BUCKCHERRY frontman Josh Todd spoke to Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", about the band's plans to record its tenth studio album. He said: "We are still touring. We've been touring since June 1st of last year. We put in about 200 shows typically on a record cycle. So we're gonna finish out this run; it goes all the way to September. And we've been already writing for the new record, so we almost have a whole record of material together now. So once we get off the road, we'll go in and record and then we're gonna take a few months off and then put out our tenth record."

BUCKCHERRY's follow-up to last year's "Hellbound" will once again he helmed by producer and songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow, among many others.

Frederiksen previously produced "Hellbound" as well as BUCKCHERRY's fourth album, "Black Butterfly", and co-wrote "Sorry", among other songs, with the band.

Regarding how BUCKCHERRY goes about deciding which songs to include in its shows, Todd told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "'Hellbound' is so good that we all want to play every song. But there are the usual suspects we always have got to play, like 'Crazy Bitch', 'Lit Up' and 'Sorry'. Then we have eight other records, so it is challenging, but we do a pretty good job and we rotate songs every night. We have a lot of what I call frequent fliers that come to multiple shows, so I think that's nice for them as well."

"Hellbound" came out in June 2021 via Round Hill Records. The follow-up to 2019's "Warpaint" was recorded in the fall of 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee.

In the summer of 2020, BUCKCHERRY recruited JETBOY's Billy Rowe as its new guitarist. He joined the group as the replacement for Kevin Roentgen, who left BUCKCHERRY in July of that year.

In 2019, BUCKCHERRY enlisted Francis Ruiz as its new drummer. He joined the group as the replacement for Sean Winchester, who exited BUCKCHERRY after laying down the drum tracks on "Warpaint".

EUROPE's music video for the group's 1986 mega-hit "The Final Countdown" has surpassed one billion views on YouTube. The Nick Morris-directed clip, which was uploaded to YouTube in October 2009, contains footage from two concerts EUROPE played at Solnahallen in Solna, Sweden on May 26 and May 27, 1986, as well as some extra footage filmed at the soundchecks for those gigs.

EUROPE announced the YouTube milestone in a social media post on Tuesday (May 31). The band wrote: "Unbelievable! One Billion Views! Thanks so much to everyone out there who has enjoyed 'The Final Countdown' song and video! We're sure we have annoyed a few people along the way as well with this song. : ) In any case we are super thrilled and will celebrate tonight in Gothenburg with all our fans on this tour with WHITESNAKE!"

"The Final Countdown" was the first single released from EUROPE's third studio album, "The Final Countdown", in 1986. The band's most recognizable and popular song, it reached No. 1 in 25 countries, including the United Kingdom. In the United States the song peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 18 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The single was certified gold in the United Kingdom in 1986.

Four years ago, EUROPE vocalist Joey Tempest was asked by Australia's Wall Of Sound if he knew "The Final Countdown" would be a smash when he was writing it and recording it. He responded: "It is a good question. I did the demo at home with this song and we had the ideas for it for so long. It was a one-minute demo since high school for me. On the third album, we decided to record the song and we were talking about writing around this main keyboard riff. Initially, it was really a soundtrack-type song and not a hit single, and I guess this was good for it. I remember playing the demo for the guys and they really saw the song so strong and it built from there. [But] no, we never knew that this was going to be such a big hit. We opened the album and the tour with this song, but we really thought this was not the one to be the initial single."

According to Tempest, "The Final Countdown" still stands as "one of our strongest albums and it was one of the albums that stands out; it opened up a lot of doors for the band. You know, 'Wings Of Tomorrow' was a little more naïve and stronger in that regard. But personally, I think we have done better albums, especially in the last [few] years. The three last albums are our strongest, but obviously it was something that belonged in that era and something so important to our career and history."

EUROPE's latest album, "Walk The Earth", was released in October 2017 via the band's own Hell & Back label through Silver Lining Music.

Unbelievable!
One Billion Views! Thanks so much to everyone out there who has enjoyed The Final Countdown song and...

Posted by Europe on Tuesday, May 31, 2022

British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN played the fourth show of the 2022 leg of their "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour on May 31 at Žalgiris Arena in Kaunas, Lithuania. It marked the band's fourth live appearance in 31 months.

As was the case with the May 22 concert at the Arena Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, the May 24 show in Belgrade, Serbia and the May 26 gig at Romexpo in Bucharest, Romania, MAIDEN opened the set with "Senjutsu", the title track of its latest studio album, and followed it up with two more songs from the same LP, "Stratego" and "The Writing On The Wall".

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

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

The full setlist was as follows:

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

Encore:

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

Encore 2:

15. Aces High

Prior to the Zagreb concert, IRON MAIDEN hadn't performed live in two and a half years — since the completion of its South American tour in October 2019.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Progressive deathcore outfit, Enterprise Earth, is pleased to officially welcome singer Travis Worland (Aethere, Bite//Down, The Willow) to their ranks. Worland has been fronting the band throughout their 2022 live adventures.


Comments guitarist Gabe Mangold, “We’re very stoked to officially announce Travis Worland as the new singer of Enterprise Earth. His vocal style, performance, personality, and work ethic are a perfect fit for us and we cannot wait for everyone to hear the first song that we’ve created together, 'Psalm Of Agony’ (coming June 17). Prepare for the best incarnation of Enterprise Earth yet."
 
Adds Worland, “After months of touring with the band, I am happy to assimilate into the entity that is Enterprise Earth. ‘Psalm Of Agony’ is the first step in a culmination of efforts only just beginning.”


The Chosen Tour begins July 22 in Seattle, Washington and runs through August 20 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Support will be provided by Within Destruction, Sentinels, and labelmates Great American Ghost. See all confirmed dates below.







Tour dates:


July
22 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
23 - Dantes - Portland, OR
25 - Goldfields - Roseville, CA
26 - Chain Reaction - Anaheim, CA
27 - Nile Theater - Mesa, AZ
28 - Rockhouse - El Paso, TX
29 - Club Dada - Dallas, TX
30 - Come & Take It - Austin, TX
31 - The Secret Group - Houston, TX


August
2 - The Brass Mug - Tampa, FL
3 - Respectables - West Palm, FL
4 - The Haven - Orlando, FL
5 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
6 - Neighborhood Theater - Charlotte, NC
7 - The End - Nashville, TN
9 - Planet Trog - Allentown, PA
10 - Webster Underground - Hartford, CT
11 - Knitting Factory - Brooklyn, NY
12 - The Outpost - Kent, OH
13 - The Sanctuary - Detroit, MI
14 - WC Social Club - Chicago, IL
16 - Emerson Theater - Indianapolis, IN
17 - Skylark - Rock Island, IL
18 - The Marquee - Sioux City, IA
19 - HQ - Denver, CO
20 - Kilby Court - Salt Lake City, UT


(Photo - Chris Klumpp)

Dutch symphonic metal band, Epica, embarked on their longest-ever tour of Mexico, from May 10 until May 21, 2022. The band has shared this recap video:





Sabaton have announced "The Tour To End All Tours - North America 2022", a 25-date North American trek with support from Epica. For tickets, head to sabaton.net/tour/.







Tour dates:


September
15 - Paramount Theatre - Seattle, WA
16 - Roseland Theater - Portland, OR
17 - Roseland Theater - Portland, OR
19 - Revolution Concert House - Boise, ID
21 - Fox Theater - Oakland, CA
23 - Hollywood Palladium - Los Angeles, CA
24 - Arizona Federal Theatre - Phoenix, AZ
25 - Brooklyn Bowl - Las Vegas, NV
27 - The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
28 - Fillmore Auditorium - Denver, CO
30 - South Side Ballroom - Dallas, TX


October
1 - Bayou Music Center - Houston, TX
3 - Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, TN
4 - Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA
6 - The Fillmore Silver Spring - Silver Spring, MD
8 - The Andrew J Brady Music Center - Cincinnati, OH
10 - The Fillmore - Detroit, MI
11 - GLC Live at 20 Monroe - Grand Rapids, MI
13 - The Fillmore - Minneapolis, MN
15 - Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom - Chicago, IL
17 - Stage AE - Pittsburgh, PA
18 - The Fillmore - Philadelphia, PA
21 - MGM Music Hall at Fenway - Boston, MA
22 - Place Bell - Montreal, QC
23 - Hammerstein Ballroom - New York, NY

Following a slaying performance at Maryland Deathfest last weekend, Floridian death metal juggernauts, Massacre, have announced plans to release a new EP, titled Mythos, on July 1 via Nuclear Blast.


Today, the band has revealed the record's first single, "Behind The Serpent's Curse", which features Anders Odden (Cadaver), that is accompanied by a b-side track, "The Dunwich Horror". Pre-save/pre-order the Mythos EP here.







Commenting on the new single and b-side, vocalist Kam Lee states:  "'Behind the Serpent's Curse' is lyrically inspired by and roughly based on the Lovecraft short story "The Curse Of Yig," but is also the most metaphorically lyrical based song I've written in Massacre, and that is directly inspired by actual real life circumstances. It acts like a warning of sorts and is a foretelling of how it's been like dealing with certain toxic individuals in my life. It indirectly relates to individuals whom always seem to come in pairs, and how, like serpents these people spread their venomous poison (lies).


I also had guest vocalist Anders Odden (Cadaver) join me on this particular track because lyrically it is very similar in theme to the Cadaver track "Feed The Pigs" that I made a guest appearance on. Having two distinct vocalist on a track that lyrically is based on the concepts of duality of untrusting individuals wasn't just an after thought either, I always intended this track to be represented by two vocalist.


'The Dunwich Horror' is a more traditional track in both lyrical approach and aesthetics. It's just basically loosely based upon the Lovecraft story of the same name, but still resonates upon the core theme of twins. Two seemingly evil brother abominations brought into this world by a grotesque and hideous matriarch. I guess one could say I am suggesting that behind every pair of twin lying toxic men is always an equally conniving female antagonist. Yeah, sure, I'm simply reflecting upon my own past experiences, but it seems to be the case in a lot of similar circumstances.


Musically both tracks are laden in the same old school death metal style that can be found on 'Resurgence.' It's a sound and style that carries over and shall continue to be the core essence of MASSACRE under my helm."


Stream "Behind The Serpent's Curse" here, and watch a visualizer below:

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss launched their 2022 Raise The Roof tour last night (Wednesday, June 1) at the Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua, NY. Fan-filmed footage of their performance of the Led Zeppelin classic, "Rock And Roll", 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)

Once again, Swedish prog metal veterans Evergrey have entered the charts worldwide with their newest melancholic beauty, A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament).


With no doubt the band has proven that they are on the top of the heavy music scene. Their new full-length album, A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament), is currently ranked #3 (physical), #4 (Vinyl) and #3 (Metal) on the official charts in their homecountry Sweden. In Finland, they are currently placed #7 on Physical Album Charts, as well as #12 on the official German album charts and #13 in Switzerland. The album is currently ranked #4 on the Current Hard Music Albums and #5 on the Top New Artist Albums charts in the United States, #6 on the Canadian Hard Music Albums chart, as well as #6 (Independent Album Breakers) and #12 (Rock & Metal Albums) in the UK.


Evergrey states: “We are very happy with the great first week sales! It’s all because of you guys! Keep enjoying A Heartless Portrait and have a great summer!”







Evergrey on the new album: “Here it is. A new album. Yet again. This is what we love about music, it never ends. Our mission is to write music so here you are. 10 new songs. 10 new Evergrey songs that we hope you will have by your side as your life continues to shift and grow. 10 songs that we wish will be part of the soundtrack when you're creating new memories and new possibilities in your life. 10 songs that we feel privileged to have you listen to. 10 songs that have risen through the ashes of two years where our creativity has had more time than ever to flourish. 10 songs we really hope you will enjoy as much as we did writing them. As usual we have given it our best and we can't wait to hear what you have to say. A new year, a new album, a new record label = new possibilities. All this can only be positive, right? Enjoy.”


Order here.





A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) tracklisting:


"Save Us"
"Midwinter Calls"
"Ominous"
"Call Out The Dark"
"The Orphean Testament"
"Reawakening"
"The Great Unwashed"
"Heartless"
"Blindfolded"
"Wildfires"


“Call Out the Dark” visualizer:





“Blindfolded” video:





“Midwinter Calls” video:





"Save Us" video:





Fans can  look forward to seeing Evergrey live, as in 2022, the powerhouse will go on an extensive tour through Europe.





2022 tour dates:


September
16 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Dynamo
17 - London, England - 229 venue
18 - Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms
19 - Bristol, England - Thekla
20 - Manchester, England - Academy 3
21 - Dublin, Ireland - Voodoo Lounge
22 - Glasgow, Scotland - Cathouse
23 - Newcastle, England - St Dom’s Social Club
24 - Birmingham, England - The Asylum 2
25 - Leiden, Netherlands - Gebr. De Nobel
27 - Bremen, Germany - Tivoli
28 - Stuttgart, Germany - Im Wizemann Club
29 - Berlin, Germany - Columbia Theater
30 - Hamburg, Germany - Bahnhof Pauli


October
1 - Oberhausen, Germany - Resonanzwerk
2 - Lindau, Germany - Club Vaudeville
3 - Colmar, France - Le Grillen
4 - Munich, Germany - Backstage Halle
5 - Hannover, Germany - Faust
6 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal
7 - Vosselaar, Belgium - Biebob
8 - Mannheim, Germany - 7er Club
9 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Orto Bar
11 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
12 - Graz, Austria - Dom im Berg
13 - Wroclaw, Poland - Akademia
14 - Vienna, Austria - Viper Room
15 - Nuremberg, Germany - Hirsch
16 - Trier, Germany - Mergener Hof
17 - Luzern, Switzerland -  Schüür
18 - Lyon, France - CCO Villeurbanne
19 - Barcelona, Spain - Boveda
20 - Madrid, Spain - Shoko
21 - Pamplona, Spain - Totem
22 - Toulouse, France - L'Usine
23 - Paris, France - Petit Bain


Lineup:


Tom S. Englund - Vocals, Guitar
Henrik Danhage - Guitar
Rikard Zander - Keyboard
Jonas Ekdahl - Drums
Johan Niemann - Bass


(Photo - Patric Ullaeus)

Helloween have released the new video below, recapping their United Forces tour launch in the UK.


Says the band: "The pumpgang has landed! We kicked off the United Forces tour 2022 in England - and had a blast! It felt so good to be back on stage, thanks to you crazy pumpkinheads out there! Check out the recap of our London show. And there's A LOT more to come! Check for tour dates across Europe and Latin America and get your tickets now!


Find Helloween's tour itinerary and ticket links here.







Helloween recently released a special vinyl single, “Best Time”, via Atomic Fire. The single features a 2022 remix of its title track on side A as well as an exclusive alternative vocal remix of the song on side B. Order at this location.





The video for "Best Time", directed by Martin Häusler ("Skyfall"), is an extreme cool 3D-roadmovie and sees the cameo of the Arch Enemy frontwoman, Alissa White-Gluz. Watch below:





(Photo – Martin Häusler)

Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the signing of the new hard rock group, Iconic. Featuring Michael Sweet (guitars), Joel Hoekstra (guitars), Marco Mendoza (bass), Tommy Aldridge (drums), and Nathan James (vocals), Iconic is primed to set the hard rock world on fire with the release of their debut album, Second Skin, on June 17.


Today, the band has released the song, "All I Need". Listen to the track below, and pre-order/save Second Skin on CD/LP/Digital here.


"This was a very refreshing and unique experience. Musically, very different from Stryper, which is of course very different from all the other projects I am involved with. This is more of a throwback to the past and it felt good to do that. It reminded me of how great the music of the past really is," says Michael Sweet. "Once the songs were arranged, I booked a studio and recorded my guitar parts, which is always the funnest part for me. I’m not sure why, but I guess because I’m a guitar player first and foremost and it’s just one of the most creative and fun parts of the process for me. To be able to get the right tone and play the right parts and hear it all come together....it’s very rewarding," he adds.




"The riffs were all very comfortable to me because I wrote most of them. 😀 I definitely have a great comfort level playing with Tommy Aldridge that’s developed over the last 8 years or so with Whitesnake. I’ve also co-written with Nathan, Michael, and Alessandro in the past, so everything felt very natural despite this being a “new" band," says Joel Hoekstra. "Michael asked me to write riffs without an arrangement (as he did with George Lynch on the Sweet & Lynch records) and then he arranged them with what he had written. I wrote melodic/hard rock riffs as that was the vibe we had discussed and then all the solo parts had more to do with trying to compliment Nathan’s vocal melodies and of course add a bit of fire," he continues.


"I am on an album with so many of my heroes and it feels amazing, to be honest. I was lucky enough to be involved in the writing of a couple of songs, but genuinely everything I hear from the guys, I knew I could do it justice. I also feel that the guys wrote stuff that suited my voice perfectly. These are not only great musicians, they are great songwriters. I practiced the songs a lot beforehand and then I recorded all my vocals at an amazing studio in only four afternoon sessions. I wanted to make sure it sounded like me and that my vocals had the precision that I'm so used to hearing from my vocal heroes, whom many of the guys in the band have played with. And of course, I was very aware that I would be on songs with the vocal master that is Michael Sweet. I felt the pressure for sure, but I just did what I felt worked and I'm so happy with the final result," says Nathan James.


"It was a blast playing some fresh, new material. Rehearsing, trying out parts virtually was not as much fun as doing it live, but considering the global circumstances, I‘ll take it. I just try to create a supportive environment for all involved while having fun in the process. It was easy to do as these songs really play themselves. It was a true labor of love, so very little work at the end of the day," adds Tommy Aldridge.


Michael Sweet, known for his work as guitarist/vocalist for the legendary heavy metal band Stryper, and his solo work, with his instantly recognizable voice and guitar style is really a name that needs no introduction to the hard rock faithful. Joel Hoekstra, currently of Whitesnake and Trans-Siberian Orchestra, is one of hard rock's premiere guitarists, whose fretwork is regularly praised and admired. Marco Mendoza's resume really speaks for itself (Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders, The Dead Daisies, Journey, and so on) and the legendary bassist shines, as he always does, here. Tommy Aldridge, currently of Whitesnake, has also played with Ozzy Osbourne, Ted Nugent, and Black Oak Arkansas, among others, and is considered one of the greatest hard rock drummers of all-time. And handling lead vocals is none other than Inglorious' Nathan James, a young talent whose vocal style is a fitting, proper descendent of rock's vocal legends of the '70s.


Iconic was born from an idea conceived by Serafino Perugino, President & Head of A&R for Frontiers. He wanted to surround the talents of powerhouse vocalist Nathan James with established musicians from the rock and metal world to play a musical style in the vein of classic '80s hard rock. He immediately thought of Michael Sweet and Joel Hoekstra for the guitars, since they have been kicking around the idea of working together for a few years. Plus, Nathan and Joel were friends from their time in Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Sweet had become a fan of Nathan's vocals after hearing Inglorious. With the musical direction set and two wildly skilled guitar players on board, getting a powerhouse rhythm section involved was the final key ingredient and thus Mendoza and Aldridge were asked to join and brought their immense talent into the fold.





Second Skin Tracklisting:


"Fast As You Can"
"Ready For Your Love"
"Second Skin"
"All I Need"
"Nowhere To Run"
"Worlds Apart"
"All About"
"This Way"
"Let You Go"
"It Ain't Over"
"Enough Of Your Love"


"All I Need":





"Fast As You Can" video:





"Nowhere To Run" video:





Lineup:


Nathan James - Vocals
Michael Sweet - Guitars, Vocals
Joel Hoekstra - Guitars
Marco Mendoza - Bass
Tommy Aldridge - Drums


Additional Musicians:


Alessandro Del Vecchio - Keyboards, Backing Vocals


Produced by: Michael Sweet & Alessandro Del Vecchio
Mixed & Mastered by: Alessandro Del Vecchio
Executive Producer / A&R: Serafino Perugino

Texas rock band Blacktop Mojo have debuted the official music video for “Darlin I Won’t Tell”. The song is a conclusion to a three part concept featured on their last album, that starts with “Jealousy” and “Make Believe”. and concludes with “Darlin I Won’t Tell”. If you watched the first part, you know that this story of romance and murder probably won’t end well.





“From our fourth record, ‘Jealousy/Make Believe’ and ‘Darlin I Won’t Tell’ are sort of a concept album within the album. The three songs flow together as a singular narrative and we wanted to create a striking visual to convey the story. We decided to do something cool that we’ve never done before and make a three-song animated video to tell this story of heartbreak, murder, and deception.” - Blacktop Mojo




“Jealousy / Make Believe” video:





Catch Blacktop Mojo live at the following shows:


July
2 - Lindale, TX - Texas Music City Grill & Smokehouse
15 - Kyle, TX - The Railhouse Bar
16 - McAlester, OK - Downtown 312
17 - Abilene, TX - The Zone Bar
19 - El Paso, TX - Rockhouse Dive Bar Kitchen Venue
20 - Tucson, AZ - Encoretucson
22 - Glendale, AZ - The 44 Sports Grill and Nightlife 
23 - Los Angeles, CA - Whisky A Go-Go
24 - Fresno, CA - Strummer's 
26 - Sacramento, CA - Goldfield Trading Post 
28 - Portland, OR - Dante's
29 - Zillah, WA - Perham Hall at The Old Warehouse
30 - Lewiston, ID - Snake River Rock Festival


August
1 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
2 - Denver, CO - Lost Lake


 

Shaman’s Harvest and Mascot Records / Mascot Label Group have released an official music video for the song “Under Your Skin”


Guitarist Josh Hamler shares, “’Under Your Skin’ opens the Rebelator album with a dynamic guitar driven intro that quickly turns into a drum and bass groove that just draws you in. The hook in the chorus and the guitar solo in the bridge brings it all home. This song has all that’s Rock ‘n Roll.”


Guitarist Derrick Shipp adds, “The song is one of the more aggressive tracks musically in my opinion. The opening riff is a unique blend of major and minor keys and the bass taking over on the verses is great. It created a lot of space for vocals to shine.”  







This week, the band will begin a tour with Crobot and Any Given Sin. Confirmed appearances for the bill featuring the three Mascot Records recording artists follows below.  





Tour dates:


June
3 - Hampton Beach, NH - Wally’s
4 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall
6 - Nashville, TN - The Basement East
7 - Columbus, OH - Skully’s
9 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Rockstar Lounge
10 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop
11 - Battle Creek, MI - Music Factory
14 - Kansasville, WI - 1175
15 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
17 - Moline, IL - The Rust Belt Theater
18 - Madison, WI - The Majestic
21 - Colorado Springs, CO - Black Sheep


July
16 - Cadott, WI - Rock Fest


(Photo - Adrienne Beacco)

After the arrival of their feature track "I'll Get Through It", Finnish cello rockers APOCALYPTICA have announced the first of three classical instrumental tracks to be released throughout this summer. "Bolero" is APOCALYPTICA's own version of Maurice Ravel's classic ballet piece and it therefore marks the band's first reinterpretation of a classical song since "Hall Of The Mountain King" in 2000. Watch the music video below.

APOCALYPTICA will tour the U.S. extensively in 2022 and play multiple summer festivals, among other dates, before hitting Europe with the aptly named "Epic Apocalypse Tour" alongside EPICA and WHEEL.

Two months ago, APOCALYPTICA's Eicca Toppinen spoke to Mexico's Summa Inferno about his band's plans for a follow-up to 2020's "Cell-0" LP. He said: "We have started to talk about the next possible album. But in the meanwhile, we've been recording individual songs so we could release something constantly. So now we have already [planned out the] three next releases after [the recent single] 'I'll Get Through It'. We're gonna have something for the later [part] of the year as well; we're gonna have something for the winter. So we are working on different fields — on the instrumental field, on some special fields and then also on the vocal field.

"I would guess we'll start to write for the new album," he continued. "We've been starting to talk about what it could be, what would be exciting to do for us, but [those discussions have] not [gone] very far yet. Because the mindset is now we're doing the 'Cell-0' tour. And it's not that easy at the same time to get very high inspiration and motivation to write a new album, because writing a new album and recording it is a huge process; it takes a lot of time [and] a lot of energy. So, now we have so much touring that it's not possible to do it now. But I think we [will be] starting on it [soon]."

Released in March, "I'll Get Through It" was written for APOCALYPTICA by American award-winning songwriter Diane Warren. It features Franky Perez — guest vocalist in APOCALYPTICA's 2015 record "Shadowmaker" — as well as Geezer Butler of BLACK SABBATH on bass guitar.

The song was born out of a visit Geezer and Franky paid to their friend Diane, who had already written the track "Not Strong Enough" for APOCALYPTICA, included in their 2010 record "7th Symphony".

"Franky and I were visiting my friend, Diane Warren, at her studio," commented Geezer. "She played us this song, saying that she thought it would work well with Franky's voice. He gave it a try on the spot. We loved it. Franky then suggested sending it to APOCALYPTICA. They loved it, and the rest is history."

Perez shared the same feeling of enthusiasm upon hearing the track for the first time. "I knew this song was special from the moment Diane Warren played it for Geezer and me," he said. "So much so, that I framed the lyrics from the session the very next day. They have been hanging on my wall ever since. This song speaks to me lyrically which made for an honest performance. Musically, there is no better collaboration than Geezer and APOCALYPTICA to do the song the justice it deserves. I feel very fortunate to be a part of it."

"I'll Get Through It" marked the first collaboration between APOCALYPTICA and Perez since he sang on "Shadowmaker", which adds to the excitement for the members of APOCALYPTICA, according to Perttu Kivilaakso. "We are more than thrilled working with our great and talented friend Franky Perez again!" he said. "It's been a while since our previous collaborations in 'Shadowmaker' album and tour."

Perttu also added about the song: "'I'll Get Through It' is a meaningful and beautiful song by an incredible songwriter Diane Warren, with whom we've also had the pleasure of working with before. We can't wait for you to hear the final result… falling in love again with Franky's sensual performance, Geezer's earthshakingly powerful bass, and our wistfully haunting cellos, among the inevitable presence of all the rhythms and groove!"

2015's "Shadowmaker" was APOCALYPTICA's first album to feature just one singer — Perez — instead of guest collaborators. The disc was recorded with Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, MASTODON).

Prior to enlisting Perez, who accompanied APOCALYPTICA on the band's 2022 North American tour, the group released eight albums that melded the classically trained cello mastery of the three core bandmembers with the harder elements of the rock world, including drums and guest vocalists, such as Gavin Rossdale from BUSH, and Corey Taylor of SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR fame.

APOCALYPTICA's "The Cell-0 Tour" of North America was set to begin in May 2020 before being moved back to early 2021 and to late summer 2021 and then finally to April/May 2022.

In April 2021, APOCALYPTICA released the official music video for its collaboration with PAPA ROACH singer Jacoby Shaddix on a cover version of the CREAM classic "White Room". The track was produced by Howard Benson at West Valley Recording Studios in Woodland Hills, California and mixed by Chris Lorde-Alge.

"White Room" was the first release from APOCALYPTICA since "Talk To Me", which arrived in August 2020. That song was a collaboration with HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale.

"Cell-0" came out in January 2020. The effort was the band's first fully instrumental record in 17 years.

Back in 2018, Toppinen stated about APOCALYPTICA's decision to make an all-instrumental album at this point in the group's career: "On the previous ones, we always combined the instrumental songs with the vocal songs, and it was great to have the featuring artists, it was great to work with Frank Perez for the 'Shadowmaker' album. But then, on the other hand, it became a bigger interest for us, like, okay, it would be interesting to make a full instrumental album, so there's no compromise with anything."

David Draiman says that DISTURBED's upcoming album will contain a "surprise track" that will "blow [fans'] minds."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In September 2020, DISTURBED released a cover version of Sting's 1993 single "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You".
Listening back to the mixes.
Amazing record 🤘🏻
Very proud.

(Also, there’s a surprise track on here that’s going to blow your minds)@Disturbed

— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) June 2, 2022

Ted Nugent has spoken out against a growing call by a number of lawmakers in Texas and beyond for the minimum age to purchase assault rifles to be raised to 21 from 18.

Under federal law, Americans buying handguns from licensed dealers must be at least 21, which would have precluded the gunman responsible for last week's massacre in Uvalde, Texas from buying that type of weapon days after his 18th birthday. (The Uvalde gunman used an AR-15-style rifle, a popular range of semiautomatic weapons that was purchased from a sporting goods store, to carry out the attack.) That trumps Texas law, which only requires buyers of any type of firearm to be 18 or older.

The 73-year-old Nugent, who recently resigned from the board of the National Rifle Association (NRA) after 26 years, addressed the call on various states to raise the age limit for long gun purchases to 21 during his YouTube livestream on Sunday (May 29). He said in part: "So a buddy of mine who I respect said, 'Maybe we should make it you've gotta be 21 to buy an assault weapon.' I said, 'Stop. They're not assault weapons.' No one is using an assault weapon in any crime.

"AR-15s are not assault rifles. Assault isn't hardware. Assault is an action. An assault is what humans do, not what hardware does. And when they call them assault weapons — AK-47s, AK-47s. Let's talk about that for a moment, shall we? No AK-47 has ever been used in a crime in the United States Of America. 'Well, that's ridiculous. They're everywhere.' No, they're not. An AK-47 is a Kalashnikov machine gun. 'What about the Hollywood bank robbery?' That was an SKS that was illegally altered to fire full auto. The mere possession of it, the possession of the firing pin, the possession of the trigger was a felony.

"Write the law that would stop murder — not by guns," he added. "By SUVs in Waukesha, by tractor trailers in Miami, by Cadillacs in L.A. More people are killed every year by hammers, everybody."

Nugent also addressed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's decision to cancel their appearances at the National Rifle Association's annual convention in Houston last Friday. He said: "Why would they back out of the National Rifle Association convention in Houston following the murderous act of a devil in Uvalde, Texas… Why would they back out of their commitment to speak at the number one civil rights organization in the world, the National Rifle Association, celebrating our God-given individual right as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, truth, logic and extremely common sense that individual human beings have the right to keep and bear arms to defend ourselves against evil, especially in times when evil runs our country."

Ted also went on to repeat that there is there is no such thing as an "assault rifle," explaining that his .22 "squirrel rifle" is not an assault weapon.

"So [U.S. president] Joe Biden punks leave billions and billions of dollars of state-of-the-art military weaponry in the hands of the Taliban, including thousands of beautiful machine guns — M4 machine guns — in the hands of the Taliban, but they wanna take away our squirrel rifles," Nugent said. "'Well, they're not squirrel rifles. They're weapons of war.' No, they're not. The language in the assault weapons ban includes squirrel rifles. 'Well, that's ridiculous.' Isn't it? Because it's not about caliber or anything else.

"Guess what: an AR-15, most of them, though they come in various calibers — I've got 'em in various calibers — but the primary AR-15 caliber is a .22-caliber bullet," he added. "Guess what we hunt squirrels with. .22-caliber bullets."

Last week's massacre came only 10 days after an 18-year-old gunman in body armor killed 10 shoppers and workers at a supermarket in a predominantly black area of Buffalo, New York.

According to CNN, the number of U.S. deaths from gun violence in 2019 was about 4 per 100,000 people. That's 18 times the average rate in other developed countries. Multiple studies show access to guns contributes to higher firearm-related homicide rates.

Most U.S. adults think mass shootings would occur less often if guns were harder to get.

In March 2019, an AP-NORC poll showed that 58 percent of U.S. adults thought there would be fewer mass shootings in the U.S. if it were harder for people to legally obtain guns.

Last August, Nugent defended his right to bear arms under the Second Amendment, arguing that he "got it from God." The musician discussed his natural-born rights as an American while talking to Tucker Carlson for an episode of Fox Nation's "Tucker Carlson Today".

"I was born with the right to keep and bear arms. I was born with the right to speak up. I was born with the right to privacy from my government intrusion without just cause. I was born with that," Ted said. "I could come here naked without any Constitution and I know I could say what I want to say. I don't have to get the king's permission.

"Kings, emperors, tyrants, kiss my ass," he continued. "We are a self-government. We are in charge, we hire people to represent us based on these self-evident truths. And if you infringe on them, we will fire your ass and don't make us arrest you."

Nugent went on to say that the purpose of the Second Amendment is to protect the nation from tyranny.

"[The Second Amendment] says any rights here that are not numerated are up to the states. It's here and enumerated," he said. "It's written down, I can keep bear arms in America, in every building, on every street corner, wherever I want. I got it from God. The Founding Fathers just happened to write it down in case somebody wanted to play king."

Black River, the Polish blackened rock ‘n’ roll band featuring Tomasz 'Orion' Wróblewski (Behemoth) and Dariusz 'Daray' Brzozowski (Dimmu Borgir) have announced their new album, Generation aXe, coming out on June 24th via Crusader Records / Golden Robot Records, on CD and digital. Vinyl release will follow in early 2023. 


In addition, the band has unveiled a new single and official music video for "Civil Army'".


They have issued the following statement: "Generation aXe focuses on the band’s anger at what they see happening in the world. They decided to express it in their music and 'vomit all this venom.' The result is a collection of songs written without calculation but in full anger - closing out with a furious version of The Doors’ classic, 'Break on Through'."




Watch the official music video for "Civil Army" below. Pre order / pre-save the new album here.





Tracklist:


"Oxygen"
"Joker"
"Whiplash"
"Under My Flag"
"Generation aXe"
"Crossover Love"
"Civil Army"
"Burn It"
"Motherless"
"Inner Hell"
"Break On Through" (bonus track)


"Civil Army"





"Joker"

Ether Coven (members of Remembering Never) has announced their signing to Good Fight Music and forthcoming album, The Relationship Between The Hammer And The Nail, set for release on August 5. The first taste of music from the record comes in new single “Psalm Of Cancer” featuring guest vocals from Dwid Hellion of Integrity and Anthony Crupi of Pain Ritual. The single hits heavy, showcasing the band’s blend of doom metal, sludge, and post-hardcore. Soaring guitars make way for an intense breakdown, encapsulating the emotional pull of the lyrical content. Written by vocalist and guitarist Peter Kowalsky, the song documents his ongoing battle with colon cancer and entering chemotherapy.


Kowalsky expands: “This song is about my days and nights going through chemotherapy and the moments that the doctors don’t warn you about. They tell you about the nausea and the bleeding, stomach issues, neuropathy, and the lethargy. They somehow leave out the parts that surround depression and suicidal thoughts. 


“This is/was no easy battle and my heart breaks for anyone else that has had to deal with this or has had loved ones that have experienced this. Cancer is no joke. We figured this was as bleak as it could get, why not add a little more darkness, so we asked Dwid from Integrity to throw some vocals on top of this here and there and the result is absolutely bonkers. This song is dedicated to anyone who knows this struggle.”




Produced by Andy Nelson at Bricktop Studios, the band set out to get The Relationship Between The Hammer And The Nail sounding as close to their live performance as possible. Using actual pedals instead of plug-ins and the majority of vocal cuts being first takes, the recording process was able to be completed in just one week. The seven songs on the record are impassioned, intense, and filled with an overwhelming vulnerability centered around despair, loved ones, and the state of the world.


On the album, the band also brought in a heavy line-up of guests and friends to feature. On opener and lead single “Psalm Of Cancer” the band is joined by Integrity vocalist Dwid Hellion and Pain Ritual’s Anthony Crupi (who makes several vocal contributions on the album). Listening through the rest of the tracks you’ll find appearances from Daniel Weyandt (Zao), Howard Jones (Blood Has Been Shed, Light The Torch), Tarek Ahmed (Intercourse) and Shane Post (Bird of Ill Omen).


Ether Coven is Peter Kowalsky (vocals/guitars), Devin Estep (guitar/vocals) Justin Gianoutsos (drums), and Shane Nerenberg (bass).


Preorder here.





Tracklisting:


“Psalm Of Cancer” feat. Dwid Hellion and Anthony Crupi)
“Afraid & Suffering” feat. Dan Weyandt)
“god Hates Flags” feat. Tarek Ahmed and Anthony Crupi)
“Of Might & Failure” feat. Shane Post
“The Warmth Of Your Bathwater” feat. Anthony Crupi)
“Temple Of Wu”
“Consequences Of Self (Let The Nails Carve Our Names In Rust)” feat. Howard Jones


“Psalm Of Cancer”:





(Photo – Karen Jerzyk)

In a new interview with "It's Showtime With Rikki Lee", former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler was asked if playing music is still fun for him. He responded: "I practice all day every day. If I'm practicing, it's 'cause I enjoy it so much; I get such a high off of it. And playing live, it's even a bigger high, especially when people are singing along to the songs."

As for which songs are his favorite to play live with his solo band, Adler said: "Of course the GN'R songs, but I really enjoy and love seeing the crowd get into the songs from my [2012] album ADLER 'Back From The Dead'. We do two or three ADLER 'Back From The Dead' songs in our set, and people don't even realize it's something different; they think it's the same music I've been playing."

Adler is joined in his current solo band by Ariel Kamin, the singer of Argentinian GN'R tribute band SON OF A GUN, as well as guitarists Michael Thomas and Alistair James. Bassist Tanya O Callaghan recently left Steven's band to join WHITESNAKE.

Kamin replaced Constantine Maroulis of "American Idol" and "Rock Of Ages" fame, who was the vocalist for ADLER'S APPETITE for a dozen or so dates in May 2018, including an Australian tour.

Although he wasn't included in the lineup that launched the "Not In This Lifetime" trek in 2016, Adler rejoined GUNS N' ROSES at several shows on the tour, including three stops on the U.S. leg and one gig in Buenos Aires, Argentina, playing drums on "Out Ta Get Me" and "My Michelle".

In February 2017, Adler revealed that he was originally supposed to appear at more than just a handful of shows on the GUNS N' ROSES reunion trek. He claimed that he expected to play all the "Appetite For Destruction" material during the entire tour, only to be told he was out after he hurt his back during rehearsals.

Speculation was rampant that Adler would participate in at least a portion of the reunion tour ever since GUNS made it official in January 2016. The regular GUNS drummer for several years has been Frank Ferrer, who is also part of the current lineup.
Guest: GNR Steven Adler – May 27, 2022
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/4e6qebu8qf3zj73/IST_05_27_22.mp3

The combination of big riffs, driving rhythms, thick yet lithe bass lines and rich vocal melodies has made for some of the greatest music of all time, and in the hands of Kings Of Mercia this recipe is intoxicating.


The new project features guitarist Jim Matheos (Fates Warning, OSI, Tuesday The Sky) along with the vocal talents of Steve Overland (FM). The duo are joined on their debut album by the dynamic rhythm section of drummer extraordinaire Simon Phillips (ex-Toto, Derek Sherinian), and bassist Joey Vera (Fates Warning, Armored Saint).


Music will be launched later this summer with an album scheduled for release this fall. Until then, fans can get an impression of what is to come with an audio sample at metalblade.com/kingsofmercia.

Whitesnake continues to revisit its multi-platinum career as it remixes some of its biggest hits for a new collection that spotlights updated versions of classic tracks like “Still Of The Night,” “Here I Go Again,” and “Is This Love.”


Whitesnake's Greatest Hits is available now on digital and streaming services and fans are invited to order the collection by going here.


The band have released this remastered video for "Give Me All Your Love":







In another clip, David Coverdale looks back on "Give Me All Your Love":





Whitesnake founder and lead singer David Coverdale had 16 tracks remixed and remastered for this collection. He explains: “We’ve definitely expanded on the original Greatest Hits, took them all out of the sonic time capsule of the ’80s and ’90s, and brought them up to date, sound-wise … as always, we have the original albums for those who consider them holy relics.”


Keyboardist Derek Sherinian, who also appeared on Whitesnake’s recent Red, White and Blues trilogy, adds Hammond organ to more than half the songs on the collection. His scorching contributions can be heard on the #1 smash “Here I Go Again,” “Fool For Your Loving,” “You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again,” and more. New performances by former Whitesnake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg can also be heard on “The Deeper The Love” and “Judgement Day” from the 1989 album, Slip Of The Tongue.


Along with those new additions, Coverdale also went back to the vault to unearth vintage performances by guitarist John Sykes that didn’t appear on the original recordings, including a solo on “Slide It In” and rhythm guitar on “Give Me All Your Love.”


Whitesnake Greatest Hits focuses extensively on three blockbuster albums the band released during the 1980s: 1984’s Slide It In (2x platinum), 1987’s Whitesnake (8x platinum), and 1989’s Slip Of The Tongue (platinum). But the collection goes deeper with songs like “Sweet Lady Luck,” a b-side on the 12” single for “The Deeper The Love,” and “Forevermore,” the title track from the band’s 2011 album.


Whitesnake have embarked upon a farewell tour with special guest, Europe. Coverdale said: “I pray every day we can all make this happen & once again, share unforgettable evenings together & celebrate the amazing journey we have been on for almost 50 years!!!”


- Digital now available worldwide
- CD out now in Europe
- 2LP out now in Europe
- CD/Blu-ray out June 3 in Europe and July 15 in North America
- CD & 2LP out on June 17 in North America





CD/Blu-ray tracklisting:


“Still Of The Night”
“Here I Go Again”
“Is This Love”
“Give Me All Your Love”
“Love Ain’t No Stranger”
“Slide It In”
“Slow An’ Easy”
“Guilty Of Love”
“Fool For Your Loving”
“Judgment Day”
“The Deeper The Love”
“Now You’re Gone”
“You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again”
“Sweet Lady Luck”
“Crying In The Rain”
“Forevermore”


"Is This Love" remastered video:





“Here I Go Again” remastered video:





"Still Of The Night" remastered video: