAT and GRETA VAN FLEET.

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner, who hired PANTERA bassist Rex Brown to play on the debut album from his ELEGANT WEAPONS project, was asked if he was ever in consideration to handle guitar duties for the reformed PANTERA on the latter band's current comeback tour. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No. To me, there was only one guy that could do that, and that's Zakk [Wylde]. To me, there's a thousand guys on YouTube that can play that stuff note for note, but there's only one guy that had that relationship with the band and with Dime [late PANTERA guitarist 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott]. And that's Zakk. That's who they've got doing it. So there's only one guy, to me, that can do that gig."

Asked if he ever had a chance to meet the guys from PANTERA, including Dimebag, Richie said: "I met Vinnie [late drummer Vincent 'Vinnie Paul' Abbott]. Vinnie came down to a couple of shows that we played with PRIEST in Texas. I've never met Dime. I met Philip [Anselmo, PANTERA singer] a few times. I was never lucky enough to meet Dime, no."

The 43-year-old Faulkner also revealed that he never saw the classic lineup of PANTERA perform. "I didn't, unfortunately," he said. "Back when I was a teenager, I listened to [IRON] MAIDEN, METALLICA and PANTERA religiously for about a year. And a year is a long time when you're 12 or 13 years old. That was all I listened to, but never got the chance to see the band. And I think that goes for a lot of people in that age group."

Richie went on to say that the current PANTERA tour is a chance for younger fans to see the band's classic songs performed by the remaining surviving members of the group.

"We were just down in South America [with JUDAS PRIEST], and there was, like, 80 thousand people rocking out to PANTERA," he said. "And, obviously, we know the situation that they're in — Dime's not around, Vinnie's not around — but they didn't care. They just wanted to see and hear those songs, and they were going absolutely ballistic, man. It was an amazing thing to see."

Faulkner previously discussed PANTERA's comeback in an interview last fall with the radio show "Sonic Boom" on Real Rock 100.3 The Fox in Rapid City, South Dakota. At the time, he said about Zakk stepping in for Dimebag: "I think there's only one guy that could have done that gig. He's the right guy for it. He's the only guy for it. The relationship he had with Dime over everything else. I mean, there's tons of guys that can play that stuff note for note for note, but I think the integrity that Zakk brings to that whole thing because of his relationship with Dime, I don't think there's anyone else on the planet that can do the gig like Zakk can do it.

"I don't think you need to play that stuff note for note," Richie continued. "I think it's all about what comes from the heart. People are sure to disagree with me there, but that's just my opinion on it. Dime played from the heart. It was all about emotion and passion. And I think as long as you put emotion and passion into that music, that's what it's about. Anyone can learn notes off a page, but if you don't have the passion and the emotion, what have you got with that music?

"So, Zakk's the guy," Faulkner added. "It was always gonna be Zakk. It always should have been Zakk, and it's gonna be fucking amazing. It's gonna be great… PANTERA were fantastic, and to hear those songs again, it's gonna be off the charts, man.

"The Internet is one reality, and then reality is another reality. And it's gonna be off the hook."

Anselmo and Brown, along with Wylde and drummer Charlie 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, Vinnie Paul 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.

Last month, PANTERA headlined the 2023 "comeback" edition of Japan's Loud Park festival. The two-day "limited" event took place on March 25 at Intex Osaka in Osaka and March 26 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City near Tokyo.

In December, PANTERA played seven shows in Mexico and South America.

Brown was forced to leave PANTERA's Latin American tour after testing positive for COVID-19. Filling in for him at some of the shows was CATTLE DECAPITATION bassist Derek Engemann, who also plays with Anselmo in both PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS and SCOUR.

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.

Bret Michaels, who will embark on the "Parti-Gras" solo tour this summer, has told People magazine that POISON isn't going anywhere.

"There's a brotherhood there," he said. "We're never breaking up."

Bret also talked about the infamous backstage fistfight between him and POISON guitarist C.C. DeVille at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. Soon after, C.C. DeVille was fired and replaced by Richie Kotzen, who would stay with the group until 1993, and play on POISON's next album, "Native Tongue". Kotzen was later replaced by Blues Saraceno, before DeVille rejoined the band in 1996.

"C.C. and I get along 99 percent of the time," Bret told People. "When it goes bad, it turns into a fistfight. Parting ways [then] was heartbreaking for me, but he's one of my best friends now."

Last August, Michaels told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that POISON fans may have to wait until 2025 to see the band perform again after 2022's "The Stadium Tour".

POISON's long-delayed North American trek with DEF LEPPARD, MÖTLEY CRÜE and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally planned for 2020 and later moved to 2021 and then to 2022. "The Stadium Tour" concluded last September in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In 2018, POISON completed the "Nothin' But A Good Time" tour with CHEAP TRICK and POP EVIL.

POISON's last album of new material was 2002's "Hollyweird". An album of covers, "Poison'd", followed in 2007.

Back in 2018, POISON bassist Bobby Dall said that the band "should" be making a new studio album but claimed that he didn't know if it would happen. "I'm not going to bullshit you and say there's any [new music] in the process [of being made]," he told All That Shreds. "Would I like there to be? Yes. But, it's a matter of everyone having the time. Everybody in the band has other commitments. Some members have younger children than others. So between those two issues, it's difficult, and, you know, [there are] health issues as we get older. Should we be making a new record? Yes, definitely. But will it happen? I don't know."

In a 2017 interview, POISON drummer Rikki Rockett acknowledged that part of the reason the band hasn't been motivated to work on new music has been the fact that fans rarely show interest in hearing fresh material performed live when classic rock groups go on tour. "We could write the second coming of 'Talk Dirty To Me', and I don't know if people wanna hear it or not, and that's a frustrating thing; it really is," he said. "AEROSMITH was able to do it, but not everybody is. I mean, even THE ROLLING STONES have had problems with that in the last few years. So… I don't know. But I do think it's important to stay viable. For the 'über fans,' it's always a really, really good thing. And that's what you do it for — you do it for you, you do it for the real fans, the real true fans."

More recently, Rockett admitted that he and other members of POISON harbor some resentment toward Michaels, whose frequent tours as a solo artist caused the band to take a five-year break from the road.

"I think we need to get away from each other and do other things, but at the same time, I think he spent a little too much time away," Rockett said. "There's definitely some resentment, but not resentment like I want him to fail. I want him to do good. I just want POISON to be important too, and I would like [him] to put a little more energy into POISON."

Trooper beer, the hugely successful and award-winning beer produced in collaboration between British music icons IRON MAIDEN and Stockport-based Robinsons brewery, celebrates its tenth birthday this year on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

To celebrate the milestone, and the achievement of over 35 million pints sold worldwide, a brand new 10% ABV Trooper X Imperial Stout has been created by MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson and the Robinsons team. Each 660ml bottle of Trooper X comes in a presentation box and will be available to order online from IronMaiden.com and Drinks Aisle from May 9.

The new brew has again been created by Bruce, alongside Robinsons' head brewer Martyn Weeks.

Weeks says: "Trooper X is packed full of roasted malt flavors which perfectly balance the complex and delicious aromas. This is the ultimate super smooth sharing beer which, if you can resist drinking straight away, will mature in the bottle and get even better with age."

In further celebrations, the original Trooper beer, which kickstarted IRON MAIDEN's foray into the brewing world ten years ago, will feature a special anniversary label to mark the occasion.

Launched in 2013, the 4.7% ABV Premium Ale has proved a runaway success around the world and is now firmly established as one of the leading British ales globally, being exported to 68 countries worldwide.

Trooper was recently awarded a further Gold Medal by the British Bottlers' Institute, adding to awards at the World Beer Awards, Global Beer Masters and International Beer Challenge, making a total of 18 awards for Trooper original to date and 23 across the Trooper family of beers.

Along with the core beers — Trooper Original and Trooper IPA — the Trooper family includes a range of seasonal and limited-edition beers that have joined the charge over the last ten years, including popular brews such as Fear Of The Dark stout, Sun And Steel sake-infused pilsner, Red N' Black porter, Trooper 666 ESB, Hallowed Belgian-style beer, as well as annual Day Of The Dead special edition versions. Trooper X Imperial Stout joins this growing stable.

Dickinson has also taken the Trooper brand worldwide, identifying like-minded brewers overseas who can bring unique local versions of Trooper to the legions of IRON MAIDEN fans and Trooper drinkers around the world. IRON MAIDEN have partnered with Brewdog in the U.S. to produce Hellcat, an IPL; Nils Oscar in Sweden to produce a local Trooper as well as Running Free, the first zero alcohol Trooper; Crew Republic in Germany with Trooper Progressive Lager; Bodebrown in Brazil with a local Trooper and Aces High lager; and Nomad in Australia to produce Trooper XPL.

Dickinson says: "I'm immensely proud that Trooper has reached this milestone. To get to 10 years is a brilliant achievement, and I'm having a great time working with Robinsons and our partners around the world coming up with some fantastic beers! Thanks to our fans, Trooper has become a permanent feature with beer lovers around the world, and it's still growing.

"We are delighted to add 'Trooper X' to the roster and there'll be more beers to come as our Trooper family continues to expand and provide new beers and choices to our fans everywhere."

Oliver Robinson, managing director of Robinsons, says: "Our collaboration with IRON MAIDEN and Trooper continues to go from strength to strength each year. When we started brewing with Bruce in 2013, I don't think any of us could have anticipated the success of Trooper. Fast forward 10 years and with over 8 limited-edition beers, 35 million pints sold worldwide, and drinkers enjoying Trooper in over 68 countries worldwide we're incredibly proud to have Trooper as part of the Robinsons family."

MAIDEN has amassed over 100 million record sales, almost 2,500 live performances across 64 countries, 17 studio albums and last year finished its "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour, where they played to over 3,000,000 fans. In May 2023 they embark on "The Future Past Tour", bringing together songs from their most recent album "Senjutsu" with the iconic 1986 album "Somewhere In Time".

German rock legends, Scorpions, performed at Monsters Of Rock 2023 in Sao Paulo, Brazil on April 22nd at Allianz Parque. Fan-filmed video of their entire set is available below. 


The setlist was as follows:


"Gas In The Tank"
"Make It Real"
"The Zoo"
"Coast To Coast"
"Seventh Sun"
"Peacemaker"
"Bad Boys Running Wild"
"Delicate Dance"
"Send Me An Angel"
"Wind of Change"
"Tease Me, Please Me"
"Rock Believer"
"Blackout"
"Big City Nights"




Encore:
"Still Loving You"
"Rock You Like A Hurricane"





Photo taken from the official Scorpions Facebook page

Sammy Hagar, who, along with fellow ex-VAN HALEN frontman David Lee Roth, spent the summer of 2002 co-headlining the laboriously titled "Sammy Hagar And David Lee Roth Tour 2002: Song For Song, The Heavyweight Champs Of Rock And Roll", is once again dissing Diamond Dave's oversize ego and deteriorating singing voice.

Hagar reflected on the 2002 run of shows during a recent appearance on Steve-O's "Wild Ride!" podcast. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "At that time [Roth] didn't have a solo career, really. I mean, he did, but he wasn't selling out. I was selling out arenas. I was selling out amphitheaters as Sammy Hagar with the WABOS. And I had a solo career.

"Ask Mick Jagger. Ask Robert Plant. You can be the biggest band in the world and you can't necessarily have a solo career," he continued. "But I had a solo career. So when I joined the big band, I went back to my solo career, I'm good. I still sell a lot of tickets. Dave, he had that sort of a big album, one kind of a big album, but he didn't have a solo career. He was playing small places. So when he came in with me, he was making, like, 25 grand a night, I was making 150 grand a night, and they said, 'Oh, you guys are gonna make the same money. Dave gets to make 150.' I said, 'He ain't fucking made 150 in his life except in VAN HALEN.' But I said, 'I've gotta do this.' So I bent over backwards. And he still always tried to fuck with the rules. He's not a fun guy. He doesn't play well with others. I'm not sure what his problem is… He just always is about, 'How can I make this guy look bad?' And not just me — in life. He's a chest-beating motherfucker. And God bless him, 'cause the early stuff is frickin' great. I personally, I've tried to say… [I thought] he'd be a fun guy to know. But he ain't like that. He ain't like his persona. When you get around him, he ain't that guy. He's some other cat. [Laughs]"

Hagar went on to praise Roth's skills as an entertainer, saying: "He's a showman. Hey, listen, I'm a showman too. But that's his gig. He doesn't care about singing. If he did, he'd take care of his voice or he'd take voice lessons and get warmed up and do something. 'Cause the guy sang so bad last time he was doing shows, it was embarrassing… But he's a showman. Everything's show, show, show, show, show, show, show. And he doesn't care about his voice, which drives me nuts, man. I care more about my voice than I do my dick. If my dick didn't work a couple of times, I'd be okay with it — I'd be bummed out — but if my voice fucks up onstage, I'm fucking bummed, man."

Hagar replaced Roth in VAN HALEN in 1985 and recorded four studio albums with the band — "5150", "OU812", "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" and "Balance" — all of which topped the U.S. chart. The highest-charting Roth-led VAN HALEN album was a No. 2, and it took until "1984" to achieve that. (2012's "A Different Kind Of Truth" also landed at No. 2.)

Back in October 2021, Hagar said that he had "no problem" with Roth, telling "The Mike & Carla Morning Show" on the 96.3 KKLZ radio station: "Him and I don't even have a feud. To be honest with you, I have no problem with Dave. I don't know what he's got going with me, but I think he always feels competitive. I think he feels like he has to raise his flag, like, 'I'm VAN HALEN.' 'Cause I had a solo career before VAN HALEN. I was in MONTROSE before VAN HALEN. I've had CHICKENFOOT. Dave has got VAN HALEN, so I think he has to hold on to that kind of tight. But I don't care about that. If someone said, 'Oh, I never knew you [were] in VAN HALEN,' I'd say, 'Eh…'"

In June 2021, Hagar blasted Roth, saying his voice "hasn't aged well" and describing the original VAN HALEN singer's onstage persona as "totally bullshit." He told Brazil's "Inside With Paulo Baron" Internet show: "[David is] a real character. He's a showman. He's all show. I enjoy him. But you talk about cringing. I can't imagine how he feels when he looks at some of them old videos, the way he was dancing and moving, and the way he was singing live sometimes. I don't know how he feels about all that, but I don't think he cares. The difference between him and I [is] I sincerely care — I care about everything I do and I care how it affects people and I care what they think. I care that it touches them and it makes them happy. And what is important to me is enlightening and elevating people spiritually and making them happy and making them have big dreams, making them want to be better themselves. And that's my goal with everything I do — is to bring that to people and change their life, if I can. I don't think he cares about anything like that. And that's the difference between our presence. He's very much into himself, very much into being a showman and doesn't really care. I don't know what he cares about; I really don't. I don't know him. I have no idea who that guy is; I don't think anyone does. But he entertains me. I enjoy watching him do stupid shit."

Asked what he thinks when he sees the way David presents himself to the public, Sammy said: "Well, the first thing I'd say is I look at him and I think, 'Wow. He's a strange person. He's a strange character.' He's not what he's saying he is; he's pretending. He's totally bullshit. Everything he does is thought up and it's an image. It's nothing to do with who he is; he's not exposing who and what he is. And I know this for a fact. I knew that the first time I saw him. I said, 'This guy, he's putting on an image, putting on a show.' He goes back home and goes in his house, and he's a whole different guy — nothing to do with that guy [you see on stage]. He's not honest about his image and his performance. That's what I see when I see him; that's how I feel. But I tried to be friends."

Referring to the time when he and Roth teamed up for the co-headlining tour in 2002, Sammy continued: "When we did our together, I thought it was gonna be so much fun. I thought, 'If he's anything like he claims to be, we're gonna have a good time.' But he wasn't. He was the worst guy to be around. He wasn't ever around. He hides out. You never see him. He puts on this whole big front and comes out, 'I'm here. David Lee Roth is here,' and then he goes and hides again. I don't think he's happy. He's never been married; never had a relationship; never had children. It's, like, man, how do you live like that? I don't know. I'm a family man. And I love women — I love women and children… He hasn't aged well — his voice. [Laughs] I don't know. It's hard."

According to Hagar, he has tried a number of times to be respectful to Roth, particularly because of David's immeasurable contribution to VAN HALEN's legacy.

"I used to not wanna cause trouble," he said. "First, in the old days, before I was in VAN HALEN, I ripped him through the fucking coals when I [did] the press, before I ever was in that band. And then when I joined the band, I tried to be nice. And then when I left the band, I tried to be nice about him. And then we did our together, and then I fucking said, 'Fuck this guy. He's an asshole. You can't get along with him. He's no fun. He's full of shit.' And then now, after [VAN HALEN guitarist] Eddie's [Van Halen] death, I feel, once again, he's part of the VAN HALEN legacy and he's important. So I wouldn't wanna ruin anything to do with what he brought to that legacy. I want VAN HALEN to go down as one of the greatest rock bands of all time — but not just my [era]; Dave's era [as well]. I want Eddie to be the legend and get the respect that he deserves, and the only way to preserve that is by being kind about the past. And, like in my [2011's autobiography, 'Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock'], like I said, that's the only thing I would probably [change in the book if I was writing it now is I would] soften it up [as it relates to Eddie]. But it's too late — it is what it is. And it's honest. So I'm not lying, I'm not backpedaling — nope, nope. It's all true. But God rest his soul. He brought a lot to this planet, to this business of rock and roll, Eddie Van Halen did. And Dave was a part of it. It's too bad what he's become. [Laughs] But that's different. It's not VAN HALEN anymore."

In November 2020, Eddie's son Wolfgang revealed that his father had contemplated a "kitchen-sink tour" that would have included classic-era bassist Michael Anthony, as well as vocal turns from both Hagar and Roth. There was even talk about bringing back Gary Cherone, who sang with VAN HALEN on one poorly received album, 1998's "Van Halen III".

Eddie died in October 2020 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. The iconic VAN HALEN axeman passed away from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

Sammy Hagar photo credit: Leah Steiger

According to Billboard, SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor has signed a "global recordings agreement" with BMG to release his second solo album, "CMF2", will arrive later in 2023. The follow-up to 2020's "CMFT" will arrive later this year via Taylor's label imprint Decibel Cooper.

"I wanted to work with BMG because they came in super hot wanting to work with me, and they've been keeping the fires burning for rock, punk and metal over the last few years," Taylor told Billboard.

"We are thrilled to welcome Corey Taylor to the BMG family," executive VP of New York/senior VP of international marketing Jason Hradil said in a statement. "His new album is an extension of the incredible body of work he's assembled over his career, and we can't wait for fans around the world to hear it later this year."

Thomas Scherer, BMG president of repertoire and marketing, Los Angeles and New York, added, "We were completely blown away after hearing Corey's new album. His music is absolutely brilliant with the marketing skills to match. It is an honor to be the partner for such an inspiring artist and entrepreneur like Corey Taylor and amplify his vision globally."

Taylor told Billboard that he will also use his label to release music from other artists, explaining: "Decibel Cooper will not only allow me to release my own music and art worldwide, but it also gives me a solid way to help bolster any rad new acts I want to put on the roster. BMG is going to help me put my money where my mouth is — giving a boost to the next generation."

Taylor began tracking "CMF2" in January at an undisclosed studio with longtime producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with STEEL PANTHER and ANTHRAX, among others. Corey stated about the musical direction of his new material: "I mean, everything's just bigger this time, man. Everything sounds better; everything's running better; everything's running hot. Instead of where I came from, this is where I'm going. Musically, it's harder, it's faster, but there's still tons of stuff from the first album. So, there's elements of SLIPKNOT, there's elements of STONE SOUR, there's elements of 'CMFT'; there's elements of the stuff that I've been doing for years — just, like, cover-wise or whatever, just all the stuff that I've always wanted to do, we're doing that. We're just cranking it up and it all sounds so fucking good that I can't even describe to you how stoked I am."

Last August, Corey discussed his plans for his second solo album during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". At the time, he said: "We're gonna go in and bang it out and get it ready. And then once I'm done touring with SLIPKNOT, I'm gonna throw together a really rad, 'rock is back' kind of tour for the solo stuff and start bringing out some of the younger — maybe not even some of the younger rock bands, but just some of the bands that don't get the chance or just don't get the looks that are afforded to either pop bands and hip-hop bands or people like me who are kind of grandfathered in. So I'm gonna try and really kind of fly the rock flag and give some opportunities to some of the younger bands and maybe even just the mid-level bands that just haven't had a shot. 'Cause there's so many great bands out there."

Taylor went on to say that he had written about 15 songs for his follow-up to "CMFT". "It's one of those cool things where some of it's older stuff that I've written over the years," he revealed. "There's actually a couple of songs that some of the fans know because I debuted them live when I was doing the JBKB [COREY TAYOR & THE JUNK BEER KIDNAP BAND] thing. So there's a song like 'Beyond' and a song like 'Breath Of Fresh Smoke' — both of those songs are getting recorded and released finally after… God, how many goddamn years would it be? Probably about 14 years, 16 years. But then a bunch of newer stuff. And there's definitely a darker edge to it. It's still very melodic, but I'm definitely starting to kind of bring together the things that I'm known for. And it's less an homage of the stuff that I grew up on and more of what people are used to hearing from me — but still a solo album. So there's still great rock and roll on it. There's some heavier stuff, but there's some really great slower stuff. It's gonna be really rad."

In February 2022, Corey released a solo album of covers and acoustic recordings, titled "CMFB…Sides", via Roadrunner Records. The collection comprised nine previously unreleased B-sides, covers of tunes that inspired Taylor, acoustic renditions, and live versions.

"CMFT" made impressive debuts on charts around the world, entering at No. 1 on Billboard's Current Hard Rock Albums chart, while claiming No. 2 on Current Rock Albums, No. 6 on Vinyl Albums, and No. 9 on the Top Albums charts. Furthermore, "CMFT" landed Top 10 on the official album charts in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, with Top 20 debuts in the United Kingdom, Finland and Japan (international chart).

"CMFT" was recorded at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas with Ruston and Christian Martucci (guitar),Zach Throne (guitar),Jason Christopher (bass),and Dustin Schoenhofer (drums).

"CMFT" had been a long time coming for Taylor, with newly written tracks alongside some dating back to his teens. The album was highlighted by the singles "Culture Head", "HWY 666", "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (featuring Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie),and the Active Rock radio hit "Black Eyes Blue". Taylor also hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Songwriters chart following the unprecedented debut of "Black Eyes Blue" and "CMFT Must Be Stopped".

In 2021, Taylor made history as he reached No. 1 at Active Rock Radio with his powerful single "Black Eyes Blue". The achievement put Taylor in a class all his own, making him the first artist in the history of the format to reach No. 1 with three separate projects, following chart-topping efforts from SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR.

Featured in Rolling Stone's "Fall Album Preview 2020," "CMFT" garnered widespread critical applause, with Forbes affirming, "Corey Taylor's singing is undeniably the best it's ever been. From SLIPKNOT's last album to his new solo material, Taylor is easily among the best-sounding rock singers alive." Kerrang! raved, "Corey Taylor certainly couldn't have predicted how important a sense of uninhibited joy would be on his debut solo effort, it's just what 2020 needs — and, even more importantly, exactly what he delivers." The Daily Beast attested, "'CMFT' finds the singer broadening his horizons and showing off his considerable versatility," while Stereogum noted, "Corey Taylor's lived several lives in the span that it takes most of us to push through just one, and it's clear that he cherishes every experience he's had so far." New York magazine added that "CMFT" "bridges his vast tastes and influences, dabbling in punk rock, metal, reflective acoustic tunes, plaintive piano ballads, and hip-hop, with Taylor's power-house vocals and introspective lyrics acting as a guide."

Photo credit: Ashley Osborn

On June 9, 2023, Basque Country melodic death metallers Rise To Fall will release their new album The Fifth Dimension via Noble Demon. Today, the band releases the second single from the upcoming album, entitled "Hierophant". The track is accompanied by a brand new music video.


Rise To Fall comments: "‘Hierophant’ is a very Rise To Fall song, a fast, direct and very dynamic song, with rhythm changes, a lot of atmosphere and a memorable chorus. As always with a very melodic solo and a break full of synthesizers. ‘Hierophant’ has it all for Rise To Fall fans and for those who don't know us it's a very good way to know what Rise To Fall is all about."


Formed in 2006 in Bilbao (Basque Country) in northern Spain, Rise To Fall have established their well-deserved place within the metal scene over the past seventeen years. With a constant output and numerous live shows and festival appearances, Rise To Fall have become known for delivering music of the highest level and their devastating live shows. With the release of four studio albums, the band has kept raising the bar, leading not only to numerous tours across Europe, but also headlining tours in Japan and China, as well as touring alongside Soilwork.




A tour that should still unite both bands in the future - With the track "Intruder" Rise To Fall have now released the first single of the upcoming album, on which none other than Björn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork / The Night Flight Orchestra ) has taken over as a guest vocalist.





Tracklisting:


“Rising Sun”
“Hierophant”
“Intruder”
“Test Of Time”
“Empty Ward”
“Infinite Crossroad”
“What Lies Beneath”
“Heroes”
“The Great Chain”
“Beam Of Light”
“Black Ocean”


"Hierophant" video:





“Intruder”:





Rise To Fall are:


Alain “Dalay Tarda” Gutiérrez - Vocals
Hugo Markaida - Guitar
Dann Hoyos - Bass
Javier Martín - Bass
Xabier Del Val - Drums

Germany’s Stormage has released "The Spirit Never Dies", the second single from the new album Ashes Of Doom and prove once again their flair for catchy choruses wrapped in dark power metal.


Ashes Of Doom is out on May 26 via El Puerto Records. Album presale is available on the El Puerto Records webshop.


Bassist Dirk Heggemann on the album: "The idea behind it is to address the things that are currently going out of control worldwide. The character stands as a representation for all of humanity, hoping for a helping hand through a broken window to turn everything around. That helping hand could be any one of us."




In the 20 years of their existence, the quartet from the German Sauerland has continuously honed their own style. For the upcoming fourth album Ashes Of Doom has Sebastian "Seeb" Levermann (Orden Ogan) co-producer. The result is a multifaceted, cleverly arranged power metal album, but just a touch "darker" than the rest.


Cover art by Harley Velasquez / cover layout by Nina Heggemann:





Tracklisting:


“Overture Of The Abyss”
“Beyond The Horizon”
“Deniers Of Reality”
“Fierce As A Dragon”
“Slide On Your Knees”
“Our Latest Endeavor”
“Ashes Of My Doom”
“The Spirit Never Dies”
“Blood Shot Eyes”
“Put The Hammer Down”
“Son Of Hatred”
“The Wind Will Take Us Home”


"The Spirit Never Dies" lyric video:





"Deniers Of Reality":

THE QUIREBOYS singer Spike (a.k.a. Jonathan Gray) has announced plans to record a new album featuring the last songs he co-wrote and recorded with the band's original guitarist Guy Bailey. Bailey died earlier this month after an illness. No cause of death was revealed.

On Wednesday (April 26),Spike took to his social media to write: "As QUIREBOYS founder, frontman and songwriter I'm delighted to announce that the original band are going into the studio next month to record a new QUIREBOYS album, featuring the last songs that I co-wrote and recorded with Guy Bailey.

"This news follows the return of the original QUIREBOYS line-up last year, with the physical release of an official QUIREBOYS Christmas single and a sell-out London show promoted by Live Nation with me, Nigel Mogg, Chris Johnstone and Rudy Richman. That night, we were joined on stage by Guy Bailey for what was to be his last public appearance before his tragic death on 6 April 2023.

"Following the split with recent band members last Spring, I immediately reassured you the fans that I have never left the band, I hold the trademark and that I would reform the original QUIREBOYS band. Last summer I wrote songs with Guy Bailey and demo'd them for a new album — as, one by one, Nigel Mogg, Chris Johnstone and Rudy Richman announced their return to QUIREBOYS.

"Guy Bailey was deeply upset by events of last year and he wanted to respond by writing new songs with the return of the signature QUIREBOYS sound. The writing between us was just like the early days, spontaneous and natural. It was his wish that the music we wrote together last summer was recorded and completed in its entirety, so the band will return to the studio to finish the new album. We have one of the greatest producers in the world and a few very special friends joining us who adored Guy.

"The new QUIREBOYS album will be dedicated to Guy Bailey, my best friend and a musical genius. Without him there wouldn't have been any QUIREBOYS hits that live on to this day.

"I promised Guy Bailey I would record this album, and so with his blessing, I will take his music legacy forward with not only this album, but future albums to come, along with live international tours and shows, as that was and always has been his wish. So we're keeping rock 'n' roll alive in his name for years to come.

"God bless, Spike, x"

Bailey and Spike formed THE QUIREBOYS in 1984 and were responsible for writing many of the band's signature songs, including "Hey You", "7 O'Clock", "I Don't Love You Anymore" and "There She Goes Again" from THE QUIREBOYS' classic debut album "A Bit of What You Fancy". After THE QUIREBOYS split in 1993, Bailey was part of the British band's brief reunion in 1995 but wasn't included in THE QUIREBOYS' lineup when the group reformed in 2001.

Last May, Spike and Bailey announced that they had reunited and were writing a new album together which they said would be released under THE QUIREBOYS name.

The reunion between Spike and Bailey came just weeks after THE QUIREBOYS announced they had parted ways with Spike. In response, the singer said that he was fired via a letter signed by three bandmembers and he accused his former bandmates of trying to "re-cast events". He also vowed to continue recording and touring under THE QUIREBOYS name.
Spike announces new Quireboys album featuring final songs written with Guy Bailey

Image credit: Bianca Cecilia pic.twitter.com/gHJtAIoypP

— The Quireboys Spike Official (@SpikeQuireboys) April 26, 2023

In a new interview with SiriusXM host Tommy London on SiriusXM's Hair Nation, legendary rocker Alice Cooper spoke about his upcoming follow-up to 2021's "Detroit Stories" LP, saying: "The album that's gonna be coming out very soon [features] the touring band — [guitarist Ryan] Roxie and [drummer] Glen [Sobel] — you know, all the guys — [guitarist] Tommy [Henriksen] and [bassist] Chuck [Garric] and [guitarist] Nita [Strauss]. I said, 'I wanna show this band off.' So we did an album in the studio, and very, very, very few overdubs in it, because the band's so tight. And I wanted them to all do the writing with me. I said, 'Everybody, bring in songs, 'cause I want everything in-house.' And [Alice's longtime producer Bob] Ezrin produced it. I mean, it's a great guitar-driven rock and roll album. I'm very, very proud of this album. And it's coming… It'll be out this year."

Regarding a possible title for the new Cooper album, Alice said: "I think it's gonna be called 'Road'. Because this is the band that's on the road, and most of the songs are about the road.

"There's a lot of funny stuff on there," he revealed. "There's a couple of heartbreakers. I think when you hear the album, you get a feeling of what it's like to be on the road."

Cooper also once again confirmed that he is working on a second new album, but added that he "can't talk about" it right now. "I promised I wouldn't talk about it," he explained.

Alice previously spoke about his upcoming LP last month during an episode of his "Nights With Alice Cooper" radio show on Planet Rock. At the time he said: "There's another album coming out that's really gonna knock you out. Everybody really likes it, the people that have heard it so far. It's just a rocking rock and roll album."

Last year, Cooper spoke to Germany's Rolling Stone about how he ended up working on two new albums with Ezrin. "A lot of those were born during the plague," he said. "We couldn't go touring for 18 months, so what's a musician gonna do? Well, they're going to write songs. Everybody has a studio in their house. So we were writing songs and doing demos. And at the end of this whole thing, I got in touch with Bob and said, 'Here's 30 songs.' And we decided, 'Okay, let's do two albums.' But the two albums are definitely two different angles of coming in to Alice Cooper. One is very hard rock; the other one is hard rock but it's twisted. And that's all I can say about it right now, because there's a couple of really important things about both albums."

Back in January 2022, Cooper told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about his new music: "I'm working on two albums right now, actually — two studio albums. They're two entirely different kinds of albums, but they're Alice Cooper pure rock and roll albums. The two albums will really be hard rock albums."

At the time, the now-75-year-old singer expressed hope that the first of his new LPs would arrive later that year. "It's kind of like the old days when you're touring and putting out records at the same time," Alice explained. "It kind of takes me back to when you're doing 'Love It To Death' and then you tour for 'Love It To Death'. While you're doing 'Love It To Death', you're writing 'Killer'. When 'Love It To Death' is over, 'Killer' comes out and then you go support that. And while you're doing 'Killer', you're writing 'School's Out'. So we're kind of piggybacking everything. And I kind of like that. It keeps everything moving. I don't like those big chunks of time when there's nothing going on."

Released in February 2021, "Detroit Stories" was recorded with Ezrin, mostly in Royal Oak with Detroit musicians and featuring a mix of original material alongside covers of songs by Bob Seger, the MC5, Mitch Ryder's DETROIT and OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY.

In 2018, Cooper issued "A Paranormal Evening At The Olympia Paris", a recording of his December 7, 2017 concert at the world-renowned Olympia venue in France.

Alice also released two albums with HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, 2015's "Hollywood Vampires" and 2019's "Rise".

Impressively, Saskatoon, Canada’s Despite The Reverence has been together writing and performing for over 10 years now with the same lineup and as of this year, has produced five full-length albums. The most recent addition to their catalog is Stress Of Evolution, a 12 track, neck-breaking monster of an album that builds on all of their previous work. The latest video out is “War Machine”, five minutes of thundering drums, wild solos, and groovy riffs.


The band details:


““War Machine” is another heavy rocker and packs a lot of energy. The song comes in with a roar and pounding guitars, bass, and drums. The verses quiet down but only for a moment and really to give more emphasis to the rest of the song. By the time the bridge hits in the middle, the song is full steam ahead. A ripping solo followed by a halftime but heavy-beaten ending wraps the song up. The lyrics are powerful and strong and the outro has a ring to it with the feeling of royalty.”




Despite The Reverence wanted the album to be dynamic from heavy to melodic and accomplished that with a mixture of tempos, styles, and instrumentation. They cite that variety is the spice of life and they tried to bring everything under one roof creating unique and interesting compositions which flow together under a common concept.


When playing live, they are very professional and love putting on a big live show including lights, smoke, and stage backdrops. They write the set to flow together and generally do not take a lot of pauses or chit-chat. They figure the fans are there to hear the music so they keep the songs flowing as they play with high energy and intensity. They are recommended listening for fans of Pantera, Tool, and Black Sabbath.


Stress Of Evolution is available on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


"Cyborg"
"Khali Yuga"
"Surprise Kill Vanish"
"Primate Centurion"
"Killing Plebs"
"Fears Of Our Fathers"
"Stress Of Evolution"
"Human Obsolete"
"Thinning The Herd"
"War Machine"
"At My Door Knocks Death"
"Disco Death Tech"


"War Machine" video:





"Cyborg" video:





"Primate Centurion" video: