Joe Satriani has praised DEEP PURPLE for hiring fill-in guitarist Simon McBride to step in for Steve Morse, calling the Irish player's recruitment "a great call" by the band. Satriani made his comments while speaking to Eonmusic about new album "The Elephants Of Mars", which is due for release on April 8.

Morse's temporary hiatus from the classic rock icons was announced on Thursday (March 31). In a statement, he said that his wife Janine is battling cancer and added that he hopes he can rejoin PURPLE on tour "after she gets a clean bill of health."

Speaking to Eonmusic, Satriani applauded PURPLE for choosing McBride to fill in for Morse.

"Simon is a great call for that, so that's really great," he said; "I mean, the band is close to Simon, and Simon's a great guitarist."

Satriani was drafted into DEEP PURPLE to complete Japanese dates in December 1993, and stayed on for a European summer tour in 1994 following the abrupt departure of founder Ritchie Blackmore. However, he admitted that reprising his role wasn't an option. "I think we all know, we're on the same label now — earMUSIC — and they know quite well I'm in the middle of releasing a new album," he told Eonmusic.

Finally, Joe wished his best to Janine Morse. "I saw that earlier this morning, and yeah, felt so sorry that Janine has to go through that," Satriani said. He added: "We're sending her all of our best wishes and hope she has a quick recovery."

Eonmusic's interview with Joe Satriani, where he talks about "The Elephants Of Mars", working with Alice Cooper on "Hey Stoopid" and the fate of his prototype Ibanez Blackdog JS guitar, will be released next week.

Morse effectively took over Blackmore's DEEP PURPLE slot in 1994 and has since been in the group longer than Ritchie.

In a 1997 interview, Blackmore stated about Morse: "I'm just glad they [DEEP PURPLE] found a guitar player to carry on because I thought I was going to be shackled to this band for the rest of my life. It was like a ball-and-chain thing, and luckily, they said, 'Well, we found someone.' 'Thank God, I can get out!'

"I haven't listened much [to DEEP PURPLE's recent recordings]. I just know that Steve Morse [is a] brilliant player. I remember Steve Morse with the DIXIE DREGS; they're fantastic."

DEEP PURPLE's latest album, "Turning To Crime", came out in November via earMUSIC. The LP contains DEEP PURPLE's versions of great rock classics and musical jewels — including songs originally recorded by Bob Dylan, FLEETWOOD MAC, Bob Seger, CREAM and THE YARDBIRDS — carefully chosen by each member of the b

CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer says that he was "not prepared" for last year's passing of the band's guitarist, Jeff LaBar. Jeff was found dead by his wife, Debinique Salazar-LaBar, on July 14, 2021 inside his apartment in Nashville. He was 58 years old.

During an appearance on this past Tuesday's (March 29) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Keifer discussed LaBar's passing for the first time, saying (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've gotta tell you, you're never really ready for that kind of loss; you're not prepared to hear that kind of thing. And everyone is still trying to grieve and process it. It's an emotional topic. Jeff was just such a passionate, amazing person, musician, human. He had a huge heart. And it was a tough one, man. It still is, for everybody."

Tom continued: "Jeff and I had a really good relationship throughout out career. Obviously, in bands there's times when you have differences; that's part of being in a band. It's true what people say about bands — that they're like a family, but, honestly, it's like that and even more intense, because there's so many different facets that inform the dynamics between bands; everything from business to creativity and everything in between. But despite any differences that we've had over the years, and the band in general, as I've always said, we've never aired anything like that.

"Jeff and I had a great relationship," Keifer repeated. "I loved Jeff — I really did — and have so many great memories of our journey together. He was amazing, and not just what he contributed to the music. Jeff had such a great sense of humor, and some of my favorite memories with Jeff are just kind of cutting up together on the bus. We were both big movie fans and could quote pretty much all our favorite movies. And we'd sit in the front lounge and quote 'Arthur' and 'The Big Lebowski' and 'Caddyshack'. He was just a really passionate, really fun guy to be around, and obviously, an amazing performer. He was a huge part of CINDERELLA.

"Like I said, you're never ready for that. And everyone is really honestly… I'm in touch with Eric [Brittingham, bass] and Fred [Coury, drums] regularly — everybody close to him — and we're still trying to process it. We really are."

When host Eddie Trunk noted that CINDERELLA fans were very supportive immediately after LaBar's passing, Tom said: "That's all I saw online — was really, really positive, because he projected that. He was a good soul and a good friend to me. Obviously, when you're in a band, you try to hold each other up. And anything that Jeff was going through in his life I would try to have his back on, and he did the same for me. Especially when I had my voice challenges," referencing his early '90s battle with vocal cord paresis, a neurological condition on the left side of his voice box that almost put an end to Keifer's career, "he was really supportive. There was a point where I was just at an all-time low before I met [vocal coach] Ron Anderson. And I was so self-conscious about my voice that I didn't want anyone in the rehearsal room when I was trying to work through it. And I asked Jeff if he would just come in and play guitar and let me sing, 'cause there was so much brain power [required] just trying to work through the vocal issues that I couldn't even play the guitar and sing at the same time. And he came every day. It was just me and him, and he just played the guitar and I sang the songs. And he heard a lot of really bad things come out of my mouth [laughs], and he would just always look at me and say, 'You're doing great.' And I always tried to return and have his back on… He had his challenges too."

With his voice cracking with emotion, Keifer continued: "We had a good relationship. We really did. I loved him, and I know in my heart he loved me. And in the end, that's what's most important. And I have great memories of him and they're forever in my heart. And I cherish them."

Although CINDERELLA hasn't released a new studio album since 1994's "Still Climbing", the band started playing sporadic shows again in 2010 but has been largely inactive for the last few years while Keifer focused on his solo career.

Back in 2016, LaBar accepted blame for CINDERELLA's prolonged period of inactivity, explaining that his "drinking problem" caused a rift between him and his bandmates. He told "Another FN Podcast With Izzy Presley": "I can only speculate, but I believe it's all my fault. It's no secret that I've had a drinking problem. And it showed its ugly face on one of those [cruises that CINDERELLA played]. I guess that's what caused a rift… When I fell out on one of those cruise ships in front of everybody — like, basically O.D.'d — that's when the band, and mostly Tom, took notice and was, like, 'What the fuck?'"

Asked if he was sober at the time of the interview, LaBar said: "No, I'm not. Which is the problem. Which is probably the problem. Like I said, I can only speculate, because I don't talk to the other guys anymore. I talk to Fred every now and then. Eric [Brittingham, bass] lives 20 minutes from me. We haven't talked lately, but Eric and I have been the most consistent of all my bandmates throughout the past 32 years. It's just Tom and I that don't talk anymore. And I can only speculate that he's very disappointed and doesn't wanna see me die. He doesn't wanna witness me dying."

LaBar went on to say that the touring lifestyle "fed [his] appetite for partying… all the way back to the '80s." He explained: "I have a history. It's not just these past issues. I have a history of drinking and cocaine… In the '80s, it was cocaine abuse. In the '90s, it was heroin. I went through every cliché phase that a rock star could go through. It just wasn't highly publicized. I was arrested, I went through rehab, I did all the things MÖTLEY CRÜE did. I just didn't publicize it. I was MÖTLEY CRÜE and GUNS N' ROSES all wrapped into one. As a band, we tried to hide our dirty laundry, and most of our dirty laundry was me. We didn't try to hide it; we just didn't publicize it. We just didn't tell people. 'Oh, yeah, Jeff's in rehab. Jeff's in jail. Jeff's in… whatever.' We just didn't publicize it. We actually kept it to ourselves. It was our family. It was our family business, and that's how we treated it."

Despite the fact that he hadn't spoken to Keifer for a couple of years prior to the "Another FN Podcast With Izzy Presley" interview, LaBar said that he didn't hold a grudge against his longtime friend and bandmate. "I understand why he doesn't return my calls, and I don't blame him," he said. "I understand. And hey, you know, he's been the major talent of CINDERELLA all this time, and he deserves to be solo. Not deserves to be solo, but, you know, it was inevitable for him to go solo. He's just one of those guys — lead singer, main songwriter. It's inevitable that he should go solo and basically dump [laughs], dump the dead weig

In a new interview with Sofa King Cool Magazine, SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera was asked who played guitar on the band's upcoming follow-up to 2018's "Ritual" album, tentatively due in July. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're keeping that kind of a secret right now. But, yeah, there's definitely different people. And I'm very excited. We already played two songs on the tour. We played a song called 'Filth Upon Filth' and we played a song called 'Superstition', which is not a cover song; it's an original song. It just has the same name as the other song 'Superstition', but it's an original. We played it, and it was great — a great reaction from the fans. So I think they're gonna dig the new record. We're just waiting a little bit to start releasing the songs. I think they're gonna start coming now in April. We're gonna start putting them out on Spotify and Apple Music and [SiriusXM's] Liquid Metal. But I'm very excited for the record, for sure, and I hope we get to get a good tour out of that when that comes out, probably in the summer."

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

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

The band's upcoming album was recorded at Platinum Underground in Phoenix, Arizona with producer Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, POWER TRIP and CODE ORANGE.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford says that he "would love" to see his band get inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame while he is still alive.

PRIEST was previously on the ballot for Rock Hall induction in 2020, but failed to receive enough votes to make that year's class.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, PRIEST was also on the ballot for the 2018 class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but was ultimately left out of the inductee list.

On February 2, it was announced that JUDAS PRIEST is among the nominees for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's class of 2022. Inductees will be announced in May. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 2022 induction ceremony will take place this fall. The date, venue, and on-sale information will be announced later.

Asked in a new interview with the Boston Globe if he welcomes that "sort of quote-unquote respectability, being canonized, as it were," Halford said: "Those are two great words, 'respect' and 'canonization.' I'll take both of those, because that's what it is.

"For the Rock Hall, you have to put about 25 years of your life into music, which we've done twice," the 70-year-old vocalist continued. "For us, it's as much about heavy metal music having its rightful representation as it is for anything else.

"The Hall is a beautiful place, because if you really love music and you pull down all the barriers about, 'Oh, I hate this band and I hate that band, I hate this music and I hate that music.' If you could throw it out the window, music is music is music. So what you're left with is looking at all these incredibly talented, powerful musicians, either bands or individual artists that have really poured their heart and soul out into their art, into their craft and shared it with probably billions of people by now.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed that we do get in," Rob added. "Personally, I'd love it. I think there's nothing wrong in celebrating each other's achievements. Because we all do the same thing. It doesn't matter whether we're in a country and western band or a soul band or a rapper, we all do the same thing. There's a connectivity in the craft that we make. We'll wait and see. I think it's gonna happen eventually. When I'm alive, please, would be nice."

Once again, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has named the individual bandmembers that will enter should their group get inducted.

For JUDAS PRIEST, they picked current members Halford, Ian Hill (bass), Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Scott Travis (drums), along with former members K.K. Downing (guitar), Les Binks (drums) and late drummer Dave Holland.

Back in October 2020, Halford said that the heavy metal genre "hasn't been respected enough" by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Asked in an interview with Word In Your Ear if he was "bothered" by the fact that PRIEST hasn't been inducted into the Rock Hall yet, Halford said: "Well, let's put it this way. You have all of these institutions here in America — you've got the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for music; you've got the Basketball Hall Of Fame; you've got the Baseball Hall Of Fame; Football — you've got all of these places where, I think essentially, it's just a really nice, cool recognition of what you've done, the work that you've done and the things that you've achieved, the place that you've been put at, and so on and so forth.

"So, am I bothered if we ever get in? Not really. But I think we do deserve to be in there. Because I look at the list of people that are in there, and I feel that we have a place. And it would not only be for JUDAS PRIEST — it would be for British music, particularly British heavy metal music, and that's a beautiful achievement. [BLACK] SABBATH are in there, which is great. But I've always said that as far as what the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame represents, the genre of heavy metal music hasn't really been looked after enough and respected enough.

"So, I'd like to feel that eventually we will get in."

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that group's first year of eligibility.

The Rock Hall didn't induct BLACK SABBATH until 2006, and METALLICA followed three years later.

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2016.

After the 2020 Rock Hall inductees were announced in January of that year, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner said that it made no sense that DEPECHE MODE, Whitney Houston, NINE INCH NAILS and Biggie Smalls were going into the Rock Hall before PRIEST. "Hence why the Rock Hall holds no credibility for me and never has," he tweeted.

Last month, Hill and Halford told Billboard that they would be happy to stand alongside Downing at a hypothetical Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction later this year. "It's not a problem to us, no," Hill said. "Ken was an integral part of this band for a very, very long time. He deserves to be there along with the rest of us." Halford predicted that, "It won't be as awkward as Ace [Frehley] and Peter [Criss with KISS's Rock Hall induction]. I don't think it'll be awkward at all. I think you have to let all of that go because it's the night that matters. It's the moment that matters — but, again, the proverbial saying, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Downing previously told Rockin' Metal Revival that there is a very good chance that he would perform with his former bandmates again if PRIEST gets the nod. "Oh, I think absolutely," he said. "I mean, why wouldn't you, really? It's a special thing. We're all of an age now. These opportunities only come once in a lifetime. And it seemingly takes a lifetime to get into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. I've always said, there's no such thing as a young legend, right? [Laughs] So, while we're still here, it would be great to receive that accolade and put on a great performance and put that one to bed."

A month before the start of PRIEST's tour in support of its latest album, "Firepower", Tipton bowed out due to the worsening of his Parkinson's disease, first diagnosed eight years ago (after being stricken by the degenerative condition at least half a decade earlier). His spot in the band is being filled by "Firepower" album producer Andy Sneap

Internationally acclaimed ‘80s-influenced hard rockers Santa Cruz have re-signed with M-Theory Audio, who will be releasing the group's upcoming new album, The Return Of The Kings, this fall. The first single from the record, “Under The Gun”, is available to stream now on all digital music platforms.





The new 2022 lineup of Santa Cruz – which sees Finnish frontman/guitarist and founding member Archie Cruz now joined by the talented Los Angeles-based trio of guitarist Jerry Jade (Bad Gvy), bassist Tommy Bradley (Revelry Gang), and drummer Randy McDemian (Abrahadabra Clothing) – will be filming a music video for the song on-location in Joshua Tree, California, and will make their live debut on Wednesday, April 6th at the Whisky A Go-Go in Los Angeles.




“I am stoked to keep working with the Vegas based label M-Theory Audio as I feel like they did a good job with two of our previous releases,” states Archie Cruz. “I am looking forward to completing this next album cycle and Santa Cruz chapter with them.”


The release of “Under The Gun”, the upcoming new album, and impending live performances are just the latest developments in what has already been a busy 2022 for Santa Cruz. The band's metallic-fueled cover of One Direction's “Drag Me Down” was recently featured prominently in the hit HBO MAX/DC Universe series “Peacemaker”, and the group also now has new merchandise available through Rebellion Republic. The music video for “Under The Gun” will also be revealed in the weeks to come.





For further details, visit Santa Cruz on Facebook.


 

Machine Gun Kelly performed a cover version of SYSTEM OF A DOWN's "Aerials" during an appearance on "The Howard Stern Show" earlier today (Thursday, March 31).

The 31-year-old rapper-turned-rocker, whose real name is Colson Baker, appeared on the program to promote his second pop-punk/emo-inspired album, "Mainstream Sellout", which came out on Friday (March 25).

Among the people who reacted to Machine Gun Kelly's attempt at "Aerials" was SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavo Odadjian who shared video of the performance on Instagram and asked his 365,000 followers for their "thoughts on MGKs cover of Aerials live on Howard Stern".

Machine Gun Kelly made headlines last September when he publicly feuded with Corey Taylor after the SLIPKNOT frontman subtly and indirectly insulted the rapper in a "Cutter's Rockcast" interview, referring to the latter as an artist who "failed in one genre and decided to go rock."

Earlier this month, Machine Gun Kelly spoke to Billboard about the criticism he has faced after transitioning from rap to rock music, stating that he’s "earnt that shit."

"I know it kills certain bands in that community that I got the success that I got. But I earned that shit," he said. "Dude, I was fucking loading up the van with our drums and amps in 2010, driving to Indiana and Chicago, playing Warped Tour. I can tell you the fucking Wi-Fi codes to venues in Blackfoot, Idaho. Can you say that shit as a band?" he asked.

Addressing his role in the ongoing revival of the pop-punk genre, he commented: "The 2010s was great for singers and rappers, and I was part of that. But I think we needed something else: we needed an instrument. Kids come up to me, like, 'Dude, the first time I ever saw someone play guitar in concert was at your concert — and now I take guitar lessons.'

"[Rock] needed a defibrillator," he added. "Who cares who gives it, just as long as that motherfucker doesn't die?"

During his "Howard Stern Show" appearance, Machine Gun Kelly confirmed he is frequently targeted by haters who believe he doesn't deserve the success he's achieved, specifically by rock fans who have misconceptions about the amount of time he has been involved in their scene.

"It blows my mind, even in the the genre that I'm in, when people act like this is like some new thing," he explained. "It blows my mind. You can literally look back 10 years ago at rock festivals, and my name is right there on the flyer. Like, we've always been in the culture. I'm super confused where this, like, 'Oh he's new to the scene' [claims come from]. Like, fuck you. We've been here so long, defying boxes and genres and odds."


























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Brazilian rockers, Electric Mob, have released a video for "Devil You Know" (Acoustic). The original track is featured on the band's debut album, Discharge, available via Frontiers Music Srl.





Order the album here.







Tracklisting:


"Awaken"
"Devil You Know"
"King’s Ale"
"Got Me Runnin’"
"Far Off"
"Your Ghost"
"Gypsy Touch"
"123 Burn"
"Upside Down"
"Higher Than Your Heels"
"Brand New Rope"
"We Are Wrong"


"Your Ghost" video:






"Higher Than Your Heels" video:





"Far Off" video:





"King’s Ale":





"Devil You Know" video:





Lineup:


Renan Zonta - Vocals
Ben Hur Auwarter - Guitar
Yuri Elero - Bass
André Leister - Drums

Legendary Rotting Christ leader, Sakis Tolis, has released lyric videos for "Ad Astra" and "I Name You Under Our Cult", featured on his new solo album, Among The Fires Of Hell. Watch below.


A recent message from Sakis: "My dear friends, I can proudly announce the release of my first solo album, Among The Fires Of Hell, in full and exclusively free of charge via my socials."







Tracklisting:


"My Salvation"
"Among The Fires Of Hell"
"The Dawn Of A New Age"
"We The Fallen Angels"
"Ad Astra"
"Live With Passion (Die With Honour)"
"I Name You Under Our Cult"
"The Silence"
"Nocturnal Hecate"


"Ad Astra" lyric video:





"I Name You Under Our Cult" lyric video:





"Among The Fires Of Hell" video:





Album stream:

In a new interview with SPIN, AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry reflected on his 2016 health scare when he collapsed onstage with his other band the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, later citing dehydration and exhaustion. Asked if he was worried he wouldn't be able to perform after that, Perry said: "It was really a bummer. I let the guys down. And also my family was there, which is even more important. It woke me up to the fact that I'm not bulletproof. I discovered some physical things that I had to adjust. My mother had cholesterol problems early on. You know, just certain medications I take, and others can't. I mean, it was definitely a scare. But in my heart — and I'm saying that figuratively [laughs] — I knew I'll be back on my feet playing."

In November 2018, Perry was hospitalized following a performance with Billy Joel on stage at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Only minutes after guesting with Joel, Perry experienced shortness of breath and was treated by paramedics.

In 2019, Perry said his 2016 collapse was caused by "over-the-top fatigue," while his hospitalization after the Billy Joel concert happened because he "couldn't get my breath and I had to sit down. The next thing I know I'm getting oxygen. They call it COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]. It's caused from smoking for years.

"I quit smoking," he added. "I haven't had a drink since that night. I'll be around for a while."

Perry's VAMPIRES bandmate Alice Cooper told Rolling Stone that Joe was exhausted when he fell ill at the 2016 gig at Brooklyn, New York's Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk, and had not eaten in two days.

"I didn't realize AEROSMITH only did two shows a week," Alice said at the time. "Honestly, I just figured everybody was like me. I do five shows a week, and very physical shows. We were on our eighth show in 10 days. It was pretty brutal. I think [Joe] was dehydrated and basically exhausted. I talked to him before the show and he said, 'I don't think I've eaten anything in three days.' I went, 'Well, that's not smart.'"

As previously reported, AEROSMITH will bring its residency back to Las Vegas this summer. "Aerosmith: Deuces Are Wild" heads to Dolby Live at Park MGM for 24 dates beginning Friday, June 17. According to a press release, the show will be the first live concert experience presented in Dolby Atmos at Dolby Live. Dolby Live is one of the world's most technologically advanced performance venues for enjoying live music in Dolby At

On March 31, Madame Tussauds London unveiled its David Bowie figure.

Working in partnership with Bowie's estate and using information from his 1983 sitting, Madame Tussauds London's new figure is the second to be created of Bowie and immortalizes his alter ego, the extra-terrestrial rock star Ziggy Stardust. Fans of the icon of sound and vision will recognize the Starman's signature red hairstyle, cosmic jumpsuit and celestial makeup made famous in the 1970s.

Bowie's new figure marks the launch of Madame Tussauds's newly revamped Music Festival zone, the only place where guests can experience a truly impossible lineup of musical greats. From posing with Beyoncé and Amy Winehouse, jamming with Jimi Hendrix and Ed Sheeran to owning the stage alongside Freddie Mercury and Stormzy, this is a lineup that only Madame Tussauds London could create.

To celebrate the arrival of Bowie's new figure and the completion of the attraction's impossible festival lineup, Madame Tussauds revisited some of the capital's most iconic music venues.

* At the Hammersmith Apollo, nearly 50 years after his last performance there as Ziggy Stardust, Bowie's new figure was joined on stage by fellow South London boy Stormzy's figure.

* Studio 1 at Abbey Road Studios, played host to the figures of Ed Sheeran, Amy Winehouse and Freddie Mercury, who have all recorded at the iconic location.

* At Ronnie Scott's famous Jazz Club, Jimi Hendrix's figure graced the same stage where his real-life counterpart held his last ever performance in 1970. He is joined by the figure of one of Britain's biggest musicians, Dua Lipa.

* Portobello Road's Honest Jon's had two special customers as figures of reggae legend Bob Marley and music icon Beyoncé stood amongst the music mecca's revered vinyls.

Tim Waters, general manager at Madame Tussauds London, said: "David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust transcends generations and music genres, making him the ultimate headliner to launch our new Music Festival zone. We were honored to work with his estate in what would have been his 75th year and play our small part in keeping his inimitable legacy alive for generations to come.

"We know that guests love to meet their music heroes here at the attraction. With our new Music Festival experience, we've captured the magic of live music, with legends you literally could not see perform together anywhere else, in a way that only Madame Tussauds London could. There's also the added bonus of no muddy fields or main-stage clashes to contend with."

Bowie died in January 2016, two days after his 69th birthday.

He passed away just three days after releasing his 25th studio album, "Blackstar".

The singer, songwriter, actor and fashion icon reportedly kept his 18-month battle with cancer so private that even close friends weren't aware of his struggle.


MADAME TUSSAUDS LONDON UNVEILS NEW BOWIE FIGURE

“Can’t tell them apart at all...”

Madame Tussauds London announced...

Posted by David Bowie on Thursday, March 31, 2022

Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner is our special guest on BraveWords' Streaming For Vengeance this Saturday as he discusses restarting the band’s 50 Heavy Metal Years tour after COVID temporarily put the Metal Gods on hold. But in early January, Judas Priest were quick to announce that guitarist Andy Sneap was going to “step away to refocus on studio work, including upcoming Judas Priest material,” which meant all eyes were on Faulkner (and occasionally Glenn Tipton) to riff away at all the Priest classics. Alone. As they tour as a “relentless four piece heavy metal band." So the uproar could be heard around the globe and Priest ended up changing their mind as social media platforms cried out and Rob Halford told Billboard, “That blew up in my face, didn’t it?” 



“Obviously we know about the kickback that came about from the fans,” Faulkner tells BraveWords in excerpt. “But there was a section of time there when that was what exactly was going to happen. That was the announcement that went out and it was my job to make it happen from a guitar point of view. We rethought that, but there was a time where that was exactly what was going to happen. I was thinking about how that was going to happen and how I was going to make that happen. And how it was going to be put into place. I had a few ideas about how that was going to happen. It was going to be a challenge of course. And obviously I don’t have four hands and there was going to be a different approach to it. Thank goodness there was that much concern. If there wasn’t that much passion from the fans it would’ve been a sad thing really. If there was a positive to take out of all that, it was it was that people cared so much about their band Judas Priest. We had no choice but to listen and it was a healthy thing to happen. Fair enough and all is well that ends well.


BraveWords: A rare example of social media having a positive purpose and a positive outcome. 




Faulkner: “Exactly! You can’t help but listen to a movement that strong. And it was really fast. It’s funny, if it was 1975 or 1980, you wouldn’t have had that response. It would’ve just happened and we would’ve gone out on the road like that and it would’ve been a different outcome. In 2022 we have the luxury of having that connection with the fan base and we can have the fans tell us what they think and we act accordingly. So, it’s quite a blessing really."



BraveWords: In 1975, you’d be waiting months after the fact, as this glut a fan mail shows up and you start opening it and realize that you made the wrong decision. 


Faulkner: “Absolutely. In 1975 it might’ve been one of those things where, the band would’ve made a decision and felt the consequences on the road. It’s just one of those things. Some bands didn’t stand the test of time for decisions that they made." 


BraveWords: So let’s be frank here. You and Sneap are like two kids in a candy store. Do you fanboy about this opportunity of a lifetime to be able to play some of the greatest heavy-metal songs of all time.


Faulkner: “Yes, and it’s interesting that you say that, because we talk about it all the time. We talk about how we can improve it, what can we do next, what songs we can do. It’s no secret the Priest have always gone out with one set and they stuck with that set for the duration of the tour. Only for the last couple of years, we’ve changed the set around as we move through the tour, and with different countries we change the set. I don’t know if it’s purely because of me and Andy’s influence, but we do give them a little bit of an elbow suggesting different songs. Like ‘What about that song or what about this song’. We’re always discussing songs like ‘Island Of Domination’ or ‘Tyrant’. And sometimes we have these discussions with the rest of the band and sometimes they find their way into the set. As fans and because we were on the outside for so long and now we are on the inside, we do have a different opinion and a different viewpoint. And we do talk about it quite a lot about what we can do differently. We are both really proud to be up there. It’s a huge honour to be up there playing and we have lots of enthusiasm playing with a band that is celebrating 50 years, one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time.”


Faulkner also chats with us about recording the new studio album and his thoughts on the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame and if he cares if Priest get the nod?


You can watch/listen to Richie Faulkner this Saturday, April 2nd at 3:33 PM EST on BraveWords' Streaming For Vengeance! Tune in on the BraveWords Facebook page or the BraveWords YouTube channel. 


For more information about Streaming For Vengeance, visit this location.


Upcoming Judas Priest dates are listed below.





March
30 - Prudential Center - Newark, NJ
31 - MGM National Harbor - Washington, DC


April
2 - Foxwoods Casino Arena - Mashantucket, CT
4 - Paul E. Tsongas Arena - Lowell, MA
7 - Halifax Scotiabank Centre - Halifax, Nova Scotia
10 - Videotron Center - Quebec City, Quebec
11 - Place Bell - Montreal, Quebec
13 - FirstOntario Centre - Hamilton, Ontario

OVERKILL bassist D.D. Verni spoke to Hardrock Haven about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's 20th studio album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "All the drums are done. All the guitars are done. I still have to do the bass. Blitz [Bobby Ellsworth, OVERKILL singer] has gotta get to his vocals. But I had almost all of it written when we went out on the tour before COVID, 'cause that's where we were in our cycle. So I had to have my part — the music for the record — pretty much done. I had two songs left that I had to do when I got back home. 'Cause that's where we needed to be, 'cause the record was supposed to come out in the fall of that year or whenever. But then we were, like, 'We've got a little extra time.' And then we had more extra time."

He continued: "It was funny, because usually I'll kind of demo up everything at home, all the songs, and I'll send it out to the guys, and then they'll learn the stuff from the demo and then we'll get together and play. [And then we'll decide] 'Maybe it should be faster or slower' — we kind of noodle around till it feels good in the room. But we weren't able to do that 'cause of COVID. But now that it's taken so long, we could have done that. So, I don't know exactly… This one's still gonna be a bit of an odd record 'cause it was kind of done all remotely — everything. We're gonna put out a record of songs that we've not one single time stood in a room and played together."

As for the musical direction of the new OVERKILL material, Verni said: "Compared to the other ones… It's hard to say. It's maybe got a little bit more SABBATH-y kind of parts in it, a little bit more doomy.

"I know Colin Richardson's gonna mix it," he added. "Poor Colin. We thought we were gonna do it, and then we pushed him off, and then we pushed him off again, and then we pushed him off again. An we said, 'You know what? We'll call you when we're ready.' So whenever that's gonna be, we'll call him again. But we're psyched about that 'cause he's just great. He's a great mixer and a great producer. So if nothing else, it'll sound great."

Richardson previously worked with OVERKILL on 1997's "From The Underground And Below", 2000's "Bloodletting" and 2003's "Killbox 13".

Earlier this month, Blitz told 69 Faces Of Rock that OVERKILL's new album is tentatively scheduled for an April 2023 release, "followed by a European tour."

Regarding the sound of the new OVERKILL material, Blitz said: "It's gonna be hard to figure it out for me until it actually takes shape. It seems a little bit more eclectic for us. It's riff driven, not rhythm driven. The songs will contain two or three different riffs throughout it — the main [riff] and then two that are kind of secondary riffs, which I think is a little bit unique for us, to be singing over something like that. Heavy, of course. I mean, there's some sledgehammer stuff on it — that kind of big, thick groove. I think the other side of it is that it shows kind of experienced speed, would be the word. Some of them just take off."

In June 2020, Ellsworth told A&P Reacts that the band's new songs were "a natural progression from 'The Grinding Wheel' [2017] and 'The Wings Of War' [2019]. I think when we had done the 'Ironbound' record [2010], it almost became like a trilogy in there — it was kind of like 'Ironbound', 'The Electric Age' [2012] and 'White Devil Armory' [2014], and they seemed to be the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost kind of a thing," he said. "I think we kind of broke the mold a little bit with 'The Grinding Wheel', and then I think a little bit more with 'The Wings Of War'. And on this one, I see it way more. And what I mean by that is that we've used other tools from our toolshed in the past, and that's the slow grind that is coupled with that fast gallop. So it feels like a natural progression, but maybe two records ahead of what 'The Wings Of War' is. And that's probably as objective as I can be."

OVERKILL spent most of 2019 and early 2020 touring in support of its 19th studio LP, "The Wings Of War", which was released three years ago. The disc was recorded at Gear Recording Studio in New Jersey, SKH Studio in Florida and Jrod Productions with engineering handled by Verni and guitarist Dave Linsk. The album was produced by the band while Chris "Zeuss" Harris took care of the mixing and mastering. Travis Smith (NEVERMORE, OPETH, SOILWORK, DEATH) was again enlisted to create the artwork for the album.

"The Wings Of War" marked OVERKILL's recording debut with drummer Jason Bittner (SHADOWS FALL, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM), who joined the band in 2017.

Last month, Blitz confirmed that guitarist Dave Linsk is sitting out OVERKILL's current U.S. tour due to "personal reasons" and is being temporarily replaced by former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel.

Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson says that he is "really honored" to be involved in the making of the upcoming feature-length documentary "This Was My Life: The Story Of Nick Menza", which is described as an "exploration of the late MEGADETH drummer's life."

Menza, who was a member of MEGADETH from 1989 to 1998 and appeared on four of the band's studio albums, suffered a heart attack and collapsed during a concert with Chris Poland and Robertino "Pag" Pagliari in their band OHM: in May 2016 at the Baked Potato in Studio City, California and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said Menza died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Ellefson reflected on Menza's passing in a new interview with The Claw's Corner. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Of course it's sad when someone leaves the planet 'cause we miss 'em. And I hear this footage with Nick, I see this footage, I hear interviews with him and stuff, and it's like he was sitting right here. So I feel that same thing. But how Nick died is… If you knew Nick and you lived on a tour bus with him, like we did, he would always say stuff like that: 'Oh, I'm gonna blow up on stage. I'm gonna blow your minds.' He'd say crazy stuff like 'Jesus was a hologram.' He would just say shit to just get a rise out of people and piss people off — just to see how far he could push it. So when he died on stage, I'm not gonna lie, I was kind of, like, 'Man, he freaking got away with it. He did it. He really did it.' And it's interesting, 'cause when he passed, he passed right away. They tried to revive him, and he was gone — I mean, he was probably gone before he hit the floor. And God bless him. That was it. Chris Poland told me about it, and I won't tell too much, 'cause a lot of the stuff's in the movie, but he told me the story about how they were kicking ass and having a great night and ready to start the next song, and then Nick was not there. It's a great story, and I don't wanna say really any more than that, because the story is great. The movie is gonna be really, really, really cool, and I'm really honored to be a part of it and to help tell the story of Nick's life and help out the family with grieving. They're kind of going through that whole process and get to the other side of it."

"This Was My Life" will be the first-ever film to memorialize Menza's legacy and celebrate his life exactly how it was. It is described in a press release as "an unflinching exploration into the life of one of the most successful thrash-metal drummers of all time, authorized by the Menza family. From his childhood all the way through to the end of his life Including a true blow-by-blow account of the repeated failed attempts of the classic 'Rust In Peace' lineup."

"This Was My Life" will feature rare and never-before-seen photos and video footage from Nick's archived VHS tape collection, personally filmed by Menza himself from 1988 through 1991. Included will be exclusive content showcasing Nick working at the studio, personal home movies, casual time and party time with his fellow bandmembers, as well as other well-known artists of the era that Nick toured with.

The cover photo for the film was shot by Los Angeles music photographer Alex Solca and designed by Brazilian artwork designer Alcides Burn of Burn Artworks.

Los Angeles power / thrash metal band Anubis have debuted their sinister new single “I, Anachronism”, and its accompanying music video. This will be the first music video from their upcoming EP Eternal Youth, Eternal Night.


Founded in 2018, the band is comprised of bassist and vocalist Devin Reiche, guitarists Justin Escamilla and Eleazar Llerenas, bassist John Dolan, and drummer Zed Amarin. The ominous and apocalyptic music video was produced and directed by Tsunam Kyrdo of Tsunami Films and hosted by Tom Gaffey at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, California. The entirety of the video was shot in the basement of the theater, a grim underbelly said to be one of the most haunted locations in America.







“This is the most ambitious project Anubis has ever undertaken,” says lead vocalist Devin Reiche, “We got three makeup artists and almost 30 extras and just took over the theater basement. I’m actually kind of shocked by how smooth the filming process was, and how sick the final result ended up being.” With twisting camera angles and blood-spattered chords, the music video plays like a prophetic horror film, an ode to the band’s foreboding sound.


 

On March 30, QUEEN drummer Roger Taylor was awarded an OBE — Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Roger was included in the 2020 New Years Honours list, which rewards a lineup of well-known figures from the worlds of art and sport.

The legendary musician was presented with the honor by the Prince Of Wales during an investiture ceremony held at Windsor Castle and he dedicated the honor to his late friend and fellow drummer Taylor Hawkins of FOO FIGHTERS.

Roger said in a statement: "My whole family and his whole family were very close. He was, [as] my wife called him, sunshine in human form. He was the most wonderful man, and I can't quite believe that I'm not going to see him again."

Roger also credited Taylor with being an "inspirational mentor" to his son, Rufus Taylor, who is the drummer for THE DARKNESS.

"He's done a lot to help my son, who's a great drummer, and he actually sort of mentored him," Roger said. "We're going to miss him so much."

Hawkins died at a hotel in Bogota, Colombia on 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 March 26, 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 on March 25 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 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.
























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In a new interview with Sofa King Cool Magazine, former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 discussed the recent passing of FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was friends with Taylor and did some shows with him, with his band CHEVY METAL.

"It's just a shame, because Taylor was very, very special — he was so talented," he continued. "An incredible drummer, a great singer, just a great human being. And it just knocked me on my ass for two days. I didn't talk to anybody. I was just so bummed out about this because I loved Taylor so much. And I miss him. He was someone very special and he was such a great human. God, he was just such a great dude and so fun to be around and just always happy. It's just a terrible, terrible, terrible thing. He was a great person. People loved him, and he loved people."

Hawkins died on Friday, March 25 at a hotel in Bogota, Colombia. 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.


























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The Portland-based dark power metal group Silver Talon has announced a stellar slate of upcoming festival appearances on the horizon, and to celebrate these live performances, they have made their ripping cover of Savatage's 1985 classic anthem, “Power Of The Night” - originally released by the band at the beginning of 2021 as the B-side to their now sold-out 7” vinyl release of “Deceiver, I Am” and described by Savatage vocalist Jon Oliva as “the best  Savatage cover I've heard”- available for streaming on all digital platforms. 





Digital, CD, cassette and limited-edition vinyl copies of the band's full-length debut album, Decadence and Decay are available here.







Silver Talon has so far confirmed appearances at the following 2022 festivals, among other live performances to be announced at a later date:


April
15-17 – Vancouver, BC – Hyperspace Metal Festival III


May
13-14 – Chicago, IL – Legions Of Metal IV


November
19-20 – Tijuana, Mexico – Dragon Rojo Metalfest