KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee spoke to Talking Metal about the band's upcoming biopic "Shout It Out Loud". The film, which recently landed at Netflix, will be directed by Joachim Rønning, the Norwegian filmmaker whose credits include "Kon-Tiki", "Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil" and "Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales". The script is written by Ole Sanders.

"Actually, we have a script that's completely done," Doc said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "Mark Canton, who is a very, very powerful producer and production company who has the TV series 'Power' and 'Ghost' and all that stuff, and he was a president of Sony and all that, he's done 300 films — a really, really great guy — his team and Universal Music and ourselves have partnered up with Joachim Rønning, who is a very sought-after director that did things like 'Pirates Of The Caribbean', and 'Kon-Tiki' was up for an Academy Award. And the script is about the first four years of KISS. Basically, it's before they were famous — it was up to Cadillac High, that kind of thing," referring to the October 1975 concert KISS played in a high school gym in Cadillac, Michigan. "And I think it's a very interesting look at the formation of KISS, the mindset of how that came about, the social pressure that everybody was in in the '60s and '70s that brought something like KISS to the forefront, that it could actually happen. So it's a very interesting, and I think it's a well-written movie. And our partners right now is Netflix. It'll be a theatrical release, then Netflix."

According to Doc, casting hasn't started yet. "We're finishing our deal with a couple of distributors in Europe and the U.S., and then we'll get into casting," he said. "I believe before Thanksgiving we'll be in the casting."

Earlier this year, KISS frontman Paul Stanley told Download host Kylie Olsson that the KISS biopic was "definitely happening. And that's gonna be really interesting," he said. "The script was really good. And we really waited until we felt comfortable.

"Look, you get once chance to do it, and I would rather not do it than do it half assed or poorly," he explained. "Our director is the real deal. He did 'Maleficent 2', and he's not some hack; he knows how to make movies. It should be great. Casting hasn't begun yet. But that will be interesting too."

Asked which actor he would like to play him in the movie, Stanley said: "And I will tell you this: for casting to be accurate in terms of age, we are looking at actors in their early 20s. Honestly, I don't know a whole lot of actors in their early 20s. When people get asked these kinds of questions, they'll say, 'Oh, Brad Pitt,' or this one or that one. Well, those guys are in their 50s or 60s, so you're talking about another generation of actors. And I'm the first to say I'm not up on a lot of them. But as the casting process goes on, I'll certainly be there and watching. It'll be interesting to see how someone else — be it the casting people or the director — how they view who I am and who they see doing that. I think I'll learn a lot about their perception of me by who they cast."

"Shout It Out Loud", which will have close cooperation from bandleaders Stanley and Gene Simmons, will be a co-production of Canton's Atmosphere Entertainment and Universal Music Group. The film will be produced by Canton through his Atmosphere Entertainment, Leigh Ann Burton through Opus 7, Courtney Solomon, David Blackman and Jody Gerson through Universal Music Group, McGhee through his McGee Entertainment, Rønning, and Simmons and Stanley. Atmosphere's Dorothy Canton and David Hopwood are the executive producers.

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.

KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, drummer Peter Criss and lead guitarist Ace Frehley, KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.

Netflix previously had rock-biopic success with MÖTLEY CRÜE's "The Dirt", which premiered in March 2019. An adaptation of the book of the same name about the iconic rock band, it had been in the works since 2003. It was previously set up at Paramount and Focus Features before Netflix picked it up in 2017.

"The Dirt", which reportedly cost more than $20 million to produce, currently has a 38% critic score from 72 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, the online review aggregation service that allows both critics and the public to rate movies. The same site has an 94% audience score for "The Dirt" from more than 6,000 reviews.

ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 spoke to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about what it was like performing live in concert for the first time in nearly a year and a half at the Upheaval festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan this past July. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's funny because we played these big shows with so many people, and then you get in an elevator with a couple of people, and you're, like, 'Oh, boy. I don't know. This guy doesn't look good. What's going on? I'd better have my mask on,' and all that stuff. And then I was thinking, 'How are we gonna get to these concerts where there's 20 thousand people there? How are we gonna get to these concerts where there's 30 thousand people?' And I would look at those pictures and go, 'Is this ever gonna happen again?' So when we walked on that stage in Grand Rapids, it was emotional, 'cause I was so happy.

"I love people," he added. "I love talking to people. I love talking to fans. And I like to hear their stories. I know my stories, all that stuff. But I like to hear people's stories, and I really missed people a lot. So when I got out there, it was emotional. It was an amazing feeling. And I'm just happy and honored to be playing shows again."

John 5 will release his new solo album, "Sinner", on October 29 (just in time for Halloween) via Big Machine Records. The first single from the album, the epic "Qué Pasa", revolves around a distinctive vocal refrain. Originally built with a sample, John opted to have it reworked by Grammy-winning MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine.

"Sinner" was produced and mixed by Barry Pointer at Riott House Studio in North Hollywood. Drums were engineered by ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke at Redrum Recording in Los Angeles. The LP also features a guest appearance by original KISS drummer Peter Criss on a cover of "Georgia On My Mind", a 1930s classic by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell that's become famous thanks to Ray Charles decades later.

John 5 has worked with a varied range of artists, performing as guitarist for some of the biggest headlining rock bands in the world such as ROB ZOMBIE and MARILYN MANSON, as well as playing session with Paul Stanley, Rod Stewart, LYNYRD SKYNYRD and more. Slash has called John 5 "one of the most mind-blowing guitarists around," and Rob Zombie has dubbed him "a fucking shredder." John 5 has released nine solo albums to date, as well as a remix album, and has written music for the likes of Avril Lavigne, GARBAGE, Ricky Martin and others.

JOHN 5 AND THE CREATURES' latest album, "Invasion", was released in July 2019.

STATUS QUO's Francis Rossi has paid tribute to the band's original bassist Alan Lancaster who died earlier today (Sunday, September 26) at the age of 72.

Rossi wrote in a statement: "I am so sorry to hear of Alan's passing. We were friends and colleagues for many years and achieved fantastic success together as the Frantic Four alongside Rick Parfitt and John Coghlan. Alan was an integral part of the sound and the enormous success of STATUS QUO during the 60s and 70s. Although it is well documented that we were estranged in recent years, I will always have very fond memories of our early days together and my condolences go to Dayle and Alan's family."

STATUS QUO manager Simon Porter added: "This is such sad news and my sincere condolences go out to Dayle and the family.

"It was an absolute pleasure to be able to reunite the original line up for two sell-out tours in 2013/2014 and to give STATUS QUO Frantic Four fans a final legacy and such a lasting memory. Although Alan was not in the best of health even then, he got through the tours with determination and grit and was a pleasure to work with."

Lancaster was a member of STATUS QUO since the band's inception in 1967 until 1985. He appeared on 16 STATUS QUO studio albums, from 1968's "Picturesque Matchstickable Messages From The Status Quo" through to 1983's "Back to Back". Nearly 30 years later, he reunited with Rossi, Rick Parfitt and John Coghlan in 2013 for the STATUS QUO "The Frantic Four" reunion tour in Europe.

Lancaster's wife Dayle confirmed his passing in a statement. She said: "We are all heartbroken. Alan had a wonderful wit and a fabulously dry sense of humour. He was a devoted and adoring husband, father and grandfather. Family was always his focus."


Alan Lancaster - R.I.P

It is with great sadness that we report that Alan Lancaster - one of the original members of...

Posted by Status Quo on Sunday, September 26, 2021

Dean DeLeo, guitarist and songwriter from STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, and renowned Nashville session player Tom Bukovac have joined forces for a collaborative project, TRIP THE WITCH. Their self-titled debut album, which is out now, is a collection of 10 dynamic, mostly instrumental songs, with a myriad of sounds and styles — ethereal soundscapes, crunching power chords, vocal-like guitar melodies, kaleidoscope atmospherics and jazz elements all with a cosmic connectivity.

Meeting via e-mail through a mutual friend, Dean and Tom were both huge fans of each other's work. They began chatting on the phone, hit it off immediately and decided to make a record.

The album was written and recorded entirely online during the pandemic, with the pair sending videos back and forth, building ideas. "I'd send him a riff and he'd send me a riff back," says Tom. "After a while, we had a million riffs and started assembling them into songs." Dean adds: "It was such a thrill to have a track, send it to the other person, and then have anticipation and excitement of getting it back and hearing what the other had done." The two have still not met in person.

The album's astral opening track, "Saturn We Miss You", is highlighted by the inimitable vocals of legendary YES frontman Jon Anderson. As two avowed YES fanatics, they e-mailed Jon the instrumental track with the songtitle and were beyond ecstatic when a few days later Jon responded, writing lyrics and recording his vocals on the track.

The official music video for "Saturn We Miss You" can now be seen below.

As for what comes next for TRIP THE WITCH? "We'd love to take this on the road," says Dean. We've talked about it quite a bit, and I think it would be an incredible amount of fun." Tom adds, "There's a wealth of material left over from our sessions, so we could easily make a second album."

"Trip The Witch" track listing:

01. Saturn We Miss You

02. Dressed To Kill Myself

03. Wall Of Sound

04. Fell From The Floor

05. Planet TD1

06. Surfside Lounge

07. We Lived Here

08. Space Wagon

09. The Bird Returns

10. Black Light / Reclaim My Time

Dean DeLeo photo credit: Emily Paine

Tom Bukovac photo credit: Tom Bukovac

JANE'S ADDICTION performed at the MMR*B*Q concert sponsored by Philadelphia radio station WMMR (93.3 FM) on Saturday, September 25 at the BB&T Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance is available below.

Last November, JANE'S ADDICTION singer Perry Farrell told Classic Rock magazine that fans could expect to hear new music from the band in 2021. Asked if there might be another album from JANE'S ADDICTION in his future plans, the 62-year-old singer said: "I wouldn't think albums, I'd think songs.

"We've got so much JANE'S material in the can," he explained. "We'll be releasing a couple of tracks, maybe writing some new ones."

In August 2020, JANE'S ADDICTION played two songs during Lollapalooza's Lolla2020 livestream, a free four-night broadcast event which took place on the original dates of the Chicago-based festival. Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Chris Chaney reunited for their first public appearance in three years to perform "I Would For You" and "Stop!"

JANE'S ADDICTION released its last album, "The Great Escape Artist", back in 2011.

"The Great Escape Artist" sold around 24,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 12 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"The Great Escape Artist" was JANE'S ADDICTION's first all-new studio effort since 2003's "Strays", which opened with more than 110,000 units to enter the chart at No. 4.

"The Great Escape Artist" was only JANE'S ADDICTION's fourth album of original material in 20 years.

The current JANE'S ADDICTION lineup features original members Perkins, Farrell and Navarro.

Although founding bassist Eric Avery initially returned to the band when it reactivated in 2009, he quit the following year.

Dave Sitek of TV ON THE RADIO played bass on and co-produced "The Great Escape Artist", while Chaney has returned as touring bassist.

CANDLEBOX frontman Kevin Martin spoke to Chris Akin of "Aftershocks" about what it has been like for him and his bandmates to tour during the pandemic. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The response is great. The venues aren't at full capacity — most of the ones that we're playing — so that's a little odd. But the audiences are great; people are showing up. That's all you can really hope for. The weirdest thing, really, is just that you can't really escape into the music like we've been able to do for so many years. In the back of your mind, the thought is always there, 'Am I gonna catch COVID at this event?' And that's not only from the band; it's the fans as well. It's just one of those things that you can sense is in the back of everybody's mind. So it makes it really difficult to just enjoy this as much as you'd like to."

Asked if all the COVID-19 protocols have made touring seem like a "job" for the first time in CANDLEBOX's career, Martin responded: "It does. It's strange that way. You kind of feel like, 'Okay, I've gotta be here, and I wanna make sure that everybody enjoys themselves.' But, yeah, that's kind of exactly what it is. It's the first time ever I felt like this is a job."

Less than two months ago, Martin told Sofa King Cool about what it has been like for him and his bandmates to tour during the pandemic: "Our fans aren't happy about it, but we're not doing meet-and-greets, we're not doing VIPs, we're not any backstage, there's no comp tickets — which is the first time in my career that I've ever had to do that. We just can't afford it. I can't afford for someone in my band to get COVID, or for me to get COVID, and have to shut this tour down for 10 days to quarantine.

"We were in Wichita on this last run we did, and there were two tour buses parked next to ours in the morning, and it was THE AVETT BROTHERS who had to cancel two shows because someone either on their crew or the venues they were going to tested positive," he continued. "And that's two days of sitting in Wichita [with] two tour buses at a thousand dollars a day, not to mention what you have to pay your crew members per day — all those types of things. It's heavy, heavy duty.

"So, we wear masks everywhere," he explained. "We don't interact with any of the crew at the venues, which is unfortunate, because I know a lot of these guys at these venues we're playing. And we don't go out. We play the show, we hang out at the dressing room, shower, clean up, whatever, and we go straight to the bus and head to the next town. So we're being as overly cautious as we can.

"Frankly, we've had a couple of instances of people yelling at our crew guys onstage, 'Take your fucking mask off. You don't need to be fucking masking,' which is rude. I haven't worked in fucking 18 months. Can I have a moment to make some money, please?"

In August, CANDLEBOX released "All Down Hill From Here", a single from its latest album "Wolves". Martin co-wrote the song with Christopher Thorne of BLIND MELON. The inspiration behind the song came from the two longtime friends musing on the fleeting nature of fame.

CANDLEBOX's seventh studio album, "Wolves", dropped worldwide on September 17 on Pavement Entertainment. The album is available on all formats (CD, vinyl, and through digital outlets).

DISTURBED performed live for the first time in nearly two years last night (Saturday, September 25) as one of the headliners of the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky.

After the show, DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan took to his Instagram to share a backstage photo of him with his bandmates, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "I'm so grateful for this opportunity to come back and perform again for all of you disturbed ones after being away for two years! Thank you @louderthanlifefest @dannywimmer for giving us back what we all need! I'm still on a high from the adrenaline that I can't sleep! Hope to see you again in Nov. Much Love & respect @disturbed #areyouready #theinfectionmustdie #downwiththesickness #indestructible #holdontomemories #louderthanlifefestival".

DISTURBED's setlist was as follows:

01. Are You Ready

02. Prayer

03. The Vengeful One

04. Stupify

05. The Game

06. The Infection

07. A Reason To Fight

08. Fear

09. Indestructible

10. Inside The Fire

11. The Sound Of Silence (SIMON & GARFUNKEL cover)

12. The Light

13. Stricken

14. Down With The Sickness

In March, DISTURBED's "The Sickness 20th Anniversary Tour" was officially canceled. The amphitheater tour, with very special guest STAIND and BAD WOLVES, was originally slated to take place in the summer of 2020 but was rescheduled to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was eventually scrapped altogether.

"The Sickness 20th Anniversary Tour" was supposed to celebrate the 20th anniversary of DISTURBED's seminal album "The Sickness". On this tour, the band was expected to perform songs off the album, as well as tracks from DISTURBED's latest album, "Evolution", and its extensive catalog.

DISTURBED had great commercial success with its orchestral treatment of "The Sound Of Silence", which appeared on 2015's "Immortalized" album. The band also previously covered TEARS FOR FEARS' "Shout" in 2000 and GENESIS's "Land Of Confusion" in 2005, the latter of which landed at position No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

"The Sound Of Silence" earned DISTURBED its highest Billboard Hot 100 chart position ever (No. 42 in 2016).

In September 2020, DISTURBED's "No More" landed at position No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs airplay chart. The track, which was the third single from "Evolution", marked DISTURBED's seventh straight No. 1 on the chart.
































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Fan-filmed video footage of THE BLACK CROWES' entire September 23 performance at BB&T Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey can be seen below. The band played its debut album, "Shake Your Money Maker", in its entirety to celebrate the LP's 30th anniversary, along with "all the hits" from the rest of their catalog.

Featured songs:

00:00 Twice As Hard

04:45 Jealous Again

11:16 Sister Luck

17:23 Could I've Been So Blind

21:48 Seeing Things

29:56 Hard To Handle (Otis Redding cover)

33:37 Thick N' Thin

36:28 She Talks To Angels

43:00 Struttin' Blues

47:56 Stare It Cold

54:04 Oh! Sweet Nuthin' (THE VELVET UNDERGROUND cover) (sung by Rich Robinson)

1:03:10 No Speak No Slave

1:08:37 Sting Me

1:13:27 Soul Singing

1:18:10 Wiser Time

1:26:30 Band Intro

1:28:10 Thorn In My Pride

1:38:50 Remedy

Produced by Live Nation, THE BLACK CROWES' 37-date "Shake Your Money Maker" tour ended last night (Saturday, September 25) at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York.

Joining Chris and Rich Robinson in the new BLACK CROWES lineup are longtime bassist Sven Pipien, who played with the band live from 1997 up until the band's hiatus in 2015, along with Brian Griffin on drums, Joel Robinow on keyboards and Isaiah Mitchell on guitar, plus backup singers Mackenzie Adams and Leslie Grant.

Rich told Cleveland.com that he and his brother wanted to re-start THE BLACK CROWES with a clean slate. "There was a strong agenda in the band [previously] to keep Chris and I apart and keep Chris and I fighting," he said. "We just didn't want to have to deal with any of that negative [stuff], so it had to be this way in order for it to be what we want."

"Shake Your Money Maker" was re-released in multi-formats sets in February through UMe/American Recordings. The album, fueled by singles "Jealous Again", "Twice As Hard", "She Talks To Angels" and a cover of fellow Georgian Otis Redding's "Hard To Handle", has sold over five million copies.

Chris Robinson recently confirmed to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that there are tentative plans to record a new BLACK CROWES album.

Kastro Pergjoni, operations director of the Cart & Horses pub in Stratford, London, England where IRON MAIDEN made its live debut in 1976, who recently raised £13,100 (approximately $18,000) so former MAIDEN vocalist Paul Di'Anno can undergo his long-delayed knee surgery, has posted a new photo of the 63-year-old musician, saying that the "situation is only getting worse the longer it goes."

Di'Anno has battled a number of health issues in recent years. He reportedly underwent an operation in 2016 to remove a "rugby ball-sized abscess" on his lungs and required a knee-replacement operation on both knees after getting involved in several motorcycle accidents over the years. As a result, Di'Anno was forced to sit down while performing at his most recent shows.

In the latest photo, Paul, who has reportedly waited for seven years to get this surgery done, can be seen with massive swelling (edema) on both his knees, with one physician from Bangladesh speculating in the comments section that Di'Anno is suffering from advanced untreated diabetes and hypertension, thereby complicating his treatment.

Pergjoni, who has been behind Cart & Horses since 2016, leasing the pub from the building's owners who are converting the beer garden and car park into flats, discussed his fundraising efforts during a 2020 appearance on the "Uncle Steve's Iron Maiden Zone" podcast. Asked if he has approached the members of IRON MAIDEN themselves to contribute in some way to the Di'Anno campaign, Kastro said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Myself, no, I haven't, to be honest, because I don't wanna put things… What's the best way to say it now? It's not up to me to go to them, because I have no connections with IRON MAIDEN themselves. Even when I [need to approach] Steve [Harris, IRON MAIDEN bassist and founder], I go through his friends or his sister sometimes or close friends that he's got to get stuff from him. But to go to MAIDEN for something that is related to MAIDEN, I don't think that it is me personally, or Cart & Horses, the ones to contact them. I'd love if they come forward and just cover whatever is left or say whatever, but I don't think it's down to me to go to MAIDEN. Because [Paul's] got friends and he's got connections with MAIDEN more than I have, so if MAIDEN wanted to, or if somebody else wanted to, they would have done it. But so far, nothing, unfortunately, no."

Di'Anno recorded two classic albums with IRON MAIDEN — a self-titled effort in 1980 and "Killers" in 1981 — before being fired and replaced by Bruce Dickinson. He went on to front a number of other bands, including KILLERS and BATTLEZONE, and released several solo records.

In March 2011, Di'Anno was sentenced to nine months in a U.K. prison after he falsely collected government benefits by claiming he suffered nerve damage to his back that prevented him from working.

Di'Anno completed his first North American tour in early 2010, 17 years after he was deported following a prison term for guns and drug offenses.

In a December 2019 interview with the Spanish web site Mariskalrock.com, Di'Anno said that he was lucky to be alive after developing a deadly infection several years ago. "I nearly died four years ago," Paul revealed. "I had sepsis in Argentina. I was very, very sick. I just about made it home to England and then straight to hospital. I've been in and out of the hospital for four years now. I had operations done on both legs. I [haven't been able to] walk for four years. It's been very, very tough for me at the moment. Because of the sepsis, I keep getting infections, so they can't do the operations on my legs and stuff like that when they want to do them. And it's been very difficult. At the moment, I've only got one knee. The other knee has been taken out, but there's no new knee put in, so it's been a cement thing. But I wanna play, obviously, but I can't do that until I'm fixed. I haven't stopped playing music, and I've got no plans to retire — I wanna keep playing — but I need to get well."

Elaborating on his recovery process, Di'Anno said: "I'm not getting better and better — not yet, until I've had both of my knees operated on. The next operation is gonna be to take my left knee out and then put a replacement straight away, which then I've gotta do rehab to try to stand up on that one leg. And then I can sort of move about on crutches after a while, which would be fantastic. I may have to sit down on the stage, but if I can get up on one leg, it makes it easier for flying and things like that. I still may have to travel around on a wheelchair a bit, but if I'm playing on stage in a wheelchair, at least I can hop about on the crutches and then maybe sit down and sing. But I caught another infection two weeks ago, which they will not operate on you while you've got an infection. Unfortunately, this is gonna be the rest of my life, because of sepsis. I was so lucky. The sepsis really hits you hard, and on the London plane home from Argentina, everyone was saying to me, 'Hello, sir. Are you okay? Are you okay?' And I'm, like, 'Yeah, why don't you fuck off and leave me alone?' sort of thing. I didn't realize I was actually dying. And when I actually got home and I collapsed on the floor, I had my cell phone with me. I was on my own, 'cause my wife and kids were over in America. I got the ambulance people. They came down and they kicked my door in and took me to the hospital. I spent eight months in that hospital... And you've got 45 minutes to pump you full of antibiotics or you'll die. I just about made that. Eight months recovery there, then into a care home for another three months, and then I moved into this new house of mine, which is adapted for wheelchair users at the moment... And then it's been unlucky with the infections; otherwise I would have been up and running by now. But they won't operate on me for two years, with sepsis, because you have to make sure it's completely clear of you. And now I've got this other thing called MRSA, which you get from being in hospital, which is unfortunate. But, anyway, at the moment, I'm clearing out very well, so I'm waiting for the next call I get, which will be for surgery, and get things done".

Pressed about whether he is optimistic that he will be able to return to the stage someday, he told Mariskalrock.com: "Yeah. Fuckin' damn right. If I can't play music, I might as well fuckin' kill myself. So, yeah, I'm fine. As I said, once they have taken the left knee out and then put the replacement one in, I've got rehab to do. And the rehab will be learning to stand up and use crutches and move around with one leg, 'cause the other one, it's a very complicated operation on the right leg... I'm waiting for the surgeons to call me in. This operation will take about three hours to put the knee in, and then it's all rehab, rehab, rehab to strengthen my leg and [be able] to stand up on that one leg, 'cause the other one, I can't put it down on the floor, 'cause it's only got cement inside of it. There's no knee in the right one either, so that will be taken out. That one is a complicated operation — about nine hours. But this first one, if I can stand on crutches and get used to it after… I'll be in hospital for two weeks, and then it's all rehab, rehab — strengthen the left leg up, so I can hop about on the crutches and move around. It makes it easier for me to fly, and then I can go on stage. I may have to sit down on the stage in a chair, but at least I can go back on stage… And then, when they do the right leg, then I'll be all right to do everything. It's gonna take time. Unfortunately, it's two years where they will not operate on anything 'cause of the sepsis. And that's a two-year gap. And now all these infections are fucking me up."

More than a decade and a half ago, Di'Anno told The Jersulam Post that leaving the MAIDEN juggernaut behind was the best thing that ever happened to him, and that he had no bitter feelings toward his former bandmates. "I absolutely have no regrets about leaving MAIDEN — I wasn't right in the head at that time to be in the middle of all that," he said. "I was fed up and disillusioned; it would have been cheating the fans and myself if I had stayed. It was easy to walk away from, and I'm very happy the band got bigger and bigger."

Several years ago, Di'Anno told Metal Thunder Radio that he wasn't as involved with MAIDEN's songwriting as he would have liked. "Steve had most of the words and the lyrics [to the band's first album] all written. That was some of the bones of contention that we had in the band — that I didn't get to write as much as I wanted to. 'Cause I am actually quite a prolific writer, but a lot of my songs were not accepted. 'Cause it's Steve's band, obviously."

He continued: "That first album was a revelation, I've gotta tell you. It was amazing. And the second album, for me, not so much. That's when I started to lose interest a little bit. But [we] still [had] great times — really great times."

At times, Paul has also publicly displayed his anger toward his former bandmates, most notably during a 2009 press conference in Argentina where he was asked about the rumors that his drug use had something to do with his split with MAIDEN. "Where the fuck do you people get this from?" he asked. "I left IRON MAIDEN because they were going too heavy metal, and IRON MAIDEN is a money-making machine, and I don't give a fuck about it. It was not about drugs; it was nothing like that. Me and Steve... I [wrote] the song 'Killers'. Steve had [what he thought] were better songs. I thought his songs were shit. Nothing to do with drugs; nothing whatsoever. Check your facts or otherwise this interview is over... I hate that! I fucking hate that! Because people... You say something but you don't know. Well, I'm telling you. IRON MAIDEN is Steve Harris's band. It doesn't matter about anybody else — whether it's Dave Murray, Clive [Burr], me... it's Steve Harris's band and all it is is money, money, money, money — nobody else counts. And I wrote fuckin' 20-times better songs than his, but I only got one song on the 'Killers' album because it's Steve's — he must have this. Fuckin' Adolf Hitler. I'm not interested. So there you go. But you need to take drugs when you're with IRON MAIDEN because they're so fucking boring. And the only drugs were aspirin, because Steve [making hand gesture as if someone is speaking into his ear]... Fuckin' headache."

Those wishing to help Di'Anno with medical costs associated with his treatment can donate to the crowdfunding campaign at this location.

Photo courtesy of Cart & Horses

During an appearance on the latest episode of "The Chad Prather Show", which airs through conservative media group Blaze Media, ALL THAT REMAINS singer Phil Labonte was asked for his opinion on the state of the world at the moment. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's an attempt for an authoritarian takeover of the United States government in a way that is unprecedented in American history. And the worst part is the people that do want to fight it, they have to deal with — essentially, it's just the most slanderous attacks. If you say 'I'm for this', someone will always say, 'Oh, you just want to do this hurtful thing to this person or these people,' or whatever."

Labonte, who has previously described himself as "a libertarian," went on to single out the trend by liberals and Democrats in referring to Republicans and conservatives in a typically derogatory way, saying: "Get used to the name calling, because it's not about whether or not it's true; it's about if they can convince other people that you're this bad thing. And that's what they did with [former U.S. president] Donald Trump. Now, Donald Trump gave them a whole lot material to work with, but someone like [Florida governor] Ron DeSantis, who, I'm not super familiar with his history, but I assume a JAG officer doesn't have those kind of skeletons in his closet. I assume there's no Stormy Daniels looking to hit up Ron DeSantis," he added, referencing the porn star who alleged she had an affair with Trump while his wife Melania was pregnant.

"And it goes back as far as I can think," he continued. "I remember, and I don't wanna sound like I'm criticizing this man because I'm a huge fan of him, but I remember in the '90s, Kirk Hammett, the guitar player from METALLICA, on the DVD or video [documentary] that they put out, 'A Year And A Half In The Life Of Metallica', he called [right-wing firebrand] Pat Buchanan a Nazi. And back then I didn't think anything of it. But then now, to think back, it's, like, this narrative of conservatives being Nazis or being the most detestable thing that you can comp with, it's not new; it's been going on forever and ever and ever, and I think that it's a bad thing."

Labonte also touched upon the mob violence that happened on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, incited in large part by the false voter fraud claims of then-President Trump and his Republican allies, claiming that the destructive event has been improperly labeled.

"The idea that it was an insurrection is probably one of the most ridiculous ideas that I've ever been presented with," Phil said. "On January 6th, I was watching it on the Internet, and I was just, like, 'Man…' There have been bombs that have gone off in the Capitol; that's actually happened in the '80s. So the idea that this was some kind of dramatic thing... The politicians did exactly what they intended to do in the same room on the same day. It was not an insurrection. That's not how insurrections end up." (As a legal term, an insurrection means, essentially, to incite, assist in or engage in a full-on rebellion against the government: a step beyond just conspiring against it, and requiring that significant violence be involved.)

In a 2012 interview with Noisecreep, Labonte said that he has never been afraid to state his opinion. "You get what you get," he said. "I hate when lead singers and people in bands are so afraid of offending their fans that they don't say how they really feel so they don't bum people out. Well, everything you do might bum someone out, so simply be yourself. I don't like rock stars. I didn't start playing in bands to get chicks. When I started playing music, there were no chicks to be seen. It was a sea of virgins. I'm not afraid to say this is my opinion. If you don't like, hit the road. What's the big deal? If I have an opinion, it's one individual opinion out of six and a half billion people on Earth. What does it mean? Absolutely nothing. So what if I said something that you don't like. It's not going to change the world one iota."

Last year, Labonte confirmed to the FM99 WNOR radio station that ALL THAT REMAINS had commenced the songwriting process for the follow-up to 2018's "Victim Of The New Disease" album.

"Victim Of The New Disease" was ALL THAT REMAINS' final album to feature guitarist Oli Herbert, who was found dead in October 2018 at the edge of the pond on his Stafford Springs, Connecticut property. He has since been replaced by Jason Richardson, who has previously played with BORN OF OSIRIS and CHELSEA GRIN.

Melodic death/doom metal band Coldbound have revealed the identity of their official full time guitarist: Samuli Federley. He introduced himself via social media with the following message: 


"I was born in 1981 in Helsinki, Finland. I started playing guitar at the age of 10. From an early age I was strongly interested in music so I also play piano and drums but guitar is considered as my main instrument.


The early days were spent with heavy practicing and learning everything about guitar and music. I studied several years in pop/jazz conservatory in Helsinki and finally entered the Stadia, Polytechnics in Helsinki from where I graduated as a guitar pedagogue. 


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I have played in several bands and worked also as a session musician. I've recorded guitars for over 10 albums to this day and one of them has received a gold record status in Finland. I've also released three solo albums and done demo videos and music for different companies. Besides these duties, I teach guitar in a local music institute.


In my music I combine various musical styles such as rock, metal, classical, electronica, pop and merge those into a unique ensemble. They are presented in a virtuosic and energetic manner that appeal to all kinds of listeners.


I mainly perform as a solo artist. I have toured for example in Finland, Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic, Korea, China and Romania. I have performed with such legends as Steve Vai and Michael Monroe."





Coldbound recently released the single “Slumber Of Decay”, which marked the metal comeback of Liv Kristine (Theatre of Tragedy, Leaves' Eyes) and Meiju Enho (Ensiferum). Coldbound mastermind Pauli Souka checked in with the following update:


"We move on with the album progress. To finally reveal the scale of this project we give you some numbers for the double album.


The album process got launched almost exactly three years ago, July 2018. The whole entity consists of approximately 17 songs, with the work being based on a script structure, with a hint of a soundtrack twist, making it a full storyline presented through music. Yet again, it’s a full blown metal production.


The number of instruments used on this album is uncountable, everything from acoustic and orchestral instruments, to electric and analog and metal music gear.


The approximate number of tracks per song is 200-400.


The number of guests participating is over 50.


The tracks have been recorded both within continental Europe and North America.


Thousands and thousands of working hours, and now we finally see the last part of this road opening ahead of us. More information will soon be revealed, so be prepared for more detailed news and album glimpses.


There are no limitations, only passion to make music."


Coldbound recently revealed they have parted ways with Liv Kristine, releasing the following statement:


"As all of us know, these two years have been affected by the situation of the global pandemic. Traveling restrictions have been of a huge obstacle, hence caused multiple delays concerning the music writing aspect. There has been lots of changes within the general aspect, up to a point that we simply cannot come up with further options how to conduct the work that has started several years ago.


This process involves dozens of musicians / artists and already it has taken a big chunk of monetary value and a lot of time and effort. With all the respect to all people involved and to the music itself, which is the main driving force, and seen all this work being at s

A new teaser video for the upcoming upcoming album from SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS is available below.

In the 13-second clip, Slash states: "I think the record itself is probably the best one we've done so far. We're showing no signs of slowing down." The video concludes with a shot of the SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS logo along with the phrase "Coming Soon".

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS's new album will be the follow-up to "Living The Dream", which came out in September 2018 via Slash's own label Snakepit Records, in partnership with Roadrunner Records. The disc was Slash's fourth solo album, and third with Slash and his CONSPIRATORS bandmates Myles Kennedy (vocals), Todd Kerns (bass, vocals), Brent Fitz (drums) and Frank Sidoris (guitar and vocals).

In a recent interview with Jonathan Clarke of New York's Q104.3 radio station, Myles stated about the new CONSPIRATORS LP: "We started putting things together — technically, we started putting things together for that record, writing songs, on the last tour back in 2018, I think, or '19, whatever it was," Myles said. "So, yeah, we have a lot of stuff to pool from. And as we've been saying, it's in the can, the tunes are in the can, so we're good to go. It's just a matter of finding a window to release the stuff."

Last month, Myles told Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio that the new SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS LP will "hopefully" see the light of day "early next year."

Asked about the sound and style of the LP, Myles told Audio Ink Radio: "The thing about the record is that it's got a live vibe to it. It was a record that was recorded in kind of an old-school way. So, with that said, without giving too much away, it definitely has a bit of that energy and that vibe that a lot of us listened to growing up. So, it was fun. It was a fun record to make."

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS' new album will be released via Gibson Records, the recently launched label from Gibson, the iconic American instrument brand, alongside a strategic partnership with BMG.

When the Gibson deal was first announced in July, Slash said in a statement: "It's an honor to be the first release on the new Gibson Records. It's a zenith in our partnership for sure and having worked so closely with Gibson for so long, I know they will be a label that genuinely supports their artists creatively. Not just me, but all the artists they choose to work with. It's perfect."

Last December, Slash told Cleveland.com that SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS had written 20 songs during "a week of initial pre-production" for the band's next LP.

In November 2019, Slash told "The Marshall Podcast" that the road was "the only place" he and THE CONSPIRATORS "really do get a chance to work" on new music. "If we're doing theaters and arenas and all that kind of stuff, we have our soundchecks, so I work on that stuff during that time," he said. "Because that's when I do all the writing — during the road trip. So when the tour is over, at some point, we all get together and we revisit all that material that we worked on while we were on the road. Which is actually what all the records we've done so far are a culmination of."

Complicating the creative process is the fact that Myles Kennedy and THE CONSPIRATORS don't live in the same town as Slash. "Myles is in Washington state, and I'm in L.A. and the rest of the guys are in [Las] Vegas," Slash explained. "So I fly everybody to L.A. and we'll stay there and we'll do pre-production and go in and do a record. But now that GUNS N' ROSES has become a thing, I have to do that. But I will have accumulated enough material out [out on the road] that when the time comes to work on CONSPIRATORS stuff, I already have the material."

Speaking in more detail about how songs come together with THE CONSPIRATORS, Slash said: "We write the whole time. I write the music ideas, and then I'll bring it into a soundcheck situation. For me, the most important thing is the drums. So I'll start working on an idea with Brent, as well as Todd, and even Frank — we'll all stand there together and do it. And then just see if it catches, if it's a cool idea with all the other instruments involved. That's the thing about guitar players — you write bitchin' guitar stuff all day long, but is it a song? So we start working it up. And then Myles will be there and he'll catch it and maybe start recording something into his phone. And we'll just sort of get the nucleus of an idea, and in some cases work on it for a few days until we have an arrangement. And then there's some stuff that we didn't ever get to play in soundcheck that I recorded on my phone in my room and I'll bring that up later."

In September 2019, SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS released "Living The Dream Tour" on DVD+2CD, Blu-ray+2 CD, 3LP black vinyl, limited-edition 3LP red vinyl, digital video and digital audio via Eagle Vision. The set was shot on location on February 20, 2019 at London, England's Eventim Apollo.




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Posted by Slash on Monday, October 4, 2021

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach took part in an hour-long question-and-answer session with fans via the band's official YouTube channel earlier today. Speaking about KILLSWITCH's plans for the coming months, Jesse said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're gonna tour as much as we can to make up lost time. We put out 'Atonement', and album we're all super proud of, and it just never got the love and the support it could have because we weren't able to tour on it, we weren't able to promote it. So we'll work on new music at some point next year, but we've got an album that we're all proud of, so we're gonna continue to tour on 'Atonement' and promote those songs. So, yeah, there'll be another year or so of touring before we even consider a new album."

He continued: "I know in this day and age, everybody wants an album every six months, but we're just not that way. We put so much into these albums, I would feel disingenuous if we kept churning out records. I really need to sit and brood and think and dwell to write a good record. I don't wanna ever put out a record that we are not a hundred percent fully immersed in, in its heart and soul. So if you're looking for new KILLSWITCH music, check out the B-sides for charity we did. We put out a ton of music — well, not a ton, but enough. We're just not that kind of a band that can just put out a record every year. So be patient with us. And in the meantime, if you're able to, just come support a show. We'll be touring as much as we can."

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE is currently on tour with SLIPKNOT, FEVER 333 and CODE ORANGE as part of the "Knotfest Roadshow". The band will also appear at several key fall festivals.

On September 10, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE performed without longtime bassist Mike D'Antonio at the Inkcarceration festival in Mansfield, Ohio after he tested positive for COVID-19. Filling in for him was the band's production manager Josh Mihlek.

"Atonement" was released in August 2019 via Metal Blade Records in the U.S. and Sony Music Entertainment in the rest of the world. The disc features guest appearances by the band's former lead singer Howard Jones and TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy. It marks the band's third full-length release since the return of Leach, who rejoined the group in 2012.

In July, Leach and guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz released the second album from their TIMES OF GRACE project, "Songs Of Loss And Separation", via the band's own imprint label, Wicked Good Records, distributed by ADA Worldwide.

TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon says that he and his bandmates went through "COVID hell" after being infected with coronavirus.

More than a month ago, TESLA announced it was postponing a few shows after Hannon tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. At the time, Hannon wrote in a social media post that he had "not been able to move all week" and revealed that he woke up with a 102-degree fever and could "hardly breathe" on the day that TESLA was scheduled to leave for tour.

Now, in a new interview with Marci Wiser of the 95.5 KLOS radio station, Hannon opened up about his COVID-19 battle, saying (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We went through COVID hell, and luckily none of us died from it. I just lost another friend who died from COVID. This is a real thing, man. People that are anti-vaxxers and all that — I was on the wrong side of that fence, listening to all the baloney. But we went through it and we survived it.

"Our friends in STYX and our friends in these bands that have been successfully touring, they've given us some advice that we follow [while we are on the road now]," he continued.

"As much as you hate wearing a mask, you've just gotta do it when you're close to people. And so we're doing that. We're all vaccinated now. And we're being careful but we're trying to live our lives too."

Hannon also elaborated on his battle with COVID-19, saying: "I wanna describe it, 'cause I got some flak from some clown on the Internet, saying, 'All you had was the flu. All it is is the flu. Quit making a big deal about it.' And that's the biggest crock. I'm telling you, man — it was a month of hell. It was a hard one.

"It affects everybody differently," he continued. "Like I said, unfortunately, sadly a lot of people are dying from it. But for me, it was like a month-long hangover. Imagine drinking all the tequila and whiskey and smoking a pack of Pall Mall non-filters for three days — imagine that — and then waking up hung over from that for a month. That's what it felt like."

Earlier in the month, Hannon told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station that he "got vaccinated" before going on the road with TESLA, but admitted "it was a little too late. I was not wanting to get vaccinated, and I put it off too long. I got vaccinated and about a week later I played a gig and caught COVID and took it to the band by accident. And everybody got sick. It knocked me down for a month, man. It was a month of hell, not being able to breathe and in a lot of pain."

He continued: "People dismiss it as being, 'Oh, it's only a flu,' or, 'It's a cold,' or whatever, but I just lost three more friends — people in the industry that have died from it. So it's a very serious thing. And I don't take it lightly anymore, that's for damn sure."

TESLA played the first two shows of its summer 2021 tour — August 5 in Grants Pass, Oregon and August 6 in Grand Ronde, Oregon — without Frank. Filling in for him was Howie Simon (JEFF SCOTT SOTO, GRAHAM BONNET, STRYPER), who previously stood in for Hannon in September 2018.

TESLA returned to the the road on September 16 in Roanoke, Virginia.

"Myself, I didn't even do one show [of the summer run]," Frank told WRIF. "The morning that we were leaving to go on tour, I came down with a 102 fever. So I called one of my friends that plays guitar, and he filled in for me. They did another show up in Oregon, and they got sick. So we got the kibosh put on TESLA right away."

Late last month, TESLA released the official music video for its brand new single, "Cold Blue Steel". The clip was directed by Brandon Gullion and produced by Hannon.

TESLA's latest album, "Shock", was released in March 2019 via UMe. The follow-up to 2014's "Simplicity" was produced by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen.

ALTER BRIDGE guitarist Mark Tremonti has told Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio that the band will reconvene in 2022 to record a new album. "We're doing new music first [before going back on the road]," he said. "An then me and Myles [Kennedy, ALTER BRIDGE singer] will probably get together on our break in January to go over what we've written at that point, and then we'll go in the studio. We have April scheduled for some studio time. I don't know if we'll finish things up in that time or what, but we need to get new music out before we go back on tour. It's just been too long."

Asked if he has already started writing music for the new ALTER BRIDGE record, Mark said: "Oh, yeah. I've written just a few ideas, but just kind of gotten started."

This past March, Myles told the "Lipps Service With Scott Lipps" podcast that ALTER BRIDGE hadn't started working on material for the follow-up to 2019's "Walk The Sky" album. "We are not yet," he said. "I think everybody's kind of hunkered down in their own solo project. I know Mark Tremonti is in that world right now. Obviously, I've got [my second solo album coming out]. So I would say we'll start thinking about that more towards the end of the year, early next year. Speaking for myself as a writer, I need to refill the creative well. Having done the ALTER BRIDGE record, and then the second solo record, I need to get those creative juices built back up again."

ALTER BRIDGE released a seven-song EP, "Walk The Sky 2.0", last November via Napalm Records. The effort contained live versions of a few of the band's favorites from "Walk The Sky" — "Wouldn't You Rather", "Pay No Mind", "Native Son", "Godspeed", "In The Deep" and "Dying Light" — as well as one new studio track, "Last Rites", which was written, recorded and completed entirely during the COVID-19 lockdown.

"Walk The Sky" came out in October 2019 via Napalm Records.

Myles released his sophomore solo album, "The Ides Of March", on May 14 via Napalm Records.

Zakk Wylde, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY frontman and celebrated Ozzy Osbourne guitarist, spoke to Matt Pinfield of 95.5 KLOS's "New & Approved" show about BLS's 11th studio album, "Doom Crew Inc.", which will be released on November 26 via MNRK Heavy (formerly eOne Music). He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "People ask me, 'Zakk, was there anything different about this album than any of the other ones?' I [tell them], 'No.' It depends on what side of the bed you wake up that morning and what inspires you or whatever.

"Usually when I'm working on a record, I'll just write riffs," he explained. "If I find out the guys are gonna be coming out in a month, I've got a month to write a record, I'll just sit out there with a practice amp in my [jam room] and I just put the reverb on it so it sounds like I'm in Madison Square Garden all by myself and I just start writing riffs until there's something I'm happy with. You might hear something that you get inspired by and then you start writing it. So, that's how I do it. If I don't come up with anything today, I don't sweat it. I'll do it tomorrow. I'll go fishing again, and hopefully I'll catch something.

"The way we did this album, more so than any of the other records, everything you hear on that record I tracked before the guys even came out," Zakk added. "I just played to a click track — no drums, no bass. I did all the guitars, doubled them, so when the guys came out, everything was ready to go… [Drummer] Jeff [Fabb] will just listen to the arrangement and then figure out what he wants to play. He goes in there and tracks the drums — gives it two or three shots — and he's, like, 'I'm done.' And that's it."

"Doom Crew Inc." will be available digitally on CD and vinyl plus a deluxe edition that includes vinyl, CD longbox, cassette and more.

The 12-track album is both a tribute to the band's "first to bleed, last to leave" road crew and a salute to the legion whose support, stretching back to 1998, rivals that of the KISS Army. The stomping, heavy, bluesy, recklessly unhinged hard-rock-metal quartet are part invading horde, and part traveling carnival — summoning caffeine-fueled cacophony on records and the stage.

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

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY has just hit the road on the "Doom Trooping Over North America" tour. The trek started October 1 in Sacramento at Ace Of Spades with openers OBITUARY and PRONG and will end on November 28 in Albuquerque at the Sunshine Theater. The band will then finish up the tour from December 27-31 with PRONG and ARMORED SAINT.

Photo credit: Justin Reich

Guitarist Bruce Kulick, who was with KISS from 1984 – 1996 during the band's unmasked era, recently sat down with Rolling Stone for a career-spanning interview. Following is an excerpt.


How did you first hear about the possibility of playing with KISS?


Kulick: "I have never really discussed it publicly, but I auditioned for them when they had the cattle call to replace Ace (in 1981). My brother always told them, 'Bruce is great. You gotta hear Bruce.' But I was not ready to walk into that band, especially where they were at, wearing makeup and what they were doing. All I remember from the audition is I couldn’t hear myself, but Gene said, 'Nice vibrato.' That was it.

Years later, Mitch Weissman, who looked like a Jewish Paul McCartney and was in (the 1977 Broadway musical) Beatlemania, told Paul 'If you need a ghost guitar guy, call Bruce. He can really play.' I don’t even know how he knew about my playing. But all of a sudden, where my brother used to always get the ghost-guitarwork calls, I get the call. And so I helped them out on one song on (1984’s) Animalize and a little bit at the end of another (Editor’s note: Kulick appears on "Lonely Is The Hunter" and "Murder In High-Heels").

Paul knew me since I’d sometimes hang out with him socially when my brother would take me into the city. Now I get a chance to plug in and play my guitar for Paul. He was happy with what I did, and before I left, he says to me, 'Don’t cut your hair.' I’m like, 'What the hell is that about?' It was about shoulder length. Within a month from that, I get a call from the KISS office. They’re asking me to fill in for Mark St. John, the new guitar player. He has an arthritic condition where his hand got swollen. I was like, 'I just won the lottery. I might be in KISS for two to six weeks.'"

At the end of August, Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen began teasing fans with with music from his forthcoming Star One album by launching a  "guess the movie" game. Fans were invited to watch a video clip o see the lyrics inspired by the movie and hear a part of the song. 


Lucassen: "Even if you can’t guess the movie. I hope you enjoy the music."


Check out some of the clips below.


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"Revel In Time"





"The Year Of '41"





"Bridge Of Life"





"Today Is Yesterday"





Lucassen recently checked in with a new update:


"Jef Bertel’s majestic painting for the new Star One album front cover is finally ready, and it’s amazing! Here is the proud owner... ME."

Sweden's Seventh Crystal released their debut album, Delirium, via Frontiers Music Srl. In the new video below, the band perform the song "Broken Mirror" live at Nordic Sound Lab in Skara, Sweden.





Order the Delirium album here.


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Tracklisting:


"Say What You Need To Say"
"When We Were Young"
"Broken Mirror"
"Delirium"
"When I'm Gone"
"Should've Known Better"
"So Beautiful"
"Time To Let It Go"
"Déjà Vu"
"Bright And Clear"
"Hope It Will Be Alright"


"Time To Let It Go" video:





"Broken Mirror" video:

Canada’s Ravenous will be unleashing their new album, Hubris on October 22 via Feast Beast Records for North America plus Europe and for Asia via Spiritual Beast with exclusive bonus tracks “Cakaw Te Partiro” and “一瞬千撃” for the Japanese version.


Before the full-length officially drops, the band is hosting two album release shows for Alberta fans in Edmonton and Calgary. The Edmonton event will be hosted on October 9 at The Starlite Room, which will include a live DVD recording in support of Hubris and for their hometown crowd in Calgary, they will be performing on October 15 at Dickens.


The band hints at what attendees can expect from their live show: "First-time fans can expect our performance and costumes to be akin to going to a Queen show in their early pub days, but with fast-riffs, blast beats, and more crowd-singing than you can shake a claw at! Our fans have a tendency to make people feel welcome, like joining a giant IRL Discord server, so the fans all become friends over time and that community not only strengthens us as a band, but also boosts the rest of the industry, so first-timers will find they left the show with more friends than they came in with!"


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Details for the CD release shows can be found on Ravenous' Facebook page, here.


Hubris pre-orders are available at Indiegogo.





Tracklisting:


"Carnage In Carthage"
"Astral Elixir"
"Son Of Storms"

Founding JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing, who has just released the debut album from his new band KK'S PRIEST, spoke to the College Radio News Network about the group's plans for the coming months. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[I'm] already well on the way with the next record, which is tremendously exciting. So in the event that I've got this winter, we've got this winter, to sit through, then that's gonna be done by the time we come out the other end. Which is gonna be great, because then we'll be able to release that next year at some point. And obviously by then we'll have picked up a really cool tour. We're happy to, obviously, special guest with a band going out or do our own shows — either or… And hopefully we can land a tour. But we need to get the [first] album circulated. For all the promoters out there, take a listen and check out the videos."

Downing is joined in KK'S PRIEST by former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals), along with guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

KK'S PRIEST's debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", was released on October 1 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

Downing spent four months writing and recording "Sermons Of The Sinner" and, along with new ideas, he even resurrected a few archived riffs from the '80s.

K.K. formed KK'S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour. It followed a couple of celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summer of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that year.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's upcoming 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

Photo by George Chin

Puck Hcky, the hockey-based fashion brand, has released a new collection of gear with DISTURBED.

Matt Marini, CEO of Puck Hcky, says: "DISTURBED has been absolutely crushing it with fans for years and have been a huge part of people's musical lives with such great songs. Whenever you hear a DISTURBED song or record, you get sucked in because they have such a knack for writing such powerful tunes that stick with you. They also hail from a true hockey city... Chicago! We here at Puck Hcky could not be more fired-up to be releasing this collection with them, and there is more to come! Should you ever get to the Puck Hcky store, be prepared to hear DISTURBED playing while you shop!"

The Disturbed x Puck Hcky collection features pro-quality crested jerseys, hoodies, flannels, joggers, hats, raglans and tees.

The entire collection is available at www.puckhcky.com.

Based in Royal Oak, Michigan, about 10 minutes north of Detroit, Puck Hcky started in 2015 when Marini decided that the hockey world needed a "cool" fashion brand and his partner, Puck Hcky president Amy Steffek, pushed to "go for it." "So we jumped in, and Puck Hcky was born," Marini told California Rubber. "We are having an absolute blast with the brand and growing day by day. We have an amazing crew here, too. Everyone is totally focused on making Puck Hcky the go-to hockey-fashion brand for the masses."

Regarding Puck Hcky's artist collaborations, Marini said: "What makes all of the collaborations special is that we truly get each partner to participate in the creation of the designs, which brings a certain level of authenticity to the end-products. We refuse to put any product out for sale until they are 100 percent approved by each partner we work with. It's awesome."

GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose has thanked fans for coming out to see the group on its just-completed North American tour.

Axl and his bandmates played the final show of their "We're F'N Back" run on Sunday, October 4 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, and he has since taken to social media to express his gratitude for "making it great".

"Again huge thanks to everyone that came out to the shows!!" Axl wrote. "A special thanks to everyone for working with us to help protect your safety, the safety of each other, the safety of r crew n' the venue's crews following r COVID protocol. These r stressful times (which is an understatement) and your cooperation n' participation is greatly appreciated and not taken for granted.

"We didn't take going into this tour lightly n' there were huge industry considerations (n' reasonings) to take into account in taking on such an endeavor n' we truly want to thank everyone that came out or was involved in any way for making it great n' that things ran as smoothly as they did!! And last but not least a big thanks to Wolfie Van Halen n' MAMMOTH 4 a great run!!

"Peace n' hope to see everyone again soon!!!"

"We're F'N Back!" came on the heels of the "Not In This Lifetime" run that began in April 2016 and became the No. 3 highest-grossing tour in the history of Billboard Boxscore.

As was the case with "Not In This Lifetime", the latest GUNS N' ROSES tour featured classic-lineup members Slash (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass) and Rose backed by guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

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.

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".

GUNS N' ROSES is now said to be working on a new studio album — the first under the GUNS banner since "Chinese Democracy" and the first to feature Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan since 1993.




pic.twitter.com/BHo967V6Ep

— Axl Rose (@axlrose) October 4, 2021

Bad Wolves will release their third studio album, Dear Monsters, on October 29 via Better Noise Music. The album serves as the official introduction to new lead singer DL, whose addition to the lineup was announced by the band earlier this year. Check out a lyric video for the new single, "House Of Cards", below.


Pre-order or pre-save Dear Monsters here. Exclusive album bundle merch is available at the band web store, here.





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Tracklisting:


"Sacred Kiss"
"Never Be The Same"

YouTube user Greg Perry has uploaded front-row video of Alice Cooper's October 3 performance at the Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville, Tennessee. Check out the footage below.

Alice and his solo band played their first concert in a year and a half on September 17 at Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Prior to the Atlantic City show, Cooper told Ultimate Classic Rock about returning to the road: "Everyone's trying to remember where everything is, all the little moves. It's really just getting your wings back. I think everyone’s just happy to get back on stage — it's almost to the point of being giddy. It's just about getting back on the boards and feeling comfortable with the show, and then all of a sudden you go, 'Oh yeah, I remember what we did there,' or 'I've always wanted to change that. Let's change that now. I guarantee by the second show it's gonna be back to what it was, and then I can start to think about, 'Okay, now what...'"

Cooper is joined by original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley for most of the current tour, which will run through October 23 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Cooper, a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, usually spends up to six months a year on the road, bringing his iconic brand of rock psycho-drama to fans both old and new, enjoying it as much as the audience does. Known as the architect of shock rock, Cooper (in both the original Alice Cooper band and as a solo artist) has rattled the cages and undermined the authority of generations of guardians of the status quo, continuing to surprise fans and exude danger at every turn, like a great horror movie. Alice Cooper concerts remain a "not-to-be-missed" attraction.

Cooper's universally acclaimed new album "Detroit Stories" is out now via earMUSIC. The record is a celebration of the sound and spirit of the golden era of Detroit rock, and debuted on the Billboard album sales chart at No. 1 upon release in February.

The Associated Press called "Detroit Stories" "a masterpiece of classic rock, soul and R&B in homage to the city that produced him," while Entertainment Weekly proclaimed the release "a love letter from Cooper to his city, and one that encourages a deep dive into his own back catalog and that of his peers." Variety deemed the album "a delicious tip of the hat to '70s classics such as 'Killer' and 'School's Out' without sounding like a throwback." Rolling Stone enthused, "That spirit of rock & roll abandon still exists in Cooper's music half a century later, and his inherent showmanship is why people still fill theaters to see his guillotine act. It's also why his records are still fun to listen to: You never know where he's headed."

"We've always had fun touring together and it should be a heavy rock show with Ace and a great way to get everyone back to live concerts again," says Cooper. "It should be a great night of virtuoso guitars!"

Finnish melodic heavy metal band Renegade Angel has released a new single and music video, "Damnation", via Inverse Records. The single features Tim "Ripper" Owens (KK's Priest) on vocals. 


Mastermind Jani Pöysä comments: "I think we managed to bring the best aspects of our previous songs and create a masterpiece for us. The song has even more variation and a larger production than the prior songs. The riffs and hooks are strong, but there are so many awesome layers of keys, piano, vocal harmonies as well as guitar- and bass fills that take it to another level! I am proud of how everybody did such an amazing job and perfected with the tiniest details and managed to make the song as amazing as it was meant to be." 
 



Renegade Angel is a melodic heavy metal project ru

Dissonant death metal trio Sunless have premiered the third single from their forthcoming album, Ylem. Enjoy "Ascended Forms" via the YouTube clip below.


Sunless will release their sophomore album, Ylem, on October 29 on CD, vinyl, and digital formats via Willowtip Records. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.





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Part two of a trilogy, Ylem builds upon the concept and lyrical theme of the band's independently released debut album, Urraca, by reinforcing the mysticism of the previous album while exploring new themes of displacement, fear, wonder, and transcendence. With the addition of a new drummer and an evolving approach to songwriting, Sunless further develops their signature sound with increasingly diverse, dense, and technical offerings.


Best consumed whole, the experience of Ylem is as harrowing as it is satisfying, one rife with dissonant melodies and complex rhythmic structures, certain to leave an indelible mark on the listener's psyche.





Tracklisting:


"Spiraling Into The Unfathomable"
"Ascended Forms" 
"The Unraveling Of Arcane Past" 
"Atramentous"
"Flesh-Particle Amalgam

In an October 1 interview with Headbangers News, K.K. Downing spoke about the differences between his songwriting approach in KK'S PRIEST and the way he used to collaborate with Rob Halford and Glenn Tipton in JUDAS PRIEST. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Now I prefer — I actually prefer to be able to, if I think it's good, then it goes on the record. If I think it's bad, it doesn't go on the record. I prefer to ask myself, not have a consideration from other people.

"I'm very proud of everything I did as a writing team with Glenn and Rob — extremely proud of it — but I like this, if I'm honest. I prefer it this way, because I just feel as though I'm the loyal metal PRIEST," he explained. "I'm a hundred percent true to this music. And I don't care what people say about this. I know that the fans, we are the same. I don't care what people say. I really feel one with the fans because we've had such a great relationship for so long.

"I think this is important to me, to be able to do this," Downing added. "And I'm already well on the way with the [second KK'S PRIEST] record, and it's sounding good — it's really sounding good as a continuation to 'Sermons Of The Sinner'. The story continues of KK'S PRIEST in the way that I think it should. And I like it. So I'm really, really happy about it. And I'm really happy now. The record's gonna be released today and tomorrow, and we can change our focus to getting everything ready for some live shows — the production, putting the setlist together, rehearsing the songs. 'Cause it's gonna happen — it will happen."

Downing is joined in KK'S PRIEST by former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals), along with guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

KK'S PRIEST's debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", was released on October 1 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

Downing spent four months writing and recording "Sermons Of The Sinner" and, along with new ideas, he even resurrected a few archived riffs from the '80s.

K.K. formed KK'S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour. It followed a couple of celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summer of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that year.