Sammy Hagar has admitted that he is thinking about how he will eventually retire from performing live.

The 75-year-old musician, whose raspy, soulful voice has been one of the most recognizable sounds in hard rock, from his early hits as a member of MONTROSE and a solo artist to his multi-platinum run as VAN HALEN's frontman in the 1980s and 1990s, discussed his plans for a possible retirement from the road during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" on Wednesday (November 2).

He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've thought about it long and hard. And that's one of the reasons why I don't want to go out and tour too much next year, because it could be the last one, and I don't really know. My thing is I would never — I'm saying never say never. Well, right now I'm gonna say I will never announce a farewell tour, go do a big, long tour and then keep going and keep going, like all these other people do. It makes me sick to do that. I would rather not say nothing and just… when I do my last show, it's my last show. I might say it then, but I'd rather not make no pre-announcement, in case I wanna keep going.

"I'm so glad you asked that question. It's been on my mind real hard," he continued. "How do you go out? Do you just go away? I don't know. I'm too public of a figure and I have too many businesses and things to where I can't just go away; somebody's gonna catch me somewhere. They're gonna say, 'What are you doing?' So it seems like I almost have to make an announcement, but I'm not solid with that yet, and it's not time yet. But I am thinking that way. How am I gonna do it when it's time? And I don't know. I'd rather just say one show, 'You know what? That's the last show. I'm done. I can't do it anymore.' I'd rather just say that."

When host Eddie Trunk asked Hagar to confirm that he will not do any "money-grab" farewell tours, Sammy responded: "The day I do something just strictly for money at this stage of my life, you can call me a greedy piece of shit. I do not need money, and it's not why I do things. I don't blame some people for doing things for money — you have to; you've gotta make a living, for god's sakes — but I don't have to. So at this stage of my life, no money grabs."

Hagar's second studio album with his Billboard chart-topping supergroup THE CIRCLE, "Crazy Times", was released on September 30 via Ume. The LP found Hagar, fellow Hall Of Famer and VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony, Grammy-winning drummer Jason Bonham and Grammy-winning guitar virtuoso Vic Johnson traveling to Nashville to record the album with eight-time Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb at Nashville's historic RCA Studio A. The follow-up to their much-lauded debut "Space Between", a multi-category No. 1 Billboard-charting album, includes 10 songs, nine of which Hagar wrote or co-wrote, along with a notable cover, "Pump It Up", a 1978 song by Elvis Costello and THE ATTRACTIONS. The song "Crazy Times" was written by the whole band along with Dave Cobb and recorded live.

For more than five decades, Hagar has been recognized as one of the best and most accomplished lead singers and songwriters in rock music. From breaking into the industry with the seminal hard rock band MONTROSE, to his multi-platinum solo career, to his ride as the frontman of VAN HALEN, CHICKENFOOT and his latest best-selling supergroup, THE CIRCLE, Hagar has amassed 25 platinum albums on sales surpassing 50 million worldwide. Along his journey, he has set the tone for some of the greatest rock anthems ever written with songs like "I Can't Drive 55", "Right Now" and "Why Can't This Be Love", and earned the highest respect of the music industry with a Grammy Award and induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Since launching his flagship Cabo Wabo Cantina in 1990, he's turned a lifelong passion for great food, music and spirits into a thriving and iconic lifestyle brand. A pioneer in the spirits industry, Hagar's development and nine-figure sale of his Cabo Wabo Tequila to Gruppo Campari in 2008 is widely credited as the start of the celebrity-owned spirits trend. His portfolio of spirits now includes Sammy's Beach Bar Rum, Santo Tequila and Sammy's Beach Bar Cocktail Co., as well as several restaurants. Never one to hit the brakes, he's also found success in publishing, TV, radio and beyond, including five seasons of his hit TV show "Rock & Roll Road Trip with Sammy Hagar" and as host of "Sammy Hagar's Top Rock Countdown", his syndicated radio show that's broadcast on over 90 U.S. stations. He's also a New York Times bestselling author, a dedicated philanthropist and since January 5, 2022, the first Honorary Ambassador to Los Cabos, an honor he was bestowed in recognition of his longtime investment in the people and economy of Mexico.

Photo credit: Leah Steiger

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In a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford, who publicly declared his homosexuality back in 1998 during an appearance on MTV News, reflected on what it was like to be a closeted man in the 1980s while so many other rock musicians at the time dipped their toes into the glittery waters of glam androgyny.

"When you think about the glam rock movement, what it was, specifically, two bands that really pushed that for me were MÖTLEY CRÜE and POISON — and, to some effect, CINDERELLA, maybe some WINGER, L.A. GUNS," he said. "There was a lot of stuff coming through at that moment in the glam rock era. And definitely Sebastian [Bach, then-SKID ROW singer], you know, when guys looked like girls. And that worked. And I could never quite figure that out, because of the homophobic stuff that was going on in the '80s. And there's all these guys with makeup on, looking ... I have to watch my words here, but you know what I'm saying? Looking in a specific way, that everybody else is like, 'Yeah, man, they're really hardcore,' and all that kind of stuff. And then me as a closeted gay man, it's like, 'Am I missing something here? How am I not able to come out for fear of losing my career and my band, but these guys are going out there looking like they do, and everybody's falling over them?' Not everybody, but, you know, just the general perception of the imagery was just, everybody has to look that way. Everybody has to dress that way. It [was] a remarkable time in heavy metal and rock to think about in a broader sense."

He continued: "And I love those guys. While we're talking, I must get the message across that I love those guys. I love their music, I love what they achieved and everything. They're very, very important. And maybe there was a sense of opportunity within the LGBTQ community because these guys were there then, doing what they did. Maybe they opened a little tiny chink in the door for acceptance. Because a lot of guys used to go to the shows looking like that. One of my friends here in Phoenix in the '80s used to put the makeup on and the hair and everything. They would look like that, and then they'd go out to see those bands. So in terms of the anthropological aspect, the social connection between looking like that and it being cool and accepted without any pushback was quite remarkable. It's a really interesting part of that time in heavy metal. And I include myself — not entirely, in that respect, but if you look at [PRIEST's] 'Turbo' [album], you look at the way that we're looking, look at the way Glenn's [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist] got his hair and Ken's [K.K. Downing, then-PRIEST guitarist] got his hair, we were all in that same melting pot, really. The '80s was a remarkable time for metal, glam rock, rock, whatever you want to call it. The visual presentation was extraordinary."

A year ago, Downing confirmed during an appearance on MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast that he, the other members of the group and PRIEST management knew about Halford's sexuality and were accepting, although Rob at the time was advised to be discreet given the macho hetero nature of the metal world.

"We always knew Rob was gay," K.K. said. "Because the thing is back in the days — in the '60s and particularly early '70s, when everything was still kind of behind closed doors and stuff like that — people felt a bit more comfortable around us because we would hang around in groups and gangs and we would always know that that guy is different to us and that girl is different."

According to K.K., Rob's sexuality didn't matter to him and the rest of PRIEST. "The main thing is… Obviously, to me, Rob being gay, apart from [having] a great voice, I thought Rob was gonna stay in the band forever, and he's obviously gonna be theatrical, he's gonna be obviously articulate with words — and he was; he was all of that," Downing said. "Sensitivities and all of that, and the showmanship — so all of these ingredients [were] great attributes to have as a frontman. And I proved to be right."

K.K. also touched upon the revelation in Halford's recent "Confess" autobiography that the singer spent much on his time on the road in the 1980s and early 1990s "cruising" for one-night stands in gay bars, public restrooms, and other gay meeting places. Asked by Flynn if he was aware that Rob was doing it, K.K. said: "Yeah. Absolutely. My eyes have seen a lot. [Laughs] Even in the mid-'70s, if you come off stage and Rob's in the shower with one of the crew and stuff doing things. I mean, it is what it is. You don't have to go in there until it's over and whatever. It is what it is. 'Cause Rob had to put up with lots of things from us. It's the same thing — no different… It's the same thing — fair's fair. We're all there in the van. We're ready to go. 'Okay. Where's fucking Dave? Okay. He's in there still with a girl. Somebody go and get him.' We need to go. We need to get to the gig or from the gig. And these things happen. It's rock and roll. A lot of things were put down to rock and roll because it was rock and roll in those days."

Elsewhere in the interview, Downing talked about Halford's efforts to maintain the image of heterosexuality in the media — most notably through PRIEST's studs-and-black leather biker outfits, which defined the look of the heavy metal genre for years to come — even while living a secret, double life as a closeted gay man.

"In all fairness to Rob, Rob was a team player," K.K. said. "He knows that his image and the way that he was in the day and everything, it appealed to guys [and] it appealed to girls. And he was cool with that. The same with me, because your audience is your audience. We had so many people that did have an awareness, obviously, back in the day. But we are entertainers and we're performers. But [we had] a great belief in the music and the image and just everything around it. I still had immense pride in Rob as a great frontman and entertainer and a great vocalist. And he played the part as well, equally, as we thought we did in the macho, macho that wasJUDAS PRIEST. Because we'd done the outfit, the leather and the studs, and I think anything to do with anything else ancillary — sexuality or anything — was just not a part… it wasn't on the stage. In Rob's mind, maybe it was here and there, but, to us, it was so ferocious and full-on, delivering up this music in the way that we did it, to me, I felt so proud of all of the bandmates. Because we'd done the uniform, and it was unique at the time, and it was such a powerful feeling. 'Cause we were getting off on that, what we had. The audience could sense it, I think. And that's why we were never afraid to play with any band, because we had the uniform that nobody else could put on at the time."

In "Confess", which came out in September 2020, Halford detailed the struggle of being gay while writing about how he and his bandmates started attracting groupies as PRIEST became more commercially successful. "Well, I didn't," Halford clarified. "None of our fans knew that I was gay at this point, of course. If any misguided girls made a play for me, I could politely brush them off. But if I wanted some action on the road — and I really, really did — how the hell was I supposed to go about it? For straight blokes, the ritual was easy. They could invite a girl to come backstage. Would you like a drink? Would you like to come to our hotel? Would you like to see my room? I couldn't do any of that."

Halford continued: "If I fancied a guy in the crowd, how did I go about it? What were the chances of him being gay (or, if he was, of admitting it)? What if I got it wrong, made a misjudged pass and got a smack in the mouth? And, of course, the overriding fear that was to limit my existence for decades: What if it got out that I was gay, fans didn't want anything to do with a band fronted by a queer, and it killed JUDAS PRIEST stone dead? PRIEST was the most important thing in my life, and even if I were willing to sacrifice it for my sexuality — which I wasn't — I simply couldn't do it to Ken [K.K.], or Glenn [Tipton] or Ian [Hill]. It wouldn't be fair on them. It was my problem, not theirs."

Rob also wrote about how PRIEST came to adopt its iconic leather look, saying: "The biggest myth about this new stage gear is that I had somehow masterminded the image as a cover and a vent for my homosexuality — that I was getting a thrill from dressing on stage as I'd like to dress in the street, or the bedroom. This is utter bollocks. I had no interest in S&M, domination or the whole queer subcult of leather and chains. It just didn't do it for me. My sexual preference was for men, sure, but I was — and still am — pretty vanilla. I've never used a whip in the boudoir in my life. Or, have I? Hang on, let me think for a minute…"

In 1998, Halford became the first metal icon to announce he is gay during an MTV interview, despite knowing about his sexuality since he was 10.

In a world where all things die, a very ambitious project is in the making. A project which will be presented as a series of esoteric paintings in a conspiracy between violent Swedish metal unit Hild, led by Lars Broddesson (ex-Marduk, Funeral Mist session, Black Altar session), and Argentine artist/author Aldo Valgorth Requena (Hammerblaze Designs, Deströyer 666, Paragon, Skiltron). 





It is an amalgamation of the mystique of old heathen themes, combined with music and art to yield the brutal majesty of the Nordic primal nature of the Valkyries. The paintings correlate with the songs and Valkyries sung about on Hild's debut album ValFreiya and the supernatural work behind it. 




Hild's debut album ValFreiya is available via Odium Records and Void In The Vast Empire. Labeling itself "Violent Swedish Metal" Hild is THE new rising thrash metal sensation, imbued with currents of black and death metal as well as old school Swedish crust and hardcore. Hild sets off as a war and battle themed project centered on the Valkyries of Nordic myth. Each song honoring a specific Valkyrie, channeling their respective traits on the battlefield. Fierce forces to imbue our beings, timeless traits for each of our struggles. The outlet is raw, straightforward energy that takes no prisoners, wastes no time.

Argentinian metal band Domination has released a music video for “Origins”. The song is taken from their new EP Holy Order, which will be out soon.





Holy Order was recorded beetween September / October 2022 at Doble B Estudio (Buenos Aires). Mixed and Mastered by Leandro Bordicelli (Doble B Estudio).




Domination is a conceptual metal band born in Argentina in 2011. Their albums tells hidden stories based on world revolutions and human evolution. During 10 years of , Domination has released 3 LPs: Doom In Nation (2013), Beneath The Silence (2016) and Evil Seed (2019); and 3 EPs: Testimony (2011), My Name is Alice (2015) and Epiphany. The band has toured through Argentina, Uruguay and Europe twice.

Musical history delivers unique talents, discovers one-off voices and gives artists an immortal status. But it is rare to have continuing worldwide success paired with real humanity because you need a very special character to not lose the wheel grip with all the limelight and applause.


Steve Lee was one of these rare specimen and left the world being only 47 years old. Way too young one of the greatest Swiss rock singers died in the US in 2010 due to a motorcycle accident through no fault of one's own. Steve Lee would have turned 60 years in August 2023.


"He was a wonderful human being and will be my hero forever. He was a fantastic singer and it is beyond belief that his death has a touch of triviality the way it happened." - Jon Lord




"Steve was not only a great singer and artist, he was an unbelievably nice character. His voice will stay forever and lives on in the hearts of his fans." -
Klaus Meine


Born in Horgen, Switzerland, Lee first took an apprenticeship as a goldsmith but turned away to follow his great love for music and became a drummer. His voice, a whole planet fell for, was recognized quite early by his band colleague Leo Leoni: "Steve sat behind the drums and sang the Deep Purple classic 'Child in Time', and I realized this is a voice which can conquer the world."


And right he was, Steve sang with high caliber musicians like Jon Lord and Montserrat Caballé, and rose to world fame with Gotthard. During his 18 years with Gotthardthe band became the most successful band of Switzerland, released 16 (sixteen) #1 records and toured the world. As headliner or as support with superstars like Deep Purple, Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi or AC/DC. One of the countless highlights of this incredible career was the legendary concert in 2005 at the Hallenstadion in Zurich: 12.000 enthusiastic fans experienced a fantastic show, captured for eternity on DVD, Made In Switzerland. This will have a place in the heart of each fan forever and ever.





To honor the upcoming anniversary birthday, Gotthard wants to honor the singer, companion and unforgettable friend and get him back for one night only. Steve Lee will be part of the band on this upcoming show at the Hallenstadion. Gotthard wouldn't be where they are now: multiplatinum decorated - and also after the era Lee - with the new praised front man Nic Maeder they are still THE rock authority of Switzerland. National and international awards convoy the band, a great all time chart #6 in Swiss album chart history and they have sold more than 3 million records.


On this special day, 2nd of December 2023, the exceptional singer Steve Lee will be with all of the fans and the band companions with the breathtaking recording from 2005 - shown at huge LED walls and for sure, they will perform the biggest hits of their musical history. This will show once more why Steve Lee was one of the best rock singers worldwide and that his untimely, tragic death takes him up to rock legend heaven.


"This memorial concert was for a long time a big dream but the moment was never right or didn't feel right. After his death we were not even able to think about something like this and we were also very careful that the motive or reason behind it would not be misinterpreted. But we liked the idea that the 2005 concert would be part to celebrate his 60th birthday and it would come alive again. We knew it fits and that us and the fans could celebrate and honor him the way we wished for. The concert should illuminate his legend with the support of multimedia onstage. We've been with him through thick and thin and it will be something special for us as well as for fans and friends and to see him this way again on stage."


For all who are going to participate in "One Life, One Soul - A Night To Remember" 60th Anniversary Tribute Show For Steve Lee, the once in a lifetime show will be a sparkling celebration of the love for a great singer and human being - and be sure that some tears will be shed...


Tickets here, Upgrades here.

Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist DJ Ashba has released a new single, "Cryptonite", featuring British singer and writer Sarah de Warren. Sarah has written for and is featured on dozens of records for A-list DJs, as well as attaining more than two million monthly Spotify listeners on her own artist project and a total 100 million streams across her songs.

"It was a pleasure collaborating with Sarah on our new single 'Cryptonite'," says Ashba. "We had a crazy idea to write a song around falling in love in the metaverse and losing all concept of reality. More now than ever, people are creating their perfect digital life online while neglecting their real lives. So we thought it would be interesting to put that into a song." Sarah adds: "We ended up writing a tragic love story based in the metaverse. When you can be anybody you want, and create a perfect world around you, then you suddenly have everything to lose. At some point you have to wake back up and face reality."

This past summer, Ashba collaborated with his wife, an Italo-Colombian influencer Nathalia Ashba who goes by the name Natyash, on his "Malosa" single, a dance/rock hybrid he calls GDM (Guitar Dance Music).

"Malosa" was Ashba's first single since last year's release of "Bella Ciao", a modern-day EDM-driven makeover of the Italian folk classic. "Bella Ciao" marked Ashba's first release of 2021 and followed a series of tracks that were released in late 2020 through Edgeout Records/UMG/UMe, including "Hypnotic", "Let's Dance" and "A Christmas Storm".

In December 2020, Ashba told "The Mark And HooGie Show" that he isn't concerned about getting any pushback from his rock fans over the musical direction of his new venture: "Honestly, I'm at a point in my career where I could give two fucks," he said. "I could care less. If people don't like it, kiss my ass. Go listen to SIXX:A.M. If what I'm doing right now isn't rock enough, I've got a rock band. They can go listen to that then.

"My fanbase, thank God, has been, throughout my whole career, just very, very accepting," he continued. "They know me — they know I'm always trying to really push myself as an artist outside the box.

"If I had to live within this box, I'd rather honestly not play music. Playing music is a form of art, and if I can't truly be an artist and be true to what it is inside — whatever that is that keeps me going… I have to stay inspired. You can only write so many three-chord rock songs. So, to me, this is something that I'm kind of more doing for myself, and I feel like I kind of have earned that at this point in my career. And I'm just having fun.

"Surprisingly… It was weird. I was totally expecting for all my fanbase just to hate it — not get it," Ashba added. "'Cause I really, really go deep down in EDM — I stayed very, very true to the EDM sound — and I really thought they were gonna hate it, and I was okay with that. 'Cause in my mind, I'm writing this for the EDM, the young kids that go to those festivals. This is full-on festival music. And surprisingly, I got no pushback. My rock fans really, really were freaking out on it, which kind of freaked me out. I was expecting them to really not get it or maybe push it aside. But they've been nothing but supportive. I'm very thankful that they gave it a chance."

ASHBA's "Let's Dance" single featured a guest appearance by James Michael, co-founder and lead singer of SIXX:A.M., which he and DJ formed with Nikki Sixx (MÖTLEY CRÜE).

Ashba told the Las Vegas Review-Journal about the musical approach of his new effort: "I would go to a lot of EDM concerts, and their shows are so over the top and, you know, all these young kids just losing their minds, right? And the one thing that I've noticed is … it lacks guitar, you know, and I saw an opportunity, like five years ago, going, 'If I could take what I do and somehow inject it into this world.' A lot of kids are not being exposed to a lot of guitar in that world."

Although Ashba initially started work on the project as a collaboration with Michael — under the band name PYROMANTIC — it has since evolved into an Ashba solo venture, with Michael announcing in 2018 that he was stepping away from the group.

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor is the featured guest on "The Moon Under Water", a podcast where award-winning comedian John Robins invites different guests on to create their dream pub. During that chat, Taylor, who has been sober since 2010, was asked how he navigates going to pubs and bars now that he no longer drinks alcohol. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The first few years is weird, because you realize quickly how much a part of your personality booze has become, and you kind of have to sort out who you are, what you're comfortable with and largely just the habit of it.

"I was never a big beer drinker, so non-alcoholic brew, that wasn't the key," he explained. "So I started with sodas and then just kind of went to water. And now that's just what I do.

"To me, going out and hanging out in a pub or a bar or whatever is more about the company you keep. And you realize at some point the golden moment is going to go away. So you try to time your departure right around that time where you're just, like, 'Okay, we've got about 10 minutes before he becomes a super mess. So I'm gonna split, and I'll talk to you guys later.'"

Taylor added: "I try not to 'Irish goodbye' everybody, where you just split. I only did that, really, when I was drinking. [Laughs] But I make sure that everybody's good; I make sure that everybody's… Okay, if anybody needs a ride home, I'm the first one to do it. 'Cause it's usually just me and my wife. My wife still drinks, but she's very social. She's way better at it than I was. Usually right about the time she's starting to kind of… She's just, like, 'I'm tired. We need to split.' I'm, like, 'Ah. You had me at 'I'm ready to go.'' So we're out the door and heading for home."

Corey previously discussed his long history of drug use and eventual recovery in a January 2020 interview with BBC Radio 6 Music presenter Mary Anne Hobbs. At the time, he said: "You get to the point where you realize that what you do means so much to you that you wanna do it at the absolute top of your game. And you know me — I'm a nut, so if I'm going all the way, I'm gonna go all the way and above and beyond.

"I've struggled with drinking for a long time, especially with having that kind of addictive personality side to me," he continued. "But at the same time, I've also had this weird switch where when I decide to quit something, that's it. And this year is ten years for me. And then I quit smoking, which I never thought I would do. And that was just as difficult, if not worse. But then you get to the point where you start going, 'Okay, we're done quitting things. What can we do to improve ourselves?' So I started really looking at the way I eat and the way I take care of myself. I started training again and really trying to get physically fit to the point where if I went on stage, I knew that I could do the best show that I've done in twenty years. And that became part of just keeping this thing alive."

Four years ago, Taylor, who tried to commit suicide in 2003 by attempting to jump off a hotel balcony while struggling with alcoholism, was honored with the "Icon" award at Rock To Recovery's second annual awareness event and benefit. In his acceptance speech, the singer said: "I had my first drink when I was five years old, did my first drug when I was eleven, and it was just all fucked up from there. I lost a lot of friends."

During a 2016 appearance on the "Meet Your Heroes" SiriusXM radio show, Taylor said that his personality turned "vicious" and he had a "dark attitude" while drunk. He added: "To this day, there are still a lot of friends of mine who are, like, 'If you ever fall off the wagon, don't call me.' So I know it's in me, and I think that's the difference between me and a lot of other people is the fact that I can at least admit it."

He continued: "I just let booze get in the way for a while and then I kind of pulled myself out of it. I feel like I'm doing my best work now, to be honest."

Taylor recently revealed that he will enter the studio in January and February 2023 to record his second solo album. "About 15 songs" will be tracked for the follow-up to 2020's "CMFT", which will showcase "a darker edge" but will still be "very melodic," he told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "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," he explained. "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."

This past February, 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.

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and JOURNEY bandmember Jonathan Cain has just released "Christmas Is Love" from Identity Records with The Fuel Music distribution. The EP is available now at digital and streaming outlets everywhere.

Produced and written by Cain with all but one track recorded, mixed and mastered at Addiction Sound Studios by David Kalmusky (Justin Bieber, THE FRAY, Keith Urban),"Christmas Is Love" is a five-song holiday offering bearing this legendary musician's signature. Familiar, yet unconventional, the EP paints a musical palette highlighting the remarkable story of the birth of Jesus in the opening track, "Hope Was Born", and marvels at the miracle in "Who Is This Child" while underscoring the core message in the title track.

"Christmas is love. It is that simple," shares Cain, as the EP highlights the artist's brilliant keyboard work along with his dynamic vocals that have been forged through six solo albums since 2016 and as a worship leader at City Of Destiny Church in Apopka, Florida where his wife, Paula White-Cain, is pastor.

"I enjoy celebrating Christmas every year," says Cain, who remembers the joy of singing carols at home with his family growing up. "What went down in the desert at Bethlehem, it's such a monumental miracle that shouldn't be taken for granted. It was a game changer."

"Christmas Is Love" is rounded out by Cain's Top 5 Christmas radio hit "Wonder Of Wonders", which first released in 2019 and features Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling NEWSBOYS lead singer Michael Tait, and "Behold", a song never before released but featured on Cain's "Wonder Of Wonders Christmas Concert" from City Of Destiny last year.

Leading the new music, as well as hits from his Billboard–premiered album "Unsung Noel" (2017),Cain will again host a Christmas concert from his church on December 18.

Earlier this year, Cain released his acclaimed solo studio album "Arise". Resonating with joy and a profound sense of God's power and grace, the recording is a beautifully crafted, musical invitation to prayer, renewal, commitment and revival. This iconic artist's sixth faith-inspired, full-length project since 2016, the album features the American Songwriter- and The 700 Club-featured single "Oh Lord Lead Us" that became Cain's biggest solo hit to date.

Along with his solo music, Cain wrote and recorded new music with his band JOURNEY, releasing "Freedom", the band's first album of all new songs in over a decade, in July. Cain has written or co-written such massive radio hits as "Faithfully", "Who's Crying Now", "Open Arms" and the best-selling catalog rock song in iTunes' history, "Don't Stop Believin'".

In 1976, Cain released his first solo record, "Windy City Breakdown". In 1979 he joined the band THE BABYS, and in 1980 joined JOURNEY, rounding out the songwriting genius behind the defining album "Escape", which was RIAA-certified diamond. Cain's signature piano, synth playing and songwriting contributions with JOURNEY, THE BABYS and BAD ENGLISH have earned him many Billboard hits, multiple gold, platinum and diamond-selling records, a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, a Grammy nomination and the best-selling catalog rock song in iTunes' history ("Don't Stop Believin'"). JOURNEY was named as the fifth best band in rock history in a 2005 USA Today opinion poll, was inducted to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017 and continues today, selling out major venues across the nation.

The last few years have been some of the most productive in Cain's prolific career. He has released "What God Wants To Hear" (2016),"Unsung Noel" (2017),"The Songs You Leave Behind" (2018),"More Like Jesus" (2019),"Piano Worship" (2020) and "Arise" (2022). He also authored a Rolling Stone-lauded, Publishers Weekly-bestselling memoir, "Don't Stop Believin': The Man, The Band, And The Song That Inspired Generations" (2018),which chronicles his early days with THE BABYS and his accomplishments with JOURNEY and BAD ENGLISH.

Photo credit: Micah Kandross

PAPA ROACH's Jacoby Shaddix was a guest on a recent episode of "Emo Nite Radio". During the chat with host Morgan Freed, the singer, who has been sober for ten years now, spoke about how he found himself taking to the rock and roll lifestyle a little too easily, which almost cost him his family.

"It wasn't till I went on tour for [PAPA ROACH's 2000 album] 'Infest' that I believe the alcoholism, the alcoholic lifestyle, it really took over," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "That's when it just [went] full-tilt boogie… We wanted to rage, man. We all just wanted to rage, and we had people that co-signed it. I thought I was in the '80s for a couple of years. I was, like, 'Let's go, dude.'"

Asked if he misses any aspect of his drinking days, Jacoby said: "I had a lot of great times then and a lot of not-so-great times. It was like the highest highs, the lowest matched. And I think that the volatility within that was what really fucked me up. I was not a good guy. I had a good reputation, and I was nice to people; that was true. I wasn't good to myself. I wasn't good to my wife. [I wasn't good to] the people that were closest to me. The strangers, I'm, like, 'What's up, bro? Good to see you.' And then I put my head through doors and destroyed hotels. I done destroyed a bunch of hotels on that cycle, man. Some of 'em were fine and then some of 'em was, like, just sad."

Pressed about whether it gets easier or harder for him to stay sober as time goes on, Jacoby said: "[It's] way easier. It's not an option for me anymore. Not to sound macabre or dark, but I'd rather put a gun in my mouth than put a drink in my mouth. 'Cause I know the drink is a slow way to a miserable, lonely, isolated death. It's not for me. I've got way too much great stuff in my life to live for. There's so much in this world that is inspiring, that is lovely, that just fills me. And, yeah, it's music; it's [staying] creative; it's friendships; it's my spirituality; it's my family; it's my children; it's my band; it's my connection with my band. And even at times I wanna just, 'Aaaargh, my band drive me crazy. Aaaargh.' When something's wrong with me, I've gotta figure that out."

A year and a half ago, Shaddix revealed during an appearance on an episode of the "Hardcore Humanism With Dr. Mike" podcast that he had a slip-up on his path to sobriety. "Just to be straight with you, during the pandemic, I fell off the wagon and I was smoking pot," the singer said. "And I just got caught up and depressed and just stuck in this space. And I wasn't working an active program of recovery, and I found myself with a joint in my mouth, you know? And yeah, it's legal in California, and yes, it is medicine to some people, but it's not to me. Anytime I put any kind of mind-altering substance in my body, there's this veil that gets dropped on me and just kind of isolates me from the world, isolates me from the potential of who I can become and puts me in a space of inaction. And that's not a good place for me to be.

"So I got honest with my brothers in recovery," he continued. "I was, like, 'Hey, man, this what I've been up to. I need help, dude. I need help getting myself back out of this.' Because I knew I was getting closer. I told my guys, 'Well, at least I didn't drink.' And they were, like, 'Well, yeah, that's good. That is good, Cobe. But you were headed straight towards it, homey. That's where you were going.' And that was a really hard realization but a good realization for me to have, is to really understand I was feeding the bad wolf. I was just doing the wrong things."

In a 2019 interview with Kerrang! magazine, Shaddix revealed that the struggle with alcohol had been in his family for generations, continually destroying lives and relationships.

"I remember my mom telling me when I was a kid that I had to be careful, as alcoholism runs deep in both sides of the family," he said. "I should have heeded the warnings, but when you're young and restless, you don't give a fuck, so I went for it. And lo and behold, it started damaging relationships, and my health and drive. I tried for a long time to put the bottle down. I got kicked out of the house and it looked like my wife and I were going to split up. There came a point when I realized enough was enough, and now I haven't picked up the bottle in seven years. It's dramatically affected my life in so many positive ways, giving me the opportunity to be a good husband and father, as well as a kickass frontman. I watch all the fucking VH1 documentaries about musicians dying, and having friends die from this shit, I'm lucky that I got out alive. I can't say I've been perfect — I've slipped up and smoked weed a few times, but haven't had any alcohol, cocaine, pills or anything else."

When asked if he ever feared that the need to stay sober might have meant he had to stop touring, Jacoby said: "I think that's why I kept falling off the wagon. Before we put out 'Getting Away With Murder' [2004], that was the first time I tried to put the bottle down. But on the road, I was apart from my sober friends, and I'd be on the bus with everyone drinking. So I'd end up in the back lounge, secretly chugging vodka. That was tough for years. Now I've been relieved of the obsession — I look back like, 'That's a young man's game.' Plus, I want to stay pretty."

PAPA ROACH's latest album, "Ego Trip", came out in April via New Noize Records in partnership with ADA Worldwide (WMG's independent label and artist services arm).

BLACK STONE CHERRY and StagePilot have announced a global livestream event titled "No Ceiling: Celebrating 20 Years Of Black Stone Cherry". The event will present a live performance captured at Nashville's The Skydeck, alongside an in-studio question-and-answer session conducted by longtime friend Lzzy Hale of HALESTORM. Additionally, a never-before-seen acoustic performance with Hale will premiere for this special event.

On Thursday, November 3, early bird pricing will go live at 10 a.m. EST here. Early bird pricing will be available through Monday, November 7 at 9:59 a.m. EST. General on-sale begins on Monday, November 7 at 10 a.m. EST. For details on tickets, bundles, event merchandise, and more information, go to this location.

On Wednesday, December 7, the broadcast world premiere will go live for fans in Europe at 8 p.m. GMT. Additional premieres will follow at 8 p.m. EST and at 8 p.m. PST. After the first day of airing, the program will remain available as video on demand through December 11 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

BLACK STONE CHERRY offers: "On a very chilly night in early April when most people would want to be inside enjoying their drinks, we opted to play on a rooftop in downtown Nashville, Tennessee! With quite literally no ceiling above us, we teamed up with StagePilot to bring you this memorable show, plus some incredible bonus content including interviews with the band and our friend Jared James Nichols, acoustic performances, and a very special Q&A on how the band got started and where we’re headed, hosted by our dear friend Lzzy Hale! A celebration of BLACK STONE CHERRY that we know any Cherry Head will absolutely love!"

Lzzy shares: "It was an honor to celebrate BLACK STONE CHERRY's twentieth anniversary with the boys! I had a blast taking them down memory lane, and, of course, getting to perform a special acoustic version of 'Peace is Free' with them. It's been a pleasure to call these talented men family! Here's to the next two decades!"

Last month, BLACK STONE CHERRY drummer John Fred Young told Loud TV about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the follow-up to 2020's "The Human Condition" album: "We started working on the new record this summer. And we've got about… I think there's about eight songs right now that we had done, and we're gonna go back in in December and finish up the rest. So [it's] a really, really cool situation.

"We've got our own theater back in Glasgow, Kentucky, where Ben [Wells, guitar] lives. We do our home shows there; we do it every two years at Christmas. So we recorded the drums in this big, beautiful theater. And they just sound incredible; even with me playing, they sound incredible. And we're going to my house to do vocals and guitars. So, [it's] really cool, man. I think people will really love the songs and the playing.

"We recorded 'The Human Condition' in 2020, and when we were doing that, everything with COVID, it was really starting to rise up," John added. "And we got done with that record two days before our state locked us down. So we were lucky to get that done. It's wild because we're just now playing that record throughout Europe. But I think probably next year, early next year, we'll have a new record out."

As for the musical and lyrical direction of the new BLACK STONE CHERRY material, John said: "The first seven or eight [songs] we had done are really… The lyrics on them are very heartfelt and great. The music is really heavy, but also there's the BLACK STONE CHERRY ballad or two, so… I can't give away too much [laughs], 'cause I don't even know what the other ones sound like yet, 'cause we haven't really finished those."

This past August, BLACK STONE CHERRY vocalist Chris Robertson told "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen & Shane McEachern" about the band's upcoming LP: "We've got nine songs completely written and about seven more that we've gotta write lyrics and stuff to. But we've been at it, man. And it's good. It's heavy. It's melodic. I think it's gonna be a great record."

Regarding the lyrical inspiration for BLACK STONE CHERRY's new songs, Chris said: "It's crazy because the songs we write… Obviously we write songs that are fun — like 'Blame It On The Boom Boom' and 'White Trash Millionaire' — a lot of fun stuff, but we also write some more serious songs.

"It's different, man," he continued. "We've been writing and stuff. And it's crazy. For me right now, the stuff that's kind of coming out is a lot related to my dad passing, a lot of understanding how to deal with this loss and grief and just learning to live through it.

"The serious songs we write are stuff that we've either witnessed or we've lived or whatever," Chris explained. "Other than a song like 'Rain Wizard' or some of the stuff we wrote that was more folklory, everything we've written is something we've lived. So there's a hell of a lot in the well now. I went a really long way of saying that, but the well is very deep now of things to write about."

BLACK STONE CHERRY's seventh studio album, "The Human Condition", was made available in October 2020 via Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group.

In June 2021, BLACK STONE CHERRY announced the departure of bassist Jon Lawhon. He has since been replaced on the road by Steve Jewell Jr., the guitarist from the Glasgow, Kentucky band OTIS.

The digital-only release of an expanded edition of "The Human Condition" was made available in August 2021.

Skid Row and earMUSIC are celebrating the worldwide chart success of The Gang's All Here by releasing the lyric video for the track, "October's Song".


After the overwhelming feedback on this powerful rock ballad, the band have released a visually stunning and instantly iconic video the fans were eagerly awaiting to see.







The Gang's All Here album can be ordered here.





The Gang's All Here tracklisting:


"Hell Or High Water"

"The Gang's All Here"

"Not Dead Yet"

"Time Bomb"

"Resurrected"

"Nowhere Fast"

"When The Lights Come On"

"Tear It Down"

"October's Song"

"World's On Fire"


"Time Bomb" video:





"Tear It Down" video:





"The Gang's All Here: (Official Fan Video):

On March 10, the 25th anniversary edition of Blackmore's Night's Shadow Of The Moon will be released via earMusic. This incredible album was lovingly restored, remastered and remixed after the original master tapes were discovered.


Released back in 1997, it was a groundbreaking, radical departure from Ritchie Blackmore's previous work, but ultimately became something of a milestone in his career. Candice Night's beautiful voice and gift for storytelling complement the music perfectly, creating a timeless album.


To coincide with today's announcement, the 25th Anniversary Mix of the title track, "Shadow Of The Moon" is available as a digital single and lyric video. Pre-order the album here, get the single here, and watch the lyric video below.




Blackmore’s Night were founded in 1997 by legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and award-winning lyricist and singer Candice Night to stage and explore their love for traditional Medieval and folk-rock music. Together, they created a band that like very few others is a prime example of truthfulness and creative integrity.


The band’s debut album Shadow Of The Moon (1997) was not only Blackmore’s deliberate radical cut from his previous life as celebrated rockstar in Deep Purple and Rainbow; it was a ground-breaking statement of his artistic ideals: mainly acoustic music, influenced by the songs of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance with a touch of genius that made them sound contemporary. Shadow Of The Moon was a milestone album. It encompasses everything that Blackmore’s Night stand for to this day: beautiful melodies and warm atmospheres that are able to reach the soul as well as joyful songs to dance to and to celebrate.


The 25th Anniversary Edition of Shadow Of The Moon was converted in HD audio from the original recording, and it has been fully remixed, allowing the original performance to shine in its original glory. The original iconic artwork has been refreshed and reworked to celebrate the anniversary. Two previously unreleased acoustic recordings will be part of this reissue: “Spirit Of The Sea” and “Shadow Of The Moon”, both recorded in an intimate home session by Candice and Ritchie in 2022. All physical first print editions will also carry an exclusive “Shadow Of The Moon” documentary on DVD as bonus.


“It’s hard to believe that 25 years have gone by since the snowy nights spent by the fireplace writing these songs. Much has changed since those early days, but the magic of the music still shines as brightly as it did back then. We feel truly blessed to have been able to bring these songs to the world, and do so again, in this remixed reissue proving they truly do stand the test of time. For 25 years we have graced historical venues stages worldwide and now we are able to revisit again, with you, this beautiful version of “Shadow Of The Moon”. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed revisiting those early days. We find that the songs are still timeless...” - Candice Night & Ritchie Blackmore





CD tracklisting:


"Shadow Of The Moon" (25th Anniversary New Mix)
"The Clock Ticks On" (25th Anniversary New Mix)
"Be Mine Tonight" (25th Anniversary New Mix)
"Play Minstrel Play" (25th Anniversary New Mix)
"Ocean Gypsy" (25th Anniversary New Mix)
"Minstrel Hall" (25th Anniversary New Mix)
"Magical World" (25th Anniversary New Mix)
"Writing On The Wall" (25th Anniversary New Mix)
"Renaissance Faire" (25th Anniversary New Mix)
"Memmingen" (25th Anniversary New Mix)
"No Second Chance" (25th Anniversary New Mix)
"Mond Tanz" (25th Anniversary New Mix)
"Spirit Of The Sea" (25th Anniversary New Mix)
"Greensleeves" (25th Anniversary New Mix)
"Wish You Were Here" (25th Anniversary New Mix)
"Shadow Of The Moon" (Ritchie & Candice Anniversary Home Session)
"Spirit Of The Sea" (Ritchie & Candice Anniversary Home Session)


Bonus-DVD:


- Documentary: The story of “Shadow Of The Moon” (30 min)
- Music Video Clips “Shadow Of The Moon”, “No Second Chance” & “Renaissance Faire” (with optional audio commentary by Candice Night & Ritchie Blackmore)


"Shadow Of The Moon" (25th Anniversary New Mix) lyric video: