Legendary rockers KISS have announced that the upcoming voyage of the "Kiss Kruise XI" will be their "last performance onboard". The KISS Navy will set sail for their eleventh mission from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico from October 29, 2022 to November 3, 2022.

As has been the case on all the previous cruises, fans will get to see KISS's unmasked acoustic and electric shows and engage in activities with the bandmembers.

Last year's edition of the "Kiss Kruise" required fans to be vaccinated to attend.

In October, KISS frontman Paul Stanley said that the final concert of the band's "End Of The Road" tour would likely happen by early 2023.

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but has since been extended to at least the end of 2022. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".

"I believe strongly by the beginning of 2023 we will be finished," Stanley told Ultimate Classic Rock, adding that "it seems only natural [for the final show] to be in New York. That is where the band started, and that was really the background for the band getting together and writing these songs and played loft parties and played clubs starting with an audience of probably 10 people," he said. "It seems we should go full circle."

Stanley went on to say that unlike KISS's 2000-2001 tour, which was also supposed to be its last, "End Of The Road" will truly be the last time KISS performs live. "It's a different time than we had pondered [farewell tours] in the past," Stanley explained. "The fact is that, physically, it's incredibly demanding to do what we do. Look, we played [recently] in Austin, an outdoor show, 100 percent humidity. We're running around for two-plus hours, not only with guitars, but I've got 30-plus pounds of gear on. There's a point where you go, 'You know what? This is more challenge than I want.' And I only want to do it as long as I can do it smiling.

"There's really no thought about changing our minds," he continued. "It has nothing to do with personalities in the band or tensions or a difference of opinion or musicality. It's purely practical. You can play beat the clock, but ultimately the clock wins."

KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, drummer Peter Criss and lead guitarist Ace Frehley, KISS's first "farewell" tour in 2000 was the last to feature the group's original lineup.

In early 2019, Stanley told Australia's "Sunday Night" that "Rock And Roll All Nite" "has to be" the song that KISS performs as the last encore at the final concert of the "End Of The Road" tour. "That is the rock anthem that connects the world," he explained. "It was the start of other people coming up with anthems. They really didn't exist, per se. So, 'Rock And Roll All Nite And Party Every Day', that's a song that just connects with people on all different levels."

Simmons concurred, telling BUILD Series: "How do you not end with 'Rock And Roll All Nite'? We will have played that song, probably without exception, more than any other song we've ever been involved with. You might say, 'Aren't you sick and tired of hearing that?' But I will tell you the roar of the crowd, the smell of the grease paint, there ain't nothing like it. When you hear everybody getting jazzed about that and you get off the stage... [it's] like the fire in the belly. You're dog-tired; you've just done a big show; and you get up on that stage, when you see the joy in everybody's face... We've seen it all. We've been around for generations, but when you see a little 5-year-old kid in KISS makeup on his dad's shoulders who's wearing KISS makeup, next to his father... we're badass kind of guys — nothing affects us much — but that stuff will put a lump in your throat. You have to turn around for a second. It gets me. Yes, it's music, but it's generational, and it brings families together instead of separates [sic] them."


KISS will be performing on the high seas for the LAST TIME, October 29-November 3, 2022 on #TheKissKruise from Los…

Posted by The KISS Kruise on Tuesday, February 15, 2022





IT’S TIME #KISSNAVY! Join the pre-sale now for KISS Kruise XI, sailing from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico, October 29-November 3, 2022! You do NOT want to miss this! Sign up now at thekisskruise.com

Posted by KISS on Tuesday, February 15, 2022

The remaining members of EXHORDER have issued a statement regarding the departure of guitarist Marzi Montazeri.

The Houston-based musician, who joined EXHORDER in 2017, announced his exit from the band on Monday (February 14), explaining he "decided to no longer be a part of it."

Earlier today, EXHORDER vocalist Kyle Thomas, bassist Jason VieBrooks and drummer Sasha Horn shared the following collective message via the group's social media: "Some of you may have seen Marzi Montazeri's announcement yesterday that he no longer wants to be a part of EXHORDER.

"First and foremost, we want to thank Marzi for his time and wish him well moving forward. Secondly, we want to clarify that somewhere between the process of writing the new album began and the touring we've done since, it became clear to all parties involved that EXHORDER and Marzi were moving in different directions. This is a natural course of action that happens every day in the world of creativity. An action plan has been in place since we returned from tour to evolve once again. Rehearsals have resumed, and aside from fine tuning, writing for a new album is structurally complete.

"There are no open auditions at this time, so we thank the many that have inquired about the job opening- but we've got this!

"EXHORDER is a band that has been dealing with lineup changes since the 80's, so rest assured there is no doubt that we will continue to thrive. We look forward to bringing the show to the stage once again.

"There may be a face (or faces) that you recognize moving forward, as well as some other surprises. At the very least, we're quite sure you'll enjoy it as much as we currently are!"

In the 1990s, Marzi hooked up with SUPERJOINT RITUAL, with PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo as lead vocalist, and appeared on the band's first two demos. By March of 2010, Marzi rejoined forces with Anselmo to work on what became Philip's first solo project since PANTERA, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS. Marzi recorded THE ILLEGALS' debut album, "Walk Through Exits Only", and toured with the band before exiting the group in November 2015. Two years later, Marzi joined EXHORDER, which released its first album in 27 years, "Mourn The Southern Skies", in September 2019 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Thomas is now the sole remaining founding member of EXHORDER, which released its debut album, "Slaughter In The Vatican", way back in 1990. In February 2020, EXHORDER parted ways with its original guitarist Vinnie LaBella, who wrote much of the material on "Mourn The Southern Skies". The remaining members of the group later issued a statement saying that they would fulfill their "touring and recording obligations for 2020 and beyond."

Two months ago, Thomas confirmed to the "Brutally Delicious" podcast that he and his bandmates had spent much of the coronavirus downtime working on material for the follow-up to "Mourn The Southern Skies".

In February 2021, Thomas told "The Dan Chan Show" that it wasn't strange for him to be the only remaining founding member of EXHORDER. "At this point, I've jammed with so many people over the years — so many different lineups for this and that, fill-ins and all this stuff. To me, it doesn't really matter as much who's there, as long as the material that's being played is being played within the spirit of that band in particular," he said. "And the stuff that we're writing now, it's amazing. I play it for a lot of people that are my confidants, people love the band, and they're gonna shoot me straight. And the new stuff that we're working on, everybody's, like, 'Wow. It sounds like EXHORDER to me.'"

EXHORDER released two albums in the early 1990s through the Roadrunner label — the aforementioned "Slaughter In The Vatican" and 1992's "The Law" — before breaking up, with Kyle going on to form FLOODGATE and also briefly appearing live as the vocalist for TROUBLE, which he later joined on a full-time basis (and is still a member of).

EXHORDER, which is cited by many as the originator of the riff-heavy power-groove approach popularized by PANTERA, recently completed a U.S. headlining tour during which it performed "Slaughter In The Vatican" in its entirety.


OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

Some of you may have seen Marzi Montazeri’s announcement yesterday that he no longer wants to be...

Posted by Exhorder on Tuesday, February 15, 2022

DISTURBED frontman David Draiman, who is of Jewish descent, spoke to The Jerusalem Post Podcast about his decision to reactivate his Twitter account after a nearly seven-year absence.

The 48-year-old Hawaii-based rocker, who recently announced plans to relocate to Miami, said of his return to the social media platform (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's difficult sometimes knowing how much animosity exists for not only our people but for the state of Israel and that has been continuing to build and perpetuate over the course of the past 15 to 20 years specifically. I've seen tangible changes over the course of my career and my life, and I felt the need to return to social media on a more public level because of how bad things have gotten."

Asked what he noticed specifically that made him want to express his views publicly on social media, Draiman said: "Oh, God. The number of blatant, public, unapologetic attacks that have occurred in particular of late, particularly over the course of the past three to five years, really, really hit a nerve with me. Jews are attacked on the streets of New York City, whether it's Brooklyn or anywhere else, on a regular basis at this point. The attacks occur in Los Angeles; they occur in Southern Florida — they occur all over the place… And [the attackers have] been emboldened from several factors from a world that has become increasingly demonizing of not only Israel but of Jews in general. There's nothing like a good pandemic to make all the conspiracy theorists of the world foam at the mouth at the opportunity to blame the Jewish people again for some aspect of their suffering. It's just a very, very frightening time to me. And being a parent in this world to a child of a mixed family — a mixed family that consists of two of the demographics that probably currently are the most attacked, Jews and Asians — I felt very compelled to try and see if I could once again utilize this platform that I've been blessed with and follow my conscience a little bit more."

Draiman went on to say that he isn't concerned about alienating any of the DISTURBED fans with his vocal and public stand to defend Israel. "Thankfully I've reached a point in my career where I really don't give a shit anymore," he said and laughed. "If somebody wants to go ahead and cast their stones at me, they know that I'm very, very careful about separating what I do as a musician from who I am as an individual, and if they can't come to terms with it, then that's their problem. I honestly don't see people not coming to our shows because I'm continuing to talk about something that they've already known for two decades. I don't care. I've made my money, we have our band, they know who I am, I know who they are, and they love us for it regardless."

In December, Draiman said that he had lost thousands of social media followers since publicizing his trip to Israel in November.

On November 30, Draiman lit a candle at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel at the Old City site of the terror attack that killed South African immigrant Eli Kay. He later claimed that he lost 4,000 followers after sharing photos of his "demonstration" at the Western Wall.

Draiman, the son of Israelis and the grandson of Holocaust survivors, spent much of 2014 and early 2015 linking to articles by conservative and pro-Israel blogs and has often used his fame to speak out against anti-Semitism.

DISTURBED's song "Never Again", from 2010's "Asylum" album, was written about the Holocaust and calls out people who deny it.

Both of Draiman's maternal grandparents were survivors of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, while many others on his mother's side were wiped out by the Nazis.

The United States Holocaust Museum has featured Draiman in its "Voices On Anti-Semitism" podcasts.

FOO FIGHTERS have released a thrashy new song titled "March Of The Insane". The track, which was made available under the band moniker DREAM WIDOW, is featured in FOO FIGHTERS' upcoming horror comedy "Studio 666".

In "Studio 666", the legendary rock band FOO FIGHTERS move into an Encino mansion steeped in grisly rock and roll history to record their much-anticipated tenth album. Once in the house, Dave Grohl finds himself grappling with supernatural forces related to related to the studio's former residents — the aforementioned fictional act DREAM WINDOW — that threaten both the completion of the album and the lives of the FOO FIGHTERS.

Last December, Grohl told Mojo about the film: "There's no other band that’s stupid enough to do that. It is absolutely crazy. A few scenes, they're so epic, man. Just when you think we couldn't find anything more ridiculous… It's going to really, really take your breath away."

Grohl also revealed a bit about DREAM WINDOW, saying: "The singer went crazy and murdered his whole band because of creative differences."

During an appearance on "The Howard Stern Show", Grohl stated about the film's plot: "We come in 25 years later to record, having no idea what happened 25 years ago, and I start becoming possessed by the spirit of the guy from 25 years ago and the spirit of the house. But this song, 'March Of The Insane', this is their lost record. This is the record they were making before their singer murdered [them]."

"Studio 666" stars Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett and Rami Jaffee.

Open Road Films acquired worldwide rights to the film, directed by BJ McDonnell, which is set for a wide domestic theatrical release in more than 2,000 theatres on February 25. The all-star cast also includes Whitney Cummings, Leslie Grossman, Will Forte, Jenna Ortega and Jeff Garlin. The announcement was made by Open Road's Tom Ortenberg and FOO FIGHTERS.

Based on a story by Grohl and screenplay by Jeff Buhler and Rebecca Hughes, "Studio 666" is produced by Roswell Films' and Therapy Studios' John Ramsay and James A. Rota. Executive producers are John Silva, Kristen Welsh, John Cutcliffe, Gaby Skolnek, Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Rami Jaffee, James Masciello, Matthew Sidari, Mitchell Zhang and Tom Ortenberg.

The deal was negotiated by Tom Ortenberg and Matthew Sidari on behalf of Open Road Films and by WME Independent on behalf of the filmmakers.

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the forthcoming release of Poison Rose's debut album, Little Bang Theory, on April 15. Today, fans can get their first taste of the new band fronted by Italian vocalist Marco Sivo with the release of the single and video, "Devil (Knock On My Door)". Watch the video below, and pre-order/save Little Bang Theory here.





Poison Rose is a new project centered around vocalist Marco Sivo, a songwriter and backing vocalist on multiple releases from the Frontiers label. Frontiers' President Serafino Perugino wanted to put him in the spotlight and showcase his talents as a songwriter and singer, thus Poison Rose was born. The debut album, "Little Bang Theory" features 11 contemporary hard rock songs with in-your-face performances and haunting melodies.




Brought to the label's attention by producer Alessandro Del Vecchio, Marco Sivo has written songs for albums by Gioeli-Castronovo, Lovekillers feat. Tony Harnell, and Sweet Oblivion feat. Geoff Tate and has also been featured as backing vocalist on all of the Hell In The Club albums released by the Frontiers label and on Lifeblood by Secret Sphere. When Perugino talked to Del Vecchio about building a new project around Sivo’s voice, it was a natural fit to surround Marco with musicians from his circle of friends: Edo Sala (Sunstorm, Lovekillers), Aldo Lonobile (Secret Sphere, Edge Of Forever), and Andrea Seveso (Robin McAuley, Jorn). All three deliver the goods, as they always do, on Little Bang Theory, giving it a depth and identity that goes well beyond a mere studio project.


Marco Sivo has been Italy’s best kept secret for years. Since his last time fronting a band was with the prog-metal band Time Machine on their last album Reviviscence in 2004, the time had come to bring him more in the public eye fronting a new, fresh band that would be the right musical vehicle for his vocal and writing abilities. (Sivo’s voice has also been heard on national broadcast Virgin Radio, singing their official 10th anniversary jingle/anthem, so some of you might know his voice without realizing it.)


Songs for Little Bang Theory were written by Sivo with Alessandro Del Vecchio, Pete Alpenborg, Brett Jones, Riccardo Canato, Jonas Erikson, and upcoming talent Stefano Mainini.





Tracklisting:


"Inner Wolf"
"Your Eyes Again"
"Devil (Knock On My Door)"
"Hearts Beat Loud"
"Set Us Free"
"Survive To You"
"Eternally, Wild And Free"
"River Of Dreams"
"Older Now"
"All Along The Way"
"Better Life"


"Devil (Knock On My Door)" video:





Lineup:


Marco Sivo - Vocals
Andrea Seveso - Guitars
Aldo Lonobile - Guitars
Alessandro Del Vecchio - Bass, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Edo Sala - Drums

During an appearance on the "In The Trenches With Ryan Roxie" video podcast, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner spoke about the band's recent announcement that it would embark on the next leg of its 50th-anniversary tour as a quartet. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Rob [Halford, PRIEST singer] called me up and he said, 'Falcon, would you be able to handle all the guitar parts on your own without a second guitar player?' And I said, 'Yeah, I probably would be able to handle them. It would probably take a bit of moving around and doing things a bit differently — a couple of more pedals and stuff like that.' 'Cause he was thinking… I think one time PRIEST were a four-piece and he was thinking about going back to that and Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST's longtime guitarist who is battling Parkinson's disease] coming out when he could. I think that was the idea in his mind. And I said, 'Whatever you wanna do, boss. If that's what you're thinking, if everyone else is on board with it, whatever you wanna do.' So I went and bought… I think I bought three harmonizer pedals to try some stuff out. Long story short, we went back on the decision."

According to Faulkner, PRIEST probably would have been able to pull off most of its material with only one guitarist.

"The set we've got at the moment, apart from the rhythm guitar underneath the solos, there's not a lot of harmony stuff going on," he explained. "'Victim Of Changes'… I've been playing THIN LIZZY in cover bands all my life with one guitar. You work out both parts anyway."

On January 10, JUDAS PRIEST revealed that it would perform as a four-piece when it returns to the road in early March. A few hours later, the band's touring guitarist Andy Sneap, who co-produced the group's 2018 album "Firepower", released a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET in which he said that he was "incredibly disappointed" by PRIEST's decision to carry on as a quartet and thanked the Halford-fronted outfit for the "mind-blowing" opportunity to share the stage with one of his favorite bands. Meanwhile, PRIEST fans were understandably upset about the band's decision to forgo its classic twin-guitar attack sound and made their feelings known on social media. Some even called for the return of guitarist K.K. Downing, who joined PRIEST in 1970 and remained in the group until 2011.

On January 15, JUDAS PRIEST released a statement announcing that it was reversing its decision to tour as a four-piece, explaining that the bandmembers "decided unanimously" to continue their live shows "unchanged" with Rob, Faulkner, Ian Hill (bass), Scott Travis (drums) and Andy.

"I understand what the fans were saying," Richie told "In The Trenches With Ryan Roxie". "I think we all understood what the fans were saying in the end. It's not PRIEST — that's the bottom line. I think if we did a new album, if Glenn, for whatever reason, couldn't play on it, or if we did it for one guitar, and then we toured the album that was one guitar, it would be a different thing… I think everyone saw that we listened and we saw the reaction and we discussed it within ourselves. And I think Rob's come out a couple of days ago and he said that it was his idea and it blew up in his face."

Earlier in the month, Halford told Billboard about PRIEST's short-lived plan to embark on its 50th-anniversary tour as a quartet: "That all came from me, it didn't come from the band. Of course, that blew up in my face, didn't it? To have done something like a four-piece now would've been just not right, ridiculous, insane, crazy, off my rocker, have a cup of tea and relax. It's kind of water under the bridge now. I think my heart was in the right place, but I'm not the first musician to have a crazy idea."

Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT, began touring with PRIEST four years ago after Tipton — who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier — announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower".

Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Downing parted ways with the band more than a decade ago and was replaced by Faulkner.

Last month, Downing said in an interview that it was "very, very strange" for PRIEST "to even think about" the possibility of going out as a quartet. "I'm like everybody else. I'm totally bemused," he told the "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen" classic rock show. It was just so extreme and insulting in a way, I guess, and insulting to Glenn as well. It was kind of a slap in the face, saying, 'Okay, you two guys did it, but we think just one guy could do what…' It kind of made us and everything that we've done and created, saying it was all superfluous, really, and didn't really have the value that… I'm sure Glenn will agree with me that it does have a value."

Last November, JUDAS PRIEST announced the rescheduled "50 Heavy Metal Years" North American tour dates for March-April 2022. Support on the trek will come from QUEENSRŸCHE.

Ted Nugent has once again blasted Neil Young for pulling his music from Spotify in protest of Joe Rogan.

Young demanded that his catalog be removed from Spotify in response to "fake information about vaccines" being "spread" on the platform via Rogan's podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience". Young delivered an ultimatum, adding, "They can have Rogan or Young. Not both." Spotify announced a few days later that it would pull Young's music catalog from its platform.

Nugent weighed in on Young's position during yesterday's (Friday, February 11) "Friday Free For All" edition of "The Nightly Nuge", a news-style clip in which Ted offers his take on the news of our world every night "in a concise, fiery fashion that [is] totally Ted." He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, Neil Young, God bless him. I'm sure that there's many people that appreciate Neil Young's creativity and his talents and his creation of wonderful music for those people who love that kind of music. I'm not a big fan. I happen to know that he's got a lot of soul… But now that I've praised him for all the positives, the guy is a complete punk.

"If you've done that much mind-altering chemicals throughout your life, then you can proudly claim in one moment that you should be rocking in the free world but then in the next moment witness all the evidence supporting everything that Joe Rogan's been saying, that I've been saying, the truth, logic and common sense, the indisputable evidence to support it, and then claim that we're guilty of misinformation when actually the stoner birdbrain punk, he delivers misinformation," he continued.

"So this is a funny moment because he made an ultimatum to Spotify — whatever that big tech is — and he said, 'If you don't take Joe Rogan off Spotify, then you have to take my music off Spotify.' That's a pretty decision, Neil. Thanks for making it so simple, because Neil Young on Spotify — adios, mofo. Now Joni Mitchell's doing the same thing, and, again, God bless her. I can't stand folk music, but I know there are a lot of people that love that kind of stuff and I salute them and thank them. And I appreciate any music that makes people happy and fortifies their American Dream, or whatever dream they might have. Is there another dream? I don't think so. The Mexican Dream is to get the hell out and go to America."

Ted went on to claim that Young and Mitchell "are saying things that are just stupid. And again, with all due respect… I'm sure Joni… I've seen Joni Mitchell do interviews; she's a smart gal, and her musical dreams she literally has perfected. And on behalf of those people that love that kind of music, I can only salute them and celebrate the happiness that Joni Mitchell and Neil Young's music brought them."

In the days after Neil had his music from Spotify removed, a handful of notable artists have pulled their music from the streaming giant, blaming the platform for spreading false information about coronavirus via Rogan's podcast.

Neil's wife and acclaimed actress Daryl Hannah took to Twitter to express criticism for Rogan's podcast and the eventual choice Spotify has made regarding Neil's ultimatum.

Daryl wrote: "sad to see some confuse censorship & free speech with the choice a private company has in deciding what they profit from a podcaster is free to say whatever they want Just as Neil is free to NOT have his music on a platform that makes $$$ of disinformation that harms folks".

In response, Rogan promised to "do my best, in the future, to balance things out," while Spotify said it would add content advisories to podcast episodes with information about COVID-19. In an almost 10-minute-long Instagram video, Rogan said he would "try harder to get people with differing opinions on" on his show, which averages 11 million listeners per episode.

"The Joe Rogan Experience" became a Spotify exclusive in 2020, when Rogan signed a multi-year exclusive licensing deal with the streaming giant.

Spotify's company's chief executive Daniel Ek has defended Rogan in the past, including after an episode that featured the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in 2020.

"We want creators to create," Ek told The Financial Times at the time. "It's what they do best. We're not looking to play a role in what they should say."


Spotify Stands Firm Against Neil Young’s Call For Censorship Against Joe Rogan

Ted Nugent has been “banned” and “censored” more than almost any artist so you might be surprised to hear the good things he has to say about Neil Young and Joni Mitchell after they tried to get Joe Rogan’s podcast “cancelled”. Of course, he also has some scorching takes on their outlandish stand that goes against everything America stands for.

Posted by The Nightly Nuge on Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Last month, Swedish metallers HAMMERFALL released a new single, "Venerate Me", featuring a special guest appearance by legendary Danish heavy metal singer King Diamond. The track is taken from the band's twelfth studio album, "Hammer Of Dawn", which is due on February 25 via Napalm Records.

In a new interview with Chris Akin, HAMMERFALL guitarist Oscar Dronjak stated about how King Diamond's contribution came about (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm a huge KING DIAMOND and MERCYFUL FATE fan — we all are, from our teenage years; we've listened to them since the '80s. And King Diamond is one of those [artists] — if you like King Diamond, you don't just like him; you love him [and] you love everything about it. That's just the way it is, for some reason; I don't know why it is, but that's how everybody is. So just having King Diamond as a cameo on the album — 'cause it's really what it is, is a cameo; it's not like a 'featuring King Diamond'; it's not a duet or anything. As much as I would love to do that, that's not what this is. So what happened was when I wrote this [song] 'Venerate Me', I had this part and I thought, 'If MERCYFUL FATE or KING DIAMOND had this song back [in the day], this is how they would have done it somehow.' It was just in the back of my head. Then flash forward to album recording, I sat in the chair and I said, more than half joking, 'Wouldn't it be cool if King Diamond sang this part instead of Joacim [Cans, HAMMERFALL singer]?' or whatever, not thinking this is ever gonna happen; of course not. And then our other guitar player, Pontus [Norgren], he's a sound engineer as well; he works with King Diamond for years — several years — so he knows him. I know this, of course, but just knowing somebody doesn't mean that this thing is gonna happen. When I said, 'Wouldn't it be cool if…?', he said, 'I'm sure if I ask him, he's gonna say yes.' And I was, like, 'Are you fucking kidding me? Is there actually a chance, you think?' 'Cause then it started turning into, 'Is [there] actually maybe a possibility of [this] happening?' And then he called him later that night, and King said, 'Yes. Of course.' Right away he sent over the stuff. Then we had months to work on this, to get this ready. And you know how it is when you have a deadline that's months in the future — you don't deal with it until it's closer. So once we were in the mix, that's when things started to pick up again. [We said] 'If we're gonna do this, it has to happen now, 'cause soon it's gonna be too late.' And he sent over his file. I talked to him a lot on the phone, explaining what I… Well, actually I didn't have to explain anything, 'cause I sent the part, like, 'This is what I hear. Can you sing this? Do whatever you want, but this is what I hear.' And he tried to explain to me how he wanted it to sound and how he wanted his voice to sound in the mix, so we talked a lot about that. I understood this right away, because King Diamond's voice, that is his trademark; everybody recognizes that. So he was very particular in terms of how he wanted it to come across. He didn't wanna just do it and then send off the files and [say], 'Do whatever the hell you want with it.' That is not the King Diamond style at all, and I a hundred percent appreciate that; I totally respect that. So we tried to include him as much as we could. We wanted him to be happy — [that was the] bottom line — we wanted him to be happy with the end result because otherwise he might not wanna do it. And we wanted everybody to be happy."

Oscar continued: "What we had and the detailed things he came up with, it was very small changes. For us, it didn't mean much at all. It was, like, 'more vocals here, less…' whatever — balance, basically, and the sort of effects that were used on the vocals. So we were happy with just anything. But he was really meticulous about getting his voice just right. I mean, can you believe after doing this for 40-whatever — yeah, 40 years now, I think — being this meticulous about something, I have so much respect for that. So once we got those levels and everything balanced, he was happy; we were happy. Boom. That was the last thing that happened on the mix. And then — only then — did I actually believe this was gonna be true. Then I realized, 'Now we have it. Now it's done.' And then I was happy as hell."

"Hammer Of Dawn" was produced by longtime collaborator Fredrik Nordström (IN FLAMES, OPETH), who handled mixing, mastering, drum recording, and shared the duty of recording guitars and bass with Norgren and Dronjak. Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT) produced the lead vocals.

Later this year, HAMMERFALL will team up with HELLOWEEN for an extensive co-headlining tour through Europe.

King Diamond is quite possibly one of the most recognizable and prolific personalities ever in heavy metal. Twice Grammy nominated and revered by icons as big as METALLICA and PANTERA, King Diamond, the man and the band, have left an indelible mark on the history, and now again, the future of heavy metal; video game appearances, to festival and touring appearances have helped vault the living legend into the spotlight and in front of new throngs of metal fans. King Diamond's 40-year musical career is one of the most storied in the history of heavy metal, and the tale is not over yet.

King and his wife, Hungarian-born singer Livia Zita, have a nearly five-year-old son, Byron. The boy was named after King's favorite singer of all time, late URIAH HEEP frontman David Byron. Livia has been performing with KING DIAMOND as a backing vocalist since 2003.

King Diamond, whose real name is Kim Bendix Petersen, told Metal Hammer in 2016 that he has "become a lot healthier" since he underwent open-heart triple-bypass surgery in 2010. He said: "I gave up smoking after my heart scare, my wife keeps me on a strict diet that I follow completely, and doctors are amazed at how healthy I am these days. Honestly, I think I am now healthier than I have ever been. I've also found that, since I made a real effort to have a healthy lifestyle, my voice has improved so much. I can now hit notes that were a struggle for me when I was younger."

Arjen Anthony Lucassen (Ayreon) is set to release the new Star One album, Revel In Time, on February 18 via InsideOutMusic. Watch an unboxing video below:





The new album comes more than 10 years since the previous release and is due out on February 18 via InsideOutMusic.




Arjen explains the decision to return with a new Star One album: “Ayreon is like the mothership for all my music. It contains all the different musical styles that I like to listen to and that I love to create. But I’m always looking for challenges and trying to create something new and original as well. Working within a set of constraints forces you to do that, so sometimes I like to limit myself and focus on just one style. For example, with Star One I focus on the metal-side of Ayreon. That means you won’t hear the exuberantly liberal use of acoustic instruments that are so often featured on Ayreon albums, like violin, woodwinds, cello, horns, dulcimer, mandolin, etc.”


The album will come as Ltd. 2CD Digipak, Ltd. Deluxe 3CD+Blu-Ray Artbook (incl. a poster of the cover artwork), and as 180g Gatefold 2LP (incl. the album on CD & an LP-Booklet).


CD2 features alternate versions of the same songs as CD1, but with different vocalists. Also available will be a 5.1 mix, a high-res audio version, and an exclusive, hour-long Behind The Scenes video, on the Blu-ray included in the Artbook.


Pre-order here.





Revel In Time tracklisting:


CD1:


"Fate Of Man" (Vocals: Brittney Slayes, Guitar solo: Michael Romeo)
"28 Days (Till The End Of Time)" (Vocals: Sir Russell Allen, Guitar solos: Timo Somers)
"Prescient" (Vocals: Michael Mills and Ross Jennings)
"Back From The Past" (Vocals: Jeff Scott Soto, Guitar solo: Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal
"Revel In Time" (Vocals: Brandon Yeagley, Guitar solos: Adrian Vandenberg)
"The Year Of ’41" (Lead vocal: Joe Lynn Turner, Vocalization: Will Shaw, Guitar solo: Joe Hoekstra, Synthesizer solo: Jens Johansson)
"Bridge Of Life" (Vocals: Damian Wilson)
"Today Is Yesterday" (Vocals: Dan Swanö, Mood synthesizers: Lisa Bella Donna, Guitar solo: Marcel Singor)
"A Hand On The Clock" (Vocals: Floor Jansen, Hammond solo: Joost van den Broek
"Beyond The Edge Of It All" (Vocals: John Jaycee Cuijpers, Guitar solo: Arjen Lucassen)
"Lost Children Of The Universe" (Vocals: Roy Khan, Choir: Hellscore Choir, Guitar solo: Steve Via)


CD 2:
"Fate Of Man" (Vocals: Marcela Bovio)
"28 Days (Till The End Of Time)" (Vocals: John Jaycee Cuijpers)
"Prescient" (Vocals: Will Shaw)
"Back From The Past" (Vocals: John Jaycee Cuijpers)
"Revel In Time" (Vocals: John Jaycee Cuijpers)
"The Year Of ’41" (Vocals and synth solo: Alessandro Del Vecchio)
"Bridge Of Life" (Vocals: Wilmer Waarbroek)
"Today Is Yesterday" (Vocals: Arjen Lucassen)
"A Hand On The Clock" (Lead and backing vocals: Marcela Bovio and Irene Jansen (verses))
"Beyond The Edge Of It All" (Vocals: Mike Andersson)
"Lost Children Of The Universe" (Vocals: Tony Martin)





"Revel In Time" video:





"Prescient" video:





"Fate Of Man" video:





"Lost Children Of The Universe" lyric video:

Albert Bouchard has released an official live video for "I Am The One You Warned Me Of", from his Re Imaginos album. Watch below:





Albert Bouchard is best known as a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult, along with his brother and bassist Joe Bouchard. The original lineup sold millions of albums for Columbia Records, with such classic songs as “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” and the #1 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart “Burning For You”, with both contributing to songwriting, and lead vocals on some of their greatest songs, such as “Cites On Flame With Rock and Roll” and “Hot Rails To Hell”.




Albert Bouchard recently released Imaginos 2 – Bombs Over Germany (minus zero and counting), continuing the Trilogy of Imaginos, a concept album about an alien conspiracy that is brought to fruition during the late 19th and early 20th century through the actions of Imaginos, an agent of evil. The album weaves scripts and poems by the late Sandy Pearlman. Due to overwhelming demand, Rockheart Records/Deko Entertainment is now releasing a limited-edition vinyl release that will come as a double LP gatefold, including an extended version of “Independence Day”, plus the bonus instrumental mix of, “When War Comes”. It will be available as a standard LP release slated for release on June 3.


There will 200 copies each of the two color variations (White/Black Ice and Red/Black Ice), both which include the brand new “Welcome To Plutonia” postcard and other exclusive items.  With an additional 100 of the Ruby Red version sold exclusively through Goldmine Magazine.


Purchase Black and White version here, Red and White variant here, and the special Goldmine edition here.





Vinly Products Include:
- One Double LP Album of Albert Bouchards - Imaginos II
- One Imaginos II Guitar Pick
- One Imaginos II Poster (Autographed)
- One Imaginos Face Mask
- One Imaginos Postcard


Vinyl tracklisting:


“When War Comes”
“Independence Day” (extended version) LP Only
“7 Screaming Dizbusters”
“OD’d On Life Itself”
“II Duce”
“Bombs Over Germany”
“Before The Kiss (A Redcap)”
“Three Sisters”
“Quicklime Girl (Mistress Of The Salmon Salt)”
“The Red And The Black”
“Dominance And Submission”
“Shadow Of California”
“Cities On Flame (With Rock And Roll)”
“Half Life Time”
“When War Comes” (instrumental mix) LP Only


"Independence Day" lyric video:





"OD'd On Life Itself" lyric video:

Regain Records - Reborn Classics announces March 18 as the international release date for a reissue of the very rare debut mini-album of Sweden’s Overdrive, Reflexions, on digipack 2CD format.





Overdrive are one of the most revered names among Sweden’s original wave of heavy metal at the dawn of the ‘80s. The band indeed formed in 1980 from two local bands, Paradize (recorded one 7") and Ocean (recorded two 7"'s and an album). In 1981, the self-financed MLP Reflexions was released, which is now quite a collector’s item. The band also recorded the non-LP tracks "Tonight" and "Damnation Angel" for the local compilation Rockslaget (SOS 1982). Overdrive was soon contacted by Planet Records, and in 1983, they signed a deal, which resulted in the two cult albums Metal Attack (1983) and Swords And Axes (1984).




But whereas those two full-lengths displayed the speedier, more OTT side of Overdrive - and for which many would say is "the Overdrive sound," both during their original incarnation and their successive reunion during the 2000s - it's their humble beginnings with Reflexions which shows a unique side of the band. Undeniably a product of the time, Overdrive on this energetic, effervescent first recording displayed the hooks and spirit of the nascent NWOBHM movement, particularly its most earworming adherents like Heavy Pettin' and early Def Leppard. Brighter and bursting with a joy shaded with sensitivity, at 15 action-packed minutes, Reflexions is a prime slice of early heavy metal - and one, sadly, Overdrive would not repeat again.


However, Overdrive were incredibly busy during their early days, and other recordings and live shows exist from this period. This new deluxe reissue of Reflexions includes crucial documentation of that era across the rest of Disc 1 and Disc 2. On Disc 1, in addition to the original Reflexions record, one will find an absolutely cracking live-on-the-radio recording that's basically an album unto itself! Spanning an additional eight tracks, this recording took place in December 1980 at the studio Radio Blekinge and is Overdrive at their early hook-heavy best. On Disc 2, subtitled "Live in the Raw 1981," we get a full 37-minute show that displays the band at their rawest and sweatiest. Still, the hooks are king here, and they even include covers of April Wine and Axe.


Go back to a simpler, sublime time with this deluxe 2CD reissue of Overdrive's Reflexions.


In the meantime, stream the first disc of this reissue here at Regain Records' Bandcamp, where the 2CD digipack can also be pre-ordered. Additionally, order info for Regain Records - Reborn Classics' recent reissue of Overdrive's Metal Attack debut can be found here, while order info for the label's equally recent reissue of Overdrive's follow-up Swords and Axes can be found here.


Cover and tracklisting for the 2CD Reflexions reissue below.





Tracklisting:


CD 1: Studio & Radio
"Lady Luck"
"Girls Will Be Girls"
"High Infidelity"
"You (Give Me Hell)"
"Reflexions"
"Damnation Angel"
"Tonight"
"Armed & Ready" (live radio)
"Delusive Heroes" (live radio)
"Music For Pleasure" (live radio)
"Doomwatch" (live radio)
"Sign On The Line" (live radio)
"Lost In Time" (live radio)


CD 2: Live In The Raw 1981
"Today´s World"
"Rock 'N' Roll Hangover"
"Hard Rocking Man"
"Sign On The Line"
"20th Century"
"Lost In Time"
"Ladies Man" [April Wine cover]
"Doomwatch"
"Sympathise" [Axe cover]

KROKUS vocalist Marc Storace has once again said that he is ready to put his band's long-running feud with TWISTED SISTER's Dee Snider behind him.

In his autobiography, "Shut Up And Give Me The Mic", Snider had nothing nice to say about KROKUS. For an entire chapter, he raged about the band, calling them "Krapus" and stating, "You have no idea how close you came landing on the bottom of a lake."

The reason for his outburst: KROKUS commissioned Snider's wife Suzette in 1982 to sew stage outfits for the band's U.S. tour, but the former KROKUS tour manager refused to pay her for her services.

"These guys ripped off my wife and threatened her," said Snider, who pointed out that his wife's mother emigrated from Switzerland.

"I was proud of this rock band from the home country of my mother," said Suzette. But the pride has turned into rage.

In a brand new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, Storace was asked if he and his KROKUS bandmates have "made peace" with Snider. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've always made my peace. In fact, I was on this tour [seven years ago], 'Rock Meets Classic', with other [well-known musicians like] Ian Gillan and John Wetton, these big guys, and at the end of that tour, we were supposed to play one concert in Wacken [Germany at the Wacken Open Air festival] with this whole orchestra, the band and everything. And I was thrown off because Dee Snider came in to headline, and he said, 'I won't do it if Storace is not thrown off.' And I felt, 'What a motherfucker.' Actually, I was looking forward to asking Dee if we could go to the side and have a beer so I could maybe apologize and say, 'Hey, let's bury the hatchet. It's not worth it. It's a few hundred dollars' worth of clothes, which your wife [made], whatever, we didn't accept. We didn't like those clothes — sorry — stage clothes.' And it's as simple as that. I don't know what had happened — I was not in the room when this thing happened — so I don't know if there were any dirty words spoken or attitude in which things were said. But I don't think it's worth going to the grave carrying a burden like that."

Asked what he would say to Dee if he had a chance to speak to him directly, Marc said: "Hey, Dee. I'm looking forward to meet you, not to get into big arguments. We know the whole story, but I think now we're mature. We look forward. You love your wife; I love mine. And let's just sit down and… I don't know. Move on. In life, you wanna move on, leave all these negative burdens behind."

Storace previously discussed the Snider beef during a 2013 interview with "The Metal Voice". At the time, he called Dee's comments "so childish. We gave [his wife] a chance," he said. "I mean, how do you do?! Before you buy a truckload of wine, you wanna taste a bottle. So we just wanted to have samples… to see some clothes. And our tour manager, he sent off the sizes and… I can't even remember the details; it's ridiculous. In the end, she came with the stuff, we tried it on, and it looked horrible. I'm sorry. I mean, I'm sorry. And they got so offended, and it was such a great insult to them. And they wanted their money. And [our tour manager] said, 'Hey, we're not buying. Keep the clothes. Sorry. No deal.'"

KROKUS bassist/producer Chris Von Rohr also weighed in on the incident, recalling a decade ago: "The clothes did not match at all our expectations. Too much harlequin style. So we made a bonfire of it."

Many years have passed and the members of KROKUS are older and wiser. "If we have not treated his wife with due respect, we are sorry," Von Rohr said.

In 2013, Von Rohr proposed to Dee and his wife to bury the hatchet and drink a beer or two together at a festival where both bands were supposed to perform in reconciliation of an event that happened four decades ago.

Swiss newspaper Blick reached Snider by phone and submitted KROKUS's peace offer. "If they are serious, I think it's a nice gesture," Snider was quoted as saying at the time. "But I have to ask my wife first if she is ready to forgive KROKUS."

Four years ago, Snider stated about his request to remove Storace from the billing of the "Rock Meets Classic" at the 2015 Wacken Open Air: "'Rock Meets Classic' is an amazing thing. I don't know who is on the bill, but the day before I'm ready to head there, I find out that the singer of Krapus is on the bill. No, no, no, no, no. I call my people and tell them, 'Kick him off the bill or I'm not playing, I don't care. They don't have to kick him off. I won't play. I'll go home because I have no problem with not playing.' The most dangerous person in the room is the person with nothing to lose. I don't have to do a show. I do a show because I want to. Needless to say, the singer of Krapus was kicked off the bill and nobody cared."






No krapus. It was Motorhead, ZZ Top, Blue Oyster Cult, Whitesnake, Twisted, Thin Lizzy and...? https://t.co/G0FkMto3DP

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) July 11, 2020








Recorded interview WITH @Suzette_Snider yesterday! Watch for it coming soon! Bonus questions for subscribers only about how @HowardStern and the band Krapus both nearly had hits executed on them! SUBSCRIBE TO I WANNA TALK THROUGH @gasdigital https://t.co/JLQiN4yihQ

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) April 15, 2019

In a new interview with Darren Paltrowitz, host of the "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz", EVANESCENCE drummer Will Hunt reflected on the experience of filling in for Tommy Lee at several MÖTLEY CRÜE shows a decade and a half ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I knew certain songs that I had played or that I grew up practicing in my room. But then they were playing a two-and-a-half-hour set 'cause that was kind of the first reunion. And there were some deep tracks and deep cuts on there that I hadn't really explored or ever played; like 'Louder Than Hell' was one of 'em. I love that song, but I never pulled it apart. I'd never played 'Girls, Girls, Girls' or 'Wild Side', both of which had really unique arrangements. And I had less than 24 hours to finetune all of this, with cues and stuff like that, so there was an immense amount of pressure to pull it off. But I made cheat sheet notes — I had 'em up there — and then [Tommy] was able to speak to me in my in-ear monitor, so it was, like, 'Hey, okay, we're getting ready to change,' and kind of count me in to it. So the first couple of nights I had him telling me what was up, which made it — I don't wanna say 'easy,' but made it pretty easy."

Regarding the fact that he was allowed to use "cheat sheets" during his performances with MÖTLEY CRÜE, Will said: "I don't know too many people that could fly into something like that. I had to learn 24 songs, some of which I had familiarity with, but by and large, I hadn't played a MÖTLEY CRÜE song in years. It was, like, okay, do you want this to be good or do you want [it] to be average? Because I prefer to be good. I mean, I'll hide the notes — it's not like there's a sheet hanging up right in from of me. I'll hide 'em. But I think it's necessary in that kind of a thing. I don't know anybody that could pull that off."

Hunt initially filled in for Lee on several MÖTLEY CRÜE North American tour dates in April 2006. Hunt, who had previously backed Tommy in his solo band, took over the drumming duties after a member of the Canadian MÖTLEY CRÜE tribute band BRÖKEN TÖYZ stepped in at the last minute to cover for Lee at the band's April 5, 2006 concert at the Enmax Center in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.

In June 2007, Lee was forced to sit out CRÜE's concert at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, England after suffering an injury to his left arm. Stepping in for him at the last minute once again was Hunt, who was on a short break from EVANESCENCE's European touring activities following the group's appearance at the Download festival.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach, whose band kicked off headlining tour with AUGUST BURNS RED on January 28 at Stage AE in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has recorded a new installment of his YouTube tour blog in which he reflected on the first few shows of the trek. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's interesting touring this way, when you're unable to be sociable, interact with fans and friends and have guests — those little things that, I think, before this pandemic hit we just took for granted and at times didn't even want them. There are moments when you're on tour, you're just happy to just be quiet and be alone. And I still love that and I cherish it for sure, but now that that element has been taken away, if you will, albeit hopefully temporarily, it makes this a little harder.

"I'm grateful — I truly am — and as I reflect on what's transpired so far, which is these few shows, it just kind of hits me like a ton of bricks, what we're doing out here, sharing a space with people, hopefully entertaining them and hopefully giving them some rest from the everyday grind, from everything that we've been facing these past few years, to be able to gather into a space together and enjoy themselves.

"There was a moment last night at the club," Leach added. "We had these little balconies outside of our dressing where we could watch the show. And I caught a moment, when AUGUST BURNS RED was playing. I was above the crowd watching people pit and dance. There were some people just bouncing up and down, smiling, singing along. You could see their joy. It almost reminded me of kids in a playground, when you see them running around just having fun, not really caring what anyone thought, not trying to look cool. And it kind of hit me, man. I was, like, 'Wow. This is important, what we're doing.' Albeit risky in some people's eyes, 'cause there's always that chance that somebody gets sick. And it would not be good for this tour, which is why we're taking such precautions. And I know not everybody is happy with that in our fanbase. I get it — I do. It's a bummer. But it's, unfortunately, the times we're living in right now. Pulling off a tour without having to cancel or have anyone get sick or tests or any of that stuff, it's really… I guess it's difficult, but I hate to say I'm sort of getting used to it — just staying away from people and being very healthy and being not very sociable. But I do look forward to when this goes away, 'cause one day it's gotta go away — it has to. We have to reclaim our lives and move forward. But time will tell."

Last fall, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE completed a U.S. tour with SLIPKNOT, FEVER 333 and CODE ORANGE as part of the "Knotfest Roadshow". The band also appeared at several key festivals.

In September, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE performed without longtime bassist Mike D'Antonio at the Inkcarceration festival in Mansfield, Ohio after he tested positive for COVID-19. Filling in for him was the band's production manager Josh Mihlek.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's latest album, "Atonement", was released in August 2019 via Metal Blade Records in the U.S. and Sony Music Entertainment in the rest of the world. The disc features guest appearances by the band's former lead singer Howard Jones and TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy. It marks the band's third full-length release since the return of Leach, who rejoined the group in 2012.

In July 2021, Leach and guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz released the second album from their TIMES OF GRACE project, "Songs Of Loss And Separation", via the band's own imprint label, Wicked Good Records, distributed by ADA Worldwide.

In a recent Cameo video requested by Sobre La Dosis, former DREAM THEATER and current THE WINERY DOGS drummer Mike Portnoy was asked to name his favorite decade for heavy metal: the 1980s or the 1990s. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, for metal, I would have to say the '80s, 'cause the '90s started to go downhill. Once grunge came around, the '90s… Really, the only thing going for metal, for me at least, in the '90s was PANTERA, SEPULTURA and MACHINE HEAD; those were the only new bands, really, doing metal. All of the other great metal bands of the '90s all came around in the '80s. So for me, the '80s, we got METALLICA, ANTHRAX, SLAYER, OVERKILL, EXODUS, MEGADETH… That was all the thrash scene, and then all the early '80s stuff, you had RAINBOW and AC/DC and ACCEPT and MOTÖRHEAD and [BLACK] SABBATH and [JUDAS] PRIEST and [IRON] MAIDEN. So I think the '80s were definitely the stronger decade of the two."

Back in July 2018, Portnoy touched upon how the rise of grunge in the early 1990s forced most hard rock bands off the radio and MTV, with album and tour sales plummeting, while speaking to Metal Wani about the passing of PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott. At the time, he said: "I think [PANTERA] were the perfect band that was needed in the metal world around '91, '92, because pretty much the 'Big Four' were kind of knocked out of style by grunge. SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX, METALLICA and then also TESTAMENT and EXODUS and OVERKILL, all those bands around the early '90s got killed by grunge. So PANTERA was the only band to really carry metal through the '90s. I'd say PANTERA, MACHINE HEAD and SEPULTURA — to me, those were the three that were carrying it through. But PANTERA were the top of those."

In 2015, Portnoy stated about his love of metal: "I'm a metalhead through and through. I was always a metalhead in a prog band. I'm also the biggest proghead you'll ever meet too. I'm just the biggest music fan you'll ever meet — whether it be prog, classic rock, metal — I'm 'all in' in every genre. DREAM THEATER got heavy, and most of that was my doing, and AVENGED is a kind of heavy, and ADRENALINE MOB is a kind of heavy, but my roots are with SABBATH, MAIDEN, PRIEST, MOTÖRHEAD, METALLICA, SLAYER, ANTHRAX, PANTERA, MEGADETH…

"Even though I was in a prog band, doing a different kind of music, these guys — the guys in ANTHRAX and PANTERA and MEGADETH — they were always my buddies," he explained. "If DREAM THEATER was playing a festival with these bands, I was always hanging out with these guys, so we kind of all have grown up in our careers together, even though I was in a different genre."

Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER more than 35 years ago, abruptly quit the band in September 2010 while on tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD. He has since been replaced by Mike Mangini (ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME, JAMES LABRIE, STEVE VAI).