Torn Between Two Worlds, featuring former Angtoria bandmates Sarah Jezebel Deva and Chris Rehn, are gearing up to release an EP, entitled As If We Never Existed. The cover artwork, created by Jamie Huntley, can be viewed below. A release date has not been confirmed as yet.





Torn Between Two Worlds recently released the new single, "Transparent". Check it out below, purchase it via Bandcamp here.




Sarah has checked in with the following update:


"On May 6th, we will release the long overdue Lyric video for "Transparent". A few people have told me, including Chris Rehn himself, that a song never does that well without a video. When we released the song, we noticed that the plays on YouTube were just under 600. We want our music to be heard, that is simply the main goal.... to be heard and to be enjoyed and to inspire you, if we can.


Life got in the way and we never got around to doing the video until I put out a plea for help. A wonderful person answered; comic writer Kurt Amacker got in touch with me. If you are a Cradle Of Filth fan, you may already know that name. He is responsible for Cradle Of Filths graphic novel (search kurtamacker.com). He suggested a guy called Drake Mefestta, who has also been heavily involved with COF / Devilment / The 69 Eyes and so on. I also believe, if I heard right, he is responsible for website design for W.A.S.P.'s official page and one of the guys from Black Sabbath. Drake kindly took his time to help us, Torn Between Two Worlds.


None of this stuff is easy. Great expertise goes into everything an artist or musician creates; we hope once again you see this. We also hope once again you see what we see, how flipping lucky we are to have such amazing people bend over backwards and help us for free or little cost.


We hope this new video will be shared far and wide. Talk very soon."





p>Sarah recently opened up about writing the song.


Sarah: "This song was a bit of a challenge for me as this song is totally from scratch. It wasn’t written a few years ago like 'The Beauty Of Deception' was. 'All Eyes On Me' was also written a few years ago, but 80% of the lyrics lost, re-written and rearranged and the vocals recorded at my home, and “Hello” being a cover song (Adele). This is the first song lyric-wise that I have written in almost 10 years, I think, and when Chris sent me the music, I found it so difficult getting everything together. I recorded half a track and Chris and I just weren’t feeling it, so we took a big step back for a few months and let everything digest, because you can’t rush a song if you want people to believe in your music. Chris Rehn is a mindblowing composer and takes much pride in his arrangements, and for me, as silly as it sounds, I want him to be proud of the song and me. I can’t stress enough how its him that should be praised to high heaven, not me.


The song is based on fame and ego, people who take everything and everyone for granted, and takes pleasure in destroying everything and people, only to make themselves feel better. They love to take credit for absolutely everything, whilst others work their arses off, put their heart and soul into everything. Self destructive, compulsive liars who believes you are where you are today because of them. Surrounded by many for the wrong reasons, yet doesn’t actually doesn’t have much."





Check out the previously released singles from Torn Between Two Worlds below.


"The Beauty Of Deception"





"All Eyes On Me"





"Hello"


 


 





 

Guitarist Dregen (The Hellacopters, Backyard Babies) celebrates a successful year by releasing his fourth beer in the Riff family - The Riff APA!


In the summer of 2020, Dregen entered the beverage industry together with musician & entrepreneur Jesper Lindgren (Velvet Insane) with his Riff – Lager by Dregen. The beer took the market by storm and empty shelves unfortunately soon became a common sight when demand overwhelmed the brewery that was used back then. With the aim set on continued development, an extensive selection process was started to find a brewery that could meet both Swedish and international demand. With consensus on quality, flexibility and top-class service, Dregen, Jesper and the brewery Nyckelbryggerier found each other where the agreement was signed in February 2021.


Better, faster and tastier has since been the mantra for the trio who have now really reloaded to develop the concept.




Riff has expanded and has now become a “family” consisting of Riff Lager, Riff IPA, Riff Alcohol-free and now, after a highly successful year a mighty Riff American Pale Ale drops at Systembolaget April 26th. All brewed with love to the nature of northern Sweden and to the sound of distorted hard rock of the noblest kind. In short, a repertoire for every occasion and scene!





Further details and ordering information can be found here.





 

According to the UK's Planet Radio,  a life-size bronze statue of fabled Queen frontman Freddie Mercury was unveiled near the beach at Jeju Island, South Korea on Thursday, April 21st.


The work has been a labour of love for businessman and Queen fan Baek Soon-yeob. The sculptor sought approval from the band before going ahead with his plan, first emailing them in 2014 to ask for the rights to create the statue. With his plea going unanswered, Baek began a ploy to email the rock legends about the project every month for the next 8 years.


His dedication paid off; when the current version of Queen (featuring singer Adam Lambert) played a pair of shows in South Korean capital Seoul in January 2020, Baek was finally able to sit down with the band and outline his idea.




The completed statue is 1.77m tall (approximately 5ft 9in) and cost around $37,000 (£28,750) to create. The likeness captures Freddie in iconic on-stage stance, with right fist raised high. An unveiling ceremony was attended by members of Queen’s South Korean fan club, several of which were pictured waving ‘We Are The Champions’ scarves – others displayed national flags of Ukraine and Great Britain. Brian May also submitted a pre-recorded video message to the assembled fans.


Read the complete report and see more photos of the statue here.





Back in August 2021, Queen guitar legend Brian May recently guested on BBC's Raised On Radio and discussed the band's 50th anniversary, the 30th Anniversary of frontman Freddie Mercury's death, and he offered some insight as to the band's future plans with singer Adam Lambert.


On Freddie Mercury


May: "I'm absolutely sure if he was still here today, we'd still be doing it. The mother ship would still be steaming around the world, and we would be taking time off to do our solo stuff like this, but the Queen would come together and we'd be doing it. He loved it. He lived for music, he lived for the band, it was his family, as it is my family still, although I fought against it, and so is Roger. You can't really get away from the fact that Queen is our family more than anything else, really. He lived to the max every second of the day.


I don't think we even realized that Freddie is a bit of a genius, really; a pretty eccentric kind of genius. And you wouldn't have thought it if you met him in the street or in Kensington market around 1970. You'd just thought, 'A strange guy... obviously thinks he's a rock star.' But he had an incredible belief in himself, incredible drive, and he stood for no-nonsense. Nothing would ever get in his way of achieving what he wanted to achieve. So I take that as an example even now because we're all people-pleasers, aren't we? We think, 'Oh, I like to do this but I don't want to do that because that might upset this person.' Freddie was never like that. He said, 'I want to do this, I'm going to do this. If you don't want me to do it, get out of my way.' And some people might have found him rude, but generally Freddie achieved what he did because he was so focused and had so much belief. Pretty fantastic voice as well. A gift from God, obviously."

In a new interview with Dave Doran from Rock 105 and 95.5 radio stations, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers was asked how he feels about the fact that his band will be eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in a few years. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Ah, I don't care. It's the same thing as the Grammys to me. To me, when [SHINEDOWN's third studio album, 2008's] 'The Sound Of Madness' had six Number One songs on one record in the year that it came out, when that hasn't been done since… I think Adele did it, and it really hasn't been done since. It hadn't been done in probably 15 years before that. And it didn't get nominated for a Grammy. [So] I was like there's not a physical way I could care less about this.

"I think people think I'm bluffing when I say this — I couldn't care less [about winning a Grammy]," he continued. "And honestly, [if we won a Grammy] I'd give it to my parents. That thing would never go inside my house. I get a Grammy every night at nine o'clock when I walk onstage and there's 10 thousand people there."

SHINEDOWN has sold more than 10 million albums and 10 million singles worldwide, earned 14 platinum and gold singles, six platinum and gold albums, 17 No. 1 Active Rock hits, and amassed more than 4.5 billion total streams. They were recently named No. 1 on Billboard's Greatest Of All Time Mainstream Rock Artists chart after totaling 17 No. 1 singles on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs Chart — the most in the history of the Billboard chart. Each of SHINEDOWN's 28 charting singles on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs Chart has reached the Top 5 — an unparalleled achievement — and they hold the record for most Top 5 singles ever on this chart.

Earlier this month, SHINEDOWN decided to move the release date of its new album, "Planet Zero", to July 1 from the previously announced April 22. The high-concept, ultra-vivid, viscerally charged album was produced by SHINEDOWN's Eric Bass (who also helmed the band's 2018 acclaimed album "Attention Attention") and recorded at Bass's newly built Big Animal Studio in South Carolina.

Following this April and May run with special guests THE PRETTY RECKLESS and DIAMANTE, SHINEDOWN will head to Daytona Beach for Welcome To Rockville 2022 where they'll headline Saturday, May 21 alongside GUNS N' ROSES and RISE AGAINST. In June, SHINEDOWN will head overseas for a European run featuring festival appearances at Rock Im Park and Rock Am Ring in Germany, Download festival in the U.K. and Hellfest in France along with select shows with IRON MAIDEN. The band will then embark on a run of Canadian dates beginning in July with support from POP EVIL and AYRON JONES.

SHINEDOWN recently announced a new summer/fall 2022 U.S. tour in support of "Planet Zero". The trek, with support from JELLY ROLL and John Harvie, will kick off on September 3 in Kansas City, Missouri and end on October 8 in Anaheim, California. SHINEDOWN will also perform at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California on October 9.

Today the spotlight is being focused on Norwegian solo metal artist Anniken and her latest single off her forthcoming debut album Climb Out Of Hell on May 13, 2022 via Rockshots Records.


Entitled, "Spotlight", the single and album opener kicks is a track that many musicians can relate to. It's about the anxiety and desire for success along with the love and hate relationship of being up on stage with the spotlight focused on you.


Anniken has been a part of the Norwegian heavy metal scene for years with her band Darkest Sins, the studio project Ana – Metal for Charity, as well as being a part of her husband Marius Danielsen’s trilogy Legend of Valley Doom, both in the studio and with the live band. While in Darkest Sins she opened for bands such as Anthrax, Jorn, TNT, and UDO along with Legend of Valley Doom she has worked with legendary musicians such as Ralf Scheepers, Amanda Somerville, Roland Grapow, Matt Barlow, Doogie White, Jennifer Batten, and also actor John Rhys-Davies from the Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones movies.




Writing her own songs and having a profound love of lyrics, Anniken is now progressing into her solo endeavours. Anniken's debut album "Climb Out of Hell" features nine tracks, a few of them co-written with her husband Marius Danielsen.


It is a varied metal album that is melodic, raw, and catchy with different types of songs for every kind of metal fan. Some slow, some fast, most of them heavy. Some of the songs have a deeper meaning to them, while others are just exactly what you think they are.


Anniken adds:


"Firstly, I want people to enjoy the music. Secondly, I want them to notice the lyrics. I love listening to music while reading them and trying to understand the stories that are being told. I hope that the listeners feel the same way. I like to also add, that some of the songs were written a while back. I had others that didn’t make the cut. Overall, it is fun to write with other artists and see how the songs turned out both in the studio and live. But writing with others also means compromising. And that is one of the main reasons behind starting my solo project. I wanted to show what I could do, without the guys (yes, the bands I’ve played with always consisted of all guys and me). It is, unfortunately, easy to underestimate female artists in metal. At least, that is my experience. There aren’t as many women within the genre as there are men. Very often I experienced that people just assumed everything was written by the men in the group. I don’t mind being ‘just the singer’, but I would love to show the world that I am, in fact, more."


Climb Out Of Hell can be preordered at the Rockshots Records webshop.





Tracklisting:


“Spotlight”
“Climb Out Of Hell”
“Back Then”
“Just Walk”
“Keep The Light”
“Star”
“No Name”
“Save Us”
“Amplified”


"Spotlight" lyric video:





“Keep The Light” video:





Album Credits:
- All songs are written by Anniken, tracks 6,7 and 8 are co-written with Marius Danielsen.
- Cover/art is a compilation of two paintings by Sylvie Rasmussen, Anniken’s grandmother.
- Album is produced by Marius Danielsen.
- All lyrics are written by Anniken, except for the lyrics for Star, which are co-written with Marius Danielsen


Vocals: Anniken
Guitar and Bass by: Marius Danielsen
Orchestrations by: Gabriels (Tracks 1,2,3,4,6,7,9), Peter Danielsen (Tracks 5,6)
Drums by: Alessandro Kelvin
Choirs by: Marius Danielsen, David Åkesson
Growl vocals by: Brandon Bordman
Solos by: Gabriels (Track 1), Bill Hudson (Tracks 2,5), Nick Giannakos (Track 3), Fredrik Enochson (Track 4), Tommy Johansson (Track 5), Jimmy Hedlund (Track 6), Nils Courbaron (Track 7), Marius Danielsen (Track 8), Terry Wapram (Track 9)

RiverGhost has released their third single, "End Of The River". Following their earlier releases, "Darkhorse" and "Fruit On The Vine", RiverGhost has committed themselves to consistently delivering soulful rock and roll with a twinge of rhythm and blues.


"End Of The River" capitalizes on the blues element RiverGhost is known to bring to the table, conveying a newfound moodiness and a sodden sound that the band has yet to display on record. The song itself is textural; "End Of The River" is a culmination of all the best elements listeners would expect from a Southern rock song. Vocalist Kaige Dvelle delivers country-tinged, meaningful lyrics carried by a fervent rhythm section to create an intense audible and visual experience.







There’s lots to take away from "End Of The River". It’s a song for unstable times; it’s a perfect follow up to "Darkhorse" and "Fruit On The Vine" and a haunting bridge to the next release.


Hearing these initial three tunes gives you an idea of the musical craftsmanship coming your way and gives listeners a mere slice of the inspiring, big picture that is RiverGhost.


“I’ve never been a fan of knowing the story behind songs. I always felt it took away my chance to paint my own picture”, says Kaige Dvelle, RiverGhost leader and frontman.


Tim Dolbear, producer on the track mentions: "Kaige and Randy (Boots) work together like they have been on the same team for their entire lives, kind of a Steven Tyler / Joe Perry synergy when they are in the room together. In the studio, working with the team was just effortless. All I had to do was stay out of the way and not mock it up."


While RiverGhost has been in action since 2021, they bring their groovy rock and roll sound to 2022 with their long awaited on-record debut. This blues rock act captures the essence of classic bands like Guns N' Roses, The Black Crowes and Aerosmith with a fresh take on that sacred sound. Bringing in elements of soul, rhythm and blues and country wrapped in rock and roll, RiverGhost is paving their way as a band for all to enjoy.








For further details, visit RiverGhost on Facebook. 





 

THE DARKNESS singer Justin Hawkins has weighed in on PUDDLE OF MUDD's cover version of a NIRVANA classic which went viral two years ago.

The 47-year-old British-born rocker who currently lives in Switzerland offered his assessment of PUDDLE OF MUDD frontman Wes Scantlin's 2020 rendition of "About A Girl" via his YouTube series "Justin Hawkins Rides Again" where he shares a mixture of serious musician analysis and fun hot takes to his 112,000 subscribers.

PUDDLE OF MUDD's acoustic performance of the track at the SiriusXM studios was uploaded to YouTube in January 2020 but didn't blow up on the video-sharing platform until three months later, with detractors blasting Scantlin's off-key take on the iconic song.

Earlier today (Sunday, April 24), Hawkins took to his YouTube channel to share a nine-minute reaction to PUDDLE OF MUDD's version, explaining in the accompanying notes: "Today I'm reacting to a video that has received a lot of ridicule. It's the PUDDLE OF MUDD cover of NIRVANA's 'About A Girl'. However, I'd like to react to it from a more sympathetic point of view and tell you why maybe it's not that funny at all. What do you think? Is it wrong to laugh at this or is it just funny?"

In Justin's video reaction, which can be seen below, he says in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't know enough about this band, I don't know what's going on with him, but it looks like when he's gearing up to sing even the first line, it kind of looks like he's in a bit of pain. When it gets inside your head like that, you've got no chance.

"You can really see the singer from PUDDLE OF MUDD, his face is like this [adopting a pained expression], and that's before he's even sung a note," Hawkins continued. "So his head's in the wrong place, as it were. He's already sort of playing out how these challenging high notes are gonna be, how they're gonna feel. And I imagine his voice is tightening up. When you get that sort of tension that manifests itself [in the throat] when the problem is actually in [your head]."

After listening to more of Scantlin's attempt at some of the high notes, Hawkins added: "I think he's ill. Maybe he's tired. Maybe it's one of those ones where he's in the middle of a tour and he's really, really overtired. Maybe he's damaged his vocal cords a little bit and he can feel he's not in the right place… And you can see in his face that this is excruciating for him. He's getting nothing from his bandmates. He shouldn't be doing this, basically — he really shouldn't. I find it really difficult not to sympathize with him… I can't even listen to it. He shouldn't be doing it. Poor guy. Give the man a day off — or 365. Give him a year off. That's it. Have a year off."

Hawkins then listened to some more of PUDDLE OF MUDD's performance, with Wes straining to hit the notes originally sung by Kurt Cobain.

"When I listen to it, I can almost hear stuff shredding," Justin said. "It actually hurts me to hear him do it — not just because it's bad, and obviously it's bad. But the poor guy.

"I'll tell you what it's like. For those of us who have testicles, you know when you see somebody getting booted or somebody runs up to somebody else and boots him in the testicles, you can feel it. When I watch this, there's something that gets to me. I just wanna hold him. Not like that — not from behind or anything, but I wanna let him know that I feel for him."

Hawkins went on to speculate that Scantlin was suffering from a medical condition in his throat at the time of the SiriusXM taping. "This must be prior to a surgical procedure on his voice or something like that," he said. "I'm not saying it to be cruel. I've been in exactly the same position myself. He just shouldn't be working. Ugh, this is horrible."

As for how he would have handled the situation differently, Justin said: "I think if I was [Wes's] guitarist, I think I would put my guitar down, I would walk over to the cameraman, I would invite him to switch the camera off. I would take the microphone away from [Wes] and I would say into it something like this: 'Dear listeners and viewers of SiriusXM, our singer is valiantly defying the odds and he has a medical condition, which you can probably hear. He really ought to have a note from his doctor to not be present here. I'm calling a halt to this because he needs rest, he needs medical attention, and we all need to pray for him and sympathize with him. And we'll be back just as soon as his voice is mended, however long that takes.'"

Back in April 2020, Scantlin fired back at critics of his "About A Girl" performance, writing in a social media post: "Rise above others who try and take you down… I'm at my BEST NOW… and that's all that matters. I pray for all of you because we care. Jealousy is toxic, and toxic people are a waste of time. We walk away with nothing but a SMILE".

As of this writing, PUDDLE OF MUDD's version of "About A Girl" has surpassed 1.7 million views on YouTube with just around 4,600 likes.




























View this post on Instagram


































Rise above others who try and take you down... I’m at my BEST NOW... and that’s all that matters. I pray for all of you because we care. Jealousy is toxic, and toxic people are a waste of time. We walk away with nothing but a SMILE ????#riseabove #puddleofmudd #mybestlife #love #sober #soberlife #toxicpeoplesuck #familycomesfirst #music #success #goodvibesonly #werock #famous #ourfansarebetterthanyours #rock #rockmusic #alternative #alternativerock #alternativerockmusic #alternativerockband #rockmusic

A post shared by PUDDLE OF MUDD (@puddleofmudd1) on Apr 19, 2020 at 6:17am PDT

"The Outsider" is the new video and single by Lars Eric Mattsson.





Taken from the album The Outsider which is out now and features ten different singers, 19 Tracks, 81 Minutes The guest singers: Elisa Pezzuto, Daphne Nisi, Johanna Mattsson, Göran Edman, Markku Kuikka, Conny Lind, Walle Wahlsten, Adrienn Antal, Niko Mattila. Lars is also handing vocals on some songs as well as providing backing vocals to most tracks.




This (double) album is made out of 19 tracks (almost 81 minutes!) of classic melodic hard rock with a progressive touch including a few ballads and three instrumentals. Lars says it’s his most well crafted and probably also most accessible work to date and that no song could be left out as that would make the picture of where he is at this moment in life incomplete. “It was a huge joy to work with these excellent singers and I tried to give everyone material that would be perfect for each individual”. 


Production and recording credits:


Lars Eric Mattsson - Guitars, bass, keyboards and vocals


Lead vocals:
Göran Edman (“Now and Forever”)
Conny Lind (“Gold Digger”)
Adrienn Antal (“Raise My Sword”)
Daphne Nisi (“Where Are We Going?”)
Markku Kuikka (“Stare into the Abyss”)
Niko Mattila (“The Road I've Chosen”)
Johanna Mattsson (“Keep This Flame Alive”)
Walle Wahlsten (“Into the Battle”)
Elisa Pezzuti (“Sometimes I Wonder”)
Lars Eric Mattsson
(“The Sun Coming Down”, “It's Too Late”, “Who Are We Foolin'”, “I've Got the Funk”, “We All Bleed for Love (Vikings)”, “Broken Heart Blues”, “Vicky's Eyes”)


"Raise My Sword":

Guitarist Thomas Zwijsen has released the new video below, in which he performs an acoustic classical guitar cover of "Master Of Puppets", the title track of Metallica's third studio album, released in 1986.





Zwijsen previously released the video below, an acoustic cover of "Lost In A Lost World", featured on Iron Maiden's latest album, Senjutsu.

It was recently announced that Sacred Oath have discovered multiple videos of entire concerts from their first tour in 1987 supporting their debut album, A Crystal Vision. The videos were found among the personal items of Gil Cruciani, late father of original guitarist Glen Cruciani.


Watch the band perform "Magick Son" at West Hartford's Agora Ballroom:







Cruciani has been credited with many of the Sacred Oath’s early publicity photos, and now it seems he filmed the band on multiple occasions in ‘87 and ‘88 with a VHS camera when they performed in Connecticut and New York.


“My jaw hit the floor when I saw these videos,” says singer/guitarist Rob Thorne, who started the band in 1985 while a sophomore in high school. “It was like sitting in front of home-movie baby films. First, I couldn’t get over how young we are in them, and then I was shocked at the high level the band was performing at.  I guess I remember that time as one of naïveté, but for a bunch of teenage punks we had our shit together. It’s tight!”


Sacred Oath, who released their eigth album, Return Of The Dragon, in 2021, made their debut back in 1987 with the release of their first album, A Crystal Vision, on Mercenary Records. The record went on to garner cult classic status among power and thrash metal enthusiasts as one of the earlier pieces of power metal and power-thrash. Now the band is embarking on what they’re calling their 35th Anniversary Tour, including all nine songs from A Crystal Vision in the setlist. The tour opens on May 7 in Southington Connecticut.

KISS have shared the video footage below from their April 23rd End of the Road World Tour stop at Campo Argentino de Polo in Buenos Aires, Argentina.


Says the band: "Buenos Aires Rock City! YOU were READY and so were WE! What an AMAZING night! Thank You Argentina!"


KISS perform next on Tuesday, April 26 at Arena do Gremio in Porto Alegre, Brazil. To view the band's complete tour schedule, head here.

"La Grange", the latest single from ZZ Top’s upcoming album, RAW (out July 22 from Shelter Records, through BMG) is out now. Head hereto stream/download the single. Listen below:





When the three members of ZZ Top gathered at Gruene Hall, they were in each other’s line-of-sight, making for a very organic recording session, part of which is seen in the film. RAW, the totality of their efforts there, will be available on 180-gram vinyl, CD and through digital platforms. The album was produced by Billy F Gibbons, engineered by Jake Mann and G.L. G-Mane Moon and mixed by Ryan Hewitt. The album is issued “in righteous memory” of Dusty Hill who passed away last year.




Pre-order the album here.





LP tracklisting:


Side 1


"Brown Sugar"
"Just Got Paid"
"Heard It On The X"
"La Grange"
"Tush"
"Thunderbird"


Side 2


"I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide"
"Gimme All Your Lovin’"
"Blue Jean Blues"
"Certified Blues"
"Tube Snake Boogie"


“Brown Sugar”:





The first leg of the band's Raw Whisky Tour tour, starting on May 27 in San Diego, CA, will see the band on stage in 50 markets across North America, more dates to be announced soon. The tour’s title is a hat tip to both the forthcoming album as well as the recent release of ZZ Top Tres Hombres whisky from Balcones Distilling of Waco TX, a flavorful 100 proof mash bill of roasted blue corn, malted barley and rye.





Dates:


May
6 - Niagara Falls, ON - Fallsview Casino Resort
29 - Paso Robles, CA - Vina Robles Amphitheatre


June
1 - Redding, CA - Redding Civic Auditorium
2 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery
5 - Jacksonville, OR - Britt Pavilion
7 - Bend, OR - Hayden Homes Amphitheater
8 - Walla Walla, WA - Wine Country Amphitheater
9 - Spokane, WA - First Interstate Center for the Arts
12 - Billings, MT - MetraPark – First Interstate Arena
14 - Grand Junction, CO - Las Colonias Park Amphitheater
17 - Tucson, AZ - Casino Del Sol’s AVA Amphitheater
19 - Colorado Springs, CO - Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts
21 - Loveland, CO - Budweiser Events Center
22 - Grand Island, NE - Fonner Park – Heartland Events Center
24 - Park City, KS - Hartman Arena
25 - Oklahoma City, OK - Zoo Amphitheatre
26 - Little Rock, AR - First Security Amphitheater
29 - Rogers, AR - Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion


July
1 - Toledo, OH - Toledo Zoo & Aquarium – Amphitheater
2 - Sterling Heights, MI - Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
5 - Fort Wayne, IN - Foellinger Theater
9 - Greenville, WI - Greenville Lion’s Park
22 - Boston, MA - Leader Bank Pavilion
23 - Watertown, NY - Watertown Fairgrounds Baseball Diamond  


August
27 - Beaver Dam, KY - Beaver Dam Amphitheater

Held Hostage have announced their brand new album, Great American Rock, to be released digitally and on CD via FireRock Music Group on May 6. Tim "Ripper" Owens and Joe Lynn Turner provide guest vocals on the album.


The album can be pre-ordered now here, and look for the CD in retailers such as Target, Walmart, Barnes & Nobles and your local record stores.


FireRock Music Groups' Scott Braun, Creative Director/A&R, says. "This is a band rich in rock n roll history and they bring with them, a great fan base and they feature some rock legends, on their new record. When I first heard the new record Great American Rock, we knew we had to sign them."




Tom Collier founding member/ lead guitarist/lead singer, "I wanted to get back to the roots of American Rock n Roll. Being able to bring Tim “Ripper” Owens back for a second album with us was such a thrill. I produced the album but I have to say, giving Ripper free reign on his vocals and taking suggestions from him, made this record exactly what we call it, Great American Rock. We also take on the issue of suicide of all ages, with our song 'Rise'. This is a side of Ripper the world has never seen."





Tracklisting:


"We Rock Hard" (featuring Tim "Ripper" Owens)
"Now We Ride (Bikers Life)" (featuring Tim "Ripper" Owens)
"Your Eyes" (featuring Tim "Ripper" Owens)
"The Master" (featuring Tim "Ripper" Owens)
"Hold On" (featuring Tim "Ripper" Owens)
"You Rock Our Way" (featuring Tim "Ripper" Owens)
"Take Me Away" (featuring Tim "Ripper" Owens)
"Be A Man" (featuring Tim "Ripper" Owens)
"Chaos" (Live)
"Rise (Stop Suicide All Ages)" (featuring Tim "Ripper" Owens)
"Fallen Brothers" (featuring Tim "Ripper" Owens)
"Show Me The Way Back" (Acoustic) (featuring Joe Lynn Turner)


Teaser:





Production Credits:


- Producer Tom Collier
- Engineer Ron Keck
- Recorded at Subcat Studios Syracuse NY
- Photo Credits Scott Braun, Dave Koegel
- Special Guest Vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens 10 tracks
- Special Guest Vocalist Joe Lynn Turner, Special guest Bassist Mike Lepond (Symphony X, Ross The Boss), Drummer Ron Keck all on "Show Me The Way Back Home"


Held Hostage is:


Tom Collier - lead guitar/lead vocals
Scott Gregg - rhythm guitarist/backup vocals
Jeff Murray - drums
Dave Carrol - bass /backup vocals

After wrapping up a successful North American tour opening for Zero 9:36 and their latest single “Plastic Heart” crashing in to the Top 40 at Active Rock radio, Florida rockers Fame On Fire have released the acoustic performance of their latest single.





The band - comprised of Bryan Kuznitz (vocals), Blake Saul (guitarist), Paul Spirou (bass), and Alex Roman (drums) - released “Plastic Heart" (Acoustic) as a streaming exclusive after fans experienced it live during their recent tour stop in Colorado Springs. The band was forced to play acoustic after their drummer Alex was diagnosed with pneumonia and had to miss a few shows to recover. As fan reaction to the live acoustic version grew, the band decided to record it officially leading to its release worldwide.




The video for the performance can be found below, and the song is available via all streaming partners here.


“We wanted to show the other side of the song, the acoustic version hits different - it’s actually more of a sad situation than a fuck you situation when someone just up and leaves and completely changes who they are leaving you feeling empty,” explains Fame On Fire.





(Photo - Roman Films)

In a new interview with Metal Injection, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian discussed the progress of the writing sessions for the follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" album. He said: "We were just together writing. We have songs, and all I can say is we will get in the studio when we're ready, which I hope is this year. I would love that. I think we're getting there. I think we have great songs. I think people will be very happy.

"Not to make a weird comparison, but it's our third record back together with [singer] Joey [Belladonna]. Actually, it's an odd comparison. I should just say it's our third album since our kind of our reboot in 2010 and our third album back in the day was 'Among The Living'. I'm not saying that this is [like that album], because it's not 'Among The Living II' in any sense, but I just think we have some great songs and there's like a fucking mountain of great riffs. I think people are going to be very happy."

Ian previously discussed ANTHRAX's upcoming LP during a July 2021 appearance on Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. At the time, he said: "We've been at it for a little while now. We actually started writing in '19 — pre-COVID — and kind of stepped away from things when COVID happened. We were all separate and apart and we would kind of revisit some of the demos, but we weren't actively working on it.

"Yeah, it's the same as it's always been," he said. "I would have to think by the time we get to the other side of the writing process and we decide we're ready to go record it, I would have to assume it's certainly going to represent this time in our lives. And the world having gone through a pandemic, I would imagine certainly that's in some way, shape or form going to come out through this next record. I can't tell you how yet, but I would have to think it's going to."

As previously reported, ANTHRAX and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY will team up for a 24-date North American tour this summer. The five-week trek will kick off on Tuesday, July 26 at Van Buren in Phoenix, Arizona and wrap on Sunday, August 28 at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Both bands will play headline sets. HATEBREED, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the "Perseverance" album, will be the special guest.

ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a number of special activities and events. Formed by Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Active over the past five decades, ANTHRAX has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple gold and platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with the "Big Four".

"For All Kings" was called by some critics ANTHRAX's strongest album to date. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the group experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the "Big Four" tour, and continuing with the 2011 release of comeback LP "Worship Music"

Sharon Osbourne has revealed that a "horrendous" facelift last year had left her looking like Cyclops.

The 69-year-old wife and manager of legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne, who is promoting a new show on Talk TV, revealed she underwent the five-and-a-half hour cosmetic surgery operation but was disappointed when the bandages were removed.

She told The Sunday Times: "I had a full facelift done in October and I looked like one of those fucking mummies that they wrap [with bandages]. It hurt like hell. You have no idea. I'm telling you, it was horrendous. [To the surgeon] I'm, like, 'You've got to be fucking joking.' One eye was different to the other. I looked like a fucking Cyclops. I'm, like, 'All I need is a hunchback.'"

Ozzy, with whom Sharon will celebrate a 40th wedding anniversary in July, apparently agreed the results of the surgery fell short of expectations. "He said, 'I don't care how much it costs, we'll get it redone,'" she recalled.

However, Sharon said her face is "settling now," and she is happy with her new look.

This is not the first time Sharon has had a bad experience with a facelift. Back in 2019, she told "The Kelly Clarkson Show" that she was scared that something might go wrong during one of her operations. "Sure, because you could wake up and look like Cyclops — you never know," she said. "And I had this thing where they lifted up my mouth, and then, for the first week, I couldn't feel my mouth. I can hardly feel my mouth now, to be honest with you."

She continued: "But I couldn't find my mouth. It kept going numb. It was up on one side and I looked like Elvis [Presley]. And all the kids and Ozzy are going, 'Why are you snarling at me?' I'm, like, 'I'm not snarling. I'm not doing anything.'"

In August 2019, Sharon underwent a 13-hour facelift procedure. "I had my neck done, my jowls," she said on her former daytime talk show "The Talk". "They kind of pulled it from the top of my head... but everything was just lifted up. So, it looks more refreshed."

When Sharon first announced that she was going to undergo another plastic surgery in the summer of 2019, she distanced herself from famed plastic surgery addict Jocelyn Wildenstein, who was nicknamed "Catwoman" due to her extensive plastic surgeries that mimic the animal.

"I never took a picture to a doctor and said, 'I want to look like [a] cat woman,'" Osbourne said. "No, I didn't want to go that far." She later said she started getting plastic surgery because she looked like her mother and "I didn't want to look like my mom."

Osbourne has previously discussed the procedures and treatments she has had done, which include the Halo laser, multiple facelifts, an arm and leg lift, a tummy tuck following gastric bypass surgery, a breast reduction and lift and countless injections of Botox.

She told the U.K. newspaper The Daily Telegraph in May 2014 that "there's not much I haven't had tweaked, stretched, peeled, lasered, veneered, enhanced or removed altogether. But I won't be having any more. A couple of years ago I looked at myself and thought, 'Oh dear, you look plastic.' It looked all right in a portrait photo, but when I was talking — and I saw myself being interviewed on TV — I looked like the Joker."

On a 2016 episode of "The Talk", Sharon admitted that she was on "face three and counti

Prior to GODSMACK's headlining performance at WJRR's Earthday Birthday 28 on Saturday, April 23 in Orlando, Florida, frontman Sully Erna opened up to Pat Lynch and Taco Bob from 101.1 WJRR about his recent battle with COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET) "I got very sick. I was sick for five and a half weeks, but I was in the hospital for four days."

When asked if he thought he was going to get COVID-19, Erna, who is apparently unvaccinated, said: "I didn't. I take really good care of myself. I'm a runner. I've boxed for over 20 years. And I'm onstage two hours a night. I have pretty big lungs, so even thinking if I was gonna get it, I figured I'd get sick like the normal flu get sick and then you push through it, but I definitely didn't expect for it to knock me down the way it did. I just got some bad luck and bad timing. Part of it was I got hit during the Christmas holidays, so all my doctors were on vacation; there was only substitutes. They were kind of guiding me over the phone. And what happened was the COVID left my body within seven to 10 days, but then pneumonia developed, and that's what got me [really sick]. I ended up getting blood clots in my lungs and stuff like that. That's when everything went down. It was pretty gnarly for a while because my oxygen had dipped to 76. And if anyone knows anything about oxygen levels, you're not supposed to go below 95. If you go below, you go to the hospital and 70 is, like, [when they put you on a] ventilator. So I was pretty emotional, pretty nervous about wondering if I was coming out of this. But thankfully I was in the shape that I was in, and my doctor thinks, like, that proved to him… He goes, 'I know exactly how good of a shape you're in now, because,' he goes, 'I've gotta tell you, man, when you came in, I was really nervous for you. And most people that come in in that condition, they don't leave with a happy ending.'"

After Lynch noted that COVID-19 affects people differently, Erna concurred. "It's pretty random," he said. "I think it has something to do with the blood type and DNA; they're testing for that kind of stuff now. But regardless, I got to the other side of it. I'm doing better than I ever have. It was a very humbling experience and a crazy journey. It puts things in perspective for you. So, that being said, I'm here to just do what we do, man. There was a reason for all of this, and it's made me appreciate life more and my career more and music more and things like that. But I'm also not overjamming my schedule like I used to. I'm taking time for my family, my daughter, the people that I love the most. And I'll play music when I wanna play music now, not because I have to."

Sully also talked about GODSMACK's plans for the next few months, saying: "The first thing to do is these shows. We have six of 'em to do, last night [being] one of 'em and tonight another one. We have four more to do over the next two weekends. And then it's pretty loose until October. Then we start 'touring touring' in Europe, we do South America, we [play] some international [shows]. We'll be back first quarter of '23 with a new record. The record's finished; we're done recording it. You should probably be hearing new music by summertime — mid to late summer — and then following it up with a second single and the full record by the top of '23. That's the plan. And then we're just gonna hit it one more time hard and heavy. And I've gotta tell you, this might be the last one for us — it might be the last record for us."

Erna's personal battle with COVID-19 came less than a year after he said that the coronavirus was not as deadly as health officials have made it out to be. "I'm sorry, man, and there may be some people that may get mad at me about saying this, but COVID is not a global killer," he said during a March 2021 appearance on "The Mistress Carrie Podcast". "It's doing damage, and it's certainly affecting the elderly, and we pray for them, and we are really sympathetic towards that, and that's why we're all wearing masks, that's why we're all doing our job. Because there's a lot of us that aren't afraid of COVID, and we know that we're probably gonna blow right through it. But we don't wanna roll the dice with our loved ones, so we're being responsible. But at the same time, the reality is this isn't a global killer. It's gonna pass, we're gonna get past it, and we need to get back to normal. So we have to influence the strong to get out there and start working and start going to school and doing what they need to do so we can create population immunity. That's what's gonna get us through this. And then we'll be able to get back to normal."

At the time, Erna also repeated a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggested the official death count from the coronavirus in the U.S. was inflated.

"There's been a lot of things proven within the media, the news, to who's on what side of what, and whether some of this was a political agenda to begin within, whether the numbers are accurate enough to be able to base it on, those half a million people dead," Erna told "The Mistress Carrie Podcast". "Because there was a lot of people coming forward, a lot of doctors and everything, saying, 'Why the fuck are we being asked to put COVID on everything? Why did someone just die of pneumonia, and we have to write 'COVID'? Why did someone come in and have a heart attack, and we're being told to write 'COVID'?' So whether that half-a-million number is correct, that's the part that I feel like we need to be responsible enough to try and be optimistic about not steering people down one rabbit hole, because that's what CNN does on one side and Fox does on the other side. So CNN delivers one side of this, and Fox takes you down a different rabbit hole."

He continued: "The thing with COVID is I myself know at least — at least — a dozen, two dozen people, maybe, that have gotten COVID. And I have a friend of mine that, three months later, he's, like, 'I'm still having some issues. And it's weird — I'm getting dizzy spells. I'm getting this, that and the other thing. And what the fuck?' And then I know another group of people that were, like, 'Dude, I've had a hangover that was worse than this. I had a fever of 99 for about a day and a half and haven't had a problem since.' And so it affects everybody differently, and that's the big mystery."

Last November, Erna took a swipe at celebrities, including fellow musicians, who have used their high-profile voices to encourage medical behaviors, saying they should "shut up and let people live their lives."

Erna, who confirmed that politics played a part in his decision to relocate GODSMACK's headquarters to Florida — which leans Republican in presidential elections — on a part-time basis while maintaining a home in New Hampshire, has been more vocal about his political opinions in recent years, saying in a July 2020 episode of his Internet show "Hometown Sessions" that if "Trump stays in [office], COVID's gonna be a big, messy pain in the ass, and there's gonna be more people burning down Wendy's fucking restaurants. If Trump fucking is gone, all of a sudden they're gonna have this miracle vaccine that those fucking liars have been holding on to."

In late 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Erna hit the road in the U.S. with STAIND's Aaron Lewis as part of the unplugged "The American Drive-In Tour".

Lewis, who has been friends with Erna for more than 25 years, has been a vocal opponent of COVID-19 vaccines, claiming last November that he beat COVID-19 by taking ivermectin, a drug with no evidence of being a safe or effective treatment for the novel coronavirus. He said he also used Z-Pak, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections by inhibiting the growth of bacteria in the body.

Last September, GODSMACK's latest album, "When Legends Rise", was certified gold on by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of half a million copies. In addition, two more of the LP's singles (the title track and "Under Your Scars") were also officially certified gold by the RIAA. The album's first single "Bulletproof" earned a platinum digital single award in September 2020 and was previously certified gold in the U.S.

"When Legends Rise" was the seventh studio album from GODSMACK. Produced by Erik Ron and Erna, it was the band's first release in four years and was recorded at their now-former headquarters (GSHQ) in Derry, New Hampshire. The album went on to garner a multitude of career milestones for the group: four No. 1 rock tracks (an accomplishment that makes GODSMACK one of only four rock acts to achieve this), and a record 11 No. 1 singles in the band's career with the album's fourth single, "Unforgettable". "When Legends Rise" entered the Billboard Top 200 album chart in the top ten (No. 8), with four No. 1 placements on other charts: Top Rock Albums, Top Hard Music Albums, Top Independent Albums and Top Alternative Albums.




Backstage at EDBD28 with Sully from Godsmack, could their next album be their last?

Posted by 101.1 WJRR - The Rock Station on Saturday, April 23, 2022

DIO's classic debut album, "Holy Diver", was recently certified double platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of two million copies.

The RIAA developed its gold and platinum awards program in 1958 to honor artists and create a standard by which to measure the commercial success of a sound recording. The program trademarked the gold record and formalized the industry practice of presenting awards to artists for music sales achievements.

Presently, the RIAA awards a gold honor for 500,000 units sold, a platinum honor for 1 million units sold and a diamond award for more than 10 million units sold.

In the streaming age, each permanent digital album or physical album sale count as 1 unit for certification purposes, 10 permanent track downloads from the album count as 1 unit for certification purposes, and 1,500 on-demand audio and/or video streams from the album count as 1 unit. For songs, 150 on-demand audio and/or video streams count as 1 unit for certification purposes.

Originally issued on May 25, 1983, "Holy Diver" has been hailed by critics as DIO's best work and a classic staple in the heavy metal genre. The LP was certified gold in the U.S. on September 12, 1984 and platinum on March 21, 1989.

"Holy Diver" re-entered The Billboard 200 chart in May 2010 — shortly after the band's frontman, Ronnie James Dio, died of stomach cancer — at No. 149 and bowed at No. 11 on the Pop Catalog chart.

DIO wrote and recorded "Holy Diver" after Ronnie left BLACK SABBATH to create a new group built around his formidable singing and unquestionably stellar songwriting. The album's stunning quality and consistency owed much to Dio's carefully chosen bandmates, including powerhouse drummer (and fellow BLACK SABBATH survivor) Vinny Appice, veteran bassist Jimmy Bain, and a phenomenal find in young Irish guitarist Vivian Campbell, whose tastefully pyrotechnic leads helped make this the definitive DIO lineup. The group entered the studio to record their debut album in early 1983. Produced by Ronnie James Dio, "Holy Diver" consists of nine original cuts penned by the singer and various band members. Included are such distinctive DIO cuts as "Stand Up And Shout", "Straight Through The Heart", the title track and the concert favorite "Rainbow In The Dark".
Holy Diver, recently certified Double-Platinum. Celebrating 2 Million copies sold in the US! 🤘🏼 @Rhino_Recordspic.twitter.com/ZjYzOA6sKw

— Official Dio (@OfficialRJDio) April 21, 2022

Orange County's Bleed the Sky have announced that their new vocalist is Rudy Flores. The band released their brand new single, "Rot In Flesh", today along with an accompanying music video.


"The lyrics of 'Rot In Flesh' represent the choice to overcome negativity from one's own toxic thoughts and others trying to bring you down. Sonically, this song hints at Bleed The Sky's new direction and what people can expect from our upcoming releases. This is just the beginning. We are very excited to show you what else this new line-up has to offer," says the band.


Stream/download "Rot In Flesh" here. Watch the video below:







(Photo - @ericavincentphotos)

The North American Siege 2022, featuring Arch Enemy and Behemoth, plus special guests Napalm Death and Unto Others, landed at The Eastern in Atlanta, GA on April 22.


Arch Enemy have shared this recap video, stating: "Thank you, Atlanta for kicking off the weekend with Arch Enemy and Behemoth! Now that’s Heavy Metal!"







On April 23, the tour hit Charlotte, NC at The Fillmore Charlotte. Says Arch Enemy: "Charlotte, we couldn’t have asked for so many crazy fans to have fun with us, thank you so much!"





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


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


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


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





"Sunset Over The Empire" tracklisting:


"Sunset Over The Empire"
"The Judging Eyes"


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





Deceivers tracklisting:


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


"Handshake With Hell" video:





"Deceiver, Deceiver" video:





"House Of Mirrors" video:





Arch Enemy lineup:


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