Shadow Kingdom Records has announced the signing of Cleveland’s 80s’ classic speed/thrash metal band, Destructor. A new album has been completed and will be ready to unleash in 2023. As usual, Shadow Kingdom will be doing all formats (vinyl, CD, cassette, & t-shirt).


Destructor became an 80s’ speed/thrash metal cult phenomenon with their cult classic album, Maximum Destruction from 1985 (originally on Auburn Records). The album was raw and dirty, with a heavy dose of sinister riffs.  The band back then was definitely listening to the evil sounds of Exciter, Metallica, Overkill, etc. They even shared the stage with legendary bands Anthrax, Slayer, and Megadeth - both opening up for them and headlining.


More news is going to follow regarding the new album on Shadow Kingdom, but we can tell you without a doubt, the fans of Maximum Destruction will not be disappointed with this next offering. Almost 40 years since the debut and this band is still a relentless force of speed and destruction.




Stay tuned for updates.

Scorpions have released a new single with "Out Go The Lights", a bonus track on the Japanese edition of the band's Rock Believer album. Stream the single here, and below:





Scorpions frontman and international rock icon, Klaus Meine, enthusiastically endorses Swedish heavy rock queens, Thundermother. Thundermother are currently on the road with Scorpions as Special Guests on the North American Rock Believer Tour supporting their new album, Black And Gold (out now on AFM Records).




"Make sure to come early because you don't want to miss our special guest Thundermother from Sweden. Those girls rock the house every night like crazy. If we rock like a hurricane, they bring the thunder. Be sure to don't miss them and we'll see you out there!” - Klaus Meine


Watch Meine's endorsement below:





About the tour, guitarist Filippa Nässil says: “Our set is 45 minutes of pure and raw madness! If you put AC/DC and Motörhead together, then you have Thundermother.”


Guernica Mancini (vocals) adds “'We fight for rock’n’roll' is our motto, and that is what we are doing on that stage every night. Thundermother don’t just play rock, we ARE rock!"





Tour dates:


October
4 - Los Angeles, CA - The Forum
7 - Fresno, CA - Save Mart Cente
9 - Portland, OR - Moda Center
13 - Spokane, WA - Spokane Arena
15 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
18 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Coliseum
21 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay

During the September 30 edition of "The Nightly Nuge", a news-style clip in which Ted Nugent offers his take on the news of our world every night, co-host Keith Mark asked the legendary rocker why he thinks there is a fixation that exists for the British royal family. "For those that are interested in why anyone would still believe in kings or queens or emperors or despots or tyrants, let me put it in their language: "Baaaaaah. Baaaaaah. Baaaaaah," Nugent said, imitating a sheep. "They're looking for leadership, historical abuse of power… Now, has the Queen come around as the royal family… The whole concept is just putrid to me. I think the Nugent is a royal family. I think the Mark are a royal family. I think the average American family is more 'royal' than the English royal family. I think the entire concept of kings and queens and emperors and tyrants is offensive.

"Why would there be a royal family still living in those castles while those people are still trying to find a dentist on the street?" he continued. "It's a pretty sad statement on how brainwashed, how easily led, how easily fooled and diverted attention can allow someone to worship another human being.

"I have great reverence for [American bow hunter and manufacturer] Fred Bear and I have great reverence for [former U.S. president] Donald Trump and I have great reverence for the good heroes of law enforcement and the military, but I don't worship anything. I worship God. I worship God and God's miraculous creation — this incredible, miraculous gift of life. Not a king, not an emperor. The Japanese thought their were emperors were God. How soulless can you be to attribute God-like powers to another human being?

"So I will leave it at that," Nugent added. "I've spent a lot of time in England. They've got great rock and rollers over there; they've got wonderful people over there; and I don't mean to offend people by mouthing sheep language. But my goodness, we are all independent beings created in the image and likeness of God. We are capable of unbelievable things, if we just call upon the gifts and the talents that God has given us. And it doesn't mean jack squat that someone is born into royalty. In fact, I think that is an offense to the rest of the population.

"So, I know people are fascinated with that, because look at some of the TV shows, look at some of the music, look at some of the Hollywood productions, look what Disney's doing nowadays, look what Big Tech represents. People are easily fooled, and they've been fooled to think that the royal family qualifies as royalty."

During his White House tenure, Trump had made his affection for authoritarians — from the Philippines' Duterte to Turkey's Erdoğan to China's Xi — well known. In a Fox News interview in 2018, Trump praised North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un as "strong head" of his country. "He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same." Trump also repeatedly lavished praise on Russia's Vladimir Putin, saying: "You have to give [Putin] credit that what he's doing for that country in terms of their world prestige is very strong" and praising the Russian dictator's "very strong control over [his] country."

In tapes from Bob Woodward's book "Rage", Trump said he gets along "very well" with Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and added of his relationships with dictators, "the tougher and meaner they are, the better I get along with them," which he insisted is "not a bad thing." "The easy ones," Trump said, referring to America's allies, "I maybe don't like as much or don't get along with as much."

Earlier in the month, Nugent compared Joe Biden to Adolf Hitler following a speech the U.S. president made.

Nugent has repeatedly said that the 2020 presidential election was a fraud, insisting that "hundreds of thousands of dead people" voted and claiming that machines were "rigged" to give a Trump vote to Biden. Trump lost the election by more than seven million in the popular vote and by 306-232 in the Electoral College.

There is no evidence of any widespread fraud or manipulation of voting machines in the 2020 election, as has been underscored by audits, court cases and the conclusions of Trump's own Department Of Justice.

To celebrate ANTHRAX's 40th anniversary in 2021, the band's social media accounts offered a series of video testimonials sent in by former bandmembers, fellow musicians, colleagues, and industry veterans sharing behind-the-scenes stories of working with the band and what ANTHRAX's legacy has meant all these years on. These videos honored each album in chronological order beginning with the original release, "Fistful Of Metal". The 11-week series included video contributions from former ANTHRAX bandmembers Dan Lilker, Dan Spitz, John Bush, Neil Turbin and Rob Caggiano.

Lilker, who played bass on "Fistful Of Metal" and wrote most of the music for the record, told Knotfest about ANTHRAX's 40th anniversary (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm definitely proud of that whole thing. I think it's great that those guys are still going… That was real good memories back then. I know people go, 'Oh, they fucking threw you out after that,' and blah blah blah. But, obviously, I got over that and formed NUCLEAR ASSAULT. And next year we were doing S.O.D. So I'm not the kind of guy who stays bitter forever. But, yeah, the memories of those times, writing that record and recording it and everything was... 'Cause there was no blueprint or anything; we just had influences and just tried to put our own stamp on 'em back then. So, yeah, it kind of sucks being thrown out three days before [it got] released, but it gave me an excuse to do something else."

When interviewer Daniel Dekay noted that it was "really cool" of ANTHRAX to allow Lilker to tell his side of the story in the above-mentioned documentary series, Dan said: "There was times in the past where I might have been a little neglected on some of the stuff. So I think they wanted to make sure to just have a nice, inclusive vibe and not forget any particular details. Like the fact that I wrote 75 percent of 'Fistful Of Metal'. You know, a minor detail."

A number of years ago, Lilker told Voices From The Darkside that he was fired from ANTHRAX due to "a conflict" with the band's then-vocalist Neil Turbin. "He was an egotist (like most singers, haha) and it bothered him that I was taller than him," Lilker explained. "Also, he had no sense of humor, so if you busted his balls he took it seriously. So, he told the other members, 'I can't take Lilker anymore. It's him or me.' They decided he was more important as a familiar frontman to the fans, so they threw me out, even though I wrote 75 percent of the music on 'Fistful…'. Oh well. He was, of course, thrown out seven months later, and I played with Scott [Ian, ANTHRAX guitarist] and Charlie [Benante, ANTHRAX drummer] in S.O.D. the next year."

In recent years, Ian has voiced his appreciation for the role "Fistful Of Metal" played in giving ANTHRAX its start, telling Metal Hammer: "Let's face it, 'Fistful Of Metal' gave us our career. It got the band some attention, made people all over the world aware of what we could do — and for that reason alone I have to be grateful to everyone involved. The record was vital in launching us, and everything we've done, and become, since stems from that debut record. I may be critical of it in some ways, but I could never do anything other than admit we owe it all to 'Fistful Of Metal'. If that had never happened… well, perhaps you would never have heard of ANTHRAX."

At this year's Bloodstock Open Air festival at Catton Park, Walton-on-Trent, United Kingdom, former VENOM and current VENOM INC. guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn spoke to Bloodstock TV's Oran O'Beirne about the 40th anniversary of VENOM's classic "Black Metal" album. Regarding VENOM's early musical and visual approach, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We always said, if you put BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST, MOTÖRHEAD and KISS, you put them all into a big pot and you stir it all up and then pour it out on the table, it's gonna spell VENOM. Because that's what we wanted — we wanted more leather than PRIEST, more pyros than KISS, dirtier and faster than MOTÖRHEAD, more Satanic than BLACK SABBATH. And that's what happened with us — the bands that followed us looked at us and went, 'Right. We can shove more pentagrams out there. We can be more evil than that.' So black metal is still around 40 years to this day… Now, they have evolved. Without evolution comes extinction."

He continued: "People say, 'Were VENOM the first black metal band?' Fuck yes! Sorry. We have an album called 'Black Metal', we have a fucking song called 'Black Metal', and we created a genre. And that happened just by us saying, 'We're black metal.' That was it. It was a statement to individualize [VENOM from everyone else]… We wanted to be alienated from all of this that was going on."

Released in 1982, "Black Metal" is considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general. VENOM's second album proved influential enough that its title was used as the name of the extreme metal subgenre of black metal. The band classic lineup trio of Dunn, vocalist/bassist Conrad "Cronos" Lant and drummer Anthony "Abaddon" Bray recorded two further studio LPs, "At War With Satan" (1984) and "Possessed" (1985),and live album, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" (1986). Often cited by bands such as METALLICA, BEHEMOTH, CELTIC FROST and MAYHEM as major influences, they are one of the most revered bands of their generation. VENOM is still fronted by Cronos and headlines festivals all over the globe and continues to release new music while Dunn and former VENOM bassist/vocalist Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan have joined forces in the similarly named VENOM INC.

Dunn, Bray and Dolan released three albums as VENOM between 1989 and 1992 — "Prime Evil" (1989),"Temples Of Ice" (1991) and "The Waste Lands" (1992).

VENOM INC. is not to be confused with the aforementioned Cronos-fronted version of VENOM, which is continuing to tour and make albums under the VENOM moniker. Joining Cronos in that group are Rage (a.k.a. Stuart Dixon) on guitar and Danté (a.k.a. Danny Needham) on drums.

Later this week, DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci will embark on his first headlining solo tour performing 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 will take his instrumental trio on the road performing live with Portnoy and legendary bassist Dave LaRue in an on-stage reunion that has been 12 years in the making.

Asked in a new 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 will be 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".

Photo courtesy of John Petrucci

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

Posted by John Petrucci on Wednesday, September 14, 2022

JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner spoke to the 96.1 KLPX radio station about the setlist for the band's upcoming fall 2022 U.S. tour which is scheduled to kick off on October 13 in Wallingford, Connecticut. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I can say it's around the 40th anniversary of [the] 'Screaming For Vengeance' [album], if I'm not mistaken. I'm sure the Internet will say it's not the right month yet, or not the right week, or I'm a week late or whatever. But, yeah, so we're gonna hit some moments from that record as like a tip of the cap to the album 'Screaming For Vengeance'. I know some people like to wait and see what the setlist's gonna be. I won't spoil anything, but we will reference 'Screaming For Vengeance' in a few places.

"There's a couple of things that I haven't played with the band [that we will play on this tour]," he continued. "I've been with the band for almost 12 years now, and we're playing a couple of songs that I haven't played with the band yet, which is exciting. We're digging out a few which we haven't played for a while, and then, as I said, there's a few that I haven't played with the band. So it's a refreshing setlist from our point of view as well, to be able to do some things that we haven't done, and then hopefully that kind of reflects with the fans as well, to hear something new."

Asked how JUDAS PRIEST comes up with a setlist, Richie said: "Well, it can be difficult. There's certain things we have to hit. We have a classic part of the set that we kind of have to acknowledge. PRIEST have had huge radio hits — 'Breaking The Law', '[You've Got] Another Thing Comin''; that kind of elements of the show — that we have to kind of acknowledge, as I said. If there's any moments like anniversaries of albums, we can kind of hit those moments. If there's anything we haven't done for a while that might be interesting to do… We don't wanna repeat too much from the last tour or if there's a new album, we're gonna hit a few [songs] from [that]. This being an anniversary tour, we kind of have free rein. And sometimes what we do is literally me and Rob [Halford, vocals], we'll write down songs that we think would be interesting on paper — literally cut them out, lay them all out on the table or whatever and position them and put them in the setlist, like old school. And we try to get a dynamic flow, so there's a start, like an impact, and then it kind of tapers a little bit, and there's a little bit of an ebb and flow. So we try and create a dynamic through the set, like I think the band have always done. But we literally do it with a pen and paper, cut them out into little rectangles. It sounds a bit 'Spinal Tap', but it works. We've been doing that for a little while. And then we kind of hone it as we go through [a tour]. So we might have a starting point — 16 songs — and we rehearse it, and if something doesn't feel right or it doesn't have that dynamic, we'll put another one in just to get that dynamic right."

PRIEST kicked off its spring/summer 2022 European tour with an intimate concert on May 31 in Berlin, Germany. For the gig, which was held at the 1,600-capacity Huxleys Neue Welt venue, Halford and his bandmates ditched their traditional leather-and-studs look in favor of a more stripped-down appearance.

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

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

JUDAS PRIEST will receive the Musical Excellence Award at this year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, which will honor Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

The induction ceremony will be held on November 5 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. It will air at a later date on HBO and stream on HBO Max. There will also be a radio simulcast on SiriusXM's Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Radio channel 310.

According to the Hall Of Fame, the JUDAS PRIEST members that will get inducted include current members Halford, Hill, Tipton and Scott Travis (drums),along with former members Downing, Les Binks (drums) and late drummer Dave Holland.

THE HEAD CAT, the rockabilly supergroup featuring late MOTÖRHEAD mainman Lemmy Kilmister along with THE STRAY CATS drummer Slim Jim Phantom and rockabilly guitar-slinger Danny B. Harvey, will have its catalog reissued. The news came in a new interview with Phantom, who spoke to Eonmusic.

Regarding how he first met Lemmy in the early '80s, Slim Jim commented; "Lemmy I met in 1980. He was one of the original scenesters that came to see THE STRAY CATS play. We had an audience of twenty, and Lemmy was one of them. Joe Strummer was one; Chrissie Hynde was another one, [as was] Glen Matlock. It was a bit of a scene, and we were able to deliver. We'd been doing it for quite a while already, and Lemmy was one of my original friends, and he loved rockabilly. He was a rockabilly at heart."

He continued: "The first night I met him, he asked about a particular Gene Vincent song, and I didn't know it, and he was mortified. So, after a night at the clubs, we had to go back to his house and have him find a reel-to-reel tape that he had, on the microphone in front of the radio in the '50s when he was a kid, taped the Gene Vincent radio BBC concert. And he found it, played it for me. We were friends really since 1980. I would see him every time I was in England, and I lived in London for a few years and then moved to L.A., so we were neighbors for the longest time."

On the formation of THE HEAD CAT, he said: "Someone asked me to do a track for an Elvis Presley tribute record, and who better than Lemmy? So we finished the song in, like, ten minutes, and we had another four hours of studio time, so, 'Let's do this one' and 'let's do this one.' 'Okay, let's come back tomorrow and do a few more.' So that was the birth of THE HEAD CAT, and that track led to the birth of a long kind of, side project for Lem and me."

When asked if it was nice to help Lemmy realize that inner rock and roller that he always was, Phantom said: "Exactly right. He always wanted to play Carl Perkins, right? I got to play Carl Perkins for my job, and he wanted to have a hobby, like outside of your regular job, and he wanted to play rockabilly music, and he loved it, man. So we used to work a lot when he had the time off. They had a schedule, MOTÖRHEAD, so we always used to find holes in it, and that's what he wanted to do. He didn't want to have time off. 'Fill that two weeks off.' 'All right. So we made two albums."

On plans to reissue the catalog, he said: "There's going to be a bunch of stuff coming out, because we recorded a lot of stuff properly, live shows, and a film that we did, a DVD concert video, so it's all going to come out very soon."

Read the entire interview at Eonmusic.

In 1999, Lemmy, Slim Jim and Danny teamed up to create a high-energy, take-no-prisoners combo to remind the world how rock 'n' roll was supposed to sound. For over sixteen years, HEADCAT (formerly THE HEAD CAT) continued doing just that to the accolades of fans worldwide.

Since Lemmy's untimely passing in 2015, Slim Jim and Danny B. have put HEADCAT on hold out of respect for their fallen bandmate and have waited until the appropriate time to start performing, and recording again.

In 2017, along with new HEADCAT bassist and vocalist — former MORBID ANGEL frontman David Vincent — HEADCAT recorded a heartfelt and rockin' tribute to Lemmy, appropriately titled "Born To Lose, Live To Win".

Photo is from cover of THE HEAD CAT's "Fool's Paradise" album

In a brand new interview with RadioactiveMike Z, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM radio program "Wired In The Empire", PUDDLE OF MUDD frontman Wes Scantlin spoke about the progress of the writing and recording sessions for the follow-up to 2019's "Welcome To Galvania" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That is the only thing I did, the whole time of the pandemic, is write songs and re-collaborate with [former PUDDLE OF MUDD bassist] Doug Ardito and [former PUDDLE OF MUDD guitarist] Christian Stone, former bandmates of mine and brilliant musicians, man. They've been forwarding a lot of songs that are really, really freakin' amazing. And I wanna go back in the studio with [producer] John Kurzweg, who did [the] 'Come Clean' and 'Life On Display' [albums]. Yeah, I'm gonna work with him again. 'Cause that guy is the magic man — John Kurzweg, man. He's amazing. Doug Ardito, Christian Stone — just killer writers, amazing guys, amazing musicians."

Asked about a time frame for the release of the new PUDDLE OF MUDD music, Wes said: "The new record's already basically done. I'm on the fence, as usual, trying to beat anything I did before. But, yeah, it'll be out before the end of the year, for sure."

Scantlin previously said that the new PUDDLE OF MUDD album was "basically pretty much done" this past May in an interview with Jave Patterson of Reno's Rock 104.5 radio station. At the time, he said: "I've just gotta polish it a little bit up and revise a couple of things. I did a lot of work with Doug Ardito [and] Christian Stone that used to be playing with me and stuff like that. And they had basically saved a bunch of songs that were recorded. And I'm really happy about it. It was a little funky, but I'm glad that it was put into a musical vault. So it takes a lot of weight off my shoulders."

Scantlin's latest comments come nearly a year after he made headlines for on onstage meltdown at the EPIC Event Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin where he seemed to barely get the words out to the band's hits, complained that the lighting was blinding him and abruptly ended the show after just a few songs.

Wes had almost non-stop problems with the law, alcohol, finances and other issues, before claiming to have gotten sober in 2017. Scantlin said that he ended up going back to rehab and receiving treatment "because there's really nowhere else to go." He also credited his family and fans for giving him the strength to try to get better.

Scantlin was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in September 2017 after he attempted to board a plane with a BB gun. He pleaded no contest and was banned from LAX unless it involved traveling for work.

Before that, there have been a few tumultuous years for the singer and guitarist. In January of 2016, he was arrested on suspicion of breaking into his former home and vandalizing some of the property.

He skipped two court dates related to the charges later that spring, which led to another arrest.

Prior to that, Scantlin was arrested in December 2015 for possession of a controlled substance and had several previous busts that same year for driving under the influence.

Additionally, he was arrested at a Denver airport in 2015 for taking a joyride on a baggage carousel and taken into custody as far back as 2012 for an altercation with a flight attendant.

He also ended a number of PUDDLE OF MUDD shows in 2016 early with various meltdowns, including one in which he accused a fan of stealing his house

PUDDLE OF MUDD was formed in 1991 in Kansas City by Scantlin, the only original member still with the band. The group into the mainstream with 2001's "Come Clean", which yielded three hits — "Control", "Blurry" and "She Hates Me".

"Welcome To Galvania" was released via Pavement Entertainment.

TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson has confirmed to MetalMasterKingdom.com that the band is planning to begin work on the follow-up to 2020's "Titans Of Creation" album at the end of this year for a 2023 release. "We actually have a ballad that we wrote," he revealed (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "We were gonna put it on the last record. We actually recorded some stuff, and it just wasn't ready. We were listening to it, going, 'Nah…' There was a lot of elements that weren't in there; we kind of threw it together. But this time I think we've got something really cool."

Regarding what the ballad sounds like, Eric said: "It sounds like something that TESTAMENT would do. The melodies in it are really cool. I'm not trying to say that we're going in a ballad direction. We're gonna deliver one of those kind of songs again; we haven't done that for a while, since [2012's] 'Dark Roots Of Earth' [album]. And then there's a lot of pieces laying around that I've recorded over the years that I haven't put drums to yet. So hopefully I'll be jamming with [TESTAMENT drummer Dave] Lombardo soon and we'll put some killer shit together."

Last month, TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy told Canada's The Metal Voice about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's next LP: "October 15th is the last show of [the summer/fall 2022 leg of 'The Bay Strikes Back Tour' with EXODUS, and DEATH ANGEL], so we'll work [on new material] right up to Christmas and then right after New Year's we'll get right back at it. I know [guitarists] Eric and Alex [Skolnick] have been working and jamming together, and I hear there's an epic song that's been created. I haven't heard it yet, but I hear it's epic. That's all they say — 'it's epic.' I'm, like, 'Okay.' That's the word they throw at me. But we'll see."

As for the musical direction of the new TESTAMENT songs, Chuck said: "I think TESTAMENT will always stay in the vein of TESTAMENT and not not follow trends or follow what's hip today. Even though there's a lot of great new bands I love and I go, 'Man, that's great. I really love it.' But we can't change; we wanna kind of stay TESTAMENT. I hear it from fans when you talk to 'em. They always say, 'Thank you for being who you are for so long.' So we just have to continue that."

In September, TESTAMENT recruited drummer Chris Dovas (SEVEN SPIRES) to play the first six dates of the summer/fall leg of "The Bay Strikes Back Tour". He was filling in for Lombardo, who was unable to make the gigs due to a scheduling conflict with the MISFITS.

"The Bay Strikes Back Tour" will conclude on October 15 in San Jose, California.

An original member of thrash metal legends SLAYER, Lombardo was the guest drummer on TESTAMENT's 1999 studio album "The Gathering", which also marked the first time the band worked with then-up-and-coming British producer/engineer Andy Sneap.

Lombardo rejoined TESTAMENT in February following the departure of Gene Hoglan.

TESTAMENT released a "Titans Of Creation" video album on September 9 via Nuclear Blast. The limited-edition collectible features performance videos of all the tracks on the record. The footage was compiled at a soundstage in San Francisco and was edited into music video-style clips that were made available on Blu-ray accompanying the CD with bonus photos and liner notes plus a button and sticker in a longbox. Staying true to the record, the performances feature Gene Hoglan behind the kit. This version is limited to 6,500 units worldwide.

"Titans Of Creation" was produced by Billy and Peterson while Juan Urteaga of Trident Studios handled co-producing, recording and engineering. Andy Sneap was responsible for the mixing and mastering of the album. Eliran Kantor stepped up once again to create a new masterpiece of artwork for the cover of this release.

QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Todd La Torre spoke to Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf about the tenth anniversary of his joining the band as the replacement for original singer Geoff Tate. Asked if he feels like the QUEENSRŸCHE fans have completely embraced him after all this time, Todd said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Look, there's always some asshole that doesn't like what I do. But I think after 10 years, I've proven myself as an asset to the band. I think I've been able to contribute in many ways, whether it's helping with art, helping with… I mean, just all of the creative process I'm fully involved in with the guys. But I think the majority of the people that support the band, or supported the band, dig what we're doing. And we've had a lot of great opportunities that the band hadn't had for a while. So I think we're doing things in the right direction."

He continued: "But yeah, there's always gonna be somebody that has to say something negative. But I don't care about them. I care about people that… And after 10 years of this and a couple of years in CRIMSON GLORY dealing with that too, I've heard it all; I've seen it all. Nobody's gonna come up with anything that's gonna hurt my feelings or make me feel… What they're saying isn't original; people were saying that 11 years ago. At least come up with something original. But yeah, people seem to really dig what we're doing. And no complaints overall."

La Torre was the lead singer for CRIMSON GLORY from late 2010 until resigned from the band in early 2013. In 2012, Todd became a household name in the metal world when he officially became the new lead vocalist of QUEENSRŸCHE. The band immediately began touring globally and started writing new material for the self-titled 2013 album "Queensrÿche". To date, QUEENSRŸCHE has released three studio albums with La Torre: "Queensrÿche", "Condition Hüman" (2015) and "The Verdict" (2019). The band recently completed work on its fourth release for Century Media Records, "Digital Noise Alliance", due on October 7.

This past June, Todd told the "Metal From The Inside" podcast about the criticism he and his bandmates have faced in the decade since he stepped into the group as the replacement for Tate: "First of all, people have to remember: I was a big fan of this band too. So I get it. People are, like, 'Oh, no [Chris] DeGarmo [original QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist]. Oh, no Geoff. And now Scott's [Rockenfield, original QUEENSRŸCHE drummer] not playing with them,' and blah blah blah. I understand that purist mentality. At the same time, if people aren't getting along, or if people just don't wanna do it anymore for whatever reasons… Some people say, 'Oh, they should have just stopped the name and continued under RISING WEST,'" he said, referring to the name he and the other members of QUEENSRŸCHE briefly performed under before Tate was officially fired from the band. "You say, wait a minute — you still have Michael Wilton [guitar] and Eddie Jackson [bass], who are very much, they're founding members of this band. they're supposed to just throw away their legacy and the name that they've spent their whole lives building up to, because a percentage of the original guys aren't in the band anymore? Like, fuck you! They have every right [to carry on as QUEENSRŸCHE]. They own the name. It's their band.

"When I came in, obviously I felt, 'Oh my God. This is a lot to live up to,'" La Torre admitted. "But I already kind of went through that when I was in CRIMSON GLORY. From day one, there were people saying how awful I sound, how I don't have the stage presence, how I don't have the richness in my voice or whatever. And it's been 13 years that I've had [people making hateful comments about me].

"I've read the most godawful comments you can imagine. When my dad passed away — he committed suicide back in 2014 — I remember somebody saying, 'I'd shoot myself if my kid sang like that too.' But you know what? It's not a reflection of me, how I am as a singer; it's just purely a reflection of them. Maybe they're musician that didn't get that opportunity. Or whatever the case is — maybe it's envy; maybe it's jealousy. People take stuff so personally that they're, like, 'That's my band.' I mean, you look at the 'Dimebag' Darrell thing" — referring to the late PANTERA guitarist who was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts — "where it's, like, 'This isn't PANTERA.' And whatever the case is, some nutjob. And there have been instances where I've had death threats made on me: 'You're gonna eat an effin' bullet if you're at this next show,' to where we've had to notify all the authorities and security with photographs of people and say, 'This person, they're not allowed in.' Blah blah blah. I mean, there's wackos out there. And at the end of the day, we're just, like, 'Wow. This is just music. We're just playing songs. What the fuck is your problem?' People are so fanatically, obsessively fixated on certain things, and it's creepy."

Todd went on to say: "I knew that I was gonna subject [to that kind of online hate] again, even more so, 'cause QUEENSRŸCHE was a much bigger band than CRIMSON GLORY, and [Geoff] was always the original singer, so it's, like, 'Who's this guy?' So I just said, 'I don't care. I'm just gonna sing to the best of my ability on this day.' Never mind I have my dad's sinus problems or I've been talking and my throat's tired and I've been in airplanes and I'm not acclimated to altitudes. Like, whatever. And they want this exact, perfect replication of what they heard on the record, which they weren't getting before anyway. It's not realistic.

"There are people that have come up to me at shows and said, 'Hey, I owe you an apology.' And I'm, like, 'I don't even know you. What are you talking about?' And they'll say, 'For years, I was, like, 'No Geoff Tate, no QUEENSRŸCHE. No this. No that.' And I didn't like you. But I figured I'd come out and see it, and I'll be damned. You won me over. And everything I said I take back and I'm sorry that I ever said that.' And, of course, I wouldn't know that they said that, but they feel compelled to tell me, 'Wow! The band sounds awesome. You're doing a great job. You do have those similarities of what we expect to hear, but it's not this perfect clone. You still are who you are, but you have those nuances and subtleties that the songs need.'

"I think that there are a lot more people that appreciate what the band is doing and have accepted me in the band than there are the opposite of that," La Torre said. "But when I hear… Like, there was something the other day. I forgot we were putting a little teaser, a 15-second teaser, of something on the new record, and it was out. And all the trolls come out, and they're, like, 'This doesn't sound anything like QUEENSRŸCHE.' It's, like, you literally heard 15 seconds. And it totally sounds like QUEENSRŸCHE.

"I think people, they just don't have any reservation anymore. And everyone is so quick to just react and say whatever they want online. Those people would never say that shit to my face. And now I don't care. I mean, I'm still a human being. I have really thick skin when it comes to this kind of stuff. But there are times occasionally where it's, like, 'Wow. That kind of hurt a little bit.' And that lasts about three seconds. And then I go, 'It's just another sad individual.' If you were given the opportunity I was afforded, you would take it. You would have to be an idiot not to take it. If I never accepted this gig and there was somebody else, I would always be thinking to myself, 'Maybe I'm better than that guy.' Maybe I think I could have done a better job. Or, 'Damn, that guy does great, but that could have been me.'

In a new interview with Revolver, SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian confirmed that he is working on a new memoir-style book. "It is a form of a memoir," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I was originally disinterested in writing a memoir. I was more interested in writing about the intersection of justice and spirituality, which has been in my head for many years. And when I had an agent approach me, it was kind of, like, they were interested in a memoir, I was interested in this story, and we agreed to make it a hybrid. So it's, if you will, a philosophical memoir. So it's gonna be a little different from your typical memoir in that sense."

Last year, Tankian released "Cool Gardens Poetry Suite", a collection of four elegant cinematic works layered with intimate recital of poetry performed by Serj. The verses, which were migrated from his first-ever published poetry book of the same name, complement the musical landscape. "Cool Gardens Poetry Suite" was accompanied with videos by visual artist David Bradford, a previous collaborative partner on other Tankian projects.

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

For those interested in his musically composed art, Tankian 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 November 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.

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.

Wolfgang Van Halen has once again weighed in on the proposed all-star VAN HALEN tribute project, saying he got "closure" by performing his late father's songs at the recent Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts.

No progress has been reported on a possible VAN HALEN tribute concert since April when the former METALLICA bassist revealed to The Palm Beach Post that he was approached by VAN HALEN drummer Alex Van Halen about six months earlier about playing bass for the project. Newsted told the Florida newspaper that he agreed to go to California to jam with Alex and legendary guitarist Joe Satriani and see if it felt right, but he eventually realized that it would be impossible to do justice to VAN HALEN's legacy. Three months later, Wolfgang told Rolling Stone magazine that the idea for the Eddie Van Halen tribute was ultimately nixed due to the personality clashes within VAN HALEN.

The son of Eddie Van Halen, who played three VAN HALEN songs — "On Fire", "Hot For Teacher" and "Panama" — over the course of two concerts in September alongside Dave Grohl on bass, Josh Freese on drums and THE DARKNESS's Justin Hawkins on vocals, told Classic Rock magazine that he was no longer actively interested in pursuing the idea of a standalone Eddie Van Halen tribute event. "I think I already did it with the Taylor Hawkins tributes," he explained. "I feel a lot of closure because my part of the show was a tribute to my father."

"When it comes to VAN HALEN and entities surrounding the band it's unfortunate, certainly compared to FOO FIGHTERS who have their shit together with interpersonal relationships," Wolfgang added.

"I don't know what it is with some bands but certain personalities just can't get over themselves to work collectively for one purpose. That's been the curse of VAN HALEN for its entire career. So my playing at the Taylor shows delivered that catharsis without the stresses of dealing with the VAN HALEN camp, and the players involved. Their camp is very dysfunctional — everyone! Hell, it was difficult to make plans even when the band was active."

When Classic Rock's Dave Ling asked Wolfgang about Hagar's recent comment that he would "love to play those songs again," Wolfgang said: "He said that, but he also said he wouldn't. Sammy said two different things. No… I feel that I've said my piece, and if the Taylor concerts are all that happens then I'm happy with that."

In June 2021, Wolfgang, who joined his father in VAN HALEN for the band's 2007 reunion tour with Roth, replacing Anthony, told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" it would be "great" to eventually organize an Eddie Van Halen tribute show. "It's not in the immediate plans, 'cause that's a lot of moving parts that you've gotta corral to get that to happen. But I definitely think it should happen. Absolutely," he said.

Asked how he envisions the tribute concert taking place in terms of which musicians should be involved, Wolfgang said: "I have no idea. All I know is that the focus should a hundred percent be on Pop. While it could be a celebration of VAN HALEN and the band's history, I think more than anything, it should be focused on him… It's a tall ask and a big thing to figure out. But I do think it should happen at some point."

In November 2020, Wolfgang told Entertainment Tonight that proceeds from any tribute show in honor of his father would go toward Eddie's favorite charity, Mr. Holland's Opus, which helps underprivileged students access musical instruments. Proceeds from the debut solo single from Wolfgang's solo band MAMMOTH WVH, "Distance", are also benefiting Mr. Holland's Opus.

Eddie died in October 2020 at the age of 65. The legendary VAN HALEN guitarist passed away at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.

Sebastian Bach and Ronnie Radke have engaged in a war of words on Twitter over FALLING IN REVERSE's decision to cancel a festival appearance due to "missing" laptops.

Just hours before FALLING IN REVERSE was supposed to appear at the WIIL Rock festival on Saturday, September 24 at Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake, Illinois, the singer and his bandmates scrapped their performance because their laptops — which the musicians use to "run" their "show" — were lost. At the time, Radke said in a video message that he and his bandmates had "no other option" because "as a band in 2022, you need your laptops. It's like driving a car without an engine."

A couple of days later, SiriusXM radio personality Eddie Trunk, who has been a vocal critic of rock bands using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows, blasted FALLING IN REVERSE for canceling the concert, writing on his social media: "This is astonishing .. First I heard about this I thought it was a joke to wind me up. How much longer are fans, promoters , media, just going to accept the epidemic of live rock shows… not really being live? Paying your hard earned money to see a band play 'live' that's not truly live?! And there are countless bands in 2022 that hone their craft and play live! Tons! New and old !! Including the one that subbed for them in their slot, JACKYL . No laptop needed there! This is just unreal. But at least I give them credit for being honest. Wow. I am closer than ever to launching my own band. And I can't sing or play a note .. simply amazing."

On October 1, Radke took to his Twitter to respond to Trunk, writing: "@EddieTrunk so you wanna talk hella Shit about laptops but go watch kiss lip sync, Steven Tyler plays the piano then half way through the song he stands on top of piano while it sill plays yet here we are acting like they all don't use tracks you fucking idiot. Literal moron". He also shared a video of Trunk introducing Bach's solo band at a performance, and he included the following message: "@EddieTrunk introducing @sebastianbach using tracks, both idiots talking Shit about me using tracks can't make this shit up." A short time later, Bach fired back, writing: "Wow dummy are you trying to say that you believe that I use tracks on stage? @EddieTrunk how f****** funny is this". Radke then responded: "There's a fake audience cheer in your intro tracks and also fake drums the fuck you mean? that shit isn't real you are using a fake audience cheering as you walk out on a fucking track hence you using tracks."

Things escalated further when Bach tweeted "Watch what happens when track bands call real musicians idiots", prompting Radke to write: "The fuck is your bitch ass gonna do? You disrespect an entire generation of people after you that use synths laptops and backing tracks all while using a fake audience on a track as you walk out, fuck you and fuck Eddie trunks bitch ass". Sebastian later added: "It's always so much fun to show someone what the world was like before the internet existed get f****** ready. Virtual reality is so much fun until you have to deal with actual reality. In your face. Can't wait to meet you in person. Name the time and the place and I will introduce you to rock and roll in person man".

Not backing down, Ronnie wrote: "What a fucking BUMMER this man that we all once loved is literally disrespecting an entire generation of bands. You got a lot of people that grew up listening to you you should be ashamed of yourself. Shit changes so do people the fuck is your problem".

Earlier today, the Twitter feud continued, with Radke sharing a classic video of QUEEN performing "Bohemian Rhapsody" and writing: "@sebastianbach @eddietrunk and any other literal clown: I guess Queen isn't real Rock since in 1986 they used full tracks to play bohemian rhapsody and walked off stage". Within minutes, Sebastian responded: "Laptops were not invented in 1986 tho You realize that laptops didn't come around till like 1997 right genius? So then how did Queen get on the stage? If laptops were not invented don't they have 2 cancel the show? How did this clip happen without laptops isn't that impossible?"

One person who seemingly defended Radke and FALLING IN REVERSE is MÖTLEY CRÜE's Nikki Sixx. The bassist wrote: "Keep beating that fake bullshit drum. Sounds so 'Get Off My Lawn'. God forbid if some artists use technology as a creative tool on albums and in live settings. I get it. Just open your mind and stop fighting reality. Makes you sound outta touch and I like that you fly the rock flag."

Back in 2019, Bach weighed in on artists who use pre-recorded tracks at their live shows, saying that "it's becoming very rare" to see bands "not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running." The former SKID ROW singer told Consequence Of Sound: "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have. And I still don't. I'm not going to for this tour. I feel like I'm one of the last people. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way'?”

"I just did this cruise, called the Legends Of Rock cruise, and there were all older bands — like KANSAS and Edgar Winter," he continued. "These guys come onstage and destroy you with their musicality. None of these bands on this cruise used tapes. And KANSAS, I was hanging out with that dude with the eyepatch [guitarist Rich Williams], and he said, 'I tell people, 'Come see this while it still exists,'' because it's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."

Asked why he thinks artists using pre-recorded tracks live seems much more prevalent nowadays, Bach said: "Because everybody films everything on their phones, and then posts it all. That's the reason. Nobody wants to jump around too much and then hit a bad note, and then have it be posted on the internet, and people say, 'He's not singing it like the record.' Well, nobody is jumping around when they're on the record. So, you can either freeze or sit in a chair — that's how you make a record — and if you want to do that, it's going to be a pretty boring show."

He went on to say: "Most performers say, 'Singing is too hard.' I'm not from that school. I've done four Broadway shows — I don't transpose the keys down; I can still hit all the notes. I might not hit them all just like the record on any given night. I might not be as good as I once was… but I'm good once as I ever was. [Laughs]"

Bach previously defended KISS against claims that the band is using pre-recorded tracks during its farewell tour. "I listened to Paul Stanley sing his ass off LIVE," Sebastian tweeted after witnessing KISS's concert at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. "I have seen way more obvious use of backing tracks than with KISS… KISS is not lip syncing," he added. "There are too busy putting on the greatest rock show you will ever see."

In July 2020, Bach accused FOZZY frontman Chris Jericho of using pre-recorded lead vocal tracks during live performances. The former SKID ROW frontman initially claimed Jericho was "miming to a tape" at FOZZY concerts in a social media post. In response, the wrestler-turned-rocker insisted that he had "never mimed anything ever" and challenged Bach to a "singoff" with "no effects, no tuning, no bullshit", saying "Bas is a great singer...but I'm better".

In the months that ensued, Bach brought up Jericho's alleged lip syncing on several occasions, most recently in January 2021 in an interview with The Aquarian Weekly. Asked specifically about his feud with Chris, Sebastian said: "I have an open mind about everyone. If I read on Blabbermouth.com [sic] that some band says, 'We're the future of rock 'n' roll and we are the next thing after THE ROLLING STONES,' I think, this must be incredible! What have I been missing out on? So, I checked out one video during which the singer was 100% miming to a tape on stage at The Rockpile in Toronto. I thought to myself, 'That's weird, that's not the next ROLLING STONES.' So, I watch another video where he was opening up for NICKELBACK in an arena and, again, he's miming to a tape. You can go watch it for yourself. Then someone said, 'Here's a clip of him singing live. Legit, bro.' And it's him miming to a tape again. It's crazy obvious. It is not my opinion, it's fact. It is not me starting a fight. But don't tell me what singing live is, 'cause I have never used tape. I don't even know how to do that."
.@EddieTrunk so you wanna talk hella Shit about laptops but go watch kiss lip sync, Steven Tyler plays the piano then half way through the song he stands on top of piano while it sill plays yet here we are acting like they all don’t use tracks you fucking idiot. Literal moron pic.twitter.com/5tot7FNt1S

— RonnieRadke (@RonnieRadke) October 1, 2022


.@EddieTrunk introducing @sebastianbach using tracks, both idiots talking Shit about me using tracks can’t make this shit up. pic.twitter.com/5lI8D6lSzE

— RonnieRadke (@RonnieRadke) October 1, 2022


Brendan fraiser everybody… pic.twitter.com/mopgmKalZP

— RonnieRadke (@RonnieRadke) October 2, 2022


Just falling in reverse @ rehearsal doing popular monster live so @EddieTrunk who has zero musical insight can give us a thumbs up on Facebook pic.twitter.com/xNwsHn3m6S

— RonnieRadke (@RonnieRadke) October 2, 2022


.@sebastianbach so @lukeholland is a shitty fake drummer now huh? Lmfao pic.twitter.com/iVtpSfXrXi

— RonnieRadke (@RonnieRadke) October 2, 2022


.@Sebastianbach that was a Taylor Hawkins tribute show, Taylor Hawkins drew the crowd. Are you taking credit from him now too? pic.twitter.com/GWUmgfSu4z

— RonnieRadke (@RonnieRadke) October 2, 2022


okay since you are adamant on thinking that we aren’t real musicians… let’s start with how many instruments both of us can play.. lets see who’s a real musician then lol I’ll start with piano…. https://t.co/66oSmXFNTa

— RonnieRadke (@RonnieRadke) October 2, 2022


.@sebastianbach am I crazy or this you quite literally performing with only a laptop and tracks https://t.co/zP0oQHi6Lv

— RonnieRadke (@RonnieRadke) October 2, 2022


This is besides the point but here’s another L https://t.co/0jO03lrWowpic.twitter.com/LnigKqD0Ri

— RonnieRadke (@RonnieRadke) October 2, 2022


why am I not seeing any bands besides literally Nikki Sixx defending this situation? You all use tracks LMAO

— RonnieRadke (@RonnieRadke) October 1, 2022

In a new interview with U.K.'s Independent, SLIPKNOT percussionist and co-founder M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan reflected on the loss of his daughter, saying it is one of the most horrific pains any parent can go through. "I know what real evil is now," he said. "Anything I thought was evil, all my past problems are minuscule compared with the path that my wife and I are on. We're all so locked to the clock and the dollar that we almost refuse to see those other paths that other human beings are walking. With me, I see the people on paths next to me. I don't want you on my path. I don't want to invite you over on this path. I don't want to teach you about the path. Goddammit, I didn't even know this path was here but I'm on it now."

He added: "Losing a child isn't something you get over. That's all I can say. It changes you — and that's it."

Gabrielle Crahan died on May 18, 2019 in Los Angeles, with Shawn announcing the death the following day. The 22-year-old was one of four children Shawn had with his wife, Chantel, whom he married in June 1992.

Gabrielle was remembered in her obituary as a "social butterfly" with an "outgoing personality, cheerful attitude, compassion and loving heart."

The obituary said Gabrielle fought hard against drug addiction and worked to help others who were also struggling.

"She fought it bravely, and no matter how many times she fell, she would always get back up again," according to her obituary.

"If there was anything she wanted to leave behind in her memory, it was standing up for others, always being empathetic and compassionate and never giving up on the battle against addiction," the obituary said.

Although no official cause of death had been revealed, TMZ reported that Gabrielle died from what appeared to be a drug overdose. Police and the fire department responded to a call for a possible O.D. at a Hollywood home, where they found Gabrielle's body. CPR was administered, according to the site, but failed to revive her. Law enforcement sources said there was drug paraphernalia and evidence of narcotic use at the scene.

Gabrielle died just two days after proudly showing off an Alcoholics Anonymous coin she'd been given to mark five months sobriety.

"5 months" she wrote on Instagram, sharing a smiling selfie.

In her obituary, Gabrielle was described as "a beach girl at heart" who "loved swimming and tubing at the lake, riding her long board and feeling the sun shine on her face."

Gabrielle's brother Simon and older sister Alexandria both expressed their grief over her death on social media.

Shawn previously discussed his daughter's death in an April 2021 interview with Terry "Beez" Bezer of Knotfest.com's "Mosh Talks With Beez". At the time, he said: "When you have a loss like that, you can't imagine the steps backwards you take and the words that come to mind that you have to take notice to and then take stock to. And there's not a single thing anybody in the world's gonna say that's gonna change it. Period — end of story. I mean, think about that. There's nothing anybody in the world could ever teach me — I'm a human that can be taught — no one can teach me or give me a tool that will make that acceptable, ever. So you take a lot of steps backwards. And when you do that, you notice, 'Wow. I've been abusing my own art.'"

In September 2018, ShawnCrahan paid tribute to his daughter on her birthday by sharing a throwback picture of a young Gabrielle. He wrote: "We love you Gabri."

In a brand new interview with Pablo of the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X, GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna opened up about his battle with COVID-19 at the end of last year. Asked if he is experiencing any lingering symptoms from long COVID, Erna said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, not really. I recovered pretty good from it. But it certainly kicked my ass before I got better. And I was one of the unlucky ones that had to be hospitalized for it for four days. But it wasn't so much the COVID. I want people to be sure they understand it's really not COVID that's taking anyone out; it's the damage it does afterwards, because within six or seven days I was [testing] negative [for the virus]. But I kept getting sicker and I didn't understand why. My fever wouldn't go away; the cough thing was become like crazy; body aches — all these things that I was thinking, 'Why am I still sick, man? I don't even have COVID in my body anymore.' But what happens is these early strains — the delta strain and those parts of early COVID — are known to coagulate the blood, which is when your blood gets thicker."

He continued: "We're taught our whole lives that when you don't feel well — you have the flu or a real bad cold — what does your mother tell you? 'Oh. Just lay down and rest. Fluids and rest, rest, rest.' And this stuff, they go, 'No. Even if you feel like shit and you don't wanna get up 'cause your head's pounding, you have to move around. And for me not knowing that at the time, I lay there just thinking resting, Tylenol and fluids… I'm a strong guy — I have big lungs, I box, I run, I'm on stage two hours a night. COVID shouldn't kick my ass. But what happened was I was down too long. All my medical team was on Christmas vacation, and I sat there for three weeks before I could be seen by a doctor. And so I got blood clotting in my legs that came up to my heart… What happens is when you have clotting, it sends the clot to your heart. They're not big enough to clog your heart but when it pumps it into your lungs, it breaks it apart and it spackles your lungs, so all those little blood vessels, they start to clog these little airways in your lungs and that's when you get pneumonia. And that's what really took me out, was the pneumonia. But I beat it, and I feel good now. All my taste, my smell, that came back — hmmmm — I wouldn't say a hundred percent, but probably 85, 90 percent. It's still a little bit different when I smell or taste now — a hint of bitterness versus what it used to be. But [it's] pretty close. And I just got COVID for the second time a couple of weeks ago. But now they have these antiviral meds and I jumped right on it and I knocked it out within three days. So I'm hoping I'm done with COVID now for good, 'cause I think I got all the strains that they offer it in. [Laughs]"

CNN recently reported that some 5% of global COVID-19 survivors have developed long-lasting taste and smell problems. More than two years into the pandemic, researchers found an estimated 15 million people may still have problems perceiving odors, while 12 million may struggle with taste.

According to the British Heart Foundation, a cardiovascular research charity in the United Kingdom, the vaccine not only reduces the risk of catching COVID-19, but there is also evidence that for those who do catch it, being vaccinated makes it less likely they will develop long COVID. But it doesn’t remove the risk of long COVID entirely, and some research carried out in the United States suggests that among those who catch COVID, the risk may still be significant.

Erna originally discussed his COVID-19 battle prior to GODSMACK's headlining performance at WJRR's Earthday Birthday 28 in April. Speaking to Pat Lynch and Taco Bob from 101.1 WJRR, he said: "I got very sick. I was sick for five and a half weeks, but I was in the hospital for four days."

When asked if he thought he was going to get COVID-19, Erna, who didn't mention anything about being vaccinated against the coronavirus, said: "I didn't. I take really good care of myself. I'm a runner. I've boxed for over 20 years. And I'm onstage two hours a night. I have pretty big lungs, so even thinking if I was gonna get it, I figured I'd get sick like the normal flu get sick and then you push through it, but I definitely didn't expect for it to knock me down the way it did. I just got some bad luck and bad timing. Part of it was I got hit during the Christmas holidays, so all my doctors were on vacation; there was only substitutes. They were kind of guiding me over the phone. And what happened was the COVID left my body within seven to 10 days, but then pneumonia developed, and that's what got me [really sick]. I ended up getting blood clots in my lungs and stuff like that. That's when everything went down. It was pretty gnarly for a while because my oxygen had dipped to 76. And if anyone knows anything about oxygen levels, you're not supposed to go below 95. If you go below, you go to the hospital and 70 is, like, [when they put you on a] ventilator. So I was pretty emotional, pretty nervous about wondering if I was coming out of this. But thankfully I was in the shape that I was in, and my doctor thinks, like, that proved to him… He goes, 'I know exactly how good of a shape you're in now, because,' he goes, 'I've gotta tell you, man, when you came in, I was really nervous for you. And most people that come in in that condition, they don't leave with a happy ending.'"

After Lynch noted that COVID-19 affects people differently, Erna concurred. "It's pretty random," he said. "I think it has something to do with the blood type and DNA; they're testing for that kind of stuff now. But regardless, I got to the other side of it. I'm doing better than I ever have. It was a very humbling experience and a crazy journey. It puts things in perspective for you. So, that being said, I'm here to just do what we do, man. There was a reason for all of this, and it's made me appreciate life more and my career more and music more and things like that. But I'm also not overjamming my schedule like I used to. I'm taking time for my family, my daughter, the people that I love the most. And I'll play music when I wanna play music now, not because I have to."

Erna's personal battle with COVID-19 came less than a year after he said that the coronavirus was not as deadly as health officials have made it out to be. "I'm sorry, man, and there may be some people that may get mad at me about saying this, but COVID is not a global killer," he said during a March 2021 appearance on "The Mistress Carrie Podcast". "It's doing damage, and it's certainly affecting the elderly, and we pray for them, and we are really sympathetic towards that, and that's why we're all wearing masks, that's why we're all doing our job. Because there's a lot of us that aren't afraid of COVID, and we know that we're probably gonna blow right through it. But we don't wanna roll the dice with our loved ones, so we're being responsible. But at the same time, the reality is this isn't a global killer. It's gonna pass, we're gonna get past it, and we need to get back to normal. So we have to influence the strong to get out there and start working and start going to school and doing what they need to do so we can create population immunity. That's what's gonna get us through this. And then we'll be able to get back to normal."

At the time, Erna also repeated a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggested the official death count from the coronavirus in the U.S. was inflated.

"There's been a lot of things proven within the media, the news, to who's on what side of what, and whether some of this was a political agenda to begin within, whether the numbers are accurate enough to be able to base it on, those half a million people dead," Erna told "The Mistress Carrie Podcast". "Because there was a lot of people coming forward, a lot of doctors and everything, saying, 'Why the fuck are we being asked to put COVID on everything? Why did someone just die of pneumonia, and we have to write 'COVID'? Why did someone come in and have a heart attack, and we're being told to write 'COVID'?' So whether that half-a-million number is correct, that's the part that I feel like we need to be responsible enough to try and be optimistic about not steering people down one rabbit hole, because that's what CNN does on one side and Fox does on the other side. So CNN delivers one side of this, and Fox takes you down a different rabbit hole."

He continued: "The thing with COVID is I myself know at least — at least — a dozen, two dozen people, maybe, that have gotten COVID. And I have a friend of mine that, three months later, he's, like, 'I'm still having some issues. And it's weird — I'm getting dizzy spells. I'm getting this, that and the other thing. And what the fuck?' And then I know another group of people that were, like, 'Dude, I've had a hangover that was worse than this. I had a fever of 99 for about a day and a half and haven't had a problem since.' And so it affects everybody differently, and that's the big mystery."

Last November, Erna took a swipe at celebrities, including fellow musicians, who have used their high-profile voices to encourage medical behaviors, saying they should "shut up and let people live their lives."

Erna, who confirmed that politics played a part in his decision to relocate GODSMACK's headquarters to Florida — which leans Republican in presidential elections — on a part-time basis while maintaining a home in New Hampshire, has been more vocal about his political opinions in recent years, saying in a July 2020 episode of his Internet show "Hometown Sessions" that if "Trump stays in [office], COVID's gonna be a big, messy pain in the ass, and there's gonna be more people burning down Wendy's fucking restaurants. If Trump fucking is gone, all of a sudden they're gonna have this miracle vaccine that those fucking liars have been holding on to."

In late 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Erna hit the road in the U.S. with STAIND's Aaron Lewis as part of the unplugged "The American Drive-In Tour".

Lewis, who has been friends with Erna for more than 25 years, has been a vocal opponent of COVID-19 vaccines, claiming last November that he beat COVID-19 by taking ivermectin, a drug with no evidence of being a safe or effective treatment for the novel coronavirus. He said he also used Z-Pak, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections by inhibiting the growth of bacteria in the body.

Born in Red Bank, New Jersey, MONSTER MAGNET was initially a cosmos away from the major-label, alternative rock boom that would suck the band into the shiny MTV world of the early to mid-1990s. Originally formed by Dave Wyndorf, John McBain and Tim Cronin, MONSTER MAGNET came into the world with a lysergic ooze in 1989 with two demo tapes — "Forget About Life, I'm High On Dope" and "I'm Stoned, What Ya Gonna Do About It?" – making it perfectly clear from the start where they were coming from.

This was a band reveling in bad trips and the death of the hippy dream with a Manson family stare, playing squelchy lo-fi psychedelic music with a rabid punk rock sneer, like THE STOOGES terrorizing HAWKWIND at the most unpleasant free festival imaginable. There were tales of entire audiences at their gigs being spiked with LSD. It didn't matter if this was true or not, it all added to the mystique. This was indeed a satanic drug thing you wouldn't understand. Those two demos formed the base of what would become MONSTER MAGNET's pivotal "Spine Of God" album from 1991 and the "25…Tab" EP, which featured the mesmerizing 32-minute opus itself, "Tab".

Long considered to be the true essence of MAGNET's early psychedelic voyages, "Tab" is finally returning to earth's stratosphere with the release of "Test Patterns: Vol. 1", available November 11 via God Unknown Records on 12' vinyl.

"Test Patterns: Vol. 1" features a 2021 remix of "Tab" by John McBain, alongside the original demo, recorded in 1988 and then released on the aforementioned "Forget About Life, I'm High On Dope" in 1989.

"When MAGNET started, John and I worked in record stores in Red Bank and Dave worked in the comic bookstore and we made a lot of tapes for each other,' recalls Tim Cronin. "A lot of 'check this shit out' kind of stuff… HAWKWIND, early UFO, AMON DUUL, CAN, SKULLFLOWER, MORGEN, LOOP, CRYSTALIZED MOVEMENTS, early ALICE COOPER, WALKING SEEDS, BUTTHOLE SURFERS, SPACEMEN 3. When we recorded the first demo and got to 'Tab', we just beat the shit out of it until it became heavy, noisy, weird, mean and either too long or not long enough, depending on your mood. Everything we wanted in a song (at least everything I wanted in a song),punishingly psychedelic. Jersey Shore krautrock."

"Test Patterns: Vol. 1" will be available in two 12' vinyl editions — a deluxe gatefold sleeve with acid blotter inner sleeve and a special Rough Trade Super Deluxe edition with gatefold sleeve, limited to 300 copies with four postcards, blotter inner sleeve, "orange sunshine" colored vinyl and alternative cover artwork.

Today, coming directly off the heels of their YYC Award win for "Metal Recording Of The Year" (Kingsbane Deluxe), Calgary's own Osyron deliver a serious punch to the gut with new music video for "The Deafening". Complete with an epic vocal battle between Stu Block (Annihilator, Into Eternity) and vocalist Reed Alton, stunning camera work and a monstrous track featuring Polish band Percival Schuttenbach (The Witcher), the music video is premiering now on BraveWords! It was directed and edited by Seth Williams of Flip City Films and filmed at Rocky Mountain Film Studios in Calgary, Alberta. The smack you silly metal behemoth is off of the group's upcoming album, Momentous, out November 4. The single will be available on digital services providers tomorrow, October 5. Preorder the album at this location.





"Seth did an amazing job of capturing the theme of the song visually. The camera work enhances the volatile and hostile nature of what is happening lyrically. We are beyond stoked on how the video turned out. Special thanks to Stu for making the trip out to Calgary to work with us on this," explains the band.




Coming at you with intricate layers, "The Deafening" begins eerie and medieval, almost as if it were the soundtrack to Uhtred of Bebbanburg laying siege to Mercia. This section was masterfully recorded by Percival Schuttenbach, who wrote music for The Witcher games. Once the intro lifts, the full band kicks in loud and heavy, bringing the viewer on a journey. An epic battle ensues reminiscent of Geralt of Rivia battling The Striga in season one of the Netflix series. This represents the tug and pull of one's own consciousness. Once the chorus hits with awesome and dynamic technical work, the video progresses into chaos channelling the power and ferocity of Yennefer of Vengerberg.


This November the band is headed out on tour in Western Canada in support of the album release.


November
4 – Calgary, AB – Dickens
5 – Edmonton, AB – Rendezvous
17 – Banff, AB – Melissa’s
18 – Lethbridge, AB – The Place
19 – Cranbrook, AB – The Cranbrook Hotel Pub
26 – Winnipeg, MB – Bull Dog Event Centre


Mastered by Maor Appelbaum (Faith No More, Dream Theater, Voivod, Armored Saint), the album is nothing short of a musical masterpiece. It boasts the group's technical prowess, fantastical storytelling and outstanding vocal performances that metal fans everywhere have come to know and love from Osyron. Sure to leave listeners in awe, it deals with the many emotions, trials, personal battles, losses and victories that humanity faced during the pandemic. The biggest struggle faced by the band during this time was the struggle of looking inwards at themselves. Many had to relearn to love one another, and even turned against each other. A truly momentous moment in their career, not only for them as people, but for everyone. The album was mixed by Tyler Corbett (bassist). Drums were recorded by Josh Rob Gwilliam at OCL Studios in Chestermere, Alberta. All other instruments were recorded by Cody Anstey (drums) at his studio CRM Sound. 


Momentous artwork and tracklisting:





"Anunnaki"
"Dominion Day" 
"The Deafening"
"Landslide"
"Sorrow And Extinction"
"Beyond The Sun" 
"Awake"
"Momentous"
"Prairie Sailor"
"Beacons"


"Dominion Day" video:





For further details, visit Osyron on Facebook.

Extreme metal pioneers, Venom Inc. performed what was dubbed the Return To Hammersmith 1984 show at the Keep It True Rising II Festival on October 2nd in Würzburg, Germany. Prt-shot livestream video is available below.


Setlist:


"Witching Hour"
"Black Metal"
"Die Hard"
"Leave Me in Hell"
"Countess Bathory"
"The Seven Gates of Hell"
"Teacher's Pet / Poison / Teacher's Pet"
"Buried Alive"
"Don't Burn the Witch"
"In Nomine Satanas"
"Welcome to Hell"
"Warhead"
"Stand Up (And Be Counted)"
"Rip Ride"
"Heaven's on Fire"
"In League With Satan"
"Schizo"
"Sons of Satan"
"Bloodlust"







Venom Inc. have released their new album, There’s Only Black, via Nuclear Blast. In celebration, the band have released a lyric video for the title track, which can be viewed below:





Almost 40 years after their inception, the revitalized 1989 - 1992 Venom lineup of guitarist Jeff “Mantas” Dunn and vocalist/bassist Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan, and the new addition of drummer Jeramie 'Warmachine' Kling have returned with one hell of a follow-up to their acclaimed debut, Avé, and show no signs of slowing down.


Order/save the new album here.





Tracklisting:


"How Many Can Die"
"Infinitum"
"Come To Me"
"There's Only Black"
"Tyrant"
"Don't Feed Me Your Lies"
"Man As God"
"Burn Liar Burn"
"Nine"
"Rampant"
"The Dance"
"Inferno"


"Come To Me" lyric video:





"Don't Feed Me Your Lies" lyric video:





"How Many Can Die" lyric video:

Nightwish vocalist, Floor Jansen, released her third solo single, "Me Without You", via ADA Music in early September. On October 3rd she performed the song at Holland's NPO Radio 2. Check it out below.





On October 1st, Jansen celebrated 10 years as the vocalist for Nightwish. The band shared the following message:




"On this day ten years ago, Floor Jansen performed with us for the first time, and the rest is history and history in the making. For this occasion we share with you a live video of us performing 'Storytime' over all these years, starting at our first show together."





Jansen shared the following post celebrating the occasion via Instagram:


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
View this post on Instagram

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
A post shared by Floor Jansen (@floor_jansen_official)



Jansen performed live with Nightwish for the first time on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of Anette Olzon, who fronted the band for five years. Jansen officially joined Nightwish in 2013.

Storm Force / Brighton Rock guitarist Greg Fraser has checked in with the following update:


"New Storm Force single coming Tuesday, October 11th. The band is doing a re-imagining cover of a classic Canadian artist icon. This was a fun song to record. It’s by an artist that would not be someone most people would think a band like Storm Force would cover, but we decided 'Why not?' It’s a haunting song that we rocked the crap out of, and we are really proud of the results.


Storm Force 2 is coming along nicely and the band is hoping for a Fall 2023 release."







Fraser recently checked in with the following announcement:


"Can’t wait to get back on stage and kick ass again! Really looking forward to this night sharing the stage with our good friends, Sarasin.


Storm Force and Sarasin have some history together. Sarasin guitarist Greg Boileau was in a band with Brighton Rock’s lead singer Gerald McGhee called The Rockers before Brighton Rock were formed. Greg also co-wrote the Brighton Rock song 'Power Overload' with me, and was also tapped as the keyboard / rhythm guitarist for the entire BR Love Machine tour. He also has a black belt in drinking and can party with the best of em'!


This is going to be one hell of a party & we’re hoping to see you there. Cheers!"


Tickets for the show can be purchased here.





Storm Force released their debut album, Age Of Fear, in early 2020. Led by Canadian rock legends Brighton Rock founder and lead guitarist Greg Fraser and featuring one of today’s most powerful and versatile lead vocalists in Patrick Gagliardi (formerly of Surface Tension), their debut record produced by Darius Szczepaniak (Black Crowes, Sum 41, Big Sugar) combines colossal, crushing melodic rock with hook-laden ballads and massive choruses reminiscent of vintage Cinderella, balanced by classic rock sensibilities of acts like The Who and Van Halen.


The group hails from Niagara Falls, Canada and is rounded out by the blistering one-two punch rhythm section of ex-Panik and Step Echo drummer Brian Hamilton and sought-after session musician and touring bassist Mike Beradelli.


Storm Force’s groundbreaking first record is the result of a rich blend of rock influences spanning Triumph, UFO, Thin Lizzy, Foreigner, and so many more, and will be available on Escape Music worldwide. Order your copy now from The Music Shop.


"Beacuse Of You"





"Dirty Vegas"

Georgia based hard rock / metal band Them Damn Kings have just released their debut album, Rise Up. It features the tracks "Throw It Away" and "Yesterday" which were released to US metal radio last year.


Them Damn Kings is the wrecking machine created by guitarist / multi-instrumentalist / vocalist Jef Rhodes. Jef is a long-time professional Front Of House Engineer, and Backline Tech who has over two decades of international touring experience with such bands as: Opeth, Cradle Of Filth, Highly Suspect, Lacuna Coil, Watain, and Mayhem.


Enlisting former Lacuna Coil drummer Ryan Folden, the pair have recorded Rise Up, a monster of a debut album that sounds both new and exciting - while simultaneously reminding listeners of that golden age of the early ‘90s when hard rock, metal, and grunge ruled the late night rock clubs of the world.




The newly released video for "The Pill" from Rise Up can be seen below. 





“After two damn years I’m excited and proud to finally announce our album, Rise Up, is available for your listening displeasure. I’m beyond excited for you guys to finally hear the full record!” says Rhodes. “Rise Up is just a starting point for us bastardizing rock n’ roll with our own heavy-handed spin on it. The riffs are flowing! And even as you’re reading this, I’ve already started writing the next album.”


Rise Up artwork and tracklisting:





"Good Enough" 
"Throw It Away" 
"Fields Of Fire" 
"Compromise" 
"Yesterday" 
"Rise Up" 
"Tell Me Why" 
"Dickweed" 
"The Pill" 
'Sunshine Of Your Love"








 

Chicago's Aftermath warns there is "No Time To Waste" with their new single and video.





"'No Time to Waste' – words that everyone should live by in their daily lives. But the song is not about that. Rather it’s about all of us together having no time to waste as a free species. Everyone you talk to today says something isn’t right in the world and most can’t point out what it is that makes them feel that way. Their gut tells them something isn’t right. This song is about what we feel isn’t right with the world today and we urge people to wake up before it’s too late. It isn’t about being woke,but being awake. The song is at its core about unity and coming together to defeat our mutual enemy. Every great story has a hero and a villain. We the people are the hero in this song," says Kyriakos "Charlie" Tsiolis.




The official lyric video can be viewed below. Stream the single here.





The band is currently putting the finishing touches on No Time To Waste, their forthcoming third album in a trilogy, on which the title track described above is included. The new album is a departure from the previous dark, concept album installment in the trilogy. It also includes the band’s re-imagining of the John Lennon classic, "Give Peace A Chance".


Aftermath, fronted by Kyriakos "Charlie" Tsiolis, formed in October 1985 when Charlie and his schoolmate Steve Sacco (Guitar) got together. This early incarnation with Adam (Bass) and Ray Schmidt (Drums) released their first demo in 1986 featuring “Sentenced to Death”, “Revenge”, “Shotgun” and “The Aftermath”.


In 1987, they unleashed their second demo entitled Killing the Future featuring the tracks “When Will You Die”, “Going No Place”, “Chaos”, “Meltdown” and “War for Freedom”. The band pursued a mind-blowing speed and technical brand of thrash that soon set them apart from the pack and in the process made them a pioneering crossover thrash band.


The tracks "War for Freedom" & "When Will You Die" were both featured on the British Metal Forces magazine compilation LP Demolition: Scream Your Brains Out in 1988. Their appearance on the Metal Forces compilation further expanded the band's international appeal.


By 1988, the band's musical direction was changing, and Adam's raw and simple bass lines would soon be replaced with complex and technical bass parts handled at first by John Lovette. Ironically, John never played bass on any Aftermath recording and was not even a bass player. He wanted to join the band so badly, however, that he came to the audition with a friend's bass he had just started to play. The speed and complex playing he displayed were like nothing the members had ever seen before on bass. He landed the gig that day. When the band decided it was time to add a second guitarist, Lovette told his bandmates of his desire to switch to guitar and for the first time he came clean he was a guitar player pretending to be a bass player all along. His bass playing was surpassed by his guitar skills and the band found its second guitar player, but unfortunately the search for a bass player was forced to resume. Luckily, the search (for the time being, anyway) ended with Danny Vega. His warm and precise playing was the perfect complement to the guitar playing of Lovette and Sacco and worked amazingly well with Schmidt's powerful drumming. With Lovette handling most of the song writing duties, Aftermath was about to make an unbelievable musical change.


By 1989, that change brought on by Lovette's writing and the band's musical tastes and stylings had slowed and matured as evidenced by the release of the underground classic demo Words That Echo Fear. Danny Vega was replaced on bass by Chris Waldron. The band went onto to become a trailblazing progressive/technical thrash band in the years that followed.


In 1990, based on the huge international success of the Words that Echo Fear demo, the metal label RoadRacer Records (a subsidiary of Roadrunner Records) approached the band for a demo deal, which resulted in a live four track demo featuring the songs “Eyes of Tomorrow”, “Afraid Of Time”, “The Act Of Unspoken Wisdom” and “Reflecting Pictures". Negotiations eventually broke down and Aftermath signed to New York's Big Chief Records. The label's collapse halfway through the recording sessions led to a long delay in finishing the record. While the band struggled to pay the studio bill, the album the band started to record in 1990 would not see the light of day for four years. The experience left the band reeling and forced them to issue the album under their own imprint with the help of their manager through Zoid Recordings in 1994. Four long years had passed since the initial recordings for the record Eyes of Tomorrow and the scene had dramatically changed.


The album was subsequently re-released on Thermometer Sound Surface / Zoid and released yet again four years (1998) later on Black Lotus Records in a re-mastered version.


Quite famously, Aftermath, in a notable court case Tsiolis v. Interscope. Records. Inc., 946 F.Supp. 1344, 1349 (N.D.III. 1996) sued high-profile millionaire rapper DR. Dre over the ownership of the Aftermath name. The Rapper tried to buy the name for $50,000, which the band rejected. The band sued him. As part of the settlement, Interscope Records signed the band. To the label's surprise, the band delivered a record under the moniker Mother God Moviestar. Its eponymous Electro-Metal debut was released in March 1998. The case has been studied in law schools around the US related to the issue of trademark dilution.


Aftermath has continued to receive critical acclaim as one of the major influences in the genre. The band was featured on pages 9 and 10 of Gary Sharpe-Young's A - Z of Thrash Metal, available on Cherry Red Books. Aftermath is also given an entire feature section in Alexandros Anesiadis’ 2019 book Crossover the Edge: Where Hardcore, Punk, and Metal Collide.


Twenty-five years after its formation, Aftermath's music made its return in 2011 with the release of the Box Set 25 Years Of Chaos on Area Death Productions and the vinyl When Will You Die on F.O.A.D. The reemergence of one of the most original thrash bands ever continued in 2014 with their decision to reunite for several concerts in 2015.


Coming off their first show in 20 years at Ragnarokkr Metal Apocalypse in their hometown of Chicago, the band ripped the stage apart at Headbanger’s Open Air in Hamburg, Germany that summer. In the Fall of 2015, the reunion continued with the reissue of Eyes of Tomorrow. With an expanded booklet and remastered by Paul Logus (Pantera, Steel Panther), Shadow Kingdom Records released the band's debut along with bonus material. Following this release was the Killing the Future reissue on Divebomb Records. Once again Paul Logus remastered the tracks from their original source and created a wall of sound in the process. Killing the Future, along with the expanded booklet and bonus tracks from the band's 1986 first demo completed the celebration of the band's 30th anniversary.


In 2017, the band started writing the material for their new album. There is Something Wrong is an 11-song opus recorded by Chuck Macak. mastered by Ted Jensen and released through Ingrooves by Zoid Entertainment and The Label Group. A concept record in the truest sense of the word, the album features a mix of old-school crossover thrash and technical/progressive metal and is a commentary on what is wrong with the world today. A calling out of the masses to wake up and know the real enemy. The music is urgent, and the lyrics challenge the listener to seek the truth. Aftermath went back to its early days and revived its crossover thrash stylings on several songs, but those are only samples of what the listeners have in store for them once they put on their headphones and listen to There is Something Wrong in its entirety.


In 2020, Aftermath released a re-imagined version of the John Lennon classic, "Give Peace A Chance".


“John Lennon’s urgent call for peace in Give Peace a Chance is more important today than ever, and our call for peace with this cover is the perfect message to follow up our previous album. We released a dark concept album with a bleak message and felt it was important to follow that up with something positive. The visuals in the video are as important as the lyrics in a way. We live in a visual world today and this video needed to get out the message of HOPE. Having a young girl be the focus of the video was our way of getting that across. Seeing only positive acts when she puts on Lennon’s famous glasses was the perfect visual metaphor. Lennon’s message is transmitted not only through his lyrics but also through the perspective created by his unique lenses” says the band.


The video was directed by critically acclaimed video director Steven Nathan in New York City.





Lineup:


Kyriakos "Charlie" Tsiolis - Vocals
Steve Sacco - Guitar
Ray Schmidt - Drums
George Lagis - Bass

BUSH frontman Gavin Rossdale joined ALICE IN CHAINS on stage last night (Tuesday, September 27) at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek in Raleigh, North Carolina to perform the classic AIC song "Man In The Box". Fan-filmed video can be seen below.

BUSH is on the road in the U.S. a special guest on a tour co-headlined by ALICE IN CHAINS and BREAKING BENJAMIN. The trek kicked off on August 10 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania and will wrap up on October 8 in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

In a recent interview, Rossdale stated about how the tour has been going so far: "It is going good. It is amazing. I feel like the baby band; we play early, we open the show… It is really fun to be around ALICE IN CHAINS, a legendary band. I've known Jerry [Cantrell, ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist] a long time but never spent so much time with him. So, that's always fun; you can form better friendships or cement friendships like that.

"It just feels like a festival because people come early to watch us," he explained. "There are a lot of people watching the first band, then we play early, and they stay all the way through. We don't get to play in the night; we get to play in the scorching sun. I've done it for a long time. It is brutal, yet there is something magical about it as well."

BUSH ninth full-length album, "The Art Of Survival", is scheduled to drop on October 7 via BMG.

BUSH wrote and recorded what would become "The Art Of Survival" during 2022, reteaming with Erik Ron (PANIC! AT THE DISCO, GODSMACK) who produced "Flowers On A Grave" and the title track for "The Kingdom", and collaborating once again on two tracks with film composer, musician, and producer Tyler Bates ("300", "Guardian Of The Galaxy"). The central theme speaks to both the human spirit's resiliency in the face of trials and tribulations as well as the band's own enduring place as rock outliers.
Raleigh – thanks for jamming with us. Alpharetta, GA, we’ll see you tonight!

📷: Scott Dachroeden pic.twitter.com/TZvs19FAIl

— Alice in Chains (@AliceInChains) September 28, 2022

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the signing of Spanish progressive metallers, After Lapse, to the label for the release of their upcoming album, Face The Storm, on December 9. The band's melodic progressive metal approach will surely be music to the ears of discerning prog fans around the world.


The first single and video, "Come Undone", is out now. Watch the video below, and pre-order/save Face The Storm here.


After Lapse was initially formed in 2018  by drummer Roberto Cappa, keyboardist Pablo Sancha, and guitarist Arturo Rodríguez who had all previously played together in the band Delyriüm for many years. After a few member changes in the early years of the band, After Lapse settled into their current lineup in 2021 and soon after caught the attention of the Danish agency/management firm Intromental Management, who immediately signed on to represent the band upon hearing the demos the band had recorded at that time.




Over the course of 2021 and well into 2022, After Lapse kept writing and recording music for what would become their debut album, Face The Storm. When Frontiers Music Srl was passed demos that the band was working on from their management company, they were thrilled with what they heard and moved quickly to sign the band for the release of their debut.


After Lapse's musical influences vary from progressive metal bands  like Dream Theater, Devin Townsend, Pain Of   Salvation, Haken, etc. to power metal bands like Kamelot, Angra, etc., but they are also their own entity unto themselves and not  merely the sum of their influences. But those influences do speak to  the categorization of the band as 'melodic prog metal' and gives fans a good clue as to what to expect from debut album Face The Storm.





Face The Storm tracklisting:


"Thrive
"Where No One Cares"
"Come Undone"
"Face The Storm"
"Beyond The End"
"The Lie"
"Through This War"
"More"
"Facta Non Verba"
"Heal"
"Along The Way"


"Come Undone" video:





Lineup:


Rubén Miranda – Vocals
Jorge Escudero – Guitars
Pablo Sancha – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Javier Palacios – Bass
Roberto Cappa – Drums


Guest musicians:


Pedro J. Monge (Vhäldemar) – guitar solos in “Where No One Cares”
Carlos Lozano (Persefone) – guitar solo in “More”Alicia Avilés
Valero – cello in “Along The Way”

Neo-classical guitarist Chris Impellitteri has once again dismissed suggestions that he is an "Yngwie Malmsteen clone," saying that he views himself as much more of a child of players like Al Di Meola blended with a Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads.

Impellitteri first made his mark in 1987 with the release of his debut EP, "Impellitteri". Chris has since issued 11 albums under his band name, IMPELLITTERI, including his latest, "The Nature Of The Beast", which features his longtime bandmates, vocalist Rob Rock and bassist James Amelio Pulli, plus ex-SLAYER and TESTAMENT drummer Jon Dette. The disc was recorded in Los Angeles with engineer/producer Mike Plotnikoff (VAN HALEN, AEROSMITH, IN FLAMES) and Canadian mix engineer Greg Reely (OVERKILL, FEAR FACTORY, MACHINE HEAD).

Impellitteri addressed the comparisons with the legendary Swedish guitarist in a new interview with Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com. Asked about the supposed "rivalry" between the two musicians, Chris said: "I never thought there was any rivalry. And by the way, I have nothing but respect for Yngwie. I mean, he absolutely influenced me, just like Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Tony Iommi — I could go on and on. I've been influenced by virtually every guitar player. Yngwie was already very, very successful. I don't know why there'd be any fear from him or a rivalry that we were coming in. We get labeled as these shred guys. and I'll be honest, I definitely brought a little bit of that on myself. 'Cause as a kid, you work really hard, you practice eight, nine hours a day, you're always trying to master your craft and be the best you possibly can be, so you definitely have that competitive spirit.

"I know that when we came out with the IMPELLITTERI black EP, from day one I made one thing very clear to our band guys and our manager, I said, 'I don't want this to be the Chris Impellitteri ego guitar instrumentalist or solo show. This has gotta be a band,'" he explained. "It's four or five guys equally contributing. Even if I'm writing the bulk of the music, Rob writes all the lyrics, all the vocal melodies — he does that. The bass player comes and does all of his own contributions, and our drummer, same thing. And so when you hear IMPELLITTERI, it's a band; it's not me the solo artist. So if people like us, give credit equally to all the guys in the band. It's not, 'Oh, Chris did this.' It's everybody.

"For me, there was no rivalry," Chris repeated. "After a while, I did get annoyed with the comparison, but to be fair, I got it. Because, look, Graham [Bonnet, formerly of RAINBOW and ALCATRAZZ] joins IMPELLITTERI, right? We do 'Stand In Line', we do a music video that was really popular on MTV. And now here's the thing that people need to understand, and especially the critics acknowledge. The people that said, 'Oh, he's just ripping off Yngwie,' be really careful with that statement, because if you look in the 'Stand In Line' video, I'm playing a Ritchie Blackmore Stratocaster, I'm wearing almost an identical, almost as an homage to Ritchie, the white boots, all of that; it was from Ritchie Blackmore, who had been doing that since the late '60s. It wasn't about copying Yngwie — who I love. Again, I'm not saying anything negative towards him, but if you're gonna basically state we were doing anything, it was really credit towards the whole RAINBOW kind of thing.

"I guess going back to your question, I never really felt any rivalry; it never bothered me," Impellitteri added. "Except there were times when people kept going, 'Oh, he's just an Yngwie clone' or 'Yngwie wannabe' or whatever, and I'm thinking, 'Well, I'm flattered that you put me in the same sentence 'cause he's a great player. But the reality is if you really were to listen to Chris Impellitteri the guitar player, if you listen with an open mind, if you listen to who I am, I think it's obvious that probably my biggest influence, the three biggest influences that I have [are] early Eddie Van Halen… I mean, when I get my guitar amps, the tone dialed in, everything, I'm always trying to mimic 'Eruption' or 'I'm The One'. And even a lot of the fast stuff, people don't realize I'm using a lot of the Van Halen patterns, the picking patterns that he did in the song called 'Spanish Fly' where does he really fast, articulate stuff. So it's Van Halen, followed by Randy Rhoads. And then actually, I'm sorry, there were three guys that really should get the credit for the speed thing, because I was doing that long before I ever heard guys like Yngwie. So the guys who really got me into it, for the most part, were Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Paco Delucia. Listen to the record 'Friday Night In San Francisco'. You hear them play and you immediately go, 'Oh, that's what Chris is ripping off.' So that's really how I evolved. But we got thrown in. And somebody told me other day, and I guess it's true — around '85 or '86 when we were all on the L.A. scene and we were the guys doing metal, I think there were probably five or six of us that were kind of known as the shredders. So Yngwie was first. There was Paul Gilbert. There was me. There were two guys that I really liked a lot — Tony McAlpine and Vinnie Moore. And then there was Michael Angelo Batio; I think at that time he used a different name. But him. And then later you had amazing guys like Jason Becker and all of that stuff. I think someone called us like we were like these forefathers who kind of started it with blending the shred stuff with metal."

For the first time ever, the IMPELLITTERI back catalog 1987-2010 has just been made available worldwide via Global Rock Records. Despite being a full American metal outfit, the IMPELLITTERI catalog has been hard to pin down for Western fans, with many having to buy expensive import copies direct from Japan, where Chris enjoys a huge following. Now this has changed with Global Rock Records officially licensing the full catalog between the years 1987 and 2010.

In celebration of this occasion, Global Rock released "Wake The Beast", a three-CD set that encompasses the IMPELLITTERI story from 1987 to 2010. Every song here selected by Chris himself as to what he feels are the highlights from some 12 different releases.

This is the first-ever IMPELLITTERI career-spanning compilation released worldwide, featuring not only the well-known album tracks, but rare Japan-only release bonus songs, B-sides and more.