In a new interview with Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece, Wendy Dio, widow and longtime manager of Ronnie James Dio, said that she never got divorced from the legendary heavy metal singer, despite Internet rumors to the contrary. "I never was divorced," she clarified (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I don't know where that came from. Anybody who can find the divorce papers, I'll give 'em a million dollars. We were never divorced. We may have split sometimes and gone back together. It's very hard to be married to a musician and to manage them. We parted ways and we came back together; we were always together. [We] never, ever, ever [were] divorced or even talked about divorce. And Ronnie would be very upset if somebody said that. I don't know where that came rumor came [from]. I think [former DIO guitarist] Vivian Campbell said it for some reason; why, I have no idea."

Wendy continued: "I get really angry when people say that. I [was] never, ever divorced from Ronnie. I'd never, ever think about getting divorced from Ronnie. And he would turn over in his grave if he thought somebody said that."

When asked if it was hard to work with Ronnie during those times when they weren't together as a couple, Wendy said: "No. 'Cause business is business and our personal life was our personal life. We got on really well with it because I never interfered with Ronnie's music; he never interfered with my business. And we had one goal; that was it. We had one goal, and it was for Ronnie's success in his business and his music."

Back in September 2012, Wendy reportedly married her then-boyfriend, Omar Gimenez, in a private ceremony among family and friends in Montecito, California. Étoile Weddings, which took care of the planning for the event, tweeted out a photo that was taken immediately after the wedding.

Earlier this year, Wendy was asked by Entertainment Focus which of Ronnie's albums she was most proud of. "I would have to say [DIO's] 'Holy Diver' which was the album I was also most involved in," she said. "I loved his work with RAINBOW and [BLACK] SABBATH but we worked really, really hard on 'Holy Diver'. We had no idea whether it would be a success or what it was going to do. We ended up mortgaging our house to be able to buy the stage set that Ronnie wanted to tour the album with as well. Seeing the way the fans accepted DIO and the success he had with 'Holy Diver' gives me goosebumps, even today, when I think about it."

Regarding what it was like to manage Ronnie's career when DIO first formed, Wendy said: "I was working in the background, working very hard, but in the background. I had to learn so fast and largely 'on the job' too. Believe me, there were no women managers in rock music back then — just myself and Sharon Osbourne. All the men would tell us that we didn’t know what we were doing. I just very sweetly smiled and accepted what they said and then went and did it my own way. Sharon, on the other hand, would tell them to 'eff off' and then went and did it her way. [Laughs] We both succeeded in different ways. [Laughs] I had so many arguments with men in the industry back in those days. Some of the promoters I had to deal with were, like, 'That's nice, love, but can we speak to a man, please?' I'm a strong person, and being with Ronnie made me a stronger person because he always had my back."

Ronnie James Dio passed away of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.

Dio was renowned throughout the world as one of the greatest and most influential vocalists in heavy metal history. The singer, who was recording and touring with BLACK SABBATH offshoot HEAVEN & HELL prior to his illness, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in late 2009. He underwent chemotherapy and made what is now his final public appearance in April 2010 at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles.

Dio's autobiography, titled "Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography", was released in July 2021 via Permuted Press.

Wendy recently said that a Ronnie James Dio museum is "in the works," to be opened on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Back in September 2018, Wendy teamed up with Julien's Auctions and offered 666 items from the rock icon's personal collection, including stage props, instruments used over the years, swords, medieval art and more. The auction took place at Hard Rock Cafe New York. Fans were able to score some unlikely items, including Dio's 1993 passport.

The first-ever career-spanning documentary on the life and times of Ronnie James Dio was presented in more than 500 cinemas worldwide by Trafalgar Releasing and BMG for two days on September 28 and October 2. Executive-produced by Wendy and fully authorized by the artist's estate, "Dio: Dreamers Never Die" delves deep into the singer's incredible rise from a '50s doo-wop crooner to his early rock days in ELF and Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW, to replacing Ozzy Osbourne in BLACK SABBATH, and finally cementing his rock star status with his own band, DIO. The film incorporates never-before-seen footage and personal photos, as well as offering intimate scenes with his closest peers, family, and friends, among them Wendy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Glenn Hughes, Vinny Appice, Lita Ford, Rob Halford, Sebastian Bach, Eddie Trunk and Jack Black, as they bring viewers inside the life of one of rock and roll's true heroes and one of the most beloved figures in rock.

Former TNT and SKID ROW singer Tony Harnell has confirmed to Dr. Music that he is planning to write his autobiography. "I have started writing a book probably 10 times," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "So I have material. And what it's gonna take is me just continuing to write after I start. And I have so many good ideas. Even before I was a musician, my childhood is a crazy, wacky, weird, unusual story. There are a couple of things I tell people sometimes about it in one sentence, and they're just, like, 'Holy crap! How did you even make it here?'

"This is important, and it's probably one of the reasons I struggle so much with it: I want it to be a book that ultimately has some sort of message, some kind of outcome," Tony explained. "It doesn't have to be that my life is over. I want it to have some kind of a goal at the end. And I just haven't decided what that is exactly. It could just be telling the story, which is fine. But it's a wild story, and I want it to be a book that appeals to a wide group of people about what can happen in broken marriages — referring to my childhood and both my parents marrying multiple times as I was growing up — and just a lot of the different things that I experienced and how it affected my adult life and how it affected my career and decisions I made. There's just a lot there. But I want it to be done with love and in a way that is ultimately gonna help people. I don't want my story just to be… It's not about, 'Hey, look at how hard…' I mean, other people had it way worse than me; believe me when I tell you that. But at the same time, I do want it to have some kind of, 'Hey, I know what that feels like.' I wanna reach people and have it mean something."

Harnell celebrated the fourth anniversary of his getting sober in January.

Tony previously said that his drinking was partly responsible for him quitting SKID ROW via social media, explaining that it was "a really dumb" and "very unprofessional" thing to do.

Harnell joined SKID ROW in April 2015 as the replacement for Johnny Solinger, who was the band's frontman for fifteen years. Tony quit the group only eight months later, writing in a Facebook post that "being ignored and disrespected isn't my thing."

Tony later said in an interview with "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" that he made his exit official after going through was he described as "one of the most difficult times" in his life. "And the climax of it was the end of 2015, and I was in a bar, drinking way too much, was pissed off at the world, and did a stupid thing," he said. "And that was it. And it was very unprofessional. I've never done anything like that before, and I haven't done anything like that since. And I'm not proud of it."

Harnell went on to confirm that his drinking "played a role" in the way he went about quitting SKID ROW. "And a lot of people that know me would be, like, 'What? We never saw the guy drunk,'" he said. "It was my little private thing that a lot of people weren't really aware of — not even some people that were very close to me. So that definitely played a role. I wouldn't say that it was the only thing that was 'wrong' at the time, but it did play a role in the whole scenario."

Tony also claimed that he has since "apologized to both the band and the fans." He added: "It was a really dumb thing to do. That's basically all there is to it."

In April 2021, Harnell, who has been in and out of TNT several times throughout its four-decade existence, told "The Chuck Shute Podcast" that he didn't rule out returning to the band.

Harnell's most recent split with TNT took place in October 2017, less than a year and a half after he rejoined the group. He later described his relationship with TNT in an "Unphiltered" interview as "a very long marriage. I'm here [in New York], they're there [in Norway] — they're across the pond really far away. It's a very difficult situation to be in without having a very unified business organization, and no matter what I did, I could not get the thing unified. We were just on two totally separate not only continents physically, but mentally, psychologically, we were on two different continents as well."

Harnell said that he "really, really wanted" his latest collaboration with TNT to work out. "In my opinion, this was gonna be it — we were gonna stay together until I didn't feel like singing anymore," he said. 'I was gonna do other things and do other projects and so forth, but my goal was that TNT would be my band for at least another five years, maybe 10 years or whatever, until it ran its course. So this was kind of an unexpected thing."

Fan-filmed video of ACCEPT's October 8 performance at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube channel Clyde Shenefield).

ACCEPT's North American tour, featuring support from NARCOTIC WASTELAND, kicked off on September 29 in Nashville, Tennessee and will conclude on October 29 in Columbus, Ohio. Fans can expect a career-spanning setlist of new and classic tracks, including mega-hits "Balls To The Wall", "Princess Of The Dawn", "Fast As A Shark" and many more.

This past February, it was announced that ACCEPT had inked a worldwide deal with Napalm Records.

ACCEPT's latest album, "Too Mean To Die", came out in January 2021 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was the group's first without bassist Peter Baltes, who exited ACCEPT in November 2018. He has since been replaced by Martin Motnik. ACCEPT's lineup has also been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during 2019's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently.

"Too Mean To Die" was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with British producer Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH),who has been responsible for the studio sound of ACCEPT since 2010.

Mark Tornillo joined ACCEPT in 2009 as the replacement for the band's original lead singer, Udo Dirkscheider. He can be heard on ACCEPT's last five studio albums, "Blood Of The Nations" (2010),"Stalingrad" (2012),"Blind Rage" (2014),"The Rise Of Chaos" (2017) and "Too Mean To Die".

In August, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann was asked in a new interview with Robert Cavuoto of Sonic Perspectives if he and his bandmates will enter the studio after their upcoming U.S. tour to begin work on a new album. He responded: "Well, the studio is basically my house, or the band house, in Nashville. But, yeah, I will go there and definitely start working seriously on songs. We're not quite ready to record because, quite honestly, we don't have finished songs yet. I've got a collection of stuff that I started to put together but it's at the very beginning stages. But, yeah, we wanna put out a new album as soon as we can, sure."

He continued: "I've also been dragging my feet quite a bit because it's been such a weird time with corona. You would think I had all this free time so I have dozens and dozens of songs ready to go, but the truth is I don't. I was sitting here basically like you sit at the airport. You get there, you wait for your flight, and 10 minutes before it's ready to take off, they tell you, 'Oh, there's an hour delay.' And you think, like, 'Okay. An hour, that's not so bad. There's not much time to do much anyhow, so let me just sit here and wait.' And then, when that hour is over, they tell you, 'Oh, by the way, it's gonna be another two hours.' Had you known all this upfront, you would have probably done something useful. But it was almost like 'hurry up and wait.' And that's how it felt, to me, with corona. And I thought, 'Well, in a couple of months the tour is gonna go on anyhow. So I'm not quite ready to work on new songs quite yet.' But had I known it was gonna be a long two-year break, I might have gotten my act together and jumped into it. And we had just done an album during corona, so we were arranging to tour with it and not start working on new songs already. Because I felt like, 'Hey, I just made a record. Give me a break, people. I wanna tour this album first. I don't really wanna work on another album.' And also I don't know that the world was ready for yet another album. I mean, come on."

Former Alice Cooper and current Demi Lovato guitarist Nita Straussspoke to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about the status of her long-awaited second solo album. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I just released a single called 'Summer Storm' a couple of weeks ago. It's the second single from my forthcoming album. This one is instrumental, so it kind of takes me back to my roots, what I'm known for. And the next single with a guest vocalist will be dropping very, very soon. It's someone I'm extremely excited about, one of my favorite singers and someone I've been saying I wanted to collab with for a really long time. So I'm very excited to get that out in the world. We're just putting the finishing touches on the music video and then you guys will be able to see it.

"My new record is gonna be about half and half instrumental songs to guest vocalists, so you're gonna have a lot more cool stuff like that coming down the pipeline," she explained.

Asked if she has ever collaborated with someone where the end result just didn't live up to her expectations, Nita said: "I think when you're collaborating with someone, it's so important to embrace what they do as well as what you want. And it's tough. There's a reason why I'm a solo artist and I don't have band, 'cause I don't play well with other people a lot of time when it comes to my own music. But I think I got all of that out in [my first solo album, 2018's] 'Controlled Chaos'; I did the writing, the production, the engineering, everything myself. So I really embraced the collaborative spirit with this upcoming record. And if a guest vocalist did something that I was, like, 'Well, it's not exactly how I pictured it,' I would offer suggestions but also really relax the reins and let people do their thing. 'Cause at the end of the day, it's not really a collaboration if I'm just telling someone how to do it; I might as well just hire somebody. So there are definitely things on this upcoming record that if I had had it the original way, it would sound a little different, but that's the beauty of collaborating with different people — it's a blend of two people's ideas.'

"Summer Storm" was released in late August, with an accompanying live music video shot on Nita's recent U.S. headline tour. The track saw Strauss return to her instrumental roots following her previous single, the enormously successful "Dead Inside" which featured guest vocals from DISTURBED's David Draiman and saw Nita become the first-ever solo female to have a No. 1 hit at Active Rock Radio.

Back in February, Nita told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about some of the other guests that appear on her new solo album: "I will say that we've got a really, really cool blend of some legacy people as well as some new singers that I'm really excited about, and some amazing male vocalists and some incredible female vocalists as well."

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today marks a very special video premiere event for Five Finger Death Punch as they launched not one but two official videos simultaneously for the first time ever: the official clip for current #1 single “Times Like These” along with a video for part 2 of the story, “Welcome To The Circus”. Watch both clips below:










Five Finger Death Punch's ninth studio album, AfterLife, is available via Better Noise Music.





Tracklisting:


"Welcome To The Circus"
"AfterLife"
"Times Like These"
"Roll Dem Bones"
"Pick Up Behind You"
"Judgment Day"
"IOU"
"Thanks For Asking"
"Blood And Tar"
"All I Know"
"Gold Gutter"
"The End"


"IOU" lyric video:





"AfterLife" lyric video:





"Welcome To The Circus" lyric video:





(Photo - Travis Shinn)

Serj Tankian, the prolific artist, activist, best known for SYSTEM OF A DOWN, 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.

The official music visualizer video for the song "I Spoke Up", taken from "Perplex Cities", can be seen below.

As an artist who has brought forth diverse types of music with each release, it's no surprise that this EP explores new musical territory. In his words, "This whole collection of songs within 'Perplex Cities' is a completely different sound than what I've done before. More electronic, subtle and deeper in terms of its layers of presentation musically. 'Perplex Cities' gives off an aura that is unique and unlike my previous releases."

Before reaching the music streaming platforms next month, each track off the EP will be made available via a free augmented reality experience featuring Tankian presenting the five tracks himself in an intimate fashion. Via the app he will be appearing in the same space as the listener-viewer to explain the music and listen along. The full EP will be available on all major streaming platforms thereafter, on October 21.

Says Tankian: "I'm always trying to create new and interesting ways to connect with people via my music. We made some amazing videos for the last EP 'Elasticity', so I wanted to try something different for 'Perplex Cities'. I love the idea of appearing in the room with someone listening to my music. It's intimate, fun and different."

"Perplex Cities" track listing:

01. Pop Imperialism
02. The Race
03. I Spoke Up
04. Rumi Loves His Cars
05. Forgive Me Father

For those interested in his musically composed art, Tankian will be debuting new paintings at Stephanie's Gallery in the Los Angeles area beginning October 9. The exhibition is titled "Shapeshift – A Dynamic Dive Into Diversity" and extends through Nov. 1. As with his previous artworks, each of these new paintings will be accompanied by a musical score that corresponds with the paint on canvas and made accessible via the same Arloopa app.

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

The classic lineup of BIOHAZARD — Billy Graziadei (rhythm guitar, vocals),Bobby Hambel (lead guitar),Danny Schuler (drums) and Evan Seinfeld (lead vocals, bass) — will reunite for an appearance at next year's Bloodstock Open Air festival at Catton Park, Walton-on-Trent, United Kingdom. BIOHAZARD will headline Sunday night, August 13, 2023, on the Sophie Lancaster stage. BIOHAZARD will also perform at the Dynamo Metalfest, set to take place August 19-20, 2023 in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

This past March, Graziadei said in an interview that there had been "talk" about putting BIOHAZARD back together.

The group, which is acknowledged as one of the earliest outfits to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip-hop, has been out of the public eye since Scott Roberts left the band more than six years ago.

Roberts, who played guitar on BIOHAZARD's 2005 album "Means To An End", rejoined the group in June 2011 as the replacement for Seinfeld. Scott fronted BIOHAZARD for nearly five years before exiting the band in February 2016.

Asked by Metal Injection about BIOHAZARD's current status, Billy said: "We talk often. I was with Evan at a memorial for my friend Scott [Koenig], and it was great to see him. Danny and Bobby and I talk quite often, and during the pandemic there were a few people that wanted to play bass for us. And then during the pandemic, we were all discussing and had a heart to heart. And basically, the outcome was, like, life's too short. If we don't take away anything from this pandemic, it's, like, if we're going to do something, let's put the band back together again.

"I'm the only member of the band that's still active in music," he continued. "I know the guys do things here and there, but it's what I do with what I love. It's me, so I'm going to keep going.

"With BIOHAZARD, it's always been a vibe thing with us. It's not like we sit down and say, 'Hey, in 2023, let's make an album. Let's go on tour and release the album mid-tour.' In a business sense, that'd be great. If I had the business sense that I have now, I would have been way more successful. But like I said, that was never my goal. It's still not my goal. My goal is music and art first. I probably won't be recognized for anything awesome until I'm dead and gone, but it's okay. I have other means to pay the bills and I have a great wife who supports me.

"BIOHAZARD is kind of like a vibe thing," Billy added. "It's like when the planets align and shit lines up, we do it. There's been different crazy twists and turns of our history, and I would imagine there will be in the future, but that's life. The pandemic was the fucking craziest curveball anyone ever thought would come, you know?"

In an August 2020 interview with the "Aftershocks" podcast, Roberts said that he left BIOHAZARD because he "wasn't happy" anymore. "There was one guy that I wasn't getting along with very well, and it made touring not fun anymore for me," he said. "My reason to stick around was to make a new record that was great and I'd be proud of and all that stuff, and then it became kind of clear that wasn't gonna happen, so I was, like, 'What am I doing it for?' So I quit."

According to Roberts, BIOHAZARD was "doing really good" on the live circuit before his decision to leave the group.

"I was actually in the band longer than anybody else that wasn't the original four guys," he said. "I was in the band twice, actually; I played guitar the first time. So I was in the band, like, seven years, I think. The second time, when I was singing, at first, we were, like, 'Is this gonna work?' 'Cause it's really hard to replace a singer. In history, how many times has that actually worked? IRON MAIDEN, AC/DC… a handful of times. At first, it was definitely weird; people didn't know what to expect. But in time, the shows were getting bigger again, we were headlining festivals again — it was rolling, it was happening, it was working. But it all kind of fell apart."

In a 2017 interview with "The Ex Man" podcast, Graziadei discussed Roberts's split from the group, saying that the other members of the band "got into some issues" with Scott once work began on a new studio album. "He just grew out of it," Billy claimed. "He was a fucking rigger in New York in the union, making tons of money, and leaving his family to go on tour for making a little bit of money, it didn't pay for him. So I think that started harboring some issues with him. And eventually we were in the studio doing the new record, and we had some exchanges back and forth, and he quit. And we were, like, 'Fuck! Here we are again.'"

Scott later responded to Billy's comments, saying that he quit BIOHAZARD because it was no longer fun. "I was okay with losing money on tour as long as I was enjoying myself," Roberts wrote on his Facebook page. "I would have kept doing that. The real problem was I wasn't getting along with one of the members and wasn't enjoying myself on tour with them anymore. The only other reason for me to keep doing it, was to make a new record that I was into and proud of. When another member of the band made it clear to me that wasn't going to happen, there was no reason for me to do it anymore. That's the simplest way I can explain it."

He added: "The only reason to be in a band is for the love of it. Not because it's a career. If you don't enjoy what you're doing, you shouldn't do it. That's my opinion, for what's it worth."

In "The Ex Man" interview, Billy said that BIOHAZARD's collaboration with Roberts "just worked. The band without Evan, in a small, hardcore way, it's like VAN HALEN without David Lee Roth. It was different, it was something new, but it was different… Scott had the fire that we all had, and it just seemed to work, and people accepted him. He was great, he fit great, his vibe was great, he was all about the music, loved hardcore, loved what we did, he was really into it, and it was fucking awesome. So we toured, we kept doing it. And we saw the crowds getting bigger and the people accepted him and the BIOHAZARD name... the brand started growing again; instead of being stagnant or declining, it started to grow. And the shows kept doing better and better. And we were, like, 'Cool. Let's keep this going.'"

Seinfeld made his final recorded appearance with BIOHAZARD on 2012's "Reborn In Defiance" album, which marked the first LP featuring the band's original lineup in 18 years.

Graziadei is currently a member of POWERFLO, which also features former FEAR FACTORY bassist/guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers, Sen Dog from CYPRESS HILL, and Rogelio Lozano from DOWNSET.

Billy's solo project, BILLYBIO, released a new album, "Leaders And Liars", in March via AFM Records.

Multi-platinum award-winning group BLINK-182 has announced its biggest tour ever, a colossal global outing with Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker reuniting for the first time in nearly 10 years. Produced by Live Nation, the worldwide trek includes their first ever performances in Latin America along with stops in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand starting March 2023 through February 2024. The band will also drop their new single "Edging" this Friday, October 14, marking the first time in a decade that Mark, Tom and Travis have been in the studio together.

The tour announcement also features multiple festival appearances in Latin America and the U.S., including Lollapalooza alongside co-headliners Billie Eilish and Drake and the 2023 edition of We Were Young with GREEN DAY, among others.

Tickets go on sale starting Monday, October 17 at 10 a.m. local time on blink182.com

Latin America with support from WALLOWS

March 11 - Tijuana, MX - Imperial GNP (Festival)
March 14 - Lima, Peru - Estadio San Marcos+
March 17-19 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Lollapalooza Argentina (Festival)
March 17-19 - Santiago, Chile - Lollapalooza Chile (Festival)
March 21-22 - Asuncion, Paraguay - Venue TBA
March 23-26 - Bogotá, Colombia - Estereo Picnic (Festival)
March 24-26 - São Paulo, Brazil - Lollapalooza Brasil (Festival)
March 28 - Mexico City, MX - Palacio de los Deportes+
April 1-2 - Monterrey, MX - Venue TBA

North America with support from TURNSTILE

May 4 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center*
May 6 - Chicago, IL - United Center*
May 9 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena*
May 11 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena*
May 12 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre*
May 16 - Cleveland, OH - Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse*
May 17 - Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena*
May 19 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden*
May 20 - Belmont Park, NY - UBS Arena*
May 21 - Boston, MA - TD Garden*
May 23 - Washington, DC - Capital One Arena*
May 24 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center*
May 26 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Arena*
May 27 - Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium*
Jun 14 - Phoenix, AZ - Footprint Center*
Jun 16 - Los Angeles, CA - Banc of California Stadium*
Jun 20 - San Diego, CA - Pechanga Arena*
Jun 22 - San Jose, CA - SAP Center*
Jun 23 - Sacramento, CA - Golden 1 Center*
Jun 25 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena*
Jun 27 - Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena*
Jun 29 - Edmonton, AB - Rogers Place*
Jun 30 - Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome*
Jul 3 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena*
Jul 5 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center*
Jul 7 - Austin, TX - Moody Center*
Jul 8 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center*
Jul 10 - Tampa, FL - Amalie Arena*
Jul 11 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - FLA Live Arena*
Jul 13 - Atlanta, GA - State Farm Arena*
Jul 14 - Charlotte, NC - Spectrum Center*
Jul 16 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena*

Europe with support from THE STORY SO FAR ^

Sep 2 - Glasgow, UK - OVO Hydro^
Sep 4 - Belfast, UK - SSE Arena^
Sep 5 - Dublin, Ireland - 3Arena^
Sep 8 - Antwerp, Belgium - Sportpaleis^
Sep 9 - Cologne, Germany - Lanxess Arena^
Sep 12 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Royal Arena^
Sep 13 - Stockholm, Sweden - Avicii Arena^
Sep 14 - Oslo, Norway - Spektrum^
Sep 16 - Berlin, Germany - Mercedes-Benz Arena^
Sep 17 - Hamburg, Germany - Barclays Arena^
Sep 19 - Prague, Czech Republic - O2 Arena^
Sep 20 - Vienna, Austria - Stadthalle^
Oct 2- Lisbon, Portugal - Altice Arena^
Oct 3 - Madrid, Spain - Wizink Centre^
Oct 4 - Barcelona, Spain - Palau Sant Jordi^
Oct 6 - Bologna, Italy - Unipol Arena^
Oct 8 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Ziggo Dome^
Oct 9 - Paris, France - Accor Arena^
Oct 11 - London, UK - The O2^
Oct 14 - Birmingham, UK - Utilita Arena^
Oct 15 - Manchester, UK - AO Arena^
Oct 21 - Las Vegas, NV - When We Were Young Festival

BLINK-182 2024 tour dates:

Australia/New Zealand with support from RISE AGAINST !

Feb 9 - Perth, Western Australia - RAC Arena!
Feb 11 - Adelaide, South Australia - Entertainment Centre!
Feb 13 - Melbourne, Victoria - Rod Laver Arena!
Feb 16 - Sydney, New South Wales - Qudos Bank Arena!
Feb 19 - Brisbane, Queensland - Entertainment Centre!
Feb 23 - Auckland, NZ - Spark Arena!
Feb 26 - Christchurch, NZ - Christchurch Arena!

Since their humble beginnings nearly thirty years ago, when they started playing in a San Diego garage, BLINK-182 have sold over fifty-million albums worldwide and rocked audiences from Adelaide to Zurich, having become one of the defining rock bands of their generation. According to The New York Times, "No punk band of the 1990s has been more influential than BLINK-182."

DeLonge was a member of BLINK-182 from its 1995 debut album, "Cheshire Cat" through 2003's "Untitled", before leaving in 2005. He then rejoined the band in 2011 for the "Neighborhoods" LP, prior to departing again in 2015.

BLINK-182's two most recent albums — 2016's "California" and 2019's "Nine" — featured ALKALINE TRIO's Matt Skiba.

Tom has spent the last few years focusing on ANGELS & AIRWAVES before reconnecting with Mark after the latter beat cancer last year. Travis has collaborated with countless musicians and married Kourtney Kardashian.

While BLINK-182 have already racked up more than their fair share of platinum records and blockbuster singles, they are looking forward to their tenth studio album, due in 2023. With Delonge back after nearly a decade, fans can expect that electric onstage magic that the trio has delivered over the years.

Last year BABYMETAL concluded its 10-year journey which culminated in the celebration of the revered Japanese pop-metal band with the vinyl release of its retrospective album, "10 Babymetal Years". Later they released a cryptic video that announced BABYMETAL would be "sealed" from the world until further notice.

Today, BABYMETAL breaks the seal, making its return to Earth. Their official web site has revealed a legend map depicting all of BABYMETAL's future activities, including the news that BABYMETAL's first concept album, "The Other One", will be released worldwide on Friday, March 24, 2023. The LP reveals the other side of the BABYMETAL story that, until now, remains untold. A total of 10 songs have been discovered within "The Other One" restoration project, with each song representing a unique theme based on 10 separate parallel worlds that they have discovered.

Full-length audio of each of the 10 songs will finally be revealed when fans get their hands on the album next March. Leading up to the concept album's release, five pre-release digital singles will be available worldwide for download and streaming, each respectively scheduled to release in October, November, January, February and March.

BABYMETAL has also announced a two-day performance titled "Babymetal Returns - The Other One" on January 28 and January 29, 2023 at Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall in Tokyo.

BABYMETAL was formed in 2010. Their mission was to unify the world through heavy metal by creating a fusion of heavy metal and the Japanese pop genre. Their music contains a stunning mix of electronic pop, a pinch of alternative and industrial rock, and is leveled up by fast-driven heavy metal. Their live shows are ground-breaking and epic visual as well as sound performances. BABYMETAL continued to travel the path of metal with the international release of their three albums, telling the story of the mighty Fox God and his brave metal warriors.

A book about the first ten years of BABYMETAL, "Bessatsu Kadokawa Souryoku Tokushuu", was released in Japan in October 2020. It contains a long interview with Su-metal and Moametal as well as never-before-heard stories from band producer Kobametal from BABYMETAL's decade-long history, photos taken from live shows, a discussion between Demon Kakka and Kobametal, and much more.

BABYMETAL's third studio album, "Metal Galaxy", came out in October 2019 via earMUSIC/Edel. The follow-up to 2016's "Metal Resistance" was based on the concept of "The Odyssey Of Metal Galaxy".

In 2018, BABYMETAL announced the departure of Yuimetal, who was formerly one of the members of the Japanese group's core trio. She exited the band, explaining in a statement that she would go on to pursue a solo career as Mizuno Yu.

Last month, FOZZY postponed the remaining dates of its previously announced summer/fall 2022 "Save The World" tour due to a throat injury suffered by the band's lead singer, wrestling superstar Chris Jericho. According to FOZZY, Jericho sustained a bruised larynx in August at the AEW "Quake By The Lake" event in Minnesota where he squared off against Jon Moxley for the interim AEW world championship.

On October 6, Jericho offered an update on his recovery in an interview with Darren Paltrowitz, host of the "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz". He said about his voice (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's getting better, man. It's one of those things that I was thinking, like, oh, when the bruising goes away that you'll just be able to sing again. And it's, like, no, it's not like that. If you tear your shoulder, it doesn't just get better; you've gotta do the rehab and start with three-pound weights. So that's kind of where I'm at.

"We have a tour that starts in a month from today in England, and I started kind of just recalibrating my singing to where it will be great; it will be great for the tour," he continued. "And as I still continue to get stronger, you just have to relearn some things and then it's gonna come back. So it's going good. It's a lot better now than it was two weeks ago, which was a lot better than it was two weeks before that.

"This was just one of those things; it was the right place at the wrong time or the wrong place at the right time or whatever you wanna say."

FOZZY is continuing to tour in support of its eighth full-length studio album, "Boombox", which came out in May. The follow-up to 2017's "Judas" features FOZZY's anthemic single "I Still Burn", their newest Top 20 hit at Mainstream Rock radio. The official music video for "I Still Burn" recently eclipsed one million views. The 12-track collection, produced by Johnny Andrews, also features the Top 10 singles "Nowhere To Run" and "Sane".

In November 2020, FOZZY appeared in its first global live streaming event from Madison Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

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

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

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

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

Frontiers Music Srl will release Enuff Z’nuff's new album, Finer Than Sin, on November 11. Now fronted by singer and bass guitarist Chip Z’nuff for their last three studio albums, including The Beatles' covers album Enuff Z'Nuff's Hardrock Nite, the band are still delivering their patented infectious power pop melded with hard rock.


Check out a visualizer for the song "Intoxicated" below, and pre-order/save Finer Than Sin here.


Founding member Chip Z’nuff is once again joined by long-running members Tory Stoffregen (guitars), Tony Fennell (guitars), and Daniel Benjamin Hill (drums). Finer Than Sin showcases the musical stylings that have kept the band a loyal fan base since the ‘80s, staying true to their colorful rock 'n roll roots. Finer Than Sin is the band's 17th studio album overall.




Originally formed in 1984 in Chicago, IL, Enuff Z'Nuff received their big break in 1989 when they signed to Atco/Atlantic Records. The band's self-titled album was a monster hit and spawned two evergreen singles, “New Thing” and “Fly High Michelle”. Both received constant airplay on radio and heavy rotation on MTV, spending over 60 weeks in the Top 10. 1991 saw the band release their sophomore album, Strength. The album had a massive hard rock overtone and sustained the success achieved on the first album.


The band made high profile television and radio appearances on the likes of David Letterman and Howard Stern and were featured in Rolling Stone’s Hot Issue as "The Next Big Thing". Enuff Z'nuff have soldiered on during the new musical climates of the ‘90s and '00s and continued to release over a dozen more studio records.





Tracklisting:


"Sound Check"
"Catastrophe"
"Steal The Light"
"Lost And Out Of Control"
"Intoxicated"
"Hurricane"
"Trampoline"
"Temporarily Disconnected"
"God Save The Queen"
"Reprise"


"Intoxicated" visualizer:





"Catastrophe" video:





Enuff Z'Nuff just wrapped up a run of US dates with The Dead Daisies and has more US dates coming up, as well as international dates. See upcoming tour dates here.


Enuff Z’nuff are:


Chip Z’nuff - Singer, Electric Bass
Tory Stoffregen - Lead Guitar
Tony Fennell - Guitar, Vocals
Daniel Benjamin Hill - Drums & Percussion

Sator have released a new music video for "Brown Eyed Son" taken from the band’s album Return Of The Barbie-Q-Killers, released earlier this year.


The video for "Brown Eyed Son" was recorded at Sator's gig at Partille Arena on September 16, 2022. The idea of the video was to show off a band in its proper element - on stage - in the simplest way. An element that Sator still, to this day, 25+ years into their career, manages in a way few other bands can match.


During the video's two minutes and ten seconds, the viewer gets an intense insight into what Sator is, remains and will always stand for - rock ‘n’ roll with a slice of punk and everlasting coolness.







"Brown Eyed Son" was produced and designed by Patrik Skoglöw Photography


Sator’s Chips Kiesbye comments: "What a great tour it was! We will take a short break now, but we will be back in 2023 for more shows. While you wait you can see some footage from the tour in the new video for "Brown Eyed Son" from our new album Return Of The Barbie-Q-Killers. See you soon."





 

Season Of Mist has announced the signing of Exocrine. The French technical death metal masters have been kicking in heads since their arise in 2015.


When you think of death metal filled with flying tempos, technicalities and brutality to the max, Exocrine is your best friend.


Exocrine comments on the signing: "We can’t say how proud we are and what an honor it is to join Season Of Mist! They have supported so many iconic bands that are part of our influences in many different styles. SoM is the perfect platform for our music, and we can’t wait to work with them and start the composition of our next album! We will stay true to ourselves while innovating and SoM totally puts us in confidence for that and for the future!"




In June 2022, Exocrine released their fifth album, The Hybrid Suns, a concept record studying the voyage between life and death. It spawned two singles, "Dying Light" and "The Hybrid Sons".








 

Currently on a North American tour (dates listed below) supporting legendary German speed metallers Accept, Narcotic Wasteland founded by ex-Nile guitarist Dallas Toler-Wade, is sharing the new lyric video for their latest single "The Best Times Have Passed".





The single was recorded with drummer, engineer, and producer Erik Schultek who is no stranger to the band having recorded drums, engineered and produced their debut album. "The Best Times Have Passed" will be featured on the band's yet-to-be-titled third album due out in 2023 via Megaforce Records to follow 2014’s self-titled and 2017’s Delirium Tremens.




Toler-Wade explains the single: “When I was writing it, I was at another big turning point in my life. I was feeling my own mortality. I was feeling beat down. As with me, I still manage to find good things within it all and pull myself out of it time and time again. I think we can all relate to the fact that that it's not forever and we better make the best of things while we can.”


Inspired mostly by thrash metal and classic heavy metal, Narcotic Wasteland is becoming more thrash and speed and less death metal and getting better at writing material that is meaningful and powerful. They are recommended for fans of Vader, The Crown, and Nile.


In additional news, Narcotic Wasteland is hosting a guitar giveaway during their current North American tour. The band is offering up a signed Jackson JS32T Rhoads - Satin Black Guitar. Details on how to enter can be found here. 


Accept with special guest Narcotic Wasteland:


October
11 - Denver, CO - The Venue
13 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave Ballroom
14 - St. Charles, IL - The Arcada Theater
15 - Westland, MI - The Token
16 - Toronto, ON - The Phoenix Theater
18 - Vineland, NJ - Landis Theater
20 - Jim Thorpe, PA - Penns Peak
21 - Providence, RI – Fete Music Hall *NW only
22 - Brooklyn, NY – Lucky 13 Saloon *NW only
24 - Wallingford, CT – Cherry St. Station *NW only
25 - New York City, NY - The Gramercy
26 - New Bedford, MA - The Vault
27 - Harrisburg, PA - XL Live  
29 - Columbus, OH - King Of Clubs





(Photo – Kenji Tsunami of Tsunami Films)


 

Paul Booth and Eve Minor come together to release Shadows Remain, the debut album by their dark electronic band, CorpseFlower. The rebellious pair came together previously to collaborate on industrial metal track, "F*ck U" in the past. The collaborative work utilizes shadowy experimental sounds and intelligent, thought provoking lyricism echoing from punk roots and rebellious attitudes. CorpseFlower creates an unconventional macabre sound that resonates with every non-conformist.


CorpseFlower touches upon themes of corporate greed and capitalist propaganda in the premiere single, “Snakes”, set for release on October 14th.


"...The remedies you spill are worse than what makes us all ill, prescribing different pills, so your pockets fill…"







Tracklisting:


"Snakes"
"Poison"
"Illusion Of Control"
"Darkness Still"
"Totem Crow"
"Crooked Moon"
"Glass Tears"
"Dystopia"
"Nuclear Winter"


Pre-order your copy of Shadows Remain, set for release on October 31st, now at this location.


As a writer, Eve Minor has been involved with anti-establishmentarianism punk bands as well as her own works spawning underground anthems. She’s had slews of successful tours and has created a true cult following of misfits, the militia. Paul Booth, most famously known for brilliant dark surrealism art and revolutionizing tattooing, now sets the soundscapes to house the aggression Minor delivers out of the disdain of a society lost. Forces of dystopian nature on their own, they’ve developed an innovative approach to electronic music that retains its inability to obey both sonically and lyrically.





 

On the heels of the recent announcement of the debut single from the upcoming EP, Black Veil Brides are revealing the full tracklisting and cover art for their upcoming The Mourning. The new four-song EP is scheduled for global release digitally on October 21st via Sumerian Records. The Mourning was produced and mixed by Erik Ron (Godsmack, Bush) and can be pre-saved now at this location.


“We are so excited to share The Mourning with our fans who have supported us for so many years. They have lifted us up and are the reason we are able to have a career making music. A lot of this record touches on how galvanized we felt coming out of a very tumultuous few years as a band. It is a genuine representation of how re-energized we feel. Not only as musicians, but also as friends.


The making of our previous record, The Phantom Tomorrow, with Erik Ron was one of the greatest experiences we’ve had collectively in the studio. The reception to that album was so passionate from the BVB Army that we felt like it was a no brainer to continue writing and recording with Erik and Anthony. This is how we came to  put together this EP, that I think is a great illustration of where we are as a band, and where we want to continue to go musically moving forward. It’s pissed off, hopeful, introspective, honest and above all else something we are extremely proud to release,” explains Andy Biersack. 




From the opening guitar riff of “Devil” to the driving outro of “Better Angels”, Black Veil Brides showcase the sound that has garnered them an army of loyal supporters around the globe. The debut single “Saviour II” has crashed in to the Top 50 at Active Rock radio in just two weeks since it was released. The song has amassed over 3 million collective streams in less than a month of its release. The video for “Saviour II” can be seen below, and the single is available to listen to here. The video was directed by Vicente Cordero (Cradle Of Filth, Suicide Silence and David Hasselhoff) of Industrialism Films. 





Tracklisting:


"Devil"
"Saviour II"
"The Revival"
"Better Angels"





Black Veil Brides will be heading out on the Trinity Of Terror Part III Tour. The band is co-headlining the third North American trek alongside Motionless In White and Ice Nine Kills. The list of upcoming tour dates is below, and all VIP package and ticket information can be found at TrinityOfTerrorTour.com.


October
31 – El Paso, TX - El Paso County Coliseum


November
1 – Lubbock, TX - Lonestar Events Center
4 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live!
5 – Charleston, WV – Charleston Civic Center Coliseum
7 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
8 – Houston, TX – Revention Music Center
10 – Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center
11 – Cedar Rapids, IA – Alliant Energy PowerHouse
12 – Minneapolis, MN – Armory
13 – Gary, IN – Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana
15 – Baltimore, MD – Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena
17 – Lowell, MA – Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
18 – Albany, NY – MVP Arena
19 – Toronto, ON – Coca Cola Coliseum
21 – Laval, QC – Place Bell
22 – Rochester, NY – Rochester Main Street Armory
23 – New York, NY – Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden
26 – Orlando, FL – Orlando Amphitheatre
27 – Boca Raton, FL – Sunset Cove Amphitheater 
29 – Corbin, KY – The Corbin Arena


December
5 – Rio Rancho, NM – Rio Rancho Events Center
11 – Portland, OR – Theater Of The Clouds
12 – Seattle, WA – WAMU Theater





(Photo - Joshua Shultz)


 

Rockshots Records has announced their latest signing of power metallers Highlord for the release of their new album Freakin' Out of Hell due out on December 9.


Infusing heavy-power metal with progressive and symphonic influences was formed in Turin Italy in 1997, over the span of their career they have released eight albums, contributed to two tribute albums for Manowar and Helloween, have toured all over Europe and performed with Zak Steven’s Circle II Circle, Dark Moor, Freedom Call, Pino Scotto, Vision Divine, Elvenking, Sacred Steel, Seventh Wonder and more along with music featured on movie soundtracks for 'The Werewolf Chronicles' and 'Blood Of The Werewolf'.


For their ninth album Freakin’ Out Of Hell, the band began recording it between May 2020 and December 2021. The album includes 11 tracks of pure power-metal in perfect Highlord style, but with a much more aggressive sound and a touch of prog-metal. Again the album has been recorded, mixed, mastered, and produced in-house by bass player Massimiliano Flak at Evolution Recording Studio (Italy). The album’s artwork was created by Harley Velasquez on a concept by Highlord.




The band adds about the ninth offering:


"Freakin’ Out Of Hell is a solid work from every point of view. Not only the songs are all potential singles, but they have more or less the same average length of 4/5 minutes; we avoided recording the classic long suite just as much as the hit-and-run happier song because in this album we have found the perfect balance between all the elements of our sound. We have also set the average level of heaviness and aggression a bit higher; this is not a happy metal record, it’s a heavy metal piece that fully deserves this definition."


Preorder at the Rockshots Records webshop.





Tracklisting:


“Prelude To Hell”
“Soul Sucker”
“Freakin’ Out Of Hell”
“Sweet Unknown”
“Off The Beaten Path”
“Hollow Space”
“If You Say Yes”
“Eyes Open Wide”
“The Devil’s Doorbell”
“Fallen From Grace”
“One Eyed Jack”

The clip below features Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen performing "The Phantom Of The Opera" with vocalist Henk Poort at her solo show at AFAS Live in Amsterdam, Netherlands on September 1st, 2021.


Floor: "The only correct way to end the evening; 'The Phantom Of The Opera' with the one and only Henk Poort. It was a dream to sing this song with him on Beste Zangers, but it has been just as amazing to perform this song with him live in front of all of you. Hope you enjoy it!" 







The setlist was as follows:


Set 1:


"Ever Dream" (Nightwish)
"Storm In A Glass" (Northward) 
"Nemo" (Nightwish) 
"Mama" (Samantha Steenwijk cover) 
"Sweet Curse" (ReVamp song - with Henk Poort) 
"Dangerous Game" (from Jekyll & Hyde - with Henk Poort) 
"Euphoria" (Loreen)
"Face Your Demons" (After Forever)
"Winner" (Tim Akkerman cover)


Set 2:


"Slow, Love, Slow" (Nightwish)
"Shallow" (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper cover)
"Strong" (After Forever) 
"Élan" (Nightwish) 
"Energize Me" (After Forever) 
"Qué Se Siente" (Rolf Sanchez)
"Bridle Passion" (Northward) 
"Our Decades In The Sun" (Nightwish)
"Wolf And Dog" (ReVamp) 
"The Phantom Of The Opera" (Andrew Lloyd Webber cover - with Henk Poort)


"Energize Me"





"Storm In A Glass"





"Our Decades In The Sun"

Jonathan Hultén, the darkly enigmatic Swedish Grammy-winning songwriter returns with The Forest Sessions, on CD+DVD & LP through Kscope on December 16, 2022.


Following on from the release of his 2020, debut album Chants From Another Place that saw Hultén drawing comparisons to artists such as Nick Drake, Sufjan Stevens & Wovenhand as well as more traditional folk artists such as John Martyn right through to his contemporaries in Anna Ternheim, José Gonzales, Anna von Hausswolff,  Chelsea Wolfe & Hexvessel; The Forest Sessions is a collection of experimental versions of songs taken from both Chants From Another Place and his earlier EP The Dark Night of the Soul, but it is also a short film composed of music videos and interludes with animated illustrations and poems.


Recorded by himself between January 2020 and June 2022, with mastering and mixing taken care of by frequent collaborator Ola Ersfjord - this is a deeply intimate work from start to finish. Hultén invites listeners into his world through the stunning album cover which he designed.




Jonathan Hulten explains the concept in more depth “It all began with an idea of live streaming a concert from the woods! I got a team together, a plan was worked out and eventually the project morphed into the making of eight unique music videos based on the setlist of a live performance.”


He continues, “All the filming locations were scouted in reference to the song titles and our plan was to film all the material in 24 hours around an area about 40 minutes from Stockholm, Sweden.”


And Hultén and his team achieved this immense feat – 8 live performances filmed in the Swedish wilds in 24 hours – starting by a secluded riverside cottage, to a raft in the river, an antique organ carried over hills to a glade, an old abandoned mine and ending in the tranquil of a tree grove.  In the following weeks rough cuts were made and given to the filmmaker Emil Klinta who would take care of post-production, gracefully bringing everything to the next level.


Then, around this time the idea to interpret and record new versions of the songs came up and I felt like it could be an interesting extension of the project. These new, experimental versions were to be done in the same pace as the finalization of each video. And so throughout the following year with about 1-2 months in between the music videos were released, one by one.


The Forest Sessions is being released as a 2 disc – CD & DVD edition with the DVD featuring the collection of music videos that spontaneously evolved into the album as well as clips from Roadburn Redux Festival. It is also features a collection of poems and animations that tells a little story about letting go of old sorrows and rediscovering a sense of joy and adventure.


The audio will also be released on LP and digitally. All formats will be released on 16 December and are available to pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


CD / LP
“Wasteland” (Forest Version)
“Leaving” (Forest Version)
“Holy Woods” (Forest Version)
“Where Devils Weep” (Forest Version)
“…And The Pillars Tremble” (Forest Version)
“The Call To Adventure” (Forest Version)
“The Mountain” (Forest Version)
“Dance Of The Water Spirits”
“The Call To Adventure” (Roadburn Version)
“A Dance In The Road” (Roadburn Version)


DVD
“Wasteland Poem” (Animation)
“Wasteland” (Forest Version Movie)
“Leaving Poem” (Animation) 
“Leaving” (Forest Version Movie) 
“Holy Woods Poem” (Animation) 
“Holy Woods” (Forest Version Movie) 
“Where Devils Weep Poem” (Animation) 
“Where Devils Weep” (Forest Version Movie) 
“...And The Pillars Tremble Poem” (Animation) 
“...And The Pillars Tremble” (Forest Version Movie)
“The Call To Adventure Poem” (Animation) 
“The Call To Adventure” (Forest Version Movie) 
“The Mountain Poem” (Animation) 
“The Mountain” (Forest Version Movie) 
“Dance Of The Water Spirits Poem” (Animation) 
“Dance Of The Water Spirits” (Movie) 
“The End Poem” (Animation) 
“The Call To Adventure & A Dance In The Road” (Movie)

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael, who recently admitted that he relapsed with alcohol more than two years ago during the coronavirus pandemic, was asked in a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station if has managed to retain his sobriety in the months since he and his bandmates have returned to the road. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Still sober, yup. I had a little bit of a dip in 2020. [It was due to the] pandemic, and there was a breakup and all kinds of stuff. I realized I'm an emotional-trigger guy… I actually wrote a ton of songs over the break too. So I had the relapse in 2020, pulled myself together through the process of writing music. And one of those songs ended up on the new DEATH PUNCH record, actually."

Pressed about how he got sober this time around, Kael said: "It's a long process. I basically just had to… I don't even know what the turnaround was, honestly. Just finally realizing just, like, 'Ugh, why am I doing this?' You're tired of feeling like that. I did the work before I had the whole thing happen, to come back to it and be good. And, yeah, it's been nice. I feel definitely a whole lot stronger than I did before, because I think I've said it in press before, I would find myself, before that happened, being in meetings and people are, like, 'Oh, it took me a long time to get it. I kept on having to go back.' And I'm, like, 'Not me. I went to rehab once and I'm perfect now.' A few emotional triggers and a worldwide pandemic, and boom! — I was right back in. So I talk about it now because it's unfortunate, but if you can pull yourself back up, you can definitely build a ton of strength out of those cracks in the veneer."

For much of the last four years, Kael had touted having a sober lifestyle, saying that he was the "strongest" he had ever been after coming out of rehab. However, the 48-year-old bassist told Jason Rockman of Canada's "The Rockman Power Hour" in March that he fell off the wagon as the coronavirus lockdown continued, saying that "it was not good."

"I got sober February 3rd, 2018," Chris said. "Were it not for a mishap during the pandemic, which I haven't spoken publicly about until today, a mishap over the pandemic, it would have been four years [sober]. But right now I think I am… I have to go back and look at the date, honestly."

He continued: "I remember I went to a concert and I was trying to do… I was, like, 'All right. I fell off the wagon. I've been back on the wagon. I'm going in. I'm gonna try to control drinking this time. I'm gonna allow myself to have two. And if I do two, cool.' Nope. Did three. Haven't had a drink since. I said, 'I can't do it.' Even trying to limit myself to two, I couldn't do that."

When Rockman commented that if having three drinks one night was the extent of Chris's relapse, it wasn't so bad, Kael countered with: "No, no. It was much worse before that. August of 2020, post-breakup, post-being in a house by myself, it was not good. So as I turned to not wanting to feel for a little while… Now, [I'm] back to it again — I'm doing my meetings, doing all the stuff, working with my sponsor, working the steps and all that stuff now."

Kael said that he actually tried to get sober a couple of years before he went into rehab. "I was trying to do it on my own — and I'd been vocal about, 'Yup. I gave it up. I did this,'" he said. "I did an interview with [comedian] Dean Delray and I was talking about it. A short time thereafter, I was out on the road and I caught a case of the fuckits with whatever I was going through at that point — overdramatizing everything 'cause that's what I liked to do back in the day. Now I'm much more centered, much more focused. But I had just poured a drink and I was walking off the bus and a fan came running up to me: 'Kael, I wanna thank you. You going sober made me think about myself going sober.' And there I am standing with a fucking [drink] in my hand. 'Yeah, man. I'm just doing what I can to help out.' And I felt like such garbage.

"So it was important for me, for my own accountability, to be vocal about it," Kael explained. "'Cause I'm a people pleaser — I wanna make people happy; I don't want people to be disappointed in me — so, in the beginning, it was very important for me to be vocal about it so that others would know and I kind of have that babysitter collectively around the world watching. I'm much better at self-accountability and not needing other people to have their eye on me. I think I'm out from under that rock at this point. But collectively, we do the groups, we do our meetings — all kinds of stuff. So I still have that support system — even tighter support system. My God, [during] the pandemic, I did more meetings in Zoom than I ever did before the pandemic.

"Obviously, COVID was awful, but if you look for the silver lining to things, you can turn a negative into a positive if you just clear your mind, look around and take a full scope of what's going on and just really continue to do the right thing," he added.

Kael previously opened up about his battle with alcohol and drug addiction in a February 2021 interview with MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael. At the time, he stated about his decision to get sober: "I was doing blow, but I realized when I went to rehab, I was always the key bump guy. So just keeping the levels up just enough to fight any sort of depression. And then also through that time, Ivan [Moody, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer] was very much the focus of the issues [with drugs and alcohol] that he was going through at that point. No surprise and no secrets there — we've all seen the stuff that happened back then. But he was the focal point for everybody. So I was kind of able to hide in the background while he was dealing with his stuff. So I got to slide under the radar most of the time.

"The real decline for me started maybe two months before I cleaned up," he continued. "Just life situations — I was going through a divorce at the time… We got divorced after I got out of rehab, but the process had kind of been started before. And honestly, my goal going into rehab was — I wrote [my then-wife] a note; she may still have it; I'm sure she probably does. It was basically, like, 'Hey, I'm going to get help' and become the guy that she married in the first place and not this person I had become. So I very much wanted to get back and get out of rehab and go back to being married and whatnot. But it changed. And it was real bad probably the last three weeks of it. I didn't get too out of control. [There were] a couple of times here and there where I would really let go and there were indications that things were getting worse for me. But I basically ended up in just like a real depressed period, and I decided, 'Fuck, man. I can't do this anymore.' I called my buddy Greg, and he took me to rehab that day. And it was the weakest I've ever felt in my life, walking into that rehab. But then once I got out of rehab, I was, like, that's the fucking strongest I've ever been, is admitting that I can't deal with this and I need to figure something else out."

Kael went on to say that things got so bad for him at one point that he didn't always enjoy performing live. "When you're on stage at Wembley, sold-out show, and you're on stage going, 'Ah. Can we just get the fuck off here?', something's fucking wrong with your endorphin levels," he laughed. "My body was just so beat up. I never played fucked up on stage, but I definitely played tired from the night before many times. And that was one of those nights. My body was beat up from the night before. We probably had a day off in London. Me and my bass tech used to daydrink all day long."

Back in April 2018, Kael told the KLAQ radio station that he was "going through about an eight-ball of cocaine a week" at the height of his addiction. "That got to be the biggest problem for me," he revealed. "That and depression, the two things, were not good. I didn't realize it until I got into rehab that I was self-medicating with cocaine to get my dopamine levels up to fight the depression. I never even thought about that. And then when you come off it, you crash hard."

Kael first revealed his battle with addiction in a series of tweets, saying that his then-wife played a "major role" in helping him get clean. "Had she not busted me trying to restock after burning through $1300 in blow in two days in late January [2018], I truly believe that I would not be here today," he wrote.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH released its latest album, "AfterLife", in August.

Jane's Addiction are currently on the road in North America, alongside Smashing Pumpkins, as part of their Spirits On Fire Tour. However, they are without guitarist Dave Navarro, who made the difficult choice to step back from touring at this time, due to a prolonged battle with Covid.


Filling in for Navarro is guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen (Queens Of The Stone Age, A Perfect Circle, Eagles Of Death Metal). 


Fan-filmed video of Jane's Addiction performing "Three Days", "Jane Says", "Mountain Song", and "Stop" live in Austin, Texas at Moody Center on October 5th can be enjoyed below.
















Your next opportunity to see Jane's Addiction live is October 10th in Nashville, Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena. To view their complete tour schedule, visit this location.


 


 

KISS has shared a snippet of "Lick It Up" performed live at the Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, CA on October 7th. Check out the footage below.





 




On September 21st, Modern Drummer finally caught up with KISS drummer Eric Singer in Florida, who shared an up close and personal look at his current kit.


 


 


"This was fun! It was KISS' third show attempt (rescheduled twice) in West Palm Beach for the End Of The Road Tour. This one went off without a hitch. We had a chance to speak with Eric Singer on stage during the pre-show pyrotechnics testing for the fire marshal. Keep an eye on the background activities while Eric describes his incredible custom Pearl Tour Kit built by master drum builder Billy Baker of Baker Drums in Nashville."


 


 





 


 


To view the band's complete tour schedule, visit this location.


 

Anneke van Giersbergen (VUUR, ex-The Gathering) has checked in from her solo acoustic European tour with a new video, titled "Acapella hotel room shenanigans."




 

 
 

 


View this post on Instagram

 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

A post shared by Anneke van Giersbergen (@annekeannique)



Anneke checked in from Day 2 of the tour, in Kastoria, Greece, where things definitely did not go as planned.




Anneke: "At the end of my set, a huge cloudburst knocked the power out… throughout the whole city.


Since we couldn’t go outside anyway, we turned this unexpected situation into something intimate and cozy. I sang a couple of songs, on one knee to catch the light of my iPad and the phone lights of the audience. It was a special moment we shared together.


So that’s day 2 of the tour people. Never a dull moment. Looking forward to the coming weeks!


Vid by our awesome promoter Chris @madeofstoneprods, sitting next to our ‘all over sudden out of a job’ sound engineer @thejacques."


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
View this post on Instagram

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
A post shared by Anneke van Giersbergen (@annekeannique)



Anneke's tour schedule is as follows:

Australian metallers LORD have checked in with the following update: 


"Friends!  Due to a number of factors which ultimately made little sense for the band, we have made the decision to remove our show for LORD - Live at ProgPower USA XVII from Vimeo where it was being hosted exclusively.


We’ll spare you the details but long story short, it was not viable to continue hosting on the platform and unfortunately there were no alternatives that we wished to use. 




So what now? Well, we're uploading the entire show onto YouTube to be accessible for free, indefinitely. It’s been a few years since release and we know that there are a lot of people who have still not seen the full show. If you’re not already subscribed to our channel, follow this link.


We’re excited to be launching it on our YouTube channel and have everyone get the opportunity to watch it. 


While this is great news for many, there will be a number of you who have previously purchased the show on Vimeo and we want to make sure that we acknowledge this. 


For those who have previously bought the show, send us a DM to show us your purchase, and we’ll hook you up with a AUD$20 voucher for anything available on the store. It’s our way of saying thank you and acknowledging the impact of the decision that we have made.


Finally! Before we wrap things up we have a VERY limited number of CDs left from this release here. If you don’t own the CD yet (remember, its one of the releases on the Bingo card!) then you can pick up either an autographed or non-autographed CD from our store. Only 500 of these were printed and contain 3 bonus tracks.


If you want to get an unsigned copy, use the code PPUSA and get 15% off that particular version.


Reach out if you have any questions and we look forward to sharing LORD - Live at ProgPower USA XVII on YouTube.


Thanks for your support as always and being part of our inner circle. Cheers!"





Setlist:


"The Dreaming"
"Freedom"
"Netherlife (Black Roses Die)"
"Set in Stone"
"Redemption"
"Tarranno del Mar"
"Resurrection"
"The Legend of Huma"
"Through the Fire"
"Footsteps in the Sand"
"Creeping Death"

Incantation celebrates 30 years as one of the most influential and iconic death metal bands with the new Tricennial Of Blasphemy collection. Check out the full album stream below:





A triple LP set that catalogs rarities and unreleased tracks, Tricennial Of Blasphemy traces all eras of the band's infamous history. From a previously unavailable demo version of the band's classic Impending Diabolical Conquest featuring Will Rahmer (Moritican) on vocals, to never-before-heard tracks like "Pest Savagery"- Tricennial Of Blasphemy is another crucial part of Incantation's legacy. Tricennial Of Blasphemy was mastered by Dan Swano, and features art by Wes Benscoter and Chris Moyen.







The set is available on 3xLP/2xCD via Relapse Records. Order here.


(Photo - Marko Benjamin Alvarado)

Ryo Okumoto, long-time keyboardist for prog rock group Spock’s Beard, recently released his new solo album, The Myth Of The Mostrophus, via InsideOutMusic. The six song prog extravaganza features Okumoto’s signature style accompanied by the talents of a who’s who of progressive rock.


Today, Ryo shares a lyric video for the single, “Chrysalis”:







The album features guest appearances by a number of incredible musicians including current and former Spock’s Beard bandmates:


Nick D’Virgilio (Big Big Train, Spock’s Beard) - Drums & Vocals
Al Morse (Spock’s Beard) - Guitar
Dave Meros (Spock’s Beard) - Bass
Ted Leonard (Spock’s Beard. Transatlantic) - Vocals
Jimmy Keegan (Spock’s Beard) - Vocals
Steve Hackett (Genesis) - Guitar
Michael Sadler (Saga, ProgJect) - Vocals
Mike Keneally (Steve Vai, Frank Zappa, ProgJect) - Guitar
Jonathan Mover (Joe Satriani, ProgJect) - Drums
Marc Bonila (Keith Emerson/Kevin Gilbert) - Guitar
Doug Wimbish (Living Colour) – Bass
Randy McStine (McStine & Minnemann, Porcupine Tree) – Guitars & Vocals
Lyle Workman (Todd Rundgren) – Guitar
Michael Whiteman (I Am the Manic Whale) – Guitars & Vocals


Twenty years since Ryo Okumoto’s last solo album Coming Home (2002), work on the new album began in November 2000, when Okumoto reached out to I Am The Manic Whale vocalist/bassist Michael Whiteman, following that band’s performance on a livestream event that Okumoto had taken part in.  An exchange of demos resulted in the writing of the initial tracks for the album. Okumoto then reached out the fellow Spock’s Beard bandmates (Nick D’Virgilio, Alan Morse, Dave Meros, Ted Leonard and Jimmy Keegan) to join in and the album started to take shape before rounding out with additional guest stars through his Okumoto’s new group ProgJect including Michael Sadler, Jonathan Mover and Mike Keneally. With the additions of Steve Hackett, Marc Bonila, Doug Wimbish, Randy McStine, and Lyle Workman, the star-studded lineup was complete. The result is a prog rock tour de force from one of the most entertaining and influential artists of prog’s modern era.


Engineered and mixed by Rich Mouser, the album can be ordered here.





Tracklisting:


"Mirror Mirror"
"Turning Point"
"The Watchmaker (Time On His Side)"
"Maximum Velocity"
"Chrysalis"
"The Myth Of The Mostrophus"


“Chrysalis” video:





“The Watchmaker” lyric video:





(Photo - Alex Solca)

earMusic has shared the details of the next two releases of Deep Purple’s celebrated Limited Edition Soundboard Series.


Live In Tokyo 2001 was recorded among the two nights the band played in Japan, during an extensive tour in Asia. It captures a stand-out performance by the band, supported by conductor Paul Mann and the Shin Nihon Philharmonic Select Orchestra.


As in the show´s premiere at the Royal Albert Hall, Jon Lord’s masterful three-piece "Concerto" was the core of the show, but many other classics from Purple´s history, as well as songs from the members solo career made this set-list unique. None other than Ronnie James Dio was part of the show, and he is featured on multiple songs.




Live In Hong Kong 2001 captures instead the raw, pure, and more rock 'n' roll side of Deep Purple; here at its best in a show played in a sold out Hong Kong Coliseum, the city’s largest concert hall.


Both live albums come as strictly limited Deluxe Coloured Vinyl Editions, as well as limited 2CD Digipaks and, of course, digitally on your provider of choice.


Check out Live In Tokyo 2001 here.





Tracklisting:


Disc One


"Pictured Within" 
"Sitting In A Dream" 
"Love Is All" 
"Fever Dreams" 
"Rainbow In The Dark" 
"Watching The Sky" 
"Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming" 
"The Well-Dressed Guitar" 
"Wring That Neck" 
"Fools" 
"Perfect Strangers" 


Disc Two


"Concerto For Group And Orchestra - Movement I" 
"Concerto For Group And Orchestra - Movement II" 
"Concerto For Group And Orchestra - Movement III" 
"When A Blind Man Cries" 
"Pictures Of Home" 
"Smoke On The Water" 


Check out Live In Hong Kong 2001 here.





Tracklisting:


Disc One


"Woman From Tokyo" 
"Ted The Mechanic" 
"Mary Long" 
"Lazy" 
"No One Came" 
"Black Night" 
"Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming" 
"Fools" 


Disc Two


"Perfect Strangers"
"Hey Cisco" 
"When A Blind Man Cries"
"Smoke On The Water" 
"Speed King" 
"Hush" 
"Highway Star" 


 

Alice In Chains is celebrating the 30th anniversary of their classic 1992 album, Dirt, and the fans are on board in a big way. The album has re-entered the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart, landing at #9 after selling a whopping 26,000 equivalent album units this past week.


According to Billboard, the push has been aided by promotion of the band's 30th anniversary remastered reissue of the album, which came out on September 23rd. The album initially peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200 chart, leaving the chart in 1994.


To commemorate the upcoming 30th anniversary of Dirt, Alice In Chains have created a special limited edition deluxe box set that is now up for pre-order. It was released on September 23, only 3,000 copies will be available.




Dirt, the critically acclaimed and 5x Platinum certified studio album by Alice In Chains, celebrated 30 years on September 29. This Dirt 30th anniversary deluxe box set is limited to 3,000 units, exclusive to the official artist store.


Revisit the history of the album with a custom-sculpted Dirt girl from the album cover as a vinyl topper and magnet, orange 2LP Dirt vinyl with remastered audio, four show posters, a 24" square poster featuring the album cover and band photo, four reimagined Dirt album art prints, a Dirt hardcover book with never before seen photos, CD with remastered audio, and the album's five singles on 7" vinyl ( "Them Bones," "Down In A Hole," "Rooster," "Angry Chair" and "Would?”).





Box includes:


- Box with lid filled with metal shavings, Move shavings around to create your own dirt design using magnetic cover figurine
- Resin cover figurine fits atop vinyl records on your record player
- Dirt on Orange 2LP for the first time with remastered audio

- Dirt on CD with remastered audio
- Five 7” singles with brand new artwork on various colored vinyl: "Them Bones," "Down in a Hole," "Rooster," "Angry Chair" and "Would?"
- 80 page hardbound book
- Exclusive Dirt-inspired art prints by Cody Melick, Victor Melendez, Brent McKee, and Eric Wolfe Sahlsten
- 2-sided foldout poster
- 8x10 band photo glossy
- Four reprinted show posters
- Reprinted set list
- Dirt Tour laminate


Order here.

Legendary Swedish progressive rock band Kaipa have announced the release of their landmark 2002 album Notes From The Past for the first time ever on vinyl, celebrating its 20th anniversary. Especially remastered, this new edition will also be available on digital services, as well as LP, on December 9, 2022. Preorder here.





Hans Lundin comments: “Notes From The Past is an important milestone in my life and was the beginning of a new chapter in Kaipa's history. A meeting with new musicians who would become members of the band and create music history through all the following albums that we have released. I am very proud of this album.”




Notes From The Past was the bands 6th studio album, and first new music after a 20-year break. It saw Hans Lundin once again joined by Roine Stolt as well as Jonas Reingold, Morgan Ågren, Patrik Lundström, Aleena Gibson & Tove Thörn Lundin.