Last July, WHITESNAKE announced that it had enlisted Croatian singer/multi-instrumentalist Dino Jelusick for its upcoming tour. Jelusick is a member of multi-platinum selling band TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA and was previously part of DIRTY SHIRLEY (with George Lynch),ANIMAL DRIVE and recorded with many others. The 29-year-old Dino has been singing, touring and recording since the age of five. Other than being a frontman, his main instrument are keyboards but he also plays bass, guitar and drums. He finished music academy and did theater work.

Asked in a new interview with Chris Akin what Dino's role will be on WHITESNAKE's final tour, the band's guitarist Joel Hoekstra said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, [Dino is] an amazing keyboard player too, so having his ability there is really great. And he's singing a lot — I mean, he's singing a lot of background vocals and there are times here and there where David [Coverdale, WHITESNAKE frontman] has him singing a line of the song. So I think the ability to get out and tour the world with WHITESNAKE and have the ability to showcase his singing and keyboard playing is a great opportunity for him. He's a fantastic talent, and he's young yet. So I think he's got a great future ahead of him. I think it would be a couple of years really well spent for him to do this."

Last October, Coverdale spoke about Dino's addition to WHITESNAKE, telling Antihero Magazine: "He's going to be the way I have two guitar players.

"I've always seen WHITESNAKE as an orchestra," he explained. "I don't see it as a band-band. I don't want two guitarists playing exactly the same song, or just harmony guitars, I want two opposing… you've got the incendiary Joel Hoekstra, entirely different to the electrifying Reb Beach. And this is not to overwhelm Michele [Luppi, WHITESNAKE keyboardist]. Michele's totally secure. I adore him and what he brings to WHITESNAKE.

"In 2019, Dino's band opened for us in Zagreb, and this is very rare for me, and I went, 'Who the fuck is that?' And I was going, 'Wow, that kid's great.' And Joel said, 'Yeah, I worked with him in the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. He's a great guy.' And I said, 'That guy's a snake, dude.' And I said, 'Don't say anything yet. I'm going to keep my eyes and ears on him.'

"So, I think it's going to be fantastic," Coverdale added. "I'm going to have an orchestra of keyboards for a lot of songs on WHITESNAKE which are big epics, that make them even more musically orchestrated without having an orchestra on stage with us.

"I mean, the guy's great, I can't wait to sing with him. I already have [two] singers who are good enough to be frontman singers, with Michele Luppi and Reb Beach; they are really great singers. What's wrong with having another one? And I think he's a super guy. He has his challenges legally at the moment, but talent, belief, and courage will always win. And I can't wait for us to start rehearsals, I really can't. It's got to be exciting to me and adding another spice to an already good cocktail."

Last September, Dino told Mónica Moreira of More Than Words about his involvement with WHITESNAKE: "Well, David mentioned that he would love to fly me [to] his house and that he would love [for] me and him to write some songs for WHITESNAKE.

"I'll be playing keyboards. I'll be doing backing vocals. I'll be playing guitars on a couple of songs," he explained. "And that's as far as I know."

Asked if he is in any way a bit sad to know that this will be probably WHITESNAKE's farewell tour, Dino said: "Well, no. Every band has an expire date. WHITESNAKE has been going for 40, 50 years now. More than 40 years — since '78 or '77, when the first album came out. But I'm proud to be the last WHITESNAKE member ever. When you see the guys that played in this band. You had Jon Lord. You had Don Airey on keyboards. You had Timothy Drury, Michele Luppi and myself. It's five keyboardists of WHITESNAKE. There were a couple of more playing live — yeah, Paul Mirkovich was in 1994, playing that leg. Yeah, there were a couple of more. But, yeah, it's definitely a beautiful part of history in the making."

When Jelusick's addition to WHITESNAKE was first announced, David said in a statement: "I am absolutely delighted to welcome the extremely gifted Dino Jelusick to WHITESNAKE. We've had our eyes and ears on him since we played Zagreb together two years ago. You're going to love him!"

Dino said he has been influenced by WHITESNAKE and Coverdale from an early age.

"I am beyond honored to be part of one of my favorite bands of all time," he said. "To get the phone call from David Coverdale is something every singer and musician of my generation can only dream of; it still feels completely surreal. I cannot wait to start hitting the road with WHITESNAKE and, as the great DC said to me himself, to give a piece of my identity to the sound of this iconic band."

Coverdale, who turned 70 last September, recently confirmed that he plans to retire from touring after WHITESNAKE's next batch of concerts around the world.

Coverdale had both his knees replaced with titanium in 2017 after suffering from degenerative arthritis. He later explained that he was in so much pain with arthritis in his knees that it hampered his ability to perform live.

WHITESNAKE had been touring in support of its latest album, "Flesh & Blood", which was released in May 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

ICED EARTH guitarist Jon Schaffer is featured in a video exhibit in U.S. Capitol riot case released this week by the U.S. Justice Department, as reported by CBS News congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane.

Schaffer was photographed and captured on surveillance video carrying "bear spray," a form of capsaicin pepper spray sold by many outdoors retailers, and engaging in verbal altercations with Capitol police officers inside the Capitol building on January 6, 2021.

Schaffer, who pleaded guilty 13 months ago to his role in the Capitol riot, is continuing to cooperate with authorities while on pre-sentencing release.

In a joint status update filed in February in federal court in Washington, D.C., United States attorney Matthew M. Graves also asked for a May deadline for the filing of another status report in his case.

According to an April 2021 Justice Department press release, Schaffer has "acknowledged he is a founding lifetime member" of the right-wing Oath Keepers extremist group.

This past January, U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta granted the U.S. government's request to share sealed materials from the case involving Schaffer's role in the U.S. Capitol riot case as discovery to the three main Oath Keepers cases. Stewart Rhodes, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers, and several of his deputies were charged with seditious conspiracy for their role in the U.S. Capitol Riot. Rhodes and his co-defendants are accused of bringing small arms to the Washington, D.C. area; engaging in combat training to prepare for the attack; and making plans to stage quick-reaction forces to support insurrectionists.

In December 2021, a lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C. accusing 31 members of Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys — including Schaffer — of "conspiring to terrorize the District" on January 6, 2021, calling their actions "a coordinated act of domestic terrorism." According to CNN, the lawsuit cites the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, a federal law created after the Civil War to protect civil rights and, as District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine noted, "to protect against vigilantes and insurrectionists."

"I think the damages are substantial," Racine told The Washington Post. "If it so happens that it bankrupts or puts these individuals and entities in financial peril, so be it."

The 84-page complaint, which can be found at this location, describes Schaffer as "a founding, lifetime member of the Oath Keepers." It goes on to say: "Schaffer was criminally charged and indicted for his role in perpetrating the January 6th Attack. In connection with a promise to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in criminal cases related to the conspiracy to commit the January 6th Attack, Schaffer pleaded guilty to the entire Statement of Offense in the criminal action brought against him, which included two felony offenses: (1) trespass of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon and (2) obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress. The Criminal Complaint filed against Schaffer—as well as Schaffer's Plea Agreement and the accompanying Statement of Offense describing his conduct—are publicly available documents that are hereby incorporated into the Complaint by reference."

"No one bore the brunt of this gutless attack more than the courageous law enforcement officers including the men and women of the DC Metropolitan Police Department who went into the fire and violence with one objective in mind: remove the violent mob and restore our country's fragile democracy," Racine said at a news conference.

"The defendants, as you know, were not tourists, nor were they acting patriotically," he added. "They were vigilantes, members of a mob, insurrectionists who sought to crush our country's freedoms."

As part of his April 2021 plea deal, Jon entered into a cooperation agreement with the government.

Although Schaffer was initially charged with six crimes, including engaging in an act of physical violence and targeting police with bear spray, he pleaded guilty to only two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress; and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The first charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while the second carries up to a 10-year prison term.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer acknowledged that on January 6, 2021 he was in Washington to attend the "Stop The Steal" rally at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. to protest the results of the presidential election, which he believed were fraudulent. Schaffer wore a tactical vest and carried bear spray, a dangerous weapon and chemical irritant used to ward off bears. When the rally finished, Schaffer joined a large crowd that marched from the Ellipse to the Capitol, where a joint session of Congress, presided over by Vice President Michael Pence, was in session to certify the electoral college vote results. Shortly after 2:00 p.m., members of the mob forced entry into the Capitol building, disrupting the joint session and causing members of Congress and the Vice President to be evacuated from the House and Senate chambers.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer admitted that after arriving on Capitol grounds, he walked past barriers intended to restrict access to the public and to a set of locked doors on the Capitol's west side. At approximately 2:40 p.m., Schaffer positioned himself at the front of a crowd that broke open a set of doors being guarded by four U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers wearing riot gear. Schaffer admitted to being among the first individuals to push past the damaged doors and into the Capitol building, forcing officers to retreat. Schaffer and others advanced toward five or six backpedaling USCP officers while members of the mob swelled inside of the Capitol and overwhelmed the officers. The officers ultimately deployed a chemical irritant to disperse the mob. Schaffer was among the people who were sprayed in the face, after which he exited while holding his own bear spray in his hands.

As part of the plea deal, Schaffer agreed to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in related criminal cases, according to CNN. In return for Schaffer's assistance, the Justice Department might later urge the judge to show leniency during his sentencing.

Also as part of the agreement, the Justice Department has offered to sponsor Schaffer for the witness protection program.

The 54-year-old musician was the first Capitol riot defendant to reach a plea deal.

The Indiana chapter of the Oath Keepers distanced itself from Schaffer after his arrest, claiming he was not a member of the local group. But the national organization, which sells lifetime memberships for $1,200, has not commented on his alleged affiliation with the group.

At a November 2020 Donald Trump rally in Washington, D.C., Schaffer was videotaped walking behind a Florida couple, Kelly Meggs and Connie Meggs, who were accused of being among 10 members of the Oath Keepers to have played a leading role in the Capitol assault. According to federal authorities, Kelly and Connie Meggs plotted for weeks ahead of the attack, attended training sessions and recruited others. Kelly Meggs is the head of the Oath Keepers' chapter in Florida.

Following the initial reports that Schaffer was involved in the riot, his ICED EARTH bandmates distanced themselves from his actions. Singer Stu Block and bassist Luke Appleton later posted separate statements on social media announcing their resignations. BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch also quit DEMONS & WIZARDS, his long-running project with Schaffer. The allegations also apparently affected Schaffer's relationship with his longtime record label Century Media, which had released albums from both ICED EARTH and DEMONS & WIZARDS. As of mid-January, the Century Media artist roster page did not list either band.
At times, the mob overwhelmed...... itself

Video exhibit in US Capitol riot case.. released this week by US Justice Dept pic.twitter.com/DvYYl315uq

— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) May 2, 2022

Fan-filmed video of RATT singer Stephen Pearcy and his solo band performing on May 1 at The Vault in New Bedford, Massachusetts can be seen below (courtesy of the YouTube channel Smash Machine!).

Pearcy has spent the last couple of years working on his sixth solo album, tentatively due in 2022

Last June, Pearcy told Vintage Rock Pod about his upcoming follow-up to 2018's "View To A Thrill": "So much time has passed since we started writing, Erik [Ferentinos] and I — my guitar player and co-writer guy [for] most of my solo [stuff]. It was so long ago. And the record was done; we had the songs written, like, six months ago. And that was a year process. Since then, I've been writing like a fool and writing with him, and all these new songs [came out]. So I figure let's do a double record and give it all you've got — just go in there and lay it down and say, 'Here. This is what happens in two years when you write tunes.' 'Cause they're way different. It goes all over the place, this record. Our new bass player, Jerry Montano, he did time in HELLYEAH; he's more of an aggressive writer/player. So these songs could be real heavy, heavy or they could be RATT sounding, obviously, if I write 'em. I'm trying to take 'em outside. I'm trying to do a lot of different things. And it's gonna be interesting, because it's gonna go all over the place, so good luck."

Last year, the 65-year-old founding RATT vocalist, who has been focusing mostly on his solo career while the band has been off the road, dropped the official music video for a previously unreleased solo song called "Don't Wanna Talk About It". The track was written "circa 2000s" entirely by Pearcy and features Stephen on vocals and guitar, Ferentinos on lead guitar, Mike Duda on bass and Greg D'Angelo on drums.

"Don't Wanna Talk About It" arrived two months after the release of Pearcy's cover version of DURAN DURAN's 1981 hit "Girls On Film". Prior to that, Pearcy issued another new solo single, "Night Flight", a collaboration between Pearcy and Ferentinos, which is expected to appear on Stephen's upcoming LP.

Pearcy's fifth solo LP, "View To A Thrill", came out in November 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl. The follow-up to 2017's "Smash" was produced by Matt Thorne and Pearcy and was mixed and mastered by Thorne and Ferentinos.

Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT's current lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band are drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE, RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarists Jordan Ziff (RAZER) and Frankie Lindia.

In January 2021, Pearcy told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band's classic lineup.

RATT hasn't released any new music since 2010's "Infestation" LP.

Two words: F***in’ Awesome!
Stephen Pearcy, lead singer of RATT
5/01/2022 Live at The Vault in New Bedford, MA.

Posted by Derek Birtwell on Sunday, May 1, 2022

THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT, the musical meeting of minds between Grammy-nominated STONE SOUR guitarist Josh Rand and PARALANDRA vocalist/guitarist Casandra Carson, made its live debut this past Saturday night (April 30) at The Riff in Springfield, Missouri. Joining Rand and Carson at the gig were keyboardist/backing vocalist Diana Weishaar, bassist Jaron Gulino and drummer Celestino Ramirez.

Fan-filmed video of The Riff concert can be seen below.

Several days prior to the show, Carson commented on social media: "It's crazy to think that Josh and I started writing songs together 2 YEARS ago and we're finally taking taking it to the stage! I couldn't be happier with the people we've chosen to join us on this journey. Absolutely incredible musicians and all around great human beings (one of which I might be a little biased towards). Rehearsals have been going amazing, and I truly can't wait for you guys to see the show we've put together! See ya this Saturday in Springfield, MO at The Riff for THE LIFE PROJECT's live debut!"

In a recent interview with HardDrive Radio's Lou Brutus, Rand stated about THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT: "In a sense, it was just something that I started doing a couple of years ago, just writing music myself. And then I just decided I wanted to get a female vocalist, basically, to work on these songs and sing on them. And I found Casandra through a mutual friend — actually, STONE SOUR's A&R person, Dave Rath — and we hit it off. And then we've just been working on stuff for the last two years kind of just here and there. Obviously, with COVID and all that stuff going on in the world, it really restricted going out, so there's really not been a desire to do that up until recently. So now we're gonna end up being a full band and actually play our first show April 30th in Springfield, Missouri, which I'm really excited about finally getting back out there. 'Cause for me, it's been a bit, I guess — like, three years — since I've been on a stage.

"So, that's really what it's about," he continued. "It's just me musically trying different stuff, but also getting back to where I originally came from, as far as my musical journey. So it's kind of getting back to my roots and just having fun with it. That's what THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT is for me — it's a different vehicle to express myself, I guess, artistically with truly no boundaries, but leaning more towards, musically, I think, coming at it as an educated teenager. What I mean by that is it's the fire of that teenager — that drive, that style of music that I was playing 30 years ago — but now doing it with the experience, the knowledge and all that. So it's kind of like revisiting the past, in a way, or going home in some ways."

THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT released a new four-song EP, titled "Big F.O.U.R.", on March 18 via Bloodblast. The collection features a clutch of cover versions, one each from heavy music's pioneering icons METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX.

Rand previously stated about the EP: "Recording a 'Big F.O.U.R.' cover EP is something that I have wanted to do for a very very long time, and last fall I decided to finally do it with THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT.

"Without these four bands (METALLICA, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and SLAYER),my musical career wouldn't be where it is today. In some ways, you could say this project is paying homage to them or, how I see it, a return to where it all started in my parents' house as a teenager trying to learn just a piece of the music.

"Each of the four songs that I picked were pivotal in my development as a musician, whether it was learning the intro to 'One' on guitar, drums on 'Symphony [Of Destruction]' or bass lines in 'Caught In A Mosh'.

"This EP was a true love and passion project for myself. I feel I captured the vibe and the spirit of the original but with THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT sound. Hopefully you hear it too!"

Stylistically, THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT is a fluid combination of classic metal sensibility and Rand's penchant for pushing the boundaries of contemporary heavy.

THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT's debut self-titled EP came out last summer and is available exclusively through the band's webstore or via the Nuclear Blast store.

Josh and Casandra's debut single, "The Nothingness", was featured on several major playlists across streaming platforms, including Rock Hard on Spotify, Breaking Metal on Apple Music, Break Through Rock on Amazon and Metal Radar on Deezer. "The Nothingness" was also included on SiriusXM Octane's "Test Drive" show on release.



Here’s a taste of the chaos that was the live debut of The LIFE Project this weekend. Amazing crowd, great energy, and a whirlwind adventure! More to come…
•
#thelifeproject
#thenothingness
#theriffsgf
#fender
#orangeamps
#ernieball
#intunegp
#getmgetmstraps
📸 - @rekcutx

Posted by Jaron Gulino on Monday, May 2, 2022

Earlier today, Cradle Of Filth revealed that guitarist Richard Shaw and keyboardist Anabelle Iratni have both left the band. Their replacements were also announced, namely Donny Burbage and Zoe Marie Federoff.


Zoe has introduced herself to the legions of Filth fans around the world, with the following statement via social media:


"It is with immense pleasure that I announce the Grammy-nominated dark forces of Cradle Of Filth have asked me to join them on their dark and fantastical adventures, and I’ve agreed to provide them with my vocals and keys. It’s a great honor to work with some of the people who inspired my own musical path in the first place and I couldn’t be more excited. I’d like to thank my bandmates in Catalyst Crime for encouraging me to go for this position, Vixen, Andy, and most especially the greatest keyboardist I know, Jonah Weingarten, for helping me prepare for the role.




Catalyst Crime isn’t going to disappear, you’ll be hearing plenty from us soon about the next album and future plans, but in the meantime you can catch me on tour in the US and Canada with Cradle Of Filth for the next six weeks and throughout the summer festival season as well - check their site for dates and events!


If you are new to my page, welcome. I am honored to help deliver your favorite CoF songs and I look forwards to meeting you!"





Cradle Of Filth frontman Dani Filth reminds everyone that, ⁣"The band are continuing as indefatigably as ever, with a slew of Summer festival dates happening after the tour with Danzig in the US and Canada, plus further Autumn announcements to follow swiftly after. We also have another exciting announcement to share, but all in due course!


Regardless of what befalls us, we stay FILTHY!


⁣For those of you not in the know, Cradle Of Filth are pleased to announce headlining dates whilst on their off days from the Danzig tour. VIP add ons are available for select dates."


Danzig / Cradle Of Filth / Crobot:


May
5 - Reno, NV - Grand Sierra Resort - Grand Theatre
7 - Ontario, CA - Toyota Arena - Lucifuge Live in its Entirety (with Crobot)
8 - Mesa, AZ - Mesa Amphitheatre
10 - Denver, CO - The Mission Ballroom
11 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater
14 - Cincinnatti, OH - Andrew J Brady Icon Music Center
15 - Atlanta, GA - The Eastern
17 - New Orleans, LA - The Fillmore at Harrah's
18 - Houston, TX - 713 Music Hall
19 - Austin, TX - Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater





Cradle Of Filth headline shows:


May 
12 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave / Eagles Club 
20 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom 
22 - Grand Junction, CO - Mesa Theater 
23 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot 
25 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox 


June
1 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue 
2 - Joliet, IL - The Forge 
3 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop 
4 - Toronto, ON - The Opera House 
6 - Montréal, QC - Théâtre Corona 
7 - Quebec City, QC - Impérial Bell 
9 - Albany, NY - Empire Live 
10 - New Haven, CT - Toad's Place 
11 - Harrisburg, PA - Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center 





 

US thrashers Hatriot will release their new album, The Vale Of Shadows, on July 22nd via Massacre Records - check out the album's track list below. It's the fourth studio album from the band, and is available to pre-order here.


The album will be available as CD Digipak, limited edition vinyl LP,as well as in digital formats. The Vale Of Shadows covers topics such as personal growth, pent-up aggression, the Black Plague, serial killers, and a disturbing dark world.


"Hymn For The Wicked", the first single from the album, will be released on May 5th, along with an accompanying lyric video.







"Horns & Halos"
"The Hate Inside"
"Forceful Balance"
"Verminous And Vile"
"Clemency Denied"
"The Twenty Fifth Hour"
"Only Red Remains"
"Mark Of The Tyrant"
"Vale Of Shadows"
"Murderous Tranquility"
"Hymn For The Wicked"


For further details, visit Hatriot on Facebook.


(Photo credit: Harald Oimoen)


 


 

KING'S X, comprised of Doug "Dug" Pinnick, Ty Tabor and Jerry Gaskill, has signed with InsideOut Music/Sony Music worldwide. They will be the label home for the trio's upcoming 13th studio album and first new music in 14 years, which has just been completed, The long-awaited new record will see the light of day on September 2.

Pinnick comments: "I feel like it's been forever since we put out a new album, and I'm ready for the world to hear our latest offering. Hopefully there's a little bit of everything that you love about KING'S X — three sides of one is the best way to describe it. The groove is with us."

Adds Gaskill: "It's really gonna happen! The new record is coming out soon. I'm happy to be working with the team at InsideOut/Sony Music. I'm happy with the record. I'm happy everybody gets to hear it. It's a happy day. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself. Hope you enjoy it."

Tabor states: "I have a long-standing relationship with InsideOut and am so pleased that InsideOut/Sony is releasing the new KING'S X album."

InsideOut Music label head Thomas Waber adds: "We have known the guys since forever and have been fans even before then. We are really looking forward to adding another album to their impressive legacy. Working on a KING'S X album is always a highlight and an honor."

The follow-up to 2008's "XV" saw KING'S X working with Emmy Award-winning engineer, mixer and producer Michael Parnin (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, Mark Lanegan) at his Blacksound Studio in California. He comments: "I am very proud of the energy and work put into this album, especially of all the different vocal performances and varied musical influences mixed together as one. In true KING'S X fashion, we had several obstacles to overcome, and it wasn't easy but hopefully worth it to the amazing die-hard fans out there who have been waiting so patiently and to the new listeners hearing KING'S X for the first time. It's an honest labor of love that I am excited the world finally gets to hear."

Last October, Pinnick told Talking Metal that KING'S X's record company was "starting the campaign" for the new LP. "We're taking it slow 'cause we're trying to figure out with this whole COVID thing and all the things that are happening," he said. "We wanna put the record out without a lot of distractions and getting sick on the road or just all the controversy. We just wanna wait a little bit longer and do this right."

Regarding the musical direction of the new KING'S X material, Pinnick said: "Every song is completely different than the other — mixed and sonically; everything. We took every song and tried to do like THE BEATLES 'White' album and just sit down with a song and go, 'Let's give it what it needs.' I don't have to have my Doug Pinnick gravelly tone if I need a Paul McCartney-type sound. Ty [Tabor], he would fix his guitars to make… 'This is like a whatever song. Let's make it what it is but still be KING'S X.' So I think that it sounds like KING'S X but hopefully everyone will feel that we took another step forward. The whole point is just to try to push forward [while] still looking back. There's a lot of things on this record that are reminiscent of KING'S X totally, but then there's this new KING'S X, I think. Sonically, we're really excited because it's a complete analog record except with Pro Tools. It was laid down with analog — everything — and it was mastered on analog tape and even EQed with analog tube EQs to saturate the tape to get compression instead of digits. So there's no digits on this record. So when you hear it, it's gonna take you back a little bit. It sounds like you put a real record on in the '70s, sonically. It's, like, things jump out at you, and then they don't. It's, like, you go, 'Wow, the bass is huge, but I can hear everything else,' 'cause you can put your hands in it, almost. [Producer and engineer] Michael Parnin just did an amazing job — a painstaking job — to get it to sound like a record that you can put on and play forever."

The new KING'S X LP was mastered in June 2021 at the Bernie Grundman Mastering facility in Hollywood, California,

Last April, Pinnick told Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic about the new KING'S X material: "I had some pretty crazy songs, time-change-wise, 'cause I've been listening to a lot of MESHUGGAH and shit like that. It's not KING'S X, but that flavor comes in. Imagine John Bonham playing with MESHUGGAH… But Ty and Jerry [Gaskill, drums] are singing a lot too. I tell people, it's like from [THE BEATLES' classic song] 'Penny Lane' to the heaviest MESHUGGAH — it's a blend of something in between there. And one song to another almost sounds different, almost to the point where they're individual pieces themselves, like PINK FLOYD used to do. We've got violins and other things in it. I've got some keyboards and all kinds of things to enhance things — piano. Nothing overboard, but just like [Jimi] Hendrix did and people like that — big things coming in and out that gives it that longevity, I would say. Things that you hear and go, 'Oh, wow. That's cool.' That little thing over there. So it's taken Michael a long time to mix it, 'cause he's got a lot of tracks."

KING'S X was sidelined by several health scares in recent years, including Pinnick's two hernia operations and two near-fatal heart attacks suffered by Gaskill.

In October 2019, KING'S X canceled all of its previously announced tour dates for the year so that Gaskill could undergo undisclosed heart "procedures."

"XV" was KING'S X's highest-charting album since 1996's "Ear Candy".

In 2005, VH1 included KING'S X in its list of "100 Greatest Artists In Hard Rock."

KING'S X will return to stages in 2022, heading to Europe in September and returning to North America for more dates in October.

European tour dates:

Sep. 01 - Backstage Halle, Munich, Germany
Sep. 02 - Veruno Musica Festival, Veruno, Italy
Sep. 03 - Old Capitol, Langenthal, Switzerland
Sep. 06 - Hirsch, Nürnberg, Germany
Sep. 07 - Colos-Saal - Aschaffenburg, Germany
Sep. 09 - Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands
Sep. 10 - Fabrik, Hamburg, Germany
Sep. 12 - Spirit of 66, Verviers, Belgium
Sep. 13 - Kantine, Cologne, Germany
Sep. 14 - Le Forum, Vaureal (Paris),France
Sep. 16 - The Brook, Southampton, UK
Sep. 17 - Picturedrome, Holmfirth, UK
Sep. 18 - Wylam Brewery, Newcastle, UK
Sep. 20 - Garage, Glasgow, UK
Sep. 22 - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, UK
Sep. 23 - Junction, Cambridge, UK
Sep. 24 - KK's Steel Mill, Wolverhampton, UK
Sep. 26 - Islington Assembly Hall, London, UK
Sep. 27 - Academy 2, Manchester, UK
Sep. 28 - Tramshed, Cardiff, UK
Sep. 30 - Biebob, Vosselaar, Belgium
Oct. 01 - Hypothalamus, Rheine, Germany

North American tour dates:

Jul. 28 - Gramercy Theatre, NYC, NY, USA
Jul. 29 - Sellersville Theatre, Sellersville, PA, USA
Jul. 30 - Spyglass Ridge Winery, Sunbury, PA, USA
Oct. 19 - Amos' Southend, Charlotte, NC, USA
Oct. 20 - The Concourse, Knoxville, TN, USA
Oct. 21 - The Forum, Hazard, KY, USA
Oct. 23 - Brooklyn Bowl, Nashville, TN, USA
Oct. 25 - The Howlin' Wolf, New Orleans, LA, USA
Oct. 27 - Come and Take It Live, Austin, TX, USA
Oct. 28 - Trees, Dallas, TX, USA
Oct. 29 - Warehouse Live, Houston, TX, USA

Photo credit: Derek Soto

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS have released the official music video for the song "April Fool". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "4", which was released on February 11 via Gibson Records in partnership with BMG.

"4" is Slash's fifth solo album and fourth overall with his band featuring Myles Kennedy (vocals),Brent Fitz (drums),Todd Kerns (bass, vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar, vocals).

Myles told Classic Rock magazine about "April Fool": "'April Fool' has a certain swagger. That's another one of my favorites. Lyrically, it's a song about playing the fool no more and having the last laugh at the end of the day. From a musical perspective, it's just a cool vibe. That was one of the tracks that was elevated in the studio by [producer] Dave Cobb. He had some good ideas about resequencing a few chords in the pre-chorus, which made the chorus pop."

As previously reported, SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS will release "Live At Studios 60", their first-ever double live LP, for Record Store Day on June 18. The effort contains a performance of "4", plus four additional songs from the group.

Recorded live in Los Angeles at Studios 60, the "Live At Studios 60" double LP exclusive Record Store Day release is limited to only 2,250 copies.

The full concert features all the songs from "4". Additional performances of the group's Top 5 rock radio hits, including "You're A Lie", "World On Fire", "Anastasia" and "Driving Rain" are also included in the double vinyl package.

For "4", Slash and the band traveled across the country together to Nashville, Tennessee and recorded the new album at the historic RCA Studio A with producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, John Prine, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile),revealing a stunning new sound and style all captured live in the studio. Cobb shared the band's desire to lay down the tracks live, in the studio including guitar solos and vocals — a first for the group.

"Live At Studios 60" track listing:

Side A

01. Actions Speak Louder Than Words
02. Whatever Gets You By
03. C'est La Vie
04. The Path Less Followed

Side B

01. The River Is Rising
02. Spirit Love
03. Fill My World
04. April Fools

Side C

01. Call Off The Dogs
02. Fall Back To Earth
03. Driving Rain

Side D

01. You're A Lie
02. World On Fire
03. Anastasia

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS kicked off a North American headlining tour on February 8, in Portland, Oregon and hit 28 major cities, including Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, Nashville, Dallas, Austin, Houston, and more, before wrapping up March 26 in Orlando, Florida.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Chuck Brueckmann

Volbeat have released the official live bootleg video for "Temple Of Ekur", the opening track of their new album, Servant Of The Mind, out now via EMI Records. The footage was filmed at Honda Center in Anaheim, California on March 3.





Servant Of The Mind is available in standard/digipack CD, deluxe 2LP vinyl (with various limited-edition variants, more info below), a deluxe digital edition, plus a special box set (including 2CD digipack, 28pg booklet, bandana, and hip flask, housed in a metal box, available from the official Volbeat store). Order the album here.







Tracklisting:


"Temple Of Ekur"
"Wait A Minute My Girl"
"The Sacred Stones"
"Shotgun Blues"
"The Devil Rages On"
"Say No More"
"Heaven’s Descent"
"Dagen Før" (feat. Stine Bramsen)
"The Passenger"
"Step Into Light"
"Becoming"
"Mindlock"
"Lasse’s Birgitta"
 
Deluxe 2 CD/2 LP and Digital Deluxe bonus tracks:


"Return To None" (Wolfbrigade cover)
"Domino" (The Cramps/Roy Orbison cover)
"Shotgun Blues" (feat. Dave Matrise from Jungle Rot)
"Dagen Før" (Michael Vox Version)


"Temple Of Ekur" video:





"Shotgun Blues" video:





"Wait A Minute My Girl" video:





Mascot Records will release the 15th anniversary limited edition vinyl of Volbeat's second album, Rock The Rebel/Metal The Devil, on May 20. A glow in the dark pressing will be available in all shops and online, while a limited number of unique marble editions will be available here.


Rock The Rebel/Metal The Devil was originally released by Mascot Records in 2007 and quickly became a milestone for Volbeat, hitting the #1 spot in the Danish album charts and going on to be certified four-times Platinum in their native country and Gold in Germany. The album features several hits including “Sad Man’s Tongue,” which is still a staple of the band’s live shows (as heard on 2020’s Rewind, Replay, Rebound: Live in Deutschland and most recently on the band’s co-headline US tour with Ghost), and the fan-favourite “Radio Girl.” “The Garden’s Tale,” which features Johan Olsen from Magtens Korridorer, spent 18 weeks on the Danish singles chart, peaking at #1. Rock The Rebel/Metal The Devil earned the band their first Danish Music Awards nominations in 2008 for Album of the Year, Rock Album of the Year, Band of the Year and Best Singer, as well as nominations for Best Danish Act at the MTV European Music Awards in both 2007 and 2008. Volbeat’s incendiary live show was also brought to the mainstage at festivals such as Roskilde and Wacken Open Air and found the band headlining the Metaldome Stage at Graspop as well as opening for Metallica in Arhaus, Denmark.


These new limited vinyl variants celebrate both the legacy of the album and the future that will bring countless more performances of these songs to the stage.





Tracklisting:


Side A
"The Human Instrument"
"Mr And Mrs Ness"
"The Garden's Tale"
"Devil Or The Cat's Song"
"Sad Mans Tongue"
"River Queen"


Side B
"Radio Girl"
"A Moment Forever"
"Soulweeper # 2"
"You Or Them"
"Boa (JDM)"


Trailer:





"The Garden's Tale" video:





"Radio Girl" video:





"Sad Mans Tongue" video:





Listen to the album via Spotify, below:

When the SEX PISTOLS made their definitive statement during the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977 with the incendiary single "God Save The Queen", they produced a manifesto that threatened and delighted in equal measure. Now, as the nation prepares for another Jubilee, the single is back.

It had been a struggle. Dropped by their record label A&M in the midst of controversy after just six days, the label destroyed 25,000 copies of the record, making the handful of copies remaining, ultra-rare collectibles. In honor of this, just 1,977 copies of the re-released A&M version will be available on May 27 via UMC.

The band then signed to Virgin and officially released the single, which was banned by the BBC and reached No. 1 on the U.K.'s NME chart, but appeared at No. 2 on the official U.K. Singles chart, leading to accusations that the song was purposely kept off the top spot. For the only time in chart history, the track was listed as a blank, to avoid offense to the establishment.

4,000 copies of the Virgin re-release will be on sale to fans.

Both versions recreate original artwork, with the A&M edition featuring its generic company sleeve and pressed on silver/platinum vinyl. The Virgin single has the absolutely iconic SEX PISTOLS artwork designed by Jamie Reid (© Sex Pistols Residuals).

The B sides also reflect the original releases with "No Feeling" for A&M, and "Did You No Wrong" for Virgin.

Formats:

7" 1 - Virgin Version (4,000 copies)

A/ God Save The Queen

B/ Did You No Wrong

7" 2 - A&M Version - (1977 copies)

A/ God Save The Queen

B/ No Feeling

SEX PISTOLS left the British establishment shaking when they exploded onto the music scene, kickstarting what later became known as punk — a term the band was never comfortable with. Young people ripped up not just their musical forebears but their social ones too and SEX PISTOLS were the snarling, ferocious figurehead of the revolution.

They made one perfect, 40-minute album for the ages in 1977's "Never Mind The Bollocks" and from its artwork to the individual players, the attitude and music — every bit of it influenced the world we live in today.

The record is frequently listed as one of the most influential albums of all time with musicians from JOY DIVISION and NEW ORDER to Kurt Cobain, Noel Gallagher, GREEN DAY to Yungblud all citing them as key inspiration. And this was not just musically — punk showed that anyone could create and many took the hint across fashion, art and design and more.

Photo credit: Barry Plummer

Sharon Osbourne has shared a photo of herself in bed, hooked up to an IV drip, as she battles COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

The 69-year-old wife and manager of legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne took to her social media on Wednesday (May 4) to share a picture of her propped up by pillows in her bed as yellow IV liquid ran into her arm, and she threw up a peace sign, captioning it "f**k Covid".

Sharon tested positive for the virus after flying back to Los Angeles to look after Ozzy, who had come down with the disease while she was in the U.K. filming her new Talk TV show.

While speaking to her co-star Jeremy Kyle on Monday's (May 2) episode of "The Talk UK", she said about the 73-year-old Ozzy: "He's doing much better. His temperature is now back to normal; his coughing has stopped. He's doing much better.’

When Jeremy asked if it was "just an overreaction" from Ozzy, Sharon said "a little bit," before adding, "But I've got some news to share. My daughter Kelly has it, I have it and the entire household has it now."

When asked if Ozzy will be looking after her while she's sick, Sharon added: "Maybe. We'll see. I feel okay, actually."

Sharon herself was previously diagnosed with COVID-19 in December 2020. At the time, she said she said she was hospitalized for the infectious disease for a short time and was isolating away from Ozzy, who had tested negative.

The news of Ozzy's diagnosis was shared by Sharon on April 28 on "The Talk UK". At the time, she said that she was "very worried" about him. "We've gone two years without him catching COVID and it's just Ozzy's luck he would get it now," she said.

In November 2020, prior to getting vaccinated for COVID-19, Ozzy told GQ magazine that he suffers from a respiratory disease which puts him at an increased risk of severe pneumonia and poor outcomes if he was to get infected with the novel coronavirus.

"I've got emphysema, so if I get this virus, I'm fucked," he said, referring to the type of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) lung disease that makes it hard to breathe and gets worse over time.

Ozzy previously joked that Satan helped him ward off COVID-19 for the first two years of the pandemic. "My wife had the virus; my daughter had the virus and I never got it," he told Metal Hammer magazine last October. "Being a devil worshipper does have its good points."

In February 2021, Ozzy confirmed he received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, saying he "felt relieved " to get the jab.

Ozzy's COVID-19 diagnosis came just one day after Sharon told Piers Morgan during an interview on his new show "Uncensored" that Ozzy is "dying to come home" to the U.K.

"He's doing okay. He sends you his love," Sharon said of the 73-year-old musician. "He's got one more operation left to do and then he's dying to come back home."

In January 2020, Ozzy revealed he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He has also been suffering debilitating mobility issues following a recent back and neck surgery.

Ozzy has had other health battles in recent years, including the flu, pneumonia, a life-threatening staph infection in his thumb and a nasty fall.

🤬 Covid 🤬

Posted by Sharon Osbourne on Wednesday, May 4, 2022

Legendary rockers JOURNEY have released the official visualizer for their new single, "You Got The Best Of Me". The song is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Freedom", which will arrive on July 8 via BMG except in Europe and Japan, where it will be issued via Frontiers Music Srl.

"I wanted kind of a punky rendition of 'Any Way You Want It'," says the group's founding member, guitarist, songwriter, and producer Neal Schon about the single. "I usually don't go in saying I'm going to look for something like that, but then it just came to me, like 'Wheel In The Sky' did years ago. It just kind of flew out of my mouth.”

While the forthcoming album was made with visions of arena and stadium stages, it started from humble beginnings. In 2020, as COVID-19 swept the globe, Schon was stuck at home like the rest of us. "During the pandemic, there wasn't much to do," he says. "I spent a lot of time in my little studio at home, learning how to play keyboards and looping. Some of those ideas ended up being songs. So it kind of came out of nowhere."

As JOURNEY's legend continues to grow larger and their touring gets bigger, "Freedom" will be the first album of new material to be released in 11 years, since 2011's "Eclipse", and in addition to longtime keyboard player and primary lyricist Jonathan Cain and vocalist Arnel Pineda, one more member was recruited for the upcoming album — bassist extraordinaire Randy Jackson, who had played on JOURNEY's 1986 album "Raised On Radio".

"Freedom" track listing:

01. Together We Run (4:49)
02. Don't Give Up On Us (5:23)
03. Still Believe In Love
04. You Got The Best Of Me (5:33)
05. Live To Love Again (5:30)
06. The Way We Used To Be (3:35)
07. Come Away With Me (4:02)
08. After Glow (5:22)
09. Let It Rain (4:40)
10. Holdin On (3:14)
11. All Day All Night (3:38)
12. Don't Go (4:58)
13. United We Stand (5:05)
14. Life Rolls On (4:57)
15. Beautiful As You Are (7:10)

JOURNEY's current touring lineup features bassist Todd Jensen, a veteran musician who has played for various artists, including the bands SEQUEL, HARDLINE and HARLOW, as well as David Lee Roth, Ozzy Osbourne, Steve Perry, Alice Cooper and Paul Rodgers. Also part of JOURNEY's current incarnation is returning drummer Deen Castronovo, who shared the drum duties in the band last year with Narada Michael Walden. Walden, Jackson and keyboardist/backing singer Jason Derlatka all joined JOURNEY in 2020 following the band's acrimonious split with drummer Steve Smith and bassist Ross Valory. Jackson — who previously played with JOURNEY during the mid-1980s — was forced to miss all the recent gigs because he is reportedly recovering from back surgery. Prior to JOURNEY's recent Las Vegas residency, Jackson had been replaced at the band's 2021 shows by Marco Mendoza, who had played several shows in 2019 with Castronovo and JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon under the "Neal Schon's Journey Through Time" banner.

"Freedom" will include the single "The Way We Used To Be", which came out last June. The song was the multi-platinum band's first new music since 2011's album "Eclipse", and the first track released by the band's revamped lineup. "The Way We Used To Be" marked Walden and Derlatka's first studio recordings with the band, and Jackson's first since 1986's "Raised On Radio". The song was produced by Walden at his Tarpan Studios, with co-production by Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain.

Since the group's formation in 1973, JOURNEY has earned 19 top 40 singles, 25 gold and platinum albums, and has sold nearly 100 million albums globally. Their "Greatest Hits" album is certified 15 times-platinum, making JOURNEY one of the few bands to ever have been diamond-certified, and their song "Don't Stop Believin'" has been streamed over one billion times alone.

JOURNEY was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017, and 2018's co-headlining tour with DEF LEPPARD was the band's most successful tour to date, landing them in the Top 10 year-end touring chart with more than 1 million tickets sold, and earning them the prestigious Billboard "Legends Of Live" touring award. March 2019 saw the release of "Escape & Frontiers Live In Japan", a live DVD/CD set from their concert at the Budokan in Tokyo featuring the band's first-ever performances of the albums "Escape" and "Frontiers" in their entirety. JOURNEY has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and were inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall Of Fame. Additionally, the band is the subject of the award-winning documentary "Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey" about the band's resurgence upon adding Arnel Pineda as lead singer after founding member Neal Schon discovered the Philippines native on YouTube.

Last August, Schon gave a college radio simulcast interview to WMSC and WNUW where he discussed the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the band's upcoming studio album. He said: "I learned how to play keyboards better than ever during the pandemic, which I'd never really done before. And that's where our first single ['The Way We Used To Be'] came from. [I sent it to] Jonathan [Cain, keyboards], and he did the lyrics on it and put a rough vocal on it. And then we had Arnel sing it, and we cut it and re-cut it in the studio, and it was just released. And a lot of people went, 'Wow, man. I love it.' 90 percent of people love it; the other 10 percent went, 'I don't think it sounds like JOURNEY.' I go, 'I never wrote it to be a JOURNEY song.'"

According to Schon, he and his bandmates had written over 30 new songs for the upcoming JOURNEY record. "Some of 'em are unmistakably JOURNEY without sounding like another song that we have; it just sounds like a new version of the band," he said. "It's ballistic, man. And there's no lack of guitar on this record. So I'm excited about it getting out there. I think any guitar player out there is gonna love this record, because I'm just kind of unleashing on this record — like I do a lot live, but sometimes hold back in the studio. I don't think it's O.D.ing on the guitar at all and going overboard, but I like to check out the times and where I see music going. I usually have a pretty good gut instinct about it, and I feel like the late '60s, the time and era of early Jeff Beck with Rod Stewart and [LED] ZEPPELIN when they first came out, Jimi Hendrix, the CREAM with [Eric] Clapton and Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, that whole era, there's a lot of younger kids out there, younger generation, that never got to experience that era. So I'm feeling like that is the era that I grew up in and that's what I truly love doing and the type of music I love playing, so I'm going more there and I'm writing for that, to be able to do that on stage. And I think it's really gonna trip some people out, when we finally do get this album out there and can combine it with all the hits that we do have."

He continued: "There's certain songs that are being mixed by Bob Clearmountain, that mixed our 'Raised On Radio' record, and he's made it sound really amazing, really pulled it together. You have mixers out there sometimes that have this incredible ability to take work that you've done throughout a year, even though they were recorded at separate times, and different sounds here and there, and they pull it all together and they make it sound like it's a tight album that has a focus sound-wise."

Neal added: "The whole album, there's not a filler on the record; that's what I can tell you. I look at it, and I'm listening to it now, and many others that have known our music for a long time that have very good ears have said, 'Look, this is the modern-day-and-age 'Escape'. I think this could be the next 'Escape' for you guys.' And I think that's a bold statement, but honest to God, I feel like it's that good."

SOULFLY will release its twelfth album, "Totem", on August 5 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2018's "Ritual" was recorded at Platinum Underground in Mesa, Arizona by John Aquilino and Arthur Rizk with assistance from John Powers. Produced by frontman Max Cavalera alongside Arthur Rizk (KREATOR, MUNICIPAL WASTE, CODE ORANGE),the LP boasts guest appearances from John Powers (ETERNAL CHAMPION),Chris Ulsh (POWER TRIP),and John Tardy (OBITUARY). Rizk was also responsible for playing lead guitar on the record. The artwork for the album was created by James Bousema.

The official lyric video for the album's first single, "Superstition", created by Aimed & Framed alongside 3D character artist Álvar Gómez Padilla, can be seen below.

Max Cavalera comments: "'Totem' is a celebration of the spiritual nature. It was a two-year journey writing with [my son and SOULFLY drummer] Zyon. This album is about all the joy, the fun and the anger in metal."

"Totem" track listing:

01. Superstition
02. Scouring The Vile
03. Filth Upon Filth
04. Rot In Pain
05. The Damage Done
06. Totem
07. Ancestors
08. Ecstasy Of Gold
09. Soulfly XII
10. Spirit Animal

In a recent interview with the "Rez Metal" podcast, Max stated about "Totem": "It was created a little bit different. The majority was just me and my son Zyon playing together, so we kind of wrote the bulk of the material. And then I had a great producer friend, Arthur Rizk; he worked with POWER TRIP and CODE ORANGE. Arthur is great, man. And I was curious how Arthur would make a SOULFLY record sound if he was in charge [of] it. And we created something that, to me, feels kind of like… It's almost like a biography of Max music. We cover everything from the early days all the way… So there's some black metal things, there's some death and thrash, there's some groove metal — there's everything. So the record really goes deep into all different areas of metal. So because of that, the album feels very diverse. At the end of the day, I just wanted to make a solid, full-on attitude record that just says, 'We're here to fuck shit up.' This is what we do. This is why I love playing metal, because of the energy it gives me.

"The record is actually really connected to nature, which is really cool," Max explained. "I think this is the mostly SOULFLY record that is really about the whole mystique of nature, as in forest spirits and spirit animals and things like that. So that was cool.

"We worked a lot on a lot of the tracks. And I think Arthur did just an amazing job.

"I don't wanna describe the record too much — I'd rather have people hear it and see what they think — but to me, it feels like this is just a really, really energetic SOULFLY record," Cavalera added. "It's kind of cool to have that kind of… After so many records, if you can still put an energetic record out, it says something about your career; you're not slowing down — you're going, actually, the opposite way. So I'm more in the trenches than ever with this one. It feels like [I've been] rejuvenated; I feel like a young kid again playing metal. Those are great elements to have. Especially when you're getting older, a lot of people go more mild and slow down. I'm not one of those people. I wanna just get even more wild, get heavier. But always with the SOULFLY groove, 'cause I think that's a key element of SOULFLY; it's always been the groove. So we pay really close attention to the… We actually added a lot of percussion to it, so it kind of goes back to records like 'Primitive'; some of the grooves go back to songs like 'Primitive' and 'Boom', but some of the other stuff is super aggressive and it's like a lot of the current extreme metal that I listen to right now from a lot of other bands."

SOULFLY performed "Superstition" and "Filth Upon Filth" on its recent U.S. tour.

Last summer, Cavalera told "The Metal Teddy Bear Experience" show, which airs on the 90.3 WMSC radio station, that "Filth Upon Filth" was "a killer song" which reminded him of "old SLAYER; it sounds like SLAYER 'Hell Awaits' era meets SOULFLY, which is always a good thing," he said.

Asked if there is an overall lyrical theme on the new SOULFLY album, Max said: "Some of it [is] dealing with, actually, the spiritual world and things like that, which is really cool. I think it's always been kind of a SOULFLY theme anyway. There's a song called 'Spirit Animal' that's really cool.

"[There isn't gonna be] an overall theme," he clarified. "It's not gonna be a theme album like maybe [SEPULTURA's] 'Roots' was more like a tribal theme kind of record. This is more like a [mixture of subjects]. There's a song about the environment and how we're destroying the earth and all that, called 'The Damage Done'. And that came out really good. So, yeah, [it's] just my way of writing. It's pretty simple. I don't try to get fancy with it. I know what I do. It's like my riffs — I know how to do them. I don't try to fancy them up. That's how they are — they're simple but direct, and they work. And that's what I love about it."

In April 2021, Max told Chris Enriquez of Saint Vitus Presents: Age Of Quarantine that Rizk took the new SOULFLY project "super seriously. He said, 'Hey, Max, I don't wanna do just another SOULFLY record. I wanna do the bestSOULFLY record,'" he recalled. 'I was, like, 'All right. I take the challenge. Let's do it, man.'"

As for the musical direction of the new SOULFLY material, Max said: "It's full-on. I think it's got kind of like the best of all the years. I think it's a compilation Max Cavalera record of the whole 50 years. [Laughs] That's what it feels like — it's got old stuff, it's got middle stuff, it's got very SOULFLY vibes. It's got a lot of groove. It's got a lot of fast stuff."

In December 2020, Max told the "Sappenin' Podcast With Sean Smith" about the songwriting process for the new SOULFLY album: "The cool thing about Zyon, the way he plays drums, is he's a bit like a wild animal — he has no restraint, man, and he just unleashes on the drum kit. Pure, pure brutality power drumming, and I love that. So that takes me back to a lot of the early records that I like — a lot of the old ENTOMBED stuff and CARCASS and NAPALM DEATH; out-of-control shit. So I think we have that kind of spirit going on on a lot of the new tracks."

In August, SOULFLY parted ways with longtime guitarist Marc Rizzo due to personal differences. A permanent replacement guitarist has yet to be announced. FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares played guitar for SOULFLY on the summer 2021 U.S. tour and once again handled second-guitar duties on the band's most recent run of shows.

In June 2020, SOULFLY released a new digital EP, "Live Ritual NYC MMXIX". The effort was recorded at The Gramercy in New York City on February 11, 2019 while SOULFLY was on tour in support of its most recent full-length album, "Ritual". The audio for the EP was mixed and mastered by Charles Elliott (ABYSMAL DAWN) from Tastemaker Audio. Cover artwork was comprised of live photos taken by Rodrigo Fredes.

"Ritual" was released in October 2018 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2015's "Archangel" was produced, recorded and mixed by Josh Wilbur (KILLER BE KILLED, LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA).

Southern sludge legends, EyeHateGod, have released a video for "Every Thing, Every Day", feautured on the album A History Of Nomadic Behavior, released in March 2021. The clip, by Chariot Of Black Moth, can be viewed below:





EyeHateGod's European tour launches on June 24 at Rock In Bourlon in Bourlon, France. Dates on the poster below:







(Photo - Travis Shinn)

The North American Siege 2022, featuring Arch Enemy and Behemoth, plus special guests Napalm Death and Unto Others, landed at The Fillmore in Philadelphia on April 29. Arch Enemy have released this recap video:





Remaining tour dates:




May
4 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
7 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
9 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
10 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
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

Helloween will release a special vinyl single titled “Best Time” via Atomic Fire on May 20. The single features a 2022 remix of its title track on side A as well as an exclusive alternative vocal remix of the song on side B. Preorder at this location.





Helloween’s “Best Time” single comes in celebration of the band’s awaited United Forces European tour with HammerFall, set to begin this Wednesday, May 4, at Manchester Academy in the UK.







Find Helloween's tour itinerary and ticket links here.


(Photo – Martin Häusler)

Former DIO and DIO DISCIPLES guitarist Craig Goldy has weighed in on the way Vivian Campbell was fired from DIO, saying that Vivian must have done something "pretty insulting" to get himself kicked out of Ronnie James Dio's band.

Ronnie, Vivian, drummer Vinny Appice and bassist Jimmy Bain collaborated on the first three DIO albums — 1983's "Holy Diver", 1984's "The Last In Line" and 1985's "Sacred Heart" — before Irishman Campbell left to join WHITESNAKE in 1987. Vivian later publicly took issue with Ronnie's need for total control of the band, claiming that finances played a major part in the bad blood that preceded his exit. Specifically, Campbell said that "it had become increasingly clear" to him that Ronnie's wife and manager Wendy "was determined to separate Ronnie from the band. She didn't see DIO as one creative unit. Ronnie knew better, but I suspect that in an effort to win back Wendy's love" after the couple split, "he was willing to bend to her whims. Thus began the beginning of the end for the original DIO band." He also said that Ronnie failed to deliver on his early promise that by the third DIO album "it would be an equity situation" between all the bandmembers.

Goldy discussed Campbell's split with DIO in a newly uploaded audio interview with Full In Bloom. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It made perfect sense why they all thought they were gonna get a piece of the pie. And I think Ronnie really meant it, because when you really think about it, what a great way to start. Here are Ronnie and Jimmy from RAINBOW and Ronnie and Vinny from BLACK SABBATH starting a band together with this kid that nobody knows about who's fucking furious on guitar. And that first album just skyrocketed. So it's not that Ronnie started a band with a bunch of nobodies. So it makes sense that he would say, 'Hey, by the third album or so, we'll make this more of an equal-share thing.' Because it costs a lot of money for the buses and the bus drivers and the hotel rooms, the arenas and the lighting and the P.A. system. They were bringing their own lights and their P.A. system, an 18-foot fire-breathing dragon. That's when things took a turn that I don't think very many people understood was how much was actually spent. 'Cause Ronnie and Wendy, I guess, had gone to Universal Studios and saw that Conan The Barbarian performance and it had this fire-breathing dragon in it. And [he went], 'We should do that.' It was his way of giving back to the fans so he didn't hike up ticket prices but there was a lot of money being spent. I think that was the time when the band was expecting to get an equal share, but it was so expensive to do that."

Craig continued: "Apparently, I guess, Viv comes from a wealthy family, so I think he was more… Not that he's a spoiled brat or anything, but I remember Ronnie saying stuff like that. Every time I've ever met Vivian, he was always very nice to me, so I can't back that one way or the other. But I know how Ronnie is, and so to piss Ronnie off to the point where he fires you, you've gotta be pretty insulting. So something must have gone down. It comes off like Vivian says, 'I called him on his promise and he lied to us.' I don't really think it was that; I think it was more of a deferred thing. 'Cause they were on to something that was really getting ready to be big, and I think that they wanted to be able to let the dust settle of this… They're gonna be known now… Because they even got a Top 15 spot in the Top 20-grossing tours right under Madonna at the time. That was a huge deal. They won, like, the best heavy metal stage set and all that kind of stuff. It was making headlines in magazines and television and news that a heavy metal band never did before besides KISS."

In a 2017 interview Canada's The Metal Voice, Vinny spoke about the circumstances that led to Vivian's exit from DIO. "There were some business problems within the band," he said. "We were promised to be sharing in things, and we gave it up for the first album and tour, because, okay, it costs a lot of money to launch the thing and Ronnie is putting in his money and whatever. But then it never happened. We were doing tours in arenas. Back then, one of the tours grossed eight million dollars — that was in those dollars; that's probably eighty million dollars [in today's money]. But we got nothing out of it — [we only got] salaries and stuff — so what was promised never happened. And Vivian really… he called [Ronnie] on it and the management, so that kind of became bad blood with Ronnie. But we all felt the same way — that we're not getting what we were promised and we should be doing better than we're doing. Somebody's making a lot of money here, and it wasn't us. So that's what happened with Viv. And then Ronnie and Viv didn't see eye to eye, and then finally Ronnie said to me, 'I'm gonna fire Viv.' I'm, like, 'What?' I just was in shock. And I kind of mentioned [to Ronnie] that that's not a great idea, 'cause it's the sound of his band. And [Ronnie] decided that he can go on without [Vivian]. So that's what happened."

The resentment between Campbell and Ronnie James Dio remained unresolved even at the end of the singer's life in 2010. Not long before he passed, Dio told an interviewer: " In my opinion, Vivian no longer had the commitment to the band he had in the early days. He was — and remains — an excellent guitarist. I never lost sight of how good he was as a musician, but as a person… Well, he was no longer on the same page as the rest of us. That annoyed me hugely. When you've got four people really stretching and straining to do their very best, and one person who's clearly holding back, it makes for an unhappy camp."

Bain, who played with Ronnie in an early version of RAINBOW and later appeared on seven DIO albums (from "Holy Diver" to 2002's "Killing The Dragon"),told U.K.'s Metal Hammer in 2012 that "Viv did nothing that warranted his removal from [DIO] in what is still considered to be a cowardly way. For me, firing Viv was the biggest mistake of Ronnie's career. The problem could've easily been resolved if there had a been a will to do so from Ronnie and Wendy [Dio, the band's manager and Ronnie's wife]."

Bain also felt that DIO was in decline by the time the band released "Sacred Heart".

"DIO should have gotten better with each album, but what happened was the opposite," Jimmy told Metal Hammer. "The production was watered down with all the keyboards, [and] the songs were not as good because it became harder to satisfy Ronnie's need to complicate arrangement and structure."

Campbell, Appice and Bain reunited in 2012 alongside singer Andrew Freeman to form LAST IN LINE. The band's initial intent was to celebrate Ronnie James Dio's early work by reuniting the members of the original DIO lineup. After playing shows that featured a setlist composed exclusively of material from the first three DIO albums, the band decided to move forward and create new music in a similar vein.

A few years ago, Vivian slammed DIO DISCIPLES — which was made up of former members of DIO, along with a rotating lineup of singers, including former JUDAS PRIEST frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens — saying that DIO DISCIPLES had "zero credibility" as a Ronnie James Dio tribute project despite the fact that the band was fully supported by Wendy Dio.

In a May 2011 interview with Brazil's Roadie Crew magazine, Wendy stated about the controversy surrounding Ronnie's relationship with Campbell (in 2003, Vivian called Ronnie "an awful businessman and, way more importantly, one of the vilest people in the industry."): "[Vivian] always said that he hated all the albums that he played on with Ronnie, and that was very hurtful to Ronnie. Very hurtful. Would you like someone who said something like that about your albums? He said a lot of things in the press that I don't wanna get into, because it really wasn't Ronnie's feud at all. Ronnie didn't fire him. I fired [Vivian]. He wanted as much money as Ronnie wanted. He thought he was as important as Ronnie was, and that was just wrong. But I don't wanna get into that. It's water under the bridge. It doesn't matter."

A video clip of Ronnie James Dio calling Campbell "a fucking asshole" and saying that "I hope he fucking dies" in reference to his former bandmate was posted on YouTube in October 2007. The two-minute clip was shot on March 30, 2007 while Ronnie was signing autographs for fans after HEAVEN & HELL's show at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. "He's a piece of shit," Dio said. "You ever heard the things he ever said about me? He called me the most despicable human being that ever lived. I went, 'I thought I gave you a chance and made you somebody. And now you're playing with who? DEF fucking who?' There's a fucking rock band for you to fucking have diarrhea with."

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS paid tribute to late FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins during the band's concert Sunday (May 1) at the New Orleans Jazz Fest.

At the end of RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' set, the group's drummer Chad Smith, who had "Taylor" spelled out on his bass drum, gave a brief speech honoring his friend.

"We just found out about this two weeks ago, because FOO FIGHTERS were supposed to play here tonight," Smith said. "We love the FOO FIGHTERS, and we love our brother Taylor Hawkins. So this means a lot to us to be able to play for them." He then led the crowd in a chant of, "We love you, Taylor."

FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl, Hawkins's widow Alison and other members of the FOO FIGHTERS were reportedly in attendance at the concert.

FOO FIGHTERS were originally scheduled to headline the Jazz Fest but canceled all tour dates in the wake of Taylor's death on March 25.

Several days before the New Orleans Jazz Fest performance, the PEPPERS said that their set would be a celebration of Hawkins's life. "We're taking Alison, his wife, with us and it's going to be a celebration," Smith told Billboard. "That's what she wants. She doesn't want it to be anything other than, 'Let's celebrate music, let's celebrate our friends, let's celebrate Taylor. This is what he would want and he would be very happy that you guys are playing and he would want it be nothing but a positive experience.' So we're going to do all that and she's going to be part of that and I'm very honored that we can do that with her. … We're going to play our hearts out."

Hawkins was found dead on March 25 at the Four Seasons Casa Medina hotel in Bogota, Colombia while FOO FIGHTERS were on tour.

An official cause of death for Hawkins hasn't yet been released. But on March 26, Colombia's attorney general's office released a preliminary toxicology report, saying that medical examiners found evidence of 10 types of substances in Hawkins's body, including opioids, benzodiazepines, marijuana and antidepressants.

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

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

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

During an appearance earlier today (Wednesday, April 27) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", RATT singer Stephen Pearcy was asked once again if there has been any movement with regard to reuniting the band's classic lineup. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I will give you a bit of something. There was an opportunity presented to all of us. Besides [it being] a lucrative thing, it would be amazing.

"I mean, I will not do another RATT record unless it's all of us," he explained. "There's no reason; you won't get the RATT sound. We got close. And people, I think, got a little pissy at me for saying that about [2010's] 'Infestation' [album], [that] I really didn't think we hit a home run. Warren [DeMartini, guitar] and I basically handled that record, but [Carlos] Cavazo [guitar] was [also] involved.

"To me, you can put a label on it, but it's not RATT," Pearcy explained. "It's identifiable to the guitars and the whatever sound. We didn't get there. And also it had to do with… The mind that all of us were in at the time wasn't so together doing that record. But we did the best we could. So, for everybody who gets pissy about 'Infestation', I love that record… But you put a label on it, just because a label's on it doesn't mean it's RATT."

Asked point blank to explain to fans why a classic RATT reunion can't happen, Stephen said: "Looks, if the fucking components don't work, I'm not going out there with broken parts, nor am I gonna go out there and mislead my audience or our audience and rip 'em off of the true legacy of the band. Granted, no disrespect, [we've had] great players [in the band over the years], great humans and all this and that, but business aside… You've got it right here. You've got four of the original guys. I'm not wanting to go, 'Hey, guys. Come on.' Whatever. If it happens, it happens. I don't give a shit. And I can go out [with my solo band] and deliver the goods. Because it got to be a little convoluted with these different guitar players — that's where that 'no disrespect' comes — different guitar players or a different drummer or a different bass player. And it's, like, well, holy shit. It's gonna stop. And that's all I did was just say, 'Just stop for a second here, man.' And then out of the blue we were presented with this opportunity recently, and I'm thinking, 'Wow. Maybe this might… For shits and giggles, the guys might dig it, besides lucratively.' But it just ain't gonna fly. And that's where you just leave it alone — leave it alone. Sorry. But that's life, man."

Asked if there is a "lack of communication" between the members of RATT's classic lineup, Stephen said: "There's a lack of something, but it has nothing to do... If it had to do with business, I'm in. If it has to do with, 'Hey, you're copacetic and you just wanna kick back now and enjoy your life or what legacy you have,' well, that's all bitchin' too. So I have no qualms either way. I keep moving."

When host Eddie Trunk asked Pearcy if it's fair to say that some of the members of the classic RATT lineup are simply "checked out" and are no longer interested in playing with the band, the singer said: "It could be that. All I can do is make my own assessment of the situation. When you make a phone call and you get no response — and I won't say with who or what or where or when or why — fuck it. I don't care. We're all alive. We're all healthy. We're all groovy. I don't know. I hope everybody's cool. But I just got tired of people coming and going, and 'this is RATT' and 'that's not RATT'. Because we have a whole new audience — every day all these young people — and they see that marquee or they see that brand and they think, 'Oh, it's those five guys with that blond dude and that Warren DeMartini guy,' and then you pull in and you're, like, 'What the fuck? That's the singer guy.' So I just stepped out for a bit. And hey, it's nobody's fault but the way things just happened. A tour didn't go down [because of] COVID, this, that. And I went, 'I have no time for this' to start up again, to rehash or do something. So be it. Make whatever assessment you can. But I love that the opportunity was presented. And hey, let's hope. 'Cause I will not let there be another RATT record unless all of us are involved, so you probably will never get one. All I can do is give you some of the archives, which will happen soon enough."

In April 2021, Pearcy was joined by his former bandmate Bobby Blotzer during the RATT singer's livestream concert from the world-famous Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip.

Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT's most recent lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band are drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE, RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarists Jordan Ziff (Marty Friedman) and Frankie Lindia (David Lee Roth).

RATT — featuring Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini — played a number of shows in 2017 after reforming a year earlier in the midst of a highly publicized legal battle with Blotzer over the rights to the RATT name. They were joined at the gigs by Cavazo, who played on "Infestation", and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.

THREE DAYS GRACE was forced to cancel its previously announced shows in Cincinnati (May 2),Fort Wayne (May 3) and Madison (May 4) due to a member of the band's touring party testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Refunds available at original point of purchase.

THREE DAYS GRACE's new album, "Explosions", will be out on May 6 via RCA Records. The LP's first single, "So Called Life", was No. 1 on Mediabase's Active Rock chart and Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart. This was the band's 17th No. 1 song on the Mediabase chart and 16th No. 1 on the Billboard chart, and tied the internationally acclaimed and multi-platinum certified Canadian band with SHINEDOWN for the artist with most #1's on the Billboard chart. The song's music video was directed by Jon Vulpine.

THREE DAYS GRACE bassist Brad Walst told Jave Patterson of Two Doods Reviews about "So Called Life": "It's a little different. It's a pretty heavy song and definitely full of emotions and frustrations of everyday life. It was actually the first song we wrote on this record, going back almost pre-pandemic. We started jamming, actually, beside Neil's [Sanderson, drums] pool and it turned out really angry. [Laughs] I think it's a great tune. I think the fans are gonna relate to it. And it's gonna be a fun one live, I know that."

Asked how much of THREE DAYS GRACE's upcoming album was inspired by the pandemic, Brad said: "We didn't really direct the songs towards there, but we're a pretty honest band and we like to write about our true emotions and what we're going through. So, naturally, being stuck at home and stuck on Zoom with each other, some pretty emotional songs came out of it. We wrote the first half of the record remotely. We recorded it remotely, which we'd never done. And then we just got back together a couple of months ago and did the rest. But it was interesting, man, and definitely a different vibe. And I think some great songs came out of it."

Prior to the arrival of "So Called Life", THREE DAYS GRACE's most recent release was a cover of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know", which came out in July 2020. The official music video for THREE DAYS GRACE's version of the track was directed by Mike Filsinger.

THREE DAYS GRACE's other No. 1 singles include "Right Left Wrong", "Misery Loves My Company", "Chalk Outline", "World So Cold", "Never Too Late", "Just Like You", "Animal", "Pain", "Home" and "Infra-Red".

"Right Left Wrong" is featured on "Outsider", THREE DAYS GRACE's sixth full-length album and fifth consecutive Top 40-charting LP on the Billboard Top 200.
We're sad to say we're forced to cancel our upcoming shows in Cincinnati, Fort Wayne and Madison due to a member of our tour testing positive for Covid. Refunds available at original point of purchase and we hope to see you all soon.

— Three Days Grace (@threedaysgrace) May 2, 2022

Ex-DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy attended the group's concert on March 4 at Beacon Theatre in New York City. It was the first time Portnoy witnessed his former bandmates perform live since his exit from the iconic progressive metal outfit more than 11 years ago.

During an appearance earlier today (Tuesday, May 3) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Mike stated about the circumstances that led to him being present at the show (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We had been slowly rekindling the relationships over the years. Obviously, [DREAM THEATER guitarist] John Petrucci and I have made a few albums together at this point — I played on his last solo album, and then he and myself and Jordan [Rudess, DREAM THEATER keyboardist] and Tony Levin got back together to do a LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT album in 2020. So, yeah, John Petrucci and Jordan had been hanging with me a lot through the years, and our families as well. In fact, the first time I played together with Jordan again was on the last Cruise To The Edge in 2019; Jordan and I played together on that. So the relationships had been really, really good and comfortable with those guys. And John Myung [DREAM THEATER bassist] lives right down the street from me, so I would see him in town all the time. And his wife is very, very good friends with my wife. So there's three of the guys that I had been on very, very good terms with over the years. And my wife and John Myung's wife were going to see them at the New York show, and I was, like, 'You know what? What the hell.'"

Portnoy went on to say that he had previously "dreamt about going to see" DREAM THEATER play. "I'm not saying I dreamt like it was my goal; I'm saying I literally would have dreams at night sleeping, where in my dreams I'm going to see DREAM THEATER and it's just an awkward thing," he explained. "So for a long time I was very nervous about it, like how weird would it feel? Would it be uncomfortable? But I finally was at peace with it. I went to the show, and it was really a cool experience; it was not as awkward as I had anticipated or feared. And at the show, James [LaBrie, DREAM THEATER singer] welcomed me from the stage. And I hadn't spoken to James — as a lot of people know, I hadn't spoken to him since I left the band — so I got to see him that night after the show. And I went into his dressing room, and within literally 10 seconds, any of that drama or B.S. that had built up through the years, it melted away immediately. And it was all hugs and kisses and 'love you, bro' and 'miss you, bro.' And it was, like, all that bullshit from the last 11 years was just water under the bridge."

Mike continued: "You can't spend most of your life with a group of guys like that and not be family for life. I met John Petrucci and John Myung when we were teenagers; we met in college and our families have grown up together and our wives all played in a band together and our kids — my daughter and John Petrucci's daughter — live together in Brooklyn. So it's a family. Whether I'm currently in the band or not, that doesn't matter; you can't take away the friendship and the family and the history and the experiences we shared for so, so long."

Regarding what it was like to see another drummer play his parts live with DREAM THEATER, Portnoy said: "I've always been the type of drummer that just flies [by] the seat of my pants in the moment. Even with my own drum parts, I don't necessarily stick to them faithfully from show to show, whereas [current DREAM THEATER drummer Mike] Mangini obviously really studied the drum parts and they had everything programmed out. They're all about the precision, and that's surely their thing. And yeah, he killed it. There's no doubt he's an amazing drummer and he plays my parts incredibly faithfully. I feel bad for him. He and I joked about it. He's in a horrible situation where he's damned if he does and he's damned if he doesn't. He expressed that frustration to me, and I feel for him; it's definitely a weird position to be put into. I kind of had it a little bit when I played with AVENGED SEVENFOLD and TWISTED SISTER, coming into the throne of two drummers that have passed away, and I tried to learn those parts as faithfully as I could. When I had a hired-gun gig like that, I spent a lot of attention trying to honor the drummer that came before me — it's important. I don't wanna go into a gig like either of those and try to force my style onto it."

Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER 37 years ago, abruptly quit the band in September 2010 while on tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD.

Portnoy was a guest on Petrucci's second solo album, "Terminal Velocity", which was released in August 2020 via Sound Mind Music/The Orchard. The effort marked the first time Petrucci and Portnoy recorded together in over a decade, as well as their first time playing together since Portnoy departed DREAM THEATER.

In a 2017 interview with Rockhok, Portnoy insisted that had "no longing to reunite" with DREAM THEATER but said that he would return to his former band "for the fans." He explained: "The ball's in their court, to be honest. I have no longing to reunite with them; it's not something I necessarily am looking to do or want to do. I'm very content with all the eighty-seven bands I currently have going, so it's something I need. But I would do it for the fans, because I'm a very sentimental person and I have a lot of great, fond memories of those guys and the times. I'm a sentimental guy, so I would never close the door on it. So, really, the ball's in their court, honestly. [But] if you're asking me the odds [of a reunion happening], I would say, don't bet on it, because I know their personalities as well and I don't think they're the type that are looking backwards."

A couple of years ago, Portnoy told Loud that he left DREAM THEATER because he wanted to expand his musical horizons. "[I didn't] want to go to my grave and just be the drummer from DREAM THEATER," he said. "I knew there was way more to what I had to offer."

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

After 36 years, I finally got to see my 1st Dream Theater show last night! 🤣 It was a wonderful evening and it was such a pleasure to spend time with my old friends again ☮️🙏

Posted by Mike Portnoy on Saturday, March 5, 2022

OMG—MIKE PORTNOY at the Dream Theater show now!!! Mike Portnoy is at the DT show in NYC ¾/2022 with his wife Marlene and James greeted him from the stage!

Posted by Amanda Palamara on Friday, March 4, 2022

<3
Mike Portnoy AND Mike Mangini both rule. Both great eras of DT

Posted by Andrew Ryan Prater on Friday, March 4, 2022

Mike Portnoy viendo a Dream Theater !!!!

Posted by ATR DT on Friday, March 4, 2022

With one of the greatest drummer ever MIKE PORTNOY

Posted by Michael Halasan Clint Nababan on Friday, March 4, 2022

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