Gene Simmons (KISS) and David Draiman (DISTURBED) are among the musicians who have reacted on social media to the news that Twitter's board has agreed to let Elon Musk buy the social media network for $44 billion.

If the deal officially goes through, it will make Musk — the Tesla and SpaceX founder and the world's richest man — the new owner of the social media site that hosts more than 200 million users.

Musk, who has called himself a "free speech absolutist," has said that Twitter could champion freedom as a private company. Opponents to the acquisition have theorized that Musk will allow users on the platform to spread misinformation and hate speech under the guise of protecting free speech.

While many people are happy that Musk is taking control of another giant company, some are not sure what the deal means for the future of Twitter.

Earlier today, after news of the acquisition was made public, Simmons tweeted: "Fantastic news, at the outset. @elonmusk is now the proud owner of @twitter. Free speech, important. But, Hate speech, factual misinformation (lies) should not be part of Free Speech, in my humble opinion. Good luck to Elon."

After one fan responded that free speech means "it's either all of it or none of it", Gene fired back: "You're talking out of your ass. You do not have the right to stand up in a movie theater and yell FIRE, just because you feel like it. That's Incitement To Riot. You know that, right?"

Draiman, who is of Jewish descent and has spoken out against anti-Semitism for many years, addressed one fan's comment that Musk's purchase of Twitter will result in "even more antisemitism on the platform". David said: "Nothing will improve, but at least things might be a bit more even, hopefully."

As for many Trump supporters' belief that Musk will reinstate former U.S. president Donald Trump's Twitter account and let him spew anything he wants to, Draiman said: "I hope he gets its back. Not because I like the guy (because I really don't), but because it's the right thing to do, and his posts were immeasurably entertaining lol."

Earlier today, Trump said that he will not be returning to Twitter even if Musk could reinstate his account. Instead, he told Fox News, he using his own Truth Social as the sole platform for his voice.




Fantastic news, at the outset. @elonmusk is now the proud owner of @twitter. Free speech, important. But, Hate speech, factual misinformation (lies) should not be part of Free Speech, in my humble opinion. Good luck to Elon. https://t.co/pMUFH7h4ID

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) April 25, 2022








Wookie, you’re talking out of your ass. You do not have the right to stand up in a movie theater and yell FIRE, just because you feel like it. That’s Incitement To Riot. You know that, right? https://t.co/aDLZsMvqxy

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) April 25, 2022








Mazal tov @elonmusk !

Onward and upward! #Musk #musktwitter #muskbuystwitter pic.twitter.com/xmwCNUyPJE

— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) April 25, 2022








Nothing will improve, but at least things might be a bit more even,

hopefully.

— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) April 25, 2022








I hope he gets its back. Not because I like the guy (because I really don’t), but because it’s the right thing to do, and his posts were immeasurably entertaining lol.

— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) April 25, 2022




























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Oh Shit… I called it this morning…. ‘The Tension Mounts!’ Elon Musk acquires Twitter for roughly $44 billion - The Washington Post https://t.co/IumDYVa1cw

— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) April 25, 2022








Everyone sure is way more worried about twitter than their actual reality

It’s sad and disturbing.

— Zach Myers (@ZMyersOfficial) April 25, 2022

Fan-filmed video of ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell's entire April 22 solo performance at Aztec Theatre in San Antonio, Texas can be seen below.

His setlist was as follows:

01. Atone

02. Them Bones

03. Psychotic Break

04. Sea Of Sorrow

05. Brighten

06. Cut You In

07. My Song

08. Siren Song

09. No Excuses

10. Black Hearts And Evil Done

11. Had To Know

12. Angel Eyes

13. Between

14. Check My Brain

15. It Ain't Like That

16. Down In A Hole

17. Got Me Wrong

Encore:

18. Would?

19. Man In The Box

20. Rooster

Cantrell kicked off his "Brighten" solo tour on March 24 at the Palace Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Jerry's band for the tour consists of Tyler Bates (guitar), Greg Puciato (backing vocals), Gil Sharone (drums), George Adrian (bass), Michael Rozon (pedal steel) and Jason Achilles (keyboards). The set includes songs from Cantrell's latest solo album, "Brighten", along with favorite hits from Jerry's catalog.

To make this tour even more attractive for fans, Jerry recently announced special VIP event packages at each show that offer fans tiered selections of exclusive experiences. These experiences include a meet-and-greet and photo opp with Jerry, personal autographed items of your choice, premium merch items, and at the top tier, a signed official "Atone" Gibson JC Signature Acoustic guitar. The guitar includes a letter of authenticity. Packages start at $100 all the way to $5,500, which includes the Gibson guitar.

"Brighten" came out last October. The LP has received praise from critics, including Kerrang!, which called it a "vivid, contemporary self-portrait of one of the most distinctive voices in hard rock. A long-overdue show of individual brilliance." Classic Rock proclaimed it "his best yet. The work of a songwriter who is happy within his life, it spans a broad arc of styles." The Sun commented: "A rich, organic album... 'Brighten' is brilliant."

"Brighten" is Jerry's first project without ALICE IN CHAINS in 19 years. Co-produced with film composer Tyler Bates and Paul Fig (longtime engineer), the LP got its beginnings just before the pandemic hit. They welcomed a dynamic cast of supporting players, including Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on select bass tracks, Puciato contributing to backing vocals and drummers Sharone and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Paul McCartney). Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) handled the mixing of "Brighten".

Jerry's new effort marks his first full-length release since "Degradation Trip", the epic solo album he made in 2002 with future METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo and FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin.

Jerry's career outside of ALICE IN CHAINS has consisted of two previous solo albums and contributions to major film soundtracks. Cantrell's first solo album, "Boggy Depot", was released in 1998, followed by his second album, the aforementioned "Degradation Trip". In addition to his solo artist work, Jerry has released music on soundtracks for several films, including "Spider-Man", "The Cable Guy", "John Wick 2", "Last Action Hero" and "The Punisher".

ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, "Rainier Fog", in August 2018.

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 take on The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again", complete with some classic bloopers that were too good to leave out! Watch below:





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

























 


 

ENVY OF NONE, the new band from Alex Lifeson (RUSH), Andy Curran (CONEY HATCH), Alfio Annibalini and singer Maiah Wynne, has released the official music video for the song "Never Said I Love You". The track is taken from ENVY OF NONE's self-titled debut album, which arrived on April 8 via Kscope.

According to Curran, the "Never Said I Love You" video, a Blacktide Phonic/Visual Production, "really captured the spirit of the song. It's very cinematic and I love all the moody cityscapes. The main character is very free spirited, and the video loosely follows the narrative in a subtle way. I love the picking of the flower petals: 'He loves me, he loves me not? Isn't that what life's all about …wanting to be loved or accepted?"

On the song, Andy continues: "'Never Said I Love You' is a very special one for me and Alf. It had been kicking around for a while in a demo form and the bed track always felt like it had so much potential. When we wrote the backing tracks, we were certainly feeling it had some punk/pop overtones. I think we were channeling late '80s Britpop vibrations, and I came up with the lyric line 'I Never Said I Love You', again inspired by bands like THE CURE, DEPECHE MODE, THE SMITHS and ULTRAVOX who all wrote about broken hearts on the dance floors around the world. So I thought it was time to re-introduce that theme but with something that was more upbeat.

"When Maiah and I spoke about this, she liked that lyrical hook and ran with it. The icing was Alex coming in and in the 11th hour adding the awesome middle section that sounds like pedal steel and the acoustic guitars in the chorus just elevate it to the next level.

"My initial thought lyrically was more of a 'back off, I never said I love you.' Kinda like, 'hey we're just friends,' but I love how Maiah turned that into something much different."

Wynne adds: "This song had great energy from the beginning.

"Everyone connects and interprets music from their own unique perspective.

"When I heard the line 'I Never Said I Love You', I thought of it more from the point of view of someone who never had the chance to tell the person they love how they felt before it was too late. Maybe a bad fight in a relationship that never had a resolution, or a casual fling that never became a serious relationship despite deeper feelings being there, or friends with romantic feelings that never became lovers.

"When I wrote and arranged the rest of the lyrics and vocal melodies for the song I wrote it with that sense of connection, tension, loss, and longing in mind."

Lifeson is no stranger to the concept of evolution. As a founding member of RUSH, he's been able to explore more musical ground than just about any other guitar player out there — taking rock to new progressive heights throughout the decades and always in the most wildly inventive of ways. His influence can be heard on countless bands around the world, from indie shoegaze and math rock to heavy metal and beyond. Over the last few years, Lifeson has been focusing on a new project that, no matter how well-acquainted you are with his discography, will undoubtedly shatter all seeds of expectation and blow the mind. That project is ENVY OF NONE.

"Envy Of None"'s 11 tracks — which ricochet between various shades of alternative, experimental and synth rock — throw surprises at every turn, twisting dark melodies against contemporary pop hooks. Lifeson himself is proudly aware of how little of it crosses over with the band that made him famous.

However, it was only when Wynne became involved that this truly started to feel like a band destined to go somewhere. Her haunting melodies and soul-baring intensity is — by the admission of her own bandmates — what truly brought this music to life. All things considered; she is a star in the making.

"I sent over an early version of the song 'Shadow'," explains Curran. "When I played what she'd done back to the others they were like, 'Who is this crazy talented person?!'"

The album's first single, "Liar", was released in January. Its industrial beats, driving fuzz bass and atmospheric guitars concoct a seductive swirl indeed — thrilling in ways closer to the darker art rock of DEPECHE MODE, NINE INCH NAILS and A PERFECT CIRCLE than anything these musicians have been known for prior.

"Maiah became my muse," says Lifeson. "She was able to bring this whole new ethereal thing through her sense of melody on tracks like 'Liar' and 'Look Inside'. After hearing her vocals on 'Never Said I Love You', I felt so excited. I've never had that kind of inspiration working with another musician. When we say she's special, it's because she's really fucking special."

"One of my favorite things about these songs is the intimacy of them," reveals Wynne. "It makes them feel different and more honest. There are some heavier songs too, like 'Enemy', and then tracks like 'Kabul Blues', that sound completely different to anything else."

The album closer, "Western Sunset", which was penned by Lifeson in tribute to his dear friend Neil Peart. It's a highly emotive piece of music to honor a man deeply missed by the rock community at large, and even more so by those who were lucky enough to know him.

"I visited Neil when he was ill," says Lifeson. "I was on his balcony watching the sunset and found inspiration. There's a finality about a sunset that kinda stayed with me throughout the whole process. It had meaning. It was the perfect mood to decompress after all these different textures… a nice way to close the book."

ENVY OF NONE is:

* Alf Annibalini - Guitar, Keyboards, Programming

* Andy Curran - Bass Guitar, Synthesized Bass, Programming, Guitar, Background Vocals, Stylophone

* Alex Lifeson - Guitar, Mandola, Banjo, Programming

* Maiah Wynne - Lead Vocals, Background Vocals, Keyboards

"Envy Of None" track listing:

01. Never Said I Love You [04:06]

02. Shadow [03:21]

03. Look Inside [04:44]

04. Liar [03:13]

05. Spy House [02:23]

06. Dog's Life [04:36]

07. Kabul Blues [03:12]

08. Old Strings [05:15]

09. Dumb [04:19]

10. Enemy [04:16]

11. Western Sunset [02:25]

The artwork created for METALLICA's 1996 album "Load" and its companion release, 1997's "Reload", was a source of controversy among the band's fans. "Load" featured a photo called "Semen And Blood III", which consisted of cow blood and artist Andres Serrano's own semen between two plates of Plexiglas, while the cover of "Reload" was adorned with a similar Serrano photo titled "Piss And Blood XXVI".

In a new interview with Metal Hammer, Serrano was asked what the reaction was from METALLICA's fanbase and the band to the "Load" and "Reload" covers. He said: "I think the images were a hit. I read a review once where the 'Load' album was named No. 1 on a list of best album covers. We know Lars [Ulrich, drums] and Kirk [Hammett, guitar] were happy with it but James [Hetfield, guitar/vocals] was not. I think James is still fuming."

Hetfield expressed his dislike for the "Load" cover in a 2009 interview with Classic Rock magazine. At the time, he touched upon the artwork while discussing METALLICA's so-called "wilderness" years, in the mid-to-latter 1990s, during which drug use and disagreements over the group's image and sound nearly drove them apart. Hetfield said he was particularly uncomfortable with the change in the group's image around the release of "Load". Hetfield explained: "The whole 'We need to reinvent ourselves' topic was up. Image isn't an evil thing to me, but if the image isn't you, it doesn't make much sense."

Hetfield said that he thought Ulrich and Hammett were "after a U2 kind of vibe, Bono doing his alter-ego. I couldn't get into it. I would say at least half the pictures that were to be in the booklet, I yanked out. The cover went against what I was feeling. Lars and Kirk were very into abstract art, pretending they were gay. I think they knew it bugged me. I think the cover of 'Load' was just a piss-take around all that. I just went along with all this crazy stupid shit."

Three years ago, Ulrich was asked to single out his favorite METALLICA album cover in an interview with Maxim. While the band has featured iconic images on the covers of LPs like "Master Of Puppets" and "...And Justice For All", the drummer had a different choice.

Ulrich answered: "I'm not much for favorites... the 'Load' and 'Reload' albums with the amazing pieces by Andres Serrano. They will always hold a special place in my heart. I love him as an artist. I love the imagery. I love the fact that we saw Serrano through as the cover art for those two records. Those are probably my two favorites."

Ulrich became something of an art collector in the early 2000s and told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that his fascination for fine art went back to his childhood. "You know, I grew up in a household full of music and art and somewhere up through, I don't know, late '80s, early '90s, I just started rediscovering a lot of those roots," he said. "And what happened was it kind of became a sanctuary for me away from METALLICA. It really was my thing away from the rest of the METALLICA guys and it just became just a great passion."

Fan-filmed video of DARK ANGEL's entire April 22 performance at the Hell's Heroes festival at White Oak Music Hall in Houston, Texas can be seen below.

DARK ANGEL guitarist Jim Durkin was unable to make the Hell's Heroes show and was replaced at the gig by Laura Christine, wife of DARK ANGEL drummer Gene Hoglan.

DARK ANGEL is continuing to work on material for its long-awaited comeback album. The band's first CD since 1991's "Time Does Not Heal" will feature the lineup that has performed sporadic live shows since reuniting in 2013: Hoglan, Durkin, Eric Meyer (guitar), Ron Rinehart (vocals) and Michael Gonzalez (bass).

This past February, Hoglan said during a Twitch livestream from his home that he and his DARK ANGEL bandmates were "in the process" of making a new album. "That's actually one of the reasons I can't be doing TESTAMENT stuff this year. Because, [with] DARK ANGEL, we are writing a record, we are moving forward," he said. "Just a week and a half ago, two weeks ago, I just had Mr. Eric Meyer from DARK ANGEL in this room. We were jamming it out, we wrote a new DARK ANGEL song.

"I've been moving forward with writing. We have gigs coming up, so this year, it won't be heavily, heavily, heavily DARK ANGEL, but now that my schedule's open, I can commit a little harder to some DARK ANGEL gigs," he explained. "We do intend to be in the studio before the end of this year. So I have a lot of work ahead of me, and so does Jim Durkin. He's been sending over songs, riffs, stuff like that, [which has been] super exciting. We're all of the same mindset of making this just the most absolutely kick-ass DARK ANGEL record that we can."

DARK ANGEL released two albums with Don Doty on vocals — 1984's "We Have Arrived" and 1986's "Darkness Descends" — before he exited the group and was replaced by Rinehart (after a brief stint with Jim Drabos in 1987). The band issued two more studio LPs — 1989's "Leave Scars" and the aforementioned "Time Does Not Heal" — before calling it quits in 1992.

Swedish heavy metal band Lion’s Share has made a new song, “Throne Of Steel”, available on streaming services and digital service providers.





Lion’s Share singer Nils Patrik Johansson commented: "This is a real favorite of mine. Pure metal from start to finish. In my book it's our best song since 'We Are What We Are'. Lyric wise it's also pretty interesting since it's about the fact that everything seems to be a quest for power. To be on top of the throne. With that said we'd better add that the lyrics were written before Russia invaded Ukraine."







In late 2018, Lion’s Share released a new five-track EP, plus its complete catalog - remastered with new artwork - on streaming services and digital service providers for the first time. The band have since released a few more digital singles, some of which will and some of which won't end up on the forthcoming full-length album.


Lion’s Share guitarist Lars Chriss added: "I've always been a fan of lead guitar players like George Lynch and Randy Rhoads who play a little bit ”outside of the box” with some unexpected notes. I wanted to experiment a little bit myself and came up with a pretty ”crazy” solo, which I still think fit the song."


Both Johansson and Chriss remark that they have always worked very well together, and at this point it feels the most natural to keep Lion’s Share as a duo, with friends helping out wherever needed.


"We are aware our fans want a new album and the plan was to release one in 2020, but we all know what happened then. We had just started playing live again with a couple of headline shows in Germany in March and were gearing up towards a new album and tour. Since we think it's very important to tour behind a new album, we just have to wait until things go back to “normal” again". Until then, we plan to release a new single every 2-3 months and keep building our fan base." 


The Lion’s Share catalog features appearances by members and ex-members of KISS, Megadeth, King Diamond, Hammerfall, Symphony X, Chimaira, Therion, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Candlemass. Mixers include top engineers such as Jens Bogren (Arch Enemy, Opeth, Symphony X, Amon Amarth) - Niklas Flyckt (one-time Grammy Award winner and four-time nominee) and Ronny Lahti (Roxette, Europe, Glenn Hughes).


Lion’s Share has toured with bands like Motörhead, Manowar, Dio, Saxon, Iced Earth, Nevermore, U.D.O. (ex-Accept), Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) and has played many of the major rock and metal festivals.

QUEENSRŸCHE members Michael Wilton (guitar) and Eddie Jackson (bass) have fired back at their estranged drummer Scott Rockenfield, accusing him of abandoning his position as a member of the band and misappropriating the group's assets to his own personal benefit.

Last October, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against Wilton and Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge. In the lawsuit, which was filed in Snohomish County Superior Court, Rockenfield claimed that he took paternal leave of absence from QUEENSRŸCHE in February 2017 after his fiancée experienced complications during the birth of their son and had to have an emergency Cesarean delivery. According to the drummer, his leave of absence was approved by the members of QUEENSRŸCHE and he was to retain an equal one-third interest in all QUEENSRŸCHE companies (QR Companies), including Tri-Ryche Corporation, Melodisc LTD., Queensryche Merchandising, Inc., EMS Music, LLC and Queensryche Holdings, LLC.

Scott alleged that or about October 11, 2018, Wilton and Jackson purportedly "voted to dismiss Rockenfield from the QR Companies due in whole or in part to his taking of approved family leave. Rockenfield was informed of his purported dismissal from the QR Companies in a letter dated November 3, 2018."

According to Rockenfield's complaint, since 2017, Wilton and Jackson "have wrongfully withheld from Rockenfield all sources of income from the QR Companies in violation of the various Operating Agreements and Contracts governing the QR Companies for no lawful purpose." In addition, they "have failed to provide Rockenfield with an accounting of the books, records, business and contracts of the QR Companies."

Although Rockfenfield said he had continued to receive royalties from Tri-Ryche since February 2017 for the old catalogue, he claimed he had "received no payments from Melodisc since February 2017, and no payments from Queensryche Merchandising since early 2018, and no payments from EMS since February 2017."

Rockfenfield also claimed that Wilton and Jackson did not include him in the recording QUEENSRŸCHE's latest album, "The Verdict", "despite his availability and willingness to participate."

During all of 2017 and 2018, Rockenfield claimed, he "remained active in all aspects of the QR Companies' business, song writing, licensing options, and communications with the exception of touring.

Rockenfield claimed to be "owed compensation for lost wages and profits as, as well as an amount equal to the present fair market value of his equity interest in the QR Companies as of his wrongful dismissal, plus interest thereon."

On March 10, 2022, Wilton and Jackson filed their "answers, affirmative defenses and counterclaims" in which they denied Rockenfield was wrongfully dismissed from QUEENSRŸCHE. In the document, which was obtained by BLABBERMOUTH.NET, they claim that Rockenfield announced in March 2017 that he was taking a few months off from touring fully aware that "QUEENSRŸCHE was in the middle of a tour and was contractually obligated to play a number of live concerts, including an upcoming April 1, 2017 concert in California, to be followed by several concerts in the U.S. scheduled for April and May, and that QUEENSRŸCHE, including Rockenfield, had agreed and were scheduled in June 2017 to play 13 live shows at different venues across Europe. Rockenfield's sudden departure required Jackson and Wilton to locate and hire a drummer" — former KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo — "so that the band could comply with their contractual touring obligations."

Wilton and Jackson go on to say that Rockenfield "made no effort to assist the band in finding a substitute drummer for the remaining concert dates on the QUEENSRŸCHE tour." They also claim that they, along with singer Todd La Torre and the band's manager began attempting to contact Rockenfield "near the end of 2017" to discuss his participation on the next QUEENSRŸCHE album. However, "Rockenfield only sporadically responded to band members and band management about participating in the recording the new album. On those occasions when Rockenfield did respond to members of QUEENSRŸCHE or band management, he obfuscated and refused to commit or agree to rejoin the band or to participate in the process of recording the new album."

According to the document, QUEENSRŸCHE management contacted Rockenfield via e-mail in late 2017 and informed him that "QUEENSRŸCHE had to have a declaration from Rockenfield as to whether or not he intended to participate in recording on the band's album. Rockenfield was informed by QUEENSRŸCHE management that due to his continued obfuscation, that his failure respond with anything other than a commitment to rejoin the band for their album, would necessarily be deemed a 'no.' Rockenfield subsequently acquiesced to QUEENSRŸCHE hiring another drummer to take Rockenfield's place."

Wilton and Jackson also accuse Rockenfield of failing to generate any income to pay off a loan used to cover the settlement QUEENSRŸCHE had reached with the band's original singer Geoff Tate eight years ago.

"When QUEENSRŸCHE had negotiated their financial settlement with Tate in 2014, QUEENSRŸCHE's then attorney recommended and arranged for Jackson, Wilton and Rockenfield to secure a loan from a particular third party lender, the proceeds of which would to be used to pay Tate a lump sum of the entire amount of the agreed upon settlement," the document states. "Wilton, Jackson and Rockenfield signed the loan agreement as individuals doing business as QUEENSRŸCHE. Under the Agreement, Jackson, Wilton and Rockenfield were jointly and severally liable to the Lender for repayment of the loan. The Lender required the band members to pledge real property as security for the loan. Wilton and Jackson pledged real property that each individually owned. As additional security Wilton and Jackson were required to pledge specific valuable and irreplaceable personal property they had accumulated during their three decades of playing and performing in rock and roll music all over the world. Rockenfield did not own any real property. Rockenfield was only required to pledge some computer equipment he had used for recording his side project, Hollywood Loops. With the rapid advancement of computer technology, any value of the computer equipment Rockenfield pledged, quickly diminished."

According to the document, Jackson, Wilton and Rockenfield were required to make regular monthly payments or risk default" on the loan "and loss of the property they'd pledged as security. The loan prohibited Wilton, Jackson and Rockenfield from selling or otherwise disposing of personal property pledged as security for the loan, and provided that, if any of the property pledged as security was disposed of prior to the loan having been paid in full, the loan would come immediately due. Prior to the loan being paid in full, Rockenfield sold or otherwise disposed of the property he'd pledged as security for the loan."

Wilton and Jackson note in the document that "the revenue generated through QUEENSRŸCHE concerts was the primary income source that allowed QUEENSRŸCHE band members to stay current on Tate loan. Since Rockenfield left the band in Spring 2017, Rockenfield has not generated any income for use to pay off the loan used to pay Tate. Since Rockenfield left the band in 2017, he has not contributed any money to pay off the Tate loan. Rockenfield's failure to generate any income for the band after leaving in 2017, resulted in the other obligors, Jackson and Wilton, shouldering the entire responsibility to pay off the Tate loan, including Rockenfield's portion, and, Rockenfield's actions put Jackson and Wilton at risk of default and loss of their own property."

According to the document, Rockenfield opted not to participate in any of at least 65 concerts QUEENSRŸCHE played between March of 2017 and October 2018, and was informed and invited to attend pre-production meetings for "The Verdict" album in 2018. "Although the band's pre-production work was occurring approximately 10-12 miles from Rockenfield's residence, he declined to take part," the document states.

Wilton and Jackson also accuse Rockenfield of "intentionally and wrongfully withdrawing $10,000.00 in cash from QUEENSRŸCHE without permission and for his own personal use," "intentionally and wrongfully charging personal expenses to his QUEENSRŸCHE company credit card" and "removing video-wall panels without notice or permission from the band's storage facility."

Regarding how Wilton and Jackson came to dismiss Rockenfield from the QUEENSRŸCHE companies, the guitarist and bassist claim that they "provided Rockenfield with 10 days written notice of a shareholder/board meeting of the QR Companies, with a notice of the date, time and location of that meeting place, and an advisement that the subject matter of the meetings was the dismissal of Rockenfield from the QUEENSRŸCHE companies. On October 11, 2018, the day before the scheduled meeting, Rockenfield sent Jackson and Wilton a text message confirming he'd received notice of the meeting. Rockenfield requested that he be allowed to attend the meeting telephonically. Historically, telephonic attendance of meetings of the QR Companies was a commonplace practice for members of QR Companies. Wilton notified Rockenfield he could attend the meeting telephonically. Rockenfield received a text that confirmed the meeting location and included confirmation of the meeting time and the phone number that allowed Rockenfield to call in and participate telephonically in the meeting. On October 12, 2018, at the time scheduled for the meeting, Rockenfield failed to appear and failed to call in telephonically. After waiting for in excess of an hour without Rockenfield either appearing in person or calling to appear telephonically, and, the remaining members constituting a quorum, Rockenfield was formally voted out of the QR companies."

Wilton and Jackson go on to say that "Rockenfield's initial indication that he would participate, at least telephonically, in the October 12, 2018 meeting, only to fail to make any effort to do so, along with his to failure to notify either Jackson or Wilton that he was not going to participate, was consistent with the behavior Rockenfield had shown the band and in matters of QUEENSRŸCHE business for most of the previous year and a half."

Wilton and Jackson also take issue with Rockenfield's decision to launch a cryptic new QUEENSRŸCHE-centric web site in May 2021 without notice or permission from them. On the Queensryche2021.com web site, Rockenfield "'teased' viewers that he would be releasing new QUEENSRŸCHE music," according to the document. "Rockenfield followed his on-line posting with statements on social media that he was 'ready to rock,' inviting fans to join his site by providing him with their names and email contacts." They also claim that "without permission or approval from QUEENSRŸCHE or its label, Rockenfield posted an out-take of a version of an old song QUEENSRŸCHE had decided not to use in a prior album." They add that "Rockenfield actually had no new QUEENSRŸCHE music to release and his on-line posts served only to confuse fans and damage the QUEENSRŸCHE brand."

Wilton and Jackson are asking the court to dismiss Rockenfield's claims with prejudice, declare Rockenfield abandoned his position of employment with QUEENSRŸCHE and to award the two of them "general, special, and statutory damages and equitable remedies" that they are entitled

Legendary rockers JOURNEY have released a 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.

This past February, founding JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon shared the "Freedom" track listing in an Instagram post. It is as follows:

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, bassist Randy 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."

Before a show in SPV's German hometown Hannover, British rock legends, Magnum, received a special 50th Anniversary award from their record company SPV/Steamhammer. This year marks the bands 50th anniversary and they are now for 20 years at SPV/Steamhammer. In these years they have sold over 400,000 records!





 




Pictured above from left to right: Björn von Oettingen (head of promotion Steamhammer), Olly Hahn (labelmanager Steamhammer), Lee Morris (drums, Magnum), Tony Clarkin (guitars, Magnum), Rick Benton (keyboards Magnum), Bob Catley (vocals, Magnum), Dennis Ward (bass, Magnum), Frank Uhle (managing director SPV).


 


Magnum,were recently forced to cancel two upcoming UK shows - in Southampton and Cardiff - due to COVID-19. The band have since announced that the rescheduled dates for the shows are as follows:


December

6 - Engine Rooms - Southampton, UK

7 - Tramshed - Cardiff, UK


Find the band's complete tour itinerary at magnumonline.co.uk.





Magnum recently released their new studio album, The Monster Roars. The album features twelve new songs in total, with a few little surprises thrown in! On top of the regular disc, Magnum released a limited box set with three extra bonus tracks, including a new version of "Days Of No Trust", the opener of the 1988 album classic Wings Of Heaven, a new remastered version of "Sweets For My Sweet", the very first single of their career from 1975, and a previously unreleased track from the same era.





The Monster Roars is available in the following configurations:


- CD DigiPak

- Limited Box Set

- 2LP Gatefold, 140 g, red vinyl, printed inner sleeves

- Download / Streaming


Order here.


- Exclusive CD/LP Bundle with a shirt only at the Steamhammer shop


Order here


- 2LP Gatefold exclusive coloured edition only at the Napalm shop


Order here


- Exclusive 2LP Gatefold exclusive coloured edition only for the UK


Order here


"No Steppin' Stones" lyric video:





"I Won’t Let You Down" lyric video:

POISON drummer Rikki Rockett has come out in support of Mike Tyson after the former heavyweight boxer was reportedly filmed punching a man in the face on a plane.

In the video, which went viral on Thursday (April 21), a fellow first-class passenger is seen "provoking" Tyson from the seat behind him aboard a Florida-bound flight, with Tyson eventually losing his cool and repeatedly pummeling the passenger, resulting in the passenger sustaining cuts to his head.

Although some people on the Internet drew comparisons between Tyson and Will Smith slapping Chris Rock onstage at the 2022 Oscars, most of the reactions seem to be in support of the boxer, who was on the Wednesday night JetBlue flight from San Francisco to Miami to appear at a weed conference after-party.

One musician who said that he was taking Tyson's side is Rockett, tweeting on Thursday: "While I don't condone violence, I think our society has enabled people to mouth off, harrass and get away with it thinking they can just make money off of a lawsuit if it turns physical. I stand with #miketyson".

BODY COUNT frontman Ice-T was in apparent agreement with Rockett, writing: "Mike Tyson punched somebody who was Fn with him……. The problem is nowadays, MFs think they WON'T get punched in the Face…"

Also weighing in was KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, who shared a TMZ article about YouTube star-turned-boxer Jake Paul's assessment that "if you’re being heckled in public like Mike Tyson was you should legally get a hall pass to beat someone’s ass." Simmons added a simple one-word comment: "Agreed!"

On Thursday, representatives for Tyson confirmed the incident, writing in a statement: "Unfortunately, Mr. Tyson had an incident on a flight with an aggressive passenger who began harassing him and threw a water bottle at him while he was in his seat."

Prior to the confrontation, the apparent harasser is seen on the standing over Tyson's seat, waving his arms and talking animatedly while the former boxer sits quietly.

San Francisco police responded about 10 p.m. to a "physical altercation" on a plane at the airport's domestic terminal, officials said.

"Officers arrived and detained two subjects that were believed to be involved in the incident. One subject was treated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries. That subject provided minimal details of the incident and refused to cooperate further with the police investigation," police said in a statement.




While I don’t condone violence, I think our society has enabled people to mouth off, harrass and get away with it thinking they can just make money off of a lawsuit if it turns physical. I stand with #miketyson

— Rikki Rockett (@RikkiRockett) April 21, 2022








Mike Tyson punched somebody who was Fn with him……. The problem is nowadays, MFs think they WON’T get punched in the Face…

— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) April 21, 2022








Agreed! https://t.co/SpFhcUNMlz

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) April 22, 2022








Sports “fan” heckled Black athlete. Black athlete put hands on him. That Black athlete was Mike Tyson.

This is an extension of the “culture” of fans thinking they have the right to heckle and verbally attack athletes without consequences.

pic.twitter.com/gcR0NJdO3z

— L E F T, PhD ⚫️ (@LeftSentThis) April 21, 2022

Heavy rockers Cellar Stone have announced the release of their new album Rise & Fall.


Rise & Fall was recorded at Soundflakes Studio in January/February 2021 by Nick Papadopoulos and mixed in the woods of Kentucky, USA at Monocle Studios, by Jordan Westfall. On top of that the frontman of Black Stone Cherry, Chris Robertson guests on the album, with a fiery guitar solo on track “War We Can Win”. 


Mastered at Euphonic Masters, Memphis, Tennessee by Brad Blackwood. The new album shows 11 heavy rock brand new tracks. Once again Cellar Stone delivers an album with over the top production, strong melodies and massive guitar riffing. The band willtour with UFO on their special farewell dates on July and October.




Rise & Fall will be released on July 1, 2022 as digipak CD, Rose Red/Black Marbled vinyl (limited to 300 copies worldwide) and digital streaming and download format. Preorders available here.





Tracklisting:


“Borrowed Time”
“Going Under”
“Time To Fall”
“War We Can Win” (feat. Chris Robertson)
“To The Core”
“Through My Veins”
“Demons”
“Save Me”
“Rise & Fall”
“Storm Is Coming”
“Run Away”





Cellar Stone dates supporting UFO:


July
7 - Bremen, Germany - Modernes
8 - Berlin, Germany - Hole 44
9 - Torgau, Germany - Kulturbastion Open Air
11 - Tübingen, Germany – Sudhaus
12 - Bochum, Germany - Zeche
13 - Cologne, Germany – Kantine


October
15 - Sint Niklaas, Belgium - De Casino
16 - Tilburg, Netherlands - 013
17 - Braunschweig, Germany - Westand
18 - Hamburg, Germany - Fabrik
20 - Prague, Czech Republic - Palac Akropolis
21 - Dresden, Germany - Tante Ju
22 - Erfurt, Germany - HsD
24 - Augsburg, Germany - Spectrum
25 - Speyer, Germany - Halle 101
26 - Nürnberg, Germany - Hirsch
28 - Thessaloniki, Greece - Principal Club
29 - Athens, Greece - Fuzz Club

Italian power/progressive metallers, Secret Sphere, have released a new video, featuring a live studio session performance of "The Scars That You Can't See".


The original studio version of "The Scars That You Can't See" appears on the album, Archetype. Watch the video below:







Lineup:


Roberto Messina - Voice
Aldo Lonobile - Guitars
Andrea Buratto - Bass
Gabriele Ciaccia - Keyboards
Marco Lazzarini – Drums

THE CHOPHOUSE BAND, the band led by former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted, performed last night (Saturday, April 23) at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre in Jupiter, Florida. It was a benefit event for the Goldner Conservatory, a professional conservatory that offers the highest caliber of artistic education to students of all ages.

Professional violinist Carl Schmid, who is part of Jason's backing band, shared photos and video of yesterday's concert and included the following message: "METALLICA was the second band I ever saw when I was a kid-I went to Giants Stadium in New Jersey, where I saw them with GUNS N ROSES and FAITH NO MORE opening the show. My ears are still ringing from that show-it had to be the loudest event I've ever been at. And it was my first taste of Rock N Roll. Until then I was an awkward 13 year old kid playing Mozart and Bach. I came home from that show and told my parents I wanted to be like those guys. They were mortified. A couple years ago, just by a random (or not) coincidence, I got to meet Jason Newsted and he invited me up to his place to play. We played a couple shows together, and then Covid hit. He took a two year hiatus, and then about 4 months ago we got back together.

"Last night was incredible - we played for an oversold out Maltz Theater in Jupiter, and got to raise a whole bunch of money for some deserving kids to attend music school. It was just a few years ago that I came crawling back into recovery with literally a bag of clothes, and very little desire to live, much less play. The gifts I've received, the amazing Grace I've been shown and felt, is just incredible. It's been a pretty challenging month for me, but last night was just another reminder that anything is possible in recovery. Anything."

Earlier this week, Newsted spoke to the 98.7 The Gater radio station about the Maltz Jupiter Theatre concert, saying: "During my COVID downtime, I was in upstate New York. I wrote about 35 new songs during that. I brought it back to my boys. I was sending them the tapes, the demos, sending it up to them to learn them… And that's what we're going to do at the Maltz. We're playing a couple of songs that people are familiar with, inspired by Johnny Cash and stuff, but most of it is all new original music from THE CHOPHOUSE BAND. I'm not playing any acoustic guitar anymore — it's just Les Pauls and SGs and stuff now. Some of it's a little quieter but most of it's not."

Elaborating on the musical direction of the new THE CHOPHOUSE BAND material, Jason said: "THE CHOPHOUSE BAND started out as almost a bluegrass-tinged thing, and now it gets to some places that are as heavy as anything else that I'd been involved with — VOIVOD, Ozzy [Osbourne], METALLICA, NEWSTED band; any of that stuff — it gets to those places now."

Adding that he "loves" singing, Newsted said: "Now since the last time anybody saw THE CHOPHOUSE BAND, we have a vocal group within the band. Now there are four singers in the band. I have two singers from New York — a female and male singer — that are coming down to join us. And so I'm singing eight or 10 songs, and they're singing the rest, but I do background vocals and stuff now. So I can actually really concentrate on playing the guitar and then singing that background stuff. And there's screaming and some [growling] also. So I still haven't lost that. And it lets people know that there's still one foot in that place. You can take the boy out of the metal [but] you can't take the metal out of the boy; it's just the way it's always gonna be. So I'm excited for people to be able to witness what we have been working so hard at. I put a lot — a lot — of energy into these new songs."

Newsted also revealed that THE CHOPHOUSE BAND will enter the studio on May 5 to begin recording its debut album. Asked if he will release the LP himself, Jason replied "yes" before clarifying, "Actually, it's possible — very possible — that I'll be back into the Q Prime fold [METALLICA's longtime management company] with that kind of backing, like a real-deal thing."

Named after Jason's four recording studio facilities around the U.S. and featuring a fluid roster of players, THE CHOPHOUSE BAND began in 1992 when Newsted founded The Chophouse Records Studio in San Francisco.

THE CHOPHOUSE BAND is led by Newsted, playing guitar and performing lead vocal, accompanied by 
close friends/musicians of all walks and styles.

Jason previously told the Palm Beach Florida Weekly about THE CHOPHOUSE BAND: "We all get along great because there's not money involved. They've got their own bands, their own families, their own gigs. We do benefit gigs, six a year, and that's it. I record and write and play songs the whole rest of the time. They could all run circles around me musical theory-wise. They could tell you everything they're playing, and all the relating chords. I surround myself with the badasses, and they make me look really good. I'm playing cowboy chords the whole time, and they're doing their fancy shit to make me look good. I just concentrate on singing, and getting across the things I want people to hear."

Jason left METALLICA back in 2001, but was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, along with Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and the man who replaced him, bassist Robert Trujillo, in 2009.

Eight years ago, Jason shelved NEWSTED, the heavy metal project he operated between 2012 and 2014, saying that it cost him "an awful lot of money — hundreds of thousands of dollars." He added: "I couldn't continue because the business is such a harsh thing now and so different than what I had known."


Metallica was the second band I ever saw when I was a kid-I went to Giants Stadium in New Jersey, where I saw them with...

Posted by Carl Schmid on Sunday, April 24, 2022



Posted by Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band Fans CR 01 on Saturday, April 23, 2022





Posted by Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band Fans CR 01 on Saturday, April 23, 2022



Posted by Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band Fans CR 01 on Saturday, April 23, 2022

Two years ago, Swiss hard rock legends KROKUS postponed their last-ever concerts in USA and Canada due to the coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the globe. The 13-date trek was originally scheduled to kick off at Canton Hall in Dallas, Texas on September 18, 2020 and conclude at Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California on October 10, 2020. Asked in a new interview with "Interviewing The Legends With Ray Shasho" if KROKUS will ever perform again, singer Marc Storace said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We consciously said we're gonna stop while the going was good, while the band level is kickass and we're all standing and delivering and end on a good note. In 2019, in December, we played the Hallenstadion in Zurich, and after that we played the Monsters Of Rock cruise. And then came the pandemic. So we had all these dates in England together with SAXON and we had dates in Canada, we had dates in the USA and also Mexico. And the whole pandemic went on for two years, so what do you do? You can't hold on to [the shows]. We let everything go, and I was, like, 'Okay.' That was it. Bye. [Laughs] In the meantime, I worked on my [solo album], 'cause I get too restless at home doing nothing. Which was great, and I'm so happy. I've had great reviews and the band is great and I'm doing my thing and enjoying rehearsals and enjoying the gigs.

"So we still have gigs that we owe — KROKUS still owes gigs; fans bought tickets and so on and so forth," he continued. "So recently — this was a couple of weeks ago — I got together with Fernando [Von Arb, guitar] and Chris [Von Rohr, bass], and we were saying it's shit, how we can't let COVID kick our ass, kind of. We didn't like how it had to end, how we were forced to say, 'We can't come.' … So now we're full of this hatred against COVID, and we've gotta hit back by maybe doing something again. So we left it at that. 'Okay, let's see. We're talking too much. We're dreaming again.' I said, 'We're not dreaming. If we decide [to do it], I'm all in. I'm in there.' So let's see. We'll be coming back together, 'cause I'll be playing in Solothurn with my band, KROKUS's hometown, and they're all gonna be there, VIPs, and [we'll] meet backstage. So the emotions, I guess, will lead us in that direction, I'm hoping. So we'll see what happens. Think positive."

Last month, Storace explained to Rock Show Critique why KROKUS has toured America so infrequently over the course of the last 20 years. He said: "Well, it starts with the work permits. And they cost money. Then the tax. Then the booking fees, the percentages, the renting out of equipment, buses, hotels and everything. So if you've gotta do a club tour, you can't even pay for all that. We haven't been there for a long while, so we don't expect to come over and do a headliner tour in stadiums; we're far from that again. Because in the meantime, there's a lot of water under the bridge. And that's how it is. The status sinks because there's no longer promoters who believe that you're gonna bring in the money back for that. I guess that's the way it is. It's like a vicious circle. You have to come over one day and get the ball rolling again and then come back the next year and the next year to reach the status that you are used to. And you have to also release a new album to accompany that. And the new album isn't enough. Albums don't sell anymore. There's Spotify — all these parasites around — streaming, which don't give you your money's worth."

When KROKUS first announced its decision to embark on a farewell tour in September 2019, the band explained in a statement: "KROKUS shows have always been special and should stay that way. That's why we decided to stop when it's still really good. That's how the fans should remember us."

Formed in 1975, KROKUS has sold over 15 million records, toured the world, and received gold and platinum discs in the USA and Canada. KROKUS was also the first Swiss band to sell out the legendary Hallenstadion in Zurich and has received a diamond disc for selling one million albums in Switzerland alone.

In the course of its legendary career, KROKUS has rocked over 2,000 shows on five continents, countless cities, unique locations, crazy gigs, and loyal fans.

English rock journalist Malcolm Dome quite rightly said: "If you look at the long-term output of this band, KROKUS is clearly one of the best hard rock bands of the last 40 years."