Fan-filmed video of RAMMSTEIN's July 16 concert at PGE Narodowy in Warsaw, Poland can be seen below.

One of the most revered metal groups of all time, RAMMSTEIN is renowned for its electrifying live shows often involving spectacular pyrotechnics.

Last fall, RAMMSTEIN's pyrotechnician revealed how much fuel it takes to bring the band's flaming stage show to life. Speaking with Ultimate Guitar, Nikolai Sabottka said RAMMSTEIN's current stadium setup, "uses roughly 1000 liters [about 265 gallons]."

Sabottka went on to say that he and the members of RAMMSTEIN are continuously in search of new technologies that can take their fiery stage show to new heights. He explained: "In the prep of a tour, we sit and exchange all the different ideas before we go and actually test what has been prototyped and built beforehand. After the initial test, there are endless changes to be implemented, and sometimes it simply does not work the way we imagined it and effects get pushed back to research and development while others get approved and are produced on a larger scale."

RAMMSTEIN kicked off its European tour on May 15 at Prague, Czech Republic's Letiště Letňany Airport. The band is touring in support of its latest album, "Zeit", which arrived on April 29.

Till Lindemann (vocals),Paul Landers (guitar),Richard Z. Kruspe (guitar),Flake (keyboards),Oliver Riedel (bass) and Christoph Schneider (drums) spent two years working on the eleven songs on the new album. They were once again assisted by Berlin producer Olsen Involtini. "Zeit" was recorded at La Fabrique Studios in St. Rémy de Provence, France.

Bryan Adams managed to get a special scoop for the cover of the new album. The Canadian musician and photographer took the shot of RAMMSTEIN on the steps of the Trudelturm in Berlin Adlershof, an imposing monument to aerial research in the city's Aerodynamic Park.

Over the course of a career spanning almost 30 years, RAMMSTEIN has sold more than 20 million albums around the world and played countless spectacular, groundbreaking tours. When the band's sold-out stadium tour had to be postponed due to the pandemic, RAMMSTEIN used the time to work on their new album.

RAMMSTEIN's North American stadium run will begin on August 21 in Montreal and end on October 4 in Mexico City.

Guitarist Erik Ferentinos, who has played with Stephen Pearcy since 2001, suffered a heart attack after the RATT singer's July 15 performance at Picktown Palooza in Pickerington, Ohio. He was rushed to the hospital where he had three stents implanted into his coronary arteries. This is known medically as a coronary angioplasty and aims to re-open the blocked coronary artery by inserting one or more stents. This helps keep the narrowed artery open.

On Saturday, Erik took to his Instagram to share a photo from the hospital and break the news of his medical emergency. He wrote: "I want to let my friends and family know that I suffered a heart attack last night after our show. I had a 99% blockage in my main artery as well as 2 other blockages."

He continued: "I'm in good hands here!! I now have 3 stents and I'm improving. Hoping to get discharged by tomorrow! Just need to get my blood pressure down.

"I will not be missing any upcoming Stephen Pearcy concerts!

"See you all soon!!"

Pearcy also addressed Erik's heart attack in a tweet on Saturday. He shared a short video of the Picktown Palooza and wrote in an accompanying message: "THANK YOU! @PicktownPalooza Erik (suffering a heart attack after the show) gave it all. He's doing better and will be 'Back for More'! Till next time."

Pearcy told Sleaze Roxx that Erik was briefly considered for a position in RATT before Jordan Ziff and Chris Sanders came along in 2018. "He's literally been in my band for years, in my solo band," he said. "He's a big part of my life, my solo records, the mixing, the engineering, just everything. I mean, we're like a team when I go in to do my solo records with Matt Thorne in the studio, and Erik and myself. We get in there and there is no stopping us, so I wanted to keep that a little separate, but he's always ready to go at any moment. He's a total professional."

Five years ago, Stephen praised Erik in an interview with Classic Rock Revisited, calling him "just brilliant. He comes up with stuff and he has these ideas and he just puts a title on it and I would go, 'That is the most perfect title.' He starts riffing on stuff and says, 'Now… watch this.'"

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A post shared by Erik Ferentinos (@erikferentinos)


THANK YOU! ⁦@PicktownPalooza⁩ Erik (suffering a heart attack after the show) gave it all. He’s doing better and will be “Back for More”! 🙌🎸🙌🎚🙌🐀 Till next time. https://t.co/9io0gqLg5z#agentprovocatour. pic.twitter.com/NC2TEv9Vwa

— STEPHEN E PEARCY (@StephenEPearcy) July 17, 2022

Fan-filmed video of JUDAS PRIEST's July 13 performance at Dvorana Stožice in Ljubljana, Slovenia can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. One Shot At Glory
02. Lightning Strike
03. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
04. Freewheel Burning
05. Turbo Lover
06. Hell Patrol
07. The Sentinel
08. A Touch Of Evil
09. Victim Of Changes
10. Blood Red Skies
11. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
12. Diamonds & Rust (Joan Baez cover)
13. Painkiller

Encore:

14. The Hellion / Electric Eye
15. Hell Bent For Leather
16. Breaking The Law
17. Living After Midnight

As previously reported, JUDAS PRIEST will celebrate its 50th anniversary again this year with the launch of a new North American tour. Support on the "50 Heavy Metal Years" fall 2022 trek will once again come from QUEENSRŸCHE.

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

In May, Halford told ABC Audio that PRIEST was in the process of "tracking" follow-up to 2018's "Firepower" album.

"You can never have enough songs when you're making an album," he said. "Songs that you didn't even know you had bits and pieces and fragments of, suddenly they become an incredibly important part of your record."

Regarding the musical direction of the new JUDAS PRIEST material, Rob said: "The music that we're making now is representative of where PRIEST is at this probably sixth decade of our existence when it comes out… It sounds great. I'm really pleased. I'm really, really happy that… we're not dropping the ball. Not that we ever have. But it's good, because there are some elements in there that we've never… kind of discovered before."

More than a year ago, Halford confirmed that PRIEST's next album will see the band reuniting with the "Firepower" production team consisting of Andy Sneap, longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).

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

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

This past March, Faulkner told the "Metal From The Inside" podcast about the recording process for the new PRIEST album: "It's been slowed down a lot because of, obviously, the pandemic. We wanted to get together, like we did on 'Firepower', and record it together, but, obviously, the lockdowns and everything like that slowed that process [down]. Some of us live in the U.S., some of us live in the U.K., so getting together proved to be a bit difficult over the last couple of years. Now everything is kind of opening up, it's a bit easier, but now we're on the road, so we've got a touring cycle [to get through]. So, if we can, we might be able to do it in between the touring cycles."

As for when fans can expect to get the next PRIEST album, Faulkner said: "We don't have a release date. It's not finished. We've got the songs, but we've gotta record it. We've got drums down. I don't know if that's even been said yet. So we're gonna try and build it up as we move through this touring cycle. But as Rob always says, it'll be finished when it's finished. At this point in their career, there's no point in rushing anything, especially when we've waited this long through the pandemic to start doing it. It'll be done when it's done. But there will be another PRIEST record. We've got some great songs."

Regarding the musical direction of the new PRIEST material, Richie said: "It's different to 'Firepower', but it's definitely… You can hear where it's coming from. It's not even 'Firepower 2'… It's hard to say anything these days without people getting… If I say it's like a continuation of 'Firepower', people think it's 'Firepower 2'. It's got its own character, it's got its own legs, and we're looking forward to releasing it on to the world when it's done."

In February, Halford was asked by Remy Maxwell of Audacy Check In if he agreed with Faulkner's recent comment that the band's upcoming album will be more musically "progressive" than "Firepower". He responded: "Yeah, the metal is there. But here's the thing: we've tried our best not to replicate anything that we've done. From 'Rocka Rolla' all the way through to 'Firepower', each record has had a distinctive character. And it's tough because fans go, 'We want another 'Painkiller',' 'We want another 'British Steel'.' And [it's, like], 'Dude, we've already done that.'

"Fans know that we're a band that is always full of adventure and trying new stuff," he continued. "And so, yeah, this has got probably some more progressive elements that we've never really delved into before. And that's exciting, because, again, it gives us and our fans another opportunity to see a different side of PRIEST. But it's still metal. There's just more of it. There are more notes than there were before."

That same month, Faulkner told Canada's The Metal Voice about the overall sound of the new PRIEST music: "Whenever you start a record, you never know how it's gonna turn out. So you might start with an idea of what it's gonna be, and as it kind of rolls on, it comes out something different. So you don't quite know. And also it's really hard to sum up your own music, I find, without sounding really pretentious. But I think this one — it's not 'Firepower 2', I don't think. It's its own thing, it's its own animal. If anything, I would say it's a bit more progressive in places, and in places it's got a bit more of that 'Killing Machine' swagger."

Faulkner added: "I know everyone says, 'Oh, is it the next 'Painkiller'?' or 'Is it the next…?' whatever… I don't know if they'd ever done it, but I know we've never done it when I've been in the band; we've never tried to recreate an album. It's always we try to create an album that stands on its own legs. So I think it's definitely a little bit more progressive than 'Firepower' and, as I said, in places it's got a little bit of that 'Killing Machine' angry swagger attitude going on. But again, as I said, we're waiting to see what it turns out like, 'cause it could turn out completely different."

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

The induction ceremony will be held on November 5, 2022 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. It will air at a later date on HBO and stream on HBO Max. There will also be a radio simulcast on SiriusXM's Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Radio channel 310.

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

Fan-filmed video of MUDVAYNE's entire July 15 performance at the Upheaval festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan can be seen below.

MUDVAYNE and ROB ZOMBIE will embark on the "Freaks On Parade" tour this summer. Support on the trek will come from STATIC-X and POWERMAN 5000.

Produced by Live Nation, the 21-city trek kicks off on July 20 at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights, making stops across the U.S. in Tampa, Holmdel, Tinley Park, and more before wrapping up in The Woodlands at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on August 21.

MUDVAYNE formed in 1996 and has sold over six million records worldwide, earning gold certification for three albums ("L.D. 50", "The End Of All Things To Come", "Lost And Found"). The band is known for its sonic experimentation, innovative album art, face and body paint, masks and uniforms. MUDVAYNE is Gray, Greg Tribbett (guitar, backing vocals),Matthew McDonough (drums, synthesizer) and Ryan Martinie (bass).

Gray has spent the past 16 years fronting HELLYEAH, which released its sixth studio album, "Welcome Home", in September 2019 via Eleven Seven Music. The disc marked the group's final effort with drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who passed away nearly four years ago.

MUDVAYNE did not tour behind its fifth album, which was barely promoted and sold weakly upon release.

Mudvayne - Live at Upheaval Festival in Grand Rapids MI - 2022 07-15-2022 FULL SHOW

Mudvayne - Live at Upheaval Festival in Grand Rapids MI - 2022 07-15-2022 FULL SHOW

Posted by 𝐍𝐮 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 on Saturday, July 16, 2022

Bassist Diego Ibarra (a.k.a. Ashes) has announced his departure from the California metal band DEVILDRIVER.

Ibarra joined DEVILDRIVER in 2016 as the replacement for former BURY YOUR DEAD guitarist Chris Towning, who appeared on the Dez Fafara-fronted band's 2013 album "Winter Kills".

On Friday (July 15),Diego took to his personal Facebook page to write: "Hey everyone I just wanted to let you know I have officially parted ways with DEVILDRIVER it was an honor to play with some of the most talented musicians thus far in my career. I wish DEVILDRIVER the best and look forward to what the future holds and new musical chapters".

Last October, DEVILDRIVER parted ways with their guitarist of six years. Neal Tiemann. Tiemann, formerly of BURN HALO, joined the band in 2015 as the replacement for Jeff Kendrick, who left DEVILDRIVER in October 2014.

In 2020, DEVILDRIVER announced a new double album, "Dealing With Demons". The first volume — titled "Dealing With Demons I" — dropped in October 2020 via Napalm Records and marked the band's first release of new, original material since 2016's "Trust No One".

DEVILDRIVER was formed in Santa Barbara, California in 2002 when Fafara's previous band COAL CHAMBER was winding down. Originally signed to Roadrunner Records, the group's initial lineup featured guitarists Jeff Kendrick and Evan Pitts (who was replaced by Mike Spreitzer later that year),bassist Jon Miller and drummer John Boecklin.

Hey everyone I just wanted to let you know I have officially parted ways with Devildriver it was an honor to play with...

Posted by Diego Ibarra on Friday, July 15, 2022

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE played its first Canadian shows in more than a decade Friday night (July 15) at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest and Saturday night (July 16) at Festival D'été De Québec in Québec.

Singer Zack De La Rocha, who got hurt during a show in Chicago on July 11, had to be carried on stage by two members of the crew and performed from a seated position for the entire set.

Roughly 30,000 fans attended the concert in Ottawa, according to festival organizers, including some who held on to tickets they had bought back in the spring of 2020 when the festival was originally supposed to take place before being postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

De La Rocha reportedly injured his leg four songs into the band's set at the United Center, while Zack and his bandmates were performing "Bullet In The Head", a classic song from the group's 1992 self-titled debut album.

A short time later, De La Rocha told the crowd: "I don't know what happened to my leg right now, but you know what? We're gonna keep this fuckin' shit goin'. If I have to crawl across this stage. We're gonna play for y'all tonight. We came too fuckin' far."

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE kicked off its long-delayed "Public Service Announcement" tour on July 9 in front of roughly 30,000 fans at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin. During the show, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE decried the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and end the federal constitutional right to an abortion. De La Rocha repeatedly screamed "freedom" while a video screen flashed with statements about gun violence, black maternal mortality and abortion access.

"Forced birth in a country that is the only wealthy country in the world without any guaranteed paid parental leave at the national level," read the screen for several seconds.

The band opened its first show in 11 years with "Bombtrack", a song from RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's classic 1992 debut album, and closed the set with "Killing In The Name". Other tracks performed during the concert included "Bulls On Parade", "Guerrilla Radio", "Sleep Now In The Fire", "Wake Up", "Testify" and a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "The Ghost Of Tom Joad".

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's comeback tour will continue through mid-August. The massive trek features support from RUN THE JEWELS.

The current tour marks the first time the reunited rap-metal quartet has hit the road together since 2011.

This past January, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE postponed the start date of the U.S. leg of its "Public Service Announcement" tour to this summer. The North American leg of the trek was originally slated to begin in March 2020 before it was rescheduled several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 19 RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE shows that were supposed to take place between March 31 and May 23 will now take place in early 2023.

Prior to the current tour, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE last played together at L.A. Rising and has resisted calls for a reunion, with De La Rocha previously believed to be the lone holdout. Guitarist Tom Morello and his fellow RAGE bandmates Tim Commerford (bass) and Brad Wilk (drums) have since teamed up with PUBLIC ENEMY's Chuck D. and CYPRESS HILL's B-Real in the similarly styled PROPHETS OF RAGE.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE recorded three original studio albums and one set of covers before breaking up in 2000. The group reformed in 2007 but only played sporadic gigs and never a full tour.

Singer Ray West (SPREAD EAGLE) says that his collaboration with George Lynch in GEORGE LYNCH AND THE ELECTRIC FREEDOM "didn't work out."

West played two shows with the former DOKKEN guitarist — on July 8 in Saginaw, Michigan and on July 9 in in Woodhaven, Michigan — before the 67-year-old axeman pulled the plug on the pairing, saying West was "not really ready" to take on the gig.

West discussed his short-lived stint as the GEORGE LYNCH AND THE ELECTRIC FREEDOM frontman during a July 13 interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station. Saying that he had "no rehearsals" with the rest of the band prior to the Saginaw gig, Ray explained that "never really studied" the songs he was expected to perform with George. "I mean, I know [the LYNCH MOB] 'Wicked Sensation' [album] from listening to it a few times, but I'd never attacked the songs before, hadn't dissected and learned them — none of that," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "So it was a bit of a challenge, and as you can see, as it turned out for me, a very big challenge, because, look, for me to do a gig and be solid and live through it and come out with flying colors, I've gotta have those tunes in my DNA. And it just didn't happen — it just didn't happen for me. I was weak. All the things that I thought I could do without that much work… I've gotta rehearse. I'm not a cover guy. I can't just go in and have that sort of thing happen for me. I wish I could say I was that cover guy 'cause I could make it work anywhere. And it's not that the lyrics choke me.

"It didn't work," West admitted. "I tried something. It didn't work… But at least I did it; I gave it a shot. But you know, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, bro… I had a great time. Part of it is a mix of having a really great time and just bad technique. What can I tell you? But I had a great time, I'll tell you that."

Asked if he knew after the Woodhaven gig that it would likely turn out to be his last show with GEORGE LYNCH AND THE ELECTRIC FREEDOM, West said: "In this business, you kind of read people. Even if you're not that chatty with each other, you can feel if somebody's got a vibe toward you. When I went to bed that night, I was, like, 'Man, I'm gonna have a weird Sunday.' And I wound up having a really weird Sunday. You're on the plane [flying home] and you're just not sure. Then finally [George and I] chatted and [it was], like, yeah, that's the way it is."

According to West, he and George spoke about his status in GEORGE LYNCH AND THE ELECTRIC FREEDOM on Monday, July 11, two days after the Woodhaven show. "He called me. He was, like, 'Bro, I know you gave it a really great shot. But, obviously, you weren't really ready to do this,'" Ray recalled. "And maybe he was right. Because for me, honestly, I'm only ready if I get to rehearse. That's the way I've always done it."

West went on to say that he understands why Lynch chose to replace him so quickly instead of allowing him time to grow into his role.

"Look, he's looking to do these gigs and land 'em," Ray said. "It's George Lynch, man. So if you're not out there and you can match that kind of skill and that excellence, then you don't deserve to be there… I'm sure if I had a few shows down the line, I would get stronger and I'd fit myself in better — I'd sing the notes my way and I'd find my way around a little easier. Technique comes into play. It's about technique, and if you can't reach your head voice and you don't know where the switch is in this particular song, it's gonna get a little weird for you. When I first started out, I had a high head voice, a rasp, and I'm still working towards gaining that to its fullest potential. It's just not enough time for me to just sort of melt in and fit; it has to be great right there. That's how these things work. 'Cause there's a lot of money involved too. Guys are getting paid, and nobody wants to half-ass it."

West didn't completely rule out working with Lynch again in the future, saying: "I told him, down the line if I work on the tunes and have them into my DNA that I would like to come around. But sometimes it is what it is, man. I gave something a shot and it didn't work out."

Last month, before he and West played together, Lynch was full of praise for the singer, telling VWMusic: "Ray, he is just a great fit for the band…I mean, I probably couldn't have designed a better fit in a laboratory." At the time, George said that couldn't "think of any weak spots" with West, adding that Ray was "gonna bring some new life into our whole little world here."

After video of GEORGE LYNCH AND THE ELECTRIC FREEDOM's show in Woodhaven was posted online, several fans were critical of West's performance, with one person writing on YouTube, "The vocal sounds best on [the instrumental song] 'Mr. Scary'", and another person chiming in: "I can't get into this singer. Awful." A third person wrote: "What happened to Ray West? He's great in the studio but I guess not when he's live. This is sad." A fourth fan added: "kinda bummed on this gig, had high hopes for Ray, maybe once they find their groove things will fall into place. Right now it doesn't seem too natural, kinda awkward." Bracht also weighed in on the discussion, writing simply "hold my beer" in a comment that was posted on July 13, two days before his own live debut with GEORGE LYNCH AND THE ELECTRIC FREEDOM.

Not everybody panned Ray's delivery at his second concert with GEORGE LYNCH AND THE ELECTRIC FREEDOM, with one fan writing: "Ray West is Amazing singer….Give him a chance." Another person chimed in: "Ray has a style of singing that fits perfectly. Would have loved to see this."

GEORGE LYNCH AND THE ELECTRIC FREEDOM performed yesterday (Friday, July 15) in St. Peters, Missouri with another short-notice replacement singer, a Seattle-based musician named Travis Bracht (BRUISER BRODY, SECOND COMING). Also joining the legendary DOKKEN axeman at the gig were his longtime drummer Jimmy D'Anda (BULLETBOYS) along with TANTRIC bassist Jaron Gulino, who was filling in for Rob DeLuca (Sebastian Bach, UFO, SPREAD EAGLE). A local musician also got up on stage and sang DOKKEN's "It's Not Love" with George, Jimmy and Jaron.

Gulino took to his personal Facebook page on Friday to write that he and Bracht would be performing with GEORGE LYNCH AND THE ELECTRIC FREEDOM again today (Saturday, July 16) in Plymouth, Indiana.

It was only six months ago that Lynch introduced the previous GEORGE LYNCH AND THE ELECTRIC FREEDOM lineup at a concert at Count's Vamp'd in Las Vegas, Nevada. Lynch, D'Anda and DeLuca were joined at that gig by Freeman. At the time, Lynch wrote on social media that he "finally put together" his "perfect band."

Singer Oni Logan first hooked up with LYNCH MOB in 1990, but exited the group after the release of its first album, only to rejoin the outfit in the late 2000s.

Logan is featured on five of LYNCH MOB's eight albums, including 1990's "Wicked Sensation", as well as 2009's "Smoke And Mirrors", 2014's "Sun Red Sun", 2015's "Rebel" and 2017's "The Brotherhood".



George Lynch live Uncle Sam Jam

Posted by Beverly Physician on Saturday, July 9, 2022

Ted Nugent kicked off his summer 2022 "Detroit Muscle" tour at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

According to Setlist.fm, the setlist was as follows:

01. Stranglehold
02. The Star-Spangled Banner
03. Gonzo/Klusterfunky
04. Snakeskin Cowboys
05. Paralyzed
06. Stormtroopin'
07. Free-For-All
08. Queen Of The Forest
09. Come And Take It
10. American Campfire
11. My Girl/Hey Baby
12. Good Friends And A Bottle Of Wine
13. Wang Dang Sweet Poontang
14. Fred Bear
15. Cat Scratch Fever

Encore:

16. The Great White Buffalo

Nugent is promoting his new album, "Detroit Muscle", which was released in April via Pavement Music. The follow-up to 2018's "The Music Made Me Do It" was recorded with Ted's current band, which includes bassist Greg Smith and drummer Jason Hartless.

Earlier this year, Nugent told American Songwriter about his love of performing live: "Approaching my 74th glorious year, thank God, I am on course to fulfill my every dream with my amazing family, band, crew, team, and great friends from all around the world. That right there is the ultimate inspiration for fun music and fun times. With Greg and Jason, I am certain our 'Detroit Muscle' tour will be the best ever as the band is insanely tight, energized, and in love with the music. The hunting is the best ever, and the culture war for the soul of real America keeps me focused and dedicated to fight evil and stupid stronger every day. This American Dream stuff is very inspiring."

In a February 2022 interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio, Ted said that when it comes to musicians, they don't make them like they used to. "Musicians aren't as dedicated today," he said. 'I know there's a bunch of great ones. I mean, Joe Bonamassa is a young guy, and Kid Rock is not a young guy, but he's now. And I love what BIG & RICH do. I love the sincerity of Blake Shelton and Toby Keith, though I can't stand most country music. And GRETA VAN FLEET does a great job, and everything the FOO FIGHTERS do is awesome. But, it's not like Ted Nugent or Bob Seger or the AMBOY DUKES or ZZ TOP or CHEAP TRICK or MONTROSE or VAN HALEN. You know what I mean? Those bands, we just practiced more; we loved it more.

"So, that's why 'Detroit Muscle' is gonna be really significant to people who love that fire and that defiance and fun," he continued, referencing his upcoming album. "Music is supposed to be fun. Even when you articulate corruption and 'Dog Eat Dog' sabotage on the downtown streets and police cars overturned — yeah, I'm identifying social conditions, but I also am a master at escaping social outrageousness and replacing it with fun, defiant, 'We The People,' middle-finger-on-fire, grinding Motown funk brother outrageousness."

Ex-THREE DAYS GRACE singer Adam Gontier says that a reunion with his former bandmates is "likely" to happen "down the road at some point."

The 44-year-old Canadian-born musician made his comments just a couple of weeks after he and two members of the band's current lineup, bassist Brad Walst and his younger brother, vocalist Matt Walst, were inducted into the Norwood District High School Hall Of Honor in Norwood, Ontario.

Asked in a new interview with Rock Feed if he would be open to working with THREE DAYS GRACE again now that he appears to be on good terms with his former bandmates, Gontier said: "You know what? Yeah. I mean, for sure. We've all grown up. It's been a while. There's no hard feelings or anything like that. We're all in touch now and we talk and text and stuff.

"We haven't really talked about doing anything — not yet anyway — but I feel like something like that is most likely down the road at some point," he added

When interviewer Brian Storm noted that Adam's reunion with THREE DAYS GRACE would be a "big" deal, Gontier said, "And it would be a lot of fun." Storm then reiterated that the reunion would be "very big," to which Adam said: "Probably would be. You never know, man. We haven't really talked about it. But, yeah, I guess we'll see."

Earlier this month, Brad Walst spoke about reconnecting with <>Gontier at the Norwood District High School event in an interview with Tommy Carroll of the 97.9 WGRD radio station. He said: "It's funny 'cause the high school's been calling us for years. And, obviously, we've all had kind of different schedules, and Adam's been doing his thing and we've been doing our thing. And until recently, to be honest, we hadn't really spoken that much — we'd text and stuff. But Adam's moved back to the area, and he's got a great family and a great wife. And we've all kind of been chatting and hanging out. Yeah, I called him and just said, 'They want the three of us' — they want Matt, Adam and myself. And everyone agreed, and it was, like, 'Okay, let's do this.' So it was pretty cool to see [our] high school, where you grew up… It's nice to be acknowledged."

He continued: "It's funny, 'cause I texted Adam, 'You made the Hall Of Fame.' He's, like, 'Yup. Straight-B student.' [Laughs] But I think just having us together in that room was way more powerful, for sure. So it was a pretty cool feeling."

On June 30, Gontier took to his Instagram to share a photo and video of the ceremony, and he wrote in an accompanying caption: "About last night… thank you so much to Todd Murray, Jason Lean and everyone at Norwood District High School for inducting myself, Brad and @mattjpwalst thanks into their Hall of Honor. And a HUGE congrats to all of the 2022 NDHS graduates."

In 1992, Gontier, Brad Walst, Phil Crowe, Neil Sanderson and Joe Grant formed GROUNDSWELL while most of the members were still in high school. That band broke up in 1995, but two years later Gontier, Sanderson and Walst reformed as THREE DAYS GRACE. Gontier left the band in 2013 and was replaced by Matt, the vocalist from another Norwood band, MY DARKEST DAYS.

In a 2007 interview with The Oklahoman, Gontier said that he met some of his first bandmates while they were freshmen at Norwood District High School.

"I ended up hooking up with Brad because we had the same love of music," Gontier said. "He didn't play anything at the time. I suggested him getting a bass, and he did."

Gontier said that Canadian bands, including THE TRAGICALLY HIP and OUR LADY PEACE were early influences, along with the Seattle rock scene, particularly the group SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE.

Gontier initially went into rehab in 2005 in Toronto after admitting an addiction to Oxycontin. The rehab stint influenced some material which would appear on THREE DAYS GRACE's "One-X" album, including the songs "Pain" and "Over And Over".

Gontier left THREE DAYS GRACE in the spring of 2013. At the time, the Canadian rockers cited unspecified "health issues" when his departure was announced. Adam later released a statement explaining he exited THREE DAYS GRACE to pursue new projects, and not to deal with addiction.

Gontier is currently a member of SAINT ASONIA, which also features STAIND guitarist/founding member Mike Mushok. The band released a new EP, "Introvert", on July 1 via Spinefarm. The quartet is rounded out by Cale Gontier (bass) and Cody Watkins (drums).

THREE DAYS GRACE's latest album, "Explosions", was released on May 6 via RCA Records. The LP's first single, "So Called Life", was No. 1 on Mediabase's Active Rock chart and Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart. This was the band's 17th No. 1 song on the Mediabase chart and 16th No. 1 on the Billboard chart, and tied the internationally acclaimed and multi-platinum certified Canadian band with SHINEDOWN for the artist with most #1's on the Billboard chart.

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

"This is not a reboot or a spin-off or anything like that," says LACUNA COIL vocalist Cristina Scabbia. "We just wanted to give these songs a 2022 dress and see how this guy or girl who was born 20 years ago would still look fucking slick in 2022."

Due on October 14, "Comalies XX" features the following track listing:

CD 1:

01. Swamped XX
02. Heaven's A Lie XX
03. Daylight Dancer XX
04. Humane XX
05. Self Deception XX
06. Aeon XX
07. Tight Rope XX
08. The Ghost Woman And The Hunter XX
09. Unspoken XX
10. Entwined XX
11. The Prophet Said XX
12. Angel's Punishment XX
13. Comalies XX

CD 2:

01. Swamped
02. Heaven's A Lie
03. Daylight Dancer
04. Humane
05. Self Deception
06. Aeon
07. Tight Rope
08. The Ghost Woman And The Hunter
09. Unspoken
10. Entwined
11. The Prophet Said
12. Angel's Punishment
13. Comalies

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

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

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

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

LACUNA COIL played its first show in front of an audience in more than two years on April 7 as the support act for APOCALYPTICA at the Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia.

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

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

Last June, Scabbia told Revolver that she and her bandmates didn't use the coronavirus downtime to work on new music. "We didn't want to force the fact that because we were home, we had to write music," she explained. "We always thought that to write music, you need to be inspired. And inspiration comes from the outside, comes from experiences that you have, things that you live. At least this is valid for us.

"Everything we do in a regular life, in a normal life enriches us and gives us input that we can put in our music," she said. "And also we like to write together. So, if Marco [Coti Zelati, bass] creates the basis of the music together with the other musicians in the band, then Andrea [Ferro, vocals] and I jump in with the lyrics and vocal lines. But we do that together. We need to enter in songwriting mode. So we didn't really like the fact that we had to write separately just because we have to put a record [together] because it's quarantine. Now we are starting to collect ideas 'cause we feel a little bit happier."

Scabbia continued: "We didn't want anything connected to the negativity of the pandemic… That's why I used my time to do something completely different. Because I know that what I did that it's completely different from what I usually do will make me start again to do what I did before with passion — with the same passion. I was just afraid that if I would have used all the downtime making music when I didn't really want to, it would have had a negative influence on me. And it would have been, like, 'I really don't want to do that.' And I also wanted to prove to myself that, yeah, music is main passion. I love what I do for a living, and I hope that I can do it until the day I die. But I also wanted to show myself that I can be capable of doing something else as well."

In February 2021, LACUNA COIL took part in an initiative dubbed "L'Ultimo Concerto?" (Last Concert) to highlight the increasingly uncertain future of music venues. Instead of delivering live performances as part of a scheduled free virtual stream, each of around 130 Italian artists was filmed taking the stage at a different venue and then standing there in silence as a way of commemorating the one-year mark since the first Italian venues closed.

According to The Charlotte Observer, former MANOWAR guitarist Karl Logan has been to five and a half years in prison for possessing child pornography.

Judge Max Cogburn Jr. handed down the sentenced to the 57-year-old musician on Monday, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office told The Charlotte Observer on Friday.

Logan will remain free until the federal Bureau of Prisons assigns him a lockup, and Cogburn allowed him to self-report to prison, the court spokeswoman said.

Logan was arrested in August 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina and charged with six counts of third-degree exploitation of a minor. He was jailed after pleading guilty to two child-pornography counts.

Logan's alleged offenses took place between June 18, 2018 and August 2, 2018.

The arrest warrants said Karl was in possession of several videos which depicted girls between the ages of four and 12 years old engaged in a variety of sexual acts with unidentified men. Each video is described in graphic detail, including one scene where a girl age 10-12 "chokes and becomes visibly upset."

The case was transferred to federal court, where a grand jury indicted Logan in 2019 on one count each of receiving and possessing child pornography, according to court documents.

A few days after Karl's arrest was made public, MANOWAR issued a statement saying that he would no longer perform with the group. He has since been replaced by E.V. Martel, who previously played in a MANOWAR tribute band.

Karl joined MANOWAR in 1994 as the replacement for David Shankle.

Prior to hooking up with MANOWAR, Logan played several bands in northeastern Pennsylvania, including ARC ANGEL and FALLEN ANGEL.

MANOWAR recently launched the "Crushing The Enemies Of Metal Anniversary Tour '22/'23". The trek celebrates the band's over-four-decades-long career with focus on four signature MANOWAR albums and their anniversaries: 40th anniversary of "Battle Hymns", 35th anniversary of "Fighting The World", 30th anniversary of "The Triumph Of Steel", 20th anniversary of "Warriors Of The World".
Manowar expelled guitarist Karl Logan after his 2018 arrest in Charlotte. https://t.co/seZtGP4M2V

— The Charlotte Observer (@theobserver) July 15, 2022

Guitarist Niclas Engelin, who has been sitting out IN FLAMES' tour dates for the past three and a half years, was asked in a new interview with Australia's "Scars And Guitars" podcast what the "health complications" were that reportedly prevented him from taking part in the band's touring activities. "I pass on that, my friend," he said, declining to answer the question. Pressed about whether he is "still a member" of IN FLAMES, he responded: "I pass on that as well."

Back in August 2020, when he was asked by the "MetalBreak" podcast what his "future" with IN FLAMES looked like, he said, "I choose to pass on that," before quickly adding, "I'm still in the band."

Engelin's replacement for IN FLAMES' live shows since early 2019 has been former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick.

Engelin is not listed as a member of IN FLAMES on the band's Facebook page (Broderick is),and he is not featured in any of IN FLAMES' current promotional photos.

Back in April 2019, IN FLAMES singer Anders Fridén told Sticks For Stones that Broderick was doing a "great" job filling in for Engelin.

"We've known [Chris] for 17 years," Anders said. "He was in a band called JAG PANZER, and they opened up for us back then, so we've been friends since. And when Niclas called us, like 48 hours before we had to leave, and he went to the hospital — he had to. So we didn't wanna cancel. Our music is made for two guitars, and we didn't wanna have one guitar playing and everything else on a backing track — we wanted to have someone playing it. We happily found out that Chris was free and he came out and we had a couple of days' rehearsal in Austin before the tour started in Houston. And, yeah, it's going great. We've known him, as I said, for a long time, so we knew it would work on a social level. And [his] guitar [playing] is obviously phenomenal."

Engelin is currently involved with THE HALO EFFECT, a new project also featuring four other former members of IN FLAMES — Jesper Strömblad (guitar),Daniel Svensson (drums),Peter Iwers (bass) and Mikael Stanne (vocals). THE HALO EFFECT will release its debut album, "Days Of The Lost", on August 12 via Nuclear Blast.

Country-pop superstar Carrie Underwood has released a cover of version of Ozzy Osbourne's classic power ballad "Mama, I'm Comin' Home" for Apple Music Sessions, a new live performance series launched by the tech giant.

Underwood's country-tinged rendition of the track was recorded at Apple's Nashville studio and was accompanied by a take on her 2022 single "Ghost Story" along with her 2012 hit "Blown Away".

In a press statement, Carrie said about her decision to tackle "Mama, I'm Comin' Home": "I have always been an Ozzy Osbourne fan and 'Mama, I'm Coming Home' is one of my all-time favorite songs. I've always thought it felt a lot like a country song, and I've wanted to cover it for a long time. This was a really fun opportunity for me to be able to finally make that happen. I hope we've done Ozzy proud and I hope he likes it."

Two weeks ago, Underwood joined GUNS N' ROSES on stage during the band's concert at London, England's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Underwood made a surprise appearance toward the end of GUNS N' ROSES' main set, performing "Sweet Child O' Mine" with Axl Rose and his bandmates. She later returned to the stage during the encore to sing "Paradise City".

This past April, Rose joined Underwood on stage at the Stagecoach country music festival in Indio, California to perform the same two songs. At the time, Carrie called the collaboration "the greatest night of my life."

Back in 2015, Underwood told E! in an interview with she really wanted to sing with Rose at some point in her life. She said: "I've covered enough GUNS N' ROSES stuff, and it was people like him who taught me how to sing."

"I look at people like him and Freddie Mercury, those people who were doing all these crazy runs. It was so different," Underwood added.

In 2013, Underwood delivered a faithful cover of "Paradise City" at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville.

Two years ago, while promoting her book "Find Your Path: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul, And Get Strong With The Fit 52 Life", Underwood appeared on an episode of "The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon" and talked about flying to Las Vegas to see her favorite band GUNS N' ROSES and called it "one of the best nights" of her life.

"We were nowhere near Las Vegas, so naturally I said, 'Let's go to Las Vegas with the band and go see GN'R play,'" Underwood shared with Fallon. "It's kind of a life-long dream of mine I never thought would happen. Couldn't waste that opportunity, so I abandoned my husband, abandoned my children, went to Vegas, and saw GUNS N' ROSES. Amazing."

She continued: "Usually, when I go to concerts, I'm like, in a box on the side, which is great — it has its perks, there's usually a bathroom in there, it's kind of awesome,' she explained. "But you miss the energy of the crowd. Because we were in Vegas, we were just in there with everyone else, it was absolutely incredible. You could feel everybody, everybody was screamin', I was screamin' — I was, like, 'I'm never gonna see none of these people ever again, I'm gonna act like a fool!. It was amazing."

Following that show, Underwood actually met Rose backstage. "It's hard to meet your heroes, because I do consider him someone who taught me how to sing," she said. "But he was super cool and great and nice and we talked. We're best friends."

Carrie said in a 2014 interview that late QUEEN frontman Freddie Mercury was high on her list of first loves.

"I've always been a huge fan and lover of Freddie Mercury," she said. "I would listen to him when I was a kid. He could do so many amazing things with his voice. People like that — who had incredible voices — I was always drawn to. I would want to try to do what they do. They were my teachers."

She also said that if you scrolled through her iPod, you'd find some really hard rock music, like MUDVAYNE.

"When I work out, I like to listen to things that are really angry," she said. "I couldn't do it on a daily basis or driving in my car. I think that would be kind of weird."

Ozzy Osbourne photo by Ross Halfin

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In a new interview with Niclas Müller-Hansen of RockSverige, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann was asked if he managed to stay musically creative in any way during the coronavirus pandemic. He responded: "Fuck no! I wanted to be, but since I always thought we're going to start again some time soon, I didn't feel the need to because we were going to be on tour soon and we had just made an album, so I didn't really feel like writing another album and have it just sitting in the can. Honestly, I wasn't inspired at all. I probably should've [been], but I said, 'Fuck it! I'm not going to do it.' So now we have nothing to show for… [Laughs] I wish I had, but also, I didn't want to do one of those lame… and a lot of artists have done it, where they rerecord a bunch of songs from their childhood… it's a kind of lame thing to do and we didn't want to do that. I thought about it for a second, but then, nah… And I didn't want to do one of those COVID live streams either. Seems like all these things have been done to death by other people. I thought it would be better to wait until we could properly tour again, so we did."

The 62-year-old German-born musician, who currently resides in Florida, continued: "I get really inspired when I have to be. When there's a deadline, that fires me up, and when I know we have a tour in January and I know I have to do this and the record label says, 'We need this in the fall,' then I get going. But when it's like an open end, I have to admit it's, like, 'Nah, not today. I'm not feeling it.' I'm just quite human that way. I'm not the German robot people think I am."

Asked if the pandemic made him stop and think about life, specifically the possibility of never playing live again, Wolf said: "Absolutely. It made me panic a little bit because this is what I want to do in life and this is why I'm on this earth. I was starting to freak out. 'What if it's never going to go back?'

"Who knows what's going to happen? It used to be a certain amount of certainty about things, like, 'Oh, that will never happen,' but lately… I hardly rule out anything anymore. The war in Europe… All of a sudden, it was, like, 'Fuck, we better hurry up with life.' It makes you think. It definitely does. Things you took for granted, you can't anymore. It changed my perspective and it made me realize even more, live while you can and enjoy life because we're not here forever and nothing lasts forever."

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

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

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

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

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

During an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" this past Thursday (July 14),pop singer Demi Lovato spoke about her experience going to see Norwegian symphonic black metal band DIMMU BORGIR a decade and a half ago.

"There was this band called DIMMU BORGIR," she said. "And I went to their show [in 2007]. They were like a Norwegian black metal band or something. And I was at the show, and I just happened to be in the center, where the mosh pit happens. But everyone — they were, like, grown men, and I was this 14-year-old girl. So I had to climb my way out and crowd-surf to the front of the stage. And I lost my shoe. It was a great time."

Demi previously discussed going to see DIMMU BORGIR two years ago in an interview with the "Ride Or Cry" podcast. She said: "I was in the middle of the crowd. In the middle of the mosh [pit], actually. I was only 14 and I was a tiny little thing. I was in the middle of the mosh and there were these grown-ass men headbanging. But then I got claustrophobic and a little scared so I crowd-surfed to the front."

She added: "I loved moshing because you could just get your aggression out and nobody cares."

In a 2008 MTV interview, Lovato named LAMB OF GOD, JOB FOR A COWBOY, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS and DIMMU BORGIR as some of her favorite bands.

"It's so completely different from anything else," Lovato has said of her love of metal. "You've got vocals that I can't do, the double bass drums, the incredible guitar solos … every part of the band does more difficult stuff than your average rock band does. I listen to these bands, and I wish I could do all of that, but I can't."

Lovato is about to hit the road in support of her eighth studio album, "Holy Fvck", which will be released on August 19 via Island Records. The LP's first single, "Skin Of My Teeth", was made available last month.

The follow-up to last year's "Dancing With The Devil…The Art Of Starting Over", "Holy Fvck" is reportedly a departure from Lovato's typical pop aesthetic and features a more punk-rock-flavored sound.

Lovato implied that "Holy Fvck" would usher in a new era for her after she posted a photo in January along with the caption, "A funeral for my pop music." She later told Rolling Stone that fans can expect to hear some "heaviness" in her new sound.

"It's a new era reminiscent of my first era," she said. "I'm ever-evolving, ever-changing. I'd like to put the rest of my music behind me and start fresh in this new era for this next album — but I do that every album cycle."

Lovato's current touring band includes former ALICE COOPER guitarist Nita Strauss.

Nita made her live debut with Demi with a performance of Lovato's new single, "Substance" on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!".

In a new interview with Grammy.com, Judas Priest legends Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton and Ian Hill, along with producer Tom Allom, talk to reporter Bryan Reesman about their massive Screaming For Vengeance album that turns 40 tomorrow (July 17th). Here are a few excerpts from the chat:


Grammy.com: The lyrics are very relevant today. I listen to "Electric Eye" and "Screaming For Vengeance" and that dark vision resonates with modern events.


Glenn Tipton: “Yes, that's true. It wasn't done intentionally. A lot of what we play is very current.”




Rob Halford: “I remember when I was writing the lyrics for "Electric Eye." And, of course, this was before the internet. I was reading about spy satellites and the way that our privacy was going to be more and more difficult to hold on to. That was enough for me to get my brain cells going for a lyric that is so appropriate 40 years later, more so than ever.”


And equally with all of the suppression and repression that's going on in the world today - whether it's freedom of speech or people invading other people's countries - there's the title track, ‘Screaming For Vengeance’. I feel like I'm not making statements, but obviously I am. It seems like a good conduit for the music. The feeling about writing lyrics that have more to them than just tits and ass has always been a thrill for me. I've always enjoyed marrying up the words to these brilliant instrumentational sounds.  I just listen to the start of ‘Riding On The Wind’, for example, and the way that begins with very dramatic percussive work. Equally, the time signatures in the title track are really unusual. So I'm stimulated lyrically by the music, or the way the music is pushing me.”


Grammy.com: I heard that "You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’" was assembled rather quickly and was possibly the last song recorded?


Tom Allom: “They had this idea with the riff and everything, which I think Glenn mostly came up with. ‘Let's try and run it through’ and I was in the process (of mixing). It wasn't the last song [to be done] because I was checking out the drum sound. I had the drums all miked up ready to go, and they wanted to run through the track. So they set the guitars and the bass up in front of the drums and they ran it through without headphones. The guitars were turned down with the overdrive turned on quite high for the crunch. I recorded this run through, and I said, "Well, you're not gonna get a better take on that." And they wanted to redo all the guitars and do the usual stuff and have the big ambient side on the guitars. I think I let Glenn overdub one other rhythm guitar a little. I remember it as clear as daylight. They might remember it differently. Then Rob went through two or three lyric changes and melody changes. I have to say, I’m not always right, but I bloody well was on that occasion.”


Rob Halford: “It was a cool track, but we had no idea that it was going to blow the doors off of rock 'n' roll radio in America. Some people didn’t know they were metalheads until they heard Priest.”


Grammy.com: Are you still cool with the fact that Screaming is considered to be the definitive Priest album?


Ian Hill: “Oh, yeah, I do. It was the ultimate seller. I don’t think we've sold more of any other album, and it was a step in the right direction. After Point Of Entry being panned a little bit, we came roaring back with that one. Then, like I say, Defenders was Screaming on steroids. It took us to that peak. We could have carried on making that kind of album, but they wouldn't have made any more progress from Defenders. Loads of other bands do that. They find their formula and they stick to it and people them for it. But like I say, we're always trying to take that step forward.


Glenn Tipton: “It's not everybody’s No. 1, but I would think its direction comes very close to what most people consider the best Judas Priest album. It is a milestone album.” 


Read more at Grammy.com.



(Photo courtesy of Sony Legacy)

Currently on his Inviolate European tour, guitar legend Steve Vai has checked in with the following update:


"I have never been on a tour with so many unexpected challenges. After the show in Berlin, our bus broke down and we had to go directly to the Berlin train station and catch a 4:30 AM train to Düsseldorf, and then drive an hour to make it to the Bospop festival in the Netherlands on time, and we did! And what a glorious gig it was, even with virtually no sleep.


It seems like every time something blows up on this tour, there’s something a little better waiting. For instance, the bus that broke down had no air-conditioning and we had just gotten through Italy, and we’re wondering how we were going to be able to get through Spain on that bus in the killer heat. When we got to Bospop, a band had just finished their tour and their bus was being returned to London that day, and we got it to finish our tour. It’s a better bus, and it even has air-conditioning. Now how do you like that! Angels on our shoulders baby!!!"




Remaining tour dates are as follows:


July
16 - Valencia, Spain - Jardin de Viveros
17 - Vigo, Spain - Auditorio Mar do Vigo
19 - Barcelona, Spain - Teatro Tivoli


Vai recently shared a clip from a show in Italy when his rig had a technical glitch and he had to improvise.

Avant-garde entity, Thy Catafalque, have released a guitar play though video for "Szarvas", featured on their album, Vadak, released in 2021 via Season Of Mist. Watch below:





Order Vadak  here.







Tracklisting:


"Szarvas"
"Köszöntsd a hajnalt"
"Gömböc"
"Az energiamegmaradás törvénye"
"Móló"
"A kupolaváros titka"
"Kiscsikó (Irénke dala)"
"Piros-sárga"
"Vadak (Az átváltozás rítusai)"
"Zúzmara"


"Köszöntsd A Hajnalt" video:





"Piros-sárga" video:

DISTURBED performed "Hey You", the first single off the band's upcoming studio album, live for the first time Thursday night (July 14) at the Rock Fest in Cadott, Wisconsin. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below (courtesy of Vomdirth, Mike Amolsch and Jerry Marquette Jr).

The official music video for "Hey You", which was released yesterday, was directed by Josiahx.

DISTURBED frontman David Draiman stated about the track: "It's a wake-up call. We've become our own worst enemies. Civil discourse has become the exception instead of the norm. People have lost themselves in outrage addiction."

All four members of DISTURBED were in Los Angeles on June 14 to film the "Hey You" music video.

Last month, Draiman said that DISTURBED's upcoming album, which is tentatively due in November, will contain a "surprise track" that will "blow [fans'] minds."

On June 2, the 49-year-old frontman took to his Twitter to write about DISTURBED's follow-up to 2018's "Evolution": "Listening back to the mixes. Amazing record. Very proud. (Also, there's a surprise track on here that's going to blow your minds)".

In May, Draiman told the audience at DISTURBED's concert in Camden, New Jersey that the band's new LP will be released "soon." He added: "It's about 90 percent heavy as fuck. Now there's still 10 percent of caring, loving goodness [laughs] — 10 percent. Hey, for everybody that fell in love with 'The Sound Of Silence' [SIMON & GARFUNKEL] cover, I figured, you know… But the rest of it? 'Sickness'-, 'Ten Thousand Fists'-era DISTURBED, for sure. You excited about that? 'Cause I'll tell you we're really fucking excited about it."

In April, DISTURBED drummer Mike Wengren told "The Mistress Carrie Podcast" that he and his bandmates are "definitely in the middle of the process" of making a new album. "We have been writing, we have been recording," he said. "I'm very excited about everything that we're coming up with right now. It's feeling great, it's sounding great."

He continued: "We don't necessarily have a definitive time frame right now [for the album's release]. Coming off two years of a pandemic, we just have been taking our time in trying to put out the best record of our careers and top everything that we've ever done before.

"I think people are gonna be pleasantly surprised when they finally get a chance to hear this," Mike added.

Wengren's comments came just days after Draiman confirmed that DISTURBED has completed recording the new LP. Prior to that, Draiman shared a since-deleted Instagram photo of a whiteboard — which appeared to have been taken in a recording studio — charting DISTURBED's progress with recording. On the board, 10 songs were listed, featuring such titles as "Hey You", "Love To Hate" and "Part Of Me". David captioned the picture: "And that's a wrap people. #HolyShitIsThisGood #epic @disturbed". Also included on the whiteboard was the guitar tuning for each track, with most of them using "Standard C#", "Drop C#" or "Drop C" tuning. One track was also recorded in "Drop A#" tuning, while another is in "Drop B".

Draiman spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the new DISTURBED album during a recent appearance on "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie. Regarding what it has been like for him and his bandmates to regroup in person after such a long time apart and once again launch the creative process, he said: "There's really nothing that replaces it. It was a continuing theme of conversation over the course of the week that we had together between our couple of shows we played in Indiana [in early November] and our performance over in Daytona for [the] Welcome To Rockville [festival]. There really is no substitute. There isn't. The energy and that realization when you've got something. Compare it to fishing, and you finally land a big one. [Laughs] It's incredibly, incredibly exciting. And we were on fire."

As for the musical direction of the new DISTURBED songs, Draiman said: "The material is somewhere between 'The Sickness' and 'Ten Thousand Fists' as far as where I would identify it as sonically. It's rhythmic, it's pummeling, it's anthemic, it's polysyncopated. It's meat-and-potatoes DISTURBED."

David also discussed DISTURBED's apparent decision to pursue a more aggressive musical approach on its next LP compared to "Evolution", on which nearly half the songs were either acoustic or semi-acoustic.

"It's a different sort of itch you're scratching," he said. "You can have the satisfaction that comes with, let's say, playing with your children peacefully somewhere and you can have a different sort of satisfaction in engaging in full-contact football with your buddies. It's just a different feel. They're both equally as gratifying but sometimes you just get a little taste more for one than the other. And right now we are definitely — we've got our teeth dug in to that style. We were dying to do the more aggressive stuff. We wanted to go back home. We wanted to go back to the 'groove so hard that you can't stop bobbing your head' kind of stuff. So, we're there, and we're loving it."

Prior to DISTURBED's appearance at the 2021 edition of Welcome To Rockville last November, Draiman told Lou Brutus of HardDrive Radio that the band will likely do things slightly differently with the upcoming release. "The way that I see it happening is we're probably not gonna put out something in the traditional full-length; we're probably gonna be doing two separate releases," he explained. "So we'll probably have one geared for release — if everything works as planned — by the fall, and then maybe something the following year as well." When Brutus asked Draiman to clarify if that means that the next DISTURBED release will be an EP, David said: "Define it what you want, but it would like five or six songs at a pop — something like that.

"We live in an environment right now and in an age where people's consumption of music has been very soundbitish and very track-driven and very single-driven," he continued. "And there's definitely some beauty towards continuing to try and [make] things like concept records and telling a long story over the duration of a series of songs — there's huge merit to that — but I think that when you write 10 songs and three of them actually get worked at radio and maybe, if you're lucky, the fans are really familiar with half the record and the rest ends up sitting on a shelf, and if you do end up pulling it out one day, it's like an obscure, weird moment during the set, and it's almost like gratuitous for yourself. I don't wanna do that anymore. I wanna make everything count. I wanna make sure that we get the biggest bang for everything we're putting out there. I think that that should be easily attainable. It seems to be where the environment is going, and it seems to be — whether we like it or not — what the digital age has funneled us into."

DISTURBED performed live for the first time in nearly two years last September as one of the headliners of the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky.

In March 2021, DISTURBED's "The Sickness 20th Anniversary Tour" was officially canceled. The amphitheater tour, with very special guest STAIND and BAD WOLVES, was originally slated to take place in the summer of 2020 but was rescheduled to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was eventually scrapped altogether.

"The Sickness 20th Anniversary Tour" was supposed to celebrate the 20th anniversary of DISTURBED's seminal album "The Sickness". On the tour, the band was expected to perform songs off the album, as well as tracks from "Evolution" and DISTURBED's extensive catalog.



Disturbed’s new single, released today, HEY YOU! Share this shit out!!!

Posted by Jerry Marquette Jr. on Thursday, July 14, 2022

Aussie rockers, Airbourne, have laid out plans to begin work on their new album. Set for release in 2023, the new set will follow on from 2019’s Boneshaker. The band made the revelation about the album in a brand new chat with eonmusic.


Speaking about the road to the new release, drummer Ryan O’Keeffe said: “We’re getting ready to do an end of the year tour and then another album. Soon we’ll be making another record."


Chatting about how the band deliberately held off on recording during the pandemic, front man Joel O’Keeffe said: “We did make an executive decision during lockdown not to be too focused on trying to make rock and roll songs that make you feel very good in an environment where you’re depressed and you’re being held down by the man."




His brother added: “We wanted to see people again and play to crowds again before we even think about it; that’s what we’ve always done."


Talking about their plans, Ryan continued: “To make the record, it’ll be coming down to picking a producer, picking a studio, giving us some time to put together what we have, but more importantly, the riffs that we’re making out here, now. This is how we wanted to do it; we wanted to make a record when we’re rockin’, and there’s people, and the crowd is there, and then, we come offstage and throw down this and that, and put it all together."


Regarding a release date, he concluded: “Hopefully it’ll be released sometime late next year."


Read the entire interview at eonmusic.co.uk.


Airbourne's fall 2022 North American tour kicks off September 9 in New York City and runs through October 11 in Los Angeles. Support will come from XX. Dates are below. Tickets are on sale here.


The tour is the band's first US and Canadian run since the release of 2019's Boneshaker. The band recently released the video for "Burnout The Nitro" from the album. Watch it below.


"We are from Melbourne, the most locked down city in the world. Unleashed at last, Airbourne are the most set-free animals on the planet. Look out," the band says. "They wouldn’t let us in for two years, and after this tour, they'll never let us back. Get your tickets - NOW OR NEVER!!"





Tour dates:


September
9 - New York, NY - The Gramercy Theatre
10 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
11 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
15 - Quebec City, QC - St. Roch XP L'Impérial Bell
16 - Saguenay, QC - Festival Saint-Honoré dans l'Vent
17 - Montreal, QC - Corona Theatre
20 - Toronto, ON - The Opera House
22 - London, ON - London Music Hall
23 - Columbus, OH - Skully’s Music Diner
24 - Louisville, KY - Louder Than Life
26 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
27 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
28 - Winnipeg, MB - The Pyramid Cabaret
30 - Calgary, AB - The Palace


October
1 - Edmonton, AB - Midway
3 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
4 - Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern
5 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
7 - San Francisco, CA - Starline Social Club
8 - Sacramento, CA - Aftershock Festival
11 - Los Angeles - Troubadour

Flagbearers of modern UK death metal, Ingested, have released a guitar playthrough video for their recently released digital single, "Ashes Lie Still", featuring Julia Frau. Watch below:





"‘Ashes Lie Still’ was written in my darkest times, my father suddenly passed away while I was on tour and the very next day Covid halted our career for over two years. You can hear my pain and frustration musically as well as lyrically; it's a dark, brooding piece and Julia compliments the feel of the track perfectly. It's an incredibly personal song to me and I'm proud it's the first single from our Metal Blade debut," comments guitarist and backing vocalist Sean Hynes.







The new single was co-produced by the band and previous collaborator Nico Beninato, Jeffs living close to Beninato's studio in Mallorca and recording his drums there, while Hynes recorded his guitars at home in the UK with the producer assisting remotely. Vocal tracking was interrupted by Evans falling seriously ill when finally making it to Mallorca and was ultimately tracked back in Manchester. Bass was again supplied by Dominic Grimard (Ion Dissonance/The Last Felony).


Watch the video for Ashes Lie Still, by Loki Film, below:

Atlanta, GA-based group, Pistols At Dawn, deliver hard-hitting hooks, magnetic melodies and intricate instrumentation with old school arena-size ambition on their debut studio album, Ascension, due August 19 via Megaforce/MRI Entertainment.


After independently amassing over 6 million streams across streaming and video platforms via previously released singles from their debut 2021 EP Nocturnal Youth, Pistols At Dawn returned to the studio to work with Grammy Award-winning producer and engineer Sylvia Massy (Tool, System Of A Down, Johnny Cash) on the new release.


The new single, “Fly”, will be released across digital platforms on Friday, July 15. Pre-save it here, and watch a music video below, which shows the band performing in a dark, gritty venue while shining the light on the strong females that are underrepresented in the rock genre.




The band commented, “We wanted to feature women as the subject of the video, not as an object. Feminine strength and girl power are themes that are very relevant at this moment and are uncharacteristic of most hard rock videos. We have a powerful love song in ‘Fly’ and our goal was to exhibit passion and feeling in a relatively unique way for our genre of music.”  





Ascension album art and tracklisting below.





Tracklisting:


"Under The Surface"
"Fly"
"Keep Me Guessing"
"For You"
"The Truth"
"Gravity"
"Get Away"
"Dictator"


"The Truth" video:





Pistols At Dawn were originally formed in 2015 but disintegrated after the tragic passing of guitarist Mike Buffa in 2018. They reformed in 2019 before releasing Nocturnal Youth in 2021 which was recorded with Jeff Tomei (Smashing Pumpkins, Matchbox 20). With live music at a halt due to the global pandemic, the band engaged fans worldwide with an immersive online campaign for the EP’s singles “Cold” “Voices,” “Crown,” and “Now Is The Time” which exploded with over 2 million Spotify streams and 6 million video streams combined.


(Photo - Michael Mueller/ M3 Creative)

As reported by NME, the Rockin' 1000 collective - calling themselves "the biggest rock band on Earth" due to the number of members - celebrated its 8th birthday on July 14th. To mark the occasion, musicians from 25 countries performed the Guns N' Roses classic "Paradise City" at Stade De France in Paris, France. Check it out below.


Rockin' 1000: "In 2015, 1,000 Rockers performed simultaneously 'Learn To Fly' by the Foo Fighters in Cesena, Italy. The video got more than 32 million views and the Foos actually held a concert in town! Since then we organize concerts with 1,000 musicians playing together  the songs that made the glorious History of Rock!"

Joe Satriani and Dreamcatcher Events have announced the long-awaited G4 Experience V6.0, happening January 3-7, 2023 at the Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada. Guitar players and aficionados of all ages, skill levels and interests are invited to join Satriani and an all-star lineup of special guests and distinguished instructors for an immersive four days of workshops, mentor sessions, exclusive live performances, and other activities.

"When I first put together the G3 concerts," Satriani says, "it was to create a camaraderie that is often missing in the general day-to-day competition of the music industry. It was to formalize us breaking the rules and saying, No, we're going to hang out and play in front of an audience together. From there we came up with the concept of the G4 Experience. I didn't want to do a traditional clinic, just getting up in front of people and giving impersonal lessons to a room full of people — I thought, what can we do that will truly reflect my values as a teacher? With the G4 Experience, we create an interactive community where I'm joined by these other stars that have been making amazing music and pushing the art form of guitar forward for decades. From all stylistic approaches and musical walks of life."

Satriani's special guests for G4 Experience V6.0 include legendary musicians Peter Frampton, Steve Lukather and Steve Morse, all of whom will offer instruction and share their knowledge with attendees on a more intimate basis than most fans ever get to opportunity to experience. In addition, a wildly diverse faculty of top players will lead clinics and jam sessions throughout the event, including Alex Skolnick, Andy James, Cory Wong, Eric Gales, John 5, Mateus Asato and Nili Brosh.

"We bring together this eclectic mix to show all the different sides of playing guitar," Satriani says. "They're all brilliant musicians with styles that are all over the map. They all have such different jobs, they've made millions of people happy with their playing, and yet they do it so differently. Every one of these players comes with fantastic new insights and innovations on playing guitar.

"Our faculty really reflects the anything-goes aspect of the instrument," he continues. "Not only does the guitar have the ability to play melodies, harmonies, and rhythms, it does this thing where it transmits the personality of the player to such a high degree that it kicks its versatility way ahead of other instruments. It's really a remarkable instrument. The G4 Experience is a testament to its astounding diversity."

Joe Satriani's G4 Experience V6.0 will cover a comprehensive range of themes and topics, spanning songwriting, playing, equipment, gigging, gear, and much more, all within an intimate small group setting that allows attendees to pick up a maximum amount of information, expertise, and personal connection. In addition, the four-day event will feature nightly live performances from Satriani and his longtime backing band — Kenny Aronoff (drums),Bryan Beller (bass),and Rai Thistlethwayte (keyboards and vocals) — as well as his special guests, faculty members, and other surprises.

"It's very different from the usual concerts we're all used to playing," Satriani says. "It's very intimate but everyone turns it on one hundred percent. The shows really break down the walls between the players and the audience. The shows put these incredible people just three feet away from you, it allows you to watch them and think very differently about how they're playing than you can do at a concert in a big venue."

Most of all, Joe Satriani's G4 Experience V6.0 will allow all who attend a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend time among their fellow players, allowing for a singular community experience where music lovers can share their fascination with the guitar and engage in unlimited dialogue and free-flowing exchange of ideas unlike any other.

"The G4 Experience is all about the community," says Satriani. "I can't state that enough. Everyone is not only there to enjoy the music, they're trying to learn everything they can. The G4 is such a fantastic spiritual experience. I've got my instruments ready. I've got my amps ready. There's a lot of information stored up in this head that I want to give to the fans and I'm very much looking forward to sharing it with everyone who attends."

For more information, visit g4experience.com.

Photo credit: Eduardo Peña Dolhun

In a new interview with VWMusic, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann was asked if he and his bandmates have been writing new material for the follow-up to 2021's "Too Mean To Die" album. He responded: "Yeah. We just signed a new deal with Napalm Records and they're desperately waiting for a new album. We are currently working on new tracks. While we're on the road, I sit with my guitar in my room and shred away, you know, collecting new ideas. Absolutely."

Wolf also confirmed that there are plans for him to release a third solo album, following "Headbangers Symphony", which came out in 2016.

"I started working on some tracks here and there," he said. "But to tell you the honest truth, this whole pandemic time was not my most creative time. The whole lockdown started, and we were in the middle of recording 'Too Mean To Die', so for a few months we were kind of glad, 'Oh, now we have time and don't have to worry. We can really take our time with this album.' Because touring's gonna start in — we thought maybe in six months everything was gonna be open, but then six months came, and nothing was open. Then we thought, 'Oh, okay, well maybe this tour is just postponed for another six months or a year.' And then that time came, and it was again postponed. So, it was always like this hurry-up-and-wait kind of thing. Almost like you're sitting at an airport, and you think that the flight's gonna take off in thirty minutes, and then thirty minutes comes around, and it’s gonna be another thirty minutes and another hour. That's how it felt to me. It was never, like, 'Oh, you've got two years off now. So, take your time and be creative.' It was just weird, man. It was a weird time for me."

According to Wolf, he has already "laid down some tracks and some ideas" for his third solo album. "But right now, for me, my focus is on ACCEPT and finishing this tour," he said. "We haven't really toured for this latest album, and that's what I really wanna get out of my system first. So, I can't wait to be on the road with ACCEPT again and properly tour this album. When the time comes, I will definitely go into the studio and work on another classical album. But these things take time. I mean, working on this classical stuff is really, really time-consuming."

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

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

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

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

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

"The Rise Of Chaos" marked ACCEPT's first release with Lulis and drummer Christopher Williams, replacing Herman Frank and Stefan Schwarzmann, respectively.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman Matt Sanders (aka M. Shadows) says that Zakk Wylde would be the "perfect fit" as the guitarist for the upcoming PANTERA reunion tour.

The 40-year-old Sanders made his comments one day after Billboard reported that singer Philip Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown have signed with Artist Group International to book their North American dates. However, there has been no official word yet as to who will step in for guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who was killed in 2004, and his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who passed away in 2018.

Earlier today (Thursday, July 14),Matt took to his Twitter to write: "Irregardless of our personal feelings, it seems that this @Pantera reunion reminds us that life is fragile and short. We live in an era where Phil and Rex can still go out there and perform the songs and soon that time will pass too. Enjoy it while you can. Looking forward."

When one of Matt's followers pointed out that there are rumors that Zakk will stand in for Dimebag, Sanders responded: "I hope so… perfect fit and a friend for Dime. What a great tribute."

As previously reported, Wylde and ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante are rumored to be the musicians who will join PANTERA's surviving members on the 2023 tour.

Back in 2006, AVENGED SEVENFOLD recorded a cover version of PANTERA's "Walk" for a special disc called "High Voltage", which was given away with the 25th-anniversary issue of U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine.

Sanders later told Blender.com about his band's rendition of "Walk": "Kerrang! magazine came to us and they asked if we wanted to cover one of our favorite bands' classic songs. [And we went], 'Well, we know 'Walk'. Can we do that?' So we had Terry Date [PANTERA producer] record it for us and Vinnie Paul give us his blessings on it, so we went and did it. And from then on, we kind of like… you know, playing festivals in Europe with METALLICA and stuff, it kind of brings back…

"Dime, to us, was one of the greatest guitar players ever to live, and to us, it's like a tribute to him," he explained. "It kind of lets his spirit live on at Ozzfest.

"PANTERA was, for a few years, tearing it up at Ozzfest, you know, and now they're not a band anymore, and I think… To us, it's a song we can play, we know we do it well, and we're just going out there and letting the spirit live on a little bit."

Up until his passing, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.
Irregardless of our personal feelings, it seems that this @Pantera reunion reminds us that life is fragile and short. We live in an era where Phil and Rex can still go out there and perform the songs and soon that time will pass too. Enjoy it while you can. Looking forward.

— M. Shadows (@shadows_eth) July 14, 2022


I hope so… perfect fit and a friend to Dime. What a great tribute.

— M. Shadows (@shadows_eth) July 14, 2022

Greber is a harsh grind/hardcore act, coming at ya’ from Ontario, Canada. They are releasing a new album Fright Without, which will be their fourth full length, later this year and in anticipation, are getting listeners stoked with their first single “Into Silence”.


Even just as a duo, Steve Vargas (drums/vocals) and Marc Bourgon (bass, vocals) sacrifice nothing and deliver a rush of intensity boosting adrenaline in listeners. Bourgon writes most of the skeletal ideas, which always start from the lyrics. Even if it’s just the title, it has to be there before he can let loose. Once Vargas comes in, things start to take shape, and chaos can begin. They explain the single “Into Silence”:


“This song is well above either of our abilities playing-wise so I’m sure we’ll never rock it live, thank Christ. Just a blasting of riffs and drums and pain. Nice. As far as a lyrical theme goes it’s just a portrait scaling the finer points of dissociation. Steve is just full-on, triple E, BEEEAST mode on this number.”




For Greber, the lyrics are an ever-evolving slog through a myriad of different sources. According to Bourgon, it used to be an overly personal airing of this or that, but on “Fright Without”, he went to great lengths to make it hurt more and to branch out as far as he could. The duo has come a long way since their debut back in 2006, their current form is raw and relentless, a sonic battering of low-end stylings.


In terms of influences, Vargas and Bourgon share the same love for “no bullshit” type bands. “Bands that only need what’s coming out the speakers and nothing else” such as Yautja, Malevich, Gaza, and Converge. Recommended for fans of the visceral, Greber will be enjoyed by those with an interest in Man is the Bastard, Black Sheep Wall, and Primitive Man.


Fright Without is slated for September 9, 2022, and will be available from the following labels: Ancient Temple and Nofuneral for Vinyl, CD, and Cassette in Canada, Hibernation Release for Vinyl in the USA, and 7 Degrees and Fresh Outbreak for Vinyl in Europe. Preorder on  Bandcamp





Tracklisting:


“Form”
“Aging Debt”
“Fabricated Purpose”
“Into Silence”
“Bush Cord Of Entrails”
“Larkinitis”
“Dark Corners”
“Rats Of Subversion”
“Nosebleed”
“Tree Carving”


“Into Silence”:





(Photo – Austin Gibson / Editing – Youth and Rust)

Canadian thrash metal veterans, Sacrifice, have announced a new reissue campaign of the band's early albums. This summer, the Ohio-based Shadow Kingdom Records is releasing the original group's first three albums on compact disc and limited edition cassette. This is the first time these albums have been available in North America on these formats since the early nineties.


The three albums in question, Torment In Fire, Forward To Termination and Soldiers of Misfortune, all contain the original, classic lineup of the band: Gus Pynn on drums, Scott Watts on bass, Joe Rico on lead guitar and Rob Urbinati on vocals and guitar. Featuring new liner notes* and updated booklet design by Annick Giroux of Temple of Mystery Records, the albums were prepared for release by Sean Pearson (Shallow North Dakota, Tomb Mold) at Boxcar Sound in Hamilton, Ontario in 2021. Order here.







* 1986's Torment In Fire features new liner notes from Decibel Magazine's Kevin Stewart-Panko





* Forward To Termination (1987) includes a testimonial about the importance of the album by fellow Scarborough rocker Danko Jones. The album was feted by Decibel Magazine and inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2015 by Kevin Stewart-Panko





* Propagandhi bassist Todd Kowalski shares his thoughts about the band's third album, 1990's Soldiers Of Misfortune. His band wrote a song in tribute to Sacrifice, entitled "The Banger's Embrace". It can be found on their 2009 album Supporting Caste. Soldiers of Misfortune was declared one of the 50 Best Toronto Albums Ever by NOW Magazine


Sacrifice is currently in the demo phase for their next album. Plans on that upcoming full-length, their first since 2009's The Ones I Condemn, will be announced in the near future. In the meantime, Sacrifice has confirmed a rare, one-off performance for later this year in Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada), It will be the band's first show in Nova Scotia in more than 32 years - and will mark only their second show of 2022, following a sold out Vancouver performance in May.


Sacrifice with guests Ritual Warfare, Hero's Last Rite, Novichok
Sunday, September 18
The Marquee Ballroom, 2037 Gottingen Street, Halifax NS


Tickets are on sale now and are available for purchase here.





(Photo - Kieran Palmerston)