Steve Vai spoke to the "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen" classic rock show about the impending retirements of two of his former bandmates, ex-VAN HALEN singer David Lee Roth and WHITESNAKE leader David Coverdale. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's really hard when you're a singer, first of all. Once you start getting into your 50s, 60s, things change [with your vocal cords].

"These guys are heroes — they came and they delivered hard. And God bless 'em. And now that they're at that point where they just wanna kind of gracefully bow out, I think that we should celebrate them."

Vai played with Roth on his 1986 album "Eat 'Em And Smile" as well as its 1988 follow-up, "Skyscraper".

"Eat 'Em And Smile" was the first of two Roth albums to feature the duo of Vai and Billy Sheehan on guitar and bass. Throughout the LP, the two would often sync complicated bass lines together with the lead guitar parts, as on tracks such as "Shyboy" and "Elephant Gun".

Following the eight-times-platinum success of its eponymous album in 1987, WHITESNAKE returned two years later with "Slip Of The Tongue". At the time, the band included Coverdale, Vai, bassist Rudy Sarzo, drummer Tommy Aldridge and guitarist Adrian Vandenberg. Vandenberg and Coverdale co-wrote all but one song on the album, but Vandenberg couldn't record them in the studio at the time due to a hand injury. To fill the void, Vai joined the band for the album and tour.

Earlier this month, Vai postponed his planned tour of North America until the fall. The first U.S. leg of dates will now begin on September 28 in El Cajon, California and wrap the first week of December. The itinerary will now feature performances in 52 markets as opposed to the initial plan of staging 54 shows. All ticket and VIP purchases will be honored for the rescheduled date. Vai's performance in Atlanta, Georgia will now take place at the Variety Playhouse instead of The Eastern and due to scheduling conflicts, the Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Billings, Montana shows will no longer be a part of the tour.

Approximately one year ago, Vai underwent shoulder surgery to repair an injury. That procedure was successful, enabling him to record the upcoming studio album release of "Inviolate" (Favored Nations / Mascot Label Group). In preparing for the tour, it became clear that a new injury emerged that requires another surgery, prohibiting the tour to be staged as previously announced.

During an appearance on a recent episode of the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast, hosted by FOZZY frontman and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson admitted that he still suffers performance anxiety, or "stage fright" as it is more commonly known.

"I get nervous right before I go on stage with IRON MAIDEN, especially at the beginning of a tour," he said. "Once you're sort of, like, five or six, seven shows into the tour, you're kind of back into the routine. So you kind of know what's gonna happen. But the big fear, especially for a singer, is that you walk on stage and open your mouth and garbage comes out, or nothing at all. And that's irrational, but it's valid. So just own up to it. I mean, I keep a copy of the lyric sheet backstage. I never look at it, but if I knew it wasn't there, I'd freak out. Then every tour, once I get to, like, six or seven shows in, the training wheels come off and I leave it in the wardrobe case. But the one-man show's a bit different because it's just you," he said, referring to his current spoken-word tour. "And if you stop, it all stops. If I forget the words [while performing with IRON MAIDEN], the band carries on."

Two years ago, Dickinson called out singers who use teleprompters during live performances, saying, "I don't use an autocue on stage. A lot of singers now, they just have the words there: 'Breaking the law, breaking the law, breaking the law, breaking the law, breaking the law, breaking the law, breaking the law.' Breaking the what? 'Breaking the law. Breaking the law.'"

A teleprompter, or autocue, is a display device that prompts the person speaking with an electronic visual text of a speech or script, and it is usually used by vocalists — including JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford and BLACK SABBATH's Ozzy Osbourne — who are getting on a bit and have a large body of work to remember.

Bruce previously brought up the topic of singers relying on teleprompters in a 2014 interview with The Guardian. He said at the time: "I never realized that people were using autocues. What the fuck is that all about? People pay good money and you can't even remember the sodding words."

The now-63-year-old vocalist continued: "The daftest one I ever saw was [JUDAS PRIEST's] 'Breaking The Law'. It's on the fucking autocue. 'Breaking the law, breaking the law/Breaking the law, breaking the law/Breaking the law, breaking the law/Breaking the law' — guess what? — 'breaking the law.' It's ludicrous."

A few weeks after Dickinson's The Guardian interview was published, Halford was asked about the MAIDEN frontman's comments during a chat with Australia's AndrewHaug.com. Rob said: "Well, the first thing I'll say about that is Bruce Dickinson is a good mate of mine; I love him to death. I think he's an incredible singer, he's a great showman, he's in a wonderful band, IRON MAIDEN, who are one of the biggest metal bands in the world. And as far as what people say about each other, I don't think it really means that much, to be quite honest. We say whatever we say, depending on the day and the emotion that we're at. I know Bruce's heart is in the right place, and he just said what he said, and that's all there is to it to comment, in that respect."

In a 2010 interview with the QMI Agency, Halford spoke about how using a teleprompter helped him when he was asked to fill in for Ozzy with BLACK SABBATH for a show after Osbourne was taken ill. "[Like Ozzy], I use a teleprompter now too because I do so many things," he said. "I can't remember. I wish I was like my mate Bruce Dickinson and could do everything, but I need that safety blanket."

During the 2005 edition of Ozzfest, the traveling festival's founder, Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne, famously cut the venue's public-address system and the main stage's power on at least three occasions during MAIDEN's performance at the tour's final stop in Devore, California because she said that Dickinson was "talking shit about my family, night after night," and was being "disrespectful" to her husband during Bruce's "nightly outbursts from the stage" by saying that "we don't need a teleprompter' [like Ozzy]."

Italian melodic metal masters Stranger Vision have recently joined Eagles Nest Production management and have entered the studio to record their sophomore album.


The follow-up to the debut Poetica, released in March 2021 via the German label Pride & Joy Music, is being recorded at the renowned Domination Studio in San Marino (Labyrinth, T/L Rhapsody, Michael Romeo). Once again the sound will be shaped by producer Simone Mularoni, who will be taking care of mixing and mastering.


No titles or other album details such as guests have been leaked yet, but the record is going to be a concept based on a poem by famous American poet T.S. Eliot.




Watch for more info on the new album release, new tour updates, and more news on other upcoming Stranger Vision activities to be posted shortly.

Endseeker have released a music video for "Merciless Tide", featured on their latest album, Mount Carcass (Metal Blade Records). Watch below:





Mount Carcass can be ordered here.







Mount Carcass tracklisting:


"Unholy Rites"
"Merciless Tide"
"Bloodline"
"Mount Carcass"
"Count The Dead"
"Cult"
"Moribund"
"Frantic Redemption"
"Escape From New York" (John Carpenter cover)


"Bloodline" video:





"Escape From New York" video:





"Count The Dead" lyric video:





"Unholy Rites" video:





Get to know the band:





Endseeker lineup:


Lenny - vocals
Jury - guitars
Ben - guitars
Eggert - bass
Kummer - drums


(Photo - Toni Gunner)

Michael Sweet of openly Christian rockers STRYPER says that he is "more concerned with the state of our world" as he continues to work on lyrics for the band's upcoming 14th studio album.

STRYPER's follow-up to 2020's "Even The Devil Believes" LP will once again be recorded at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Earlier today (Sunday, January 23), the 58-year-old guitarist/vocalist, who recently underwent surgery for a re-detached retina, took to his social media to write: "I'll be honest. I'm a little nervous about the new album. Not the music itself but more so the process.

"We're obviously not operating at 100%," he continued. "Oz [Fox, STRYPER guitarist] lost the hearing in his left ear and I've lost my vision (hopefully and prayerfully short term) in my right eye. We'll be working this way and it's certainly a first. How will it affect our performances? Not much. It most likely will take a little longer to get what we want but maybe not. We'll have to see how that goes.

"I'm also at that place where I'm more concerned with the state of our world. I'm concerned about what I see on the news. Is it just me or does it feel as though we're in a much darker place these days? Our country, our world. Maybe I'm wrong but it feels as though darkness is overtaking the light. People seem much colder and more concerned about themselves than they do others. There are some good people out there but times are definitely changing sadly.

"So, as I've been facedown I've been writing lyrics and although there are some straight up songs about love, there's more of a take on the state of this world with lyrics that definitely address that," Sweet added. "Maybe, just maybe this album will shed a little light into and onto some dark areas. That's always my goal and always my desire. To help, not to hurt. To heal, not to damage. This is my intention with every song I write.

"Anyway - we appreciate your thoughts and prayers as we embark on what will be our 14th studio album and I really believe that this one has the very strong potential to be our best. I don't say that lightly. I would never say it if I didn't believe it.

"We officially start next Wednesday. I'm excited and I'm ready to have an incredible year.

"I hope to see you all at a STRYPER show in the very near future. It's been way too long…….

"May God Bless you all".

Last month, Sweet stated about the musical direction of STRYPER's new material: "Lots of riffs, grooves, up tempo and mid tempo and everything has a great feel to it. I've only sent music to the guys so they haven't heard any melodies yet but the melodies are strong and powerful.

"It's always a little strange talking about your own music but I can say that I'm really excited about the direction of this album! I know you will be too. We've tuned down to D so the tuning makes it all sound a little fatter and heavier. There are a few songs with the low E string dropped down another step (C) so those songs have a bit more meat and potato's as well;-) There are a few ballads but they're not your typical 'piano' or 'acoustic' ballads. They're heavy as well and definitely guitar driven.

"Even though there have been obstacles along the way, this album really has shaped up to be an amazing piece of work," Sweet added. "We're a long way out but man, I can't wait for all of you to hear this!!"

Last March, Fox underwent the first of his brain surgeries to treat one of the tumors that were found in his head more nearly four years ago. That same month, STRYPER and Frontiers Music Srl announced that they have extended their working relationship for the release of more new studio albums together.

STRYPER and Frontiers originally joined forces in 2013 for the release of "Second Coming", an album comprised of new recordings of 14 songs from the band's early years, as well as two brand new songs. What followed has been a string of critically and commercially successful studio albums, including "No More Hell To Pay" (2013), "Fallen" (2015), "God Damn Evil" (2018) and "Even The Devil Believes" (2020). Additionally, a live album and long-form video, "Live At The Whisky" (2014) was made available. Every one of the albums released on Frontiers in the past nine years has successfully charted on the Billboard 200 chart and topped the Hot 100, Rock, Hard Rock, Current and Christian Music album charts.

STRYPER is one of the most well-known metal bands to emerge from the fertile '80s metal renaissance over three decades ago. The band first landed on the global scene in 1984 and and is responsible for such classic '80s metal albums as "Soldiers Under Command", "To Hell With The Devil" and "In God We Trust" and hit singles/videos such as "Calling On You", "Free" and "Honestly". To date, the band has sold upwards of eight million records worldwide and is a Dove Award winner and Grammy nominee. STRYPER was also the first band to have two songs in MTV's "Top 10 Video Countdown" simultaneously.

After being on a hiatus for much of the '90s, STRYPER returned stronger than ever in the early 21st century. Musically, the band has progressed and grown their fan base steadily and continuously, being one of the few "classic" metal bands of the '80s that managed to keep themselves front and center thanks to the consistency of their musical output.

Michael is joined in STRYPER by his brother Robert Sweet (drums), Oz Fox (guitars) and Perry Richardson (bass).


I'll be honest. I'm a little nervous about the new album. Not the music itself but more so the process.

We're obviously...

Posted by Michael Sweet on Sunday, January 23, 2022

TRIXTER guitarist Steve Brown recently spoke to The Rock Shop With Ralph about his nearly 30-year friendship with Eddie Van Halen. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When I bought my house and was moving in and building my studio, I went out to see VAN HALEN and my wife and I were in Ed's dressing room and I had that great picture [taken] with me and him. It was the week after I bought my house and I [was] building the studio. And I told him, I said, 'Yeah, man, I'm building my studio.' And he goes, 'What are you, building something to make demos?' And I go, 'No, man. I'm building a studio, like you.' I said, 'You've got 5150. My studio's gonna be 6160.' And started cracking up. And he was so happy. We [had] many conversations about our studios and making records.

"The most important thing that Ed taught me was always keep writing, keep making music," he continued. "And he would always be, 'I don't fucking give a shit about the old days. I'm making new music.' And that was one of the things. And one of the greatest things Ed — and Alex [Van Halen] — always taught me was… Ed would always say, 'Steve, we're musicians. We make music, motherfucker. That's what we do. No matter what.' He didn't give a shit. He never gave a shit if it sold ten million records or it sold two million. We make music for ourselves first. And if the people like it… And that was one of the biggest lessons I learned from him. And, of course, the biggest inspiration in building my studio was that he built his own studio. And to be able to have a place where you have control and you can make music whenever you want, 24-7. And that's what I do here. And that's one of the greatest inspirations and gifts that my friendship with Ed Van Halen, that he taught me that. And he wanted me to build my own studio and encouraged me. And that's always the joke — that he had 5150 and I have 6160."

Brown previously discussed his friendship with Eddie Van Halen in an interview with "Sound Matters" conducted a few days after the iconic guitarist's passing. At the time, he said: "[Eddie] was the best. And just to clarify, I was friends with him. It was much different than a lot these guys that you see who maybe met him once or twice. I see a lot of these guys online. I had almost a 30-year relationship with him. And the coolest thing I can only say is that he always said, 'Steve, you're family. You're family.' He would call my house while he was on tour, whether it was on the 'Balance' tour or the '98 tour or 2004, when he was even really in a bad place. But all I can tell you is this: he loved my wife, he loved my friends. P.J. [Farley] from TRIXTER, we hung out with him. Some of the other guys in my band got to meet him and spend time with him. He treated everybody like a normal person, because that's all Ed was, and that's all he ever wanted to be.

"The first time I ever met him, he didn't introduce himself as 'Eddie' or 'Edward.' He goes, 'Hey, man. I'm Ed.' And that's really the most important thing.

"Listen, we can talk all about the music, the gear, his innovations, how he inspired the world to play guitar. But what I can say is I know the guy, and I loved the guy, and he loved me, and he loved his friends, and people that were part of the family, like I told you," he continued. "And that's the greatest thing, because he was that guy. That smile was as real as it gets. He wasn't an act. He was never an act. He got the most joy when he was up on stage playing, and that smile was two hundred percent real. And that is the truth.

"All I can say, above and beyond that, is he was sweet. He was gracious. I had these incredible times when he would call me on the road and he would leave messages on my answering machine. He didn't call my house once or twice — he called my house probably ten or fifteen times. Luckily, now, I did miss the call a bunch of times, and I was able to save those answering machine messages, which someday I might play for some people, but they are cherished memories now. But some of the times when I would be sleeping, or just getting in from a gig, and hear my phone ring at two o'clock in the morning, because Ed didn't work on the same schedule, and when Ed wanted to talk to somebody, he'd call you, whether it was five o'clock in the morning. And I'd see the phone, and I'd see the phone number, and it would say 'Ed Van Halen'. And I'd be, like, 'Well, I've gotta talk to Ed now.' And I'd talk to him. My wife and I would sit there or we'd be laying in bed, 'Oh, Ed's calling. Let's talk to him.'

"The proudest moment of his life was when he became a dad," Steve added. "I was there with him before Wolfgang was born — it was right when I met him. And then afterwards, a year and a half later, I'm at his Malibu beachhouse playing volleyball with [his then-wife] Valerie and a couple of other guys. Wolfgang's walking around in his diapers. And those are the times that I cherish the most — just being a regular with Eddie, and not having to see any bullshit from other bandmembers or deal with managers or tour managers, everybody trying to keep you away.

"One of the other cool things was anytime I would go to a show, Ed would be, like, 'You never have to knock on the dressing room door. You come in.' I would walk in the dressing room, and Ed would be half naked, getting changed to go on stage. I'm, like, 'You want me to leave?' And he'd be, like, 'No, man. Sit down. C'mon. You're family.' And Alex [Van Halen], the same way, man. He treated me like a brother.

"The only regrets I have were that I never took more pictures. But back, especially in the early '90s, that wasn't the thing that we did. But I've got enough memories to last me a lifetime."

Eddie died in October 2020 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.

The iconic VAN HALEN axeman passed away from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Eddie Van Halen No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.


























View this post on Instagram


































God Bless You Ed ...My idol , my pal ???!!!

A post shared by STEVE BROWN (@stevebrownrocks) on Oct 6, 2020 at 1:06pm PDT

Desmond Child, the incredible songwriter and producer behind dozens of Billboard hits including Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer", Joan Jett's "I Hate Myself For Loving You", Aerosmith's "Dude Looks Like A Lady", Alice Cooper's "Poison", and many more, was recently featured on In The Hot Seat With Larry LeBlanc for Celebrity Access. An excerpt from that interview reads as follows:

KISS, Bon Jovi, and Aerosmith were among the pioneering rock bands to use outside songwriters. Starting with “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”, you have written over 20 songs with Paul Stanley, and none with Gene Simmons.

"In the world of KISS, Paul has his people and Gene has his people. That is cool. I have been so privileged to have Paul as a friend and mentor, and a fantastic collaborator. Paul, in giving me the opportunity to co-write 'I Was Made For Lovin’ You', opened the door for my entire career. I owe him everything."

You met Paul while Desmond Child and Rouge were regulars at the New York underground club Trax on 72nd Street. Then he asked you to write a song with him for KISS.

"We wrote a song together with David Landau–Jon Landau’s brother who was one of our guitarists—called 'The Fight'. So, then Paul said, 'Why don’t you come to one of our rehearsals?' So, I went to SIR Studios and there was the whole KISS set-up. And there was Gene and the other guys, and when they all split, it was just me and Paul sitting at the piano. We started writing the song that became 'I Was Made For Loving You'."

"We (Desmond Child and Rouge) just had our first hit called 'Our Love Is Insane', which was a rock sounding disco song. I then convinced Paul to do a rock song over a disco beat with 'I Was Made For Lovin’ You'."

You’ve described “Livin’ On A Prayer”, co-written with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, as the “centerpiece of your career.”  Certainly, it one of the great anthems in rock history, despite the bass part having a bouncy R&B disco feel.

While KISS and Bon Jovi were touring  Europe together, Paul Stanley gave your phone number to Jon who had been knocked out by “Heaven’s On Fire” which you wrote for KISS.

"Well, yeah. Paul suggested to him that he might try writing a song with me. And he did. Not that he wanted me to write for them, but they thought, 'This guy, maybe, can get us some cuts' with other artists that could bring some income into the situation. The very first day we wrote 'You Give Love A Bad Name' which they kept for themselves, and then there was no turning back. And several weeks later we wrote 'Livin’ On A Prayer'."

To read the complete interview, visit this location.

 

 




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John Cooper, the frontman for the Grammy-nominated Christian rock band SKILLET, spoke to Brutal Planet Magazine about the lyrical inspiration for the group's upcoming album, "Dominion". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "So much of what the album is about is facing the challenges that are inside. In other words, there are challenges from outward. Me and you and everybody listening, we do not have the power to end COVID. Me and you don't have the power to end the economic stuff that's happening or inflation or the fact that some people — I don't know — may be losing their jobs, for whatever reason that may be; we don't have the power to do anything about that. But we do have the power to control what happens in our hearts and in our minds. And I think that that's one of the things that really fueled the fire for me.

"I, of course, recognize that the [COVID-19] pandemic is real, I recognize people are dying, people are suffering, but in my view, what I consider to be a pandemic of fear, a propaganda of absolute fear, I find that to be much more alarming and deadlier than the actual pandemic itself," he continued. "That's not downplaying the pandemic — I just see that in people that I know; I see that in my friends; I see that in some of my family.

"A few months back, I read on the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site], for instance… A lot of people don't know this… I was reading the risk factors to die from COVID. So not to get COVID, but what are the highest risk factors to die from it if you were to get it. The number one risk factor most people know is obesity. That sucks; it's just the way that it is. Most people know that. But the second highest risk factor for dying from COVID is fear — fear and anxiety-related illness. That's remarkable to me, yet we are being told every single day fear, fear, fear, and I see it in people.

"I just wanna encourage people… I'm not encouraging you to break protocols for anything, I'm not saying the pandemic isn't real, but don't give in on the inside," Cooper added. "You can't do anything about the outside, but you can do something about the inside. So this is a record that I hope encourages people to defy that impulse to be afraid."

"Dominion" is due on January 14 via Atlantic. Produced by Kevin Churko (PAPA ROACH, DISTURBED, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH) with songs written by John Cooper, Korey Cooper, Kevin Churko and Kane Churko, the effort was created 100% remotely between the band's tour dates, home studio in Wisconsin, and the Churkos' studio in Las Vegas.

Last November, the Memphis, Tennessee-born Cooper, who lives in Kenosha, Wisconsin, said that COVID-19 vaccine mandates are "much more about tyranny than they are actually keeping people safe."

During the summer, Cooper, who is unvaccinated against COVID-19, opened up about his reluctance to wear masks, saying: "The issue of the mask wearing, to me, is nothing more than theater. It is making me jump into an unreality, something that I do not believe, just to acquiesce to either the overlords — overlords meaning government, Big Tech [Editor's note: A name given to the five largest and most dominant companies in the information technology industry of the United States — namely Google (Alphabet), Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft], big business, big media, whatever — to acquiesce to what they want me to do. Even though I know that it's not true, but I'm gonna play the game. And every time I put my mask on, I know that I'm doing something that I do not believe in. In other words, I'm being forced to lie… I'm being forced to jump into something I don't believe, and I'm living by a lie — I'm living by a lie that this mask is actually gonna keep me safe from all harm. To acquiesce to the government, which says that I'm believing something that I know that I don't believe. So now I'm basically living in a fantasy world. That frightens me. And every time I put that mask on, that's basically what I think. I know I'm doing this, I know it's show, I know it's theater, I know my overlords don't even believe in it, because if they did, they wouldn't be breaking all of their own rules."

Wearing face masks and coverings is recommended, or in some places mandatory, in public spaces to help stop the spread of COVID-19. But anti-maskers think government orders requiring face coverings in public spaces or those put in place by private businesses violate their constitutional rights.

Studies have shown that masks limit the spread of the coronavirus by blocking respiratory droplets that can travel through the air when someone coughs, sneezes or even just speaks. There is also strong evidence to suggest that masks help protect others from catching the virus from the person wearing the mask.

In various interviews over the years, John has said that he "always had faith in God" and that his mother was a "Jesus fanatic." He also claimed that he was willing to put his career on the line to take a stand for Christ.

Last April, Cooper told the "Undaunted.Life: A Man's Podcast" that it was perfectly fine for Christians to play rock music. "I would say that music is created not by the Devil; [it is] created by the Lord," he said. "All things were created by God. So instead of thinking that the Devil owns a genre of music, I would say capture that music and bring it back into subjection under the Lordship of Christ."

DEATH ANGEL played a homecoming show last night (Saturday, January 22) at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, California. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

DEATH ANGEL released a new live album titled "The Bastard Tracks" last November via Nuclear Blast. Recorded live at The Great American Music Hall on May 22, 2021, and streamed live soon after, "The Bastard Tracks" is a deep-cuts collection of rarely and never performed songs from the band's catalog that was released digitally and on CD, vinyl and Blu-ray.

In December 2020, DEATH ANGEL streamed its seventh annual "Another Death Angel XMas Show" from The Great Northern in San Francisco.

In October 2020, DEATH ANGEL released a four-song EP, "Under Pressure". The effort included a cover of QUEEN + David Bowie's "Under Pressure", followed by a new track titled "Faded Remains", plus acoustic versions of "Act III"'s classic "A Room With A View" and "Humanicide"'s "Revelation Song". The EP was mixed by Max Norman (OZZY OSBOURNE, MEGADETH, BAD COMPANY) and mastered by Ted Jensen (LAMB OF GOD, MACHINE HEAD, HALESTORM).

Released in May 2019 via Nuclear Blast, "Humanicide" saw DEATH ANGEL returning to producer and friend Jason Suecof (DEICIDE, TRIVIUM) of Audiohammer studios for the recording and mixing, along with the mastering of the legendary Ted Jensen (SLIPKNOT, PANTERA) of Sterling Sound, who added the final touches and brought it all to life, with artist Brent Elliott White (LAMB OF GOD, MEGADETH) providing the ominous cover artwork.

In March 2020, DEATH ANGEL drummer Will Carroll spent almost two weeks on a ventilator in an intensive care unit at a Northern California hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. He first got sick when he and the rest of DEATH ANGEL spent more than a month on the road in Europe with TESTAMENT and EXODUS as part of "The Bay Strikes Back 2020" tour.

DEATH ANGEL was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the "Humanicide" title track. It was the group's first Grammy nomination.

Carroll joined DEATH ANGEL in 2009 as the replacement for the band's original drummer, Andy Galeon.

Will can be heard on the last four DEATH ANGEL studio albums: "Relentless Retribution" (2010), "The Dream Calls for Blood" (2013), "The Evil Divide" (2016) and the aforementioned "Humanicide".

In a new interview with "The Chuck Shute Podcast", KING'S X frontman Doug "Dug" Pinnick talked about his years in the metal Christian closet and the relief he felt after making a clean break with religion.

"Being told that if you're gay, it's an abomination, and God hates that more than anything else other than blasphemy of the Holy Spirit," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "According to the Bible, a man shall not lay down with another man; it is an abomination. So I'm told that all my life and I'm gay. So I wouldn't tell anybody. One time I decided, 'Well, I'm gonna do like Jesus did: I'm gonna go fast for three days and ask God to change me.' And I went and sat in a trailer out in the country and fasted and didn't eat and just drank water for two days. And I prayed and prayed and cried and begged God to change me, and I didn't feel a thing. And I stopped and I went, 'I give up.' And all I could think of in the back of my mind is the scriptures that people say, 'Don't give up on God' and 'God's not done with you' and 'You have to wait on God' and 'You can't get things in God's timing.' So anything that I would do that didn't work was my fault.

"See, religion for me was nothing but oppressive," he continued. "They wouldn't let me do anything. I remember sitting in church with my great grandmother at four or five years old, in the front row, hearing the pastor screaming and yelling about if you dance, you drink, you smoke cigarettes, you're going to hell, the demons are gonna get you. I went to bed every night scared to death, as a child, thinking that the devil was gonna come and bother me. I used to have nightmares all the time, wake up screaming.

"For me, religion was abusive," Pinnick added. "And other people, it's not like that, and I'm fine with that. But for me, it is. And when someone comes to tell me that, 'Oh, God loves you and He died for your sins,' in my mind I just wanna say, 'Go fuck yourself.' But instead I just have to be like I want everybody else to be — accept the person for who they are and what they believe and love 'em, because it doesn't matter. Love covers a multitude of sins — even the Bible says that. Well, somebody said that it came from the Bible. I'm not sure, so don't quote me."

The biracial 71-year-old went on to blast hypocrisy-, money- and popularity-minded Christians who crave adulation, alienating unbelievers with their pride and greed.

"I believe there are many, many, many, many true believers who I admire and applaud," Pinnick said, "but I do believe that there's many, many, many, many who are just evil people who are only out for their own personal gain — evil narcissist people who are using religion for… I mean, when a guy says, 'Give me your money, 'cause God wants me to have an airplane.' You've got [Jimmy Swaggart] and all those people asking for your money, they're just bullshit; they're just liars. They are a bunch of narcissists who have found a way to bleed people dry. I have such a disgust for them. And I have a sadness for people who believed it, and still believe it. I have a sadness for 'em — not a distaste; I have a sadness. And I have to stay away because I'm that type of person they will not accept. And it's sad to me. But that's life."

Pinnick, who kept his homosexuality quiet with all but his closest friends, eventually came out in a 1998 interview in Contemporary Christian Music magazine.

"It was a big mess," he told LA Weekly in 2002. "Our records got banned from the Christian bookstores; I got hate mall. But they had put me on a pedestal and just expected so much out of me, and I just finally couldn't do it anymore. I hated myself. I had a big panic attack and thought about killing myself. Then I thought, I can't do that. I'm too chicken. It was time, and I decided that if I was going to come out, I was going to come out to my 'family.'"

KING'S X recently completed work on its first studio album in 14 years.

2008's "XV" was KING'S X's highest-charting album since 1996's "Ear Candy".

KING'S X was sidelined by several health scares in recent years, including Pinnick's two hernia operations and two near-fatal heart attacks suffered by drummer Jerry Gaskill.

In October 2019, KING'S X canceled all of its previously announced tour dates for the year so that Gaskill could undergo undisclosed heart "procedures."

In 2005, VH1 included KING'S X in its list of "100 Greatest Artists In Hard Rock."

MASTODON drummer Brann Dailor has revealed that he contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, immediately after the band's recently completed U.S. tour with OPETH. "Right when I got home from tour, I had COVID — like the day I got home," he told Art Of Rock in a new interview (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I tested positive. I got pretty sick, actually. I was sick for a couple of weeks. I was down and out. But I guess the good news of it was it didn't happen while we were on tour and it happened when I got home. So I was, like, 'Oh, I'm sick.' And I had the opportunity to be sick and I didn't have to get on stage and play and stuff, which I've done with the flu many times; it's one of the worst feelings ever, but you've gotta bring the music to the people. It doesn't matter how you feel — do it."

According to Dailor, he has played a number of shows in the past when he didn't feel a hundred percent healthy. "Many times I'd be laying backstage, on one of the couches backstage, just feeling like death, thinking to myself, 'I don't know how I'm gonna pull this off,' and then getting up there," he said. "I've had some of my best shows when I've been sick as a dog. So I don't know what happens there. But something else takes over. Maybe a couple of NyQuils [cough, cold and flu medicine] and you're feeling like you're out of your mind and you get up there and just play the drums and your body takes over. I don't recommend it."

Dailor went on to say that MASTODON is planning on returning to the road later this year. "We will announce something soon," he said. "We're just waiting for it to completely solidify and come all together. But, yeah, there'll be some dates coming up soon.

"It's a strange world, isn't it?" he continued. "It's been a strange time. Nothing's really stable right now, unfortunately. We kind of thought that, 'Okay, we're back. Everything's back, right?' But it's, like, hold your horses, I guess. But I think that things are moving in the right direction. We should have a nice, big announcement soon for another tour in the States."

This past November, MASTODON was announced as one of the "Best Metal Performance" nominees at the 64th annual Grammy Awards, which will be held on April 3, 2022, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The progressive metallers were nominated for their song "Pushing The Tides", the first single from their latest album, "Hushed And Grim", which came out in October.

The follow-up to 2017's "Emperor Of Sand", "Hushed And Grim"was recorded at West End Sound, which is located inside of Ember City, the rehearsal facility that members of MASTODON manage in Atlanta. Helming the effort was Grammy-winning producer/mixer/engineer David Bottrill, who has previously worked with MUSE, DREAM THEATER and TOOL, among many others.

The "Hushed And Grim" artwork was created by longtime MASTODON collaborator Paul Romano, who also designed the sleeves for "Crack The Skye", "Blood Mountain", "Leviathan" and more.

"Emperor Of Sand" debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. That LP was nominated for the 2018 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album," and its opening track, "Sultan's Curse", won the Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance."

Voltagehawk has released their debut full length album Electric Thunder w/ TLG Entertainment/ INgrooves. Electric Thunder takes you on a cosmic journey through Voltagehawk's rock and roll planet. 


The band blends unique guitar tones and hard-hitting drum beats with a mix of lively yet meaningful lyrics to bring to life their other-worldy vision. Electric Thunder is a true rock and roll record- assertive and zealous balanced with an old school groove. With this worthy full length album under their belt and a new video for featured track "The Cosmic Hangman" to support it, Voltagehawk proves that they're here to make their mark.







"On 10/17/17 I was dead. I had drank myself into oblivion. Years of depression, abuse, and confusion as a child had finally caught up with me. As I lay unconscious, I was at perfect peace; no pain, no ringing in my ears, just floating for 9 minutes as the paramedics brought me back. I heard a voice inside my mind ask if I wanted to stay in the cosmic womb or if I would stop drinking. Those were my only options. I chose to give up the bottle, accept help for the first time in my life, and enter a treatment program. It changed everything. My moment of peace in the cosmic womb let me know that there was something after this life, but not what they had taught me as a child. The reception of my new found life was mixed. As I went on a journey of amends, I was embraced by some and rejected by others. I was told that without religion I couldn’t possibly have changed. They were wrong, I had changed.


“The rule of the papacy has long cast judgment on those seeking change outside the constructs of religion or faith. This song is an anthem for the undamned, unfallen, and unredeemed. Rebirth is not a battle between heaven and hell, but a battle between mind and body."


 -Daniel Fenton, Voltagehawk





While recording at Electric Thunder Studios with Geoff Piller, Mastering by Brian Lucey at Magic Garden Mastering (Black Keys, Ghost, Arctic Monkeys, Dr. John, Marilyn Manson) the band put together an energetic, fast paced, melodic opener set and quickly found themselves supporting national touring acts including Beasto Blanco (Chuck Garric of Alice Cooper), The Pink Spiders, Goodbye June, Toke, and Duel.


Continuing on its mission to fuse melodic Nashville songwriting sensibilities with raw Rock and Roll power, Voltagehawk is excited to release its debut full-length 13 song space epic Electric Thunder.


Electric Thunder follows a young heroine's journey through space and time as she comes to realize she is the only translator for the most important message Earth has ever received.