Kid Rock has scrapped his concerts this weekend at Billy Bob's in Fort Worth, Texas after most of his band tested positive for COVID-19.

The 50-year-old rocker, whose real name is Bob Ritchie, shared the news of the cancelation earlier today (Thursday, August 26), writing in a series of tweets: "Billy Bob's Shows This Weekend... I am pissed. Over half the band has fucking covid (not me), and before u shit for brains bloggers and media trolls run your mouths, many of them, like me, have been vaccinated. I was gonna come and rock the house anyway, play acoustic, DJ or even just Juggle…. Deez Nutz!! - or at least try to entertain u good folks. But seriously, shit is way out of my hands on this one. I am beyond upset and you real ones know I would never cancel if I absolutely didn't have too. For this, I am sorry."

He added in a postscript: "God bless our military, especially those who lost their lives today in Afghanistan. I am way more upset about that than some stupid virus and missing a couple shows. My heart bleeds for them and their loved ones.

"I hope we bomb the shit out of those fucks and send a clear message…But I am worried Biden is too much of a woke pussy. Say a prayer for the fallen, count your blessings and God Bless America."

Kid Rock, an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump, made headlines in 2017 when he announced he was considering a run for a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan.

Last September, Kid Rock hosted an outdoor rally for Trump's presidential campaign in Michigan. Three and a half years earlier, the musician visited the Oval Office with fellow rocker Ted Nugent and former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Kid Rock was once a contestant on NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice", which starred Trump.




pic.twitter.com/SE3CqPzS3b

— Kid Rock (@KidRock) August 26, 2021








or even just Juggle…. Deez Nutz!! - or at least try to entertain u good folks. But seriously, shit is way out of my hands on this one. I am beyond upset and you real ones know I would never cancel if I absolutely didn’t have too. For this, I am sorry.

-Kid Rock

— Kid Rock (@KidRock) August 26, 2021








PS - God bless our military, especially those who lost their lives today in Afghanistan. I am way more upset about that than some stupid virus and missing a couple shows. My heart bleeds for them and their loved ones. (cont.)

— Kid Rock (@KidRock) August 26, 2021








I hope we bomb the shit out of those fucks and send a clear message…But I am worried Biden is too much of a woke pussy. Say a prayer for the fallen, count your blessings and God Bless America.

— Kid Rock (@KidRock) August 26, 2021

Tower Records, the iconic music chain that defined the retail music business in the pre-digital era, is back and celebrating the 30th anniversary of Ozzy Osbourne's "No More Tears" with an exclusive limited-edition vinyl and t-shirt bundle. This limited run of only 500 units is available now at TowerRecords.com and includes the exclusive Tower Records two-LP colored vinyl set, 7"x7" photobook with pics from the launch event, and an exclusive "I Was There" t-shirt.

Ozzy first premiered "No More Tears" with a surprise launch at Tower Records in New York City on September 17, 1991.

More than 30 years after its release, "No More Tears" will be celebrated with an expanded digital audio album due out September 17 (Sony).

Upon its release, "No More Tears" yielded four Top 10 singles on the Billboard Rock Tracks chart, "Mama, I'm Coming Home" (#2), "Road To Nowhere" (#3), "Time After Time" (#6) and the title track (#10). In addition, the album's "I Don't Want to Change The World" earned Ozzy his first Grammy for a live version of the track that was featured on his 1993 "Live And Loud" album. The Grammy-winning track was one of the album's four songs co-written with Ozzy's longtime friend and colleague Lemmy Kilmister; the others include "Mama, I'm Coming Home", "Desire" and "Hellraiser". The album has remained an Ozzy classic, earning a spot (#22) on Loudwire's "Top 90 Hard Rock + Metal Albums of the '90s" with Ultimate Classic Rock including "No More Tears" on their list "Top 100 '90s Rock Albums."

"I have a lot of great memories of making the album," Ozzy says. "We worked hard on the record with John Purdell and Duane Baron, who became extra two members of the band. Before we went into the studio, we discussed what we were going to do — everything was planned. It's so nice when you get a producer who's more like a part of the band than them saying, 'nah, you do it this way.' Because we write them and when you write the songs, you have a mental picture of how you think you want it to sound. Sometimes you're surprised for the better, but other times you're disappointed, but John and Duane did an extraordinary job on the album. It was really, really well done. Every song was worked on for a long time and we spent extra time trying to get things right. But there was also lots of goofing around and we had a good time making it. And Zakk's playing on it is spectacular."

Zakk Wylde adds: "On the first record, it was, like, 'I can't believe I'm here.' I had definitely crawled into the fire and kept thinking. 'You gotta produce. You got to come up with some cool stuff.' On 'No More Tears', I guess I was more relaxed. With Ozzy, whenever we're playing riffs, he would be like 'keep playing that riff.' Pretty much every time he just gets up there and starts singing what comes to him naturally, he knocks it out of the park all the time. I mean, there's very, very few times where he's actually said, 'No, let me come back to that. I don't like what I'm singing. I'll come up with something better.' Whatever you're hearing on the record is pretty much first thing he started singing that naturally came out of him, that he started hearing in his head. Which is amazing. My love for him and admiration for him has just gotten even stronger and bigger over the years. It's bigger than the music. It's always a good time whenever we're together, it's always like it's a laugh fest, and then making the records is beyond hilarious as well."

"Mama, I'm Coming Home", the album's biggest hit which Ozzy co-wrote with Kilmister, started with Zakk at a piano, has gone on to become not only a rock anthem, but a classic song among soldiers.

"At that time, a lot of people were going to Iraq war," Ozzy notes. "We heard that the GIs were sending that song to their wives. Soldiers still love that song."

"I remember when we were working on the album, I originally wrote 'Mama, I'm Coming Home' on a piano," Zakk says. "I had the music, and then when we got to the studio, I transposed it to the 12-string guitar. I was like 'oh let me try it on the 12-string and see what it sounds like.' That's how it evolved into the song, originally it was just me and Ozz noodling on the piano."

The "No More Tears" expanded digital audio album track listing is as follows:

01. Mr. Tinkertrain

02. I Don't Want to Change the World

03. Mama, I'm Coming Home

04. Desire

05. No More Tears

06. Won't Be Coming Home (S.I.N)

07. Hellraiser

08. Time After Time

09. Zombie Stomp

10. A.V.H.

11. Road to Nowhere

12. Don't Blame Me*

13. Party With the Animals*

14. I Don't Want To Change The World (demo)**

15. Mama, I'm Coming Home (demo)**

16. Desire (demo)**

17. Time After Time (demo)**

18. Won't Be Coming Home (S.I.N) (demo)**

19. Mrs J. (demo)**

20. I Don't Want to Change The World (live)†

21. Road to Nowhere (live)†

22. No More Tears (live)†

23. Desire (live)†

24. Mama, I'm Coming Home (live)††

* bonus tracks currently on the digital album at DSPs

** demos from the 1991 promo CD "The No More Tears Demo Sessions" (also the "Prince Of Darkness" box set), not currently at DSPs

† live audio from "Memoirs Of A Madman" DVD, San Diego 1992, not currently at DSPs

†† live audio from "Memoirs Of A Madman" DVD, MTV 1992, not currently at DSPs

Photo credit: Jeff Katz

THE WINERY DOGS have regrouped in Los Angeles to resume writing material for their long-awaited third album.

Earlier today (Thursday, August 26), guitarist/vocalist Richie Kotzen shared a new photo of him, drummer Mike Portnoy and bassist Billy Sheehan, and he included the following message: "The DOGS are back in town on national dog day none the less! Round 2 of writing sessions!"

In a recent interview with Tulsa Music Stream, Sheehan spoke about the upcoming LP from THE WINERY DOGS. Asked if the band is still writing material for the follow-up to 2015's "Hot Streak" or if it has begun recording, Sheehan said: "A little of both, but it's mostly writing. We write like people used to write in the old days: the band gets together in a room and we start figuring things out. And I love it that way as opposed to getting outside writers or having one guy be the writer and everybody plays his songs. So we work together as a band quite well."

Sheehan went on to say that the last THE WINERY DOGS writing session in Los Angeles in early July "went really swimmingly. We weren't killing ourselves, but we were working hard," he said. "We've got about eight or 10 things ready to go. We're gonna go back and do it again at the end of this month for another session. And if, at that point, we feel we've got a great record, in our humble opinion, we wil go ahead and [record] it. If not, we'll write some more."

Billy also addressed the long gap between "Hot Streak" and THE WINERY DOGS' upcoming album, which is not expected before 2022, saying: "THE WINERY DOGS, we did really great. That first record [2013's 'The Winery Dogs'], we got lucky. Eddie Trunk was a huge help to us. And it sold great. Our attendance at shows was amazing. And we're very, very grateful for it. Then, not long after, we did our second record, 'Hot Streak', and that did really well too. Usually the second record, it's a little bit more iffy, but it was fantastic. So we thought instead of just doing record, tour, record, tour, record, tour, record, tour and burning out, let's all go off and do our thing and meet back up here in a couple of years when we have some stories to tell again. I think that was the beauty of the first record, and even the second record — the stories that we had saved up for years were the basis of songs. [The songs were] not necessarily about those things, but [they] were the inspiration for songs. And so it enabled us to open up a broad spectrum of subjects to write about. So now that we've all gone off and lived our lives for a few years and done a lot more things, back together we've got a lot more stories to talk about. We're very happily inspired."

THE WINERY DOGS were founded in 2012 after Portnoy and Sheehan — who initially aimed to collaborate with former WHITESNAKE and BLUE MURDER guitarist John Sykes — reached out to Kotzen, who played with Sheehan in MR. BIG from 1997 to 2002. The group's self-titled debut reached No. 27 on the Billboard 200 after selling more than 10,000 copies in the U.S. during its first week of availability. The initial sales of follow-up effort "Hot Streak" were even better, as the album debuted at No. 30 in late 2015 after shifting 13,000 equivalent album units in America during its first week of availability.

In January 2020, Portnoy told Sonic Perspectives that THE WINERY DOGS' 2019 tour was done "just for the fun of it — just for no other reason than to play together again, because it had been a few years. I think it reignited our love for each other, and I think it showed us that there's still so many fans out there that love this band," he explained. "It reignited our desire to make another record, so I think as soon as we can, we will."
























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A post shared by Richie Kotzen (@richie_kotzen)

**UPDATE #3**: Paul Stanley has released the following statement regarding his COVID-19 diagnosis: "A Full Press Release Will Be Issued Shortly about upcoming KISS shows. I had been sick with flu-like symptoms and was tested repeatedly and was negative. As of late this afternoon I tested positive. The crew, staff and band have all tested negative once again. More to follow."

**UPDATE #2**: KISS has issued a statement confirming Paul Stanley's COVID-19 diagnosis. The statement reads: "KISS show at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, PA is unfortunately postponed due to Paul Stanley testing positive for COVID. More information about show dates will be made available ASAP.

"Everyone on the entire tour, both band and crew, are fully vaccinated. The band and their crew have operated in a bubble independently to safeguard everyone as much as possible at each show and in between shows. The tour also has a COVID safety protocol officer on staff full-time that is ensuring everyone is closely following all CDC guidelines."

**UPDATE #1**: According to TMZ, KISS frontman Paul Stanley has tested positive for COVID-19, leading to the cancelation of tonight's concert.

Paul is fully vaccinated and feeling fine despite testing positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Although there were rumblings on Twitter that Paul was having heart issues, he took to Twitter just minutes ago to shoot down that rumor, saying: "PEOPLE!!! I am fine! I am not in ICU! My heart allows me to do 26 miles a day on my bike! I don't know where this came from but it's absolute nonsense."

Just before 7:30 p.m., the venue posted on Twitter that the show "is being rescheduled." The tweet did not explain why tonight's show was canceled.

All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new date, which has not yet been announced.

The original article follows below.

According to TribLive.com and WPXI, tonight's KISS concert at the Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania has been canceled.

A number of KISS fans have posted on social media that they were being turned away at the gates, with no additional information made available.

As of this writing, KISS has not addressed the cancelation via any of its social media sites and no further details have been provided on the web sites of the venue or Live Nation.

KISS kicked off the summer 2021 leg of its "End Of The Road" farewell tour on August 18 at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The concert marked the band's first full-length live appearance in front of an audience since March 2020.

KISS's farewell trek was launched in January 2019 and was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.

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

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




A Full Press Release Will Be Issued Shortly about upcoming KISS shows. I had been sick with flu-like symptoms and was tested repeatedly and was negative. As of late this afternoon I tested positive. The crew, staff and band have all tested negative once again. More to follow.

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) August 27, 2021








Tonight's #KISS show at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, PA is unfortunately postponed due to Paul Stanley testing positive for COVID. More information about show dates will be made available ASAP. Everyone on the entire tour, both band and crew, are fully vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/5UBvXmfWCY

— KISS (@kiss) August 26, 2021








PEOPLE!!! I am fine! I am not in ICU! My heart allows me to do 26 miles a day on my bike! I don’t know where this came from but it’s absolute nonsense.

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) August 26, 2021








UPDATE: @kiss just postponed concert at the last minute. pic.twitter.com/DWRK7S7FXW

— Gigi (@wpxigigi) August 26, 2021








KISS at The Pavilion at Star Lake is being rescheduled. All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new date once announced. More information will be emailed to ticketholders directly. pic.twitter.com/uU3ZZ5qg5p

— The Pavilion at Star Lake (@Pav_StarLake) August 26, 2021

Gene Simmons celebrated his 72nd birthday last night (Wednesday, August 25) during KISS's concert at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio as part of the group's "End Of The Road" world tour.

Video footage of the Toledo crowd, as well as Gene's KISS bandmates, singing happy birthday to him can be seen below.

KISS frontman Paul Stanley also wished Gene a happy birthday on Twitter. Paul shared an early photo of the pair, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY GENE! We started as partners but all the years made us brothers. You're a good man and a GREAT Demon! In it to the end. Paul".

Earlier this year, Stanley spoke to the St. Louis, Missouri radio station KSHE 95 about his continued partnership with Simmons — this despite their seeming like extremely different types of people. He said: "He's my brother. His family is my family. I think of Shannon, his wife, as my sister-in-law. We've never been closer than we are now. We've come so far and done so many great things for each other, it would be ungrateful if we were anything less. We're there to cheer each other on and text each other. We're more than good."

In July 2020, Stanley admitted to "Live From Nerdville With Joe Bonamassa" that he "didn't particularly like" Simmons the first time they met. "But there was pragmatism involved," he said. "You have to prioritize and figure what's most important to you to reach your goal. And I knew that Gene and I were much stronger together than me alone. I'm not really sure that he knew that, but that became irrelevant. It was, 'How do I get where I wanna go? How do I achieve what I want?' And Gene was essential to it. And here we are 50-plus years later. It's astounding. We've created something that seems like it will outlast us."

In 2019, Stanley told Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast his relationship with Gene wasn't affected by the release of Stanley's 2014 memoir, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed".

"Gene's always been very accepting," Paul said. "And we've only gotten closer and closer over time, which is just terrific. I said things in the book that I felt were true, and I would stand by what I said. But it doesn't negate that in the scheme of things, he's been a terrific partner, he's a brother, and he's family. Certainly there were things that I spoke about in the book that aren't true anymore, but they were, to me, at some point. And that book was really my overview of my life. And I really didn't say anything to hurt anyone, and I didn't wanna throw anybody under the bus. There were a few people who walked under the bus — I didn't have to throw 'em. I think Gene has always respected that I have my own perspective. And, again, I couldn't be closer to him than I am now. Totally. I speak to him often.

"It would be crazy and sad to go through what we've done together and what we've accomplished and have ill will or animosity," he continued. "If anything, the two of us look at each other and go, 'Wow!' In those moments of candor, or when we're just talking to each other, or texting each other, there are those texts where it's, like, 'Wow! Look what we've done.' So, yeah, anybody who thinks otherwise is sadly mistaken. His family is my family. Shannon, I've known Shannon probably 35-plus years. [Gene's kids] Nick and Sophie, I feel like their uncle.

"Look, when [my son] Evan was born, the first person in the room to see him was Gene," Paul added. "Even when things have been tough, or there's been tensions in the past — and not in the near past — we always were family. When we had our big earthquake in the '90s, basically I wasn't talking to Gene at the time, and as soon as the ground stopped shaking, I called him. I said, 'Are you okay?' He said, 'Yeah.' And then we kept not talking to each other. But the most important thing was making sure he was okay.

"I'm very, very lucky to have him. And I don't necessarily agree with everything he does. But does anybody?"

In "Face The Music: A Life Exposed", Stanley insisted that his relationship with Simmons has slowly improved over time. But Paul also wrote: "[Gene] chose to ignore his underlying issues and instead committed himself to creating an external façade and persona that, unfortunately, he felt required to knock down anyone who threatened his singularity in the spotlight." He also dismissed the notion that Simmons is some kind of financial genius. "Gene's most successful venture in business was promoting the perception that he was a savvy businessman," Paul wrote.

A few years back, Paul admitted that he "read a little bit of" Gene Simmons's book when it first came out but that he had a different recollection of some of their shared history. While reading Gene's book, Stanley felt, "Gee, I thought I did that. I thought that was me. You thought you were me," he said.

KISS's farewell trek was launched in January 2019 and was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.

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








HAPPY BIRTHDAY GENE! We started as partners but all the years made us brothers. You’re a good man and a GREAT Demon! In it to the end. Paul pic.twitter.com/3t0ixioiSD

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) August 25, 2021

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy was asked which musician deaths in the past year he's been most affected by. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's been so many. There's three I wanna go over. Joey Jordison, obviously. SLIPKNOT's '(sic)' was the first song TRIVIUM ever played. I remember being in middle school and high school hiding my headphones underneath my hair during class to listen to that first SLIPKNOT record. That record changed my life. I got to do 'Family Values', and Joey Jordison was on that tour, playing drums for KORN. And I'm so happy I was able to tell Joey that. I told Joey those stories, about what an impact SLIPKNOT had on my life. Alexi Laiho from CHILDREN OF BODOM. Just as much as SLIPKNOT is so important to the formative years of TRIVIUM, so is CHILDREN OF BODOM. CHILDREN OF BODOM might not be a band that [all of your] listeners ar as familiar with, but it's probably one of [Finland's] most legendary extreme metal bands of all time. Their first few records — 'Something Wild', 'Hatebreeder' and 'Follow The Reaper' — I would not be here without. Just as I was saying I would not be here without the first SLIPKNOT record. Alexi Laiho passed too young; I think he was around the same age as Joey as well. And Riley Gale from POWER TRIP. I thought they were a band that could have become another one of the next big and best metal bands in the world. And he passed [at], I think, 34, 35 years old. We were able to, thankfully, bring 'em on a tour and I was able to get to know them.

"What I'm so happy about is all three of those people I was able to tell them how much I love their music," he continued. "That's something that, throughout my years, I always tell people what a fan I am of their stuff. And anytime I tell [that to] a professional musician, they usually get kind of weird about it. But I don't mind. And I'm very happy I was able to tell each of the three of them. I'm terribly broken up that all three of them are gone, but I'm happy I was able to tell them what an impact that they each had on my life."

TRIVIUM will release its tenth album, titled "In The Court Of The Dragon", on October 8 via longtime label Roadrunner Records. The record was produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur and recorded in the fall of 2020 at Full Sail University in Orlando. The album cover is an original oil painting by French artist Mathieu Nozieres.

Last month, TRIVIUM shared the album's title track, "In The Court Of The Dragon", which featured an epic intro composed and orchestrated by Ihsahn (EMPEROR) and was accompanied by an official short film music video directed by Ryan Mackfall.

TRIVIUM has just kicked off "The Metal Tour Of The Year" with MEGADETH, LAMB OF GOD and HATEBREED.

During an appearance on a recent episode of "The Jasta Show", hosted by HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta, TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy lamented the fact that his band has yet to do a proper tour with METALLICA even though the two groups have known each other for more than three decades.

"Whenever I'm asked, 'What is the one band you wish you can play with?', it's always METALLICA," Chuck said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET. "It's, like, we grew up with these guys [in] the same era, but we never went on tour [with them]. I think a few years ago, we did three shows in Germany [with them] on a festival. It was funny, 'cause our band walked in and their band was walking, and we all kind of met in this hallway. And [we were], like, 'Hey, what's going on?' It was a like old friends seeing each other. I think it was James [Hetfield] or Lars [Ulrich], they said, 'Oh my God. Look at you guys. You guys all still got your hair. You guys are big.' 'Cause Steve [DiGiorgio, TESTAMENT bassist] and Gene [Hoglan, TESTAMENT drummer] are all six-[foot]-two, six-[foot]-three. But it was great seeing 'em. And we're actually playing [at the] Aftershock [festival in Sacramento], if that happens, in October. They're kicking off four nights there, and we're kicking off the first night with them. So that'll be good."

Billy went on to express his hope that TESTAMENT could still properly share the stage with METALLICA. "It would be great," he said. "And who knows? Maybe one day. Even the [San Francisco] Bay Area shows, when they do those special shows, EXODUS played, DEATH ANGEL played — a lot of people got to play. I don't know. I do know, because Eric [Peterson, TESTAMENT guitarist] — I don't know if you know the story — Eric actually married Kirk's [Hammett, METALLICA guitarist] ex when they split up. So I don't know if that has something [to do with it] — [a] deep down underlying reason. That's the only thing [we can think of]. We're, like, 'What is it, Eric? What'd you do to us? Why did you date her? Now we can't play with METALLICA.' [Laughs]"

Back in 2017, Hetfield was asked in an interview with Elliott Fullam of Little Punk People to name his favorite thrash bands that are not part of the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal (METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX). James said: "Oh, my God! There's tons of them. Well, EXODUS for sure. We grew up with those guys in the [San Francisco] Bay Area. Oh, and we stole their guitar player; that too. [Laughs] But, yeah, I think they're great. TESTAMENT… A lot of bands in the Bay Area, a lot of thrash stuff."

TESTAMENT's "The Bay Strikes Back Tour" with EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL will kick off on October 6 at the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California and make stops in Austin, New York, and Detroit before concluding on November 27 at The Fox in Oakland.

Fan-filmed video footage of SOULFLY's August 25 concert at Bottleneck in Lawrence, Kansas can be seen below (courtesy of Jeff Doelling).

FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares is playing guitar for SOULFLY on the Max Cavalera-fronted band's current U.S. tour which kicked off on August 20 at Launchpad in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The 33-date trek will make additional stops in New York, Chicago and Austin before concluding in Tempe, Arizona on September 25. The final date will be a family celebration as it will include performances by INCITE, GO AHEAD AND DIE and HEALING MAGIC. Joining the band for select dates are NIVIANE and SUICIDE PUPPETS.

Max recently told Heavy New York about Dino's addition to SOULFLY's touring lineup: "I'm hugely inspired and excited and happy that Dino is doing this with us. Dino is an old friend. Our friendship goes back to the early days of SEPULTURA coming to America. I believe we met on the 'Beneath The Remains' tour. For sure by the 'Arise' tour we were friends. He tells the story better, but he had to wrestle me [over] the [FEAR FACTORY] demo tape that had 'Big God' on it. I loved it. I was listening to it on his Walkman. I didn't wanna give it back to him. And it was his only copy. And we had to wrestle. He finally got it out of me. But I ended up bugging [then-Roadrunner Records A&R executive] Monte Conner at that time and saying, 'You're a fool if you don't sign this band.' I think I even called them 'the future of metal' at that time. I was, like, 'This is the future of metal.' If you pass on it, you're a fool. And then Monte signed them, and the rest is history, as they say."

He continued: "That's why this link, this possibility, the situation that happened and we needed somebody to fill in, I couldn't think of a better person than Dino — musically and as a friend. 'Cause we're still very hurt, mostly from the stuff that [former SOULFLY guitarist Marc] Rizzo has been saying [in the press] — it hurts us a lot. And it's good to have a friend that you could talk about it. And then musically I think it's insane. To think of songs, especially the songs that have crunchy guitars, I close my eyes and I imagine Dino's sound on some of those songs, like 'Downstroy' and 'Babylon'… 'Cause there's a lot of chugging — SOULFLY always had chugging. But Dino is a whole another level of chugging. [Laughs]"

When his addition to SOULFLY's touring lineup was first announced, Cazares said in a statement: "The first time I met Max in 1991, I knew we were going to be longtime friends. I was standing at the bar, he grabbed my arm and yelled 'Papa Capado.' I was like 'who the [email protected]#% are you? He said 'I'm Max' and from there we just hit it off. That same night I played him the FEAR FACTORY demo tape on his cassette Walkman in his hotel room while we were attending a music convention in Los Angeles. He liked it so much that he wouldn't give it back, so I had to wrestle him and take it out of his Walkman, haha. It was my only copy. Max told Monte Conner, the A&R director from Roadrunner Records, that we had a new demo that he needed to check out, so our manager at the time sent our demo to Monte after many labels turned us down. The rest is history.

"Over the past 30 years, I've guested on a few of Max's projects and jumped on stage whenever and wherever I could. Now it's a great honor to be doing this tour alongside Max as the second guitarist. It's going to be amazing for all the fans to see the two of us playing a selection of SOULFLY songs and a few familiar extras.

"Much respect to Max and his family — thank you for always making me feel at home with the SOULFLY Tribe. Let's do this!!!! Um Dois Três Quatro".

Although Rizzo's departure from SOULFLY wasn't officially announced until August 7, it was widely speculated that he was out of the group two days earlier when it was revealed that Dino would play guitar for SOULFLY on the current tour.

Last week, Max told Metal Kaoz that Marc has been spewing out "lies and bullshit" in some of his recent interviews regarding his exit from SOULFLY. "All these accusations — it hurts," he said. "It hurts to hear. After everything that we did for him, which was a lot — we put him on all the records and always took really good care of him, always really, really gave good treatment to him. To hear him backstabbing us like that, it's just not nice. He's obviously trying to get fans to be against me and make him the victim… It just sucks to hear all that. It definitely hurts me when I hear all these accusations that I know are lies and bullshit; it's all fabricated by his crazy mind. I don't know. It's a strange situation."

He added: "I don't want to turn this into an ugly thing. I don't wanna talk bad about him; I really don't. Of course I don't like those accusations, and it's bullshit, but he has the right to say whatever. But I think we treated him really good through all those years. We put him on the map pretty much. When he joined the band, not many people knew him. Just a little bit of gratitude would have been nice. Because even on 'Max Trax' [Cavalera's a twice-weekly Internet video series in which he discusses the inspiration for many of the songs spanning his nearly 40-year music career], when I mentioned that I fired him, I thanked him for the 18 years of SOULFLY, and I said good luck on his projects. I'm not bitter. I don't wanna be a bitter guy."




Posted by Jeff Doelling on Wednesday, August 25, 2021





Soulfly Refuse/Resist live at The Bottleneck in Lawrence, Kansas last night.

Posted by Jeff Doelling on Wednesday, August 25, 2021





Soulfly Arise/Back To The Primitive live at The Bottleneck in Lawrence, Kansas

Posted by Jeff Doelling on Wednesday, August 25, 2021





Soulfly Jump Da F*ck Up live at The Bottleneck in Lawrence, Kansas.

Posted by Jeff Doelling on Wednesday, August 25, 2021

In a new interview with Rock Show Critique, former GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell spoke about how most hard rock and heavy metal artists get the bulk of their revenue from live performances instead of album sales. "Everything is backwards," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "There is no money in record sales, at least not for artists of our ilk. Touring has become the way you earn a living. It's a whole different animal. A lot of bands, unfortunately, can't tour. They don't have a following, or they have such a small following [that] they can't really make any money at it. Or make a little bit of money and just squeak by, having day jobs and whatnot. So I consider myself very blessed that I'm still able to do what I do at my age."

Russell also talked about what playing shows has been like during the coronavirus pandemic. "I'm not really scared," he said. "I guess I probably should be. But I'm cautious and I take precautions. But I'm really not scared so much. I think if you take care of yourself and you watch what you're doing and you have your eyes open and take the steps you need to take, I think you can be pretty safe."

In a separate chat with Robby Lochner, Russell — who exited GREAT WHITE in December 2011 after he was unable to tour with the group due a series of injuries, including a perforated bowel and a shattered pelvis — said that he will continue to perform live despite the fact that he is not as physically fit as he once was.

"I've had health scares and health problems for quite a few years, and I'm not letting it take me down," he said. "I still go out and do my shows and do what I have to do and still enjoy life. I'm not gonna let my health issues set me back or keep me off stage and keep me away from the people I love… My family and friends, my band… I mean, I consider them all my family."

When Russell split with GREAT WHITE a decade ago, he largely blamed his injuries on his alcohol and painkiller addictions as well as the prednisone drug he was prescribed.

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

More than three years ago, GREAT WHITE announced the addition of new singer Mitch Malloy to the group's ranks. He replaced Terry Ilous, who was fired from the band in July 2018.

Russell, who celebrated the fifth anniversary of his getting sober in September 2020, had been living on a 45-foot boat in Redondo Beach, California for nearly a decade before recently moving to Colorado with his wife.

METALLICA has shared "The God That Failed (May 13th, 1991 Rough Mix)", taken from the "Rough & Alternate Mixes" 2CD included in the remastered deluxe box set of its self-titled fifth album — also known as "The Black Album" — due on September 10 via the band's own Blackened Recordings. Check it out below.

The Black Album is one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed records of all time. Its 1991 release not only gave METALLICA its first No. 1 album in no fewer than 10 countries, including a four-week run at No. 1 in the U.S., its unrelenting series of singles — "Enter Sandman", "The Unforgiven", "Nothing Else Matters", "Wherever I May Roam" and "Sad But True" — fueled the band's rise to stadium headlining, radio and MTV dominating household name status. The album's reception from the press was similarly charged, building over the years from the top 10 of the 1991 Village Voice Pazz & Jop national critics poll to becoming a constant presence in the likes of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. The album's impact and relevance continue to grow — as proven by one indisputable fact: The Black Album remains unchallenged as the best-selling album in the history of Nielsen SoundScan, outselling every release in every genre over the past 30 years.

To commemorate its 30th anniversary, the Grammy-winning, 16-times-platinum-certified Black Album is receiving its definitive re-release. Remastered for ultimate sound quality, The Black Album remaster will be available in multiple configurations including 180-gram double vinyl LP, standard CD and 3 CD expanded edition, digital, and limited-edition deluxe box set (containing the album remastered on 180-gram 2LP, a picture disc, three live LPs, 14 CDs (containing rough mixes, demos, interviews, live shows), 6 DVDs (containing outtakes, behind the scenes, official videos, live shows), a 120-page hardcover book, four tour laminates, three lithos, three guitar picks, a METALLICA lanyard, a folder with lyric sheets, and a download card).

Much more than a mere tribute album, "The Metallica Blacklist" celebrates the enduring influence of this musical milestone with one of the most ambitious projects ever conceived by the METALLICA team: An unprecedented 50+ artists spanning an unbelievably vast range of genres, generations, cultures, continents and more, each contributing a unique interpretation of their favorite Black Album cut.

"The Metallica Blacklist" offers up new dimensions of the record whose gravitational pull first drew the mainstream to METALLICA — and provides new insights into the universal and timeless appeal that kept it there: the boundary-smashing influence these 12 songs have had on fans and musicians of all stripes. "The Metallica Blacklist"'s 53 tracks find singer songwriters, country artists, electronic and hip hop artists sharing their love of these songs alongside punk rockers, indie darlings, icons of rock, metal, world music and many, many more… and for 50+ good causes: Profits will be divided evenly between charities of the artist's choice and METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation.

"The Metallica Blacklist" is a fitting and limitless homage, one that features bands who've shared stages with METALLICA alongside artists who are younger than the original album. It's a truly staggering, at times mystifying assemblage of musicians, dozens of whom have little to nothing in common other than the shared passion for the music that's united them for this album: 1 Album. 12 Songs. 53 Artists. Unlimited Possibilities.

"The Metallica Blacklist" will be available in formats including digital, four-CD and a limited-edition seven-LP vinyl pressing. Pre-orders will instantly receive multi-platinum selling recording artist, songwriter, philanthropist and trailblazer Miley Cyrus's version of "Nothing Else Matters" featuring Andrew Watt, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo and Chad Smith, and Colombian-born rock/pop superstar, and winner of 20+ Grammy and Latin Music Grammy Awards Juanes's interpretation of "Enter Sandman".

All profits from "The Metallica Blacklist" will be split evenly between the All Within My Hands foundation and 50+ charities chosen by the artists who play on the album. All Within My Hands was founded by the band in 2017 as a way for the entire METALLICA family to give back to communities that have supported the band by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services.

"The Metallica Blacklist" features the following tracks:

* ALESSIA CARA & THE WARNING - Enter Sandman

* MAC DEMARCO - Enter Sandman

* GHOST - Enter Sandman

* JUANES - Enter Sandman

* RINA SAWAYAMA - Enter Sandman

* WEEZER - Enter Sandman

* SAM FENDER - Sad But True (Live)

* JASON ISBELL - Sad But True

* MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF SOUND FEAT. LA PERLA & GERA MX - Sad But True

* ROYAL BLOOD - Sad But True

* ST. VINCENT - Sad But True

* WHITE REAPER - Sad But True

* YB - Sad But True

* BIFFY CLYRO - Holier Than Thou

* THE CHATS - Holier Than Thou

* OFF! - Holier Than Thou

* PUP - Holier Than Thou

* COREY TAYLOR - Holier Than Thou

* CAGE THE ELEPHANT - The Unforgiven

* VISHAL DADLANI, DIVINE, SHOR POLICE - The Unforgiven

* DIET CIG - The Unforgiven

* FLATBUSH ZOMBIES FEAT. DJ SCRATCH - The Unforgiven

* HA*ASH - The Unforgiven

* JOSÉ MADERO - The Unforgiven

* MOSES SUMNEY - The Unforgiven

* J BALVIN - Wherever I May Roam

* CHASE & STATUS FEAT. BACKROAD GEE - Wherever I May Roam

* THE NEPTUNES - Wherever I May Roam

* JON PARDI - Wherever I May Roam

* SEBASTIAN - Don't Tread On Else Matters

* PORTUGAL. THE MAN FEAT. AARON BEAM - Don't Tread On Me

* VOLBEAT - Don't Tread On Me

* THE HU - Through The Never

* TOMI OWÓ - Through The Never

* PHOEBE BRIDGERS - Nothing Else Matters

* MILEY CYRUS FEAT. WATT, ELTON JOHN, YO-YO MA, ROBERT TRUJILLO, CHAD SMITH - Nothing Else Matters

* DAVE GAHAN - Nothing Else Matters

* MICKEY GUYTON - Nothing Else Matters

* DERMOT KENNEDY - Nothing Else Matters

* MON LAFERTE - Nothing Else Matters

* IGOR LEVIT - Nothing Else Matters

* MY MORNING JACKET - Nothing Else Matters

* PG ROXETTE - Nothing Else Matters

* DARIUS RUCKER - Nothing Else Matters

* CHRIS STAPLETON - Nothing Else Matters

* TRESOR - Nothing Else Matters

* GOODNIGHT, TEXAS - Of Wolf And Man

* IDLES - The God That Failed

* IMELDA MAY - the god that failed

* CHERRY GLAZERR - My Friend Of Misery

* IZÏA - My Friend Of Misery

* KAMASI WASHINGTON - My Friend Of Misery

* RODRIGO Y GABRIELA - The Struggle Within

Back in 2017, METALLICA announced that it was preparing deluxe remastered versions of its "…And Justice For All" (1988) and "Metallica" (1991) albums and reached out to its hardcore fans for help to get content for the new editions. "…And Justice For All" has since been reissued for its 30th anniversary in 2018.

METALLICA's self-titled LP in 2014 became the first album to sell 16 million copies since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking sales in 1991.

"Metallica" was already certified 16 times platinum on December 13, 2012 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) for shipments in excess of 16 million copies in the U.S.

The album in 2009 surpassed SHANIA TWAIN's 1997 record, "Come On Over", as the best-selling CD of the SoundScan era.

"Metallica" was the first of four collaborations with producer Bob Rock, with whom the band clashed throughout the recording of the disc.

METALLICA performed "the black album" in its entirety at a number of European festivals in 2012.

Founding BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward has shared a new original poem called "Creation Has Spirit". Check it out below.

Ward has released a number of poems in recent months, some inspired by the coronavirus pandemic and others celebrating the fall–winter holiday season, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Bill was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced more than nine years ago, but backed out soon after. The drummer later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn't physically up to the task.

All four original members of SABBATH were present when the band announced its reunion in late 2011. But Ward split from the group in 2012, citing an "unsignable" contract, and singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler carried on with their Rick Rubin–produced "13" LP and extensive international touring without him.

Ozzy told The Pulse Of Radio during SABBATH's last tour that Ward was not in shape to participate. "Bill Ward has got the most physically demanding job of the lot of us, 'cause he's the timekeeper," he said. "I don't think personally he had the chops to pull it off, you know. The saddest thing is that he needed to own up to that, and we could have worked around it, whether we had a drummer on the side with him or something."

It was rumored that SABBATH wanted to bring a second drummer on the road to share duties with Ward, something that Iommi confirmed in 2017 during a question-and-answer session about SABBATH's "Ten Year War" box set.

In 2015, Ward released his first solo album in 18 years. Titled "Accountable Beasts", the record can be purchased on iTunes.

In November 2017, Ward's band DAY OF ERRORS released its first two songs, "Day Of Errors" and "Blaspheming At Creation", via iTunes, Spotify, Amazon MP3 and Google Play. Two more tracks, "Dark" and "Ghost Train", followed in 2019.

This past March, Ward revealed that he was working on an autobiography.




#creationhasspirit pic.twitter.com/0ny9EAaVk0

— Bill Ward (@billwarddrums) August 26, 2021

SLIPKNOT's Corey Taylor has been testing negative for COVID-19 for the past two days after being infected with the novel coronavirus last week.

The 47-year-old SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR singer, who is fully vaccinated, was forced to call off his appearance at a Michigan pop culture convention this past weekend after testing positive for the coronavirus. Taylor first shared the news in a video posted Friday on the Facebook page for Astronomicon, the event where he was scheduled to appear Saturday and Sunday.

Earlier today (Thursday, August 26), Corey's wife Alicia Taylor, who is a professional dancer and a member of the all-girl dance group CHERRY BOMBS, took to her Twitter to write: "Corey has been testing negative for two days. Had he not been vaxxed, this would have lasted much longer and been exponentially worse. I know this won't change all minds, but if you're on the fence- do it.

"Now it's time to snag my man and drive home! I have missed him so much!"

Three days ago, Corey offered an update on his condition in a video shared on social media. At the time, he said he was still positive, but no longer grappling with COVID symptoms like aches and a high fever. "It shouldn't be too much longer before I test negative, so that's great," Taylor said." Like his wife, he credited the COVID-19 vaccine with helping him fight the virus, and encouraged people to get it if they haven't. "I also want to say, because I was vaccinated, I truly believe that is what helped me get over the brink," he said. "This is the worst I've ever been sick in my life. Had I not been vaccinated, I shudder to think how bad it would've been. But because I had that extra little bit of protection, it definitely helped me get through it. So go, go, go. If you're still on the fence, I'm telling you right now, it's the best thing you can do for yourself."

Taylor completed the latest leg of his solo tour in support of his 2020 album "CMFT" on August 19 in Denver.




Corey has been testing negative for two days. Had he not been vaxxed, this would have lasted much longer and been exponentially worse. I know this won’t change all minds, but if you’re on the fence- do it.

Now it’s time to snag my man and drive home! I have missed him so much!

— uh-lee-see-yuh Taylor (@AliciaETaylor) August 26, 2021

THEORY OF A DEADMAN (a.k.a. THEORY) has canceled all of its September 2021 dates due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier today, the band issued the following statement: "It is with heavy hearts that we announce we will not be appearing with 3 DOORS DOWN this coming weekend, and that we will be canceling all of our September tour dates (with the exception of Mobile & Orlando, which will move to November - please check theoryofficial.com for new dates).

"We have decided that with the current surge in COVID cases, made worse by delta variant breakthrough cases, this is the right thing to do to ensure the safety of our fans and crew members. This wasn't an easy choice for us, but we feel it is the right one.

"Ticket holders can obtain refunds at their point of purchase. (Applies to headline dates only).

"We look forward to seeing you when we head out in October with 10 YEARS. Please stay safe and healthy and we'll see you soon!"

Several hard rock and heavy metal artists have canceled shows or whole tours as the concert industry is rethinking its approach to live shows while the delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading nationwide.

A number of venues around the country have already instituted policies requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend shows.

THEORY OF A DEADMAN's latest studio album, "Say Nothing", came out last year via Atlantic Records. The LP debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Alternative Albums chart and No. 3 on the Rock Albums chart. It was produced by Martin Terefe (Jason Mraz, Yungblud).

THEORY OF A DEADMAN drummer Joe Dandeneau recently told The Young Turks about the prospect of returning to playing live shows after an extended break due to the coronavirus crisis: "[I'm] super pumped, man. This has been a year and a half of sitting at home. There's nothing to do. This is what we do — we tour. You get bored if you're not working. It was nice for a little bit to get a break, sure, 'cause we were going hard. But we want to work, we want to go play. You've gotta remember, playing shows is like a form of therapy. When you connect with fans and you see everybody singing along, you're in the moment. I'm not a drug user, but I would assume that there's no drug on the planet that can give you this wicked high than being on stage. I miss that. It becomes a part of you that you want to just be with the fans and play music. This is why we do it. This is why I've been a drummer my whole life. I just love doing this, and so do the rest of the guys. And I haven't seen them — we all live in different cities. It's been a year and a half since I've seen the boys. And all our crew — our crew are spaced across the states, some of them from Canada, I haven't seen any of these guys. It's a whole world of getting back on tour that's gonna be great therapy for all of us."




We hope to see you soon. Until then, stay safe. ? pic.twitter.com/78WWAbsZ1J

— THEORY (@TheoryMusic) August 26, 2021

ANTHRAX has been celebrating its 40th anniversary since the festivities kicked off in late April. But even with the actual Big 4-0 having taken place on July 18, the band is not quite done saluting that milestone.

Today, the band announces the release of its 40th-anniversary high-end spirit, "Anthrax XL" (Roman numerals for 40), a smooth Solera-aged, single-barrel bourbon finished for 40 days in a 20-year old Oloroso Sherry cask, providing the spirits with balanced flavors and layers of complexity. Only one barrel of "Anthrax XL" has been produced, yielding 400 hand-numbered bottles at a cask strength of 115 proof. Each bottle features the bandmembers' signatures, and is encased in a black drawstring velvet gift bag emblazoned with the Anthrax XL logo, with a suggested retail price of $155. Additionally, 40 limited-edition numbered bottles will be available. Priced at $350, each limited-edition bottle is also housed in a black drawstring velvet gift bag, imprinted with the Anthrax XL logo, then packed in a customized box encased in a SilverFoil card stock wrap-around. Each limited-edition item comes with a Golden Ticket, printed and debossed on gold foil-coated-card stock. The Golden Ticket awards the purchaser and a guest admission to an ANTHRAX headline concert in the purchaser's area and includes a special in-person meet-and-greet with the band to take place during ANTHRAX's 2022 U.S. tour.

For all details pertaining to "Anthrax XL," go to www.anthrax.com; to purchase a bottle of "Anthrax XL," go to www.120west58wine.com. Customers can expect a turn-around time of about 10 days.

In July, guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Frank Bello traveled up to the Hillrock Estate Distillery for a series of tastings to find that perfect elixir that would be "Anthrax XL" worthy.

"I had a great time up at Hillrock," said Bello of the experience. "Everything there is homegrown, and all done by hand. Jeffrey, Cathy, Alex, and everyone who works there are all really nice people who care so much about what they do and how they do it. I'm very, very happy with our 'Anthrax XL' whiskey. It's smooth, has a great aftertaste, and creates a great vibe. Right after my first taste, I wanted more."

"I sampled eight different whiskeys from Hillrock's rickhouse when I was there to pick one for our 40th-anniversary bottle," said Ian. "It's a difficult task in that they're all so great, thieved from the barrel and into my glass. Every time I've had to choose a whiskey, I wait for the juice to tell me that, 'it's the one.' This barrel spoke up loud and clear. On the nose, there is an explosion of caramel, toffee, and butterscotch with hints of dried cherries and fresh herbs. The palette has a rich texture of bright red fruits, baking spices, and toasted almonds. I'm drooling just reading that back. Get yourself a bottle, you deserve it!"

"Anthrax XL" is the band's most recent collaboration with the multi-award-winning Hillrock Estate Distillery, located in the luxuriant Hudson Valley Highlands in New York State. Built from the ground up by husband and wife Jeffrey Baker and Cathy Franklin and the legendary late master distiller Dave Pickerell, ANTHRAX continues to return due to the high level of care and attention that the Hillrock trio puts into what they do.

According to Franklin, Baker and Alex Eckstein, owners of Hillrock Estate Distillery, "This 'Anthrax XL' Anniversary cask is the band's fourth Hillrock Solera Aged Bourbon selection. Over that time, we have become very close with Scott and have enjoyed getting to know all of the other bandmembers, either up here with us in person or virtually. We hope to have Scott and Frank, as well as Charlie, Joey and Jon all up here together soon to taste, create and finish more beautiful craft whiskey together for many more years."

Photo credit: Omar Mendez

Despite being Brazil's biggest-ever heavy music export, when SEPULTURA lost its original frontman and founder Max Cavalera in 1996, and Max's brother and drummer Igor Cavalera in 2006, many thought the band would not recover from their departures. However, in Cleveland, Ohio punk and hardcore scene veteran Derrick Green, SEPULTURA found a formidable, towering force that would lead the band with power and conviction through this new era of their career.

"Sepulnation: The Studio Albums 1998-2009", released through BMG on October 22, celebrates the bands seconds phase, and this five-album boxset (across eight slabs of vinyl or five CDs) contains the albums "Against", "Nation", "Roorback", "Dante XXI" and "A-Lex", all of which are half speed cut, remastered and back on 180-gram vinyl for the first time in a decade and also as a collector's CD box. In addition, the "Roorback" album features the rare "Revolusongs" EP, which is available for the first time digitally and saw the band celebrate their influences with covers of bands as musically broad as DEVO, EXODUS, U2 and MASSIVE ATTACK.

Any fans who feared that this new lineup of SEPULTURA would see the band taming its intense and heavy approach were not left disappointed when "Against" came out of the traps in 1998. With the powerhouse that is Igor Cavalera still on drums (he remained for four of the five albums), Andreas Kisser's grinding guitars and bassist Paulo Jr.'s heavy bottom end powered behind Derrick Green's guttural roar and SEPULTURA sounded heavier and more forceful than ever. This period would see the band continue to push their sound forward and challenge new sounds and styles, but they never lost sight of what was the core of the band. The righteous, rebellious nature remained with the 1998 album "Nation" calling for "one nation, Sepulnation," — a rallying cry that stayed with the band throughout their long and challenging career.

"Sepulnation: The Studio Albums 1998-2009" brings the focus back on a period of the band that may have been missed by early supporters and shows that the fire continued to burn bright throughout.

"It's an honor and privilege to be a part of SEPULTURA's history," states Green.

"I'm proud of all the work we have done together and it only makes sense to have this box set format released for the fans to have the complete history of SEPULTURA. Long live the Sepulnation!"

Pre-order "Sepulnation: The Studio Albums 1998-2009" here.

Acclaimed rock vocalist Jeff Scott Soto will release his next solo project, "The Duets Collection, Vol. 1", on October 8. For this album, Soto wanted to do a career retrospective and re-record some of his favorite songs from his storied career, but with the twist that he invited friends to join him on duets of said songs. Today, fans can get another taste of the album with the release of "Coming Home" (originally performed by Soto with SOUL SIRKUS) where he is joined by Deen Castronovo (JOURNEY).

Using the downtime from his normally relentless touring activity due to the worldwide pandemic, Soto decided to create a very special album which pays tribute to some of the classic songs he has recorded over the course of his storied career. But rather than simple re-records, he wanted to make the album something special, unique. So, not only did he re-record these songs with his musical friends Jorge Salan, Howie Simon (guitars), Leo Mancini (guitars), Tony Dickinson (bass) and Edu Cominato (drums), but he called in some of his fellow rock friends/vocalists to create a unique duets album. With the likes of Erik Mårtensson (ECLIPSE, W.E.T.), Eric Martin (MR. BIG), Johnny Gioeli (HARDLINE), Deen Castronovo (REVOLUTION SAINTS, JOURNEY), Nathan James (INGLORIOUS), Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X), Renan Zonta (ELECTRIC MOB), Dino Jelusick (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA), Mats Levén (CANDLEMASS, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA), BJ (SPEKTRA, SOTO), and Aliro Netto (SHAMAN, QUEEN EXTRAVAGANZA), this is an amazing international affair.

The track listing alone will surely make any JSS fan excited, much less hearing the final product. Where can you get such an amazing list of singers and songs all in the same place?

Jeff says: "It was a dream to cast these voices and I am so amped for you to hear the results…”

Soto is a man that needs virtually no introduction to any discerning melodic rock fan. Jeff launched his career at the young age of 18 years old in tremendous fashion as the lead vocalist for Yngwie Malmsteen's debut album, "Rising Force", and the sophomore effort, "Marching Out". That first step into the spotlight has led to a career that has seen Jeff play and work with an outstanding number of artists and genres from the AOR of EYES and TAKARA, to the hard rock and metal of TALISMAN, AXEL RUDI PELL, SOUL SIRKUS, and, of course, his time with the legendary JOURNEY. Jeff has also maintained a solo career over the past decades, while also recently joining up with the progressive metal supergroup SONS OF APOLLO.

Track listing:

01. Livin' The Life (ROCK STAR) with Erik Mårtensson (ECLIPSE/W.E.T.)

02. Don't Let It End (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) - with Dino Jelusick (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA)

03. Mysterious (TALISMAN) - with Eric Martin (MR. BIG)

04. Believe In Me (JSS) - with Nathan James (INGLORIOUS)

05. Coming Home (SOUL SIRKUS) - with Deen Castronovo (REVOLUTION SAINTS, ex-JOURNEY)

06. I'll Be Waiting (TALISMAN) - with Alirio Netto (SHAMAN, QUEEN EXTRAVAGANZA)

07. Callin' All Girls (EYES) - with Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X, ALLEN/LANDE)

08. Colour My XTC (TALISMAN) - with Renan Zonta (ELECTRIC MOB)

09. Warrior (AXEL RUDI PELL) - with Johnny Gioeli (HARDLINE, AXEL RUDI PELL)

10. Holding On (JSS) - with BJ (SOTO, SPEKTRA)

11. Again 2 B Found (HUMANIMAL) - with Mats Levén (CANDLEMASS, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA)

Lineup:

Jeff Scott Soto - Vocals, Bass and Keys

Edu Cominato - Drums

Tony Dickinson - Bass

Jorge Salan - Guitars

Howie Simon - Guitars and Bass

Leo Mancini - Guitars

Matt Harvey (Exhumed, Gruesom) presents: Last Son Of Krypton. Heavily inspired by the comics of his youth and the Superman universe, Last Son Of Krypton serves as a backdrop to Harvey's take on a world of heroes, villainy, justice, and more. Listen to Last Son Of Krypton on all streaming platforms here, and below.


Matt Harvey comments: “I love storytelling and music and it was really exciting to undertake a project that combines those two things. The album was mostly composed during 2020 and ended up being my attempt to combat the omnipresent doom and gloom of the year. Creating the record was a hell of a journey, and I humbly invite you to come along for a ride through my imagination.”


Featuring 14 instrumental tracks arranged by Harvey in their entirety, Last Son Of Krypton features dramatic orchestral arrangements fit for the silver screen - the storytelling is palpable; each track scoring a hero's journey of mythic proportions. A compelling listen for lovers of comics and science fiction, Last Son Of Krypton was made by a die-hard comic fan for fellow die-hards worldwide!


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Tracklisting:


"Last Son Of Krypton"
"Earthfall At The Kents' Farm"
"Lex Luthor, Man Of Tomorrow"
"So Long, Smallville!"
"Lois Lane And The Daily Planet"
"Brainiac Descends"
"The Fall Of Metropolis"
"Fortress Of Solitude"
"A City Without Heroes"
"From Crystal Memories Of A Dead Planet Comes A Message Of Hope"
"Look! Up In The Sky!"
"Worth Fighting For"
"Finale & Reprise"
"Epilogue - The Phantom Zone"








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On September 17, Criminal will release their new album, Sacrificio, via Metal Blade Records. For a preview of Sacrificio, a lyric video for the new single, "Live On Your Knees", can be viewed below.


Anton Reisenegger (vocals/guitars) comments: "'Live On Your Knees' is the opening track and also the first track Danilo and I wrote for the album. It's probably one of the fastest and most brutal songs on the record. Its late 90s death metal and hardcore vibes punch you straight in the face and don't let go. The lyrics are a message of freedom and independence in these times of turmoil and uncertainty. Ben Liepelt did a killer job with the lyric video, and we can't wait for everyone to see/hear/feel it!"





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Sacrificio is Criminal's ninth full-length studio album: a twelve-track bludgeoning that harks back to their roots - both literally and metaphorically. Whilst writing for Sacrificio, Criminal's home country of Chile saw a social uprising that has impacted the lives of Chileans in immeasurable ways. Protests against corruption, inequality and the poor standard of living saw citizens take to the streets to make themselves heard. This civil action and vehement anger seeped into the creative process of the four members of Criminal - three of them being Chilean. Although there is a deep personal connection to the lyrical content, the events unfold from the perspective of a spectator - albeit one who has also experienced tyrannical leadership and witnessed the divide between ordinary citizens and the social elite.


Chilean culture weaves its way into the album in other ways too; though suitably heavy, there's a percussive element to the sound of Sacrificio that reveals its Latin American roots. Coupled with an unapologetic nod to the 90s in terms of both composition and production, this album sees Criminal finding their groove in more ways than one. The resulting sound is celebratory, rhythmic, organic, and captures everything that was glorious about the flourishing extreme metal scene in the 1990s.


For a band that originally formed out of the ashes of 80's death metal legends Pentagram Chile, the album highlights the benefits of embracing the band's origins; writing and recording took place in Chile for the first time since the 1990s. Criminal continues to prove that South America can create powerful death metal on its own terms. For Sacrificio, much of the material was written in the old-fashioned way - jamming in a sweaty rehearsal room, refining as they went. The old school vibe is further enhanced by the natural sounding production of Seba Puente, which adds to the immediacy and live feel found throughout Sacrificio.


The past 30 years have seen twists and turns in the Criminal tale, but Sacrificio finds them sounding more compelling than ever. The sole original member, vocalist/guitarist Anton Reisenegger (Brujeria, Lock Up, Pentagram Chile), allows plenty of room for the newer and younger members of the band - Danilo Estrella (drums), Danny Biggin (bass), Sergio Klein (guitar) - to add their personal touches to the band's missives.





The record can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:


- jewelcase-CD
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- golden vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
- orange w/ black splatter vinyl





Sacrificio tracklisting:


"Live On Your Knees"
"Caged"
"The Whale"
"Zona De Sacrificio"
"After Me, The Flood"
"Dark Horse"
"Theocrazy"
"Sistema Criminal"
"Zealots"
"Age Of Distrust"
"Hunter And The Prey"
"Ego Killer"


"Zona De Sacrificio" video:





Criminal lineup:


Anton Reisenegger - vocals/guitars
Sergio Klein - guitars
Danny Biggin - bass
Danilo Estrella - drums


(Photo - Cristian Carrasco)





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Guitarist Thomas Zwijsen has released a new video, featuring an acoustic performance of Iron Maiden's "The Longest Day", featured on the 2006 album, A Matter Of Life And Death.





Zwijsen previously released the videos below, featuring acoustic performances of Iron Maiden's new songs, "Stratego", and "The Writing On The Wall". Watch below:


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Symphonic metal outfit, Ad Infinitum, return with their bewitching second offering, Chapter II - Legacy, out October 29 via Napalm Records. After dropping their debut back in 2020 and with its very first single, “Marching On Versailles”, riding high at more than 1.8M video views to date, the highly talented unit didn't put the brakes on. Instead, they transformed pandemic fatigue into heavier soundscapes without sacrificing their signature aura.


A first glimpse of what can be expected from the album is delivered by vibrant first single “Unstoppable”, alongside an explosive music video. The song reflects the band’s attitude in the best way and immediately catches the listener with its intriguing chorus.


Ad Infinitum on the new single: “We are very happy to finally unveil the first track from our upcoming album, Chapter II - Legacy. Saying that we’ve been impatient to share our work on this record is an understatement. We hope you will enjoy - as much as we do - the first taste of an album that represents the evolution and growth of the band very well.”


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Check out the energetic music video for “Unstoppable” below.


Symphonic metal onslaught Ad Infinitum are no stranger to the scene. With their spellbinding debut album, Chapter I - Monarchy (2020), brought to life in the middle of a global pandemic, the foursome reached millions of plays on streaming platforms. Furthermore, frontwoman Melissa Bonny is consistently drawn to exciting musical collaborations, as she recently unveiled the brand new band The Dark Side Of The Moon and their bittersweet reinterpretation of Florence & The Machine's Game Of Thrones soundtrack song, "Jenny Of Oldstones". In addition, Bonny's exciting feature with Feuerschwanz on the song “Ding” (Seed-cover) has already gained over 2.6 million views on YouTube since its release. Now, she sets her focus back to her main musical force as Ad Infinitum - with Adrian Thessenvitz (guitars), Korbinian Benedict (bass) and Niklas Müller (drums) - will unveil its new opus, Chapter II - Legacy.


Chapter II - Legacy surprises with a melting pot of different influences and a contrast between super heavy riffs, sometimes even djent/metalcore-like touches and catchy hook lines and melodies, giving the band's sophomore album a modern and equally timeless touch. The lyrics have, just like on their debut album, been inspired by a historical figure: the paradoxical life and afterlife of Vlad The Impaler, also known as Dracula, inspired the themes and questions of this album.


Ad Infinitum add: “Chapter II - Legacy holds a very special place in our heart. It represents months and months of hard work of four bandmates, for a result that we are proud to call “self-produced”. For this record, we decided to work without the influence of an external producer during the songwriting process and to team up with Elias Holmlid for the beautiful and epic orchestrations and of course with Jacob Hansen who recorded [vocals], mixed, mastered and participated to the post production. A younger and heavier sound that defines Ad Infinitum like never before.”


Chapter II - Legacy once again showcases the indispensable creativity of Ad Infinitum - featuring twelve complex, marvelous tracks highlighting their sonic development and undeniable symphonic strength. Such talent can be witnessed with opener “Reinvented”, lurking with lovely piano tunes and erupting in intense riffage in the blink of an eye. Right away, the music reflects the extremely multifaceted voice of Melissa Bonny - ranging from crystal clear vocals to impressively powerful screams and menacing growls. Hailing from hell, hard-hitting “Afterlife” features the vocal power of Nils Molin (Amaranthe, Dynazty), merging in perfect harmony with Melissa’s incredibly haunting delivery. Songs like “Your Enemy” and cinematic grand finale “Lullaby” leave no scope for weakness and unveil the heaviest side of Ad Infinitum to date. This grasping hymn is far from lulling you to sleep, as the eclectically versatile sonic world of Ad Infinitum immediately induces you to listen to Chapter II - Legacy again, right from the beginning.





Chapter II - Legacy will be available in the following formats:


- 1 CD Digipak
- 1 LP Gatefold BLACK
- 1 CD Digipak + Patch (limited to 200 copies worldwide)
- Digital Album


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Reinvented"
"Unstoppable"
"Inferno"
"Your Enemy"
"Afterlife" (feat. Nils Molin)
"Breathe"
"Animals"
"Into The Night"
"Son Of Wallachia"
"My Justice, Your Pain"
"Haunted"
"Lullaby"


"Unstoppable" video:





Ad Infinitum are:


Melissa Bonny - Vocals
Adrian Thessenvitz - Guitars
Korbinian Benedict - Bass
Niklas Müller – Drums


(Photo - Nat Enemede - Fine Art)





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Brazilian death metal heavyweights, Krisiun, have released a new video for the title track of their recent album, Scourge Of The Enthroned. Also, the band just announced the re-signing with Century Media Records after successfully releasing the last nine albums together and being on the label for over 20 years.


Philipp Schulte, Vice President Century Media comments: "We are very happy to announce the extension of our cooperation with Krisiun. Century Media Records and Krisiun are working together for more than 20 years. We are grateful for the trust that Max, Alex and Moyses have put in us, and looking forward to many more years as their label home."


Check out the new video below:


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Furthermore Krisiun have confirmed that they are going to join Deicide on their 2022 tour throughout Europe, and that they are working on a new album with full force for the next year.


The band says: “Hails!!! The time has come, we are honoured to announce that we are finally back on the road over Europe and UK as direct support to the mighty Deicide, the tour is also graced with the female force of Crypta. We are now working hard on the new material, it's coming out as brutal as fast as it's ever been. The new record should be out right prior to the tour. It has no name yet but the songs are surging in full throttle. Storm is coming. Check out the dates and grab your fucking ticket. See you on the road. Hail and kill.”








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Fan-filmed video footage of JOURNEY's August 24 concert at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course's myheroes Stage in Grantville, Pennsylvania can be seen below. The show was originally scheduled for Sunday, August 22 but was postponed due to inclement weather.

JOURNEY made its return to the live stage on July 29 during a special "aftershow" at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom. The concert took place just two days before JOURNEY's appearance at Lollapalooza on the Bud Light Seltzer stage at Grant Park.

JOURNEY's lineup for the above-mentioned shows included the return of drummer Deen Castronovo, who shared the drum duties in the band with Narada Michael Walden. Walden, bassist Randy Jackson and keyboardist/backing singer Jason Derlatka all joined JOURNEY last year following the band's acrimonious split with drummer Steve Smith and bassist Ross Valory. Jackson — who previously played with JOURNEY during the mid-1980s — was forced to miss all the recent gigs because he was scheduled to undergo back surgery. Filling in for him was Marco Mendoza, who previously played several shows in 2019 with Castronovo and JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon under the "Neal Schon's Journey Through Time" banner.

In June, JOURNEY shared a new single, "The Way We Used To Be". The song was the multi-platinum band's first new music since 2011's album "Eclipse", and the first track released by the band's revamped lineup. "The Way We Used To Be" marks Walden and Derlatka's first studio recordings with the band, and Jackson's first since 1986's "Raised On Radio". The song was produced by Narada Michael Walden at his Tarpan Studios, with co-production by Schon and Cain.

On October 22, ARMORED SAINT will release a new CD/DVD, "Symbol Of Salvation Live", via Metal Blade Records, to celebrate the seminal album's 30th anniversary.

For a first preview of "Symbol Of Salvation Live", a video for the title track can be seen below.

There are many ways to celebrate the anniversary of an important release in a band's career, and for "Symbol Of Salvation"'s 30th birthday — an album vocalist John Bush refers to as ARMORED SAINT's "cornerstone record" — comes "Symbol Of Salvation Live". A combination live album and video of the band playing the album in its entirety at New York's famed Gramercy Theatre during their 2018 tour, it captures the power, diversity and peerless songwriting contained within it.

"I felt like showing 'Symbol' in another light was a great homage to the record itself," states bassist Joey Vera. "Also, having all the fans be there and part of that event is a way for us to say 'Thank you!' For, without them, we can't do any of this in the first place."

There is no denying that "Symbol Of Salvation" stands out of the band's catalog as something truly special, something that the band recognize as readily as their rabid fanbase. "It links our past to our future," says Bush. "I believe it was the time that we honestly thought we could do whatever we wanted to musically and it would somehow work. There's a magical feeling about it and it continues to gain mystique every year." However, the band went through some adverse times while initially writing the songs that would make up the record, being without a label for three years prior to signing with Metal Blade, and in 1990 — before they headed into the studio — losing founding guitarist Dave Prichard to leukemia. This ultimately served to light a fire under the band, pushing them to deliver their very best. "Because we had lifted ourselves out of these ashes, as it were, we felt a very strong desire to make every little thing count," elaborates Vera. "It felt more important than anything we had ever done before. For one thing, we didn't want Dave's writing contributions to be in vain. Also, we were on a mission to let the world hear what we'd been working on for three years. Funny thing is, that during the separation of the metal genre between glam and thrash from '85 to '89, we kinda felt like we had to prove something to everyone else. But while making 'Symbol', we also had something to prove, except this time, we had to prove it to ourselves."

The decision to play the album in its entirety on dates in the U.S. and Europe in 2018 was in fact quite pragmatic, the band between records and wanting to play more shows, and with the anniversary of "Symbol Of Salvation" on the horizon, Vera believed it would be a "fun challenge" to play it in a live setting. "We thought since the fans seem to agree that this record is a favorite, it would be well received," he says. "And as usual, it takes time and planning for a release down the road, so we jumped on that idea and did a bunch of dates before we began writing for our next record. It was really great seeing the reaction from the crowds when we'd play the really deep cuts. Not only the songs we very rarely played, but also the couple of songs that we had never played before. Some of these tunes took on a whole new life and it was very motivating for me, to see these songs in a different light. I would say that experience was an inspiration when I began writing for 'Punching The Sky' (2020)." The show itself was captured by a six-camera crew, Bush saying the band were "pumped up", knowing that they were filming, and, as always, the quintet delivered their very best from the moment they stepped on stage. They also have fond memories of the show, which remains their biggest headline show in New York to date. "The vibe in the room was so great," says Vera. "The fans made us feel so welcome, like we had come home for a celebration of sorts, and we all celebrated 'Symbol Of Salvation'. It gave me chills hearing people sing along to songs like 'Burning Question', a song we never had played live before."

As an extra bonus, the vinyl and digital versions of the record contain five demo tracks from the "Symbol Of Salvation" writing sessions with Dave Prichard, which have never been released on that format. "They're songs that didn't make the record, however, there still is a vibe to those tunes, plus Dave's playing is on them, so that makes them special," says Bush. These tracks make for welcome additions, helping to further celebrate the record, and the band are just happy and respectful of the fact they have reached this anniversary. "If you would have told me thirty years ago that we'd be talking about this today, I would have told you that you were crazy," Vera says. "All we've ever wanted was to make our own music, to take joy and take pride in doing it. The fact that we also have very loyal fans who continue to support what we do is the best icing on this cake. I try to look at our records as objectively as possible, and when I can do that, I'm very proud that this record is a huge part of the band's legacy, and I am extremely humbled that I'm a part of that."

"Symbol of Salvation Live" CD/DVD track listing:

01. Reign of Fire (live)

02. Dropping Like Flies (live)

03. Last Train Home (live)

04. Tribal Dance (live)

05. The Truth Always Hurts (live)

06. Half Drawn Bridge (live)

07. Another Day (live)

08. Symbol of Salvation (live)

09. Hanging Judge (live)

10. Warzone (live)

11. Burning Question (Live)

12. Tainted Past (live)

13. Spineless (live)

Additional bonus tracks on the digital/vinyl versions:

14. Nothing Between The Ears (1989 4-track demo)

15. Get Lost (1989 4-track demo)

16. Medieval Nightmares (1989 4-track demo)

17. People (1989 4-track demo)

18. Pirates (1989 4-track demo)

19. Symbol Of Salvation (live) (radio edit) **available digitally only!

This December, ARMORED SAINT will join BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and PRONG for a short run of shows in the USA.

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

An integral part of the early-'80s thrash metal movement that spawned acts like METALLICA and ANTHRAX, New Jersey's OVERKILL garnered a reputation for brutal, pounding speed and technique. Taking their moniker from the 1979 MOTÖRHEAD album of the same name, an early demo, "Power In Black", made waves in the underground tape-trading circuit and caught the attention of Megaforce Records, which issued the band's full-length studio debut, "Feel The Fire", in 1985. High-profile shows alongside luminaries like SLAYER and ANTHRAX followed, and with the American thrash scene in full tilt, OVERKILL inked a major-label deal with Atlantic, which put out their sophomore effort, 1987's uncompromising "Taking Over". This was followed quickly in 1988 by the equally uncompromising "Under The Influence", which spawned the MTV hit "Hello From The Gutter". Continuing their breakneck pace, the band issued the Terry Date-produced "Years Of Decay" the following year in 1989, which saw them pushing their sound in a more epic direction, while maintaining the neck-snapping attack of their debut. Expanding their lineup to a five piece in 1990 they released the brooding and relentlessly heavy "Horrorscope", which introduced elements of doom into the mix and would go on to become a defining release and fan favorite. OVERKILL continued to move toward a more epic BLACK SABBATH style on 1993's "I Hear Black" but switched up again on 1994's "W.F.O." which marked a return to the whiplash-inducing thrash of the past.

OVERKILL is held in high regard as one of the true greats of the global metal scene. These six albums cemented OVERKILL in the thrash hall of fame, while contributing to their 16 million record sales notched up over the last 40 years, and are all considered stone cold classics. All six of these albums are back on vinyl for the first time in over a decade. Half speed mastered for dynamic range and pressed on 180-gram vinyl. Also available as a CD collector's box.

"The Atlantic Years 1986 To 1994" contains:

* Taking Over

* Under The Influence

* The Years Of Decay

* Horroscope

* I Hear Black

* W.F.O.

During his current solo tour, former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist is performing a new song called "Que Pasa". The track, which will be included on John's next studio album, "Sinner", features a guest appearance by MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine.

Regarding how Mustaine came to be involved with the record, John 5 told AL.com: "We had a sample from James Brown, and the record company was, like, 'We can't use that sample. We'll get sued. Who would you want to use?' And I was, like, 'Well, I would love to use Dave Mustaine.' So I reached out and he agreed, and he really liked the song and that'’s gonna be the first video as well. It's called 'Que Pasa'."

John 5 originally shared the news of Mustaine's appearance on "Sinner" in an interview last month with the 95.5 KLOS radio station. At the time, he said: "We have Dave Mustaine doing a little vocal thing. 'Cause we have these little vocal hooks in each song. So it's super cool. And Mustaine did it. And it sounds so good. I love MEGADETH so much, so I was, like, 'Oh my God. We've gotta see if Mustaine will do it.' And he kills it."

Fan-filmed video footage of John 5 performing "Que Pasa" — featuring Mustaine's vocals on a backing tape — at a couple of different stops on his current tour can be seen below.

"Sinner", which is due on Halloween, will also feature a guest appearance by original KISS drummer Peter Criss. John 5, whose real name is John William Lowery, first discussed Criss's involvement with "Sinner" during an appearance on Sirius XM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said: "Peter Criss is playing drums on the song 'Georgia On My Mind', which is the last song on the record. And I'm telling you… This guy… Barry Pointer, my producer, flew out to Peter's house, set up a couple of mics. Now, this is a jazz type of song, and Peter is known for that jazz feel he has. I shit you not, he sat behind those drums, played two takes. Barry's mouth was dropped open. Wait till you hear this. I mean, it was perfect."

John 5 continued: "It's something you can't teach, is this feel and this vibe. And he nailed it in two takes. And Barry was, like, 'Well, what do we do now?' It took him, like, literally probably eight minutes. And it was just perfect. He was, like, 'There's nothing else we can do. That was perfect.'"

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

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

THE ROLLING STONES will go ahead with their previously announced U.S. tour next month despite the recent passing of drummer Charlie Watts.

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood will resume the "No Filter" trek in St. Louis on September 26.

A source told The Sun: "The band wants to make the show a celebration of his life. He was like a brother to them but they know he would have hated the thought of them canceling shows. Charlie had given them his blessing to tour without him following his operation, so they will honor his wishes."

Stepping in for Watts on the trek will be his "great friend" Steve Jordan. Jordan previously played with THE ROLLING STONES guitarist Keith Richards.

Not everybody was happy about THE ROLLING STONES' plans to carry on without Watts. On fan tweeted: "Charlie Watts, the drummer for THE ROLLING STONES died. He was 80 years old. They were planning another tour. When your band members start to die of natural cause, maybe you should quit touring." Another user added, "They can and will continue to tour but without Charlie it's not THE ROLLING STONES." "I think THE ROLLING STONES should call it quits. Still tour and play the songs but not as THE ROLLING STONES. Isn't the same," a third fan wrote. "THE ROLLING STONES are scheduled to go on their No Filter Tour 2021. I guess Charlie was the filter," another fan added.

Watts's publicist said that he "passed away peacefully in a London hospital [on August 24] surrounded by his family."

Charlie's death came just weeks after THE ROLLING STONES announced that Watts would be missing several U.S. tour dates while he was recovering from an unspecified medical procedure.

Although Watts wasn't a founding member of THE STONES, he had been with the band since January 1963.

He battled throat cancer in 2004 but got the all clear after undergoing two operati

Ahead of the release of Corey Taylor's version of "Holier Than Thou" on METALLICA's "Blacklist" album, the SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman sat down with Knotfest.com's Ryan J. Downey to discuss METALLICA, "Holier Than You" and more in a four-part series. Speaking about how METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX shaped his musical identity in the late 1980s and created a sound that defined a generation, Taylor said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That was the sounding gun for a whole new generation of psychos, because those bands appealed to so many different — I don't wanna say 'cliques,' but so many different crowds. The punk kids loved them, the metal kids worshipped them. It was still too underground for the straights — quote-unquote the straights. But even the alternative kids dug it, because there was so much ferocity in it and there was just something different. It felt heavier than [BLACK] SABBATH and heavier than DEEP PURPLE, but those were the bands that fueled these bands. Between that, and then you could feel that undercurrent of the hardcore scene — the punk scene, the hardcore scene, the stuff that we, the skater kids, were listening to, as well as the hip-hop or whatnot. So this was this burgeoning explosion of attitude, fast music, just in your face, and we just knew as soon as our parents heard it, they hated it, which made us love it even more. Nothing is better than listening to something that scares the hell out of adults."

Taylor went on to call METALLICA's classic third LP "Master Of Puppets" "the perfect heavy metal album. There's no fat," he said. "I mean, you can put it on and listen to the… The only bad thing I can say is that it's too short. Before you know it, it's over, and you're, like, 'Wait a minute,' and you've gotta start it over again. So, it's crazy. It's just a beautiful, beautiful album."

Back in 2017, Corey singled out "Master Of Puppets" as "the greatest modern heavy metal album ever made." He said: "[It is] heavy and yet it's so fucking melodic. It is badass and yet it has moments of pure fucking contemplative cool flow stuff. It is sludgy and yet will rip your fucking head off. And it has the best METALLICA song ever written, 'Disposable Heroes', on it. That fucking song is a clinic, not only in alternate picking, but also down picking. I can't play it, and I can play almost anything. That's how good it is." [The LP has] got some of James [Hetfield's] best performances, and the whole band is amazing on it. And it's got some of his best lyrics on it. You listen to it and you're like, "This is criminal, how fucking good this album is."

Last year, Taylor told Apple Music's Zane Lowe that METALLICA's longevity and career success have offered a "blueprint" that SLIPKNOT will continue to follow in the years to come.

"If there's any band that we absolutely respect… there are a handful of bands, but METALLICA was definitely, they were the high-water mark, man, they were the band to achieve," he said. "That was our [SLIPKNOT's] blueprint, basically. But we took so much from so many different bands as well that it would be unfair to say it was just METALLICA that really guided us. Obviously, they [METALLICA] were… still finding ways to challenge themselves. That's the key. And that's where METALLICA, I really feel, is the blueprint, because they keep finding ways to break new ground, play every continent. They'll be the first band to play Mars, I'm convinced of that."

STONE SOUR's version of METALLICA's "Creeping Death" was featured on the former band's "Meanwhile In Burbank…", a five-song covers EP which was released in 2015.

On March 7, 2021, legendary Entombed singer Lars-Göran “L-G” Petrov (Firespawn, Entombed A.D., Morbid) passed away at the age of 49 after suffering from incurable bile duct cancer.


Firespawn have announced that L-G's tombstone is now in place.


A message states: "L-G's stone is finally in place. It’s an absolutely beautiful stone, it couldn’t be any more perfect. Big thanks to Mogge Ekstrand and Anders Jansson for arranging this beautiful stone for all of us to visit ❤️ Those two boys deserve all the love and respect for everything they’ve done during L-G's last time in life and also after his passing. All Hail to you buddies! Rest In Peace L-G." ❤️



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The third single off Shumaun’s Memories & Intuition is the catchy and anthemic rock song “Intuition Underground.” The ninth track on the album features drummer Thomas Lang (Peter Gabriel, Paul Gilbert), and like the rest of the full-length, adds accessible melodies to unusual time signatures resulting in progressive music that is suitable for both listeners who are new to the sub-genre and avid listeners.


Even though the album is very singles-based, it’s meant to be listened to in sequence. There is a natural flow between the songs and lyrics that almost make it feel conceptual. The album theme ties to loss, the current human condition, personal relationships, and the battle of the self. The single stands easily on its own as the band explains:


“The main guitar riff sounds like it could come off a Zeppelin album. It’s a super simplistic pentatonic riff, but it just exudes an attitude that we really liked,” says vocalist/guitarist Farhad Hossain. “There are some tricky time signatures on the song, but luckily the whole thing comes across as a stadium rock song,” adds bassist, Jose Mora. While the song is on the heavier side for Shumaun, it still retains the catchy melodies and big hooks so iconic to the band. 


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“Intuition Underground” is an easy listen, but that doesn’t mean Shumaun sacrifices creative writing and complexity. With a bridge that alternates between the time signatures of 15/16 and 14/16, the band proves they can maintain a good balance between their technical abilities and their creative writing that shines through, making for an invigorating listen.


Alongside the regular band lineup on this album, Shumaun employs the talents of other legendary drummers Atma Anur (Jason Becker, Tony Macalpine), and Mark Zonder (Fates Warning, Warlord). Drummers Leo Margarit (Pain of Salvation) and Chris DeChiara also contributed.





Tracklisting:


“A Subtle Invocation”
“Prisoners”
“Memories Of Water”
“Jabriel’s Song”
“Invincible”
“Under The Sun”
“The Pursuit of Happiness”
“Tides”
“Intuition Underground”
“Breathing Light”
“A Planetary Shift”
“The Day We Said Goodbye”


"Intuition Underground":





"Under The Sun" lyric video:





“Memories Of Water”:





Album teaser:








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