DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci played the tenth show of his first headlining solo tour on October 17 at The National in Richmond, Virginia. Petrucci performed material from his recently released solo album, "Terminal Velocity", as well as songs from his widely acclaimed debut release, "Suspended Animation". "Terminal Velocity" marked the first time that John and former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy recorded together since Mike left the band in 2010. Now, John is taking his instrumental trio on the road performing live with Portnoy and legendary bassist Dave LaRue in an onstage reunion that has been 12 years in the making.

The setlist for the Richmond concert was as follows:

01. Terminal Velocity
02. The Happy Song
03. Jaws Of Life
04. The Oddfather
05. Gemini
06. Out Of The Blue
07. Tunnel Vision
08. Damage Control
09. Snake In My Boot
10. Temple Of Circadia

Encore:

11. Glasgow Kiss

Fan-filmed video can be seen below.

Asked in a new interview with Rob Rush Radio if there were any "first-show jitters" prior to the first concert of the tour, which took place on October 5 in Providence, Petrucci said: "There's always that. First of all, playing with Mike again is so awesome, and, of course, with Dave LaRue, my trio, is just great. [October 5] was the first night of the tour and the first time Mike and I stepped onstage and performed together in 12 years. So it was a really special moment. I've known him — we met at Berklee [College Of Music]; we were 18 years old; we played together forever, even though he's not in DREAM THEATER anymore. So there is just this chemistry and camaraderie that's just so natural. We had such a great time. But, yeah, first song you get a little jittery and then it kind of disappears. It was a lot of fun."

The historic tour will run through October and November and promises to be an unforgettable night of live musicianship. The recently reunited all-female band MEANSTREAK is the special guest openers for the tour. MEANSTREAK is comprised of guitarists Marlene Portnoy (Mike's wife) and Rena Sands (Petrucci's wife),vocalist Bettina France, bassist Martens Myung (wife of DREAM THEATER bassist John Myung) and drummer Yael.

Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER more than 35 years ago, abruptly quit the band in September 2010 while on tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD. He has since been replaced by Mike Mangini (ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME, JAMES LABRIE, STEVE VAI).

In March 2021, Petrucci and Portnoy's instrumental progressive rock/metal project LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT released its third album, "LTE3", via InsideOut Music. The effort arrived 22 years after the release of 1999's "Liquid Tension Experiment 2".

Petrucci previously said that having Mike play drums on "Terminal Velocity" was a "really special" experience for him. "And he did an absolutely incredible job navigating the various styles and technical challenges my music presented in the way that only he can do," John said.

"It was very cathartic for the both of us, I think, to be playing music together again after all these years, and it really felt great. Mike's spirited, intuitive and energetic playing truly helped to elevate these new songs to a level that I couldn't be happier with."

An additional date in Sherbrooke, QC on Nov 18 has been added to the JP solo tour with Mike Portnoy, Dave LaRue and special guests Meanstreak!

Posted by John Petrucci on Wednesday, September 14, 2022

During an appearance on acclaimed guitarist Joe Bonamassa's hit interview series "Live From Nerdville", legendary rock drummer Carmine Appice spoke about the fact that many artists are facing severe financial struggles as they rely on touring to gain a following and who barely make any money from streaming music services. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Today, it's very difficult [for musicians to make a living]. Take the zeroes off. I mean, I sold my rights to 'Sexy' [one of Rod Stewart's biggest hits, 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy'] back to Warner Brothers, because there were no mechanicals. [Editor's note: Mechanical royalties are royalties that are generated each time a musical composition is reproduced, whether physically or digitally via on-demand streaming or download-to-own services.] Mechanicals, when people buy a record, there were no mechanicals anymore. And that was a huge record. But I kept ASCAP.

"I've been watching my money since I moved to California in 1975," he continued. "Because when I moved there, and all the three bands I was in, I walked out and I said, 'This is all the money I have?' 25 percent [goes] to the manager, five percent to this guy, 10 percent to the agent. And pay your bills. By the time the band ends up with something, you've got 10 dollars to split. Today it's hard to even make any money. The only way you can make money is, if you have a band, play gigs, build a following, but keep your eye on the expenses. And now it's really hard with these gas prices and everything. We just budgeted all the CACTUS thing we're doing, but now the gas prices are, like, double since we did the budget. So who knows what we're gonna end up with.

"It's very difficult today," the 75-year-old Appice, who current resides in Florida, repeated. "But all I can say is keep your eye on the money. I've done other things in my life. I wrote the drum book. That did well. Just stuff that came out that I did. I dabble in real estate. But, knock on wood, I had accountants and people watch over me, and I had a corporation, so I set myself up. But a lot of guys don't. I mean, even guys in bands that I played with. And I've been lucky I played with all these different bands that made money. Today it's very difficult to play… Unless you're in a huge band like FOO FIGHTERS that go out on the road and make all the money, 'cause the record business is really… There is no record business anymore. I was thinking about that yesterday. I said, 'How do these record companies make any money?' Spotify pays nothing. Maybe if you get some people [buying music] on iTunes, downloads, that still makes a little money. There's no CD sales anymore. Maybe some album sales. So how does a record company make any money? That's why they're not giving out any money [as recording advances].

"I [sold] my [rights to] 'Sexy' and 'Young Turks' back to the company because there's no money being made there. But I kept ASCAP. And ASCAP actually still makes money. But what I did, I took my money and I bought some real estate with it. And that real estate is generating more income than the actual song was in mechanicals.

"You've gotta use your head," Carmine added. "There's a lot of guys, musicians, who don't have a clue about finance and how it works and money. I was lucky, a manager I had, a Mafia guy, he always told me, 'Buy real estate. People gotta live somewhere. Buy real estate.' He owned so many real estate properties in New York… You need somebody to mentor you in this when you're a musician, 'cause if you don't, you don't have a clue."

Appice is the original drummer of VANILLA FUDGE, with whom he still records and performs today. He has also played with CACTUS and BECK, BOGERT & APPICE, in addition to spending stints in the bands of Ozzy Osbourne and Rod Stewart, co-writing the latter's No. 1 hit "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"Carmine was named the 28th greatest drummer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

Appice is widely considered to be one of the most accomplished showmen in rock and is the recipient of numerous awards, including dozens of gold- and platinum-selling records. Carmine has broken new ground in every aspect of his career as a performer, as a teacher, and as a writer, and he continues to inspire drummers and listeners throughout the world with his originality and his unwavering dedication to the art of drumming.

Carmine's autobiography, "Stick It!: My Life Of Sex, Drums, And Rock 'N' Roll", was released in May 2016 by Chicago Review Press.

Under the moniker APPICE, Carmine and his brother Vinny released "Sinister", their first joint studio album, in October 2017 through SPV/Steamhammer.

Terry Ilous says that he exited GREAT WHITE after nearly a decade because "it was time to go separate ways."

Ilous, who previously played with '80s L.A. hard rockers XYZ, joined GREAT WHITE in 2010 after replacing touring vocalist Jani Lane (WARRANT).

The Ilous-led GREAT WHITE released two albums, 2012's "Elation" and 2017's "Full Circle", before Terry was shown the door in July 2018 and replaced with Mitch Malloy.

Ilous discussed his departure from GREAT WHITE during a new appearance on the "Talkin' Bout Rock" podcast. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was in GREAT WHITE for nine years. I had a great time with the band. I think it's important to know I was very grateful to be part of that band. The guys in the band are great people, management, all these people are great people. It just was time to go separate ways, for them and for me. I think they were looking for something else, and I was looking for something else as well… It was a wonderful thing to be a part of this great band. I had an amazing time. I do not regret anything at all, and I'm glad they're doing great. I think they have a great singer now in the band, and I'm really happy for them. And I wish them the very best. I have no animosity whatsoever. I'm doing great. I'm doing what I like to do, which is what I wanna do. However, I will always be [grateful] to the guys in the band, GREAT WHITE… I will always be grateful for that great opportunity. It just was time to move on. I'm happy now."

Last December, Ilous told "The Classic Metal Show" that getting fired from GREAT WHITE "was a good thing because I was able to move on. At first, when somebody dumps you like that, like an old girlfriend, you feel like an old pair of shows. You're, like, 'Really? What did I do? I didn't do anything wrong,'" he said. "Which, honestly, I didn't do anything wrong. I never fucked anybody's wife. I never stole money or anything like it. I'm a songwriter, and I'm a strong personality. And I know what I don't want in life. So, I guess, obviously, it bothered someone in that band and they decided to do what they did. But I had great years with them; I thank 'em so much for the opportunity. I thank the fans. And they did me a huge favor because I was able to move on. I was able to dig inside myself. I was kind of sad at first 'cause I lost money and I didn't know what I did wrong. I said, 'What did I do wrong?' Which I never knew, because I never talked to anybody. I just received an e-mail; it's what I received. They just sent me an e-mail [saying], 'Have a nice day. You're fired.' Long story short.

"I've gotta be honest with you, they did me a huge favor, because I was able to dig inside of me and said, 'Okay, Terry, you can do it. You've been through hell. You can do it again.' So I did it," he continued. "And I released this [LAND OF GYPSIES] album. I have lots of things coming up with XYZ, with JK [Northrup] and I'm doing a voiceover for a new film. I'm doing that, so that's big money.

"You move on. It's like having a girlfriend that dumps you. What are you gonna do? Just think about her every day? No. You're gonna find another girlfriend that's pretty, that's nice and that treats you right.

"The important thing in life is to be treated right and to treat other people right," Terry added. "If you feel like you're lesser, if you feel like you're never the number one, then why would you wanna stay with that person anyway?"

Last November, GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall confirmed that Ilous was fired from the band via e-mail. Kendall went on to say that Ilous initially found out online that he no longer had a job with GREAT WHITE. "It got released on the Internet before we could tell him," Mark said. "It wasn't our publicist's fault. She released this information. So we hadn't told him yet, and she didn't know that. So he heard the information, and he's going, 'This is a hell of a way to tell [somebody he is out of the band].' And we were just [made out to look like] the bad guys all the way around. And so what do we do now? Go, 'Meet us somewhere, and we'll talk about it.' It was, like, 'He already knows.' So that was a tough situation. We're not bad people. We don't wanna hurt anyone."

Mark also defended GREAT WHITE's decision to part ways with Terry and hire Mitch, saying: "We had to look out for our music and make sure it's delivered the best it can be. We felt like with Mitch we could do it a little bit better. It's not that Terry is not awesome; nothing against him."

In April 2021, Ilous told Waste Some Time With Jason Green that he always made it a point to tell people that his primary focus was GREAT WHITE and not his solo career. "I was doing a lot of interviews, and I always said one thing, I said, 'I am the lead singer of GREAT WHITE. My priority is GREAT WHITE,'" he said. "I always made sure to say that, 'cause sometimes people can misinterpret what you wanna say. So I said, 'No. I am the lead singer of the band GREAT WHITE. My priority is GREAT WHITE. I'll be touring with GREAT WHITE. And if the band is not touring, then I will be doing that on my own. And that's it.' And that is the truth. But apparently someone got upset. I was touring, and eventually one day, I received an e-mail saying, 'Thank you for a great service. You're a great singer. Have a good life.' And that was it."

Terry said that he "had no idea at all" that he was going to be replaced. "Last time [I played with GREAT WHITE], we did a string of sold-out shows," he recalled. "In fact, one of the last shows we did was actually on a Thursday in Wisconsin. We did a summer fest, and there were 10 thousand people [there]. The crowd went crazy — 10 thousand people going nuts. And that day I sang so well. You know, sometimes you sing better than other days — that's the way it is as a singer — but that day I was really good. Not to be pretentious, but I was happy. I was, like, 'Ah, man. Great performance.' Friday and Saturday, we did two other shows — one in Las Vegas. We did a show with SLAUGHTER, and everybody gave me a big hug. 'Hey, brother, see you next week.' That's the last time I talked to anyone in the band. On Monday morning, I get an e-mail… The leader of the band, Mark, sent me the e-mail, but it [was] on behalf of everybody in the band. 'We think that you should be replaced by somebody else. And we wish you the best.' The e-mail was polite. 'Good luck to you. You will have no problem finding another band. Please don't say bad things about us. We will never say bad things about you.' And that was it."

Regarding his initial reaction to the e-mail, Ilous said: "I was surprised — I was a little surprised — because I said, wait a minute, I did three albums. I helped rebuild the brand. I gave my best for nine years. When I joined the band, I was not getting paid very well, and I said, 'I'm gonna do it anyway, because I wanna prove to myself, and I wanna prove to those guys I can do it.' So I did what I could do. I would have loved to get a phone call, at least, or maybe a meeting with the band, and said, 'Hey, it's not working out. Can you work on this? And maybe we'll give you another chance.' 'Okay.' I think it's fair — when you're a dedicated worker, and you do all that stuff, I think it's fair. You need a second chance. But second chance for what? I didn't do anything wrong. It's not like I had sex with any one of their wives. I'm not that type of person."

Terry went on to say that there were some personal differences within GREAT WHITE, but not enough to create a major issue when he and his then-bandmates were living in close proximity to one another on the road.

"For me, I was always in GREAT WHITE," he said. "I would say to myself, 'GREAT WHITE is GREAT WHITE. I love the band. I love the music, and I'm happy to be in the band.' I didn't expect anything. I knew I had an issue with one guy in the band, like a lot of people have issues with the same guy in that band. But I knew that. And I didn't think the guys would decide to say, 'Screw terry, and let's get somebody else.' I didn't expect that at all. I was completely taken by surprise, to say the least. I was beside myself. But I didn't post anything negative. I didn't make stupid comments online; I didn't do anything like it. I said, 'Well, it is what it is. They have somebody else. I don't wish him anything bad,' which I would never do anyway."

Ilous relocated to Hollywood, California from Lyon, France in 1986, forming the metal band XYZ along with friend and bassist Pat Fontaine. Ilous quickly became a favorite on Sunset Strip scene in the late '80s before getting signed to Enigma/Capitol. After selling over 1.5 million records worldwide and touring with artists such as FOREIGNER and ALICE COOPER, Ilous continued to release albums well into the 2000s, along with film, songwriting and television work.

In 2009, Terry was contacted to play a handful of dates with GREAT WHITE, and within a couple of years, the lineup was made official. GREAT WHITE immediately headed out on an extensive year-long tour, followed by a new album, "Elation", in 2012 that was highly praised by the media and fans alike. "Full Circle" arrived five years later.

In May, GREAT WHITE parted ways with Malloy and replaced him with Andrew Freeman (LAST IN LINE). Just four months later, Freeman exited GREAT WHITE and was replaced by Brett Carlisle (ALL OR NOTHING).

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "In The Trenches With Ryan Roxie" podcast, SIXX:A.M. singer James Michael spoke about whether there are any plans for the band to record more new music or play live shows in support of the "Hits" compilation album, which came out last year. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's a good question. And yeah, there's a lot of interest in that…

"We kind of went into hiatus, we kind of went away without really letting people know why. And the reality was that we were all really burned out. We were three friends that started this band as just a bunch of guys in a room making up songs together, and it just turned into something so much more significant over the years. And we were so lucky and so blessed to have the more-than-a-decade-long career that we've had so far.

"The best way that I can answer the questions about what is the future of SIXX:A.M. and what's going on with them is we have no plans right now to do anything moving forward. But I do talk quite regularly with both Nikki and D.J.," he continued, referencing his SIXX:A.M. bandmates Nikki Sixx and D.J. Ashba. "And we all love what SIXX:A.M. was and became so much that… Would I love to make another SIXX:A.M. record? Absolutely. There's nothing I'd love more than getting back in the room with Nikki and D.J. and the whole gang and just experiencing that.

"I would say all three of us would say the door is not shut [to future SIXX:A.M. activity]. It's just with SIXX:A.M., we never were supposed to be a band in the first place. When we started, we were just, like I said, three guys getting together and making up songs. And then we recorded those songs. I wasn't supposed to be the singer; we were just eventually gonna find a singer to actually record — take my voice off and put somebody else's voice on. But just through circumstances, it just ended up taking off. And I'm just grateful for that experience. It's just been amazing."

James also talked about his working relationship with Nikki and D.J., saying: "To answer the question what it's like to work with Nikki and D.J., it's that chemistry that you hope you find when you are in this music industry. You hope that you get lucky enough to meet a guy or a couple of guys that you just jell with and that you can work with on every level — professional and personal. And that's what it's been like.

"I think that there were tough times; there were very, very times being in SIXX:A.M. because we're three very, very opinionated people. But 99 percent of the time, those strong opinions are also what became the strong support group for one another. When I, as the producer of the albums, would just reach a point where I didn't know what the next right move was, I always had my two very, very skilled partners to lean on and to just say, 'Hey, I need your input on this. Where should we go?' And it was just always that kind of a give-and-take relationship.

"SIXX:A.M. was always very much a democracy; we all brought ideas in and we all collaborated," James confirmed. "We love that process so much. We laughed our way through a decade of making music. That's the part I look forward to the most, is just getting the three of us in a room together, because it's just non-stop laughter. And usually what we come up with ends up being something I'm very, very proud of."

"Hits" was released in October 2021 via Better Noise Music. The album was a retrospective celebration of SIXX:A.M.'s biggest hits and fan-favorite songs that also included five previously unheard tracks and mixes, marking the band's first official album with new material since 2016.

Inspired by the release of Sixx's "The First 21: How I Became Nikki Sixx", SIXX:A.M. members Michael, Ashba and Sixx made "Hits" available as a companion piece to the book.

To date, SIXX:A.M. — whose name is a combination of all of the members' last names (Sixx, Ashba, Michael) — has three U.S. Billboard top 20 albums and a string of hit singles, with its full catalog consisting of five studio albums — "The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack" (2007),"This Is Gonna Hurt" (2011),"Modern Vintage" (2014),"Prayers For The Damned" and "Prayers For The Blessed" (2016) — and three EPs, "X-Mas In Hell" (2008); "Live Is Beautiful" (2008) and "7" (2011).

In a January 2022 interview with Antihero Magazine, Ashba, who has spent the last year promoting his ASHBA solo project, spoke about whether there are any plans for SIXX:A.M. to record more music or tour. He said: "SIXX:A.M. has always been a labor of love. It's weird with SIXX:A.M., we all three are currently still full-blown members and we are very proud of everything we've created. James has mentioned recently that he's kind of retiring, kind of stepping away from music, which is sad to hear, but the guy has done so many great, great things in his career and the songs he has been a part of. He has a lot to be proud of.

"Now, that being said, the three of us at any given time could call each other and go, 'Hey, let's do one more tour. Let's write a new song,'" he continued. "That's just how we are. We don't ever plan anything. So, I would say, never say never, but I have no intention of doing anything further with it. I think we've put a nice bookend to SIXX:A.M. with the greatest hits and if something else were to happen so be it, but I think we're all pretty satisfied with what we've done with that."

Last December, James also told Australia's Rock Lives Here that there are no plans for SIXX:A.M. to do anything else at the moment. He said: "It's funny — every time SIXX:A.M. made an album, we said to ourselves, 'This is the last album we're gonna make.' We said that on 'The Heroin Diaries' soundtrack. We said, 'This is a one-off. We'll never do this again.' Then we did 'This Is Gonna Hurt', and it was, like, 'Yeah, this is gonna be our last album, for sure.' And then we did 'Modern Vintage', [and it was], like, 'This is gonna be our last one.' So we've been saying that since the beginning.

"When we put together this 'Hits' album, of course, we had in mind that if this was the last thing that SIXX:A.M. does, we want it to be right and we want it to thoughtful and we want it to be meaningful," he explained. "And so we really set out with that intention; we wanted to kind of put a nice bow on this decade of music that we've created.

So, as of right now, we don't have any plans for anything — no touring, no new music or anything. And that's why we're so excited to be sharing this 'Hits' album with everyone because it may be the last thing we do. I don't know. We'll see. That's one thing I've learned with SIXX:A.M. — I never say never."

James has just released a solo single, "California Smile", via all streaming music services.

In a new interview with Billboard, AC/DC singer Brian Johnson referred to the band as "still a working entity of sorts" but didn't reveal any future touring or recording plans.

"I would love to do music again," Johnson said, "whether it'll be guesting with somebody, whether it be actually playing live with the boys. I've heard that term 'hell freezes over' a million times before with people saying, 'I'm not doing that again.' But I'd be up for it. I think everybody hopes to make more music."

As for why Johnson's upcoming memoir, "The Lives Of Brian", covers so little of his time with AC/DC, Brian said: "I didn't want to write an AC/DC book, 'cause that's not my book. It never will be. It's not my story to tell. That book is for the boys, or whoever was there from the start. That's what I want to read. I want to read what it was like when Malcolm [Young] and Angus [Young] just had a meeting and said, 'Right, let's do this' and got the drummer and the singer. I think it would be fantastic if it came out, if somebody wanted to do it. But that's not my book. And I think a book about the present day or, say, when I joined to the present day would be nothing more than a catalog, a diary of what happened."

Brian is currently promoting "The Lives Of Brian", which will arrive on October 25 — a year later than originally planned.

The book is being published in the U.K. by Penguin Michael Joseph, a division of Penguin Random House, by publishing director Rowland White. It is being published simultaneously in the U.S. by Dey Street Books, an imprint of the William Morrow Group at HarperCollins,.

Johnson joined AC/DC in 1980 after the death of previous lead singer Bon Scott.

His first album with the band, "Back In Black", went on to become the biggest-selling rock album of all time.

After a quarter century of platinum albums and record-breaking tours, he was forced to quit the band in 2016 after being diagnosed with hearing loss, but made a triumphant return in 2020 with the release of "Power Up", which went to No.1 in 21 countries. A successful competitive vintage racing car driver, Johnson has more recently enjoyed acclaim as the charismatic presenter of television shows "Cars That Rock With Brian Johnson" and "Brian Johnson: A Life Of The Road".

"I've had some long nights and some great nights, some bad days and a lot of good days, and during that time I've gone from choirboy to rock 'n' roll singer, and now I've gone and written a bloody book about it," said Johnson.

Johnson was born to a steelworker and WWII veteran father and an Italian mother, growing up in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, a working-class town. He was musically inclined and sang with the church choir. By the early '70s, he performed with the glam rock band GEORDIE, and they had a couple hits, but it was tough going. So tough that by 1976, they disbanded and Brian turned to a blue-collar life.

Then 1980 changed everything. Bon Scott, the lead singer and lyricist of the Australian rock band AC/DC died at 33. The band auditioned singers, among them Johnson, whom Scott himself had seen perform and raved about. Within days, Johnson was in a studio with the band, working with founding members Angus and Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd, along with producer Mutt Lange.

When the album, "Back In Black", was released in July 1980 — a mere three months after Johnson had joined the band — it exploded, going on to sell 50 million copies worldwide, and triggering a years-long worldwide tour. It has been declared "the biggest-selling hard rock album ever made" and "the best-selling heavy-metal album in history."

"Power Up" was released in November 2020. The LP was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked 2008's "Black Ice" and 2014's "Rock Or Bust".

In a new interview with AXS TV's Katie Daryl, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford was asked what some of the "inspiration words" are that would be associated with the band's upcoming studio album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I can't say 'more of the same' because that's four words, isn't it? What I mean by that is the same energy, the same vitality, the same determination, and it really is, again, another affirmation of what you love about JUDAS PRIEST. If you listen to any album from PRIEST from 'Rocka Rolla' in the '70s up to the 2000s with 'Firepower' and everything that went on between there, whether it was 'Turbo Lover' or whether it was the 'Painkiller' or '[You've Got] Another Thing Comin'', all of these pinpoints connect the dots of this great 50 years of metal, this journey that we're on. And it ain't over yet, folks, because that means another album and another tour. And we can't wait to keep pouring out the metal, 'cause that turbo power isn't gonna get turned off anytime soon."

Last month, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner told The Entertainment Outlet about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2018's "Firepower" album: "We're getting there. We've been trying to get it done. The first obstacle was the pandemic, because we couldn't get together and do it as a group. And then when the pandemic restrictions were lifted, then we could go out on tour. So the next obstacle, if you wanna call it that, was the tour. So we had to go out and tour and record bits and pieces in between the tour legs. So we've got drums done, we've got guitars done, we've got the bass done. I think the main thing we have to do now is vocals. So we've got the U.S. leg of the tour coming up, so Rob's gotta protect his voice and use his voice sparingly before that. So maybe after that. I mean, we've got [dates in] the U.S. and we've got South America, which takes us into December. So maybe in the New Year we can start working on vocals."

Regarding when fans can expect to see the next PRIEST LP released, Richie said: "It's always tough to talk about timeframes, because, as we know, things change. But Rob always says, 'It's done when it's done.' There's no point in rushing anything at this point in the band's career. But it's getting there — we're working on it and it's getting there. And we're using the time we've got. These days as well, we don't need 18 months in a 10,000-square-foot studio in Fiji to do a record. The way things are these days, we can do it in a lot more economical way. So we're making technology work and we're making all that work for us so we can get it done in the best way we can so we can get it out when we can. But it'll be done when it's done."

As for what the new PRIEST material is sounding like, Faulkner said: "[Producer and touring guitarist] Andy Sneap was texting me this morning, and he was saying it sounded really solid, really confident. He was saying… I know people love this stuff on the socials, but it's not 'Firepower 2'; it's its own thing. Some people might like that; some people might hate that. When you read the socials, people read comments like that and they know what the album sounds like straight away. I don't know how they do that. But it's all good. It means they're invested in PRIEST and they're invested in the new music. But as he said, it sounds confident, it's sounding great and solid. It's always good as well when you've got something like this and no one's heard it. So you're excited to release it to the world — you want the world to hear it, but they haven't heard it yet. So it'll be great for the world to hear it. They might hate it. But it's still exciting."

This past February, Halford was asked by Remy Maxwell of Audacy Check In if he agreed with Faulkner's recent comment that the band's upcoming album will be more musically "progressive" than "Firepower". He responded: "Yeah, the metal is there. But here's the thing: we've tried our best not to replicate anything that we've done. From 'Rocka Rolla' all the way through to 'Firepower', each record has had a distinctive character. And it's tough because fans go, 'We want another 'Painkiller',' 'We want another 'British Steel'.' And [it's, like], 'Dude, we've already done that.'

"Fans know that we're a band that is always full of adventure and trying new stuff," he continued. "And so, yeah, this has got probably some more progressive elements that we've never really delved into before. And that's exciting, because, again, it gives us and our fans another opportunity to see a different side of PRIEST. But it's still metal. There's just more of it. There are more notes than there were before."

Also in February, Faulkner told Canada's The Metal Voice about the overall sound of the new PRIEST music: "Whenever you start a record, you never know how it's gonna turn out. So you might start with an idea of what it's gonna be, and as it kind of rolls on, it comes out something different. So you don't quite know. And also it's really hard to sum up your own music, I find, without sounding really pretentious. But I think this one — it's not 'Firepower 2', I don't think. It's its own thing, it's its own animal. If anything, I would say it's a bit more progressive in places, and in places it's got a bit more of that 'Killing Machine' swagger."

Faulkner added: "I know everyone says, 'Oh, is it the next 'Painkiller'?' or 'Is it the next…?' whatever… I don't know if they'd ever done it, but I know we've never done it when I've been in the band; we've never tried to recreate an album. It's always we try to create an album that stands on its own legs. So I think it's definitely a little bit more progressive than 'Firepower' and, as I said, in places it's got a little bit of that 'Killing Machine' angry swagger attitude going on. But again, as I said, we're waiting to see what it turns out like, 'cause it could turn out completely different."

A year and a half ago, Halford confirmed that PRIEST's next album would see the band reuniting with the "Firepower" production team consisting of Andy Sneap, longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Faulkner.

Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier. Tipton announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower". He was replaced by Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

In a new interview with Kyle Meredith, Serj Tankian was asked if there are any plans for SYSTEM OF A DOWN activity in the coming months. He responded: "As of now, we haven't talked about anything. We will be making an announcement about something next year that I can't really tell you about. So there is that. But further than that, I can't really say."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, but has only managed to record two songs in the last 17 years, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". Released in November 2020, the tracks were motivated by the conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with all proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in SYSTEM OF A DOWN's ancestral homeland of Armenia. Along with other donations from fans on their social pages, they raised over $600,000.

This past July, SYSTEM OF A DOWN drummer John Dolmayan told Sona Oganesyan about the band's inability to record a new studio album: "We have this gift that came from God or wherever, and we're squandering it. It's an insult to everybody else that tries to make it in whatever endeavor they're trying to make. And here we are — we've made it, we have the talent, we have the ability, we have an adoring fanbase, we've sold, I don't know, whatever it is — 30 million albums or more — and they're hungry for it, and we just don't do it. That's like the worst — having the ability to do something and not doing it is, I think, the worst thing in the world as far as in the perspective of being an artist. You're just hurting yourself."

Pressed about whether he sees a path or a way forward where he and the other members of SYSTEM OF A DOWN can agree on how to make a new full-length album, John said: "Yeah, if my bandmembers listened to me and put everything to the side and just said, 'Okay, let's just go in and make the best album we can make and not care about where the music comes from or who wrote the lyrics or what this person did in the past.' I'm willing to put all that aside. I'm not in a band that'll do that, unfortunately."

In 2018, guitarist Daron Malakian publicly accused Tankian of not wanting to record, with Tankian responding that creative and financial issues with Malakian led to the stalemate. In a message on Facebook, Tankian wrote that Malakian wanted to control SYSTEM's creative process, take more of the publishing money and be the only bandmember to speak to the press.

In an interview with Guitar World magazine, Malakian was asked about the chances of more new music from SYSTEM OF A DOWN in the near future. He responded: "I never say never, but at the same time, I'm not expecting to do any more with SYSTEM OF A DOWN right away or immediately after [these two songs]. It really does seem like our fans like these new songs. That's important to me."

He continued: "We've added two new songs to the SYSTEM catalog that are on the level with everything else that we've put out and our fans have accepted it that way, which means a lot to me. That's kinda where we're gonna leave it for now. If more happens later on, then we'll talk about that, but for now I will continue doing what I'm doing and everyone else will just continue what they're doing. It's all cool though, I'm really pleased with the response we got."

A little over a year ago, SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavo Odadjian discussed his band's inability to record a full-length follow-up to its "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize" LPs, which came out in 2005. During an appearance on MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast, Shavo stated about the overwhelmingly positive reaction to "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz": "To me, this is all bittersweet, because I think we can still do it, but because of misunderstandings [between] bandmembers, we're not doing it. Look at us — we have a common cause. We get together, we do two songs, two videos.

"I'm that member that still everyone is like the best friend of mine, but they're not best friends with each other so much," he explained. "They are, but they have differences in opinions and stuff. I have a way of understanding each member and saying, 'Dude, we can overcome this.' It's not that big of a deal — no one fucking banged anyone's wife; no one did any of those things that can really destroy a relationship. It's just a difference in opinion of things. And I think people should be [able to] work it out. But because, I think, of what we had, I think it's, like, some people are stuck in what we had and some people wanna move forward and not do what we had and do something totally different, which is wrong too. I don't think we should do something totally different; I think we should do something that both agree [on]. And we're having a hard time [agreeing on a direction], and that's where we are.

"So, to me, it's bittersweet, because I see everybody, and everyone's, like, 'We love Shavo.' And I'm, like, 'I love you,' but then they can't work together."

Shavo went on to reiterate his belief that the differences between the SYSTEM members are not insurmountable. "I don't think anything so horrible has happened," he said. "We're all alive. We're all friends. I swear, when there's conversations going on, it's very legit, very loving. No one's hating on each other. They're very polite towards each other. Serj and Daron, when they talk, they're connected, they're nice to each other. No one's hating, no one's cussing, no one's saying 'fuck you', no one's saying 'you ruined…', 'you did this.' It's just that section that's fucked up.

"Daron brought these songs in," Shavo said, referring to "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". "And we've worked that way before. A song like 'War?' was brought in by Daron — that was a Daron song; Daron brought that in, and that happened. And then there's a song like 'Sugar', where I brought that in. And there's a song like 'Question!' where Serj brought it [in]. So we have different ways of writing songs, [and] it should be like that again. But because of what's happened, I feel like it's kind of like become this big issue now.

"I think at the end of things, when we're old and gray, we're gonna look back and be, like, 'Fuck, we were idiots,' for not taking the time and seizing the day. I believe in seizing the day in everything I do, and that's what I do — that's why I'm so busy nowadays.

"Like I said, I'm telling you here, there's nothing that's happened that can't be worked out. So I always have hope. I'm doing everything knowing that SYSTEM's not dead, and it hasn't been dead."

HEART's Nancy Wilson spoke to WGN Radio 's John Landecker about her new band called NANCY WILSON'S HEART. The group features Nancy on guitar and vocals, Kimberly Nichole on vocals, as well as 2019 HEART touring members Ben Smith on drums, Ryan Waters on guitar, Andy Stoller on bass and Dan Walker on keyboards. Smith and Waters also worked with Nancy on her ROADCASE ROYALE side project.

Nancy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We play a lot of HEART music. We also play some of my own music. But we play live — we're completely live. We plug in and we sing and we play, and there's no Pro Tools involved at all. So that's kind of unusual these days. We've got skin in the game, and we play live."

Asked what her approach is to the HEART music when she performs with NANCY WILSON'S HEART, Nancy said: "I love these songs that I helped to create. And also I've got a really amazing band and an amazing singer, Kimberly Nichole, who was a finalist on 'The Voice' show at one point. And she rocks; she's a rock singer. And she can achieve these songs that I, myself, as more of a guitar player than a real singer — I love singing, but she's the one who can pull off 'Barracuda', 'Crazy On You' and some of these big, kind of iconic songs that it's real fun to play… I love singing. So I sing a lot, just to give Kimberly Nichole a break from some of the more challenging songs that I can't do myself. But we have a really great team of players — everybody that I worked with on the last HEART tour, basically, player wise, and Kimberly Nichole. It just rounds it out so that I can do whatever the heck I want on a rock stage and do the songs I love doing. So, yeah, I'm real happy with this lineup."

NANCY WILSON'S HEART's setlist includes HEART classics "Crazy On You", "Barracuda", "Kick It Out", "Straight On" and "Even It Up" as well as nods to 1980s favorites "Alone" and "These Dreams". There are also covers of songs originally written by Paul McCartney and WINGS, THE CRANBERRIES and LED ZEPPELIN. NANCY WILSON'S HEART also pays live musical tributes to FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins and legendary VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen.

Earlier this year, Nancy spoke to Joe Rock of Long Island, New York's 102.3 WBAB radio station about why she chose the name NANCY WILSON'S HEART for her new band. She said: "HEART had a big offer on the table last year for a bigger tour, but Ann [Wilson, HEART singer and Nancy's sister] wasn't interested in going out with my lineup of guys that we were out with before. She has a new lineup of guys that she wanted me to join up with. And I sort of [thought] I don't really know them and don't have loyalty yet for anybody like that. So I just kind of shined it on and decided when I do go out with my new singer Kimberly, I can telegraph to the people coming to the show that they're gonna hear HEART songs in a whole different way than ever expected with… No comparison to Ann singing or Kimberly singing those same songs, just because it's apples and oranges; you can't compare that stuff. So I figure that's a way to let them know that it's not just Nancy WilsonofHEART doing whatever, but it's NANCY WILSON'S HEART where you're gonna hear more HEART stuff."

NANCY WILSON'S HEART made its debut in February as special guest for STYX's five-show 50th-anniversary engagement at Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas. The concerts saw STYX join Wilson mid-show for HEART songs, and Wilson jams along to STYX classics.

Nancy's debut solo album, "You And Me", was released in May 2021 via Carry On Music. The LP was recorded primarily in her California home studio, working with bandmembers and special guests remotely.

HEART toured North America in the summer of 2019 after a nasty split that kept the Wilson sisters estranged for three years.

Ann and Nancy had a falling out during HEART's 2016 tour, when Ann's husband Dean Welter was arrested for assaulting Nancy's then-16-year-old twin sons in a backstage altercation at a gig near their hometown of Seattle. He pleaded guilty to two lesser assault charges to avoid jail time.

After completing HEART's 2016 tour, Nancy formed a new band called ROADCASE ROYALE and released an album, "First Things First". ROADCASE ROYALE featured three members of HEART along with Liv Warfield from Prince's NEW POWER GENERATION band and her guitarist Ryan Wilson.

Ann released a new album, "Fierce Bliss", in April via Silver Lining Music.

JOIN US!

THIS THURSDAY,
OCTOBER 20th, 2022 -

NANCY WILSON'S HEART, LIVE FROM THE COZY CONFINES OF THE DES PLAINES...

Posted by Chicago History on Monday, October 17, 2022

Former Alice Cooper and current Demi Lovato guitarist Nita Strauss performed her new instrumental single, "Summer Storm", during her clinic yesterday (Saturday, October 22) at Big House Guitars in Atlanta, Georgia. Fan-filmed video of her appearance can be seen below (courtesy of Jumping JackYouTube channel).

Released in August, "Summer Storm" marked Nita's return to her instrumental roots following her previous single, the enormously successful "Dead Inside" which featured guest vocals from DISTURBED's David Draiman and saw Nita become the first ever solo female to have a No. 1 hit at Active Rock Radio.

Nita commented: "Instrumental music is where my heart is, and 'Summer Storm' might be the song I feel captures my personal style the most: cathartic, driving and emotional. While a lot of the upcoming record will have guest vocalists, I'm also so proud of the instrumental tracks and excited to officially unleash this one on the world!"

Nita made her live debut with Demi on July 14 with a performance of Lovato's new single, "Substance" on ABC's Emmy Award-winning late-night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!".

Strauss had been playing with Cooper since 2014 when she replaced Australian musician and former Michael Jackson player Orianthi. She joined Alice in time for a mammoth MÖTLEY CRÜE tour. She was recommended to Cooper by the legendary rocker's former bass player and WINGER frontman Kip Winger.

Back in February, Nita told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about her upcoming LP: "It's gonna be half and half — six tracks with vocalists and six tracks of instrumental [music]. We've been doing ['Dead Inside'] live on the solo tour and it's been getting a super-good reaction from our crowds. So I think the next [single] will be instrumental — kind of go back to the roots — and then another radio single after that."

Asked if she could talk about some of the other guests that appear on her new solo album, Nita said: "Not just yet. I will say that we've got a really, really cool blend of some legacy people as well as some new singers that I'm really excited about, and some amazing male vocalists and some incredible female vocalists as well."

In early December, Nita told "The Mistress Carrie Podcast" about her decision to make the upcoming LP half vocal songs and half instrumental: "I did feel, and the label and everybody agreed, it's still important for me to keep my identity as a guitar player and not just branch off too much and go, 'Okay, well, now it's just guests.' Let me still have a little of what makes me me, which is the instrumental shred stuff. And the instrumental pieces that I've written on this record are, I think, better than anything I did on the first one — definitely more… I don't know if it could be more emotional but they're very emotional pieces of music and I think a little better crafted this time around. So I think all the songs in general are more well thought out, better put together this time around. And I do have some of my absolute favorite [singers guesting on it]. I have three amazing powerhouse female vocalists on this album so far."

Nita released "Controlled Chaos" to mass acclaim from fans and media alike, with Metal Injection calling it "a great debut that — as its creator intended — leaves no doubt", and Guitar World stating "'Controlled Chaos' is a panoramic view of Nita Strauss's many strengths".

As well as performing with Cooper, Nita has also played with R&B star Jermaine Jackson, early MTV darlings FEMME FATALE, video game supergroup CRITICAL HIT and popular tribute band THE IRON MAIDENS.

In April 2020, Nita launched "Rock Guitar Fundamentals" — a three-module online guitar teaching program suitable for learners of all levels. The course is available at www.iwanttoplayguitar.com.

Nita's solo live show is mostly instrumental in nature, combining originals with covers.

Atlanta, today is the day!! Come hang at Big House Guitars at 3 pm. Free entry, ask all the questions you like, meet and greet after the clinic!

Posted by Nita Strauss on Saturday, October 22, 2022

Norwegian black metal band IMMORTAL will release a new album, "War Against All", in 2023 will be released via Nuclear Blast Records. The group's tenth studio LP will feature eight new songs in classic IMMORTAL style.

The band's founder Harald "Demonaz" Nævdal states: "IMMORTAL continues the style that was established and defined on our very first records. It's fast, furious, epic, and mighty Blashyrkh metal — the one and only way!"

He also offers some more background on the process of making "War Against All": "Even though the studio work is necessary to get an ultimate recording, the writing process is obviously my favorite. I still write all the guitar riffs/music at home with the same old vibe, and the lyrics as well. The early days of black metal inspire me the most. Cold nights in the woods, on the mountains under the winter moon. That's what keeps the spirit alive, and the foundation to all our music."

"War Against All" was composed and performed by Demonaz, and it features some session members, like on IMMORTAL's earlier recordings. The album was produced by Arve Isdal, and recorded at Conclave & Earshot Studio in Bergen, Norway by Herbrand Larsen and Arve Isdal.

"It's actually the same studio where I recorded the guitars and vocals for 'Northern Chaos Gods'," Demonaz says. "They also did a great job with the new album, and it was a pleasure to go back and work there again. I am especially pleased with the outcome on this one. It's got that cold biting guitar sound, yet powerful production.

"IMMORTAL have never compromised on the original vision, which is taking fans on a journey through Blashyrkh with our most grim and dark music, with every new release. These songs are no exception to this. I am proud of the final result, it's got a distinct expression, and I can't wait to let the fans hear it."

The album's cover artwork was done by the Swedish artist Mattias Frisk.

Track listing:

01. War Against All
02. Thunders Of Darkness
03. Wargod
04. No Sun
05. Return To Cold
06. Norlandihr
07. Immortal
08. Blashyrkh My Throne

"War Against All" was mastered by Iver Sandøy at Solslottet.

In August 2020, it was revealed that Demonaz was involved in a legal dispute over the rights to the band's name with IMMORTAL member Reidar "Horgh" Horghagen.

One of Norway's first and most successful black metal acts, IMMORTAL was formed by Demonaz and Olve "Abbath" Eikemo in 1990. Horgh joined the group in 1996. Eight years ago, Abbath and the rest of the group went through a bitter breakup.

The highly publicized legal battle in 2014 over the rights to the IMMORTAL name pitted Abbath against Demonaz and Horgh, with Abbath claiming the pair abandoned IMMORTAL after they moved their gear out of the band's rehearsal space. The Norwegian court systems determined otherwise, and awarded the IMMORTAL name to Demonaz and Horgh.

According to documents uncovered by Norway's VG, a conflict arose between the two remaining IMMORTAL members three years ago, with Demonaz registering IMMORTAL with the Norwegian Patent Office as his exclusive trademark in July 2019. The registration was approved, and he was therefore given the exclusive right to use the band name commercially. However, Horgh chose to appeal the registration, and the matter was ruled in his favor, meaning that Demonaz no longer had the exclusive right to the IMMORTAL name.

Horgh told VG that he had no advance knowledge of the registration made by Demonaz.

"It could never have occurred to me to register the trademark by myself, as Nævdal has done here, but I have found myself having to fight to keep the rights I have earned through a long career in this band," he said. "It is, and after all has been for many years, a large part of my livelihood."

Demonaz told VG that he disagreed with the decision, pointing out that he was "the band's only remaining original member. I am also the only one who has been on all of the band's releases," he said.

The Norwegian Patent Office ruled that the rights to the IMMORTAL name belong to the band as a whole, and not to the individual members.

"We have jointly as a band built up the trademark IMMORTAL, and it is therefore right that the trademark should be a joint ownership," Horgh said.

The drummer went on to say that he was hopeful IMMORTAL could perform live again.

"It has been my goal all the way, and I know that this is something IMMORTAL fans want and have been waiting for a long time," he said. "I hope in the long run that we can manage to put these disagreements behind us, and again look ahead as a band."

IMMORTAL's first album without Abbath, "Northern Chaos Gods", was released in July 2018 via Nuclear Blast.

In the summer of 2020, Abbath told Norway's Dagbladet newspaper said that he wasn't opposed to an IMMORTAL reunion.

"I got a text from Horgh saying it was great that I got sober," he said. "Harald and I haven't spoken at all. But there's no evil blood or bitterness on my part anymore. I realize that I was a part of the problem. Things are great for me now. But am I open to an IMMORTAL reunion? Yes, of course. But it has to be something special. I just wish we could sit down and have a talk about things when it all went to hell, instead of involving lawyers."

Abbath used to be married to Demonaz's sister, and they share a son, Torbjørn.

Abbath is now the frontman of his namesake band, which released its third album, "Dread Reaver", in March 2022 via Season Of Mist.

Fan-filmed video of LAST IN LINE performing a new song called "Hurricane Orlagh" on October 21 at Goldfield in Roseville, California can be seen below. The track is taken from LAST IN LINE's upcoming EP, "A Day In The Life", which is due on November 11 via earMUSIC. The effort is numbered and limited to 3,000 copies worldwide.

This past July, the "A Day In The Life" title track, which was described in a press release as "one of the heaviest versions" of THE BEATLES classic "ever recorded," was made available digitally. The silver colored 12-inch vinyl also includes two live tracks and a recently recorded new track, which gives us a first hint of how LAST IN LINE's third album will sound like.

The trippy visuals in the accompanying "A Day In The Life" music video are by artist Matt Mahurin — a big fan of LAST IN LINE and a four-decade filmmaker for rock and metal greats like METALLICA, U2, R.E.M. and DEF LEPPARD.

"A Day In The Life" EP track listing:

01. A Day In The Life
02. Hurricane Orlagh
03. Devil In Me (Live)
04. Give Up The Ghost (Live)

In July, LAST IN LINE drummer Vinny Appice told Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules that the band had just completed work on its third studio album. He said: "Chris Collier, who mixes a lot of KORN stuff, he did our albums. He just finished the mix. And it sounds fantastic. And that's coming out next year on the earMUSIC label. And we have an EP coming out on earMUSIC as well. And that EP has a cover version of a BEATLES song we did. It came out great. Something different. And a new song, one of our new songs, and then two live tracks."

This past May, LAST IN LINE bassist Phil Soussan told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that the band's new EP is "very special. There's something very, very cool about it — and there's gonna be a great video that goes with that," he said.

earMUSIC is the recorded music label of German entertainment group Edel AG which boasts a roster of global artists including DEEP PURPLE, Alice Cooper, BABYMETAL, THUNDER, STATUS QUO and many more.

The news of LAST IN LINE's partnership with earMUSIC was shared eight months ago by Appice during a appearance on "Waste Some Time With Jason Green". Vinny also revealed that LAST IN LINE completed recording six more new songs in late January at Danny "Count" Koker's Desert Moon studios in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Formed in 2012 by Appice, bassist Jimmy Bain and guitarist Vivian Campbell — Ronnie James Dio's co-conspirators and co-writers on the "Holy Diver", "Last In Line" and "Sacred Heart" albums — LAST IN LINE's initial intent was to celebrate Ronnie James Dio's early work by reuniting the members of the original DIO lineup. After playing shows that featured a setlist composed exclusively of material from the first three DIO albums, the band decided to move forward and create new music in a similar vein.

LAST IN LINE's debut album, "Heavy Crown", was released in February 2016 via Frontiers Music Srl, landing at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Initially, the release had been preceded by tragedy when Bain unexpectedly died at the age of 68 on January 23, 2016. LAST IN LINE, honoring what they knew would be Bain's wish to keep the band moving, brought in Soussan and committed to sustained touring in support of the album before beginning work on the follow-up release, 2019's "II", which was also made available through Frontiers Music Srl.

In June 2021, Soussan spoke to Metal-Net.com about the progress of the writing and recording sessions for LAST IN LINE's third album. "I've been quite motivational with the band," Phil said. "I'm trying to keep things happening. We wanted to work on a few different aspects [during the pandemic]. And we also had to go about getting a new record deal — we were changing labels — so that's something we're in the process of doing, and we're getting pretty close now. But part of that was writing a third record. So we've been hard at work trying to write a third record and even record that third record while we've been in different locations around the world. And, obviously, this band works as a unit in every sense of the word, so it's a real handicap not being able to be in the same room as everybody and trying to make it happen."

In February 2021, Appice told Metal From The Inside that former DOKKEN and current FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson, who produced both "II" and "Heavy Crown", is not involved with the upcoming LAST IN LINE album. "We made a change," he said. "Actually, the guy who mixed the last record, Chris Collier — he's great; he's working with KORN — he recorded this record. And we're kind of producing it ourselves, between all of us.

"Jeff is great — Jeff's a great producer, and [he has] great ideas and stuff, but we just felt that we could probably do what we wanna do now that we're a band, we've been on the road, and we know what we wanna hear," he explained. "But it's coming out great. The stuff sounds fantastic.

"And yeah, I've been through a lot with Jeff Pilson. I've known him for years. He's a great guy. He's like my brother."

Also in February 2021, Soussan told the "Pat's Soundbytes Unplugged" podcast about the musical direction of the new LAST IN LINE material: "The songs are another progression from the last album — the difference between 'Heavy Crown' and 'II', and now 'II' and whatever this next album is gonna be called; we don't know yet, by the way. But it's definitely evolved even more; it's gone into even more of an evolution, but we are always trying to keep the characteristics of LAST IN LINE there. I mean, you can't shake those things — you can't shake Vinny's drumming, you can't shake Vivian's playing. And I'd like to say the same thing about myself, and, of course, [singer] Andrew [Freeman]."

Some of the early recording sessions for LAST IN LINE's third album took place in January 2020 at Steakhouse studio in North Hollywood, California.

The official audio for "Double Talkin' Jive" performed live by GUNS N' ROSES in Las Vegas at The Thomas & Mack Center on January 25, 1992 is available below. The track is taken from the upcoming "Use Your Illusion I & II" ultimate box set for the band's 1991 multi-platinum releases "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II", which is due on November 11 via UME/Geffen. "Use Your Illusion I & II" super deluxes feature a total of 97 tracks, 63 are previously unreleased. It will be available in multiple configurations including a Super Deluxe Seven-CD + Blu-ray, a Super Deluxe Twelve-LP + Blu-ray, Two-CD Deluxe Editions of "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" separately, standard 1CD and 2LP versions of "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" separately. In all formats, the original studio albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" have been fully remastered for the first-time ever, from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog masters. All versions will be available to stream and as digital downloads, with all configurations available to pre-order and pre-save.

GUNS N' ROSES' highly anticipated third and fourth studio albums, "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II", were originally released simultaneously on September 17, 1991. With the massive success of "Lies" and "Appetite For Destruction", the band had the daunting task of a follow up album. Not only did the band deliver, GUNS N' ROSES surprised the world by releasing not one but two new, full-length studio albums. Upon release, "Use Your Illusion I" reached No. 2 and "Use Your Illusion II" took the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200 chart concurrently, selling over 500,000 copies in the first two hours of release, with an estimated sales of over 685,000 and 770,000, respectively, within the first week of release.

"Use Your Illusion I" features the band's bombastic cover of Paul McCartney's "Live And Let Die", the Top Ten hit "Don't Cry" and what NPR described as "one of the ultimate hard-rock power ballads," the band's '90s anthem and MTV staple "November Rain", which hit No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100, spending a total of 30 weeks on the chart, and holds the title of the first video from the '90s to hit the 1 billion views mark on YouTube — now nearing 2 billion views. "November Rain" will now include a real 50-piece orchestra for the first-time ever newly recorded, conducted and arranged in 2021 by Grammy Award-winning and Emmy Award-nominated composer Christopher Lennertz.

"Use Your Illusion II" features the band's Top 50 single "You Could Be Mine", "Civil War", which reached No. 4 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, Bob Dylan's "Knocking On Heaven's Door", plus an alternate version of "Don't Cry" featuring different lyrics.

"Use Your Illusion I & II" Super Deluxe Seven-CD + Blu-ray and Super Deluxe Twelve-LP + Blu-ray box sets feature a whopping 97 songs, 63 of which are unreleased audio and video tracks. The original studio albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" are both remastered for the first-time from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog master tapes. The box set features an impressive, anamorphic illusion showcasing each of the two covers at different angles. The twelve-LP box is pressed on 180-gram heavy weight audiophile black vinyl with six premium tip-on gatefold jackets. Both Super Deluxe Editions also include the complete live audio recording "Live In New York", taped at the Ritz Theatre on May 16, 1991, with sound newly mixed from original multi-track tapes. This legendary show is one of three warmup shows for the "Use Your Illusion" tour and features Izzy Stradlin on guitar, the original version of "Don't Cry" and a special performance of "You Ain't The First" both of which features the late Shannon Hoon of BLIND MELON on guest vocals. Also included is the complete audio recording of "Live In Las Vegas" taped at Thomas & Mack Center on January 25, 1992, newly mixed from the original multi-track tapes and features the band's then-new guitarist Gilby Clarke. The bonus disc is a Blu-ray Video of the complete "Live In New York" concert film, newly transferred from 35mm film prints to 4K UHD and presented in 1080p 24fps HD, in its entirety, along with audio mixed in Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround, and PCM 48kHz 24-bit stereo. The Blu-ray menu features the brand-new live music video "You Could Be Mine". This is the first-time release of any complete audio and video concerts from the "Use Your Illusion"-era GN'R.

The Super Deluxe box sets are housed with a 100-page hardcover book with unreleased photos, memorabilia & archival documents, Conspiracy Inc. replica fan club folder with membership card, four Conspiracy Inc. 1991/1992 "Use Your Illusion"-era replica fan club newsletters, 10 Double-design lithos that reveals 1 of 2 unique images when inserted into the supplied red & blue reveal sleeves, seven band 8"x10" photo prints, four "Use Your Illusion" tour replica cloth sticky backstage passes, a Ritz Theatre 5/16/1991 replica concert ticket (with the original misprinted date of 5/15/1991) and a brand new 24"x36" band poster.

Both "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" are packaged together in a limited-edition 4LP set, each housed in a premium tip-on gatefold jacket with a 12"x12" insert and feature both original studio albums fully remastered for the first-time ever from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog master tapes. "Use Your Illusion I" includes the debut of the newly recorded "November Rain (2022 Version)" with a first-ever real 50-piece orchestra conducted and arranged by Grammy Award winner and Emmy Award-nominated composer Christopher Lennertz. Both albums are housed in an exclusive foil-art slipcase showcasing both "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" covers. "Use Your Illusion I" LP 1 is pressed on yellow vinyl and LP 2 is pressed on red vinyl. "Use Your Illusion II" LP 1 is pressed on blue vinyl and LP 2 is pressed on purple vinyl. As an added bonus, exclusive to this set is a zoetrope turntable mat that when combined with a strobing light effect animates the mat's artwork while spinning on a turntable.

"Use Your Illusion I": 2CD Deluxe Edition

Disc one features the original studio album "Use Your Illusion I", fully remastered for the first-time ever from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog master tapes onto 44.1kHz 16-bit CD, and now includes the debut of the newly recorded "November Rain (2022 Version)" featuring a real 50-piece orchestra for the first-time conducted and arranged by Grammy Award winner and Emmy Award-nominated composer Christopher Lennertz.

Disc two features 13 unreleased, newly mixed live tracks from London, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, New York, and Las Vegas recorded during the "Use Your Illusion" 1991/1992 tour including the track "Always On The Run (Live in Paris – 6/6/92)" featuring Lenny Kravitz, complete with a 24-page booklet with expanded artwork and unreleased photos and images.

"Use Your Illusion II": 2CD Deluxe Edition

Disc one is the original studio album "Use Your Illusion II" fully remastered for the first-time ever from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog master tapes onto 44.1kHz 16-bit CD. Disc two features 13 newly mixed, unreleased live tracks from London, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, New York and Las Vegas recorded during the "Use Your Illusion" 1991/1992 tour including special guest appearances by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of AEROSMITH for live renditions of "Mama Kin & Train Kept A Rollin' (Live in Paris – 6/6/92)". Included is a 24-page booklet with expanded artwork and unreleased photos and images.

"Use Your Illusion I": 2LP 180g Vinyl / "Use Your Illusion II": 2LP 180g Vinyl

Each pressed on 180g heavy-weight audiophile black vinyl as a 2LP set, both "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" are available separately and each housed in a gatefold jacket with a 12"x12" insert and feature the original studio album fully remastered for the first-time ever from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog master tapes. "Use Your Illusion I" includes the debut of the newly recorded "November Rain (2022 Version)" with a first-ever real 50-piece orchestra conducted and arranged by Grammy Award winner and Emmy Award-nominated composer Christopher Lennertz.

"Use Your Illusion I": 1CD & Digital / "Use Your Illusion II": 1CD & Digital

For the first-time ever, the 1CD versions of "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II", both available separately, have been remastered from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog master tapes onto 44.1kHz 16-bit CD. "Use Your Illusion I" includes the newly recorded "November Rain (2022 Version)" with a first-ever real 50-piece orchestra conducted and arranged by Grammy Award winner and Emmy Award-nominated composer Christopher Lennertz and each housed in a jewel case with 16-page booklet.

STILLWELL, the band featuring KORN bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, vocalist/guitarist Anthony "Q-Unique" Quiles and P.O.D. drummer Noah "Wuv" Bernardo, has released the official music video for its new single, "Rock The House". The Ahren Anthony-directed clip pays homage to BEASTIE BOYS and is the title track of STILLWELL's upcoming fourth album.

Last month, STILLWELL released "Can't Stop Now", which marked the band's first new music since the release of the group's third album, "Supernatural Miracle", which came out in September 2020. The follow-up to STILLWELL's past albums — "Raise It Up" (2015) and "Dirtbag" (2011) — was described in a press release as "the culmination of years' worth" of the individual members "finding their voice."

Last month, Fieldy issued a statement saying that STILLWELL "has nothing to do with KORN". On September 6),he wrote on his social media: "Some clarity about STILLWELL. I've been doing STILLWELL for about 16 years, this isn't something new, although to some of you it is, that's cool. Along with my bros Wuv (POD) and Q (ARSONISTS, RADAMUS),we've put out 3 albums, we're about to drop our 4th.

"It has nothing to do with KORN or my status with KORN or anything else. It isn't Heavy music, it's alternative rock.

"We've always wrote STILLWELL music while on tour with KORN or at home. We've actually opened for KORN back in 2011, and to add one more little fact, the 1st STILLWELL video 'Killing Myself to Live' was during a KORN concert (2006),back when David [Silveria, drums] was in KORN, he's in the video, that's how far back STILLWELL goes. Again, it isn't metal or nu metal or heavy music, and that was my way of being respectful to the integrity of KORN, I knew STILLWELL had to be different.

"Thank you to those who have shown love and support and to those that aren't into STILLWELL, there's plenty of heavy bands out there to fulfill your needs.

"Thank you, Fieldy".

"We intentionally made sure to not sound like the other bands we're a part of, out of respect, integrity and just wanting to push ourselves creatively," Arvizu stated at the time. "If people want to hear KORN, P.O.D. or the 10 bands Q works with, they can just listen to those, STILLWELL is its own thing. We put together what I think is our best work yet."

Fieldy announced in June 2021 that he would sit out KORN's ongoing tour in order to "heal" after "falling back" on some of his "bad habits." He has since been replaced on the road by SUICIDAL TENDENCIES bassist Roberto "Ra" Díaz.

When Fieldy broke the news of his absence from KORN's summer 2021 trek, he wrote in a social media update: "To all KORN fans worldwide. The past 6 years I've been dealing with some personal issues that at times have caused me to fall back on some of my bad habits and has caused some tension with the people around me. It's been suggested to me to take some time off to heal. I'm going to respect what was asked of me and take that time. Unfortunately you will not see me on stage with my band. I will be working towards getting the bad habits out of my system. In the meantime I will be staying creative to keep my mind & soul in a good place.

"I'm thankful for all of your support, patience & understanding as we all have something that we deal with.

"Jonathan, Munky, Ray and Head, I love you and I don't want to bring any tension or bad vibes to the circle."

A short time later, KORN's official social media shared Fieldy's statement, along with the following message: "We love and support our brother, Fieldy. Health and family always comes first."

During a press conference at this year's Hellfest in Clisson, France, KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer was asked about Fieldy's current status. He said: "[Fieldy] needed a little time at home with his family to kind of regroup. We decided we were gonna make a record during the pandemic and use that time constructively. And once the pandemic was over and we were ready to go back on the road, he wasn't quite ready to do that yet. So the rest of us were anxious to get back in front of our fans and play for everybody."

Earlier in June, KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch told Kerrang! Radio that he had "been in contact" with Fieldy. "I just e-mailed him the other day," he said. "So we're gonna get together and talk to him, see how he's doing, see where his head is at, after this tour. Me and Munk were just talking about it. We love him, we've been in communication with him, and we'll see."

KORN drummer Ray Luzier told Germany's MoreCore that Fieldy is "doing good. He's our brother. We love him. We support him 110 percent," he said. "Bands are like marriages. Sometimes you need to step away a little bit to look at the picture and see what's going on with your individual life, and I think that's where we're all at now with Reggie. He's such a great dude and he's one of my best buds, so we support him in everything he does. No one has a crystal ball — I don't know what's gonna happen in the future — but we definitely miss him out here."

According to Luzier, Díaz is "doing a great job. He's doing a hell of a job. But there's a sound about Fieldy that isKORN," he said. "There's that signature thing that not many bass players can say that. Just that sound — you pop a KORN album on, and you're, like, 'Woah.' That bass, you take that out and it wouldn't sound normal, because Munky and Head [Brian Welch] don't sound normal, and neither does Jon [singer Jonathan Davis]. But that bass, man, it's just leading a lot of those older records."

This past February, Welch told Spotlight Report that Fieldy was "just taking a little time to be with his family. He is a great dad," Welch said. "He has so many kids. He has adult kids, teenagers and young kids. He is just taking time, and we are giving him the time. We want everyone to be healthy and happy.

"I guess we will go and tour this record," Head continued, referencing KORN's recently released album "Requiem". "I don't know a lot more other than that. We love him very much and we hope to communicate with him during the year at some stage, to see where everyone is at."

Welch previously addressed Fieldy's position in KORN during a November 2021 interview with U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine. At the time, he stated: "The best thing to do is stay at home, be with your family, and start processing. He's got to find that healing. I still struggle with it. I had a few slip-ups with my 'bad habits' three to four years ago, so I understand it, but I dealt with it by hitting it head-on and stopping it from becoming a problem. I'm not concerned because I know he's going to be okay."

Davis expressed a more worried outlook on Fieldy's predicament, saying: "I love him; he's my brother. But I watched somebody I care about die and I'm not going to fucking do that again. I refuse to. I will feel guilt for the rest of my fucking life because of that. I tried my hardest but perhaps if I'd been a little bit tougher there'd have been a different outcome. I pray that he can figure it out and get better and come back and be a huge part of this band again."

Despite the fact that he is not joining his KORN bandmates on their current tour, Fieldy did play on "Requiem".

Earlier in November 2021, Shaffer told "Loudwire Nights" host Toni Gonzalez about Fieldy: "Right now he's just taking some time to kinda figure out what makes him happy and figure out his happiness and what he wants to do with his life, I guess is the best way to put it. And make sure his mental health is at its best, because if your mental health isn't good, or you're not clear, you're gonna make bad choices.

"I make an example," he continued. "I had my own challenges through the years, and once you get clarity, your life becomes a lot easier to manage. We're just giving him time to, like, no pressure, just figure out what you want to do because we can still work and we can still go out and tour. But we miss him. We love the guy, and we want him to just be healthy."

Regarding how KORN ended up recruiting Díaz to fill in for Fieldy, Welch told 97.9 GRD: "Well, there's COVID and everything, so when we started talking about it, it was a thing where we wanted to be careful still and whatnot. So we just started brainstorming and hitting up friends and whatnot. We need the slap — we need the slap bass, we need the finger playing, we need someone, 'cause Fieldy is unique — very unique. So it just kind of happened that way, man, where Ra, he was open because SUICIDAL [was] not going out [on tour] until [the following] year. So it just worked out, man. He came down, we jammed. He's a really humble guy, and just very talented. He can play anything — from jazz to slap to anything. He played all the songs with, like, three mistakes out of 10 songs or something — little mistakes. I mean, not even mistakes — it was just, like, 'I thought I heard it that way.' They weren't even mistakes. So we were, like, 'Okay. You got it down.'"

German/American heavy metal legends ACCEPT played the last two concerts of their fall 2022 North American tour with the band's longtime frontman Mark Tornillo sharing lead vocals with Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS, WATCHTOWER).

The October 21 show at Stereo Garden in Patchogue, New York and the October 22 gig at Paramount Hudson Valley Theater in Peekskill, New York marked Tornillo's return to the stage after he was forced to miss performances in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania because he was recovering from a "virus infection". A concert in Vineland, New Jersey was canceled due to Mark's illness.

It was announced prior to the Toronto concert that the 68-year-old Tornillo, who joined ACCEPT in 2009, would be unable to play the gig because he was having vocal issues and could have risked losing his voice had he gone ahead with the performance.

ACCEPT played an hour-long set in Toronto, with drummer Christopher Williams, bassist Martin Motnik and some of the other members handling the vocal parts.

McMaster sang for ACCEPT at the October 20 concert at Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe and stuck around for the two shows that followed, splitting vocals with Tornillo at both dates.

Fan-filmed video of the Patchogue concert can be seen below.

Earlier today, ACCEPT shared a few photos of the last couple of shows from the tour, and included the following message: We want to thank this amazing man and musician, Jason McMaster, who stepped in last minute to sing for a few shows without a rehearsal! Not only was he brave enough to fill in for our one of kind singer Mark, he did so with utmost professionalism and legendary showmanship!

"When Mark became ill, we were all concerned as to what do to, to keep the tour rolling for our US fans and family. Needless to say we worked around the clock to find a substitute who could step into this highly coveted role. Jason turned up and we have been blown away!

"Though Mark came back a couple of nights ago, both him and Jason decided to share the stage making the last 2 shows an epic moment in ACCEPT history! 2 killer front men at once!

"We are happy to announce that Jason will rock the stage with us for ONE more night!

"We want to thank him for his heroic courage, terrific presence and artistry!

"Thank you JASON MCMASTER!!!

"We had a ball, see you around brother!!

"We'd love to hear from people who were at the shows with both Mark and Jason… What did you like about it?

"And for those who want to catch this one off and extraordinary show in ACCEPT legacy, come down and join the fun! We play Debonair Music Hall NJ tonight."

Tornillo joined ACCEPT as the replacement for the band's original lead singer, Udo Dirkscheider. He can be heard on ACCEPT's last five studio albums, "Blood Of The Nations" (2010),"Stalingrad" (2012),"Blind Rage" (2014),"The Rise Of Chaos" (2017) and "Too Mean To Die" (2021).

ACCEPT's North American tour, featuring support from NARCOTIC WASTELAND, kicked off on September 29 in Nashville, Tennessee and is scheduled to conclude on October 29 in Columbus, Ohio.

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GREAT NEWS! Mark is doing better and will be able to join us tomorrow again on stage in Patchogue, NY at Stereo...

Posted by ACCEPT on Thursday, October 20, 2022

Brian Johnson says that he couldn't bring himself to watch Axl Rose filling in for him at the end of AC/DC's "Rock Or Bust" tour.

AC/DC postponed the last 10 dates of its spring 2016 North American trek after Johnson was advised to stop playing live or "risk total hearing loss." The band went on to complete the European and North American legs of its "Rock Or Bust" tour with the GUNS N' ROSES frontman as a "guest vocalist." At the time, Johnson had been AC/DC's singer for 36 years, ever since replacing the late Bon Scott in 1980 and making his debut on the classic "Back In Black" album.

According to Ultimate Classic Rock, Johnson writes in his autobiography "The Lives Of Brian" that he has never seen any of the widely circulated videos of Rose's performances in the band.

"I'm told that he did a great job," Johnson said, "but I just couldn't watch — especially when you've been doing it for 35 years. It's like finding a stranger in your house, sitting in your favorite chair. But I bear no grudges. It was a tough situation. [AC/DC guitarist and co-founder] Angus [Young] and the lads did what they felt they had to do. That said, after the band released a statement confirming that I was leaving the tour and wishing me all the best for the future, I couldn't relax or concentrate on anything. It was just always there.

"Part of the pain of it was that I blamed myself," he admitted. "For most of my career, I'd been in the loudest band in the world. I'd flown constantly. I'd flown even when I knew I wasn't well.

"For a while, people would ask me if I was depressed, but depression is treatable. My hearing loss wasn't. What I was feeling wasn't depression. It was something closer to despair."

Johnson also wrote about the circumstances that led to his decision to withdraw from AC/DC's tour nearly seven years ago.

"I called Tim, the tour manager, on my mobile right there in the room to tell him that I just couldn't continue," Johnson said. "It was one of the most difficult conversations of my life — the pain of it made worse over the weeks that followed when the tour simply went on without me. It was a sheer cliff. I didn't tumble down, I was in free fall."

Johnson credited messages of support from friends and fans with getting through the most difficult period while he was battling his hearing issues. At the time, he began spending more time on "the other thing I've always loved: racing cars. I found myself winning more than usual. People would come up to me afterwards and say, 'Brian, you're fearless!'" Johnson wrote, "but I wasn't fearless. I just didn't fucking care anymore. I'd always thought that the best way to go out would be at 180mph, flat-out around a corner. You'd hit the wall and boom, it would be over, just like that. Don't get me wrong, I didn't want to die. … I just wouldn't have minded all that much."

AC/DC's North American tour ended in Philadelphia in September 2016, and despite initial fan trepidation, Axl got generally good reviews for his performances. Angus said at the time: "I mean, under the situation that we had, it was very good that he volunteered and said, 'Hey, if I can help, let me try.' So he's been very good. And he had to learn a lot of songs very quickly, and he's done a great job."

Last year, Angus said in an interview with Germany's Rock Antenne that the prospect of a new studio album with Rose on vocals "never really came as a point in question. Axl helped us out," Angus explained. "He had actually volunteered, because — I'll be honest — at the time, we didn't really know what we would do in that situation. And he, very early, had volunteered. He said if he can help out — he had his own commitments to do — and he said if it didn't interfere with what he was doing, he would gladly, if he can help, he would be involved. So it was a case of that. We didn't know if it would come together, so we did a little bit of rehearsing with him. And it worked out. He broke his foot when he had been working with his own project, but he certainly gave it his all to get through. So that was very good of him. I've got a lot of respect. And how he did it — he was very pro. And he was very hungry. He's very much a fan of especially a lot of our earlier stuff with Bon. So he was excited to be doing it. As a band, I'll always be grateful to him for that."

To enable him to perform live with AC/DC again, Johnson worked with audio expert Stephen Ambrose, who said he could help resolve the singer's hearing problems.

Ambrose, who invented the wireless in-ear monitors that are widely used by touring artists today, claimed to have invented a new type of ear-bud that would allow Johnson to perform without causing further damage to his eardrums. After three years of experimenting and "miniaturizing" the equipment, Johnson said the technology could allow him to tour again.

"Whatever magic he used, it worked. I could hear again — even in my deaf ear, meaning I was able to enjoy stereo [again]," Johnson wrote. "Suddenly, I felt something that I hadn't felt in what seemed like an eternity: Hope."

AC/DC's comeback album, "Power Up", was released in November 2020. The LP was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked 2008's "Black Ice" and 2014's "Rock Or Bust".

In a 2020 interview with Apple Music, Johnson stated about the technology that enabled him to return to performing live: "I've gotta tell you, it was just lucky. When this wonderful gentleman came up and was looking for me; he was an audio professor. And he wanted to try this new technology. And he said, 'Listen, we could do it together, if I can come down and visit you.' And I thought it might have been all smoke and mirrors, somebody trying it on, but he was the actual, genuine article, and he did fly down all the way up from Denver, Colorado. And we sat there for two days, and I just couldn't believe the results. But, unfortunately, it was the size of a car battery, so we spent the next two years basically miniaturizing, which is the hard thing. And anyway, it worked well.

"When we'd done the album and we'd shot a video in Amsterdam, Angus said, 'Do you wanna do a rehearsal?' Because I didn't wanna go through what I went through again. I said, "Yeah.' And then Angus put the whole backline up. And they were saying, 'Well, we're gonna start quietly,' and we said, 'No, no. I want full battlefield conditions.' And we put it in, in the ears, and we were expected at least maybe two days of screwing around with, but boy, oh boy, it worked straight away… I don't have the words. I really don't have the words to tell you how I felt. But I know 'happy' was one of them. It was really good."

"The Lives Of Brian" will arrive on October 28.
I’ve had some long nights and some great nights, bad days and a lot of good ones. Now I’ve gone and written a bloody book about it… The Lives of Brian is coming this October. Pre-order your copy now: https://t.co/57hrcxliZ2pic.twitter.com/KEi6gJdpQ6

— Brian Johnson Racing (@BrianJohnson) September 5, 2022

InsideOutMusic recently announced the signing of Anglo-Finnish progressive metallers, Wheel, to a new worldwide deal. The band have just completed their extensive North American tour supporting Apocalyptica with label-mates Leprous, and now they are pleased to reveal the next track taken from their forthcoming Rumination EP, which will arrive on November 10. Listen to the song "Synchronise" below.





The band comment of the track: “This song has been in the works for the last five years, which even by our standards, is a really long gestation period - I had the idea for C part and the ending back in 2017 and finally came up with thematically appropriate parts to complete the structure at the end of last year.




I was playing acoustic guitar professionally in several bands for years before we started Wheel and I have been considering the possibility of using the instrument in our material again for ages - I've just been waiting for a song that I felt was interesting enough to justify its use.


The lyrics are about reconciliation - this is something I could over-explain very easily but I don't want to make it all about me. I think the subject is something many of us struggle with and although I don't think forgiveness is arbitrary - there are cases where it is absolutely fine not to forgive; more often than not it is better to let go and to heal than to hang on to destructive anger, guilt and pain. I've never found it easy to write positive lyrics but they felt absolutely right for this track.”


Stream the new single here.





They explained of the recent NA tour: “The US tour has been a blast! We literally just finished the final show as I'm writing this (we are now in a van driving to our final hotel) and although we are all looking forward to going home after five weeks on the road, it has been an incredible experience. Apocalyptica and Leprous are incredible bands and people that we consider as friends after so much time spent together on the road and on top of meeting countless fans both old and new, we very much enjoyed getting to hear the bands play every night.”


The band will join Apocalyptica in Finland in November, before hooking up with them again in Europe in early 2023.


Listen to the previously released track, "Blood Drinker", below:





Lineup:


James Lascelles (Vocals/Guitar)
Santeri Saksala (Drums)
Aki ‘Conan’ Virta (Bass)
Jussi Turunen (Lead Guitar)

Canadian metal outfit Iron Kingdom are gearing up for their fifth full-length effort, The Blood Of Creation, out November 4th. Today, these '80s throwbackers meet modern progressive riffs have unveiled the video for their latest single, “Queen Of The Crystal Throne”. Musically, the group is influenced by fantasy mixed with some added darker emotions following the Covid-19 pandemic, making it an interesting take on the band’s continuous evolution.


The band explains: “This powerful mid-tempo banger was written about a dark seductress: cold, aloof, and dangerous, you show interest at your own peril. We wanted a straight rocker tune, and that’s exactly what we did here with ‘Queen Of The Crystal Throne’, with hints of early Queensrÿche or Accept, the riffs have some balls, but they also keep a cool pace, it’s really just a super fun tune.”







The Blood Of Creation artwork and tracklisting:





"Tides Of Desolation"
"Sheathe The Sword"
"Queen Of The Crystal Throne"
"Hunter And Prey"
"Witching Hour"
"In The Grip Of Nightmares"
"Primordial"
"The Blood Of Creation"


Teaser:





"In The Grip Of Nightmares":





In additional news, Iron Kingdom have announced their album launch show for November 4th in Vancouver, BC at The Wise Hall. For more info, head here.





 

Swedish modern metal sensation, Amaranthe, are currently on their European co-headlining tour with Beyond The Black, with Butcher Babies and Ad Infinitum as support. The band have released a recap video for Week 1. Watch below:





Remaining tour dates are listed below.







Tour dates:


October
21 - Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
22 - Offenbach, Germany - Stadthalle
23 - Zürich, Switzerland - X-Tra
25 - Milan, Italy - Live Club
26 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Metropole
28 - Geiselwind, Germany - Event Hall
29 - Zlin, Czech Republic MOR Cafe
30 - Budapest, Barba Negra
31 - Munich, Germany - Zenith


November
2 - Warsaw, Polabnd - Progresja
4 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
5 - Hamburg, Germany - Zeltphilharmonie
6 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli Ronda
8 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Amager Bio
9 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene
11 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Pustervik
12 - Stockholm, Sweden - Klubben Fryshuset


Amaranthe released their new single, “Find Life”, right in time for the start of the tour.





Olof Mörck comments: "’Find Life’ sees Amaranthe exploring a more somber and mature mood, all while keeping our trademark high energy rhythms and explosive riffs. Ethereal layers of keyboards meld seamlessly with a modern pumping bass line, topped off with some of the greatest vocal performances from vocalists Elize Ryd and Nils Molinyet. After quite some time we have reunited with video director and longtime Amaranthe collaborator Patric Ullaeus, for a video that is both intimate and explosive. We wanted to scale things down, and focus entirely on the individuals of the band, and Patric delivered as always!"

Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven, the latest full-length from blackened death thrash outfit Goatwhore, smashed Billboard charts upon its first week of release, earning the #9 position on the Current Hard Music Albums chart. Additional Billboard chart positions include:


US:
#17 Billboard Current Rock Albums
#21 Billboard Independent Label Albums
#31 Billboard Current Digital Albums
#43 Billboard Current Albums
#61 Billboard Albums


Canada:
#8 Billboard Hard Music Albums
#29 Billboard Current Digital Albums
#37 Billboard Current Albums




Unquestionably Goatwhore's fiercest, most accomplished album to date in sound, concept, and execution, the twelve-track Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven stands among the most volatile and plainly dangerous records to come out of 2022. Get your copy now at this location.





Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven tracklisting:


"Invocation 3"
"Born Of Satan's Flesh"
"The Bestowal Of Abomination"
"Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven"
"Death From Above"
"Ruinous Liturgy"
"Victory Is The Lightning Of Destruction"
"Voracious Blood Fixation"
"The Devil's Warlords"
"Weight Of A Soulless Heart"
"Nihil"
"And I Was Delivered From The Wound Of Perdition"


"Death From Above" visualizer:





"Born Of Satan's Flesh" video:





"Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven" video:





Goatwhore lineup:


Louis B. Falgoust II - vocals
Sammy Duet - guitars, vocals
Zack Simmons - drums
Robert "TA" Coleman - bass


(Photo - Stephanie Cabral)


 

Classless Act, who spent the summer touring North America as the opening act on The Stadium Tour - featuring Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett - will be releasing an acoustic EP in the near future, which was mixed by bassist Franco Gravante. 


While we await complete details of the acoustic EP, Classless Act has offered up a teaser in the form of the video for the acoustic version of the song “Classless Act”.  







In live news, Classless Act will be joining Giovannie And The Hired Guns for a run of east coast shows in December. "We're so excited to be back on the road. Tickets are on sale now," says the band. Confirmed dates are as listed:


December 
1 - Soul Kitchen Music Hall - Mobile, AL
2 - Club LA - Destin, FL
8 - The Barrelhouse Ballroom - Chattanooga, TN
9 - Mercury Ballroom - Louisville, KY
10 - Capone's - Johnson City, TN
14 - Wonder Bar - Asbury Park, NJ
16 - The Lost Horizon - Syracuse, NY
17 - Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center - Harrisburg, PA
18 - The Broadberry - Richmond, VA





 

Johan Kihlberg's Impera have made their new single and video, "The Empire Strikes Back (Medley)", available on streaming services and digital service providers. A video for the song can be found below.





Johan Kihlberg says: "I've been a huge John Williams fan ever since I first watched the Star Wars movies that Williams so brilliantly composed the music for. And after hearing MECO's covers of Williams' score, I always wanted to do a rocking version of one of those songs. In waiting for the release of our upcoming live album (recorded this summer in Gothenburg, Sweden as special guest to KISS), it felt like a good opportunity to finally release this as a single and video."







"The Empire Strikes Back (Medley)" credits:


Johan Kihlberg - Guitar
Kay Backlund - Keyboards
Kristoffer Ehn - Bass
Lars Chriss - Drums


Mixed by: Lars Chriss
Mastered by: Mike Lind
Artwork by: Tommy Denander
Video by: Tommy Denander

Grammy Award-nominated hard rock outfit IN THIS MOMENT has released a visualizer for the song "Adrenalize 1983" from its new EP, "Blood 1983".

The "Blood 1983" EP commemorates the tenth anniversary of IN THIS MOMENT's gold-certified album "Blood" (2012) and is available digitally across all digital service providers as well as CD via BMG.

IN THIS MOMENT singer Maria Brink said: "We are excited to celebrate the tenth anniversary of our album 'Blood' by bringing this new EP to life. 'Blood' changed our lives and shifted our career in a way we will never forget. We created this reimagined version because we wanted to give our beautiful fans something to be excited about. 'Blood 1983' is just that… We can't wait for the world to hear it."

"Blood 1983" was co-produced by Tyler Bates and Dan Haigh, and mixed by Zakk Cervini.

Bates said: "The collab between IN THIS MOMENT, the inimitable Dan Haigh of GUNSHIP and myself yielded an awesome reimagining of four of the band's classic songs; leaning into synth wave and industrial music that has inspired all of us throughout our careers in music. We love it."

"Blood 1983" EP track listing

01. 1983
02. Adrenalize 1983
03. Burn 1983
04. Blood 1983
05. Whore 1983

Two months ago, IN THIS MOMENT launched its "Blood 1983" tour with special guests NOTHING MORE, SLEEP TOKEN and CHERRY BOMBS.

Since coming to life in 2005, IN THIS MOMENT has presided over a diehard fan base under the watch of "mother" figure and frontwoman Maria Brink — joined by co-founder and lead guitarist Chris Howorth, bassist Travis Johnson, guitarist Randy Weitzel and drummer Kent Dimmel. As millions convened upon the group's otherworldly and unforgettable concerts, they quietly emerged as one of the most influential and impactful bands of the 21st century.

To date, in addition to the gold-selling album "Blood", the quintet has garnered two gold singles — "Blood" and "Whore" — followed by Top 25 entries on the Billboard Top 200 with "Black Widow" (2014) and "Ritual" (2017). Bringing their total stream tally well past 200 million as of 2020, "Ritual" elevated them to new creative and critical peaks as well. Between selling out headline tours coast-to-coast, the group performed in arenas everywhere alongside DISTURBED and appeared at countless festivals from Welcome To Rockville to Sonic Temple. Along the way, they assembled their seventh full-length, the aptly titled "Mother" (Roadrunner) with longtime collaborator Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH).

IN THIS MOMENT is Maria Brink (lead vocals),Chris Howorth (guitars),Travis Johnson (bass),Randy Weitzel (rhythm guitar),Kent Dimmel (drums).

Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer

Florida death metal veterans DEICIDE have "officially started pre-production" for their long-awaited new studio album.

On Thursday (October 20),DEICIDE's newest addition, guitarist Taylor Nordberg (THE ABSENCE, INHUMAN CONDITION),shared a photo of his studio setup from his home studio, Smoke And Mirrors Productions, and he included the following message: "We have officially started preproduction for the new DEICIDE album!! @deicideofficial #deicide #album13 #floridadeathmetal #smokeandmirrorsproductions @officialjacksonguitars @klotzcables @ernieball @dimarzioinc @marshallamps @intunegp @bossfx_us @astonmics @genelec_usa @argosyconsole".

In a recent interview with "The Garza Podcast", hosted by SUICIDE SILENCE guitarist Chris Garza, DEICIDE bassist/vocalist Glen Benton spoke about the band's plans to record the follow-up to 2018's "Overtures Of Blasphemy" album. He said: "The new stuff that we're writing now is really anthem-style stuff. It's really good, man. There's a lot of prog stuff in there, mixed in there. Steve's [Asheim, drums] our prog guy, man; he's the progressive rock guy. He likes to write those really black metal riffs and the progressive stuff. He's an amazing talent, man. He plays piano. He can play sweeps on guitar. He's a drummer. Yeah, he can do it all."

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

DEICIDE played its first show with Nordberg on May 21 at the Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

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

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

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

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

In February, Nordberg was asked in an interview with the "Brews N Tunes" podcast if he and his new bandmates have commenced work on the follow-up to "Overtures Of Blasphemy" album. He responded: "They had started most of the new album before I joined, but since announcing [that we are going to celebrate the 30th anniversary of] 'Legion' [by performing the LP in its entirety], we've kind of shifted gears and we're trying to lock that in and get a set prepped just in the event that a show pops up. But they have most of the new album prepped, and then we're hammering out, ironing out some details with the last couple songs. So hopefully that will be out this year. I don't know any concrete plans on when we're gonna start pre-production or recording or any of that. But hopefully this year. That would be awesome. But the material is sounding killer. It sounds like DEICIDE."

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

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