Tomorrow, Friday, April 1, multi-platinum Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist, Aldo Nova, will release the 10-song EP, The Life And Times Of Eddie Gage. Get it here.


Today he has rolled out a video recap of the EP’s three clips for “Burn Like The Sun,” “Free Your Mind,” and “King Of Deceit.” Watch the trailer below:







The songs on The Life And Times Of Eddie Gage mark the first chapter of Aldo Nova's larger-than-life rock opera. The iconic Montreal maverick will subsequently release the triple disc Aldo Nova 2.0 Reloaded on April 19. It will feature 2.0 versions of nine classic songs from Aldo’s catalog, plus another disc with no lead vocal track and a third disc with no lead guitar track so fans can either sing along or play along with him.


The Life And Times Of Eddie Gage rock opera tells the story of Eddie Gage, a prodigious ingénue who breaks into the music industry only to be preyed upon by a nefarious suit Andy Christos, manipulated by a corporate overlord M.F. Stophalis, and tempted by a succubus Rati Ayida. Drugs, alcohol, and excess plunge him into despair until he realizes redemption on his own terms.


The musical journey of The Life And Times Of Eddie Gage began in 2008, when Aldo started to assemble what would become 25 songs (which Aldo will eventually release). Throughout the work, Aldo distills his often-unbelievable musical journey into the allegory of the rock opera, which he wrote, produced, arranged, engineered, and mixed entirely. The recording includes a 40-piece orchestra, a full gospel choir, Lee Levin on drums and mastering from the legendary Bob Ludwig. In addition, a one song bonus disc will accompany the collection with the soaring instrumental song "Les Anges.”


Following the release of The Life And Times Of Eddie Gage, Aldo will turn the page on the next chapter of this story with the three-disc Aldo Nova 2.0 Reloaded. The three-disc recording features nine classics from his catalog new recordings - not only as the 2.0 versions of the songs, but also as alternate versions with no lead vocal track and another with no lead guitar track so fans can finally either sing along or play with him.





The Life And Times Of Eddie Gage tracklisting:


"Hey Ladi Dadi"
"Free Your Mind"
"Follow The Road"
"King Of Deceit"
"The Bitch In Black"
"On The Way To The Psycho Ward"
"When All Is Said And Done"
"Say A Little Prayer"
"Burn Like The Sun"


Bonus Track: "Les Anges" (Composed, Arranged and Performed by Aldo Nova)


"King Of Deceit" video:





“Burn Like The Sun” video:





"Free Your Mind" video:








Aldo Nova 2.0 Reloaded tracklisting:
 
Disc One
"Blood On The Bricks" 2.0 - Reloaded
"Monkey On Your Back" 2.0 - Reloaded
"Under The Gun - War Suite" 2.0 - Reloaded
"Foolin' Yourself" 2.0 - Reloaded
"Ball And Chain" 2.0 Reloaded
"Paradise" 2.0 - Reloaded
"Modern World" 2.0 - Reloaded
"Fantasy" 2.0 - Reloaded
"I'm A Survivor" 2.0 – Reloaded
 
Disc Two
"Blood On The Bricks" 2.0 Reloaded No Ld Vocal
"Monkey On Your Back" 2.0 Reloaded No Ld Vocal
"Under The Gun - War Suite" 2.0 Reloaded No Ld Vocal
"Foolin' Yourself" 2.0 Reloaded No Ld Vocal
"Ball And Chain" 2.0 Reloaded - No Ld Vocal
"Modern World" 2.0 Reloaded No Ld Vocal
"Fantasy" 2.0 Reloaded No Ld Vocal
"I'm A Survivor" 2.0 Reloaded No Ld Vocal
 
Disc Three
"Blood On The Bricks" 2.0 Reloaded - No Ld Guitar
"Monkey On Your Back" 2.0 Reloaded No Ld Guitar
"Under The Gun - War Suite" 2.0 Reloaded No Ld Guitar
"Foolin' Yourself" 2.0 Reloaded No Ld Guitar
"Ball And Chain" 2.0 Reloaded - No Ld Guitar
"Paradise" 2.0 Reloaded No Ld Guitar
"Modern World" 2.0 Reloaded No Ld Guitar
"Fantasy" 2.0 Reloaded No Ld Guitar
"I'm A Survivor" 2.0 Reloaded No Ld Guitar

Audio Reign, in conjunction with MR Records, recently issued the digital edition of the repackaged International Deluxe Edition of their self-titled album, Audio Reign, with a brand new single "Angel". BraveWords is premiering the new music video for "Angel". The video was written and directed by Eva Grzelak and cinematography by Rebecca Duncker - watch below!


 


"Angel is available now to purchase and stream here. The physical release of the album will occur on March 31. Pre-order here.




"MR Records is extremely proud to release Audio Reign’s ‘International Deluxe Edition’ CD. The original CD was previously only available in the Australia market. A new EP was in production and after deep discussions within the label, it was decided that the debut album deserved to be redesigned, repackaged and introduced to the world. This new edition consists 14 tracks including three unreleased bonus tracks, completely new artwork, designed by world renowned album designer Nello Dell’Omo." - Peter Naylor, MR Records


Although Audio Reigns’ self-titled debut album release was well received in Australia, MR Records believed this album was a powerhouse and deserved world recognition. As such, the album has been completely redesigned and repackaged as an International Deluxe Edition with some brand-new bonus tracks for world release 2022.


The album already boasts some explosive singles like "Betrayal", a hard rock tour de force. Hard-hitting and relentless, it sets a musical and lyrical tone that is abundant throughout the album: raw emotion and undiluted power. Vivisecting an act of treachery, the song casts a stark light on a shadowy deception, delivered by the unmistakable voice of frontman/guitarist Jake Fleming. Driving his vocals like a battering ram; the irreplaceable legion of Alek Dyrynda (lead guitar), Ash Lovett (bass) and Dieter Schoell (drums).


The release of Audio Reigns International Deluxe Edition sees a brand-new single emerge into the light. "Angel" is a truly authentic hard rock ballad which begs an answer to a declaration of love. This heartfelt offering once again harnesses the raw emotion of the band and delivers the dynamics and spine-tingling heights that you would expect from such a song. Although the International Deluxe Edition will release a radio edit of "Angel", the band are currently working on another album which will contain the full album version.





Tracklisting:


"Betrayal"
"Pill"
"Senses"
"One Way"
"Broken"
"The Portrait"
"Shining Light"
"Make Me Feel"
"Falling"
"Breaks Me"
"Jezebel"


Bonus tracks:


"Relentless" [Radio edit]
"Angel" [Radio edit]
"Forgotten You"


Audio Reign is:


Ashley Lovett (bass/backing vocals
Jake Fleming (vocals/rhythm guitar)
Alek Dyrynda (lead guitar)
Dieter Schoell (drums/backing vocals)

In a recent Cameo video message requested by Jonathan Montenegro of Sobre La Dosis, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser commented on the band's enduring musical influence, especially within the heavy metal scene. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, I feel very proud that SEPULTURA, after almost 40 years — we're at 37 years now — of a career, is still relevant. People talk about our old stuff, our new stuff. We have a very rich history with some changes in lineups and characteristics in music, using the Brazilian influence of our music — percussion and et cetera — which put SEPULTURA in a different place compared to other bands, especially outside Brazil. So, yeah, it's cool that we created something new on the business, on the scene, on the heavy music scene. So it's great that many, many bands mention SEPULTURA as an influence for them to start a career or start writing music. And that's very fantastic; it's amazing."

Formed in 1984 in Brazil, SEPULTURA has gone on to sell over millions of records and solidify its legacy as one of the greatest metal bands of the 1980s, 1990s, and beyond. Today, SEPULTURA is still going strong, 15 albums deep into one of the hardest-hitting discographies in history.

While the pandemic paralyzed the entire world and prevented bands from touring, the members of SEPULTURA refused to sit back and feel like animals trapped in a cage. Therefore, in early 2020, the band seized the moment to start its own weekly "SepulQuarta" video podcast in which they invited other famous musicians from all over the world to not only discuss important topics but also perform a track from SEPULTURA's massive catalog together with the group. The resulting full-length compilation was released in August 2021, with the album containing 15 classics featuring internationally renowned guests and friends.

SEPULTURA comprises Kisser, vocalist Derrick Green, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr., and drummer Eloy Casagrande.

SEPULTURA was formed in Belo Horizonte by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, who are no longer with the band.

Multi-Grammy-nominated rock act NOTHING MORE has dropped the official music video for their new song "Turn It Up Like (Stand In The Fire)". The track, released via Better Noise Music on Friday, gives fans a first taste of the band's long-awaited new studio album due later this year. The new visual, directed by Robyn August (Snoop Dogg, Pitbull), continues the band's striking red and white color schemes used on their last album and showcases the intense and urgent energy of the song's lyrics. Co-written by all four band members, the track is an unapologetic sonic rejection of the divisive, digitally-drowned state of the world with lyrics like: "All my friends are dead / They all got fucked by the Internet / All my friends are dead / Our brain's bein' bugged by the media."

Billboard gave an exclusive look at the music video this past weekend, including some statements from NOTHING MORE frontman Jonny Hawkins. He said: "Something we've always pushed for as a band is to question everything. And I think we've just gone through a period where it had been unfashionable to question things. Because if you did, you were the pariah, you were the outcast, the other. For the last few years, I've felt like an animal in a cage, just pacing, and my teeth are showing more. I had nowhere to vent that rage and that frustration until we put it into this song. I think a lot of people feel this way. You saw it spill over into riots and protests. There's all this stuff just pent up inside people. Thankfully, we're going back out on the road soon, so I'll have somewhere to put it."

The new track comes ahead of the album's official first radio single, which is set for an April 29 release across streaming and digital platforms. Stay tuned for more details coming from the band's official social media channels.

Fans will be able to hear the new music live on the band's recently announced co-headlining U.S. tour this spring, with Better Noise Music label mates ASKING ALEXANDRIA, featuring support from ATREYU and EVA UNDER FIRE . The tour is set to kick off in Kansas City, Missouri on May 13 and end in Houston, Texas on June 19, with other stops planned in Nashville, Denver, Atlanta, New Orleans, and more.

Rock audiences count NOTHING MORE among the most cherished acts, the kind of band who straddle the line between populism and intimacy with every performance. The San Antonio, Texas-born quartet builds unapologetically massive anthems from catchy hooks. Crowd pleasers clear a path for heady, confessional, thought-provoking emotionalism. Fresh rewards reveal themselves with repeat listens, welcoming like-minded seekers with rich melodicism, like the best of DEFTONES or TOOL.

Those who saw the band on tour with hard rock heavyweights like SHINEDOWN, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, BREAKING BENJAMIN, PAPA ROACH and DISTURBED will attest to what The Guardian observed: "There's a sophistication to NOTHING MORE's angst that raises them above the tumult-tossed pit."

Kerrang! named NOTHING MORE one of "22 Artists Shaping The Future Of Rock", alongside NINE INCH NAILS, TWENTY ONE PILOTS and BRING ME THE HORIZON. And Hawkins, who met guitarist Mark Vollelunga before they were old enough to drive, appeared with Billie Joe Armstrong, Dave Grohl and Hayley Williams in the English tastemaker's "Top 50 Greatest Rock Stars In The World".

Hawkins and Vollelunga started the band in 2003 and were quickly joined by bassist Daniel Oliver and later by drummer Ben Anderson. The band's blend of explosive bombast and nuanced storytelling resulted in a half dozen Top 10 singles at Mainstream Rock Radio, including the No. 1 hit "Go To War" and the SiriusXM Octane song of the decade and Active Rock chart-topper "This Is The Time (Ballast)".

NOTHING MORE appeals to fans of LINKIN PARK, INCUBUS, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and all crucial acts that stoke relatable passion with authenticity and integrity.

Photo credit: Jody Domingue

In a new interview with the "Metal From The Inside" podcast, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2018's "Firepower" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's still in the process. And it's been slowed down a lot because of, obviously, the pandemic. We wanted to get together, like we did on 'Firepower', and record it together, but, obviously, the lockdowns and everything like that slowed that process [down]. Some of us live in the U.S., some of us live in the U.K., so getting together proved to be a bit difficult over the last couple of years. Now everything is kind of opening up, it's a bit easier, but now we're on the road, so we've got a touring cycle [to get through]. So, if we can, we might be able to do it in between the touring cycles."

As for when fans can expect to get the next PRIEST album, Faulkner said: "We don't have a release date. It's not finished. We've got the songs, but we've gotta record it. We've got drums down. I don't know if that's even been said yet. So we're gonna try and build it up as we move through this touring cycle. But as Rob [Halford, PRIEST singer] always says, it'll be finished when it's finished. At this point in their career, there's no point in rushing anything, especially when we've waited this long through the pandemic to start doing it. It'll be done when it's done. But there will be another PRIEST record. We've got some great songs."

Regarding the musical direction of the new PRIEST material, Richie said: "It's different to 'Firepower', but it's definitely… You can hear where it's coming from. It's not even 'Firepower 2'… It's hard to say anything these days without people getting… If I say it's like a continuation of 'Firepower', people think it's 'Firepower 2'. It's got its own character, it's got its own legs, and we're looking forward to releasing it on to the world when it's done."

Last month, Halford was asked by Remy Maxwell of Audacy Check In if he agreed with Faulkner's recent comment that the band's upcoming album will be more musically "progressive" than "Firepower". He responded: "Yeah, the metal is there. But here's the thing: we've tried our best not to replicate anything that we've done. From 'Rocka Rolla' all the way through to 'Firepower', each record has had a distinctive character. And it's tough because fans go, 'We want another 'Painkiller',' 'We want another 'British Steel'.' And [it's, like], 'Dude, we've already done that.'

"Fans know that we're a band that is always full of adventure and trying new stuff," he continued. "And so, yeah, this has got probably some more progressive elements that we've never really delved into before. And that's exciting, because, again, it gives us and our fans another opportunity to see a different side of PRIEST. But it's still metal. There's just more of it. There are more notes than there were before."

Earlier last month, Faulkner told Canada's The Metal Voice about the overall sound of the new PRIEST music: "Whenever you start a record, you never know how it's gonna turn out. So you might start with an idea of what it's gonna be, and as it kind of rolls on, it comes out something different. So you don't quite know. And also it's really hard to sum up your own music, I find, without sounding really pretentious. But I think this one — it's not 'Firepower 2', I don't think. It's its own thing, it's its own animal. If anything, I would say it's a bit more progressive in places, and in places it's got a bit more of that 'Killing Machine' swagger."

Faulkner added: "I know everyone says, 'Oh, is it the next 'Painkiller'?' or 'Is it the next…?' whatever… I don't know if they'd ever done it, but I know we've never done it when I've been in the band; we've never tried to recreate an album. It's always we try to create an album that stands on its own legs. So I think it's definitely a little bit more progressive than 'Firepower' and, as I said, in places it's got a little bit of that 'Killing Machine' angry swagger attitude going on. But again, as I said, we're waiting to see what it turns out like, 'cause it could turn out completely different."

A year ago, Halford confirmed that PRIEST's next album will see the band reuniting with the "Firepower" production team consisting of Andy Sneap, longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Faulkner.

Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier. Tipton announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower". He was replaced by Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

Faulkner suffered an acute cardiac aortic dissection during the band's performance at the Louder Than Life festival in late September. He was was rushed to the UofL Health - Jewish Hospital where the cardiothoracic surgery team needed approximately 10 hours to complete a life-saving surgery.

Fan-filmed video of PUDDLE OF MUDD performing a cover version of BLACK SABBATH's "War Pigs" during the band's headlining set on March 18 at the Honeymoon Rock Fest in Oklahoma City can be seen below.

Last November, PUDDLE OF MUDD frontman Wes Scantlin made headlines when he walked offstage midconcert at the EPIC Event Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin after complaining about the venue's lights.

Wes had almost non-stop problems with the law, alcohol, finances and other issues, before claiming to have gotten sober in 2017. Scantlin said that he ended up going back to rehab and receiving treatment "because there's really nowhere else to go." He also credited his family and fans for giving him the strength to try to get better.

Scantlin was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in September 2017 after he attempted to board a plane with a BB gun. He pleaded no contest and was banned from LAX unless it involved traveling for work.

Before that, there have been a few tumultuous years for the singer and guitarist. In January of 2016, he was arrested on suspicion of breaking into his former home and vandalizing some of the property.

He skipped two court dates related to the charges later that spring, which led to another arrest.

Prior to that, Scantlin was arrested in December 2015 for possession of a controlled substance and had several previous busts that same year for driving under the influence.

Additionally, he was arrested at a Denver airport in 2015 for taking a joyride on a baggage carousel and taken into custody as far back as 2012 for an altercation with a flight attendant.

He also ended a number of PUDDLE OF MUDD shows in 2016 early with various meltdowns, including one in which he accused a fan of stealing his house

PUDDLE OF MUDD was formed in 1991 in Kansas City by Scantlin, the only original member still with the band. The group into the mainstream with 2001's "Come Clean", which yielded three hits — "Control", "Blurry" and "She Hates Me".

PUDDLE OF MUDD's latest album, "Welcome To Galvania", was released in 2019 via Pavement Entertainment.

Lisbon-based retro rock bringers Miss Lava have unveiled new video for “Sleepy Warm.” The track comes off the band’s most recent full-length, Doom Machine, released last year via Small Stone Records and Kozmik Artifactz.





"Sleepy Warm" video was captured during the Evil Twins Tour with Dollar Llama.
The week-long trek saw both bands play some of Portugal's most iconic clubs. "Sleepy Warm" was directed, filmed, and edited by Manuel Portugal at RCA Club in Lisbon and Salão Brazil in Coimbra with extra camera work at RCA Club by Pedro Lopes.




Elaborates guitarist K. Raffah, “It was awesome to get back on the road after Covid, especially on this tour with our brothers Dollar Llama. I guess this video is a great way to celebrate the Portuguese rock ‘n’ roll spirit!”





Adds director Manuel Portugal, “My main goal was to capture the energy of the band live, so that everyone that sees the video can channel the same vibrations as those who watch the show.”


(Photo – Manuel Portugal)

“Caustic Poison” is the opening track from Deadly Intrusions, the debut album from Quebec black/thrash metal duo Skumstrike. The track hits the public ahead of the album’s release in early April through Selfmadegod Records.


Deadly Intrusions combines rapid-fire thrash with the heft of early Celtic Frost and moon-worshiping abandon of Darkthrone. A crackling vein of high-voltage hardcore punk runs through the record, perfectly portrayed with a reckless cover of Poison Idea's “Nothing is Final,” while the wild spirit of Japanese acts ranging from Sabbat to GISM animate the unhinged vocals.


Recorded and Mixed July-August 2021 in Montreal by Pat McDowall and mastered by Enormous Door, Deadly Intrusions is completed with cover artwork by renowned Indonesian artist Ibay Arifin.




The band delivers with the new track, “'Caustic Poison' is the very tip of the spear: the first track from Skumstrike's debut album Deadly Intrusions. First time listeners will be introduced to the band's sickening fusion of violent proto-thrash and speedy hardcore, with the ghosts of Japanese legends GISM invoked in a manic vocal performance that descends into mayhem.”


Deadly Intrusions will see release on CD and digital formats through Polish extreme merchants Selfmadegod on April 8, with the band’s US allies Caligari Records handling the cassette version. Watch for additional audio previews, preorders, and more to post over the coming days.


Fully armed with this new arsenal, with JK of Spectral Wound and Profane Order handling bass assaults, Skumstrike plans a vengeful return to the live stage in 2022.





Tracklisting:


“Caustic Poison”
“Blood Red Vision”
“(Ensnared In) Endless Night”
“Panic Obsession”
“Another Shot Of Fear”
“Ritual Murder”
“Mental Wound Submission”
“Lobotomize”
“The Infestor”
“Deadly Intrusions”
“Nothing Is Final” (Poison Idea cover)


"Caustic Poison":





“Blood Red Vision”:

Progressive, aggressive, experimental, and melodic, Calgary, Canada's Caveat has been making music together for the better part of two decades and in that time they have now put out five records (four Albums, one EP). Their latest is Alchemy released on February 11.


Today, in support of their latest full-length, the band is premiering their new lyric video for "Silver".







"One of the more melodic songs on the album with catchy hooks, verses, and an infectious chorus that touches on the silver lining of your actions and how they create the foundation for one’s existence," adds guitarist Greg Musgrave.


Having worked together for so long, the music comes organically to Caveat, according to them they write music until they feel like we have a cohesive collection of songs that work well together and then assemble that into a cohesive listening experience. Even after all this time together, they still enjoy writing and playing together, so new music is always on the horizon.


Caveat is both experimental and engaging and recommended for fans of Meshuggah, Opeth, and Cynic.





(Photo: Monika Deviat)

New Mexico-based desert rockers, Blue Heron, will release their first full-length album, Ephemeral, via Seeing Red Records (US) and Kozmik Artifactz (Germany) on May 27. The album's first single, "Futurola", is now streaming on digital services, along with an interpretive animated video hosted by 666MrDoom. Watch the clip below.





Ephemeral is an 8-track, 47-minute exploration of heavy rock at its fullest. Excavating the far reaches and connected strata of stoner rock, sludge, doom, heavy psych and post-metal, Blue Heron transmute years of engagement with rock and metal's profuse branches into a singular, sand-scorching epic. With lyrical threads ranging from mortality and failed civilizations to mythic fables and cinematic re-imaginations, Ephemeral is stylistically diverse, thematically ambitious and unassailably relentless in its raw, desert power.




Ephemeral arrives May 27 on limited edition vinyl from Seeing Red Records in North America and Kozmik Artifactz in Europe and on all digital services. Pre-orders are available now via the labels and the Blue Heron Bandcamp, here.





Blue Heron is:


Mike Chavez - Guitar
Ricardo Sanchez - Drums
Steve Schmidlapp - Bass
Jadd Shickler - Vocals

Dave Mustaine has confirmed that TESTAMENT bassist Steve DiGiorgio laid down the bass tracks on the new MEGADETH album, "The Sick, The Dying, And The Dead". Due on July 8, the follow-up to 2016's "Dystopia" features a cover of DEAD KENNEDYS' "Police Truck" and Sammy Hagar's "This Planet's On Fire", the latter of which includes vocals from Hagar himself.

The MEGADETH leader shared the news of DiGiorgio's involvement in the LP in an interview with Jose Mangin of SiriusXM Liquid Metal. He said: "We obviously had that weird little…well, it wasn’t little, but we had something happen that we needed to make a decision on, and it set us back a little bit timing-wise, because we needed to recalibrate and find someone to perform the bass parts, and we found who I thought was the perfect fit for us while I decided what to do… Do you know who it was? …It was Steve DiGiorgio. You're the first person I told."

He continued: "It was a good choice. I didn't think about anybody else at the time. I was thinking about 'who's the hottest guy out there that can play these new songs?' [Mustaine's son] Justis told me one of the fastest songs we've ever written is on this record. I don't care what anybody says — bass may be less strings than guitar, but it's difficult to play, if you're like me. I have a real hard time playing the bass. I wrote the riff for 'Peace Sells… But Who's Buying?' for Pete's sake, but you know… having to jam some of those parts that fast, it just kills your fingers."

There has been speculation about DiGiorgio's involvement in the new MEGADETH LP since last July, based on a Cameo video Mustaine recorded in which he offered the first glimpse of the bassist that re-recorded David Ellefson's bass tracks on the much-anticipated MEGADETH effort. In the clip, the MEGADETH guitarist/vocalist could be seen walking around a studio where he showed engineer Chris Rakestraw sitting behind the studio console as well as the mystery bassist "hiding behind the chair on the floor." Although it was impossible to tell who the bassist was based on the video, the musician appeared to be using the same brand of Ibanez bass played by DiGiorgio.

DiGiorgio is widely renowned as a pioneer on the fretless bass in heavy metal music, having played with TESTAMENT, DEATH and SADUS, among others. Within his genre, Steve is respected for his playing skills, versatility and incredible technique. He has more than 40 studio album recordings and over 20 years of touring the world.

Two months ago, Mustaine confirmed that James LoMenzo will play bass for MEGADETH when the band returns to the road in April for the second U.S. leg of "The Metal Tour Of The Year". Joining them will be co-headliners LAMB OF GOD along with special guests TRIVIUM and IN FLAMES.

LoMenzo joined MEGADETH in 2006 and appeared on two of the group's studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame". He was fired from the band in 2010 and replaced with returning original MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson.

In addition to MEGADETH, LoMenzo has played with Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde and WHITE LION. For the past nine years, LoMenzo has been performing with iconic rocker John Fogerty.

LoMenzo played his first show with MEGADETH in nearly 12 years last August in Austin, Texas. The concert took place three months following Ellefson's dismissal from MEGADETH after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving him were posted on Twitter.

Ellefson laid down his bass tracks on MEGADETH's sixteenth LP in May 2020 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee. A short time later, he raved about his performance on the record, telling the 96.7 KCAL-FM radio program "Wired In The Empire" that his musical chemistry with MEGADETH drummer Dirk Verbeuren was comparable to the interplay between Geddy Lee and Neil Peart on classic RUSH albums. "I feel like on the new MEGADETH record, me and Dirk have those same moments," he said. "It's MEGADETH — it's not RUSH, obviously — but in the field of what we do, there were these moments that I was just going, 'Oh, my God.' This is me as a kid going, 'This is my Geddy/Neil moment right here.'"

In June 2021, Mustaine announced during an episode of his Gimme Radio program "The Dave Mustaine Show" that Ellefson's bass tracks would not be used on the new MEGADETH LP.

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest depart

SKID ROW played its second show with ex-H.E.A.T. vocalist Erik Grönwall Wednesday night (March 30) 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 last 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.






Skid Row performing ‘I remember you’ (Zappo’s theater, Las Vegas, Mar 30, 2022).

They’ve still got it. What a fantastic live act! No lip synching, tremendous pipes, sheer electricity.

Posted by Amit Deshpande on Wednesday, March 30, 2022