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





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







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


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


Order here.





Flamingo Overlord tracklisting:


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


“All Drinks on Me” video:





“Flamingo Libre” video:





“Piña Colada” video:





“Twenty Miles An Hour” video:





"Dance Like A Pink Flamingo" lyric video:





(Photo - Terje Johnsen)

Cult Japanese black metal legends Sigh have announced details of their new album Shiki to be released on August 26 on Peaceville.


Shiki, an opus of dark & eclectic blackened heavy metal, shrouded in traditional eastern influences, marks the latest chapter in the Sigh legacy and includes some of the band’s heaviest and darkest material for some years; a fine hybrid of at times primitive black metal akin to early influences such as Celtic Frost amid more epic melodic heavy metal riffing and solos. It will take you on a journey through the strange and the psychedelic, incorporating a whole eclectic mix of genre styles & experimentation throughout their career. Highlighting that Sigh has remained a vital creative force in the avantgarde field whilst maintaining their old school roots.


Immerse yourself in Sigh’s new world through the first single “Mayonaka No Kaii” and the accompanying illustrated video from animator extraordinaire Costin Chioreanu.




“The song is kind of a culmination of what Sigh have been up to. Whistle scream, throat singing, Uriah Heep like vocal harmonies, vocoder, flute solo, shakuhachi solo, Hammond solo and the great guitar solo by Fred - it's got everything! Although it's only 5-minute long, it's a very dramatic song with many aspects. The title stands for ‘a strange incident at midnight’, and it's based on actual weird experience I had .. Long story short, I experienced midnight twice in one night! You can read the details at the end of the video. We have been working with Costin for a long time, so we were 100% sure that he'd be the best guy to visualize my eerie experience, and how did it turn out? You all see for yourselves!” Mirai Kawashima.


The word "Shiki" itself has various meanings in Japanese such as four seasons, time to die, conducting an orchestra, ceremony, motivation, colour. The two primary themes for the album are "four seasons" and "time to die". The concept and artwork is based around a traditional Japanese poem, and on Shiki Mirai explores how at this stage of life he himself is going through autumn, with winter coming soon, and so empathizes with the contrasting sentimental feelings from watching cherry blossoms (a symbol of spring) in full bloom.


Joining Mirai and Dr Mikannibal for this release are Frédéric Leclercq of Kreator, plus US drummer extraordinaire, Mike Heller of Fear Factory and Raven, along with an appearance by longtime member Satoshi Fujinami on bass. Shiki was recorded across multiple studios, and mixed and mastered by Lasse Lammert at LSD studios in Germany. The album utilises a whole host of instruments to give further texture and dynamics to the compositions and eerie atmosphere, incorporating traditional oriental instruments such as the Shakuhachi & Sinobue flutes.


Sigh, featuring mainman Mirai Kawashima, Satoshi Fujinami & Kazuki Ozeki formed in 1989/90 and following their initial demos, Shinichi Ishikawa was brought in, and Sigh set about recording the masterpiece debut Scorn Defeat for Euronymous’ Deathlike Silence Productions, going on to become one of the country’s greatest and most revered metal exports.


Shiki will be released on August 26 on CD / black vinyl LP / limited edition green vinyl LP and digital. Preorder here.





Tracklisting:


“Kuroi Inori”
“Kuroi Kage”
“Shoujahitsumetsu”
“Shikabane”
“Satsui – Geshi No Ato”
“Fuyu Ga Kuru”
“Shouku”
“Kuroi Kagami”
“Mayonaka No Kaii”
“Touji No Asa” 


“Mayonaka No Kaii”:

Ex-DEATH and MASSACRE guitarist Rick Rozz has blasted his former bandmate Kam Lee as a "narcissistic revisionist" over the comments the vocalist made about late DEATH frontman Chuck Schuldiner.

In a recent interview with the "That Metal Interview" podcast, Lee, who was a member of an early version of DEATH as well as the pre-DEATH band MANTAS alongside Schuldiner and Rozz, weighed in on the never-ending debate on who can lay claim to being the first "true" death metal band: DEATH or POSSESSED. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'll admit this, and I'll say this straight out, 'cause I know there's an argument all the time, who was first — was it DEATH or was it POSSESSED? Well, I will tell you POSSESSED was first, and I will tell you why. Because Chuck heard what Jeff [ Becerra, POSSESSED frontman] was doing and Chuck wanted to emulate Jeff. I was there — I was there in the beginning.

"There was times when we were living here in Florida before Chuck moved to California, and Chuck and I both started off as tapetraders back in the day," Kam continued. "And I remember, if you go back to before we were DEATH, we were called MANTAS. If you look at some of the hand-drawn logos of MANTAS, the MANTAS logo, there's the logo with the devil's tail on it, on the 'M'. That's completely stolen from the original POSSESSED logo, the devil's tail.

"I'll say this now, 'cause [former DEATH manager] Eric Greif has passed, he's deceased, but this is stuff that he didn't want me to tell people," Lee added. "That's why I was denied ever being interviewed for the DEATH movie, the DEATH documentary ['Death By Metal']. They denied me, because they didn't want me to say these certain things, because how are you gonna sell a documentary about DEATH if I come on and tell everybody, 'Nah, that's not really how it was'? So they didn't want me on there — they absolutely refused to talk to me on there. They didn't want me to come up and say, 'Oh, yeah, I was the one that drew the DEATH logo, not Chuck.' They didn't want me to tell everybody I'm the one that created that. And they didn't want me to tell everybody, 'Oh, well, Chuck ripped off POSSESSED.' They wanted to sell it like Chuck created it, because they were selling a product. And if you've got somebody come and say, 'Well, that's not exactly how that product works.' Kind of like the [fast food chicken restaurant chain] KFC. I'm sorry, but it wasn't [KFC founder] Colonel Sanders that came up with a special recipe; some other guy came up with it. So that's really what it was."

Earlier today, Rozz took to his Facebook page to share a link to the BLABBERMOUTH.NET story about Lee's comments, and he included the following message: "SORRY CAN'T LET THIS ONE SLIDE MY FRIENDS, HMMM... BELITTLING THE DEAD, HOW LOW CAN YOU GO? SO... LET ME BE BLUNT, THE REASON THIS P.O.S. NARCISSISTIC, REVISIONIST WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE DEATH BY METAL DOCUMENTARY IS... IN A PRINTED INTERVIEW HE WARNS CHUCK THAT HE BETTER WATCH OUT OR HIS MOM WILL BE SONLESS ONCE AGAIN, REASON ENOUGH? OH... YEAH... AND AT LEAST CHUCK DIDN'T GET ON STAGE AT SHOWBIZ PIZZA IN WHITE SPANDEX WITH LEPPARD SPOTTED LEG WARMERS LIP SINKING TO I WANNA BE SOMEBODY BY W.A.S.P. THAT'S REALLY DEATH METAL BARNEY, TRUE COLORS UNTIL THE END."

Although DEATH is considered to be one of the most important and influential death metal acts of all time, the Florida-based band did not release its debut album, "Scream Bloody Gore", until 1987 — two years after the arrival of "Seven Churches" by California's POSSESSED, whose bassist/vocalist, the aforementioned Becerra, is credited by some with initially creating the term "death metal" in 1983.

Becerra told Antihero in 2017 that Schuldiner cited POSSESSED as a "primary influence" in "countless" magazine interviews. But even though DEATH was inspired by POSSESSED, "they ran with it and went in their own direction and created their own vibe," Jeff said. "To go a step further: Chuck used ['80s death/thrash producer] Randy Burns, who did 'Seven Churches' to do 'Scream Bloody Gore', his first album. He also did a cover of [POSSESSED's] 'The Exorcist'."

Back in 2008, Lee was toying around with the idea of re-recording some of the earliest classics from DEATH and MANTAS with various guest musicians. At the time, he wrote in a social media post: "Like it or not... I'm as much a part of that history as Chuck was, and I wouldn't think to do anything to down play his involvement in these songs. The simple truth is that most of the songs on MANTAS/DEATH's 'Death by Metal' demo '83/'84, DEATH's 'Reign of Terror' demo '84 and DEATH's 'Infernal Death' demo '85 — and many rehersal tapes released during this time — we're both lyrically written be me, and sung by me. Yes, both Chuck and Rick wrote the guitar riffs, but I wrote the drum patterns to these songs and the lyrics to most of these tracks. That's the simple truth to it!"

The current lineup of MASSACRE, featuring Lee and bassist Mike Borders, released its fourth full-length album, "Resurgence", last October via Nuclear Blast. It marked MASSACRE's first LP to feature Borders, as well as the band's first recording in 25 years to feature Lee.

MASSACRE parted ways with Rozz and drummer Mike Mazzonetto in September 2019. At the time, Lee and Borders blamed the split on "contract infringement violations," "poor performance, incompetence, and lack of professionalism."

In September 2020, drummer Jeramie Kling (VENOM INC., THE ABSENCE, GOREGÄNG) and guitarist Taylor Nordberg (THE ABSENCE, GOREGÄNG) announced their departure from MASSACRE. A short time later, Kling and Nordberg said in a statement that "what was presented as a democracy turned out to be a dictatorship with an excruciating lack of communication."

(Y) SORRY CAN'T LET THIS ONE SLIDE MY FRIENDS, HMMM... BELITTLING THE DEAD, HOW LOW CAN YOU GO? SO... LET ME BE BLUNT,...

Posted by Rick Rozz on Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Ozzy Osbourne says that he is " recuperating comfortably," two days after undergoing grueling surgery to remove and realign pins in his neck and back.

Earlier today (Wednesday, June 15),the legendary 73-year-old heavy metal singer released the following statement via social media: "I am now home from the hospital recuperating comfortably. I am definitely feeling the love and support from all my fans and send everyone a big thank you for their thoughts, prayers and well wishes during my recovery".

Ozzy's statement came just hours after Page Six shared the first photos and video of the BLACK SABBATH frontman as he was wheeled out of a Los Angeles hospital Tuesday. In the images, Ozzy could be seen wearing a black T-shirt, black jeans and a blue mask as he stood up and got into a black Range Rover with guidance from a hospital attendant. Ozzy was accompanied by his wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne.

Sharon released a short statement on Tuesday thanking Ozzy's fans for their "love and support" leading up to his surgery Ozzy. She also said that he "is doing well" and is "on the road to recovery".

An Osbourne family source told Page Six on Monday (June 13) that there will be a "lengthy amount of convalescence" after the operation, and the legendary heavy metal singer will need a nurse at home.

The source added: "Ozzy is 73 and any kind of surgery when you get older is difficult. This is quite major. He's having the pins in his neck and back realigned from when he had a fall back in 2019.

"He's been in a lot of pain."

Last week, Sharon said that he was about to undergo a "major operation" which would "determine the rest of his life."

Sharon announced on U.K.'s "The Talk" on June 8 that she would be flying to America to be by her husband's side. She also said that she didn't know if she and Ozzy will do anything special for their 40th wedding anniversary in July. "[It] depends on everything with Ozzy," she explained.

Last month, Ozzy confirmed to Classic Rock magazine that he was "waiting on some more surgery" on his neck. "I can't walk properly these days," he revealed. "I have physical therapy every morning. I am somewhat better, but nowhere near as much as I want to be to go back on the road."

Ozzy, who revealed two years ago that he was battling Parkinson's disease, has reportedly applied for permission for a "rehabilitation" wing at his historic Grade II listed home in Buckinghamshire, England. According to the Daily Mail, the extension will feature "an abundance of stopping and sitting" spaces, "discreet grab rails and aids" and "soft non-slip surfaces" as well as a self-contained nurse's flat. There is also a "pool house orangery", "garden room" and a "health and welfare exercise studio".

Architect Lynne Walker wrote in the plans that "it is the ambition that the design creates a transition of flowing inside outside garden spaces, largely lit by natural light with folding doors opening up views."

Last November, Ozzy's previously announced European tour with guests JUDAS PRIEST, originally set for 2019 and then rescheduled three times, was once again postponed. The new dates will now take place in May and June 2023.

Ozzy initially scrapped his entire 2019 schedule as he recovered from surgery to repair an injury sustained while dealing with a bout of pneumonia. The tour was postponed a second time after Ozzy continued to deal with health issues following a fall in his Los Angeles home. That fall "aggravated years-old injuries" from an ATV accident that occurred in 2003. The tour was pushed back a third time in October 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ozzy's European tour with JUDAS PRIEST tour will now take place more than four years later than originally planned, and almost five years after tickets first went on sale in September 2018.

In May 2020, Ozzy's son Jack said that his father will "probably" retire "within the next five to ten years." But Ozzy, who turned 73 in December, has repeatedly said that he is not calling it quits, despite the fact that his "No More Tours 2" — whenever it ends up happening — is being billed as his last major global trek.
Ozzy Osbourne discharged from hospital day after grueling surgery https://t.co/yYuuvMTgSdpic.twitter.com/pLp4AX1sOC

— Page Six (@PageSix) June 15, 2022



I am now home from the hospital recuperating comfortably. I am definitely feeling the love and support from all my fans...

Posted by Ozzy Osbourne on Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Although DEATH is considered to be one of the most important and influential death metal acts of all time, the Florida-based band did not release its debut album, "Scream Bloody Gore", until 1987 — two years after the arrival of "Seven Churches" by California's POSSESSED, whose bassist/vocalist, Jeff Becerra, is credited by some with initially creating the term "death metal" in 1983.

In a new interview with the "That Metal Interview" podcast, Kam Lee, who was a member of an early version of DEATH as well as the pre-DEATH band MANTAS alongside guitarist/vocalist Chuck Schuldiner and guitarist Rick Rozz, weighed in on the never-ending debate on who can lay claim to being the first "true" death metal band: DEATH or POSSESSED. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'll admit this, and I'll say this straight out, 'cause I know there's an argument all the time, who was first — was it DEATH or was it POSSESSED? Well, I will tell you POSSESSED was first, and I will tell you why. Because Chuck heard what Jeff was doing and Chuck wanted to emulate Jeff. I was there — I was there in the beginning.

"There was times when we were living here in Florida before Chuck moved to California, and Chuck and I both started off as tapetraders back in the day," Kam continued. "And I remember, if you go back to before we were DEATH, we were called MANTAS. If you look at some of the hand-drawn logos of MANTAS, the MANTAS logo, there's the logo with the devil's tail on it, on the 'M'. That's completely stolen from the original POSSESSED logo, the devil's tail.

"I'll say this now, 'cause [former DEATH manager] Eric Greif is passed, he's deceased, but this is stuff that he didn't want me to tell people," Lee added. "That's why I was denied ever being interviewed for the DEATH movie, the DEATH documentary ['Death By Metal']. They denied me, because they didn't want me to say these certain things, because how are you gonna sell a documentary about DEATH if I come on and tell everybody, 'Nah, that's not really how it was'? So they didn't want me on there — they absolutely refused to talk to me on there. They didn't want me to come up and say, 'Oh, yeah, I was the one that drew the DEATH logo, not Chuck.' They didn't want me to tell everybody I'm the one that created that. And they didn't want me to tell everybody, 'Oh, well, Chuck ripped off POSSESSED.' They wanted to sell it like Chuck created it, because they were selling a product. And if you've got somebody come and say, 'Well, that's not exactly how that product works.' Kind of like the [fast food chicken restaurant chain] KFC. I'm sorry, but it wasn't [KFC founder] Colonel Sanders that came up with a special recipe; some other guy came up with it. So that's really what it was."

Becerra told Antihero in 2017 that Schuldiner cited POSSESSED as a "primary influence" in "countless" magazine interviews. But even though DEATH was inspired by POSSESSED, "they ran with it and went in their own direction and created their own vibe," Jeff said. "To go a step further: Chuck used ['80s death/thrash producer] Randy Burns, who did 'Seven Churches' to do 'Scream Bloody Gore', his first album. He also did a cover of [POSSESSED's] 'The Exorcist'."

Back in 2008, Lee was toying around with the idea of re-recording some of the earliest classics from DEATH and MANTAS with various guest musicians. At the time, he wrote in a social media post: "Like it or not... I'm as much a part of that history as Chuck was, and I wouldn't think to do anything to down play his involvement in these songs. The simple truth is that most of the songs on MANTAS/DEATH's 'Death by Metal' demo '83/'84, DEATH's 'Reign of Terror' demo '84 and DEATH's 'Infernal Death' demo '85 — and many rehersal tapes released during this time — we're both lyrically written be me, and sung by me. Yes, both Chuck and Rick wrote the guitar riffs, but I wrote the drum patterns to these songs and the lyrics to most of these tracks. That's the simple truth to it!"

Former Cradle Of Filth backing vocalist / keyboardist turnes solo artist Lindsay Schoolctaft has checked in with the following update:


"Here is a brief clip of 'Remember To Breathe' featuring Sarah Jezebel Deva that’s now available on my Patreon. All the behind the scenes and 'how it’s made' videos and demos are posted there, too! Plus a ton other new and rare songs for you to listen to and download. 


Big thank you again to the team involved in making this possible. Wanna find out who else played on it? Head here."




Sarah adds: "So...we did another track! And the ONLY way you are gonna hear it is signing up to Lindsay's Patreon! This track also features a VERY special guest. Give you a few clues: he  has fingers, a keyboard, in fact he is one of the best keyboard players / composers ever who has been absent for far too long. Norwegian. Left one of the biggest bands and best bands on the planet...."





Sarah Jezebel Deva and Lindsay Schoolcraft teamed up in 2021 for a single, "Stolen Light".


Lindsay on "Stolen Light": "This song is about taking back your power after enduring a long and grueling abusive relationship. Often verbal and emotional abuse is overlooked compared to physical violence, but the after effects have proven to be equally as fatal in the long run. Sarah and I bonded over our shared struggles we've faced in the music industry and this song is an ode to our perseverance, strength, and triumph in taking back our careers and love of singing and creating music.


This track could have not been possible without the mega talents of Tyler Williams at Monolithic Productions and orchestrator Spencer Creaghan. Thank you always for putting up with me and my crazy-ambitious projects.


And last but not least, to Sarah. For being a fighter, a champion, a legend, and an all around awesome person and brilliant artist. You praise me too much for your return, but I haven’t thanked you enough for being such a pivotal influence on me and a singer and musician. From a distance your voice has pulled me through some darker days and now your friendship has changed me for the better. Thank you for inspiring 'Stolen Light' and for all that you have given us through your voice, lyrics, and performances."

Mammothor has not let the pandemic stop their musical output. With a busy show schedule taking shape for 2022, including shows with Drowning Pool, Ill Nino, Hed(PE) and Sumo Cyco, the band has been busy producing new material and playing around the Northeast.


Mammothor entered The Halo Studio in Windham, ME to record with Kevin Billingslea (Lamb of God) and Chillhouse Studios in Charlestown, MA with Will Holland (Fall Out Boy) for recording and tapped Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Hatebreed, Shadows Fall), at Planet Z in Hadley, MA to mix and master.


"Bury The Motive" is the eighth track of their latest album. Written by Josh Johnson (guitar) and Travis Lowell (vocals), the single launched worldwide on May 27 on all major streaming platforms, and now, the music video is ready for the fans.




The song reflects on the state of gun violence and school shootings that has been plaguing our society for decades now. In an ironic twist, on the day of the single release, another school shooting took place. The video reflects on the issue by way of an android who, after becoming sentient, witnesses the senseless violence that humans commit on one another, rejecting the notion that “being human” is anything to be proud of, and rebelling against its maker.





Mammothor's new album, The Ecstasy of Silence... The Agony of Dreams, is out now.





Tracklist:


"M.O.A.B."
"Novocaine"
"You Don't Know Me"
"Hitcher"
"Take the World"
"Parasomnia"
"[Breaking News]"
"Bury The Motive"
"Trial by Fire"
"The Red State Blues"
"Final Hour"
"Do You Call My Name"


"Take The World" video:





"M.O.A.B." lyric video:

Veteran bassist Robbie Crane has expressed his concern about the well-being of KINGDOM COME drummer James Kottak whose band was widely lambasted for a disastrous performance at a Swedish festival over the weekend.

KINGDOM COME's June 10 appearance at Sweden Rock Festival was described by the popular Swedish site Rocknytt as the event's "biggest fuckup." Writer Peter Johansson criticized the band for the inclusion of "several lengthy, uninspired, uninteresting and completely meaningless solos on both guitar and bass", saying that the musicians "completely massacred" one of their most popular songs, "Do You Like It". He also singled out Kottak, writing that the drummer played "really badly, sluggishly" and at times failed to keep the tempo "worryingly throughout the concert". At the end of the show, Kottak "stumbled to the edge of the stage to bow with his bandmates," according to Rocknytt.

Also critical of KINGDOM COME's performance was renowned Swedish music journalist and guitar player Janne Stark, who took to his Facebook page to share a photo of the gig and he wrote in an accompanying caption: "I've never seen a drummer fall asleep on stage before but James Kottak is pretty damn close. Drunk? He slows down every song to half tempo. KINGDOM COME, sorry guys but this is SHIT!"

After BLABBERMOUTH.NET published an article on Sunday (June 12) about KINGDOM COME's Sweden Rock performance, Stevie Rachelle, founder of the Metal Sludge web site and frontman of the glam metal band TUFF, weighed in on the situation via his Facebook page, writing that "this latest incident, and train-wreck of a performance by James Kottak, along with his past public displays of stupid drunken behavior that have landed him on the cover of TMZ and beyond for years, is exactly what Jani Lane [late WARRANT frontman] was doing in his life for years, until those years were cut short. James Kottak is Jani Lane in 2022... and the truth is, there is likely nobody who can save him, but himself," Stevie continued. "There have been bands, a wife, kids, and I am sure managers, family and friends who have tried., just like with Jani Lane... but... James Kottak is still alive. Whether he saves himself or not, only time will tell. Too many enablers... and someone needs to say it."

Among the people who reacted to Rachelle's post was Crane, the current bass player for BLACK STAR RIDERS and formerly a member of RATT, LYNCH MOB and the Vince Neil band. Robbie wrote: "This is a sad situation… James is a good dude… He's a father, brother, son, husband, and friend… But sadly, you are correct… the only person that can save James is James. He has to want it. But like so many before him, addiction fully has him… he is in the center of his own storm and sees nothing but peace around him… He doesn't realize the physical damage he's done to himself. Not yet anyway… if we tried to help would he hear us? I don't know… Hopefully this situation will serve as a wake up call to him… All we can do is pray for him…"

In September 2016, Kottak was dismissed from SCORPIONS during his well-publicized battle with alcoholism and was replaced by former MOTÖRHEAD member Mikkey Dee.

Two years ago, Kottak, who joined the SCORPIONS in 1996, told the SCORPIONS official fan club Crazyscorps about the circumstances that led to his departure from the legendary German hard rock band: "I always liked a drink here and there. And then I always also take a pain medication called Aleve. It's what all the baseball players take, all the footballers, and it works like a charm. You take those of those and you don't feel anything. But on top of that, I'm a rock drummer in a rock band, and you've got the green light to drink.

"From 2008 to 2011, I didn't drink," he explained. "I just woke up one day and said, 'I just don't wanna drink anymore.' I didn't go to rehab; I didn't do any of that stuff. I just didn't wanna drink anymore.

"If you have any knowledge of A.A. [Alcoholics Anonymous] or any type of program or rehab, it only lasts so long and then you have what we call in recovery a relapse. I would go through these phases of a year or maybe two years of no drinking, and then you gradually…

"SCORPIONS, we play our show, we go back to the hotel, [and] 45 minutes later, we're all downstairs having dinner," he continued. "And everything's just the right price — free. All these flights back and forth from Europe, from L.A. — I was just flying constantly. Which I'm not complaining about, but it's always business or first class, and once again, all the booze is at the right price. I'm going, 'I've got the next two days off. I might as well have a drink.' And that's what triggered me to start drinking again sometimes.

"It's a typical alcoholic way of thinking: 'Well, I may as well have a drink. Why not?' And that's typical alcoholic disease thinking. 'Cause it is a disease."

Four years ago, SCORPIONS guitarist Matthias Jabs said that he and his bandmates "had to make" the decision to fire Kottak, explaining that they gave the drummer "all the chances" to get better. During an appearance on "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon", the guitarist said: "James was a real good friend — and he still is — but we couldn't continue with him. We gave him all the chances, and 10 more. And it was something that developed over the years — the drinking habit. It came in waves — sometimes it was good for four weeks, and then [there] was drama, and if you know him, you know what that's like. Then if it affects the show, you have to go, 'Hmmm…' Because our drum riser goes up 21 feet, or 24 feet sometimes, if the venue allows it, and the production manager, or stage manager, goes, 'I can't have him go up there. It's too risky.' If you can't really walk down the stairs straight, you can't have that. So that affects your intro of the show, and that's not good — it's not professional."

He continued: "We were helping him — we were sending him to [the island of] Antigua [to Eric Clapton's Crossroads drug and alcohol treatment center], and we paid for it, and we did everything we could, because we are extremely loyal. It's always hard if you work with somebody for almost 20 years to say, 'Okay, you've gotta go.' We'd rather do the opposite and try to keep him and help him. But we reached the point — or he reached the point — where it was just not worth it. After three months or four months even — they gave him an extra month in Antigua, the rehab — he'd come home, we'd start again, and you can't even talk to him. So we had to make that decision. We had Mikkey on the road, so [James] didn't notice. So I rehearsed with [Mikkey] and Paweł [Mąciwoda, bass] in the afternoon, just a backup; that was the original plan. But then there was no way we could continue with James, so we started with Mikkey."

JAMES KOTTAK = JANI LANE ...

The Question is, can anyone save James Kottak before he Kills himself?

I am not...

Posted by Stevie Rachelle on Monday, June 13, 2022

SLIPKNOT drummer Jay Weinberg has shared a point-of-view (POV) video of him performing the song "The Chapeltown Rag" with his bandmates on June 13 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. The clip, which was filmed using a GoPro Hero 8 camera, can be seen below.

The studio version of "The Chapeltown Rag", which was released on November 5, 2021, was produced by Joe Barresi, who has previously worked with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and CHEVELLE, among many others.

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor described the song to Knotfest.com as "a punisher," saying it documents what happens when the distortions of mass media circulate within the echo chambers of social media.

"It's classic SLIPKNOT," said Corey about the track, which is inspired by a Netflix documentary he watched about the Yorkshire Ripper serial killer who murdered multiple women in the West Yorkshire, United Kingdom suburb Chapeltown in the late 1970s. "And it's frenetic. But lyrically, it's coming from a point of talking about the various manipulations that can happen when social media meets media itself. And the different ways that these manipulations can try to pull us in different directions, in the fact that we're all becoming addicts to it, which is very, very dangerous."

Recorded during recent sessions for a yet-to-be-announced new album, "The Chapeltown Rag" barrels forward with the speed of a freight train derailing and incisively eviscerates Internet culture from the inside out with the scream, "When everything is god online…nothing is."

"I wasn't even sure if that part was going to be the chorus, to be honest," Corey said. "But I just love the way that the chord progression lent itself this weird, chromatic, minor vibe to it, which I had never really done before. I played with it on 'Vermilion' years ago, but I had never really given it a little more aggression. The harmony that I created for it was just so fucking weird as well that it just gives it that slight dissonant vibe, but it's also very, very melodic and hummable. Writing and pulling yourself out of trying to keep it in some sort of structure allows you to just fucking rip the scab off and let the wound be what it is. Then obviously, the big breakdown at the end where it just fucking goes off the rails is is so heavy, dude."

Earlier this week, SLIPKNOT announced the fall leg of the "Knotfest Roadshow 2022" tour. Produced by Live Nation, the run — featuring support from horror-themed metal maestros ICE NINE KILLS and metalcore titans CROWN THE EMPIRE — will kick off on September 20 in Nashville, Tennessee and hit an additional eight cities before culminating in Irvine, California on October 7.

2021 marked a banner year for SLIPKNOT. Making a triumphant return to the road, "Knotfest Roadshow 2021" tour sold out amphitheaters across the country, bookended with the record-breaking Knotfest Iowa and the biggest headline show of SLIPKNOT's career, Knotfest Los Angeles at Banc of California Stadium, where they debuted their first new music in two years — the aforementioned "The Chapeltown Rag". In addition, they topped the bills of multiple, internationally renowned festivals, including Riot Fest, Rocklahoma, Inkcarceration, Welcome To Rockville and more.

In February, Taylor told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the musical direction of the new SLIPKNOT material: "It's really killer, man. It's darker than 'We Are Not Your Kind', but there's a ton of melody. I've been telling everybody that it's like a heavier version of 'Vol. 3[: (The Subliminal Verses)]'. It's got so many textures and layers. The heavy stuff has attack but the melodic stuff you can just sink your teeth in; there's a lot of great melodies and hooks. I'm really, really excited for people to hear it."

"We Are Not Your Kind" was released in August 2019. The LP sold 118,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Furthermore, the album made an impact worldwide with No. 1 debuts in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, Canada, Japan, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal and Finland, as well as Top 5 debuts in Germany, France, Norway, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and New Zealand.

In an interview with Rock Sound conducted at this past weekend's Download festival in the U.K., LACUNA COIL singers Andrea Ferro and Cristina Scabbia were asked about the possibility of new music from the band coming in the not-too-distant future. Andrea said: "We've been a bit sneaky, to be honest. Because, yes, there will be new music coming out soon, and soon we're gonna announce what is it exactly, but it's not album number ten."

Added Cristina: "It is something special — it is a special project. But it is recorded. We're actually finishing little things here and there."

Continued Andrea: "We can't say much. [But] very soon — in a couple of months everything will be more clear." "And you will see something new as well soon," Cristina said.

Earlier this week, LACUNA COIL announced a U.S. tour for late summer. The 13-date trek will kick off on September 8 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and end of September 23 in Joliet, Illinois. Support on the trek will come from BUTCHER BABIES, UNCURED and LIONS AT THE GATE. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, June 17 at 10 a.m. local time.

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

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

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

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

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

In June 2021, Scabbia told Revolver that she and her bandmates didn't use the coronavirus downtime to work on new music. "We didn't want to force the fact that because we were home, we had to write music," she explained. "We always thought that to write music, you need to be inspired. And inspiration comes from the outside, comes from experiences that you have, things that you live. At least this is valid for us.

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

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

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