The song "Crimson Tears" from VENAMORIS, the project featuring legendary extreme metal drummer Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, FANTÔMAS, TESTAMENT, MR. BUNGLE, MISFITS, DEAD CROSS) and his wife Paula, can be streamed below.

"Crimson Tears" is taken from VENAMORIS's debut album, "Drown In Emotion", which will be released on February 10. The LP was recorded and produced at Ritmo Studio by Dave Lombardo. Drum overdubs were recorded at Studio 606. It was mixed at Ritmo Studio by David A. Lombardo and mastered by John Golden at Golden Mastering.

"Drown In Emotion" features guest appearances by Tyler Bates (JERRY CANTRELL, MARILYN MANSON),Roberto "Ra" Díaz (KORN, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES),Jack Gibson (EXODUS),George Pajon (BLACK EYED PEAS, CAIRO KNIFE FIGHT) and Tim Stewart (LADY GAGA, DAMNAGE).

Track listing:

01. Let Me Be
02. We Fall
03. This Is Me
04. Crimson Tears
05. Misguided
06. Drowning Emotion
07. I Love It
08. In My Silence
09. It's Gone
10. Tell Me How You Know
11. Oceans
12. So Good

Founded in 2021 by what can only be called, astral influence, VENAMORIS was launched a result of some persistent persuasion on Dave's part. The 57-year-old musician, who is in charge of drums and production on the record, explains: "Several months after meeting Paula in 2010, she hesitantly shared with me her past decade-long career as the lead backup singer for Wayne Newton. She later played me some of the demos she recorded throughout the years, and I was floored by her sonically soothing, rich tone and natural, instinctive ability to harmonize. I was determined to persuade her to return to her creative self. It's been a deeply gratifying journey witnessing this music come to life."

Canadian-born singer/songwriter Paula Lombardo, who performs vocals and piano for this project, bursts with vulnerability and intimacy, addressing a broad scope of emotion: anger, healing, pain, hope. It's evident that VENAMORIS was founded out of love, passion, communication, respect, and trust. One person thriving in music encouraged the other, who had abandoned music to find their way back. It is the result of many late nights with too much wine, and even more truth laid bare: an aural couple's journaling generously shared with the world.

Last month, Dave collaborated with his wife on a "love song" called "The Gift". On December 19, the Cuban-born musician shared an Andy Wallis-created video for the track via his YouTube channel, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "A romantic love song for the holiday season, written by my wife and I."

"The Gift" was written and recorded by Paula and Dave Lombardo and was mastered by John Golden of Golden Mastering.

During a recent question-and-answer session with the readers of U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, Lombardo was asked if he would have joined SLAYER guitarist Kerry King's new band had he been approached about it. He responded: "I knew that was coming. I am, right now, working on too many other projects and I wouldn't be able to accept. New DEAD CROSS, MR. BUNGLE… the pandemic put a lot of stuff on hold, so we need to play some catch-up there. Besides that, he's got Paul Bostaph [playing with him], and I don't think he would have the need to ask me."

Lombardo was also asked if he would play with SLAYER again if the band reunited and wanted him to be part of the lineup. He said: "I don't think that's ever going to happen. But, yeah, I'd listen to whatever it is they had to say. That's it. You can't go any further than that."

Lombardo, who has spent most of the recent years between crossover pioneers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, horror-punk icons MISFITS, hardcore supergroup DEAD CROSS and MR. BUNGLE, was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He was later replaced by Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001.

Shortly after his dismissal, Lombardo said that he discovered that 90 percent of SLAYER's tour income was being deducted as expenses, including fees to management, costing the band millions and leaving them with about 10 percent to split four ways. While he and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya hired auditors to figure out what had happened, Lombardo said he was never allowed to see any of the information obtained.

SLAYER played its last-ever show in November 2019 at The Forum in Los Angeles.

Lombardo rejoined TESTAMENT last year.

Two-time-Grammy-nominated band RIVAL SONS have shared their new single "Rapture", which is available today on all streaming platforms. It stands out as the latest anthem to be unveiled from the group's anxiously awaited new full-length album, "Darkfighter", now due on June 2, 2023. Additionally, they have unlocked the pre-order for the limited-edition vinyl of "Darkfighter" also arriving worldwide on June 2.

Heightening excitement for this next chapter of RIVAL SONS, the band have also shared details of a companion album titled "Lightbringer" — due out in late 2023.

Expanding on the two-album set, vocalist Jay Buchanan commented: "In comparison to our previous records, we certainly took our time both writing and recording this collection. When we set out, the intention was mostly to dig as deep as possible. Even in the beginning before the body had formed, we agreed to throw the map away and chop our way through the woods to make a new path. Then lockdown hit and it felt like the whole damn country decided to throw the map away too. For myself, 2022 was like an eight-stage rocket of life changing events, so every time I thought I was finished writing, a new bull would come tearing through the clothesline and I'd have to illustrate it in some way. By the end, there were really two different sides to the same story being told. On one side, you're fighting the darkness and, on the other, you're bringing your own light to where there is none. One side in a corner, on the ropes, and the other advancing, cleaning the ring. Without an intermission, a refractory period, the collection would be too big a bite, so splitting it in two was the only way to do it."

"Darkfighter" is led by the explosive single "Nobody Wants To Die" which is joined by the Eli Sokhn-directed music video streaming on RIVAL SONS' YouTube channel. Thus far, "Nobody Wants To Die" has tallied over one million streams and counting. Right out of the gate, Rolling Stone hailed it as "hard-charging" and proclaimed, "the video has 'Kill Bill' grindhouse vibes for days and is a literal blast." Guitar World applauded, "It would be cliché to say it's been worth the wait, but the phrase applies: 'Nobody Wants To Die' has enough high-gain riffage and classic rock fretboard throwdowns to more than make up for RIVAL SONS' absence."

"Darkfighter" and "Lightbringer" were both produced by longtime collaborator and multi-Grammy Award-winner Dave Cobb. These albums mark the first new music from RIVAL SONS since the release of 2019's "Feral Roots", which earned the band two Grammy Award nominations.

In support of their forthcoming album, RIVAL SONS will embark on a run of North American tour dates alongside WHISKEY MYERS next month which are set kickoff February 16 in Knoxville, Tennessee at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. Furthermore, RIVAL SONS will join GREAT VAN FLEET for a handful dates beginning March 26 at the Tucson Arena in Tucson, Arizona and perform at Welcome To Rockville in Daytona Beach, Florida on May 20 and Sonic Temple in Columbus, Ohio on May 27.

In 2021, RIVAL SONS celebrated the 10th anniversary of their 2011 album, "Pressure And Time", by performing the landmark longplayer live in its entirety on the "Pressure And Time" tour for the first time. They also lit up Southern California with a two-night livestream event, "Rival Sons: Pair Of Aces", live from the historic Catalina Casino on Santa Catalina Island. They performed their debut LP, "Before The Fire" (2009),in its entirety on the first night and their self-titled EP, "Rival Sons" (2010),on the second.

"Darkfighter" track listing:

01. Mirrors
02. Nobody Wants To Die
03. Bird In The Hand
04. Bright Light
05. Rapture
06. Guillotine
07. Horses Breath
08. Darkside

RIVAL SONS is Jay Buchanan (vocals, harmonica, rhythm guitar),Scott Holiday (lead guitar),Mike Miley (drums) and Dave Beste (bass).

Photo credit: Pamela Littky

Keyboard legend Rick Wakeman will release his new concept album, "A Gallery Of The Imagination", on February 24, 2023 on Madfish Music.

The initial idea for "A Gallery Of The Imagination" stems from Rick's first piano teacher, Mrs Symes, with whom he studied from the age five until his time at the Royal College of Music. She taught him that music was like painting pictures: that when you play, you are painting pictures through music, an important lesson that Rick never forgot.

Having written a vast array of new music recently, all of different styles, Rick recalled the advice of his beloved teacher and decided to present the tracks for the new album as if they were pictures in a gallery. Just as there are many different styles in an art gallery, so there are many different musical styles on "A Gallery Of The Imagination". It contains many clear prog influences, especially in the Moog solos and there are also two solo piano numbers, which reflect Rick's classical roots and show influences from the Romantic period. Equally important is the strong song and melodic influence on "A Gallery Of The Imagination" with eight unconventional vocal tracks, with Rick's distinctive descriptive music carefully arranged around the lyrics.

Examples of the variety contained within the album are the fun yet wistful elements in "A Day Spent On The Pier", a track describing time spent at the seaside, written in Southwold and evoked by Rick's own memories of happy childhood days spent on the helter skelters in Brighton and Clacton and on the pier in Southsea. Rick wrote "The Eyes Of A Child" with his thirteen grandchildren in mind, aware of the responsibility of trying to fix the world for following generations whereas "Cuban Carnival" celebrates the light-hearted fun times Rick spent in Cuba with his band, THE ENGLISH ROCK ENSEMBLE. As listeners take a musical walk through Rick's "Gallery", they will find more than enough to fire the imagination and come up with their own mind paintings whilst listening to his new album. Fans can get a taste of what's to come with the first single "The Dinner Party" available on streaming services.

Says Rick: "One of my great loves is going to museums and art galleries and seeing all the different types of art, so I thought, why not a music gallery... the Gallery Of The Imagination? People can paint their own mind pictures to the different types of music that are on the album. It is very diverse and for me it works very well because the concept holds it all together".

One of the ideas Rick would like to pursue around album release is for listeners to draw or paint their own pictures or even create sculptures to the music which, in turn, could be displayed. "It is a very tactile album," Rick explains. "I'd like to feel that people can actually touch the music."

The lineup on "A Gallery Of The Imagination", as with Rick's previous album "The Red Planet", features THE ENGLISH ROCK ENSEMBLE: bassist Lee Pomeroy, guitarist Dave Colquhoun, drummer Ash Soan and on vocals Hayley Sanderson, famous for her work as a vocalist on "Strictly Come Dancing", with each artist recording their individual parts in their own studios. Join Rick for a stroll around "A Gallery Of The Imagination" — as he says: "A gallery that belongs to everyone".

"A Gallery Of The Imagination" track listing:

01. Hidden Depths
02. The Man In The Moon
03. A Mirage In The Clouds
04. The Creek
05. My Moonlight Dream
06. Only When I Cry
07. Cuban Carnival
08. Just A Memory
09. The Dinner Party
10. A Day Spent On The Pier
11. The Visitation
12. The Eyes Of A Child

In a new interview with Yahoo! entertainment music editor Lyndsey Parker, KISS frontman Paul Stanley was asked if there are any plans for him and his bandmates to do anything special to celebrate their 50th anniversary. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The fact that we still not only survived but thrived is special enough. There's nothing special to do. I'm thrilled that we're still here. I'm thrilled that the fans are still here. The fans seem thrilled that we're still here.

"We're coming to the end of this [farewell tour], so to speak. We pretty much know when we're ending and where we're ending. And that's it."

Stanley also touched upon the fact that the "End Of The Road" tour was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but has since been extended to at least late 2023. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".

"This tour, interestingly, seems to go on forever," Paul said. "That's because we lost two years to COVID. People go, 'Oh my God. This tour…' Well, yeah, there's two years that didn't count. And it's a big world. So, there've been some countries that I thought we were finished with, and the fans and the promoters wanted us to come back. So we have shows to do.

"The end is in sight — more so than some people know," Stanley confirmed. "But we'll have an announcement about that in the not-too-distant future."

Asked if the KISS farewell tour will end with the band's July 15 performance in Norway, which is the last listed tour date on the official KISS web site, Paul said, "It would only make sense for us to play the States, and I think it would make sense that we would end where we started," strongly hinting that the final concert will take place in New York City.

As for whether he thinks it will be emotional for him to play the final KISS show, Paul said: "More so than I know. There's gonna be some tears shed, for sure.

"You've gotta remember that Gene [Simmons, KISS bassist/vocalist] and I started this together when I was 17 and he was 20, 21. It's 50 years later. We've lived pretty interesting lives, and we have families and children and huge sales in terms of albums and concerts. So it's a big part of who we are; it's a big part of our lives. So, that final show, yeah, that's momentous. And it's gonna hit harder than I think we know. And we know it's gonna hit hard."

Asked whether the last concert of KISS's "End Of The Road" tour will truly mark the band's final performance or if there is a chance of one-off shows or a Las Vegas residency in the future, Stanley said: "I really can't say. But it is the last of any kind of regular shows or touring.

"It's just time," he explained. "And in the same way, it's time consuming. And physically, it's grueling to do what we do. Hell, if I could go out on stage in my jeans and a t-shirt, give us another 10, 15 years easily. But what we do is a whole different sport. I mean, we're athletes; we're running around on stage with 30, 40, pounds of gear, and it's not possible to do it that much longer. So we're not like other bands.

"So, will we do more shows or one-offs? I really have no idea," Paul admitted. "But this is a real clear mindset that the touring days and doing those kind of shows, that's over."

KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.

Back in August 2022, Finnish modern metal squad, Lost Society performed upon the Ronnie James Dio Stage at the Bloodstock Open Air 2022, at Catton Hall and Gardens in Walton-on-Trent, England. Check out pro-shot video of "Blood On Your Hands" below.





Lost Society released a video for "Awake", featured on the band's new manifesto, If The Sky Came Down, in October 2022. Watch the video below.




Frontman Samy Elbanna states: “It feels surreal to finally be able to utter these words: If The Sky Came Down is OUT NOW. I couldn’t be more proud of what we accomplished with this album, and I cannot even begin to tell you how much this record means to me and the whole band. An album born of heartbreak and trauma, and essentially the final words of something truly on the edge, these songs and these words come straight from the heart, and are a testament to the fact that music and art can raise you back from the dead. We hope you love it as much as we do.”


About the video, Samy adds: "We wanted something haunting, yet beautiful for the video of “Awake”. Us together with the amazing Joona Mäki wanted to capture the intensity and the frailty of the lyric, mixed with the powerful nature of the music - and I feel like we nailed it. The song is all about serenity in the destruction of something old and the creation of something new, and having the band in such a “stripped down” setting really brings that through.”


He continues about the song: “It’s so easy to believe that once you spiral out of control, the only thing left is to hit rock bottom and never get up; but in fact, very often you just have to face that painful low in order for something new and beautiful to come to life. That’s what “Awake” is all about - the beauty in rebirth, and rising from what you were sure would be the death of hope. This track features the incredible Budapest Art Orchestra, who helped us complete one of the most powerful and emotional songs we have ever released.”





Order/save the new album here.





Tracklisting:


"112"
"What Have I Done"
"(We Are The) Braindead"
"Stitches"
"Awake"
"Underneath"
"Creature"
"Hurt Me"
"If The Sky Came Down"
"Suffocating"


"What Have I Done" video:





"Stitches" video:





"112" video:





Lineup:


Samy Elbanna - Vocals, Guitar
Arttu Lesonen - Guitar
Mirko Lehtinen - Bass
Taz Fagerström - Drums

Midnite City frontman Rob Wylde recebntly guested on the 80's Glam Metalcast's  Hair Metal Deep Tracks and revealed what the band has in store for 2023. Check out the interview below.


On the new Midnite City album


Wylde: "We are currently working on our fourth album. We are quite a way through it, probably about 80% done. The plan is to have the album finished by the end of this month. Mix in February, hand it to the label in March, and it will come out in June. We’ve got a UK tour booked to coincide with the albums release. We have some festivals in Europe lined up and some plans to visit some other countries as well. I think the material is a lot closer to what we were doing on our first 2 albums. The last album we did was a little heavier, a little darker in some places. This new album is going back to that fun, melodic pop metal stuff that we are known for. We’re still working on a title, but I have some ideas. I’m sure the other guys do as well. We’ll have to come up with something pretty quick! We’ll be announcing all that stuff soon." 




On his exit from Tigertailz 


Wylde: "I left the band in May of 2021. I’m not a believer in airing your dirty laundry in public. The one thing I will say is I left the band, I wasn’t fired. They are kinda making sound like I was fired. It had been something I had been thinking about doing for quite awhile before I actually did it. It wasn’t a snap decision. I loved singing the songs and doing the shows and all that, but all the stuff that was going on behind the scenes - that was the stuff I couldn’t deal with anymore. I was pretty happy to get out of it. It was just time for me to go, but I guess it was good while it lasted."





Midnite City released their third album, Itch You Can’t Scratch, in May 2021. They released twi singles, "Atomic" and "Crawlin' In The Dirt".


"Atomic"





"Crawlin' In The Dirt".





(Photo - Rob Billingham)

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, TWISTED SISTER guitarist Jay Jay French spoke about the band's decision to reunite to perform at the sixth annual Metal Hall Of Fame charity gala. Drummer Mike Portnoy and guitar virtuoso Steve Vai will also induct TWISTED SISTER's classic lineup of French, Dee Snider (vocals),Eddie Ojeda (guitar),Mark Mendoza (bass) and late drummer A.J Pero into the Metal Hall Of Fame, which will take place January 26 at The Canyon club in Agoura Hills, California.

According to Jay Jay, he and his TWISTED SISTER bandmates were initially thinking, "'Okay, we'll just show up, get the award and go home.' I mean, that was really it," French said. "I don't live in L.A. Dee does. I said, 'Dee, why don't you just go and get the award and say 'thank you' on behalf of the band?' That's it. 'But if you're not in L.A., maybe I'll fly out on behalf of the band.' And that started the conversation about what does it mean.

"We haven't been together since we broke up, and so I think we all thought maybe it'd be a cool thing, a fun thing to do — play three songs," he continued. "So we're going there. We're gonna rehearse three songs."

French went on to say that the Metal Hall Of Fame performance shouldn't give fans the impression that there will be more TWISTED SISTER performances to follow.

"There's no reunion to speak of," he said. "I'm not gonna be so cynical and say that it couldn't lead to conversations, but we never had a single conversation about a reunion prior to this. Not one.

"People always go, 'When are you guys getting back together?' I say, 'Well, we talk all the time, but we never talk about playing. But we talk about business,'" Jay Jay added. "Why do we talk about business? Because 'We're Not Gonna Take It' and 'I Wanna Rock' are the most licensed songs in the history of the music business; they're in more TV commercials, movie soundtracks… So we do licensing deals all day long. It's really what we do. I'm in the business of music licensing, which is a business I didn't know existed."

Earlier in the month, Portnoy confirmed that he will play drums for TWISTED SISTER at Metal Hall Of Fame. During an appearance on "The Chuck Shute Podcast", Portnoy said that he will be "the drummer" for the reunion performance and added that "we've known that we're playing for months now. I think it was only kind of made public [a few days ago]."

He continued: "Steve Vai and myself are inducting them into this Metal Hall Of Fame, and then we'll be performing a few songs there at the ceremony."

Mike's latest comments came five days after Ojeda took to his Twitter to write, "Looking forward to our induction into the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame on Jan.26th 2023 in LA". A short time later, Snider shared Ojeda's tweet and added: "Looking forward to playing together for the first time since 2016...especially the rehearsal!"

In 2016, TWISTED SISTER embarked on one final trek, titled "Forty And Fuck It", in celebration of its 40th anniversary. These shows featured the band's "core lineup" of Snider, French, Ojeda and Mendoza, along with Portnoy. The band's last-ever concert took place in November of that year — 20 months after the passing of Pero.

TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.

The surviving members of the classic lineup of TWISTED SISTER — Snider, French, Ojeda and Mendoza — reunited virtually in March 2021 for a special episode of Mendoza's Internet TV show "22 Now". The hour-and-a-half-long program was a tribute to Pero, who died exactly six years earlier at the age of 55 while on tour with the band ADRENALINE MOB.

Prior to the March 2021 virtual reunion, the four surviving members of TWISTED SISTER reunited for two days and nights in November 2019 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the band's classic album "Stay Hungry".

In a 2021 interview with the "Metal From The Inside" podcast, Snider was asked if he is still steadfast about not wanting TWISTED SISTER to reunite. He responded: "[I am] one hundred percent committed to not reuniting. Now, let me just be clear: we're friends. I did a [solo] show a couple of weeks ago [on June 11 at Stereo Garden in Patchogue, New York] and [TWISTED SISTER bassist Mark] Mendoza showed up, and we did [TWISTED SISTER's] 'Under The Blade', and it was awesome. I talk to the guys all the time. I can show you my text messages. We have a little text group, and we were sending messages back and forth.

"To me, that was the reason to reunite, was to fix the relationships [between the members of the band], and we did fix' em, and we're friends," he explained. "I feel we did what we could do without just doing the same thing over. And I wanted to do some new, challenging things that I couldn't do within TWISTED. And the solo records I've done I could not have done with TWISTED SISTER. I could not have done 'Dee Does Broadway' with TWISTED SISTER — 'Twisted Does Broadway'. And I could not have done 'For The Love Of Metal' with TWISTED SISTER; people would never have accepted it. But as a solo artist, I'm allowed to change and evolve. And some things [fans have] liked; some things they've not liked. But at the same time, I'm allowed; no one's ever questioned [it]. And, again, if TWISTED SISTER did it, it would be, like, 'Hey, it doesn't sound like TWISTED SISTER anymore'; it would have been that kind of thing."

Circling back to the prospect of TWISTED SISTER reuniting, Dee said: "I could see us doing a charity — a couple of songs for charity, for the right reasons. We got [back] together originally for charity, which was a good reason to get together. I could see [talk show host Jimmy] Fallon — he's a big fan — if he said, 'Hey, guys, can you guys come on '[The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'] and do 'White Christmas' for us?' Fuck yeah. But to do a tour, to do 90 minutes, two hours on a stage, I don't see that happening. And credit to everybody in the band, and I know some people — without naming names — some guys, they would have kept going; others did not wanna keep going. But I'm sure we get offers. Jay Jay French [TWISTED SISTER] is the manager of TWISTED, 'cause it's still an entity — there's still royalties and licenses and things like that, and merchandise — he's not presented one offer, and I'm sure we've gotten 'em. 'Cause we're not even considering it. It doesn't matter what they're offering; we're not doing it."

Proceeds from the annual Metal Hall Of Fame charity gala go to the non-profit organization D.A.D. (Drums And Disabilities). D.A.D. brings free music programs and therapy services to help special needs children and wounded veterans in various health facilities and community centers.

The Metal Hall Of Fame is a non-profit organization that enshrines forever those iconic musicians, artists, music industry executives who are responsible for making hard rock and heavy metal music what it is today. Their contribution to the genre is invaluable, and they keep inspiring fans throughout the world, from generation to generation.

A special Rocavaka meet-and-greet with Snider, Rocavaka's brand ambassador, will take place after the induction ceremony where limited-edition Snider numbered Rocavaka bottles will be made available for purchase and signing.

Tickets are $35 in advance or $45 at the door via www.metalhalloffame.org.

Former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler and his solo band performed this past Wednesday, January 18 at the RokIsland Fest in Key West, Florida. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below (courtesy of concertsrockYouTube channel).

Joining Adler to bring songs like "Paradise City", "Welcome To The Jungle", "Sweet Child O’ Mine", "Civil War", "My Michelle", "Mr. Brownstone" and "Rocket Queen" to life are guitarists Michael Thomas and Alistair James, and singer Ariel Kamin.

"You don't bet better than Michael Thomas and Alistair James; they are two of the best guitarists in rock," noted Adler.

Thomas previously has delighted music fans as the lead guitarist for ENGINES OF AGGRESSION, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES and FASTER PUSSYCAT. In addition to providing Adler with smooth rhythms, James has produced recordings for HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES — the supergroup featuring Johnny Depp, Joe Perry of AEROSMITH, and Alice Cooper.

Kamin was a well-known rocker in Argentina with such bands as CRIATURAS SALVAJES and GN'R tribute act SON OF A GUN when he was selected to come to the U.S. and join Adler in electrifying audiences with the music of GUNS N' ROSES. Audiences have been blown away.

"Ari Kamin is the total package. He's everything a rock 'n' roll front man is supposed to be," Adler said. "Not only does he have an incredible voice, he really connects with the audience. He's one of the best you'll ever experience."

In 2021, Adler told the M3 Rock Festival YouTube channel about how he ended up recruiting Kamin to front his ADLER solo band: "Actually, I went to Argentina [in November 2016] — my wife's from there; her family lives there — and the GN'R guys invited me to do a couple of songs. And so I had a little party at a club called the Roxy in [Buenos Aires], and he was the singer [that played with us that night]. You can go on my web site and see — the Roxy in Argentina. He was so great. I was, like, 'You're coming with me.' And the guitar player from the band that opened up for GN'R was so amazing. I told him, 'Come down. I wanna jam with you.' And he came down. I tell you, if [GUNS N' ROSES guitarist] Slash would have seen him playing, he would have been in the back, in the dressing room, practicing. That's how good he was."

Kamin replaced Constantine Maroulis of "American Idol" and "Rock Of Ages" fame, who was the vocalist for ADLER'S APPETITE for a dozen or so dates in May 2018, including an Australian tour.

Although he wasn't included in the lineup that launched the "Not In This Lifetime" trek in 2016, Adler rejoined GUNS N' ROSES at several shows on the tour, including three stops on the U.S. leg and one gig in Buenos Aires, Argentina, playing drums on "Out Ta Get Me" and "My Michelle".

In February 2017, Adler revealed that he was originally supposed to appear at more than just a handful of shows on the GUNS N' ROSES reunion trek. He claimed that he expected to play all the "Appetite For Destruction" material during the entire tour, only to be told he was out after he hurt his back during rehearsals.

Speculation was rampant that Adler would participate in at least a portion of the reunion tour ever since GUNS made it official in January 2016. The regular GUNS drummer for several years has been Frank Ferrer, who is also part of the current lineup.

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the signing of THE BANISHMENT.

The band, a collaboration between guitarist George Lynch (LYNCH MOB, THE END MACHINE, ex-DOKKEN) and programmer and multi-instrumentalist Joe Haze, started in 2011, and since 2020, has also included Los Angeles-based artist/vocalist Devix Szell.

THE BANISHMENT will release its debut album, "Machine And Bone", on March 10.

The official music video for the track "Got What You Wanted" can be seen below.

"Machine And Bone", which features guest vocal appearances from Richard Patrick (FILTER) and Tommy Victor (PRONG),is a brooding, heavy industrial album with explosions of Lynch's bluesy and psychotic guitar licks.

Lynch emerged from the 1980s hard rock scene with the Los Angeles-based group DOKKEN and went on to become a world-renowned guitarist. Aside from DOKKEN, he also enjoyed great success with LYNCH MOB, the group he founded after leaving DOKKEN. Lynch has gone on to become a prolific (that is an understatement, to say the least) music creator, continuing with LYNCH MOB, releasing solo albums, and a wealth of collaborative efforts over the decades. Those include, but are not limited to, KXM with Doug Pinnick (KING'S X) and Ray Luzier (KORN),THE END MACHINE with Jeff Pilson (FOREIGNER, ex-DOKKEN),Mick Brown (ex-DOKKEN),and Robert Mason (WARRANT),SWEET & LYNCH with Michael Sweet (STRYPER),ULTRAPHONIX with Corey Glover (LIVING COLOUR),DIRTY SHIRLEY with Dino Jelusick (ANIMAL DRIVE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA),and many more. THE BANISHMENT sees Lynch continuing to expand the boundaries of his musical creativity, pushing himself into darker, more subliminal, and chaotic territory.

With production credits in the realms of rock, industrial, jazz, pop, and even reggae, Haze is an incredibly versatile producer, engineer, mixer, remixer, guitarist, and programmer. In the last few years, he has brought his skills to the forefront of the industrial music scene, working prominently with the group PRIMITIVE RACE — first as a remixer and then producing the band’s sophomore album, "Soul Pretender" — and as a member of the live lineup of LORDS OF ACID, touring with the band most recently on the 2017 "Sextreme Fest" tour. He is currently in the studio working on an upcoming album from PRIMITIVE RACE member and former FAITH NO MORE singer, the late Chuck Mosley.

Szell is an American artist, singer, musician, producer, and songwriter. Szell was born in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendora and spent his adolescence practicing guitar, writing original music, and playing experimental noise shows with local punk bands. He has spent time in bands like STAYTE, THE NARCOSIS DESIGN, MOMENTEM and SYMBOLISM, which featured former members of SAMHAIN and CHRISTIAN DEATH. He also contributed and composed scores for Catherine Hardwicke's psycho thriller rock opera "Plush", Jamie Deacon's "Way To Blue" and Susanne Landau's "Stick And Poke". He has also made his directorial debut with THE BANISHMENT's first music video, "Got What You Wanted". As a performer, Szell is earnest and chaotic, his voice haunting, powerful, and soul-stirring, with a stage presence that is mesmerizing and dramatic.

"Machine And Bone" track listing:

01. Reaction
02. Max Pain (featuring Richard Patrick)
03. Right (featuring Tommy Victor)
04. Lost Horizon
05. The Dread (featuring Jason Charles Miller)
06. Reunion
07. Terra Nullius
08. Got What You Wanted
09. Terror (featuring Tommy Victor)
10. Machine And Bone

THE BANISHMENT is:

Devix Szell - Vocals
George Lynch - Guitars
Joe Haze - Programming, Synth, Engineer, Mixer

In a new interview with the "Cheap Heat Productions" podcast, FOZZY guitarist Billy Grey said that he feels that he and his bandmates are making better albums as time goes on.

"The last two records — actually, the last three records — we started [working] with [producer] Johnny Andrews on [2014's] 'Do You Wanna Start A War' [album]; he did 'Lights Go Out' and a couple of other songs on that. But then, on the 'Judas' record [2017] and this past record 'Boombox' [2022], he wrote and produced the whole record — as far as lyrics and melody and stuff like that, he and Rich [Ward, guitar] and Chris [Jericho, vocals] did. But him as a producer opens up just so much of what the band needed to move forward. That was kind of like a new beginning, and the best is yet to come."

According to Grey, radio airplay has been very instrumental in expanding FOZZY's fanbase, particularly in the U.S., where radio reportedly reaches 87% of the population.

"Radio is a big deal here in the U.S. because that's where people hear you," he said. "And we have Spotify now; we have all the different streaming outlets. But radio still, in the U.S., is a big thing, so it really has helped us a lot.

"The 'Boombox' album is doing really well," he continued. "[The single] 'I Still Burn' did really well on radio here for us. And it's full of hooks. The album has been taken really well here. And we play quite a few songs off of it live; especially when we come out this spring on the tour, we're gonna have a lot of songs off of it. Yeah, it's been taken really well here, actually — really well."

Last November, FOZZY completed a 10-date U.K. tour. It marked the band's first live appearances since FOZZY postponed the remaining dates of its summer/fall 2022 "Save The World" tour due to a throat injury suffered by the band's lead singer, wrestling superstar Chris Jericho. According to FOZZY, Jericho sustained a bruised larynx in August at the AEW "Quake By The Lake" event in Minnesota where he squared off against Jon Moxley for the interim AEW world championship.

The official music video for "I Still Burn" recently eclipsed two million views.

The 12-track "Boombox", which came out in May 2022, also features the Top 10 singles "Nowhere To Run" and "Sane".

In January 2022, FOZZY parted ways with longtime drummer Frank Fontsere and replaced him with Grant Brooks (THROUGH FIRE).

Fontsere was a founding member of FOZZY, having formed the group in 1999 with Jericho and Ward.

When FOZZY announced Fontsere's departure, the band said that he was "stepping down to focus on his family and other projects."

FOZZY is Chris Jericho (vocals),Rich Ward (guitars, vocals),Grant Brooks (drums),Billy Grey (guitars) and P.J. Farley (bass).

An iconic band that needs no introduction, THE ROLLING STONES have officially joined TikTok, enabling creators from around the world to access their full music catalogue on the platform. For the first time, the TikTok community will be able to use the band's iconic tracks in their video creations. Users will be able to create covers and remixes of iconic hits like "Start Me Up", "It's Only Rock 'N Roll (But I Like It)" and "Miss You". These tracks are all available on the TikTok Sounds Page.

A chance meeting between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards at Dartford train station in England in 1961 and a shared love of Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry led to the emergence of one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time. Over sixty years later, TikTok is thrilled to welcome THE ROLLING STONES and bring the group's world-renowned catalog of songs to the community.

Legendary frontman Mick Jagger will also be joining TikTok with his own personal account. He joins bandmate Keith Richards who arrived on the platform last year. Fans can follow both accounts as well as the band's official channel, which will feature exclusive behind-the-scenes content from live shows, studio recording and more. The band has also posted their first videos, featuring rare archive footage and encouraging fans to perform, move and dress like THE STONES.

To celebrate their onboarding, TikTok will be launching the official hashtag #TheRollingStones. Creators can get involved by sharing their best covers and remixes — whether it's a sped-up version or an acoustic rendition of their favorite song by the band. TikTok will also be inviting creators to move like Jagger, shred like Keith and show off their best stones-inspired looks.

Fans on TikTok can also enjoy a brand new guest playlist curated by the band. The playlist features 44 hit tunes from their catalog, including "Start Me Up", "It's Only Rock 'N Roll (But I Like It)", "Miss You", "Angie", "Beast Of Burden" and more.

There has been incredible demand for THE ROLLING STONES as the community have been clamoring for the band's catalog. The hashtags #TheRollingStones and #RollingStones have over 500 million views combined prior to the band's onboarding, with creators paying homage to the group's incredible contribution to music through instrumental covers, "finish the lyric" challenges, Keith Richards appreciation posts and their best Mick Jagger singing impressions. With such creativity and enthusiasm for THE ROLLING STONES already, TikTok can't wait to see how the world's most creative community uses the band's catalog of tracks.

EVANESCENCE has teamed with the makeup company HipDot for a makeup palette celebrating the band's debut album, "Fallen". The set is packaged in a "Fallen" CD-sized case that contains a ring of eight different color "tracks" that are inspired by EVANESCENCE's multi-platinum LP.

Jeff Sellinger, co-founder and CEO of HipDot, said in a statement: "HipDot continues to blend beauty and pop-culture in unique and unexpected ways, and with this we are especially excited to bring to life this new beauty concept with a band as iconic as EVANESCENCE.

"Being able to bring together two very different industries with a common goal to shock, surprise, and please is something that we are very lucky to have the ability to do. We hope that with this collaboration we are able to continue to grow the momentum around blending make-up and pop-culture.”

Track shade descriptions:

* Hello (Black - Matte)
* Going Under (Bright White - Shimmer)
* Haunted (Bright Blue/Silver - Foil)
* Bring Me to Life (Muted Blue/Grey - Matte)
* Everybody’s Fool (Dark Blue Jean - Matte)
* My Immortal (Royal Blue - Foil)
* Taking Over (Greyish Periwinkle - Foil)
* Imaginary (Deep Royal Blue - Glitter)

For more information, visit HipDot.com.

HipDot previously collaborated with KORN on a makeup palette celebrating the 25th anniversary of the band's "Follow The Leader" album, and with MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE on a three-piece eye makeup collection inspired by that group's second album, "Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge".

Last November, "Fallen" was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA) for sales and streams of ten million units in the United States.

Led by the smash single "Bring Me To Life", which also appeared on the soundtrack to the movie "Daredevil", "Fallen" yielded three more singles with "Going Under", "My Immortal" and "Everybody's Fool". EVANESCENCE also won Grammys in 2004 for "Best New Artist" and "Best Hard Rock Performance".

Asked in a recent interview with Rock Sound if there are any plans for EVANESCENCE to commemorate "Fallen"'s 20th anniversary in 2023, singer Amy Lee said: "I do have an idea. It's gonna take a little bit of work. But I think it probably won't be what everybody expects. I think everybody just is, 'Oh, why don't you do a show that's, like, [playing] the album front to back?' We've been playing so many shows, I would rather do something that, to me… I don't know. I don't wanna give it away, in case it doesn't work out. Maybe I'll do nothing. Expect nothing, and then if I do something, you'll be really, really grateful. [Laughs]"

Amy also talked about the fact that "Bring Me To Life" experienced a resurgence last summer, 19 years after its original release. The song, which initially reached No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and was EVANESCENCE's first U.K. No. 1 single, reached No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes chart in August.

"It is satisfying," Lee said about the track's renewed popularity. "And it's cool now, because I remember a lot of the feeling in the beginning. It was so much about, like, 'What's next?' And, 'Are we gonna be able to make it?' And, 'Are we gonna be able to survive?' And, 'Are people gonna listen to our next song?' And, 'What about the next record?' And just getting to the next place always.

"There is an element to a song like 'Bring Me To Life' that didn't exist before, which is this nostalgia," she explained. "The song has grown live. It's something that we've added to. But part of how it's grown is with its history and with what it means to everybody in the room. It's not something new; it's just something that you already have known for so long that has a place in your heart. It's just able to be more than it would have been then. So I, in a lot of ways, love it more than I did."

The success of "Fallen" led to turmoil within the group, as founding guitarist Ben Moody left in late 2003, leaving Lee as the only original member of the band.

Lee continued with new members, and EVANESCENCE issued "The Open Door" in 2006. While a hit, it did not equal the sales of "Fallen". Lee told The Pulse Of Radio at the time that she wasn't concerned about matching the previous album's success. "I just haven't ever looked at it that way," she said. "'Fallen' is a great record, but I don't think you can try to match the success of another body of work. I think that's only gonna frustrate you. And if, honestly if what you really care about is record sales and money, there's no way you're gonna make a great piece of art, because then you're just gonna get all confused and make something ingenuine."

Last February, EVANESCENCE's music video for "Bring Me To Life" — which featured guest vocals from Paul McCoy of 12 STONES — surpassed one billion views on YouTube. The Philipp Stölzl-directed clip, which was uploaded to YouTube in December of 2009, was filmed in Romania in January 2003. It features Lee in a night gown and barefoot, in her room, inside a tall building in the city at night. The rest of the band is playing on a higher floor of the building.

In March 2021, Lee told Alternative Press that EVANESCENCE's original record label Wind Up threatened not to release "Fallen" if she and her bandmates didn't add a male voice to lead single "Bring Me To Life" to make it more palatable for radio.

EVANESCENCE's latest album, "The Bitter Truth", arrived in March 2021 via BMG. It was EVANESCENCE's first album of original music in ten years.

ANTHRAX kicked off its 2023 tour with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and EXODUS Tuesday night (January 17) at Revolution Concert House & Event Center in Garden City, Idaho.

ANTHRAX's setlist was as follows:

01. Among The Living
02. Caught In A Mosh
03. Madhouse
04. Metal Thrashing Mad
05. Keep It In The Family
06. Antisocial (TRUST cover)
07. I Am The Law
08. In The End
09. Only
10. Got The Time (JOE JACKSON cover)
11. Bring The Noise (PUBLIC ENEMY cover)
12. Indians

EXODUS was forced to miss the Idaho concert after members of the band "were stuck on the closed Donner Pass," according to guitarist Gary Holt. EXODUS played its first show of the tour Wednesday night (January 18) in Seattle, Washington.

ANTHRAX and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's current 24-date tour sees the two bands making stops in all new markets, with both of them playing headline sets. The trek, featuring EXODUS as support, will wrap in Oakland, California at the Fox Theatre on February 18.

In a recent interview with Ruben Mosqueda of We Go To 11, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" album. He said: "We've been working on a record for fucking three years now. It's embarrassing to even say that. I feel like DEF LEPPARD."

According to Benante, who is also sitting behind the kit for the reformed PANTERA, ANTHRAX is planning to enter the studio sometime this spring to begin recording the new LP.

"Between the PANTERA [tour dates in 2023], we're gonna be working on this record, this ANTHRAX record," he said. "We're hoping to have it finished before PANTERA go to Europe [in late May]. I have a little window after that, before [PANTERA's stadium tour with] METALLICA starts. At least if I get my drum tracks done, then the other guys can continue to work on it.

"That's the plan," he added. "Unless something else happens, but hopefully nothing will happen."

Last November, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello told SiriusXM that the band is "not in a rush" to record the new album. "We wanna make sure it's the right record," he explained. "We can't just throw out something that's not ready. So we're gonna really make sure it's the right record and live with it for a little bit. We have some brutal stuff and some cool stuff coming up — very heavy — we've been working on. Everybody can say that when they're working on a record. But the proof is in the pudding. I'm pretty proud of what we've come up with so far."

In August, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian praised the production quality on some of the band's recent albums, including 2011's "Worship Music" and "For All Kings". He said: [On] 'Worship [Music]' and 'For All Kings', for me, we've really kind of found our sound. We've got this base level where we're at right now with [producer] Jay Ruston where we know it's gonna be great, and then we could push it even further. Especially with the songwriting that we have right now, going into what will eventually be a new ANTHRAX album, it just lends itself to even a more aggressive production which I think we will have no problem accomplishing."

In April 2022, Scott confirmed to Metal Injection that ANTHRAX had a few songs already written for the upcoming LP. "All I can say is we will get in the studio when we're ready," he said. "I think we're getting there. I think we have great songs. I think people will be very happy.

"Not to make a weird comparison, but it's our third record back together with [singer] Joey [Belladonna]. Actually, it's an odd comparison. I should just say it's our third album since our kind of our reboot in 2010 and our third album back in the day was 'Among The Living'. I'm not saying that this is [like that album], because it's not 'Among The Living II' in any sense, but I just think we have some great songs and there's like a fucking mountain of great riffs. I think people are going to be very happy."

Ian previously discussed ANTHRAX's upcoming LP during a July 2021 appearance on Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. At the time, he said: "We've been at it for a little while now. We actually started writing in '19 — pre-COVID — and kind of stepped away from things when COVID happened. We were all separate and apart and we would kind of revisit some of the demos, but we weren't actively working on it.

"Yeah, it's the same as it's always been," he said. "I would have to think by the time we get to the other side of the writing process and we decide we're ready to go record it, I would have to assume it's certainly going to represent this time in our lives. And the world having gone through a pandemic, I would imagine certainly that's in some way, shape or form going to come out through this next record. I can't tell you how yet, but I would have to think it's going to."

ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a number of special activities and events. Formed by Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Active over the past five decades, ANTHRAX has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple gold and platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with the "Big Four".

"For All Kings" was called by some critics ANTHRAX's strongest album to date. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the group experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the "Big Four" tour, and continuing with the release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, melodic death metal band Asylence will release their new album, Endanger Us All, on February 24, 2023. In the lead-up to its unveiling, the quartet is sharing their next single “Eternity, Please”, accompanied by a music video. On this track, the band’s black metal influences are more prominent at the beginning, before taking a turn into their own sound. With a little bit of experimentation, it is the darkest and most brooding track on the record. The band dives into details about the song:


“The lyrics tell a tale of a king who wanders his halls with no question to his reign but still he suffers. Heavy and lonely is the crown, and the years can feel like an eternity alone. We wanted to continue to show off the newer material, and this one starts off as heavy as you could ever want. Definitely a blend of old influences and the newer direction we’re taking, this song was a challenge to write but we couldn’t be more proud. This song is the perfect representation of the direction we want to continue for our music.”







Vocalist Ryan Lang explains that he wrote the lyrics to this song coming out of a pretty heavy depression, and he feels like it shines through. Misery loves company, sometimes the misery never truly goes away. As for the rest of the album, lyrically it’s mixed because of the timeline in which songs were written, but overall the band feels like it hits the way it was meant to. They try to convey a message to their audience more than they try to shock with vulgarity, and Lang’s message is usually that of self-awareness and the horrors that can occur under the guise of salvation. Musically these songs weave the emotion and intensity of their message.


Endanger Us All artwork and tracklisting:





"A Call To Arms" 
"Endanger Us All" 
"The Garden of Disrespect" 
"Eternity, Please" 
"In Solidarity, We Die" 
"Arrows For Christ" 
"In This Hell" 
"Soulless"
"A War Waging Within"











 

In a new interview with Chasta Michaelis of San Francisco's 107.7 The Bone radio station, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS bassist Robert DeLeo was asked if his group was fairly labeled as part of the grunge movement associated with the U.S. Northwest back the early 1990s when they came out with their debut album, "Core", and follow-up effort, "Purple". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't think the four of us ever put any kind of name on what kind of music we were making. We happened to come out at a time when the people in this business were creating these terms. It's a selling point — it's all a selling point — and we got caught up, as well as other bands, in a selling point for record companies to make money. And I think when you can obviously see that is when they start doing clothing after it. It's all pretty ridiculous.

"'Interstate Love Song' — grunge? I don't think so," he continued. "I actually wrote that as a bossa nova song; that's what it started out as."

Robert released his first solo album, "Lessons Learned", last October. Robert played virtually all the instruments on the album, complemented by guest musicians and vocalists, all of which lend to the undeniable intimacy of the music.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS features three original members — Robert DeLeo, guitarist Dean DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz.

Singer Jeff Gutt, a 46-year-old Michigan native who spent time in the early-2000s nu-metal act DRY CELL, among other bands, and was a contestant on "The X Factor", joined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS after beating out roughly 15,000 hopefuls during an extended search that began more than a year earlier.

Original STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland, who reunited with the group in 2010 after an eight-year hiatus but was dismissed in 2013, died in December 2015 of a drug overdose.

Chester Bennington, who joined STP in early 2013, departed nearly three years later to spend more time with his main band LINKIN PARK. Bennington committed suicide in July 2017.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS released their first all-acoustic album, titled "Perdida", in February 2020. The disc was Gutt's second with STP. His recording debut with the group was on its self-titled seventh album, which arrived in March 2018.

Joey Belladonna has once again commented on his original split with ANTHRAX, saying "sometimes there's just no reason" for why relationships end.

Belladonna, whose most recent return to ANTHRAX was officially announced in May 2010, was originally the lead singer of ANTHRAX from 1984 to 1992, and was considered part of the influential thrash metal group's classic lineup (alongside guitarists Dan Spitz and Scott Ian, bassist Frank Bello and drummer Charlie Benante), which reunited and toured during 2005 and 2006. His voice was featured on over 10 albums, which reportedly sold eight million copies worldwide.

The 62-year-old upstate New York-based singer reflected on return to ANTHRAX during a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice. Asked if part of him felt a sense of validation and approval after being approached to come back to the band, Belladonna said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No one wants to hear that they were wrong; nobody likes to hear that.

"It's all in the memory; it's all in the bank. And obviously, I'll never leave my heart. And I continue to be as humble as possible and move forward, which, that's what we all wanna do."

Circling back to the fact that he had rejoined ANTHRAX for a second time, Belladonna said: "Some people were, like, 'What? Are you nuts?' You've been in relationships. It's kind of the same idea. You can either be on the same page or you can be a little deviant and send it off course and expect a lot more from someone that you're not doing your part. And what are the reasons? There's a lot to it too. Sometimes there's just no reason for it. And what do you get from it? And then you've gotta backtrack. And then you've gotta pick it up again — twice.

"I'm happy for the fans," he added. "I just think people need to see it the way it was. There was nothing wrong with it, in my eyes. I think everything we were doing, even to the last minute before I was gone… 'Persistence [Of Time]'. C'mon. [There's some] good stuff [on that album]."

Joey previously reflected on his initial departure from ANTHRAX during an appearance on a summer 2022 episode of the "Beer Rum & Rock N Roll" podcast. At the time, Belladonna said: "I didn't quit… Like, I wanted to sit around for 13 years while these guys just kept [going]. People don't wanna hear it, but that's the truth. Why would I quit?

"Forget about that record without me," he continued, apparently referring to 1993's "Sound Of White Noise" album, which featured John Bush on vocals. "I could have been on that record regardless of what they came up with. Let's just pretend they didn't even write that record yet. That record would have been cool too regardless of what you're already familiar with. I'm not saying whatever was on there wasn't right. I was in that car that rode into that record. I got sideswiped out of there.

"So, yeah, I didn't quit," Joey added. "I didn't quit anything. I don't want anybody thinking that, 'cause I wouldn't even have the heart to do that."

Belladonna also addressed the fact that he returned to ANTHRAX despite having been publicly dissed by some of the other members of the band in various interviews over the years.

"Some people are, like, 'Why the hell are you back with them? Why would you go back? That's stupid, man. You're an idiot. She cheated on you twice, dude. Don't go back with her. Come on, man. She's just gonna go out with that other guy tomorrow night,'" he said.

"It took them a long time to go, 'You suck. We didn't like you that much. And now you're all right.'

"Every day I walk in their presence in the room knowing that these people felt that way, 'cause I never felt that way about them," Joey admitted. "I don't feel that way about those people. I respect and I highly recommend everything that they do. And obviously I'm back. And I dig what we're doing right now, I dig what we're doing. But it's hard. It's hard. You get a complex, you know?"

Back in March 2010 — just a couple of months before Belladonna rejoined ANTHRAX — Ian and his wife Pearl Aday appeared on an episode of VH1's "That Metal Show" and took part in the program's "The Throwdown" feature, where the guests and the hosts debated who was the best singer for ANTHRAX: Bush or Belladonna. Countering co-host Eddie Trunk's point that ANTHRAX was in a unique position with Belladonna in the band of being able to "play incredible speed metal" while having "someone who could sing like a bird," Ian said: "We didn't need a bird; we needed a lion." After Pearl offered that she was a "huge fan" of "The Greater Of Two Evils", a collection of re-recorded older ANTHRAX tunes with Bush on vocals instead of Belladonna, Ian said: "And that's the way we, as ANTHRAX, wanted to hear those songs."

Speaking to Radio Metal in August 2011, Benante was asked about Ian's "That Metal Show" comments. He said: "I think Scott had to eat some of the words he said about that. But he only said that because I think he left things off with Joey kind of bad, and their relationship wasn't very well back then when he said that. And I think Scott just harbored some ill feelings towards Joey and I think that's kind of why he made that statement, you know?"

In 2021, the members of ANTHRAX opened up about their 1992 split with Belladonna in a 40th-anniversary video focusing on the making of the aforementioned "Sound Of White Noise" album. Regarding the decision to part ways with Belladonna, Ian said: "By the time we finished the year-and-a-half touring cycle — 20, 21 months of touring cycle, and then '[Attack Of The] Killer B's' comes out. I think the last thing we did together as a band with Joey was [our appearance] on [the] 'Married With Children' [TV show]. And then it wasn't long after that when we made the change. But it wasn't a quick decision. We were very much a united front, the four of us. Because otherwise it wouldn't have happened.

"There's never an easy way to talk about this stuff," he continued. "Certainly when you're in the thick of it, when it's happening, it's horrible when you're having to make a decision like this. But it just really came down to, creatively, we all just felt like there was just no way for the band to move forward. We had just hit a wall. It was the heaviest decision in the history of the band, certainly. And even that I feel like doesn't give it the weight that it needs. And there was never anything personal with Joey — it was never personal with him. It just really came down to the creative ability for the band, honestly, to move forward. And I hate that it's something that happened.

"Obviously, things are meant to be," Scott added. "I am somewhat of a spiritual person. I've seen and done enough in my life to know that sometimes shit doesn't just happen randomly. The way everything worked out in the end, with Joey coming back in 2010, and the band, for the last 11 years, being creatively better than we've ever been and in a better place than we've ever been, I have to say that I really believe that it all worked out for some reason. That doesn't make it any easier on Joey certainly; there's nothing I can say that ever would."

Bello said about Belladonna's exit from the group: "It's so strange for me to even talk about this now, because Joey's back in the band now, and it's like he's never been gone.

"It was a hard thing when Joey was out," he admitted. "It was a change, but I think it was best for the band 'cause of where we were going. It was a hard decision. I think we were going in a different way musically, and you could hear it."

Added Benante: "The 1991 me was more arrogant than I am now. Because the problem is I love Joey so much, and at the time we were different people doing it, and we felt this was the only thing for us to take us into the next level or the next chapter of the band. Yeah, it was tough."

Ian previously opened up about the decision to fire Belladonna nearly three decades ago during a 2016 appearance on the "WTF With Marc Maron" podcast. He stated at the time: "I just truly didn't have the patience anymore. I think my biggest problem was I was writing the words, and I couldn't deal with the fact anymore that someone else was singing my lyrics, but I couldn't sing; there was no way I could be the singer of ANTHRAX. I think it really, really did come down to that — that I couldn't stand it anymore. These are my words, these are my feelings, it's my emotions, and you're not me. And even learning the songs and hearing them back, that's not how I hear it in my head. 'No, no. Like this. Like this. Like this. Like this.'"

He continued: "My solution at the time was turning around to the rest of the band and saying, 'It's either [Joey] or me.' I pulled the same shit Neil Turbin [former ANTHRAX singer] pulled years before that. I said, 'I can't do this again. We need to make a change.' And it wasn't just me holding the gun. Everyone was on the same page. Everyone felt like what we had done as ANTHRAX in the '80s into the early '90s, we had already moved past that. The sound was changing.

"If you listen to 'Persistence Of Time' [1990], musically, that record has more to do with 'Sound Of White Noise', the first John Bush record, than it has to do with 'State Of Euphoria' [1988], the previous ANTHRAX album. Musically, we were already going somewhere else, but Joey, for us, I guess at the time, felt like, 'He's not representing us anymore.'"

Ian went on to say that he has since come to see Joey's unique vocal contributions in a different light than he did more than twenty years ago. "Of course, I spent a year of my life writing a book ['I'm The Man: The Story Of That Guy From Anthrax'] and looking back on that time and really kind of getting back into those shoes, and… we should have given the guy a shot," he said. "Why we didn't give him the shot, I really don't know why we weren't able to… Because I even remember, I remember Jonny Z, our manager, he was, 'Are you sure? Are you sure this is the decision you wanna make?' 'Yes, yes, yes.'"

The guitarist added that at least part of the reason ANTHRAX made a singer change was to take the sound in a heavier direction, something that they didn't think was possible with Belladonna at the helm.

"I wanted it to be harder," Ian said. "I couldn't do it, but I wanted someone who could almost… I wanted it to be harder. I didn't want Lemmy — I didn't want it to sound like that — I just wanted it to be harder. And John [Bush] brought it, for sure."

Belladonna had been critical of ANTHRAX's decision to fire him at the height of the band's success, telling MikeJamesrRockShow.com seven years ago: "Personally, it sucks just to think all those years went by that I didn't really have a chance to do anything. 'Cause I could have sang on any of those records [that were made during the John Bush era]. Not to say that what they did was… whatever reason and whatever style and all that stuff. I could have easily sang that regardless, no bones. It would have been easy to sing. It's just I think they were chasing some other idea. I always say that, whether they disagree. I don't think there was any reason to move. But you know what? We're here now."

Bush told Metal Talk about the task of replacing Joey Belladonna in ANTHRAX back in 1992: "I respect Joey Belladonna; he did great for ANTHRAX in his heyday and in the years that he made records and they were popular. You know, I think I just went out and did it from my heart and just said, 'Hey, I'm gonna go out and kick ass and sing to the best of my ability.' And I think we made some great records. I just think they were different records than what ANTHRAX did in the '80s."

He continued: "The funny thing is, sometimes there was this, 'Oh, we're the same band. Oh, we're the same band,' and looking back, well, we kind of were a little different band. I think we were. But at that time, we kept trying to convince people, 'Oh, it's the same band. It's the same band.' But when you make a singer change, the sound will change a little bit, which, that was what the intention was at the time."

ANTHRAX's latest album, "For All Kings", which features Belladonna, came out in February 2016 via Nuclear Blast.

Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen recently revealed he has a new project in the works via the following post: 


"Yep… it’s that time again to tease you all a bit, sorry! So here I go being all mysterious and shit. More info soon, happy 2023!"







Lucassen has followed up, revealing Supersonic Revolution is not another one of his metal opera projects:


"And another piece of the teasing puzzle. Meet my new band Supersonic Revolution… so proud of these amazing musicians!"





Line-up:


Arjen Lucassen - bass
Jaycee - vocals
Joost van den Broek - Hammond (Ayreon, Star One ex-After Forever, )
Timo Somers - guitar (ex-Delain)
Koen Herfst - drums (Anneke van Giersbergen, Vandenberg)


Stay tuned for updates.