Juno award-nominated symphonic death metal band, Ex Deo, fronted by Maurizio Iacono (Kataklysm), have issued the following progress report:


"Ex Deo will soon begin recording new music this year that will see the light in the winter of 2023!


The Roman outfit will take off where Nero left and enter the turbulent year of The Four Emperors. The release will be an EP and will be released on Maurizio Iacono's own newly launched Distortion Music Group for a worldwide release.




With contractual obligations completed, Ex Deo looks forward at the new path forward and taking its own destiny into its own hands!


We thank Napalm Records for releasing three great records and for standing by Ex Deo!
The saga continues..."

Demolition Records has announced the May 20th release of Disquiet - Restless Edition by Irish rock trio Therapy?.


Disquiet - Restless Edition is a remastered version of the original 2015 album and includes an extra seven bonus tracks, one of which is a fantastic cover version of the Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) track "Electricity" performed in true Therapy? style.


The album is available to pre-order worldwide in both digital and physical CD formats. The vinyl version will be released at a later date. Cover art and tracklisting are as follows;







"Still Hurts"
"Tides"
"Good News Is No News"
"Fall Behind"
"Idiot Cousin"
"Helpless Still Lost"
"Insecurity"
"Vulgar Display Of Powder"
"Words Fail Me"
"Torment Sorrow Misery Strife"
"Deathstimate"
"Armed With Anger"
"Demons Demons"
"Electricity"
"If You're Driving Pull Over"
"Slippies"
"Smile Or Die"
"We Kill People"





(Photo - Tom Hoad)


 

James LaBrie, known internationally as the vocalist for progressive metal icons Dream Theater, embarks on uncharted waters with his fourth solo album, titled Beautiful Shade Of Grey, out on May 20.


A new album trailer has been released - stream it below:







The new endeavour sees LaBrie traverse personal maturation, loss, a myriad of complex relationships, and most importantly – LaBrie’s burning passion for music. On paper, the latest studio offering from the Canadian singer first took shape shortly after the global pandemic began to emerge. But in reality, LaBrie formed a bond with his fellow collaborator, bassist Paul Logue (Eden’s Curse), nearly a decade earlier.


The two first met in 2011, when James would lend his voice to a feature for Logue’s band, UK melodic metal outfit Eden’s Curse, on the song “No Holy Man”. As years went by the two remained in touch, occasionally kicking the tires on the idea of working together on another project. But when Dream Theater performed in Glasgow during the late winter of 2020, LaBrie and Logue would run into each other at the airport – once again asking the question. But this time, armed with the knowledge that a drastic change in the world was all but imminent, LaBrie made the decision to set things in motion.


On the album, Logue plays acoustic rhythm guitar (both six & twelve string) and acoustic bass, while guitarist Marco Sfogli, who’s contributed on all of LaBrie’s solo albums since 2005’s ‘Elements of Persuasion’, handled the leads and solos. Logue recruited Eden’s Curse keyboardist Christian Pulkkinen to lend his playing on the record, while the suggestion to recruit James’s son Chance to play drums would also come from Paul. Beautiful Shade Of Grey, as LaBrie describes it, was a title that only came to him once he identified the record’s two core themes throughout its track list. “A lot of these lyrics are dealing with the beauty of human beings, and a lot are dealing with the grey areas of the in between. You’re not exactly happy, but you’re not exactly sad, either.”


The record starts off (and ends) with the track “Devil In Drag”, which emerges as a wall of synthesizers and acoustic strumming before exploding into a full-blown ensemble. LaBrie expresses that the song was written about “someone who started out as a decent human being, but along the way lost touch with their roots – overtime becoming self-serving, narcissistic and devoid of principles or values.” Going on to say, “’Devil In Drag’ is written from the perspective of someone who’s known them all their life and, seeing them now, asking ‘what happened?’”


Beautiful Shade Of Grey will be released as a Limited CD Digipak, 180g LP + CD & as Digital Album, with artwork by Thomas Ewerhard. Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Devil In Drag"
"SuperNova Girl"
"Give And Take"
"Sunset Ruin"
"Hit Me Like A Brick"
"Wildflower"
"Conscience Calling"
"What I Missed"
"Am I Right"
"Ramble On"
"Devil In Drag" (Electric Version)


“Give And Take” video:





"Devil In Drag" video:

In a new interview with Favazz of the St. Louis, Missouri radio station KSHE 95, DEF LEPPARD's Phil Collen, whose band is still scheduled to hit the road with MÖTLEY CRÜE next month, was asked if he is concerned about CRÜE singer Vince Neil seemingly being out of shape and not being ready to hit the road as part of "The Stadium Tour". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No. I talk to [CRÜE bassist] Nikki Sixx all the time. We're friends. And I've known Vince forever. He's gonna be part of our team. The way I look at this whole thing… We wanna take this tour to the rest of the world — in Europe, Australia, Japan, all over the place, South America — so it's really important that everyone is part of the team. And we're inspired. Me and Joe [Elliott, DEF LEPPARD singer] — actually, all the guys — we're on the phone, and we start rehearsing in about a week."

The 64-year-old devoted health and fitness fanatic continued: "So, no. I think that MÖTLEY CRÜE are gonna be part of that team, as are [support acts] POISON and Joan Jett. We all stand as one.

"The great thing, when you go out on tour with KISS, it's all about the show; it's not about trying to upstage anyone or do that. Yeah, you can have a bit of that going on, but then you live and die by the show, and you wanna make that great. And that's a great lesson we've learned from KISS, and we apply that.

"So, no," he repeated, once again indicating he isn't worried about Neil's ability to perform. "I can't wait till we get out there. And hopefully Vince will be working out. We've got a trainer coming out. Yeah, it's gonna be really cool."

Collen's latest comments come less than a year after he weighed in on Neil's disastrous comeback performance at an Iowa festival.

In May 2021, Neil struggled to complete his solo concert at the Boone Iowa River Valley Festival in Boone. Based on fan-filmed video footage of the gig posted on YouTube, the now-61-year-old rocker, who hadn't performed in more than a year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic, began losing his voice several songs into his set, which consisted exclusively of CRÜE classics and cover songs previously recorded by the band.

Collen discussed Neil's return to the stage during an interview with "The Jeremy White Podcast". Asked if he had seen any of the footage of Vince's gig, Phil said at the time: "I heard about it. Hey, look, he's got a year [to get ready for 'The Stadium Tour']. There's a lot at stake when you got out [on tour], and you wanna be your best. Hopefully we'll be working out together and all that stuff. That's the other thing — we do have a camaraderie, especially with MÖTLEY CRÜE. With Nikki, we were talking just before the tour [was announced], like, 'We're gonna work out together. We're gonna do all this stuff.'

"One of the things I learned from touring with KISS is that they really go a hundred percent about the show and every aspect of the show, [including when] different bands are touring together," he continued. "Our crews would be working together on the KISS tour so the show would look great. And I do feel a thing with that. If the show is even better [for the other band], then it's even better for all of us; you want that to happen.

"With Vince, he's got a year to go," Phil added. "Hopefully everything is cool by then. I hope so. Fingers crossed."

DEF LEPPARD's "The Stadium Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS will launch on June 16 in Atlanta, Georgia. The 36-date trek, which is due to wrap September 9 in Las Vegas, was originally scheduled to take place in the summer of 2020 but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus crisis.

In December 2019, CRÜE manager Allen Kovac told Fox Business that "some of" the bandmembers had enlisted outside help to get in shape for the trek. Kovac was referring to criticism of Neil for his supposed diminished singing ability and weight gain, as well as the health status of guitarist Mick Mars, who has been dealing with a chronic form of arthritis that led him to undergo a hip replacement.

Kovac explained: "Some of them are working with a trainer, some of them are working with a nutritionist to make themselves the best they can be. The greatest insecurity for an artist is: Is anyone going to care about my music? Is anyone going to buy a ticket? We were in November [2019] when the discussions were happening, and these guys were already into regimens of how they get ready for a tour."

Speaking specifically about Neil, Kovac added: "Let's see what Vince sings like and looks like when the tour goes out."

Sixx also said that Vince was "killing it" while working with "trainers" and "nutritionists" in preparation for "The Stadium Tour".

In February of this year, Allegaeon released their latest album, Damnum. The title means "loss" in Latin and consequently, the lyrical themes mark a deviation from the band's previous sci-fi/science-based output. Track number six from the album, "Called Home," may be the most emotional and powerful example of that theme on the album. That song is now accompanied by a new video, which can be seen below.





Guitarist Greg Burgess comments on the concept of the song and video: "Over the last few years people around the world have experienced immeasurable loss and grief. This song and this video is a representation of a personal experience. By sharing this story we hope that it brings some sense of peace to anyone who has shared in a similar experience, and to possibly throw a lifeline to someone out there who may be suffering. You are not alone."




May is mental health awareness month. There's no better time than now to reach out for help if you or someone you know is struggling.





Dates:


June
1 - 1720 - Los Angeles, CA*
4 - Doll Hut - Anaheim, CA
5 - Nile Underground - Mesa, AZ
6 - Tumbleroot Brewing - Santa Fe, NM
7 - Amplified Live - Dallas, TX
8 - Come And Take It Live - Austin, TX
9 - White Oak Music Hall - Houston, TX
10 - Onyx Theater - Baton Rouge, LA
11 - Boggs Social - Atlanta, GA
12 - The Haven - Orlando, FL
14 - The Blind Tiger - Greensboro, NC
15 - Metro Gallery - Baltimore, MD
16 - Dingbatz - Clifton, NJ
17 - The Meadows - Brooklyn, NY
18 - Jewel Nightclub - Manchester, NH
19 - The Crafthouse - Pittsburgh, PA
20 - The Sanctuary - Detroit, MI
21 - Reggies - Chicago, IL
22 - Amsterdam Bar & Hall - St. Paul, MN
23 - Wildwood - Iowa City, IA
24 - The Royal Grove - Lincoln, NE
25 - Marquis Theater - Denver, CO
26 - Metro Music Hall - Salt Lake City, UT
28 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
29 - Dante's - Portland, OR
30 - The X Bar - Cupertino, CA


July
1 - Full Circle Brewing District - Fresno, CA


* Allegaeon only

Arch Enemy have released a recap video for the Salt Lake City date on the The North American Siege 2022, the ongoing trek also featuring Behemoth, plus special guests Napalm Death and Unto Others. Watch below:





Remaining tour dates:




May
11 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
13 - Berkeley, CA - The UC Theatre
15 - Los Angeles, CA - The Hollywood Palladium


On July 29, Arch Enemy will release their 11th studio album, Deceivers, via Century Media Records. For fans that can't wait for the record's release, the band is now offering a new 7", "Sunset Over The Empire" (due out May 20) - with the title track also appearing on Deceivers.


Arch Enemy's founder and chief songwriter Michael Amott comments: "I am thrilled that we are releasing our next single 'Sunset Over The Empire' not only digitally everywhere as usual, but also as a physical 7" vinyl record. I'm a big fan of the vinyl format myself and I think this killer looking 7" will be a nice collector's item as it's a limited run. The B-side is an instrumental we've never released before on a record, and the A-side is one of my fave tracks off our new upcoming album Deceivers!"


Pre-order "Sunset Over The Empire" here,  where the 7" is available in the following versions:


- white vinyl (limited to 1000 copies; available via CM Distro Europe)
- transparent orange vinyl (limited to 500 copies; band exclusive)





"Sunset Over The Empire" tracklisting:


"Sunset Over The Empire"
"The Judging Eyes"


A collection of 11 tracks that are ruthlessly catchy and mercilessly violent, Deceivers stands toe-to-toe with the highlights of the band's storied catalogue. Pre-order the album here.





Deceivers tracklisting:


"Handshake With Hell"
"Deceiver, Deceiver"
"In The Eye Of The Storm"
"The Watcher"
"Poisoned Arrow"
"Sunset Over The Empire"
"House Of Mirrors"
"Spreading Black Wings"
"Mourning Star"
"One Last Time"
"Exiled From Earth"


"Handshake With Hell" video:





"Deceiver, Deceiver" video:





"House Of Mirrors" video:





Arch Enemy lineup:


Alissa White-Gluz - Vocals
Michael Amott - Guitars
Jeff Loomis - Guitars
Sharlee D'Angelo - Bass
Daniel Erlandsson - Drums

Brazilian black metal band Patria presents "Worms Of Light", the first single and video taken from the new album, Hexerei, which will be released worldwide on July 15. 


"The track 'Worms Of Light' is one of my favorites on the album! We ended up choosing it because it's one of the tracks that features my old friend Demon Fog, from the legendary Brazilian cult Songe d'Enfer, sharing the vocals with our vocalist Tsword", said Mantus. "It's a fast and more direct song, but it also brings dark textures and more mid-tempo parts, which create a very interesting counterpoint. We can say that it's a track that represents in synthesis what Patria's sound is about", he adds.


"Worms Of Light" lyrics mix parts in English and Portuguese. "We're doing this on some songs in this record, including mixing it with other languages like Estonian, in the track where we have the vocalist Lembetu, from the band Loits", reveals Mantus. "In the lyric video we used footages from some vintage and old horror movies that illustrate the concept of the song pretty well", he adds.




In addition to Demon Fog (Songe d'Enfer) and Lembetu (Loits), the album has the special guest on drums of Leonardo Pagani (Malphas), who played with Mantus for years on Mysteriis and several other projects. The intro, "Hexerei", which opens the album, was created and orchestrated by Dave Deville, who has already worked for The Troops of Doom and Litosth.


In Brazil, the album Hexerei will be released by Dawnrazor Records, with official distribution via Drakkar Brasil, while in Europe the release will be in charge of the German label Ketzer Records and in Mexico through Helvete Records, with sales in the United States by Rebellion Republic. Digital distribution will be handled by Blood Blast, a digital subsidiary of German record label Nuclear Blast. "We are very excited about this new album. It comes more mature and theatrical, but still perfectly rescuing what we did at the beginning of the band, inspired by that traditional black metal of the ‘90s", concludes Mantus.





Tracklisting:


“Hexerei (Intro)”
“Worms Of Light”
“Archetypes”
“A Last Breath Of Sulphur”
“Under The Devil’s Void”
“Consecration”
“Unborn Spellcraft”
“Storm Of Wilderness”
“Transmutation”
“All Vices”
“Viimne väävlisõõm” (Bonus Track)


“Worms Of Light”:

Ted Nugent has blasted Joan Jett after her pointed retort in an interview in which she was asked to respond to the outspoken conservative rocker's assessment of her musical skills, when he claimed she didn't belong on a list of the best rock guitarists.

In a video he posted last December, Nugent brought up a list originally published by Rolling Stone's David Fricke in December 2010 where Jett came in at No. 87 while Ted was not included at all. "You have to have shit for brains and you have to be a soulless, soulless prick to [include] Joan Jett," Nugent said. The 73-year-old musician added: "How do you list the top 100 guitar players and not list Derek St. Holmes? How do you do that? You do that by lying. The same way you get Grandmaster Flash in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. You do that by lying. You have to be a liar."

When asked in a recent interview with NME to comment on Nugent's claim that she shouldn't be on the list, Jett said: "Neither should he.

"Is that his implication," Jett asked, "that he should be on the list instead of me? Well, that's just typical — it's what I've dealt with my whole life, being written off. Ted Nugent has to live with being Ted Nugent. He has to be in that body, so that's punishment enough."

After a brief pause, she added: "He's not a tough guy. He plays tough guy, but this is the guy who shit his pants — literally — so he didn't have to go in the Army." She then summoned her longtime manager Kenny Laguna to "help," imploring Laguna to relay the full tale of Nugent's supposed Vietnam War draft-dodging tactic (which the alleged pant-shitter himself shared with High Times magazine in 1977 and later retracted).

"So this," Jett concluded, "is the tough guy who's running around America, stirring things up against each other."

Earlier today, Nugent responded to Jett's comments, calling her "stupid" and once again denying that he dodged the draft. Speaking during a YouTube livestream, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "All I expressed in an interview on WRIF was how I love Joan and her killer rocking band. She's got a great rocking band. Great songs. The best garage band maybe ever, except for maybe GREEN DAY. [I] love Joan — all I said is how I love her. But I used her as an example — along with Joni Mitchell. [I] love Joni Mitchell… People love that music. People love Joan Jett and Joni Mitchell. I love them. I expressed I love them. But she can't be in the top 100 guitar player list — either of them. They play nice strumming guitars; they play nice guitars. I like it. They're good. But top 100 before Rik Emmett of TRIUMPH? That's a lie.

"Joan Jett, I love you," he continued. "Don't get all upset. She calls me a racist and [says] I'm jealous. I didn't even mention that I should be on the list. Let's pretend that I don't play guitar. Let's pretend I'm just a keyboard player, or maybe a gay conga player. I never mentioned my name [as being excluded from] the top 100 guitar list — though someone might. But Joan, would you just relax?

"Maybe the plastic has gone to her brain," Ted added, apparently referencing the rumor that Jett underwent plastic surgery. "I don't know. I just didn't think she was that stupid. I never said anything about how stupid she was. I didn't think she was stupid; now we know how stupid she is.

"Joan Jett and Joni Mitchell cannot be on the top 100 guitar player list before Derek St. Holmes or Rickey Medlocke or Jimmy McCarty or Mark Farner. Certainly. Or Jared Nichols. Or Chris Duarte. This isn't an opinion. There's no room for an opinion here. I'm mentioning guitar players that are world-class monster virtuosos of undeniable musical authority and guitar prowess."

Nugent went on to say: "How about — Paul Reed Smith is a better guitar player than Joni Mitchell or Joan. I don't mean to hurt your feelings, guys, but your drummer, Joan, is a better drummer than I am. I shouldn't be on the top 100 drummers list. All my drummers should be — all my drummers are amazing. [Laughs]

"But don't you see what goes on? I guess they seek and accomplish the eternal terminal menstrual cycle — you know, the menstrual cycle that the governor of Washington and Oregon thinks that they should have tampons in the boys' bathrooms. That's where we are — you know that's where we are. That's not where we are, but it's where they are steering our great country, our once-great country.

"So, Joan, just relax, honey. I love you," Nugent added. "You make great music. But you're not a top 100 guitar player. You must know that. Joni Mitchell, you must know that — I love you, Joni. But you're in the top 100, maybe the top 20 folk singers, certainly. And Joan Jett would be in the… certainly Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and maybe the top 20 garage bands. THE AMBOY DUKES were a garage band, so that's not a negative; that's a positive. NIRVANA would be maybe number one garage band. BROWNSVILLE STATION number two. Joan Jett maybe number three. GREEN DAY maybe three and a half.

"See, I'm not knocking these people; I'm just telling you the truth. [Laughs] I didn't know they were that stupid."

Ted also once again shot down the allegation that he dodged the draft, saying: "No, I didn't. I didn't get drafted, but I didn't dodge the draft. [In the High Times interview] I was telling a story about a drummer friend who shit his pants and I don't know what else he did. It's a funny story. Plus I gave the story to a writer — I'm being awfully generous with that term — for High Times magazine. You're gonna have a serious interview with High Times magazine?

"See, they cling to these lies and hate 'cause they've got nothing else. Which is why they are absolutely helpless to debate me."

Nugent's new studio album, "Detroit Muscle", was released on April 29 via Pavement Music.

Frontiers Music Srl recently released My Father's Son, the new solo album from guitarist/songwriter Jani Liimatainen (The Dark Element, Insomnium).


The Finnish musician's impeccable talents are on full display on this new album and he's got a stellar cast of friends lending their talents to the proceedings. Watch a lyric video for "Breathing Divinity" featuring Björn “Speed” Strid (Soilwork, The Night Flight Orchestra) below, and order/save My Father's Son on CD/LP/Digital here.


My Father's Son also includes guest lead vocals from Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica), Timo Kotipelto (Stratovarius), Anette Olzon (The Dark Element), Renan Zonta (Electric Mob), Pekka Heino (Brother Firetribe), and Antti Railio (Celesty, Diecell). Liimatainen even takes on lead vocal duties himself, as well.




Additionally, bassist Jonas Kuhlberg (One Desire), drummer Rolf Pilve (Stratovarius, Smackbound), and pianist Jarkko Lahti provide instrumentation, while Liimatainen handles guitars, keyboards, and programming. Jens Johansson (Stratovarius, Rainbow) and Janne Huttunen provide guest keyboard and saxophone solos, respectively.


Jani Liimatainen's career in metal kicked off as a founding member and guitarist for one of Finland's premiere power metal bands, Sonata Arctica. Currently, he is a member of the popular melodic death metal band Insomnium. He is also a member of Cain's Offering alongside Stratovarius vocalist Timo Kotipelto as well as being the guitarist/composer for the symphonic metal band, The Dark Element, which features former Nightwish vocalist Anette Olzon. Both Cain's Offering and The Dark Element have released two well-received albums each, both racking up millions of streams on digital music platforms and with The Dark Element, multiple music videos with millions of views.


Those highlights of his musical resume more than speak to Liimatainen's talent and building legacy in the heavy music world. With the cast of friends who have joined him to help him fulfill his ambitious vision for My Father's Son, his new solo album will surely further cement his standing as one of the great guitarists and musical talents to emerge from Finland.





Tracklisting:


"Breathing Divinity" (Vocals: Björn “Speed” Strid)
"All Dreams Are Born To Die" (Vocals: Tony Kakko)
"What Do You Want" (Vocals: Renan Zonta)
"Who Are We" (Vocals: Timo Kotipelto)
"Side By Side" (Vocals: Pekka Heino)
"The Music Box" (Vocals: Renan Zonta)
"Into The Fray" (Vocals: Timo Kotipelto)
"I Could Stop Now" (Vocals: Anette Olzon)
"Haunted House" (Vocals: Jani Liimatainen)
"My Father's Son" (Vocals: Antti Railio)


"Breathing Divinity" lyric video:





"Into The Fray" lyric video:





Album stream:





Lineup:


Vocalists:


Pekka Heino
Tony Kakko
Timo Kotipelto
Jani Liimatainen
Anette Olzon
Antti Railio
Björn Strid
Renan Zonta


Musicians:


Jani Liimatainen - Guitars, keyboards, programming
Jonas Kuhlberg - Bass
Rolf Pilve - Drums
Jarkko Lahti - Piano
Jens Johansson - Guest keyboard solo
Janne Huttunen - Guest saxophone solo


Backing Vocals:


Petri Aho
JC Halttunen
Tony Kakko
Jani Liimatainen
Anette Olzon
Antti Railio
Björn Strid
Lassi Vääränen
Renan Zonta

THE QUIREBOYS founder, frontman and songwriter Spike has announced that he has started writing new QUIREBOYS songs with the band's co-founder Guy Bailey. The material heralds the beginning of a new studio album and a new QUIREBOYS lineup that Spike is putting together for dates later in the year.

The news follows the public statement made by three of Spike's former bandmates expressing a desire to part company with the singer, although Spike has always maintained he has never, and would never, leave the band he founded, a band he fronts and says he has created the intellectual property for. THE QUIREBOYS is a band that has gone through various lineup changes over the years, with Spike being the only consistent, original member.

Spike, whose real name is Jonathan Gray, comments: "This week I met up with lifelong friend and band co-founder Guy Bailey. We've started writing new QUIREBOYS songs together — and the magic is still there. We've always written so well as a double act; we write quickly and there's natural chemistry. There's also a collection of unfinished and unreleased early QUIREBOYS songs that I wrote many years ago, many with Guy Bailey, around the time of recording 'A Bit of What You Fancy'. These songs have never seen the light of day but we're going to finish those as well.

"Looking back, the benchmark QUIREBOYS songs were written by Guy Bailey and myself. Our session this week took me back to our early days sharing a flat together in London in the '80s, where we'd spend the evenings playing acoustic guitars together in the front room. 'Hey You', '7 O'Clock', 'I Don't Love You Anymore' — that's where all those key QUIREBOYS songs came from; Guy Bailey and I bouncing ideas off each other, writing chords and lyrics together as we played the acoustics.

"It's really been great to go full circle, back to the beginnings of what has defined the QUIREBOYS story."

Guy Bailey comments: "Events of recent weeks have shocked me. For members of Spike, band to think they can sack him in a two-line statement and then elect themselves to use his band, name as their own beggars belief.

"Spike and I wrote all the original QUIREBOYS songs — and when I decided I didn't want to tread the boards anymore, I gave Spike my blessing to take the band forward as his own.

"The thing with the original band is it never really broke up. Whilst we have gone off and done different things, we have always stayed in touch as great friends — and it may now be time to get the gang back together again. These new songs mark the return of the original and only QUIREBOYS."

Spike adds: "The three former band members that split with me were each written to three weeks ago, setting out that they did not create the intellectual property in THE QUIREBOYS name, their limited company is not called THE QUIREBOYS, they should not present themselves as THE QUIREBOYS. I have received no reply but have clearly laid out the position. As such, I will continue with THE QUIREBOYS. I've never had any intention of doing otherwise. I never left the band.

"I have been moved by the enormous show of support from fans, venues, media, promoters and fellow musicians in the last month.

"To all those fans that have requested ticket refunds in recent weeks, rest assured — new QUIREBOYS music is coming everybody and I'll be back with my band, THE QUIREBOYS. New music, a new album and new shows from a new QUIREBOYS lineup — and you'll probably recognize a few of the faces.

"Together, let's keep it positive as we keep rock n roll alive.

"See you at the bar.

"God bless, Spike".

THE QUIREBOYS most recently performed without Spike aboard this year's Monsters Of Rock cruise, which departed out of Miami, Florida on February 9.

THE QUIREBOYS put out their most recent album, the well-received "Amazing Disgrace", in 2019.

The band's debut LP, "A Bit of What You Fancy", was released in 1990 and included the song "Hey You", which was THE QUIREBOYS' biggest hit, reaching No. 14 in the U.K. singles chart and No. 5 in the U.S. Billboard Rock chart.

In 2020, THE QUIREBOYS were scheduled to celebrate their 35th anniversary with a tour. The trek, which ended up getting canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, would also have marked 30 years since the release of "A Bit Of What You Fancy".

Following the band's inception in London in 1984 — originally as THE CHOIRBOYS, then THE QUEERBOYS, before settling on the less controversial name of THE QUIREBOYS — there followed six years of hard graft and personnel changes.

THE QUIREBOYS played to 72,000 people at 1990's Monsters Of Rock at Donington with the likes of WHITESNAKE, AEROSMITH and POISON. They supported THE ROLLING STONES that same year in Newcastle, and opened for GUNS N' ROSES at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1987 and again a couple of years later on their "Use Your Illusion" tour.

The public's appetite for THE QUIREBOYS had returned and hasn't waned since — three further studio releases ("Well Oiled", "Homewreckers & Heartbreakers", "Halfpenny Dancer") were released on various labels from 2004 to 2009 before the band found their new, and permanent, home on Off Yer Rocka, the label of the renowned festival brand Hard Rock Hell.

An anniversary edition — fully re-recorded — of "A Bit Of What You Fancy" drew much acclaim in 2021.
HEY YOU - THE ORIGINAL QUIREBOYS ARE BACK
SPIKE AND GUY BAILEY ARE WRITING THEIR FIRST NEW QUIREBOYS ALBUM TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 30 YEARS pic.twitter.com/TaU3nckiKo

— The Quireboys Spike Official (@SpikeQuireboys) May 10, 2022

California glam metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER are completing the recording process for their new studio album. The band, which has not yet secured a permanent replacement for its original bassist Lexxi Foxx, has been working on the effort for the last few months and is planning to enter the mix phase in June.

On Wednesday (May 11),STEEL PANTHER issued the following update via its social media: "To all Fanthers, metal heads and clickbait enthusiasts around the globe: We wanted to give you an update on all things happening in STEEL PANTHER land.

"The bass player search continues!!! We have been road testing several different people to date and so far we still haven't found the Poontang to our Boomerang. We have spoken to a bunch of people – some you have seen and some you haven't – and we won't rest until we find the next STEEL PANTHER low-end maestro to complete us like Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire. Until then, our good friend Spyder is going to be filling in for us in Europe. We cannot wait to see you guys on the Res-Erections tour next month.

"Also – if you have come to any of our shows over the past few weeks, the rumors are totally true!!! Not only is Stix [Zadinia, drums] STD free, but we are working hard on finishing the new album. We are planning to enter the mix phase in June. We will be sharing more exciting news on that in the near future.

"We can't wait to see you on the road and on our tour bus!!"

Seven months ago, Lexxi — whose real name is Travis Haley — told Rocking With Jam Man that he hadn't spoken with his former bandmates since his exit. "I still talk to the singer a little bit; I have in the past," he said. "But I think that those scars and I think that the departure, the way that it went down, I think there's some sore spots. But that's tough for me to talk about.

"That was something that I'm very proud of — to be that character for such a long period of time, and to play with those cats," he continued. "They're all amazing musicians. And I just think that it is different to not have that [in my life] — I'd been in character for so long — but I have to say it's a little refreshing as well."

When STEEL PANTHER first announced Lexxi's exit in July 2021, the band jokingly said that Foxx "started his side business, 'Sexy Lexxi's Prettiest Pets,' to bring in money for Botox during the lockdown." After realizing that "his love for making pets pretty was greater than his love for being pretty himself," he chose "to hang up his mirror and focus on his newfound passion: making ugly dogs pretty," the group wrote in a statement.

Back in December 2018, Lexxi sat out a STEEL PANTHER tour after being admitted to "sex rehab." The real reason for his absence was never officially disclosed.

During an appearance on an episode of the "2020'd" podcast, guitarist Satchel stated about Lexxi's departure: "We didn't want him to quit. Nobody wanted him to quit, including a lot of fans. I'm sure a lot of fans are very sad that he left. But he's the guy who left the band. I think he's got his own things he's dealing with, and he just wanted to go and do that. So, I don't know… I can't answer for Lexxi Foxx. But we will all miss Lexxi Foxx, and we all wish him the best in everything that he does. But we didn't fire him; he quit the band. So we're gonna have to move on and get somebody else who's younger and foxier and doesn't need as much Botox," referencing the drug doctors have been using for years to treat wrinkles and facial creases.

Formed in 2000, STEEL PANTHER specializes in imitating and exaggerating the less flattering aspects of 1980s hair metal, with unrepentantly crude, non-PC sexual content as a favorite lyrical theme.

The group's music has been described as "VAN HALEN meets MÖTLEY CRÜE meets RATT meets 'Wayne's World', complete with operatic shrieks, misogyny, shredding guitar solos and libidinal overdrive."

Fourteen years ago, STEEL PANTHER changed its name from METAL SKOOL to its current moniker and shifted the focus of its act from '80s metal covers to originals.

Haley, who was an original member of STEEL PANTHER, recently announced the formation of his new band HOLLYWOOD GODS N' MONSTERS with longtime friend and television celebrity from MTV's "Pimp My Ride", Diggity Dave.

To all Fanthers, metal heads and clickbait enthusiasts around the globe:

We wanted to give you an update on all things...

Posted by Steel Panther on Wednesday, May 11, 2022

The woman who gave birth during METALLICA's concert in Brazil last weekend has received a congratulatory phone call from the band's frontman, James Hetfield.

Tattoo artist Joice M. Figueiró was 39 weeks pregnant when she attended the show Saturday night (May 7) at the Estádio Couto Pereira in Curitiba, which was part of METALLICA's six-date tour of South America.

Joice, who was seated in the accessible/disabled section of the stadium, felt well during support acts EGO KILL TALENT and GRETA VAN FLEET's performances but started having contractions when METALLICA took the stage.

Figueiro's water broke on the way to the event's outpatient clinic and there was no time to take her to the maternity hospital.

"Luan Figueiró came into the world on 05/07/2022 at 23:15 shaking all the metal structures", she wrote on Instagram.

According to the tattoo artist, the band played the final song of its set, "Enter Sandman", at the moment of birth.

On Tuesday (May 10),just a couple of days after news of her baby's arrival was reported by mainstream media outlets worldwide, Figueiró shared a short video on Instagram Story in which she and her husband Jaime Figueiró can be seen receiving a phone call from Hetfield.

"This is James from METALLICA. Congratulations, you guys," Hetfield can be heard saying in the clip. "Oh my God. Hi," Joice responds. "I cry."

Joice told her Instagram followers that the phone call lasted seven minutes and that she recorded all of it. "I have no more words," she added.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Joice said about the experience of giving birth at a METALLICA concert: "It was a mix of emotions. Since it wasn't planned, I was scared that the medical team wouldn't be ready. But there's also the feeling of being able to tell people that this happened because METALLICA is one of the bands we love the most."

After hundreds of fellow fans asked her whether METALLICA would be honored in her baby's name, she told The Washington Post: "I joked that his name would be James Ulrich" — a mash-up of Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. "But really, since this name question has brought up great appeal and we haven't registered him, we're thinking of maybe adding a [middle] name and putting some homage in there."

She did, however, rule out "Sandman" as a possible name.

"Remember, this is the name he'll carry throughout his whole life," she said. "He'll get bullied with the name 'Sandman.' He already has enough of a story to tell."

Alice Cooper, Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST) and Scott Stapp (CREED) are among the artists who performed on April 30 at CoopStock 2 on at Las Sendas Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona. The evening's festivities comprised a silent auction, food trucks, and live celebrity entertainment, including appearances by Larry The Cable Guy, Ed Roland of COLLECTIVE SOUL, Mike Mills of R.E.M., Danny Seraphine of CHICAGO, the comedy and music of Gary Mule Deer, SIXWIRE and Adrian Young of NO DOUBT. Proceeds from the concert benefited Alice Cooper's Solid Rock Teen Centers in Mesa and Phoenix.

Mark "Weissguy" Weiss of Rock Scene magazine has uploaded new video ofCooper, Halford, Stapp and others performing a cover version of THE DOORS classic "Roadhouse Blues" at the event. Check it out below.

The Phoenix location of Alice Cooper's The Rock Teen Center was built in partnership with Genesis Church and Cooper's Solid Rock Foundation. The 22,000-square-foot teen center, which opened in 2012, was meant to offer teens an outlet for their creativity and get them off the streets.

A year ago, the Mesa location of Alice Cooper's The Rock Teen Center opened, showcasing more than 11,000 square feet of space in partnership with Mesa Public Schools.

"Every kid out here," Alice said, "has got talent. Somewhere in you, there’s a talent that you want to get out. We invite you to come in and find your talent. It might not be music. It might be art. It might be dance. Whatever it is, you can discover it at Alice Cooper's Solid Rock Teen Centers."

Asked in a new interview with Business Jet Traveler what prompted him to start his nonprofit, the Solid Rock Foundation, in 1995, Alice said: "I saw a very awkward drug deal go down between two 16-year-old kids, and it came to me: How does that kid not know he could be the best guitar player in town? Because he never picked up a guitar. The other kid could be the best drummer. Solid Rock provides these kids a place to change their life. One of our first success stories was Jordin Sparks, who won 'American Idol'. She started with us when she was 14. It just shows the other kids you can start from nothing and become something really important."



Posted by Lea Woodford on Saturday, April 30, 2022



Posted by Lea Woodford on Saturday, April 30, 2022



Alice Cooper’s Rock & Roll Fundraiser Bash….❤️
Coopstock 2022 🎵🎼🎶

#AliceCooper #CreedScottStapp #PatrickWarburton #JudasPriest #LarryTheCableGuy #GaryTheMule #CollectiveSoul #REMMikeMills #MesaArizona #AliceCooperSolidRockTeenCenter

Posted by Suzie Curtin on Saturday, April 30, 2022



Yes there are perks to creating magazines . Here I am at Alice Cooper's Solid Rock non-profit. So excited to see my son's favorite band in his teens. Creed. Here is Scott Stapp.. love you PJ. Naomi Chirico

Posted by Lea Woodford on Saturday, April 30, 2022



Posted by Lea Woodford on Saturday, April 30, 2022



Posted by Lea Woodford on Saturday, April 30, 2022

Alice Cooper’s Coopstock 2 was as Advertised!! 😎👉🏼

Posted by Chris Edwards on Saturday, April 30, 2022

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Tickets are still on sale for Coopstock 2 on April 30th at Las Sendas Golf Club. Wear your grooviest outfits! Tickets and info at https://www.alicecoopersolidrock.com/event/rock-and-roll-bash-coopstock-2/

Posted by Alice Cooper's Solid Rock on Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Members of TESTAMENT, SUICIDE SILENCE, EXODUS, HATEBREED, AMON AMARTH and QUEENSRŸCHE are among the musicians who have reacted on social media to the passing of Trevor Strnad, vocalist of the Michigan death metal band THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER.

Strnad's death was announced by his bandmates on social media earlier today. They wrote: "It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Trevor Scott Strnad. Beloved son, brother, and Shepard of good times, he was loved by all that met him. A walking encyclopedia of all things music. He was a hugger, a writer, and truly one of the world’s greatest entertainers. His lyrics provided the world with stories and spells and horror and whimsy. It was his life to be your show." The band also shared the telephone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER guitarist Brandon Ellis wrote in a separate post: "I can not even begin to process this... In total shock and disbelief. It has been my greatest honor to spend the last six and a half years in a band with this absolute icon and legend. A brother. A best friend. One of the funniest and most entertaining people to walk the earth. The life of the party that is THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, as well as any given room he happens to occupy. A lyrical mastermind. A champion of the entire culture of heavy music. Also my biggest supporter. This man changed my life and believed in me more than I do myself. I can not believe there will no more laughs had, songs written together, or stages decimated with Trevor at the helm. I hope he knew how much he was loved the world over."

Last November, Strnad shared on social media that he was having a difficult time dealing with the passing of his mother, who had "died a few weeks" earlier "very abruptly." "Even at 40 years old, it's still hard," he wrote. "We were close. I feel like a lost little kid. Props to the many of you out there who have dealt with this and made it out the other side."

In an April 2021 interview with Metal Injection, Strnad spoke about his battle with depression and alcohol dependence. At the time, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "At the rate I drink while we're gone on tour, it's just not sustainable for getting older. Being 40-plus and being able to do what I do well and not look like a shithead, I've gotta be better to myself. So that's really the impetus [for quitting drinking]. That's the heart of it. It's not that… I know I'm no fun [when I'm drinking].

"I did an eight-month stint with no alcohol out there, but at that time it was more to save a relationship; it wasn't something I really, really wanted to do and really invested myself in. I was embittered by having to do it after a while and kind of resentful of my partner. But this is full-on my choice. I want to have the excitement I had before I ever drank. When we started this band, I was a fucking weird straight-edge kid. And now it's become kind of like… it's a lubricant for me to get up on stage and be funny and be kind of carefree and be the wild guy that [fans] expect of us, that they've seen from our DVDs and shit, which is really just a compilation of the good times. So if you expect any band that's just raging full-on like that all the time, they're not — it's just not sustainable. But it's to the point where I'm having 10 drinks a day plus to go on stage. And two weeks into it, I've been hung over every single day. I'm chasing that hangover with just more liquor, until the end of the tour [by which time] I have doubled my intake just to get by, basically. And it's not fun — it's disgusting; it sucks. It starts as fun. The three of us that drink in the band are, like, 'Yeah, bro. Sipping time.' And it is fun, but it's not sustainable. I've seen photos of myself, videos of myself where I'm, like, 'Yeah, you look like shit.' I don't wanna look like shit. From here on out, it's only gonna get harder to meet people's standards physically.

"Even though it's a death metal band, there are so many eyes on us and so much judgment, it's insane," he continued. "We're not a boy band. I'm not supposed to be fucking handsome. Who gives a fuck? But people berate you. I can't tell you how many times I've been called fat on the Internet. It's insane — literally. You've gotta have a thick skin to do what I do. But also it does wear you down over time, man. Doing all the social media myself and taking the brunt of whatever anonymous abuse, it's accumulated in some self-doubt, it's accumulated in more anxiety, for me, as the band has gotten bigger and bigger and there's more eyes and more pressure."

Trevor went on to say that his 40th birthday was a turning point for him. He explained: "I wanted my 40s to be awesome. I wanna look presentable; I wanna be a better frontman; I want to be more physically fit; I want to go into my 40 screaming. I don't want anyone snickering at me. I don't wanna be in W.A.S.P. I want this band to keep going at this tremendous speed, and I wanna segue into being an older metalhead gracefully. Luckily, in metal you can be an older metalhead. It's not like pop music where they just throw you away. Thankfully, this music is just as much about the past as it is about the present and the future. People are always gonna love the classic metal records. And that's one thing I enjoy about it. It's not this disposable music that you like for a week and throw away.

"I see this band going for another 20 years. But to physically be able to do it at this level and not top out at all is gonna take a focus on health and longevity and sanity too. [Laughs]"

He added: "Being left alone with my thoughts all this time [during the pandemic] has just been so dangerous for me."

Strnad also revealed that he was about to undergo ketamine therapy as a way of treating his depression. "It's intravenous," he said. "They pump ketamine into you over the course of two weeks — three days a week for two weeks. And they put you in this euphoric state for a couple of hours. And eventually you've done it enough to where your brain makes new passageways, new synapses, and you stop doing these cyclic kind of thinking — self-defeating. I've been a lot better now, but there was times when shit got pretty fucking dark for me over the last two years.

"You can go there as an emergency if you're ideating suicide really crazily — they can take you in on an emergency basis. You're basically high as fuck and euphoric as fuck, and they just give you all these great chemicals — you release all these happy chemicals and stuff like that. And they just keep doing that to you until you kind of rewrite the way you think.

"Really, this put the nail in the coffin for me about the way I look at the world, and it's been heavy as fuck," he continued, referring to his life during the pandemic. "I feel like there's no happy ending for any of us in the way that we've set everything up — government and just everything. I feel like it's just gonna be darker and darker from here on out. And that's a lot for a person to think about all the time. It basically stole whatever little bit of innocence I had left or any little blinder I had on to the way shit is. It's been heavy, dude. This has been a heavy fucking thing for me… I'm arrested by all of this right now and by my own feelings. It's just brought my anxiety to an ultimate head, basically. It's to the point where I've gotta do something."

Formed in 2000, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER — named after the infamous 1947 unsolved murder of actress Elizabeth Smart — had a number of shows scheduled for later this year, including a May 20 appearance at Daytona Beach, Florida's Welcome To Rockville festival.

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER's latest album, "Verminous", came out in 2020. It was described in a press release as the band's "most dynamic, rousing and emotional release to date."
RIP Trevor Strnad, you’ll be missed dearly, my deepest condolences to TDBM, his family, friends & fans. Thanks for all the laughs, the stories, the music, & so much more. ❤️❤️❤️

— Jamey Jasta (@jameyjasta) May 11, 2022


Totally shocking news. Truly great guy/artist. Testament was supposed to tour with the band (derailed by Covid) and it was a blast to work with him in @metalallegiance. Huge loss.
RiP @TrevorTBDMhttps://t.co/PTBESRWWNv

— Alex Skolnick 🇺🇦 (@AlexSkolnick) May 11, 2022


Trevor was nothing but a lover and an amazing, talented human. We will miss him. Our hearts go out to the band, his family and all his fans around the world.⁣
⁣
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline⁣
800-273-8255 pic.twitter.com/g9IQCXhQOV

— Suicide Silence (@suicidesilence) May 11, 2022


Shocked and saddened to hear of Trevor Strands passing.
RIP 🤘@bdmmetal

— Johan Hegg 🇺🇦 (@AmonJohan) May 11, 2022


RIP to our beloved brother Trevor Strnad. We are at a loss for words.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
800-273-8255 pic.twitter.com/K7Csrg3Vg8

— Metal Allegiance (@metalallegiance) May 11, 2022


Our hearts go out to Trevor Strnad’s family and loved ones. He lit up stages and grimy green rooms alike. We were once privileged to see him do so nightly, many years ago during a special time in our young lives. Rest easy old friend. 🖤

— Throwdown (@Throwdown) May 11, 2022


This is absolutely devastating.

Our deepest thoughts are with Brian, Alan, Brandon and Max.

Ciao Trevor. pic.twitter.com/HyV5L7JyMh

— Fleshgod Apocalypse (@FApocalypse) May 11, 2022


We love you so much, Trevor.

Thank you for your passion, your generosity, your humor, your immense talent and your indomitable spirit. pic.twitter.com/iwPq3qkJxf

— UNDEATH (@undeathNY) May 11, 2022


Rest easy, Trevor. As long as there’s a young metalhead out there getting introduced to the good stuff by someone even the tiniest fraction as cool and inspiring as you were, you’ll never really be gone.

— UNDEATH (@undeathNY) May 11, 2022


RIP Trevor Strnad @TrevorTBDM - I’m just stunned by this. What a tremendous loss. Sending my love & condolences to everyone. 💔 https://t.co/ns6joaqAhI

— Monte Pittman (@montepittman) May 11, 2022


Deepest condolences to the band and his family. May his memory be a blessing #trevorstrnad

— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) May 11, 2022


RIPhttps://t.co/Sr9aesJ1KN

— Todd La Torre (@ToddLaTorre) May 11, 2022



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Absolutely shocked to hear of the passing of Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder 😢 Trevor was part of the Metal…

Posted by Mike Portnoy on Wednesday, May 11, 2022

It’s with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to TREVOR STRNAD of The Black Dahlia Murder.

Trevor was one of the...

Posted by Broken Hope on Wednesday, May 11, 2022

THE DARKNESS singer Justin Hawkins has weighed in on Jon Bon Jovi's vocal performances during BON JOVI's recent U.S. tour which kicked off April 2 in Omaha, Nebraska. The tour was in support of the album "2020", which was released in October of that year.

The 47-year-old British-born rocker, who currently lives in Switzerland, offered his assessment of Jon's singing ability via his YouTube series "Justin Hawkins Rides Again" where he shares a mixture of serious musician analysis and fun hot takes to his 120,000 subscribers.

After watching a couple of fan-filmed videos of BON JOVI's 2022 tour, Hawkins said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "My career is not as long as Jon Bon Jovi's, and not as big as well. Even at the level that we've experienced, if you're in a situation like that and you can't deliver the goods and you can't give your audience what they deserve, that's horrible — it's a horrible feeling — and you don't enjoy touring in that condition; you just wanna go home. And I expect he's feeling the same way, really. But there must be a huge machine around BON JOVI that stops him from being able to pull the plug on it, really, which is what needs to happen, I think. I mean, I'm not talking about pull the plug forever.

"It sounds like he needs some kind of therapy," Justin continued. "And I think a lot of the time, a situation like that… It doesn't sound like it's a polyp or some sort of lump on his vocal cords 'cause that would be more unpredictable — he would be hitting the notes and then it would squeak off and it would do something unexpected. You know that sort of sound when you're entering puberty and your voice becomes unpredictable. Sometimes when you have a growth or a lump on your vocal cords, it can cause that kind of… Unexpected things happen to your voice. Even if you're an experienced singer and you can just hold a note, it will squeak off when you're not expecting it, and it's very hard to sing around those things. But that's not what's happening here. This sounds like he's super tired. Everything's [tuned] down, but he's still… You have to sing a lot with an adjusted key like that to find the sort of muscle memory in your vocal cords anyway, but he's struggling with that, not because it's low; it's just 'cause he's tired. And I think he's psychologically… I don't know… It sounds like something he's gonna need some therapy with — actually talk to somebody and try and coax the performances back out. It doesn't sound to me like there's damage in there. I'm not a doctor but I've experienced voice problems before. And to hold a note with it being off key suggests some pitching issues that might be to do with hearing as well.

"It's not fun to watch this and it isn't fun to regard one of the greats. He's a great singer — he always has been — but this sounds like something is eating away at him from the inside. And I don't think it's a voice injury; I think it's more of something like a manifestation of performance anxiety that's stopping him from delivering his trademark Gale Force 10 mega vocal that you need on these huge tracks, these anthemic mega hits. And I feel like the people around him need to tell him to stop. It must be difficult when… I suppose if you're afraid of getting the sack, I suppose it's difficult to talk to a singer in that way. I don't know what the dynamic is in their organization, but I think if I was working for Jon Bon Jovi and I cared about the 'brand,' I would ask him to consider canceling the tour and getting some medical attention.

"It saddens me to see it," Justin added. "I'm sure we're all disappointed."

In his review of BON JOVI's April 3 concert at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Ross Raihala of the Pioneer Press called Jon's vocals "shockingly poor," adding that Bon Jovi "struggled throughout the two-plus-hour show. He wasn't just butchering the older stuff, which the band now plays in a lower key, but the fresh material as well… Quite frankly, it felt like he had forgotten how to sing."

Théoden Janes of The Charlotte Observer was a bit kinder in his assessment of Jon's voice at the fourth concert on the new tour, which came to Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on April 8. In his review of the performance, Janes wrote: "Throughout the band's rendition of 2004 promo single 'The Radio Saved My Life Tonight', it felt like [Jon] was searching for the right note and only finding it 60 to 70% of the time. During every chorus of megahit 'You Give Love A Bad Name', he seemed to unintentionally be singing a little behind the beat, and on top of that, there wasn't much punch to his vocals — yet he inexplicably seemed somewhat out of breath in spots. On another big anthem — 'It's My Life' — he once again was quite clearly veering into and out of key. And those were just three out of the first five songs."

Kevin Coffey reviewed BON JOVI's tour kick-off concert for Omaha World-Herald and noted that "[Jon's] voice's heft, which carried choruses of songs like 'Livin' On a Prayer' and 'It's My Life' is now reedy. He sounds thin. There's not a lot of tone in his voice. He can't quite hit the notes… Luckily for Jon Bon Jovi, he had the help of six additional musicians and their considerable vocal abilities to keep him afloat."

BON JOVI's recent tour marked the band's first full-scale run of shows of the pandemic era. Dubbed simply "Bon Jovi 2022 Tour", the 15-date trek concluded on April 30 in Nashville.

After BON JOVI's summer 2020 tour was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the now-60-year-old singer remained in the public eye by performing at benefit shows, livestreamed gigs and taking part in promotional appearances.

Last October, Jon Bon Jovi canceled his appearance at a Miami Beach concert after testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The singer, who is said to be fully vaccinated, pulled out of the fan event minutes before he was supposed to take the stage for an acoustic Halloween performance at the Loews South Beach.

Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen has shared another cover song from her growing catalogue of solo performances. It is taken from Germany's Sing Meinen Song program. Check it out below.


Floor: "Getting to know Elif in South Africa was so good. Her determination, attitude and way with words was inspiring and a pleasure to experience. I hope you like this performance of her song, 'Freunde'!"










Jansen released her first ever original solo track, "Fire", on March 25th. The live performance of "Fire" below took place at  HLF8 on Dutch television. Backing Jansen up are Ivo Maarhuis (drums), Joost van den Broek (keyboards), Levy Simon (guitar) and Jelle Stokhof (bass)

In a new interview with Jave Patterson of Two Doods Reviews, FOZZY frontman Chris Jericho discussed his recent admission that he and his bandmates use "backing tracks for some songs" during their live performances. The conversation took place a month after SiriusXM radio personality Eddie Trunk blasted the rock band SANTA CRUZ for allegedly using pre-recorded tracks during a recent concert, saying it's "unreal" how fans and promoters are seemingly okay with the practice.

While most of Trunk's social media followers were in complete agreement with him on the topic when he first broached it in relation to SANTA CRUZ on April 8, several took the opportunity to criticize him for failing to call out Jericho — whom Eddie has repeatedly referred to as a "close friend" in the past — for confirming that FOZZY utilizes backing tracks and insisting that "everybody" else does as well. Jericho was a guest on the April 4 episode of Trunk's SiriusXM show "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" but was not questioned about the backing-tracks comments that he had made just days earlier.

When asked by Patterson to clarify how much FOZZY relies on backing tracks and whether running backing tracks means being able to do a show or not do a show for a band like FOZZY, Jericho responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Absolutely not. Absolutely not. I think there's a real misconception… You used the word 'rely' — that's also the wrong word to use as well. And Eddie Trunk actually came to our show at Asbury Park and did a whole show about FOZZY in that we're all playing and singing a thousand percent. What we use tracks for is background noises, keyboards, industrial sounds for [our cover of FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD's song] 'Relax' — ambience, that sort of thing. And that's what bands use… That's what we use backing tracks for. Take the tracks away… As a matter of fact, in Aurora, Illinois on this tour, the tracks completely shut down — we did the entire set exactly the way that it was, and it sounded great. It's just you have the ear candy and little extra nuances that makes the show just better. It makes it sound better because you're hearing things that you can't do if you don't have a keyboard player or a string section. 'Army Of One' has a whole symphony on it. What are we gonna do? Pack up 15 guys in a tour bus and take them with us down to wherever the hell we are? Obviously, some bands do use them more. SANTA CRUZ was using 'em — that's the band. We toured with SANTA CRUZ.

"I think in this day and age there's so much of a debate about it where most people really don't care," Chris continued. "It just adds to the show. And most people don't analyze it like that. But for the Eddie Trunk thing, you can go listen to his Sirius show and listen to him when he came to the Asbury Park show [at] the Stone Pony that we had. And he said, 'I came to see the show, and I was analyzing it and they were singing and playing, and it was great. And they're an awesome band.'

"For whatever reason, we got lumped into this whole discussion — because I said we use tracks," Jericho added. "Ask Zach [Myers] from SHINEDOWN if they use tracks. Ask Matt [M. Shadows] from AVENGED SEVENFOLD. It's just how bands work. Unless you're gonna go out there like THE [ROLLING] STONES with 17 people, and we can't do that. It's not plausible. It's not practical. And like I said, this is rock and roll. If I wanna put fucking strings on a song, I'm gonna do it and play it on the track.

"Guess what — when QUEEN was touring in the '70s and they did 'Bohemian Rhapsody', they didn't have five opera singers going, 'Scaramouche, Scaramouche.' They used tracks. Would you say QUEEN is a track band? No. But they used tracks. It's okay. People, it's okay."

Back in July 2020, Jericho was accused by Sebastian Bach of using pre-recorded lead vocal tracks during live performances. The former SKID ROW frontman initially claimed Jericho was "miming to a tape" at FOZZY concerts in a social media post. In response, the wrestler-turned-rocker insisted that he had "never mimed anything ever" and challenged Bach to a "singoff" with "no effects, no tuning, no bullshit", saying "Bas is a great singer...but I'm better".

In the months that ensued, Bach brought up Jericho's alleged lip syncing on several occasions, most recently in January 2021 in an interview with The Aquarian Weekly. Asked specifically about his feud with Chris, Sebastian said: "I have an open mind about everyone. If I read on Blabbermouth.com [sic] that some band says, 'We're the future of rock 'n' roll and we are the next thing after THE ROLLING STONES,' I think, this must be incredible! What have I been missing out on? So, I checked out one video during which the singer was 100% miming to a tape on stage at The Rockpile in Toronto. I thought to myself, 'That's weird, that's not the next ROLLING STONES.' So, I watch another video where he was opening up for NICKELBACK in an arena and, again, he's miming to a tape. You can go watch it for yourself. Then someone said, 'Here's a clip of him singing live. Legit, bro.' And it's him miming to a tape again. It's crazy obvious. It is not my opinion, it's fact. It is not me starting a fight. But don't tell me what singing live is, 'cause I have never used tape. I don't even know how to do that."

Jericho's most public reaction to Bach's criticism came in a January 2021 tweet. At the time, he wrote: "I've been told that @sebastianbach continues to go out of his way to bury me. My response is this...be my guest! You are entitled to ur opinion & it doesn't affect me either way. I still dig ur work on the first 3 @OfficialSkidRow albums & look forward to ur new record."

When Bach first went public with his Jericho accusation, FOZZY guitarist Rich Ward called Sebastian "universally disliked" and said that seeing Bach "publicly go after the only guy that I have ever witness utter a nice word about him is sad."

Sebastian, who has been outspoken about rock bands using pre-recorded backing tracks during live shows, later tried to explain his outburst, writing: "I'm not trying to beat anybody at anything. I'm actually trying to say hey Chris maybe you're right maybe I'll stop singing live and prance around while the tape is playing just like you do Chris. I'm tired of trying so hard it's like beating my head against the wall."

After a self-proclaimed Bach fan called Sebastian "an asshat" on Twitter for firing "the first shots" in his war of words with Jericho, Bach came back with: "Hey man f*** you. I have spent my life learning how to sing live on stage. When someone comes along and mimes to a tape it sucks for all of the rest of us that don't. You want to go see a wrestling match good. Don't call it rock and roll".

Miljenko Matijević is a world-class vocalist who embodies Steelheart and has performed as the lead singer for the current-day Doors and as the singer for the ‘fictional’ band Steel Dragon from the film Rock Star (starring Mark Wahlberg) which also includes Zakk Wylde, Matt Sorum and Jeff Pilson. 


The Croatian rocker has lived in Korea and is now living in Los Angeles as he pursues music and acting opportunities.  Matijevic has dedicated his most recent material to bringing the world together – releasing “Trust In Love”. The epic video is a love-letter to Korean culture, Directed/Produced by Matijevic along with Director of photography Robert Reed Altman (son of legendary director, Robert Altman).







Over two years in the making, the song was originally conceived as a plea for the peaceful unification of the Korean peninsula, but the song has evolved into a wider-reaching message for the masses. Amidst the current geopolitical climate, and the invasion and war on Ukraine in particular, Matijević’s song is inspirational and highly relevant. “One night after watching the news on television, I was saddened to hear about the pain and suffering that the people of North and South Korea are going through,” says Matijević. “I turned off the television and sat down at my piano, immediately the song started writing itself. The words ‘Trust in Love’ came to me, and I knew this song was meant for the Korean people. And now, in light of what’s happening in Ukraine, I feel that this message is something meant for the entire world.”


The song has been released in English and Korean on all major music streaming and downloading platforms.  The Mandarin Chinese version is out today.  Set to top the Guinness World Record for languages one song is recorded in, the verses of “Trust In Love” have been recorded in 13 languages, among them English, Korean, Mandarin, Japanese, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Hindi, Croatian, French, German, Swedish, Russian and Ukrainian (the 14th) is in development. 


A Steelheart 30th Anniversary album, with a remake of Steel Dragon’s “We All Die Young” is in the works.  Matijevic is also preparing for two feature film roles in the coming months.

Bret Michaels was joined by POISON cover band SHOT OF POISON on stage during his April 28 concert at Six String Grill & Stage in Foxborough, Massachusetts to perform the POISON classic "Nothin' But A Good Time".

Four days later, SHOT OF POISON shared video and photos of the performance on social media, writing in an accompanying message: "SHOT OF POISON was honored and humbled to join Bret Michaels and the Bret Michaels Band live on stage performing Nothin' But a Good Time at the Six String Stage, Patriot Place, at Gillette Stadium on Draft Day! The room was packed with friends, family and fans and the vibe was electric! Bret promised to bring the party to town and he sure did. SOP enjoyed every moment of this amazing night and are so honored to receive Bret's kindness, friendship and support! Thank You Bret Michaels!"

Bret originally invited SHOT OF POISON to perform with him after watching E! network's "Clash Of The Cover Bands" last December. SHOT OF POISON didn't win the competition — they lost to a DEPECHE MODE cover band — but Michaels made sure they went home with more than nothing, but a good time. Michaels invited SHOT OF POISON to join him on stage for one of his upcoming solo shows.

"For all your hard work and dedication to making a POISON show look incredible and everything that you do, I want to invite you on stage to a Bret Michaels show, and we will do 'Nothin' But A Good Time' on my 'Nothin' But A Good Vibe' tour," Michaels tweeted on December 2, 2021.

"They play great live music and I love the energy they brought to 'Clash Of The Cover Bands'," he added.

"Thank you for the shout-out, and we'd be HONORED to play 'Nothin' But A Good Time' on stage with you during a stop on your upcoming 'Nothin' But S Good Vibe' tour," SHOT OF POISON responded.

SHOT OF POISON is a group of talented, veteran, local rock musicians and innovative musical businessmen who've created a top-shelf tribute to the 35th anniversary of the greatest, hard-rocking, glam-slam party band ever — POISON. SHOT OF POISON's full intention is to bring audiences the look and sound they expect, to make the best modern-day POISON experience in the world.

E! 's "Clash Of The Cover Bands" pits two cover bands head to head for a chance to win $10,000. The series airs on E!

While preparing for POISON's upcoming stadium tour, which begins on June 16 in Atlanta, Georgia, Michaels has many projects, including select solo performances, private engagements, a development deal, and several documentaries in the works.

Shot of Poison was honored and humbled to join Bret Michaels and the Bret Michaels Band live on stage performing Nothin'...

Posted by Shot of Poison on Friday, April 29, 2022

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello will be among this year's recipients of the Spirit Of John Brown Freedom Award. The award will be presented May 14 at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site, located just outside the village of Lake Placid in New York state's Adirondack Mountains. Also set to be honored are choreographer Tiffany Rea-Fisher and visual artist Karen Davidson Seward.

The Spirit Of John Brown Freedom Award honors women and men whose work invokes the passion and conviction of the 19th-century abolitionist and celebrates leaders and innovators in civil and human rights whose courage, creativity, and commitment are models for others to follow. Established in 2016, the award is given annually at John Brown Day.

"John Brown was not only anti-slavery, he was not only an abolitionist, but he was a true egalitarian," said Martha Swan, executive director of John Brown Lives! "So the spirit of John Brown, that commitment to justice, that commitment to equality and the egalitarian community is something that we really try to lift up with the Spirit Of John Brown Freedom Award."

John Brown Day events at the Historic Site are free and open to the public. They will be followed by a fundraising reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at Smoke Signals restaurant in Lake Placid. Tickets are $100 per person or $160 for two people.

Morello is a founding member and guitarist of the rock bands RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE. The two bands are responsible for multiple Grammy Awards and a combined 30 million albums sold worldwide. Morello has also received critical acclaim as a solo artist known as THE NIGHTWATCHMAN. Widely celebrated for his unique voice as a master electric guitarist, he is recognized by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the "100 Greatest Guitar Players of All Time (#26)." He was also one of only two guitarists featured as a playable animated character in the overwhelmingly popular Activision video game "Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock".

Tom graduated from Harvard University with honors as a political science major and has been a widely recognized political activist throughout his career. With SYSTEM OF A DOWN's Serj Tankian, Morello formed Axis Of Justice, an organization whose purpose is to bring together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice.

Photo credit: Eitan Miskevich