Former SILVERCHAIR frontman Daniel Johns has escaped jail time after he was convicted over high-range drink driving charges.

This past March, Johns was involved in a head-on crash at North Arm Cove, north of Newcastle, in his native Australia. The 43-year-old had consumed a bottle of wine and a can of vodka and was three times over the legal alcohol limit when he drove on the wrong side of the Pacific Highway before he crashed into a van and injured two people.

On Wednesday (July 6), Johns was given a 10-month "intensive corrections order", a form of custodial sentence which is served in the community. He is not allowed to drive for seven months and then will be required to have an alcohol-reading interlock device in his car for another 24 months.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Johns's lawyer Bryan Wrench said his client recently suffered from panic attacks and had been self-medicating with alcohol.

The musician entered rehabilitation of his own will for four weeks after the crash and his lawyer said he Johns not touched alcohol since.

In addressing the court, Wrench highlighted the trauma his client has experienced since he rose to international stardom at the age of 14.

"His fame came to him in an unwanted fashion and fame came with attacks and vitriol, including defacing and graffitiing his mother's fence," Wrench said. "He was pursued by a weird stalker, there was a defamation case, and he was accused of going to a brothel, which was totally untrue. When he ventures outside, he is worried about people attacking him. His home is his only safe spot."

Johns, who had a previous offense of mid-range drink-driving on his record from February 2015, has also dealt with a series of physical and mental health issues including severe anorexia and arthritis, with which he was diagnosed at the age of 22.

In sentencing Johns, Magistrate Ian Cheetham said Johns was best served to continue with psychiatric treatment in the community.

"There is no doubt a custodial sentence will not achieve an appropriate result for him or the community," Cheetham said.

Daniel's second solo album, "FutureNever", was released in April and topped the Australian ARIA Albums chart in its third week of release. It is the follow-up to Johns's debut solo album, "Talk", which came out in 2015.

Formed in 1992, SILVERCHAIR released five studio albums and sold more than six million records before disbanding in 2011.

The band's debut album, 1995's "Frogstomp", peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 chart, and its follow-up, 1997's "Freak Show", landed at No. 12.

Nita Strauss, the Los Angeles-based guitar shredder for the ALICE COOPER band, has revealed that a fan "threw his sweaty post-show boxers" at her onstage during the legendary rocker's 2021 tour.

The 35-year-old Strauss, who has been a member of Cooper's backing group for the past eight years, first touched upon the provocative display of affection while commenting on a recent BLABBERMOUTH.NET article about a female SLIPKNOT fan throwing her bra onstage at a recent concert in Mexico. "Ok but who has video of the guy who threw his sweaty post show boxers at me on the last tour though", she wrote on the BLABBERMOUTH.NET Facebook page in response to the Taylor story. Her comment subsequently got more than a thousand "likes."

On Tuesday (July 5), Strauss decided to tell the full story of how the aforementioned Alice fan daringly tossed his undergarment on stage while she was performing with her bandmates on their summer/fall 2021 tour. Taking to her Instagram, she wrote: "Since my comment on a recent Blabbermouth Facebook post seems to be getting a lot of attention, I shall share the long version of the boxers on the stage story.

"The year was 2021. The city will remain nameless. Touring had just started back up post lockdown, and the band and fans were in a good mood. In the front row, around my side of the stage was a group of a few younger guys. They were having a ball. Singing the words, headbanging along, shaking their fists in the air and raising the horns at all the appropriate times. One of the guys in particular was trying to get my attention throughout the show, blowing kisses and making that heart-hands symbol every time I glanced in that direction. 'a bit much,' I mused, but I was happy to see people at a show having fun and didn't think much of it. 'Teenage Frankenstein' rolls around, the second to last song. I glance down. The guy is gone. Smart! Probably beating the traffic out of here. 'School's Out'. The guy is back. His friends are cracking up. I was wrapped up in the show and didn't notice something wadded up in one of his hands. 'No more pencils, no more booooooks…' Suddenly, a gray, sweaty UFO hurtled onto the stage and landed on the center riser, between me and Alice. We all immediately BURST into uncontrollable laughter. The guy's boxer briefs were brazenly laid out on the riser, showing ALL the after effects of being worn all day at a hot, outdoor August show. Mercifully, Chuck [Garric, bass] or maybe Ryan [Roxie, guitar] hooked the waistband of the boxers onto their headstock.

"Everyone knew which guy it came from. Chuck (or maybe Ryan) deftly lifted the undies up and flung them back in the guy's direction- but since headstock tossing is notoriously inaccurate- overshot the throw by a couple rows. As a result, an innocent bystander a few rows back who had his hands in the air and mouth wide open, probably screaming 'WELL WE GOT NO CLASS, and WE GOT NO PRINCI-' suddenly got a face full of front row guy's sweaty underwear. The 'AAAAGGHHHHHH' was audible over the concert noise and I think that was one of many times I actually fell down from laughing so hard.

"The moral of the story is this: Don't throw your boxers at a girl unless you're prepared for them to go places you didn't expect. (Or, ya know… maybe just don't throw your boxers at a girl in general)"

Strauss has 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.

Nita's debut solo album, "Controlled Chaos", was released in November 2018 via Sumerian Records.

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Highway Sentinels - the supergroup featuring vocalsit David Reece (Bangalore Choir, Accept), drummer Mark Zonder (Fates Warning, Warlord), keyboardist Jimmy Waldo (Alcatrazz), bassist Donnie Van Stavern (Riot V) and guitarist Steven Rosen have released their new single and video "How To Be Real", featuring special guest Joe Satriani.





"How To Be Real" is taken from Highway Sentinels' debut album, The Waiting Fire, which will be released via Louder Than Loud Records on July 22nd, 2022. The cover art and tracklisting are as follows:







"I'm A Loser"
"Face In The Crowd"
"Afterlife"
"Love And Hate"
"Victim Of The Night"
"Tortured Soul"
"We Won't Be Forgotten"
"All Comes Crashing Down"
"I Don't Care Anymore"
"Not Too Late"
"How To Be Real"
"Hell In A Handbasket"


Highway Sentinels is a project created by Steven Rosen and Jimmy Waldo. Steven, himself a legendary author, journalist and guitar enthusiast going back to the 1970s, be it traveling on a plane with Led Zeppelin or as a close friend of Eddie Van Halen, he has always been at the forefront of rock journalism and its surrounding culture.


Jimmy Waldo, founding member of Alcatrazz and New England, as well as having performed and recorded with the likes of Quiet Riot, Vinnie Vincent, Blackthorne, Pretty Maids, W.A.S.P., Skull, The Scream and many more, Jimmy has an astounding resume and a catalog of recorded music few can rival.


During the lockdowns of 2021, the two men set about recording a batch of songs that they had been working on for a number of years, some dating back even decades were brought into the mix.


There are a number of highly skilled guest guitarists on this record, each soloist was chosen for the song, rather than “name value” alone. Joe Satriani, Tracii Guns, Bumblefoot, and Paul Gilbert all contributed their talents to the record.


When choosing a vocalist Steven and Jimmy settled on David Reece, his work with Accept, Bangalore Choir, Bonfire and as a solo artist speaks for itself… he was given complete freedom to write lyrics and vocal melodies.


A couple of songs come from the past, “Afterlife” and “We Won’t Be Forgotten” come from Jimmy’s past with Blackthorne, and “Victim Of The Night” is a song David had recorded with Bangalore Choir which never found its way onto the classic debut of that band.


Mark Zonder on drums brings an enormous pedigree to the record, known worldwide as the longtime drummer of Fates Warning and Warlord as well as the newly launched A-Z band with Fates Warning vocalist Ray Alder, it all made sense to have Mark Zonder be the featured drummer on this record.


On bass is Donnie Van Stavern, from the much loved metal legends Riot, Donnie’s involvement means that no one has to worry about the bottom end falling out of a song, or having to have the guitarist re-cut the bass parts in a backroom somewhere… Donnie only plays one way… and that is go for the throat full on metal!


All together this is The Waiting Fire by Highway Sentinels - a record rooted very much in the traditions of classic rock.


"I'm A Loser" feat. Paul Gilbert:





 

The Dead Daisies, currently on tour in Europe, have shared the new video below, stating: "It's been a massive week rippin' up stages from Munich with Judas Priest to Trieste in Italy! We've had a blast and there's more to come! Check out some of the shenanigans!"





The Dead Daisies recently released the meta cinematic video for "Radiance". Watch below, and listen to the single here.







Says the band: "Entering into a new world which we call the Metaverse, the band have transformed into The Meta Daisies where they become an eternal burning flame of youth and hero like with their Guardian Daisy always looking out for them and guiding them through this wonderful new world. Daisy moves through metaverses, searching through futuristic cities, enchanted forests and to the depths of Hell, discovering mystical energy sources that will change this new world forever."


Set to the soundtrack of ‘Radiance’, the brand new song from The Dead Daisies, this brand new cinematic view of a parallel universe will have plenty for you to discover time and time again as you watch Daisy finding and unlocking secrets on her quest to protect the band.


You can view the entire dramatic story of Daisy moving through different Metaverses online now at this location.





"Radiance" is the first single from The Dead Daisies' upcoming new album, set for release in August.  The band have been writing and recording over the last couple of months in Los Angeles with esteemed producer Ben Grosse at the Mix Room studios.


Tour dates:


July
6 - SRC Tasmajdan - Belgrade, Serbia (with Whitesnake)
8 - Masters Of Rock - Vizovice, Czech Republic
9 - Hype Park - Krakow, Poland
11 - Budapest Arena - Budapest, Hungary, (with Judas Priest)
12 - Dvorana Stozice - Ljubljana, Slovenia (with Judas Priest)
15 - Faliro Olympic Indoor Hall - Athens, Greece (with Judas Priest)
17 - Midalidare Rock - Mogilovo, Bulgaria (with Judas Priest)
18 - Arenele Romane - Bucharest, Romania (with Judas Priest)
19 - Skenderija - Sarajevo, Bosnia (with Whitesnake)
26 - Theatre Antique - Vienne, France (with Judas Priest)
27 - Z7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
28 - Substage - Karlsruhe, Germany
30 - Freilichtbuhne Peißnitzinsel - Halle (Saale), Germany (with Judas Priest)
31 - Rudolf Weber Arena - Oberhausen, Germany (with Judas Priest)


August
2 - Brose Arena - Bamberg, Germany (with Judas Priest)
5 - Time To Rock Festival - Knislinge, Sweden


The current incarnation of The Dead Daisies features guitarist Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio), drummer Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol), bassist and singer Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Country Communion), and rhythm guitarist David Lowy (Red Phoenix, Mink).

In a unique collaboration with the world famous Munch museum in Oslo, Satyricon created a musical composition in album format specifically to be experienced in the new exhibition called Satyricon & Munch, alongside selected paintings and graphics by Edvard Munch. The new, astonishing and critically acclaimed art exhibition of the same title is on display at the Munch museum in Oslo until August 28, 2022.


Legendary Emperor multi-instrumentalist, Samoth, recently paid a visit to the exhibition, and Satyricon mastermind, Satyr, took to social media to share the news, writing, "Visit from an old friend at the Satyricon & Munch exhibition today."




 

 
 

 


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The new music, created Satyr, is written in the shape of a so-called musical work, it is 56 minutes long and transcends any genre barriers. Although the music was written for the art exhibition, it clearly has the emotional depth to take on any environment outside the exhibition room. The new, astonishing and critically acclaimed art exhibition of the same title is on display at the Munch museum in Oslo until August 28, 2022.


 





 


Satyr on Satyricon & Munch: “In the musical work Satyricon & Munch, you will find my musical response to the emotions that the works of Edvard Munch instilled in me when working on the art exhibition. One could therefore say that the album release is not only a consequence of the making of an exhibition, but also a reflection of my studies of Edvard Munch’s life and philosophy on the making of art  –  and my eagerness to push myself as an artist. I deeply appreciate his emphasis on feeling over technique, his will to experiment and his determination to walk his own way. Of course these are also core values to Satyricon, which in this particular case becomes even more important.


To make this into what it is, it became clear early on that we needed to reverse the roles in the instrumentation: What has been complimentary in the past must now perhaps take more of a lead role, what is given in a regular song is perhaps not needed at all for this project. These types of reflections. To create the layers of emotion and atmospheres that we aspired to, the instrumentation needed to be rich in diversity. That is why we have a wide range of old school analog synthesizers, electric guitar, baritone guitar, bass guitar, drums, theremin, cello, viola, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, jouhikko, Hardanger fiddle, grand piano to name some. Some of these instruments are particularly receptive to the personal input of the musician and very suitable for creating the depth of layers that was necessary for this project. It has been important to us to break away from formatted approaches and focus strictly on what this project needs.


Black metal’s true nature is being limitless and while the format is unlike anything you’ve heard from Satyricon before, the tonality and personal signature is highly recognizable to those who know their Satyricon. We encourage everyone to refrain from trying to label the music and just accept that there is no need to. It is certainly not film music, it is not ambient and it is not something you have to make up a word for. It is Satyricon.”





Satyricon & Munch is now available for pre-order in the following formats:


- Deluxe Box
- 2LP Gatefold Picture LP – limited to 500 worldwide
- 2LP Gatefold Monolithic Grey – limited to 300 worldwide
- 2LP Gatefold Transparent – limited to 300 worldwide
- 2LP Gatefold Black
- 1CD Mediabook


Pre-Order your physical copy of Satyricon & Munch here.


Founded back in 1991, Satyricon is a true legend in the black metal scene, which they heavily influenced from the early 1990’s until today. Early works, such as Dark Medieval Times and The Shadowthrone, are genre classics, while later works break free from traditional black metal. The band never strayed away from other musical influences and implemented them in their music, which led to multiple awards, gold records and #1 albums, as well as huge headline tours and festivals all over the world. With Satyricon & Munch, the band sets new standards in contemporary music in a monumental, yet intimate experience.


Munch museum in Oslo is one of the most famous museums in the world, dedicated to the works of famous Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. The museum holds paintings such as The Scream, Madonna and Anxiety. It re-opened in October 2021 with an impressive building in the heart of Oslo, that gained even more attention worldwide. The collaboration between one of the world’s most well-known black metal bands and the museum is unique on a worldwide scale.


Satyricon are:


Satyr - Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Effects, Songwriting, Lyrics
Frost - Drums / Percussion


Guest: Eivind Buene


(Photos - Morten Andersen)

Venom Prison have released a guitar playthrough video for “Pain Of Oizys”, featured on their new album, Erebos. Watch below:





Order the new album here.







Tracklisting:


“Born From Chaos”
“Judges Of The Underworld”
“Nemesis”
“Comfort Of Complicity”
“Pain Of Oizys”
“Golden Apples Of The Hesperides”
“Castigated In Steel And Concrete”
“Gorgon Sisters”
“Veil Of Night”
“Technologies Of Death”


“Comfort Of Complicity” visualizer:





"Pain Of Oizys" video:





"Judges Of The Underworld":





Lineup:


Larissa Stupar - lead vocals
Ash Gray - guitar
Ben Thomas - guitar
Mike Jefferies - bass
Joe Bills - drums

When a hero rises anew, a legend is born... People of Planet Earth and all Dundee rejoice! Prince Angus has conquered hell and now returns to free the Kingdom of Fife and especially Napalm Records. But times have changed - the shadow of a terrible enemy is looming on the horizon, more dreadful than anything mankind and goblinkind have ever seen.


Are you ready to embark on a quest to gather the most glorious warriors in the world and beyond? Are you ready to face ultimate doom?


Angus says, "Oh yeah". Now wielding the most powerful weapon in the universe, he has received an upgrade to become the legendary warrior that is Angus McSix – one better.




Napalm Records is proud to embark on this new journey with the reborn prince. The full band, as well as more big updates, will be revealed in the near future, so stay tuned for more news.


Napalm Records founder, managing director and CEO Markus Riedler states: “Angus McSix is the new star in fantasy metal and the power of Captain Napalm will support him! This will be pure fantasy metal perfection – Angus McSix and his allies have a bright future ahead!”


(Photo - Marko Ristić)

DISTURBED singer David Draiman says that he "couldn't be more proud" of his bandmate Dan Donegan for taking on "cancel culture" with his new guitar.

Earlier today (Wednesday, July 6), Donegan, who frequently shares posts on his personal Facebook page that amplify Republican talking points and that are derogatory to Democrats, posted a couple of pictures of his new guitar from Schecter Guitars, featuring the words "Fuck Cancel Culture" incorporated into a design that replicates the iconic typography of the Coca-Cola logo.

"The new addition to my arsenal!" Dan captioned his post. "Thank you Marc LaCorte Matt Chewy Dezynski Schecter Guitars #FuckCancelCulture Disturbed".

A short time later, Draiman took to his Twitter to share a picture of the guitar, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "@DanDoneganGtr 's new guitar. I couldn't be more proud @Disturbed".

Cancel culture is the idea that someone, usually a celebrity or a public figure, whose ideas or comments are considered offensive should be boycotted. These people are ostracized and shunned by former friends, followers and supporters alike, leading to declines in any careers and fanbase the individual may have at any given time.

While "cancel culture" may be a recent phenomenon, public scapegoating, shaming and silencing tactics are not. Republicans have for a long time used the phrase "cancel culture" to criticize the left, even though there's a long list of supposedly left-leaning associates who have been targeted or boycotted by conservatives, including Colin Kaepernick, Disney, Nike, Campbell's Soup, THE DIXIE CHICKS and Kathy Griffin.

Draiman and Donegan are not the first rock musicians to speak out against cancel culture. Last month, KISS frontman Paul Stanley tweeted: "I find myself thinking 'Cancel Culture' is more dangerous than what it wants to cancel. Is censorship and silencing people okay if you believe you're right?? That is a slope we're already slipping down. You defeat lies with truth, not gags."

Stanley and his KISS bandmate Gene Simmons previously spoke out against cancel culture while answering questions from fans at a KISS VIP exclusive soundcheck event in September 2021 in Austin, Texas. At the time, they defended actress Gina Carano after she was ousted from "The Mandalorian" over controversial social media posts.

Carano — a former MMA fighter who played Cara Dune in the hit Disney+ show — was dropped in February 2021 over a post that likened being a conservative in modern America to being a Jew in Nazi Germany.

Simmons and Stanley, who are both Jewish, were asked if they were fans of the breakout series. Gene called "The Mandalorian" "one of the best shows on TV" and said in reference to Carano: "They should have kept the chick, even though she had different political [views]. It's not about politics; it's about whether you're a good actress."

A couple of minutes later, Paul also weighed in on the topic, saying: "Look, political views… This whole cancel culture is so dangerous. The idea that people can't speak their mind. That's what freedom is all about. And to lose your job because you've got something to say — even if I find it offensive — that's... we've gotta look at that. Plus she can kick my ass."

In April 2021, TWISTED SISTER singer Dee Snider, who was famously called to testify before the U.S. Senate against the proposition to have warning labels be placed on albums deemed "offensive" to listeners, said that "censorship has changed quite a bit" over the last few decades. "Now censorship still exists, but it's gone from the right more to the left," he told NewsNation's "Banfield". "We're in this P.C. world where we have to be careful about what we say and who we offend, and it's a very odd thing."

That same month, Snider's TWISTED SISTER bandmate Jay Jay French addressed the fact that the current trend of canceling people and companies has gotten out of hand during an interview with Rocking With Jam Man. Speaking about the fact that Marilyn Manson was accused by several women of abuse and assault, including "Westworld" actress Evan Rachel Wood, who claimed in a social media post that Manson "groomed" and "horrifically" abused her for years, the guitarist said: "Michael Jackson got accused of some pretty bad stuff, but Michael Jackson music is still being played. So, obviously, somebody decided that that was okay; someone decided that's not gonna bother people. And yet other people's music has been taken off. [Former pop star] Gary Glitter played in all the arenas around the country — baseball stadiums, football stadiums, everything. But then Gary Glitter got arrested for some weird stuff he did in Thailand with underage children and got banned everywhere. When I say 'banned,' I just mean the people said, 'We're not gonna play his music anywhere,' so they don't play his music. And I am in no way endorsing in any manner, way, shape or form his actions. What I'm saying is that that is a byproduct of what happens in life in general. And it's terrible."

He continued: "Cancel culture is not a healthy thing. Cancel culture is not healthy, because it just depends on who decides to do the canceling. So if they like TWISTED SISTER, we don't get canceled, we are okay, but if they hate TWISTED SISTER and they cancel us, it's not okay, so therefore it's not okay just to do it randomly. It's a personal choice. If you don't wanna buy something by somebody, don't buy it, but for the media to withhold it is opening up a can of worms that is almost impossible to put back in the jar."

Dee previously spoke about political correctness in 2020 when he told Canada's The Metal Voice that a movie like "Blazing Saddles", the 1974 American satirical Western black comedy film directed by Mel Brooks "could not be made today — it literally could not be made, because it would offend too many people."
@DanDoneganGtr ‘s new guitar.
I couldn’t be more proud 🤘🏻@Disturbedpic.twitter.com/lAwNgTRPMv

— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) July 6, 2022

David Lee Roth is the main reason the proposed all-star VAN HALEN tribute project has yet to move forward, according to SiriusXM radio personality Eddie Trunk.

No progress has been reported on a possible VAN HALEN tribute concert since April when former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted revealed to The Palm Beach Post that he was approached by VAN HALEN drummer Alex Van Halen about six months earlier about playing bass for the project. Newsted told the Florida newspaper that he agreed to go to California to jam with Alex and legendary guitarist Joe Satriani and see if it felt right, but he eventually realized that it would be impossible to do justice to VAN HALEN's legacy. "How could you?" Jason said. "There's nobody that can top it, so how do you show it honor? I didn't want it to be viewed as a money grab. And then it kind of just all fizzled."

Trunk offered an update on the proposed VAN HALEN tribute on his radio show this past Friday (July 1), one day after going to see THE BLACK CROWES play at the Stone Pony Summerstage in Asbury Park, New Jersey. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I had a very, very, very reliable source tell me last night at THE BLACK CROWES show that the hold-up on the VAN HALEN-anything happening is a lot of it falling on David Lee Roth, that David Lee Roth — to no surprise; it shouldn't be a surprise to anybody — is a difficult guy to wrangle, a difficult guy to get an answer on, a difficult guy to get focused on anything, a difficult guy to get to sign off on anything. He is all over the map, as you would expect and have seen throughout history, and that the big hold-up in anything happening with VAN HALEN is not Alex, who wants to do it and is trying; it's actually Roth who needs to sign off and be involved. Also, contrary to any reports of anything different, Alex and [former VAN HALEN bassist] Michael Anthony are totally cool and there's no issue there at all. And the stumbling block is trying to get Alex and Dave on the same page and Dave wanting to do this and how they're gonna do it. And that's really one of the big stumbling issues. And it did not escape anybody, as I've said before, you've got two Taylor Hawkins [tribute concerts] in two different countries [announced] two months after Taylor passed or so, and here we are coming up on two years [after VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen's death] and they can't figure out anything for Eddie. It's crazy. Hopefully that'll be corrected."

A month ago, Anthony confirmed to Trunk that he was involved in some of the early conversations about the VAN HALEN tribute.

"I haven't spoken to him in a little while, but I have spoken with Alex on occasion," Michael said. "And for the most part, we don't even speak that much about music — more about just family, how we're doing and stuff like that. I know it still pains him a lot as far as Eddie goes and will probably for the rest of his life. But I spoke with him and Dave last year about a possible something, but Dave just starts going [talking really fast] And I'm, like, 'Okay.' And we basically just had kind of a conference call about having a conference call to discuss it, and then that other call didn't happen for whatever reason on their end. I told them that I'd obviously be interested. And it would be more like a celebration of the music rather than putting together something and calling it VAN HALEN because that just wouldn't be right at this point."

Anthony went on to say that he hadn't been aware Newsted was involved in the discussions until Jason disclosed it in The Palm Beach Post interview. "That's the first that I'd even heard about anything like that," Michael said. "And it was kind of interesting because he said he spoke to [Dave and Alex] about a year ago, and that's about the time I was speaking with them. So I don't know. I'm gonna have to call Jason and ask him. [Laughs]"

When Trunk noted that Roth said in his comment about the VAN HALEN tribute that "two of us" would be required "for every position" in the project's lineup, possibly suggesting that more than one guitarist and more than one bassist would be involved in the show, Anthony said: "I was kind of thinking along those lines also, but then one thing made me kind of change my mind and make me think, 'Well, Dave's just kind of being Dave,' and maybe he's just saying that it would take at least two people to be able to duplicate what one person in this band did, and the reason I thought of that was all of a sudden he brought up the name Pink. He was saying that Pink would have to be one of the David Lee Roth characters, or singers, and I'm, like, 'Huh.' That just sounded a little too 'Dave' to me.

"But I don't know," Anthony quickly clarified. "At this point, I've gotta tell you, I don't know if anything will ever happen. 'Cause Alex is — he's really hurting. Him and Edward were so close on all levels — musical levels and personally and whatever. It just seems to me like it might be really hard for Alex to even enter into something to bring back all those memories. I don't know. I could be wrong. I'm the guy that always says, 'Never say never.'"

According to Anthony, the proposed VAN HALEN tribute would likely take the form of a single concert rather than a full-fledged tour.

"What was being talked about was not actually doing a tour," he said. "You take something like this on tour and people are gonna think it's a cashgrab. I'd rather have something, like a memorial-type thing, done at a venue. And there were actually a couple of venues discussed. But do it that way instead of taking it on the road. And make it just a real celebration of the music…

"I actually would not be up for doing a tour right off the bat," Michael continued. "I think holding a celebration of Eddie and the music and the whole VAN HALEN legacy is great. And let's face it — none of us need the money. I don't need the money. I'd rather take the money and throw it in a charity."

Michael once again reiterated that he has no concrete idea whether any VAN HALEN tribute concert will take place. "I think it all really hinges upon Alex," he said. "And he's gotta be the person, really, that wants to do this and give his blessing to the whole thing for it to move forward. And like I said, when we speak, we really don't even speak about doing anything like that at this point. He's still healing. And if it gets to that point, I'm sure Alex will be the first one that'll wanna do something like that."

Asked whether there has been any bad blood between him and Alex and Dave in recent years, Anthony said: "Not at all. I only spoke to Dave that one conversation we had last year and I couldn't hardly get a word in edgewise, which is… that's typical Dave. But I have spoken to Alex on occasion, and it's great. We'll speak for, like, 45 minutes, an hour. And probably about the first 20 minutes is Alex, sometimes he'll vent to me a bit about all the circumstances around how everything happened with Eddie. But we basically just talk about family and we actually bring up some of the old times on the road, to lighten things up a bit."

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

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

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

In February 2021, former VAN HALEN singer Sammy Hagar told Kyle Meredith that he will make every effort to take part in the Eddie Van Halen tribute concert.

"I have nothing to do with the [Eddie Van Halen] legacy," he said. "That's their business — that's Wolfie, Alex Van Halen; they're family members. Whoever wants to call me up and say, 'Here's the date,' I will be there. I don't care where I am. I'll cancel a [solo] show [if I need to]. [Laughs] [That's] something VAN HALEN would never do. I always make that joke — canceling a show was [out of the question with] VAN HALEN. I went out sick without being able to sing, Eddie went out with a crutch, Alex went out with a fucking neck brace — we wouldn't cancel shows. But I will cancel my show for a tribute to Eddieany day."

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

Eddie was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2000 and had tongue surgery. He later battled lung cancer and had been receiving radiation treatment in Germany. Things took a turn for the worse in early 2019 when Eddie got in a motorcycle accident. He was subsequently diagnosed with a brain tumor, and received gamma knife radiosurgery to treat the illness.

Def Leppard performed a special invitation-only concert at the Whisky A Go Go in in Los Angeles on May 26 for SiriusXM listeners. The show, part of SiriusXM's Small Stage Series, was in celebration of the band's new album, Diamond Star Halos.


New pro-shot video of the band performing "Rocket" during the concert can be seen below:







Previously posted footage of the band performing "Animal", "Rock Of Ages" and Photograph" can be viewed below:








UMe have set August 5 as the release date for vinyl reissues reissue of Def Leppard's multi-platinum selling 1992 album Adrenalize, and 1999’s Euphoria on vinyl. This marks the first time Euphoria will be available on vinyl outside of 2019’s The Collection: Volume 2 box set.





Adrenalize tracklisting:


Side One
"Let’s Get Rocked"
"Heaven Is"
"Make Love Like a Man"
"Tonight"
"White Lightning"


Side Two
"Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)"
"Personal Property"
"Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad?"
"I Wanna Touch U"
"Tear It Down"





Eurphoria tracklisting:


Side One
"Demolition Man"
"Promises"
"Back in Your Face"
"Goodbye"


Side Two
"All Night"
"Paper Sun"
"It’s Only Love"


Side Three
"21st Century Sha La La La Girl"
"To Be Alive"
"Disintegrate"


Side Four
"Guilty"
"Day After Day"
"Kings of Oblivion"

UK rockers Syteria, featuring Girlschool guitarist Jackie "Jax" Chambers, recently released a new double A-side single, “It Hit Me” / “Pause For Peace (Silent Minute)”, available on all platforms now.


The band have released a lyric video for "Pause For Peace", which can be viewed below.


A message states: "Syteria’s latest video release 'Pause For Peace' is simply a lyric video that lets the words, rather than the images do the talking. The world around us is at war, whether internally, or with neighbouring countries. It’s time to pause before it’s all too late and give peace a chance!




"Most of us will have stood for a minute of silence at some point in our lives, bowed our heads in remembrance of those who have sacrificed or ones that we’ve lost. This song tells of that movements’ origin, where one man (Wellesley Tudor Pole) approached Winston Churchill and asked that the country could unite in meditation, contemplation or prayer for simply one minute at 9pm every evening during WW2, in the hope of bringing peace with that powerful vibration. In 1940 as Big Ben struck 9 that silent minute began!"

Michael Denner says that it is "heartbreaking" for him to be excluded from MERCYFUL FATE's current reunion.

When it was announced in 2019 that the influential Danish heavy metal act would reunite for an unspecified number of concerts throughout Europe during the summer of 2020, it was revealed that MERCYFUL FATE's lineup for the shows would consist of King Diamond on vocals, Hank Shermann on guitar, Bjarne T. Holm on drums, Mike Wead on guitar and Joey Vera (ARMORED SAINT, FATES WARNING) on bass.

Denner, who was a member of MERCYFUL FATE's classic lineup, addressed his absence from the band's reunion in a brand new interview with Finland's Chaoszine. The guitarist said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I [feel like] this is not my band anymore. I'm not part of it, because they didn't tell me; they didn't invite me. We didn't even have a discussion about it. So, of course, it took some time for me to digest it. It was quite painful, because I miss my friends from the '80s — I miss them. But not the people who [are] in the band today. I wish them the best. I mean, the better they play, the more records we can sell and the more money I will get in the end. Of course it's heartbreaking. And also to see and hear — they play my signature stuff. Most of the songs they play now is things I've done — I mean, my signature solos, my themes, my arrangements, my stuff. And it's another guy who plays. But then again, Mike Wead is a great guitarist, and he's still a good friend of mine. So if anyone should do the job, I'm glad it's him who did it, really. He can do the shit. That's some sort of comfort in all this agony and disappointment — that it's Mike Wead who plays. And that makes me feel good."

Regarding his relationship with King, Michael said: "The thing is me and King, we had a discussion some years ago. It was about a cover of a DENNER/SHERMANN album. Because the artist who did the artwork for the cover is [Swedish artist] Thomas Holm who did [MERCYFUL FATE's] 'Melissa' and 'Don't Break The Oath'. And, of course, his way of painting and stuff, it was a bit more than a bit similar to 'Melissa' and 'Don't Break The Oath', and King got upset and tried to stop the album. He did manage to stop — as I recall it — the merchandise side; t-shirt design and so on. I'm not a hundred percent sure [about] that, but that could be the story.

"Me and King are quite alike," he explained. "We don't turn the other cheek. I mean, two old assholes who don't wanna stretch the hand out and say, 'Okay, let bygones be bygones. Let's try to do this.' So we keep the disagreements and the enemy side of it. That's just sad. But with Hank, it was a different story because it came out of nowhere. We had a good teamwork going with DENNER/SHERMANN. And one of the last things Hank told me was, 'If we do a MERCYFUL FATE reunion, it should be with you and me. No question about it.' But of course, King, he has some strong will and some power behind it — Metal Blade Records and money; big salaries. So Hank chose to go that way and just leave me out in the cold. And [Hank and I] haven't spoken since, more or less. And that's a few years now. But then again, we've been a guitar team since the late '70s — that's a long, long time — and the friendship. And it's like telepathy. You know exactly which guy should play what parts and we know each other like it's in the pocket. But he chose to go that way, and I couldn't live with that. So we don't talk anymore. But I wish him the best — I wish him just the best of luck in the future. But his future will be without me."

Asked if he thinks there is still a chance that he will one day reconnect with Hank, Michael said: "Not in a million years. That will never happen — never. It's just the end of it, because I could never trust this guy again. He broke my heart and he stabbed me in the back. But still, I miss my old friend; I miss my guitar partner. But I will never take a chance again, trusting this guy, when he could do the thing he did. I will never be safe. So I feel sorry for me and I feel sorry for him. It's a loss. That's the way life goes. You have to carry on."

MERCYFUL FATE's last studio album, "9", was released in 1999.

MERCYFUL FATE will be remembered for its unquestionable mark on the history of metal with its innovative sound, complex arrangements, memorable melody, and its influence on bands that later took the genre to new heights.

In 1998, METALLICA paid tribute to MERCYFUL FATE by recording a medley of classic MERCYFUL FATE songs on the album "Garage Inc." Titled "Mercyful Fate", the medley included parts from "Satan's Fall", "Curse Of The Pharaohs", "A Corpse Without Soul", "Into The Coven" and "Evil".

Lars Ulrich of METALLICA (a fellow Dane) played drums on a new version of MERCYFUL FATE's "Return Of The Vampire" on the "In The Shadows" album, which came out in 1993.

Original MERCYFUL FATE bassist Timi Hansen died in November 2019 after a battle with cancer.

GUNS N' ROSES' headlining concert Tuesday night (July 5) at Glasgow Green in Glasgow, United Kingdom has been canceled "due to illness and medical advice". The gig was officially called off around 9:15 p.m. on Monday night.

Fans have been urged to keep their tickets and await any further updates on plans to reschedule the gig.

Earlier today, GUNS N' ROSES issued the following statement regarding the cancelation: "Sadly, due to illness and medical advice, GUNS N' ROSES will not be able to perform in Glasgow, tomorrow, July, 5.

"We are working on rescheduling options for this show so please hold onto your tickets and wait for a further update."

Some of the GUNS N' ROSES fans who attended the band's two concerts at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London last week complained about doors opening two hours late and various sound problems during the GN'R performances, making it difficult for the people in the back of the venue to hear frontman Axl Rose's vocals. At the second concert on July 2, Rose told the crowd he was "having issues" with his voice, forcing GUNS N' ROSES to play a truncated 19-song set, omitting such concert staples as "November Rain", which has been performed at every GN'R show since 2016.

GUNS N' ROSES launched its long-rumored and long-awaited reunion tour with an April 2016 club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

GUNS N' ROSES' reunion tour features classic-lineup members Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and Rose backed by guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

GUNS N' ROSES released a new four-song EP, "Hard Skool", in February. The effort, which is exclusive to the GUNS N' ROSES' official store, contains the two new songs the band released last year — the title track and "Absurd" (stylized as "ABSUЯD") — as well as live versions of "Don't Cry" and "You're Crazy".

The band is now reportedly working on a new studio album — the first under the GUNS banner since 2008's "Chinese Democracy" and the first to feature Rose, Slash and McKagan since 1993.
Due to illness and medical advice, @gunsnroses will not be able to perform in Glasgow tomorrow.
Ticket buyers have been contacted by their point of purchase and we will be in touch about the rescheduled date. pic.twitter.com/wbjxysmHss

— Gigs in Scotland (@gigsinscotland) July 4, 2022

In a new interview with Dr. Music, PRIEST vocalist Linton Rubino, who played bass in GHOST as one of the the Nameless Ghouls under the stage name Water, was asked if he was involved in the 2017 lawsuit filed against GHOST leader Tobias Forge by four former members of the band after being dismissed by the group's founder the previous December.

"I was fired in 2015 from GHOST, so I wasn't a part of that process. But I have a family member and a close friend that was in that process, in the trial," he said, apparently referring to his father, Mauro Rubino, who was the keyboardist Air in GHOST from 2011 until 2016, and Simon Söderberg, who played guitar for GHOST from 2010 until 2016. "So, yeah, I was involved emotionally, you can say. But otherwise from that, I wasn't a part of that process."

Asked if it was difficult to deal with the fact that nobody knew his identity while he was in GHOST and he had to virtually start from scratch again once he was out of the band, Linton said: "I actually went through therapy for six months after that 'cause I felt that I'm nobody. We were up there playing with METALLICA and IRON MAIDEN and everything, and they know who we are, all the people backstage know who we are, but nobody else [does]. So it was just like being up [at the top] and then you're basically [at the bottom once you are out of the band]. I didn't have a job or anything… [But] then you're back on track in a couple of months. And you just roll up your sleeves and get at it again. I didn't have much of a choice."

The four former members of GHOST who sued Forge were Söderberg, Mauro Rubino, Henrik Palm (Eather; member of GHOST from 2015 until 2016) and Martin Hjertstedt (Earth; member of GHOST from 2014 until 2016). They accused the singer of cheating them out of their rightful share of the profits from the band's album releases and world tours.

The original lawsuit, which was filed in the district court of Linköping, where GHOST was originally based, claimed that Forge solely controlled the band's business affairs without input from anyone else in the group. The four musicians furthermore stated that a partnership agreement existed between them and Forge which put Tobias in charge of carrying out the company's management duties.

In June 2017, Forge filed an official response to the lawsuit, claiming that "no legal partnership" ever existed between him and the four musicians regarding the activities of GHOST and explaining that "none of the plaintiffs were present at the time of the" group's formation and that their sole task was to "perform" and "execute" the musical works and the image that Forge had created, produced and decided, all according to his instructions. For their efforts, he said, the musicians were paid a fixed salary.

In August 2017, the four ex-GHOST members presented an answer of their own, dismissing Forge's claim that GHOST is a solo project as "not [being] in accordance with the truth." "Forge has certainly been the band's main songwriter, he has had the role of the band's cinematic front figure 'Papa Emeritus,' has been a driving force in the band's business, as well as in the handling of the band's business affairs," the musicians wrote. "However, the activities carried out with respect to GHOST were extensively handled jointly by the members — for example, by making decisions jointly regarding the band's image, by participating in interviews, and by the fact that every member has, at certain times, contributed when recording the band's albums and singles and by touring together almost continuously since 2011."

The four ex-members, known previously only as Nameless Ghouls, claimed that between the years of 2010 and 2016, Forge never told them that he viewed GHOST as a one-man business and solo project. "To the contrary, Tobias Forge has always emphasized that it was a collaboration that everyone was involved in and would share in the profit of once the business became profitable," they wrote. "The first time Tobias Forge, through the band's management, mentioned that he saw them as hired musicians rather than full-fledged members of GHOST was in the context of a contract proposal presented in April 2016." This proposal was later rejected.

According to GHOST's ex-members, "It is not true that Tobias Forge was solely responsible for the creation of GHOST, its image based on anonymity and its special stage presentation. Tobias Forge might have taken the initiative of founding the band GHOST, but all members of the band were involved in the creation and development of the band's image and live show," they wrote. "For example, [former guitarist] Martin Persner [who was not involved with the lawsuit] designed most of the costumes and clothing that the band had on the stage (some of them together with Tobias Forge). Martin Persner has also, together with Tobias Forge, designed some of the masks that members have worn at stage performances. Martin Persner is also behind many of the symbols used in GHOST's activities, such as the 'Water', 'Fire', 'Air' and 'Quintessence' symbols, as well as the various album covers, t-shirt designs, etc. For others members of the group they, like Martin Persner, have been involved in the development of the band's stage show, setlists, choreography, lighting, stage I and the like."

The ex-GHOST musicians alleged that the Papa Emeritus character was actually created by Peter Hällje, a former bandmate of Persner, prior to GHOST's formation. Hällje never performed as Papa Emeritus, but agreed to let Persner use the character for his then-new band. "It is noteworthy that the permission given by Peter Hällje was not given to Tobias Forge, but to Martin Persner for use in the band GHOST," they wrote.

The musicians furthermore claimed that in 2011, they discussed the possibility of converting the business from the single company to an economic association, a limited company or a trading company. But "because Tobias Forge succeeded in convincing the other members that there was no time to register a joint association or joint venture, they chose to move forward with another GHOST model on the advice of Forge and the accounting consultants the band hired," they wrote. "The model was based on the fact that Tobias Forge, through his companies and as the band leader, would collect and invoice third parties for the band's live fees, merchandise revenues and record royalties. The other members of the band would acquire 'F-tax slips'" — which allow business and self-employed individuals to document responsibility for payment of taxes to the state — "and bill Tobias Forge for their share of the profits of the business."

The four ex-GHOST musicians also disputed Forge's claim that the band was formed in 2006, four years prior to the release of GHOST's debut album, "Opus Eponymous". They wrote: "GHOST operations began in 2010 when Simon Söderberg and Tobias Forge recorded the songs 'Ritual', 'Death Knell', 'Elisabeth' and 'Prime Mover' and made them available on the MySpace web site, followed by GHOST's first live show, which took place on October 23, 2010. The launch of GHOST was thus 2010, not 2006."

The musicians also denied Forge's claim that they were paid a salary by him. Instead, they claimed, an agreement was reached between the parties in 2013 that Simon Söderberg and Mauro Rubino would receive regular advance payments pending the final settlement. The advance payments received by the plaintiffs have varied from SEK 10,000 to SEK 30,000 (approximately $1250 - $3750) per month, depending on the member. This corresponded to a monthly net income (after tax) of between SEK 5,000 and SEK 15,000 ($625 - $1850). In addition, the members "received allowances on tours to cover rising living expenses."

The trial in Linköping District Court lasted for six days, and on October 17, 2018, a 108-page decision was released dismissing the case. The four former GHOST members were also ordered to pay Forge's legal fees, which at the time was said to be approximately $146,000.

In February 2019, an appeals court rejected the former GHOST members' argument that the judge who ordered the dismissal of their lawsuit against Forge had a conflict of interest in overseeing the case.

In May 2018, Linton blasted GHOST's then-latest album "Prequelle", saying he was "ashamed to have been part of that" and calling the music "a joke" and "mainstream shit."

PRIEST will release a new full-length album, "Body Machine", on July 15 via Cleopatra Records.

In a new 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 (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "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." Over the weekend, 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.

Planerfest en direct

Planerfest en direct

Pollution Nocturne le show métal du 100.7 de Sol Fm vous fait vivre en direct le Planer'fest 2022

Posted by Pollution Nocturne on Saturday, July 2, 2022

MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine reportedly became irritated when JUDAS PRIEST's road crew began soundchecking while his band was performing at Spain's Barcelona Rock Fest this past Saturday, July 2.

Barcelona Rock Fest is staged at the Parc de Can Zam in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, just twenty minutes from the center of Barcelona. The festival revolves around two identical main stages set up side by side (Stage Rock on the left and Stage Fest on the right). The format is meant to eliminate the classic festival dilemma of having to choose between two bands that are playing at the same time, enabling artists to play almost continuously one after the other throughout the day. While one band is playing on one stage, the crew prepares the other stage for the next act.

After MEGADETH played the sixth song of its set, "Trust", a visibly annoyed Mustaine stopped the show in protest of the crew on the other main stage which was getting ready for PRIEST's performance later in the night.

"We'll wait till he's done checking his guitar over there," Dave said into the microphone.

After a long pause during which he apparently flipped the bird at the crew member in question, Mustaine continued: "The last night of the tour — we went all the way to the last fucking night, and then some pussy over on the stage next to us has to start playing while we're playing. How fucking pathetic, amateur piece of shit you are."

After another brief pause, Dave said: "Can we proceed now?" and then muttered under his breath, "Fucking cunt."

"This is called 'Symphony Of Destruction'," he added before he and his bandmates launched into the song.

The "metalreporterjuso" YouTube channel, which uploaded video of Mustaine's rant, referred to the incident in the clip's description as "Dave having some issues with JUDAS PRIEST crew, lol".

In its review of MEGADETH's performance, Spain's Metal Journal web site wrote (translated from Spanish using Google Translate): "MEGADETH put their great thrash metal card on the table until Dave Mustaine got really pissed off because JUDAS PRIEST's soundcheck bothered him. Then he returned to shine his particular character after uttering a good string of insults. The concert was stopped for a few minutes that became eternal."

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

The first song to be released from "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" is "We'll Be Back", which was accompanied by "We'll Be Back: Chapter I", an epic, action-packed short film chronicling the origins of MEGADETH's mascot, Vic Rattlehead. Produced by Mustaine, "We'll Be Back: Chapter I" is a soldier's tale of bravery, personal sacrifice, and the will to survive. It is the first installment of a trilogy of videos to be released in conjunction with the release of "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!"

Reuniting Mustaine with co-producer Chris Rakestraw (DANZIG, PARKWAY DRIVE),who together helmed 2016's "Dystopia", "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" was recorded at Mustaine's home studio in Nashville, Tennessee, with guitarist Kiko Loureiro and drummer Dirk Verbeuren. Bassist Steve DiGiorgio temporarily stepped in to record the album. With the kick-off of MEGADETH's recent tour, MEGADETH alumni James LoMenzo rejoined the MEGADETH family as permanent bass player.

CANDLEBOX frontman Kevin Martin has reacted on social media to yesterday's mass shooting outside of Chicago.

Seven people died and dozens of others were wounded after a gunman opened fire on a Fourth Of July parade from a rooftop in Highland Park, Illinois, police said. The shooter used a high-powered rifle that a law enforcement official said "could be similar to an AR-15."

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the shooting occurred shortly after 10 a.m. CDT. Following a manhunt, police arrested a person of interest, 21-year-old Robert E. "Bobby" Crimo, in connection with the case.

Late Monday, Martin took to his Instagram to write: "SO ANOTHER GUN TOTING AMERICAN KILLS 6 INNOCENT PEOPLE TODAY, A DAY THAT CELEBRATES FREEDOM, FREEDOM FROM WHAT?!?

"FUCK THIS BULLSHIT!

"HEARTBROKEN YET AGAIN AND YET THIS FUCKING GOVERNMENT OF OURS WILL DO NOTHING TO PROTECT THOSE OF US THAT CHOOSE NOT TO OWN FIREARMS BUT THEY'LL GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO PROTECT AN UNBORN FETUS?!?

"GET FUCKED!!!

"HAPPY FUCKING 4TH OF JULY Y'ALL!"

Kevin was apparently referring to the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority struck down New York's concealed carry gun law and revoked women's right to abortion last month. In the former case, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen that essentially deemed the concealed carry restrictions in New York unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate passed historic gun control legislation that will boost mental health funding, enhance background checks and close a loophole that allowed some domestic abusers to buy firearms. It is the first time in nearly three decades that Congress has enacted gun reform.

Gun-control supporters have said the Senate measure does too little in the face of so much bloodshed.

Last November, Martin told V13 that our "pack mentality/lone wolf mentality" as human beings served as an inspiration for the title of CANDLEBOX's latest album, "Wolves". He said: "I came up with this title for this record prior to the pandemic. Watching the previous [presidential] administration, for somebody like myself, was very disturbing. The amount of disassociative behavior that seems to be taking hold in the world is kind of where I came up with the concept. And when you have somebody like Donald Trump in office that's constantly stirring up shit and there being this boiling pot of stupidity — and I shouldn't even say that because it's really unfair because these people may not be stupid; maybe they really are intelligent. But how the fuck can you allow this person to separate an entire group of people? I mean, like 300 million people, and it literally was just drawing a line in the sand and saying that if you cross this line, you're the worst person ever. It's just a very strange emotion. And for me, I constantly think back to what happened in 2001, September 11th, where that year, afterwards, this country of ours was united in ways that I'd never seen and never experienced, and, of course, it made me very proud to be an American — that we could take that time with one another and say, 'I feel for you. Let's make things different. Let's change.' And we've lost that — we've lost that again."

Asked what side of the fence he sits on — if he prefers being in a pack or if he is a "lone wolf" kind of person, Kevin said: "I'm a pack mentality. What I love about wolves is when they work towards the betterment of the pack. Of course, they're a violent animal, but they're also very caring and gentle at the same time. I mean, the alpha male doesn't lead the pack; he follows the pack to make sure that the pack is doing what it needs to do. And I think there's beauty in that. So I guess, for me, I'm a liberal. I believe that everybody deserves the best of everything. And it's unfortunate that there are situations that — I mean, welfare and Medicaid and all that stuff that we have to deal with over here. We don't need to. We're a very wealthy country, but you can't change the mentality of that lone wolf that says, 'No, man. To hell with you. Hooray for me.' That's the downside of it. But I do believe that people can change. And I think that they can find greatness in anything. I just want people to look for it sometimes in themselves."

CANDLEBOX's seventh studio album, "Wolves" dropped worldwide in September 2021 on Pavement Entertainment. Produced by Dean Dichoso at the legendary Henson Studios in Los Angeles, California, it is the Seattle-based rockers' follow-up to 2016's "Disappearing In Airports".

Most of the "Wolves" recordings were finished in August 2019, and Martin completed his vocals in January 2020.

David Ellefson (MEGADETH), Adam Duce (MACHINE HEAD), Phil Demmel (VIO-LENCE, MACHINE HEAD), Marta Demmel (BLEEDING THROUGH) and Wayne Lozinak (HATEBREED) are among the musicians who took part in a jam by the hard rock/heavy metal covers band THE MERKINS this past Sunday, July 3 at Demmel's sports bar, The Back Lounge, in Dublin, California.

A few hours after the jam, Ellefson shared a few photos of the event and wrote in an accompanying message: "Rolled up to the Bay Area for a killer weekend with Phil Demmel Marta Demmel Adam Duce Bill Xavier and the gang at The Demmel's bar The Back Lounge in Dublin, CA to join in on their kick ass MERKINS jam! A good time was had by all!"

Phil was equally enthusiastic about the jam, writing on his Instagram: "Might've been the most fun MERKINS Jam yet. So many highlights from jamming with @realadamduce and @waynelozinak and newest Merkin family member David Ellefson, and the same with all my friends, especially my Wife (who NAILED Rainbow in the dark!) and son Jadon who despite how shy he is around adults, has NO problem getting up and playing silly cover tunes with us. Proud of you Son!!! Until next time (definitely DON’T hold your breath!) Thank you all who can out a packed our bar with so much positive energy. Zero EGO amongst us all."

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH in May 2021, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. At the time, Ellefson released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan. He also filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of him by unknown offenders.

Duce exited MACHINE HEAD in February 2013 and was replaced four months later by Jared MacEachern. Adam then sued MACHINE HEAD, claiming that the other bandmembers "simply kicked him out of the band and presumed he would forget about over two decades of hard work, dedication, and effort" he put into the group. Duce also said his likeness was used on the band's web site and in promotions without his authorization. The lawsuit was settled out of court in July 2014.

Duce, who played on MACHINE HEAD's "Burn My Eyes" LP, wasn't involved in the recent tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the classic debut album.



Well..what a weekend... Phil Demmel asked me to sing backups on Cold Gin with his super fun Merkins band which is a lot of great singers and musicians jamming covers...and guess what? Dave Ellefson (Megadeth) was there to join the party! The highlight for me was hearing his wife just sing her tail off all day. Amazing!
(Tried to rotate the video...but the screen only comes out a green color. Sorry) Tim Beamy O'Connor Crystal Kentzell ChrisThe PhotoMan Kentzell Shack, Derrick Ramirez, Perry Strickland Todd Calvert , Marilyn Wong partied down too!

Posted by Jonathan Fenno on Monday, July 4, 2022

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Posted by David Ellefson on Sunday, July 3, 2022

Posted by David Ellefson on Sunday, July 3, 2022

Posted by David Ellefson on Sunday, July 3, 2022

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach joined COUNT'S 77 on stage this past Saturday, July 2 at Count's Vamp'd in Las Vegas, Nevada to perform a cover of the KISS classic "Watchin' You". Video of his appearance can be seen below (courtesy of Izzy Presley).

COUNT'S 77 is fronted by Danny "The Count" Koker, who owns Count's Vamp'd and who is best known for the TV series "Counting Cars".

Last fall, Bach returned to the stage for a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of SKID ROW's double-platinum, acclaimed album "Slave To The Grind". The trek kicked off on September 25 in Waterloo, New York and wrapped in San Diego, California on December 17.

Back in 2018, Bach told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF 101.1 FM radio station that he was going to ink a deal with a U.S.-based heavy metal record label that would help him make a "career-defining" new solo album.

Bach hasn't released a full-length disc since "Give 'Em Hell", which came out in 2014. Like its predecessor, 2011's "Kicking & Screaming", the disc was released through Frontiers Music Srl, the Italian label which specializes in what's commonly called AOR, a term that once signified a popular radio format ("album-oriented rock") but nowadays applies to acts whose airplay is marginal.

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I. Theart was fired from SKID ROW in February and was replaced by Erik Grönwall, who was previously a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T.