SLIPKNOT's new album will be released "very soon," according to Corey Taylor.

The band's frontman offered an update on the upcoming follow-up to 2019's "We Are Not Your Kind" during SLIPKNOT's concert Wednesday night (June 1) at Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

After confirming that SLIPKNOT's new LP is on the way, he told the crowd: "Now, we don't have an exact date on it, but I'm here to tell you, you're not gonna be waiting very, very fucking long. Goddamnit, I promise you, you will have new fucking SLIPKNOT music very fucking soon."

Taylor then proceeded to introduce the song "The Chapeltown Rag", which was released as a single last November. The track, as well as the rest of the new SLIPKNOT album, was produced by Joe Barresi, who has previously worked with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and CHEVELLE, among many others.

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."

SLIPKNOT kicked off the 2022 iteration of its "Knotfest Roadshow" tour on March 16 at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota.

The "Knotfest Roadshow" tour is taking place over two legs, both headlined by SLIPKNOT. The first leg featured special guests IN THIS MOMENT and WAGE WAR. The second leg features special guests CYPRESS HILL and HO99O9. The first leg of the 38-date run, produced by Live Nation, wrapped up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on April 17. The second leg kicked off on May 18 in University Park, Pennsylvania and will conclude on Sunday, June 18 in Chula Vista, California.

"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.

GENERATION KILL, the band featuring former EXODUS frontman Rob Dukes, has released the official music video for "Evil Eye". The single, which features a guest appearance by former MEGADETH guitarist Chris Poland, is taken from GENERATION KILL's latest album, "MKUltra", out now via Blood Blast distribution and Art Is War Records. In addition to Poland, the LP includes guest appearances by Gary Holt (SLAYER, EXODUS),John Joseph (CRO-MAGS, BLOODCLOT) and Grammy Award-winning pianist Ronnie King, who guests on the final track, "La Fin Du Monde".

Dukes comments: "In '85, I dropped the needle on to an album called 'Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good' and heard a guitar tone I'd never heard before. Ever since, Chris Poland has been one of my favorite guitarists of all time. To collaborate with him on this song is one of the greatest honors in my musical career. The solos he did on this song are mind-blowing. The unique style and tone is so unmistakably Chris."

He adds: "The song itself was inspired by a short story from Edgar Allan Poe, 'The Tell-Tale Heart', written in the 1800s. Our drummer Rob Youells connected us with the filmmaker Wacy Jahn, who he had worked with on a previous project, and Wacy used our vision to create nothing short of a horror masterpiece. We couldn't be prouder of this one."

This summer, GENERATION KILL will hit the road with DEAD BY WEDNESDAY on the "Generation Dead" tour. A list of tour dates can be found on the admat below.

GENERATION KILL was formed by Dukes in New York City in 2008. Rob, on hiatus from touring with EXODUS, wanted to funnel his excess creative energy and aggression into something new. After the inclusion of Jason Trenczer, Lou Lehman and Sam Inzerra, the band began writing and recording its first album, "Red, White, & Blood", featuring several singles, including "Feast For The Wolves" and "Hate" as well as a cover of the NINE INCH NAILS track "Wish" which enjoyed heavy radio rotation.

Due to creative differences with Inzerra and the untimely death of guitarist Lou Lehman, Jay Velez and Jim DeMaria (HEATHEN) joined and began recording GENERATION KILL's sophomore album, "We're All Gonna Die", with renowned producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED). Shortly after its release, the band embarked on a European tour with fellow EXODUS member Lee Altus's band HEATHEN. The album spawned several successful singles, including "Prophets Of War" which went to No. 1 on SiriusXM Liquid Metal's "Dirty Dozen" and remained one of the top requested songs on the channel.

Following the success of "We're All Gonna Die", drummer Rob Youells joined GENERATION KILL and they went into the studio, this time with ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal to record an album with a founding member of RUN-D.M.C., Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels. The project was initially titled DMC GENERATION KILL before becoming its own entity, later renamed FRAGILE MORTALS.

Recorded once again with Nick Bellmore (HATEBREED, CORPSEGRINDER),"MKUltra" incorporates everything an aficionado of the thrash metal genre has been longing to hear for the last decade: crunchy riffing, capturing melodies and killer solos mixed with brutal, thought-provoking lyrics. Their heaviest album to date, the album showcases the diverse musical backgrounds of each seasoned band member, a signature sound which has defined and allowed GENERATION KILL to remain a band without limitations.

Photo credit: Melody Myers

earMUSIC will release STRATOVARIUS's new studio album, "Survive", on September 23.

The official music video for the LP's title track will premiere via the earMUSIC YouTube channel on Friday, June 3, at 10 a.m. ET.

STRATOVARIUS will also appear at ProgPower XXI festival in Atlanta on Thursday, June 2.

Seven years after the release of its last album "Eternal", STRATOVARIUS once more proves its status as a flagship symphonic metal band and it returns with a big bang.

The band remains on the pulse of time with the new release. The environment and humanity's future have always been an important and recurring theme in STRATOVARIUS's music. Therefore, "Survive" — the title of the new album and the accompanying artwork — aren't surprising, especially in the view of the current global situation.

A blistering comeback from one of Finland's most seminal metal bands, "Survive" is full of dynamics and drama, feeding on a wide range of emotions along the way. But the core message that this triumphant sonic endeavor conveys is one of struggle, defiance, hope, and victory. Best exemplified by its profoundly rousing title track, "Survive" is the STRATOVARIUS spirit in exquisite musical form, with all the darkness and light that goes with it.

"We spent five or six days solid, trying to come up with the lyrics for that song," notes keyboardist Jens Johansson. "When we finally settled on that punchline for the chorus, it was a good song about survival, and it all just seemed to fit. It fits with the history of the band, too, because we managed to survive as long as we have.

"This band has been through some strange days! The original lineup formed in 1984, so it's been a long story. It was the middle of the summer, there were forest fires everywhere, there was a global pandemic, and all kinds of crazy shit was going on. Some of the lyrics are perhaps less uplifting than they could have been, but that reflects our mood at the time. There's a lot of positive stuff on there as well."

"Survive" track listing:

01. Survive
02. Demand
03. Broken
04. Firefly
05. We Are Not Alone
06. Frozen In Time
07. World On Fire
08. Glory Days
09. Breakaway
10. Before The Fall
11. Voice Of Thunder

STRATOVARIUS gained international success with albums like "Fourth Dimension" (1995),"Episode" (1996) and the epic project "Elements, Pt. 1" (a peak in the progressive and symphonic style of power metal) and "Elements, Pt. 2", to name just a few of the band's milestones. In 2009, "Polaris" marked a fresh start for STRATOVARIUS as guitarist and band leader Timo Tolkki left the group. Instead of being a difficult re-start, "Polaris" showed STRATOVARIUS in top form and perfectly able to captivate. The album became a hell of a comeback and charted higher than previous releases around the globe. Since then, STRATOVARIUS continue to walk the path of success, inspiring fans and other bands, young and old.

THE DEAD DAISIES have shared the official music video for "Radiance", the first single from their upcoming album, set for release in August. The band has been writing and recording over the last couple of months at the Mix Room studios in Los Angeles with esteemed producer Ben Grosse.

A thunderous opening sets the pace for "Radiance", an eclectic, heavy rock track. The riff digs deep into a 1970s vibe originally created in the industrious heartland of England. With Glenn Hughes's powering vocal towering above the musical storm provided by the twin guitars of Doug Aldrich and David Lowy and hugely earthshaking drums from Brian Tichy, you'd better set the dial to eleven for this one.

The meta cinematic for "Radiance" will transport you into a parallel universe with the DAISIES' digital offspring, The Meta Daisies. Accompanying them in this new dimension is their guardian Daisy at the helm. "Radiance" will give you a taste of what's to come in the Daisyland Metaverse.

Hughes commented: "'Radiance' was the first song we wrote for the album and wanted to address a universal awakening with the lyrical content. Musically, it's heavy on groove and movement."

Aldrich said: "Well, new music coming… we have a very unique and interesting song here called 'Radiance'. Different than we have written before… It's the first off our next album, so crank it up."

On June 3, THE DEAD DAISIES hit Europe for the summer where they'll tear up stages with JUDAS PRIEST, FOREIGNER and WHITESNAKE, and hit coveted festivals such as Graspop Metal Meeting (Belgium), Hellfest and God Save The Kouign (France), Masters Of Rock (Czech Republic) and the Time To Rock (Sweden), along with a string of killer headline shows.

Returning to THE DAISIES fold is drummer extraordinaire Tichy (WHITESNAKE, FOREIGNER),uniting with Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION), Aldrich (WHITESNAKE, DIO) and Lowy (MINK, RED PHOENIX), so prepare for a massive dose of undiluted rock on their European summer tour.

Tichy said: "I'm excited for everyone to hear 'Radiance', a little slab of new DAISIES rock! It's been a lot of fun recording with Doug, Glenn and David, and now I'm psyched to throw down live with the guys! Hope to see you all out there on tour this year!"

THE DEAD DAISIES' last album, "Holy Ground", was released in January 2021. Recorded at La Fabrique Studios in the south of France with Grosse, the LP was the band's first to feature Hughes, who joined the group in 2019 as its new bassist and vocalist, replacing John Corabi (MÖTLEY CRÜE) and Marco Mendoza (THIN LIZZY).

Legendary rockers JOURNEY have released the official video for "You Got The Best Of Me". The song is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Freedom", which will arrive on July 8 via BMG except in Europe and Japan, where it will be issued via Frontiers Music Srl.

Emerging from the pandemic with a supercharged new studio lineup, the "You Got The Best Of Me" clip will be followed by an epic 15-track set of new original songs that brings back the grand scale of the group's greatest moments, along with updated and bold new directions and sounds.

While the forthcoming album was made with visions of arena and stadium stages, it started from humble beginnings. In 2020, as COVID-19 swept the globe, founding member, guitarist, songwriter, and producer Neal Schon was stuck at home like the rest of us. "During the pandemic, there wasn't much to do," he says. "I spent a lot of time in my little studio at home, learning how to play keyboards and looping. Some of those ideas ended up being songs. So it kind of came out of nowhere."

As JOURNEY's legend continues to grow larger and their touring gets bigger, "Freedom" will be the first album of new material to be released in 11 years, since 2011's "Eclipse", and in addition to longtime keyboard player and primary lyricist Jonathan Cain and vocalist Arnel Pineda, one more member was recruited for the upcoming album — bassist extraordinaire Randy Jackson, who had played on JOURNEY's 1986 album "Raised On Radio".

"Freedom" track listing:

01. Together We Run (4:49)
02. Don't Give Up On Us (5:23)
03. Still Believe In Love
04. You Got The Best Of Me (5:33)
05. Live To Love Again (5:30)
06. The Way We Used To Be (3:35)
07. Come Away With Me (4:02)
08. After Glow (5:22)
09. Let It Rain (4:40)
10. Holdin On (3:14)
11. All Day All Night (3:38)
12. Don't Go (4:58)
13. United We Stand (5:05)
14. Life Rolls On (4:57)
15. Beautiful As You Are (7:10)

JOURNEY's current touring lineup features bassist Todd Jensen, a veteran musician who has played for various artists, including the bands SEQUEL, HARDLINE and HARLOW, as well as David Lee Roth, Ozzy Osbourne, Steve Perry, Alice Cooper and Paul Rodgers. Also part of JOURNEY's current incarnation is returning drummer Deen Castronovo, who shared the drum duties in the band last year with Narada Michael Walden. Walden, Jackson and keyboardist/backing singer Jason Derlatka all joined JOURNEY in 2020 following the band's acrimonious split with drummer Steve Smith and bassist Ross Valory. Jackson — who previously played with JOURNEY during the mid-1980s — was forced to miss all the recent gigs because he is reportedly recovering from back surgery. Prior to JOURNEY's recent Las Vegas residency, Jackson had been replaced at the band's 2021 shows by Marco Mendoza, who had played several shows in 2019 with Castronovo and Schon under the "Neal Schon's Journey Through Time" banner.

"Freedom" includes the single "The Way We Used To Be", which came out in June 2021. The song was the multi-platinum band's first new music since 2011's album "Eclipse", and the first track released by the band's revamped lineup. "The Way We Used To Be" marked Walden and Derlatka's first studio recordings with the band, and Jackson's first since 1986's "Raised On Radio". The song was produced by Walden at his Tarpan Studios, with co-production by Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain.

Since the group's formation in 1973, JOURNEY has earned 19 top 40 singles, 25 gold and platinum albums, and has sold nearly 100 million albums globally. Their "Greatest Hits" album is certified 15 times-platinum, making JOURNEY one of the few bands to ever have been diamond-certified, and their song "Don't Stop Believin'" has been streamed over one billion times alone.

JOURNEY was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017, and 2018's co-headlining tour with DEF LEPPARD was the band's most successful tour to date, landing them in the Top 10 year-end touring chart with more than 1 million tickets sold, and earning them the prestigious Billboard "Legends Of Live" touring award. March 2019 saw the release of "Escape & Frontiers Live In Japan", a live DVD/CD set from their concert at the Budokan in Tokyo featuring the band's first-ever performances of the albums "Escape" and "Frontiers" in their entirety. JOURNEY has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and were inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall Of Fame. Additionally, the band is the subject of the award-winning documentary "Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey" about the band's resurgence upon adding Arnel Pineda as lead singer after founding member Neal Schon discovered the Philippines native on YouTube.

Last August, Schon gave a college radio simulcast interview to WMSC and WNUW where he discussed the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the band's upcoming studio album. He said: "I learned how to play keyboards better than ever during the pandemic, which I'd never really done before. And that's where our first single ['The Way We Used To Be'] came from. [I sent it to] Jonathan [Cain, keyboards], and he did the lyrics on it and put a rough vocal on it. And then we had Arnel sing it, and we cut it and re-cut it in the studio, and it was just released. And a lot of people went, 'Wow, man. I love it.' 90 percent of people love it; the other 10 percent went, 'I don't think it sounds like JOURNEY.' I go, 'I never wrote it to be a JOURNEY song.'"

According to Schon, he and his bandmates had written over 30 new songs for the upcoming JOURNEY record. "Some of 'em are unmistakably JOURNEY without sounding like another song that we have; it just sounds like a new version of the band," he said. "It's ballistic, man. And there's no lack of guitar on this record. So I'm excited about it getting out there. I think any guitar player out there is gonna love this record, because I'm just kind of unleashing on this record — like I do a lot live, but sometimes hold back in the studio. I don't think it's O.D.ing on the guitar at all and going overboard, but I like to check out the times and where I see music going. I usually have a pretty good gut instinct about it, and I feel like the late '60s, the time and era of early Jeff Beck with Rod Stewart and [LED] ZEPPELIN when they first came out, Jimi Hendrix, the CREAM with [Eric] Clapton and Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, that whole era, there's a lot of younger kids out there, younger generation, that never got to experience that era. So I'm feeling like that is the era that I grew up in and that's what I truly love doing and the type of music I love playing, so I'm going more there and I'm writing for that, to be able to do that on stage. And I think it's really gonna trip some people out, when we finally do get this album out there and can combine it with all the hits that we do have."

He continued: "There's certain songs that are being mixed by Bob Clearmountain, that mixed our 'Raised On Radio' record, and he's made it sound really amazing, really pulled it together. You have mixers out there sometimes that have this incredible ability to take work that you've done throughout a year, even though they were recorded at separate times, and different sounds here and there, and they pull it all together and they make it sound like it's a tight album that has a focus sound-wise."

Neal added: "The whole album, there's not a filler on the record; that's what I can tell you. I look at it, and I'm listening to it now, and many others that have known our music for a long time that have very good ears have said, 'Look, this is the modern-day-and-age 'Escape'. I think this could be the next 'Escape' for you guys.' And I think that's a bold statement, but honest to God, I feel like it's that good."

After previously putting out a string of singles with such recording artists as jazz blues legend Larry Carlton (STEELY DAN, THE CRUSADERS) and rock funk groovester Nuno Bettencourt from the band EXTREME, Texas-based guitarist Russ Hewitt has done it again with another collaborative effort with another high-profile guitar virtuoso — former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman.

The music video for "Vivir Libre", featuring Friedman, can be seen below.

Says Russ: "I set off initially to write a heavy groove Latin song that would translate well live. I used the Tres guitar I got from Cuba to harmonize with the guitar throughout the song, including the main riff and chorus. Due to the key this song is written in (C#m),I was able to come up with a unique chord progression for the solo section utilizing the open E string. After the chord progression was written, I instantly thought that it would be something Marty Friedman would write and that he would be perfect for the song. I am fortunate enough to be endorsed by the same guitar cable company as Marty (Analysis Plus cables) and reached out to the owner Mark Markel to make an introduction. Within seven days of the introduction, Marty had sent up his parts. Marty's playing made me really step up my game, including adding harmonies to my solo for the first time."

Hewitt went on to call Friedman "one of the rare guitarists that have their own distinct sound and style. All it takes is a couple of notes played before I can recognize that it's him or someone trying to sound like him," he said. "A bona fide guitar hero, Marty is considered one of the best rock/heavy metal guitarists in the world, and his solo for 'Tornado Of Souls' is cited as an all-time great. Marty's use of Middle Eastern and other exotic scales influenced me to explore those as well, which can be heard in many of my songs. Known mainly for his electric guitar playing, Marty plays an acoustic guitar full of his trademark phrasing and harmonies."

Regarding the video for "Vivir Libre", Russ said: "I initially was not going to have a video for this song, just a static photo of the single cover. At the last minute, I reached out to a childhood friend, Todd Sims. Todd is a film and TV director with over 300 project credits to his name. As the owner of Fusionflix Entertainment, he was kind enough to work on this for me after six days of filming on location. All five of my Telly awards are from soundtrack work I've done for some of Todd's projects ('Parent Compass' TV series/webisodes, the DVD companion to the New York bestseller 'The Harbinger Decoded' by Jonathan Cahn, and the feature film 'Thirst: Mission Liberia'.)"

Friedman left MEGADETH in 2000 and has been living and recording music in Japan since 2003. His shredding guitar style had been an integral part of MEGADETH's commercial peak, most notably on 1990's "Rust In Peace" and 1992's "Countdown To Extinction" albums.

SHINEDOWN have released a soaring and poignant anthem, "Daylight". Offering an assurance that you are never alone, the single's meaningful portrait of a vital human connection reflects the importance of our relationships and the people in our lives whose support and empathy help get us through to the next day. The track is taken from SHINEDOWN's upcoming album, "Planet Zero", which will arrive on July 1 via Atlantic.

Comments singer Brent Smith: "This is about the human condition. We've got to live, and we've got to live with one another. And that should be something that is celebrated and not tolerated. That's what 'Daylight' really represents. It's our humanity. It's an understanding that we're all on this planet together, and we've got to figure out ways to take care of one another. A lot of times, it may just be asking someone 'are you okay?' because you could potentially save someone's life just by asking. We can't lose our empathy and courage towards each other, or our willingness to pick someone up if you see them on their knees, because there's gonna be a moment in time when you need someone to pick you up."

"Daylight" is the latest addition to a catalog that has earned the SHINEDOWN members recognition for their timely and relevant messages behind their chart-topping hits that resonate with not only their global audience and the rock community, but the greater public and our culture at large. With more than 6.5 billion global streams, the record for the most mainstream rock No. 1 hits ever, platinum or gold certification for all their albums, and major media praise, SHINEDOWN has cemented their status as one of the most vital and forward-thinking powerhouses in music.

"Planet Zero"'s previously released lead single "Planet Zero" and album track "The Saints Of Violence And Innuendo" introduced an album that is an incisive yet optimistic look at the fractures and frays of a society that has undergone many challenges in the last few years, seeing SHINEDOWN take on the forces that are keeping us divided at a time when we need to be coming together. The high-concept, viscerally charged album, produced by SHINEDOWN's Eric Bass, takes a hard look at the divisiveness among those of differing ideologies, cancel culture ran rampant, the toxicity of social media, the need for honesty in our public discourse, and the corrosive effects of these things on mental health and humanity. A dystopian saga that warns of dangerous dehumanizing consequences, "Planet Zero" is a reminder that if we shut each other down, we risk losing empathy, respect for one another, and our ability to communicate and unify in a way that leads to actual progress and understanding. The album also shares hope, perseverance, triumph, and reminders that we all need one another, like on "Daylight". After all, it is the band's impassioned striving for unity that has long been at the heart of their creative output.

The "Planet Zero" world tour (produced by Live Nation) begins in Bonner Springs, Kansas on September 3 with special guests JELLY ROLL and John Harvie, kicking off a U.S. run of fall shows that will see the record-breaking, chart-topping band bring their new music, No. 1 hits, fan favorites and biggest stage show yet to cities from coast to coast. The routing also includes festival performances at Louder Than Life on September 23 in Louisville, Kentucky and Aftershock on October 9 in Sacramento, California. Beginning June 3, SHINEDOWN will embark on a Europe run of festival performances and select shows with IRON MAIDEN followed by Canadian dates with special guests POP EVIL and AYRON JONES in July and August.

Photo credit: Sanjay Parikh

KINGS OF CHAOS performed this past Friday night (May 27) at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana for Miller Lite Carb Day. The supergroup's lineup for the show included Sebastian Bach (SKID ROW),John Waite, Lita Ford and Jack Blades (NIGHT RANGER). They were joined by guitarist Gilby Clarke (GUNS N' ROSES),bassist Sean McNabb (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB) and drummer Matt Sorum (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER). Warren DeMartini (RATT),who was originally scheduled to take part in the gig, tested positive for COVID-19 days before the show and was replaced by Brent Woods (Sebastian Bach).

The full setlist was as follows:

01. Bitch Is Back (Elton John cover)
02. Cherry Bomb (THE RUNAWAYS cover)
03. Kiss Me Deadly (Lita Ford cover)
04. Don't Tell Me You Love Me (NIGHT RANGER cover)
05. High Enough (DAMN YANKEES cover)
06. Sister Christian (NIGHT RANGER cover)
07. Highway To Hell (AC/DC cover)
08. Head First (THE BABYS cover)
09. Change (John Waite cover)
10. Missing You (John Waite cover)
11. Whole Lotta Love (LED ZEPPELIN cover)
12. Lay It Down (RATT cover)
13. Round And Round (RATT cover)
14. 18 & Life (SKID ROW cover)
15. Youth Gone Wild (SKID ROW cover)
16. Paradise City (GUNS N' ROSES cover)

Originally formed in 2012 as ROCK 'N' ROLL ALL STARS, KINGS OF CHAOS features a core lineup of members as well as a rotating cast of guest musicians.

KINGS OF CHAOS has recorded just one song so far: a cover of DEEP PURPLE's "Never Before" for the 2012 tribute album "Re-Machined: A Tribute To Deep Purple's 'Machine Head'".

During an appearance on the "2 Hours With Matt Pinfield" podcast, Sorum, who founded KINGS OF CHAOS, talked about the project's formation. He said: "The music business is more difficult to navigate than ever, especially for a guy that's been around a while," he said. "I've had an illustrious career, but it's always been, like, super-high, super-low, like riding the wildest roller coaster ever known to man. [Laughs] Emotionally, it's been challenging. When VELVET REVOLVER broke up, for me, it was like, 'Oh my god, I can't believe I pulled off another band.' So it kind of knocked the wind out of me, and I didn't really want to jump back into doing another band or project right away.

"When I started doing KINGS OF CHAOS, it became strictly about fun," he continued. "I decided, 'I'm going to pull a bucket list, [and] I'm going to call guys that I never had the balls to call, and have no fear. There's one or two answers that you can get — yes or no. And you've got to be able to accept no. Don't take it personal. I called Keith Richards. I called Jimmy Page. I called [Robert] Plant. I didn't care. I was just, like, finding them and calling them. And some of them said yes — not Robert Plant, dammit [laughs] — but Steven Tyler, Robin Zander, Billy Gibbons, Joe Elliott, Slash, the DeLeo brothers. I go and play with my friends, and it's a blast."

3RD SECRET, the new band featuring SOUNDGARDEN guitarist Kim Thayil, NIRVANA bassist Krist Novoselic and SOUNDGARDEN and PEARL JAM drummer Matt Cameron, has shared a new music video for "Rhythm Of The Ride". The song was recorded by Erik Friend and mixed by longtime Seattle producer Jack Endino.

The group, whose lineup is rounded out by Bubba Dupree, guitarist for D.C. hardcore outfit VOID and alt-metal supergroup HATER (also featuring Cameron),and vocalists Jennifer Johnson and Jillian Raye (Novoselic's bandmate in GIANTS IN THE TREES),surprised-released its self-titled debut album, recorded and mixed by Endino, on April 11.

In the "Rhythm Of The Ride" video, which was shot at Murky Slough Studios in Naselle, Washington, Novoselic can be seen playing acoustic guitar, accompanied by Raye and Johnson.

Novoselic hinted at 3RD SECRET's existence in February, writing in a since-deleted tweet: "I am really busy trying to finish a record. In the middle of some hangups — looking for a mid-March release. But it's a secret, so don't tell anybody!"

"3rd Secret" track listing:

01. Rhythm Of The Ride
02. I Choose Me
03. Last Day Of August
04. Winter Solstice
05. Lies Fade Away
06. Live Without You
07. Right Stuff
08. Dead Sea
09. Diamond In The Cold
10. Somewhere In Time
11. The Yellow Dress

3RD SECRET marks Cameron and Thayil's first full-album collaboration following the 2017 death of SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell.

Thayil recently expressed his hope that he would re-team with his former bandmates on a new project. "I think the three of us have an interest in doing new things," he said of Cameron and SOUNDGARDEN bassist Ben Shepherd. "We certainly like working together."

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST kicked off their spring/summer 2022 European tour with an intimate concert this past Tuesday night (May 31) in Berlin, Germany. For the gig, which was held at the 1,600-capacity Huxleys Neue Welt venue, Rob Halford and his bandmates ditched their traditional leather-and-studs look in favor of a more stripped-down appearance.

More fan-filmed video of the Berlin concert can be seen below.

After the show, PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner took to his social media to share a photo of the performance, and he included the following message: "Last night in #berlin was glorious and something I've never done with the band before. No leather, no studs. No screens, no motorbike. No massive light show or inflatable Birmingham bull. Exposed speakers, just jeans, t-shirts, a small club and it was all purely about the music. All of us together and the raw power of the music. It was truly a great experience and one I'd love to do again sometime.

"It's great when you strip it all back to what it's all about, the music and the people of our great heavy metal community.

"Thank you all for making it such a special night.

"Onwards we roll to #gdansk #poland for the @festivalmystic".

In a 2021 interview with Spain's Mariskal Rock, Halford was asked who wore the "leather biker look" first — him or late QUEEN frontman Freddie Mercury. He responded: "I remember seeing a picture of Freddie with his leather jacket and a cap and a motorcycle, and I'm, like, 'What the fuck is going on, Freddie?' [Laughs]

"I love him. Freddie is a god — he's a god," Rob continued. "His music, his voice, his showmanship, his personality, his charisma. There'll never, ever be another Freddie Mercury.

"But as far as who wore it first, I think I did probably — maybe by a year or two," Halford added. "Yeah, if that's important. I don't know. Is it important? I'll tell you something: we both look good in leather. [Laughs]"

Four years ago, former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing was quoted as saying in Greg Prato's book "Long Live Queen: Rock Royalty Discuss Freddie, Brian, John & Roger" that Halford "definitely" pulled off the "leather biker look" better than Mercury. "Actually, that's probably one of the best questions I've ever been asked," Downing said. "Because both of the guys, obviously being gay and both obviously having donned the leathers — which is par for the course — I think the difference was it became Rob's ultimate and permanent image. Whereas Freddie did it for a bit of fun, I think. But [it is] a fun question — I like that a lot. Definitely Rob looked like the epitome — as I hope we all did, together, when we all eventually got into the leather gear — of an archetypal heavy metal band."

In his 2018 autobiography "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest", Downing claimed to have come up with PRIEST black-leather look. Asked what inspired it in the first place, K.K. told Rolling Stone: "I don't know. I had some pretty cool looks in the early days. I started off with a black, swashbuckling look. There was a place called the Birmingham Reparatory Theatre and underneath it were massive alcoves of all these theatrical clothes. We found out we could rent those clothes, and that became me and Rob's spot. We looked through all these things, and that's why we wore some of these coats and boots; they were all rented from this theater. I think we eventually got told off because we didn't return the clothes in time. [Laughs] We just held on to them. Eventually, we got a little bit of money and started having clothes of our own made and the look just came piece by piece. [Laughs]"

Asked if it was easy to get the rest of the band on board, Downing said: "Some members in the band like to think everything's their idea. I thought, 'I'll get Rob on board to start with.' There were a couple of gay guys at the leather shop in London and Rob was in his element [laughs] with these guys fitting him out in all this leather gear. Gays were already wearing leather in London so it was an easy sell for Rob. He was on board with that but also because we weren't trying to do that; we were doing the leather-and-studs thing in a metal way. Then he started to design all of his clothes. 'I'm having the bullwhip. I'm having this cap made.' Rob was happy for them to know that he was a gay man, but at a certain point, it started to look like a gladiator, which was completely done in metal. It opened up a massive amount of doors for him to elaborate on throughout our career."

In his 2020 autobiography "Confess", Halford credited Downing with the idea of PRIEST dressing in black leather in 1978. He wrote: "The biggest myth about this new stage gear is that I had somehow masterminded the image as a cover and a vent for my homosexuality — that I was getting a thrill from dressing on stage as I'd like to dress in the street, or the bedroom. This is utter bollocks. I had no interest in S&M, domination or the whole queer subcult of leather and chains. It just didn't do it for me. My sexual preference was for men, sure, but I was — and still am — pretty vanilla."

X17 Online spotted KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons and guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley as they were checking in for their flight before heading to Europe for their summer 2022 tour. Simmons was asked to clarify his previous "rock is dead" comments, and he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Rock is dead. Because as soon as fans were able to download and fileshare for free, new bands didn't have a chance to make a living. And that breaks my heart, because there's so many great talented young musicians and writers who are never gonna get the chance that I got. Anything that is free or a penny when it should cost a dollar or more soon is worthless.

"From 1958 until 1988, we had Elvis [Presley], THE BEATLES, all the great blues men, Madonna; in disco, you had the great Motown stuff which is unequaled; you had heavy bands — METALLICA and IRON MAIDEN and all that stuff — U2, Prince, David Bowie, all that," he continued. "From 1988 until today is more than 30 years. Who are the new BEATLES? Who are they?

"Right around '88, Napster and all the rest of that showed people how to get music for nothing and you took away the value," Gene added. "Then musicians can't earn a living. Not the old ones who are big and fat and rich. I understand. But the baby bands, it breaks my heart. They're not gonna get the chance. Rock is dead."

Asked if the decline of the music industry as consumers value access over ownership and experiences over assets has affected the size of his royalties at all, Simmons said: "No. We make more than ever before. So it's not about me. It's about the baby bands."

This is far from the first time Gene has painted a bleak picture of the state of rock music. Back in 2014, he told Esquire magazine that "rock did not die of old age. It was murdered. Some brilliance, somewhere, was going to be expressed and now it won't because it's that much harder to earn a living playing and writing songs. No one will pay you to do it."

A number of hard rock and heavy metal musicians have weighed in on the topic in a variety of interviews over the last several years, with some digging a little deeper into Simmons's full remarks and others just glossing over the headline.

Last September, Simmons doubled down on his claim that "rock is dead", blaming young rock music enthusiasts and online streaming platforms.

"By and large, new artists will never have the chance that we got, because record companies would give us millions of dollars — once we got successful — as an advance, non-recoupable, with a royalty system and all that," he told US Weekly. "And so we didn't have to work day jobs. Now if you're a new band, you can't make a living because all the freckle-faced college kids — who, by the way, hate me — because what I'm saying is it's robbery. You're robbing by downloading and filesharing that music. It doesn't affect me; our band came before, when it was a real business. But the new artists, you're breaking my heart. It's like new babies being born without being able to have food. You're taking food from their mouths so they have to go work for a living and not have enough time for their art.

"Who killed the music business? The fans did," he continued. "Not a foreign power, not aliens; the fans killed it. And who do I blame? The record companies for not suing that first putz who dared break into the henhouse and steal some eggs and a chicken for free. As soon as you let that first fox into that henhouse to take some eggs without paying for it, the rest of the foxes come along. Likewise, cockroaches — you allow one into the kitchen, you squash that first one, the rest of 'em are gonna go, 'Uh-oh, we've gotta watch out.'

"So, Pandora's box has been opened. There are hundreds of millions of fans around the world that are trained [in their minds] not to pay for music. So what does that do for new bands? It kills them. When you take away the value of something, it becomes by definition worthless.

"Imagine being a farmer, and you sell eggs and chickens — that's what you do. And that first little cute fox comes in and steals an egg. And the farmer is gonna try to shoot the fox, 'cause, 'Hey, you're stealing my living.' And the wife says, 'Don't [shoot the fox]. It's so cute.' That cute little fox takes the egg back to where all the foxes are: 'Hey, we've got a sucker over here. Let's go get some chickens and eggs.' Before you know it, there are no chickens; no eggs' the farmer's out of business; the trucks that drove the farmer's stuff to market are out of business 'cause they don't have stuff; the supermarkets that sold the stuff are out of business. Everybody's out of business because that first putz, that first little hole in the Titanic sank the whole ship."

As rock superstars DEF LEPPARD return with a brand-new album, "Diamond Star Halos", vocalist Joe Elliott insists that the album format is still important — at least for DEF LEPPARD.

"When we got together in 2014 we noticed a trend of people releasing one song a month," Elliott tells Rock Candy writer Jon Hotten in an exclusive cover story that runs over 12 pages in the new issue of the magazine. "They might bang them all together on an album two years later. Other people were just doing EPs. Maybe for a younger generation, an album isn't important, because they didn't grow up when it was. But we did. We grew up in the era of 'Ziggy Stardust', 'Dark Side Of The Moon', 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' — the greatest double album of all time, in my humble opinion. That's where we come from. You can't unscramble an egg. We invested in laying on the bed and looking at the sleeve, reading every word."

Hotten also interviews Rick Savage for Rock Candy and finds that the LEPPARD bassist is particularly excited about the fact that the music on "Diamond Star Halos" takes him back to his youth.

"There's still a feeling of the early '70s to the new album for me, when you're just approaching teenage years and everything's great," he tells Hotten. "It's fresh, it's new. For us that's anywhere between 1971 and '74, when color TVs were coming into homes, bands were getting more outrageous with their clothes, songs were getting more produced, sounding better. We were gravitating toward the pop side of it — EAGLES, Elton John, FLEETWOOD MAC… For me there's a lot of that type of '70s in the new record. A lot of it has such a nice flavor of our teenage years."

The band will begin a U.S. stadium tour with MÖTLEY CRÜE in Atlanta on 16 June, but don't expect LEPPARD to be playing lots of songs from the new album at the expense of the classics.

"I don't think many legacy artists perform new music," says Joe. "We do. We play new stuff, but it's horses for courses. LEPPARD fans want 'Photograph'. They want 'Pour Some Sugar…' Only a fool goes, 'I'm gonna play you my entire new album.' Anyone who goes, 'Here are 12 songs from my new album' is going to clear the dance floor. Don't batter people with the new shit. If it's good enough, let it become part of the set further down the road."

Read this 12-page DEF LEPPARD feature and many other fascinating stories including YES, KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer, and "The Greatest Double Live Albums Of The '70s" in issue 32 of Rock Candy.

Rock Candy is a 100-page, full-color bi-monthly rock mag, created in the U.K. Covering the sights, sounds and smells from the greatest era in hard rock music, the '70s and '80s, it was put together by respected U.K. rock journalists Derek Oliver, Howard Johnson and Malcolm Dome — all frontline writers for the legendary Kerrang! magazine in the golden era.

For more information, visit RockCandyMag.com.

SEX PISTOLS have announced a special "Pistol Mint Commemorative Coin" to mark this week's Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Celebrating the fact that Queen Elizabeth II will reach a landmark 70 years on the throne, SEX PISTOLS will reissue their iconic 1977 single "God Save The Queen" on two special vinyl records. Accompanying the re-release will be a nickel-plated coin, featuring Jamie Reid's Union Jack flag design on the front. The reverse features high-quality decal of Jamie Reid's depiction of the Queen, featuring "her lesser-known lip piercing," according to a press release.

As befitting such a quality item, the coin comes in a cushioned sapphire velvet presentation box, with the front face design embossed in silver.

The commemorative coin comes twinned with a bonus digital counterpart in the form of an NFT (non-fungible token) which can be redeemed via The Pistol Mint. The NFT collection features a number of designs randomly assigned upon minting, ensuring future generations can continue to enjoy the coin in all its majesty.

These NFTs are minted on the Palm network, a scalable and sustainable ecosystem for NFTs. Because Palm offers a 99.9% reduction in energy consumption as compared to proof of work systems, each NFT has near zero carbon footprint. Minting an NFT on the Palm network uses as little energy as sending three emails.

A disclaimer adds: "In case it's not already abundantly obvious, this is not legal tender, it is a promotional item only."

Secure yours now via www.sexpistolsofficial.com.
pennies, coins, dosh, quids…whatever you call ‘em, bet you ain’t got one like this. God Save The Queen Commemorative Coin* + bonus NFT, available from The Pistol Mint now – get yours. [1/3] pic.twitter.com/0ytCZh6wmT

— Sex Pistols Official (@sexpistols) May 30, 2022

BAD WOLVES have announced the addition of guitarist Max Karon to the group's ranks. Max joins the band as the replacement for Chris Cain, who exited BAD WOLVES earlier this year.

BAD WOLVES announced the lineup change in a social media post earlier today (Tuesday, May 31). The band wrote: "It's with great excitement that we announce our new permanent guitar player: Max Karon. The funny thing is that Max isn't new to us, he started the band with founder John Boecklin in 2014 and was a major writer/player on all three BAD WOLVES albums. Being a key ingredient to the BAD WOLVES sound, this was a no-brainer decision. There is no other person on this earth that would be a better fit for BAD WOLVES than Max."

In a separate statement, Max said: "Words can hardly express how thrilled and grateful I am for this opportunity, and how right it feels to be here. Having been part of BAD WOLVES since the very beginning, I'm so proud to be joining in full. It's amazing how far this band has come, and I'm so excited and driven to see how far we can go. I'm looking forward to everything about this new chapter. I'll see you out there!"

Cain missed the last couple of weeks' worth of shows on BAD WOLVES' March 2022 tour with PAPA ROACH and HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD due to what he described at the time as "personal reasons." He was temporarily replaced by ex-MONUMENTS guitarist Olly Steele.

BAD WOLVES played their first show with new singer Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz on March 1 at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California.

Laskiewicz had carved out an impressive career for himself over the last 15-plus years, most notably as a founding member and lead guitarist of metalcore band THE ACACIA STRAIN, of which he was a member from 2001 to 2013. A talented songwriter and producer, he had also worked on projects with ALL THAT REMAINS, LEGION, FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS and collaborated with BAD WOLVES on their 2019 studio album "N.A.T.I.O.N.", where the creative relationship with the band started.

BAD WOLVES' third album, "Dear Monsters", was released last October via Better Noise Music. It marked BAD WOLVES' first full-length release with Laskiewicz.

BAD WOLVES broke through in 2018 with a cover of THE CRANBERRIES hit "Zombie". CRANBERRIES vocalist Dolores O'Riordan was supposed to contribute to the track but died the day she was supposed to go into the studio.

Photo credit: Orson Oblowitz

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