SLIPKNOT has issued a statement regarding the passing of its former drummer Joey Jordison. The founding SLIPKNOT member's family confirmed that Jordinson passed away "peacefully in his sleep" on Monday (July 26) of an unspecified cause. He was 46 years old.

Earlier today, SLIPKNOT released an eight-and-a-half-minute video tribute to Jordison featuring behind-the-scenes footage and performance clips shot during his time with the band. The video opens with the following words from the SLIPKNOT camp: "Our hearts go out to Joey's family and loved ones at this time of tremendous loss.

"Joey Jordison's art, talent, and spirit could not be contained or be held back. Joey's impact on SLIPKNOT, on our lives, and on the music that he loved, is incalculable. Without him there would be no us. We mourn his loss with the entire SLIPKNOT family. We love you, Joey."

SLIPKNOT announced its split with Jordison in December 2013 but did not disclose the reasons for his exit. The drummer subsequently issued a statement saying that he did not quit the group.

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett spoke to Classic Rock magazine about what he and his bandmates hope to achieve with their upcoming studio album.

"METALLICA has always been about bringing people together through music. I think the sentiment now is that people need music more than ever to bring everyone together and collectively celebrate that we've got to this point," he said. "There's a lot of division in the world, and hopefully this METALLICA album will cut through the division and bring people together in ways that are more beneficial for everyone over all.

"We've tried to make the most of the COVID year and a half, and we've been pretty successful," he continued. "We've got together remotely and worked, and we've got together [properly] and worked. Things are moving really well. I would say that the music we're coming up with is very appropriate for the times.

"Music should bring everyone together, it should be a celebration," Hammett added. "That's what music is about. It's not about selling albums or getting Grammys, it's about putting out good music and helping the situation with that music."

Last summer, Hammett told Metal Hammer magazine that there was "a lot of material" written for a possible follow-up to 2016's "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" album, which marked METALLICA's first full-length collection of new music in eight years. "I know I have tons, because I totally overcompensated," he said. "You know, last time around, it was a real shock to my system losing all those musical ideas. [Editor's note: Kirk lost a phone with more than 300 pieces of music on it during the creative process for 'Hardwired…'] So, I was very determined to try and make up for lost time. I also felt that, creatively, I have so much more to offer this time around."

Bassist Robert Trujillo added that the songwriting process for the next album could be a decidedly more collective effort compared to "Hardwired…", which was largely composed by guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich.

"I'm not gonna speak on behalf of the other guys, but to me, it feels like this could be a very collaborative [writing process]," Robert said. "And for me personally, I love that. I love that we are in that head space to be more collaborative, and I think that's very exciting for where we're at now, the journey we're about to take, the fact that those doors are opening like that."

"It's taking a couple of months, literally, for me to go through all [my ideas]," added Kirk, who is is not credited on any of the songs on "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct". "I've got a wealth of material, and so, at any given point when we all decide, 'Okay, let's start formulating a schedule to start writing songs and recording it.' I'm ready. I'm there, from day one."

"Kirk has so many ideas," continued Trujillo. "It's funny because sometimes it's literally him in the kitchen and he's cooking, and at the same time he's playing you a riff, or you're sitting on the toilet and he's playing you some ideas. But when we started to understand that [the lockdown] was gonna happen, it was like, 'Hey, let's be creative', you know? Let's just get on it. A lot of times, when there's a band that's been around as long as METALLICA has, you find that one of the biggest problems is, 'Man I can't come up with a riff, I can't come up with any good lyrics, it's just harder to write songs', but that just doesn't seem to be the problem with us. Not taking anything away from any other bands, but sometimes our worst riff might be another band's A-list riff."

"Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart, selling 291,000 copies in its first week of rele

During an appearance at last month's Telekom Tech Grounds virtual event, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson shared some of his early record store memories. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Record stores, when I was a kid, before the Internet — you can go and listen to everything for free now on the Internet, but back then it was a bit more difficult. You would have to go into an actual record store and you would ask to listen to a record and you'd listen to probably most of the album and you wouldn't buy it, 'cause you didn't have any money. But you were in the store with all these people who loved music, and you'd talk about music and you'd hang out. And just being there was like being recharged when you were a kid. It was just, like, 'Oh my God. I've got school. I've got this. I've got that. I wanna escape my parents.' Blah blah blah. You get on a bus, you go to the record store, you hang out and meet all these people who think and talk music and think like you, and your life is suddenly better."

Dickinson is considered one of the world's most storied musicians after decades spent delivering high-octane performances with his larger-than-life persona in IRON MAIDEN. A true polymath, his accomplishments include: pilot and airline captain, aviation entrepreneur, beer brewer, motivational speaker, film scriptwriter, twice-published novelist and Sunday Times best-selling author, radio presenter, TV actor, sports commentator and international fencer….to name but a few.

Back in October 2017, Dickinson's autobiography, "What Does This Button Do?", landed at No. 10 on the New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best sellers list. It was released in the U.S. via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books), an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

"What Does This Button Do?" is Dickinson's third book. He has previously published two satirical novels, "The Adventures Of Lord Iffy Boatrace" about the English upper classes and "The Missionary Position" about televangelism.

Dickinson, who turned 62 last August, joined IRON MAIDEN in 1981, replacing Paul Di'Anno, and made his recording debut with the band on the 1982 album "The Number Of The Beast". He quit the band in 1993, pursuing several solo projects, and rejoined in 1999.
























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Sculptured have released the second song, “Dead Wall Reveries”, from their forthcoming album, The Liminal Phase, scheduled for release August 27 via BMG.

Guitarist and founding member Don Anderson offers, "'Dead Wall Reveries' is about those artificial separations that allow us to believe we are different than others - that there exists an 'us' and 'them.' Walls represent the material structuring of the illusion of nations, borders, and 'others.' The song and video are also interested in how walls make us behave. How walls create roles for people to play (guards, refugees, citizens, asylum seekers). And how walls trouble our identities. The experience of the border is summed up by Chicana writer Gloria Anzaldúa who writes, 'I have so internalized the borderland conflict that sometimes I feel like one cancels out the other and we are zero, nothing, no one. A veces no soy nada ni nadie. Pero hasta cuando no lo soy, lo soy.' We require a 'them,' to be an 'us.' We require statelessness to give states meaning, immigrants for citizenship to exist. Such distinctions rob us of the understanding that we are all human.”

Get the single here, watch the lyric video below:

Formed in the mid ’90s during Anderson’s teen years, early Sculptured songs took their inspiration from the progressive and melodic nature of Chuck Schuldiner’s ever-evolving ideas, after Anderson heard Death’s 1991 record, Human. By 1996, Anderson was tracking his own compositions. Three recorded songs surfaced on that year’s Fulfillment in Tragedy demo tape, and some of that material also landed on Sculptured’s debut full-length album, The Spear Of The Lily Is Aureoled (1998). After being picked up for a CD and cassette run by Polish record label Mad Lion, The Spear of the Lily is Aureoled found a home in the U.S. with The End Records, the label that would become Sculptured’s long term partner. In the late ‘90s, Anderson began working with John Haughm and Jason Walton in Agalloch, and both Agalloch’s Pale Folklore and Sculptured’s sophomore record, Apollo Ends, benefitted from the trio’s collaboration. Apollo Ends also saw the return of Spear vocalist Brian Yager and trumpet player Burke Harris.

After these two albums, Sculptured had voice and purpose, but Agalloch’s more meditative style began to receive more attention from the metal community and Anderson gave less of his attention to Sculptured. It would be years before Anderson was ready to record his next fleshed out statement, the atonal and rather darker Embodiment. The record retained Walton on bass, and the band was now joined by vocalist Tom Walling, Estradasphere drummer Dave Murray and Winds/Age of Silence keyboardist Andy Winter. Their performances lend Embodiment a brand new air, both gutsier and stranger than earlier Sculptured records.

Since 2008, Sculptured has been largely silent, skulking in the deep shadows of Anderson’s other work in Agalloch and Khôrada. Now, more than a decade later, Sculptured returns in force with The Liminal Phase, which truly feels like a culmination of the experience that the current band have developed in their many years as working musicians. The songs’ complexity has become stealthier, with rhythmic and tonal elements blending into subtle gradations of color and concept. “The new one is incredibly melodic and accessible,” Anderson says. “It actually sounds like a record that might sit between [Spear and Apollo].” Anderson, along with bassist Jason Walton (Agalloch, Snares of Sixes) and keyboardist Andy Winter (Winds, Age of Silence) are joined by drummer Martti Hill (Barrowlands) and guitarist/vocalist Marius Sjøli (Fauna Timbre) to create music that fits neatly into the Sculptured tradition while somehow feeling more naturally cohesive, more comfortable in its own idiosyncratic skin.

Fast forward to 2021 and The Liminal Phase acts as a bold continuation of Anderson’s vision for Sculptured, as well as a reintroduction to the wonders the band has to offer to fans both old and new.

Pre-order the digital album here, pre-order the vinyl here.

Tracklisting:

"The Ordeal Of Undecidability"
"Dead Wall Reveries"
"State Of Exception"
"At The Margins Of Light"
"Only Shame Can Save Us"

"The Ordeal Of Undecidability" lyric video:

(Photo - Benjamin C. Johnson)




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WDR's Rockpalast pays tribute to late ZZ Top bassist/vocalist Dusty Hill, sharing footage of an entire 1980 ZZ Top concert.

ZZ Top were guests next to Ian Hunter, Joan Armatrading and The Blues Band at the 6th "Rock Night" at the Grugahalle Arena in Essen, Germany. The bearded blues-rock group from Texas closed the night - it was the band's first appearance outside the United States and the group's first ever television concert.

At 4 o'clock in the morning, ZZ Top entered the stage of the 6th "Rock Night" and only left after five encores at 5:30 AM. The Rockpalast Eurovision broadcast made the three Texans famous overnight in Europe - they had long been stars in the US. An evening in Essen's Grugahalle that is still legendary today.

Setlist:

"I Thank You"
"Waitin' For The Bus"
"Jesus Just Left Chicago"
"Precious And Grace"
"I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide"
"Manic Mechanic"
"Lowdown In The Street"
"Heard It On The X"
"Fool For Your Stockings"
"Nasty Dogs & Funky Kings"
"El Diablo"
"Cheap Sunglasses"
"Arrested For Driving While Blind"
"Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers"
"La Grange"
"She Loves My Automobile"
"Hi Fi Mama"
"Dust My Broom"
"Jailhouse Rock"
"Tush"
"Tube Snake Boogie"
"Just Get Paid"

Following the death of bassist/vocalist Dusty Hill, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard have vowed to carry on in honour of their fallen bandmate. The band revealed yesterday that Hill had passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, TX.

Last night, SiriusXM's Eddie Trunk shared a message he received from Billy Gibbons, tweeting: "Received this just now via text from @BillyFGibbons regarding passing of Dusty Hill @ZZTop. Billy told me okay to share w/fans: As Dusty said upon his departure, 'Let the show go on!'.and…with respect, we'll do well to get beyond this and honor his wishes."

Trunk added: "Also this from @BillyFGibbons @ZZTop: 'Dusty emphatically grabbed my arm and said, “Give Elwood the bottom end and take it to the Top”. He meant it, amigo. He really did.'"

Received this just now via text from @BillyFGibbons regarding passing of Dusty Hill @ZZTop . Billy told me okay to share w/fans: As Dusty said upon his departure, “ Let the show go on!”.and…with respect, we’ll do well to get beyond this and honor his wishes.— Eddie Trunk (@EddieTrunk) July 28, 2021

Also this from @BillyFGibbons @ZZTop : Dusty emphatically grabbed my arm and said, “Give Elwood the bottom end and take it to the Top”.
He meant it, amigo. He really did.— Eddie Trunk (@EddieTrunk) July 28, 2021

Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard issued the following statement announcing Dusty Hill's passing :

"We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, TX. We, along with legions of ZZ Top fans around the world, will miss your steadfast presence, your good nature and enduring commitment to providing that monumental bottom to the ‘Top'. We will forever be connected to that "Blues Shuffle in C.”

"You will be missed greatly, amigo." - Frank & Billy




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More than 30 years after its release, OZZY OSBOURNE's sixth solo album — the Top 10 (#7) and quadruple platinum "No More Tears" — will be celebrated with an expanded digital audio album due out September 17 (Sony). Two special editions — a 2LP black vinyl version and a special yellow and red 2LP vinyl version with a specially created booklet (exclusively at www.towerrecords.com) — will be released simultaneously. Pre-order the album here.

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

Legendary guitarist, Steve Hackett, releases his new studio rock album, Surrender Of Silence, on September 10 via InsideOut Music. The album features 11 new songs as Steve Hackett has been working hard through lockdown and, the first time, has completed two studio albums for release within the same year.

Today sees the launch of the album’s second single, and you can watch the video for "Fox’s Tango" below.

Steve comments: “A protest song at life’s inequalities - in other words, the poor versus the rich. With current conflicts, if we can’t learn to share the land, we’ll find ourselves sharing the graveyards. A song for an unbalanced world. Fox’s Tango has my playing at its angriest. I really let rip here!”

Hot on the heels of his classical-acoustic travelogue Under A Mediterranean Sky, which was released in January and hit #2 in the UK Classical Album Chart, Surrender Of Silence is a further exploration of Hackett’s love of world music, discovering different sounds, moods and textures to deliver a rock album of extraordinary variety, power and beauty.

As with Under A Mediterranean Sky, Surrender Of Silence was also recorded during Lockdown and, again, Hackett has called upon some of his musical friends from across the world to contribute. Hackett’s regular touring band of Roger King (keyboards, programming and orchestral arrangements), Rob Townsend (sax, clarinet), Jonas Reingold (bass), Nad Sylvan (vocals) and Craig Blundell (drums) are supplemented by Phil Ehart and Nick D’Virgilio (drums), the vocal talents of Amanda Lehmann, Durga and Lorelei McBroom, Christine Townsend (violin, viola), Malik Mansurov (tar) and Sodirkhon Ubaidulloev (dutar).

This new album is full-on electric…

“Lockdown cobwebs are blown away in one fell-swoop here!” says Steve Hackett. “With the monster rhythm section of Jonas, Craig, Nick and Phil along with Rob’s soaring sax and bass clarinet, Nad, Amanda and myself on vocals, Roger’s darkly powerful organ and my guitar, we plunge full-pelt into that wild release of energy.”

Our journey takes us from the classical orchestrations of Russia (Natalia) to the plains of Africa (Wingbeats) to mysterious Eastern shores (Shanghai To Samarkand), all via the ocean’s depths (Relaxation Music for Sharks (featuring feeding frenzy)). The Devil’s Cathedral pools the talents of Hackett’s entire touring band and features King’s atmospheric Gothic organ and a powerhouse rhythm display from Blundell and Reingold.

Hackett’s vocals have never been bettered and his duet with Amanda Lehmann adds emotion to Scorched Earth a lament for the environmental horrors facing our planet. Throughout Hackett’s guitars add a rich tapestry of colour with soaring solos and intricate weaving melodies.

“It’s a ‘no holds barred’ album,” adds Hackett, “riding that wave, unleashing those demons, dreams and nightmares, all crashing together over the shore.

“I enjoyed the power of this album allowing my guitar to scream in joy and rage… and once again flying across those oceans to distant lands. It’s terrific to connect creatively with musicians from far flung places, particularly when we’ve all been unable to meet. We all have a voice in our cacophony of sound and we cry out together in the Surrender Of Silence!”

Surrender of Silence is released on September 10 as a Limited Edition CD+Blu-ray Mediabook in hardcover slipcase, Standard CD Jewel case, Gatefold 2LP+CD & LP-Booklet and Digital Album via Inside Out Music. Pre-order here.

Surrender Of Silence tracklisting:

"The Obliterati"
"Natalia"
"Relaxation Music For Sharks" (Featuring Feeding Frenzy)
"Wingbeats"
"The Devil's Cathedral"
"Held In The Shadows"
"Shanghai To Samarkand"
"Fox's Tango"
"Day Of The Dead"
"Scorched Earth"
"Esperanza"

"Wingbeats" video:

Steve Hackett shares writing credits with both Jo Hackett and Roger King on several tracks. All tracks were recorded by Roger King and produced by Steve Hackett with Roger King at Siren.




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Sweden’s Horisont have release their cover of ”Lion And The Lamb” by Phil Everly. Purchase and stream the track here. Listen below.

“As big fans of country music we wanted to do a couple of songs that people might not expect from us. Still, we wanted them to sound like Horisont. So we set up at Let Them Swing Studio and hit the record button just to see where the songs took us. This is the result. Let Them Swing Studio is a recording studio in the countryside outside of Gothenburg, Sweden, owned and run by Kim and Malin. They rebuilt an old barn on their property and set it up for live recording. With no neighbors in sight, it’s an ideal place to make noise 24-7. A weekend mixed of relaxed creativity and fun,” states Horisont about the cover tracks.

Fans can also check out Horisont’s cover and music video for “Sheldon Churchyard”, which was released earlier this month.

Horisont is:

Axel (vocals)
Charles (guitar)
David (guitar)
Magnus (bass)
Pontus (drums)




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Veteran German metallers RUNNING WILD will release their new album, "Blood On Blood", on October 29 via Steamhammer/SPV. The LP's first single, "Diamonds & Pearls", will arrive on August 13, followed by the second single, "The Shellback", on September 24.

RUNNING WILD leader Rolf "Rock N' Rolf" Kasparek states about "Blood On Blood": "We all know the difficulties the cultural sector was faced with during the lockdown. On the other hand, it also gave me and many other artists some extra time since most releases had to be postponed. I used that time to fine-tune every little detail of my new material. The result is an album that, in my opinion, is probably the best in RUNNING WILD's career to date. Every one of the ten songs sounds exactly as I had it in mind when I composed it. I've never been happier with a RUNNING WILD record before."

Rolf describes "Blood On Blood" as the most diverse offering he has released so far, not only in terms of the compositions but also as far as the production is concerned. "Every song has its own unmistakable sound," he says. "Although I recorded the rhythm guitar parts with my 1976 Gibson Explorer as usual, the other parts were cut with a Gibson Flying V, a Fender Stratocaster and even — the undistorted parts — with a Fender American Standard Telecaster." A prime example being "One Night, One Day", which owes its great depth to its clean guitar performance. Rolf is referring to a song that is guaranteed to cause a stir with its anthemic direction and unusual arrangements. "For me, this track was a little experiment that I've never dared to try before, because 'One Night, One Day' doesn't have the typical intro-verse-chorus structure, instead gradually building up throughout the song," he says.

The grooving "The Iron Times (1618 - 1648)", a worthy album finale, is just as remarkable, with its eleven minutes of playing time the longest track on the disc, and thanks to its lyric about the Thirty Years' War also one of the most ambitious numbers. Speaking of lyrics, "Wings Of Fire" and "Say Your Prayers" are about prophecies, albeit not — as on many other releases — the prophecies of Nostradamus, but, among others, the prophecies of John of Jerusalem, the French Knight Templar and co-founder of the Order of the Knights Templar, who predicted organ trafficking back in the Middle Ages. Historically no less interesting, "Crossing The Blades" sees RUNNING WILD broach the story of the three musketeers from the 17th century, their emblem having been recreated on the cover artwork, once again designed by Jens Reinhold (VIRGIN STEELE, FREEDOM CALL, among others). Rolf says: "It's a kind of hybrid between the cross of the musketeers and our mascot, Adrian."

Despite these lyrical ambitions, "Blood On Blood" also features two "party rock numbers," as Rolf likes to refer to them: "Wild & Free" and "Wild, Wild Nights", which are meant to be pure fun, fulfilling their mission to a tee. And last but not least, there's "The Shellback", a track in typical RUNNING WILD style that starts with a Celtic-inspired intro, RUNNING WILD revisiting the atmospheric seafaring theme of its 1994 classic "Black Hand In", a prequel of that maritime story. Equally characteristic of the band, which, in addition to Rolf, guitarist Peter Jordan and bassist Ole Hempelmann, has since 2019 included drummer Michael Wolpers, who contributed all the drum parts on the new disc, are the lead single "Diamonds & Pearls" (including lyric video) and the title track, incidentally the first number Rolf wrote for the new album.

"Blood On Blood" track listing:

01. Blood On Blood (4:07)

02. Wings Of Fire (3:57)

03. Say Your Prayers (5:14)

04. Diamonds & Pearls (4:44)

05. Wild & Free (5:28)

06. Crossing The Blades 6:00)

07. One Night, One Day (4:59)

08. The Shellback (6:11)

09. Wild, Wild Nights (4:30)

10. The Iron Times (1618 – 1648) (10:29)

Lineup:

Rock N' Rolf - guitar, vocals

Peter Jordan - guitar

Ole Hempelmann - bass

Michael Wolpers - drums

Finnish doom stars, Swallow The Sun, have released a live track and video for “66°50′N, 28°40′E" (Live in Helsinki). The song is taken off the bands upcoming live album, 20 Years Of Gloom, Beauty And Despair - Live in Helsinki, out tomorrow.

“We were supposed to play anniversary shows in Europe and North America,” vocalist Mikko Kotamäki recalls. “We started our European tour in Finland in February 2020 and played 10 gigs. Everything got canceled two weeks after that. Luckily, we filmed and recorded our gig in Helsinki. Now, everyone can see it. At the time, we didn't know the footage or recordings would be used for this purpose.”

20 Years Of Gloom, Beauty And Despair - Live In Helsinki will be available as Ltd. 2CD+DVD Digipak, Gatefold 3LP+DVD and as digital album. All physical formats can be pre-ordered here.

The vinyl version will be available in the following colours:

- Black vinyl, unlimited
- Golden vinyl, limited to 200 copies worldwide, only available at Levykauppa Äx
- Dark green vinyl, limited to 200 copies worldwide, available at CMDistro
- Deep blood red vinyl, limited to 200 copies worldwide, only available at EMP
- Mint colored vinyl, limited to 200 copies worldwide, only available Nuclear Blast
- Glow in the dark vinyl, limited to 200 copies worldwide, only available at the official band store

Swallow The Sun are:

Juha Raivio - guitars
Matti Honkonen - bass
Mikko Kotamäki - vocals
Juuso Raatikainen - drums
Juho Räihä - guitars
Jaani Peuhu - keyboards/backing vocals




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North Carolina's Aether Realm reached new levels of melodic death metal mastery with the release of their latest full-length album, Redneck Vikings From Hell, in 2020. Today, in anticipation of their upcoming US tour with Unleash The Archers and Seven Kingdoms, the band has unveiled a gripping, emotive new video for their triumphant track, "Cycle", featuring Michael Rumple (Flood District, Lorelei), off of Redneck Vikings From Hell.

Frontman/bassist Vincent "Jake" Jones says: “The lyrics for 'Cycle' came to me in a desperate place. I was trying to make sense of why I still experienced these long episodes of depression, even when there didn't seem to be an obvious reason for it to come on. It's like it was always waiting to sneak up and snatch me out of the moment, and no amount of personal growth or skill mastery or artistic recognition could prevent it from taking me in it's grip. So I thought - if I can't prevent the feeling from coming on, I can at least give myself a tangible reminder that this is normal for me. That I've made it out of low places before, and I will again. This song helps keep my feet on the ground when I'm feeling cocky highs, and it gives me some hope when I'm running low. It was a pleasure to turn that emotional blooming and wilting that we all experience from time to time into a visual aesthetic with Jaraad Nageer and Ana Manso."

As mentioned above, Aether Realm will join headliners Unleash The Archers and fellow special guests Seven Kingdoms on a US tour this fall, kicking off in Minneapolis, MN on September 1 at Cabooze. The tour will visit several major cities before coming to an end in Seattle, WA on September 26 at El Corazon.

Dates:

September
1 - Minneapolis, MN - Cabooze
2 - Chicago, IL - Reggies (Sold Out)
3 - Detroit, MI - The Shelter
4 - Pittsburgh, PA - Preserving Underground
5 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall
7 - Providence, RI - Alchemy
8 - New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge
9 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
10 - Greensboro, NC - The Blind Tiger
11 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Heaven)
12 - Orlando, FL - The Haven
14 - Austin, TX - Come and Take it Live
15 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Bar & Grill
16 - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street Collective
17 - Kansas City, MO - The Riot Room
18 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre (Sold Out)
19 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
21 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater
22 - Los Angeles, CA - 1720
23 - San Diego, CA - Brick by Brick
24 - Petaluma, CA - The Phoenix Theater
25 - Portland, OR - Dante's
26 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon

Aether Realm is:

Vincent "Jake" Jones - bass, vocals               
Heinrich Arnold - guitar, vocals                    
Tyler Gresham - drums                     
Donny Burbage - guitar

(Photo - Bryce Chapman)




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After the release of the critically acclaimed Lucifer III last year, the Swedish/German heavy rock powerhouse didn’t rest on their laurels.

With no shows in sight they relentlessly recorded in their studios and released three vinyl 45’s - one with a weighty rendition of Tom Waits’ “Dirt in The Ground”, one a split with Kadavar where Lucifer covered Dust's "Pull Away" and one tearing up the Northern Soul nugget "Gone With The Wind Is My Love" together with Elin from Blues Pills.

But not only that, Lucifer completed their new long player, Lucifer IV. Today we present to you the first album single, “Wild Hearses”, a forerunner of what’s to come. The group is ringing in a new chapter and dive even further into the grande realms of colossal old fashioned rock, with a severe morbid twist and certain doom.

Lucifer invites you to take a wild ride in their 1972 Cadillac hearse past tombs and churches, down the very roads taken by Black Sabbath, Pentagram and Fleetwood Mac before them. Like the Pacific Coast Highway this road isn't new. It's timeless and it's fucking beautiful.

Get psyched and watch the lyric video below. “Wild Hearses” is now available on all major streaming platforms, here.

Stay tuned for more news from the church of Lucifer.

Lineup:

Johanna Platow Andersson – Vocals
Nicke Andersson Platow – Drums
Linus Björklund – Guitar
Martin Nordin – Guitar
Harald Göthblad - Bass




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According to TMZ, METAL CHURCH singer Mike Howe's official cause of death was determined to be asphyxia due to hanging. A spokesperson for the Humboldt County Sheriff's Dept. told the site authorities are calling it a suicide.

Cops got a call Monday morning (July 26) just after 10 a.m. in Eureka, California reporting an unexpected death at a home. By the time deputies arrived, they found the 55-year-old dead at the scene.

According to police, drugs and alcohol are not believed to be factors in the death and no controlled substances or paraphernalia were located at the scene.

Howe, who fronted METAL CHURCH from 1988 until 1994, officially rejoined the band in April 2015.

Prior to joining METAL CHURCH more than three decades ago, Howe spent two years fronting California metal act HERETIC.

The reunion between Mike and METAL CHURCH was put in motion in July of 2014 when Mike started working with guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof on a side project Kurdt was forming with Nigel Glockler from SAXON. Through these initial conversations, Kurdt convinced Mike to ultimately return to METAL CHURCH. The idea was to see if they could recapture some of the magic from the three albums METAL CHURCH released in the late '80s: "The Human Factor", "Blessing In Disguise" and "Hanging In The Balance". Out of those sessions, 2016's "XI" was born and captured the sound that made the band fan favorites in the '80s and mixed it with a new, invigorated sound.

METAL CHURCH's latest release was "From The Vault", which arrived in April 2020 via Rat Pak Records. The effort was a special-edition compilation album that featured 14 previously unreleased songs from the Howe era, including four newly recorded studio tracks, among them a redux of the band's fan favorite classic "Conductor".

Howe is not the first singer of METAL CHURCH to die. David Wayne passed away in May 2005 from complications following a car crash. He was 47 years old.

Wayne sang on METAL CHURCH's first two classic offerings (1984's "Metal Church" and 1986's "The Dark") before leaving the group and being replaced by Howe

In a new Modern Drummer Instagram Live chat hosted by ANTHRAX's Charlie Benante, Mike Portnoy discussed this week's tragic passing of former SLIPKNOT drummer Joey Jordison. The ex-DREAM THEATER drummer told Benante: "I actually heard the news from you. You hit me up on a thread that me, you and Chris Jericho have. And I couldn't believe it. I was actually getting in my car to go pick up a pizza, I had to get out of the car and run back in the house to tell [my son] Max, 'cause Joey was — is — Max's biggest drum hero. I mean, I was devastated and shocked, but I know especially for Max it's hard. It's really the first time he's lost a drum hero. But for me, it's shocking as well.

"Joey was an incredible drummer, an incredible musician," Mike continued. "Like you, he wrote a lot of the songs for his band, and he played guitar and was a multi-instrumentalist. But he was also a great guy. I'm sure we both have stories. I posted a little bit today, just a couple of quick stories. One was how once he heard that Max was such a big fan, he sent this big box of swag over, filled with masks, SLIPKNOT shirts and hoodies and all this stuff. And every time SLIPKNOT came through town, he was always so hospitable to Max and always invited him backstage and hung out with him. What else? I also mentioned about when I filled in for STONE SOUR, we went to Brazil together, 'cause STONE SOUR was playing one night and SLIPKNOT was playing the other night. So the whole SLIPKNOT camp traveled together, and he really made me feel at home during that trip; he made me feel part of the whole SLIPKNOT family for that weekend. I also remember calling him when I got offered to do the AVENGED SEVENFOLD tour. I had never gone on a tour with another band before, and he had been doing that. In the early 2000s, he was playing with everybody — he did a whole tour with KORN; did a tour with ROB ZOMBIE, he did a tour with MINISTRY. It wasn't just like he played only with SLIPKNOT. So when I got offered that AVENGED gig, I called him up and we chatted on the phone for, like, an hour. I was just getting advice from him on what to expect as being kind of like a hired gun for a major band like that. He had some great advice."

The founding SLIPKNOT drummer's family confirmed that Jordinson passed away "peacefully in his sleep" on Monday (July 26) of an unspecified cause. He was 46 year old.

According to TMZ, Joey's family said they will hold a private funeral service for him, but it's unclear when that will happen.

SLIPKNOT announced its split with Jordison in December 2013 but did not disclose the reasons for his exit. The drummer subsequently issued a statement saying that he did not quit the group.

Several years ago, Jordison overcame the neurological condition acute transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord which damages nerve fibers, which ultimately led to the drummer temporarily losing the use of his legs.

Back in 2014, SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor told Metal Hammer that firing Jordison after 18 years was "one of the hardest decisions" the group ever made, adding that Joey is "in a place in his life" which is "not where we are."

Ex-STYX vocalist and keyboardist Dennis DeYoung has once again said that he wants to reunite with his former bandmates for one final tour.

DeYoung, the voice behind such STYX classics as "Come Sail Away", "Best Of Times", "Pieces Of Eight" and "Babe", spoke about his previous group while chatting with U.K.'s Classic Rock magazine.

Asked what the "real story" is behind his inability to get STYX's classic lineup back together, Dennis said: "I've tried, in vain, to be in that band from the moment they replaced me. In the beginning it was my band, my idea, but now it's really Tommy Shaw's band.

"I've said that we should do one last tour together, for those people who made us rich men. They know I'm ready to do it. And recently it was floated as a possibility. But Tommy Shaw was the only one who spoke, and he said no."

DeYoung also refuted Shaw's claim that the members of STYX's classic lineup "weren't even happy working with each other in our heyday."

"Let me tell you, all this stuff they said about me was the biggest exaggerated bunch of lies I've ever seen in my life," Dennis said. "We liked each other. We never had a punch-up. We never screamed at each other. We weren't those guys. We made music together. So when you cast aspersions — not only on my musical contributions, but also on my character — it's been the greatest heartbreak in my career.

"Not to give the fans one last glimpse of us together on stage, it makes no sense to me," he added. "And I know that all STYX fans would want to see that one more time.

"This is not about me, it's not about money. It's to relive, and reinforce, what lucky sonofabitches we were to find each other. And show the people that we appreciate what you've done for us. I'm sick over the fact that we can't do it one more time, but what am I going to do? I just can't for the life of me understand it."

DeYoung co-founded STYX as a teenager alongside his neighbors Chuck and John Panozzo in the early 1970s. James Young joined shortly after that, with Shaw coming on board in 1975.

Three years ago, Shaw likened STYX's relationship with DeYoung to a divorce. "You get married when you're young and everything's rosy," he told "The Big Interview". "Then, as you start to get a little older, you realize you didn't have that much in common and then you go through a tough divorce… We still have songs that we co-wrote together, and those are our children, and we've managed to find a way to keep those things in play."

Shaw went on to say that he is content to let the past remain in the past, choosing instead to surround himself with positivity as he enters the next part of his career. He continued: "Personality-wise, at this stage in my life, I want to be happy. I want to be around people who love me and that have my best interest at heart, and I don't have to fight with. There's just not enough years left that I would want to risk not having that again."

DeYoung released his final studio album, "26 East, Vol 2", on June 11 via Frontiers Music Srl

ZZ Top bassist, Dusty Hill, has passed away at 72 years of age. Dusty's bandmates, Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard, have issued the following statement:

"We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, TX. We, along with legions of ZZ Top fans around the world, will miss your steadfast presence, your good nature and enduring commitment to providing that monumental bottom to the ‘Top'. We will forever be connected to that "Blues Shuffle in C.”

"You will be missed greatly, amigo." - Frank & Billy

Rock artists from around the world have quite naturally taken to social media to pay tribute to Hill and his ZZ Top legacy.

Rest In Peace #DustyHill of @ZZTop. My thoughts go out to @BillyfGibbons and Frank Beard and all the #ZZTop fans around the world pic.twitter.com/FLu71RF62V
— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) July 28, 2021

WOW! Dusty Hill. What an icon. @ZZTop ’s bassist forever. So unique. Always a gentleman from the days of us opening for them through the recent days of them opening for us. I don’t know what to say but “Thank you” and “Rest however you damn well choose!” https://t.co/tHfjLy1xbj
— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) July 28, 2021

I’m deeply saddened by the loss of my friend #DustyHill. A great musician and a rock icon. My condolences and prayers go out to his wife Charlene, his family, and to Billy, Frank and to the entire @ZZTop organization. pic.twitter.com/quuLx1CpXg
— Christopher Cross (@itsMrCross) July 28, 2021

So Very Sad To Hear Dusty Has Passed…Beautiful Soul…🙏🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/QkodF7jTKx
— David Coverdale (@davidcoverdale) July 28, 2021

Dusty Hill 💔 Rest in Rock. Our sincere condolences to all who knew and loved him ⁦@ZZTop⁩ . pic.twitter.com/ITtAw8Pjps
— Garbage (@garbage) July 28, 2021

The Allman Brothers Band Family is saddened to learn of the recent passing of fellow musical traveler Dusty Hill, bassist extraordinaire of our friends ZZ Top. pic.twitter.com/ZZqq9xSQzW
— Allman Brothers Band (@allmanbrothers) July 28, 2021

RIP Dusty Hill pic.twitter.com/L0NNclWW0G
— William Patrick Corgan (@Billy) July 28, 2021




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Dee Snider has revealed to Ultimate Classic Rock that he got COVID-19 despite the fact that he is fully vaccinated. "It happened a few days ago," the TWISTED SISTER singer said. "This is about day five. It was really minor, like, nothing that Advil and Sudafed [couldn't handle]."

Snider clarified that he definitely experienced some symptoms of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. "It was a little aches and pains, a little stuffiness. But like I said, a Sudafed and a couple of Advil and I was just doing everything, business as usual. You know, I said, 'Maybe I'll get tested just for the hell of it.' I got a home test and I'm, like, 'What the fuck?' But they're saying that they think a lot more people who are vaccinated have gotten it. And because it's minor, they're not going to the doctor or the hospital, so it's not being reported. Because I'm hearing a lot of people saying that they caught it. It's not knocking them on their ass or hospitalizing them, but they're definitely getting COVID, even with vaccinations."

As for how he thinks he contracted COVID-19, Snider speculated that his wife brought it to their household after taking the kids to one of the Disney parks. "No one checks vaccination, no one checks tests," he said. "No one's enforcing masks. They came back and brought it back with them. There was zero enforcement."

Disneyland does not currently require masks for fully vaccinated guests. Face coverings are encouraged for those who are unvaccinated, but Disneyland is not verifying vaccination status, so the choice of whether to wear a mask or not is up to Disneyland theme park guests.

Dee first took his dissatisfaction with Disney public two days ago, tweeting: "WARNING!! While online & publicly @Disneyland claims strict enforcement of Covid protocols, AT THE PARK THEY ARE DOING NOTHING TO ENFORCE OR PROTECT PEOPLE! My wife & daughter took our grandkids to the park last week & BROUGHT COVID INTO OUR HOME!! STAY AWAY FROM DISNEY!!"

This past April, Snider said that he was in favor of some kind of a coronavirus vaccine passport program whereby concert venues can ask patrons to show proof of testing or vaccination before attending certain events. Snider addressed the hot-button issue in a tweet, writing: "I get that some people are wary of this, but I want a vaccine passport in the worst fucking way! I wave my vaccination card around like a flag! I've got nothing to hide and if a vaccine passport will let me go places without all these covid protocols sign me the fuck up!"




WARNING!! While online & publicly @Disneyland claims strict enforcement of Covid protocols, AT THE PARK THEY ARE DOING NOTHING TO ENFORCE OR PROTECT PEOPLE! My wife & daughter took our grandkids to the park last week & BROUGHT COVID INTO OUR HOME!! STAY AWAY FROM DISNEY!!

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) July 26, 2021

The clip below, shot during former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman's recent Tokyo Jukebox Tour 2021 through Japan, features Friedman performing the Crowded Houe classic "Don't Dream It's Over" with special remote guest Mateus Asato on guitar. The footage was shot on April 6th in Osaka at Bigcat and shared by AMSA Records.

Los Angeles-based Asato is a guitarist from Campo Grande, Brazil and rose to fame through by posting videos of himself playing guitar on Instagram, and amassed over one million followers before shutting the page down in February 2021. He has toured with several pop artists has his own signature model guitar through Suhr Guitars. In 2019, Guitar Magazine named him one of the 50 most exciting young guitarists in the world

Friedman released the new studio album Tokyo Jukebox 3 via The Players Club / Mascot Label Group on April 16th. The record is the third in a series that began with Tokyo Jukebox in 2009, and then Tokyo Jukebox 2 following in 2011.

The trilogy presents Friedman’s inspired performances to Japanese repertoire he’s chosen to cover. He shares, “I've been playing stuff from the first two 'Jukebox' albums live all over the world, and it's taken on a life of its own. Especially in places like North and South America, Australia, Italy, France and even India. My fan base is very dedicated, and what I have found is that lots of new fans have been introduced to Japanese music and culture through me, which is very gratifying. On the tours it seems like aside from the dedicated guitar fans, the Japan fanatics have been noticeably growing, so now felt like the right time to do Tokyo Jukebox 3.”

Friedman put a lot of energy into selecting the right songs to cover for the album, He shares, “In Japan, you have to get permission to record and release cover versions, and that can be a very tricky and long process. So, the last thing I wanted to do was to ask permission to do a song, only to wind up not recording it for whatever reason. That would be very impolite. I spent several weeks choosing songs and demoing them to see whether I could create versions that I could get pumped up about, before I even approached any publishers. I came up with a short list of 20 songs, and from this chose about 15 that I knew I could really score with.”

Friedman has also included “The Perfect World,” which he wrote, recorded and originally released in 2018. This is the only track on the album with vocals. He reflects, “Back then I did the song with Jean-Ken Johnny from Man With A Mission on vocals, and that was used as the main theme for the Netflix series B: The Beginning. On the day of release, the song went straight to the top of the Japanese iTunes chart.” This recording is a new, fresh interpretation with Alfakyun, one of Japan’s premier female J-Pop singers performing the vocals. As Friedman offers, “It's really a self-cover, so it fits in with the idea of this being a covers album.”

Friedman has also included “Japan Heritage Theme Song,” another of his own compositions on which he worked with the Tokyo Philharmonic orchestra. He reflects, “I was asked by the Japanese government to compose an official song to be played at government sponsored events which celebrate Japanese heritage. This was a huge honor, and it was wonderful to be able to work with such a prestigious orchestra which, rather conveniently, my wife plays cello in. Doing this was a little different from what I am used to, because instead of playing a completed track to record company people I had to face Japanese government officials. I recall looking at their stony faces after they heard it and sweating anxiously awaiting their reaction. Thankfully, they liked what I'd done. I felt this was a great, uplifting way to close the album.”

Much of the recording process was done at Power House Studios in Tokyo, with Friedman, who was also the producer on the project, joined by bassist Kiyoshi and drummer Anup Sastry. He shares, “Kiyoshi has been in my band for about six years now doing all my tours and recordings. She is a powerhouse, and I honestly have never seen anyone hit the bass as hard as she does, especially while keeping up with my kind of challenging music. Anup was a member of Skyharbor (an Indian/American progressive metal band) and has been on my last three albums. He is just plain phenomenal as well.”

The recording process started in January, 2020 and was due to end in March with a release in May. Then the pandemic struck, and everything was pushed back. Friedman had no firm deadline to finish the album within, and he took advantage of the time, reflecting on executing his vision without limitations. He offers, “I kept reworking the music, and improving everything. In the end it took several months to get the album completed, but it was time well spent. I believe the music turned out so much better because I wasn't under any deadline pressure.” The mixing was handled by Jens Bogren at his own Fascination Studios in Sweden. He's a resource Friedman has the utmost confidence in offering, “Jens has mixed my last three albums and he’s one of the best in the business. He knows what I want, and I know he'll get it for me.”

Friedman's remarkable attention to detail on this album goes beyond the music. The cover image presents the guitarist dressed in a traditional Japanese kimono, with make-up that honors authentic tradition. He offers, “I have to admit that getting this done was a hellish process. It could easily have just looked like a dude in drag and therefore rather stupid. It does take a very serious attitude and approach to pull this off properly. If you look at the covers for the first two 'Jukebox' albums, I had on kabuki make-up. There was no photoshop used at all and that’s precisely why they came out so well. This time I brought on the absolute top professionals in the unique field of wardrobe and make-up, and I believe we've hit the bullseye. I am actually wearing two kimonos in the photo, as well as padding to fill me out a little like a sumo wrestler. You'd never believe I am this skinny rock dude from the East Coast of America!”

Tracklisting:

"Makenaide"
"Senbonzakura"
"Gurenge"
"Kaze Ga Fuiteiru"
"Echo"
"The Perfect World" (feat. Alfakyun)
"U.S.A."
"Shukumei"
"Ikuze Kaitou-Shoujo"
"Sazanka"
"Time Goes By"
"Japan Heritage Official Theme Song"

"Kaze Ga Fuiteiru" visualizer:

"Makenaide" video:

"The Perfect World" video:




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You look pretty cool,
You look pretty nice
Well let me give you a little advise
You driving me into a nervous wreck
And all I want is a little success
Just a little success
Just a little success
             - The Pumps, “Success”, 1980

The music roots of Winnipeg, Manitoba run deep with more than “just a little success” with the international prominence of Neil Young, The Guess Who, B.T.O. and Burton Cummings setting a high standard. Throughout the 70s a homegrown rock sound continued to evolve in Western Canada and while acts like Loverboy and Trooper were finding international success, The Prairies would brew their own driving beats with acts like Streetheart, Harlequin, Queen City Kids and... The Pumps.

Formed in 1978 by taking their name from a random pick in a local phone book, The Pumps consisted of the unmistakable vocals of bassist Chris Burke-Gaffney and drummer Terry Norman Taylor (TNT). Joined by quirky guitarist Lou Petrovich, who was compared to greats like Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, and Brent Diamond's tapestry of keyboards creating a lush background, The Pumps unique blend of infectious pop/rock and high energy live shows made them a regular on the touring circuit opening for acts such as AC/DC, Triumph and Styx.

The Pumps quickly signed an international recording deal with Polydor Records in 1979 and flew to Le Studio in Morin Heights, Quebec to record their debut album with British producers Phil Chapman and Jon Astley at the helm. Gotta Move was released in 1980 to critical acclaim. The powerful singles “Success,” “Coffee With The Queen” and “Bust The TV” become staples on Canadian rock radio airwaves through the 80s.

In 1983, the group signed with CBS/Portrait, changed their name to Orphan and released two more albums. The single “Miracle” was a top 10 hit. In 1991, Burke-Gaffney and Taylor briefly reunited to release one album as The Deadbeat Honeymooners.

Vocalist Chris Burke-Gaffney would go on to form CBG Artist Development to manage and develop singer/songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk, co-writing and producing her Juno Award-winning and triple-platinum album, Under These Rocks and Stones. He continues to develop new artists gaining accolades, chart success and Juno nominations along the way.

The unique story of The Pumps & Orphan was told by film maker Terry Goring in the 2016 documentary “Just Little Success.”  The group continues to perform live on the classic rock circuit as The Pumps & Orphan with Burke-Gaffney, Taylor, Diamond and Orphan guitarist Steve McGovern.

Gotta Move is finally released on CD for the first time by Music In Motion Entertainment as Gotta Move - The 40th Anniversary Edition. Fully remastered, Gotta Move includes four bonus tracks : An early live recording of “Bust The TV,” an equally early recording of “Steel & Iron” (which would eventually appear on the Orphan disc Salute), the radio edit of their biggest hit “Success” and a brand new acoustic version of “Coffee With The Queen.”

The release will be available Friday, July 30. Gotta Move is licensed for distribution by Music In Motion Entertainment, available through their webstore on RockPaperMerch.com.




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