In a new interview with Waste Some Time With Jason Green, vocalist Marq Torien spoke about why the BULLETBOYS original lineup fell apart in December 2021 following a two-year reunion. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm just gonna be really honest. I have a lot of love and will always have love for them, but there's nothing really to say. I wish them the best in their musical endeavors. I hold no ill will toward anybody. I love them with all my heart. I just was talking with Lonnie [Vencent, bass] a couple of days ago; we chat all the time."

When host Jason Green asked Torien if he has spoken to the other two members of the original BULLETBOYS lineup, guitarist Mick Sweda and drummer Jimmy D'Anda, Marq said: "No. I was taken aback by some of the things that they both had to say [after the latest split].

"Listen, I will never bash anybody or speak disparagingly about people that I love or maybe something that didn't work out musically," Torien added. "But like I said, I wish them the best with everything they do and good luck in this crazy business. But we move forward, and we've gotta do what we've gotta do."

Marq went on to say that some of the past issues between the other members reappeared once they got together for the latest BULLETBOYS reunion.

"I had a great time playing with them," the singer clarified. "I love them. We had great shows. I loved it. I walked into the thing for the fans, to do something really special.

"There was a lot of turmoil before I even came back to the band that I didn't know about," Torien claimed. "So when I walked back into it, there was already this friction of the three of them that they hadn't even spoken in months before I even came back to it — for things that they had gone through in some other project they were playing in. But I didn't know about any of those things. I came in with an open heart, ready to work and ready to do some things. We tried to put together something to release for the fans musically, and that was very difficult. I don't know why… It just wasn't in the cards at the time.

"You'll never hear me bashing those guys. I love them; I love them dearly," Marq repeated. "And I don't feel it's right, being in the business so long. You don't come up and talk disparagingly about people that you love and that you work with. And I don't. I have nothing but love for those guys. And like I say — not to be redundant — but I wish them the best in the future and the best in their musical career."

Last December, Sweda toldMarko Syrjala of Metal Rules about the dissolution of the latest original BULLETBOYS reunion: "Well, anytime we get together — and we've tried to do reunion things over the years — we know there's a shelf life. We know that there's going to be a moment when everything either implodes or explodes, one or the other. And unfortunately, it happened sooner than we had all hoped. There are some pretty interesting personalities in the band. Very strong, for better or worse. So yeah, it was really unfortunate that it came to pass. I was really looking forward to going out and doing a lot of dates that summer, and we had a lot of things lined up. But it's such that some people don't want to deal with that sort of negativity."

Sweda went on to say that "there are some very deep foundational cracks" between the original members of BULLETBOYS and added: "I'm never going to do anything with BULLETBOYS again. It's just been so… I don't know what the right word is. I suppose that it's just tainted by all the different people that have been in it. It doesn't even make sense for me to even think about it… And it's unfortunate because there was some good money coming with BULLETBOYS if we had stayed together. There aren't many bands that are all original. And that was a big thing — the promoters like that. But unfortunately, it wasn't to be. So yeah. And it's funny, too, because every time that happens, and it's happened a few times where I've had to leave the band again, it's like, 'Thank you. Now, I can clear my head. I don't have to take the calls. I don't have to stay up at night. I can just do something else.'"

Sweda previously opened up about his most recent departure from BULLETBOYS in an interview with "This That & The Other With Troy Patrick Farrell" more than a year ago. Speaking about the personal differences that ultimately caused the reunited BULLETBOYS to fall apart, Mick said: "It's very difficult to explain. I know there's a lot of external noise, I know that there are voices whispering in everybody's ear, and once everybody gets away from that buzz [from playing together], it starts to set in. I'm not gonna speak for anybody else, but you start wondering what's happening. And then you hear something happened and somebody did this or somebody did that or said this, and it all just starts manifesting in this… I suppose it is insecurity, I suppose it is distrust. And for me, I have to be able to trust the guys in my band; I have to be able to know that somebody isn't gonna go behind someone else's back and say something or do something. And that just starts to dissipate, I suppose, with the time away. It's funny — when you get back together, all of that just sort of subsides into the background because there's a bigger goal in mind and a bigger picture; you want to achieve that and you don't wanna let everybody down. So it's easy to overlook that. But there comes a time where it just feels like it's toxic and poisonous, and nobody needs that in their life, especially at our age."

When Sweda first discussed his exit from BULLETBOYS during a January 3, 2022 Facebook Live stream, he said: "In the past, I know it's been brought up that anybody who isn't in BULLETBOYS has quit on the fans. And that may or may not be something you'll hear in interviews or whatever. And trust me, it has nothing to do with quitting on fans and everything to do with just not wanting to travel down a path that is fraught with strife and distrust and bitterness and everything else.

"It's really, at this point in our lives, imperative — at least for me; I'll speak for myself here — that I just remove all forms of toxicity," he explained. "And I'm sure all of you understand it just can't be a part of my life anymore. And the fact that we were all original and having some good shows and having a great time playing the shows — there's no doubt about that; I had a wonderful time and I was looking forward to doing it all of 2022 — but once it gets to a point where it's poisonous, you can't have it in your life…

"I'm grateful that everybody understands, and I apologize to you. I was really looking forward to this being a nice run, being a nice year and finding a way to make our way through it. But that is not to be."

The original BULLETBOYS lineup made its live return in December 2019 with a sold-out performance at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

Aside from one show in 2011, original BULLETBOYS members D'Anda, Sweda, Vencent and Torien had not performed together since 1993.

BULLETBOYS formed in 1988 at the very peak of the Los Angeles glam metal movement. As a collection of talented musicians, BULLETBOYS were able to quickly capture the attention of music fans around the world. Unlike other rockers of the day, the BULLETBOYS possessed more hard rock-blues fusion than pure hair metal. Thanks to comparisons to the likes of AEROSMITH and VAN HALEN, talent scouts came running and the band quickly received their first major label contract.

BULLETBOYS' self-titled debut was released in 1988 via Warner Bros. and peaked at number 34 on the Billboard 200. The album spawned two hit singles, a cover of the O'JAYS classic "For The Love Of Money" and "Smooth Up in Ya", both of which charted on the Mainstream Rock chart and saw regular airplay on MTV. BULLETBOYS went on to release two more albums, 1991's "Freakshow" and 1993's "Za-Za", before splitting up.

The new BULLETBOYS lineup, featuring Torien, guitarist Ira Black (OF GODS & MONSTERS, LIZZY BORDEN, METAL CHURCH),bassist Brad Lang (Y&T, BURNING RAIN) and drummer Fred Aching (POWERFLO, BILLYBIO),made its live in January 2022 at RokIsland Fest in Key West, Florida.

In a new interview with Wes Styles of Rock 96.7 (WIHN-FM),FOZZY frontman Chris Jericho was asked if there are any plans for his band to release new music as a follow-up to "Boombox", FOZZY's eighth studio offering, which came out last May. Chris responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We released 'Boombox' back, almost a year ago now. And it's kind of a bad thing about a record, is you put all this time and all this heart and soul into 12 songs. Three of 'em are singles; all of 'em went Top 10. Three more of them we play live; they all go over great. And six of them just kind of disappear into the FOZZY song graveyard. And that bothers me because there's great songs there. So I think what we're gonna do for a while is just release singles. I think that's the business model we wanna do, 'cause I don't want these great songs like 'Omen' or 'The Worst Is Yet To Come', 'Army Of One' — all of these great tunes that if you have 'Boombox', people go nuts for them, and they'll never be played.

"I think we're gonna release another single probably in a month or two — or probably a little bit longer, 'cause we're still kind of [putting] the finishing touches on it," Chris revealed. "But it's awesome. And we're excited to do that — release a song every few months rather than two years in between a record that comes and goes very quickly."

Last November, FOZZY completed a 10-date U.K. tour. It marked the band's first live appearances since FOZZY postponed the remaining dates of its summer/fall 2022 "Save The World" tour due to a throat injury suffered by Jericho, who is also a wrestling superstar. According to FOZZY, Jericho sustained a bruised larynx in August at the AEW "Quake By The Lake" event in Minnesota where he squared off against Jon Moxley for the interim AEW world championship.

The official music video for "I Still Burn" recently eclipsed two million views.

The 12-track "Boombox" also features the Top 10 singles "Nowhere To Run" and "Sane".

In January 2022, FOZZY parted ways with longtime drummer Frank Fontsere and replaced him with Grant Brooks (THROUGH FIRE).

Fontsere was a founding member of FOZZY, having formed the group in 1999 with Jericho and Ward.

When FOZZY announced Fontsere's departure, the band said that he was "stepping down to focus on his family and other projects."

FOZZY is Chris Jericho (vocals),Rich Ward (guitars, vocals),Grant Brooks (drums),Billy Grey (guitars) and P.J. Farley (bass).

Fan-filmed video of Marty Friedman's March 18 concert at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube channels Clyde Shenefield and Kosai).

The former MEGADETH guitarist has spent most of the last three weeks touring the U.S. as the support act for QUEENSRŸCHE.

Marty's tour with QUEENSRŸCHE will run through April 16, when it wraps up in St. Petersburg, Florida. Along the way, the trek will make stops in Anaheim, California (March 19); Chicago, Illinois (March 31),New York City (April 10) and Nashville, Tennessee (April 14),to name a few.

Marty's latest album, "Tokyo Jukebox 3", came out in April 2021 via The Players Club/Mascot Label Group. The record, which was made available in Japan in October 2020, is the third in a series that began with "Tokyo Jukebox" in 2009, and then "Tokyo Jukebox 2" following in 2011. The trilogy presents Friedman's inspired performances to Japanese repertoire he's chosen to cover.

Marty's presence in the world of music, the world of guitar and Japanese pop culture is mystifying, bizarre, and nothing short of inspiring. His first major impact in music was in the game-changing guitar duo CACOPHONY, which he founded with equally enigmatic and now-legendary guitarist Jason Becker. He then spent 10 years as lead guitarist in the genre-defining thrash metal act MEGADETH before moving to Tokyo due to his love for Japanese music, language, and culture.

Following his move, he landed a starring role for a new TV comedy "Hebimeta-san" ("Mr. Heavy Metal") and its spinoff, "Rock Fujiyama", which ran for six seasons and propelled him into the living rooms of Japan's mainstream. He has since appeared in over 800 TV shows, movies and commercials, including a two-year campaign with Coca-Cola for Fanta, authored two best-selling novels and was the first-ever foreigner to be appointed as an ambassador of Japan heritage and perform at the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Marathon in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022.

At the same time, Marty has continued his career in music with several solo albums in addition to writing and performing with the top artists in Japanese music, racking up countless chart hits, including a No. 1 with SMAP, two No. 2 songs with MOMOIRO CLOVER, a No. 2 with SOUND HORIZON — just to name a few.

TONIGHT!
Marty Friedman!
Saturday, March 18th!
#thewhiskyagogo #tonight #martyfriedman #whiskysaturdays #whiskymarch18th

Posted by Whisky A Go-Go on Saturday, March 18, 2023

MALEVOLENT CREATION's founding guitarist Philip Fasciana has confirmed to MetalBite in a new interview that he is working on material for the follow-up to the band's 2019 album "The 13th Beast". The next LP will be released on Back On Black Records in Europe and an as-yet-undetermined label in North and South America.

Fasciana said: "I am currently writing new songs for the next MALEVOLENT CREATION album alongside our vocalist/second guitarist Deron Miller (ex-CKY) drummer Ronnie Parmer and bassist. We are getting together here in Florida soon to record demos of the new material and rehearse a new 30-song setlist of songs from all our albums. Many songs have not been played live in a long time or ever, in some cases. We just have too many songs in the last 32 years."

Asked if fans can expect some surprises on MALEVOLENT CREATION's 14th album, Fasciana said: "Not too much. [I am] only trying to write some extremely heavy songs that will come across great when played live. Of course they are very fast with a few midtempo arrangements to keep the music interesting. I'm sure there will be some changes when we all get together to arrange the new material and lyrics that are being done by Deron Miller. I am really looking forward to recording this new material with Deron and Ronnie because they are both great musicians and understand the MALEVOLENT CREATION sound. We all just want to put together some great songs and have some fun. It will be a big relief to get all this new material sorted out."

Fasciana went on to say that he doesn't have any new songtitles or an album title to share yet. "A lot of things will change while arranging the new songs musically and lyrically," he explained. "They always do, so I don't want to announce any songtitles I have until we all have agreed the songs are completely finished and will no longer change. The album title will most likely be announced first so we can make sure all the song titles fit alongside the album title."

Fasciana announced Miller's addition to MALEVOLENT CREATION last October.

Best known as the former lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of rock band CKY, which he co-founded in 1998, Miller also fronts the progressive metal band FOREIGN OBJECTS, the melodic death metal group WORLD UNDER BLOOD and the rock band 96 BITTER BEINGS.

Three years ago, MALEVOLENT CREATION parted ways with drummer Phil Cancilla and vocalist/guitarist Lee Wollenschlaeger and replaced them with Ronnie Parmer and Ryan Taylor, respectively. It is not clear when Taylor exited MALEVOLENT CREATION.

"The 13th Beast" was released in January 2019 via Century Media. It was the band's sole disc to feature Cancilla and Wollenschlaeger.

Former MALEVOLENT CREATION frontman Bret Hoffmann died in July 2018 after a battle with stage 4 colon cancer. He was only 51 years old.

Bret performed on the first three MALEVOLENT CREATION releases until he left the band after 1993's "Stillborn" album. Five years later, he returned and performed on "The Fine Art Of Murder" and "Envenomed" before leaving again and being replaced by Kyle Symons. He rejoined MALEVOLENT again in 2006 and appeared on three more of the group's albums, 2007's "Doomsday X", 2010's "Invidious Dominion" and 2015's "Dead Man's Path". He exited the group once again in 2016 and was replaced by Wollenschlaeger.

POISON singer Bret Michaels is putting the finishing touches on his new inspirational book titled "Bet On Yourself: Don't Crash & Burn… Crash & Learn", tentatively set for a fall 2023 release. The book will serve as a motivational, inspirational and entrepreneurial guide where Bret will take readers on a journey, highlighting lessons, pulling from highs and lows of his own life in an effort to realize the unbroken fighting spirit in all of us.

Michaels rose to fame in the 1980s as the singer of POISON, which still tours periodically. He later became a reality TV personality in such shows as dating contest "Rock Of Love" and on "The Celebrity Apprentice". Most recently, Michaels was one of the contestants on Fox's smash hit "The Masked Singer".

This past January, Michaels told SFL Music about the secret to his success: "Here's the secret from me. I have a book. It's my first one, there's three volumes. The first one is simply called 'Bret Michaels Auto-Scrap-Ography'. Just so you know, I made the book pictures that you could match to the stories. There's nothing worse than a five-hundred-page autobiography, but there's not one photo of the friends you're talking about. I'm like no, no. I want every story to be short, to the point and show the people and time stamped photos that I lived. But the secret for me, as I've said in the book, is that it's bet on yourself. Find a way to have fun, but you've got to get it done. Never, ever let go of being hands-on. That's my opinion. Again, I want to make sure I state, in my opinion, you got to bet on yourself. Who's gonna believe in me if I don't believe in me? You'd better realize it's not gonna be easy and when someone said no, it just made me come back fighting harder to prove them wrong."

Released in 2020, "Auto-Scrap-Ography" provided a humorous, real and raw inside look at Michaels's journey through highs and lows, and how he overcame every adversity life has thrown in his way: from his extremely humble beginnings, growing up in a small Pennsylvania town and learning to rise up in the face of adversity, battling a life-threatening illness daily as a type one juvenile diabetic; to the massive success as a solo artist and with POISON; to rocketing to the top of the music world, reality TV, and entrepreneurial branding; to the causes closest to his heart: his charitable and philanthropic efforts around the world; and continuing through present day, as Michaels was revealed as the fan favorite Banana on "The Masked Singer".

Bret, who toured with POISON as part of "The Stadium Tour" last summer, will hit the road in July for a limited run of live dates for his 2023 "Parti-Gras" tour. Michaels has created this tour with a Mardi Gras feel in celebration of his great fans and hit music. The renowned rockstar will bring a few of his rocker friends along for a mashup of all-killer, no-filler hits featuring special guests NIGHT RANGER and JEFFERSON STARSHIP with special appearances from Steve Augeri (former lead singer of JOURNEY) and Mark McGrath (SUGAR RAY),plus a nightly surprise guest to rock your world.

Presented by Live Nation, the 12-city limited date run kicks off on Thursday, July 13 at the one and only Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan; known for its epic concerts and parties, going on to make stops across the U.S. including at The Pavilion at Star Lake, in his birthplace of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania),Holmdel (New Jersey),Tinley Park (Illinois),Tampa (Florida),and more before wrapping up in Charlotte (North Carolina) at PNC Music Pavilion on August 6. The tour promises to be a modern-day throwback to epic tailgate parties, positive energy, and a much needed nothing but a good vibe.

DEF LEPPARD's Rick Allen has thanked fans for their "overwhelming support", less than a week after he was assaulted in South Florida.

The 59-year-old drummer and his bandmates were in Florida to perform a co-headlining show with MÖTLEY CRÜE at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel And Casino last weekend and he had gone outside the Four Seasons hotel in Fort Lauderdale on Monday (March 13) to smoke a cigarette when he was violently attacked by a 19-year-old from Ohio.

Police say the suspect, who was initially hiding behind a pole, ran toward Allen at full speed, striking him and knocking him backward and slamming his head on the ground and "causing injury."

The suspect, who is facing a charge of abuse to an elderly or disabled adult without great harm, was arrested Monday and has since bonded out of jail, records show.

Earlier today (Sunday, March 19),Allen took to his social media to write: "Thank you everyone for your overwhelming support. Your love and prayers are truly helping. My wife Lauren was thankfully not with me at the time of the incident. We are together now, and working on recovering in a safe space.

"We are focusing on healing for everyone involved. We ask you to join us in our effort to move from confusion and shock to compassion and empathy. We understand this act of violence can be triggering for so many people.

"To all of the fans, veterans, and first responders in our global community we are thinking of you all. Together with love, we can all get through these difficult times.

"Rick Allen & Lauren Monroe".

A few days ago, Fort Lauderdale police released 911 calls that led to the arrest of a man in connection with the Allen assault.

In the first 911 call released by Fort Lauderdale police, a woman working security for the Four Seasons called around three minutes after the alleged attack.

"Apparently a guest, some guy assaulted her and was actually beating her up in front of the front of our building," the woman told 911, adding that the female victim was in the lobby of the hotel but the suspect had fled. She didn't mention Allen.

Another caller who said the suspect was trying to break into his restaurant — the Wine Garden, which is near the Four Seasons — told 911, "Send the police here right now!…I'm sitting on a fucking suspect."

Another man on the same call explained, "I was sitting out front. This guy, I caught him throwing chairs inside our establishment and then he ran."

He said the suspect was trying to break the restaurant's window, and they chased him and caught him.

A third caller from the nearby Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach Hilton said: "I have an individual who has been running around breaking windows and has beat up a couple of guests at the Four Seasons, as well." He added the suspect was allegedly "very highly intoxicated."

The police report, which was obtained by TMZ, says a woman came out of the hotel to try to help Allen, but the suspect also knocked her to the ground.

The report said: "While she is on the ground, the defendant continues to batter her by striking her. [She] attempts to escape by running into the hotel. The defendant then grabs [her] by her hair and drags her out of the lobby and back onto the sidewalk before fleeing the area."

The suspect declined to comment when approached by Miami's 7 News WSVN and was asked, 'Are you a DEF LEPPARD fan?"

Allen, who lost his left arm in a car accident back in 1984, provided a sworn statement to police and told them that he wanted the suspect to be prosecuted.

Thank you everyone for your overwhelming support. Your love and prayers are truly helping. My wife Lauren was thankfully...

Posted by Rick Allen on Sunday, March 19, 2023

Fan-filmed video of SLIPKNOT's March 19 performance at the Hammersonic festival in Jakarta, Indonesia can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube channel Bahomar).

Last month, SLIPKNOT shared "Bone Church", a surprise standalone single, along with a M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan-directed video piece titled "Yen – Director's Cut (Bone Church)", which found the SLIPKNOT founding member refreshing footage from the band's "Yen" music video.

Having recently wrapped the third leg of its enormously popular sold-out "Knotfest Roadshow" tour, SLIPKNOT has just embarked on a run of headlining global festival dates, which will include their own Knotfest Australia, Japan and Italy festivals.

SLIPKNOT is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "The End, So Far", which was released last September via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to "We Are Not Your Kind", it is the band's final record with Roadrunner after first signing with the rock and metal label in 1998.

Six months ago, SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor once again shot down the rumor that the band would break up after the release of "The End, So Far".

Ever since SLIPKNOT announced the title of its new LP in July, speculation had been rife that the name is a reference to the fact that the LP will mark the end of the band's recording career.

Taylor, who turned 49 in December, addressed the rumor during an appearance on an episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said: "People have been talking about the end of SLIPKNOT since 2003, so it doesn't really matter. If I had a nickel for every time I've had to straighten fans out, I'd have a shit-ton of nickels, let's put it that way.

"Nothing sells albums like drama, let's put it that way, and even drama that doesn't even come from us; it just comes from the fans," he continued. "But at the same time, I kind of started saying onstage… explaining what the title is. It's the fact that it's… It's the end so far, which just means it's the end of one era and the start of the next.

"If you look at all of our favorite bands — [IRON] MAIDEN, METALLICA, [BLACK] SABBATH; you can even talk about JUDAS PRIEST; all these bands that we grew up on, loving; and our friends in ANTHRAX as well — every one of those bands has had different eras in their career; it's never been a straight line," Taylor explained. "There's no through line except for the members. And every era comes to a natural end and then it's the next one. So that's what the title reflects."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk if he believes that each era in a band's trajectory usually corresponds to a major lineup change, Corey responded: "I do, but at the same time, you can still have the end of one era and the beginning of another with the same bandmembers. So, to me, it can be a reflection of the fact that you have different members or you're just moving in a different direction. For me, it's more about just letting the fans know that we will be back and to remind them that you just never know what you're gonna get with us."

Taylor continued: "I mean, every album has always felt different; it's always sounded different. And to me, I feel like this era is more about us dealing with the grief that we've had to deal with and now kind of getting to the point where we can now move on comfortably into the future, and it's not about that. It's a part of our history now; it's not our narrative. And now we can kind of move on and kind of see what the future holds for SLIPKNOT, musically where we can go now. Because of the way we've done things, we've set it up so we can go in any direction we want, and as long as it comes from the heart, it doesn't matter. So that's kind of the era, I think, that's being set up now. The next era will definitely be more of like a 'gloves off, let's just see what happens and go for it.'"

The IFM RAW YouTube channel has uploaded video of STATIC-X's entire March 15 concert at Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida as part of the band's "Rise Of The Machine" tour with FEAR FACTORY.

STATIC-X's setlist for the Orlando concert was as follows:

01. Permanence
02. This Is Not
03. Structural Defect
04. Black And White
05. Love Dump
06. Wisconsin Death Trip
07. Fix
08. Bled For Days
09. Sweat Of The Bud
10. Terminator Oscillator
11. Just In Case
12. Destroy All
13. Dirthouse
14. Get To The Gone
15. Cannibal
16. Terrible Lie (NINE INCH NAILS cover)
17. Cold
18. I'm With Stupid
19. Push It

STATIC-X kicked off the "Rise Of The Machine" U.S. tour on February 25 at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California.

STATIC-X recently partnered with master costume/prop maker Eddie Yang and his Deity Creative to evolve the look for guitarist/vocalist Xer0. Yang is a movie industry veteran known for his work with "Avatar", "Iron Man", "Man Of Steel", "The Amazing Spider-Man", "Robocop" and "Terminator: Salvation", to name just a few. Eddie got his start working with Academy Award winners Rick Baker and Stan Winston before branching out on his own in 2006 with Deity Creative. The updated Xer0 look — including the new mask and wardrobe — was the result of a collaboration between DOPE frontman and creative director Edsel Dope — who is widely believed to be Xer0 — and Ed McDonough from ECCO Studios and Eddie Yang. The idea for the new mask and overall image update was born out of a desire from STATIC-X to evolve Xer0's look to match the theme of the "Rise Of The Machine" tour. Xer0 unveiled his new look at the San Francisco show.

Says Yang: "I have always been a metal fan and have listened to STATIC-X since their first release 'Wisconsin Death Trip'. I am honored to contribute to Wayne's [Static, late STATIC-X frontman] legacy and to work with the band on their incredible vision for evolving STATIC-X and Xer0 into something that is truly unique. This project finally combined my passion for character design and metal music into one big check-off the bucket list."

"Eddie is a genius" says Xer0. "We wanted to evolve the Xer0 character into a more cybernetic/robotic figure for the 'Rise Of The Machine' tour and Eddie absolutely fucking killed it!!!!!!!

"Eddie took the mask to a level that we never imagined possible, and we are so stoked with the result," adds bassist Tony Campos.

STATIC-X's eighth studio album, "Project Regeneration: Vol. 2", is scheduled for release on November 3. The LP is a collection of 13 brand-new songs that contain the final vocal performances and musical compositions of founding vocalist Wayne Static, along with the original "Wisconsin Death Trip" lineup featuring Campos, Fukuda and Jay. The new album was produced by Xer0 and mixed/mastered by longtime collaborator Ulrich Wild.

All of the music associated with "Project Regeneration: Vol. 2" is the result of collaborations between the four founding members along with their new vocalist/guitarist/producer Xer0. No additional guests appear on the album and there were no outside contributions to the songwriting, musical compositions, or the performances on "Project Regeneration: Vol. 2". Between the two releases, STATIC-X fans around the globe have been treated to over two dozen brand new songs — most of which feature Static on lead vocals — and all released after his untimely passing.

STATIC-X — featuring the lineup of Campos, drummer Ken Jay, guitarist Koichi Fukuda and Xer0 — will hit the road in 2023, headlining the "Rise Of The Machine" tour with FEAR FACTORY alongside DOPE, MUSHROOMHEAD and TWIZTID. The 42-date trek kicks off February 25 in San Francisco, California and wraps up April 15, in Los Angeles, California. Dates have been selling out across the country, with select markets upgrading to larger venues to meet the demand for the tour. STATIC-X also recently revealed plans for a tour of Australia and an appearance at the Blue Ridge Rock Fest this year.

Static died after mixing Xanax and other powerful prescription drugs with alcohol, according to the coroner's report. The 48-year-old, whose real name was Wayne Richard Wells, was found dead in his Landers, California home on November 1, 2014.

Static founded STATIC-X in 1994 and achieved commercial success with "Wisconsin Death Trip", which included the rock radio hit "Push It".

The group issued five more studio albums before disbanding permanently in June 2013. Static had been pursuing a solo career at the time of his death.

Dope recently told Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio that the reason Xer0's identity has not been officially revealed is that he wants to make sure that STATIC-X is "properly represented, because I would never be interested in looking at a photo of STATIC-X or reading a liner note that mentions me as being the singer of STATIC-X. Edsel Dope has no interest in being the singer of STATIC-X," he clarified. "There's one living, breathing singer of STATIC-X, and that's Wayne Static. And then there's a character, an entity, for lack of better words, that was created in order to allow STATIC-X to have a future and to continue and be the legacy act that they are and tour and perform, and we gave that character a name that is respective to STATIC-X and fits the branding of what STATIC-X is, and that's what the importance is. It's the importance of recognizing the character as opposed to recognizing the person behind the character."

Back in October 2019, a photo was posted online clearly showing that Dope and Xer0 shared the same neck tattoo. However, Edsel later posted a lengthy statement on his band's Facebook page attempting to quash the rumors, implying Xer0's distinctive body ink was in fact a Photoshop job. Dope even provided a photograph of himself supposedly observing a STATIC-X performance sidestage to prove he and Xer0 were not the same person.

The IFM RAW YouTube channel has uploaded video of FEAR FACTORY's March 15 concert at Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida. It marked FEAR FACTORY's 13th show with new singer Milo Silvestro and touring drummer Pete Webber as part of the "Rise Of The Machine" tour as the support act for STATIC-X.

The Italian-born Silvestro recently joined FEAR FACTORY as the replacement for the band's original singer Burton C. Bell.

Webber is filling in for FEAR FACTORY's longtime drummer Mike Heller who is unable to make the trek due to "scheduling conflicts."

FEAR FACTORY's setlist for the Orlando concert was as follows:

01. Shock
02. Edgecrusher
03. Disruptor
04. Dielectric
05. Powershifter
06. What Will Become?
07. Archetype
08. Demanufacture
09. Zero Signal
10. Replica

The 42-date North American trek also features DOPE as well as select dates with MUSHROOMHEAD and TWIZTID.

In a recent interview with Revolver, conducted prior to the start of the tour, Silvestro was asked if he was feeling nervous about taking the stage as the singer of FEAR FACTORY. He responded: "Yes, a little bit, but I always thought that being nervous is part of the game. My dad always told me, the moment that you're not scared of going onstage, you better quit music. I think it's supposed to be a really emotional thing, an emotional [moment in] your life. Also, the fact that it's my very first tour experience, my very first FEAR FACTORY experience, my first huge [musical] experience in general, of course that makes me a little bit nervous. But the good thing is that Dino [Cazares, FEAR FACTORY guitarist] and also the fans, fortunately enough, are making me really comfortable. I want to say thanks to them because they've been amazing. You're always scared about the hating, the negative comments and stuff, which I started seeing because my name had been leaking even before [I got the job] because of the [vocal] covers [I put on YouTube]. People were like, 'Oh, this guy is really good, so maybe it could be him.' Some haters started popping up: 'Oh, he's fucking garbage.' At first I was a little bit scared — and of course Dino had been preparing me for a long time. 'Be prepared. Either in a good or bad way, it's going to be a shitstorm.' But fortunately enough, [when] the announcement came out, [the reaction] was 99.9 percent positive. The negative comments were mostly about [how] this band without [the] previous singer is not FEAR FACTORY anymore. They just need to change the name, blah, blah, blah. Maybe one or two guys were like, 'I don't like him. He sucks.' But nothing that big to fuck with my brain or make me insecure. I was really happy to see literally thousands of people — either friends of mine, people that I know from Italy and totally unknown FEAR FACTORY fans — going, 'Welcome to the family, dude.' It was a really amazing love showering. I'm so thankful and so humbled for that."

Asked how he planned to win those skeptical fans over, Milo said: "I get that certain people are skeptical, because as a fan of music, as a metalhead and a fan of music in general, I know that metal fans are so dedicated, so crazy about their music, which is a good thing. It's almost like a religion. When your favorite band changes singers or a guitar player or whatever, you can feel a little bit sad about it. It can be hard to move on. I had favorite bands of mine that changed either singers or drummers. Maybe I was so affectionate to the style of that musician, and then I had a hard time moving on. But then once I found myself in this position of being the actual guy that is replacing the previous one, now I realize even more that, yeah, sometimes it can be tough for a fan. But it's just something that you either get over, or you don't care about the band anymore.

"What I want to say to [the doubters] is, I know you're skeptical, and it's totally understandable because the FEAR FACTORY vocal legacy is so iconic. The vocals were so identifiable and iconic and it's like replacing James Hetfield in METALLICA. What I want to say is that it's okay to be skeptical, but we are making sure that we're going to do this right. ... I've been working hard these past three years on the vocal style to make sure even the small nuances [are accounted for], how [Bell] pronounced certain things, how he goes from that note to that other note, how he pronounced certain screamed words. Also, from a vocal effects standpoint, we're making sure that everything sounds exactly like the record. I brought a bunch of effects, which I'm a bit of a freak about because I also run a studio. I like to tweak some shit, so I brought them a bunch of shit. Dino, at first, was like, 'What the fuck is this?,' but then he was like, 'Okay.' I was like, 'What if we recreate some of the vocal effects on the record, the beautiful delays which are parts of the vocal legacy?' Songs like 'Self Bias Resistor', the beautiful chorus has got a lot of deeper delay. That's part of the vocal sound. That's also what makes FEAR FACTORY's trademark sound."

Earlier in the month, Cazares told "The Jasta Show" about the band's vocalist search: "A lot of females stepped up. And there was definitely some females in the top five that I almost chose. But it did take a long process for me to find somebody. I was touring with SOULFLY [as a session guitarist] around late 2021 up till recently. And in that process I was looking for singers, and I was very meticulous, because I know how important it is for FEAR FACTORY fans that I pick the right guy. And I believe, and I know that I got the right dude. So I'm very happy [about] that."

Cazares went on to say that he "definitely" considered "guys [who] were in other bands" but that he thought "there would be a lot of scheduling conflicts, if the guy is in another band, and then we wouldn't be able to tour as much. What it somebody wanted us to do something like the Milwaukee Metal Fest, I wouldn't be able to do it because the singer has another gig somewhere else," Cazares explained. "So I wanted a guy who was fresh off the boat, new-school guy. I like discovering new talent. There's a lot of talented people out there, and they just never get the shot. So I wanted to give kind of an unknown guy a shot, or an unknown person a shot."

Dino previously told RichardMetalFan that he wasn't "afraid" of replacing someone like Bell. "I've been there before," he said. "I'm ready to move on forward. I look forward to it. I think it's gonna be fucking ripping. It's gonna be killer. I'm gonna put out some more heavy shit. So I don't think anybody needs to worry. The vocalist I got is amazing. He's younger; he's in his mid-30s. He's at his vocal peak, I think. He's there and ready to go."

In September 2020, Bell issued a statement officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY, saying that he "cannot align" himself with someone whom he does not trust or respect.

FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Aggression Continuum", was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Cazares and Bell alongside Heller.

NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen and SABATON drummer Hannes Van Dahl are expecting their second child.

Jansen and Van Dahl already have a six-year-old daughter named Freja, who was born on March 15, 2017.

The Dutch-born vocalist revealed the news in a social media post earlier today (Monday, March 20). She shared a photo of her with Hannes and Freja, with Freja holding a sonogram photo of the upcoming baby, and she wrote: "Life is good! We will go from being with three to four! Freja will become a big sister! We are very happy to share this special news with you!!!"

Among the fellow musicians commenting on Floor's news were her NIGHTWISH bandmates, who wrote: "Congratulations. So happy for you!!"

Shortly before Freja was born, Hannes was asked by Spain's Metal Journal whether his family situation would have an impact on his ability to tour with SABATON. Hannes said: "Well, you know, as far as I'm concerned, nothing will really change, 'cause this is what I do, an this is… this is what I do to make a living. People have had kids before in this business. So, to stop any worries — 'cause I know a lot of people are worried [about me] quitting the band — I will stay in the band. And as far as I can say, when it's time, I need to go and be there with my family. But when I've done that, I'm going back to touring. So I won't leave. I will be there."

Jansen herself had spoken about the challenges of raising a child while being in a touring band like NIGHTWISH. She told Finland's Radio Rock in 2016: "Of course, it's a very challenging combination, and I was very happy that the way [NIGHTWISH is] today — or, actually, have always been — it's a very open group; we can talk about things. And the guys, actually, were curious. A few months ago, we started talking about it, like, 'So, 2017… How about kids? Yeah?' So it's great to think about things together: how can we combine it? Also 'cause my partner is in a successful band, touring a lot. Yeah, then you need the cooperation of the people that you are family with also. So I am not afraid that won't work. It will be a challenge, for sure, but, yeah, a little SABATON or NIGHTWISH daycare program sounds lovely, doesn't it? [Laughs]"

Jansen also dismissed rumors that she would leave the band after welcoming her first child. She told Mariskal Rock TV: "No, I won't [quit NIGHTWISH]. I love this way too much; don't worry. You don't even have negative speculations one way or another. Things are great, and let's keep on doing this forever."

Floor's debut solo album "Paragon", will arrive on March 24.

Following the release, Jansen will embark on a tour of The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria in April and May of 2023.

As part of NIGHTWISH, Jansen has landed two number one albums in Finland, and Top Five albums in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

Born in the Netherlands, Jansen joined her first band, one of the world's first symphonic metal bands, AFTER FOREVER, when she was only 16 years old. The group went on to release five albums from 2000 to 2007, before they broke up in 2009.

Jansen's next band, REVAMP, released two albums in 2010 and 2013, before she joined NIGHTWISH as a full-time member. NIGHTWISH's first album with Jansen as the lead singer was 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", which landed in Top 10s around the world. This was followed by 2020's "Human. :II: Nature." , which was also an international success.

Jansen has toured extensively with the band and appeared on three of NIGHTWISH's live albums "Showtime, Storytime", "Vehicle Of Spirit" and "Decades: Live In Buenos Aires".

In 2019, Jansen participated in the popular Dutch TV show "Beste Zangers" where she scored a big hit with "Phantom Of The Opera" together with Henk Poort. She was recognized with a Dutch Popprijs award — a prestigious accolade for artists that has made important contributions to Dutch music. In the same year, her first solo tour sold out in less than 24 hours.

Jansen performed live with NIGHTWISH for the first time on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon. Jansen officially joined NIGHTWISH in 2013.

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Veteran California rockers TESLA kicked off their five-night Las Vegas residency last night (March 17) at the House Of Blues. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below (courtesy of Tom deBlonk and RocknForever1 YouTube channels).

Remaining TESLA Las Vegas residency dates:

March 18 - Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues
March 22 - Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues
March 24 - Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues
March 25 - Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues

Earlier this month, TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon spoke to Christian Bladt of "The Bladtcast" about the band's upcoming live album, "Full Throttle Live!". Due this summer, the LP will include the band's latest single, "Time To Rock!", plus other songs, all recorded last August at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota. He said: "The live album is just about 99 percent done. The artwork, all of it, is created. We're just putting the finishing touches on it now, and then we'll put it out as soon as the computer distribution, all of that stuff, can be lined up.

"It's gonna be mostly rocking tracks. And it's gonna have our new songs 'Cold Blue Steel' on it, and 'Time To Rock!', our latest rocking song. And all the other songs on it are the more deeper tracks. There's no 'Signs' or 'Love Song' on it. It's got heavy songs on it, like 'Miles Away' and 'Breakin' Free', and stuff that we've never released live versions of until now."

Last month, Hannon told Ernest Skinner of Border City Rock Talk that "Full Throttle Live!" will also include a cover of AEROSMITH's "S.O.S. (Too Bad)" as a "bonus track."

Back in July 2022, TESLA vocalist Jeff Keith told "The Chuck Shute Podcast" about "Time To Rock!": "Like with all TESLA songs, we like to have that raw, live feel, and this song has totally just got that raw and live feel."

Regarding the lyrical inspiration for "Time To Rock!", Jeff said: "It's that kind of song that just, you know, everything you might have going on when you go to a concert, you wanna just kind of let your hair down and this song is exactly about that. Just not let things go, but just drop 'em down and still hold 'em in your hands tight, but just let things go and let your hair down for four and a half minutes. Time to rock!"

Keith previously discussed "Time To Rock!" that same month in an interview with the "Metal From The Inside" podcast. Regarding the band's decision to debut the track during a live performance in early June 2022 — weeks before the song's official release — he said: "We wanted to play it live for our hometown crowd. We played Thunder Valley [Casino], which is right down the street from our houses in Sacramento; it's actually in Lincoln, California. But we wanted to play it for our hometown crowd first. So we thought we'd play it for our hometown crowd, and we're having so much fun with it, we're playing it for every crowd — some new material — and we're excited about that."

As for whether TESLA fans can eventually expect to see a new full-length album from the group, Jeff said: "Right now, the way things work — the guys were explaining to me — 'cause usually that's all you did was made a record, since I've been in the band. And they go, now, with social media or whatever you call it — Spotify, whatever the names are; I don't go on the Internet, but it's a wonderful tool to have these iPhones and you can release a single without making a [full] record. So so far we've just put out some singles. But probably in the next year — no more than two years — we're gonna go and say, 'Let's make a whole record again.' But right now, it's very convenient because you can just download a single. And the guys were explaining to me, they go, 'Jeff, it's just like back when THE BEATLES, and before that when people would put out a single on a 45 record. Like Hank Williams, he'd do something live and just put it out as a single. Back in the day, they used to just put out singles, and then, of course, they would records too. So we're kind of in that mode. And now, instead of it being on a 45 record, it's on a digital form that you can have people download. I don't know — it's the best I can understand it."

In September 2021, TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA's gigs by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

Florida death metal pioneers MORBID ANGEL kicked off their 2023 U.S. tour this past Wednesday night (March 15) at Vinyl Music Hall in Pensacola, Florida. Fan-filmed video of their concert can be seen below.

MORBID ANGEL's 2023 tour marks the band's first with drummer Charlie Koryn, who has previously played with ASCENDED DEAD, INCANTATION, FUNEBRARUM and SKELETAL REMAINS. The trek, featuring support from REVOCATION, will run through April 22 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

When Koryn's addition to MORBID ANGEL's touring lineup was first announced a few days ago, the band said: "This week the tour starts! Steve [Tucker, bass/vocals], Trey [Azagthoth, guitar], and Dan [Vadim Von, guitar] are excited to get back out there and pummel every audience, and helping us do so on this run behind the kit will be Charlie Koryn. SEE YOU IN THE PIT!"

The San Diego-born Koryn is a studio engineer and lifelong musician who currently work and resides in Portland, Oregon. While primarily known for his work within the realm of extreme music, his passion for performing and recording music has never been isolated to one genre and he prides himself in my strong work ethic and willingness to tackle any project he undertakes.

In a post on his official web site, Charlie says: "My knowledge and experience of the music industry is evidenced by my extensive background both in the studio and on the road. Whether it be tracking the performance that you've been seeking or putting the finishing touches on your final mix, I am confident that we can work together to adequately capture your vision."

In April 2018, Silver Lining Music released a special two-disc digipack edition of MORBID ANGEL's latest album, "Kingdoms Disdained", featuring seven instrumental demo tracks previously only available as part of the deluxe box set.

"Kingdoms Disdained" was released in December 2017 via Silver Lining Music in the U.S. and JVC in Japan. The disc, which reunites founding guitarist Azagthoth with Tucker, was recorded at Mana Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida and produced by MORBID ANGEL with Erik Rutan (CANNIBAL CORPSE, HATE ETERNAL, SIX FEET UNDER, BELPHEGOR).

Joining Azagthoth and Tucker during the recording sessions for "Kingdoms Disdained" was drummer Scotty Fuller (ANNIHILATED; formerly of ABYSMAL DAWN)

MORBID ANGEL in January 2017 announced the addition of Vadim Von (guitarist/frontman of the American death metal band VADIMVON) to the band's lineup on second guitar. He joined the group as the replacement for Norwegian guitarist Destructhor (a.k.a. Thor Anders Myhren),who left the band eight years ago.

Azagthoth made headlines in 2020 after he was arrested on a misdemeanor DUI charge near his home in Florida. Several months later, he pleaded no contest to reckless driving as a reduced charge from DUI. He was also ordered to complete "DUI School", pay a small fine and perform 50 hours of community service.

NICKELBACK performed the song "Those Days" on today's (Friday, March 17) edition of ABC's "Good Morning America". Video of the band's appearance can be seen below.

NICKELBACK recently announced the 2023 "Get Rollin'" tour, in support of their most recent 10th studio album, "Get Rollin'". Produced by Live Nation, the massive run will hit 38 cities this summer, kicking off on Monday, June 12 in Quebec City, Quebec at Videotron Centre, with stops across North America in Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Nashville and more before wrapping up on Wednesday, August 30 in Belmont Park, New York at UBS Arena. Renowned country rocker Brantley Gilbert joins the band on all non-festival dates along with rising country artist Josh Ross.

NICKELBACK's first album in five years, "Get Rollin'" was released November 18, 2022, via BMG and debuted at No. 2 across the Current Rock, Alternative, Hard Music and Digital Album charts. The record also landed on the ARIA Album Chart at No. 3 and in the Top 10 in the U.K., Canada, Germany, Australia and Austria. Additionally, "Get Rollin'" debuted at No. 1 in Switzerland, a career first for the band. The

With the new record, NICKELBACK continues their incomparable legacy as "one of rock's biggest-ever bands," as noted by Kerrang!, and furthering their legacy, they were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame at the Juno Awards on March 13.

NICKELBACK's history dates back to 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, where they got their start playing covers in a band called VILLAGE IDIOT, a nod to the small-town nature where they played and grew up. In 1996, Chad, alongside Ryan Peake, made the 10-hour trek west to follow Mike to Vancouver, British Columbia, where the band still resides and continues to make music today.

The band's numerous smash hits, coupled with worldwide sales of over 50 million albums sold, seals their status as one of the top-selling acts of all time and the second best-selling foreign act of the 2000s in the U.S., behind only THE BEATLES. The wildly popular smash hit "How You Remind Me" was named Billboard's "Top Rock Song Of The Decade", which was a contributing factor in the publication's decision to crown NICKELBACK "Top Rock Group Of The Decade" shortly after.

Beyond their Juno Awards, the group has received nine Grammy Award nominations, three American Music Awards, a World Music Award, a People's Choice Award and seven MuchMusic Video Awards. They were inducted into Canada's Walk Of Fame in 2007.
Was an early morning but always nice to be at @GMA and see @michaelstrahan!

📸: ABC/Paula Lobo pic.twitter.com/vwqHcxsgtr

— Nickelback (@Nickelback) March 17, 2023

During a recent episode of "Piers Morgan Uncensored", KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons and former talk show host and politician Jerry Springer took part in a debate over whether Joe Biden is too old to run again for U.S. president.

Biden, now 80, became the oldest living president the day he was sworn into office. He would be 82 at the start of a second term, and 86 at its end.

Asked by host Piers Morgan if Biden should be able to run again for president at his age, Simmons said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, I don't think so. And that doesn't mean that I agree or don't agree with the politics. Politics aside, there should be a test to find out if somebody has their wits about them, number one. You're talking about the most powerful person on Earth. And also to find out whether or not somebody is absolutely nuts. There should be a qualification, a medical qualification and psychological qualification that somebody in charge isn't just going to go nuts and go like that or fall down the stairs when they try to go up on Air Force One."

Gene also suggested that the public no longer votes for the best candidate, picking personality over policies and therefore believes Biden's age might put people off.

"Look, let's call it for what it is," Simmons said. "I'm on both sides of the fence about all sorts of political issues, so you can't call me a rabid Democrat or conservative or liberal or any of that. I'm everybody's worst enemy 'cause I simply vote on the issues. But let's call it the way it is. The masses, I don't believe for a second, vote on political platform. They wouldn't be able to explain to you anything. It is invariably and intrinsically, and other big words like gymnasium, the cult of personality. When people saw Nixon with his five o'clock shadow before any of you were born — it was a TV debate between Kennedy and Nixon — and he had the five o'clock shadow. Nobody remembers what they stood for or who was a Democrat; they just didn't like that guy who looked like Uncle Joe who's drinking a little too much. So when people watch [former U.S. president Donald] Trump, who we both know, they have their perception, and when people watch Mr. Biden, and we've all seen him on TV and stuff, unfortunately, sometimes turning around to shake hands with people who aren't there or mumbling words. That doesn't mean I agree or don't agree with the politics. People will judge this following political battle based on personality. I have not met regular people who've been able to explain to me what the different political platforms are. So I believe Mr. Biden is in deep trouble [if he runs again]."

Gene added: "I just wanna say one one last thing very quickly. If I was on the other side, Mr. Trump's side — and I may not be, actually; I have lots of problems with him — somebody is gonna put together a greatest hits of Mr. Biden falling off bicycles, falling on the stairs, and not even talk about politics — not even talk about politics. And that person will win."

According to NPR, a recent Associated Press poll found that, despite Biden's lengthy list of legislative accomplishments and his party's historically strong showing in last year's midterms, just 37% of Democrats want the incumbent Democrat to run for reelection, with many voters saying Biden's age is a factor.

Biden, who works out five days a week, is fit and healthy, according to his recently completed annual physical. Dr. Kevin O'Connor said in his summary of the exam that "the president remains fit for duty, and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations."

Gene previously discussed his views on Trump, on whose "The Celebrity Apprentice" show he was once a contestant, during a November 2022 appearance on Bill Maher's "Club Random" podcast.

"For the record, when [Trump] first ran in 2016 and got elected, I was happy," Gene said. "I knew the guy from before then, seeing him in clubs and stuff like that. And for the record, he had Bill and Hillary [Clinton] at his wedding and Howard Stern went to his wedding. He's not a politician. But my point, I wanna say for the record, and people will tell you who know me, 'Oh, yeah, Gene was happy that Trump won.' I was. I didn't want Hillary [to be president]. I thought, 'Oh, a businessman is coming in. He understands how to run things.'"

When Maher pointed out that Trump doesn't understand how government works and doesn't care to learn, Gene said: "I agree. The person that I saw first coming into power is not the person I saw within a year or two of that… But I changed, the way lots of people changed."

Gene went on to question Biden's fitness for the job at age 80.

"I thought Biden was gonna come in and be a major force," Simmons said. "I've got some big reservations about the man — not about his ethics and morality, but just about his physical ability to do all that."

After Bill expressed his surprise at Gene's "ageism," which refers to stereotypes, prejudice and/or discriminatory actions or practices against older persons that are based on their chronological age or on a perception that the person is "old," Simmons fired back with: "I am an ageist. I am an ageist, depending on the vibrancy and the mental alertness of what you've got. There's a certain age you can't look at a person and not say, 'Okay, you're X number of years old. Now, how sharp are you?' You're talking about the most powerful person on the planet… I'm not talking about policy. Communication skills are flat. There is such a thing as the cult of personality. And I like the man, but the ability to communicate a message is nil."

When Maher countered that Simmons is implying that words are more important than the deeds, Gene said: "Initially, yes. Because the first impression you have of a female walking up to you before you talk with her is the impression. And then you find out where and who and what she [is like]. As a male, you understand that. And the first impression I have of somebody coming on screen is the Nixon-Kennedy debate. [People] weren't listening to what the debate was all about. Nobody understands political platforms. All they saw was the five o'clock shadow of Nixon and the little beads of sweat. That's all they remember. And Kennedy was a good-looking guy who was able to put a sentence together. Do people remember what the political differences were? Not in the least."

Elsewhere during the chat, Gene went on to say that he is one of the more than sixty percent of the U.S. electorate which doesn't necessarily identify with a major party.

"Generally speaking, I'm a centrist," he said. "I don't like AOC [New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] and I'm not a fan of [Vermont senator] Bernie [Sanders], but I think they're both fine people. I do like [Utah senator] Mitt Romney and [Wyoming congressperson] Miss [Liz] Cheney, I do like that, and both sides hate you for saying those things, because they both want you to align yourself with what the marching orders are. 'If you're a Democrat, it means this. You're a progressive.' I'm not a progressive. I know that business has to involve people who don't agree with you."

This was not the first time Simmons had been critical of Trump. Last May, he told SPIN: "I know the previous [U.S.] president," he said. "I knew him before he entered politics. Look what that gentleman did to this country and the polarization — got all the cockroaches to rise to the top. Once upon a time, you were embarrassed to be publicly racist and out there with conspiracy theories. Now it's all out in the open because he allowed it."

Simmons went on to say that he and Trump "knew each other" before "The Celebrity Apprentice", "in clubs and all that. You have a different responsibility when you're just a citizen or an entrepreneur," he added. "You don't make policy. It doesn't affect life and death. When you get into a position of power, it does affect lives.

"I don't think he's a Republican or a Democrat," Gene said of Trump. "He's out for himself, any way you can get there. And in the last election, over 70 million people bought it hook, line and sinker.

"The current president [Joe Biden], I like the ethics and morality — not a charismatic guy, unfortunately. The first word I keep hearing from people, even friends is 'feeble.' I don't think he should run next time. So then who's around? There are no stars and invariably people vote for stars, not even what they believe in. The cult of personality. Americans are star obsessed: 'Kylie's got a new lip gloss? Fuck!'"

Simmons previously touched upon his feelings about the Trump presidency in August 2021 while speaking to Yahoo!'s Lyndsey Parker about the negative response he gets from some of his fans every time he shares his pro-vaccine stance on Twitter.

"It's been politicized," he said. "The gentleman who was in office, the former president [Donald Trump], I knew before the political world. It's the same person I knew before; the stripes of a tiger don't change. And the unfortunate thing is that… Look, we all lie to some extent, but what happened the last four years was beyond anything I ever thought imaginable from people who had lots of power — not just him, but the administration, everybody. And unfortunately, that disease — The Big Lie notwithstanding — has really infected a large portion of the population."

Asked to elaborate on his comment that Trump is "the same person" he knew when he was a contestant on Trump's "The Celebrity Apprentice" series, Gene said: "We were in a restaurant together, and I happened to be with an attractive young lady. And he walked up and said, 'Hey, Gene, you and I, we're exactly the same. We like the hot chicks.' That was a strange thing to say, but yeah, I guess that's true. But I think it's the same person. And maybe that was the appeal and continues to be. People are sick and tired of politically correct language and stuff.

"In a political dialogue, if somebody spews complete fiction and QAnon stuff, you wanna be able to have somebody who says, 'Are you out of your fucking mind? Did you just shit your diapers and forget to wipe it?'" Simmons added. "We're looking for that politician who just says instead of watching your language. Because the other side will spew garbage and lies and everything."

Back in 2019, Simmons said that Trump had "forever changed" politics. He added that "earth has never been in better shape" than it was in the summer of 2019. "I know — climate change and a polarized political thing — but there are no more world wars," he stated at the time. "I mean, imagine what London looked like 60 years ago. This is the best of times. Unemployment in the United States is the lowest it's been in 50 years — 5-0. When I rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange at their behest, the Dow [Jones Industrial Average] was about 8,000. It's almost 27,000 today. More people are working. More people are making more money. Unions are more powerful."

In the past, Gene had defended Trump's occasional off-color remarks and frequently outrageous statements, saying: "I don't know anybody here who hasn't said stupid things publicly or privately. You've said potty words and so have I. So I'm gonna give the guy who was duly elected a chance to show us what he can do, and then I'll judge his legacy."

Simmons said that he "didn't necessarily vote for Trump or [Hillary] Clinton" in the 2016 presidential election, adding that "it's really nobody's damn business" whom he voted for. "I think you'd be surprised by my choice — but he's President Trump, because even if you don't like the man, you must respect the office of the presidency and the will of the Electoral College," he said.

In 2017, Simmons confirmed that KISS was invited to perform at Trump's inauguration but turned it down because it was "not a good idea."

In a new interview with Metal Pilgrim, former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee was asked to share a particularly memorable "crazy" story that happened during his time with the band. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's the hardest question you can ask me, because like Lemmy [late MOTÖRHEAD frontman Ian Kilmister] used to say, 'We are 'Spinal Tap' with no script.' Because there was shit happening — funny stuff — every single day. But I can't just take one [incident]; it's too hard because we had so much fun together, and there was so much craziness happening that today sometimes if I'm lying in bed thinking back on certain tours or whatever, I go, 'I can't believe that happened.' Today it's almost impossible to think because the world has changed so much with acceptance of everything. One thing I'm glad Lemmy [doesn't] have to experience is this fucking political correctness that I can't stand."

Asked if he thinks MOTÖRHEAD would be "canceled" today if the band was still active, Mikkey replied: "We would be so off the scale. I mean, to play a joke on someone and then to take a joke from someone, that is life; that's the way it should be. But today you can't say anything, really, before people freak out over absolutely nothing. And no sense of humor at all.

"So, I'm glad Lemmy doesn't have to experience this because he would be going fucking crazy," he added. "'Cause he was a jokester, and with MOTÖRHEAD we played jokes on each other all the time, and with other people. And we were good sports, and we could take any kind of joke back. So that's how we were. That's why a lot of craziness happened in a very funny way. But thinking about some of this shit, I go, 'Oh my God. If we would do this now, we would be in jail. We would be off this planet. They'd put us on the moon, for sure.'"

Lemmy died on December 28, 2015 at the age of 70 shortly after learning he had been diagnosed with cancer.

MOTÖRHEAD had to cancel a number of shows in 2015 because of Lemmy's poor health, although the band did manage to complete a European tour a couple of weeks before his death.

In June 2020, it was announced that Lemmy would get the biopic treatment. The upcoming film, "Lemmy", will be directed by Greg Olliver, who previously helmed the 2010 documentary of the same name, "Lemmy".

A custom-made urn containing Lemmy's ashes is on permanent display in a columbarium at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood, California.

KINGDOM COME singer Keith St. John, who joined the band in 2018 as the replacement for original frontman Lenny Wolf, spoke to Italy's Poisoned Rock about the absence of drummer James Kottak from some of the group's recent shows. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "James needed some time off from the band, 'cause he's had some health issues. I don't really wanna say too much about it, but he's got some personal health issues [that] he's been working on resolving and getting care and everything."

St. John also talked about KINGDOM COME's now-infamous appearance last June at Sweden Rock Festival, which was described by the popular Swedish site Rocknytt as the event's "biggest fuckup." Writer Peter Johansson singled out Kottak, saying that the drummer played "really badly, sluggishly" and at times failed to keep the tempo "worryingly throughout the concert". At the end of the show, Kottak "stumbled to the edge of the stage to bow with his bandmates," according to Rocknytt. Also critical of KINGDOM COME's performance was renowned Swedish music journalist and guitar player Janne Stark, who took to his Facebook page to share a photo of the gig and he wrote in an accompanying caption: "I've never seen a drummer fall asleep on stage before but James Kottak is pretty damn close. Drunk? He slows down every song to half tempo. KINGDOM COME, sorry guys but this is SHIT!"

Keith said: "That was the show… I hate to say this, but it's in the best interest of James and the band… I think James should have started working on his health and what was happening with him earlier than that, earlier in the year, 'cause he was already… But James, he has a youthful spirit, and he wants to keep on going. He's one of those guys that at the last breath of life is gonna be clawing and climbing up the cliff and playing drums and going out there and doing it.

"It was a hard situation, but at Sweden Rock the band wound up getting some negative reviews in the press, and it was largely because of the performance on the drums, I hate to [say it]," the singer admitted."

According to St. John, KINGDOM COME is in a good place right now, despite the fact that the band's recent shows have featured SLAUGHTER's Blas Elias behind the kit instead of James.

"I'm glad we are where we are, 'cause it needed to happen and James needs to get it back together so he's strong enough to play again," Keith said. "He was like next coming of [John] Bonham when he came out [in the 1980s], so he needs to be at his best. Even at an eight for James is a 20 for most people. Even if he's at seven or eight out of 10, then we can go and get that going. In the meantime, Blas is doing a great job. The band continues playing live."

KINGDOM COME played its first two shows with Elias in September in Texas.

Seven months ago, Kottak announced that he wouldn't play with his KINGDOM COME bandmates at their concerts in Texas. In the early hours of August 21, 2022, James took to his Twitter to write: "I will not be at the Kingdom Come Plano or San Antonio shows so don't waste your time thanks jams k [sic]".

Last month, St. John told Chris Akin Presents about Kottak's absence from KINGDOM COME recent shows: "James Kottak has had some health situations over the last year, and they've really been affecting his playing. Everybody in the band really wanted him to be able to continue and play, but he's just gotta sort some things out and wait for some stuff in his body to heal before he has the strength to play the songs [properly]."

Asked if there is any chance of the current lineup of KINGDOM COME recording and releasing new music in the not-too-distant future, Keith said: "It's gone back and forth. Rick Steier [guitar] and I have probably put more material together than any other combination 'cause we both live in L.A. And we were working with James too, but James kind of… Long story short, he's back down in Louisville, Kentucky, which is his hometown, and he's trying to get… He's got some broken bones and all kinds of stuff going on that… He had an accident and he's just trying to get himself back together before he comes back and tries to get back in the fold.

"The other guys, Danny Stag [guitar] and Johnny B. Frank [bass], they live in different cities — one's in Jacksonville, one's in Pittsburgh — and they're writing and they're sending over ideas all the time," he continued. "I mean, we have communication back and forth. So if we can put some of this stuff together and actually get the whole band in the studio for a couple of weeks or whatnot, I think we can come out of it with an album. I'm hoping."

In January, James said that he "jacked" his left hip up last fall when he "tripped and fell on the pavement." The 60-year-old musician discussed his latest medical setback in an interview with "Rimshots With Sean". Confirming that he was speaking from Louisville, Kentucky, where he was born and lived until 1987, Kottak said: "I came over here [to Louisville], actually, at the very end of October [of 2022]. I was just coming to chill out and hang out with my brother and sister. I was gonna stay for a couple of weeks. But I tripped and fell and really jacked my left hip up. I couldn't believe it. I'd never broken anything in my life. So I ended up going to the hospital and I ended up staying at the hospital for five, six days. So after that, I came over here to my sister's house and I've been here since. And I've really been enjoying it. But I've been back to the doctor, like, three or four times, and they're, like, 'You know, it's probably not a good idea to travel.' I'm, like, 'Okay.' So I've just been here and been going back to my appointments. I had one yesterday. And things on the up and up."

Regarding how he is spending his time while recovering from his latest injury, Kottak said: "One of my endless tasks is staying in shape and exercising and that sort of thing. Right now I'm just doing a lot of stretching. And I'm just now able to walk about — probably do about eight hundred steps a day. And that may sound like a lot, but I'm normally used to doing a whole lot more. So I'm here in Louisville, like I said, and I'm just really laying low and enjoying the time over here at my sister's house. And my brother's hanging out. And I've got all kinds of friends here. But like I said, it's been really kind of quiet here. But once I get back to L.A., there's things planned and there's always something popping up… Now we're past the New Year. Somebody will call about this or that. And then we're also planning KINGDOM COME shows and stuff."

He continued: "Man, that COVID thing came, and for the year 2020, KINGDOM COME — we had about 40, 45 shows booked, and everything got wiped out, man, even the European stuff, 'cause we were going to Germany and all over the place, even Japan. Everything, because of that COVID thing, got totally postponed. And a lot of the stuff that was postponed to 2021 and even 2022 never happened, 'cause a lot of places shut down, a lot of promoters went out of business. It really hurt lots of people. So we're just kind of picking up now where we left off and [talking to] our agent and trying to book some shows."

James went on to say that he is "doing great" and is very optimistic about his recovery. "Another two weeks and I'll be almost back to normal," he predicted. "And that's not what they said. They go, 'Look, give it three to six months.' I'm, like, 'No, I'll be good after two months.' … I'll be up and running here in no time. This is probably the worst accident I've ever had. I just tripped and fell on the pavement. And I didn't feel like anything bad happened."

In December, St. John told the "Pat's Soundbytes Unplugged" podcast that "James has had some health issues in this last — [it's] going on for about two years, I would say, and creeping up. And now he's on a break for a little while until he gets recouped and recovered from everything. And my good friend who plays in '[Raiding The] Rock Vault' with me out here, Blas Elias, has stepped in — Blas Elias from SLAUGHTER; he stepped in to take over the drums for now."

Kottak publicly discussed KINGDOM COME's performance at Sweden Rock for the first time in an interview with "This That & The Other With Troy Patrick Farrell" conducted just days after the concert. Regarding what caused the show to fall short of expectations, James said: "I wanna say about eight or nine days ago, maybe 10 days ago, in the middle of the night, like four o'clock in the morning, I was in a dead sleep and I just rolled off the bed and I cracked three ribs on my left side. And I went to my chiropractor guy and he says, 'Oh, you have hairline fractures.' And I'm, like, 'Oh, great.' And dude, it's just been non-stop pain. It's not just my ribs; it's head to toe. That's why things were a little bit slower. 'Cause I took ibuprofen and the usual, Aleve or whatever, but, man, it was an uphill battle from the time we started. And it was just — I mean, not pain; I'm talking pain-pain, big-time stuff. That's no excuse, because the show must go on. But, yeah, I was a little slower than usual. But also we [usually] have a click track, of course, 'cause we might have a little bit of playback. Something was up with that, so we were flying solo… And [when] you don't have it, you go, 'Oh-oh. Okay. We'll do this.' It was just an off day, and there's nothing you can do about it."

According to James, there was "definitely no drinking" involved prior to the KINGDOM COME mishap at Sweden Rock. "Because that with the medication, it doesn't go good together," he explained. "And it was just an off day, man. I did everything to [make it better] — tons of tea, this and that, and all the usual things that I do — but, man, it was just too soon after falling that we went to play this gig. But it's Sweden Rock, and you don't wanna bail out on that."

Asked if alcohol contributed to him falling out of bed prior to the Sweden Rock performance, Kottak said: "I always sleep on the left side of the bed, and I just somehow, in my sleep, rolled off the bed and landed on my left side. I mean, that's really it. I wasn't drinking — nothing like that. Yeah, I have a few white wines here and there, but nothing like that. I just rolled off the bed. And that's the first time in my life that's ever happened where I actually fell off. I woke up and saw stars. It took me 15 minutes to get off the floor. These things happen sometimes, and there's nothing you can do. With SCORPIONS, going up my riser to get to my drums, there were, like, 14 steps, and I fell down those stairs at least five times, if not six times. Because I was like a dummy — I was always spitting this water. And I'd finish a song and I'd come down not thinking, and, just, 'Whoop', right on my ass."

James also denied that his battle with alcoholism was the primary reason he was fired from the SCORPIONS in 2016. He has since been replaced by former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee.

"I hate to say it, but Blabbermouth's kind of been the worst James basher," Kottak said. "They always say — any article about SCORPIONS, they say, 'Yeah, ever since James Kottak was released for alcohol abuse.' So I e-mailed them one day and said, 'Man, stop saying that.' We parted ways. It wasn't just from alcohol, dude. We went through five years of negotiations, 'cause the manager and tour manager both died within six months of each other. Then the band decided to self-manage, which is cool. But I'll tell you what, man — that's when it was a super-bumpy road and we were just not on the same page anymore. And that happens with bands."

Five years ago, SCORPIONS guitarist Matthias Jabs said that he and his bandmates "had to make" the decision to fire Kottak, explaining that they gave the drummer "all the chances" to get better. During an appearance on "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon", the guitarist said: "James was a real good friend — and he still is — but we couldn't continue with him. We gave him all the chances, and 10 more. And it was something that developed over the years — the drinking habit. It came in waves — sometimes it was good for four weeks, and then [there] was drama, and if you know him, you know what that's like. Then if it affects the show, you have to go, 'Hmmm…' Because our drum riser goes up 21 feet, or 24 feet sometimes, if the venue allows it, and the production manager, or stage manager, goes, 'I can't have him go up there. It's too risky.' If you can't really walk down the stairs straight, you can't have that. So that affects your intro of the show, and that's not good — it's not professional."

He continued: "We were helping him — we were sending him to [the island of] Antigua [to Eric Clapton's Crossroads drug and alcohol treatment center], and we paid for it, and we did everything we could, because we are extremely loyal. It's always hard if you work with somebody for almost 20 years to say, 'Okay, you've gotta go.' We'd rather do the opposite and try to keep him and help him. But we reached the point — or he reached the point — where it was just not worth it. After three months or four months even — they gave him an extra month in Antigua, the rehab — he'd come home, we'd start again, and you can't even talk to him. So we had to make that decision. We had Mikkey on the road, so [James] didn't notice. So I rehearsed with [Mikkey] and Paweł [Mąciwoda, bass] in the afternoon, just a backup; that was the original plan. But then there was no way we could continue with James, so we started with Mikkey."

Three years ago, Kottak, who joined the SCORPIONS in 1996, told the SCORPIONS official fan club Crazyscorps about the circumstances that led to his departure from the legendary German hard rock band: "I always liked a drink here and there. And then I always also take a pain medication called Aleve. It's what all the baseball players take, all the footballers, and it works like a charm. You take those of those and you don't feel anything. But on top of that, I'm a rock drummer in a rock band, and you've got the green light to drink.

"From 2008 to 2011, I didn't drink," he explained. "I just woke up one day and said, 'I just don't wanna drink anymore.' I didn't go to rehab; I didn't do any of that stuff. I just didn't wanna drink anymore.

"If you have any knowledge of A.A. [Alcoholics Anonymous] or any type of program or rehab, it only lasts so long and then you have what we call in recovery a relapse. I would go through these phases of a year or maybe two years of no drinking, and then you gradually…

"SCORPIONS, we play our show, we go back to the hotel, [and] 45 minutes later, we're all downstairs having dinner," he continued. "And everything's just the right price — free. All these flights back and forth from Europe, from L.A. — I was just flying constantly. Which I'm not complaining about, but it's always business or first class, and once again, all the booze is at the right price. I'm going, 'I've got the next two days off. I might as well have a drink.' And that's what triggered me to start drinking again sometimes.

"It's a typical alcoholic way of thinking: 'Well, I may as well have a drink. Why not?' And that's typical alcoholic disease thinking. 'Cause it is a disease."
I think it’s time to chop off all this hair…what do you think? pic.twitter.com/dG6pQT0SLr

— James Kottak (@JKottak) February 4, 2023

Nikki Sixx has blasted Carmine Appice over the legendary drummer's claim that guitarist Mick Mars "was not happy" in the months leading up to his departure from MÖTLEY CRÜE.

In a recent interview with Andrew Daly of Ultimate Guitar, legendary drummer Carmine, who is best known for his work with VANILLA FUDGE, CACTUS and Rod Stewart, stated about Mick's exit from MÖTLEY CRÜE: "I've been talking to Mick, and he told me, 'When I was on 'The Stadium Tour', I was not happy.' Basically, everything was on tape; it was all planned out and ultimately a lot of crap. And Mick is a pretty good player, and so to now let him loose and play the way he wants, that was never going to work for him. The truth is that everything has been weird for a while with MÖTLEY CRÜE, and Mick didn't like that everything was on tape. Mick told me that people that came to see it could tell that it was all pre-recorded and that everything was on tape.

"When you play in a stadium like that, you can hear a lot of things come to the monitors or what doesn't. And with Vince's [Neil] vocals, bass, drums, guitars, and all the other stuff, it was obvious that it was all on tape. And Mick was pissed off and said, 'I can play these things. I want to play them. I don't want to make believe I'm playing them.' So, I think that's one of the reasons why he said, 'I'm done.' Sure, the disease that he has doesn't help, and it doesn't make life easy on tour, but Mick can play all the licks, and he was allowed to."

When Daly asked Appice to clarify that "Mick wasn't getting along with the rest of" MÖTLEY CRÜE, Carmine said: No, he wasn't. He had his own means of travel and would travel alone on a bus while the other guys flew everywhere. He said, 'Man, these guys are pissing their money away, flying to every gig.' They were all busy still trying to be rock stars, and Mick just wanted to play the music. Mick wasn't interested in wasting time and money flying everywhere, so he traveled by bus. Their lifestyles are different than his, and so there were a lot of disagreements. I think he was just done. They were supposed to have done their last tour, and then they came back. Then they did 'The Stadium Tour', and that was apparently supposed to be the last. So, when they came back again, he said, 'You can do it. I'm not going out with you for this.'"

On Wednesday (March 15),Sixx, who has not given any interviews about Mars's departure from CRÜE, apparently responded directly to Appice's comments, writing in a tweet: "Love how people talk FOR us without talking TO us. This is why the media has lost credibility. Obviously by printing BS they make money off of advertising and we're not into that clickbait game. When the truth comes out it will be FROM üs."

He added later that same day: "A washed up drummer trying to speak for us? And bottom feeder media running with it to make money off of lies? Welcome to the sad new world of LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME."

On Friday (March 17),Sixx took part in a Twitter question-and-answer session and was asked by one fan: "Is what Carmine Appice said true?" the CRÜE bassist replied: "A washed up drummer speaking for our band without any of the facts is as ridiculous as bottom feeder media running with stories without fact checking. When you hear the truth it will be from us."

Appice previously touched upon Mars's exit from MÖTLEY CRÜE last November in an interview with Michael's Record Collection. At the time, he said: "[Mick] just gave up his seat in touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE. And John 5 is gonna tour with them. He said, 'Man, we did our final tour [seven years ago]. Now we're out again doing this major tour with DEF LEPPARD.' And he said, 'I don't wanna do it no more. I'm sick of being in a bus.'"

Mars announced in October that he was retiring from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE due to his ongoing painful struggle with Ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the spine joints and ligaments and can lead to stiffness over time.

The 71-year-old Mars has struggled with Ankylosing spondylitis since his late teens and spoke about his first experiences with it in CRÜE's 2001 biography "The Dirt".

"My hips started hurting so bad every time I turned my body that it felt like someone was igniting fireworks in my bones," he said. "I didn't have enough money to see a doctor, so I just kept hoping that I could do what I usually do: will it away, through the power of my mind. But it kept getting worse. Then, one afternoon while doing my laundry. I started having trouble breathing. At first, it felt like someone had plunged a knife into my back. But as the weeks passed, the pain kept moving around my back. Next, my stomach started burning, and I worried that my whole body was about to fall apart. I thought that there was a hole in my stomach, and acids were leaking out and destroying my bones and organs. I'd grab hold of doorknobs, anchor my legs into the ground, and pull with my hands to stretch my back and ease the pressure out."

Mick told Metal Sludge in 2008 that his condition had worsened in the later decades and that he stopped playing guitar for almost two years. "Nowadays, it's not so bad, but back then when I was high on all that stuff and MÖTLEY were having a break, I knew if I didn't stop, I was gonna die. In the end, I had to go to a neuro-psychiatrist to straighten me up, and he said to me, 'Just hold the guitar for an hour a day — don't play it, just hold it.' It was pretty bizarre but I got through it, and in the end, I think I'm actually a better player because of it."
Love how people talk FOR us without talking TO us. This is why the media has lost credibility. Obviously by printing BS they make money off of advertising and we’re not into that clickbait game. When the truth comes out it will be FROM üs..#TheFutureIsOurs

— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) March 15, 2023


A washed up drummer trying to speak for us? And bottom feeder media running with it to make money off of lies? Welcome to the sad new world of LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME. Up next for us, a stadium tour in Europe, Australia , Japan etc.

— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) March 15, 2023


A washed up drummer speaking for our band without any of the facts is as ridiculous as bottom feeder media running with stories without fact checking. When you hear the truth it will be from us.

— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) March 18, 2023


It’s a funny money game.

— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) March 15, 2023

On March 9, British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley, who fronted IRON MAIDEN more than 20 years ago, spoke to Metal Planet Music 's Gary Spiller about some fans' initial reluctance to embrace his era of the band. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that the girlfriend or partner analogy is the best. It's when your girlfriend or boyfriend leaves you for someone, and they are perhaps slimmer with more hair, more interesting and better looking, it doesn't feel good. And you lose your favorite singer from your favorite band, and I think that's awkward as well.

"There's a certain percentage of fans from that era, I'm their first MAIDEN singer, and I always will be, and they'll always have that affection for me," he continued. "But there's another group of fans who go, 'My favorite singer left my favorite band. I don't want to look at the replacement.' … And what is good is that after so many years and the 'Senjutsu' album coming out, people have good back and they've looked at the Blaze Bayley era of [1996's 'best-of' album] 'Best Of The Beast' and 'Sign Of The Cross', 'The X Factor', they've done that, and they've come back with a different look. And then they check out what I'm doing now.

"Since [leaving] MAIDEN, I've made 11 studio albums of my own. It's over 25 years ago [that I joined MAIDEN]; it's nearly 30 years now. It's just five years [that I was with MAIDEN]. With WOLFSBANE, we're back together, and we're together longer than I was in IRON MAIDEN.

"It's nice that it's so well thought of and people are still interested," Blaze added. "I've learned a lot. The experiences that I had have affected me and I've learned. And if you listen to my 'War Within Me' album, my new album, you can tell the IRON MAIDEN influence on that; you can absolutely tell. I'm not ashamed of it. I'm, like, well, this is what I enjoyed and learned in MAIDEN, and you'll hear parts of that and hints of that in the 'War Within Me' album. You'll also hear the development of me as an artist, going beyond that.

"So it's nice that people are still interested in that brief part of the MAIDEN history that contains me. And a lot of people think very nicely of me. But there are still a lot of people that absolutely hate me."

Blaze went on to say that his era of MAIDEN still plays a big part in his live show, particularly as he nears the three-decade mark since he first joined the band.

"What's nice is that when I do my anniversary setlist, which a lot of festivals asked for, then I can play songs in my set from those two albums that MAIDEN have never played and will never play," he explained. "And they are my songs, personal to me. So that's really, really cool. So if you did get into those albums and you like those albums, then you'll come and see me and go, 'Oh, actually, I've never heard'Como Estais Amigos' live.' So it's a really cool thing.

"Last year, we got a lot of really wonderful German festivals, and we played the anniversary setlist. And then afterwards, on my own tour, people came that saw me on that anniversary setlist and the festivals, they came and saw me do my Blaze Bayley concerts and really enjoyed it. And they got into 'War Within Me' album and my trilogy and a lot of things. So it's good, really.

"I'm very lucky to have actually had the top job in my field, to have attained the absolute top," Bayley added. "For me, I wanted to be a heavy metal singer, and by some quirk of faith, a lot of luck and a lot of help, then I managed to become the lead singer of IRON MAIDEN, which, for me, is the top job in the world for a heavy metal singer. And I got that job. So that's fantastic that I was able to get that. And I played huge venues all over the world and stadiums and theaters and everything."

Bayley fronted IRON MAIDEN from 1994 until 1999. The two MAIDEN albums he appeared on, "The X Factor" and "Virtual XI", sold considerably less than the band's prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group's home country since 1981's "Killers".

Since leaving IRON MAIDEN in 1999, Bayley has released a number of albums, including several under the moniker BLAZE and more than a handful under his own name. He also appeared on 2012's "Wolfsbane Saves The World", the first album of new material by WOLFSBANE since the group's self-titled 1994 effort, and a follow-up LP, 2022's "Genius".

Blaze's latest studio album, "War Within Me", came out in April 2021. The LP was recorded during 2020 with work split between Blaze's studio at home in the West Midlands and Christopher Appleton's studio in Greater Manchester.

Former ACCEPT bassist Peter Baltes says that he was "extremely unhappy" toward the end of his four-decade tenure with the band.

The 64-year-old German-born musician discussed his decision to leave ACCEPT in a new interview with Scott Itter of Dr. Music. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The statement that came from the band literally five minutes after I announced that I'm leaving [back in November 2018], that I wanna spend more time with my family, well, that wasn't true. No, no. I was extremely unhappy. And I found out a few things. I'd been in the band forever, and I found out in the end, in this incarnation of ACCEPT, I wasn't even really a member; I was a hired gun. And it's these things that come out where you don't have any input, insight, and you start getting bitter. And there's no reason to, but somebody else's ego is just so big or whatever — two of 'em — that it just takes them there, and they just need to control everything and have everything and you name it. That's what got [original ACCEPT singer] Udo [Dirkschneider] out back then, and I think in the end it hit everybody. So I was the last one standing, but I couldn't stand it anymore. I needed happiness in my life, and there was no happiness there. It was just a dead horse. So I left after the tour. And in my case, it was the best I ever could have done."

Baltes also talked about what it was like to play bass for U.D.O., the band fronted by Dirkschneider, on the group's fall 2022 European tour after U.D.O.'s then-bassist Tilen Hudrap was hospitalized after the band's show in Munich, Germany.

"In retrospect, when I stepped on stage in Berlin [in September 2022] with Udo after so many years — the last time was 2005, I think — it was a moment that I can't even describe it," Peter said. "We went on stage first, and then Udo comes, and he starts singing. And the first note brought me back instantly to our days when we played little clubs. The man is such a legend, and his voice… And it's nothing to do with you're short, you're tall, you're fat, you're skinny, none of that — you're in shape or you're not — none of that matters to me, to him and the audience. [What is important is] when something is authentic. And that's what got me at that moment. I was, like, 'Man, this is the real deal.' I wasn't used to that; I wasn't. I totally forgot. And you can into this where you think, 'We've been doing this all our life.' No, we didn't. We played kind of like it, with people that kind of sound like it. But no. He's the real deal, and the power that comes out of his voice is second to none. Sheer power, meaning volume, power. Bruce Dickinson [IRON MAIDEN] has power. When he sings, you can see it — he has power. Some singers, they have power. And Ronnie [James Dio] had power. Udo has power. That's certain power that just captivates you in your ears, in your stomach, and you go with it."

Baltes was replaced in ACCEPT by Martin Motnik.

Two years ago, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann was asked by SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if he had had a chance to talk to Peter since his departure from ACCEPT and if he had gotten clarification on why Baltes left the group. Wolf said: "No, man. That's kind of the sad part about it. He kind of made that decision alone, and we never really had a sitdown and a man-to-man talk that I was hoping we'd have. He just announced it to the world, and that was it, and at that point, it was almost too late. I have to respect his decision.

"I miss him very much, and I think he's always gonna be my buddy or whatever," Wolf continued. "But right now, we don't really have much in common. Because when somebody leaves the band, it's usually that we never really see them much again, as sad as it is. I wish we would, and maybe one day we will. But right now, we don't, really. But we didn't have any fights or anything. I can only speculate why he left the band, but I'd rather not."

Hoffmann was also asked if he was surprised to see Baltes working with Udo on some new music in 2020. He responded: "Yeah, I probably shouldn't say much about that. Again, I can only speculate what that was all about. At the end of the day, we do our thing, and everybody has to know for themselves what they wanna do. Yeah, let me not say as much about that as I can, please."

In January 2021, Hoffmann told Australia's Metal Mal that he was "a little bit heartbroken" when Baltes left ACCEPT. "I felt it was not only a sad day for ACCEPT, it was also a sad day for rock and roll, or heavy metal, in general, because I thought we were gonna be doing this until the sun goes down — I don't know; until forever," he said. "But he all of a sudden decided otherwise, and he made that decision, and that was it. And that's sad, but what can you do, man? I decided, along with everybody else, the show must go on, and we continue without him. So this is what we did. And here's the new album — without Peter. But it's still sad. I still miss him sometimes. It's just the way it is."

In November 2019, Hoffmann told Powermetal.cl that he no longer kept in touch with Baltes after the bassist exited the group a year earlier. "Unfortunately, when somebody leaves the band, they're always kind of out of sight, out of mind," Wolf explained. "It's very sad. I wish it wasn't that way, because we've been friends for so long. But the reality is I haven't really heard from him — even though I reached out a couple of times. He's almost like he wants to disappear or he wants to leave the music business altogether. It's sad and I still don't quite understand what really happened. But it is what it is, and we move on."

Three years ago, Baltes and former ACCEPT drummer Stefan Kaufmann were part of the songwriting team for U.D.O.'s album called "We Are One", a collaboration with Das Musikkorps der Bundeswehr, the military band of the German federal armed forces.