Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen's project SMITH/KOTZEN played the fourth show of its U.S. West Coast tour last night (Wednesday, January 26) at Goldfield Trading Post in Roseville, California. Joining Smith and Kotzen as part of their touring band is Richie's wife, internationally acclaimed bass player Julia Lage, formerly of the Latin Grammy-nominated Brazilian rock band BARRA DE SAIA. With a strong pedigree in rock, Lage has played alongside the likes of Pat Travers, Elliot Easton (THE CARS), Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME) and Mark McGrath (SUGAR RAY). In addition, SMITH/KOTZEN has enlisted drummer Bruno Valverde of ANGRA for the U.S. West Coast dates.

Video footage of the Roseville concert, including SMITH/KOTZEN's rendition of the IRON MAIDEN classic "Wasted Years", with Smith on lead vocals, can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Metal Edge magazine's "Another FN Podcast With Izzy Presley", Richie stated about how the short tour came together (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "What happened was it was all just by timing. Nathalie [Dufresne-Smith, Adrian's wife] and Adrian came into town, and Adrian said, 'Hey, we're gonna be there for a couple of months. You wanna write some more songs?' And we did get together and we did about seven things that are in the works; we have some demo stuff that are in the works. And then we started thinking, 'Man, we're here. Why don't we play?' Julia was in the house and we were talking about it. And it just kind of — boom. It just made sense. 'Let's go. Call Bruno.' And we put it together. It was real easy."

Adrian added that fans can definitely expect to hear more music from SMITH/KOTZEN, which released a full-length album and an EP during 2021.

"We started writing with a view to doing another album, and then we got sidetracked on dates," Smith said. "Like Richie said, we've got six or seven things. It's just taking where we left off with the EP — just writing as we do.

"I don't wanna change the world," he added. "I just wanna make good rock music. It's n there, and you've just gotta do it. You just have to do it, really. It's one of those things."

SMITH/KOTZEN remaining West Coast tour dates:

Jan. 27 - The Siren - Morro Bay, CA

Jan. 28 - Ventura Theatre - Ventura, CA (postponed from Jan. 15)

SMITH/KOTZEN's eponymous debut album was released globally through BMG in March 2021 to media and fan acclaim, charting No. 10 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart in the U.S., Top 20 in the U.K. as well as in other major markets such as Germany, Japan and Canada. A follow-up EP, "Better Days", featuring four new tracks was released on November 26 in conjunction with international Record Store Day's Black Friday event.

Smith is best known as one of IRON MAIDEN's principal guitarists, having also enjoyed success as a solo artist. Kotzen is the frontman for THE WINERY DOGS as well as having been the guitarist for both MR. BIG and POISON during his long and acclaimed career, which has to date seen him release more than 20 solo albums. Both artists are also prolific songwriters.

Metal Department has announced the release of the "Alice Cooper And The Tome Of Madness" 12-inch vinyl single.

"Alice Cooper And The Tome Of Madness" is the perfect companion piece to the official Alice Cooper slot game that Metal Department released in 2021.

The back story of that game is Cooper writing his memoirs in a strange journal (tome), which conjures up stories of other Alice Coopers in different dimensions — and now he must keep writing to simply stay alive!

On this 18-plus-minute-long spoken-word record, you can hear Cooper himself narrate one of these horror stories from "The Tome Of Madness".

There are two versions of the record available, a plain black vinyl edition and a limited edition of just 500 copies pressed on solid yellow vinyl.

The 12-inch record comes packed in a deluxe gatefold-sleeve with various artwork taken from the game.

Track listing:

Side A:

Tome Of Madness Part 1 (08:43)

Side B:

Tome Of Madness Part 2 (09:29)

The two vinyl editions are exclusively available from Metal Department.

LAMB OF GOD recruited Phil Demmel (VIO-LENCE, ex-MACHINE HEAD) to play guitar for the band on this year's ShipRocked cruise, which set sail from Galveston, Texas on January 22 and included stops in Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico before returning on January 27. Demmel filled in for LAMB OF GOD's regular guitarist Willie Adler who was unable to make the trip for reasons that have not been disclosed.

Fan-filmed video of LAMB OF GOD's final performance aboard the Carnival Breeze ship can be seen below.

Since Carnival Cruise Line's Have Fun Be Safe protocols and procedures currently require that guests are fully vaccinated and tested before their cruise on all sailings through February 28, 2022, some fans have speculated that Adler's COVID-19 vaccination status was the main reason he was excluded from this year's ShipRocked.

Last October, LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe urged everyone coming to see his band perform to get vaccinated against COVID-19. "I believe in fucking science," he said during an appearance on MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast. "And I have friends who are doctors and scientists and nurses, and these are people I'm going to listen to — not someone on social media, not another musician, not a talking head on CNN, Fox News, USA Today, PBS; none of this stuff. I talk to my friends who are molecular biologists, immunologists, emergency room doctors, and I have friends who are nurses, one of whom works in a COVID ward — and someone very close to me. These are not my friends' neighbors' second cousin's buddy [saying], 'I heard this or that or the other'; these are people who are friends of mine I talk to directly. They're, like, 'This is real. This is the science. This is the data. This is what I see. These are the people I see dying.' So I'm going to listen to my friends 'cause they're a lot smarter than me.

"For me, everybody has to quote-unquote do their own research, I guess," he laughed. "My research involves talking to friends of mine who spent years of their lives pursuing degrees that cost them thousands and thousands of dollars, or who dedicate their lives to the service of others in the medical profession. And this is what these people are telling me. So I don't have to filter through all this data, through all these different media sources; I just talk to my friends. 'Are you vaccinated?' 'Yes.' 'Tell me about this vaccine. Tell me about the technology.' And I've had these conversations.

"When the vaccine came out very rapidly, comparatively, like anyone else, I was, like, 'Well, that's quick,'" Randy admitted. "But then some friends of mine explained to me, 'This is old technology. They've been working on this for 15 fucking years. It's not new. So cut it out with that.' And also, this is not just an American or one country's or one corporation's push; this is a massive international effort to get this vaccine ready — different ones ready — for distribution.

"I have a friend who works in intelligence — pretty high-level intelligence — and one of their jobs right now is helping out with COVAX, which is the international vaccine distribution arm. And he [was] talking to one of his co-workers from COVAX, and it was just, like, it's very frustrating with certain places where the vaccine is available and people don't wanna take it, and there are countries that are begging for it.

"All that aside, for me, like I said, it's a matter of talking to my friends and being, like, 'What's the deal with this?'" Blythe added. "Because these are people I trust, and they're a lot smarter than me… So I'm going to listen to them — I'm just gonna."

LAMB OF GOD's latest, self-titled album was released in June 2020 via Epic Records in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Records in Europe. The follow-up to "VII: Sturm Und Drang" marked LAMB OF GOD's first recordings with Art Cruz, who joined the band in July 2019 as the replacement for the group's founding drummer, Chris Adler.

"Lamb Of God" was recorded with longtime producer Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH, GOJIRA, TRIVIUM) and includes special guest appearances by Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT).










Shiprocked 2022! Randy Blythe from Lamb of God having some fun!

Posted by Jennifer Orr on Thursday, January 27, 2022

Ex-Meliah Rage guitarist Anthony Nichols and co-conspirators Jon Hardy (vocals, bass), Steve Fry (drums), and Dan Dykes (lead guitar) have released Burn Pit, a sumptuously menacing four-song EP. Listen to the song, "Horrible Folktale", below:





Burn Pit is Mexican Ape-Lord’s third release on Unable Records, following the acclaimed albums The Late Heavy Bombardment and Survival Cannibalism. Audio-savant producer Peter Rutcho is once again at the controls.







The tried-and-true Mexican Ape-Lord themes are all represented here: apex predators, ritualistic bloodshed, dangerous work, and inner demons. Through it all, the boys hammer out non-stop riffs, diabolical drum work, and insanely catchy leads. “We operate like an expeditionary force,” says Hardy. “Every member is a specialist.”


A lyric video for the song “Keep Hammering”, produced by Brandon Maxham, can be viewed below:





Nichols, a prime mover of metal for over three decades, says, “We’re not about to stop making loud music just because the world is coming to an end.”


The band is currently working on its third full length album, Blunt Instrument, to be released in early 2023.

Finland's melodic death metallers Re-Armed has released a new EP celebrating its 20th anniversary, titled XX. The EP contains two new songs, one demo song "Morrow" (first demo - released originally 2002) that is fully re-produced, re-recorded, re-armed and renamed as "Tomorrow", one acoustic version from previous album's "Beyond the Horizon", and two special versions from previously released songs "Evolve Cycle" as an arcade version, and "Ode to Life" as orchestral version. The EP is available on all the major streaming platforms.


The band comments on the special release: "We wanted to put together a somewhat special release that includes something new, but also echoes from the past. The new and the latest single ‘Tomorrow’ from the release is great example of that. The track was originally released under the name of 'Morrow' in 2002 as first demo for the band. It was more than exciting to shake its foundations after all these years and make it much better song. Now you can actually feel and hear its strong emotional charge, that’s been hidden in that shitty demo version, heh.


Of course, it could have been way more easier to pick up some songs from all the previous releases and make just some kind of collection album, but it sounded already in the beginning so damn boring idea. And since coronavirus came and shuffled the pack with our previous album promotion tours etc. - it basically cancelled most of our booked shows at that time. What else we do have than time to make some new music? Staying put and waiting for some virus to disappear would have been pure waste of time. Massive thanks goes to our partners in crime, all these guys and girls who helped us to put this bungle together. We shared our vision to them and asked help here and there, especially this happened with the special track versions. The end result is great and special indeed. Enjoy!"




 


Watch the lyric video "Tomorrow" below.





XX EP tracklist:


"As The Stars Align"
"Monoeyes"
"Beyond the Horizon" (acoustic version)
"Tomorrow"
"Ode to Life" (symphonic version)
"Evolve Cycle" (arcade version)


"Tomorrow"





"As The Stars Align"





Photo by Allan Välimaa

A MetOnTour video edit of METALLICA performing the song "Fixxxer" on December 17, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California can be seen below. The show was the first of METALLICA's two 40th-anniversary concerts which featured different setlists. They were part of METALLICA's "San Francisco Takeover", a four-day citywide celebration of the band's 40th anniversary that also included a film festival, photo exhibit and curated lineup of smaller venue shows featuring other acts.

The 40th-anniversary shows marked METALLICA's return to Chase Center for the first time since the September 2019 "S&M²" concerts that also served as the venue's grand opening. Those two shows grossed more than $4.1 million over the course of its two nights, according to reports submitted to Pollstar's Boxoffice, and the band ranked at No. 4 on Pollstar's worldwide touring chart that same year with a global gross of $175 million.

Formed in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, METALLICA has become one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, having sold nearly 120 million albums worldwide and generating more than 2.5 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on literally all seven continents. The band's several multi-platinum albums include "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning", "Master Of Puppets", "… And Justice For All", "Metallica" (commonly referred to as The Black Album), "Load", "Reload", "St. Anger", "Death Magnetic" and "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", released in November 2016 and charting at No. 1 in 32 countries.

METALLICA's awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards, and its 2009 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. In June of 2018, the band was awarded one of the most prestigious musical honors in the world: Sweden's Polar Music Prize.

On December 16, San Francisco mayor London Breed presented Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo with a special declaration marking the day as "Metallica Day" in the city.

"When you talk about San Francisco," Breed said at the news conference, "you talk about cable cars and then you talk about METALLICA."

Thomas Zwijsen has released a new video, featuring a classical acoustic fingerstyle guitar cover of Iron Maiden's classic The Number Of The Beast album cut, "Children Of The Damned". Watch below:










Zwijsen previously released covers of Iron Maiden's Senjutsu album tracks, "The Writing On The Wall" and "Darkest Hour". Watch below:

King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his singer wife Toyah Willcox are back with another episode in their "Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch" series. This time they take on "Blitzkrieg Bop" by The Ramones. Watch below:





A selection of Robert & Toyah's previous Sunday Lunch videos can be seen below:



















 

MACHINE HEAD's Robb Flynn and Jared MacEachern held the latest "Electric Happy Hour" on Friday, January 28 during which they celebrated the fourth anniversary of "Catharsis", the band's ninth studio album, by performing it in its entirety. You can now watch video of the performance below.

In a message accompanying the YouTube release of the video, MACHINE HEAD said: "Due to the wildly varying guitar tunings used on the album, the boyz have been forced to modify the running order of the play-thru but this has only served to increase the ferocity of the set-list. Album opener 'Volatile' and live set firm favorite 'Catharsis' are followed up by the deep cuts 'Beyond the Pale', 'Psychotic' and 'Hope Begets Hope'. 'Grind You Down' and 'Eulogy' are given their live debuts and we are treated to full arrangements of 'Behind a Mask' and 'Bastards' rather than the usual stripped down Electric Happy Hour versions."

Featured songs:

0:00:00 Welcome and Beers Up

0:05:39 Volatile

0:10:37 Catharsis

0:16:28 Beyond The Pale

0:23:22 Psychotic

0:28:58 Hope Begets Hope

0:33:57 Screaming At The Sun

0:38:28 Triple Beam

0:43:41 Heavy Lies The Crown

0:52:03 Grind You Down

1:02:13 Behind A Mask

1:11:37 Bastards

1:18:24 California Bleeding

1:22:44 Kaleidoscope

1:27:18 Eulogy

1:33:17 Become The Firestorm

1:38:37 Imperium

1:51:30 Darkness Within - Intro

1:57:28 Darkness Within

In a 2018 interview with Australia's The Rockpit, Flynn was asked about the crowd reception to the songs from "Catharsis", which got mixed reviews upon its release in January 2018. He said: "You know, it's funny because I've been touring for 30 years now, and I actually did my first tour in 1988, and even before that, I was touring up and down California, and even before the Internet, there's always the type of thing where people were writing and if you were around before the Internet, you would read magazines and there was always the letter section and people would be talking shit and 'This song sucks' and 'This band sucks' and 'This record sucks'. [Laughs] I mean, we had so much of that during the 'Burn My Eyes' era, it was crazy; people either really loved it or really hated it. I think it's just when you make something that, and I don't want to say it's controversial, but when you make something that has a strong stance, a strong opinion, like you're taking a side, people feel something from that. To me, there's been a lot of criticism but the fact that anybody is bothering to criticize, I think, is cool because it means they care.

"We have really passionate fans, we have some really dedicated fans and they want to fucking talk about it, and that's awesome," he continued. "In a lot of ways, that's what the record was about — I wanted you to think, I wanted you to feel, I wanted you to feel something. Anything — anger, sadness, joy, fucking resentment; whatever the feeling was — and make you open up your mind a little bit. Make you think outside of what metal could or couldn't be, and so the reaction that we got was kind of the reaction that… I didn't not expect that reaction. And you never know when you go out and play it live what's going to happen, and you never know what songs are going to connect, and there's always going to be some songs that just fucking connect and go crazy live, and there's other songs where there's always just a dud live, and you never know why and it's like that with every record.

"I've gotta say, man, the songs on this record, like the track, 'Catharsis', which was such a surprisingly controversial track, I thought that was just a straight-up MACHINE HEAD banger, like a classic. So many people just fucking raged about that song, and we were, like, 'What the fuck!' and then when we played it live, oh my god! People lost their fucking minds, man! Every night it's a highlight of the set. 'Triple Beam' is a highlight of the set; 'Is There Anybody Out There?' is a highlight of the set; and it's almost the type of thing where everything you read on the Internet is wrong. [Laughs]

He added: "Of course they're fucking flipping out on all the songs that everybody goes crazy over live! And maybe that's because of it, or I don't know why. It's weird; it's really weird."

Flynn went on to say that it makes him and the rest of MACHINE HEAD "feel good" to see such an overwhelmingly positive response to the band's new material.

"We're on our ninth record, we've been MACHINE HEAD for 25 years now, and it's a great feeling to go out and know that, this is not the oldies, this isn't the 'Burn My Eyes' show, this is us moving forward and people are still reacting to that in a fucking super-positive way and that is not the traditional arc of a band this far into their career," he said. "It makes us proud, it makes us feel a sense of pride on the music that we're doing and what we do because I think a lot of what music is for us, music is a feeling. Music is something that you can't even put your finger on, it's something that transcends explanation and I don't know where the inspiration comes from. I just write and I just write about what I feel like and sometimes it's political and sometimes it's just really fucking negative and sometimes it's stories about my past and sometimes it's about what I think about the future. Sometimes it's happy, sometimes it's party fucking songs — 'let's get hammered and wasted and fucking rage!' It's all over the map, and for me, it's a great way to express and release this stuff, and I think a lot of times metal has this surprisingly pretty conservative slant about what you can and can't do and it gets a little annoying."

The follow-up to 2014's "Bloodstone & Diamonds", "Catharsis" was produced by Flynn and recorded, mixed, and co-produced by Zack Ohren (FALLUJAH, ALL SHALL PERISH) at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California. Mastering was handled by Ted Jensen (HATEBREED, ALICE IN CHAINS, DEFTONES) at Sterling Sound in New York. Cover photography was created by Seanen Middleton.

"Catharsis" was the final album to feature guitarist Phil Demmel and drummer Dave McClain, who both left MACHINE HEAD in October 2018.

Talking to the relaunched Metal Edge magazine, singer Rob Halford reminisced about his career and how he joined Judas Priest in 1973.


“I'd been asked to consider joining the band,” said Halford, “and I have this vague memory in the back of my head of seeing them play at some college venue in Birmingham city, just wanting to go and see what the vibe was about. Because there was no other band making the kind of sound that the early Priest were doing. And you know how it is when a new band comes on the scene – something's going on that draws you to them as a fan. And I can just remember being very excited and very curious about what this band potentially was going to be, and the place it was going to go to musically.


“So I went and saw then, and it was just great. Because firstly, I needed a gig. I was looking for a job! And I was curious about those very early, kind of exploratory types of sounds. Because they used to just jam. That was thing in those days – you had a beginning and an end, and a lot of stuff went on in the middle. It was a lot of freeform spontaneity. And it's difficult to do that and to be entertaining. When you start noodling a lot of people go, ‘Ahh, boring...’ So that was just another part of what they were doing that drew me to them.”




Judas Priest's 50 Heavy Metal Years North American tour, with special guest Queensrÿche, is scheduled to launch on March 4 in Peoria, IL, and wrap up on April 13 in Hamilton, ON (Canada).


A complete list of shows can be found below. Tickets here.





Tour dates:


March
4 - Peoria Civic Theatre - Peoria, IL
6 - Mission Ballroom - Denver, CO
7 - Maverik Center - Salt Lake City, UT
9 - Angel Of The Winds Arena - Everett, WA
10 - Moda Center - Portland, OR (with Sabaton, no Queensrÿche)
12 - Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland, CA
13 - Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood - Las Vegas, NV
15 - The Shrine - Los Angeles, CA
16 - Arizona Federal Theater - Phoenix, AZ
18 - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory - Irving, TX
20 - HEB Center - Austin, TX
21 - Freeman Coliseum - San Antonio, TX (with Sabaton, no Queensrÿche)
23 - Nashville Municipal Auditorium - Nashville, TN
25 - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre - Alpharetta, GA
27 - Charleston Civic Center Coliseum - Charleston, WV
29 - The Met - Philadelphia, PA
30 - Prudential Center - Newark, NJ
31 - MGM National Harbor - Washington, DC


April
2 - Foxwoods Casino Arena - Mashantucket, CT
4 - Paul E. Tsongas Arena - Lowell, MA
7 - Halifax Scotiabank Centre - Halifax, Nova Scotia
10 - Videotron Center - Quebec City, Quebec
11 - Place Bell - Montreal, Quebec
13 - First Ontario Centre - Hamilton, Ontario


(Photo - Mark Gromen)

Swedish death metal stalwarts The Crown have issued the following unexpected announcement:


"Hello Viking Punks!!


We are very sorry to inform you that our bass player, one of the founding members of The Crown, Magnus Olsfelt has decided to leave the band. After 32 years we go separate ways. We are very sad about this, he has always put in 110 % and has written tons of memorable songs and he will be missed.




But this will definitely not be the end of The Crown. This will mark the first step writing a new chapter and we are extremely determined and focused to continue our journey.


We are already deep into writing the follow up to Royal Destroyer and we feel that we definitely have some new Death Metal magic coming up!!


The process of finding a replacement will start soon. The Crown never dies!!"


Bassist Magnus Olsfelt also issued a statement:


"The Crown has been a part of my life since I was 14 years old, it’s had its highs and its lows and it has overall been a damn good race, but for me this is over now. I just don’t have the heart and inner drive to keep on doing this anymore, and that leaves me with no other alternative than to leave the band. I am grateful for all the people who have supported us in any way over the years and I hope that the band can keep on doing good in the future.
Goodbye and thanks for all the memories!"


(Photo - Ida Kucera)


 

The clip below features Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen performing at her solo show at AFAS Live in Amsterdam, Netherlands on September 1st, 2021.


Floor: "Time to Face Your Demons! This After Forever classic with a little grunt in there was great to perform! Time to let loose your hair and headbang a little! It had been so long since I performed this that letting go was something I was waiting for. Hope you enjoy!"







The setlist was as follows:


Set 1:


"Ever Dream" (Nightwish)
"Storm In A Glass" (Northward) 
"Nemo" (Nightwish) 
"Mama" (Samantha Steenwijk cover) 
"Sweet Curse" (ReVamp song - with Henk Poort) 
"Dangerous Game" (from Jekyll & Hyde - with Henk Poort) 
"Euphoria" (Loreen)
"Face Your Demons" (After Forever) 
"Winner" (Tim Akkerman cover)


Set 2:


"Slow, Love, Slow" (Nightwish)
"Shallow" (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper cover)
"Strong" (After Forever) 
"Élan" (Nightwish) 
"Energize Me" (After Forever) 
"Qué Se Siente" (Rolf Sanchez)
"Bridle Passion" (Northward) 
"Our Decades In The Sun" (Nightwish)
"Wolf And Dog" (ReVamp) 
"The Phantom Of The Opera" (Andrew Lloyd Webber cover - with Henk Poort)


"Ever Dream"





"Storm In A Glass"





"Dangerous Game"

Courtesy of the ledzepfilm Youtube channel, check out some previously unseen footage of the band in action in 1977. This is new footage taken from 8mm film.


"Here is some excellent footage from the third night of the band’s six night run at Madison Square Garden in 1977. This reel was found last month for a hefty price and thanks to a few kind folks, we were able to get it into our hands. 


It has two dates on it – 6/10/1977 and 6/14/1977, plus some offstage footage (i.e. aerial shots around New York). A big special thanks to the original filmer (whoever you are), Charley C. for sourcing and purchasing this reel, all who have contributed to its fund, and to Adam from GenesisMuseum for the excellent digital scan and mold reduction."







Professor Of Rock recently released the video below, along with the following message:


"How Led Zeppelin created their biggest hit song, their only top 10, the provocative 70s smash 'Whole Lotta Love' through rough waters including conservative radio programmers and later a lawsuit. Jimmy Page’s riff has been called the best ever, Robert Plant’s evocative vocal and the incredible rhythm section of John Paul Jones and John Bonham, this song is a bonafide rock classic.... Coming up, the story of a provocative Top 5 smash created by a daredevil supergroup that challenged the gatekeepers of commercial radio conservatism... and wound up being sued for violation of copyright laws. There’s a whole lotta yearnin’... and a whole lotta schoolin', next on Professor Of Rock."

Former TNT and SKID ROW singer Tony Harnell celebrated the fourth anniversary of his getting sober on January 30. Harnell tweeted: "Today marks 4 years alcohol-free. Thank you to all those who have been there for me along my journey. Sending love to those who are struggling today. Take care of yourselves. #grateful #onedayatatime #nojudgement #love".

Harnell previously said that his drinking was partly responsible for him quitting SKID ROW via social media, explaining that it was "a really dumb" and "very unprofessional" thing to do.

Harnell joined SKID ROW in April 2015 as the replacement for Johnny Solinger, who was the band's frontman for fifteen years. Tony quit the group only eight months later, writing in a Facebook post that "being ignored and disrespected isn't my thing."

Tony later said in an interview with "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" that he made his exit official after going through was he described as "one of the most difficult times" in his life. "And the climax of it was the end of 2015, and I was in a bar, drinking way too much, was pissed off at the world, and did a stupid thing," he said. "And that was it. And it was very unprofessional. I've never done anything like that before, and I haven't done anything like that since. And I'm not proud of it."

Harnell went on to confirm that his drinking "played a role" in the way he went about quitting SKID ROW. "And a lot of people that know me would be, like, 'What? We never saw the guy drunk,'" he said. "It was my little private thing that a lot of people weren't really aware of — not even some people that were very close to me. So that definitely played a role. I wouldn't say that it was the only thing that was 'wrong' at the time, but it did play a role in the whole scenario."

Tony also claimed that he has since "apologized to both the band and the fans." He added: "It was a really dumb thing to do. That's basically all there is to it."

SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo told the "Trunk Nation" show that things fell apart so quickly with Harnell because "some things just aren't meant to work… they just don't work together. Knowing him before and then working with him, it was two separate… it really was two different things," he explained. "A lot of conflict, a lot of butting heads, and it just… it never meshed, it was never right. We knew him for a long time, [but we] never worked with him — never worked in a band situation, in a band environment with him. And you know what — for better or for worse, this is our band; it belongs to us. And so if someone is gonna come in and work with us, we have a certain way that we do things, and that may not work for some people. It didn't work for him. Look, [he's] a talented guy; it just wasn't right for us."

Harnell was replaced in SKID ROW by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I.




Today marks 4 years alcohol-free.

Thank you to all those who have been there for me along my journey. Sending love to those who are struggling today. Take care of yourselves.❤️#grateful #onedayatatime #nojudgement #love

— Tony Harnell (@tonyharnell) January 30, 2022

Eagerly awaited by their fans, delivered on schedule by the ARP band: April 15 will see the arrival of guitarist, songwriter, and bandleader Axel Rudi Pell’s new album, Lost XXIII. It consists of ten brand-new songs (plus intro) and will be available as a digipak, CD, double vinyl album, strictly limited box set, and for digital download.


Lost XXIII is Pell’s 21st studio recording and - like all previous albums in his 33-year solo career - will be out on Steamhammer/SPV.


The first lead single, "Survive", will be released in the physical and digital stores on February 18 - a deeply melodic hard rock number featuring a guitar riff characteristic of Pell and the kind of superb melody that we’ve come to expect from Pell: “I’m confident that my fans will get exactly the kind of song they’ve been waiting for. ‘Survive’ is typical of the ARP band, carried by the fantastic voice of our vocalist Johnny Gioeli.”




Speaking of which: the ARP band mark 2022 continues to consist of Johnny Gioeli, bassist Volker Krawczak, keyboardist Ferdy Doernberg and drummer Bobby Rondinelli (ex- Rainbow), a perfectly oiled hard rock machine that never fails to deliver Pell’s compositions outstandingly and at the same time enhance them with each musician’s own trademarks.


The same applies to the second single, "Down On The Streets", scheduled for release on March 25. “Thin Lizzy could have had a finger in that particular pie,” Pell explains, tongue-in-cheek, adding: “The lyric is about tough life on the streets.”


Lost XXIII was produced by Axel Rudi Pell, mixed by Tommy Geiger, mastered by Ulf Horbelt, and the mysterious cover artwork was once again designed by Thomas Ewerhard (Gotthard, Edguy, Sons Of Apollo, among others). The ARP band will embark on another major tour in spring and autumn 2022.





Lost XXIII will be released on April 15 through SPV/Steamhammer in the following configurations:


- Limited CD DigiPak (incl. poster and 1 bonus track)
- CD jewel case
- 2LP Gatefold, 140 g, half red/half black vinyl, printed inner sleeves
- Limited box set (incl. limited CD digipak, 2 LP gatefold exclusive box set color circled red/black vinyl, high quality framed art print, A1 double-sided poster, photo card, sticker - Europe only!!)
- Download / Streaming


Pre-order here.


- 2LP Gatefold exclusive colored edition only at the Napalm shop


Pre-order here.


- Exclusive CD/LP Bundle with a T-shirt only at the Steamhammer shop


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Lost XXIII Prequel" (Intro)
"Survive"
"No Compromise"
"Down On The Streets"
"Gone With The Wind"
"Freight Train"
"Follow The Beast"
"Fly With Me"
"The Rise Of Ankhoor"
"Lost XXIII"
"Quarantined 1" (bonus track CD digipak)


 


Lineup:


Johnny Gioeli - Lead and Backing Vocals
Axel Rudi Pell - Lead and Rhythm Guitars
Ferdy Doernberg - Keyboards
Volker Krawczak - Bass
Bobby Rondinelli - Drums

Finnish sleaze rockers, Reckless Love, return with their fifth studio album, Turborider, out on February 25 via AFM Records. Pre-order the album here, and watch a video for the title track below.


Following a 4-year hiatus and just recently receiving gold awards for their first three albums in Finland, singer Olli Herman and his band are now gearing up for their next move: Turborider is high-energy, synth wave-infused rock with an undeniable 80’s touch. Fun? Check! Uplifting? Check! Turborider will make you forget the world around you and its infectious hooks will make you sing along all day.


Switching to a more serious gear, Reckless Love now (re-)visit e.g. the 80s game worlds. At the center of the sounds are 80s themes and the modern dark-speaking world of synth wave. The band dived deep into to the game world and the movie moods of the genre and era.




"‘Outrun‘ was the first song we wrote for the Turborider album, so I think it makes perfect sense that it’s also the first single cut from the album. Somehow, this catchy little tune managed to encapsulate all of the stuff that is built into the genetics of every kid that grew up during the era of arcade games, long haired metal bands and explosive action movies. The lyrics are filled with themes and entertaining wordplays, that put supercharged motor racing and hormone rich competitions, side by side. In the sound department, the 80’s-esque pop metal roars loud and clear, however, it’s also strongly colored with a modern synth wave flavor, whipping up an interesting cocktail”, says Reckless Love vocalist Olli.


Founded in 2001, Reckless Love has released four albums, Reckless Love (2010), Animal Attraction (2011), Spirit (2013) and Invader (2016). The band's previous long play has been released more than five years ago, so we can talk about a return of the band.  


“We had a long break from recording and as the break got longer, the higher the threshold became to start working on new music, let alone publish it. Although it was clear that we always had the desire to continue our career, it felt like we needed to find a new perspective for our creative expression. We had to write 'Outrun' to be reborn – and we did. This song showed us the way how to write the new album. 'Outrun' is a beacon on our way to reincarnation”, Olli continues.


Another exciting song on the Turborider album is its second single, "Eyes Of A Maniac", which offers an interesting perspective. "I rarely write about the scarier or darker stuff that happens to me in life“, comments Olli. „The vast majority of Reckless Love’s songs tend to be more on the sunny side of the road, but I decided to make an exception this time. This song is all about the monster that you can not run away from. The one that keeps following you in every mirror, no matter where you go.”


Reckless Love’s fifth studio album, Turborider, will be released on February 25 - and besides digipak and coloured vinyl, the band is offering something very special to their fans: The limited box set will include the digipak CD, an autograph card and a handheld video game.


Turborider was produced by Jonas Parkkonen (Apocalyptica, Lost Society) and mastered by Svante Forsbäck (Rammstein, Lordi, Volbeat).





Tracklisting:


"Turborider"
"Eyes Of A Maniac"
"Outrun"
"Kids Of The Arcade"
"Bark At The Moon"
"Prelude (Flight Of The Cobra)"
"Like A Cobra"
"For The Love Of Good Times"
"’89 Sparkle"
"Future Lover Boy"
"Prodigal Sons"


"Turborider" video:





"Outrun" video:





"Eyes Of A Maniac" lyric video:

In a new interview with France's United Rock Nations, KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer was asked about his health, four months after he was forced to sit out some of the band's shows as a result of testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. "I'm well," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I'm healthy. I've this stupid COVID crap; I've had it twice now. I had it [the second time] two weeks ago, and finally I got through. So I'm healthy. I've got a kick-ass immune system. We're planning shows at the end of the month and then we're planning a tour in March and then we're planning to come to Europe and play some big festivals and get to come to France. So I'm really excited. I haven't been there in a long time and I miss it."

Last month, Shaffer reflected on the fact that he was one of three members of KORN — along with singer Jonathan Davis and drummer Ray Luzier — to contract COVID-19 during the band's recently completed U.S. tour. Speaking to Finland's Chaoszine, he said: "When the tour started, Jonathan was so worried about getting it. He was so fucking freaked out. He wouldn't leave his bus. He wouldn't leave his hotel. The only time we saw him was when he was out on the stage. [We were going], 'Hey, man. Good to see you,' rocking out. At the end of the show, bam — back to his bus. It was kind of funny; there was something quite funny about it. But then he still managed to get it. But then I'm thinking, like, well, we're up on stage. There's thousands of people screaming at us with their germs and air. And, of course. I'm surprised that everybody didn't get it."

James went on to say that he believes KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch had COVID-19 in 2020. "But he's protected by God," Munky said.

Asked what it was like being back out on the road for the first time in more than a year, Munky said: "It was fun — it was fun all the way until I got a positive result. And I was, like, 'Fuck!' And then I was in hell. It was like [going from] the best thing to the worst. I was staying in Salt Lake City. I had all the symptoms, and it was terrible… There was a little bit of [mental hell as well] — seeing videos of my fill-in play on stage [with KORN while I was recovering from COVID-19]. And they came through L.A., which is where we're from, and some West Coast shows that I missed. That was frustrating; that was a little challenging, actually. But nothing a little NyQuil [cold, cough and flu medicine] can't handle. [Laughs]"

As a result of Davis's infection in August, KORN postponed six dates and canceled two on its U.S. tour. A month later, Munky also contracted COVID-19 and was temporarily replaced by J.R. Bareis from LOVE AND DEATH. In October, Luzier became the third member of the band to get infected, forcing him to miss three shows on KORN's U.S. tour. Filling in for him was FEVER 333's Aric Improta.

Davis, who was reportedly fully vaccinated, had been taking a seat on a custom throne near the drum riser at KORN's later shows due to lingering effects of his bout with COVID-19.

KORN's new album, "Requiem", will arrive on February 4 via Loma Vista Recordings. The official music video for the disc's first single, "Start The Healing", directed by Tim Saccenti (FLYING LOTUS, RUN THE JEWELS, DEPECHE MODE), was made available in November.

"Requiem" was produced by Chris Collier and KORN.

Ex-Meliah Rage guitarist Anthony Nichols and co-conspirators Jon Hardy (vocals, bass), Steve Fry (drums), and Dan Dykes (lead guitar) have released Burn Pit, a sumptuously menacing four-song EP. Listen to the title track below, and find the EP on Spotify.





Burn Pit is Mexican Ape-Lord’s third release on Unable Records, following the acclaimed albums The Late Heavy Bombardment and Survival Cannibalism. Audio-savant producer Peter Rutcho is once again at the controls.







The tried-and-true Mexican Ape-Lord themes are all represented here: apex predators, ritualistic bloodshed, dangerous work, and inner demons. Through it all, the boys hammer out non-stop riffs, diabolical drum work, and insanely catchy leads. “We operate like an expeditionary force,” says Hardy. “Every member is a specialist.”


A lyric video for the song “Keep Hammering”, produced by Brandon Maxham, can be viewed below:




"Horrible Folktale":

"Snakehead":



Nichols, a prime mover of metal for over three decades, says, “We’re not about to stop making loud music just because the world is coming to an end.”


The band is currently working on its third full length album, Blunt Instrument, to be released in early 2023.

Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his Disney rendition of Sabaton's epic "Swedish Pagans". Enjoy....


Johansson: "Finally the mix between Sabaton and Disney is back - DISNEYTON. I started to sing Sabaton lyrics over Disney songs on the piano back in 2017 just because Sabaton has such great lyrics and Disney has the best music - perfect match! And now for the first time - a full length recorded song! With the lyrics from my all time favorite Sabaton song 'Swedish Pagans' to the epic 'Go The Distance' from Hercules - 1995."













Johansson previously shared his solo performance of Gary Moore's 1986 classic "Over The Hills And Far Away". Check it out below.

ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna joined members of DROWNING POOL on this year's ShipRocked cruise Monday night (January 24) to perform a cover of the DIO classic "Holy Diver". Video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

This year's ShipRocked set sail from Galveston, Texas on January 22 and includes stops in Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.

ShipRocked 2022 features music performances from over 25 bands, plus special appearances by THE STOWAWAYS all-star group and performance troupe CHERRY BOMBS.

After consistently selling out over its 12-year history, ShipRocked expanded to the larger Carnival Dream class. ShipRocked 2022 guests will enjoy five days of music and adventure at sea and in port.

Produced by ASK4 Entertainment, ShipRocked is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that provides guests with the opportunity to vacation with their favorite bands, meet new friends, and reunite with old ones year after year. In addition to unique performances and musical collaborations, ShipRocked onboard and beach activities include photo meet-and-greet opportunities with band members, artist-hosted events and activities, crazy theme nights, after-hours parties and more.

The Carnival Breeze features multiple dining options, well-appointed staterooms, a luxury spa, casino, fitness center, waterpark and more. ShipRocked 2022 features new cabin categories, including spa level interiors, balconies and suites with extra amenities, ocean view staterooms with two bathrooms, and even some ocean view accommodations that can sleep up to five.

Safety and health are of the utmost importance, and ShipRocked producers ASK4 Entertainment are in regular communication with their Carnival cruise line partners regarding policies and procedures to protect the health of everyone onboard.

In 2020, ShipRocked had its biggest year to date, with over 3,300 guests in attendance — including 62% returning ShipRockers. The 2020 onboard Cancer Sucks! charity auction, led by auctioneer Arejay Hale of HALESTORM, raised over $130,000 — bringing the annual auction's all-time total to nearly $750,000 raised for cancer research.




Tonight on the ShipRocked Cruise, off the coast of Costa Maya, Mexico, Joey Belladonna performs Holy Diver with members of Drowning Pool. Great job guys!

Posted by Ronnie James Dio on Monday, January 24, 2022

Former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Howard Jones rejoined the band on stage at the opening concert of the Massachusetts metallers' U.S. tour Friday night (January 28) at Stage AE in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to perform three songs, "The Signal Fire", "Rose Of Sharyn" and "The End Of Heartache". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below. Support on the trek is coming from AUGUST BURNS RED and Jones's current group LIGHT THE TORCH.

"The Signal Fire" is taken from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's latest album, "Atonement", which came out in 2019.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's current singer Jesse Leach said that he wrote "The Signal Fire" lyrics "with Howard in mind and our connection through our similar mental illnesses." He explained: "I mean, now that I've hung with this guy a few times, it's 'crazy' (pun intended) how similar we are. We are brothers in metal, anxiety, hardcore music, love of medicinal marijuana and fighting depression.

"We may be very different-sounding voices, but, in truth, we are similar in many ways in our minds," he added.

Jesse went on to say that the song's lyrics are "about keeping hope in dark times and helping out those in need."

Leach, who has previously blamed his exit from KILLSWITCH in 2002 on his battle with depression, said that he planned "on using this song to help continue to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention. Both Howard and I have a very strong outspoken stance on the subject and I will use this to help with the cause," he said.

Leach appeared on KILLSWITCH's self-titled debut and sophomore album, "Alive Or Just Breathing", before exiting the band. Jones took over on vocals for "The End Of Heartache", "As Daylight Dies" and the 2009 self-titled set before being dismissed from the group 10 years ago.

As part of METALLICA's 40th-anniversary celebrations, the band's longtime photographer Ross Halfin was the subject of a 90-minute question-and-answer session with Steffan Chirazi, the editor of METALLICA's fan-club magazine So What!, on December 18, 2021 at Elk's Lodge in San Francisco, California. Ostensibly to discuss Halfin's book documenting METALLICA's "Black" album era — "Metallica: The Black Album In Black & White" — the conversation also looked back over Halfin's career, focusing on his decades of work with the band. METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett dropped in for a chat too, and the audience chipped in with several questions of their own.

Reflecting on one of METALLICA's early tours, Hammett said: "Geddy Lee [RUSH] showed up at one of our shows on the 'Ride The Lightning' tour. We played Toronto, and all of a sudden we got a message backstage that Geddy Lee was in the audience. And [late METALLICA bassist] Cliff Burton just freaked out. He started pacing, he started smoking pot, and he was, like, 'Oh my God! Geddy! Geddy Lee!' He could not settle down; he was so nervous and just happy at the same time that Geddy Lee was there. And then Ross tells him that Geezer Butler [BLACK SABBATH] is out there one night. Same thing — he starts pacing around, super nervous, grab[s] a beer."

Back in 2015, Geddy confirmed the longstanding rumor that he almost produced METALLICA's classic 1986 album "Master Of Puppets". He told Noisey: "It's sort of true. There was some discussion with [METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich], back in the day, about working with them. This was before 'Master Of Puppets' came out, I think. There was talk, you know. I was friends with their management, and I met Lars back in England. I remember going to see them here in Toronto when they played at the Masonic Temple. That's when the original bass player [Cliff Burton] was still happening. You know, before that tragedy. And, you know, we talked about it, and I liked their band a lot at that time. But it just never came together."

During the same interview, Lee admitted that he isn't much of a heavy metal fan.

"I don't listen to a lot of metal," he said. "Even though there's an aspect of our sound that can be quite metal, I sort of attribute it more to early metal, in the way that [LED] ZEPPELIN were metal and in the way that BLACK SABBATH were metal, and BLUE CHEER were metal. And that's the sort of tradition of metal that we took on."

He continued: "I like METALLICA. I've got great respect for them. But you won't hear too much speed metal or death metal in my house."

Cliff joined METALLICA in 1982 and performed on the band's first three studio albums: "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning" and "Master Of Puppets". He also received a posthumous writing credit for the song "To Live Is to Die" from the band's fourth studio album, "...And Justice For All" and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a member of METALLICA on April 4, 2009.

His life was tragically cut short at the age of 24 in a tour bus crash on September 27, 1986 in Sweden.

Burton's initial replacement in the group was Jason Newsted, who stayed in the lineup until 2001. Robert Trujillo joined in 2003 and remains in the band to this day.

California glam metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER were joined onstage by Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR) and Christian Martucci (STONE SOUR, COREY TAYLOR) to cover DIO's "Rainbow In The Dark" during their ShipRocked concert aboard the Carnival Breeze on January 25. You can now watch fan-filmed video of the performance below (courtesy of YouTube user PGMD).

Taylor has collaborated with STEEL PANTHER several times before, both in the studio and in a live setting. Notably, he was featured on STEEL PANTHER's 2009 album "Feel The Steel", singing "Death To All But Metal" and contributing backup vocals on "Asian Hooker" and "Eyes Of A Panther". STEEL PANTHER drummer Stix Zadinia told Juice magazine that Taylor attended some of the band's shows in Hollywood, eventually getting up on stage with them. Stix described STEEL PANTHER as being "bros" with Taylor since then. The drummer added: "Plus, he looks great naked. You can print that."

In a 2014 interview with Revolver magazine, Taylor stated about STEEL PANTHER's "All You Can Eat" album: "It's top to bottom so damn good. I would listen to it on the way to the studio to make the SLIPKNOT album [2014's '5: The Gray Chapter'] every day. There's nothing like driving through Hollywood listening to STEEL PANTHER. It's so fulfilling in so many different, weird ways. They write amazing songs and that's one of the reasons why they have the kind of legs that it takes for what they do keep going. They're great musicians and they're funnier than shit. They're some of the smartest, funniest dudes I've ever met."

In December 2020, Zadinia revealed the existence of a previously unreleased STEEL PANTHER collaboration with Taylor. The track, "Steel Panther Fucked My Girlfriend", was originally written by STEEL PANTHER guitarist Satchel and was recorded with guest vocals by the SLIPKNOT frontman before being shelved for reasons that are not clear. A few years ago, the song ended up being covered by Wheeler Walker Jr., the alter ego of comedian Ben Hoffman, who made his version available on YouTube.

Stix discussed the track in an interview with "The Crash Report" podcast, saying that STEEL PANTHER "never played it. Somehow [Wheeler Walker Jr.] got a copy of it. We never released it. And there's a version out in one of our hard drives with Corey Taylor singing it."

When the interviewer told Stix that STEEL PANTHER should release its version of "Steel Panther Fucked My Girlfriend", Stix agreed. "We should," he said. "We fucking should. You know what? I need to talk to Satchel about that. Corey Taylor sings 'Steel Panther Fucked My Girlfriend'. It's amazing. It sounds like the fucking EAGLES — the original version."

He continued: "Wheeler Walker did a version of it. The end product, the end result of it, I heard and I was, like, it's cool and it was nice of him to wanna do, but when you hear our version of it, especially with Corey on it, you'll be, like, 'This sounds like the fucking EAGLES.'"

When legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW) died in May 2010, Taylor released a statement to Billboard in which he called Dio "one of the strongest, purist and consistent singers of all time. Ronnie sang like he lived — all out, from the heart, with so much honesty and joy. He was a great man with a smile and a handshake for fans and peers alike. He spoke his mind and stood his ground for decades. I will miss him dearly."

In a separate interview with The Pulse Of Radio, Corey said, "When I got that news that [Ronnie] had passed away, man, it seriously — it broke my heart. It broke it in two. Because honestly, I just feel like there will never be another Ronnie James Dio. He had such a pure voice — and still singing his ass off. I just know he'll be missed, and I will miss him as well."

In a new interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, GHOST leader Tobias Forge was asked what the benefit is to being the primary songwriter in the band. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The good thing about that is since I don't play one role in a band where there's, like, five other egos, it's easier for me to [go], 'No, no, no. We can skip the solo here. I can move this solo around. Wait a minute — I can take this little bass part. I can do this little guitar part on the piano instead or the organ.' Try saying that to a guitar player. If it's his piece, if it's his little thing, his moment to shine, that's gonna cause problems whereas when you're doing it my way… At least from my perspective, I can tell people that I bring in for a certain bit or a certain piece that I know that he or she will do better than I, I can just tell 'em what to do, that it's already been predetermined what to do. It's not like I'm [saying], 'Oh, here's free rein, here's five minutes and you can do whatever you want on it.' And it gives me a little bit more of a director sort of perspective on things, even though I wrote the story. Even when it comes to vocals, I can listen to my own vocals and go, 'Oh, that sounds [like crap]. I don't like that.' I try to be as objective as I can.

"When you're five months into making a record… I found that when we were making [GHOST's upcoming LP 'Impera'], and that always happens — at least to me," he continued. "At one point or another, all of a sudden my ears… I get — we call it 'hearing AIDS,' actually. That's when your ears sort of die. That's morbid and maybe not funny, but that's what happens. And all of a sudden I don't like the record anymore. There was a moment this [past] summer, I just came into the studio and my ears just died — 'I don't like this record anymore.' And from then on, it was so much harder because I didn't like it. [Laughs] Because you get so tired of it. And then when you're in the aftermath of having made a record and you occasionally listen to it just because you need to, you have these moments of, 'Woah, it sounds better than I remembered.' And then you hear it again a few days later, and it's, like, 'Wow, this sucks.' It's a very painful process once you've gone over that little threshold. I think there's ups and downs with everything — pros and cons. But I think that generally when a producer or someone comes in and is working with me, usually that person is really happy not to have an opinionated band around. That's the classic endless pain of most bands. I'm not saying every band, but most bands at some point, you always have someone who doesn't really carry the weight. And that's very impractical sometimes. And luckily, that would be me, I guess. [Laughs] At least I can tell someone, 'I know this great keyboard player who can play exactly this little bit.' I know what I want, I know what I hear, and we can fake it like that, but if we want someone who can actually play like that, we can just call that person and we don't have to rely on our guy or girl to do that. But that is not to say that the band that I have live — they are really able; they are really good at playing; they're really good at playing anything that I tell them to, which is fantastic."

Back in 2017, Forge was sued by four former members of the band after being dismissed by the group's founder the previous December. They accused the singer of cheating them out of their rightful share of the profits from the band's album releases and world tours. The lawsuit was filed in the district court of Linköping, Sweden, where GHOST was originally based. It claimed that a partnership agreement existed between Forge and the four former members, all of whom performed anonymously in the band as Nameless Ghouls. As a result of the lawsuit, Forge was forced to reveal his identity after years of performing in a mask as Papa Emeritus. He has maintained that "no legal partnership" ever existed between him and the other members.

GHOST kicked off its co-headlining tour with VOLBEAT this past Tuesday night (January 25) at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada. During its 16-song set, GHOST debuted another song from its upcoming "Impera" album, called "Kaisarion".

GHOST's 26-date co-headlining U.S. arena tour with VOLBEAT and special guests TWIN TEMPLE will conclude on March 3 in Anaheim, California.

GHOST will release its fifth album, "Impera", on March 11 via Loma Vista/Concord. The official music video for the LP's latest single, "Call Me Little Sunshine", was lensed by iconic director Matt Mahurin and stars Ruby Modine.

In March 2020, at final show of GHOST's "Prequelle" tour in Mexico City, Mexico, the band officially introduced Papa Emeritus IV, the new character who will front the act for its next LP phase.

Forge performed as a "new" Papa Emeritus on each of the band's first three LPs, with each version of Papa replacing the one that came before it. Papa Emeritus III was retired in favor of Cardinal Copia before the release of "Prequelle".