Original KISS drummer Peter Criss joined former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick and his solo band on stage Sunday night (May 29) at this year's Creatures Fest at Nashville's Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel. Together they performed the song "Hooked On Rock 'N' Roll", which originally appeared on Criss's 1978 solo album. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

Kulick's group, which also features singer and guitarist Todd Kerns, bassist and singer Zach Throne and drummer Brent Fitz, performed mostly songs from Kulick's 1980s and 1990s KISS era.

Criss first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a reunion tour in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.

In addition to playing drums in KISS, Peter also provided lead vocals for a number the band's most popular and memorable songs, including "Beth", "Black Diamond" and "Hard Luck Woman".

Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One For All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night With David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What A Difference A Day Makes" and "Send In The Clowns".

Criss played what was being billed as his final full U.S. concert in June 2017 at the Cutting Room in New York City.

Bruce joined KISS in 1984 and accompanied the band on the "Animalize" tour and continued with them until the reunion tour. Bruce is heavily featured on "Kissology – Vol. 2" and "Vol. 3", the band's DVDs spanning their historic four-decade-plus career.

Megadeth guitarist Kiko Loureiro has shared a behind-the-scenes video from the recently wrapped Metal Tour Of The Year 2022 with Lamb Of God, Trivium and In Flames. Check out backstage footage from the second show of the tour in Tucson, AZ





Loureiro previously shared backstage footage from the first show of the tour in Las Vegas, NV.




 





 

Nighted, the new genre-bending black metal synthwave duo, have released their new single, the eponymous "Nighted". Check out the official video below. 


The single is available on digital platforms found here.







Nighted are Ivo Henzi (vocals, guitars / ex-Eluveitie, Cellar Darling, Forest Of Fog) and Marc Petralito (synths, Appearance Of Nothing). One late and misty summer night, in the enforced lockdown of 2020, the two struck on the idea of mixing black metal with '70s-era synth, à la Blade Runner and Jean-Michel Jarre: and Nighted is the result. 


"Nighted" is the third single from Nighted's forthcoming album Absence, released this coming autumn. In the words of the group, it 'is an ode to the night. A confession of love to all the wondrous, the awe and the deep abysses of the night.' It follows their previous singles "Acronyc" and "Aeons".


Absence was recorded, mixed and mastered by Anna Murphy (Cellar Darling, ex-Eluveitie) at Lucerne’s Sound Farm Studio, with drums performed by session drummer Dylan Watson (Kassogtha). Nighted are signed to the newly-formed heavy music label Klang Machine Records, co-founded by drummer and artist manager Merlin Sutter.


"Acronyc"





"Aeons"





Photo by Manuel Vargaz Lepiz

Swiss progressive death metallers Kassogtha have revealed their stunning new single "The Infinite". "The Infinite" is the third glimpse of new material from the quintet's forthcoming album rEvolve, due to be released in Autumn 2022.


Stream "The Infinite" here, and watch the music video below.







Of "The Infinite" lyrics, vocalist Stephany comments: “It is right here, next to you, and it's taking you on a trip to your deepest fears and angers. Will you choose to follow the path it's trying so hard to draw you to? Oh you will... for sure. 'The Infinite' drags us into a world of uncertainty and madness. Only one thing shines in the dark and gives a little hope: a presence, imperceptible, which inevitably draws us towards a path that could be fatal, unless it's the deliverance we've been waiting so long for..."


Guitarist and songwriter Mortimer elaborates: "This was the first song written in the rEvolve writing process. In fact, its first iteration was created when the band was working on their previous EP, The Call. 'The Infinite' is now one of the most brutal songs on the album. As the opening track, we wanted to let our audience immediately know what we are up to. Progressive death metal. The song grabs you by the throat with a no-fuss blast beat intro followed by chaos and intensity that barely stops until the end of the song."





Kassogtha are led by vocalist / lyricist Stephany, whose incredible command of growled and clean vocals help mark the band as future Swiss heavy music stars. A concept album, rEvolve tells the story of an endless self-destructive cycle of fear, anxiety, and jealousy. In a world that normalises negativity, we have forgotten how to be happy — and following a pandemic-enforced long, hard look at humanity and society, this is Stephany’s journey of dealing with these emotions. This album is a perfectly timed release valve for two years of isolation, anxiety and grief — a furious expression of frustration at missing the things we love that help us get through difficult times.


Kassogtha band place authenticity and sincerity above smoke and mirrors: a genuine metal band for true metal fans, that takes the genre further without abandoning its core ingredients. From Pink Floyd to Gojira via way of The Agonist and Arch Enemy, Kassogtha’s no-nonsense brand of groovy progressive death metal combines a variety of influences to create a steamrolling fusion of irresistible riffs, neck-breaking drums and a vocal range covering devastating growls and ethereal melodies.


On rEvolve, produced at Stockholm’s legendary Fascination Street Studios with David Castillo (Carcass, Opeth, Leprous), Linus Corneliusson (Ihsahn, Amorphis) and Tony Lindgren (Carcass, Opeth, Katatonia), Kassogtha showcase old school riffs and progressive inspiration, savage grooves and blast beats, creativity and speed, and pure, honest dedication to their craft.


rEvolve will be released on Klang Machine Records, the newly-formed heavy music label co-founded by Swiss metal wizard Merlin Sutter (Cellar Darling, ex-Eluveitie) in Autumn 2022.


Check out the previously released videos for "Before I Vanish" and "Drown"; both tracks are set to appear on rEvolve.











For further details, visit Kassogtha.com.


 

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett botched the intro to the power ballad "Nothing Else Matters" during the band's headlining set last night (Sunday, May 29) at the Boston Calling festival in Allston, Massachusetts. After teasing a bit of "More Than A Feeling", a BOSTON song, Kirk screwed up the opening notes to the METALLICA classic before playfully falling to the floor. He then quickly stood back up and told the audience, "Sorry, guys. You're so kickass. I got distracted by how kickass you are," and restarted the song, which was the second-to-last track of METALLICA's 16-song performance at the three-day event.

"Nothing Else Matters" is one of the most popular songs from METALLICA's mega-selling 1991 self-titled album — also known as "The Black Album" — which was re-released last September as a remastered deluxe box set via the band's own Blackened Recordings. The song reached position No. 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart as well as top-ten positions on many European charts.

Last August, METALLICA music video for "Nothing Else Matters" surpassed one billion views on YouTube. It was the first METALLICA track to reach the milestone.

The "Nothing Else Matters" video, which was uploaded to YouTube in October of 2009, was directed by Adam Dubin and edited by Sean Fullan and is made up of clips from the 1992 METALLICA documentary "A Year And A Half In The Life Of Metallica". The clip is perhaps best remembered for a scene where Lars Ulrich throws darts at a poster of WINGER frontman Kip Winger.

Prior to working with METALLICA, Dubin directed two music videos for the BEASTIE BOYS. While he was a student at New York University, he was roommates with record producer Rick Rubin, who would later go on to produce "Death Magnetic", METALLICA's ninth studio album.

"Nothing Else Matters" was featured as a playable track in the music video game "Guitar Hero: Metallica" and has been covered over 40 times by a host of different artists, including STAIND, Shakira, Bif Naked, Macy Gray, DIE KRUPPS, REV THEORY and APOCALYPTICA.

A totally new and different version of "Nothing Else Matters" appears twice in Disney's 2021 movie "Jungle Cruise".

Back on March 3, Dirty Honey performed at The Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, CA. The band have shared the video below, along with the following message:


"This band started in LA on Sunset Blvd performing on a sidewalk outside of our friend’s weed shop. We toiled away in this city never knowing where this ride would take us. It meant the world to us to finally come home on this past run to play The Wiltern with the support of our hometown station KLOS. We knew it’d be a special night and this crowd was nothing short of spectacular. Thanks for all the love L.A. we’ll be California Dreamin’ all over Europe this summer. See ya on down the road."







Upcoming Dirty Honey tour dates are listed below.





June
6 - B - Malmo, Sweden (supporting Rival Sons)
7 - Pustervik - Gothenburg, Sweden (supporting Rival Sons)
8 - Train - Aarhus, Denmark (supporting Rival Sons)
9 - Sweden Rock Festival - Solvesborg, Sweden
11 - Download Festival - Derbyshire, UK
12 - The Cathouse - Glasgow, UK
14 - Oslo - London, UK
16 - Azkena Rock Festival - Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
18 - Rock The Ring Festival - Hinwill, Switzerland
19 - Graspop Metal Meeting - Dessel, Belgium
20 - PGE Stadion Narodowy - Warsaw, Poland (supporting Guns N’ Roses)
22 - Beatpol - Dresden, Germany
24 - Retro C Trop Festival - Amiens, France
25 - Hellfest Festival - Clisson, France
27 - UEA - Norwich, UK (supporting Rival Sons)
28 - O2 Academy - Sheffield, UK (supporting Rival Sons)
30 - Academy - Dublin, Ireland (supporting Rival Sons)


July
1 - Limelight - Belfast, Ireland (supporting Rival Sons)
2 - King George’s Hall - Blackburn, UK (supporting Rival Sons)
4 - University (Great Hall) - Cardiff, UK (supporting Rival Sons)
5 - Rock City - Nottingham, UK (supporting Rival Sons)
6 - O2 Forum - Kentish Town - London, UK (supporting Rival Sons)
8 - Olympiastadion - Munich, Germany (supporting Guns N’ Roses)
9 - Arena Zagreb - Zagreb, Croatia (supporting KISS)
10 - San Siro - Milan, Italy (supporting Guns ‘N’ Roses)
12 - Sequoie Music Festival - Bologna, Italy (supporting Guns N’ Roses)
14 - Budapest Arena - Budapest, Hungary (supporting KISS)
15 - HDI Arena - Hannover, Germany (supporting Guns N’ Roses)


For ticket info, head here.


(Photo - Daniel Prakopcyk)

Original KISS members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss reunited on stage last night (Friday, May 27) at this year's Creatures Fest at Nashville's Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel. The two legendary rockers performed two early KISS classics during Frehley's set, "Hard Luck Woman" and "Strange Ways", both featuring Criss on lead vocals.

Back in March, Creatures Fest promoter Neil Davis said that Criss and Frehley were "excited" about performing together at Creatures Fest. "They talked, and they just thought that what would be great for the fans, for all of us, is if they got together and played some songs during Ace's set," he said.

Also scheduled to appear at this year's Creatures Fest are former KISS guitarists Bruce Kulick and Vinnie Vincent.

Vincent is scheduled to perform on night two of Creatures Fest, while Kulick will close out the event on Sunday, May 29. The festival will also feature performances by QUIET RIOT, ENUFF Z'NUFF, VIXEN, John Corabi, RETURN OF THE COMET and PRETTY BOY FLOYD, among others.

Criss first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a reunion tour in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.

In addition to playing drums in KISS, Peter also provided lead vocals for a number the band's most popular and memorable songs, including "Beth", "Black Diamond" and "Hard Luck Woman".

Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One For All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night With David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What A Difference A Day Makes" and "Send In The Clowns".

Criss played what was being billed as his final U.S. concert in June 2017 at the Cutting Room in New York City.

Frehley, a founding member of KISS, recently said that he is up for a reunion of the original band, but only if the price is right. During an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Frehley stated about the chances of him playing with his former bandmates: "Anything's possible — I've always said that. That's the first question so many people have asked me over the years: 'Would you ever consider doing a KISS reunion?' I said, 'I never closed the door on anything.' If the money's right and it's presented to me in the right way, anything can happen.

"I'm on good terms with Paul [Stanley, guitar/vocals] and Gene [Simmons, bass/vocals], which is nice, because we created something really special in the early '70s that has outlasted so many other bands. And God bless 'em. They're still doing it; I'm still doing it. Peter is still around. I'm not quite sure why Peter hadn't toured over the years as much as I have, but it is what it is."

I've got Ace Frehley
I've got Peter Criss
Waiting there for me… yes I do.

Amazing to see these two legends reunite...

Posted by Logan Sekulow on Friday, May 27, 2022

Peter Criss & Ace Frehley perform Hard Luck Woman & Strange Ways last night on stage in Nashville at Creatures Fest ……

Posted by Andrew Anderson on Saturday, May 28, 2022

Amazing Day 1 of Creatures Fest.
Bruce Kulick, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss… and many more stars.

Posted by Jim Boykin on Friday, May 27, 2022

SEETHER has announced the deluxe edition of its acclaimed 2020 album, "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum". The effort, containing 22 tracks in all, five of which are previously unreleased, will be available on July 1. The sets lashing first single, "Leech", can be streamed below.

Teeming with SEETHER's signature combination of melody and cathartic release, the wealth of exceptional songs that encompasses the expanded deluxe edition of "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" bolsters leader Shaun Morgan's status as one of rock's most prolific and successful songwriters. It includes all 21 songs recorded during the "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" sessions, along with the alternate version of "Wasteland" that was originally featured on last year's "The Purgatory" EP.

Produced by Morgan and engineered and mixed by Matt Hyde (DEFTONES, AFI),the acclaimed "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" ("If you want peace, Prepare for war") was released in August 2020, spawned three No. 1 singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and at Active Rock radio and garnered some of the best reviews of the band's storied career.

Morgan stated about the brand-new track "Leech": "This song is a generalized reflection on abusive relationships and how they shape the way we see the world. Those are most often personal, but more often these days they are social. There is so much digital noise surrounding us all that we choose to ignore, at the peril of our kids and our collective wellbeing. We are slaves to smart phones and the absolute cancer that is social media, and it will not end well. Different viewpoints that stray from the echo chambers that people choose to live in result in public crucifixion and irrational hatred that is driven by a powerful propaganda force that spoonfeeds our opinions to us."

He continued: "Turn off the fucking TV, delete your social media and read a goddamn book or spend some time with your neighbors. We need to stop living in this procured vapid digital universe where we are merely products to enrich assholes and live more in the real world. I say that as an introvert, but even I can see the impending downfall of decency and morality."

Since forming in Pretoria, South Africa in 1999, SEETHER (Morgan, Dale Stewart, John Humphrey and Corey Lowery) has amassed a global, devoted fan base with an unbroken sense of purpose and commitment. Their impressive sales and chart history includes three platinum and two gold albums, 18 No. 1 singles, 21 Top 5 multi-format hits, single sales topping 17 million and over two billion streams worldwide across all platforms. SEETHER is Billboard's No. 8 all-time mainstream rock artist, which covers the over 40-year history of the chart's existence.

SEETHER just finished a U.S. arena tour as special guests of BREAKING BENJAMIN.

"Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" deluxe edition track listing:

01. Dead And Done
02. Bruised And Bloodied
03. Wasteland
04. Dangerous
05. Liar
06. Can't Go Wrong
07. Buried In The Sand
08. Let It Go
09. Failure
10. Beg
11. Drift Away
12. Pride Before The Fall
13. Written In Stone
14. What Would You Do?
15. Will It Ever End?
16. Feast Or Famine
17. Wasteland (alternate version)
18. Leech*
19. Deliver Me*
20. On My Way*
21. Leave Me Be*
22. Crossed The Line*

* Previously unreleased

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley made a surprise, unrehearsed appearance at the poolside acoustic show at this year's Creatures Fest, which is taking place May 27-29 at Nashville's Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel. Video of Frehley performing a rendition of THE ROLLING STONES' "2000 Man", which KISS recorded for the album "Dynasty", can be seen below (courtesy of The Rock Experience With Mike Brunn. Joining Ace for the performance were TRIXTER's Steve Brown and SISTERS DOLL's Brennan Mileto.

Also scheduled to appear at this year's Creatures Fest are original KISS drummer Peter Criss and former KISS guitarists Bruce Kulick and Vinnie Vincent.

According to Creatures Fest promoter Neil Davis, Criss will join Frehley on stage during the guitarist's May 27 set to play a few tracks.

Vincent is scheduled to perform on night two of Creatures Fest, while Kulick will close out the event on Sunday, May 29. The festival will also feature performances by QUIET RIOT, ENUFF Z'NUFF, VIXEN, John Corabi, RETURN OF THE COMET and PRETTY BOY FLOYD, among others.

Frehley, a founding member of KISS, recently said that he is up for a reunion of the original band, but only if the price is right. During an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Frehley stated about the chances of him playing with his former bandmates: "Anything's possible — I've always said that. That's the first question so many people have asked me over the years: 'Would you ever consider doing a KISS reunion?' I said, 'I never closed the door on anything.' If the money's right and it's presented to me in the right way, anything can happen.

"I'm on good terms with Paul [Stanley, guitar/vocals] and Gene [Simmons, bass/vocals], which is nice, because we created something really special in the early '70s that has outlasted so many other bands. And God bless 'em. They're still doing it; I'm still doing it. Peter is still around. I'm not quite sure why Peter hadn't toured over the years as much as I have, but it is what it is."

Frehley's latest release was "Origins Vol. 2", the sequel to his 2016 collection of cover songs that inspired the former KISS guitarist.

"Origins Vol. 2" featured cover versions of THE BEATLES' "I'm Down", DEEP PURPLE's "Space Truckin'", LED ZEPPELIN's "Good Times Bad Times", THE ROLLING STONES' "Jumpin' Jack Flash", THE KINKS' "Lola" and THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE's "Manic Depression", among others. A cover of the 1975 KISS tune "She" also appeared as a bonus track. Guests on the set included CHEAP TRICK's Robin Zander, Lita Ford and former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons co-wrote two tracks on Ace's latest all-original album "Spaceman", which was released in October 2018 via eOne.