BEARTOOTH has surprised-released a brand new single, "Riptide". The accompanying music video sees frontman and main songwriter Caleb Shomo sharing the stage with a group of interpretative dancers.

Shomo stated about the track: "'Riptide' is about trying to start a new chapter in life and trying to stop focusing on all of the negative things that have been surrounding my life for quite some time and me focusing on being healthier, happier, and having a better time with my life."

The lyrics to "Riptide" include such lines as: "I'm done explaining my pain / This is way too much / I wanna feel euphoria / Give me the rush / Cause it's the last time that I romanticize / The riptide that's trying to drown me."

Last month, Shomo told Rock Sound that new music from BEARTOOTH was "coming real soon… [The album is] done. The music video is shot. The photo shoot [is] done. The album art is finished.

"There is a whole new era, a whole new everything — a complete overhaul — new shit coming real soon," he continued. "I'm very excited. No one is fucking ready for what we're about to drop, I'll tell you that — I will tell you that."

Shomo's comments came three months after he told WSOU 89.5 FM radio station that "half" of BEARTOOTH's next record was done. "I went out to L.A. — over the last month, I spent about three weeks there in total — and I've just been writing and working and coming up with kind of the new sound for this record," he explained back in March. "And it's just been happening really, really fast. And it's my favorite stuff I've ever written. I know a lot of people say that about their new stuff that's not out yet, but truly for me, it just couldn't describe more about where I'm at in my life, and I think the sound reflects that."

The 29-year-old frontman, who writes, performs, records and mixes everything that goes into BEARTOOTH's albums, elaborated on the musical direction of the band's new material, saying: "I'm trying to kind of push myself in a lot of ways, try new things that I've never tried before, try and show off different parts of my voice that I haven't used before. Yeah, it's going to be a wild ride."

With nearly two million monthly listeners on Spotify, BEARTOOTH has released four albums thus far: "Disgusting" (2014),"Aggressive" (2016),"Disease" (2018) and "Below" (2021).

The Ohio act recently released a deluxe edition of "Below". "Below Deluxe" is expanded to include 32 tracks. For this edition, BEARTOOTH added two new bonus tracks, "Fighting Back" and "Permanently Sealed", as well as a refreshed version of current radio single "Skin (Alternate Universe Version)", which mixes acoustics and electrics. It also includes the full, 17-track live recordings from the "Live From The Journey Below" livestream, recorded at the historic Clyde Theatre in Fort Wayne, Indiana in July 2021. An exclusive 52-track "Special Video Edition" Apple eMix bundle includes all the official videos plus the videos from "Live From The Journey Below".

In a new interview with Ian Danter of Planet Rock's "My Planet Rocks", ALTER BRIDGE guitarist Mark Tremonti spoke about the band's seventh album, "Pawns & Kings", which will arrive on October 14 via Napalm Records. The follow-up to 2019's "Walk The Sky" was once again recorded at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who has previously worked with SEVENDUST, MAMMOTH WVH and SLASH, among others.

"We're very proud of it," Mark said. "Our producer is absolutely in love with the record. I think if you're a fan of ALTER BRIDGE, you'll dig this record. We're very happy with it."

Asked if there will be any "heavy" Tremonti riffs on "Pawns & Kings", Mark said: "There are some heavy riffs on there. And it's funny because some of the heaviest riffs on the record [ALTER BRIDGE frontman] Myles [Kennedy] brought to the table. Even my producer is, like, 'I can't tell who's bringing what to the table anymore. 'Cause back when the band started, you were the heavy guy and Myles was the moody guy — [he would bring in] the ballady things — and we'd mix them up. And now you never know.' I think when you work with somebody long enough,

ALTER BRIDGE will embark on an extensive European tour this winter. The "Pawns & Kings" trek will hit 25 cities over 18 countries, kicking off on November 1 in Hamburg, Germany and wrapping up on December 12 in London, England. Supporting ALTER BRIDGE will be Grammy-winning rockers HALESTORM and MAMMOTH WVH, the new band fronted by ex-VAN HALEN bassist Wolfgang Van Halen.

ALTER BRIDGE released a seven-song EP, "Walk The Sky 2.0", in November 2020 via Napalm Records. The effort contained live versions of a few of the band's favorites from "Walk The Sky" — "Wouldn't You Rather", "Pay No Mind", "Native Son", "Godspeed", "In The Deep" and "Dying Light" — as well as one new studio track, "Last Rites", which was written, recorded and completed entirely during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Tremonti issued the fifth album from his solo band TREMONTI, titled "Marching In Time", last September via Napalm Records.

Kennedy released his sophomore solo album, "The Ides Of March", in May 2021 via Napalm Records.

Tremonti recently partnered with National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to release an album of Frank Sinatra covers titled "Tremonti Sings Sinatra". The LP of selections from Frank Sinatra's catalog was made available in May as part of a new charity initiative created by Tremonti called Take A Chance For Charity. Proceeds from the album go to support NDSS and the work they do to advocate for and support individuals with Down syndrome and their families.

Photo credit: Chuck Brueckmann

Fan-filmed video of EXODUS's July 10 performance at the Masters Of Rock festival in Vizovice, Czech Republic can be seen below.

Last month, it was announced that EXODUS guitarist Lee Altus would be unable to join his bandmates on their European tour this summer due to "family concerns." Filling in for him is Brandon Ellis of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER.

EXODUS singer Steve "Zetro" Souza touched upon Altus's absence from the trek in a video update on his Zetro's Toxic Vault YouTube channel. He said: "Our guitar player Lee Altus won't be making this leg of the tour. It's gonna be Brandon from THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER. He's going to be filling in on guitar. For Lee, there's some family issues that Lee needs to take care of for himself, so he's going to be staying back [home]. He isn't going anywhere. Sometimes these things happen. Family things happen. You can't always put [the band] first."

Souza went on to say that he and his EXODUS bandmates are "looking forward to playing with Brandon."

"We knew that [Brandon] would nail it, and it's kind of been something that has been in the works for a little while so he's actually had time to learn the music and really get into it," the vocalist explained. "So it's gonna be really good.

"We're not gonna cancel. We're gonna keep going. It's gonna be EXODUS.

"For everybody in Europe, you are going to get an awesome EXODUS show," Souza added. "That's all I can say. It's gonna be heavy."

When Altus's absence was first announced on June 22, EXODUS released a statement via social media in which the band said: "EXODUS regretfully announce that Lee Altus will not be joining us on our upcoming European tour. Family concerns dictate he remain close to home and being so far away from home is not possible. EXODUS stand strong with Lee and will destroy in his behalf, and he will rejoin us for the upcoming tours such as the fall leg of 'The Bay Strikes Back'. We stand behind our brother in everything and he will be back! Joining us on this trek is none other than Brandon Ellis of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER so let’s welcome him like one of the EXODUS family! Brandon is one of the sickest guitarists alive and he is going to kill it for certain! See you soon in Europe and the UK!"

Brandon added: "I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to get on stage with the legendary dudes of EXODUS and crush some open air fests and clubs this July and August. I wish Lee the best and will cover his stage right post with honor and respect!"

EXODUS is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Persona Non Grata", which came out last November via Nuclear Blast Records.

"Persona Non Grata" was recorded at a studio in Lake Almanor, California and was engineered by Steve Lagudi and EXODUS. It was produced by EXODUS and was mixed by Andy Sneap. For the third time in the band's history, they returned to Swedish artist Pär Olofsson to create the album artwork.

"Persona Non Grata" is the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

Last July, EXODUS drummer Tom Hunting underwent a successful total gastrectomy in his battle with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the stomach. He rejoined his bandmates on stage in October at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California.

EXODUS tapped John Tempesta to play drums for the band at Psycho Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada in August and at Full Terror Assault in Cave In Rock, Illinois in September while Hunting was recovering from surgery. Tempesta was a member of EXODUS from 1989 until 1993 and played on the band's albums "Impact Is Imminent" (1990) and "Force Of Habit" (1992).

A GoFundMe campaign to help Hunting with medical expenses had previously raised more than $114,000 — including $5,000 from Tom's former EXODUS bandmate, current METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, and $1,500 from FOZZY singer and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho.

Posted by Masters of Rock on Monday, July 11, 2022

ARCHITECTS will release a new studio album, "The Classic Symptoms Of A Broken Spirit", on October 21 via Epitaph. The announcement comes with the release of lead single "Tear Gas", which is described as "an arena-ready anthem packed with industrial stomp."

"The Classic Symptoms Of A Broken Spirit" will be ARCHITECTS' tenth studio album and is the follow-up to last year's critically acclaimed "For Those That Wish To Exist".

The ARCHITECTS members barely had time to celebrate success when they began the process of writing the songs that make up the new record.

The LP was produced by Dan Searle and Josh Middleton, with additional production from Sam Carter at Middle Farm Studios and their own HQ, Electric Studios in Brighton.

ARCHITECTS were buoyed by finally being back in the room together after their last album was made mostly remote due to COVID restrictions, and the result was something altogether more "free, playful and spontaneous," the band's drummer and songwriter Dan explains. Frontman Sam Carter agrees: "This one feels more live, more exciting and more fun — it has that energy. We wanted it to be a lot more industrial and electronic."

Layers of electronic and industrial elements infuse the album with a blast of energy that sets the cinematic moodscape for the 11-track ride. There is more than a passing nod to the band's post-rock influences as well as now-familiar fist-pumping anthems such as "When We Were Young" and the aforementioned "Tear Gas".

"The Classic Symptoms Of A Broken Spirit" track listing:

01. Deep Fake
02. Tear Gas
03. Spit The Bone
04. Burn Down My House
05. Living Is Killing Us
06. When We Were Young
07. Doomscrolling
08. Born Again Pessimist
09. A New Moral Low Ground
10. All The Love In The World
11. Be Very Afraid

Upcoming ARCHITECTS tour dates:

Sep. 06 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Sep. 08 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave Hall
Sep. 09 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theater
Sep. 10 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
Sep. 12 - Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe - Old National Centre
Sep. 13 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
Sep. 15 - Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theater
Sep. 16 - Toronto, ON @ Canada Rebel
Sep. 17 - Montreal, QC @ Canada Mtelus
Sep. 20 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues - Boston
Sep. 21 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5
Sep. 22 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore - Philadelphia
Sep. 23 - Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore - Silver Spring
Sep. 25 - Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life Festival
Sep. 26 - Norfolk, VA @ The Norva Theater
Sep. 27 - Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz - Raleigh
Sep. 29 - Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
Sep. 30 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
Oct. 01 - St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
Oct. 03 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater - Dallas
Oct. 04 - San Antonio, TX @ The Aztec Theater
Oct. 06 - Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
Oct. 07 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo by Microsoft
Oct. 09 - Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival
Nov. 05 - Leeds, UK @ First Direct Arena*
Nov. 06 - Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro*
Nov. 08 – Dublin, IE @ 3Arena*
Nov. 09 - Belfast, IE @ SSE Arena*
Nov. 11 - Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena*
Nov. 12 - London, UK @ 02 Arena*
Nov. 14 - Cardiff, UK @ Motorpoint Arena*
Nov. 15 - Bournemouth, UK @ International Centre*

* Support for BIFFY CLYRO

ARCHITECTS is Dan Searle, Sam Carter, Alex Dean, Adam Christianson and Josh Middleton.

Photo credit: Ed Mason

On July 9, SKY Arts aired professionally filmed video of IRON MAIDEN's June 11 performance at this year's edition of the Download festival in the United Kingdom. Check out the clips below.

As has been the case on all the shows of the 2022 leg of MAIDEN's "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour so far, the band opened the set with "Senjutsu", the title track of its latest studio album, and followed it up with two more songs from the same LP, "Stratego" and "The Writing On The Wall".

Other tracks aired during MAIDEN's performance included "Revelations", "Blood Brothers", "Sign Of The Cross", "Flight Of Icarus", "Fear Of The Dark", "Hallowed Be Thy Name", "The Number Of The Beast" and "Iron Maiden".

MAIDEN also played two encores, consisting of "The Trooper", "The Clansman", "Run To The Hills" and the closing track of the night, "Aces High".

The full setlist was as follows:

01. Senjutsu
02. Stratego
03. The Writing On The Wall
04. Revelations
05. Blood Brothers
06. Sign Of The Cross
07. Flight Of Icarus
08. Fear Of The Dark
09. Hallowed Be Thy Name
10. The Number Of The Beast
11. Iron Maiden

Encore:

12. The Trooper
13. The Clansman
14. Run To The Hills

Encore 2:

15. Aces High

Prior to the "Legacy Of The Beast" kick-off concert on May 22 in Zagreb, Croatia, IRON MAIDEN hadn't performed live in two and a half years — since the completion of its South American tour in October 2019.

Earlier this year, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson confirmed that the band is planning to stage a tour where it will perform its new album, "Senjutsu", in its entirety. The 63-year-old singer told the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast: "The plan we've got — it's not really a secret; I think everybody else has chatted about it — we will, I hope, we've talked about doing the entire ['Senjutsu'] album start to finish, but not this time around. And we all appreciate that that is something that really diehard fans will probably love and other people will go, 'Hmmm, I'm not gonna go see that.' So the answer is you play smaller venues so that they sell out with just your diehard fans. 'Cause it's a musical thing to do — it's a musical thing."

Dickinson went on to clarify that the 2022 leg of MAIDEN's "Legacy Of The Beast" tour, which is scheduled to hit North America in September and October, will once again focus primarily on a decades-spanning setlist of fan favorites.

"The 'Legacy Of The Beast' tour, people have all paid their money to see the 'Legacy Of The Beast' show, with Spitfires and flamethrowers and Icarus and everything that goes with," he said. "So they're gonna get all that. But the first three tracks are probably gonna be the first three tracks on the ['Senjutsu'] album. 'The Writing On The Wall' they already know, so everybody should know the first three tracks. And I just think [the] 'Senjutsu' [title track] is just such a great opening song — so dramatic. And then once you've done that — and we'll have a stage set to go with it — once you've done that, you're back to the kind of 'Legacy' world at that point. But I think 'The Writing On The Wall' is gonna be a great song — I mean, a crowd singalong song. You can imagine that. It'll be fantastic."

Addressing the fact that MAIDEN infuriated some fans by forcing them to sit through the band's then-new, 75-minute "A Matter Of Life And Death" album on tour in 2006, denying the crowd the greatest hits they'd come for, Bruce said: "Nobody has to buy a ticket. If you don't wanna go [see us play an entire new album live], you don't buy a ticket. It's gonna be plain as the nose on your face. This is gonna be what they're gonna do. So given that, don't complain that they did what they said they were gonna do."

Clocking in at a hefty 82 minutes, "Senjutsu" came out in September. It marks MAIDEN's second consecutive double album behind 2015's "The Book Of Souls" which is the longest MAIDEN album, with a running time of 92 minutes.

IRON MAIDEN's first album in six years, "Senjutsu" was recorded in 2019 in Paris with longstanding producer Kevin Shirley and co-produced by bassist Steve Harris. It features three tracks whose running time exceeds 10 minutes each.

For "Senjutsu" — loosely translated as "tactics and strategy" — the band once again enlisted the services of Mark Wilkinson to create the spectacular Samurai-themed cover artwork, based on an idea by Harris.

"Senjutsu" bowed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, charting higher than even the band's early classics like "Powerslave" and "The Number Of The Beast". Nearly 90 percent of the LP's 64,000 equivalent album units earned came from pure album sales. The critically acclaimed double album debuted one place higher than 2015's "The Book Of Souls" and 2010's "The Final Frontier", which both peaked at No. 4.

"Senjutsu" was MAIDEN's 13th album to top in the Top 40 in the U.S.

According to Billboard, "Senjutsu" logged the second-largest week of 2021 for a hard rock album in both equivalent album units earned and in traditional album sales.

"Senjutsu" topped the charts in several European countries upon its release, including in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland.

In a new interview with George Dionne of KNAC.COM, SEVENDUST guitarist John Connolly addressed drummer Morgan Rose's recent revelation that he and his bandmates have discussed a possible "end date" for the group.

Connolly said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's funny. Any time that we talk about this stuff, people are, like, 'Oh, that's it. They're quittin'. It's the end.' It's really not that at all. I mean, we're realists. We ask ourselves, are we gonna be jumping off trampolines and drum risers and stuff when we're 80? Are we gonna wanna do 300 shows a year when we're 80? Probably not. But I look a band like THE [ROLLING] STONES and I go, but you can still go out and do something whenever you wanna do it. So that's sort of what we've… I think what we're doing is we're looking at making records — at some point in time making records and doing a big tour to support the record. I don't think it's gonna be something that we're gonna wanna do like we're doing it now.

"I think we'll always make music in some way, shape or form or another, even if it's small doses, and I think we'll always tour — in small doses," he explained. "Pick and choose those moments, not grind it out. Do it enough to where it keeps you wantin' to do it.

"As you get older, the family time starts to weight down on the scale, as it should. And we've all got families and we've all got kids of different ages, going through different points — some are in elementary school; some are getting ready to go to college; some [are] drivin', which is crazy. There's more to life, and I think we've all appreciated the fact that we wanna nurture SEVENDUST to the point where we could perpetually do it forever. But you're not gonna see us three times coming through New York City on a tour. If we come through once, okay.

"But, yeah, you've gotta look at the age thing; you've gotta look at the motivation; you've gotta look at the family thing — you've gotta look at all of it and weigh it out," John added. "And instead of saying, 'That's it. We're wrapping it up,' we're just saying, I think we're gonna move into something different; we're just gonna move into a different model.

"It's funny, 'cause it's, like, okay, how many bands have said that they're gonna retire from touring and then all of a sudden [they are back]? That'll be us," Connolly admitted. "We could come in and say, 'There's not a chance that we're gonna play another show. We hate each other.' Two years later, we're gonna be out back out there going, 'You know what, man? We really didn't mean it. We probably shouldn't have reacted so quickly. We're down. We're gonna do it again.'

"MÖTLEY [CRÜE], they had contracts, and they're out doing a stadium tour. I'm, like, they should. You know what I mean? If you wanna play, play. And that's sort of what we're gonna do. I think we're just gonna move from the point of having to do it and having that be something that people have expectations on.

"The thing about it is to make a full-length record these days, I know people are into it, but people just want music," Connolly said. "They don't really care whether they get 10 songs every two years or whether they get a song or two every month, two months, which I think would be a more interesting model to go down anyways, because you can just — as you create, you'll know your moments. There's always gonna be those two or three songs that are, like, 'Oh, wow. I can't wait to play this for the guys.' And then you go, 'Let's go hop in the studio for two days. Let's go sit with Elvis [producer Michael Baskette] for two days, punch two or three songs out, stick 'em in a can, and then do that two or three times. And then if you wanna release a record, release a record. If not, EPs are super popular right now… Those kind of moves are the moves that, I think, are gonna keep the business… I think it's gonna keep fans engaged because you're not giving them the playbook, going, 'Okay, on this day here, here's the EPK. Here's the bio.' We've done it the traditional way. Sometimes that whole, 'Let's just drop it. Let's go record it and just drop it — drop the video, drop whatever.' So that, I think, is more interesting to all of us as we get a little older. Just any way that we can kind of keep it fresh.

"We're in a really good headspace in the SEVENDUST world… So that's why we're not saying 'never,' but we are saying at some point it's gonna get different. So you all don't be thinking you're gonna take a three-week vacation and follow SEVENDUST around on tour. You might take a week and follow us on tour, but I don't know if three weeks is gonna be necessary anymore."

Last month, Rose told "The Jasta Show" that SEVENDUST won't hit the road in support of its next studio album until 2023. He also revealed that "there's not gonna be many [tours] left, I'll just tell you that. I'm gonna be the one to let all the cats out of the bag, but I can just tell you that we're not gonna be around, full-fledged, forever, that's for sure," he added cryptically.

SEVENDUST recently completed the songwriting sessions for its next studio album at a Kentucky farmhouse near the home of the band's lead singer Lajon Witherspoon. The group will enter the studio later this month to begin recording the follow-up to 2020's "Blood & Stone" for a 2023 release.

Last December, SEVENDUST released a digital expanded edition of "Blood & Stone". "Blood & Stone Deluxe" contained five new tracks, including three never-before-released remixes and two newly recorded songs. Jake Bowen of PERIPHERY, Richard Wicander of FIRE FROM THE GODS and Justin deBlieck, formerly of ICE NINE KILLS, provided remixes and the band finished recording "All I Really Know" and "What You Are" specifically for this release. "Blood & Stone Deluxe" was released via all digital partners via Rise Records and was produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette.

Earlier this week, SEVENDUST announced another leg of its tour celebrating the 21st anniversary of its "Animosity" album. Support on the trek will come from NONPOINT, BASTARDANE (the new band featuring drummer Castor Hetfield, son of METALLICA frontman James Hetfield) and BURDEN OF THE SKY. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, July 8 at 10 a.m.

SEVENDUST previously played all of "Animosity" on two separate U.S. tour legs in early 2022. Prior to that, the band performed "Animosity" at a January 2021 livestream event from Opav in Orlando, Florida.

TWISTED SISTER's Dee Snider is the latest musician to defend Vince Neil after several video clips of MÖTLEY CRÜE's July 5 concert in St. Louis, Missouri showed the onstage teleprompter which the singer is apparently relying on to get him through each show.

A teleprompter, or autocue, is a display device that prompts the person speaking with an electronic visual text of a speech or script, and it is usually used by vocalists — including JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford and BLACK SABBATH's Ozzy Osbourne — who are getting on a bit and have a large body of work to remember.

Two days after BLABBERMOUTH.NET first published a story about Vince's teleprompter reliance, former MTV "Headbangers Ball" host Riki Rachtman took to his Twitter to write: "So @MotleyCrue used a teleprompter. Really who fuckin cares. Did you have fun at the show? That’s what matters. A lot of bands have used teleprompters STOP looking for reasons to criticize. Recorded vocals an artist not caring is bad Teleprompters? Who cares".

Snider shared Riki's tweet and chimed in: "True that! MOST bands are using teleprompters. Not me, but I didn't kill a lot of my brain cells with drink and drugs (not a criticism. More of an explanation)."

He added: "STOP being so damn critical and just enjoy seeing the people you love on stage! Now lip synching is another story!"

Other musicians who have defended Neil over his teleprompter use include DISTURBED's David Draiman, STRYPER's Michael Sweet and SHINEDOWN's Zach Myers.

Draiman took to his Twitter to write: "All you parasitic vultures pretending to be journalists who broke the 'big story' that Vince Neil/ @MotleyCrue uses a teleprompter onstage should really find a new line of work.

"SO FUCKING WHAT? Most artists with extensive catalogs do.

"Leave the guy alone FFS."

Myers shared the BLABBERMOUTH.NET article on Twitter and wrote simply: "Slow news day ?

"Steven Tyler has been 15 of them onstage".

Sweet was equally dismissive of the newsworthiness of the Neil story, writing on Instagram: "I hate to break it to you since this is 'BIG' news but many artists our age (or close to it) use teleprompters of some sort. Or lyric sheets, or other means. I used a teleprompter back in 2008 when I was with BOSTON! I use an IPad now for certain lyrics. When you've got a huge catalog that dates back to the early eighties (and you're getting a little older),it's pretty much impossible to remember the lyrics to every song.

"Why is this news? Give the guy a break. Would you rather he forgets the lyrics so you can beat him up for that?

"I have to say this - it's the best I've seen @thevinceneil do (performance wise) in a long while. He's obviously been working hard and it shows IMO. Regarding teleprompters - who really cares?

"Come on now!"

SEVENDUST guitarist Clint Lowery concurred, writing in the comments section below Sweet's post: "Dude has a catalogue of material to remember. Good for him for making sure he has a fail safe to glance at from time to time. God forbid he misses a lyric he'll get torn apart. Any band that has more than 3 records should use one. We would but we can't afford to have it on deck haha".

FOZZY singer Chris Jericho also chimed in, writing: "We used a teleprompter for Panama haha! @jericho_cruise".

Jericho's FOZZY bandmate, guitarist Rich Ward, commended Michael for his post, writing: "Bravo, Sir."

Two years ago, IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson called out singers who use teleprompters during live performances, saying, "I don't use an autocue on stage. A lot of singers now, they just have the words there: 'Breaking the law, breaking the law, breaking the law, breaking the law, breaking the law, breaking the law, breaking the law.' Breaking the what? 'Breaking the law. Breaking the law.'"

Bruce previously brought up the topic of singers relying on teleprompters in a 2014 interview with The Guardian. He said at the time: "I never realized that people were using autocues. What the fuck is that all about? People pay good money and you can't even remember the sodding words."

The now-63-year-old vocalist continued: "The daftest one I ever saw was [JUDAS PRIEST's] 'Breaking The Law'. It's on the fucking autocue. 'Breaking the law, breaking the law/Breaking the law, breaking the law/Breaking the law, breaking the law/Breaking the law' — guess what? — 'breaking the law.' It's ludicrous."

A few weeks after Dickinson's The Guardian interview was published, Halford was asked about the MAIDEN frontman's comments during a chat with Australia's AndrewHaug.com. Rob said: "Well, the first thing I'll say about that is Bruce Dickinson is a good mate of mine; I love him to death. I think he's an incredible singer, he's a great showman, he's in a wonderful band, IRON MAIDEN, who are one of the biggest metal bands in the world. And as far as what people say about each other, I don't think it really means that much, to be quite honest. We say whatever we say, depending on the day and the emotion that we're at. I know Bruce's heart is in the right place, and he just said what he said, and that's all there is to it to comment, in that respect."

In a 2010 interview with the QMI Agency, Halford spoke about how using a teleprompter helped him when he was asked to fill in for Ozzy with BLACK SABBATH for a show after Osbourne was taken ill. "[Like Ozzy], I use a teleprompter now too because I do so many things," he said. "I can't remember. I wish I was like my mate Bruce Dickinson and could do everything, but I need that safety blanket."

During the 2005 edition of Ozzfest, the traveling festival's founder, Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne, famously cut the venue's public-address system and the main stage's power on at least three occasions during MAIDEN's performance at the tour's final stop in Devore, California because she said that Dickinson was "talking shit about my family, night after night," and was being "disrespectful" to her husband during Bruce's "nightly outbursts from the stage" by saying that "we don't need a teleprompter' [like Ozzy]."
True that! MOST bands are using teleprompters. Not me, but I didn't kill a lot of my brain cells with drink and drugs (not a criticism. More of an explanation). STOP being so damn critical and just enjoy seeing the people you love on stage! Now lip synching is another story! https://t.co/HyadH77d4h

— Dee Snider🇺🇸 (@deesnider) July 9, 2022

Iconic guitarist Carlos Santana has postponed six more shows on his "Miraculous Supernatural" 2022 tour in order to "recuperate fully" after collapsing onstage earlier in the week.

Michael Vrionis, Santana's manager, issued a statement on Friday (July 8) saying that the shows were being postponed "out of an abundance of caution for the artist's health."

The statement added: "I regret to inform you that the Santana band has postponed tonight's show at Ruoff Music Center, Noblesville, Indiana. And, we are postponing the July 9 show at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio; July 10 at American Family Insurance Amphitheater – Summerfest Grounds in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; July 12 at Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion in Rogers, Arkansas; July 15 at Dos Equis Pavilion in Dallas, Texas; July 16 at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Woodlands, Texas. Doctor's have recommended that Mr. Santana gets rest to recuperate fully.

"Earlier this week, Carlos Santana was taken from the stage due to serious heat exhaustion and dehydration. All shows as planned beginning July 23rd of this month in Paso Robles, CA through the end of 2022 are still confirmed and will be performed as scheduled. The tour schedule can be found at: https://tour.santana.com/

"Carlos is doing well and is anxious to be back on stage soon. He just needs rest. Santana profoundly regrets that these postponements of his upcoming performances; but, his health is our number one concern. He is looking forward to seeing all of his fans very soon.

"Live Nation will be announcing the rescheduled show dates. All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new dates."

Fans who expected to see Santana Friday night at Ruoff Music Center Noblesville, Indiana left were greeted with a sign at the amphitheater letting them know that the 74-year-old was not feeling well.

On Tuesday night (July 5) at Pine Knob Music Theater in Clarkston, Michigan, Santana was "over-taken by heat exhaustion and dehydration," according to a statement by his management team posted on his official Facebook page.

Santana also postponed a Wednesday night show at Star Lake Pavilion in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. That show was rescheduled for August 4.

Carlos's wife, Cindy Blackman Santana, said Wednesday morning in a Facebook post: "Hi Everyone! Carlos & I thank you so much for your prayers, love, care & concern for him! Please know that he's resting and doing very well! He was diagnosed with heat exhaustion & dehydration… it was 100 degrees on stage and 114 under the lights so that coupled with not enough water is what caused the issue. He'll be as good as new soon! Thank you again and we love you! Cindy & Carlos."

Last December, Carlos canceled his Las Vegas residency dates following a health scare.

Carlos is continuing to promote his latest album, "Blessings And Miracles", which was released last October via BMG. The record's first single, "Move", saw the music legend and guitar icon reteamed with MATCHBOX 20 singer Rob Thomas.

With news that Toyah will be joining Billy Idol and The Roadside Tour 2022 in the UK this October, Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch features a new cover of Billy Idol’s classic “Rebel Yell”. 





About the tour Billy Idol says: “As many of you know, this year has dealt me some health challenges which are nearly, but not quite resolved. While my recovery is almost complete, I have been given doctor’s orders to stay off the road until August - and so it is with great frustration that we must reschedule the UK Tour for October of this year. Thank you for everyone’s understanding and support. These shows will be worth the wait!”

Dee Snider doesn't believe that he will record new music anymore.

The 67-year-old TWISTED SISTER frontman, who released two solo albums in the last four years, touched upon his future plans while answering questions on Twitter on Saturday (July 9).

When one Twitter user commented that he is "amazed" to see legendary artists like Paul McCartney and Buddy Guy performing in their 80s, Snider wrote: "God bless them all! I can only do what's right for me. And for my retirement I'm writing screenplays, directing a movie, releasing my first fiction novel, producing two animated series, etc. etc. etc. My wife laughs when I tell her I'm retiring!"

After another Twitter follower asked Dee if he will still continue to record music, he responded: "Never say never, but I don't see me recording anymore. Movies, books, tv, radio, etc."

Two months ago, Dee told a fan that his performing days are likely behind him and that he plans to concentrate on non-music-related projects. After the fan, who recently moved to Springfield, Illinois, asked the aging rocker whether he ever tours in the area, Snider said: "No, I don't tour anymore. I don't even think I'll do any more shows. I'm focusing on writing, directing, and producing. Sorry man."

In June, Snider announced that he had secured a deal to publish his first fictional novel, "Frats". He has described the book as "a period piece/coming of age story set on Long Island, NY in 1972/73 inspired by true event." But he quickly clarified: "No it's not my story."

In 2016, TWISTED SISTER embarked on one final trek, titled "Forty And Fuck It", in celebration of its 40th anniversary. These shows featured the band's "core lineup" of Snider, guitarist Jay Jay French, guitarist Eddie Ojeda and bassist Mark Mendoza, along with drummer Mike Portnoy. The band's last-ever concert took place in November of that year — 20 months after the passing of TWISTED's longtime drummer A.J. Pero.

During an August 2017 appearance on the "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" show on SiriusXM, Snider stated about TWISTED SISTER's decision to call it quits: "Basically, the level of intensity that I performed at with TWISTED SISTER, I had to stop while I could still deliver that before I could no longer deliver that. The headbanging, the thrashing, all that energy… Where Alice [Cooper] always seemed like a crotchety old dude, and he's crawling around the stage, that works great for a 72-year-old dude now. But what I did does not work for [someone in his 60s]. I mean, it's just too fucking hard to stay in the shape. Just to keep that going just got harder and harder. I said, 'I wanna stop while people are still smiling and not looking at me saying, 'Oh, remember when he was good?'"

TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.

Snider's last two solo albums, 2018's "For The Love Of Metal" and 2021's "Leave A Scar", were both released via Napalm Records.

Last year, Dee told Ultimate Classic Rock that producer Jamey Jasta helped him find his place in the modern heavy metal scene.

"As I said to Jamey, 'I love contemporary metal. I just don't know where I fit in,'" Snider recalled. "He said, 'Well, I know where you fit in.' He helped me find the sweet spot. Then I found the team, and then I found the band, and then I found my spot. We come to ['Leave A Scar'], and now I'm, like, 'Okay. Now, I know what we're doing and I can join this party and participate in it fully and not be along for the ride,' so to speak."
God bless them all! I can only do what's right for me. And for my retirement I'm writing screenplays, directing a movie, releasing my first fiction novel, producing two animated series, etc. etc. etc. My wife laughs when I tell her I'm retiring! https://t.co/IZxGcdqmib

— Dee Snider🇺🇸 (@deesnider) July 9, 2022


Never say never, but i don't see me recording anymore. Movies, books, tv, radio, etc. https://t.co/mYRwTzTRhV

— Dee Snider🇺🇸 (@deesnider) July 10, 2022

Former IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di'Anno met the members of KISS for the first time in 42 years this past Saturday night (July 9) when the legendary rockers performed in Zagreb, Croatia as part of their "End Of The Road" farewell tour.

Di'Anno, who has been receiving physiotherapy and lymphatic drainage treatments in Croatia in preparation for his long-awaited knee surgery, supported KISS with MAIDEN on the former band's 1980 "Unmasked" European tour. On that trek, IRON MAIDEN played 27 concerts and for the first time visited countries such as Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. This run of shows undoubtedly opened the European doors wide for MAIDEN and helped Steve Harris and company become one of the biggest metal bands of all time.

At the time, Di'Anno told U.K. journalist Geoff Barton that he and his bandmates were "having an amazing time" supporting KISS. "We came over expecting nothing, but it's been so good," he said. "Touring with KISS is one of the best moves we've made. They've been so great to us, I'm knocked out."

MAIDEN guitarist Dave Murray agreed, saying: "KISS have been terrific. On our first gig with them we had trouble with our equipment; it was delayed at some border or other. It eventually arrived about an hour before we were due to go on, so that was okay. But all during the day [KISS bassist/vocalist] Gene Simmons had been saying to us, 'Don't worry, boys — if your gear doesn't turn up, we'll make sure you don't have to cancel.' Gene was prepared to lend us some of KISS's guitars and drums; he even sent someone out to see if he could hire a backline for us. It was a nice gesture."

Added Di'Anno: "KISS could've ignored us but they've been really helpful, really encouraging. We often notice the band members in the wings, watching our show. They like to see [MAIDEN's mascot] Eddie warming up the crowd; they love that. [KISS guitarist] Ace Frehley got so carried away, I even saw him climbing up the lighting rig to get a better view — platform boots and all."

A photo of Di'Anno with all four members of the current KISS lineup, as well as Chris Dale (who played bass on current MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson's 1996 album, "Skunkworks") and Chris's son Archie, can be seen below.

Di'Anno recorded two classic albums with IRON MAIDEN — a self-titled effort in 1980 and "Killers" in 1981 — before being fired and replaced by Bruce Dickinson. He went on to front a number of other bands, including KILLERS and BATTLEZONE, and released several solo records.

Last month, Stjepan Juras, a MAIDEN fan and author of many MAIDEN-related books, who is taking care of Paul while he has been in Croatia, revealed on Facebook that the 64-year-old singer will undergo three operations over two days in July. The procedures will be followed by a period of hospital recovery, intensive care and rehabilitation, including re-learning of walking. If all goes well, Paul should be able to walk fully by the end of 2022. However, if the set of treatments fails, then a leg amputation will be the only option.

In May, Di'Anno came face to face with MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris for the first time in three decades before the band's concert in Croatia.

Harris, whose group kicked off the 2022 leg of its "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour at the 22,000-capacity Arena Zagreb, came out before the show to greet a wheelchair-bound Di'Anno and chat with him for a few minutes.

After his friendly meeting with Harris, Di'Anno stuck around long enough to watch some of MAIDEN's performance before leaving near the end of the set to avoid a huge traffic jam after the show.

Di'Anno spoke about his experience meeting Harris in person after all these years in a live video chat with Canada's The Metal Voice. He said: "[That] weekend was absolutely amazing. 'Cause me and Steve [have exchanged messages] about football [in the past]. But we actually hadn't met [face to face] for a long time. And it was brilliant, because I met up with Steve's sister Linda first, whom I hadn't seen her in about 30 years. And then [seeing] Steve was amazing, and then [meeting up with MAIDEN's longtime manager] Rod [Smallwood] as well, it's made my whole year, actually. It was fantastic. It was pretty awesome."

Paul went on to say that the last time he saw Rod was in 2013 when both he and MAIDEN performed — separately — at Brazil's Rock In Rio festival.

"I missed the MAIDEN show because I got swamped by bloody press and stuff, so I couldn't actually do anything to watch the band," he explained.

Asked if it was "awkward" meeting up with Steve for the first time in 30 years, Paul said: "No. It was great. I wish I wasn't in this sort of position [being in a wheelchair]. Yeah, it was quite emotional. If it had been the first time we spoke together in 30 years, it would have been maybe a little bit more weird. But, as I said, we talk about football and stuff like that, and Steve phoned me up a couple of times from [his home in] the Bahamas."

Calling himself and Harris two "happy-go-lucky geezers" from London's East End, Paul went on to say that he owes Steve dinner "big time, because he looked after my missus and son over in the States on the last MAIDEN tour in Connecticut, in Hartford. He really looked after them — gave them backstage VIP stuff and all of that. It was great. So when I get my legs back, I'll take him out to dinner."

According to Paul, Steve called him the day after the MAIDEN show in Croatia but he missed his call. "But I did text him back," Di'Anno said.

Paul also set the record straight about where he stands with respect to his former band, saying: "What annoys me is that everyone's spreading rumors around that we don't like each other and stuff like that. I ain't got nothing [against] IRON MAIDEN at all. I tell you, the show was brilliant on Sunday — absolutely amazing."

More than a decade and a half ago, Di'Anno told The Jerusalem Post that leaving the MAIDEN juggernaut behind was the best thing that ever happened to him, and that he had no bitter feelings toward his former bandmates. "I absolutely have no regrets about leaving MAIDEN — I wasn't right in the head at that time to be in the middle of all that," he said. "I was fed up and disillusioned; it would have been cheating the fans and myself if I had stayed. It was easy to walk away from, and I'm very happy the band got bigger and bigger."

Several years ago, Di'Anno told Metal Thunder Radio that he wasn't as involved with MAIDEN's songwriting as he would have liked. "Steve had most of the words and the lyrics [to the band's first album] all written. That was some of the bones of contention that we had in the band — that I didn't get to write as much as I wanted to. 'Cause I am actually quite a prolific writer, but a lot of my songs were not accepted. 'Cause it's Steve's band, obviously."

He continued: "That first album was a revelation, I've gotta tell you. It was amazing. And the second album, for me, not so much. That's when I started to lose interest a little bit. But [we] still [had] great times — really great times."

In May, Paul played his first full solo concert in seven years at the Bikers Beer Factory in Zagreb. The show was filmed and parts of it will be included in a documentary about Di'Anno, to be directed by Wes Orshoski, co-director and producer of the acclaimed 2010 film "Lemmy" about the MOTÖRHEAD icon.

The Zagreb concert was free to attend and was held as a way of thanking Paul's fans for their help during the most difficult time of his recovery. The show took place just a day before the IRON MAIDEN's gig at the Zagreb Arena.

In February, Di'Anno outlined some of the recent health issues he has battled during an appearance on the "Još Jedan" podcast. He said at the time: "I caught sepsis [when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body] in 2015, and it almost killed me. And I spent eight months in a hospital in England. You've got a crucial 45 minutes to get as many antibiotics in you before you die, and they managed to do that, which was great. Then I spent eight months in a hospital, and then another three months in a care home. And while I was in there getting things done, on hospital visits, I caught MRSA [Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, an infection caused by a type of staph bacteria that's become resistant to many of the antibiotics used to treat ordinary staph infections] there twice, in the hospital. So that was it. So it kept delaying things and delaying things… And then they took this knee out put this cement thing in. And it was only supposed to be in there for a year. And the first time they put that in, it broke, so they cut me open again and put another in. And that one is still in here. And while it's been in there this long, it's going toxic."

Di'Anno reportedly underwent an operation in 2016 to remove a "rugby ball-sized abscess" on his lungs and required a knee-replacement operation on both knees after getting involved in several motorcycle accidents over the years.

As previously reported, Paul recently teamed up with several Croatian musicians to form a new project called WARHORSE. WARHORSE recently entered the studio to record three songs, two of which — "Stop The War" and "The Doubt Within" — were released in May as a special DVD single along with Paul's video message to all fans who bought the single and thus helped raise funds for his upcoming operation.

The WARHORSE single is Di'Anno's first music release after a seven-year hiatus due to severe health issues. The band was formed by Di'Anno and two guitarists/authors, Hrvoje Madiraca and Ante "Pupi" Pupačić.

WARHORSE plans to record an entire album in a very short period of time, so that they can announce their first performances in the summer of 2023.

WARHORSE released 666 bundles containing the DVD single and event t-shirt from Paul's comeback concert in Zagreb as part of a pre-sale and in less than two months almost all of them were sold out. Some of the last remaining signed copies are available from www.maidencroatia.com/warhorse.

Nita Strauss, the Los Angeles-based guitar shredder for the ALICE COOPER band, has announced that she will sit out the legendary rocker's fall 2022 tour. She has also scrapped the festival dates her solo band had planned for the rest of the year.

Earlier today, the 35-year-old Strauss issued the following statement via her social media: "After this absolutely incredible run in Europe, it is bittersweet for me to let you guys know that I will not be joining the Alice Cooper band for the upcoming fall tour. I will also regretfully have to cancel the festival dates my solo band had planned for the rest of the year.

"I AM NOT PREGNANT!!! There is no drama whatsoever and my touring year is still VERY full- in fact, I'm on a flight straight into the next adventure as I post this, and I'll be on stage again much sooner than you think! But that's news for another day.

"The past eight years together has been the experience of a lifetime, and I could not be more grateful to Alice and Sheryl Cooper, Shep Gordon, the amazing band, crew and fans for welcoming me to all of your nightmare.

"I don't know what the future will hold after this, but I am forever thankful".

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

Two years ago, Alice praised Strauss, saying she "just keeps getting better." Speaking to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, Cooper stated about Nita: "She just won [the] 'Guitarist Of The Decade' [award] in Guitar magazine. Best chick in the world — she's such a great chick. Gets on stage, and she's a force of nature unto herself. An I've got Ryan Roxie and Tommy Henriksen in the band also — you're talking about two great rock guitar players. And then I needed a chick that could really play.

"Orianthi was a great blues rock player," he continued. "She could play with Eric Clapton — she was that good. And she went off to do an album on her own. And then I accidentally found Nita, and Nita was a shredder. And that's what I was kind of looking for — was a shredder. But I didn't know how good she was, but she was a total shredder up there and killed it. And immediately just fell right into it with the guys in the band; she was one of the guys. Great chick. And she just keeps getting better. That's the thing about it — she just keeps getting better. No drama — it's always just, can't wait to get onstage."

Last October, Nita shared "Dead Inside", her first new solo music since the release of her debut album, 2018's "Controlled Chaos". The track is her first-ever solo collaboration with a vocalist, David Draiman, frontman of Grammy-nominated rock icons DISTURBED.

Nita released "Controlled Chaos" to mass acclaim from fans and media alike, with Metal Injection calling it "a great debut that — as its creator intended — leaves no doubt", and Guitar World stating "'Controlled Chaos' is a panoramic view of Nita Strauss's many strengths". To date the album has clocked up 6.7 million streams worldwide, with music videos for singles "Our Most Desperate Hour", "Pandemonium", "Alegria" and "Mariana Trench" generating over 3 million YouTube views.

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

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

Nita's live show is mostly instrumental in nature, combining originals with covers.

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Professionally filmed video of SEPULTURA's entire July 10 performance at the Exit festival in Novi Sad, Serbia can be seen below.

Featured songs:

0:00 Intro (Policia by Titas)
1:43 Tribal intro
3:25 Arise
6:46 Territory
12:27 Frontman Derrick Green dedicates concert and tour to family of guitarist Andreas Kisser whose wife recently died. He also introduces current touring guitarist Jean Patton
13:52 Means To An End
19:00 Capital Enslavement
22:54 Kairos
27:18 Propaganda
31:54 Sepulnation
36:40 Cutthroat
39:50 Choke
44:00 Convicted In Life
48:30 Troops Of Doom
52:17 Agony Of Defeat
58:14 Slave New World
1:01:35 Refuse/Resist
1:07:00 Ratamahatta
1:10:06 Roots Bloody Roots
1:14:44 Outro (Phil Collins, "Easy Lover")

In a recent interview with the "Pollution Nocturne" radio show conducted at this year's Plane'r Fest on July 2 in Rhône-Alpes, France, SEPULTURA frontman Derrick Green was asked when fans can expect to see a follow-up to the band's 2020 album "Quadra". He responded: "It's really difficult to say what we'll do for the next album because we're just starting to tour for this album. So there's quite a bit of touring we need to do this year, till the end of the year, and then next year as well before we even start to think about going in the studio again. So I think our focus is really based on touring right now for 'Quadra'."

As for how it feels for him and his bandmates to be back on the road after a two-year pandemic-related break from touring, he said: "It feels great to be back. To play live music is everything to us; it really is a big part of our lives. And being away from it for so long was strange at first, but I think it made us stronger in a lot of ways. We were able to determine what we really enjoy in life, what we take note of what really matters in our lives. So that break actually helped in ways. Now being here playing, it feels unbelievable; it feels like something that was missing but now it's back; that piece that was missing is now there again."

Late last month, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser left the band's current European tour due to what was at the time being described as a "family emergency." In early July, it was revealed that Andreas's wife had died after a year-and-a-half battle with colon cancer. He is being temporarily replaced on the road by Jean Patton of fellow São Paulo, Brazil-based heavy metal act PROJECT46.

This is not the first time Kisser has sat out SEPULTURA shows since he joined the band three and a half decades ago. Back in December 1991, Kisser was unable to perform due to an arm injury and was temporarily replaced on a European tour by KORZUS guitarist Silvio Golfetti.

SEPULTURA comprises Kisser, Green, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. and drummer Eloy Casagrande.

SEPULTURA was formed in Belo Horizonte by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, who are no longer with the band.

LAST IN LINE drummer Vinny Appice spoke to Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules about the status of the band's third studio album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We just finished the CD. Chris Collier, who mixes a lot of KORN stuff, he did our albums. He just finished the mix. And it sounds fantastic. And that's coming out next year on the earMUSIC label. And we have an EP coming out in the next month or so on earMUSIC as well. And that EP has a cover version of a BEATLES song we did. It came out great. Something different. And a new song, one of our new songs, and then two live tracks. And then we're doing dates starting the end of September into the rest of the year."

This past May, LAST IN LINE bassist Phil Soussan told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that the band's new EP is "very special. There's something very, very cool about it — and there's gonna be a great video that goes with that," he said.

earMUSIC is the recorded music label of German entertainment group Edel AG which boasts a roster of global artists including DEEP PURPLE, Alice Cooper, BABYMETAL, THUNDER, STATUS QUO and many more.

The news of LAST IN LINE's partnership with earMUSIC was shared five months ago by Appice during a appearance on "Waste Some Time With Jason Green". Vinny also revealed that LAST IN LINE completed recording six more new songs in late January at Danny "Count" Koker's Desert Moon studios in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Formed in 2012 by Appice, bassist Jimmy Bain and guitarist Vivian Campbell — Ronnie James Dio's co-conspirators and co-writers on the "Holy Diver", "Last In Line" and "Sacred Heart" albums — LAST IN LINE's initial intent was to celebrate Ronnie James Dio's early work by reuniting the members of the original DIO lineup. After playing shows that featured a setlist composed exclusively of material from the first three DIO albums, the band decided to move forward and create new music in a similar vein.

LAST IN LINE's debut album, "Heavy Crown", was released in February 2016 via Frontiers Music Srl, landing at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Initially, the release had been preceded by tragedy when Bain unexpectedly died at the age of 68 on January 23, 2016. LAST IN LINE, honoring what they knew would be Bain's wish to keep the band moving, brought in Soussan and committed to sustained touring in support of the album before beginning work on the follow-up release, 2019's "II", which was also made available through Frontiers Music Srl.

In June 2021, Soussan spoke to Metal-Net.com about the progress of the writing and recording sessions for LAST IN LINE's third album. "I've been quite motivational with the band," Phil said. "I'm trying to keep things happening. We wanted to work on a few different aspects [during the pandemic]. And we also had to go about getting a new record deal — we were changing labels — so that's something we're in the process of doing, and we're getting pretty close now. But part of that was writing a third record. So we've been hard at work trying to write a third record and even record that third record while we've been in different locations around the world. And, obviously, this band works as a unit in every sense of the word, so it's a real handicap not being able to be in the same room as everybody and trying to make it happen."

In February 2021, Appice told Metal From The Inside that former DOKKEN and current FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson, who produced both "II" and "Heavy Crown", is not involved with the upcoming LAST IN LINE album. "We made a change," he said. "Actually, the guy who mixed the last record, Chris Collier — he's great; he's working with KORN — he recorded this record. And we're kind of producing it ourselves, between all of us.

"Jeff is great — Jeff's a great producer, and [he has] great ideas and stuff, but we just felt that we could probably do what we wanna do now that we're a band, we've been on the road, and we know what we wanna hear," he explained. "But it's coming out great. The stuff sounds fantastic.

"And yeah, I've been through a lot with Jeff Pilson. I've known him for years. He's a great guy. He's like my brother."

Also in February 2021, Soussan told the "Pat's Soundbytes Unplugged" podcast about the musical direction of the new LAST IN LINE material: "The songs are another progression from the last album — the difference between 'Heavy Crown' and 'II', and now 'II' and whatever this next album is gonna be called; we don't know yet, by the way. But it's definitely evolved even more; it's gone into even more of an evolution, but we are always trying to keep the characteristics of LAST IN LINE there. I mean, you can't shake those things — you can't shake Vinny's drumming, you can't shake Vivian's playing. And I'd like to say the same thing about myself, and, of course, [singer] Andrew [Freeman]."

Some of the early recording sessions for LAST IN LINE's third album took place in January 2020 at Steakhouse studio in North Hollywood, California.

DEF LEPPARD's Joe Elliott joined Billy Joel on stage Saturday night (July 9) at Detroit's Comerica Park to perform his band's 1987 hit "Pour Some Sugar On Me".

Joel's performance at the sold-out ballpark, 37,000 strong, took place the night before DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY CRÜE were scheduled to play the same venue as part of their "The Stadium Tour".

Saturday's concert marked the third time Elliott and Joel had teamed up to play DEF LEPPARD's signature song, following a 2018 pairing at Boston's Fenway Park and a 2019 performance at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

In a 2015 interview with SPIN, Elliott spoke about DEF LEPPARD's influence on contemporary pop music. He said: "I notice when it's pointed out to me, because I honestly don't listen to much pop radio. But when I am made aware of it, or just happen to be listening to whatever radio station my friend is tuned to in their car, it's, like, 'Whoa, that sounds a bit like we could've done it.' I started becoming aware of our influence in pop music about 15 years ago when Pink did a radio show with us, and she was standing on the side of the stage singing every word. I was like, well okay, she's a fan. [Laughs] We have people like Jewel or John Mayer or the guys in MAROON 5, all of whom are huge fans. It wasn't just RATT and POISON we were a part of…. [now] all of a sudden you've got Lady Gaga coming out and saying, 'I fucking love DEF LEPPARD,' and we had Taylor Swift wanting to work with us six or seven years ago when she was first kicking off."

He continued: "You are aware of it, and it's flattering, but I think it's down to the fact that we've always been more pop than metal, much to the annoyance of the metal press and metal fans. We were never DIO or ANTHRAX or JUDAS PRIEST… We've always been about [blending] that kind of quirkiness that QUEEN had with the power of AC/DC. It's something we've always felt was kind of our blueprint. So I absolutely hear it in pop because that's essentially who we were. DEF LEPPARD became popular not through being a rock band like [LED] ZEPPELIN or [BLACK] SABBATH. We became popular because our singles were on 'American Bandstand' between KOOL & THE GANG and Michael Jackson. We were the white rock band from the U.K. that people were like, 'What? How did they infiltrate the Top Ten?' And it was because we had these infectious melodies. We weren't afraid of singing about relationships or love, which is something that metal would never do. We were never [singing about] dungeons and dragons. We never will be."

"The Stadium Tour" kicked off on June 16 in Atlanta, Georgia and will conclude on September 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The veteran British rockers are co-headlining "The Stadium Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE, with support from POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS.

DEF LEPPARD's set on the tour includes some of the band's biggest hits, such as "Pour Some Sugar On Me", "Photograph" and "Rock Of Ages" — as well as songs from the group's latest album, "Diamond Star Halos", among them "Kick" and "Fire It Up".

DEF LEPPARD's long-delayed North American trek was originally planned for 2020 and later moved to 2021 and then to 2022.

David Lee Roth has released a new solo song titled "Pointing At The Moon". The accompanying music video for the track, which includes some of Roth's artwork, can be seen below.

Back in 2020, Roth included five previously unreleased songs in The Roth Project, an online comic narrated by the legendary VAN HALEN singer, with music from John 5 on guitar and bass, Greg Bissonette on drums, Brett Tuggle on keyboards, and Luis Conte on percussion. The tracks "Giddy-Up!", "Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bar And Grill", "Alligator Pants", "Lo-Rez Sunset" and "Manda Bala" were recorded nearly a decade ago at Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood, California.

Asked in a new interview with Darren Paltrowitz — host of the "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" — if he gets a "notice" every time one of the previously unreleased songs from his Roth sessions is officially made available, John 5 said: "I don't get a notice, which is funny. I just find out on Blabbermouth or something. But there's a song that I just can't wait for Dave to release. It's called 'Nothing Could Have Stopped Us' and it's about VAN HALEN. It's my favorite song that I've ever done with Dave, and it is beautiful. I don't know why he's not releasing that one yet. And I just can't wait for people to hear that one. 'Cause it's about VAN HALEN. It's just absolutely wonderful. I just am really looking forward to him releasing that one."

John 5 went on to talk about the recording sessions for the unreleased Roth record, saying: "We had a great time. We had a blast — a lot of laughs, a lot of fun. I'm just so happy that I had that cool working vibe with Dave that we can just jump into the studio anytime and knock out some songs. And I'm very lucky 'cause not a lot of people get a chance to do that with Dave.

He added: "We were all in there together — I remember we were just all in there together. And that's how it was. We were all just doing it together — kind of like the old days, and he wanted to do it like that. And it really was a lot of fun. We had so much fun doing it. And it's one of my fondest memories."

In August 2021, John 5 told AL.com that the rest of the unreleased Roth record is in the same vein as the songs that have come out, which have a singer/songwriter sound. "[Dave] wanted to do this kind of a more California sessions type of thing," the guitarist explained. "And he's such an artist, I was, like, 'Whatever you want to do, I'm there for you.' So it is that kind of vibe. But there's a lot of multi tracks and different acoustic parts that all work together. It's kind of orchestrated, if you will."

John 5 got his first big break playing on Roth's solo album, "DLR Band", before landing stints with Marilyn Manson and now Rob Zombie. His latest sessions with the iconic VAN HALEN frontman apparently took place at least eight years ago, with John 5 unveiling a snippet of the album during an interview with Masters Of Shred back in May 2019.

Three years ago, Roth was asked by Meltdown of the Detroit radio station WRIF if his LP with John 5 will be made available at some point. He responded: "It will. There's been a revision of things, and I can start making real plans and start marching into the future. And, of course, you'll start hearing that material. This is material that we wrote variously for me solo and for VAN HALEN, and it's quite a bank of stuff."

Roth, who was promoting his Las Vegas residency at the time, didn't offer a possible time frame for the release of the record, explaining that his priority was "getting out on the road first. Let's see the band, let's show ourselves off, let's travel all over the world."

Back in 2015, John 5 told Guitar Player magazine that the sessions for his latest Roth album were remarkably relaxed. "I would just go to his house and I'd write these songs with him, and he would say, 'Let's go into the studio,'" John 5 explained. "So he would go to Henson studio and record these songs. They came out… They're so good. They're so good. And we've got Gregg Bissonette playing drums on it, and I played the bass, and they're really great songs."

The guitarist said that Roth's vocals on the album sound "like nothing you've ever heard. It's old VAN HALEN — sounds like 'Could This Be Magic?' or anything like that. It's just that sound, that tone."

In a 2014 interview, John 5 described the LP as "11 of the greatest songs you'll ever hear, and it's just me and Dave, and we had Gregg Bissonette play drums on it. And it's unbelievable," he said. "You know, just great, great songs."
Link in bio pic.twitter.com/oOzh1a1s8z

— David Lee Roth (@DavidLeeRoth) July 10, 2022

Fan-filmed video of former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens's July 2 performance at Manifesto in São Paulo, Brazil can be seen below. Owens's set included the song "Hellfire Thunderbolt" from KK'S PRIEST, his new band with founding PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing, which has yet to play its first live show.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 after being discovered when the band's drummer, Scott Travis, was given a videotape of him performing with the PRIEST cover act BRITISH STEEL. JUDAS PRIEST at the time was seeking a replacement for Rob Halford. He recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Halford in 2003.

KK'S PRIEST also includes guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

KK'S PRIEST's debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", was released last October via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

Last September, Owens spoke to Couch Riffs about the "cheesiness" factor that is present in much of the lyrical content in heavy metal, including in KK'S PRIEST. He said: "Sometimes I'll go, 'Ah, God. I've gotta sing that' or 'I've gotta do that.' But you have to add that to it because you still have those people and we still listen to that stuff and we still do it. JUDAS PRIEST, you look at that band, and not everybody in the band is in their 70s now, but there's 70-something-year-old grown men up there in those leather outfits. And some people go, 'Oh my God.' Well, but that's JUDAS PRIEST.

"You know what, though? Cheesiness, it doesn't bother me because cheese got me nominated for a Grammy and pays my bills," he continued. "But it's not a bad cheesy. I mean, all music is. You look at rap music, and how cheesy is that, in their way, where they're throwing money around and they're wearing these outfits.

"What I said about heavy metal, which is cool, we can write about anything. Sometimes it's cheesy.

"The weirdest thing is we got attacked for KK'S [PRIEST] stuff: '[The song] 'Brothers Of The Road', that's cheesy. That's so cheesy. Cliché, terrible lyrics.' I'm, like, how is it terrible lyrics? It's about brothers on the road who are rocking.

"I write a lot of 'normal life' songs — I write [about] what's going on in the world, what's going on in my life, what's going on in somebody's life. I tend to lean more towards that. But then I'll always throw in songs about a vampire or a zombie or an alien.

"Listen, writing about dungeons and dragons is cheesy to me; writing about brothers of the road isn't cheesy," Tim added. "But everybody looks at it different, and that's kind of it. But I look at all these musical genres, and there's cheesiness in all of it. It's just what it is.

"Listen, I record a lot of songs now. When COVID hit, that's how I made my living. I got really lucky. All of a sudden, I started recording songs for people all over the world every day in my studio at the house, and some of 'em can't get any cheesier. I mean, some of 'em are just as cheesy as they come. Some of 'em talk about sex and taking the women. And I'm, like, 'Oh my God. I'm 54 years old, and I'm talking about taking some girl home to my room, and we're gonna do it.' I'm, like, 'Oh…' I remember going to my girlfriend and going, 'Check these lyrics out.' But I'm, like, 'Well, they're gonna pay me to do it, so I'm gonna do it.'"

Trollfest released their ninth full-length studio album, Flamingo Overlord, via Napalm Records on May 27. Put on your dancing shoes, grab your sax & enjoy this saxophone playthrough for the album track, "Dance Like A Pink Flamingo":





Flamingo Overlord begins with the insanely catchy “Dance Like A Pink Flamingo” - the unforgettable track made world-famous with the band’s zany performance at Eurovision qualifier Melodi Grand Prix earlier this year - clearing the way for the bar anthem “All Drinks On Me”, which keeps the energy and drinks flowing before venturing into “Twenty Miles an Hour”. The track continues the party with a groovy funk flavoured sound, featuring a rap and saxophone solo that will leave listeners going bonkers! “Flamingo Libre” will soon whisk you away and have you dreaming of tropical drinks and magical nights, while “Pina Colada” stands as a much-needed summer anthem best suited for blasting while convertible cruising. Flamingo Overlord closes with the mysterious “Bob Venke”, telling the unlikely story of the mighty Flamingo Overlord's quest for world domination.







Flamingo Overlord is available in the following formats in various territories:


- 1LP Gatefold Pink
- 1LP Gatefold  "Flamingo Feather" Marbled Vinyl Limited Edition (limited to 300)
- 1CD Digipak
- 1CD Digipak + Shirt Bundle
- Digital Album


Order here.





Flamingo Overlord tracklisting:


"Dance Like A Pink Flamingo"
"All Drinks On Me"
"Flamongous"
"Twenty Miles An Hour"
"The Flamingorilla"
"Flamingo Libre"
"Piña Colada"
"Rule The Country"
"The Way You Earn Your Drinks"
"Overlords Have Feelings"
"Bob Venke"


“All Drinks on Me” video:





“Flamingo Libre” video:





“Piña Colada” video:





“Twenty Miles An Hour” video:





"Dance Like A Pink Flamingo" lyric video:





(Photo - Terje Johnsen)

The Deccan Traps are to release a brand new track, "Live It Up" on Friday, July 22.





The Manchester, UK-based band featuring We Will Rock You vocal legend Ricardo Afonso, Queen + Adam Lambert bassist Neil Fairclough and Faithless drummer Andy Treacey, recorded "Live It Up" at Parr St. Studios, Liverpool alongside John Dagnall (guitar), Lois Dagnall (vocals), Johnny Heyes (Guitar) and Neil Edwards (keyboards).




"Live It Up" is a fun summer song, following on from previous releases "Moonlight, Sun & Moon", "The Great Divide" and "Chain Me". It gives a nod to rock n' roll while still featuring The Deccan Traps trademark big harmonies, Ricardo's soaring lead vocal and some great slide guitar by Johnny Heyes.


The Deccan Traps have been gathering momentum since the end of the pandemic, and have even gained the support of none other than Queen legend, Dr. Brian May, who said of the teaser promo "Great riff guys!!"


Neil is currently on stage with Brian on the European leg of the Queen + Adam Lambert tour.

Zee Productions has announced the September 16 release of two new Iron Maiden jigsaw puzzles via their Rock Saws imprint. A message states: "Get your hands on the artwork for both iconic 1982 singles 'Run To The Hills' and 'The Number Of The Beast' as 500-piece puzzles."


Pre-order here.







Released on February 12, 1982, “Run To The Hills” is the sixth single by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden and the first from their third studio album, The Number Of The Beast. It is their first single with Bruce Dickinson as vocalist. The song peaked at #7 on the UK Singles Chart and as of 2017 has sold more than 200,000 copies in the UK and has been certified Silver by the BPI. It remains one of their most popular songs, with VH1 ranking it 27th on their list of the 40 Greatest Metal Songs and 14th on their list of the Greatest Hard Rock Songs. It is the second of three single covers featuring Derek Riggs' depiction of Satan, which debuted on Purgatory and later appeared on The Number Of The Beast covers.  This iconic artwork is now available as a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle printed on high quality board.





Released on April 26, 1982, “The Number Of The Beast” is the seventh single by Iron Maiden and the second from their third studio album of the same name. The song peaked at#18 on the UK Singles Chart on its original release. It has gone on to sell more than 200,000 copies in the UK alone and has been certified Silver by the BPI. It remains one of their most popular songs, appearing at #6 in Martin Popoff's book The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time. The single's cover is the last of three singles to feature Derek Riggs' depiction of Satan. This iconic artwork is now available as a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle printed on high quality board.

Frontiers Music Srl announces the upcoming release of new Danish hard rock band Taboo's self-titled debut album, on September 9.


Taboo features vocalist Christoffer Stjerne, who also fronts the band H.E.R.O., and guitarist Ken Hammer, who rock fans around the world will recognize as a founding member of the beloved hard rock institution Pretty Maids. Based out of Copenhagen, Denmark, Taboo's songs are stuffed with classic heavy riffing and super melodic hooks with a dose of modernity.


A new single and music video, "Bleeding" is out today. Watch the video below, and pre-order/save Taboo on CD, Limited Edition Color Vinyl, & Digital here.




Guitarist Ken Hammer has made a name for himself during his lifelong career with Pretty Maids, not only as a founding member, but also as a cornerstone in the songwriting. Pretty Maids is a band known to hard rock fans around the globe for over four decades, but Ken is ready to branch out and try a new musical path with Taboo.


Christoffer Stjerne might seem to be a relative newcomer to hard rock fans outside of Denmark, but he has made a big name for himself with his band H.E.R.O. The band has released three albums, topped the radio and sales charts in Japan, and played numerous shows around the world. He is also a full-time producer, songwriter, and engineer, working with rock and pop artists from around the world.


Taboo's album was self-produced and engineered, but mixed and mastered by the Danish metal legend Jacob Hansen (Pretty Maids, Volbeat, etc.).


Christoffer and Ken have assembled a live band and are currently booking live dates for later this year and into next. Be sure to follow the band on social media to keep up to date on announcements about shows and the release of more singles from the upcoming album.





Taboo tracklisting:


"Flames"
"Bleeding"
"Learning To Breathe"
"Demons"
"Into The Sun"
"Powerless"
"It’s About Time"
"See You Again"
"Sensational"
"Daydream"
"In My Head" (Bonus Track)


"Bleeding" video:





"Flames":





LIneup:


Christoffer Stjerne - Vocals, Various Instrumentation
Ken Hammer - Guitars, Various Instrumentation


Additional Musicians:


Claus Langeskov - Bass (Track 1, 3, 4, 5)
Mat Sinner - Bass (Track 2 & 11)
Anders Kirkegaard - Drums (Track 1)

Trouble's Simple Mind Condition album will be reissued on deluxe 180 gram audiophile vinyl on August 12. The CD edition was re-released back in May.


Here we have Trouble returning with “Simple Mind Condition”, after a long hiatus (twelve years had passed since the release of Plastic Green Head), taking once more to the skies of metal. Some complaints and criticism followed upon its release which are not really fair.


Although fat and doomy stomps as on “Psalm 9” and “The Skull” are not present in abundance, nor are the stoner metal speed assaults of the self-titled “Trouble”, but neither those have been present really since the self-titled came out. Manic Frustration was a killer album, no doubt, but different being focussed on hard rock and not the doom and stoner influences. Plastic Green Head remedied this problem, to impressive standards and resulted in another great Trouble album.




This album features songs that are well-written and have a lot of  sludgy stoner hooks, and are drenched in Eric Wagner’s (R.I.P.) woe-is-me penmanship. Overall, a very good album, a convincing album worth your listening time. Those expecting the past could be a little bit disappointed, but those who will give the time to this album will find a hidden treasure in it.


Pre-order the vinyl here.





Tracklisting:


"Goin' Home"
"Mind Bender"
"Seven"
"Pictures Of Life"
"After The Rain"
"Trouble Maker"
"Arthur Brown's Whiskey Bar"
"Simple Mind Condition"
"Ride The Sky"
"If I Only Had A Reason"
"The Beginning Of Sorrows"

The official lyric for HailMary's new single, "Friends", can be seen below. It is the second single from HailMary's new album, Disturbing The Peace, which hit the streets July 8 via Eönian Records.


In 1989, shortly after the release of their third album Street Ready, Southern California metallers Leatherwolf and their "Triple Axe Attack" of Michael Olivieri, Carey Howe, and Geoffrey Gayer formed a new band called HailMary adding the rhythm section of Marco Forcone on drums and Patrick Guyton on bass from the band Enticier.


In 1990, HailMary signed a development deal with Epic Records. Minus the two bonus demos and re-recording of Media Lobotomy in 2021, HailMary would record alongside famed Engineer & Producer Tom Fletcher whose long line of credits included Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force, Scorpions, Metal Church, Motorhead, Dangerous Toys, Dokken, Ozzy Osbourne, and many more.




Michael Olivieri, "We are extremely excited for the release of the Disturbing The Peace. HailMary, forming after our supporting touring of Street Ready was a huge part of our life, and to see that so well documented is a huge thrill for us. The packaging on this is total badass! Thanks to Stephen and the Eonian Records team for treating us so well and doing such an incredible job."


Carey Howe, "I've been a part of some incredible projects that I am very proud of. The material we recorded with Tom (Fletcher) is some of our (Michael, Geoff, and my) very BEST and the packaging on Disturbing The Peace... you've got to be kidding me... simply AMAZING!"





Tracklisting:


"Mr. Keeper"
"The Way I Am"
"Media Lobotomy"
"Be My Suicide"
"This Kid"
"Friends"
"Killing My Dreams"
"Crush Of Love"
"D.A.D."
"I Don't Understand" (Demo)
"What's Your Civilization" (Demo)


"Friends" lyric video:





"Media Lobotomy" video:

The new lineup of GEORGE LYNCH AND THE ELECTRIC FREEDOM performed yesterday (Saturday, July 9) at the Uncle Sam Jam in Woodhaven, Michigan as the support act for DOKKEN. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

Last month, George Lynch announced that he had recruited Ray West (SPREAD EAGLE) to sing for GEORGE LYNCH AND THE ELECTRIC FREEDOM. Also joining the legendary DOKKEN axeman in the band are Jimmy D'Anda (BULLETBOYS) on drums and Rob DeLuca (Sebastian Bach, UFO, SPREAD EAGLE) on bass.

Speaking to Andrew Daly of WWMusic about how he enlisted West for the project, Lynch said: "Well, I've known about Ray for a while because he was good friends with [former LYNCH MOB singer] Oni [Logan]; they kind of came up together. In the pre-LYNCH MOB days in Florida, Oni and Ray had a lot of history, and they were kind of at the same level, but Oni hit a little harder than Ray did as far as making an impact and making a name for himself. But it's really interesting because they're kind of out of the same mold. So, with Ray, he is just a great fit for the band, you know? And so what happened was Rob DeLuca has been in the band for a while as the bass player, so when we lost [singer] Andrew [Freeman] to GREAT WHITE, Rob said, 'Hey, you should check out Ray.' And I hadn't even thought of it, but Rob said, 'Check him out. He might be a natural fit. And so I did, and he really is. I mean, I probably couldn't have designed a better fit in a laboratory.

Asked what he feels Ray will bring to the table, George said: "Well, LYNCH MOB has been a revolving door for sure. At this point, there have been more people that have been in this band than haven't been in this band. [Laughs]. And so it hasn't always been the perfect guys that I would have liked to handpick. It's almost like, and I don't want this to sound negative in any way, but it's always been more of a matter of convenience at times. It's like this: when you get a different member of the band, be it a drummer, singer, bass player, or whatever — and this happens with a lot of people I've played with — it doesn't always click. But I think what is a little different about Ray is that it's like I'm putting myself back in time.

"When we formed LYNCH MOB initially back in '89, the world was our oyster. We had worldwide tryouts and we really took our time because we wanted to just hit it hard right out of the box. Without all the hype and expectations, I think I have a little bit of a sense with Ray that he could have been that other guy instead of Oni. And that's not to say there was anything wrong with Oni; it's more a testament to Ray, that I think he could have easily been the guy back then.

"Honestly, I can't think of any weak spots with this guy. There are some guys who can't cut it in the studio, or they can't do it live because they're not much of a frontman. You see some guys who don't write lyrically, or they're not a poet in that way. Some guys just don't have the chops for melodies; they just don't have a sense of that. Or they can write lyrics, but they're not poets. There are all these different things, and stylistically, yeah, you might have a guy that's just a monster machine, but he's got no soul, and he lacks that thing that really fits with the legacy of the music. So, with all those things, for me, you have to put that all together, and again, I think with anybody else that has ever come through the door, toured, and done record, I've enjoyed every minute of that, and I appreciate everybody that I've played with. Through the years, it's been a wonderful experience and adventure, but I think Ray is kind of like the cap on the end of the bookshelf. I mean, of course, you never know, and I guess nothing's forever, especially in this band. [Laughs]. We could be having this conversation again six months from now, and maybe the turnstile turned again, and we had to get a new guy. I am not anticipating that, but I've learned well enough that with this band, you just never know. But for the moment, I'm really appreciating the fact that we hooked up, and that we're going to do this, and I'm very excited. I know Ray's very excited too. He's over the top and we are too, and I think that's a little bit infectious.

"When you become a little bit older like me, it starts to become a little bit harder to get around. The result is it takes me a little bit more to get my motor going, so it's kind of like, 'Well, we've had thirty-five guys in this band. Okay, this is number thirty-six. Let's see.' But, you know, I really am genuinely excited, and we're always excited about having new guys and getting fresh blood. But this one is even more of an exceedingly animated thing for us because I think Ray is gonna bring some new life into our whole little world here. And we are planning on doing a record; we just signed up to do another album. It will be through Frontiers [Music Srl], and this will be my first official ELECTRIC FREEDOM record."

Read the entire interview at WWMusic.

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."

In August 2021, Lynch spoke to Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio about what it has been like to play select shows around the country with his newly christened touring entity GEORGE LYNCH AND THE ELECTRIC FREEDOM. He said: "It's liberating, actually, to be quite honest with you. To have a new band and a new name and a name that — I mean, just the power of the name, 'cause with the new name, which is GEORGE LYNCH'S ELECTRIC FREEDOM, it really is electric freedom. I didn't even think of it that way, but [then-ELECTRIC FREEDOM bassist] Michael Devin and I were were talking the other day on the way home, and we were, like, 'This really defines the band.' And it really does. Because we're plugged in, we do a lot of kind of just off-the-cuff improvisation during our show, which you don't see very much in rock and roll anymore — not since the '70s. And we're big fans of that; that's what we were raised on. So it's, I think, more alive and vital than your kind of average thing where you go see a band and they're playing songs they wrote 35 years ago. And sure, it's great — you wanna hear the songs, and that's all good. But these guys have been flogging these songs for decades. I've been doing that too. And that's not what I'm about. I mean, I can do it. But I like to bring the audience another perspective and another dimension to what can happen onstage, and that is the creative moment in real time — experiencing that and witnessing that, and for me to play that and the band to play that... And I think the crowd appreciates that. And not just at the moment, but more in retrospect, when they think about it. They think, 'Wow, actually, that was pretty cool.' Every time you come see my band, it's gonna be different. It's gonna be different members [and] we're gonna play different material."

In early 2021, Lynch offered a lengthy explanation for why he was ending LYNCH MOB during an interview with George Dionne of Metal Express Radio. Addressing questions about why it took him three decades to call it quits with LYNCH MOB, George said: "When we first formed the band in '89, the name had sort of already been around. While I was in DOKKEN, it's what I called our little group of guitar fans — I had picks made; it was kind of a little subculture within DOKKEN. When we started working on developing and building the band after DOKKEN broke up, that was just the name that we always thought we'd use, 'cause it was a perfect fit — it's my name, and it describes it pretty well. And, of course, the negative connotations were always there, and I was aware of 'em, but not as aware as I probably should have been. [Laughs]

"I had made numerous attempts over the decades to kind of let that name go and had walked that back for multiple reasons — usually because of business considerations," he continued. "For instance, if you try to go out on a tour and not use the name, promoters aren't gonna be happy with you changing it. People aren't gonna know who you are. They're not gonna show up, because what's THE GEORGE LYNCH EXPERIENCE, or whatever you call it. Or record labels are not interested, because it's a brand that they can count on and sell a certain many albums or whatever.

"For instance, the LYNCH MOB record 'Smoke This' that came out, I think, in '99 or 2000, that was not supposed to be a LYNCH MOB record; that really wasn't anything to do with LYNCH MOB. At the end of the day, after the record was done and we were delivering it to the label, they insisted on using that name as insurance. And if I hadn't agreed to that, we wouldn't have had a record. That's the kind of pressure I'm talking about.

"But then, with the onset of everything that's happened in the last year, I didn't have that kind of pressure anymore," George added. "I could take it or leave it at this point. And I didn't really feel comfortable with it; I didn't feel comfortable with the name. 'Cause I'm a very progressive person politically, and it just so flies in the face of everything I believe in, and it makes it hard. It makes it hard to have relationships with people and explain yourself, and I got tired of rationalizing it. I think the music is bigger than that, and it's had a great run.

"Another reason, too, is the band fell apart again. The band has fallen apart so many times, I can't even count. And it was just, like, 'No more Oni [Logan, vocals], no more Brian Tichy [drums], no more this guy, no more that guy. Oh, great. Now what do I do?' It's, like, 'Okay, build another band from scratch, call it LYNCH MOB?' No. How about just build something new? It gives me a lot more freedom to basically play anything I want live… I can go out and play everything from my catalog — new, old, covers, jams, you name it, and go deep and have fun and change it up every night."

Oni 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

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE kicked off its long-delayed "Public Service Announcement" tour Saturday night (July 9) at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin.

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".

The setlist was as follows:

01. Bombtrack
02. People Of The Sun
03. Bulls On Parade
04. Bullet In The Head
05. Testify
06. Tire Me
07. Wake Up
08. Guerrilla Radio
09. Without A Face
10. Know Your Enemy
11. Calm Like A Bomb / Sleep Now In The Fire
12. War Within A Breath
13. The Ghost Of Tom Joad
14. Freedom / Township Rebellion
15. Killing In The Name

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.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE last played together at L.A. Rising and has resisted calls for a reunion, with vocalist 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.

NAZARETH bass player Pete Agnew, the only founding member still with the band, has paid tribute to original NAZARETH guitarist Manny Charlton who died in Texas on Tuesday, July 5 at the age of 80.

Pete wrote: "Sadly I have to tell you that Manny Charlton died on Tuesday (5th July) in Texas. There were no details available at the time of writing but I believe his death was sudden and not illness related.

"Manny was there from the very beginning of NAZARETH so we all came up together through the tough times and through the wonderfully successful years as the band became an international acclaimed outfit. His contribution as a musician was immeasurable. Not only was he a team player who loved jamming for hours at a time with the band and then sifting through the tapes for even more hours just looking to find the tiniest usable idea, he was never happier than when he was sitting in the producers chair making records and searching for that special 'racket' (noise) as he called it, that he was always trying to create. He produced several other bands and found his 'racket' a few times along the way but the one he was most proud of was 'Love Hurts', one of the best sounding records of all time and one of the songs on his first album as a producer.

"We had our ups and downs over the years but we never once disagreed about the music.

"I would like to offer condolences on behalf of the NAZARETH family to Manny's own family ... our thoughts are with you at this sad time."

Charlton is famous for the guitar riffs that catapulted NAZARETH to stardom during the 1970s. He played on, produced and wrote most of their greatest hits, including "Broken Down Angel", "Bad Bad Boy", "Hair Of The Dog" and countless others, not to mention producing the prototype rock ballad "Love Hurts", which was a Top 10 hit around the world in 1975 and stayed an unprecedented 60 weeks in the Norwegian chart.

Charlton released several high-quality albums since leaving NAZARETH in 1990, including "Hellacious" from 2014, which features an all-star lineup of classic rock legends, including Tim Bogert (VANILLA FUDGE, CACTUS),drummer Walfredo Reyes Jr. (SANTANA, TRAFFIC, Steve Winwood, Lindsey Buckingham),Vivian Campbell (DEF LEPPARD),Robert Sarzo, Steven Adler (GUNS N' ROSES) and a talented New York-based singer, Robyn DeLarenzo.

In a 2012 interview, Charlton stated about "Hair Of The Dog": "What that album did was set the band up for American success forever. Looking back, I'm still trying to understand why it was so successful. I've come to the conclusion that it's all about the attitude of the songs, performances and the rawness of the production. This was the first album that I produced for the band. Beginner's luck, you might say."

In 1986, Manny was brought in to produce GUNS N' ROSES' debut album, "Appetite For Destruction". Charlton ended up helming GN'R's 1986 Sound City demos that eventually received an official release on the 2018 "Appetite For Destruction" box set. As Manny told Legendary Rock Interviews a decade ago: "Axl's [Rose] favorite singer is [NAZARETH frontman] Dan McCafferty. He said to his label, 'Get me the guy who produced 'Hair Of The Dog' by NAZARETH.' What Axl wants, Axl gets.

"We left it saying, 'If we could get our respective schedules together, then great,'" he continued. "I was in the middle of recording 'Cinema' with NAZARETH and it didn't happen."

Hot off the back of their European summer tour, THE DEAD DAISIES are primed to hit the USA this summer/fall. The band has been busy radiating some heat, playing with the likes of JUDAS PRIEST, FOREIGNER and taking part in several major festival across Europe.

THE DEAD DAISIES are really looking forward to tearing up stages from the East to West Coast, playing new music along with the classic hits you know and love on a series of dates across the USA.

Tour dates:

Sep. 07 - The Landis Theater - Vineland, NJ
Sep. 10 - Blue Ridge Rock Festival - Danville, VA
Sep. 11 - State Theatre - Falls Church, VA
Sep. 14 - Eastside Bowl – Nashville, TN
Sep. 15 - Arcada Theatre - St Charles, IL
Sep. 18 - The Vermont Hollywood - Los Angeles, CA
Sep. 21 - Goldfield Trading Post - Roseville, CA
Sep. 23 - Bossanova Ballroom - Portland, OR
Sep. 24 - The Crocodile - Seattle, WA

THE DEAD DAISIES say: "We know it's tough out there, so we have created a specially priced 'Have A Drink On Us' ticket bundle for our fans which includes a beverage and an exclusive DAISIES t-shirt. The bundle is limited to 100 tickets per show, so get yours now."

Commented guitarist Doug Aldrich: "Look out!! We're hitting a few of the best rock and roll cities starting in early September. Can't wait to play you the new tunes!!! See you on tour!!"

For more information on the tour, click here.

THE DEAD DAISIES have just dropped the second single, "Shine On", from their upcoming album, slated for release in late September. With THE DAISIES' trademark Aussie rock stamp all over it, this hard-driving track is one to sink your teeth into and set to become an instant anthem.

Guitarist David Lowy said: "Straight-up Aussie rock, it started as a riff I wrote on the tour bus and now here it is!"

Added drummer Brian Tichy: "Here's another slab of driving, pounding rock from your friends in THE DEAD DAISIES! The new single is 'Shine On'. I had a blast recording this with the guys, and hope y'all dig it as well."

Last month, THE DEAD DAISIES shared the official music video for "Radiance", the first single from their upcoming album. The band has been writing and recording at the Mix Room studios in Los Angeles with esteemed producer Ben Grosse.

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).