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.

Brazilian thrash death Metallers Claustrofobia have released an incredible cover of Pantera’s “Strength Beyond Strength” – recorded entirely in their native Portuguese. No less brutal than the original, “Força Além da Força”, is a great tribute the Pantera classic from the album Far Beyond Driven (East West/ Elektra), the first metal album to debut at #1 on the Billboard charts. The cover also comes with a killer videoclip, produced, directed and edited by Caio D`Angelo. 


The idea to do it in Portuguese came when two American friends from Claustrophobia heard the pre-production of this track, still in English, and were impressed by the similarity with the original, so curiously they suggested recording it in Portuguese. 







“'Strength Beyond Strength' has always been one of our favorite Pantera songs, and a song that doesn’t have a music video or was commercially worked on by them, but it opens in an extremely aggressive way the album Far Beyond Driven, that we consider the pinnacle of identity from Pantera, changing the course of heavy metal. We always had the desire to make a version for this sound because we identify a lot with this type of composition. And the clip was contagious, ironic and extremely aggressive,” said Claustrofobia vocalist and guitarist Marcus D’Angelo.


Behold the original masterpiece from Pantera:





(Photo: Courtney Ware)


 

Baltimore progressive tech-death metal quintet Greylotus are back with the next single from their upcoming album. Fans can check out the new music video for "Chiaroscuro" (feat. Gareth Mason) below. The debut full-length from Greylotus, titled 'Dawnfall', will see a July 8, 2022 release via The Artisan Era.


Speaking about their new album, the band comments: "Dawnfall serves as a follow-up statement to the Savior EP, which dealt with thrusting inner demons borne of trauma and mental health struggles out into the open, and accepting the reality of existing with them.


In the metaphor of the lotus’ life-cycle, Savior represented the stage in which the seed is buried under the mud - shelled in, unaware, and unable to budge from what it has known. Dawnfall embodies the process of breaking out of the shell and traveling toward the sun’s light, reaching through murky waters and currents, struggling to separate True North from tricks of the refracted light.




Dawnfall’explores the self-doubt that accompanies the realization that healing is a non-linear process. It wanders through the pits of self-judgment and confronts what follows when an individual accepts that the best version of themselves is not constrained by perfection."


Dawnfall will see a July 8 release via The Artisan Era.





Dawnfall tracklisting:


"Rectilinear Motion"
"Shadow Archetype"
"Currents"
"Chiaroscuro"
"Capgras Delusion"
"Syzygy"
"Hoarfrost"
"Dawnfall"
"Azure Rain"


"Chiaroscuro" video:





"Azure Rain" video:





- Album Artwork by Justin Abraham
- All music engineered by Andrew “Drewsif” Reynolds
- All music mixed and mastered by Odeholm Audio


Greylotus is:


Lee Mintz - Vocals
Ben Towles - Guitar
Sanjay Kumar - Guitar
Drewsif Reynolds - Bass
Matt Tillett - Drums

UMBILICUS, the new project featuring drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz (CANNIBAL CORPSE),guitarist Taylor Nordberg (DEICIDE, INHUMAN CONDITION),bassist Vernon Blake (ANARCHUS) and vocalist Brian Stephenson (FORE, OLD JAMES),has released its first single, "Hello Future". The track is taken from UMBILICUS's upcoming debut album, "Path Of 1000 Suns", due later in the year. The LP was recorded in 2021 at Smoke & Mirrors Productions, and mixed/mastered by Nordberg in 2022.

Stephenson says: "Hello Future! Here we are, we did it! It's time for the world to hear what we've been putting our time and efforts into. We could not be more stoked for this first single and the album! Real down and dirty, simple, straight forward, in-your-face rock 'n' roll for the people. It's been a labor of love on all counts and a real trip from conception to birth. Here it is kicking and screaming in all its glory! Me and my brothers Taylor, Paul and Vern's hearts could not be filled with more joy for you all to experience this with us. We are UMBILICUS and we play rock 'n' roll. Dig it! Much love and peace to you all past, present, and future!"

Regarding how UMBILICUS came together, Mazurkiewicz told Extreminal in a 2021 interview: "20 years ago when [Jack Owen] was still in [CANNIBAL CORPSE], literally 20 years ago, he and I started a side project and we wrote some original songs and we played two shows here in Tampa in a small bar. The name of the band was PATH OF MAN. And we wrote about 15 songs, we made a couple of demo tapes. But we didn't really do anything with it. We played two shows and then the band fell apart. It was three of us. We had a singer, another friend of ours, a friend of mine, Vernon Blake. That was 20 years ago. It lasted a year maybe. [It was] a lot of fun and [then it] fell apart. Right around May or June [of 2020], I said, 'You know what? Now is the time to [do it] if I wanna do this again. Now is the time to do it because CANNIBAL CORPSE is finished recording the new record.' I had some time on my hands. So I called my friend Vern who played bass on that project and I said, 'Hey, you wanna start a project back up again? Let's do this.'"

As for the musical direction of UMBILICUS, Paul said: "[It is] a total kind of hard rock project. More of a rock and roll, hard rock kind of stuff. Stuff that I was grew up with — the late '60s, early '70s kinda stuff."

On the topic of how he found the other musicians for UMBILICUS, Paul said: "Jack wasn't gonna get involved in this. He doesn't live in Florida anymore, so we had to start fresh. We're, like, 'Let's start fresh,' Vern and I. 'Let's find a guitar player.' And we found a guitar player. He's the guitar player that plays in THE ABSENCE right now and INHUMAN CONDITION. They just released a CD, a smaller band, but his name is Taylor Nordberg. He is playing the guitar with us right now. We're trying to make this project go a little farther than we did the last one."

Mazurkiewicz went on to say that UMBILICUS had "10 songs written. Our plan is to get this music out to the masses," he said. "We definitely wanna get it known. We wanna get something out there to see what can happen."

When UMBILICUS's formation was first announced last December, Mazurkiewicz said in a statement: "UMBILICUS was formed in the summer of 2020 and driven by our love of rock and roll from the late '60s, '70s and early '80s.

"I've been listening to well-known bands like GRAND FUNK [RAILROAD], BAD COMPANY and STEPPENWOLF and not-so-well-known bands like SIR LORD BALTIMORE and LUCIFER'S FRIEND for the last 20 years or so now. The more I listened to these bands, the more I wanted to play music like this. It is just so much fun to sit back and groove out and play by complete feel without beating my body down. To just play some pure hard rock!

"We composed 10 very cool songs throughout 2020 but the one piece of the puzzle was missing: an awesome voice to tie it all together. Enter Brian Stephenson! An amazing vocalist and lyricist that completed the lineup!

"I am so proud of what we have written and I can't wait for the world to hear what we have to offer!"

UMBILICUS is:

Brian Stephenson - vocals
Paul Mazurkiewicz - drums
Vernon Blake - bass
Taylor Nordberg - guitar

Band photo by Deidra Kling

THE LUCID guitarist Drew Fortier has been diagnosed with testicular cancer and is currently recovering from surgery.

On Wednesday (May 25), Fortier took to his Facebook page to share a couple of post-surgery photos, and he included the following message: "I'm alive! The facts: I had cancer in my right testicle and had said testicle removed today. Waiting to hear back from pathology on if it spread but so far so good! The tumor got the size of a tennis ball. It was crazy. Funnily, I woke up from the anesthesia talking about BANG TANGO. Also we have a new E.P. from THE LUCID coming out very very soon called 'Saddle Up And Ride'. Also moral of the story: check your balls fellas!! Also thank you to everyone who reached out and sent me well wishes!! All of you are incredibly wonderful!!!"

In addition to Fortier, THE LUCID features bassist David Ellefson (ex-MEGADETH), vocalist Vinnie Dombroski (SPONGE) and drummer Mike Heller (RAVEN, FEAR FACTORY).

THE LUCID's self-titled debut album, was released in October via SpoilerHead Records. The LP was produced by Heller and mixed/mastered by Lasse Lammert.

Ellefson previously stated about the LP: "It's been a real blast making a record with these guys and I must say that it's refreshing to explore some new musical avenues… to step out a bit from what each of us have done stylistically in our own careers. There was an effortless synergy that came with creating these songs together which is always amazing when working with new people. I'm looking forward to everyone checking it out!"

During a November 2020 appearance on "The Chuck Schute Podcast", Ellefson stated about how he got involved with THE LUCID: "Drew sent me a track and said, 'Hey, can you throw a bass on here?' And I was writing a new ELLEFSON solo record at the time, so my studio ears were on. I was plugged in and ready to go. He sent it over and I was, like, 'Yeah, this is freaking cool, man.' I'd seen Drew play, I know his BANG TANGO history and the other stuff he's done. But this was really cool stuff that spoke to me. And then he called me up and he said, 'Hey, Vinnie is gonna come in and write some vocals and lyrics and lay down some tracks.' And it turned into a thing."

"I love [Vinnie]. I love SPONGE," David continued. "He's such a rock star. He's just a cool guy. And he writes such great lyrics — very trippy lyrics. He's the type of lyricist I'd never worked with before, so it's fun with that. And Drew is a great guitar player. Mike Heller — he's good friends with [MEGADETH drummer] Dirk Verbeuren. And Dirk's, like, 'Mike's awesome.' They're good friends. We all met in L.A. We got the songs together and we all met in L.A. in mid-July. I plugged in and banged out 10 songs in two days. And it was fun. Mike was very good in the studio; he really knows his way around."

As for THE LUCID's musical direction, Ellefson said: "It's cool stuff, and it's very different. It's, obviously, not thrash metal, hence the name LUCID. [The name] kind of feels like what the music sounds like."

THE LUCID's previously announced U.S. tour, which was supposed to take place in May, has been postponed in the wake of Fortier's diagnosis.

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH in May 2021 after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

David was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

Our guitarist Drew Fortier had been diagnosed with testicular cancer and is currently recovering from surgery. Read more below.

Posted by The Lucid on Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Long-running Sacramento, California post-hardcore/noise metal act WILL HAVEN released a new single, "Wings Of Mariposa". The song's official music video was directed by David Owen Blackley of Her Name Is Murder Productions, who also directed WILL HAVEN's recently released "Foreign Films II" documentary.

"Wings Of Mariposa" marks WILL HAVEN's first new music since the 2018 LP "Muerte" and is a precursor to the band's upcoming seventh album, which is in its final stages of production. WILL HAVEN has been recording the new LP with Joe Johnston at Pus Cavern in Sacramento over the past several months, and the effort is now in the mixing stage, soon to be completed and prepared for release through Minus Head Records in the months ahead.

WILL HAVEN guitarist Jeff Irwin states: "We're excited to get some new music out!

"'Wings Of Mariposa' is a nice little glimpse of what this new record is about.

"I love this new record and am looking forward to playing most of these songs live!

"The video was done by our good friend Dave Blackley. He has done a few of our last videos, I love his vision and his edits are awesome. It's been awesome working with him."

WILL HAVEN is preparing to hit the U.K. on a short run of tour dates. The band will play Bournemouth on June 8, followed by a special set in London the following evening where they'll play their Revelation Records-released third album "Carpe Diem" in its entirety. June 11 will see WILL HAVEN perform at the massive Download festival.

"We are beyond ready to get back to the UK; it's our second home," Irwin continues.

"We are excited to play 'Carpe Diem' in full, from front to back. We have never done that live before and it's been fun putting it all together.

"To be able to finally play Download is an absolute honor. It's the one festival we have always wanted to play. We are going to play a few new songs there and some oldies. It should be amazing.

"I can't wait to see the WHVN family soon."

WILL HAVEN is:

Grady Avenell - vocals
Mitch Wheeler - drums
Jeff Irwin - guitar
Adrien Contreras - bass

Photo by Rocking Ryan Richardson

A number of well-known musicians from around the world have taken to social media to pay tribute to YES drummer Alan White, who died yesterday (Thursday, May 26) after a short illness. He was 72.

The musician, born in County Durham, England, passed away in the United States, his family said in a statement shared on his Facebook page.

"Alan White, our beloved husband, dad, and grandpa, passed away at the age of 72 at his Seattle-area home on May 26, 2022, after a brief illness," the statement read.

"Throughout his life and six-decade career, Alan was many things to many people: a certified rock star to fans around the world; band mate to a select few, and gentleman and friend to all who met him."

White's YES bandmates said in a statement that they were "shocked and stunned" by news of his death, adding that he had been looking forward to celebrating his 50th anniversary with the band on a U.K. tour. They said they will dedicate their "Close To The Edge" U.K. tour in June to their "much-loved drummer."

White's former YES bandmate Rick Wakeman wrote on Twitter: "I was so sad to hear about the passing of Alan yesterday. He was such a gentle soul... except when behind his drum kit where he was so powerful and creative. I will miss you brother."

Artist and activist Yoko Ono, who was married to the late John Lennon and worked with White in the PLASTIC ONO BAND, remembered him as a "wonderful drummer who was an essential part of the sound of Imagine, Instant Karma! and more recordings." She added: "He was always gentle, kind & good humored. We were blessed he was part of our family."

White recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of his marriage to his loving wife Gigi.

Alan was born in 1949 in County Durham. A number of health setbacks, since 2016, had restricted Alan's time on stage with YES on recent tours with Jay Schellen filling in and Alan joining the band, to great applause, towards the end of each set.

Alan was considered to be one of the greatest rock drummers of all time and joined YES in 1972 for the "Close To The Edge" tour. He had previously worked with John Lennon's PLASTIC ONO BAND after a call, in 1969, to play at the Toronto Rock Festival. Alan continued working with Lennon including on the "Imagine" album and with George Harrison on "All Things Must Pass". He also worked with several other musicians, over the years, including Ginger Baker's AIR FORCE, Joe Cocker, Gary Wright, Doris Troy and Billy Preston, to name but a few. Alan White was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a member of YES in 2017.

Formed in 1968 by Jon Anderson and the late and much-missed Chris Squire, YES has been one of the most innovative, influential and best-loved bands in rock music history. Their 1970s albums "The Yes Album", "Fragile", "Close To The Edge", "Yessongs" (a triple live album set),"Tales From Topographic Oceans", "Relayer" and "Going For The One" were ground-breaking in musical style and content. Their music also became synonymous with artist Roger Dean, whose distinctive YES logo design and artwork adorned the lavish gatefold presentation sleeves of many YES albums.

With sales of over 50 million records, the Grammy Award-winning YES was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017, where they performed "Roundabout" from the album "Fragile" and the FM radio-friendly "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" from the 1985 album "90125".

In 2021, YES released its 22nd studio album, "The Quest", produced by Steve Howe, which went to No. 1 in the U.K. rock chart and entered the official U.K. album chart at No. 20.
Remembering Alan White… photo here with Alan White and Geoff Downes. pic.twitter.com/MQyR3H4w4B

— Steve Hackett (@HackettOfficial) May 27, 2022


I’m sad to hear the news of Alan White’s passing. He was a lovely person and a terrific drummer. My thoughts go out to his wife Gigi and to everyone in Yes.

— Steve Hackett (@HackettOfficial) May 27, 2022


Aw man what a day -

first Ray Liotta and now Alan White.

I’ll listen to Lennon’s “Imagine” album tonight in his honor – and then watch Goodfellas.

RIP gentlemen, condolences to the families/friends. https://t.co/2II45g0Epd

— Steve Conte (@SteveConteNYC) May 27, 2022


Dear friend & incredible drummer Alan White has left us way too soon. He was one of the most down to earth people I’ve known. When you next hear “Imagine” or “Jealous Guy” by John think of Alan as you hear his masterful playing. And all his wonderful work with Yes. RIP❤️

— Peter Frampton (@peterframpton) May 26, 2022


You get a text telling you that Alan White, the iconic YES drummer has passed on, then open up Twitter, only to find that actor Ray Liotta has ALSO died. What’s THAT LIKE?! Can SOMEBODY tell me what The Actual F*ck is Going ON right now?!! 🌹🌹R.I.P.

— Vernon Reid (@vurnt22) May 26, 2022


Alan White

Alan was a good friend and he will be missed by us all. I have been on many tours with Alan over the years. I will miss our chats and most of all I will miss him. My thoughts and love go out to all his family.

~Carl Palmer

Photo from 2017… pic.twitter.com/H9Azty7vQi

— Carl Palmer (@ELP_carl) May 26, 2022


Alan White RIP. One of the greatest drummers ever. All the Asia family send love to Gigi and the family. Alan was a great friend of Asia, particularly @asiageoff and regularly sharing birthday celebrations with our @officialjwettonhttps://t.co/rOvf8kXSeB

— Original Asia (@originalasia) May 26, 2022


Saddened to hear about the passing of Yes drummer, Alan White. This pic was November 2019 at Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp. Ironic and somewhat beautiful that he’s sitting beneath the words “give you rest”.
Rest Peacefully my friend. 💙🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/gOnAeYj6jl

— Tony Franklin (@FretlessMonster) May 26, 2022


Today I lost a great brother and friend, the loveliest guy you’ll ever hope to meet. So dreadfully sad. I’m devastated. Here’s us 42 years ago posing with his Bentley. Alan White, the main man. Miss you forever buddy. X pic.twitter.com/1s9MGzNz5b

— Geoffrey Downes (@asiageoff) May 26, 2022


Shocked and saddened to hear of the death of an old friend ALAN WHITE drummer of YES, John Lennon, Plastic Ono Band and many others. RIP Alan and condolences to his wife Gigi, also his family and friends around Seattle. pic.twitter.com/rGFZeS9Tv5

— THE CHRIS SLADE TIMELINE (@SladeTimeline) May 26, 2022


Totally shocked by this tragic news. What a nice person and phenomenal drummer he was. My most sincere condolences to his family, band, and friends. https://t.co/CJSMgeIW7J

— Todd La Torre (@ToddLaTorre) May 26, 2022


I was so sad to hear about the passing of Alan yesterday. He was such a gentle soul...except when behind his drum kit where he was so powerful and creative. I will miss you brother

— Rick Wakeman CBE (@GrumpyOldRick) May 27, 2022


Alan White was a wonderful drummer who was an essential part of the sound of ‘Imagine’, ‘Instant Karma!’ & more recordings. He was always gentle, kind & good humoured. We were blessed he was part of our family.
Love & condolences to Gigi, Jesse & Cassi White; JJ, Ellie & Andrea. pic.twitter.com/yrNFh0PQmy

— Yoko Ono ☮️🏳️ (@yokoono) May 26, 2022


Absolutely stunned to wake up to the news of Alan White’s passing. His playing for the past 50 yrs was a massive influence on me & I’ve had the honor of spending much time together thru the years. My condolences to his wife Gigi, his family & the entire Yes camp 🙏 #RIPAlanWhitepic.twitter.com/CU6RxAG4QU

— Mike Portnoy 🤘 (@MikePortnoy) May 26, 2022


Still heartbroken over the passing of Alan White. Here’s a classic photo of Transatlantic hanging out at “Club Yes” w Alan & Chris Squire while on tour in Germany back in 2001. White-Fish are finally reunited & jamming together again in R&R Heaven 🙏 #RIPAlanWhite#RIPChrisSquirepic.twitter.com/re11Fx2Oj0

— Mike Portnoy 🤘 (@MikePortnoy) May 27, 2022



Yes drummer Alan White slips away. From Bill:

Alan was a proper Geordie – steady, powerful, no nonsense, probably...

Posted by Bill Bruford on Friday, May 27, 2022

RIP Alan White. A hugely influential yet an often under appreciated drummer. Most know him for his stellar work with…

Posted by Glen Sobel on Friday, May 27, 2022

Ugh, another stinger to add to the day, this one is more personal =(

I was just informed we lost the great Alan White,…

Posted by Jeff Scott Soto on Thursday, May 26, 2022

Thinking of drummer Alan White, who passed away yesterday. Alan played in the progressive rock band Yes and was featured on John Lennon’s “Imagine," among countless other recordings.

Posted by Brian Wilson on Friday, May 27, 2022

I am so very sorry to hear of the passing of Alan White… he was an incredible drummer, and he played an influential…

Posted by John Lodge on Thursday, May 26, 2022

We are sad to hear of the passing of Alan White. What a great, great drummer. Our thoughts are with his family, bandmates, and friends. RIP Alan!

Posted by Foghat on Thursday, May 26, 2022

RIP Alan White! While Alan left us with so much great drumming, this is some of my fave from him! What a sound! What a…

Posted by Brian Tichy on Friday, May 27, 2022

One of the great drummers Alan White of Yes has passed away. 18 February 1974 I watched Alan at Madison square garden...

Posted by Steve Stevens on Thursday, May 26, 2022

DEF LEPPARD has released the official music video for its new single, "Fire It Up". It is the third single from the band's latest album, "Diamond Star Halos", which is being released today (Friday, May 27) via UMe.

In a recent interview with Germany's Rockland Radio, DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott was asked why fans of his band should listen to "Diamond Star Halos". He responded: "If you're a DEF LEPPARD fan, I would imagine there's always a need to listen to some new music, because as much as it's great to have this massive back catalog of music, new music is what keeps a band alive, so we wanna share that with our fans.

"Why would they wanna listen to it?" he continued. "Well, I believe that this is a career-defining album. For a band that's been around now for 45 years, to make an album that's this strong, I believe, at this point of our career is actually quite an achievement.

"I've been comparing the situation — not the album, but I've been comparing the situation — 'Diamond Star Halos' for DEF LEPPARD, I think, is capable of being what 'Hotel California' was for THE EAGLES or 'Rumours' was for FLEETWOOD MAC. And what I mean by that is what came before was fine; there was nothing wrong with it. In fact, THE EAGLES' 'Greatest Hits', which was their previous album to 'Hotel California' is one of the biggest-selling records of all time; it speaks for itself. And the FLEETWOOD MAC scenario — the Peter Green years, the Jeremy Spencer years — it was all brilliant stuff. But then they put out 'Rumours' and THE EAGLES put out 'Hotel California', and it was a quantum leap."

Circling back to "Diamond Star Halos", Elliott added: "I believe that this album is a quantum leap. It's not a rehash of 'Pyromania' or 'Hysteria' or any of our albums. It's got all the flavors that DEF LEPPARD have had in the past, but it's got some new explorations that we've never done that I think our audience are ready for this journey. Because it's 35 years since 'Hysteria' is released, it's 39 since 'Pyromania' came out, and our audience are also older, like we are. So I think they're ready to hear something a little different. It's still got plenty of DEF LEPPARD stuff — 'Gimme A Kiss', 'SOS Emergency', 'Fire It Up' [and] 'Kick'; they're all classic DEF LEPPARD — but there's some stuff that, like our heroes QUEEN, it just goes off on tangents that are a little different to the stuff that they'd done in the past."

The artwork for "Diamond Star Halos" follows pedigree with DEF LEPPARD's instantly recognizable album covers from their celebrated past. With images by world renowned photographer and director Anton Corbijn, styling concepts by Maryam Malakpour and graphics by the U.K.-based Munden Brothers, the design truly follows the band's influence through their eyes today.

Over the past two years, DEF LEPPARD recorded "Diamond Star Halos" simultaneously in three different countries with Elliott in Ireland, Rick Savage (bass) in England, and Phil Collen (guitar),Vivian Campbell (guitar) and Rick Allen (drums) in the United States. Without the pressure of timelines or a fixed schedule, they poured all of their energy into crafting 15 meaningful tracks with a mixture of classic spirit meets modern fire. Thematically, they nodded to their earliest collective influences such as David Bowie, T.REX and MOTT THE HOOPLE, among others. The title itself notably references T.REX's "Bang a Gong (Get It On)". However, they didn't embark on this journey alone. The multi-Grammy Award-winning and legendary artist Alison Krauss lent her instantly recognizable and angelic voice to "This Guitar" and "Lifeless", while David Bowie pianist Mike Garson performs on "Goodbye For Good This Time" and "Angels (Can't Help You Now)".

In March, DEF LEPPARD released "Diamond Star Halos"'s first single, "Kick". The song thrusts into an anthemic stadium-ready frenzy kickstarted with driving guitars and bombastic drums woven into its musical fabric. Meanwhile, the chorus has all the makings of another iconic LEPPARD hit with its skyscraping vocals and melodies the band has become synonymous for.

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, who came up with "Kick" as an additional track after the first 14 songs were already completed, told Billboard that "'Kick' represented where we were at as well. It's got that glam rock feel, that hand-clap groove, big vocals. It was just a no-brainer. It was not only that it's got to be on the album, it's got to be the first single as well."

"It's a stadium anthem, and we were about to go into stadiums," Elliott said. "We didn't write it for that reason, but Phil's always trying to write the next 'Sugar' or 'We Will Rock You' or 'I Love Rock 'N' Roll'. We all are, but he actually came up with one, and it's, like, 'Yeah, we've got to do that,' so now it's a 15-song record."

"Diamond Star Halos" track listing:

01. Take What You Want
02. Kick
03. Fire It Up
04. This Guitar (feat. Alison Krauss]
05. Sos Emergency
06. Liquid Dust
07. U Rok Mi
08. Goodbye For Good This Time
09. All We Need
10. Open Your Eyes
11. Gimme A Kiss
12. Angels (Can't Help You Now)
13. Lifeless (feat. Alison Krauss)
14. Unbreakable
15. From Here To Eternity

DEF LEPPARD's "The Stadium Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally scheduled to take place in the summer of 2020 but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dutch/Aussie metal outfit Unburden have unleashed an intense and darkly gorgeous offering with debut single "Death Dreams". Bursting at the seams with shimmering lead guitar melodies and overwhelming drum patterns, "Death Dreams" dares to find the line between dreaming and imagination. 





Vocalist Josh Muncke explains:




“When the band presented the track to me, I immediately felt a pull to write about something that I was uncertain on sharing. It’s definitely multi-faceted, in that it explores the idea of constantly imagining one’s death in everyday scenarios, but also considering the effect it would have on those who are close. The lyrics are intensely heavy, but perfectly complement the heaviness of the music.


“In just under 4 minutes, Unburden have put forward a massive statement to the metal world that they are one to watch. Don’t sleep on Death Dreams."


Death Dreams will be available on all major streaming platforms and will premiere on YouTube on May 27, 6 PM CEST.

Invictus, the new solo project from Maurizio Iacono, has released a video for "Exiled". The stand-alone single serves as the first taste of what’s to come from the band’s as-yet-untitled forthcoming new full-length, set for release later this year via MNRK Heavy.


Well-respected as the singer of Kataklysm and Ex Deo, head of Hard Impact Artist Management, founder of Distortion Music Group, and co-owner of hard-and-heavy booking agency Continental Touring, Iacono delivers dynamic new layers of heaviness and melody with his latest creative vehicle.


A Latin epithet for various Roman deities, “Invictus” translates to “unconquered” or “invincible,” a theme present throughout Iacono’s latest output. “I’ve explored many facets of the music business, from performing, writing, and producing to managing,” he explains. “But I’d never explored that deep down energy inside my thoughts which drives me to compete and, in many ways, survive everything thrown at me.”




Notes Iacono of “Exiled,” “‘Exiled’ deals with feeling completely disconnected with your surroundings and society in general, where nothing is logical to your understanding of life and in return standing your ground for what is real to you and makes sense to your life and survival. The song is personal to me on more than one level, but people can interpret this how it fits best their own world, it has an open concept.“


The "Exiled” video was directed by David Brodsky (Cannibal Corpse, Goatwhore, Clutch), and can be viewed below:





Iacono stands among the most prolific and hardest working soldiers of the metal underground. With Invictus, the frontman tackles a new personal quest exploring a deeper and more personal outlook on his upbringing and the struggles within and around him. Iacono executes his vision alongside longtime collaborator J-F Dagenais (guitarist for Kataklysm and Ex Deo), producer/main songwriter Chris Clancy (Mutiny Within), and powerhouse drummer Jeramie Kling (Venom Inc., Inhuman Condition). Stand by for further details on Invictus to be revealed in the months to come.


(Photo - Suzzy Iacono)

"Radiance" is the first single from The Dead Daisies' upcoming new album, set for release in August. The band have been writing and recording over the last couple of months in Los Angeles with esteemed producer Ben Grosse at the Mix Roomstudios.


A thunderous opening, sets the pace for "Radiance", an eclectic, heavy rock track. The riff digs deep into a 1970's vibe originally created in the industrious heartland of England. With Glenn Hughes' 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 better set the dial to eleven for this one!


Glenn Hughes: "'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."




Returning to the Daisies fold is drummer extraordinaire Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, Foreigner), uniting with Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Country Communion), Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio) and David Lowy (MINK, Red Phoenix), so prepare for a massive dose of undiluted rock on their EU Summer tour.


Brian Tichy: "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 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. 


"Radiance" is available via digital platforms found here.