In a new interview with Greece's Rock Pages, DEF LEPPARD and LAST IN LINE guitarist Vivian Campbell was asked if he would like to make a follow-up album to his solo debut, 2005's "Two Sides Of If". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yes, would be the short answer. But in reality, working with DEF LEPPARD and working with LAST IN LINE, that keeps me pretty busy.

"Like many people have said, when COVID happened and everything sort of stopped, a lot of people re-thought how they're living their lives," he continued. "For me, it really made me realize how busy I've been for the last 10 years or so. Because when I wasn't working with DEF LEPPARD, I was on the road with LAST IN LINE, and it was just constant, constant travel — home for a day, gone again. So I really appreciated having the time off and I got to do other things in my life that I'd always wanted to do. I really got into rally driving and had fun with cars. But having said that, now we're getting back to work, We're in L.A. at the moment rehearsing for the tour with DEF LEPPARD, and I go home for 12 days between rehearsal and tour, and in those 12 days I need to record guitar solos for the new LAST IN LINE record. So, again, there's so much [stuff going on].

"I would love to make another record, but I would need to technically get my shit together and I would need to take a big block of time, and I don't know how to do that," Vivian explained.

"Two Sides Of If" featured Vivian doing two things you probably hadn't heard him do much before — singing lead and playing blues-based guitar. It was a collection of Campbell's favorite blues songs, including WILLIE DIXON's "I Ain't Superstitious" and "Spoonful", FLEETWOOD MAC's "Like It This Way", RORY GALLAGHER's "Calling Card", and MEL LONDON's "Messin' With The Kid".

Campbell told Launch that his love for the kind of music on "Two Sides Of If" goes way back. "I have always had an affinity for organic music, whether it was blues, or organic pop, or soul, or whatever which may seem strange, coming from a guy who plays guitar with DEF LEPPARD, who are probably the most produced band in the world," he said. "And with blues, you know, and particularly with this record, I did it live in the studio, because I wanted it to have that interaction between real musicians playing music in real time."

In a 2005 interview with ModernGuitars.com, Campbell explained his reasons for doing a solo album.

"About twenty years ago, my wife heard me sing," he said. "She said, 'You know, you sing like a blues guy. You play guitar like a blues guy, too. Maybe you should do a blues record.' I laughed and told her to go away and stop being a silly woman. [Laughs] I didn't think much about it, but I always knew that the way I played was more akin to blues than anything else. I let my left hand do most of the work, and I'm basically a down-stroke picker. I fret pretty hard with my left hand, so that articulates the note. So, a couple of years ago I got roped into playing a blues set at my daughter's school fundraiser. You know how it is, when you have kids, you do these fundraiser events. They had a band, and they asked me to do a blues set. So I got up and did four or five songs. That's where I met Tor, the keyboard player. He had put together the little band because his daughter went to the same school as mine. We did the set, and he told me that he thought I should do a blues record. He also said that he thought I sounded like a blues singer. I said, 'Okay. We'll make it happen.' Tor went out and made a few calls and got a bit of interest, so I said, 'Why not, let’s do it.'"

In 2011, Vivian released a solo song titled "Seems So Real". The track was written by Campbell and Robert Cosio and was produced by Cosio. Mixing duties were handled by Ronan McHugh.

Former IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di'Anno came face to face with the band's bassist Steve Harris for the first time in three decades last Sunday night (May 22) before MAIDEN's concert in Croatia.

Harris, whose group kicked off the 2022 leg of its "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour at the 22,000-capacity Arena Zagreb, came out before the show to greet a wheelchair-bound Di'Anno and chat with him for a few minutes. Paul has spent the last few months in Croatia receiving physiotherapy and lymphatic drainage treatments in preparation for his upcoming knee surgery.

After his friendly meeting with Harris, Di'Anno stuck around long enough to watch some of MAIDEN's performance before leaving near the end of the set to avoid a huge traffic jam after the show.

Di'Anno spoke about his experience meeting Harris in person after all these years in a live video chat with Canada's The Metal Voice earlier today (Saturday, May 28). He said: "Last weekend was absolutely amazing. 'Cause me and Steve [have exchanged messages] about football [in the past]. But we actually hadn't met [face to face] for a long time. And it was brilliant, because I met up with Steve's sister Linda first, whom I hadn't seen her in about 30 years. And then [seeing] Steve was amazing, and then [meeting up with MAIDEN's longtime manager] Rod [Smallwood] as well, it's made my whole year, actually. It was fantastic. It was pretty awesome."

Paul went on to say that the last time he saw Rod was in 2013 when both he and MAIDEN performed — separately — at Brazil's Rock In Rio festival.

"I missed the MAIDEN show because I got swamped by bloody press and stuff, so I couldn't actually do anything to watch the band," he explained.

Asked if it was "awkward" meeting up with Steve for the first time in 30 years, Paul said: "No. It was great. I wish I wasn't in this sort of position [being in a wheelchair]. Yeah, it was quite emotional. If it had been the first time we spoke together in 30 years, it would have been maybe a little bit more weird. But, as I said, we talk about football and stuff like that, and Steve phoned me up a couple of times from [his home in] the Bahamas."

Calling himself and Harris two "happy-go-lucky geezers" from London's East End, Paul went on to say that he owes Steve dinner "big time, because he looked after my missus and son over in the States on the last MAIDEN tour in Connecticut, in Hartford. He really looked after them — gave them backstage VIP stuff and all of that. It was great. So when I get my legs back, I'll take him out to dinner."

According to Paul, Steve called him the day after the MAIDEN show in Croatia but he missed his call. "But I did text him back," Di'Anno said.

Paul also set the record straight about where he stands with respect to his former band, saying: "What annoys me is that everyone's spreading rumors around that we don't like each other and stuff like that. I ain't got nothing [against] IRON MAIDEN at all. I tell you, the show was brilliant on Sunday — absolutely amazing."

Video and a photo of Paul's get-together with Steve, courtesy of Stjepan Juras, a MAIDEN fan and author of many MAIDEN-related books, who is taking care of Di'Anno during his stay in Croatia, can be found below.

Di'Anno recorded two classic albums with IRON MAIDEN — a self-titled effort in 1980 and "Killers" in 1981 — before being fired and replaced by Bruce Dickinson. He went on to front a number of other bands, including KILLERS and BATTLEZONE, and released several solo records.

More than a decade and a half ago, Di'Anno told The Jersulam Post that leaving the MAIDEN juggernaut behind was the best thing that ever happened to him, and that he had no bitter feelings toward his former bandmates. "I absolutely have no regrets about leaving MAIDEN — I wasn't right in the head at that time to be in the middle of all that," he said. "I was fed up and disillusioned; it would have been cheating the fans and myself if I had stayed. It was easy to walk away from, and I'm very happy the band got bigger and bigger."

Several years ago, Di'Anno told Metal Thunder Radio that he wasn't as involved with MAIDEN's songwriting as he would have liked. "Steve had most of the words and the lyrics [to the band's first album] all written. That was some of the bones of contention that we had in the band — that I didn't get to write as much as I wanted to. 'Cause I am actually quite a prolific writer, but a lot of my songs were not accepted. 'Cause it's Steve's band, obviously."

He continued: "That first album was a revelation, I've gotta tell you. It was amazing. And the second album, for me, not so much. That's when I started to lose interest a little bit. But [we] still [had] great times — really great times."

At times, Paul has also publicly displayed his anger toward his former bandmates, most notably during a 2009 press conference in Argentina where he was asked about the rumors that his drug use had something to do with his split with MAIDEN. "Where the fuck do you people get this from?" he asked. "I left IRON MAIDEN because they were going too heavy metal, and IRON MAIDEN is a money-making machine, and I don't give a fuck about it. It was not about drugs; it was nothing like that. Me and Steve... I [wrote] the song 'Killers'. Steve had [what he thought] were better songs. I thought his songs were shit. Nothing to do with drugs; nothing whatsoever. Check your facts or otherwise this interview is over... I hate that! I fucking hate that! Because people... You say something but you don't know. Well, I'm telling you. IRON MAIDEN is Steve Harris's band. It doesn't matter about anybody else — whether it's Dave Murray, Clive [Burr], me... it's Steve Harris's band and all it is is money, money, money, money — nobody else counts. And I wrote fuckin' 20-times better songs than his, but I only got one song on the 'Killers' album because it's Steve's — he must have this. Fuckin' Adolf Hitler. I'm not interested. So there you go. But you need to take drugs when you're with IRON MAIDEN because they're so fucking boring. And the only drugs were aspirin, because Steve [making hand gesture as if someone is speaking into his ear]... Fuckin' headache."

Di'Anno played his first solo concert in seven years on May 21 at the Bikers Beer Factory in Zagreb. The show was filmed and parts of it will be included in a documentary about Di'Anno, to be directed by Wes Orshoski, co-director and producer of the acclaimed 2010 film "Lemmy" about the MOTÖRHEAD icon.

Di'Anno recently teamed up with several Croatian musicians to form a new project called WARHORSE. WARHORSE entered the studio to record three songs, two of which — "Stop The War" and "The Doubt Within" — have been released as a special limited-edition DVD single.

A fundraiser for Paul's upcoming surgery has been organized by his friends and fans coordinated by Pergjoni and Juras, in collaboration with the other members of WARHORSE. All proceeds from the single will be used to cover the costs of Paul's treatment and related needs.



After the video of the reunion of Steve Harris and Paul Di'Anno came out, I'm posting a much longer video of how it all really started. First came Rod Smallwood, whom Paul hasn’t seen since the 2013 Rock In Rio Festival, and then Steve Harris, whom everyone greeted along the way. This meeting triggered something that will be talked about soon. If you want to know more about everything, click on www.maidencroatia.com/warhorse

Posted by Stjepan Juras on Tuesday, May 24, 2022



It's happening ladies and gentlemen. If you want to know more, please visit www.maidencroatia.com/warhorse

Posted by Stjepan Juras on Sunday, May 22, 2022

Can't be better! See more at www.maidencroatia.com/warhorse

Posted by Stjepan Juras on Sunday, May 22, 2022



History!

Posted by Stjepan Juras on Sunday, May 22, 2022



Very emotional to see Paul watching performance of song Iron Maiden, after he left the venue to avoid huge traffic jam after the show. Shot for history!

Posted by Stjepan Juras on Monday, May 23, 2022

In her first interview since the death of ALL THAT REMAINS guitarist Oliver "Oli" Herbert nearly four years ago, his wife Elizabeth Herbert denied having anything to do with his passing. "I absolutely did not kill my husband," she told Daily Mail.

She also took a swipe at the lead detective over the way she was treated after she became a target in the investigation, questioned not just by cops but also by Oli's friends, family and bandmates.

"You could tell he was fan of the band," she said. "Here he is, this country cop, and he's working on a rock star who died. I think he got star struck and was on a power trip."

Oli was found dead on October 16, 2018 at the edge of the pond on his Stafford Springs, Connecticut property. He was reported missing by his wife about 3 p.m., and his body was found by police face down at the edge of the pond where the water was only a few inches deep. The medical examiner's office conducted an autopsy showing that Oli had three prescription drugs in his system — the antipsychotic olanzapine, the antidepressant citalopram, and Ambien. It also said: "Mr. Herbert's past medical history is reportedly significant for marijuana use."

The Connecticut State Police Eastern District Crime Squad is still investigating Herbert's death, which is being treated as suspicious. They are looking at the will he signed a week before his death as well as a life insurance policy mentioned in the will.

The will named Elizabeth Herbert as executor and sole benefactor. It said that Oliver Herbert's sister, Cynthia Herbert, should not become executor or receive anything from his estate. The will also stated that Elizabeth Herbert should get all "property as well as any current or future earnings."

Elizabeth, a self-described pagan, told Daily Mail the timing of the will was purely coincidental, that she and Oli had just recently had a friend die and wanted to prepare for the unexpected.

"We loved each other, we trusted each other and we were husband and wife, despite everyone else doing whatever they could to break us up," she said. "We were leaving each other everything, including making each other beneficiaries of each other's life insurance policies."

Others who knew Oli painted a different picture of the couple's relationship, saying that he was actually considering a divorce. They claimed Elizabeth was frequently hostile to Oli and bandmates and routinely accused him of sleeping with groupies.

According to the Hartford Courant, state police seized Elizabeth Herbert's computer and phone records as part of their investigation.

The couple were married for 14 years and lived in Stafford Springs for four years before Oli's death.

In 2020, ALL THAT REMAINS singer Phil Labonte called Elizabeth Herbert a "garbage human being" who was "never allowed" to join the band on tour. "She would come to the local shows, because we couldn't stop her from showing up," he explained. "[But] she wasn't allowed because she's a garbage human being."

According to the singer, he tried unsuccessfully to convince Oli to get a divorce for a long time. "I can't tell you exactly why he wouldn't do it or what the circumstances [were] surrounding his resistance," he said. "I don't know. But I can say that I personally talked to him multiple times and said, 'Look, if you need a place to stay, I've got plenty of room. Come to my house."

Asked if he had an opinion on how Oli died, the singer responded: "I do have an opinion on it, but I'm not gonna say. There is an ongoing investigation by the Connecticut state police."

Herbert began playing guitar at 14. He co-founded ALL THAT REMAINS with Labonte in 1998.

The surviving members of ALL THAT REMAINS later recruited guitar virtuoso and YouTube personality Jason Richardson (ALL SHALL PERISH, CHELSEA GRIN, BORN OF OSIRIS) to replace Herbert.

In March 2021, Labonte revealed that a financial dispute with Elizabeth Herbert has made it impossible for ALL THAT REMAINS to use Oli's name in connection with any of its projects. Speaking to American Songwriter, Labonte said he and his bandmates have toyed with the idea of hosting benefits for Herbert and even starting a charity or project in the late musician's name. "We talked about ideas to do a benefit to raise money for kids in schools, but we can't do anything that has his name on it," Labonte said.

Labonte also confirmed that ALL THAT REMAINS has always paid everything owed to Herbert's estate and will continue to do so.

"We've made sure that that our accountants and all the people that work with us know any money that is owed to Oli Herbert's estate must be paid to Oli Herbert's estate," Labonte explained. "And we have absolutely no interest in not paying. It's not worth any kind of hassle for the amount of money."

Former MÖTLEY CRÜE singer John Corabi spoke to Australia's May The Rock Be With You about his upcoming autobiography, "Horseshoes And Hand Grenades", which is tentatively due on June 14 via Rare Bird Books. It was written with the help of MÖTLEY CRÜE historian/author Paul Miles.

Regarding the writing process for the book, Corabi said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was tedious. I wrote it with a guy from Melbourne [in Australia], Paul Miles. He was very thorough with his research, and we kind of conducted it like an interview. And then he put it in like a transcript form and then sent it to me and then I went through it and I crisscrossed things off and then I rewrote things and then I sent it back. And we did this — God — eight or nine times. So it was very tedious, but it was also… It was good and bad. There was very cool moments in the book where I was kind of happy and I kind of relived that while I was reading it. And then there was other moments where it was, like, oh my God. Leaving MÖTLEY, the lawsuit, divorces… And I was just going through some of the insanity. A couple of times I had to walk away from it, go make myself a coffee or a tea and then come back and get back into it. And I'm, like, 'Oh my God. I'm getting a fucking stomach ache over this.' But at the same time, I think it was a bit cleansing as well. So it was cool — definitely an overall positive experience."

Asked if "Horseshoes And Hand Grenades" covers his time with MÖTLEY CRÜE in great detail, Corabi said: "I really tried to make the book not about any of the people that I was in the bands with or any of the women that I was married to. It's more like what I was going through mentally and physically going from a pauper to joining MÖTLEY CRÜE — the excitement, all those things. And then also how I felt when I was leaving the band or going through a divorce or whatever. So it's really kind of more an in-depth look into me trying to process everything and how I was feeling while all of this shit was happening. And we go all the way back to the very beginning — like birth. So the book is long; you definitely get your money's worth with the book. Everybody that's read it so far is pretty pleased. They're, like, 'It's a great read. It goes into depth.' And, again, it wasn't written to throw anybody under the bus. I'm just being as truthful as possible. And hopefully, I keep my fingers crossed that I don't piss anybody off."

Corabi joined CRÜE in 1992 as the replacement for the group's original singer, Vince Neil, who was dismissed due to personal differences. With Corabi on vocals, MÖTLEY CRÜE released one critically acclaimed full-length CD, which ended up being a commercial failure in the wake of grunge despite a Top 10 placing on the album chart. When Neil returned to the fold in 1997, Corabi was left on his own and formed the band UNION with ex-KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick.

Last year, Corabi told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about his book: "It goes all the way back to, obviously, me being born, but it talks about my parents. My grandparents were first-generation Italians from the Calabria section of Italy. My mother's side of the family, I talk about them. It talks about me being born, my childhood being very kind of 'Wonder Years' — whatever — and then just it completely derailing and falling apart. And it goes into everything. There's a lot of things that fans don't know about me — some of my marriages. It talks about, again, my youth, childhood. I dive into the Uncle Jack stories.

"Basically, the book is really kind of a testament to [the fact that] I knew at a very young age that I wanted to do what I'm doing for a living," he continued. "Now, has it panned out the way that the magazines, the articles — you know, Learjets, limousines and all that other stuff? Probably not. But I'm still pushing forward, still trying to find my slice of the pie. But it's really kind of a testament to perseverance. And it goes right from the time I took my first breath to maybe a year ago."

When asked in an interview with 80's Glam Metalcast if he is concerned at all about what his former bandmates will think about his book, Corabi responded: "To be honest with you, I don't really think that I'm telling anybody anything that they didn't already know. What the book really kind of goes through is me joining the band, being in the band, leaving the band, and it really kind of explains my mental state. Obviously, the MÖTLEY thing, all of it's been so publicized with [the band biography] 'The Dirt' and just interviews and different things like that. I'm just explaining how I was feeling while certain things were happening and how I feel like I fit with the band but I never really did. So I'm kind of talking about my mental state through the whole thing. So I don't really think I'm saying anything that will surprise anybody. And to be honest with you, and I don't mean this to sound weird, but I don't really care what those guys think... The minute they told me they were bringing Vince back, I walked away from it and I kind of accepted everything. It's not me who keeps bringing it up. I'm still writing new music. I've done — in the last 10 years, between my solo records and the records I did with THE [DEAD] DAISIES and the new music that I'm doing, I think I've done five or six records. So I'm past it, I'm over it, I don't even think about it.

"Paul talked to me about doing a book, which I really didn't want to do in the beginning," he continued. "But he said, 'You know what, dude? You're just one of these guys that, like, even though you kind of had a few chapters in 'The Dirt', you're largely a mystery. There's not a lot of stuff that people know about you. And I think your story is pretty fascinating.' So I was, like, 'Okay. Whatever. We'll do the book.'

"It's not a tell-all book about any band that I've been in; it's not a tell-all book about any of my marriages; it's basically a tell-all book about John Corabi from the minute I took my first breath till about a year ago or six months ago," he explained. "I have an ex-wife or two that it might piss off, and I don't give a shit about them either. So, whatever… [The book] is about perseverance and it talks about my life from the beginning to now. And the title is just about somebody that's been close a lot. It's a book about a guy that's been in all the right places but at all the wrong times. So it's pretty cool. It's fun."

Corabi went on to say that he doesn't hold a grudge against any of the guys in MÖTLEY CRÜE. "Honestly, it may not seem it, but I don't have any issues with the guys in MÖTLEY at all," he said. "I love those guys. I don't know why Nikki's [Sixx, CRÜE bassist] had a hair up his ass for the last couple of years about me; I couldn't tell you why. I don't know. I don't care. My only beef with those guys was I really wish they would have just left me out of ['The Dirt' biopic]. I really felt like — I don't know if it was intentional, if it wasn't intentional, but I really felt like my portrayal in the movie just made me look like a complete fucking babbling moron. And they also made it look like we were playing in high school gymnasiums to 10 people. Obviously, it wasn't great — we all know that; it's common knowledge — but the attendance wasn't that bad; not as bad as they made it look. So I wish they would would have just left me out of the movie altogether and whatever. But it is what it is. I don't care. I'm over it."

In February 2018, Corabi released a live album of his performance of MÖTLEY CRÜE's entire 1994 self-titled album, recorded on October 27, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. "Live '94: One Night In Nashville" documents the album in its entirety along with the bonus track "10,000 Miles", which was originally released as a bonus track on the Japanese version of the "Quaternary" EP.

Ex-DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy attended the group's concert on March 4 at Beacon Theatre in New York City. It was the first time Portnoy witnessed his former bandmates perform live since his exit from the iconic progressive metal outfit more than 11 years ago.

According to DREAM THEATER fans who attended the show, singer James LaBrie gave Portnoy a shoutout from the stage and Mike waved. Several fans also took pictures of Portnoy at the venue, with Mike and his wife reportedly watching the performance from near the Beacon Theatre soundboard.

The next day, Portnoy shared a few backstage photos from the concert and he included the following message: "After 36 years, I finally got to see my 1st DREAM THEATER show last night! It was a wonderful evening and it was such a pleasure to spend time with my old friends again".

Asked in a new interview with Pete Pardo of Sea Of Tranquility what it was like for him to see Portnoy at the New York concert, DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, Mike and I have been friends [in the years since his departure]. Nothing really interrupted that. There was definitely a rough period, but that's obvious. It was great. It was brave of him. I'm sure it took some — I don't know what the word is — some courage, or whatever, to put himself in that position, 'cause it's a little awkward, especially 'cause there were some different guys with different situations going on, different relationships. So he was, like, 'I'm going,' and I think it's awesome that he did that. And it meant a lot — it meant a lot to everybody. It meant a lot to all of us, and it also managed to smooth out some of the relationships, as everybody knows; you see everything online. But it was great to see him. And I'm so glad he came. And it must be cool to go see a DREAM THEATER show. [Laughs]"

Last month, LaBrie told Sonic Perspectives that it was "great" to reconnect with Portnoy at the New York show. "The thing is that you get to a point in life where you've gotta… You can't carry around that. Don't carry around hate; don't carry around negativity," LaBrie said. "We carried it around far too long, as far as I'm concerned, and it didn't serve any purpose; it just served frickin' division. It was very divisive and very damaging.

"So, it's great to be back," James added. "We're talking to one another, we're chatting and all that stuff. And that's the kind of world that I wanna live in as opposed to negativity, hate and frickin'… It's just not worth it. It's not worth it."

Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER 37 years ago, abruptly quit the band in September 2010 while on tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD. He has since been replaced by Mangini (ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME, STEVE VAI).

Portnoy was a guest on DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci's second solo album, "Terminal Velocity", which was released in August 2020 via Sound Mind Music/The Orchard. The effort marked the first time Petrucci and Portnoy recorded together in over a decade, as well as their first time playing together since Portnoy departed DREAM THEATER.

In a 2017 interview with Rockhok, Portnoy insisted that had "no longing to reunite" with DREAM THEATER but said that he would return to his former band "for the fans." He explained: "The ball's in their court, to be honest. I have no longing to reunite with them; it's not something I necessarily am looking to do or want to do. I'm very content with all the eighty-seven bands I currently have going, so it's something I need. But I would do it for the fans, because I'm a very sentimental person and I have a lot of great, fond memories of those guys and the times. I'm a sentimental guy, so I would never close the door on it. So, really, the ball's in their court, honestly. [But] if you're asking me the odds [of a reunion happening], I would say, don't bet on it, because I know their personalities as well and I don't think they're the type that are looking backwards."

A couple of years ago, Portnoy told Loud that he left DREAM THEATER because he wanted to expand his musical horizons. "[I didn't] want to go to my grave and just be the drummer from DREAM THEATER," he said. "I knew there was way more to what I had to offer."

After 36 years, I finally got to see my 1st Dream Theater show last night! 🤣 It was a wonderful evening and it was such...

Posted by Mike Portnoy on Saturday, March 5, 2022

PUDDLE OF MUDD frontman Wes Scantlin spoke to Jave Patterson of Reno's Rock 104.5 radio station about the progress of the recording sessions for the follow-up to 2019's "Welcome To Galvania" album. "The record is basically pretty much done," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I've just gotta polish it a little bit up and revise a couple of things. I did a lot of work with [former PUDDLE OF MUDD bassist] Doug Ardito [and former PUDDLE OF MUDD guitarist] Christian Stone that used to be playing with me and stuff like that. And they had basically saved a bunch of songs that were recorded. And I'm really happy about it. It was a little funky, but I'm glad that it was put into a musical vault. So it takes a lot of weight off my shoulders."

Scantlin's latest comments come six months after he made headlines for on onstage meltdown at the EPIC Event Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin where he seemed to barely get the words out to the band's hits, complained that the lighting was blinding him and abruptly ended the show after just a few songs.

Wes had almost non-stop problems with the law, alcohol, finances and other issues, before claiming to have gotten sober in 2017. Scantlin said that he ended up going back to rehab and receiving treatment "because there's really nowhere else to go." He also credited his family and fans for giving him the strength to try to get better.

Scantlin was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in September 2017 after he attempted to board a plane with a BB gun. He pleaded no contest and was banned from LAX unless it involved traveling for work.

Before that, there have been a few tumultuous years for the singer and guitarist. In January of 2016, he was arrested on suspicion of breaking into his former home and vandalizing some of the property.

He skipped two court dates related to the charges later that spring, which led to another arrest.

Prior to that, Scantlin was arrested in December 2015 for possession of a controlled substance and had several previous busts that same year for driving under the influence.

Additionally, he was arrested at a Denver airport in 2015 for taking a joyride on a baggage carousel and taken into custody as far back as 2012 for an altercation with a flight attendant.

He also ended a number of PUDDLE OF MUDD shows in 2016 early with various meltdowns, including one in which he accused a fan of stealing his house

PUDDLE OF MUDD was formed in 1991 in Kansas City by Scantlin, the only original member still with the band. The group into the mainstream with 2001's "Come Clean", which yielded three hits — "Control", "Blurry" and "She Hates Me".

"Welcome To Galvania" was released via Pavement Entertainment.

QUIET RIOT's ninth album, "Alive And Well", will be reissued as a deluxe 2CD set and a 2LP vinyl package on June 17. The 1999 album remains an important cornerstone in the band's history as it reunited the classic lineup of singer Kevin DuBrow, guitarist Carlos Cavazo, bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Frankie Banali, the same quartet which coalesced during the recording of the blockbuster multi-platinum-selling "Metal Health" album and went on to record much-lauded follow-up, 1984's "Condition Critical".

In preparation for this deluxe reissue, the complete "Alive And Well" album has been digitally remastered to bring out every nuance of the original eight compositions as well as QUIET RIOT's cover of AC/DC's "Highway To Hell" and six revamped QR classics. These come packaged with additional rare live tracks and demos of tracks that were later fleshed out on "Metal Health", including "Thunderbird", DuBrow's heartfelt tribute to founding QR guitarist, the great Randy Rhoads. In addition, the album has been given a thorough facelift with new artwork showcasing the iconic "Man With The Metal Mask" on the cover and photos by superstar photographer Paul Natkin.

Track listing:

Disc 1

01. Don't Know What I Want
02. Angry
03. Alive And Well
04. The Ritual
05. Overworked And Underpaid
06. Slam Dunk (Way To Go!)
07. Too Much Information
08. Against The Wall
09. Highway To Hell
10. Sign Of The Times (1999 Version)
11. Don't Wanna Let You Go (1999 Version)
12. The Wild And The Young (1999 Version)
13. Mama Weer All Crazee Now (1999 Version)
14. Cum On Feel The Noize (1999 Version)
15. Metal Health (Bang Your Head) (1999 Version)

Disc 2: Bonus Tracks

01. Let's Get Crazy (Live 1984)
02. Condition Critical (Live 1984)
03. Run For Cover (Live 1984)
04. Swinging Lumber (Live 1984)
05. Winners Take All (Live 1984)
06. Cum On Feel The Noize (Live 1984)
07. Metal Health (Bang Your Head) (Live 1984)
08. Danger Zone (Live 1984)
09. Gonna Have A Riot (Live 1984)
10. Thunderbird (Demo)
11. Love's A Bitch (Demo)
12. Let's Get Crazy (Demo)

Sarzo recently said that QUIET RIOT's upcoming studio album will include a song that was originally recorded with DuBrow.

DuBrow, who formed QUIET RIOT with Rhoads in 1975, died in November 2007 of an accidental cocaine overdose.

DuBrow recorded a solo album in 2004, the all-covers set "In For The Kill", and his final studio CD with QUIET RIOT, "Rehab", came out in October 2006.

The veteran rock group's last collection of fresh material was 2019's "Hollywood Cowboys", which marked Banali's final QUIET RIOT studio album before his untimely death.

Banali, who joined QUIET RIOT in 1982 and played on its breakthrough album, 1983's "Metal Health", died in August 2020 after a 16-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

The surviving members of QUIET RIOT later said it was "Frankie Banali's wish that the band continue and we keep the music and the legacy alive."

Joining Sarzo in QUIET RIOT's current lineup are guitarist Alex Grossi, vocalist Jizzy Pearl and drummer Johnny Kelly.

Grossi was in the last version of the band, from 2004 through 2007, before DuBrow passed away, and was asked by Banali to return in 2010.

QUIET RIOT went through two vocalists — Mark Huff and Scott Vokoun — before settling on Pearl in 2013. Pearl announced his exit from QUIET RIOT in October 2016 and was briefly replaced by Seann Nichols, who played only five shows with the group before the March 2017 arrival of "American Idol" finalist James Durbin. Pearl returned to QUIET RIOT in September 2019.

German space warriors, Victorius, have released a drum playthrough video for their current single, “Mighty Magic Mammoth”. Watch below:





“Mighty Magic Mammoth” is cut from the band’s upcoming full-length, Dinosaur Warfare Pt. 2 – The Great Ninja War, to be released via Napalm Records on June 24.




Victorius on “Mighty Magic Mammoth”: “Mighty Dinosaurriors! We´re proud to introduce you to a new creature of our epic, prehistoric, intergalactic story! The Mighty Magic Mammoth! A mystical giant, frozen in the eternal ice for thousands of years! But now, when mankind faces a new threat, the Mammoth returns from its slumber released by a magic comet made of cosmic steel! If this isn´t cheesy enough for you, you´re not worthy! So have fun and enjoy our NEW SONG!”





Dinosaur Warfare Pt. 2 - The Great Ninja War sets off with a monumental introduction, cracking open this mystical world as it flows into “Victorious Dinogods”. The track initiates battle with relentless power metal as the mighty dinogods resurrect to protect mankind against the space ninja attack. Luckily, the dinogods don’t stand alone, as they are proudly joined in battle by the “Mighty Magic Mammoth”, awakened by a fiery comet. But wait, there are more brothers-in-arms (and songs) on their way - like “Jurassic Jetfighters”, “Triceps Ceratops” and “Tyrannosaurus Steel”. The three join forces to fight the ninjas and their fearsome dragon, as fabled on smashing track “Dinos and Dragons”, spiced with an intense guitar solo praising the tradition of speed metal with a remarkable virtuosity. A foreshadowing of what’s to come when the ninjas take command is described with “Katana Kingdom Rising”, setting off with stomping drums that lead to an anthemic chorus. Strong symphonic elements are witnessed on “God of Roar” as well as on the powerful track “Night of the Nuclear Ninja”, which tells the story of the space ninjas transforming into even deadlier, nuclear versions of themselves. This is when another grand figure joins the fold: the giant “Powerzord”, a mighty robot lord, who comes to the aid of the dinosaurs in battle with the aim of finally freeing mankind from the space ninja threat. Will the dinos and their brave supporters manage to prevent the nuclear ninja kingdom from rising? Find out on Dinosaur Warfare Pt. 2 - The Great Ninja War - a roaring good time for all.


Victorius on Dinosaur Warfare Pt. 2 - The Great Ninja War: “Mighty Dinosaurriors. Get ready for the next chapter of our epic quest. Dinosaur Warfare Pt. 2 - The Great Ninja War is nothing more than the most ambitious album we´ve ever made. 12 songs full of speed, melodies, hooks and epic-ness. Together with producer Lars Rettkowitz we’ve created the soundtrack for an intergalactic Power Metal adventure you can´t escape from. The war rages on. Choose your side.”





Dinosaur Warfare Pt. 2 - The Great Ninja War is available in the following formats:


- Digi Sleevepack
- Digi Sleevepack + Shirt
- 1 LP Gatefold gold (limited to 300 copies, band shop exclusive)
- digital


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Saurus Invictus Lazerus"
"Victorious Dinogods"
"Mighty Magic Mammoth"
"Jurassic Jetfighters"
"Dinos And Dragons"
"Katana Kingdom Rising"
"God Of Roar"
"Night Of The Nuclear Ninja"
"Triceps Ceratops"
"Tyrannosaurus Steel"
"Shadow Of The Shinobi"
"Powerzord"


“Victorious Dinogods” lyric video:





"Dinos And Dragons" video:





Lineup:


David Baßin - Vocals
Dirk Scharsich - Guitar
Florian Zack - Guitar
Andreas Dockhorn - Bass
Frank Koppe - Drums


(Photo - Steffen Runke)

Billy Howerdel, fulfilling his promise to release a new song per week in the lead-up to the arrival of his solo album, What Normal Was (June 10, Alchemy Recordings/Rise Records/BMG), has debuted the song “Selfish Hearts”.


“No matter how many different track listings I tried, ‘Selfish Hearts’ always felt like the right song to welcome listeners to What Normal Was,” said Howerdel of the track. “Sometimes a chord change can give me chills. ‘Selfish Hearts’ does that for me.”







The latest song arrives as the L.A. experimental duo VOWWS have been announced as the support act for Howerdel’s upcoming tour, which begins June 11 in Ventura, CA. (dates below). The five-week trek finds Howerdel joining his APC bandmate Maynard James Keenan’s Puscifer for two shows: June 12 at the Greek Theatre (Los Angeles) and July 1 at Meadow Brook Amphitheatre (Rochester Hills, Mich). Tickets, and VIP packages, for all headlining dates are on-sale now.


What Normal Was album pre-orders and pre-saves, which include an array of limited-edition vinyl variants, and other physical formats, are available here.





What Normal Was tracklisting:


"Selfish Heart"
"Free And Weightless"
"Ani"
"Beautiful Mistake"
"The Same Again"
"Poison Flowers"
"Follower"
"Bring Honor Back Home"
"EXP"
"Stars"


“Beautiful Mistake” visualizer:





"Poison Flowers" video:





"Free And Weightless" visualizer:





For tickets and ticket info for Hwerdel's upcoming tour, including VIP packages, please visit billyhowerdel.com.





Tour dates:


June
11 - Ventura, CA - Ventura Music Hall
12 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre *
14 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up
15 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
16 - Roseville, CA - Goldfield Trading Post
18 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
19 - Seattle, WA - Neumos
21 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall
22 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre
24 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Café
25 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
26 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall
28 - Chicago, IL - Cabaret Metro
29 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall


July
1 - Rochester Hills, MI - Meadow Brook Amphitheatre *
2 - Toronto, ON - Axis Club
3 - Montreal, QC - Café Campus
5 - Allston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
6 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
8 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts
9 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
10 - Charlotte, NC - The Underground
12 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
14 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
15 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall – Inside Downstairs
16 - Dallas, TX - The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
17 - Austin, TX - Emos
20 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom


* with Puscifer


New Jersey-born and Los Angeles-based vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer Billy Howerdel has quietly asserted himself as an alternative music auteur whose knack for massive hooks believes a keen emotional understanding and sonic acuity. Devoting his life to music after witnessing Pink Floyd live, he acted as something of a behind-the-scenes journeyman, working as an in-demand touring and studio tech for the likes of David Bowie, Guns N’ Roses, and Nine Inch Nails.


Striking up a friendship with Maynard James Keenan when Tool opened for Fishbone (for whom Billy served as a tech), he occupied a room in a North Hollywood cottage with Maynard. Billy founded A Perfect Circle with Maynard in 1999. The group’s seminal full-length debut, Mer de Noms, went platinum and made history as the “highest Billboard Top 200 bow for a rock band’s debut.” They followed it with the platinum Thirteenth Step [2003] and gold Emotive [2004]. The group made their return with 2018’s Eat The Elephant, marking their fourth consecutive Top 5 debut on the Top 200.


In between, Billy’s music has also appeared in video games and on the big screen. During 2008, he made his first solo statement under the moniker Ashes Divide with Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright. In the next decade, the album quietly pervaded as a cult favorite with millions of streams and the odd sold out “reunion” show. On his 2022 proper full-length solo debut, What Normal Was [Alchemy Recordings/Rise Records/BMG], he inhabits a space that’s reverent of his past, present, and future all at once. After all of these years, songs, and shows, Billy is ready to introduce himself.


(Photo - Erica Weitz)

Guitarist Thomas Zwijsen has released the new video below, in which he performs an acoustic guitar cover of the title track of Iron Maiden's seventeenth studio album, Senjutsu.





More of Zwijsen's Maiden covers can be found below:

Legendary rock band DEF LEPPARD played a special invitation-only concert in Los Angeles at the Whisky A Go Go for SiriusXM listeners. The intimate performance, part of SiriusXM's Small Stage Series, took place yesterday (Thursday, May 26) in celebration of DEF LEPPARD's new album "Diamond Star Halos" which is being released today (Friday, May 27). Fan-filmed video of the show can be seen below.

Prior to DEF LEPPARD's upcoming "The Stadium Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON and Joan Jett, this was the first time fans could see the band perform new songs live from its latest album live in addition to the stadium anthem hits that cemented DEF LEPPARD as rock icons.

The setlist was as follows:

01. Take What You Want
02. Animal
03. Foolin'
04. Armageddon It
05. Kick (live premiere)
06. Love Bites
07. Excitable
08. Rocket
09. Bringin' On The Heartbreak
10. Switch 625
11. Hysteria
12. Pour Some Sugar On Me

Encore:

13. Rock Of Ages
14. Photograph

The performance will premiere on SiriusXM's Def Leppard Radio and Howard 101 on Friday, May 27 at 5:00 p.m. ET and PT. Additionally, the concert will broadcast throughout June on Classic Rewind (ch. 25) and '80s On 8.

Def Leppard Radio will launch on Friday, May 27 and run through Saturday, June 25 on the SiriusXM app. The channel will also be available on satellite (channel 39) on Friday, May 27 through Thursday, June 2.

Featuring a slew of guest hosts, Def Leppard Radio will delve into the band’s 40-year music career, providing insight behind both their greatest hits and their new album. Def Leppard Radio will also spotlight other artists performing on their stadium tour like MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON and Joan Jett, as well as artists who influenced DEF LEPPARD, including David Bowie, QUEEN, T.REX, MOTT THE HOOPLE and more.

SiriusXM's Small Stage Series features performances with premier artists spanning music genres and styles, and comedy, and held in small iconic venues. SiriusXM launched its Small Stage Series in August 2021 and to date has announced performances by Alicia Keys, Avril Lavigne, Brandi Carlile, COLDPLAY, Dave Matthews, Ed Sheeran, GLASS ANIMALS, THE GO-GO'S, H.E.R., J Balvin, J. Cole, Jason Aldean, John Mayer, John Mulaney, Kane Brown, Kenny Chesney, Michael Che, Nathaniel Rateliff & THE NIGHT SWEATS, OLD DOMINION, Shaggy and TWENTY ONE PILOTS.

SiriusXM is available to subscribers nationwide on SiriusXM radios, the SXM App, and with Amazon Alexa, the Google Assistant or however they stream at home. Streaming access is included with all of SiriusXM's trials and most popular plans.

We’re going to Fire It Up TONIGHT 🔥 at Whisky A Go-Go w/ SiriusXM's #SmallStageSeries 🤘 Hear the concert on Def Leppard Radio on the SXM App tomorrow (5/27)

📸 Ross Halfin Photography

Posted by Def Leppard on Thursday, May 26, 2022



Thank you Whiskey-A-Gogo & SiriusXM Eddie Trunk🤘💯 Def Leppard Radio launches tomorrow at 12pm (ET) on SiriusXM and the live concert small stage series performance premieres at 5pm (ET) and (PT).

Posted by Def Leppard on Thursday, May 26, 2022

DEEP PURPLE played its third show with new touring guitarist Simon McBride Wednesday night (May 25) at Life Park Sarıyer in Istanbul. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

DEEP PURPLE's setlist was as follows:

01. Highway Star
02. Pictures Of Home
03. Strange Kind Of Woman
04. Nothing At All
05. Uncommon Man
06. Lazy
07. When A Blind Man Cries
08. 7 And 7 Is (LOVE cover)
09. Throw My Bones
10. Time For Bedlam
11. Blue Rondo À La Turk (THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET cover) (with Don Airey)
12. Turkish March (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart cover) (with Don Airey) (Keyboard solo)
13. Katibim (Dimitri Cantemir cover) (with Don Airey) (Keyboard solo)
14. Perfect Strangers
15. Space Truckin'
16. Smoke On The Water

Encore:

17. Caught In The Act
18. Hush (Joe South cover)
19. Bass Solo (with Roger Glover)
20. Black Night

McBride, who has previously toured with both Ian Gillan and Don Airey, among others, is filling in for longtime DEEP PURPLE guitarist Steve Morse. Steve is taking a temporary hiatus from live shows but remains a full member of the band.

Morse's hiatus from the classic rock icons was announced on March 31. In a statement, he said that his wife Janine is battling cancer and added that he hopes he can rejoin PURPLE on tour "after she gets a clean bill of health."

Added the rest of the band: "All of our thoughts are with Janine during her fight against cancer and also with Steve while he supports his wife at a very difficult time. We hope that Steve will be able to join us back on the road later this year."

McBride said: "I'm deeply honored to be asked to stand-in for Steve and play for such an iconic rock band like DEEP PURPLE. They are amazing musicians and amazing people… I'm very excited to get out and play all those iconic songs and rock the stage with such legends. My thoughts are with Steve and Janine and their family."

Morse effectively took over Ritchie Blackmore's DEEP PURPLE slot in 1994 and has since been in the group longer than Ritchie.

In a 1997 interview, Blackmore stated about Morse: "I'm just glad they [DEEP PURPLE] found a guitar player to carry on because I thought I was going to be shackled to this band for the rest of my life. It was like a ball-and-chain thing, and luckily, they said, 'Well, we found someone.' 'Thank God, I can get out!'

"I haven't listened much [to DEEP PURPLE's recent recordings]. I just know that Steve Morse [is a] brilliant player. I remember Steve Morse with the DIXIE DREGS; they're fantastic."

Morse's solo career has encompassed rock, country, funk, jazz, classical and fusion. Having started playing guitar around the age of 11, he later on attended University of Miami's School of Music, where he studied classical guitar and jazz. A "guitarist's guitarist", he was voted "Best Overall Guitarist" in the Guitar Player Readers' Poll for five consecutive years, before being removed from eligibility to open the award to other musicians, and being inducted into their Gallery Of Greats. His work has received seven Grammy Award nominations, and he has appeared on over 200 albums.

DEEP PURPLE's latest album, "Turning To Crime", came out in November via earMUSIC. The LP contains DEEP PURPLE's versions of great rock classics and musical jewels — including songs originally recorded by Bob Dylan, FLEETWOOD MAC, Bob Seger, CREAM and THE YARDBIRDS — carefully chosen by each member of the band.

THE CULT's Billy Duffy spoke to Yorkshire Post about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's new album. According to the guitarist, the "main bulk" of the follow-up to 2016's "Hidden City" is completed and mastered. The effort was tracked primarily at Rockfield Studios in Wales with producer Tom Dalgety, who has previously worked with GHOST and ROYAL BLOOD, among others.

"There are always a few scraps left over that we need to figure out whether to make a casserole of them, but the body of the album is done, what we consider to be the best songs," Duffy said. "Over the period of the next six, seven or eight months, songs will appear. We'll probably play one live."

Regarding how the album came together, Duffy said: "Because of the pandemic, it was sort of done long distance. For example, Ian [Astbury, vocals] never set foot in Rockfield. I was there with Dalgety and the band, but Ian was in America and things were done remotely, which was a shame, but it just couldn't be done any other way. Now it's the classic example for a lot of bands where you've made an album [and] now you learn how to play it. It's very different to what it was in the '80s."

As for the musical direction of THE CULT's new album, Duffy said it is "hard" to compare it to the band's past output.

"I said to somebody the other day I'm the guy in there plastering the walls and putting the windows in, I don't get to stand back and look at the finished house," he said. "I'm in there banging the nails in, that's my gig, but I will get that objectivity [later].

"I would say it's a rock album because all our albums are rock albums, but I would call it a bluesy-free zone. We consciously kept out some of the stuff that I might write that's a bit more in the blues rock 'n' roll genre. We just decided as a team. I did that stuff elsewhere [in COLOURSOUND] with Mike [Peters] from THE ALARM.

"I hate the expression 'it's like your early albums,' but with this one we wanted to keep things a bit more in that vein, more in the 'Love'/'Dreamtime' palate, and maybe like the album from '94 that the fans liked, our post-grunge apocalypse record that was just called 'The Cult'," he continued. "But it's also more than that because it is quite epic in its scale — it's quite a big-sounding record; it's not small and twee by any means because Dalgety makes big-sounding records. It's a bit thematic, a bit cinematic in places, but there's not a lot of that 'Electric'-era CULT, typical AC/DC stuff."

"Hidden City" was released in February 2016 via Cooking Vinyl. The follow-up to 2012's "Choice Of Weapon" was written by Astbury and Duffy and was produced by Bob Rock, who has previously worked with METALLICA and MÖTLEY CRÜE.

In May 2020, it was announced that THE CULT had inked a deal with Black Hill Records.

THE CULT spent most of 2019 touring in celebration of the 30th anniversary of its "Sonic Temple" album. The LP catapulted THE CULT into superstar status and remains their most commercially successful release. It has sold over 1.5 million copies in the U.S. alone and was certified platinum in 1990. It made it to No. 10 on the Billboard chart, and several of the album's songs remain rock-radio staples to this day.

Ted Nugent has once again blasted Dee Snider for seemingly celebrating the fact that the controversial rocker was diagnosed with coronavirus.

After Nugent went public with the fact that he was battling COVID-19 in April 2021, TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick shared a couple of headlines highlighting the fact that Nugent was previously spreading false information about the pandemic, only to contract the virus himself and become severely sick. Snider, who tested positive for COVID-19 last summer despite the fact that he was fully vaccinated, shared Skolnick's tweet and included the following message: "It's just...so...beautiful!"

Nugent, an outspoken conspiracy theorist who has refused to take the vaccine, touched upon Snider's comment during his May 20 YouTube livestream. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Dee Snider — a nice guy, I thought. But if you make fun of someone getting sick, you're not a nice guy, Dee. What happened to you? We always got along. And then you celebrated my sickness. And you don't know how rotten that is? Why don't you know how rot… Dee, you're not a rotten guy.

"Dee, if you have a problem with Ted Nugent, there's only one person you should discuss that with: Ted Nugent," he continued. "If I have a problem with Dee Snider, I'm addressing you, Dee; I would like to talk to you.

"What caused that nasty, nasty hate? 'Well, you said bad things about [former U.S. secretary of state] Hillary Clinton.' Because Hillary Clinton destroys everything she touches," Nugent explained. "She's a dishonest, tyrannical, oath-violating criminal. That's not mean; that's the truth. 'Well, you said [she should] suck my machine gun.' Dee, Dee, my friend — have you ever said 'F.U.' to someone but not really intentionally pursuing sex with that person? Are you kidding me? Do you think I would ever want her lips anywhere near my firearms? You're not aware of street terms? You must be. You must be. 'Cause I understand you're a good father and a good husband. So why were you such a prick at that moment? I just don't get it."

Nugent previously addressed Snider's comment about his COVID-19 battle in a December 2021 interview with Sofa King Cool. At the time, Ted said: "What is that thought process? [Dee] and I have been friends. What horrible human impulse — horrible, rotten, hateful, soulless impulse — must exist in horrible people to take pleasure and celebrate a fellow man's illness. It went viral across the globe where the left said I got what I deserved. How did I deserve that? 'Well, you called it a hoax.' I never, ever used the 'H' word. I never used word 'hoax'; I never called it a hoax. I called [top infectious diseases doctor Anthony] Fauci a scam artist. I called [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi, Fauci and [former U.S. president Barack] Obama at the Wuhan lab with our tax dollars to cultivate a communist Chinese weaponized virus? That's not a Ted Nugent supposition. We have the footage. And they took glee.

"A guy like Dee Snider — how can you abandon your humanity and take pleasure in another person's sickness?" he continued. "What a horrible, horrible manifestation of societal human abandonment. So, I pray for the Dee Sniders to allow themselves to be that rotten. I expect Marxists and leftists, but not a Dee Snider and not otherwise reasonably decent people, 'cause he's a good guy. But, boy, he really showed a rotten, horrible side when he did that. And it didn't impact me at all because I know that there's always been bad, nasty people.

"So, if Dee Snider's watchin, Dee — I think it was a hiccup; I don't think that's what you are," Ted added. "But when you're ready to be a man and apologize, I will expect and accept your apology, because that was a rotten moment in an otherwise nice life.

"How do you just decide to be a prick one day? It's sad."

Nugent went on to say that wishing people ill based on party politics or any other factors is never acceptable. "So, the little boys and girls that are getting leukemia, do they deserve that?" he said. "Are you kidding me? I suppose when someone gets cancer and they keep smoking and drinking and eating food that isn't food, I suppose at some point you do deserve that, because you know that that's bad for you and you keep doing it; that's when you deserve something. But what kind of mindless idiot would take pleasure in anybody, even if they hate my politics… And if you hate my politics, you've gotta be a real dirtbag, 'cause my politics are freedom; my politics are self-evident truth based in God-given individual rights, God, family, country, the Constitution, Bill Of Rights, Declaration Of Independence, work ethic, law and order, the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule. You have a problem with that? That's the foundation of America. So if you have a problem with Ted Nugent's politics, you are a bad, bad person."

Ted continued: "Even a guy like Tom Morello, who I love, and [Carlos] Santana, who I love, wearing a Che Guevara shirt? So you're a supporter of genocide? You're a supporter of a guy that would have killed you. Che would have killed Santana and Tom Morello if he had a chance. What the fuck? How many mind-altering chemicals do you have to consume to be that fucking stupid? What the fuck? Wearing a Che Guevara shirt is like wearing an Adolf Hitler shirt. What is wrong with these people? You can't explain it. You have to literally take your soul and put it in the garbage to be that stupid."

Last October, Nugent appeared on "Off The Record" where he once again said that he wouldn't take the COVID-19 vaccine because the shots that were available in the United States were developed in less than a year are probably fake.

"It's not a vaccine," he said. "It's an experimental shot. Now the FDA was forced to authorize it recently, but they were jabbing people with an experimental shot right up until that fake authorization.

"I don't believe it's a vaccine," he reiterated. "Most of America doesn't believe it's a vaccine. The only ones that are taking it are either gullible or being forced because they're gonna lose their job, lose their life and lose their livelihood."

Asked what he would say to the people who believe it's a worthwhile vaccine and it's saving lives, Ted said: "I appreciate the opportunity to speak to the people that went ahead and got the jab. I speak their language. I will speak to them thusly: Baaaaaah," he said, imitating a sheep. "Baaaaaah. Baaaaaah. Baaaaaah. They understand that."

When senior Capitol correspondent Tim Skubick asked Nugent point blank if he believes that the millions of people who got the shot are "just stupid," Ted replied: "Yup."

In April 2021, Nugent talked about the darkest days of his battle with COVID-19, saying that he had "never been so scared" in his entire life. The 73-year-old pro-gun activist, who had previously claimed the virus was "not a real pandemic," said: "It was really scary. I didn't think I was gonna make it. I literally couldn't function for about 20 hours, and then they came and they rescued me… The six-foot-two, 225-pound headache [this time] was like nothing I have ever experienced. I mean, from my tip of my toes to the top of my hair, I literally was dizzy and weak and struggled to get up to go to the bathroom. And I would lay in the bathtub a couple of times a day with the water as hot as I could take it just to divert."

Ted also said that he was being treated for COVID-19 by a group of doctors who made a video in 2020 calling for the use of hydroxychloroquine to battle the novel coronavirus, despite warnings from public health experts. Nugent went on to detail his clinical management of COVID-19, saying he was taking hydroxychloroquine, "a proven drug for 65 years," as well as ivermectin, "another proven drug."

In the past, Nugent, a staunch Donald Trump supporter, had referred to the virus as a "leftist scam to destroy" America's 45th president. He had also repeated a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggests the official death count from the coronavirus is inflated.

In a new interview with PopCulture, FOZZY's Chris Jericho was asked about the similarities between his singing voice and that of legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman Ozzy Osbourne. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've always had that in me. It's not trying to sound like Ozzy; that's my vocal range — that really high-end… So there's always been elements of it. As a matter of fact, on [2012's] 'Sin And Bones' record, I said, 'Let's just fucking record a [BLACK] SABBATH song. Let me try and sound like Ozzy.' And we did 'Fairies Wear Boots'. And if you listen to it, it's, like, 'Okay, now that's Ozzy.' So we've always had some of those elements.

"But you're right — there's a couple of songs… I mean, 'Nowhere To Run', even when we play it, we play it live every night [sings song's chorus] — that one, singing it, I feel like, 'Oh, this is the Ozzy part,'" Chris added. "And I think one of the reasons for that is when [guitarist] Rich Ward writes the melody line, or Johnny Andrews, our producer, who co-writes all the songs with us, they know what my wheelhouse is, and they know that there's that high-end, I guess you'd say 'Ozzy-esque' style to it. Some people sound like Steve Perry; some people sound like Bruce Dickinson; some people sound like [Paul] McCartney — I sound like Ozzy. So that's kind of my wheelhouse. And [we're] not trying to write songs that sound like Ozzy, but there are definite parts that have that vibe to it, and even I can feel it and I know it. Which is cool — it's fun to know that if you're gonna be compared to somebody… Listen, people forget — Ozzy's one of the greatest rock and roll singers of all time, so I'll take that comparison any day of the week, man."

Earlier this week, FOZZY announced a fall leg of its headlining "Save The World" tour supporting its new studio album, "Boombox". The 20-date trek, featuring special guests NO RESOLVE and GFM, will kick off September 8 in Columbus, Ohio and travel throughout the U.S. and Canada, stopping in such cities as Louisville, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Charlotte, Richmond, Baltimore, Montreal, Toronto, and Philadelphia, before wrapping October 10 in Virginia Beach.

Just released May 6 via Century Media/Sony, "Boombox", the band's eighth full-length studio album and follow-up to FOZZY's massive 2017 album "Judas", entered the Neilsen Current Hard Music Albums chart at No. 5 and the Current Rock Albums and Current Digital Albums charts at No. 19 and has already amassed nearly 14 million total streams. "Boombox" features FOZZY's anthemic single "I Still Burn", their newest Top 20 hit at Mainstream Rock radio. The official music video for "I Still Burn" also recently eclipsed 1 million views. The 12-track collection, produced by Johnny Andrews, also features the Top 10 singles "Nowhere To Run" and "Sane".

In November 2020, FOZZY appeared in its first global live streaming event from Madison Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

This past January, FOZZY parted ways with longtime drummer Frank Fontsere and replaced him with Grant Brooks (THROUGH FIRE).

Fontsere was a founding member of FOZZY, having formed the group in 1999 with Jericho and Ward.

When FOZZY announced Fontsere's departure, the band said that he was "stepping down to focus on his family and other projects."

FOZZY is Chris Jericho (vocals),Rich Ward (guitars, vocals),Grant Brooks (drums),Billy Grey (guitars) and P.J. Farley (bass).

In a new interview with Robert Cavuoto of Myglobalmind, legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker was asked if he would ever consider writing an autobiography. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't think so because I don't believe in books because you can easily cheat writing. So I don't really even want to be putting myself on the spot being maybe judged as, 'Ah, who knows what really happened?' So I don't really care, because people don't believe you no matter what you say.

"Anybody can write a book and [tell] completely a different story than what they have lived," he explained. "I think it's just entertainment and it's basically not facts; it's all fantasy. And people who write books, they know the consumer likes fascinating stories, so people who write books, they're making stories up and making them much bigger than they were. They're just using an incident maybe as a motor to start from and then maybe they turn it into… it becomes science fiction — like the books about UFOs and stuff like that; people don't really know what's happening out there but they just make up things. But it could well be what people are making up.

"I heard a story that [the four original members of] KISS were writing books — each one of them was writing a book but they all wrote differently about certain events.

"If you love to be fooled with a story of imagination that is not true, it's up to you," Schenker added. "But for me, it's more important to let the music do the talking. And that is facts, and that's who I am. And there nothing can be really… It's not left up to people's imagination; it is what it is."

Michael Schenker first appeared on SCORPIONS' 1972 album "Lonesome Crow", earned acclaim in the 1970s on classic UFO albums such as "Phenomenon" and "Lights Out" before rejoining SCORPIONS for 1979's "Lovedrive". He departed soon thereafter to launch MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP. And while his sometimes-erratic behavior have derailed parts of his career, Schenker remains one of hard rock and metal's most influential axemen.

"Universal", the new studio album from Schenker's MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, will be released on May 27 via Atomic Fire Records.