DEF LEPPARD's Rick Allen joined MÖTLEY CRÜE on stage last night (Sunday, March 12) to perform the song "Primal Scream" during CRÜE's set at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida.

Allen shared the drumming duties for the song with MÖTLEY CRÜE's Tommy Lee, with the two musicians positioning their drum risers side by side for the performance, which was part of the two bands' "The World Tour".

During an appearance on a recent episode of the "Appetite For Distortion" podcast, Allen was asked to weigh in on MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars's recent decision to no longer tour with the legendary rock act because of his long struggles with degenerative disease ankylosing spondylitis. Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the spine joints and ligaments and can lead to stiffness over time, according to the National Institute Of Arthritis And Musculoskeletal And Skin Diseases.

Allen, who previously toured with Mars as part of DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY CRÜE's 2022 "The Stadium Tour", said: "It was Mick's decision to really move on and just get to the next part of his life. And we all know that Mick has suffered terribly, terribly with pain; you see it on his face all the time. And I think the only time I ever saw him truly in his element [was] when he was up on stage playing with the band. It was more his decision. That must have been a super hard decision. I mean, it would have been different if the guy was being thrown out of the band, but it wasn't like that at all. It was a personal choice that he made. And you can't say that that's wrong. It was right for him at the time.

"Over the months — well, actually years — that I've known him, I really started to talk to him," Rick continued. "So unassuming. Such a soft, gentle soul. And when I first met him years ago, I was actually quite afraid, you know. [Laughs] But he's the exact opposite of that — just a really sweet, generous person. So it must have been a very difficult decision for everybody to have to go through that."

The 71-year-old Mars — whose real name is Robert Alan Deal — served as MÖTLEY CRÜE's lead guitarist since the band's inception in 1981.

A day after Mick announced his retirement from touring last October, the remaining members — bassist Nikki Sixx, singer Vince Neil and drummer Tommy Lee — vowed to "continue the legacy." In a statement, they said: "While change is never easy, we accept Mick's decision to retire from the band due to the challenges with his health. We have watched Mick manage his Ankylosing Spondylitis for decades and he has always managed it with utmost courage and grace. To say 'enough is enough' is the ultimate act of courage. Mick's sound helped define MÖTLEY CRÜE from the minute he plugged in his guitar at our very first rehearsal together. The rest, as they say, is history. We'll continue to honor his musical legacy."

The statement continued: "We will carry out Mick's wish and continue to tour the world as planned in 2023. No doubt will it take an absolutely outstanding musician to fill Mick's shoes so we are grateful that our good friend, John 5 has agreed to come on board and join us moving forward. We'll see all you Crueheads out on the road!"

John 5 said: "I'm honored to carry on Mick's legacy and am looking forward to playing these songs."

In his statement, Mick said that he had decided to step back from live shows due to his "ongoing painful struggle" with ankylosing spondylitis and while he will continue to be a member of the band, he cannot "handle the rigors" of touring life.

The statement read: "Mick Mars, co-founder and lead guitarist of the heavy metal band MÖTLEY CRÜE for the past 41 years, has announced today that due to his ongoing painful struggle with Ankylosing Spondylitis, he will no longer be able to tour with the band. Mick will continue as a member of the band, but can no longer handle the rigors of the road. A.S. is an extremely painful and crippling degenerative disease, which affects the spine."

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help cover the medical bills and funeral arrangements for DARK ANGEL guitarist Jim Durkin, who died last Wednesday (March 8) at the age of 58.

Annabelle Durkin and Karlos Medina, who are organizing the fundraiser, wrote in an introductory message on the GoFundMe page: "On Wednesday, March 8th, 2023, the worldwide metal community lost a TITAN of thrash metal: JIM DURKIN of DARK ANGEL.

"While best known for creating ear-blistering, adrenaline-inducing, soul-slaughtering guitar riffs and writing songs that would become legendary in a genre of metal that his band helped create, he was also a gentle giant with an incredible singing voice who would stop everything to move an injured animal -- insect, bird, reptile, mammal -- out of harm's way.

"Humble to his core, he never understood why anyone made a fuss about him. It is inconceivable, unjust, and utterly devastating for a human being as beautiful as Jim to be taken from us. He will always remain a shining example of the tenacity of the human spirit.

"Jim's wife of 34 years, Annie Durkin, is shattered at her sudden loss. She needs assistance to cover the costs of her husband's final arrangements and medical bills. Any additional funds will go toward keeping the home that has been an oasis of hospitality for so many touring musicians passing through Los Angeles.

"We are grateful to anyone moved to donate. Contributions of any amount would be deeply appreciated. Your shared memories, photos, and words of support will provide much-needed solace in this time of incredible sorrow.

"Thank you all for your love, kindness, and compassion."

Jim's passing was confirmed by his wife on his Facebook page on Friday (March 10). She wrote: "With a broken and heavy heart, I want to share that the love of my life, my best friend and husband, Jimmy, passed away Wednesday morning. He was not alone as I was with him along with a few close friends until the end. He will be truly missed and no one can ever replace the love I have for him. May he rest in peace.

"Ever Thine, Ever Mine, Ever Ours……. My Immortal Beloved. I will see you again."

A short time later, DARK ANGEL also issued a statement on Durkin's passing, writing: "We in the DARK ANGEL Family are deeply saddened and crushed today with the news of our brother and founder Jimmy Durkin passing away Wednesday morning.

"We would like to thank his fans for their continuous loyalty and support. We will come out with a full statement very soon. We ask that you please respect the family's privacy while we mourn the loss of this great man."

An original member of DARK ANGEL, Durkin played on the band's first three albums — 1985's "We Have Arrived", 1986's "Darkness Descends" and 1989's "Leave Scars" — before departing the group in 1989. He was part of DARK ANGEL's lineup when the band reformed in 2013, and had been playing with them ever since.

Durkin had been sitting out some of DARK ANGEL's recent gigs. He was replaced at the shows by drummer Gene Hoglan's wife Laura Christine.

DARK ANGEL, which has been touring intermittently since reforming a decade ago, is scheduled to perform its legendary album "Darkness Descends" in its entirety at three special concerts next month at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles, California.

For much of the last few years, Durkin and his bandmates had been working on material for a new studio album.

DARK ANGEL's first CD since 1991's "Time Does Not Heal" was supposed to feature the lineup that has performed sporadic live shows since reuniting in 2013: Hoglan, Durkin, Eric Meyer (guitar),Ron Rinehart (vocals) and Michael Gonzalez (bass).

In February 2022, Hoglan said during a Twitch livestream from his home that he and his DARK ANGEL bandmates were "in the process" of making a new album. "I have a lot of work ahead of me, and so does Jim Durkin," Gene said. "He's been sending over songs, riffs, stuff like that, [which has been] super exciting. We're all of the same mindset of making this just the most absolutely kick-ass DARK ANGEL record that we can."

DARK ANGEL released two albums with Don Doty on vocals — the aforementioned "We Have Arrived" and "Darkness Descends" — before he exited the group and was replaced by Rinehart (after a brief stint with Jim Drabos in 1987). The band issued two more studio LPs — "Leave Scars" and "Time Does Not Heal" — before calling it quits in 1992.

Just having finished the first leg of their European tour with their labelmates KATAKLYSM, Swedish melodic death metal veterans SOILWORK are about to embark on the second half of the tour with exciting news. The band welcomes Simon Johansson to their ranks, completing the lineup again. Simon Johansson will step in as SOILWORK's new guitar player.

SOILWORK states: "We are excited to finally welcome Simon Johansson to the SOILWORK family as a permanent member. Simon has been with us on a session basis since 2019 and not only has he proven himself to be a solid guitar player, but also a humble human being and a true gentleman in some of the most challenging years of the band's history. We love you and we are grateful that you are part of our band".

Simon adds: "I'm super stoked and very humbled to be the new guitarist in SOILWORK. I have been a fan of the band since way back and now to be a part of the SOILWORK legacy is a huge honor. We first started to work together in 2019 when I joined as their session touring guitarist and during this time my admiration for the band has just grown. Now happy and proud to be joining my brothers as a full-time member and I'm thrilled to be a part of the next chapter of SOILWORK."

For the second leg of the co-headline tour of KATAKLYM and SOILWORK, the bands will be joined by their Nuclear Blast labelmates HORIZON IGNITED. The Finnish melodic death metal force released its second album, "Towards The Dying Lands", last summer, globally lauded by critics and fans. The band will replace WILDERUN who unfortunately have to drop out of the tour due to family health matters taking precedence. The tour will start out from Denmark, adding another 28 cities to their record and finish their extensive tour in the Netherlands.

SOILWORK just finished the first half of its European tour with KATAKLYSM and WILDERUN.

SOILWORK's high-class creative consistency, which they have been delivering solidly throughout their career, is the virtue that probably best defines them. Founded at the end of 1995, SOILWORK released their debut album "Steelbath Suicide" in 1998, garnering a great early response. By 2001 SOILWORK had joined Nuclear Blast, and by 2003 they already had five records under their belt.

Continuing their tradition of high-quality musical output, 2022 saw their twelfth studio album "Övergivenheten", which represents the band in their growth and their current phase of life — marked by a time that probably no one on this planet will forget so quickly.

SOILWORK is:

Björn "Speed" Strid - vocals
Simon Johansson - guitars
Sven Karlsson - keyboards
Sylvain Coudret - guitars
Bastian Thusgaard - drums
Rasmus Ehrnborn - bass

SWEET & LYNCH, the musical union of guitarist/vocalist Michael Sweet of STRYPER and legendary guitarist George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB),will release its third album, "Heart & Sacrifice", on May 19 via Frontiers Music Srl.

The combination of Sweet's powerful, high-octane vocals and Lynch's immediately recognizable guitar heroics once again prove to be an unbeatable combination sure to please the hard rock faithful. The first single from the album, "You'll Never Be Alone", is out today.

Alessandro Del Vecchio, who co-produced this release with Sweet, plays bass on the album, while Jelly Cardarelli (LALU) plays drums.

Sweet says: "I'm very pleased with the outcome of the new SWEET & LYNCH album, 'Heart & Sacrifice'. It's diverse, complex and flows beautifully. Every song has something to say in its own unique way. George has always been one of my favorite players and it's an honor to work with him again. It's also an absolute pleasure working with Alessandro. We're able to bring all our own contributions and contribute to create an amazing set of songs and I couldn't be happier with the results. Get ready for 'Heart & Sacrifice'!"

SWEET & LYNCH, which has yet to play a single concert, first emerged with its debut album, "Only To Rise", in 2015. The album cracked the Billboard 200 and came in at No. 6 on the Top Hard Rock Albums, No. 17 on Independent Albums, No. 18 on Top Rock Albums, and No. 4 on Christian Albums charts. SWEET & LYNCH's sophomore album, "Unified", followed in 2017, landing at No. 53 on Top Current Albums, No. 13 on Top Current Rock Albums, and No. 8 on Record Label Independent Current Albums. While plans for a third album were always on the table, the project went on a slight hiatus while the guys concentrated on their other musical endeavors. 2022 proved to be the year where the creative juices for SWEET & LYNCH began to flow again and work on what would ultimately become "Heart & Sacrifice" began.

"Heart & Sacrifice" track listing:

01. Heart & Sacrifice
02. Where I Have To Go
03. Miracle
04. Leave It All Behind
05. You'll Never Be Alone
06. After All Is Said And Done
07. Give Up The Night
08. Will It Ever Change
09. It's Time To Believe
10. Every Day
11. It Rains Again
12. World Full Of Lies

"Heart & Sacrifice" recording lineup:

Michael Sweet - lead vocals, guitars
George Lynch - lead guitars
Alessandro Del Vecchio - bass
Jelly Cardarelli - drums

Produced by: Michael Sweet and Alessandro Del Vecchio
Executive producer/A&R: Serafino Perugino

In a recent interview with the "Scars And Guitars" podcast, Sweet stated about "Heart & Sacrifice": "[It's got a] killer cover. When everyone sees the artwork, I think they're gonna love it. It's dark, but it says a lot; really cool. And the album itself went through some periods of change. In other words, George submitted a bunch of songs, and a couple of 'em weren't quite right, and we had to get some more songs submitted. We went and recorded the album, and then we wound up re-recording some other songs to add to it to make the album better. And the stage that it's in now is fantastic. It's really, I think, the strongest SWEET & LYNCH album."

Regarding the overall sound of the new SWEET & LYNCH LP, Michael said: "It's a little darker musically — not much; just a little bit. And a little heavier — like some of the songs are tuned way down; the guitar has a nice heavy feel to it. And I just love the feel of it. It's a little bit more, for lack of an explanation, a little bit more '90s than it is '80s. A little more '70s and '90s than it is '80s. But then you also hear the '80s flair. George is killing it on guitar. I kept trying to pull that out of him. Like he'd send a song where the solo was simplified, and I'd say, 'Dude, people wanna hear you tear it up. Just burn. Give 'em George — George Lynch.' And he'd submit a new solo, and it's, like, 'There it is. Just bring in the fire and the heat.'"

He added: "So I think this album is gonna really please people; they're gonna be pleasantly surprised and hopefully blown away."

Five years ago, Michael expressed his frustration about SWEET & LYNCH's lack of activity, telling the "Focus On Metal" podcast: "I've gotten to the point with SWEET & LYNCH where I'm almost sensing and feeling like maybe it's run its course. We did two albums. I talked about doing a third and a fourth and a fifth, but there is kind of no point to it if we don't tour. We really should be touring and playing those songs live. It's kind of pointless, after a while, if you're not doing that."

Sweet said in the aforementioned 2018 interview that another reason SWEET & LYNCH hadn't played any gigs is the fact that the LYNCH MOB leader and former DOKKEN guitarist "has his hands in so many different things. When the first album came out and the second album came out, I promoted the snot out of 'em and was really pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing," he said. "George didn't do a lot of promoting and a lot of pushing with those albums. It gets to be exhausting for me when I feel like I'm the only guy really pushing it. And that's not to take anything away from George — it's just a fact. It's a simple fact that I'm stating in saying that that becomes an issue.

"I'm one of those guys where I want everybody in the band pushing and promoting equally as much, as they should be," he continued. "Or why are you doing it? So I'm at that stage right now where I'm just kind of feeling like the fire is kind of dwindling. I don't want it to — I wanna pour some gasoline on the fire and ignite it again. Maybe that'll happen, but it's quite possible that it won't."

Sweet helms the Grammy-nominated Christian hard rock outfit STRYPER, which he co-founded more than 35 years ago, as the band's vocalist, guitarist, and main songwriter. To date, the band has more than 10 million career album sales worldwide. The venerable band ascended to prominence in the 1980s with Billboard Top 40-charting singles like "Calling On You", "Honestly" and "Always There For You" and has in more recent years enjoyed an unparalleled career renaissance, delivering arguably the best albums of their storied career, including 2022's "The Final Battle".

Michael has released multiple solo albums, including a self-titled release in 1994, which yielded five No. 1 singles, "Truth" in 2000, the critically acclaimed 2015 project "I'm Not Your Suicide" (which peaked at No. 10 on Billboard's Hard Rock albums),and 2019's "Ten", which reached No. 4 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums chart. He recently partnered with Joel Hoekstra (WHITESNAKE),Nathan James (INGLORIOUS),Marco Mendoza (THIN LIZZY, WHITESNAKE) and Tommy Aldridge (WHITESNAKE, OZZY OSBOURNE) in the supergroup ICONIC, which was greeted with much adoration by rock fans around the globe.

Lynch emerged from the '80s hard rock scene with the L.A. based group DOKKEN and went on to become a world-renowned guitarist. Aside from DOKKEN, he also enjoyed great success with LYNCH MOB, the group he founded after leaving DOKKEN.

Lynch has gone on to become a prolific (that is an understatement, to say the least) music creator, continuing with LYNCH MOB, releasing solo albums, and a wealth of collaborative efforts over the decades. Those include, but are not limited to, KXM with Doug Pinnick (KING'S X) and Ray Luzier (KORN),THE END MACHINE with Jeff Pilson (FOREIGNER, ex-DOKKEN),Mick Brown (ex-DOKKEN),and Robert Mason (WARRANT),SWEET & LYNCH with Michael Sweet (STRYPER),ULTRAPHONIX with Corey Glover (LIVING COLOUR),DIRTY SHIRLEY with Dino Jelusick (ANIMAL DRIVE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA),and THE BANISHMENT with Joe Haze.

Paul Masvidal, who toured and recorded with DEATH between 1989 and 1992, joined DEATH TO ALL (DTA) on stage last night (Saturday, March 11) at Brick By Brick in San Diego, California to perform the DEATH classic "Flattening Of Emotions" and second half of the encore, "Pull The Plug". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

DEATH TO ALL features former members of DEATH celebrating the life and music of Chuck Schuldiner.

The current lineup of DEATH TO ALL includes Gene Hoglan (TESTAMENT, DARK ANGEL, DETHKLOK, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD),Steve DiGiorgio (TESTAMENT, CONTROL DENIED, SADUS) on bass and Bobby Koelble on guitar. Max Phelps (CYNIC),who has been touring with DEATH TO ALL, is once again handling the vocal and second-guitar duties.

Earlier today (Sunday, March 12),Paul took to his Instagram to share a few photos of last night's gig, and he included the following message: "I had a blast hangin and jammin' with the DtA homies and fam last night @brickbybricksd in San Diego. It's been over a decade since I last played 'Flattening of Emotions' and 'Pull the Plug' with these guys. DEATH's songs hold up well! Special thanks to Bobby for the mid-song cable swap".

In a 2006 interview with Chaos-Forum, Masvidal, who has led the progressive metal band CYNIC since the late 1980s, stated about Schuldiner: "He was passionate about music and his work. He was a very sensitive person and life was very intense for him. Chuck's songs were very much a reflection of his personality. He really found a voice and style that was truly original. I remember him as an original thinker and interested in the beauty of music. We had a good connection as guitarists."

Regarding how Schuldiner's death affected him from a personal standpoint, Paul said: "I knew about his illness from the beginning and had a sense that it was going to be terminal. When I received the call that he died, I prayed that he was at peace and was able to surrender. I accepted Chuck's passing as his fortune. He exited the body at a young age, but left an indelible impression with his work as an artist. The way of his death was part of his life path, and we all will have our story too."

Schuldiner died on December 13, 2001 after a battle with pontine glioma, a rare type of brain tumor.

In recent years, DEATH's storied catalog has undergone a meticulous reissue campaign via Relapse Records.

CYNIC is reportedly in talks with fellow progressive metal icons ATHEIST about embarking on a joint tour together later in the year.

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A post shared by Paul Masvidal (@paulmasvidal)



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A post shared by Gene Hoglan (@therealgenehoglan)

Chris Jericho, wrestling superstar and FOZZY frontman, joined STEEL PANTHER on stage last night (Saturday, March 11) at Jannus Live in Saint Petersburg, Florida to perform a cover of the VAN HALEN classic "Hot For Teacher". Fan-filmed video of the performance, which also included an appearance by a 12-year-old drummer from the audience, can be seen below.

Back in July 2020, STEEL PANTHER drummer Stix Zadinia came to Jericho's defense after Sebastian Bach accused FOZZY's lead singer of using pre-recorded vocal tracks during live performances. Zadinia — whose real name is Darren Leader — took to his Twitter to write: "Jericho is a Fucking rock star and one of the coolest motherfuckers in this business."

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.

VOIVOD was honored in the "Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year" category at this year's Juno Awards (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards).

The 52nd annual Juno Awards and Juno Week 2023 are being hosted in Edmonton, Alberta from March 9 to March 13, culminating in the Juno Awards, which was recently rescheduled to Monday, March 13, at Rogers Place, broadcast live on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos.

To be considered for a nomination at the 2023 Juno Awards, national music release dates had to fall between the eligibility period of September 1, 2021 and November 4, 2022.

This year's "Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year" nominees were as follows:

* "Psychic Jailbreak" - CANCER BATS (New Damage/The Orchard)
* "Merciless Destruction" - GET THE SHOT (New Damage/The Orchard)
* "Paid In Full" - SKULL FIST (Atomic Fire/Fontana North/Warner)
* "Synchro Anarchy" - VOIVOD (Century Media/Sony)
* "Thought Form Descent" - WAKE (Metal Blade/Sony)

VOIVOD previously won a June Award for its 2018 album "The Wake".

VOIVOD is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Québec. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s. Starting out as a speed metal band, VOIVOD have added a mix of progressive metal and thrash metal to create their own unique metal style, and are credited as one of the "big four" Canadian thrash metal bands, along with SACRIFICE, RAZOR and ANNIHILATOR. They are considered by many as one of the most influential metal bands from the '80s, influencing and gaining praise from multiple bands and across numerous genres.

VOIVOD found mainstream success in the late 1980s with their fifth studio album, "Nothingface" (1989),which is the band's only album to enter The Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number 114.

VOIVOD released a new EP, "Ultraman", last November via Century Media Records. The effort features a highly original tribute to the "Ultraman" TV series theme as well as previously unreleased bonus live cuts, available both as a 12-inch vinyl EP or as a digital EP.

VOIVOD's 15th studio album, "Synchro Anarchy", was released in February 2022 via Century Media Records. The follow-up to "The Wake" was produced by Francis Perron at RadicArt Studio and features cover artwork created by drummer Michel Langevin (a.k.a. Away).

Photo by Catherine Deslauriers

We won!!

Posted by Michel Langevin on Saturday, March 11, 2023

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. Fan-filmed video can be seen below.

VIO-LENCE's lineup for the Melbourne 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).

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.

ACCEPT's Wolf Hoffmann has launched a new YouTube channel where he teaches you how to play some of the band's most popular songs, including "Balls To The Wall" and "Fast As A Shark". Check out the first few clips below.

This past January, Hoffmann was asked in an interview with Made In Metal if there are any plans for him and his bandmates to celebrate the 40th anniversary of ACCEPT's classic album "Balls To The Wall". He responded: "We've always stayed away from it in the past because we've always been so busy with working a current album or a new album. Five minutes ago [in this interview] you asked me about a new album [from ACCEPT], and now you ask me about [celebrating an] anniversary [of a previous LP]. So I can't do both. I have to [make] a decision [which way to go forward]. And usually we've gone with, 'Hey, let's make a new album. It's time for a new album.' And then we tour this album. So there's never been enough time to do all these anniversary tours so far. But that doesn't mean we won't do 'em one day."

Hoffmann previously dismissed the idea of performing a classic album like "Restless And Wild" or "Balls To The Wall" in its entirety, telling Metal Eye Witness in a 2018 interview: "Probably not. I mean, I've never been a huge fan of this whole idea. It seems to me like a marketing gimmick more than anything. Because in our age, we could have an anniversary every year. 'Cause it was 35 years [ago that] 'Restless And Wild' [was released], 40 years ago this, 30 years that — every year would be another anniversary — and, to be honest, we're so busy with promoting our current stuff that we don't really feel the need to do all that nostalgia stuff. Every year we have a new album, or every other year, and we've made four albums and a live album, so that's five, and I made a solo album — that's six releases in eight years. So I don't think we need to bother with any anniversary stuff at the moment. Maybe one day when we have nothing else, no other ideas. And we've done, actually, one show once where we played a complete album, and it was okay. But, quite honestly, I think we have a perfect setlist of old songs and new songs. I wouldn't rule it out, but at the moment, I've always said, why bother?"

Controversial at the time for its cover and some of the album's themes, "Balls To The Wall" was also ACCEPT's greatest commercial success, reaching No. 75 on the U.S. Billboard chart. "Balls To The Wall" was certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) for shipments in excess of half a million copies, partly off the back of the heavy rotation the title track's video received on MTV.

Taking much of its inspiration from the likes of fellow German hard rockers the SCORPIONS, as well as a debt to U.K. metal legends JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT at the time was fronted by the inimitable Udo Dirkschneider on vocals, backed by lead guitar heroes Hoffmann and Herman Frank and the backbone of bassist Peter Baltes and drummer Stefan Kaufmann.

Hoffmann is the sole remaining original member of ACCEPT, which he formed in 1976 in the town of Solingen, Germany with Dirkschneider and Baltes.

ACCEPT's latest studio album, "Too Mean To Die", was released in January 2021 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was the group's first without Baltes, who exited ACCEPT in November 2018. He has since been replaced by Martin Motnik. ACCEPT's lineup has also been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during 2019's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently.

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman played his fifth U.S. show in four years this past Thursday night (March 9) at Vibes Live In The Rock Box in San Antonio, Texas as support act for QUEENSRŸCHE. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

Marty is confirmed to perform on 26 additional dates with QUEENSRŸCHE, running through April 16, where the tour wraps up in St. Petersburg, Florida. Along the way, the trek will make stops in Dallas, Texas (March 11); Anaheim, California (March 19); Chicago, Illinois (March 31),New York City (April 10) and Nashville, Tennessee (April 14),to name a few. Also, Marty recently announced two headline shows on his own: March 17 in Las Vegas, Nevada at Count's Vamp'd and March 18 in Los Angeles, California at the Whisky A Go Go.

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

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

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

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

COAL CHAMBER frontman Dez Fafara spoke to Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", about the band's upcoming reunion shows at this year's edition of the Blue Ridge Rock Festival, set to take place September 7-10 in Alton, Virginia, as well as at Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 13 at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. Regarding how the COAL CHAMBER comeback came about, Dez said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Unbelievable turn of events. That actually happened… I was on my way out from COVID. And my wife called [the other members of COAL CHAMBER] and said, 'Hey, you guys may wanna text Dez or call Dez 'cause I don't know if he's gonna make it through the night. He's telling me where he wants to be buried and not to sell his '78 Cadillac.' So they started to call me, they started to text me, and over a period of six, seven, eight months, we didn't talk any business at all. And we realized that, you know, why are we not playing shows? Those guys are totally different people than when we broke up. I have always been the same — I've just been solid as a rock; and I told them, 'I'm solid as a rock. If I come out of this, I would love to do at least one show with you guys.' And that's how this all started — very organically."

Dez added: "COAL CHAMBER is a very unpredictable thing, all the way from its beginning, playing with PANTERA and BLACK SABBATH, to where we were when we put out 'Rivals' to where we are now.

"I'm very excited for the Sick New World fest and to see what we're gonna do. There's a lot of tours that have been offered. But we're gonna take it slow and we're gonna do what's appropriate for the brand and for the band and especially the fans that have been with us for so long."

After MikeZ pressed Dez about whether there are plans for a new COAL CHAMBER album or if he and his bandmates are just "taking it one babystep at a time," Fafara said: "I've had e-mail after e-mail after e-mail with offer after offer after offer, and it's really just up to the camp to what we're gonna do. As of right now, we have these few festivals. There's an amphitheater tour that's offered to us in June or July. We're not sure what's gonna be happening. We will see. And only the future time will tell. But we're gonna do what's best for us and for the fans."

When COAL CHAMBER's participation in Sick New World was first announced last fall, Fafara took to his Twitter to write simply: "#coalchamber is back #thatisall".

Guitarist Miguel "Meegs" Rascón wrote: "My brothers and sister. Back together, w all the love in the world. Cant wait to play for all the fans who have been there for us and loyal. We love u all! #coalchamber #sicknewworld".

Added bassist Nadja Peulen: "Excited to share the stage with my brothers again! COAL CHAMBER live in Las Vegas 2023 @sicknewworld festival. Register now for Presale that starts Friday November 11th 10am PT. @coalchamberofficial @dezfafara @meegsrascon @mikeycoxofficial @nadjapeulen #coalchamber".

Drummer Mike Cox wrote: "Well this is definitely something I thought I would never post again in my life!!! I am rarely on social media anymore as it is…..

"Quick recap as it will be therapeutic for me !!! After our last tours in 2015 I was coming off stage very depressed and wanting to be home with my young son. I was missing a lot and it started to really get to me. I made the decision , that if we stop again it was my last time ever playing again. After our last show ,it was over … and that's what I did. I completely retired from music and began focusing on my family life and raising our son . With the tremendous support and encouragement from my wife we moved to a new city …..Bought a new house ,and my construction company is booming…. Everything was exactly where we wanted it to be . After YEARS of hard work , therapy, sobriety , 2 elbow surgeries, I found extreme peace with not being a musician anymore.

"Over the years I kept in contact with @dezfafara and I feel like for the first time in 25 years we actually became real friends . Both our families went through A LOT over the past years and we were actually there for each other . We actually listen to each other and that means more than any band at this point in my life . That slowly changed the conversation of starting to play again… and here we are!!!

"I really thought about this decision for a long time with my family and what it meant to jump back in and this was a family decision. Our son is older now and always asks about what I used to do… now I can just show him all the crazy hardcore COAL CHAMBER fans we have out there!!!. It's an exciting time for us all the future looks bright!

"As for @meegsrascon ….. I think I have talked to him almost everyday of my life for the past 25 years….can't get rid of this fool!!!

"I want to thank everyone who helped me with this decision as it was not a easy one to make. Thank you to @theoraclemgmt for all of the extremely hard work and putting things in black and white and not bullshitting me like the music industry is so famous for. Also thanks to @nadjapeulen for being a part of this whacky journey we have put her through. I love all of you!!!!"

COAL CHAMBER existed for ten years before disbanding in 2003 to pursue other musical projects. They reunited in 2011 for touring purposes but it wasn't until 2014 that the band began work on a new studio album of original material, the aforementioned critically acclaimed "Rivals". Several months of touring activity followed before Dez returned to DEVILDRIVER to make a new record, 2016's "Trust No One".

DEVILDRIVER's 2019 co-headlining tour with STATIC-X saw the Fafara-fronted outfit performing material from COAL CHAMBER for the first time.

Fafara painted a bleak picture of COAL CHAMBER's future during a 2016 interview with Revolver magazine. He stated at the time: "I had a lot of fun doing that record and playing shows with them again. But there were some circumstances that were not ideal and that's why that thing is not continuing as of right now. If something comes up and I have time and want to make a record and the members have their shit together, I'll do it. But as of now, there's some deep-seated shit that certain dudes in the band still need to work out. And if they work it out and want to tour or make another record, they can come back and give me a call. But right now, everyone in DEVILDRIVER is stoked. No one's fighting. And I feel lucky to be where I am."

Dez had stated in previous interviews that COAL CHAMBER's original split happened because "I did not want to be around the band's hard drug use and I realized that going onstage every night that the money was feeding their habit, so I walked to save my friends." He added that his COAL CHAMBER bandmates were "clean" as of 2012, which made him realize that "it was the right thing to walk [away from the group back in 2003]."

PRETTY MAIDS singer Ronnie Atkins, who is battling stage four cancer, has shared an update on his condition, writing in a social media post: "Went through the annual 3 month scan/check last week and happily passed the test once again for which I'm very thankful That means I can carry out and commit to some of my plans for this spring. I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile you all have a beautiful Sunday out there".

Last July, Atkins spoke about his cancer battle during an interview with Chaoszine. Regarding his prognosis. Ronnie said: "I don't know about my own situation. I'm living in intervals of three months — from scan to scan. You never know what's gonna happen. I never know what they're gonna tell me next time I turn up. I feel okay now, but it can happen pretty fast sometimes. The red light's been flashing a couple of times. They didn't find anything. The last two years I've been cancer-free, so to speak. It's still there; I've got metastasis in my bones — it's spread to the bone now, which is very bad. But I had immunotherapy for two years, which is probably why I'm still here. Now I'm not getting any treatments. I'm just saying that the future is very unpredictable."

Atkins went on to say that he is battling "constant pain issues" but added, "I've got 20 pills a day to keep it under control. It's nerve damage from the surgery and all the radiation therapy. Everything comes with a price. But [at least] I'm alive."

Asked how long he thinks he can keep recording music and touring, Atkins said: "I'm happy every day I can open up my eyes. That's just the conditions of my life now. The cancer thing is totally a game changer, not just for me but for my family too. It's there 24-7 in your subconscious. But I feel good. It's not that I'm whining all the time or anything like that. I just go ahead and try to live my life as I used to, as much as I can. And that's it. It's not that I'm sitting [and saying], 'I've got half a year left.' I don't know how [long I have]. I'm not terminal. I just take it as it comes, really. That's all I can do."

He continued: "If you read the statistics, four or five percent [of the people with my type of cancer] are alive after five years. That's not really good. I'm on my third year now. So I try not to think about that. As I say, I take it as it comes."

Regarding how much of his daily thought process is occupied by his cancer battle, Ronnie said: "It's in your subconscious, 'cause you get reminded every day. Now I'm doing an interview with you, and we're talking about it. So I can never really let it go. I might meet somebody at the grocery store [and they ask you], 'Hey, how are you doing?' and stuff like that. You go on the Internet, and somebody died of cancer. You get constantly reminded about it. So that, of course… it's a bit of a dagger hanging above your head. But it is what is, and I can't change that. I'm alive."

Ronnie previously opened up about his cancer battle in a March 2022 interview with "The Bay Ragni Show". Reflecting on how he was first diagnosed with the disease, Ronnie said: "When I first got it… I knew there was something wrong during the summer of 2019. I had back issues for years, but I had this kind of non-pain, strange pain. It's something you know yourself if there's something wrong. My mother had the same thing, and she died of it. I was 22, actually; my mother was 57. So I went to the doctor, and he said, 'I think you just struck a nerve or something.' I said, 'We should check it out.' And they sent me off. And then, the very same day, they said they found a spot in the lungs. Then I had to go through the whole thing. I had two biopsies, having a needle stuck into my lungs. It was just a very bad experience."

He continued: "I'd been smoking for 40 years at the time — or 35 years at that time. I actually quit smoking, but I'd been a heavy smoker for years. And I also had my share of alcohol; that's no secret. And those two things combined is deadly. But I lived a fucking rock and roll life. I don't regret my life, because I had a great life; I had a great run. And that's also what some of the songs [on my solo albums] are all about. We take everything for granted. That's what life is all about. That's what we do — when we're good and we're healthy — and that's the way it should be; we shouldn't walk around thinking about death. So when I finally was told it was cancer, I wasn't surprised. But then again, I had some panic attacks. It took me a long time to kind of cope with it. But music helped me through it."

Asked if it's difficult for him to talk about his cancer battle now, Atkins said: "When I did [my] 'One Shot' [solo] album [in 2020], it's maybe a little bit more emotional and melancholic and reflecting than [my latest] album ['Make It Count'] is, but this album is as well 'cause it's still in my head. But I was kind of weak when I did that album in the summer of 2020. When we did this one. I kind of learned how to cope with it — if you can ever learn to cope with it. You've just gotta be realistic and say, 'Okay, it is what it is.' I can't change that. I can just hope that science can prolong my life as much as possible. I do everything I can myself… Well, I don't. I train every day. I still have a glass of wine and a beer and stuff like that. I don't smoke anymore, of course. So I hope that with the help of the higher powers and the good doctors and science that I'll be allowed some more years in life 'cause I've got a lot more to offer.

"I'm very realistic about the situation, so I can talk to people," he explained. "People come and say to me, 'But you look good.' I had immunotherapy and that kind of fucked things up in my body, but I was never really sick from the chemo and the radiation and the immunotherapy. Sometimes I was, but basically when I look at a lot of other people with cancer, I've been very fortunate. So I basically have been feeling good — as good as I can."

After being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019, the now-58-year-old Atkins underwent at least 33 radiation and four chemotherapy treatments in the fall of that year before being declared cancer-free. In October 2020, he announced that his cancer had returned.

In a 2013 interview with Myglobalmind, Atkins joked that the secret to keeping his voice in shape was "twenty cigarettes a day and little drink now and then."

Formed in early 1982 by Atkins and guitarist Ken Hammer, PRETTY MAIDS' third album, 1987's "Future World", is still today regarded as a "classic."

During the ensuing years, PRETTY MAIDS continued to release albums usually followed by European and Japanese tours.

PRETTY MAIDS' latest album, "Undress Your Madness", came out in November 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

"Make It Count" was released in March via Frontiers Music Srl.

Photo credit: Tallee Savage

Went through the annual 3 month scan/check last week and happily passed the test once again for which I’m very thankful...

Posted by Ronnie Atkins Official on Sunday, March 12, 2023

ARCH ENEMY's Michael Amott has paid tribute to DARK ANGEL guitarist Jim Durkin, who died this past Wednesday (March 8) at the age of 58.

Earlier today (Saturday, March 11),Amott took to his Instagram to share a photo of Durkin, and he included the following message: "Nicest guy in Thrash? I think so… I have fond memories of hanging with Jim and his lovely wife Annie. Food and (much needed) showers at their house during the slightly rough-and-tumble days of ARCH ENEMY tours back in the early 2000's. He had a big heart, that's for sure.

"One night after an LA show he stormed backstage and excitedly told us he'd had a lengthy conversation with John Sykes, a guitarist we both admired, on the balcony while we played. How cool.

"Jim always remained a fan, a kind and humble dude with a great taste in Metal music and guitar.

"58 is way too young to go.

"Thanks for the mighty DARK ANGEL, and most of all for being you! Safe travels Jim! "

Jim's passing was confirmed by his wife Annie on his Facebook page on Friday (March 10). She wrote: "With a broken and heavy heart, I want to share that the love of my life, my best friend and husband, Jimmy, passed away Wednesday morning. He was not alone as I was with him along with a few close friends until the end. He will be truly missed and no one can ever replace the love I have for him. May he rest in peace.

"Ever Thine, Ever Mine, Ever Ours……. My Immortal Beloved. I will see you again."

A short time later, DARK ANGEL also issued a statement on Durkin's passing, writing: "We in the DARK ANGEL Family are deeply saddened and crushed today with the news of our brother and founder Jimmy Durkin passing away Wednesday morning.

"We would like to thank his fans for their continuous loyalty and support. We will come out with a full statement very soon. We ask that you please respect the family's privacy while we mourn the loss of this great man."

An original member of DARK ANGEL, Durkin played on the band's first three albums — 1985's "We Have Arrived", 1986's "Darkness Descends" and 1989's "Leave Scars" — before departing the group in 1989. He was part of DARK ANGEL's lineup when the band reformed in 2013, and had been playing with them ever since.

Durkin had been sitting out some of DARK ANGEL's recent gigs. He was replaced at the shows by drummer Gene Hoglan's wife Laura Christine.

DARK ANGEL, which has been touring intermittently since reforming a decade ago, is scheduled to perform its legendary album "Darkness Descends" in its entirety at three special concerts next month at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles, California.

For much of the last few years, Durkin and his bandmates had been working on material for a new studio album.

DARK ANGEL's first CD since 1991's "Time Does Not Heal" was supposed to feature the lineup that has performed sporadic live shows since reuniting in 2013: Hoglan, Durkin, Eric Meyer (guitar),Ron Rinehart (vocals) and Michael Gonzalez (bass).

In February 2022, Hoglan said during a Twitch livestream from his home that he and his DARK ANGEL bandmates were "in the process" of making a new album. "I have a lot of work ahead of me, and so does Jim Durkin," Gene said. "He's been sending over songs, riffs, stuff like that, [which has been] super exciting. We're all of the same mindset of making this just the most absolutely kick-ass DARK ANGEL record that we can."

DARK ANGEL released two albums with Don Doty on vocals — the aforementioned "We Have Arrived" and "Darkness Descends" — before he exited the group and was replaced by Rinehart (after a brief stint with Jim Drabos in 1987). The band issued two more studio LPs — "Leave Scars" and "Time Does Not Heal" — before calling it quits in 1992.

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Ted Nugent has paid tribute to Gary Rossington, the last surviving founding member of LYNYRD SKYNYRD, who died last weekend at the age of 71.

Nugent addressed Rossington's passing during the latest edition of "The Nightly Nuge", a news-style clip in which he offers his take on the news of our world every night. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We just lost Gary Rossington, the great powerful, soaring musical beast of LYNYRD SKYNYRD. In the wind, Jeff Beck is still alive; in the wind, Eddie Van Halen is still alive; in the wind, Gary Rossington is still alive.

"To keep Jeff Beck and Eddie Van Halen and Brian Jones and Gary Rossington alive, the Ted Nugent band is going on tour this summer. And it's gonna be the 'Gonzo Gonzo' tour," Ted revealed. "We're gonna have a 'Gonzo Gonzo' tour this year. Because Gary kept playing right to the end. As long as he could physically get on stage, he did that soaring, spiritual masterpiece from 'Free Bird', that slide guitar on his Gibson SG and sometimes on his Gibson Les Paul. And Gary was a great man. He was a kind man. He was a dedicated musician. He had a great work ethic. All the things that makes an American rock solid in the asset column is Gary Rossington. So God bless him for enriching our lives with his amazing music with the LYNYRD SKYNYRD band. But at 71, he went too early. He had some heart problems in the last few years… [He was] a musical blood brother. We should all be very thankful that guys like Gary helped create the soundtrack for our lives. But, yeah, he was a good man, a good friend. And boy, we did a lot of concerts together."

Nugent continued: "In 1977 — I believe that was the year when their plane went down — LYNYRD SKYNYRD and I were co-headlining two nights at Madison Square Garden. And after the plane went down, there was a lot of heartbreak, obviously, and a lot of disarray. And the promoters in New York, Ron Delsener — I can't believe I remember all these guys' names. But I played Madison Square Garden so many times. Many times AC/DC opened up for me and DEF LEPPARD opened up for me and BLACKFOOT opened up for me. Michael Jackson came to see me at Madison Square Garden. So this is a Madison Square Garden celebration. But the LYNYRD SKYNYRD plane went down. And they lost Ronnie and they lost members of their band. So, everybody goes, 'Well, we're gonna have to cancel.' And then Ron Delsener said, 'You know, it's sold out both nights.' I said, 'I'll play double the length and we'll donate all the proceeds to the LYNYRD SKYNYRD family.'

"Now it's amazing you never heard that story, because if Ted Nugent does something good — which it wasn't just me; it was my entire team, my band, my crew, my management. But we donated all that money from two nights at Madison Square Garden to the LYNYRD SKYNYRD families after that tragic accident.

"So I had a real bond with Gary, a real bond with the members of LYNYRD SKYNYRD — as I try to do with all the bands that I work with, from ZZ TOP to CHEAP TRICK to VAN HALEN to FOREIGNER to — you name a band, I've done concerts with them," Ted concluded. "But he was the Real McCoy. And thank God we have his musical legacy to stay with us forever. But we've lost a great man in Gary Rossington. So may he rest in peace. And in the wind, he, via his music, is still alive."

Rossington's passing was announced by LYNYRD SKYNYRD on the band's official Facebook page on March 5. No cause of death was given. The guitarist had battled a number of heart problems, including an emergency heart surgery in 2021. Six years earlier, he suffered a heart attack, prompting several of the band's concerts to be canceled. He also underwent quintuple bypass surgery back in 2003 due to coronary artery disease. In 2019, he had an operation to fix a leaky heart valve.

Rossington survived the 1977 plane crash that killed singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines. The band reunited with Ronnie's brother Johnny Van Zant as singer in 1987 and has been on the road ever since.

Rossington was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006, along with other members of LYNYRD SKYNYRD, and contributed to many of the group's most iconic songs, including "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird".

DARK ANGEL guitarist Jim Durkin has died at the age of 58.

Jim's passing was confirmed by his wife Annie on his Facebook page earlier today (Friday, March 10). She wrote: "With a broken and heavy heart, I want to share that the love of my life, my best friend and husband, Jimmy, passed away Wednesday morning. He was not alone as I was with him along with a few close friends until the end. He will be truly missed and no one can ever replace the love I have for him. May he rest in peace.

"Ever Thine, Ever Mine, Ever Ours……. My Immortal Beloved. I will see you again."

A short time later, DARK ANGEL also issued a statement on Durkin's passing, writing: "We in the DARK ANGEL Family are deeply saddened and crushed today with the news of our brother and founder Jimmy Durkin passing away Wednesday morning.

"We would like to thank his fans for their continuous loyalty and support. We will come out with a full statement very soon. We ask that you please respect the family's privacy while we mourn the loss of this great man."

An original member of DARK ANGEL, Durkin played on the band's first three albums — 1985's "We Have Arrived", 1986's "Darkness Descends" and 1989's "Leave Scars" — before departing the group in 1989. He was part of DARK ANGEL's lineup when the band reformed in 2013, and had been playing with them ever since.

Durkin had been sitting out some of DARK ANGEL's recent gigs. He was replaced at the shows by drummer Gene Hoglan's wife Laura Christine.

DARK ANGEL, which has been touring intermittently since reforming a decade ago, is scheduled to perform its legendary album "Darkness Descends" in its entirety at three special concerts next month at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles, California.

For much of the last few years, Durkin and his bandmates had been working on material for a new studio album.

DARK ANGEL's first CD since 1991's "Time Does Not Heal" was supposed to feature the lineup that has performed sporadic live shows since reuniting in 2013: Hoglan, Durkin, Eric Meyer (guitar),Ron Rinehart (vocals) and Michael Gonzalez (bass).

In February 2022, Hoglan said during a Twitch livestream from his home that he and his DARK ANGEL bandmates were "in the process" of making a new album. "I have a lot of work ahead of me, and so does Jim Durkin," Gene said. "He's been sending over songs, riffs, stuff like that, [which has been] super exciting. We're all of the same mindset of making this just the most absolutely kick-ass DARK ANGEL record that we can."

DARK ANGEL released two albums with Don Doty on vocals — the aforementioned "We Have Arrived" and "Darkness Descends" — before he exited the group and was replaced by Rinehart (after a brief stint with Jim Drabos in 1987). The band issued two more studio LPs — "Leave Scars" and "Time Does Not Heal" — before calling it quits in 1992.

With a broken and heavy heart, I want to share that the love of my life, my best friend and husband, Jimmy, passed away...

Posted by Jimmy Durkin on Friday, March 10, 2023

We in the Dark Angel Family are deeply saddened and crushed today with the news of our brother and founder Jimmy Durkin...

Posted by Dark Angel Official on Friday, March 10, 2023

I received the sad news of the passing of my dear friend Jimmy Durkin this afternoon…
Rest In Peace Brother. ✊❤️🤘
My...

Posted by Katon W. De Pena on Friday, March 10, 2023

Super sad to hear of the passing of our thrash metal brother Jim Durkin of Dark Angel Official

Back in 1983 he had...

Posted by David Ellefson on Friday, March 10, 2023

I was not ready for this today. Just got word that Jim Durkin has passed away.
A million things will be written and...

Posted by Steve Gaines on Friday, March 10, 2023

Just heard the news that another friend has passed on. Here's a photo of Jim Durkin (Dark Angel) with me then another with my other good friend Loana and my Mom. RIP Jim Durkin.

Posted by Enrique Chavez on Friday, March 10, 2023

Today is truly sad day for Thrash Metal as we lost two really great guys. Josue Madsen replaced Artillery’s original...

Posted by Ed Farshtey on Friday, March 10, 2023

Longtime ARTILLERY drummer Josua Madsen, who played on the band's last four albums, has died at the age of 45.

According to SN.dk, Madsen passed away after being hit by a bus on a dark country road between Copenhagen and Roskilde, Denmark.

Josua, who had recently exited ARTILLERY, had rehearsed with his new band on Wednesday night (March 8) and was walking from Høje Taastrup Station and home to Vridsløsemagle, where he and his family live, when was hit by a moving bus at around 9:47 p.m.

There were reportedly no street lights on Snubbekorsvej, which is a country road where the speed limit is 80 kilometers per hour. Since there is no sidewalk either, any pedestrians must walk on a ditch edge along the road.

ARTILLERY commented on the news via the band's Facebook page, writing: "Dear friends, fans, and family. Today we awoke to the tragic news of the passing of our dear friend and bandmate Josua.

"Dear Josua. For the last ten years, you have been a part of our extended family. We have played, fought, laughed, and cried together and looked to the future alongside appreciating our now. You had a kind spirit and a big heart.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with your son and family. We wish you peace and joy on your journey. Take care friend, and rock on, wherever you are."

Josua was a single father to his teenage son Alexander.

"He was a fantastic single father to his son. They loved each other and were inseparable," said Josua's mother Joan Junggren. "It is a huge loss for his son Alexander, and us as immediate family."

Posted by Artillery (The Official Page) on Friday, March 10, 2023

Former BLACK SABBATH, DIO and HEAVEN & HELL drummer Vinny Appice says that he doesn't think it's right for singers to rely on pre-recorded tracks for their lead vocals during their concerts.

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on backing tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

Appice addressed some rock acts' reliance on pre-recorded tracks in a Cameo video message requested by the Syncin' Stanley YouTube channel. Acknowledging that HEAVEN & HELL used some backing tracks when performing the BLACK SABBATH song "I" in the years prior to singer Ronnie James Dio's passing, the drummer said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The chorus of 'I', we just needed some more background on it, so it was Ronnie on a keyboard. And that's the only time we ever used it. Ronnie hate[d] that stuff. And to do anything more than that, he would have hated it. I don't think it's right either. Especially if you're singing the lyrics to a song, that's pretty bad if you can't sing it live. You might as well just play the tape and mime it. And that was the only time we ever used that — on 'I'. And you've gotta remember, too, that was 2007, 2009; he was starting to have cancer and stuff. So he wasn't Ronnie James Dio in the '80s or '90s."

KISS frontman Paul Stanley, who has been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years, has been accused of singing to a backing tape on KISS's ongoing "End Of The Road" tour.

Back in 2015, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.

"I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, that's at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you're paying $100, 30 to 50 percent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip sync. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.

"There's nobody with a synthesizer on our stage, there's no samples on the drums, there's nothing," Gene continued. "There's very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, METALLICA, us. I can't even say that about U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks."

Last month, KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee defended Stanley's vocal performance on "End Of The Road", explaining that the "Star Child" "fully sings to every song" at every concert. He explained: It's enhanced. It's just part of the process to make sure that everybody hears the songs the way they should be sang to begin with. Nobody wants to hear people do stuff that's not real, that's not what they came to hear."

When McGhee was asked to clarify if he was "actually saying there are backing tracks that [Paul is] singing to," Doc said: "He'll sing to tracks. It's all part of a process. Because everybody wants to hear everybody sing. But he fully sings to every song."

In March 2020, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers said that "90 percent" of rock artists use at least some pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. He told Rock Feed: "It bothers me that it bothers people. I'm, like, 'Why does this bother you?' It's the way it is. People have been doing this since the '80s. And we want the sound to be the best it can be. Could we go up there, just the four of us, and put on the best rock show ever? Of course. But that's not how we wanna do it."

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has previously said that he is "one of the last people" who are still not using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows. "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have," he told Consequence Of Sound. "And I still don't. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way?' It's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."

In 2019, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he doesn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all," he told the New York Post. "I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."

One musician who has been open about his band's use of taped vocals during live performances is MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, who said: "We've used technology since '87." He added the group employed "sequencers, sub tones, background vox tracks, plus background singers and us. [MÖTLEY CRÜE also taped] stuff we can't tour with, like cello parts in ballads, etc.... We love it and don't hide it. It's a great tool to fill out the sound."

In a 2014 interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars admitted that he wasn't comfortable with the fact that his band used pre-recorded backing vocals in its live shows, claiming that he preferred to watch groups whose performances are delivered entirely live. "I don't like it," he said. "I think a band like ours… I have to say '60s bands were my favorite — '60s and '70s bands — because they were real, like, three-piece bands or four-piece bands, and they just got up there and kicked it up. Made a mistake? So what? Sounded a little bit empty here or there? So what? It's the bigness and the rawness and the people that developed and wrote the songs and made them and presented them. To me, that's what I really like. I mean, I could put on a MÖTLEY CD and play with it all day long. I don't wanna do that."

ANTHRAX and PANTERA drummer Charlie Benante says that he doesn't see anything wrong with artists enhancing their show by using backing tracks during their concerts.

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

Benante addressed some rock acts' reliance on pre-recorded tracks in a Cameo video message requested by the Syncin' Stanley YouTube channel. Asked for his opinion on singers who use backing tracks for their lead vocals, the drummer said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I really don't have an opinion about lip syncing or anything like that. I mean, if it's a full-on, blown-out lip-syncing thing, like I've seen some pop or rap artists do, then, yeah, I'm against that, but I don't see anything wrong with enhancing the show with whatever, [whether] it be a background vocal or a little help. Yeah, I'm cool with it; it's no big deal.

"We [in ANTHRAX] go out and play completely live," Charlie continued. "There's nothing that we're following — we're not following a grid or anything like that — so we're a hundred percent live. That's just the way we do it. But I have nothing against other bands who wanna enhance their performance and have a little background vocal or anything like that. Totally cool."

KISS frontman Paul Stanley, who has been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years, has been accused of singing to a backing tape on KISS's ongoing "End Of The Road" tour.

Back in 2015, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.

"I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, that's at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you're paying $100, 30 to 50 percent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip sync. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.

"There's nobody with a synthesizer on our stage, there's no samples on the drums, there's nothing," Gene continued. "There's very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, METALLICA, us. I can't even say that about U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks."

Last month, KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee defended Stanley's vocal performance on "End Of The Road", explaining that the "Star Child" "fully sings to every song" at every concert. He explained: It's enhanced. It's just part of the process to make sure that everybody hears the songs the way they should be sang to begin with. Nobody wants to hear people do stuff that's not real, that's not what they came to hear."

When McGhee was asked to clarify if he was "actually saying there are backing tracks that [Paul is] singing to," Doc said: "He'll sing to tracks. It's all part of a process. Because everybody wants to hear everybody sing. But he fully sings to every song."

In March 2020, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers said that "90 percent" of rock artists use at least some pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. He told Rock Feed: "It bothers me that it bothers people. I'm, like, 'Why does this bother you?' It's the way it is. People have been doing this since the '80s. And we want the sound to be the best it can be. Could we go up there, just the four of us, and put on the best rock show ever? Of course. But that's not how we wanna do it."

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has previously said that he is "one of the last people" who are still not using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows. "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have," he told Consequence Of Sound. "And I still don't. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way?' It's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."

In 2019, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he doesn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all," he told the New York Post. "I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."

One musician who has been open about his band's use of taped vocals during live performances is MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, who said: "We've used technology since '87." He added the group employed "sequencers, sub tones, background vox tracks, plus background singers and us. [MÖTLEY CRÜE also taped] stuff we can't tour with, like cello parts in ballads, etc.... We love it and don't hide it. It's a great tool to fill out the sound."

In a 2014 interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars admitted that he wasn't comfortable with the fact that his band used pre-recorded backing vocals in its live shows, claiming that he preferred to watch groups whose performances are delivered entirely live. "I don't like it," he said. "I think a band like ours… I have to say '60s bands were my favorite — '60s and '70s bands — because they were real, like, three-piece bands or four-piece bands, and they just got up there and kicked it up. Made a mistake? So what? Sounded a little bit empty here or there? So what? It's the bigness and the rawness and the people that developed and wrote the songs and made them and presented them. To me, that's what I really like. I mean, I could put on a MÖTLEY CD and play with it all day long. I don't wanna do that."

In a new interview with NME, Roger Daltrey was asked if fans can expect to hear a new studio album from THE WHO. He responded: "What's the point? What's the point of records? We released an album four years ago [2019's 'Who'], and it did nothing. It's a great album too, but there isn't the interest out there for new music these days. People want to hear the old music. I don't know why, but that's the fact."

The frontman then explained that the band's fanbase now ranges "from 80 years old all the way down to eight years old", adding: "We've got quite a lot of young people in our audience these days. It's quite interesting that they're picking up on our music. But record companies, they just don't do the same job as they used to."

In October 2022, THE WHO released a new version of the 2019 album "Who" featuring an updated version of "Beads On One String" newly remixed by guitarist Pete Townshend and acoustic tracks from the band's only live shows of 2020.

The songs on the deluxe version of "Who" were recorded in Kingston on Valentine's Day this year exactly 50 years to the day since THE WHO's seminal show at Leeds which became the infamous live album "Live At Leeds".

In December 2019, "Who" entered the U.K. chart at position No. 3, becoming the band's highest-charting U.K. LP in 38 years.

"Who" was THE WHO's first set of new material since 2006's "Endless Wire", which debuted at No. 9 in November of that year.

Two years ago, Townshend was asked about reports that he was working on material for THE WHO's next album. He told Rolling Stone: "I'm not working on the next WHO record. I think what happened is that when I did an interview for Uncut about 'The Who Sell Out', I was asked whether or not I was preparing any material or writing anything. I said, at the time, which is where I was since I did this interview before Christmas, that I had an idea for a series of songs. I'd written a series of essays and I was working on it. And subsequently, I had a conversation with Roger and flew the idea past him, and he half-liked it, and said it would be interesting to hear when the music comes. And then I started to read things that he was saying in the press, which were very much at odds with the conversation that we had face-to-face. I think we really need to have another proper conversation. Until we have that conversation, I don't think there's any real prospect of a WHO album developing because it's all in my hands and I tend to do it, and then Roger comes along and sings the songs.

"I need to know that I'm … what's the word? I don't want to use the word 'servicing.' But I need to know that I'm facilitating Roger's needs as a singer," the now-77-year-old continued. "There's only two of us now. And these days, he insists on having music to sing, which he believes in, completely and utterly, that he can get inside. Unless he can inhabit the story of the song, he can't do a good job. And so it means that I have to, in a sense, work as as tailor. I'm not really that free to write whatever comes off the end of my tape machine.

"I don't know whether there will be another WHO album. It needs Roger to be on it. And I think he was even complaining that he didn't make any money out of it. I was, like, 'Who does make money out of fuckin' records anymore?' I don't know who does. Maybe two or three people, but not many."

Mike Shinoda has once again ruled out the possibility of LINKIN PARK one day performing with a hologram of the band's late frontman Chester Bennington.

A Tupac Shakur hologram performed with Snoop Dogg at Coachella in 2012, and Cirque Du Soleil brought a holographic version of Michael Jackson to the stage. More recently, a hologram of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio toured the world, backed by members of his old band.

Shinoda addressed the prospect of the surviving members of LINKIN PARK one day sharing the stage with a hologram version of Chester during a recent interview with Houston radio DJ Theresa Rockface from 94.5 The Buzz. Speaking about virtual images of deceased musicians which have been used before in other artists' live performances, the LINKIN PARK co-vocalist said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Those are creepy. Even if we weren't talking about us, if we weren't talking about Chester, which is… that's a very sensitive subject, and we would have our feelings about how we would represent that… For me, that's a clear no; I'm not into that. But even as a viewer of, like, just a fan of another band — like I heard ABBA, for example, they're doing a hologram show, and they're still alive. Then you get to have an opinion about it based on, like… They're all still here, and yet they wanna do it this way because they wanna transport you back to that moment in time where those songs were new and it was whatever era it was. I get that; I see that. I'm not positive, even under those circumstances, I'm not positive I personally would buy a ticket to the show. But [other people] would. That's fine."

Shinoda went on to say that he is not opposed to other artists using holographic technology during their concerts.

"The problem with the Internet now is that everybody thinks that everything is for everybody," he said. "And what I mean is everyone feels like they need to chime in, like, 'Well, here's my opinion. This is what I have to say. And if it's not for me, like if I don't like it, then nobody should like it.' That's not the way the world works. If you like a thing and I don't like the thing, then you go see the thing; you go buy the thing."

Shinoda previously shot down the idea of LINKIN PARK performing with a Bennington hologram more than five years ago, just a few months after the singer's passing. At the time, he said during an Instagram Live question-and-answer session with fans: "I can't even wrap my head around the idea of a holographic Chester. I've actually heard other people outside the band suggest that, and there's absolutely no way. I cannot fuck with that."

He later added: "I can't do a hologram Chester; that would be the worst. For any of you guys who have lost a loved one, best friend, family member, can you imagine having a hologram of them? Ugh. [It would be] awful. I can't do it. I don't know what we're gonna do, but, you know, we'll figure it out eventually."

Ever since a 3-D projection of the late rapper Tupac Shakur performed at the 2012 Coachella festival, a demand for holographic recreations of dead entertainers had increased.

In 2015, it was announced that Whitney Houston would go on the road in holographic form, but a leak of a duet with Christina Aguilera, which suggested the hologram was not up to scratch, led to the withdrawal of the Houston hologram by her estate.

Guitarist and composer Frank Zappa, who died in 1993, was recreated onstage in 2018 during a hologram tour licensed by the Zappa Family Trust, which is run by his children Ahmet and Diva.

DISTURBED frontman David Draiman said in a 2016 interview that he had mixed feelings about concerts featuring the Dio hologram. He said about the prospect of seeing a holographic version of Ronnie: "It makes me sad. I'm always happy to hear any music from anybody that's left us, that we've lost. But I don't know… The hologram thing, to me, it almost isn't letting the dead be dead." He added, "It just seems weird... Is there a difference between a hologram and a guy dressing up like Ronnie James and doing it?"

Draiman added: "Ronnie was Ronnie, and he was the best in the entire damn world. Whether you're doing it with somebody like Ronnie James Dio or Michael Jackson or whomever, it just seems like, you know what? Respect the legacy. And me personally… it kind of bothers me."

Bennington's passing was ruled a suicide soon after his body was found in July 2017 at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California.

Chester had been candid about mental-health battles in numerous interviews over the years, saying he grappled with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and substance abuse. His struggles with drugs and alcohol landed him in rehab twice around 2006.

LINKIN PARK paid tribute to Bennington in October 2017 with an emotional three-hour show that featured numerous guests joining the band onstage in Los Angeles.

LINKIN PARK released a concert album titled "One More Light Live" in December 2017.

In a new interview with Greg Prato of Consequence, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, who has been living and recording music in Japan since 2003, was asked what it is about Japan that drew him there in the first place. He responded: "It was definitely the music. I wanted to make Japanese music, and the only way to do that is to be here and be completely immersed in it. When I came here, I got very lucky and I joined the band of one of my favorite Japanese singers, Aikawa Nanase. So, I was doing exactly what I wanted to do, pretty much as soon as I got here — six or eight months or something. And that just put my foot right where I wanted to be in J-pop music. I started to work with all of my favorite artists and all of my favorite producers playing live and recording and writing music. And then once I branched into doing television, the whole world really opened."

Friedman also talked about his status as a popular television personality in Japan. He said: "I didn't start off wanting to do that at all, actually. Like I said, I joined the band of one of my favorite J-pop singers when I first got here, and when you do that, people start seeing you. That kind of started a lot of new eyes coming on me, and one of the new eyes was a television production company that put me on a new show. I was initially not really into doing it, because I wanted to just focus on playing music — J-pop music. J-pop, when I say the word 'pop,' it's really very heavy metal. There's a lot of heavy metal influence. People get scared when they hear the word pop, but there's guitar going crazy in it. I was loving it. I wanted to concentrate on that, but they said, 'Just try this TV thing. Your Japanese is very good, and you have a very interesting viewpoint. Just give it a try.' And the first thing out of the box was a really big hit. It was a show called 'Heavymeta-san', which turned into 'Rock Fujiyama'. It lasted for six seasons. For a new show, it's unheard of. So, other offers came up, and my management over here started filling things up, and the next thing you know, more people know me from television than music. And it's still the case. Actually, doing this Budokan show [guest appearance with MEGADETH on February 27], when a lot of it was published on Yahoo! News and things like that, 'He's the guy from TV, but this is what he really does' was like the headline for that thing. Doing television has facilitated the fact that I can leave for two months and tour America with my own music — and not have any problems with that. It's allowed me to live the exact life that I want to do. It's given me a lot of freedom. Of course, you never know when people come up to you, what they know me from. But my real gig is making music, and I love making music more than anything else."

Back in November 2021, Friedman was asked if he experiences culture shock when he returns to his former home country of America. Marty said: "When I moved to Japan, I completely was encompassed by Japanese culture. No one I worked with spoke English. No one around me spoke English. The only time I spoke English was when I was doing international promotion or international tours or international interviews. So 24/7, it was all Japanese. And when that goes on for years and years, you start to dream in Japanese. My wife's Japanese, and we speak only Japanese. So, cultural things also become a part of you, because when you live somewhere, you become a part of the culture. And the things that matter in Japan are not the things that matter in America. Or the things that matter in Europe are not the things that matter in South America. So things that matter on a day-to-day basis are different. So culture 'shock' is kind of a shocking word, so I don't really feel shocked. But I feel like I'm very blessed, because when I go to America, I'm an American, so I can feel all the great things about being American. But I've lived in Japan for almost 20 years, and before I came here, I've been in so many Japanese situations that there's a definite part of me that is really a part of the Japanese culture so I can really feel both of them.

"You should never think that you're trying to belong," he continued. "Because it doesn't matter how perfect my Japanese is — and it's not perfect — but I'm never, ever gonna be Japanese. I feel a part of me is definitely influenced by Japan very much, but if your goal is to belong in another society, I think you're gonna be let down very, very much. Because as hard as you try, Japan is a one-race society and you just look different and you're born in a different place and you have different things in you. So the goal is not belonging; the goal is to add what you have to Japan. If you're trying to belong to something like that, I think you're gonna be let down. But it's not a letdown. You only really belong to yourself. And belonging to something is overrated. So I think you'll enjoy your Japan experience a whole lot more if you celebrate your differences while understanding Japan and enjoying the great things that you're able to enjoy about Japan. And don't be let down when sometimes people are not necessarily so friendly to foreigners. This happens to every country. You just have to let it be; it's just the way it is, especially with older generations. They're, like, 'Oh, the world is changing. Now there's English in the taxicabs. Oh my God.' People fear change. But you can't let that bother you. It's never bothered me once. I'm completely fine being a gaijin [a Japanese word for foreigners and non-Japanese citizens in Japan, specifically non-East Asian foreigners such as white and black people]; it hasn't stopped me from anything. So culture shock, it's not really as bad as people think it is. I enjoy being in America, and I enjoy being in Japan because both things have given me a lot of great things in my life. So learning English — English is the language of the world, so that's helped me everywhere. But in Japan, it's the opposite — in Japan, Japanese is the language, so it's a must. So culture shock is not really that big of a thing."

Friedman played his first U.S. show in four years on March 3 at The Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida as support act for QUEENSRŸCHE. Marty is confirmed to perform on a total of 31 dates with QUEENSRŸCHE, running through April 16, where the tour wraps up in St. Petersburg, Florida. Along the way, the trek will make stops in Dallas, Texas (March 11); Anaheim, California (March 19); Chicago, Illinois (March 31),New York City (April 10) and Nashville, Tennessee (April 14),to name a few. Also, Marty recently announced two headline shows on his own: March 17 in Las Vegas, Nevada at Count's Vamp'd and March 18 in Los Angeles, California at the Whisky A Go Go.

On April 6, the Austrian melodic deathers Dystersol will release their new album Anaemic via MDD/Sunset Records. In it, the band tells the story of the rise and fall of a fictional serial killer and focuses in the narrative on how a person, negatively influenced and disappointed by his environment and society, becomes a psychopath.


With "Fail Better", a visualiser for the album opener is now available. Anaemic can already be pre-ordered at several retailers and mailorders.







Anaemic is a concept album telling the story of the rise and fall of a fictional serial killer. The album was produced by Milan Steinbach at Pointbreak Recordings and mastered by Nicholas Zampiello/New Alliance East Mastering. 


The result is 12 songs that can inspire friends of death metal as well as modern metal styles with massive riffing, driving grooves, hammering blasts and vocals between screams and growls.





The band states: “For our 10th band anniversary in 2023, we are excited to announce that our third LP will finally see the light of day. Anaemic, a concept album about the rise and fall of a fictitious serial killer, will be released on April 6 via Black Sunset/MDD Records. With this record, we have decided to move into a harder and musically more complex direction, so the genre of Anaemic can best be described as modern melodic death metal.”

VicSolum Records has announced the signing of technical death metallers Structural. The Israelian quintet have landed a multi-album record contract with the Swedish label and an expected release of their new album Decrowned on June 23, 2023. A signing, following the band's touring in Europe as support for first Semblant and later on, Fleshgod Apocalypse.


The band comments:


"If you've followed us you know we've waited for a long time to announce this, and some of our new followers got a little glimpse of it on our tour with Fleshgod Apocalypse. We are super excited to announce that our new album "Decrowned" will be released this year by the Swedish record label ViciSolum. The album was mixed and mastered by Christian Donaldson (Shadow Of Intent, The Agonist, Cryptopsy) and it's our second release since our debut album which was released in 2018. 




With festivals looming and even more touring to come, Structural is expected to make huge waves on the scene and create a drastic rise in popularity.


Following the footsteps of acts like Lamb Of God, Nevermore, Periphery and Arch Enemy, Structural delivers an intense and mind-blowing fist of technical death metal, adding layers of fantastic melody on top. Aggressive riffing and intense energy fills the loudspeakers and with the brutal growling of Nadav Zaidman, the experience is complete.

Italian prog/death metallers Wake Arkane have released a new music video for their second single: “Puppets Know The Tears”. It represents the band and its members in a bright and incredibly impactful way.





As in the previously released music video for first single – “The Eternal Return”, the main character is singer Mike Lunacy (former leader of the historical death metal band Dark Lunacy), who also plays the main character in the story told in their concept album.




The letters, also shown in the first single video, carry the prayers of men. Only Mr. Wake has in his hands the ability to realize or hijack their future.


As the materials of this immense record called Awakenings are released, the pieces of the puzzle of the concept will be completed, so that the audience will gradually immerse itself in the incredible story written by Mike Lunacy and narrated by Wake Arkane.


The video was produced, filmed and edited by Davide Rinaldi (also member of the band Dark Lunacy) at ISO-lation Studio and post produced by Daniele Acerbi.


It will be followed by several other singles in the next few months.





"Puppets Know The Tears" brings back the unique sound of Wake Arkane made of theatrical death metal filled with pathos. An energetic track full of drama and refined melodies.


The full-length album Awakenings was mastered by the Swedish musician and record producer Dan Swanö and will be released by the year 2023.


In the coming months and after an eight years hiatus, the band will start performing live again.

Time to kickstart your motorcycle and take a ride with Bad Bones and their next music video for the single "Wanderers & Saints" in support of their sixth album Hasta El Final! due out March 17, 2023 via Rockshots Records.


"Free, without rules, we abandon this society, to live on the margins, aware of the things we will miss, but proud of the choices made, an intro reminiscent of The Police, a song that flies away fast, light and powerful, perhaps the most "modern" song that Bad Bones have ever written," adds the band.


Influenced by NWOBHM to the LA street rock scene, Bad Bones was formed in 2007. The band has made a name for themselves with tours across Europe along with making the move from Italy to LA in 2009 to make a foothold in the USA until returning to their home country in 2010. Over the years, the band has consistently toured the USA and Europe with appearances at events such as the Hollywood Rock Convention, Italian Gods of Metal, and Metalitalia Festival along with supporting bands like Steel Panther, Hardcore Superstar, Crucified Barbara, Entombed, Gotthard, Crazy Lixx, Strana Officina and more.




A musical amalgamation of blues, punk, classic rock, and heavy metal, Bad Bones' latest offering "Hasta El Final!" is a powerful record, that shakes your bones and must be listened to in one go, in its entirety, just like taking a shot of whiskey, throw it down and then enjoy it while it warms your guts.


"The sound of the band has changed since the beginning, the first album Small-town Brawlers was very raw, it sounded almost punk in some ways, in 2012 when Max Malmerenda joined the band, who has an amazing and very melodic voice, a process had begun that led us to write albums more on the ‘80s hard rock side like Demolition Derby in 2016, today, with the return of Mekk we have found a more powerful sound and we have several songs that we could define as heavy metal. We want Hasta El Final! to hit you like a punch in the face, we had this in mind, make it compact and powerful, we didn't use samples, nor quantized/triggered fake drums, everything was played live, even the overdubs were kept to a minimum, and we wanted to keep the fierce spirit of our first albums," says the band.


Making uncompromising rock that is meant to be loud in volume and make ya sweat in the pit, Bad Bones give listeners classic old-school rock n' roll fun. Their lyrics reflect the things they see and hear, from memories, and life experiences, but also from movies or places they've been, there have many sources of inspiration that fans can clearly relate to.


Preorder at the Rockshots Records webshop.





Tracklisting:


“Bandits”
“Behind The Liar’s Eyes”
“Rattlesnake”
“Wanderers & Saints”
“Sand On My Teeth”
“Libertad”
“To Kill Somebody”
“Home”


“Wanderers & Saints” video:





(Photo – Federica Bagagiolo / Hellucination Photography)

Former MOTÖRHEAD and current SCORPIONS drummer Mikkey Dee says that he is "absolutely" against singers who lip sync during their concerts.

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

Dee addressed some rock acts' reliance on pre-recorded tracks in a Cameo video message requested by the Syncin' Stanley YouTube channel. Asked for his opinion on singers who use backing tracks for their lead vocals, the drummer said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Lip syncing sucks big time. I hate it. That's not fun at all. But when it comes to backing tracks, sometimes it's not too bad, if you use it in a proper way. Let's say, you could have a rhythm guitar as a backtrack in certain solos. We never had it with MOTÖRHEAD, ever. And I know a lot of bands that wanna fill up certain parts of a song with some backing tracks — maybe a guitar, a rhythm guitar usually, or maybe some kind of keyboard or something — just to fill up spaces where it's impossible to play. And if you recorded something and you dubbed something on there, some little theme or something, I think that's okay; that's not too bad. I can live with that, as long as the rest of the song is being played properly. But lip syncing — absolutely no. And backing tracks, if you use them properly; if you use them, I would say the way they were intended. But a lot of bands might use backing tracks for the whole musical part of it. And trust me, I hate that — absolutely terrible."

Asked how he thinks MOTÖRHEAD's late frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister would feel about bands relying on backing tracks if he was still alive, Mikkey said: "Lemmy had the same kind of view, I guess, as me, because we never used backing tracks. But sometimes it could have been okay to do it, because it maybe got too thin in certain kind of solo or something, because we were only three [members in MOTÖRHEAD]. So he didn't like it. He would never do it. But he could see bands that used it in a proper way, in a good way. Then I think it's acceptable and then it's all right. But I don't think he would like it. He would be mostly against it. I think it's okay here and there, as I said, in the case of… depending on what kind of song they needed to work on, to fill up, as I said, a solo, a B section, maybe a theme in a solo — I mean, in a chorus — also play something like that. But the song needs to be played by the band and the band only live. That's my view on it."

KISS frontman Paul Stanley, who has been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years, has been accused of singing to a backing tape on KISS's ongoing "End Of The Road" tour.

Back in 2015, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.

"I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, that's at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you're paying $100, 30 to 50 percent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip sync. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.

"There's nobody with a synthesizer on our stage, there's no samples on the drums, there's nothing," Gene continued. "There's very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, METALLICA, us. I can't even say that about U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks."

Last month, KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee defended Stanley's vocal performance on "End Of The Road", explaining that the "Star Child" "fully sings to every song" at every concert. He explained: It's enhanced. It's just part of the process to make sure that everybody hears the songs the way they should be sang to begin with. Nobody wants to hear people do stuff that's not real, that's not what they came to hear."

When McGhee was asked to clarify if he was "actually saying there are backing tracks that [Paul is] singing to," Doc said: "He'll sing to tracks. It's all part of a process. Because everybody wants to hear everybody sing. But he fully sings to every song."

In March 2020, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers said that "90 percent" of rock artists use at least some pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. He told Rock Feed: "It bothers me that it bothers people. I'm, like, 'Why does this bother you?' It's the way it is. People have been doing this since the '80s. And we want the sound to be the best it can be. Could we go up there, just the four of us, and put on the best rock show ever? Of course. But that's not how we wanna do it."

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has previously said that he is "one of the last people" who are still not using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows. "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have," he told Consequence Of Sound. "And I still don't. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way?' It's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."

In 2019, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he doesn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all," he told the New York Post. "I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."

One musician who has been open about his band's use of taped vocals during live performances is MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, who said: "We've used technology since '87." He added the group employed "sequencers, sub tones, background vox tracks, plus background singers and us. [MÖTLEY CRÜE also taped] stuff we can't tour with, like cello parts in ballads, etc.... We love it and don't hide it. It's a great tool to fill out the sound."

In a 2014 interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars admitted that he wasn't comfortable with the fact that his band used pre-recorded backing vocals in its live shows, claiming that he preferred to watch groups whose performances are delivered entirely live. "I don't like it," he said. "I think a band like ours… I have to say '60s bands were my favorite — '60s and '70s bands — because they were real, like, three-piece bands or four-piece bands, and they just got up there and kicked it up. Made a mistake? So what? Sounded a little bit empty here or there? So what? It's the bigness and the rawness and the people that developed and wrote the songs and made them and presented them. To me, that's what I really like. I mean, I could put on a MÖTLEY CD and play with it all day long. I don't wanna do that."

KIX has recruited Matt Starr (ACE FREHLEY, MR. BIG, BLACK SWAN) to play drums for the band while Jimmy "Chocolate" Chalfant continues his recovery after collapsing onstage less than three months ago.

On November 18, Chalfant apparently suffered a heart attack during KIX's concert at the Tally Ho Theater in Leesburg, Virginia. Chalfant was unconscious and carried offstage before performing the last song of the show.

Earlier today (Thursday, March 9),Chalfant shared the following update via KIX's Facebook page: "As you all know, I've had some health issues in the last few months. And, I thank the lord for allowing me to continue my life on this earth for a while longer. I've been working hard to get back into playing shape and it has been going pretty well. But, I've also had a couple setbacks in the last few weeks.

"With the support of my wife Cathy, my KIX bandmates and crew, and all of our friends and fans, I will continue working to return to Rock Your Face Off to the best of my ability. BUT, I'm not there yet. And truth be told, I don't know if I'll ever be able to get back to where I was before.

"I've come to the realization that I will not be able to return to the stage as soon as I was hoping. I've been discussing with my wife and bandmates all the different scenarios for KIX to get back to playing for our fans again.

"We've all thought long and hard about it and have decided it is best to go forward with someone to fill-in for me until I can return. And, we have been very fortunate to find someone who I think is the best possible choice for us.

"Please show your love and support to Matt Starr as we welcome him into the KIX camp. He is an amazing drummer/vocalist who has played with a who's who of the hard rock world, most notably with Ace Frehley and MR. BIG. I am humbled and honored that he has agreed to help us out and I welcome him with open arms. As of now, Matt will be playing all the KIX shows through the Monsters Of Rock Cruise April 29 – May 4."

Back in September 2021, Chalfant suffered a heart attack at his home and was rushed to the hospital. He had immediate surgery to insert two stents in his heart then another surgery the next day for another stent.

KIX was founded in 1977 and released its first, self-titled album on Atlantic Records more than 40 years ago. Their breakthrough came with 1988's "Blow My Fuse", which sold nearly a million copies, thanks to "Don't Close Your Eyes". The band continued to ride the hard-rock wave until 1995, when KIX took a hiatus. Nearly 10 years later, KIX reunited and started touring regionally. A 2008 performance at the Rocklahoma festival led to more gigs and the release of a live DVD/CD called "Live In Baltimore" in 2012. In 2014, KIX released its seventh full-length album, "Rock Your Face Off", the band's first studio effort since 1995's "Show Business".

Hello Friends!
Jimmy here! As you all know, I've had some health issues in the last few months. And, I thank the lord...

Posted by Kix Band on Thursday, March 9, 2023

In a new interview with Australia's Heavy, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine was asked how he compensates on stage for the fact that maybe he can't do some of the things that he could four decades ago. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I don't really know what I cannot do that I used to do 40 years ago. I think that probably the only thing I have any difficulty doing is getting up in a certain pitch now that I've had my neck operated on and had a metal plate put into my spine because of the damage that happened to my neck.

"It's a wonder, based on everything that's happened, the guy upstairs is even letting me continue to do what I love.

"I don't wanna be a victim — I can't stand people who play the victim — so I'm not gonna give you a litany of all my injuries. But suffice to say, I feel great right now, and I don't really think there's anything that I cannot do.

"I won't jump out of an airplane anymore because of the plate in my neck. And because… you may have seen something about this, but I'm gonna be an Opa [grandfather]; my son [Justis] is gonna be a dad. I remember when I found out we were gonna have Justis, I stopped skydiving. That's one thing I don't do anymore.

"I think given what's happened to me with the stenosis and the broken neck bone, and I've got another broken bone in my back from riding horses, playing polo… 'Cause I don't know how to play polo, and for some stupid reason my wife convinced me to get out there and do it. And I ended up with a broken bone in my back. Go figure. Love makes you do some strange things, man."

Back in 2016, Mustaine addressed some of the challenges singing MEGADETH's earlier material while speaking to the Milwaukee, Wisconsin radio station 102.9 The Hog. At the time, he said: "After I had the surgery on my neck, when my neck [was] broken, I had a plate stuck in my neck and it touched my vocal box so my voice changed, and it's made it so that my voice is a little lower. And that's kind of a bummer, because a lot of songs in the past we had to just skip because the register was so high. But with working through it and exercising and practicing and warming up and stuff like that, I've been able to return a lot of my vocal range, and that's been good for us, because we've been able to have more songs [to choose from for the concert setlists]."

Last September, MEGADETH's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!", debuted at the top of the charts during its first week of sales, taking the No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200 as well as number ones on Top Album Sales, Top Current Albums Sales, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums. "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" was the highest-charting MEGADETH album of all time around the world, notching No. 1 In Finland, No. 2 in australia, poland, Switzerland, and Scotland, No. 3 in the U.K., and more.

MEGADETH's previous top 10 entries on the Billboard 200 were "Countdown to Extinction" (No. 2, 1992),"Youthanasia" (No. 4, 1994),"Cryptic Writings" (No. 10, 1997),"United Abominations" (No. 8, 2007),"Endgame" (No. 9, 2009),"Super Collider" (No. 6, 2013) and "Dystopia" (No. 3, 2016).

MEGADETH recently received its thirteenth Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance" for the song "We'll Be Back" from "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!".

MEGADETH won the 2017 Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the title track of the band's 2016 album "Dystopia". This marked the group's twelfth Grammy nomination in this category (including nominations in the discontinued "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category).

Former MEGADETH guitarist Jeff Young has told Canada's The Metal Voice in a new interview that he "passed on" auditioning for David Lee Roth's solo band in 1990, not long after exiting the Dave Mustaine-fronted outfit. "Jason Becker got the [gig], which I'm glad, because that gave him a chance to do one really killer project before he got sick," Jeff explained, referencing the fact that Jason has been living with ALS for over 30 years. "And he was a buddy of mine. Once I saw his movie, I was really glad I passed on it. I was being managed by Diamond Dave management, and that's how I got that offer."

Asked if he didn't think that was the "right fit" for the Roth gig, Jeff said: "No, I turned it down… I thought he'd end up in Vegas. And that was all the way back then. And where did he end up? I might have ESP or something.

"I just don't really like [Roth's] voice, to be honest," Young explained. "And now I've since learned he's a lunatic. I made a great choice. He's nuts."

Young's entire career with MEGADETH was spent recording and touring in support of the band's 1988 platinum-selling album "So Far, So Good...So What!"

Jeff made headlines in December 2009 for accusing