MACHINE HEAD is continuing work on its new album at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California with producer Zack Ohren for a tentative summer 2022 release. Frontman Robb Flynn offered an update on the LP's progress during the latest episode of his "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm in the studio right now. In fact, we started yesterday — Zack and I were in the recording studio finishing up the new album, working on the new album. It's coming along. Right now, they're setting up in there. They've got Navene Koperweis [of] ENTHEOS, ANIMALS AS LEADERS and a million other bands — he is setting up drums and he's gonna be laying down some heat with the drums. Yeah, it's going really good — [it's] been really, really productive. And we're kind of getting towards the end here, man — we're getting towards the finish line. The finish line is in sight, and I haven't been able to say that for a long time."

He continued: "If you recall, Navene is the dude who played on '[Become The] Firestorm', 'Arrows In Words From The Sky', 'My Hands Are Empty', he played on 'Circle The Drain'. Yeah, it's comfortable. [He's] a local guy, which really helps.

"We're probably gonna be dropping some new songs pretty soon," Robb added. "Then the record will be dropping probably end of summer next year. We've gotta wait till the vinyl all lines up 'cause the vinyl takes fucking forever now. Nine-month lead time on vinyl. Adele just shifted 130 thousand copies of vinyl first week. Dude, it's crazy. All these fucking major labels are clogging up all of the vinyl pressing plants now. So, yeah, it's been a challenge. But we'll be dropping some songs on the DSPs, digital service providers."

Flynn and bassist Jared MacEachern previously said that they were "making great progress on at least six different new songs, including a 10-minute-plus epic."

This past June, MACHINE HEAD released the "Arrows In Words From The Sky" single. Featuring the tracks "Become The Firestorm", "Rotten" and "Arrows In Words From The Sky", the effort was recorded at Sharkbite.

In November 2020, MACHINE HEAD released a new single, "My Hands Are Empty", via Nuclear Blast. The song marked the first musical collaboration between Flynn and original "Burn My Eyes" guitarist Logan Mader in 24 years.

"My Hands Are Empty" was just one in a line of singles to be released by MACHINE HEAD, which issued "Do Or Die" in October 2019, "Circle The Drain" in February 2020, and the two-song digital single "Civil Unrest", consisting of "Stop The Bleeding" and "Bulletproof", in June 2020. "Stop The Bleeding" featured guest vocals from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach, and was written and recorded just days after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

According to Flynn, all three tracks from "Arrows In Words From The Sky" single — "Become The Firestorm", "Rotten" and the title track — as well as "My Hands Are Empty", will be included on the band's next full-length studio album. "And the other stuff is just gonna stay kind of in whatever void it came out in — and probably be released on a collection of songs with a bunch of other B-sides at some point, a physical version," he told the "Behind The Vinyl" podcast in June. "But for now, these four songs, and then some future songs, are gonna make up the next record."

Asked if the "turbulent" nature of the last couple of years was a good thing for him creatively, Flynn said: "Oh, totally. I'm an impatient man. [Laughs] I want it, and I want it now. And the music business can be mind-numbingly slow at times. And certainly with the pandemic now, just the lead time to set up a record is, like, seven months. Vinyl is fucking seven months. If I turned in a record today — done, mastered, finished, artwork, everything — we're not gonna get the vinyl until seven months from now. I'm, like, 'This is fucking crazy.' And I don't wanna wait; I just wanna put it out.

"When I started in the [1980s] thrash scene, bands put out demos and fucking rehearsals and new songs every month or two," he explained. "I had every EXODUS song released just from bootlegs and from demos and stuff like that. Same with METALLICA. And it was just so much faster. And the world has just kind of shifted into this extremely slow — certainly the metal world has. And I wanted to bring it back to that… Yes, I'm not releasing a cassette tape, but yeah, I'm putting it out so that if the diehards wanna hear it, you can fucking hear it. And consistently do that — consistently put out music so that it's constantly giving the fans, the diehard fans, the Head Cases, the ones who fucking live and breathe this shit, something to chew on every three or four months. And I really dig it. I think it's amazing. And I think that we have the technology — thanks to Spotify and all the streaming services now — [so that] we can do this shit. So why not?"

Six months ago, MACHINE HEAD announced that it was abandoning plans to resume its "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour now that the pandemic is slowing down. Flynn said that the "Burn My Eyes" tour, which saw him and MacEachern play the band's classic debut album in its entirety for the first time ever, with original "Burn My Eyes"-era drummer Chris Kontos and Mader joining in, would not pick up at such a time as MACHINE HEAD can continue touring. Flynn also confirmed that MacEachern is still a member of MACHINE HEAD alongside new recruits, guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka (DECAPITATED) and British drummer Matt Alston.

MACHINE HEAD will team up with Sweden's Viking metal overlords AMON AMARTH for a co-headline "Vikings And Lionhearts" European arena tour in September and October 2022. Support on the trek will come from THE HALO EFFECT, the new band featuring five former members of IN FLAMES: Peter Iwers, Daniel Svensson, Jesper Strömblad, Niclas Engelin and Mikael Stanne.

The clip below features Floor Jansen performing Northward's "Storm In A Glass" at her solo show at AFAS Live in Amsterdam, Netherlands on September 1st, 2021. This song comes from her hard rock project with Norwegian guitarist Jorn Viggo Lofstad.


The setlist was as follows:


Set 1:




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


Set 2:


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


"Storm In A Glass"





"Ever Dream"

In a new interview with Turkey's %100 Metal, DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci spoke about the band's upcoming European tour which is scheduled to kick off next April in Belfast, United Kingdom. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The last show that we played was the end of February 2020, so this will be more than two years since coming to Europe. We're not doing 'An Evening With…' so there'll be an opening band playing with us that we're working on. And we're gonna play a bunch of material from the new album, obviously. We do have a new stage set that's in development that we're trying to make an all-encompassing view from the top of the world. So, we'll see. We're working on that. And we'll play some songs that we haven't played in a long time; we always like to do that as well."

He added: "It'll just be fun to get back out there and perform, play live. Live music has been missing from all of our lives for way too long. So, we all need it. It's a big part of what we do."

Last month, DREAM THEATER announced the rescheduled dates for its postponed North American leg of the "Top Of The World" tour. The shows will now kick off in Mesa, Arizona on February 2 and run seven weeks before ending in Austin, Texas on March 21. The tour will also make stops in Los Angeles, California; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; New York City and Dallas, Texas, among others, and will mark the first live performances of music from DREAM THEATER's latest release, "A View From The Top Of The World". ARCH ECHO will be the opener on all dates in the United States and FALSET will be the opener on all of the dates in Canada. Information on tickets for all upcoming shows as well as VIP packages can be found at www.dreamtheater.net.

In October, DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie told The Metal Voice about the band's decision to push back the tour: "It just came down to how comfortable we were with going out. We were getting kind of mixed messages from promoters and our agencies. Our management was looking into it across the board with people that were out there, tours that were going on, tours that had come down.

"When you put together a tour, the amount of money that's put into a tour, it's astronomical," he continued. "And the kind of production that we go out with is pretty big; it's pretty substantial. We were just getting a lot of indication that the bands that had been going out were out for a week or two and somebody within the band or the crew came down with COVID and then the whole camp had to be shut down up to 10 days. Well, that's financially disabling for any tour of any magnitude, that you can just pull down a whole camp of, let's say, 30-something people and the amount of money that's generated while you're out there. You're talking 10 days where you're just dead in the water.

"So it didn't make sense to us. One, we were still concerned with our health, going out. And even though we're all fully inoculated, so to speak, we were still concerned with one of us coming down, getting sick and not being able to proceed. And then the business side of things.

"I mean, if I wanna be completely honest with you, it wasn't a unanimous decision," LaBrie admitted. "There were three guys in the band that said, 'No. We don't wanna tour. We're not going out.' And there were two other guys in the band that said, 'C'mon, let's do it. Let's go for it. We're all for it.' And that's what it came down to — is that it was a majority vote that said, 'No. We're not about to go out.'"

James also addressed Petrucci's recent comment that the the tour postponement was "unfortunate" and not a unanimous decision, with Petrucci and bassist John Myung being willing to return to the road as soon as possible and the other three guys opting to stay home.

"It comes down to sometimes you're gonna have to agree to disagree, and granted, as he put it — I saw it; fans forwarded it to my site — as he said, he was frustrated," James said. "Well, truth be known, we're all frustrated that we're not out there touring. That's what we love to do — we love to be out. But some of us felt that we weren't willing to take that risk and come down with this unfortunate virus. It just didn't seem to me, and to the other two guys that were on the side of the fence that I was on, it didn't make sense to risk it at this point. But everything is being rescheduled. It's been postponed, and everything is coming back online in February. And I think we're gonna be closer to not only more people being vaccinated but also herd immunity. So let's see what happens."

In October, Petrucci told Robert Cavuoto of Sonic Perspectives about the DREAM THEATER tour postponement: "Well, it's an unfortunate decision. John [Myung] and I really wanted to tour, and are dying to tour — dying to get out there and support the [new DREAM THEATER] record. And unfortunately, we couldn't convince the other guys that it was safe. So, it wasn't a unanimous decision, unfortunately.

"It's frustrating for me, because everything has opened up and concerts are going on, and theaters and arenas and clubs and everything is open," he continued. "Bands are out there, and a lot of my friends are touring successfully. And there are ways to do it safely, which we were very prepared to do. But, like I said, we couldn't convince the other guys it'd be safe, and so we had to push it off.

"I'm the type of person where I hate disappointing people, I hate disappointing our fans. So, it was definitely an unfortunate decision."

"A View From The Top Of The World" was released in October.

METALLICA, one of the most enduringly influential rock bands of all time, has announced that it has become an investor in TrillerNet, parent company to Triller, VERZUZ, Triad Combat, Triller Fight Club, FITE, and other leading media brands. Terms of the investment are confidential.

"METALLICA, like Triller, shares the same passion for disrupting the status quo. We are ecstatic to have them as a partner, investor, and now a shareholder," said Mahi de Silva, TrillerNet's chief executive officer. "METALLICA has always rocked, and we see this signal as a true recognition of the power of the Triller effect," de Silva continued.

News of the investment comes on the heels of Triller's "Triad Combat"'s wildly successful debut event featuring a performance by METALLICA on November 27 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The revolutionary hybrid boxing-MMA / live music event drew a packed stadium, with fights inside the triangular ring featuring Derek Campos, Frank Mir, Matt Mitrione, Mike Perry and Kubrat Pulev. The show was produced by the award-winning Nigel Lythgoe, the "Fight Club" visionary and the producer and creative force behind "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance".

Over the last year, Triller's "Triad Combat" and "Fight Club" have sold over 3,000,000 pay-per-views making it one of the top-selling combat sports/entertainment platforms.

"METALLICA's music is a natural fit with combat sports, and in Triller, we've found the perfect partner," said Cliff Burnstein, co-manager of METALLICA. "The event opened our eyes to myriad possibilities, and we see greatness ahead for Triller. This investment represents our confidence in that shared future."

In addition to Triller Triad Combat, Triller has a proven track record of producing world-class content around the Triller Fight Club and Triller Verzuz brands, showcasing artists, athletes, and personalities, and has built a large, growing, and re-targetable audience of millions of users around the world. Triller has successfully deployed innovative solutions combining in-venue, pay-per-view (traditional media and digital), subscription, sponsorship, and advertising monetization for its partner brands who rely on Triller's diverse and robust creator network that shapes content and culture globally. Triller has built an extensible platform for marketing, advertising, and e-commerce engagement, enabling brands to construct and optimize the entire customer journey from awareness to purchase process to loyalty.

Additionally, Triller has been joined by other musical luminaries including angel investments from famous artists such as Marshmello, The Weeknd, Snoop Dogg and Lil Wayne. Other Triller investors include notable music industry executives such as Shawn Gee (president of Live Nation Urban), Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith (chief executive officer of TDE), Abe Burns (president of Maverick Digital), James Prince (CEO of Rap-a-Lot Records), and Believe Digital, among oth

Portugal's Kandia have released a visualizer for "Turn Of The Tide", featured on their upcoming studio album, Quaternary, out in January via Frontiers. Watch the clip below, and pre-order the album here.





Tracklisting:




"Anthropocene"
"Obliterate"
"The Flood"
"Fight Or Flight"
"Until The End"
"Turn Of The Tide"
"Pbp"
"Deathwish"
"Murderers" Feat Jorgen Munkeby
"A New Dawn"
"Holocene"


"Turn Of The Tide" visualizer:





"Fight Or Flight" video:





"The Flood" lyric video:

Vocalist / guitarist Gilby Clarke (Guns N' Roses), guitarist Warren DeMartini (Ratt), bassist Sean McNabb (Quiet Riot, Dokken), and drummer Jimmy D'Anda (BulletBoys) have issued a video for their cover of Thin Lizzy's "Cowboy Song".


"We tracked this song early in the Pandemic, but it was never released. With the Holidays coming up, we thought it would be a nice gift for our fellow Rock n' Roll friends," says Gilby. "Enjoy!"







Written by Phil Lynott and Brian Downey, "Cowboy Song" appears on Thin Lizzy's 1976 album Jailbreak. The original version can be heard below.





 

Guitarist/vocalist Matt Tuck of Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE spoke to Germany's Guitar about how he first started playing music. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUT.NET): "There was literally one thing that started it all. I always grew up listening to music. My dad, he wasn't a musician but he was a music fan. And his taste was rock and kind of more singer-songwriter stuff. So I grew up listening to — with no choice of my own; it was just always on in the living room, just playing in the background — like, LED ZEPPELIN, Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen, THE EAGLES, FLEETWOOD MAC. So I grew up just having this thing implanted in my head even before I knew it. And then one day I was watching TV. MTV was on, and [METALLICA's] 'Enter Sandman' [video] came on, and that was it. I was just hooked. I don't know what it was — it was something about the sound, it was something about the visuals of the video and how cool James [Hetfield] looked. It just looked badass, and I was, like, 'Damn. This is it.' And then that was it. I was hooked, man. And I just went on this musical journey."

He continued: "The first album I ever bought was METALLICA's Black Album when I was, like, 14 years old or something, and that was it. I've never looked back. I was hooked. So I did all the METALLICA albums in reverse. I started with the Black Album, '…And Justice For All', '[Master Of] Puppets', blah blah blah. And I just kind of picked up a guitar, saved up some money, managed to get myself a guitar and I just sat down and I just learned everything that I could by ear on those METALLICA records. And that's how I learned to play guitar. And as things progressed then, I got introduced to more heavy stuff, like on the [MTV] show that used to be played called 'Headbangers Ball'… Every weekend, I'd wait for Sunday night to watch 'Headbangers Ball'. I just kind of got introduced to all these heavier, more intense bands, like MACHINE HEAD and PANTERA and stuff like that, SEPULTURA. And I was just, like, 'Fuck.' And that was it, man. I was just off on my journey. And then it snowballed. It just kind of took over my life. All I wanted to do was play guitar; all I wanted to do was start a band with my friends. It was never about becoming famous. I just loved it so much. All my time I just put into learning guitar and trying to create music with my friends. So that was it, really. It's all METALLICA's fault."

Three years ago, Tuck told Radio Bob! that he would love to see METALLICA cover one of his songs. "I take myself to being a 14-year-old kid and going back into that kind of headspace. And METALLICA has always been the reson for any of this happening in the first place," he said. "So to maybe hear them giving one of our songs a little bit of makeover would be a pretty special moment for us. And I think they would do it justice, especially the older stuff. Maybe a song like 'Scream Aim Fire', 'cause that song was just basically built around what they've always done — it's thrashy, it's edgy, it's intense, it's got riffs for days, it's got multiple guitar solos. So I think they could probably do a kick-ass cover of that. That'd be good."

Tuck also reflected in more detail how being first introduced to METALLICA's music when he was 14 years old shaped his earliest songwriting efforts. "I focused all my efforts, even at 14 years old, to sitting down, learning to play guitar by myself," he said. "I didn't take any lessons or anything. I just stuck on the 'Black Album' and off I went — I just kind of learned it from my ears, worked it all out. And that's that, really. So, the moment I got the opportunity to, kind of, jam with other boys, METALLICA was always that band, as we first all started to play those songs together. So we weren't a METALLICA and NIRVANA cover band as such — we were just playing songs from multiple bands, like SLAYER, MACHINE HEAD and PANTERA. Loads of stuff. But METALLICA and NIRVANA were the two bands that our group of friends would most listen to, so that was what we were trying to play."

Back in 2016, Tuck told NME that he wanted to collaborate with METALLICA, adding that the two groups "could make beautiful heavy metal together." Directly addressing the metal legends' lead singer James Hetfield, he put out the call, saying: "Boys, let's make it happen. I'm here, I'm ready when you are."

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE recorded a cover of METALLICA's "Creeping Death" for Kerrang! magazine's "Higher Voltage" compilation disk. Another METALLICA cover, "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", was featured on "Remastered" in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the "Master Of Puppets" release and Kerrang!'s 25th anniversary.

In the video below, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson, who is also the chairman of Caerdav, a fully approved and certified Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and pilot training company based at the St Athan – Cardiff Airport Aerospace Enterprise Zone in South Wales, United Kingdom, talks about the exciting new deal between Caerdav and GE Aviation to provide engine change support for low-cost carrier Flyadeal.

Flyadeal, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabian Airlines, has signed a seven-year TrueChoice Overhaul agreement during the Dubai Airshow to cover CFM56-5B engines that power its 11 A320-200 aircraft fleet. The TrueChoice Overhaul agreement provides time and material required to overhaul Flyadeal's fleet of CFM56-5B engines.

"GE Aviation is honored to provide Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul services and material to support Flyadeal's growth in the Middle East. This agreement will enable us to provide high-quality OEM service to keep Flyadeal's CFM56-5B engine fleet flying," said Russell Stokes, GE Aviation Services president and chief executive officer.

As part of the agreement, GE Aviation provided Flyadeal an end-to-end engine management solution, combining engine overhaul services along with logistics for engine removals, changes and leases. Previously, the cost and logistics of engine removal, delivery and collection was the responsibility of the airline or lessor customer. The company's turnkey approach means these logistics will be handled by GE and its suppliers.

"We are delighted to be working with GE Aviation in developing its first integrated turn-key engine services program which addresses the complete A to Z needs of Flyadeal under a single vendor agreement between GE and Flyadeal. It's a testament to how a true low fare operator like Flyadeal is driving innovation and change by working closely with key partners willing to adapt to the specific operational needs of Flyadeal," said Mike Hewitt, chief operating officer of Flyadeal.

GE Aviation is providing Flyadeal integrated overhaul and engine change services through Caerdav, which is a GE vendor in this agreement.

"This idea represents a new way of doing business for GE, and we are proud to be one of their trusted MRO suppliers. Through working closely with Caerdav, GE will be able to offer their customers a more streamlined, efficient and cost-effective way of managing their engine requirements," said Joachim Jones, group CEO for Caerdav.

The TrueChoice suite of engine maintenance offerings incorporates an array of GE capabilities and customization across an engine's lifecycle. Each TrueChoice offering is underpinned by GE Aviation Fleet Support's 24/7 Remote Monitoring and Diagnostics to help reduce maintenance burden and service disruptions for customers.

Operating from a former RAF maintenance base equipped with 6,000ft ILS runway and parking for up to 20 narrow-bodied airliners, Caerdav specializes in MRO work for Airbus 320s and Boeing 737s, and provides complete training for airline pilots and cabin crew.

FOZZY held what was being billed as the "Ultimate Fozzy Fan Fest" Sunday night (December 12) at the O2 Academy Islington in London, England. The final show of the band's U.K. tour started with a world-exclusive premiere listening party of FOZZY's upcoming album, "Boombox". The LP isn't due out until April 15, 2022, but fans got a chance to hear all 12 new songs for the first time ever in a live setting with the bandmembers themselves. Then FOZZY singer Chris Jericho hosted a question-and-answer session with questions submitted by fans. Fans were invited to come up with their best questions and present them at FOZZY's merch booth, along with their names and where they were from (pen and paper will be provided) and Jericho chose the best ones for him and the band to answer. The event concluded with the band playing two of its biggest songs, "Enemy" and "Judas", live, with special guest vocalists — the fans themselves.

Photos and fan-filmed video footage of the "Ultimate Fozzy Fan Fest" is available below.

Jericho, a former WWE world wrestling champion who currently competes for All Elite Wrestling, was unable to sing at the London concert on doctor's orders due to medical reasons.

Prior to the London gig, FOZZY canceled two shows on its U.K. tour after Jericho was hospitalized.

Chris has not yet publicly commented on the exact nature of his illness.

FOZZY had already played nine shows as part of a 12-date "Save The World" tour of the U.K. before being forced to scrap Friday night's concert in Swansea and Saturday night's show in Nottingham.

"Boombox", which includes the top 10 singles "Nowhere To Run" and "Sane", was once again produced by Johnny Andrews.

FOZZY recently announced the "Save The World" 2022 U.S. tour. The trek, featuring special guests GFM, KRASHKARMA and THE NOCTURNAL AFFAIR, will kick off on March 31 in Detroit, Michigan and wrap on May 16 in Sauget, Illinois.




Posted by Dan Butler on Monday, December 13, 2021



Ultimate Fozzy Fan Fest!! Bit of a different show tonight but was awesome to hear the new album and everything else.

Posted by Dan Butler on Monday, December 13, 2021

Instrustrial metal prophets, Disision:Dark have announced more details and a brand new song from their upcoming debut album, Prophecy.


The so far anonymous five-piece - currently known only as the prophets Ezekiel, Abel, Judas, Aaron and Natanel - has today released another single and video, featuring The Agonist singer, Vicky Psarakis.







"Twisted Game" spreads the sound of the coming doomsday. Watch the clip below:

In a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Pepper Keenan spoke about DOWN's plans to resume touring in 2022. Plans for select shows featuring Keenan, vocalist Philip Anselmo, guitarist Kirk Windstein, drummer Jimmy Bower and bassist Pat Bruders performing DOWN's 1995-released, now-classic debut, "NOLA" in its entirety to celebrate its 25th anniversary were sidelined due to the global pandemic.

"Everybody's just trying to come up for air," Pepper said. "We played Psycho [Las Vegas festival] in Vegas and we played at Fillmore in New Orleans, and they were both slamming shows. We did live streams. It was just so bizarre to be sitting on your ass for a year — literally. We had shit planned all over the fucking place — both [DOWN and CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, Pepper's other band]. And we just got hobbled. So now we're just trying to slowly put it back together without going too fast. But, yeah, it's definitely on the radar."

Keenan went on to say that it is pretty special having Windstein back in DOWN after a six-year absence. A founding member of DOWN, Windstein left the band in 2013 in order to focus on CROWBAR and his family life. He was replaced by Bobby Landgraf, DOWN's former guitar tech who was previously in GAHDZILLA MOTOR COMPANY, a 1990s outfit also featuring Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS, WATCHTOWER), and HONKY. Windstein announced his return to DOWN in 2019 and played his first show back with the band in August 2020 at a special livestreamed event dubbed "The Quarter Century Throwdown".

"[Kirk] was our missing link," Pepper told Ultimate Classic Rock. "And I did tell everybody, I said, 'I ain't gonna do it unless Kirk's in the band.' I called Kirk. Kirk said, 'I'm in.' We went berserk. We were out of our element and went insane. But we've all known each since we were kids, so you can't be mad that long. And nobody was mad. It was just… [Laughs] We were losing it. We were coming off the rails."

Prior to the August 2020 livestream, DOWN's last live appearance took place at the 2016 edition of Psycho Las Vegas.

DOWN was forced to cancel a number of shows in 2016 after Anselmo was filmed giving a Nazi salute and shouting "white power" at a California concert. Keenan later offered his take on what transpired, telling Metal Wani that DOWN was "far from done" after the controversial incident. "You know, DOWN didn't do anything wrong," he said. "I mean, we were just guilty by association on that one. That was Phil's mistake. I've spoken to Phil and told him to get his shit together, and he is. He knows he made a mistake and was being stupid."

Photo by Danin Drahos

Fans of classic Canadian rockers TRIUMPH are in for a special treat — the launch of the "Triumph Vault" web site on Tuesday, December 14.

By accessing triumphvault.com, fans will be able to discover artifacts from the band's career beginning with a celebration of TRIUMPH's classic 1981 album "Allied Forces".

This inaugural collection will feature a selection of newly discovered artifacts personally curated by drummer Gil Moore, guitarist/vocalist Rik Emmett and bassist Mike Levine in collaboration with Definitive Authentic. Several pieces are partnered with new audio commentary directly from the band.

New collections will be added to the Vault regularly for fans which will unlock over 45 years of TRIUMPH's illustrious rock and roll history through rare photos, audiograms, video, behind the scenes content, and exclusive collectables.

Commemorating the launch, the Triumph Vault will offer signed and numbered limited-edition memorabilia that have never been made available until now. And as part of the celebration and in keeping with the iconic "Allied Forces" cover, fans who sign up for updates via the site are automatically entered to win a Dean Flying V guitar with a personal note from the band.

Said Moore: "We're super excited to have our loyal fans experience the launch of the Triumph Vault. Finally, after years of touring and recording, we're able to unearth and display rare elements and artifacts from TRIUMPH's history. We can now share with our fans what we've been stowing away for years at Metalworks Studios."

TRIUMPH rocked the world, and in the process, gave us countless classic hard rock anthems ("Fight The Good Fight", "Hold On", "Magic Power", "I Live For The Weekend", "Lay It On The Line", and, of course, "Rock & Roll Machine", and albums ("Just A Game", "Progressions Of Power", "Allied Forces", "Never Surrender", "Thunder Seven", etc.).

Originally formed in 1975 and hailing from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, the trio was always proud of their Great White North roots. And seemingly ever since their inception, TRIUMPH was on the cutting edge of technology when it came to their live show — particularly lighting, sound, and effects. Sophisticated lasers, pyrotechnics and moving lighting rigs, all computer-controlled — TRIUMPH was one of the first arena rock bands to incorporate all of these elements into their shows.

TRIUMPH's headlining tours were legendary, and the band was featured on many memorable stadium/outdoor shows — including the US Festival, the World Series Of Rock, the American Rock Festival and Texxas Jam, Day On The Green, to name but a few. And earlier this year, the band was the focus of a documentary, "Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine", directed by Banger Films' Sam Dunn and Marc Ricciardelli.

ICED EARTH guitarist Jon Schaffer is one of more than two dozen members of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys who are being sued by District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine in an effort to recover the millions of dollars the city spent to defend the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 attack.

According to CNN, the lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Washington, DC, accuses 31 members of the extremist groups of "conspiring to terrorize the District" on Jan. 6, calling their actions "a coordinated act of domestic terrorism." The lawsuit cites the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, a federal law created after the Civil War to protect civil rights and, as Racine noted, "to protect against vigilantes and insurrectionists."

"I think the damages are substantial," Racine told The Washington Post. "If it so happens that it bankrupts or puts these individuals and entities in financial peril, so be it."

The 84-page complaint, which can be found at this location, describes Schaffer as "a founding, lifetime member of the Oath Keepers." It goes on to say: "Schaffer was criminally charged and indicted for his role in perpetrating the January 6th Attack. In connection with a promise to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in criminal cases related to the conspiracy to commit the January 6th Attack, Schaffer pleaded guilty to the entire Statement of Offense in the criminal action brought against him, which included two felony offenses: (1) trespass of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon and (2) obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress. The Criminal Complaint filed against Schaffer—as well as Schaffer's Plea Agreement and the accompanying Statement of Offense describing his conduct—are publicly available documents that are hereby incorporated into the Complaint by reference."

"No one bore the brunt of this gutless attack more than the courageous law enforcement officers including the men and women of the DC Metropolitan Police Department who went into the fire and violence with one objective in mind: remove the violent mob and restore our country's fragile democracy," Racine said at a news conference.

"The defendants, as you know, were not tourists, nor were they acting patriotically," he added. "They were vigilantes, members of a mob, insurrectionists who sought to crush our country's freedoms."

As part of his April 2021 plea deal, Jon entered into a cooperation agreement with the government.

Although Schaffer was initially charged with six crimes, including engaging in an act of physical violence and targeting police with bear spray, he pleaded guilty to only two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress; and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The first charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while the second carries up to a 10-year prison term.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer acknowledged that on January 6, 2021 he was in Washington to attend the "Stop The Steal" rally at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. to protest the results of the presidential election, which he believed were fraudulent. Schaffer wore a tactical vest and carried bear spray, a dangerous weapon and chemical irritant used to ward off bears. When the rally finished, Schaffer joined a large crowd that marched from the Ellipse to the Capitol, where a joint session of Congress, presided over by Vice President Michael Pence, was in session to certify the electoral college vote results. Shortly after 2:00 p.m., members of the mob forced entry into the Capitol building, disrupting the joint session and causing members of Congress and the Vice President to be evacuated from the House and Senate chambers.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer admitted that after arriving on Capitol grounds, he walked past barriers intended to restrict access to the public and to a set of locked doors on the Capitol's west side. At approximately 2:40 p.m., Schaffer positioned himself at the front of a crowd that broke open a set of doors being guarded by four U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers wearing riot gear. Schaffer admitted to being among the first individuals to push past the damaged doors and into the Capitol building, forcing officers to retreat. Schaffer and others advanced toward five or six backpedaling USCP officers while members of the mob swelled inside of the Capitol and overwhelmed the officers. The officers ultimately deployed a chemical irritant to disperse the mob. Schaffer was among the people who were sprayed in the face, after which he exited while holding his own bear spray in his hands.

After pleading guilty, Schaffer was released on the following conditions:

* Schaffer must submit to court supervision in the Northem Dlstrict of Indiana.

* Schaffer will surrender his passport and any other international travel documents.

* Must stay outside of D.C. except for court hearings and meetings with attorneys.

* Will be permitted to travel within the continental United States with notice to pretrial services.

* Schaffer cannot possess any firearms or explosive devices, including legally owned firearms. Any firearms must be removed from his home.

As part of the plea deal, Schaffer agreed to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in related criminal cases, according to CNN. In return for Schaffer's assistance, the Justice Department might later urge the judge to show leniency during his sentencing.

As part of the agreement, the Justice Department has offered to sponsor Schaffer for the witness protection program.

The 53-year-old musician was the first Capitol riot defendant to reach a plea deal.

The Indiana chapter of the Oath Keepers distanced itself from Schaffer after his arrest, claiming he was not a member of the local group. But the national organization, which sells lifetime memberships for $1,200, has not commented on his alleged affiliation with the group.

At a November 2020 Donald Trump rally in Washington, D.C., Schaffer was videotaped walking behind a Florida couple, Kelly Meggs and Connie Meggs, who were accused of being among 10 members of the Oath Keepers to have played a leading role in the Capitol assault. According to federal authorities, Kelly and Connie Meggs plotted for weeks ahead of the attack, attended training sessions and recruited others. Kelly Meggs is the head of the Oath Keepers' chapter in Florida.

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.

From rewriting the hard rock rulebook with his Grammy Award-winning trio HIGH ON FIRE to reverse-engineering doom metal with his genre-defining trio SLEEP, Matt Pike has channeled his natural talents and chiseled a steely path straight to the heart of modern-day metal's molten core. On February 18, Pike will release his debut solo LP, "Pike Vs. The Automaton", via MNRK Heavy.

Born out of the challenges brought on by a worldwide pandemic, birthed under hellish red-orange skies bred from rampaging west coast wildfires, and built amidst the yearlong political riots and rallies in Portland, Oregon, Pike's solo debut, "Pike Vs. The Automaton", is both a musical and emotional release. The record was written by Pike with drummer Jon Reid, features contributions from a slew of family and friends, and was recorded with longtime conspirator Billy Anderson, the producer who brought the best out of Pike previously on touchstone titles such as "Surrounded By Thieves" and "Sleep's Holy Mountain".

"I was just going bonkers during the pandemic. It was like really, truly miserable. And then all the riots here in Portland and all the political shit. I was trapped in my garage, which was the only place I could go and jam and do anything," confesses Pike. "I was trapped in there 'cause I couldn't go jam with HIGH ON FIRE, I couldn't do this, I couldn't do that, no one could fly. I was going crazy. My friend Jon Reid, who was the original drummer for LORD DYING, had moved to Portland and was babysitting my dog, Crom, and he was drumming for my wife's band, so he had his drums already set up at my place. I finally said, 'Dude, do you want to come over and just start jamming?' So, I just started this thing with my friend Jon. I was like, 'Dude, fuck it. Let's start a side band and we'll just demo this and act like we're starting it as teenagers, you know?'

"Pike Vs. The Automaton" is advanced by the bizarrely titled track "Alien Slut Mum". A video for the song premiered via Decibel, which states: "Matt Pike is a trailblazing visionary possessed by a mindset which, from the outside looking in, appears to be steeped in pure desperation. Perhaps this is why the SLEEP/HIGH ON FIRE shredder is still so creatively sharp in a moment when so many of his peers and devotees are stuck in "echo" phases while Pike continues to plant flags in new sonic and aesthetic territories."

When asked for comment on the clip, Pike cryptically replies: "Four friends enter the woods, for a getaway, little did they know they would never return! Dogmen, Sasquach, Reptilians, or alien slut mum?!?! Where have they gone??"

"Necessity is the mother of invention" is a well-known proverb that has proven itself true time and time again. When the need for something becomes imperative, you are forced to find ways of getting or achieving it. In this true story, the need for Pike was to create and play music with others at a time when that lifelong love was seemingly out of reach.

Guest musicians on "Pike Vs. The Automaton" include Alyssa Maucere-Pike (LORD DYING, GRIGAX), Chad "Chief" Hartgrave, Brent Hinds (MASTODON), Steve McPeeks (WEST END MOTEL), Josh Greene (EL CERDO), Todd Burdette (TRAGEDY), and HIGH ON FIRE's Jeff Matz, who lays down Turkish electric saz on the album's towering closing track "Leaving The Wars Of Woe".

"Pike Vs. The Automaton" track listing:

01. Abusive

02. Throat Cobra

03. Trapped In A Midcave

04. Epoxia

05. Land

06. Alien Slut Mum

07. Apollyon

08. Acid Test Zone

09. Latin American Geological Formation

10. Leaving The Wars Of Woe

"The album title, 'Pike Vs. The Automaton', wasn't an ego thing for me," says Pike. "Billy and Jon said, 'Dude, you should use your name in this. This is your solo project.' I said, 'I don't want to do that.'

"The Automaton, in Greek mythology, is the big robot that's the guardian of the Gods, basically. It's a soulless, big machine named Talos. The big machine that's working against mankind at this moment. In 'Jason And The Argonauts', Jason and the Argonauts have to battle this big machine guy that protects the island. Basically, what the album title is saying, metaphorically, is 'Pike against the world.'"

"I made a psychedelic rock record that SLEEP and HIGH ON FIRE fans would like," Pike continues when asked for a CliffsNotes description of "Pike Vs. The Automaton". "And maybe if you're not a SLEEP or HIGH ON FIRE fan, you might like it too. I definitely think it's interesting; it has D-Beat punk, two-step. It's got everything and it still works together, it doesn't sound odd. It's just an off-the-wall psychedelic rock record."

According to The Bookseller, Headline will publish the upcoming autobiography from Dave Davies of THE KINKS.

Due in hardback and e-book in July 2022, "Living On A Thin Line" "will explore the glory days of the band, its legacy and the turbulent relationship" between Dave and his brother, and fellow THE KINKS co-founder, Ray Davies.

Dave Davies said: "I've had a laugh, and shed quite a few tears, thinking back over the last six decades since THE KINKS had our first hit in 1964 with 'You Really Got Me'. Here are the ups and downs of my life in THE KINKS and what happened afterwards. Prepare to be amazed and, I hope, surprised."

Dave Davies is a musician who needs little introduction. As a founding member of legendary rock group THE KINKS, his guitar sound, unique style and songwriting has shaped the landscape of rock and pop music across generations. A pioneering rock guitarist who singlehandedly changed rock and roll when he sliced his little green Elpico amp speaker with a razor blade, creating the first heavy metal guitar tone and riff. This revolutionary guitar sound propelled THE KINKS into stardom with the global smash hits "You Really Got Me" and "All Day And All Of The Night", followed by numerous other classics over the next decades.

"As lead guitarist and co-founder of THE KINKS, Dave Davies is one of the most unpredictable and original forces in rock," enthuses writer Bill Crowley. "His distinctive guitar style went on to have major impact on several key guitar-rock styles, including heavy metal and punk. A Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, Dave's massive guitar sounds have inspired bands from VAN HALEN to GREEN DAY."