Dutch symphonic metallers Epica performed at the Alcatraz Festival 2021 at Sport Campus Lange Munte in Kortrijk, Belgium on August 13th. Pro-shot video of the show and an official after movie are available below.

The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Abyss of Time – Countdown to Singularity"
"Freedom – The Wolves Within"
"Victims of Contingency"
"Storm the Sorrow"
"Unchain Utopia"
"Kingdom of Heaven Part 3 – The Antediluvian Universe"
"The Skeleton Key"
"Omega – Sovereign of the Sun Spheres"
"The Obsessive Devotion"
"Beyond the Matrix"
"Design Your Universe"




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LOVEBITES, the all-female heavy metal band from Tokyo, Japan, has announced that it "will be taking a hiatus from all activities" following the departure of bassist Miho.

Miho shared the news of her exit from LOVEBITES in a statement earlier today. She said: "To all my loving and supportive fans, it was really hard to make this decision, but I have to announce my departure from LOVEBITES as of August 17, 2021. Given the current state of the world, it has made it difficult for me to give my goodbyes in person, so I really apologize for those who are shocked by this sudden announcement.

"Over the past couple of years, I have been self-reflecting and reconsidering how I can be myself as a musician. When I look back, this period gave me an opportunity to broaden my perspective in both my professional and personal life.

"LOVEBITES has been my life since 2016, and it always holds my best memories, especially performing at Wacken Open Air made one of my dreams come true even though it's still unreal to me.

"I couldn't have done any of these without my bandmates, crew, staff and the undying love and support from fans all across the globe. My words cannot describe how much I want to thank you all for everything.

"I'm parting ways with the band. However, my spirit for heavy metal never dies. Also, LOVEBITES will keep moving forward, so I really hope you all keep giving the same love for their future.

"Thank you so much again for all your love and support. Hope to see you again one day soon."

Added the remaining members of LOVEBITES: "To our dear fans, firstly thank you all for always supporting LOVEBITES.

"Today we have to let you know that our bassist, Miho, is leaving LOVEBITES. We're so sorry to be bringing such sad news to our fans and everyone who has supported us so far.

"After Miho told us she was thinking of leaving, the band and our staff have had countless meetings to find a way for her to stay. But in the end, we decided to respect Miho's wish.

"When we think of and feel for our fans, we struggle to find the right words to say.

"This is also a really tough one but we need to let you know that we will be suspending our activities as LOVEBITES for a while. However, we are definitely coming back. We kindly ask for your patience until then.

"Thank you all for your continued support for LOVEBITES' future and for Miho's future."

LOVEBITES' latest EP, "Glory, Glory, To The World", came out in March via JPU Records. The effort was recorded under the darkness of the coronavirus pandemic and contained four songs exclusive to the EP.

"Glory, Glory, To The World" followed critically acclaimed album "Electric Pentagram", which made its debut on Japan's Oricon Album chart at No. 9.

Original AC/DC singer Dave Evans has released a new single, "Who's Gonna Rock Me?" via Chrystal Records. The 68-year-old Australian-born musician is joined on the track by Bad Boy Troy on guitar, Gary Partin on guitar and bass, Wasim Balzaar on drums, and Martin Gilardi on keyboards and rhythm guitar.

Dave recorded AC/DC's first two singles, "Can I Sit Next To You Girl" and "Baby Please Don't Go". But in October 1974, less than a year after AC/DC's first gig, Evans was out of the group.

Evans was replaced by Bon Scott, who sang on AC/DC's first six studio albums and became a legend himself after his death in 1980.

This past May, Evans released a new compilation album called "BADASS Greatest Hits". The effort, which can be ordered at this location, contains "20 massive hits on one album," including Dave's version of "Rockin' In The Parlour", the song that originally appeared as the B-side of the "Can I Sit Next to You, Girl" single.

In December 2019, Evans took to his Facebook page to shoot down rumors that he was hoping to come back to AC/DC, explaining that "the real essence of the band" died when founding rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young passed away in November 2017.

Earlier this year, Dave Evans was asked in an interview with The Rocker Diaries if he thought "that would be it" for AC/DC after Bon's death in 1980. He responded: "No, not at all. I mean, we all keep going. And AC/DC has had that many players through [the history of] the band. I don't know how many. 20? And three singers, plus a stand-in singer as well.

"We were always ambitious when we first started," he continued. "We always wanted to be the best in the world — all of us. And after me, Bon Scott got his chance. He did great with the band. And when he died, I just thought, 'Who are they gonna get?' I never thought [I would be approached about it] myself, because that's water under the bridge. And I was busy with bands as well at the time, and doing my own music and recording. I was just wondering who it would be. I had heard of [Brian Johnson's pre-AC/DC band] GEORDIE — just the name GEORDIE. I'd never heard of Brian. And then Brian popped up and, of course, the 'Back In Black' album came out, which was a massive album around the world, and they were off and running with Brian. But if Brian quit, they'd get another singer, and another singer. [They've gone through] different bass players [and] different drummers.

"The drive was always Malcolm Young," Dave added. "I remember Malcolm when I first met him. He was such a driving force. Just a tiny little guy — just a little touch over five foot tall — but, boy, he had a big heart and a big personality. And he was tough, too — Malcolm was very tough. And no matter what, he was AC/DC through and through. And, of course, once he passed away, which is very sad, AC/DC, of course, will never, ever be the same without Malcolm. How can it be?"

Fan-filmed video footage of SKID ROW's August 15 performance at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube user "Shabby Trick").

Earlier this month, SKID ROW celebrated the 30th anniversary of its classic second album, "Slave To The Grind", by performing it in its entirety at The Amphitheater at Rolling Hills Casino And Resort in Corning, California.

Last summer, SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he and his bandmates would embark on a "Slave To The Grind" 30th-anniversary tour in 2021. "We'll do the album in its entirety, and then we're gonna do a bunch of stuff to coincide with it," he said. "We're pretty psyched, and the shows are booked. We're keeping our fingers crossed that everything is gonna come to pass… It'll be cool, to go out there and do 'Slave To The Grind' top to the bottom. That'll be fun."

According to Bolan, SKID ROW didn't celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band's self-titled debut album in 2019 because "the timing didn't really work out. We had so much other stuff planned, and then all of a sudden, boom, it was here," he explained. "Maybe down the road [we'll celebrate it]. Maybe [for the] 40th [anniversary]. [Laughs]"

As previously reported, former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach will also celebrate the "Slave To The Grind" anniversary on a U.S. tour this fall. He will perform the LP in its entirety at all shows on the trek, which will kick off in October.

Bach previously performed "Slave To The Grind" in its entirety in October 2019 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Earlier that fall, he completed a U.S. tour during which he celebrated the 30th anniversary of SKID ROW's self-titled debut album.

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY.

In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of Bolan and guitarists Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger.

SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I.

Prosthetic Records is proud to welcome death metal four-piece, Phobophilic, to the label roster. Hailing from North Dakota, the band have two demos, an EP and a split already under their belts, and have commenced work on their debut full length which will be released in 2022.

Of their signing to the label, the band commented: "Prosthetic has been home to many bands that were the stepping stones for us discovering heavier and more underground music. To now be part of the roster feels like a real full circle moment. The material we've been working on for our Prosthetic debut is without a doubt our most extreme and authentic yet - we can't wait for everyone to hear it!"

Veteran guitarist and singer-songwriter, Steve Brown (Trixter), has just dropped his inaugural solo single, "Where Do We Run". Not only does he shine his lead vocal and melodic guitar on it, he also produced, engineered and mixed the track himself. Brown draws fans in for an intimate peek at his prolific songwriting style, while showcasing his versatility on the other side of the recording booth.  

"Where Do We Run" features a classic rock vibe reminiscent of Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, while invoking Pink Floyd-esque riffs. 

"The song shows some of my biggest influences from stellar guitar player/vocalists like Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi), Steve Lukather (Toto), Peter Frampton, John Sykes (Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy), and the late, great Gary Moore," says Brown.

The idea for "Where Do We Run" was first born in 1994, when Brown built his home studio, Mojo Vegas-6160. "I was writing a few songs to pitch to movies and "Where Do We Run" seemed like the perfect song for a dark love story. I had my hands in a lot of projects back then and it just got put on the back burner. I rediscovered the song in 2020, while I was completing the second album, Lions, for Tokyo Motor Fist. Upon hearing it again, I remembered how much I loved this song. With today’s political and emotional climate, I felt it is more relevant than ever and the world needed to hear it."

"For my first official solo release ever, I wanted to show a different side of my sound both vocally and musically, and not the obvious arena rock production that I’m known for,” said Brown. 'Where Do We Run' is more of a classic rock production, laced with natural and authentic sounds. I brought my dear friend’s, Joey Cassata on Drums (ZO2, Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Eric Ragno on keys (Graham Bonnet), Chris Lester on bass (Zenboy) to completely take this track into the stratosphere.”

"Where Do We Run" was written, produced, engineered and mixed by Steve Brown. It was mastered by Stephen DeAcutis at Soundspa Productions NJ.

The official video release is slated for Thursday, August 19th. Stay tuned.




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In all the silence, Finnish death doom masters, Swallow The Sun, have written, recorded and mixed a new album called Moonflowers. It is done and ready and will be released on November 19.

Along with some of the album formats, there will also come a full bonus album featuring very special instrumental versions of all the regular album tracks. This instrumental album has been composed for strings and recorded at Sipoo Church in Finland. The strings were performed by the group called Trio NOX from Finland.

All these instrumental songs will be launched as animated videos, which were created by Dronicon Films. One by one every week, leading up to the first single release of the main album.

The new instrumental song, "Woven Into Sorrow", is accompanied by an animated video created by Dronicon Films. Watch below:

Check out the instrumentals for "Moonflowers Bloom In Misery" and "Enemy" below.

Juha Raivio comments: “I know well that I should not say this, but I deeply hate this album. I hate where it takes me, how it makes me feel and what it stands for me personally. I wish it wouldn’t. But for all its honesty I got no option than also love it. That is all that matters to me with the music anyway and it doesn’t matter how it makes me feel, as long as it does. For me this album is like a mirror of a deep self-disappointment. Even I still want to believe that there is and could be more than this in me. But I don’t need or want to talk more about it. After all music means so different things to each one of us by how we have walked our own paths, and that is a beautiful thing about music. There is no right or wrong.

"After I had finished writing all the music for this record in the fall of 2020 I started to write these small instrumental versions of the album songs for the violin, viola, cello and piano. Mostly because I was wondering how it would feel like to hear all these songs first as these intimate versions instead of a full band album. It was really beautiful to see and hear these songs come alive in this way and form, recorded live in this big church in Finland. To be able to hear the echoes of this music reflecting from the church walls and feel the very soul of these old wooden instruments played by real people in this sacred place. Something about hearing the strings breathe this fragile beauty into these songs that carry so much pain otherwise. Now looking back, maybe I wrote these versions just for myself to be able to hear and feel at least some kind of a beauty and solace in these songs, maybe…

"I wanted to create the cover art of this album myself this time, so it would stand as brutally honest for me as the music is. So I painted the moon on the ‘Moonflowers‘ cover with my own blood and I decorated it with the flowers I picked up and dried on the spring of 2016. Maybe it isn’t the most outstanding looking piece of art ever made in this world, but for me it is everything. I wasn’t going to write any new music before I would have moved towards the right direction in my life, but finally all this music just forced itself out of me during the long nights of this hope crushing and neverending lockdown prison. Something grew out from that void eventually and writing these songs made me think a lot about moonflowers that bloom at the darkest hour of the night, so that name felt right to call the album also.

"All my love to you, take care."

Moonflowers tracklisting:

"Moonflowers Bloom In Misery"
"Enemy"
"Woven Into Sorrow"
"Keep Your Heart Safe From Me"
"All Hallows' Grieve" (Featuring Cammie Gilbert)
"The Void"
"The Fight Of Your Life"
"This House Has No Home"

Raivio further states, “In other news, unfortunately our busy brother Jaani will step aside from the band at least for this new album cycle, but we are happy to tell that you can hear Jaani’s backing vocals on the new album anyway.”

Jaani Peuhu adds, "Sadly, Corona virus messed up everything including the release schedules of my bands. Both the Mercury Circle and Swallow The Sun albums are being released at the same time, making it impossible for me to tour with both bands. For this reason, I decided that it’d be better for me to solely focus on MC for this release cycle.

"That being said, the upcoming Swallow The Sun album will be amazing, and I am so happy we could still do it together. I wish the best of luck to StS on their tour with it! See you in the audience!"

Lineup:

Juha Raivio - guitars
Matti Honkonen - bass
Mikko Kotamäki - vocals
Juuso Raatikainen - drums
Juho Räihä - guitars

(Band painting by Doppelganger-Art)




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HALESTORM has just released a new single, "Back From The Dead". The track is taken from the band's upcoming fifth full-length album, due in 2022. The video for "Back From The Dead" also premiered this morning via YouTube. Directed by Dustin Haney (Noah Cyrus, Luke Combs) and produced by Revolution Pictures, the clip features frontwoman Lzzy Hale and the rest of the band in a morgue and cemetery somewhere between life and death.

Lzzy says: "'Back From The Dead' is about survival, not in a physical sense, even though I know we all have been touched by death especially these last few years. This song is personal and written from a mental health perspective. I wanted to give myself and the world a hard rock song we could shout out loud as the gates opened again. I was on the edge of this world getting completely lost in oblivion, but even though it was the harder of two choices, I didn't just let the darkness and depression in my mind dig me an early grave. I didn't just sit and let it take me. I've erased my name from my headstone, so save your prayers, I'm back! I hope this song, as I pass it on to you, reminds YOU of your strength individually and that you are not alone."

She continues: "The video was so much fun to film! Dustin Haney is an amazing director. Dustin and his team really helped bring my words to life and the video is one of the most cinematic pieces we've done in years! I hope this song, as I pass it on…reminds YOU of YOUR individual strength and that you are not Alone. Raise your horns!"

By breaking rules, bucking trends, and busting down doors, HALESTORM has surged through rock 'n' roll on a singular path without compromise or apology. Along the way, the Pennsylvania-bred and Nashville-based quartet — Lzzy Hale (vocals, guitar), Arejay Hale (drums), Joe Hottinger (guitar) and Josh Smith (bass) — has collected a Grammy Award, scored successive number ones at radio, garnered multiple gold and platinum certifications, and performed to sold out crowds on five continents.

Going against the grain again in 2021, the band weathered the flames of chaos in 2020 and returned stronger than ever with their most empowering and undeniable anthems to date.

"Throughout the pandemic, I was writing a lot of melancholic and hopeless songs about the ups and downs of the world," admits Lzzy. "I've been in this group longer than I haven't been in it. We've always had shows. Even when I was 13 years old, we had a couple of bowling alley gigs once a month. This was the first time I didn't know if we would ever play again. However, I started to use music in the same way I did as a teenager—to get myself through this situation that was plaguing us all. I sidestepped and said, 'Let's keep our heads up, get our attitude back, be a light in the dark for a second, and celebrate the fact we're surviving and there's hope for the future.' So, we started to write songs that were a reminder to ourselves of who we are and what we're capable of. That became the mission statement."

In a way, it's always been the mission statement…

Since roaring to life in 1998, HALESTORM has uplifted audiences with a combination of sonic ass-kicking, provocative songwriting, and unshakable hooks. The four-piece received a Grammy Award in the category of "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" for "Love Bites (So Do I)". The song also minted them as the first female-fronted band to hit #1 on the Active Rock radio charts. Thus far, their discography spans two gold albums "Halestorm" and "The Strange Case Of..." , a platinum single "I Miss The Misery", and two gold singles "Here's To Us" and "I Get Off". Between surpassing one billion cumulative streams worldwide, they've notched two consecutive Top 10 debuts on the Billboard Top 200 with "Into The Wild Life" (2015) and "Vicious" (2018). The latter represented a critical high watermark with Rolling Stone citing it as "a muscular, adventurous, and especially relevant rock record." In its wake, "Uncomfortable" emerged as their fourth #1 at rock radio and earned their second Grammy Award nomination, while Loudwire christened HALESTORM "Rock Artist Of The Decade" in 2019. Not to mention, they have supported everyone from HEAVEN & HELL and Alice Cooper to Joan Jett on the road.

Even as the world went dormant during 2020, Lzzy remained prolific. She lent her voice to collaborations with everyone from Dee Snider of TWISTED SISTER, IN THIS MOMENT, APOCALYPTICA, and Mark Morton of LAMB OF GOD to EVANESCENCE, Cory Marks, and Mongolian phenomenon THE HU. Additionally, she joined forces with a trio of legends — Corey Taylor of SLIPKNOT, Scott Ian of ANTHRAX and original SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo — for the theme song to Netflix's "Thunder Force". Plus, the group contributed a cover of THE WHO's "Long Live Rock" to the documentary of the same name. Expanding her presence across television, she hosted the AXS TV "A Year In Music" series, joined the cast of Hit Parader's "No Cover" as a judge, provided the singing voice for Bella Thorne in the Prime Video hit "Paradise City" and launched her own show "Raise Your Horns" on Rolling Live. On the channel, she appeared in Mike Garson's David Bowie tribute with a performance of "Moonage Daydream" alongside Broadway star Lena Hall. She also participated in the platform's Ronnie James Dio tribute, supporting the Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund.

At the same time, she remained a huge proponent of encouraging the dialogue around mental health. She participated in a Grammy Mental Health panel and empowered the next generation of rock musicians as the keynote speaker at the Little Kids Rock Modern Band Summit. She also made history as Gibson Guitars' first-ever female ambassador.

"I've learned a lot about myself through all of these different projects," she admits. "I said 'yes' to various adventures, and it made me a better artist."

Working out of her home studio in Nashville, Lzzy and the band channeled this renewed spirit into the music at the onset of 2021. Collaborating with Scott Stevens of THE EXIES, the musicians hit their stride and cooked up the single 'Back From The Dead'. Dramatic distortion and drums rumble as she screams, "I'm back from the dead!" HALESTORM come out swinging as punchy verses give way to a call-and-response chorus shocked to life with a searing solo and thunderous groove.

"We needed a reintroduction," she exclaims. "We needed something that simply said, 'Hey, we're back'. The live show is the time we feel as truly alive as we can be. When you walk out on stage with your guitar strapped on, your guys are next to you, and you have an audience looking at you, it's everything. We're celebrating the fact we're all back together again. Whatever it is that was trying to destroy that part of myself and my bandmates that our fans need couldn't do it. It failed miserably. We're fucking back."

From the moment the band graced the stage at a secret Nashville gig, they were indeed "back," albeit louder, heavier, and emboldened by an unbelievable year. Amped up to jump back in, their tour schedule took shape with festival dates followed by a co-headline run with EVANESCENCE in the fall.

Readying their fifth full-length album, they're delivering the soundtrack for a world ready to roar again.

"We've lost a lot of people, but we can start healing again," she leaves off. "I appreciate the little things even more. I don't only feel this confidence in myself, but also in every one of my band members. We're not the same people, none of us could ever be. HALESTORM is my source of my joy. It's my connection. It's the closest thing to my religion. We're moving forward. With this next album, I hope we're able to create a greater sense of community. We have a beautiful opportunity. When you listen to it, I want you to feel like you can walk through any fire."

Chicago-based doom metal band The Skull, featuring vocalist Eric Wagner, formerly of metal legends Trouble, have issued the following update:

"Hey all. More bad news... We will not be able to play Psycho Vegas this Thursday. While 3 out of 4 of us who tested positive for Covid are recovering nicely... Eric Wagner’s bout with Covid has gotten worse and he was admitted to the hospital yesterday with COVID pneumonia. Positive thoughts and words will be helpful."
Earlier this month (August 11), The Skull revealed:  "Due to the ongoing and growing COVID situation sweeping the nation again, particularly in the South where we are currently, we, The Skull, have opted to put the brakes on our current tour with The Obsessed, who will continue on without us. We will reschedule as much as we can and tour again properly when things calm down. Thank you for understanding and please be safe out there."

Stay tuned for updates from the band.




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During an appearance on this morning's (Wednesday, August 11) edition of CNN's "New Day", former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach — who went public with his COVID-19 battle earlier in the month — was asked about his recent tweet in which he said "thank God for vaccines." He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, absolutely, thank God for vaccines. I got the J&J [Johnson & Johnson] shot [for COVID-19] way back in March. I was one of the first people to run and get it that I knew. I'm a singer, and all that I heard about COVID is that it attacks the lungs. And singing is hard enough anyways. So I did not leave my house for a year and a half. I was very strict in every protocol. I did not even go out to restaurants or anything; I was determined to not get this. It looked like things were turning in a positive direction, so I ventured out to do two concerts about three weeks ago. One was in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the IDL Ballroom. And then the other one was at Beaver Dam, Kentucky — a big, huge outdoor venue that was a big show. And I was fine. Everything was cool. I was wearing my mask — everything. I got home from that week's worth of shows, and the next day I had a fever. And I tested positive for COVID. But why I say thank God for the vaccine is because it's been a very mild case. I just had a temperature for three days or so, and now I feel a hundred percent better."

The 53-year-old singer, who is scheduled to embark on a tour in October celebrating the 30th anniversary of SKID ROW's "Slave To The Grind" album, continued: "We're all in no man's land right now. I am very confused as to what the fall is going to entail as far as entertainment goes. I'm not a doctor. But they tell me, now that I've got it, that I'll be immune to getting it for 90 days.

"The biggest concern about us, as performers, is we don't want our fans to get sick. So, obviously, we're totally perplexed right now as to whether to 'show must go on' or 'we've gotta pack it up again.' I don't know what to say, but we're in definitely a no-man's-land situation right now."

Asked what message he had for his fans who are hesitant about getting the vaccine, Bach said: "Listen to science. I'm so tired of going on Twitter and getting in an argument that two plus two equals four, or the sky is blue. Science is real. Don't Florida my Fauci. [Laughs]," he said, referencing the "don't Fauci my Florida" shirt that a political action committee tied to Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been selling. "Doctor Fauci is only trying to help everybody; that's all he's trying to do. And I don't understand politicizing medicine; it doesn't make sense to me. So my advice to the fans would be get the vaccine. You don't want polio, so you get the vaccine for that. You don't want COVID.

"If I didn't have the vaccine, I would be terrified that something would be happening with my voice or my lungs," he added. "I spent four months getting my voice ready to hit these crazy notes, because in quarantine, you don't walk around the house screaming like that."

Bach, like TWISTED SISTER's Dee Snider, TRIVIUM's Matt Heafy and many others, is showing that while vaccines are exceptionally effective in preventing death and severe illness from the coronavirus and its known variants, some are far from foolproof in preventing infection altogether.

Most of the people with so-called "breakthrough" infections are asymptomatic.

According to Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), large-scale clinical studies found that COVID-19 vaccination prevented most people from getting COVID-19. Research also provides growing evidence that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna) offer similar protection in real-world conditions. While these vaccines are effective, no vaccine prevents illness 100% of the time. For any vaccine, there are breakthrough cases.

New variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 illness are spreading in the United States and other countries. Current data suggest that COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States offer protection against most variants. However, some variants might cause illness in some people after they are fully vaccinated.




"Don't Florida my Fauci!" says Skid Row ex-singer (also of Gilmore Girls fame) Sebastian Bach. He contracted covid but credits the vaccine for his mild case.

"Get the vaccine," Bach says. "Like, you don't want polio, right, so you get the vaccine for that. You don't want covid." pic.twitter.com/ugsdwZU5Hk

— Brianna Keilar (@brikeilarcnn) August 11, 2021

In a brand new interview with Waste Some Time With Jason Green, legendary guitarist George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB, KXM) confirmed that he received an offer to play with RATT in 2018 following Warren DeMartini's most recent departure from the group. "We were talking about it," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "But they wanted a hired-gun guy that was working for a not-great salary. And I'm not that guy. I've never been a hired-gun guy. If you want me, I'll be part of the band and I will write songs and I will be an integral part — one of the big cogs in the wheel — but if you want a hired gun, I'm sure you can get somebody to do that. But that's not me. And that's where it fell apart. The guy they got" apparently referring to Jordan Ziff — "is unbelievable. I've played gigs with this guy. He's fucking amazing."

Lynch went on to say that he thinks he would have made for a respectable replacement for DeMartini, who had a short stint with DOKKEN in the early 1990s when Lynch was out of the band. "It would have worked, I think — outside of personalities and politics of being in that band, 'cause they're probably worse than DOKKEN [when it comes to internal] issues," George said. "So that's something I probably wouldn't have enjoyed and wanted to get involved in. But if it was a clean situation where it didn't have a bunch of drama… Musically, I'm very confident I would have been a good fit. [Warren and I] have similar styles, obviously, and kind of come from the same place. I get what he's doing. We go for kind of the same tone. I think it would have worked in a way. It would have been a little different, but it would have been a decent fit, I think."

Singer Stephen Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT's current lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band are drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE, RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarists Jordan Ziff (Marty Friedman) and Frankie Lindia (David Lee Roth).

RATT — featuring Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini — played a number of shows in 2017 after reforming a year earlier in the midst of a highly publicized legal battle with drummer Bobby Blotzer over the rights to the RATT name. They were joined at the gigs by guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who played on 2010's "Infestation" album, and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.

In a new interview with Brazil's Wikimetal, legendary bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) discussed the rapid popularization of the Internet technology and how it changed the way people listen to music and communicate with each other.

"Back in the days, before the Internet, you didn't get to connect with anyone," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "It was run by record executives; some of 'em didn't have a clue what they were doing. Most record executives don't understand music at all; it's all business. And that's the problem I've got with a lot of music today — it's all about business and it's all about money, throwing money into something that maybe isn't fantastic. It's all corporate. No one's getting developed — no young artists are getting developed, like they used to do 30 years ago. That's the problem I've got. But on the other side, if we don't embrace the now, if we don't embrace the change, those people that don't embrace will get left behind. So I've embraced the Internet. I have a social network team and we embrace it. I connect with as lot of people on the Internet. I enjoy the back-and-forth. But music is my life. Nothing comes before the music. So I'm always about making new music to give and to perform to new music fans — and old music fans."

Hughes made his live debut with THE DEAD DAISIES on June 23 at Boca Black Box in Boca Raton, Florida. He is joined in the band's current lineup includes Doug Aldrich (DIO, WHITESNAKE) on guitar, Tommy Clufetos (BLACK SABBATH, OZZY OSBOURNE) on drums and David Lowy (RED PHOENIX, MINK) on guitar.

THE DEAD DAISIES' latest album, "Holy Ground", was released in January. Recorded at La Fabrique Studios in the south of France with producer Ben Grosse, the LP is the band's first to feature Hughes, who joined the group in 2019 as its new bassist and vocalist, replacing John Corabi (MÖTLEY CRÜE) and Marco Mendoza (THIN LIZZY).

Drummer Deen Castronovo announced his exit from THE DEAD DAISIES in January, two days after the band's publicist revealed that Clufetos would rejoin THE DEAD DAISIES when they hit the road in support of "Holy Ground". Clufetos previously toured with THE DEAD DAISIES in 2015.

THE DEAD DAISIES will embark on a full U.S. tour in the late summer/early fall. Support on the "Like No Other" trek will come from the "rock and roll comedian" Don Jamieson.

Florida death metallers CANNIBAL CORPSE will release their 15th studio album, "Violence Unimagined", on April 16 via Metal Blade Records. Erik Rutan, one of the death metal's most acclaimed guitarists who is known for his time as part of MORBID ANGEL throughout the '90s and early 2000s, as well as handling vocals/guitars for HATE ETERNAL, lent his guitar as well as production skills to the effort, which was recorded at his Mana Recording in St. Petersburg, Florida. Rutan previously produced four CANNIBAL CORPSE albums (in addition to "Violence Unimagined"), alongside the likes of GOATWHORE, SOILENT GREEN and BELPHEGOR. Filling in live on guitar since 2019, in 2020 he became a full member, contributing to the writing process.

Speaking to Randy MetalWulf, CANNIBAL CORPSE drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz stated about Rutan's addition to the band (see video below): "It's great having Erik, of course, in the band. And he contributed, of course, right off the bat, wrote three songs on the new record, and actually wrote lyrics as well, which was cool. Obviously, we've worked with him for years — what, this is our fifth CD now, I think, or something, working with him. And we've been friends with him a long time and all that. And he's obviously a staple in the death metal community — well respected, well known, a great guitar player, a great guy, a hard worker; everything. So it was cool to have him working alongside us. Obviously, he's always done the producing, or most of it, or a lot of it, but for him to be a part of the band now and contribute musically and play all the tracks on the album, a lot of the guitar work, solos and what have you, and, like I said, writing songs… So it's been awesome having Erik. It's been huge, and it's been a lot of fun."

Rutan joined CANNIBAL CORPSE as the replacement for longtime guitarist Pat O'Brien, who was arrested in Florida more than two years ago on charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault. Deputies said he burglarized a house and charged at a deputy with a knife.

O'Brien allegedly broke into a Northdale, Florida home on December 10, 2018 and shouted that "the rapture is coming" before pushing a woman to the ground. He ran toward a responding deputy with a knife and was subdued with a stun gun.

Less than half a mile from where O'Brien was arrested, a fire broke out at the house he was renting, sending flames billowing into the night sky from the roof. Fire marshals found a large cache of weapon, locked safes and potential explosive devices inside O'Brien's home.

The owner of the home where O'Brien was arrested wouldn't go on camera but told ABC Action News he thought the guitarist was hallucinating when he spoke to him and claimed "someone was after him." The homeowner added O'Brien seemed scared and at one point even hid in his closet.

In a brand new interview with Alicia Atout, LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia was asked what she misses the most about touring while she is spending time at home during the pandemic. She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I just miss the traveling. Because the traveling includes everything — meeting fans, playing shows, discovering new cultures, meeting new people. And it's what kept the fuel of LACUNA COIL alive so far, because we write about life experiences. And if you don't get to experience things in life, where do you get your inspiration? I mean, it's not the same for me to stay home, even if I read books or watch movies, it's not the same thing as real living. So that's what I miss the most — human touch, human contact, conversations with people. They don't need to be deep. I just need this exchange of energy that only happens when you're with people."

LACUNA COIL released a new live album, "Live From The Apocalypse", on June 25 via Century Media. It was recorded during a special livestream event where the band performed its latest album, "Black Anima", in its entirety, in September 2020.

LACUNA COIL recently announced the release of its very own tabletop (or better yet, concert floor!) party game, Horns Up! The game itself takes place at a LACUNA COIL show, where each player must fight his or her way to be the first to reach the stage. Shipping is available worldwide until November 2021. Pre-order your copy here.

In February, LACUNA COIL took part in an initiative dubbed "L'Ultimo Concerto?" (Last Concert) to highlight the increasingly uncertain future of music venues. Instead of delivering live performances as part of a scheduled free virtual stream on February 27, each of around 130 Italian artists was filmed taking the stage at a different venue and then standing there in silence as a way of commemorating the one-year mark since the first Italian venues closed.

In a new feature by music journalist Joel Gausten, veteran bassist Bob Daisley (OZZY OSBOURNE, RAINBOW, URIAH HEEP, Gary Moore) discusses a variety of topics, including his new project THE UPSTARTS, the passing of former OZZY OSBOURNE/URIAH HEEP drummer Lee Kerslake, URIAH HEEP's missed opportunity to break into America and his return to the Osbourne camp for 1983's "Bark At The Moon". An excerpt from the feature appears below.

Although Daisley's body of work boasts plenty of undisputed heavy hitters, not every release to feature his name succeeded in capturing widespread attention. When asked to name one release that he felt deserved more listens, he was quick to point to "Abominog", his excellent yet tragically overlooked 1982 album with URIAH HEEP.

"It was released in England, and then it was released in America through Bronze Records," he said. "'Abominog' had started to make waves in America; we had a song on that album, 'That's The Way That It Is', that was getting airplay on MTV. It was getting recognition, and the album was starting to get some airplay. Geffen Records became very interested in it. David Geffen went to [Bronze Records owner] Gerry Bron and asked if he would release the 'Abominog' album through Geffen Records. David loved the album, but Gerry Bron said, 'Well, yeah, you can have URIAH HEEP if you take MOTÖRHEAD and GIRLSCHOOL, too.' David said, 'No, I don't want MOTÖRHEAD and GIRLSCHOOL. I want URIAH HEEP; I want this album.' Gerry said no, and that blew it for us, because David Geffen at that time had just had a huge hit with the John Lennon album ['Double Fantasy']. Geffen Records was huge. He could have done all sorts of things for that album, but Gerry Bron blew that for us. A lot of people love that album, but it really didn't get to see the bright light of day like it could have and should have."

This lost momentum plagued URIAH HEEP's fortunes going into 1983's "Head First", after which Daisley left the band to return to the Osbourne camp in time to appear on "Bark At The Moon" later that year.

"To be honest with you, I didn't really want to go back to Ozzy, but I kind of had to," he said. "Things weren't taking off like I had hoped for with URIAH HEEP, and it was down to really getting the record company behind it and doing something with it, which they didn't. We passed them a really good ball, and they wouldn't run with it."

Although Daisley's tenure in the band was short-lived, it gave him another chance to play alongside "Blizzard Of Ozz"/"Diary Of A Madman"-era Ozzy drummer Lee Kerslake, who had originally played with URIAH HEEP from 1971 to 1979 and returned after his dismissal from the Osbourne camp in 1981. The two remained friends in the ensuing decades, even reuniting a third time in the mid-2000s as part of the supergroup LIVING LOUD with singer Jimmy Barnes and DEEP PURPLE/DIXIE DREGS guitarist Steve Morse. Sadly, Kerslake died last year at 73 after a year-long cancer battle. The months that followed saw the posthumous release of the drummer's first-ever solo album, the fantastic "Eleventeen", and a 50th-anniversary reissue of "Orgasm", his sole album with the band HEAD MACHINE. Daisley finds comfort in knowing his old friend is finally at peace.

"To be honest, I was relieved when he went, because he was not having a good time," he said. "He was suffering; he was in pain — but what a soldier. What a brave man he was, because he was going through all that and still did a good album. That's amazing, you know. It's like, 'Okay, I've got to leave and I'm going through shit, but I'm going to leave this for the world to have a listen to after I'm gone.' That's what he did, and it was great.

"Lee's heart was in the right place, and he played from heart, too," he added. "You can have musicians who are great players and virtuosos, and they can be slick and impressive and all that, but playing from the heart is the most important thing. Lee was like that."

The complete feature is available at www.joelgausten.com

Guitar legend Yngwie Malmsteen has shared his recent interview with FOX17 Rock & Review, where he talks about his new album, Parabellum, listening to music in his Ferrari, classical composers, and more. Check it out below.

Malmsteen: "For some strange reason, after all these years, I'm still inspired. It's kind of a weird thing because I've been playing the guitar for many years, and it never gets old for some reason. I pick the guitar up and it's always something new coming out."

Malmsteen released his new album, Parabellum, on July 23. Order here.

Tracklisting:

"Wolves At The Door"
"Presto Vivace in C# Minor"
"Relentless Fury"
"(Si Vis Pacem) Parabellum"
"Eternal Bliss"
"Toccata"
"God Particle"
"Magic Bullet"
"(Fight) The Good Fight"
"Sea Of Tranquility"

"(Si Vis Pacem) Parabellum" video:

“Relentless Fury”:

"Wolves At The Door" lyric video:

Malmsteen has announced a string of US tour dates in November and December. John 5 will be supporting. Current dates, with more to be announced soon, are listed below. Tickets available at YngwieMalmsteen.com.

Dates:

November
18 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre
19 - Buffalo, NY - Showplace Theater
20 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance Theater
21 - Albany, NY - Empire Theatre
23 - Munhall, PA - Carnegie of Homestead Hall
24 - Harrisburg, PA - HMAC Center    
26 - Derry, NH - Tupelo Music Hall
27 - Newton, NJ - Newton Theater    
28 - Richmond, VA - The National
30 - Ashwaubenon, WI - EPIC Event Center

December
1 - Columbus, OH - King of Clubs            
2 - Des Plaines, IL - Des Plaines Theatre
3 - Detroit, MI - Diesel
6 - Grand Junction, CO - Mesa Theater                                
8 - Reno, NV - Virginia Street Theater
9 - Agoura Hills, CA - Canyon Club       
10 - Fresno, CA - Tower Theater   
11 - Montclair, CA - The Canyon Club  
12 - Santa Clarita, CA - Canyon Club    
14 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater    
16 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Hall

 




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Still celebrating its 40-year tenure as one of music's premier thrash metal bands, ANTHRAX has announced its first European tour since the summer of 2019. Kicking off on September 27, 2022 in Birmingham, England, the band will play 28 dates in 16 countries, wrapping up in Zurich, Switzerland on November 5. Crossover thrash band MUNICIPAL WASTE will support on all dates.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, August 20 at 10 a.m. BST, 11 a.m. CET. Go to www.anthrax.com for all purchasing information.

"It sure has been a long time since we rock'n'rolled in the U.K. and Europe," said ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante, "but we're coming back soon to bring the noise to all of you guys. Being that we can't get over there until 2022, we're going to make sure that every show will be an eventful one. We won't just be playing four decades of songs to celebrate our ongoing 40th anniversary — hey, we'll be giving YOU some history! — but we just might have some brand new ones for you as well. Can't wait to see all your happy, smiling faces!!!"

On this tour, fans can expect ANTHRAX to draw from all four decades — fan favorite and deep cuts — for their nightly setlist.

"There's just something special about Europe," said singer Joey Belladonna. "Our fans there have always had a full-fledged excitement about our shows, and I enjoy performing more than anyone can imagine, so we're really looking forward to this tour."

ANTHRAX's 2022 European tour dates:

Sep. 27 - 02 Academy, Birmingham, UK

Sep. 29 - Academy, Manchester, UK

Sep. 30 - 02 Academy, Glasgow, UK

Oct. 01 - 02 City Hall, Newcastle, UK

Oct. 03 - 02 Academy, Leeds, UK

Oct. 04 - Rock City, Nottingham, UK

Oct. 06 - 02 Academy, Bristol, UK

Oct. 08 - Brixton Academy, London, UK

Oct. 10 - Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium

Oct. 11 - 013, Tilburg, Netherlands

Oct. 13 - Bataclan, Paris, France

Oct. 14 - Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen, Germany

Oct. 15 - Werk 2, Leipzig, Germany

Oct. 17 - Vega Main Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark

Oct. 18 - Trädgår'n, Gothenburg, Sweden

Oct. 19 - Annexet, Stockholm, Sweden

Oct. 21 - Tullisali, Oulu, Finland

Oct. 22 - Logomo, Turku, Finland

Oct. 23 - Kultuurikatel, Talinn, Estonia

Oct. 25 - Stodola, Warsaw, Poland

Oct. 26 - Batschapp, Frankfurt, Germany

Oct. 27 - LKA Longhorn, Stuttgart, Germany

Oct. 29 - Sono, Brno, Czech Republic

Oct. 31 - Babra Negra, Budapest, Hungary

Nov. 01 - Culture Factory, Zagreb, Croatia

Nov. 02 - Arena, Vienna, Austria

Nov. 04 - Alcatraz, Milan, Italy

Nov. 05 - Komplex, Zurich, Switzerland

Formed by guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Active over the past five decades, ANTHRAX has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple gold and platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with the "Big Four".

ANTHRAX's latest album, "For All Kings", was called by some critics ANTHRAX's strongest album to date. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the group experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the "Big Four" tour, and continuing with the 2011 release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G., well known in rock and metal circles for his work as Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist and as leader of his own band FIREWIND, will release a new solo album, "Quantum Leap", in October via AFM Records.

Gus discussed the upcoming effort in a new video message posted to his YouTube channel. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's my first all-instrumental solo album. So this means there's no vocals at all, no guest singers; it's just me and my guitar. You've already heard a couple of the singles. The first one was called 'Exosphere'; it came out in April. And the second one was called 'Fierce', which we made a pretty hilarious video for. I hope you checked it out. There's gonna be a third single coming out at the end of August for another song, which is totally different; it's not metal at all.

"I'm really excited about this album," he continued. "It was about time that I stepped up and did a full-on instrumental guitar album. A lot of people have been asking me and pushing me to do this. And to be honest, I always turned it down. But I think the recent situation with the pandemic and the fact that everybody, we all had to stay locked in in our houses and we went through months of quarantine and lockdown, that kind of sparked ideas and got me to… Music was my only gateway, basically, so that's what I did; I just made songs. I couldn't fly to another country and meet with other musicians and do pre-production or anything like that, so I just decided to write stuff on my own and just make a guitar album.

"There's a lot of cool stuff on there — different stuff. Obviously, my style is all over the place. I tried to push the envelope a little bit and explore some new things."

Regarding the other musicians who appear on "Quantum Leap", Gus said: "I have two amazing players with me on the record. One of them you already know. It's Dennis Ward [PINK CREAM 69, UNISONIC]. Dennis has worked with me in the past. We've worked together the past five years, actually. We've done two FIREWIND albums together. He's been co-producing and co-writing with me. And also my previous solo record, 'Fearless', he played bass and he sang. He's a great singer. He's a multi-talented guy. He mixed and mastered the record and also played bass on most of the songs. I played bass on a couple of the tracks. I also did the keyboards. And I also have a great drummer from England, [Jan-]Vincent Velazco. He's great. He plays amazingly. You already heard him on the first two singles."

As for why he chose to name his new solo album "Quantum Leap", Gus said: "I liked the title. It sounded nice. It was something different. 'Quantum leap' means when you're taking a big step, so for me, making an instrumental album and letting my guitar do the talking was a big step for me, for once. I've always worked with singers and collaborated with many people, but this time, I decided to just let the guitar be a voice. So this was my quantum leap."

In September 2019, Gus issued a digital-only solo EP, "Live In Budapest - Part 1", consisting of four tracks recorded on the guitarist's headline European tour in support of his latest album release, "Fearless". The world tour saw Gus and his band share stages around the world with legendary guitarists like Richie Kotzen, Vinnie Moore followed by his own headline dates and a massive tour as special guest of Los Angeles rockers STEEL PANTHER.

"Fearless" was released in April 2018 via AFM Records. The follow-up to 2015's "Brand New Revolution" marked Gus's first release since exiting Osbourne's band in 2017.

On "Fearless", Gus joined forces with Ward and drummer Will Hunt (EVANESCENCE).

FIREWIND's ninth, self-titled studio album was made available in May 2020.

The band recently parted ways with guitarist/keyboardist Bob Katsionis and singer Henning Basse.

FIREWIND's new vocalist is Herbie Langhans, who has previously played with AVANTASIA and SINBREED.

Corey Taylor and his solo band donned KISS's signature black-and-white makeup for their concert last night (Monday, August 16) at the Gillioz Theatre in Springfield, Missouri. Special guests CHERRY BOMBS, led by Taylor's wife Alicia Taylor, were unable to perform for reasons that haven't been disclosed.

Earlier today, the SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman took to his Twitter to share a pre-show photo of him with his solo band taken on Monday, and he included the following message: "Last night we had to pull off a special show in Springfield, MO, because our @cherrybombsrock couldn't perform. If you have a ticket stub, digital copy or printed ticket from last night, it gets you into tonight's show for free. So come see us all get crazy! Take care out there!"

Corey and his band are scheduled to perform tonight at Grinders KC in Kansas City, Missouri.

Taylor kicked off his "CMFTour" summer 2021 tour on August 6 at the House of Blues in Las Vegas, Nevada. The shows find Corey and his band running through anthems from his critically acclaimed solo debut "CMFT", choice cuts from his SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR catalogs, and various covers and surprises.

2021 has been as busy as ever for Taylor. Having recently wrapped the sold-out spring leg of his "CMFTour", which he documented in a series of "Tour Diaries" for Rolling Stone, Taylor also released an inspired new cover of CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG's "Carry On" and fronted GROUND CONTROL, a supergroup also comprised of Taylor Hawkins (FOO FIGHTERS), Dave Navarro (JANE'S ADDICTION) and Chris Chaney (JANE'S ADDICTION) performing at "The Bowie Celebration: Just For One Day" in tribute to the late David Bowie.

"CMFT" made impressive debuts on charts around the world in October, entering at No. 1 on Billboard's Current Hard Rock Albums chart, while claiming No. 2 on Current Rock Albums, No. 6 on Vinyl Albums, and No. 9 on the Top Albums charts. Furthermore, "CMFT" landed Top 10 on the official album charts in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, with Top 20 debuts in the United Kingdom, Finland and Japan (international chart).

"CMFT" was recorded at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas with producer Jay Ruston and Corey's recording band — Christian Martucci (guitar), Zach Throne (guitar), Jason Christopher (bass), and Dustin Schoenhofer (drums).




Corey M F’n Taylor is killing it!

Posted by Jacqué Breedlove-Harness on Monday, August 16, 2021







Last night we had to pull off a special show in Springfield, MO, because our @cherrybombsrock couldn’t perform. If you have a ticket stub, digital copy or printed ticket from last night, it gets you into tonight’s show for free. So come see us all get crazy! Take care out there! pic.twitter.com/1zEH0QO6NH

— SHRED DJENT REDEMPTION (@CoreyTaylorRock) August 17, 2021

A collection of classic cars that belonged to late RUSH drummer Neil Peart was sold for a total of $3.9 million through Gooding & Company at the Pebble Beach Auctions over the weekend.

Peart called the cars his "Silver Surfers" for the riding-the-wave feeling he had while driving the cars on the California coast. Seven of Peart's cars hit the auction block: A 1964 Aston Martin DB5, a 1964 Shelby Cobra 289, a 1970 Lamborghini Miura P400 S, a 1965 Maserati Mistral Spider, a 1964 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8-Litre Coupe, a 1973 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 SS Coupe and a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-Window Coupe.

The 1970 Lamborghini — often credited as being the world's first supercar — sold for a whopping $1.325 million after being predicted to sell for more than $1 million. Only one car from the collection, the 1964 Aston Martin, did not reach its reserve price and failed to sell.

Considered one of the greatest rock drummers of all time, Peart had a highly distinguished career as the percussionist and lyricist for the groundbreaking band RUSH, hailing from Toronto, Canada. Since its early days, RUSH achieved immense global success and established a legacy as pioneers of sound, a feat no doubt made possible due to Peart's musical genius. Throughout his legendary career spanning nearly five decades, Peart inspired countless numbers of fellow rock stars and aspiring young musicians alike. He and his bandmates were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013, and received numerous other honors, including the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honor.

Neil also had a formidable intellect which was conveyed in his lyrics, books and numerous articles for a variety of publications. He was a prolific writer who constantly worked on his craft during his down time from the band. His profound lyrics based on literature, science, philosophy and his own life experiences dubbed him the name "The Professor" by the fans. He was revered as much for his lyrics as he was for his drumming, as certain recurring themes such as alienation, the angst of growing up, and the loneliness of being an outsider deeply resonated with a generation of young fans.

Peart's love of cars was a lifelong passion, and his hunger for knowledge included learning everything there is to know about automobiles, inside and out. Classic cars were what he dreamed of owning for many years, and upon purchasing his first, the 1964 Aston Martin DB5, he exclaimed that he had dreamed of owning this car since he was a boy. Finally in a position to purchase classic cars of this quality, he slowly and carefully acquired each car until his dream collection, the "Silver Surfers," was complete. Sadly enough, after bravely battling brain cancer for three and a half years, Peart passed away on January 7, 2020.

On the naming of his collection, Peart wrote: "The title 'Silver Surfers' for my collection of cars occurred to me while driving the DB5 up and down the Pacific Ocean. Because it felt right to me, I guess — the idea that I was just one of the wave riders.

"I had moved from Toronto to Los Angeles in 2000 (cherchez la femme), and in search of natural peace I often drove out that way and up into the Santa Monica Mountains. Out past Malibu to Ventura County, I'd weave along barren ridges of rock and vegetation, the ocean always on one big side. Some days would be misted by the marine layer, while other days the sun blared through a clear sky. The waves were slow and gentle, or churned out a powerful, rolling rhythm… It was during one of these drives when out of nowhere, it just occurred to me that the color of the ocean had influenced the silver palette of the collection. What other color looks as good in a blue photo? Not black, not white — silver. And a fortunate risk for the framers' art, too: silver frames."

For more information and photos, visit goodingco.com.

Buffalo-based hardcore heroes EVERY TIME I DIE will release their ninth studio album, "Radical", on October 22 via Epitaph. Produced by Will Putney (THE ACACIA STRAIN, BODY COUNT, THE AMITY AFFLICTION), "Radical" is the follow-up to 2016's acclaimed "Low Teens".

EVERY TIME I DIE has shared "Post-Boredom", a mixture of the nihilistic realism and persistent irritated optimism that powered punk rock in the late '70s and post-hardcore in the early '90s. "'Post-Boredom' was the first song I ever wrote that gave me the feeling of real truth," explains vocalist Keith Buckley. "I wasn't hiding any secret confessions in metaphors, I was very much fed up with living an unfulfilling life and felt that I needed a death (either figuratively or literally) in order to have a fighting chance at finding new meaning. I see this song from a distance. It's reflective but also, finally, detached. not a full ego death, but indicative that the process needed to start immediately in my own life. If you read the lyrics and it resonates with you, then you also need to recognize that you might be feeling unseen in your current form. So, what are YOU going to do about it if given the gift of death?"

While inspired by the unrest and upheaval around the world over the past five years, "Radical" focuses on humanity, decency, self-worth, and even a bit of spirituality more so than politics.

"I'm dealing with difficult matters this time that isn't only personal for me but are also universal and more communal experiences," Keith explains. "The songs are realistic in that they acknowledge that things require a lot of work. But it's ultimately a very hopeful and uplifting record."

"Radical" is 16 tracks of peak EVERY TIME I DIE, alchemized by a swampy summoning of southern rock and coarse poetry, the music swirls beneath sardonic and clever wordplay, cementing the band as leaders, not followers.

Track listing:

01. Dark Distance

02. Sly

03. Planet Shit

04. Post-Boredom

05. A Colossal Wreck

06. Desperate Pleasures

07. All This And War

08. Thing With Feathers

09. Hostile Architecture

10. AWOL

11. The Whip

12. White Void

13. Distress Rehearsal

14. sexsexsex

15. People Verses

16. We Go Together

EVERY TIME I DIE has a handful of tour dates throughout the rest of 2021, including its holiday extravaganza, "'TID The Season", taking place in their hometown on December 10 and December 11. The band has also just announced that they will support post-hardcore band UNDEROATH on the road early next year.

Fan-filmed video footage of JUDAS PRIEST's entire August 15 performance at the Bloodstock Open Air festival, which took place at Catton Park, Walton-on-Trent, United Kingdom, can be seen in three parts below.

The British heavy metal legends, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary, were rejoined by guitarist Glenn Tipton during their first concert in more than two years. The band also pulled out a number of surprises in its set, including first-ever performances of "One Shot At Glory" and "Invader", as well as several tracks that hadn't been played in a long time, such as "Rocka Rolla (performed for the first time since 1976), "Exciter" (first time since 2005), "Hell Patrol" (first time since 2009), "A Touch Of Evil" (first time since 2005), "Dissident Aggressor" (first time since 2009) and "Blood Red Skies" (first time since 2012).

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

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

JUDAS PRIEST's setlist for Bloodstock Open Air 2021 festival:

01. One Shot At Glory (live debut)

02. Lightning Strike

03. You've Got Another Thing Comin'

04. Exciter (first time since 2005)

05. Turbo Lover

06. Hell Patrol (first time since 2009)

07. Halls Of Valhalla

08. The Sentinel

09. Rocka Rolla (first time since 1976)

10. Victim Of Changes

11. Desert Plains

12. A Touch Of Evil (first time since 2005)

13. Dissident Aggressor (first time since 2009)

14. Blood Red Skies (first time since 2012)

15. Invader (live debut)

16. Painkiller

17. The Hellion / Electric Eye

18. Hell Bent For Leather

19. Metal Gods (with Glenn Tipton)

20. Breaking The Law (with Glenn Tipton)

21. Living After Midnight (with Glenn Tipton)

PRIEST singer Rob Halford recently told Metal Pilgrim that Glenn is "still actively involved with JUDAS PRIEST, a hundred percent. Andy is still standing in that spot for Glenn with Glenn's blessing… And my gratitude to Andy. It couldn't have happened in a better way, if you wanna try and make something good out of it. It was a really important day when Glenn said, 'I think it's probably best if I step to the side and maybe we should let Andy come in.' That was just a really beautiful act of selflessness. That's Glenn treasuring PRIEST and PRIEST's reputation, particularly in live concert more than anything else. So bless Glenn for that. And as a result, Andy stepped in and did amazing work on the 'Firepower' tour, and we're looking forward to doing the same thing with him on this 50th-anniversary [tour]. And don't discount the fact that Glenn can show up. He plays the guitar differently, but there's no reason why Glenn can't show up and do some work. I mean, I've said to Glenn, 'Just walk out on stage and do that to everybody [flashes devil horns], and the people will just go fucking crazy, 'cause you are loved so much.' But I've got a feeling that Glenn's gonna be making the occasional appearance on this 50th-anniversary [tour]."

This past June, JUDAS PRIEST announced the rescheduled dates for the North American leg of its 50th-anniversary tour. Produced by Live Nation, the "50 Heavy Metal Years" trek will feature SABATON as openers. It will kick off on September 8 in Reading, Pennsylvania and run through October before concluding on November 5 in Hamilton, Ontario.

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

SEETHER has released the official music video for "Wasteland", a song from the band's eighth album, the acclaimed "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" ("If You Want Peace, Prepare For War"). "Wasteland" also appears on the "Wasteland - The Purgatory" EP, which was issued digitally and on CD July 30 and will be made available on vinyl October 22 via Fantasy Records. The five-track set, which was written and produced by Shaun Morgan, engineered by the band's newest member Corey Lowery, and mixed by Matt Hyde, also includes three never-before-heard songs, and an alternate/stripped down version of "Wasteland".

"Wasteland - The Purgatory" EP special vinyl edition will be released on 45rpm 12-inch vinyl on October 22. The band's online store will have a 500-unit super limited-edition custom Smoke and Translucent Red split color vinyl and a limited-edition Custom Clear with Smoky White Swirls color vinyl, while record stores will carry Custom Mixed Translucent Red with Smoky Black Swirls color vinyl.

SEETHER frontman Shaun Morgan comments on this new release: "We are really excited to release 'The Purgatory' EP as a companion to our latest single, 'Wasteland'. I'm especially proud of how the alternate version of the track turned out and really happy that people will finally hear it!"

"Wasteland - The Purgatory" EP demonstrates SEETHER's dynamism and creative versatility. Seething with dark muscularity, the urgent "What Would You Do?" is a beautiful and cathartic baptism-by-fire that never lets up. With PIXIES undertones and BEATLES accents, "Will It Ever End?" is a startling, pandemic appropriate head trip that, like the voice in your head, goes to places unforeseen and unforgiven. "Feast Or Famine" sounds like the unholy progeny of AC/DC and Ozzy Osbourne-era BLACK SABBATH. The EP is bookended by two versions of "Wasteland", the original album version and a stripped-down alternate version that features touches of piano and cello, but still retains the original's tormented drive. This latest release finds SEETHER, one of hard rock's most enduring and prolific bands, at the very top of their very productive game.

"Wasteland - The Purgatory" EP track listing:

01. Wasteland (original album version)

02. What Would You Do?

03. Will It Ever End?

04. Feast Or Famine

05. Wasteland (alternate version)

Last month, SEETHER joined 3 DOORS DOWN on the latter band's "The Better Life" 20th-anniversary tour as special guests on select dates throughout the summer.

Photo credit: Laura E. Partain