has died at the age of 76. He passed away at his home on Saturday, February 19 after a battle with cancer.

PROCOL HARUM announced Brooker's death in a group statement, writing: "From his earliest onstage duets with his musician father, through his youthful recording career with Southend's THE PARAMOUNTS, Gary exhibited and developed a highly-individual talent. His first single with PROCOL HARUM, 1967's 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale', is widely regarded as defining 'The Summer of Love', yet it could scarcely have been more different from the characteristic records of that era. Nor was it characteristic of his own writing. Over thirteen albums PROCOL HARUM never sought to replicate it, preferring to forge a restlessly progressive path, committed to looking forward, and making each record a 'unique entertainment'. Gary's voice and piano were the single defining constant of PROCOL's fifty-year international concert career. Without any stage antics or other gimmicks he was invariably the most watchable musician in the show (he played several other instruments in the studio).

"Though sometimes regarded as 'classical', his roots were in the blues, Ray Charles and Little Richard. His voice was soulful, without vibrato, and his piano-playing robustly inventive. Blessed with hungry ears, he enjoyed and absorbed all kinds of musical styles, taking a Postmodernist's delight in weaving unexpected threads into the fabric of his own compositions. Never prolific, he did not care to write to order, preferring to wait for inspiration to strike. His masterpiece, 1969's 'A Salty Dog', derived its instantly-recognisable opening chord from a Swiss locomotive siren; yet as with all his finest pieces its harmonic structure evolves with intriguing, unpredictable logic, and carries its listeners on a thrilling emotional voyage.

"His influence far exceeds his output. PROCOL's long suite, 1968's 'In Held 'Twas in I', is an acknowledged inspiration to many artists, not least THE WHO and QUEEN. PROCOL was the first rock band to perform live with its own choral and orchestral arrangements. Entirely self-taught, Brooker's beguiling scores bristle with melodic interest, always serving the songs and never — as with so many later imitators — treating the contrasting resources as oppositional. The last of some forty PROCOL gigs involving the world's most renowned orchestras and concert-halls was at the London Palladium; its predecessor was a notable live BBC Radio presentation. It was intriguing, as Gary pointed out, how PROCOL HARUM's popularity, across the world, kept on growing. But music not written at the dictates of fashion has no cause to fall from favour.

"Brooker was much in demand as a collaborator: he played, wrote and sang for Eric Clapton's band and with Bill Wyman's RHYTHM KINGS. He toured with Ringo's ALL-STARRS, and contributed to solo projects for Paul McCartney and for George Harrison, who guested on one of Gary's four solo albums. Gary played and sang at the Albert Hall in 2003's Concert for George. He also accepted commissions — a Danish Royal Ballet score, a piece for massed brass bands in Switzerland — and sang by invitation in Sir Alan Parker's 'Evita' film.

"Musical celebrities from Gary's bulging address book flocked to play at his own all-star presentations, always raising money for charity (work recognised by his 2003 MBE). He also fundraised with 'No Stiletto Shoes', a high-energy side-band that delivered the music of his earliest influences with raucous commitment. His last charity project raised over a million pounds for the Royal Marsden Hospital with a single concert — days before 2020's first Covid lockdown — at London's O2 arena.

"Gary's charisma was by no means confined to the stage. He lit up any room he entered, and his kindness to a multilingual family of fans was legendary. He was notable for his individuality, integrity, and occasionally stubborn eccentricity. His mordant wit, and appetite for the ridiculous, made him a priceless raconteur (and his surreal inter-song banter made a fascinating contrast with the gravitas of PROCOL HARUM's performances).

"But for all his other interests and skills — prize-winning angler, pub-owner, lyricist, painter, inventor — he was above all a devoted and loyal husband to Franky, whom he met in 1965 and married in 1968. Our thoughts must be with her, their families and friends at this extremely sad time."

Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the release of Finnish hard rockers Rust N' Rage's new album, One For The Road. Produced by Jimmy Westerlund (One Desire), One For The Road will be released on March 11.


Today, the band has released a lyric video for the song, "The Future Is For The Strong". Watch the video below, and pre-order/save One For The Road here.


Through lots of hard work and gigging, Rust N' Rage have been starting to make a name for themselves in their home country of Finland. With energetic live shows and anthemic songwriting, this rock n’ roll-quartet is ready to introduce themselves to the world more than ever before. Be sure to stay tuned for their Jimmy Westerlund produced debut album, which will be chock full of anthemic, hard rocking, melodic tunes.




Coming from a small town in Finland called Pori, Rust N’ Rage is made up of four guys who all live for a similar cause: Rock n’ Roll. While individually practicing a lifestyle of hard rockin’ and playing their hearts out around their small town, it didn’t take long for Vince, Johnny, Jezzie, and Eddy to meet and realize they had a shared musical vision. Their musical influences originate from the '80s, with their idols being such legends as Guns N’ Roses, Judas Priest, Mötley Crüe, Dokken, and the like. Rather than merely be the sum of their influences though, Rust n' Rage concentrates their songwriting on being separate from their influences, while still maintaining those awesome hard rock riffs and high-pitched vocal screams.


In 2020, things started rolling for the band, having found a new manager and a new producer to help them get their musical vision properly recorded. Based on the strength of their newly created/recorded singles, the band caught the interest of Frontiers Music Srl, who have signed them to a worldwide deal. Signing with Frontiers is an opportunity to release their music to a global audience and to show the world what they are made of. Stay tuned for more exciting things to come from these Finnish rockers in 2022.





Tracklisting:


"Prisoner"
"Ghost Town"
"One For The Road"
"The Future Is For The Strong"
"Heartbreaker"
"Hang ‘Em High"
"Ride On"
"I've Had Enough"
"Unbreakable"
"The Throne"
"Moving On"


"The Future Is For The Strong" lyric video:





"Prisoner" video:





Lineup:


Vince - Vocals
Johnny - Guitar
Eddy - Bass
Jezzie - Drums

Kiss My Wax Records has announced the second in their series of Slaughter "Definitive Edition" LP box sets and standard vinyl releases.


Slaughter’s 1992 sophomore effort, The Wild Life, will be available for the first time on vinyl in over 30 years. The title will be available in two different versions.







The Wild Life: The Definitive Edition 4-LP Box Set:


• Four LPs (The Wild Life on two LPs + live record + bonus record)
• 48 page book containing unseen images and band photos
• Reproduction press kit
• Slip mat
• Button & sticker set
• Signed by all 3 surviving members
• Each set hand numbered, limited to 750 pieces
• Housed in a stunning custom box with foil elements
• One box will contain an authentic, period-correct photo signed by the entire band including the late Tim Kelly


The Wild Life: Standard Edition:


• Slaughter’s 1992 record presented on vinyl for the first time since its initial release
• Audio taken from the band’s original analog masters
• Two 33 RPM, half-speed-mastered LPs on red & white opaque vinyl
• Mastered specifically for vinyl by Maor Appelbaum (Dream Theater, Faith No More)
• Housed in a gatefold sleeve
• Hype sticker exclusive to this release


Pre-order here.


Kiss My Wax Records is a small-press boutique record label that specializes in high-end audiophile and collectible releases and includes previous projects by Ace Frehley and Slaughter.


(Photo - Neil Zlozower)

American based progressive metal group, Guild Of Others, have released CD and digital editions of their self-titled debut album. To celebrate the release, the group just has put out another video, this time for the track “Spirit Host”. Watch the lyric video below.


Guild Of Others, begun by Tom Wallace (drums) and Steve Potts (guitar), is a collection of musicians from various bands and backgrounds making progressive metal music. As songs between the two began taking shape, questions of whom else to bring into the fold arose. Considering the style of music the two were creating, the keyboardist most desired was easy. Derek Sherinian (Sons of Apollo, Dream Theater, BCC, etc.) was top of the list. Upon hearing the demos, Derek's response was perfect. He described the music as, "Aggressive and adventurous. Without being too proggy." He liked it and would add his talents.


Among the material were two songs Steve and Tom both felt needed fretless bass. For that they reached out to well-known bassist, Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder, etc.). Steve and Tom were floored by Tony's playing. His style and tone offered everything needed to complete the bottom end. His counter melodies and bass fills were superb. The guys requested he record the six remaining songs and he obliged.




For vocals, local singer Mark Hammond was tapped for six of the songs. Michael Sadler (Saga) and Henrik Bath (Darkwater) lend their talents for the remaining two. The three vocalists offer three unique sounds and styles. All of which work perfectly for the material.


In addition to the musicians already mentioned, guitar shredder Craig Goldy (Dio, Resurrection Kings) offers a blistering solo on "Veil Of Insanity". As an added treat, Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Michael Bruce (Alice Cooper) and wife Lynette contribute the doting parents voice-over for "Memento".


The "Others" part of Guild of Others suggests future recordings will always involve other musicians. Tom and Steve are the driving force behind Guild of Others. They will remain. While always appreciating those who have participated in this debut effort and welcoming their return, there is already material for a second album. with hopes of bringing in new names and making new friends.





Tracklisting:


"Other Side"
"Balance"
"Always There"
"Memento"
"New World Disorder"
"Elysium"
"Veil Of Insanity"
"Spirit Ghost"


"Spirit Ghost" lyric video:





"Veil Of Insanity" lyric video:





Lineup:


Tom Wallace - drums
Steve Ray Potts - guitars
Derek Sherinian - keys
Tony Franklin - bass
Mark Hammond - vocals


- “Balance” vocals by Henrik Bath (Darkwater)
- “Elysium” – vocals by Michael Sadler (Saga)
- "Veil Of Insanity” guitar solo by Craig Goldy (Dio)

Tygers Of Pan Tang have released a video for "A New Heartbeat", the title track of their new four track EP, out on February 25 via Mighty Music. View the clip below.


The EP features two re-recorded tracks from their first album, Wild Cat, plus two new tracks. "Fireclown" and "Killers" from Wild Cat now firmly bear guitarist Francesco Marras' musical stamp and new tracks "A New Heartbeat" and "Red Mist" demonstrate what might be expected from the next Tygers album - the Tygers signature sound of heavy as hell riffs, finger knotting solos and Jack Meille’s vocals extraordinaire. The mix was executed by Marco Angioni at Angioni Studios and, as with all recent Tygers releases, the mastering was completed by Harry Hess (Harem Scarem).


Guitarist Robb Weir commented: "'Fireclown' and 'Killers' are much neglected Tygers gems. They are rarely played live but often requested so we thought it would be interesting to hear a modern take on them. Visiting the past brings back so many memories for us and, I’m guessing, for Tygers followers."




Vocalist Jack Meille added: "Lockdown may have prevented us from playing live but it couldn’t curtail the creative spirt that has resulted in the creation of 'A New Heartbeat' and 'Red Mist' for this single."


A New Heartbeat EP will be released on digital, and digipack CD, and vinyl via Mighty Music. It’s on sale exclusively now in Targetshop.dk and in the band’s webshop.





Tracklisting:


"A New Heartbeat"
"Red Mist"
"Fireclown"
"Killers"


"A New Heartbeat" video:

Sabaton have released a new lyric video for "Soldier Of 3 Armies", originally featured on the band's 2014 album, Heroes.


Historical fact: The story of Lauri Törni is quite captivating. During his career as a soldier he served in 3 different armies, reached the rank of officer and was awarded with medals in all of them. Sometimes described as inhuman while superior in battle, this man started out in his homeland Finland, fought his way through WW2 on both the Finnish and German side, and then ended up dead in Vietnam, but then as a special operations soldier among the Green Berets bearing the name of Larry Thorne.







Sabaton recently released their new single, "The Unkillable Soldier". A new lyric video for the track can be viewed below.





"The Unkillable Soldier" tells the story of Sir Adrian Carton De Wiart. He was of Belgian heritage but fought for the British Empire during WW1. Being injured multiple times he became known as the “Man who could not be killed”. This is the third single from the band's upcoming album, The War To End All Wars. The song is available for streaming on all digital music platforms.


"The Unkillable Soldier" lyric video:





Find the official music video for "The Unkillable Soldier" below.


Sabaton’s tenth album, The War To End All Wars, will be released on March 4 via Nuclear Blast Records. Once again, Sabaton will dive deep into the atrocities, miracles, and happenings around WWI and take the listener on an emotional and exciting 11-track ride.


Pre-order the album here.





The War To End All Wars will be available in the following formats:


- Jewelcase CD
- Limited Gold CD [Supporter Edition - various versions with translated booklets]
- History Edition
- NB Mailorder Exclusive Edition [ltd. to 1500 copies]
- Earbook [limited to 6000 copies]
- Black Vinyl
- Azure Blue Vinyl [bandshop exclusive, ltd. to 300 copies]
- Inca Gold Vinyl [bandshop exclusive, ltd. to 500 copies]
- Copper Vinyl [ltd. to 500 copies]
- Fluorescent Orange Vinyl [ltd. to 500 copies]
- Leaf Green Vinyl [Sweden exclusive]
- Fluorescent Yellow Vinyl [Ginza exclusive]
- Dusk Vinyl [Levik exclusive]
- Soft Grey Vinyl [Nordics exclusive]
- Lavender Vinyl [FNAC exclusive]
- Rosewood Vinyl [Mystic exclusive]
- Fluorescent Green Vinyl [UK exclusive]
- Pacific Blue Vinyl
- Polar White Vinyl [limited to 300 copies]
- Dewdrop Vinyl [limited to 500 copies, EMP exclusive]
- Blue cassette [limited to 100 copies, bandshop exclusive]
- Green cassette [limited to 100 copies]
- Grey cassette [limited to 300 copies]
- Red cassette [limited to 500 copies]
- Black cassette [limited to 250 copies]
- Smokey cassette [limited to 200 copies]
- White cassette [limited 100 copies]





The War To End All Wars tracklisting:


"Sarajevo"
"Stormtroopers"
"Dreadnought"
"The Unkillable Soldier"
"Soldier Of Heaven"
"Hellfighters"
"Race To The Sea"
"Lady Of The Dark"
"The Valley Of Death"
"Christmas Truce"
"Versailles"


"The Unkillable Soldier" video:





"Soldier Of Heaven" lyric video:





"Soldier Of Heaven" video:





"Christmas Truce" animated story video:





"Christmas Truce" lyric video:





"Christmas Truce" music video:





Following a 29-date headline tour of Sweden, Sabaton will mark the March 4 release of the new album with The Tour To End All Tours, a massive five-week European trek supported by The Hu and Lordi. Complete dates and ticket information are available here.


(Photo - Tim Tronckoe)

Following their German chart entry at #1, the new Feuerschwanz album, Memento Mori, has already landed its seventh consecutive week on the official German album charts. Today, the band has released a video for "Skaldenmet", recorded during the livestream for the album release on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2021. It is already the seventh video the German group has released from their successful album.


Feuerschwanz on “Skaldenmet”: "From our legendary album release livestream for Memento Mori - 'Skaldenmet' live from the Tavern! Join us and let Hauptmann Feuerschwanz take you into the epic world of Norse mythology over mead and firelight!"


Feuerschwanz on the background of "Skaldenmet" in Norse mythology: "After the war (Æsir– Vanir Var) between the two peoples of the gods, all the gods spat into a barrel to seal peace. From this saliva an extraordinarily wise being named Kvasir was born. This was murdered by the two black elves Fjallarr and Galarr and its blood was collected in one mighty and two small cauldrons. From the blood, with the addition of honey, they brewed a mead, through the consumption of which anyone could become a poet.




After that, the two dwarves killed the giant Gillingr and his wife, but were caught by the giant's son, Suttungr, and could only save their lives by offering him the mead. Suttungr accepted the offer and kept the Skaldenmet in Mount Hnitbjörg, where his daughter Gunnlöð guarded it.
In order to get the Skaldenmet, Odin slipped into Mount Hnitbjörg in the form of a snake. After spending three nights with the giant daughter Gunnlöð, she gave him three sips of the mead in thanks. Thereupon Odin turned into an eagle and flew to Asgard. There he spewed the mead into the bowls of the Aesir..."





Memento Mori continues the success story of the medieval rockers from Germany / Franconia! On the new album, Feuerschwanz finally take a step away from the simpler humor of earlier days to become one of the most important bands in German folk rock.


With chanting violin playing, Memento Mori starts its heroic journey with its eponymous opener. The song turns out to be a melodic rock anthem with a well-known medieval character, a blazing guitar riff and life-affirming lyrics. On "Untot im Drachenboot", the squad around Captain Feuerschwanz sets off for new musical shores in a Viking ship full of undead warriors. "Rausch der Barberei", on the other hand delivers a violent, raw voice and driving drumming that send its listeners into unbridled frenzy. On "Krampus", Feuerschwanz sing in a canon of vocals and instruments about the ancient legend of the demonic companion of St. Nicholas, who is dressed in fur and a horned mask. On the ballad "Das Herz eines Drachen" (The Heart of a Dragon), the medieval folk rockers show their sensible side. In a fire lit by burning guitar sounds and flute melodies, a warrior mourns his fallen father with his head held high. "Hannibal" on the other hand embarks on a raging battle of powerful choirs, swirling violin and guitar solos and driving drums, led by army commander Hannibal. The crowning finale of the almost 40-minute adventure is provided by "Skaldenmet" with its proudly advancing bass.


In typical Feuerschwanz manner, Memento Mori is about great adventures, past battles and outstanding heroic deeds. Feuerschwanz manage to stay true to their trademarks and at the same time venture into new musical realms. Fans of the band can look forward to an extensive deluxe edition of the album, which extends the running time of Memento Moriby almost double! Two additional CDs feature instrumental versions of all eleven tracks as well as the cover CD Die Glorreichen Sieben (The Magnificent Seven), which includes seven epic reissues from Amon Amarth to Die Ärzte and The Weeknd.


Feuerschwanz on the new album: “You take nothing with you to your grave, except your coffin... Memento Mori is the direct successor to Die Letzte Schlacht! The world of Hauptmann Feuerschwanz is in flames, overrun by the living dead and scourged by religious zealots... All of this sounds frighteningly real, even in Anno Domini 2021, so it's time to defy the storm once again and celebrate life. Let's live here, let's live now - until death sharpens his knife!”


As a special highlight, some versions of Memento Mori feature a bonus CD with seven cover songs by Manowar, Amon Amarth, but also O-Zone, among others.


Memento Mori is available in the following formats:


- 2CD Mediabook + 40 pages booklet
- 1CD Jewel Case + 20 pages booklet
- Digital Album
- Digital Deluxe Album


Order here.





2CD tracklsiting:


Disc 1:
"Memento Mori"
"Untot im Drachenboot"
"Ultima Nocte"
"Rausch der Barbarei"
"Krampus"
"Feuer & Schwert"
"Das Herz eines Drachen"
"Rohirrim"
"Am Galgen"
"Hannibal"
"Skaldenmet"


Disc 2:
"Blinding Lights"
"Warriors of the World United"
"Twilight of the Thunder God"
"The Bad Touch"
"Dragostea Din Tei"
"Square Hammer"
"Der Graf"


"Dragostea Din Tei" video:





"Ultima Nocte":





"Memento Mori" video:





“Untot im Drachenboot” video:





"Warriors Of The World United" video:





Feuerschwanz are:


Hauptmann Feuerschwanz - vocals, guitar
Johanna von der Vögelweide - violin, hurdy-gurdy
Rollo - drums
Jarne Hodinsson - bass
Prinz Hodenherz - flutes, bagpipe, vocals, guitar
Hans der Aufrechte – guitar

Rob Halford says that he is "stoked" about the possibility of working on his debut blues solo album. The JUDAS PRIEST singer is collaborating with the same team that assisted him during the making of his 2019 Christmas LP "Celestial", including his brother Nigel and his nephew Alex (son of PRIEST bassist Ian Hill).

Speaking to Joe Rock of Long Island, New York's 102.3 WBAB radio station, Halford said about his upcoming blues record (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I love the blues. Without the blues, we wouldn't have rock and roll. The blues was born here in the United States and then slowly mutated into all these incredible styles and different dynamics and variations. Man, I think back to those originators, like Little Richard, Bill Haley, the anchor of the blues like Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bessie Smith, all these great people. So I was listening to those great performers as I was growing up as a kid. I love the blues, man. And I think most metal musicians would acknowledge the blues for playing such an important role."

Halford continued: "So, here's the deal. I made a Christmas album with my brother and my nephew and some friends recently called 'Celestial', and while we were there, I was saying to the guys, 'I've got this thing about knocking around some blues ideas.' And that's all the guys needed. So they went away while I've been busy with PRIEST and we put together a substantial amount of material. And when I find time, we're gonna bang it out. I'd love us to play in a room live together, 'cause they're really talented. My brother is a drummer. My nephew is a bass player; he's the son of the great bass god, Ian Hill [of JUDAS PRIEST]. And then we've got J.B. [Jon Blakey] on guitar, who was with us on 'Celestial'. So we're gonna keep it simple. But I'm excited. I've got all the stuff on my phone, like we do — that's a danger — and I listen to it, and I get stoked about the possibility. So it'll happen eventually, I'm sure."

Last May, Halford told Kyle Meredith that he already had "enough material to make a [blues] record." He added: "The only thing that I threw at the guys was do what you feel you wanna do in terms of ideas. I did give 'em a list of some of my favorite blues styles and blues performers as a little bit of a template for the guys to bounce off of."

Rob reiterated that his upcoming blues album will be a varied effort covering a host of different styles and sounds. "You could go into one specific area and stay in that place and focus [on that and make] little subtle changes here and there, but much like the 'Celestial' album, I think this effort should just be a little texture of every taste of all these different blues flavors," he explained to Kyle Meredith.

As for how his lyrical approach will be different for his blues album compared to the songs he writes for PRIEST, Halford said: "The blues is the blues. We all feel the blues, but you can have the happy blues as well as the sad blues, and you can have all of these characters in blues. The opportunities for stories for some of them, similar to the PRIEST inventions of fantasy, like the Sentinel or the Painkiller or any of those great characters that were created. You can throw your lyrics wherever you wanna throw them if they're connecting with the music.

"Messages in music are vital, 'cause we like to hear stories that we can relate to or attach ourselves to, in reality or in fantasy," he continued. "So that's gonna be an adventure for me. I love to sit down with a pencil and a piece of paper, 'cause that's how I do it, and just think. I have an idea, and I just throw some bullet words down instantly, and that's how the seeds start to grow."

A few years ago, Rob stated about his interest in making a blues record: "When I first became a musician in my late teens, I started to hear the extraordinary roots of the blues — Bessie Smith, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters. They gave me the buzz… It's something I want to do because I want to explore what my voice can do in that wonderful world. That's how I learned to do a lot of that soaring, sweeping, and screeching. And also I discovered that I've got a voice that can go in different octaves, directions, and different kinds of projections. It's a combination of a sense of adventure and just being inspired by those guys, those wonderful singers. It's a mixture of everything but mainly a discovery of what the voice can do."

Back in 2015, Halford told Newsday.com that he was interested in recording a blues album and pursuing other non-heavy metal projects because he wanted to find out what his voice can do. He said: "I've always felt that [the blues is] very much a part of my background and musical roots. I don't know what kind of blues album I could do because there are so many different facets [to explore]. Maybe I'll just mix it up. As far as stuff out of the metal world, I'm a fan of people like Michael Bublé and Michael Feinstein. I've always been a fan of [Frank] Sinatra and Tony Bennett and Elvis [Presley]. I'd love to hear what my voice would sound like in that kind of musical mix, with wind instruments, trumpets and sax, piano, just that big-band sound."

Halford credited his vocal versatility and ability to take his voice in "different directions" as the main reason he was "so interested in trying these other opportunities." He said: I think if I had a voice that was different to what it is and was a little more in one focus, maybe I wouldn't be as adventurous about my ideas. But because my voice is able to do those different things, it's instinctive and natural to see what else I can do."

Halford released his autobiography, "Confess", in September 2020 via Hachette Books

In a new interview with the WMSC radio station, GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash paid tribute to classic AEROSMITH, saying: "There's an AEROSMITH song called 'Nobody's Fault' off the 'Rocks' record… It was one of the songs that when I first picked up the guitar, that was the record, that particular album, the timing of me hearing that record at the time when I heard it had a lot to do with how I ended up where I am. And [that song] was probably one of the most heavy hard rock songs — very indicative of the '70s and very indicative of AEROSMITH at this certain time. And it wasn't BLACK SABBATH heavy, it wasn't 'heavy metal, heavy metal,' but it was still this really hardcore hard rock song. And so I always loved it."

Slash previously discussed his love of early AEROSMITH more than a decade and a half ago in the special "Immortals" issue of Rolling Stone magazine chronicling "The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time". At the time, he said: "I don't think this generation has a clue what classic AEROSMITH was all about. But they were the template for what I do, as well as plenty of bands that came after GUNS N' ROSES: SOUNDGARDEN, NIRVANA, ALICE IN CHAINS and PEARL JAM all owed a serious debt to old-school AEROSMITH.

"My big awakening happened when I was fourteen. I'd been trying to get into this older girl's pants for a while, and she finally let me come over to her house. We hung out, smoked some pot and listened to AEROSMITH's 'Rocks'. It hit me like a fucking ton of bricks. I sat there listening to it over and over, and totally blew off this girl. I remember riding my bike back to my grandma's house knowing that my life had changed. Now I identified with something.

"The key to 'Rocks' is the first two songs — 'Back in the Saddle' and 'Last Child'. That combination just ripped my head off. But my favorite song on the record has always been 'Nobody's Fault', which is the second song on the B side. AEROSMITH had an aggressive, psychotic, drugged-out vibe, but at the same time they had a STONES-y blues thing going on. There was just nothing cooler than AEROSMITH coming out of America at that point. What else was there? FOGHAT?

"When I was learning to play the guitar, AEROSMITH gave me the shove. I identified with Joe Perry's image, both visually and soundwise. He was streamlined in a way that reminded me of Keith Richards, was always wasted and had a careless guitar style that was really cool. But I was also totally into Brad Whitford's guitar solos, and he had a more direct influence on the way I play than anybody realizes. And anyone who sings needs to be exposed to Steven Tyler.

"My first AEROSMITH concert was in 1978. They were playing at a festival with VAN HALEN — they were incredibly loud and I barely recognized a note, but it was still the most bitchin' thing I'd ever seen. Soon after that they broke up, which to me marked the end of Seventies rock. The next time I saw them was when they got back together six years later, and they were amazing. When AEROSMITH are in the groove, they're just rock-solid. Not too long after that GUNS N' ROSES were asked to open for AEROSMITH on their 'Permanent Vacation' tour. We went to their manager's hotel room, and while he was in the bathroom we ordered $1,500 worth of room service and trashed the place. But they must have liked us a lot, because they put us on the bill anyway, and I've known them ever since."

Slash is promoting the new album from SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS, titled "4", which was released on February 11 via Gibson Records in partnership with BMG. "4" is Slash's fifth solo album and fourth overall with his band featuring Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass, vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar, vocals).

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS kicked off a North American headlining tour on February 8, in Portland, Oregon. The trek will hit 28 major cities, including Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, Nashville, Dallas, Austin, Houston, and more, before wrapping up March 26 in Orlando, Florida.

In a new interview with Midwest Beatdown, KORN drummer Ray Luzier spoke about the fact that the band's new album, "Requiem", consists of only nine songs, with just one being more than four minutes long. "We tracked about, I wanna say 16, 17 tunes or something like that," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And there's a lot of records where if you think a song is a filler, it doesn't necessarily mean the next guy thinks it's a filler; they might like the songs that aren't singles better than the singles, so everyone's got opinions. But on this record, we tracked a lot. There's some that didn't make it [where] I was literally, like, 'Wait. How can that not make it? That's an amazing song.' But when you listen to 'Requiem' as a whole, I really believe that that's the best possible material we could pick at this time. It's like giving birth — there's your babies, your songs, and you want everyone to hear 'em and receive them as well as they possibly can.

"We just had such a great time making this record over COVID," Ray continued. "There was no rushing. We just went, 'Hey, let's meet in Bakersfield,' our California studio; Head [guitarist Brian Welch] and I live in Nashville. And we'd fly out there and just take it little by little. There was no, 'Oh, let's rush this [before] we have to go on tour.' It was, like, 'Hey, let's just make good music' and come back and listen to it and weed out the bad and really make the good stuff stick."

"Requiem" was released on February 4 via Loma Vista Recordings. The band celebrated the LP's arrival with a special record-release event on February 3 at the Hollywood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, California. "Requiem Mass" saw the Southern California heavy music pioneers perform an intimate set in front of a 300 attendees.

"Requiem" was produced by Chris Collier and KORN.

"Requiem" entered Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart at No. 1. The band sold 23,000 equivalent album units in the February 4-10 tracking week, according to Billboard. Of that sum, 20,000 units are from album sales. "Requiem" also landed at No. 2 on the Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums charts. On the all-format Billboard 200, it arrived at No. 14.

The album's first single, "Start The Healing", is at No. 2 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.

KORN kicked off a short run of shows with SYSTEM OF A DOWN on January 31 in Phoenix, followed by dates in San Diego (February 1) and Los Angeles (February 4 and February 5). KORN's headlining tour with CHEVELLE and CODE ORANGE will launch March 4.

Photo by Tim Saccenti

In a new interview with the "(Don't) Quit Your Day Job" podcast, Jeff Scott Soto, the acclaimed American hard rock singer of Puerto Rican descent, was asked if he ever felt like he didn't get a fair shake or people treated him "shitty" just because of the slightly darker hue of his complexion. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Absolutely. Of course I went through it, especially in the '80s when this style of the hair bands, or whatever you wanna call them, and even the genre was flooded with so many bands that were… a lot of their frontmen were of Caucasian descent and had green eyes or blue eyes and they had blond hair. I didn't fit in that mold… Of course, there were exceptions. Stephen Pearcy [RATT] is Spanish. I believe Vince Neil [MÖTLEY CRÜE] is half Spanish, but they didn't come across with that look as much as I did. And [I thought], 'I need to shift how people see me first because my talent isn't gonna do it enough; it's not gonna do it alone. I have to make sure that I kind of fit and look the image as well as singing it,' because the way I looked when I was with Yngwie, it would not have worked for me in terms of trying to get and gain that side of notoriety had I not done something about it. So I was doing things like adding the bleached hair on portion of my hair, I grew it out longer, I was wearing different clothing. I tried to remold myself to kind of fit musically what I was trying to rebrand myself."

Soto is a man that needs virtually no introduction to any discerning melodic rock fan. Jeff launched his career at the young age of 18 years old in tremendous fashion as the lead vocalist for Yngwie Malmsteen's debut album, "Rising Force", and the sophomore effort, "Marching Out". That first step into the spotlight has led to a career that has seen Jeff play and work with an outstanding number of artists and genres from the AOR of EYES and TAKARA, to the hard rock and metal of TALISMAN, AXEL RUDI PELL, SOUL SIRKUS, and, of course, his time with the legendary JOURNEY. Jeff has also maintained a solo career over the past decades, while also recently joining up with the progressive metal supergroup SONS OF APOLLO.

Last October, Soto released his latest solo project, "The Duets Collection, Vol. 1". For this album, Soto wanted to do a career retrospective and re-record some of his favorite songs from his storied career, but with the twist that he invited friends to join him on duets of said songs. So, not only did he re-record these songs with his musical friends Jorge Salan, Howie Simon (guitars), Leo Mancini (guitars), Tony Dickinson (bass) and Edu Cominato (drums), but he called in some of his fellow rock friends/vocalists — including Erik Mårtensson (ECLIPSE, W.E.T.), Eric Martin (MR. BIG), Johnny Gioeli (HARDLINE), Deen Castronovo (REVOLUTION SAINTS, JOURNEY), Nathan James (INGLORIOUS), Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X), Renan Zonta (ELECTRIC MOB), Dino Jelusick (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA), Mats Levén (CANDLEMASS, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA), BJ (SPEKTRA, SOTO) and Aliro Netto (SHAMAN, QUEEN EXTRAVAGANZA) — to create a unique duets album.

Fan-filmed video footage of SOULFLY performing a cover of FEAR FACTORY's "Replica" (after the intro to "Body Hammer") on February 15 at Goldfield in Roseville, California can be seen below.

FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares is once again playing guitar for SOULFLY on the Max Cavalera-fronted outfit's current U.S. tour. He previously performed with SOULFLY on the group's last U.S. run of dates, which took place in August and September of 2021.

SOULFLY kicked off its 35-date U.S. tour on February 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The trek will make stops in Seattle, Minneapolis, Nashville, and Baton Rouge before concluding in Gallup, New Mexico on March 19. Joining the band for select dates are SHORT FUSE and 200 STAB WOUNDS.

Prior to the launch of the tour, Cavalera commented: "SOULFLY would like to welcome back our brother/legend Dino Cazares to share the stage once again with us! Round One was amazing! The Tribe in other cities will now get the chance to see this epic lineup, playing classic trax and some surprises from our new record!"

Cazares added: "I will reenter the riff vortex with the SOULFLY Tribe! I look forward to rejoining Max and La Familia on their U.S. tour, destroying stages with an avalanche of classic anthems and brand new songs."

Last month, Max told Zippo Encore's "Art Of Rock" livestream series: "It's so cool that we have amazing friends like [Dino] in the industry. That you can call Dino up and he's available. So [it's] just really great… [Touring with him last year] was so much fun, man, because Dino… We grew up together. I was a huge FEAR FACTORY fan. I helped them get signed [to Roadrunner]. And then, of course, he plays on 'Eye For An Eye' on the first SOULFLY [album]; he plays guitars on it. So when we invited him to do that tour, it was a perfect match. And the fans, they lost their shit. It was so cool. Sometimes I would stay on the bus and I'd watch Dino get out of the bus and he'd just get mobbed; 10 kids would just surround him. I was, like, 'Oh, this is cool, man. This is what's up. This is some true metal shit right here.'"

In August, SOULFLY parted ways with longtime guitarist Marc Rizzo due to personal differences.

Rizzo joined SOULFLY in 2004, and appeared on all of the band's subsequent records, including "Prophecy" (2004), "Dark Ages" (2005), "Conquer" (2008), "Omen" (2010), "Enslaved" (2012), "Savages" (2013), "Archangel" (2015) and "Ritual" (2018). In 2007, Rizzo became a member of CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, the side project of SEPULTURA co-founders, brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, and has performed on all CAVALERA CONSPIRACY releases including "Inflikted", "Blunt Force Trauma", "Pandemonium" and the critically acclaimed 2017 LP "Psychosis".

Max and his bandmates have spent the last few months working on the follow-up to 2018's "Ritual" at Platinum Underground in Phoenix, Arizona with producer Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, POWER TRIP and CODE ORANGE.

ICED EARTH guitarist Jon Schaffer, who pleaded guilty 10 months ago to his role in the Capitol riot, is continuing to cooperate with authorities while on pre-sentencing release.

In a joint status update filed on Friday (February 18) in federal court in Washington, D.C., United States attorney Matthew M. Graves wrote that the "government reports that Defendant Jon Schaffer continues to cooperate with the government." Prosecutors also asked for a May deadline for the filing of another status report in his case.

According to an April 2021 Justice Department press release, Schaffer has "acknowledged he is a founding lifetime member" of the right-wing Oath Keepers extremist group.

Last month, U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta granted the U.S. government's request to share sealed materials from the case involving Schaffer's role in the U.S. Capitol riot case as discovery to the three main Oath Keepers cases. Stewart Rhodes, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers, and several of his deputies were charged with seditious conspiracy for their role in the U.S. Capitol Riot. Rhodes and his co-defendants are accused of bringing small arms to the Washington, D.C. area; engaging in combat training to prepare for the attack; and making plans to stage quick-reaction forces to support insurrectionists.

In December, a lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C. accusing 31 members of Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys — including Schaffer — of "conspiring to terrorize the District" on January 6, 2021, calling their actions "a coordinated act of domestic terrorism." According to CNN, the lawsuit cites the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, a federal law created after the Civil War to protect civil rights and, as District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine noted, "to protect against vigilantes and insurrectionists."

"I think the damages are substantial," Racine told The Washington Post. "If it so happens that it bankrupts or puts these individuals and entities in financial peril, so be it."

The 84-page complaint, which can be found at this location, describes Schaffer as "a founding, lifetime member of the Oath Keepers." It goes on to say: "Schaffer was criminally charged and indicted for his role in perpetrating the January 6th Attack. In connection with a promise to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in criminal cases related to the conspiracy to commit the January 6th Attack, Schaffer pleaded guilty to the entire Statement of Offense in the criminal action brought against him, which included two felony offenses: (1) trespass of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon and (2) obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress. The Criminal Complaint filed against Schaffer—as well as Schaffer's Plea Agreement and the accompanying Statement of Offense describing his conduct—are publicly available documents that are hereby incorporated into the Complaint by reference."

"No one bore the brunt of this gutless attack more than the courageous law enforcement officers including the men and women of the DC Metropolitan Police Department who went into the fire and violence with one objective in mind: remove the violent mob and restore our country's fragile democracy," Racine said at a news conference.

"The defendants, as you know, were not tourists, nor were they acting patriotically," he added. "They were vigilantes, members of a mob, insurrectionists who sought to crush our country's freedoms."

As part of his April 2021 plea deal, Jon entered into a cooperation agreement with the government.

Although Schaffer was initially charged with six crimes, including engaging in an act of physical violence and targeting police with bear spray, he pleaded guilty to only two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress; and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The first charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while the second carries up to a 10-year prison term.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer acknowledged that on January 6, 2021 he was in Washington to attend the "Stop The Steal" rally at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. to protest the results of the presidential election, which he believed were fraudulent. Schaffer wore a tactical vest and carried bear spray, a dangerous weapon and chemical irritant used to ward off bears. When the rally finished, Schaffer joined a large crowd that marched from the Ellipse to the Capitol, where a joint session of Congress, presided over by Vice President Michael Pence, was in session to certify the electoral college vote results. Shortly after 2:00 p.m., members of the mob forced entry into the Capitol building, disrupting the joint session and causing members of Congress and the Vice President to be evacuated from the House and Senate chambers.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer admitted that after arriving on Capitol grounds, he walked past barriers intended to restrict access to the public and to a set of locked doors on the Capitol's west side. At approximately 2:40 p.m., Schaffer positioned himself at the front of a crowd that broke open a set of doors being guarded by four U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers wearing riot gear. Schaffer admitted to being among the first individuals to push past the damaged doors and into the Capitol building, forcing officers to retreat. Schaffer and others advanced toward five or six backpedaling USCP officers while members of the mob swelled inside of the Capitol and overwhelmed the officers. The officers ultimately deployed a chemical irritant to disperse the mob. Schaffer was among the people who were sprayed in the face, after which he exited while holding his own bear spray in his hands.

As part of the plea deal, Schaffer agreed to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in related criminal cases, according to CNN. In return for Schaffer's assistance, the Justice Department might later urge the judge to show leniency during his sentencing.

Also as part of the agreement, the Justice Department has offered to sponsor Schaffer for the witness protection program.

The 53-year-old musician was the first Capitol riot defendant to reach a plea deal.

The Indiana chapter of the Oath Keepers distanced itself from Schaffer after his arrest, claiming he was not a member of the local group. But the national organization, which sells lifetime memberships for $1,200, has not commented on his alleged affiliation with the group.

At a November 2020 Donald Trump rally in Washington, D.C., Schaffer was videotaped walking behind a Florida couple, Kelly Meggs and Connie Meggs, who were accused of being among 10 members of the Oath Keepers to have played a leading role in the Capitol assault. According to federal authorities, Kelly and Connie Meggs plotted for weeks ahead of the attack, attended training sessions and recruited others. Kelly Meggs is the head of the Oath Keepers' chapter in Florida.

Following the initial reports that Schaffer was involved in the riot, his ICED EARTH bandmates distanced themselves from his actions. Singer Stu Block and bassist Luke Appleton later posted separate statements on social media announcing their resignations. BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch also quit DEMONS & WIZARDS, his long-running project with Schaffer. The allegations also apparently affected Schaffer's relationship with his longtime record label Century Media, which had released albums from both ICED EARTH and DEMONS & WIZARDS. As of mid-January, the Century Media artist roster page did not list either band.




Jon Schaffer, the Indiana heavy metal guitarist with Oath Keeper ties who was the first person to plead guilty in the Jan. 6 prosecutions (obstructing an official proceeding + carrying bear spray into the Capitol), is still cooperating, per status report filed this morning pic.twitter.com/Vqoc9bUNZT

— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) February 18, 2022

Fan-filmed video footage of Lita Ford's February 16 performance aboard the Rock Legends Cruise IX can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube user Greg Perry).

Lita recently completed recording her long-awaited new solo album. The follow-up to 2012's "Living Like A Runaway" was once again helmed by guitarist/producer Gary Hoey, who contributes some guitar playing to the disc, alongside the rest of Ford's backing band, which continues to consist of guitarist Patrick Kennison, drummer Bobby Rock and bassist Marty O'Brien.

In January 2021, Lita told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that her new album contains "some of the best guitar playing" she has heard "in decades." She added: "And I'm not blowing smoke up my own ass, but Gary and I just nailed it with the guitar playing on this record.

"I'm a huge fan of people like Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter from Alice Cooper's 'Welcome To My Nightmare'. I mean, there's some really great duo guitar players — [JUDAS PRIEST's] Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing… Those guitar players don't exist anymore — they just don't exist. If you wanna hear them, you have to go back in time a little bit and dig them up into your favorite library, favorite music catalog. But I think Gary and I really nailed it on this next record. It's, like, oh my God. I'm crying — I'm just, like, crying listening to this stuff. It's so badass."

Ford's last release was 2016's "Time Capsule", a collection of songs that were recorded by Lita in the past, but never before made available.

Six years ago, Lita released an autobiography, "Living Like A Runaway: A Memoir", via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books), an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

During a recent interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner was asked what he thinks it would take for the band to reunite with the man he replaced in PRIEST, original guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't know. It's not my relationship. I think it goes beyond the music. There's some stuff there that's obviously personal, and it's not my fight; it's not my relationship. I think if it was purely music or business, then maybe it could be a money thing or it could be a creative thing, but I think it goes beyond that. And it's up to the guys, really — it's up to the guys to sort of find out what that is, or not. They don't have to — there's no obligation for them. It's up to them.

"I've said it before, if it had ended differently, we might be in a different situation now," he continued. But that's just not the way it ended and that's not where we are now.

"I don't know what it would take to patch that up, but it's been 10 years of weirdness, really. It's been a bit unnecessary. And I said this the other week, really, and I hate to repeat myself, but they were brothers for 40 years. And I think, music aside, pick up the phone and have a chat, have a pint down the pub and just catch up and be buddies again more than anything else. But as I said before, it's not my relationship to nurture, really; it's up to them to handle.

"Obviously, it goes without saying, if Ken ever came back, I'd be willing to move over or do whatever it takes," Faulkner added. "It's JUDAS PRIEST. I'd be willing to get out or move over or wear a funny hat — or whatever it needs to do. But as I said, it's not my relationship to take care of, really."

Faulkner, nearly three decades Downing's junior, joined PRIEST in 2011 after K.K. left 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 Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Back in 2019, Faulkner dismissed the criticism he received for supposedly trying to look too much like Downing. "Obviously, you get the [haters] — the 'clone' comments," Richie told the "Let There Be Talk" podcast. "I've got long blond hair, playing a flying V [guitar]… [Michael] Schenker, Zakk [Wylde], K.K., Randy Rhoads — all those guys. To say I was a Ken clone was fairly narrow-minded. There's tons of guys who have flying Vs and long hair.

"The thing is if I had dyed my hair black to be different, I would have been shot down," he continued. "You've gotta be real; you've gotta be who you are. And I grew up on Ken, I grew up on Glenn [Tipton, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist] and the guys that I mentioned. So you've just gotta be who you are. And I grew up with those guys, and I'm not ashamed. I wear it on my sleeve — they're all my influences, and I'm not afraid of that… There's no point in trying to hide it. But it's gotta be natural as well. And I think somehow it worked out organically. I didn't try to copy him. And as it goes on, you always try to do your own thing and make your own statement."

Four years ago, Downing said that he felt like he was "being cloned" when he first found out he was being replaced by Faulkner.

Downing, who announced his retirement from PRIEST in April 2011 after nearly 42 years in the job, admitted to the "Appetite For Distortion" podcast that he was taken aback when he first saw his replacement.

"Richie, as far as I know, is a nice guy and obviously an excellent player," Downing said. "I was a bit disappointed when, basically… I think the idea was to replace me [with a lookalike], so I did feel as though I was kind of being cloned. But I'm not sure that was exactly fair to Richie. I mean, I could be off the mark here, but I think Richie had the right to bring himself to the stage with his own… portray his own image and ability to play the instrument the way that he does. But it is what it is."

He continued: "When Glenn retired from touring [in early 2018], the same didn't happen — obviously, [Tipton's replacement] Andy [Sneap] doesn't look anything like Glenn; he doesn't wear the same clothes, the red pants, guitars or anything like that. So I don't really know what's going on. But it is what it is."

In a 2011 interview with the Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, PRIEST singer Rob Halford stated about Faulkner's physical resemblance to a younger Downing: "People are saying, 'It's a clone. You've got some of K.K.'s DNA.' It's just the way it turned out. We made, like, a secret search. When we knew K.K. was not gonna be making the tour, we did a lot of secret, kind of, searching for another player. And Richie just happened to be the guy. And he just happens to look a little bit of the K.K. image, you know?! I think it would be silly to say, 'We looked for a guitar player that looks like Ken.' What we want is a very good metal guitar player, and that's what Richie Faulkner is."

Edge Of Paradise have released a lyric video for new single "Believe", featured on their new studio album, The Unknown. Order / save The Unknown here, and watch the clip below. To delve deep into the art and the story of Believe, head 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:





"Tidal Wave" lyric video:





"False Idols" video:





"The Unknown" video:





"My Method Your Madness" video:





"Digital Paradise" video:

TWISTED SISTER singer Dee Snider spoke to the New Orleans radio station Bayou 95.7 about his involvement in "America's Deadliest Concert: The Guest List", a documentary about the infamous GREAT WHITE concert fire nearly two decades ago that killed a hundred people and injured hundreds more. The film will receive its premiere on Reelz today (Sunday, February 20) to coincide with the event's 19th anniversary. A trailer for the documentary is available below.

Snider, who was interviewed for the film said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's hard to remember and listen to, but a hundred people burned to death, over two hundred were injured, and 65 kids lost one or both parents in a fire in a nightclub. GREAT WHITE was playing. And yeah, GREAT WHITE, they were vilified. Their pyro ignited the building, and wrong or right, they've been shouldering the blame for a long time.

"One of the things I like about this documentary, it's very well rounded and it actually allows Jack Russell [former GREAT WHITE singer, whose pyrotechnics ignited the deadly blaze on February 20, 2003 in Rhode Island] to speak," he continued. "I remember Jack from back when, and we toured together back in the heyday, and now he's a broken man. And people may say and rightfully so. But let me just say, was it stupid, was it foolish to set off pyro in a small club? Yes. Was it malicious? Not on your life. They would never, ever intentionally hurt any of their fans."

According to Dee, the deadly event "struck a chord in so many ways" with him when it happened. "I had, post-TWISTED SISTER, gone from arenas to the bars, just like GREAT WHITE had, and I played The Station nightclub," he explained. "The DJ, who was called Doctor Metal, he was this kid, and what he did with my show is what he did with GREAT WHITE — he introduced me and then jumped off the front of the stage into the front of the audience and rocked out, because he was that local guy, that fan. And he perished in the fire. There were so many people. To think that those same people who came to see me were probably at that GREAT WHITE show as well. So it just struck so many chords. And I got very involved in a concert event to help those people. Troy Luccketta from TESLA, myself… But more than the money we raised that night, it was a deadlock with the lawyers and the courts and the insurance companies for a decade. And because of the attention we brought to the plight of these people, 175 million dollars finally went through to help these people. But the truth of the matter is the scars, literally and figuratively, remain for that community. It's very tough."

Snider also touched upon the documentary's title, saying: "It's called 'The Guest List' because Jack had been in town at a tattoo parlor, getting a tattoo, and met a bunch of fans and put them on his personal guest list. The greatest honor ever to have a lead singer of a band that you like put you on their guest list. And in the documentary, their families are talking about how their brothers, their sisters, their wives, their friends called and said, 'I met Jack Russell. He put me on the list.' Jack put 'em on a list that turned into a death list — see those names, and they died. So it's an awful, awful remembrance. But certainly Jack was doing something nice for the fans that turned into an awful tragedy."

This past December, Russell told Tulsa Music Stream about the documentary: "We took three years shooting this thing. I mean, it was a long time. A lot of footage — a lot of footage. But it's really moving. It is really moving, touching, and it's a beautifully shot piece of film. It lets you know how beautiful music is and how music can heal everything, no matter what people think. There's a certain thing in music that is very healing, and it's helped a lot of people through the aftermath of the fire."

Russell also said that he wanted the tragedy to serve as a reminder to remain alert about public safety.

"Honestly, I haven't been asked a question about the fire in — I can't remember how many years now," he said. "It's been a long, long time. The public has a short memory, unfortunately. It was something that I hoped that people would remember, just because of the nature of it and the fact that we need to take care of ourselves when we're out at places; we need to be conscious of our safety."

Five years ago, Russell told Psycho Babble TV about the documentary: "What it is is partly my life story, as a kid growing up, and then it goes off into the fire, unfortunately, and the aftermath of that, and testimonies… not testimony, but… talks by the victims and their families and how it affected them."

Russell said that parts of the movie are especially hard for him to watch "because a lot of people blame me." He then corrected himself: "I wouldn't say a lot, but they're very vocal." Still, he said he understood why some believe he should be held accountable for what happened fifteen years ago. "I look at it like this: if it makes it easier for them to grieve the loss of somebody close to them, then my shoulders are big enough," he explained.

The fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick began in an overcrowded club when pyrotechnics from Russell's GREAT WHITE ignited illegal soundproofing foam lining the club's walls.

"I've seen so many video tapes of pyro shooting off in that club with the foam — bigger stuff than we had — and it never happened," Jack told Psycho Babble TV." Why it happened that night… Who knows? I mean, it's like a plane crash — it takes all these little things to fall in line for that one big thing to happen. So [the movie] gave me the opportunity to talk about how I felt and for me to apologize. Not a guilty apology, but because I just…

"I mean, I feel horrible that it happened," he continued. "I lost a lot of friends that night — a lot of friends. People that I didn't even know were even there. And people have said, 'Well, he's not remorseful.' And they've gotta understand, when all this went down, my legal team, they said, 'You cannot ever say you're sorry, because it implies guilt.' And I'm, like, 'But I am sorry.' [And they told me], 'But you can't say it.'"

According to Russell, at least one "really beautiful" thing came out of the tragedy. "There was a man named Joe; they call him 'The Lizard Man,'" Jack said. "He was the worst, most badly burned of all the people. And he met his wife in the fire and they had a beautiful son. And his comment was, 'If this wouldn't have happened, I wouldn't have met the love of my life.'"

The singer said that the documentary, which he hopes will help bring him some closure, is "really well done. The guy [making it]… He's done Disney movies. He's actually from that town. So he had to be really unbiased, which he really was — he just told it. And it's really, really informative, and it delves into people's lives."

Russell added that he is "glad" the film was made. "It may not be the best thing in the world for me, but it's very cathartic," he said.

At least one relative of a Station fire victim was angered by Russell's plan to make a documentary about the incident and discuss it in the upcoming book.

"I think it's ruining all the positive strides that we're now making to heal here in Rhode Island," Jody King, whose brother Tracy was a bouncer at the Station, told the Associated Press in 2015. "If he wants to help, stay away, shut your mouth."

Russell's bandmate Ty Longley (guitar) was one of the people who perished in The Station blaze, which became the fourth deadliest fire in U.S. history.

In 2008, the band agreed to pay $1 million to survivors and families of the victims of the fire.

GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall founded the band with Russell in 1982. At the time of the fire, the group that was on the road was called JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE. Kendall later said he was asked to join Russell and his solo band on the tour to help boost attendance.

Official "America's Deadliest Concert: The Guest List" description: "Fates of the innocent and guilty collide in a small New England town when pyrotechnics from an 80's rock band spark America's deadliest rock concert.

"On the night of February 20th, 2003... America's deadliest rock concert began in West Warwick, Rhode Island, when the band GREAT WHITE ignited pyrotechnics inside a run-down roadhouse called The Station. The resulting conflagration killed 100 persons and grievously injured many others. It could fairly be said that music and rock culture drew one hundred innocent people to their deaths in The Station fire. 'The Guest List' explores how that same music and culture became sources of healing and comfort, at least for some, in the years thereafter.

"Many victims of The Station fire had been seduced by the siren song of rock celebrity. They met Jack Russell in the local Denny's, a nearby motel or at a tattoo parlor, where he generously added their names to the show's guest list. For many of those passionate fans, what appeared to be their very luckiest day turned out to be their last. Weeks after the fire, the actual charred, handwritten guest list was recovered from the club's ashes.

"The film contrasts Jack Russell's post-fire journey, in a search for redemption, with survivor Joe Kinan's rebirth, courage and inspiration. along the way, we meet other survivors and victims' families who have memorialized their loss through pursuits ranging from an exhibit of commemorative body art to re-immersion in the rock culture that initially brought them and their loved ones to the station nightclub. Throughout this journey we discover what many feel was legal injustice within local and state government.

"The documentary addresses timeless themes of personal responsibility, acceptance forgiveness and redemption. Its central characters struggle to cope in the aftermath of tragedy – some gracefully, and some less so. It is an object lesson in the tragic potential of poor decisions. 'The Guest List' remains timely, years after the station fire tragedy, as young people will always be attracted to concert events while some bands, promoters, and concert venues remain tempted to cut corners for cheap spectacle. 'The Guest List' is based in part on John Barylick's narrative non-fiction work, 'Killer Show: The Station Nightclub Fire, America's Deadliest Rock Concert'. The result is poignant footage contrasting very different life stories. the guest list is a strikingly visual film. No one who watches 'The Guest List' will enter a concert venue again without first checking for the exits."

"America's Deadliest Concert: The Guest List" includes interviews with Russell, Snider, Don Dokken (DOKKEN), Lita Ford and Michael Sweet (STRYPER).

Russell exited GREAT WHITE in December 2011 after he was unable to tour with the group due a series of injuries, including a perforated bowel and a shattered pelvis. Jack largely blamed these injuries on his alcohol and painkiller addictions as well as the prednisone drug he was prescribed.

Russell sued his onetime bandmates in 2012 over their continued use of the GREAT WHITE name after Jack had taken a leave of absence from the band for medical reasons. A short time later, Russell was countersued by Kendall, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie and drummer Audie Desbrow, claiming the vocalist's self-destructive behavior was damaging the GREAT WHITE name (they also alleged he was charging promoters less for his own touring version of GREAT WHITE). The parties settled in July 2013 without going to trial, with Russell now performing as JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE while the others are continuing as GREAT WHITE.












This is an IMPORTANT rock doc that EVERYONE needs to watch. The truth is ugly but should never be forgotten. "America's Deadliest Rock Concert: The Guest List" premiers Feb 20th on @ReelzChannel https://t.co/uQPOE13agm

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) February 5, 2022

SCORPIONS singer Klaus Meine spoke to AXS TV about his band's upcoming Las Vegas residency, "Sin City Nights". The run of shows, which was originally slated to take place in July 2020 and was later pushed back to May 2021, will now happen in March-April, 2022 at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

"We go to Vegas for nine shows, starting at the 26th of March until the middle of April," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And we're looking very much forward to that. It's a new show, a new production, and it's nice, for a change, that we don't have to travel every other day, waking up every morning in different cities, different places, different countries and continents. So we stay for quite a while there. It's great not only for the band, but also for the crews."

Asked if it's hard on the body to go back on the road after 50 years of touring, Klaus said: "It's not hard on the body after 50 years; it's harder on the body after two years' break. We never had a long break like this and we know it's quite a challenge to go back on the same level playing shows like we used to. It's two years ago by the time we will be back on the road, and this is something you have to work your body back to this level. Especially for me being the singer, you have to get those little pipes ready to rock and ready to roll, and it's impossible to do it from one day to the other. You have to prepare yourself. And it goes for the whole band."

He continued: "We had the first rehearsals here in the studio playing the new set, putting the new songs in the setlist, and we will have more rehearsal days here in Peppermint Park [studios in Hannover, Germany] before we go to the U.S. But you have to build it up yourself. It will be different. But it will be also, especially going through this pandemic, for all of us — not only for the band, but also for the audience, for our fans — it will be very, very emotional, finally to come together, to enjoy a concert together. It will be different. It will be very emotional, I think."

SCORPIONS previously played a Las Vegas mini-residency in May 2016, consisting of five shows at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

SCORPIONS' 19th studio album, "Rock Believer", will be released on February 25, The LP was recorded primarily at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

SCORPIONS' new album will mark their first release since 2017's "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", which was an anthology of new and classic material.

SCORPIONS originally intended to record the new album in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, some of the initial work was done with Greg remotely, after which SCORPIONS opted to helm the recordings themselves with the help of their engineer Hans-Martin Buff.

SCORPIONS' last full-length collection of new recordings was the aforementioned "Return To Forever", partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the '80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS' longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016. He has since been replaced by Mikkey Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD.

Wicked lives for rock n’ roll. The kind that lights a fire in your blood and puts that crazy in your eyes. And the proof is certainly within their new album, The Last American Rock Band, which will be available in various formats (CD, vinyl and all digital & streaming services) on March 11.





And the same day, the band will be performing an album release party at Photo City Music Hall in Rochester, New York. New merch and music will be available at the show. Also, a teaser for the upcoming video, “Hot Stage Lights”, can be viewed below.




Band members Danny, Chad Michael, Scotty V and Gunnar make up the rock n’ roll brotherhood that has become known as Wicked, hailing from Rochester, NY. The Last American Rock Band is a celebration of the songs, stages, and fans that have made the band who they are over the years and brings a melodic hard rock mix of fan favorites, as well as a couple never heard before tracks, all produced by 6x Grammy-winning producer Ignacio Molino.


The album is the perfect representation of what the band has become known for over the years; a high energy, theatrical hard rock act, built on delivering an over-the-top live show with bombastic songs, and is high energy rock n’ roll built on the classics and inspired by the now.


“Making this album became a drinking game between who's guitar had to be tuned the most times.” - Scotty V
 
“It was such a rush to finally get these tracks recorded and released with just the right production, bringing a whole new life to them for our fans.” - Gunnar


“I'm so excited to finally get this music to our fans. We're living with our hearts on our sleeves and not looking back. This is only the beginning of honest to god, Wicked rock n’ roll!” - Chad Michael


“The Last American Rock Band is the perfect celebration of the band’s past and an exciting turning point for a new era of Wicked rock n roll to follow!” - Danny


For more information, head here.





(Photo - Tom Ende Photography)

ANNIHILATOR leader Jeff Waters has once again opened up about his battle with COVID-19, saying that it took him six months to "get [his] lungs back."

The 56-year-old guitarist/vocalist, who moved to the United Kingdom from his native Canada back in 2018, discussed his recent health issues in a new interview with Belgian Jasper. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I caught COVID in April 2020, in the beginning. I had a bad, nasty one. I didn't get as far as my friend Will Carroll from DEATH ANGEL where I got put into an induced coma in a hospital, but I got pretty close there for 12 days. It was one of those 'human sitting on your chest' and when you breathe in and out, it sounded like a crackling fire, like a bad asthma attack. And I made it through the 12 days without the ventilation, and I thought I was good. It took me six months to get my lungs back — six months. It was, like, 'What?' And then I had a hernia thing. It got bad and I had a surgery then. And then kidney stones from eating like crap. So since then, I've just done it all. I've been walking. I eat the most incredible diet that you would not believe… And I finally got the energy back. But, yeah, it was a year and a half of that."

He continued: "Compared to some of the people I know and that we know and that the world knows, I had it easy. I'm lucky that I'm relatively healthy and there are good people and I'm not in financial danger and [I have] a lot of friends and a lot of support. And you know what? Despite the ridiculous leadership here and the government of the U.K. — I didn't say that; I'm not political, publicly — but despite all that, they have an amazing health care system. And me as a Canadian who had a good life in Canada when I was there four years ago, the U.K. health care system is freakin' awesome. So I was a lucky guy compared to a lot of people."

earMusic recently announced a reissue series of (almost) the entire ANNIHILATOR catalog. Kicking off this extensive catalog campaign is "Metal II", which has been given an overhaul with Dave Lombardo (SLAYER) on drums and lead vocals "re-invented" by Stu Block (INTO ETERNITY, ICED EARTH). The guest list on the album iincludes: Willie Adler (LAMB OF GOD), Alexi Laiho (CHILDREN OF BODOM), Steve "Lips" Kudlow (ANVIL), Dan Beehler (EXCITER), Jesper Strömblad (IN FLAMES), Angela Gossow (ARCH ENEMY), Jeff Loomis (ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE), Anders Björler (THE HAUNTED, AT THE GATES) and Corey Beaulieu (TRIVIUM).

In total, 18 records are going to be released over the next few years, including the original 2007 version of the "Metal" album.

Founded in 1984, ANNIHILATOR took the metal scene by storm with its debut 1989 release "Alice In Hell", upped the ante with 1990's "Never, Neverland" and has continued a non-stop career-pattern of releasing records and touring with many of the biggest bands in the metal genre (mostly outside North America) ever since; cementing ANNIHILATOR as the biggest-selling metal act in Canada's history.

The debut album from Riot Act, the band initially formed by former 'classic era' Riot members Rick Ventura and Lou Kouvaris is titled Closer To The Flame which is sure to please fans of the late ‘70s, early ‘80s era of Riot as well as fans of Montrose, Rival Sons, The Black Crowes, Tesla and fans of classic hard rock everywhere.


The album will also come with a 12 track bonus CD of classic Riot tracks recut, these recordings feature the final ever recordings of Lou Kouvaris, who tragically passed away of Covid-19 in early 2020.


Guitarist Rick Ventura: “Hoping to make some noise with our new video ‘Stand Or Fall’, a good ol' rocker that basically tells you to stand up for what you believe in or be cast off into the ether.”




Vocalist Don Chaffin: “Very excited to release the new ‘Stand Or Fall’ video, this one has some elements that remind me of AC/DC and the The Cult….straight ahead rock that makes you want to move and still has that Riot Act signature sound to it …. and yes, of course more cowbell!”


Statement from the band: "Riot Act’s new album is a culmination of emotions over the past two years. From the excitement of our early rehearsals, to the loss of our band mate, struggling through a pandemic and not knowing if we were going to continue, the four of us knew that the band had much to offer. The result of that renewed energy is Closer To The Flame and with joining forces with Global Rock Records we are ready for the world to hear this new music we have been working on for so long.


“Our very good friends and brothers in in Riot V of course continue their evolution of Riot onward, while as Riot Act we aim to recapture the early Riot sound of the 1977-1983 band and bringing that into a new era with our new music.


“Further illustrating that 'Riot members of all eras are family' Riot V guitarist Mike Flyntz is a special guest on the record, laying down a killer solo on the track "49er" a re-recording of the Riot - Narita era classic.”





Tracklisting:


“Closer To The Flame”
“Wanted”
“Straight For Your Heart”
“Smoking Gun”
“Almost There”
“Stand Or Fall”
“Love Come Round”
“Angelina”
“Right Between The Eyes”
“Rock Love And Roll”


“Stand Or Fall” video:





Riot Act will be touring the UK as support to Lillian Axe in the UK throughout August 2022.





Riot Act features former Riot guitarist Rick Ventura, Don Chaffin vocals, Paul Ranieri bass, and Claudio Galinski drums.

Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his Disney rendition of Sabaton's epic "Soldier Of Heaven". Check it out below.


Tommy: "Another Friday with a glorious mix between Sabaton and Disney with the lyrics from the new Sabaton song 'Soldier Of Heaven' to the classic Lion King song  'Can You Feel The Love Tonight'."













Johansson recently shared his solo performance of Gary Moore's 1986 classic "Thunder Rising". Check it out below.

The Crystal Method (who is Scott Kirkland) has teamed with pioneering UK breakbeat producer Hyper for a unique single -- “Post Punk” featuring legendary Stooges front man Iggy Pop. “Post Punk” will appear on The Crystal Method’s seventh studio album The Trip Out set for release April 15, 2022 on Ultra Records.





The brooding, mid-tempo “Post Punk” was produced alongside longtime Crystal Method ally Hyper (Guy Hatfield). From TCM vs Hyper single “Fire To Me” which appeared on the London original motion picture soundtrack to his remix of TCM classic “Busy Child,” the celebrated cinematic sound designer--whose recent credits include music for gaming and screens (Cyberpunk 2077, “Orange Is The New Black”)—steps into the studio with The Crystal Method for an album cut that is progressive and mesmerizing.




Borrowing a soundbite from Jim Jarmusch’s Stooges documentary Gimme Danger, the track is built upon distorted synths and heavy drums, while Iggy Pop—in his signature, gravelly voice—asserts his individuality. “I don’t want to be a punk. I don’t want to belong to any of it,” he pronounces. “I just want to be.”

In conjunction with a recent Metal Hammer retrospective on SKID ROW's 1989 self-titled debut, former vocalist Sebastian Bach spoke at length about the album with writer Clay Marshall. Select "outtakes" from the interview appear below (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On his initial impressions of SKID ROW upon receiving the band's demo:

Sebastian: "My very first impression was, 'This guy [original vocalist Matt Fallon] is doing an impression of Jon Bon Jovi.' My vocal tastes were totally not that — my favorite singer was Rob Halford of JUDAS PRIEST, and I was no Rob Halford, but that was my favorite singer. There was 'Youth Gone Wild' on the tape and also '18 And Life', and those two songs stuck in my head. I said if I could reinvent the melody lines — especially in '18 And Life',' and put in some Halford-esque kind of notes — I could make this into something that I would really be proud of. You can go through the song and circle the lines — 'fingers to the bone,' 'child blew a child away.' Every single time my voice goes into that high register, that's me. Nobody wrote that — nobody said, 'Here's how the song goes. Here's how the melody goes.' I didn't understand at that young age that I was writing the melody line. People have told me, 'Why the fuck didn't you get a credit on the song?' I was a little kid — I didn't know anything. I was like, 'Can I sing this note?' Everybody's like, 'Fuck yes, you can. Sing that.' I didn't realize that that, in other bands, would entitle me to get my name on the song. The last thing I ever thought in a million years was that anybody would like us. [Laughs]"

On his contributions to "Makin' A Mess", the one track on "Skid Row" for which he received a songwriting credit:

Sebastian: "That was me and Rachel [Bolan, bass] and Snake [Sabo, guitar] sitting in a room in Rachel's house. I lived in Rachel's house in Rachel's childhood bedroom, next to his parents. We wrote that song in the office across from his television room. They'll tell you that we never got along, that we never liked each other, which was horseshit. [Laughs] You don't have somebody living in your fucking house that you don't get along with. That was us just sitting around, the three of us writing a tune... We rehearsed, like, every day. We rehearsed in Rachel's parents garage, and New Jersey is not California. We had space heaters, and it was cold in there, but we didn't even discuss it. We would just meet in the garage and work on music. We didn't play cover songs. Rachel and Snake were very prolific at that point and also wrote songs with [Jon] Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. We were always in the garage, working on tunes."

On the album's sound, and whether he thinks it still holds up today:

Sebastian: "I'm not a huge fan of remixes or remasters. I like the original copy of whatever album it is, because when you fuck around with it too much, it changes it into something it's not. Albums are a snapshot in time, and the first SKID ROW record is 1989. That's the way it sounded. The only thing I would say is that the drum sound is very of-the-times on the record, and an album like 'Appetite For Destruction' doesn't have this wacky kind of reverb that really dates it. At the time, you don't know — you're just trying your best to make something that you like. The records that age well are the ones that are just recordings of bands. That's why we all keep listening to the '70s albums by BLACK SABBATH and JUDAS PRIEST and KISS, because it's just the band — it's not all technology. That's the one thing I would say — that some of the production is a bit dated. There's way to know that when you're doing it."

On how the band was marketed:

Sebastian: "The very first SKID ROW poster that we ever put out, you can't even see us. People talk about the way we looked or our hair, but there was a very conscious marketing vibe of us being in black-and-white. The first poster is black-and-white — it's not even color. The only color is the logo, and it's a black-and-white picture. So is the album cover, and the back of the album – all black-and-white. I remember at the time, I was really into glam. When I met SKID ROW, I still used to tease my hair up [like] TIGERTAILZ, Pepsi Tate-style. It was Jon Bon Jovi who saw our pictures. We did a photo session, and me and Snake and Rachel, we all had huge hair. Nobody's ever seen that photo session, but Jon Bon Jovi just freaked out and said, 'You guys can't look like this. It's ridiculous.' Jon was taking us on tour, so we left the hair spray at home. It made it a lot easier to get ready for a show. [Laughs] I remember being confused, because everybody else was like the VINNIE VINCENT INVASION — glitter and the biggest hair and makeup and color, and 'Skid Row' came out black-and-white. I remember saying, 'It looks like a mistake — you can't even see us. It's just, like, shadows.' But it was absolutely perfect. There was [sic] no wrong moves made with the first SKID ROW record."

On the band's rapid rise:

Sebastian: "I remember the feeling that we're starting to get really big. I think it was a month into the BON JOVI tour [that] we played a place in Chicago called Rosemont Horizon. The tour had been going well up to that point, but that show on that night, I told the 20,000 people in front of me, 'Everybody, get up, man. It's time to rock n' roll.' I raised my hand, and the whole arena stood up for SKID ROW. I turned around and looked at Rachel saying, 'Oh my fucking god. This is really happening.' That moment when that whole arena stood up to their feet and put their hands in the air for us, that was the exact moment I thought it was going to be a success."

On temporarily getting kicked off the BON JOVI tour due to his frequent onstage profanity:

Sebastian: "We really looked up to MÖTLEY CRÜE. Vince Neil's raps in the '80s, he would go on stage and go, 'Hey Toronto! What the fuck? Look at all the fucking pussy here tonight, man!' [Laughs] He couldn't be more rude or foul-mouthed, and I was a Vince Neil fan. And also Dee Snider of TWISTED SISTER — every second word out of his mouth was 'fuck,' and I thought it was hilarious. The BON JOVI parents that would bring their daughters to the show didn't think it was so hilarious. [Laughs] We got kicked off for, like, one day, and then we were back on. I remember walking around the hotel somewhere in America with Snake, and we couldn't believe that we were kicked off the tour, but we thought it was, like, a badge of honor at the time — like, 'We're such badasses because we got kicked off the tour.' We would read about KISS getting kicked off tours, and VAN HALEN — nobody wanted to follow David Lee Roth or KISS's show, so we weren't too sad. [Laughs]."

Several weeks after the Metal Hammer interview was conducted, Bach — who parted ways with SKID ROW in 1996 — announced plans to commemorate the 30th anniversary of "Skid Row" by performing the album in its entirety during a tour that kicks off August 29 in Nashville, Tennessee. Last month, he issued an "open invitation" to his former SKID ROW bandmates to "get onstage and jam" during the tour, but so far, only original drummer Rob Affuso has accepted.

Video footage of IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson belting out an a cappella version of the song "Stranger In A Strange Land" during a recent stop on the 2022 U.S. leg of his spoken-word tour can be seen below.

"Stranger In A Strange Land" was originally released as the second single from MAIDEN's sixth studio album, "Somewhere In Time" which came out in 1986.

Dickinson's two-month North American spoken-word tour kicked off on January 17 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and will run through the end of March.

Bruce's spoken-word show is split into two parts. The first section sees him take a humorous and often satirical look at the world from his own very personal perspective, treating the audience to private insights into his drive and ambition, peppered with plenty of MAIDEN anecdotes, and a myriad of other experiences encompassing not just the giddy heights but also the extreme lows, as told first-hand in his inimitable anarchic style, punctuated with photographs, videos and sometimes even erupting into song a cappella, to illustrate a point. The final section of the evening is devoted entirely to the aforementioned question-and-answer session, with the opportunity to pose questions on any subject whatsoever. As Bruce's answers are all completely improvised — the more left-field and quirky the question, the more interesting and compelling the response is likely to be.

Dickinson is considered one of the world's most storied musicians. Aside from decades spent delivering high-octane performances with his larger-than-life persona in IRON MAIDEN, Bruce has lived an extraordinary off-stage existence too. A true polymath, his accomplishments include: pilot and airline captain, aviation entrepreneur, beer brewer, motivational speaker, film scriptwriter, twice-published novelist and Sunday Times best-selling author, radio presenter, TV actor, sports commentator and international fencer — to name but a few.

Dickinson, who had a golf gall-size tumor on his tongue and another in the lymph node on the right side of his neck, got the all-clear in May 2015 after radiation and nine weeks of chemotherapy.

Italian power metallers played their first live show in two years on February 19th at the Legend Club in Milan, Italy. It was the band's first show with the new members Fabiola Bellomo (lead guitar), Niso Tomasini (drums), and Francesco Zoff (bass). Fan-filmed video from the show can be viewed below. 


The setlist on the night was as follows:


"Neverending"
"Embrace the Night" (live debut)
"The Water Dancer" (live debut)
"In The Dark"
"Everwinter"
"Far Beyond" (live debut)
"Kings"
"I Am the Tyrant"
"Night Crawler" (Judas Priest cover)
"The Shieldmaiden"