KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch has once again clarified his recent comments about Christianity, insisting that he was only referring to the fact that he was "overzealous" and "obnoxious" with his faith when he first became a Christian.

During a March 2021 appearance on MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast, Welch — who left KORN in early 2005, at the same time announcing that he kicked his addictions to drugs and alcohol by becoming a born-again Christian — spoke about the impact his new awareness has had on his life, his family and the influential rock act that he co-founded nearly 30 years ago. Asked if he thinks religion became his "new addiction" after his exit from KORN, Welch said: "The crazy thing is I had an experience with something from another dimension. And it wasn't the religion — going to church and being a good boy — it was, like, I felt something come into my house, and I can't explain it to this day. But I believe that it was Christ doing something in me. So that was real — that was very real. But yes, I think I went too far with it. And I got obsessed with it, just like I was obsessed with the drugs. I believe I did, for sure. And I had to come out of that and find normalcy, because there's nothing worse than a freakin' irritating religious person just shoving it down your throat — there's nothing worse than that. And you saw it on the documentary ['Loud Krazy Love', which documents Brian's journey towards sobriety], Jonathan's [Davis, KORN singer], like, 'I hate those motherfuckers.' People can't stand 'em. And for years, we've had those Christians outside of KORN concerts, saying KORN's of the devil, and all this. It's crazy — it's a crazy thing. But I'm just glad I got through it. And I'm glad that I am who I am now, and I have a lot of peace and rest for my soul. I feel very leveled and at peace with myself."

Welch addressed the negative feedback he received for his "No Fuckin' Regrets" comments in a new video uploaded to his YouTube channel. In the three-minute clip dubbed "Am I Still A Christian?", Welch said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The Christian news media and other web sites and stuff, especially the Christian side, there's been a lot of stories about Christian musicians renouncing their faith. So it's really good for clickbait. A lot of these media outlets took it and listened to it and thought that I was renouncing it. So it was definitely taken out of context.

"When I first became a Christian, I was coming off of methamphetamines, first of all, and I had a massively powerful encounter where God was revealing himself to me. And so those two sides of the coin — coming off of meth and a powerful encounter — I didn't know how to react and I just went out and I was overzealous, I was obnoxious with my faith, and it took me a while to bring it down. So that's all I was trying to say in that video, in that podcast with Robb Flynn.

"I still share my faith, my personal stories of things that I go through in a non-religious way, I feel like," he continued. "I try to be very spiritual, but non… Like, 'This is this, this is how it's helped me, da da da.'

"My manager hit me up and he's, like, 'Hey, I think you should address this because I think people are really starting to believe that you renounced it.' And I was, like, 'All right. All right. I'll post about it.'

"But that kind of stuff doesn't get to me at all anymore," Welch explained. "It's just, like, whatever. People can twist your words however they want. I have an amazing relationship with God and I know where that stands. So I'm very confident in that, so I don't gotta really worry about it for temporary controversy."

Less than a month after leaving KORN, Welch — wearing a white robe and sporting a long beard — was baptized in Israel's Jordan River, along with about 20 other members of the Valley Bible Fellowship, the Bakersfield, California, church in which he spoke two weekends earlier. At the time, Brian told MTV News that he decided to be baptized in the Jordan after receiving a divine message.

"God told me ... he didn't say, 'Hey Brian!,' I just got a feeling in my heart that he was going to let me know something, I was going to be told something [in Israel]," Welch said. "Because the pastor is going to dunk me in the Jordan River, and when I come back here, I'm going to be a different person."

Welch officially returned to KORN in 2013, one year after joining the band onstage at the Carolina Rebellion festival in Rockingham, North Carolina to perform "Blind".

Since his conversion to Christ more than 16 years ago, Welch has been very open about how God changed his lifestyle and restored his relationship with his daughter.

In recent years, Brian has been preaching that people don't have to wait until they die to see if having an encounter with the presence of God is real.

Both Welch and KORN bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu have had highly public, though separate, conversion experiences, ones that have been greeted with a certain amount of skepticism.

Earlier this year, Welch spoke to the "TruthSeekah" podcast about the backlash he received from Christians who lashed out at the guitarist for supposedly backing away from his faith. "This one guy said… I saw one [video] clip a friend sent me," Welch recalled. "And he's, like, 'Getting a lot of messages about this.' And [the video] was [dubbed], 'Brian Welch quits Christianity,' or something like that. It got thousands of views. The clip that I saw, the guy goes, 'I will be so bold as to say Brian Welch was never a Christian.' I'm just, like, 'Dude.' … I'm thinking about this guy, and I'm going, 'You really have the cojones to say that? That's putting yourself up with God's level.' And so I'm kind of scared for this guy. He's just like so far off. Man… That's messing with things, man, that you shouldn't mess with. That is the number one thing that Jesus went after with the Pharisees in the Gospels. He was so irate and so against that spirit — judgmental spirit — and this and that, and Jesus is with the prostitutes, saying 'Come to all who are broken.' And this guy is saying that? Wow. That's gonna be an interesting conversation. Honestly, I saw that, and I just said, 'Lord, have mercy on this guy. He doesn't know what he's doing. Have mercy on him. And where I'm in the wrong, fix me too.' I'm just trying to take the humble approach. But that's how I feel. And it was a little sad, but not a big deal."

KORN will embark on a headlining tour in March with support from CHEVELLE and CODE ORANGE. Produced by Live Nation, the 19-date arena trek will begin on March 4 in Springfield, Missouri and make stops in Greensboro, Providence and Albany, among other cities, before wrapping up in Wichita, Kansas on April 1.

KORN's new album, "Requiem", will arrive on February 4, 2022 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 last month.

Vocalist Kyle Thomas of New Orleans-based thrash metal pioneers EXHORDER has confirmed to the "Brutally Delicious" podcast that he and his bandmates have spent much of the coronavirus downtime working on material for the follow-up to 2019's "Mourn The Southern Skies" album. "We all were really busy with the writing process pretty much from jump," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I think any band that kind of snoozed on that opportunity set themselves up for being in a bad position because now bands that did put in the work during the pandemic, if they're not releasing albums now, they're not far off. We've been in pre-production for it for quite some time. It's something that we're gonna be working really hard on in the upcoming months after the [recently complted U.S.] tour. So [I'm] looking forward to that."

Asked if he and the rest of EXHORDER — guitarist Marzi Montazeri, bassist Jason Viebrooks and drummer Sasha Horn — have been able to get together in person and work on new music or if it's mostly being done remotely, Kyle said: "It's tough for us to do that because none of us live in the same state. We've got four guys in four different states, so that makes it… The dynamics are… It's a long commute. So I think what everybody's pretty much set out to do is we've all just kind of crafted our own songs individually, and then when we got together in August, while we were rehearsing for the 'Slaughter In The Vatican' set, we also did some jamming on the new stuff, bouncing ideas off each other, tweaking this and tweaking that, seeing what works and what doesn't. So that's the good part — is once we finally get together, we do hear each other out on ideas and stuff. Sometimes something that somebody submits works and sometimes it doesn't. So we just kind of stockpile what does work together and move on from there."

Last February, Thomas told "The Dan Chan Show" that he and his bandmates have been "writing at home" and "piecing everything together" for the upcoming LP

"Mostly what I do for EXHORDER songs is I write parts, and then I submit them, and then they might get used here and there," he said. "That's how it always was done in the past. There are some parts of mine that made it on to the old albums. But most of what I write, when I'm writing, ends up being more like the FLOODGATE stuff. On occasion, when there's something that I've written, they'll use. I'm not that worried about it. I just want great songs handed to me so I can do what I do.

"My biggest part, outside of writing vocals and lyrics, is the arrangement — helping to piece the song into the format that it needs to be in," he explained. "And just the overall production side of it, especially vocally, I like having input on — what part here, the intro should be this…

"EXHORDER's always been a team effort; it's never been one person writing all the music, one person writing all the vocals. It's not like that at all. It's always been a collaborative effort, and I think that's what makes us so good at what we do — you get all those different flavors melding into one dish, and then it's something special."

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

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

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

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

Nita Strauss, the Los Angeles-based guitar shredder for the ALICE COOPER band, spoke to Primordial Radio about how she can no longer stay up late on tour because she has so many responsibilities in addition to putting on great live performances. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm such a homebody now. I'm on the road all the time. But I get off stage — let's say I get off stage at 10:30 [p.m.]; I help my guys load out on my solo tour. We're all in the trailer packing stuff, rolling cables, putting stuff in boxes, putting it in the trailer. That takes an hour or so. And then I'm usually asleep by midnight. 'Cause I wake up early. I've always got a ton of e-mails to do. I hit the gym [and] do so many things before the show the next day. We play six [or] seven shows a week on my solo tour, so I physically couldn't do it. I don't drink anymore, but even if I did, I couldn't stay up like that if I tried because I have so much to do.

"I think a big difference is musicians in 2021 and beyond, we need to be entrepreneurs as well as being musicians," she continued. "There's so many responsibilities — the social media, the content, the press and interviews, signature products. I have a Patreon page. I have a fitness challenge that I do. There's so many different facets to being a musician and entrepreneur these days, and you just can't do it [stay up late]. In the '80s, they were talking about MÖTLEY CRÜE partying and stuff. They weren't worrying about content for their TikTok or their Instagram; they were just living life."

In October, Nita shared "Dead Inside", her first new music since the release of her critically acclaimed debut solo album "Controlled Chaos" in 2018. The track is her first-ever solo collaboration with a vocalist, David Draiman, frontman of Grammy-nominated rock icons DISTURBED.

Strauss has been playing with Cooper since 2014 when she replaced Australian musician and former Michael Jackson player Orianthi. She joined Alice in time for a mammoth MÖTLEY CRÜE tour. She was recommended to Cooper by the legendary rocker's former bass player and WINGER frontman Kip Winger.

Nita released "Controlled Chaos" to mass acclaim from fans and media alike, with Metal Injection calling it "a great debut that — as its creator intended — leaves no doubt", and Guitar World stating "'Controlled Chaos' is a panoramic view of Nita Strauss's many strengths". To date the album has clocked up 6.7 million streams worldwide, with music videos for singles "Our Most Desperate Hour", "Pandemonium", "Alegria" and "Mariana Trench" generating over 3 million YouTube views.

As well as performing with Cooper, Nita has also played with R&B star Jermaine Jackson, early MTV darlings FEMME FATALE, video game supergroup CRITICAL HIT and popular tribute band THE IRON MAIDENS.

Infamous singer/songwriter Mike Tramp; that was once the lead singer of White Lion is back with a new song, “You Only Get To Do It Once”, which is an autobiographic reflection with a disarming chord progression and a melody that will haunt you for days.


And to say it’s an honest, stripped-down rock song with all elements that make Tramp such a recognized and loved artist, is an understatement. An autobiographic reflection with a disarming chord progression and a melody that will haunt you for days.







“It seems that all I do these days, is look in the review mirror to see where I’ve been and what I’ve done”, Tramp concurs. “When time almost stand still, compared to how it used to move too fast. I now look for things that made me happy and the reason why they did. Being a totally nostalgia freak and one who doesn’t want to let go of the good times and the real times, when the world I lived in was a nice place. It now becomes even more important, that whatever you do, you better do it full out, cause you ‘Only Get To Do It Once’. With that being said, I am happy and satisfied that I gave it all I had, spent my money when I could and it mattered and lived my life the way it should be. These days I write songs about it, but it’s not the same as when I lived it.”


"You Only Get To Do It Once" was created exclusively for trampthology.com and is already available there. “For the next few weeks. I will be introducing and presenting to you Trampthology a safe place where we together can share my music and other things I do, without having unwanted intruders or unwelcome guests”, Mike says. “Time has come for me to have my own place, and one of the first things and an exclusive to Trampthology members. This brand new song and video is only the beginning, as I will feel much more up to sharing my music with you who cares about it. Stay tuned and hang in there.”


(Cover photo by: Johnson)

IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson has admitted that he doesn't "really get" Drake's music.

The 63-year-old singer made the comment less than four months after the heavy metal legends were narrowly beaten to the No. 1 spot on the U.K. album chart by the Grammy-winning rapper.

Even though IRON MAIDEN's well-received "Senjutsu" was ahead for much of the release week, Drake's digital-only "Certified Lover Boy" landed at the top of the chart on 45,651 chart sales (43,623 from streams). "Senjutsu" ended with a total of 44,473 (including 39,032 physical copies). "Senjutsu" also made No. 1 on the vinyl albums chart.

Dickinson said: "We went head to head with Drake the week the album was released. I don't really get what he does, though a lot of people do, but going head to head with him felt like, 'No this is real music played by a bunch of old geezers who make no concessions to the times in which we live.'

"People say, 'You're dinosaurs.' And we go, 'Yeah and there aren't too many of those left.' This is who we are, it's what we do."

Bruce went on to say that he is pleased MAIDEN hasn't relied on social media to grow its fanbase.

"By and large our audience as moved on with us," he said. MAIDEN's audience is like a table made of plywood; every year you just add a new layer and the table gets bigger and bigger. We've grown organically — not through social media or any of that stuff. We've grown by going out and doing it in front of people."

"Senjutsu", IRON MAIDEN's first album in six years, was recorded in 2019 in Paris with longstanding producer Kevin Shirley and co-produced by Harris.

For "Senjutsu" — loosely translated as "tactics and strategy" — the band once again enlisted the services of Mark Wilkinson to create the spectacular Samurai-themed cover artwork, based on an idea by Harris.

"Senjutsu" bowed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, charting higher than even the band's early classics like "Powerslave" and "The Number Of The Beast". Nearly 90 percent of the LP's 64,000 equivalent album units earned came from pure album sales. The critically acclaimed double album debuted one place higher than 2015's "The Book Of Souls" and 2010's "The Final Frontier", which both peaked at No. 4.

"Senjutsu" was MAIDEN's 13th album to top in the Top 40 in the U.S.

MAIDEN's first two Paul Di'Anno-era albums, "Iron Maiden" (1980) and "Killers" (1981), as well as with those recorded with singer Blaze Bayley, "The X Factor" (1995) and "Virtual XI" (1998), all failed to dent the Top 40 in the U.S.

According to Billboard, "Senjutsu" logged the second-largest week of 2021 for a hard rock album in both equivalent album units earned and in traditional album sales. It trailed only FOO FIGHTERS' "Medicine At Midnight", which debuted on the Feb. 20 chart with 70,000 units (of which 64,000 were in album sales).

"Senjutsu" topped the charts in several European countries upon its release, including in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerl

NONPOINT has released the official music video for its new song "Back In The Game". The track is taken from the band's latest EP, "Ruthless", which was also made available today (Monday, December 27).

With the roar of one word "independence", NONPOINT has transcended the underground and taken its rightful place in metal history. Even now they continue to change the rules with their newest song "Back In The Game", which keeps the NONPOINT tradition of inviting you in close, kicking you in the chest, then imprisoning an infectious lyric like "'cause you're looking at a one-man death squad" into your mind knowing it will never escape. This song and official video go live across all streaming platforms December 27 at midnight along with the remaining songs from the "Ruthless" EP. This follows NONPOINT's independent label plan of delivering music to its fans through more frequent releases and videos from the band.

NONPOINT singer Elias Soriano stated: "This song sums up our view on how we approached independence from the very beginning. We will be small but mighty. Like the song says, 'I may be one man, but I'm a death squad.' We give everything we've got with ultimate absolution."

Now with the success of NONPOINT's new independent label 361 Degrees Records, the band continues to add to its story as it partners with Amuse Music distribution, an independent music distribution company which helps independent artists stay independent with an unbelievable team that helps them grow beyond their reach.

In 2021 alone, NONPOINT's song "Ruthless" reached #16 on Billboard's Rock chart and was featured on the New Metal Tracks and Kickass Metal Playlist on Spotify with over 1.6 million combined subscribers, SiriusXM Octane's Big Uns Countdown, LA Lloyd Top 30 and Loudwire Nights. "Ruthless" was also the featured track on AEW's nationally televised event "Blood And Guts" on TNT in May 2021. "Ruthless" has reached over 3.5 million streams. Now NONPOINT's fan-voted cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry", at over 1 million streams, has quickly become a fan favorite, from the crowd applause at shows to their support and momentum online.

NONPOINT's touring in 2022 continues with January dates throughout the country, along with an appearance on the ShipRocked cruise.

"Ruthless" EP track listing:

01. Back In The Game

02. Get Better

03. I Don't Care

04. Ruthless

05. When Doves Cry

NONPOINT launched its independent record label 361 Degrees Records LLC in January of this year. They filmed the process of starting the label and making new music in a docu-series titled "A Path To Independence" that can be seen on the band's YouTube and official web site.

NONPOINT's songs "Bullet With A Name", "Alive And Kicking", "In The Air Tonight", "Circles", "Your Signs", "Everybody Down" and many others have been featured in trailers, hit movies, television, iconic video games, as well as broadcasts from NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WWF.

NONPOINT has toured with major acts like DISTURBED, PAPA ROACH, MUDVAYNE and SEVENDUST, to name a few. They have also been featured on the main stages and support stages of iconic festivals like Soundwave, Rock Am Park, Rock Am Ring, Ozzfest, Rock On The Range, Welcome To Rockville and many more.

Photo credit: Francesca Ludikar

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash recently took part in a "fan first" interview with Revolver magazine in which he shared his history as a fan of music, from encounters with THE ROLLING STONES and AEROSMITH to working with A-class vocalists like Axl Rose and Myles Kennedy.

Speaking about his working relationship with Axl, Slash said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'd worked with different singers, on and off, for a while, and then when I met Axl and we started jamming together, he was the only singer that ever brought an emotional content to it that affected me on an emotional level, on an energy level. A song all of a sudden went to a whole new level, and I felt it. And that's when I realized where music and vocals really meet. Because prior to that, everybody that I'd worked with sucked and I had no use for it, and I would just rather play instrumentally. But that's when I first really arrived at that poignant feeling that you get when things connect on a lyrical and the vocal level and the music level."

GUNS launched its long-rumored and long-awaited reunion tour with an April 2016 club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

GUNS N' ROSES' reunion tour features classic-lineup members Slash, Rose and bassist Duff McKagan backed by guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

In a 2020 interview with Guitar Player's "No Guitar Is Safe" podcast, Slash spoke about what it felt like for him to step back out on stage with GUNS N' ROSES for the first time in over two decades at the band's concert at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California.

"That was our first gig back," Slash said. "I think probably the last time that we ever played there was in 1985. I don't think we even played there in 1986. Probably '85 was the last time we played there. "[The April 2016 concert was] our first show together after 20 years. We obviously had more gear and more crew than we did back in the day, I'll tell you that much. And it was loud. But it was a lot of fun. It was an almost poignant moment to fucking stand there and look at that crowd in that sort of room and have that kind of nostalgic feeling."

In 2019, Slash told Guitar.com that his first concert back with GUNS N' ROSES was an "overwhelming" experience. "It was so cool," he said. "Because it was a long time — we're talking more than 20 years from the last show in 1994… it was 22 years since the last time we'd played together. And obviously I'd played with Duff [since then] but there's a certain dynamic in the three of us together. It was awesome, and it's a really great experience."

Slash and his bandmates played the final show of their "We're F'N Back" run on October 4 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

"We're F'N Back!" came on the heels of the "Not In This Lifetime" run that became the No. 3 highest-grossing tour in the history of Billboard Boxscore.

As previously reported, GUNS N' ROSES will release a new four-song EP, "Hard Skool", on February 25, 2022. The effort, which is exclusive to the GUNS N' ROSES official store, contains the two new songs the band released in the last two months — the title track and "Absurd" (stylized as "ABSUЯD") — as well as live versions of "Don't Cry" and "You're Crazy".

Former JOURNEY singer Steve Perry has criticized the pitch-correction technology Auto-Tune, saying it is the imperfections of the human voice that make music appealing.

Created by musician and geophysical scientist Dr. Andy Hildebrand in 1997, Auto-Tune is a software program that digitally corrects pitch, allowing singers who sing off key to produce perfectly tuned vocal tracks. Since its introduction, the plugin has become standard equipment in professional recording studios, but the anti-Auto-Tune movement is vocal.

In a new interview with Kyle Meredith, Perry stated that perfect pitch is almost impossible to achieve, and that it is natural flaws and imperfections that make a voice memorable and affecting.

"Auto-Tune has turned everybody into the same singer, which I think is tragic," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

"I was told a long time by a very bright musician, he said when you listen to somebody as beautiful as a [Barbra] Streisand, your heart just goes, 'I can't believe she can do this. How is she doing this?' And then you listen to Muddy Waters and you get an emotional touch too. Well, they're totally two different vocal directions, totally two different vocal timbres, different styles. Well, one is angelic and beautiful and the other has some struggle in it, and it's the struggle and the imperfections that you pull for too. There's this human thing.

"Singing is the most primal thing — it really is a very primal form of communication," Perry added. "And, obviously, it's gonna be around for a while. Which is why I'm not so happy that people are washing out this description we just talked about with Auto-Tune."

Proponents of of Auto-Tune have compared the human voice to an instrument, and have argued that Auto-Tune is merely an effect like a vocodor, talk box or a wah-wah pedal.

According to Hildebrand's Antares Audio Technologies, more than 90 percent of its Auto-Tune units are in the hands of hobbyists; amateur musicians and looking to smooth out their latest basement recording.

Earlier this year, Paul McCartney made headlines when he said he believes John Lennon would have loved using Auto-Tune, which was invented nearly two decades after Lennon's death in 1980. "I'd say that if John Lennon had had an opportunity, he would have been all over it," McCartney said. "Not so much to fix your voice, but just to play with it."

Perry's holiday album "The Season", came out November 5 via Fantasy Records.

One of the most iconic voices in rock and roll history, Perry has captivated generations with the sheer power of his range and extraordinary warmth of his tone. His phenomenal career has included landing on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" list, fronting JOURNEY during the band's most massively successful era, and gaining entry into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Former GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell, whose pyrotechnics ignited the deadly blaze on February 20, 2003 in Rhode Island, spoke to Tulsa Music Stream about the upcoming documentary about the infamous fire that killed a hundred people and injured hundreds more.

"We're supposed to have a premiere of it at the [legendary club] Whisky [A Go Go in West Hollywood] in February — an invitation-only thing," Jack said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I think it's coming out on Reelz; I think they're gonna put it out on Reelz. It's not the way we initially wanted it to come out; we wanted it to be more of a movie. We took three years shooting this thing. I mean, it was a long time. A lot of footage — a lot of footage. I could have my whole biography done with just what's on the cutting-room floor. But it's really moving. I haven't seen the finished product yet — I've just seen the trailer — but it is really moving, touching, and it's a beautifully shot piece of film. It lets you know how beautiful music is and how music can heal everything, no matter what people think. There's a certain thing in music that is very healing, and it's helped a lot of people through the aftermath of the fire."

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

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

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]. No, he didn't come out of the closet — I didn't mean the 'closet' closet."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Russell previously discussed his book in a 2016 interview, saying: "I'm just dumping everything in this book. And there might be a couple of lawsuits out of it, I would imagine. I'm gonna have to have my lawyers check it out before I release it. But, I mean, I don't really think that's gonna happen. 'Cause the book is about myself and what I've [gone through] and not so much about other people. But there are gonna be spots where somebody might raise an eyebrow and go, 'Hmmm….' It's gonna make some people upset. But it'll make more people laugh. If you're the butt of the joke, that's just the way it goes. [Laughs]"

Three years ago, Russell said that one of the main reasons he was writing a book was "because I want people to know that no matter how far down the ladder you fall you can always climb back up. You don't have to stay down," he told Daily Boom. "Whether you have a drug an alcohol problem or anything else for that matter, you can pull yourself out of it. You can accomplish so much in life if you just believe in it and visualize it. Nothing happens by chance, and I believe that everyone that you meet has some sort of message for you, if you listen closely enough. It might be a stranger that says something random to you that you shrug off, but if you sit and think about it, maybe they said something that you were supposed to hear. You just never know when you are being used as that voice of encouragement for someone else. I don't believe that anything happens by coincidence; it's all for a reason, both good and bad. Life isn't random; it's very well choreographed and we're here to learn."

Melodic death/doom metal band Coldbound recently revealed that Lindsay Schoolcraft (ex-Cradle of Filth) will be the guest lead vocalist for the band's upcoming album. They have posted video of Lindsay recording some of her vocals for the album. Check out the clip below. 





Lindsay comments: "Thank you for welcoming me to the realm of Coldbound. I’ve so far had a wonderful experience being the guest lead vocalist on this double album. I very much look forward to its release in the future!




Many of you in the metal world know me from my seven years with Cradle of Filth. I am also the main composer for Chamber Black Metal band Antiqva and have lent out my voice and playing to many songs and albums over the years. Mainly for voice, harp, and piano.


This will be my first guest feature where I am the lead singer on a full album. Pauli and Meiju approached me after they heard my Juno Nominated album, Martyr, and felt I would be a good fit for crafting melodies and lyrics.


I’m honoured to be part of this project with such a talented line up and list of guest musicians and singers. I can not wait to see how it all comes together. It’s really forming into something special."


Band founder Pauli Souka further stated: "To work with someone like Lindsay is a true blessing, as she shows immense professionalism and a superb attitude. I am definitely excited to share with all of you the results of this one-of-a-kind collaborative experience."


Coldbound released the single “Slumber Of Decay”, which marked the metal comeback of Liv Kristine (Theatre of Tragedy, Leaves' Eyes) and Meiju Enho (Ensiferum) back in February. Check out the official video below.

QUEEN guitarist Brian May, who recently went public with his battle with COVID-19, says that he is still feeling the effects of the virus more than two weeks after infection.

In a series of posts and videos on Instagram, the 74-year-old has been documenting how he's been affected by coronavirus in the last few days.

A week ago, May said that he and his wife, Anita Dobson, apparently contracted the virus after going to a birthday lunch with some friends. He explained that the lunch seemed like a "safe situation," as he had taken a lateral flow test that morning and he and Dobson have both been vaccinated.

Very early Monday morning (December 27), May returned to Instagram to thank fans for a million views of his original post announcing his COVID-19 diagnosis and to offer an update on his condition. He wrote: "I'm still baffled … but THANKS folks for a million views on this post (about 10 posts ago) - I'm glad it was useful.

"Today I'm at day 16 after the event which infected me with (I'm presuming) the Omicron variant of Covid. I'm still congested with a slight cough, and still sleeping too much. But I've been consistently negative in lateral flow tests for a number of days now. I feel pretty much fine except for tiredness - but that may be partly due to the fact that most days I choose to do my cardio exercise on the bike rather than rest !

"So do not fear out there - it seems that in most cases there is life after Omicron. But DO be very careful. Even if the booster shot is shown to be little defence against Omicron, the previous variants are still out there - against which the shots are a proven good defence. And those previous variants are still deadly. My advice ? Don't relax your guard. Minimise your contacts. Good luck !!! Bri.

He added: "'NEO-COVID' ? I have one more piece of random advice. It's really pure speculation - I don't have access to research data on infections. This is based purely upon what I have seen, and would rightly be judged to be anecdotal. But around clusters of definite Covid infections over the last couple of weeks, I have noticed that there seem to be groups of people who suddenly get nasty colds, which do not ever produce a positive result in a lateral flow test. The particular 'colds' they get seem to exhibit almost identical symptoms to the cluster of positive Covid infected that they were close to. It seems like too much of a coincidence to me. I have this feeling that there might be a kind of 'neo–Covid' reaction out there, perhaps in people who have an immunity for one reason or another, or perhaps only receive a low viral load at the point of infection. Why would this matter? Well, if their symptoms are being caused by the Omicron virus but they are hidden, there must be a possibility that they can infect people around them with the virus. Right ? So my advice is stay away from people who suddenly, for no apparent reason, get nasty colds. And if you get one, think about your family and friends. Bri".

A few days ago, May, who previously shared how he is vaccinated with "three Pfizer jabs," speculated he was infected by the omicron strain of the virus. He wrote: "My deduction that it was Omicron is based on (1) the speed and pervasiveness of the spread of infection in that room … (2) the symptoms. I was badly congested, feverish and coughing for around two days, but I never lost my sense of taste or smell, and — much more importantly — never had difficulty with breathing in the lungs. So this new variant is a very different beast from the one which first put all our lives on hold nearly two years ago."

May also said omicron is "completely out of control in the UK."

The risk of infection, grave illness and death remains significantly lower among the fully vaccinated, health experts have repeatedly said.

In recent months, there has been an unprecedented number of hospitalizations all over the world, particularly among the unvaccinated, specifically because of COVID-19. Among these COVID-driven hospitalizations, many patients are being elevated to the intensive care unit, where they may require the support of a ventilator to assist with breathing difficulties.

May, who lives in London, had in the past attacked U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, telling The Independent: "I think it would have been impossible for anyone to make worse decisions than Boris. At every point he did too little too late. Hundreds, if not thousands, of our relatives died because of bad advice and because of the bad decisions that Boris made with [former health secretary Matt] Hancock and those other people."

He continued: "If [Johnson] had taken the precautions of shutting down the borders a year earlier, we wouldn't have been in the situation we were. And the fact that he's willing to trade lives quite openly for economic gain, I find horrific... completely unacceptable."

May compared it to "Winston Churchill going out in his garden and seeing the plans overhead and the bodies and going 'the bombs are dropping! The bombs are dropping! Should we hide? No, actually let's think of the economic consequences of hiding...'"
























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Arjen Anthony Lucassen (Ayreon) is back with a new Star One album, titled Revel In Time. The new album comes more than 10 years since the previous release and is due out on February 18 via InsideOutMusic.


An update from Arjen, introducing Wilmer Waarbroek, states: "Wilmer sings the track ‘Bridge of Life’ on CD2 of the new Star One album ‘Revel in Time’. Check out this video to hear his great vocals and his nice message at the end. Thanks for being part of my album once again, my talented friend!"







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


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


Pre-order here.





Revel In Time tracklisting:


CD1:


"Fate Of Man"
"28 Days (Till The End Of Time)"
"Prescient"
"Back From The Past"
"Revel In Time"
"The Year Of ’41"
"Bridge Of Life"
"Today Is Yesterday"
"A Hand On The Clock"
"Beyond The Edge Of It All"
"Lost Children Of The Universe"


CD 2 features the same songs as CD 1, but with different vocalists.


"Prescient" video:





"Fate Of Man" video:





"Lost Children Of The Universe" lyric video:

KISS frontman Paul Stanley says that he and his family have all contracted omicron, the dominant strain of coronavirus in the U.S.

Sunday night (December 26), Stanley took to his Instagram to share what appears to be a selfie and he included the following message: "My Omicron face! Yup. My entire family has it. I'm tired and have sniffles. Most of my family have absolutely no symptoms. Do as you choose. I'm so glad I'm vaccinated."

The highly contagious omicron variant has quickly become the most common form of the coronavirus in the U.S., accounting for 73% of all cases, according to federal officials.

Based on early studies, those who are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines are far less likely to be admitted to hospital with the omicron variant than the previous delta strain. However, the higher transmissibility of omicron means the risk of health systems being overloaded during the winter period is still quite high.

"It is clear that if you're vaccinated, particularly if you've had a booster, omicron tends to produce milder infections," Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, told NBC News.

"What we haven't seen yet is a substantial body of information about what omicron will do in unvaccinated people," he added.

This is apparently at least the second time that Stanley has contracted COVID-19, having previously tested positive in August, forcing KISS to postpone a string of shows. A few days later, KISS announced that bassist Gene Simmons had also tested positive for the virus. As a result, the band postponed four more concerts.

Back in March, Stanley told AXS TV's "At Home And Social" that he was "so excited and so thankful" to receive his second COVID-19 vaccine. "I'd like [to see] everybody just get back to a normal life," he said at the time. "It's been devastating for so many people. For us who are inconvenienced, it's minor compared to what some people have gone through."

Stanley also criticized people who were defiantly skeptical of mask wearing, saying they were posing a risk to themselves and to all those around them.

"Part of the problem is that we haven't adhered properly to what should be common sense restrictions," he said. "And as long as there are people who are negating what's being told to them, this [coronavirus crisis] is gonna extend further.

"We're supposed to be a community. And if there's the slightest possibility that it would be the right thing to do, shouldn't you do it?" he asked rhetorically.

Last month, Simmons blasted people who are skeptical of COVID-19 vaccines, calling them "delusional" and the "enemy" and saying they are posing a risk to themselves and to all those around them.

In October, Rolling Stone magazine published a story in which a group of KISS roadies suggested that the lack of COVID protocols enforced on the band's "End Of The Road" farewell tour led to the death of a longtime guitar tech, 53-year-old Francis Stueber. Stueber died of coronavirus in his Detroit hotel room on October 17, just two days after being quarantined. The crew members claimed the tour didn't take strict enough safety measures, including not testing everyone regularly. In addition, some crew members allegedly disguised their illness and/or faked vaccine cards.

In a statement, the KISS members said that they were "profoundly heartbroken" by the passing of Stueber, but added, "We are now aware there were crew members who attempted to conceal signs of illness, and when it was discovered, refused medical attention…. Furthermore, it has recently been brought to our attention that certain crew members may have provided fake vaccination cards which, if true, we find morally reprehensible (as well as illegal), putting the entire tour in harm's way."
























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Canadian bashers Untimely Demise have released their first taste of new music in three years. Check out "Throes Of Inebriation" below. It is the first single from the band's forthcoming fifth album.





In December 2020, Untimely Demise guitarist Matt Cuthbertson posted a playthrough video online.




Matt: "I've wanted to do this for about a decade now and finally got around to metalizing a Home Alone track! This is my interpretation of the beautiful 'Follow That Kid' orchestral track from my favourite Christmas movie!"

Drummer Sebastian Lanser of modern progressive outfit Obsidious has released a drum play-through video for the band's latest single, "Sense Of Lust" .The track is taken from the group’s upcoming debut album, which will be released in 2022 via Season Of Mist, for which more details will be revealed shortly. 





Lanser comments on the play-through: "Hi everyone! This is my playthrough of Obsidious´ latest single 'Sense Of Lust.' Quite a heavy and straightforward song compared to our first single, 'Iconic'. Nonetheless, I really enjoy the simplicity and heaviness. Hope y´all do as well!"




The videos for both "Sense Of Lust" and "Iconic" can be seen below.








Obsidious' music consists of modern riffs, strong decisive energetic melodies, virtuosity and epic unison lines. They love music that’s heavy, catchy, fast, and wild. The brand new album is currently being recorded and will be released via Season Of Mist early in 2022.


 

"The Unbreathing" is the first single from Thy Ancient Fire - the debut album by Ironmaster, scheduled for release on February 11th via Mojoholic Records. Check out the lyric video below.


Featuring members of Scar Symmetry and Dark Funeral, Ironmaster is a total riff-fest of unrelentless, hard-hitting Swedish death metal.










The cover art and tracklisting for Thy Ancient Fire is as follows:





"The Unbreathing" 
"Thy Ancient Fire" 
"Abusing The Exorable" 
"Abysmal Tides" 
"Defying My Own Presence" 
"Eternal Riot 3"
"Gallery Of Existence" 
"Demonic Sovereignty" 
"Throne Of Ashen Bones" 
"The Fall Of Aeons"


Pre-order Thy Ancient Fire now on CD or Vinyl.


Ironmaster is:


Roberth Karlsson - vocals
Janne Jaloma - drums
Jonas Kjellgren - guitar & bass


(Photo courtesy of Ironmaster's official Facebook page)


 

"Look what Santa brought," exclaims Hypocrisy frontman Peter Tägtgren. "On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Hell Over Sofia, which was released in October 2011, and for Christmas, we started uploading high-quality videos of this live concert to our YouTube channel. We hope you enjoy them... again! Watch the first part now."


Hell Over Sofia - 20 Years Of Chaos And Confusion was filmed live at Blue Box Club in Sofia, Bulgaria on February 27th, 2010. The aforementioned first part, which can be seen below, contains three songs: "Let The Knife Do The Talking", "Weed Out The Weak", and "Fire In The Sky".










Exactly one month ago, on November 26th, Hypocrisy released their 13th studio album, Worship.


It has been eight long years since the last record, and Hypocrisy fans can feel the itch. Worship is 11 tracks of precise, ferocious musicianship. Commonly inspired by the fusion of the modern and the ancient, Hypocrisy has once more found a way to combine innovative ideas with classic sound in order to deliver something metalheads can enjoyably consume with awe and brutal vigor. As usual, all recording and mixing took place at Tägtgren’s Abyss Studio AB in Sweden while mastering was completed by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers Audio Mastering. Designed by artist Blake Armstrong (Kataklysm, In Flames, Carnifex), Worship’s artwork speaks to the history of the relationship between humanity and extraterrestrials.





Worship tracklisting:


"Worship"
"Chemical Whore"
"Greedy Bastards"
"Dead World"
"We're The Walking Dead"
"Brotherhood Of The Serpent"
"Children Of The Gray"
"Another Day"
"They Will Arrive"
"Bug In The Net"
"Gods Of The Underground"


"Dead World" video:





"Chemical Whore" video:





"Children Of The Gray" video:





Hypocrisy in 2021 is:


Peter Tägtgren - vocals, guitars
Mikael Hedlund - bass
Reidar Horghagen - drums
Thomas Elofsson - session guitarist


 

Legendary drummer Carmine Appice (BLUE MURDER, VANILLA FUDGE, KING KOBRA) has once again slammed the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, saying that the name of the institution should be changed to reflect the musicians that have been inducted.

"VANILLA FUDGE should be in," he told North Coast Music Beat in a new interview (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I thought it was about inspiration and all that stuff, influences on people. C'mon, THE GO-GO'S went in. Who did they influence? I know them. They're nice people and everything. But c'mon, man. They should it the Music Hall Of Fame and just have it for… not influence and not what the Hall was originally made for. Like I'm in the Modern Drummer Hall Of Fame. I'm in there because of my influence and what I've done for drumming. Long Island has a Music Hall Of Fame; VANILLA FUDGE are in there for the same reason. I'm in the Heavy Metal Hall Of Fame for the influence; I'm not in there for how many records I sold. Back in the day, you've got guys like Chuck Berry are in it. He's in it for the influence…

"Why do they leave out groups like FOREIGNER, groups like VANILLA FUDGE?" he continued. "DEEP PURPLE is in it now. But before DEEP PURPLE, we should have been in there. I mean, c'mon. We influenced so many bands. We created a style of music. We were there when the FM radio station was starting… We started the long song. And we're still doing it, we're still alive. And they've got people in there that are not alive, which is fine.

"One good thing they did [is] they showed [late VANILLA FUDGE bassist] Tim Bogert's picture, of the people who died. And I'm happy they did that. But otherwise, change the name. You're putting rappers in there, you're putting people that have nothing to do with rock in there. I mean, THE GO-GO'S. How rock is THE GO-GO'S? THE RUNAWAYS are not in it, and they were all female. They were the first female [rock band]. And that's about influence. It's stupid.

"People go, 'Don't you care that you're not in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?' I said, 'I don't really care, because it's getting cheesy now,'" Carmine added. "I know people who are in there, and it didn't change their career. It did nothing for them other than getting an HBO special. That's it."

For the past few years, the Rock Hall has broadened its base to include rap artists such as the late Tupac Shakur and N.W.A. The move has drawn criticism from many fans and fellow musicians who have taken issue with hip-hop acts — and other non-rock artists — being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Carmine's autobiography, "Stick It!: My Life Of Sex, Drums, And Rock 'N' Roll", was released in May 2016 by Chicago Review Press.

VANILLA FUDGE was one of the first American groups to infuse psychedelia into heavy rock sound to create "psychedelic symphonic rock," an eclectic genre which would, among its many offshoots, eventually morph into heavy metal.

Although, at first, the band did not record original material, they were best known for their dramatic heavy, slowed-down arrangements of contemporary pop songs which they developed into works of epic proportion.

Originally, VANILLA FUDGE was a blue-eyed soul cover band called THE PIGEONS, formed in New Jersey in 1965 with organist Mark Stein, bassist Tim Bogert, drummer Joey Brennan and guitarist, vocalist and U.S. Navy veteran Vince Martell. They built a following by gigging extensively up and down the East Coast and earned extra money by providing freelance in-concert backing for hit-record girl groups. In early 1966, the group recorded a set of eight demos that were released several years later as "While the World Was Eating Vanilla Fudge".

The East Coast, in particular New York and New Jersey, created a sound all its own. Inspired by groups such as THE RASCALS and THE VAGRANTS (fronted by guitarist Leslie West of MOUNTAIN fame), THE PIGEONS reworked many of their own existing arrangements of covers to reflect their unique interpretation of this "East Coast Sound."

In late 1966, drummer Joey Brennan moved out to the West Coast. THE PIGEONS immediately drafted drummer and vocalist Carmine Appice, a disciple of the renowned Joe Morello (DAVE BRUBECK BAND) and a seasoned veteran of the club scene. In early 1967, THE PIGEONS manager Phil Basile convinced producer George "Shadow" Morton (producer for THE SHANGRI-LAS and Janis Ian), to catch their live act. Impressed by their heavy-rocking, trippy and psychedelic version of THE SUPREMES' "You Keep Me Hangin' On", Morton offered to record the song as a single. This resulted in a deal with the Atlantic subsidiary Atco, which requested a name change. The band settled on VANILLA FUDGE.

VANILLA FUDGE celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017 and is still rocking the world as hard as ever.

During an appearance on a recent episode of "Stoke The Fire", the alternative lifestyle and culture podcast hosted by musician Jesse Leach (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE) and DJ/presenter Matt Stocks ("Life In The Stocks"), SEPULTURA frontman Derrick Green spoke about the departure of original drummer Igor Cavalera more than a decade and a half ago. Igor left SEPULTURA in June 2006 due to "artistic differences." His exit from the band came five months after he announced that he was taking a break from SEPULTURA's touring activities to spend time with his second wife and their son (who was born in January 2006).

Green said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When I joined [SEPULTURA as the replacement for original frontman Max Cavalera in 1997], I was already just so chaotic because Max was the front person. A lot of people had it in their minds that he created everything, SEPULTURA was his creation as a whole and the band had gotten there solely because of that. I think a lot of press and people [created that perception] because he was doing a lot of press; he's a very charismatic person, so he took on that role. And a lot of times, people were seeing him as the face, which happens with a lot of bands, especially with the singer. I think it was a little bit easier with Igor, but also difficult — extremely difficult. Because I was friends with Igor. He's one of the people that really got me charged when I was in the band and [he was partly responsible for] getting me into the band, I believe. And [his departure came] at a time where we were [on an upswing], like, 'Yes!' We'd been battling and working on a lot of stuff for album after album. We were at an album [at that point] — 'Dante XXI' — and we got great artwork, we've got a great team behind it, great songs, and then [Igor told us], like, 'I'm not gonna go on tour.' And I was just, like, 'Oh, man. This is really rough.' And then it just ended up where we went on tour with IN FLAMES, and we had Roy Mayorga come and fill in, which was fantastic.

"Igor was just going through a lot of different changes with his relationship and not wanting to be in the band anymore — not really wanting to do that style of music, I believe," Derrick continued. "It was very difficult just because it was just kind of over with that, and then people were, like, 'Oh, now it's definitely over. Throw in the towel, boys.' Certain people were just, like, 'Yeah, game definitely over.' And we didn't feel that way. I mean, as difficult as it was, we were just on this momentum. We just created something so incredible, it's hard to throw it away when you feel that you're evolving. Like, 'I'm doing stuff better than we've ever done. Let's keep this going.' So we continued onward.

"I remember it being difficult, but not as difficult [as it was], I think, for those guys when Max left, because they got a lot of the questions from the media, like, 'How does it feel since Max wrote this album…?' And then they'd be, like, ''Yo, I play drums.' 'Yo, I play lead guitar. What are you talking about?' It was never like that. Those guys wrote together as a whole. I could feel that, kind of, like, 'You guys don't know what you're talking about,' being in certain situations with the press with them. But seeing that transition, as far as with Igor leaving, it was, like, 'Oh, man. Let's continue onward. It's hard, but let's continue onward.' And again, we had a lot of support, still, [and] people believing in us. And we moved on to [Igor's replacement in SEPULTURA] Jean Dolabella. And it was again a growing process, getting used to him, going through an album cycle where people were, like, 'Hmm. It's okay. It's all right.' And then, with the sophomore album with Jean Dolabella, and joining Nuclear Blast, having a solid label, then we started to notice a change again, like a rebirth… Going out and playing new songs, people were, like, 'Yeah. I know this song.' This is really getting back up there. And then I was, like, 'Okay, here we go.' And then Jean was, like, 'I'm out,' after that whole tour. I was, like, 'No! No! We're just getting back again.' And then starting that whole process again with [current SEPULTURA drummer] Eloy [Casagrande]. But, again, having such a great label, Nuclear Blast, that helped, because they were always supportive."

Max Cavalera exited SEPULTURA in 1996 after the rest of the band split with Max's wife Gloria as their manager.

For a decade and a half, Igor has been part of the MIXHELL DJ/hip-hop/electro project with his wife Laima Leyton.

Two years ago, Igor teamed up with Wayne Adams (BIG LAD, DEATH PEDALS, JOHNNY BROKE) to form the PETBRICK project. The band's debut album, "I", was released in October 2019 via Closed Casket Activities in the U.S.

Igor's other current musical projects include CAVALERA CONSPIRACY (alongside Max) and SOULWAX.

Cleveland native Green went from fronting hardcore band OUTFACE in Ohio to relocating to New York and then living in São Paulo, Brazil for nearly two decades.

SEPULTURA's current lineup comprises Green, guitarist Andreas Kisser, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. and Casagrande.

In a recent interview with Metal Mythos Aftershock, singer Tim "Ripper" Owens, who joined ICED EARTH in 2003 and stayed in the band for four years before being fired in December 2007, reflected on his split with the Jon Schaffer-led outfit. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It wasn't a very good parting. I was leaving to go to [Jon's] house to record a new record. And I walked back into my house to grab something and I got an e-mail and I looked at it and it said, 'Brothers and sisters… You're fired,' or whatever. It's the same e-mail he sent Blabbermouth at the same time. And it wasn't a good falling out. It was two weeks before Christmas. It wasn't good."

Owens continued: "Two weeks before that, [Jon] sent me an e-mail saying, 'Listen, I really need to teach you how to be a frontman and teach you how to do things.' And Wendy Dio, who was my manager at the time, was beside herself. She kept saying, 'Get out of this thing, man. You've gotta get out of this thing.' And it was unfortunate that it ended like that — two weeks before Christmas with an e-mail that's the same e-mail he sends Blabbermouth. I was kind of sad, but life goes on, and you move on to the next thing. And I think two days later I was recording a new Yngwie [Malmsteen] record. So it's kind of, like, everything moves on for a reason."

Owens previously discussed his departure from ICED EARTH in a 2012 interview with Australia's Loud. He said: "It was handled poorly, I think, the situation. It could've been handled good and everybody could've looked good in the situation. But it was handled poorly, I think… I started getting all the blame when things weren't the same. Or things weren't what Jon thought they could be. And then, of course, it all came down on me. None of the blame ever came down on Jon. I'm fine with that, but the funny thing is that nothing really changed when I left anyway. I read numbers and I talk to agents, and the crowds are the same or smaller now. I think it was also me wandering a bit, knowing that ICED EARTH was kind of like a solo project. It's really Schaffer's band, and I knew that. And I started having my own: I started doing BEYOND FEAR, and pushing BEYOND FEAR when probably I should have been talking about ICED EARTH. I think Jon read a lot of that and he read into it that my heart and soul wasn't into ICED EARTH."

Schaffer addressed Owens's exit from ICED EARTH in a 2008 interview with Metal Exiles. At the time, the guitarist said: "Tim was great to work with in the studio, and from a standpoint of performing live, he was great as far as being an incredible vocalist, but he was not a true believer in this band. It was a job for him, and ICED EARTH is not about that… He was more interested in doing his solo thing — that was where his head was at — and it was becoming more and more obvious. This band was a means to an end for him."

In April, Schaffer pleaded guilty to his role in the U.S. Capitol riot. As part of the plea deal, Jon entered into a cooperation agreement with the government.

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

Guitarist Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big, Racer X) has shared a live jam video of "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer", taken from his new Christmas album, 'TWAS. Check it out below.





Gilbert’s 17th solo album features a dozen recordings, two of which are new, original compositions. The global release date for digital and CD is November 26. The LP will follow on December 10. Pre-order here.




Gilbert: "Many will agree that in recent times, challenging events have been pouring down upon our heads like an Exploding Waterfall of Molasses. At least it sometimes feels like that to me.  But while I was jamming Christmas songs with my friends, playing an assortment of red, green, and white Ibanez electric guitars, I felt like life was THE BEST.  I hope that this music can put a smile on your face as well.


"Ten of the songs are classics. I was inspired by the Christmas recordings of Nat King Cole, Loretta Lynn, Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Ella Fitzgerald, and The Ventures. And of course, inspiration came from my guitar heroes, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Lifeson, Johnny Winter, Robin Trower, Frank Marino, Pat Travers, Jimi Hendrix, and Jimmy Page, to name a few. I also wrote some of my own new Christmas songs. As I have been doing recently, I begin with lyrics and a melody. Then I let my guitar take over, as it sings better than I do."


He continues: "'Three Strings For Christmas' refers to the 3-string guitar that I used on my double-neck. I tune the strings in octaves, which allows me to play ridiculously fast arpeggios, and very little else (which is why I have a normally strung guitar for the other neck.) 'Every Christmas Has Love' was written quickly, inspired by my panic-driven mental state of album making. When I know that the recording sessions are coming, my brain shifts into survival mode, and melodies start popping out. Then I take all the chords I learned by listening to 70s AM radio, and build a song. The lyrics are nice too. I'll be printing those in the liner notes of the album. Merry Christmas to all. And to all, a good night."


Gilbert formed a band of Portland, Oregon's finest jazz and blues musicians for these sessions. The players are Dan Balmer (guitar), Clay Giberson (keyboards), Timmer Blakely (bass), and Jimi Bott (drums). He reflects, “All brought supreme musical goodness to these arrangements and performances. They certainly steered me to make wiser musical choices than I would have made on my own. And as you will hear, my metal guitar instincts still breathe fire when they get the chance.” The album was recorded in Jimi Bott's studio, who also engineered and mixed the recordings. The approach was to record two songs every day, for six days, delivering the collected body of work.


Gilbert: "All songs were recorded live, although I think Jimi snuck some cowbell overdubs in. If anything should be added to a live track, I believe cowbell is the right choice."





Tracklist:


"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
"Frosty the Snowman"
"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"
"The Christmas Song"
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
"I Saw Three Ships"
"Every Christmas Has Love"
"Three Strings for Christmas"
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
"We Wish You a Merry Christmas"
"Silver Bells"
"Winter Wonderland"


"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" video: