RILEY'S L.A. GUNS has released a new single, "Overdrive", digitally via Golden Robot Records. The riff-filled track is taken from the band's upcoming sophomore album, "The Dark Horse", tentatively due mid-2023.

"Overdrive" marks a new era for RILEY'S L.A. GUNS, with an atmospheric approach to it. The track is highly energized from the get-go with no shortage of the instrumental breaks you love and the tantalizing vocals that keep engaged throughout the song.

Golden Robot CEO and president Mark Alexander-Erber has had this marked as one of the highlights of the year for his label's release calendar, commenting: "All this bullshit that rock is dead, just have a listen to this killer new single from RILEY'S L.A. GUNS and it's proof that it's not only alive but it's screaming and yelling the house down."

RILEY'S L.A. GUNS drummer Steve Riley said: "We are so excited about this second album from the band, 'The Dark Horse', and we feel we really took it up a notch with the songwriting, performances, and production after our well-received first album 'Renegades'. This first single, 'Overdrive', is a balls-out rocker and a great way to open this new album. We know you guys are going to love it, and we can't wait to see you out on the road in 2023!"

In April 2021, an out-of-court resolution was reached in the legal dispute over the rights to the L.A. GUNS name. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, guitarist Tracii Guns and singer Phil Lewis are continuing to operate under the L.A. GUNS trademark, while Steve Riley and his bandmates from the other version of L.A. GUNS are now operating under the new name RILEY'S L.A. GUNS.

RILEY'S L.A. GUNS features Riley alongside Orlando, Florida-based guitarist/vocalist Kurt Frohlich, bassist Kelly Nickels (a member of L.A. GUNS' "classic" incarnation) and guitarist Scott Griffin, who played bass for L.A. GUNS from 2007 until 2009, and then again from 2011 to 2014.

In January 2020, Riley was sued by Lewis and Guns in California District Court. Joining Riley as defendants in the case were the three musicians who performed in his rival version of L.A. GUNS; that group's manager, booking agent and merchandiser; and Golden Robot Records. The complaint, which requested a trial by jury, alleged that Riley's version of L.A. GUNS (referred to in the case docket as "the infringing L.A. GUNS") was creating "unfair competition" through its unauthorized usage of the L.A. GUNS trademark. In addition, Guns and Lewis were seeking relief from and/or against false advertising, breach of contract and unauthorized usage of their likenesses.

In May 2021, Guns discussed the resolution in an interview with The SDR Show. He said: "We ended up settling in a way where, basically, [Steve] licenses the words L.A. GUNS for free; I'm not even asking for a percentage of when he plays. I'm just saying, 'Hey, I could have taken your house. I could have taken anything you own. But I don't want you to die in the street, and I don't want you to be poor.' And I really love his son, Cole. It just got to the point with all this litigation…

"I live in Denmark half the time, so when we did this thing called a mediation, that mediation started at 11 p.m. Denmark time, and it was nine hours," he continued. "And I just had a baby. And my wife and my baby were in the bedroom, and I'm in the living room, and this is our first apartment there, which is, like, 72 square meters — it's tiny. And I'm up, and I'm doing this mediation. And finally, it just got to the point where [we were] just going back and forth, and I'm, like, 'How can I easily make it just make sense?' 'Cause in the end, they had no argument. 'Well, I'm in L.A. GUNS.' That was the argument. No, you're not — you're not in L.A. GUNS. You were hired by me. The bass player guy was hired by me. And it's as simple as that. But if you wanna pretend that you came up with the name or you formed the band or it was your musical vision or that you even wrote one fucking song, you can go live in that fantasy, as long as it doesn't infringe on my business."

In a separate interview with Sonic Perspectives, Guns addressed the fact that Riley's version of L.A. GUNS played at the M3 Rock Festival in 2019 and released a full-length album under the L.A. GUNS name, 2020's "Renegades". He said: "Dude, when they did those couple of shows, we got so much angry e-mail from our fans. People were, like, 'What the fuck? None of you guys were there!' We would have to explain it's a different band with the same name. When I say a lot, I'm talking over a thousand e-mails. Then they put out a record using the name L.A. GUNS, [and] the e-mails just escalated. That was the point where some from our family stepped who had unlimited funds, which we used to stop this. It was what we needed to do, and it is done. Can you imagine, now they have to make up their legal fees? In what reality is it worth it? For Steve Riley to spend $80,000, and they will never make that back with RILEY'S L.A. GUNS. There is no logic, and it's so bizarre."

During an appearance earlier today (Wednesday, October 19) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", W.A.S.P. leader Blackie Lawless was asked if there are any plans for the band to release new music to coincide with its 40th-anniversary celebrations. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We had started working on a record over a year ago. And I'm hoping to be able to finish it sometime in January/February, before we start the European [40th-anniversary] tour. It won't be out until after the tour is finished, but I'm hoping to have it wrapped up by the time we start. That's the plan.

"Have you ever seen a dog in the middle of a floor chasing his butt? That's what's going on here," Blackie continued. "It's just busy, and it's gonna be like this for probably the next year. But then again, we lost — all of us lost — a big chunk of our lives with this pandemic. So we're putting the hammer down on this. And we're gonna do everything we can. We're gonna take this thing all over the world, because we go to Europe in March; and then we'll do Australia after that; and then South America. And we've got some plans for next summer, but I don't really wanna get into that right now."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk if W.A.S.P.'s next album will be a concept record, Blackie said: "What's in my heart right now, I want this to be a rock and roll record — an old-time rock and roll record. That's what I'm feeling. And it could be some sort of adverse reaction to what's going on in the world, maybe. I don't know; I don't really wanna think about it that much. I'm just following my gut right now. I want something that feels good. And that's where my head is right now.

"I learned years ago, you make records based on who you are at that moment," Lawless added. "And that's where I am at this moment. I wanna do something that feels really good."

W.A.S.P.'s latest release was "ReIdolized (The Soundtrack To The Crimson Idol)", which came out in February 2018. It was a new version of the band's classic 1992 album "The Crimson Idol", which was re-recorded to accompany the movie of the same name to mark the 25th anniversary of the original LP's release. The re-recorded version also features four songs missing from the original album.

W.A.S.P.'s most recent studio album of all-new original material was 2015's "Golgotha".

W.A.S.P.'s first live performance since December 2019 took place on July 23 at Skansen in Stockholm, Sweden. A week later (July 30),W.A.S.P. also played at Skogsröjet festival in Rejmyre, Sweden.

W.A.S.P. recently postponed its European 40th-anniversary tour, originally scheduled for spring of 2022, until the spring of 2023. The new dates will take place in March, April and May of 2023. All tickets previously purchased for the 2022 tour will be valid at the rescheduled 2023 shows.

W.A.S.P. will embark on its first U.S. tour in a decade later this month. The trek will coincide the band's 40th anniversary and will include support from ARMORED SAINT and MICHAEL SCHENKER on select shows.

Lawless has led W.A.S.P. as its lead vocalist and primary songwriter since its beginning. His unique brand of visual, social and political comment took the group to worldwide heights and sold millions of records alongside a legacy of sold-out shows across the globe for four decades. He is joined in W.A.S.P.'s current lineup by bassist Mike Duda and guitarist Doug Blair, whose tenures in the band span 26 and 18 years respectively, along with drummer extraordinaire Aquiles Priester.

In a new interview with Kerrang! Radio presenter Loz Guest, SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor was asked what he thinks it is about the band's latest album, "The End, So Far", that has resonated with the SLIPKNOT fans so much. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think it's because we refuse to repeat ourselves — ever. I mean, there's a similarity [to our previous records], obviously, but we never like to, kind of, go back over the same scorched earth, let's put it that way. We like to challenge ourselves. 'Cause we know if we challenge ourselves, it's gonna challenge the listener, and that's going to help them expand their own horizons when it comes to the music that we're putting out."

He continued: "You can't just expect the audience to get there; you have to lead them. And we keep pushing the boundaries and keep really redrawing the map as far as what SLIPKNOT music means, because it means so many different things to so many people, and that's the good thing. If it just means one thing and you try to expand yourself, you're not gonna get very far. But because we started, from day one, expanding the boundaries and changing the landscape for ourselves and for the listeners, now if you ask a group of people what SLIPKNOT music means, you will get a very varied opinion about that, because it means so many different things to so many people. There's so many great things about this band that so many different people love — from the heaviness of songs like 'The Dying Song' and 'Hivemind' to the atmospheric stuff like 'Adderall' and 'Finale'. We refuse to be limited by limited imaginations. Ours is off the charts, so we're gonna take you with us — kicking and fucking screaming, if need be — and we're just gonna do it our way."

"The End, So Far" has been described by some fans as the most experimental and inventive album of SLIPKNOT's career.

Earlier this month, Taylor told NME's Big Read about the new LP: "Musically, we've never shied away from a challenge. It got to the point where you're, like, 'Where do we go?' [We said] let's look back for inspiration instead of trying to look forward, and let's try to embrace some of the shit that made us wanna do this in the first place."

He continued: "We've always been experimental," commenting that some fans will have "a fucking cystic embolism" when they hear the new record.

"Everybody just assumes that we're heavy all the fucking time. We do have moments of blasts and brilliance, but at the same time, we have songs like [acoustic and string-led 'Vol 3' cut] 'Circle'. We also have songs like 'Snuff' [brooding and clean from fourth album 'All Hope Is Gone']. When people hear [the new album], they go, 'Well, that's a departure.' It's, like, 'What are you, fucking new?' We’ve spent 20-plus years throwing people for a loop."

"The End, So Far" was released on September 30 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to 2019's "We Are Not Your Kind", it is the band's final record with Roadrunner after first signing with the rock and metal label in 1998.

"The End, So Far" debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 59,000 equivalent album units earned in its first week, according to Luminate. It was group's sixth top 10 and first since "We Are Not Your Kind", which opened as SLIPKNOT's third No. 1 in 2019.

Michael Sweet has once again claimed that STRYPER was never a "Christian" band despite the fact that the lyrics in a number of STRYPER songs explicitly point to Christ. During a new interview with Effect Radio, the 59-year-old guitarist/vocalist, who is STRYPER's primary songwriter, explained (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Everybody knows where I stand on that term, 'Christian rock.' I've never really understood that term. We're a rock band comprised of Christians. We are Christians, we are believers, we have a deep faith and we're so honored to be able to tour the world and share that with people. And it's such a blessing. God has really blessed the band over the years. And we're looking at almost 40 years. And it's pretty amazing that the band is still thriving and still doing really well. We just performed to two sellout crowds in Costa Rica and Colombia, and whenever I go out on the stage and I see that, I'm in awe. I mean, I'm just thinking to myself, 'How is this possible? This is amazing.' And that's a God thing. It's incredible."

He added: "With the term 'Christian rock band,' a lot of people who aren't Christians aren't going to come see you — they're not gonna come see you. So, isn't that what we're here to do, is to reach people that aren't Christians? So why would you wanna limit yourself by saying 'we're a Christian rock band.' It's not to discredit what we stand for, who we stand for. We are firm believers in Christ and we're so proud to stand for Christ."

Even though STRYPER's third album, 1986's "To Hell With The Devil", made Sweet and his bandmates the first contemporary Christian act to score a platinum album, the group has often felt unwelcome in Christian circles, with some members of the church feeling that Christianity and heavy metal are incompatible.

"STRYPER was certainly not the norm," Sweet told Effect Radio. "We broke down all barriers… You can look at a video of us performing at the Dove Awards [which honors outstanding achievements and excellence in Christian and gospel music] in 1986, and I'll never forget the look on some of the people's faces when we performed. It was that deer-in-the-headlights look.

"I don't even know what's going on with STRYPER. All I know is God's used us and continues to use us in a powerful way to reach those that need to be reached. And that's all that concerns me. And we're gonna keep doing it until God tells us to stop."

In a 2018 interview with the Detroit Free Press, Michael said that STRYPER was never fully embraced by the heavy metal and hard rock communities, largely because of the band's Christian lyrics.

"We've never been accepted by either side," he said. "The secular side, the mainstream, they've never accepted us to this day. We're probably that band that everyone's going to go to whenever there's a time to mock. We'll be the band used for that in most cases. Now on the Christian side, we've never really had the full support of the Christian side because we don't fit into their little club. We're not wearing suits and ties and going to every church and preaching."

Formed 39 years ago, STRYPER's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen", "God Damn Evil" and the band's latest effort, "Even The Devil Believes".

STRYPER's new studio album, "The Final Battle", is due on October 21 via Frontiers Music Srl. The follow-up to 2020's "Even The Devil Believes" was produced by Sweet and was once again recorded at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Horror metal band Hell Theater have signed with Wormholedeath a deal for their album, S'Accabadora, which is due for digital release on October 28th via Wormholedeath. CD format will be out in November 2022.


They have released an oficial lyric video for their new single, "Dressed In Black". CHeck it out below.







Hell Theater on the new album:


"It’s a concept album, a unique story in 11 tracks (chapters) lasting about 60 minutes. The story is based on a traditional Sardinian figure, the 'female Accabadora' or 'she who ends,' who really existed in the past and perhaps still exists in very rural areas, to whom magical gifts were attributed, a sort of witch dressed in black. Her role was to put an end to the suffering of dying and terminally ill old people, out of pity, at the request of relatives, by striking a blow on the back of the head with a special 'Mazzolu' hammer (see the cover of 'A Strange Death'). Sometimes, however, the relatives for her sake tricked the Accabadora, and then she unleashed her curses. This is the first time that a similar story has been told in a metal album."


Hell Theater is a horror metal band formed in the Venice area in 2009 and has remained active through live shows up to the present day. In recent years they have returned exactly to the most famous line-up that produced their best works with the only introduction of bassist Guh Lu as a guest, the live bassist for Norway's Gorgoroth. Their sound is defined as an influence between thrash, progressive and classic heavy metal.


Their previous work is the aggressive Smell Of Blood EP and the Reincarmnation Of Evil concept album distributed by My Graveyard Records.





Tracklist


"Laughing Doll" (Intro)
"Eyes Painted Blood"
"A Strange Death"
"Church Of Saint Anthony, Pt. 1"
"Church Of Saint Anthony, Pt. 2"
"Mamuthones Dance"
"In The Dark Room"
"Domus De Janas"
"Dressed In Black"
"Morte Be Thy Name"
"The Legend Will Never Die"


"A Strange Death"





Line-up


Victor Solinas - Vocals
Brian Steele - Rhythm & Lead Guitars
Bon Axx - Rhythm & Lead Guitars, Keyboards
Unh Buryan - Drums
Guh Ku - Bass (guest performer)

At this year's Aftershock festival in Sacramento, KILLSWITH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach spoke to Baby Huey of the 107.7 The Bone radio station about the band's plans for the coming months. He said: "We finish up the tour with LAMB OF GOD and we go home and continue demoing the new record. The record is kind of the only thing I can think about right now. I've got a lot of writing to do and I'm excited. It's a killer record so far."

Back in June, Leach told Australia's Heavy that he and his bandmate would try to get the new KILLSWITH ENGAGE LP "wrapped up and done quickly, because we want it to be a record that's not gonna take a lot of time to create. We want that raw, fresh feeling, so a lot of these demos I'm trying to [get] through quickly just to get the energy and then we'll sort of dissect them as new get into the studio," he explained. "So I think there's a real spirit within us to put out new material and then tour on that new record come next year, hopefully. So that's kind of what we're all thinking."

Elaborating on the time table for the completion of the next KILLSWITCH ENGAGE LP, Leach told Heavy: "We've got a couple of sessions [scheduled]. We haven't really put deadlines or anything. But I'm personally setting goals for me to create quick, very emotional, raw stuff for the demos and then probably taking a little more time, once we get to the studio, to polish that up and make it sound really good. Some of these demos I'm getting ready to send to the guys, if you would listen to them, most people would probably laugh 'cause they're just me going nuts, just trying to get the idea out quick and then we'll worry about re-recording it and polishing it and sort of making it sound KILLSWITCH-y.

"I've always been really hard on myself — a perfectionist, if you will — and I think it's hindered me in the demo-making process," he explained. "So my approach to this record is I wake up in the morning and I write lyrics out of the sleep. I listen to the music. It's moving very quickly for me, and it just feels fresh; it feels new. And then us getting into a room and jamming on that shit together, which we haven't done in years, that's the vibe we're going for. We kind of wanna bring that live feeling, that live sound to this next record… I want that energy to be there.

"Live music shouldn't be perfect," Leach added. "I don't like the studio fixes, I don't like the tuning — I hate all that shit. So the less that can happen, I'm into it. I'd rather keep it raw. It's rock and roll, man — it shouldn't be perfect. I think metal, over the years, has become very compressed and very manufactured. To me, I'm all about pushing away from that. So I think this next record will be a push-and-pull, 'cause [KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist and producer] Adam [Dutkiewicz] is very much a perfectionist with the way he likes things to sound. So it should be interesting. He's on board of that too — sort of getting more of a live feel to what we're doing. I think it comes across. When you come see a band live like us, it is a little different than a record. But it should be."

As for the lyrical content of the next KILLSWITCH ENGAGE album, Jesse said: "I've purposefully been extremely spiritually minded and positive and trying to write uplifting things that are gonna help people process what we've been through.

"I think there's two ways you can go — you can get angry and write hyper-political stuff and anti-government or whatever, which I've done in the past, and I still stand by that, but I think, for me, where my gift lies, after what we've been through, is more of a comfort, more of an uplifting thing," he noted. "So I'm leaning hard on that — a little more existential, more looking forward, if you will, lyrically. It's probably gonna be some of the most positive stuff that I've ever written, and I'm doing that on purpose — for myself, but also for the listener. I think it's just time for us to put out a record that's just beaming with positivity and hope. And that's what I'm going to do."

Earlier this week, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE announced a trio of holiday season shows. The band will play at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey on December 28; at The Paramount in Huntington, New York on December 29; and a hometown show at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts on December 30. RIVERS OF NIHIL, UNEARTH and a third, as-yet-unannounced opener will serve as support at all three shows.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's latest album, "Atonement", was released in August 2019 via Metal Blade Records in the U.S. and Sony Music Entertainment in the rest of the world. The disc featured guest appearances by former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Howard Jones and TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy. It marked the band's third full-length release since the return of Leach, who rejoined the group in 2012.

In July 2021, Leach and Dutkiewicz released the second album from their TIMES OF GRACE project, "Songs Of Loss And Separation", via the band's own imprint label, Wicked Good Records, distributed by ADA Worldwide.

Armenian-American singer and activist Serj Tankian (SYSTEM OF A DOWN) recently sat down with Lara Tcholakian of CivilNet, the media project of the Civilitas Foundation, to talk about what it means to lead a meaningful and mindful life. He takes the viewer on a journey of how his sense of justice and passion for music and the arts enabled him to discover his purpose. Tankian discusses his experiences during and after the 2020 Artsakh War, his thoughts about the need for a strong and independent Armenia, his triggers related to injustice, and the importance of finding the voice within.

Speaking about how he goes about living an "authentic" life, Serj said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "In the beginning days of the band, I was lucky enough to be a little older, and seeing an industry that's based on illusion and hype — the music industry, the film industry, it's a lot of hype — and realizing that that is exactly what it is; it is hype, and not taking it too seriously. And that's always kind of kept me normal in that industry, if you will.

"Everyone enjoys praise; everyone enjoys being revered, but you also have to weigh that against the reality of who you actually are and what other people's perceptions are," he continued. "And at one point you have to, for your own health, discount other people's perceptions altogether and just say, this is who I am. Sometimes I'm going to be loved and there are times I'm going to not liked or hated or whatever. As long as I know that I'm following my vision and doing the right thing, that I could sleep at night and deal with the challenges accordingly, then it's good."

Tankian went on to say that he applies the same philosophy to the way he deals with online criticism.

"Nobody likes to be criticized, is the truth," he said. "Nobody likes to be hated, and nobody likes to be put under that type of pressure. But I just feel like irrespective of what's happening outside, as long as you are following the path that you think is the right path…

"As we grow older, we realize that everything's interconnected, and we see the purposes of all of these things," he continued. "Even pressure has a purpose; it's got an end goal. So if you're able to see that, then you see that people are trying to use a certain amount of pressure to make you do a certain thing. And it's transparent. And if it's not something that you want to do, then you don't do it. But you have to know what that is; you have to apply awareness to all of those things, be they personal, political, social, and do what you need to do.

"It's an interesting thing, because it's not selfish, but it's almost a kind of selfishness where you are trying to be in so tune of what your vision is that you don't wanna disregard other people's opinions and perspectives but you can't necessarily apply yourself to them if you actually know where you're going," Serj added.

Tankian will release a new five-song EP titled "Perplex Cities" on October 21 via Serjical Strike. "Perplex Cities" is Serj's second EP in the last couple of years, following his 2021 release of the hard-hitting "Elasticity" EP.

For those interested in his musically composed art, Tankian recently debuted new paintings at Stephanie's Gallery in the Los Angeles area. The exhibition is titled "Shapeshift – A Dynamic Dive Into Diversity" and extends through November 1.

On April 29 of next year, fans of Tankian will also be treated to a unique concert with the debut of "Invocations" at The Soraya in Northridge. Composed and performed by Serj, these new works are symphonic, operatic, emotive and will bring the CSUN Symphony, ethnic instrumentalists and a variety of diverse vocalists, including Tankian, together on stage with a choir for this very special evening of live musical performance.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Tracii Guns says that John 5 would be a "great choice" to replace Mick Mars in MÖTLEY CRÜE.

The L.A. GUNS axeman made the comment in response to a rumor — first reported by the Metal Sludge web site on October 7 — that John 5 would be stepping in for 71-year-old Mars, who has been struggling with chronic health conditions for years, on the 2023 leg of CRÜE's reunion tour.

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

Guns, who played with CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx in a band called BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION two decades ago, took to his social media earlier today (Thursday, October 20) to write: "I have got a ton of messages about the rumor of Mick leaving MÖTLEY and what my opinion is if John 5 replaces him. First of all it's a rumor and who knows? But, if it's Time for Mick to tap out then that's his business. John 5 in my opinion is a great choice if the rumor is true."

John 5 has reportedly already dismissed the rumor of him touring with CRÜE. After a fan commented on an old photo of Mars and John 5 on the latter's Instagram, and asked whether the 52-year-old guitarist was indeed joining CRÜE on the road, John 5 replied in a since-deleted comment: "No, just a rumor."

John 5 spoke about his close friendship with Sixx in a 2019 interview with Outburn. At the time he said: "Nikki, he's my best friend. We love each other. He has inspired me and taught me so much about life in general. He's a phenomenal songwriter, lyricist, author, everything. He's always telling me to listen to this audio book or see this movie. He has a happy marriage, a happy life, a successful band he started from the ground up. He's one of the most inspiring people. He'll text me all the time to read something or try something. It's wonderful. He's a phenomenal photographer as well. I remember him telling me that he’s going to take bass lessons again and get into playing with his fingers. He was so dedicated. We worked on 'The Dirt' soundtrack together. When we went into the studio, he did it all with his fingers. [MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer] Tommy Lee was like, 'Look at you.' He's just such a dedicated person. I loved ['The Dirt'] movie; it was killer."

Back in 2016, Tracii told Philadelphia's 93.3 WMMR radio station that BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION fell apart after MÖTLEY CRÜE "got back together." But he went on to say that working with Nikki was "an amazing experience." He added: "I was the biggest MÖTLEY CRÜE fan; I loved 'Too Fast For Love' and 'Shout At The Devil' — they were really influential records in my life. When the BRIDES played live, we would do a few songs from each of those records at the end. We'd do the BRIDES album, 'cause it was only eight songs, so that set was thirty minutes, and then we'd do a mini L.A. GUNS set and a mini MÖTLEY CRÜE set. When we played [U.K.'s] Donington, playing [MÖTLEY CRÜE's] 'Live Wire' in front of ten, fifteen thousand people — or way more than that; whatever it was — it was the biggest adrenaline rush I've ever had in my life. It was wild, man — so cool."

Earlier today, it was announced that MÖTLEY CRÜE and DEF LEPPARD will go global in 2023 with their co-headline "The World Tour". Produced by Live Nation, the trek will kick off on February 18, 2023 at Foro Sol in Mexico City and include stops throughout Latin America before heading to Europe in May 2023.

I have got a ton of messages about the rumor of Mick leaving Motley and what my opinion is if John 5 replaces him. First...

Posted by TRACII GUNS on Thursday, October 20, 2022

Veteran California rockers GREAT WHITE have officially named Brett Carlisle as their new lead singer. Carlisle joins the band as the replacement for Andrew Freeman (LAST IN LINE),who sang for the group for only five months.

Carlisle made his live debut with GREAT WHITE on September 24 at the Cannery Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. He also performed with the group on October 14 in Waterloo, New York.

On Thursday (October 20),GREAT WHITE issued the following statement via social media: "Exciting GREAT WHITE News to Share. You might have noticed a new face and a new voice in some recent press clips and videos. Please welcome Brett Carlisle as the new GREAT WHITE lead singer. Brett hails from Alabama and is already showcasing a monster voice and stage presence. Many of the fans have shared their opinions – and we agree – that Brett is an amazing addition to the GREAT WHITE sound.

"You might also be asking what happened to Andrew Freeman on vocals? Andrew is fully committed to making records and touring with his band LAST IN LINE. We wish him nothing but the best of luck in all his future endeavors. While our time with Andrew was shorter than we expected, he's a wonderful, highly-respected person and a great singer.

"It's a very exciting time for GREAT WHITE. We never set out to be perfect – it's rock and roll. We're here for the music and for the fans. We will see you on the road soon – all confirmed concert dates are still happening.

"Keep rocking and thank you fans, Mark, Michael, Audie, Scott & Brett".

GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall spoke about Brett's addition to the band earlier in the week in an interview with Tulsa Music Stream. He said: "As much as we love Andrew and respect him — and I still do respect him — he's just loyal to his band [LAST IN LINE]. And with our brand, we can't really have a singer that's in multiple bands; it just doesn't work. It's not really good for our brand. It makes it hard to schedule things when somebody else is busy doing something else. So we're more into somebody that sings great, is totally dedicated, loyal to us, loves to be in the band.

"We did a show with Brett, and it was world news," Mark continued. "And I didn't even wanna do the show. We auditioned, like, three singers, just to do one show. So it's extra work; you've gotta see if somebody can pull it off. And he sounded the best. A friend of ours turned us on to him. He's in a band called ALL OR NOTHING [out of Birmingham, Alabama]; I think they do maybe covers. I don't know a lot about it. But anyways, so I didn't even wanna do the show. They talked me into it. I heard his voice. He sang on a couple of our songs, put vocals on a tape. And I go, 'Well, he sounds closer than anybody so far. So, okay.' So we went and rehearsed in Las Vegas. And I was real nervous about doing the show; I [thought], 'This could be career ending.' And sure enough, it was completely the opposite. It was world news. There was press in Italy, the U.K., Germany, the U.S.A. A lot of the online magazines that normally are just dirt-seeking and they just want to pull dirt out of everything and just kind of bag on everybody, really, even they had good things to say. So he just nailed our songs. People loved him at the gig itself; not just the press. And he's a wonderful guy. He's 25 years old, so quite a bit younger than us. But he's very humble. He really loves the idea of being in the band, and he really throws down on stage. I was really surprised about that. And he asked a lot of questions. He's just a good guy."

Kendall also addressed Freeman's recent Facebook comment that the singer "wouldn't give a fuck if" GREAT WHITE threatened to fire him over his touring commitments with LAST IN LINE. Mark said: "That's okay. I still have respect for him because of his loyalty to his band. There's gotta be something to say about that. If he made a comment that was kind of rude, I'm sure it was just to kind of save face or something. He's a great guy, and man, he can sing too. He was a joy to be around. I was really sad that he did multiple projects.

"If we were a different situation that we were used to just having random singers every gig… It's just too much work to do that, because when somebody has to cancel a show, then we've gotta audition people," Kendall added. "And we don't wanna go out there with a different singer every time. But I thought Andrew was really gonna work out, and then, all of a sudden [LAST IN LINE] get this tour. And then I don't know what's gonna happen in the future. We were really in a tough spot. And we're really happy that things worked out with Brett, 'cause he's dynamite, man."

Asked about GREAT WHITE's approach when making changes in the singer department, Mark said: "I'd like to say that we always kind of settled. People would just get the songs close, and we'd go, 'It's probably not gonna get better than that.' Then there was… I won't go into any details because I have nothing bad to say about any of [the singers we've worked with in the past], but there were some other issues, like things that today, to me, are… We're so past any kind of ego trips or whatever; we're just happy to wake up in the morning and start a new day and say, 'Woah. Everything's great.' That's good enough for us. And try to make the best music we can. But when there's some kind of a — I don't know if it's insecurity or ego or what, when there's anything drama-related, it just turns me off personally. So I'd rather just concentrate on the music, make that the most important thing, and just have fun and enjoy ourselves. And Brett really seems like he's that type; he's very enjoyable to be around. He's just at ease. He loves singing. And he sings our songs perfect; it's quite incredible. And his range is from A to Z. This guy has a full voice in every note. So it's pretty incredible to find somebody like that; they don't grow on trees."

Carlisle has been playing guitar and singing since the age of eight and counts bands like VAN HALEN, SKID ROW and METALLICA as his main influences.

This past May, GREAT WHITE announced that it had parted ways with singer Mitch Malloy and had replaced him with Freeman. Malloy had been in GREAT WHITE for nearly four years, having joined the group in 2018 following the departure of Terry Ilous.

In June, Freeman discussed his GREAT WHITE gig during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Regarding how he approached singing the classic GREAT WHITE songs originally recorded by the band's founding vocalist Jack Russell, Freeman said: "When I'm playing with GREAT WHITE, that's their thing, and I'm just there to try to do the songs like Jack. If we do original material, great. We're talking about it.

"I wanna make that band tough again, like it was when Jack was in it," he explained. "Jack would do a show and then bust a bottle over your head off the side of the stage."

Andrew went on to say that he was a GREAT WHITE fan from the early 1980s. "I really loved the first album," he said. "I got the first album when I was young, alongside with MÖTLEY CRÜE's 'Too Fast For Love'."

In a recent interview with Dr. Music, Mark stated about Mitch's departure: "We were going in separate ways in the sense that he was always by himself; he didn't really talk to us much. He just kind of showed up… That's just not the way a band works, as far as we're concerned. He's a wonderful singer. I don't think he's used to him not being in full control of everything because he's been a solo artist for so many years. He's a sweet guy. I really liked him. I think a few of our songs are a little out of his range, so it's a little bit of a struggle. But nothing real heavy — no big, huge fights. Nothing ever came to fisticuffs, if you will. [Laughs] So it wasn't a case of that."

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

"My goal has always been to deliver the best show we can possibly deliver and have the fans be beyond impressed," Kendall explained. "And the way Andrew sings, I really like the way he delivers the songs, because it's what you wanna hear. So that's important to me, just to have the songs — the big songs, especially — be sung right and with full power. It just makes everything — it makes us play better, believe it or not. So that's the whole thing with me."

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

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

This version of GREAT WHITE is not to be confused with JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE, which features Russell alongside Robby Lochner (FIGHT) on guitar, Dan McNay on bass, Tony Montana on guitar and Dicki Fliszar on drums.

📸 Nitainnashville Photography

Exciting Great White News to Share 📢

You might have noticed a new face and a new voice…

Posted by Great White [Band] on Thursday, October 20, 2022

Posted by Great White [Band] on Thursday, October 20, 2022

Atlantic Records has announced an exclusive partnership with Gold Tooth Records, founded by Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum producer Andrew Watt. In addition, the one and only Iggy Pop is the first artist signed to this joint venture. The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award honoree and godfather of punk shared he will make his label debut on October 28 with "Frenzy", the first single off Iggy's forthcoming album.

"I'm the guy with no shirt who rocks," says Pop. "Andrew and Gold Tooth get that, and we made a record together the old-fashioned way. The players are guys I've known since they were kids and the music will beat the shit out of you. Have a great day."

Adds Watt: "Iggy Pop is a fucking icon. A true original. The guy invented the stage dive. I still can't believe he let me make a record with him. I am honored. It doesn't get cooler. This album was created to be played as loud as your stereo will go. Turn it up and hold on."

Craig Kallman, chairman and CEO, Atlantic Records, says: "We're incredibly excited to welcome Andrew and Gold Tooth into the Atlantic family. As a brilliant producer and stellar musician, Andrew has the gift of elevating every project into a work of art. And, of course, we're over the moon to have the legendary and phenomenal Iggy Pop as our first joint signing. Iggy's groundbreaking work forever changed the rock landscape, and he continues to make boundary-crashing music. This also marks his return to the Warner family, more than 50 years after he made his recording debut with THE STOOGES on our sister label Elektra. Iggy's never stopped evolving, and he's made a fantastic album that we can't wait for the world to hear."

Widely acknowledged as one of the most influential artists and dynamic live performers of all time, Pop is a singer, songwriter, musician, author, record producer, DJ, and actor whose epic body of work has earned him both worldwide critical acclaim and fanatic cult success. Beginning in 1967 with his era-defining group THE STOOGES, Pop merged primal rock, blues, and free jazz into something altogether dangerous and new, paving the way for punk, post-punk, hard rock, and grunge. His landmark solo career — which kicked off with 1977's David Bowie-produced "The Idiot" and "Lust For Life" — has seen Pop traverse a stunning span of musical genres, inspiring generation after generation of rock 'n rollers with his iconoclastic songcraft, uncompromising performance style, and one-of-a-kind charisma. Perhaps the greatest living embodiment of rock and roll, Pop has never slowed down, pushing the art form forward for more than half a century, including his most recent full-length recording, 2019's contemplative, critically acclaimed "Free".

Watt's diverse array of credits includes work with Justin Bieber, Post Malone, Elton John, Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, Ozzy Osbourne and more. In 2021 he was honored with the Grammy Award for "Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical", and recently produced Osbourne's Billboard chart-topping album "Patient Number 9", as well as the single "Hold Me Closer", the highly anticipated hit collaboration by Britney Spears and Elton John. At the top of 2022, Watt produced the entirety of Eddie Vedder's critically acclaimed solo release "Earthling", and in February, he landed two genre-bending hits on the Hot 100 in The Kid LAROI's "Thousand Miles" and Ed Sheeran and Lil Baby's "2step". Beyond his producing and songwriting, Watt had the honor of joining Vedder on tour as part of his all-star side project THE EARTHLINGS.

Photo by Danny Clinch

Matt Sorum, the Grammy-winning drummer of GUNS N' ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER, has signed with AFM Records for his first-ever album with his all-star musical collective KINGS OF CHAOS.

From the Sunset Strip to South Africa, Argentina and Brazil, KINGS OF CHAOS have enthralled fans around the world with their ever-changing lineup of Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers and multi-platinum artists. If you've been lucky enough to score a ticket to a KINGS OF CHAOS show, you might have caught Billy Idol, Steven Tyler from AEROSMITH or Ann Wilson from HEART fronting the band — or even Corey Taylor from SLIPKNOT, or the late Chester Bennington from LINKIN PARK. And yes, that was Slash on lead guitar — or Brian May from QUEEN, or Billy F Gibbons from ZZ TOP. It's a party on stage, and everyone's invited.

"It's a celebration with your bucket list artists you've always wanted to play with," Sorum says.

The debut album from KINGS OF CHAOS is set for release in autumn/winter 2023. Expect original music and guest collaborations with some of rock's biggest names — including some of today's most talented and iconic female artists.

The first single and video from KINGS OF CHAOS will be released October 28. Titled "Judgment Day", the song is a scorching rocker that was co-written by Sorum, and features the Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer on drums, as well as lead vocals.

"KINGS OF CHAOS, to me, is the reason I started playing music in the first place — for the sheer fun of it," says Sorum. "I'm so pleased to be partnering with the team at AFM. Working with them on the creative vision for the album has been a great experience."

"Matt Sorum is such an acclaimed rock icon. His clear vision and passion for KINGS OF CHAOS really impressed us," adds Nils Wasko, label manager, AFM Records. "KINGS OF CHAOS will now come to life with an illustrious list of rock royalty joining Matt, and we can't wait to be part of the journey."

Originally formed in 2012 as ROCK 'N' ROLL ALL STARS, KINGS OF CHAOS features a core lineup of members as well as a rotating cast of guest musicians.

KINGS OF CHAOS has recorded just one song so far: a cover of DEEP PURPLE's "Never Before" for the 2012 tribute album "Re-Machined: A Tribute To Deep Purple's 'Machine Head'".

During an appearance on the "2 Hours With Matt Pinfield" podcast, Sorum talked about the project's formation. He said: "The music business is more difficult to navigate than ever, especially for a guy that's been around a while," he said. "I've had an illustrious career, but it's always been, like, super-high, super-low, like riding the wildest roller coaster ever known to man. [Laughs] Emotionally, it's been challenging. When VELVET REVOLVER broke up, for me, it was like, 'Oh my god, I can't believe I pulled off another band.' So it kind of knocked the wind out of me, and I didn't really want to jump back into doing another band or project right away.

"When I started doing KINGS OF CHAOS, it became strictly about fun," he continued. "I decided, 'I'm going to pull a bucket list, [and] I'm going to call guys that I never had the balls to call, and have no fear. There's one or two answers that you can get — yes or no. And you've got to be able to accept no. Don't take it personal. I called Keith Richards. I called Jimmy Page. I called [Robert] Plant. I didn't care. I was just, like, finding them and calling them. And some of them said yes — not Robert Plant, dammit [laughs] — but Steven Tyler, Robin Zander, Billy Gibbons, Joe Elliott, Slash, the DeLeo brothers. I go and play with my friends, and it's a blast."

Sorum is not involved with GN'R's hugely successful reunion, which features singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan alongside drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

The 61-year-old musician, who replaced Steven Adler in GUNS N' ROSES, recorded the highly successful albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" (both 1991) and "The Spaghetti Incident" (1994). He also supported the group on the "Use Your Illusion" tour and can be heard on GUNS N' ROSES' "Live Era: '87-'93" (1999) and "Greatest Hits" (2004).

Matt was among the GUNS N' ROSES members who were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2012. He, Adler, Slash and McKagan attended the ceremony, while Rose and founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin stayed home.

Photo by Michael Segal

KISS frontman Paul Stanley has blasted NewsNation's Chris Cuomo for giving Kanye West a platform to spout anti-Semitic comments.

On Monday night (October 17),the rapper appeared virtually on NewsNation's "Cuomo" show to discuss the recent stances he's gotten backlash for, purchasing conservative social media app Parler and his mental health. During the 20-minute chat, West, who now goes by the mononym Ye, made more anti-Semitic comments claiming that the "Jewish underground media mafia" has it out for him and that he doesn't "believe in" the term anti-Semitic.

On Tuesday night (October 18),Stanley, who is Jewish, tweeted out a screenshot of Cuomo's interview with West and he included the following message: "If you saw someone on the street who was clearly disturbed, speaking nonsensically and spewing hate speech WOULD YOU INTERVIEW THEM ON TV?? This is a dangerous, self-serving version of click bait that legitimizes the ravings of someone who's mentally ill. We all deserve better."

Paul, who was born Stanley Bert Eisen, added in a separate tweet: "Let Me Be Clear. I don't advocate 'silencing' views. Everyone has the right to speak their opinion but not everything that happens or is said deserves the same coverage. Televising or putting in print someone's views needs to take into account the credibility of the speaker."

In response to Kanye's "Jewish underground media mafia" claim, Cuomo fired back: "Look, there is no Jewish media, cabal, mafia. That is a figment of either your imagination or a projection of a prejudice. You may have had bad business dealings with people — it's about those people. It's not about their religion or faith. And I know that you're intelligent and understand that when you target people because of their faith, other people may do so the same."

West responded bluntly: "And I don't tolerate it as a black person. What you just said was that you're trying to say that there isn't a collective — over 50 percent of the executives and CEOs in Hollywood are Jewish. You can't tell me what to do or feel."

Earlier in the month, Kanye sparked criticism for wearing a "White Lives Matter" t-shirt to the showing of his collection at Paris Fashion Week. He wore the same shirt while attending 9-year-old daughter North West's basketball game.

Nearly two and a half years ago, Stanley offered his words of support to Kim Kardashian for speaking out after then-husband West posted a series of tweets that had called his mental health into question.

In a 2018 interview with The New York Times, West said that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2017.

This past March, Stanley's KISS bandmate Gene Simmons said Kanye could use a "good bitch slap" because he was being an "a–hole" to Kardashian and her then-boyfriend Pete Davidson.

"At a certain point, if anybody misbehaves, a good bitch slap [works]," Simmons said.

Gene noted that he thinks Kanye is "a talented guy," but added that the rapper is also "out of his mind."

"It's serious stuff. This is your wife, the mother of your children," Simmons continued. "It's not childish. There’s something clinically wrong with him, as he's admitted. It's a psychological problem."
If you saw someone on the street who was clearly disturbed, speaking nonsensically and spewing hate speech WOULD YOU INTERVIEW THEM ON TV?? This is a dangerous, self-serving version of click bait that legitimizes the ravings of someone who’s mentally ill. We all deserve better. pic.twitter.com/ZvQh4zzlRR

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) October 19, 2022


Let Me Be Clear. I don’t advocate “silencing” views. Everyone has the right to speak their opinion but not everything that happens or is said deserves the same coverage. Televising or putting in print someone’s views needs to take into account the credibility of the speaker.

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) October 19, 2022