Fan-filmed video of JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE's January 17 performance at RokIsland Fest in Key West, Florida can be seen below.

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

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

Russell's pyrotechnics ignited the deadly blaze on February 20, 2003 at The Station in West Warwick, Rhode Island, killing a hundred people and injuring hundreds more.

Russell's bandmate Ty Longley (guitar) was one of the people who perished in The Station blaze, which became the eighth deadliest nightclub and assembly fire in the nation's history.

Last month, Russell told Tulsa Music Stream that a documentary about the fire will have a premiere at the legendary club Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood in February.

During the same chat, Russell spoke about the status of his long-awaited autobiography, "Dancing On The Edge". He said: "We're almost done with it. I found a writer. Her name is Kate Catalina. She's Chip Z'Nuff's wife. She's a fantastic writer. We get along like peas and carrots. So it's gonna be a really great book. What I've read is really great. We've got a lot of people that have done interviews for it. Even [A&R guru] John Kalodner came out of the closet [to be interviewed for it]."

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

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

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

After a 25-year absence from touring in North America, Ugly Kid Joe made their long awaited live return to American soil on September 9, 2021.


As special guests to Judas Priest, Ugly Kid Joe appeared at the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater in Virginia Beach.


Prior to the show, UKJ frontman Whitfield Crane commented, “In 1992 Rob Halford came into the studio when we were recording America’s Least Wanted and sang on ‘Goddamn Devil’ and blew our fucking minds. As lifelong Priest fans we are stoked to share a stage with the Metal Gods!”




Speaking from the stage on September 9, 2021 in Virginia Beach, Whitfield said, “It's been crazy times. This band has not played in nearly two years. I was just living in Central America for ten months, trying to stay out of it all. Just so you know, this moment for us, it's a one time thing. We're not on tour with our f*cking heroes, Judas Priest. We're not on tour with them. But I will tell you this, and this is a factual thing, we're f*cking fans. Full-on Judas Priest fans. I got a call, I was in Latin America... so we came to play with f*cking Priest, and Judas Priest f*cking rules!"


Fan-filmed footage of Ugly Kid Joe's complete 11-song set, opening for Judas Priest last year, can be seen below:





Setlist:


"Intro / Neighbor"
"Panhandlin' Prince"
"C.U.S.T."
"No One Survives"
"Devil's Paradise"
"Cat's In The Cradle"
"I'm Alright"
"Milkman's Son"
"Goddamn Devil"
"Funky Fresh Country Club"
"Everything About You"





Ugly Kid Joe will resume touring in 2022. Their first concert is May 21 in Glasgow, Scotland. A complete live itinerary can be found here.


 

Today marks the release of Torture World, the seething new EP from Boston’s Great American Ghost, out now on MNRK Heavy.


Produced by Will Putney (A Day To Remember, Knocked Loose, The Amity Affliction), who handled the band’s 2019’s Power Through Terror full-length, with Torture World, Great American Ghost directs old-school hardcore wrath at hypocrisy, apathy, and self-loathing, delivered in a dark cloud of relentlessly bludgeoning riffs.


In celebration of the release, today the band unveils a visualizer for the track “Womb”. The song captures the band at their heaviest yet, tearing through instrumental technicality and breathing new life into the deathcore scene. Comments vocalist Ethan Harrison, “If you don’t bang your head to ‘Womb’, you must actually be dead.”







Torture World is available on CD, LP, cassette, and digital formats. Find ordering options at this location.





Great American Ghost is in the midst of their US tour supporting Fit For An Autopsy. The month-long journey, which commenced on January 5th in Columbus, Ohio, runs through February 12th in New York City. Additional support is being provided by Ingested, Signs Of The Swarm, and labelmates, Enterprise Earth. See all remaining dates below.  





January
20 — San Diego, CA — Brick By Brick
22 — Mesa, AZ — Nile Theater
24 — Austin, TX — Come And Take It Live
25 — Houston, TX — Warehouse Live
26 — Dallas, TX — Gas Monkey Bar & Grill
27 — Oklahoma City, OK — Oklahoma City Limits
28 — Memphis, TN — Growlers
29 — St. Louis, MO — Red Flag
30 — Nashville, TN — The Basement East


February
1 — Tampa, FL — Crowbar
2 — West Palm Beach, FL — Respectables
3 — Orlando, FL — Soundbar
4 — Atlanta, GA — The Masquerade
5 — Greensboro, NC — Blind Tiger
7 — Pittsburgh, PA — Crafthouse
8 — Baltimore, MD — Sound Stage
9 — Philadelphia, PA — The Foundry
10 — Worcester, MA — The Palladium
11 — Hartford, CT — Webster Underground
12 — New York, NY — The Gramercy Theatre





(Photo by Chris Klump)


 

To celebrate the new Ghost album Impera, KnuckleBonz has launched the Ghost Cardinal Copia Red Tuxedo (Variant) Rock Iconz collectible statue. Available for pre-order now, this is a highly limited edition; only 333 are made!


Estimated shipping date: late Spring / Summer 2022.







Each piece is hand-crafted. All Rock Iconz statues are officially licensed, limited edition collectibles. This is a fine-arts process where each statue is hand-cast, painted and numbered. These statues are created in 1/9 scale. Each statue comes with a certificate of authenticity on the base of the statue.


Product Dimensions:
9″ (h) x 7″ (w) x 7″ (d)





A video preview can be seen below:





 

California metallers SUICIDE SILENCE have come full circle and returned to their original label home, Century Media Records.

With nearly two decades of non-stop touring around the globe, hundreds of thousands of records sold and cementing themselves as a lynchpin band in modern extreme metal, the Riverside quintet has rejoined the label that released the highly acclaimed albums "The Cleansing" (2007), "No Time To Bleed" (2009) and "The Black Crown" (2011).

SUICIDE SILENCE guitarist Chris Garza states: "I can't believe how far we've all come since the band began 20 years ago. Today we're back where it all started — writing music together in the same room where the first three albums were created. We're incredibly excited to be working with Century Media Records once again as we enter the next chapter of our career."

Mike Gitter, Century Media vice president of A&R, adds: "SUICIDE SILENCE has long been an important band in heavy music, not only being the band that really put 'deathcore' on the map but a band that has continued to redefine themselves and beat the odds at every turn. The new music I've heard from them has all the intensity and earmarks of their past while continuing to push into the proverbial red."

"It feels great to welcome SUICIDE SILENCE, undeniably the most influential deathcore band ever, back to Century Media Records," says Philipp Schulte, Century Media vice president and global head. "Working with them again feels like reuniting what was never meant to be divided. We're happy being the band's supporting label home again. No pity for the cowards!"

SUICIDE SILENCE is currently working on material for the follow-up to 2020's "Become The Hunter" album, which was released via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. It will be the band's fourth LP with vocalist Hernan "Eddie" Hermida (ex-ALL SHALL PERISH), who joined SUICIDE SILENCE following the passing of frontman Mitch Lucker. The band recently finished an extensive U.S. tour with JINJER and has just announced a co-headlining run on the U.S. 2022 "Chaos & Carnage" tour with CARNIFEX, labelmates LORNA SHORE, UPON A BURNING BODY, ANGELMAKER and DISTANT, beginning May 15 and running until June 4.

Photo by Lina Glasir

Kid Rock will join forces with FOREIGNER and GRAND FUNK RAILROAD for a U.S. tour this spring summer. JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EVENING will appear on select dates, with a special appearance by Trey Lewis at all shows.

The 24-city "Bad Reputation Tour" will kick off on April 6 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana, making stops across the U.S. in Nashville, Boston, Chicago, and more before wrapping up with two shows in Detroit where Kid Rock holds records for most shows in a single season and highest ticket sales in the state of Michigan.

FOREIGNER's Mick Jones said: "We are so looking forward to touring again with our good friend Kid Rock. Our 2015 tour across the U.S. introduced FOREIGNER to a whole new audience and I will never forget the wonderful times we had with him on his ten-show sold-out run in Detroit. I remember so well standing side stage watching some of his electrifying performances. I wrote 'Dirty White Boy' as a tribute to Elvis [Presley], but it also serves as a tribute to Kid Rock. I look forward to dedicating that song to him every night during the tour."

"Bad Reputation Tour" dates:

Apr. 06 - Evansville, IN - Ford Center^

Apr. 08 - Omaha, NE - CHI Health Center^

Apr. 09 - Saint Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center^

Apr. 15 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena^

Apr. 16 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena^

May 20 - Louisville, KY - KFC Yum! Center#

May 21 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena#

Jun. 10 - West Palm Beach, FL - iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre^

Jun. 11 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre^

Jun. 15 - Atlanta, GA - Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood^

Jun. 17 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion^

Jun. 18 - Raleigh, NC - Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek^

Jun. 24 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion*

Jun. 25 - Dallas, TX - Dos Equis Pavilion*

Aug. 05 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center*

Aug. 06 - Burgettstown, PA - Pavilion at Star Lake*

Aug. 12 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center*

Aug. 17 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center*

Aug. 19 - Tinley Park, IL - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre*

Aug. 20 - St. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre*

Aug. 24 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center*

Aug. 26 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live*

Aug. 27 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center*

Sep. 16 - Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre*

Sep. 17 - Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre*

* With FOREIGNER

^ With GRAND FUNK RAILROAD

# With JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EVENING

All dates feature special appearance by Trey Lewis

Tickets go on sale on Friday, January 28 at 10 a.m. ET at Ticketmaster.com.

Kid Rock is a multi-platinum award-winning American rock 'n' roll icon. His music has been characterized as a melting pot of musical genres; from rap-rock in the '90s with singles "Bawitdaba" and "Cowboy" to the multi-chart hit "Picture", a collaboration with Sheryl Crow, to the global smash hit "All Summer Long", which charted at No. 1 in eight countries across Europe and Australia. Rock has sold almost 30 million records worldwide and has earned a reputation as one of the hardest-working acts in rock 'n' roll, blowing the roofs off arenas and stadiums on countless cross-country tours and treks around the globe. Kid Rock holds the Michigan record for most tickets sold with 150,000 for a run of ten consecutive sold-out shows, and set the Little Caesars Arena attendance record in his hometown of Detroit with 86,893 attendees in six sold-out shows. His newest album, "Bad Reputation", will be released in conjunction with his 2022 tour. Kid Rock is also a passionate supporter of those who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to many other charitable causes.

In a new interview with The Underground Australia, Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) spoke what it has been like to return to the road during the pandemic. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We just gone done doing… We did 44 shows in 50 days right before… I guess in October and November. And it was great. Nobody got sick. The shows were great. We went out with our good friends in PRONG and OBITUARY. And we had a great time.

"The schedule is probably about five months from now we're going out to Europe and then come back to America," he continued. "And then hopefully be able to come down and see you guys in Australia and New Zealand, and then go to Asia and Russia — everywhere. Just tour for the next two years or so on the new album. And then we'll see where the Boss is at, with Ozzy, see how he's feeling. If he's ready to fire up the machine again, then we'll go out with the Boss as well. That's what the schedule is right now. So hopefully it'll happen."

Wylde also touched upon how he dealt with being in quarantine during the coronavirus lockdown. He said: "For me… 'Cause people were, like, 'Oh, you're not touring,' and this and that. I'm usually doing two hundred-plus shows or close to 300 shows a year. So for the time that we were home, I cherished every moment I had with my family, the dogs — just, like, walking them every day.

"I told my wife, I said, 'If you've never had a chance to sleep and have insane sex with a professional dog walker, now's your chance.' [Laughs]

"But, yeah, I love being on the road every night," Zakk added. "I thank the good Lord for being able to do what I love and everything like that. So I've never been one that, when I'm on the road, to go, 'Man, I wanna go home. I can't stand it.' I've never done that ever. That's what you put all the practice in; that's what you dream about doing. That's the reason why you have posters of Jimmy Page and all your heroes up on the wall. I still do. That's the reason why you're doing it. But when I'm home, I love being home. So for me, during the lockdown, it gave me more time to just roll with my family."

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY 11th studio album, "Doom Crew Inc.", was released in November via MNRK Heavy (formerly eOne Music).

"Doom Crew Inc." was made available digitally on CD and vinyl plus a deluxe edition that includes vinyl, CD longbox, cassette and more. The 12-track album is both a tribute to the band's "first to bleed, last to leave" road crew and a salute to the legion whose support, stretching back to 1998, rivals that of the KISS Army.

The songs are odes to celebration and mourning, the soundtracks to jubilant evenings and bewildering days recorded in Wylde's home studio, the Black Vatican. On this album, Zakk trades solos and twin-guitar parts with Dario Lorina, backed by the rumble of longtime bassist John "J.D." DeServio and powerhouse drummer Jeff Fabb.

TESTAMENT, EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL played the sole 2021 date of "The Bay Strikes Back Tour" last November 27 at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California. The gig took place less than two months after the three bands shared the stage at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento.

"The Bay Strikes Back Tour" was originally scheduled to kick off on October 6, 2021 at the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California and make stops in Austin, New York, and Detroit before concluding in Oakland. The tour has since been rescheduled to take place in April and May 2022.

Earlier today, EXODUS singer Steve "Zetro" Souza uploaded the latest episode of his "Zetro's Toxic Vault" YouTube series in which he assured fans that "The Bay Strikes Back Tour" will in fact take place this spring. "We will continue the tour again with DEATH ANGEL and [TESTAMENT]," he said. "[Starting in] San Luis Obispo [on] April 9th, we will be continuing. I believe it's five and a half weeks. Again, DEATH ANGEL, EXODUS and TESTAMENT coming to your town. We are going. This is happening.

"I know there's tons of tours that are canceling," he continued. "When we postponed this tour from last October [and] November, I actually spoke with Chuck [Billy, TESTAMENT singer] and I said directly, 'We can [postpone the tour] now, but we cannot come up in April and cancel the tour. We have to do this. And we are."

Souza also reflected on the Oakland concert, saying it "was really basically the first 'Bay Area Strikes Back' show in the United States. It wasn't supposed to be — it was supposed to be the last one — but it ended up being the very first one.

"We finally got to play two new songs [during our set]," he continued. "We opened with 'The Beatings [Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)]' and went into 'Clickbait', but there will be more of that on there. DEATH ANGEL had an amazing set that night. In fact, I was telling Will [Carroll, DEATH ANGEL drummer] earlier today they sounded so great. And, of course, TESTAMENT."

Regarding what makes "The Bay Strikes Back Tour" so special, Zetro said: "The bands get along so well. Obviously, Chuck and my history… My history with LEGACY and TESTAMENT forever, and then obviously EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL, and LEGACY and DEATH ANGEL, and TESTAMENT and DEATH ANGEL, and then Will and [my AC/DC tribute band] AC/DZ. And so we're all kind of incestually fucking connected to each other. And it makes it fun. It makes it for the reason why I wanted to do this in the first place when I was a kid. I'm an old man now and I'm still fucking doing it and digging it even more."

"The Bay Strikes Back Tour" dates:

Apr. 09 - San Luis Obispo, CA - Fremont Theater

Apr. 10 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues

Apr. 12 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues

Apr. 13 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues

Apr. 15 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre

Apr. 16 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater

Apr. 19 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom

Apr. 20 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall

Apr. 21 - Austin, TX - Emo's

Apr. 22 - Dallas, TX - Amplified Live

Apr. 23 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues

Apr. 25 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live (new date)

Apr. 26 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade

Apr. 27 - Raleigh, NC - The Ritz

Apr. 28 - Chattanooga, TN - The Signal (new date)

Apr. 30 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom

May 01 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage

May 02 - Boston, MA - House of Blues

May 03 - Philadelphia, PA - Theater of Living Arts

May 05 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount

May 06 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom

May 07 - Cincinnati, OH - Madison Theater

May 09 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE

May 10 - Cleveland, OH - The Agora

May 11 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall

May 12 - Detroit, MI - The Majestic Theatre

May 14 - Joliet, IL - The Forge

May 15 - Joliet, IL - The Forge

May 17 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theatre

May 19 - Denver, CO - Summit

May 20 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot

May 22 - Seattle, WA - Showbox (new date)

May 23 - Portland, OR - Roseland (new date)

May 25 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades (new date)

Last October, Billy and Souza released a 40-minute video in which they went in depth about the two bands' decision to postpone the North American leg of "The Bay Strikes Back Tour" to 2022. Speaking about the thought process behind pushing back the tour, Chuck said: "I called Zet and I called Will and Ted [Aguilar, guitar] from DEATH ANGEL and just wanted to hear what everybody's thoughts were. And the most important thing, I think, came back as that when we did the European leg [in February/March 2020], we all had such a great time. It was the first time where you go out and there's not a band that you met that you've gotta get to know and hang out with. Where we came into it as, like, 'Hey, buddy.' We're all pals flying out together. It didn't feel like starting a tour. And at the end of it, we all had a good time. No attitudes, no problems.

"We said, 'This has gotta go to America. This has to go everywhere,'" he continued. "We were saying that. The most key thing was, you know what? Remember how much fun we had? I was talking to Tom [Hunting, EXODUS drummer] about it and Gary [Holt, EXODUS guitarist]. We had a great time. Do we wanna do America and not have fun, not enjoy ourselves?

"'Cause I did talk to other [bands who were recently] on tour, and the consensus was it wasn't fun. And we were, like, do we wanna go do that? We wanna have fun. I think we're bands that like to go out and talk to the fans. We don't hide and run from fans."

Added Zetro: "Then there's the whole cost factor. Buses cost money. Crew cost money. We're not rich rock stars. We live off the business, and we're very fortunate to do so, but we still have to look at it from that angle. And if we go out for three weeks, and we've printed all this merchandise with the dates on the back, and Chuck gets sick. Are you gonna get a new singer for TESTAMENT? You can't do that. You can't replace it. So the tour's now over with. 'Cause DEATH ANGEL and EXODUS are not gonna go, 'Well, TESTAMENT's dropping off. We're just gonna continue.' That's not the package. That's not how it works. Gary gets sick. Over with. Zetro gets sick. Over with. Tom, who's just coming back from his whole ordeal with cancer. Tom gets sick — done, over, tour over.

"And, again, we're talking to our friends on other tours. We're getting the feedback from the crews. And they're telling us what's going on and what a nightmare it is. 'And yes, we're there working, but we're isolated on the bus.'

"I've always said, as soon as it's not fun anymore, I don't wanna fucking do it anymore," Zetro said. "So if we're gonna go out there for five weeks, and you're gonna basically put me in a rolling prison, I can't do that. On days off, we have to be accountable for. I like going to the movies or going to games and stuff on days off. I can't do that, 'cause if I go out and I get exposed and I expose everybody, it's just the way… We have to tour in a bubble, basically."

Continued Chuck: "We really took our time thinking about, 'Do we wanna go and do this?' And I think at the end of the day, after all this talk, it just came down to, 'Let's go out and do this right. Let's go out and have some fun. Let's go out and do it for the fans that got to hang out that we've been doing this for for all this time.' And it just made more sense [to postpone it].

"So many restrictions in venues in different cities are different. You've either gotta have the shot or show proof… So, as time goes by, I think it's all gonna open up better.

"First of all, we've seen the world change. 'Okay, there's daylight. Things are getting normal.' And then the delta variant hits," Chuck added. "We're, like, 'Oh, here we go again.' Things are changing — shutdown, restrictions are coming back. We thought we booked this tour knowing by the time October comes around, it's gonna be free and clear. And it changed on us. So that was the sucky part for us."

According to RUSH fan blog Rush Is A Band, RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson has shared a new video update for his AlexLifeson.com newsletter subscribers. In the 12-minute video, the 68-year-old musician rambles on about a number of random subjects, including his ENVY OF NONE project, his new amp, his cat, getting vaccinated and other stuff.

Regarding his stance on getting the COVID-19 shot, Lifeson said in part: "Get vaccinated… Being vaccinated is a really good thing, and if you're not, you're not really doing a good thing at all."

ENVY OF NONE, in which Alex is joined by Andy Curran (CONEY HATCH), Alfio Annibalini and singer Maiah Wynne, will release its self-titled debut album on April 8 via Kscope.

RUSH drummer Neil Peart died in January 2020 in Santa Monica, California after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old.

RUSH's final show took place at the Forum in Los Angeles on August 1, 2015. Peart indicated at the time that he wanted to retire while he was still able to play well, along with a desire to spend more time at home with his young daughter.

Lifeson and bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee have repeatedly said that RUSH will never do a show unless all three musicians agree to take part. They haven't performed as RUSH without Peart since he joined the band in 1974.

Left To Die is a new band featuring classic Death members Terry Butler (Obituary) and Rick Rozz (ex-Massacre), paired with Gruesome founders Matt Harvey (Exhumed) and Gus Rios (ex-Malevolent Creation). The Florida-based band is currently writing an EP and planning a summer US tour, performing the classic Leprosy album in its entirety, along with cuts from Scream Bloody Gore.


Terry Butler had this to say about how the band came together: “After the recent Chuck Tribute shows that Matt, Gus, and myself did, Rick posed the question, "Would anyone would want to see some Leprosy shows?" With a resounding “yes!” the masses had spoken. Matt & Gus threw their hats in immediately and in my opinion they were the only real choice to bring this thing to life!! Left To Die coming your way soon!!”


Rick Rozz added: “It’s going to be an absolute honor and pleasure to play these 34+ year-old songs on stage with Terry after all these years, along with the talents of Matt and Gus - it’s gonna be brutal!”




Matt Harvey and Gus Rios were both very excited about the project coming together. Harvey reflected, “When Gus and I started Gruesome as a Death tribute, we never thought that it would lead to us playing some of our favorite songs alongside the guys that recorded them, but here we are - and I couldn’t be more stoked!”


Gus went even further to say, “When Rick contacted me about his idea I was immediately on board, since Leprosy is not only my favorite Death album, but my favorite Death Metal album of all time! I’m very grateful and stoked that Terry and Matt were also on board - the metal will flow this summer!”

MÖTLEY CRÜE frontman Vince Neil played his second concert of 2022 this past Saturday night (January 15) at Lawrenceburg Event Center in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

The Lawrenceburg show marked Neil's third live appearance since he reportedly broke his ribs while performing with his solo band at the Monsters On The Mountain festival at LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on October 15. Fan-filmed video of that gig showed the 60-year-old rocker walking to the front of the stage with his guitar strapped around him. He encouraged the crowd to clap along while playing the 1989 MÖTLEY CRÜE hit "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)" when he suddenly fell and dropped out of the camera's view almost instantly. TMZ later reported that there was a small gap between the speaker and the stage that Neil didn't notice. His roadie and a security guy helped him get to his feet, and Vince "limped away."

Last May, Neil made headlines when he struggled to complete his solo concert at the Boone Iowa River Valley Festival in Boone. Based on fan-filmed video footage of the gig posted on YouTube, the rocker, who hadn't performed in more than a year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic, began losing his voice several songs into his set, which consisted exclusively of CRÜE classics and cover songs previously recorded by the band.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's "The Stadium Tour" with DEF LEPPARD, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally scheduled to take place in the summer of 2020 but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In December 2019, CRÜE manager Allen Kovac told Fox Business that "some of" the bandmembers had enlisted outside help to get in shape for the trek. Kovac was referring to criticism of Neil for his supposed diminished singing ability and weight gain, as well as the health status of guitarist Mick Mars, who has been dealing with a chronic form of arthritis that led him to undergo a hip replacement.

Kovac explained: "Some of them are working with a trainer, some of them are working with a nutritionist to make themselves the best they can be. The greatest insecurity for an artist is: Is anyone going to care about my music? Is anyone going to buy a ticket? We were in November [2019] when the discussions were happening, and these guys were already into regimens of how they get ready for a tour."

Speaking specifically about Neil, Kovac added: "Let's see what Vince sings like and looks like when the tour goes out."

CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx also said that Vince was "killing it" while working with "trainers" and "nutritionists" in preparation for "The Stadium Tour".

Outspoken rocker Ted Nugent has praised "dirtbag" Bruce Springsteen for always hiring the best musicians to help him deliver his songs live in concert.

Springsteen can best be described as Nugent's political polar opposite, having been a vocal opponent to former U.S. president Donald Trump on many occasions. In August 2020, Bruce went as far as to allow the use of his song "The Rising" in a video that aired during night one of the Democratic National Convention.

Ted, who is widely considered to be one of the most politically conservative musicians in rock, weighed in on The Boss during an appearance on the January 18 episode of "That Jamieson Show". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "You couldn't get further apart ideologically, politically or truth, logic and common sense-wise than me and Bruce Springsteen, but here I'll show a little love for Bruce. I've been able to perform on the 'Conan' show with [Bruce's] E STREET BAND, which is one of the greatest joys of my life. I've always been surrounded by the best musicians, and that's the perfect example. We played 'Jenny Take A Ride' by Mitch Ryder, and Max [Weinberg] and the guys performed it with unbelievable accuracy and perfection and soulfulness. So I give him that salute for having that quality of virtuosos that deliver his music."

He continued: "Instead of going after Bruce for being a dirtbag and supporting communists like [Joe] Biden and [Barack] Obama, people that ruined quality of life, especially for minorities — how he can't see that, I don't know. But I would like to salute Bruce Springsteen because he always supported Mitch Ryder and THE DETROIT WHEELS, a foundational, fortified A-10 Warthog of musical authority in all great bands' lives… And if nothing else, if I met Bruce, I wouldn't punch him. I always have Mike Tyson with me, and I give him a hundred bucks to punch assholes. And I wouldn't have Mike punch him. I would say, 'Mike, take a minute off. Go find some other asshole to punch.' But I'm gonna say 'thank you' to Bruce Springsteen because we share the reverence and the admiration for musical integrity, enthusiasm. And you have to admit Bruce's career is based on his musical heart and soul. The delivery and content of his lyrics I don't abide by most of the time, but I would thank him for his enriching lives with powerful music. I wouldn't go into his communist predilections. I would also thank him for doing a 9/11 tribute. So he's got some great, great spirit."

Nugent isn't the only conservative rocker who has been critical of Springsteen. Last year, Aaron Lewis released a single, "Am I The Only One", in which the STAIND frontman calls out Springsteen at the end of the track, singing: "Am I the only one who quits singin' along every time they play a Springsteen song."

Nugent, who recently resigned from the board of the National Rifle Association (NRA) after 26 years, has called Donald Trump "the greatest president in our lifetime." He also said the billionaire real estate mogul represents "the heart and soul of the best American families out there."

Leading up to the 2020 presidential election, Nugent teamed up with Donald Trump Jr. on the campaign trail.