Multi-Grammy-nominated rock act NOTHING MORE has released a new song, "Turn It Up Like", via Better Noise Music, giving fans a first taste of its long-awaited new studio album. Co-written by all four band members, the track is a fitting in-your-face return from the group, and with lyrics like "All my friends are dead/ They all got fucked by the internet/ All my friends are dead/ Our brain's bein' bugged by the media," it's an unapologetic sonic rejection of the divisive, digitally drowned state of the world. This sentiment is just one of many layers along the same journey explored on the new LP, set for a release later this year. The project is the highly anticipated follow-up to their 2017 album "The Stories We Tell Ourselves", which earned the band three Grammy nominations, including "Best Rock Album", and "Best Rock Song" and "Best Rock Recording" for the single "Go To War". "Turn It Up Like" is now available to stream and download across platforms. An official video for the track will premiere next week.

NOTHING MORE frontman Jonny Hawkins spoke about the inspiration behind the song in a statement, saying: "This song is a reflection of how we all felt for the last two years, online. Fear and hate have become our god."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Jody Domingue

FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins has died at the age of 50.

The band confirmed his passing in a statement earlier tonight (Friday, March 25).

"The FOO FIGHTERS family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins," read the message. "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."

FOO FIGHTERS were on tour in South America at the time of Hawkins's death and were preparing to perform in Bogota, Colombia on Friday. That show has since been canceled.

Taylor's cause of death has not been revealed.

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

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

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

Hawkins's solo project TAYLOR HAWKINS AND THE COATTAIL RIDERS released its first album in 2006, and a follow-up effort, "Get The Money", in 2019.

This story is developing and will be updated.




pic.twitter.com/ffPHhUKRT4

— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) March 26, 2022

SHINEDOWN has released a new single, "The Saints Of Violence And Innuendo". The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Planet Zero", due on April 22 via Atlantic Records.

While lead single "Planet Zero" — SHINEDOWN's record-breaking 18th No. 1 — remains in the top spot at Active Rock Radio for the fourth consecutive week, "The Saints Of Violence And Innuendo" is a frenetic-yet-massively-catchy track that takes on the platforms and institutions that don't value honesty and instead use half-truths, false narratives and innuendo to push agendas that are often not reflective of the people's best interest.

Lyrics from "The Saints Of Violence And Innuendo": "Tell me the truth / Or tell me a lie / Tell me what I've gotta say to get out of this room alive / Show me the answers / Or give me a clue / There's not enough space in the miles between me and you / Oh no / Here we go / Here come the saints of violence and innuendo / So tell me truth / Are you really surprised? / You live in a world where empathy goes to die".

"Planet Zero" and "The Saints Of Violence And Innuendo" introduce an album that sees SHINEDOWN taking on the forces that keep us divided at a time when we need to be coming together. These songs warn of the dangerous dehumanizing consequences of cancel culture run rampant — if we shut each other down, we risk losing empathy, respect for one another, and our ability to communicate and unify in a way that leads to actual progress and understanding. "Planet Zero" is an incisive look at some of society's most critical issues, including the increasingly toxic division among those of differing ideologies, the need for honesty in our public discourse, and the corrosive effects of social media and cancel culture on mental health and humanity. Part social commentary and part in-depth exploration of the human psyche, there is also hope, triumph, and reminders that we all need one another. After all, it is the band's impassioned striving for unity that has long been at the heart of their creative output.

The high-concept, ultra-vivid, viscerally charged album was produced by SHINEDOWN's Eric Bass (who also helmed the band's 2018 acclaimed album "Attention Attention") and recorded at Bass's newly built Big Animal Studio in South Carolina. "Planet Zero" matches its immersive world-building and takedown of authoritarianism with a deliberately unvarnished sound. The album is spliced with interludes featuring Cyren, an insidious and unsettling robot character that appears throughout the "Planet Zero" journey. While a raw ferocity fuels much of "Planet Zero" on tracks like "The Saints Of Violence" and "Innuendo", "No Sleep Tonight", and "America Burning", there is also hope, triumph, and reminders that we all need one another on songs like "Daylight", "Dysfunctional You", and "A Symptom Of Being Human". After all, it is the band’s impassioned drive for unity that has long been at the heart of their creative output and deeply informed the making of "Planet Zero".

SHINEDOWN will kick off "The Revolution's Live" tour beginning April 1, propelled by the undeniable power of singer Brent Smith's voice and their biggest stage production yet. Following this April and May run with special guests THE PRETTY RECKLESS and DIAMANTE, SHINEDOWN will head to Daytona Beach for Welcome To Rockville 2022 where they'll headline Saturday, May 21 alongside GUNS N' ROSES and RISE AGAINST. In June, SHINEDOWN will head overseas for a European run featuring festival appearances at Rock Im Park and Rock Am Ring in Germany, Download festival in the U.K. and Hellfest in France along with select shows with IRON MAIDEN. The band will then embark on a run of Canadian dates beginning in July with support from POP EVIL and AYRON JONES.

SHINEDOWN recently announced a new summer/fall 2022 U.S. tour in support of "Planet Zero". The trek, with support from JELLY ROLL and John Harvie, will kick off on September 3 in Kansas City, Missouri and end on October 8 in Anaheim, California. SHINEDOWN will also perform at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California on October 9.

Photo credit: Sanjay Parikh

Austrian symphonic metal masters, Edenbridge, recently announced their worldwide signing with powerhouse label AFM Records.


The band is currently gearing up for the release of their eleventh studio album, entitled Shangri-La, and today reveal the artwork and tracklisting. The cover, below, was designed by Nazia K. Muhammad.







Tracklisting:


"At First Light"
"The Call Of Eden"
"Hall Of Shame"
"Savage Land"
"Somewhere Else But Here"
"Freedom Is A Roof Made Of Stars"
"Arcadia (The Great Escape)"
"The Road To Shangri-La"
"The Bonding (Part 2)"
"The Bonding Overture"
"Alpha And Omega"
"The Eleventh Hour"
"Round And Round"
"The Timeless Now – Finale"


Tomorrow, Friday, March 25, the band will release the first single and lyric video from the album, "Somewhere Else But Here". The song will be available to stream and download on the digital platform of your choice. The video and single cover was designed by the band's drummer, Johannes.

Not even a year after the release of their critically acclaimed and worldwide successful studio album "Call Of The Wild", POWERWOLF have unleashed a new, energetic single, "Sainted By The Storm". On the new song, the band combines each member's strengths to form a powerful future hit — a song that once again underlines POWERWOLF's status as one of the leading bands in the genre.

POWERWOLF comments on the new single: "We would like to thank you all for your fantastic support with the release of a brand new song! It's been less than a year since we released our new album, 'Call Of The Wild', and it's rather unusual for us to follow up so soon, but we miss you all and were overwhelmed by your comments and feedback not only on the last album but also on our streaming event 'The Monumental Mass', despite the lack of live shows and the opportunity to see each other again and celebrate a furious metal mass together! Enjoy 'Sainted By The Storm'. This one is for you, wolves!”

The epic and very detailed cover artwork is once again created by Zsofia Dankova, who has been creating all of the band's artworks during the last years.

"Sainted By The Storm" is available in strictly limited CD digipak as well as digitally. As a special bonus, an orchestral version of the song, as well as an instrumental version is available in all formats.

The story of POWERWOLF, beginning in 2004, reads like a true fairytale, but is the result of the most hard-working and entertaining live band on the heavy metal planet. POWERWOLF has not only received plenty of gold and platinum awards to date, but numerous releases have entered the official German album charts at the top position of No. 1. With "Blessed & Possessed" (2015), POWERWOLF achieved gold status (in the Czech Republic) for the first time, while its predecessor, "Preachers Of The Night" (2013), hit the official German album charts at No. 1, and the incredible DVD, "The Metal Mass" (2016), came in at No. 1 of the German DVD chart. POWERWOLF's latest magnum opus, "The Sacrament Of Sin" (2018), again entered the album charts at No. 1. The accompanying, almost completely sold-out "Wolfsnächte" headline tour — in which POWERWOLF headlined large venues with their phenomenal stage performances — became a single major triumph, as well as the numerous summer festival shows in which crowds were thrilled and completely captivated by the wolves and their unique, (un)holy metal mass. In the end of 2021, POWERWOLF celebrated "The Monumental Mass" — a streaming event that set new standards. With the new studio album, "Call Of The Wild", and the upcoming tour charging through the largest halls in Europe, the whole world is completely under the sign of the wolf pack once again.

POWERWOLF is:

Attila Dorn - vocals

Falk Maria Schlegel - organ

Charles Greywolf - guitar

Matthew Greywolf - guitar

Roel van Helden - drums

Photo credit: Matteo Vdiva Fabbiani / VDPICTURES

Dutch powerhouse singer Floor Jansen has just released a new solo single, "Fire", via ADA, the division of Warner Music Group dedicated to independent label and artist distribution.

Jansen is best known as the frontwoman in the multi-million selling and internationally successful symphonic metal band NIGHTWISH. As part of the band, Jansen has landed two number one albums in Finland, and Top Five albums in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

Born in the Netherlands, Jansen joined her first band, one of the world's first symphonic metal bands, AFTER FOREVER, when she was only 16 years old. The group went on to release five albums from 2000 to 2007, before they broke up in 2009.

Jansen's next band, REVAMP, released two albums in 2010 and 2013, before she joined NIGHTWISH as a full-time member. NIGHTWISH's first album with Jansen as the lead singer was 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", which landed in Top 10s around the world. This was followed by 2020's "Human. :II: Nature." , which was also an international success.

Jansen has toured extensively with the band and appeared on three of NIGHTWISH's live albums "Showtime, Storytime", "Vehicle Of Spirit" and "Decades: Live In Buenos Aires".

In 2019, Jansen participated in the popular Dutch TV show "Beste Zangers" where she scored a big hit with "Phantom Of The Opera" together with Henk Poort. She was recognized with a Dutch Popprijs award — a prestigious accolade for artists that has made important contributions to Dutch music. In the same year, her first solo tour sold out in less than 24 hours.

Jansen said: "I'm delighted to partner with ADA as I move into this exciting phase of my career and start my journey as a solo artist. ADA is the perfect partner to help me reach as many people around the world as possible, while staying true to my indie roots."

Sander Stijnen, head of A&R and ADA Benelux, added: "Floor has one of the most iconic voices and is a true legend in the music industry. I'm so happy we can work on her solo material, which has seen her grow and develop as an artist and songwriter. I think people are going to be blown away with the direction she's taken with her new music."

Less than two months ago, the 41-year-old Dutch-born singer, who made her live debut with NIGHTWISH nearly a decade ago, stated about the musical direction of "Fire": "It's a pop song, so it's not metal, it's not rock, but it's definitely me." Jansen went on to explain that the track will not necessarily be representative of all the new solo music she has been working on in recent months. "I guess it's more of a mash-up [of styles] actually," she said, referring to her upcoming collection of solo material, "though it's not so extreme as in genres, like all of a sudden it becomes… Here's a metal song and here's a rock song and this is more poppy… I mean, pop music — the word of it — [it's short for] popular music, and it kind of describes a lot, and within that it falls. I can only say that it's not metal and it's not rock, but it will have its influences and it will have a part of the sound. It can't even be so that the first song is how everything else will sound like because, yeah, if you know NIGHTWISH and also for us, it's always so hard to pick just one song that's gonna be like the kick-off of an album but it can never really represent everything. And I guess it's the same for this first song that comes on the 25th of March."

Last summer, Floor said during an appearance on the "Breaking Absolutes With Peter Orullian" podcast that she had been working on a solo album since shortly before the beginning of the pandemic. "And it really kickstarted my own creativity that I haven't really been able to use over the years," she said. "It's nice that it gets out. And I would like to do more of that and actually finish that album and make those steps and find a way to combine a solo career with NIGHTWISH and my life at home, which I even more value after spending so much time here in this green heaven [in Sweden] where I live."

Jansen discussed the prospect of making a solo album during a 2020 interview with Metal Hammer magazine. At the time, she said: "After 20 years of rock and metal, I think I would like to do something else. I don't mean stop with NIGHTWISH, but something alongside it.

"I was recently involved in a TV show in my home country in the Netherlands [reality TV show 'Beste Zangers', which translates to 'Best Singers']. That really inspired me to start writing, and the stuff that has come out is very calm.

"I would love to make an album where less actually is more. Something different — not because I'm bored, but because if you are already in one of the biggest bands in your own genre, and you have someone like Tuomas Holopainen as a songwriter, I don't really see that I'd be adding anything by making another metal album myself."

Earlier in 2020, Jansen spoke about a possible musical direction for her solo album during an Instagram Live chat. She said: "I cannot imagine it would be rock or metal — just because rock now I've done, and metal I've done a lot. And I'm already in one of the best bands, I think, that are out there, in my opinion, to my taste. Plus, if you're in a band with a songwriter such as Tuomas Holopainen, it's a little bit hard to come up with something — anything — better, I would say, and I only say that out of love and respect for him. Plus, after 20 years of metal, wouldn't it be lovely to do something completely different for me? That's how I feel."

Jansen performed live with NIGHTWISH for the first time on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon. Jansen officially joined NIGHTWISH in 2013.

This year will see Jansen become the Dutch ambassador for Record Store Day on April 23, as well as participate in Germany's "Sing Meinen Song".

Swedish extreme tech-metal pioneers MESHUGGAH have released "I Am That Thirst", the second single from their upcoming ninth studio album, "Immutable".

Due on April 1 via Atomic Fire, the follow-up to 2016's "The Violent Sleep Of Reason" was recorded at Sweetspot Studios in Halmstad, Sweden; mixed by Rickard Bengtsson and Staffan Karlsson; and mastered by multiple Grammy Award winner Vlado Meller (METALLICA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, SYSTEM OF A DOWN). Visionary artist Luminokaya once again created the stunning cover artwork.

Full of surprises and yet instantly recognizable as the work of metal's most idiosyncratic force, "Immutable" redefines and redesigns the MESHUGGAH sound across more than an hour of the most stimulating and absorbing music the band has ever made. Despite the challenges of the last couple of years, the progressive principles that have always informed their artistic efforts remain as cherished as ever. As we spiral towards a dystopian future, MESHUGGAH still stand alone.

For guitarist Mårten Hagström, the task of embarking on another unprecedented tech-metal odyssey was impossible to resist. "For us, it wasn't all that clear that we were making a new album," he said. "We knew we could do it, but did we want to do it? We had to decide, are we doing this or what else are we doing? After a long, long discussion, we agreed on certain things. We would make an album with as few restraints as possible. We would go in and try to make as cool an album as possible, have no anxiety about it and see it as an opportunity. How do we make this a challenge that we feel like accepting and rising up to? Pretty quickly we had a starting point. Everybody started to write, the ball started rolling and suddenly we were sitting there, discussing how many songs we were going to have to cut."

Regarding the "Immutable" title, Hagström said: "The title fits perfectly for where we are as a band. We're older now. Most of us are in our fifties now, and we've settled into who we are. Even though we've been experimenting all along, I also think we've been the same since day one. The way we approach things and why we still make new albums, and why we still sound the way we do, it's immutable. Humanity is immutable, too. We commit the same mistakes over and over. And we are immutable. We do what we do, and we don't change."

The most inventive and creative metal band of the last 30 years and one of the most widely revered, MESHUGGAH has been standard bearers for forward-thinking creativity in heavy music throughout their illustrious careers. Over the course of more than 30 years and eight studio albums, Sweden's widely worshipped progressive mavens have consistently redefined what it means to be heavy, while exhibiting a ferocious intelligence that belies the crushing weight of their riffs. From the ground-breaking savagery of 1995's "Destroy Erase Improve" to the psychedelic tech-splorations of "CatchyThirtyThree", and on to the streamlined grotesquery of "ObZen" and "Koloss", MESHUGGAH has always been way ahead of the game and plainly without peer.

In October 2020, MESHUGGAH drummer Tomas Haake confirmed to Knotfest.com's "Mosh Talks With Beez" that the band had spent much of the downtime during the COVID-19 pandemic working on fresh material.

Regarding the musical direction of the new MESHUGGAH songs, Tomas said: "Of course, we have a certain framework that we still wanna sound like MESHUGGAH, we wanna have that signature sound, we want people to be able to — even if they haven't heard the song [before] — in the best-case scenario, it's, like, 'Oh, that's gotta be MESHUGGAH,' even if it's a brand new thing. So hopefully that's something we're aiming at. But with that said, as far as the music goes, we try to [do] kind of the opposite of what AC/DC has been doing for 40 years. So we're not trying to write the same album over and over. And whether we succeed with that or not, that's more up to our fans and other people, but that's definitely the aim. We try our best to kind of find new grips within the framework of what we're supposed to be, I guess. 'Cause we don't wanna really step out of that either. We're not looking to be another band all of a sudden or something that we haven't been or that is not true to kind of what we're doing."

"Immutable" track listing:

01. Broken Cog

02. The Abysmal Eye

03. Light The Shortening Fuse

04. Phantoms

05. Ligature Marks

06. God He Sees In Mirrors

07. They Move Below

08. Kaleidoscope

09. Black Cathedral

10. I Am That Thirst

11. The Faultless

12. Armies Of The Preposterous

13. Past Tense

MESHUGGAH is:

Jens Kidman - Vocals

Mårten Hagström - Guitars

Dick Lövgren - Bass

Fredrik Thordendal - Guitars

Tomas Haake - Drums

Glenn Tipton says that Kenneth "K.K." Downing never approached any the members of JUDAS PRIEST about rejoining the band before the launch of the "Firepower" world tour.

K.K. left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties." Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

In a recent issue of Guitar World, Tipton reflected on Downing's decision to leave PRIEST more than a decade ago, saying: "We spoke about what was probably going to be our farewell tour, and then Ken quit. Nothing could have been worse because after you play for all those years, you plan your farewell tour to sign off in a good way. All of a sudden, Ken quit and we didn't know what to do. It was a nightmare. It was only when we found Richie [Faulkner] that we realized we could go on and play the tour and then more."

Tipton went on to say that he found some of Downing's accusations surprising.

"He left the band," Glenn said. "We couldn't convince him to stay. And then he accused me of taking six years off to write two solo albums. I only did the solo albums because we were inactive at the time while Rob [Halford, vocals] was doing his solo things."

When the interviewer brought up Downing's claim that he was hurt that he wasn't asked to rejoin when Tipton announced his retirement from touring, Glenn said: "He never approached any of the band and asked to rejoin, so for all we knew, he didn't want to rejoin. He said he wanted to leave the band and then leave the music industry. He told us he was desperate for a new kind of life.

"Right before we got Richie, Ian [Hill, PRIEST bassist] said, 'If you really want to come back, you'd better come back now' because we were moving on. But he didn't do anything. He didn't ask to come back. And then after he was out, he said all sorts of ridiculous things. He tried to take credit for just about everything — the stage clothes, the image, the songwriting. He refers to them as his songs.

"He's got to be joking," Tipton added. "Everybody knows who wrote the songs, and that's being kind. But whatever the case was, we've always made it clear that all of the decisions we made were made by the band as a whole, without exception. If anyone doesn't agree with something, it isn't used. That's the way we've always worked."

The 70-year-old Downing, who wrote about his departure from PRIEST in his 2018 autobiography, "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest", said last year that he was unhappy with the band's live performances toward the end because Glenn "used to have too many beers before and during the concerts at the time. And I don't know what was going on. We had words about it. But musically, we weren't as footsure as I felt I wanted to be. I wasn't really happy with that. It was rock and roll. It's one of those things — it's rock and roll, or you're a band that really wants to lock it in tight. And that's what I used to get off on musically — was being really solid and locked in with those kick drums. You're either Keith Richards, and he's got a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other but you're still playing the guitar, or you're really digging deep."

In the Guitar World interview, Tipton dismissed Downing's claims as "silly". "Everyone knows it's not true," he said. "Like I said, the fans aren't stupid and they've seen me for 50 years playing around the world. I may have had a couple of beers onstage, but that's all. It's never affected the concert or my performance whatsoever and he knows that."

Tipton went on to say that he "used to piece [Downing's] leads together" in the studio. "I did a lot of editing to make his lead breaks worthwhile," he said.

"I would never have talked about Ken that way," he continued. "It's just that his accusations have gotten sillier and sillier — and I deserve to respond. He left the band. We couldn't convince him to stay. And then he accused me of taking six years off to write two solo albums. I only did the solo albums because we were inactive at the time while Rob [Halford, vocals] was doing his solo things."

Four years ago, Downing spoke in more detail about why he thinks Glenn's playing during JUDAS PRIEST's live concerts had deteriorated toward the end of his tenure with the band.

"Glenn, bless him, obviously. Not as though people would particularly notice, but there were times when it was noticeable. I do say in the book, I think there were times in the '80s Glenn would — I don't know — party too hard," K.K. said. "But that's his choice. It's rock and roll, and I'm not one to actually condone how people do it, how they do their show. I mean, it's rock and roll — lots of people go out there with a bottle of Jack Daniel's in their hands, or whatever they do. But there were times before — many times — and it made us all feel nervous, that Glenn was just more of a rock and roll party guy where the rest of us were… I would get nervous about my performance ability. I would wanna play perfectly every single night, and that was me — that was how I do it. Obviously, later on, Glenn [would enjoy his] beers, and that's harmless enough, but, after a point, it starts to affect the show a little bit. And I was getting nervous, the other guys were nervous. When Ripper [singer Tim Owens] was in the band, he was nervous. It's no different… I mean, if you're in a car with a couple of mates, and the driver is the only one that's been drinking, and he's still having a few swigs in the car, do you prefer it not to be happening if he's got your life in his hands? Well, if someone's got the gig in their hands, that's kind of how it feels — [it made us] a bit insecure; that's all. And it just wasn't for me. That was the main thing. And it just didn't help me enjoy the shows. If I'm nervous, it doesn't help me enjoy the show. I wanna listen to the music being absolutely precision — everybody locked into those kick drums and snare — and that's how I liked it… Everybody makes mistakes and everybody can be a bit sloppy at times if they're a bit tired and they're not feeling great. But if it's self-induced, then that's not right — it's what I think. It's a little bit selfish and inconsiderate, and I will say that now. But it's not to say that rock and roll is not rock and roll; it's a difficult one for me. But that, with a lot of other things that were going on, tipped me over the edge. If I had rode through that storm, I would probably still be on stage now. But who knows? It is what it is. If you fall out with your girlfriend, or if she falls out with you, if it's not reconciled fairly quickly, somebody could find a different partner and they get used to that different partner, and that's what happened. So, [it's] sad, really, in a way. I was the one guy… I'd never done a solo career — I never wanted do. I never wanted to have my own web site; never wanted to sell my own merchandise on the back of PRIEST. I was totally dedicated."

In "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest", Downing wrote that he told Tipton and PRIEST co-manager Jayne Andrews that he had "hated" them both "since 1985." Last year, he explained his outburst to Classic Rock magazine: "I was angry. Glenn had formed a relationship with Jayne from day one, and it felt a bit like a John-and-Yoko situation. I didn't like that."

Downing has called Faulkner his "clone" and revealed that he "never found" Tipton "to be particularly easy to get along with. Very early on, I was fully aware of the limited conditions under which he operated," K.K. wrote in his book. "If you were going to relate to him, you would do so entirely on his ter

In an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone, Grammy-nominated band SUM 41 has shared a first look at the details of its upcoming eighth studio album. Vocalist Deryck Whibley revealed that the double album, titled "Heaven And Hell", is shaping up to be the most ambitious of the band's career; half of the album, "Heaven", brings SUM 41 back to its pop punk roots, while the other half, "Hell", is strictly metal.

"As I listened to almost all of [the newly written songs], it just kind of dawned on me. Did I just make a double record on accident?" Whibley recalled.

Regarding the inspiration for the metal half of the album, Whibley said: "Some of the metal stuff comes with a lot of anger for people who have stolen from me and hurt me in the past." As for the pop-punk aspect of the new record, he shared: "It all made sense to me why pop-punk is coming back: it's feel-good music. There's something that’s happy about it. Something young and innocent and free."

As previously reported, SUM 41 will join forces with SIMPLE PLAN for the "Blame Canada" tour, their upcoming two-part, full U.S. co-headline run. Fans will be able to join in as the bands commemorate their debut records, with SUM 41 performing "All Killer No Filler" in full and SIMPLE PLAN performing "No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls". The first leg kicks off on April 29 and features special guest SET IT OFF.

SUM 41's storied 24-plus-year career includes over 15 million records sold worldwide, multiple Billboard-charting releases, a Grammy Award nomination, two Juno Awards (seven nominations), a Kerrang! Award in 2002, as well as multiple Alternative Press Music Awards.

SUM 41 photo credit: Ashley Osborne

In a new interview with Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic, URIAH HEEP guitarist Mick Box spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the legendary progressive rockers' 26th album. "[We worked with] the same producer, Jay Ruston, who did our last album, [2018's] 'Living The Dream', that was accepted by our fans and media alike, saying it was one of the best of our career," he said. "So we used Jay again. It was fantastic. He came over to England. We recorded it in the same studio — same thing. Band in the studio playing together. We hardly used a click track — just go for it as a band. We've just okayed the mixes, so we've got that done now. And of course now we've gotta do the cover, all the artwork, which takes a long time anyway. The process is I usually come up with the title — normally — and then once everyone's agreed, then we'll give it to an artist and then we'll start [exchanging] ideas and sending it back and forth. And then we'll do the booklet and everything and give it to the record company. Then, to be honest, it's in their hands. Because it's the music business, and we've done the music, and they'll do the business — they'll decide when best to release it to get the benefits they're looking for, for their investment."

Last month, Box told Danny Stoakes that URIAH HEEP won't play any new songs on tour before the upcoming album is released. "We'd not be allowed to by the record company, as much as we would be tempted," he explained. "In today's market, let's put it this way, if we play a [new] song on stage, before I've got the jeans off and showered and poured a drink, it's recorded and up on YouTube and Facebook and everything else… So it's highly unlikely — for those reasons. I mean, for us, we'd play them all. But sometimes your hands are tied for a reason. And the record company, they come in and allow us to go in and record and do that, so you have to play ball with them."

"Living The Dream" was released in September 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl. The LP was helmed by Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR and STEEL PANTHER, among others.

Box is the original guitarist and sole remaining founding member of URIAH HEEP. He, vocalist Bernie Shaw and keyboardist/vocalist Phil Lanzon have formed the nucleus of the band for more than 35 years and released 17 albums together.

URIAH HEEP debuted in 1970 with the release of one of hard rock's milestones, "Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble", and has since sold in excess of 40 million albums worldwide. They constantly tour the world, playing up to 125 shows a year to more than 500,000 fans. The band's live set features the classic tracks from the '70s and is a musical journey from the band's beginnings to the present day.

URIAH HEEP is:

Mick Box - Lead Guitar/Vocals

Phil Lanzon - Keyboards/Vocals

Bernie Shaw - Lead Vocals

Dave Rimmer - Bass Guitar/Vocals

Russell Gilbrook - Drums, Percussion

In a new interview with Minnesota's 93X radio station, ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell was asked if he pays attention to what online detractors have to say about him or his music. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "You're not gonna get very far if [you are bothered by] somebody that you don't know that doesn't play music who doesn't particularly get what you do thinks you suck. [Laughs] I'm, like, 'Fuck you. Whatever. I don't know you. You don't know me.' I think rather than focusing on the one dissenting voice, you might look at the 99 others who are digging it. So that's where I kind of keep my focus.

"I don't really spend a whole lot of time reading press — good or bad, 'cause I just don't think it's really a healthy thing to do," he explained. "I'm human, so, of course, I see some shit like that, and I'll fucking fill the need once in a while to check something out. But just in general, I kind of try to stay away from that stuff. I'm not doing it for somebody else's approval anyway, initially. Of course, you want people to like your music, and if you've got an audience, you don't wanna fucking take an awkward left turn somewhere and throw somebody, like, 'What the hell is this?' You want your audience that you've come to find and they found you. But the litmus test, in my band, has always been if we dig it. We're making records for us; we're writing songs for us. And if we dig it, collectively, and we're proud enough to put it out there, there's probably a good chance that somebody else is gonna dig it too. So that way it doesn't matter what anybody says — good or bad — about it; you're good. I feel right with myself and it's a good piece of work. And only you and a handful of people actually went through that whole journey — nobody else. So it's an ode to me and to the folks that I made the record with — any record that I've been on; that's kind of part of the coolness of it. It's also kind of exclusive."

Jerry's latest solo album, "Brighten", came out last October.

Cantrell is preparing to hit the road in North America in support of "Brighten". The trek will kick off on March 24 at the Palace Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota and make stops in major cities such as Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, Nashville, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle and Los Angeles, to name a few.

To make this tour even more attractive for fans, Jerry recently announced special VIP event packages at each show that offer fans tiered selections of exclusive experiences. These experiences include a meet-and-greet and photo opp with Jerry, personal autographed items of your choice, premium merch items, and at the top tier, a signed official "Atone" Gibson JC Signature Acoustic guitar. The guitar includes a letter of authenticity. Packages start at $100 all the way to $5,500, which includes the Gibson guitar.

Jerry's band for the tour will consist of Tyler Bates (guitar), Greg Puciato (backing vocals), Gil Sharone (drums), George Adrian (bass), Michael Rozon (pedal steel) and Jason Achilles (keyboards). The set will include songs from "Brighten" along with favorite hits from Jerry's catalog.

"Brighten" has received praise from critics, including Kerrang!, which called it a "vivid, contemporary self-portrait of one of the most distinctive voices in hard rock. A long-overdue show of individual brilliance." Classic Rock proclaimed it "his best yet. The work of a songwriter who is happy within his life, it spans a broad arc of styles." The Sun commented: "A rich, organic album... 'Brighten' is brilliant."

"Brighten" is Jerry's first project without ALICE IN CHAINS in 19 years. Co-produced with film composer Tyler Bates and Paul Fig (longtime engineer), the LP got its beginnings just before the pandemic hit. They welcomed a dynamic cast of supporting players, including Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on select bass tracks, Puciato contributing to backing vocals and drummers Sharone and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Paul McCartney). Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) handled the mixing of "Brighten".

Jerry's new effort marks his first full-length release since "Degradation Trip", the epic solo album he made in 2002 with future METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo and FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin.

Jerry's career outside of ALICE IN CHAINS has consisted of two previous solo albums and contributions to major film soundtracks. Cantrell's first solo album, "Boggy Depot", was released in 1998, followed by his second album, the aforementioned "Degradation Trip". In addition to his solo artist work, Jerry has released music on soundtracks for several films, including "Spider-Man", "The Cable Guy", "John Wick 2", "Last Action Hero" and "The Punisher".

ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, "Rainier Fog", in August 2018.

DRAGONFORCE guitarist Herman Li spoke to Finland's Chaoszine about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's next studio album. He said: "We've got a lot of music written. We haven't recorded it. So we're actually gonna look for a new record deal at the moment to do it.

"We don't do music for money, so we only release stuff when we want to and it sounds good," he explained. "We're not on a hamster wheel: 'You've gotta release an album every two years.' It's hard to be creative when you just force yourself to make good music, and every artist knows.

"We don't just make music now; we're content creators at the same time. We have a pause on YouTube at the moment, but we were posting every week before that. So if you want something — an art form; I don't know if you can call YouTube 'art form' — if you want something from us, there's always something coming from DRAGONFORCE, even if it's not new music. Right now you're getting [backstage and behind-the-scenes footage from] the shows [on our U.S. tour on our Twitch channel].

"When it comes, it'll be a good album that we'll be proud of," he added.

DRAGONFORCE is currently on the road in North America with FIREWIND, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS and SEVEN SPIRES.

DRAGONFORCE is continuing to tour in support of its eighth full-length, "Extreme Power Metal", which came out in September 2019. Produced in Los Angeles, California by Damien Rainaud at Mix Unlimited, the LP was also recorded, in part, on Li's livestream channel on Twitch with participation from the fans.

DRAGONFORCE's platinum-selling single "Through The Fire And Flames" brought the London-based Grammy-nominated extreme power metal group international acclaim and was featured as the most challenging song on "Guitar Hero III".

In March 2019, the "Through The Fire And Flames" music video reached a new milestone: it surpassed one hundred million views on YouTube — DRAGONFORCE's first music video to do so.

"Through The Fire And Flames" is the leadoff track from 2006's "Inhuman Rampage" album, which was officially certified gold in July 2017 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of half a million copies.

DRAGONFORCE's 2020 European and North American tour dates marked the band's first with new bassist and backing vocalist Alicia Vigil (VIGIL OF WAR), who joined DRAGONFORCE in January of that year.

In August 2019, DRAGONFORCE parted ways with longtime bassist Frédéric Leclercq. He has since joined German thrashers KREATOR.