Hachette Books has acquired the upcoming memoir from legendary thrash metal guitarist Gary Holt (EXODUS, SLAYER). "A Fabulous Disaster: From The Garage To Madison Square Garden, The Hard Way" is described in a press release as "a no-holds-barred memoir from the preeminent thrasher's life in metal, from its humble (but not quiet) beginnings in the San Francisco Bay Area through today's current resurgence in worldwide popularity, as he lived big, played fast and crashed hard, written in collaboration with Adem Tepedelen."

Holt shared the news of his upcoming memoir on social media, writing: "Super stoked!!! The announcement in book circles has gone out today, so I'm sharing it in MY circle! The book about my life is under way, from the beginnings of EXODUS and thrash metal, to the drug fueled fall, to the unexpected and tragic circumstances that led me to @slayerbandofficial to the bounce back to Madison Square Garden with and @exodusbandofficial charting at number 20 on the MAIN Billboard charts, all will be told! No holds barred, all the lows and highs will be retold! Been a project very close to me, and I'm stoked to be working with @ademtepedelen_ @lauramazer @bschafer714 @hachettebooks and @wendysherman to make this a reality!"

Holt joined EXODUS in 1981, shortly after the band's formation, and has been the group's main songwriter ever since. Holt has performed on every EXODUS album, and is considered highly influential in the world of thrash metal.

Holt began filling in for SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman at live shows in 2011, and became the band's full-time co-guitarist as of 2013, while remaining a member of EXODUS. Holt played on SLAYER's final album, "Repentless", which came out in 2015.

In a June 2012 interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, SLAYER's Kerry King stated about Holt: "I always regard Gary as the Glenn Tipton of our era — really good, really polished and nobody talks about him. To this day, nobody really references [JUDAS] PRIEST and Tipton that much as guitar players and I feel the same way about Gary. EXODUS have a huge following but a little more overlooked than METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER, ANTHRAX — the 'Big Four,' so to speak, so [it is great] to be able to bring him to the forefront and shove him down people's throats and say, 'Hey, this motherfucker kicks ass. Pay attention.'"

EXODUS's latest album, "Persona Non Grata", came out in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP was recorded at a studio in Lake Almanor, California and was engineered by Steve Lagudi and EXODUS. It was produced by EXODUS and was mixed by Andy Sneap. For the third time in the band's history, they returned to Swedish artist Pär Olofsson to create the album artwork.

"Persona Non Grata" was the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

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L.A. GUNS, featuring singer Phil Lewis and guitarist Tracii Guns, has released the official music video for a new song called "Diamonds". The track is taken from the band's upcoming studio album, "Black Diamonds", which will arrive on April 14. This will be the fourth studio album since the much-welcome reunion of the band's core foundation of Lewis and Guns. It will follow the well-received studio albums "The Missing Peace", "The Devil You Know" and "Checkered Past", plus the live release "Made In Milan", and a covers EP "Another Xmas In Hell".

Written and recorded over the course of 2022, "Black Diamonds" sees Guns, Lewis and company continuing on the same successful and inspiring sonic journey that they've been taking on "The Missing Peace", "The Devil You Know" and "Checkered Past". The band doesn't shy away from flexing its hard rock influences as it always has, but also incorporates more introspective acoustic tracks reflective of its classic rock influences from the '70s.

Last October, Lewis took to his personal Facebook page to share the "Black Diamonds" title and track listing, and he included the following message: "Incredibly happy to announce the completion of our forth record (post reunion). Great songs, fantastic playing and some of the best singing of my career. It's heavy and dark in places and bright n breezy in others. It's all over the place as per our usual style. I think it's the best thing we've ever done but yeah I know I say that about all of them but I truly love this record and had fun recording parts on the tour wagon and then five intense days doing vocals with Mitch [Davis] in NYC. Of course the wait for it to drop will be excruciating but I'll do my best to contain the excitement. Seriously it's fantastic and you're all gonna love it."

"Black Diamonds" track listing:

01. You Betray
02. Wrong About You
03. Diamonds
04. Babylon
05. Shame
06. Shattered Glass
07. Gonna Lose
08. Got It Wrong
09. Lowlife
10. Crying
11. Like A Drug

"Checkered Past" was released in November 2021 via Frontiers Music Srl.

In April 2021, a settlement was reached between drummer Steve Riley and Guns and Lewis over the rights to the L.A. GUNS name. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Guns and Lewis continue to operate under the L.A. GUNS trademark, while Riley and his bandmates from the other version of L.A. GUNS are now operating under the new name RILEY'S L.A. GUNS.

L.A. GUNS was formed in 1983 and have sold over six million records, including 1988's "L.A. Guns" and 1990's "Cocked And Loaded", both of which were certified gold. "Cocked And Loaded" contained the hit single "The Ballad Of Jayne" that went to No. 33 on Billboard's Hot 100 and No. 25 on the Mainstream Rock charts. From the mid-'90s to the mid 2000s, L.A. GUNS continued to tour and release new music. Following their successful performance at SiriusXM's Hair Nation festival in September 2016, L.A. GUNS went into the studio to record the critically acclaimed "The Missing Peace", which was the highest-selling release for Frontiers Music Srl in 2017. Their 12th album, "The Devil You Know", was released in 2019 to the same critical acclaim. Since reuniting, Tracii and Phil continue to tour around the world with L.A. GUNS, which currently includes Johnny Martin (bass) and Ace Von Johnson (guitar).

Lakeshore Records is set to release "John Wick: Chapter 4 - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" digitally March 24 with an original score by Tyler Bates ("John Wick", "Guardians Of The Galaxy"),and Joel J. Richard ("John Wick", "The Andromeda Strain"). Bates and Richard, their scores an integral part of the success of the first three installments of "John Wick", return with another masterclass in high-intensity compositions that feature an array of instruments — including treated piano, mandolin, acoustic and electric guitar, bass, harmonica orchestra, synths, and found object percussion. Bates also produced songs performed by Lola Colette with Nick and Sam Wilkerson of the punk band WHITE REAPER on drums and bass respectively, as well as tracks with IN THIS MOMENT and Manon Hollander. In addition, the track co-written and produced by Bates with vocals by avant pop phenomenon and cast member Rina Sawayama, "Eye For An Eye", is available digitally. The Lionsgate film directed by Chad Stahelski and starring Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins and Ian McShane is in theaters and IMAX on March 24.

Bates told Entertainment Weekly about his collaboration with IN THIS MOMENT: "'I Would Die For You' is a song that I wrote with Maria Brink and Chris Howorth of IN THIS MOMENT and [also] produced. Chad, literally, out of the blue, called me up, and he's like, 'Yo, Tyler, do you know this singer, I love her, Maria-something, she's in this band, IN THIS…?' I'm like, 'IN THIS MOMENT?' He said, 'Yeah, that's it!' I said, 'I'm actually working on their new record right now. [Laughs] They are real fans of 'John Wick', which is really cool."

"John Wick: Chapter 4 - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" track listing:

01. Big Wick Energy
02. Nowhere To Run (Lola Colette)
03. Sand Wick
04. Change Your Nature
05. Continental Breakfast
06. Wick In Osaka
07. High Table In Osaka
08. A Grave Accusation
09. Grief On A Train
10. I Would Die For You (IN THIS MOMENT)
11. Of Mincing & Men
12. A Grave Situation
13. To Get Back In
14. Killa's Teeth
15. Ambition And Worth
16. Dog Lover
17. JW, Loving Husband
18. Stairs Arrival
19. Marie Douceur, Marie Colère (Manon Hollander)
20. John Wick Rises
21. Paris Radio Intro
22. Chess Club
23. Urban Cowgirl
24. Quite The Mess You've Made
25. The Ex Ex
26. The Ex Ex Chapter 3
27. Arc De Triomphe
28. Wrong Train
29. Sacré-Coeur Sunrise
30. Pistol Procession
31. Ten Paces
32. Twenty Paces
33. Helen A Handbasket
34. Eye For An Eye (Rina Sawayama)
35. Cry Mia River

Bates regularly transitions from scoring some of the world’s biggest film and television franchises, such as "Guardians Of The Galaxy" and "John Wick", to rocking massive audiences in the world of rock music, and back to the studio again writing and producing records with artists like HEALTH, BUSH, IN THIS MOMENT and STARCRAWLER, to name a few. In 2004, he created the menacing audio backdrop for the popular Zack Snyder reboot of "Dawn Of The Dead", beginning a string of nearly a dozen box office number ones that have contributed to well over five billion dollars cumulative worldwide box office gross for his projects. Bates then teamed up with Snyder again for the films "300", "Watchmen" and "Sucker Punch". His oeuvre expanded to include films like "Atomic Blonde", "The Devil's Rejects", "The Day The Earth Stood Still", "William Friedkin's Killer Joe", and TV shows like "Californication", "Punisher", "The Purge", "Kingdom", "Salem", "The Exorcist" and more. More recently, Bates scored the blockbuster "Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs And Shaw", "Deadpool 2", "Jamie Foxx's Dayshift", Ti West's 2022 releases "X" and "Pearl", "The Spy Who Dumped Me", plus Genndy Tartakovsky's acclaimed animated series "Samurai Jack" and "Primal" on Adult Swim. After scoring Cirque Du Soleil's "R.U.N.", Bates embarked on the 2022 world tour in support of Jerry Cantrell's latest album "Brighten", which he also co-produced. With more new projects on the horizon including "Agent Elvis", Tyler Bates will undoubtedly continue to redefine what a composer is as a shapeshifting artist who's architected one of the most kaleidoscopic resumes in music.

Last October, IN THIS MOMENT released an EP called "Blood 1983". The effort commemorated the tenth anniversary of IN THIS MOMENT's gold-certified album "Blood" (2012) and was made available digitally across all digital service providers as well as CD via BMG.

"Blood 1983" was co-produced by Bates and Dan Haigh, and mixed by Zakk Cervini.

Since coming to life in 2005, IN THIS MOMENT has presided over a diehard fan base under the watch of "mother" figure and frontwoman Brink — joined by co-founder and lead guitarist Howorth, bassist Travis Johnson, guitarist Randy Weitzel and drummer Kent Dimmel. As millions convened upon the group's otherworldly and unforgettable concerts, they quietly emerged as one of the most influential and impactful bands of the 21st century.

To date, in addition to the gold-selling album "Blood", the quintet has garnered two gold singles — "Blood" and "Whore" — followed by Top 25 entries on the Billboard Top 200 with "Black Widow" (2014) and "Ritual" (2017). Bringing their total stream tally well past 200 million as of 2020, "Ritual" elevated them to new creative and critical peaks as well. Between selling out headline tours coast-to-coast, the group performed in arenas everywhere alongside DISTURBED and appeared at countless festivals from Welcome To Rockville to Sonic Temple. Along the way, they assembled their seventh full-length, the aptly titled "Mother" (Roadrunner) with longtime collaborator Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH).

IN THIS MOMENT is Maria Brink (lead vocals),Chris Howorth (guitars),Travis Johnson (bass),Randy Weitzel (rhythm guitar),Kent Dimmel (drums).

In a new interview with Heavy New York, BUTCHER BABIES vocalist Heidi Shepherd was asked if songwriting gets easier or harder as she and her bandmates get more albums under their belts. She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I definitely would not say it gets easier. I think that there's something to be said about evolving. [BUTCHER BABIES' debut album] 'Goliath' was 10 years ago; I'm a totally different human than I was 10 years ago. I've experienced, I feel, a whole lifetime of stuff, touring the world multiple times over with my friends. I'm just kind of deciding what to even touch on. And especially whereas… in the industry, people say, 'Oh, you need to be doing this now.' 'Oh, you need to do this. This is gonna make you successful. You need to transition into this way, that way, this way, this way, that way.' So kind of maintaining the integrity of what you want to create, I think, is a lot harder album to album to album.

"In this band, I'm super grateful for having the bandmembers that we have because we love to experiment and try different things," she continued. "And on this [upcoming fourth BUTCHER BABIES] album you'll hear some of the softest stuff we've ever done… A lot of these songs have been released, like 'Bottom Of The Bottle', which is a total radio song, and that was a song that I went in with the intention and totally [said], 'This is the kind of song that I wanna write for this.' And then you'll hear songs like 'Beaver Cage', where it's wild and chaotic. So I'm excited that we have bandmembers that let us experiment in that way. But when it came to deciding what kind of album we really, really wanted to do, we ended up with a double album because we kind of had two different directions that we really wanted to showcase."

Asked if BUTCHER BABIES' recently released single "Beaver Cage" is a good representation of what fans can expect to hear on the upcoming LP, Heidi said: "It is a great representation, actually. It's quirky, it's silly, it's fun, and I think the whole album really reflects that. But the album has a dark side as well. And something that we're very excited about is showing these different sides of BUTCHER BABIES.

"When [2017's] 'Lilith' came out, I actually had quit smoking immediately after that album, so my voice changed so much between then and now. So you get to really hear the fun ranges I was able to discover in my voice after quitting smoking."

BUTCHER BABIES fourth studio album was recently completed with producer Josh Schroeder (LORNA SHORE, KING 810).

Last October, BUTCHER BABIES shared the official music video for their cover version of rapper Saweetie's chart-topping single "Best Friend". The clip was directed by Dale "Rage" Resteghini and was filmed at the Bare Den adult entertainment club in Newton, New Jersey.

BUTCHER BABIES have been performing their cover of "Best Friend" at their recent live shows.

"Lilith" was produced by Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SEPULTURA, SUICIDE SILENCE) and marked the band's recording debut with drummer Chase Brickenden, who replaced Chris Warner in 2016.

In July 2019, longtime BUTCHER BABIES bassist Jason Klein announced his departure from the band. He has since been replaced by Ricky Bonazza.

In 2021, BUTCHER BABIES embarked on a headlining tour, "Butcher Babies Vs. Goliath", which saw the band performing "Goliath" — released in 2013 via Century Media Records — in its entirety along with recent hit singles and new material.

Since 2020, BUTCHER BABIES have independently released a handful of newly energized singles, some of which were produced and co-written by Matt Good (FROM FIRST TO LAST),including "Bottom Of A Bottle", "Sleeping With The Enemy", "Yorktown", "Last Dance" and "It's Killin' Time, Baby!" The latter was inspired by the DC Comics character Lobo, a heavy metal bounty hunter.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's Nikki Sixx will apparently appear on the upcoming rock album from country legend Dolly Parton.

The CRÜE bassist shared the news of his participation in a tweet earlier today (Thursday, March 23). Outlining some of his recent activities, he wrote: "Played bass on a song for Dolly Parton yesterday.

"Been back in the gym again to beat the jet-lag from the tour and enjoying family time.

"Had a great interview with Sweden Rock magazine and they might even feature some of my street photography."

Parton recently said that she was making a rock album in order to celebrate her induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

"I'm making an album, too, because I have to live up to all of that hype," she said last December on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon".

"I'm very honored and very proud, and I'm good about timing, so I always thought I might want to do a rock record, because my husband is a rock and roll freak. So, anyway, I thought, 'Well, if I'm ever gonna do it, now's the time," she added.

Tentatively titled "Rock Star", Dolly's LP will include covers of classic rock tunes like "Purple Rain" by Prince, "Can't Get No Satisfaction" by THE ROLLING STONES, "Stairway To Heaven" by LED ZEPPELIN and "Freebird" by LYNYRD SKYNYRD.

During an appearance on "The View", Parton also shared that she collaborated with a number of fellow iconic artists on the album, including Paul McCartney, Steven Tyler, Stevie Nicks, Steve Perry, John Fogerty, P!nk and Brandie Carlile.

"If I'm gonna be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, I'm gonna have to do something to earn it. So I'm doing a rock and roll album, and I'm having a lot of the rock stars that I met that night be on the album with me," Parton explained.

Another heavy metal musician who said he was approached about contributing to Dolly's album is JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford, who joined Parton on stage at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony to perform her classic song "Jolene". Also appearing with them as part of a "super jam" performance were some of the other Rock Hall inductees, including Pat Benatar, Annie Lennox and DURAN DURAN's Simon Le Bon.

Speaking to TotalRock, Rob said: "After the show, her manager came up to me, Danny [Nozell], and he goes, 'She's doing a project, like a rock album. Would you be interested?' I said, 'Yeah. Here's my number.' And then, out of the blue, like four weeks later, and suddenly [there's] ideas for some more work."
Played bass on a song for Dolly Parton yesterday. Been back in the gym again to beat the jet-lag from the tour and enjoying family time.Had a great interview with Sweden Rock magazine and they might even feature some of my street photography. 👍🏽

— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) March 23, 2023

According to The Republic, an attorney for ICED EARTH's Jon Schaffer has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the guitarist by District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine in an effort to recover the millions of dollars the city spent to defend the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021 attack.

In a motion filed March 10 in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., the attorney representing Schaffer asked to join a series of motions to dismiss the lawsuit and some responses from other defendants, stating that the arguments made in those filings "similarly apply" to Schaffer. Those motions argue that the District of Columbia does not have standing to bring civil action against the defendants because the civil rights statutes cited in the District's lawsuit limit "standing to injured federal officials or officers, not a governmental entity."

"Defendant Jon Ryan Schaffer respectfully moves to join in the five motions to dismiss the amended complaint," Schaffer's motion, which was obtained by BLABBERMOUTH.NET, reads in part. "Defendant Schaffer asks to join these filed motions to the extent they pertain to allegations against him. The arguments set forth in the motions to dismiss similarly apply to Defendant Schaffer. Joinder to the motions to dismiss and their replies serve the interests to expedite and consolidate this matter and to avoid the repetition of filing a separate motion that would assert the same arguments as set forth in those motions and replies."

In December 2021, Racine filed a lawsuit against more than two dozen members of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, including Schaffer, over their role in the U.S. Capitol attack.

According to CNN, the lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., accused 31 members of the extremist groups of "conspiring to terrorize the District" on January 6, 2021, calling their actions "a coordinated act of domestic terrorism." The lawsuit cited the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, a federal law created after the Civil War to protect civil rights and, as Racine noted, "to protect against vigilantes and insurrectionists."

"I think the damages are substantial," Racine told The Washington Post at the time the lawsuit was filed. "If it so happens that it bankrupts or puts these individuals and entities in financial peril, so be it."

The 84-page complaint, which can be found at this location, described Schaffer as "a founding, lifetime member of the Oath Keepers." It went on to say: "Schaffer was criminally charged and indicted for his role in perpetrating the January 6th Attack. In connection with a promise to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in criminal cases related to the conspiracy to commit the January 6th Attack, Schaffer pleaded guilty to the entire Statement of Offense in the criminal action brought against him, which included two felony offenses: (1) trespass of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon and (2) obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress. The Criminal Complaint filed against Schaffer—as well as Schaffer's Plea Agreement and the accompanying Statement of Offense describing his conduct—are publicly available documents that are hereby incorporated into the Complaint by reference."

"No one bore the brunt of this gutless attack more than the courageous law enforcement officers including the men and women of the DC Metropolitan Police Department who went into the fire and violence with one objective in mind: remove the violent mob and restore our country's fragile democracy," Racine said at a news conference.

"The defendants, as you know, were not tourists, nor were they acting patriotically," he added. "They were vigilantes, members of a mob, insurrectionists who sought to crush our country's freedoms."

As part of his April 2021 plea deal, Jon entered into a cooperation agreement with the government.

Although Schaffer was initially charged with six crimes, including engaging in an act of physical violence and targeting police with bear spray, he pleaded guilty to only two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress; and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The first charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while the second carries up to a 10-year prison term.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer acknowledged that on January 6, 2021 he was in Washington to attend the "Stop The Steal" rally at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. to protest the results of the presidential election, which he believed were fraudulent. Schaffer wore a tactical vest and carried bear spray, a dangerous weapon and chemical irritant used to ward off bears. When the rally finished, Schaffer joined a large crowd that marched from the Ellipse to the Capitol, where a joint session of Congress, presided over by Vice President Michael Pence, was in session to certify the electoral college vote results. Shortly after 2:00 p.m., members of the mob forced entry into the Capitol building, disrupting the joint session and causing members of Congress and the Vice President to be evacuated from the House and Senate chambers.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer admitted that after arriving on Capitol grounds, he walked past barriers intended to restrict access to the public and to a set of locked doors on the Capitol's west side. At approximately 2:40 p.m., Schaffer positioned himself at the front of a crowd that broke open a set of doors being guarded by four U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers wearing riot gear. Schaffer admitted to being among the first individuals to push past the damaged doors and into the Capitol building, forcing officers to retreat. Schaffer and others advanced toward five or six backpedaling USCP officers while members of the mob swelled inside of the Capitol and overwhelmed the officers. The officers ultimately deployed a chemical irritant to disperse the mob. Schaffer was among the people who were sprayed in the face, after which he exited while holding his own bear spray in his hands.

As part of the plea deal, Schaffer agreed to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in related criminal cases, according to CNN. In return for Schaffer's assistance, the Justice Department might later urge the judge to show leniency during his sentencing.

As part of the agreement, the Justice Department has offered to sponsor Schaffer for the witness protection program.

The now-54-year-old musician was the first Capitol riot defendant to reach a plea deal.

The Indiana chapter of the Oath Keepers distanced itself from Schaffer after his arrest, claiming he was not a member of the local group. But the national organization, which sells lifetime memberships for $1,200, has not commented on his alleged affiliation with the group.

At a November 2020 Donald Trump rally in Washington, D.C., Schaffer was videotaped walking behind a Florida couple, Kelly Meggs and Connie Meggs, who were accused of being among 10 members of the Oath Keepers to have played a leading role in the Capitol assault. According to federal authorities, Kelly and Connie Meggs plotted for weeks ahead of the attack, attended training sessions and recruited others. Kelly Meggs was the head of the Oath Keepers' chapter in Florida.

Following the initial reports that Schaffer was involved in the riot, his ICED EARTH bandmates distanced themselves from his actions. Singer Stu Block and bassist Luke Appleton later posted separate statements on social media announcing their resignations. BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch also quit DEMONS & WIZARDS, his long-running project with Schaffer. The allegations also apparently affected Schaffer's relationship with his longtime record label Century Media, which had released albums from both ICED EARTH and DEMONS & WIZARDS. As of mid-January 2021, the Century Media artist roster page did not list either band.

SOIL bassist Tim King spoke to the "Everblack" podcast about the recent announcement that SOIL singer Ryan McCombs had rejoined DROWNING POOL.

McCombs originally hooked up with DROWNING POOL in 2005 and appeared on two of the band's studio albums, "Full Circle" (2007) and "Drowning Pool" (2010),as well as a live album, 2009's "Loudest Common Denominator". He rejoined SOIL after exiting DROWNING POOL in 2011.

McCombs is planning to continue to front SOIL and perform with both bands moving forward.

Asked by "Everblack" how Ryan will split his time between the two groups, Tim said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Let me just first start by saying there's absolutely no weirdness about it whatsoever. When we found out about it… It literally came together really fast; it wasn't some conspiracy in the works or anything like that. Their latest singer, Jasen [Moreno], had run his course, and they wanted to separate. And they were literally gonna either become a three-piece or figure out what to do. And then they were, like, 'Well, what if we asked Ryan to come back?' Because, actually, Dave's [late DROWNING POOL vocalist Dave Williams] gone; their second singer [Jason 'Gong' Jones] they didn't get along with. Ryan and them had their issues, but they patched them up over the years; it's been 12 years. So Ryan came to me and Adam [Zadel, SOIL guitarist] and said, 'Hey, SOIL doesn't tour a ton, and DROWNING POOL doesn't tour a ton, but I still wanna stay on tour. I wanna tour a lot.'"

Tim continued: "I have my record label with my business partner. I have Pavement Entertainment. I have a management company. Adam owns his own office furniture installation company. Ryan — God bless his soul — is just a hundred percent musician. So, SOIL, we still do [tour], but we don't do it like we used to; it's not a constant 'go, go, go'-type thing. So, Ryan has bills to pay, things to do. And the thing is DROWNING POOL is basically doing the same thing as SOIL; they all have other interests that they do. So between the two bands, we basically equal one full-time touring band. So for Ryan, who just wants to go out there and work and sing and stay active, it seemed like an okay thing. He had already been in that band for two records. He's with us. Nobody was trying to steal anybody from anybody. So we were, like, 'Okay.' As long as we can keep our schedules in tow and keep a good line of communication between the two bands, and Ryan wants to stay active and stay on the road all the time, well, then power be. Let's do it.

"Initially, the first time Ryan left, there was a little tension and some bad blood between us and DROWNING POOL — I mean, that's no secret — but as you get older and you live and you learn… I mean, we patched up our problems with them years and years ago," King revealed.

"I just was in New Orleans on a vacation, and DROWNING POOL was in town playing, and I went to the show and hung out with the guys and had a few beers and talked and laughed over old times and stuff. So it's all good.

"If it was a different situation, like our guitar player Adam or something wanted to tour in two bands or whatever, then we'd tell him to do it too," Tim added. "SOIL doesn't work a ton, and DROWNING POOL doesn't work a ton, so it worked out to where he will be able to do both with very little conflict between the two bands. And if there is any — we're adults now. We've been going for 26 years. As Nikki Sixx once said, instead of throwing a bottle of Jack Daniel's at each other's heads, we sit down and talk about things now. [Laughs] We're mature adults. And we'll figure it out. It's all good. We talked to the DROWNING POOL guys about it. We talked to Ryan. We talked to everybody involved about it. And all good vibes. It's gonna be a decent thing. I'm not worried about it. And if something does happen, we'll talk about it and we'll figure it out. Who knows? It's life. Anything can happen. But for now, all the vibes are good. Everything's great. Nothing's gonna change with either band. And SOIL is gonna still do what SOIL does and keep on doing it. And Ryan's gonna be right there with us in tow."

McCombs, who has lived in Swindon, England since 2018, played his first shows back with DROWNING POOL last Friday (March 17) at Club L.A. in Destin, Florida and Saturday, March 18, headlining the inaugural Throwdown At The Campground festival in Fruitland Park, Florida.

DROWNING POOL's first new record since 2016, "Strike A Nerve", came out last September via T-Boy/UMe. It marked the band's third album with Moreno, who joined DROWNING POOL in 2012.

DROWNING POOL addressed Moreno's departure in a social media post on March 16, writing: "We appreciate everyone asking about Jasen. We can't speak for him but we believe he was just ready to move on to other things in life. Maybe he will make a statement. Maybe he won't. Regardless, we wish him the best."

Fan-filmed video of Yngwie Malmsteen's March 9 guitar masterclass at Foufounes Électriques in Montreal, Quebec, Canada can be seen below.

In an interview with Tigman of WPDH Radio 101.5 FM in Poughkeepsie, New York, Yngwie was asked to name the best of the three singers he worked with early on in his career: Jeff Scott Soto, Mark Boals and Joe Lynn Turner. The legendary Swedish guitarist responded: "Here's the way I look at this. So I came to America in 1982 and I joined a band called STEELER. And then I formed a band called ALCATRAZZ. In January 1984, I signed a record deal as a solo artist. So from the point of January 1984, it was never a band — never. There was never a band called RISING FORCE. My first solo album was called 'Rising Force'. I had a band called RISING FORCE in Sweden in '79. And when I hired people for my solo stuff, I would write the bass parts, the drum parts, the guitar parts — obviously — the keyboard parts, the vocal parts and the lyrics. So like an ensemble, like an orchestra or whatever, or even for a performance on Broadway, there's a written piece and the performer is hired to perform the piece. If they, for some reason, don't work out, you put someone else in there.

"For some strange reason, somebody seemed to think that a) it was a band, and b) the guy that was supposed to be the singer at the time was Elvis Presley or something," he continued. "No. So I therefore, [in] 2012, decided I'm not gonna hire singers anymore and I sing myself. I said, 'Good luck to you, guys. See you. Bye.'"

When Tigman noted that none of the singers Yngwie hired over the years "worked out" in the long run, Malmsteen said: "Well, they seem to think because they're the singer and not the keyboard player they're Elvis Presley. And they will soon find out, in my outfit they're notElvis Presley and they will have to move on.

"It's an Yngwie Malmsteensolo career," he explained. "And even now, for the last album I even played all the instruments as well.

"Listen, it's not like, oh, yeah, I minimize these guys — they're all great; whatever — but the thing is that I'm like an artist like a painter or something. Leonardo Da Vinci didn't call someone, like, 'Hey, dude, can you come over and finish half of my painting?' And that's how I work — I paint the whole painting. That's how I work."

Malmsteen previously floated the Elvis Presley comparison in reference to his former singers during a 2018 press conference in Malaysia. Asked why he chose to handle lead vocals himself on his then-latest album, 2016's "World On Fire", he said: "When I started out when I was a kid in Sweden, I had a band called RISING FORCE, I was the singer. Then I came to America and I was playing with STEELER and ALCATRAZZ, they [had their own] singers.

"I always thought that singers have the Elvis Presley syndrome — they think they're Elvis Presley," he continued. "They're not Elvis Presley. Because I write the music, I write the lyrics, I write the vocal melody lines — I write everything. Just because I let somebody sing something doesn't mean they're more important than the bass player or the keyboard player or the drummer. Because I write all the parts — I write the drum parts, the bass parts, the keyboard parts, the guitar parts and the vocal parts — like a classical composer. And I really kind of got tired of dealing with their bullshit, really. So I decided to sing myself."

In 2017, Malmsteen gave an interview to Metal Wani in which the iconic axeman said that he had no interest in collaborating with vocalists like Jeff Scott Soto, Joe Lynn Turner and Tim "Ripper" Owens ever again. "I'm very comfortable singing myself, first of all," Yngwie said. "Secondly, there's a certain disconnect when you write the song and you have someone else sing it for you. And it's kind of like a fakeness about it. I always wrote everything — I wrote all the lyrics, I wrote all the melodies, everything; it's just somebody else sung it. And to me, the singer is nothing else than a different… like a bass player or a keyboard player — they're not more important than any other musician. And they, unfortunately, seem to think that they are. And I've kind of had it with their sort of… self-absorbed sort of way, and I'm very much against it. No. I don't like that. I don't like any of those people, and I don't like to do anything with them ever again."

In the days after Yngwie's original interview with Metal Wani was published on BLABBERMOUTH.NET, several of the guitarist's former singers — including Soto, Turner and Owens — responded on social media, with Turner describing Malmsteen's statements as "the rantings of a megalomaniac desperately trying to justify his own insecurity." This was followed by a retort from a member of Yngwie's management team, who wrote on Malmsteen's Facebook page that the three vocalists "came out enraged, spitting insults and profanities" at the guitarist because "Yngwie said something that they didn't like." The management representative added: "It's very unfortunate that these past hired vocalists must resort to mudslinging and insults to elicit any kind of media attention towards them. Such classless, puerile words are ungentlemanly at best and absolutely disgraceful at worst."

Malmsteen's latest album, "Parabellum", was released in July 2021 via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. Only four of the songs on the LP feature vocals. The album title is Latin, translating as "Prepare For War".

After working with some of the top hard singers of the past four decades, Yngwie now handles much of the lead vocals himself in his own band, backed by a lineup that includes keyboardist Nick Marino, bassist Emilio Martinez and drummer Brian Wilson.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has sold his Southern Nevada estate for $11 million.

Simmons put the home on the market in October 2021 for $14.95 million, but that price came down on November 17, 2021 to $13.5 million, on May 19, 2022 to $11 million and again on November 17, 2022 to $10 million. Gene paid a combined $10.8 million for the home and a lot adjacent to it back in May 2021. Among the improvements Simmons made to the Las Vegas house is installing all new floors and ripping up wall-to-wall carpeting in some of the rooms.

Speaking to TMZ about his decision to sell the home only five months after buying it, Gene said: "First I bought it because Mr. Biden [U.S. president Joe Biden] and Mr. Newsom [California governor Gavin Newsom] are looking to raise taxes to the point where if I work really hard to earn a legal dollar, I may get to keep 35 cents. So, California has become untenable. So I'd rather leave the money to my family and to charity and so on, so I wanted to move to Las Vegas. No income tax, no state tax, no local tax, no inheritance tax, beautiful place, great. Except for one thing — my family doesn't wanna go there. They're not gonna put up with the heat, and down the street, there's strippers and stuff like that. They don't wanna deal with any of that."

He continued: "I bought [the house] for 8.6 [million], then I bought the property next door for 2.4 [million] and planted 137 trees. So, guys, I can this for 25 or 30 million, but I'm blessed. I'd like to meet the person that's gonna wind up buying the place because I don't wanna just hand it over to some knucklehead. I want you to enjoy it and have a good life."

According to Gene, his wife and their two adult children prefer to stay at the family's other homes, an extensive portfolio which includes a modern lake house in Whistler, British Columbia, a home in Malibu and two houses in L.A. that Gene bought for the Simmons kids, Nick and Sophie.

"They're not fans of 115-degree weather," Simmons told The Wall Street Journal.

Because of KISS's touring schedule and his business travel, Gene said he never spent more than a few weeks total in Las Vegas. He went on to say that he had no regrets about selling the property so soon after the purchase, adding: "How many houses do you need anyway?"

According to TMZ, Simmons purchased a mansion in Beverly Hills, California in October 2021 for $10.5 million. The home occupies more than 7,000 square feet of living apace and an additional 1800 square feet of "sleek deck space." The sophisticated design allows for scenic views from the expansive kitchen, dining, living room, four bedrooms and five bathrooms, upstairs library/gallery space and a sliver of glass in the home theater. The home is one half solar powered, using roof panels to heat the pool and radiant heated floors.

In September 2021, Simmons sold his Los Angeles mansion for $16 million, almost a year after he first put it on the market for $22 million. He later relisted it for $25 million after it never sold and he reportedly invested a lot of money in making improvements.

Gene bought the Los Angeles property back in October 1986 for $1,337,500.

Simmons had been very vocal about his desire to leave California for some time due to wanting a quieter lifestyle and to get away from being listed on celebrity maps or having to deal with Beverly Hills tour buses. He also said that part of the reason he and his wife listed the two-acre property in Benedict Canyon because the home had become too big for the both of them since their children had grown up.

"It's a big property, and the kids were literally raised here," he said about the Beverly Hills house. "Now they've moved on, and they both have their own homes next to each other in the Hollywood Hills. They borrow a cup of sugar and all that. They love each other and support each other like the best kids you could imagine."

"They've got their own lives, and now we've got this big house. And if I want to talk to [my wife] Shannon, I've got to hit an intercom because she's at the other end of the house," he continued. "It's happy and it's also sad. When you're a kid and you live at home, you love your mom and dad, but at some point you've got to move out. It's sad because you're moving from home, but you're also looking forward to the future, and we really hope the next family that lives here is going to get as much joy as we have from this place."

Gene and Shannon were married in 2011 after dating since 1975.

Gene, Shannon and their kids all appeared on the reality TV series "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" from 2006 until 2012.

Photo credit: courtesy of Stetson Ybarra Photography

Fan-filmed video of former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens's February 25 performance in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, México can be seen below.

Owens recently released a solo EP, "Return To Death Row". The effort was produced by Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and Nick Bellmore (JASTA, DEE SNIDER). Players on the EP, which contain Owens's "heaviest songs yet," include Nick Bellmore, Charlie Bellmore (DEE SNIDER, ex-TOXIC HOLOCAUST) on guitar, and Chris Beaudette (JASTA, ENTEIRRO) on bass.

Owens is currently the frontman of KK'S PRIEST, featuring fellow former JUDAS PRIEST member K.K. Downing.

Owens joined PRIEST after being discovered when the band's drummer, Scott Travis, was given a videotape of him performing with the PRIEST cover act BRITISH STEEL. JUDAS PRIEST at the time was seeking a replacement for Rob Halford.

Owens recorded two studio albums with JUDAS PRIEST — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before the band reunited with Halford in 2003.

"Demolition" and "Jugulator" are included on "50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music", JUDAS PRIEST's 2021 limited-edition box set which contains every official live and studio album to date plus 13 unreleased discs.

In a recent interview with the "Heavy Metal Mayhem" radio show, Owens addressed the fact that he is a often a magnet for controversy with some of the things he says or posts on social media. He said: "I think the problem is I use a lot of humor [when I do interviews or post things on social media]. It's funny, you say something 10 years ago or five years ago, and people still talk about it.

"Nobody knows me. They don't really know me politically," Tim continued. "They don't know me personally. They don't know what I do [or] who I am. They just know the Tim 'Ripper' Owens who does these interviews.

"What gets me in trouble is I kind of like to use a lot of humor, so I'm always saying something funny, and the next thing you know it's taken out of context.

"It is what it is. And that's what you have to deal with," Owens added. "You post something — even if it's a positive thing… Listen, I've lost a lot of weight [and I posted something about it on social media]. It's a positive thing, and I'm really healthy and taking care of myself. And then people even knock that. You read headlines… And it was a nice, positive thing. Blabbermouth took it off my Instagram and posted it and said I lost 50 pounds and blah, blah, blah. And it was nice; it wasn't like they took it and made something bad out of it. I don't ever read comments — ever — but this one I thought I would, to see how people can actually make this a bad thing. And, of course, they did. And that's just what they do. And you deal with that."

Tim went on to say that he is "definitely" more careful about what he says publicly nowadays. "I've watched what I've said now for probably the past three or four years," he said. "I still get in trouble; I still say something [that gets people riled up].

"Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a guy that talks [publicly] about politics," Owens clarified. "I used to like posts or say a few things in the past, but I don't talk [publicly] about politics, just because it doesn't matter if you're left or right or middle, whatever you say, the left, the right or the middle is gonna attack you. So it's kind of a silly thing. But whatever you say, that's just the way it is nowadays. People, they like to hate; they're never positive. But with that being said, that's five to 10 percent of the people. I mean, it depends on the headline on social media, because that might be more, but a lot of times, what happens is you happen to gravitate toward the negative stuff that people say about you more than the positive stuff, and I think that's the bad thing.

"When people say to me, 'I don't like you. You suck. You can't sing. You have a bad stage presence,' this and that. But that's not true. That's not true," Tim said. "If you just said, 'I don't like it. I don't like his singing,' okay, I can live with that. That's fine — I can live with that. You don't like me. That's fine. There's a lot of singers I don't like either. But I wouldn't say that, though. The difference is I don't go on somebody's page and go, 'Jesus, look at you.' Or, 'Man, that's a terrible record.' I don't do that. I'm not that stupid. But when people say I can't sing, they need to open their fucking ears, because I can sing just about anything."

Hoy Salón SUTERM frente a plaza del sol

Posted by Zona Zero Tuxtla on Saturday, February 25, 2023

Ahead of BABYMETAL's forthcoming concept album "The Other One", due March 24, the Japanese pop-metal group has released the LP's fifth single, "Mirror Mirror". The official lyric video for the song can be seen below.

Last year BABYMETAL was "sealed" from the world after a successful 10-year journey. In April 2022, "The Other One" restoration project began to recover the BABYMETAL we never knew existed within a virtual world called the Metalverse. A total of 10 songs have been discovered within "The Other One" restoration project, with each song representing a unique theme based on 10 separate parallel worlds that they have discovered.

"Mirror Mirror" follows previous singles "Light And Darkness", "Metal Kingdom", "Divine Attack - Shingeki -" and "Monochrome".

BABYMETAL is preparing for its next performance on April 1 and April 2 at Pia Arena MM. Their first day is named "Black Night" and their second day is named "Clear Night". At their previous show, they conveyed that together with the departure into a new world, a new metal will be born. We will continue to see what the future will unfold for BABYMETAL.

BABYMETAL will make a return to the live scene alongside SABATON and LORDI on their European tour in April and May.

"The Other One" track listing:

01. Metal Kingdom
02. Divine Attack - Shingeki -
03. Mirror Mirror
04. Maya
05. Time Wave
06. Believing
07. Metalizm
08. Monochrome
09. Light And Darkness
10. The Legend

BABYMETAL was formed in 2010. Their mission was to unify the world through heavy metal by creating a fusion of heavy metal and the Japanese pop genre. Their music contains a stunning mix of electronic pop, a pinch of alternative and industrial rock, and is leveled up by fast-driven heavy metal. Their live shows are ground-breaking and epic visual as well as sound performances. BABYMETAL continued to travel the path of metal with the international release of their three albums, telling the story of the mighty Fox God and his brave metal warriors.

A book about the first ten years of BABYMETAL, "Bessatsu Kadokawa Souryoku Tokushuu", was released in Japan in October 2020. It contains a long interview with Su-metal and Moametal as well as never-before-heard stories from band producer Kobametal from BABYMETAL's decade-long history, photos taken from live shows, a discussion between Demon Kakka and Kobametal, and much more.

BABYMETAL's third studio album, "Metal Galaxy", came out in October 2019 via earMUSIC/Edel. The follow-up to 2016's "Metal Resistance" was based on the concept of "The Odyssey Of Metal Galaxy".

In 2018, BABYMETAL announced the departure of Yuimetal, who was formerly one of the members of the Japanese group's core trio. She exited the band, explaining in a statement that she would go on to pursue a solo career as Mizuno Yu.

In a new interview with Robert Cavuoto of Myglobalmind, Biff Byford spoke about SAXON guitarist Paul Quinn's recent decision to "step back from touring". The SAXON frontman said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, it's gonna be a change. The thing is it wasn't a surprise. It was talked about for a few years now that he might retire. And the thing is the band are getting bigger, and we're busy and we're doing longer tours and bigger venues. I just think he wants to rest now. So it wasn't really a shock. We talked about it a few times, the fact that he gets very tired quite quickly. There's a lot of pressure on you when you're touring in a band. So, he's gonna be around. He's gonna be doing show till the end of the year with us, and he's gonna doing the new album with us. So pretty much he will be there, but not there, if you know what I mean."

Asked if SAXON is "actively auditioning" guitarists to replace Quinn on the road, Byford responded: "No, not at the moment. We're gonna put somebody in who's been around for a long time and can play great guitar. We want somebody who's from that same era — the '80s era — so I'm gonna let people guess on that."

As a result of Quinn's decision, SAXON canceled its April 2023 South American tour as well as the appearance at the Monsters Of Rock cruise.

When Paul's departure was first announced on March 10, SAXON said in a statement: "After much soul searching our great friend and fellow warrior Paul Quinn has decided to step back from touring with SAXON. After many years on the road, with the subsequent stress and tiredness that accompany long tour schedules, Paul doesn't want his performance to suffer and let his fellow band mates and fans down. Paul will continue to record with the band and may play select special shows in the future.

"SAXON stand by Paul's decision and will keep you all informed regarding our next journey.

"The current run of March shows in Europe will continue as is but the band will be cancelling their April dates in South America and the MOR Cruise to give time to re-group. These territories will be re-booked as soon as time permits. All summer festivals will continue as booked."

Quinn alluded to his decision on March 9 in a since-deleted Facebook post. He wrote: "You need to know I will miss you & my SAXON co-workers for the great times on and off stage, so with regret I will leave while I can still hold my head high and not worry about my fingers or brain forgetting riffs, keys or stumbling over licks, as they do occasionally. I am not taking this lightly, and I want to do SAXON proud, whilst continuing to love and play music with THE CARDS and other projects."

THE CARDS is a classic rock trio which Quinn founded in 2016 with DORO/U.D.O. alumnus Harrison Young, and VANDENBERG drummer Koen Herfst. They are currently poised to release their second album this year.

Four years ago, the now-71-year-old Quinn reflected on over four decades of being in the group in an interview with HeadBangers LifeStyle. He said: "Lots of road miles and air miles. It feels great to be relevant still. We always have a blast and I think the audience know that we are one of them. We are one of those party bands that they like. That always helped to get the message across, and Biff shouting at them occasionally. We've always had good members and good songwriters. The present band is included, and we’ve made some good stuff together, I think."

SAXON's new album, "More Inspirations", will arrive on March 24 via Silver Lining Music. Following the release of "Inspirations" in 2021, "More Inspirations" is the second "deep dish" serving of the influences which have fed SAXON's immensely successful 40-plus-year career.

Produced by Biff, with Seb Byford helping record the music alongside mixing engineer Jacky Lehmann, "More Inspirations" includes takes on RAINBOW, ZZ TOP and CREAM, as well as "Razamanaz" by NAZARETH, THE WHO's "Substitute", and URIAH HEEP's "Gypsy".

Byford and Quinn are the sole remaining original members in SAXON's current lineup.

Originally from South Yorkshire, England, SAXON has gone on to sell about 23 million albums and has produced such classic songs as "Denim And Leather", "Princess Of The Night", "Wheels Of Steel" and "Power And Glory".

*NSYNC singer Joey Fatone and STEEL PANTHER's Michael Starr engaged in a sing-off during the latter band's concert on March 10 at Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida. Fan-filmed video of Fatone's appearance can be seen below.

Fatone had joined STEEL PANTHER on stage a number of times in the past, including in December 2020 at Ace Café in Orlando when he performed the song "Girl From Oklahoma".

STEEL PANTHER's sixth studio album, "On The Prowl", was released on February 24.

The band's "On The Prowl" world tour 2023 kicked off in February and will run throughout North America through April. CROBOT and TRAGEDY are joining the band on the trek. STEEL PANTHER will take a short break before bringing the party to the United Kingdom and Ireland in May.

In September, STEEL PANTHER announced the addition of Spyder as the band's new bassist.

The group's music has been described as "VAN HALEN meets MÖTLEY CRÜE meets RATT meets 'Wayne's World', complete with operatic shrieks, misogyny, shredding guitar solos and libidinal overdrive."

Fifteen years ago, STEEL PANTHER changed its name from METAL SKOOL to its current moniker and shifted the focus of its act from '80s metal covers to originals.

In a recent interview with Germany's Rock Antenne, Starr was asked if he ever gets "bored of being a parody of rock bands." He responded: "I love playing heavy metal. It's the most exciting job in the world for me. I've always dreamed about doing this — being on stage and being able to go all over the world with my buddies and play for people that like our music. It's really cool.

"Before we got signed by Universal, we were writing songs, and they were going, 'No. No. No.' They never signed us," he continued. "And then finally we were, like, 'You know what? Fuck it! We're gonna sing about what we wanna sing about. We're gonna sing about what we're thinking.' And once we did that, we got signed right away and we put out 'Death To All But Metal', and the rest is history.

"So, I don't care if people think it's a joke or a parody or whatever — who fucking cares?" he added. "It's STEEL PANTHER at the end of the day.

"No, I'm not bored. I love it."

On March 21, SKID ROW stopped by Gator 98.7 FM's Gator Garage at iHeartRadio Performance Studio in West Palm Beach, Florida for a VIP performance and question-and-answer session. Video is now available below.

During an appearance on a recent episode of "The BlackSheep Podcast", SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo spoke about how the introduction of the band's latest addition, Swedish-born singer Erik Grönwall, brought about a rejuvenated energy and a burst of creativity that had been previously missing for quite some time.

"One of the great things about the way the band is now is that we've already started writing for the next record," Snake said. "I mean, there's four potential songs for the next record already. And who knows whether they'll make it or not. We've never done that before. So that's kind of where everybody's head is at. We're really staying in the moment, but we're also utilizing this newfound energy, shall I say, to be really creative and productive.

"We always kind of went by write the record, record the record, tour, get off tour and get done with touring, write the record, record the record, tour. That's been kind of the way that we've worked," he explained. "But not this time. We're actively writing. Erik is a very creative guy. He's a really good guitar player. So it really helps. We're exchanging ideas back and forth again and writing during soundchecks and things like that. So it's been nothing but positive."

Grönwall famously went from auditioning for the competition show "Swedish Idol" back in 2009 by singing a cover of SKID ROW's "18 And Life" to now fronting the band.

Grönwall joined SKID ROW as the replacement for ZP Theart, who had been in the group for more than six years.

In March 2022, SKID ROW released its first single with Grönwall, "The Gang's All Here". The song is the title track of the band's latest album, which arrived in October via earMUSIC.

SKID ROW recorded most of "The Gang's All Here" in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among many others.

Grönwall, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021 and was declared cancer free six months later after receiving a bone marrow transplant, released his cover version of "18 And Life" that same month via all streaming platforms.

Last May, Snake was asked by The Aquarian Weekly if it helped that Erik was a huge SKID ROW fan and knew all the songs coming into the band. He said: "Oh, he knew the songs. He did his homework. That's another thing — he has this incredible work ethic. His story is incredible. He's the one that deserves to tell his own personal path, but he has such an amazing appreciation for music and for singing. It shows. He's not just up there singing and doing a job. He's living it. He's living those lyrics and owning all of that stuff. That's one of the things that we noticed with the songs on the new record is that he owned it. He owned it. We finished the vocals while we were in Las Vegas [opening for the SCORPIONS in March and April 2022] because we had such great success with him doing it remotely from Sweden with our producer Nick Raskulinecz that we said we can do it on our days off to finish the record. We did a bunch of different vocal tracks and did some comping and stuff, but it wasn't a lot of takes. That's for sure. Rachel [Bolan, SKID ROW bassist] and I were in the studio and were, like, 'Man, we don't even need to be here.' That's how much he owned these new songs. You can see the live performances too. He owns our whole catalog as well."
It's a Gator Ticket to Rock Weekend with your chance to win access for two to our private performance with #SkidRow live from the Gator Garage! Listen all weekend long for the hidden contest page. LISTEN: https://t.co/eQ2GVtKcvDpic.twitter.com/f1q97Zm9ub

— 98.7 The Gator (@gator987fm) March 18, 2023

THE GEMS, the new Swedish rock band featuring former THUNDERMOTHER members Guernica Mancini (vocals),Emlee Johansson (drums) and Mona Lindgren (bass),made its live debut last night (Wednesday, March 22) at Pustervik in Gothenburg, Sweden as the support act for THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

THE GEMS sees Lindgren returning to her original instrument, the guitar. Playing bass at last night's show was THE GEMS' friend and collaborator Johan Randén.

Earlier today, Mancini shared a photo of the Pustervik show and she wrote in an accompanying message: "Last night was amazing! After all that has happened and we so quickly got on our feet and just regrouped and kept pushing, I'm so extremly proud of us @trumemlee and @demonaofficial! This is just the begining & I know the future is bright because I get to make and play music with you two.

"A million thanks to @voxbybjorn and @nightflightorchestra for giving us this opportunity and believing in us! I'm Forever grateful.

"Thanks to @jranden who not only has written amazing music with us but also helped us out on bass last night. And last but absolutely not least I'm beyond happy about this new found friendship with @donnacannoneofficial you guys rock!

"Thank you Gothenburg".

THE GEMS are planning to release their debut single, "Phoenix", in April.

Regarding the "Phoenix" single title and how it relates to the trio's sudden and unexpected exit from THUNDERMOTHER, Guernica recently told Germany's Metal Hammer magazine (translated from German): "We wanted a hopeful and positive first single. There's a light at the end of the tunnel. This is how we felt as we struggled through this dark period of our career."

Mancini and Lindgren also noted that THE GEMS' live performances will include material from THUNDERMOTHER's last two albums, 2020's "Heat Wave" and 2022's "Black And Gold", both of which featured songwriting contributions from Guernica and Emlee.

Last month, it was announced that Mancini, Johansson and Lindgren were exiting THUNDERMOTHER and would form a new band together. At the same time, guitarist Filippa Nässil revealed that she would continue with a new THUNDERMOTHER lineup featuring singer Linnéa Vikström (THERION, AT THE MOVIES) and returning bassist Majsan Lindberg. Filippa has also since recruited Joan Massing (HONEY CREEK) as THUNDERMOTHER's new drummer.

Mancini, who joined THUNDERMOTHER in 2017, reflected on her split with the band in an interview with Canada's The Metal Voice. Asked when she first had a feeling that things were not as they should be within THUNDERMOTHER, Guernica said: "It's a tough question to answer. I would say like this, that it's never been great for me. And it's been six tough years. But regardless of that, I don't regret anything. I still had amazing experiences with the band. And I wouldn't take anything back, 'cause I've grown and I've become the singer that I am. And there are so many positives to that. So even though it has been a very bumpy ride, I still think that it's been a beautiful ride. Because it does teach you a lot about yourself, and you grow as a human."

She added: "When you go through something that's tough and hard for you, you can either choose to learn from it and try to do something positive with it. And that's kind of what I'm aiming to do for myself."

When asked by host Jimmy Kay if she is saying that she was unhappy for six years, Mancini replied: "Not a hundred percent unhappy. It's been [up and down]. Definitely I've questioned how my dream of doing music and everything that I love so much and hold so dear had to be so tough. But in my mind I've always thought that it's probably the price you pay for getting these experiences or whatever. But I think that it doesn't necessarily have to be that. But like anything in life, nothing is gonna be happy and roses all the time. You go through things. It's normal."

Guernica also addressed the fact that Emlee and Mona both voluntarily left THUNDERMOTHER, once they found out Mancini was being kicked out of the group.

"It does make me feel [good], but I also felt really guilty… I felt guilty because I knew the opportunities that they were giving up because of this, but they had their own reasons," she said. "They did this completely on their own. And the problems that we've had in the band, they're not just something that is between [Filippa] and I; it's something that's been brewing and been there always. So when this happened, they also felt that it was very disrespectful towards them, being that they believed that we were a democracy and that we had a say in these things. She more or less [told] them, 'I wanna do this, and I've already found a new singer.' And that's when Emlee just said, 'I don't wanna play with another singer. And if you're gonna go ahead and do this, I'm gonna leave the band.' And that's what she did. And Mona felt the same way."

Guernica added: "I love [Emlee and Mona], and I'm forever grateful. I wouldn't have expected anything, but I also feel like I'm so blessed. Honestly, I'm so incredibly grateful that they are my new band. And they are the two that I enjoyed working with. And I have so much fun with them. And we already had two songwriting days, and we had just so much fun. And it was drama free. It was just a dream. And it's just, like, this is what a band is supposed to be."

Mancini then clarified: "We've had our differences. If you don't fight with your family and friends, that's kind of weird in itself. And we have. But we always… we say 'sorry', and we move past it. And our relationships always grow stronger and stronger and stronger. And that's, I think, the testament of a real, solid, healthy relationship. And that's how it is with them. So I'm really grateful that we have something and we get to continue playing together."

Guernica previously discussed her departure from THUNDERMOTHER last month in an interview with the "Rock And Roll Geek Show". Regarding how she found out she was being fired from THUNDERMOTHER, Guernica said: "I was blindsided. It's almost like I'm in an episode of fucking 'Survivor'. [Laughs]

"I got an e-mail [letting me know that I was no longer in the band]. I had a feeling it was coming because the week prior, [Filippa] had taken me off all our social media accounts. And I thought we had gotten hacked. I wrote to the group; I was, like, 'Girls, I think we're getting hacked. I can't get into our e-mail or Instagram — none of the accounts.'"

Asked if Filippa had any issues with Guernica's live performance or what she was doing on stage, Mancini said: "No, that's not something that I've… no information that I've received. I think that there's nothing you can complain about my performance or my singing, 'cause I've always brought my 'A game.' And if you have problems with that, I think that's strange, considering that's something that people really enjoy and respect the band for. So I think that would be weird."

Clarifying that the reasons for the split were "a hundred percent personal", Guernica revealed that "a lot of things happened behind my back, and I was the last one to know… Like there were meetings behind my back, trying to convince my fellow bandmates that I'm an awful person, I'm all these things that I'm not."

When interviewer Michael Butler noted that all the girls in THUNDERMOTHER looked like they were getting "along really well" when they were supporting the SCORPIONS on a tour of North America last fall, Guernica said: "I deserve an Oscar nomination for my acting. [Laughs]"

According to Mancini, she is still "really close" to Emlee and Mona. "We're actually really good friends, and that's the best part of my time in THUNDERMOTHER," she said. "Me and Emlee, she's legitimately one of my best friends. And Mona has become a really good friend as well. And we have a mutual respect and similar work ethic and we want the same things. We just work together. I just feel like, if anything, it's really lovely and positive that we have each other and that we all feel the same way and we all have had the same experiences and the reasoning behind not feeling great in the band as it was."

Asked how Emlee and Mona found out Guernica was being fired from THUNDERMOTHER, Mancini said: "[Filippa] had a secret meeting behind my back. She just told the girls, 'I wanna fire Guernica, and I already have a new singer.' And the girls were, like, 'Woah. Hold up. Wait a second. We did not sign up for that. And we thought we were a democracy in this band,' because that's something that we'd been told and that's how we've done everything.' So they were shocked."

Earlier this month, Nässil shared a six-minute video in which she addressed some of the questions surrounding the departures of Mancini, Johansson and Lindgren as well as her decision to carry on with a new lineup. She said in part: "Some stuff you read online and even now in some magazines is true and some stuff has more to it," she explained. "I mean, there's a depth to what happened and it's impossible to read in a few lines or a quote from someone. And I wanna assure you and tell you guys that I did my absolute best to work everything out between the old members. I think we should be conscious in what we're saying and trust that I have done my absolute best for peace, love and rock and roll and I did everything in my power to work it out with the previous bandmembers.

"I would never throw anybody under the bridge. I think that's another private matter. What happened has been behind the curtain, so to speak, so it's not everything that people need to know about or should know about because it's just unnecessary to throw stuff at each other, I think."

"I'm thrilled to have Majsan back, who's done hundreds of shows with me in THUNDERMOTHER. She's the THUNDERMOTHER bass player. And I'm thrilled to have Linnéa Vikström, my friend since many, many years, on vocals. And we have a great new drummer we will announce soon. She likes great bands like CLUTCH, FOO FIGHTERS, BLACK CROWES and stuff like that, so a really groovy drummer. And I can't wait for the future."

Nässil went on to say that all the previously announced THUNDERMOTHER concerts "will happen. Not a single canceled show. Everyone has faith in THUNDERMOTHER and so should you.

"We are super stoked to tour with the SCORPIONS in Europe again and doing our own shows," she added. "So that's something we're doing right now — rehearsing."

According to Filippa, she and her new bandmates are "hoping to release a new song before" they hit the road, but she acknowledged that this may be hard to pull off as "it's crazy hectic right now."

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West Coast metal veterans METAL CHURCH will release their 13th studio album, "Congregation Of Annihilation", on May 26 via Rat Pak Records (America) and Reaper Entertainment (Europe). The new album marks the first release since the tragic death of legendary frontman Mike Howe who passed in July of 2021. It also marks the first album with new vocalist Marc Lopes (ROSS THE BOSS, LET US PREY) who came on board in the summer of 2022, and features the current lineup of founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bassist Steve Unger and drummer Stet Howland. The new songs are a return to the band's musical roots harkening back to the vibes of the self-titled first album and "The Dark". "Congregation Of Annihilation" was produced by Vanderhoof and is now available for pre-order in various bundle configurations.

Vanderhoof comments: "This new album is starting a new chapter in the METAL CHURCH legacy. I really love this album. It's a fresh approach for us in one way, but also a return to the very beginnings of METAL CHURCH as part of the New American Thrash Metal movement. This record contains some of the most aggressive songs we have recorded. I hope the fans will like it as much as we do."

Lopes adds: "I am beyond honored to be part of carrying on this legacy into a new era of METAL CHURCH. Working with Kurdt and a band that was a huge influence of mine growing up was a surreal experience, to say the least. For me there was no point in trying to imitate what was already done to perfection. So, with respect to the past, we moved forward to a new chapter and here we are!"

"Congregation Of Annihilation" features nine all new tracks from METAL CHURCH and continues to build upon their iconic sound the band established over three decades ago. Infused with intelligent lyrical content, thundering guitar riffs, and Marc's aggressive soaring vocals, "Congregation Of Annihilation" furthers the bands sonic evolution up to the next level and is guaranteed to enthrall metal music fans around the world. From the first guitar riff of album opener "Another Judgement Day" through the driving outro of album closer "All That We Destroy", it is clear METAL CHURCH is back and better than ever. "Congregation Of Annihilation", "Children Of The Lie" and "These Violent Thrills" showcase the sonically charged songwriting that made the early METAL CHURCH albums such fan favorites. Haunting musical opuses "Me The Nothing" and "Making Monsters" each puts the musicianship that METAL CHURCH was known for on full display in 2023. The album also features two bonus tracks: "My Favorite Sin" and "Salvation".

The official lyrics video for the LP's first single, the anthemic "Pick A God And Prey", can be seen below.

"Congregation Of Annihilation" track listing:

01. Another Judgement Day
02. Congregation Of Annihilation
03. Pick A God And Prey
04. Children Of The Lie
05. Me The Nothing
06. Making Monsters
07. Say A Prayer With 7 Bullets
08. These Violent Thrills
09. All That We Destroy
10. My Favorite Sin (bonus track)
11. Salvation (bonus track)

When Lopes's addition to METAL CHURCH was first announced in early February, Vanderhoof wrote in a social media post: "We auditioned a handful of vocalists and while they were all great, Marc quickly became the clear choice.

"Both David Wayne and Mike Howe had a very unique, irreplaceable quality to their voices, so we were not looking for a clone of either. We wanted someone new, who could embrace the past, and also bring something fresh and exciting to the mix.

"Marc brings a very classic yet modern feel to the songs and we are looking forward to getting this new album out to you later this year [via Rat Pak Records]!"

Howe was found dead at his home in Eureka, California in July 2021. According to TMZ, Howe's official cause of death was determined to be asphyxia due to hanging. A spokesperson for the Humboldt County Sheriff's Dept. told the site authorities are calling it a suicide. He was only 55 years old.

When Mike's death was first announced, TMZ stated that cops in Eureka got a call just after 10 a.m. on July 26, 2021 reporting an unexpected death at a home. By the time deputies arrived, they found Howe dead at the scene.

According to police, drugs and alcohol are not believed to be factors in the death and no controlled substances or paraphernalia were located at the scene.

Four days after Howe's death, the surviving members of METAL CHURCH shared a statement on social media in which they blamed his suicide on the fact that he "was victimized by a failing health-care system and subsequently poisoned by the venom of Big Pharma," a term which refers collectively to the global pharmaceutical industry. "In short and in essence, he fell prey to the real 'Fake Healer'."

METAL CHURCH's statement was quickly met with criticism from some of the band's fans who felt that the long-running metal act was using Howe's death as a platform to assert its political views. As a result, METAL CHUCH pulled its original post from social media and replaced it with a revised version, in which the musicians said they were "in no way, shape or form referring to anything in relation to vaccinations, COVID or politics. We were saying our brother was hurting and while he was seeking medical care for it, the treatments he was utilizing did not protect him," they wrote. "Otherwise, he would still be with us today."

Howe, who fronted METAL CHURCH from 1988 until 1994, officially rejoined the band in April 2015.

Prior to joining METAL CHURCH more than three decades ago, Howe spent two years fronting California metal act HERETIC.

The reunion between Mike and METAL CHURCH was put in motion in July of 2014 when Mike started working with Vanderhoof on a side project Kurdt was forming with Nigel Glockler from SAXON. Through these initial conversations, Kurdt convinced Mike to ultimately return to METAL CHURCH. The idea was to see if they could recapture some of the magic from the three albums METAL CHURCH released in the late '80s: "The Human Factor", "Blessing In Disguise" and "Hanging In The Balance". Out of those sessions, 2016's "XI" was born and captured the sound that made the band fan favorites in the '80s and mixed it with a new, invigorated sound.

METAL CHURCH's latest release was "From The Vault", which arrived in April 2020 via Rat Pak Records. The effort was a special-edition compilation album that featured 14 previously unreleased songs from the Howe era, including four newly recorded studio tracks, among them a redux of the band's fan favorite classic "Conductor".

Howe is not the first singer of METAL CHURCH to die. David Wayne passed away in May 2005 from complications following a car crash. He was 47 years old.

Wayne sang on METAL CHURCH's first two classic offerings (1984's "Metal Church" and 1986's "The Dark") before leaving the group and being replaced by Howe.

Left to right in photo: Stet Howland (drums),Steve Unger (bass),Marc Lopes (vocals),Rick Van Zandt (guitars),Kurdt Vanderhoof (guitars)

Photo credit: Rat Pak Records

On April 7, 2023, Paul Gilbert will release an album celebrating one of heavy metal's greatest icons when he releases "The Dio Album" via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. To get another taster, check out Gilbert's take on RAINBOW's "Man On The Silver Mountain" below.

It was pure chance that led Paul Gilbert to recording the music heard on latest release "The Dio Album". The American guitar virtuoso, best known for his masterful fretwork in chart-topping hard rockers MR. BIG and high-octane trailblazers RACER X — as well as numerous solo records — was in his car when he saw something that made his heart start beating faster in a moment of unexpected, unadulterated joy. This was not a high value item of interest or even particularly rare, simply a baseball cap with the word "Dio" emblazoned across the front. Sometimes, even for the biggest of guitar legends, it's the little things that hit us in the most profound ways.

On his drive home, a plan was being formulated. Why not capture all of that raw energy and excitement on an album devoted to Ronnie James Dio's most celebrated tracks — spanning across his career from RAINBOW to BLACK SABBATH and the singer's own solo endeavors? Gilbert is no stranger to instrumental music, but an entire album dedicated to replicating well established and world-famous vocal melodies on his trusty six-string genuinely felt like new territory. This was already shaping up to be a challenge that he would truly relish.

It would be fair to say human voices don't come much more magical than Ronnie James Dio's. He was a man who brought a sense of classical finesse to loud and heavy music, ultimately laying down the blueprint for generations and generations of rock singers to come. Taking on the daunting challenge of mimicking those distinguished vocal lines down to a tee — each legendary performance decorated with its own idiosyncrasies and nuances — actually involved unlearning some of the technical precision that turned Gilbert into a household name for guitar players in the first place.

"The Dio Album" consists of 10 standout and career-defining tracks, from "Neon Knights" and "Long Live Rock 'N' Roll" to "Holy Diver" and "Man On The Silver Mountain". As well as analyzing Ronnie James Dio's electrifying vocal melodies, Paul also enjoyed paying tribute to three incredibly talented guitar legends — Tony Iommi of BLACK SABBATH, Ritchie Blackmore of RAINBOW and Vivian Campbell from the DIO band, who has been a member of British stadium rockers DEF LEPPARD since 1992.

"Playing all these metal riffs like 'Stand Up And Shout', 'Neon Knights' and 'Kill The King' gave me serious chills," grins Paul. "The guitar parts of Ritchie, Tony and Vivian brought no small number of goosebumps." "These amazing riffs are the steel girders of the songs, upon which everything else rests," smiles Paul. "It had been a while since I'd been this deep into metal rhythm guitar playing, and it felt like I was digging up gold nuggets of fire with a magic platinum shovel. All while wearing a star-covered wizard hat! The guitar solos in these songs came screaming from distant mountaintops. Ritchie, Tony, and Vivian set the standard breathtakingly high."

Engineered by Zach Bloomstein with Paul handling all of the instrumentation, save for Bill Ray's inspired drum work, "The Dio Album" is undoubtedly the most sonically accurate tribute to the songs that made Ronnie James Dio a bona fide rock and roll legend. In order to truly hone in on the late singer's essence, Paul Gilbert dissected many of the melodies line by line, throwing every inch of himself into the music. It was the only way to capture every ounce of the energy and emotion.

"Just like he sang: 'The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams... it's Heaven and Hell!' Thank you, Ronnie, and long live rock and roll."

"The Dio Album" track listing:

01. Neon Knights
02. Kill The King
03. Stand Up And Shout
04. Country Girl
05. Man On The Silver Mountain
06. Holy Diver
07. Heaven And Hell
08. Long Live Rock 'N' Roll
09. Lady Evil
10. Don't Talk To Strangers
11. Starstruck
12. The Last In Line

Australian metalcore trailblazers THE AMITY AFFLICTION will release their new album, "Not Without My Ghosts", on May 12 via Pure Noise. To celebrate the news, the band has shared the video for "It's Hell Down Here". Watch it below.

"It's Hell Down Here" address mortality — a topic frequented several times on the album. It also boasts the vocal dynamics and pummeling breakdowns that are the band's signatures.

THE AMITY AFFLICTION vocalist Joel Birch states: "This song is a letter from myself and Ahren [Stringer, bass/vocals], written by me, to our friends who have passed on to the other side."

He continues: "I'm 41. I'm bipolar. And I'm pretty tired of it. That's where lyrics like 'Like a snake I tire / the cold dark clouds, they steal my light' come from. The song is wrapping up how I feel daily, and reflecting on the time leading up to my friend killing himself. I'm sure a lot of people who have experienced that guilt at not seeing what becomes glaringly obvious after the fact."

The album boasts multiple features — something the band has not incorporated into a release in quite some time — including late New Zealand rapper Louie Knuxx, who passed away in 2021, as well as COMEBACK KID's Andrew Neufeld, THE PLOT IN YOU's Landon Tewers, and Phem.

"Not Without My Ghosts" track listing:

01. Show Me Your God
02. It's Hell Down Here
03. Fade Away
04. Death And The Setting Sun (feat. Andrew Neufeld)
05. I See Dead People (feat. Louie Knuxx)
06. When It Rains It Pours (feat. Landon Tewers)
07. The Big Sleep
08. Close To Me
09. God Voice
10. Not Without My Ghosts (feat. Phem)

In a recent interview with AndrewHaug.com, Birch revealed that the "Not Without My Ghosts" title is something that he "ripped off. It's from this art show in Sheffield. And I was just walking past and I saw it, and I just wrote it into my notes. And I never went in or anything," he said.

Birch went on to say that he wants to make it clear that he didn't come up with the phrase himself. "I'll tell everyone. I don't care about that shit. You've gotta credit people," he explained. "I didn't come up with that, but that did inform the direction for my lyrics. 'Cause I was, like, 'Oh, fuck. That's something I can apply to my past behaviors, my past experiences — everything; past traumas and everything.' One of the lines on one of the songs is 'I have to carry on but not without my ghosts.' That's sort of the overarching theme, I guess, of the record."

The singer, who has been diagnosed with the bipolar II disorder, a condition in which people experience patterns of hypomanic episodes, which are briefer and less severe than full manic episodes, along with depressive episodes, elaborated on the meaning of the "Not Without My Ghosts" for him, saying: "You can help it sometimes. No amount of therapy can excise [your ghosts]. It's sort of discussing how to move forward despite them. So happiness despite trauma."

Last November, THE AMITY AFFLICTION shared a powerful new song, "Show Me Your God", which will appear on "Not Without My Ghosts". Speaking about the single, Birch said: "'Show Me Your God' is the first song of our first self-produced record. The song is the first in a series of explorations and internal meditations on how our past shapes us and interacts with our various mental struggles in the present, drawing from both personal experience and also the trauma of close friends who have passed away or who have dealt with close loved ones passing away."

THE AMITY AFFLICTION will appear at several festivals this year, including Louder Than Life in September and Aftershock in October.

Since emerging in 2008 on the debut "Severed Ties", THE AMITY AFFLICTION has served up two ARIA gold-certified albums, "Youngbloods" (2010) and "Chasing Ghosts" (2012),and earned a platinum certification from ARIA for the seminal "Let The Ocean Take Me" (2014). "This Could Be Heartbreak" (2016) marked the band's second consecutive Top 30 debut on the Billboard Top 200 and went gold in Australia, while "Misery" (2018) elevated them to new critical heights and most recently "Everyone Loves You...One You Leave Them" (2020) showed the band returning to their heavier side and saw the group's total stream tally surpass a billion.

Power / progressive metal band Immortal Guardian continue building the anticipation for their next opus, sporadically issuing new material it completes as we head towards a late summer release of the band’s next full album. Today, the group unveils “Roots Run Deep” along with a corresponding music video. To heighten the experience, the group has enlisted the services of famed vocalist Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear, ex-Gamma Ray) who guests alongside Immortal Guardian singer Carlos Zema.


Recording independently and remotely, the quartet is assembling the follow-up to 2021’s successful Psychosomatic track-by-track and sharing the material as it is completed, along with visually captivating music videos, that again the self-contained group produces themselves. Check out “Roots Run Deep” on all streaming / download services, including Spotify, and watch the following clip.​







“This Super Metal style song brings together the powerful vocals of Mr. Scheepers with Immortal Guardian’s signature sound to create an epic and inspiring anthem,” explains Carlos. “’Roots Run Deep’ takes us on a journey back to a time when we were all united before our differences and conflicts divided us. It reminds us that we all share a common history and that as a society we must learn to survive the separations and unite to conquer. With a message of hope, unity, and perseverance, ‘Roots Run Deep’ encourages us to make the world a better place. So let us embrace our shared history and let this song inspire us to make a positive change in the world. Thank you for watching this powerful and inspiring video.”


“’Roots Run Deep’ is about the levels of today’s division. Black and white, religion vs religion, left vs right, rich and poor, war and peace, etc.,” further explains guitarist / keyboardist Gabriel Guardian. “The world is so divided right now and what we want more than ever is unity. This song is about putting our differences aside and remembering that we are all humans just trying to survive. We all just want a happy life, and that would be more likely to happen if we all just agreed to disagree and respect each other and celebrate the things that make us all so different and unique.”





Heavy topics are not unfamiliar to Immortal Guardian whose previous album focused on the Covid pandemic, likely the first full album to be thematically linked to the disease and its effect on the globe and its people.


In the past year, Immortal Guardian has revealed four other brand new songs including “Perfect Person”, “Ozona”, “Echoes” and “Southern Rain”, forming a basis for their next conceptual piece, Unite And Conquer. The band will continue to share new material as the creative process proceeds to build up to a new full-length album planned for late summer 2023. Watch for pre-orders soon for CDs and limited-color vinyl variants. More info will be released by Immortal Guardian and M-Theory Audio in the weeks and months to follow. 














Immortal Guardian is:


Gabriel Guardian – guitars / keyboards
Carlos Zema – vocals
Justin Piedimonte – drums
Joshua Lopez – bass


For further details, visit Immortal Guardian on Facebook.


(Photo credit - Arturo Pina)


 

After releasing their full-length debut, Seething Malevolence last year, Northeastern death metal outfit Vomit Forth are back today with a video for the album track, "Pain Tolerance". Directed by Peter J-T, the clip can be viewed below.





Vomit Forth comments: "This song is about dealing with the trauma of existing in the modern world. You have to develop a thick skin or you might end up hurting yourself or everyone around you, and it's an exploration of everyone's limits when it comes to that. Everything seems parasitic and harmful now. People's self-worth and mental health is constantly picked at and eroded by social media and unrealistic expectations."




Currently on tour with Upon Stone, Vomit Forth are making their way across the USA this spring, before appearing at Baltimore's Hell in the Harbor festival in May.





Dates:


March
17 – Louisville, KY – Triple Crown Pavilion (LDB Fest)
18 – Kansas City, MO – Farewell
19 – Denver, CO – Hi Dive
20 – Salt Lake City, UT – Ace’s High Saloon
21 – Las Vegas, NV – Eagle Aerie Hall
22 – San Francisco, CA – Thee Parkside
23 – San Fernando, CA – Midnight Hour
24 – Tempe, AZ – Cornish Pastry
25 – Albuquerque, NM – Eclipse
26 – Ft. Worth, TX – Tulips FTW
27 – Memphis, TN – Hi Tone 





(Photo - Paul Longo)

Norway’s Vulture Industries have unveiled the first offering from the band’s upcoming new album. The dark progressive metal quintet have announced that their new LP, Ghosts from the past, will see a June 16 release, and the first single, “New Lords Of Light”, is out today.


The new record, which will be released on Dark Essence and distributed via RedEye, is the band’s first full-length release since 2017’s Stranger Times.


Speaking about the record’s first single, the band shares:




“Starting life with the working title ‘For Roky’, I felt this one had a haunting feel, reminiscent of Roky Erickson. This was back during the pandemic summer of 2021, and I remember listening to early versions of the track in my car, driving up and down the west coast with my kids in the back. Processing the song in this way probably had a defining influence on the final product, so in the end it turned out upbeat and energetic, yet bound in somber atmosphere that harkens back to the ‘80s.”


Commenting on the themes and external influences that inspired the creative process for Ghosts from the past, the band states:


“(This album) was written and recorded in a period of big changes, both in our personal lives and in the world around us, this album is somehow a mirror of this. It reflects fear of a world spinning out of control, and sense of powerlessness in the face of world order falling apart. Crumbling only to be replaced by old ideas fronted by autocratic warlords with no sight in mind but their own power and legacy.”


Detailing the journey of recording the LP, the group adds, “With a writing and production period that started in 2018 and ended last year, the process was our longest haul to date, and for a long time we felt lost and struggling to find a sense of direction. Now, having finished the mix and mastering some months ago, it is a great relief to have some distance from the process and I would say ('Ghosts from the past') is our strongest album to date. We hope you enjoy what is essentially a piece of our soul.”


Ghosts from the past draws a line from childhood spells of dark mystery and a sympathy for the outcast, to a present where monsters hide under your bed. Waiting, not to prey upon the sleeper, but to hide from the monstrosity of the day. Pulling on a wide range of influences; from dust-riddled Spaghetti Westerns accompanied by Ennio Morricone, past the monochrome melancholia of apocalyptic post-punk, through deep valleys and steep hills shrouded in progressive darkness and a Nordic noir looking to solve the murder of the truth.


Tracklisting:


“New Lords Of Light”
“Saturn Devouring His Young”
“This Hell Is Mine”
“Deeper”
“Right Here In The Dark”
“Not By Blood But By Words”
“Tyrants Weep Alone” 


“New Lords Of Light” video:

Bergen based, progressive metal band Drott have just released the first single from their new album Troll. The band, consisting of Arve Isdal (Enslaved), Ivar Thormodsæter (Ulver) and Matias Monsen, present the song “Våkenatt” featuring Kristian Espedal on vocals.


The track is accompanied by a haunting music video that can be viewed below.


The band's second full-length Troll explores the realms of old myths and trolldom, while unveiling a new direction in their music. The album will be released on May 19 and can be preordered at bynorsestore.com.







Tracklisting:


“Troldhaug”
“Allting”
“Våkenatt”
“Til Stein”
“Det Ser”
“Solskodde”
“Mara”
“Troll”
“Nattas Blot”
“Sabbat”
“Fornjots Born”
“Grotten”
“Natt”


“Våkenatt” video:

Detroit, MI-based rock band, Artificial Agent, have released an official music video for "Pop Culture Disruptor", the title track of the band's latest album, Pop Culture Disruptor, out now. Watch the clip below:





Artificial Agent released 200 hot pink vinyl records to coincide with the music video. You can get more info about the vinyl on Artificial Agent's Facebook page, here.







"Pop Culture Disruptor" is the second single released from the album, The first was "Down And Out", and you can find a lyric video for the song below.


Artificial Agent has been nominated for multiple Detroit Music Awards in 2023:


- Outstanding Heavy/Hard Rock Artist Or Group  
- Outstanding Rock Recording (Pop Culture Disruptor)
- Outstanding Anthology/Compilation/Reissue (Various Artists - "WLLZ Motor City Rocks 2022" Featuring Artificial Agent's song "Do You Love Me Or What?")





Beating at 90 miles an hour, Artificial Agent's heart of rusted metal hemorrhages oil and spews acrid fumes. Pop Culture Disruptor will hit you in the face like a tennis racquet strung with barbed-wire if you don't bend the knee. Here's your warning.





Tracklisting:


"Pop Culture Disruptor"
"Down And Out"
"Off The Deep End"
"Headed For Disaster"
"No One Lies To Me"
"Do Or Die"
"Don't Breathe"
"Tight Rope"


"Down And Out" lyric video:





Lineup:


Derek Jendza - Lead Vocals
Mike Elgert - All Guitars and Vocals
Brad Jendza - Bass Guitar and Vocals
Karl Crafton - Drums

During a latest edition of "The Nightly Nuge", a news-style clip in which Ted Nugent offers his take on the news of our world every night, the legendary rocker was asked to weigh in on the prospect of former U.S. president Donald Trump being arrested on Tuesday (March 21) as New York prosecutors consider charges over a hush money payment to a porn star. The 74-year musician, an avid Trump supporter, said: "Put on your truck light. Put on your porch light. Carry a lantern. We need to stand strong. And if they wanna arrest President Trump, we need to not protest; we need to not put on rallies… Because Antifa, Black Lives Matter and these imported Chinese nationals and Somali nationals who are coming across our open border, as orchestrated by Biden Satan gang, they are ready to do battle. "

Nugent went on to call for nonviolent forms of protest in anticipation of a Trump arrest in Manhattan this week, suggesting that they make their voices heard in other ways instead of demonstrating on the streets.

"Do not go into battle — yet," Ted said. "Remain peaceful and shine a positive, loving, patriotic light on the darkness, as perpetrated by this Satan Manhattan D.A., and let them show their cards, because if it all goes down as it's already headed for, the trajectory is that… we will win this election with this great President Trump in a landslide. Because Satan has made his move; now Michael The Arcangel can make ours."

Perhaps referencing the fact that Trump on Saturday called on his supporters to protest in response to a potential arrest, echoing the calls Trump made for protests in Washington, D.C., in response to his 2020 election loss, Nugent said: "America, I have thought non-stop diligently. God has sent me for times like this. He has sent you for times like this. Put on the armor of the Lord. Remain peaceful. Remain strong. Remain spiritual. Pray like you've never prayed before, and in a loving, supportive, civil manner, convince anybody in your life — family, friends, co-workers, people at church or school… Some churches are actually coming out for the Satanism of child molestation and drag queens, under auspices of church. So we are surrounded by pure evil.

"You know what? I'm loading up my truck right now. Improvise, adapt and overcome," Ted continued. "Pray, remain forceful for Constitution, Bill Of Rights, truth, logic and common sense to your elected employees, and let the other side show their terrorism. Let the other side show their hate and their dishonesty. We should remain peaceful and support Donald Trump like never before. He is the answer.

"Donald Trump was sent for times like this, as Putin and Xi are meeting and galvanizing the evil empires against what was once the shining city on the hill. Let's remain positive and bring light to their darkness.

"There are so many examples we can give how the left has not prosecuted thousands of Democrats that have done far worse on film, recorded, evidence drenched, than anything Donald Trump has ever done, and no one goes after the Democrats," Nugent claimed. "Hunter Biden. Are you kidding me? Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama. Eric Holder running guns, illegal guns to the Mexican drug cartels. I could go on and on and on.

"So, remain positive."

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels claims that she had an affair with Trump, which he has denied. Last week, Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, testified to the grand jury that Cohen paid Daniels $130,000, for which Trump's business, the Trump Organization, later reimbursed him. An indictment from the Manhattan District Attorney's office would focus on the attempt to cover up the payment by falsifying records.

Last December, Nugent received the "Great American Defender Of Freedom" award from Trump at American Freedom Tour's Winter Gala at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.

Nugent previously spoke about his admiration for America's 45th president in an October 2020 interview with InfoWars' "The Alex Jones Show", hosted by noted conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. At the time, he said: "I genuflect at the altar of this great man. He is just pulling off miracle after miracle. He's really touching the heart and soul and representing the heart and soul of the best American families out there. Just praise God for that. This is one of those divine intervention moments, like the founding fathers. Believe me when I tell you that.

"I've been so honored and humbled to spend time with the great man," Ted continued. "There's something very spiritual about this crazy guy. I say 'crazy' — he's crazy like you; he's crazy like me; he's crazy like this welder I know down the road that, no matter what welding job you have, he shows up early and he welds something that will never break, and then he goes to his next welding job, and he leaves a vapor trail of high energy, of positive spirit.

"The energy from this president… Like the founding fathers defined the history of slavery and tyranny and kings and emperors and despots, that was divine intervention, Alex. And I've witnessed this great commander-in-chief Donald J. Trump, and he goes from rally and rally, and he gets up there with piss and vinegar and vim and vigor… You should see the sparkle in this man's eye."

Nugent went on to say that Trump's appeal lies in his image as the bold, no-B.S. boss who tells it like it is and cuts a fair deal.

"Here's the bottom line: the most admirable attribute of a human being is believability," Ted said. "If you believe this man, you believe he believes in what he says and that he represents your beliefs, that identifies President Donald J. Trump. This man just wants to renegotiate global contracts to benefit the United States. He wants the United States to be the winner. He wants to have fair deals, and he wants to have fair trade. He wants to benefit the United States Of America, because this is the last best place. If we turn it over to the freaks like [Nancy] Pelosi and [Joe] Biden and [Kamala] Harris, if we turn it over to them, we are Venezuela overnight."

Nugent added: "[Trump] sees the threats to the American Dream. He sees the oath violating by elected employees who have turned the corner into criminality, from [Barack] Obama to [Eric] Holder to [Loretta] Lynch to Lois Lerner to Adam Schiff, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton — we go right down the list of these gang bangers. I mean, it's MS-13, Black Lives Matter, Antifa in the Democrat party… [Trump] sees the threats to America and he's gonna use every maneuver, every trick, every law he can to stop the Marxists. He's saving his family from the wolves. That's his motivation."

A former board member of the National Rifle Association, Nugent has drawn intense criticism for his controversial past remarks, including telling then-president Barack Obama to "suck on my machine gun." He also made inflammatory remarks about Hillary Clinton, calling her a "devilbitch" who "hates everything good about America."

In a lengthy Facebook post in 2016, Nugent said Obama and Clinton should be tried for treason and hanged over their handling of the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya.

In 2019, Nugent defended Donald Trump after the then-U.S. president was accused of making racist remarks about Democratic congresswomen from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.



President Trump says he expects to be arrested tomorrow by a Soros backed DA in New York. How should we react if this happens? Leave to Uncle Ted to provide clear, calm and sane advice to every America who values truth, logic and common sense.

Posted by The Nightly Nuge on Monday, March 20, 2023

Dez Fafara says that DEVILDRIVER will not be able to play this year's edition of the U.K.'s Bloodstock Open Air festival due to health issues related to his battle with COVID-19.

Fafara explained DEVILDRIVER's decision to pull out of the event after it was announced that his other band COAL CHAMBER was going on tour with MUDVAYNE this summer.

Earlier today, Dez released the following statement via the Bloodstock Open Air social media:

"Hello Bloodstockers, this is Dez from DEVILDRIVER.

"In 2021, I came down with Covid which left me with heart problems. I had to live downstairs in my house, as I could barely walk more than a few feet without collapsing. I, in fact was saying goodbye to my family at the time and didn't think I would pull through.

"I took 2022 off and very slowly started to walk one block, then two blocks, and had to fight my way back very hard - it took me 14 months to get to a point where I could perform again on stage.

"My cardiologist (who saved my life) has asked me to not take any long flights this year at all as we monitor the situation. It has been a very long road for myself and my family, but am returning to form. Even on tour [in the U.S.] now with DEVILDRIVER, I must do the show, then go straight to my bunk to rest, as I still have inflammation in my lower heart and it's that what's preventing me from taking flights overseas. So it is with the heaviest of hearts that DEVILDRIVER must pull down our long awaited Bloodstock performance. I am sorry if this causes any inconvenience and I hope within the next 12-24 months to get the all clear from my doctor to fly and tour overseas.

"I want you all to know it's thinking about touring, being on stage again, and playing music that's actually helped me to survive this.

"I love you all please be good to each other and I'm grateful for any prayers you can send our way as they will certainly be well received. We certainly would not be pulling out had health not come into play.

"We sent Bloodstock a mail regarding this a little ago, but due to us being on a tour bus, we have now realized it went to our outbox and had not sent, so that's where the confusion is with COAL CHAMBER announcing US shows at that time. We see Bloodstock as extended family to us and feel horrible our mail didn't get sent.

"Stay blessed, Dez Fafara".

According to University Hospitals, COVID-19 is known to cause a variety of cardiovascular problems in some patients, including inflammation of the heart muscle, known as myocarditis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in September 2021 research showing patients with COVID-19 had nearly 16 times the risk of myocarditis compared with patients without COVID-19.

Earlier this year, researchers from Columbia University in New York City examined autopsied heart tissue from people who had COVID-19, and found that the infection damaged the way cells in the heart regulate levels of calcium, a mineral that plays an important role in how the organ contracts and pumps blood throughout the body. In another part of the study, the same damage was seen in mice with COVID-19.

MUDVAYNE's "The Psychotherapy Sessions" tour, with support from COAL CHAMBER, performing for the first time in eight years, along with GWAR, NONPOINT and BUTCHER BABIES, will kick off on July 20 in West Palm Beach at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, making stops across the U.S. in Syracuse, Albuquerque, Phoenix, and more before wrapping up in Englewood, Colorado at Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre on August 26.

DEVILDRIVER will release its tenth full-length, "Dealing With Demons Vol. II", on May 12 via Napalm Records.

Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer

Unfortunately, we have to share that both Nonpoint and DevilDriver have pulled out of Bloodstock this summer.

Putting...

Posted by Bloodstock Festival on Wednesday, March 22, 2023