New York City black metal collective Black Anvil will be releasing their fifth full-length, Regenesis, on November 4, 2022 via Season Of Mist, making it the band's debut to the label. Black Anvil has shared the brand new single, "8 Bit Terror", along with a music video! The video, which was created by Emmy nominated visual artist Sean Pierce and features actress Lauren Bonner, can be seen below.


Black Anvil comments, "We are empty shells at once thought separate. We are one with the earth. This is not the end. We seek the stars still."







Pre-orders for Regenesis are now live here, while the album can be pre-saved on all streaming services at this location.


The artwork for Regenesis, which was created by Metastazis, can be found below along with the tracklist.





"The Gates Of Brass" 
"In Two" 
"The Bet" 
"8-Bit Terror" 
"29" 
"Silver & Steele" 
"Castrum Doloris" 
"Echoes & Tapestry" 
"VV" 
"NYC Nightmares" 
"Grant Us His Love" 
"Regenesis"





In addition, Black Anvil will be supporting Cannibal Corpse along with Dark Funeral and Immolation later this year. The trek will kick off on November 3 in Silver Springs, MD and will conclude on December 10 in Tampa, FL. 





November
3 - The Fillmore - Silver Springs, MD
4 - Empire Live - Albany, NY
5 - MTELUS - Montreal, QC
6 - Danforth Music Hall - Toronto, ON
8 - The Agora - Cleveland, OH
9 - Bogart's - Cincinnati, OH
10 - Piere's Entertainment Center - Fort Wayne, IN
11 - The Forge - Joliet, IL
12 - The Rave II - Milwaukee, WI
15 - The Palace Theatre - Calgary, AB
17 - The Rickshaw Theatre - Vancouver, BC
18 - The Rickshaw Theatre - Vancouver, BC
19 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA
21 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
22 - The Wiltern - Los Angeles, CA
23 - The Observatory North Park - San Diego, CA
25 - House Of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
26 - Encore - Tucson, AZ
28 - Empire Garage - Austin, TX
29 - House Of Blues - Dallas, TX
30 - Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City, OK


December 
2 - Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest at Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
3 - The Granada - Lawrence, KS
4 - Bourbon Theatre - Lincoln, NE
5 - The Apollo Theatre AC - Belvidere, IL
6 - The Vogue Theatre - Indianapolis, IN
8 - The Concourse - Knoxville, TN
9 - Georgia Theatre - Athens, GA
10 - Jannus Live - St. Petersburg, FL


(Photo by Shayne Schrode // Strains of Horror)


 

Edged Circle Productions announces the signing of the Netherlands’ Bodyfarm. The first fruit of this union shall be the band’s fifth album, Ultimate Abomination, which will see international release on February 24th, 2023 on all formats. 


Now, with the imminent arrival of Ultimate Abomination, Bodyfarm are poised to assert, once and for all, their domination over the death metal scene. The arrangements for the upcoming album were mostly written by founding guitarist Bram Hilhorst and bassist-turned-fellow-guitarist Alex Seegers, with the lyrics written by vocalist / bassist Ralph de Boer and drums by new arrival David Schermann. Naturally, every member contributed his own part to Ultimate Abomination, keeping the album fresh yet firmly within the core Bodyfarm sound. The result sees a surprising infusion of catchiness and The Groove: be it galloping like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, stomping slowly across the skulls of enemies, or rolling forward across the battlefield called life, Ultimate Abomination is a death metal maniac’s wet dream. 


Lyrically, Ultimate Abomination focuses on psychological warfare. “Views from a violent and devastating psychological sight from the dark depths of our minds and human behavior,” expounds Hilhorst. “You can parallel it to ‘wars in the battlefield of life itself.’ The songs are all stories in themselves, but all relate to this subject.” Thus, the title Ultimate Abomination is an apt summary of all the lyrics written by de Boer for the album.  




Part and parcel with Bodyfarm’s stellar songwriting across Ultimate Abomination is the album’s absolutely crushing production: very “live” and full-blooded, but polished just enough to exude maximum professionalism. Recording-wise, the drums for Ultimate Abomination were recorded by J.B. van der Wal at Soundlodge Studios, and the other instruments and vocals by the band at Studio Hilhorst. Mixing and mastering was done by Project Zero studios Belgium.  


“We listen to different kinds of music in our genre, and this is also recognizable in the new songs,” Hilhorst continues. “The diversity of tempos and atmosphere is quite big. Old-school death ‘n’ roll to blackened death riffing, it’s all there, and we think the combination of it makes a unique sound.” 


About signing with a new label and the upcoming release of Ultimate Abomination, “We are very happy that we signed with Edged Circle Productions,” Hilhorst enthuses. “And we have a lot of faith that we will have a good cooperation together in the future.” 


[Photo: Stefan Schipper]



 

Hellenic prog black metal outfit Aenaon has posted the music video for their new single titled "Hysteria". The band's upcoming album, Mnemosyne, from which the song is lifted, will see its release on October 7th via Agonia Records. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.





"Six years have passed  since our last album and we are thrilled to finally share our darkest effort so far," comments Aenaon. "As always, we have been silent but creatively restless, aiming to a timeless creation. Mnemosyne is an album of noir aesthetics and emotional extremity. The title derives from the Greek goddess of remembrance and the river of memory."




Foreshadowed as an album of "heavily textured black metal," Mnemosyne will offer nine new songs, recorded, mixed and mastered by guitarist / bassist Achilleas C. (Varathron, Katavasia) at Suncord Audiolab in Ioannina, Greece. The painting that adorns the cover was created by Ben Howe while Ra.design prepared the layout.





Tracklisting:


"Psyche"
"Cartesian Eye"
"Synastry Of Heartbeats"
"Pleiades"
"Trauma Cultura"
"Clark Nova"
"Hysteria"
"Mantledeath"
"Doppelgänger"
"Grand Narcotic Reharvest" (Slipcase CD bonus track)





The name Aenaon means "the Eternal" in Greek. The band's history dates back to 2006 and encompasses (on top of several smaller releases) three studio albums: Cendres Et Sang (2011), Extance (2014) and Hypnosophy (2016).


(Photo credit: Evi Savva)


 

AOP Records has announced October 28th as the international release date for Theotoxin's fourth album, Fragment : Totenruhe, on CD and vinyl LP formats. To coincide with the announcement, a brand new video for the first single, "World, Burn For Us", is available to devour now.





With the intention of creating supreme black metal art, Theotoxin ascended from the catacombs of Vienna, Austria in 2016 and consists of experienced individuals exclusively. The brand-new album Fragment : Totenruhe will be their second strike under the banner of AOP Records and a worthy successor to the 2020 album Fragment : Erhabenheit. 




Marking a total number of four full-lengths since the founding days, Theotoxin stand for longevity, continuity, and ongoing advancement. Theotoxin are a guarantor for intense live performances and deliver an unprecedented show with deep-yet-aggressive atmosphere. With plenty of live appearances and a tour through Europe accomplished so far, the band is eager to spread their black chants even further. 


With a history of devastating small clubs and open-air stages alike, Theotoxin will conquer new territory along with Archgoat and Whoredom Rife in November and December 2022. Full list of dates as well as tour poster follow.


Fragment : Totenruhe cover art, courtesy of Jose Gabriel Alegría Sabogal / m.p.soszynski / Saros Collective, and tracklisting are as follows:





"World, Burn For Us"
"Catastrophe In Flesh"
"Towards The Chasm"
"Demise Of The Gilded Age"
"After Thousands Of Years"
"Perennial Lunacy"
"...Of Rapture And Dissolution"
"Totenruhe"
"Frontschwein" [Marduk cover]





[Photo credit: Jan Bulkin]


 

Italian proggers, Even Flow, announce they will be releasing their lMediterraneo EP this coming October.


Mediterreano sees the band approaching the record with progressive metal in the rhythm with vocal lines oriented towards power metal with AOR eighties influences. Lyrically, the EP speaks of love, hope, sadness, and joy for the future.


Guitarist Pietro Paolo Lunesu explains the record in further detail: "The five songs that make up Mediterraneo are gloriously uplifting anthems that draw you from your world of cares and worries into an exhilarating musical realm of dreams. The songs are concise and finely honed, yet seem to contain an ever-expanding universe to explore within their duration. For example, the title track, ‘Mediterraneo’, is perhaps the EPs crowning glory, building through multiple layers, each more captivating than the last, but in truth every note from the first bombastic chords that usher in opener ‘Ocean Lies’ to the final spiraling guitar solo of ‘Mediterraneo’ is sheer melodic, progressive metal perfection."




The EP was mixed and mastered by Michele Guaitoli (Visions Of Atlantis, Temperance) with artwork by Mickael Briot of Mythrid Art (Nightmare).


Mediterraneo also features Even Flow's new lineup with vocalist Marco Pastorino (Fallen Sanctuary, Temperance) and bassist Luca Negro (Temperance) joining the Lunesu brothers Pietro Paolo (guitar) and Giorgio (drums).


The band has released their music video for the EP's opening track, "Ocean Lies", which was the first song written for the record.


"I thought of opening the Mediterraneo EP with 'Ocean Lies' because I considered it the most powerful, but at the same time with a great musical balance characterized by a softer part and a part a bit Latin in the guitar solo section. Lyrically, the song represents at times, the desolation of the world, but at the same time thinking optimistically for the future." adds Pietro.


The music video for "Ocean Lies" can be seen below. Pre-order the EP here.





Tracklisting:


"Ocean Lies"
"Ray Of Light"
"Leaves"
"Revelation Day"
"Mediterraneo"


"Ocean Lies" lyric video:





Even Flow is:


Marco Pastorino: Vocals and Choirs
Pietro Paolo Lunesu: All Electric and Acoustic guitars
Giorgio Lunesu: Drums and Percussion
Luca Negro: Bass


(Photo - Claudia Chiodi)

Atlanta-by-way-of-South America band, Irist, return with the Gloria EP on September 16, via Nuclear Blast Records. Today, the band release a visualizer for the song, "Surging Ablalze". Watch below.


Says the band: "We’re thrilled to unveil another track from our forthcoming Gloria EP today. 'Surging Ablaze' is a song about the contemplative journey, meditative states, and ultimately relief one experiences when getting to the other side of a difficult situation. This is a rhythmically more measured song for us, and the fact that we were able to add some lyrics in Portuguese makes it even more unique. Thank you 12 Inch Media for the stunning visual you made us to accompany the track."







The EP, which once again finds the band’s music mixed by Matt Bayles (Mastodon/Isis), comes after a hindered rollout for what many predicted was going to launch the band as one of the more prominent new bands in heavy music. With a release, and tour, slated for the Spring of 2020, the band was sidelined in the wake of international lockdowns, with Carvalho moving back to Brazil and guitar player Pablo Davila moving to Texas to work in an Austin COVID-ward.


“We still wrote a bit despite the distance,” adds Carvalho, “Musically, we began to explore more melodic vocal lines, and we added synth, noise, and electronic element. We write intense melodies and frantic beats to convey what’s in our lyrics.”


Now, with the Gloria EP on the horizon, as well as dates with Pallbearer, Elder and upcoming record releases shows, guitar player Pablo Davila is eager for the band to pick up where they left off: “We couldn’t be more excited and grateful to be releasing new music. It’s really important to me that the music reflect what Rodrigo is saying, and vice versa, and with ‘Heal’ we wanted to convey something painful and at the same time hopeful.”


The digital only EP can be pre-saved here.





Gloria EP tracklisting:


"Gloria"
"Heal"
"III"
"Surging Ablaze"
"Watchful Eye"


"Heal" lyric video:





Irist is:


Rodrigo Carvalho (vocals)
Pablo Davila (guitar)
Adam Mitchell (guitar)
Bruno Segovia (bass)


Drums on all tracks by Jason Belisha.


(Photo - Susy Reyes)

Prior to the kick-off of IRON MAIDEN's Brazilian tour on Saturday (August 27) in Curitiba, singer Bruce Dickinson visited Bodebrown, one of Brazil's leading craft breweries, in the city. You can watch video of his appearance below (courtesy of BRX Filmes).

In May 2021, MAIDEN and Robinsons Brewery celebrated 30 million Trooper pints sold around the globe during the week they marked the eighth birthday of their hugely successful collaboration.

Since its launch in 2013, the 4.7% premium British beer that is Trooper original has become a leading player amongst British ales, exported to over 60 countries around the world and enjoyed by countless beer lovers in the greatest of British pubs and from the comfort of their homes.

Trooper has also won multiple gold medals at the prestigious British Bottlers' Institute Awards, as well as picking up awards at the World Beer Awards, Global Beer Masters and International Beer Challenge.

Despite pubs being closed for a large part of 2020, Trooper continued to enjoy strong sales through online distribution partners and export listings throughout and even spawned two new beers during the year — Trooper Fear Of The Dark, a 4.5% ABV English dark roasted chocolate stout that is full bodied and rich in flavor, and Trooper IPA, a 4.3% ABV golden India Pale Ale packed full of hoppy flavors. Both these new Trooper beers have again been brewed in collaboration with beer aficionado Dickinson at the helm and both have enjoyed a terrific response in retail and export markets.

Dickinson said: "I couldn't be prouder of what we've achieved with Robinsons in reaching the 30 million pints milestone. We've developed a family of outstanding Trooper beers that our fans and beer drinkers all over the world enjoy, which tells you a lot about the quality, originality, provenance and distinctive character exhibited by every Trooper beer. The fact that other leading international brewers have also wanted to partner with us in creating local Trooper variants is further testament to what we and Robinsons have created. Long may it continue, and here's to the next 30 million pints!"

Along with the core beers — Trooper original and Trooper IPA — the Trooper family now includes a range of popular seasonal and limited-edition beers that have joined the charge over the last nine years, including popular brews such as Sun And Steel (sake infused pilsner),Red 'N' Black (porter),666 (extra strong bitter),and Belgian-styled beer Hallowed, along with the annual "Day Of The Dead" Trooper special edition.

MEGADETH has released a music video for the title track of the band's new album, "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" The third and latest video installment from MEGADETH's multi-part short film about the origins of the group's mascot Vic Rattlehead, it was crafted by MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine, along with producer Rafael Pensado and director Leo Liberti.

"The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!: Chapter III" is the latest in the series that follows the saga of a war hero, now fully transformed into Vic Rattlehead, as he brutally exacts revenge and punishment on those who betrayed him and destroyed his loved ones and life. In this chapter, Vic continues to move up the chain of command as he torments his unsuspecting victim before dragging him down to eternal damnation in the land of the dead.

"The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" features twelve new tracks on CD, vinyl and cassette, as well as digitally through all online partners,. The record is also available as a limited deluxe edition 2LP, 12-track album pressed on 180g black vinyl housed in a numbered gatefold jacket with a 12x24 lyrics/credits insert, a lenticular vinyl lithograph and a bonus 7-inch featuring "We'll Be Back" and the previously unreleased B-side "The Conjuring (Live)". The limited deluxe edition can only be purchased via MEGADETH's official online store, through Sound Of Vinyl and uDiscover.

"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.

"For the first time in a long time, everything that we needed on this record is right in its place," Mustaine enthused. "I can't wait for the public to get hold of this!"

Featuring some of Mustaine's strongest songwriting while also incorporating writing from the rest of the band, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" brings together everything that's exhilarating and distinctive about MEGADETH. From the blistering throwback fury of "Night Stalkers" and first single "We'll Be Back", to the more mid-tempo and melodic "Soldier On!" and the very personal title track, with its enthralling twists and turns. "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" also features a cover of DEAD KENNEDYS' "Police Truck" and Sammy Hagar's "This Planet's On Fire", the latter of which includes vocals from Hagar himself.

"The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" melds the ultra-frenetic riffing, fiercely intricate solos, and adventurous spirit the quartet are known for, all laced with signature virtuosity and precision and Mustaine's singular sardonic snarl. This album combines all the crushing musical motifs that have made MEGADETH both repeat metal disruptors and revered genre flagbearers.

Regarding Hagar's contribution to "This Planet's On Fire", Mustaine told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk": "It's a super-heavy song. And the good thing about this [is] we didn't just do the song; [Sammy] played on it too. So we've got a little bit of some guitar; we've got a lot of bit of singing. I think it's super badass."

As for MEGADETH's decision to cover "Police Truck", Mustaine said: "It's no secret I'm a big DEAD KENNEDYS fan, and I had wanted to do 'Holiday In Cambodia', but my friends in LÄÄZ ROCKIT had done that, and I felt that [I would] just let them have their glory off of that rendition of that song, and if the time comes, I'm sure there's another song that'll stick out to me. And there was — it was the song 'Police Truck'. So we recorded that one."

"The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" track listing:

01. The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!
02. Life In Hell
03. Night Stalkers (feat. Ice T)
04. Dogs Of Chernobyl
05. Sacrifice
06. Junkie
07. Psychopathy
08. Killing Time
09. Soldier On!
10. Célebutante
11. Mission To Mars
12. We'll Be Back
13. Police Truck (DEAD KENNEDYS cover)
14. This Planet's On Fire (Burn In Hell) (Sammy Hagar cover) (feat. Sammy Hagar)

Earlier this year, Mustaine confirmed that DiGiorgio laid down the bass tracks on "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!"

There had been speculation about DiGiorgio's involvement in the new MEGADETH LP since July 2021, based on a Cameo video Mustaine recorded in which he offered the first glimpse of the bassist that re-recorded David Ellefson's bass tracks on the much-anticipated MEGADETH effort.

DiGiorgio is widely renowned as a pioneer on the fretless bass in heavy metal music, having played with TESTAMENT, DEATH and SADUS, among others. Within his genre, Steve is respected for his playing skills, versatility and incredible technique. He has more than 40 studio album recordings and over 20 years of touring the world.

In June, MEGADETH announced LoMenzo as a permanent member of the band. LoMenzo was MEGADETH's bass player in the mid-2000s and recently stepped back in as a touring member for "The Metal Tour Of The Year".

LoMenzo joined MEGADETH in 2006 and appeared on two of the group's studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame". He was fired from the band in 2010 and replaced with returning original MEGADETH bassist Ellefson.

In addition to MEGADETH, LoMenzo has played with Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde and WHITE LION. For nine years, LoMenzo had also performed with iconic rocker John Fogerty.

LoMenzo played his first show with MEGADETH in nearly 12 years in August 2021 in Austin, Texas. The concert took place three months following Ellefson's dismissal from MEGADETH after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving him were posted on Twitter.

Ellefson laid down his bass tracks on MEGADETH's sixteenth LP in May 2020 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee.

In June 2021, Mustaine announced during an episode of his Gimme Radio program "The Dave Mustaine Show" that Ellefson's bass tracks would not be used on the new MEGADETH LP.

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

Photo courtesy of MEGADETH / Pandora

THE DEAD DAISIES will release their sixth studio album, "Radiance", on September 30. The LP's fourth single, "Face Your Fear", can be streamed below. The official music video for the track will arrive on September 9.

"Face Your Fear" features an intoxicating hook driven by Doug Aldrich's and David Lowy's dual guitars, Brian Tichy's monstrous rhythmic beats and Glenn Hughes's rock-solid bass and unmatched vocal intensity.

Hughes states: "This song is about making peace with your personal fears and not fighting its grip. The intense groove and two chord simplicity is a great album opener."

Energized after their monster European tour, THE DEAD DAISIES can't wait to get face to face with their fans on their U.S. fall dates. With shows from the East to West coast, the band will be showcasing some new material and play the classics with an energy inspired by the tens of thousands of rock lovers they played to in Europe. ENUFF Z'NUFF will be special guests of THE DEAD DAISIES on all the U.S. shows, with former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke joining the bill for one show at The Vermont in Hollywood.

"Radiance" is the second album THE DAISIES have made with esteemed producer Ben Grosse at the helm, recorded at The Mix Room in North Hollywood, California.

The first three singles off the album, "Radiance", "Shine On" and "Hypnotize Yourself", went straight to air on radio across the globe, were added to digital playlists and received with open arms by tens of thousands of fans and audiences on THE DEAD DAISIES's summer 2022 European tour.

Said Aldrich: "The new album 'Radiance' is our second album with Ben Grosse producing from top to bottom. We had a great time composing and recording the record and I'm very excited for you all to hear what we put together. Definitely a heavy album but with some cool twists and turns! Hope you all like it."

All the songs on "Radiance" were written by Lowy, Aldrich and Hughes. Tichy returned to THE DAISIES in early 2022 to lay down the drums on "Radiance".

Said Tichy: "I am very much looking forward to the release of 'Radiance', the newest LP from THE DEAD DAISIES! It was great to start off being back in the band by getting together with Doug, Glenn, David, and producer Ben Grosse at his studio dialing in the songs that make up 'Radiance'. It was a very smooth, organized process of jamming with the guys getting all drum grooves and parts just right. The final result is another slab of butt-kicking rock! The guys all brought their A-game and a tight, powerful record was created! I'm looking forward to everyone hearing it and playing more of these songs live in the near future."

"Radiance" will be available as a digipak CD with sticker, gatefold black vinyl with printed inner sleeves and digitally.

Track listing:

01. Face Your Fear
02. Hypnotize Yourself
03. Shine On
04. Radiance
05. Born To Fly
06. Kiss The Sun
07. Courageous
08. Cascade
09. Not Human
10. Roll On

THE DEAD DAISIES' last album, "Holy Ground", was released in January 2021. Recorded at La Fabrique Studios in the south of France with Grosse, the LP was the band's first to feature Hughes, who joined the group in 2019 as its new bassist and vocalist, replacing John Corabi (MÖTLEY CRÜE) and Marco Mendoza (THIN LIZZY).

HIM mastermind Ville Valo (VV) has released "Echolocate Your Love", the second single from his upcoming debut solo album, "Neon Noir". The LP will arrive in early 2023.

The elegiac goth optimism of "Echolocate Your Love" gives a fuller picture of the wrought elegance to come.

"It's a sonic step-by-step guide on how to survive, and perhaps even enjoy, the realm of VV with its abundance of things that go bump in the night," says Valo. "It's a teary mascara marathon between Robert Smith and Ozzy, with a dash of hope."

"Echolocate Your Love" comes five months after the release of "Loveletting", which marked Ville's first new music in over two years, following the arrival of the three-track "Gothica Fennica Vol. 1" EP, also released under the VV banner, in March 2020.

Like "Echolocate Your Love" and "Loveletting", "Gothica Fennica Vol. 1" bore a strong musical resemblance to HIM and featured the tracks "Salute The Sanguine", "Run Away From The Sun" and "Saturnine Saturnalia".

Back in April, Ville told Metal Hammer that "Loveletting" was one of the more mellow songs on "Neon Noir". Ville said: "I've always been shit with picking singles — I'm always wrong, so I let the label choose that and everybody was smiling when they heard it the first time, so they suggested it. I'm hoping the next one will be a lot more rock 'n' roll, harder hitting."

Regarding the musical direction of "Neon Noir", Ville told Metal Hammer: "The new stuff definitely does sound like HIM. But I did write most of the songs, so… I'm to blame for that. It's a continuous journey from HIM for me. A lot of people when they move on to solo projects want to distance themselves from the past, burn bridges and start their solo career. It's different for me. VV is me building a bridge between HIM and the future. That's what 'Neon Noir' is."

Ville spoke to Spotify about why it has taken him so long to complete "Neon Noir". "Since the pandemic hit, I started working on the album," he explained. "I actually learned how to record — I learned how to record drums and bass and guitar because I wasn't able to get any musicians; I had to do it solo — literally solo. So I'm really sorry but it did take me two and a half years to get the album done. 'Loveletting' is the first single. It's kind of what I normally do — it's a loud love song; it's a very sad and melancholy wistful one, but sort of maybe light at the end of the tunnel which is hopefully not the oncoming train.

"So there's not much new under the sun of VV, but I love it. [Laughs]"

"Loveletting" is now available across all digital platforms. An official music video can be seen below.

VV's headline tour dates will take place next year across Europe and North America. Naturally starting in Helsinki, Finland, the 2023 extensive run reaches the U.K. in March before heading to America come April.

HIM completed a farewell tour in 2017, closing the final chapter on the band's 26-year career. At the time, Ville explained to Kerrang! magazine why the band decided to call it a day. "We were tired of the same shit," he said. "When you've done it for a long time, at some point it doesn't taste good anymore. We started working on some stuff, it didn't sound good enough, and we didn't get the teenage buzz you're supposed get."

He also discussed the future of his artistic and musical endeavors.

"I'll be figuring out the emotions I'll be going through after the HIM period is done," he said. "That's how I experience life. I experience it through music, I'll pick up the guitar and start writing and I'm sure some of the emotions that come out of this wild ride will come through. My life is not done yet. The HIM part is done, as it is now, the chapter is closed, but the book is still unfinished…"

Formed in 1991 by Valo, guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindström and bassist Mikko "Migé" Paananen, HIM offered the world a new take on the metal genre, which became known as "love metal" (also the title of their fourth album).

HIM in 2015 parted ways with its longtime drummer, Mika Kristian Karppinen (a.k.a. Gas Lipstick),and replaced him with Jukka "Kosmo" Kröger (formerly of HERRA YLPPÖ & IHMISET).

Three years ago, Valo teamed up with guitar legend Esa Pulliainen to record an album based on songs by the late, legendary Finnish singer Rauli "Badding" Somerjoki. The self-titled album by VILLE VALO & AGENTS was released in February 2019 and was followed by a short tour.

Photo credit: Joonas Brandt

During a recent Twitch livestream, legendary Danish heavy metal singer King Diamond reflected on his jam in Texas nearly 30 years ago with members of PANTERA. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I once again sang [JUDAS PRIEST's] 'The Ripper' live with Dimebag [Darrell Abbott] and Vinnie [Paul Abbott] and Rex [Brown] from PANTERA on New Year's Eve here in Dallas. I had just moved to Dallas that time, so '92, I think, it must have been. Phil [Anselmo] was living in New Orleans; he wasn't there. But it was awesome. We did 'The Ripper', then we did 'The Green Manalishi', which is not a JUDAS song, but JUDAS did an amazing version of it, actually. And then we did 'Omens' [from KING DIAMOND]. Those three songs. It was really very fun. The most fun was actually the rehearsal."

He continued: "I had just moved to Dallas, and they got hold of me and they said, 'Hey, man, come over and hang out at the house a little bit and do this, if you're into it.' And I said, 'Okay. Sure, man.' So I drove for almost two hours — an hour and a half at least — to get to their house in Arlington. And there was a house in the back where the studio mostly was. And we went in there to rehearse. And I think we rehearsed 'Omens' once. And then they said, 'Let's go have some beer, man.' And I said, 'I haven't sung [the other songs].' Can we just go [through them] at least once?' 'No, it'll be fine, man.' We went in and had a beer. I only had one, 'cause I had to drive all the way back. But it was fun."

King added: "It was PANTERA, man. So, very, very good, very awesome memories that we had there. And I went home and I rehearsed like a maniac at home so I could come there and play that New Year's Eve with them. And everything was fine. You can actually find it on the Internet, I think."

When Vinnie Paul died in 2018, King took to his social media to shared a photo of the drummer wearing the King Diamond makeup at a HELLYEAH Halloween concert in 2014, along with the following message: "So sad, what a loss. Another true metalhead has left us way too soon.

"Vinnie and PANTERA were some of the first people to welcome me with open arms when I first moved to Dallas in 1992. Had so many great times together.

"Here's a photo of Vinnie dressed as me during a HELLYEAH Halloween show. To me, that was the coolest.

"I will miss you, friend.

"Rest in peace. I know Dime is waiting for you."

As previously reported, PANTERA's surviving members Anselmo and Brown will unite with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

Anselmo and Brown, along with Wylde and Benante, will headline a number of major festivals across North America and Europe and stage some of their own headline concerts.

According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who last year said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

PANTERA will play its first shows in over 20 years in December 2022, starting with a co-headlining slot at Mexico's Hell & Heaven Metal Fest, followed by appearances at three Knotfest festivals in South America.

PANTERA will perform at Hell & Heaven Metal Fest on Friday, December 2 at Foro Pegaso in Toluca. Knotfest Colombia is scheduled for Friday, December 9 at Campin Circuit of Bogotá. Knotfest Chile is slated to take place on Sunday, December 11 at Estadio Monumental in Santiago. Knotfest Brasil will follow on Sunday, December 18 at Sambódromo do Anhembi in São Paulo.

So sad, what a loss. Another true metalhead has left us way too soon.
Vinnie and Pantera were some of the first people...

Posted by King Diamond on Saturday, June 23, 2018

During an appearance on yesterday's (Tuesday, August 30) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor revealed that he will enter the studio in January and February 2023 to record his second solo album. "We're gonna go in and bang it out and get it ready," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And then once I'm done touring with SLIPKNOT, I'm gonna throw together a really rad, 'rock is back' kind of tour for the solo stuff and start bringing out some of the younger — maybe not even some of the younger rock bands, but just some of the bands that don't get the chance or just don't get the looks that are afforded to either pop bands and hip-hop bands or people like me who are kind of grandfathered in. So I'm gonna try and really kind of fly the rock flag and give some opportunities to some of the younger bands and maybe even just the mid-level bands that just haven't had a shot. 'Cause there's so many great bands out there."

Taylor went on to confirm that all the material has already been written for his follow-up to 2020's "CMFT". "It's about 15 songs," he said. "And it's one of those cool things where some of it's older stuff that I've written over the years. There's actually a couple of songs that some of the fans know because I debuted them live when I was doing the JBKB [COREY TAYOR & THE JUNK BEER KIDNAP BAND] thing. So there's a song like 'Beyond' and a song like 'Breath Of Fresh Smoke' — both of those songs are getting recorded and released finally after… God, how many goddamn years would it be? Probably about 14 years, 16 years. But then a bunch of newer stuff. And there's definitely a darker edge to it. It's still very melodic, but I'm definitely starting to kind of bring together the things that I'm known for. And it's less an homage of the stuff that I grew up on and more of what people are used to hearing from me — but still a solo album. So there's still great rock and roll on it. There's some heavier stuff, but there's some really great slower stuff. It's gonna be really rad."

This past February, Corey released a solo album of covers and acoustic recordings, titled "CMFB…Sides", via Roadrunner Records. The collection comprised nine previously unreleased B-sides, covers of tunes that inspired Taylor, acoustic renditions, and live versions.

"CMFT" made impressive debuts on charts around the world, entering at No. 1 on Billboard's Current Hard Rock Albums chart, while claiming No. 2 on Current Rock Albums, No. 6 on Vinyl Albums, and No. 9 on the Top Albums charts. Furthermore, "CMFT" landed Top 10 on the official album charts in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, with Top 20 debuts in the United Kingdom, Finland and Japan (international chart).

"CMFT" was recorded at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas with producer Jay Ruston and Christian Martucci (guitar),Zach Throne (guitar),Jason Christopher (bass),and Dustin Schoenhofer (drums).

"CMFT" had been a long time coming for Taylor, with newly written tracks alongside some dating back to his teens. The album was highlighted by the singles "Culture Head", "HWY 666", "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (featuring Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie),and the Active Rock radio hit "Black Eyes Blue". Taylor also hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Songwriters chart following the unprecedented debut of "Black Eyes Blue" and "CMFT Must Be Stopped".

Last year, Taylor made history as he reached No. 1 at Active Rock Radio with his powerful single "Black Eyes Blue". The achievement put Taylor in a class all his own, making him the first artist in the history of the format to reach No. 1 with three separate projects, following chart-topping efforts from SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR.

Featured in Rolling Stone's "Fall Album Preview 2020," "CMFT" garnered widespread critical applause, with Forbes affirming, "Corey Taylor's singing is undeniably the best it's ever been. From SLIPKNOT's last album to his new solo material, Taylor is easily among the best-sounding rock singers alive." Kerrang! raved, "Corey Taylor certainly couldn't have predicted how important a sense of uninhibited joy would be on his debut solo effort, it's just what 2020 needs — and, even more importantly, exactly what he delivers." The Daily Beast attested, "'CMFT' finds the singer broadening his horizons and showing off his considerable versatility," while Stereogum noted, "Corey Taylor's lived several lives in the span that it takes most of us to push through just one, and it's clear that he cherishes every experience he's had so far." New York magazine added that "CMFT" "bridges his vast tastes and influences, dabbling in punk rock, metal, reflective acoustic tunes, plaintive piano ballads, and hip-hop, with Taylor's power-house vocals and introspective lyrics acting as a guide."

Photo credit: Ashley Osborn

Swedish groove metal band The Defaced have issued a brand new video for the song "Monochromatic Void". It's taken from the album Charlatans, that was released earlier this year via ViciSolum Productions.





Charlatans took its beginning back in 2019 when Mattias Svensson gave Jens Broman a call. Jens Broman hadn't been working with music to any major extent since 2010 when he left Darkane. Since the release of the album, Anomaly, back in 2006, The Defaced had slowly started to dissolve during 2007-2008 and was finally set on pause indefinitely in late 2008. Mattias explained on the phone that he had written a bunch of songs that he wanted Jens to listen to. The intention was to start up The Defaced again. Jens loved the songs immediately and slowly during 2019 Mattias and Jens started to set up a work process for continuing working on the songs. "It all came very naturally, just like in the old days," says Jens. Klas Ideberg shared the same thoughts and ambitions and after recruiting new drummer Bob Ruben, a new start of the band was on the table.




All instruments were recorded in Helsingborg at the Mansarda Studios, produced by Klas and Mattias. Vocals were recorded and produced by Jens and Björn Strid (of Soilwork) at Studio Björngrottan, in Tyreså, in Autumn 2020. Mixing and mastering by Lawrence Mackory at Obey Mastering, in Uppsala. December 2020.


As with so many artists, much of the inspiration for this record, lyrically came from a large extent from the pandemic. Not as such but its creativity came as an involuntary pause from the wound-up stressed world. The songs cover themes such as struggles with relationships, self-doubt and eager frustration and a feeling that everything is already too late to change. Charlatans is an album that encompasses the sound of the earlier albums but given the addition of a more prominent progressive touch. The songs aim to give the listener an even
greater sonic adventure than the previous records. Still, most of the heritage from old metal giants is ever so present, blended together with classic songwriting with a twist towards progressive soundscapes.





Tracklisting:


"Monochromatic Void" 
"Bleeding Ore" 
"Charlatan" 
"Celestial Display" 
"Gilded Hands" 
"Son Of The Sun"
"Wreck" 
"Enter The Stage" 
"Fangs" 
"No More Diamonds" 





 

Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the upcoming release of Powerzone, the second album from red hot rock singer Chez Kane - out October 21. The album follows Chez's self-titled debut, which was released last year.


Watch a video for the new single, "(The Things We Do) When We're Young In Love", below.


Fans can pre-order/save Powerzone on CD/Color LP/Digital now. Chez will also be signing a limited number of vinyl (300) and CDs (300). 200 of each are available from Chez Kane's official webstore, while the remaining 100 of each will be available at tour dates after the album's release. The vinyl will be silver color and limited to 300 copies worldwide. Simply click the link for "Official Store" at orcd.co/powerzone. Limited edition gold vinyl is also available from the Frontiers' webstores, links for which you can find in the preceding link as well.




A talented young vocalist who fronts, along with her two sisters, the band Kane'd, Chez was first brought to the attention of the label after conversations with Danny Rexon of Crazy Lixx about the possibility of him scouting and producing some exciting new talent. Subsequently, Danny started working on some demos with Chez and the label did not pass up the opportunity to get involved with this incredible talent. Chez's debut solo album embraced the melodic rock style that both she and Danny so admire, while adding a new twist to the current takes on the genre. Powerzone takes that formula and makes it bigger, better, and bolder.


Chez' star rose, and deservedly so, with the release of her self-titled debut album. Now, with Powerzone, she's really ready to launch into orbit.





Tracklisting:


“I Just Want You”
“(The Things We Do) When We’re Young In Love”
“Rock You Up”
“Love Gone Wild”
“Children Of Tomorrow Gone”
“Powerzone”
“I’m Ready (For Your Love)”
“Nationwide”
“Streets Of Gold”
“Guilty Of Love”


"(The Things We Do) When We're Young In Love" video:





“I Just Want You” video:

Known principally as the vocalist, lead guitarist and composer for The Moody Blues - Justin Hayward is delighted to release his brand new single, entitled “Living For Love”, via BMG.


“Living For Love” is his first release from Hayward in over two years and comes ahead of his tour of the UK happening this month. Stream/download “Living For Love” here, and find a lyric video for the song below.







Hayward said of the release, “I’m one of a generation that as teenagers, if we were lucky, were living just for love; with the most wonderful music, freedom and optimism. We didn’t really understand at the time but I have to celebrate those days now, while we are still here, and we remember.”


“Living For Love” was recorded in Italy earlier this year, but the release was held until now while Hayward featured in ‘The War Of The Worlds’ tour and completed his rescheduled live solo gigs in the US so that the song could be released ahead of his UK tour. Hayward and his recording partner Alberto Parodi are the only musicians featured on the record.


Hayward is an enduring talent that has helped to define the times in which he worked. Possessing one of the most distinctive voices in rock music, Hayward penned classics like "Nights in White Satin", "Question", "New Horizons", "I Know You’re Out There Somewhere", "Tuesday Afternoon", "Story In Your Eyes", "The Voice" and "Your Wildest Dreams".


As well as his work with The Moody Blues, Hayward has released seven solo studio albums and continues to be in high demand as a performer across the world.


“Living For Love” shows that his creative spark burns as brightly as ever.





(Photo - Mark Owens)

Shining is certainly one of the most controversial and musically brilliant bands in the scene. Mastermind Niklas Kvarforth has never made a secret of his mental illnesses and other psychological issues, thus, themes such as self-destruction, suicide and violence play an important role in the band’s music. Over the course of ten studio albums, including masterpieces such as the acclaimed V. Halmstad and Redefining Darkness, Shining has garnered a large and loyal following who adore the musical genius and eccentric nature of Niklas Kvarforth.


It would not be appropriate to force Shining into a musical genre. They root their main musical influences in black metal, but combine it incomparably with influences from various far-reaching genres such as classical music, jazz and progressive rock. Shining's music conjures grim moods, aching wounds and deep emptiness. Napalm Records welcomes one of the darkest, most sinister and original bands in the genre today to their roster.







Shining mastermind Niklas Kvarforth on the signing: “Markus Rödl and I proudly announce today that we have reached an agreement with Napalm Records, who will release our upcoming 11th album in conspiracy with The Sinister Initiative in early 2023. A year in which the world will be force-fed a brand new, and for once suitable horrific stage show capable of visualizing our brand of darkness, new videos by brother Claudio Marino, as well as another thing or two which will inspire as well as disgust.”


Napalm Records A&R Sebastian Münch states: “Napalm Records is proud and honored to partner with one of the most influential black metal bands in the world. Very few bands understand the core essence of black metal like Shining does. I am excited to join Shining with the new album release, to explore and push new creative boundaries.”


Lineup:


Niklas Kvarforth - Vocals
Charles Hedger - Guitar
Nicolas Barker - Drums
Peter Huss - Guitar
Alex Friberg - Bass
Markus Rödl - Sentinel

Rammstein have announced the European Stadium Tour 2023, coming to you next summer. LIFAD member ticket pre-sale begins September 6 at 10 AM, local time. General ticket pre-sale starts September 8 at 10 AM, local time at rammstein.com/tickets. Watch a video trailer below.





Dates:





May
22 - Vilnius, Lithuania - Vingio Parkas
27 - Helsinki, Finland - Olympiastadion
28 - Helsinki, Finland - Olympiastadion


June
2 - Odense, Denmark - Dyrskueplads
7 - Munich, Germany - Olympiastadion
8 - Munich, Germany - Olympiastadion
14 - Trenčín, Slovakia - Trenčín Airport
17 - Bern, Switzerland - Stadion Wankdorf
18 - Bern, Switzerland - Stadion Wankdorf
23 - Madrid, Spain - Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano
26 - Lisbon, Portugal - Estádio Da Luz


July
1 - Padova, Italy - Stadio Euganeo
6 - Groningen, Netherlands - Stadspark
11 - Budapest, Hungary - Puskás Aréna
15 - Berlin, Germany - Olympiastadion
16 - Berlin, Germany - Olympiastadion
22 - Paris, France - Stade de France
26 - Vienna, Austria - Ernst-Happel-Stadion
30 - Chorzów, Poland - Stadion Śląski


August
4 - Brussels, Belgium - King Baudouin Stadium

On the latest episode of the GUNS N' ROSES-centric "Appetite For Distortion" podcast, SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan spoke about the incessant amount of criticism he and his bandmates have received in the recent years, particularly as they have gone through several singer changes. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We were under a microscope — and we still are, to a degree — but we were under a microscope and the scrutiny was just ridiculous and unwarranted. We were doing what we were doing. We were in a rock band. People were saying, 'Hang it up. Give up.' I'd sit there and think. I'm, like… It's pretty funny that people were just saying, 'Give it up. Hang it up.' This and that. It's, like, okay, what do you do for a living? Say you're a roofer. Give it up. [Laughs] You know what I mean?! You're telling someone to give up something, their passion and all that."

He continued: "At first [all the criticism] kind of bothered me, and then just in talking to other guys, like friends that are in bands, popular bands, they were, like, 'Dude, go on any message board anywhere. Go on the NASCAR message board. Go on a baseball, for a team, go on their message boards, if they have one. It's the same shit everywhere, man. It's the same shit. People just can't help being like that.' Some people — not all people, of course. But people just can't help it. Here is their platform to get noticed — whether it's just one sentence, one second, whatever it is, here is their platform to get noticed."

Bolan went on to say that he has "a theory" about online "haters." He explained: "They should all know that there's probably 99.9 percent of us that read the comments for sport, and we get a lot of laughs out of 'em. I don't think that's their goal. But for a person to go on a public forum… Granted, they're not buying ad space on TV, so it's not… But for a person to go on a public forum to just purposely degrade and criticize a complete stranger… They may have followed the band, but if we ran into each other, I wouldn't know that person 'cause they're a stranger. So for them to go [online] and spend all that energy and that time to sit down and tell someone how much they suck is, like… How miserable of a bastard do you have to be to do that? And when they go to bed, they're that miserable bastard. When they wake up the next morning, they're still that miserable bastard. The big difference is when I go to bed and wake up the next morning, I'm in SKID fucking ROW. You know what I'm saying?! [Laughs]"

Rachel added: "And here's the thing, too. At times I'm, like, 'Man, I kind of feel sorry for this person,' and not in a pathetic way. But I'm, like, 'What is their life like?' I start thinking about it. And then I'm, like, 'Wait a minute. They're talking shit about me. Why do I care?' [Laughs] And you can't let stuff like that affect you, because you're doing what you love. Hopefully they're doing what they love."

SKID ROW new album, "The Gang's All Here", will arrive on October 14 via earMUSIC. The group recorded most of the LP in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among many others.

Singer Erik Grönwall joined SKID ROW in January as the replacement for ZP Theart, who had been in the group for more than six years. Theart played his final gig with SKID ROW in February before being officially given the boot.

Grönwall was a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T. with whom he recorded four studio albums — "Address The Nation" (2012),"Tearing Down The Walls" (2014),"Into The Great Unknown" (2017) and "H.E.A.T II" (2020) — before exiting the group in October 2020.

Billy Sheehan says that MR. BIG is "strongly considering" playing some shows in 2023.

The bassist made the comment while discussing MR. BIG's future plans after the band's decision to go on hiatus following the passing of Pat Torpey. The drummer died in February 2018 at the age of 64 from complications of Parkinson's disease.

Speaking to Dr. Music, Billy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We might do some MR. BIG [dates] at some point next year. We're not sure. Possibly."

Asked if MR. BIG has found another drummer to step in for Torpey after utilizing Matt Starr for much of the recording sessions on MR. BIG's last studio album, "Defying Gravity", as well as on the road, Sheehan said: "Possibly. We're looking at a couple of people. We loved playing with Matt Starr — he was really great — but we need a higher-pitched voice. Matt's a great singer but he doesn't have the range that Pat Torpey had. And to make everything sound the way it did, we're gonna need that extra thing there. So that makes it a little difficult for us and it narrows the field down. But there's a couple of people we might look into. But we still don't know."

Billy added: "After we did the shows without Pat — the first time after we lost him — again, Matt Starr did a great job. But it wasn't Pat; Pat wasn't there. So I'm glad we took some time — a couple of years — to just kind of lay off of it. But a lot of people write all the time and they really wanna see the band. We would like to play for them too. So we'll see. Nothing's for certain at this point, but we're certainly strongly considering it."

In May 2020, Sheehan gave an interview to the "Music Mania" podcast in which he claimed that a "mastering problem" with MR. BIG's latest album, "Defying Gravity", which came out four years ago, made the LP "unlistenable." He went on to say that "the label ruined the record" by insisting on having the album and "putting it out when it's not ready." He explained: "If we had another day to get it to proper mastering and get it done right, it would have been fine. 'Cause I was there for the final mixes — I went in there every day and listened to mixes. Pat was there with us too. We went through the mixes, and they were sounding great. And, unfortunately, we got screwed.

"I've seen it before in many other situations with many other bands," he added. "We've got the marketing department and they're ready to go and they've gotta have the record now. And then I've also seen other bands just say, 'No. The record is not done. You're out of luck.' And I wish we would have just said that, because I just don't think the record had the kind of life it had when I heard the final mixes."

A short time later, Frontiers Music Srl released a statement clarifying that it wasn't the label responsible for "ruining" "Defying Gravity", which marked Torpey's final recorded appearance with MR. BIG.

"Defying Gravity" was released via Wowow Entertainment, Inc. in Japan and Frontiers Music Srl in most of the rest of the world.

After announcing his Parkinson's diagnosis in 2014, Torpey continued to write, record and perform with MR. BIG.

MR. BIG, formed in 1988, produced numerous hit songs that ranged across a wide array of rock genres — be it ballads, heavy metal, or blues rock. Their hits include "Alive And Kicking", "Just Take My Heart" and the chart-topping ballad "To Be With You".

In February 2021, MR. BIG released a new live set, "Raw Like Sushi Mega Edition - Revive 2017: 2017 Japan Tour Official Bootleg Box". A complete collection of MR. BIG's 2017 performances in Japan, it features all nine concerts which took place between September and October of that year.

METALLICA's third concert benefiting the band's All Within My Hands foundation (AWMH) will be held on December 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

Established by the members and management of METALLICA in 2017 as a means to invest in the people and places that have supported the band, All Within My Hands is focused on supporting sustainable communities through workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services. All expenses of the Foundation are covered by the band, the board, and a few special friends so that 100% of donations go to the organizations it supports. AWMH is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Earlier today, METALLICA released the following statement: "We're excited to announce the date of our third Helping Hands Concert & Auction as we invite you to join us in Los Angeles on December 16, 2022, for a very special show benefiting All Within My Hands. It has been a few years since we connected in person for this unique event, so we want to get on your calendar now!

"We're excited to share all the amazing things the Foundation has accomplished and we are inspired to look toward the future. Of course, we'll cap it all off with a full night of live music!

"We hope you will join us for the celebration; keep watching this site and our socials for more details coming soon."

In its first six months of operation, All Within My Hands donated more than $750,000 to local food banks around the world — a practice the band and AWMH have continued on the North American "WorldWired" tour, donating to local food banks in every city and meeting dedicated people who focus their daily lives on helping others.

The METALLICA family and the All Within My Hands foundation board members are committed to running an organization of the highest integrity where expenses are kept to a minimum and are paid for entirely by the band, the board, and friends who have worked with the band over many years and are excited to help in this mission. As such, 100% of all donations from fans and third parties go to the organizations AWMH supports.

In January, METALLICA announced the appointment of Peter Delgrosso as executive director to All Within My Hands. Pete had served on AWMH advisory board since 2018 and is focused on the future of the foundation.

Said Delgrosso: "All Within My Hands is an incredible organization reflecting the charitable vision of one of the greatest bands in the world, and I am incredibly honored and humbled to be named executive director and to the board. I've seen firsthand the huge impact the foundation has made across its Metallica Scholars program to promote workforce education, the fight against hunger, and numerous other local critical services, including disaster relief due to wildfires, COVID, and hurricanes. Ed Frank and the entire team have done an incredible job, and I am looking forward to following in their footsteps."

Since the mid-1990s, Pete has been operating and investing in a wide range of public and private technology-related businesses. Throughout his career, he fostered a vast network of relationships across technology, sports, entertainment, consumer businesses, venture capital, and private equity. Pete is a founding and managing partner of Bryant Stibel, a firm Pete and his partners founded with Kobe Bryant in 2013 that has done over 200 venture and private-equity investments.

In addition to his current position on the AWMH board, Pete is an advisory board member for the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission, a group that brings the largest sports and entertainment events to Los Angeles. He also sits on the board of LSTN Sound Company, a socially conscious music company that has helped over 50,000 individuals receive the gift of hearing for the first time. Originally from Connecticut, Pete now lives in the Los Angeles area with his family.
We’re excited to announce the date of our third Helping Hands Concert & Auction as we invite you to join us in Los Angeles on December 16, 2022, for a very special show benefiting @AWMHFoundation.

(1/3) pic.twitter.com/p2mlGmT5rG

— Metallica (@Metallica) August 29, 2022

Corey Taylor says that STONE SOUR is still on hiatus, more than five years after the release of the band's last full-length album of original material.

Taylor touched upon STONE SOUR's status in an interview earlier today (Tuesday, August 30) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Asked by host Eddie Trunk if there are any updates on STONE SOUR months after he said in a previous interview that the band was on hiatus, the singer responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Nothing's changed." Pressed about STONE SOUR is something he still might revisit at some point in the future, Corey said: "I don't know. The solo thing's more where my heart is, to be honest."

Corey, who was actually in STONE SOUR before he joined SLIPKNOT, continued: "To me, I've done the time doing stuff in a — for lack of a better term — band situation. And the reason I stick with SLIPKNOT is because that, to me, is the one that kind of started everything. But STONE SOUR, there's still so much drama and issues [between the members]. To me, it's just not something I desire to do. And songs in STONE SOUR that I want to play are the ones that I wrote in the first place. So to me, I would rather go out with a group of dudes who I've known forever and have a great time playing these songs and have the audience enjoy it because they see a bunch of dudes up there enjoying it than try to force issues on an audience that nobody really wants to be a part of, let's put it that way.

Asked it has been difficult for him to shelf STONE SOUR considering the amount of work he put into the band, Corey said: "It's been a bitter pill to swallow, but I've also reached an age where I refuse to waste any time with people who I don't enjoy being with, let's put it that way. And that's saying more than I actually should be saying.

"When it comes to my bands, I know in the past I've been very open to talking about it," Taylor continued. "But I'm very reticent about talking about things that deal with people who I care about. And whether there are issues or not, I still care about them. So it's tough. I have to rein myself in 'cause I'm not gonna throw anybody under the bus because nine times out of 10 I could be the problem too.

"I just know that at this point in my life I have more reason to love the solo thing than I do to try and do something with STONE SOUR," Corey added. "Now, am I saying that it'll never happen? No, because you never know. Something might come up and we could get an opportunity, and we could get an opportunity to do something for charity, and we all get together and we do something really, really cool. But my immediate plans right now — there's no STONE SOUR in the future."

STONE SOUR has been off the road and out of sight since completing the touring cycle for its last studio album, 2017's "Hydrograd". Taylor has been working with SLIPKNOT since then, as well as making his debut solo album, "CMFT". A STONE SOUR live album, "Hello, You Bastards: Live In Reno", came out in December 2019.

In August 2020, Taylor said that he was open to doing more recording and touring with STONE SOUR in the future. But he admitted that there had "been some contention here and there" between the members of the band in the past and added that it was "time" for him to "step away" and pursue his solo project for a while.

In June 2020, Corey told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about STONE SOUR: "If someday we wanna get back together and do some stuff, it'll be bigger than it was. But for right now, we're all kind of focused on kind of doing our own thing. But you never say never in this business."

In June 2021, STONE SOUR guitarist Josh Rand told MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast about when fans can expect to see the follow-up to "Hydrograd": "There's no timetable for a return, 'cause, honestly, between Corey doing his solo thing, now me working on THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT stuff, Roy [Mayorga, drums] working on MINISTRY… So, there's just no timetable.

"I made a comment [in 2020], and it kind of backfired, because of how I said [STONE SOUR was on an] indefinite hiatus, which, if you know the definition, actually just means it's a long period of time with no timetable of return. I don't know if everybody thought I said 'infinite' instead of 'indefinite.' [Laughs] All of a sudden, the band was, like, over. It was, like, 'Oh my God! It's over.' All I was saying was there's no timetable. It's no different than what we've done in the past. It's just gonna be a longer break."

According to Rand, he and his STONE SOUR bandmates "needed to branch out", "try different shit" and "work with different people" before regrouping to work on new STONE SOUR music. "And then whenever that time is that we get back together, it'll actually be what is best for STONE SOUR," he explained. "There's no doubt about it in my mind. Just having these different experiences for all of us instead of just running that same cycle. I think more so with Corey and myself — like I said, he got to do a solo record where he's doing a different style of music than anybody would have thought of or that wouldn't have fit in STONE SOUR or SLIPKNOT. For myself, working with somebody that's not Corey and Roy. So there's a growth that will be there that we'll ultimately get which will benefit the band. I know some people might not be stoked that it's gonna be who knows when, but it needed to happen, and that's what's best for everybody involved."

Asked how he and the rest of STONE SOUR made the decision to take a longer-than-usual break this time around, Josh said: "I think at the end of the tour cycle, we had a good idea of what was going to happen, where [Corey] wanted to do the solo record. For myself, it's something I kicked around — just having some of the songs that I would musically write that I would never submit into STONE SOUR 'cause I don't feel like it fits at all. So I was kind of on that path to begin with. I just kind of got an extra nudge with him doing his solo record of, 'Hey, this is probably the time to do this.' And then we got hit with the pandemic, which then really locked me into the house. And I was, like, 'What else am I gonna do?' So I just started writing and working on playing piano. I did a bunch of stuff on piano, which some of it will come out, and some of it, it's, like, 'No.' I'll [it] for myself. And that's basically what we did. So we had a good idea, I think, that we were gonna take a longer break at the end of '19. I think towards the end, all of us were just burnt."

Having sold over 12 million albums worldwide, W.A.S.P. was one of the pre-eminent major label American heavy metal bands of the 1980s. Formed in 1982 in Los Angeles California, the band built a large and dedicated global following with its eponymous debut album and subsequent releases, including "The Last Command", "Into The Electric Circus", "The Headless Children" and more.

Managed by legendary IRON MAIDEN manager Rod Smallwood, the band played some of the seminal concerts of the era, including multiple visits to the renowned Monsters Of Rock festival in England in 1987 and 1992 and also toured the globe with other seminal acts such as KISS, IRON MAIDEN, BLACK SABBATH, METALLICA, DOKKEN and many more.

"W.A.S.P. By Ross Halfin" starts at the very beginning in Hollywood, California where photographer Ross Halfin shot the band for the first time at The Troubadour — the famous club on Santa Monica Blvd which launched the careers of many artists, including MÖTLEY CRÜE, GUNS N' ROSES and Elton John, to name just a few. Ross would work with the band right the way through this period from the small clubs to headlining venues such as Long Beach Arena and Hammersmith Odeon.

This book offers a unique insight into the classic period of W.A.S.P. with an array of Ross's fantastic dramatic live photos coupled with candid offstage reportage capturing the humor and spirit of the characters behind the instruments as well as studio sessions that would become iconic and defining for the band.

In addition to the photography, former W.A.S.P. guitarist and co-songwriter Chris Holmes provides anecdotes and memories throughout the book, sharing insights and stories for the very first time that provide a truly exceptional commentary that is an absolute must for all fans of the band. There are also forewords from the Smallwood and Halfin sharing their own perspectives and experiences with one of America's most notorious and influential metal bands of that era.

This 300-page plus coffee-table book features a 3D lenticular cover, is bound in red recycled leather and presented in a protective slipcase. Only 300 numbered copies are available worldwide and each copy is personally signed by Holmes. The book costs £275 plus shipping worldwide.

Pre-orders start on Friday, September 2 at 3 p.m. U.K. time and the book will ship at the end of November 2022. A 10% pre-order discount can be claimed with the code WASP2022 at the checkout.

You can watch the video trailer below.

During an appearance on a recent episode of the "Rock Talk With Jacqui Neal" podcast, W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless reflected on his band's 40-year career. He said: "I'm one of those people that doesn't measure time well. I hear a lot of people say, 'It's been 10 years since tada tada da,' and they really feel the effect of that 10 years. To me, for some reason — I don't think it's denial, 'cause I've been like this my whole life — to me, 10 years doesn't feel like what I hear other people talk about 10 years. So whether it's a decade, two, three decades, a tour, whatever, to me I have the memories, of course…

"First of all, I don't feel like I'm getting any older, so I'm kind of in an adolescent time warp, if you like, and I just see things through that arrested development that the world has given me the opportunity to stay in," the 65-year-old musician, whose real name is Steven Duren, continued. "To say, 'Oh, wow. It's been that length of time,' I think to myself, 'Well, yeah, that is true.' But I don't see it as catastrophic or that it's some giant punctuation mark coming at the end of something.

"I don't ever see myself retiring," Blackie added. "What's the point in that? I'm one of those people that if I could have put myself in a Xerox machine and spit out two or three copies of myself, I would have been happy, 'cause I had a bunch of stuff I wanted to do. I have a lot of interests that I'm passionate about, but there just wasn't enough of me to go around. But you do the best you can with what you've got."

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

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

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

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

PIERCE THE VEIL has shared the lyric video for a brand new song, "Pass The Nirvana". The San Diego band, which Rolling Stone once described as "hyperactive, progressive post-hardcore," serves up a new track full of fuzzy guitars, massive melodic hooks, and PIERCE THE VEIL's distinct emotional heart.

"Pass The Nirvana" is quite the riff fest and it marks PIERCE THE VEIL's first new music since 2016. It was worth the wait — and then some. It is destined to become a fan favorite that the PIERCE THE VEIL faithful will scream the lyrics to at their live shows.

"'Pass the Nirvana' is about the many horrible traumas that the youth of America have endured over the past few years," says PIERCE THE VEIL frontman Vic Fuentes about the song's powerful, relatable, and topical subject matter. "COVID, no proms, no graduations, an insurrection, school shootings. The list goes on. Their lives have been tossed around like clothes in a dryer, as the tensions within our country have infiltrated our own homes, friends, and families. To me, the song represents a euphoric detachment from all of that anxiety and stress and about finding some form of peace or nirvana."

PIERCE THE VEIL will return to the road this fall with I PREVAIL and FIT FOR A KING.

The time is right for PIERCE THE VEIL's comeback as one of their classic and most beloved songs is also having a pop culture resurgence. A decade after its release, the already-platinum single "King For A Day" shot to No. 1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Streaming chart, driven by the viral #KingForADay hashtag on TikTok. The song has enjoyed quite a pop culture moment, as global music superstar Lizzo used the track in a video on the platform. It demonstrates how vital PTV's iconic catalog is — and how vital the band and its new material remains.

Right now, PIERCE THE VEIL is at its most raw, crackling with urgency and immediacy. Never predictable, always engaging, PIERCE THE VEIL continues to soar on the strength of highly potent energy, rich musicality, and a scrappy sense of authentic exuberant ambition that's frankly unrivaled. The aforementioned Fuentes, guitarist Tony Perry, and bassist Jaime Precadio put volatile, angsty, confessional emotions into the music, which is why their songs resonate with so many. "No matter where the band performs, fans will show up," wrote Loudwire. "When you see PIERCE THE VEIL live, you'll understand why."

PIERCE THE VEIL's evolution from album to album is nothing less than stunning. The early buzz generated by "A Flair For The Dramatic" (2007) made its follow-up one of the most anticipated albums of 2010. "Selfish Machines" shot to No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. The Chicago Tribune saluted "Collide With The Sky" for its "post-hardcore punk with more than a few nods to QUEEN." They became a true arena act on "Misadventures", selling out huge venues without losing the intimate connection with their fans.

Canadian rockers NICKELBACK will release a new single, "San Quentin", on September 7. A music video for the track was filmed on Tuesday (August 30) at the Simon Fraser University Convocation Mall in British Columbia.

According to CTV News, hundreds of NICKELBACK fans attended the shoot, including one fan who one fan traveled all the way from Edmonton.

"San Quentin" is the first single from NICKELBACK's upcoming album, which is expected to be released in the next few months.

"Just getting back in the swing of things is a bit strange, but it's awesome,” guitarist Ryan Peake said, according to CTV News. "It's awesome that people are excited to come see us."

"It was nice to have some time off, it really was," added frontman Chad Kroeger. "But now it's great that there’s this new excitement. I keep seeing things on the Internet like, 'You know what the world needs? A new NICKELBACK record.' I'm, like, really?"

The "San Quentin" music video will make its online debut by mid-September.

Peake said in April 2020 that NICKELBACK's documentary — which has been in the works for at least a few years — was "very close to being released."

In August 2020, NICKELBACK released a music video for its cover version of THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND classic "The Devil Went Down To Georgia". Honoring Daniels, who passed away in July 2020, NICKELBACK invited guitarist Dave Martone to join them on a cover of the infamous classic story — paying homage to Daniels's influence on their careers and the legacy left behind.

NICKELBACK's "All The Right Reasons: 15th Anniversary Expanded Edition" was released as a two-CD set in October 2020. The collection features a newly remastered version of the original 2005 album, a selection of B-sides and a 2006 live concert recording.

Since forming in Alberta, Canada in 1995, NICKELBACK has cemented itself as one of the most commercially viable and important acts of the past three decades. NICKELBACK's success includes worldwide sales of more than 50 million units, solidifying their status as one of the top-selling acts of all time.

With more than 23 chart-topping singles and fans spanning the globe, NICKELBACK boasts twelve consecutive sold-out world tours, playing to well over eight million diehard and adoring fans.

In a new interview with Australia's Metal-Roos, MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn spoke about what the group's setlist might look like when he and his bandmates hit the road in support of their new tenth album, "Of Kingdom And Crown". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Right now we're gonna do a [European] co-headline tour with AMON AMARTH starting in about two weeks. We're both playing, I think, 60 or 70 minutes a night, so I don't feel like we're going to really hammer people with a whole [lot of the] new album. First tour back after the pandemic, it's, like, people wanna hear 'Halo' and 'Davidian' and 'Locust' and [other MACHINE HEAD] hits. And so I think we'll give 'em a taste of the new album, but I think it's still gonna be a lot of MACHINE HEAD classics."

Flynn elaborated on the challenge of putting together a suitable setlist, saying: "We just did a secret show at [the U.K.'s] Bloodstock [Open Air festival], and we had an hour. It was amazing; it was absolute bonkers insanity. We played a six-thousand-capacity tent. It was a secret show, announced. They just raised the banner right before we went up. Ten thousand people crammed into a six-thousand-capacity tent. It was bedlam. But we played 10 songs, and we went over. So I was thinking, I was, like, 'We can do about 10 songs.' And God forbid we throw in a 'Slaughter The Martyr' or a 'Clenching The Fists Of Dissent'; that's half our set right there. We've got 10-minute-long songs. We've got 10 albums now. I still don't know what to do. Do we do one song off of every album? We've gotta do probably at least two off 'The Blackening'. [Laughs] I don't know how to do it."

He continued: "My hope is that once we get into a routine with the show — we have a lot of pyro; we've got a huge production; we've got video walls; it's the biggest production we've ever had in our 30-year career, and it looks amazing. So we do have pyro cues, and we've gotta stick with that because we already spent the money on the pyro. So there will be set songs that will never change. But my hope is that we're gonna have maybe two wildcard slots where we can rotate in an old song from the catalog or maybe a new song. I'd love to have a section where we do a cover. I'd love to do a collab with AMON AMARTH. I know they covered 'Aerials' by SYSTEM OF A DOWN, and Jared [MacEachern, MACHINE HEAD bassist] and I have covered 'Aerials', and it would be cool to do the two bands playing 'Aerials'. Get Johan [Hegg, AMON AMARTH singer] up there and Olli [AMON AMARTH guitarist Olavi Mikkonen], or whoever, and do a jam about it. To me, that would be super fun and I think very cool for the fans."

"Of Kingdom And Crown" was released on August 26 via Nuclear Blast/Imperium Recordings. The follow-up to 2018's "Catharsis", "Of Kingdom And Crown" includes the three songs that were featured on last year's "Arrows In Words From The Sky" single: "Become The Firestorm", "Rotten" and "Arrows In Words From The Sky". Much of the new MACHINE HEAD album was recorded at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California with engineer/producer Zack Ohren.

In November 2020, MACHINE HEAD released a single, "My Hands Are Empty", via Nuclear Blast. The song marked the first musical collaboration between Flynn and original "Burn My Eyes" guitarist Logan Mader in 24 years.

"My Hands Are Empty" was just one in a line of singles to be released by MACHINE HEAD, which issued "Do Or Die" in October 2019, "Circle The Drain" in February 2020, and the two-song digital single "Civil Unrest", consisting of "Stop The Bleeding" and "Bulletproof", in June 2020. "Stop The Bleeding" featured guest vocals from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach, and was written and recorded just days after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

MACHINE HEAD's European tour with AMON AMARTH, "Vikings And Lionhearts", will take place in September and October. Support on the trek will come from THE HALO EFFECT, the new band featuring five former members of IN FLAMES: Peter Iwers, Daniel Svensson, Jesper Strömblad, Niclas Engelin and Mikael Stanne.

HOOBASTANK is giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at life on the road, inside the studio and more in their upcoming docuseries, as the band reflects on the 20th anniversary of their self-titled album. In 2001, the So/Cal alt rock band's self-titled release, "Hoobastank", launched the career of the band to mainstream success with huge singles including "Crawling In The Dark", "Running Away" and "Remember Me", all of which have since been certified RIAA platinum. The band will be releasing the docuseries in parts over the next few weeks, with new episodes dropping every other week.

Almost two decades later, the band is still clocking in at over six million monthly listeners on Spotify and "Crawling In The Dark" has surpassed the 100 million streaming mark across DSPs. The band's 2003 follow-up studio album "The Reason" took them to even greater heights and solidified HOOBASTANK as a household name. The title track "The Reason" went four times RIAA platinum and racked up quite a few No. 1 chart positions along the way, while the album went double RIAA platinum. "The Reason" has over two billion streams/views which has helped lead the way to the band's catalog surpassing the three-billion mark across the various streaming platforms. The band looks forward to continuing their success in the years to come while also celebrating what they have accomplished so far.

Last week, HOOBASTANK announced they'll be hitting the road with LIT this fall on the co-headlining "Tried-N-True" tour alongside ALIEN ANT FARM and THE ATARIS' vocalist Kristopher Roe. The tour will kick off in Nashville, Tennessee on October 14 and run through mid-November hitting North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Texas. VIP packages are also available, including the "Tried-N-True" VIP Meet & Greet Experience, which includes a pre-show hang and photo op with members of HOOBASTANK, LIT and ALIEN ANT FARM, one VIP exclusive autographed tour poster, one VIP exclusive merch item, priority entry into the venue and more.

AC/DC singer Brian Johnson has commented on his participation in FOO FIGHTERS' London concert this weekend in honor of late drummer Taylor Hawkins.

On Saturday (September 3),the surviving members of the FOO FIGHTERS, along with a huge number of special guests, will celebrate Hawkins's memory and music at a special gig at Wembley Stadium. An additional Taylor Hawkins tribute concert will take place on September 27 at Los Angeles's Kia Forum.

In addition to Johnson, the London event will feature appearances by METALLICA's Lars Ulrich, BLINK-182's Travis Barker, Kesha, Liam Gallagher, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's Josh Homme, QUEEN's Brian May and Roger Taylor, Wolfgang Van Halen, THE PRETENDERS' Chrissie Hynde and many more.

Johnson has released the following statement regarding his involvement in the Hawkins tribute concert: "Okay here we go. Taylor was a lovely man, his smile was legend, his drumming intense and brilliant, and he could sing as well. When we gather to salute this man and his family, we do it as friends, we do it for him, and we do it with his band the FOO FIGHTERS, who I know will do him proud. I'm honored to be part of it."

It was recently announced that both tribute gigs will be globally livestreamed on the Paramount streaming service in the United States and via MTV's YouTube channel worldwide.

The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts ticket and merchandise sales will benefit charities chosen by the Hawkins family: Music Support and MusiCares.

As one of the most respected and beloved figures in modern music, Taylor's monolithic talent and magnetic personality endeared him to millions of fans, peers, friends and fellow musical legends the world over. Millions mourned his untimely passing on March 25, with passionate and sincere tributes coming from fans as well as musicians Taylor idolized. The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts will unite several of those artists, the Hawkins family and, of course, his FOO FIGHTERS brothers in celebration of Taylor's memory and his legacy as a global rock icon — his bandmates and his inspirations playing the songs that he fell in love with, and the ones he brought to life.

Hawkins was found dead at the Four Seasons Casa Medina hotel in Bogota.

An official cause of death for Hawkins hasn't yet been released. But on March 26, Colombia's attorney general's office released a preliminary toxicology report, saying that medical examiners found evidence of 10 types of substances in Hawkins's body, including opioids, benzodiazepines, marijuana and antidepressants.

Hawkins joined FOO FIGHTERS in 1997. Prior to that, he played with the Orange County band SYLVIA and was also in the backing band for Sass Jordan. He also toured with Alanis Morissette as her drummer.

Hawkins was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last year as a member of the FOO FIGHTERS.

Hawkins's most recent work with FOO FIGHTERS included last year's "Medicine At Midnight" album, a collection of BEE GEES covers and FOO FIGHTERS' horror film "Studio 666".

In an interview with "The Chuck Shute Podcast", SIXX:A.M. singer James Michael spoke about whether there are any plans for the band to record more new music or play live shows in support of the "Hits" compilation album, which came out last year. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're on hiatus. We don't have any plans right now. I'm communicating quite regularly with both Nikki [Sixx, SIXX:A.M. bassist] and DJ [Ashba, SIXX:A.M. guitarist]. And we all have some other creative projects that we are doing together, or will do together.

"I don't know if SIXX:A.M. will do another record. I think I would really love that if we did, and to be honest with you, I think probably Nikki and DJ feel the same," he continued. "So we'll just have to see. It's certainly not off the table. But it just depends on where we're at in our lives and if we feel that it's something to pursue."

James went on to say that he is preparing to put out some of his solo music. "I'm gonna be releasing some music in September," he said. "I've been back in the studio recording. And it's really cool stuff. If you're a SIXX:A.M. fan, I think you're gonna really like this. It doesn't sound like SIXX:A.M. necessarily, but these songs could absolutely have been SIXX:A.M. songs. So I'm getting really excited about putting out this music. And I think mid-September I'm gonna release the first song. … I'm just having a blast with it. And I really have no expectations for it other than I wanna start putting out music for the fans again because it's been a long time and we've had a lot of people asking about SIXX:A.M. And while this won't be SIXX:A.M., I definitely think it's gonna be something that SIXX:A.M. fans really respond to."

"Hits" was released last October via Better Noise Music. The album was a retrospective celebration of SIXX:A.M.'s biggest hits and fan-favorite songs that also included five previously unheard tracks and mixes, marking the band's first official album with new material since 2016.

Inspired by the release of Sixx's "The First 21: How I Became Nikki Sixx", SIXX:A.M. members Michael, Ashba and Sixx made "Hits" available as a companion piece to the book.

To date, SIXX:A.M. — whose name is a combination of all of the members' last names (Sixx, Ashba, Michael) — has three U.S. Billboard top 20 albums and a string of hit singles, with its full catalog consisting of five studio albums — "The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack" (2007),"This Is Gonna Hurt" (2011),"Modern Vintage" (2014),"Prayers For The Damned" and "Prayers For The Blessed" (2016) — and three EPs, "X-Mas In Hell" (2008); "Live Is Beautiful" (2008) and "7" (2011).

In a January 2022 interview with Antihero Magazine, Ashba, who has spent the last year promoting his ASHBA solo project, spoke about whether there are any plans for SIXX:A.M. to record more music or tour. He said: "SIXX:A.M. has always been a labor of love. It's weird with SIXX:A.M., we all three are currently still full-blown members and we are very proud of everything we've created. James has mentioned recently that he's kind of retiring, kind of stepping away from music, which is sad to hear, but the guy has done so many great, great things in his career and the songs he has been a part of. He has a lot to be proud of.

"Now, that being said, the three of us at any given time could call each other and go, 'Hey, let's do one more tour. Let's write a new song,'" he continued. "That's just how we are. We don't ever plan anything. So, I would say, never say never, but I have no intention of doing anything further with it. I think we've put a nice bookend to SIXX:A.M. with the greatest hits and if something else were to happen so be it, but I think we're all pretty satisfied with what we've done with that."

Last December, James also told Australia's Rock Lives Here that there are no plans for SIXX:A.M. to do anything else at the moment. He said: "It's funny — every time SIXX:A.M. made an album, we said to ourselves, 'This is the last album we're gonna make.' We said that on 'The Heroin Diaries' soundtrack. We said, 'This is a one-off. We'll never do this again.' Then we did 'This Is Gonna Hurt', and it was, like, 'Yeah, this is gonna be our last album, for sure.' And then we did 'Modern Vintage', [and it was], like, 'This is gonna be our last one.' So we've been saying that since the beginning.

"When we put together this 'Hits' album, of course, we had in mind that if this was the last thing that SIXX:A.M. does, we want it to be right and we want it to thoughtful and we want it to be meaningful," he explained. "And so we really set out with that intention; we wanted to kind of put a nice bow on this decade of music that we've created.

"So, as of right now, we don't have any plans for anything — no touring, no new music or anything. And that's why we're so excited to be sharing this 'Hits' album with everyone because it may be the last thing we do. I don't know. We'll see. That's one thing I've learned with SIXX:A.M. — I never say never."