FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael has called out celebrities who threaten to leave America due to tensions over politics, ideology, economics and so many other forces fraying the fabric of our nation.

The 48-year-old bassist made his comments just days after GREEN DAY's Billie Joe Armstrong said that he was "renouncing" his American citizenship following the Supreme Court's decision to repeal Roe v. Wade.

During GREEN DAY's concert on Friday (June 24) in London, United Kingdom, Armstrong told the audience: "Fuck America. I'm fucking renouncing my citizenship. I'm fucking coming here. There's just too much fucking stupid in the world to go back to that miserable fucking excuse for a country."

He added: "Oh, I'm not kidding. You’re going to get a lot of me in the coming days."

Earlier today (Monday, June 27),Kael took to his Twitter to write: "No one cares about anything enough to pack up and move out of the country. It's easy to say onstage, on TV and on social media; but, when's the last time you actually packed your bags for anything longer than a brief vacation and a quick return home? Stop bullshittin'. #USA".

Several years ago, a number of artists and celebrities — including SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor and LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe — vowed to flee the country if Donald Trump won over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Some A-listers said they would go to Canada, various locations in Europe, South Africa, and even Jupiter.

Despite their bold statements, most celebrities remained in the U.S. post 2016 election.

In December 2015, Blythe called Trump " a purposeful clown' and "a tool" in an interview with Metal Insider, adding that "if he is the president, I am leaving America 'till he's gone."

Taylor had also been vocal about his distaste for Trump, telling a Des Moines, Iowa radio in a 2015 interview that he would "emigrate" if Trump became president.

In February 2020, SUICIDE SILENCE guitarist Mark Heylmun told Australia's "Scars And Guitars" podcast that America didn't feel like one country to him. "It feels like there's such a divide in the kinds of people that we have," he said. "And I don't wanna bash the Bible Belt, or the middle of America, but the difference between them and the people on the coasts — that's where all the blue is, and there's a massive divide, and that's where Trump wins. It's just a different spot. I don't know how else to put it. It feels different. Same with Texas. I feel like Texas could be its own freakin' country."

Heylmun also ripped America's 45th president, saying: "Well, anybody is better than Trump. That's pretty much how it's gonna go. And if Trump wins again, I very well could just leave America."

In a 2016 interview, METALLICA's Lars Ulrich said that he would consider moving back to his native Denmark if Trump were elected president.

"I am a hundred percent Danish citizen. I pay taxes in the U.S.A., but I can't vote in America," Lars said at the time. "Yes, certainly sometimes I think about moving home to Denmark… If Trump becomes President and everything goes to shit, I might make my way to the airport and ask if I can get back in again."

In a September 2020 interview with U.K.'s Sky News, Ulrich was asked if the fact that he had remained in the U.S. meant that he was now a Trump supporter and that he would vote for him in that year's president election. The drummer replied: "I would say that that would be an exaggeration of the truth. First of all, I'm a Danish citizen, so I can't vote in the United States. Number two, I was just seeing if people were paying attention, which, obviously, they were four years ago, since this quote has come back to haunt me in, basically, every interview I've done in the last month. So, let's just leave it at that I'm a Danish citizen, I can't vote, but I am happy to live in the United States. And I think that's enough on that."

Pressed about whom he would vote for if he was an American citizen, Ulrich said: "I think people that know me well, and fans out there, can probably put two and two together."
No one cares about anything enough to pack up and move out of the country. It’s easy to say onstage, on TV and on social media; but, when’s the last time you actually packed your bags for anything longer than a brief vacation and a quick return home? Stop bullshittin’. #USA

— Chris Kael (@5FDPChrisKael) June 27, 2022


I know. That’s why I just tweeted about anal and blowjobs; because, I am doing my part. https://t.co/f4OeWCGBLD

— Chris Kael (@5FDPChrisKael) June 25, 2022


I’m SO grateful that I’m into ladies who are into not-getting-pregnant types of banging. It’s that or #BlueStateBanging for me! #RoeVsWade

— Chris Kael (@5FDPChrisKael) June 25, 2022

Fan-filmed video of GREAT WHITE's June 18 performance at Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Merrimack, New Hampshire can be seen below.

Earlier in the month, LAST IN LINE singer Andrew Freeman, who recently joined GREAT WHITE as the replacement for Mitch Malloy, discussed his latest gig during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Regarding how he approaches singing the classic GREAT WHITE songs originally recorded by the band's founding vocalist Jack Russell, Freeman said: "When I'm playing with GREAT WHITE, that's their thing, and I'm just there to try to do the songs like Jack. If we do original material, great. We're talking about it.

"I wanna make that band tough again, like it was when Jack was in it," he explained. "Jack would do a show and then bust a bottle over your head off the side of the stage."

Freeman, who has played six shows so far with GREAT WHITE since he joined the group, continued: "The hits — the 'Once Bitten' [1987] and '...Twice Shy' [1989] and that stuff — they're fun songs to play, but I think if the wrong person is presenting them, they come off like — I don't want anybody to get mad at me — they come off like a lesser, more glammy type of band. And I've never seen GREAT WHITE as that, as a glammy-type band. Everybody had the big hair; even Ozzy [Osbourne] had the big hair and the glitter and all that stuff… I never really saw them as that. I always see them as… when everybody was in the leather pants and the leather jackets and the cuts over the leather jackets with their band name on the back and stuff — that's how I see 'em. I see Jack… Even now when I see him on the road, 'cause I've done gigs with him — he doesn't know me from Adam — but he still seems like that guy [who's] gonna hit you with his cane. [Laughs]"

Andrew went on to say that he was a GREAT WHITE fan from the early 1980s. "I really loved the first album," he said. "I got the first album when I was young, alongside with MÖTLEY CRÜE's 'Too Fast For Love'."

Malloy had been in GREAT WHITE for nearly four years, having joined the group in 2018 following the departure of Terry Ilous.

In a recent interview with Dr. Music, GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall stated about the band's latest addition: "[Andrew] sat in with us, I wanna say maybe eight months ago or so [when Mitch wasn't able to make the show]; we played with FOREIGNER up north [in Modesto, California in October of 2021]. And he blew our minds. So right then we kind of knew we wanted him. But because he was doing something, and we were really busy — [there was] not enough time to rehearse and stuff like that. And we saw this window of opportunity, [and] he was totally into it."

Kendall continued: "There's a lot of different sides to his voice too, so he's not one-dimensional, even though he delivers the LAST IN LINE thing [like] an in-your-face metal screamer. But he can sing a ballad like Satan; I mean, it's killer. So that's what I like. His voice is so well rounded. And the guy, he vibrates at a frequency that you like to be around — he's just this chill dude. There's no nonsense, no ego, no weird trips or anything, so you feel the brotherhood forming straight away. And that's what we like. We're into being a band — all of us, together — go places together, do things together and just enjoy each other. No weird trips. Because we've been through it all. If somebody's a little funny, it's, like, 'Really?' It's almost like if you see cocaine, you go, 'You still have that?' [Laughs] So any kind of weird head trips, we just don't understand it.

"So, yeah, we're just loving it," Kendall added. "We cannot wait for the fans to hear this guy sing some of our big songs. And we're real pumped about making new music, 'cause I have a lot of stuff, Michael [Lardie, guitar/keyboards] has a lot of stuff. We've done things together and just haven't quite put it together. But now we've got this guy that can do anything. Believe me, man, we wanna get something with him on it, 'cause it's gonna be ridiculous."

As for Mitch's departure, Mark said: "We were going in separate ways in the sense that he was always by himself; he didn't really talk to us much. He just kind of showed up… That's just not the way a band works, as far as we're concerned. He's a wonderful singer. I don't think he's used to him not being in full control of everything because he's been a solo artist for so many years. He's a sweet guy. I really liked him. I think a few of our songs are a little out of his range, so it's a little bit of a struggle. But nothing real heavy — no big, huge fights. Nothing ever came to fisticuffs, if you will. [Laughs] So it wasn't a case of that.

"We canceled a gig — or we were going to have to cancel a gig for him to do a VAN HALEN show, a tribute show," Kendall explained. "He gave us warning about this. But when FOREIGNER canceled [our show with them] because of some COVID thing, we rescheduled the date and it fell right on when he was gonna do that VAN HALEN show that he warned us about. So, regardless, it was probably pretty tough for him to get out of it. But it ended up being a blessing for us because we got Andrew to fill in. When we heard him do that show… And the whole band FOREIGNER was on the side of the stage going, 'Oh my God, man. This is pretty good.' So that was nice of them to acknowledge we had a good show. So that's when the seed of the idea was, like, 'Man. God.'"

Kendall went on to say that he doesn't think Malloy is upset about being out of GREAT WHITE. "He likes his solo career," Mark said. "I saw his post [about his exit from GREAT WHITE] where he said, 'Get ready for my VAN HALEN experience. And I'm gonna be doing an acoustic show, a storytellers show,' and all this stuff. So I'm encouraging people to go check him out when he gets in your area and wishing him to do well."

Asked if he and his bandmates had given any thought at all to the idea of reuniting with original GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell, Mark said: "That's the other thing. [People say,] 'Why don't you patch things up with Jack?' What people don't understand is we never even got in fights [with Jack]. In 25 years together, we might have gotten in two arguments. The thing that took him out is the horrible demons of addiction, and it's really affected his health. I just saw a video the other day where he's not even standing — he's using wheelchairs and he's sitting in a stool. So for us to go back to that, it just feels dark. I'd rather remember him… 'Cause I'm very proud of our career — I'm very proud of the past. I'm so lucky to be a part of it. And I wanna remember it like that, where he's flying around on stage and getting the crowds pumped and singing his heart out — not a sick person. So going to that…

"My goal has always been to deliver the best show we can possibly deliver and have the fans be beyond impressed," Kendall explained. "And the way Andrew sings, I really like the way he delivers the songs, because it's what you wanna hear. So that's important to me, just to have the songs — the big songs, especially — be sung right and with full power. It just makes everything — it makes us play better, believe it or not. So that's the whole thing with me."

GREAT WHITE's current lineup is rounded out by Audie Desbrow (drums) and Scott Snyder (bass).

Ilous, frontman of '80s L.A. hard rockers XYZ, joined GREAT WHITE in 2010 after stepping in for touring vocalist Jani Lane (WARRANT).

The Ilous-led GREAT WHITE released two albums, 2012's "Elation" and 2017's "Full Circle", before Terry was dismissed from the group.

This version of GREAT WHITE is not to be confused with JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE, which features Russell alongside Robby Lochner (FIGHT) on guitar, Dan McNay on bass, Tony Montana on guitar and Dicki Fliszar on drums.

German dark rockers Scarlet Dorn will release their third studio album, Queen Of Broken Dreams, on September 30th, 2022 via SPV Recordings. The album contains 12 new songs and will be released as Limited LP Edition including red colored vinyl, CD Edition in a digipak, and available on streaming and digitally.


Pre-order Queen Of Broken Dreams and stream the latest single "Falling" here.







Scarlet Dorn combines the elegance of darkness with the catchiness of pop. Free of genre boundaries, Scarlet sings herself directly into the heart of the listener. With industrial sounds, rock ballads, and electronic beats, the band takes the listener on a journey through complex human abysses, the world of hope and sorrow, but also directly into the arms of life in all its glory. With her captivating voice, singer Scarlet Dorn exudes a variety of emotions ranging from gentle and tender to menacing and somber.





Tracklisting:


"Falling"
"Born To Suffer"
"Queen Of Broken Dreams"
"Your Highness" 
"A Light That Blinds The Truth" 
"Meteor"
"Unstill Life" 
"When You See Me Again" 
"Love Wasn’t Made For Me"
"What Are We To Do"
"Tonight" 
"A Million Miles Away"


Scarlet Dorn was founded in 2016 by the producers Chris Harms and Benjamin Lawrenz, together with the singer Scarlet Dorn. Not only through the release of the albums Lack Of Light and Blood Red Bouquet, but also through tireless touring with Within Temptation, Joachim Witt, Letzte Instanz, and Lord Of The Lost among others, the band inevitably appeared again and again on the schedule of the dark music scene over the past several years.





Dates supporting Lord Of The Lost:


October
6 - Nuremberg, Germany - Hirsch
7 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA-Longhorn
8 - Cologne, Germany - Essigfabrik
12 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
14 - Vienna, Austria - Szene
15 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
20 - Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp
21 - Leipzig, Germany - Täubchenthal
22 - Hanover, Germany - Pavillon
27 - Berlin, Germany - Columbia Theater
28 - Prague, Czech Republic - Club Storm
29 - Warsaw, Poland - Hydrozagadka


November
2 - Bochum, Germany - Zeche
3 - Paris, France - Petit Bain
4 - Lyon, France - CCO
5 - Barcelona, Spain - Salamandra
6 - Madrid, Spain - Mon
9 - Milan, Italy - Legend Club
10 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
11 - Kaiserslautern, Germany - Kammgarn
12 - Herford, Germany - X


(Photo: Jan Season)


 

MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell has blasted a strict new law in Britain that's designed to curb protests which have brought parts of the country to a standstill over the past year.

Under the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act, noisy protests are forbidden in a designated area outside the Houses of Parliament.

Protest remains legal. However, police in England and Wales can now put restrictions on protests because they might be noisy, including one-person protests. Protesters can be sanctioned for breaching restrictions they "ought to have known" about.

Earlier today (Tuesday, June 28),Campbell took to his Twitter to write: "Protesting is not noisy. I should know, I was in Motorhead for over 30 years. Now THATS noise. F++k this government."

The Policing Act passed through parliament in March 2022 despite strong opposition. The government is starting to implement this new law.

The fines and prison sentences for some protest-related offenses have increased.

The government is proposing to restrict protest even further in the Public Order Bill, which is currently going through parliament.

According to MyLondon, protesters now face unlimited fines and prison sentences of six months for obstructing roads, even if the routes were already closed or had restricted access. Failure to comply with police restrictions on specific protests also carried a new maximum fine of £2,500, up from £1,000 previously.

A legal briefing from Extinction Rebellion says: "This Act gives the police the power to impose any conditions on a march or protest that is considered to have the potential to cause 'serious disruption' or have an 'Impact' on people in the vicinity, including through the level of noise. The new law has removed the word 'knowingly' from the offence. In the past, activists could argue they didn't know the [protest restriction] was in place. Now it's going to be enough for the officer to show the court that you ought to have known for the offence to be proved."

MOTÖRHEAD's December 1984 concert in Cleveland was said to be the loudest recorded until that point — 130 decibels — breaking the volume mark set by THE WHO in 1976. The volume at the Variety theater cracked the ceiling, and plaster started coming down, earning MOTÖRHEAD the title of "Loudest Band In The World." The power had to be cut to stop the band from continuing to play.
Protesting is not noisy. I should know, I was in Motorhead for over 30 years. Now THATS noise. F++k this government.

— Phil Campbell (@MotorheadPhil) June 28, 2022

EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA project will release its ninth album, "A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society", on October 21 via Nuclear Blast. The disc will be the follow-up to "Moonglow", which came out in 2019.

The official lyric video for the LP's first single, "The Wicked Rule The Night", can be seen below. The song features a guest appearance by PRIMAL FEAR singer Ralf Scheepers.

Sammet states about the new album: "From the first song ideas back in 2018 / 2019 to the production, orchestration, keyboards, arrangements, details, I have been personally involved so deeply in every little aspect and detail of this album that you can't get an album any more personal or closer to my vision than this one. I had the time. Nothing else to do in the past two and a half years. It was a slow movement life with music and my Mysteryhausen studio serving as a portal to another world, full of music and quirky encounters with my muses keeping me sane and hopeful.

"I am super proud of the album — some of my best songs, some of my most emotional and extreme vocal performances, some of the strongest guest performances ever. I couldn't be happier with the outcome and when you'll hear it, you will know why."

"A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society" was produced by Sammet with AVANTASIA guitar player Sascha Paeth. The cover artwork was created by Swedish illustrator Alexander Jansson.

"A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society" track listing:

01. Welcome To The Shadows
02. The Wicked Rule The Night
03. Kill The Pain Away
04. The Inmost Light
05. Misplaced Among The Angels
06. I Tame The Storm
07. Paper Plane
08. The Moonflower Society
09. Rhyme And Reason
10. Scars
11. Arabesque

Regarding the "A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society" title, Tobias said: "At first our label was wondering if we couldn't come up with a longer album title maybe. [Laughs] Given the attention span of the brave new world, it's not very memorable perhaps, but it's the concept and the title was on my mind for quite a while. Most fans know that I have never taken the easy way just to deliver things bite-sized for what the market can handle. Our fans are smart enough to memorize the title. As an artist you need to follow your vision, otherwise you get an ulcer and ulcers kill creativity."

As for the guest musicians who appear on "A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society", Tobias said: "There are many; some you would expect, some you would not expect. We'll announce them in due time. But they all delivered. When I listen to the final master, I am astounded myself how we could have come up with something as energetic and uplifting as this album in these two years of isolation."

Sammet previously stated about "The Wicked Rule The Night": "I'm so happy with the upcoming album that you could put out any song as the first single. But somehow, after the last two years, I felt the need to go full steam ahead as soon as I'm let off the leash. And honestly, it's also cool to know that many would probably have expected a less extreme track to accompany AVANTASIA's re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. But AVANTASIA is not stylistically fixed — anything goes, commercial, epic, grotesque or full on the bell, doesn't matter: all that is part of AVANTASIA's very own world. We have found our own pigeonhole and different laws apply there. The fans of the first hour know that. And so I have the feeling that 'The Wicked Rule The Night' is unpredictable, exciting, fresh and new, despite my trademarks, as you know them partly from AVANTASIA or also EDGUY. Playing it safe is a lot of hogwash."

"Moonglow" hit number one on the album charts in Germany and charted in 17 countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas before AVANTASIA embarked on a ten-month tour of Europe, Asia, Australia, North and South America.

Since its beginnings in 1999, AVANTASIA's past releases have featured international stars such as Alice Cooper, Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker (SCORPIONS), Sharon Den Adel (WITHIN TEMPTATION), Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer (KISS), Eric Martin (MR. BIG), SAXON's Biff Byford, TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider and many more.

In addition to Sammet and Scheepers, "The Wicked Rule The Night" features Sascha Paeth on guitar and Felix Bohnke on drums.

Mark September 9 on your calendar as the release date for "Patient Number 9", Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Ozzy Osbourne's new album and the first since his critically acclaimed, worldwide, chart-topping 2020 "Ordinary Man" release.

The album's first single and video, the "Patient Number 9" title track, has been released. The clip, which was directed by comic book legend Todd McFarlane — who created the "Spawn" universe and won two Emmys for his groundbreaking animated series of the same name, airing on HBO from 1997 to 1999 — can be seen below.

"Having worked with Ozzy in the past, I jumped at another opportunity to do so again…especially on the music side this time," McFarlane says. "In the harsh business called the music industry, any creative person who's sustained a multi-decades career has shown the skill, talent and tenacity that will always garner my admiration. Ozzy has shown many of us creative folks that it's indeed possible to make a living doing what you love for nearly an entire lifetime. Go, Ozzy!"

Produced by Andrew Watt (who handled the same duties on "Ordinary Man") and set for release on Epic, the new album marks Osbourne's 13th solo studio album. It's heavy, it's hard-hitting, it's historic — it's everything you'd want from an Ozzy Osbourne record and maybe more.

"Patient Number 9" was written by Ozzy, Watt, Robert Trujillo (METALLICA),Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) and Ali Tamposi and features a riveting solo from legendary guitarist Jeff Beck (one of the notable guest stars on the album; additional details below). The video marks the first collaboration from the project with McFarlane. It is highlighted by McFarlane's signature illustrations interspersed with live Ozzy vignettes in the role of "Patient Number 9," which the revolutionary creative force in the world of comics and toys also filmed. In addition, this is the first-ever video to incorporate Ozzy's artwork: his hand-drawn demons were animated and can be seen during the Jeff Beck solo in the song.

Working with producer Watt for the second time, Ozzy welcomed a dynamic A-list supporting cast. The record boasts guitarists Beck, Eric Clapton, Mike McCready of PEARL JAM, and longstanding righthand man and six-string beast Zakk Wylde who plays on the majority of the tracks. For the bulk of the album, Chad Smith of RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS held down drums, while the late Taylor Hawkins of FOO FIGHTERS made an appearance. Old friend and one-time Ozzy bandmember Trujillo plays bass on most of the album's tracks, with Duff McKagan of GUNS N' ROSES and Chris Chaney of JANE'S ADDICTION supplying bass on a few songs. For the first time ever, BLACK SABBATH co-founder, guitarist and riff lord Tony Iommi appears on an Ozzy solo album.

An exclusive version of "Patient Number 9" with a limited-edition special McFarlane-designed comic book will be available for preorder; a limited-edition comic with foil cover is also available with a special deluxe box.

Ozzy Osbourne discusses "Patient Number 9" in the chat below.

Q: This is your first album to be released after the pandemic. What was going through your mind during the early days of the pandemic and are any of those feelings reflected in these songs?

Ozzy: "Well, I was vaccinated and boosted and I still caught COVID in the end. My last album ('Ordinary Man') was released just a few weeks before the pandemic started, and I was just about getting ready to go into the studio to work on this new one when the world shut down. It's no secret that the last four years have been very difficult for me but making this album took my mind off of my problems."

Q: The album features some players with whom have history. What was it like to be reunited with Tony Iommi musically?

Ozzy: "It was really great working with Tony. He's the riff master. No one can touch him in that respect. I only wish we had these songs for BLACK SABBATH's '13' album."

Q: Zakk contributes a lot on this album. How was the decision made to have him play since he didn't play on the last album?

Ozzy: "Zakk is part of my family and always will be. The album needed that weight that his playing provides. He just came in and really sorted things out."

Q: Tell us about the first single, "Patient Number 9", which features Jeff Beck. What do you feel he has contributed to the song?

Ozzy: "The song is about a mental institution. Having someone like Jeff Beck play on my album is just incredible, a total honor. There's no other guitar player that plays like him and his solo on 'Patient Number 9' is just jaw-dropping."

"Patient Number 9" track listing:

01. Patient Number 9 (feat. Jeff Beck)
02. Immortal (feat. Mike McCready)
03. Parasite (feat. Zakk Wylde)
04. Mr. Darkness (feat. Zakk Wylde)
05. One Of Those Days (feat. Eric Clapton)
06. A Thousand Shades (feat. Jeff Beck)
07. No Escape From Now (feat. Tony Iommi)
08. Nothing Feels Right (feat. Zakk Wylde)
09. Evil Shuffle (feat. Zakk Wylde)
10. Degradation Rules (feat. Tony Iommi)
11. Dead And Gone
12. God Only Knows
13. Darkside Blues

Ozzy has sold over 100 million records, is one of a handful of artists who has had Top 10 albums in last six decades, received induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a co-founder of BLACK SABBATH, won three Grammy Awards, earned the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors, set a Guinness World Record, and claimed real estate on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and Birmingham Walk Of Stars. He's played for royalty (even the Queen of England) and dignitaries around the world, interacted with presidents and performed to millions of devoted fans on five continents. Earlier this year, Ozzy's CrytoBatz NFT launched as one the biggest Celebrity NFT project ever created; it's currently ranked in the top 100 biggest NFT projects ever and is valued at over $40 million.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

Dutch symphonic metallers Epica performed at the 2022 edition of Hellfest in Clisson, France on June 23rd. You can watch professionally-filmed footage of the band's full set below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Abyss of Time"
"The Essence of Silence"
"Victims of Contingency"
"Unchain Utopia"
"The Obsessive Devotion"
"Cry For the Moon"
"Sancta Terra"
"Beyond the Matrix"
"Consign to Oblivion" 







Celebrate 20 years of Epica with reissues of the first three albums (including unreleased bonus tracks), plus Live At Paradiso and We Will Take You With Us. Head to epicamerch.com to preorder The Phantom Agony, Consign To Oblivion, The Score and the unreleased/rare live albums on a variety of (limited!) formats. It's all out September 2 via Nuclear Blast.


Live At Paradiso is the 2006 Amsterdam show that is mythical among Epicans, as it's never been officially released. Now, the holy grail is available as a part of We Still Take You With Us, which bundles it together with their (long sold-out) first major TV performance/DVD release, We Will Take You With Us, as well as their first three albums: The Phantom Agony, Consign To Oblivion and The Score.





Pre-order it on an 11-disc vinyl box set, Earbook with 36-pages and 8 discs or 8-CD box clamshell. Live At Paradiso and We Will Take You With Us will also be available to download or stream, while Live At Paradiso will be released on 2-CD+Blu-ray, too.


Check out the video for "Sensorium" (Live At Paradiso):

On June 23rd, Whitesnake performed at Hellfest in Clisson, France. During their set they were joined by the band's former guitarist, Steve Vai, for "Still Of The Night." Vai has checekd in with his thoughts on the brief reunion. 


Vai: "It was an absolute honor to be invited by Whitesnake / David Coverdale to join Whitesnake for their final song, 'Still of the Night', at the mighty Hellfest. I’m grateful I was able to contribute one last time to this phenomenal band that was such an integral part of my career. 


To feel David‘s energy on the stage again, and Tommy Aldridge‘s slamming beats, and to finally be able to jam with my friend Joel Hoekstra, and the rest of the Snakes in front of 45,000 people was just electrifying. Deep appreciation to all."




Check out fan-filmed video from the performance below.








Vai recorded and toured with Whitesnake for the band's 1989 album, Slip Of The Tongue.

Polish death metal legends Vader recently played at Mystic Festival in Gdańsk, Poland. Watch the drum cam footage where their new drummer Michal (Michael) Andrzejczyk performs "Reborn In Flames" from the album, De Profundis. Sound directly from the camera (GoPro Hero 7 Black).


Vader frontman Peter: "Please, let me officially introduce Vader’s new nuclear engine, our new drummer Michal (Michael) Andrzejczyk, who joined the band this year in February at the show in Wroclaw on Awakening of the Tyrants Tour. Michael replaced James Stewart drumming in Vader for last decade. Both drummers were working pretty intense together quite long time before to make a change smooth and well. Michal is a young but already experienced drummer playing in such hordes like Insidius or Varmia before."


A few words from Michał himself: "I am Vader fan since I can remember. This music had  huge influence on me as a drummer. With goose skin I was listening the albums and a Vader show was my very first real one I was watching. After that event I decided to play death metal. To be a part of it now is a dreaming came true indeed. It’s a real honor to me to continue after so great drummers, who were inspiring me as a drummer. It means much work for me but I won’t disappoint the fans, for sure." 







Vader recently announced their new tour in Australia and New Zealand for October 2022 with support comes from Polish industrial/groove metallers Thy Disease. It has now been revealed dates in Asia are being planned around the tour down under.


Vader has issued the following announcement:


"We are so excited to share this news with you. Vader is coming to the Far East this October! The tour organized in cooperation between Massive Music, Creative Music and Slamman Booking Asia will visit Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. Thy Disease will share stages with us. Are you ready for some bonecrushing, hellraising Death Metal?"





Dates for Australia and New Zealand are as follows:





Photo by Aleksandra Helena Hogg

Multi-Grammy-nominated, San Antonio-based rock outfit Nothing More have today revealed details on their new studio album. Out worldwide on October 14 via Better Noise Music, Spirits’ 13 tracks consist of the band’s most focused, adventurous, and intense music, uniting introspective philosophical lyrics with unapologetically massive anthems. Preorder here. Coinciding with the news, Nothing More have shared the album’s title track “Spirits,” which was released today (June 24), across all digital platforms along with its lyric video.


“Isn’t it interesting that we give the same name to something holy and something wholly intoxicating?” asks Nothing More frontman Jonny Hawkins. “The song ‘Spirits’ describes that very conundrum. When you drink liquor, it has been said that you are welcoming that pneuma (spirit) into your body. Most of us have seen and experienced how alcohol (or rather ‘al-ghawl,’ which means demon/spirit) can make us feel. It’s almost as if we turn into someone else when too much of the spirit has been consumed. Sometimes it’s eye opening and can lead to wondrous life-changing conversations or bonds that would never normally happen…and sometimes it can lead to the exact opposite. It may turn us into Dr. Hyde’s Jekyll and cause us to do or say horrific things we would never normally do sober. Spirits are both a little bit heavenly and a little bit sick.”


Earlier this week Nothing More announced a fall tour with heavy rockers In This Moment. It will stretch from August 26 to October 22 and include stops at several of the largest rock festivals including Blue Ridge Rock Festival, Louder Than Life, Rocklahoma and Aftershock. “The fire, passion and momentum we feel from our first tour back is insane!” exclaims Hawkins. “It only makes sense to bring that same fire to the fall with a one-of-a-kind tour with In This Moment.”




Nothing More were recently seen on tour across the U.S. on a co-headlining run with Asking Alexandria, who had to drop-off mid-tour due to health problems. The band relentlessly continued to lead the remaining dates with their exciting live show which saw the return of their infamous “Scorpion Tail”—a 400-pound, 14-foot MIDI controller constructed out of salvaged metal scraps by bassist Daniel Oliver that brings Hawkins’ electrifying stage presence to life musically.


Nothing More gave fans the first preview of Spirits with two singles--their in-your-face rock anthem “Turn It Up Like (Stand In The Fire)" and their most recent Top 20 Billboard Active Rock radio single “Tired Of Winning” which is currently at #11. Spirits was co-written and produced by the band—Hawkins (vocals), Oliver (bass), Mark Vollelunga (guitar) and Ben Anderson (drums)—and their longtime manager Will Hoffman. It documents the tumultuous time the world experienced over the past two years capturing the desperation and isolation of lockdown, the spiral of substance abuse, the pain of broken relationships and survival in self-reliance while summarizing the overall story and mission of Nothing More: Reflect, Provoke, Inspire.





Tracklisting:


“Turn It Up Like (Stand In The Fire)”
“Tired Of Winning”
“Ships In The Night”
“You Don’t Know What Love Means”
“Don’t Look Back”
“The Other F Word”
“Face It”
“Best Times”
“Déjà vu”
“Dream With Me”
“Neverland”
“Valhalla (Too Young To See)”
“Spirits”


“Turn It Up Like (Stand In The Fire)”:





“Spirits”:








Tour dates:


August
26 - Evansville, IN - Old National Events Plaza
27 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
28 - Clive, IA - Horizon Events Center
30 – Albuerque, NM – The Sunshine Theater*


September
1 - Lubbock, TX - Lonestar Events Center
2 - Dallas, TX - Southside Ballroom
3 - Pryor, OK - Rocklahoma
6 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
8 - Alton, VA - Blue Ridge Rock Festival
9 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
10 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
12 – Knoxville, TN – The Concourse*
13 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
14 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE – outdoor stage
15 - Wallingford, CT - Oakdale Theatre
17 - Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway
18 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore
20 - Columbus, OH - Kemba Live
21 - Cleveland, OH - The Agora
23 - Louisville, KY - Louder Than Life Festival
24 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Center
25 - Grand Rapids, MI - 20 Monroe Live (no Nothing More)
27 - Maplewood, MN - Myth Live
28 - Grand Forks, ND - Alerus Center
30 - Great Falls, MT - Centene Stadium


October
1 - Spokane, WA - The Podium
3 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
4 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schinitzer Concert Hall
5 - Reno, NV - Grand Theatre
7 - Garden City, ID - Revolution Concert House and Event Center
8 - Central Point, OR - Bi-Mart Amphitheater
11 - San Diego, CA - Observatory North Park
12 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
14 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
15 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
16 – Billings, MT – Pub Station*
18 - Omaha, NE - The Admiral
19 - Kansas City, MO - Midland Theatre
21 - Chicago, IL - Radius
22 - Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom


*Nothing More headlining


(Photo – Jody Domingue)

Professionally filmed video of MEGADETH's entire June 18 performance at Hellfest in Clisson, France can be seen below.

Featured songs:

01:37 Hangar 18
06:55 Dread And The Fugitive Mind
11:24 The Threat Is Real
16:53 Angry Again
20:33 The Conjuring
26:17 Sweating Bullets
31:42 Conquer Or Die
34:55 Dystopia
40:00 A Tout Le Monde
44:59 Trust
50:20 Symphony Of Destruction
54:09 Peace Sells
1:00:24 Holy Wars

MEGADETH will release its highly anticipated 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 Dave 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!"

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

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

Featuring some of Mustaine's strongest songwriting while also incorporating writing from the rest of the band, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" brings together everything that's exhilarating and distinctive about MEGADETH. From the blistering throwback fury of "Night Stalkers" (featuring icon Ice-T) and first single "We'll Be Back", to the more mid-tempo and melodic "Soldier On!" and the very personal title track, with its enthralling twists and turns. "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" also features a cover of DEAD KENNEDYS' "Police Truck" and Sammy Hagar's "This Planet's On Fire", the latter of which includes vocals from Hagar himself.

METALLICA has been forced to cancel its headlining appearance at the Frauenfeld Rocks festival in Switzerland Wednesday night (June 29) after a member of the band's "family" has tested positive for COVID-19.

Earlier today, METALLICA released the following statement via social media: "It is with a very heavy heart that we are announcing that we will not be appearing at Frauenfeld Rocks in Switzerland today, as unfortunately, a member of the METALLICA family has tested positive for Covid. We are beyond sorry to disappoint those of you planning to attend this show.

"It was our intention to reschedule a show in Switzerland as soon as possible, however in overnight discussions with the local promoters, sadly it became apparent that schedules and venues do not line up for the remainder of this year or next.

"If you have a ticket and would still like to attend Out In The Green, you will receive a refund of 50 Swiss francs. Should you decide not to attend the festival altogether, you will be refunded the ticket price by the respective ticket agencies; you may request a refund for your ticket at Ticketmaster.ch."

Bands still scheduled to perform today at Frauenfeld Rocks include FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, SABATON, ELUVEITIE, FEVER 333, and CHAOSEUM.

It is not presently clear whether one of the METALLICA members tested positive for COVID-19 or if it was someone associated with the band's road crew.

METALLICA recently completed a six-date South American tour, which kicked off on April 27 in Santiago, Chile.

METALLICA played its first concert of 2022 on February 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show, which was reportedly attended by 60,000 fans, featured support from GRETA VAN FLEET and ICE NINE KILLS.

The Las Vegas show took place more than two months after METALLICA's two 40th-anniversary concerts at Chase Center in San Francisco, California which featured different setlists. They were part of METALLICA's "San Francisco Takeover", a four-day citywide celebration of the band's 40th anniversary that also included a film festival, photo exhibit and curated lineup of smaller venue shows featuring other acts.

In February, METALLICA announced it will perform only two summer stadium shows in 2022: Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, New York on August 11, and PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 14. Both shows will feature special guests GRETA VAN FLEET and ICE NINE KILLS.

METALLICA previously played at Highmark Stadium on July 25, 1992, and Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium on July 26, 1992.

METALLICA has a number of other European dates scheduled for July.
It is with a very heavy heart that we are announcing that we will not be appearing at Frauenfeld Rocks in Switzerland today... pic.twitter.com/sUKILh5rzW

— Metallica (@Metallica) June 29, 2022

Rob Zombie has released the music video for "Shake Your Ass-Smoke Your Grass" off the highly acclaimed "The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy" album. The clip was animated by Balazs Grof and can be viewed below.

"The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy" is Zombie's first No. 1 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart. The follow-up to 2016's "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" is a classic Zombie album to its core, with high-energy rages like "The Eternal Struggles Of The Howling Man" and "Get Loose" to heavy-groove thumpers like "Shadow Of The Cemetery Man" and "Shake Your Ass-Smoke Your Grass". The new album is produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris. The multiplatinum singer and filmmaker's first LP with Nuclear Blast cracked the top 10 in several countries, including Germany, Canada, Scotland, and Australia. In the United States, it's Rob's seventh consecutive Top 10 album since his first solo outing in 1998.

Regarding the "The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy" album title, Rob said: "I like to try to think of an album title that you've never heard before — even though it's probably one that you cannot remember. 'Cause nothing bothers me more than when I see the same title on multiple records. I'm, like, 'C'mon, man. There's a lot of words out there.' And I don't just string crazy stuff together, even though it sounds like it… I spend a long time on the title, and it changes constantly. When I first start the record, I don't know what anything is gonna be called, I don't know what it's gonna sound like. And then as the record starts forming, I start coming up with multiple titles, or ideas for titles. And then, by the time the record's done, I usually have what I think might be the title. And everyone's, like, 'What's the title? What's the title?' And I'm, like, 'Ehhh… I don't know yet,' even though I do know. And then I start messing around with the artwork, and then I'll change the title again, because I'm, like, 'Oh, now that doesn't look like that. It doesn't fit.' So, as random as it may all seem, I spent a lot of time trying to [find the right title for the record]. And hopefully, when you're done listening to the record, what may sound like nonsense before you hear the music, after you've heard all the music, you can think to yourself, 'Well, of course, the only thing this album could have been called is 'The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy'."

As a rock icon and filmmaker with a unique vision, Rob has continuously challenged audiences as he stretches the boundaries of both music and film. He has sold over 15 million albums worldwide and is the only artist to experience unprecedented success in both music and film as the writer/director of eight feature films with a worldwide gross totaling more than $150 million. Each of Zombie's seven solo studio albums has debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart, including "The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse", in 2021. Zombie is an eight-time Grammy nominee, with his most recent nomination up for "Best Metal Performance" at the 2022 awards. Zombie's ninth feature film, "The Munsters", is due later this year.

Rob will head on the road for the "Freaks On Parade" U.S. tour with MUDVAYNE, STATIC-X and POWERMAN 5000. The 21-city tour kicks off on July 20 at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights, making stops across the U.S. in Tampa, Holmdel, Tinley Park, and more before wrapping up in The Woodlands at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on August 21.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss launched their 2022 Raise The Roof tour on June 1st. On June 24th they performed at Glatonbury 2022 at Worthy Farm, Pilton, England. Pro-shot video of their set closer, the Led Zeppelin / Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe McCoy classic "When The Levee Breaks", can be viewed below.  





Plant and Krauss recently announced a new string of US dates in support of Raise The Roof. The new leg launches on August 15 in San Diego, CA, and concludes on September 4 in Austin, TX. Dates below.







August
15 - San Diego, CA - The Rady Shell @ Jacobs Park
17 - Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl
18 - Los Angeles, CA - The Greek Theatre
20 - Stateline, NV - Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s
21 - Berkeley, CA - The Greek Theatre
23 - Napa, CA - Oxbow Riverstage
25 - Bend, OR - Hayden Homes Amphitheater
27 - Troutdale, OR - Edgefield Amphitheater
28 - Redmond, WA - Marymoor Park
30 - Salt Lake City, UT - Sandy Amp


September
1 - Denver, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
3 - Grand Prairie, TX - Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie
4 - Austin, TX - Moody Amphitheater


(Photo - David McClister)

In celebration of 45 years of DEF LEPPARD legacy, the band has announced the release of the DEF LEPPARD limited-edition beauty collection. This product line reflects the days of anthemic guitars, soaring vocals, and stadium rock sound.

Through a unique collaboration with DEF LEPPARD and the designers at Rock And Roll Beauty comes this distinctive and nostalgic collection. From the one-of-a-kind iconic triangular artistry palette, with its 14 vibrant shades, to the Union Jack debossed peachy blushes, each product in the line was designed to reflect the rock and roll era that truly was a groundbreaking musical phenomena. The collection includes eyeshadow palettes and shadow sticks, lipsticks and lip oils, highlighters, candles, makeup brushes and sponges, nail decals, accessories, and more. With its shimmery pinks and metallic shades such as Rocket Blue, this 19-piece collection is highly pigmented and designed to give you a rock-star look.

The DEF LEPPARD beauty collection is available exclusively in Ulta Beauty stores nationwide, and online at www.ulta.com and www.rockandrollbeauty.com.

The deal and product development were executed by a licensing agency of the band, Epic Rights.

Rock And Roll Beauty marries nostalgia with the artistry of today's finest beauty products and accessories. The company's talented designers create limited-edition collections working with your favorite blasts from the past. Each collection is skillfully curated to encompass the uniqueness of each reminiscence and combine it with the latest in cruelty free cosmetics and accessories.

KISS has been mocked online after the band's logo was displayed with an Australian flag insignia following the legendary rock act's concert in Vienna.

At the end of KISS's show at Wiener Stadthalle on Sunday (June 26),the phrase "KISS LOVES YOU VIENNA" was displayed on the screen while fans were leaving the arena. However, the KISS logo featured the Australian flag, rather than the flag of Austria, of which Vienna is the capital city. KISS fan Ben Nguyen share a photo of the awkward mistake on Twitter, with the artwork featuring the Union Jack and stars that make up the Aussie flag. In his caption, he wrote simply, "KISS played in Austria last night," along with an emoji of an Australian flag. Video of the mishap can also be seen below.

The nine thousand KISS fans in attendance burst out laughing when the message appeared during the closing moments of the concert, according to Today Times Live.

One unamused Austrian fan later tweeted: "Americans and geography!"

Despite the fact that the tweet has been liked and shared thousands of times so far, the KISS camp has yet to address the mix-up.

Back in August 2019, when KISS's "End Of The Road" farewell tour stopped at Cincinnati's Riverbend Music Center, the band made special shirts to mark the occasion. The only problem was that KISS's t-shirt manufacturer made the mistake of spelling Cincinnati with an extra "t" ("Cincinnatti"). People on social media were quick to share photos of the special $50 commemorative t-shirts — which were sold to fans inside the concert venue — with the city's name emblazoned on the back over a world map.

KISS is scheduled to perform in Stuttgart, Germany tonight (Tuesday, June 28) and has European dates scheduled until late July. In August, KISS will embark on a tour of Australia, before wrapping up the year with North American festivals in September and October.

KISS's "End Of The Road" farewell tour launched in 2019 and is scheduled to end sometime in 2023, 50 years after the band's formation.

KISS was forced to put its farewell trek on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last October, guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley said that the final concert of the "End Of The Road" tour will likely happen by early 2023.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but has since been extended. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".

KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley, KISS's first "farewell" tour in 2000 was the last to feature the group's original lineup.
Kiss played in Austria last night 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/XAvaXfRGqh

— Ben Nguyen (@BenNguyenTV) June 27, 2022


Lol at your crew confusing Austria and Australia pic.twitter.com/HtGDhsaV7U

— Too Many Brandin Cooks (@evanomglol) June 26, 2022


Ui, da haben KISS wohl eins zu wenig runter gescrollt bei den Ländern. pic.twitter.com/WZO7lK1z1O

— Franz Moped (@FranzMoped) June 26, 2022

SEVENDUST has just 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 in early July to begin recording the follow-up to 2020's "Blood & Stone" for a 2023 release.

On Friday (June 24),SEVENDUST drummer Morgan Rose shared a photo from the latest writing sessions on Instagram, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "I put this band together in 94(I think?). By 96 we had a deal and started touring RELENTLESSLY!!! Honestly? I don't even know how many records we've put out, off the top of my head. But the process has been different on most of them. Some fun, some stressful, some aggravating?

"I can say with not 1 bit of doubt, that this trip was my favorite of our career. Just 5 guys in a farm house, creating. Telling each other how much we love each other, supporting each other, enjoying being together. No outsiders, no drama, no bullshit. Just us.

"I realized we haven't been 'totally' alone in this process since probably the first record. I think we all needed this trip more than we even knew. When you spend most of the last 26 years with the same people, you sometimes forget how much you care about them. This was a nice realization for us. The songs are magical, the vibe of the record is magical, our relationship with each other is magical.

"Thank you @ljspoon and @ashleymwitherspoon , for providing the most amazing backdrop, for us to write. Ash, you went far and beyond in helping us. Thank you. Jada and Kingston, I love you both so much. Thank you for coming by every day to just let us hug you both, and giving us a break from the mind melt. And to my boys Lj, @clintloweryofficial , @jmc7d and @thevinniehornsby I just fucking love you guys so much.

"This is a special record. And yes the photo is missing the legend. Because he's taking the photo. #sevendust2023".

Lajon also shared a few pictures from the sessions on Instagram and wrote: "What a great writing section with the fam a very special spot out here needed time together @sevendustofficial love my brothers. Thanks so much @ashleymwitherspoon for coming down bringing food & the kids. Can't wait for y'all to here what we got Cooking".

SEVENDUST guitarist Clint Lowery weighed in via the comments section, writing: "@ashleymwitherspoon @ljspoon best host ever. You made that the best writing experience of our career. Thanks for EVERYTHING".

SEVENDUST recently completed two legs of its tour celebrating the 21st anniversary of its "Animosity" album.

SEVENDUST's third album, "Animosity" was released in November 2001 through TVT Records. The disc peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in March 2002 for shipments in excess of half a million copies.

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 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.

This past March, Witherspoon told St. Louis Post-Dispatch that "Blood & Stone" shows SEVENDUST is "still standing the test of time. It was great to do the album with [Baskette] in Florida again. It was a good time. We wanted to hit [listeners] hard and let them know we still got it and that we’re not afraid to put slower songs out there too."

As for the decision to release a "deluxe" version of the LP, Lajon said: "We wanted to put some extra songs out there, B-sides that people hadn't heard. It's a little more of a treat."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Morgan Rose (@morgan7d)



View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lajon (@ljspoon)

For the first time in Mike Tramp's career, he will release a full set of songs sung entirely in Danish.


For Første Gang will be released on digital, LP (black and crystal vinyls, each limited to 500 units) via Target Records on September 2nd, 2022. All pre-ordered CDs and LPs through Targetshop will be signed by Mike Tramp. Pre-orders are available now at this location.


Mike Tramp in his own words: "There was no plan to do it, not on paper not on a wish list, maybe just when someone asked, 'Will you ever do an album in Danish?' I would answer, 'Yeah, maybe one day.' Not giving it more thought, until that day suddenly unexpected came around. One of my best friends who knows all about my life, and also happens to be the author of my biography Vagabond, Lars Daneskov, one day sent me the lyrics to one song. I had never in my entire career sung other peoples lyrics or written music to lyrics, so this would now be the first time."




"As I read the lyrics, which was as close to something I would have written myself if I had been fluent and comfortable in my mother tongue. It opened a door to another room or another world I had never been in before. I was drawn to explore this journey which would for always be a For The First time, now also the title of the album. For it to be completely different and separate from anything I had ever done. I started composing the music and the melodies exclusively on piano and it allowed me to go to musical places I had not been at before, as lyrics to song by song was sent to me. This album and journey had to stand on it’s own and not be compared, not even in the slightest form to what Mike Tramp had done before."


"I was not thinking about an audience, I wasn’t thinking about how it would end up. I just followed something natural, almost a reservoir of things I had kept for this day, melodies and styles that would never had fitted my rock career, my rock’n’roll life. But this is as much Mike Tramp as White Lion, Freak Of Nature ever was. It might just be this one and only time I climb this mountain. The songs are about the place I come from, how I grew up and how the world was back then. It is my story, but unfortunately for my international fans, it can’t be translated to English and have the same meaning as when I sing the words of my mother or the sound of the streets I grew up on. With all that being said. I would still imagine some fans finding this album interesting, I personally considered some of my finest songwriting."





Tracklisting:


"Det Jeg Var"
"Vejkort"
"For Første Gang For Altid"
"Jeg Holder Fast"
"Drømme"
"Hjem"
"Kys Jeg Ikke Gav"
"Flamme Og Benzin"
"Min By"
"Album"


"For Første Gang For Altid":





"Min By":





Mike Tramp: vocals, guitar
Søren Skov: piano, Hammond B-3, synths 
Claus Langeskov: bass
Søren Bigum: pedal steel, mandolin, cello 
Morten Hellborn: drums
Søren Andersen: guitar, synths, choirs 


 

PEARL JAM, David Draiman (DISTURBED),Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT),Todd La Torre (QUEENSRŸCHE) and Brian Fair (SHADOWS FALL) among the musicians who have reacted on social media to the news that the Supreme Court ruled Friday (June 24) that Americans no longer have a constitutional right to abortion.

The conservative-leaning Supreme Court's decision ruling came in a case involving Mississippi's request to overturn Roe v. Wade — the court's 1973 decision that legalized abortion in the United States — and uphold a state law that bars the procedure 15 weeks after conception.

Roe v. Wade affirmed the right to receive an abortion under the 14th Amendment, ruling that abortions were constitutionally protected up until about 23 weeks when a fetus can typically live outside the womb.

Today's decision overturns what was previously a federal legalization of abortion and has returned the issue to individual states to decide the matter for themselves.

According to a Yahoo News/YouGov poll, more than twice as many Americans (55 percent) said they wanted the court to reaffirm Roe v. Wade as said they wanted it overturned (24 percent).

Critics have said that tossing out the landmark rulings establishing abortion rights would tarnish the court's reputation and open the floodgates to other challenges to well-settled law.

According to CNN, nearly half of the states have or will pass laws that ban abortion, while others have enacted strict measures regulating the procedure.

Thirteen states have so-called "trigger laws" in place, which would effectively ban abortions almost immediately upon Roe v. Wade being overturned. According to Axios, the restrictions that would follow Roe being struck down by the Supreme Court would mean almost 30% of people would be more than 200 miles away from an abortion provider.

According to a Forbes, Americans largely oppose harsh abortion laws, with 75% against policies that make it a criminal offense to perform an abortion, 69% opposing policies that ban abortion six to eight weeks into a pregnancy, 80% opposing laws that allow private citizens to sue anyone who aids or abets an abortion and 63% supporting "safe haven laws" in Democratic-led states that would protect people who travel in from other states to get an abortion.
(2/2) Today's decision impacts everyone and it will particularly affect poor women who can’t afford to travel to access health care.

We will stay active, we will not back down and we will never give up.

The Dead Daisies, currently on tour in Europe, have shared the new video below, stating: "Big week travelling & throwing down shows from Luxembourg to France! So great to be playing LIVE & the audiences... electric! Check out some 'on the road' antics...."





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:


June
27 - Zenith - Munich, Germany (with Judas Priest)
29 - Conrad Sohm - Dornbirn, Austria
30 - Komma - Woergl, Austria


July
2 - Fabrique - Milan, Italy
3 - Castello Di San Giusto - Trieste, Italy
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).


 

Suicide Silence performed at the 2022 edition of Hellfest in Clisson, France on June 26. You can watch professionally-filmed footage of the band's full set below.


Setlist:


"Unanswered"
"Disengage"
"You Only Live Once"
"You Can't Stop Me"
"Slaves To Substance"
"Thinking In Tongues"
"Love Me To Death"
"Wake Up"
"Dying Life"
"Fuck Everything"
"No Pity For A Coward"

Frontman Kyle Thomas of thrash metal pioneers EXHORDER says former CANNIBAL CORPSE guitarist Pat O'Brien's appearance with his band at the 2022 Maryland Deathfest this past May "couldn't have been any more perfect."

The gig took place three months after guitarist Marzi Montazeri left EXHORDER, explaining at the time in a statement that he "decided to no longer be a part of it."

In a new interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Thomas spoke about O'Brien's first appearance with EXHORDER and how the crowd reacted upon seeing the guitarist re-emerge on stage more than three years after his arrest for burglary and assaulting a police officer while his Florida home was in flames.

"He was as apprehensive about it as anybody," Kyle said. "Having not been onstage for a while, he wondered, 'Are these people going to want me around?' We were, like, 'Come on, Pat. You're Pat O'Brien. These people want to see you.' I can appreciate how he felt about it after all he had been through. I could imagine there was an intimidation factor about it. We got up there and he said, 'I think I'm going to lay low in the back, get up and play and be done.' As soon as we got onstage and people saw him, the place went nuts. I said to the crowd, 'Hey, look, you all know Pat, right? Show Pat some love.' And they went nuts. They adore this man. Who wouldn't? If you ever met him, he's one of the nicest people you'd ever meet. He's one of the greatest at what he does, too. Then he started taking pictures with people and talking [after the gig]. He had a big smile on his face. That was so worth it. Here was a guy who needed a good break in his life and we needed help from him to get the show done. It couldn't have been any more perfect."

O'Brien will join EXHORDER again this August for their live dates at Slaughter At The Southgate Revival in Newport, Kentucky and Dimestock Metal Fest 2022 in Watertown, Wisconsin.

O'Brien made headlines in December 2018 when he was arrested for burglary and assaulting a police officer while his Florida home was in flames. At the time of the arrest, deputies said he burglarized a house and charged at a deputy with a knife.

O'Brien, who was born in Northern Kentucky, allegedly broke into a Northdale, Florida home and shouted that "the rapture is coming" before pushing a woman to the ground. He ran toward a responding deputy with a knife and was subdued with a stun gun.

Less than half a mile from where O'Brien was arrested, a fire broke out at the house he was renting, sending flames billowing into the night sky from the roof.

The owner of the home where O'Brien was arrested wouldn't go on camera but told ABC Action News he thought the guitarist was hallucinating when he spoke to him and claimed "someone was after him." The homeowner added O'Brien seemed scared and at one point even hid in his closet.

Fire marshals found a large cache of weapon, locked safes and potential explosive devices inside O'Brien's home, including 50 shotguns, 20 semiautomatic rifles, two Uzi-style firearms, 20 handguns and two flamethrowers. Authorities also discovered thousands of rounds as well as additional weapons.

O'Brien, who had been a member of CANNIBAL CORPSE for more than two decades, was released from Hillsborough County jail on December 14, 2018 after posting a $50,000 surety bond. Several days earlier, at a hearing, a judge told the now-57-year-old musician, clad in an anti-suicide vest with his hands and ankles chained together, that he would first have to pass a drug test before he would be allowed to post bail and leave jail.

In March 2021, O'Brien was sentenced to time served and five years of probation and ordered to pay $23,793.45 in restitution. He was also ordered to get drug and alcohol evaluations and render 150 hours of community service. In addition, O'Brien was ordered to abstain from using alcohol and controlled substances and to be subject to random testing.

During an appearance on a June 2019 episode of "The Jasta Show", the podcast hosted by HATEBREED's Jamey Jasta, CANNIBAL CORPSE frontman George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher expressed his shock over O'Brien's arrest, saying: "I don't wanna speculate about what could have happened that night, but it could have been way worse — for him.

"When people were seeing [TV reports about] it — I think on the Tampa news, they were pretty good with him," he continued. "They just said he was one of the best guitar players in death metal in America, and in the world, and he's highly respected. And they didn't really trash him at all. And they showed him on TV."

Fisher went on to say that most of the CANNIBAL fans were very supportive of Pat while he was dealing with his ordeal. "In the metal world, I think in general, 95 percent [of the people], everyone was, like, 'Get well soon,'" he told "The Jasta Show". "I didn't spend too much time reading stuff online, because that's when you get people who just wanna say nasty stuff just to be nasty."

At the time, Fisher said that he and his bandmates were looking forward to O'Brien's return to CANNIBAL CORPSE. "We love him," he told "The Jasta Show". "We want him back. But when I saw him in the court with the vest, dude, I cried. Because we just got home from tour… We wish the best for him, and we're just waiting to see [what happens]. He's got a road ahead of him still with legal issues, and that's out of our hands. We support him 100 percent; we're behind him 100 percent."

In early 2021, it was announced that O'Brien had been replaced in CANNIBAL CORPSE by Erik Rutan, one of the death metal's most acclaimed guitarists who is known for his time as part of MORBID ANGEL throughout the '90s and early 2000s, as well as handling vocals/guitars for HATE ETERNAL.

Shortly after the Houston-based Montazeri announced his departure from EXHORDER, the remaining members of the band — Thomas, bassist Jason VieBrooks and drummer Sasha Horn — said that they and Marzi had been "moving in different directions" and assured fans that they would "continue to thrive"

Thomas is now the sole remaining founding member of EXHORDER, which released its debut album, "Slaughter In The Vatican", way back in 1990. In February 2020, EXHORDER parted ways with its original guitarist Vinnie LaBella, who wrote much of the material on "Mourn The Southern Skies". The remaining members of the group later issued a statement saying that they would fulfill their "touring and recording obligations for 2020 and beyond."

Last December, Thomas confirmed to the "Brutally Delicious" podcast that he and his bandmates had spent much of the coronavirus downtime working on material for the follow-up to "Mourn The Southern Skies".

EXHORDER released two albums in the early 1990s through the Roadrunner label — the aforementioned "Slaughter In The Vatican" and 1992's "The Law" — before breaking up, with Kyle going on to form FLOODGATE and also briefly appearing live as the vocalist for TROUBLE, which he later joined on a full-time basis (and is still a member of).

EXHORDER, which is cited by many as the originator of the riff-heavy power-groove approach popularized by PANTERA, completed a U.S. headlining tour in late 2021 during which it performed "Slaughter In The Vatican" in its entirety.

Capturing the spirit of the great ballads of the 90’s, “Say Goodbye” is the brand new single from a Wildstreet, available this week. Upon a backdrop of eerie strings and cranked-up hard rock guitars, the song clues us in on the end of a very sick and twisted relationship.


The fourth single Wildstreet is released via Golden Robot Records, the song was co-written and produced by Todd Long (Ghosts Of Sunset), mixed by Jon Wyman (The Pretty Reckless), and mastered by Howie Weinberg.







Wildstreet is a band that began in 2006 and released their self-titled debut album on Retrospect Records in 2009.


Having spent the next four years touring nonstop and performing at US festivals — including Rocklahoma (five consecutive years), SXSW, M3 Rock Festival, and more, Wildstreet rocked alongside Black Veil Brides, Vains of Jenna, The Bouncing Souls, The Last Vegas, Twisted Sister, Michael Monroe, Crashdiet, Diemonds, Kix, LA Guns, and then some.


The band have also won the Best Buy/Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands for Rockstar Energy’s Uproar Festival and opened for Avenged Sevenfold, Sevendust, and Three Days Grace in Camden, NJ.


In 2011, the band released Wildstreet II..Faster..Louder! to widespread critical acclaim, making an appearance on The Jimmy Fallon show, and licensing songs to TV shows on E!, MTV, VH1, Oxygen, TBS, and a THQ Video game. Later that year, the band released the official music video for “Poison Kiss” which included a cameo by Don Jameson of The Metal Show.


Wildstreet now had the attention of rock fans worldwide and, in 2012, released the single “Easy Does It” and its official music video; it went viral on YouTube, adding to their 5+ Million views and 8,000+ subscribers on that platform alone.


After taking a two-and-a-half year break, and dodging rumors of a band breakup, Wildstreet exploded back onto the NYC scene in 2016 — headlining Gramercy Theatre with a new lineup.


In early 2017, the band rocked NYC with Faster Pussycat and Biters, and headed to Rocklahoma for the sixth time before beginning work on their single, “Raise Hell.” Released in December 2017, the track ushered in a new period for the band; they headlined Irving Plaza for the single’s release party and were handpicked by Dorothy to open for her New York City tour date at The Bowery Ballroom.


Following the single’s video release, Wildstreet spent the remainder of 2018 in the studio recording Wildstreet III — which was released in the summer of 2021.


They’ve continued to perform regional tour dates/festival dates, including opening for Sebastian Bach & Escape The Fate, selling out The Knitting Factory Brooklyn, and heading out on their first tour in Europe — playing 10 shows in Belgium, The Netherlands, and Germany, including Sleaze Fest 2019 in Bochum, Germany.


Wildstreet’s massive album III has racked up over 1.8+ million streams on Spotify since its release in June 2021. After spending most of the year on tour in the US (100+ shows including Rockfest), the band also toured Europe, bringing their music to fans in Switzerland and France for the first time ever. They concluded the year by releasing their cover of “Mrs. Sleazy,” originally recorded by The 69 Eyes back in the 90s.


Wildstreet includes Eric Jayk, Jimmie Marlowe, Don Berger, and Dan Whitelock, and have their third studio album in the works.

RISE AGAINST has issued a statement blasting the U.S. Supreme Court for ruling Friday (June 24) that Americans no longer have a constitutional right to abortion.

The conservative-leaning Supreme Court's decision ruling came in a case involving Mississippi's request to overturn Roe v. Wade — the court's 1973 decision that legalized abortion in the United States — and uphold a state law that bars the procedure 15 weeks after conception.

Roe v. Wade affirmed the right to receive an abortion under the 14th Amendment, ruling that abortions were constitutionally protected up until about 23 weeks when a fetus can typically live outside the womb.

Friday's decision overturned what was previously a federal legalization of abortion and has returned the issue to individual states to decide the matter for themselves.

On Saturday, RISE AGAINST shared the following statement via social media: "The overturning of Roe Vs Wade does not represent the many corners of America we have spent over 20 years touring through. It represents the few ruling over the many, something we rail against in our songs.

"The half of America that will ban abortions have not ended abortion in their states, they have only ended safe abortion for people without the resources to travel; disproportionately non-white working class communities.

"We write this to you while touring internationally where we are reminded that we live in, not just a country, but a world that overwhelmingly supports a woman's right to choose.

"To the half of Americans who have had their freedoms stripped on this dark day, you are not alone in this battle and we won't stop fighting until your dignity is restored."

According to the Pew Research Center, a 61% majority of U.S. adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 37% think abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.

Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are 42 percentage points more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to say abortion should be legal in all or most cases (80% vs. 38%).

Critics have said that tossing out the landmark rulings establishing abortion rights would tarnish the court's reputation and open the floodgates to other challenges to well-settled law.

According to CNN, nearly half of the states have or will pass laws that ban abortion, while others have enacted strict measures regulating the procedure.

Thirteen states have so-called "trigger laws" in place, which would effectively ban abortions almost immediately upon Roe v. Wade being overturned. According to Axios, the restrictions that would follow Roe being struck down by the Supreme Court would mean almost 30% of people would be more than 200 miles away from an abortion provider.

According to a Forbes, Americans largely oppose harsh abortion laws, with 75% against policies that make it a criminal offense to perform an abortion, 69% opposing policies that ban abortion six to eight weeks into a pregnancy, 80% opposing laws that allow private citizens to sue anyone who aids or abets an abortion and 63% supporting "safe haven laws" in Democratic-led states that would protect people who travel in from other states to get an abortion.
pic.twitter.com/nUhp03WoNJ

— Rise Against (@riseagainst) June 25, 2022