Long Branch Records welcomes American hard rock band, Throw The Fight, to their artist roster. With over 50,000 albums sold, 660,000+ monthly Spotify listeners, and more than 100 million streams, Throw The Fight has already developed impressive numbers throughout their band history.


The Minneapolis-based group is currently putting the finishing touches on their fifth studio album with producers Josh Gilbert and Joseph McQueen (As I Lay Dying, Bad Wolves, Spiritbox, Light The Torch, Upon a Burning Body).


Throw The Fight guitarist Ryan Baustert comments: "We're incredibly excited to work with Long Branch Records and SPV teams, and it feels great to partner with a label that understands what we're trying to accomplish. Long Branch has an awesome track record of breaking bands and developing some of the most exciting artists in rock and metal right now."




Long Branch Records label manager Manuel Schoenfeld comments: "I am really looking forward to working with Throw The Fight. The band has already impressively proven that they can inspire many people with their music, so I'm even more pleased that we could win them for Long Branch Records. The new material contains strong hooks, catchy melodies and is superbly produced. I am already very excited about how it will be received."


In conjunction with the signing announcement, today, Throw The Fight have announced a European tour in support of their new material. Tickets are on sale this Friday February 3.


Live is the avenue in which Throw The Fight truly come to life and they've put countless miles on the road, winning over new fans in a grassroots, tried and true way: one city, one gig, and one venue at a time. The group has embarked on plenty of national touring. They've supported Bullet For My Valentine and Black Veil Brides on the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour and as direct support for All That Remains throughout Canada. They have also logged dates with Avenged Sevenfold, Papa Roach, Nonpoint, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and more, in addition to festivals such as The Vans Warped Tour, Rock Fest and Rock USA.





Tour dates (with special guests Atena & Elwood Stray)


April
28 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Richter
29 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Fangelset
30 - Oslo, Norway - John Dee


May
2 - Hamburg, Germany - Bahnhof Pauli
3 - Berlin, Germany - Badehaus
4 - Prague, Czech Republic - Café V Lese
5 - Warsaw, Poland - Hydrozagadka
8 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Kesselhaus
9 - Munich, Germany - Orangehouse
10 - Cologne, Germany - Helios 37
12 - Zaandam, Netherlands - Flux
13/ - Paris, France - L'International
15 - Manchester, UK - Satan's Hollow
16 - Birmingham, UK - Dead Wax
17 - London, UK - O2 Academy2 Islington


Throw The Fight are:


Kade Kastelitz - Vocals
Ryan Baustert - Guitar/Vocals
Kris Weiser - Guitar
Jeff Baustert - Drums

After releasing their new album Learning To Dissolve last year, Nashville metal band Orthodox are back in 2023 with an extensive US trek in support of it, with Gideon, For the Fallen Dreams, and Guerrilla Warfare. Tour itinerary here


To coincide with the tour start next week, Orthodox are also giving fans a new video for "Nothing To See", one of the tracks found on Learning To Dissolve. Watch the clip, directed by Nick Chance, below.


Adam Easterling (vocals) comments: "I think one of the strongest points of Orthodox is our performance, and this video is able to at least capture some of the energy we bring to the stage. Truly though, if you even kind've like our music - you really gotta see it live."







Learning To Dissolve is available via Century Media Records. Order the album here.





Learning To Dissolve tracklisting:


"Feel It Linger"
"Head On A Spike"
"Cave In"
"Become Divine"
"Digging Through Glass"
"Nothing To See"
"1 1 7 6 2"
"Dissolve"
"Fast Asleep"
"All That I Am"
"Voice In The Choir"


"Feel It Linger" visualizer:





Dissolve” video:





"Head On A Spike" video:





Orthodox is:


Adam Easterling (vocals)
Austin Evans (guitar)
Shiloh Krebs (bass)
Mike White (drums)


(Photo - Nick Chance)

Phantom Elite have released the single and lyric video, "Skin Of My Teeth". The song is feature on the band's new album, Blue Blood, available on March 17. Watch the clip below, and pre-order/pre-save Blue Blood here.


Phantom Elite is an international metal band fronted by Marina La Torraca (Exit Eden, live vocalist for Avantasia) with guitarist Max van Esch, drummer Joeri Warmerdam, and featuring executive production by former After Forever guitarist and founder Sander Gommans. The band traffics in modern metal, combining elements of symphonic, progressive, and metalcore into their own unique concoction.


After their independently released debut album, Wasteland (2018), Phantom Elite trimmed themselves down to a power trio and released their sophomore album, Titanium (2021) via Frontiers Music Srl. This album, with its powerful punch, complex rhythms, and stunning vocals, marked Phantom Elite as a band on the rise.




With Blue Blood, and an upcoming European tour already scheduled (details forthcoming), the trio is ready to further expand their fanbase and continue to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with.





Blue Blood tracklisting:


"Skin Of My Teeth"
"Inner Beast"
"This Sick World"
"Birdcage"
"Apex"
"Fragments"
"Laid With Vines"
"Daydark"
"Blue Blood"
"Black Sunrise"


"Skin Of My Teeth" lyric video:





"Inner Beast" video:





Phantom Elite will be touring Europe with Temperance this spring. Dates below.





Tour dates:


March
25 - Arci Tom - Mantova, Italy
26 - Klub Kotac - Pula, Croatia
28 - Gustaf Pekarna - Maribor, Slovenia
29 - Hardplace - Zagreb, Croatia
30 - S8 Underground - Budapest, Hungary
31 - Zipp It - Cjuj Napoca, Romania


April
1 - Jack's Cowhouse - Daskabat, Czech Republic
2 - Melodka - Brno, Czech Czech Republic
4 - Lucerna Music Bar - Prague, Czech Republic
5 - Metbar - Lenzburg, Switzerland
6 - tba - Colmar, France
7 -  Rock Box - Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
8 - Ragnarok - Bree, Belgium
9 - Nachtleben - Frankfurt, Germany


Phantom Elite are:


Marina La Torraca - Vocals
Max van Esch - Guitars, Bass, Synths/Electronic Arrangements
Joeri Warmerdam - Drums

Juno Award-winning, powerhouse rock duo Crown Lands - Cody Bowles (vocals and drums) and Kevin Comeau (guitar, bass, and keys) - share details of their sophomore studio album, Fearless, set to release on March 31 via Spinefarm Records/Universal Music Canada. Fans can pre-order the album here.


Alongside the album announcement, Crown Lands release the 18-minute composition “Starlifter: Fearless Pt. II”, the first track on the record which throws down the gauntlet and introduces the whole Fearless experience. Watch a visualizer below.


"This is truly our crowning achievement. The best song we have written so far. An 18-minute opus. A testament to the power of prog. A document of just how much noise two people can create," exclaims Comeau. 




The nine-track album follows Crown Lands self-titled debut (2020). It was recorded in 80A Studio at Universal studio in Toronto with producer David Bottrill (Rush, Muse, Tool, Mastodon) and came together over a six-month period, in short, intense bursts between tours. Where the debut record showcased Crown Lands aptitude for raw blues rock, Fearless embraces more of the band’s earliest passions in prog-rock.


The album is an unapologetically rich, ambitious work yet easily accessible, plus fans will notice some previously released tracks “Context: Fearless Pt. I” and “Right Way Back” that act as familiar touch-points framing in the new soundscape.


“I mean, let's be honest here, there's a little bit of cleverness for cleverness' sake in there too,” Comeau chuckles. “But it is really fun. We had so much fun tracking this music. I think we were both able to do what we wanted to do as artists for so long.” Rather than clobber its audience with complexity, Fearless creates a world you want to spend time in.  Bowles anticipates, “I hope that our playing on this record inspires people to kind of take up playing in that way. It's something that's not so common now, but when you get into it, it's just so beautiful.”


The lead single, “Starlifter: Fearless Pt. II,” embodies otherworldly, Vangelis-esque qualities offset by juicy rock solos, sci-fi mystique, a captivating 11/8 section, gentle chimes and gauzy synths. It also builds on the same protagonist, the same universe that Crown Lands have been cultivating. Bowles explains the premise, “this epic story spans hundreds of years following our titular hero: Fearless after the events of (2021 single) ‘The Oracle.’ He stands against the colonization of outer space and the decimation of his people to reclaim what was stolen by capitalistic greed and bloodshed.” Bowles, who also writes science-fiction continues, “These are themes that may sound like a mere fantastic tale to some, but we wanted to marry sci-fi elements with very real issues Indigenous people have gone through time and time again. I guess that would be called Indigenous futurism. I have always loved songs that give you more the more you lean into them, and there is a deeper meaning to this story if you look for it.”


Crown Lands continue to introduce themselves to the rest of the world through their high energy live shows. Last year, they joined Greta Van Fleet on the final leg of their Dreams In Gold world tour in the US. Starting March 10, they head out with fellow Canadian rock outfit, July Talk, playing iconic venues across their home country on The Never Remember Tour, plus some headlining shows.





Fearless tracklisting:


"Starlifter: Fearless Pt. II"
"Dreamer Of The Dawn"
"The Shadow"
"Right Way Back"
"Context: Fearless Pt. I"
"Reflections"
"Penny"
"Lady Of The Lake"
"Citadel"


"Starlifter: Fearless Pt. II" visualizer:





(Photo - Andy Ford)

At the crossroads of southern rock and traditional country music stood one band - Outlaws. Led by a superb triple guitar assault of Hughie Thomasson, Henry Paul and Billy Jones, later dubbed The Florida Guitar Army, Outlaws found themselves at the center of the Southern rock whirlwind of the early ‘70s with no less than Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant singing the band’s praises to anyone who would listen including Arista Records founder Clive Davis, who would sign Outlaws and issue their first 7 studio albums.


Listening to this box set of live recordings and rare demos, Anthology - Live & Rare, it’s easy to see why. The band were a uniquely electrifying group who wrote and performed together as if they had been playing as a group for decades rather than just the few years it had actually been. These recordings have been released previously on CD and digital but this is the first time that most of these early live recordings have been issued on vinyl. Taken altogether, Anthology - Live & Rare is over three hours of incredible southern fried rock showcasing the band at the very height of their powers, playing such epics as “Green Grass & High Tides” plus “There Goes Another Love Song,” “Hurry Sundown,” and lots more.


Each of the 4LPs comes in a unique color with its own full-color sleeve and packaged in a clamshell box with a large 16-page color booklet filled with rare photos and informative liner notes. Available everywhere starting March 31.




Order the vinyl box set here.





Tracklisting:


LP1 Side A
Denver, CO (August 1975)
"Waterhole"
"Stick Around For Rock & Roll"
"Knoxville Girl"
"There Goes Another Love Song"


Studio Demo:
"Song For You"


LP1 Side B
Bryn Mawr, PA (August 1975)
"Song For You"
"Prisoner"
"Redneck Friend"


Cleveland, OH (September 1975)
"There Goes Another Love Song"
"Freeborn Man"


Studio Demo
"Never See Your Face"


LP2 Side A
Cleveland, OH (September 1975)
"Kansas City Queen"


Record Plant - Sausalito, CA (November 1975)
"Song In The Breeze"
"Knoxville Girl"
"Cry No More"


LP2 Side B
Record Plant - Sausalito, CA (November 1975)
"Green Grass & High Tides"


Studio Demos:
"It Follows From The Heart"
"Freeborn Man "


LP3 Side A
Record Plant - Los Angeles, CA (November 1976)
"Waterhole"
"Stick Around For Rock & Roll"
"Song In The Breeze"
"Lover Boy"
"Freeborn Man"


LP3 Side B
Record Plant - Los Angeles, CA (November 1976)
"Cry No More"
"Knoxville Girl"
"Green Grass & High Tides"
"There Goes Another Love Song"


LP4 Side A - Studio Demos
"Gunsmoke"
"Holiday"
"Hurry Sundown"
"Cold & Lonesome"
"Night Wines"
"Heavenly Blues"


LP4 Side B - Studio Demos
"Windy Cities Blue"
"Nighttime’s Passing Dream"
"True Love At First Sight"
"Where Does It Go From There"
"Goodbye Tupelo"
"Alone With You Again"
"Two Time Blues"

John 5 has taken to social media to share the first official photo of MÖTLEY CRÜE's new lineup, taken by legendary rock photographer Ross Halfin. Check out his post below.

MÖTLEY CRÜE held its first rehearsal with the former ROB ZOMBIE and MARILYN MANSON guitarist on January 23 in preparation for the band's upcoming shows with DEF LEPPARD. A short time later, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx took to his Twitter to write: "Well that was fucking epic.

"@john5guitarist walks into rehearsal and we just rip the set from top to bottom seamlessly. That took 90 minute's and then the next few hours we just laughed and told dumb rockstar war stories.

"@MotleyCrue DAY 1".

He followed that up with an Instagram Story post thanking the band's crew and gushing that "today sounded insane."

John 5 joined CRÜE as the replacement for founding guitarist Mick Mars, who announced last October he would 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.

In October, Sixx praised John 5, saying he "checks all the boxes" as Mars's replacement following the latter's decision to retire from touring. Sixx commented on John 5's addition to CRÜE while answering fan questions on Twitter. Asked why the band chose John 5, who is one of the credited co-writers on the three original songs on CRÜE's "The Dirt" soundtrack, Sixx said: "He checks all the boxes. He's a insane player. Has respect for our music, is funny as fuck and has history with us and we've written some pretty big hits together."

Sixx also addressed Mars's announcement that he was retiring from touring, saying: "He's been a soldier along with us for 4 decades. We will continue to carrying our legacy to Generations of fans and honor Micks request for us to keep touring as Motley Crue."

In addition to co-writing the three songs on "The Dirt", John 5 collaborated with Sixx and Desmond Child on Meat Loaf's "The Monster Is Loose". In 2021, Sixx and John 5 launched the L.A. RATS supergroup in which they were joined by Rob Zombie and drummer Tommy Clufetos.

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.

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.

Speculation about John 5 replacing Mars gained strength after the longtime ROB ZOMBIE guitarist failed to appear with the shock rocker at last year's Aftershock festival in Sacramento. Rob was instead joined on stage by returning guitarist Mike Riggs for the first time since 2006.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's "The Stadium Tour" with DEF LEPPARD, POISON 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.

After selling more than 1.3 million tickets in 2022, MÖTLEY CRÜE and DEF LEPPARD and are going global in 2023 with their co-headline "The World Tour" along with special guest Alice Cooper. After the launch of European and Latin American dates, the U.S. dates will take place in August.

Produced by Live Nation, the U.S. leg of the world tour kicks off on August 5 in Syracuse, New York. The bands will bring their electrifying stage shows across America throughout the month of August including being the first-ever show at the H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

In November, MÖTLEY CRÜE and DEF LEPPARD announced two U.S. shows for February 2023. The two bands will play at the 7,000-capacity Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey on February 10 and February 11.

The Atlantic City shows will mark MÖTLEY CRÜE's first U.S. live appearances since Mick's retirement announcement.

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KINGS OF THRASH, the new band featuring former MEGADETH members David Ellefson (bass) and Jeff Young (guitar), has shared a teaser demo of some of the new original material the group is working on. Check it out in the TikTok clip below.

In October, Young told Ghost Cult magazine that KINGS OF THRASH's first original song was being recorded at a North Hollywood studio previously used by legendary producer Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix). As for the musical direction of KINGS OF THRASH's original material, Jeff said: "It's got the vibe of MEGADETH — it's on that playing field, but it's got all of its own stuff and all of our influences and some SOUNDGARDEN/TOOL vibes in maybe the music and melodies."

As previously reported, KINGS OF THRASH will release a live CD/DVD package called "Best Of The West…Live At The Whisky A Go Go" on March 24 via Cleopatra Records. The 17-song set, featuring performances of MEGADETH's classic albums "Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!" and "So Far, So Good… So What!", was recorded and filmed live at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California on October 15, 2022 and includes an appearance by another former MEGADETH member, Chris Poland (guitar). The DVD was directed by Michael Sarna for Inmotion Entertainment.

Asked in a new interview with Ultimate Guitar if he and Ellefson have received any feedback from MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine about their new band or their recent live shows, tour, Young said: "Nah, we couldn't care less… and it's a win-win for him. Because all the publishing, for example, on the 'Best Of The West', he's getting all that money. We're making him money and he doesn't have to do anything. So, we're performing the songs because they're part of our history and the fans want to hear them and we will benefit from that, and so will he, so it's a win-win. How much cooler can anything be than that? So, if he has something to say about it… I wouldn't imagine it would be very objective… not that anything he's ever said has been objective."

Jeff's latest comments echo those he made last year when he told Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of the Rock Interview Series, Young that he and Ellefson were "really not concerned" about Mustaine's reaction to KINGS OF THRASH. "I don't pay attention," he said. "I haven't really paid attention or followed MEGADETH since, I think, I heard the 'Rust In Peace' album a couple of times, and then what you might hear on the radio or in the press.

"For us, this isn't about any spite or retaliation; it's a celebration of the music that we were all a part of, that we helped create," he explained. "And it's fun for us to do this.

"People said, 'You should do this.' And we said, 'Hey, yeah, you're right. We should do this.' It's a win-win — it's a win for us, and it's a win for [Mustaine], because any performance royalties, anything… If we did include live tracks, he would make money off that. It's promoting albums that hopefully fans will go back and buy, which is putting money right in his pocket. Especially 'Killing Is My Business', I think a lot of people are gonna go back and wanna rediscover that album after this tour.

"For us, it's all about positivity," Young added. "We're all in this moment — we're living in the moment, and we're not looking beyond. We're not reading any of the comments on Blabbermouth or any of the stuff. Because we know what our intent is, and intent is everything. And our intent's positive. We like playing together. We know we're crafting original music. We're not relying on this; we don't need to ride the coattails of this. This is just something that the fans wanted, and you wanna give fans what they want."

Ellefson told Yes! You CAN Play Guitar! that the intention behind KINGS OF THRASH is not to stick it to his former bandmates. "This is a celebration, not a retaliation," he explained. "This is a good moment. This is a happy moment, to celebrate these songs and these tracks and these records. So we go at it with just fun… It's, like, 'Wow. Wouldn't it be fun if we went out and played these records?' And we're doing it. So it's meant to be this celebration and bringing people together. And honestly, that was kind of always my role in MEGADETH. Dave [Mustaine] always called me 'The Ambassador', and I was always that guy, and I am that guy. So it's, like, let me just continue that role in our community and have one of good will."

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH more than a year and a half ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

David was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Dave Mustaine, alleging the MEGADETH leader shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

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

Jeff made headlines in December 2009 for accusing Mustaine of, among other things, "dissing, exaggerating and just plain lying on some level about nearly every talented musician that has passed through his dysfunctional little ensemble." He also disputed Mustaine's claim in an interview that Young's drug problem led to MEGADETH's 1988 Australian tour being called off and the group being "banned" from performing in the country.

Poland was a member of MEGADETH from 1984 to 1987, during which time he performed on the band's classic albums "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" and "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" He is also a featured soloist on the group's 2004 album, "The System Has Failed".

Back in 2004, Poland and/or his management and attorney filed a lawsuit against Mustaine regarding the use of the three "Rust In Peace" demos on the album's reissue without Chris's permission. Chris eventually settled for $9,500 and thereby ended a professional relationship with Dave and MEGADETH.

For the past couple of decades, Poland's main musical focus has been the fusion band OHM:, which has released several full-length studio albums to date.

KINGS OF THRASH recently announced the first leg of a planned 2023 world tour, commencing February 16 in Joliet, Illinois. The "Thrashin' USA" trek will cross the Midwest, East Coast, and southeastern part of the USA through March 15. As with the band's 2022 warm-up shows, the group, which also includes drummer Fred Aching as well as guitarist/vocalist Chaz Leon, will be performing "Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!" and "So Far, So Good… So What!" in their entirety. Support on all shows will come from HATRIOT.

Speaking to Ralph Rasmussen of Radio Bypass about KINGS OF THRASH's recent shows and future plans, Ellefson said: "That was a thing where… Of course everybody knew our names — me, Jeff Young and Chris Poland. We advertised we were gonna play the 'Killing Is My Business' and 'So Far, So Good… So What!' records. And as it turns out, we ended up playing, like, half of 'Peace Sells' too. That's probably the most frickin' muscular setlist I've played since probably [MEGADETH's] 'Rude Awakening' [live album and DVD], when we filmed that in 2001 and I was 20 years younger. So we turned up the gas; there was no screwing around on that one. And it was great. It was super cool. It was super fun. It made me just realize how cool those songs are, how the detail and intricacies… It was a very different era, too. The songs were written under much different pretenses. There was a real innovation in those records, the stuff of the '80s, back then, that we were doing."

He continued: "We picked four cities. We said, 'Let's just go out and fire this off, kind of a proof of concept, show everybody what we've got.' I think the first night, when we played in San Diego, the fans right away got it. They were, like, 'Oh my God. Holy shit. We've been asking for this and wanting this for years. And oh my God. There they really are. Those are really the guys that played on those records. This is it.' And our drummer Fred and our singer Chaz, they got it in their hear as younger guys, so they get it and were excited to be there with us doing it. So, yeah, it really was just a moment in time for that to fire off like that so well. And now as a result, look, we've got live recordings, we've got more stuff coming up here in the New Year for that. So, yeah, that was just the beginning; that was just the first firework we blew off. There's definitely gonna be more after this."

Jeff was full of praise for Aching and Leon, telling Ghost Cult: "We really feel in a way how Ozzy [Osbourne] must have felt introducing Randy Rhoads to the world with these young two guys we have, both half our age and both so composed and mature musically for their age. And we've just been having a blast. And it's great that they're fans of the music and they've really studied it. Chaz, the singer/guitar player, plays in a MEGADETH tribute and fronts a SOUNDGARDEN tribute. So he has some of that Chris Cornell huskiness… So it's really cool to hear him sing these songs with a bit more huskiness and that young exuberance that he has. I think the kids are gonna love him 'cause he has that Dimebag Darrell kind of likability."
@kingsofthrash NEW ORIGINAL #3 DEMO (Day 1) - JEFF YOUNG LEAD SOLO IMPROV #kingsofthrash#davidellefson#jeffyoung#reverseIommi♬ original sound - kingsofthrash

Frozen Crown has released the third single taken from the new album Call Of The North, set to be released on March 10 through Scarlet Records. Check out "Black Heart" below. 





Frozen Crown recently checked in with the following update:




"Here we are! Our fourth album, Call Of The North, will be out March 10th! Which song title inspires you the most? Let us know. First single and videoclip out in December! Grab your signed copy right now here.





Tracklist:


"Call Of The North"
"Fire In The Sky"
"Black Heart"
"Victorious"
"In A Moment"
"Legion"
"Until The End"
"Now Or Never"
"One For All"
"Far Away"


This fourth album is going to sound 100% Frozen Crown, melding together elements from our previous three albums, and purposely featuring no guest appearances, to consolidate the band sound while bringing at the same time unseen features (like acoustic ballads and epic choirs) on the table.


Be ready for memorable refrains, heavy downtuned guitar riffs, intricate symphonic parts, and a tense and epic battlefield atmosphere.


Once again produced by Andrea Fusini at Fusix Studio, Call Of The North will be out on Scarlet Records (EU/US) and Marquee Avalon (Japan) and released in digipak CD and in limited edition turquoise and purple vinyl (and, of course, in digital version on all streaming platforms)."


"Victorious"





"Call Of The North"

L.A. Guns will release their new album, Black Diamonds, on April 14th. Guitarist Tracii Guns has shared the cover art:





The band previously revealed that Black Diamonds will include the following 11 songs:




"You Betray"
"Wrong About You"
"Diamonds"
"Babylon"
"Shame"
"Shattered Glass"
"Gonna Lose"
"Got It Wrong"
"Lowlife"
"Crying"
"Like A Drug"


The first single from the album, "You Betray", will be released on February 3rd. Tracii commented on the track, saying: "It's unique in that Adam Hamilton sent me the drum tracks and asked if I could do something with it. I wrote music to the drums and that’s a first for me. Has an obvious 'Immigrant Song' rhythm which is a monster thing. Hope you dig it like we do."


Vocalist Phil Lewis recently spoke about the new album: "Great songs, fantastic playing and some of the best singing of my career. It’s heavy and dark in places and bright n breezy in others. It’s all over the place as per our usual style. I think it’s the best thing we’ve ever done. Yeah I know I say that about all of them, but I truly love this record and had fun recording parts on the tour wagon and then five intense days doing vocals with Mitch in NYC. Of course the wait for it to drop will be excruciating but I’ll do my best to contain the excitement. Seriously it’s fantastic and you’re all gonna love it."


Catch L.A. Guns live at the following shows:


April
15 - West Hollywood, CA - Whisky A Go Go
29 - Roseville, CA - Goldfield Trading Post


(Photo courtesy of lagunsmusic.com)


 


 


 

Norway's Kanaan creates far-out, wondrous heavy music that synthesizes the singular stanchions of the Japanese psychedelic rock, German krautrock, and California desert rock movements into swathes of sound that straddle the line between the improvisational and the intentional. The award-winning trio will release its new LP, Downpour, on May 5 via Jansen Records. Pre-order here.


Downpour is the follow-up to Kanaan's 2021 LP, Earthbound, which landed the group a Norwegian Grammy award. Recorded at Athletic Sound studios (a-ha, Jaga Jazzist, Motorpsycho) and featuring artwork by designer Robin Gnista (Ty Segall, Cold Cave, Television), Downpour features seven smashing songs that will surely satisfy longtime fans and stagger first time listeners.


"Downpour, as an album, is a continuation of the ideas we explored on our last record, Earthbound, while feeling like maybe the most cohesive and nuanced album we’ve done," says the band. "We kept the heavy riffs, big, roomy drums, and fuzz-laden guitar solos, but 'Downpour' still feels a bit more psychedelic, a bit less doomy and more polychrome. We're really happy with it and are looking forward to sharing it!"




The first track released from Downpour is the soaring, six-minute "Amazon", which features a guest appearance from Norwegian guitar hero Hedvig Mollestad. Listen below.


"'Amazon' is quite possibly the most groovy track we’ve done," adds the group. "It's perfect for cruising down the highway with a trunk full of amps!"





Tracklisting:


"Black Time Fuzz"
"Amazon" (feat. Hedvig Mollestad)
"Downpour"
"Psunspot"
"Orbit"
"Solaris Pt. 1"
"Solaris Pt. 2"


"Amazon":





Kanaan features guitarist Ask Vatn Strøm, drummer Ingvald André Vassbø, and bassist Eskild Myrvoll.


(Photo - Gonçalo Carvalho)

Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Steven Tyler has been formally named as a defendant in a lawsuit initiated last month alleging that he sexually abused a minor in the 1970s.


A complaint filed by Julia Misley (previously known as Julia Holcomb) in Los Angeles County Superior Court under the California Child Victims Act accuses the Aerosmith frontman of sexual assault, coercion of an abortion, and involuntary infamy. Misley, now 65, alleges that Tyler, 74, used his fame and status to "groom, manipulate, exploit, [and] sexually assault" her over the course of three years, beginning when she was 16 and he was in his mid-20s.


Tyler was previously identified as Defendant Doe 1, and the court provided legal approval to name him on Wednesday. Misley is seeking an unspecified amount of compensation and a trial.




Representatives for Tyler didn't immediately respond to EW's request for comment.


According to the complaint, which EW has reviewed, Misley met Tyler in 1973 after attending an Aerosmith concert in Oregon, where she was invited backstage and later to Tyler's hotel room. She accuses the musician of sexually abusing her that evening and of sexually assaulting her in a hotel room after Aerosmith's next concert in Seattle, where Tyler allegedly flew her out to attend. The following year, Tyler met with Misley's mother and "convinced her to sign over the guardianship of her daughter to him," assuring her of her well-being, the complaint says.


Read the full report at Entertainment Weekly.

Nekrogoblikon performed their song "Golden Future" during their show at Bloodstock Open Air 2022. Professionally-filmed footage can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"The Many Faces of Dr. Hubert Malbec"
"Golden Future"
"Yin"
"Darkness"
"Dressed as Goblins"
"Going to Die"
"The Magic Spider"
"No One Survives"
"This Is It"
"Powercore"







December 29th, 2022 marked two years since the passing of Children Of Bodom frontman Alexi Laiho. Nekrogoblikon have shared their cover of the band's "Bodom Beach Terror" in memory of Laiho.


Guitarist Alex Alereza offered the following:


"There is no single other band or artist that I can say has had as much of a musical influence on Nekrogoblikon as Children of Bodom, and I can say with confidence that had I not been exposed to Alexi Laiho's compositions and playing style I would be a completely different guitar player today.


Upon being collectively saddened by Alexi's passing in the midst of the pandemic, we began revisiting the COB albums that had the greatest impact on us and decided to record a cover of 'Bodom Beach Terror' off of Hate Crew Deathroll. We each recorded our parts ourselves from home and made it a point to be as faithful to the original recording as possible.


Hope you enjoy listening to this tribute as much as we enjoyed recording it, and long live the legacy of Alexi Laiho and Children of Bodom!"

METAL CHURCH has officially enlisted ROSS THE BOSS and LET US PREY vocalist Marc Lopes to sing for the band following the passing of Mike Howe less than two years ago.

Earlier today (Thursday, February 2),METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof shared a photo of Lopes on social media and wrote in an accompanying message: "Yes, the rumors are true, it's official! Please welcome vocalist Marc Lopes to the congregation!

"We auditioned a handful of vocalists and while they were all great, Marc quickly became the clear choice.

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

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

"Thank you for your continued support of METAL CHURCH!

"Love & respect, Kurdt Vanderhoof".

On January 26, METAL CHURCH shared an audio snippet of some of the new music — complete with a singer who sounded uncannily like Lopes — the group had been working on in recent months, with plans to release its sometime this spring via Rat Pak Records.

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

Last September, Kurdt told Metal-Rules that he really hadn't processed Howe's death yet. "I can't," he said. "I can't imagine what it must feel like to feel that suicide is your only option. And because he was like my brother and to find out he was in such pain and it's too late to try and help is just something I cannot get my head around."

Kurdt went on to say that there will be a new METAL CHURCH album in 2023. "I had written a new record and Mike and I had just begun the process before he passed," he explained. "So I had a lot of material on hand. I also wanted to complete the album in honor of him. I have written a batch of additional material and it's going in a more aggressive direction."

At the time, Kurdt said that he and his METAL CHURCH bandmates were "keeping a lid" on the identity of their new singer. However, he revealed: "We didn't choose a Mike Howe clone or David Wayne clone. We decided to approach the future as a 'new' chapter in the band's career. I think the fans will really dig it."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Jeremy Belinfante / M-Theory Audio / Secret Service Publicity

Yes, the rumors are true, it's official! Please welcome vocalist Marc Lopes to the congregation! We auditioned a handful...

Posted by Metal Church on Thursday, February 2, 2023

New Metal Church Coming Spring 2023

No one ever thought that we would have to move forward without our beloved Mike Howe....but we know he would want us to continue....so, new Metal Church music is on the way. I hope you will join us for this next chapter! Love & Respect, Kurdt \m/

#MetalChurch #NewMusic #Spring2023 #TestPressings #RatPakRecords #ReaperEntertainmentEurope #Vinyl #NewAlbum #NewSinger #ForEverMetal

Posted by Metal Church on Thursday, January 26, 2023

In a new interview with Guitar World, Zakk Wylde was asked if he had a reaction to the PANTERA concert cancelations in Germany and Austria this spring following an outcry over singer Philip Anselmo's previous racist remarks. He said: "There's nothing I can do about that, you know what I mean? In terms of my role, it's always a case of being ready for whatever – as in seeing if the fellas want to add any more songs or anything like that while we're out rolling together on this tour. If I get a call from Phil or Rex [Brown, PANTERA bassist] and they want to change up the set or do whatever, I'm usually just in the back lounge working on more songs."

The longtime Ozzy Osbourne guitarist also talked about his approach to playing the guitar leads originally performed by PANTERA's founding axeman, the late "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. He said: "It's inevitable I will end up sounding like me. If Dime was playing with Ozz and doing my stuff, it would sound like Dime playing the solo to 'No More Tears' or 'Mama, I'm Coming Home'. It would be Dime's vibrato, Dime's tone. It would sound like him playing my stuff. Even if he did it note-for-note, it would sound like him because that's his sound, you know what I mean?

"So yeah, we're having a blast out there playing these songs. I'm just honored I get a chance to pay tribute to the brothers. It's a pretty special thing that's happening right now. I can't say I have a favorite song or solo, though. Just like when I'm playing with Ozz, I enjoy the whole thing. I love all of it and any of it, from the first note we play to the last note we play. It's all awesome."

The reformed band — featuring PANTERA's surviving members Anselmo and Brown along with Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) — was scheduled to appear at Gasometer in Vienna on May 31 and at Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park festivals in Germany in early June as part of its spring/summer 2023 European tour. However, late last month, promoters released separate statements on social media saying that the shows were scrapped.

Most of the backlash that led to the concert cancelations stemmed from the fact that Anselmo made a Nazi-style salute when he performed at the January 2016 "Dimebash" event at the Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood in honor of late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. He also appeared to say "white power" as he made the gesture, but later claimed he was joking about drinking white wine backstage and was reacting to the audience members up front who he says were taunting him.

There was additional criticism with regard to the fact that Rock Am Ring takes place in Nürnberg (known in its English form as Nuremberg),where Hitler supporters held a series of mass Nazi party rallies between 1933 and 1938.

In calling for Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park organizers to cancel PANTERA's appearances at the festivals, the German Green Party said in the Nürnberg city council that Anselmo "repeatedly and deliberately made Nazi gestures and yelled racist slogans." Réka Lörincz, the spokeswoman for the Greens against racism and right-wing extremism, added that "the former Nazi party premises" were "being deliberately misused for the staging and reproduction of racist and inhuman ideology." The Green Party rep told Germany's Stern magazine that Anselmo's apology for his white power outburst was "not credible enough" and that hosting the band on the former Nazi Party rally grounds "clearly exceeds the limit of what is bearable."

“We are relieved about the organizer's decision not to offer the band PANTERA a stage. Their singer Phil Anselmo had repeatedly attracted attention with anti-Semitic and racist incidents," Lörincz wrote in a statement on the Green Party's web site. "Therefore, a performance was unimaginable for us — especially on the former Nazi party rally grounds."

In the days leading up to the Vienna concert cancelation, the Green party in Vienna demanded that this performance also be scrapped.

"Due to its National Socialist past, Vienna in particular has a special historical responsibility to oppose any form of right-wing extremism. The appearance of PANTERA is completely incompatible with this responsibility," they said in a statement. "Therefore, it can only mean for Vienna: No stage for a Hitler salute, no stage for PANTERA!"

Back in May 2019, Anselmo was asked by U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine if he feels the "Dimebash" debate is something he has moved past. He responded: "I feel like it's ridiculous. I made an off-color joke and 'Boom!' — it's like I'm literally Hitler! I'm not. I take each individual one at a time, in the way that any logical individual will. I have love in my heart. Over the years, I've learned to take the first step with love and to put good faith first. I get along with everybody. If there's any doubt about my political leanings, people should get it out of their heads. I was raised amongst a dazzling [cast of characters] from the theatre, from the mental hospital, from all walks of life — all colors, creeds and kinds. It's absurd to me that anyone in this day and age would judge anyone by the color of their skin, their heritage or their religion. I'm a harmless guy. I'm a reactionary, not a troublemaker."

In the days following the "Dimebash" incident, MACHINE HEAD's Robb Flynn — who played PANTERA songs with Anselmo at the event — released an eleven-minute response video in which he denounced Anselmo as a "big bully" and a racist. He concluded by saying that he would never play another PANTERA song again. ANTHRAX's Scott Ian, who is Jewish, released a statement on his official web site saying, "Philip's actions were vile" and invited Anselmo to make a donation to the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Former PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who hadn't spoken to Anselmo since the band's split in 2003, was dismissive when asked for a comment on the singer's white-power salute. "I can't speak for him," Vinnie said in a 2016 interview. "He's done a lot of things that tarnish the image of what PANTERA was back then and what it stood for and what it was all about. And it's sad."

In 2017, Anselmo blasted "false journalism in the metal community" for suggesting he was racist because of his actions at "Dimebash".

In the weeks after the "Dimebash" incident, Anselmo's DOWN project canceled a number of shows, including at France's Hellfest, Dutch festival FortaRock and U.K.'s Download. The singer wrote an open letter to the Hellfest organizers in which he said it was not the right time for DOWN to tour. He also revealed that he was suffering from a recurring knee injury and needed rehabilitation.

Ozzy Osbourne's longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde says that he will take the stage again with the Prince Of Darkness whenever the legendary heavy metal singer is "ready to roll."

Earlier this week, Ozzy released a statement in which he said that he would have to cancel his tour because of a spinal injury he suffered four years ago and other health problems.

Wylde, who rejoined to Ozzy's touring band in 2017, shared words of support for his longtime bandmate and "hero" while reacting to the news that Osbourne was no longer going to be doing any touring. The guitarist wrote on his social media: "Oz – keep hitting the iron, staying strong & positive. Everybody is praying & rooting for you – your strength, resilience & heart of a lion is just one of the many reasons you're a hero to me & millions around the world – when you are ready to roll – we roll. I love you Oz. Zakk XOXO."

Osbourne was due to embark on a tour of Europe later this year, but in the statement said that he has "come to the realization that I'm not physically capable … as I know I couldn't deal with the travel required.

"This is probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to share with my loyal fans," the 74-year-old musician continued. "As you may all know, four years ago this month, I had a major accident, where I damaged my spine. My one and only purpose during this time has been to get back on stage. My singing voice is fine. However, after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy sessions, and most recently groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) treatment, my body is still physically weak.

"Believe me when I say that the thought of disappointing my fans really FUCKS ME UP, more than you will ever know," he wrote. "Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way."

In the statement, Osbourne added that he was looking into "ideas for where I will be able to perform without having to travel from city to city and country to country", and thanked his fans for "their endless dedication, loyalty and support, and for giving me the life that I never ever dreamed I would have".

Osbourne's previously announced European tour with guests JUDAS PRIEST, originally set for 2019 and then rescheduled three times, was officially canceled this week. The trek was scheduled to begin in Helsinki, Finland, on May 3, and include gigs in Nottingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Dublin and London, before finishing in his original hometown of Birmingham on June 14.

Ozzy has had extensive spinal surgery and other treatment over the past four years, after a fall at home in 2019 aggravated injuries he suffered in a near-fatal quad bike crash in 2003. But despite his health problems, Osbourne has performed a couple of times in recent months, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last August and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game last September.

Ozzy and Zakk first teamed up 36 years ago when Zakk (whom Ozzy describes as "a fucking absolutely amazing guitar player") joined Ozzy's band in 1987; they last recorded in 2022 on Ozzy's acclaimed new album "Patient Number 9".

In a new interview with Riff Crew, former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate spoke about his recording plans for the coming months. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "A couple of years ago I started doing an album with a group of Italian artists called SWEET OBLIVION. And we've done two albums, and we're about to begin work on our third album. It should be out sometime this year, I guess. And I also have a solo album that's almost finished; it should be out later this year as well. And I have another project that I'm kind of tinkering around with as well. So, yeah, I have three different things on the horizon that I'm playing with right now."

Tate has released two solo albums so far, 2002's "Geoff Tate" and 2012's "Kings & Thieves".

The second album from SWEET OBLIVION, "Relentless", came out in April 2021 via Frontiers Music Srl. While the production and main songwriting on 2019's "Sweet Oblivion" were handled by Simone Mularoni of DGM, this time the production was instead overseen by his fellow Italian metal maestro Aldo Lonobile (SECRET SPHERE, TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON, ARCHON ANGEL).

Geoff has also released three albums under the OPERATION: MINDCRIME banner: "The Key" (2015),"Resurrection" (2016) and "The New Reality" (2017).

Tate, who celebrated his 64th birthday on January 14 during his concert at Amaturo Theater in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, underwent an aortic valve replacement last summer.

Tate's "Big Rock Show Hits" tour kicked off on December 1. Tate and his international band — featuring guitarists Kieran Robertson from Scotland, James Brown from Ireland and Alex Hart from Boston along with bass player Jack Ross from Scotland, drummer Danny Laverde from Cincinnati and keyboardist Jason Ames — hit 28 cities across the United States, including Cleveland, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Denver and Nashville, on an initial tour leg that culminated on Geoff's birthday.

Just five days after their last U.S. show in January, the band embarked on the "Empire" 30th-anniversary trek that began in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil on January 19, then heads off to Europe for two weeks, quickly followed by three shows in Australia. After "the land down under," they'll return to Europe for a variety of shows that will last through mid-March. They'll return in early June for another extensive European tour.

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012.

Tate was replaced in QUEENSRŸCHE by former CRIMSON GLORY singer Todd La Torre.

Geoff will embark on a tour later this year to celebrate the 35th anniversary of QUEENSRŸCHE's classic album "Operation: Mindcrime".

US thrashers Blessed Curse have extended their relationship with M-Theory Audio and plan for this summer’s comeback album, Pray For Armageddon. It will be 6 years from the Sacramento-based trio’s last recording, the Beware The Night EP, but fans can expect more of their thrash with a deadly edge. The first sample is “Street Freaks,” now on all streaming/download platforms with a lyric video.





“Blessed Curse is extremely excited, humbled, and honored to have our next album Pray For Armageddon released with Marco Barbieri and the M-Theory Audio team!” proclaims frontman Tyler Satterlee. Drummer Derek Bean adds “These guys live, breath, and support all things heavy 24/7 so we couldn’t be happier having them help the BC Beast unleash our newest savage offering. Stay tuned headbangers and as always, beware of the night…”




Blessed Curse is a cornerstone of the label, with band members Derek Bean and Tyler Satterlee, being friends with label founder Marco Barbieri going back 15 years. Marco handled their music publishing administration and shopped their demos for a record deal, landing the group one with European label Cyclone Empire. When the label had no US partner Marco activated M-Theory Audio as a way for the band to sell a CD domestically, resulting in the self-titled album in 2012.


Blessed Curse is part of this century’s ushering in of a new generation raised on classic ‘80s thrash and metal. Tired and uninspired by nu music but having access to the Internet and a treasure trove of legacy, band members eventually from outfits like Warbringer, Toxic Holocaust, Municipal Waste, Fueled By Fire, Bonded By Blood, Havok, Merciless Death, Hatchet and yes, Blessed Curse (then known as Devastator) all began young bands at the same time period influenced by past heroes and creating original music of their own. Releasing demos and playing shows up and down CA, the group gained traction as part of this wave leading to the eventual debut album release and a US tour.


While band members have matured from reckless teens to functioning adults Blessed Curse continue to play live and stick to their ideals creating ruthless attacks of vicious thrash metal. This will be brought to the fore when Pray For Armageddon releases this summer. Produced by the band and recorded, mixed and mastered by Joe Johnston at Sacramento’s Pus Cavern Studios (Will Haven, Silversun Pickups, Dance Gavin Dance) the trio is anxious to get a full album of ten new songs out to the masses.


Blessed Curse live:


February
11 – Penryn, CA – The Valencia Club
18 – Nevada City, CA – Ribald Brewing
25 – Sacramento, CA – On The Y Sacramento 

To celebrate KISS's unique contribution to the world of rock over the past 50 years, the latest issue of Rock Candy magazine brings you a massive 20-page KISS special including major new and exclusive interviews with both Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. Both founder members go deep on all aspects of KISS's career, with Gene in particular opening up about the often-fractious relationship he and Paul had with guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss.

"On one occasion Ace said, 'I can't come down today guys. I've got a card game,'" Simmons told Rock Candy writer Andrew Daly. "What were we supposed to do? The answer was we had to get other people. And like Ace, Peter had his demons. We all understand or at least suspect what drugs and alcohol can do to you. But you'd like to think that the people around you will prevent you from going down that route. Or at least will prevent you from doing a lot of it. That just didn't happen with Peter. We held out as long as we could, but it got to the point where he was sabotaging the band. The three of us — me, Paul, and Ace — voted to remove Peter from KISS."

The band recruited drummer Eric Carr to replace Criss for 1981's concept album "Music From The Elder", but this radical musical departure backfired and was a commercial failure.

"To Ace's credit, the entire time he said that making a record like 'Music From The Elder' was not a good idea," admits Simmons. "He kept saying, 'Look, I don't want to do this other stuff. We should stay being a rock band.' In retrospect, Ace was exactly right. But Ace's biggest problem was the monkey on his back of drugs and alcohol. By that point he was gone. There were too many drugs and there was too much alcohol, and it drove Ace to the point of no return. The idea that Ace left KISS purely because of 'The Elder' isn't true."

You can read the 20-page KISS special, together with many other fascinating stories about UFO, LOVERBOY, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and Rick Wakeman in issue 36 of Rock Candy.

For more details, visit www.rockcandymag.com.

Rock Candy is a 100-page, full-color bi-monthly rock mag, created in the U.K. It covers the sights, sounds and smells from the greatest era in hard rock music, the '70s and '80s. it is the brainchild of respected U.K. rock journalists Derek Oliver, Howard Johnson and Malcolm Dome — all frontline writers for the legendary Kerrang! magazine in the golden era.