Ronnie James Dio would have turned 80 years old on July 10. Among the greatest heavy metal singers of all time, Dio's career spanned five decades, touched millions of fans and pioneered his signature "devil's horns," one of the most popular hand gestures in the world. Dio also provided vocals and lyrics for some of the most iconic rock albums of all time with BLACK SABBATH and RAINBOW, before establishing his own band DIO as a metal force with their 1983 debut "Holy Diver".

"Holy Diver" was a platinum-certified smash and one of the late singer-songwriter's most groundbreaking achievements. Rhino revisits this epic metal moment on "Holy Diver: Super Deluxe Edition", available on July 8 as a four-CD boxed set ($59.98) and digitally.

The collection comes with two versions of "Holy Diver". The first is a new mix of the album made by Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, SLIPKNOT). He used the original analog tapes to remix all nine tracks on the album. The second is a newly remastered version of the original 1983 mix. The Super Deluxe Edition also features unreleased live performances and outtakes, along with a selection of rarities from the era.

Barresi's new mix of the "Holy Diver" title track is available today digitally as a preview to the new album mix. Check it out below.

In addition, Barresi's new mix of "Holy Diver" will be released the same day as a two-LP set on 180-gram vinyl ($34.98). It includes the original nine tracks, plus the 1983 B-side version of "Evil Eyes" as a bonus track. Side four is decorated with an etching of the legendary demon Murry that graces the album's iconic cover. The vinyl is kept in a gatefold sleeve that shows off newly commissioned artwork by longtime DIO artist Marc Sasso. The same artwork is also used for the four-CD Super Deluxe Edition.

Critically acclaimed and a commercial success, "Holy Diver" contributed two timeless classics to the heavy metal canon — "Rainbow In The Dark" and its title track. The album also ranks No. 16 on Rolling Stone's current list of "100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time."

After departing BLACK SABBATH in early 1982, Dio began composing songs that would eventually appear on the album. After writing both "Holy Diver" and "Don't Talk To Strangers", Dio then assembled an amazing group of musicians, two familiar faces and one fresh recruit, with drummer Vinny Appice (Dio's BLACK SABBATH bandmate),bassist/keyboardist Jimmy Bain (Dio's RAINBOW bandmate) and guitarist Vivian Campbell joining him to record the "Holy Diver" album.

In the illustrated liner notes that accompany the Super Deluxe Edition, music journalist Mick Wall shares the album's creation story, including the making of its crown jewel, "Rainbow In The Dark".

He writes: "Lyrically, it was Ronnie James Dio at his poetic best… Musically, 'Rainbow In The Dark' was also the band's first truly collaborative endeavor. The inspiration for the monster guitar riff came from something Viv had written when he was 16. Vinny added his distinctive battle-cry beat, and Jimmy added the final touch with the infectiously simple keyboard motif." The song was finished in 10 minutes, he adds.

"Holy Diver: Super Deluxe Edition" goes beyond the original album with a previously unreleased recording of the quartet performing live in 1983 at Selland Arena in Fresno, California during the "Holy Diver" tour. Wyn Davis mixed the concert recording, which spotlights live versions of songs from "Holy Diver" ("Stand Up And Shout" and "Rainbow In The Dark"),RAINBOW classics ("Man On The Silver Mountain" and "Starstruck"),and SABBATH staples ("Children Of The Sea" and "Heaven And Hell").

The Super Deluxe Edition also revisits the "Holy Diver" recording sessions to uncover unreleased outtakes for several album cuts, including unheard takes for "Invisible", "Straight Through The Heart" and a version of "Rainbow In The Dark" that boasts an alternative guitar solo. There's also an early version of "Evil Eyes", a song that would resurface on DIO's 1984 follow-up album, "The Last In Line". A selection of rarities rounds out the new collection with mono and stereo 7" single edits for "Rainbow In The Dark" and a version of "Evil Eyes" that was released in 1983 as the B-side to "Holy Diver".

"Holy Diver: Super Deluxe Edition" CD track listing:

CD1: Holy Diver (2022 Joe Barresi Mix) *

CD2: Holy Diver (2022 Remaster)

01. Stand Up And Shout
02. Holy Diver
03. Gypsy
04. Caught In The Middle
05. Don't Talk To Strangers
06. Straight Through The Heart
07. Invisible
08. Rainbow In The Dark
09. Shame On The Night

CD3: Live at Selland Arena, Fresno, CA, 1983

01. Intro *
02. Stand Up And Shout *
03. Straight Through The Heart *
04. Shame On The Night *
05. Children Of The Sea *
06. Holy Diver *
07. Heaven And Hell – including guitar solo *
08. Rainbow In The Dark *
09. Man On The Silver Mountain *
10. Starstuck *
11. Man On The Silver Mountain – reprise *
12. Don't Talk To Strangers *

CD4: Outtakes, Singles & B-Sides

Tracks 1-7 unreleased

01. Evil Eyes – Wyn Davis remix *
02. Don't Talk To Strangers – Take 1 (Joe Barresi mix) *
03. Invisible – Take 1 (Joe Barresi mix) *
04. Invisible – Take 3 (Joe Barresi mix) *
05. Rainbow In The Dark – Alternative Guitar Solo Version (Joe Barresi mix) *
06. Straight Through The Heart – Take 2 (Joe Barresi mix) *
07. Straight Through The Heart – Take 3 (Joe Barresi mix)*
08. Rainbow In The Dark – 7" Mono Edit
09. Evil Eyes – 1983 Version. B-Side of "Holy Diver"
10. Rainbow In The Dark – 7" Stereo Edit

* previously unreleased

"Holy Diver: 2022 Joe Barresi Mix" 2-LP clear vinyl track listing:

LP1: Side One

01. Stand Up And Shout
02. Holy Diver
03. Gypsy
04. Caught In The Middle

LP1: Side Two

01. Don't Talk To Strangers
02. Straight Through The Heart
03. Invisible

LP2: Side One

01. Rainbow In The Dark
02. Shame On The Night

Bonus Track

03. Evil Eyes – 1983 Version. B-Side of "Holy Diver"

LP2: Side Two

Etching

DEF LEPPARD's new single, "Fire It Up", can be streamed below. It is the third single from the band's upcoming album, "Diamond Star Halos", which will arrive on May 27 via UMe. The follow-up to 2015's self-titled LP is available for pre-order now in multiple configurations, including a deluxe edition, 2-LP vinyl, digital formats and more. Exclusive bundles including newly designed album merch have also launched.

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.

GREY DAZE, Chester Bennington's pre-LINKIN PARK band, will release a new album, "The Phoenix", on June 17 via Loma Vista Recordings. It is the follow-up to 2020's "Amends", which featured newly recorded music with remastered vocals from the group's long out-of-print and largely undiscovered catalog.

The official music video for the song "Starting To Fly", taken from "The Phoenix", can be seen below.

"'Amends' was more emotional and reflective," explains drummer and songwriter Sean Dowdell of the different mood and feel displayed on "The Phoenix", which also sees contributions from JANE'S ADDICTION's Dave Navarro, FILTER's Richard Patrick and Bennington's daughters, Lily and Lila Bennington. "We felt sad when we were writing it. Now that we're a couple of years removed, it's very clear what we were going through. We were at a different stage of grief. We went through the shock and the sadness. Now, we're back to gratitude. So, 'The Phoenix' is more of a celebration of our friend, his talent, and the music. It captures Chester's angst and energy that people fell in love with. It's much more aggressive. If you love Chester's scream, you'll love this record."

The official Marc Silverstein-directed video for the album's first single, "Saturation (Strange Love)", can be seen below. The track, evocative of the shift in energy between "Amends" and "The Phoenix", showcases a younger Chester and the raw, astounding talent was already in possession of, as Dowdell notes: "It's going to surprise a lot of people because it gets back to Chester's core. One of the things that people love about him was his unique ability to scream in key… and this song brings you back to everything you love about that scream. You feel that angst and raw emotion he brought to everything he did."

Over the course of GREY DAZE's first incarnation, which ran 1994 to 1997, the group recorded and released two albums. It is those albums that serve as a foundation for both "Amends" and "The Phoenix". Prior to Bennington's passing, he publicly announced GREY DAZE's return, which included re-recording the band's largely undiscovered discography. With Chester's widow Talinda Bennington's blessing, and working with producer Esjay Jones, the surviving bandmembers — Dowdell, bass player Mace Beyers and guitar player Cristin Davis — moved forward, as both a way to pay tribute to their fallen brother and bandmate, but also to expose his fans to another dimension of the dynamic singer. "Amends" arrived in 2020, with Rolling Stone, Revolver, Billboard and Kerrang! praising the collection. NME summed it up best as "a great modern rock record fronted by one of the best vocalists in the game." In late 2020, the trio reconvened with Jones re-recording, and re-working the remaining 10 tracks that would become "The Phoenix".

"The Phoenix" track listing:

01. Saturation (Strange Love)
02. Starting To Fly
03. Be Your Man
04. Holding You (featuring Dave Navarro)
05. Hole (featuring Lily & Lila Bennington)
06. Drag
07. Believe Me (featuring Richard Patrick)
08. Anything, Anything
09. Spin
10. Wake Me

In a 2001 interview with Revolver magazine, Chester described GREY DAZE's musical style as "early-'90s -style rock. It wasn't pop rock, it wasn't heavy metal. It was in between grunge and good rock. We didn't know what we were doing. We were just writing songs and singing. It was a four-piece band. Some of our songs were more rock. Others were more, I don't know, alternative? I've always been into punk and classic rock. The first few years of being a musician, it was all cover band stuff, and we'd throw in a few originals. The last band I was in, I was in it for almost eight years. We made two albums, and tried really hard."

He added: "I definitely know why it didn't go anywhere: We all wanted to make it, but we all wanted to make it for different reasons. It wasn't all about making good songs, where anything else that comes from that is a fringe benefit."

Bennington was found dead in his Los Angeles-area home in July 2017 after hanging himself.

LINKIN PARK headlined an all-star tribute concert for Bennington in October 2017 in Los Angeles but has not announced any future plans for recording or touring.

Photo credit: Tom Preston

Former FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm says that "greed" was the reason he wasn't listed as one of the songwriters for the band's smash hit song "I Want To Know What Love Is". The power ballad, which is credited solely to FOREIGNER's founding guitarist Mick Jones, was released in November 1984 as the lead single from the group's fifth album, "Agent Provocateur".

Gramm discussed his supposed lack of contribution to the track during a brand new interview with The Sessions. Speaking about his involvement with "I Want To Know What Love Is" and another FOREIGNER smash hit, 1981's "Waiting For A Girl Like You", he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I did help co-write them, although I didn't get any credit for 'I Want To Know What Love Is'.

"I've always loved writing melodies and lyrics," he continued. "I liked working on arrangements and everything too. And [Mick] was the master of arrangements. So we crafted both of those songs together; [I'm] extremely proud of both of 'em.

"After we would record an album, Mick and I would sit down and we'd run down a list of the songs, and he would say, 'What do you think you want on this song?' And I would say, 'I think this one I contributed quite a bit. I would ask for about 40 percent.' And he said, 'That's fine.' And there were a lot of songs, like 'Hot Blooded' and things like that, that were [split] 50-50 — a lot of songs. And 'Waiting For A Girl', he really wrote most of that, but I had a good part of that too. I think that was 65-30, and then Ian McDonald had a little piece of that too. I was fine with it.

"But then 'I Want To Know What Love Is'… The two of us… [Mick's] home was about 15 minutes from my home. So I would drive over to his house and we would work on that song," Gramm explained. "There'd be moments where it was just magic and then we'd hit our head on something creatively that we couldn't get to the next point. And so we almost had to put the song away for a couple of weeks and come back to it again. I felt we had worked our tails off to make that song what it is. And at the end of that album, when it was time to decide what the percentages were, I wrote down what I thought it should be and he wrote down what he thought it should be. I think I wrote down 65-35 — 35 for me, 65 for him. And I opened the little piece of paper that [contained his note on] what he thought [the correct split] was, and he wrote down 95-5. I was so stunned and crushed that he'd think I contributed next to nothing to that song.

"And here's another [detail] for you," Lou added. "[Mick] was working with a choir in one studio while we were recording that song. I was in another studio with an engineer singing the lead vocals. I did them by myself — I did all the ad-libs, I did all the emotional little nuances and stuff. And usually when I'd sing the lead to a song, especially a song as potentially important as that one, he was right in the control room commenting on every line: 'This could be better,' 'You could do that,' 'You could do this.' I did the whole thing myself while he was working with the choir. And that ended up being the lead vocal. I don't even remember him saying, 'Good job, Lou.' But that was the lead vocal. I thought that was a pretty serious accomplishment for me, only to be denigrated to [being] an author of five percent. That put a wedge in us that was the beginning of the end.

"After it was recorded, we would discuss who put what into the song, and here's what the split should be. And for the most part, we were always within five to 10 percent and we'd iron it out. I said 65-35 — 65 to him, 35 to me — and he comes back with 95-5? I should get 25 [percent] just for the vocal performance. All I could think of was greed. It was an awesome song. We all knew it was gonna be a smash. This was his chance to step on me. And you know what I told him after [I saw his proposed split of] 95-5? I said, 'Five, Mick?' I said, 'You should just keep it all.' And he did. He didn't say, 'No. Please. Let's work it out.' I said, 'Five percent for me after all the work I did on the song?' I said, 'You should just keep it all.' And he didn't say anything. He just kept it all. And you know the millions and millions that that song has brought in? Over the years, it's been covered by at least three or four artists who have gone to Number One with that song."

Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER's biggest hits, including "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold As Ice" from the band's eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like "Hot Blooded" and "I Want to Know What Love Is".

The 72-year-old Gramm left FOREIGNER for good in 2002 and has battled health issues in recent years, including the removal of a non-cancerous tumor. He told the Democrat & Chronicle in 2018 that he was planning to retire, but still reunited with FOREIGNER for several shows that year to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary.

FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Kelly Hansen in 2005. Jones, the only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012.

Gramm and Jones's June 2013 performance of "I Want To Know What Love Is" and "Juke Box Hero" at the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in New York City marked the first time the pair performed together in a decade after Gramm left FOREIGNER for a second time. Hansen has fronted the group for the past 17 years.

It’s not often that such a diverse array of artists, from blues to southern rock, punk to country, can be gathered together under a single musical project. But there’s one artist whose career has been so incredibly rich and whose influence has been so extensive as to make such a union possible. Of course, that artist is the brilliant guitarist/songwriter/legendary musical figure Eric Clapton who has inspired countless thousands of musicians of all stripes, artists of all colors and fans or all kind, including the incredible group of talented friends found on this brand new set of studio recordings, A Tribute To Eric Clapton.


Set to street June 17 on all formats including CD and vinyl, A Tribute To Eric Clapton covers all the basis of Clapton’s incredible career, from his early days in The Yardbirds to his stint in the groundbreaking power trio Cream to his time in the folk-influenced Blind Faith and finally to his monstrously successful solo career. Highlights include a smokin’ hot take on “Cocaine” by blues guitar phenom Kirk Fletcher, a fuzzed-out psych rock explosion with Stooges’ guitarist James Williamson and The Damned’s Rat Scabies fronted by the God Of Hellfire Arthur Brown as well as a twangy and gritty rendition of “Lay Down Sally” by country legend Sammy Kershaw and “Mr. Telecaster” Albert Lee, the latter of which is being released as a standalone single. Stream the single here, and below.


If you’re a fan of Eric Clapton or just a fan of a diverse group of stellar musicians cutting loose on some of the finest tunes in classic rock, don’t miss this incredible album.




Pre-order the CD/vinyl here. Pre-save the digital here.





Tracklisting:


"Cocaine" - Kirk Fletcher & Brian Auger        
"Lay Down Sally" - Sammy Kershaw & Albert Lee        
"I Feel Free" - Arthur Brown, James Williamson & Rat Scabies
"Sunshine Of Your Love" - dUg Pinnick & Eric Gales        
"Let It Rain" - Jack Russell & Sonny Landreth        
"Wonderful Tonight" - Oli Brown        
"Layla" - Molly Hatchet        
"I Shot The Sheriff" - Pat Travers, David Sancious & Artimus Pyle
"For Your Love" - Mark Lindsay & Rick Nielsen        
"Tears In Heaven" - Ana Popovic        
"White Room" - Graham Bonnet & Snowy White
"Can't Find My Way Home" - Shirley King & Martin Barre


"Lay Down Sally":

GHOST's official tour photographer has shared an "unmasked" picture of all of the band's Nameless Ghouls and their female keyboardists, The Ghoulettes.

Following the final arena date of GHOST's European "Imperatour" Wednesday night (May 18) at Papp László Sportaréna in Budapest, Hungary, Ryan Chang, the Singaporean photographer who has been traveling with the Tobias Forge-fronted outfit, uploaded a stage picture of the entire GHOST crew (unmasked) with support acts TWIN TEMPLE and UNCLE ACID AND THE DEADBEATS. He wrote in an accompanying caption: "Tour done. I love these people."

According to the Greek Ghost FansFacebook page, the Nameless Ghouls and The Ghoulettes in the image are as follows:

* Chris Catalyst (a.k.a. Aether)
* Per Eriksson (a.k.a. Fire)
* Cos Sylvan (a.k.a. Rain)
* Hayden Scott (a.k.a. Mountain)
* Jutty Taylor (a.k.a. Swiss/Multi)
* Laura Scarbourough (a.k.a. Cirrus/ Tall)
* Mad Gallica (a.k.a. Cumulus / Curvy)
* Sophie Amelkin (a.k.a. Sunshine)

Catalyst shared the same photo on Twitter and captioned it: "Amaaaazing tour with our wonderful GHOST family. I suppose that’s that particular cat out of the bag. So great to be doing this again. Playing this fantastic music with these brilliant people makes me run out of superlatives."

Since GHOST arrived on the scene in 2010 via its "Opus Eponymous" debut, the Internet took stabs at the identities of the musicians behind the masks, as mastermind Tobias Forge conducted virtually every interview in the early years as a "Nameless Ghoul," which are the names also adopted by his backing band. While some considered this to be one of the worst-kept secrets in metal and hard rock, Forge and GHOST stuck to the script until he was publicly outed in 2017 by several of his former bandmates in a lawsuit that accused the frontman of cheating them out of their rightful share of the profits from the band's album releases and world tours.

Earlier this month, Forge was asked during an appearance on "Drinks With Johnny", the Internet TV show hosted by AVENGED SEVENFOLD bassist Johnny Christ, how many "stage members" he has had in his band over the years. He responded: "How many stage members? I don't know exactly — 15 maybe. Something like that. But on the recordings, I've used the same drummer for most records — a guy named Ludvig Kennberg. But he's been drumming on the majority of the records — from the first one to the third one, fourth one, and one of the EPs and stuff in the middle — but never with us live. So that relationship is sort of one standalone thing that feels like… Whenever we get together and we're recording, it feels like a great… 'Here we are again.' That is sort of one thing, and then the live band has always been different."

Regarding how he goes about choosing the musicians for GHOST, Tobias said: "If we were to change anyone now, it would have most likely been on recommendation, because there's definitely a combination… Originally, I put a band together [which] was based more on proximity than ability or professionality. And that will end up being a problem if you're not very lucky and you sort of just end up being RUSH — three best friends ever just being the greatest band together as well. But that is not very common…

"Basically, what is very important for me nowadays, and I've been trying to do this for the most part… And to be clear, I obviously look to the band first, but to me, the crew is very much an extension of the band," he explained. "And just overall, I'm very, very picky when it comes to people and attitudes amongst the band and the crew so that we have a very sturdy, friendly, professional team for the most part. I mean, obviously, on a big tour like this where it's 40 people — our buses is about 40 people, even more so — and then we have two [other] bands with us, of course, amongst 50 [or] 60 people, I can't curate everyone. But I'm really, really trying to get people that aren't privy to bullying and screaming and being a fucking dick."

Back in 2017, Forge was sued by four former members of GHOST after being dismissed by the group's founder the previous December. The lawsuit was filed in the district court of Linköping, Sweden, where GHOST was originally based. It claimed that a partnership agreement existed between Forge and the four former members, all of whom performed anonymously in the band as Nameless Ghouls. He has maintained that "no legal partnership" ever existed between him and the other members, that they were paid a fixed salary to perform as his backing band, and that they were essentially session musicians.

Forge later told The Pulse Of Radio that the lawsuit only inspired him to work harder at making GHOST a success. "I had a situation that urgently told me to salvage the situation and reclaim what is mine and also justify that it was mine to begin with," he said. "It's just growing pains, and all this has just been — it's the result of things going well, not the opposite."

GHOST is continuing to tour in support of its fifth album, "Impera", which sold 70,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marked the third top 10 album — and fifth top 40-charting set — for the Swedish act.

"Impera" landed at position No. 1 in Germany and Sweden, No. 2 in the U.K., Netherlands, Belgium and Norway, No. 3 in Australia, No. 5 in France and Ireland, and No. 20 in Italy.

"Impera" was released on March 11. The 12-song effort was produced by Klas Åhlund and mixed by Andy Wallace.

Forge worked on the follow-up to 2018's "Prequelle" with Åhlund and Swedish co-writers Salem Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare, whose credits include Madonna and Lady Gaga.

Top GHOST photo: Mikael Eriksson / M Industries

Our beloved Nameless Ghouls and Ghoulettes and Ghost photographer shared this amazing photo with members of Ghost and...

Posted by Greek Ghost Fans on Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Amaaaazing tour with our wonderful Ghost family. I suppose that’s that particular cat out of the bag. So great to be doing this again. Playing this fantastic music with these brilliant people makes me run out of superlatives. X pic.twitter.com/wZR9criebA

— Chris Catalyst (@ChrisCatalyst) May 18, 2022



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A post shared by 𝐫𝐲𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠 (@ryancphoto)

Ted Nugent has denied encouraging violence when he called on supporters of Donald Trump to go "berserk on the skulls of Democrats" during a performance at the former U.S. president's "American Freedom Tour" stop in Texas over the weekend.

While appearing in Austin on Saturday (May 14),the 73-year-old rocker, who regularly promotes conspiracy theories about everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to the U.S. Capitol riot, told the roughly 8,000 people in attendance, all of whom were required to purchase tickets to hear Trump speak at the Austin Convention Center: "Think of what the enemies of America have done over the last 14 months. They didn't sneak into the White House — they lied, they cheated, they scammed, and every day the Democrats violate their sacred oath to the Constitution. And if you can't impress your friends on that, they shouldn't be your friends.

"So I love you people madly," Nugent continued, "but I'd love you more if you went forward and just went berserk on the skulls of the Democrats and the Marxists and the Communists."

In the days following the rally, Nugent was accused of hate speech, especially since his comments came just hours after an alleged white supremacist killed 10 people in a mass shooting at a grocery store. But in a YouTube livestream on Wednesday (May 18),Ted pushed back against the criticism, claiming that he was not inciting violence and was instead encouraging Trump supporters to get out and vote.

Referring to the "enemies of America" who are "welcomed" by the U.S. government which "refuses to secure our borders," Nugent said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I know it makes you wanna just beat the shit out of these people 'cause they're so bad. I'm talking about beating the shit out of bad people that are ruining America." But then he clarified: "I'm not gonna beat the shit out of 'em. We're gonna beat the shit out of 'em at the voting booth. So everybody, relax with their I need to pound it into their skulls, 'Nugent pounding skulls.' No, it's a colloquialism. Now, my critics don't know what the word 'colloquialism' means, so we'll just wait for them to go to their Webster's dictionary and Google it. 'Pounding it into their skulls' is a historical colloquialism and evidence to support the truth, logic and common sense into the minds of idiots. You don't really pound skulls; it's a figure of speech. How embarrassing that the author of 'Wango Tango' has to explain this to the haters. But they already know — they just like to hate. They just live a lie. They're all liars. All my critics are either liars or just rotten, nasty people."

Just last month, Nugent, who is an avid Trump supporter, was asked during an appearance on QFM96's "Torg & Elliott" radio show if he thinks the billionaire real estate mogul will run again in 2024. He responded: "Yes. And I've gotta tell you. So, do we not want secure borders? Secure borders are not good? Stopping the flow of fentanyl is not a good idea? Stopping invaders from Syria and Somalia and jihadists coming across our southern borders, that's not a good idea? Making the members of NATO and the Paris Accord pay their own way, that's not a good idea? The lowest unemployment in the history of America, that's a bad idea?

"I've gotta tell ya, anybody that is against Trump is literally against quality of life in the United States Of America. Whether you like the guy or not, that has nothing to do with it.

"He saved your child from the whitewater rapids; quit complaining about his speedo."

Nugent previously spoke about his admiration for America's 45th president in an October 2020 interview with InfoWars' "The Alex Jones Show", hosted by noted conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. At the time, he said: "I genuflect at the altar of this great man. He is just pulling off miracle after miracle. He's really touching the heart and soul and representing the heart and soul of the best American families out there. Just praise God for that. This is one of those divine intervention moments, like the founding fathers. Believe me when I tell you that.

"I've been so honored and humbled to spend time with the great man," Ted continued. "There's something very spiritual about this crazy guy. I say 'crazy' — he's crazy like you; he's crazy like me; he's crazy like this welder I know down the road that, no matter what welding job you have, he shows up early and he welds something that will never break, and then he goes to his next welding job, and he leaves a vapor trail of high energy, of positive spirit.

"The energy from this president… Like the founding fathers defined the history of slavery and tyranny and kings and emperors and despots, that was divine intervention, Alex. And I've witnessed this great commander-in-chief Donald J. Trump, and he goes from rally and rally, and he gets up there with piss and vinegar and vim and vigor… You should see the sparkle in this man's eye."

Nugent went on to say that Trump's appeal lies in his image as the bold, no-B.S. boss who tells it like it is and cuts a fair deal.

"Here's the bottom line: the most admirable attribute of a human being is believability," Ted said. "If you believe this man, you believe he believes in what he says and that he represents your beliefs, that identifies President Donald J. Trump. This man just wants to renegotiate global contracts to benefit the United States. He wants the United States to be the winner. He wants to have fair deals, and he wants to have fair trade. He wants to benefit the United States Of America, because this is the last best place. If we turn it over to the freaks like [Nancy] Pelosi and [Joe] Biden and [Kamala] Harris, if we turn it over to them, we are Venezuela overnight."

Nugent added: "[Trump] sees the threats to the American Dream. He sees the oath violating by elected employees who have turned the corner into criminality, from [Barack] Obama to [Eric] Holder to [Loretta] Lynch to Lois Lerner to Adam Schiff, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton — we go right down the list of these gang bangers. I mean, it's MS-13, Black Lives Matter, Antifa in the Democrat party… [Trump] sees the threats to America and he's gonna use every maneuver, every trick, every law he can to stop the Marxists. He's saving his family from the wolves. That's his motivation."

A former board member of the National Rifle Association, Nugent has drawn intense criticism for his controversial past remarks, including telling then-president Barack Obama to "suck on my machine gun." He also made inflammatory remarks about Hillary Clinton, calling her a "devilbitch" who "hates everything good about America."

In a lengthy Facebook post in 2016, Nugent said Obama and Clinton should be tried for treason and hanged over their handling of the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya.

In 2019, Nugent defended Donald Trump after the then-U.S. president was accused of making racist remarks about Democratic congresswomen from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Italian heavy rockers Secret Rule have released a video for their brand new single "Obsession" taken from the upcoming album The Resilient out on June 17th. This tune is a high-energy mid-time song, heavy and dramatic with an addictive chorus that shows the diversity of Secret Rule's musical progression.





The band themselves describes it as follows.




Angela says: “This song is for all those fighters out there who have kept resisting these last two years, somehow. This society keeps putting us in front of difficult choices that could change our life completely. And the question is: do we have to keep fighting even if this could cut us off from society, or is it better to bow our heads and stick to the rules so as not to have problems? Any option would be understandable, we're living in an unfair world, and each of us knows what is ready to lose. We're here to give strength to everyone and speak to our community with no filters. But we can't pretend everything is going well.”


Andy's statement: “We worked hard on the music video, and we're proud of the result.


“Today it's always more difficult to distinguish real life from virtual life, that always blends more. And also, our rights are becoming something virtual, that someone can cancel fast with the button ‘Delete’. This is awful.”





"One More" will be included in the upcoming album The Resilient out on June 17.


The Secret Rule pre-sale campagain is going on until May 25. Get special rewards limited edition on fundrazr.com.


Secret Rule will promote the new album on tour in May and July.

KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer spoke to a TMZ photographer about the recent revelation that FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins was struggling with his band's grueling touring schedule in the months leading up to his tragic death.

"It's so sad," Munky said. "I feel so bad for his family, man, and his friends and [FOO FIGHTERS leader] Dave [Grohl]. I wanna send my love to Dave, if he's watching at all. They're such great guys."

Munky said that musicians in general "are so sensitive… You've gotta be, to create art," he explained.

Touching upon his own battles with substance abuse, Munky said: "I've struggled with my own addictions and mental health. It's fucking hard. You get out there and you get a lot of enablers — people that just give you stuff. 'You wanna party? Let's hang out and party.' It's hard, especially if you deal with addiction — you have that tendency to wanna go and do that. Like me, I've been sober 12 years. It's hard to say no still. Even like [when people say], 'Let's go. We're gonna go to the hotel. We're having a party.' 'Man, I'm gonna go to bed.'"

He added that there's temptation all around "of all kinds. It depends on what your vice is," he said.

As for how touring musicians can better handle these issues going forward, Munky said: "Balance. Exercise. Support. I feel like there should be some sort of thing for tours and touring musicians that we can create a community and talk about this stuff and make each feel better."

Earlier this year, Munky told Metal Hammer magazine that he "had severely slipped into bad drug use and alcoholism" around the time of his father's death. "I had lost both my parents now... and I didn't want to face it," he said. "I had a beautiful house by the beach, and I basically barricaded myself in, with all the windows blacked out, and turned the music up really loud in every room. It was a very quiet neighborhood until I moved in, so my neighbors must have been like, 'This motherfucker, we can't take this anymore…'"

Munky continued: "One day this policeman knocked on my door... as the sun was rising. He asked if I had any guns in the house, and I responded, 'If I do have any guns, you will be the first to know,' and slammed the door in his face. About 15 minutes later, I had a SWAT team outside my house. They got me out and arrested me, and they knew I was not okay; they could obviously see, like, 'Okay, not only is he high, and drunk, but he's mentally unstable.' I woke up handcuffed to a hospital bed in a psychiatric ward, on hold for 72 hours. And that was the moment where I was like, 'I can't go on like this…'"

Munky went on to say that "in the '90s, our attitude was, 'Fuck tomorrow, we're living today.' Sometimes I can't believe we’re alive. If my neighbors hadn't called the cops on me that day, or maybe if I'd been living out on my own in acres of land instead of by the beach, I'd probably be dead."

Back in 2007, Shaffer spoke openly about his battles with substance abuse, telling Bakersfield.com: "We've all had our battles with alcohol and other drugs and those sorts of demons, not just people in bands … but you know, living this lifestyle will lead to drug addiction, alcoholism. It's a tough battle for anybody, but when you're in this industry, it really is, because it's everywhere you turn. It's a party every night."

At the time, Shaffer referred to himself as "an alcoholic." He explained: "I deal with it — I try to deal with it every day. I've done 12 steps, I've been on the wagon, off the wagon for many years. It's difficult. It's just a hard, hard thing to kick."

Hawkins was found dead on March 25 at the Four Seasons Casa Medina hotel in Bogota, Colombia while FOO FIGHTERS were on tour. An official cause of death for Hawkins hasn't yet been released, but on March 26, Colombia's attorney general's office issued a preliminary toxicology report, saying that medical examiners found evidence of 10 types of substances in Hawkins's body, including opioids, benzodiazepines, marijuana and antidepressants.

In a new interview with Pierre Gutiérrez of Rock Talks, SINSAENUM vocalist Sean Zatorsky was asked about the progress of the writing and recording sessions for the band's third album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We have already written [a lot of the new record]. We still need to work on lyrics and we need to kind of piece the rest of the songs together. So we're kind of still in that halfway point of having a tangible product and taking it to be mixed and then still needing to write a little bit and put the polishing touches on stuff."

As for whether SINSAENUM has secured a replacement for drummer Joey Jordison, who passed away last year, Sean said: "We do have a drummer. I can't really say who — I'm not really allowed, unfortunately — but it is someone that we know… The guy we got's great… He knows the band and [he's] a friend, and it'll just be a perfect combination, from what it sounds like. He's known Fred [guitarist/bassist Frédéric Leclercq] for a long time, but I know him too. We became friends through mutual people. [He's] not [in] a super-famous band, but he does in some [other] bands [as well].

"It's more about just finding someone who will vibe," Sean explained. "You're never gonna replace Joey, so looking for the next superstar isn't necessarily the answer, I think, sometimes. But this guy, he definitely can do the job. I think it'll be really cool."

Regarding a possible release date for SINSAENUM's next LP, Sean said: "Fred's in KREATOR right now, so he's busy just doing a lot of that. I think they just dropped an album. I'm sure they'll tour. It'll be, I think, next… We talked about next summer maybe getting together and me flying over to France and kind of staying there, maybe doing some vocals and finalizing parts… It'll be next year — a year from now. 'Cause he's gotta finish his touring cycle and whatnot. That's just kind of what we were roughly speaking, that I would fly there next summer maybe, or maybe April or May or March — sometime next year, early in the year, middle of the year — and I would go over and we'd finish lyrics and we'd finish vocals and put the finishing touches on stuff."

Asked if Joey recorded the drums for SINSAENUM's third album before his death, Sean said: "No. He started to piece together what would be what. We were messaging him July 14th [of 2021] about the drumming and we started sending him songs literally right then. I think the last time I spoke with Joey was the 20th [of July]. 'Cause I was talking about some VENTED stuff and how I needed to hire him for an engineer gig. And he was, like, 'I wanna do the SINSAENUM stuff first.' So VENTED went to the backburner. And then it was only just a few days later he died. Unfortunately, he didn't have a chance to do anything. But he did get to hear some of [the songs], so that kind of feels good. He liked what he heard. And it's so cliché to say, but he definitely is one of those guys that would have been, like, 'You guys should continue on.' He bled, shit and slept metal. So if anybody understood, it was him."

Sean went on to say that "it goes without saying" that the third SINSAENUM album will be dedicated to Jordison. "He touched us all, man — especially me," he explained. "Him and I got really close those last few months before he passed. So it was sad."

Last August, Leclercq spoke to the Impact metal channel about Jordison's passing. Asked if he knew what caused Joey's death, Leclercq said: "That's not my place to discuss. Of course I know. I'm just saying it's not my position. The family asked for privacy at that time, and I respect that. It's just very sad."

Asked how he would summarize Jordison's legacy, Frédéric, a former member of DRAGONFORCE who now plays bass in KREATOR, said: "To me, he was more than a musician. To me, he was first and foremost a friend. So I lost a friend that was only 46 years old, and it hurts. He was an amazing musician, not only on drums but also he wrote amazing songs. And we were lucky enough to play together. It was great.

"I created SINSAENUM," he continued. "He contacted me. We were looking for a drummer. Everything just fell into place. He came up with the name [a combination of the words 'sin' and 'insane'). The last shows he played were with us; that's the last thing that he played.

"I have a column in a Japanese magazine called Young Guitar, and I was doing yesterday, typing, and I just remembered the last song that he played ever was [SINSAENUM's] 'My Swan Song', and I guess the title is… And that's a song that he really loved. I remember he was just, like, 'Yeah.' He felt something about it. So it's a little strange to think about it now. So I've been listening to the song again and again.

"I'm still processing the fact that he's gone."

Joey's family confirmed that he died "peacefully in his sleep" on July 26, 2021 of an unspecified cause.

A few days after Jordison's passing, Leclercq blasted TMZ for sharing the audio of the 911 call placed by the former SLIPKNOT drummer's ex-girlfriend after she found him dead. On July 29, the tabloid site posted the two-and-a-half-minute phone call in which the ex-girlfriend — who continued taking care of Joey's bills and maintaining his house in Iowa even after their split — could be heard getting very emotional when she went to his home to check on him after he hadn't returned her messages. During the call, she indicated that Joey was "a really bad alcoholic" with "health issues," and she revealed that the motion sensors on the house hadn't detected any activity in days.

SLIPKNOT announced its split with Jordison in December 2013 but did not disclose the reasons for his exit. The drummer subsequently issued a statement saying that he did not quit the group.

Last September, SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor called Jordison's death "a damn tragedy. "He was way too young, and he was way too talented to lose him like this," Corey added in an interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "I know a lot of people wonder about the circumstances that led to him not being in the band anymore, and it's, like, we're not gonna talk about that, because I'd rather talk about his legacy, which is that he helped create this band that we all have fought to keep out there and keep going. Just the fact that he's not here now, it's still — I still can't believe it," Corey said.

The same year that he exited SLIPKNOT, Jordison launched the band SCAR THE MARTYR and later, VIMIC.

In a new four-minute video from SiriusXM, Mark Tremonti listens to 10-second clips of songs from CREED, TREMONTI, ALTER BRIDGE and more of his projects played backwards. Then he tries to guess which track was just played. Check out the results below.

In a recent interview with the 97.7 QLZ radio station, Tremonti revealed that ALTER BRIDGE's seventh album will be titled "Pawns & Kings". The follow-up to 2019's "Walk The Sky" — which is once again being recorded at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who has previously worked with SEVENDUST, MAMMOTH WVH and SLASH, among others — will arrive on October 14 via Napalm Records.

ALTER BRIDGE will embark on an extensive European tour this winter. The "Pawns & Kings" trek will hit 25 cities over 18 countries, kicking off on November 1 in Hamburg, Germany and wrapping up on December 12 in London, England. Supporting ALTER BRIDGE will be Grammy-winning rockers HALESTORM and MAMMOTH WVH, the new band fronted by ex-VAN HALEN bassist Wolfgang Van Halen.

ALTER BRIDGE released a seven-song EP, "Walk The Sky 2.0", in November 2020 via Napalm Records. The effort contained live versions of a few of the band's favorites from "Walk The Sky" — "Wouldn't You Rather", "Pay No Mind", "Native Son", "Godspeed", "In The Deep" and "Dying Light" — as well as one new studio track, "Last Rites", which was written, recorded and completed entirely during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Tremonti issued the fifth album from his solo band TREMONTI, titled "Marching In Time", last September via Napalm Records.

ALTER BRIDGE frontman Myles Kennedy released his sophomore solo album, "The Ides Of March", in May 2021 via Napalm Records.

Tremonti recently partnered with National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to release an album of Frank Sinatra covers titled "Tremonti Sings Sinatra". The LP of selections from Frank Sinatra's catalog will be made available as part of a new charity initiative created by Tremonti called Take A Chance For Charity. Proceeds from the album — scheduled for release on May 27 — will go to support NDSS and the work they do to advocate for and support individuals with Down syndrome and their families.

On May 6th, veteran rockers KIX performed at the M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, MD. Fan-filmed video of the band's entire set is available below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Get It While It's Hot"
"No Ring Around Rosie"
"Midnite Dynamite"
"Lie Like a Rug"
"Scarlet Fever"
"Cold Shower"
"Girl Money"
"The Itch"
"Love Me With Your Top Down"
"Don't Close Your Eyes"
- guitar solo -
"Cold Blood"
- drum solo -
"Blow My Fuse"

DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie, who recently said that it was "great" to be back on good terms with the band's former drummer Mike Portnoy, was asked in a new interview with Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio if there is any chance of the two musicians working together again. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think anything is possible. Listen, Mike and I are in a great place. We've been texting back and forth from time to time. I wished him a happy birthday; he wished me a happy birthday… So we're staying in touch.

"Listen, Mike's a great musician," LaBrie continued. "Put it this way… Who knows what the future holds? Maybe there'll be a day and I'll go, 'Holy shit. This track would be perfect to have Mike do this.' Or it might be something that comes from him, from his side. So we'll see. You know what? I'm open. And that's the thing, is that we're in a really good place now. And yeah, it should have happened a long time ago. But human beings, we have a tendency to… our pride gets the best of us."

Portnoy attended DREAM THEATER's concert on March 4 at Beacon Theatre in New York City. It was the first time he 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, 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".

LaBrie discussed his renewed friendship with Portnoy in a recent interview with Rodrigo Altaf of Sonic Perspectives. Speaking about how Mike's backstage reunion with his former bandmates came about, James said: "What happened was my manager… This is, like, two hours before the show… So, you know the history with Mike and I. The thing is what was sad about that whole duration where Mike and I didn't see eye to eye is that when DREAM THEATER started, 'Images And Words' [1992] and 'Awake' [1994], Mike and I were best friends — way back — and then we started to fall apart, for several reasons. It doesn't matter — the details don't matter — it's just that we started to have a problem with one another. And so about two hours before the New York show, my manager texts me and he said, 'Listen, Mike's gonna be there tonight. He wants to come back and see you. He wants to make amends. I don't mean to do this...' And I said, 'Frank' — to my manager, I said — 'you're putting this in my lap two hours before I play in front of how many thousands of people in New York. Are you kidding me?' So, I thought about it. You know what? I went for a walk, believe it or not. I went incognito and I went for a walk in New York. And I walked the streets and I started thinking about it, and I said to myself, 'You know what? Enough is enough. There's enough hate in this world; there's enough frickin' negativity in this world. If Mike wants to come and see me and make amends, then I should be receptive.' And I got in touch… And John Petrucci [DREAM THEATER guitarist] was also there. So he said, 'Mike wants to know if he can come back and say hi to you,' like I just said. And I said, 'You know what? Yeah. Let him know. For sure. Tell him to come back and see me after the show.' And that's what we did. We chatted. We had a good, long discussion. We made up and gave each other a hug and did a picture together.

"When I was out on stage before all that, I just said, 'Hey, I just wanna let you guys know, Mike Portnoy's here. Hey, welcome, brother, to the show.' And that was it.

"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 continued. "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.

"Hey, listen, just the other day Mike texts me, and he was, like, 'Hey, James, I just wanna congratulate you on [DREAM THEATER's first-ever] Grammy. You frickin' well deserve this — you and the band. Awesome. Kudos. Bravo,' all this stuff. And I text Mike back, and I said, 'Frick, man. Mike, that's very admirable of you.' I said, 'In my book, that's pretty damn cool for you to say these things.' And he said, 'Awesome, man. Love it.'

"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 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. John later shot down speculation among DREAM THEATER fans that it's only a matter of time before Portnoy returns to the band, telling Spain's Metal Hammer: "I think it's really important for everybody's sake — for fans to understand this. I think it's important, out of respect for both drummers — for Mike Mangini and Mike Portnoy — that there's no misconstrued thing: 'Oh, this means something else.' This is [Portnoy] playing on my solo album, which is a really happy moment for me… I don't want people to get the wrong idea. I don't wanna create any drama or weirdness, because it's all positive. I made a solo album — finally, after 15 years — and I got my friend to play drums on it, who I haven't played with in 10 years. So that's the vibe."

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."

Since the 2010 departure of Portnoy, Petrucci, along with keyboardist Jordan Rudess, has taken on much of the songwriting load for DREAM THEATER, including 2016's controversial double concept album, "The Astonishing", 2019's "Distance Over Time" and the band's latest LP, 2021's "A View From The Top Of The World".

LaBrie previously discussed his relationship with Portnoy in a November 2021 interview with Radio Forrest. He said at the time: "I haven't spoken to Mike, to be quite honest, since he left the band. So I think that pretty much says it all."

LaBrie had previously seemingly closed the door on the possibility of a DREAM THEATER reunion with Portnoy, telling Chile's Radio Futuro in an August 2013 interview: "That possibility, I don't see it ever happening; it's not gonna happen. Because, first and foremost, Mike Mangini is a full-fledged member of the band now, he's a phenomenal drummer and he's doing everything that we could possibly want as a drummer in a band. He's helping us realize exactly what we wanna do right now musically. And he will be our drummer until the day that we finish doing this, when we conclude. Mike Portnoy was a big part of our past, but I think that's where it's going to remain. He was a drummer from the past. And as far as presently and into the future, it will be Mike Mangini, and we all feel very strongly about that. He's an incredible drummer, he's an incredible asset to the band, and he is fulfilling our wildest dreams as far as what we're doing musically and what we're doing with each album. So that's the way it stands."

Madman's Lullaby have released their brand new EP, Nocturnal Overdrive Part 2, via Australia's MR Records. Order here, and watch a video for the first single, "Falling", below.


"Falling" is picking up action at radio, debuting at #207 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and the #7 Most Added track on the Metal Contraband chart. Top 20 specialty radio shows are charting "Falling" as well, WORT in Madison, WI (#19), The Foundry online (#20) and Metal Authority Radio online (#20).
 
Madman's Lullaby's EJ talks about his battle with COVID which presented a new set of hurdles in getting the new EP release: "As some of you know I was hospitalized with the Delta Variant. At one point I wasn’t sure I was going to make it, let alone ever be able to play music again. It was honestly two of the hardest months I’ve ever experienced. Today I’m beyond thankful for my health and my family that got me through it, and of course to finally be back on my drums. It’s gifted me with a bigger appreciation for everything like making music for all of you. I hope these songs will bring some good vibes in the midst of this crazy world we live in."


"This EP contains five cracking tracks that is sure to extend their fan base world wide. The band have received excellent reviews for Part 1 and we know this release will see an increase of interest and demand in 2022. Once again, the overall package is complimented by some incredible cover artwork by world renown graphic designer, ‘Nello Dell’Omo’. - Peter Naylor, MR Records.







Tracklisting:


"Thick And Thin"
"Inside Out"
"Falling"
"Tell Me I'm Right"
"Ask For Nothing"


"Falling" video:





All songs written and recorded by Madman’s Lullaby. Recorded at Suspect studios in San Jose, Ca and Blue Room Studios in Brentwood, CA. Produced by Eric Hill and Madman’s Lullaby.

Currently on their sold out Tekkno European tour, Germany's Electric Callboy have shared live POV stage footage of the band performing their hit "Pump It" in Hannover. Check out the official clip below.


Previously shared POV footage of "We Got The Moves" live in Hamburg is also available.










Electric Callboy officially announced the release of their brand new studio album, Tekkno, out on September 9 via Century Media Records. This announcement comes after the band hits the Top 40 of the German single charts with their newest single “Spaceman” (#31 single charts).


After the band released their previous album in 2019, it's time again for an energy-charged musical firework. The ten track album includes the previously released fan favorite tracks "We Got The Moves", "Pump It" and Electric Callboy's current single, "Spaceman".


Electric Callboy vocalist and keyboardist, Kevin, states, “It feels so unbelievably good to finally present our new album Tekkno to the world. Created in a time without any live shows we put all our passion, energy and craziness into this one record. Never felt it more intense to write new music. With this announcement we celebrate the liberation from our daily studio routine back to many awesome live shows with you guys! We can’t wait to see you again soon!”





Tekkno will be released on September 9 in several formats such as Ltd. CD Digipak, Deluxe CD Box Set, 180-gram LP+CD incl. poster in various vinyl colors and on all digital platforms. The Deluxe Box Set will come along with the CD Digipak, bottle opener with different sounds, signature card game and 6-piece coaster set.


Tekkno is available to pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Pump It"
"We Got The Moves"
"Fuckboi" (feat. Conquer Divide)
"Spaceman" (feat. Finch)
"Mindreader"
"Arrow Of Love"
"Parasite"
"Tekkno Train"
"Hurrikan"
"Neon"


"Spaceman" video:





Electric Callboy is:


David (drums)
Daniel (bass)
Kevin (vocals, keys)
Nico (vocals)
Daniel (guitar)
Pascal (guitar)

Tempe, Arizona-based deathgaze outfit, Kardashev, will release their sophomore full-length, Liminal Rite, on June 10 via Metal Blade Records. The band have released a bass playthrough video for the first single, "Compost Grave-Song". Watch below:





Forged in 2012, Kardashev's mission statement could best be described as, "Attempting to create the most beautiful, heavy music through themes of love, loss, and altruism in the metal spectrum." The band dropped their debut full-length Peripety in 2015 and has since focused on short form concept records, most recently 2021's stirring The Baring Of Shadows. Rarely approaching the creation of a record with any preconceptions or plans as to what form it will take, they work until what they generally envisaged manifests itself. The result is this year's Liminal Rite featuring eleven deeply rousing, poignant, and musically grandiose tracks.




Opening with the gorgeous drones of "The Approaching Of Atonement" before launching into the densely layered, surging "Silvered Shadows," an air of tragedy looms over much of the record's proceedings demanding an emotional response at every musical turn. Liminal Rite is lyrically deep and complex, focusing on mood above all else. Guitarist Nico Mirolla aptly describes the songs as musically bearing resemblance to freeform jazz or a progressive record, because, "The story is the focus. There is an overtly important narrative taking place that is facilitated by the sonic textures and qualities intentionally designed for it."


The record follows a narrative laid out by drummer Sean Lang's spoken word parts. Elaborates Mirolla, "Liminal Rite explores how the past can both wound and seduce, leading us down a path of self-destruction. It's an anecdotal tale from a fictional man's perspective late in life on how perception and reality do not always coalesce. His experience tells a larger message of how our minds often create a false view of the past. Sean's narration is him expressing the man's perception and recollection of life. The failure of his memory, the nature of dementia, and how it plays into his experience are all encapsulated by the narrative sections."


While Lang simply speaks his parts, vocalist Mark Garrett possesses a phenomenal vocal range, branching from the heavenly and frail to multiple different extreme metal styles, and he follows his gut instincts when it comes to deciding which to employ. "Nico, [bassist] Alex [Reith], and Sean write music that is heavily focused on emotional storytelling, Garrett notes. Because of this, and since I write vocals once the rest of the song is complete, I find myself both swept away in the emotion of the song and wanting to help further the cathartic experience of the listener even more."


With drums tracked in Lang's home studio, Kardashev returned to Endless Gate Audio in Arizona to track guitar, bass, and vocals. They then gathered at The Sound Lair in Tennessee - the first time this lineup has ever been in the same room together - to work with producer/mixer Miah Lajeunesse. The album was mastered by Ryan Williams. The band also brought in Bohren & Der Club Of Gore's saxophonist Christoph Clöser -- which was a life goal checked off for Mirolla - to add an extra flavor to haunting, epic closer "Beyond The Passage Of Embers," and Christopher Blaney added some piano parts alongside those of Rieth. The members also pushed themselves into new territory: Garrett recorded his own vocal harmonies rather than relying on a vocoder as on previous releases, Rieth recorded some piano parts, and Lang penned and recorded the spoken word story that haunts the record. The album comes cloaked in the cover art of Faith Veloro.





Liminal Rite be available on CD, digitally, and LP on the following color variants:


• Misty Rose Marble (US exclusive)
• Light Gray Marbled (US exclusive)
• Pale Blue Grey Marbled (EU exclusive)
• Crimson Marbled Marbled (EU exclusive - ltd to 300 copies)
• Clear Ochre Brown Marbled (EU exclusive - ltd to 200 copies)
• Pastel Blue Marbled (EU exclusive - ltd to 200 copies)
• Clear Lilac Marbled (EU exclusive - ltd to 200 copies)


Find pre-order options here.





Liminal Rite tracklisting:


"The Approaching Of Atonement"
"Silvered Shadows"
"Apparitions In Candlelight"
"Dissever"
"Lavender Calligraphy"
"The Blinding Threshold"
"Compost Grave-Song"
"Cellar Of Ghosts"
"Glass Phantoms"
"A Vagabond's Lament"
"Beyond The Passage Of Embers"


"Compost Grave-Song" video:





Kardashev lineup:


Nico Mirolla - guitars
Mark Garrett - vocals
Alex Rieth - bass
Sean Lang - drums

Black Stone Cherry restored the party in front of the Faster Stage at Wacken Open Air 2019, right after the crowd returned from a storm caused evacuation of the festival's infield. Watch the band perform "White Trash Millionaire" below:





On Wednesday, September 29, 2021 - the year of the band's 20th anniversary - Kentucky's favourite sons, Black Stone Cherry, realized their childhood dream of playing at the legendary Royal Albert Hall, London. Now, Black Stone Cherry are set to release a live album/BluRay from that epic evening, titled Live From The Royal Albert Hall… Y'All on June 24 via Mascot Records / Mascot Label Group. Watch the first taste, via the video for "Ringin' In My Head" below.




Sat on the stage at the iconic Victorian building, singer-guitarist Chris Robertson paused, looked around and said; "When you're a kid, and you see your heroes' playing places, and then all of a sudden you find yourself sitting on the stage, it's pretty emotional. But we're gonna royally rock it this evening. You better believe that."


The four piece don't disappoint as they open with the explosive "Me and Mary Jane". From clubs to arenas and festival headline performances, no one puts on the kind of show that these boys do. Hit after hit - it's all killer - the rapturous crowd roar back. Black Stone Cherry was one of the first international bands to tour the UK following the Covid19 lockdown restrictions being eased, and they gave every single fan in there that night a euphoric dose of happiness.


They tear through an impressive back catalogue, playing songs from their most recent studio album The Human Condition – "In Love With The Pain", '"Again", and "Ringin' In My Head'" - through to their biggest hits and fan favourites. '"Blind Man", "Hell And High Water", "Blame It On The Boom Boom", and "White Trash Millionaire" rock the building alongside moments of tenderness such as the touching rendition and emotional performance of "Things My Father Said".


Talking about playing the iconic venue, drummer John-Fred Young said, "To be honest, I was terrified. It was heavy walking in there. You think about how many great acts have played this place. The prestige behind it. We've wanted to play the Royal Albert Hall since the first UK tour in 2007. Dudes from the middle of the country in Kentucky to go out here and have built an amazing group of people that we care about and come to our shows and support us. To know that with all that hard work and dedication we have put into Black Stone Cherry, we've accomplished something here. Walking in that place, it's just breath-taking. You walk on that stage, and you say, we did it, and it's a feeling that I will cherish for the rest of my life."


The band have always belonged to the fans and vice versa, which is why when you hear those songs emanate from the stage and then sung back, every fan in the world can close their eyes and remember either being there or imagine being there and the sheer joy and pride in the boys for realizing a dream.


New band member Steve Jewell Jr replaces founding bass player Jon Lawhon and criss-crosses the stage with Ben Wells and Robertson projecting boundless enthusiasm. This is a band absolutely revelling in playing together, and it comes across in each song.


Robertsons reflects: "We've headlined Wembley Arena, we've headlined festivals, but you walk into this place, and it's different. I remember watching footage of Zeppelin here, and now we're here."


On the Blu-Ray, the live footage is dotted with behind-the-scenes interviews, fly on the wall footage and archival insights into the band as kids first starting out, snippets of their first ever UK tour and heartfelt moments of reflection. But ultimately Live From The Royal Albert Hall… Y'All was about bringing rock 'n' roll to London, Kentucky style, and they tore the roof off that mother.


The release is available to pre-order here in various formats: digital, CD & BluRay, double vinyl and an online exclusive double vinyl in transparent red.





Tracklisting:


"Me And Mary Jane"
"Burnin'"
"Again"
"Yeah Man"
"In My Blood/Island Jam"
"Ringin' In My Head"
"Like I Roll"
"Cheaper To Drink Alone"
"Hell And High Water"
"Soulcreek"
"Devil's Queen"
Drum Solo"
"Things My Father Said"
"In Love With The Pain"
"Blind Man"
"Blame It On The Boom Boom"
"White Trash Millionaire"
"Lonely Train"
"Peace Is Free"


"Ringin' In My Head" video:

Rockshots Records has announced their latest signing of Italian melancholic metallers SilentLie for the release of their sophomore full-length Equilibrium this coming September to follow 2015's Layers Of Nothing. Pre-save here.


Always drawn to the dark side of emotions, Equilibrium proceeds along this path. It stands on modern heavy tones and an obscure mood that can be compared to bands like Ghost, Ozzy Osbourne, and The Cure. Spreading their dark wings, drums, and bass, SilentLie builds a wall of sound on which the guitars dance with tombstone keys while a powerful female voice embraces the listener with gritty, but catchy melodies. Many of the songs on the album, thematically, deal with the eternal struggle between good and evil, with lyrics introspective and personal. There’s a maturity to the music that acts as a pendulum swinging between ‘80s liquid verses and gloomy, almost doomy, parts.







"Our first EP, Blood Under Snow was a collection of five obscure and atmospheric tracks, while our first full-length Layers Of Nothing featured dark/gothic influences with some old fashioned Sabbath riffing. The new material on Equilibrium reveals a more focused sound with a blasting production. It's deep, heavy, and gritty with a dark outline. It's a collection of ten heavy songs, a journey in the dark without fear," adds the band.


Equilibrium was mixed in the U.S.A. by Grammy Award winner Dave Hagen at Dark Horse Studios (Mastodon, Evanescence, Alice in Chains). The album is due out on September 30.