SMASHING PUMPKINS frontman Billy Corgan, considered by some to be an underrated guitarist who deserves much more credit than most of the artists that emerged from the 1990s, spoke to Kerrang! magazine about where he finds the inspiration to come up with new guitar riffs. He said: "It has to be fresh. Tony Iommi from BLACK SABBATH, he's my hero, and Tony wrote those riffs that, when you hear him, it's like a movie. In my mind, I always call it 'Cosmic Sabbath'. When I would listen to SABBATH, I felt like I was peering into the universe. That's the way it made me feel, even as a little kid. So for me, a great riff has to kind of make you feel something bigger. So if I'm not in the mood, it just feels weird. There's the thin line between cartoonish and owning the space. Bands like [JUDAS] PRIEST and SABBATH, and even ACCEPT — which the riff [of the new SMASHING PUMPKINS single 'Beguiled'] reminds me a little bit of — [they all have] something about fucking owning the metal. It's like, you've gotta believe it."

Corgan was a guest vocalist on the song "Black Oblivion" which appeared on Iommi's 2000 solo album, "Iommi".

"Beguiled" is the first single from SMASHING PUMPKINS' upcoming album, "Atum: A Rock Opera In Three Acts". The 33-track collection, whose title is pronounced "autumn," is being billed as a sequel to 1995's "Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness" and 2000's "Machina/The Machine of God". The LP will be released as three 11-track "acts", eventually culminating in a three-act rock opera. Act 1 of "Atum" will arrive on November 15, 2022, Act 2 on January 31, 2023, and Act 3 will be made available, along with a special-edition box set featuring all 33 album tracks plus 10 additional unreleased songs, on April 21, 2023.

"Atum: A Rock Opera In Three Acts" was written and recorded over a four-year period by Corgan and the rest of the current SMASHING PUMPKINS lineup: guitarists James Iha and Jeff Schroeder, plus drummer Jimmy Chamberlin.

Next month, SMASHING PUMPKINS will embark on a fall 2022 North American tour, dubbed "Spirits On Fire", with JANE'S ADDICTION.

More than a quarter century since its primal emergence from the Desert, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE has elected to give three of its landmark albums the upscale re-release treatment, including limited edition color vinyl pressings, exclusive new and restored artwork, and more.

First up is the one that started it all: Back in print after a long, long decade, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's self-titled 1998 debut album will be resurrected digitally September 22, with a vinyl release date of October 21. Restored to its original track listing and adorned by the long out-of-print original Frank Kozik artwork, the soon-to-be-definitive version of QOTSA's self-titled ground zero will feature an obi-strip designed by longtime collaborator Boneface and will be available on standard black and limited edition opaque orange vinyl — both available direct from QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, Matador Records, and at discerning independent retailers.

Following on December 9 will be a double shot of QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's most recent efforts: 2013's multiple-Grammy-nominated, Billboard 200 No. 1-charting magnum opus "…Like Clockwork" and 2017's redefining "Villains" will both be reincarnated: "…Like Clockwork" returns newly recut from its original master tapes with alternate artwork and obi-strip from Boneface with a limited opaque aqua vinyl pressing available direct from QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, Matador Records, and at finer independent retailers. "Villains" is reissued in a special fifth-anniversary package featuring etching, obi-strip, and a brand new poster by Boneface, and as on limited edition leaf-green transparent vinyl available exclusively via QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and/or Matador Records.

Pre-order any/all of the above at the official store.

"Villains" was helmed by Grammy-winning producer, DJ and artist Mark Ronson, who has previously worked with Amy Winehouse, Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, DURAN DURAN and Adele, among others. The album debuted at No. 1 in the U.K., Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and Portugal, No. 2 in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Norway and Ireland, No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the U.S. album chart, No. 4 on Japan's international chart and No. 5 in Italy — easily the single biggest global sales week of the QUEENS' seven-album stretch. "Villains"' first seven days in existence also saw nearly 100,000 vinyl albums moved worldwide, as the record became the No. 1-selling vinyl LP in the U.K., U.S. and Germany. "Villains" also took the U.S. No. 1 spots on the Alternative, Hard, Rock, Internet and Independent Label Album charts and No. 2 on the Digital Album sales chart.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE are Joshua Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen, Dean Fertita, Michael Shuman and Jon Theodore.
Announcing limited edition vinyl reissues of "Queens of the Stone Age," "...Like Clockwork" and "Villains." Available for pre-order now. https://t.co/2YSL1k8bVEpic.twitter.com/xA4UXQuAQD

— QOTSA (@qotsa) September 22, 2022

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine recently answered a number of fan-submitted questions for Revolver magazine. During the chat, which can be seen below, Mustaine spoke about his relationship with his former bandmate, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield. Referencing a widely circulated video of Hetfield from last May in which the METALLICA guitarist/vocalist told an audience in Brazil that he was "feeling a little bit insecure" prior to taking the stage, Mustaine, who played in METALLICA for 11 months before being kicked out of the band shortly before the recording of METALLICA's 1983 debut album "Kill 'Em All", said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I saw the thing with James on stage where he was saying that he was going through a rough patch. I was sad to see that because it's been one of those really weird love-hate relationships. And the whole reason that I ever even pursued any of this was I really liked those guys. If I didn't like 'em, I would just say, 'Fucking flush the toilet and be done with it.' He's always been somebody that I really liked playing with. I wished things wouldn't have ended the way that they did. But que sera, sera [Editor's note: from the Spanish 'Lo que será, será' meaning 'what will be, will be']. It was a dumb thing that I did by taking my dog up to practice, and it was even dumber to punch [James]. I really respect him and I respect his playing. And I hope he knows that there are a lot of people out there, like me, that like him as a person and don't give two fucks about him being in METALLICA."

In a 2009 interview with Norway's Lydverket, Mustaine said that he was "so hurt" by getting kicked out of METALLICA for allegedly drinking too much. "I said, 'What?! No second chance, no warning? C'mon, we all drink. C'mon.'" he recalled. "And [they were like], 'No, that's it. You're gone.' And I was like, 'All right.'"

Mustaine also went on to claim that an altercation with Hetfield led to his being fired from the band.

"I was selling pot," Dave said. "When I would go play in concert, people knew that my pot was sitting in my apartment just saying, 'Go ahead and keep me company.' So I was broken in on. People stole everything that I had; all my stash. And I figured, screw this. I'm gonna get some dogs to stay in the apartment when I leave. So I got two dogs and I took one of them up to a rehearsal one time and she put her paws up on Ron's [McGovney, METALLICA's then-bassist] car. And James kicked it right in the side. And I was like, 'What did you do?' [And I was like] 'It's a dog, it's what they do. You don't kick animals.' So we went into the house, and we started arguing some more. And I ended up punching him in the face and I think that was the root of why I lost my job."

In a 2009 interview with the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas radio station 97.1 The Eagle Rocks, Hetfield said that it was "so odd" to hear Mustaine still talking about his exit from METALLICA. "It is very Dave, and that's him," James said. "And no matter what band he was in or whatever... I mean, Dave is not in this band for a reason, and this is the reason. It's super-simple. He was in the band for 11 months and it goes on and on and on and on and on. I don't know any other band on this planet that there was a member in the band for a short amount of time and they've still got this big chip on his shoulder. It's insane.... You know what?! He's in love, and that's fine, 'cause we love him back."

Back in 2016, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett told the "Word Of Wheeler" podcast that he understood Dave's continued resentment toward his former bandmates over the way he was dismissed from the group. "I've always seen Dave as someone who was just really, really sad, really angry, really frustrated about his situation with METALLICA, and he never could let that go," he said. "And, you know, I've always shown a lot of empathy for him, understanding that he was just pissed off. It's the equivalent of the woman of your life leaving you. I mean, really. When your band kicks you out… I've never been kicked out, but I can imagine it's a horrible experience, especially if it's a band that you feel really passionately about. So I can understand Dave's plight over all these years. But I will also say that when we did these 30th-anniversary shows at the Fillmore [in San Francisco], and we invited Dave to play on all those 'Kill 'Em All' songs, man, it felt so good to have him playing on stage. It felt perfectly fine for me to, while Dave was playing the guitar solos, for me to go over to James and play the rhythm parts with James, and it wasn't a big deal at all. And I could see from the look on Dave's face and just from his whole attitude that it was super-cathartic for him. And I could see how it was helping him. And so I just took it all in stride. And it's interesting, because since then, I think, Dave's relationship with us is a little bit better now. I'd like to think that that whole thing just kind of healed some scars that needed to be healed."

After Hammett's comments about Mustaine were reported by BLABBERMOUTH.NET and other music sites, Dave took to his Twitter to respond. He wrote: "I have tremendous respect for @KirkHammett and I appreciate his take on this. he is almost 100% accurate...almost. I wish him the best."

In a September 2011 interview with Artisan News, Mustaine appeared to concur that his onstage reunion with METALLICA went a long way toward healing the wounds from the way his tenure in the band ended. Dave said: "When we [played a cover of DIAMOND HEAD's] 'Helpless' [as part of a 'Big Four' jam] one night, I walked over to say hello to Kirk on the stage and he said, 'Do you wanna take the solo?" and I said, 'Yeah.' [Laughs] But we forgot to tell anybody on the stage or [running] the sound out front that I was gonna do the solo, so the song's playing along and Kirk's playing rhythm full blast, and I'm sitting there going you can't hear what I'm doing. At least we knew what had happened. It was kind of a symbolic passing of the torch back to me and it was a nice gesture. I think that that helped Kirk and my relationship improve a bit."

In a September 2004 interview, Mustaine famously stated, "I really don't care about Kirk — he stole my job, but at least I got to bang his girlfriend before he took my job. How do I taste, Kirk?"

Mustaine did not play on any METALLICA albums and did not attend their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2009.

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich later explained to The Plain Dealer that Mustaine was not included because "you've got to kind of cap it somewhere. Dave Mustaine never played on any METALLICA records. No disrespect to him. But there [were] half a dozen other people that were in the lineup in the early days. We thought . . . the fair thing to do would be to include anybody that played on a METALLICA record." He added: "Dave Mustaine was in the band for 11 months, predominantly in 1982... I'm not trying to play it down. I have nothing but respect and admiration for his accomplishments since."

Michael Monroe, who turned 60 in June, will celebrate the milestone with a bang at the Helsinki Ice Hall on September 23. As the grand finale of the concert, the original lineup of HANOI ROCKS, one of Finland's most significant rock bands of all time, will take the stage: Monroe, Andy McCoy, Sami Yaffa, Nasty Suicide and Gyp Casino. The quintet, which started a historic chapter in the world's music scene, was seen on stage for the last time at Helsinki's Tavastia on July 27, 1982. The "support band" for the show will be the reunited DEMOLITION 23. Led by Monroe, the band rose to great cult fame, although they only released one album ("Demolition 23") in 1994 and broke up shortly afterwards. This will DEMOLITION 23's first performance since the band's breakup in 1995.

Monroe discussed the HANOI ROCKS reunion during a September 14 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Regarding how the gig came about, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "What happened was Sami Yaffa and Nasty Suicide were gonna be there anyway [for the DEMOLITION 23 reunion], since Sami is in my band playing the bass. I met with Gyp Casino, the original drummer from HANOI, in Stockholm last December when we were filming my documentary… [He is] a cool guy [and I have] nice memories [of playing with him]. And I invited him over to do something [at the gig]. And then Andy McCoy, he called me. He invited himself. He said, 'I heard you've got this 60th-birthday celebration. If I have time from my world tour, I may have time to show up and maybe I'll come and do 'Tragedy'.' [And I said] 'Okay. Whatever. Fine.' So then I started thinking about it. I said, 'Wow. That would be actually cool. All the guys will be there, the original lineup. Why don't we do a few HANOI songs in the end?' And then we were gonna have it as a surprise, and everybody agreed. This was the only way and the only time to do it, for the right reasons. Then Sami Yaffa told me one night, 'Are you sure you don't wanna let people know ahead of time? Because if fans find out about this later on afterwards, they're gonna be pissed off.' So I said, 'You're right. We should let people know.' The Ice Hall in Helsinki was already over half sold out, but then we had this press conference, and I had Gyp Casino come over too — all five of us — and it was fun. It was surreal to be with everybody right there — all five of us together — after 40 years. It was amazing. It felt really cool, actually. It was fun. And we announced that the end of the show will be the original lineup doing a set of HANOI songs. The next day, it was all sold out and everybody wants to be there."

Asked if he thinks there is a chance that this HANOI ROCKS reunion will lead to a full tour or more shows, Michael said: "No. [Laughs] No. This will be just one time — this one time."

When host Eddie Trunk pointed out that other reunion tours had materialized in the past after what were initially supposed to be one-off gigs and that Michael should "never say never," Monroe quipped: "I say 'never say never say never.' [Laughs]"

Monroe and McCoy founded HANOI ROCKS in the late 1970s and the band's original lineup was established in 1980. HANOI ROCKS, the first Finnish rock band to make an international breakthrough, recorded their first three albums with the original lineup: "Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks" (1981),"Oriental Beat" (1982) and "Self Destruction Blues" (1982). Casino was replaced in 1982 by Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley who became an integral member of HANOI ROCKS. Razzle died in a tragic accident in 1984. Unfortunately, this led to the band's untimely demise in early 1985.

At the 60th-birthday show, Monroe will mostly be accompanied by his longtime band consisting of Sami Yaffa, Karl Rockfist, Rich Jones and Steve Conte. In addition to the original HANOI ROCKS lineup and DEMOLITION 23, several top musicians and artists who have collaborated with Monroe over the years will take the stage. The almost-three-hour-long concert allows fans to hear many Monroe classics throughout evening. To top the event, the lights and visuals are designed by the internationally acclaimed worldwide phenomenon Mikki Kunttu.

HANOI ROCKS did reform once before in 2002, albeit with only Monroe and McCoy from the band's classic lineup, and released a comeback album, "Twelve Shots On The Rocks". The reunion lasted until 2009.

In a 2019 interview with Duke TV, Monroe stated about the band's "rebirth" two decades ago: "It was not planned. It just happened. I would never do a reunion to cash in on the reunion, so to speak, to cash in on the old name. It was interesting for me to see what we could accomplish with Andy because he had learned to respect my songwriting abilities, which he didn't in the past. It was cool to see what we could do. We had some old ideas, like from 1984, that we had left over, that I remembered, that we reworked and made into songs. Then it started slipping into the same old 'you'd be nothing without me' and all that shit. I was, like, 'Are you sure you want to start this? Let's do some farewell tours.' I was ready to commit to that for the rest of my life if it had continued being fun, but it came to a point where it wasn't fun anymore, so I called Andy and said, 'Let's put this thing to bed.'"

He continued: "After that, I haven't seen him. We haven't had much to do with him, unless it was business with HANOI or something that has to be taking care of, our name in the paper — fine; we'll deal with that. Obviously, we're not the best of friend-friends, not like with Sami. Sami, Nasty and me had this bond that was created in the first half of a year of HANOI ROCKS when we started living in the streets of Stockholm homeless. That made us had this street gang kind of vibe. Us against the world, looking out for each other."

Photo credit: Ville Juurikkala

Hanoi Rocks announcing a reunion with the original lineup…
#hanoirocks

Posted by Jyrki Hamalainen on Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Hanoi Rocks reunion press onference in Helsinki 2022. #hanoirocks #hanoirocksband #andymaccoy #michaelmonroe #samiyaffa…

Posted by Marko Syrjälä's Media and Photography on Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Hanoi Rocks!!!!!!!!’n reunion!!!!!!!!!! #hanoirocks #hanoirocksreunion

Posted by Kimmo Pulli Concert Pictures on Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Posted by Kasari & ysäri on Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Posted by Leena Keinänen Os Hård on Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Hanoi Rocks! The original line-up with Gyp Casino, Sami Yaffa, Nasty Suicide, Andy McCoy and Michael Monroe is back for...

Posted by Vesa Sirén on Wednesday, September 7, 2022

In a new interview with Colombia's Radioacktiva, drummer Mario Duplantier of French progressive metallers GOJIRA was asked how he and his bandmates go about exploring fresh musical areas every time they are making an album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's not very intellectual; it's not very mental — it's more organic. We jam, and when we hear something cool, we say, 'Let's go.' It's not very we try to catch more people here and there.

"I would say… I have to be very honest, but the fact [that] we are touring so much… We are a live band mainly — 90 percent of our life is on the road. So we play shows — we do soundcheck and we play shows; soundcheck, shows, soundcheck… Over and over and over again, it's like a huge circle. We do Europe and U.S., Europe and U.S., sometimes South America, Asia — it's crazy. So when we write the music, we want to play songs that are gonna be fun, maybe, to play live as well. And it's not a conscious thing — we're not trying to do something, 'Let's catch more people.' It's really, 'Let's have fun onstage and have something maybe more simple sometimes.' Because when you play very technical music and you start to play arenas or stadiums and festivals — huge festivals — you just notice that if it's too crazy, too technical, it doesn't really work."

Mario's latest comments echo those of his brother, GOJIRA guitarist/vocalist Joseph Duplantier, who told SPIN in a 2021 interview: "When you start to play bigger slots at festivals in front of more people — when every show on your tour is now a freaking area because you're opening for an arena band — the response, the echo of your song, is different than in a 1,000-capacity club. Sometimes when we end up performing for a large audience and all we have to play is death metal songs, subconsciously we want to adapt our repertoire to a wider audience. We're, like, 'What do we have in our back catalog that we can play and not freak people out? Not so intense and long and epic."

He continued: "Naturally and organically, a sound is shaped by our experiences on tour. This is something people might not understand or think about, but the progression of the band is also shaping our sound, as much as our songs and our sound dictating how good we're going to do. Of course we keep that in mind that if we do a song with a chorus that people can sing along to, we're going to have bigger chances to succeed in this business. But it's not also a business for us — it's been a reason to be alive, to play music in the first place, since we were teenagers. If we betray ourselves, our tendencies, if we don't fulfill our creative hearts, we are going to fail. We are going to lose the point. For us, it's very important to be in tune with our music because this is what we eat and breathe for years on the road. We play these songs every single night. We want to punch people in the face with our music. We're not here to sing a lullaby. We want it to be powerful and meaningful, and also it's a little bit more political than before in a weird way. Also we were [ages] 14 to 18 or 19 when we started, and now we're in our 40s. So we have a different internal pace. It sounds clichéd and bragging a little bit — 'I don't care about the pressure or success.' Of course we want to drive a career in a smart way, but we try to concentrate on what the music will create in our hearts."

GOJIRA's latest album, "Fortitude", came out in April 2021 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to 2016's "Magma" was recorded and produced by Joseph Duplantier at Silver Cord Studio — GOJIRA's Ridgewood, Queens, New York headquarters — and mixed by Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE).

GOJIRA initially laid the foundation for "Fortitude" in 2020 with the surprise release of the single "Another World".

The artwork for "Fortitude" was created by Joseph Duplantier.

With his captivating debut ‘Gothic Electronic Anthems’ in 2003, Gothminister Bjørn Alexander Brem took the dark music scene by storm, unleashing a thunder of pitch-black magic. Powerful metal riffs march relentlessly arm in arm with huge orchestras and heavenly choirs, while the master himself reveals an astonishing range of vocal art: from the deepest gothic-dungeons up to the higher spheres of steaming rock. It’s the overwhelming combination of catchiness and darkness; a thrilling craft of composing within the marrow of gothic, industrial-metal and electronica, that became Gothminister’s trademarks ever since.

On October 21, 2022 Gothminister will release their new album, entitled "Pandemonium", via AFM Records. Following previously-released singles, "This Is Your Darkness" and the haunting album title track, today the goth and industrial metal ministers have premiered a brand new video to awake your "Demons"!

"This brand new single «Demons» has a mixture of some well-known Gothminister-elements like heavy guitars, a driving rythm, growling melodic vocals and even an strange opera-lady singing," band mastermind Bjørn Alexander Brem comments. "When I wrote this song, I pictured a weird, dark club, a dancefloor taking off, lots of freaks on it, and the main character in this setting drinking in the bar while being chased by his inner demons - evil creatures litterally coming out of his head."

The trilogy comes to a temporary end with Gothminister ’s third music video "Demons", as Brem explains: "In «Pandemonium» we saw the fall of the evil king and his city, and that a new king was born. «This is your darkness» seen Gothminister scouting from his watchtower while the army of dead was searching for new souls to conquer. In «Demons», we go back in time, and discover that also the evil king in «Pandemonium» had a past himself as a normal man where he is challenging the cruel magic of his precessor.

However, you should be careful fighting someone else’s demons - it may awaken your own…"


Watch the new GOTHMINISTER video for "Demons" now streaming here:

JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon has commented on the legal action taken by the band's former singer Steve Perry against Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain over the trademarks to 20 of the group's biggest songs.

Schon and Cain, through their company Freedom JN LLC, own the trademark registrations to many of JOURNEY's biggest hits, covering the use of the names on T-shirts, hoodies and other forms of apparel, making it easier for the band to sue someone selling those items. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued the registrations between February and May.

In his petition, Perry claims the trio had an agreement that required unanimous consent for any business decision related to the trademarks and that he had not authorized said consent. He also accuses Schon and Cain of "fraud on the trademark office" by what he claims is inaccurate information about the trademark.

Perry's petition notes: "No partner may authorize, approve or disapprove any use or exploitation, or grant or license any rights in or to any group compositions, in whole or in part, (including, without limitation, the titles thereof) in connection with any product or otherwise, without the prior, written, unanimous consent of all of the partners."

After several publications reports on Perry's legal action on Tuesday (September 20),Schon took to social media to weigh on the matter, writing: "What a bunch of total crap.

"Here's how it goes friends.

"Jon Cain calls a board of directors meeting out of nowhere then before I found out about the meeting Jonathan came to me and said he didn't like what they (Ross [Valory, then-JOURNEY bassist;] [Steve] Smith [then-JOURNEY drummer;] Perry and Herbie [Herbert, former JOURNEY manager]) were planning. On that meeting Steve Ross Smith and Herbie voted myself and Cain off the board of directors and Steve and all voted Ross in my place and Smith in Jons.

"They all knew at this time I'd been investigating our Trade marks for years trying to get to the bottom of all corruption as we found ( my wife and I ) that nothing had ever been Trade Marked besides our music. They all went for a take over and it didn't work. Quite simple.

"So my Wife Micheale Schon found a legitimate Trade Mark attorney that wasn't in the corrupt musical circles and we were then Successful in attaining it to Protect everything we built. We had been getting ripped off since the beginning until I shut it down.

"So the question is Why did Nobody else's ( attorneys Steve's - who was actually ours at one time also and individual band attorneys and accountants) and other so called trade mark attorneys help us do this ? It was a giant corrupted ring of people that either Managnent or accountants hired to work for us cashing in on all our merchandise till now.

"At this point I decided to go for All album titles as well as song titles. The more we got educated on how Song Writing and Copy rights have NOTHING to do with Trade Marks.

"You haven't heard the last of this friends. We are going to peel back the onion.

"Neal Schon JOURNEY Lead Guitarist - Founder – Manager".

Perry was a member of JOURNEY from 1977 to 1987 and returned to the band for another stint between 1995 and 1998. Schon co-founded the group in 1973. Cain joined JOURNEY in 1980.

Perry reunited with JOURNEY for the first time in years as they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2017. The iconic singer appeared onstage with his former bandmates as they each gave speeches, but did not perform with the group later in the event.

Perry's final full concert with JOURNEY took place in early 1987. He later rejoined his bandmates for a brief performance in 1991 to honor late concert promoter Bill Graham. He also appeared with JOURNEY when they received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2005.

Back in October 2018, Perry told Rolling Stone that he couldn't imagine working with Schon in any capacity again or even re-establishing their friendship.

The singer made his comments in response to Neal's frequent public calls for a renewed collaboration.

"I'm not sure that's possible without stirring up hopes of a reunion," Perry said. "Please listen to me. I left the band 31 fucking years ago, my friend. You can still love someone, but not want to work with them. And if they only love you because they want to work with you, that doesn't feel good to me."

Three and a half years ago, Schon and Cain were embroiled in a legal dispute with Smith and Valory. On March 3, 2020, Schon and Cain filed a lawsuit against Valory and Smith, who had been members of JOURNEY on and off since the band formed in 1973, claiming the two attempted a "coup" in order to gain control of the JOURNEY trademark. The suit, which sought more than $10 million in damages, accused Smith and Valory of holding an "improper" shareholder and board of directors meetings in February 2020 during which they ousted Cain and Schon from leadership posts at Nightmare Productions under the "incorrect" assumption that the company held the rights to the JOURNEY name. An answer filed by counsel defending Valory against the complaint's allegations and the cross-complaint attempted to dispute and refute these allegations.

In April of 2021, Schon and Cain "reached an amicable settlement agreement" with Smith and Valory. JOURNEY now consists of Schon and Cain, longtime singer Arnel Pineda, drummer Deen Castronovo, keyboardist/backing singer Jason Derlatka and bassist Todd Jensen.

In a new interview with Australia's "Scars And Guitars" podcast, LAMB OF GOD bassist John Campbell was asked if Willie Adler is still a member of LAMB OF GOD after former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel had filled in for the LAMB OF GOD guitarist at some of the Virginia metal band's recent non-U.S. concerts. John responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Absolutely. Yeah. Willie has always been in the group. We have all had situations happen where we had to not be on tour when the band had stuff going on because of stuff happening that we needed to take care of. Willie is one thousand percent in the band. We are lucky to have Phil Demmel available to step in when needed.

"That's the first time I've been asked that, so I'm a little taken aback," Campbell admitted. "But, yeah, Willie is absolutely in the band. We had soundcheck earlier. We were on stage right together playing tunes."

At last month's Bloodstock Open Air festival, Demmel was asked by TotalRock if Willie's COVID-19 vaccination status is the reason Phil has been stepping in for the LAMB OF GOD guitarist at some of the recent shows. He responded: "I think Willie's just in a spot right now, and it's not really my spot to say, but I get the vibe that he's… I don't even think I should talk about it. I don't think it's my spot to say anything about Will. But he's making his decisions, and I am the contingent. So here I am."

Demmel went on to praise his involvement with LAMB OF GOD, saying: "They're one of the biggest metal bands in the world. And it feels good to be, like, 'Hey, we'd like for you to step into Willie's shoes,' which Willie writes those riffs and he's an awesome guitar player. And to be, like, 'Hey, we want you to be the guy,' or whatever… I get along well with the dudes. In a 'me' way, it feels good to be wanted… It's pretty cool. They're all fucking amazing dudes and a great band and a totally pro camp. I love the way they run things. So it's good to be part of that."

Demmel most recently filled in for Adler on nearly a dozen European LAMB OF GOD shows in August. Prior to that, Demmel stepped in for Adler during LOG's January appearance on the ShipRocked cruise and in May for the Canadian portion of LAMB OF GOD's "The Metal Tour Of The Year" with MEGADETH.

When Adler's absence from LAMB OF GOD's summer 2022 European tour was first announced, he released a statement saying that he wasn't able to make the trip" because he had "some things that I need to be home for". He also thanked his bandmates for "supporting my decision."

Although LAMB OF GOD has not officially commented on Adler's absence from the shows, VIO-LENCE singer Sean Killian revealed in an interview in April that Willie is "not down with doing the vaxx," referring to the COVID-19 vaccine, and is being replaced by Demmel for dates in those countries that still require proof of vaccination from U.S. travelers.

In April, Demmel also filled in for Campbell when the bassist had to miss a couple of shows on "The Metal Tour Of The Year" in order to "take care a family matter back home."

Demmel's appearance with LAMB OF GOD marked his third high-profile fill-in gig in four years. Demmel stepped in for SLAYER guitarist Gary Holt for four European shows in the fall of 2018 after Gary returned home to be with his dying father. Demmel also subbed for Dave Linsk at OVERKILL's November 13, 2021 concert at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, New Jersey and on the band's spring 2022 U.S. tour.

LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe discussed Demmel's involvement with the band during an interview with Bloodstock TV's Oran O'Beirne. After O'Beirne noted how talented Demmel is to be able to step in on a moment's notice, Blythe said: "We make him put in work, though, to be fair. The guitar parts aren't easy. We are playing a song tonight, 'The Faded Line', and that's a song that hasn't been in our set for a while because some guys are, like, 'Oh, this is hard.' And it's, like, 'No. We need to do this.' And even he was just, like, 'Oh. We've gotta learn that. That's a fucked up riff.' But we saw Phil fill in for SLAYER on, like, two days' notice in Europe at the end of the SLAYER tour, 'cause Gary Holt's dad was passing away. R.I.P. And Phil came over and killed it. We've known him for many years. There's never really been any question of whether he can do it. He's a phenomenally talented guy."

MEGADETH performed the song "Soldier On!" live for the first time this past Tuesday (September 20) during the band's concert in Syracuse, New York. The Dave Mustaine-fronted outfit played the track again the following night (Wednesday, September 21) at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. Video of that rendition can be seen below.

"Soldier On!" is taken from MEGADETH's sixteenth studio album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!", which arrived on September 2 via UMe.

Mustaine previously stated about the lyrical inspiration for "Soldier On!": "Coming to the realization that you need to walk away from a relationship that's very toxic, and how hard it can be to start down that road. But you know you need to, and just taking that first step is the hardest part. Whatever your leaving does to them, you have to block that part out, stay the course and do what's right for you. It will be hard in the beginning, but you have got to live for yourself to be worth a damn to anyone else. You've got to soldier on."

According to Billboard, "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" sold 48,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marked MEGADETH's eighth top 10-charting album. Of "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!"'s 48,000 units earned for the week, album sales comprise 45,000, SEA units comprise 3,000 and TEA units comprise a neglible sum.

MEGADETH's previous top 10 entries on the Billboard 200 were "Countdown to Extinction" (No. 2, 1992),"Youthanasia" (No. 4, 1994),"Cryptic Writings" (No. 10, 1997),"United Abominations" (No. 8, 2007),"Endgame" (No. 9, 2009),"Super Collider" (No. 6, 2013) and "Dystopia" (No. 3, 2016).

"The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" consolidates a furious return to form that began with the Grammy-winning "Dystopia", while pushing forward musically and marking Mustaine's recent triumph over throat cancer. Reuniting Dave with co-producer Chris Rakestraw (DANZIG, PARKWAY DRIVE),who together helmed 2016's "Dystopia", the album was recorded at Mustaine's home studio in Nashville, Tennessee, with guitarist Kiko Loureiro and drummer Dirk Verbeuren. Bassist Steve DiGiorgio temporarily stepped in to record the album. With the kick-off of MEGADETH's recent tour, MEGADETH alumnus James LoMenzo rejoined the MEGADETH family as permanent bass player.

Skid Row and earMUSIC join forces to release the new studio album, The Gang’s All Here, on October 14. They have released the new single, "Time Bomb". Check it out below or stream it here.


The video for "Time Bomb", set for release on September 28th, was helmed by director Dale "Rage" Resteghini (Five Finger Death Punch, Guns N' Roses), whom bassist Rachel Bolan sought out to realize his artistic vision for the song about humanity’s continuing struggles with self-indulgence and monotony.


"What would it be like to be in that position?" Rachel asks. “Just be completely going about life, your normal everyday thing, but you’re thiiiiis close to just completely losing your shit?"




Rage, known for his ability to get extremely visceral performances and coming up with eye catching visuals, collaborated with Rachel while using the film world’s latest breakthrough in cinematography, the brand-new Arri Alexa 35 and handcrafted MasterBuilt Classic Lenses helping create the stellar look for "Time Bomb".


The Gang's All Here is the octane of an attitude that's been festering since the band formed in 1986. 


Producer Nick Raskulinecz lit a creative wildfire by challenging them to deconstruct good ideas and rebuild them into something even better. Something timeless. He became the arbiter of their legacy, daring them to revert to instinct and be the same rambunctious kids who made their first two albums.





The Gang's All Here album can be pre-ordered here.





The Gang's All Here tracklisting:


"Hell Or High Water"
"The Gang's All Here"
"Not Dead Yet"
"Time Bomb"
"Resurrected"
"Nowhere Fast"
"When The Lights Come On"
"Tear It Down"
"October's Song"
"World's On Fire"


"Tear It Down" video:





"The Gang's All Here: (Official Fan Video):





Tour dates:


September
23 - Reno, NV - Silver Legacy


October
8 - Shelton, WA - Little Creed Casino
11 - Perry, GA - Georgia National Fair
13 - Kingston, NY - Ulster PAC
14 - Bethlehem, PA - Wild Creek Casino
15 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Casino

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of her debut solo album, Rushing Through The Sky, gothic metal singer / songwriter Lindsay Schoolcraft will be releasing a brand new, remastered edition of the album on September 30th. The album will be available on vinyl for the first time in a limited edition blue variant, and digitally streaming for the first time.


Lindsay comments:


"When I first recorded and released this EP, I did not account for the fact that one day it was going to turn 10. I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that a decade has come and gone. Luckily, my team and I caught before the big anniversary had a chance to pass us by. 




For years the fans have been asking me to print this first release on vinyl, and here it finally is! Remastered just for the occasion. You can now experience the same songs from 10 years ago with a new sound and look.


Thanks to Phantasma Photography the vinyl comes with new artwork, too. Anyone who pre-orders the vinyl from my official shop gets it signed and personally addressed and will also receive a download of the 2022 version of 'December Rain'.


I’m thrilled to celebrate my debut as a solo artist in such a special way a whole decade later.”


Pre-order Rushing Through The Sky 10th Anniversary edition here.





Tracklist:


"Into the Night"
"Your Mind"
"December Rain"
"You Forever"
"Masquerade"
"Darkness Falls"
"December Rain" (instrumental)

"This is sad news to type out," begins Catalyst Crime, who are fronted by Cradle Of Filth keyboardist and backing vocalist Zoe Marie Federoff.


"We were so looking forwards to meeting the European fans and finally delivering this album live, but due to rising energy costs associated with various global conflicts and ongoing inflation, we have made the difficult decision to pull out of the upcoming tour with Leaves' Eyes and Temperance. The costs associated with it have simply risen too high for us to justify the undertaking."


"We know we are not the only band making this type of decision about touring this fall and we also know music is a beacon of light and normalcy in these trying times. We, as well as the rest of the metal world, will keep fighting to bring it to you under more favorable conditions. We look forwards to seeing you on another upcoming tour and in the meantime we wish you and all your loved ones the best."




Catalyst Crime released their self-titled debut album in October 2021. The cover art and tracklisting are as follows:





"With Only The Sun As My Witness" (intro)
"Projection Of My Mind"
"Condemn Me To Chaos"
"Mother Dearest"
"Twice Upon A Time"
"Cognitive Dissonance" (feat. Jake E)
"Break Even"
"Chasing The Ghost"
"Nowhere Near Dead Yet"
"Without Anesthesia"
"Not Even Once"
"One And Counting" (outro)





 

Hoaxed will soon unveil their captivating and catchy debut full-length, Two Shadows. Today, the band share the second single, “Guilty Ones”. Watch the video below.


Says the band: “Horrible injustices are executed everyday and Guilty Ones is a reflection of what role we all play in that execution.”







Comprised of vocalist/guitarist Kat Keo and drummer Kim Coffel, Hoaxed's superlative blend of styles - heavy melodic rock with captivating hooks, gothic undertones, undeniable metal, and tinges of Americana - pave the way for a singular expression that’s entirely their own. Check out the band's video for "The Call" below.


"Two Shadows - an eerie place wandering souls happen upon, a bridge between the land of the living and the unrestful afterlife, where you may suddenly find yourself with two shadows; your shadow and an ominous second shadow." - Hoaxed


Two Shadows is out October 28 on LP/CD/CS/Digital. Physical pre-orders are available via Relapse.com here. Digital Downloads/Streaming/Pre-Save here.


Two Shadows is as unique as it is memorable and catchy. The record thrusts, retreats, and beguiles across its melody-powered and hook-driven expanse, with earworms “The Call,” “Guilty Ones,” and “The Knowing” serving as the album’s crucial lighthouses.





Tracklisting:


"Two Shadows"
"The Call"
"The Knowing"
"For Love"
"Grand Illusions"
"High Seas"
"Guilty Ones"
"Where Good Won’t Go"
"Forsaken"


"The Call" video:





(Photo - Shimon Karmel)

Finnish bass player, Samer Elnahhal (ex-Lordi), has released a lyric video for the first single off his upcoming album.





This new space-punk anthem is entitled "DNA" and features Simire (Sanna Lauste) on vocals.







Samer's second studio album, Dystopian Rose, is due out later this fall, two years after the release of his debut record, Supernova Kill Road. The album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Joonas Siikavirta at BGRM Studios. Updates to follow.

Cathartic black metal titans, Gaerea, will release their new album, Mirage, on Friday (September 23) via Season Of Mist. Pre-order the album here, and find an advanced album stream below.


Behind black shrouds of obscurity and desolation, the men of Gaerea deliver their odes in cascading maelstroms of aggression and beauty with full-length number three, Mirage.


Emerging from the age of pandemic to whatever awaits humanity next, the Portuguese horde remains on the frontlines of the next generation of extreme metal. The beauty of Gaerea lies in the directness and simplicity found within their florid tapestry of extremity and aggression.
With talons dipped in the inky blood of black metal and scraped across the flesh of human suffering, Gaerea is leading a charge into the future of darkness, and all those who find beauty and power in the dark side of existence would do well to take heed.




Cover by Saros Collective.





Tracklisting:


"Memoir"
"Salve"
"Deluge"
"Arson"
"Ebb"
"Mirage"
"Mantle"
"Laude"
"Dormant" (Deluxe media book bonus track)


Album stream:





"Mirage" video:





"Mantle" video:





"Salve" video:

Does black metal mix with 70s-era synth sounds à la Blade Runner and Jean-Michel Jarre? That's the question Ivo Henzi (vocals & guitars; ex-Eluveitie, Cellar Darling, Forest Of Fog) and Marc Petralito (synths; Appearance Of Nothing) asked themselves during a late and misty summer night in the enforced isolation of lockdown in 2020.


The resulting proof-of-concept is the band's debut album, Absence, set for release on October 21 via Klang Machine Records. Absence is an introspective journey rising from the soul's abysses to the universe's endless expanses, where fierce and aggressive sounds meet anthemic, epic landscapes. Guitar riffs rooted in modern black metal meet analogue synthesisers and Hammond organ evoking the sound of the 70s and 80s, creating a unique and compelling take on extreme music.


Today, Nighted release a video for "Sigil", accompanied by a video produced and filmed by the band themselves in the magical landscape of the Swiss mountains. Check out the video below.




Vocalist & guitarist Ivo Henzi comments: "'Sigil' is about setting ourselves free from the crippling boundaries we create for ourselves during the course of our lives. It's about reflecting yourself in your interactions with the world - a process that can be painful."


Both album and single were recorded and mixed by Anna Murphy (Cellar Darling, Eluveitie & many more) at Lucerne's Sound Farm Studio with drums performed by session drummer Dylan Watson (Kassogtha) and mastering by Dan Suter (Coroner, Eluveitie, Krokus & many more). Nighted are signed to the newly-formed heavy music label Klang Machine Records, co-founded by drummer and artist manager Merlin Sutter, himself known from his careers with Cellar Darling and Eluveitie.


Absence will be released in digital format and is available for pre-orders via Nighted's Bandcamp, here.





Absence tracklisting:


"Aeons"
"Sigil"
"Nighted"
"Blind"
"Acronyc"
"Crimson"
"Bleed"
"Relinquish"


"Sigil" video:





Lineup:


Ivo Henzi - vocals & guitars
Marc Petralito - synth


(Photo - Manuel Vargas Lepiz)

The Overcoming Project will release the new single, “Victory”, via all platforms on Friday (September 23). A video for the song can be viewed below.





Dr. Mike Trubetskov explains: “'Victory' denotes a psychedelic event that was required to secure a permanent visa in Australia - and any success in general. The choice to move forward or stagnate is yours."







“Victory”, featuring world class metal musicians such as Mike Heller of Fear Factory, Jon Howard of Threat Signal, and Sergei "Efes" Fomin of FS Projekt, is the third single from the upcoming Overcoming EP, which can be pre-saved here.





Overcoming EP depicts a psychedelic journey through immigration, Doctorate degree, Type I Diabetes and insane burnout into discovering the true purpose and becoming a metal producer.


"Determination,"  "Overcoming," and "Victory" are more than just heavy songs with killer musicianship. These grow into eternal, psychedelic objects that keep evolving into new dimensions after each listen.


After releasing the “Anxiety” single in 2020 through Heavy Magazine, The Overcoming Project returns with a bang.








(Photo – Dr. Mike Trubetskov)

"Metal family, we have an important announcement to make about Sabaton Open Air," begins an update from Sabaton. "It has almost been one and a half decades since SOA began, and we have had so many fantastic editions of it since then, but we have decided it is time for the festival to take a hiatus.


We can confidently state that the 2022 edition was our biggest and best to date, so we understand why you may think this decision is a little out of the blue. Multiple factors have contributed to our choice to not go ahead with a 2023 edition of the festival, but we are looking forward to seeing it shine again in the future.


Going back to the very beginning, we had a wild dream of introducing something special to Falun - something that our hometown had never witnessed before - and we are proud that we managed to achieve that very dream. SOA has been uniting metalheads since 2008, not only from Sweden, but from all over the world. This festival has evolved from a one-day, indoor event with one stage to a gargantuan celebration of metal - a four-day open air festival with several stages bursting with brilliant musical acts.




Over the years, SOA has welcomed thousands of visitors from over 50 countries, and over 200 concerts have taken place in our hometown thanks to its existence. This festival would not have been possible without the tremendous number of workers, volunteers and fan clubs who gave up their precious time to make it a reality. They have put their blood, sweat and tears into building and running the festival, only to tear it all down again once the event is over, year after year.


We would like to express our heartfelt THANK YOUS to all of the people who have helped us over the years, as well as our loyal fans from across the globe who have travelled to Falun each year to attend the festival. Thank you for showing your best side. The local authorities have praised you for being an amazing group of humans and showing the citizens of Falun that metalheads are the best type of people. We are proud of what great ambassadors of metal you all are.


We would also like to thank our hometown, Falun, for being open to the idea of the festival and embracing all of the attendees with open arms and smiling faces. We have had great support from the municipality and the majority of politicians, as well as many local companies and service providers.


This festival is like no other festival in the world.


Stay tuned. This isn’t the last of Sabaton Open Air! In the meantime, check out this great recap of Sabaton Open Air 2022."





Sabaton revealed more big news earlier this week. The band announced that for the last two years, they have been busy working on an exciting, large-scale project.


In 2023, Sabaton will release The War To End All Wars movie, a full-length musical motion picture featuring songs from the band’s 10th studio album, The War To End All Wars. This movie vividly tells the stories of World War I by way of animation and live action. It will give the viewer a better understanding of what the band’s songs on the album are about - it is a musical and historical adventure.


Currently in post-production, the movie is being made in collaboration with Yarnhub Animation Studio. Sabaton previously worked with them on other projects, including their most recent animated story video for “The Red Baron.”





The War To End All Wars movie is on a completely different scale that neither the band nor Yarnhub have ever attempted before. As the band has said, you’re going to want to see this!


“We premiered an early version of this movie to journalists during a preview session for our latest album, The War To End All Wars, at the Royal Military Museum in Brussels. Witnessing their reaction to it was priceless - they were speechless - so we decided to take it to the next level and push the boundaries even further for a global audience.” - Pär Sundström


"When Sabaton asked us to go beyond anything we had produced before and jointly create a film for their new album, we were filled with excitement and trepidation. It was a massive undertaking that required new people, technology, and skills. But we couldn't miss the opportunity. We often say our mission is to harvest goosebumps, and our work with Sabaton has always been the most successful in that regard. It's been two years in the making, but after spending many late nights and weekends in meetings with the band, the end result is something unique. A new way to listen to the album; a deeper understanding that helps the viewer experience the bravery and tragedy that was the inspiration for Sabaton's latest masterwork." - David Webb, Yarnhub


The War To End All Wars movie is a cohesive, thought-provoking and emotionally charged piece with a heavy focus on storytelling. It features members of the band, both in real life and animated, and a lot of research and effort has been put into it to ensure it depicts history in the most accurate way possible - this is something that the band is very passionate about.


Sabaton had a dream of creating something that’s entertaining but with great educational value, and that dream has become a reality after two years of hard work. There is so much more to tell you about this movie, and Sabaton will reveal more in time, but know that they are very excited to present this to you next year. Watch this space. In the meantime, enjoy this teaser.


Sabaton is currently on its The Tour To End All Tours North American 2022 run.





(Photo - Tim Tronckoe)