According to FOX4 News Kansas City, prosecutors have dismissed assault charges against TOOL drummer Danny Carey.

No reason was given for the dismissal, with the court only saying the case is a closed confidential matter.

The decision to dismiss the case comes more than a year after Carey was arrested on December 12, 2021 for an alleged assault at Kansas City International Airport. In TMZ's video of the incident, Carey could be heard berating the officers and telling the person filming him to "videotape all of this." The musician, who could be seen wearing a Kansas City Chiefs jersey, kept asking one of the officers, "Who did I assault?" and exclaiming, "I just want to get the fuck out of here." At the end of the video, two officers could be seen pushing Carey against a glass wall outside the airport, with one officer ordering Carey not to get too close to them. The officers then slapped cuffs around Carey's wrists, with one of them telling the drummer to "quit resisting now."

According to TMZ, law enforcement sources said Carey allegedly assaulted an employee working security at the airport. A police report stated that Carey allegedly shoved two fingers in the worker's chest and repeatedly yelled, "You're a fucking f****t!"

The 61-year-old musician was booked for misdemeanor assault and was released on bond.

A spokesperson for the Kansas City Aviation Department told Rolling Stone at the time: "Regarding the request for body and dash cam video, our police force does not have this technology. The police report has been forwarded to the prosecutor's office for review."

Carey's arrest came one day after he performed the Jimi Hendrix song "Fire" at the University of Kansas vs. the University of Missouri men's basketball game in Lawrence, Kansas.

TOOL formed in 1990 and has released five studio albums thus far: "Undertow" (1993),"Ænima" (1996),"Lateralus" (2001),"10,000 Days" (2006) and "Fear Inoculum" (2019); two EPs: "72826" (1991) and "Opiate" (1992); and the limited-edition boxset, "Salival" (2000). The band has won four Grammy Awards: Best Metal Performance (1998, "Ænima"),"Best Metal Performance" (2002, "Schism"),"Best Recording Package" (2007, "10,000 Days") and "Best Metal Performance" (2020, "7empest").

"Fear Inoculum" arrived in August of 2019, following years of anticipation. The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200, shattering sales and radio records while also earning widespread critical praise.

Photo: Kansas City Police Department

British hard rock legends URIAH HEEP will release their 25th studio album, "Chaos & Colour", on January 27, 2023 via Silver Lining Music.

The official lyric video for the LP's second single, "Hurricane", can be seen below.

Drummer and co-writer Russell Gilbrook explains: "Simon [Pinto] and I wrote the song about how our ancestors looked at storms and how these can be interpreted as being messages from the Gods… Their power is awesome and a great inspiration for a rocking track!"

Founding guitarist Mick Box comments: "Music and lyrics are of paramount importance to me… I used to hate those '80s MTV million-dollar videos as they created such a visual image that all calls to imagination were lost because you didn't have to think. I think the power of music and lyrics are that they do certain things to certain people."

"Chaos & Colour" is an album which bristles with explosive classic rock guitars, supreme harmonies, and HEEP's famously generous keyboard foundation. It is, unsurprisingly, an album that found its extra thrust during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was as bizarre for URIAH HEEP as it was for humanity in general.

"The album title reflects that we were in chaotic times with being locked down, tours being cancelled, businesses folding, and all the chaos that was thrown into the world," explains Box, "and as far as I could see it, the only color people had was through music. It helped so many people get through those difficult years, using that strength and power which music has, to make those bad times not quite so bad."

There were still the looming specter of protocols and rules to follow in the middle of 2021, as the world tried to find its feet. HEEP slowly found their way into Chapel Studios in London during the summer of 2021 as restrictions were tentatively lifted, working once again with Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, COREY TAYLOR, BLACK STAR RIDERS).

"Jay was completely on board with what we are trying to achieve in the studio," says Box. "We're a band that has a fantastic heritage and to carry on that tradition it was vitally important that the band recorded in the studio all playing at the same time. Jay understood that and he pulled out the best of us as a band, as well as individual players, while getting us some amazing sounds."

Led by Box, it is no surprise that themes of light, love and, ultimately, positivity are constant through the album eleven tracks. "One Nation, One Sun" is a journey of soaring balladic contemplation, "Fly Like An Eagle" takes the listener on a journey of meditation, while "Closer To Your Dreams" is a battle cry for all rockers to get out there and do it, with Shaw imploring that "So many have tried but slipped away/Now it's time for you to have your say." During the entire album, Bernie Shaw's timeless vocals sit expertly beside the band's phenomenal artistry, rounding out exceptional performances throughout.

Produced by Ruston and engineered by Pieter Rietkerk, "Chaos & Colour" is a superb album of quality hard rock from the pioneers of the genre who continue to create top class material. Old fans will be reinvigorated whilst new fans will surely find "Chaos & Colour" an exceptional discovery.

Following the intense disruption to live music caused by the pandemic, URIAH HEEP is ecstatic to be back on the road and continue to bring its live show across Europe this winter.

"Chaos & Colour" will be available to pre-order from November 8, in black and colored vinyl configurations, as a standard CD digipak, a deluxe CD packaged in a hardcover book with URIAH HEEP's "Chaos & Colour" signature patch and in digital formats.

"Chaos & Colour" track listing:

01. Save Me Tonight
02. Silver Sunlight
03. Hail The Sunrise
04. Age Of Changes*
05. Hurricane
06. One Nation, One Sun
07. Golden Light
08. You'll Never Be Alone
09. Fly Like An Eagle
10. Freedom To Be Free
11. Closer To Your Dreams*
12. Save Me Tonight (Demo)**

* CD and digital only
** Deluxe CD only

UNEARTH has released a new single called "The Wretched; The Ruinous". The track, which premiered worldwide on Sirius XM Liquid Metal on January 23, was recorded, once again, with renowned producer/engineer Will Putney.

UNEARTH vocalist Trevor Phipps explains: "'The Wretched; The Ruinous' is a summation of our upcoming album as a whole musically and lyrically as it showcases the aggression, power, melody, energy and darkness that is full-throttle UNEARTH. Thematically, this lead track puts the full blame on mankind for the destruction of our planet, and the mass extinction of millions of species, as well as the eventual eradication of man due to our negligence with the climate crisis.

"The first video for the new record was shot in one of our favorite places to tour on the planet, Tokyo, Japan. The raw energy from the crowd was captured by the talented Seidai Takekoshi and his additional cinematographers Seijito Nishimi and Ryo Minekawa who all got into the crowd, in the pit and on stage to properly capture the power and emotion this song brings and we are excited to show you all the end result.

"See you on the road worldwide in 2023 and beyond."

UNEARTH are nothing short of standard-bearers and keepers of the faith for American metalcore. They were the band born in the breakdown who never wavered from their love for European death metal melodicism, supercharged by American thrash and hardcore. Now, nearly 25 years into a career that's seen the Massachusetts mob play innumerable gigs and massive festivals on six continents, sell hundreds of thousands of records, and inspire some of the most important bands in extreme metal today, they remain a force to contend with.

For UNEARTH, the mission is simple: keep being UNEARTH.

Says the band: "We formed this band to make music for us, not trying to create something for anyone else. As soon as we did that people connected to it, and it's kept us pushing onward for almost 25 years. We look forward to 25 more."

Adds Phipps: "The mentality has always been to look at UNEARTH as long term as possible. We've continuously cited the careers of CANNIBAL CORPSE, TESTAMENT, EXODUS and SLAYER as bands that kept going, never compromising their music and touring hard around the world. We adopted that mentality early on and it's kept us going for almost a quarter century. We love what we do, and we will keep on doing it."

Joining Trevor, guitarist Buz McGrath and longtime bassist Chris O'Toole on the road is not only new guitarist Peter Layman (ex-APIARY),who played with UNEARTH before, but also drummer Mike Justian, long considered an integral part of UNEARTH's halcyon days.

"Mike's live performance and presence are unmatched, and we couldn't be happier to have him back with us," states Trevor. In the summer of 2022, with Justian and Layman, the band headed off to Europe for festivals and haven't looked back since, with appearances at various U.S. festivals, a tour in Mexico to round out 2022, and upcoming world touring in 2023, with tours in Australia, Japan, Taiwan and Europe all on the docket in the first quarter of the new year.

UNEARTH recording lineup:

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

Photo credit: Mezgarth

FOO FIGHTERS have replaced PANTERA on the billing of the Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park festivals in Germany this spring.

On Monday (January 23),organizers for the festivals announced that the reformed PANTERA — featuring 's surviving members Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown (bass) along with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) — would no longer appear at the two simultaneous rock festivals, which will take place June 2-4 in Nürburgring and Nürnberg, respectively. The decision to remove the band from the bill came after "intensive conversations" over 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.

FOO FIGHTERS' addition to the festivals was announced by the bandmembers themselves via their official Instagram, with the band writing, "Germany – we'll see you Friday, June 2nd at Rock Am Ring and Sunday, June 4th at Rock Im Park! Tickets on sale now!"

Late last month, FOO FIGHTERS vowed to carry on as "a different band" following the passing of drummer Taylor Hawkins.

The Dave Grohl-fronted outfit addressed its future while sharing a New Year's Eve message on social media.

The FOO FIGHTERS wrote: "As we say goodbye to the most difficult and tragic year that our band has ever known, we are reminded of how thankful we are for the people that we love and cherish most, and for the loved ones who are no longer with us.

"FOO FIGHTERS were formed 27 years ago to represent the healing power of music and a continuation of life. And for the past 27 years our fans have built a worldwide community, a devoted support system that has helped us all get through the darkest of times together. A place to share our joy and our pain, our hopes and fears, and to join in a chorus of life together through music. Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were — and without Taylor, we know that we're going to be a different band going forward.

"We also know that you, the fans, meant as much to Taylor as he meant to you and we know that when we see you again — and we will soon — he'll be there in spirit with all of us every night."

Hawkins was found dead in March 2022 in a hotel room in Colombia, shortly before FOO FIGHTERS were due to play a festival in Bogotá. He was 50 years old.

No cause of death was announced, although a toxicology report showed traces of 10 substances in his body, including opioids, marijuana and anti-depressants.

Investigators did not say whether the mix of drugs was a factor.

Hawkins had been the FOO FIGHTERS drummer for 25 years, taking over from original drummer William Goldsmith in 1997. He is survived by his wife Alison and their three children.

FOO FIGHTERS staged two tribute concerts in honor of Hawkins. The first tribute concert took place September 3, 2022 at London's Wembley Stadium. A Los Angeles concert was held on September 27, 2022 and raised money for Musicares and Music Support charities and served as a farewell party for Hawkins's adopted hometown.

Other notable tributes to come in the months following Hawkins's death included a segment at this year's Grammy Awards, a drum circle in Taylor's hometown, and a live performance of the FOO FIGHTERS song "My Hero" by more than 1,000 musicians.

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In a new interview with Dave Spuria of The Real Music Observer, former RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE frontman Joe Lynn Turner spoke about how some people — including unspecified media outlets — have supposedly criticized him over some of the comments he has made while promoting his latest solo album, "Belly Of The Beast", which is said to be "a lot darker" than his previous efforts. He explained (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "You know how many times I've been crucified like this, and I still will be, by all of these yellow rags that I call them, the ones who like to stir the poop, and all this? It's terrible. And I just have to laugh, because I go, 'Look…' I feel sad for them because if this is clickbait or if this is how they get an audience or if they have a satisfaction of putting someone else down to make themselves feel better, whether it's a comment or whatever, that's very sad. They have very small lives. That's all I can say.

"All I'm trying to do here is establish something that I'm trying to deliver a message, a little but of knowledge that I know I have. And if you're gonna fact-check me, do you know what the fact checkers are? There's no degree in fact checking," he continued. "And another thing: conspiracy. Do you know what the difference between conspiracy and the truth is? About six months. So, I will be vindicated."

Regarding his decision to directly address how he views the state of the world in the lyrics on "Belly Of The Beast", Joe said: "I had to do something. The world is going to hell. Somebody better say something. How come nobody is saying something? … Where is the courage? I mean, the new pandemic is cowardice. That's the pandemic.

"So, stand up for yourself and try to help the world," he continued. "You're not adding anything if you just let it continue. In fact, if you're complicit in that, you're just as much to blame. I paraphrase one of the parables that says, 'If a man sees something wrong and does nothing about it, he's wrong himself.' You've gotta stop that, the wheel of karma. You've gotta grab it and stop it. And somebody say, 'Hey, people, have you thought about this?' And that's what art is. And that's what 'Belly' is trying to do. I'm trying to say, maybe it will give you a perspective of things that you haven't thought through. Yes, it's entertaining; yes, it's rocking your ass off; yes, it's great music and all that; but there's a message here that I want you to listen to. The whole thing — the spiritual war, the physical war, for everything that's going on here with humanity right now.

"They are coming after our soul," Joe explained, without specifying who "they" are. "They're coming after our freedom. The first thing you lose with freedom is freedom of speech. And nobody can fact-check me on that. We have lost the freedom of speech globally. And don't get me started on the WEF, and don't get me started on Davos and all of those hypocrites," he added, referencing the World Economic Forum's annual meeting at Davos which has long been a lightning rod for conspiracy theories.

When Spuria pointed out that the mainstream media has repeatedly dismissed "conspiracy theories" about the Davos event regarding sinister schemes the globalists are supposedly plotting at the World Economic Forum's meeting, Joe fired back: "Conspiracy my butt. It's not a conspiracy. How come they all come true? How come everything happens…? All this tinfoil hat wearers, all of a sudden it comes true. You wait six months and it comes true. You wait eight months, it comes true. Well, how come they don't recognize that? Why don't they at least say, 'Well, you guys were right'?

"Look, this is an information war, a propaganda war," Joe explained. "What is the old saying, that the first casualty of war is the truth. That's the first casualty of war. And you can go fact-check that, anybody, okay? But that's the truth. The truth is the first casualty. There has very little truth got to do with any of the wars.

"I'm all about peace," Turner clarified. "There should always be peace. People who fight run out of ideas. I don't care if it's a street fight, a school fight or a major war, you're running out of ideas. You can't think to sit down and negotiate and say, 'Okay, let's bargain this out. Let's figure out what's wrong here and be logical about it. Let's be fair about it.' Nobody wants to be fair — that's the problem. They want what they want. They want tyranny. They want power. They wanna be in control. This is the problem. And it's getting to the point where we are the sacrifices — humanity."

Joe went on to say that he welcomes an open and honest discussion about the pressing political issues, including all viewpoints and ideas, and he encourages everyone else to do the same.

"Learn to open your mind," he said. "I listen to both sides of the story. In fact, [I also listen to] a third side. Why not? There's always something else in the middle. There's left, there's right and there's center. So let's try to massage all of it and see, 'Where are we going with this?' 'What's the truth about this?' and 'What's really happening?'"

Turner also touched upon viral stories proliferating on social media about professional athletes dropping dead of sudden cardiac arrest and children being hospitalized with severe health issues. He said: "When we see, when we know things are happening, as in people dropping dead and dying suddenly, when we see that, is that a reality or is it not? When 14-year-old kids have heart attacks, are you gonna tell me that's normal? No. You can't fact-check that. You can't pull that wool over my eyes. That is not normal. That has not happened. For example, the whole thing with [Buffalo Bills safety Damar] Hamlin [who suffered a cardiac arrest during this month's game against the Cincinnati Bengals], the football player, that hasn't happened in 50 years of the NFL. Everybody gets hit all over the place. That hasn't happened ever. So go fact-check that. I mean, what are people talking about? If you wanna turn a blind eye to it, that's fine. It's not fine, but if that's the way you wanna live your life, it's really gonna be very sad for you, because you really have to wake up and smell the coffee, man. It's happening all around you. And you could be next." [According to the nonpartisan, nonprofit web site FactCheck.org, there has been no increase in sudden death or cardiac injury among U.S. athletes since the COVID-19 vaccines became available, despite anti-vaccine campaigners' efforts to spread a false narrative about vaccine safety since Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest.]

Turner's latest comments come just four months after he performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The singer broke with most international artists who canceled their live appearances in Russia in response to the global condemnation against the Kremlin and its president, Vladimir Putin, over the war in Ukraine. In addition, major record labels suspended their operations in the country, while streaming services like Spotify pulled out of the market.

A month earlier, Turner apparently threw his support behind Roger Waters over comments the PINK FLOYD co-founder made about Russia. Waters blasted U.S. president Joe Biden for "fueling the fire in the Ukraine" amid Russia's ongoing invasion of the country, and asked in an interview with CNN's Michael Smerconish, "Why won't the United States of America encourage [Volodymyr] Zelensky, [Ukraine's] president, to negotiate, obviating the need for this horrific, horrendous war?" After Smerconish responded that Waters got it "reversed" and was "blaming the party that got invaded," Waters fired back, saying it was about the "action and reaction of NATO pushing right up to the Russian border."

A short time later, Turner took to his official Facebook page to share a video of Smerconish's interview with Waters, and he included the following message: "Roger Waters speaks TRUTH to power! Thank you Roger. Someone has to say it..."

This was not the first time Joe had publicly taken a political stance. Back in 2015, the singer made headlines when it was revealed that he joined a list of Western celebrities who publicly expressed support for and defended Vladimir Putin, whose image had suffered greatly because of Moscow's aggressive foreign policy.

Two years later, Turner said that his opinion of the Russian president had remained unchanged. "He still is [telling the truth]," the singer told Kraig Casebier's "American Barber In Prague" in a 2017 interview. "Honest to God, I got a lot of crap for [saying] that [before]. But it's true, and he still is, whether you like him or not. He may be a gangster, but he's a good gangster. And I say there are good gangsters.

"There were gangsters in my family, in the Mafia, and they were good people," he explained. "They were the safest neighborhoods, and they protected everyone on the block, and they took care of a lot of people. And they actually donated their time, money to good causes. If somebody didn't have enough bread or food, they'd buy it for 'em. I mean, it depends on what kind of gangster you are. The politicans are bad gangsters; they can't even cover up their crimes."

Joe went on to lament the state of American politics and denounced the culture of extreme political correctness, which he believed had gone too far.

"I think America's lost its way," he said. "We've lost God, we've lost a lot of things that made that country great. And I'm sorry to say, being an American — Italian-American, and holding an American passport… I have had uncles… and my father did military service for twelve overseas stripes — the whole thing. And I went to Iraq for the troops, so anybody that wants to challenge that, c'mon, bring it on, because I think I know a few more things than you. But I think that we've lost a lot in our values of America. We can't even speak freely anymore. There's more freedom in Russia; I can tell you that. I've done a lot of time there and still will. People don't understand what Russia is [in America]."

According to Turner, his country's demonization of Russia is rooted in the fact that "America always needs a big, bad wolf. We need to hate somebody, because of the military industrial complex," he said. "So we need to hate somebody all the time [and] create a war. There's no need for it, really. If we can just straighten out the economy and get the Fed out of there, I think the people would have a chance. But right now, I pray for them — I really do. Because I just think they've got it all wrong."

As if sensing the criticism that would likely follow his comments, Turner preemptively defended himself by saying: "I said Putin was telling the truth, 'cause he is telling the truth. I got subpoenaed by my own government, okay? So all these naysayers and these haters who are gonna see this about me and stuff, you guys have no clue. 30 percent of the American people have passports, so 70 percent of you are isolated and know dick about it — you have been nowhere and done nothing. Excuse me, but that's what you should have been told a long time ago."

The now-71-year-old singer went on to explain that he was "subpoenaed" by the U.S. government after he played "three charity shows" in Russian-annexed Crimea, which he called a "wartorn country." "The people had a great time [and] we had sellout houses," he said.

Joe was the singer of RAINBOW between 1980 and 1984 and he sang on the album "Difficult To Cure", which featured the band's most successful U.K. single, "I Surrender".

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

1990 saw Turner reunited with RAINBOW leader Ritchie Blackmore in a reformed DEEP PURPLE for the "Slaves And Masters" album.

In a brand new interview with the French SCORPIONS fan club Crazyscorps, the band's lead singer Klaus Meine spoke about the lyrical inspiration for the recent SCORPIONS song "When Tomorrow Comes" in which he appears to be "angry about mankind." Asked if feels that humanity is on the brink of extinction, the 74-year-old musician said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When you see what's going on in the world, with climate change, with all those conflicts — from the Middle East to the Ukraine and Russia — and when you see what's going on, you get angry.

"With the end of the Cold War, the world seemed to be wide open; a window was open for a peaceful future," he continued. "And now we it's the opposite. And we're all walking kind of on the edge. And this [song] is just expressing the fear.

"I'm always very optimistic. And I don't think this is the end of the world. But it's frustrating to see mankind is doing the same mistakes again and again."

Meine also addressed the fact that he has always promoted peace with his messages in the SCORPIONS lyrics. Asked how he feels about the state of the world right now, Klaus said: "Well, we live from day to day, and every other day we see the terrible news on TV, every other night what's going on in Ukraine. And we don't know where we go from here.

"I think after all the two and a half years — whatever it was — of the pandemic, where the whole world was shut down, that was a very dark scenario and it was frightening," he continued. "We had no idea what is next. The virus is mutating, and what comes next? So many people were dying. And then the question, vaccination or no vaccination? What is the right vaccination? If you get sick, what is the best way to survive? And will we ever go back on the road again, play concerts again? Will that ever be possible? Nobody knew. So we were very lucky that we could use these terrible times and go in the studio and create something new. We were very lucky, really, because it was also like being not only in the studio but in a survival camp. We were living in our own bubble, and the world outside was very dark. Now in '23, it seems to be, for most of it, it's over with the pandemic. At least it's more under control. I mean, to say it's all over is maybe also a little too optimistic — I don't know — but I like to think it's over, or at least it's under control. And maybe we have to live with this virus, like with so many other — when you get sick from a flu every other year, we have to live with this virus maybe. But we know how to deal with it now, and the medical department knows what to do and how to deal with it."

SCORPIONS's latest album, "Rock Believer", was released in February 2022. The LP was recorded primarily at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

SCORPIONS originally intended to record the new album in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, some of the initial work was done with Greg remotely, after which SCORPIONS opted to helm the recordings themselves with the help of their engineer Hans-Martin Buff.

During an appearance on the latest episode of Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast, former DREAM THEATER and current THE WINERY DOGS drummer Mike Portnoy spoke about how he gets in shape for his live performances and what his exercise regimen is while on the road. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm the worst, man. I'm so out of shape. I could play a three-hour show, no problem, 'cause it's just muscle memory for me. Those are the muscles that I've been using for 45 years or whatever. So I could play a three-hour show, no problem, but if I had to frickin' jog down the block, I would die. I can't do it. … My body is starting to feel it at this age. My back is always hurting.

"What do I do? I don't know," he continued. "I try to take care of myself the best I can, but it's hard on the road when you travel as much as I do.

"I don't have the answers. A lot of Advil."

Asked by Delray if he gets into yoga or stretching before live performances, Portnoy said: "I'm so bad, dude. I can't even touch my toes. … To be honest, I had issues… When I was in my 30s, I was having bad tendonitis in my elbow, so I had to start wearing a brace on stage when I was trying to recover from that. And at that point I started going for massages regularly — you know, legit massages. A real masseuse would come to the gigs each day and I would have to get a massage before going on stage each day. And that helped me a lot, actually. Getting massaged regularly and maybe going to the chiropractor as much as I can as well. That helps."

In addition to Portnoy, THE WINERY DOGS includes guitarist/vocalist Richie Kotzen and legendary bassist Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, TALAS, DAVID LEE ROTH).

THE WINERY DOGS will release their third album, "III", on February 3 via the band's Three Dog Music label (via Burnside Distribution/The Orchard). Following in the footsteps of their first two albums, "III" was once again produced by THE WINERY DOGS and mixed by longtime band associate Jay Ruston.

"III" is the follow-up to the band's critically acclaimed and Billboard-charting album "Hot Streak", which was released October 2, 2015 on Loud & Proud Records via RED (a division of Sony Music Entertainment).

THE WINERY DOGS is hitting the worldwide concert trail starting February 15 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania at the Palace Theatre for their "202III World Tour". Ticket and VIP package info can be found on the band's official web site.

JOURNEY keyboardist Jonathan Cain has filed a lawsuit against Neal Schon, alleging that the guitarist caused over $1 million in personal expenses to be charged to the band's shared American Express card, including $400,000 in a single month last year.

Cain's allegations come more than two months after Schon filed a lawsuit against his longtime bandmate, contending that he was being denied access to the American Express card.

In a countersuit filed last week in California state court, Cain said that during the first one-month billing cycle, after Schon obtained the AMEX card, Schon charged more than $50,000 in personal expenses for the billing period ending September 15, 2021. For the one-month billing period ending January 15, 2022, Schon allegedly charged more than $100,000 of his personal expenses on the AMEX card. For the one-month billing period ending February 13, 2022, Schon allegedly charged approximately $30,000 of his personal expenses on the AMEX card. For the one-month billing period ending March 16, 2022, Schon allegedly charged more than $400,000 of his personal expenses on the AMEX card. The charges allegedly included $42,000 to various PayPal accounts, over $104,000 to Chrome Hearts (jewelry and apparel),more than $31,000 to the Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York City, and over $54,000 for his personal insurance premiums.

According to Cain's lawsuit, "Schon's charges placed considerable pressure on JOURNEY and its ability to cover normal tour expenses. Schon was spending JOURNEY's money, and Cain is the one who was and is ultimately liable for the AMEX Account and Schon's charges on the AMEX Card. Even with the $30,000 limit on Schon's card on the Nomota AMEX account," referring to the company Cain and Schon set up to operate the band, "Schon still managed to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional, excessive personal expenses through other tour personnel and travel agents. For example, the budget allocated a maximum of $1,500 per night for hotel rooms for Schon and Cain. However, Schon demanded to stay in hotel suites that cost in excess of $5,000 per night. After the recent tour ended in Honolulu, Hawaii, Schon stayed an extra week in a hotel suite that cost $6,000 a night and charged more than $100,000 in expenses to the AMEX Account."

In a statement to Billboard, Schon's attorney Skip Miller called allegations "ridiculous" and "as phony as a three dollar bill." He said the countersuit was merely "sour grapes" after a recent incident in which Schon demanded that Cain stop playing events for former U.S. president Donald Trump. "We want Cain to just focus on JOURNEY and its fans," Miller said.

Last month, Cain fired back at Schon when the JOURNEY guitarist called him a "hypocrite" for performing the band's 1981 hit song "Don't Stop Believin'" at Trump's Mar-a-Lago property. Cain, whose wife, Paula White-Cain, is the former president's self-styled spiritual adviser, played the track in November with a backup chorus of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Donald Trump Jr.'s fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle and former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

"Neal Schon should look in the mirror when he accuses me of causing harm to the JOURNEY brand," Cain said in a statement. "I have watched him damage our brand for years and am a victim of both his — and his wife's — bizarre behavior."

An attorney for Schon sent a cease-and-desist letter to Cain after he performed at Trump's Florida estate.

The latest legal move came a few weeks after Schon filed his lawsuit against Cain. Cain, for his part, accused Schon of misusing the card, citing his "excessive spending and extravagant lifestyle."

A month earlier, former JOURNEY singer Steve Perry took legal action against both Schon and Cain, asking them to stop registering federal trademarks on the names of many of the band's hits.

Rolie was JOURNEY's first singer, though his role quickly diminished when Perry arrived in 1977. Gregg left JOURNEY in 1980, just before the band achieved its commercial heights.

JOURNEY's tour with TOTO will kick off on February 4 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Presented by AEG Presents, the "Freedom Tour 2023" will make stops in Austin, Montreal and Memphis before wrapping April 25 at the brand-new Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California.

The 2023 run includes rescheduled dates in Washington, D.C., plus Hartford, Toronto and Quebec, which were postponed last year due to the coronavirus.

METALLICA and Trafalgar Releasing are excited to extend an open invitation to a worldwide listening party: the global premiere of the band's forthcoming 12th studio album, "72 Seasons". For one night only on Thursday, April 13, "72 Seasons" will be played in full in pummeling surround sound, exclusively for cinema audiences worldwide — with every one of the new songs featuring its own music video and exclusive commentary from the band. The result will offer fans an unforgettable night as they experience "72 Seasons" first and fully on the eve of its April 14 release date. View a "72 Seasons - Global Premiere" announcement video from METALLICA below.

Tickets for "72 Seasons – Global Premiere" will be available beginning Thursday, March 2 at metallica.film.

Preceded by the newly released album track "Screaming Suicide" and its brand-new lyric video, and first single "Lux Æterna" — hailed upon its November 28, 2022 release as "thundering, breakneck" (Billboard),"gut-punching" (Rolling Stone) and "blistering" (USA Today) — "72 Seasons" will be released April 14 via METALLICA's own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, and clocking in at over 77 minutes, the 12-track "72 Seasons" is METALLICA's first full length collection of new material since 2016's "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct". The album will be released in formats, including 2LP 140g black vinyl and limited-edition variants, CD and digital.

"This is a monumental opportunity for METALLICA fans to be the first to hear the new album. We are thrilled to be a part of this historical global moment — connecting METALLICA with their fans once again," said Kymberli Frueh, SVP programming and content acquisitions, Trafalgar Releasing.

The "72 Seasons" global premiere sees METALLICA and Trafalgar joining forces once more, having previously worked together on the October 2019 worldwide cinematic release of "S&M²", which documented METALLICA and San Francisco Symphony reuniting to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their original "S&M" (Symphony & Metallica) concerts and releases.

In a recently released behind-the-scenes look at the making of "72 Seasons", Hetfield stated about the LP's first single, "Lux Æterna": "'Lux Æterna' is an upbeat, kind of fast and joyous song, I would say — really indicative of New Wave Of British [Heavy] Metal stuff, so kind of a harkening-back-to-'80s kind of riff. It's just fun and makes me move. It was fun making the video, fun recording a song that comes out really easy, that was a real easy song to write and to perform, like I said, very much like the early '80s for us."

As for the inspiration for the "72 Seasons" album title, Hetfield said: "'72 Seasons' came out of a book I was reading about childhood, basically, and sorting out childhood as an adult. And 72 seasons is basically the first 18 years of your life. How do you evolve and grow and mature and develop your own ideas and identity of self after those first 72 seasons? Some things are more difficult than others — you know, some things you can't unsee and they're with you for the rest of your life, and other things you're able to rewind the tape and make a new tape in your life. So that's the real interesting part for me, is how you're able to address those situations as an adult and mature."

He continued: "There's been a lot of darkness in my life and in our career and things that have happened with us, but always having a sense of hope, always having the light that is in that darkness… Without darkness, there is no light, and being able to focus a little more on the light in life instead of all of the… how it used to be and how horrible it is... There's a lot of good things going on in life — focusing on that instead, and it helps to balance out my life. And there's no one meaning to it — everyone has some sense of hope or light in their life, and, obviously, music is mine. And the song specifically talks about gathering of people at a concert and [being] able to see the joy and the life and the love that comes out of music and the family and the kinship in that, and just a sense of uplifting."

In November, METALLICA released the Tim Saccenti-directed music video for "Lux Æterna", along with details about the album's accompanying "M72" world tour featuring two-night stops in nearly two dozen cities. Presented worldwide by Liquid Death and Blackened American Whiskey (in North America only) and promoted by Live Nation, the 46-show trek will launch in Amsterdam on April 27 and will include shows all over Europe and North America through 2024. Each "No Repeat Weekend" on "M72" will feature two completely different setlists and support lineups. The "M72" tour will feature a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed METALLICA Snake Pit to center stage, as well as the "I Disappear" full-tour pass and the debut of discounted tickets for fans under 16 years of age. Opening acts for the tour include PANTERA, MAMMOTH WVH, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, ARCHITECTS, VOLBEAT and GRETA VAN FLEET.

In the six years since the arrival of "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", METALLICA has reissued some of its classic albums, released a second live album with the San Francisco Symphony, commissioned a covers album featuring the likes of GHOST, VOLBEAT, WEEZER, Corey Taylor and THE HU, and landed on the Billboard songs chart with "Master Of Puppets" after a prominent placement in the hit Netflix show "Stranger Things".

Photo credit: Tim Saccenti

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor says that he is "stoked" about the material he is currently recording for his second solo album.

Taylor began tracking the follow-up to 2020's "CMFT" LP last week at an undisclosed studio with longtime producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with STEEL PANTHER and ANTHRAX, among others.

On Saturday (January 21),Corey shared a video of him driving to the studio to begin recording the new album, and he stated in the clip: "I'm really, really excited. I mean, everything's just bigger this time, man. Everything sounds better; everything's running better; everything's running hot. Instead of where I came from, this is where I'm going. Musically, it's harder, it's faster, but there's still tons of stuff from the first album. So, there's elements of SLIPKNOT, there's elements of STONE SOUR, there's elements of 'CMFT'; there's elements of the stuff that I've been doing for years — just, like, cover-wise or whatever, just all the stuff that I've always wanted to do, we're doing that. We're just cranking it up and it all sounds so fucking good that I can't even describe to you how stoked I am to be starting on this. And today's the day. Today's the day. Today's the fucking one. So, let's get going. Serious as a heart attack, nobody's ready for what they're about to hear. It's for real. But first, we've gotta record it."

Earlier in the week, Corey's bassist Eliot Lorango shared a few photos from the final pre-studio rehearsal and first day of recording for Taylor's new LP.

Last August, Corey discussed his plans for his second solo album during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". At the time, he said: "We're gonna go in and bang it out and get it ready. And then once I'm done touring with SLIPKNOT, I'm gonna throw together a really rad, 'rock is back' kind of tour for the solo stuff and start bringing out some of the younger — maybe not even some of the younger rock bands, but just some of the bands that don't get the chance or just don't get the looks that are afforded to either pop bands and hip-hop bands or people like me who are kind of grandfathered in. So I'm gonna try and really kind of fly the rock flag and give some opportunities to some of the younger bands and maybe even just the mid-level bands that just haven't had a shot. 'Cause there's so many great bands out there."

Taylor went on to say that he had written about 15 songs for his follow-up to "CMFT". "It's one of those cool things where some of it's older stuff that I've written over the years," he revealed. "There's actually a couple of songs that some of the fans know because I debuted them live when I was doing the JBKB [COREY TAYOR & THE JUNK BEER KIDNAP BAND] thing. So there's a song like 'Beyond' and a song like 'Breath Of Fresh Smoke' — both of those songs are getting recorded and released finally after… God, how many goddamn years would it be? Probably about 14 years, 16 years. But then a bunch of newer stuff. And there's definitely a darker edge to it. It's still very melodic, but I'm definitely starting to kind of bring together the things that I'm known for. And it's less an homage of the stuff that I grew up on and more of what people are used to hearing from me — but still a solo album. So there's still great rock and roll on it. There's some heavier stuff, but there's some really great slower stuff. It's gonna be really rad."

In February 2022, Corey released a solo album of covers and acoustic recordings, titled "CMFB…Sides", via Roadrunner Records. The collection comprised nine previously unreleased B-sides, covers of tunes that inspired Taylor, acoustic renditions, and live versions.

"CMFT" made impressive debuts on charts around the world, entering at No. 1 on Billboard's Current Hard Rock Albums chart, while claiming No. 2 on Current Rock Albums, No. 6 on Vinyl Albums, and No. 9 on the Top Albums charts. Furthermore, "CMFT" landed Top 10 on the official album charts in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, with Top 20 debuts in the United Kingdom, Finland and Japan (international chart).

"CMFT" was recorded at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas with Ruston and Christian Martucci (guitar),Zach Throne (guitar),Jason Christopher (bass),and Dustin Schoenhofer (drums).

"CMFT" had been a long time coming for Taylor, with newly written tracks alongside some dating back to his teens. The album was highlighted by the singles "Culture Head", "HWY 666", "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (featuring Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie),and the Active Rock radio hit "Black Eyes Blue". Taylor also hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Songwriters chart following the unprecedented debut of "Black Eyes Blue" and "CMFT Must Be Stopped".

In 2021, Taylor made history as he reached No. 1 at Active Rock Radio with his powerful single "Black Eyes Blue". The achievement put Taylor in a class all his own, making him the first artist in the history of the format to reach No. 1 with three separate projects, following chart-topping efforts from SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR.

Featured in Rolling Stone's "Fall Album Preview 2020," "CMFT" garnered widespread critical applause, with Forbes affirming, "Corey Taylor's singing is undeniably the best it's ever been. From SLIPKNOT's last album to his new solo material, Taylor is easily among the best-sounding rock singers alive." Kerrang! raved, "Corey Taylor certainly couldn't have predicted how important a sense of uninhibited joy would be on his debut solo effort, it's just what 2020 needs — and, even more importantly, exactly what he delivers." The Daily Beast attested, "'CMFT' finds the singer broadening his horizons and showing off his considerable versatility," while Stereogum noted, "Corey Taylor's lived several lives in the span that it takes most of us to push through just one, and it's clear that he cherishes every experience he's had so far." New York magazine added that "CMFT" "bridges his vast tastes and influences, dabbling in punk rock, metal, reflective acoustic tunes, plaintive piano ballads, and hip-hop, with Taylor's power-house vocals and introspective lyrics acting as a guide."

Photo credit: Ashley Osborn
CMF2 | https://t.co/3ZFuXpRmynpic.twitter.com/rzu50DjY40

— PANDEMIC! AT THE DISCO (@CoreyTaylorRock) January 21, 2023

Dee Snider, the outspoken frontman for TWISTED SISTER, was asked in a new interview with the "Sally Steele Rocks!" show if he ever regrets some of the "spur-of-the-moment" comments he has made about various other celebrities and public figures on social media. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, because [those comments are] usually pretty thought out in my head. I don't really sort of just blurt things out; I process 'em and I'm kind of deliberate. I say it and it comes out like it's blurted. But I've got strong opinions.

"People get very upset sometimes when me or a lot of celebrities express our feelings, like we're not allowed to have an opinion," he continued. "I always say 'in my humble opinion', but trust me, that's the first thing they cut off when they repost it. 'In my humble opinion' — that's gone."

Snider also touched upon the debate he ignited late last month on Twitter about what makes great "frontmen" in rock. The debate began after a fan's reply to a tweet that praised Ronnie James Dio as the second-greatest frontman in rock following Freddie Mercury.

"How do you differentiate a Dee Snider or an Alice Cooper or a Robert Plant or a Bon Scott… Or a Chris Cornell, who just stood there, but he sang perfectly every night," Snider explained to "Sally Steele Rocks!" "So I was just trying, in a social media Twitter discussion, to explain the differences. And people were up in arms: 'How can you possibly say that Robert Plant isn't a great frontman?' And I love Robert. And I was just trying to… You can't put me and Robert Plant in the same category. So how would you explain what Dee Snider does on stage and what Robert Plant does on stage. And I was trying to do that. But people got upset."

Asked if he ever feels uncomfortable when he eventually meets in person some of the people whom he criticizes in social media posts or in interviews, Dee said: "You know me, I'm kind of a formidable presence. And I'll give you a perfect example of someone confronting me. I have a radio show called 'House Of Hair'; [I've been doing it] 26 years; 250 stations [carry it] nationally. It's been on for a very long time. And I had said something about [WINGER frontman] Kip Winger — joking. I make fun of myself all the time; I'm very self-deprecating…

"So, we're at an event, and Kip was across the room," he continued. "And he sees me, and I can see his face. And he goes, 'Listen…' And he comes walking across the room. And as he gets closer, 'I wanna talk to you about something.' And when he got up to me, he realized his face was level with my chest. And he actually was poking me in my chest. And he actually went, 'You're in really good shape.' And I was, like, 'Yeah.' I said, 'What's going on, Kip?' He goes, 'Listen, man. You know, could you just go easier on me on the show?' So it went from being, 'I'm gonna give Dee a piece of my mind' to 'Would you mind going easier…?'"

In his Twitter discussion about what makes great "frontmen" in rock, Snider wrote in response to a fan: "You are confusing singing with performing. There is a huge difference between a great frontman & a great singer. Ronnie was one of the greatest singers of all time, but as a frontman, he pretty much just stood on stage & sang. Freddie was an amazing singer AND frontman."

Snider expressed similar sentiments about Plant, saying: "I'm a HUGE Plant fan vocally…but he showed me nothing as a performer. Looked amazing, great hair…stood on stage with one hand raised and sang his ass off. Not a frontman in my opinion. And FYI many great frontmen are not great singers."

Snider later doubled down on his opinion of Dio, referencing his first-hand experiences with the legendary heavy metal singer. He explained: "I toured with him. … He is one of my vocal heroes, but… My frontmen are all over the stage and interact with the crowd. Showmen. Think David Lee Roth, Paul Stanley, Mick Jagger, Freddy Mercury, Axl Rose…the list goes on."

Snider then supported his position by making the distinction between performance and "stage presence". He said: "I knew this would upset people. I am NOT saying that Dio, Plant etc, don't have stage presence. They have it in SPADES! But they are not performers."

Snider also mentioned other singers he calls great frontmen, including IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson, Bono, JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford and James Brown. He also included Kid Rock in his list, explaining: "Love him or hate him, @KidRock is one of the best I've ever seen. … Facts are facts. The guy is a killer in concert. Period. (and I am REALLY critical)."

The JD's Live MusicYouTube channel has uploaded video of JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE's January 21 performance at BMI Live Concert Venue in Versailles, Ohio. Check it out below.

In a recent interview with T Stone of the radio show "Sonic Boom"on Real Rock 100.3 The Fox in Rapid City, South Dakota, former GREAT WHITE and current JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell was asked how he feels about the fact that there are now effectively two versions of GREAT WHITE touring and making new music. He responded: "It's weird, man. I mean, it doesn't bother me — except when Mark [Kendall, GREAT WHITE guitarist] goes out there and starts talking shit about me. Every time he gives an interview, he goes out there and starts talking some kind of shit about me. It's, like, dude, it's been 12 years. Get over it.

"It is too bad," Russell added. "We were best friends, we were brothers for years. And now it's like the guy won't even pick up the phone and speak to me. It's horrible. It makes you feel really bad. And every time I pick up a paper or [I see] something on the Internet [where] Mark's [giving] an interview, he's always talking shit about me. It's, like, dude, talk about yourself. Talk about how great your album is or how great your band is. Leave me the fuck alone. I'm not bagging on you."

Asked by T Stone why he thinks it's that way for Kendall, Russell replied: "I don't know. Maybe he's just pissed off that I'm still doing it. I mean, the first article they did after I left the band was, 'Oh, he'll never pull it off.' And it's been, what? 12 years now?

"The way I look at it is you do what you do," he continued. "Have a good time. Be happy that you're able to do this. Be happy that you're lucky enough to be able to do this — especially when there's two versions of the band."

When T Stone noted that "it's gotta be especially tough" for GREAT WHITE "trying to do it without the actual voice of the band," Jack said: "That's the one thing, I think, that separates the cover bands from the original bands — is the voice. 'Cause that's the one thing that you need. You take Steven Tyler out of AEROSMITH, I don't care who you put in there, it ain't gonna be AEROSMITH… The only time I've ever seen it work was with Sammy Hagar — and just 'cause Sammy is a better singer [than David Lee Roth]. And they wrote some really great songs. But give me a fucking choice, I'd go see David Lee Roth [before] I would [see] Sammy. And I love Sammy; he's a great guy. Dave's a great guy too."

In June 2022, shortly after GREAT WHITE announced that it had parted ways with singer Mitch Malloy, Kendall dismissed the idea of reuniting with Russell, telling Dr. Music in an interview: "[People say,] 'Why don't you patch things up with Jack?' What people don't understand is we never even got in fights [with Jack]. In 25 years together, we might have gotten in two arguments. The thing that took him out is the horrible demons of addiction, and it's really affected his health. I just saw a video the other day where he's not even standing — he's using wheelchairs and he's sitting in a stool. So for us to go back to that, it just feels dark. I'd rather remember him… 'Cause I'm very proud of our career — I'm very proud of the past. I'm so lucky to be a part of it. And I wanna remember it like that, where he's flying around on stage and getting the crowds pumped and singing his heart out — not a sick person. So going to that…"

In November 2022, Russell ruled out the possibility of him reuniting with his former bandmates, telling All Access Live! With Kevin Rankin: "As far as the fans are concerned, for the most part they've been really cool about [there being two versions of the band]. It is what it is. Of course most of them would rather see us back together. There are a few people that, for whatever reason, like a new guy better, which I don't understand. That'd be like me saying I like somebody better than Steven Tyler in AEROSMITH. Or, 'Get rid of that Robert Plant schmuck [in LED ZEPPELIN]. Let me hear somebody else.' I don't know. To each his own. Some things just defy explanation or logic. But for the most part, I think, people would like things, to see them back to where they were, which will never happen. Those days are gone, and anybody out there that's hoping and wishing and praying, it's not gonna happen; I'll tell you right now. Both camps agree [on that]."

Russell went on to say that he chooses to stay away from speaking disparagingly about his former bandmates. "I don't jump on the drama train," he said. "Unfortunately, there are still people that do, in my other band, that still choose to pass along negativity. And I'm not gonna say anything bad about anybody. It's, like, why? We were all huge friends for years. We accomplished one of the hugest things you can ever accomplish together — something that's almost impossible we pulled off. We were on five major labels, so we did it five times. Usually you lose one and you're blackballed. And we were on five different major labels. So there's something to say for that. I never was gonna let up until I was done."

Malloy had been in GREAT WHITE for nearly four years, having joined the group in 2018 following the departure of Terry Ilous.

Ilous, frontman of '80s L.A. hard rockers XYZ, joined GREAT WHITE in 2010 after stepping in for touring vocalist Jani Lane (WARRANT).

The Ilous-led GREAT WHITE released two albums, 2012's "Elation" and 2017's "Full Circle", before Terry was dismissed from the group.

Russell sued his onetime bandmates in 2012 over their continued use of the GREAT WHITE name after Jack had taken a leave of absence from the band for medical reasons. A short time later, Russell was countersued by Kendall, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie and drummer Audie Desbrow, claiming the vocalist's self-destructive behavior was damaging the GREAT WHITE name (they also alleged he was charging promoters less for his own touring version of GREAT WHITE). The parties settled in July 2013 without going to trial, with Russell now performing as JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE while the others are continuing as GREAT WHITE.

In 2018, Desbrow told ListenIowa that there was never any discussion about possibly bringing Jack back after Terry's exit from GREAT WHITE. "Not at all," he said. "We've already moved on from that. We've gone through a lot of stuff with that over the years, and the fact that he sued us in federal court for the name, and we spent a lot of time and money, you just don't return from that. People tell me that they've seen his latest shows, and it's just hard to look at because his health isn't as good as it could be. We've got a really grueling schedule, and it's hard enough for me, and I'm semi-healthy. [Laughs] I couldn't imagine someone in his condition doing what we're doing. We did shows with him toward the end, and he was in and out of a wheelchair and crutches, had to be carried up stairs, was falling asleep onstage. It just got old. It's a business, and we have families to support and mortgages to pay. You can't go to work messed up 24/7 and still be able to work there."

In October 2022, GREAT WHITE officially named Brett Carlisle as its new lead singer. Carlisle joins the band as the replacement for Andrew Freeman, who sang for GREAT WHITE for only five months.

Carlisle made his live debut with GREAT WHITE on September 24 at the Cannery Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Posted by Jack Russell's Great White on Monday, October 24, 2022

OPETH's Mikael Åkerfeldt has paid tribute to David Crosby, a founding member of THE BYRDS and CROSBY, STILLS & NASH (later CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG),who died earlier this week at the age of 81.

On Friday (January 20),Mikael took to OPETH's social media to write: "It must have been in 2010 or thereabouts when I first heard David Crosby's 'If I Could Only Remember My Name' LP. I was at Steve's (Wilson) house working on either 'Heritage' or perhaps the STORM CORROSION album as the idea for the project was hatched around the same time. It's a bit of a blur. Between work, myself and Steve went for walks, drank wine (or I did),shopped for records, watched movies and listened to vast amounts of music. One evening he brought out the above album. I was familiar with Crosby and THE BYRDS, whom I liked and owned a few records. And I had the 'Déjà Vu' LP by CSN&Y. But it hadn't had many hours of rotations on my deck. Yet. I suppose you're more receptive to music at certain times. You can dismiss a record as 'nothing special' one day and have it click with you completely the next. 'If I Could Only Remember My Name' clicked with me instantly and it has been a life-companion since.

"In my opinion David Crosby was somewhat of a genius. Together with Nash and Stills (and 'Mr. Young, ole Neil') he crafted so much fantastic music it's incredible. He was the master of the vocal harmony. And together with Nash (THE HOLLIES knew their shit too),he conjured up some of the most time-stopping vocals I have ever heard in my life.

"I'm regrettably speaking in past tense here, which indeed has me grieving. David Crosby is gone. In my mind he seemed to be a proper old-school Californian. A staple of the scene in Laurel Canyon and the 60's. It's safe to say he was, and is still, my idol. On top of everything, he discovered Joni Mitchell. Produced her first LP. So there. He's got a musical track record that puts most to shame.

"Our warmest condolences go out to his family, his friends, fans and colleagues over the years. Today is a sad day.

"Thank you, David, for all your music!

"If I may, I urge anyone reading this to listen to 'Orleans' and then 'Traction On The Rain' from his solo record ('If I Could Only Remember My Name') from 1971. It's a few minutes of your time. Perhaps it's 'too slow' for some of you in a time when 'speed-ed up' versions of popular songs are a preference to some (what the actual FUCK!). But take a breath and brace yourselves. After that I suggest a live version of 'Traction In The Rain'. Watching it now I realize he's been a subconscious fashion icon to me. I have a jacket just like that! And the moustache I've been sporting since forever as you know.

"David Crosby, R.I.P."

Crosby's death was announced by his wife, who released a statement, writing: "It is with great sadness after a long illness, that our beloved David (Croz) Crosby has passed away. He was lovingly surrounded by his wife and soulmate Jan and son Django. Although he is no longer here with us, his humanity and kind soul will continue to guide and inspire us. His legacy will continue to live on through his legendary music. Peace, love, and harmony to all who knew David and those he touched. We will miss him dearly. At this time, we respectfully and kindly ask for privacy as we grieve and try to deal with our profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers."

In Crosby's unparalleled six-decade career, the native Californian has created songs that resonate as indelible cultural touchstones for more than three generations, not only as a solo artist, but as a founding member of THE BYRDS in the mid-1960s, CROSBY, STILLS & NASH (recipients of the Grammy for best new artist in 1969),and CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG. He's collaborated with dozens of artists, including Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, PINK FLOYD's David Gilmour, Phil Collins, Elton John and Carole King.

The folk rock pioneer, who was inducted into the prestigious Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2009, has also served as our social conscience, not only eloquently writing about societal issues on such songs as "Almost Cut My Hair" and "Wooden Ships", but continuously donating concert proceeds to likeminded causes. His towering influence and brilliant ability to capture the spirit of our times in his music remains undiminished.

Throughout Crosby's career — from its beginnings in the socially conscious burgeoning California folk scene in the early 1960s, his surprising views on gun control, his recovery from drug abuse and deteriorating health, and his influence on a whole new generation of folk-oriented singer/songwriters — he has remained an icon of counterculture, an advocate for social responsibility, and a thorn in the side of hypocrites of all stripes.

Crosby played at some of rock's most culturally significant concerts, including the Monterey Pop Festival, Woodstock and the Altamont Free Concert.

In 2019, filmmaker Cameron Crowe made a documentary of Crosby's life and music called "David Crosby: Remember My Name".

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Drummer Jon Dette (TESTAMENT, SLAYER, ANTHRAX) has uploaded the latest in his "Big Four" drum-cover series: SLAYER's "Postmortem". The clip, which can be seen below, follows his previously released videos for METALLICA's "Damage, Inc.", SLAYER's "Killing Fields", METALLICA's "Blackened", ANTHRAX's "A.I.R." and MEGADETH's "Wake Up Dead".

Says Jon: "As I said in the last video, the 80's produced some of the greatest Metal bands on the planet! And 1986 produced some of the greatest records on the planet!

"'Reign In Blood' dropped October 1986. Just like 'Master Of Puppets', it completely changed my life on the drums! And in my opinion, completely moved the needle for heavy metal music overall. Dave Lombardo took heavy metal drumming to a completely new level and quickly became my biggest influence through the rest of the 80's.

"Five years later in 1991, I was trying to land a gig with a band. So I decided to make a demo tape (Yes, we had actual cassette tapes back then) of myself playing drums. I went into a small recording studio in Montebello, CA and tracked the entire 'Reign In Blood' album, in one take from memory without any playback. I appropriately named my audition tape.... 'Lombardo's 5th Overture!' I had business cards printed as labels to go in the cassette cases which read: 'Lombardo's 5th Overture! The Entire Reign In Blood Album Performed In One Take On Drums From Memory! For Best Results, Hum Guitars & Vocals!' That tape circulated around the Los Angeles area, it even found it's way to the east coast and got into the hands of Johnny and Marsha Zazula! (RIP)

"4 years later in 1995, that tape somehow found it's way to Rick Sale's office and in the hands of the late great Nick John (RIP) The rest is history!

"'Post Mortem' was one of my favorite tracks on the record! 36 years later, I enjoy playing it as much now as I did in 1986.

"As you know, none of these songs were tracked with a click so there's also NO quantizing, putting tracks on a grid, etc. My take is the take. Flubs, clams and all! Playing along to these older tracks is all feel and at times, being like Luke Skywaker and, 'Using the force!' lol."

The 52-year-old Dette played as a full-time member of SLAYER from 1996 to 1997 and as a touring member in 2013.

In a 2013 interview with Metal Rules, Dette revealed that he collaborated with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King on some of the early ideas for what became the band's final studio album, 2015's "Repentless", before he was replaced by a returning Paul Bostaph. "I actually started working with SLAYER after we had gotten back from Australia [in early 2013]," he said. "We started working for demo and music for their new record. And then obviously what happened with Jeff [Hanneman, guitar] passing away, that changed some things. But it was definitely moving in that direction for me to be working with SLAYER [again]. But as I said there are just some things that changed with that once Jeff passed away, and I think, ultimately, they felt more comfortable with ‎Paul Bostaph, just because Paul had been in the band for longer. I think it was not going to be as much of a shock to their fans, because first Dave is gone, and now Jeff is gone, the band, it's now down to two original members. So if Paul makes them feel more comfortable and at home, then more respect to him and I wish them the best with that."

King confirmed that he worked with Dette early on in the songwriting process for "Repentless" before deciding to re-hire Bostaph instead. "We pursued it," Kerry said in a 2015 interview. "We got back from Australia. I did demos with Jon Dette, I did demos with Paul — the same two songs, under the same circumstances; they each had, like, 24 to 36 hours to learn 'em — and just see where it went. And Tom [Araya, SLAYER bassist/vocalist] and Jeff [Hanneman, SLAYER guitarist] both decided Paul, and in hindsight, that was the right choice."

Dette originally joined SLAYER in 1996 when Paul Bostaph left to work on his side project THE TRUTH ABOUT SEAFOOD. Dette performed with SLAYER at the 1996 Ozzfest to promote the band's covers album, "Undisputed Attitude".

Prior to joining SLAYER, Dette appeared on TESTAMENT's "Live At The Fillmore" album, which came out in 1995.

In recent years, Dette had played sporadic shows with ANTHRAX as a temporary replacement for Charlie Benante, who had been undergoing physical therapy in his battle with carpal tunnel syndrome.