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





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







Find Helloween's tour itinerary and ticket links here.


(Photo – Martin Häusler)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by Mike Portnoy on Saturday, March 5, 2022

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

Posted by Amanda Palamara on Friday, March 4, 2022

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

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

Mike Portnoy viendo a Dream Theater !!!!

Posted by ATR DT on Friday, March 4, 2022

With one of the greatest drummer ever MIKE PORTNOY

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mike Mangini (@mikemanginiofficial)

Canadian hard rock band Dali Van Gogh have signed a licensing deal with Wormholedeath for the release of their new EP - New Blood, Old Wounds - dropping worldwide on June 24th.


Dali Van Gogh is a female-fronted hard rock band from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Originally founded in 2008 by guitarist Isaac Kent, Dali Van Gogh went through several lineup changes before landing on the lasting lineup of Rachelle "Rocky" Moreau, Johnny Moore, Lance Hicks, and of course Kent. The band has released four full-length albums, one EP, and over a dozen singles. The latest of these, "Little Hell", is produced bv multiple Juno and Grammy winner Eric Ratz, and is the lead single off of the new record.







Dali Van Gogh's influences are eclectic and varied, ranging from the hard rock origins of the grunge movement, to the classics of musical theatre, to the hard-core punk and metal of more modern times. 


Dali Van Gogh 's new EP - New Blood, Old Wounds - will be released on June 24th through Wormholedeath. This EP ties into an on-going story told through the novella, The Testimony, which is also written by members of the band. Read it at DaliVanGoghMusic.com.


"We're thrilled to be working with Wormholedeath," said Isaac Kent, guitarist and founder of the band. "The team's expertise has already been invaluable in expanding our marketing in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Can't wait to see what the new few years bring."


The band will be celebrating the new release with a series of one night only performances in the capital cities of each of the Maritime provinces in Canada before hitting the festival circuit this summer. Confirmed venues are as listed:


June 
24 - Mic Mac Aquatic Club - Halifax, Nova Scotia
25 - Baba's Lounge - Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island


July
2 - Tide and Boar Gastro Pub - Moncton, New Brunswick


New Blood, Old Wounds cover and tracklisting:





"Little Hell" 
"Out For Blood" 
"Bury The Lead" 
"Savanna"
"Boneyard"


For further details, visit Dali Van Gogh on Facebook.


 

NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen recently released a new solo single, "Fire", via ADA, the division of Warner Music Group dedicated to independent label and artist distribution. Speaking to Finland's Chaoszine about her decision to launch a solo career nearly 25 years after she joined her first band, she said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I just never thought of it. I didn't feel the need to do anything like that. I found and find NIGHTWISH very fulfilling, so that's why I also took my time to really think about even do I wanna do it. The fact that I can do it doesn't mean I have to do it. It has to be fun, it has to be good. And it has to coexist [with everything else]. It's a luxury problem but still one you need to manage before it becomes an actual problem."

Regarding how different it is for her to be writing and releasing her own music compared to working with a band like NIGHTWISH, she said: "The fact that I'm by myself makes it scarier and different. It's more my brainchild than NIGHTWISH because [NIGHTWISH] is Tuomas's [Holopainen, NIGHTWISH keyboardist] brainchild and I add my creativity and my personality and who I am in my own way into NIGHTWISH, and I've always felt that very fulfilling. But, of course, when you decide, okay, I'm gonna write, I'm gonna think of how the video will look like, I'm gonna think of how the image of the whole thing is gonna be like, work with people towards that… It's, yeah, like I said, more of my brainchild in that sense. It brings a new level of excitement — a different level."

Jansen also addressed the fact that some NIGHTWISH fans are concerned that she might leave the band if her solo career takes off. She said: "I think by now they should know how much I love NIGHTWISH as well. So there's no need for concern at all; I could never leave NIGHTWISH. [Laughs] It's just really fun to do this on the side, and NIGHTWISH gives me plenty of time to do it. And yeah, also creatively, it's great to be creative like this."

Speaking about how she is able to explore other musical avenues with her solo project that she wasn't able to pursue with any of her previous bands, Floor said: "That was so nice with having two years [during the pandemic] to kind of test-ride that. Because my idea from the get-go was to not do metal or rock. I've been doing that for 20 years — 20-plus years. I'm already in one of the biggest bands you can think of, I'm already working with the best songwriter you can think of, so to do something in metal on the side would kind of feel like something weaker on the side. Why would I wanna do that? Plus I've already been doing it. You guys know how I look like in a metal band, so how do I actually look like when you strip it more down in a more 'less is more' kind of environment? Then it immediately becomes pop music, and that's so broad, like metal — there's so many styles. So how does Floor Jansen sound when she's not doing metal or rock? That I've been exploring, and I really soon realized I actually don't know because I've never been writing like that; I don't really think in pop lines. Yet if I grab a guitar or a piano — also because I'm pretty crap at playing; I'm very basic — I come with basic ideas, and that sometimes is good when you wanna write in a pop form. But I could never do that by myself. So I had to find the right songwriters to work with. And key in all this was really working with Gordon Groothedde, a Dutch producer. When we started writing together, my songwriting skills really fell in place. He's really, really good in what he does. And, yeah, I also noticed, besides the fact that pop and metal are musically so far away from each other, which is a bit of an obvious, but still in the process of finding my sound here, it became more and more clear to me where those differences lie. I also realized that, yeah, I think I kept developing myself as a singer, I feel confident with what I can do vocally, but songwriting-wise, I kind of stayed behind quite many years. So I'm reinventing myself there, I'm learning and it's super fun to do, really — to take upon that part of being a musician more."

As part of NIGHTWISH, Jansen has landed two Number One albums in Finland, and Top Five albums in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

Born in the Netherlands, Jansen joined her first band, one of the world's first symphonic metal acts, AFTER FOREVER, when she was only 16 years old. The group went on to release five albums from 2000 to 2007, before they broke up in 2009.

Jansen's next band, REVAMP, released two albums in 2010 and 2013, before she joined NIGHTWISH as a full-time member. NIGHTWISH's first album with Jansen as the lead singer was 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", which landed in Top 10s around the world. This was followed by 2020's "Human. :II: Nature." , which was also an international success.

Jansen has toured extensively with the band and appeared on three of NIGHTWISH's live albums "Showtime, Storytime", "Vehicle Of Spirit" and "Decades: Live In Buenos Aires".

In 2019, Jansen participated in the popular Dutch TV show "Beste Zangers" where she scored a big hit with "Phantom Of The Opera" together with Henk Poort. She was recognized with a Dutch Popprijs award — a prestigious accolade for artists that has made important contributions to Dutch music. In the same year, her first solo tour sold out in less than 24 hours.

Jansen performed live with NIGHTWISH for the first time on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon. Jansen officially joined NIGHTWISH in 2013.

Last year, Holopainen said in an interview that NIGHTWISH would split up if Jansen ever chose to leave.

MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine, who was diagnosed with throat cancer in May 2019, spoke to Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show about how his battle with the disease has affected the way he approaches his life, both on and off the stage. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, obviously, there's a diet, there's the food sources and liquids and how they affect my blood, my sugar in my blood, the dairy stuff in my blood. But I've never really worried too much about that 'cause I kind of have just gone out there and screamed my point across. So I think that that's one thing that as I try and live a cleaner life because of the cancer…

"I'm cancer-free now, thank God," he continued. "I just went and saw my radiologist and he told me October [2019] was the month that they had said that I was cancer-free. So I'm coming up on, I think it's three years now.

"I don't even think about it anymore. But it was something that made me take into consideration life in general, not so much what I do when I get onstage but just how much do I really appreciate the people around me? How much do I have a capacity in my heart to tolerate people that get on my nerves? Am I gonna send somebody away mad at each other and never see 'em again?

"It's been a real eye-opening experience," Mustaine explained. "And I just noticed on TV, too, that they're starting to do commercials about this type of cancer. And I'd never seen this before in my life and now I'm seeing it on TV. And I'm thinking, 'Wow, this is crazy.' They used to never have these kind of massive sicknesses like this where you have television commercials about throat cancer. It used to be just cancer, cancer, cancer — not into specifics like this. Now you know something really weird's happening. And it happens to a lot of people, I'm told. So I would just encourage people to be healthy, kick ass, take down names. And if you're an adult male and you have any respect for yourself and the people around you that love you, go get yourself checked up."

When Jackie pointed out that guys generally do not like going to the doctor to get themselves checked out, Mustaine said: "I think that's the whole tough-guy attitude. There's a stigmatism that if you go to a doctor, they're gonna stick something up your butt, and I think that's one of the worst things that people misconstrue. It's not always, 'Hey, turn your head and cough.' I suggest if you go in for a sore throat and he checks your ass, you're in the wrong place, dude."

The 60-year-old MEGADETH guitarist/vocalist revealed his cancer battle in June 2019 on social media, saying the doctors had given him a 90 percent chance of beating the illness.

Mustaine addressed his cancer battle during MEGADETH's concert in January 2020 at The SSE Arena in London, England. Speaking to the crowd before launching into the title track of MEGADETH's latest album, "Dystopia", he said: "About a year ago, we were working on our new album back in Franklin, Tennessee, and I started to feel some pain over here [points to his throat]. So I went to the doctor and he said, 'Dave, you have cancer.' And I went, 'Fuck! I have cancer.' And I was so shocked."

He continued: "At first, I thought, 'Am I afraid?' And then I said, 'No. I'm fucking pissed.' And we stopped the record; we stopped everything. I went into treatment for cancer. It was 51 radiation treatments and nine chemo treatments. And when it was all said and done, every day I would think, 'I can't face not playing again. I can't face not playing again.' So I would pray. I know a lot of you guys know that I pray. I say that in [the MEGADETH song] 'Peace Sells'. I pray every day. I say that in the song. I've said it since the second record. But I thought about you guys every day too. And I thought about my family. And I got this power from you guys. And I just kept thinking about it. And on October 16th [2019], I went to go see the doctor, and he said, 'You're 100 percent free of cancer.'"

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Mustaine credited the support he received from fans and friends with getting him through the treatment. He said: "A lot came from people that I knew but I didn't know cared. Most notably, I got a text message back from my old brother, James Hetfield [METALLICA], and I was so, so happy to hear from him. Contrary to what anybody says and contrary to any of the act that we put on, I love James and I know that James loves me and cares about me. You can see that when the moment of truth is here and I'm telling the world that I've got a life-threatening disease. Who comes to stand next to me? James. And I got a text message from Ozzy [Osbourne], and one from Paul Stanley [KISS]. It was great to get one from Ozzy; I didn't expect it from Paul Stanley. That was super bitchin' because in the beginning, when KISS first came out, I was just a kid and I loved them.

"I'm really grateful for everybody. Even the people who have a hard time with my behavior and my big mouth, I'm just so grateful for them showing care for me. Like they say, at the end of the day, all we've got is each other here in this crazy metal community."

LIONS AT THE GATE, the new band featuring former ILL NIÑO members Cristian Machado (vocals),Ahrue "Luster" Ilustre (guitar) and Diego Verduzco (guitar),alongside bassist Stephen Brewer (WESTFIELD MASSACRE) and drummer Fern Lemus, made its live debut on April 28 at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

Last month, LIONS AT THE GATE released the official music video for its new track, "Find My Way", featuring Tatiana Shmayluk of JINJER.

LIONS AT THE GATE released its debut single, "Not Even Human", back in June 2021.

"Find My Way", along with previously released singles "Bed Of Nails", "Scapegoat" and "Not Even Human", are expected to appear on LIONS AT THE GATE's upcoming debut album, which was produced by Kile Odell, who has previously worked with FOZZY and MOTIONLESS IN WHITE.

When LIONS AT THE GATE's formation was first announced, Machado said: "I feel so blessed to be in LIONS AT THE GATE. We've all been making albums for a long time but I think it was time for us to make something special and memorable again. This album is exactly that. Take away our musical history, take away our long hair, take away our personal feelings, just make believe we were never there. This LIONS AT THE GATE album is amazing. We finally made a modern metal album that metalheads will enjoy beginning to end. It's deep, it's memorable, I can't wait for everyone to hear it, I can't wait for everyone to hear the featured female artist on one of the songs."

Verduzco added: "I'm beyond proud and excited to announce our new band LIONS AT THE GATE. Life is all about change and I feel that this music is the most dynamic and honest that we've ever written. I feel a sense of freedom and am completely reinvigorated and even anxious (in a good way) to be a part of something that pulls influence from so many directions . Each member brings a unique set of talent and tools. It's quite frankly some of the best music we've ever written. Organic, honest, and true."

Luster stated: "I'm more excited about LIONS AT THE GATE than anything that I've been a part of since I started my musical career."

Luster discussed his renewed collaboration with Machado and Verduzco in an interview with Pierre Gutierrez of Rock Talks. He said: "I can't even explain how happy I am with how this came out. It sounds, in my opinion, better than anything that Cristian and I have ever done together, and that includes all the ILL NIÑO records that we've done together."

Asked about the musical direction of LIONS AT THE GATE, Ahrue said: "It's a very polished sound, similar to… I don't wanna say it sounds like [ILL NIÑO's 2003 album] 'Confession', but there's a lot of singing on it, there's a lot of production. But at the same time, there's heaviness to it. But the songs are better than anything we've written. And the crazy thing was the process of writing 'em was way easier than it has ever been for us. Usually an ILL NIÑO record would take us three to six months to finish. We finished this record in 20 days, and we believe it sounds better than anything we've ever done in the past."

Speaking about LIONS AT THE GATE's collaboration with Odell, Ahrue said: "He's worked with BAD WOLVES. I think he may have co-wrote with them. But he has a huge resume, and he's had, like, five Number One hits last year. And he was amazing to work with. I've worked with Ross Robinson, I've worked with Johnny K, I've worked with Terry Date, as a mixer, and I've worked with some other big names in the industry that have all had platinum records, and I'll say, hands down, Kile Odell is amazing. I would say, second to [MACHINE HEAD's] 'The Burning Red', it was an amazing experience. It was a different way. As far as Ross Robinson was really into the emotion and getting the emotion out of the players and the music, Odell is very musical and he's really able to help with the songs, and he has a great ear and a great vision."



Lions At The Gate make their debut at the World Famous
Whisky A Go-Go with their opening track "Not Even Human" !!
It was really cool to have been a part of their first ever show and they killed it !! The crowd was great and it turned out to be a really fun night rockin' out with friends !!
More videos of this night coming soon.

Posted by Gabriel Cardiel on Friday, April 29, 2022



Lions At The Gate - Scapegoat Live! Whisky A Go-Go April 28th 2022

Posted by Gabriel Cardiel on Saturday, April 30, 2022



Lions At The Gate - "Drain" Live! Whisky A Go-Go Apr. 28th 2022

Posted by Gabriel Cardiel on Sunday, May 1, 2022

In a brand new interview with the Tulsa Music Stream, ex-DOKKEN bassist Jeff Pilson spoke about the difficulties Don Dokken has had preserving his voice as he gets older and the issues Don has encountered trying to reproduce DOKKEN's classic material in a live setting. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, listen, to be fair, not all vocalists keep their range… You don't have a lot of Glenn Hugheses and Ronnie Dios out there in the world, whose voices seem to just never get affected. I can't sing like I could 35 years ago. So you've gotta keep that in mind.

"With that, I hope Don takes care of himself and I hope he can keep singing for as long as possible and I hope he has a little bit of a breakthrough," Jeff continued. "I know he's had a lot of health issues and he's had — it's just a lot of issues — so there's a reason why he's probably had some difficulties. But I wish him the best; I really do. I think he's just got a wonderful voice, and when it's working, it's a unique, magical voice. So I hope he has less problems in the future."

Jeff was also asked about Jon Bon Jovi, who has been receiving scathing reviews for his vocal performances during BON JOVI's current U.S. tour which kicked off April 2 in Omaha, Nebraska.

"I've been hearing about this. I haven't actually watched any of it," Jeff said. "I've heard that [he's been having a hard time], which is unfortunate. 'Cause I know we toured with Jon in the '90s, and I remember at that time talking with him about his singing. And he was taking it very seriously. After the show, he would go in his dressing room and he'd warm down for at least a half an hour. He was taking it really, really seriously. That was several years ago. So, once again, I hope he doesn't have problems. Now, there's a guy who doesn't have to worry about his next meal. But I do. 'Cause I know he's serious about what he does, so I hope, for his sake, it's getting better."

Don addressed his vocal issues in a 2020 interview with Antihero Magazine. At the time, he said: "Yes, it's been a problem. We get older, and our voices are not like they were when I was 27 or 30 or 35 or 40. When you get older, your voice is not as high as it used to be, so you lose your high notes. And I know every singer in this business, there's only a few singers that I know that when I see them live, I say, holy shit, they sound just as good as they did when they were 30, and now they're 70. Klaus Meine [SCORPIONS] still sings amazing. He's got an amazing voice. He still sounds the same. So I guess it's a God thing. Maybe God just gives people a gift."

He continued: "You see Glenn Hughes go out and do DEEP PURPLE songs. And Glenn Hughes, he's 70. He sings amazing. Ronnie James Dio, to almost the end of his life, when he had cancer, he did a concert at Radio City Music Hall [with HEAVEN & HELL] and he was fighting cancer, and he still sounded amazing, just like he did forever. So I guess some people are blessed and some people are not.

"In my world, I have good days and I have bad days, and I don't want to put the blame on anybody," Don added. "But when you're flying on an airplane for five hours in a pressurized cabin, and then you go to a hotel and the air conditioning's on, and it's 100 degrees outside, and then you go in your room and it's 60 degrees, then you get back on a plane, your voice goes out."

After DOKKEN's last studio album, 2012's "Broken Bones", failed to meet his expectations commercially, Don publicly questioned whether the band should or would make another record. He was also ruthlessly criticized by fans after radiation treatments from a bout with stomach cancer and eventual vocal-cord surgery hurt his performances.

He told the Bradenton Herald that he took a year or so off after "Broken Bones" to regroup and reassess the band's place in the rock marketplace.

"I was getting so bad I had to say, 'Guys, I'm just destroying our brand. I suck,'" Dokken said. "I put on 40 pounds. I couldn't sing. I just didn't look good; I didn't feel good. I just had to get the radiation over with and rehab and come back."

Don underwent neck and spine surgery in November 2019, leaving him unable to play guitar.

DOKKEN spent the last couple of years working, on and off, on the follow-up to "Broken Bones", tentatively due before the end of 2022.

A new trailer for "Pistol", a six-episode limited series about the legendary SEX PISTOLS guitarist Steve Jones, can be seen below. The series will premiere May 31 exclusively on Hulu in the U.S. and on Disney+ in U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

Based on Jones's 2018 memoir "Lonely Boy: Tales From A Sex Pistol", the series from Academy Award winner Danny Boyle, who also serves as executive producer and director, was created by Craig Pearce and written by Pearce and Frank Cottrell Boyce.

Jones, Boyle and Pearce serve as executive producers alongside Gail Lyon, Anita Camarata, Tracey Seaward, Paul Lee, Hope Hartman and Wiip. The series is produced by FX Productions.

"Imagine breaking into the world of 'The Crown' and 'Downton Abbey' with your mates and screaming your songs and your fury at all they represent," said Boyle. "This is the moment that British society and culture changed forever. It is the detonation point for British street culture...where ordinary young people had the stage and vented their fury and their fashion…and everyone had to watch and listen…and everyone feared them or followed them. The SEX PISTOLS. At its center was a young charming illiterate kleptomaniac — a hero for the times — Steve Jones, who became in his own words, the 94th greatest guitarist of all time. This is how he got there."

Anchored by Jones's memoir, which offers a fascinating new perspective on one of rock's greatest ever stories, "Pistol" moves from West London's council estates, to Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren's notorious Kings Road SEX shop, to the international controversy that came with the release of "Never Mind The Bollocks", which is frequently listed as one of the most influential albums of all time. Their single "God Save The Queen" was banned by the BBC and reached No. 1 on the U.K.'s NME chart, but appeared at No. 2 on the official U.K. singles chart, leading to accusations that the song was purposely kept off the top spot. For the only time in chart history, the track was listed as a blank, to avoid offence to the monarchy.

"Pistol" stars Toby Wallace ("Babyteeth", "Acute Misfortune") as Steve Jones, Anson Boon ("Crawl", "1917", "Blackbird") as John Lydon, Louis Partridge ("Enola Holmes", "Medici") as Sid Vicious, Jacob Slater as Paul Cook, Fabien Frankel ("The Serpent", "NYPD Blue") as Glen Matlock, Dylan Llewellyn ("Derry Girls") as Wally Nightingale, Sydney Chandler ("Don't Worry Darling") as Chrissie Hynde, Emma Appleton ("The Witcher", "Traitors") as Nancy Spungen, and Maisie Williams ("Game Of Thrones") as punk icon Jordan.

A year ago, Jones and Cook blasted Lydon for his disparaging comments after he lost a legal battle over the right to use the band's songs in "Pistol.

Jones and Cook argued in court that an agreement they signed with Lydon meant decisions regarding licensing requests could be determined on a "majority rules basis."

Lydon, for his part, claimed that the bandmember agreement had not been applied since it was signed more than 20 years ago and that "all decisions" about the use of SEX PISTOLS music and imagery had been made with "unanimous" agreement.

However, a judge ruled that the contract was valid and active, and that the majority of the band could overrule any individual member's veto.

Photo credit: Miya Mizuno / FX

Fan-filmed video of Ted Nugent's April 29 performance at the Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally in Panama City Beach, Florida can be seen below.

Nugent's new album, "Detroit Muscle", arrived on Friday, April 29 via Pavement Music. The follow-up to 2018's "The Music Made Me Do It" was recorded with Ted's current band, which includes bassist Greg Smith and drummer Jason Hartless. The new LP was produced by Michael Lutz and Nugent.

Last November, Nugent released the LP's first single, "Come And Take It". At the time, he stated about the inspiration for the track: "Being the all-time gonzo progenitor of love songs that I am, it is only fitting that I unleash the All-American defiant battle hymn from we the people to punks who dare tread on us. Do you feel the love! Come and take it at your own risk."

In recent months, Nugent has been selling hats emblazoned with the words "Come And Take It", a slogan which originated in the Texas Revolution in 1835 and is now used as a symbol of gun-rights advocates and the NRA.

Nugent has repeatedly said that he is "very proud" of his new album as well as the LP's "musical integrity and the spirit and the attitude."

In December, Ted told Digital Journal about "Detroit Muscle": "What Greg Smith and Jason Hartless did was great. They put their heart and soul on every song, every lick, and every performance. I am just the luckiest guitar player in the world.

"I don't write songs," he explained. "I play my guitar every day and I escape the music so thoroughly with my hunting, fishing, my farming, and other activities. I plunge my fists into the good Earth each day, so I return to such a pure, primal connection with God's miraculous creation. Quite honestly, I immerse myself in my outdoor lifestyle. It's a martial art.

"You have to dedicate your entire being to the mystical flight of the arrow so music is really the ultimate escape for me," Nugent added. "When I get done with my outdoor activities each morning, I come in and I wash my hands and the next guitar lick is coming from such purity and such a cleansed life that it literally is just primal. All of my songs that I have ever composed are an instinctual ejaculation of my guitar riff dreams."

Nugent's "Detroit Muscle" 2022 tour will kick off on July 15 in Clearwater, Florida.

Joe Satriani, who was drafted into DEEP PURPLE to complete Japanese dates in December 1993, and stayed on for a European summer tour in 1994 following the abrupt departure of founder Ritchie Blackmore, spoke to VintageRock.com about his decision to decline a permanent position in the band. He explained: "I took my cue from those players that were laying the groundwork for the kind of stuff I do, like Jeff Beck. I saw the freedom that he had to play with interesting players that would inspire him to do different things. I thought that's really great. I love watching him live and I love his albums and he keeps you guessing and he's always progressing as a guitarist. He just keeps going forward. I love that attitude of just moving forward all the time. He's not really hampered like a legacy band where they're going to have to play their hits. Like when AEROSMITH goes out, they're just going to have to play those songs that are their hits. They've got to play 'Janie's Got a Gun', they've got to [play] 'Dream On'. They can't do a concert without it. But Jeff Beck really doesn't have to do anything he doesn't want to do. [Laughs] He can say, 'No, this is where I'm at right now. Check this out. No one else can do it. I can do it.' [Laughs] I love that attitude. It's a dangerous move. You miss all that input from a band and you miss the chance that you can go mainstream. It's very difficult for Jeff Beck to go mainstream like AEROSMITH or any other pop band where you're talking billions of streams and TV appearances and all the awards, that kind of stuff. However, everybody knows and respects Jeff Beck as a player, as a musician, as a composer, and they wouldn't dream of him changing his attitude. We like him being the iconoclast that he is.

"I had that choice to make when [DEEP PURPLE bassist] Roger Glover asked me to join DEEP PURPLE," Joe continued. "I just thought, I'm Joe from Long Island. I don't belong in this British royalty metal band. I knew I just didn't belong. I was a big fan of Ritchie Blackmore and I thought I'll never be able to rectify it. I'll always feel guilty that I have to copy Ritchie and I didn't want to do that.

"I've had friends who've had successful turns replacing famous people in bands," Satriani added. "But I remember what they would always say at the end of it. I remember Steve Vai telling me once, 'Joe, if you can avoid it, don't ever replace anybody famous in a band because the fans — they never let you forget it. You're always compared to the first guy, the original guy.' So I thought I'm going to take the chance. I've got a good relationship with my fans, and we'll stick together and try to just make better and better albums."

Last month, Satriani praised DEEP PURPLE for hiring fill-in guitarist Simon McBride to step in for Steve Morse, calling the Irish player's recruitment "a great call" by the band. Satriani made his comments while speaking to Eonmusic about new album "The Elephants Of Mars", which was released on April 8.

Morse's temporary hiatus from the classic rock icons was announced in late March. In a statement, he said that his wife Janine is battling cancer and added that he hopes he can rejoin PURPLE on tour "after she gets a clean bill of health."

Speaking to Eonmusic, Satriani applauded PURPLE for choosing McBride to fill in for Morse.

"Simon is a great call for that, so that's really great," he said; "I mean, the band is close to Simon, and Simon's a great guitarist."

Morse effectively took over Blackmore's DEEP PURPLE slot in 1994 and has since been in the group longer than Ritchie.

Back in May 2018, Satriani responded to an apparently two-and-a-half-decade-old interview with Ritchie which was posted earlier that month in audio format on the current RAINBOW leader's official YouTube channel. In that interview, Ritchie referred to Satriani as "a brilliant player" but criticized him for "never really searching for notes" or "playing a wrong note." Blackmore added: "If you're always playing the correct notes, there's something wrong — you're not searching, you're not reaching for anything."

During an appearance on "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon", Satriani was asked for his reaction to Blackmore's comments. "Well, it's unfortunate when somebody that you look up to has something negative to say about you," Joe said. "So that part will always hurt. I wouldn't hide my feelings about that.

"I get criticized on both sides of the fence for the opposite offenses," he continued. "And I don't quite understand it other than most of the time, when someone has criticism, it's because they're challenged and they feel that they have to strike out. So I get it — I understand why he would have to say something negative. I can kind of laugh at it, because I'm not like that myself. I tend to just look at the positive of another musician and focus on that."

In Blackmore's original interview, which was apparently conducted in 1997, he stated about Satriani and Morse: "I'm just glad they [DEEP PURPLE] found a guitar player to carry on because I thought I was going to be shackled to this band for the rest of my life. It was like a ball-and-chain thing, and luckily, they said, 'Well, we found someone.' 'Thank God, I can get out!'

"I haven't listened much [to DEEP PURPLE's recent recordings]. I just know that Joe Satriani and Steve Morse are brilliant players. I remember Steve Morse with the DIXIE DREGS; they're fantastic.

"I think what you mean is that certain people play from the heart and other people play from the head. I prefer a heart player, I prefer someone like a blues player, like Jeff Healey. Jeff Healey I think is tremendous.

"If I hear someone really technical running up and down a fingerboard, I can hear that for a couple of minutes and then I start to kind of get bored and think of other things, like playing football or something. But I do like to hear someone reaching for something, not quite making it and then sometimes they do make it.

"Joe Satriani is a very polished player — almost too polished; that's what worries me sometimes. But it's different strokes for different folks, as an enemy of mine used to say — which is such a corny thing. Some people are into that head music, that head technique; some people are into the heart technique; some people are into blues technique.

"I personally am into the minstrel technique — if I hear someone playing a lute or playing a crumhorn, it just moves me, I don't know why. Guitar players I find kind of boring — and that's not meant as a dig. I find myself boring.

"I think the main objective is to move people, make people think in their heart. I personally am not interested in appealing to other musicians. To me, it's more inspiring to move someone who doesn't know anything about music, but has a feel. They can say, 'I don't know what you're doing, but I just feel that's something there.' That, to me, is an incredible compliment, as opposed to, 'Well, you've just run up and down the fingerboard. That's wonderful, very fast.' All that means is I've just practiced the hell out of the guitar and I'm not really saying anything. I'm going from A to B, but not seeing anything on the way."

Photo credit: Eduardo Peña Dolhun

Yesterday, King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his singer wife Toyah Willcox returned with another episode in their "Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch" series. This time they take on "I Don't Know Why?" by Queens Of The Stone Age. Watch below:





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

























 

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

According to the Hall Of Fame, the JUDAS PRIEST members that will get inducted include current members Rob Halford (vocals),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.

In a new interview with Billboard conducted after he received the news before the public announcement, Halford said that PRIEST's former members are welcome to be part of the induction, and he feels any animosities can be set aside for the occasion.

"They have every right to be a part of the event," he said. "I'm very pleased for everybody. There's no bitterness. There's no angst. There's not that kind of stuff that's lingering. If there is you have to push all that away. You have to push it to the side and just understand and accept and respect this wonderful opportunity and what it represents in terms of recognition and a celebration."

Halford went on to say that Tipton — who's battling Parkinson's disease but was on the road playing during the encores of PRIEST's latest North American tour — will likely attend the ceremony.

The 2022 Rock Hall induction ceremony will be held on November 5 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.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

In February, Hill and Halford told Billboard that they would be happy to stand alongside Downing at a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction later this year. "It's not a problem to us, no," Hill said. "Ken was an integral part of this band for a very, very long time. He deserves to be there along with the rest of us." Halford predicted that, "It won't be as awkward as Ace [Frehley] and Peter [Criss with KISS's Rock Hall induction]. I don't think it'll be awkward at all. I think you have to let all of that go because it's the night that matters. It's the moment that matters — but, again, the proverbial saying, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

In 2019, Halford was asked by Fox Sports 910's "Freak Nation" if fans could expect to see any of the former PRIEST members joining the band on stage during a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction. He responded: "With something like the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, there's a tinge of 'what if' [and] 'whatever.' It's an open book.

"I know what you're alluding to, and as I've had to [say] in the past, it's just a case of 'wait and see,'" he continued. "But it's a celebration, and it's 50 years of PRIEST, and, man, it's gonna be great. Should we get in, it's gonna be amazing."

After host Kenny Sargent brought up the original KISS lineup's controversial 2014 Rock Hall induction which was at least partly overshadowed by the musicians' decision not to perform, Halford said: "[PRIEST is] not the first band that this has happened to, and on the day, some things turn out the way a lot of people want 'em.

"I was thinking about this the other day," Halford added. "And this thing came into my head: 'Jim, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or of the one.' Spock [in] 'Star Trek'. When he goes in the radiation room. Isn't that great? … That's a t-shirt, or an inspirational card."

Downing previously told Rockin' Metal Revival that there is a very good chance that he would perform with his former bandmates again if PRIEST gets the nod. "Oh, I think absolutely," he said. "I mean, why wouldn't you, really? It's a special thing. We're all of an age now. These opportunities only come once in a lifetime. And it seemingly takes a lifetime to get into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. I've always said, there's no such thing as a young legend, right? [Laughs] So, while we're still here, it would be great to receive that accolade and put on a great performance and put that one to bed."

Michael Sweet of openly Christian rockers STRYPER has shared a snippet of another song that will appear on the band's next album.

The 58-year-old guitarist/vocalist, who recently underwent surgery for a re-detached retina, took to his Instagram on Monday (May 2) to post a 43-second video from the studio, and he included the following message: "When we were growing up, I'd go from a BOSTON album to a @judaspriest album to a @journeymusicofficial album, to you name it.

"I'm a metalhead but I'm also a balladeer. And I'm not ashamed of that. I love a good ballad every now and then.

"This is a small piece of a new @Stryper ballad called 'Near'. There’s no syrup on top, only powered (or power) sugar;-)

"Hear the whole song on the new STRYPER album coming this fall. For now, here’s a little taste.

"We're bringing back the power ballad with this one".

STRYPER's follow-up to 2020's "Even The Devil Believes" LP was once again recorded at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts.

This past January, Sweet said that he was "more concerned with the state of our world" as he continued to work on lyrics for the band's upcoming 14th studio LP. At the time, he wrote on his social media: "I'll be honest. I'm a little nervous about the new album. Not the music itself but more so the process.

"We're obviously not operating at 100%," he continued. "Oz [Fox, STRYPER guitarist] lost the hearing in his left ear and I've lost my vision (hopefully and prayerfully short term) in my right eye. We'll be working this way and it's certainly a first. How will it affect our performances? Not much. It most likely will take a little longer to get what we want but maybe not. We'll have to see how that goes.

"I'm also at that place where I'm more concerned with the state of our world. I'm concerned about what I see on the news. Is it just me or does it feel as though we're in a much darker place these days? Our country, our world. Maybe I'm wrong but it feels as though darkness is overtaking the light. People seem much colder and more concerned about themselves than they do others. There are some good people out there but times are definitely changing sadly.

"So, as I've been facedown I've been writing lyrics and although there are some straight up songs about love, there's more of a take on the state of this world with lyrics that definitely address that," Sweet added. "Maybe, just maybe this album will shed a little light into and onto some dark areas. That's always my goal and always my desire. To help, not to hurt. To heal, not to damage. This is my intention with every song I write.

"Anyway - we appreciate your thoughts and prayers as we embark on what will be our 14th studio album and I really believe that this one has the very strong potential to be our best. I don't say that lightly. I would never say it if I didn't believe it.

"I hope to see you all at a STRYPER show in the very near future. It's been way too long…….

"May God Bless you all".

In December, Sweet stated about the musical direction of STRYPER's new material: "Lots of riffs, grooves, up tempo and mid tempo and everything has a great feel to it. I've only sent music to the guys so they haven't heard any melodies yet but the melodies are strong and powerful.

"It's always a little strange talking about your own music but I can say that I'm really excited about the direction of this album! I know you will be too. We've tuned down to D so the tuning makes it all sound a little fatter and heavier. There are a few songs with the low E string dropped down another step (C) so those songs have a bit more meat and potato's as well;-) There are a few ballads but they're not your typical 'piano' or 'acoustic' ballads. They're heavy as well and definitely guitar driven.

"Even though there have been obstacles along the way, this album really has shaped up to be an amazing piece of work," Sweet added. "We're a long way out but man, I can't wait for all of you to hear this!!"

In March 2021, Fox underwent the first of his brain surgeries to treat one of the tumors that were found in his head more nearly four years ago. That same month, STRYPER and Frontiers Music Srl announced that they have extended their working relationship for the release of more new studio albums together.

STRYPER and Frontiers originally joined forces in 2013 for the release of "Second Coming", an album comprised of new recordings of 14 songs from the band's early years, as well as two brand new songs. What followed has been a string of critically and commercially successful studio albums, including "No More Hell To Pay" (2013),"Fallen" (2015),"God Damn Evil" (2018) and "Even The Devil Believes" (2020). Additionally, a live album and long-form video, "Live At The Whisky" (2014) was made available. Every one of the albums released on Frontiers in the past nine years has successfully charted on the Billboard 200 chart and topped the Hot 100, Rock, Hard Rock, Current and Christian Music album charts.

STRYPER is one of the most well-known metal bands to emerge from the fertile '80s metal renaissance over three decades ago. The band first landed on the global scene in 1984 and and is responsible for such classic '80s metal albums as "Soldiers Under Command", "To Hell With The Devil" and "In God We Trust" and hit singles/videos such as "Calling On You", "Free" and "Honestly". To date, the band has sold upwards of eight million records worldwide and is a Dove Award winner and Grammy nominee. STRYPER was also the first band to have two songs in MTV's "Top 10 Video Countdown" simultaneously.

After being on a hiatus for much of the '90s, STRYPER returned stronger than ever in the early 21st century. Musically, the band has progressed and grown their fan base steadily and continuously, being one of the few "classic" metal bands of the '80s that managed to keep themselves front and center thanks to the consistency of their musical output.

Michael is joined in STRYPER by his brother Robert Sweet (drums),Oz Fox (guitars) and Perry Richardson (bass).

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Michael Sweet (@michaelsweetstryper)



View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Michael Sweet (@michaelsweetstryper)

Original AC/DC singer Dave Evans has released the official music video for his latest single, "Who's Gonna Rock Me?", filmed entirely in Aruba for Sketch during his current "Sold My Soul To Rock 'N' Roll" Latin American tour.

The single, which features Dave on lead vocals, Bad Boy Troy on guitar, Gary Partin on bass and rhythm guitar, Martin Gilardi on keyboards and rhythm guitar, and Wasim Balzaar on drums, was released last year on Evans's label Chrystal Records.

As previously reported, Evans recently recorded two new songs with legendary producer Flemming Rasmussen, best known for having been helmed three of METALLICA's early albums, plus winning a Grammy for his work on METALLICA's "One" in 1989. One of the songs, "Guitarman", was written by Danish musician and composer Nicholas Hill, while the second track is a cover of an Elvis Presley classic that Evans had previously performed with AC/DC.

The new Evans recordings, which were made through a collaboration betwen Chrystal Records Argentina and Space Rock Productions Denmark, will be released in the next few months.

Dave recorded AC/DC's first two singles, "Can I Sit Next To You Girl" and "Baby, Please Don't Go". But in October 1974, less than a year after AC/DC's first gig, Evans was out of the band. He was replaced by Bon Scott, who sang on AC/DC's first six studio albums and became a legend himself after his death in 1980.

Last year, Dave was asked in an interview with The Rocker Diaries if he thought "that would be it" for AC/DC after Bon's death in 1980. He responded: "No, not at all. I mean, we all keep going. And AC/DC has had that many players through [the history of] the band. I don't know how many. 20? And three singers, plus a stand-in singer as well.

"We were always ambitious when we first started," he continued. "We always wanted to be the best in the world — all of us. And after me, Bon Scott got his chance. He did great with the band. And when he died, I just thought, 'Who are they gonna get?' I never thought [I would be approached about it] myself, because that's water under the bridge. And I was busy with bands as well at the time, and doing my own music and recording. I was just wondering who it would be. I had heard of [Brian Johnson's pre-AC/DC band] GEORDIE — just the name GEORDIE. I'd never heard of Brian. And then Brian popped up and, of course, the 'Back In Black' album came out, which was a massive album around the world, and they were off and running with Brian. But if Brian quit, they'd get another singer, and another singer. [They've gone through] different bass players [and] different drummers.

"The drive was always Malcolm Young," Dave added. "I remember Malcolm when I first met him. He was such a driving force. Just a tiny little guy — just a little touch over five foot tall — but, boy, he had a big heart and a big personality. And he was tough, too — Malcolm was very tough. And no matter what, he was AC/DC through and through. And, of course, once he passed away, which is very sad, AC/DC, of course, will never, ever be the same without Malcolm. How can it be?"

In May 2021, Evans released a new compilation album called "BADASS Greatest Hits". The effort contains "20 massive hits on one album," including Dave's version of "Rockin' In The Parlour", the song that originally appeared as the B-side of the "Can I Sit Next to You Girl" single.

Swedish Viking metal wolf pack, Månegarm, have released a drum playthrough video for the track “Stridsgalten”, featured on their new offering, Ynglingaättens Öde, out now. Watch below:





Månegarm on the album: “Thousands of working hours turned into this beast - our new album, Ynglingaättens Öde. We truly believe this album is our strongest and most complete album to date and despite the dark days of the pandemic, we have created a concept album that is 100% Månegarm and packed with strong melodies, riffs and powerful choruses. This time, we explore an old Swedish Norse dynasty of rulers where we detail their deeds, their rule and above all - their deaths. So come join us on this journey and meet the fate of the Yngliga kin!”







Ynglingaättens Öde is available in the following formats:


- Wooden Box (incl. Digipack, 7" Single, album cover flag, logo patch) – limited to 500 copies worldwide
- 1LP Gatefold Marbled Gold & Black – limited to 300 copies worldwide
- 1LP Gatefold BLACK
- Shirt & Digipack Bundle
- Digipack CD
- Digital Full Length Album


Order here.





Ynglingaättens Öde tracklisting:


"Freyrs blod"
"Ulvhjärtat"
"Adils fall"
"En snara av guld"
"Stridsgalten"
"Auns söner"
"Vitta vettr"
"Hågkomst av ett liv"


“Stridsgalten” video:





“En snara av guld” video:





"Ulvhjärtat" video:





Månegarm are:


Erik Grawsiö - vocals & bass
Markus Andé - guitars
Jakob Hallegren - drums


(Photo - Isak Skagerström)

Awake At Last are back with a new single, "Bloodline". Produced by Erik Ron (Godsmack, Black Veil Brides, I Prevail), the hard-hitting track contains plenty of angst at the current state of the world.





"'Bloodline' is written from a perspective of frustration, and a reluctance to accept the current state we all live in. The song questions the media, and how during such a dark time people seemed to be more divided than ever, rather than come together. It asks the question of whether or not we can learn from history, or if we are doomed to repeat it. I wanted it to connect to the listeners who couldn’t help but worry about what is going to happen next and whether or not we can rely on the current state of media and information to be prepared for it.” - vocalist Vincent Torres




Watch the "Bloodline" video below:





Lineup:


Vincent Torres - vox
Eric Blackway - lead guitar
Imran Xhelili - guitar
Drew Hansen - bass
Jeff Dorber - drums

Sharon Osbourne has tested positive for COVID-19 after returning to Los Angeles to look after her husband Ozzy.

The legendary heavy metal singer contracted the virus last week, prompting Sharon to step away from her new TalkTV show to head back to the U.S.

But now Sharon has revealed that she also tested positive.

She broke the news of her diagnosis as she shared an update on Ozzy while speaking to her co-star Jeremy Kyle on Monday's (May 2) episode of "The Talk UK".

"He's doing much better," she said about Ozzy. "His temperature is now back to normal; his coughing has stopped. He's doing much better.’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Frontiers Music Srl will release Swedish progressive metal masters Seventh Wonder's new studio album, The Testament, on June 10. Watch a video  for "The Light" below, and pre-order/save The Testament here.


The Testament follows 2018's Tiara, which, at the time, was the band's first new music in eight years. While the wait between albums was, mercifully, shorter this time around, the band certainly did not need any extra time to craft a stunning album showcasing their prolific instrumental skills and intricate songwriting. Indeed, The Testament is a high watermark in the band's already revered discography.


Seventh Wonder was formed in 2000 by bassist Andreas Blomqvist, guitarist Johan Liefvendahl, and drummer Johnny Sandin after their previous band fell apart. The music they were writing and playing turned towards progressive metal. When keyboardist Andreas “Kyrt” Söderin joined in late 2000, their new sonic explorations were only cemented further. Two demos were recorded (2001 & 2003) and the latter caught the attention of the label Lion Music, who signed the band in 2004. That collaboration spawned the first Seventh Wonder album, Become, which was released in June 2005. Become was well received by progressive metal fans and media alike; however, the band and singer Andi Kravljaca decided to part ways shortly after the recording process had ended. Enter the brilliant Tommy Karevik (Kamelot, ex-Vindictiv), who joined the band in 2005, actually prior to the official release of Become.




The next album, Waiting In The Wings was recorded in 2006 and mixed and mastered by legendary Tommy Hansen. This album was a huge leap forward in terms of song complexity and maturity and received outstanding reviews and fan accolades, establishing Seventh Wonder as a force to be reckoned with in the progressive metal world. 2007 was spent playing live in support of the album, including sharing stage with legendary bands such as Queensrÿche, Testament, Redemption, and many others in England, Holland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.


Simultaneously in 2007, a follow-up to Waiting In The Wings was written. The band hit the studio in May of 2008 to record their third full-length, Mercy Falls, which was hailed as a true masterpiece at the time of its release. Mercy Falls was supported with several live shows in Europe, including Italy, Norway, Finland, and Holland.


In 2010, the band released The Great Escape, which again was met with critical and fan acclaim and cemented the band's standing as one of the premiere progressive metal bands in existence. In support, the band again toured in Europe and also appeared live in the USA at ProgPower Festival.


After The Great Escape album release, drummer Johnny Sandin left the band and would later be replaced by the incredibly talented Stefan Norgren (ex-Lion´s Share). Seventh Wonder fans collectively lost their minds in 2018 when it was announced that after an agonizing eight year wait, the band's latest studio album "Tiara" would be released. "Tiara" once again continued the band's winning streak of crafting progressive metal masterpieces and was greeted with high levels of enthusiasm.


Now, in 2022, the band one again returns with another magnum opus of a progressive metal album, The Testament.





Tracklisting:


“Warriors”
“The Light”
“I Carry The Blame”
“Reflections”
“The Red River”
“Invincible”
“Mindkiller”
“Under A Clear Blue Sky”
“Elegy”


“The Light” video:





“Warriors” lyric video:





Lineup:
Johan Liefvendahl – guitar
Andreas Blomqvist – bass
Tommy Karevik – vocals
Andreas Söderin – keyboards
Stefan Norgren - drums