Swedish progressive metallers OPETH will release "In Cauda Venenum (Extended Edition)" on May 13 via Atomic Fire Records. This release, available on digipak, contains the English and Swedish versions of OPETH's latest album, "In Cauda Venenum", with new illustrations by internationally renowned Travis Smith in the booklet. In addition, there is also a third CD including three previously unreleased bonus tracks, both in English and Swedish: "The Mob" / "Pöbeln", "Width Of A Circle" / "Cirkelns Riktning" and "Freedom & Tyranny" / "Frihet & Tyranni".

"In Cauda Venenum (Extended Edition)" is now available for pre-order. Also on May 13, the album's strictly limited "Connoisseur Edition" vinyl boxset, which includes the same bonus tracks but remastered by Mikael Åkerfeldt specifically for vinyl, will be available in the North American retail stores for the first time. Both album editions will also be available at the band's merch table on the upcoming North American tour.

"In Cauda Venenum" was originally released in September 2019 via Moderbolaget / Nuclear Blast Entertainment. Recorded in 2018 at Stockholm's Park Studios, the effort was made available in two versions, in both Swedish and English languages.

Regarding the decision to release "In Cauda Venenum" in Swedish, Åkerfeldt told Revolver: "Doing it in Swedish was just an idea that popped into my head, like, 'Maybe I should fry my egg in the morning instead of boiling it.' It wasn't any deeper than that. And I figured the music climate has changed so much, does it really matter which language it's in? That was it. And it didn't have me writing more lyrics — it just had me writing more music. And the music didn't sound more Swedish or anything like that. But it was a gateway that opened, and it was fun.

Mikael added that he is "not regretting" the fact that "In Cauda Venenum" was also recorded in English. "A lot of people [in the U.S.] are saying they only listened to the English version," he said. "So I was proven right, in a way. I can say a thousand times that the Swedish version is the original version, but it's up to people to choose. I can just hope that they check out both versions. But I do think the Swedish version is slightly better — only because it was first. It's more innocent. With the English version, regardless of what you think about it, that's me trying to copy a vocal line I had done in another language. So it's less exciting to me."

OPETH played its first show with drummer Sami Karppinen (THERION) last November in Asheville, North Carolina at the opening date of the band's tour with MASTODON and ZEAL & ARDOR.

Karppinen stepped in to play with OPETH after the Swedish metallers parted ways with their longtime drummer Martin "Axe" Axenrot due to what they called "a conflict of interests."

When Axenrot's exit was first announced, Åkerfeldt said in a statement: "However sad it is to not have Axe in the band anymore, we're not in a position to linger on anything that is going to hold us back. We need to soldier on.

"Needless to say, we're incredibly thankful that Sami is helping us out, making this tour possible and all. On top of that, he's quite outstanding, really!

"All of us wish the best for Axe in all and any of his future endeavors. He has been a incredibly important part of the band for many years now, and we're all heartbroken it didn’t work out in the end. But that's life, I guess…"

Axenrot officially joined OPETH a decade and a half ago as the replacement for Martin Lopez, who left the band in May 2006 after being plagued by illness and anxiety attacks, which forced him to miss several of OPETH's tours.

The latest addition to Dream Theater’s Lost Not Forgotten Archives, spanning three LP's, are the original demos from the recording sessions of one of Dream Theater’s most esteemed albums, Falling Into Infinity. These 16 tracks, recorded throughout 1996 and 1997 as demos for what would ultimately become 1997’s Falling Into Infinity studio release, spotlight some of the band’s most highly regarded works from that era. Also featuring rare material never formally released as part of the final studio album including "Raise The Knife", "Speak To Me", and "Cover My Eyes", Falling Into Infinity Demos, 1996-1997 is a can't-miss collection in Dream Theater’s eminent archival series. Also available as a 2CD digipak and digital album. 


Pre-order here for the May 13th release.







Tracklist:


"Raise The Knife"
"Where Are You Now?"
"Take Away My Pain"
"You Or Me"
"Anna Lee"
"Burning My Soul"
"The Way It Used To Be"
"Lines In The Sand"
"Just Let Me Breathe"
"Peruvian Skies"
"Trial Of Tears"
"Cover My Eyes"
"New Millennium"
"Speak To Me"
"Metropolis Pt. 2"


Check out all of the Lost Not Forgotten Archives releases at this location.

MAMMOTH WVH paid tribute to Taylor Hawkins by performing a cover of the FOO FIGHTERS song "My Hero" during the band's concert last night (Saturday, March 26) at Big Night Live in Boston, Massachusetts. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

Prior to launching into the track, MAMMOTH WVH frontman Wolfgang Van Halen told the crowd that Hawkins "was a hero to me, and a hero to all of us, and a hero to countless people, so we feel this is necessary."

Wolfgang has repeatedly cited FOO FIGHTERS leader Dave Grohl as one of his "biggest inspirations." He told Bass Player magazine in a 2021 interview: "When [Dave] started the FOO FIGHTERS, he did everything himself on their first album. I wanted to have a go at that [on MAMMOTH WVH's debut], I guess, and I've always admired bands like NINE INCH NAILS, where the project emanates from one person and grows from there. That's kind of how I view it, even though it is still me. I view it more as a band than [a] solo project."

Hawkins died at a hotel in Bogota, Colombia on Friday (March 25). Local officials said an ambulance was sent to the hotel after a man reported having chest pains. The 50-year-old musician did not respond to resuscitation efforts and was declared dead, the city's health department said.

Earlier on Saturday, the Colombian attorney general's office announced that Hawkins had opioids, marijuana and other drugs in his system before he died. A toxicology report showed traces of 10 substances in his body, including anti-depressants, the office said. The statement added that the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences "will conduct the necessary medical studies to ascertain the cause of death" and that it "will continue the investigation and will report the results obtained within the framework thereof in a timely manner."

The FOO FIGHTERS were scheduled to perform Friday at the Picnic Stereo festival in Bogota but their performance was canceled.

The band played Lollapalooza Chile on March 18 and Lollapalooza Argentina on March 20. They are scheduled to headline Lollapalooza Brasil on Sunday (March 27).

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

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

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

Hawkins's solo project TAYLOR HAWKINS AND THE COATTAIL RIDERS released its first album in 2006, and a follow-up effort, "Get The Money", in 2019. Other side projects included THE BIRDS OF SATAN and the classic rock cover band CHEVY METAL. More recently, he formed the supergroup NHC with JANE'S ADDICTION members Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney.

Hawkins is survived by his wife Alison, whom he married in 2005, and their three children: Oliver Shane, Annabelle and Everleigh.






Amazing tribute to Taylor Hawkins!!

Mammoth-Wolfgang Van Halen, music therapy.

Posted by Tom Donovan on Saturday, March 26, 2022

SKID ROW played its first show with ex-H.E.A.T. vocalist Erik Grönwall Saturday night (March 26) at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada as the support act on the rescheduled dates for SCORPIONS' "Sin City Nights" residency.

SKID ROW's nine-song set included its new single, "The Gang's All Here", which was made available on Friday, March 25. The song is the title track of the band's upcoming album, which will arrive on October 14 via earMUSIC.

SKID ROW's setlist was as follows:

01. Slave To The Grind

02. Big Guns

03. 18 And Life

04. Piece Of Me

05. Livin' On A Chain Gang

06. Monkey Business

07. I Remember You

08. The Gang's All Here

09. Youth Gone Wild

Fan-filmed video of the concert is available below.

Grönwall recently joined SKID ROW as the replacement for ZP Theart.

SKID ROW recorded "The Gang's All Here" in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among many others.

SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo said in a statement: "We are beyond excited to release this record. It has been a long time in the making and a lot of hard work has been put into it by the band and our producer Nick Raskulinecz. The addition of Erik has lifted the songs to new heights. Add all this to the fact that we start our world tour in Las Vegas with the SCORPIONS residency this Saturday at Zappos Theater makes it easy to say that SKID ROW is going to have a great year."

Grönwall sang on H.E.A.T.'s last four studio albums — "Address The Nation" (2012), "Tearing Down The Walls" (2014), "Into The Great Unknown" (2017) and "H.E.A.T II" (2020) — before exiting the group in October 2020.

Grönwall was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021. A short time later, he wrote on his social media: "I am extremely privileged and grateful to live at a day and age where a disease like this is curable. There's been so much progress made in this field. My body is reacting well to the treatment but it's a long treatment and it's going to be the toughest challenge of my life so far, for me and my family."

Last September, Grönwall released his cover version of SKID ROW's "18 And Life" via all streaming platforms. At the time, he said about his version of the track: "This song was basically the starting point of my professional career as an artist. I performed this song during my 'Swedish Idol' audition back in 2009. 12 years later it's time to give this bad boy a try again. Here's my version of the SKID ROW song '18 And Life'."

In 2018, Grönwall debuted in the U.S. for 10 million viewers in NBC's live broadcast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice's musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". Along with John Legend, Alice Cooper, Sara Bareilles and others, Erik played the key role of Simon Zealotes.

Theart, a former member of DRAGONFORCE, joined SKID ROW in 2016 following the departure of Tony Harnell (TNT, STARBREAKER).

Sebastian Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of Bolan and guitarists Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by Theart, the South African-born, British-based singer who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I.




















Follow The Pure Rock Shop for more coverage Erik Grönwall SKID ROW

Posted by Kara Marie on Saturday, March 26, 2022





Follow The Pure Rock Shop for more coverage ?Erik Grönwall SKID ROW

Posted by Kara Marie on Saturday, March 26, 2022





LIVE in VEGAS ????

Posted by SKID ROW on Saturday, March 26, 2022





SKID ROW

Posted by Jessica Chase on Saturday, March 26, 2022

Slash paid tribute to Taylor Hawkins during his concert with SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS in Orlando, Florida Saturday night (March 26), calling the late FOO FIGHTERS drummer "a great guy" and "a sweetheart."

The 56-year-old GUNS N' ROSES guitarist addressed Hawkins's tragic passing prior to launching into the song "Starlight" at Hard Rock Live. He told the audience: "I'm sure most of you are aware that we lost a really close friend of ours last night — Taylor Hawkins, the drummer of the FOO FIGHTERS. First of all, he was a great fucking guy — a fucking sweetheart. He was a really good friend and a kickass drummer. [We're] completely crushed that we've lost him. So we wanna do a song tonight and dedicate it to him. So we're gonna play something we haven't played actually on this whole tour, but we're gonna do it tonight. This is called 'Starlight'."

Hawkins died at a hotel in Bogota, Colombia on Friday (March 25). Local officials said an ambulance was sent to the hotel after a man reported having chest pains. The 50-year-old musician did not respond to resuscitation efforts and was declared dead, the city's health department said.

Earlier on Saturday, the Colombian attorney general's office announced that Hawkins had opioids, marijuana and other drugs in his system before he died. A toxicology report showed traces of 10 substances in his body, including anti-depressants, the office said. The statement added that the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences "will conduct the necessary medical studies to ascertain the cause of death" and that it "will continue the investigation and will report the results obtained within the framework thereof in a timely manner."

The FOO FIGHTERS were scheduled to perform Friday at the Picnic Stereo festival in Bogota but their performance was canceled.

The band played Lollapalooza Chile on March 18 and Lollapalooza Argentina on March 20. They are scheduled to headline Lollapalooza Brasil on Sunday (March 27).

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

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

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

Hawkins's solo project TAYLOR HAWKINS AND THE COATTAIL RIDERS released its first album in 2006, and a follow-up effort, "Get The Money", in 2019. Other side projects included THE BIRDS OF SATAN and the classic rock cover band CHEVY METAL. More recently, he formed the supergroup NHC with JANE'S ADDICTION members Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney.

Hawkins is survived by his wife Alison, whom he married in 2005, and their three children: Oliver Shane, Annabelle and Everleigh.






Slash w/ Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators

Starlight

( Tribute to Taylor Hawkins )

Posted by April Janene - Cosplay on Saturday, March 26, 2022

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the forthcoming release of Brazilian metallers Semblant's stunning new studio album, Vermilion Eclipse on April 15, 2022. Check out the official video for new single, "Enrage", below.





Their second for Frontiers, and fourth overall, Vermillion Eclipse sees Semblant continue their evolution into a powerful musical force that is hard to pin down with one musical categorization. With wide ranging influences under the metal and rock umbrella, Semblant are at once wholly unique and entirely familiar on Vermillion Eclipse.




"We never thought it would be possible for us to compose a whole new album completely remote while we were all at home during the pandemic. It was different. It was intense. The process of producing the album had an even more amazing synergy between the band and our old well known friend and producer Adair Daufembach. I'm so excited with this album and I can't wait to finally release it," says vocalist Mizuho Lin.


Beginning with their last album Obscura (2020), Semblant began to truly flex their musical muscle and show that they are more than ready for the world stage. Having already received international praise from the metal community with the release of the album Lunar Manifesto (2014), with the massive singles “What Lies Ahead”, “Dark Of The Day”, and “Incinerate” combining for more than 30 million views on YouTube, Obscura showcased a band having taken massive steps forward in their sound and presentation. Tracks like “Mere Shadow”, “Murder Of Crows”, and “Dethrone The Gods, Control The Masters” are just a few examples of how much the band had matured musically in both songwriting and performance.


The band was geared up and ready to take Obscura on the road to spread their metal message, but, like every other band in the world, the pandemic changed their plans for world domination drastically. Grounded in Brazil and unable to head to Europe or the United States to tour as they had planned, Semblant, in 2021, eventually began work on what would become Vermillion Eclipse. With pent up energy from being unable to tour and the emotional toll of the pandemic (multiple band members lost a family member to COVID-19), the band's songwriting and performances here illustrate even more forward progress than what was achieved between their last two releases.


"We hope you guys love Vermillion Eclipse as much as we love it. I usually say this about each new album we deliver, but, now, I feel that this sentence has reached a point of real meaning. All our hearts and dedication are present in this music. All the experiences we lived through during the pandemic and all the moments where we kept ourselves locked in our studios focused on creating music are finally in song form and reaching out to your hearts and souls. This album is an emotional breaking point. Over the course of making this album, we lost family members, one of us is celebrating the news of our first child being on the way, and we helped each other to keep our minds healthy and strong as best we could during this insane time. This is all reflected in the new album," says vocalist Sergio Mazul.


Along with the stunning music, fans who pick up a physical copy of the album will receive a majestic visual delight with Vermillion Eclipse. The cover artwork was created by the Greek artist Giannis Nakos from Remedy design (Evergrey, Amaranthe, The Agonist) and the interior booklet designs were conceived by Carlos Fides from Artside Digital Studio (Shaman, Edu Falaschi, Icon of Sin).


Semblant formed in 2006 in Curitiba, Brazil when singer Sergio Mazul and keyboardist J. Augusto joined forces to create music that featured all the dark and aggressive elements they appreciated and loved in metal music. After a few years of changing line-ups, the group established itself with the addition of Mizuho Lin (female vocals), Juliano Ribeiro (guitar), Welyntom "Thor" Sikora (drums), and Johann Piper (bass) to the band.





Tracklisting:


“Enrage”
“Destiny In Curse”
“Purified”
“The Human Eclipse”
“Somber Concern”
“The Neverending Fall”
“Through The Denial”
“Black Sun Genesis (Legacy Of Blood Pt. VI)”
“Heretic”
“Bloodred Monarch (Legacy Of Blood Pt. VII)”
“Gaslighting”
“Day One Oblivion”


“Purified” video:





Lineup:


Mizuho Lin - Vocals
Sergio Mazul - Vocals
Juliano Ribeiro - GuitarJ. "Guto" Augusto - Keyboards
Johann Piper - Bass
Welyntom "Thor" Sikora - Drums

Elton John paid tribute to Taylor Hawkins during his concert in Des Moines, Iowa Saturday night (March 26), saying the late FOO FIGHTERS drummer was "one of the nicest people you could ever meet."

The 75-year-old pop/rock legend addressed Hawkins's tragic passing prior to launching into the song "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" at the Wells Fargo Arena. He told the audience (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I got up this morning to see that Taylor Hawkins from the FOO FIGHTERS had passed away, and I was so shocked because he played on my 'Lockdown Sessions' album and he was one of the nicest people you could ever meet and one of the greatest drummers and a true musician who loved all sorts of music and loved life. And it seems so sad that at 50 years of age we've lost someone who had that much passion. And it makes me so downhearted for his family — his three children and his wife and his other relatives — and, of course, the FOO FIGHTERS who've lost a dearest loved one that can never, ever be replaced. But his music will live on. But I can tell you he was a great, great one. So this song is for him and his family and his wife and his children."

Hawkins died at a hotel in Bogota, Colombia on Friday (March 25). Local officials said an ambulance was sent to the hotel after a man reported having chest pains. He did not respond to resuscitation efforts and was declared dead, the city's health department said.

Earlier on Saturday, the Colombian attorney general's office announced that Hawkins had opioids, marijuana and other drugs in his system before he died. A toxicology report showed traces of 10 substances in his body, including anti-depressants, the office said. The statement added that the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences "will conduct the necessary medical studies to ascertain the cause of death" and that it "will continue the investigation and will report the results obtained within the framework thereof in a timely manner."

The FOO FIGHTERS were scheduled to perform Friday at the Picnic Stereo festival in Bogota but their performance was canceled.

The band played Lollapalooza Chile on March 18 and Lollapalooza Argentina on March 20. They are scheduled to headline Lollapalooza Brasil on Sunday (March 27).

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

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

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

Hawkins's solo project TAYLOR HAWKINS AND THE COATTAIL RIDERS released its first album in 2006, and a follow-up effort, "Get The Money", in 2019. Other side projects included THE BIRDS OF SATAN and the classic rock cover band CHEVY METAL. More recently, he formed the supergroup NHC with JANE'S ADDICTION members Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney.

Hawkins is survived by his wife Alison, whom he married in 2005, and their three children: Oliver Shane, Annabelle and Everleigh.

Notorious for their bangin' riffs, heavy harmonies, and in-your-face attitude, Ratchet Dolls have released their new single "Modern Mistake". 


“'Modern Mistake' is definitely a new direction for Ratchet Dolls that I chose to explore during the pandemic’s lockdown. The song was definitely fun to write as it combines giant vocal harmonies, reminiscent of the '80s, with an adrenalized hard rock sound; a sound I chased for many years. This is one of five self-produced tracks Ratchet Dolls will be releasing as an EP titled, Bring The Noize, this summer. I am beyond excited to hear what listeners think of the new direction the band has taken,” says vocalist / guitarist Kevin Sauceda.







Ratchet Dolls are currently in the midst of their Modern Mistake Tour. A complete list of dates can be found in the official poster, pictured below.





 

When Dave Grohl started playing with Queens Of The Stone Age in 2013, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins kept busy by teaming up with longtime friends Wiley Hodgden (bass) and Mick Murphy (guitar) for the '70s dirt rock cover band Chevy Metal. The band became a live act and evolved into The Birds Of Satan.


Murphy shared the following tribute to Hawkins following news of his bandmate's death on March 25th.


Murphy: "I’m in shock. This just does not compute. Gut punched and heartbroken. He was SO alive all the time. On 11. I considered him a pal and a brother in rock. He was hilarious. Lots of laughs. Even though he was a huge rockstar, he treated me like an equal on stage and in the studio. Gave me some incredible opportunities and they were always unique and fun as hell. He was a fuckin blast to jam with. That giant smile. Very high spirited, adventurous and truly loved music. Especially music that pushed boundaries. He could play the absolute fuck outta the drums. Lived and breathed it. I’ll cherish the experiences, the memories and the music. Taken WAY too soon. It’s just not right. I’ll miss you, man. Rock in peace, Taylor."




 

Edged Circle Productions has announced May 27th as the international release date for the second album of pan-international death metal elite Darkened, The Black Winter, on CD and vinyl LP formats.


While Darkened made a none-more-auspicious start with the Into The Blackness EP during the summer of 2019, it was the band's debut album, Kingdom Of Decay, where they literally exploded onto the scene. Proud and pure death metal, no more but definitely no less, it was not at all surprising that Darkened made an immediate impact given their lineup on that debut full-length: drummer Andy Whale (Memoriam, Bolt Thrower), vocalist Gord Olson (Ye Goat-Herd Gods / Demisery), guitarists Linus Nirbrant (A Canorous Quintet / This Ending) and Hempa Brynolfsson (Excruciate / Ordo Infernus), and new bassist Tobias Cristiansson (Grave / Dismember). Patient and punishing, they proved that true songwriting stuns and crushes when practiced by masters of the death metal craft.


Now, as presaged earlier this year by the quick-hitting Mourn The Dying Light EP, Darkened arrive with their massive second album, The Black Winter. Immediately, their trademark sound is in place - clear and crushing riffs, grooves like a tank, an overall world-eating sensibility - but delve deeper and one will find Darkened expanding their already-considerable powers. Most prominently, there's a surprising amount of atmosphere being explored on The Black Winter, true to its namesake. The resultant spaciousness is somehow just as suffocating as the band's now-characteristic density; whether it's in the riffing itself or the very subtle touches of synth underneath, the album certainly bears a unique-yet-unified aspect. From there, melancholic twists and wistful melody are seamlessly integrated into the Darkened onslaught of sound, which alternately pushes the aggression to murderous levels and the doom to the darkest depths; put another way, everything here sounds huge. And credit for that must go to Linus Nirbrant, who handled The Black Winter's production, as well as mixing & mastering by the Dan Swanö at Unisound - truly, one will not find a clearer yet more crushing death metal record this year!




As these endtimes take on a muted resignation, it's only bleakly fitting that Darkened provide the soundtrack with The Black Winter. Cover artwork, courtesy of Juanjo Castellano Rosado (Unleashed, The Black Dalhia Murder, Gates Of Ishtar), and tracklisting are as follows:





"Premonitions"
"Blood"
"Flayed"
"Terminal Lucidity"
"Black Winter"
"Fearful Quandary"
"Swallowed By The World"
"Plague Of Despair"
"Regret"


"Blood" lyric video:





 

Joan Jett paid tribute to Taylor Hawkins during her headlining concert on Saturday (March 26) at the Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival in Brookhaven, Georgia. Prior to launching into the song "Fragile" from her band JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS, she called Taylor "one of the greatest drummers of our time," adding that "the [FOO FIGHTERS] and Taylor are good friends of ours. And I can't even tell you what it means to all of us." Her voice cracking with emotion, Joan went on to say: "So this next song is for him. But really, all of you take it to heart — it's true for everybody: life is very fragile. One moment you're here and the next you're gone."

Jett served one of the guest vocalists when the surviving NIRVANA members — including FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl and guitarist Pat Smear — performed together to celebrate the band's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014. Four years later, she performed with Grohl, Smear and former NIRVANA bassist Krist Novoselic at Cal Jam.

Hawkins died at a hotel in Bogota, Colombia on Friday (March 25). Local officials said an ambulance was sent to the hotel after a man reported having chest pains. The 50-year-old musician did not respond to resuscitation efforts and was declared dead, the city's health department said.

On Saturday, the Colombian attorney general's office announced that Hawkins had opioids, marijuana and other drugs in his system before he died. A toxicology report showed traces of 10 substances in his body, including anti-depressants, the office said. The statement added that the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences "will conduct the necessary medical studies to ascertain the cause of death" and that it "will continue the investigation and will report the results obtained within the framework thereof in a timely manner."

FOO FIGHTERS announced Hawkins's death on their Instagram account. "The FOO FIGHTERS family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins," the announcement read. "His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever. Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time."

The FOO FIGHTERS were scheduled to perform Friday at the Picnic Stereo festival in Bogota but their performance was canceled.

The band played Lollapalooza Chile on March 18 and Lollapalooza Argentina on March 20. They were scheduled to headline Lollapalooza Brasil on Sunday (March 27).

Hawkins has been open about his history of drug use. He overdosed on heroin in 2001 and spent a week in a coma, just four years after joining the FOO FIGHTERS.




Joan Jett’s tribute to the late Taylor Hawkins. She is close to the Foo Fighters and has opened for them on tour. She also fronted Nirvana for their induction into the Rock hall of fame. The song is titled… Fragile. Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival. Atlanta GA 3/26/22 ?

Posted by Robert Whitman on Sunday, March 27, 2022

RiverGhost has released their second single, "Fruit On The Vine". Following their debut release, "Darkhorse", RiverGhost has delivered yet another southern rock treat. "Fruit On The Vine" serves a bluesy groove matched with guitar driven grit to help bring a piece of Nashville to listeners everywhere. The band stays true to their southern rock roots while modernizing their sound to help them mesh perfectly into the popular genre.


While RiverGhost has been in action since 2021, they bring their groovy rock and roll sound to 2022 with their long awaited on-record debut. This blues rock act captures the essence of classic bands like Guns N' Roses, The Black Crowes and Aerosmith with a fresh take on that sacred sound.







“'Fruit On The Vine' is not only RiverGhost's second release, but it’s one of the two songs written by Boots and myself upon our first meeting. That makes it the second song ever written as RiverGhost. It’s one of the reasons we knew this band was going to be a great time! It’s a four on the floor rock and roll song about driving fast, taking chances and beautiful women. We write a lot of serious material but we also love the fun stuff, too," says Kaige Dvelle, RiverGhost leader and frontman.


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


Check out RiverGhost's first single, "DarkHorse":





For further details, visit RiverGhost on Facebook. 





 

DAUGHTRY was joined by Mark Tremonti (ALTER BRIDGE, TREMONTI) and Lyell on stage last night (Saturday, March 26) at Fillmore New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana to perform a cover version of FOO FIGHTERS' "My Hero" as a tribute to Taylor Hawkins. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

Back in September 2018, DAUGHTRY frontman Chris Daughtry, a Season 5 "American Idol" finalist, told the Charlotte Observer that he texted FOO FIGHTERS frontman Grohl about going to a FF concert in San Jose that took place that month and Grohl actually invited him to come on over. Expecting only a quick meeting, Daughtry was surprised when Grohl invited him into the FOO FIGHTERS' dressing room where they ended up sending two hours talking about music and more.

"I'm, like, 'You guys have a show to put on, right?" Daughtry recalled. "You've been in here telling stories...for two hours plus and you've gotta go out and play now... How do you do this and walk out and still have a voice?' And [Grohl] goes, 'What better way to walk out on stage then after you've been hanging out with friends and laughing and having a good time? You're already in a great mood.'

"We usually hang out with our guests after the show," Daughtry explained. "It's always this 'quiet before the storm' for us in the hours before the show. So I think that was an interesting takeaway, that maybe we shouldn't take everything so seriously."

Hawkins died at a hotel in Bogota, Colombia on Friday (March 25). Local officials said an ambulance was sent to the hotel after a man reported having chest pains. The 50-year-old FOO FIGHTERS drummer did not respond to resuscitation efforts and was declared dead, the city's health department said.

On Saturday, the Colombian attorney general's office announced that Hawkins had opioids, marijuana and other drugs in his system before he died. A toxicology report showed traces of 10 substances in his body, including anti-depressants, the office said. The statement added that the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences "will conduct the necessary medical studies to ascertain the cause of death" and that it "will continue the investigation and will report the results obtained within the framework thereof in a timely manner."

FOO FIGHTERS announced Hawkins's death on their Instagram account. "The FOO FIGHTERS family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins," the announcement read. "His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever. Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time."

The FOO FIGHTERS were scheduled to perform Friday at the Picnic Stereo festival in Bogota but their performance was canceled.

The band played Lollapalooza Chile on March 18 and Lollapalooza Argentina on March 20. They were scheduled to headline Lollapalooza Brasil on Sunday (March 27).

Hawkins has been open about his history of drug use. He overdosed on heroin in 2001 and spent a week in a coma, just four years after joining the FOO FIGHTERS.

Imonolith features drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen (Devin Townsend Project), vocaklist Jon Howard (Threat Signal), guitarist Kai Huppunen (Methods of Mayhem, Noise Therapy), guitarist Oswin Wong, and bassist Conan Freeman. They have checked in with the following update:


"We're super excited to announce that our second album, Progressions, will be out on May 20th, and you can hear parts of some of the songs from the album in this teaser video.


The album is now available for digital pre-order alongside exclusive merch bundles here.




Ryan Van Poederooyen explains the inspiration behind Progressions:


"Imonolith's new album, Progressions, started out as a 5 song EP, and then grew into a full album's worth of material. The band's sound has progressed in many ways, and I thought the name Progressions suited the message we’re trying to convey with this album. 


This isn’t your typical album, though. The idea behind this album is to show how the band has progressed from our early demo days in 2015 - 2018 up to our current sound in 2022. We’ve become more versatile and, at times, more progressive in playing style, songwriting and musical direction. To put it simply, Progressions covers the musical history of who Imonolith was up to what we’ve become today.


Thanks for the continued support. We can't wait to share this new record with you."





On Friday, January 28th Imonolith released "The Reign" (Remix) featuring Jens Kidman of Meshuggah, taken from the Progressions album.

Jill Biden, America's first lady, was among public figures mourning the death of FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins, who passed away Friday evening (March 25). He was 50.

The band announced the loss on social media, calling Hawkins's death "tragic and untimely." He was found dead in a hotel room in Bogota, Colombia. A cause of death has not yet been announced, but a preliminary report from the Colombia's Attorney General's Office found Hawkins had 10 different substances in his body, including "THX (Marijuana), tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines and opioids."

On Saturday (March 26), U.S. president Joe Biden's wife of 45 years took to her Twitter to write: "A ferocious drummer, dedicated father, and dear friend gone far too soon.

"Sending love to Taylor Hawkins' family and fans of the FOO FIGHTERS everywhere."

In January 2021, the FOO FIGHTERS were part of the virtual "Celebrating America" concert special for Joe Biden's inauguration, during which they performed "Times Like These".

Hawkins was a vocal opponent to former U.S. president Donald Trump on several occasions in recent years. In a 2017 interview with Onet News, Taylor stated about the political climate in the United States: "It's insane, but it really is a mirror image of our culture in America right now. So people blame [Trump], but he's just a symptom of a generation of reality TV-obsessed, selfie-obsessed, Facebook-obsessed, tweet-obsessed, self-obsessed people. So we got that president because I think, unless the Russians really did hack in, we got what we deserve."

"I think in a certain way, it's a good chance for people to take a look at where we are as a culture and say, is this where we want to be?" Hawkins continued. "An orange, fake-haired, tweeting president who tweets childish remarks about people who say little mean things about him, because that's where we are right now. It's a fricking weird freaky time, but it's really representative of where our culture is right now."

In February 2021, FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl told Tom Power, host of "Q" on Canada's CBC Radio One, about the experience of performing at Joe Biden's inauguration: "You have to understand that sometimes it seems so surreal that I feel like I'm standing beside myself and watching it happen. I've actually written a little bit about how it's like your life flashing before your eyes as it's happening. So it's strange.

"It's hard for me to connect all of those dots, because there is a lot of 'full circle' going on there," he continued. "I grew up outside of Washington, D.C. My father was a Republican speech writer. He was involved in politics. I spent time on Capitol Hill.

"So, putting all those things together, with the the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, being a teacher, and my mother being a public school teacher for 35 years — retired now — all of these things kind of connected together to then this performance of a song that I wrote 18 years ago that's not a political song at all. It's just a song about hitting some crossroads in your life where you feel that you need some sort of rebirth, or some restart. But you have hope."

Grohl added: "I've always thought that when someone dear to you, someone close to you passes away, you have to start all over again. So you have to do everything in life all over again — your first cup of coffee since you've lost that person; your first trip to the grocery store since you've lost [that person]; and so on and so on and so on. It's basically what that song's about — about learning to love again, learning to live again; things like that.

"I think the reason why we were asked to perform was because, in the States, we need that. So it's a rebuilding in a hopeful way. And I think that's why they requested that we play that song. And it was an honor."

Back in 2018, Grohl said that he was "ashamed" of having Donald Trump as the U.S. leader, explaining that the billionaire real estate mogul "seems like a massive jerk."

"Today, the American Dream is broken," Grohl told the British GQ magazine at the time. "I've probably travelled internationally more than our current president and the one thing I understand that he doesn't is that the world isn't as big as you think it is. It is all in your neighborhood. India, Asia, Iceland aren't other solar systems. I am ashamed of our president. I feel apologetic for it when I travel."

In 2017, Grohl said in an interview with Switzerland's SRF 3 that criticism of Trump's extremist rhetoric by musicians and Hollywood stars only served to embolden and fuel his base. "I think that for years maybe they felt like the minority and now all of a sudden there's a voice that they can sort of attach themselves to, and the more pushback they get from that, it's like the stronger they feel in a lot of ways," Grohl explained. "So all you can do is fight the good fight every day when you wake up and try to be a good person and treat everybody with respect."

Asked how he, as a responsible parent, talked with his kids about the often-inflammatory behavior we saw from America's 45th president on a daily basis, Grohl told SRF 3: "I remember the night of the election, I had to sit down and have a talk with my daughter. She was terrified, man. And I basically told her what I'd just told you. I was, like, 'You can't give up hope. You just have to fight the good fight. And the things you believe in… You have to stand up and represent the things that you actually believe in.' That's what everybody should do. But I think it's hard for a kid to understand that."




A ferocious drummer, dedicated father, and dear friend gone far too soon.

Sending love to Taylor Hawkins’ family and fans of the Foo Fighters everywhere.

— Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) March 26, 2022

Founded in 2007, Finnish melodic death metal band Superdeathflame have released a new album 11 years after their 2011 debut, The Last Wave. Dead Is Dead is an album packed with top-notch melodic death metal, released via Inverse Records.


"From Southern Finlands gray landscapes rises Superdeathflame, the Style-Masters-of-Metal ready to conquer the world with our mature and melodic music that catches the ear. Our songs are made for listener, no bullshit... they are hard, every piece tells a real story of life. The foundation, the Four Pillars of our Metal are Rock solid guitar riffs and punchy drumbeats coloured with flowing synths and world class choruses that are infectiously catchy. We are building our music with an increasingly determined focus to make every song sound simple and easy to a listener...not forgetting multidimensional interpretation in the lyrics, that gives 'the deep' to the songs."







"Innocence"
"Dead Is Dead"
"Dying Embers"
"Darkest Mind"
"Untold Burden"
"Inside the Chamber"
"Falling In Shades"
"Pain"


"Inside The Chamnber"

CANDLEBOX ended its show last night (Saturday, March 26) in Dallas, Texas at The Echo Lounge & Music Hall with a special tribute to the late FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins. The band performed a cover of the FOO FIGHTERS' "Learn To Fly" after CANDLEBOX frontman Kevin Martin said, "You will be missed, Taylor Hawkins, God bless."

Hawkins died at a hotel in Bogota, Colombia on Friday (March 25). Local officials said an ambulance was sent to the hotel after a man reported having chest pains. The 50-year-old musician did not respond to resuscitation efforts and was declared dead, the city's health department said.

On Saturday, the Colombian attorney general's office announced that Hawkins had opioids, marijuana and other drugs in his system before he died. A toxicology report showed traces of 10 substances in his body, including anti-depressants, the office said. The statement added that the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences "will conduct the necessary medical studies to ascertain the cause of death" and that it "will continue the investigation and will report the results obtained within the framework thereof in a timely manner."

FOO FIGHTERS announced Hawkins's death on their Instagram account. "The FOO FIGHTERS family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins," the announcement read. "His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever. Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time."

The FOO FIGHTERS were scheduled to perform Friday at the Picnic Stereo festival in Bogota but their performance was canceled.

The band played Lollapalooza Chile on March 18 and Lollapalooza Argentina on March 20. They were scheduled to headline Lollapalooza Brasil on Sunday (March 27).

Hawkins has been open about his history of drug use. He overdosed on heroin in 2001 and spent a week in a coma, just four years after joining the FOO FIGHTERS.






We felt your spirit alongside us tonight. Taylor, thank you for being you…

Posted by Candlebox on Sunday, March 27, 2022

Liverpool born songwriter Duncan Patterson (formerly of Anathema, Antimatter) returns with new album Grace Road after a 5 year absence.


Grace Road is a lo-fi gothic opus which, at times, echoes Patterson's compositions of days gone by.







Palestinian singer Enas Al-Said features throughout the album and brings a beautiful ethereal presence to the songs with her voice.


Order the album on Bandcamp.

The music world was shocked to learn this weekend that Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins has died at the age of 50. The band was on tour in South America and was due to perform in Bogota, Colombia on Friday. Hawkins' cause of death has not been revealed.


The band released the following statement:


“The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever. Our hearts go out to his wife, children, and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time.”




Drum legend Mike Portnoy (Sons Of Apollo, The Winery Dogs, ex-Dream Theater) has shared the following tribute to Hawkins


"It’s been 18 hrs since hearing the news, and I’m still having trouble processing this. I went through the camera roll on my phone and this was the last time I watched Taylor play. Sat behind him for almost an entire set with his side band Chevy Metal. Afterwards, Max & I spent about an hour with him in his dressing room and we talked about everything from Rush to Jane’s Addiction to Yes (I posted a pic of him & Max last night).


Sifting through old emails and texts with him last night was heartbreaking. The last time we spoke he invited me out to see the Foo Fighters at MSG in NYC and I had to cancel at the last minute because of thunderstorms that broke out in PA. He said no worries and I’m always welcome at any show, and I assumed we’d just hook up on his next time through. Of course, that will never happen now and I so regret not going to see his smiling face that last time…


This loss is so shocking and devastating… it’s really hitting hard. And I can’t help but think of how many of my drummer friends we’ve lost over the last few years. AJ Pero, Vinnie Paul, Joey Jordison, Frankie Banali, Nick Menza, Pat Torpey, Sean Reinert, Neil Peart & now Taylor Hawkins…time is precious and tomorrow is never guaranteed (for ourselves or our loved ones) #CarpeDiem."





Photos by Mike Portnoy

SCORPIONS played the first show of their "Sin City Nights" Las Vegas residency Saturday night (March 26) at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The band's 18-song setlist included four tracks from their recently released "Rock Believer" album: Gas In The Tank", "Seventh Sun", Peacemaker" and "When You Know (Where You Come From)".

Vocalist Klaus Meine dedicated the anti-war anthem "Wind Of Change" to "the brave people in the Ukraine," saying: "This song is calling for peace, and tonight, I think, we shall sing it even louder."

The full setlist was as follows:

01. Gas In The Tank (live premiere)

02. Make It Real

03. The Zoo

04. Coast To Coast

05. Seventh Sun (live premiere)

06. Peacemaker (live premiere)

07. Bad Boys Running Wild

08. Delicate Dance

09. When You Know (Where You Come From) (live premiere, acoustic version)

10. Send Me An Angel (acoustic version)

11. Wind Of Change

12. Tease Me Please Me

13. Rock Believer

14. Big City Nights

15. Drum Solo

16. Blackout

17. No One Like You

18. Rock You Like A Hurricane

Fan-filmed video is available below.

Earlier in the month, Meine told ABC Audio that fans could expect to see "a whole new production" during the Vegas residency, including a "new stage set" and an LED screen that will display "some cool scenes."

SCORPIONS previously played a Las Vegas mini-residency in May 2016, consisting of five shows at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

In a 2017 interview, Meine said: "You can understand why so many artists, they love playing Vegas because fans come from all over the world to see their favorite artists, and you have your place for band and crew, and you don't have to move every other day of the year. We like to move around, but all of us, we really enjoyed that residency. It was cool and they treated us really like Elvis. We had the biggest billboard on the Strip."

SCORPIONS' remaining Las Vegas shows are scheduled for March 30 and April 1, 3, 7, 9, 12, 14 and 16. Afterwards they will cross the Atlantic to Europe where they will play six concerts in France and six shows in Germany supported by Wolfgang Van Halen's new band MAMMOTH WVH.

"Rock Believer" was released on February 25. The album was recorded primarily at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

SCORPIONS originally intended to record the new album in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, some of the initial work was done with Greg remotely, after which SCORPIONS opted to helm the recordings themselves with the help of their engineer Hans-Martin Buff.

STAIND frontman Aaron Lewis dedicated his song "Kill Me Like You Love Me" to Taylor Hawkins during his concert last night (Saturday, March 26) at Rio Vista Outdoor Amphitheater at Harrah's Laughlin in Laughlin, Nevada. Fan-filmed video of his performance can be seen below.

Prior to launching into the track, the 49-year-old Lewis, an outspoken conservative rocker who reinvented himself as a solo country artist in the last decade, told the audience: "We lost an amazing drummer and an amazing human being. There was never anything going on around him but a good time. And Taylor Hawkins, we will miss you dearly."

Hawkins was Lewis's political polar opposite, having been a vocal opponent to former U.S. president Donald Trump on several occasions in recent years. In a 2017 interview with Onet News, Taylor stated about the political climate in the United States: "It's insane, but it really is a mirror image of our culture in America right now. So people blame [Trump], but he's just a symptom of a generation of reality TV-obsessed, selfie-obsessed, Facebook-obsessed, tweet-obsessed, self-obsessed people. So we got that president because I think, unless the Russians really did hack in, we got what we deserve."

"I think in a certain way, it's a good chance for people to take a look at where we are as a culture and say, is this where we want to be?" Hawkins continued. "An orange, fake-haired, tweeting president who tweets childish remarks about people who say little mean things about him, because that's where we are right now. It's a fricking weird freaky time, but it's really representative of where our culture is right now."

Hawkins died at a hotel in Bogota, Colombia on Friday (March 25). Local officials said an ambulance was sent to the hotel after a man reported having chest pains. The 50-year-old musician did not respond to resuscitation efforts and was declared dead, the city's health department said.

Earlier on Saturday, the Colombian attorney general's office announced that Hawkins had opioids, marijuana and other drugs in his system before he died. A toxicology report showed traces of 10 substances in his body, including anti-depressants, the office said. The statement added that the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences "will conduct the necessary medical studies to ascertain the cause of death" and that it "will continue the investigation and will report the results obtained within the framework thereof in a timely manner."

The FOO FIGHTERS were scheduled to perform Friday at the Picnic Stereo festival in Bogota but their performance was canceled.

The band played Lollapalooza Chile on March 18 and Lollapalooza Argentina on March 20. They are scheduled to headline Lollapalooza Brasil on Sunday (March 27).

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

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

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

Hawkins's solo project TAYLOR HAWKINS AND THE COATTAIL RIDERS released its first album in 2006, and a follow-up effort, "Get The Money", in 2019. Other side projects included THE BIRDS OF SATAN and the classic rock cover band CHEVY METAL. More recently, he formed the supergroup NHC with JANE'S ADDICTION members Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney.

Hawkins is survived by his wife Alison, whom he married in 2005, and their three children: Oliver Shane, Annabelle and Everleigh.




Posted by Melissa D Glover-Gald on Saturday, March 26, 2022

Finnish rockers Serpico are sharing their next single “I Am A Rocker” off their upcoming album The Chosen Four due out July 2022 via Rockshots Records. The song was written about the band's drummer Jani.





“I am so proud to have my own song written by someone else. It sounds just the way I am personally, how I feel and how I act. Snake really knows how to write a great song without forgetting the humorous side in the lyrics. Yes Sir, I´m a Rocker!” comments guitarist Jani.




Since Serpico‘s inception in 2005, they have released two full-lengths Rose Tattoo (2018), Shallow Mistress (2014), and an EP Bad Commercial (2011) along with touring all over Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and England. The band is genuine and unique rock ‘n’ roll with big respect for the classic titans. Their forthcoming album The Chosen Four is produced by platinum-selling Finnish record producer Anssi Kippo (Children of Bodom, Hanna Pakarinen, Teräsbetoni).





Preorder The Chosen Four at the Rockshots Records webshop.

In the wake of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins' passing, Rush members geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson - who performed live with Hawkins on a number of occasions - paid tribute to him via two Instagram posts. Check them out below.


Lee and Lifeson performed the Rush classic "YYZ" with Hawkins at the Foo Fighters show in Toronto on March 23rd, 2008. In 2013, Rush was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Hawkins and Dave Grohl, and the Foo Fighters duo then performed "2112" alongside Rush during the Rock Hall ceremony.




 

 
 

 


View this post on Instagram

 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

A post shared by Geddy Lee (@geddyimages)







 

 
 

 


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A post shared by Rush (@rush)

San Jose thrash/power metallers Taunted have announced Noe Luna (3Lunas, ex-Niviane, ex-Mudface) as their new drummer.


The band comments: “Noe has decades of experience and we have known him for just as long. It is good to have a strong partner we trust that adds instant musicianship to the evolving sound of Taunted.”







Taunted’s most recent album is 2020’s Songs From The Wasteland.

Tobias Sammet has checked in with an update on the new, upcoming Avantasia album, saying he is “preparing the first single.”


Sammet says:


“Cheers from the studio. Preparing the first single. Soon folks, soon!!! New Avantasia album will be a killer, we're still trying to figure out which will be the first single. What about some anthemic power metal? 




“Have I told you how happy this new Avantasia album makes me? This is so personal, so close to me, so free from any limitations, so everything I wanted to do, the ultimate dream for an old-fashioned recluse! Soon there'll be more news on my new album A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society.


“Have a lovely weekend everyone!”


Sammet recently checked in with a new update, calling the new Avantasia album "one of my strongest albums ever." He opens up about the album in a new interview, which will be released this summer. An excerpt is available below.


Q: Is the new album a conceptual continuation of your most recent effort, Moonglow?


Tobias: "Yes, in a way it is that, but it's far from being just more of the same. It's new and fresh, a good mix of fantasy and poetry, but with each song having autobiographical chracteristics too. I am very proud of those lyrics, they mean a lot to me and even though they have a fantastic approach I reveal a lot about myself."


Q: What can you say about the new music?


Tobias: "It's always hard to judge your own work when you're still so close to it. Some of it is quite heavy, it clearly shows my power metal sides, not just as a writer but also as a vocalist. A friend of mine just said that some of the stuff sounds like my earlier stuff, Avantasia or Edguy at the turn of the millenium."


Q: Was that an intentional move?


Tobias: "No, it wasn't at all. I guess it just happened because I was deeply involved in every tiny little step of the realization and production as in the earlier days. I was locked in at home and I had the time to deal with a lot of the details. It bears my trademarks and it's a very personal album."


Q: So what else can you tell your fans about the new album? 


Tobias: "The album is called A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society. At first our label was wondering if we couldn't come up with a longer album title maybe (laughs). Given the attention span of the brave new world it's not very memorable perhaps, but it's the concept and the title was on my mind for quite a while. Most fans know that I have never taken the easy way just to deliver things bite-sized for what the market can handle. Our fans are smart enough to memorize the title. As an artist you need to follow your vision, otherwise you get an ulcer and ulcers kill creativity."


Q: Can you tell us anything about the guests?


Tobias: "There are many, some you would expect, some you would not expect. We'll announce them in due time. But they all delievered. When I listen to the final master I am astounded myself how we could have come up with something as energetic and uplifting as this album in these two years of isolation."


Read the complete interview here.


Wacken TV continues to share pro-shot video from the Wacken Open Air archives, and they recently posted footage of Avantasia performing "Dying For An Angel" at the 2014 edition of the festival. Check it out below.

In a brand new interview with Rocking With Jam Man, TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy reflected on his audition for the lead-singer position in SEPULTURA when Max Cavalera quit the latter band in 1996. Asked if he was disappointed when he didn't get the gig, Chuck said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, 'cause TESTAMENT wouldn't be TESTAMENT. We wouldn't be able to write the records that we did — 'The Gathering' and all the great records of music. And the reunion of our original band wouldn't have happened.

"When I did the audition, I was too late; they already selected Derrick [Green] as the singer," he explained. "So that was a good thing. 'Cause if I would have got that gig, things would have been different for TESTAMENT."

Asked if he wishes that he had gotten the SEPULTURA job or if he likes how things turned out, Chuck said: "I like how it turned out, but at the time I wanted it to happen because music was up in the air; [TESTAMENT] was broken up; everything was changing; the music climate was changing. So I thought back when I auditioned that I wanted something secure — I wanted a security. And to me, finding a band that had something established is what I thought I wanted. Luckily, I didn't get it. Things would have been much different for me if I would have still been in SEPULTURA."

Pressed about whether he would have liked to have joined SEPULTURA if TESTAMENT had ended completely, Chuck said: "In a sense, but looking back now, I don't know. I mean, every band has their hardships and up and downs, so I don't know if I would have got into the band and then we would have hit a stone wall and had hardships there. I probably wouldn't have been in the band. I probably would have left the band. And who knows what I would have done."

Billy previously discussed his SEPULTURA audition in a 2016 interview with Eonmusic. At the time, he said: "Yeah, around that time was right before [TESTAMENT made] the 'Demonic' record, so we had finished our Atlantic [Records] contract, and we were shopping for a new deal. We didn't really have a deal yet, and at the last minute, I just said, 'You know what? Maybe I should try to find a band that's solid, that's going to keep touring and continue on,' and at that point, SEPULTURA was taking auditions, and I think it was at the end [of the audition process] that I decided, 'Screw it, I'm going to do it.' I think I did three songs; I did 'Refuse/Resist', I did 'Territory', and I wrote my version of 'Choke', and gave it to them. But by the time I had delivered, they had already made their decision for [the appointment of new singer] Derrick [Green], which in the end, was probably the way it all should have worked out."

Asked if it would have been a strange feeling to be performing with a new bunch of guys after playing with the same band for most of his career, Chuck said: "It would have been, yeah. I don't know if I was really prepared, and if they would have said, 'Okay, you're in,' I would have said, 'Well, let me think about that!' I don't know what I would have done. I just did it on the spur of the moment, like, 'Fuck it! What have I got to lose?!'"

SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser spoke about Billy's audition for the band during a 2015 appearance on "The Jasta Show". He said: "Chuck [laid down his vocals over] the [demo version of a then-new SEPULTURA song called] 'Choke' … Because we sent the instrumental [version] of a new song [to prospective singers to record their vocals over]. We didn't want anyone to sing 'Roots [Bloody Roots]' or 'Refuse/Resist', because we didn't want a clone. We wanted somebody to bring new ideas, to bring SEPULTURA to a different path, to a different level. And Chuck Billy, he did… He used more of the guttural [vocal style on his audition tape]. And it works. Because, recently, we did a 'Metal Allegiance' jam at NAMM in Los Angeles, and we played some SEPULTURA stuff with Chuck Billy singing, and it was great, man — it was great. So he did a great job. But, you know, he's Chuck Billy; he's TESTAMENT. We wanted somebody new."

A two-minute snippet of Chuck Billy's SEPULTURA audition tape can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

American heavy metal outfit, Lords Of The Trident, have released the fifth single from their upcoming studio album, The Offering. The new track, titled "Carry The Weight", is out today and accompanied by a full-band playthrough video.


Talking about "Carry The Weight", vocalist Fang Von Wrathenstein comments: "The playthrough video for 'Carry The Weight' was originally envisioned as a drum-only playthrough. That version still exists and will be coming out for Patreon backers soon, but ultimately I'm glad we added the rest of the band. Enjoy the surprise at the end!"







The Offering will be released on April 1, but it's available now via the band's Patreon.


Members of the Lords Of The Trident Patreon who pledge $5 or more get an immediate copy of the new album, but also their three previous albums (Shadows From The Past, Pull The Plug, and Power Outage) as well as 20+ internet-exclusive singles, 25+ full-concert bootlegs, and a mountain of exclusive content for Patreon backers only. The full album will not be released publicly until April, so being a backer is the only way to hear it before it releases. 100% of the money pledged goes directly to the band and helps them play more shows, make more content, and survive the evils of the music industry.


More info here.


The Offering is the fifth full-length album by Lords Of The Trident (and their 10th release overall). This medieval concept album weaves a tragic story of a young boy sold into servitude, his arduous training to become a "Guardian", and the city that betrays him. Mixed and mastered by Grammy-nominated Jacob Hansen (engineer for Avantasia, Unleash the Archers, Volbeat, Amaranthe, and more), this is one of the best-sounding epics you'll hear. Filled with blazing solos, soaring vocals, complex drumming, and multi-layer musical composition, The Offering will take you on a heroic and tragic musical journey that will stay in your mind long after the album has finished.





The Offering tracklisting:


"Legend"
"Acolyte"
"Charlatan"
"Feed The Wolves"
"Carry the Weight"
"Offering To The Void"
"Champion"
"The Invitation"
"Dance Of Control"
"These Tower Walls"
"Power Of Evil"
"The Blade"
"Heart Of Ashes"


"These Tower Walls" video:





"Acolyte" video:





"Charlatan" video:





"Power Of Evil" video: