LEFT TO DIE, the new band featuring classic DEATH members Terry Butler (also formerly of MASSACRE and currently in OBITUARY) and Rick Rozz (ex-MASSACRE) paired with GRUESOME founders Matt Harvey (EXHUMED) and Gus Rios (ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION),kicked off its European tour last night (Friday, March 3) at the Garage in London, England. LEFT TO DIE performs DEATH's classic "Leprosy" album in its entirety, along with cuts from "Scream Bloody Gore". Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

When the tour was first announced in December, Butler commented: "It's such an honor to be playing 'Leprosy' after all these years. It's been 30-plus years since Rick and myself have rocked these tunes together and Matt and Gus are the perfect dudes to join us on this journey — huge DEATH fans and killer musicians."

Rozz added: "Old-school DEATH fans — prepare yourselves for total brutality! Thanks to Terry, Matt and Gus for making this happen."

Harvey added: "We had such a blast bringing old-school DEATH metal to U.S. audiences this past summer that coming to Europe was practically an inevitability. I'm humbled and beyond stoked to be able to help Terry and Rick keep the legacy of 'Leprosy' and 'Scream Bloody Gore' undead and rabid and I can't wait to unleash all the classicks and deep cuts on Europe!"

LEFT TO DIE completed its first U.S. tour in July 2022.

Butler previously stated about how LEFT TO DIE came together: "After the recent Chuck [Schuldiner] tribute shows that Matt, Gus, and myself did, Rick posed the question, 'Would anyone want to see some 'Leprosy' shows?' With a resounding 'yes!', the masses had spoken. Matt and Gus threw their hats in immediately and, in my opinion, they were the only real choice to bring this thing to life. LEFT TO DIE coming your way soon!!"

Rozz added: "It's going to be an absolute honor and pleasure to play these 34-plus-year-old songs on stage with Terry after all these years, along with the talents of Matt and Gus. It's gonna be brutal!"

Harvey and Rios were both very excited about the project coming together. Harvey reflected: "When Gus and I started GRUESOME as a DEATH tribute, we never thought that it would lead to us playing some of our favorite songs alongside the guys that recorded them, but here we are — and I couldn't be more stoked." Rios added: "When Rick contacted me about his idea, I was immediately on board, since 'Leprosy' is not only my favorite DEATH album, but my favorite death metal album of all time! I'm very grateful and stoked that Terry and Matt were also on board."

LEFT TO DIE is:

Terry Butler - bass guitar
Rick Rozz - guitar
Matt Harvey - guitar, vocals
Gus Rios - drums

On December 11-12, 2021, several former DEATH members — including Butler — played two shows commemorating the 20th anniversary of the passing of the band's mastermind Chuck Schuldiner at Brass Mug in Tampa, Florida. Butler, James Murphy (guitar),Harvey and Rios performed DEATH's classic third album, "Spiritual Healing" (1990),in its entirety under the LIVING MONSTROSITY banner, while Steve DiGiorgio (bass),Bobby Koelble (guitar) and Kelly Conlon (bass) joined forces as SYMBOLIC to play songs from "Human" (1991),"Individual Thought Patterns" (1993),"Symbolic" (1995) and "The Sound Of Perseverance" (1998

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.

Relapse released the first-ever fully authorized DEATH tab book, featuring 21 classic songs tabbed out for guitar from the band's entire discography. The book, which includes traditional notation as well as tablature, also comes with a digital download of all tracks.

Former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee performed some of the band's classic songs over two nights on February 25-26 at Kooperativet in his hometown of Gothenburg, Sweden. He was joined at the gigs by THE DRIPPERS members Viktor Skatt on bass and vocals, and Stig William Rickard on guitar. Fan-filmed video can be seen below.

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, Dee was asked if he and guitarist Phil Campbell would ever go out and perform as MOTÖRHEAD again, with someone else stepping in to play late MOTÖRHEAD frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister's parts. He responded: "No. I really don't think [the fans] want us to do that. That, to me, is stepping over the line. We will never, ever, ever tour with MOTÖRHEAD as a name ever and bring someone else in [to play Lemmy's parts]. That will never happen. But what we are doing is doing some shows here and there…

"I just did two shows Saturday and Sunday here in Sweden with two younger guys and did 10 MOTÖRHEAD songs," Mikkey continued. "And this show sold out in less than two weeks. We had to add that Sunday. And it's so great to play the old classics again and perform. But it has nothing to do with trying to be MOTÖRHEAD. And this is not advertised as MOTÖRHEAD; it's advertised [as] 'Mikkey Dee With Friends', for instance. So there's definitely a line there."

Dee also said that he didn't necessarily have a problem with other bands who go out and perform their classic songs without most or any of the original members. "I just don't get it [as to why fans complain so much about that]. I just don't get it," he said. "Because all [fans] have to do, if they have such a problem with it, just stop listening and stop following. But there is people out there that still wanna hear these songs. But with that said, it has to be done in a respectful and tasteful manner. And I won't mention any bands or names here, but everyone does not do that, and they're kind of overstepping, where it kind of becomes so obvious that there only is money that they're out for."

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

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

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

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

Back in May 2021, Dee told the "Waste Some Time With Jason Green" video podcast that Lemmy refused to quit touring in the weeks leading up to his death, even when his health was clearly deteriorating.

"We played the last show the 11th of December [of 2015] in Berlin, and he passed just [two] weeks later," Mikkey recalled. "And that tells you, the guy died with his boots on. And both me and Phil [Campbell, MOTÖRHEAD guitarist] were trying to talk him out of starting the second part of the European tour after Christmas. But there was no way in hell we could do that. And I said to Phil, 'Look, instead of arguing with Lemmy or pushing him not to do this,' because we said maybe we should break for a couple of months for him to catch his wind, basically. I said, 'Let's not push him anyway. Let him decide what he wants to do. He knows best what he wants to do.' And he wanted to be on stage. So we said, 'Let's just support him instead,' and that's what we did. But we never made it to the second leg of that European tour, unfortunately. It was the U.K. that was on the next part of it, I remember that."

Asked if he knew when he came home to Sweden that it would probably be the end for Lemmy, Mikkey said: "No. Not at all. Because I talked to Lemmy after that show in Berlin. We were all gonna go separate ways, obviously. I was gonna just fly out to Sweden, and Phil went back home to Wales. Lemmy was flying back to L.A., but I believe he was gonna fly to London and stay one night or two or so and say hi to friends and then fly back home. And I spoke to him right after the show. I went down to Lemmy's dressing room, and I said, 'All right. Go back to L.A. and figure out, maybe, another two songs from [MOTÖRHEAD's final album] 'Bad Magic' that you think that we should do. And we take out the two songs that we already played on this leg, and we put in two new songs from the record.' And he said, 'Yeah. All right. I'll check that out.' And I said, 'Let's hook up after Christmas.' Because it was the 11th of December at that time, and I figured we'd talk between Christmas and New Year's Eve and decide which two songs that we agreed on on playing on that next leg. And he said, 'Yeah, I'll go back and work on that.' And that was it. He had no intention of not coming back to Europe and touring. So we did a little finger hook, as we always did, and that was the last time I saw him, actually. Very sad."

Dee went on to say that Lemmy had made some changes in his life to improve his health after dealing with several issues over the last few years of his life, including heart trouble. "But my personal belief is that it was maybe a little too late," he said. "He should have maybe changed a little earlier. But knowing Lemmy, he was not for that. He was doing it his way or the highway, basically. And that made him to what he was. He never compromised with his music, he never compromised with friendship, he never compromised with what way he was gonna go for anyone else in that way, which is why MOTÖRHEAD was MOTÖRHEAD, and still is MOTÖRHEAD. But with that said, of course, the three of us were talking a lot about stuff, and it was not like he was some kind of a boss here. But we all worked so good together, and that's what created the magic, I would say."



Mikkey Dee Kooperativet

Posted by Bea Di on Sunday, February 26, 2023

Posted by Unplugged on Friday, December 9, 2022

NAPALM DEATH singer Mark "Barney" Greenway broke his right ankle at the February 19 stop of the band's "Campaign For Musical Destruction 2023" European tour in Munich, Germany and has been forced to play shows sitting down on a chair at the front of the stage.

The 53-year-old Greenway explained his latest injury during NAPALM DEATH's February 26 concert in Paris, France. He told the crowd: "[I] broke an ankle on stage in Munich seven nights ago. So I've got another five fucking weeks in this thing, but I'm gonna make the fucking most of it.

"Needless to say, there may have been an option for me to not do the gigs, but that is not what I do or what I don't do. I wanted to go [and play the gigs], and that is it.

"So, once again, apologies and thanks for your patience in advance."

Greenway previously injured his right ankle during NAPALM DEATH's fall 2019 U.S. tour with SICK OF IT ALL and MUNICIPAL WASTE.

Last year, Barney told Knotfest that his love of NAPALM DEATH stops him from ever getting fatigued.

"Yeah, I'm not interested in doing that [phoning it in]. If this becomes a general theme within the band or individually with me as a person in NAPALM DEATH, I'd rather just stay home," he said. "I don't want to inflict that on people. It's not for me. It's got to be the very best we can make it. Whether it's a live gig or whether it's an album that comes out."

He continued: "Everything's always subjective, but we can always do the best that we can do and that's just it really. I love it. I love NAPALM DEATH. It was my favorite band before I joined and I think it still is. And for that reason, I'll do my very best. I mean everybody has their off days, don't get me wrong, when you're not feeling so good. Everybody's human. You have days where stuff's going on maybe back home that you can't really be involved in because you're away. But I think, in the main, when NAPALM DEATH goes out on stage it's got to be 100%, nothing less."

In February 2022, NAPALM DEATH released a new mini-album, "Resentment Is Always Seismic - A Final Throw Of Throes", via Century Media Records.

"Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw Of Throes" is a partner recording to NAPALM DEATH's latest album, "Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism", concluding matters through vital, tumultuous grindcore and shockwave ambience.

The eight-song "Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw Of Throes" comes with a total playing time of 29 minutes and is available as a limited CD digipak, vinyl as well as in the digital album format.

"Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism" came out in September 2020 via Century Media Records. The band's 16th studio LP was recorded with longtime producer Russ Russell and features artwork by Frode Sylthe.

Image courtesy of ad acta

British guitar sensation Sophie Lloyd has released the official music video for her new single "Fall Of Man Ft. Matthew K Heafy". The second single from her forthcoming debut album, the guitar extraordinaire teams up with TRIVIUM frontman Matthew K. Heafy for an epic metal journey.

"The response to the song so far has been amazing and I am so excited for people to see this video," Sophie said of the clip, which was shot at TRIVIUM's The Hangar headquarters in Orlando, Florida.

"Filming with Matt was such a cool experience. As a longtime TRIVIUM fan, it was amazing to see the hub where they create their music and stream from.

"Matt was amazing to work with," she added. "It was so surreal performing there with him and actually seeing this song come to life.

"Our video crew Kal Visuals did an amazing job at taking a performance video to the next level by experimenting with camera rotation which captured the feeling of things spiraling out of control in life sometimes, but fighting through it and not letting these things 'pull you downwards'."

"Sophie Lloyd is an immensely talented force of a musician and songwriter," said Matt. "I recall first seeing Sophie's guitar playing online and being truly blown away — so having been a fan of Sophie's for several years, I was honored when asked to guest on an upcoming track. When I learned that TRIVIUM had been a longtime favorite band of Sophie's, I was humbled and appreciative."

Matt actually started work on his parts of the song live on Twitch, giving viewers, including Sophie, an insight into his writing process.

"My co-writer/drummer Christopher Painter and I had a lot of fun experimenting with different time signatures and using some scales that I don't traditionally use," says Sophie on writing the song. "Also Matt writing and recording the song on Twitch was really cool as we got real-time feedback from fans on what they want to hear. He really elevated the song into a metal masterpiece and I'm so excited for people to hear it!"

Titled "Imposter Syndrome", Lloyd's full-length debut album is expected later this year on her own Autumn Records label, and will see Sophie collaborating with some impressive names from the world of rock, with a stunning production from famed studio wizard Romesh Dodangoda (BRING ME THE HORIZON, NOVA TWINS, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, MOTÖRHEAD).

"I can finally say that I have new music coming!" says Sophie. "All my music before was instrumental, so this is a very special release for me as it includes vocals, and some of the people we've worked with are people I used to have as posters on my wall as a kid, so it feels very full circle. It's something that I have been working on before the first lockdown, and to be here talking about it feels amazing!"

Lloyd is one of the most prolific guitarists on the world wide web, a trailblazer who is redefining the concept of a "bedroom" guitarist. A talented composer and accomplished musician, Sophie graduated from the prestigious BIMM in 2018 with a First Class Honours BMus in Popular Music Performance, honing and refining a talent she has nurtured since childhood.

Since then, she has amassed the kind of following that even the guitar gods she grew up idolizing would be envious of, with a reach surpassing three million followers across her social channels, built through a steady stream of sharing her talent via guitar "shredleys", covers and her own original material.

Most recently, Sophie could be seen shredding on stage as guitarist for multi-platinum recording artist Machine Gun Kelly on his recent "Mainstream Sellout" world tour, which included sold out shows at legendary venues such Madison Square Garden in New York and Wembley Arena in London.

At 27 years old, Sophie Lloyd is just getting started, with work on her debut solo album in progress and a few others items to tick off her bucket list.

Photo credit: Black Card Films

UNEARTH has released "Mother Betrayal", the second single from the band's upcoming eighth album "The Wretched; The Ruinous", dropping May 5, 2023. UNEARTH's previous single, title track "The Wretched; The Ruinous" premiered on Sirius XM Liquid Metal, and has spent a monumental three weeks in the number one spot on "The Devil's Dozen".

UNEARTH vocalist Trevor Phipps states: "'Mother Betrayal' is an ominous banger heavily laden with the melodic death metal, thrash and metallic hardcore combination that has signified our sound since the beginning. It kicks up the aggression and ferocity beyond previous recordings while also veering into new territories musically, vocally and structurally. 'Mother Betrayal' is a warning that we are smashing past multiple ecological tipping points caused by our dependence on fossil fuels that will forever alter life on our planet."

On "The Wretched; The Ruinous", UNEARTH not merely continues to amp up their metal-meets-hardcore intensities, but they also exceed themselves with a record that incorporates elements of classic UNEARTH offerings dating back to 2004's "breakthrough" "The Oncoming Storm", while exploring beyond the recent back-to-basics promise of 2018's "Extinction(s)". For UNEARTH's founding mainstays, Trevor Phipps and guitarist Buz McGrath, it feels like the beginning of a new chapter.

"Buz took the entire pandemic to write these songs," says Trevor. "He pushed himself to get out of his comfort zone and explore what UNEARTH is, both past and present. Buz adding these new elements and killer song structures inspired me to be more diverse vocally. 'The Wretched; The Ruinous' is still UNEARTH, but it's also the most dynamic record we've ever done."

Teaming again with "Extinction(s)" producer Will Putney (BODY COUNT, THY ART IS MURDER),the goal was simple: create the definitive UNEARTH record. From the scathing title track opener to the explosive "Cremation Of The Living", the brooding "Mother Betrayal" to the album's riff-violent closer, "Theaters Of War", "The Wretched; The Ruinous" is UNEARTH pulling out all the stops. "There's certain songs where you can really hear the band's hardcore roots," explains Trevor. "The track 'Dawn Of The Militant' is a true mix of metal and heavy hardcore, that to me define what the term 'metalcore' truly is. For the bulk of this record though, the metal, aggression, and technicality are reminiscent of our 'Watchers Of Rule' (2014) album. All of the ingredients of UNEARTH are present on these songs, but the band continues to explore new territories as writers and players."

"The Wretched; The Ruinous" is a turning point moment for UNEARTH. It's first album in their canon recorded without guitarist Ken Susi, who exited the band in 2022. Trevor shares: "It simply came time for UNEARTH and Ken to take a break from working together. He'll always be a large part of the story of this band, and we wish him the best on all of his endeavors."

The frontman makes no bones about the arduous writing process for "The Wretched; The Ruinous".

"Coming out of the pandemic I found myself struggling to find my zone of creativity with writing, but I pushed through, and once I found it things caught fire," he says.

Phipps has never been one to shy away from often scathing social commentary. "Lyrically, it's a warning shot record," Trevor continues. "I've spoken about the decline of our environment by mankind's hand dating back to our first record in 2001, and I've continued to write about the environmental crisis throughout our entire career. We are now at a tipping point with Mother Nature and our place on this planet, and I had to devote the entirety of this album to what is happening around us. This album is a collection of stories of what is happening, and what is to come, if we do not make monstrous changes to how we treat our only home."

"The Wretched; The Ruinous' is about the eight billion people on this planet," echoes the frontman of UNEARTH's latest state of the world address. "We've created a man-made mass extinction event and have been too slow to correct our faults. Extreme weather, drought, famine, disease, erosion of land, culture wars, civil wars, wars for natural resources, and the displacement of billions of people, is all a current reality. This isn't a future problem; it is a now problem and I take this record to talk about it. As a species we are very quickly turning our once Garden Of Eden into our future hellscape."

"It's not all devastation and gloom though," adds Phipps. "On the track 'Call Of Existence' I talk about how we can turn this around with swift, drastic changes to our emissions and consumption of natural resources. There is a responsible way forward that will benefit all life on our planet, and we have to embrace and act on that responsibility now."

UNEARTH recording lineup:

Vocals - Trevor Phipps
Guitars - Buz McGrath
Bass - Chris O'Toole
Drums - Nick Pierce

Photo credit: Mezgarth

LYNYRD SKYNYRD guitarist Gary Rossington has died.

The 71-year-old musician's passing was announced by his surviving bandmates earlier today (Sunday, March 5). They wrote on social media:
"It is with our deepest sympathy and sadness that we have to advise, that we lost our brother, friend, family member, songwriter and guitarist, Gary Rossington, today.

"Gary is now with his SKYNYRD brothers and family in heaven and playing it pretty, like he always does.

"Please keep Dale, Mary, Annie and the entire Rossington family in your prayers and respect the family’s privacy at this difficult time."

The sole remaining original member of LYNYRD SKYNYRD, Rossington has dealt with a number of health issues in recent years. Back in July 2021, he underwent emergency heart surgery. 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.

Five years ago, Rossington told the Tampa Bay Times his doctors had urged him for years to quit touring. "I've had heart attacks on stage," he said. "That's why I was calling it a farewell tour. I don't know if I'll be here [much longer]. I don't want to just say, 'Well, we're never going to end,' because I don't want to die and then it end that way — which is a heavy thing to talk about, but I have to."

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.

Last December, Rossington told Rolling Stone magazine about LYNYRD SKYNYRD's enduring relevance: "It's a tribute band right now, and everybody knows it's not the original. Everybody who comes to see us is told that during the show, and probably knows before they even get there. But people still come to hear it live."

Rossington, whose health woes had forced him to miss many of LYNYRD SKYNYRD's recent shows, with Damon Johnson filling in for him, admitted he went through "a lot of different emotions" watching LYNYRD SKYNYRD from the side of the stage. "The notes are the same, and the songs are the same. It sounds good to me. It sounds like our band," he explained. "I look out and don't see the original band — it's strange. And then I look out and see a replacement for me, which is strange. Just hearing the songs without me playing on 'em live is very strange."

Despite “101 strange things happening," Rossington said that he was happy to know that LYNYRD SKYNYRD's music is still connecting with people. "To see the younger people enjoying it makes your heart warm."

Rossington went on to say that his former bandmates would be equally satisfied with LYNYRD SKYNYRD's continued presence on the touring circuit. "Me, Allen [Collins] and Ronnie [Van Zant] started this band with a dream of making it big, and that dream came true," he said. "They'd love it if their music was still being played when they're gone."

It is with our deepest sympathy and sadness that we have to advise, that we lost our brother, friend, family member,...

Posted by Lynyrd Skynyrd on Sunday, March 5, 2023

GODSMACK has canceled its previously announced spring tour of South America due to a "lack of ticket sales".

The band announced that it has scrapped the trek, which was scheduled to hit Santiago, Chile on April 21, Buenos Aires, Argentina on April 25 and São Paulo, Brazil on April 27, in a social media post earlier today.

GODSMACK wrote: "We are heartbroken to have to announce that GODSMACK cannot get to South America in April as promised. We are so saddened by this as we've been trying for so long to make this work, but due to the lack of ticket sales, we simply can't find a way to fund this tour at this time. Please know we've tried everything we could to make it work, but it has now gone beyond our control.

"We love and appreciate our fans and will remain optimistic that we will play for your country one day. Until then, our deepest apologies."

GODSMACK's South American tour was originally scheduled to take place last November but was postponed to April due to what the band described at the time as "logistical issues."

GODSMACK's new album, "Lighting Up The Sky", was released last month via BMG. The LP was co-produced by GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna and Andrew "Mudrock" Murdock (AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ALICE COOPER).

The first single from "Lighting Up The Sky", "Surrender", which arrived in September, marked the first release from GODSMACK in four years, following their globally acclaimed and gold-certified 2018 album "When Legends Rise", which earned the Erna-fronted outfit a No. 1 spot across U.S. Hard Rock, Rock, and Alternative album charts.

GODSMACK will embark on a spring 2023 U.S. tour with special guests I PREVAIL.

Photo by Chris Bradshaw
South America 😞 pic.twitter.com/arZciqCHIH

— Godsmack (@godsmack) March 3, 2023

In a new interview with "I Ask No One With Kevin Re LoVullo", former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson was asked if the multi-platinum success of METALLICA's 1991 self-titled album helped or hurt the metal community. Ellefson responded in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Ah, it frickin' broke the doors down. METALLICA were always the leader. They broke all the doors down to every obstacle in the way of heavy metal. To some degree, IRON MAIDEN, before them, had superseded and became an arena act and done this stuff too, so certainly you've gotta give credit to MAIDEN. And even DEF LEPPARD, to some degree, because they started out as just kind of a grungy little heavy metal band out of Sheffield, and then they [went] on to become essentially almost like a pop act, on some level; I mean, they became that big. Those guys — certainly DEF LEPPARD and MAIDEN — deserve credit for sort of carving the initial path to sort of the big-time mainstream path for heavy metal. But then METALLICA came in, and they just fucking [said], 'We're here. We're coming in.' They really broke through every obstacle with MTV and daytime rotation with their videos and just became a household name. And it's cool, because they have 'metal' in their name, so it's not like there's any 'what is this?' It's, like, come on. It says 'metal' right in it. You know what it is. And they didn't clean it up and pretty it up; they just kept it raw and frickin' grungy and in your face, and it was, again, authentic. So, again, the likes of Lemmy [of MOTÖRHEAD], who influenced Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] and the guys, that inspiration that stayed true, that, 'We don't have to…' I remember with METALLICA, it was always the thing: 'We do our own thing. We don't play by the rules.' And to a large degree, they didn't. And that's, I think, what made it appealing to the fans, because, let's face it, heavy metal is kind of working man's music, and that's why we look to our heroes, because they're, like, 'God, I wish I could my boss to fuck off and just go do that, 'cause these guys can do whatever they want.' That's the message, right?"

Dave Mustaine, who was the original lead guitarist of METALLICA, was dismissed from the band by drummer Lars Ulrich in 1983. He was replaced by Kirk Hammett and went on to form MEGADETH and achieve worldwide success on his own.

Back in September 2020, Ellefson told Detroit's WRIF radio station that he and Mustaine paid close attention to what METALLICA was doing in the early years of MEGADETH's existence. "I mean, look, we are all just a branch off the METALLICA family tree," he explained at the time. "I mean, let's face it. Especially MEGADETH, with Dave being there, and then me being a branch off of Dave with MEGADETH. So, I mean, look, we owe everything to METALLICA. Those guys broke down the doors for every one of us — ANTHRAX, SLAYER. Bands today — LAMB OF GOD, PANTERA — none of this would have happened without METALLICA being up there as the 800-pound gorilla just carving the path through the jungle that would have never let heavy metal in. The stuff that they able to do and the size and the scope of which they were able to break those doors down, it changed all of our lives — as musicians, as fans, as everything. That's why I think when they did the 'Big Four' [shows] with us in 2010 and '11, that was just such a great olive branch."

The former MEGADETH bassist continued: "As Scott Ian [ANTHRAX] said, it's like we're all brothers of the same family, it's just that one of our brothers went off and became Microsoft [laughs], and that was METALLICA. It's, like, how the hell did you do that? That's amazing. You changed the world. But the fact that they came back and, again, offered that olive branch to us and just said, 'Hey, we were all in this together. Let's celebrate what we did together so many years ago.' And I think that speaks volumes to just how cool METALLICA is."

In 2019, Ellefson said that he got Mustaine's "blessing" to audition for the bassist position in METALLICA after Jason Newsted left the band more than two decades ago. David went on to say that he learned how to play some of METALLICA's songs in preparation for what he thought would be an audition with the group but that the opportunity never materialized.

Back in 2011, Mustaine said that he was relieved that Ellefson wasn't invited to join METALLICA after the tragic death of Cliff Burton.

Burton died on tour in 1986 in a tour bus crash, three years after Mustaine was kicked out of METALLICA and went on to form MEGADETH.

The so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX — played together for the first time in history on June 16, 2010 in front of 81,000 fans at the Sonisphere festival at Bemowo Airport in Warsaw, Poland and shared a bill again for six more shows as part of the Sonisphere series that same year. They reunited again for several dates in 2011, including the last "Big Four" concert, which was held on September 14, 2011 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. Since then, METALLICA, SLAYER and ANTHRAX have played a number of shows together, including the 2013 Soundwave festival in Australia. They also performed at the 2014 Heavy MTL festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

During this past Wednesday's (March 1) episode of his "Nights With Alice Cooper" radio show on Planet Rock, legendary rocker Alice Cooper spoke about his upcoming follow-up to 2021's "Detroit Stories" LP, saying: "There's another album coming out that's really gonna knock you out. Everybody really likes it, the people that have heard it so far. It's just a rocking rock and roll album."

Cooper also teased his brand-new live show, saying he was "getting ready for another year of traveling around the world to play for my adoring fans." He added: "I think that it’s fair to say that it's going to be another amazing year because it's a brand-new show. We're bringing an entirely new show. The castle has gone. [I] can't tell you what it's going to be right now, but I can tell you there's that."

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

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

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

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

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

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

As part of Jonathan Montenegro's "My 3 Questions To" series, former SEPULTURA and current SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera was asked to name his top three thrash metal albums of all time. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I went a little bit old school. The first one is from Canada, SACRIFICE 'Forward To Termination'. Amazing record. I played it so much when I was a teenager in Brazil. Also NUCLEAR ASSAULT 'Survive'. Danny Lilker, the man. Yes! Danny on the bass. NUCLEAR ASSAULT was amazing. They played with us in Brazil. It was great. The singer, John Connelly, had to borrow my guitar, and he played, and it was full of blood. And he gave it back to me. And the whole guitar was full of blood. But I loved the show. And it was cool to have his blood on my guitar. And the last one is DARK ANGEL with 'Darkness Descends'. It's the perfect death/thrash record, but it's more on the thrash side of things. Very, very amazing drums from Gene Hoglan. And I love DARK ANGEL; I love the power and the brutality of the riffs."

Max added: "Those are three inspirational thrash records that helped shape all my stuff I did from that era."

Back in 2014, Cavalera told Tone Deaf that SLAYER's "Reign In Blood" is an album that he "must have on a tour… Yeah, I gotta have 'Reign In Blood', man," he said. "It's still, to this day, a beautiful, great piece of work. It's quick, you know? Under 30 minutes. But the way those songs are put together with the punk influence, the hardcore influence on top of thrash, it was brilliant. I really love that."

SEPULTURA was founded in 1983 by the brothers Max and Igor Cavalera with Wagner Lamounier and Jairo Guedes Braga (known professionally as Jairo Guedz). Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. joined just a few short months later and in 1987, with the departure of Jairo and addition of guitarist Andreas Kisser, the solid lineup of SEPULTURA was final. The band quickly became an influential force in heavy metal music thanks to its dynamic studio recordings and intense live performances.

Although SEPULTURA has maintained a diehard fanbase in all parts of the world throughout the band's four-decade history, "Roots" and "Chaos A.D." were by far SEPULTURA's most commercially successful, having both been certified gold in the U.S. for sales in excess of five hundred thousand copies.

In a new interview with the WHMH FM Rockin' 101 radio station, former RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE singer Joe Lynn Turner was asked about his experience working with the notoriously moody guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, man, I've got nothing but good things [to say]. There's always negativity in bands, but I respect Ritchie, and he's very brilliant at what he does. And, yeah, he can be difficult, but other than that, anybody who knows what they want and what they're doing is difficult, because he's kind of a perfectionist. And being a perfectionist myself, we kind of got along on that. And we came out with such great songs together and pushed RAINBOW into a different area, really, on the Billboard charts and so on. And we just had a blast doing it. So I have fond memories of him, difficult or not."

Last September, Turner slammed Blackmore for the guitarist's decision to go out and perform classic DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW material with a new group of musicians instead of reforming RAINBOW with a more "authentic" lineup. At the time, Turner — who fronted RAINBOW from 1980 until 1984 and was a member of PURPLE from 1989 until 1992 — said that he had been in talks with Blackmore for at least a year about a renewed collaboration before he found out from a French newspaper that Ritchie was returning to rock music but excluding Joe from the project.

Blackmore stepped away from his Renaissance-inspired brand of music with BLACKMORE'S NIGHT for the first time in 2016 to perform a handful of shows with a brand-new lineup of the band he had formed after quitting DEEP PURPLE.

The current incarnation of RAINBOW includes singer Ronnie Romero, originally from Chile but now settled in Romania after living in Madrid, Spain for a number of years, as well as STRATOVARIUS keyboardist Jens Johansson, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT drummer David Keith, bassist Bob Nouveau (a.k.a. Robert "Bob" Curiano, ex-BLACKMORE'S NIGHT),and backing singers Candice Night and Lady Lynn.

Joe sang on the RAINBOW album "Difficult To Cure", which featured the band's most successful U.K. single, "I Surrender".

During Turner's time with RAINBOW, the band had its first USA chart success and recorded songs that helped define the melodic rock genre.

Photo credit: Agata Nigrovskaya

According to Deadline, METALLICA's James Hetfield has a role in the upcoming dark western thriller "The Thicket", based on Joe R. Lansdale's novel of the same name. Production on the film, starring and produced by "Game Of Thrones" alum Peter Dinklage, is underway in Calgary, Canada.

Dinklage will play Shorty, a bounty hunter enlisted to find a woman who has been kidnapped by a violent killer. The movie, which is set at the turn of the 20th century, follows Shorty and his fellow trackers as they travel into a violent and chaotic place known as the Big Thicket.

"The Thicket" also stars Juliette Lewis ("Yellowjackets"),Esmé Creed-Miles ("Hanna"),Levon Hawke ("The Crowded Room"),Leslie Grace ("In The Heights"),Gbenga Akinnagbe ("The Old Man"),Macon Blair ("I Care A Lot"),Ned Dennehy ("Peaky Blinders"),Andrew Schulz ("Infamous") and Arliss Howard ("Mank").

Back in 2019, Hetfield had a part in the Netflix thriller "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile". That film followed the relationship between notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, played by Zac Efron, and his longtime girlfriend, played by Lily Collins, who at the time had no knowledge of the crimes. Hetfield played officer Bob Hayward, a no-nonsense Utah highway patrol veteran who was the first law enforcement officer to arrest Bundy in 1975 after pulling the killer over and discovering burglary tools in his car but wisely suspecting much worse. While Hetfield had played himself in other films and television productions, this was his first dramatic role taking on a different character.

Four years ago, Efron praised the METALLICA guitarist/vocalist's acting chops during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", saying: "James Hetfield, to his credit, and absolutely nailed the part, he just crushed it. It's like he’s been acting his own life. He had no fear. He did a great job. I was ready to maybe give James Hetfield [an acting] tip, but he didn't ask for a single one. James Hetfield is the shit!"

During an appearance on yesterday's episode of SiriusXM's "The Howard Stern Show", KISS frontman Paul Stanley once again expressed his dissatisfaction over the fact that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame did not induct current KISS members Eric Singer (drums) and Tommy Thayer (guitar) along with the original lineup when the band was welcomed into the institution back in 2014.

"The hypocrisy is that we're not a band they like," Paul said. "They purposely kept us out for 15 years. And other bands that they embrace, they induct people's moms and songwriters and all these people. And with us, it truly was unfair."

Asked by host Howard Stern why KISS didn't perform at the Rock Hall induction, Stanley said: "Because we had too much pride in this lineup, which is KISS, and has been KISS for 20 years. It's not newcomers. This is the band. We'll be back in the stadiums of South America next month. We were there five months ago. We were in Japan. This is the band that has carried the flag and taken it, really, to another level. This is the band I always dreamed it would be, and for us to go onstage… They were demanding, quite honestly, that we play with the two original guys, Peter [Criss] and Ace [Frehley], and at this point, that would be demeaning to the band, and also would give some people confusion. 'Cause if you saw people on stage who looked like KISS but sounded like that, maybe we should be called PISS."

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons concurred, saying: "We've been all over the world, through decades, with this present lineup. It bears noting I've never seen a single banner or sign that mentions any other lineup. When Tommy takes a solo, 'Tommy! Tommy!' That's me backstage going, 'Tommy!' When Eric takes a solo, 'Eric! Eric!' They're pumping their fists. It's legitimate. Nobody is in KISS and doing it by the numbers."

A few days after KISS was inducted into the Rock Hall, Stanley slammed Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame co-founder and Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner as a "spineless weasel," claiming that the guitarist/vocalist and the rest of the band were treated like "uninvited guests" the induction ceremony.

"Our treatment at the [Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame] confirmed my worst suspicions," Stanley fumed via Twitter. "Wenner and the rest are spineless weasels." He went on to say that the people behind the Rock Hall gave the members of KISS "no passes" or "schedule" for the evening, but didn't elaborate on what exactly he was referring to. He concluded: "We were great and [Wenner] remains a small man."

Simmons also took a couple of shots at Rolling Stone on Twitter, mocking the magazine's original critical review of LED ZEPPELIN's first album, writing "Rolling Stone. Idiots then. Idiots now." He then posted a link to a video from the early 1970s band CHRISTOPHER MILK, which featured John Mendelsohn, the writer who penned the negative reviews that appeared in Rolling Stone of each of the first two LED ZEPPELIN LPs.

Stanley ended his Hall Of Fame speech at the ceremony by calling the evening "vindication" for the fans. He also took a dig at the Hall Of Fame by saying, "The people, I believe, are speaking to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and what they're saying is, 'We want more.' They deserve more. They want to be a part of the induction. They want to be a part of the nomination. They don't want to be spoon-fed by a handful of people. Choices. The people pay for tickets. The people buy albums. The people who nominate do not. Let's not forget that these are the people that make it all possible. We just benefit from it."

In March 2014, just weeks before KISS's Rock Hall induction, Stanley told the Associated Press that he didn't think the organization was being fair and that the Rock Hall had altered its rules for other acts.

"We have continuing issues with the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, starting with the fact that they chose to only induct the original lineup when that's hardly the case with other bands," he said. "In THE GRATEFUL DEAD's case, [they) also inducted a writer who never played an instrument. Or they've inducted rap artists, or they've inducted people who have been in the band for seven years as opposed to ... 25 years or 20 years — whatever their criteria of this week is."

Paul also addressed KISS's unwillingness to perform with the original lineup at the ceremony, saying: "[Rock Hall's] craving of nostalgia or for wanting to have us play by their rules in many ways jeopardizes what we have spent 40 years building. I've been there since the beginning, and when I put on my KISS gear, I do it with great pride, and anything that may jeopardize that by going out with a lineup that I might question is a nonstarter for me."

KISS used "The Howard Stern Show" appearance to announce the final shows of its last tour — two back-to-back shows at Madison Square Garden in New York at the end of 2023.

The last leg of KISS's 19-date North American tour will kick off in October in Texas and culminate in the MSG concerts on December 1 and December 2.

Tickets will be available starting Monday, March 6, with a KISS Army presale at 10 a.m. local time. Additional presales will be available throughout the week before the general on sale starting on Friday, March 10 at 10 a.m. local time at livenation.com.
.@PaulStanleyLive explains why @KISS didn’t perform when the band was inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/aUOJdQPT0a

— Stern Show (@sternshow) March 2, 2023

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, Mikkey Dee, who played drums for KING DIAMOND from 1985 until 1989, was asked if he is still in contact with the band's singer and namesake and if there has been any talk about them collaborating again, either in the studio or on the road. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, [King and I] talk once in a while. He came and saw us [when I played] with SCORPIONS in Dallas, where he lives. He could not come this last tour we did, unfortunately. They were busy, him and his wife… so he missed that show. But King is a big SCORPIONS fan, and we talk. And I talk to Andy LaRocque [KING DIAMOND guitarist] and Hal [Patino, former KING DIAMOND bassist], especially Andy; we live not far from each other. So we talk. And I say what I've been saying: if they ever wanna have me behind the drum kit for something, I'm totally there for that. That'd be great fun for me. But I also, with that said, know exactly where King's coming from. He's been playing with [current KING DIAMOND drummer] Matt Thompson for so long — a great drummer, a great guy — and [it would] not [be] fair to him or to the rest of the band maybe."

The Swedish-born drummer, who also played with MOTÖRHEAD from 1991 until the band's dissolution in December 2015, continued: "We [in MOTÖRHEAD] went through kind of the same thing with some people that kept talking about [a reunion with former MOTÖRHEAD members] 'Fast' Eddie Clark and [Phil] 'Philthy Animal' Taylor. And [MOTÖRHEAD leader] Lemmy said, 'Never, ever, ever will I play with these guys again. They are friends, and we talk, but I'm playing with the best band I ever played with in my entire life and we're doing better than ever.' So he didn't wanna hear about it. So I see where King's coming from. It would be unfair to a loyal guy like Matt, but I said if they had an interest [in] doing something, I'm here, if I've got the time. I still play drums, and I feel that I play better than ever."

Dee played on the classic KING DIAMOND albums "Fatal Portrait", "Abigail" and "Them" until he left in 1988 to join Don Dokken. He returned a year later as a session player on KING DIAMOND's "Conspiracy".

Thompson has been in KING DIAMOND since 2000.

A little over two years ago, Dee told Cassius Morris of "The Cassius Morris Show" that he would like to take part in a reunion tour featuring the surviving members of KING DIAMOND's original lineup. "Unfortunately, [original KING DIAMOND bassist] Timi Hansen is dead, but you could have Andy, Michael Denner [guitar], you could have Hal Patino, Pete Blakk [guitar], myself, just for a tour, and only play the stuff that we did — from 'Fatal Portrait' to 'Conspiracy'," he said. "That could have been a really fun and successful tour."

Dee, who has been a member of SCORPIONS since 2016, went on to say that it's "totally up to" KING DIAMOND's namesake frontman and leader as to whether such a tour will ever take place. "Because he [also] does MERCYFUL FATE [on the side]," Mikkey said. "I don't see why not. If I'm off [and not doing anything] with SCORPIONS, then I could easily have done that. That would have been so much fun, I think, because we were a great bunch of guys. And I still talk to Andy and Pete and Hal and King as well."

Mikkey previously reflected on his time with KING DIAMOND in a 2017 interview with "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show". He stated at the time: "We started as a bunch of kids, really, and we created something. To tell you the truth, we really didn't know what we did. Well, we knew what we did, but [we weren't aware of the fact] that we created a style. But we had so much fun, and [we were] a bunch of friends touring. It all came to an end, where I didn't feel very happy in the band anymore. We were going in a little bit different direction than I thought that we'd been working ourselves up to. And me as a drummer, I like to play everything. I play big band jazz, fusion, pop, blues, rock, heavy metal, speed metal… So, to me, it was a natural move. I wanted to play some more straight-ahead rock and roll, and I felt a little stressed in KING DIAMOND in the end, maybe."

Asked how he felt about the Satanic overtones of the KING DIAMOND lyrics and image, Mikkey said: "It wasn't that bad at all. King believes in the occult — more Stephen King kind of stuff. And for the rest of the four of us, we were not so much into that. But it was great music, great camaraderie, great lyrics — great. Then King's personal belief was his deal. Just like I never got into Lemmy's personal vision. If you're a band, you're four or five or three people — whatever you are. Everybody has their own vision and their own belief in how life is or wherever you're gonna go. And the trick is to get that to work together without people getting angry or disagreeing. And luckily, with KING DIAMOND, we had great teamwork."

KISS frontman Paul Stanley has blasted Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene after she claimed she was attacked in a restaurant Monday night "by an insane" woman and "screamed at by her adult son."

Greene, a Republican who represents northwest Georgia's 14th congressional district, first mentioned the alleged attack in a tweet late Monday night.

"I was attacked in a restaurant tonight by an insane women [sic] and screamed at by her adult son," she wrote. "They had no respect for the restaurant or the staff or the other people dining or people like me who simply have different political views. They are self righteous, insane, and completely out of control.

"I was sitting at my table, working with my staff, and never even noticed these people until they turned into demons.

"People used to respect others even if they had different views. But not anymore.

"Our country is gone."

In response, David Hogg, a survivor of the high school shooting in Parkland, Florida in 2018, wrote about an incident in which he was confronted by Greene. "Hate when that happens. I was attacked and screamed at in 2018 by an insane woman named Marjorie Taylor Greene. She had no respect for the privacy of me as an 18 year old school shooting survivor or my staff. She was self righteous, insane, and completely out of control," Hogg wrote.

Greene's tweet came weeks after she interrupted President Joe Biden's "State Of The Union" address.

"You lie! You lie! Liar," Greene shouted at Biden after he said Republicans want to cut Medicare and Social Security.

On Tuesday (February 28),Stanley shared Greene's tweet and wrote: "FRIGHTENING anyone buys into this drivel from someone whose tactics include repeatedly accosting, belittling & harassing so many who don't share her views. Ban books?? Divide the country up?? We are always better off being challenged by our freedom than by repression. Stand up."

A day later, Paul returned to Twitter to write: "Take a moment… The core of most of the divisiveness in this country is that NO NEWS SOURCE is reporting the news accurately & without a self serving agenda. Where can we find the truth, the whole truth & nothing but the truth?? Don't kid yourself. You & me are not getting it."

A spokesperson for Greene said the woman initially "introduced herself politely" and then began "berating" the congresswoman, while her son "started screaming expletives at the top of his lungs and came closer."

"I had to get in between him and the table because I had no clue what he'd do," the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson said that restaurant personnel demanded the woman and her son leave and "moved us to a more private table."

This is not the first time Stanley has been critical of the way the American media reports its stories. Last August, the KISS frontman, who is in the middle of the band's "End Of The Road" farewell trek, took to his Twitter to share the logos of several major cable news networks — specifically Fox News, CNN and MSNBC — and he included the following message: "WANT TO HAVE A MORE UNIFIED COUNTRY? Have a more unified news! Not poisonous bickering & slanted distortions on BOTH sides. How can we form educated points of view when we're not getting the unbiased truth? We don't need networks pushing opinions. We need ACCURACY. We need FACTS."

In January 2020, Paul wrote on Twitter: "The divisive and dangerous climate in America is in large part the result of 24 HOUR 'NEWS' CHANNELS WHICH ARE IN FACT SKEWED AND BIASED POLITICAL OUTLETS . Any point of view can be backed up with some sort of documentation and 'expert' analysis and that is the key problem. News?!? No. We are watching slick entertainment channels pushing their own agenda and a reality which then becomes yours."

In June 2019, Paul tweeted out the BBC News logo along with the following message: "If You're Ready For News With Far Less Of The Game Show Slickness And Bias Of Our 24 News Networks You Might Try One Of The BBC Outlets. Less Exciting? YES! But Filling 24 Hours Is An Unnecessary Challenge That Has Turned Outlets Into Biased Fast Food Providers."
FRIGHTENING anyone buys into this drivel from someone whose tactics include repeatedly accosting, belittling & harassing so many who don’t share her views. Ban books?? Divide the country up?? We are always better off being challenged by our freedom than by repression. Stand up. https://t.co/IO3ScFHb0q

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) February 28, 2023


Take a moment… The core of most of the divisiveness in this country is that NO NEWS SOURCE is reporting the news accurately & without a self serving agenda. Where can we find the truth, the whole truth & nothing but the truth?? Don’t kid yourself. You & me are not getting it.

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) March 1, 2023

BORN THROUGH FIRE, the band featuring Tim Lambesis (AS I LAY DYING) on vocals and Joey Alarcon (WOLVES AT THE GATES) on guitar, has inked a worldwide deal with Seek & Strike. The official music video for the group's new track "The Reckoning" can be seen below. "The Reckoning" is taken from BORN THROUGH FIRE's debut album, "Purify And Refine", which will arrive on April 7.

According to a press release, BORN THROUGH FIRE "deliver[s] a propulsive blend of aggression and dynamic hooks resulting in a modern heavy metal assault of epic proportions."

Lambesis states: "Before I started doing music full time again, I worked at a recovery center as a case manager and group therapy facilitator. It was incredibly formative and meaningful work to me.

"I started writing lyrics for 'The Reckoning' in regards to a friend of mine struggling with addiction, but shortly into writing I realized how much I relate to the way unhealthy coping methods and destructive behaviors can take hold. While the song isn't directly about my life, there isn't a single section of it that doesn't also apply to me at one point in my life.

"I'm hoping other people can relate to wanting to be free from harmful patterns. Moving forward often requires new environments, new interactions and addressing the root of what drives us subconsciously. This is also why I became part of the team that started the non-profit group Reintegration for people who need help coming out of whatever their version of rock bottom might be.

"The video for 'The Reckoning' fits the lyrical metaphor of struggling to breathe while performing. At times I'm literally holding my breath underwater, and there are plenty of moments where Joey is inhaling rain while trying to stay focused on crushing riffs. We chose this song as our first single because it encompasses both the riffs and rhythmic sides of our songwriting, while still having just enough melody to convey the emotion of the lyrics."

Alarcon adds: "We self-produced and mixed 'The Reckoning' from start to finish, spending months in the studio crafting our unique sound (heavy, aggressive) taking inspiration from classic metal bands, while also working to bring something new and unique to the table. We believe that 'The Reckoning' is the best song to announce the upcoming album. It perfectly represents our sound, style and the emotional themes that we explore throughout the album."

Lambesis continues: "Seek & Strike is the perfect partner for BORN THROUGH FIRE because we've seen them do incredible work with both established and developing artists. While many fans might know me or Joey from our other work, BORN THROUGH FIRE is just getting started. It's an exciting chapter for me musically because it represents writing music with my closest friend and delivering that to a label formed by someone I tremendously respect and consider a friend. The process is so far removed from music industry norms that can stifle passion to create, so I look toward the upcoming full-length with lots of excitement.

"Our new album covers a lot of ground ranging from rhythmically brutal tracks that groove, catchy sing-alongs and thrash parts to the closest thing to a ballad I've done over 15 years."

In 2013, Lambesis solicited murder by hiring a hitman to try to kill his now-ex-wife. The now-42-year-old singer was paroled in 2016 after serving two years of a six-year sentence, which followed his early 2014 guilty plea on a felony murder solicitation charge. He has since completed his parole requirements.

In June 2018, AS I LAY DYING played its first show with Lambesis in five years and released a new single. Lambesis also owned up to his crimes in a long apology on the band's Facebook page after his release.

The return of AS I LAY DYING raised some questions, particularly since the band's then-guitarist Nick Hipa categorically denounced the disgraced frontman as a "sociopathic narcissist in definite need of rehabilitation" in a social-media post back in 2014.

Last year, AS I LAY DYING completed its first U.S. and European tours with the band's new touring lineup, featuring Lambesis and longtime guitarist Phil Sgrosso alongside drummer Nick Pierce (ex-UNEARTH),bassist/vocalist Ryan Neff (MISS MAY I) and guitarist Ken Susi (UNEARTH).

David Lee Roth has shared a new solo version of the VAN HALEN classic "Unchained". The new recording, like the previously released "Everybody Wants Some!!", "You Really Got Me", "Dance The Night Away", "Panama" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", was laid down on May 3, 2022 during a session at Henson Recording Studio in Hollywood, California. Joining Roth in the studio were Al Estrada on guitar, Ryan Wheeler on bass and Francis Valentino on drums. A total of 14 songs were recorded in two hours. The music and the vocals were tracked live with "no samples" and without the pitch-correction technology Auto-Tune.

Roth's version of "Unchained" comes seven months after he shared a previously unheard solo recording from 2007, "Nothing Could Have Stopped Us Back Then Anyway", in which he looked back nostalgically on his days in VAN HALEN. The latter song was recorded in 2007 with guitarist John 5 and drummer Gregg Bissonette for an album that never came out.

Back in 2020, Roth included five previously unreleased songs in The Roth Project, an online comic narrated by the legendary VAN HALEN singer, with music from John 5 on guitar and bass, Bissonette on drums, Brett Tuggle on keyboards, and Luis Conte on percussion. The tracks "Giddy-Up!", "Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bar And Grill", "Alligator Pants", "Lo-Rez Sunset" and "Manda Bala" were recorded at Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood, California.

Four years ago, Roth was asked by Meltdown of the Detroit radio station WRIF if his LP with John 5 will be made available at some point. He responded: "It will. There's been a revision of things, and I can start making real plans and start marching into the future. And, of course, you'll start hearing that material. This is material that we wrote variously for me solo and for VAN HALEN, and it's quite a bank of stuff."

Roth, who was promoting his Las Vegas residency at the time, didn't offer a possible time frame for the release of the record, explaining that his priority was "getting out on the road first. Let's see the band, let's show ourselves off, let's travel all over the world."

Roth canceled a series of Las Vegas residency shows in January 2022 because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Three months earlier, he had announced in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he was planning to retire after the residency.

In July 2022, Roth released a new solo song titled "Pointing At The Moon". The acoustic-based, Americana-flavored tune was accompanied by a new abstract painting from Roth.

Grab-you-by-the-collar Louisiana metal outfit Vermilion Whiskey has premiered their first single from their upcoming new album, Crimson & Stone, due out on May 26th, 2023.


The band has revealed a new single and lyric video for "Confidence". A heavy, rocking anthem that speaks for itself, Confidence is exactly that. Confident, determined vocals, driving percussion, with a steady dirty guitar drives this one home and is meant to be a message to inspire courage and strength in the face of adversity. 







The American south is steeped in rich musical tradition. In a time when metal is in a constant cycle of who can be the most brutal, we often forget where the tradition started and its signature sound. Leading the stripped bare and played loud is hard rocking stoner metal outfit Vermilion Whiskey. The Louisiana-based band is southern-fried hard rock at its finest. 


Hitting the studio hard in early 2022, the band is eager to return to playing live shows across their regional Gulf Coast stomping ground and beyond. Vermilion Whiskey recruited Tommy Buckley of Crowbar / Soilent Green to rehearse and record drum tracks, and also found current live drummer Wade Perkins, who was instrumental in helping to produce drum tracks alongside Tommy and Duane Simoneaux at OCD Recording and Production in New Orleans, Louisiana.


This newest offering is a blend of classic Vermilion Whiskey southern hard rock, driving stoner riffage, dabs of dissonant overtones, and a heavy helping of pure Louisiana sludge. 





Tracklisting:


"Intro"    
"Down On You"    
"The Get Down"    
"Confidence"
"Good Lovin"    
"Interlude"
"Dissonance"
"Atrophy"
"Hollow"


"Atrophy" sizzle reel:





For further details, visit VermilionWhiskey.com.


 

Marty Friedman has hinted at another potential MEGADETH performance, just days after he joined his former band during a concert at Tokyo's prestigious Budokan arena. The guitarist came up on stage for three songs toward the end of the main set on Monday, February 27: "Countdown To Extinction", "Tornado Of Souls" and "Symphony Of Destruction".

Speaking to Guitar World, when asked if there were any imminent plans for another MEGADETH cameo, Marty teased: "We [MEGADETH and Friedman] are both playing at Wacken Open Air festival in Germany this summer, so you never know."

Friedman also revealed that the biggest challenge he faced during his Budokan appearance with MEGADETH was performing his guitar solos the same way fans remember from his original stint with the band.

"If there was any challenge at all, I guess it would be playing the solos the way the fans remember them, which is something I wanted to do," Friedman noted. "My playing has evolved so much since those songs came out, and there are so many nuances I would naturally do differently now. I had to resist the urge to play it like I would in 2023 and stick to the original way. For example, in a couple of those songs, I entered the solo on the downbeat, with the first note being the root of the chord. I would definitely avoid both of those things now, but apparently, I was fine with it back then."

A couple of days ago, Marty was asked by Consequence if he would be open to playing with MEGADETH again, either onstage or in the studio. "Yeah, man, the door's open," he said. "I think the door has always been open. It's really just a matter of doing something that has meaning to it. Meaning for them and meaning for me. So, Budokan is sort of a no-brainer. But if something were to come up that would be a good thing for them and a good thing for me, and add value to it, then I'm all for it. As far as I'm concerned, their band is just kicking so much ass right now, I can't imagine them needing me for anything. [Laughs] But Budokan was wonderful. There's other things in the future. My door's open and we're on great terms, and I love all the guys in the band. It's very casual."

This year's edition of Wacken Open Air is set to take place August 2-5, 2023.

Wacken Open Air takes place annually in the village of Wacken, which has a population of just about 2,000.

Up to 85,000 people attend the event, which is 33 years old.

The first Wacken Open Air event in 1990 drew less than 800 people, but it has since grown to become the biggest open-air festival of its kind.

Around 30 percent travel from other countries to the festival, which over recent years has been growing in popularity.

After almost 20 years since its original release, Never Ending, the mighty third album from German heavy metal institution Mystic Prophecy is finally available on limited edition vinyl. The album was originally released on October 25, 2004 via Nuclear Blast, and it was the third and ultimately the last album to feature future Ozzy Osbourne guitar hero, Gus G. On March 24, metal fans around the world can finally get their hands on this masterpiece in two different vinyl versions: 300 copies on Gold vinyl and 300 copies on Transparent Orange vinyl.


Pre-order and secure your copy here.







Tracklist


Side A:
"Burning Bridges"
"Time Will Tell"
"Under A Darkened Sun"
"Dust Of Evil"
"In Hell"
"Never Surrender"
 
Side B:
"Wings Of Eternity"
"When I'm Falling"
"Warriors Of Lies"
"Dead Moon Rising"
"Never Ending"





 


Mystic Prophecy will release their 12th studio album, Hellriot, on May 19 via ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records.


 


 


At least with their celebrated last masterpiece Metal Division and chart successes in several countries (including #20 in the official Top 100 German album charts), Mystic Prophecy belong to the spearhead of international heavy metal. They are one of the most successful acts of the genre on digital platforms and with several hundred thousand followers on Spotify. At their live shows they prove again and again that they understand heavy metal as a passionate ultimate fight. And with their new album, Hellriot, they pick up where they left off with Metal Divison: Powerful concise hooks with shout-along factor, hard-hitting and monstrous sound paired with technically brilliant riffs, all refined by a powerful modern production that is second to none and makes the band so popular and unique. In short: With Hellriot, Mystic Prophecy deliver brilliantly and make every heavy metal heart beating mercilessly faster.


 


 


Hellriot will be released on May 19 as jewel case CD, limited mediabook CD, various vinyl colors and picture discs and digital streaming / download format. Also released as a limited to 666 copies collector’s hardcover boxset that includes: the limited mediabook CD, velvet bag, all in one flatware/multitool, raincoat, and signed autograph.


 


 


Pre-order the album here.


 


 





 


 


Tracklisting:


 


 


"Hellriot"
"Unholy Hell"
"Demons Of The Night"
"Metal Attack"
"Paranoia"
"Revenge And Fire"
"Rising With The Storm"
"Road To Babylon"
"Azrael"
"Cross The Line"
"World On Fire"


 


 


- Produced by by R.D. Liapakis
- Mixed & Mastered by Henrik Udd
- Cover Artwork & Layout by Dusan Markovic
- Additional layout by Michael Gladigau


 


 


Mystic Prophecy lineup:


 


 


R.D. Liapakis - Vocals
Markus Pohl - Guitar
Evan K - Guitar
Joey Roxx - Bass
Hanno Kerstan – Drums


 


 


(Photo - Frank Kollbi)


 

Progressive symphonic metal visionaries Coldbound have released a new single and a cinematic visualiser video for the song "Skies Are Weeping”. After a long but necessary hiatus, the band comes back with a brand new single, while at the same time reinvents a new, more symphonic and epic sound approach while incorporating with the biggest production ever up to date in the history of the band.


Founder Pauli Souka states: "This is not just another song in the catalogue of Coldbound, but a sublime creative collective of many artistic souls that joined forces and melted into one in order to bring this idea into life. Every single element and detail has been carefully crafted in order to bring an unparalleled sonic experience to the audience.


A huge thank you to my beloved band fellows and all the session musicians and artists who are part of this work. Without you, this wouldn’t have happened."




The Band:
Pauli Souka - Guitar, Vocals
Meiju Enho - Keyboards, Choirs, Orchestrations
Samuli Federley - Guitar
Otto Schimmelpenninck - Bass
Samuel Ruotsalainen - Drums & Percussions


The Guests:
Lindsay Schoolcraft - Guest Lead Vocals
Sara Strömmer - Guest Vocals
Steve Stockton - Narration
Niko Salmi - Guest Solo
Sakari Kukko - Saxophone
Andras Miklosvari - Guest Keyboards & Piano

Fans of Evil Invaders have a reason to rejoice, as the band has released a new live video for their hit song, "In Deepest Black", taken from their latest album, Shattering Reflection. This addictive crusher is a perfect representation of the band's signature style, complete with dramatic, melodic guitar lines and a catchy chorus that is bound to stay stuck in the listener's head.


The new live video perfectly captures the electrifying energy of an Evil Invaders concert, featuring throwback metal vibes that are sure to get fans head banging and pumping their fists. With this latest release, Evil Invaders proves once again why they are one of the most exciting bands in the metal scene today. Check out the new live video for "In Deepest Black" today and get ready to rock with the band on their upcoming tour.


Joe (vocalist & guitarist) about “In Deepest Black”: “With our new album, Shattering Reflection, and a full festival season, 2022 has been an amazing year for us. Later this month we'll tour throughout Europe so we thought it would be cool to make a recap music video with some of the highlights of last year. We mixed up some festival footage with the release party recordings for Shattering Reflection in Antwerp. Thanks to all who were there rocking out with us! Great memories that won’t be forgotten… We can't wait to see you all again in March and April. Check out our website for all the tour dates.”







Evil Invaders are ready to hit the road and bring their electrifying performances to a city near you. Brace yourselves for a night of thunderous riffs, pounding drums, and high-energy solos that will leave you begging for more. The Belgian heavy metal quartet is all set to embark on their European Tour, and they're bringing their signature sound of classic heavy metal and thrash to every corner of the continent.


Don't miss your chance to witness Evil Invaders' raw energy and power as they take over stages across Europe. The band is ready to bring their unbridled passion for metal to fans and leave audiences in awe. Be sure to grab your tickets early and get ready to mosh to the relentless sound of Shattering Reflection in full, and see the album’s sinister tracks performed live on stage.


Tour dates and ticket links here.


Lineup:


Joe - Vocals & Guitars
Senne Jacobs - Drums
Max - Guitars
Joeri - Bass


(Photo - Tim Tronckoe)