During an appearance on the latest episode of "The Jasta Show", the video podcast hosted by HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta, Glen Benton spoke about the status of DEICIDE's long-awaited new studio album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUT.NET): "Well, we signed a new deal with one of these record companies out there. I guess I'm not at liberty to say anything, who it is yet; [they're] gonna announce it soon. Yeah, man, we've had the album in the works, but we got stuck doing this whole 'Legion' [30th-anniversary celebration] thing, and it kind of put the record to the backburner. So now it's out of the way, and we're really… I'm in the process of writing lyrics right now."

Regarding what he and his bandmates were looking for in a record deal, Glen said: "We wanted a one-record deal, man, with a big pile of money to get it done. And we got it… We get to both walk away after it. I think it kind of puts people to do a better job and to promote it better. I think it's gonna be a lot better experience for us. We've always had these multi-record deals that we've had to do. And you know as well as I do, after the first record, you're, like, 'What did I do?' It was a toss-up between doing it like this and just doing it ourselves. And me and Steve [Asheim, DEICIDE drummer] don't wanna lick envelopes and put stamps on shit. So that's why we went this route."

Last August, Benton told "The Garza Podcast" that DEICIDE's new music "is really anthem-style stuff. It's really good, man. There's a lot of prog stuff in there, mixed in there. Steve's our prog guy, man; he's the progressive rock guy. He likes to write those really black metal riffs and the progressive stuff. He's an amazing talent, man. He plays piano. He can play sweeps on guitar. He's a drummer. Yeah, he can do it all."

Benton went on to say that the next DEICIDE album was written in 2021 before he and his bandmates agreed to embark on a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of DEICIDE's sophomore album, "Legion". But, he explained, "We're getting ready to hammer this deal out right now and get this thing out."

DEICIDE played its first show with new guitarist guitarist Taylor Nordberg (THE ABSENCE, INHUMAN CONDITION) on May 21, 2022 at the Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

A year ago, Nordberg spoke about how he landed the DEICIDE gig in an interview with "The Zach Moonshine Show". He said: "In 2019, my band THE ABSENCE toured with DEICIDE in the U.S. And we got to know the guys and got along really well. And I actually found out that Glen [Benton, DEICIDE frontman] lives, like, two streets over from Jeramie [Kling, THE ABSENCE drummer] and I, where we live. So Jeramie and Glen became good buddies and they ride bikes all the times. It's a funny little thing, thinking about that. But long story short, [previous DEICIDE guitarist] Chris [Cannella], I believe he's the head of A&R at Dean Guitars so he's focusing on that for right now. I heard that they needed a guitar player, so I learned a couple of songs, made a couple of videos, and Glen saw 'em and liked what he saw. So we had a couple of practices, and bing bang boom, here we are."

Cannella amicably left DEICIDE in January 2022 after a three-year run.

Chris joined DEICIDE in 2019 following the departure of guitarist Mark English.

English became a member of DEICIDE in 2016 after the exit of longtime guitarist Jack Owen.

In February 2022, Nordberg was asked in an interview with the "Brews N Tunes" podcast if he and his new bandmates had commenced work on the follow-up to "Overtures Of Blasphemy" album. He responded: "They had started most of the new album before I joined, but since announcing [that we are going to celebrate the 30th anniversary of] 'Legion' [by performing the LP in its entirety], we've kind of shifted gears and we're trying to lock that in and get a set prepped just in the event that a show pops up. But they have most of the new album prepped, and then we're hammering out, ironing out some details with the last couple songs. But the material is sounding killer. It sounds like DEICIDE."

"Overtures Of Blasphemy" was released in September 2018 via Century Media.

Image courtesy of Leo Presents
Episode 666 !! 🤘🏻😂🤘🏻 https://t.co/z2xDl9PE2G the mighty Glen Benton from #Deicidepic.twitter.com/25CDcAeqQ4

— Jamey Jasta (@jameyjasta) February 16, 2023

In a new interview with Jorge Botas of Metal Global, SAXON frontman Biff Byford was asked if he thinks it's easier for newer metal acts to make a mark nowadays than he was when he and his bandmates were first starting out. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't think it's ever been easy. I think it's like winning the lottery. I think there are a lot of super-talented bands out there, new bands, but whether they are lucky enough to be noticed by enough people…

"The problem is you can have two hundred thousand followers, but they're all over the world," he explained. "So if you play in one city, they might be a hundred people of those two hundred thousand people in that city that know you. That's one of the problems.

"The thing is when you do a tour, or when you build up a following from [performing] live, those are the people, the next time you go, that turn into three hundred people, and then that turns… and people support you.

"So it's very difficult," Byford added. "It's very difficult for bands to tour. The club circuit is really bad at the moment. A lot of clubs have closed down, and there's a lot of tribute bands playing clubs all the time. So it's very hard for new bands to get in with new material. I would advise people to maybe play and do cover versions and do their own material as well, try and get your foot through the door.

"You need a lot of followers on social media — whether it be Spotify people or whether it be Facebook or TikTok or Instagram — you need a lot of people to be able to play in, say, some place in England — Oxford. There has to be five, six hundred people in Oxford to come and see you that perhaps only know you from social media. It's very difficult, very difficult for bands to have a live following. And from the live following comes the reviews in the magazines. You can record and make a live album quite cheap. You can sell merchandise. A lot of things come from [performing] live that helps bands to survive."

SAXON will release a new album, "More Inspirations", on March 24 via Silver Lining Music.

Following the release of "Inspirations" in 2021, "More Inspirations" is the second "deep dish" serving of the influences which have fed the mighty SAXON's immensely successful 40-plus-year career.

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

Following the success of the "Seize The World" tour 2022, SAXON will be back on the road in March 2023 for a string of European dates, with special guests German metal titans RAGE.

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

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

Biff's first-ever solo album, "School Of Hard Knocks", came out in February 2020.

Last month, Biff told TotalRock that a new SAXON studio album will arrive in early 2024. The singer is also working on his second solo LP.

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "Appetite For Distortion" podcast, DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick 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 most recently toured with Mars as part of DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY CRÜE's 2022 "The Stadium Tour", said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "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."

GUNS N' ROSES's video for the classic ballad "November Rain", has surpassed two billion views on YouTube. The clip, which was first released 31 years ago, wasn't uploaded to the platform until December 2009.

Released on 1991's "Use Your Illusion I" album, the original version of "November Rain" clocked in at nine minutes and seventeen seconds. The accompanying music video follows the story of a troubled rock star (played by singer Axl Rose),his girlfriend (played by Axl's then-real-life flame Stephanie Seymour),and her mysterious suicide.

Back in 2018, the "November Rain" video became the oldest music video to reach one billion views on YouTube. "That was an epic production," Slash recalled to writer Clay Marshall. "That was all more Axl's vision than anything I had to do with it. My contribution was [that] I would write my own part, where the leaving the wedding and doing the church thing was concerned. The way that [director] Andy Morahan shot it, I thought, 'This is going to be the last thing I ever do,' because these helicopters were flying [right] at me. I thought, 'It'll look cool doing it, and that will be my last day.' Because it was such an elaborate production, being a very sort of stripped-down rock guy, I was like, 'Oh, God. All this stuff!' But it did come out pretty fuckin' awesome. Now, all this time later, it's more of a hats-off to Axl than anything that it's reached that threshold. I always knew that that was a cool song. I never count my eggs as far as in advance how epic or how big, because always whenever you feel that is when it goes the opposite direction. You just do it; you enjoy it in the moment; and wherever it goes, it goes. But I always knew that that was a really great song."

Slash revealed in his autobiography that an early 18-minute version of "November Rain" was recorded at a session with guitarist Manny Charlton (of rock band NAZARETH) in 1986, before the sessions for GN'R's debut album, "Appetite For Destruction", began.

In a 2014 interview with HuffPost Live, Slash admitted that he didn't know what the "November Rain" was all about. "You know what?! To tell you the truth, I have no idea," Slash responded when he was asked about the meaning of the clip. "Well, it was a concept. The song itself is pretty self-explanatory, but the video is so complex. And I remember when Axl was writing it, it just became… It was so epic, it was like a movie. And I, not being a huge videos and making videos especially, I just showed up for my scenes. I [would] write my own scene and [I would indicate what I wanted to] do in my section. I never paid attention to the rest of the whole production. So at the end of the day, I never really knew… I knew there was a wedding in there somewhere and I was not into the concept of the wedding."

The MrRogerRocks2 YouTube channel has uploaded video of DEEP PURPLE's February 13 performance aboard the Rock Legends Cruise X, which is sailing from Fort Lauderdale to CocoCay, Bahamas on Liberty Of The Seas. Check out the clips below.

In a recent interview with Spain's RockFM, DEEP PURPLE singer Ian Gillan discussed his apparent unwillingness to perform the band's classic song "Child In Time" live. He explained: "No, no. It's not possible. I could drop the key down, but it wouldn't sound the same. I always make the analogy… When I was young, I used to be an athlete, and I used to do the pole vault; that was my sport. And when I was 25, I couldn't do the pole vault anymore. At 26, no, forget it. I can't do it.

"I always thought of 'Child In Time' not as a song but more like an Olympic event. It was so challenging. But yeah, when I was young, it was effortless. So we got to the point when I got to about 38 years old, and it just didn't sound right. So I thought, 'Better not to do it badly. Better not to do it.' So it's been the same, and I never looked [back].

"When I was 38, when I made that decision, I thought, 'My god. I'm nearly halfway through my life now,'" Gillan added. 'And it made me think about the future. Do I want to be a singer for the rest of my life? Well, of course. I must. I've been singing since I was five years old in a church choir, or since I was eight. And my whole family was musical — singers, musicians. And so, what do I do then? I don't wanna just be known for this scream, as it was called; I don't wanna be screaming when I'm 80 years old or 70 years old. It's undignified. But here I am, at 77, and I'm still screaming — up to a point. But the control element and the elevation of that note is beyond me, to be honest."

"Child in Time" was originally featured on DEEP PURPLE's 1970 album "Deep Purple In Rock". It was last performed by the band on its 2002 European tour.

DEEP PURPLE bassist Roger Glover previously talked about Gillan's reluctance to perform "Child in Time" during an August 2020 interview with Noise11.com. At the time, he said: "This happened quite a few years ago. He drew a line in the sand. He said, 'I'm not gonna sing that song anymore.' And that was a personal decision. And we have to abide by that, because he's our singer, and we respect that.

"We wrote that song when we were 24, and when you're 24, you can do things a lot differently than you can when you're 74," he continued. "I think it was also spoiled a little bit by politics in the band back in the days. Ian Gillan, one night, couldn't go on and he said, 'I've got a cold. I can't do 'Child In Time' tonight.' And [then-DEEP PURPLE guitarist] Ritchie [Blackmore] went on and started playing the opening chords. Of course, the audience went nuts, and Ian was forced to do it. So it became a bit of a cause célèbre. And as Ian got older, he tried to do it, but we didn't wanna cheat and have the top harmony played by a sampler or a guitar or something like that. And so he said, 'That's it. I'm not singing that song ever again.' And it's not that he's not proud of it; it's just that he doesn't wanna sing it. And this was… I don't know how long ago this was… Ten, fifteen years ago."

Last September, Irish guitarist Simon McBride joined DEEP PURPLE as the permanent replacement for Steve Morse. McBride had previously toured with both Gillan and PURPLE keyboardist Don Airey,

In July 2022, Morse officially left PURPLE to care for his wife, Janine, who is battling cancer.

Morse's announcement came four months after the guitarist said that he would be taking a hiatus from the band, in the hope of rejoining his bandmates once his wife's health improved. He was then replaced on the road by McBride.

Morse effectively took over Ritchie Blackmore's DEEP PURPLE slot in 1994 and had since been in the group longer than Ritchie.

DEEP PURPLE's latest album, "Turning To Crime", came out in November 2021 via earMUSIC. The LP contains DEEP PURPLE's versions of great rock classics and musical jewels — including songs originally recorded by Bob Dylan, FLEETWOOD MAC, Bob Seger, CREAM and THE YARDBIRDS — carefully chosen by each member of the band.

The MrRogerRocks2 YouTube channel has uploaded video of original FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm's February 14 performance aboard the Rock Legends Cruise X, which is sailing from Fort Lauderdale to CocoCay, Bahamas on Liberty Of The Seas. Check out the clips below.

Last October, Gramm was asked during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk"what he thinks of the band's current frontman, Kelly Hansen, who has been in the group for nearly two decades. "I think he's a good singer," Lou said. "And he sings those songs okay; he sings them good. But he mimics my style right down to the ad-libs, and I'm offended by that… I just think that if he's gonna sing the songs, he could sing the melodies that are familiar, but when it comes to the ad-libs and all the little things that set me aside as a vocalist when I sing them, he should make his own up. He should have his own ad-libs that are his own; he doesn't have to mimic me."

Gramm's latest comments echo those he made a little over two months earlier when he told John Beaudin of RockHistoryMusic.com about Hansen: "Kelly is all right. He's a good singer. But I think Mick [Jones, FOREIGNER's founding guitarist and leader] really told Kelly, when he first got in the band, that he had to study me, because he sings those songs with the same musical innuendos and vocal licks and ad-libs as I have. He's mimicking me. His voice doesn't sound like me, but he's singing the songs the way I would sing them.

"Some people say, 'Well, take it as a compliment, Lou.' I don't take it as a compliment," Gramm continued. "You're a singer with a big band like that — use your voice and your style. Don't hang your coat on my hook.

"I don't think he should sing the songs verbatim like me," Lou added. "Maybe sing a couple of parts. But let his own influences show — show the fans that he's the new singer now, not me."

Asked what it was like to share the stage with Hansen and other members of the current and original FOREIGNER lineup in 2017 and 2018 to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary, Lou told RockHistoryMusic.com: "It was okay. [Kelly] was bouncing off the walls. He couldn't stand still or sit still. After a song ended, I couldn't even get a word to thank the audience or tell 'em that I was happy to be part of the reunion. At the end of the song, the last song hit, and there wasn't a quarter of a second of space before he was yapping away to the audience… It was, like, 'Jeez, will you quiet down for a minute?'"

Pressed about whether it is "over now" for him and FOREIGNER, Lou said: "I think so, yeah. I don't wanna be a part of it. Well, Ian [McDonald, guitar] has passed away and Ed Gagliardi [bass] passed away, even though he wasn't part of the reunions. Two original members of the six are now gone. And Mick is in very poor health. I think when the new FOREIGNER plays, I've heard that he comes on for one song and then waves and goes offstage. [In the recent past] he would play the whole last half of the set. But then he was in the hospital again for weeks. He had some heart problems and his recovery time was very long and tedious. And I heard that he comes out for one song now — when he comes on. Most of the time FOREIGNER has no original FOREIGNER members in it."

Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER's biggest hits, including "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold As Ice" from the band's eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like "Hot Blooded" and "I Want to Know What Love Is".

The 72-year-old Gramm left FOREIGNER for good in 2002 and has battled health issues in recent years, including the removal of a non-cancerous tumor. He told the Democrat & Chronicle in 2018 that he was planning to retire, but still reunited with FOREIGNER for several shows that year.

FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Hansen in 2005. Jones, the only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012.

Gramm and Jones's June 2013 performance of "I Want To Know What Love Is" and "Juke Box Hero" at the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in New York City marked the first time the pair performed together in a decade after Gramm left FOREIGNER for a second time. Hansen has fronted the group for the past 18 years.

TESLA will release a live album this summer that will include the band's latest single, "Time To Rock!", plus other songs, all recorded last August at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.

The official lyric video for "Time To Rock! (Live)" can be seen below.

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

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

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

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

TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon spoke about "Time To Rock!" in June 2022 in an interview with Robert Cavuoto of Sonic Perspectives. Asked if DEF LEPPARD's Phil Collen, who produced TESLA's latest album, 2019's "Shock", will return to helm the band's follow-up effort, Frank responded: "The 'Shock' album that Phil did, they worked really hard on that. When I say 'they,' I'm talking about Phil Collen and Brian Wheat, our bass player. Man, they really worked hard on the album. It was a collaboration. Phil wrote most of the songs. And some people thought it was a great album and other people didn't like it. But we gave it a shot. But from now on… Brian and I had a discussion… Brian and I are the founding members of the band TESLA, along with Jeff Keith. And we decided from now on, we're gonna write and produce our own music. We worked with enough producers — we've had producers coming and going our whole career — so from now on, at our age, we're gonna produce our own music.

"The best thing about producing ourselves is it's imperfect and it's edgy and it's got the warts and everything and it's as real as it can be because it's us. We're not technicians where we know how to make things perfect."

Asked if TESLA will continue to focus on releasing individual singles before dropping another full-length album, Hannon said: "Yeah, we're gonna put out singles after singles and just focus on one song at a time, man, and rock that song.

"What happens is when you're young, man, you can write 10 songs and frickin' put out an album every year, but as you get older, like we are now, it's not as easy to do that," he explained. "So you end up sacrificing quality for quantity, and we don't wanna do that. Why put out 10 songs that are just in a rush when we can spend our time and just create singles that we're real proud of?"

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

TESLA will celebrate 36 years of entertaining audiences around the world with a five-night residency at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas, Nevada. The residency will begin on Friday, March 17.

Upcoming TESLA shows:

Mar. 15 - Redding, CA @ Redding Civic Center
Mar. 17 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues (Residency)
Mar. 18 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues (Residency)
Mar. 22 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues (Residency)
Mar. 24 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues (Residency)
Mar. 25 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues (Residency)
Apr. 01 - Snoqualmie, WA @ Snoqualmie Casino
Apr. 14 - Charles Town, WV @ Hollywood Casino
Apr. 15 - Niagara Falls, NY @ Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino
Apr. 18 - Detroit, MI @ Sound Board at MotorCity Casino
Apr. 19 - Grand Rapids, MI @ GLC Live at 20 Monroe
Apr. 21 - New Buffalo, MI @ Four Winds Casino Resort
Apr. 22 - Manistee, MI @ Little River Casino Resort
Apr. 25 - Williamsport, PA @ Community Arts Center
Apr. 26 - Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J Brady Music Center
Apr. 29 - May 04 - Pt Canaveral, FL @ Monsters of Rock 2023 Cruise
May 05 - Orlando, FL @ House Of Blues
May 06 - Orlando, FL @ House Of Blues 2nd show added
May 25 - Morton, MN @ Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel
May 26 - Omaha, NE @ The Admiral
Jun. 09 - Wendover, NV @ Peppermill Concert Hall
Jun. 10 - Lincoln, CA @ The Venue @ Thunder Valley Resort
Jun. 16 - Durant, OK @ Choctaw Casinos & Resort
Jun. 17 - Hot Springs, AR @ Timberwood Amphitheater
Aug. 04 - Northfield, OH @ MGM Northfield Park

Developer Visual Concepts and publisher 2K Games have announced the complete soundtrack for the "WWE 2K23" video game, curated by cover superstar and executive soundtrack producer John Cena.

The soundtrack features a collection of songs from some of the biggest artists in the world today, including METALLICA and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS.

The "WWE 2K23" game will be available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC on March 17. Those who pre-order will get early access on March 14.

The official "WWE 2K23" track listing includes:

* METALLICA - "Sad But True"
* BIZARRAP & QUEVEDO - "Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52"
* DOJA CAT - "Vegas"
* LUCIANO - "SUVs"
* RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS - "Can't Stop"
* JOYNER LUCAS & LIL BABY - "Ramen & OJ"
* HARDY - "JACK"
* BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE - "No More Tears To Cry"
* DEI V FT. OMAR COURTZ - "Dame Lu"
* LETDOWN. - "Shipwreck"
* IDLES - "Grounds"
* POST MALONE FT. OZZY OSBOURNE, TRAVIS SCOTT - "Take What You Want"

The full "WWE 2K23" superstar roster features 100 of WWE's top playable talent available at launch. Headlining the main event of the full reveal are superstars making their debut on the WWE 2K roster for the very first time such as Cody Rhodes, Bron Breakker, Alba Fyre, Cora Jade and global music phenom Bad Bunny. Fan-favorite WWE legends, including Cena, The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock were also revealed, alongside today's most popular superstars, such as Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley.

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, URIAH HEEP's Mick Box was asked if he was a fan of Jeff Beck, the legendary guitarist who recently passed away. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "A fan? I think that's understating it. I love everything that Jeff did. He was my favorite guitarist, all-time guitarist. From 'Hi Ho Silver Lining' from the early '60s to when he worked with THE YARDBIRDS. And my probably two favorite albums, if I put them in the Top 20, would be 'Truth' and 'Beck-Ola', of the JEFF BECK GROUP, with Rod Stewart singing, Ronnie Wood on bass, Micky Waller on drums and Nicky Hopkins on piano. And you listen to them, and they're just real records. They're four guys, five guys in the studio, all going for it, one time, one take. That's what you're listening to. It's fantastic. I love it."

Asked if he ever got a chance to meet Beck, Box said: "Yeah, a few times. A few award ceremonies. Out in Germany where BECK, BOGERT & APPICE were playing. Yeah, a few times. [He was] a lovely guy."

Mick added: "The funny thing about loving everything he did, I never sat down and learned one of his licks. I always saw it as a fan, which was unusual. But that's how I viewed it. And he took the guitar playing to areas that nobody else went. And he embraced every genre and then came up with something new with it. So he was amazing."

Beck, who rose to prominence with THE YARDBIRDS, died "suddenly" on January 10 after contracting bacterial meningitis, his representative said.

Having cultivated one of the most influential careers in rock history, Beck was universally acknowledged as one of the most talented and significant guitarists in the world, and has played alongside some of the greatest artists of rock, blues and jazz.

Over the course of his distinguished 50-plus-year music career, he had earned an incredible eight Grammy Awards, been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time," and been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame twice — once as a member of THE YARDBIRDS and again as a solo artist. In the summer of 2016, the guitar virtuoso celebrated his five decades of music with an extraordinary concert at the famous Hollywood Bowl.

Beck famously replaced Eric Clapton as THE YARDBIRDS' lead guitarist in 1965 and later went on to form THE JEFF BECK GROUP, which featured Rod Stewart on vocals and Ron Wood on bass. Their two albums — "Truth" (1968) and "Beck-Ola" (1969) — would become musical touchstones for hard rockers in the years to come.

The constantly evolving Beck's next move — a power trio with bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice, which released "Beck, Bogert And Appice" (1973),once again shattered people's preconceptions of what a rock guitarist was supposed to sound like.

1985's "Flash" kept Beck in the spotlight as he earned the "Best Rock Instrumental" Grammy for the song "Escape". A second Grammy came with Jeff Beck's "Guitar Shop" with Terry Bozzio and Tony Hymas, and a third for "Dirty Mind" from the "You Had It Coming" album in 2001. 2009 saw the release of the platinum-selling "Performing This Week… Live at Ronnie Scott's", which earned a Grammy for "A Day In The Life".

Beck's astonishing 2010 solo album, "Emotion & Commotion", brought about two additional Grammy Awards; Beck was nominated in five categories before bringing home three: "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" for "Hammerhead" and "Best Pop Instrumental Performance" for "Nessun Dorma", both from "Emotion & Commotion", and "Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals" for "Imagine", his collaboration with Herbie Hancock.

His "Rock 'N' Roll Party (Honoring Les Paul)" album was nominated for a 2012 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album". In 2016 he released "Loud Hailer" and in 2017 "Jeff Beck: Live At The Hollywood Bowl" was released, both to widespread critical acclaim.

The eight-time Grammy winner is survived by his wife Sandra.

On February 6, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, followed mere hours later by a 7.5 earthquake. As the window closes on rescue efforts following the devastating earthquakes and aftershocks, the region is left with entire towns and cities reduced to piles of concrete. The human toll is devastating, as more than 36,000 people have been killed; tragically, that number is expected to rise in the coming days. And the estimated financial damage exceeds $84 billion in Turkey alone.

METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation is contributing $125,000 grants to Direct Relief and World Central Kitchen to assist in funding much-needed medical aid and meals. All Within My Hands has strong, established partnerships with these organizations, and it remains committed to supporting both because of their ability to reach the source of destruction and provide aid to the affected communities and individuals. Direct Relief and World Central Kitchen have had boots on the ground providing hands-on relief since the day after the quakes hit.

Direct Relief is actively responding to the crisis through its network of regional healthcare partners. The organization is fulfilling requests for medical supplies — with over 22 tons already allocated — such as emergency medical packs, antibiotics, cardiovascular medicines, analgesics, personal hygiene kits, oral rehydration salts, acetaminophen, prenatal vitamins, and more. Mobilizing these urgent deliveries follows the organization's immediate response of providing financial support for search and rescue efforts to AKUT (Turkish Search & Rescue Team).

World Central Kitchen activated its meal distribution channels within hours of the news breaking, with founder José Andrés personally delivering sandwiches to a shelter. The organization set up a large-scale response that establishes and utilizes its own kitchens. While it is unable to use the local culinary infrastructure, World Central Kitchen is providing support by funding local businesses directly and employing local chefs. The organization is currently distributing over 125,000 meals per day, totaling over 600,000 meals within one week.

Direct Relief is a nonprofit, apolitical, nonsectarian organization that provides humanitarian assistance without regard to race, ethnicity, political or religious affiliation, gender, or ability to pay. Direct Relief works to equip health professionals in resource-poor communities to meet the challenges of diagnosing and caring for people in need.

Based on years of experience responding to large-scale emergencies worldwide, Direct Relief has designed a range of product solutions that help address the needs of vulnerable communities so that they are prepared for more frequent, more destructive emergencies. And when disasters strike, Direct Relief responds fast, effectively, and efficiently to get medical resources where they need to be to save lives.

Disaster response requires rapid mobilization, but the help must be of the right type. Direct Relief's efforts are fast, yet always in direct response to specific requests from local partners and are coordinated with other organizations and public agencies to ensure the most efficient use of resources. Direct Relief was honored for its custom disaster response products with Fast Company's "World Changing Ideas Award" in 2020.

A global operation, Direct Relief ranks among the country's most effective humanitarian assistance organizations. The only U.S. nonprofit to obtain Verified Accredited Wholesale Distributor (VAWD) certification by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, Direct Relief is among the largest medical suppliers to safety-net facilities throughout the U.S. and the world.

Direct Relief works to equip health professionals in resource-poor communities to meet the challenges of diagnosing and caring for people in need. After all, sick people who don't receive care can't work; they get poor or stay poor, and people who are poor are at higher risk of getting sick. Breaking this vicious cycle is an enormously complex endeavor, which requires changes in many areas other than health services. But under any scenario, better access to health services is essential.

A winner of the CECP Director's Award, the Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation, and the 2013 ESRI President's Award for GIS Mapping, Direct Relief maintains a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, a 100% fundraising efficiency rating from Forbes magazine, and ranks among Fast Company's 10 most innovative nonprofits.

Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a nonprofit organization that is first to the frontlines providing fresh meals in response to crises while working to build resilient food systems with locally-led solutions. Applying our model of quick action, leveraging local resources, and adapting in real-time, WCK has served more than 250 million nourishing meals around the world.

When disaster strikes, WCK's Relief Team mobilizes with the urgency of now to start cooking and serving meals to people in need. By partnering with organizations on the ground and activating a network of local restaurants, food trucks, or emergency kitchens, WCK serves comforting meals to survivors of disasters quickly and effectively. To support regional economies, WCK prioritizes purchasing local ingredients to cook with or distribute directly to families in need.

During an appearance on the "Pete McMurray Show", POISON singer Bret Michaels was full of praise for DEF LEPPARD, with whom he toured last year as part of "The Stadium Tour". He said about the veteran British rockers: "They're ageless. And their music… I've gotta tell you what I love about LEPPARD… Beside being super-awesome, nice guys, they have a lot big hits, but you know what's great about 'em? They also — like myself; I'm saying as an artist — like to throw in new music in their set. And me, as a fan, I like to hear a new song.

"Listen, I wanna hear the classic hits — don't ever misunderstand me — but the reason they became hits is because someone spun them and played them so we could hear them," he explained.

"And I love that they threw in new stuff, mixed it in with all their hits. And it was great."

Back in 2008, a war of words was started between POISON and DEF LEPPARD when the latter band's singer Joe Elliott was quoted as saying the Michaels-fronted outfit had "no substance in their music." POISON's Rikki Rockett responded by challenging Elliott to a fist fight, but Joe later claimed his comment was misunderstood. "Somebody said, how do I feel about being compared to bands like MÖTLEY CRÜE and POISON?' and I said that as far as I was concerned, we were a better band," Elliott explained. "I would expect [Michaels] to say the same thing about his group, or Nikki Sixx to say the same thing about MÖTLEY CRÜE. "I'm entitled to say we're better than the bloody BEATLES if I wanted to, you know? What am I supposed to do — say, 'I'm terribly sorry, we're not good enough'?

"I was trying to put the point across that I don't like the idea of comparisons," Joe added. "I don't think we should have to be comparing ourselves to other bands, that's all. It just got blown out of proportion … but we're all fine with each other. Really."

Michaels, for his part, told the nationally syndicated rock radio show "The Tour Bus" in 2008 that he initially took no offense to Joe's words, but "then I start to get worked up, 'cause he's, like, we can't write, we can't play. And then it hits me that, listen, I've been nothing but cool. And I go, 'Well, this is coming from a guy who lip-synced on 'Dancing With The Stars'.' I go, 'This guy lip-synced…' [Mega-producer] Mutt Lange writes their… you know, does their albums… I'm not dissing them, I'm just saying… In other words, I was like, 'Look, give me and Joe a guitar each and a pen and a piece of paper, stick us in a room for an hour [and see who'll come out] with a couple of songs.

"But I don't wanna fight Joe," Bret explained at the time. "In other words, what bummed me out was that one of the guys I like is dissing every band… I'm like, why does he feel dissing all these bands or putting them down makes him any better? Isn't he secure enough in his success or where he's at… If someone said, 'Hey, what do you think about MÖTLEY?' Even though we've had words — MÖTLEY and us, or supposedly, whatever — I'm like, 'Hey, I like MÖTLEY's music. I'm a fan. They have good rock songs.''"

"The Stadium Tour", which also featured MÖTLEY CRÜE and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, was originally scheduled to take place in the summer of 2020 but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Bret will hit the road in July for a limited run of live dates for his 2023 "Parti-Gras" tour. The trek will feature special guests NIGHT RANGER and JEFFERSON STARSHIP, with appearances from Steve Augeri (former lead singer of JOURNEY) and Mark McGrath (SUGAR RAY),plus a nightly surprise guest.

Last month, Michaels released a new solo single, "Back In The Day".

In a new interview with Knotfest, EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt and ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante discussed some of their favorite and most influential albums of all time, including EXODUS's debut LP, "Bonded By Blood", which Benante had previously said was the "best thrash record that's ever come out".

Holt said: "People ask me, 'What's the greatest thrash album of all time?' I straight up say [METALLICA's third album] 'Master Of Puppets'. I think it's the greatest metal album of all time… And it's neck-and-neck between 'Master Of Puppets' and JUDAS PRIEST's 'Stained Class' for me. The clean section in [the] 'Master Of Puppets' [title track], c'mon — that's like some Beethoven-level shit James [Hetfield] wrote."

Benante concurred, saying: "I think that record is probably their signature album of all time. I know the Black Album was a big, big record for them, and it pretty much made them household names, but I think for me too, 'Master Of Puppets', from start to finish, you can't touch it. It's flawless."

Charlie previously named "Master of Puppets" as his favorite METALLICA song in a 2011 interview with NY Hard Rock Music Examiner. At the time, he said: "If I'm somewhere near the stage and I hear that song starting, I have to go watch because there's something about it. And it has another significant meaning, about [late METALLICA bassist] Cliff Burton to me. Both bands were on tour in 1986 overseas and they were on the 'Puppets' record, and one day we had a day off in England, and it was me, Scott [Ian, ANTHRAX guitarist], Kirk [Hammett, METALLICA guitarist], and Cliff, and we went to breakfast. And we sat down and were just talking about stuff, and I said, 'In the song 'Master Of Puppets', right before the lead break comes in, James screams something out, and I can never understand what he says. What is it?' And Cliff looked at Kirk, like, 'I don't even know.' And we were ordering breakfast at the time, and there was a bit of silence at the time, and Cliff said, 'I think he says 'pancakes.'' And we all started laughing, and it was funny, and then every show after that on that tour, when I would be on the side of the stage watching and that part would come up, Cliff would always look at me and mouth the word 'pancakes.' So let's go forward 20-something odd years, and here we are at the dinner before the first 'Big Four' show in Poland, we had this dinner set up, METALLICA had all the bands there. And I was talking to James about some things and that story came up, and I told him, and he thanked me so much for telling him that story, because so much from that time is a blur to him, so when he hears stories, it helps him remember the good times back then. So first show, in Poland, they did 'Puppets'. But I wasn't on stage. And the next day Robert [Trujillo, METALLICA bassist] goes to me, 'Where were you? James screamed out 'pancakes!'' So he does it now."

Original EXODUS guitarist Kirk Hammett, who has been a member of METALLICA for the past 40 years, wasn't involved in the songwriting for any of the material that ended up on "Bonded By Blood".

The original lineup of EXODUS consisted of guitarists Hammett and Tim Agnello, drummer Tom Hunting and vocalist Keith Stewart. Holt joined the band in 1981, while Kirk left two years before "Bonded By Blood" saw the light of day.

Although EXODUS rarely gets mentioned alongside the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX — "Bonded By Blood" inspired the likes of TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL, VIO-LENCE and many others to launch their careers and is considered one of the most influential thrash metal albums of all time.

Vinny Appice has once again defended Vivian Campbell over the way the guitarist was fired from DIO, saying that Ronnie James Dio's bandmates were not getting what they were "promised" by the legendary heavy metal singer.

Campbell, Appice and Ronnie James Dio worked together on the first three DIO albums — 1983's "Holy Diver", 1984's "The Last in Line" and 1985's "Sacred Heart" — before Irishman Campbell left to join WHITESNAKE in 1987. Vivian later publicly took issue with Ronnie's need for total control of the band, claiming that finances played a major part in the bad blood that preceded the split.

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "Let There Be Talk" podcast with rock and roll comedian Dean Delray, Vinny spoke about the circumstances that led to Vivian's exit from DIO. Asked if he was "bummed" to see Campbell leave the band, Vinny said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, yeah. Ronnie told me, 'We're gonna get rid of Viv.' 'What? Why?' I [said], 'Why are you gonna do that?'

"It was a money thing," Appice explained. "We were promised a lot of stuff — a lot of percentages, and this and this and this and this — and it never really materialized. And I kind of had my separate deal with Ronnie and Wendy [Dio, Ronnie's wife and manager], with the contract. So that's what happened. Viv was questioning it: 'Hey, what's going on?' And it just got to be a thing where they didn't like that. And they thought, 'Anybody could be replaced' — which is not true. Sorry — that's not true. And they got Craig Goldy in there. Craig Goldy was in the band ROUGH CUTT that Wendy managed, so it was convenient and easy for him to come in. But it's not true that [everybody is replaceable]. In certain bands, yeah, you can replace everybody, whoever you want, but certain bands you can't. Imagine [LED] ZEPPELIN replacing Jimmy Page with somebody else, or Robert Plant. There's a magic there with that chemistry.

"So that's what happened," Vinny repeated. "So I was kind of bummed. And then, 'Okay, we'll carry on with Craig.' And then the music, we started to go downhill a little bit. It's not Craig's fault, but Ronnie was producing it, and we brought keyboards in more. We started off as a fucking guitar band on fire."

Appice previously talked about Campbell's exit from DIO in a 2017 interview with Canada's The Metal Voice. At the time, he said. "There were some business problems within the band. We were promised to be sharing in things, and we gave it up for the first album and tour, because, okay, it costs a lot of money to launch the thing and Ronnie is putting in his money and whatever. But then it never happened. We were doing tours in arenas. Back then, one of the tours grossed eight million dollars — that was in those dollars; that's probably eighty million dollars [in today's money]. But we got nothing out of it — [we only got] salaries and stuff — so what was promised never happened. And Vivian really… he called [Ronnie] on it and the management, so that kind of became bad blood with Ronnie. But we all felt the same way — that we're not getting what we were promised and we should be doing better than we're doing. Somebody's making a lot of money here, and it wasn't us. So that's what happened with Viv. And then Ronnie and Viv didn't see eye to eye, and then finally Ronnie said to me, 'I'm gonna fire Viv.' I'm, like, 'What?' I just was in shock. And I kind of mentioned [to Ronnie] that that's not a great idea, 'cause it's the sound of his band. And [Ronnie] decided that he can go on without [Vivian]. So that's what happened."

According to Appice, DIO lost part of its musical identity once Vivian was removed from the group's lineup. "Whenever you've got something that works with a band that's magical with the people in it, you don't do that," the drummer explained. "It's part of the sound. It's like LED ZEPPELIN. They didn't even continue with another drummer [after John Bonham died], [and] they could have. They [could have] made zillions of dollars, but they didn't for a while. And then they got John's son, Jason. The magic's within certain people in bands, and it really works, and then you change them around and it's not the same. Nowadays it's different — there's all these bands out with one original member or no members that were original; they just own the… somebody owns the name and it's a commercial enterprise and they go out and play. But they're good. Now it's a different music business. But back in the day, when you're writing the stuff that's becoming classic rock or is in the history books, then that's where it's important to not make the changes."

During The Metal Voice interview, Vinny was also asked for his opinion of 1987's "Dream Evil", the first DIO full-length effort to be recorded without Campbell. "You know, but it's a good album, but it just lost the rawness of the band," Appice said. "And that's because of two things. One of 'em is more keyboards got into the music. We weren't really a keyboard band. On 'Holy Diver', [then-DIO bassist] Jimmy Bain played the 'Rainbow In The Dark' thing, and sometimes Ronnie played some backing chords on a couple of songs, and that was it; we were a guitar band. So as the tours went on, we got a keyboard player, which was Claude Schnell, and Claude's a great keyboard player and a great person, [and] the keyboards worked their way into the music more. So that kind of smoothed it out; it didn't have that rawness. And then [Vivian's replacement] Craig Goldy played a little bit of a different style than Viv. So I think the direction of the band just changed. And also, on top of all that, Ronnie started taking more control over everything, as in being a producer. Before, we did what we wanted to do and everybody's ideas were counted in, and that's what made it a great band. Then it became less of that and more of Ronnie driving the ship. All those things combined kind of made the band a little less vicious, I would say… [Ronnie] just became more [in] control of things. And the rawness… The stuff wasn't raw anymore; it was smoothed out, I think, with the keyboards and stuff. So the music just changed to not being as mean as it was and heavy."

The resentment between Campbell and Ronnie James Dio remained unresolved even at the end of the singer's life in 2010. Not long before he passed, Dio told an interviewer: " In my opinion, Vivian no longer had the commitment to the band he had in the early days. He was — and remains — an excellent guitarist. I never lost sight of how good he was as a musician, but as a person… Well, he was no longer on the same page as the rest of us. That annoyed me hugely. When you've got four people really stretching and straining to do their very best, and one person who's clearly holding back, it makes for an unhappy camp."

Bain, who played with Ronnie in an early version of RAINBOW and later appeared on seven DIO albums (from "Holy Diver" to 2002's "Killing The Dragon"),told U.K.'s Metal Hammer in 2012 that "Viv did nothing that warranted his removal from [DIO] in what is still considered to be a cowardly way. For me, firing Viv was the biggest mistake of Ronnie's career. The problem could've easily been resolved if there had a been a will to do so from Ronnie and Wendy."

Bain also felt that DIO was in decline by the time the band released "Sacred Heart".

"DIO should have gotten better with each album, but what happened was the opposite," Jimmy told Metal Hammer. "The production was watered down with all the keyboards, [and] the songs were not as good because it became harder to satisfy Ronnie's need to complicate arrangement and structure."

Campbell, Appice and Bain were part of the original DIO lineup, which reunited in 2012 alongside singer Andrew Freeman to form LAST IN LINE.

When LAST IN LINE formed, the intent was to celebrate Ronnie James Dio's early work by reuniting the members of the original DIO lineup. After playing shows that featured a setlist composed exclusively of material from the first three DIO albums, the band decided to move forward and create new music in a similar vein.