HEART's Ann Wilson says that she offered to audition to become the vocalist of a new project featuring LED ZEPPELIN members.

Back in 2008, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were looking for a way to keep working following LED ZEPPELIN's incredible one-off performance at the O2 Arena in London in December 2007.

Although there were rumors of staggering sums being offered to the group for a full tour, singer Robert Plant elected to continue with his solo career instead.

Page has not divulged the full list of singers who jammed with him, Jones and drummer Jason Bonham, but ALTER BRIDGE frontman Myles Kennedy has publicly acknowledged rehearsing with the group, as has AEROSMITH's Steven Tyler.

Now, in a new interview with Liz Barnes, host of Planet Rock 's "My Planet Rocks", Ann revealed that she "threw [her] hat in the ring” when she heard Page and Jones were looking for a new singer almost 15 years ago. She made the comment while discussing "The Battle Of Evermore", the only LED ZEPPELIN track to feature a guest vocalist.

"Yeah, it's such a boy's club," Ann said. "ZEPPELIN always was a boy's club. I know that because there was a minute when the rumor was that they were auditioning singers and I just threw my hat in the ring. I went, 'I'm here!’ and it was crickets," she added, using the term that means absolute silence or no communication.

When Liz commented that LED ZEPPELIN should have at least said, "Come on in, Ann, and let's do a few numbers", Ann responded: "Who knows what went on there? But anyway, who would want to hire somebody that could sing just like Plant? I don't think that's what they were into, you know? I don't think they want it to be a caricature of LED ZEPPELIN."

Back in December 2012, Ann and her sister, HEART guitarist Nancy Wilson, delivered a moving rendition of "Stairway To Heaven", LED ZEPPELIN's signature song, at the Kennedy Center Honors. They were joined by Jason Bonham, son of original drummer John and the drummer for LED ZEPPELIN's 2007 reunion show. Their version of the track gradually grew to include a string section, a horde of backup singers and the Joyce Garrett Youth Choir. Page, Plant and Jones sat watching from the balcony and were visibly moved, particularly Plant, who had tears welling up in his eyes.

Despite the fact that both Tyler and Kennedy had gone public about their time working with the ZEP members, it seems that the majority of the work was done before any vocalist entered the picture. Back in 2017, Page explained to Classic Rock: "Certainly for Jason, myself, and John Paul Jones; Robert had his Alison Krauss project to promote. It seemed the right thing to go in and start playing new material. I thought we really should play to our strengths here, which was the music. But there were a lot of movements to bring in singers and do this, that and the other. And that would've changed the character too early from what we were doing. I won't say there was pressure, but there was a lot of hinting about this singer and that singer. For me it was more a question of, let's see what we can really do. And I don't think we got a chance to do that. Of course we would've played LED ZEPPELIN material, but you want to be playing some really, really good new music beforehand."

Jones added that once it was clear that Plant was not going to be joining the exploratory rehearsals featuring the new material, it was never going to be merely a LED ZEPPELIN project with a new lead singer. "Not at all," he said. "That's a total misunderstanding. I said, 'Of course, if we go out (on the road), we're going to have to do some ZEPPELIN numbers.' And there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, we rehearsed 'Carouselambra' (from 'In Through The Out Door'), which we've never done live before, and we had a bunch of new material done. But Jimmy and I couldn't agree on singers. . . I quite liked Myles Kennedy. He's got the range, but his voice is completely different than Robert's. Which was fine by me, because it was going to be a completely different band. But it didn't work out and we all moved on."

This past December, MESHUGGAH announced that it was postponing its previously announced U.S. tour, originally planned for early 2022, to September/October 2022. At the time, the Swedish extreme tech-metal pioneers said that they needed "to prioritize the physical health of one of the band members who is currently undergoing medical treatment related to a skin condition on his hands, hindering him from rehearsals and from all in all playing his instrument."

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, MESHUGGAH drummer Tomas Haake opened up about his ailment, saying: "I have this eczema inside my hands. I've got to tape up all my fingers and put on gloves just to mess around on the kit, even. That means I haven't really touched the drums since we recorded the album, and that was, like, early April. So I'm almost a year out, without even hitting a drum."

According to Haake, he's been suffering from the condition for nearly two years and he has yet to get any clear answers from any of his doctors. "I've been to so many specialists and dermatologists about this at this point and they're all, like, 'Huh?' They say it looks like contact eczema, but we've ruled that out because I've done all the tests that you can do, as far as anything that I might come in contact with. It goes up and down, but it's a bummer, for sure, whether you're a drummer or not. I mean, we all need our hands to function for daily life."

Tomas added that his "hands are bumming me out, man. I try to stay positive about things like this and not allow myself to just get all depressed over it," he said. "It is what it is. We'll see if some new doctor has something important to tell me that helps me clear this up. But, yeah, I mean, if not, I will still have to play."

MESHUGGAH's ninth studio album, "Immutable", will be released 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 cover artw

GRETA VAN FLEET guitarist Jake Kiszka has been hospitalized with pneumonia.

The band shared the news of the musician's diagnosis earlier today on social media following yesterday's announcement that it was postponing its remaining two Michigan concerts on the "Dreams In Gold" world tour.

GRETA VAN FLEET postponed last night's Flint concert and tonight's Ypsilanti show last night's Flint concert after revealing that Jake and singer Josh Kiszka had woken up with a non-COVID-related illness. The band later issued an update, saying that while Josh has mostly recovered, Jake Kiszka's condition has worsened to the point he had to be hospitalized.

"Jake's diagnosis is more complex," GRETA VAN FLEET said in a statement. "What started as a small cough on Tuesday rapidly progressed overnight requiring his admission to the hospital yesterday. The last 24 hours have been arduous as doctors were unsure of the exact illness. Fortunately, after further evaluation, they are confident in their diagnosis of pneumonia and an optimal course of treatment has been determined."

The group has now also postponed Saturday's concert in Huntington, West Virginia until August 10. The Flint gig will take place on September 13 and Ypsilanti on September 13.

GRETA VAN FLEET launched its U.S. tour on March 10 at the Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

The band supported METALLICA on February 25 in Las Vegas and recently announced two additional dates with the California metal giants.

GRETA VAN FLEET will be joined by a host of acclaimed artists on their fall tour, including THE PRETTY RECKLESS, HOUNDMOUTH, DURAND JONES & THE INDICATIONS, FRUIT BATS, Robert Finley, CROWN LANDS and Hannah Wicklund.

The group is touring in support of their acclaimed sophomore album, "The Battle At Garden's Gate", released last year to extensive chart and critical success. The album debuted at No. 1 Billboard Rock Album, No. 1 Billboard Hard Rock Album, No. 1 Billboard Vinyl Album, No. 2 Billboard Top Album Sales and in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200. The album currently has 275,000 in sales, with streaming numbers at 200 million and continuing to climb.




pic.twitter.com/F9OeswbH3U

— Greta Van Fleet (@GretaVanFleet) March 16, 2022








pic.twitter.com/lH4f9gYVry

— Greta Van Fleet (@GretaVanFleet) March 17, 2022

In a new interview with Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio, SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo was asked how he feels about people still calling for a reunion with the band's former singer Sebastian Bach. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it's been 23 years [since SKID ROW reformed], so to say that I'm over it would be an understatement. We attempted [a reunion] slightly [back in 2016]. We dipped our toes in the water and realized that it didn't feel so good. It's just one of those things where we still could not see eye to eye; we couldn't even get past the point of simple texting.

"I am really, really happy where we are," Snake continued. "I'm very proud of our past, and all due credit to everybody who's been involved in every aspect of our career, whoever that may be, 'cause it all led to where we are now.

"I've been asked a thousand times: 'What about the payday [of a reunion with Sebastian]?' And that's all well and good, but if that's why I did this — if that's why we did this; I can speak for everybody — we probably wouldn't be doing it," Sabo explained. "I wanna be happy, and I am very, very happy. And so are the guys; everybody's really happy.

"The music climate is what it is, and we're a classic rock band, and I'm proud of that. And we're still able to make music. I mean, Jeez — I live a very, very blessed life, man," Snake added. "I have nothing but gratitude and humility for what we have achieved and for what we're able to continue to do. So while there may be people out there who are flashing dollar signs with a lot of zeroes, I still have to be happy doing it, and I am. And that's what's most important. I need to be happy being in a band with the people I'm in a band with. A lot of other bands can go out and they don't see each other till they're on stage and travel on separate buses and all that stuff, and that's all well and good, but I don't wanna live my life like that. I don't wanna be up onstage and kind of living a lie; it just doesn't feel good. So, while I'm thankful for people's interest and whatnot, I'm even more thankful that we still get to play music for a living under our terms."

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY.

In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan, guitarists Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger.

SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I.

Last summer, Bach told Florida's 98.7 The Gater radio station that "there's no reason" for the classic SKID ROW not to reunite. "When those guys [in SKID ROW] try to say [about me], 'He's difficult to work with,' let me just say this one more time. We have not been in the same room together since the year 1996," he said. "Shut the eff up about you thinking you know what I'm like. You don't know anything about what I'm like. And the 'Gilmore Girls' think I'm okay to work with; Broadway thinks I'm okay to work with; the 'Trailer Park Boys' think I'm okay; GUNS N' ROSES think I'm pretty cool. We're not getting any younger."

Sebastian went on to say that a SKID ROW reunion "should" happen "for the fans. And we are absolutely running out of bands — bands that can play in sheds," he said. "The fact that we are all still alive and we are all in our 50s — some closer to 60 than others — but that, to me, is selfish that we're not together.

"I can play with anyone. I do play with everyone [laughs] — except for them."

Less than two years ago, SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan also confirmed that he and his bandmates "were entertaining the idea" of reuniting with Bach following Harnell's departure. But Rachel shot down the possibility of a rekindling of his friendship with Sebastian, explaining: "Well… Here's the soundbite for Blabbermouth. I wouldn't say we were friends [when we were in a band together]. We were bandmates. You know what I mean? We're two very different people." Bolan added that he hadn't seen Bach "in years."

Three years ago, Bach was asked by Rolling Stone what it would take for SKID ROW to be reunited. He responded: "It would take those guys to realize that I have a lifetime manager. His name is Rick Sales. I've been with him since 2006. They don't want to deal with a guy like that. They want to give some singer who doesn't have a manager $700 to $800 bucks a week. I've got a team that's worked with me and don't allow me to get fucked around. I didn't have that team when I was 19 years old."

In response to Bach's statements about the earnings of SKID ROW's singer, Sabo told Rolling Stone in an e-mail: "I guess fact-checking isn't in his skill set… The five of us go on that stage as a band and we all get paid equally. We're in this together. There's no egos."

Sebastian went on to say that SKID ROW was "close to reuniting, but then it didn't happen. The fact that it didn't happen obviously makes me somewhat bitter, because life is only getting shorter, as the song says," he added.

"I wouldn't say 'came close,'" Bolan told Rolling Stone in an e-mail response to Bach's account of the reunion talks. "We entertained the idea. Snake and I went as far as talking with agents and promoters about money. But we quickly learned after a few text conversations, why we fired him in the first place. Nothing is worth your happiness and peace of mind."

Sabo added: "It was already a miserable experience, and we didn't even get on the phone."

Last year, Bach completed a U.S. tour during which he celebrated the 30th anniversary of SKID ROW's sophomore album, "Slave To The Grind".

"Join us as we show you a different dimension of 'Digital Paradise'," states a message from Edge Of Paradise. "We wanted to release this version to celebrate 500,000 mark on the official 'Digital Paradise' video! Thank you for growing our world with us!"





The Unknown, the new album from Edge Of Paradise, is available to order / save here.




The Unknown is Edge Of Paradise's fourth studio album, coming on the heels of their Frontiers Music Srl debut, Universe. The band teamed up with renowned producer Howard Benson (Halestorm, My Chemical Romance, Seether) who, together with Mike Plotnikoff (Halestorm, Three Days Grace), and Neil Sanderson (Three Days Grace) helped the band craft their biggest sounding album yet. Add in mixing and mastering by Jacob Hansen (Amaranthe, Volbeat, Pretty Maids) and you have a fool-proof recipe for a sonically stunning album. The Unknown builds upon where Universe left off, developing Edge Of Paradise's overall symphonic and metallic sound while bringing it to the next level. Gigantic hooks paired with monolithic guitar riffs in a spacious sea of symphonic sounds will immediately grab listeners and whisk them away on the band's sonic, and lyrical, journey.





Tracklisting:


"Digital Paradise"
"My Method Your Madness"
"Tidal Wave"
"The Unknown"
"Believe"
"False Idols"
"You Touch You Die"
"One Last Time"
"Leaving Earth"
"Bound To The Rhythm"
"My Method Your Madness" (Industrial Remix) Bonus Track


"Believe" video:





"Believe" lyric video:





"Tidal Wave" lyric video:





"False Idols" video:





"The Unknown" video:





"My Method Your Madness" video:





"Digital Paradise" video:

SLIPKNOT kicked off the 2022 iteration of its infamous "Knotfest Roadshow" tour Wednesday night (March 16) at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Disasterpiece

02. Wait And Bleed

03. Sulfur

04. Before I Forget

05. The Chapeltown Rag

06. Dead Memories (performed for first time since 2016)

07. Unsainted

08. The Heretic Anthem

09. Psychosocial

10. The Devil In I

11. Solway Firth

12. All Out Life

13. Snuff (performed for first time since 2012)

14. Vermilion

15. Duality

16. Custer

17. Spit It Out

Encore:

18. People = Shit

19. (sic)

20. Surfacing

Fan-filmed video is available below.

The "Knotfest Roadshow" tour is taking place over two legs, both headlined by SLIPKNOT. The first leg features special guests IN THIS MOMENT and WAGE WAR. The second leg will feature special guests CYPRESS HILL and HO99O9. The first leg of the 38-date run, produced by Live Nation, will hit a further 17 cities before wrapping up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on Sunday, April 17. The second leg kicks off on Wednesday, May 18 in University Park, Pennsylvania and hits a further 17 cites before culminating on Sunday, June 18 in Chula Vista, California.

"Knotfest Roadshow"'s return also features on-site merchandise from official tour sponsor Blackcraft Cult.

2021 marked a banner year for SLIPKNOT. Making a triumphant return to the road, their "Knotfest Roadshow" 2021 tour sold out amphitheaters across the country, bookended with the record-breaking Knotfest Iowa and the biggest headline show of their career, Knotfest Los Angeles at Banc of California Stadium where they debuted their first new music in two years, the furious "The Chapeltown Rag", taken from the highly anticipated new SLIPKNOT album, expected later this year. In addition, they topped the bills of multiple, internationally renowned festivals, including Riot Fest, Rocklahoma, Inkcarceration and Welcome To Rockville.

The "Knotfest Roadshow" tour is part of Live Nation's Live Stubs initiative which provides digital collectible NFT ticket stubs to ticket holders. Live Stubs are automatically be included with tickets purchased for the tour. Fans are also able to view, share, gift, trade, and resell their live stubs on LiveNation.com.

Polish tech death metal virtuosos DECAPITATED will release their eighth studio album, "Cancer Culture", on May 27 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP's first single, the title track, can be streamed below.

DECAPITATED guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka commented: "It wasn't easy to pick the first single from 'Cancer Culture'. Each song has this different vibe that we would like to show as soon as possible and be proud of. Since the 'Cancer Culture' is the first song from the album, we decided that this would be the perfect way to introduce you to new music. It is the album's opening chapter, and you know, what you can expect."

He continued: "Finally, after so many months of waiting, we got it. The announcement of our brand new album 'Cancer Culture' and a new single is on!

"The expectations were high, and we also gave ourselves a massive challenge with this album. But I think hard work pays off.

"We had an opportunity to gather amazing people who took care of the production and helped us deliver the best we could with this album.

Again, Jarek Szubrycht ('Carnival Is Forever') has written amazing lyrics for us about the disproportion between the dreams, ambitions, and aspirations of humanity.

"The leading engineer of the album was Tomasz Zed Zalewski ('Anticult'), David Castillo, responsible for mixing the album, and Ted Jensen for the final touch for mastering. For the cover, for the first time, we have worked with Fabio Timpanaro, an Italian artist whose art perfectly describes what we wanted to tell through visual art.

"Don't misinterpret the title meaning of the album. It has a much broader context. You will be surprised at what we have delivered this time."

DECAPITATED's latest album, "Anticult", was released in July 2017 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Formed in 1996, DECAPITATED built a reputation over the years as one of the international leaders of the "tech death" genre. Over its 26-year career, DECAPITATED has released seven studio albums, which are considered to be some of the most influential death metal releases of the 21st century.

Since 2019, Kiełtyka has been taking care of second-guitar duties in MACHINE HEAD following the departure of Phil Demmel.

DECAPITATED is:

Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka - guitars

Rafał "Rasta" Piotrowski - vocals

James Stewart - drums

Paweł Pasek - bass (live)

San Francisco Bay Area thrashers EXODUS have released the official music video for the song "The Fires Of Division". The clip, directed by Jim Louvau and Tony Aguilera, can be seen below. The track is taken from EXODUS's latest album, "Persona Non Grata", which came out in November via Nuclear Blast Records.

EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt states: "Time for our next video. This one is for 'The Fires Of Division' and it actually has the band in it! This video was super fun to make, as it was the first time the band had gathered together in some time!"

Last September, Holt told Canada's The Metal Voice about the lyrical inspiration for "The Fires Of Division": "It's just about the sad state of affairs in the world today, the divisive nature of everything. Maybe it's just me showing my age — I'm old enough to remember when people could have political differences and still get along. [Laughs] I guess I'm just old, right? My own band is comprised of varying different political ideologies, and we're best friends. The world has forgotten how to do that. We're so divided. And the powers that be want us divided. And that's on both sides — that's not just a hard-right or hard-left thing. They're doing everything they can to pit everybody against each other. I think [the media and the politicians] all have a hand in it — the media, all of them; the politicians as well. Because the game they're all playing now is they don't think they have to earn voters to get elected; just keep the ones you've got and be as vile and bad as you want. And the right will portray the left as a bunch of snowflake liberals, and the left will portray the right as a bunch of inbred fucking dummies. But we're all Americans here. And the sooner we remember that, the sooner we can start to heal. But I wrote that song while staring down the fucking Capitol riots and shit.

"I look at it like this: it's the same thing with religion," he continued. "Everybody pretty much knows I'm an atheist and I'm not a believer, but if I fucking wrote off all those that were, I wouldn't have a family. Most of my family believes in Jesus fucking Christ. And I'm not gonna part ways with them because we share a different religious idealogy. And I won't over a political either. Some of my best friends are completely different than me, and that's okay. It's not a bad thing. I don't look at them as fucking lesser people because we don't agree on something. And a lot of time, if you take the time to discuss shit like fucking humans, you'll find that you actually can find middle ground on a lot of things."

"Persona Non Grata" was recorded at a studio in Lake Almanor, California and was engineered by Steve Lagudi and EXODUS. It was produced by EXODUS and was mixed by Andy Sneap. For the third time in the band's history, they returned to Swedish artist Pär Olofsson to create the album artwork.

"Persona Non Grata" is the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

In July, EXODUS drummer Tom Hunting underwent a successful total gastrectomy in his battle with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the stomach. He rejoined his bandmates on stage in October at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California.

EXODUS tapped John Tempesta to play drums for the band at Psycho Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada in August and at Full Terror Assault in Cave In Rock, Illinois in September while Hunting was recovering from surgery. Tempesta was a member of EXODUS from 1989 until 1993 and played on the band's albums "Impact Is Imminent" (1990) and "Force Of Habit" (1992).

A GoFundMe campaign to help Hunting with medical expenses had previously raised more than $114,000 — including $5,000 from Tom's former EXODUS bandmate, current METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, and $1,500 from FOZZY singer and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho.

TALAS has released a new song, "Inner Mounting Flame", featuring vocals by the late frontman Phil Naro, who passed away in May 2021. The track is a tour de force of hard rock teetering on metal. "Inner Mounting Flame" marks TALAS's first taste of new music since 1984's "Live Speed On Ice".

Helmed by world renowned bassist Billy Sheehan, TALAS is a unique blend of 1980s hard rock infused with the headbanging of modern metal. Cutting through this cacophony of sound is the unmistakable voice of Naro who delivered a performance for the ages.

Sheehan states: "'Inner Mounting Flame' is a bombastic, high-speed chaos of adrenaline that we would often use as our opening song at the live TALAS shows in 1985. We stayed close to the original arrangement.

"This was such a blast to record, and Phil sang his ass off on it. The song title came from a very famous fusion band's album title (THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA – 'Inner Mounting Flame') and was our take on what that flame might be about."

Produced by Sheehan, Russ Mackay, Scott Bush and TALAS, "Inner Mounting Flame" is a rocker reminiscent of the Buffalo band's long storied history which began in the 1970s.

Kings of the Buffalo bar circuit, TALAS slogged it out through the 1970s and 1980s, hoping for the breakthrough that never quite came. When David Lee Roth left VAN HALEN, Sheehan immediately joined Roth's band, putting an effective end to TALAS.

In 2017, Sheehan rerformed TALAS with a lineup featuring Phil Naro and Mark Miller, along with new member Kire Najdovski, to play at the "Bands At Barnard" charity event in Greece. The group has played sporadic shows since then.

After fronting TALAS in the 1980s, Naro paired his powerful voice on a number of recording projects with KISS founding member Peter Criss and later with Canadian rockers CONEY HATCH. Phil also co-wrote and recorded several tracks with guitarist and founding member of THE RASCALS, Gene Cornish, and co-wrote three songs for Canadian artist Lee Aaron for her 1989 album "Bodyrock".

Sheehan's penchant for innovation has revolutionized the way the bass guitar is played. He formed MR. BIG in 1989, achieving a Billboard No. 1 single in the USA and 14 other countries with "To Be With You" from the band's second Atlantic Records album release, "Lean Into It". While developing his trademark style of playing, he performed over 4,000 live gigs on every continent except Africa and Antarctica.

James LaBrie, known internationally as the vocalist for progressive metal icons DREAM THEATER, embarks on uncharted waters with his fourth solo album, titled "Beautiful Shade Of Grey", due out on May 20 via InsideOut Music. Today sees the launch of the album's first single and opening track, "Devil In Drag", and you can watch the Wayne Joyner-produced video below.

The new endeavor sees him traverse personal maturation, loss, a myriad of complex relationships and, most importantly, LaBrie's burning passion for music. On paper, the latest studio offering from the Canadian singer first took shape shortly after the global pandemic began to emerge. But in reality, LaBrie formed a bond with his fellow collaborator, bassist Paul Logue (EDEN'S CURSE), nearly a decade earlier.

The two first met in 2011, when James would lend his voice to a feature for Logue's band, U.K. melodic metal outfit EDEN'S CURSE, on the song "No Holy Man". As years went by the two remained in touch, occasionally kicking the tires on the idea of working together on another project. But when DREAM THEATER performed in Glasgow during the late winter of 2020, LaBrie and Logue would run into each other at the airport — once again asking the question. But this time, armed with the knowledge that a drastic change in the world was all but imminent, LaBrie made the decision to set things in motion.

On the album, Logue plays acoustic rhythm guitar (both six- and twelve-string) and acoustic bass, while guitarist Marco Sfogli, who's contributed on all of LaBrie's solo albums since 2005's "Elements Of Persuasion", handled the leads and solos. Logue recruited EDEN'S CURSE keyboardist Christian Pulkkinen to lend his playing on the record, while the suggestion to recruit James's son Chance to play drums would also come from Paul. "Beautiful Shade Of Grey", as LaBrie describes it, was a title that only came to him once he identified the record's two core themes throughout its track list.

"A lot of these lyrics are dealing with the beauty of human beings, and a lot are dealing with the grey areas of the in between," James says. "You're not exactly happy, but you're not exactly sad either."

The record starts off (and ends) with the track "Devil In Drag", which emerges as a wall of synthesizers and acoustic strumming before exploding into a full-blown ensemble. LaBrie expresses that the song was written about "someone who started out as a decent human being, but along the way lost touch with their roots — over time becoming self-serving, narcissistic and devoid of principles or values." Going on to say, "'Devil In Drag' is written from the perspective of someone who's known them all their life and, seeing them now, asking 'what happened?'"

"Beautiful Shade Of Grey" will be released as a limited CD digipak, 180-gram LP, CD and as a digital album, with artwork by Thomas Ewerhard.

"Beautiful Shade Of Grey" track listing:

01. Devil In Drag

02. SuperNova Girl

03. Give And Take

04. Sunset Ruin

05. Hit Me Like A Brick

06. Wildflower

07. Conscience Calling

08. What I Missed

09. Am I Right

10. Ramble On

11. Devil In Drag (Electric Version)

Last December, LaBrie told Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show about how 1970s rock music influenced and inspired "Beautiful Shade Of Grey": "I'm a huge [LED] ZEPPELIN fan. I'm a huge [fan of] PINK FLOYD and AEROSMITH and DEEP PURPLE and all that. These bands were so iconic back in the '70s. So a lot of the inspiration, when I sat down with Paul Logue, who's the other musician that I wrote the album with, and he's from Scotland, I said, 'Paul, I just want us to think more about…' If you think about the acoustic end of ZEPPELIN and their organic approach to their songs, it was still beautiful, it was still powerful, extremely melodic, and it just kind of reached deep within, it resonated deep within each and every one of us that listened to any ZEPPELIN. So that was the catalyst to set things in motion. It became a full ensemble. I mean, I have keyboards, drums, bass, rhythm guitar, lead guitar and then myself doing all the vocals. So it's somewhat acoustic but it's also a full ensemble as well. So it still has the full band kind of sound and orchestration."

Regarding the lyrical themes covered on the LP, James said: "'Beautiful Shade Of Grey' has a lot to do with the lyrics that I wrote for this album. And a lot of my lyrics are dealing with the human condition and all the dynamics of life in itself that each and every one of us experience and, to a certain degree, it's common for most of us to go through the same experiences. So I wanted to write a lot about that. So that's kind of what inspired this whole venture."

Last October, James told "The Everyman Podcast" about how his collaboration with Logue came about: "I sang on one of [EDEN'S CURSE's] songs back in 2010 called 'No Holy Man'; so I guest on that. And I really liked Paul's writing. To me, Paul's writing was more from a classical era — like the '70s; that classic rock approach. And I had a lot of ideas in that vein.

"Paul and I actually bumped into each other — you think fate isn't there with you; holy shit… The day after we finished the show — DREAM THEATER in Glasgow [on] February 23rd [2020]. I'm waiting for my flight on the 24th to go to London and then Toronto, and Paul walks by me and he goes, 'James!' I'm, like, 'Oh my God!' He goes, 'You know I was at the show last night.' He kept trying to e-mail me on my old e-mail address. And he goes, 'Listen, let me know. You wanna get together? You wanna do some writing?' And I said, 'I'd love to.' At the time, I said, 'I don't know. Some freaky shit's going on. You're hearing about this virus?' 'Yeah. Yeah.' [I said] 'We've gotta go to Asia, then we've gotta go to freakin' South America and North America and all that.' I said, 'So we're probably not gonna be done till October, but why don't we start writing then? Or why don't we start throwing ideas back in the meantime, and I can even be on the road and working on it?' And he goes, 'Great.' All of a sudden, the world closes down. So we got on it… It was probably… Everything closed down March 15th, I believe, and by March 20th, him and I were already passing ideas back and forth."

Elaborating on the songwriting process for "Beautiful Shade Of Grey", LaBrie said: "We started as, we said, 'Let's just keep it real raw and acoustic-based — that'll be the fundamental of this album,' and then it kind of morphed into more of an ensemble, so [with] keyboards… Marco Sfogli is playing lead guitar on all the tracks. Paul is playing all the rhythm acoustic guitars and bass. And then [my son] Chance [LaBrie] is doing drums. Christian Pulkkinen is the keyboard player, who's a fantastic keyboard player, piano player. All the lyrics, except one, I penned.

"It was really interesting how it came together, whether I'd be throwing [Paul] a riff or I'd be throwing him a melody idea that became a chorus to one of the songs or verses," he continued. "And then he'd throw me back his ideas musically. And we slowly but surely put it all together. We had everybody fully involved. And it came out fantastic. The label is really stoked about it. It has that kind of ZEPPELIN-esque feel to it, but still the modern-day aspects of it as well are there. So it's great."

Photo credit: Thomas Ewerhard

On March 10, 2022, OVERKILL frontman Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth was interviewed by Mark Kadzielawa of 69 Faces Of Rock on the band's tour bus outside The Forge in Joliet, Illinois. Speaking about the progress of the recording sessions for OVERKILL's 20th studio album, Blitz said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We didn't record all the parts yet. We like to keep it as fresh as possible. The drums are done; the guitars are done. D.D. [Verni, bass] and I need to sit down and finalize a few things. We're looking for an April 2023 release, followed by a European tour."

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

Back in November 2020, Verni told MetalAsylum.net that OVERKILL's new LP would be mixed by Colin Richardson. "He did a couple of records for us, and he's great," Verni said.

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

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

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

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

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

The organizers of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame have declined Dolly Parton's request to pull her nomination.

On Monday (March 14), 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. I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out."

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

Ballots are cast by an international voting body of more than 1,000 artists — including previous inductees — historians, music industry members and critics. Factors considered by voters consider include "an artist's musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation and superiority in style and technique," according to a statement issued by the Hall.

Earlier today, the organization confirmed that Dolly will remain on the ballot, in part because voting is already well underway.

"All of us in the music community have seen Dolly Parton's thoughtful note expressing her feeling that she has not earned the right to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame," the Rock Hall's statement read. "In addition to her incredible talent as an artist, her humility is another reason Dolly is a beloved icon by millions of fans around the world.

"From its inception, Rock & Roll has had deep roots in Rhythm & Blues and Country music. It is not defined by any one genre, rather a sound that moves youth culture. Dolly Parton's music impacted a generation of young fans and influenced countless artists that followed. Her nomination to be considered for induction into to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame followed the same process as all other artists who have been considered.

"Dolly's nomination, along with the other 16 for the class of 2022 was sent out earlier this month to our 1,200 general ballot voters, the majority of whom are artists themselves, for consideration for induction at our ceremony.

"We are in awe of Dolly's brilliant talent and pioneering spirit and are proud to have nominated her for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame."

Earlier in the day, during an interview on "Fox & Friends", Parton doubled down on her discomfort with being included in the Hall's pantheon.

"Well, I didn't feel exactly right about that because my perception, and I think the perception of most of America, I just feel like that’s more for the people in rock music," she said. "I've been educated since then, saying that it’s more than that, but I still didn't feel right about it. It kind of would be like putting AC/DC in the Country Music Hall Of Fame. That just felt a little out of place for me."

To be eligible for this year's ballot, each nominee's first single or album had to have been released in 1996 or earlier.

Inductees will be announced in May. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 2022 induction ceremony will take place this fall. The date, venue, and on-sale information will be announced later.

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.

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Round Hill Music has acquired Herman Rarebell's music rights, which includes his writer's share of publishing, neighboring rights, and master royalty income. Rarebell is best known as the original drummer of the SCORPIONS, playing a major part in the band's success with his songwriting.

Rarebell penned the lyrics for songs like "Rock You Like A Hurricane", "Make It Real", "Dynamite", "Blackout", "Arizona", "Bad Boys Running Wild", "Don't Stop At The Top" and "Tease Me Please Me".

SCORPIONS were formed in 1965 in Hanover by Rudolf Schenker and have sold over 100 million records around the world. They're one of the best-selling hard rock and heavy metal acts with twelve studio albums that were in the top 10 in Germany. Three consecutive albums reached the Top Ten on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. Two of the songs on their ninth studio album, "Love At First Sting", are regarded as classics of the heavy metal genre. Those singles are "Rock You Like A Hurricane" and "Still Loving You".

"The SCORPIONS are a truly legendary band with a catalog of truly iconic music that helped define the heavy metal genre," says Josh Gruss, founder and CEO of Round Hill Music. "Herman played a pivotal role in their success with writing credits on some of their most enduring songs and is a welcome addition to our roster of world-class writers and performers."

"The SCORPIONS are one of my favorite rock bands," says Robin Godfrey-Cass, managing director of Round Hill's London office. "To represent Herman's great body of work as a songwriter and performer from the band's first 11 albums is an incredible honor."

"It is my pleasure to sign up with Round Hill Music," adds Rarebell. "I feel I'm with the right company. I am grateful to Josh Gruss, Robin Godfrey-Cass and his team, and Marvin Katz, my attorney, for making this happen."

Last September, Herman blasted his former bandmates in the SCORPIONS, calling them "rude" and accusing them of "greed" over their apparent refusal to allow him to rejoin the band.

Rarebell, who was a member of the SCORPIONS from 1977 to 1995, discussed the possibility of his return to the group in an interview with Classic Rock magazine. Asked if he was disappointed not to have been invited back into the fold following the 2016 dismissal of longtime drummer James Kottak, Herman said: "I'll tell you how disappointed I am. I sent them a message offering my services, and never even got a reply. I thought that was very rude. Now I hear the SCORPIONS are claiming their new album will be a return to the glory days of the eighties. If they're serious about that, they should get [former bassist] Francis [Buchholz] and me back, and also Dieter Dierks who produced all those classic albums. You know why they won't do that? Greed. It would mean having to share everything five ways and not three."

Rarebell also criticized his former bandmates for seemingly not giving him enough credit for their commercial success in the 1980s. "The band never mention me in interviews, which I find ridiculous," he stated. "But there's a new documentary in the pipeline from ITV on the band. I am being interviewed for this, so I can finally set the record straight on my role."

In an interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Herman stated about the huge commercial success of SCORPIONS' 1982 album "Blackout": "Mercury Records was totally behind us and they believed in us. They wanted us to keep making albums. They wanted us to grow and do better each time out. 'Lovedrive' went gold. 'Animal Magnetism' went gold and then 'Blackout' was the first one to go platinum. [Rudolf] Schenker / [Klaus] Meine / Rarebell was a great songwriting team. You can see that from how many successful albums we had. After I left the band, they didn't have any more hits."

Rarebell also talked about the inspiration for the lyrics to "Rock You Like A Hurricane", which was released as the lead single from "Love At First Sting". "Those lyrics were very easy to write," he said. "I woke up early in the morning after fucking and doing cocaine all night and I opened up the curtains. 'It's early morning, the sun comes out. Last night was shaking and pretty loud. My cat is purring and she scratches my skin.' She had scratched my back during our lovemaking. I just sat down and wrote it right then and there. It was five in the morning and the girl was still in bed as I was sitting there writing it. The next day, I said to Rudolf, 'I have some great lyrics for that riff you have.'"

Herman's solo album "Nip In The Bud", originally recorded 40 years ago, was re-released last August, remastered and available digitally for the first time.

Photo credit: Round Hill Music

Finnish cello rock quartet APOCALYPTICA has once again partnered up with some of the biggest names in rock music to deliver their new single "I'll Get Through It". The song, written for the band by American award-winning songwriter Diane Warren, features Franky Perez — guest vocalist in APOCALYPTICA's 2015 record "Shadowmaker" — as well as Geezer Butler of BLACK SABBATH on bass guitar. The track can be found on all digital streaming platforms.

The song was born out of a visit Geezer and Franky paid to their friend Diane, who had already written the track "Not Strong Enough" for APOCALYPTICA, included in their 2010 record "7th Symphony".

"Franky and I were visiting my friend, Diane Warren, at her studio," comments Geezer. "She played us this song, saying that she thought it would work well with Franky's voice. He gave it a try on the spot. We loved it. Franky then suggested sending it to APOCALYPTICA. They loved it, and the rest is history."

Perez shares the same feeling of enthusiasm upon hearing the track for the first time. "I knew this song was special from the moment Diane Warren played it for Geezer and me," he says. "So much so, that I framed the lyrics from the session the very next day. They have been hanging on my wall ever since. This song speaks to me lyrically which made for an honest performance. Musically, there is no better collaboration than Geezer and APOCALYPTICA to do the song the justice it deserves. I feel very fortunate to be a part of it."

"I'll Get Through It" marks the first collaboration between APOCALYPTICA and Perez since he sang on "Shadowmaker", which adds to the excitement for the members of APOCALYPTICA, according to Perttu Kivilaakso. "We are more than thrilled working with our great and talented friend Franky Perez again!" he says. "It's been a while since our previous collaborations in 'Shadowmaker' album and tour, and we are also highly awaiting for getting back on road with him this April all across the States!"

Perttu also adds about the song: "'I'll Get Through It' is a meaningful and beautiful song by an incredible songwriter Diane Warren, with whom we've also had the pleasure of working with before. We can't wait for you to hear the final result… falling in love again with Franky's sensual performance, Geezer's earthshakingly powerful bass, and our wistfully haunting cellos, among the inevitable presence of all the rhythms and groove!

"We hope you'll enjoy the track as much as we do! Gonna be a blast performing it also live!"

APOCALYPTICA will be touring the U.S. extensively in 2022, as well as playing multiple summer festivals, among other dates, before hitting Europe with the aptly named "Epic Apocalypse Tour" alongside EPICA and WHEEL.

2015's "Shadowmaker" was APOCALYPTICA's first album to feature just one singer — Perez — instead of guest collaborators. The disc was recorded with Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, MASTODON).

Prior to enlisting Perez, who will accompany APOCALYPTICA on the band's 2022 North American tour, the group released eight albums that melded the classically trained cello mastery of the three core bandmembers with the harder elements of the rock world, including drums and guest vocalists, such as Gavin Rossdale from BUSH, and Corey Taylor of SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR fame.

APOCALYPTICA's "The Cell-0 Tour" of North America was set to begin in May 2020 before being moved back to early 2021 and to late summer 2021 and then finally to April/May 2022. The trek will feature support from LACUNA COIL.

Last April, APOCALYPTICA released the official music video for its collaboration with PAPA ROACH singer Jacoby Shaddix on a cover version of the CREAM classic "White Room". The track was produced by Howard Benson at West Valley Recording Studios in Woodland Hills, California and mixed by Chris Lorde-Alge.

"White Room" was the first release from APOCALYPTICA since "Talk To Me", which arrived in August 2020. That song was a collaboration with HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale.

APOCALYPTICA's latest studio album, "Cell-0", came out in January 2020. The effort was the band's first fully instrumental record in 17 years.

Back in 2018, APOCALYPTICA's Eicca Toppinen stated about the band's decision to make an all-instrumental album at this point in the group's career: "On the previous ones, we always combined the instrumental songs with the vocal songs, and it was great to have the featuring artists, it was great to work with Frank Perez for the 'Shadowmaker' album. But then, on the other hand, it became a bigger interest for us, like, okay, it would be interesting to make a full instrumental album, so there's no compromise with anything."

TOOL's first video in 15 years, "Opiate²", arrives today via RCA Records. A three-minute preview of the Blu-ray short film is viewable below.

"Opiate²" is a reimagined and extended version of TOOL's 1992 single "Opiate", with both the song and video marking the 30th anniversary of the EP of the same name's release.

Housed in a 46-page art book with behind-the-scenes and making-of photos, the "Opiate²" Blu-ray also includes interviews and insights from special guests. Visual artist Dominic Hailstone ("Alien: Covenant", "The Eel") worked with TOOL guitarist Adam Jones on the 10-plus minute film. The clip continues TOOL's knack for merging the aural and visual worlds, creating an all-encompassing experience for the listener that has been a hallmark of the outfit since their inception. Hailstone and Jones also collaborated on the filmed pieces featured on the current "Fear Inoculum" tour.

TOOL also recently announced the arrival of "Fear Inoculum" on vinyl, with the Ultra Deluxe set arriving April 8. The collection features 5 x 180g vinyl discs emblazoned with a unique etching on the album's B-side, and accompanied by an elaborate pictorial booklet including never-before-seen artwork. The limited-edition collection, which also features a new cover, is housed in a hard shell box.

TOOL kicked off its 2022 tour in support of "Fear Inoculum" on January 10 at the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon. It marked the band's first live appearance since March 2020 when TOOL's trek was cut short following a gig in Portland, Oregon due to the burgeoning pandemic.

TOOL was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards in January 2020 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. TOOL was nominated for "7empest", a track from "Fear Inoculum".

TOOL already had three previous Grammy Awards under its belt: "Best Metal Performance" in 1997 and 2001 for "Ænima" and "Schism", respectively, and "Best Recording Package" in 2006 for "10,000 Days".

TOOL formed in 1990 and has released five studio albums thus far: "Undertow" (1993), "Ænima" (1996), "Lateralus" (2001), "10,000 Days" (2006) and "Fear Inoculum"; two EPs: "72826" (1991) and "Opiate" (1992); and the limited-edition boxset, "Salival" (2000). The band has won four Grammy Awards: Best Metal Performance (1998, "Ænima"), "Best Metal Performance" (2002, "Schism"), "Best Recording Package" (2007, "10,000 Days") and "Best Metal Performance" (2020, "7empest").

British rock icons SKUNK ANANSIE have released their brand new single "Can't Take You Anywhere", a deliciously sinister slice of tense drama, powered along by a roaring chorus. Channeling the same dark power as DEPECHE MODE and PLACEBO, with pummeling rhythms, twisted electronics and crystalline guitars, singer Skin tells the tale of a friend or lover causing chaos wherever they go.

Discussing the song, she explains: "This track is a double-edged sword. We all have that one friend that we love but is a total embarrassment to us, a mate that has no off button and no filter. So if they aren't losing their phone/keys/coat, they're saying some stuff that will defo get you cancelled by all your other mates. This song is about how polarized the world is now, and how careful you need to be. It's about dealing with the new world order of friendship, as never before have I had great long-term friends develop completely opposing views to mine. It's about having to navigate and understand people, keeping the love and respect but also standing firm in your opinions."

SKUNK ANANSIE will head out on a massive European tour this spring, featuring rescheduled dates from their hugely acclaimed 25th-anniversary tour, with new shows also added due to phenomenal demand. The band will be supported variously by NEW PAGANS, GEN AND THE DEGENERATES, HOLOCENE and SHELF LIVES, with BIG JOANIE, SWEET CRISIS, MORGANWAY and DIKTA also appearing at different shows.

SKUNK ANANSIE will also appear as part of the 2022 Meltdown Festival in June, which this year is curated by Grace Jones, along with a long-awaited return to Glastonbury Festival, where they famously headlined the Pyramid Stage in 1999.

The last 28 years have seen SKUNK ANANSIE internationally acclaimed as one of the greatest British rock bands of all time. They were presented with the Hall Of Fame Award at the 2019 Kerrang! Awards while Skin herself has become one of the world's most iconic female performers, as well as inspirational role model, activist, trailblazer for women in the music industry, model and muse for designers. It's no surprise that she picked up the Inspirational Artist Award at the Music Week Awards in 2018.

SKUNK ANANSIE is renowned as one of the most fearless acts in modern British history. Their reflective, emotional and radical music has seen them grow as an important cultural force, on and off stage, while remaining honest and timely.

In a new interview with Top Link Music manager and concert promoter Paulo Baron and music critic Regis Tadeu, Tarja Turunen was asked if she would consider doing a tour with NIGHTWISH if all of her former bandmates apologized to her about how their split happened and invited her to share the stage with them again. She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It is very, very hypothetical that all what you said will happen, first of all — it's very, very hypothetical.

"I'm living in a world, like we are all living in a world, that things happen without us noticing," she continued. "I mean, I can't really close any doors in that sense; I'm not that kind of person any longer. I learned so many things in this life already. I take them as they are.

"So I don't know. It would be very hypothetically possible," she added. "It would be unlikely to happen."

Turunen was fired from NIGHTWISH at the end of the band's 2005 tour by being presented with an open letter which was published on the NIGHTWISH web site at the same time. In the letter, the other members of NIGHTWISH wrote: "To you, unfortunately, business, money, and things that have nothing to do with emotions have become much more important."

NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen later called the decision to part ways with Turunen "the most difficult thing I ever had to do." For her part, Tarja said the way she was kicked out of the group proved that her former bandmates were not her friends. "Maybe one day I'll forgive, but I will never forget," she said.

In 2019, Turunen dismissed Internet chatter about her possible return to NIGHTWISH after her December 2017 onstage reunion with the band's then-bassist/vocalist Marko "Marco" Hietala during a "Raskasta Joulua" concert in Hämeenlinna, Finland.

"I know a lot of fans would love to see something happen, but it's a very long distance away," she told Kerrang! magazine. "Personally, I don't see anything happening with me and them, to be perfectly honest. Marco came a little later into the band; he wasn't there since the beginning. He was always a guy I was close to. Me and [NIGHTWISH keyboardist/leader] Tuomas Holopainen, however, haven't seen each other in a long time… but we have been in touch. It's not bad. The past is what it is; we can't change that. We can only change the future."

NIGHTWISH's authorized biography, "Once Upon a Nightwish: The Official Biography 1996-2006", was published in Finnish in 2006 and in English three years later.

Turunen's husband, Marcelo Cabuli, and his business partners later sued the parties behind the book for defamation. Named in the lawsuit were the publishing house Like Kustannus Oy and the author of the book, Marko "Mape" Ollila. Cabuli and his Brazilian business partners argued that the book includes false accusations and insinuations that have caused them suffering and financial problems.

The book blamed Cabuli for the events leading up to Turunen's dramatic expulsion from the band in late 2005.

In 2011, the Helsinki District Court dismissed Cabuli's lawsuit, ruling that the book — which criticized Cabuli on only a few of its 380 pages — did not detrimentally affect his work or reputation in South America. In addition, the court determined that Ollila did not maliciously portray Cabuli in a negative light.

Last summer, Holopainen said that NIGHTWISH would split up if the band's current singer Floor Jansen ever chose to leave.

Holopainen, who formed NIGHTWISH in 1996 with guitarist Emppu Vuorinen and Turunen, made the comment while discussing the departure of Hietala.

Pressed by U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine about his 2019 statement that NIGHTWISH would disband if another member opted to depart, Tuomas said: "That's how I felt back in 2019, and that's also how I felt when Marko left. I take my words back when it comes to that. But if it would be Floor leaving, that's it, it's the end of NIGHTWISH. Absolutely, 100%."