RATT singer Stephen Pearcy will release a new collection of music, "Legacy", in early 2023 via Golden Robot Records. According to Stephen, the set will include never-before-heard RATT songs, solo tracks, re-recordings and new versions of previously released tunes.

Late Tuesday night (October 11),Pearcy took to his social media to share a photo from the studio, and he included the following message: "RATT Stephen Pearcy with co producer Ron Mancuso at Studio77 #lasvegas today for the new Stephen Pearcy record 'LEGACY' at Golden Robot Records tba. It's coming together, finally picked the songs, finished sequencing, next mix and mastering. Just picking the songs (21) was tough enough, so many there might have to be a part two. Going to be way cool kidz, unreleased never before heard RATT songs, solo, re recordings and versions. Once mastered I'll be able to give everyone a taste of what's to come. So many great songs never before heard, now it's time. Release dates TBA".

As the founder, lead singer, and songwriter of the metal rock band RATT, Pearcy led his creation to mega multi-platinum success year after year from 1984 to 1991. RATT climbed up the charts with "Out Of The Cellar", which generated Top 10 singles followed by sold-out tours throughout the world.

Throughout RATT's nearly four decades of success with Pearcy at its helm, they released eight albums and played thousands of shows worldwide all the while selling over 20 million records.

Given the mammoth success of RATT, Pearcy was looking for extraordinary when choosing a label, and the only company deemed agile enough for the task was Golden Robot, headed by Australian entrepreneur, CEO and president Mark Alexander-Erber (pictured below with Stephen).

Pearcy has released five solo albums so far: "Social Intercourse" (2002),"Fueler" (2004),"Under My Skin" (2008),"Smash" (2017) and "View To A Thrill" (2018).

Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT's current lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band are drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE, RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarists Jordan Ziff (RAZER) and Frankie Lindia.

In January 2021, Pearcy told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band's classic lineup.

RATT hasn't released any new music since 2010's "Infestation" LP.

Top photo: MissTruthAdare Photography

RATT Stephen Pearcy with co producer Ron Mancuso at Studio77 #lasvegas today for the new Stephen Pearcy record “LEGACY”...

Posted by Stephen Pearcy on Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Founding MURDERDOLLS vocalist Wednesday 13 has once again accused the band's former guitarist Acey Slade of taking the MURDERDOLLS name behind late SLIPKNOT drummer Joey Jordison's back.

In August, it was announced that Slade and former MURDERDOLLS bassist Eric Griffin would take part in a signing at the Silver Scream convention at the Hilton Double Tree North Shore in Danvers, Massachusetts to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of MURDERDOLLS' first album, "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls". The event was slated to be livestreamed on several platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Acey and Eric were also going to be doing a meet-and-greet after the announcement for those in attendance at Silver Scream Con. In addition, Acey and Eric launched a web site, murderdollsofficial.com, that purports to cater to all of the MURDERDOLLS alumni and their legion of fans affectionally known as The Ghoulscouts.

On August 25, Wednesday 13 took to his social media to throw shade at his former bandmates, insisting that any merchandise being advertised using the MURDERDOLLS logos, music and lyrics is unapproved and unauthorized. Two days later (August 27),Acey responded to Wednesday, saying that the re-release of "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls" is officially licensed after he went through a "time-consuming and expensive" process reinstating the assets from Warner Music Group which fully acquired Roadrunner Records in 2010 after first buying 73.5% of the company in January 2007. He also invited all former member of the MURDERDOLLS to "use the band as a platform for their own endeavors". (See Acey's full statement below.)

On August 28, Wednesday 13 once again took to his social media to clarify his position on the MURDERDOLLS dispute. He wrote: "Hello everyone, I want to take a moment to explain my comments this week on this MURDERDOLLS situation.

"My issues have nothing to do with any ex members celebrating the 20th anniversary of that album. I have been celebrating the anniversary as well on my tours this year. However I have been celebrating it as Wednesday 13, not MURDERDOLLS.

"The first album released in 2002, all music was written by Joey and I. The only other member to contribute to this record was Tripp [Eisen] with a few guitar solos. All other instruments/vocals are performed by Joey and Wednesday. We assembled the touring lineup after the recording was finished consisting of Eric, Ben and Acey.

"The band went on hiatus eight years after this and returned in 2010 with the sophomore MURDERDOLLS album. This album and touring lineup did not feature any of the touring members from the first album. This was decided by Joey, as his decision to only have he and I photographed on that album.

"This was Joey's band, he invited me into this world, and I am able to do what I do today because of him and the MURDERDOLLS name, and that's what this whole situation is about.

"MURDERDOLLS trademark had lapsed. This was unknown to Joey or I as the band was inactive and no one was watching for this. However it seems Acey was watching for it, and applied for the MD trademark to take the name behind our backs. Acey succeeded in gaining the trademark. He applied for this trademark 1 year before I was notified and a year before Joey's passing. He never notified Joey about this, as he knew he would be furious and not approve.

"There's no other way I can view this other than he stole the name from Joey. He is now launching websites, merchandise, and our first album as Official MURDERDOLLS, erasing my name out of the bio/ history of the band.

"It's sad that I've had to make this a public discussion, but that's where we are. I'm not involved with this situation because I chose not to be involved with it. It doesn't sit well with me and I cannot get behind it."

Wednesday 13 elaborated on his ongoing dispute with Slade in a new interview with the Neil Jones Rock Show on TotalRock. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't think people understand exactly the details of it and why it's so frustrating and it bothers me.

"My buddy Joey Jordison, who passed away last year, MURDERDOLLS was his band that he made with me; he invited me to be a part of that. The other guys involved with that band were touring musicians… But the main two guys that wrote that music was he and I.

"Joey, as we all know, passed away last year, but before that, Joey was going through some health issues — he was on a cane; he couldn't play drums. And this guy came in while Joey was sick and stole the name from him, underneath him, a year and a half before he died. And his intentions were to hijack the band and steal it, whether Joey or I approved of it. But Joey died, so now he tells everybody, 'I did this for Joey. I took the name for Joey. I wanted the legacy for Joey.' It's a fucking lie. That guy is a thief. And I will spend the rest of my days fighting him on this. And that guy can fuck off."

When interviewer Neil Jones noted that the whole thing feels like a "cash grab," Wednesday responded: "It's one hundred percent cash grab. The guy told me that; he told me that's what it is."

Asked if he feels he owes it to his friend Joey to get the trademark away from Slade's control, Wednesday said: "One hundred percent. And that's why I'm doing this. Because I know Joey very well — I knew him better than a lot of people did — and I know that he would be furious. And so I have to speak for myself and I have to speak for him because no one else is. And like I said, it's just a stupid, unfortunate situation, and I will put an end to it; I promise you that."

After the completion of the touring cycle for "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls", MURDERDOLLS went on hiatus so that guitarist Joey Jordison could focus on his other band SLIPKNOT. In 2010, MURDERDOLLS released a sophomore album, "Women And Children Last", which did not feature Slade, Griffin and drummer Ben "The Ghoul" Graves, all of whom played on "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls".

Just a few days prior to "Women And Children Last"'s arrival, Slade gave an interview to Blog Talk Radio's "Zombilly's Horror Hour" in which he said that he wasn't invited to take part in the making of the LP.

"We waited around a long time — myself, Eric and the Ghoul — we waited around a long time to do this record. And when Joey and Wednesday said that they wanted to do it by themselves, that was a bit of a… like, 'Really?! That's not what we discussed,'" he said. "But, quite frankly, it's like, okay, well, it's been seven years. You can't hold somebody to something they said seven years ago. It's like, 'Okay, cool.'"

Acey went on to say that he didn't like the material on "Women And Children Last". "I think it sounds like all the things that the band said that we weren't gonna be," he said. "When I was in the band, it was, 'We don't drop-tune — we tune standard 'cause we're a rock band — it's all tongue-in-cheek, nothing's serious. And now it's drop-tuned, it's serious subject matter, and it's not something I wanted to be a part of. It's like, wow, we were supposed to be a fun band that pissed people off, not a pissed off band that is writing… I don't know… It sounds like DISTURBED to me. It sounds like DISTURBED with Rob Zombie vocals. That was the other thing, too. [Laughs] Everybody was, like, 'You guys are like ALICE COOPER meets ROB ZOMBIE,' and we weren't. And it seems like all the negative things that people thought about us before they heard us, the band has now become. I'm not interested in that. I have a lot more creativity than that. And those guys do, too. So I'm a little disappointed for them. But you know, hey…. whatever. I guess they're happy doing it, but it's not something that I would wanna be a part of. And it's, like, weird, the whole Joey and Wednesday… They've got pictures of just Joey and Wednesday. I think it's pretty clear that they didn't want anyone else at the party; they want it to be an exclusive thing for them, I suppose."

Wednesday 13 reunited with Griffin and Slade on stage for the first time in over a decade in August 2018 at Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood. The event, which celebrated the life of Graves, saw the trio performing some of MURDERDOLLS' classic songs.

Graves, who also worked with PRETTY BOY FLOYD and DOPE, passed away in May 2018 after a year-long battle with cancer. He was only 45 years old.

The MURDERDOLLS did a number of major tours in support of "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls". By the summer of 2003, the tenacity of the band was paying off. Tours with IRON MAIDEN, PAPA ROACH and the FOO FIGHTERS around the world and a Top 40 U.K. single with "White Wedding" made the band fan favorite in Metal Hammer, Metal Edge, Kerrang! and Rock Sound magazines.

Hey Gang,

Acey here and I would just like to clear the air on some things.

The Murderdolls as a band does not…

Posted by AceySlade on Saturday, August 27, 2022

It’s unfortunate that this has to be said, but here it is:

Murderdolls was created in 2002 by Joey Jordison and…

Posted by Wednesday 13 on Thursday, August 25, 2022

SICK PUPPIES have teamed up with ESPN/ESPN+ to promote their new single "Ready Steady Go", a cover of the Paul Oakenfold hit song. The music will be used to launch the new National Hockey League (NHL) season on ESPN with promos using the song on all their platforms through the end of 2022. Watch the initial ESPN promo spot below.

The intense, driving version of "Ready Steady Go" has been released on all streaming services and is sure to have hockey fans around the world pumping their fists as they cheer on their favorite NHL teams.

Kevin Wilson, creative music director for ESPN, says: "'Ready Steady Go' is a classic hype track and having the SICK PUPPIES do their own heavy take on it fits so great to amp up the start of the NHL season."

SICK PUPPIES explains: "For those who haven't heard Paul Oakenfold's song 'Ready Steady Go', it's a classic tune. When the opportunity came to be able to put our spin on it, it was a no-brainer. The NHL screams fast, aggressive and punchy rock, so we took that energy and recorded it with that attitude. ESPN brings the rock! We are in good company with their exceptional music team and can't wait to watch this hockey season unfold".

Oakenfold adds: "Check out my song 'Ready Steady Go' that is going to be used for the start of the NHL season on ESPN and will run for the rest of the year. My friends SICK PUPPIES did a kickass rock version of it! Good luck to all the teams this season. Also BIG thanks to everyone at ESPN for pushing it out there."

SICK PUPPIES burst on to the scene in 2001 and has been making its mark with six albums and 13 single releases, along with touring the world. The trio, that consists of Emma Anzai (bass, backing vocals),Mark Goodwin (drums/backing vocals) and Bryan Scott (lead vocals/guitar) has more than 500 million audio streams of its music and more than 250 million views of its videos on YouTube. Their hits include "You're Going Down", "Gunfight", "All The Same", "Riptide", "Maybe", "My World" and "Here With You".

SICK PUPPIES plan to release an album of all new material by the second quarter of 2023. They will be playing major rock festivals in North America throughout 2023, as well as tour dates internationally.

Blues-rock band Dorothy have released the video for their new single “Black Sheep”.  The single is currently Top 40 on Active Rock Radio, Mediabase & Active Rock charts. Directed by Nick Peterson, the creative is no stranger to working with the Rocktober goddess, having previously directed her in “Rest In Peace” and “A Beautiful Life”, the first two singles from Dorothy’s current album Gifts From The Holy Ghost.





The concept for the “Black Sheep” video was literally taken from a visual page from Dorothy’s life. Shot at Jaxon Boxing Gym in Los Angeles, the video features Dorothy practicing the sport that has helped her keep on point and fit on every level. “I train Muay Thai and boxing for strength as well as mental health. It was great to work with Nick Peterson again and to incorporate this sport with my music. Boxing has helped me immensely, I feel strong inside and out and I hope it inspires fans to make healthier choices,” said Dorothy. 




Adds Peterson: “This is the third time that Dorothy and I have worked together, we love all of the same comics, movies and music and we always have a great time coming up with concepts. She brings a ton of energy and gives it on every single take.  Dorothy has been busy training these last few months to star in a project that we are working on, portraying her as a bad ass demon fighter. Once I heard the song I knew that the idea of her as a fighter was the perfect theme to hang our hat to.”


Dorothy released her Gifts From The Holy Ghost album in April 2022. The artwork and tracklisting are as follows:





"A Beautiful Life"
"Big Guns"
"Rest In Peace"
"Top Of The World"
"Hurricane"
"Close To Me Always"
"Black Sheep"
"Touched By Fire"
"Made To Die"
"Gifts From The Holy Ghost"











Catch Dorothy live in concert on October 16th at KEGL Freakers Ball at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.


For further details, visit DorothyOnFire.com.


 

Distant, the multi-national juggernaut that emerged from Rotterdam, The Netherlands as well as from Bratislava, Slovakia, have released their new single, "Human Scum". Find the song on your favourite streaming platform, and watch the official video below:





Century Media Records recently announced the signing of Distant. Says the band: "We are beyond excited for signing with one of the greatest metal record labels on earth, Century Media Records. With their perfect foundation for the next sagas of our lore, you can expect a lot more dark and evil albums coming from our camp.”




To celebrate their signing, Distant released their track “Exoflith”, which is available on all digital platforms now. Check out the music video below:





Since their inception in 2014 and the release of their inaugural EP, Tsukuyomi, Distant unleashed two studio albums, Tyrannotophia (2019) and Aeons of Oblivion (2021), as well as two EPs, Dawn Of Corruption (2020) and Dusk Of Anguish (2021). However, Distant have been breaking through the confines of deathcore and created no less than their own multidisciplinary universe by adding the fictional novel The Rise of Tyrannotophia into the mix that accompanies Aeons Of Oblivion.


In the past, the band have played shows all over the world such as the Chaos and Carnage Tour with Lorna Shore, Suicide Silence, Carnifex, Upon A Burning Body and AngelMaker (US) and have supported their friends in Lorna Shore for a handful of shows in the UK.


Lineup:


Vladimir Golic (rhythm guitar)
Jan Mato (drums)
Alan Grnja (vocals)
Elmer Maurits (bass)
Nouri Yetgin (lead guitar)


(Photo - Luca Roman)

JUDAS PRIEST's Richie Faulkner has commented on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history, who died a month ago at 96 years old.

The 42-year-old British-born guitarist, who joined PRIEST in 2011, discussed Queen Elizabeth II's death in a new interview with the Rock 95 Mankato radio station. Speaking about the fact that some people were willing to wait at least 13 hours to say their last goodbyes to the Queen, Richie said: "Everyone mourns and pays their respects in different ways, obviously. I mean, people were waiting up to 24 hours, I think, just to see the coffin. The Queen was in the military when she was younger, as all monarchs, I think, have to do.

"I wasn't there [to pay my respects in person]; I wasn't in the country to do that," he continued. "But the thing about the Queen for me is it's one of those things that has always been a staple, a consistent thing in 80 percent of people that are alive's lives. So if you are of a certain age, the Queen has always been there. So it's weird to not have that there. Although she wasn't there — she's not there in the room — but the Queen has always been there for all of your life, and that staple, that consistent thing being there is not there anymore. It's the end of an era. And it's interesting to see the new monarch in the Internet age. There's already a ton of memes out there. So it's interesting to see."

Queen Elizabeth II's eldest son, Charles, is now king.

Buckingham Palace spent decades preparing for the Queen's death, including planning her funeral, which was held on September 19. The Duke of Norfolk did much of the planning, and he also was in charge of planning King Charles III's coronation.

The Queen's body lay in state at Westminster Hall for four days so the public could pay their respects to the late monarch. Eight pall bearers carried the oak and lead-lined coffin into Westminster Hall, placing it on a raised platform known as a catafalque.

Singer Eddie Sutton of the legendary New York hardcore/metal act LEEWAY has opened up about his battle with lung cancer. Speaking to Mark Kadzielawa of 69 Faces Of Rock at Club Garibaldi's in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Saturday (October 8),Eddie said: "Now that I'm battling cancer, over two years now, to just play and perform is everything to me. And I think it's more special now simply because I know this is going to end at some point.

"I have a spreadable form of cancer called squama carcinoma," he explained. "It started in my right lung, and I have two masses in the back of my left kidney, the top part, called the adrenal gland. And to be removed 13 lesions from my brain.

"I'm winning the fight and battle after battle, but I don't think I'm gonna be able to win the war," Eddie admitted. "Very much like an underdog, like Ukraine up against Russia at this time. It's okay. I've taken responsibility for it with my lifestyle, smoking all my life. It is what it is. So I'm gonna have fun with it until it's time to call it a day."

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help Eddie deal with the cost of his treatment.

Formed in 1984 by Sutton and guitarist A.J. Novello, LEEWAY has released four studio albums — "Born To Expire" (1989),"Desperate Measures" (1991),"Adult Crash" (1994) and "Open Mouth Kiss" (1995) — and broken up and reformed several times over the years. Despite never achieving notable commercial success, LEEWAY is considered to be an integral part of the 1980s New York hardcore and crossover thrash scenes.

LEEWAY launched its debut demo, "Enforcer", in 1984. The songs would later appear on the band's debut album, "Born To Expire", in 1989 on Profile Records, a record label known for rap and club music, with RUN-DMC as their labelmates. "Born To Expire" showcased stronger musicianship and greater production value than their counterparts in the NYHC scene and highlighted Eddie's melodic and harmonious approach in delivering his lyrics.

Eddie stated: "I grew up on R&B, so it's naturally in my style. I was also a big fan of singers like David Bowie, Ozzy [Osbourne], Phil Lynott, David Lee Roth and even Lemmy, as well as punk and hardcore punk singers like Pete Shelley and H.R. Each of these vocalists taught me to be an individual."

"Born To Expire" was well received among fans and critics, launching them into the national performing circuit, sharing the stages with LIVING COLOR, BAD BRAINS, CIRCLE JERKS, EXODUS and TESTAMENT, as well as many others. "Born To Expire" was also documented as the first NYHC band to be added to the Grammy Awards first-round ballot nomination vote list, where music insiders vote on each musical category; LEEWAY made the list in 1989 and it was unheralded.

LEEWAY's sophomore release, "Desperate Measures", continued to push the envelope and provided a new level of sound with classic songs like "Make Me an Offer", "All About Dope" and "Kingpin". In 1994, when LEEWAY's third album, "Adult Crash", was released, the band was at an influx, but they were still able to stay the course and prove that hardcore could be more than just a sound. As Eddie recalled: "To me, hardcore was about passion and heart. It wasn't simply about three chord thrash and mosh parts. To me, Billie Holiday was hardcore."

With catchy riffs and fan favorites, LEEWAY experimented with its sound with "Adult Crash", but it was their final release, "Open Mouth Kiss", where they really got things right.

"Despite the troubles with myself and the band," as Eddie stated, "we still wrote strong songs like 'Hornet's Nest' and 'Foot The Bill', but I never felt more like an accomplished recording artist until we wrote that album."

The band currently features Eddie going at it alone, with friends that are capable and professional enough to respect and pay tribute to how it all got started. As Eddie stated: "I learned that you have to do this thing with a team, with reliable people around you."

SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan has paid tribute to the band's late singer Johnny Solinger who died in June 2021 at the age of 55. His passing came a little over a month after he announced he was suffering from liver failure.

In a new interview with On The Road To Rock, Rachel said about Solinger (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We had a lot of fun — we had a lot of fun together. He was seeing stuff that we had seen in the past and he was experiencing things that we had already experienced, so it was cool from that standpoint. We all became very close knit and had a lot of fun and we did a lot of shows together. We did that whole KISS tour thinking we were only gonna be on one leg and they asked us to stay and stay. And it was really cool, man. We [made some great] music together, and sadly, towards the end [of his time with the band], certain temptations just kind of took him over. Without going into too much detail, for a while there it started to really get in the way of stuff. And I don't mean that in a cold and callous way; I mean, he was getting in his own way. And it was a shame. And we tried and pointed things out to him, and then finally we just had to make a move. And from what I heard, he was doing well for a while, and then he wasn't. And sadly, he passed. I think about him all the time, and I do miss him — all the guys do. 'Cause we experienced a lot together and we broke a lot of new ground together. And it's sad that he's gone. It wasn't completely unexpected, but nonetheless it was super… very, very sad. Very sad."

Last December, SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo reflected on Solinger's death during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", saying: "It's a terrible, terrible tragedy. It's a really big loss. It was really hard when we had heard about it. We had heard that he was sick. We didn't understand to what degree. But we reached out to him and we had some communication with him.

"Johnny was one of those guys — he just had a sweet, sweet soul about him," Snake continued. "[He was] never malicious, always kind-hearted, always with a smile on his face. And he was a good guy. I mean, we were together for nearly 15 years, and we were friends throughout the whole thing. Our separation of the band and him was simply because it just wasn't working anymore, just from a standpoint of where we were headed as a band and where he kind of was headed as a singer. But there was no hate there at all; to be honest with you, [we had] nothing but love for the guy. And I don't say that because he's passed away; I said that when we split up. I mean, there was absolutely no animosity whatsoever. And he's gonna be missed, 'cause he is a part of the history of this band — a big part. And I'm grateful for the time that he gave us and allowing us to make records with him and together. And I'm fond of those records — I'm fond of the EPs and 'Thickskin' and 'Revolutions Per Minute'. That's a big part of our history that helped us to get here where we are now. So I'll always be thankful for him and I'll always miss him. And I appreciate you bringing that up, because he needs to be talked about more often. I feel he kind of gets lost in the sauce, and that's not fair to him or his memory."

Solinger, who was a member of SKID ROW from 1999 to 2015, appearing on the "Thickskin" and "Revolutions Per Minute" albums, as well as the "United World Rebellion" and "Rise Of The Damnation Army" EPs, revealed his diagnosis in a social media update on May 8, 2021. He wrote: "It is with a heavy heart I must let everyone know what's going on with me and my health. I have been hospitalized for over the last month. I have been diagnosed with liver failure. And prognosis is not so good. As with most musicians I do not have health insurance and it’s very difficult to get proper care without it.

"I am currently under at least seven different medications and I need to have my abdomen drained off fluid that gets accumulated every couple of days. I have lost a lot of strength and will require physical therapy as well.

"At the moment, I am looking into putting together some sort of fundraiser to help with the medical bills and with the palliative care I will need in the coming months. I am kindly asking those of you who could help put this together to step forward. I would not be asking you all this if I didn't really need the help, but sadly this is where I'm at.

"I appreciate and want you all to keep me in your thoughts and send me all the healing vibes you can, but I get exhausted easily so I will ask you to please not call or text unless absolutely necessary. But please, if you can help in this difficult time, I will wholeheartedly appreciate it.

"Love you all. I will post a link where you can donate very soon but I wanted to update you on my condition."

Solinger was fired by SKID ROW in April 2015 and replaced by TNT singer Tony Harnell. Tony quit the group only eight months later, and was succeeded by the South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I. Theart was fired from SKID ROW in February and was replaced by Erik Grönwall, who was previously a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T.

Bolan later confirmed that Solinger was kicked out of the band, contradicting the singer's claim that he "decided to leave SKID ROW to pursue [his] solo career."

Asked what led to Solinger's departure from SKID ROW, Rachel said: "It was evident. There were certain things going on out on the road that kind of set us thinking… Things had been going on for a little bit. And, you know, I'm not here to say anything bad about the guy.

"At certain times, you just get the feeling someone isn't putting a hundred percent into things," he added. "And SKID ROW is very important to the rest of us. And we wanted to carry on with quality performances and quality songs, so we decided to make a change."

Asked if there was ever a time where they felt things were "clicking" and "100 percent right" between Solinger and the rest of the band, Rachel told "Eddie Trunk Live": "We were clicking big time. I thought we made a lot of great music together. And even with [the series of] EPs, when we were in the studio, we were making great music. Snake [guitarist Dave Sabo] and I would write, and everyone came in and really sunk in. I think it was when we were in the studio that it really became evident that we all didn't have the same heart and soul… We weren't all putting the same heart and soul into it. And it's just one of those things, man. It's rough to make a decision like this, but we did."

Added Snake: "This has nothing to do with Johnny not being a good person; he's a really good person, and we all got along well. There's no animosity at all from our end. And these are terrible decisions to make, man. They're awful. The guy's been with us for fifteen years, and we saw a lot of miles of road together, and I feel extremely fortunate to have spent that time in a band with him. And he's a great singer and he's gonna be fine. He's gonna pursue his solo stuff, I guess, and that's what he should do."

On the topic of how Solinger reacted to being fired from SKID ROW, Snake said: "There was no screaming and shouting. We were both very respectful to one another. And we should be. I mean, like I said, we've traveled a lot of miles together, and this is not something that is easy in any way, but yet it's something that was necessary."

Asked how parting ways with Solinger was different to the split with Sebastian Bach in 1996, Rachel said: "That was a completely different situation. There was a lot of bad blood there, and… Yeah, it was a completely different situation. This is something, like Snake said, there's no animosity. It's just… We all didn't have our eyes on the same prize at this point, and it interfered. It interfered with moving forward. And that's why we made a change."

In late 2019, Solinger sustained injuries in a car crash and was forced to reschedule some of his solo shows.

In 2019, MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn reunited with drummer Chris Kontos and guitarist Logan Mader — along with longtime bassist Jared MacEachern — to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band's classic debut album, "Burn My Eyes", on tours in Europe and the U.S. Flynn later confirmed that MacEachern would continue to be a member of MACHINE HEAD alongside new recruits, guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka (DECAPITATED) and British drummer Matt Alston (DEVILMENT, EASTERN FRONT),all of whom also performed on the "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour. Flynn, MacEachern, Kiełtyka and Alston have since resumed touring in support of MACHINE HEAD's latest album, "Of Kingdom And Crown", which does not feature any guest appearances by Mader and Kontos.

Asked in a new interview with Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece whether he thought about making a full album with Kontos and Mader after the well-received "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour, Flynn said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I did. And we tried to do that. Logan actually has a co-write on [the song] 'My Hands Are Empty' [which appears on 'Of Kingdom And Crown']. And we tried. I sent everybody the demos [for the new album]. The stuff that I had till that point, I said, 'Hey, add some riffs to this' or 'Add some drum ideas.' I think the timing of it was just crazy. Once the pandemic hit, everybody was just trying to hustle and make money and live and stay afloat. Even Logan and I had a conversation at one point. He was, like, 'Dude, I'd love to do this, but I need to fucking find a way to pay my rent. I've gotta figure out some other shit to make money here.' 'Cause he lost a lot of… When the pandemic hit, many people lost their jobs. So it just, unfortunately, didn't pan out. Not to say that it won't in the future, but for this time it didn't. And so Jared and I just kept on plugging along."

Each show on MACHINE HEAD's "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour consisted of two parts: part one saw Flynn and MacEachern performing alongside Kiełtyka and Alston; while part two featured "Burn My Eyes" played in its entirety for the first time ever, with Kontos and Mader stepping in.

In July 2020, MACHINE HEAD canceled its previously announced rescheduled "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour dates for Europe and Australia due to the coronavirus crisis which was sweeping the globe. At the time, it was assumed that those shows would finally happen once the band was able to return to the road. But in June 2021, Flynn announced that the "Burn My Eyes" tour would not pick up at such a time as MACHINE HEAD was able to continue touring.

Kontos left MACHINE HEAD before the release of the band's second album, 1997's "The More Things Change", and was replaced by Dave McClain.

McClain and guitarist Phil Demmel exited MACHINE HEAD in the fall of 2018.

In a July 2021 interview with A&P Reacts, Kontos was asked what it was like to reunite with MACHINE HEAD for the "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour. He responded: "It was incredible. First, what happened was when Dave and Phil had left the band [in October 2018], I knew I was gonna get a call. My phone absolutely blew up with friends and family, and my e-mails and all my social media was, like, 'Wow, dude. Those guys left. And this is the 25th-anniversary year of 'Burn My Eyes'; this is uncanny timing.' And I knew I was gonna get a call. And I wasn't gonna call myself, but I knew that I'd be getting the call. And Joey [Huston, MACHINE HEAD's longtime manager] called me and he asked if I'd be willing to have a sitdown and talk about it. 'Yeah, Joe, I'd be glad to do that.' And we had an amazing conversation.

"When you're 20-something years old and you have conflict and you have two leaders on top of a mountain, you're like a couple of mountain goats," he continued. "And that's kind of where me and Robb were. We had our own vision of life and our own vision of where the band should go. But it was clear that it was Robb's band. And I struggled with that. He struggled with that. The other guys were kind of cast into the middle of that.

"You don't realize how much stuff you push down in life — especially when you're younger and you've got that bravado and machismo and the ego and everything," Chris added. "To exorcise all of that and to just pull that black sludge out and throw it on the table and look at it together, it was… I tell people this: even if it wasn't an option to go on tour with them, that conversation was so meaningful and cathartic for both of us to tell each other how much we truly mean to each other, how hurt we were after it was over. Robb said things to me I never thought that he felt, and likewise. And we were able to squash that beef and squash that time. Then we moved on to, 'Wow, we have a real opportunity here to not only progress MACHINE HEAD through this kind of rough moment for them, but also put a stamp on the legacy of 'Burn My Eyes'' and really own it — that it is a bit of a chalice of blood for the band. It always has been a benchmark. They've put out phenomenal records over the years, but there's that 'Burn My Eyes' moment that seems to hold fast.

"So, yeah, it was one of the most cathartic and cleansing and life-affirming moments of my life, getting back to go do that and to chill with the fans."

A few years ago, Flynn was asked by Metal Hammer if it bothers him that some fans still regard "Burn My Eyes" as MACHINE HEAD's best album. He said: "No. The clincher for me, and this rarely happens, is when someone says, 'You should write 'Burn My Eyes' again,' but it'd be so phony! I'm not 24, fuckin' running around on the streets. It was real and that's why it came out the way it did. If I tried to do it now, it wouldn't be real. Those times made me who I am and affected me forever and I'm fearless because of them, but I'd like to think that I've aged gracefully and I hope to continue to do that. How dumb would it be for some [50]-something dude to be acting like some teenage gangster? It'd be ridiculous."

Adam Duce, who played bass on "Burn My Eyes", was fired from MACHINE HEAD in February 2013. He was replaced four months later by MacEachern. Adam later sued MACHINE HEAD, claiming that the other bandmembers "simply kicked him out of the band and presumed he would forget about over two decades of hard work, dedication, and effort" he put into the group. Duce also said his likeness was used on the band's web site and in promotions without his authorization. The lawsuit was settled out of court in July 2014.

Former MEGADETH members David Ellefson (bass) and Jeff Young (guitar) kicked off the KINGS OF THRASH "The MEGA Years" tour last night (Wednesday, October 12) at Brick By Brick in San Diego, California. They were joined at the concert for several songs by another former MEGADETH member, Chris Poland (guitar).

KINGS OF THRASH, which also includes drummer Fred Aching as well as guitarist/vocalist Chaz Leon, performed MEGADETH's classic albums "Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!" and "So Far, So Good… So What!" in their entirety. Fan-filmed video is available below.

In a recent interview with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of the Rock Interview Series, Young was asked if he, Ellefson and Poland have gotten any reaction to the tour — either in the form of a blessing or an angry rebuke — from MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine. Jeff responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're really not concerned. I don't pay attention. I haven't really paid attention or followed MEGADETH since, I think, I heard the 'Rust In Peace' album a couple of times, and then what you might hear on the radio or in the press.

"For us, this isn't about any spite or retaliation; it's a celebration of the music that we were all a part of, that we helped create," he explained. "And it's fun for us to do this.

"People said, 'You should do this.' And we said, 'Hey, yeah, you're right. We should do this.' It's a win-win — it's a win for us, and it's a win for [Mustaine], because any performance royalties, anything… If we did include live tracks, he would make money off that. It's promoting albums that hopefully fans will go back and buy, which is putting money right in his pocket. Especially 'Killing Is My Business', I think a lot of people are gonna go back and wanna rediscover that album after this tour.

"For us, it's all about positivity," Young added. "We're all in this moment — we're living in the moment, and we're not looking beyond. We're not reading any of the comments on Blabbermouth or any of the stuff. Because we know what our intent is, and intent is everything. And our intent's positive. We like playing together. We know we're crafting original music. We're not relying on this; we don't need to ride the coattails of this. This is just something that the fans wanted, and you wanna give fans what they want."

Asked if he thinks MEGADETH deserves to be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Jeff said: "Well, that's funny. I got a letter from Dave Mustaine a few years ago. There's an episode on my 'Music Without Boundaries' [podcast] archives called 'I Got A Letter', and I read the letter. And I tell all the stories. So if people wanna hear all the gory details, they can go find that back episode. He was thinking they were gonna get [inducted into the Rock Hall] a couple of years [ago]. Maybe they will. He wanted me to be there. And as great as it would be to be there, I don't think I would wanna share that same energetic space with such an individual."

Circling back to the KINGS OF THRASH shows, Jeff said: "The cool thing is that Ellefson and Poland and me get to go do this thing without the toxicity in the room. I mean, who could have dreamed that it would have panned out this way? It's just one of those things that we just can't say no to it, it's so cool to do. And it sounds so good. Every time we leave rehearsal, we're just giddy… We didn't have that musicality back then, so to be able to have the luxury and the opportunity to play these songs these years later when we've had all this growth as musicians and as people, it's the coolest thing ever. I can't believe this is even happening. I'm kissing the ground every day. Chris and me together with our sounds on the same side of the stage, they complement each other so well."

Ellefson, Young, Poland, Leon and Aching commenced rehearsals last month in Los Angeles.

In a recent interview with Yes! You CAN Play Guitar!, Ellefson stated about how KINGS OF THRASH came together: "[Jeff] and I got along well. We roomed together a lot, 'cause back on the 'So Far, So Good… So What!' tour, band and crew was always shacking up, sharing rooms together. So he and I had spent a lot of time together. I did a lot of guitar playing with him; I learned a lot of stuff from him, which was fun. So now to connect with him all these years later… We connected through the [making of the upcoming] Nick Menza movie [about the late MEGADETH drummer], quite honestly. And I'd stayed in touched with him. We even jammed together once at a Ronnie Montrose tribute thing at NAMM a few years ago. So we've not been completely estranged from each other."

According to Ellefson, the idea for KINGS OF THRASH materialized after he and Young reunited on stage on May 10 at Ultimate Jam Night, the long-running community-oriented show in residency at the famed Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California, as part of a special tribute to the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX. The event marked the first time David and Jeff had played MEGADETH songs together on stage since the U.K.'s Monsters Of Rock festival on August 20, 1988. "That spawned, basically, the KINGS OF THRASH," he said. "It was, like, 'Wow! That was frickin' cool, and that was a lot of fun.'"

David went on to say that he started thinking about a way to perform some of MEGADETH's classic material last year. "This idea had come to me — and it came to me last fall," he explained. "I was at an autograph show on the East Coast, and people were bringing me 'Killing Is My Business' records left and right. And it just reminded me, this record needs to be played; it needs to be performed. Same as 'So Far, So Good… So What!' To me, those are kind of these two really special records that — they never went unnoticed, but they didn't get the big fanfare like 'Peace Sells' and 'Rust In Peace' and all this stuff. So, to me, I made it my mission. I was, like, 'You know what? Let's unearth these things and let's bring these up on the stage and play them.'

"[Jeff] told me, he said, after MEGADETH, I think he said he intentionally forgot how to play MEGADETH songs; he just wanted to move on," Ellefson continued. "'Cause when you come into the band, it is a deep dive and it is a heavy compression. You really have to live that music in and out, day in, day out, all the time in order to really grasp what it is. And he did that. And then when the gig ended for him, he moved on.

"He has been doing a ton of heavy lifting on [the KINGS OF THRASH]. He is really working with our singer Chaz, the drummer Fred to get through this stuff. Even he and Chris Poland are working on this thing."

David clarified that the intention behind KINGS OF THRASH is not to stick it to his former bandmates.

"This is a celebration, not a retaliation," he explained. "This is a good moment. This is a happy moment, to celebrate these songs and these tracks and these records. So we go at it with just fun… It's, like, 'Wow. Wouldn't it be fun if we went out and played these records?' And we're doing it. So it's meant to be this celebration and bringing people together. And honestly, that was kind of always my role in MEGADETH. Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader] always called me 'The Ambassador', and I was always that guy, and I am that guy. So it's, like, let me just continue that role in our community and have one of good will."

Asked if there are plans for KINGS OF THRASH to play more shows after the already announced dates in October, Ellefson said: "I think so. That was the whole thing — let's pop four of these up, see if anybody cares. And it seems like everybody… The phone's blowing up — people are calling, the promoters are calling, and people wanna see it. It's interesting. It's cool. This is a deep dive into a very particular period of the band's history and catalog that may not get performed elsewhere. So it's, like, 'Hey, we'll do it.' And we're qualified. Certainly our resume and our pedigree and our history with the group — it's legitimate. And I've gotta say — it's fun, man. I think it's fun."

As for KINGS OF THRASH's approach to performing material that was originally written and recorded more than three decades ago, Ellefson said: "I've gotta say, man, 'Killing Is My Business', there is a lot of deep stuff on that record, but because of the tempos and because of the speed, a lot of that kind of gets a bit glossed over, because the production of the record wasn't super great, because we didn't have a lot of money to do it at the time. Now live, going into it, there are some rhythmic figures and some grooves that I think are coming out in a live setting that are so hip. There's this almost funk, kind of R&B vibe to some of the rhythms that are so cool.

"When we wrote those songs, especially 'The Skull Beneath The Skin' and even 'Looking Down The Cross', these songs were written very slow; the original tempos were [much slower]," he revealed. "So they were really cool. So one of the things we're focusing on is bringing out the sleazy, slinky, greasy groove that's in there — because it really is in there. And I think our drummer Fred is helping a lot with that. I think people are gonna really enjoy what they're gonna hear."

Remaining KINGS OF THRASH tour dates:

Oct. 13 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
Oct. 14 - Las Vegas, NV - The Space
Oct. 15 - West Hollywood, CA - Whisky A Go Go

VIP packages are available for all shows.

The Whisky A Go Go concert came four months after Ellefson and Young reunited in Los Angeles for interviews to be included in the upcoming feature-length documentary "This Was My Life: The Story Of Nick Menza". Ellefson has signed on as a co-producer of the film, and also will provide narration to guide the viewer through the exploration of the late MEGADETH drummer's life.

In June, Ellefson told The Neurotic Guitarist that he and Young "have been working on a couple of new songs."

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH nearly a year and a half ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

David was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Dave Mustaine, alleging the MEGADETH leader shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Young's entire career with MEGADETH was spent recording and touring in support of the band's 1988 platinum-selling album "So Far, So Good...So What!"

Jeff made headlines in December 2009 for accusing Mustaine of, among other things, "dissing, exaggerating and just plain lying on some level about nearly every talented musician that has passed through his dysfunctional little ensemble." He also disputed Mustaine's claim in an interview that Young's drug problem led to MEGADETH's 1988 Australian tour being called off and the group being "banned" from performing in the country.

Poland was a member of MEGADETH from 1984 to 1987, during which time he performed on the band's classic albums "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" and "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" He is also a featured soloist on the group's 2004 album, "The System Has Failed".

Back in 2004, Poland and/or his management and attorney filed a lawsuit against Mustaine regarding the use of the three "Rust In Peace" demos on the album's reissue without Chris's permission. Chris eventually settled for $9,500 and thereby ended a professional relationship with Dave and MEGADETH.

For the past couple of decades, Poland's main musical focus has been the fusion band OHM:, which has released several full-length studio albums to date.

Kings of Thrash on the road!! See you this week! 🤘

Oct 12 Brick By Brick- San Diego, CA
Oct 13 Crescent Ballroom Phoenix, AZ
Oct 14 The Space LV Las Vegas, NV
Oct 15 Whisky A Go-Go Hollywood, CA

Posted by David Ellefson on Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Megadeth’s new album debuted at #3, but like every great organization, so much is due to the foundation. Let me...

Posted by Bob Buchmann on Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Boris (pictured above) returns alongside Rocky & The Sweden (pictured below) for a new frenzied split. The album is available in full on all streaming services and physical pre-orders are out November 25. Listen below, and pre-order here.





From the opening moments of Rocky & The Sweden's adrenaline-fueled punk anthem "Voice" to Boris' sludgy, heavier-than-anything-ever closer "Nosferatou'', the new split sees the Japanese punk and heavy music underground legends delivering a frenetic collection of tracks that exude sheer intensity.







Tracklisting:


Rocky & The Sweden - "Voice"
Rocky & The Sweden - "Up In Smoke"
Rocky & The Sweden - "BxBxB"
Rocky & The Sweden - "Bakugeki Blaze"
Boris - "Blood Red"
Boris - "Killing The Observer"
Boris - "Nosferatou"





(Boris photo - Yoshihiro Mori)

Speed metal trio, Stälker, are on a blazing roll with two full-length releases under their bullet belts. Now in the Year of the Beast, 2022 marks another batch of Necronomicon-induced incantations from Stälker, as the band releases a 12” double single as their fourth offering, Cranking Evil.


The release will be unveiled to the world on November 4 via Napalm Records. Boundless evil will spew from the musical cauldron as Daif, Nick, and Chris have cooked up two piercing cuts, “Ripped To Pieces” and “Kneel & Worship”.


Today, “Ripped To Pieces” has been unleashed along with an official video and dashes with uncontrollable speed towards the top. There is no stopping this speeding train to hell that Stälker is conducting! As said on “Ripped To Pieces”: “You’ll know his name. With no place to hide. Written in fire.”




Stälker on “Ripped to Pieces”: "What lays ahead? Where will you go? Fate is what you make, But tonight you’ll be… Ripped To Pieces." Watch the official video below.


Never hitting the brakes, Stälker’s underground punk attitude introduces a new age that unites metal and rock n’ roll with no sweat. The group’s 2017 full length debut, Shadow Of The Sword, brought a new voice to the speed metal scene as the band battered their way through the underground metal world with 10 riff-packed tracks of pure Judas Priest, Motörhead and Venom worship! Soon after, fans rejoiced as the band released their heavily awaited sophomore album, Black Majik Terror, in 2020. The album brought another onslaught of pure speed metal cacophony filled with more power and more riffs, enchanting metalheads and rock n’ rollers to open up mosh pits left and right.





Cranking Evil will be available in the following formats:


- 12” Double Single LTD White
- 12” Double Single LTD Red
- Digital Double Single


Pre-order here.





Cranking Evil tracklisting:


"Ripped To Pieces"
"Kneel & Worship"


"Ripped To Pieces" video:





Stälker are:


Daif King - Vocals & Bass
Chris Calavrias - Guitar
Nick Oakes - Drums


(Photo - Hannah Chapman)

Lamb Of God's new album, Omens, is out now via Nuclear Blast Records, and available for download and streaming as well as on CD, Vinyl and Cassette, here. In the video below, the band perform the album opener, "Nevermore", at Bloodstock Open Air 2022:





Produced by long-time collaborator Josh Wilbur (Korn, Megadeth), Omens is a vicious new testament for the Richmond, Virginia-based band, a furious entry in their beloved catalogue. "The world is crazy and keeps changing. Omens is a reaction to the state of the world,” Blythe explains. "It’s a very pissed-off record.” He pauses for emphasis. “It is extremely pissed-off.”




The New Wave Of American Heavy Metal architects tracked Omens at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California, a location that birthed classics from The Doors, The Ramones, and Soundgarden, among others. "The inner workings of the band have never been better,” explains guitarist Mark Morton. “You can hear it in Omens. You can see it in our performances, and if you're around us for five minutes, you can feel it."





Tracklisting:


"Nevermore"
"Vanishing"
"To The Grave"
"Ditch"
"Omens"
"Gomorrah"
"Ill Designs"
"Grayscale"
"Denial Mechanism"
"September Song"


"Ditch" video:





"Grayscale" lyric video:





“Omens” video:





"Omens" lyric video:





"Nevermore" video:





The Making Of: Omens, a short film documenting the recording of Lamb Of God's forthcoming album, is available to watch on-demand throughout the month of October, here.

Respected Danish hard rock singer/songwriter, Ronnie Atkins, released his latest studio album, Make It Count, on March 18, 2022. The electrifying melodic hard rock masterpiece came almost one year to the day after the release of Atkins' last solo album, the critically acclaimed One Shot.


And now, as he did with One Shot, Atkins is releasing an accompanying EP for Make It Count. The Symphomaniac EP, which will be released on November 18, features orchestral versions of four tracks from Make It Count.


A lyric video for "Let Love Lead The Way" (Orchestra Version) is out today. Watch it below, and pre-order/save the Symphomaniac EP here. The CD version is exclusive to the Frontiers US & EU webstores and is available in limited quantities.







Tracklisting:


"Rising Tide" (Orchestra Version)
"Make It Count" (Orchestra Version)
"Let Love Lead The Way" (Orchestra Version)
"Unsung Heroes" (Orchestra Version)


"Let Love Lead The Way" (Orchestra Version) lyric video:





Lineup:


Ronnie Atkins - Lead and Backing Vocals
Lars Winter - Orchestration and Keyboards
Morten Sandager - Additional Keyboards
Linnea Vikström Egg - Backing Vocals


- Produced by: Chris Laney
- Mixed and mastered by: Jacob Hansen


(Photo - Tallee Savage)

Epica have released a track video for "The Great Tribulation", featured on the band's forthcoming collaborative mini-album, The Alchemy Project, out November 11. "The Great Tribulation" was co-written and performed with symphonic tech death pioneers, Fleshgod Apocalypse. Find the track video below.





Epica previously stated: "The cat is finally out of the bag: On November 11, we’re releasing seven brand new songs to conclude our 20th Anniversary year! This mini-album, named The Alchemy Project, is a very diverse release, with each track taking on the flavour of the internationally renowned guest musician(s) with whom each was written and recorded.




This resulted in a release that challenges and expands on what Epica is, while maintaining our trademark sound. Beyond the symphonic hymns you’re used to, you’ll also find progressive melodic death moments, saxophone solos, haunting lullabies with a trio of female voices - and even the heaviest death metal track we’ve ever recorded!


Graced by vivid and witty artwork by graphic wizard, Heilemania, the release is now available forpre-order as digipak CD, LP, or digitally. Of course, you can also grab the latest merch bundles and an exclusive vinyl colour, which is only available in our band shop."





The Alchemy Project tracklisting:


"The Great Tribulation" feat. Fleshgod Apocalypse
"Wake The World" feat. Phil Lanzon & Tommy Karevik
"The Final Lullaby" feat. Shining
"Sirens - Of Blood And Water feat. Charlotte Wessels & Myrkur
"Death Is Not The End" feat. Björn "Speed" Strid
"Human Devastation" feat. God Dethroned & Sven De Caluwe
"The Miner" feat. Asim Searah (Damnation Plan), Niilo Sevänen (Insomnium) & Roel van Helden (Powerwolf)


"The Great Tribulation" track video:





"The Final Lullaby" video:





Epica have released the video below, stating: "Latin America! We are just a bit over a month away from returning to your lands to play some gigs,  including slots at Hell and Heaven Open Air and Festival Rock al Parque closing out our year! Who is coming to celebrate with us?!"


Epica tour dates and tickets here.

Ayreon's Universal Migrator Part I & II will be re-released in various formats on November 18. Pre-order here, and watch a visualizer for "And The Druids Turn To Stone" below.


Says mastermind Arjen Lucassen: "'And the Druids Turn To Stone' is my personal favourite track from the Ayreon Universe live shows. Mainly because of the amazing vocal performance of my talented friend Damian Wilson. I still remember that back when I sent him the demo for this song, he wasn’t totally convinced. Maybe in part because of the dangerously-close-to-Spinal-Tap lyrics about Stonehenge. Haha! But man, he surely elevated this song to great heights, showing off all aspects of his versatile and distinctive voice. In the re-mixed version I tried to make the track sound more transparent and bring every little subtlety to the surface. Hope I succeeded!"







Universal Migrator Pt 1: The Dream Sequencer and Universal Migrator Pt 2: Flight of the Migrator were released initially simultaneously in 2000, following the majestically sprawling hit album Into the Electric Castle two years previously. The Dream Sequencer continues the plot from The Final Experiment (1995), starting in the year 2084 when the final world war wiped out all life on Earth. Flight of the Migrator continues the story of the last living human being, the colonist on Mars and his decision to use the Dream Sequencer machine to travel back to before the universe was formed.





The two albums feature an extravaganza of stunning musicians and vocalists such as Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Edward Reekers (Kayak), Damian Wilson (Headspace/Threshold), Neal Morse (Spock's Beard/Transatlantic/Flying Colors), Russell Allen (Symphony X), Andi Deris (Helloween), Michael Romeo (Symphony X) and many more.


Arjen Lucassen continues his crusade of remixing and remastering his finest work to absolute perfection and Universal Migrator, Pt. I & 2 (2022 Remixed & Remastered) is a stunning addition to his spectacular canon. Thanks to advancements in technologyA, fans can now get the chance to hear the albums through the ears of Lucassen as he intended them.


The hardcover artbook has 56 pages, which include lyrics, liner notes, the newly designed comic by Élan López, and additional pages with Élan's "Process".





Limited Edition 56-page / 5CD / DVD Earbook tracklisting:


CD 1: The Dream Sequencer"
"The Dream Sequencer"
"My House On Mars"
"2084"
"One Small Step"
"The Shooting Company Of Captain Frans B. Cocq"
"Dragon On The Sea"
"Temple Of The Cat"
"Carried By The Wind"
"And The Druids Turn To Stone"
"The First Man On Earth"
"The Dream Sequencer Reprise"


CD 2: Flight of the Migrator
"Chaos"
"Dawn Of A Million Souls"
"Journey On The Waves Of Time"
"To The Quasar"
"Into The Black Hole"
"Through The Wormhole"
"Out Of The White Hole"
"To The Solar System"
"The New Migrator"


CD 3: Bonus & Unreleased
"Into The Black Hole" – Damian Wilson (previously unreleased)
"Journey On The Waves Of Time" – Ian Parry (previously unreleased)
"Out Of The White Hole" – Robert Soeterboek (remix)
"Dawn Of A Million Souls" – Ian Parry (previously unreleased)
"Temple Of The Cat" – Lana Lane (remix)
"Through The Wormhole" – Ian Parry (remix)
"Into The Black Hole" – Lana Lane (previously unreleased)
"Carpe Diem (Chaos)" – 1992 Home Demo (previously released on Ayreonauts Only)
"House On Mars" – Instrumental Primal Version (previously unreleased)
Untitled Instrumental (previously unreleased)


CD4: The Dream Sequencer (Instrumental)
CD5: Flight Of The Migrator (Instrumental)


DVD:


5.1 Surround Mix
"The Shooting Company Of Francis B. Cocq" (Binaural Headphone Mix)
"Into The Black Hole" (Binaural Headphone Mix)
"Into The Black Hole" (Music Video)
Making of the comic feat. Élan López





Limited edition 4LP Box Set contents:


- The Dream Sequencer (2LP on 'Pink Nebula' marble vinyl)
- Flight of the Migrator (2LP on 'Pink Nebula' marble vinyl)
- Bonus DVD (with 5.1 surround audio, binaural headphone mixes, music video and featurette with Élan Lopez)
- Comic book by Élan López
- Sticker sheet
- 1 Double-sided poster
- Box is numbered and limited to 1000 copies

Behold! A new force has gathered and after times of contemplation, the galaxy has chosen its masters: Thalestris, the Queen of the Lazer-Amazons of Caledonia, Skaw!, the Primordial Berserker from the North, and Prince Angus join forces to defeat Arch Demon Seebulon, the origin of all evil. Together they form a power metal force stronger than anything mankind and goblinkind have ever witnessed: Angus McSix. With the sword Sixcalibur that receives a level-up each time an enemy is slain by its blade, the fate of the universe now lies in the hands of these mighty heroes.


Angus McSix states:


“Every stroke kills many trolls, some seven at one blow
Stronger force than anything we know
Mighty blade will never fail
All hail!”




Thalia Bellazecca (ex-Frozen Crown) rejoices with scintillating guitar-riffs as her character Thalestris, befitting her status as a Queen: trained to be the best of the best. With a body engraved in stone, Manu Lotter shows his potency as Skaw! The primordial berserker already drudged the drums in Rhapsody of Fire and Emil Bulls, and now returns to unleash his limitless rage on the drums in Angus McSix. Yet behold, for Orden Ogan mastermind Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann is Arch Demon Seebulon. With his powerful guitar, bass and production skills, he unleashes hell on Earth with no mercy. 


The future of the universe can now only be saved by the all-pervading vocals of Thomas Winkler (ex-Gloryhammer) as Prince Angus. Together they forge new legends never heard before and fight their way to the top of the genre. All hail the new mighty metal alliance Angus McSix – may the sword of power guide them on their quest to save the universe.


Angus McSix are:
Angus McSix – Vocals
Seebulon – Guitar, Bass
Thalestris – Guitar
Skaw! – Drums


(Photo – Matthias Schwaighofer)

Dave Mustaine has once again said that he is the sole founding member of MEGADETH. The guitarist/vocalist made the comment in an interview with LifeMinute to promote the band's new album, "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!". While discussing the MEGADETH "sound", the 61-year-old musician said: "There's a misnomer that there were two people that founded MEGADETH. I was the founder; I was the only one in the beginning. There was a bass player before who just was… who just left. So it's been my vision. When I got kicked out of METALLICA, I got kicked out of METALLICA; no one else was with me on the bus coming home."

Bassist David Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, when the group briefly broke up because Mustaine suffered severe nerve damage that left him unable to play. After Mustaine reformed MEGADETH with an all-new lineup in 2004, Ellefson sued his former bandmate for $18.5 million, alleging that Mustaine still owed him substantial merchandise and publishing royalties. In January 2005, the case was dismissed in court, and five years later, Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH.

Mustaine's latest comments come nearly seven years after he implied in an interview with the Cape Girardeau, Missouri radio station Real Rock 99.3 that Ellefson was not a founding member of the band because, he said, "MEGADETH was already in its formative phase long before I even knew David Ellefson." Ellefson later said that he was "technically" a founding member of MEGADETH because he was "in the room" the day MEGADETH decided to change its name from the previous working moniker of FALLEN ANGEL at the suggestion of the band's then-guitarist Greg Handevidt.

In February 2016, just a month after his original remarks were published on BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Mustaine was asked by Ticketmaster what it means to have a longtime collaborator like Ellefson back in the band after so many lineup changes. He responded: "David and I have been friends for a long time, even during the lawsuit. I had made it clear that I loved him, and I loved his family. I said that the truth would come out and that it was very unfortunate. The lawsuit was dismissed, I forgave him, and we got back in business again. It's been fun ever since."

He continued: "There's a couple web sites out there that don't like me and they're trying to twist some of my words around about David Ellefson being in the band or not being in the band, or being a founding member or not being a founding member. And that shit don't matter, because it's a gossip web site. The truth is, me and Dave are partners, we make good music together, he's in MEGADETH, we're going on tour. Hopefully people will know when they see him on stage and not think he's somebody else. [Laughs]"

In February 2016, Ellefson was asked by Cranked Up Live about Mustaine's comments to Real Rock 99.3 where the MEGADETH leader implied that Ellefson was not a founding member of the band. Ellefson said: "Well, it's interesting… Yeah, I did see [the article on BLABBERMOUTH.NET]. And it's interesting. The headline was very misleading and was obviously meant… It was very inflammatory. It was meant to be a hamburger bomb thrown over into the middle of our campaign. And I think I saw it as that. So, again, open the story, read it. They didn't even say that. They didn't even say what the headline says. That headline was misconstrued.

"Now, look, when Dave came home from METALLICA, he had another bass player, kind of a kid he was almost teaching how to play bass, and another guitar player he had been working with a little bit, and a singer, named Lor. And those were kind of the first people that, I think, in April and May of 1983 that Dave was just kicking some ideas around [with], seeing if he could get anything going. But the day me and my friend Greg Handevidt knocked on Dave's door and asked him where to buy some cigarettes and beer, that was the day that there was a unity that moved forward, because me, Greg, Dave, that singer Lor and our drummer Dijon Carruthers, who helped create a lot of the lyrics and the concept of 'Black Friday' on the 'Peace Sells' record, that was… we were the group that were rehearsing for a few weeks, working on these new songs Dave was writing. And one day we came back to… I think it was me and Greg's apartment… And it was Greg who suggested… We were talking about band names, and Greg suggested… There was a name kicking around, FALLEN ANGEL, that I think Dave… That was kind of working title that he had. But he had a song called 'Megadeth', which was later retitled to become 'Set The World Afire'. And it was my friend Greg who suggested, 'I think we should call the band MEGADETH.' And it was decided that day, so, I mean, technically, whoever was in the room that day was a founding member of MEGADETH. And, again, I don't know why there has to be so much importance on that. I know, I was there. And quickly, all those other members either scattered or were let go, and within a month or so, it was me and Dave standing next to each other — Dave and Dave of this new group called MEGADETH."

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH in May 2021, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

David was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

"Comalies XX", a "deconstructed" and "transported" version of LACUNA COIL's third album, "Comalies", will be made available on October 14 via Century Media Records.

Back in 2002, LACUNA COIL released an album which is now undeniably an anthem-laden millennial classic that established them as a band with the stamina to go the distance. Now, 20 years later, the current lineup of LACUNA COIL decided to revisit the songs, but not to just re-record them as they were but deconstruct and transport them into 2022.

When asked in a new interview with Metal Storm what inspired the decision to rework "Comalies" for the LP's 20th anniversary, vocalist Andrea Ferro said (as transcribed by BLABBERMMOUTH.NET): "Basically, when we knew that the year was coming of the 20th anniversary, we could have done just a remaster of the record. When you do a remaster, what happens is that you basically compress the files and make it sound louder; that's all that happens. Or maybe you repackage the album with a slightly different design. But that's what happens. So for such a special record as 'Comalies', [which] has been our breakthrough record, the record that was the most important record back in the first part of our career, for sure, we decided to do something a little bigger for a celebration. And so we decided instead of just remastering, go back and rework the songs, rearrange them, re-record them and sort of bring the sound of 'Comalies' and the essence of 'Comalies' into the sound of the band in 2022, like in the last couple of records, like 'Delirium' and 'Black Anima', and try to use the same lineup, the same kind of approach we have now to the old songs and see what was the result. It was a bit of a challenge for us and also for our fans as well, because when you go back and touch something so important, it's always risky because people might hate it, just the idea. But since we've always been a band that kind of looked forward to the next thing we do — we don't look back so much — so we decided to do it anyway and try to see what we could come out with this, what kind of record could come out. And actually, we are pretty pleased with the result. Obviously, it's a different era now. 'Comalies' back in 2002 was a completely different kind of record — innovative and different and new for many people — while nowadays it's more, as I say, of an experiment we've done. Obviously it can't have the same role as a record."

As previously reported, LACUNA COIL will celebrate the 20th anniversary of "Comalies", by performing it in its entirety at a one-night-only concert on Saturday, October 15 at Fabrique in Milano.

"Comalies" was originally released on October 29, 2002 through Century Media Records. The LP, which featured the band's breakthrough single "Heaven's A Lie", has reportedly gone on to sell over 300,000 copies in the United States alone.

Regarding the "Comalies" title, co-vocalist Cristina Scabbia said: "[During the album's recording], we had a sort of creative explosion. We were working in a coma, sort of like in a different dimension. First of all we just wanted to use the word 'coma' but there was something missing so we played with the two words coma and lies."

The "Comalies" song "Swamped" is available as a downloadable track for the music video game series "Rock Band" and also appeared in the 2004 video game "Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines".

LACUNA COIL played its first show in front of an audience in more than two years in April as the support act for APOCALYPTICA at the Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia.

Prior to the Atlanta concert, the last time LACUNA COIL played together was at the group's special September 2020 livestream event where the bandmembers performed their latest album, "Black Anima", in its entirety with no audience in attendance at the Alcatraz Club in Milan, Italy. That show was released as a live album, "Live From The Apocalypse", via Century Media.

LACUNA COIL hadn't played in front of a crowd since the completion of the band's South American tour in February 2020.

GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall spoke to the "Sally Steele Rocks! Show" about the deadly blaze on February 20, 2003 in Rhode Island caused by pyrotechnics at a concert by the now-former GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell. At the time of the fire, the group that was on the road was called JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE. Kendall, who founded the band with Russell in 1982, later said he was asked to join Russell and his solo band on the tour to help boost attendance.

"I think people misunderstood, thinking GREAT WHITE uses pyro," Kendall told "Sally Steele Rocks! Show". "Because we've never used it before. And the main reason is we're not a spectacle kind of band. We just want… Give us a lot of lights, maybe a little fog on the ballad and girls backstage. That's pretty much the end of GREAT WHITE. We don't go blow stuff up and whatnot. So it was kind of strange. But it was [Jack's] solo thing. All the merchandise he had was all Jack Russell — Jack Russell CD, Jack Russell t-shirt, picture behind us…"

According to Kendall, the tour was initially billed just "the Jack Russell 'For You' tour," named after Jack's second solo album, which came out in 2002. "And when I went out there, not even realizing… After I did three or four shows, I saw a flyer that said 'Jack Russell's GREAT WHITE,'" Mark recalled. "And I even called the manager, I go, 'You're calling it 'Jack Russell's GREAT WHITE'?' I go, 'Whatever. That's cool.' But the night of the accident, they actually put 'GREAT WHITE' on the marquee, and I think that's where the confusion came. But I didn't know anyone in [Jack's solo] band; I just met 'em for the first time [on that tour]."

Russell's bandmate Ty Longley (guitar) was one of the people who perished in The Station blaze, which became the fourth deadliest fire in U.S. history.

In 2008, the band agreed to pay $1 million to survivors and families of the victims of the fire.

"It was just an awful experience," Mark said. "I talked to my pastor. Man, it was the most horrific thing. I'm very close with everybody in Rhode Island. We're constantly in contact on Facebook. It was just an awful night."

Elaborating on what he saw that tragic evening, Kendall said: "It was very mild looking [at first], but I felt heat and I never felt heat before with this stuff, and so I knew there was something wrong. So I went out through the back door to get out of everybody's way so they could put it out. I thought maybe they'd have a fire extinguisher. 'Cause I saw on the wall it was just a very small part of the foam [that] had caught fire, and I thought for sure they would just put it out. But when they opened the doors… This whole place was lined with this black foam stuff, and come to find out later — of course I didn't know it then — but the fire marshal said it was equal to 13 gallons of gasoline on the wall or something. So when they opened doors, the backdraft or whatever made it just go up. And it was just horrific, man. I don't like to think about it."

The fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick began in an overcrowded club when pyrotechnics from Russell's GREAT WHITE ignited illegal soundproofing foam lining the club's walls.

"I've seen so many video tapes of pyro shooting off in that club with the foam — bigger stuff than we had — and it never happened," Jack told Psycho Babble TV a few years ago." Why it happened that night… Who knows? I mean, it's like a plane crash — it takes all these little things to fall in line for that one big thing to happen. So [the movie] gave me the opportunity to talk about how I felt and for me to apologize. Not a guilty apology, but because I just…

"I mean, I feel horrible that it happened," he continued. "I lost a lot of friends that night — a lot of friends. People that I didn't even know were even there. And people have said, 'Well, he's not remorseful.' And they've gotta understand, when all this went down, my legal team, they said, 'You cannot ever say you're sorry, because it implies guilt.' And I'm, like, 'But I am sorry.' [And they told me], 'But you can't say it.'"

According to Russell, at least one "really beautiful" thing came out of the tragedy. "There was a man named Joe; they call him 'The Lizard Man,'" Jack said. "He was the worst, most badly burned of all the people. And he met his wife in the fire and they had a beautiful son. And his comment was, 'If this wouldn't have happened, I wouldn't have met the love of my life.'"

"America's Deadliest Concert: The Guest List", a documentary about the GREAT WHITE concert fire, received its premiere this past February via Reelz. The film is based in part on John Barylick's narrative non-fiction work "Killer Show: The Station Nightclub Fire, America's Deadliest Rock Concert". It includes interviews with Russell, Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER),Don Dokken (DOKKEN),Lita Ford and Michael Sweet (STRYPER).

Russell exited GREAT WHITE in December 2011 after he was unable to tour with the group due a series of injuries, including a perforated bowel and a shattered pelvis. Jack largely blamed these injuries on his alcohol and painkiller addictions as well as the prednisone drug he was prescribed.

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

On October 5, drummer John Fred Young of Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY spoke to Loud TV prior to the band's concert at Le Trianon in Paris, France. Regarding the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the follow-up to BLACK STONE CHERRY's follow-up to 2020's "The Human Condition" album, he said: "We started working on the new record this summer. And we've got about… I think there's about eight songs right now that we had done, and we're gonna go back in in December and finish up the rest. So [it's] a really, really cool situation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci played the third show of his first headlining solo tour Friday night (October 7) at Berklee Performance Center in Boston, Massachusetts. 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.

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

Asked in a recent interview with Robert Cavuoto of Sonic Perspectives if this tour will be the first time he and Mike have performed together since Portnoy exited DREAM THEATER, Petrucci said: "It will be, yeah — since Mike left. He left the band about 12 years ago, so our last show was a festival in Japan that we played together. The first show of this tour is in Providence, Rhode Island on October 5th, and when we step on stage, that'll be the first time we've stepped on stage together and performed live since that last show in Japan. So it's a big deal; it's kind of a personal event for the two of us. And I'm so happy that him and Dave could do this tour with me. Obviously, they recorded drums and bass on 'Terminal Velocity', so it's that same trio, that same band. We played a bunch of shows as that same trip back in the early days of 'G3', so the first ones I did in 2001 — it was me, Mike and Dave. So the band is back together. [Laughs]"

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.

In a September 2021 interview with Revolver, Petrucci said about his renewed working relationship with Portnoy: "Chemistry is everything. It's funny, too — with my solo album, I'd gone in, written all the music, recorded all the guitars, programmed drums, played bass. It was all done, and then I had to go in and get Dave LaRue to play bass on it and Mike to play drums on it. And when Mike started playing drums — I remember the first day he came into the studio and he just started playing to this music that I wrote, it just sounded like the two of us. It just was really nostalgic. Even though we didn't write it together, we weren't jamming together, we weren't even in the same room when I was writing it, but there's just something about that chemistry that creates this magical sound. And one of the things I thought was really awesome with the fans out there was when it came out, it just got such a positive reaction. People were just, like, 'I'm just so happy that you did this,' and the music sounds positive and happy. And this was, like, really all during the heart of the whole pandemic. So it was a very good, positive [experience]."

In 2020, Petrucci told "Coffee With Ola!" that "it was really great" for him to have Mike play on the record. "I hadn't done anything musically with him since he left DREAM THEATER over 10 years ago," he said. "And it was really just fun, because it's different when you're in a band with somebody. Really, we grew up together — we met when we were 18. And you're in business together. It's different than when it's, like, fast forward, now it's, like, my friend is playing drums on my album. It was so easy going and so cool. He was able to come to my studio despite the pandemic situation on the East Coast in the U.S. It was safe for him to come to the studio — he doesn't live that far from me. And he spent a week, and we had fun. And he did a killer job.

"These songs take a lot of different skills, I think, as a drummer — some are uplifting and happy; some are metal; some take double-bass chops; some you've gotta do a shuffle; some are blues; some is Latin feel," Petrucci explained. "And it's just a testament to Mike's playing — he knows how to do all that stuff. And he came in, totally easy going, did it. We had fun. And I'm really happy that he did it."

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 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".

California glam metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER will release their sixth studio album, "On The Prowl", on February 24, 2023. The LP was produced by STEEL PANTHER and is now available for pre-order in multiple configurations, including CD, cassette, and two different color variant vinyl records.

Speaking to Australia's Metal Roos, STEEL PANTHER drummer Stix Zadinia said about "On The Prowl": "It is killer. Every band, normally you go, 'Yeah, dude, it's killer. It's our best record,' but you know — I think bandmembers know — it's a good record and you believe in it, but you know when you did something… This record has a spirit about it; it has a vibe about it where it's, like… I don't know. It feels different than the last few records. It just feels like there's a lot of joy in this record and fun and rocking and… It's killer, man.

"We actually did it differently than we've done any other record," he continued. "We did it at our houses, except for the drums. And then we had [longtime producer] Jay Ruston mix it. But we engineered this thing — we produced it, engineered it, all just us. Wrote, recorded, engineered, produced. The only thing we didn't do is mix it or master it."

According to Stix, he and his bandmates "were as productive as you could pretty much be as a band" during the pandemic. "We did socially distanced shows, pod shows, drive-in shows, livestreams. I say, 'We didn't do anything,' because… STEEL PANTHER, the way we've come up, we work — we're grinders and we play live. We are producers — we make things, we do things. And sitting on our ass is not comfortable for STEEL PANTHER. So this record is, I think, a reflection of our excitement. And it's gonna be killer."

The official music video for the first single from "On The Prowl", a song called "Never Too Late (To Get Some Pussy Tonight)", can be seen below.

Zadinia previously stated about the track: "The song and video are an absolute public service announcement. People have been asking STEEL PANTHER for advice on life, love and the pursuit of happiness for decades. 'Never Too Late' is a reminder to never give up, follow your heart, realize your dreams, overcome your challenges, navigate the rough seas, reach for stars and any other cliché you have in your pocket. Basically, what we are saying it is never too late to get some pussy tonight."

"On The Prowl" track listing:

01. Never Too Late (To Get Some Pussy Tonight)
02. Friends With Benefits
03. On Your Instagram
04. Put My Money Where Your Mouth Is
05. 1987
06. Teleporter
07. Is My D**k Enough (feat. Dweezil Zappa)
08. Magical Vagina
09. All That And More
10. One Pump Chump
11. Pornstar
12. Ain't Dead Yet
13. Sleeping On The Rollaway

In September, STEEL PANTHER announced the addition of Spyder as the band's new bassist.

"Spyder has filled in for Lexxi many times," STEEL PANTHER singer Michael Starr told the "Everblack" podcast. "He's a super-close friend of the band. We've known him for years. As a matter of fact, [STEEL PANTHER guitarist] Satchel and I were in a VAN HALEN tribute band for a while, and Spyder was the bass player in that. We have a rich history with him… He did all of Europe with us and he did a great job."

STEEL PANTHER will embark on a U.S. tour, "Claus & Paws Holiday Party", next month. The eight-city trek will kick off in late November after the band wraps up its recently announced Canadian leg of the "Res-Erections" tour 2022.

Formed in 2000, STEEL PANTHER specializes in imitating and exaggerating the less flattering aspects of 1980s hair metal, with unrepentantly crude, non-PC sexual content as a favorite lyrical theme.

The group's music has been described as "VAN HALEN meets MÖTLEY CRÜE meets RATT meets 'Wayne's World', complete with operatic shrieks, misogyny, shredding guitar solos and libidinal overdrive."

Fourteen years ago, STEEL PANTHER changed its name from METAL SKOOL to its current moniker and shifted the focus of its act from '80s metal covers to originals.