New Jersey melodic thrash-metal warriors GOD FORBID will perform at this year's Blue Ridge Rock Festival, set to take place September 8-11 at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia. The show will mark GOD FORBID's first live appearance in over nine years.

GOD FORBID guitarist/vocalist Doc Coyle commented: "I wasn't sure that this would ever happen, but I can't tell you how psyched I am to announce that GOD FORBID is reuniting to play this year's Blue Ridge Rock Festival. These are my brothers, and I can't wait to share this with the fans who've been waiting."

GOD FORBID officially called it quits in August 2013 following Doc's departure.

Last December, Doc told "The Jasta Show" about the possibility of a GOD FORBID comeback: "I think [the reunion] will happen; it's just a matter of when. Because Byron [Davis, vocals], he has a family, he's married, he's got a house, he's kind of doing that thing, everyone's kind of spread out. Same thing with John [Outcalt], our bass player; [he's] got a kid, got a house, got a mortgage, wife and you know… everyone’s kind of moved to this different phase of their lives and it makes it really have to create space to do these things and it's such a commitment of time and effort. And I'm super respectful of that, and I just don't wanna force anything, or make [the reunion] about money, or make it about… too much business. I want it to be about our friendship and kind of doing something for the fans. 'Cause we never did a last show, we never did a last tour, we never did a farewell. And so I think that that left just an empty kind of space there. And it's unfortunate, because I'm of the mind that I always wanted to do things the right way."

GOD FORBID's latest album, "Equilibrium", was released on March 27, 2012 via Victory Records. The bulk of the CD was recorded by Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER, TRIVIUM), with Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, CHIMAIRA, DEVILDRIVER) stepping in during the the vocal-tracking stage. The effort was mixed by acclaimed Swedish producer Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with such acts as KATATONIA, OPETH, PARADISE LOST and AMON AMARTH.

"Equilibrium" sold 3,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 156 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort landed at No. 7 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.




ARTIST ANNOUNCEMENT #66: God Forbid

GOD FORBID is Reuniting for Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2022! Performing LIVE for the first time since their 2013 breakup, they toured Ozzfest, MTV's Headbangers Ball, and have become one of the most in-demand Reunions in Heavy Metal recently. pic.twitter.com/qcnYaUx0pB

— Blue Ridge Rock Festival (@BlueRidgeRock) March 14, 2022

March 14, 1980 marks 42 years since Def Leppard released their debut, On Through The Night. Check out a video below stating facts about the album.





Lancashire Telegraph is reporting that Def Leppard visited Burnley, UK last weekend to film a segment for the upcoming Netflix movie, The Bank Of Dave, which will show the life of the self-made millionaire from Burnley. It is not yet known what role Def Leppard will play in the film however, they confirmed their appearance on social media.




The Netflix film is being filmed in David Fishwick's home town of Burnley and surrounding areas, with filming having already begun.


Dave will be portrayed on the screen by Rory Kinnear and the story will focus on him finding his fortune selling vans and minibuses before opening a bank, Burnley Savings & Loans Ltd, with his right-hand man David Henshaw in the town.


Def Leppard shared the post below, stating: "Fun time this past weekend!" 🤘

Stay tuned for updates.


After two summers of delays it is FINALLY happening! The world’s most iconic and celebrated rock legends will hit the road together this summer for a co-headlining tour so massive that it could only be held in North America’s biggest stadiums.


The Stadium Tour, featuring Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, with Poison and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts will hit select cities in the US and Canada where each band will bring their electrifying stage shows while promising to perform their stadium sized anthems. Produced by Live Nation, the summer tour is set to steamroll through North America starting June 2022.


Due to fan demand, the tour recently added five all new stadium shows to the epic run. Tickets for the new dates are on-sale at www.LiveNation.com. Def Leppard & Mötley Crüe VIP offerings are available.


Def Leppard are one of the most important forces in rock music. In 2019, the icons closed out a sold-out worldwide tour including a North American stadium run & headlining the UK’s Download Festival to 90k screaming fans. Def Leppard’s star continues to rise and prevail. The band have amassed a staggering 5.5 billion streams since 2018, reaching a younger 18-44 demographic that now represents 58% of their fanbase. Additionally, the band have garnered an impressive 15 million followers across their social media platforms. Def Leppard also celebrates the landmark 45th anniversary of their formation this year, marking 45 years of legendary rock ‘n’ roll history making. Def Leppard’s influential career crosses generations and includes 110 million records sold, numerous hit singles and ground-breaking multi-platinum albums—including two of the best-selling albums of all time, Pyromania and Hysteria, both of which are certified Diamond (10x platinum).


“On behalf of the band, we’re beyond thrilled that The Stadium Tour is finally happening this summer … it’s been a while coming and we can’t wait to get back on stage again & we can’t wait to see you in one of the many stadiums soon!” said Joe Elliott.


Following the huge success of their Netflix biopic The Dirt, Mötley Crüe has seen a massive surge in new audience with fans around the world demanding the band tour again. This led to the band members reuniting and announcing that "Mötley Crüe is back" in 2019. While The Dirt caused a meteoric 350% increase in streams of Mötley Crüe's music across all platforms and the younger 18-44 demographic now represents 64% of the band’s fanbase most of the new fans have never seen any of the band's legendary live shows that Crüeheads have relished for 4 decades. In 2021, Mötley Crüe celebrated their 40th band anniversary, as well as the 40th birthday of their iconic debut album, Too Fast For Love. The 35th anniversary of their Girls, Girls, Girls hit album is coming up on May 15. Mötley Crüe have sold over 100 million albums worldwide, achieving 7 platinum and multi-platinum albums, 9 Top 10 albums, 22 Top 40 Mainstream Rock hits, 6 Top 20 Pop singles and 3 Grammy nominations. The band have amassed close to 5 billion streams across digital platforms. They have over 15 million social media followers, a New York Times best-seller and a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. The band is ready to deliver an over the top stage show packed full of hit songs.


"It's on! We don't think we've ever looked forward more to kicking off a tour than this one. We can't wait to finally see all the fans across North America again. Get ready for a wild ride this summer!," Mötley Crüe said in a joint statement.


Poison will be bringing a rocking real and relevant no holds barred thunderous live show to The Stadium Tour this summer with the all original lineup of Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall and Rikki Rockett. Poison will be unleashing an onslaught of hit after hit songs in its set. The humanitarian of the year, two years running, Michaels along with Poison is known to bring a unique style of passionate high energy, sincere gratitude and a positive attitude. Michaels engages all the fans and makes it an absolute epic ride of true live music. Together With C.C.Deville on guitar, Bobby Dall on bass, and Rikki Rockett on drums Poison will rock the stadium with a chemistry that will bring a big summer mega party vibe and Michaels promises to give 1000 % on the stage as the hotter it gets the harder Poison promises to rock!!!


Poison’s Bret Michaels also added: “There are not enough words to thank the three generations of fans for making this such an exciting, record breaking, historical tour with the fastest sell outs in history at these stadiums.”


Joan Jett grew up during a time when rock ‘n’ roll was off limits to girls and women, but as a teenager, she promptly blew the door to the boys’ club right off its hinges. After forming her band the Blackhearts in 1979, with whom Jett has become a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, she has had eight platinum and gold albums and nine Top 40 singles, including the classics "Bad Reputation," "I Love Rock 'N' Roll," "I Hate Myself For Loving You," and "Crimson and Clover." With a career that has spanned music, film, television, Broadway, and humanitarianism, Joan Jett remains a potent force and inspiration to generations of fans worldwide. As a producer, she has overseen seminal albums by Bikini Kill, and the Germs' LA punk masterpiece ‘GI.’ Jett and Kenny Laguna (her longtime producer and music partner) co-founded Blackheart Records from the trunk of Kenny’s Cadillac after rejections from no less than 23 labels. 40 years later, Blackheart is a thriving entertainment company producing music, film and television, and continues to champion emerging bands. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts continue touring the globe with headlining shows alongside fellow rock legends like The Who, Green Day, Heart, and Foo Fighters. After two COVID-19 postponements, the group will return to the road in summer 2022 for The Stadium Tour with Def Leppard, Motley Crue and Poison. 'Bad Reputation,' a documentary about Jett's life, premiered to critical acclaim at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and is now available for streaming.


“We are so excited to be back out on the road! We missed doing what we love most and can’t wait to see the fans out there again!” said Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.


Emerging rock band Classless Act, signed to Better Noise Music, is set to open the tour. With the release of their single “Give It To Me” in 2021, the band has already received critical praise. Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee was an early follower of the band and is excited to have them join him and his bandmates on the road, saying, "I remember when we went out with Ozzy in 1984 and how it was an insane game changer!! We literally blew up after having that opportunity to play live in front of 20,000 people every f***ing night! Since then, we’ve always felt it was important to help new bands; whether it was Guns N Roses, Skid Row or so many others. This summer we’re gonna help out Classless Act."


Watch a video trailer for The Stadium Tour below.





Confirmed dates for The Stadium Tour:


June
16 - SunTrust Park - Atlanta, GA
18 - Hard Rock Stadium - Miami Gardens, FL
19 - Camping World Stadium - Orlando, FL
22 - Nationals Park - Washington, DC
24 - Citi Field - Flushing, NY
25 - Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
28 - Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte, NC
30 - Nissan Stadium - Nashville, TN


July
2 - EverBank Field - Jacksonville, FL
5 - Busch Stadium - St Louis, MO
8 - Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL
10  - Comerica Park - Detroit, MI
12 - Hersheypark Stadium - Hershey, PA
14 - FirstEnergy Stadium - Cleveland, OH
15 - Great American Ballpark - Cincinnati, OH
17 - American Family Field - Milwaukee, WI
19 - Kauffman Stadium - Kansas City, MO
21 - Coors Field - Denver, CO


August
5 - Fenway Park - Boston, MA
6 - Fenway Park - Boston, MA
8 - Rogers Centre - Toronto, ON
10 - The Stadium Tour - Orchard Park, NY
12 - PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA
14 - US Bank Stadium - Minneapolis, MN
16 - Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN
19 - Minute Made Park - Houston, TX
21 - Alamodome - San Antonio, TX
22 - Globe Life Park in Arlington - Arlington, TX
25 - State Farm Stadium - Phoenix, AZ
27 - SoFi Stadium - Inglewood, CA
28 - Petco Park - San Diego, CA
31 - T-Mobile Park - Seattle, WA


September
2 - BC Place - Vancouver, BC
4 - Commonwealth Stadium - Edmonton, AB
7 - Oracle Park - San Francisco, CA
9 - Allegiant Stadium - Las Vegas, NV

Dolly Parton has taken herself out of the running to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame later this year.

Earlier today, the 76-year-old country music legend asked the Hall to withdraw her name from the 2022 ballot, saying "I don't feel that I have earned the right."

Parton was one of 17 artists nominated for the Rock Hall class of 2022, along with Eminem, Lionel Richie, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, JUDAS PRIEST and Beck, among others.

Writing on social media, Parton told her fans: "Dolly here! Even though I am extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I don't feel that I have earned that right. I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out.

"I do hope that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will understand and be willing to consider me again – if I'm ever worthy. This has, however, inspired me to put out a hopefully great rock 'n' roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do!

"My husband is a total rock 'n' roll freak, and has always encouraged me to do one. I wish all of the nominees good luck and thank you again for the compliment. Rock on!"

The 2022 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees were announced last month, with Dolly appearing on the ballot for the first time.

Parton told Billboard last month that she never thought of herself as a rock 'n' roller "in any sense of the word, but I guess they judge it on the music and the influence certain songs have had, and I guess I've had songs with other people in that realm," she said: "I'm not expecting that I'll get in. But if I do, I'll immediately, next year, have to put out a great rock and roll album — which I've wanted to do for years, like a Linda Ronstadt or HEART kind of thing."

Parton was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 1986, the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1999 and the national Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2001.

Dolly is the most honored and revered female country singer-songwriter of all time. Achieving 25 RIAA-certified gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards, she has had 26 songs reach No. 1 on the Billboard country charts, a record for a female artist. Recently, Parton reached No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart for the first time for her duet with Grammy Award-winning Zach Williams of "There Was Jesus", for which they won a Grammy, making that her 11th Grammy win. She received her first Dove Award for short-form video for her collaboration with KING & COUNTRY on the song "God Only Knows". Parton is the first artist to have topped Billboard's Adult Contemporary, Christian AC Songs, Hot Country Songs, Christian Airplay, Country Airplay and Dance/Mix Show Airplay radio charts. Parton recently became the first country artist honored as Grammy MusiCares Person Of The Year given out by NARAS. She has 44 career Top 10 country albums, a record for any artist, and 110 career-charted singles over the past 50-plus years.

Photo credit: Stacie Huckeba

THE ROLLING STONES have announced a run of fourteen shows in ten countries across Europe this summer and reveal the title of the new tour, "Sixty", in celebration of their 60th anniversary. THE STONES just keep on rolling and are back where they belong, out on the road in Europe playing to packed stadiums, staging a new show and a brand new "Sixty" production starting in Madrid on June 1.

"Sixty" will see Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood make their long-awaited return to their home turf of the U.K., kicking off with a special concert at the home of Liverpool FC - Anfield, the first-ever stadium show in this city by THE STONES and their first in Liverpool for over fifty years, followed by two shows in London's Hyde Park. See the full European tour dates below.

As you would expect on the band's 60th anniversary, THE STONES, once again joined by Steve Jordan on drums, will be treating fans to a setlist like no other, packed full of classics such as "Gimme Shelter", "Paint It Black", "Jumpin' Jack Flash", "Tumbling Dice", "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", "Start Me Up" and many more. However, it wouldn't be a ROLLING STONES gig without some surprises each night, and a selection of unexpected tracks from their formidable arsenal of songs will also be popping up in the set list. As always with THE STONES, there will be a spectacular new "Sixty" production, including a massive stage, cutting-edge lighting and state-of-the-art video design, all to be unveiled for this long-awaited European tour.

The eagerly anticipated tour, produced by Concerts West/AEG Presents, kicks off at Wanda Stadium in Madrid (Spain) on June 1, then Munich (Germany), Liverpool (UK), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Bern (Switzerland), Milan (Italy), London (UK), Brussels (Belgium), Vienna (Austria), Lyon (France), Paris (France), Gelsenkirchen (Germany), finishing in Stockholm (Sweden).

THE ROLLING STONES' "Sixty" follows the huge success of the critically acclaimed and highest-grossing USA "No Filter" tour, which saw the band play to sold-out stadiums across the States, selling over half a million tickets in the autumn of 2021.

Today, a brand-new ROLLING STONES tongue for the tour, created by award-winning British designer Mark Norton, has also been unveiled. Find the new "Sixty" tongue below.

Tour dates:

Jun. 01 - Madrid, Spain @ Wanda Metropolitano Stadium

Jun. 05 - Munich, Germany @ Olympic Stadium

Jun. 09 - Liverpool, U.K. @ Anfield Stadium

Jun. 13 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Johan Cruijff Arena

Jun. 17 - Bern, Switzerland @ Wankdorf Stadium

Jun. 21 - Milan, Italy @ San Siro Stadium

Jun. 25 - London, U.K. @ American Express Presents BST Hyde Park

Jul. 03 - London, U.K. @ American Express Presents BST Hyde Park

Jul. 11 - Brussels, Belgium @ King Baudouin Stadium

Jul. 15 - Vienna, Austria @ Ernst Happel Stadium

Jul. 19 - Lyon, France @ Groupama Stadium

Jul. 23 - Paris, France @ Hippodrome Paris

Jul. 27 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany @ Veltins Arena

Jul. 31 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Friends Arena

Progressive metal quartet OU (pronunciation: “O”) have announced their debut album, one, due out on May 6 via InsideOutMusic. A teaser clip can be found below, and the album will be available for pre-order beginning March 25. The first single, “Travel 穿”, will be released on the same day.





Hailing from Beijing, China, the group combine a variety of elements and influences (Devin Townsend, The Gathering, Radiohead to name a few), to create their extremely unique sound.




Formed by drummer and songwriter Anthony Vanacore, the idea behind OU came from each member having a long history of playing in local house bands and seeking new challenges in their growth as musicians. Vanacore would go on to recruit talented guitarist and fellow house band veteran Jing Zhang, as well as highly sought-after bassist Chris Cui, with the three of them laying the initial groundwork for the song structure and creative approach. OU recruited highly talented singer Lynn Wu to front the project, who brings with her ethereal vocals that contrast with the dynamic and engaging music, delivering a powerful and soaring sound. On their debut, OU set out with only one clear goal in mind, and that was to make certain that every song had its own unique identity.


one will be available as Ltd. Edition CD Digipak, 180g Gatefold LP Edition and as Digital Album.





Tracklisting:


"Travel 穿"
"Farewell 夔"
"Mountain 山"
"Ghost 灵"
"Euphoria 兴"
"Prejudice 豸"
"Dark 暗"
"Light 光"


Teaser:





OU lineup:


Lynn Wu – Vocals
Anthony Vanacore – Drums, Prod
Zhang Jing – Guitars
Chris Cui - Bass


(Top photo - Frank Mao)

Richmond, Indiana based defenders of the heavy metal riff, Wolftooth, released their colossal new Napalm Records debut, Blood & Iron, to great acclaim this past December. Now, fans can grab the rest of the band's stellar discography on limited edition vinyl.


Napalm Records is set to reissue the band's two first albums, 2018's Wolftooth and 2020's Valhalla, releasing May 20. Pre-orders underway here.


Each one of Wolftooth's full-length offerings feature proto-metal influenced heaviness with a deep dose of doom essence and addictive stoner riffage, exploring mystical and often treacherous themes of mythology, lore and legend with a focus on sorcery, battle and non-stop adventure.
 
Wolftooth says about the reissues: "Wolftooth is extremely excited to be re-releasing our coveted debut self-titled album and our sophomore album Valhalla through Napalm Records. We can't wait for all of our new and previous fans to have the chance to own both albums on vinyl. We hope that these two re-releases help catapult the band to the next level and cement our name in metal."




Witness the very beginning of the epic riff-fest that is Indiana’s Wolftooth with their self-titled breakout debut. If you missed your chance to own this subterranean stunner on vinyl upon its original release in 2018, now is your chance to own it on wax. The band’s massive mix of proto-metal, NWOBHM and stoner rock styles have made them a notable force in the underground scene, leading to their subsequent discovery and launch into the major metal market. Don’t miss the album The Sludgelord called “a riffing stoner metal delight” and Sea of Tranquility dubbed "a stunning heavy metal/rock album that is purely addictive”.





Wolftooth tracklisting:


"Blackbirds Call"
"Aegaeon"
"Sword Of My Father"
"White Mountain"
"Frost Lord"
"The Huntress"
"Season Of The Witch"
"Forged In Fire"


Prepare for a serious dose of righteous riffs, epic tales of warriors and an ascent into Asgard with Wolftooth's second album, Valhalla - an onslaught of an album that will have you bruised and battered on the battlefield, yet craving another round. On their sophomore album, Wolftooth has truly upped the ante, expanded on their trademark formula, and added more layers of sound and variation to their songwriting and overall musical execution. The production has improved markedly and the tracks ooze the attention to detail during the recording process. Valhalla is everything you’ve come to expect from Wolftooth – and then some.





Valhalla tracklisting:


Intro: "The Lamentation Of Frigg"
"The Possession"
"Firebreather"
"Valhalla"
"Fear for Eternity"
"Scylla & Charybdis"
"Molon Labe"
"Crying of the Wolves"
"The Coven"
"Juneau"


Lineup:


Jeff Cole - Guitars
Johnny Harrod - Vocals, Drums
Terry McDaniel - Bass
Chris Sullivan - Vocals, Guitars


(Photo - Stephanie Harrison)

Arizona-based thrash metal outfit, Incite, have released another song from their forthcoming new full-length, Wake Up Dead, with a visualizer for the track “War Soup”.


The gritty new track, which focuses on the courage in standing up to bullies, is the first Incite song ever to feature the vocals of both Richie and Max Cavalera - a historical gathering of heavy metal generations.


Comments singer Richie Cavalera, "Our new jam, 'War Soup,’ is one of the most kickass songs we’ve ever made! It’s brutal, it’s groovy, and it’s got Max Cavalera ripping vocals with us! Turn it up and headbang your asses off. The song is about standing up to bullies, not being pushed around, speaking up, and fighting back. I’ve always been quiet, shy, and too nice and people have taken advantage of me for that, so now I use my voice and my strength, to not be afraid."







Incite's Wake Up Dead will be released on April 8 via Atomic Fire Records on CD digipak, black vinyl, limited edition purple and black marble vinyl, and digitally. Find pre-ordering options here.





Wake Up Dead tracklisting:


"Fuck With Me (Wake Up Dead)"
"War Soup" [feat. Max Cavalera]
"Sucker Punched"
"Deadbeat"
"Mental Destruction"
"Built To Destroy"
"Stagnant"
"Fallen"
"The Aftermath"
"The Slaughter"


"Deadbeat" video:





Lineup:


Richie Cavalera - vocals
Eli Santana - guitars
Christopher "EL" Elsten - bass
Lennon Lopez - drums


(Photo - Oleg Bogdan)

David Ellefson's longtime business partner Thom Hazaert was a guest on a recent episode of the "Talk Louder" podcast, hosted by veteran music journalist "Metal Dave" Glessner and lifelong hard rock/metal vocalist Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS). Speaking about what he has been doing in the nine months since he announced that he was retiring from the music business, Thom said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I just kind of laid low the last year. I didn't really fucking do anything. I spent all this time doing all this Ellefson shit that just went in the fucking toilet. I wrote a whole another record. I got an investor to give us a ton of money to pay for 'No Cover' [the ELLEFSON band's collection of covers] and to record a whole another record [of original material]. I spent six months writing that record. I was a little disillusioned so I sort of took some time off from creativity. But now I'm slowly dipping my toe back in."

Asked if the ELLEFSON all-original album that he was working on with David will eventually see the light of day, Thom said: "Probably not, unfortunately. I had actually announced, before David's whole issues last year, literally a couple of weeks before that, on Mark Mendoza's [TWISTED SISTER] podcast, I had actually announced that [David and I] weren't working together anymore; we just kind of went our separate ways. I had heart failure a couple of years ago from all the stress and dealing with all the bullshit, and I just was done with it. I died. At that point, you start reassessing relationships and situations in your life. And that's exactly what I did. Certain things that caused me too much stress I had to sort of just move on from.

"But no, unfortunately, I really don't [think the ELLEFSON album will ever be released]," Thom continued. "And the reality is the stuff was too heavy for David. He didn't like it. David likes JOURNEY; David likes TOTO. And the record, I don't wanna say it was 'nu metal' but it was very contemporary crossed with really heavy GUNS N' ROSES. The reality is David just never really liked it. It was too contemporary for him; it was too heavy for him. David hates contemporary hard rock; it's not his thing, really. I think musically, the pages we were on were just different. A cover record you can do, 'cause you're just doing covers… I mean, it's fucking awesome — the record [we were working on] is awesome, and the songs were awesome. There were some songs on it that I wrote pretty much straight out; some of it me and him wrote together. Some of it were little parts that he had that Andy [Martongelli, guitar] put together and then I kind of pulled them apart and [reworked them]. It was a lot of work; I put a lot of work into it and a lot of money… Some of the songs, I found out, after I spent tons of money working on them, he went and redid some of them with vocals with somebody else."

Thom, who now says that his June 2021 retirement announcement was nothing more than "a venting post on Facebook," added: "Look, I'm not gonna badtalk anybody, but I moved on from that situation,. And I love that record. I love the stuff I wrote with him. It's literally some of the most brilliant shit I've ever written in my life lyrically.

"There was so much momentum and so much stuff, and David had his personal things that happened and whatever, which I never commented on and I won't. That's between him and his family."

Hazaert went on to say that he was largely responsible for overseeing EMP Label Group, which issued "No Cover" and released music from a number of other artists.

"EMP was just my THC label with a different name slapped on it and David Ellefson's credibility," he said. "It's all it was. I did all the work. I paid for everything. As much as people say it was David Ellefson's label, it was my label and you were on the label and you know that. It was a partnership, but I did the work, I kept it alive, I kept it going. And I'm not gonna lie — that's what fucking killed me. The stress and heart failure, that's where it came from, man. Just out of my love for doing this and my love for the game."

Ellefson stepped out of the public eye for several months beginning last May, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. At the time, Ellefson released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan. He also filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of him by unknown offenders. In the report, Ellefson admitted that he had been exchanging sexual text messages with a Dutch teenager, who captured a video of several of their virtual "masturbating encounters" without his consent and shared them with friends. (According to Ellefson, the woman was 19 at the time of their first virtual sexual encounter.) Within two weeks, he was fired from MEGADETH.

Two days after the videos and screenshots were initially leaked, Hazaert took to his Instagram to share a photo of him with his middle finger extended, and he included the following message: "This one goes out to the chatty fuckers trying to whisper that I had something to do with what happened to David. David Ellefson is a grown fucking man and fully and solely responsible for his own decisions and judgment. But know... #ISeeYouMotherfucker".

When one person commented under Thom's photo that David should be commended "for getting out in front of it like a real man should" and "own[ing] up to his behavior", Hazaert responded: "absolutely.. which for the record.. I actually helped him do."

Ellefson, who has lived in Scottsdale since 1994, is also an author and entrepreneur, holding the reins of EMP Label Group, Combat Records, Ellefson Coffee Co., and more, in addition to a diverse portfolio of brands and signature products. Ellefson was also inducted into the 2018 class of the Iowa Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame, just over the border from Jackson in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

"No Cover" was released in November 2020 via earMUSIC (Europe) and Ward Records (Japan). The effort was made available in conjunction with Ellefson's revived Combat Records, which issued the album in North America via Amped.

Manowar have released the live music video below for “Swords In The Wind”, filmed during the band's first-ever performance in Mexico, headlining Hell & Heaven Metal Fest on March 14, 2020.





Manowar recently released an official video trailer for the Crushing The Enemies Of Metal Anniversary Tour ’22/’23, which celebrates over forty years of true metal and anniversaries of eight immortal Manowar albums: Battle Hymns, Into Glory Ride, Fighting The World, Kings Of Metal, The Triumph Of Steel, Warriors Of The World, Gods Of War, The Lord Of Steel.




A mega-setlist will honor this unique alignment in history and cover the band’s entire career in a brand new, immersive stage production. For all tour details and ticket links, head here.

In a new interview with retired boxer David "Niño" Rodriguez, Ted Nugent was asked why he hasn't yet collaborated on music with fellow outspoken conservative rocker Kid Rock. Ted responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Kid Rock and I communicate. In fact, he plays [the Nugent song] 'Cat Scratch Fever' [in concert] every night.

"Here's a great statement. Panama City, Florida, I think, is making a very profound statement because they hired me to headline the beach bash in Panama City on Friday, April 29th, and the next night they hired Kid Rock to headline the beach bash in Panama City on Saturday, April 30th," he continued. "If they're hiring Ted Nugent and Kid Rock, what do you think they might try to convey with that? It's gonna be a flamethrower of we the people, middle fingers on fire, 'cause he is so on the money."

Nugent added: "I think being raised in the Motor City, I would like to think, since [Kid Rock] likes really soulful, pounding, grinding music — hello? — I think he might have been paying attention to Uncle Ted over the years, and that's why he's got his middle finger on fire. Because he's an entrepreneur, he has a great work ethic, he is really unbelievably creative in his art, he surrounds himself with virtuosos and other creative entrepreneurial-type individuals, So that's the world I live in, that's the world you live in, that's the world Kid Rock lives in, that's the world all the people in the asset column… People who get up early — that rush hour, pain the ass, they do it every day because they wanna be in the asset column for their family. So Kid Rock and I share that middle finger of independence. And the most important thing on the planet: critical thinking. Anything status quo or standard operating procedure must be scrutinized and you will learn to dismiss it. 'Cause everything status quo is horrible for the American Dream. And that's what Kid Rock represents."

Nugent and Kid Rock got to spend some time in the Oval Office with then-U.S. president Donald Trump in April 2017. They were joined by Sarah Palin, the former Alaskan governor and GOP vice presidential nominee, who posted photos of the visit on social media the following morning. Nugent later told the Detroit Free Press that he and Kid Rock represent a salt-of-the-earth American demographic that helped Trump land the presidency.

Nugent, an outspoken conspiracy theorist who has refused to take the vaccine, has falsely claimed that public health measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic violate the Nuremberg code, a set of medical experimentation guidelines set after World War Two, as the vaccine is "experimental."

In the past, Nugent, who battled COVID-19 last April, had referred to the virus as a "leftist scam to destroy" former U.S. president Donald Trump. He had also repeated a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggests the official death count from the coronavirus is inflated.

Nugent's new studio album, "Detroit Muscle", is due on April 29 via Pavement Music. The follow-up to 2018's "The Music Made Me Do It" was recorded with Ted's current band, which includes bassist Greg Smith and drummer Jason Hartless.

Kid Rock's new single, "We The People", features the chorus of "Let's go, Brandon," conservative code for "Fuck Joe Biden" (born when a NASCAR reporter misheard a crowd, reporting that they chanted in support of racer Brandon Brown when they were actually chanting expletives toward the U.S. president), and also takes aim at the mainstream media, CNN, TMZ, Twitter and Facebook, as well as mask mandates and COVID-19 restrictions.

During an appearance on the March 3 episode of Doug Bradley's "Down To Hell" show, SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor was asked if he has plans to write another book. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I kind of put a pause on the books about five years ago because [my last book, 2017's 'America 51'] almost killed me. It was such a gnarly, gnarly experience. But I'm actually getting the itch to do another one again. And not just another one but, like, another fun [book]."

Taylor went on to elaborate on why writing "America 51" was so unenjoyable for him. "That was very political," he said. "And I won't bore anybody with my partisan crap, but it was just the lamentations of somebody who could see that we were in for a very long four years.

"When I wrote that, it was definitely something I needed to say," he continued. "And I was, like, 'You know what? I'm never doing another politics book ever again. I don't even care.'"

When co-host Steph Sciullo pointed out that a lot of artists won't voice their opinions because they don't want to alienate any of their fans, Corey said: "But then they get so bent out of shape when people think that they're fake or they're two-dimensional. It's, like, well, if you acted like yourself, maybe people would get a chance to get to know you and they would see that you're a three-dimensional person. It's this lambastic white-bred bullshit that keeps people from enjoying what they do.

"Early on, I said I don't care if it gets me in trouble," Taylor explained. "I'm gonna speak my mind. I'm not gonna be a jerk — well, okay, I was a jerk a handful of times — but I'm not gonna censor myself. If I have an opinion about something, I'm gonna say it. And I think people find that refreshing. I know it annoys some people, but at the same time, they're, like, at least you know you're gonna get exactly what I think."

A year ago, Taylor told Matt Pinfield of 95.5 KLOS's "New & Approved" series that he was "starting to get the itch" to write his fifth book. "I've got a concept in mind," he said. "It has to do with social media and the age that we live in — the 'outrage' age. And it's starting to really kind of form in my head. I may actually write it soon. Because it's really kind of out of control out there right now.

"I was reading about how Gen Z is trying to cancel Eminem because of one line that was in a Rihanna song that he did with her," he continued. "And I'm just, like, is that where we are right now? I mean, at this point, you're talking about the Salem witch trials. You're talking about America in the '20s where the KKK was a political force. You're talking about complete condemnation without context or any rationalization for an action like that. And to me, that's [what's] most dangerous — when the mob decides that you're gone. That is Caesar at the Colosseum, for god's sakes. That's when it's dangerous. The level of censorship that we're starting to see… And I'm not saying that certain things haven't been said that easily offend people. However, the flipside of that is that you can't even make a joke anymore — even in the cleanest of situations. [People] completely turn on you. And there's not one hint of satire, there's no hint of irony — it's just all-out rage, and it's all through this [shows his smartphone]. And that's when it's really greedy, that's when it's really dirty. It can't be that way. If we can't have a conversation, how the hell are we gonna communicate. And if we can't understand the difference between metaphor and complete reality, then we're in real trouble. And that's where I'm leaning with the book."

Roughly one-third of "America 51" was dedicated to Corey's derision for President Donald Trump.

Corey previously said that "writing a book" is "quite different" from writing songs. "With a book, I could just fucking vomit from the brain," he explained. "But with music, at least for me, I like the confines of it, I like the structure. I love songs, I love getting in, being concise, getting people with a hook, blasting them... Whether it's fucking angry or melodic, and then getting out and leaving them wanting more. So, to me, the book lets me unleash it and kinda take shit to its natural end, as far as that goes. Because my brain is fucked up. So I will take that as far as it will go until I kind of sit there and go, 'I have no way to beat that to the fucking death anymore.' And I kind of go from there. So it's good to kinda have no rules, and rules. It's refreshing."

Corey, who is often referred to as the "Great Big Mouth" due to his outspoken views, told the 94.3 KILO radio station in a 2017 interview that he is not worried about possible fallout from his comments. "That's part of being an American," he explained. "I mean, nothing drives me more crazy than when somebody says to celebrities or whatever, 'Why don't you just stick to acting?' And I'm, like, 'What? Leave politics to you? Why don't you stick to writing bad reviews in your mom's basement? Just shut your mouth. I'm just as American as you are, I have every right to say what I want, and you can shove that kind of attitude straight up your ass."

In February, Taylor released a new solo album, titled "CMFB…Sides", via Roadrunner Records. "CMFB…Sides" comprises nine previously unreleased B-sides, covers of tunes that inspired Corey, acoustic renditions, and live versions.

SOIL bassist Tim King, who is promoting the debut album from his brutal old-school death metal outfit EMBRYONIC AUTOPSY, touched upon the status of his main band in a new interview with That Metal Interview. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "SOIL's still going. We just hit 25 years this January with SOIL. We've got two records' worth of material recorded which we'll put out later on this year. So that's still a major part of my life and we still do a lot with that. That's my main band and everything like that."

Back in December 2020, SOIL vocalist Ryan McCombs confirmed that he and his bandmates were working on the long-awaited follow-up to 2013's "Whole" album. He said during a Headbangers Con live virtual panel: "We just started writing here recently with the SOIL guys. So that's been a breath of fresh air for me, 'cause I've been going a little nuts not having something to write for a long time.

"Not having something to write is like an artist not having use of their hands to draw or paint, or whatever their medium is. I've never been able to play an instrument for shit, so I've always been reliant on having a good music writer, instrumentation-wise, a music writer, and I've been blessed with C.J. Pierce [during my days with DROWNING POOL] and Adam Zadel. So not having one of those guys sending me musical ideas to bounce back and forth on, I feel like an artist with no hands. So having, all of a sudden, half a dozen songs in two weeks' time to write with, I feel like a mad scientist. I feel like my legs work again; I've got hands again. It's been awesome."

Ryan also talked about how SOIL might go about releasing new music and whether putting out full-length albums makes sense anymore.

"It's been about 137 years since the last album, so we've talked ad nauseam about what could be a way of working," he said. "I think one of the things that goes against us at times is Tim being in the music business on the other side of the fence. Tim's on the label side of things as well, with Pavement, so he sees the problems that the business is having. And so it's hard for him sometimes to separate the fact of the artist and the shirt-and-tie. And so that goes against us sometimes, because, as an artist, we're just going, 'Let's write a new record. Let's write some new songs. Let's get a new record out there.' And he's the same way, but then he's gotta [look at it from the point of view of], 'What are we gonna do?' Because, at the end of the day, nobody is selling anything. Records aren't selling anymore. Hard copies, CDs aren't selling anymore — not at the numbers that they need to to make them worthwhile for printing. So that puts us into bouncing ideas off each other, and that's usually where things end up screeching to a halt. I think, actually, my dumb ass made the comment, 'Well, to begin with, we need material. Until we have material, there's no reason to worry about how you're going to release it. So let's get writing.' And that's when Tim finally [said], 'You're absolutely right.' And that's when he started writing the stuff. And now Adam's on fire about it."

In October 2019, SOIL released a "theatrical interpretation" of its song "One Love". Conceptually, SOIL wanted to do something different and interesting with the song since "One Love" originally appeared on "Whole". Indie filmmakers David Gregory (director) and James Morgan (director of photography) were tapped for the job. Filming was shot in the U.K. during SOIL's tour supporting STATIC-X.

SOIL's latest release was "Scream: The Essentials", which arrived in September 2017 via Pavement Entertainment and AFM Records. The effort celebrated the band's 20-year career and featured early recordings as well as alternate versions and mixes.

EMBRYONIC AUTOPSY's debut LP, "Prophecies Of The Conjoined", was released in February via Massacre Records.

Rudy Sarzo says that QUIET RIOT's upcoming studio album will include a song that was originally recorded with the band's founding vocalist Kevin DuBrow.

The 71-year-old musician, who recently rejoined QUIET RIOT after an 18-year absence, spoke about the possibility of fresh material from the group during an interview with the "The Rock N' Roll & Coffee Show". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've got so many songs right now. I'm really, really excited.

"We have to look at our schedule. We're gonna start working on [the new QUIET RIOT record] in the summertime. We've got a few tracks already done. And then we're just looking at what else we need to add to it.

"A lot of the tracks have [late QUIET RIOT drummer] Frankie [Banali] playing on it. As a matter of fact, we have one with Kevin singing. Every time I hear it, I get chills. Actually, it's turning into my favorite QUIET RIOT song that I've ever recorded with the band. There's a certain organic element about it. But the way that it actually came about, it's really unique."

DuBrow, who formed QUIET RIOT with guitarist Randy Rhoads in 1975, died in November 2007 of an accidental cocaine overdose.

DuBrow recorded a solo album in 2004, the all-covers set "In For The Kill", and his final studio CD with QUIET RIOT, "Rehab", came out in October 2006.

The veteran rock group's last collection of fresh material was 2019's "Hollywood Cowboys", which marked Banali's final QUIET RIOT studio album before his untimely death.

Banali, who joined QUIET RIOT in 1982 and played on its breakthrough album, 1983's "Metal Health", died in August 2020 after a 16-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

The surviving members of QUIET RIOT later said it was "Frankie Banali's wish that the band continue and we keep the music and the legacy alive."

Last year, QUIET RIOT guitarist Alex Grossi touched upon the possibility of the band making new music in an interview with "Rock Chat With Trace". He said: "There's been talk of doing a lot of new things… There could be a new album. There's definitely a lot of tracks that Frankie left behind that could be utilized for that, which is nice — that were works in progress before he got sick. All I'm gonna say is stay tuned, but there definitely will be new music from QUIET RIOT."

Rudy was one of the members of QUIET RIOT's "Metal Health" lineup. He played bass on the classic LP, which sold over ten million copies and spawned the hits "Cum On Feel The Noize" and "Metal Health" and on the follow-up record "Condition Critical".

Sarzo appeared in the most notable music videos in the MTV age and toured with the band until 1985 and again from 1997 to 2003. During his years out of the band, Sarzo was a member of OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE, DIO, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, QUEENSRŸCHE and THE GUESS WHO.

Joining Sarzo in QUIET RIOT's current lineup are Grossi, vocalist Jizzy Pearl and drummer Johnny Kelly.

Grossi was in the last version of the band, from 2004 through 2007, before DuBrow passed away, and was asked by Banali to return in 2010.

QUIET RIOT went through two vocalists — Mark Huff and Scott Vokoun — before settling on Pearl in 2013. Pearl announced his exit from QUIET RIOT in October 2016 and was briefly replaced by Seann Nichols, who played only five shows with the group before the March 2017 arrival of "American Idol" finalist James Durbin. Pearl returned to QUIET RIOT in September 2019.

For a list of upcoming QUIET RIOT shows, visit QuietRiot.Band.

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx says that the band's setlist for its upcoming tour will include "hits, deep tracks and some cool surprises."

CRÜE's long-delayed North American trek with DEF LEPPARD, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, which was originally planned for 2020 and later moved to 2021, will finally take place this summer. The tour, dubbed "The Stadium Tour", will kick off on June 16 in Atlanta, Georgia and will conclude on September 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sixx touched upon CRÜE's setlist for the upcoming run in an Instagram post earlier today (Saturday, March 12). Checking in from his home in Wyoming, Nikki shared a photo of him with his two-year-old daughter — mother is Sixx's wife of eight years, Courtney Sixx (née Bingham) — and he included the following message: "Early morning glasses club with Ruby!!-So happy to be home and missed @how2girl like crazy but I did have a successful time in LA working on new music with @fredcoury and seeing a few good friends. Great to spend the evening with @tommylee discussing #TheStadiumTour. Wait til you see the setlist. Hits,deep tracks and some cool [email protected] Look forward to seeing @thevinceneil & @mr.mickmars and the whole crew at rehearsals soon but right now we need to get back to Motown Magic and some waffles. #ItsTheWeekend #HomeSweetHome #Family #RocknRoll".

When it happens, "The Stadium Tour" will mark the CRÜE's first live dates since wrapping its 2014/2015 farewell tour. CRÜE toured with POISON back in 2011 and DEF LEPPARD teamed up with POISON for a string of road dates in 2017, but the upcoming jaunt marks the first time all four acts have hit the road together for an extended tour.

Last October, Sixx told Germany's Radio Bob! that he and his CRÜE bandmates will "start rehearsals in May" for "The Stadium Tour". "I start training in December," he said. "Now it's down to hard work, getting ready, getting the band into rehearsal.

"We rehearse really hard because we will take a song like 'Dr. Feelgood' and while we're building the show — let's just say the show is… all the lights are moving, they're green and they're slowly moving — we'll build a whole intro in and design the lights and the lasers around that," he explained. "So it's a long process and tedious. So we go to rehearsal and we might need to build in those 32 bars. And then we've gotta work with the lighting and the laser company. And then we've gotta make sure everything is organized so we get our count-ins for where we need to be onstage. So there's so much going on."

In a December 2019 interview with "Extra", CRÜE singer Vince Neil stated about his preparations for "The Stadium Tour": "There is a lot of sacrifice you have to do… from running around clubs to running around theaters to running around arenas to running around stadiums… the whole big difference, you gotta be ready for it."

CRÜE fans who shelled out for the band's 2014/2015 "farewell" tour were led to believe that the group would never return after playing its final show on December 2015 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The band touted the signing of a pre-tour "cessation of touring" agreement as cementing the fact it truly was the end of CRÜE's life on the road.

On November 18, 2019 — three years and 11 months after the band played its last show — CRÜE posted a video with Machine Gun Kelly, who portrayed Tommy Lee in the band's biopic "The Dirt", explaining that due to the band "becoming more popular than ever" and "gaining an entirely new legion of fans" in the four years they'd been off the road, the band felt the need to blow up their previous contract in order to come out of retirement.

At a press conference in Hollywood announcing the CRÜE's stadium tour, Sixx explained the band's decision to return, saying: "Honestly, I don't think any of us thought, when we were on 'The Final Tour', we would ever get back together. We weren't really getting along at that point. We had been together 35 years, and it had been a lot of years on the road. I don't think we took a lot of time for ourselves off; we were just constantly touring for all that time. And when it came to the end, we broke the band up and everybody went their own ways."

Sixx continued: "It was during the making of 'The Dirt' movie, we started working on the script, started being on the set, we started hanging out again together. And I think we really started to realize — without even talking about the music — how much we missed each other. And then that got us to go in the recording studio, which is where the whole thing always starts for all of us."

"The Dirt", a film adaptation of the CRÜE's 2001 memoir, featured four new songs recorded by the band expressly for the soundtrack.
























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Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson brought his current spoken word tour to the Palace Of Fine Arts in San Francisco, California, on March 3rd. During the Q&A portion of the show he praised original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward's talents. 


Dickinson: "I'm a massive lover of Bill Ward's drumming style; I think it's inspired. He's not really a rock drummer, he's more like a jazz drummer playing rock. And I love that kind of style. It's kind of like drums that kind of wander around the rhythm and everything else, but he's on it. He's brilliant. He's a lovely bloke as well. Slightly mad, but very nice.


"Does Black Sabbath exist without Bill Ward? I don't think Black Sabbath exist at all now. I think Sharon's (Osbourne) made sure of that."




Check out the clip here.





Split into two parts, the first section of his spoken word tour sees Bruce taking a humorous and often satirical look at the world from his own very personal perspective, treating the audience to private insights into his drive and ambition, peppered with plenty of Maiden anecdotes, and a myriad of other experiences encompassing not just the giddy heights but also the extreme lows, told first-hand in his inimitable anarchic style, punctuated with photographs and sometimes even erupting into song a-capella, to illustrate a point.


The final section of the evening is devoted entirely to a Q&A session, with the opportunity to pose questions on any subject whatsoever. As Bruce’s answers will all be completely improvised – the more left-field and quirky the question, the more interesting and compelling the response is likely to be!


Remaining Dates:


March
14 - Vancouver (New Westminster), British Columbia - Massey Theatre
16 - Victoria, British Columbia - Royal Theatre
18 - Edmonton, Alberta - Winspear Centre
20 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - Burton Cummings Theatre
21 - Calgary, Alberta - Jack Singer Concert Hall
23 - Montreal, Quebec - MTELUS
26 - Ottawa, Ontario - Algonquin Commons Theatre
27 - Quebec City, Quebec - Palais Montcalm
29 - Hamilton, Ontario - FirstOntario Concert Hall
30 - Kitchener, Ontario - Centre in the Square


On January 15, BraveWords presented a very special episode of Streaming For Vengeance, in which Bruce Dickinson joined "Metal" Tim Henderson to talk about his spoken word tour. During the 30-minute video interview, Bruce also revealed that Iron Maiden are officially getting ready behind-the-scenes to hit the road later this year in support of their latest album, Senjutsu. As well, Bruce updates us on his forthcoming solo effort that he's working on with long-time partner Roy Z, and cracks open the Trooper beer plans for 2022! Watch below:

Fan-filmed video of SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE performing the VAN HALEN classic "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" live on March 6 at the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, Florida can be seen below. Handling lead vocals on the David Lee Roth-era VH song was THE CIRCLE's Michael Anthony, who was also a member of VAN HALEN's classic lineup.

In a 2014 interview with the "Lamont And Tonelli Show", which airs on the Bay Area rock station 107.7 The Bone, Anthony was told by the radio hosts that he is such a great lead singer in his own right that he could probably front his own band. "Yeah, you know, but I don't need that kind of pressure on me," he responded. "Lead singers, they're their own breed."

He added: "It wasn't until the fourth or fifth VAN HALEN record that people would go, 'Wow! You're singing backgrounds on those records. That's not David Lee Roth.' And I go, 'Hell, no! That's not David Lee Roth.'"

Asked which classic VAN HALEN song he would pick to sing lead vocals on, if he had to choose one, Anthony said: "Ahh…. Oh my God… I sang 'Somebody Get Me A Doctor'. That actually goes over quite well. But I don't know… Man, I'd sing any of 'em. I could sing any of that crap. C'mon! I can sing it all. [Laughs]"

Back in 2013, VAN HALEN singer David Lee Roth spoke to Rolling Stone magazine about the touchy subject of Anthony potentially replacing then-VAN HALEN bassist — and Eddie Van Halen's son — Wolfgang Van Halen. He said: "Ed has his own vision, I'm assuming. We haven't really been able to speak about it and it's a disappointment, just as not having a chance for a reunion of the original band. Clearly, vocals are every bit as much a component of success as a rhythm section or a guitar solo… What we have at our fingertips is arguably one of the greatest high tenor voices ever — that was in Michael Anthony. In our tiny little corner of the universe, that voice is as identifiable as the high voice in EARTH, WIND & FIRE, as identifiable as the high voice in the BEACH BOYS. VAN HALEN is an indelicate house blend of both — that's intentionally."

In October 2011, Sammy Hagar accused VAN HALEN of using tapes of backing vocals originally done by Anthony on its 2007/2008 reunion tour, for which Anthony was replaced by Wolfgang. Hagar told Attention Deficit Delirium, "Those vocal harmonies on the last tour were Mike on tape. Mike should've reamed them for it. Wolfie don't sing like that, and Ed sure as hell don't. Go on the Internet and listen to Ed's voice live from the reunion with me. Hear him sing on 'When It's Love' and some of those songs. Ed can't sing, and his voice is shot if he can, from cigarettes and booze anyway."

Anthony and Hagar both last played with VAN HALEN on a 2004 reunion tour that ended acrimoniously. Both later claimed that Anthony was booted from VAN HALEN for maintaining a friendship and working relationship with Hagar.

A few years ago, Hagar told The Pulse Of Radio that he thinks VAN HALEN made a grave mistake leaving Anthony out of the reunion tour with Roth. "Anyone in their right mind would know if you're gonna get Roth back finally. after all these abortions they've had, you get Mikey and you do the reunion tour, what the world really was waiting for. Not just fuck it up again. It's almost like they don't care about their fans. They just want to badger them until — see how much they'll take."