The Dark Element vocalist Anette Olzon (ex-Nightwish) has released her new solo album, Strong, via Frontiers Music Srl. Listen to the title track below, and order/save Strong on CD/LP/Digital here.





This is Anette's second solo album, following 2014's Shine, and offers a harder, faster musical offering compared to the debut. More importantly, Strong stakes a claim for Anette’s well-deserved standing as one of the world's top female metal vocalists.


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The music for Strong was written and composed together with acclaimed Swedish guitarist and producer Magnus Karlsson. Together, Anette and Magnus managed to create an outstanding collection of songs which showcase Anette’s enormous vocal range alongside Karlsson’s incendiary riffs. The songs are heavy, but still quite melodic and contemporary in their approach to the genre style. Additionally, Strong is mixed by Jacob Hansen (Pretty Maids, Volbeat, The Dark Element, etc.).


All in all, Strong is an album that masters the borders between heaviness and hookiness, all while showing an artist who doesn't rest on her laurels, but heads boldly into the future.





Tracklisting:


"Bye Bye Bye"
"Sick Of You"
"I Need To Stay"
"Strong"
"Parasite"
"Sad Lullaby"
"Fantastic Fanatic"
"Who Can Save Them"
"Catcher Of My Dreams"
"Hear Them Roar"
"Roll The Dice"


"Strong":





"Fantastic Fanatic":





"Sick Of You" lyric video:





"Parasite" video:





Lineup:


Anette Olzon - Vocals
Magnus Karlsson - Guitars
Anders Köllerfors - Drums
Johan Husgafvel – Bass





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Fan-filmed video footage of STRYPER's September 9 concert in Green Bay, Wisconsin can be seen below.

STRYPER guitarist Oz Fox is sitting out the band's current our dates while he is recovering from the first of his brain surgeries to treat one of the tumors that were found in his head three years ago. Filling in for him at the shows is Howie Simon (JEFF SCOTT SOTO, GRAHAM BONNET).

Prior to the Green Bay concert, STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet took to his social media to write: "Just to clear up a few things: Howie Simon is filling in for Oz for the shows that we have booked this year. He does an absolutely amazing job and obviously so since WINGER and TESLA use him as well for their fill in dates. Simple as that. If we didn't feel comfortable using Howie we wouldn't. We do and we're honored to have him. Also, this band has never sounded better than we do now with [bassist Perry Richardson].

"People (and I mean very few people) may complain because we don't have the original lineup but Perry is the cream of the crop. Personally, musically and spiritually. Period. He's taken this band to new heights and we couldn't be more proud to have found him and to have him.

"We're about to perform (tonight) having not played live in almost 2 years and with basically no rehearsal. Am I making excuses? Hell no! I'm simply saying that we're rehearsing as we go and trying to find our groove. We'd be doing the very same thing if Oz was here now.

"So, come out and enjoy the shows. We're just happy and humble to even be able to play is this absolutely insane world. The music business got hit the hardest and continues to take blow after blow. To be able to perform on a stage during the most volatile times of our lives is beyond miraculous. It's heavenly".

In early August, Oz said that he felt "it would be best" for him to take the rest of the year off from touring "for some solid recovery time" following surgery. Another big project is coming for STRYPER in January and I really would like to be in my best shape for the task," he wrote on social media. "With all of that in mind, I have strongly encouraged my brothers in the band to continue with booked shows coming up in the next few months with our dear friend Howie Simon covering my duties. Howie is an amazing guitar player and vocalist and I trust him to fully 'out-shred' me for those up and coming dates! So I am trusting you all to welcome him with open arms so the band can continue to work in my absence."

Fox's tumors — one by his ear and the other in the back of his brain — were discovered when he suffered his first seizure in August 2018 while performing with SIN CITY SINNERS at Harrah's in Las Vegas. Over the past two and a half years, both tumors had grown and were posing a serious health risk to the guitarist, who turned 60 in June. Specifically, the tumor behind the ear, if it continued to grow, could have caused hearing loss, balance, vision and spinal problems, while the tumor in the back of Oz's brain was in the area where left side of his arms, hands and body operate. Removing it could have affected the upper left motor function and potential ability to recognize faces and objects.

Last October, Fox was briefly hospitalized after suffering another massive seizure.

Within weeks of Fox's original August 2018 seizure, STRYPER toured Australia and Japan as a three-piece, and later recruited Simon to fill in while Fox was unable to go on the road.






Just to clear up a few things:

Howie Simon is filling in for Oz for the shows that we have booked this year. He does an...

Posted by Michael Sweet on Friday, September 10, 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.

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

ALL THAT REMAINS has canceled its appearances at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival (September 11) in Danville, Virginia and the Inkcarceration festival (September 12) in Mansfield, Ohio after one of the bandmembers tested positive for COVID-19.

Earlier today (Saturday, September 11), ALL THAT REMAINS frontman Phil Labonte released the following statement: "Hey everyone, Phil here. We are wicked bummed to do this but we are going to have to pull out of Blue Ridge and Inkcarceration. Everyone in ATR is vaccinated but one of our guys tested positive with a breakthrough case of COVID. We take this very seriously and don't want to risk contributing to the spread. We love you all and we will see you on 'The Fall Of Ideals' anniversary celebration tour."

In the past a couple of months, a number of other high-profile hard rock and heavy metal artists have also called off shows or played concerts without members who have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The cancelations and the increased number of COVID-19 infections are driven in large part by the fact that the delta variant of the coronavirus, now the most common strain circulating in the United States, has a supercharged transmissibility, driven in part by how the mutated virus behaves in the body after infection.

Experts have repeatedly said that a COVID-19 vaccine is the single most important tool for preventing infections and protecting against moderate and severe disease. Some variants, such as delta, may be more likely to cause breakthrough infections, but vaccinations have shown protection against symptomatic disease caused by delta. Unvaccinated people are more likely to be hospitalized or die from COVID-19 than people who are fully vaccinated. In the United States, 97% of the hospitalizations over the past three months, since delta came on the scene, have been in unvaccinated people. Ninety-nine percent of the people who have died of COVID-19 in the last three months were unvaccinated.

Masks reduce the risk of an infected person's spreading the virus and provide some protection for the wearer against becoming infected. A new study found that increased mask-wearing led to a significant reduction in the percentage of people with COVID-19, based on symptom reporting and SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing. The researchers tested both cloth and surgical masks and found especially strong evidence that surgical masks are effective in preventing COVID-19.
























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STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and BUSH have canceled their previously announced co-headline tour. The 11-city outing was scheduled to kick off September 30 in Mesa, Arizona and wrap on October 17 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The news of the cancelation was shared on Friday (September 10) by STONE TEMPLE PILOTS. The group wrote in a statement: "STP friends and family, unfortunately BUSH has had to cancel their upcoming tour with us that was to start at the end of this month. We are of course saddened by this news, but it's a sign of the times right now. That said, our headline dates starting on October 17th are still on! The only headline date that is being canceled is Oct 9th in Chattanooga, as that was during the BUSH run and can no longer fit with the schedule. We'd love to see you all out there for the [remaining] dates, and we're so very much looking forward to coming back to all canceled markets as soon as we can."

In a separate statement, BUSH said about the decision to call off the tour: "Due to unfortunate and unavoidable Covid-related circumstances, we will be unable to move forward with our planned Fall tour dates — including our festival appearances and our tour with STONE TEMPLE PILOTS.

"We cannot stress enough how heartbreaking it is to not be able to go out and play after all of this time, and after all of our attempted starts and ensuing stops over the past year and a half. We wish to extend our deepest apologies as this is the last thing we would want for all our great fans as well as our good friends in STONE TEMPLE PILOTS."

BUSH and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS both released new albums in 2020: "The Kingdom" and "Perdida", respectively.

BUSH's sole remaining original member is frontman Gavin Rossdale. STONE TEMPLE PILOTS features three original members — guitarist Dean DeLeo, bassist Robert DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz — plus lead singer Jeff Gutt, who joined the group in 2017.

Gutt, a 45-year-old Michigan native who spent time in the early-2000s nu-metal act DRY CELL, among other bands, and was a contestant on "The X Factor", joined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS after beating out roughly 15,000 hopefuls during an extended search that began more than a year earlier.

Original STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland, who reunited with the group in 2010 after an eight-year hiatus but was dismissed in 2013, died in December 2015 of a drug overdose.

Chester Bennington, who joined STP in early 2013, departed nearly three years later to spend more time with his main band LINKIN PARK. Bennington committed suicide in July 2017.

Last October, BUSH released "The Kingdom Deluxe Edition". The record featured six bonus songs, including "Heroes", a special tribute to David Bowie, as well as live performances of the title track "The Kingdom" and single "Flowers On A Grave", which went Top 10 on Active Rock Radio.


STP friends and family, unfortunately Bush has had to cancel their upcoming tour with us that was to start at the end of...

Posted by Stone Temple Pilots on Friday, September 10, 2021

David Ellefson is making his first post-MEGADETH public appearance this weekend (September 10-12) at Crypticon, a convention celebrating all things horror, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ellefson is attending the event to promote "Dwellers", a found-footage horror film he produced, which will be released October 12 on Blu-ray and digital streaming services.

A short video message Ellefson recorded for a fan at this year's Crypticon can be seen below.

"Dwellers" was written and directed by Drew Fortier, who also stars in the film. Described as "'C.H.U.D.' if it were shot like 'The Blair Witch Project'," the movie also stars James L. Edwards ("Her Name Was Christa"), Douglas Esper ("The Nutshell") and Omar Baig ("Let's Make A Movie"). It also features cameos from Ellefson and former MUSHROOMHEAD vocalist Jeff Hatrix.

The film's plot is as follows: While shooting a documentary on the suspicious disappearances within the homeless community, a filmmaker and his crew go missing while uncovering a terrifying and vicious secret below the city's surface.

Ellefson was dismissed from MEGADETH in late May, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving him were posted on Twitter. A short time later, he 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.

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

In July, MEGADETH leader Dave 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.

On May 24, Mustaine — who formed MEGADETH with Ellefson in 1983 — announced the bassist's departure from the band.

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

MEGADETH guitarist Kiko Loureiro has uploaded a new 24-minute behind-the-scenes video look at the rehearsals for the band's recently launched "The Metal Tour Of The Year".

Kiko wrote in a message accompanying the YouTube release of the clip: "Getting ready for 'The Metal Tour Of The Year' with LAMB OF GOD, TRIVIUM and HATEBREED. The entire MEGADETH team was ready and prepared to start rehearsals for the new tour after such a long time.

"In this video you'll see us rehearsing songs like 'Hangar 18', 'Symphony Of Destruction', 'Conquer Or Die', 'Holy Wars... The Punishment Due', 'In My Darkest Hour', 'Peace Sells', 'Poison Was The Cure', discussing about Vic Rattlehead and much more."

MEGADETH played its first show with bassist James LoMenzo in nearly 12 years on August 20 in Austin, Texas at the opening concert of "The Metal Tour Of The Year". Produced by Live Nation, the rescheduled trek will wrap in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada on Saturday, October 2.

LoMenzo joined MEGADETH in 2006 and appeared on two of the group's studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame". He was fired from the band in 2010 and replaced with returning original MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson.

In addition to MEGADETH, LoMenzo has played with Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde and WHITE LION. For the past eight years, LoMenzo has been performing with iconic rocker John Fogerty.

MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine has yet to reveal who played bass on the band's new album after Ellefson's tracks were removed from the LP following his dismissal from the group in late May.

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 early May, on the same day that sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving Ellefson were posted on Twitter, he released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan.

On May 24, Mustaine — who formed MEGADETH with Ellefson in 1983 — announced the bassist's departure from the band.

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

Fan-filmed video footage of Geoff Tate's September 9 performance at Daryl's House restaurant and music club in Pawling, New York can be seen below.

The months ago, the former QUEENSRŸCHE singer announced rescheduled dates for the next European leg of his tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of "Empire" and "Rage For Order" albums.

1986's "Rage For Order" introduced a much more polished look and sound for QUEENSRŸCHE. The album featured keyboards as prominently as guitars, and the group adopted an image more closely associated with glam rock or glam metal than with heavy metal (of which glam metal was a subgenre). A video was filmed for the song "Gonna Get Close to You", originally recorded in 1984 by DALBELLO.

Released in 1990, "Empire" included the hit ballad "Silent Lucidity", which reached No. 9 on the Billboard singles chart, helped propel "Empire" to No. 7 on the album chart and earned two Grammy Award nominations.

Prior to the launch of the trek in early 2020, Tate told MisplacedStraws.com that he would take the "Empire 30th Anniversary Tour" to "as many countries as I can and playing the album in its entirety, which I've never done before. So that'll be real fun. In fact, I think there's some songs on that album that I've never, ever played live before, so it'll be a treat — for me, as well, I think, for the audience too," the former QUEENSRŸCHE singer said. "I'm really looking forward to that."

Tate told Eonmusic that one song from "Empire" that was rarely performed live is "Anybody Listening?" "When QUEENSRŸCHE was together, we never really put that song in our set," he said. "We just had a hard time playing it, for some reason; it just never jelled or felt right. And I'd really like to play that song again, and play it right."

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Original QUEENSRŸCHE members Michael Wilton (guitar), Scott Rockenfield (drums) and Eddie Jackson (bass) responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform the albums "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

Tate was replaced in QUEENSRŸCHE by former CRIMSON GLORY singer Todd La Torre.

Geoff recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of "Operation: Mindcrime" on European and U.S. tours.

MUDVAYNE played its first show in 12 years Saturday night (September 11) at the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival in Mansfield, Ohio. Video footage and photos of the performance can be seen below.

The band's setlist ran as follows:

01. Not Falling

02. -1

03. Death Blooms

04. Internal Primates Forever

05. Silenced

06. A New Game

07. Prod

08. A Cinderella Story

09. Dull Boy

10. World So Cold

11. Determined

12. Nothing To Gein

13. Happy?

14. Dig

MUDVAYNE formed in 1996 and has sold over six million records worldwide, earning gold certification for three albums ("L.D. 50", "The End Of All Things To Come", "Lost And Found"). The band is known for its sonic experimentation, innovative album art, face and body paint, masks and uniforms. MUDVAYNE is Chad Gray (vocals), Greg Tribbett (guitar, backing vocals), Matthew McDonough (drums, synthesizer) and Ryan Martinie (bass).

It's been more than a decade since MUDVAYNE released its self-titled fifth album and little had been heard about the group during that time.

Gray has spent the past 15 years fronting HELLYEAH, which released its sixth studio album, "Welcome Home", in September 2019 via Eleven Seven Music. The disc marked the group's final effort with drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who passed away more than three years ago.

In 2018, Tribbett said that fans who are calling for a MUDVAYNE reunion "just need a little more patience." He explained: "We're all flattered that everybody still wants MUDVAYNE to tour and do a new record and come out and do all that stuff. The thing is is that everybody is in three different bands and kind of doing their own projects, and there's no time for that right now."

Tribbett's most focus was AUDIOTOPSY, which released its second full-length album, "The Real Now", in November 2018 via Megaforce Records. He is joined in that band by MUDVAYNE drummer Matt McDonough, SKRAPE vocalist Billy Keeton and bassist Perry Stern.

MUDVAYNE did not tour behind its fifth album, which was barely promoted and sold weakly upon release.

Gray previously expressed skepticism about the possibility of a MUDVAYNE reunion, noting in a 2015 interview that "the only way I personally would want to do MUDVAYNE is if everybody licked their wounds and got over it."

Tribbett was also part of HELLYEAH with Gray but was fired from that band in 2013.

Asked in Revolver magazine if Greg's exit from HELLYEAH hit him especially hard, seeing as the two of them started off playing together in MUDVAYNE, Chad said: "Yeah, man. He has always been my right-hand man. He's been the back I look at when I'm writing songs and the sounding board for my ideas. When everything went sideways, it was like losing a great friend. I was filled with fear and I had mixed emotions. At first, I was, like, 'Goddamn, I don't know if I'm ever gonna be able to do this without him.'"






























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??THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF MUDVAYNE ??

Posted by Inkcarceration Festival on Saturday, September 11, 2021



The epic return of Mudvayne closed out day 2! ???What was your favorite part of their set?!

?: Steve Thrasher Photography

Posted by Inkcarceration Festival on Saturday, September 11, 2021





Mudvayne - Not Falling

Posted by Mack Strayer on Saturday, September 11, 2021





In case you were wondering, Mudvayne was awful. They should have left it where it was in 2009. Left early ?

Posted by Daniel Allmann on Saturday, September 11, 2021

On September 24, Doro will celebrate the 35th anniversary of her classic album Triumph And Agony with the release of Triumph And Agony Live, which will be issued on her own label Rare Diamonds Productions / Rough Trade.


As the second digital single, today, the Metal Queen releases the mega-ballad "Für Immer". The live version of the song, like the entire album, was recorded at the Sweden Rock Festival and once again shows Doro and band in top form.





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Doro will celebrate the 35th anniversary of her hit album Triumph And Agony with the release of the spectacular live album Triumph And Agony Live. The work will be released in many different configurations on CD, vinyl, cassette, Blu-ray, as well as in an exclusive, strictly limited fan box.


Recorded in front of a mega-crowd at the famous Sweden Rock Festival, Doro and her band delivered a show for the ages.


Doro: "It has always been my dream to play the complete Triumph And Agony album live. The order of the tracks is different from the original album, but we're playing all ten songs in new, powerful versions."


The audience thanked them frantically. "It was fantastic," Doro explains. "There was a killer atmosphere!" And this was perfectly captured in sound and image - to be heard (and seen) on the great Triumph And Agony Live album.


"It's one of my all-time favorite albums," Doro reveals, "It's got some of our biggest classics and anthems like 'All We Are,' 'Für Immer,' or 'I Rule The Ruins,' plus fan favorites 'Metal Tango,' 'Three Minute Warning,' and 'Kiss Of Death.' And not forgetting the album opener and headbanger 'Touch Of Evil.' I'm super excited and can't wait to let fans hear and see Triumph And Agony’ And it's so exciting to hear the live versions of the classic songs. They capture even more magic now. When I see the fans at the shows and hear them scream and sing along, I know what I live for."


The tracklist includes all ten songs from the 1987 album, but in a different order than originally released.


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


“Legacy (Intro)”
“Touch Of Evil”
“I Rule The Ruins”
“East Meets West”
“Three Minute Warning”
“Kiss Of Death”
“Für Immer”
“Cold, Cold World”
“Make Time For Love”
“Metal Tango”
“All We Are”


"All We Are" video:





(Photo - Tammy Green)





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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, German bashers Gamma Ray (led by Helloween co-founder Kai Hansen) decided to do a live streaming event in 2020 and set up a big stage in the ISS Dome in Düsseldorf, Germany, on August 27.


On their new release, 30 Years Live Anniversary, the band would like to invite all of you to join their exclusive and only show in 2020, which has been streamed to all fans all over the globe. This extraordinary show is now released as a double live album on both audio and video via earMUSIC.





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30 Years Live Anniversary is available as 2CD Digipak + DVD, as 3xLP on black vinyl (+ Blu-ray in some countries), and digital. Furthermore, there is a limited edition 3xLP on coloured vinyl (+ Blu-ray). Each of the three LPs is going to be pressed on a different vinyl colour.


Order here, and watch a new video for "Avalon" below.














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In the wake of Whitesnake’s massive global success, the band’s founder and lead singer, David Coverdale, set out to record his third solo album in 1995. However, the plan was derailed when pressure from his record label forced him to change course and release Restless Heart under the David Coverdale & Whitesnake moniker. Despite the changes, the 1997 album was a Top 40 hit in the UK. Surprisingly, the record was never released in the US. That will change this fall when Rhino introduces several versions of Restless Heart, including a four-disc boxed set.


Restless Heart: Super Deluxe Edition will be available on October 29 and is available for pre-order now. The 4CD/DVD collection features newly remastered and remixed versions of the original album, along with unreleased demos and studio outtakes. The DVD includes music videos and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the album with new interviews from David Coverdale. The set comes with a hardbound book filled with rare and unseen photos from the era.


Three additional versions of Restless Heart will be available the same day. First is a two-CD Deluxe Edition that includes the new remix plus the original album, newly remastered. Next is a double-LP Deluxe Edition pressed on 180-gram silver vinyl that features the newly remixed album. And finally, there is a single-disc version which again features the newly remixed album . In addition, all of the music will be available digitally through streaming services.


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Restless Heart: Super Deluxe Edition opens with a newly remixed version of the album that’s closer to the sound Coverdale initially intended for his new solo release. It’s followed by a newly remastered version of Restless Heart, including the singles “Too Many Tears” and “Don’t Fade Away,” plus three bonus tracks from the album’s original Japanese release. Featured musicians include Adrian Vandenberg, Denny Carmassi, Guy Pratt and in addition, guitarist Joel Hoekstra and keyboardist Derek Sherinian who bring their exceptional talents to the party.


The following two discs reveal how Restless Heart evolved, starting with early pre-production versions of every album track to later takes of those songs.


The DVD features several music videos (“Too Many Tears” and “Restless Heart) plus the Making of the Album featurette. There is also a video EP featuring the three relevant songs from the 1997 live acoustic album, Starkers In Tokyo, originally only available in Japan.


Pre-order here, and watch a video for "Too Many Tears" (2021 HD Video Edit) below.





Restless Heart: Super Deluxe Edition tracklisting:


Disc 1: Restless Heart: 2021 Remix


"Restless Heart"
"You’re So Fine"
"Can’t Go On"
"Crying"
"Take Me Back Again"
"Anything You Want"
"Too Many Tears"
"All In The Name Of Love"
"Your Precious Love"
"Can’t Stop Now"
"Woman Trouble Blues"
"Stay With Me"
"Oi (Theme For An Imaginary Drum Solo)"
"Don’t Fade Away"
"Can’t Go On (Unzipped)"


Disc 2: Restless Heart: 2021 Remaster


"Don’t Fade Away"
"All In The Name Of Love"
"Restless Heart"
"Too Many Tears"
"Crying"
"Stay With Me"
"Can’t Go On"
"You’re So Fine"
"Your Precious Love"
"Take Me Back Again"
"Woman Trouble Blues"
"Anything You Want"
"Can’t Stop Now"
"Too Many Tears ’95" (Live & Drunk in the Studio featuring The Horny B’stards)


Disc 3: Dancing On The Titanic (Early Arrangements & Getting Drum Tracks in the Studio)


"Restless Heart"
"You’re So Fine"
"Can’t Go On"
"Crying"
"Take Me Back Again"
"Anything You Want"
"Too Many Tears"
"All In The Name Of Love"
"Your Precious Love" (Soul Version)
"You Precious Love"
"Can’t Stop Now" (Instrumental Version)
"Woman Trouble Blues"
"Stay With Me"
"Oi" (Instrumental)
"Don’t Fade Away"
"Snakes Down South" (Unreleased Demo)


Disc 4: Restless Heart: Evolutions


"Restless Heart"
"You’re So Fine"
"Can’t Go On"
"Crying"
"Take Me Back Again"
"Anything You Want (Red Light Green Light)"
"Too Many Tears"
"All In The Name Of Love"
"Your Precious Love"
"Can’t Stop Now"
"Woman Trouble Blues"
"Stay With Me"
"Oi" (Instrumental)
"Don’t Fade Away"


Disc 5: Restless Heart: DVD-Video


"All In The Name Of Love" - Fan Video
"Anything You Want" - Fan Video
"You’re So Fine" - Music Video
"Restless Heart" - Fan Video
"Too Many Tears" - Music Video
"Don’t Fade Away" - Music Video
"Can’t Go On" - Acoustic Slideshow
"Restless Heart" - Lyric Video


Startkers Trilogy:


"Too Many Tears"
"Can’t Go On"
"Don’t Fade Away"


Behind The Scenes:


- The Making Of Restless Heart











Whitesnake and special guests Europe recently announced that together they will be hitting the road across the EU. Tickets are on sale now.


Whitesnake will tour Europe starting May 27, 2022 in Germany, and continuing through June, with more dates to be announced in the coming weeks. Confirmed shows are listed below.


“After all the extraordinary challenges we’ve been through together over the last year & a half, I am beyond excited to be able to announce the start of our 2022 EU dates!!! I pray every day we can all make this happen & once again, share unforgettable evenings together & celebrate the amazing journey we have been on for almost 50 years!!!” - David Coverdale


New 2022 Whitesnake Tour Dates:


May
27 - Arena - Oberhausen, Germany
29 - KB Hall - Copenhagen, Denmark
31 - Partille Arena - Gothenburg, Sweden


June
2 - Tjuvholmen Arena - Hamar, Norway
4 - Hovet - Stockholm, Sweden
6 - Ice Hall - Helsinki, Finland
8 - Saku Arena - Tallin, Estonia
10 - Aren - Kaunas, Lithuania
12 - Tauron Arena - Krakow, Poland (NO PRE-SALE)
14 - O2 Universum - Prague, Czech Republic
19 - Zenith - Munich, Germany
21 - Samsung Hall - Zurich, Switzerland
28 - Lorenzini - Milan, Italy





Previously Announced 2022 UK & Ireland Dates:


May
10 - 3Arena - Dublin, Ireland
12 - SEC (SSE Hydro Arena) - Glasgow, Scotland
14 - Utilita Arena - Newcastle, England
16 - The O2 Arena - London, England
18 - AO Arena - Manchester, England
20 - Motorpoint Arena - Nottingham, England
22 - Utilita Arena - Birmingham, England
25 - Motorpoint Arena - Cardiff, Wales





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Italian guitarist/songwriter Marco Mattei has unveiled his first solo album, an original mix of prog-rock, dream-pop, folk and world music entitled Out Of Control on 7D Media/Third Star Records on November 19, 2021.


Featuring Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel), Fabio Trentini (Le Orme, Markus Reuter), Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates), Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, XTC), Chad Wackerman (Frank Zappa, Allan Holdsworth), Clive Deamer (Portishead, Radiohead, Robert Plant)


Out Of Control is a multi-facet collection of intense, emotional songs. Marco creates a multi-layered, original sound utilizing a wide range of electric and acoustic guitars together with guitar loops, bouzouki and resonator guitars, supported by lifelong friends and globally acclaimed musicians. The musical texture is further enriched with a variety of acoustic/ethnic instruments such as Irish whistle, flute, fiddle, mandolin, pedal steel guitar, sitar and tambura played by a collection of musicians from all parts of the world.


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The lyrics of this concept album revolve around things we cannot control such as the place and time we are born, the color of our skin or the people we meet during our life.


Says Marco, “Yes, this is a concept album about things we cannot control. The key insight is the realization that many aspects of what we perceive to be defining our identity are not under our control. And the main message is that this realization should lead to a change of perspective: as we put ourselves in other people’s shoes, we allow ourselves to become more open and empathic. The other aspect of it is that we cannot control the hand we are dealt with, but we can surely decide how to play it. Beside my passion for music, spreading this message of empathy and inclusion is one of the things that motivates me.”


Marco Mattei was born and raised in Civitavecchia, Italy. Very passionate about music from an early age, as a teenager he studied jazz guitar with Max Rosati while developing a deep interest in the creative vision and complexity of prog rock music. He joined DeBlaise, a new prog local band, contributing to the songwriting of their EP By Common Consent and too many years of live music. He also co-founded The Snowdogs, a Rush tribute band.


As he earned his master’s degree in Electronics and MBA, he also developed an interest in sound engineering and design and attended advanced audio engineering and music production programs. Marco lived in six different countries in three different continents, exploring cultural differences, picking up musical influences and learning the value of diversity. He currently lives in the USA and continues to explore different musical styles as a composer, musician and producer, collaborating with artists from all around the world.


In closing Marco has this to impart, “Listen to the album multiple times and you will keep finding new dimensions to it. Pay attention to the lyrics and consider the perspective that, as we realize that many aspects of what we perceive to be defining our own identity are not under our control, we should tend to be more tolerant, empathic, and inclusive.”


Out Of Control will appeal to listeners of Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Radiohead and Paul Simon. Preorder at MarcoMattei.art.





Tracklisting:


“Would I Be Me”
“Picture In A Frame”
“More Intense”
“I’ll Be Born”
“Lullaby For You”
“Anymore”
“Tomorrow”
“Void”
“On Your Side”
“After Tomorrow”
“Hidden Gems”
“Gone”


Album personnel:


Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Guitar Loops, Resonator, Bouzouki, Electric Bass, Bowed Electric Bass, Vocals, Shaker, Electronic and Acoustic Percussion, Samples and Programming: Marco Mattei
Vocals: Dave Bond (1,3,9), Matthew Brown (2), Felix Brandt (4,5), Barak Seguin (6), Richard Farrell (8)
Drums and Percussion: Jerry Marotta (1,9,11), Pat Mastelotto (2), Chad Wackerman (8), Clive Deamer (3), Matt Crain (6), Gianni Pierannunzio (7), Salvatore Mennella (12), Matilde Mattei (Shaker on 7)
Bass: Tony Levin (1,2,9), Fabio Trentini (8), Gabriele Bibbi Ferrari (12)
Duilio Galioto: Synths, Moog, Wurlitzer, Piano, Mellotron (3,8,9)
Paolo Gianfrate: Keyboards (6)
Dave Bond: Mandolin (1)
Marco Planells: Sitar (1)
Paul Johnson: Flute and Whistle (4)
Diederik van den Brandt: Pedal Steel (5)
Rob Wakefield : Violin (5)
Max Rosati: Lead Electric Guitar (8)
Mauro Munzi: Reverse Piano (9)





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Finnish rock band, Reckless Love, who recently signed to AFM Records, is releasing new music today: The single “Outrun” opens the gate for the band’s fifth studio album, which will be released early next year. The song is composed by Olli Herman and Pepe Reckless. Responsible for lyrics are Janne Rintala and Olli Herman. The synth wave-influenced rock song is accompanied by a brand new music video, directed by Pete Voutilainen. Stream the single here, and watch the video below.



"Outrun was the first song we wrote for the upcoming fifth album, so I think it makes perfect sense that it’s also the first single cut from the album. Somehow, this catchy little tune managed to encapsulate all of the stuff that is built into the genetics of every kid that grew up during the era of arcade games, long haired metal bands and explosive action movies. The lyrics are filled with themes and entertaining wordplays, that put supercharged motor racing and hormone rich competitions, side by side. In the sound department, the 80’s-esque pop metal roars loud and clear, however, it’s also strongly colored with a modern synth wave flavor, whipping up an interesting cocktail”, says Reckless Love vocalist Olli.





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Founded in 2001, Reckless Love has released four albums, Reckless Love (2010), Animal Attraction (2011), Spirit (2013) and Invader (2016). The band's previous long play has been released more than five years ago, so we can talk about a return of the band.


“In my opinion, the word “comeback” is definitively the right word when referring to this particular song. We had a long break from recording and as the break got longer, the higher the threshold became to start working on new music, let alone publish it. Although it was clear that we always had the desire to continue our career, it felt like we needed to find a new perspective for our creative expression. We had to write 'Outrun' to be reborn – and we did. This song showed us the way how to write the new album. 'Outrun' is a beacon on our way to reincarnation”, Olli continues.


Switching to a more serious gear, Reckless Love focusses on its next album on 80s game worlds. Olli explains: “At the center of the sounds are the 80s theme and the modern dark-speaking world of synth wave. We dived deep into to the game world and the movie moods of the genre and era”.


Lineup:


Vocals: Olli Hermann
Guitar: Pepe
Bass: Halle Verne





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Doomed heavy metal outfit, Khemmis, will make their long-awaited return this fall with the release of their fourth full-length album, Deceiver. Set to be released on November 19 via Nuclear Blast, their first record in over three years is their darkest release to date. Today, the band has revealed a music video for the first single, "Living Pyre", which can be found below.


"Living Pyre" signifies far more than just the beginning of another musical endeavor for the band; it is a substantial benchmark for emotional struggle and growth.


Guitarist/vocalist Ben Hutcherson comments: “When it comes to my own mental health, when I’m in a bad place, I can’t access the part of me that creates art. After reaching that understanding of myself, the bulk of this song came out in one sitting. I was feeling stable. I was feeling hopeful–even though so much outside in the world was not exactly inspiring. All of us needed a reason to feel a glimmer of hope.”


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Describing the thematic elements of the new record, vocalist/guitarist Phil Pendergast says: “Thematically, all of the songs are about the many ways that we are tricked into believing these stories about ourselves–that we are broken, that we are not good enough, that our genetics determine our fate. This title is the label that we put on our minds as a force that tricks us into believing these stories. The record’s lyrical trajectory is similar to Dante’s descent into an Inferno of his own making. It is our darkest album to date."


Hutcherson adds: "While our minds and hearts are responsible for this kind of deception, so too is the world around us. There is this dialectic between the two that produces suffering. Anyone who has struggled with mental health or suffered any sort of trauma will tell you that there were times that the mind is its own beast that has to be wrangled. In that sense, we become the deceivers ourselves; we believe we deserve to be the vessel for this pain and this suffering that is being inflicted on us both externally and internally.”


Pre-order Deceiver here





Tracklisting:


"Avernal Gate"
"House Of Cadmus"
"Living Pyre"
"Shroud Of Lethe"
"Obsidian Crown"
"The Astral Road"


"Living Pyre" video:





Restlessly awakening from the depths of a feverish slumber, doomed heavy metal masters Khemmis return to reveal their fourth full length studio album, Deceiver. Six tracks of desolate, soul-awakening heaviness encapsulate a project that has been nearly three years in the making. With a title that reflects the internal struggles that many of us battle in our daily lives, "Deceiver" is a ferociously honest and appetizingly raw piece of musical artistry.


While the lyrical themes of Deceiver, sorrow, pain, longing for hope, will no doubt be familiar to longtime fans, these six songs display a broader collection of musical influences than on any other Khemmis record to date. “It being our 4th album, especially after the transition between the last two albums, it felt really freeing. We felt that we could really do anything on this record,” explains drummer Zach Coleman. “There’s a lot here that we’ve never done before,” adds Pendergast. “In some areas it gets darkly psychedelic. I think we found a cool way to mutate things using transitions that feel really natural. There is a subtle symmetry between the first and last songs which is one of the things that makes listening to the full album a satisfying holistic experience. It builds from almost nothing, becomes very dark, and then you slowly crawl out of that lowest circle of hell.”


Khemmis’s Deceiver is a beautiful, musically ambitious journey from beginning to end drenched in impassioned melody and complex, unrestrained variations of sonic savagery adorned with chilling, intensely tragic cover art by frequent collaborator Sam Turner.


Khemmis has also announced their return to the stage for a show on December 11 in Brooklyn, NY at Saint Vitus Bar. Tickets are onsale here.


Khemmis is:


Ben Hutcherson (Guitar & Vocals)
Phil Pendergast (Vocals & Guitar)
Zach Coleman (Drums)


(Photo - Jason Sinn)





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Born as a brainchild in 2018 by Iconcrash's and Swallow The Sun’s Jaani Peuhu, and featuring members of Children Of Bodom, Sleep Of Monsters and more, October 8 will see the release of Killing Moons, the debut album by Finland's Mercury Circle. Featuring ten enthralling tracks, which differ wildly in expression and sonic aesthetics, the band's upcoming record is a deeply powerful and majestic piece of music, truly representing a genre of its own. Dark metal infused soundscapes with powerful synth and electro waves are the breeding ground for a unique journey filled with painful departures to new beginnings, a spectacle in which hope and promises echoing loss and regret.


In support of their upcoming album, Mercury Circle just shared a new and epic lyric video for the track "The Gates Wide Open", streaming below.


"I wrote this song as the opening track of the album so it has this long hypnotic intro which introduces the atmosphere of the whole album. It puts you into a mind-travelling state and takes you on the journey that is Killing Moons," band mastermind Jaani Peuhu states.


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Killing Moons can be pre-ordered here.





Tracklisting:


"The Gates Wide Open"
"Black Mirrors"
"You Open Up The Earth"
"Killing Moons"
"Seven Archangels"
"Call On The Dark"
"Avalanche"
"An Arrow"
"Like Matches"
"Death Poem"


"Black Mirrors“ video:





"You Open Up The Earth" video:





Lineup:


Jaani Peuhu - Vocals, Guitars, Synths (Iconcrash, Swallow The Sun, Hallatar)
Jussi Hämäläinen - Guitars, Synths, Backing vocals (Hanging Garden, The Chant)
Juppe Sutela - Guitars (To/Die/For)
Ande Kiiski - Bass (Sleep Of Monsters, Rytmihäiriö)
Jaska Raatikainen - Drums (Children of Bodom)


(Photo - Krogography)





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“I’ve always wanted to cover ‘Day Of The Lords’,” says Lamb Of God vocalist Randy Blythe of his featured vocals spotlight on multi-cultural and genre-blending group Saudade’s new cover of the Joy Division classic. “In my opinion, it is the heaviest of Joy Division's songs. With Saudade, we have such a widely-varied pool of musical backgrounds to draw from that I knew we could add some interesting sonic layers to the tune while honoring the original.”


The track is the first new release for 2021 by the band led by Chuck Doom (Crosses, Team Sleep, Palms) and drummer Gil Sharone (Team Sleep, Marilyn Manson, Dillinger Escape Plan), and featuring a rotating list of vocalists that now includes Blythe.


“This track came together in such a fun and organic way right from the first session,” explains Chuck. “Gil and I tracked the basics with drums, steel drums, Fender Rhodes, synths and bass. Our buddies Todd [Wilkinson of Team Sleep] and Matt [Campbell of Vowws] added guitars. When Randy came out to Los Angeles, we all spent a couple days working on the song together. It was really fun to make music with friends in the same room again.”


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As one of the most beloved and revered songs of Joy Division’s catalog, “Day Of The Lords” takes on a special resonance for the band. “When Randy mentioned it to Chuck, I thought it was a killer idea and we jumped in the studio within days of that call,” adds Gil. “The track feels like a journey. Every section has its own dynamic and keeps growing until the final climax. Randy’s vocal performance really captured what we were doing musically and I’m very proud of the track. I feel like we accomplished our goal of paying tribute to Joy Division but also making the song our own.”


The newly-released single comes with an accompanying video that also honors the Joy Division aesthetic. Deserted and desolate architecture and scenery is interspliced with equally grainy and gritty studio footage, capturing the post-punk song in stark black and white. The video's director RIZZ of the band Vowws (who also performs within the Saudade orbit) explains, “I had some notes from Randy about abandoned spaces which was great cos It’s always good to have a starting point and the rest sort of filled itself in.”


Originally envisioned as an instrumental outfit, Saudade has since incorporated vocals and has explored genres as far ranging as dub, reggae, metal and trance all cut from the same cohesive fabric. An independent musical and artistic entity, which is not to be confused as supergroup or side project, Saudade is a band whose rotating membership is held together by the nucleus of Chuck Doom and Gil Sharone. Among the frequent members are David Torn (David Bowie, Madonna), Dr. Know (Bad Brains), Mackie Jayson (Cro-Mags, Madball), John Medeski (Medeski Martin and Wood), and Robert Thomas Jr. (Weather Report) and Dominique Lenore Persi (Stolen Babies). The late Lee “Scratch” Perry has also contributed to Saudade and whose presence will be sorely missed.


“Day Of The Lords” was recorded at Station House Studio (Echo Park, CA) with additional recording at The Witches Castle (Portland, OR) and The Music Room (Los Angeles, CA). It was produced by Chuck Doom with Mark Rains and Gil Sharone and is now available here.





(Photo - Christine Solomon)





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Iron Maiden’s long-awaited, 17th studio album, Senjutsu, has landed at #2 on the UK's Official Albums Chart Top 100, kept from the top spot by Canadian rapper Drake. On Ireland's Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50, Senjutsu takes the #3 spot, again trumped by Drake (#1) and last week's #1, Kanye West's Donda.


Senjutsu was released on September 3 via BMG, and is available to order/save at IronMaiden.com


For Senjutsu - loosely translated as ‘tactics & strategy,’ the band once again enlisted the services of Mark Wilkinson to create the spectacular Samurai themed cover artwork, based on an idea by Steve Harris. With a running time of a little under 82 minutes, Senjutsu, like their previous record The Book Of Souls, will be a double CD/Triple vinyl album.


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Steve says: “We chose to record at Guillaume Tell Studio in France again as the place has such a relaxed vibe. The setup there is perfect for our needs; the building used to be a cinema and has a really high ceiling so there’s a great acoustic sound. We recorded this album in the same way we did The Book Of Souls in that we’d write a song, rehearse it and then put it down together straight away while it was all fresh in our minds. There’s some very complex songs on this album which took a lot of hard work to get them exactly as we wanted them to sound, so the process was at times very challenging, but Kevin is great at capturing the essence of the band and I think it was worth the effort!  I’m very proud of the result and can’t wait for fans to hear it.”


Bruce continues: “We’re all really excited about this album. We recorded it back in early 2019 during a break in the Legacy tour so we could maximize our touring yet still have a long set up period before release to prepare great album art and something special as a video. Of course the pandemic delayed things more - so much for the best laid plans – or should that be ‘strategies’!?  The songs are very varied, and some of them are quite long. There’s also one or two songs which sound pretty different to our usual style, and I think Maiden fans will be surprised -  in a good way, I hope!"





Senjutsu is available in the following formats:


- Standard 2CD Digipak
- Deluxe 2CD Book Format
- Deluxe heavyweight 180G Triple Black Vinyl
- Special Edition Triple Silver And Black Marble Vinyl
- Special Edition Triple Red and Black Marble Vinyl
- Super Deluxe Boxset featuring CD, Blu Ray and Exclusive Memorabilia
- Digital album [streaming and download]





Tracklisting:


"Senjutsu" (8:20) - Smith/Harris
"Stratego" (4:59) - Gers/Harris
"The Writing On The Wall" (6:13) - Smith/Dickinson
"Lost In A Lost World" (9:31) - Harris
"Days Of Future Past" (4:03) - Smith/Dickinson
"The Time Machine" (7:09) - Gers/Harris
"Darkest Hour" (7:20) - Smith/Dickinson
"Death Of The Celts" (10:20) - Harris
"The Parchment" (12:39) - Harris
"Hell On Earth" (11:19) - Harris


"Stratego" video:





"Senjutsu" visualizer:





"The Writing On The Wall" video:








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Alcatrazz guitarist Joe Stump's new instrumental solo record, Diabolical Ferocity, is due to be released on September 17 through Lion Music, who are now accepting pre-orders via PayPal or bank transfer. New track, "Burn It Down", is streaming below.


You can choose to order one or several copies of the album, or opt in for the super exclusive offer to get 90 additional shred CDs at the same time for a total of just 99.00 Euros/ 119.00 USD (+shipping). Pre-order here.





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Tracklisting:


"Ignition"
"Burn It Down"
"King Of The Underworld"
"The Snake Charmer's Fate"
"Nacht" (J.S. Bach)
"Sneak Attack"
"Die By The Sword"
"Viking Pillage"
"Maximum Damage"
"Forever Moore"


"Burn It Down":





"Forever Moore":








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When Brian May was writing songs in the late 1980s, some were taken up for usage in Queen. Others were always destined to be solo songs. One such song is "Back To The Light:, the gloriously cathartic title track from Brian’s debut solo album, released in 1992 and recently reissued.


The track has a physical release on CD and 7” vinyl on October 22, coupled with his Freddie Mercury-inspired "Nothin’ But Blue", as well as a special digital release with a bonus "Back To The Light" karaoke version.





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The release also comes with a brand new video which Brian has revealed will bridge the passage of time between the original release and its current revisiting. “Time traveller”, is the only teaser he offers for now.


After the overture of "The Dark", "Back To The Light" served as the opener proper to its parent album, introducing Brian to fans as a solo artist and showcasing his commitment to his new role as a powerful, tender and sincere lead vocalist.


A Top 20 hit on its single release in November 1992, it would open The Brian May Band’s concerts, drawing audiences in before raising the roof with its optimism-fired grandeur. Retooled for solo purposes, the arrangement skills that Brian applied and nurtured in Queen are put on full-bodied display: crunchy guitars and vocals engage in impassioned conversation, harmonies exult in a fashion that builds bridges from May’s Queen II classic "Father To Son" all the way down the years.


Between its layers of sound and dramatic melodic sweep, the song stands as a personal yet expansive declaration of determined belief that the light is out there – and a constant promise, perhaps, that this album would accompany (“I’ll be there”) listeners on the long road towards it. Between its warm, hymnal verses and erupting choruses, the song’s search “for a clearer view” maps out that journey in microcosm. As Brian explains, “the song came at a difficult time in my life. It wasn’t a sunshine time. I had to find a place where I could see a signpost to the journey I had to make. So the song is about that.


“It starts very sombre and it talks about night creatures, which are not foxes and badgers, of course. They’re the sort of creatures of your imagination that are biting you and making you feel fearful. So I’m sitting all on my own listening to these cries, and the verses are in that kind of atmosphere. But the choruses are all UP!!!. It’s all, ‘I’m going to find it - get back to the light - this is what I’m looking for - this is what I’m going to find.’”


The initial impetus for "Back To The Light" reaches back to 1988 when Brian laid down the first ideas for the song with his beloved guitar tech Brian ‘Jobby’ Zellis and storied producer/mixer/recording engineer Pete Schwier. When it was time to record it for the album, the song developed in part as – like previous single re-release ‘Resurrection’ - a passionate testimony to the restorative powers of friendship and collaboration.


While Gary Tibbs (Roxy Music, Adam And The Ants) played bass and a quartet of singers (Miriam Stockley, Maggie Ryder, Suzie O’List, Gill O’Donovan) helped punch the harmonies into orbit, the late great rock drummer Cozy Powell helped Brian feel like he was in a band again.


“I had the great fortune of having some wonderful people with me when I was going through this, notably Cozy Powell who was the most fantastic support to me emotionally as well as musically.


“Cozy was one of those great originals, one of the drummers who defined rock and roll drumming in the early years. His presence was just enormous, full of optimism and hooliganism… I asked a lot of him, you know, ‘Can you do this, can you interpret these pieces?’ And he would say, ‘Right, Brian, I certainly can – let’s go for it!’ Always there, always supportive. He loved what I was doing with the album. He was an amazing boost all through the recording period and you can hear it on ‘Back To The Light’. There’s some fantastic feel – just the sound of his drums is so colossal.”


The punch and sensitivity of the result help to push the song above and beyond the specific circumstances hinted at by Brian’s lyrics. While Brian was writing about personal issues, he judiciously blurs the details, helping to protect those involved and effectively enabling listeners to engage more intimately with the song. “Sometimes if you step back a little and make it less specific,” says Brian, “it opens it up to interpretations from other people who are going through similar things. A little bit of generalizing can be good, I think, because it lets people in. People go, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s my life, too. I feel that that connects to me.’ And in this way songs become woven into people’s lives.”


The physical (CD, 7” white vinyl) and digital single come backed by the luminous guitar version of May’s heart-rending ‘Nothin’ But Blue’, a song written and recorded just before the loss of legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury with John Deacon on bass.


Brian says: “At the point when I was in the studio doing this, we hadn’t lost Freddie. I was thinking about him and singing about him. He was in his last days. It hadn’t happened but I had a feeling it was about to happen. Just a couple of days after this Freddie went. And ‘Nothin’ but Blue’ felt like how it was is gonna be. There are little clues in there. There’s a little kind of quote from We Are the Champions that just a few people have recognized. There’s little bits of harmonies and little rhythms which recall things about Freddie. So this track is unashamedly about Freddie. Which is odd because Too Much Love Will Kill You is the one that people thought was about Freddie. No, this is the one, Nothin’ but Blue is Freddie.”


Recalling working with John Deacon on the track triggers an equally emotive response from Brian: “John as always did an exquisite job, tasteful bass playing. How nice that John played on this track. I think everybody forgets that, including me! We don’t hear from John much these days, sadly. So it’s an eternal sadness for Roger and me that we lost Freddie, but we also, in essence, lost John, and after that, it was pretty hard to be Queen.” Also available on the digital single is a karaoke version of ‘Back To The Light’. All songs feature on ‘Back To The Light’, which entered the album Top 10 on its re-release in August, a testimony to the special place it holds in the affections of listeners.


Fans should also look out for a very special video made to accompany the re-release of the title track, where Brian as a time traveller revisits the site of a former triumph: a reminder of just how bright and clear the light of his soulful solo adventure continues to shine almost 30 years on down the road.


"Back To The Light’"is available to buy, download and stream from October 22. Pre-order/save here.








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Brothers In Arms is the brainchild of guitarist/composer Jack Frost (Savatage, Seven Witches, Lizzy Borden), who along with several recruited iconic rock brothers, has made it his mission to prove rock music will never die. The guys unified to take a stand against the doubters and cynics who have claimed that it's simply not possible to resurrect this celebrated music in which so many lasting and fond memories were built around. Banding together, Jack & the Brothers forged ahead with one main goal: To make quality music that would both represent and immortalize the days of the sold-out legendary rock venues, to show the world that rock is not just a thing of the past.


The video for the second single “Bitch Is Crazy” can be seen below. It features Jack along with vocalist Keith St John (Montrose, Kingdome Come, Burning Rain), drummer Karl Wilcox (Diamond Head), and bassist Alex Jansen (Hardline).


Keith had this to say about his involvement, “Me and Jack Frost share a common affinity for the late, great Ronnie Montrose, and I think thats how we started talking a few years back. In like half a second, I knew that he was a straight up NY/NJ guy, so we got along (as if we were kindred bro’s) immediately.


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“Jack sent me a few tracks to try out, to contribute to an upcoming record he was working on, & when I heard the one that’s now ‘Bitch’, I knew it was a chaotic oddball, but it had such the outstanding presence of being a live band in a room. So I called Jack and said, ‘Can ya leave everything just as it is? Like with no quantization & no fixes of any sort?...like leave it raw?’ Well, Jack was already WAY on that same page, and I knew I would be happy. I also knew I had my work cut out for me, having to drop a strong hook into this loco little oddball!


“‘Brothers’ is what Jack has made it feel like all the way through…but I think that’s just Jack, for real! Other fine musician ‘brothers’ of mine that played with me on this record are Mick Mahan (Pat Benatar), who spent a few years in Montrose with Ronnie & me back in the day, and Dave Amato (REO Speedwagon), who plays in the Ronnie Montrose Remembered (RMR) festivals with me. Dave & I have also performed in some live streams together such as with Monsters of Rock, in both KSJ & Friends & Stairway to Zeppelin. My singing brothers from another mother lol, who I'm ecstatic to hang on the same record with, yet had no idea about when I was fashioning my tracks, are Andrew Freeman and Paul Shortino, who both have killed at the RMR Festivals. Both are also Rock Vault vets, who have really helped me whenever I went out to do that show with them. For me, there couldnt have been a better title for this record.”


Get the single here, and watch the video below:





Brothers In Arms also features Andrew Freeman (Last In Line, Lynch Mob), Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot), Steve Overland (FM, Overland), Nick Walsh (Moxy, Slik Toxik), Jesse Damon (Silent Rage), Todd Poole (Roxy Blue, Saliva), plus special guests Dave Amato (REO Speedwagon), Charlie Calv (Angel), and Mick Mahan (Pat Benatar).


The full album is set to drop on September 24. You can pre-order the album now and there are limited edition bundles available (while supplies last), which can be ordered here.


Product Includes:


- Brothers In Arms - "Sunset and Clark" CD
- Brothers In Arms - Rock Is Not Dead T-Shirt
- Brothers In Arms - Sticker





Brothers In Arms tracklisting:


"Bitch Is Crazy"
"Last To Know"
"The City Never Sleeps"
"Feel The Love"
"Make You Mine"
"The Ties That Bind"
"Long Way From Love"
"My Heart Knows"
"Wasting Light"
"Voices Are Calling"


"Last To Know" video:








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In a brand new interview with Knotfest.com's "Talk Toomey" podcast, former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted was asked why he always wore the band's t-shirts while performing live. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I believed in myself and I believed in my band… I would do whatever I could, what was within my power, to promote and forward our success. I would sacrifice myself in any manner asked; there were no limits. I would do whatever it took, what I could possibly do, in my limited knowledge and experience, to play my role to the best of my ability to make us successful. Flying the colors made me — as [American singer-songwriter] Jason Isbell says — 'black metal t-shirt my shield.' It was. And it always was. And it was the name of my fucking band across the front. And guess what? There is no bigger one. So I pridefully wear this — I fly my colors more pridefully than any Hell's Angel or whatever through all of time."

He continued: "And one little side note that goes along with doing what I can for the cause. If you go back and you talk to the guy after the show that comes to tell Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] about the dough… He says, 'By the way, Jay, you know the 'executioner' shirt you've been wearing the last three days? It's outsold everything else by 40 percent. So take that with you, okay?' And everybody gets that money — manager, crew guy, band guy. Everybody shares in that money. There you go, bro."

Jason left METALLICA back in 2001 but was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, along with guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett, and the man who replaced him, bassist Robert Trujillo, in 2009.

Newsted's exit from METALLICA was documented in the band's 2004 documentary, "Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster", which followed the members of the group through the three most turbulent years of their long career, during which they battled through addiction, lineup changes, fan backlash, personal turmoil and the near-disintegration of the group while making their "St. Anger" album.

Newsted was METALLICA's third bassist, following Ron McGovney and the late Cliff Burton.

Jason spoke in detail about the reason he left METALLICA in a 2013 interview with Scuzz TV. Newsted said that his eventual split with the group was over the way his then-side band, ECHOBRAIN, was handled. Newsted explained: "The management of METALLICA was very, very excited about ECHOBRAIN, wanted to take it out for me, wanted me to do ECHOBRAIN also, with METALLICA. They felt ECHOBRAIN was that good, the singer was that good, and it didn't affect METALLICA because it was a totally different kind of thing, and I was in METALLICA; that would give it its pedigree already."

Newsted continued: "They had told me, pretty convincingly, 'This is a great record, we've been playing it around the office, that's all I’ve been hearing, it's fantastic, this kid has a great voice. Let's do something with this.' That's what they told me, and then James heard about it and was not happy. He was, I think, pretty much out to put the kibosh on the whole thing because it would somehow affect METALLICA in his eyes, because now the managers were interested in something I was doing that had nothing to do with him."

Newsted told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that he never saw how ECHOBRAIN could have interfered with METALLICA. "I never felt that it was going to affect METALLICA in any way," he said. "There was no way that it could. The monster and the integrity and the legend that METALLICA's built, it would take a lot more than that to ever affect it."

Newsted added, "The people that I had counted on for 15 years to help me with my career, help METALLICA, take care of my money, do all of those things, told me, 'Your new project is fantastic, we'd like to help you with it.' James heard about it, the manager calls me back a couple of days later — 'Sorry we're not going to be able to help you with that ECHOBRAIN thing.'"

Ex-SCORPIONS drummer Herman Rarebell has blasted his former bandmates, calling them "rude" and accusing them of "greed" over their apparent refusal to allow him to rejoin the band.

Rarebell, who was a member of the SCORPIONS from 1977 to 1995, discussed the possibility of his return to the group in an interview for the next issue of Classic Rock magazine. Asked if he was disappointed not to have been invited back into the fold following the 2016 dismissal of longtime drummer James Kottak, Herman said: "I'll tell you how disappointed I am. I sent them a message offering my services, and never even got a reply. I thought that was very rude. Now I hear the SCORPIONS are claiming their new album will be a return to the glory days of the eighties. If they're serious about that, they should get [former bassist] Francis [Buchholz] and me back, and also Dieter Dierks who produced all those classic albums. You know why they won't do that? Greed. It would mean having to share everything five ways and not three."

Rarebell also criticized his former bandmates for seemingly not giving him enough credit for their commercial success in the 1980s. "The band never mention me in interviews, which I find ridiculous," he stated. "But there's a new documentary in the pipeline from ITV on the band. I am being interviewed for this, so I can finally set the record straight on my role."

In an interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Herman stated about the huge commercial success of SCORPIONS' 1982 album "Blackout": "Mercury Records was totally behind us and they believed in us. They wanted us to keep making albums. They wanted us to grow and do better each time out. 'Lovedrive' went gold. 'Animal Magnetism' went gold and then 'Blackout' was the first one to go platinum. [Rudolf] Schenker / [Klaus] Meine / Rarebell was a great songwriting team. You can see that from how many successful albums we had. After I left the band, they didn't have any more hits."

Rarebell also talked about the inspiration for the lyrics to "Rock You Like A Hurricane", which was released as the lead single from SCORPIONS' ninth studio album, 1984's "Love At First Sting". "Those lyrics were very easy to write," he said. "I woke up early in the morning after fucking and doing cocaine all night and I opened up the curtains. 'It's early morning, the sun comes out. Last night was shaking and pretty loud. My cat is purring and she scratches my skin.' She had scratched my back during our lovemaking. I just sat down and wrote it right then and there. It was five in the morning and the girl was still in bed as I was sitting there writing it. The next day, I said to Rudolf, 'I have some great lyrics for that riff you have.'"

Herman's solo album "Nip In The Bud", originally recorded 40 years ago, was re-released last month, remastered and available digitally for the first t

In a new interview with "The Chuck Shute Podcast", former GUNS N' ROSES and current SONS OF APOLLO guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal spoke about how not being able to play live shows for the past year and a half has affected his outlook on the touring lifestyle.

"This break has been quite a reflective time for a lot of people, and I think it changed a lot of people's perspective on things," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "For me, I don't wanna tour anymore. I don't wanna tour so much.

"Being home for the first time for so long and reconnecting to family, and to myself, and to be in the studio every day, be creative again, as opposed to just living this life of 24-hour increments with…

"I wanna keep making music, and I'm not gonna spend so much time on the road," he explained. "It's no life; you don't have a real life. It's not how I wanna live anymore. I've done enough of it. And I'll still go out and play, but now I'm pacing [myself]. I'm saying 'no' a lot more. I used to spend my whole damn life just living out of a suitcase. That was no fucking life at all. Everything passed me by, and I missed it all. And I'm not doing that anymore."

Thal joined GUNS N' ROSES in 2006 and appeared on 2008's "Chinese Democracy", an effort which contained music that had been written before he came into the group. The disc took 13 years to make and was only a modest seller, moving just around half a million copies.

Thal never officially announced his departure from the GN'R, but a source confirmed to Detroit music writer Gary Graff back in 2015 that the guitarist had been out since the end of the band's second Las Vegas residency in 2014.

Thal later revealed that he was focusing on his solo career and other projects after spending eight years playing in GUNS.

Thal is currently a member of SONS OF APOLLO, which also features drummer Mike Portnoy, keyboardist Derek Sherinian and bassist Billy Sheehan. SONS OF APOLLO released its second studio album, "MMXX" (pronounced: 20/20), in January 2020 via InsideOut Music/Sony.

Former NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon, who is promoting her upcoming solo album, "Strong", spoke to Finland's Tuonela Magazine about her experience getting bullied both in her personal life and by strangers on the Internet. Asked what advice she has for other people who are getting bullied, Anette said: "Well, I've been bullied in my childhood and, actually, not so many years ago in my adult life. I was a nurse student, and I came to a department to do my internship. And they bullied me. And I was actually at the same time in the local magazine — a big story about [my first solo album] 'Shine' or something; I don't remember — so I was kind of in the focus. And I think this was jealousy. You never know. I hadn't done anything. And, actually, they bullied me so hard [that] I cried every day [when] I went home. And I [was], like, 47 years old [at the time], and it was like being back in school. And I hadn't done anything. Like in school, it's nothing about you.

"All I can say is that [people who are getting bullied] should know that it's never about [them]," she continued. "It can be jealousy; it can be that [the bullies] have a boring life — I don't know. And haters on the Internet, too — they still hate on me. And they still write horrible things to me, like 'you suck.' I get those messages all the time, on my [Instagram]. So what I didn't do was that I stood up for myself in my childhood. It took me many years before I actually took that one girl who was the worst — I took her aside, [and] then I gave her a lot of beating, actually. And that's nothing I do, but that made it stop. And I'm not saying you should do that, but you really need to go to the principal, to the teachers, you have to go to the police. Here in Sweden, you can go to the police because it can be a felony to bully someone. If you're an adult and you're bullied in your workspace, your workplace, just quit. If you have a boss bullying you — that also happens — just quit. And the haters on the Internet, I mean, don't answer them. Don't give them your energy. Block them. I block every one. A single comment, it can be sexual, I block them. I block them instantly. I don't read [comments on] YouTube. If I [did] that, I would be crying every day. No, but it's horrible. And I think people that are bullying others, either as children or… it's even more horrible when you're an adult, because you should know better. But if you just look at Facebook, you see them, it's like… they can be my age and bullying children. So it's horrible, yeah. But you have to go to someone and you have to not just let it be, because they will not quit."

"Strong" will be released on September 10 via Frontiers Music Srl. Anette's second solo album, following "Shine", is a harder and faster musical offering than the debut.

The music for "Strong" was written and composed together with acclaimed Swedish guitarist and producer Magnus Karlsson.

Olzon originally joined NIGHTWISH in 2007 and recorded two studio LPs with the band before being dismissed in 2012 in the middle of the group's North American tour. She was replaced by former AFTER FOREVER singer Floor Jansen.

Since the end of her five-year stint with NIGHTWISH, Olzon released "Shine" and formed THE DARK ELEMENT with former SONATA ARCTICA guitarist Jani Liimatainen. The group's self-titled debut album was released in 2017; a follow-up, "Songs The Night Sings", came out in November 2019.

Olzon and noted progressive metal vocalist Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X, ADRENALINE MOB) released a collaborative album titled "Worlds Apart" in March 2020 via Frontiers Music Srl. The project was issued under the moniker ALLEN/OLZON.

In a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford spoke about his expectations for the band's first pandemic-era tour, the rescheduled "50 Heavy Metal Years" North American trek, which will kick off on September 8 in Reading, Pennsylvania and conclude on November 5 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

"Here's the thing: We've got to get out there and do it, man," he said. "If we don't, we're going to be sitting home for the rest of this year, next year, the year after that and the year after that. This stuff isn't going to go away. We've got to find a way of getting through it. You talk about herd immunity, you talk about all of these different things, you can only do as much as you can do. You've got your bubble, you've got your masks, you've got the sanitizer. And even that can't kill this evil demon of a virus. It hits you when your friends, like Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley], get it. And Sebastian Bach and Bruce Dickinson, and all of my other friends.

"Thankfully, they haven't been devastated by the horrible thing like so many people have," he continued. "But we've got to do it. I think if the scientists had said, 'Look, everybody hang on, if we give it another year or two, we think we've got the vaccine that's going to kick its ass,' but they haven't, have they? They've just said that there's a booster shot coming. I'll be first in line for that. And then it's like a lottery, because, again, I was talking to some friends the other day with certain bands that I won't name. But they've been out for a while and everybody's fine. Crew is fine, the band is fine. They're doing the bubble thing, they're doing the protocol thing. It's like a lottery, this virus is, the way it can suddenly come out of nowhere. I know that Gene and Paul, their whole KISS [organization] was doing as best as they could. And yet it creeped in. It's a horrible, horrible thing.

"So, we have to battle on. We really have to battle on. I think that's all we can do. And if ever we needed music, if ever we needed to be with each other, now is the time that we need to do that. And talking about the fans, we have our protocols in place for the fans, as well, with [concert promoter] Live Nation, who are making the bulk of this tour. We have a great relationship with Live Nation, and we're working together to make sure that we can make it about as safe as we possibly can. Because at the end of the day, you've got something or you've got nothing and nobody wants nothing, right? So let's just do our best and keep our fingers crossed, and please, God, don't let any of us be hit by this horrible thing."

JUDAS PRIEST played its first concert in more than two years on August 15 at the Bloodstock Open Air festival, which took place at Catton Park, Walton-on-Trent, United Kingdom. The British heavy metal legends, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary, were rejoined by guitarist Glenn Tipton for three songs. The band also pulled out a number of surprises in its set, including first-ever performances of "One Shot At Glory" and "Invader", as well as several tracks that hadn't been played in a long time, such as "Rocka Rolla (performed for the first time since 1976), "Exciter" (first time since 2005), "Hell Patrol" (first time since 2009), "A Touch Of Evil" (first time since 2005), "Dissident Aggressor" (first time since 2009) and "Blood Red Skies" (first time since 2012).

Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's seven years ago — after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier — but announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of JUDAS PRIEST's latest studio album, "Firepower". He was replaced by "Firepower" album producer Andy Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

As he has done a number of other times over the course of the last three and a half years, Tipton joined PRIEST onstage on Bloodstock for the encore, performing "Metal Gods", "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight".

In early April, JUDAS PRIEST's European tour, which was scheduled to kick off in late May, was once again postponed due to "ongoing COVID-19 vaccine issues." The trek will now run from May 27, 2022 in Moscow, Russia until July 31, 2022 in Oberhausen, Germ

THE BLACK CROWES guitarist Rich Robinson spoke to the Los Angeles Times about his reunion with his brother Chris for a tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band's classic debut album, 1990's "Shake Your Money Maker". Joining Chris and Rich in the new BLACK CROWES lineup are returning 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.

THE BLACK CROWES reunion notably excludes founding member/drummer Steve Gorman, who penned 2019's memoir "Hard To Handle: The Life And Death Of The Black Crowes". Asked whether Gorman's book pained him, Rich told the Los Angeles Times: "It didn't really affect me or make me sad. No one really takes Steve that seriously. He was our drummer for a long time, and a long time ago, he was our friend. But he was also the one who kind of schemed the most and was more willing to allow a division between me and Chris." Rich added that he remembered Gorman "telling me that the scariest thing to him and some of the people in the band was when Chris and I got along, because then they couldn't change our minds."

Rich previously addressed Steve's absence from THE BLACK CROWES' current tour in a June 2021 interview with Long Island Weekly. At the time, he said: "Steve was one of the incredibly negative and manipulative forces in the band that we really didn't want to deal with. In order to get back, we really had to do this very specific purge where we focus on the two of us and let this be something that will be positive. We can be in charge of our own triggers, but if you have other people around that have an agenda, which a lot of the older people around did, it’s just going to crash and burn. We didn't look at this as a one-time thing. We want to focus and do it right for ourselves as human beings. For ourselves as brothers. For ourselves as writing and creative partners as well as the other reasons."

In a February 2020 interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, Gorman said that he was not surprised to see Chris and Rich teaming up with new musicians for a tour. "To me, it's been an inevitability for years," Steve said."I think they both made serious efforts to establish themselves in solo careers that could sustain them, that could provide a living, and I guess that neither one of those really worked out. And so they were always gonna need to be THE BLACK CROWES again. And this tour is an indication of the fact that, to them, they always were THE BLACK CROWES. And to me, THE BLACK CROWES was a band. It wasn't about their band; it was our band. It was six people, or it was five people, or it was four people, depending on the year, but it was always a much greater thing than two brothers who wrote the songs. The success of that band had a lot to do with a lot more than just them, is my point. And the thing that was most special about that band, as I said before, was what six people were able to do when we were on the same page."

Gorman went on to say that he doesn't necessarily fault the Robinson brothers for wanting to keep THE BLACK CROWES brand alive.

"This tour has nothing to do with me — it never did; it never would have," he explained. "THE BLACK CROWES are my past. Now, the music is still around. And if anybody goes to see this tour and decides that they love THE BLACK CROWES now, I think that's fantastic. I'm all for preserving the legacy of the band I was in. I think this tour has nothing to do with that. I think this tour is the two of them needing money. And to that I say — and that's fine. I know what it's like to be concerned about my finances; everybody does. And if you're in your 50s and you can make a living playing music, then, by God, you should be playing music, if that's what you wanna do. So, they're fully within their rights to do it — legally and ethically and morally; whatever. It's fine. It's got nothing to do with me. So, live and let live."

THE BLACK CROWES' rescheduled tour will conclude on September 25 at Bethel Woods in Bethel, New York.

When THE BLACK CROWES announced their split in 2014, Rich issued a statement saying that he loved his brother and respected his talent but that "his present demand that I must give up my equal share of the band and that our drummer for 28 years and original partner, Steve Gorman, relinquish 100 percent of his share … is not something I could agree to."

"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.

Photo credit: Josh Cheuse / courtesy Rogers & Cowan

In a brand new interview with Meltdown Of Detroit's WRIF radio station, DROWNING POOL bassist Stevie Benton was asked for his opinion on the recent passings of LINKIN PARK's Chester Bennington and SOUNDGARDEN's Chris Cornell. He responded: "I didn't know Chris Cornell, even though I really wish I did, 'cause I was a huge, huge fan. But Chester, we did Ozzfest 2001 together, so we spent a lot of time hanging out. He never struck me as someone [who was suffering from] depression or anything [like that]. I guess people are like that — they put on a happy face, and that's the only face that I ever knew. The guy I knew was always just happy and chatting and just having a great time. I guess you just never know, man."

He continued: "When I heard [about Chester committing suicide], I had to call, like, ten mutual people that I knew — or maybe not ten, maybe five — because I couldn't believe that he actually did that. 'Cause it just wasn't the same person that I knew. It was so close to the same way it happened with Cornell, so close together, and I was, like, 'This has gotta be some kind of a Facebook hoax or something.' I was, like, 'This has gotta be some fake thing. There's no fucking way.'"

Asked if he kept in touch with Chester after they toured together on Ozzfest, Stevie said: "We had lots of occasions over the years where we were playing the same festivals. It's not like we ever went out and did a huge together after that, but I did see them at a lot of radio shows, a bunch of festivals in Europe, stuff like that, so I did see them quite a bit for a while, but it had been quite a long time. I can't even remember the last time that we hung out — I know it was in Europe somewhere, but I can't think of where. It's not like we were super-tight buddies and I could have been someone that he called up to unload on or tell his troubles to, so, in that way, I guess I am able to avoid some of the guilt that probably people close to him feel right now. If it was someone close to me that did that, I would feel guilty for the rest of my life, thinking, 'Man, why didn't I see it? Why didn't he tell me? Why didn't I ask?' So I feel really bad for his close friends and family."

After Cornell committed suicide in May, Bennington sang at his funeral and also wrote a heartfelt message paying tribute to the SOUNDGARDEN frontman. In part, he wrote "I can't imagine a world without you in it." Bennington was also reportedly godfather to one of Cornell's children.

Chester died on July 20, which would have been Cornell's 53rd birthday.

Neither Chester nor Chris left a suicide note.

The two singers bonded when they toured together nearly a decade ago.

DROWNING POOL's most recent performances featured vocalist Joey Duenas, who appears to have replaced the group's singer of the past five years, Jasen Moreno.

Duenas, formerly of the bands UNLOCO and ANEW REVOLUTION, made his live debut with DROWNING POOL on April 21 at the Rivers And Spires Festival in downtown Clarksville, Tennessee.

DROWNING POOL has not yet publicly commented on its latest singer change.

Interview (audio):

CYNIC has shared a touching tribute to late bassist Sean Malone, who died on December 7, 2020. To commemorate Malone's legacy, CYNIC has released a never-before-heard recorded performance of the song "Integral" in which Malone performs fretless bass. "Integral" was originally released as a solo guitar and vocal track on CYNIC's "Re-Traced" EP.

In addition, CYNIC founding member and guitarist Paul Masvidal has shared the following statement: "Since my friend and CYNIC bandmate Sean Malone's passing in late 2020, many people have publicly speculated about, and privately reached out to me regarding, the circumstances of his death. I have kept my silence as I have worked through my grief and out of respect for Malone's privacy. Questions and rumors have persisted, so I want to share what I can with the many fans whose lives he touched so deeply and who are seeking closure.

"On December 7, 2020, Malone was found dead by suicide in Largo, Florida, where his mother had lived. She had been ailing for some time before her death in 2018; Malone had been her sole caregiver during her difficult final year. Then, in January 2020, we suddenly lost our bandmate Sean Reinert. Combined with his mother's loss, it was an emotional double whammy that hit Malone hard.

"After his mother's death, we spoke often, having long chats about grief, loss, and the future of CYNIC. I urged Sean to move out to California and live with me so he could get back on his feet and start fresh, and he did. I noticed a newfound vigor in Malone I hadn't seen before. He was excited to be in the world again, we were working on new music, and he even began teaching bass privately. Then came the pandemic. Everything shut down and so did Malone. His pain and suffering re-emerged and his light began to dim.

"Matters took an unexpected turn. Late one early summer night, he disappeared. I called him, left messages, texted, emailed, contacted missing persons and everyone we had in common, but no one had heard anything. There was no response. He quit the world. My hope that he was regrouping in private and would turn up safely turned to heartache on December 7th.

"As I share this sad news about his death, I want to celebrate his life by sharing one of his most beautiful and lyrical moments ever recorded, and one which his fans have not yet heard. A few years after the release of CYNIC's 'Re-Traced' EP, Sean Malone recorded fretless bass on this solo guitar and vocal track titled 'Integral'. Here's a video celebrating his playing, and a full transcription in his honor along with the song file for download.

"I am grateful to be able to share this video with you now, and I will share details about new music in the coming weeks. Please celebrate the genius and transcendent talent that was Sean Malone. Read more about his fascinating life, unique passions and accomplishments at his Wikipedia page.

"As an act of support, and in honor of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, I invite you to donate as you wish for the 'Integral' song download which comes with a guitar/bass transcription of the song and an instrumental (no bass mix) for fellow musicians to play along with. 50 percent of proceeds will be shared with suicide prevention organizations To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) and The Trevor Project. The remaining will go towards funding a documentary about the lives and artistry of Malone and Reinert.

"With love and courage, Paul Masvidal".

As an act of support, CYNIC is inviting fans to donate as you wish for the "Integral" song download, which comes with a guitar/bass transcription of the song and an instrumental (no bass mix) to play along with. 50 percent of proceeds will be shared with suicide prevention organizations: To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) and The Trevor Project. The remaining will go towards funding a documentary about the lives and artistry of Sean Malone and Sean Reinert.

To contribute, go to this location.

TWLOHA is nonprofit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and invest directly into treatment and recovery.

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.