SPIRITBOX has parted ways with bassist Bill Crook.

Crook's exit from SPIRITBOX was announced earlier today (Sunday, May 22) via social media.

"We are saddened to announce that Bill Crook will no longer be in SPIRITBOX," the group said in a statement. "This decision was mutual and with no hard feelings. We ask that you respect his privacy on the matter and we wish him nothing but the best in the future. We would like to thank Josh Gilbert for giving us his time on such short notice to fill in with us."

SPIRITBOX's debut album, "Eternal Blue", was released last September via Rise Records. The LP charted high in multiple categories on the Billboard charts (No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 in both Hard Rock and Rock) and equally well around the world.

Singer Courtney LaPlante told SPIN that the album's success surpassed her expectations.

"We have really high expectations, high goals for our band and our secret, scary goals that we would never tell anybody [about] as well," she said. "This exceeded all [of] that. We're all shocked, really."

The husband-and-wife duo consisting of LaPlante and Michael Stringer made its debut with an independently released EP in October 2017, quickly building a cult following. In 2018, they found their musical counterpart in Crook and partnered with Pale Chord Music to continue to create and release music in single and EP formats, and in fall of 2020, signed with globally renowned label Rise Records.

Drawing its name from a device that some believe is capable of communing with the dead, SPIRITBOX has a paranormal undertone that runs through everything they do, using EVP (electronic voice phenomena) recordings both at its live shows and within its tracks.

Having toured the world many times over with their previous bands — metal outfit IWRESTLEDABEARONCE (Courtney and Mike) and pop punk band LIVING WITH LIONS (Bill) — SPIRITBOX absorbed the highs and lows of living as working musicians and decided to try a different and more sustainable approach when it came to releasing their music. They took the concept of supply and demand and applied it to their release model, focusing on making fans across the globe by using the social media tools available to them, releasing shorter bodies of music and removing touring from the plan until a demand was built. In doing so they quickly garnered a cult-like online following which has led to sellouts on every physical release and most merch items they've released to date.
pic.twitter.com/ReVvBHb7C0

— Spiritbox (@spiritboxband) May 22, 2022

Earlier this month, Music Connection's Atomic Seyum spoke to SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavo Odadjian at the Hall Of Flowers cannabis industry trade show in Palm Springs, California. Asked about his plans for new music in the near future, Shavo said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "SYSTEM's taking a little break, until next year, so I've been working on the NORTH KINGSLEY record. It's almost done. That's my side project. We've got six songs done. You can check it out on Spotify. It's a new project, so it's continuously growing and evolving. And as I evolve, I drop what we just did and we move to the next style. It's fun. It's freedom of music. It's really cool. And I also have some music I'm doing as a side project — just me alone solo. It's called THE SHAVO PROJECT and it's really heavy. That's all I can say right now."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, but has only managed to record two songs in the last 17 years, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". Released in November 2020, the tracks were motivated by the conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with all proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in SYSTEM OF A DOWN's ancestral homeland of Armenia. Along with other donations from fans on their social pages, they have raised over $600,000.

In 2018, guitarist Daron Malakian publicly accused singer Serj Tankian of not wanting to record, with Tankian responding that creative and financial issues with Malakian led to the stalemate. In a message on Facebook, Tankian wrote that Malakian wanted to control SYSTEM's creative process, take more of the publishing money and be the only bandmember to speak to the press.

In an interview with Guitar World magazine, Malakian was asked about the chances of more new music from SYSTEM OF A DOWN in the near future. He responded: "I never say never, but at the same time, I'm not expecting to do any more with SYSTEM OF A DOWN right away or immediately after [these two songs]. It really does seem like our fans like these new songs. That's important to me."

He continued: "We've added two new songs to the SYSTEM catalog that are on the level with everything else that we've put out and our fans have accepted it that way, which means a lot to me. That's kinda where we're gonna leave it for now. If more happens later on, then we'll talk about that, but for now I will continue doing what I'm doing and everyone else will just continue what they're doing. It's all cool though, I'm really pleased with the response we got."

In a new interview with Estonia's Sky.ee, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford was asked if there is a country whose culture he was maybe most surprised about or which made the biggest impact on him. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think there's many. When you come to Estonia for the first time… I love visiting all of these different places. It's a blessing. We're very grateful to have the opportunity to take our metal around the world like we have.

"I think probably one of the most at first unique experiences — again, we go back quite a while — was when we went to Japan for the first time," he continued. "Because we knew a little bit about the Japanese culture, but to actually go there and to see the balance of their traditions and their culture that is still very strong and potent, but to have this acceptance of this kind of music in their country was just something very special and extraordinary. And JUDAS PRIEST was one of the very first bands, first metal bands, to go to Japan. Very few other bands had been there at that time. We opened the doors for metal in Japan. So that's probably one country

"When you get the chance to travel to these far places like Rio De Janeiro or Buenos Aires, places that, as a kid in your dreams, you could only read about, so to actually go to these places, what it does, it makes you see how small the world is," Rob added. "And it makes you see how we're all connected. We may not speak the same language, but all of us go through so many things in our lives that are similar, and that's what keeps us together as humanity. We all have the ups and downs, we all have the laughter, we all have the tears, we all have the struggles, we all have the successes. It doesn't matter where you go in the world. And that's one of the great, beautiful blessings that I registered many, many years ago — it gave me a better understanding of life; it gave me a better understanding of people, how we're all the same. It doesn't matter what your religion is, what your sexual identity is, what your political beliefs are — it doesn't matter. We're all people, we all have the same kind of lives on this planet the short time that we're here. And so we must do everything we can to try and get as much out of it.

"So, there's a speech. I have a tendency to make speeches as I've got older. [Laughs] But I hope I'm able to express the answer to your question, that it's a joy to be able to travel and to see so many of our beautiful metal maniacs anywhere in the world."

JUDAS PRIEST will finally get inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this year. The band will receive the Musical Excellence Award at the fall 2022 event, which will honor Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

The award for Musical Excellence — which was originally titled the "Sidemen" category when it debuted — is given to artists, musicians, songwriters and producers whose originality and influence creating music have had a dramatic impact on music.

Back in 2010, when the Sidemen category was renamed the award for Musical Excellence, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation president Joel Peresman told The Plain Dealer the category "gives us flexibility to dive into some things and recognize some people who might not ordinarily get recognized."

JUDAS PRIEST is the second band to receive the award for Musical Excellence; the E STREET BAND was the first. Last year, late OZZY OSBOURNE and QUIET RIOT guitarist Randy Rhoads was one of the recipients of the Musical Excellence Award.

The induction ceremony will be held on November 5, 2022 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. It will air at a later date on HBO and stream on HBO Max. There will also be a radio simulcast on SiriusXM's Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Radio channel 310.

According to the Hall Of Fame, the JUDAS PRIEST members that will get inducted include current members Halford, Ian Hill (bass),Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Scott Travis (drums),along with former members K.K. Downing (guitar),Les Binks (drums) and late drummer Dave Holland.

JUDAS PRIEST was previously on the ballot for Rock Hall induction in 2020, but failed to receive enough votes to make that year's class.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, PRIEST was also on the ballot for the 2018 class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but was ultimately left out of the inductee list.

To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination.

King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his singer wife Toyah Willcox are back with another episode in their "Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch" series. This time they perform a cover of Radiohead classic "Creep". Watch below:





A selection of Robert & Toyah's previous Sunday Lunch videos can be seen below:

American Terror, the heavy punk / metal band based out of Atlanta, Georgia has revealed a new single, “End Of America”, out now. The track, a wildly fierce takedown of the current state of American politics, is available on all major digital platforms, and its accompanying video can be seen below. American Terror's sophomore album, Where We Are, will be released on July 8th, 2022, with more singles arriving beforehand.


“‘End Of America’ represents the state of our country right now,” says vocalist Brad Cox. “No matter what side you’re on or what you believe, everyone’s pissed off and feeling this way. History is being rewritten in so many ways. People are passionate again and willing to fight for what they believe. ‘End Of America’ is the anthem for standing up to bullshit and making a change.”










American Terror’s debut record, Influencer, arrived in May 2020 and led to the band quickly tallying up 350,000+ streams. The album, which was released by Megadeth bassist David Ellefson’s EMP Label Group, arrived on the heels of the success of the singles “Judgement” and “She’s A Bitch”. The band recently made Influencer available in translucent red vinyl LP, CD, and HD download formats, which are available to purchase at their official web store.


American Terror’s releases are engineered, produced, and mixed by vocalist Brad Cox at his Black Paw Studios in Lawrenceville, GA. Brad recently co-wrote, produced, and mixed the Billboard chart hit “Like ‘Em Wild” for rap/country duo Moonshine Bandits and is partners in the publishing company Black Paw Music with legendary producer Mike Clink (Guns N’ Roses, Megadeth).


The band began as a studio project featuring members of Skid Row (drummer Rob Hammersmith), Sugar Ray (ex-bassist Murphy Karges), Phunk Junkeez (DJ Soulman), and Grayson Manor (singer Brad Cox and guitarist Pat Valley). However, upon receiving highly-enthusiastic feedback from new fans and press outlets, they decided to continue their path forward with touring and multiple releases in mind, leaving Brad, Pat, Rob and fellow Grayson Manor alumnus GK Via to take over those duties.


“The past couple of years have been so crazy and my heart goes out to everyone affected by them,” Cox says. “Everyone felt this in so many different ways. For my mental health, I decided it was time to focus on writing and recording a new album. ‘End Of America’ was the first song to come out of this. After that, the rest of the upcoming album basically wrote itself.”





 

On Saturday (May 21),THE OFFSPRING, ahead of the band's show at Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom, stopped by The Lounge at Chicago's Q101 radio station for an intimate acoustic performance. Video of the group's appearance can be seen below.

THE OFFSPRING is currently on tour in support of its most recent album, "Let The Bad Times Roll". Stops along the U.S. portion of the trek include Baltimore, Atlanta, New York City, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, and Milwaukee. The band has also confirmed appearances at summer festivals throughout Europe, Japan, and Brazil.

Frequently regarded as one of the best rock bands of all time, THE OFFSPRING have garnered a reputation for their unmistakable sound and social comment. The multi-platinum band first achieved worldwide success in the 1990s with the release of their album "Smash", which sold over 11 million copies. Following "Smash", they continued to release hit after hit, popularizing rock at a mainstream level.

Throughout THE OFFSPRING's career, they've sold over a staggering 40 million albums, and toured arenas, and built a global fan base. "Let The Bad Times Roll" marks the band's tenth studio album and third album produced by the legendary Bob Rock. True to the irreverence at the core of their rock music, the band and lyricist Dexter Holland took a view to today's cultural moments and didn't shy away from creating topical material in this album.

"This album is probably the most cathartic thing we've done," says Holland. "The messages might be dark, but at the end, what's left is that communication is important, working through feelings is important and most of all, hope is important."

"Let The Bad Times Roll" has been a huge global success, hitting career-high chart debuts with seven top 5 and ten top 10 international debuts and nine top ten debuts in the U.S. The album peaked at No. 3 on the U.K. chart and hit No. 1 on the Alternative Albums chart in the U.S.

Originally formed under the name MANIC SUBSIDAL, THE OFFSPRING's lineup consists of Holland, Wasserman and bassist Todd Morse. THE OFFSPRING is often credited — alongside fellow California bands GREEN DAY and RANCID — for reviving mainstream interest in rock in the 1990s.

Former H.E.A.T. vocalist Erik Grönwall is now the frontman for Skid Row, having officially replaced ZP Theart earlier this year. He has shared his new cover of the 2014 Sia hit "Chandelier". Check it out below. 










Skid Row and earMUSIC have joined forces to announce the release of the new studio album, The Gang’s All Here, on October 14. This announcement coincides with the launch of the iconic hard rock band’s Las Vegas Residency (as the Scorpions’ special guests) this Saturday, as well as the debut of their brand-new single, the title track “The Gang’s All Here”. Watch a visualizer for the single below, and stream the song here.


“The Gang’s All Here” is an oath of triumph, exploding with powerful energy that makes us hunger for more. It is the logical next-generation leap of the band’s trademark sound that stomps out new ground – with singer Erik Grönwall (formerly of H.E.A.T, one of the best frontmen of this or any hard rock era) joining the family.


Produced by Grammy Award Winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Rush, Alice In Chains, Halestorm, Evanescence) and long-time fan, Skid Row are ablaze. They are re-energized, kicking their sound way up to modern Hard Rock Royalty.


“We are beyond excited to release this record. It has been a long time in the making and a lot of hard work has been put into it by the band and our producer Nick Raskulinecz. And the addition of Erik has lifted the songs to new heights. Add all this to the fact that we start our world tour in Las Vegas with the Scorpions residency this Saturday at Zappos Theater makes it easy to say that Skid Row is going to have a great year.” - Rachel Bolan and Snake Sabo


The Gang's All Here album can be pre-ordered here.





The Gang's All Here tracklisting:


"Hell Or High Water"
"The Gang's All Here"
"Not Dead Yet"
"Time Bomb"
"Resurrected"
"Nowhere Fast"
"When The Lights Come On"
"Tear It Down"
"October's Song"
"World's On Fire"


"The Gang’s All Here" visualizer:

Following is a message and video shared via Eluveitie's official YouTube channel: 


"At the end of 2020 we lost a true metal titan and undisputed guitar hero who took the stages of this world by storm with crushing attitude and musical finesse. Our own Jonas assembled a bunch of friends to pay tribute to the music of Alexi Laiho and Children Of Bodom. Here’s to the Wildchild - gone but never forgotten!"


Vocals - Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum)
Hurdy Gurdy - Michalina Malisz (Eluveitie)
Guitar - Jonas Wolf (Eluveitie)
Guitar - Teemu Mäntysaari (Wintersun)
Keys - Vili Itäpelto (Smackbound)
Bass - Rob Van Der Loo (Epica)
Drums - Jocke Wallgren (Amon Amarth)

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the upcoming release of a new studio album from intergalactic metallers Sick N' Beautiful with the unleashing of Starstruck on July 15, 2022. Sick N' Beautiful is the ultimate rock n' roll sideshow from outer space: a unique concoction of hard rock and modern metal infused with industrial, punk, and electro-pop overtones, blending in varying influences from across the musical spectrum to create a sound all their own. Intrigued yet? Fans can get their first taste of the new album with the release of the single and music video, “This Is Not The End”, which is out today.


Preorder/save Starstruck here. Sick N' Beautiful has also launched a Kickstarter campaign for a feature film they are working on. Fans can order special bundles for Starstruck to participate. Head to Kickstarter for more details.


In their own words: "We are intergalactic nomads, performing our numbers for the enjoyment of all species we meet in our travels. Rumor has it that sometimes we resort to "questionable" means to make ends meet: all we will say is that life in space is never easy. We fly the BFS9000, a ship that has seen better days. Even so, the recent massive engine failure came totally unexpected. With nowhere else left to go, we crash-landed on Earth, in the vicinity of Rome, Italy. Our ship is stuck here until we can get enough resources to fix it and resume our voyage.”




They continue, "Sick N' Beautiful is absolutely thrilled with signing up with the Frontiers label! They truly appreciate the "madness" of what we do, and they have left us with complete creative freedom. We trust that their experience of over 25 years in hard rock and metal will propel our eclectic spaceship farther than ever before... We also thank Oracle Management especially for their unique love and support in helping us to make all of this possible!"





Tracklisting:


“Tonight We Go To War”
“Starstruck”
“Drop It 2 The B”
“This Is Not The End”
“Defy The Light”
“Deep End Dark”
“Schadenfreude”
“Pull Of Gravity”
“Angels Be Fallin’”
“YTOPYNONAVEVANONYPOTY”


“This Is Not The End” video:

Europe guitarist John Norum  is set to release his ninth solo album, Gone To Stay, later this year. The first single, "Sail On", was released on May 20th. Check ou the official video below, filmed on a real Viking ship by director Patric Ullaeus.


Pick up "Sail On" via digital platforms found here. Stay tuned for album details, coming soon.







Europe are currently on the road supporting Whitesnake. Tour dates are as follows:


May
22 - Utilita Arena - Birmingham, UK 
25 - Motorpoint Arena - Cardiff, UK 
27 - Arena - Oberhausen, Germany
29 - KB Hall - Copenhagen, Denmark
31 - Partille Arena - Gothenburg, Sweden


June
2 - Tjuvholmen Arena - Hamar, Norway
4 - Hovet - Stockholm, Sweden
6 - Ice Hall - Helsinki, Finland
8 - Saku Arena - Tallin, Estonia
10 - Aren - Kaunas, Lithuania
12 - Tauron Arena - Krakow, Poland 
14 - O2 Universum - Prague, Czech Republic
19 - Zenith - Munich, Germany
21 - Samsung Hall - Zurich, Switzerland
28 - Lorenzini - Milan, Italy

In a brand new interview with the "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen & Shane McEachern" classic rock show, legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker was asked about ex-JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing's claim that he "was the first guy to bring the Flying V [guitar] to heavy metal ever." Schenker said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Those people out there, they are so desperate for recognition and for being the first and taking all the bloody credit, like my brother. It is unbelievable. I have no expectation, and because of that people think they can walk all over me and rip me off and take the credit. I heard even METALLICA saying, the guitarists, that they invented the gallop [rhythm]. I had the gallop on [UFO's] 'Rock Bottom' — well before [METALLICA did]. These people are crazy. They are so desperate for fame."

Circling back to Downing's claim, Schenker said: "First of all, JUDAS PRIEST and UFO was recording at the same studio. And JUDAS PRIEST guitarists are Michael Schenker fans. That's number one. So if they're Michael Schenker fans, it's most likely that K.K. Downing ripped me off rather than the other way around.

"Then, when I went to the Whisky A Go Go when I had my first American tour, with my girlfriend, when I was 19 years old — somewhere '74 or so, '75 — we saw JUDAS PRIEST at the Whisky A Go Go. When they came onstage, I looked at my girlfriend and she looked at me. He was a double of me — he was an absolute double. He had the curly hair, he had the Flying V, he had my stage outfit as close as you can get it. It was unbelievable. And the fact is everybody knows that he's a fan of Michael Schenker, so why would he lie about this in the first place? That's just crazy."

Asked when the last time was that he talked to Downing, Schenker said: "We played at his venue [KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, England], and in my dressing room there was a gift from K.K. Downing with an envelope with a nice welcome with chocolates and a whole basket full of goodies and stuff like that and with a thanks note, et cetera, et cetera. Obviously, he was very happy that I was playing in his place."

When interviewer Dave Kinchen questioned Schenker if he is "surprised" by the fact that Downing is taking credit for being "the first guy" to bring the Flying V guitar to heavy metal, Michael said: "I'm shocked, to be honest — that people are so desperate that they even lie about that. Even though people can trace their interviews from the past when they have said that they are Michael Schenker fans, et cetera, et cetera. It's unbelievable. But I'll tell you what: I have heard and seen a lot of things. Nothing surprises me anymore."

Schenker previously voiced his belief that Downing copied his look when he spoke to Canada's The Metal Voice in early April. After interviewer Jimmy Kay noted that it's "amazing" how "everybody [was] copying" Schenker's look and his guitar playing, Michael said: "Yeah, at least that was in the '80s. That's what happens. They either copied me or Eddie Van Halen, or they copied each other on the '80s scene, just to be part of a trend."

In recent years, Schenker has repeatedly accused his brother, SCORPIONS guitarist Rudolf Schenker, of "completely distorting" Michael's "personality as an icon by using the Flying V himself. "Sometimes Rudolf would come up to me and proudly report who'd tapped him on the shoulder and said, 'Hey, Michael, how are you doing?' Slash and Joe Perry, for example," Michael told Guitar World in a 2020 interview. "While I wasn't looking, he managed for years to distort the hell out of the image of the Schenker brothers. People don't have a clue anymore who is who. It's incredible how he managed to distort the whole thing. Rudolf made a deal with Gibson for black-and-white guitars. He asked me if I minded if he played a black-and-white Flying V. I asked myself why he wants to be me, but I just said, 'Go ahead.' Then he pushed it so far in trying to make the black-and-white image his. He doesn't know who he is. Then he had the cheek to make a deal with Gibson for a signature Flying V."

Last year, Downing told Sonic Perspectives that he was inspired to play a Flying V guitar at an early age. "It stemmed from when I was a kid," he said. "I saw the Flying V in the shop and I couldn't afford it. And I used to look at it. I was that Oliver Twist type of kid — [I] didn't have the money, but somehow I knew it was the guitar for what I wanted to do. And now, obviously, the Flying V is synonymous with metal and heavy rock. To me, there was never a question."

"Universal", the new studio album from Schenker's MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, will be released on May 27 via Atomic Fire Records.

Fan-filmed video of SKID ROW's entire May 20 performance at the Pompano Beach Amphitheater in Pompano Beach, Florida can be seen below.

New SKID ROW frontman Erik Grönwall joined the band in January as the replacement for ZP Theart, who had been in the group for more than six years. Theart played his final gig with SKID ROW in February before being officially given the boot.

In late March, SKID ROW released its first single with Grönwall, "The Gang's All Here". The song is the title track of the band's upcoming album, which will arrive on October 14 via earMUSIC.

SKID ROW recorded most of "The Gang's All Here" in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among many others.

Grönwall was a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T. with whom he recorded four studio albums — "Address The Nation" (2012),"Tearing Down The Walls" (2014),"Into The Great Unknown" (2017) and "H.E.A.T II" (2020) — before exiting the group in October 2020.

Grönwall was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021. Six months later, he announced that he was cancer free after receiving a bone marrow transplant in August. "Some anonymous wonderful human being somewhere in the world donated his/her blood cells so that I could get a second chance at life," he told Headbangers Lifestyle in January. "Sometimes I can just get tears in my eyes when I think about it. It's so beautiful that one person who is not connected to me in any way wanted to do that for me. He/she doesn't know that the blood cells were for me. It's completely anonymous."

Last September, Grönwall released his cover version of "18 And Life" via all streaming platforms.

In 2018, Grönwall debuted in the U.S. for 10 million viewers in NBC's live broadcast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice's musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". Along with John Legend, Alice Cooper, Sara Bareilles and others, Erik played the key role of Simon Zealotes.

SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan recently told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about Grönwall's addition to the band: "Just the way he does things and his work ethic is one I've never seen other than the four of us that are already in the band. He just doesn't stop until he gets things absolutely right. Whether it's his version, what he thinks is right, or what we think is right, he works hard — he works hard. And you can see why he had the success he did overseas because he's a really, really hard-working singer that takes care of his instrument and that takes pride in his craft."

Rachel also reflected on SKID ROW's first live performance with Grönwall, saying: "Honestly, dude, from the minute he opened his mouth… His timing is impeccable. We knew it was gonna be cool. And each show has gotten even better, 'cause we're learning each other's rhythm on stage. When I walked away from that show, I said to Erik, I go, 'This was show one. I cannot wait for show one hundred. It's gonna be amazing.'"

Bolan previously talked about how Erik came to join SKID ROW during an appearance on the latest episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation L.A. Invasion", recorded just hours before SKID ROW's first performance with the Swedish singer. "We toured together. H.E.A.T. was on tour with SKID ROW. What year was that? '18? And we'd hear him every night from the dressing room," he said. "And a couple of times, I was, like, 'Man, listen to this guy sing. He's phenomenal.' And then, I forget who told me, someone that was with us, 'Yeah, he won 'Idol' in Sweden.' And I was, like, 'Man, he's got pipes.' And I was listening. Then I went behind the monitor board a couple of times. And in my head, I'm, like, 'Wow! When SKID ROW has some downtime, I'm gonna get in touch with this dude and start a side project with him.' And obviously, that never happened. But as time went on and we got to the point to where we were with ZP and stuff, Erik was our first… I told Snake, I go, 'We've gotta check this guy out.' And along with Snake and the rest of the guys, and Nick, our producer, Nick Raskulinecz, were, like, 'He's the guy, man. Send him some songs.' So we sent him some songs that we were recording, just with a guide vocal on it, and it came back about 24 hours later, and we were, like, 'All right. He's the guy. Get him on a plane. Let's do this.'"

Ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN singer Jeff Scott Soto, who has had an acrimonious relationship with the legendary Swedish guitarist in recent years, claims that Yngwie threatened to cancel his concert Thursday night (May 19) in Agoura Hills, California after finding out his former bandmate was in attendance.

Late last night, Jeff took to his social media to write: "Hey my peeps, here's a fun little diddy for ya! I went to the Canyon Club tonight, my local watering hole for the past 21 years, it's like my Cheers where everybody knows my name...I actually went to see one of the support bands who were killer btw, I hesitated on going because my former ahem 'boss' was headlining but I was not planning to stay anyway...well, word got to him I was in the house and I was kindly told as long as I am present, the show would be cancelled... Now I've seen it all!

"I left as planned but it's kind of funny, I just had to share the ludicrousness (not a real word but seems to fit the detail) that continues in 2022, I laughed all the way home!' Jeff added. "I'm sure this will be shared like crazy but I couldn't help but sharing it with you all, good times!"

Earlier today, Malmsteen disputed Soto's account of what happened in Agoura Hills, writing on his Facebook page: " Hmmmm…. I think some people are making up stories to be in the media again. Kids, don't believe made up BS from people who are trying to stay relevant! He's not important for me to cancel my show to my fans. On the other hand I was told by my agent that he snuck in there without paying so the security threw him out. Certain people make up stories… turn up at my show, get kicked out by security because they snuck in the venue WITHOUT PAYING, then turn around make up a story to try and grab media attention… some people are sick. STOP stalking me and get help ".

When one fan questioned Yngwie about his claim that Jeff has to struggle to appear relevant on the scene today and challenged Malmsteen to "compare audience response to said projects and releases to what [Yngwie has] accomplished during the same period," Malmsteen responded: "Hmmm Let me think In the last 15/ 20 years … I have been on the American billboard chart every single time I have released a record including my last one! being playing theaters, promoters are happy. On top of that I have made mega deals including signature models with Major companies such as Marshall, Fender, ovation, Dunlop, Seymour Duncan, Lewitt microphones and the list goes on. On top of that I have won awards for the most magazine covers ever in the history of certain guitar magazines. Would you like me to carry-on?!? None of this matters to me, however what does matter is an intent to smear an attack me and my reputation for the last 40 years. Everything this man says is a lie with the intent to do damage. I have not once spoken about him and nor have any interest to simply because he’s not important to me. And yet he can’t stop talking about me on a regular basis! Making up stories because he has not had any relevant success on his own he tailgates on other people. He needs to just MoveOn and stop stalking me. Oohh I almost forgot I have over HALF A MILLION listeners on Spotify every month alone! His let me look it up… oh no ONLY 40k! Yep he needs to keep slandering me a bit more."

Soto has since returned to social media to respond to Yngwie with the following missive: "I will put this to rest after clarifying a few things.

"God forbid ANYONE thinks I am trying to drum up press, especially by berating someone in the process.

"I post my past on social media to celebrate and share the pride I have for my musical endeavors the past 4 decades. I don't and don't need to ride anyone's coattails, stalk or trying to drum up press for myself, I have my music and the current things I partake in to do this. Everything else I share is a celebration, nothing more, nothing less.

"I went out to a venue I frequent for the past 21 years, I have played this venue more times than I can remember or count and know all that have been and still there since I walked through those doors the 1st time in 2001. I have not 'snuck in' to a show since 1988 when I heard of an intimate jam Prince was throwing at an undisclosed location which I found out about and finally made it in 15 min before he was done playing. That said, if I have to sneak in to a venue or not pay to get into one for ANYONE, I simply would not even be near the building, I am 56, not 16!

"Lastly, I went to this venue to see someone play who is very near and dear to me. When I found out who the headliner was, I decided it best not to go as I didn't wanna ruffle any feathers in any way. Then I decided I will go but leave before said headliner begins as I had no interest in seeing that part of the evening anyway.

"If anyone has been paying attention to interviews, award speeches and even my own social media where I have stated numerous times all I want in my life is peace, no enemies, no animosity ESPECIALLY with ANYONE in my past, they will know my intent is ONLY about leaving this planet with no water under the bridge. I extend olive branches, continue to celebrate my past with a positive spin and make sure everyone knows I wanna hug it out with anyone who has or has had any issue with me. If this is 'sick' then institutionalize me immediately!"

Five years ago, Soto, who sang on Yngwie's first two albums, 1984's "Rising Force" and 1985's "Marching Out", engaged in a war of words with the Swedish guitarist over the fact that Malmsteen claimed in an interview that he "always wrote everything," including the lyrics and melodies, and simply hired various vocalists to sing his material.

Back in 2017, Soto told the "US American Made Guitars" show that "it's false information" to suggest that he contributed nothing to Yngwie's early albums "because we co-wrote [some of] those songs together. I actually authored those songs," he said. "For him to say, 'I wrote every lyric, every melody,' it's absolute falsity. And he's speaking out of whatever anger or whatever throwaway conversation he might be having, but when it's put on text, it comes across as very crude and very arrogant. So, of course, I don't take that kind of stuff too personally."

The singer went on to say that faulty memory may be at least partly to blame for Yngwie's comments. "Yngwie's written so much of his own stuff, he's written so much on his own when it comes to lyrics and melodies through the years," he said. "Maybe the past eight albums… I don't even know how many albums he's put out, but for that many albums he's put out, clearly his memory is fogged on the albums that he wasn't doing all of that."

He continued: "Joe Lynn [Turner] was a very strong collaborator on the album ['Odyssey'] with he did with Yngwie, as was I, as were some of the other singers that were involved with him. Maybe later on that changed and the other guys were basically just used to sing his words. And I was as well on some songs. I mean, 'I Am A Viking', I didn't write one word or one melody on it. But the stuff that we did together, that's stuff that we did together. And there's some stuff I did on my own that's on there — he didn't add or remove one single thing from it. So, again, it's selective memory. It could be he doesn't wanna talk about me, he's got a bad taste in his mouth about me, so he's gonna do everything in his power to make sure that everybody knows how downplayed my role was in his life and his career."

As for why he thinks Malmsteen has been making disparaging comments about him and other former singers in the press, Soto told "US American Made Guitars": "If anybody knows anything about Yngwie's… the business end of things, his wife is managing him. And through the years, she's gotten more control over the people in his life, the people that were in his life, and it's really sad to see that a lot us have been kind of locked out. Slowly but surely, everybody that was in his past, including his band, including myself who actually retained a great friendship and relationship with him, were just dialed out. And we were just kind of pushed to the wayside for whatever reason, whatever paranoias there are. I really don't understand it. I actually had a great relationship with both of them, and I just saw more and more that they were just pushing everybody away. They wanted their inner circle to be so small, and I never did anything to interrupt that circle. But there were others around that I'm very close to, and was very close to, one of them being Marcel Jacob, who was the bass player that was in [Yngwie's] band when I was in the band. We had a band together called TALISMAN for about nineteen years until [Marcel] took his own life back in 2009. But he and Yngwie had a bit of a conflict and they dangled that over my head for a couple of years until Marcel actually passed away in 2009. When that happened, I assumed, like everyone else that knew Marcel, the guys in the band EUROPE, so many people, whether they were big or small, acknowledged Marcel's passing. Everyone expected Yngwie to do the same, and when he didn't, it rubbed everyone the wrong way, including myself. We tried to at least just get a statement or an acknowledgement of it, and when he was not only not doing that but actually hanging up on people, blocking them or changing his number so nobody can reach him anymore about it, to me… I made a statement, and that probably got back to their camp, that said, 'To me, Yngwie is dead.' I don't wanna know or hear from him."

Soto added: "Marcel was one of my best friends, and if you can't put water under the bridge when somebody has passed, to me, that's just the weakest, juvenile way of dealing with life. And it must have gotten back to his camp, 'cause all of a sudden I was cut out."

In the days after Yngwie's original interview with Metal Wani was published on BLABBERMOUTH.NET, several of the guitarist's other former singers — including Joe Lynn Turner and Tim "Ripper" Owens — responded on social media, with Turner describing Malmsteen's statements as "the rantings of a megalomaniac desperately trying to justify his own insecurity." This was followed by a retort from a member of Yngwie's management team, who wrote on Malmsteen's Facebook page that the three vocalists "came out enraged, spitting insults and profanities" at the guitarist because "Yngwie said something that they didn't like." The management representative added: " It's very unfortunate that these past hired vocalists must resort to mudslinging and insults to elicit any kind of media attention towards them. Such classless, puerile words are ungentlemanly at best and absolutely disgraceful at worst."

Hey my peeps, here's a fun little diddy for ya! I went to the Canyon Club tonight, my local watering hole for the past...

Posted by Jeff Scott Soto on Thursday, May 19, 2022

Hmmmm…. I think some people are making up stories to be in the media again 🤨 Kids, don’t believe made up BS from people...

Posted by Official Yngwie Malmsteen on Friday, May 20, 2022
So I have heard from many people that a certain person also stalks Neal Schon, oooffff… Get help and leave us alone!

On a nicer note, let's celebrate hitting more than half a million listeners on Spotify alone 🙏🏻🔥 https://t.co/nDddlw6vCf

— Yngwie Malmsteen (@OfficialYJM) May 20, 2022



I will put this to rest after clarifying a few things, God forbid ANYONE thinks I am trying to drum up press, especially...

Posted by Jeff Scott Soto on Friday, May 20, 2022

Original KISS drummer Peter Criss joined Australian rockers SISTERS DOLL on stage during their concert Sunday night (May 22) at the Cutting Room in New York City to perform three songs.

Criss and SISTERS DOLL played the tracks "Don't You Let Me Down" (from Criss's 1978 solo album),"Words" (from his 1980 solo album "Out Of Control") and "You Matter To Me" (from his 1978 solo album).

Video of Criss's appearance, courtesy of The Rock Experience With Mike Brunn YouTube channel, can be seen below.

SISTERS DOLL was previously the backup band for Criss at what was being billed as his last live show in the USA in June 2017, also at the Cutting Room. Prior to that, Peter played with SISTERS DOLL at a concert in Australia in May 2017.

Criss, who turned 76 in December, first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a reunion tour in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.

Criss has claimed that his contract with KISS wasn't renewed in March 2004. That charge has been disputed by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons.

In addition to playing drums in KISS, Peter also provided lead vocals for a number the band's most popular and memorable songs, including "Beth", "Black Diamond" and "Hard Luck Woman".

In a 2012 interview with "The Opie & Anthony Show", Criss revealed that a power struggle, with Simmons and Stanley on one side, and Peter and Ace Frehley on the other, led to his departure from KISS. "I could start feeling [Stanley and Simmons] wanting the power," he said. "The more we were going up the ladder of future and fame, the more it was kind of swaying to Mr. Simmons and Stanley. Ace and I were kind of not getting our musical [ideas] in. It's funny — I wrote the biggest hit the band [ever had] [the 1976 ballad 'Beth'], and meanwhile, I was kind of always getting put down for this stuff. So it was always a battle."

According to Criss, he and Frehley were extremely close, which is why it was especially hurtful for the drummer to learn that Frehley was making more money when the farewell tour ended in 2000. "[It] broke my heart when [Ace] broke my heart," he said. "In the book, I tell the story, but towards the reunion, towards the end, I was devastated, man. I couldn't believe what went on. And it was again about the old M-O-N-E-Y. Money, money, money. Power, power, power. It never was enough for those guys."

Simmons has remained baffled at why Criss decided to leave the band nearly two decades ago following such a triumphant reunion tour and album. "Most people only have one chance, if at all, to swing the bat," Gene said. "Peter's had many chances. When there's a party, not everybody comes. And if you're not in the party, from the outside looking in, you scratch your head and say, 'Why wouldn't anybody want to go to the party? Lots of girls. Lots of money. Lots of good times.' You got me."

After weeks of bad-mouthing each other in the press, the four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2014 by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, with all four — Stanley, Simmons, Frehley and Criss — delivering warm, nostalgic and even sweet-natured speeches that put aside the simmering tensions for at least 12 minutes.

KISS did not perform — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Simmons and Stanley insisted on the current lineup — which also includes guitarist Tommy Thayer and Singer — performing as well. In the end nobody won that battle.

Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One For All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night With David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What A Difference A Day Makes" and "Send In The Clowns".

Former DEFTONES bassist Sergio Vega has opened up about his departure from the band.

The 51-year-old musician, who officially joined DEFTONES in 2009, confirmed his exit two months ago, just days after a new photo of the group without him emerged online on various digital service providers. At the time, took to social media to share a video explaining his perspective on the split. In the Instagram video, Vega detailed the contractual issues that created a rift between himself and the members of the Sacramento-based act.

Now, in a new interview with "The Jasta Show", Vega elaborated further on his role in the DEFTONES and how internal disagreements about his hired-gun position in the group to them parting ways.

"On a creative level, they were always super open and super cool," Sergio said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And really, when we talk about the other end, the financial end, which is something that I get, you're Chino [Moreno, DEFTONES singer] and you have dependents, you have a lot of family, and [if] things go [to] a five-way split [from] a four-way split, it changes things and that's something that impacts your life. So the financial shift and the financial swing becomes something that's hard to reckon with. But for me, even in my position and my asks or negotiations were never speaking to that. Not that it was even possible. Being on half of the band's catalog, you're not ever going to see money from things you're not a part of. But it was never even about money. Because even the publishing was there; that's fine. It's purely about belonging; it's purely about just wanting to [feel] like you're in it."

Reflecting on the fact that he joined the DEFTONES as the replacement for the band's late bassist Chi Cheng, Sergio said: "At the beginning, I was up for anything. I was just, like, 'My friends are in trouble, and I just wanna help.' My thing was, 'Whatever you need I got.' If it was to be, 'Hey, play these bass lines. We got this thing.' I'm, like, 'Yeah. Cool.' Being a hired gun, there's no room for creative input — that's fine. That would have been a thing, and you wrap your head around that. Initially, my only goal was to put my best foot forward and be a help to people in need and people that I cared about. And it was only because of the way that it was presented to me as, 'This is how it's gonna go down,' where something that I started to go, 'Hey…'"

Vega denied that his unhappiness with position in the DEFTONES was related solely to finances. "This was a perennial thing," he explained. "This was something that would come up, 'Hey, guys.' 'Okay, cool. We're really happy with the status quo.' And it was never about money. It was always, like, 'Here's another raise.' I was, like, 'It's not about that.' And it was something that I think is a misconception, like I'm trying to bring a contractual change during a pandemic. I'm not.

"Part of this weird dynamic was that having a dual kind of role in a sense of being a core and key writer, arranger and collaborator but also being someone who's being paid on a salary created a dissonance," he said. "And not for myself, but for the whole thing. And so it'd be, like, hey, you're home and you're getting paid. But I'm, like, these are the parameters that I've been trying to change. I just wanna be in the same boat. Not about equal money or anything, but when times are good, times are good. When there's income, we can draw from it. When there's no income, you just hold on to your thing.

"It was never about money and it was never about any of that," Sergio reiterated. "It was just about literally being in the same situation so that it didn't create these opportunities for dissonance, where it was, like, 'Oh, you're doing this, but we're paying you while you're doing this.' I got a call that was, like, 'We're hemorrhaging a lot of money on storage space and you.' And I was, like, 'That's my problem. I'm compared to a storage space. I'm a line item.' It's not the money. It's just the dynamic. So it wasn't me asking for anything during the pandemic; it was the contract being canceled, which is their right. And then I was, like, 'Okay, cool. This doesn't work for anybody. We can finally address a total restructure.' But at the end of the day, we weren't able to really come to terms on that. So that's fine. Basically, everything that I had said in [my initial video] statement is what kind of happened. And I totally understand their position. But mine is I have to respect my situation and my position as well, that it wasn't something that… having that dissonance, for lack of a better word, was something that was pervasive, and it was something that ultimately was affecting me mentally as well."

Vega cut his teeth in the New York City hardcore scene in the late 1980s before going on to play in the influential post-hardcore trio QUICKSAND. QUICKSAND released two major-label albums ("Manic Compression" and "Slip") before calling it a day. Soon after, Vega found himself filling in with the DEFTONES and eventually joined the band as the full-time replacement for Cheng.

Chi died in April 2013 at the age of 42. He had been in a semi-comatose state for more than four years after being seriously injured in a car accident in November 2008.

QUICKSAND reformed in 2012 and released a comeback album, "Interiors", in 2017, ending the band's 22-year interval between LPs. A follow-up effort, "Distant Populations", arrived last August.

DEFTONES recruited Fred Sablan as their new touring bassist following Vega's departure. Sablan made his live debut with the DEFTONES on April 14 at the opening concert of the band's spring 2022 U.S. tour at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter in Portland, Oregon.