Warmen, featuring and launched by former Children Of Bodom keyboardist Janne Wirman in 2000, has checked in with the following update:


"Hello friends! We are back at the cabin writing songs! Super exited as we are back in business and planning on releasing a new album next year. Working on other releases too. We will get more active and keep you posted. Have a great fall and stay metal!"


Warmen have released five albums since 2000: Unknown Soldier (2000), Beyond Abilities (2001), Accept the Fact (2005), Japanese Hospitality (2009), and First of the Five Elements (2014).




Warmen was launched as an interumental project that features guest singers on a few tracks from album to album. Vocalists in the past have included Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom, Bodom After Midnight), Kimberly Goss (Sinergy), Timo Kotipelto (Stratovarius), Pasi Nykänen (Throne of Chaos), Jonna Kosonen, and Pasi Rantanen (ex-Thunderstone).

Last Temptation has launched their new single "Stronger Than Fate". A fast paced, Ozzy Osbourne-style track with a chanting chorus and shredding guitars, the song describes people who feel they can do anything, be stronger than anyone and seem to forget that they can’t beat death. These people do or say stupid things, and believe nothing can reach them until their day comes to face the music.





The first important step has been mastered effortlessly; now Last Temptation are going whole hog. Following up their successful debut album, shows with Dream Theater, plus festivals such as Hellfest, the band surrounding guitarist Peter Scheithauer (Killing Machine, Belladonna, Temple Of Brutality) and vocalist Butcho Vukovic (Watcha) is all set to embark on the second stage of its career. Last Temptation have signed a new record deal with Crusader Records / Golden Robot Records and are presenting several new singles, followed by their brand-new album Ashes ’N’ Fire in February 2022. 




“You can feel that we’ve made a major step forward, both as a live band and as songwriters, all thanks to the shows we’ve played so far.” - Peter Scheithauer


Talking of the new lineup: In bassist Julien Rimaire (Los Dissidentes Del Sucio Motel) and drummer Vince Brisach (Mitch Ryder), along with Scheithauer and Vukovic, the band have a whole new rhythm section supporting them on Ashes ’N’ Fire. While Last Temptation’s self-titled debut still boasted a number of international guests, such as Bob Daisley, Vinny Appice, Stet Howland, James Lomenzo, Don Airey, Steve Unger and Rudy Sarzo, the band now consists exclusively of European musicians. “This step was necessary to make Last Temptation more flexible when it comes to the organizational side,” explains Scheithauer. “The new lineup makes it so much easier to rehearse spontaneously, play gigs at short notice and prepare album productions.”


No doubt about it: Last Temptation have grown into an even tighter unit, musically as well as logistically, and are positively bursting with enthusiasm. The songwriting team consisting of Scheithauer and Vukovic, together coming up with 16 tracks for Ashes ’N’ Fire, eleven of which have made it onto the album. They range from up-tempo numbers such as “Stronger Than Fate” and “Free Strong And Loud” to the Black Sabbath-esque “Going Crazy” and the ballad “In The Mirror”.








 

The second album by Austrian melodic death metallers Fearancy, Daemonium, hit the shelves in August 2021. With "Voices", the quartet now releases another song from the almost 40-minute long-player. This time it's a lyric video animated by K-Drumworm-Media. 





The ten songs on Daemonium were recorded at the Romes recording studio in Hartberg, Austria, while the mix and mastering were done by J-F Dagenais of Kataklysm, who put the finishing touches on the whole thing at JFD Studios in Texas.







Tracklisting:


"Last Disease"
"Rise And Fall"
"Dæmonium"
"All Is Lost"
"Sacrifice"
"Voices"
"Instincts"
"Rise Again"
"Coldened"
"Agony"





 

Spooky season was in full swing last month and New Jersey hard rock band N.A.S.H. arrived with the aptly titled “Scary House”. You won’t see any dark houses with cobwebs and skeletons in the music video though, because horrors can happen in the light of day just as they do in the dead of night.


"We knew we would have to really make a strong concept to keep people interested,” says vocalist/guitarist Bryan Nash. “So I begged the question: What is a 'Scary House' to a serial killer? Answer: Home Sweet Home. In order to evade being caught, most have dawned the mask of ‘normalcy.’ Hiding in plain sight. Living in an average home. An act. To hide something twisted. That has to be hell. So to we wanted to find the cleanest, brightest and most welcoming house with a white picket fence and plop our psychopath in the middle who is tired of the mask and wants to shed it."


Too bad the band happens to be the family the killer chose to hide with (cue the violence).







Hailing out of a small town not too far from New York City, N.A.S.H. came to fruition when a triad of brothers took their basement jam sessions to a whole new level of musicianship. At a young age – Bryan, Jim Bobbi and Joe began their venture jamming to nostalgic hits from bands like Metallica and Pearl Jam (joined later by Dylan Johnson on lead guitar). Their music maintains a blend of hard rock adaptations that heavily incorporate crunchy guitars, epic solos, solid back beats, commanding bass lines and vocal passages that can woo even the most stubborn of music connoisseurs.


N.A.S.H. has independently released their debut album Regain The High Ground, and issued their sophomore album Incredible Villains, with Heavy Metal Records. N.A.S.H. is set to go back into the studio in the fall of 2021.





For further details, visit N.A.S.H. on Facebook.


 


 

KISS / Soul Station frontman Paul Stanley's father, William Eisen, has died at the age of 101. Stanley took to social media with the following announcement:



My dad William Eisen has left this earth after 101 years & 7 months. His thirst for knowledge never wained. He could speak on virtually any subject. His pride in my accomplishments was heartwarming as was seeing his love of my family. He said he'd always be with me and he will. pic.twitter.com/uKWHP9Okax
— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) November 8, 2021







All of us at BraveWords send our sincere condolences to Paul Stanley and his family.


 


 


 

Former IRON MAIDEN singer Blaze Bayley has canceled his appearance at U.K.'s Planet Rockstock after testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The British heavy metal musician was due to play the main stage at the festival in Trecco Bay, South Wales on Saturday, November 13 before headliners THE DARKNESS.

Bayley's cancelation was announced via a post on his social media earlier today. It read: "We sincerely regret to announce that Blaze has been forced to pull out of his scheduled performance at Planet Rockstock (Trecco Bay, 13th November 2021) as he has Covid-19 & must now isolate for minimum 10 days. We're so very sorry to all fans that expected to see Blaze at this event & we really hope we're able to re-arrange the performance to Planet Rockstock 2022. Please join us in wishing Blaze a full & fast recovery. Stay safe & well."

Earlier this year, Blaze told Rocking With Jam Man that he had no idea what touring would look like post- pandemic. He said: "Nobody can say. I don't know what it will be like. I don't even know if it will start. The future is unknown. What we have to do is listen to what the World Health Organization says."

He added: "I think it's a different reality. And I don't think it's healthy to look at the future, and I don't think it's healthy to guess about it. We're not in the future, we're not living in the future — we're right here right now, and all the time that we try to live in the future and think about something better, we're not living right now. And this is when we have to live, and the decisions that we make each day and each moment right now, that will dictate our lives in the future. We have to live now. We have to rise up, we have to get up, take responsibility for our lives and try and do the best we can right now every day. Forget about the future — it's not coming, it's not here. Live now, and that way we might get to a future."

The 58-year-old Bayley, who was born in Birmingham, recorded two studio albums with IRON MAIDEN — 1995's "The X Factor" 1998's and "Virtual XI" — before Bruce Dickinson returned to the group. The MAIDEN albums he appeared on sold considerably less than the band's prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group's home country since 1981's "Killers".

Since leaving IRON MAIDEN in 1999, Bayley has released a number of albums, including several under the moniker BLAZE and more than a handful under his own name. He also appeared on 2012's "Wolfsbane Saves The World", the first album of new material by WOLFSBANE since the group's self-titled 1994 effort.

Blaze's latest solo album, "War Within Me", came out in April. All songs were written and produced by Blaze and guitarist Christopher Appleton.


BLAZE PULLS OUT OF PLANET ROCKSTOCK DUE TO COVID-19.

We sincerely regret to announce that Blaze has been forced to pull...

Posted by Official Blaze Bayley on Sunday, November 7, 2021

METALLICA headlined the second night of ATLive on Saturday, November 6 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Whiplash

02. Ride The Lightning

03. The Memory Remains

04. Seek & Destroy

05. Holier Than Thou

06. One

07. Sad But True

08. Moth Into Flame

09. No Leaf Clover

10. For Whom The Bell Tolls

11. Fuel

12. Fade To Black

13. Master Of Puppets

Encore:

14. Blackened

15. Nothing Else Matters

16. Enter Sandman

When the event was first announced in July, METALLICA said in a statement: "We're honored to be part of the second annual ATLive two-day festival — featuring two unique, separately ticketed events — this fall when we'll be hitting the stage with our friends CAGE THE ELEPHANT and GRETA VAN FLEET. Night one features country music's finest with George Strait, Eric Church and Caitlyn Smith kicking off the weekend.

"Presented by AMB Sports and Entertainment, the organization will generously be donating a portion of the proceeds from ATLive to All Within My Hands to help our foundation further its work in the fight against hunger."

The second annual ATLive feature iconic artists from both country and rock on back-to-back nights.

ATLive, a multi-genre concert series developed and promoted by AMB Sports and Entertainment, is the premier destination concert series for the city of Atlanta. The event also provides the opportunity to give back through purpose-driven philanthropic initiatives, aligning with the organization's core values. This year, AMBSE is partnering with George Strait and his longstanding partners at the Military Warriors Support Foundation as well as METALLICA's All Within My Hands nonprofit to donate a portion of the proceeds from ATLive to providing housing for wounded veterans and feeding the hungry.

Tim Zulawski, chief revenue officer for AMB Sports and Entertainment, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the idea for ATLive began percolating about five years ago.

"You have 365 days in a calendar year and yes, we want to make the stadium full every day to make money, but also because it means you're putting on great content," Zulawski said. "There are only so many pieces of content that puts 50,000 people in a building and [live music] is one of them."

Rudy Sarzo played his first show as the returning bassist for veteran rockers QUIET RIOT last night (Saturday, November 6) at The Groove Music Hall in Thornburg, Virginia. Joining him in the group's current lineup are guitarist Alex Grossi, vocalist Jizzy Pearl and drummer Johnny Kelly.

Fan-filmed video footage of the Thornburg concert can be seen below.

Rudy was one of the members of QUIET RIOT's "Metal Health" lineup. He played bass on the classic LP, which sold over ten million copies and spawned the hits "Cum On Feel The Noize" and "Metal Health" and on the follow-up record "Condition Critical".

Sarzo appeared in the most notable music videos in the MTV age and toured with the band until 1985 and again from 1997 to 2003. During his years out of the band, Sarzo was a member of OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE, DIO, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, QUEENSRŸCHE and THE GUESS WHO.

With the move, longtime QUIET RIOT bassist Chuck Wright has graciously stepped aside to continue his recent solo efforts while heightening his role with his award-winning residency show "Ultimate Jam Night" at the legendary Whisky A Go-Go which all the members of QUIET RIOT fully support.

States Sarzo: "I'm excited to be back home and celebrate the QUIET RIOT legacy, which began 40 years ago next year with the recording of 'Metal Health', the first heavy metal album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard top 200 albums chart."

Upcoming QUIET RIOT shows:

Dec. 04 - Ridglea Theater - Ft. Worth, TX

Dec. 31 - Fremont Country Club - Las Vegas, NV

Mar. 26 - Mass Mutual Center - Springfield, MA

Apr. 01 - Clay County Fair - Auburndale, FL

Apr. 09 - Seneca Allegany Casino - Salamanca, NY

May 07 - United Wireless Arena - Dodge City, KS

May 14 - Johnson County Fairgrounds - Centerville, MO

Jun. 03 - San Bernardino Fairgrounds - San Bernardino, CA

Jun. 18 - Grand Stage Amphitheater - Urich, MO

Jul. 09 - Caesar Ford Park - Xenia, OH

Oct. 08 - Little Creek Casino - Shelton, WA

Sarzo discussed his return to QUIET RIOT in a recent interview with Adika Live!. He said: "My decision, in addition to [it] being [late QUIET RIOT drummer] Frankie's [Banali] request that I return to the band, was a decision that I had to meditate on it, because it is that important. Not meditate whether it was the right decision to make or not — no, that wasn't the point — it was to meditate about the timing of it. Because it could not be an abrupt decision that you drop everything you're doing and you change the band.

"Regina [Frankie's widow] and I, we sat and we talked about it, and we said, 'Okay, the best thing to do is to let everybody fulfill their commitments.' Because I have commitments to the band that I've been playing in for the last five years, THE GUESS WHO. And I wasn't about to tell them, 'Hey, I'm outta here, guys. Good luck.' I've never done that. So I have commitments with them. And QUIET RIOT has commitments with [longtime bassist] Chuck Wright. And we felt that the only thing that we can do, really — [we felt] that all these commitments must be fulfilled so our agreements with everybody is fulfilled."

Rudy went on to say that he has been "making the transition" and "embracing again the whole QUIET RIOT consciousness" by going "back and playing the songs" again. "And actually, it's been wonderful because, I've gotta tell you, to be able to go back to something that you did 40 years ago with the musician I am today, I'm looking at the songs a little bit different, as far as my own contributions," he said. "Of course, it's not gonna be something that is gonna turn into completely something else, but there are certain note choices that I can improve on."

As for what fans can expect to see when he returns to the road with QUIET RIOT, Rudy said: "At the core of the show is gonna be a celebration of the legacy of our bandmates. It's our responsibility as the ones left behind that we must celebrate. It's a must. So that is at the core of the show."

Wright has served off and on with QUIET RIOT for nearly 40 years, appears on nine albums, and is known as the bassist for QUIET RIOT's mega-hit "Metal Health" (Bang Your Head) and "Don't Wanna Let You Go". He was a contributing songwriter on 1986's "QRIII" and appeared in the band's video for "The Wild And The Young", among others. Wright has been one of the band's longest touring and recording members.










....Next stop: The Groove Music Hall at Dominion Raceway... !!

Posted by Quiet Riot on Friday, November 5, 2021

























View this post on Instagram









































A post shared by Rudy Sarzo (@sarzo.rudy)

In a brand new interview with Darren Paltrowitz, host of the "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz", DEEP PURPLE drummer Ian Paice was asked if there was ever a period when he and his bandmates were worried about not having another "hit" song and not being able to sustain their longevity. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't think we were worried about having hits in the first place. It was a time when pop bands made singles and rock bands made albums. So long as we kept coming with albums that people seemed to like, we weren't worried about having a Top 40 hit; if they came along, it was like a bonus. Now, the only time we got concerned was towards the end of Ritchie's [Blackmore, guitar] tenure with the band, as he was losing interest and the performances from the band were not great because you need everybody helping each other out; you can't be a passenger. And we just saw the audiences getting smaller and less impressed, and that was worrying. And when Ritchie decided to leave, that was pretty traumatic, because [we didn't] know what to do then. And had we not been contracted to have to go to Japan, it might all have fallen to bits then. But we had to go to Japan, with the wonderful Joe Satriani [filling in], and it proved that there is life after even somebody as great as Ritchie is. He didn't wanna be there, but it was just as much our band as it was his. And we were still having fun. We started to have fun again when Joe turned up and just became a fifth member of the band, pulling his weight. So that was the light at the end of the tunnel."

He added: "Everybody knows to try and recapture those days of the early '70s, that's never gonna happen. The world moved on to a different place and music moved to a different place and we're different people. But it's all about having fun. And if you make some other people enjoy it with you, that's okay — that's a good end product."

Paice's comments echo those made by DEEP PURPLE bassist Roger Glover, who told U.K.'s Planet Rock in a September 2020 interview that it was a "turbulent time" for him and his bandmates when Blackmore left the group for the final time in November 1993 after a concert in Finland. "It was surprise to me when Ritchie handed in his notice and said he didn't wanna play any more gigs after Helsinki," he said. "And we were on tour at the time. It was so difficult to take in. Somehow we were determined to carry on, if he was gonna do that. Joe Satriani was a temporary replacement, which did show us the way that we could exist without Ritchie. But I felt very strongly that you can't replace Ritchie. He is who he is, and there's no way you can replace him."

He continued: "If you get someone to play like him or similar or something like that, it would have been a horrible comparison. We needed something different. And to me, the character of PURPLE always was Ritchie and Jon [Lord, late PURPLE keyboardist] as instrumentalists, and they're both virtuosos. So you've gotta have a virtuoso. There's thousands of guitarists who can play, but there's very few who stand out as being very individual and different to everyone else. And I felt Steve [Morse, current PURPLE guitarist] presented that. He asked me when we first met, he said, 'What do you want from me?' I said, 'I want you to be yourself. You can't be in the band unless you're yourself, a hundred percent.' And he said, 'So I can play anything?' I said, 'Yeah. Anything will do. We'll let you know if we want it or not.'"

According to Glover, the lineup change had an immediate effect on the band morale.

"'Purpendicular' was one of the happiest albums I've ever made, because suddenly we found ourselves writing songs we could never have written before," Roger said, referring to DEEP PURPLE's first LP with Morse.

Blackmore is a co-founder of DEEP PURPLE and wrote many of their most memorable riffs, including "Smoke On The Water", but he has not played with the group since his 1993 departure.

Blackmore previously suggested that PURPLE's manager had blocked him from joining his former bandmates onstage during the 2016 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, and he used that as an excuse for not attending the event.

Despite Blackmore being a no-show at Rock Hall, he was given several shoutouts during the induction speeches of the DEEP PURPLE members in attendance. In addition, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich, who inducted DEEP PURPLE into the institution, praised "Ritchie fucking Blackmore" for one of the most memorable guitar riffs of all time on "Smoke On The Water".

DEEP PURPLE's next studio effort will be an album of covers titled "Turning To Crime". Due on November 26 via earMUSIC, the LP will contain DEEP PURPLE's versions of great rock classics and musical jewels — including songs originally recorded by Bob Dylan, FLEETWOOD MAC, Bob Seger, CREAM and THE YARDBIRDS — carefully chosen by each member of the band.

In a new interview with the WMMR radio station, ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell was asked about the chances of his band getting inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. ALICE IN CHAINS' debut album, "Facelift", came out in 1990, which would have made the group eligible since 2015. Cantrell said about the possibility (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've seen some of my friends and peers and mentors be accepted. And it's not something that's gonna make or break your career, but it's always nice to be recognized for your work. I don't really spend a whole lot of time thinking about it. Like I say, it doesn't make or break my career. But it is always nice when people recognize your music and your work and appreciate what you do. That's the reason why you do it — to satisfy yourself as a musician, to create something out of nothing that makes you proud and makes you feel and then give it out to the world and have people react to it and make them feel as well and make it part of their life. It becomes personal to them as well as it's personal to you."

With NIRVANA and PEARL JAM already in the Hall Of Fame, ALICE IN CHAINS is one of a couple of seminal Seattle bands, along with SOUNDGARDEN, that has yet to be inducted.

A few years ago, Cantrell, who performed at the 2013 Rock Hall ceremony with inductees HEART, told Cleveland.com about NIRVANA's 2014 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, making them the first "grunge band" from the Seattle scene to be inducted: "It's well deserved. I loved those guys." But the singer-guitarist added, "I was surprised to see them go in before PEARL JAM. They went in for 'Bleach', which wasn't a big record 'till 'Nevermind' became a big record."

Jerry previously discussed ALICE IN CHAINS' hypothetical Rock Hall induction in a 2013 interview with Radio.com. At the time, he said: "We're not in this to win awards. And that's the attitude I went there with. And I have to say, in fairness, that my opinion was a bit changed by being a guest with HEART and seeing how much it meant for them. It was a cool show, it was with a lot of respect. I was kind of moved."

Cantrell added, "I also liked what [late RUSH drummer and Hall Of Fame inductee] Neil Peart said: 'For years, we've been saying that this isn't a big deal. Turns out: it's a pretty big deal!' It was cool to see him say that."

Two of ALICE IN CHAINS' founding members, singer Layne Staley and bassist Mike Starr, both passed away.

ALICE IN CHAINS released three albums with Staley, who died of a drug overdose, before the surviving members — Cantrell, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney — brought guitarist William DuVall onboard in 2006. After that, they issued three well-received albums: the 2009 Grammy-nominated "Black Gives Way Too Blue", 2013's "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" and 2018's "Rainier Fog".

Cantrell's new solo album, "Brighten", was made available on October 29.

"Singing In My Blood", the first book by former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen, has just been made available via Rocket 88. Written and compiled over the past year of lockdown, Tarja has searched through scores of photos and memories to create a big, deluxe book about her life in music. There are contributions from friends and colleagues who've played a part in her music on stage, in the studio and at home, alongside lots of previously unseen intimate photos from childhood to the present day.

Asked in a new interview with Chaoszine why she chose not to focus on her time with NIGHTWISH in the book, Tarja said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "NIGHTWISH was a big part of my life. Almost nine years I was a part of the band. I gave for the band my voice, my soul, my face, my image. And it also gave me the whole world of rock and roll, and I'm deeply grateful. And it's always going to be part of my life. But not too many people really know what I've been doing after NIGHTWISH — especially here in Finland; I think it's really a lack of information going on. People do know what I do abroad, but not here. And that was my intention — was to really open that part of my journey and [focus on the fact I've] been doing a solo career almost double the time that I'd been in the band, so I've been surviving there alone."

For more information about "Singing In My Blood", visit tarjabook.com.

Turunen was fired from NIGHTWISH at the end of the band's 2005 tour by being presented with an open letter which was published on the NIGHTWISH web site at the same time. In the letter, the other members of NIGHTWISH wrote: "To you, unfortunately, business, money, and things that have nothing to do with emotions have become much more important."

NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen later called the decision to part ways with Turunen "the most difficult thing I ever had to do." For her part, Tarja said the way she was kicked out of the group proved that her former bandmates were not her friends. "Maybe one day I'll forgive, but I will never forget," she said.

In 2019, Turunen dismissed Internet chatter about her possible return to NIGHTWISH after her December 2017 onstage reunion with the band's then-bassist/vocalist Marko "Marco" Hietala during a "Raskasta Joulua" concert in Hämeenlinna, Finland.

"I know a lot of fans would love to see something happen, but it's a very long distance away," she told Kerrang! magazine. "Personally, I don't see anything happening with me and them, to be perfectly honest. Marco came a little later into the band; he wasn't there since the beginning. He was always a guy I was close to. Me and [NIGHTWISH keyboardist/leader] Tuomas Holopainen, however, haven't seen each other in a long time… but we have been in touch. It's not bad. The past is what it is; we can't change that. We can only change the future."

NIGHTWISH's authorized biography, "Once Upon a Nightwish: The Official Biography 1996-2006", was published in Finnish in 2006 and in English three years later.

Turunen's husband, Marcelo Cabuli, and his business partners later sued the parties behind the book for defamation. Named in the lawsuit were the publishing house Like Kustannus Oy and the author of the book, Marko "Mape" Ollila. Cabuli and his Brazilian business partners argued that the book includes false accusations and insinuations that have caused them suffering and financial problems.

The book blamed Cabuli for the events leading up to Turunen's dramatic expulsion from the band in late 2005.

In 2011, the Helsinki District Court dismissed Cabuli's lawsuit, ruling that the book — which criticized Cabuli on only a few of its 380 pages — did not detrimentally affect his work or reputation in South America. In addition, the court determined that Ollila did not maliciously portray Cabuli in a negative light.

In a new interview with "The Cassius Morris Show", David Ellefson once again opened up about his dismissal from MEGADETH six months ago, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. At the time, Ellefson released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan. He also filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of him by unknown offenders. In the report, Ellefson admitted that he had been exchanging sexual text messages with a Dutch teenager, who captured a video of several of their virtual "masturbating encounters" without his consent and shared them with friends. (According to Ellefson, the woman was 19 at the time of their first virtual sexual encounter.) Ellefson, who lives in Scottsdale, first became aware of the video on May 9, when the claim "David Ellefson of MEGADETH is a pedophile" appeared on Instagram. Ellefson told police he was notified on May 14 by MEGADETH that the band would be parting ways with him. Three days later, he was fired.

Asked if his split with MEGADETH affects only his professional relationship with the band or if it also means the end of his friendship with MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine, Ellefson told "The Cassius Morris Show" (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "My view on that is, look, relationships are never really fully done — especially one where you've had sort of a brotherhood and a professional [relationship] and friendship and all these other things. If you're in a band, it's not like, 'Dude, it's just business.' You're creative, you're friendly, there's business — all those things are intertwined; it's all part of that. So, if we're not hanging right now…

"I don't wish anybody any ill will; I wish everybody the best," he continued. "I think that's one of the ways to sort of bless it — you give it your best and you give it your best energy and not harbor grudges on anything. Instead of being sad that it's over, be glad that it ever even happened. We got to live a dream. We got to do something most people will never get to do, and we got to do it. So, if this is the sort of exit from that, or a timeout from it, whatever it is, let it be what it is.

"I just love that analogy: there's a reason the rearview mirror is very small in the car — 'cause you're not supposed to spend all your time looking at it. Look through the big windshield up front. That's where your head is, that's where your hope is, that's where your future is, where everything is.

"It's easy to micromanage stuff in the rearview mirror, but that's all meant to be behind you," he added. "The good news is, look, our songs still get played everywhere. They get played on the radio. I hear 'em around. I see people wearing our t-shirts. And it's kind of, like, cool. That's awesome. I'm proud to have been a part of all that."

Last month, Ellefson spoke to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the statement Mustaine — who formed MEGADETH with Ellefson in 1983 — released on May 24 announced the bassist's departure from the band. In the statement, Dave said: "We do not take this decision lightly. While we do not know every detail of what occurred, with an already strained relationship, what has already been revealed now is enough to make working together impossible moving forward." Asked if he was aware of any tension between him and Mustaine and whether he "felt like the ice was getting ready to break again," Ellefson told "Trunk Nation": "I did not. I think one of the things — and this probably started 20 years ago, when MEGADETH was disbanded in 2002 and then put back together in 2004, it was very clear in 2004 that it was gonna be reframed around Dave unilaterally, one hundred percent being the boss and running the show. Gone were the days of the partnership, the '90s, where it was me, Nick [Menza], Marty [Friedman], Dave — kind of 'the four horsemen ride again' kind of mentality… That day was done; it was not gonna be that anymore. And that's where we fell apart in 2004 and I wasn't with the group through those years. Coming back to it in 2010, now we're a few years older, [with] a little more maturity in the situation, realizing that we're better together, that even though it's not, on paper, a partnership, there's a kind of visual partnership — the optics of it are kind of, like, 'Yeah, this looks better as MEGADETH with me and Dave together. We're one of those bands that, although Dave is the quarterback and the quarterback still plays, the overall feeling and likability and I think everything about it just feels better when it's Dave and Dave together, because we've been together from the beginning for so many years. And I think that worked really well for the last decade. At the same time, Dave and I are grown men, and we have opinions. It's not the thing where it's just Dave and three side guys when it's me and the band. And apparently, they didn't want that anymore — they wanted it to not be that. And I can't speak for them, 'cause I don't know. I'm not trying to put words in anybody's mouth about that. But it just seemed like 'there's just too much history here, and let's just part ways now and let MEGADETH move forward on a new day with kind of a new marching order.' So rather than fight it, which is what happened 20 years ago, 'cause we were dissolving a partnership at that point, we're not dissolving a partnership [this time]. It's, like, 'Hey, we don't want you here. There's the door. Don't come to work on Monday.' So, it's, like, 'Okay. Fine.' And that's just how I viewed it, and that's how I view it today. I don't have any sour grapes over it, and I'm not bitter about it."

Two days after Mustaine announced Ellefson's latest departure from MEGADETH, the bassist released a follow-up statement in which he vowed to file a "defamation lawsuit" against the person who "illegally posted a very private video" of the bassist and made "false allegations" against him. He also said he was working with the police in Scottsdale "in their investigation into charges regarding revenge pornography to be filed against the person who posted the video. This person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Ellefson wrote. He went on to say that he was "taking this time to be with my family" and wished his "bandmates" the best with their tour.

Ellefson laid down his bass tracks on MEGADETH's sixteenth LP in May 2020 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee.

In July, Mustaine announced during an episode of his Gimme Radio program "The Dave Mustaine Show" that Ellefson's bass tracks would not be used on the new MEGADETH LP.

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Mustaine, alleging the frontman shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.






We will always be best friends.@ellefsondavid @Megadeth pic.twitter.com/kzs89sA8Vy

— Dave Mustaine (@DaveMustaine) November 2, 2017

KIX frontman Steve Whiteman spoke to "The Chuck Shute Podcast" about the band's return to the live stage during the pandemic. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "KIX was busy as hell at the end of May. We worked from May, June, July, August, I mean, almost every weekend — two, three shows a week — just to make up for all the shows that we missed through COVID. And then we got COVID, and we had to shut it down for about a month. We missed another eight shows.

"It was weird, 'cause I got it… And we were vaccinated, so nobody really was in harm's way; it was very mild for all of us," he continued. "But I would get it one week, then Mark [Schenker, bass] would come up with it the next week, then Bob Paré [guitar] got it. It spread out to the point where we had to take the whole month off and lose a whole lot of shows."

According to Whiteman, KIX decided to cancel a month's worth of concerts because "we didn't wanna infect other people. If you have it, you do not [wanna] infect people, so we followed the protocols and we all quarantined. We wouldn't fly with it, we wouldn't go to shows, 'cause you're around a whole bunch of people. Even if they're not in your band, they're still around you all the time. And we didn't wanna infect other people, so we decided to shut it down until everybody could come up with a negative test."

Regarding what symptoms he had while he was battling COVID-19, Steve said: "For me, I thought I was getting a little bit of a cold. I basically had to clear my throat a couple of times a day. I had a slight headache and I lost the taste and smell for about a week and a half."

Whiteman went on to say that he got his second COVID-19 vaccine in March and he contracted the disease in September. "[That's] just about six months, which is about the time when they tell you you need a booster," he said. "That's why the boosters are out now, because a lot of people are breakthrough cases — you thought you were safe, but the vaccine didn't last."

Last month, Whiteman told Adika Live! that would like to see as many people as possible get the COVID-19 vaccine: "We're all vaccinated [in the band], and I preach it. 'We're able to be here tonight because there is a vaccination, and I really encourage everybody to take it.' And I've had people walk out and want their money back because I tell people that I think it's really important that we all get vaccinated. And people who are offended by it, they're just some people that won't do it. And they're the ones [who are] holding everything up.

"We keep our distance," he continued. "We won't do meet-and-greets anymore. We keep our distance backstage. Traveling, you have to get on a plane, you have to wear a mask, but I'm not that worried about it 'cause I am vaccinated. And if I do get it, I don't think it'll be that bad."

Whiteman released a solo album, "You're Welcome", in July. The 12-song LP was co-produced by Whiteman along with his trusted collaborators Brad Divens, Jimmy Chalfant and Bob Paré; it was recorded and mixed by Divens at Fixintogetmixin Studio.

KIX was founded in 1977 and released its first, self-titled album on Atlantic Records nearly 40 years ago. Their breakthrough came with 1988's "Blow My Fuse", which sold nearly a million copies, thanks to "Don't Close Your Eyes". The band continued to ride the hard-rock wave until 1995, when KIX took a hiatus. Nearly 10 years later, KIX reunited and started touring regionally. A 2008 performance at the Rocklahoma festival led to more gigs and the release of a live DVD/CD called "Live In Baltimore" in 2012.

In 2014, KIX released its seventh full-length album, "Rock Your Face Off" (Loud & Proud Records), the band's first studio effort since 1995's "Show Business".

Photo credit: Mark Weiss

Last night (Friday, November 5), Sammy Hagar was joined on stage by Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer and founding member of the legendary GRATEFUL DEAD, Bob Weir, during the third night of the sold-out "Sammy Hagar & Friends" residency at The STRAT Hotel, Casino & SkyPod in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hagar and Weir performed with Sammy's band THE WABOS, featuring guitarist Vic Johnson, drummer David Lauser and bassist Mona Gnader.

The crowd erupted when Weir joined THE WABOS on stage to perform GRATEFUL DEAD classics "Not Fade Away" and "Good Lovin'", as well as DEPECHE MODE's "Personal Jesus". Fans sang along to Hagar's hits, including "I Can't Drive 55" and "There's Only One Way To Rock", as well as a rockin' rendition of Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar".

The STRAT Theater has a capacity of about 800 people. The theater was designed to capture the beach vibe Hagar's synonymous with, including elements of his famed Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, home to his epic annual birthday bash.

Additional shows are scheduled on November 6, November 12 and November 13, all at 9 p.m.

"Sammy & Friends" celebrates Hagar's career, spanning four decades, from his solo career, MONTROSE, VAN HALEN, CHICKENFOOT, THE CIRCLE, and surprise additions to the setlist depending on which of his musician friends take the stage with him.

Speaking to the Las Vegas Sun about what fans can expect from the residency concerts, Hagar said: "Nobody is going to hear the same thing twice. One night we're going to come out and play VAN HALEN for an hour, then start cherry picking. Another night, we might just play MONTROSE, which will be fun because that's only about 35 minutes of music. I want to do it with a different theme every night and really mix it up.

"The team at The STRAT has been awesome and they've really allowed us to come in and do what we want to do," he added. "That room is great and I looked at every room that was available in Las Vegas. My fans, the Redheads, they come from all over the world, and you want them to be in a place like Vegas where they can have a good time before and after the show. The experience in Vegas is like no other town. If you can't find something to do here, you're either broke or in a really bad mood."

Produced by industry leader SPI Entertainment and Hagar's manager, Tom Consolo of TC Management, "Sammy Hagar & Friends" sold out each show in under two hours. New dates will be announced for 2022.




And then Bob Weir popped in… #thegratefuldead

Posted by Terry Evans on Friday, November 5, 2021





I never thought this would be the night that we would get to see Sammy Hagar and Bob Weir, from Gratedul Dead on stage together ?

⭐️ wow ?

Posted by Dinah Faulkner on Friday, November 5, 2021





Sammy Hagar and Bob Weir LEGENDS! #VanHalen #TheGreatfulDead

Posted by Joseph Alphonso Gomez IV on Saturday, November 6, 2021

November 26 will see the release of "Volume I - Reborn", the brand new EP from Chicago, Illinois-based metal act REPENTANCE. With five tracks of aggressive, fast-paced and technical compositions, the band delivers an impressive Noble Demon debut and a perfect appetizer for a full-length to follow in the not-so-distant future. After the previously released track "Reborn" (featuring Corey Beaulieu of TRIVIUM), REPENTANCE just shared the second single, "No Innocence".

Vocalist Adam Gilley states: "No innocence is about being betrayed by someone you thought you can trust. When enough is enough and you just can't hold back anymore."

Founded in 2018 by former SOIL and DIRGE WITHIN guitarist Shaun Glass and with a critically acclaimed debut album under their belts ("God For A Day", 2020), REPENTANCE soon became known for their distinctive heavy yet dynamic sound, packed with details, groove and intensity. Playing numerous shows with high-profile acts such as TRIVIUM, DEVILDRIVER, JINJER, SKULL FIST, TOXIC HOLOCAUST, SACRED REICH and others, REPENTANCE have taken the heavy scene by storm and represent a sound, which is sure to obliterate fans of extreme music everywhere.

"Volume I - Reborn" was produced by Alex Lackner at Accelerated Sound and mixed by Chris Collier at CMC 21 Productions and is now available for pre-order at this location.

Track listing:

01. All The Misery

02. Reborn (feat. Corey Beaulieu of TRIVIUM)

03. Down In The Water

04. No Innocence

05. This Is Hell

In addition, REPENTANCE will play its first concert with the band's new lineup this Saturday, November 6 at Reggies Rock Club in Chicago, together with VIO-LENCE, WRAITH and THE GRAVEL.

REPENTANCE is:

Adam Gilley - Vocals

Shaun Glass - Guitar

Eric Burns - Guitar

Eric Karol - Bass

Brandon White - Drums

Photo by Rob Grabowski