Before his voice fills stadiums during AFI's upcoming "Bodies" tour, Davey Havok is speaking out about the cruel forced swim test in a new PETA campaign video released on World Rat Day (April 4). With a rat named Wee Man perched on his shoulder, the singer explains how small animals are dropped into inescapable beakers of water where they swim desperately, trying not to drown in the "behavioral despair test" — which pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly have used to screen antidepressant drugs.

"Is that depression that you're measuring?" the musician asks in the video. "No. It's fear. It's trauma. It's fight or flight. … Nothing is gained from that except their suffering. And no animals deserve that. No animals deserve to be treated like that."

PETA and Havok are urging Eli Lilly to ban the forced swim test, which studies have shown to be notoriously inaccurate. The company has tormented a total of 3,400 mice and rats in this test since 1993, and after nearly 30 years, none of the drugs it has attempted to develop using this test are on the market.

In addition to pushing for modern, animal-free testing methods, Havok advocates against speciesism — the false notion that humans are superior to other species, who are nothing more than commodities to use and abuse at will. Playing with Wee Man, he adds, "All life has value, and it's not our place to choose which life is more valuable than another … Rats do not deserve to suffer. Just like your dog or your cat, they feel pain and they feel joy. And they give and receive love — just like this little guy right here."

Havok is part of a growing list of celebrities — including Paul McCartney, Iggy Pop, Dave Navarro, Nikki Sixx and RZA — who've teamed up with PETA to promote its motto, which reads, "Animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way."

THE QUIREBOYS have released a statement explaining their decision to part ways with their lead singer Spike (real name Jonathan Gray).

Late last month, the long-running U.K. rockers announced that they had split with the frontman and revealed their intention to continue as a five-piece, with longtime guitarist Guy Griffin handling the vocals.

A short time later, Spike took to his Twitter to write that he had received a letter from "3 of MY band members informing me that my services are no longer required to sing or perform with them." He went on to refer to himself as "THE QUIREBOYS founder, only original member and singer."

After a couple of concert promoters canceled THE QUIREBOYS' previously announced appearances, the band issued the following statement: "Further to our initial statement last week regarding THE QUIREBOYS parting ways with Spike, we'd like to address some of the questions and speculation that have arisen.

"Spike was informed of our decision to part ways with him via a phone call from the band's manager two weeks prior to receiving the letter, which was just legal confirmation, as he refused to speak to us. Spike has consistently declined to meet and discuss band issues over the course of the past nine months.

"Our decision was not taken lightly and is the culmination of not just months but years of persistent problems, as many working in the music industry know.

"Most recently we had to deal with his last-minute nonappearance on the Monsters Of Rock Cruise as well as the double-booking of solo shows in a bid to jeopardise contracted QUIREBOYS shows, including those in France this past weekend and our forthcoming US tour. There are many more instances of cancelled shows and systematically trying to undermine us thus causing stress and uncertainty to both our crew and ourselves.

"Spike's solo performances are not and have never been an issue, but doing them without any consultation with the band or management is. Our shows are booked months in advance of being announced and all band members receive the dates in good time. It is up to us all individually to manage our calendars accordingly and to ensure that any other projects we have do not interfere with THE QUIREBOYS schedule. Ultimately, if we do not fulfil our contracted tour schedule, the band makes no money and any deposits would need to be refunded.

"We have been trading as THE QUIREBOYS through a business registered with Companies House & HMRC for many years, a company Spike was asked to join but declined, preferring instead to be hired on a freelance basis, 'cash in hand'. Therefore, there is absolutely no fraudulent use of the name by us. Spike does not legally own the band or the name.

"The pandemic hit our company and band hard, as it did many in the industry. After an 18 month struggle to pay bills and keep the band solvent whilst supporting our families, we were dismayed to come into possession of a contract that Spike's Agent had been sending out on his instruction stating: 'Please note that THE QUIREBOYS will not be performing any 'unplugged' shows in 2022' - and so just like that, 50% of our future income was gone before we had even had a chance to play again.

"None of us asked to be put into this position. We are a band who has been playing together for over twenty years with nine albums' worth of music to our name. In addition, as most fans would know, Guy Griffin has played on every QUIREBOYS album to date, writing many of the tracks you love. Why should we be denied the opportunity to play the songs we wrote or performed on and not be able to protect our livelihoods?

"Let the music do the talking."

THE QUIREBOYS most recently performed without Spike aboard this year's Monsters Of Rock cruise, which departed out of Miami, Florida on February 9.

THE QUIREBOYS put out their most recent album, the well-received "Amazing Disgrace", in 2019.

The band's debut LP, "A Bit of What You Fancy", was released in 1990 and included the song "Hey You", which was THE QUIREBOYS' biggest hit, reaching No. 14 in the U.K. singles chart and No. 5 in the U.S. Billboard Rock chart.

In 2020, THE QUIREBOYS were scheduled to celebrate their 35th anniversary with a tour. The trek, which ended up getting canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, would also have marked 30 years since the release of "A Bit Of What You Fancy".

Following the band's inception in London in 1984 — originally as THE CHOIRBOYS, then THE QUEERBOYS, before settling on the less controversial name of THE QUIREBOYS — there followed six years of hard graft and personnel changes.

THE QUIREBOYS played to 72,000 people at 1990's Monsters Of Rock at Donington with the likes of WHITESNAKE, AEROSMITH and POISON. They supported THE ROLLING STONES that same year in Newcastle, and opened for GUNS N' ROSES at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1987 and again a couple of years later on their "Use Your Illusion" tour.

The public's appetite for THE QUIREBOYS had returned and hasn't waned since — three further studio releases ("Well Oiled", "Homewreckers & Heartbreakers", "Halfpenny Dancer") were released on various labels from 2004 to 2009 before the band found their new, and permanent, home on Off Yer Rocka, the label of the renowned festival brand Hard Rock Hell.

An anniversary edition — fully re-recorded — of "A Bit Of What You Fancy" drew much acclaim in 2021.


Further to our initial statement last week regarding The Quireboys parting ways with Spike, we'd like to address some of...

Posted by The Quireboys - This Is Rock And Roll on Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Icelandic ambient rock band, Kontinuum, premier their brand new track, "Hafið Logar", in the form of a lyric video. Watch below.


Says the band: "Continuing our works inspired by the sculptor Einar Jónsson, we bring you, 'Hafið Logar'. The song grew from his statue "Mold (Earth)", which depicts our final resting place in the arms of the earth. At the time of writing, we had a different war in mind. Iceland's long-standing history of its fight against the sea. A brutal and ruthless enemy, we depended on for our survival.  Our journey is always destined to come to an end, right back where we started from. But today, there's a different meaning hiding in there.  Another time, another war, another villain."


Pre-save the single here.

In a new interview with the "Rez Metal" podcast, SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera spoke about the band's upcoming follow-up to 2018's "Ritual" album, tentatively due in July. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm in a really good state of mind musically right now. I'm very inspired. I think in general the underground movement is really bursting right now with a lot of great bands. There's a lot of really killer metal being done. And I'm really in contact and involved with a lot of these bands. And I think that kind of motivated me to work on this new SOULFLY record.

"It was created a little bit different," he continued. "The majority was just me and my son Zyon [Cavalera, SOULFLY drummer] playing together, so we kind of wrote the bulk of the material. And then I had a great producer friend, Arthur Rizk; he worked with POWER TRIP and CODE ORANGE. Arthur is great, man. And I was curious how Arthur would make a SOULFLY record sound if he was in charge [of] it. And we created something that, to me, feels kind of like… It's almost like a biography of Max music. We cover everything from the early days all the way… So there's some black metal things, there's some death and thrash, there's some groove metal — there's everything. So the record really goes deep into all different areas of metal. So because of that, the album feels very diverse. At the end of the day, I just wanted to make a solid, full-on attitude record that just says, 'We're here to fuck shit up.' This is what we do. This is why I love playing metal, because of the energy it gives me.

"The record is actually really connected to nature, which is really cool," Max explained. "I think this is the mostly SOULFLY record that is really about the whole mystique of nature, as in forest spirits and spirit animals and things like that. So that was cool.

"We worked a lot on a lot of the tracks. And I think Arthur did just an amazing job.

"I don't wanna describe the record too much — I'd rather have people hear it and see what they think — but to me, it feels like this is just a really, really energetic SOULFLY record," Cavalera added. "It's kind of cool to have that kind of… After so many records, if you can still put an energetic record out, it says something about your career; you're not slowing down — you're going, actually, the opposite way. So I'm more in the trenches than ever with this one. It feels like [I've been] rejuvenated; I feel like a young kid again playing metal. Those are great elements to have. Especially when you're getting older, a lot of people go more mild and slow down. I'm not one of those people. I wanna just get even more wild, get heavier. But always with the SOULFLY groove, 'cause I think that's a key element of SOULFLY; it's always been the groove. So we pay really close attention to the… We actually added a lot of percussion to it, so it kind of goes back to records like 'Primitive'; some of the grooves go back to songs like 'Primitive' and 'Boom', but some of the other stuff is super aggressive and it's like a lot of the current extreme metal that I listen to right now from a lot of other bands."

Asked if he has any guests appearing on the new SOULFLY album, Max said: "I do, but I wanna keep it a secret, man. He's a cool guy. I'll tell you — he's a very old-school metalhead. That's as much as I can say. But I think people are gonna really dig it."

Last month, Max was asked by Sofa King Cool Magazine who played guitar on the band's upcoming LP. He responded: "We're keeping that kind of a secret right now. But, yeah, there's definitely different people. And I'm very excited. We already played two songs on the tour. We played a song called 'Filth Upon Filth' and we played a song called 'Superstition', which is not a cover song; it's an original song. It just has the same name as the other song 'Superstition', but it's an original. We played it, and it was great — a great reaction from the fans. So I think they're gonna dig the new record. We're just waiting a little bit to start releasing the songs. I think they're gonna start coming now in April. We're gonna start putting them out on Spotify and Apple Music and [SiriusXM's] Liquid Metal. But I'm very excited for the record, for sure, and I hope we get to get a good tour out of that when that comes out, probably in the summer."

Fan-filmed video footage of SOULFLY performing "Superstition" and "Filth Upon Filth" on February 14 at Cornerstone in Berkeley, California can be seen below.

SOULFLY previously played "Filth Upon Filth" on its summer 2021 U.S. tour.

Last summer, Cavalera told "The Metal Teddy Bear Experience" show, which airs on the 90.3 WMSC radio station, that "Filth Upon Filth" was "a killer song" which reminded him of "old SLAYER; it sounds like SLAYER 'Hell Awaits' era meets SOULFLY, which is always a good thing," he said.

Asked if there is an overall lyrical theme on the new SOULFLY album, Max said: "Some of it [is] dealing with, actually, the spiritual world and things like that, which is really cool. I think it's always been kind of a SOULFLY theme anyway. There's a song called 'Spirit Animal' that's really cool. And there's gonna be a couple of guests. I'm not gonna say who they are right now; I don't wanna spoil the surprise. But, again, there's gonna be some special guests singing on this record.

"[There isn't gonna be] an overall theme," he clarified. "It's not gonna be a theme album like maybe [SEPULTURA's] 'Roots' was more like a tribal theme kind of record. This is more like a [mixture of subjects]. There's a song about the environment and how we're destroying the earth and all that, called 'The Damage Done'. And that came out really good. So, yeah, [it's] just my way of writing. It's pretty simple. I don't try to get fancy with it. I know what I do. It's like my riffs — I know how to do them. I don't try to fancy them up. That's how they are — they're simple but direct, and they work. And that's what I love about it."

Last April, Max told Chris Enriquez of Saint Vitus Presents: Age Of Quarantine that Rizk took the new SOULFLY project "super seriously. He said, 'Hey, Max, I don't wanna do just another SOULFLY record. I wanna do the best SOULFLY record,'" he recalled. 'I was, like, 'All right. I take the challenge. Let's do it, man.'"

As for the musical direction of the new SOULFLY material, Max said: "It's full-on. I think it's got kind of like the best of all the years. I think it's a compilation Max Cavalera record of the whole 50 years. [Laughs] That's what it feels like — it's got old stuff, it's got middle stuff, it's got very SOULFLY vibes. It's got a lot of groove. It's got a lot of fast stuff."

In December 2020, Max told the "Sappenin' Podcast With Sean Smith" about the songwriting process for the new SOULFLY album: "The cool thing about Zyon, the way he plays drums, is he's a bit like a wild animal — he has no restraint, man, and he just unleashes on the drum kit. Pure, pure brutality power drumming, and I love that. So that takes me back to a lot of the early records that I like — a lot of the old ENTOMBED stuff and CARCASS and NAPALM DEATH; out-of-control shit. So I think we have that kind of spirit going on on a lot of the new tracks."

In August, SOULFLY parted ways with longtime guitarist Marc Rizzo due to personal differences. A permanent replacement guitarist has yet to be announced. FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares played guitar for SOULFLY on the summer 2021 U.S. tour and once again handled second-guitar duties on the band's most recent run of shows.

In June 2020, SOULFLY released a new digital EP, "Live Ritual NYC MMXIX". The effort was recorded at The Gramercy in New York City on February 11, 2019 while SOULFLY was on tour in support of its most recent full-length album, "Ritual". The audio for the EP was mixed and mastered by Charles Elliott (ABYSMAL DAWN) from Tastemaker Audio. Cover artwork was comprised of live photos taken by Rodrigo Fredes.

"Ritual" was released in October 2018 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2015's "Archangel" was produced, recorded and mixed by Josh Wilbur (KILLER BE KILLED, LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA).

Swedish folk metal pillars, Månegarm, have made a name for themselves in the international scene by releasing nine full-length records since their debut, Nordstjärnans tidsålder, back in 1998. Now, the Scandinavian crew takes another stroll through ancient sagas and myths of long forgotten times on the successor of 2019’s chart-topping Fornaldarsagor with their upcoming 10th studio album, Ynglingaättens Öde (EN: the fate of the Ynglinga kin), out April 15 via Napalm Records.


In this new video, the Wooden Box edition of the new album is unboxed:







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





Ynglingaättens Öde will be available in the following formats:


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


Pre-order here.





Ynglingaättens Öde tracklisting:


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


“En snara av guld” video:





"Ulvhjärtat" video:





Månegarm are:


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


(Photo - Isak Skagerström)

Alex Lifeson says that it was "difficult to accept" that he would never play with RUSH again after the completion of the "R40" tour, which commemorated the 40th anniversary of drummer Neil Peart joining the band.

The 68-year-old Canadian guitarist touched upon the legendary band's legacy while talking to "The Rockman Power Hour" about ENVY OF NONE, his new project in which Alex is joined by Andy Curran (CONEY HATCH), Alfio Annibalini and singer Maiah Wynne.

Speaking about the inspiration for his new music, Lifeson said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was difficult to accept that [RUSH] was over, even though it was 41 years. And there's no shame in ending after that period of time. And Neil didn't feel he could play a hundred percent — it was just getting too difficult to play this kind of music for three hours a night. So it is what it is. That was the end. And then within a year we found out he was sick. So it was quite a turbulent period. But I have all this music in me. I think I'm more a songwriter than a guitarist, and I always thought of myself as a guitarist first. But realizing that I have so many ideas, and they're all over the place, and they're more about melody and about harmony and about space and mood and color and tone rather than just playing."

Peart died in January 2020 after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old.

Lifeson previously reflected on RUSH's final tour, which concluded on August 1, 2015 at the Forum in Los Angeles, during a June 2021 appearance on SiriuxXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Peart indicated at the time that he wanted to retire while he was still able to play well, along with a desire to spend more time at home with his young daughter.

"We were in our early 60s when that tour ended," Alex said. "After the number of dates that we did do, which was about half of what we would normally do, we were all starting to feel the fatigue, as you normally would. And had it been a normal tour, we have gone out for probably another month and then taken a month off, or maybe a couple of months off, and then picked it up for another three or four months.

"I think personally, and I think the same for Ged [RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee], we were really excited about the show, the presentation of the show, the whole concept of going back through our history," he continued. "I thought we were all playing really, really well, and I probably could have continued to do another 30 shows, and I think Geddy felt the same way. But it was becoming really difficult for Neil to play at that level, and unless he could play a hundred percent at that level, he really didn't wanna do any more shows, and he didn't wanna be that person that should have taken it. And it was hard for him — a three-hour show playing the way he played. It's a miracle that he was even able to play. And he had some issues through that tour — he had an infection on his feet and he could barely walk, never mind playing the bass drum the way he did. And he never complained or anything like that. So, it was time. And in retrospect, it couldn't have been better, because we were playing great, and we finished on such a high note. The fans were so happy — I mean, with the performance. All things were right. That was the great way to ensure our legacy and be remembered for those guys, for being that band that played that way. I honestly would hate to be working now, for example, and not being able to play a song because my fingers are just killing me and not playing as well and making all these mistakes. I made enough mistakes — way too many. So, all in all, it really turned out to be the opportune time for us to end a long career. Not a lot of bands lasted 40 years of that regular touring and many, many, many albums and all of that stuff."

RUSH waited three days to announce Peart's passing, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.

Peart joined RUSH in 1974. He was considered one of the best rock drummers of all time, alongside John Bonham of LED ZEPPELIN; Keith Moon of THE WHO; and Ginger Baker of CREAM. Peart was also RUSH's primary lyricist, drawing inspiration from everything from sci-fi to Ayn Rand.

Photo credit: Richard Sibbald

HEART singer Ann Wilson has criticized the pitch-correction technology Auto-Tune, saying it is the imperfections of the human voice that make music appealing.

Created by musician and geophysical scientist Dr. Andy Hildebrand in 1997, Auto-Tune is a software program that digitally corrects pitch, allowing singers who sing off key to produce perfectly tuned vocal tracks. Since its introduction, the plugin has become standard equipment in professional recording studios, but the anti-Auto-Tune movement is vocal.

In a new interview with "The Jasta Show", Wilson stated that it is natural flaws and imperfections that make a voice memorable and affecting. "I think the little rough places or a little out-of-tune soulful quirks about our vocal are the thing that makes it sound like you, like a human," she said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "When everything's all tuned to A440 exactly and robotic and everything, it's just like being anonymous; you just kind of fall into this robotic way of sounding, you sound exactly like everybody else. If that's what you want, then by all means, go for the Auto-Tune, but if you wanna sound like yourself, forget it. Sound real."

Ann went on to say that "remaining [her]self and remaining authentic" has always been important to her. "And then when some era like the '80s came along when I was being asked to sing a different way so I could be played on the radio, I was really uncomfortable with that and I could do it," she explained. "But I don't think it's my best singing, and it certainly doesn't sound like me. Back then, I remember they were saying, 'Don't go near politics. Why does everything have to be so dark?' Like, you should just be 'happy' all the time in your songs. And they were telling my sister Nancy [HEART guitarist], 'Well, acoustic guitars are just way out, and in fact, guitars are taking a backseat now. We're into synthesizers.' And those are her main instruments. So, yeah, that was a challenge at the time."

Proponents of Auto-Tune have compared the human voice to an instrument, and have argued that Auto-Tune is merely an effect like a vocodor, talk box or a wah-wah pedal.

According to Hildebrand's Antares Audio Technologies, more than 90 percent of its Auto-Tune units are in the hands of hobbyists; amateur musicians and looking to smooth out their latest basement recording.

Last year, Paul McCartney made headlines when he said he believes John Lennon would have loved using Auto-Tune, which was invented nearly two decades after Lennon's death in 1980. "I'd say that if John Lennon had had an opportunity, he would have been all over it," McCartney said. "Not so much to fix your voice, but just to play with it."

Ann's new solo album, "Fierce Bliss", will arrive on April 29 via Silver Lining Music.

Absent In Body recently made their Relapse Records debut with the terrifying new album, Plague God, available on LP/CD/CS/Digital (order here). A full album audio stream can be found below.


Featuring current and former members of Amenra, Neurosis, and Sepultura, Plague God is bound by the same ideals of unity and fearlessly uncompromising honesty of expression that have driven their respective bands to imperious heights of reverence and groundbreaking sonic deliverance. Plague God is by turns devastating and sublime, drawn from musicians for whom life and art are inextricably bound.


Album artwork by Sven Harambašić







Plague God tracklisting:


"Rise From Ruins"
"In Spirit In Spite"
"Sarin"
"The Acres/The Ache"
"The Half Rising Man"


Album stream:





"Rise From Ruins" visualizer:





"The Acres/The Ache" video:





In an era overrun by information, misinformation, unseen algorithms and viral contagion, to seek out what’s truly human in the face of overwhelming and unfathomable forces has perhaps become our most sacred of tasks. It’s an impulse that lies at the very heart of Plague God, the debut album from Absent In Body – the oppressive, industrial-driven collaboration by members of Amenra, Neurosis and Sepultura. Bound by the same ideals of unity and fearlessly uncompromising honesty of expression that have driven their respective bands to imperious heights of reverence and groundbreaking sonic deliverance, Plague God is by turns devastating and sublime, drawn from musicians for whom life and art are inextricably bound.


Initially the brainchild of Amenra guitarist Mathieu J. Vandekerckhove, and Neurosis vocalist/guitarist Scott Kelly, Absent In Body formed in 2017. Immediately recognizing their kinship, and with Amenra frontman Colin H. Van Eeckhout brought in on vocals and bass, what emerged is a reflection of the intervening years of turbulence, extending it's scope as it navigates across five stretches of unstable terrain. From the opening “Rise From Ruins” with ex-Sepultura drummer, Iggor Cavalera’s tribal beat emerging from foreboding, near-subsonic oscillations to explode in a tide of corrosive riffs and feral howls, through “Sarin’s” steadfast, procession-through-purgatory groove, to “The Half Rising Man’s” matrix of organic/mechanic evolution, it’s an album in constant dialogue between the animalistic, the human and the industrial, and a hunger to distill a truth, something unpolluted from the fray.


Protest music is often perceived as a petition, or a counter-argument against a controlling force. There is another sense of protest, though, that of a machine under stress: articulating the pressures weighing down on it by means of an involuntary, primal response. It’s these states of critical mass at which we must truly find ourselves, under duress maybe, but unblinded and alive. Plague God doesn’t just give voice to these moments of truth, but in the band’s deep kinship integral to every claustrophobic judder, every stretch of atmospheric dread and helpless alias assumed, lies a freedom we both forget and attain at our peril.


(Photo - William Lacalmontie / Simon Kallas /Sven Harambašić)

Marco Mendoza will be releasing his fourth solo album and second on Mighty Music/Target later in 2022. First up is the single, “Take It To The Limit”.


Known throughout the music world as a talented solid bass player for bands like Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Journey, Ted Nugent, and The Dead Daisies to name a few, Marco has recorded a body of amazing music in his own right.


Working with world-class producer Soren Andersen, owner of Medley Studios in Copenhagen, dubbed by some as “the new Mutt Lange”, the partnership that has already produced the career-defining Viva La Rock album in 2017, has created another future masterpiece together.




The first offering, “Take It To The Limit”, was recorded before the world went crazy with a pandemic, then a war, which really has seen the world be taken to the limit. A hard-hitting track with as many hooks as a fishing boat, this opening single opens the doors wide to what can be expected from the new album later this year.


"After the World going through some dramatic changes and having to wait for so long, I am extremely excited to share the first single”, Mendoza offers. “This was the first song Soren Anderson and I wrote back in November of 2019. It is the first of an album of songs that I am very proud of! Thank you for the Love and continued support, it's greatly appreciated. VIVA LA ROCK!”





“Take It To The Limit” will be released as a digital single via Mighty Music on April 15. A new Marco Mendoza album is expected to be released in 2022.


Lineup:


Marco Mendoza - bass, vocals
Soren Andersen - guitars
Tommy Gentry - guitar solos (special guest)
Morten Hellborn - drums


(Photo - Jakob Muxoll)

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has finished recording its ninth studio album.

The Las Vegas-based metallers shared the news of the LP's completion in a message accompanying the release of the lyric video for the song "Brighter Side Of Grey" from the band's last album, 2020's "F8".

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH said: "It's hard to believe that our last record 'F8' came out over 2 years ago in the beginning of 2020, born into the whirlwind of events that dominated our lives and will echo into the rest of our history. Those of you intimately familiar with that album, now know how some of 'F8''s dystopian lyrics became rather prophetic.

"'Brighter Side Of Grey' was an important song on that record, but especially personal to [singer] Ivan [Moody] (who's the only parent in the band). It is a more than fitting commentary to what's going on in the world that probably needs a good reminder right about now that we are here only for second, a tiny blip on the flow of time… not just as individuals but as an entire species… It took a trillion conditions to be just right for human life to exist in this Universe yet it takes just one to go terribly wrong and make it all disappear.

"This song also serves as the perfect bridge to our new album we just finished this week, which generally revolves around similar existential questions.

"It's incredible how much we don't understand about our own existence, yet everyone's relationship with the concept of death permeates, even orients their entire lives. Can't wait to share it…

"Enjoy this video, and stay tuned for new music and big tour announcements in the very near future!"

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's new album was once again recorded at the Hideout Recording Studio, the Las Vegas, Nevada facility owned and operated by Kevin Churko, the Canadian record producer/engineer and songwriter who has worked on all of FIVE FINGER's albums beginning with the band's sophomore release, 2009's "War Is The Answer".

In addition to recording an all-new album, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH recently commenced re-recording its debut LP, 2007's "The Way Of The Fist", for its 15th anniversary.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's upcoming album will be the group's first with its latest addition, renowned British virtuoso Andy James, who replaced Jason Hook in 2020. James was previously featured on "Broken World", a song that was included on the second installment of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's greatest-hits collection, "A Decade Of Destruction – Volume 2", which came out in the fall of 2020.

Since FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's debut album, "The Way Of The Fist", came out in 2007, the band has released six consecutive albums that were certified gold or platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as well as two chart-topping greatest-hits albums. In addition, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has earned numerous national and international awards and honors over the last decade, such as the prestigious Soldier Appreciation Award by the Association Of The United States Army, an honor bestowed upon only one other recording artist before them: Elvis Presley.

"F8" debuted at No. 1 on rock charts around the world with Top 10 Mainstream chart debuts in the USA, Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and more. "F8" features No. 1 hit singles "Inside Out", "A Little Bit Off", "Living The Dream" and "Darkness Settles In".

Hard-hitting and melodic; pissed off and groovy; energetic and catchy: upon first listen, it is clear that Sicksense is all of these things. The band - comprised of vocalists Killer V (Vicky Psarakis) and Rob The Ripper (Robby J. Fonts), guitarist Breakdown Bran (Bran Panic), drummer The Trve Cody Taylor (Cody Taylor) and bassist Spot-On Sam/SOS (Samuel Bedard) – will release their debut 5-song EP, Kings Today on April 22.


From the opening riffs of “Kings Today” to the closing growls of “Heart Of Stone”, Sicksense is dedicated to their mission of making fans bounce and sing their hearts out through thought-provoking lyrics, rage-fueled raps and powerful melodies, supported with low-tuned stomping nu-metal riffs and grooves. Kings Today was recorded, mixed & mastered by Christian Donaldson and the artwork for the EP was created by Aleksandra Panic.


The video for new single “Forgotten Days” can be viewed below:







Kings Today is now available for pre-order here.





Kings Today tracklisting:


"Kings Today"
"Forgotten Days"
"Make Believe"
"Soul Snatcher"
"Heart Of Stone"


"Make Believe" video:





"Kings Today"





Having both performed a range of styles in numerous heavy bands, Killer V and Rob The Ripper (who are married) wanted to return to a genre that’s close to their hearts, but also make music that is specifically written for two vocalists. Written with dual vocal interplay from a male / female perspective, their performance reflects a personal and fun side of them as people, but also tackles social and societal issues in the world today. Backed by guitarist Breakdown Bran (Bran Panic), drummer The Trve Cody Taylor (Cody Taylor) and bassist Spot-On Sam/SOS (Samuel Bedard), Sicksense would be born out of the band’s desire to share their upbeat and fun message with the world. Sicksense chooses musical inspiration from various bands and those influences shine through in their debut EP, Kings Today.   


Sicksense is:


Killer V – Vocals/Keys
Rob The Ripper – Vocals
Breakdown Bran – Guitars
Spot-On Sam/SOS – Bass
The Trve Cody Taylor – Drums


(Photo by: Chris Kells, Edit by: Ash To Life)

U.S. groove rock masters CLUTCH have released a brand new single, "Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone)". The song's official music video, directed by David Brodsky, can be seen below.

CLUTCH frontman and lyric wordsmith Neil Fallon explains: "Early in 2021, I learned the Boss Metal Zone pedal schematic was being presented as 'proof' that the COVID-19 vaccine had an electronic component to communicate with 5G cellular networks. It was, of course, nonsense. It sounded like a [sci-fi icon] Philip K. Dick premise. I didn't want to write a song specific to COVID-19 vaccines, so I went with the Philip K. Dick angle (again). 'Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?' [Dick's 1968 science fiction novel] came to mind (replicants, in particular, representing what is real and not real, or is there a difference at all?). The video makes no secret that this is a homage to Philip K. Dick and a future where we have distortion coursing through our veins."

Drummer Jean-Paul Gaster adds: "'Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone)' is one of the faster cuts on our forthcoming album. It kicks in and hits like a freight train. The intensity of the recording reminds me of our live shows. This song cooks, and I can’t wait to play it on tour!"

Longtime fans of Dick, the members of CLUTCH have also curated a fun "inspired by" Sci-Fidelity playlist on Spotify to coincide with the single's release.

Early last year, Gaster told the Chicago-based webzine Metal Kaoz that he and his CLUTCH bandmates had "written a lot of songs" for the follow-up to 2018's "Book Of Bad Decisions" LP. He said: "We've been writing now for our new album, and I think we're spending more time than ever in the studio, just trying out different ideas. And most of the ideas don't ever really make it to the end; we try 10 things and we keep one.

"I think we are even more selective than we were before as to which ideas we really decide to focus on. And I think it is because we have so much more time. Before, we would come home for a tour and maybe we would have three weeks off. So, the first week, we don't do really much of anything — everybody goes back home to their families and we rest — and then the next two weeks we would get together and we would just jam really hard and get a bunch of ideas, and then on the road and play those ideas, and then come back and do it again. And that process might go on for a year and a half. This has been different. This is the first time where we've had so much time at home to work on ideas and never really tried them in a live setting. So I'm not sure how it's gonna impact the record. But I think it's gonna make for a different album — whether it's good, bad or otherwise, it's too early to tell. But, for sure, it's a different dynamic, and it requires more of us.

"So often, when we have new ideas and we put them in front of an audience, you can really tell right away — we know right away if the song is the right tempo, we know right away if the riffs are where they need to be, if the chorus is the way it needs to be," Gaster added. "It's a testing ground. And we don't have that right now. So, for that reason, I think we are being a lot more careful about what ideas we really wanna focus on, and which ones we think, 'You know what? We've done that before. Let's do something a little different.'"

"Book Of Bad Decisions" was recorded at Sputnik Sound studio in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Vance Powell. The record sold 26,000 copies in America during its first week of availability, giving the group its third consecutive Top 20 album on the Billboard 200.

In a new interview with Chaoszine, former ACCEPT and current U.D.O. frontman Udo Dirkschneider spoke about the changes he has seen in the music industry since he started out more than five decades ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There have definitely been some changes in the music business. [Laughs] Yeah, it's not like the '80s anymore. Definitely the selling of CDs going down. On one hand, we can be lucky with our kind of music — the people wanna really have the physical [product] in their hands, so we are not [as affected by the music streaming revolution] as what's happened, for example, in pop music or whatever. But it is like, really, you're selling less albums. The biggest problem, I think, it's for young bands. They cannot sell that much albums, and the record companies don't have that much money to support them for a longer time.

"I saw some bands, really good bands, they're coming up, and sometimes after one year, after two years, they [don't] exist anymore; they're gone," he continued. "It's completely different than it was in the '80s. When I started with ACCEPT, the record company said, 'We wanna make money after five albums.' Can you imagine — after five albums? And they were putting [a lot of] money into [the promotion]. But I think these days are over. [Laughs] I know that.

"For me, I know that record companies hate me for it, for me, to give an advice to young bands is, first, believe in what you are doing, [your] kind of music, and [second], don't sign a contract with a record company," Udo added. "Just try to make your album on your own. I mean, now with all this technical stuff, it's possible; I know that. Then sell the album over the Internet. Just maybe have a guy — you can pay him I don't know how much money a month — he can go on all the metal sites and say, 'Hey, there's a new album.' And make also your own video clip. I mean, you can do that with all these modern mobile phones; the quality is so good. And then the whole money, it's going to the band. What I can say for young bands is do everything on your own and don't [sign] a contract [with a record label], so all the money [goes to] you. If somebody asks me, do it like this. Okay, maybe the record companies hate me more now [for saying that], but anyway, I don't care."

Udo is currently promoting his upcoming album, "My Way", which will be released on April 22 via Atomic Fire Records. Billed as "his most personal and extraordinary album to date," the effort contains 17 cover versions of the very songs that have influenced the musician and singer the most. All kinds of classics from music history are among them — including those that you might not expect from Udo.

Seven years after announcing that he would embark on a special tour during which he would perform ACCEPT songs one last time under the DIRKSCHNEIDER banner before closing that chapter for good, Udo is continuing to play ACCEPT material at select shows.

A year ago, Udo confirmed to Canada's The Metal Voice that U.D.O. will "definitely" play some ACCEPT songs if the band's North American tour materializes in 2022.

Dirkschneider said in 2016 that his vow to never play ACCEPT material again came with one caveat. "If the band ACCEPT dissolves one day in the near future and I am still around with U.D.O., then there is a chance that I put ACCEPT songs back in the setlist," he said. "But currently there is ACCEPT, so go see them [if you want to see those songs performed live]. They are playing these songs."

Udo previously said the original plan was for DIRKSCHNEIDER to only "a few shows," and "then [the tour] got bigger and bigger [due to demand]." But, he added, "I don't want to complain about that."

Supreme Unbeing is a mysterious 5-piece metal band led by vocalist/prophet Zac Red, with his fellow prophets D.Vine (Lead Guitar), D.Sciple (Rhythm Guitar), Unknown (Bass) and Al Mytee (Drums). Although the band just recently transformed from animated characters into real flesh and blood entities, their impact has been felt in the physical domain since the release (October 2020) of their debut full-length album Enter Reality.


With all the success, the bands greed has started to grow even further, to the point that they recently sold their souls to the Devil in order to reach a broader audience. The Devil betrayed the band (to no one’s surprise!) and left the band to rot in their own greed until today, April 1, 2022, when the band released their fourth, devil-fooling, single – “The Devil Smiles” – from their upcoming, second, full-length album Enduring Physicality (to be released May 5).







“As the population is ever-increasing, people grow up, and behave as lifeless puppets programmed to think and act in a certain pre-disposed way thinking that publicly recognized success is the aim of their lives. Yes, we all long for success, and everyone can reach their success. But there is no easy way to success, you have to work hard, be focused, and dedicated to your cause, if you want that spotlight to shine on yourself, and bask in the perceived glory of success. Some people try to cheat their way in life, cheat their way to success. How far will you go to reach your success? Will you make the Devil smile?” Says Zac Red


Following the success of previous singles Savior (February 25, 2022), Hide The Beast (November 26, 2021) and Face Of Evil (October 22, 2021), which already have combined +3 million views on Youtube, since their respective release dates, Supreme Unbeing continues to challenge you to not only enjoy music by singing and dancing along in an ignorant bliss, but to also study the lyrics closely to raise your level of self-awareness. With Swedish actor Dragomir Mrsic (known from Snabba Cash, and Edge Of Tomorrow co-starred along Tom Cruise) continuing to portray different characters in the “mini-series” that the Supreme Unbeing music videos are leading to, he is joined this time by Swedish MMA-fighters Samuel Ericsson & Camila Rivarola who will be trying to give the other a pounding to avoid the flames of hell.


“Don’t be a drone, explore your own thoughts, and explore this reality. You can be anyone you want, and achieve anything you want, no devil needed – Make Yourself Smile.” Says Dragomir Mrsic


Mixed and mastered by Grammy award-nominated producer & mix engineer Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Arch Enemy, Amaranthe, Evergray and countless more), the track is available today on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and all major streaming services.


“Remember this – you are not your body; you are your mind,” concludes Zac Red of Supreme Unbeing.

Ice Nine Kills have released a new single, "Hunting Season", which is taken from the soundtrack of The Fall Of Troi, an expansion to the PUBG: New State videogame.


Frontman Spencer Charnas spoke with Alternative Press and explained how the collaboration came to be:


“The producers of the game hit us up, and they happened to be Ice Nine Kills fans. They were trying to find a band that could write a song that brought out the intensity of the game. They knew that we [are] known for taking films and adapting them to music."




"We got to play it before anyone, which was really cool," he continues. "We were blown away by the game… [it] reminded me of what I loved about video games to begin with… I did a lot of research on stuff I knew the fans would want included, especially in the lyrics.”

HYPOCRISY has announced the departure of longtime drummer Reidar "Horgh" Horghagen.

The Swedish metallers shared the news of the Norwegian musician's exit in a social media post earlier today. They wrote: "Hey there! There's a thing you must know. Horgh is no longer part of HYPOCRISY. We hope you respect and accept this decision.

"It's not easy for us. We've played together for 18 crazy years filled with music, tours and friendship. So many countries, so many songs, and so many gigs with Horgh on stage with us. It's the end of a long interesting chapter, and the beginning of a new one.

"We are grateful to Horgh, this great musician and great man, for all we have achieved together. Also, we'd like to pass the message from him: 'I want to take this opportunity to thank the fans for the great support over the years, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to meet so many of you as we toured around the world. Thanks to the band and crew for the time we spent together. I wish you all the best for the future.'"

A member of the Norwegian black metal band IMMORTAL since 1996, Horgh joined HYPOCRISY in January 2004 as the replacement for Lars Szöke.

HYPOCRISY will embark on the "Worship" tour this spring. The 28-date trek will kick off at Warsaw in Brooklyn, New York on April 29 and will make stops in Toronto, Los Angeles, and Austin before concluding in Baltimore at the Maryland Deathfest on May 29. Support on the trek will come from CARACH ANGREN, THE AGONIST and HIDEOUS DIVINITY.

HYPOCRISY's latest album, "Worship", was released last November via Nuclear Blast Records. The 11-track effort was recorded and mixed at frontman Peter Tägtgren's Abyss Studio AB in Sweden while mastering was completed by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers Audio Mastering. Designed by artist Blake Armstrong (KATAKLYSM, IN FLAMES, CARNIFEX), "Worship"'s artwork speaks to the history of the relationship between humanity and extraterrestrials.


Hey there! There's a thing you must know. Horgh is no longer part of Hypocrisy. We hope you respect and accept this...

Posted by Hypocrisy on Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Glam metal / sleaze rock merchants CrashDïet, announce the release of their upcoming album, Automaton, available for pre-sale now on digital, CD and vinyl, through Crusader Records / Golden Robot Records. The digital and CD formats are set to drop on April 29, with limited edition coloured vinyl due for release on September 9.


To celebrate the pre-sale of Automaton, CrashDïet serve up another delicacy in the form of a new single and video, "Together Whatever", which is available now on all digital platforms.


"Together Whatever" is a true party anthem! Exploding with raging guitars and scorching vocals, it's a tribute to the decadent good old days and the band’s early roots.







Automaton artwork and tracklisting:





"Automaton" 
"Together Whatever" 
"Shine On" 
"No Man's Land" 
"Darker Minds" 
"Dead Crusade" 
"Powerline" (feat. Michael Starr) 
"Resurrection Of The Damned"
"We Die Hard" 
"Shell Shock" 
"Unbroken" 
"I Can't Move On (Without You)" 


"No Man's Land" Lyric Video:





 

SEPULTURA drummer Eloy Casagrande will miss the remainder of the band's North American tour after breaking his right leg in a stage accident.

Earlier today, the 31-year-old Brazilian musician took to his Instagram to share X-ray photos of his fractured tibia and fibula bones, and he included the following message: "It is with deep sadness that I announce that I have unfortunately broken my right leg. Yesterday, at the El Paso show, during the break between songs I ended up falling off the stage and fracturing my tibia and fibula. I'm going back to Brazil to start the recovery. I'll see you soon! The tour will continue, but without me. More news coming soon. I ask for your support."

SEPULTURA's "North American Quadra" 2022 tour with SACRED REICH and CROWBAR kicked off on March 4 in Sacramento and is set to conclude on April 8 in Berkeley, California. SEPULTURA also has a six-date tour of Mexico scheduled for April 12-17.

This is not the first health issue that has plagued the "North American Quadra" 2022 tour. Last month, SACRED REICH was forced to cancel more than half dozen shows on the trek due to frontman Phil Rind's "ongoing respiratory illness."

Last summer, guitarist Andreas Kisser spoke to France's Loud TV about how Casagrande's addition to has affected SEPULTURA's sound.

"We're very lucky to have such great musicians here in Brazil, especially in drumming," he said. "We have great drummers and percussionists. You see [Carlos] Santana and all those great names, Paul Simon and stuff, always using some Brazilian here and there regarding the drum world. And Eloy started playing drums very early. He was made for SEPULTURA, man. I mean, he played in some other bands and stuff, but here with SEPULTURA, he's really exploding; he's really free to express himself the way he wants to, and SEPULTURA's music really provides that. And in exchange, he gave me especially to write many new possibilities. I think 'Machine Messiah' and 'Quadra' are the consequence of that interaction we have, which is great. It's so inspiring. It's fantastic.

"We are kind of always writing," he continued. "Sometimes he sends me some drum loops and I send him some riffs and stuff, and it's really cool that we build stuff from there. And he's a very professional guy — the best drummer in the world; at least for SEPULTURA he's the best. [Laughs]"

In February 2020, SEPULTURA singer Derrick Green told Australia's Everblack Media that Casagrande has had "a tremendous impact" on the group since he joined in 2011. "It's undeniable because he's such a strong force," he said. "He loves playing metal music. He's one of the most talented drummers I've ever seen, honestly. That power is consistent from beginning to the end. It really has rubbed off on all of us to really push ourselves further. He's such a perfect match for the band. He really is always influencing us in so many ways to really go beyond — above and beyond."

In 2019, Eloy told Drumtalk that he didn't care about the long-simmering feud between founding SEPULTURA members Max and Igor Cavalera and his current bandmates. "I respect all the history," he said. "I have total respect for the past drummers, Igor and Jean [Dolabella]. They are amazing guys, incredible guys, but we just live in the present. I really don't care what happened, what didn't happen. I respect all the music. I respect their music nowadays. It's just that we have to follow our path and that's it."

Casagrande joined SEPULTURA 10 years ago as the replacement for Dolabella.

SEPULTURA's latest album, "Quadra", was released in February 2020 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was created at Sweden's Fascination Street Studios with renowned producer Jens Bogren.

SEPULTURA comprises Green, Kisser, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. and Casagrande.




Just posted a photo https://t.co/dBzqvOTdld

— Eloy Casagrande (@eloycasagrandee) April 4, 2022

PRIMUS will release a new three-song EP titled "Conspiranoid" on April 22 via ATO Records. The effort includes the 11-minute epic "Conspiranoia", which can be heard below.

PRIMUS frontman Les Claypool told Consequence about the genesis for the single and its accompanying B-sides: "With our new studio in the works and some impending touring, we decided the world needed to be subjected to some new PRIMUS material. Not wanting, or even having the time for recording an entire album, the notion of a 'single' was tossed around. I'd been itching to record an opus — basically a long, winding, bastard of a song, reminiscent of some of the compositions I cut my teeth (or ears) on, in my music-hungry adolescence. I said to the fellas, 'Let's record a 20-minute song.' The end result was an 11-and-a-half minute, progressive hunk of sound called 'Conspiranoia'.

"'Conspiranoia' was sprouted from a seed I had planted in my notebook a year or so ago — a few lines commenting on the mental state of the contemporary world," he explained. "I watched the distrust and divide grow between friends, colleagues, relatives, and the general population because of the consumption and digesting of disinformation, misinformation, warped information, and flat-out fairy tales being perpetuated by anyone with a slight hint of web design aptitude. I was compelled to shed light on the ridiculousness of many of these perspectives and the lack of rational thought that was being applied in the interpretation of many such entities and theories.

"Because the single 'Conspiranoia' is of such length, I realized that for a B-side of the vinyl, we would need at least two tunes to fill out the real estate of the actual 12-inch disc," Les added. "I had the song 'Follow The Fool' in the chamber and we fleshed it out. [Guitarist] Larry Lalonde had the riff for the song that became 'Erin On The Side Of Caution', which I supplied the lyrics for by again pulling from my notebook of notions. Because all three songs were bred in an odd time of divide, confusion, angst, frustration, and social senility, the title 'Conspiranoid' seemed like an appropriate moniker for the EP."

"Conspiranoid" EP track listing:

01. Conspiranoia

02. Follow The Fool

03. Erin On The Side Of Caution

Later this month, PRIMUS will embark on an extensive coast-to-coast extension of its wildly popular "A Tribute To Kings" tour, paying homage to prog-rock legends RUSH. "A Tribute To Kings" will find the Bay area trio performing RUSH's 1977 album "A Farewell To Kings" in its entirety, following a set of their own music. As Claypool told Rolling Stone, the tour is about paying tribute to a band that has given him so much inspiration over the years.

Pattern-Seeking Animals, the California-based progressive rock band featuring Ted Leonard (lead vocals & guitars), Jimmy Keegan (drums & vocals), Dave Meros (bass) and John Boegehold (keyboards), have released their third album, Only Passing Through, via InsideOut Music.


Order the album here, and watch a visualizer video for the track "Everdark Mountain" below.


Offering eight songs (and two bonus tracks) that are as varied as they are excellent, Only Passing Through is a work that will deliver on all fronts. From the opener "Everdark Mountain" to the weighty "Much Ado" and the 13-minute epic "Time Has A Way", the album has something to please fans in all quarters. If you ever wondered what Spaghetti Western Cinema would sound like in the world of 2022 prog, have a listen to "Said The Stranger". For some jazzier stylings, lend an ear to "Here With You With Me".




Boegehold is justifiably proud of the album: “Only Passing Through picks up where Prehensile Tales left off but soon takes several stylistic detours as it progresses. Everyone involved made this album a lot of fun to make and we're all looking forward to it finally being heard."





Tracklisting:


"Everdark Mountain"
"I Can't Stay Here Anymore"
"Time Has A Way"
"Rock Paper Scissors"
"Much Ado"
"Only Passing Through"
"Said The Stranger"
"Here With You With Me"


Bonus tracks:


"I'm Not Alright"
"Just Another Day At The Beach"


"Everdark Mountain" visualizer:





"Rock Paper Scissors" video:





"I Can't Stay Here Anymore" video:

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell, who had an acrimonious split with Ronnie James Dio in the mid-1980s when the two worked together in the first incarnation of Dio's solo band, has once again claimed that he and his DIO bandmates were earning "less than the crew."

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

Asked in a new interview with the "Let There Be Talk" podcast with rock and roll comedian Dean Delray about the DIO financial situation while he was a member of the band, Vivian said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The money was pretty grim. That was the whole reason why I got fired from DIO — because I was a squeaky wheel. That night in London in that rehearsal room [after the DIO band was formed] when Ronnie sat us down and said, 'Here's the plan. This is what we're gonna do,' he had promised us all that by the third record, it would be an equity situation, because, basically, we had to work for next to nothing for the earlier records. And the only reason I bought a Ferrari was three reasons: number one, it was a garden-variety [production Ferrari], the cheapest one; number two, the exchange rate when I bought it… I was getting paid in dollars, and the exchange rate was very, very favorable to buy sterling at that time. And number three, I ate crew meal for years; I didn't spend a penny. Anything I earned, my per diems or whatever, went right into a bank account and [I said], 'I'm gonna buy a car.' 'Cause at the time, I was still living with my parents in Ireland, so when I wasn't working with DIO, I'd fly home. I'd be, like, 'Hey, mom. Hey, dad. I'm back.' So I didn't have any overhead; I had no bills. So I kept everything. It was the same [as] years earlier when I was saving up to buy a Gibson Les Paul; I just focused on it. I wanted a 308 GTB Ferrari, so I saved up for a few years and got it.

"But the money situation in DIO was really bleak," Campbell reiterated. "We earned less than the crew. So we didn't get any of those records — we got none of the t-shirts, we got none of the ticket sales, we got none of the record sales. But we were working towards that promise which was by the third album it would be an equity situation. And when we started working on the third record, that's when I started going, 'Hey, Ronnie, you got a moment?' And he kept pushing it off and pushing it off. And then eventually they fired me. But I was a squeaky wheel. And it was less a matter of the money. I mean, yeah, it would have been nice to get paid for that, but it's more principle. I'm big on principle. When somebody looks me in the eye and shakes my hand and we have a gentlemen's agreement, I uphold my end of the deal and I expect the same of people. Maybe I'm an idealist or an idiot for expecting that of human beings, but that's what I put out and that's what I give and that's what I expect from people. And so it was a question of principle much, much more so than it was a question of dollars. With me, the promise was made, and the rest of us toiled for several years in the belief that that contract would be fulfilled, and it never was. 'Cause ultimately Ronnie never told Wendy, and Wendy was his estranged wife but his manager, and therefore, by default, the band's manager. But she never saw it as being a band; he never kind of explained that aspect to her. She always saw Ronnie Dio kind of like Ozzy Osbourne; it didn't matter who was behind him. But Ronnie should have known better. The magic of that original band, that's where I really had a beef with Ronnie. He knew how good that band was, and for him to be so fearful of Wendy that he wouldn't even have the balls to tell her that, 'This is what I want. This is what I promised the guys. This is what we're gonna do.' She just kind of went, 'No, no. You're the star. You don't need them. Get somebody else to play guitar.'"

Last summer, Wendy said that it was important for her to detail Ronnie's falling out with Vivian in the singer's memoir, "Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography", which she, along with writer Mick Wall, completed after Ronnie's death. "I wanted to, because I am so sick to death of hearing Vivian saying things like, 'Ronnie paid me a hundred dollars a week.' Well, how did he buy a Ferrari with a hundred dollars a week?" she told Ultimate Classic Rock. "Ronnie was always fair to his people. It costs a lot of money to put that show on. All of the time, we paid for everything — buses, trucks, hotels, per diems, lighting, sound and everything else. I think he treated the band very fairly. The problem is Vivian, for some reason, decided he wanted to be Ronnie. Well, you know, the band was called DIO. But the fact was that Ronnie had already been in RAINBOW and paid his dues and then in BLACK SABBATH and paid his dues. He wasn't just off the street and a nobody. I got really upset. I get really upset when I hear him saying all of the things about Ronnie. Ronnie isn't here to defend himself. I will. I have all of the paperwork to prove that. How much he did get paid. That just kind of upsets me that people will say, 'Oh, Ronnie was cheap.' Well, Ronnie was never ever cheap at all."

Asked if she thought there would have been a chance to build any sort of bridge between Ronnie and Vivian, Wendy said: "No. I don't think so, because there was too many nasty things by both of them said in the press, and I think you can't undo those things."

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

In a 2019 interview with Ultimate Guitar, Vivian said that getting fired from DIO left a bad taste in his mouth "for so, so many years. I was so hurt by the whole process that after that, I did make a mistake of saying very hurtful things about Ronnie in the press, as indeed he said the same about me," he said. "I think that was a mistake for both of us to do that. But it was a very painful thing for me because I never wanted to leave that band. I was fully invested in it, I enjoyed it immensely, I believed in it, and I gave blood, sweat, and tears on everything over the course of three albums to build that band. And then to be unceremoniously dumped like that was very, very painful for me. So it took me a long time to come full circle. To be honest, I think it also took Ronnie's passing [in 2010] to be able to look at that in a different light and realize that it was as much Jimmy Bain's heritage and Vinny Appice's heritage and my heritage as it was Ronnie's — we all owned those records and that history. So now I've come to fully embrace it, whereas for many, many years it was too painful for me to listen to it. If it came on the radio, I would turn the radio off. I didn't own any of the records, I wanted nothing to do with it. And now I see it in an entirely different light. I realize that we owned it as much as Ronnie and that it's a joyous thing to embrace. It makes me incredibly happy to be on the stage with Vinny, and with Jimmy while he was alive, and to play that music again. It's something I'm very proud of. But it took me a long time to get here, and that's the reason why."

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

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

TWISTED SISTER guitarist Jay Jay French believes that "it's time for comedians to stop making fun of people's appearance[s]."

French made his comment just a couple of days after actor Will Smith stormed onstage during this year's live Oscars broadcast and smacked Chris Rock across the face before returning to his front-row seat and yelling a profanity-filled threat at the comedian.

The confrontation took place after Rock made a joke about Smith's wife, calling Jade Pinkett Smith "G.I. Jane" in reference to her bald head, which she has previously explained is due to the medical condition alopecia.

On Tuesday (March 29), Jay Jay, who battled prostate cancer in 2018, took to his Twitter to write: "No one should ever hit another person like @willsmith did to @chrisrock . Among many issues this created at the #AcademyAwards2022 I think it's time for comedians to stop making fun of peoples (especially woman) appearance it is degrading and unnecessary".

When one person asked "Why especially women?", French responded: "Because woman, in general, are judged by their appearance far more than men and culturally we, as a society, need to move past that if we are to evolve. Having said that, insult humor is part of who we are so that may never happen".

One musician who apparently doesn't share French's opinion is FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares, who has been defending Rock on Twitter. In one exchange with a fan, Dino said that Rock "didn't know" Pinkett Smith had a medical condition and pointed out that Chris is "a comedian" who "was hired to roast the actors" as the host of this year's Oscars. He went on to say that he didn't think Rock's joke was "cruel," explaining that "people have said worse to [their] kids".

Other musicians, like KISS frontman Paul Stanley, have criticized Hollywood for giving Smith a standing ovation when it was announced at the Oscars that he won best actor for "King Richard". Smith's Oscar victory occurred several minutes after he slapped Rock.

On Monday, Paul tweeted: "Wait... Chris Rock makes a bad joke about Jada Pinkett's appearance. Will Smith walks onstage hits him in the face shouts out obscenities & later in tears accepts an Oscar saying 'Love makes you do crazy things' to a STANDING OVATION?!? WTF Hollywood. That's not WOKE. That's WEAK".

The following day, he elaborated: "What personal issues would embolden someone enough to walk onstage and ASSAULT another person? THEN how could an audience of people who believe themselves morally and socially conscious watch & spend the rest of the night cheering him? Sad and scary."

Although most people believe that stand-up comedy is about pushing boundaries and making people laugh and by its very nature is meant to provoke, in recent years telling jokes has become controversial, with some topics completely off limits. Several months ago, Dave Chappelle faced backlash for making quips about the trans community.

Smith first apologized about the incident at the Oscars, expressing his sorrow to the Academy and his fellow nominees in a tear-filled speech while accepting his "Best Actor" trophy. A day later, he went further in an Instagram post, saying that "violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive" and calling his behavior at the Academy Awards "unacceptable and inexcusable."

The Academy has condemned Smith's actions and started a formal review around the incident.

Chris is scheduled to make his first public appearance since the Oscars Wednesday night at Boston's Wilbur Theater, where he will perform as part of his "Ego Death" world tour.




No one should ever hit another person like @willsmith did to @chrisrock. Among many issues this created at the #AcademyAwards2022 I think it’s time for comedians to stop making fun of peoples (especially woman) appearance it is degrading and unnecessary

— Jay Jay French (@jayjayfrench) March 29, 2022








Because woman, in general, are judged by their appearance far more than men and culturally we, as a society, need to move past that if we are to evolve. Having said that, insult humor is part of who we are so that may never happen

— Jay Jay French (@jayjayfrench) March 30, 2022








No one made fun of her medical condition cause he didn’t know she had one ,you are reading it wrong. He’s a comedian that’s what he was hired to do roast the actors https://t.co/CIGmYbQggx

— Dino Cazares (@DinoCazares) March 29, 2022








Sure I get where u would think it could be insensitive because her going bald is hard for her to deal with even tho she said she doesn’t give a fuck but ultimately u know that’s not true,but I also don’t think it was a cruel joke.People have said worse to there kids https://t.co/XpCrATJr3G

— Dino Cazares (@DinoCazares) March 29, 2022








Wait... Chris Rock makes a bad joke about Jada Pinkett’s appearance. Will Smith walks onstage hits him in the face shouts out obscenities & later in tears accepts an Oscar saying “Love makes you do crazy things” to a STANDING OVATION?!? WTF Hollywood. That’s not WOKE. That’s WEAK

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) March 28, 2022








“Unacceptable Behavior”? What personal issues would embolden someone enough to walk onstage and ASSAULT another person? THEN how could an audience of people who believe themselves morally and socially conscious watch & spend the rest of the night cheering him? Sad and scary.

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) March 30, 2022

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, FOZZY frontman Chris Jericho touched upon the subject of rock bands using pre-recorded backing tracks during live performances. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We use backing tracks for some songs, and everybody does. Unless you're GUNS N' ROSES… Let me rephrase that… If you're in Slash's band… GUNS N' ROSES has backing tracks. They have a keyboard player. It's just the way of the world right now. It doesn't mean we're not singing and not playing. If you're listening to a record, you go to a DEF LEPPARD gig and you hear 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' that was recorded with 25 tracks of guitars, you can't just go with two guitars on stage and in your right mind think there wasn't something building up the background there. It's just kind of the way that bands are. It doesn't make you any less of a band. 'Cause you know what? QUEEN used tracks in the '70s. If you don't believe me, watch it when they play 'Bohemian Rhapsody' live."

Back in July 2020, Jericho was accused by Sebastian Bach of using pre-recorded lead vocal tracks during live performances. Thef former SKID ROW frontman initially claimed Jericho was "miming to a tape" at FOZZY concerts in a social media post. In response, the wrestler-turned-rocker insisted that he had "never mimed anything ever" and challenged Bach to a "singoff" with "no effects, no tuning, no bullshit", saying "Bas is a great singer...but I'm better".

In the months that ensued, Bach brought up Jericho's alleged lip syncing on several occasions, most recently in January 2021 in an interview with The Aquarian Weekly. Asked specifically about his feud with Chris, Sebastian said: "I have an open mind about everyone. If I read on Blabbermouth.com [sic] that some band says, 'We're the future of rock 'n' roll and we are the next thing after THE ROLLING STONES,' I think, this must be incredible! What have I been missing out on? So, I checked out one video during which the singer was 100% miming to a tape on stage at The Rockpile in Toronto. I thought to myself, 'That's weird, that's not the next ROLLING STONES.' So, I watch another video where he was opening up for NICKELBACK in an arena and, again, he's miming to a tape. You can go watch it for yourself. Then someone said, 'Here's a clip of him singing live. Legit, bro.' And it's him miming to a tape again. It's crazy obvious. It is not my opinion, it's fact. It is not me starting a fight. But don't tell me what singing live is, 'cause I have never used tape. I don't even know how to do that."

Bach also addressed the fact that Jericho accused him of having a less-than-original stage name after Sebastian slammed Jericho for copying the name of a SKID ROW tour for FOZZY.

"I switched a couple of letters of my legal last name [Bierk]. Who's Mongoose McQueen?" Bach asked, referring to Jericho's original FOZZY stage name. "What kind of a stage name is that?

"How about this: professional wrestling sucks," he added. "Everyone wishes they were a rock star. It hilarious. Evidently, all you have to do is [record] a tape, go on stage, and jump around. You can jump off the drum riser and do jumping jacks. It doesn't matter if you are miming to tape."

Jericho's most public reaction to Bach's criticism came in a January 2021 tweet. At the time, he wrote: "I've been told that @sebastianbach continues to go out of his way to bury me. My response is this...be my guest! You are entitled to ur opinion & it doesn't affect me either way. I still dig ur work on the first 3 @OfficialSkidRow albums & look forward to ur new record."

When Bach first went public with his Jericho accusation, FOZZY guitarist Rich Ward called Sebastian "universally disliked" and said that seeing Bach "publicly go after the only guy that I have ever witness utter a nice word about him is sad."

Sebastian, who has been outspoken about rock bands using pre-recorded backing tracks during live shows, later tried to explain his outburst, writing: "I'm not trying to beat anybody at anything. I'm actually trying to say hey Chris maybe you're right maybe I'll stop singing live and prance around while the tape is playing just like you do Chris. I'm tired of trying so hard it's like beating my head against the wall."

After a self-proclaimed Bach fan called Sebastian "an asshat" on Twitter for firing "the first shots" in his war of words with Jericho, Bach came back with: "Hey man f*** you. I have spent my life learning how to sing live on stage. When someone comes along and mimes to a tape it sucks for all of the rest of us that don't. You want to go see a wrestling match good. Don't call it rock and roll".