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

Billy Howerdel releases his  debut solo album, What Normal Was, on June 10 via Alchemy Recordings/Rise Records/BMG.


The A Perfect Circle co-founder/guitar player has simultaneously released a video for “Poison Flowers” (see below), with the Rizz (from Vowws)-directed clip offering both an aural and visual preview of what’s to come on the 10-song, self-produced collection.


“This is me stepping back into my early teen self and making the record I would’ve made if I had the means and the knowledge when I first picked up a guitar—just in 2022,” Howerdel explains. “It’s that moment as a kid when you hear a record, close your eyes, and go somewhere else. That was the time I found my lane, so to speak.”




Pre-save What Normal Was here. Album pre-orders for the June 10 release will be available soon.





What Normal Was tracklisting:


"Selfish Heart"
"Free And Weightless"
"Ani"
"Beautiful Mistake"
"The Same Again"
"Poison Flowers"
"Follower"
"Bring Honor Back Home"
"EXP"
"Stars"


"Poison Flowers" video:





The album news is accompanied by the announcement of a summer tour, kicking off on June 11 in Ventura, Calif. The six week trek includes an appearance at Milwaukee’s Summerfest and two shows where Howerdel finds himself on the same bill as his APC bandmate Maynard James Keenan, who will be performing with Puscifer on June 12 at the Greek Theatre (Los Angeles) and July 1 at Meadow Brook Amphitheatre (Rochester Hills, Mich). Tickets for all headlining dates are on-sale this Friday, April 29 at 10 AM, local time. For tickets and ticket info, including VIP packages, please visit billyhowerdel.com.





Tour dates:


June
11 - Ventura, CA - Ventura Music Hall
12 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre *
14 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up
15 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
16 - Roseville, CA - Goldfield Trading Post
18 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
19 - Seattle, WA - Neumos
21 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall
22 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre
24 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Café
25 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
26 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall
28 - Chicago, IL - Cabaret Metro
29 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall


July
1 - Rochester Hills, MI - Meadow Brook Amphitheatre *
2 - Toronto, ON - Axis Club
3 - Montreal, QC - Café Campus
5 - Allston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
6 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
8 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts
9 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
10 - Charlotte, NC - The Underground
12 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
14 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
15 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall – Inside Downstairs
16 - Dallas, TX - The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
17 - Austin, TX - Emos
20 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom


* with Puscifer


New Jersey-born and Los Angeles-based vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer Billy Howerdel has quietly asserted himself as an alternative music auteur whose knack for massive hooks believes a keen emotional understanding and sonic acuity. Devoting his life to music after witnessing Pink Floyd live, he acted as something of a behind-the-scenes journeyman, working as an in-demand touring and studio tech for the likes of David Bowie, Guns N’ Roses, and Nine Inch Nails.


Striking up a friendship with Maynard James Keenan when Tool opened for Fishbone (for whom Billy served as a tech), he occupied a room in a North Hollywood cottage with Maynard. Billy founded A Perfect Circle with Maynard in 1999. The group’s seminal full-length debut, Mer de Noms, went platinum and made history as the “highest Billboard Top 200 bow for a rock band’s debut.” They followed it with the platinum Thirteenth Step [2003] and gold Emotive [2004]. The group made their return with 2018’s Eat The Elephant, marking their fourth consecutive Top 5 debut on the Top 200.


In between, Billy’s music has also appeared in video games and on the big screen. During 2008, he made his first solo statement under the moniker Ashes Divide with Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright. In the next decade, the album quietly pervaded as a cult favorite with millions of streams and the odd sold out “reunion” show. On his 2022 proper full-length solo debut, What Normal Was [Alchemy Recordings/Rise Records/BMG], he inhabits a space that’s reverent of his past, present, and future all at once. After all of these years, songs, and shows, Billy is ready to introduce himself.


(Photo - Erica Weitz)

Highly acclaimed metal vocalist Tony Harnell, the voice of Norwegian metal band TNT, will be Inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame on-stage at the M3 Festival, on May 7 in Columbia, MD.


Tony Harnell rooted his legacy in hard rock and heavy metal as the vocalist for TNT. His vocals can be found on fan favorites such as "Seven Seas," "Everyone's A Star," and "10,000 Lovers (In One)", with the two later songs having been in rotation on MTV. He has also fronted the bands Westworld, and Starbreaker, along with his own solo projects The Mercury Train, and The Wildflowers featuring Bumblefoot. Harnell was also featured in the Sonic The Hedgehog video game series for SEGA.







"It's is no surprise that fans and the Nominating Committee are Inducting one of the greatest hard rock and metal vocalists of our time, Tony Harnell, into the 2022 Metal Hall Of Fame," says Metal Hall of Fame President/CEO Pat Gesualdo.


"I'm honored and humbled to be Inducted into the Metal Hall of Fame, and to even be thought of alongside so many of the Hall's great artists," says Tony Harnell. "And thank you to the Metal Hall Of Fame for the amazing charity work that you do."


For 2022, The Metal Hall Of Fame will be doing a Live, On-Stage Festival Induction Tour, that will launch with Tony Harnell at the M3 Festival, on May 7 in Columbia, MD. Fans can watch the Live Induction at the official Metal Hall of Fame Facebook and Instagram pages.





About the Metal Hall Of Fame...


The Metal Hall of Fame is a volunteer non-profit organization, that enshrines forever, those Legendary musicians, artists, music industry executives who are responsible for making Hard Rock and Heavy Metal music what it is today. Their contribution to the genre is invaluable, and they keep inspiring fans throughout the world, from generation to generation. It holds the Annual Metal Hall of Fame Charity Gala every January.


The Metal Hall of Fame has included many Historical Hard Rock and Heavy Metal moments. For example, our idea to join with Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne to have Lee Kerslake accept his Platinum Records for "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of A Madman," after 38 years. Having Metallica Induct Megaforce Records Founders Jon and Marsha Zazula. Inducting Judas Priest at Wacken Open Air. Inducting members of Kiss, Iron Maiden, and Triumph among others for our Anniversary Bash. Having Don Airey's surprise Induction for Black Sabbath co-founding member Bill Ward, (especially after not seeing each other since recording Black Sabbath's 1978 "Never Say Day" album). Inducting Anthrax at Heavy Montreal in front of 40,000 fans. Having Kathy and Kelle Rhoads Induct their brother Randy Rhoads. Having Slayer's Kerri King surprise Induction for Brian Slagel and Metal Blade Record's 35TH Anniversary, having Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Geoff Tate, Chris Poland, and  Bjorn Englen perform in the most Historic metal Jam of all time. Having Brian May of Queen Induct Joe Satriani. These are just some of the Legendary memories that we are honored to have shared with Hard Rock and Heavy Metal fans throughout the world.


The Metal Hall of Fame is a Volunteer Charity, and part of the 501 (C)(3) non-profit organization D.A.D. (Drums and Disabilities). Numerous Celebrities, Law Enforcement Agencies, Sports Stars, Doctors, School Systems, and Veterans Hospitals join with D.A.D. to bring music programs to help special needs children and wounded veterans in community centers and health facilities throughout the United States.


100% of the profits from all D.A.D. and Metal Hall of Fame events are dedicated to this great cause.


For more information, or to volunteer or donate, please contact: info@themetalhalloffame.org, or call 973-263-0420.

Napalm Records is massively proud to join forces with legendary all-star death metal onslaught, Bloodbath. The band has signed a worldwide record deal with the leading rock and metal label.


Formed in 1998 to spread their ruthless old-school death metal in the likes of early Entombed spliced with hints of US-style death metal, Bloodbath released their first three-track EP, entitled Breeding Death, in 1999, followed by the critically acclaimed first full-length, the brutal Resurrection Through Carnage, in 2002.


With their fifth record, The Arrow of Satan Is Drawn (2018), the band currently consisting of Nick Holmes (vocals), Jonas Renkse (bass), Anders Nyström (guitars), Tomas Åkvik (guitars) and Martin ‘Axe’ Axenrot (drums) conjured their latest relentless storm of chaos, driven by explosive death, thrash and black metal and hailed by fans and critics alike. Teaming up with Napalm Records, Bloodbath is now more than ready to take the band to the next level.




Make sure to stay tuned for more exciting news coming soon.


Bloodbath on the signing: "Just as we’re about to enter our next exciting chapter of Bloodbath, we’re pleased to say that the band is in the good hands of a new label. By joining forces with the mighty Napalm Records, Bloodbath will proudly make sure our old school death metal continues to pummel onwards and upwards. Let the Napalm rain!”


Sebastian Muench, Napalm Records A&R, adds: "Bloodbath could be simply described as a super-group and the title would be 100% correct. However the essence of Bloodbath lies in their endless talent to create death metal magic. Death metal as pure and wonderful as very few bands are capable of. Bloodbath, we are absolutely proud and honored to welcome you to the Napalm family!"


Experience Bloodbath live in 2022:


July
1 - Barcelona, Spain - Barcelona Rockfest
2 - Viveiro, Spain - Resurrection Festival


August
10 - Jaromer, Czech Republic - Brutal Assault


September
9-10 -  Hüttikon, Switzerland - Meh Suff! (performance day TBC)
24 - Monterrey, Mexico - Mexico Metal Fest


Bloodbath are:


Nick Holmes – vocals
Anders Nyström – guitar
Tomas Åkvik – guitar
Jonas Renkse – bass
Martin ‘Axe’ Axenrot – drums


(Photo - Ester Segarra)

Randy Rand, the founding bassist of '80s hard rockers AUTOGRAPH, has passed away.

Prior to his death, Rand was the sole remaining original member of AUTOGRAPH, which announced in February that it had signed a deal with Frontiers Music Srl and was working on material for a new studio album.

Earlier today (Tuesday, April 26),AUTOGRAPH issued the following statement: "It is with great sorrow and heavy hearts to announce the unexpected passing of our cherished friend and founding member of AUTOGRAPH, Randy Rand.

"At the time of death, Randy was surrounded by his beautiful and infinite love, Regina Rand and family.

"Although beyond devastated, we find some comfort and solace knowing the last couple of years have been some of his happiest as an artist and as a performer. Randy was the consummate optimist and was so excited to see the new direction, creativity and renewed energy with the band. You could feel his excitement- as it was quite palpable with his playing abilities, performances and the way he interacted with his beloved fans.

"As many of you know, Randy arrived in the late 70s Sunset Strip music scene and was an accomplished musician and seasoned studio musician when he rose to prominence as an original member of AUTOGRAPH. Fast forward 40 years, our brother was still making an impact in the music arena with his charismatic stage presence, musical contributions, most notably, with our new album release and collaboration with Frontiers.

"Regrettably, there is only one Randy- a fabulous bassist band mate, brother, and human being. Collectively in the last couple of years with this formation, we spent numerous hours that turned into something magical while creating an unbreakable bond few bands are fortunate enough to ever experience. We had that…and with that, we will continue to honor Randy Rand, as he would want us to and honor our musical commitments and keep his legacy alive.

"At this time…we ask that you respect our privacy and we thank you for the continued love, support and light that all of you have shown him and us as we navigate these sad days ahead of us."

AUTOGRAPH, whose hit "Turn Up The Radio" was a staple of the hard rock soundtrack of the '80s, disbanded in 1989, but in 2011, founding members Rand and guitarist Steve Lynch decided to meet up at the NAMM show in Anaheim, California. They rekindled their friendship first before even thinking about a musical reunion. With their personal relationship rebuilt, they made a collective decision to play again. "We approached our original singer Steve Plunkett about a reunion," Rand recalled. "He didn't have the time to join the band again due to his busy schedule. He did give us his blessing to move forward though, and that was important. We missed our fans. This is for them."

Fully embracing the future, the remaining members began a search for a new singer. They discovered some videos of singer/guitarist/songwriter Simon Daniels (of JAILHOUSE, FLOOD, 1RKO) on YouTube and instantly they sensed a connection and knew that he was the right fit for the band. "He was perfect to front AUTOGRAPH," said Rand. "His hard-edged, bluesy voice and massive riffing sharpen our edge. He's given us a new energy, and he impressed us immediately. We all had a euphoric feeling after the first rehearsal," Rand added.

Rand said that during his long-lived career, he had only loved playing with two drummers; one is the great late Randy Castillo, and then there was AUTOGRAPH's new drummer Marc Wieland. As Rand put it, "We're heavier than before. At the same time, the melodic vocals and catchy hooks are still an integral part of our sound."

In 2019, Lynch decided to leave the group to pursue different musical styles and was replaced by international monster shredder guitarist Jimi Bell (HOUSE OF LORDS, MAXX EXPLOSION).

AUTOGRAPH has released seminal albums such as "Sign In Please" (1984),"That's The Stuff" (1985) and "Loud And Clear" (1987). Over the course of their career, they have played shows with everybody from MÖTLEY CRÜE and DIO to VAN HALEN and AEROSMITH. Successfully touring again since the beginning of 2014, AUTOGRAPH has strived and shined at arenas, casinos, major music festivals such as M3, Monsters Of Rock cruise, Moondance Jam, 80's In The Park, Grand Rock Tember, Cat Club festival at Irvine Meadows and Firefest UK, among others. In 2017, AUTOGRAPH released a new album on ex-MEGADETH member David Ellefson's EMP Label Group, hitting No. 21 on the Billboard Classic Rock Sales chart, as well as placing two new singles on the top 10 Hard Rock Mediabase radio chart.

Finland's Hanging Garden has signed a record deal with Agonia Records. The band incorporates doom, gothic and death metal with a melodic cut, wrapped in melancholy and a dark aura.


Hanging Garden was brought to life in 2004 with an early style that encompassed heavy, doom-oriented metal music. Roughly two decades, seven albums and a couple of line-up shuffles later, the Finns shifted to a more melodic, contemporary sound, which is rooted in dark atmosphere, and leans towards open-minded and playful musicality. While still entrenched in metal, Hanging Garden possesses a versatile, many-layered style of playing, male & female vocals, and draws influence & inspiration from music and art, far and wide. The group may appeal to fans of Swallow The Sun, Ghost Brigade, October Tide or Katatonia.


The band solidified most of its line-up around 2010 and currently comprises guitarist Mikko Kolari, guitarist/vocalist Jussi Hämäläinen, keyboardist Nino Hynninen, vocalist Toni Hatakka, drummer Antti Ruokola and bassist Jussi Kirves. Riikka Hatakka, who lend her vocals to the band in the past, stepped in as full time member in 2019, turning the band into a seven-piece.




Having released albums on Spikefarm and Lifeforce Records, Hanging Garden found its new label home after being proposed a deal by Agonia.


"We were approached by Agonia with a clearly heartfelt and genuine interest towards us and our music," comments the band. "They also have many great artists and our friends in their roster, such as the awesome The Moth Gatherer and October Tide, whom we have collaborated and toured with before. We are looking forward to releasing our next album and taking the next step with Agonia Records."


Lineup:


Mikko Kolari - guitars
Jussi Hämäläinen - guitars, vocals
Toni Hatakka - vocals
Riikka Hatakka - vocals
Nino Hynninen - keyboards
Jussi Kirves - bass
Antti Ruokola - drums


(Photo - Toni Hatakka)

Former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted says that he is "really not happy" with the article that was recently published based on an interview he gave to promote an upcoming charity concert.

A little over a week ago, Jason spoke to The Palm Beach Post about the April 23 show he will perform with his THE CHOPHOUSE BAND at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre in Jupiter, Florida. It is a benefit event for the Goldner Conservatory, a professional conservatory that offers the highest caliber of artistic education to students of all ages. During the chat, Newsted touched upon the various artists that have approached him in recent years about playing bass with them, including a proposed all-star VAN HALEN tribute project featuring VAN HALEN drummer Alex Van Halen and guitarist Joe Satriani.

After The Palm Beach Post article was published, Jason's bombshell revelation about the VAN HALEN tour offer dominated the music news headlines, with many fans expressing their surprise at the fact that such a project was in the works. In addition, Satriani himself said that he was taken aback to learn that Jason had revealed the project's existence before everything was finalized and an official announcement was made.

Jason addressed the media and fan response to his VAN HALEN comments in a brand new interview with the 98.7 The Gater radio station in West Palm Beach, Florida, Speaking about the fact that The Palm Beach Post article didn't sufficiently focus on the upcoming charity concert, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That was bad, dude. I'm not happy about that. I'm really, really not happy about that."

When asked by 98.7 The Gater DJ Pat Lynch if The Palm Beach Post journalist printed stuff that he said off the record, Newsted replied: "I don't do very many interviews anymore, and I agreed to do that to promote the show for the kids. We do benefit shows to put paintbrushes and guitars in kids' hands. That's what I'm doing now. The METALLICA 'Black Album' did so well and it still does to this moment, [and] because of that I'm able to do what I want with whatever projects I have going. THE CHOPHOUSE BAND is the longest-running project. The things that we do five to six times a year — we do benefits, period, for art programs for kids. That's it — music classes and art programs. That's why I agreed to do that interview, was to forward the information about the Goldner Conservatory at the Maltz [Jupiter] Theatre that's gonna have classes for kids and do exactly what I said. So if I go to talk about that, and I mentioned two little things over here about the calls that I've received in the past 20 years from whoever it is — Alice Cooper, AEROSMITH, whatever; man, whatever — I was just listing a list of the calls that I received over time that never went anywhere. I only said yes to a couple of the 30 that I received, and I mentioned a couple of them that impressed me. People that if I wouldn't have had their records, I wouldn't play the way I do, they called me on my home phone and said, 'You wanna come and jam with us?' Dude, I'm off the ground; I'm levitating. I'm, like, 'Why would AEROSMITH call me?' That's a big frickin' deal to a kid. Just a kid from a farm in Michigan, dude, and a guy from AEROSMITH calls and asks me to play bass? However many years later when you stole that album from your brother's collection. It's frickin' huge. That's all I was doing. I talked about two seconds about that, and that's what they chose to go for. They didn't talk about the Conservatory, the kids' classes, the things that we're doing, THE CHOPHOUSE BAND, why we do that we do.

"Nobody makes any money in THE CHOPHOUSE BAND," he continued. "Everybody volunteers their time — the camera guy, the guitar tech. We just do it to try to help out and give back — that's it. We try to make some community thing. So when the press runs with it that way… And also I think just the straight-up lack of awareness, lack of study about what my past story is that's already been told 700 times. You know, those kind of things that are already very, very obvious news that you can get that information, why are you asking me that question again? It doesn't make any sense. Let's get on to what we're getting on with. There's a future here. Everybody knows about my past. Let's please talk about what's coming, not what has already happened."

"That really rubbed me wrong," Newsted added. "I don't know what interviews I'll do again. I'm not sure if I'll say yes to anything."

Pressed by Lynch about whether he called The Palm Beach Post writer back after the article was published, Jason said: "She got disinvited to the show." Lynch then opined that The Palm Beach Post journalist "probably doesn't give a shit" about not being invited to the gig, to which Newsted replied: "I don't really know and I don't really care."

Just a few days ago, Satriani told the "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen" classic rock show that he was astonished to find out that Jason had discussed the proposed VAN HALEN tribute project with a journalist. He said: "These things are always happening in the music industry, and you're supposed to keep very quiet about it [laughs], because sometimes they don't work out. There's usually about 10 crazy ideas that float around and musicians are always, like, 'Okay, I won't say anything about this 'cause it may not work out. I don't wanna hurt this person's feelings or disrupt any other business plans.' So, yeah, we were all pretty shocked that Jason wanted to go public with it 'cause we were all sworn to silence. [Laughs]"

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

Newsted and his wife Nicole have been longtime residents of Jupiter, Florida.

Humans, you have waited long enough! The day is finally here! As of today, your Lords and Masters Gear unleash their latest aural masterpiece. Taken from their forthcoming album, The New Dark Ages, Gwar is pleased as piss to debut the song “Mother Fucking Liar”. Watch the visualizer below.


“This song is for anybody who’s sick of all the pieces of shit talking out of both sides of their mouth. Motherfuck a motherfucking liar,” says vocalist Blöthar the Berserker.


The New Dark Ages chronicles Gwar's adventures in the Duoverse, where the band rediscovers old powers such as Blóthar’s terrifying Berserker Mode, and encounter new allies, such as the murderous maven known as The Cutter. Along the way, they battle the living monuments of a lost cause and armies of undead soldiers who Rise Again to fight a New Civil War.




Pre-order The New Dark Ages here. The album will be released on CD/digital on June 3, and vinyl and cassette on September 16 via the band’s own Pit Records.  





The New Dark Ages tracklisting:


"New Dark Age
"Blood Libel
"Berserker Mode
"Mother Fucking Liar
"Unto The Breach
"Completely Fucked
"The Cutter
"Rise Again
"The Beast Will Eat Itself
"The Venom Of The Platypus
"Ratcatcher
"Bored To Death
Death Whistle Suite:
"Temple Ascent"
"Starving Gods"
"Deus Ex Monstrum"


"Mother Fucking Liar" visualizer:





The album concept is tied to a companion graphic novel, “GWAR In the Duoverse of Absurdity,” which will also be released by Z2 Comics on June 3rd. In the graphic novel the band are sucked off into an alternate universe to do battle with their evil twins and the specter of rogue technology.  


Upcoming Gwar tour dates are listed below.





May
19 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Piere’s*
20 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant* (PointFest PreParty)
21 - Wichita, KS - TempleLive*
23 - Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep
24 - Grand Junction, CO - Mesa Theater
26 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
27 - Chico, CA - Senator Theatre
28 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
29 - Tempe, AZ - The Marquee
31 - San Antonio, TX - Vibes Event Center


June
2 - Destin, FL - Club LA
3 - Chattanooga, TN - The Signal
4 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm
5 - Charlotte, NC - The Underground
7 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
8 - Green Bay, WI - EPIC Event Center
10 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
11 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
12 - Albany, NY - Empire Live
14 - Hampton Beach, NH - Wally’s
15 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
16 - Providence, RI - The Strand
17 - Reading, PA - Reverb





July
29 - Tilburg, NL - 013
31 - Berlin, DE - SO 26


August
2 - Munich, DE - Free and Easy Festival*
3 - Essen, DE - Turock
4 - Wacken, DE - Wacken*
5 - Makowice, PL - Pol’and’Rok Festival*
8 - Dover, UK - The Booking Hall
9 - Brighton, UK - Chalk
10 - Bristol, UK - Fleece
12 - Catton Park, UK - Bloodstock*
13 - Norwich, UK - Waterfront
14 - Leeds, UK - Key Club
16 - Glasgow, UK - Garage
17 - Manchester, UK - Club Academy
18 - London, UK - The Dome


* Festival

Former SEPULTURA members Max Cavalera and Igor "Iggor" Cavalera will perform select tracks from the band's seminal "Beneath The Remains" and "Arise" albums on a U.S. tour this spring/summer. Joining Max and Igor on the trek will be Mike Leon of SOULFLY and Daniel Gonzalez of POSSESSED. In a new interview with Ghost Cult magazine, Igor stated about how he plans to prepare for the tour: "Of course, it is quite a physical tour. The drumming on it is quite extreme from those two records, so I do have to do a lot of practicing. Luckily, I have a studio here [home] in London that I can come in and do some drumming and try some stuff. And of course we will be doing a bit of rehearsals for this with the whole band before the tour starts, but it's always good to be prepared for something like that. Of course those are songs that somehow they are ingrained in my brain already, but I do need to… because I'm involved also with so many projects, sometimes I do need to do a bit of focusing so I can get all the parts right so my hard drive doesn't explode."

Asked if he has to re-learn how to play some of those songs which were originally written and recorded more than 30 years ago, Igor said: "I do have some notes that I write down, and I've been this for many years. I don't really read music professionally, but I do have some notes that I know where to follow certain things. And those are certain eras where a few songs are very similar to each other — they are variations of the same song, in a way — so not to get confused with certain parts, especially with tempo changes and things like that, I try to keep a bit of a notepad [so] I can look at and I know exactly where I am with a track. 'Cause otherwise, of course, we all go into some kind of a brainfart where you're, like, 'Oh, shit. What's next?' So I try to keep those notes somehow close to me, even when I'm playing live. I have the setlist, but I also have a few things that I write down that help me situate myself in that case."

Reflecting on the fact that "Beneath The Remains" and "Arise" are both more than three decades old, Igor said: "I'm very proud that those records are still relevant to a lot of people, including myself. I really enjoy those records, and to play them live is such a pleasure because I really enjoy playing music with my brother; I really enjoy the connection that we have, the chemistry that we have when we play live. And to have a chance to do this, for me, it's very special, and I really appreciate that. I know there's a lot of brothers out there who are not even here, like the Abbott brothers from PANTERA, or even someone like Eddie Van Halen is gone — now it's only Alex — so the fact that I have my brother to still do things [with], I feel very fortunate that I can still go out and play with him."

Max and Igor kicked off a tour celebrating "Beneath The Remains" and "Arise" back in 2018. In early 2020, Max revealed plans to bring the trek to the U.S., but no dates had been announced prior to the pandemic.

In a 2018 interview with Wall Of Sound, Max stated about revisiting the "Beneath The Remains" and "Arise" material on the most recent run of shows: "I had to learn those riffs again for the tour, and I had to rediscover the albums again. It was a really fun process, learning the lyrics again. I kind of fell in love with the albums again. I don't have a favorite — I like both together, and I think they're meant to be together. For some reason, they just feel right when you play them together. I was very young when I made them, so it made me very aware of my state of mind at the time. I feel like I'm pretty much the same guy. I'm [52] now, but I'm still a metalhead in the heart. I still have the teenage spirit. I'm a huge metal fan, [a] huge supporter of metal. That's just how it was when those albums were done. It's a blessing that I get to do that with my brother, especially after all we went through together and we didn't speak for 10 years. Now, it's good — we are in a good place, and our brotherhood is really good, and we're just having fun with this music... There's an energy and a real anger and real passion in those songs that translates into people losing their minds when they hear it. I don't even have to tell them, 'Circle pit' — they will do it themselves. It's just the power of music."

In 1996, Max exited SEPULTURA after the rest of the band split with Max's wife Gloria as their manager.

Igor left SEPULTURA in June 2006 due to "artistic differences." His departure from the band came five months after he announced that he was taking a break from SEPULTURA's touring activities to spend time with his second wife and their son (who was born in January 2006).

The current SEPULTURA lineup — featuring guitarist Andreas Kisser and bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. alongside Derrick Green on vocals and Eloy Casagrande on drums — released its latest studio album, "Quadra", in February 2020 via Nuclear Blast.

Max and Igor photo credit: Jim Louvau

Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his solo performance of the Simon & Garfunkel classic, "The Sound Of Silence". Check it out below.


Johansson: "This cover of the Disturbed version of 'The Sound of Silence' by Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel is dedicated to my friend Christian Sundberg, who is no longer with us. A great friend, father, brother and son who left us too early."







Johansson previously shared his cover of Gary Moore's 1986 classic "Out In The Fields". Check it out below.

Chilean death thrash band, Torturer, announces that it is currently working on a new studio album, which will be titled The Flames Of Purification - Burning Cross. The new album is set to be launched via Australis Records in Chile during the second half of 2022. This material consists in a re-recording of the previous work, Burning Cross, originally published in 2003, plus other rarities and an updated sound in terms of production. It also announces the incorporation of JT García (guitars), who will debut with this new effort.


Frontman Francisco Cautín commented: "We were never really happy with the production that Burning Cross back then and now we will finally have the opportunity to present these songs with the sound that they deserve, as well as debuting the new line up which has given a new spark of light to our sound."


The Flames Of Purification - Burning Cross was produced by Pablo Gudiño, who has already worked with the band in its previous studio albums, Conjuro IV (2017) and the homonymous Torturer (2012), at the Torture Chamber Studio. The art work was created by Productora Medu1a, who has been recognized in the Chilean media for their graphic work in the past with the work for bands such as Kuervos del Sur and Crisalida.




In the meantime, the band prepares the 30-year celebration of their acclaimed Demo 91, with a new version of its most popular song called "Kingdom Of The Dark", which will be accompanied with a new video, expected to be published in May.


Watch the original "Kingdom Of The Dark" video released in 1992:





Torturer is:


Francisco Cautín - Bass / Vocals
Francisco Garcés - Guitars
Rodrigo Zúñiga - Drums
JT García - Guitars

Y&T frontman Dave Meniketti, who went public with his prostate cancer battle in February, says that he will undergo five weeks of external radiation starting in May.

The 68-year-old guitarist/vocalist discussed his diagnosis and treatment during an appearance on today's (Wednesday, April 20) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Regarding how he found out that he had cancer, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Back in 2018, I hurt my back and was completely out; I mean, I could not play. We had to cancel an entire European tour in the fall, which we do religiously every year. And I'm laying on my back and I'm in amazing pain and it was the first time anything like that had ever happened. But one of the things that I was thinking about while I was laying there is, 'Wow, I haven't had a PSA test,' which is the blood test that you have to screen yourself for possibly having prostate cancer. And I'm really good about getting my yearly exams and everything else, and I realized that I'd skipped a year or two; I think it was the longest I'd ever gone without getting my yearly physical or something. So I thought, 'Okay, well, I'd better get back on [track] here.' And I went and I had my PSA test and it came back high. It was over the average… It's like zero to four, anything in that range you're okay, and I was over that by a little bit; I was like 5.3 or something. So I went in to see my urologist, and he said, 'All right, we're gonna have to take a biopsy. And we'll just do a simple one in the office and we'll basically send that biopsy off and see what's happening.' Well, it came back negative. But then he said… A couple of weeks later, I was all, 'Okay. Great.' And then a couple of weeks later, he goes, 'Well, I sent that same biopsy to this other lab that does this type of thing…' And I can't remember what it is, but basically they look at the biopsy and they figure out whether or not maybe he just missed the area where it really was. I mean, the prostate's not very big, but if you're taking 12 little samples of it, snippets of it, you could very well miss the actual area where if there was cancer, if it was there or not. And so that came back as a 47 percent chance or more that I did still have cancer but they just missed it. So he said, 'So here's what we're gonna do. We're just gonna watch. We're gonna have you take a PSA test every six months, and we're gonna watch it.' And it went down a little bit the next time, and then it went up, but it wasn't much more different than where it was the first time it was up. And so we just watched it and watched it. And I kept asking, I go, 'Well, I'm still over.' He goes, 'Well, there's a lot of people that can be over that number four and still be okay. It's just a strange thing; some people just live with a higher number. But we're just gonna watch it.' And he goes, 'If it spikes up a couple of numbers or something like that, then we're gonna do the next step.' Well, just after December of last year — at the end of the holiday — I went in about December 30th or so and had my PSA and it was 6.25. And I said, 'Okay, this is getting scary.' And I went back to him and he said, 'All right. We're gonna do the next step,' which is take an MRI, a prostate MRI, which literally takes thousands of slices of pictures of your prostate, so they can really tell whether there's something in there. And sure enough, there was. So he said, 'Okay, you have prostate cancer. So now we're gonna take you into the hospital and do another biopsy which is gonna be guided much more clearly, 'cause we know now where this thing is.' And so they took the biopsy, and he said, 'You're lucky.' He goes, 'We've gotten it pretty early here, and your scores are really good.'"

According to Meniketti, he was given "two or three" treatment options for his prostate cancer. "One of them is to just take out the prostate completely, and the other one is to treat it with radiation," he said. "And I opted for the second because there are potentially more problems with taking it out at my age. When you're younger, it's not nearly as big of a deal, but there's more problems potentially, like I say. And the outcome for both is exactly the same. So it's, like, 'I'm gonna deal with this.' So [my wife] Jill and I researched it in detail online, we talked to, of course, my urologist and then met the oncologist that would get involved with this decision. And they all said exactly the same thing, that we had been researching and hearing from other cancer survivors and such, that if you do this particular two-stage process, you've got as good of an outcome as taking out the prostate completely. So I indeed opted for that. And it's basically they insert these radioactive seeds called brachytherapy, and they put it straight into the prostate and they put about 30 or 40 of them in there and they do about 70 percent of the work at killing the cancer. And they just stay there forever, but they have about a six-month amount of putting out full radiation and then after that they pretty much die off. I had it about three weeks ago, almost, and I was kind of concerned, 'cause I had shows to play, and the first one was the Fillmore one week after I had that surgery. And I was, like, 'Can I do this?' And I was asking both doctors, and they said, 'Yeah, you're probably gonna be just fine. You might have a little bit of pain,' and so on and so forth. But I made it through. And then the next week was last weekend, and both shows went off great. And I had not that much pain overall, so it was not too bad."

As for the next step in his treatment, Dave said: "Five weeks after they insert those seeds, I go for external radiation, and that's five straight weeks of that five days a week. And it's very targeted. They, I guess, give you these little tattoos — which will be my first tattoos, by the way. [Laughs]"

Meniketti went on to say that this was one of the best treatment options for his age. "I'm 68 years old — I don't mind telling you that, because I'm proud of the fact that I've still got it as far as my voice is still there, I can still play guitar, the band sounds great, so I'm not worried about it," he said. "And [the radiation] starts about three weeks from now — somewhere around there; maybe two and a half; I haven't gotten the date yet from the oncologist when that's gonna start. But Jill, who is my manager and my wife, had set it up so that I wasn't gonna play any shows for at least a month after the end of that five-week treatment. Because even though I don't lose my hair or I don't get sick or anything like that, you will potentially lose some energy midway through the treatment because you're getting doused with radiation. So it's bound to happen. But it's not chemotherapy, so there's nothing like that type of thing."

Dave concluded by saying that while prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men, with one in eight men getting it, it is also one of the most treatable, with a survival rate of over 90 percent after 10 years. "This is one of those cancers, if you catch 'em early, you can be one hundred percent fixed — it's over; it's done; you're sorted," he said. "I mean, sure, it could come back at some point, but even if it does, they can treat it again. You usually outlive this cancer, if you get it early enough. So, luckily, I have gotten it early enough. And the urologist and the oncologist both feel that at the end of this five-week radiation therapy I should be done. And then I will continue to get PSA tests more frequently to really double check to make sure that the numbers go way down."

Meniketti is the only surviving member of the Y&T lineup — then known as YESTERDAY AND TODAY — that recorded the band's self-titled debut album.

Original Y&T rhythm guitarist Joey Alves died in March 2017 at the age of 63. Two founding Y&T musicians — Haze, 61, and Kennemore, 57, who both had left the lineup — died from complications of lung cancer: Kennemore on January 7, 2011, and Haze on September 11, 2016.

Y&T's current lineup is rounded out by guitarist John Nymann, drummer Mike Vanderhule and bassist Aaron Leigh.

The iconic Bay Area rockers' latest studio album, "Facemelter", came out in May 2010 via Frontiers.

In 2019, Y&T released its long-awaited documentary, "Y&T: On With The Show - The Documentary", on DVD and on Blu-