Former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate will take the next few months off the road as he recovers from an unspecified medical procedure.

Earlier today (Monday, June 13),the 63-year-old musician, who fronted QUEENSRŸCHE for 30 years — from the band's inception through 2012 — took to his social media to write: "I am having a medical procedure and my health professionals want me to recover over the Summer. I will be back and rocking South America in January. Looking forward to seeing everyone on the road."

Tate's recent tour celebrated the 30th anniversary of QUEENSRŸCHE's "Empire" and "Rage For Order" albums.

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Fellow original QUEENSRŸCHE members Michael Wilton (guitar),Scott Rockenfield (drums) and Eddie Jackson (bass) responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform the albums "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

Tate was replaced in QUEENSRŸCHE by former CRIMSON GLORY singer Todd La Torre.

Geoff recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of "Operation: Mindcrime" on European and U.S. tours.

“I am having a medical procedure and my health professionals want me to recover over the Summer. I will be back and rocking South America in January. Looking forward to seeing everyone on the road." -Geoff Tate

Posted by Geoff Tate on Monday, June 13, 2022

The Dead Daisies, currently on tour in Europe, have shared the new video below, stating: "It has been another fantastic week seeing your smiling faces 😁😁😁 Here's a taste of what's been going on!"🚀





The Dead Daisies recently released the meta cinematic video for "Radiance". Watch below, and listen to the single here.







Says the band: "Today sees the release of our much anticipated Meta Cinematic for the new single ‘Radiance‘.


Entering into a new world which we call the Metaverse, the band have transformed into The Meta Daisies where they become an eternal burning flame of youth and hero like with their Guardian Daisy always looking out for them and guiding them through this wonderful new world. Daisy moves through metaverses, searching through futuristic cities, enchanted forests and to the depths of Hell, discovering mystical energy sources that will change this new world forever.


Set to the soundtrack of ‘Radiance’, the brand new song from The Dead Daisies, this brand new cinematic view of a parallel universe will have plenty for you to discover time and time again as you watch Daisy finding and unlocking secrets on her quest to protect the band.


You can view the entire dramatic story of Daisy moving through different Metaverses online now, here.





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


Tour dates:


June
13 - Matrix - Bochum, Germany
14 - Hirsch - Nuremberg, Germany
16 - Schlossgarten / Schloss - Bruchsal, Germany (with Foreigner)
18 - Hellfest - Clisson, France
19 - Graspop Festival - Dessel, Belgium
22 - Rockhal - Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg (with Judas Priest)
23 - Garage - Saarbrucken, Germany
25 - God Save The Kouign Fest - Penmarch, France
27 - Zenith - Munich, Germany (with Judas Priest)
29 - Conrad Sohm - Dornbirn, Austria
30 - Komma - Woergl, Austria


July
2 - Fabrique - Milan, Italy
3 - Castello Di San Giusto - Trieste, Italy
6 - SRC Tasmajdan - Belgrade, Serbia (with Whitesnake)
8 - Masters Of Rock - Vizovice, Czech Republic
9 - Hype Park - Krakow, Poland
11 - Budapest Arena - Budapest, Hungary, (with Judas Priest)
12 - Dvorana Stozice - Ljubljana, Slovenia (with Judas Priest)
15 - Faliro Olympic Indoor Hall - Athens, Greece (with Judas Priest)
17 - Midalidare Rock - Mogilovo, Bulgaria (with Judas Priest)
18 - Arenele Romane - Bucharest, Romania (with Judas Priest)
19 - Skenderija - Sarajevo, Bosnia (with Whitesnake)
26 - Theatre Antique - Vienne, France (with Judas Priest)
27 - Z7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
28 - Substage - Karlsruhe, Germany
30 - Freilichtbuhne Peißnitzinsel - Halle (Saale), Germany (with Judas Priest)
31 - Rudolf Weber Arena - Oberhausen, Germany (with Judas Priest)


August
2 - Brose Arena - Bamberg, Germany (with Judas Priest)
5 - Time To Rock Festival - Knislinge, Sweden

Fan-filmed video of GREAT WHITE's June 11 concert at the Orange Loop Rock Festival at Showboat Festival Grounds in Atlantic City, New Jersey can be seen below.

Late last month, GREAT WHITE announced that it has parted ways with singer Mitch Malloy and has replaced him with Andrew Freeman (LAST IN LINE). Malloy had been in GREAT WHITE for nearly four years, having joined the group in 2018 following the departure of Terry Ilous.

In a new interview with Dr. Music, GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall stated about the band's latest addition: "[Andrew] sat in with us, I wanna say maybe eight months ago or so [when Mitch wasn't able to make the show]; we played with FOREIGNER up north [in Modesto, California in October of 2021]. And he blew our minds. So right then we kind of knew we wanted him. But because he was doing something, and we were really busy — [there was] not enough time to rehearse and stuff like that. And we saw this window of opportunity, [and] he was totally into it."

Kendall continued: "There's a lot of different sides to his voice too, so he's not one-dimensional, even though he delivers the LAST IN LINE thing [like] an in-your-face metal screamer. But he can sing a ballad like Satan; I mean, it's killer. So that's what I like. His voice is so well rounded. And the guy, he vibrates at a frequency that you like to be around — he's just this chill dude. There's no nonsense, no ego, no weird trips or anything, so you feel the brotherhood forming straight away. And that's what we like. We're into being a band — all of us, together — go places together, do things together and just enjoy each other. No weird trips. Because we've been through it all. If somebody's a little funny, it's, like, 'Really?' It's almost like if you see cocaine, you go, 'You still have that?' [Laughs] So any kind of weird head trips, we just don't understand it.

"So, yeah, we're just loving it," Kendall added. "We cannot wait for the fans to hear this guy sing some of our big songs. And we're real pumped about making new music, 'cause I have a lot of stuff, Michael [Lardie, guitar/keyboards] has a lot of stuff. We've done things together and just haven't quite put it together. But now we've got this guy that can do anything. Believe me, man, we wanna get something with him on it, 'cause it's gonna be ridiculous."

As for Mitch's departure, Mark said: "We were going in separate ways in the sense that he was always by himself; he didn't really talk to us much. He just kind of showed up… That's just not the way a band works, as far as we're concerned. He's a wonderful singer. I don't think he's used to him not being in full control of everything because he's been a solo artist for so many years. He's a sweet guy. I really liked him. I think a few of our songs are a little out of his range, so it's a little bIt of a struggle. But nothing real heavy — no big, huge fights. Nothing ever came to fisticuffs, if you will. [Laughs] So it wasn't a case of that.

"We canceled a gig — or we were going to have to cancel a gig for him to do a VAN HALEN show, a tribute show," Kendall explained. "He gave us warning about this. But when FOREIGNER canceled [our show with them] because of some COVID thing, we rescheduled the date and it fell right on when he was gonna do that VAN HALEN show that he warned us about. So, regardless, it was probably pretty tough for him to get out of it. But it ended up being a blessing for us because we got Andrew to fill in. When we heard him do that show… And the whole band FOREIGNER was on the side of the stage going, 'Oh my God, man. This is pretty good.' So that was nice of them to acknowledge we had a good show. So that's when the seed of the idea was, like, 'Man. God.'"

Kendall went on to say that he doesn't think Malloy is upset about being out of GREAT WHITE. "He likes his solo career," Mark said. "I saw his post [about his exit from GREAT WHITE] where he said, 'Get ready for my VAN HALEN experience. And I'm gonna be doing an acoustic show, a storytellers show,' and all this stuff. So I'm encouraging people to go check him out when he gets in your area and wishing him to do well."

Asked if he and his bandmates had given any thought at all to the idea of reuniting with original GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell, Mark said: "That's the other thing. [People say,] 'Why don't you patch things up with Jack?' What people don't understand is we never even got in fights [with Jack]. In 25 years together, we might have gotten in two arguments. The thing that took him out is the horrible demons of addiction, and it's really affected his health. I just saw a video the other day where he's not even standing — he's using wheelchairs and he's sitting in a stool. So for us to go back to that, it just feels dark. I'd rather remember him… 'Cause I'm very proud of our career — I'm very proud of the past. I'm so lucky to be a part of it. And I wanna remember it like that, where he's flying around on stage and getting the crowds pumped and singing his heart out — not a sick person. So going to that…

"My goal has always been to deliver the best show we can possibly deliver and have the fans be beyond impressed," Kendall explained. "And the way Andrew sings, I really like the way he delivers the songs, because it's what you wanna hear. So that's important to me, just to have the songs — the big songs, especially — be sung right and with full power. It just makes everything — it makes us play better, believe it or not. So that's the whole thing with me."

GREAT WHITE's current lineup is rounded out by Audie Desbrow (drums) and Scott Snyder (bass).

Ilous, frontman of '80s L.A. hard rockers XYZ, joined GREAT WHITE in 2010 after stepping in for touring vocalist Jani Lane (WARRANT).

The Ilous-led GREAT WHITE released two albums, 2012's "Elation" and 2017's "Full Circle", before Terry was dismissed from the group.

This version of GREAT WHITE is not to be confused with JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE, which features Russell alongside Robby Lochner (FIGHT) on guitar, Dan McNay on bass, Tony Montana on guitar and Dicki Fliszar on drums.

An official video for a cover of MOTÖRHEAD's "Ace Of Spades" by Philip H. Anselmo (DOWN, PANTERA),Gary Holt (EXODUS, SLAYER),Chuck Garric (ALICE COOPER),Sacha Dunable (INTRONAUT),Nick Oliveri (STÖNER, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, KYUSS),Dwid Hellion (INTEGRITY),and Zach Wheeler and Tom Polzine (HOWLING GIANT) can be seen below. The track is taken from the new MOTÖRHEAD tribute album, "Löve Me Förever: A Tribute To Motörhead", which will be released on June 19 via the new in-house label, Psycho Waxx, created by the founders of Psycho Las Vegas festival.

"Ace Of Spades" is one of rock and roll's most beloved and sacred anthems. Covering the bombastic ode to gamblers everywhere is a heavy crown to bear for any musician up for the task. That's why when Psycho Waxx proposed this sacred rite, it was asked of Psycho Las Vegas's most prestigious alumni and metal heavyweights. Rockers whose cred cannot be questioned were challenged to make this legendary piece of music sound fresh, heavy and ring true to MOTÖRHEAD fans all over the world.

Every rock and roll all-star featured on the song contributes a different offering in worship of Lemmy. Anselmo's jagged molasses vocals bounce off Hellion's demon howls while Holt's signature shredding gives the track an extreme outlaw's metallic edge. If you hear that desert rock vibe with a hardcore kick in it, you got Oliveri to thank for that. Kelley and Kyle Juett from MOTHERSHIP contribute the space rock rhythms that blast this message off through the atmosphere to deliver it straight to Lemmy. Wheeler and Polzine contribute HOWLING GIANT's crushing rock and roll to keep the track grounded close to the Earth, adding that massive, unmistakable groove. Sprinkle in Dunable's awesome virtuosity on guitar and Garric's legendary bass and you have a recipe for one of the greatest covers in rock and metal history.

MOTÖRHEAD was a dream headliner for the very first Psycho Las Vegas in 2016, and when the world lost the legendary Lemmy Kilmister, his band became an essential part of Psycho's DNA. In commemoration of Lemmy's legacy, Psycho Waxx is unleashing a double album of MOTÖRHEAD tracks by some of the festival's biggest bombers, being cut during the fest last year (August 20-22, 2021) at National Southwestern Recording in downtown Vegas.

"Löve Me Förever: A Tribute To Motörhead" track listing:

01. KING DUDE - Killed by Death
02. STÖNER - R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
03. HIGH ON FIRE - Iron Fist
04. CEPHALIC CARNAGE - Order / Fade to Black
05. EYEHATEGOD -Motörhead
06. LORD BUFFALO - God Was Never On Your Side
07. HOWLING GIANT w/ Chuck Garric & Calico Cooper - Love Me Like A Reptile
08. MOTHERSHIP - Bomber
09. FOIE GRAS - Born to Lose
10. PSYCHLONA - Iron Horse
11. BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT w/ Matt Pike - Please Don't Touch
12. CREEPING DEATH - In the Name of Tragedy
13. THE BRIDGE CITY SINNERS - Go to Hell
14. EXHORDER - Sacrifice
15. DEATH BY STEREO - Born to Raise Hell
16. MIDNIGHT - Dirty Love
17. RELAXER - America
18. Phil Anselmo / Gary Holt / Kelley Juett / Sacha Dunable / Tom Polzine / Nick Oliveri / Dwid Hellion / Kyle Juett / Chuck Garric / Zach Wheeler - Ace Of Spades

IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson says that he wants the band to replace him if it turns out that he can't sing anymore.

He told the Daily Star 's "Wired" column: "If tomorrow I don't feel able to sing more than four songs a night, I'd like the guys to continue and I should be able to choose my replacement. I would stick my head in from time to time and the other singer would do the rest.

"When you look at Keith Richards, who suffers from arthritis, he's not on top form every night but he’s supported by other guitarists," he continued. "It's THE ROLLING STONES. I don't think it upsets anyone. In any case, everything I've said isn't going to happen."

Bruce also dismissed the idea of one day performing as ABBA-style hologram replicas.

"That's hell on earth," he said. "I really don't understand the point of it."

When Dickinson left IRON MAIDEN in 1992, the job went to WOLFSBANE vocalist Blaze Bayley, an odd choice considering that Blaze's singing voice is quite clearly a baritone in contrast to Bruce's tenor/alto range.

Bayley recorded two studio albums with IRON MAIDEN — 1995's "The X Factor" and 1998's "Virtual XI" — before Dickinson returned to the group. The MAIDEN albums Blaze appeared on sold considerably less than the band's prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group's home country since 1981's "Killers".

Five years ago, Dickinson told the "Do You Know Jack?" radio show that he was surprised when MAIDEN chose Bayley as his replacement.

"I really like Blaze," he said. "I like him just as a human being. He's a lovely guy. I remember going to the management offices and there was a guy, he doesn't work for management anymore, but he was telling me how great this whole thing was and how brilliant it was going to be. I said, 'Look, he's got this great gig. Of course, he's going to take the job. He's been offered the job. Of course, he's going to take it.' I said, 'Has anybody given any thought to where he's going to go with the old stuff? Has anyone given any thought to how he is going to manage it? Not just singing, but how are you going to deal with the fan reaction?' Because I was surprised it was Blaze. I was delighted for Blaze, but there was a whole bunch of other really good singers out there. I thought 'Wow, they could have picked somebody with a voice that could do what my voice did.' But they picked Blaze. Obviously, they picked somebody different, but that came with its own set of challenges. I just wondered whether anybody in the management was really giving anybody any serious words of truth on how hard this could be."

IRON MAIDEN kicked off the 2022 leg of its "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour on May 22 at the 22,000-capacity Arena Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia. It marked the band's first live appearance in 31 months.

MAIDEN opened the set with "Senjutsu", the title track of its latest studio album, and followed it up with two more songs from the same LP, "Stratego" and "The Writing On The Wall".

Other tracks aired during MAIDEN's performance included "Revelations", "Blood Brothers", "Sign Of The Cross", "Flight Of Icarus", "Fear Of The Dark", "Hallowed Be Thy Name", "The Number Of The Beast" and "Iron Maiden".

MAIDEN also played two encores, consisting of "The Trooper", "The Clansman", "Run To The Hills" and the closing track of the night, "Aces High".

Prior to the Zagreb concert, IRON MAIDEN hadn't performed live in two and a half years — since the completion of its South American tour in October 2019.

The video for “Between The Pines”, the new single from international progressive metal quintet Philosophobia, formed by current and former members of Kamelot, Pain Of Salvation, Wastefall, and more, can be viewed below.. The single is the latest preview of the band’s eponymous debut album, nearing release this month through Sensory Records.


Philosophobia unites vocalist Domenik Papaemmanouil, bassist Kristoffer Gildenlöw, drummer Alex Landenburg, keyboardist Tobias Weißgerber, and guitarist Andreas Ballnus. The band is now preparing to issue their eponymous debut album via Sensory Records, the band’s top choice for its release, in conjunction with Kristoffer Gildenlöw‘s return to prog metal on stages worldwide since his departure from Pain Of Salvation.


Together with recording engineer and producer Phil Hillen (Powerwolf, Kamelot, Alyssa White Gluz), Philosophobia recorded an hour-long experience covering a wide range of textures; somber tunes to heavy prog metal tracks to instrumentally artistic roller coaster rides. Philosophobia was mastered by Alan Douches (Fates Warning, Redemption, Mastodon) at West West Side Music in New York, and completed with cover artwork conceived by Ballnus and created by Björn Gooßes/Killustrations.




The video for “Between The Pines” was edited by Andreas Ballnus, who writes with the video’s premiere, "'Between The Pines' lyrically deals with the situation between a stepfather and his stepson. On the surface they get along very well with each other. But deep inside the boy is very insecure because of the experiences with his biological father. The stepfather remembers when he was a child playing in the woods. A place where all sorrow had gone away. A place where it was calm and peaceful. The place between the pines. It was chosen as a single because it shows another side of PHILOSOPHOBIA. Not as heavy or complex as the other tracks on the album. Nearly having a pop chorus. Another facet of Philosophobia."





In 2007, longtime friends Andreas Ballnus (Perzonal War) and Alex Landenburg (Kamelot, Cyrha, Mekong Delta) had the idea of creating a prog metal concept album. After recording a few demos, Landenburg joined Annihilator as their touring drummer while Ballnus became the guitarist for former Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Dianno. With both touring around the world for years, unfortunately they had to postpone their prog adventure due to lack of time.


In 2018, Ballnus got in touch with Kristoffer Gildenlöw (ex-Pain Of Salvation, Kayak) for a book project he had written; the two soon became friends and when Kristoffer heard the demos Ballnus and Landenburg had recorded, he was blown away by the quality of the songs, and at that moment Philosophobia was born. Completed by keyboard wizard Tobias Weißgerber and vocalist Domenik Papaemmanouil (Wastefall), the recordings for the band’s debut album began in 2020 against all odds.


Landenburg and Ballnus headed to SU2 Studios in Southern Germany and recorded nine songs of which eight made it onto the album. In fact, six of them remained the same songs that were written in 2007. The two still felt that those songs were timeless and deserved to be recorded for the final album version.


Sensory Records will release Philosophobia on CD and all digital platforms worldwide on June 24. Find physical pre-orders at the label webshop here, and visit Bandcamp for the standard digital here and 24-bit hi-res digital here.





Tracklisting:


"Thorn In Your Pride"
"I Am"
"Time To Breathe"
"Between The Pines"
"As Light Ceased To Exist"
"Thirteen Years Of Silence"
"Voices Unheard"
"Within My Open Eyes"


"Time To Breathe" video:





Lineup:


Kristoffer Gildenlöw - bass
Alex Landenburg - drums
Domenik Papaemmanouil - vocals
Andreas Ballnus - guitars
Tobias Weißgerber - keys

Caliban have release a music video for "Darkness I Became", captured by Sebastian Pielnik during the intimate release shows for the band's latest album, Dystopia. Watch below:





The approach to Dystopia was instinctive and organic. The result was simply darker and heavier. A state of the world address and a sign of these locked-down times. The band members worked in relative isolation, not being able to meet up for writing sessions. Ideas were passed around via the internet. Yet, the anxiety and angst they were all feeling came through. Hence the opening line of the album title track and war-cry: “Welcome Dystopia – Come show me who you are!” Amidst the anger and sonic wreckage, there’s still a ghost of hopefulness as the band searches for identity, solidarity and ultimately rising from dystopian ashes. A long running fixture in the European metal scene, Caliban have reemerged with a furious vision for these dark days. Welcome Dystopia.




Dystopia was produced by Benjamin Richter (Moonspell, Emil Bulls) and guitarist Marc Görtz, as well as co-produced by Callan Orr (Dream On, Dreamer). The eye-catching artwork was crafted by the creative team of Season Zero, who designed the artwork for Zeitgeister.





Tracklist:


"Dystopia" (feat. Christoph Wieczorek)
"Ascent of the Blessed"
"VirUS" (feat. Marcus Bischoff)
"Phantom Pain"
"Alien"
"sWords"
"Darkness I Became"
"Dragon" (feat. Jonny Davy)
"Hibernate"
"mOther"
"The World Breaks Everyone"
"D I V I D E D"


"Alien" video:





"Ascent Of The Blessed":





Caliban is:


Andreas Dörner (vocals)
Marco Schaller (bass)
Denis Schmidt (guitar)
Marc Görtz (guitar)
Patrick Grün (drums)

"Heavy Trip", the 2018 Finnish ensemble comedy about an aspiring metal band, is getting a sequel.

Juuso Laatio, who, along with Jukka Vidgren, co-wrote and directed the original film, has told Metal Hammer magazine that "Heavy Trip 2" is in the works. "We've written a really good script and we were supposed to film it this summer," he said. "We're aiming to film it next year. You never know. The last film took six years, so I hope this one doesn't take so long."

"Heavy Trip" debuted in 2018 at SXSW and was shown in select theaters in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin and more, in conjunction with VOD platforms. Helmed by first-time feature filmmakers, "Heavy Trip" is a satire about the aforementioned metal band's efforts to land its first legitimate gig. In the film, Turo (Johannes Holopainen) is stuck in a small village in the Finnish countryside where his greatest passion is being the lead vocalist for the group IMPALED REKTUM. The only problem is that he and his fellow headbangers have practiced for 12 years without playing a single gig. But that's all about to change when the guys meet the promoter of a huge heavy metal music festival in Norway and decide it's now or never. Hitting the road in a stolen van with a corpse, a coffin, and a new drummer from a local mental hospital in tow, IMPALED REKTUM travels across Scandinavia to make its dreams a reality. This road trip comedy includes a musical brotherhood, grave robbing, Viking heaven, and an armed conflict between Finland and Norway.

According to Juuso, who is a longtime metal fan, "Heavy Trip" initially bombed in Finland, which is widely considered to be the most heavy metal country in the world.

"Nobody went to see it in the Finnish cinemas," Juuso said, "It was marketed very poorly and to the wrong audience; it was marketed to 15-year-olds but it's not a film for them. They don't know the metal references and they don't listen to metal anyway. After the failed opening, it was pretty much, 'Well, there goes our career. Nobody's going to work with us again.'"

"Heavy Trip" currently has a 94% critic score from 32 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, the online review aggregation service that allows both critics and the public to rate movies. The same site has an 83% audience score for "Heavy Trip" from more than 250 reviews.

"We have the craziest fans in Japan," Juuso said. "They have cosplay over there and one guy cosplayed as the speed camera! And they had special screenings where the music is turned up extra loud. There's a crazy 'Heavy Trip' scene over there."

Legendary rock band DEF LEPPARD played a special invitation-only concert in Los Angeles at the Whisky A Go Go for SiriusXM listeners. The intimate performance, part of SiriusXM's Small Stage Series, took place on May 26 in celebration of DEF LEPPARD's new album "Diamond Star Halos" which was released the following day (May 27). Professionally filmed video of the "Rock Of Ages" and "Photograph" performances from the Whisky show can be seen below.

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

The setlist was as follows:

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

Encore:

13. Rock Of Ages
14. Photograph

The performance is being broadcast throughout June on Classic Rewind (ch. 25) and '80s On 8.

Def Leppard Radio launched on May 27 and will run through Saturday, June 25 on the SiriusXM app.

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

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

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

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, former MEGADETH guitarist Chris Poland spoke about what he did for work after he left the Dave Mustaine-fronted outfit in 1987. "I was bussing tables from midnight to 8 a.m. at [American casual diner-style restaurant] Denny's after I left MEGADETH," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And I would be bussing tables on a weekend, and some guy would go, 'Dude, you're Chris Poland.' [Laughs] And I'd have to go, 'Yeah, I am.' [Laughs] And it was so weird, because he just looked at me, like, 'Dude, what the fuck are you doing here?' And I would just say, 'Hey, man, I've gotta eat. I've gotta pay the rent.'

"When you think of it now, it is pretty crazy, because at that time MEGADETH was beyond gold — 'Peace Sells' was really like a train," Chris continued. "And here I am bussing tables in the middle of the night at Denny's.

"I also had shit happen where I'd be at the beach with my girlfriend, and there'd be, like, six guys walking down the boardwalk in Venice wearing MEGADETH shirts," Poland recalled. "And at the time my girlfriend said, 'Hey, you guys. You know who this is? This is Chris Poland from MEGADETH.' And they would just go, 'Yeah, right. Fuck off,' and then walk away. [Laughs] So I've had every little version of weirdness from being in that band, let me tell you."

Asked if ever regretted leaving MEGADETH, Chris said: "It was just meant to be. It got to the point where it was just time… It wasn't working for anybody anymore. Who knows what would have happened if I stayed in the band? It was probably best that I didn't. [Laughs] Probably drugs would have killed somebody, or all of us. Who knows?"

Poland was a member of MEGADETH from 1984 to 1987, during which time he performed on the band's classic albums "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" and "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" He is also a featured soloist on the group's 2004 album, "The System Has Failed".

This past February, Poland reflected on the lawsuit he reportedly filed against MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine over the 2004 reissue of the band's "Rust In Peace" album, which contained demos on which Chris performed.

"I know there was some flak after when [Dave] released the demo solos or whatever," Poland told Rock Talks. "And I couldn't get hold of Dave. I called his manager 10 times and finally, on the eleventh time, I left a message. I said, 'If you don't call me back, you're gonna be hearing from [my attorney].' And so he calls me back. And then he insults me and tells me, 'Well, Chris, all you did was a couple of solos and Dave and us thought that you would just do it for the fans.' And I'm, like, 'Hey, I did it for the fans, but everybody else is getting paid. I'd like to get paid for it.' So then [it got] totally blown out of proportion. I got belittled by everybody, and it's, like, 'C'mon. Really?'" He added: "People love drama, I guess. I don't know."

Chris went on to say that he hasn't had any contact with Mustaine in nearly two decades. "I haven't spoken with Dave since… I can't remember when. I guess back when I made 'The System [Has Failed]'," he said. "[After the dispute over the 2004 'Rust In Peace' reissue], he was, like, 'That's it. [Chris has] ruined our friendship.' And I'm, like, 'C'mon. Really?' But… whatever."

In a September 2020 interview with Darren Paltrowitz (host of the "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" podcast), Mustaine singled out Poland, saying: "Chris Poland, as much as I don't really like the guy, he was a great guitar player, and I wanted to give him a shot when we did the 2004 reissues for 'Peace Sells' and 'Rust In Peace', and I wanted to put that song out on the 'Rust In Peace' reissue. He got involved in a nuisance lawsuit, I think it was, and we just ended our friendship. And I thought, 'God, that was such a waste.'

"There was a little teeny mountain that was right out by where we live, and I said I could have just as soon bought that piece of dirt there than sell Chris's friendship, and I'm so bummed that this happened," Mustaine added. "'Cause I thought it would have been terrific to have him on the record. [When] people say, 'Hey, this sounds like Marty Friedman.' No, Marty Friedman sounded like this, because Chris played it first."

Back in 2004, Poland and/or his management and attorney filed a lawsuit against Mustaine regarding the use of the three "Rust In Peace" demos on the album's reissue without Chris's permission. According to MEGADETH's webmaster, Mustaine included the demos because he thought Chris would be "thankful for the promotion, the tipping of the hat, and showing the fans how Marty [Friedman, MEGADETH's guitarist during some of the post-Poland years] had actually been influenced by some of Chris's solo selections for those songs." Chris also allegedly tried to sue Dave for defamation of character because Dave called him a "thief," but Chris's attorney "dropped that after he found out that Chris had actually taken the band's gear and sold it for drugs," according to MEGADETH's webmaster. "Remember, there is a confession in the VH1 'Behind the Music' on MEGADETH," the webmaster said. Chris eventually settled for $9,500 and thereby ended a professional relationship with Dave and MEGADETH.

Poland previously discussed the legal issues surrounding the 2004 reissue of "Rust In Peace" in a 2018 interview with the As The Story Grows podcast. He said: "When I did 'The System Has Failed', [Dave] was working on adding the demos to a re-release of 'Rust In Peace'. And I wasn't going to get paid, but I didn't realize that until it came out. I was like, 'Wait a minute — I'm not getting paid for this.' And I tried to call Dave at least a dozen times, and I never heard back from him. Then I called Dave's manager a dozen times, and he wouldn't get back to me. The last time I called him, I said, 'Hey, man. If you don't call me back, I'm going to call [my lawyer], and we're going to have to get into it.' [The manager] calls me back and totally insults me, saying, 'You played a couple solos. So what?' And I'm like, 'What do you mean, 'So what?'' 'Well, Dave thought that you would do it for the fans.' I said, 'Okay. Is everybody else that played on that demo doing it for the fans? Are they getting paid?' He said, 'Chris, that's not the point.' I said, 'Listen, man, we have to do something here. I'm not just going to walk away. I love the fans, but I'm just not going to do it. If everybody else is getting a performance royalty for this, I want one.' I want everybody to know that it wasn't a nuisance suit, it wasn't anything like that. I made every attempt to work it out, and they just ignored me."

For the past couple of decades, Poland's main musical focus has been the fusion band OHM:, which has released several full-length studio albums to date.

KINGDOM COME has been blasted for its disastrous performance at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden, with one reviewer calling it the event's "biggest fuckup."

KINGDOM COME's current lineup consists of drummer James Kottak alongside guitarists Danny Stag and Rick Steier, bassist Johnny B. Frank and vocalist Keith St. John (formerly of MONTROSE and LYNCH MOB).

Original KINGDOM COME singer Lenny Wolf is not involved with KINGDOM COME's reunion tour, which initially came together to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the band's self-titled debut album.

In his review of KINGDOM COME's June 10 appearance at Sweden Rock, Peter Johansson of the popular Swedish site Rocknytt 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! Edit: they actually managed to make it worse…. Bass solo".

A few fan-filmed videos of KINGDOM COME's appearance at Sweden Rock have emerged online, with one YouTube commenter, Richard Tedeschi, writing below the "Shout It Out" video: "Does anyone know what was going on with the drummer slowing down and not keeping time?"

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. "We reached the point — or he reached the point — where it was just not worth it," Jabs said.

After its early run of success in the '80s, KINGDOM COME released several albums, with Wolf remaining the only constant member of the band prior to the band's reformation. The group's most recent effort was 2013's "Outlier".

Kottak played on KINGDOM COME's first two albums, 1988's "Kingdom Come" and 1989's "In Your Face" before leaving.

Kingdom Come var största fiaskot på Sweden Rock😱😬

Posted by Kristofer Becker on Sunday, June 12, 2022

I’ve never seen a drummer fall asleep on stage before but James Kottak is pretty damn close. Drunk? He slows down every…

Posted by Janne Stark on Friday, June 10, 2022

Creatures Fest 2022 took place Memorial Day Weekend (May 27 - 29) in Nashville, Tennessee at the Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel. Former KISS guitarist, Bruce Kulick, has shared the new video below, stating: "Zach Throne sings this great Gene Simmons song at the MTV Unplugged Pool Party at day one of Creatures Fest. It's got a great guitar solo, that was actually played by Paul Stanley on the MTV filming. I always enjoyed learning the riffs for that song from Paul's performance on The Elder."





Bruce previously shared the video below, in which he and his band are joined by his wife, Lisa Jane Kulick, at the Creatures Fest Pool Party for a performance of the KISS song, "Rock Bottom".







On May 29, Bruce and his band - Todd Kerns, Zach Throne and Brent Fitz - performed the Revenge album in its entirety as well as other KISS classics. Check out the footage below.

Ozzy Osbourne is "doing well and on the road to recovery" after undergoing surgery to remove and realign pins in his neck and back.

Earlier today (Tuesday, June 14), Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne issued the following update on his condition: "Our family would like to express so much gratitude for the overwhelming amount of love and support leading up to Ozzy's surgery! Ozzy is doing well and on the road to recovery! Your love means the world to him."

An Osbourne family source told Page Six on Monday (June 13) that there will be a "lengthy amount of convalescence" after the operation, which took place yesterday, 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 Wednesday (June 8) that she would be flying to America to be by her 73-year-old 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."

As for what else he would like to achieve in his 70s, Ozzy said: "A Number One Ozzy album. I'm coming back to England this year, too. I've had enough of living out here [America] now. My intention was never to stay out here."

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.
pic.twitter.com/9I1L0gs2e9

— Sharon Osbourne (@MrsSOsbourne) June 14, 2022

U.S. groove rock masters CLUTCH have dropped a brand-new single, "We Strive For Excellence", today. The track is available digitally from all DSPs.

CLUTCH frontman and lyrical wordsmith Neil Fallon shares: "'We Strive For Excellence' looks back fondly on childhood summers filled with grand plans gone awry, inexplicable bruises, untreated injuries, and, of course, the timeless wisdom of Evel Knievel."

CLUTCH released its first new single, "Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone)", back in April to much acclaim from fans and critics alike. The track has already hit nearly 300,000 streams on Spotify alone and the official music video, directed by David Brodsky, has clocked up 340,000 YouTube views.

Fallon previously stated about "Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone)": "Early in 2021, I learned the Boss Metal Zone pedal schematic was being presented as 'proof' that the COVID-19 vaccine had an electronic component to communicate with 5G cellular networks. It was, of course, nonsense. It sounded like a [sci-fi icon] Philip K. Dick premise. I didn't want to write a song specific to COVID-19 vaccines, so I went with the Philip K. Dick angle (again). 'Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?' [Dick's 1968 science fiction novel] came to mind (replicants, in particular, representing what is real and not real, or is there a difference at all?). The video makes no secret that this is a homage to Philip K. Dick and a future where we have distortion coursing through our veins."

Drummer Jean-Paul Gaster added: "'Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone)' is one of the faster cuts on our forthcoming album. It kicks in and hits like a freight train. The intensity of the recording reminds me of our live shows. This song cooks, and I can't wait to play it on tour!"

Early last year, Gaster told the Chicago-based webzine Metal Kaoz that he and his CLUTCH bandmates had "written a lot of songs" for the follow-up to 2018's "Book Of Bad Decisions" LP. He said: "We've been writing now for our new album, and I think we're spending more time than ever in the studio, just trying out different ideas. And most of the ideas don't ever really make it to the end; we try 10 things and we keep one.

"I think we are even more selective than we were before as to which ideas we really decide to focus on. And I think it is because we have so much more time. Before, we would come home for a tour and maybe we would have three weeks off. So, the first week, we don't do really much of anything — everybody goes back home to their families and we rest — and then the next two weeks we would get together and we would just jam really hard and get a bunch of ideas, and then on the road and play those ideas, and then come back and do it again. And that process might go on for a year and a half. This has been different. This is the first time where we've had so much time at home to work on ideas and never really tried them in a live setting. So I'm not sure how it's gonna impact the record. But I think it's gonna make for a different album — whether it's good, bad or otherwise, it's too early to tell. But, for sure, it's a different dynamic, and it requires more of us.

"So often, when we have new ideas and we put them in front of an audience, you can really tell right away — we know right away if the song is the right tempo, we know right away if the riffs are where they need to be, if the chorus is the way it needs to be," Gaster added. "It's a testing ground. And we don't have that right now. So, for that reason, I think we are being a lot more careful about what ideas we really wanna focus on, and which ones we think, 'You know what? We've done that before. Let's do something a little different.'"

"Book Of Bad Decisions" was recorded at Sputnik Sound studio in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Vance Powell. The record sold 26,000 copies in America during its first week of availability, giving the group its third consecutive Top 20 album on the Billboard 200.

Professionally filmed video of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's June 12 performance at this year's edition of the Nova Rock festival, which was held on the Pannonia Fields in Nickelsdorf, Austria, can be seen below.

Featured songs:

00:00 Trouble
03:00 Wash It All Away
08:06 Jekyll And Hyde

Last Friday (June 10),FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH released another new song, "Welcome To The Circus". The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "AfterLife", which is due on August 19.

The "Afterlife" title track, which was released as a single in April, gave FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH the most consecutive No. 1s on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. The song was the band's 12th total No. 1 and eighth entry on the chart in a row. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH broke out of a tie with DISTURBED and SHINEDOWN, each of whom has seven consecutive No. 1s on the chart.

According to Billboard, only three artists boast more No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, which began in 1981: SHINEDOWN (with 17), THREE DAYS GRACE (with 16) and VAN HALEN (with 13).

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's follow-up to 2020's "F8" was once again recorded at the Hideout Recording Studio, the Las Vegas, Nevada facility owned and operated by Kevin Churko, the Canadian record producer/engineer and songwriter who has worked on all of FIVE FINGER's albums beginning with the band's sophomore release, 2009's "War Is The Answer".

"AfterLife" will be FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's first album with its latest addition, renowned British virtuoso Andy James, who replaced Jason Hook in 2020. James was previously featured on "Broken World", a song that was included on the second installment of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's greatest-hits collection, "A Decade Of Destruction – Volume 2", which came out in the fall of 2020.

Since FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's debut album, "The Way Of The Fist", came out in 2007, the band has released six consecutive albums that were certified gold or platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as well as two chart-topping greatest-hits albums. In addition, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has earned numerous national and international awards and honors over the last decade, such as the prestigious Soldier Appreciation Award by the Association Of The United States Army, an honor bestowed upon only one other recording artist before them: Elvis Presley.

"F8" debuted at No. 1 on rock charts around the world, with Top 10 mainstream chart debuts in the USA, Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and more. It produced four No. 1 hit singles with "Inside Out", "A Little Bit Off", "Living The Dream" and "Darkness Settles In". The band has amassed over eight billion streams and three billion video views to date and has sold over one million tickets between 2018 and 2020 alone.

This past April, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH announced a 2022 U.S. headlining tour presented by Live Nation. Kicking off in Portland, Oregon on August 19, the trek will span over 30 dates, closing out on October 15 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The band will be joined on tour by rock icons MEGADETH, with additional support from THE HU and FIRE FROM THE GODS, promising an intense multi-faceted night of heavy rock music.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was interviewed by Planet Rock's Wyatt backstage at this weekend's Download festival in the United Kingdom, and in true Gene style, he covered everything from body hair to retirement, Liam Gallagher to fan tattoos, and why KISS isn't for everyone.

Speaking about KISS's decision to call it quits at the end of the band's ongoing "End Of The Road" farewell tour, Gene said: "It's been coming up for a few years now. And I can wax poetic and prolific about all kinds of things but underneath this veneer is this sort of, 'It's gotta end sometime.' You want to respect the fans enough to know when to get off that stage. And it's gonna be sad, and it's gonna be happy. Sad that you have to leave something that you love so much, but really happy and proud for, 'Look what we did.' We raised the level of what a fan can expect on that stage for their hard-earned money. There's no question about that. So if you see wrestling and there's pyro or Sir Paul McCartney, one of my heroes — anybody that's putting stuff in their shows. I mean, where do you think they got that from? MUNGO JERRY?"

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last through early 2023.

KISS's current lineup consists of original members Simmons and Paul Stanley (guitar, vocals),alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss (drums) and Ace Frehley (guitar),KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.

In its 49-year career, KISS has accumulated 23 gold and platinum albums — more than any other U.S. band.

Last month, Gene told SPIN about his post-KISS plans: "Well, we have [the rock-inspired restaurant] Rock & Brews, which is becoming more successful — and quite a few other businesses, which has no relation to sticking my tongue out. And at some point, after the band stops touring, I may go out with the GENE SIMMONS BAND. Did about 50 shows. It's a lot of fun, a totally different experience. It's like being in the RAMONES or U2 or something. You put on sneakers and a t-shirt, and that's all the work. So your heart doesn't have to go 'boom, boom, boom, boom,' like it's going to thump out of your chest, like at KISS shows. If you are a blues artist, you can do that until you're in your mid-80s, the way B.B. King did at 88. Are you kidding me? Me walking around on stage with dragon boots and all that, even past 75, I can't imagine it. The physical wear and tear, your heart just is not going to be able to take it. I defy these guys half my age to get into my outfit, see how long you'll last on stage."