Veteran bassist Robbie Crane has expressed his concern about the well-being of KINGDOM COME drummer James Kottak whose band was widely lambasted for a disastrous performance at a Swedish festival over the weekend.

KINGDOM COME's June 10 appearance at Sweden Rock Festival was described by the popular Swedish site Rocknytt as the event's "biggest fuckup." Writer Peter Johansson criticized the band for the inclusion of "several lengthy, uninspired, uninteresting and completely meaningless solos on both guitar and bass", saying that the musicians "completely massacred" one of their most popular songs, "Do You Like It". He also singled out Kottak, writing that the drummer played "really badly, sluggishly" and at times failed to keep the tempo "worryingly throughout the concert". At the end of the show, Kottak "stumbled to the edge of the stage to bow with his bandmates," according to Rocknytt.

Also critical of KINGDOM COME's performance was renowned Swedish music journalist and guitar player Janne Stark, who took to his Facebook page to share a photo of the gig and he wrote in an accompanying caption: "I've never seen a drummer fall asleep on stage before but James Kottak is pretty damn close. Drunk? He slows down every song to half tempo. KINGDOM COME, sorry guys but this is SHIT!"

After BLABBERMOUTH.NET published an article on Sunday (June 12) about KINGDOM COME's Sweden Rock performance, Stevie Rachelle, founder of the Metal Sludge web site and frontman of the glam metal band TUFF, weighed in on the situation via his Facebook page, writing that "this latest incident, and train-wreck of a performance by James Kottak, along with his past public displays of stupid drunken behavior that have landed him on the cover of TMZ and beyond for years, is exactly what Jani Lane [late WARRANT frontman] was doing in his life for years, until those years were cut short. James Kottak is Jani Lane in 2022... and the truth is, there is likely nobody who can save him, but himself," Stevie continued. "There have been bands, a wife, kids, and I am sure managers, family and friends who have tried., just like with Jani Lane... but... James Kottak is still alive. Whether he saves himself or not, only time will tell. Too many enablers... and someone needs to say it."

Among the people who reacted to Rachelle's post was Crane, the current bass player for BLACK STAR RIDERS and formerly a member of RATT, LYNCH MOB and the Vince Neil band. Robbie wrote: "This is a sad situation… James is a good dude… He's a father, brother, son, husband, and friend… But sadly, you are correct… the only person that can save James is James. He has to want it. But like so many before him, addiction fully has him… he is in the center of his own storm and sees nothing but peace around him… He doesn't realize the physical damage he's done to himself. Not yet anyway… if we tried to help would he hear us? I don't know… Hopefully this situation will serve as a wake up call to him… All we can do is pray for him…"

In September 2016, Kottak was dismissed from SCORPIONS during his well-publicized battle with alcoholism and was replaced by former MOTÖRHEAD member Mikkey Dee.

Two years ago, Kottak, who joined the SCORPIONS in 1996, told the SCORPIONS official fan club Crazyscorps about the circumstances that led to his departure from the legendary German hard rock band: "I always liked a drink here and there. And then I always also take a pain medication called Aleve. It's what all the baseball players take, all the footballers, and it works like a charm. You take those of those and you don't feel anything. But on top of that, I'm a rock drummer in a rock band, and you've got the green light to drink.

"From 2008 to 2011, I didn't drink," he explained. "I just woke up one day and said, 'I just don't wanna drink anymore.' I didn't go to rehab; I didn't do any of that stuff. I just didn't wanna drink anymore.

"If you have any knowledge of A.A. [Alcoholics Anonymous] or any type of program or rehab, it only lasts so long and then you have what we call in recovery a relapse. I would go through these phases of a year or maybe two years of no drinking, and then you gradually…

"SCORPIONS, we play our show, we go back to the hotel, [and] 45 minutes later, we're all downstairs having dinner," he continued. "And everything's just the right price — free. All these flights back and forth from Europe, from L.A. — I was just flying constantly. Which I'm not complaining about, but it's always business or first class, and once again, all the booze is at the right price. I'm going, 'I've got the next two days off. I might as well have a drink.' And that's what triggered me to start drinking again sometimes.

"It's a typical alcoholic way of thinking: 'Well, I may as well have a drink. Why not?' And that's typical alcoholic disease thinking. 'Cause it is a disease."

Four years ago, SCORPIONS guitarist Matthias Jabs said that he and his bandmates "had to make" the decision to fire Kottak, explaining that they gave the drummer "all the chances" to get better. During an appearance on "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon", the guitarist said: "James was a real good friend — and he still is — but we couldn't continue with him. We gave him all the chances, and 10 more. And it was something that developed over the years — the drinking habit. It came in waves — sometimes it was good for four weeks, and then [there] was drama, and if you know him, you know what that's like. Then if it affects the show, you have to go, 'Hmmm…' Because our drum riser goes up 21 feet, or 24 feet sometimes, if the venue allows it, and the production manager, or stage manager, goes, 'I can't have him go up there. It's too risky.' If you can't really walk down the stairs straight, you can't have that. So that affects your intro of the show, and that's not good — it's not professional."

He continued: "We were helping him — we were sending him to [the island of] Antigua [to Eric Clapton's Crossroads drug and alcohol treatment center], and we paid for it, and we did everything we could, because we are extremely loyal. It's always hard if you work with somebody for almost 20 years to say, 'Okay, you've gotta go.' We'd rather do the opposite and try to keep him and help him. But we reached the point — or he reached the point — where it was just not worth it. After three months or four months even — they gave him an extra month in Antigua, the rehab — he'd come home, we'd start again, and you can't even talk to him. So we had to make that decision. We had Mikkey on the road, so [James] didn't notice. So I rehearsed with [Mikkey] and Paweł [Mąciwoda, bass] in the afternoon, just a backup; that was the original plan. But then there was no way we could continue with James, so we started with Mikkey."

JAMES KOTTAK = JANI LANE ...

The Question is, can anyone save James Kottak before he Kills himself?

I am not...

Posted by Stevie Rachelle on Monday, June 13, 2022

SLIPKNOT drummer Jay Weinberg has shared a point-of-view (POV) video of him performing the song "The Chapeltown Rag" with his bandmates on June 13 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. The clip, which was filmed using a GoPro Hero 8 camera, can be seen below.

The studio version of "The Chapeltown Rag", which was released on November 5, 2021, was produced by Joe Barresi, who has previously worked with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and CHEVELLE, among many others.

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor described the song to Knotfest.com as "a punisher," saying it documents what happens when the distortions of mass media circulate within the echo chambers of social media.

"It's classic SLIPKNOT," said Corey about the track, which is inspired by a Netflix documentary he watched about the Yorkshire Ripper serial killer who murdered multiple women in the West Yorkshire, United Kingdom suburb Chapeltown in the late 1970s. "And it's frenetic. But lyrically, it's coming from a point of talking about the various manipulations that can happen when social media meets media itself. And the different ways that these manipulations can try to pull us in different directions, in the fact that we're all becoming addicts to it, which is very, very dangerous."

Recorded during recent sessions for a yet-to-be-announced new album, "The Chapeltown Rag" barrels forward with the speed of a freight train derailing and incisively eviscerates Internet culture from the inside out with the scream, "When everything is god online…nothing is."

"I wasn't even sure if that part was going to be the chorus, to be honest," Corey said. "But I just love the way that the chord progression lent itself this weird, chromatic, minor vibe to it, which I had never really done before. I played with it on 'Vermilion' years ago, but I had never really given it a little more aggression. The harmony that I created for it was just so fucking weird as well that it just gives it that slight dissonant vibe, but it's also very, very melodic and hummable. Writing and pulling yourself out of trying to keep it in some sort of structure allows you to just fucking rip the scab off and let the wound be what it is. Then obviously, the big breakdown at the end where it just fucking goes off the rails is is so heavy, dude."

Earlier this week, SLIPKNOT announced the fall leg of the "Knotfest Roadshow 2022" tour. Produced by Live Nation, the run — featuring support from horror-themed metal maestros ICE NINE KILLS and metalcore titans CROWN THE EMPIRE — will kick off on September 20 in Nashville, Tennessee and hit an additional eight cities before culminating in Irvine, California on October 7.

2021 marked a banner year for SLIPKNOT. Making a triumphant return to the road, "Knotfest Roadshow 2021" tour sold out amphitheaters across the country, bookended with the record-breaking Knotfest Iowa and the biggest headline show of SLIPKNOT's career, Knotfest Los Angeles at Banc of California Stadium, where they debuted their first new music in two years — the aforementioned "The Chapeltown Rag". In addition, they topped the bills of multiple, internationally renowned festivals, including Riot Fest, Rocklahoma, Inkcarceration, Welcome To Rockville and more.

In February, Taylor told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the musical direction of the new SLIPKNOT material: "It's really killer, man. It's darker than 'We Are Not Your Kind', but there's a ton of melody. I've been telling everybody that it's like a heavier version of 'Vol. 3[: (The Subliminal Verses)]'. It's got so many textures and layers. The heavy stuff has attack but the melodic stuff you can just sink your teeth in; there's a lot of great melodies and hooks. I'm really, really excited for people to hear it."

"We Are Not Your Kind" was released in August 2019. The LP sold 118,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Furthermore, the album made an impact worldwide with No. 1 debuts in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, Canada, Japan, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal and Finland, as well as Top 5 debuts in Germany, France, Norway, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and New Zealand.

In an interview with Rock Sound conducted at this past weekend's Download festival in the U.K., LACUNA COIL singers Andrea Ferro and Cristina Scabbia were asked about the possibility of new music from the band coming in the not-too-distant future. Andrea said: "We've been a bit sneaky, to be honest. Because, yes, there will be new music coming out soon, and soon we're gonna announce what is it exactly, but it's not album number ten."

Added Cristina: "It is something special — it is a special project. But it is recorded. We're actually finishing little things here and there."

Continued Andrea: "We can't say much. [But] very soon — in a couple of months everything will be more clear." "And you will see something new as well soon," Cristina said.

Earlier this week, LACUNA COIL announced a U.S. tour for late summer. The 13-date trek will kick off on September 8 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and end of September 23 in Joliet, Illinois. Support on the trek will come from BUTCHER BABIES, UNCURED and LIONS AT THE GATE. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, June 17 at 10 a.m. local time.

As previously reported, LACUNA COIL will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its third studio album, "Comalies", by performing it in its entirety at a one-night-only concert on Saturday, October 15 at Fabrique in Milano.

LACUNA COIL's third album, "Comalies" was released on October 29, 2002 through Century Media Records. The LP, which featured the band's breakthrough single "Heaven's A Lie", has reportedly gone on to sell over 300,000 copies in the United States alone.

LACUNA COIL played its first show in front of an audience in more than two years on April 7 as the support act for APOCALYPTICA at the Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia.

Prior to the Atlanta concert, the last time LACUNA COIL played together was at the group's special September 2020 livestream event where the bandmembers performed their latest album, "Black Anima", in its entirety with no audience in attendance at the Alcatraz Club in Milan, Italy. That show was released as a live album, "Live From The Apocalypse", via Century Media.

LACUNA COIL hadn't played in front of a crowd since the completion of the band's South American tour in February 2020.

In June 2021, Scabbia told Revolver that she and her bandmates didn't use the coronavirus downtime to work on new music. "We didn't want to force the fact that because we were home, we had to write music," she explained. "We always thought that to write music, you need to be inspired. And inspiration comes from the outside, comes from experiences that you have, things that you live. At least this is valid for us.

"Everything we do in a regular life, in a normal life enriches us and gives us input that we can put in our music," she said. "And also we like to write together. So, if Marco [Coti Zelati, bass] creates the basis of the music together with the other musicians in the band, then Andrea [Ferro, vocals] and I jump in with the lyrics and vocal lines. But we do that together. We need to enter in songwriting mode. So we didn't really like the fact that we had to write separately just because we have to put a record [together] because it's quarantine. Now we are starting to collect ideas 'cause we feel a little bit happier."

Scabbia continued: "We didn't want anything connected to the negativity of the pandemic… That's why I used my time to do something completely different. Because I know that what I did that it's completely different from what I usually do will make me start again to do what I did before with passion — with the same passion. I was just afraid that if I would have used all the downtime making music when I didn't really want to, it would have had a negative influence on me. And it would have been, like, 'I really don't want to do that.' And I also wanted to prove to myself that, yeah, music is main passion. I love what I do for a living, and I hope that I can do it until the day I die. But I also wanted to show myself that I can be capable of doing something else as well."

In February 2021, LACUNA COIL took part in an initiative dubbed "L'Ultimo Concerto?" (Last Concert) to highlight the uncertain future of music venues. Instead of delivering live performances as part of a scheduled free virtual stream, each of around 130 Italian artists was filmed taking the stage at a different venue and then standing there in silence as a way of commemorating the one-year mark since the first Italian venues closed.

Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH have released another track from their upcoming twelfth studio album, "Opvs Contra Natvram", which will arrive on September 16 via Nuclear Blast. The latest single, "Off To War!", is a mission statement, accompanied by yet another evocative official video, the type that BEHEMOTH excel at, directed by Påhl Sundström and Erik Sundström.

The members of BEHEMOTH are non-conformists through and through, swimming against the tide. The new collection reflects this attitude: "Opvs Contra Natvram" is the sheer embodiment of rebellion, individuality, and unflinching self-expression, shaped by a literary worldview. It also reflects a musical evolution; there's little doubt that "Opvs Contra Natvram" is BEHEMOTH's strongest and most sophisticated project to date.

BEHEMOTH frontman and visionary Adam "Nergal" Darski comments: "Militant times bring militant music… we're increasing the tempo with our new single, 'Off To War!' — one of my personal favorites from the new record. This song has a killer punk section, one of the greatest BEHEMOTH leads of all time, and a nice extreme metal twist at the end. A true sonic tornado in times of confrontation — enjoy it, legions!!"

BEHEMOTH are masters of their vision and showcasing what a band can achieve when hard work is put in. With "Opvs Contra Natvram", they have created 10 fresh chapters at a very strange time for the world. Their goal to create something new, something that doesn't sound like anything that has gone before, is an ambitious one.

As with previous studio outings, "Opvs..." was produced by BEHEMOTH, with mixing by studio legend Joe Barresi (NINE INCH NAILS, TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, ALICE IN CHAINS).

Renowned for his meticulous attention to detail and absolute creative control of BEHEMOTH's world, frontman and band visionary Adam "Nergal" Darski reveled in the depressurized environment afforded by the pandemic. It meant that for nearly the first time since the band's inception over 30 years ago there was no deadline to observe, allowing for a nearly unprecedented level of attention to the process of writing and recording.

Beyond any confines of genre, BEHEMOTH have grown to become nothing less than the personification of rebellion, individuality, and unflinching self-expression informed by a literate worldview and worldliness that's resulted in a locking of horns with everything from the mainstream press to the Polish Catholic church — most notably manifesting in Nergal's trial for blasphemy in 2010 that only served to expose the deep-seated hypocrisies that his music seeks to challenge.

"The album title means going against the current," Nergal previously stated. "It's the negative of the values and morals and ethics that I stand against. I've seriously been wrestling with destructive tendencies in pop culture — cancel culture, social media, and tools which I feel are very dangerous weapons in the hands of people who are not competent to judge others. That's something which I find very destructive and disturbing — and extremely limiting coming from an artists' perspective. This is my middle finger to that. There's a song on the record called 'Neo-Spartacvs'. Spartacus was one of the most iconic rebels in history who went against the most powerful empire of all time. In the end, it's me screaming, 'I Am Spartacus, and so are you!' I want to spark that flame of rebellion. If something seems wrong then stand up to it!"

"Opvs Contra Natvram" features twin cover art available in both black and white and will be released in an array of physical formats designed by Bartek Rogalewicz (Lodge.Black),certain to thrill collectors of limited editions.

"Opvs Contra Natvram" track listing:

01. Post-God Nirvana
02. Malaria Vvlgata
03. The Deathless Sun
04. Ov My Herculean Exile
05. Neo-Spartacvs
06. Disinheritance
07. Off To War!
08. Once Upon A Pale Horse
09. Thy Becoming Eternal
10. Versvs Christvs

BEHEMOTH is:

Adam "Nergal" Darski – Lead vocals, Guitar
Zbigniew "Inferno" Promiński - Drums, Percussion
Tomasz "Orion" Wróblewski - Bass, Backing vocals
Patryk "Seth" Sztyber - Guitar, Backing Vocals

Photo credit: Oskar Szramka

In a new interview with Germany's Rolling Stone, legendary rocker Alice Cooper confirmed that he is working on two new albums with longtime producer Bob Ezrin.

"A lot of those were born during the plague," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "We couldn't go touring for 18 months, so what's a musician gonna do? Well, they're going to write songs. Everybody has a studio in their house. So we were writing songs and doing demos. And at the end of this whole thing, I got in touch with Bob and said, 'Here's 30 songs.' And we decided, 'Okay, let's do two albums.' But the two albums are definitely two different angles of coming in to Alice Cooper. One is very hard rock; the other one is hard rock but it's twisted. And that's all I can say about it right now, because there's a couple of really important things about both albums."

Cooper previously spoke about his new music during an appearance this past January on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "I'm working on two albums right now, actually — two studio albums," he said. "And all I can say is that one is written — totally written — and we'll be doing bed tracks for that one pretty soon. And then the other one is just a touch in the future, but that's being written right now too. They're two entirely different kinds of albums, but they're Alice Cooper pure rock and roll albums. The two albums will really be hard rock albums."

At the time, the 74-year-old singer said that the first of his new LPs would arrive later this year.

"It's kind of like the old days when you're touring and putting out records at the same time," Alice explained. "It kind of takes me back to when you're doing 'Love It To Death' and then you tour for 'Love It To Death'. While you're doing 'Love It To Death', you're writing 'Killer'. When 'Love It To Death' is over, 'Killer' comes out and then you go support that. And while you're doing 'Killer', you're writing 'School's Out'. So we're kind of piggybacking everything. And I kind of like that. It keeps everything moving. I don't like those big chunks of time when there's nothing going on."

Also in January, Alice's guitarist Nita Strauss revealed to Detroit's WRIF radio station that she and her Cooper bandmates "recorded quite a bit of music" for his upcoming album. "The band did also have a huge part in the writing this time, which is the first time that's happened in the eight years that I've been in the band," she said. "So it was really, really fun — really exciting for us to get to work with a legend like Bob Ezrin. [It was] a huge, huge honor to be in the studio with him and Alice creating what we hope will be some more Alice Cooper music to just add to his legacy."

She added: "I'm on the [Alice Cooper] live DVD. I'm on the live album releases, the live tracks that are bonus tracks and stuff, but [this is my] first studio album with Alice. I'm actually the only person in the [current lineup of Alice's] band that hasn't recorded anything with Alice before, so this is huge for me. [I'm] very, very honored."

A year ago, Alice told Australia's Heavy that he wanted to record his next album on the road with the current lineup of his solo band. "I like it — I like the idea," he said. "I brought up the idea because my stage band is so tight. They're not even on ['Detroit Stories']. But they're so tight that they can play anything. And I said, 'Well, then why don't we write the songs on the road about the road? Let's write the songs about what happens on the road.' Or just it could be funny, it could be tragic, it could be whatever. I said, 'But let's make this album rock, like you guys do. And I'd love to play it live during soundchecks.' Instead of playing 'Eighteen' or 'School's Out' or doing a soundcheck every day, I said, 'Let's rehearse these songs.' And then, at one point, somewhere on the road when we have two days off, we'll set up the next gig and record them all — record them live in a venue.' And I said, 'That would be unique. Nobody's ever done that. So let's do something nobody's ever done.'"

Alice went on to say that he had every confidence that the members of his current solo band — Strauss, Tommy Henriksen (guitar),Ryan Roxie (guitar),Chuck Garric (bass) and Glen Sobel (drums) — would be able to rise to the occasion and make an album while on tour. "If you get the right players, you can do anything," he said. "I've got Nita Strauss in there. Nita is just a monster guitar player. She was voted 'Guitarist Of The Decade' magazine in Guitar magazine, and my drummer was voted 'Best Drummer In Rock'. And the great thing about this band is they never have a bad night; they're good every night. And they're all best friends. I never hear an argument; I never hear an ego pop up; I never hear anybody yelling at anybody unless it's funny. All I hear backstage is laughing."

Released in February 2021, "Detroit Stories" was recorded with Ezrin, mostly in Royal Oak with Detroit musicians and featuring a mix of original material alongside covers of songs by Bob Seger, the MC5, Mitch Ryder's DETROIT and OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY.

In 2018, Cooper issued "A Paranormal Evening At The Olympia Paris", a recording of his December 7, 2017 concert at the world-renowned Olympia venue in France. The effort captured Cooper and his current bandmates performing a choice selection of classic Cooper hits, in addition to some highlights from 2017's "Paranormal" album. Alice later said that he wanted to release a document of his band's onstage prowess because they "deserved a live album."

After announcing the lineup for the London Taylor Hawkins tribute concert, FOO FIGHTERS and the Hawkins family have now revealed the artists who will play the September 27 tribute show in Los Angeles. Performing at the Kia Forum will be Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of RUSH, Nikki Sixx of MÖTLEY CRÜE, Miley Cyrus, Joshua Homme of QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, Joan Jett, Brian May of QUEEN, Mark Ronson, Alanis Morissette, Gene Simmons of KISS, Chad Smith of RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, Wolfgang Van Halen of MAMMOTH WVH, and more.

Tickets for both concerts be available starting Friday, June 17 at 9:00 a.m. local time.

Proceeds will benefit charities in both the U.K. and the U.S. chosen by the Hawkins family.

As one of the most respected and beloved figures in modern music, Taylor's monolithic talent and magnetic personality endeared him to millions of fans, peers, friends and fellow musical legends the world over. Millions mourned his untimely passing on March 25, with passionate and sincere tributes coming from fans as well as musicians Taylor idolized. The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts will unite several of those artists, the Hawkins family and, of course, his FOO FIGHTERS brothers in celebration of Taylor's memory and his legacy as a global rock icon — his bandmates and his inspirations playing the songs that he fell in love with, and the ones he brought to life.

Hawkins was found dead at the Four Seasons Casa Medina hotel in Bogota.

An official cause of death for Hawkins hasn't yet been released. But on March 26, Colombia's attorney general's office released 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.

Hawkins joined FOO FIGHTERS in 1997. Prior to that, he played with the Orange County band SYLVIA and was also in the backing band for Sass Jordan. He also toured with Alanis Morissette as her drummer.

Hawkins was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last year as a member of the FOO FIGHTERS.

Hawkins's most recent work with FOO FIGHTERS included last year's "Medicine At Midnight" album, a collection of BEE GEES covers and FOO FIGHTERS' horror film "Studio 666".

RUSH's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, OASIS's Liam Gallagher, QUEEN's Roger Taylor and Brian May, THE POLICE's Stewart Copeland, JANE'S ADDICTION's Chris Chaney, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's Joshua Homme, PRETENDERS' Chrissie Hynde, Dave Chappelle, MAMMOTH WVH's Wolfgang Van Halen, Omar Hakim and members of Hawkins's covers band CHEVY METAL are among the artists who will come together with FOO FIGHTERS members Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee and the Taylor Hawkins family to celebrate the life, music and love of the late FOO FIGHTERS drummer at London's Wembley Stadium on September 3.

Tickets for the concert be available starting Friday, June 17 at 9:00 a.m. local time.

Another Hawkins tribute show will be held at Los Angeles's Kia Forum on September 27. The lineup for that event will be announced later today.

Proceeds will benefit charities in both the U.K. and the U.S. chosen by the Hawkins family.

As one of the most respected and beloved figures in modern music, Taylor's monolithic talent and magnetic personality endeared him to millions of fans, peers, friends and fellow musical legends the world over. Millions mourned his untimely passing on March 25, with passionate and sincere tributes coming from fans as well as musicians Taylor idolized. The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts will unite several of those artists, the Hawkins family and, of course, his FOO FIGHTERS brothers in celebration of Taylor's memory and his legacy as a global rock icon — his bandmates and his inspirations playing the songs that he fell in love with, and the ones he brought to life.

Hawkins was found dead at the Four Seasons Casa Medina hotel in Bogota.

An official cause of death for Hawkins hasn't yet been released. But on March 26, Colombia's attorney general's office released 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.

Hawkins joined FOO FIGHTERS in 1997. Prior to that, he played with the Orange County band SYLVIA and was also in the backing band for Sass Jordan. He also toured with Alanis Morissette as her drummer.

Hawkins was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last year as a member of the FOO FIGHTERS.

Hawkins's most recent work with FOO FIGHTERS included last year's "Medicine At Midnight" album, a collection of BEE GEES covers and FOO FIGHTERS' horror film "Studio 666".

Page Six has shared the first photos and video of Ozzy Osbourne as he was wheeled out of a Los Angeles hospital Tuesday (June 14),a day after undergoing grueling surgery to remove and realign pins in his neck and back.

The 73-year-old heavy metal singer wore a black T-shirt, black jeans and a blue mask as he stood up and got into a black Range Rover with guidance from a hospital attendant. Ozzy was accompanied by his wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne. See the video below.

Sharon released a short statement on Tuesday thanking Ozzy's fans for their "love and support" leading up to his surgery Ozzy. She also said that he "is doing well" and is "on the road to recovery".

An Osbourne family source told Page Six on Monday (June 13) that there will be a "lengthy amount of convalescence" after the operation, and the legendary heavy metal singer will need a nurse at home.

The source added: "Ozzy is 73 and any kind of surgery when you get older is difficult. This is quite major. He's having the pins in his neck and back realigned from when he had a fall back in 2019.

"He's been in a lot of pain."

Last week, Sharon said that he was about to undergo a "major operation" which would "determine the rest of his life."

Sharon announced on U.K.'s "The Talk" on June 8 that she would be flying to America to be by her husband's side. She also said that she didn't know if she and Ozzy will do anything special for their 40th wedding anniversary in July. "[It] depends on everything with Ozzy," she explained.

Last month, Ozzy confirmed to Classic Rock magazine that he was "waiting on some more surgery" on his neck. "I can't walk properly these days," he revealed. "I have physical therapy every morning. I am somewhat better, but nowhere near as much as I want to be to go back on the road."

Asked if he thinks about mortality, Ozzy said: "At fucking 73, I've done pretty well. I don't plan on going anywhere, but my time's going to come."

In April, Sharon spoke about her husband's health during an appearance on Piers Morgan's TalkTV show "Uncensored". At the time, Sharon stated about the BLACK SABBATH frontman: "He's doing okay. He's got one more operation left to do and then he's dying to come back home."

Ozzy, who revealed two years ago that he was battling Parkinson's disease, has reportedly applied for permission for a "rehabilitation" wing at his historic Grade II listed home in Buckinghamshire, England. According to the Daily Mail, the extension will feature "an abundance of stopping and sitting" spaces, "discreet grab rails and aids" and "soft non-slip surfaces" as well as a self-contained nurse's flat. There is also a "pool house orangery", "garden room" and a "health and welfare exercise studio".

Architect Lynne Walker wrote in the plans that "it is the ambition that the design creates a transition of flowing inside outside garden spaces, largely lit by natural light with folding doors opening up views."

In March, Mirror reported that Ozzy and Sharon were leaving Los Angeles and returning to their native United Kingdom due to rising taxes in California.

The musician and his wife will reportedly spend most of their time at their home Welders House.

"We are leaving L.A.," he said, according to Mirror. "We are a bit sad. But the tax is getting too much. I am sad because I really, really like staying and living there."

He added: "If they do the taxes better, then I may come back. I do not know. I am taking my recording studio with me. I am going to build a barn there and make my own studio at Welders. I will still be making music and my band will come over."

Ozzy and Sharon reportedly purchased Welders House from two-time Academy Award-winning special effects legend John Stears in 1993. In her 2013 autobiography, "Extreme: My Autobiography", Sharon said she purchased the home due to its "extreme" distance from any public houses nearby.

In July 2020, Ozzy said that he was still "not back to 100 percent" after suffering from several medical issues, including a fall, neck surgery and hospitalization for the flu. Ozzy also said that he was looking forward to performing again once he has regained his health and the coronavirus pandemic has subsided.

Last November, Ozzy's previously announced European tour with guests JUDAS PRIEST, originally set for 2019 and then rescheduled three times, was once again postponed. The new dates will now take place in May and June 2023.

Ozzy initially scrapped his entire 2019 schedule as he recovered from surgery to repair an injury sustained while dealing with a bout of pneumonia. The tour was postponed a second time after Ozzy continued to deal with health issues following a fall in his Los Angeles home. That fall "aggravated years-old injuries" from an ATV accident that occurred in 2003. The tour was pushed back a third time in October 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ozzy's European tour with JUDAS PRIEST tour will now take place more than four years later than originally planned, and almost five years after tickets first went on sale in September 2018.

In May 2020, Ozzy's son Jack said that his father will "probably" retire "within the next five to ten years." But Ozzy, who turned 73 in December, has repeatedly said that he is not calling it quits, despite the fact that his "No More Tours 2" — whenever it ends up happening — is being billed as his last major global trek.
Ozzy Osbourne discharged from hospital day after grueling surgery https://t.co/yYuuvMTgSdpic.twitter.com/pLp4AX1sOC

— Page Six (@PageSix) June 15, 2022

England’s doom metal masters, Conan, strike back again. Following their 2018 full-length, Existential Void Guardian, and their Live At Freak Valley record released just last year, the trio has announced the release of their fifth studio album, entitled Evidence Of Immortality, due out on August 19 via Napalm Records.


As first album single proves, on their upcoming magnum opus, the British kings of brutally heavy slowness push their down-tuned axes and cranked pedals to the limit, crushing ears and minds when huge, rumbling chords and malevolent riffs muscle their way in over lances of infinite distortion and drums that pummel and thunder like the hands of a god against the gates of hell.


First single, “Levitation Hoax”, showcases Conan’s trademark sound combined with fast-paced riffage and a pounding groove in epic doom metal grandeur, before dragging you deep into a black hole, as you scream in silence.




“‘Levitation Hoax’ grew from a riff that was created in December 2019, when we were on tour with Cavalera Conspiracy”, guitarist and singer Jon Davis comments. “The song begins as a thrash metal onslaught and just gets heavier and heavier as it progresses. It was a fun track to write, and has some of my favourite lyrics from the album.”


Watch the music video for “Levitation Hoax” below.


“Evidence Of Immortality was written between December 2019 and late 2021. As such, it has absorbed a lot of the emotions that were flowing through our lives then,” Davis continues. “The lyrics were written on the eve of the war in Ukraine so, naturally, they deal with subjects such as victory and defeat, loss and hope, pain and determination, fear and hatred. Movies such as Conquest, Lord of The Rings, Fire and Ice, Krull, Beast Master and Clash of The Titans once again provided inspiration for the themes of the songs, as we maintain our determination to not write about real world events. You want to escape? Throw this record on, turn the lights off and turn it up until your fucking ears bleed.”


Evidence Of Immortality was produced by Chris Fielding and mastered by James Plotkin. The album also sees former band member Dave Perry perform on the track “Grief Sequence”. The album’s artwork was provided by the skilled hand and mind of Tony Roberts, architect of the Conan visual style since day one and their debut release, Horseback Battle Hammer. Bow down and hail Conan, as their sound will live forever on the battlefield of doom. Their new album will be the ultimate Evidence Of Immortality.





Evidence Of Immortality will be available in the following formats:


- Digisleeve
- 2LP Gatefold Black (ltd 300)
- 2LP Gatefold Marbled Clear/Black (ltd 300)
- 2LP Gatefold Glow In The Dark (Band exclusive)
- Cassette Tape Edition
- Album Cover Shirt & Digisleeve Bundle (European webstore only)
- Digital


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"A Cleaved Head No Longer Plots"
"Levitation Hoax"
"Ritual Of Anonymity"
"Equilibrium Of Mankind"
"Righteous Alliance"
"Grief Sequence"


"Levitation Hoax" video:





Conan is:


Jon Davis – Guitar, Vocals
Chris Fielding – Bass
Johnny King – Drums


(Photo - Charley Shillabeer)

Indiana deathcore outfit Carrion Vael will release their album, Abhorrent Obsessions, via Unique Leader Records on August 5th. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.


Ahead of the album release, the band have delivered a new single and video, "King Of The Rhine".







Carrion Vael vocalist Travis Lawson Purcell described the new album: “Abhorrent Obsessions is a psychological look into the mind of the famously deranged, sick, and murderous ones amongst us. Technical, brutal, and melodically charged, we wrote this album with the utmost in absolute savagery at heart.”


Abhorrent Obsessions artwork and tracklisting:





"Wings Of Deliverance"
"The Devil In Me"
"King Of The Rhine"
"Kentucky Fried Strangulation"
"Tithes Of Forbearance"
"Disturbia"
"Malleus Maleficarum"
"The Paint Shop" 


"Wings Of Deliverance":





 

UK-based cult death/doom outfit Enchantment will unleash their long-awaited new full-length, Cold Soul Embrace, June 24th through Transcending Records and Cosmic Key Creations, marking the band’s first new output in nearly 30 years! Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.


Enchantment was forged in 1991 in the midst of the UK death/doom metal movement alongside the likes of Paradise Lost, Anathema, and My Dying Bride. In that year, they released a self-funded demo, A Tear For Young Eloquence, and were subsequently signed to Century Media Records before recording and releasing their debut album, Dance The Marble Naked, in early 1994. The band played alongside many great death metal bands of the era including Bolt Thrower, Anathema, Cancer, and Cradle Of Filth before disbanding in 1995, leaving behind the compositions of an entire second album that had yet to be recorded.


Fast forward nearly 25 years. With the reissue of their debut album on vinyl for the first time (and after numerous successful reissues earlier on CD), Enchantment officially regrouped. In 2020, the band started the unenviable task of resurrecting all the original rehearsal tapes and lyrical content from that lost second album and started working on demoing the tracks. This caught the attention of both Transcending Records and Cosmic Key Creations with whom the band ultimately decided to sign with, with the prospect of finally recording and co-releasing their sophomore full-length. It is unknown if any other similar band can claim to have written almost a full album in the peak of the British death/doom metal explosion and for it to have never been recorded or released. Yet 28 years to the day exactly that Dance The Marble Naked was first released, the band are now about to unveil Cold Soul Embrace.




Cold Soul Embrace artwork and tracklisting:





"As Greed As The Eye Beholds" 
"A Swanlike Duet" 
"Painting Amongst The Feathers" 
"Of Glorious Vistas Forgot" 
"The Wake Of The Hollering Tide" 
"In A Cello-Felt Glare" 
"The Beauty Of Liars" 
"One Jump Of The Sun" 


"As Greed As The Eye Beholds":





"Of Glorious Vistas Forgot":





(Photo by Bobby Pook)


 

Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the upcoming release of Perfect Storm, the debut album from Crossing Rubicon, a new collaboration featuring multi-instrumentalist/producer Cenk Eroglu (ex-Winger, Xcarnation) and singer John Bisaha (The Babys), on July 8.


Today, the band has released a video for the song, "Reason To Die". Watch below, and pre-order the album here.







Perfect Storm tracklisting:


"Perfect Storm"
"Reason To Die"
"Scar"
"Too Late"
"On The Run"
"100 Thousand Years"
"Never Again"
"Cry Me A River"
"Get Away"
"Crash & Burn" (Feat Holly Bisaha)
"Time (Without You)"


"Reason To Die" video:





"Perfect Storm" video:





"100 Thousand Years":





Lineup:


John Bisaha - Lead Vocals, Bass
Cenk Eroglu - Guitars, Keyboards, Background Vocals


Additional Musicians :


Efe Eroglu - Guitars, Keyboards
Reis Ali Eroglu - Drums


All Songs written by Cenk Eroglu & John Bisaha, except "100 Thousand Years" written by Efe Eroglu & John Bisaha. Album produced & mixed by Cenk Eroglu.

Ted Nugent says that there is a "proven" way to stop mass shootings at schools.

The 73-year-old conservative rocker, who recently resigned from the board of the National Rifle Association (NRA) after 26 years, weighed in on how to approach the issue of school safety in an interview last Friday (June 10) with Eric Bolling, the host of Newsmax's "Eric Bolling The Balance".

"Well, when we've got this freak in the White House and we've got a culture of depravity running amok in this country, we're gonna have to go all the way back for quality control 'cause right now we're maniacally scrambling for damage control," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And the quality control can be summarized by how my dad raised us: discipline, accountability, true north, responsibility, being the best that you can be. That parenting guideline still exists in this country, but in all these instances where these creeps have turned into violent, evil criminals, all those elements for a proper upbringing have been missing. Now you start adding the celebration of teaching kindergarteners about oral sex and that transgenderism is more normal than heterosexuality.

"We are literally in a whirlwind of cultural abandonment, moral abandonment, parental abandonment," he continued. "And only the guilty need to feel guilty 'cause everybody in my life, they're all good parents, they're all good kids. We don't have any criminals, we don't have any violent people in our life, in my band, in my crew, my neighbors — everybody in my life are good, conscientious, caring, lawful people. But if you really wanna start, in this current cluster that we're in right now, secure the damn schools. And this isn't a guitar player's hunch — it's been proven. One point of entrance, all other entries locked. Have a real commando — I mean, a real tuned-in guy that's trained in tactics and firepower and criminality, and have him looking for trouble. Not kind of casually walking around Parkland and maybe he'll run into trouble — have a commando that values those children's lives and have this commando, well-trained tactical capable individual looking for trouble and stopping it before it gets there.

"The great sheriff in Lee County, Florida, Carmine Marceno, he's got the parameter secured in his schools," Ted added. "My great sheriff here in McLennan County, Texas, Parnell McNamara, nobody's gonna get anywhere near a school if they look suspicious. We're gonna look for trouble and stop it before it can have access to innocent lives.

"This is not mysterious; the jury is not still out. This is a proven methodology. But the Democrats vetoed legislation that would have enacted these proven safety measures."

Ted made his comments in the wake of last month's mass shooting in a Uvalde, Texas elementary school which resulted in the deaths of at least 19 children and two adults.

One day after the shooting in Uvalde, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) pushed for the Luke and Alex School Safety Act to be passed via unanimous consent. The legislation — named after Luke Hoyer and Alex Schachter, who were both killed in a 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida — would require the Department of Homeland Security to establish a "Federal Clearinghouse on School Safety Best Practice" web site. The clearinghouse site would provide parents, school officials and law enforcement with tips for improving school security as well as information on available grant programs and federal resources but would authorize no new money to allow schools to improve security.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) objected to Johnson's request, arguing that "the American people want a real solution to America's gun violence epidemic."

"We are going to vote on gun legislation," he said. "The American people are tired of moments of silence, tired of the kind words offering thoughts and prayers."

The Uvalde massacre came only 10 days after an 18-year-old gunman in body armor killed 10 shoppers and workers at a supermarket in a predominantly black area of Buffalo, New York.

According to CNN, the number of U.S. deaths from gun violence in 2019 was about 4 per 100,000 people. That's 18 times the average rate in other developed countries. Multiple studies show access to guns contributes to higher firearm-related homicide rates.

In March 2021, Nugent threatened President Joe Biden and other Democrats, telling them to "come and take it" just hours before the House of Representatives passed two gun-safety bills.

In a March 11, 2021 Facebook post, Nugent addressed Biden and "all you other oath violating traitors," writing, "Google my address and itinerary and Come and Take It!" He also proclaimed, "If you want to play Concorde bridge again, you will be the British and I will be the Americans, again."

Last August, Nugent defended his right to bear arms under the Second Amendment, arguing that he "got it from God." The musician discussed his natural-born rights as an American while talking to Tucker Carlson for the newest episode of Fox Nation's "Tucker Carlson Today".

"I was born with the right to keep and bear arms. I was born with the right to speak up. I was born with the right to privacy from my government intrusion without just cause. I was born with that," Ted said. "I could come here naked without any Constitution and I know I could say what I want to say. I don't have to get the king's permission.

"Kings, emperors, tyrants, kiss my ass," he continued. "We are a self-government. We are in charge, we hire people to represent us based on these self-evident truths. And if you infringe on them, we will fire your ass and don't make us arrest you."

Nugent went on to say that the purpose of the Second Amendment is to protect the nation from tyranny.

"[The Second Amendment] says any rights here that are not numerated are up to the states. It's here and enumerated," he said. "It's written down, I can keep bear arms in America, in every building, on every street corner, wherever I want. I got it from God. The Founding Fathers just happened to write it down in case somebody wanted to play king."

In a July 29, 2021 e-mail from NRA general counsel John Frazer sent to board members, it was announced that Nugent, who joined the board in 1995, was stepping down "due to ongoing schedule conflicts."

Ted's decision to leave the board came less than a year after he told Newsmax's "The Chris Salcedo Show" that the National Rifle Association was "he most important civil rights organization in the world."

Last July, Nugent blamed the rise in violent crime and gun violence in America on recidivism, a measure of convicted criminals who commit another offense and re-enter prison. "There isn't a gun problem in America," he insisted. "There is an intentional engineered recidivism problem in America. You wanna stop ninety-six percent of the violent crimes. Don't let 'em out."