Axl Rose joined country-pop superstar Carrie Underwood on stage last night (Monday, March 13) at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California to perform the GUNS N' ROSES classic "Welcome To The Jungle". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brian May was officially knighted by King Charles earlier today (Tuesday, March 14).

The 74-year-old King made the legendary QUEEN guitarist a Knight Bachelor during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London. May was awarded the honor for his services to music and charity.

"No words," May wrote in an Instagram post, sharing a photo of him smiling as King Charles placed a sword on his shoulder.

The 75-year-old guitarist, who famously played "God Save The Queen" on the roof of Buckingham Palace during the Golden Jubilee, before performing again at the Platinum Jubilee two decades later, was one of 1,100 individuals recognized in the King's 2023 New Year Honours List, an annual tradition celebrating the achievements and service of exceptional individuals from across the United Kingdom.

May told Sky News he's "pretty happy" his royal journey will "end up with a sword on my shoulder".

He described the knighthood as a "kind of challenge", saying: "I think that's the way I regard it, to do good in the world and do better than I've done before."

The musician, astrophysicist and animal welfare advocate said of all his achievements, he was "probably most proud of the tiny things that we have achieved for animals. It's an ongoing thing, and I'm hoping the knighthood will help."

May was previously appointed a CBE in 2005, while QUEEN drummer Roger Taylor was made an OBE in the 2020 New Year Honours.

Brian told BBC News: "This is a kind of license, a kind of commission to carry on doing what I'm doing, and it gives me a bit more power to my elbow. So I'm very happy about that."

Becoming a knight or a dame is one of the highest-ranking awards in the British honours system. Both of these ranks entitle their members to use the title of Sir for men and Dame for women before their forename. This honor is awarded to those who have made major contributions to any activity, usually at a national level. Knighthoods and damehoods are traditionally presented with a touch of a sword by the King.

Other musicians who have been awarded the prestigious honor include Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Ringo Starr, Sir Mick Jagger, Sir Elton John, Sir Rod Stewart and Sir Tom Jones.

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THUNDERMOTHER guitarist Filippa Nässil has released a video statement in an attempt to "shed some light" on the band's recent split with singer Guernica Mancini, drummer Emlee Johansson and bassist Mona Lindgren.

Early last month, it was announced that Mancini, Johansson and Lindgren were exiting the acclaimed Swedish all-girl act and would form a new band together. At the same time, Nässil revealed that she would continue with a new THUNDERMOTHER lineup featuring singer Linnéa Vikström (THERION, AT THE MOVIES) and returning bassist Majsan Lindberg.

In recent weeks, Mancini, who joined THUNDERMOTHER in 2017, gave several interviews in which she described her time with the group as "six tough years" and "a very bumpy ride". She also said that Filippa decided to fire her from the band without consulting the other members of THUNDERMOTHER, a move which they perceived as "very disrespectful towards them, being that they believed that we were a democracy and that we had a say in these things," according to Guernica.

Earlier today, 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 (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've seen a lot of negativity going on the last few weeks, and I would like to shed some light over it all.

"I am fully, fully aware of the situation that's going on right now on the web and in magazines, and I'm a little bit shocked, actually, because everyone who knows me and who met me knows I am just a nice person, a good person.

"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.

"As we couldn't communicate, I invited to sit down for a coffee," Filippa said. "And when that didn't happen, I invited to meet with an expert of relationships as a third party, but we couldn't communicate in the end. When there's no joy, happiness or communication, and I tried to communicate, it's not a functioning band. And the band is everything to me. I've done it almost half my life now, THUNDERMOTHER, and it's a part of my identity. THUNDERMOTHER is about having fun, playing rock and roll and meeting you lovely people.

"I'm sure many of you met me on the road. We had a drink together, shook hands. That's who I am.

"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, the new THUNDERMOTHER drummer will be announced "within a week." She and her new bandmates are also "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."

Earlier this month, Mancini, Johansson and Lindgren announced that they have launched a new band called THE GEMS. Mancini and Lindgren told Germany's Metal Hammer magazine that THE GEMS, which sees Lindgren returning to her original instrument, the guitar, is planning to release its debut single, "Phoenix", in April. 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.

Guernica 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]"

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."

On February 2, Nässil released the following statement via social media: "The last year has been full of adventures, new impressions and we have made memories that will last forever. Unfortunately our journey ends in the constellation known to you until today and a new chapter will be written for THUNDERMOTHER with both old familiar and new faces and for sure a lot more adventures and memories to come.

"After seven years of being together, we unfortunately came to the decision that our paths lead in different directions. Guernica, Mona and Emlee will focus on their own careers and I wish them nothing but the best of luck.

"I am thrilled to announce that our bass player Majsan who left for studies 1,5 years ago has finished and will rejoin!

"I am happy to announce that THUNDERMOTHER could win Linnéa Vikström (THERION, AT THE MOVIES) with her incredible power, her extraordinary voice and her charming manners as a new singer for THUNDERMOTHER!

"We are beyond excited and looking forward to the future filled with a new positive energy and with these girls by my side the future is going to fucking rock.

"Let's show the world that there is so much female talent out there and let's give the girls a heart-melting warm welcome to THUNDERMOTHER! Rock must live on!"

Guernica, Emlee and Mona also released a joint statement regarding their departures from THUNDERMOTHER. "It's with a heavy heart that we are writing this," they said. "Filippa has made the decision that Guernica's time in THUNDERMOTHER is over. Because of this, and the lack of agreement regarding the decision-making process in the band, Emlee and Mona have decided to leave THUNDERMOTHER.

"Filippa will continue with a new THUNDERMOTHER lineup. Guernica, Emlee and Mona will continue playing music together and are forming a new band.

"To all the people who have been a part of this journey; Guernica, Emlee and Mona want to say thank you for the support, we love you all. We are so grateful for everything that we've experienced with THUNDERMOTHER, and hope you all will support our separate journeys.

"We understand how hard it is to read this. This is by far one of the toughest situations we've had to go through and right now we are mourning the loss of a big part of our lives. We humbly ask you to be kind and respectful. Thank you for your understanding."

Following the release of their latest album, "Black And Gold", last summer and countless live shows alongside an extensive tour with iconic SCORPIONS in North America last fall, THUNDERMOTHER recently announced plans to team up with SCORPIONS for more European live dates, as well as headline gigs on the "Black And Gold" tour 2023.

"Black And Gold" was recorded at Baggpipe Studios in Stockholm, and was mixed and mastered by Søren Andersen at Medley Studios in Copenhagen.

Last November, Mancini released her first solo single "Inception" via Golden Robot Records.

American metal act ICED EARTH will release two new EPs on April 28 via ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records. Titled "Hellrider" and "I Walk Among You", these releases will include rare recordings from the transition phase between singer Tim "Ripper" Owens and predecessor/successor Matt Barlow in 2007 and 2008, a particularly exciting and eventful period in ICED EARTH's band history.

The "Hellrider" EP consists of the songs "Prophecy", "Birth Of The Wicked" and "The Coming Curse", originally from the album "Something Wicked This Way Comes" (1998),voted one of the best power metal records of all time by Metal Hammer. In late summer 2007, all three tracks were re-recorded, featuring Owens.

The second EP "I Walk Among You" includes the studio tracks "Setian Massacre", "A Charge To Keep" and "The Clouding" from the 2007 album "Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part I)", which were remixed and remastered in 2008 and feature the then-recently returned Barlow. In addition, there are the live tracks "Dark Saga", "Pure Evil" and "Iced Earth", cut at the 2008 Graspop Metal Meeting and also featuring Barlow.

ICED EARTH comments on the EPs: "Before now, these releases hadn't been issued on anything other than CD. Now they've been remastered, with new artwork, new mastering, new formats on vinyl, picture disc, and they'll be available for digital download for the first time."

Both EPs will be made available on various vinyl formats and will also be released as a two-in-one digipack CD and 2LP picture disc combo.

"Hellrider": Produced by Jon Schaffer and Jim Morris. Engineered and mixed by Jim Morris. Cover art by Monte Moore and Roy Young. Layout by Roy Young.

"I Walk Among You": Produced by Jon Schaffer and Jim Morris. Engineered and mixed by Jim Morris. Cover art by Sun Khamunaki. Layout by Roy Young.

Track list CD:

"Hellrider" (feat. Tim "Ripper" Owens)

01. Prophecy
02. Birth Of The Wicked
03. The Coming Curse

"I Walk Among You" (feat. Matt Barlow)

04. Setian Massacre
05. A Charge To Keep
06. The Clouding
07. Dark Saga (Live at Graspop 2008)
08. Pure Evil (Live at Graspop 2008)
09. Iced Earth (Live at Graspop 2008)

Track list 2LP Picture Disc:

Side A:

"Hellrider" (feat. Tim "Ripper" Owens)

01. Prophecy
02. Birth Of The Wicked
03. The Coming Curse

Side B:

• "Exclusive Artwork"

Side C:

"I Walk Among You" (feat. Matt Barlow)

01. Setian Massacre
02. A Charge To Keep
03. The Clouding

Side D:

01. Dark Saga (Live at Graspop 2008)
02. Pure Evil (Live at Graspop 2008)
03. Iced Earth (Live at Graspop 2008)

"Hellrider" vinyl track list:

Side A:

01. Prophecy
02. Birth Of The Wicked
03. The Coming Curse

Side B:

• "Exclusive Etching"

"I Walk Among You" vinyl track list:

Side A:

01. Setian Massacre
02. A Charge to Keep
03. The Clouding

Side B:

01. Dark Saga (Live at Graspop 2008)
02. Pure Evil (Live at Graspop 2008)
03. Iced Earth (Live at Graspop 2008)

"Hellrider" lineup:

Jon Schaffer - Rhythm, Lead, Bass Guitars, Backing vocals
Tim Owens - Lead Vocals
Brent Smedley - Drums
Tim Mills - Guitar Solos

"I Walk Among You" lineup:

Jon Schaffer - Rhythm, Lead, Bass Guitars, Backing vocals
Matt Barlow - Lead Vocals
Brent Smedley - Drums
Troy Seele - Guitar Solos

"Graspop Raw 2008" lineup:

Jon Schaffer - Rhythm Guitar, Backing vocals
Matt Barlow - Lead Vocals
Brent Smedley - Drums
Troy Seele - Lead Guitar
Freddie Vidales - Bass Guitar

Nearly two years ago, Schaffer pleaded guilty to his role in the U.S. Capitol riot.

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.

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

According to an April 2021 Justice Department press release, Schaffer has "acknowledged he is a founding lifetime member" of the right-wing Oath Keepers extremist group.

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

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.

Metal Justice Tokyo has shared video of Deep Purple's entire March 13th show in Tokyo, Japan at the Budokan. Check it out below.


The setlist on the night was as follows:


"Highway Star"
"Pictures of Home"
"No Need To Shout"
"Nothing At All"
"Uncommon Man" 
"Lazy"
"When A Blind Man Cries"
"Anya"
"Perfect Strangers"
"Space Truckin'"
"Smoke On The Water"




Encore: 
"Hush"
"Black Night"

Vocalist Chris Barnes and guitarist Jack Owen of death metal veterans SIX FEET UNDER are "just about done" writing the band's next studio album. According to Barnes, the material is shaping up to be "incredibly fucking heavy."

SIX FEET UNDER's 17th full-length album, "Nightmares Of The Decomposed", was released in October 2020 via Metal Blade Records.

Barnes previously stated about "Nightmares Of The Decomposed": "Working again after 25 years writing an album with my old bandmate from CANNIBAL CORPSE, Jack Owen, was like coming home... to a room full of dead bodies. Jack's writing and riff work on this album gave me the fuel to write some disturbing lyrics and really set my creative mind on fire."

Comprised of 12 tracks, "Nightmares Of The Decomposed" was tracked at various studios, including Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, which over the years has played host to the likes of AC/DC, BLACK SABBATH and AEROSMITH, among others. It was produced, engineered and mixed by Chris Carroll, while the album's mastering was handled by Chaz Najjar at Badlands Recording in Denver, Colorado. The finished product came packaged in artwork by Luke Hunter.

Barnes exited CANNIBAL CORPSE in 1995, one year after the release of the band's "The Bleeding" album. Six years ago, he told "The Chainsaw Symphony" radio program about his departure: "I just didn't like being around them, because I was being ridiculed, and I just didn't feel comfortable being in the same room with people that weren't very nice to me personally. And I was part of that too, so we had all of our own type of differences, personally, and I don't think it was gonna be able to be worked out. You know, mutual respect goes a far way when it comes to being in close quarters with people."

Owen left CANNIBAL CORPSE in 2004, explaining in a statement that his "heart just wasn't in it anymore, and it was reflected in my appearance on stage. Times change, and I just don't enjoy the music as much as I used to, and the only thing keeping me in the band was steady work, and the pay," he said. "These things makes it unfair to myself, my band members, and especially the fans."

After Barnes left CANNIBAL CORPSE to form SIX FEET UNDER, he was replaced in the former band by George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher.

Photo credit: Gustavo Abdiel Torres
#spoilerAlert 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨@OwenExplosion and yours truly are just about done writing the
New Six Feet Under album
and it’s INCREDIBLY FUCKING HEAVY. pic.twitter.com/3NfTq1lT8J

— Chris Barnes (@sixfeetofficial) March 13, 2023

A new video of IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson rehearsing an orchestra version of "Tears Of The Dragon", the first single from his second solo album, 1994's "Balls To Picasso", can be seen below.

Dickinson will take part in a performance of Jon Lord's "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" on nearly a dozen dates in March and April. The concerts will be performed by a symphony orchestra consisting of more than 80 instrumentalists conducted by Paul Mann, a close friend of Jon's, and assembled especially for the occasion with members of OSESP (Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo) and some of the country's main symphony groups. They will appear alongside Kaitner Z Doka (JON LORD, IAN PAICE, DON AIREY) on guitar, Bernhard Welz (JON LORD, DON AIREY) on drums, John O'Hara (JETHRO TULL) on keyboards, Tanya O'Callaghan (WHITESNAKE) on bass and Mario Argandonia (SCORPIONS) on percussion.

In a video announcing the "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" shows, Dickinson said: "So I'm really excited to be doing this Concerto For Group And Orchestra all around the place — around Europe and in Brazil.

"Well, what is it exactly? Well, it's about a 45-minute piece of classical music that was written by Jon Lord from DEEP PURPLE involving a group; in this case, it was DEEP PURPLE," he explained. "And it's like a meeting of minds between a rock and roll band and an orchestra, and they play slightly separately, they play together. I'm basically just the singer in the part of the Concerto that is the singing part; that's basically part one of the show. Part two, we kind of really let our hair down a bit. There's a couple of more classical interactions between the band that's more instrumental, and then we do five PURPLE songs with the orchestra and the band, so 'Perfect Strangers', 'When A Blind Man Cries', obviously, 'Smoke On The Water', 'Hush' and 'Pictures Of Home', which is a rarity and it's amazing with the orchestra. And then we're also gonna do something a little bit special. We've done an orchestral arrangement of my version of 'Jerusalem' and also 'Tears Of The Dragon' with the orchestra and the band. So, those two are gonna be in there at end — no particular order at the moment. So it's a really good, amazing evening of fantastic playing by incredible musicians. And that's what it is — it's music."

The dates are as follows:

March 15 - Sala Palatului, Bucharest, Romania
March 18 - National Palace Of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria
March 19 - National Palace Of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria
March 22 - Sports Hall Mirza Delibasic, Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
March 24 - Hall Drazen Petrovic, Zagreb, Croatia
March 25 - Cancarjev Dom, Ljubljana, Slovenia
April 02 - Hala University Palacheho, Olomouc, Czech Republic
April 15 - Vibra, Sao Paulo, Brazil
April 19 - Teatro Positiva, Curitiba, Brazil
April 21 - Vivo Rio, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
April 25 - Auditorio Araujo Vianna, Porto Alegre, Brazil

For tickets, visit ScreamForMe.com.

Bruce previously performed "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" in November 2021 in Győr, Hungary with DEEP PURPLE bassist Roger Glover and the Győr Symphony Orchestra. Prior to that, he performed at the 50th-anniversary celebration of "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" in November 2019 at the Palais Montcalm in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

When the Quebec City concert was first announced, Dickinson said: "As many people know, DEEP PURPLE have been a major, ongoing influence in my life since I was a teenager, and down the years, I have been fortunate enough to become good friends with all of the band, most especially in my collaborations with Jon Lord."

Added Mann: "My long collaboration with Jon Lord, and in particular his innovative, genre-defying 'Concerto', has been one of the greatest joys of my musical life. Jon's spirit will definitely be with us."

During a September 2018 spoken-word gig in Copenhagen, Denmark, Dickinson talked about his friendship with Lord. He said: "Jon Lord was a wonderful gentleman, and we were close friends. And he sadly died of… He had pancreatic cancer, but he survived for a year and a half — much against what everybody had said would happen. And actually, at the end, he didn't die of pancreatic cancer — he died, unfortunately, of some terrible blood collapse that happened with him, possibly as a result of treatment. But we had all kinds of crazy plans, including me going out on tour with him, singing DEEP PURPLE songs with an orchestra, which he was planning to do; that was one of the things we were planning to do. But it all got interrupted and canceled, and [it was] obviously very sad. He was a wonderful man."

Lord died on July 16, 2012 at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who was known for his keyboard virtuosity and his reinvention of the Hammond B-3 organ sound, co-wrote such PURPLE classics as "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", among others. Lord and drummer Ian Paice were the only original members to last through the band's initial run from 1968 to 1976. He was on board for their 1984 reunion and stayed on through to his 2002 retirement from the band, after which he worked primarily in the classical field.

The official the visualizer for "Wicked Place", a new song from New Jersey thrash metal veterans OVERKILL, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's twentieth studio album, "Scorched", which will be released on April 14 via Nuclear Blast Records.

OVERKILL singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth stated about "Wicked Place": "One of my favorite rides on the record, a big thick groove reminiscent of days gone by, with a modern punch in the snoot! Get wicked!"

"Scorched" offered a new recording environment for OVERKILL as all members were able to record on their own. The mixing of the record was handled by Colin Richardson and his assistant engineer Chris Clancy. Johnny Rodd helped with producing vocals, and finally, Maor Appelbaum took over mastering and adding finishing touches. The band returned to artist Travis Smith to create the album cover art.

Ellsworth spoke in more detail about "Scorched" in a recent interview with Canada's The Metal Voice . When interviewer Jimmy Kay suggested that the pandemic has been "good" to OVERKILL by giving the group a chance to focus on making a new LP without the distractions of being on the road, Bobby clarified: "It hasn't been good to us. We took advantage of the opportunity of the luxury of time. I think that that would probably be the best way to put it. It's directly responsible, I think, for the results, especially my results on it. I think the other guys, they tweaked and pushed and pulled and pinched and added things over that three-year period. But for me, I tore that record down a few times, just to make sure that it was a metal record worthy of the luxury of time, as opposed to a hit-and-run kind of a thing."

Ellsworth also spoke about the overall sound of "Scorched" and OVERKILL's mindset going into the recording process. He said: "We used [producer] Colin Richardson again. This is his fourth project with us. He's a friend. We trust the guy. He did a record for us from soup to nuts called 'Killbox [13]' [2003], and that is a heavy piece of real estate. I think it was just released in 2004 when the popularity of the genre was not way up there; it wasn't at its healthiest state. But that's one of the best-sounding fucking records we've ever done, and he's directly responsible for that. So when he did this mix, we didn't give him a lot of guidance. I mean, we did the production and kind of guided him along with regard to what our ideas were, but not generalization in sound. But I do remember saying to him — or D.D. [Verni, OVERKILL bassist] saying to him, rather; we agreed on this — we wanted a record that you could play really loud but it doesn't tire you out. Sometimes you get one of those records, you put on four tracks, you've got it on at nine, and you go, 'I've gotta take a break. I need a nap. It's heavy as fuck, but I need a nap.' And I think he did that. And the way he did it was that he used, for instance, some of the natural drum resonance from the room that he mixed in with whatever was digital. He did a throwback guitar back to the kind of early '90s. So it's like capturing two eras — it's like capturing something in the past and exactly the present, and listening to those two eras simultaneously."

Bobby also touched upon the musical direction of "Scorched", saying: "It's eclectic. It's diverse. It's got different dynamics and characteristics. How do you make that in an OVERKILL record? It's traditional heavy metal. It's got mellow sections. It's got groove. It's got thrash. It's got rock and roll. It's got blues. It's, like, all over the fucking map. But you have to sew those pieces together and then take the whole thing and try to make it — you know, put your brand on it. And I think that that's what we succeeded in doing. And what's directly responsible is the amount of time that we had."

Last August, Ellsworth told Neuborn Open Air Festival about the way he and his OVERKILL bandmates approached the making of "Scorched": "Well, I wrote the record three times — my end of the record, I wrote it three times — and I destroyed the first two of them, because it was being influenced by the pandemic, and I don't think we've ever been those type of people. I started listening and I said… I'm not the most upbeat person when it comes to the presentation of music, but I think that if you compare OVERKILL to other bands in this scene, we don't always take the negative road; we try to take the positive road for things. And the pandemic led me to go on a different path, and I didn't wanna do that. So I tore the whole record down and rewrote it once I saw that stuff was opening… But it made me feel more comfortable with the fact that, okay, this is fresh, it's current. It's not something that was written in 2020. It was written in fucking '22, and it's gonna be recorded in '22. So it's a good feeling right now."

Richardson previously worked with OVERKILL on 1997's "From The Underground And Below", 2000's "Bloodletting" and the aforementioned "Killbox 13".

OVERKILL spent most of 2019 and early 2020 touring in support of its 19th studio LP, "The Wings Of War", which was released four years ago.

"The Wings Of War" marked OVERKILL's recording debut with drummer Jason Bittner (SHADOWS FALL, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM),who joined the band in 2017.

Photo credit: Frank White

Vocalist Jason North of TRUTH CORRODED filled in for Sean Killian at VIO-LENCE's March 11 concert in Melbourne, Australia after Killian fell ill shortly before the performance and could not make the gig. VIO-LENCE's lineup for the show consisted of North, drummer Adrian Aguilar (EXMORTUS),guitarist Miles Dimitri Baker (VOIDBRINGER, INTERLOPER, ex-RINGS OF SATURN),bassist Christian Olde Wolbers and guitarist Ira Black (VICIOUS RUMORS, HEATHEN, METAL CHURCH).

In a new video message posted on the VIO-LENCE Instagram, Killian explained his absence from the Melbourne concert, saying (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Got a little food poisoning the other day that fucked my whole day up and a couple of days after. Thank God we had some time off. But, yeah, I ate something for breakfast; I think it was these shitty mushrooms or something. And I went to soundcheck, felt okay, and then all of a sudden got my ass kicked. I puked a couple of times. You know how it is with food poisoning; it comes out of both ends. So that's been difficult the last couple of days. Unfortunately, I missed playing in Melbourne, which I was really looking forward to, 'cause it was a great club, great crowd. And we'll definitely be back; I'll figure out a way to get back there and make that show up. I know Jason stepped in and he did his best, 'cause we were just thinking we either don't play and the fans go home with half a night and half a belly of whisky instead of a full belly. So I talked to the promoter, and he found a guy that's in a band, Jason, and he went up and did his best. It's not what we wanted to do, but at the time, it was, like, 'Well, these people are all here. They can still hang out, hear some music and have a good time and go home. And then I'll figure out a way to get back to Melbourne, Australia.'"

He continued: "So, thanks for all the support. And there's always haters out there no matter what. So they can talk all the shit they want; I really don't care. It doesn't affect me in any way. I don't even read half of these clickbait magazines. Actually, I don't ready any of 'em, to tell you the truth. I've got my lovely woman at home; she reads 'em and tells me the good comments and doesn't tell me the bad ones, 'cause who cares about them anyway? A bunch of basement dwellers."

Sean added: "I'm feeling a lot better. Just a little hiccup in the road. Shit happens. It's not what happens; it's how you deal with it."

VIO-LENCE played its first show with Aguilar late last month at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Aguilar joined VIO-LENCE following the departure of Perry Strickland.

Founding VIO-LENCEPhil Demmel is sitting out the group's shows in Asia, Australia and New Zealand this month and is being replaced by Baker.

Notably, VIO-LENCE's concert in Melbourne featured none of the members from the lineup that played its first comeback gig in April 2019 at the Oakland Metro in Oakland, California. The VIO-LENCE lineup that appeared at the Metro consisted of Killian, Demmel, Strickland, bassist Deen Dell and guitarist Ray Vegas.

Strickland announced his departure from VIO-LENCE last month by sharing a video of him performing with the band and captioning it: "I'll Miss playing these songs !" After one fan asked Perry in the comments to clarify whether he has in fact exited the group, Strickland responded: "yes about a month ago".

Among the people reacting to Strickland's announcement was former OVERKILL and VIO-LENCE guitarist Bobby Gustafson, who wrote: "Good luck with what ever you do in the future. We had some good times finally."

On February 26, Demmel addressed VIO-LENCE's future in an Instagram Live video, saying it was "kind of weird playing these shows" with "a bunch of fill-ins and me and Sean." He added that while Adrian is "awesome" and the Whisky gig "was packed", he is "just kind of really torn right now in the sense of what VIO-LENCE is and what it's gonna be and what my role is gonna be in that and how I feel about that." Demmel went on to say that he told Killian he "wanted to shut [VIO-LENCE] down," but then he realized "that to ask that of those dudes to not do it anymore is selfish on my part."

Demmel also confirmed that he will perform with VIO-LENCE at the Hell's Heroes V preparty on March 23 in Houston, Texas and at the Milwaukee Metal Fest in late May in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but revealed that he will likely scale down his live appearances with the band, to the point where he will no longer play any live shows with the group.

In March 2022, VIO-LENCE released a new EP, "Let The World Burn", via Metal Blade Records. The five-song collection, VIO-LENCE's first original release since 1993's "Nothing To Gain", was tracked at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California by Juan Urteaga (MACHINE HEAD, EXODUS),mixed by Tue Madsen (DARK TRANQUILLITY, HEAVEN SHALL BURN) and mastered by Ted Jensen (ALICE IN CHAINS, DEATH ANGEL).

Formed in 1985, VIO-LENCE helped define and refine what came to be known as the Bay Area sound, dropping three seminal albums before splitting in 1993. Leaving behind a heady legacy, they reformed briefly a couple of times in the intervening years before becoming a full-time going concern once more in 2019. After playing a string of successful shows, the quintet started to think about new music and delivered "Let The World Burn", showcasing their first new material in 29 years.

VIO-LENCE's recording lineup on "Let The World Burn" consisted of Gustafson, Demmel, Killian and Strickland along with Olde Wolbers.

VIO-LENCE reunited soon after Demmel left MACHINE HEAD in late 2018.

Demmel was in MACHINE HEAD for nearly 16 years, during which time he played on five of the group's studio albums: "Through The Ashes Of Empires" (2003),"The Blackening" (2007),"Unto The Locust" (2011),"Bloodstone & Diamonds" (2014) and "Catharsis" (2018).

VIO-LENCE played its first show with Black in August 2022 at the Brutal Assault festival in Jaromer, Czech Republic.

Black, who grew up in the Bay Area and previously played with VICIOUS RUMORS, HEATHEN and METAL CHURCH, filled in for Demmel, who was on the road at the time with LAMB OF GOD as the temporary replacement for Willie Adler.

Although MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn was part of VIO-LENCE's classic incarnation and played on the band's debut album, "Eternal Nightmare", he wasn't approached about taking part in the band's reunion.

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Doom metal band MNRVA have released a video for their song "Not The One". The track is taken from their album Hollow, which came out last year via Black Doomba Records. A vinyl version is set to be released on April 7th, 2023 with pre-orders starting on March 17th, 2023.


The band comments: "'Not The One' is a mid-tempo, sludgy track with a psychedelic intro, catchy vocal hooks, and in-the-pocket grooves. We filmed the video at filmmaker Chris Bickel's compound on a sweltering Saturday in June. Columbia, SC's city motto is 'famously hot' and we were all pretty much at our limit, even with constant hydration and industrial fans, which set the perfect scene for a song about burning it all down. The hottest part of the day was actually well after sunset, when the director had us improvise some around-the-bonfire scenes. The fire burned so intensely hot and fast that we had to act quickly. Kevin is a natural at spontaneous invention, and dark mystery."







MNRVA venture further into the descending darkness with their debut full-length, Hollow. Conjuring gloomy atmospheres with funereal doom and fuzz tones, the heavy trio are unafraid to unveil what’s lurking in the shadows.


Forming in 2018, MNRVA made their debut with the EP Black Sky, giving fans a tantalising taste of their unconventional sludge fuelled doom sound. Hollow builds further on their exploration of heavy music with groove-laden riffs, mid-slow tempo tracks and vocals which range between soaring melodies and those of guttural demons .


“Not The One” introduces the new album with ludicrously overdriven instruments, impactful percussion and vocals that appear to be reaching out of the abyss. The title track falls further into the gloom evoking an intense dark mood. Melodic motifs and riffs punctuate the black with an experimental twist, adding something extra to the sound without breaking the nightmarish illusion. “The Way” concludes the album with the wrath of the void, fusing the sinister and sombre.


Hollow is a melting pot of sludge drawing upon the guitar grind of Melvins, the vocal interplay of Mastodon, and the post-doom heaviness of Wisconsin’s Bereft. Embracing their influences while cultivating their own distinctive edge, MNRVA manipulate these dynamic musical elements to manifest an enticing atmosphere.





Tracklisting:


"Not The One" 
"With Fire" 
"Third Eye" 
"Hollow" 
"Befall" 
"Black Sky" 
"No Solution"
"The Way" 





Lineup:


Byron Hawk - guitar, vocals
Kevin Jennings - bass, vocals
Gina Ercolini - drums


 

Pop Evil, the hard rock group whose upcoming seventh album, Skeletons, releases on Friday, March 17 via MNRK Heavy, announced today the release of 601 digital box sets in the Vault format, which give superfans exclusive access to the full album, setlists, lyric sheets, behind-the-scenes content, VIP packages, and more, all five days before its official release.


The announcement is the latest in a long history of innovation and fan-first thinking from Pop Evil, a larger-than-life true rock n’ roll band that defies the odds as independent heavy metal artists like a battering ram.







Created by the co-founders of sports betting market leader FanDuel, Vault is the creator of the mobile-friendly Digital Music Collectible (DMC) music format and the Vault protocol, an open and fully decentralized network for purchasing, playing, and sharing music on third-party apps and websites.


“This release with Pop Evil is unprecedented both for fans and for the music industry,” says Vault CEO Nigel Eccles. “Pop Evil has always walked the walk in staying true to their musical integrity. Skeletons has a force and energy behind it that should be experienced in a deeper way than streaming allows for, and that’s exactly what the Vault format is built for: allowing fans to experience the depth of creativity that an artist puts into their music, all in an easy-to-use, collectible format. We are thrilled to bring the band’s vision to life for their fans.”


Pop Evil’s Skeletons digital box sets, which can be purchased and played directly on a mobile device from the Vault platform, contain a treasure trove of exclusive album material and perks designed to give superfans a richer experience of Skeletons.


Three different tiers of Skeletons box sets are available - Standard, Deluxe, and Superfan - each of which contain early access to the album, setlists, handwritten lyric sheets, behind-the-scenes content, a 20% merch discount, and a chance to win tour VIP packages. The top tier—the Superfan Box Set, which is a one of one drop - also includes a private acoustic performance for one lucky super fan and a guest.


“Pop Evil has always stood for music by the people, for the people,” says Brandon Squar, MNRK’s SVP, Marketing & Sales. “We and the band feel that there was no better way to kick-off release week than by giving super fans the chance to experience the album first. By collecting one of these digital box sets, the fans will be the first 600 people in the world to hear ‘Skeletons.’ But beyond just early access to the album, we’re able to reward early-adopter fans with behind-the-scenes access and perks, putting our artists’ fans first.”


To purchase and play one of Pop Evil’s digital box sets, head here.


Skeletons sees the band once again working with producer, Drew Fulk (Disturbed, Papa Roach, Motionless in White), a friend and collaborator on a few previous albums that generated numerous hits. “With Versatile, we had a bunch of producers, but for this album, we just wanted to work with one person and get back to our roots,” says Kakaty. “There’s an energy he and I have, and he’s been great at helping us build these songs and work around some collective themes.”


Pre-save and pre-order Skeletons here.





Tracklisting:


"Arrival"
"Paranoid (Crash & Burn)"
"Circles"
"Eye Of The Storm"
"Sound Of Glory"
"Skeletons"
"Worth It"
"Who Will We Become"
"Wrong Direction" (Feat. Devour the Day)
"Dead Reckoning" (Feat. Fit For A King)
"Raging Bull" (Feat. Zillion)


"Dead Reckoning":





"Paranoid (Crash & Burn)" video:





"Eye Of The Storm" video:





Pop Evil will head out on their Skeletons Tour headlining US dates starting on March 17 in Sault St. Marie, MI at Kewadin Casino, and concluding on April 23 in Milwaukee at The Rave. Special guests, The Word Alive and Avoid, will join. Tickets are on sale now at www.popevil.com.





(Photo - Nick Fancher)

AVENGED SEVENFOLD has released "Nobody", the band's first new single since 2016. The triumphant track and its accompanying stop-motion video offer the first taste of the Huntington Beach, California band's forthcoming eighth album, "Life Is But a Dream..." , which drops June 2. Watch the "Nobody" video directed by award-winning director Chris Hopewell below.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD will support the release with two massive live shows this summer, at Kia Forum on June 9 and Madison Square Garden on June 23. Tickets go on sale this Friday, March 17. The newly announced arena concerts mark AVENGED SEVENFOLD's first proper New York City on-sale appearance since 2007 and their first Los Angeles County headline on sale since 2009.

"Nobody", the band’s first official music release since their 2016 album "The Stage", delivers nearly six minutes of tension, groove, and dynamics. The song twists and turns beyond conventional songwriting and leans in on discomfort before letting go. The beautifully crafted stop-motion music video, which unfolds like a short film, is a stunning and powerful journey exploring the dichotomy between life and death, love and war, and follows the main character through an existential crisis. Stop motion is a handmade labor of love, often taking 90 minutes just to capture only two seconds of footage.

Prior to the track's release, the band launched an elaborate and mysterious digital scavenger hunt with puzzles, ciphers, images, and blog posts all written by Chat GPT, DALL-E 2, and AI voice modifiers. What was initiated as a cryptic hacker campaign on socials, eventually lead fans to a web site full of challenges to complete over the past two weeks that ultimately lead to the single being "unlocked" for release today.

The sprawling sound of "Nobody" is reflective of "Life Is But A Dream..." . Written and recorded over the span of four years, "Life Is But a Dream..." was inspired by the writing and philosophy of Albert Camus. Accordingly, the lyrics are rooted in existentialism and absurdism. Always on the cutting edge of music and technology, AVENGED SEVENFOLD has partnered with Berify to include an NFC tag with bonus content on all CDs, vinyl, cassettes and official merchandise sold on A7XWorld.com. Additionally, the cover art and packaging are by renowned artist Wes Lang. Bold and multi-layered, the band’s new album promises to be their most daring.

To date, AVENGED SEVENFOLD has sold over 10 million albums worldwide and earned two consecutive No. 1 albums on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart (2010's "Nightmare" and 2013's "Hail To The King") to go along with over a billion video views and a billion-plus Spotify streams, as well as multiple No. 1 singles on rock radio. The band is equally known for their spectacular live shows, selling out arenas and headlining the world's most prestigious rock festivals.

Photo credit: Brian Catelle

Yossi Sassi & The Oriental Rock Orchestra, featuring former Orphaned Land guitarist Yossi Sassi, have released their new album, Prediluvian today (March 13th), available now on all digital platforms. To celebrate the release Yossi Sassi has revealed their second single and video, "Armaros Fall" feat. Haken's Ross Jennings.


This is Yossi’s sixth solo album, and the 5th since leaving Orphaned Land (after composing and recording All Is One), the oriental metal band he co-founded, and created a worldwide genre.


The new album includes 12 new tracks, electric, acoustic and diverse. 




“In the new album I’ve ‘drifted back’ to my electric guitar, and it is full with loads of guitar riffs, alongside our unique blend of oriental progressive rock”, Says Sassi, “The album's title and concept relate to a period in time chronicled between the fall of man and the genesis flood. History just keeps repeating, and while writing and brainstorming, I felt this would be a proper framework to gather various feelings and capture some of the essence of this current period in humanity. In 2002 I created the successful Mabool album and concept along with my brothers in Orphaned Land, so it felt only natural to go back - before the flood. Playing and creating with time, and as usual, the clocks keep melting”.


The album includes a guest apprance of Sassi’s longtime friend and musical collaborator, the amazing Ross Jennings, the lead singer for Haken. This is Jennings’ second appearance on Sassi’s albums and the joint song, “Armaros Fall” hits as an offical single and video with the release of the new album.


Watch the "Armaros Fall" video below.


The album was recorded at Black Rock Studios in the Island Of Santorini, making the exclusive mediterranean venue a musical home for Sassi and the gang, as this is the 3rd album recorded on the Island. 


“One of the most amazing things about creating our music and albums is the privilege to deepen our friendship”, says Sassi, “Whether it's waking up in the morning and naturally sliding into a sunrise jam by the sea or in the living room or after dinner late at night, sharing ideas into the small hours. It's the bond that makes us create better music”.





Tracklist:


"On Shoulders Of Nephilim"
"Uriel Machine"
"Oopart"
"Atlantis"
"Armaros Fall" (feat. Ross Jennings) 05:17
"Anelo"
"Watchers Of Iyrin"
"Architect Of The Stars"
"Vision Of Water"
"Kumlar"
"Sirius"
"The First Sunrise"





Photo by Robert Wilk

Earlier this month, KISS announced the final shows of its last tour — two back-to-back shows at Madison Square Garden in New York at the end of 2023. The last leg of KISS's 19-date North American tour will kick off in October in Texas and culminate in the MSG concerts on December 1 and December 2.

Asked in a new interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal if KISS would ever play a show again in Las Vegas, after the band's residency at Zappos Theater scheduled for December 2021-February 2022 was called off, bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons said: "I actually don't know because we have been so inundated by people wanting to see us wherever we go. I mean, every guy whoever washed my dog or did my dry cleaning is hitting me up for tickets for his entire family, three generations back. Vegas? I don't know, it would be nice to do a Vegas residency. But I don't know any of these things."

When KISS's second Las Vegas residency was scrapped back in October 2021, Las Vegas Review-Journal writer John Katsilometes initially reported that "soft ticket sales" were said to be the reason the run has been called off, but his article was later updated to remove any mention of this.

The legendary rockers previously set up shop in Sin City in November 2014 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel And Casino. The nine-show run was captured for the "Kiss Rocks Vegas" DVD and Blu-ray set, which arrived in August 2016.

This past January, KISS frontman Paul Stanley was asked by Yahoo! whether the last concert of the "End Of The Road" tour will truly mark the band's final performance or if there is a chance of one-off shows or a Las Vegas residency in the future, Stanley said: "I really can't say. But it is the last of any kind of regular shows or touring.

"It's just time," he explained. "And in the same way, it's time consuming. And physically, it's grueling to do what we do. Hell, if I could go out on stage in my jeans and a t-shirt, give us another 10, 15 years easily. But what we do is a whole different sport. I mean, we're athletes; we're running around on stage with 30, 40, pounds of gear, and it's not possible to do it that much longer. So we're not like other bands.

"So, will we do more shows or one-offs? I really have no idea," Paul admitted. "But this is a real clear mindset that the touring days and doing those kind of shows, that's over."

Oakland thrashers, Vio-lence, performed on the Ronnie James Dio stage at Bloodstock Open Air 2022. Pro-shot footage for their 42 minute set is available below:





Setlist:




"Eternal Nightmare"
"Serial Killer"
"Calling In The Coroner"
"Officer Nice"
"Kill On Command"
"Upon Their Cross"
"Phobophobia"
"World In A World"