"Metallica: The $24.95 Book" will be released on August 15 via Backbeat Books, an imprint of Rowman & Littlefield.

With more than 125 million records sold worldwide, METALLICA is the biggest metal band of all time. Four decades into their unparalleled career, METALLICA is a massive cultural force which drastically changed the sound of popular music by creating its own rules. Yet for all their popularity, METALLICA can seem impenetrable, raising more questions and inspiring more discourse as their mythos grows. They're rarely given the kind of literary appreciation and analysis usually saved for the biggest rock artists, until now.

"Metallica: The $24.95 Book" looks at METALLICA's cultural significance, with chapters devoted to each member, each album, touring, fashion, books, film, influences, fandom, history, and more, exploring the band's ideologies along the way. "

I wanted it to it to be more than a fact book, and not just something people could just look up on the Internet," says author Ben Apatoff, a writing teacher and music journalist. The result is the most complete METALLICA book to date, covering their career through 2021 and the first METALLICA book written with access to the band's box set materials. Compiled from years of exhaustive research and decades of fandom, and including previously unpublished photos, a foreword by Laina Dawes, the author of acclaimed 2013 memoir "What Are You Doing Here?: A Black Woman's Life And Liberation In Heavy Metal", new transcriptions of video interviews and magazine quotes previously unavailable on the Internet, "Metallica: The $24.95 Book" finally gives METALLICA the thorough biography and analysis the band deserves, providing an in-depth look at the band and their music that both die-hard fans and newcomers can enjoy.

Apatoff is a New York writer and educator whose work has appeared in Metal Injection, MetalSucks and the Morbid Anatomy Museum. He was born the summer METALLICA released "Kill 'Em All".

Chester Bennington's widow has paid tribute to the late LINKIN PARK singer on the fourth anniversary of his death.

Earlier today, Talinda Bennington took to her Twitter to share a photo of Chester with a "lettuce cup" on his head, and she included the following message: "You always had a way to make us all laugh. You always made everything better. And when you put this lettuce cup on your head to make us laugh because our food was taking forever, you made everything better once again.

"I'm so glad that the kids and I have vast amounts of pictures and videos to remember you by. We miss you every second of every day. You were the best person I have ever known. I see you in our babies every day. Lily is your mini me, with her looks and beautiful voice. Tyler has your wit, intellect, looks, and the same obsession for trying to figure out space and time. And Lila, she has your heart of gold.

"When they were newborns, you wrote your hopes and dreams for them. God must have seen what you wrote because they are truly everything you wished for them to be.

"I know you can see them. I would give anything to have you back so they could see you. But that's why we have our entire life together on home videos. I'm glad I never stopped recording. Today we will watch some of them and remember how fucking amazing you were.

"I love you. R.I.P."

Chester was found dead on July 20, 2017 — on what would have been the 53rd birthday of his late friend and fellow rocker, SOUNDGARDEN frontman Chris Cornell.

After Cornell died in May 2017 as a result of suicide by hanging himself inside his Detroit hotel room, Chester wrote a letter thanking him for inspiring him and hoping he would find peace in "the next life."

Chester married Talinda shortly after his divorce from his first wife, Samantha Marie Olit.

In the first few months since her husband's death, Talinda had used the hashtags #FuckDepression and #MakeChesterProud to grow an online community that is there to support people with depression, and people who have been impacted by a loved one's depression or suicide.




You always had a way to make us all laugh. You always made everything better. And when you put this lettuce cup on your head to make us laugh because our food was taking forever, you made everything better once again. I’m so glad that the kids and I have vast amounts of pictures pic.twitter.com/GPeCW8fOmx

— Talinda Bennington (@TalindaB) July 20, 2021








and videos to remember you by. We miss you every second of every day. You were the best person I have ever known. I see you in our babies every day. Lily is your mini me, with her looks and beautiful voice. Tyler has your wit, intellect, looks, and the same obsession for trying

— Talinda Bennington (@TalindaB) July 20, 2021








to figure out space and time. And Lila, she has your heart of gold. When they were newborns, you wrote your hopes and dreams for them. God must have seen what you wrote because they are truly everything you wished for them to be. I know you can see them. I would give anything to

— Talinda Bennington (@TalindaB) July 20, 2021








have you back so they could see you. But that’s why we have our entire life together on home videos. I’m glad I never stopped recording. Today we will watch some of them and remember how fucking amazing you were. I love you.

R.I.P.

— Talinda Bennington (@TalindaB) July 20, 2021

Fan-filmed video footage of PHILIP H. ANSELMO AND THE ILLEGALS performing their "A Vulgar Display Of Pantera" set at this year's Rock Fest on July 16 in Cadott, Wisconsin can be seen below (courtesy of Concert Mania).

"A Vulgar Display Of Pantera" finds singer Philip Anselmo and his solo group celebrating the legacy of PANTERA with a set featuring select cuts from the iconic metal band's five classic albums: "Cowboys From Hell", "Vulgar Display Of Power", "Far Beyond Driven", "The Great Southern Trendkill" and "Reinventing The Steel".

In a recent interview with The News-Herald, Anselmo said that part of the reason for performing PANTERA classics is to honor the band's guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who was killed in 2004, and drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who died in 2018.

"It's one of those cases where you have to say it is what it is," Anselmo said. "All of that stuff is terribly sad. It's (expletive) very tough to wrap my mind around even listening back to PANTERA stuff. The truth of it is, I learned a while back dealing with Dimebag's death that I could muck around and stay in the past and wallow, but it's not healthy. And in turn, when I play these songs, for me it's all about celebrating the life of Dimebag and Vince. I have to do the best I can for my brothers who have fallen and for all of our fans. I have to do the best I can and look at the bright side."

Up until his death, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for the murder of Dimebag, who was his brother.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie Paul died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS features Anselmo with guitarists Stephen Taylor (SUPERJOINT) and Mike DeLeon (FLESH HOARDER, BEING KILLED, ex-MOD), drummer José Manuel "Blue" Gonzalez (SUPERJOINT, WARBEAST), and bassist Derek Engemann (SCOUR, ex-CATTLE DECAPITATION). The band's most recent full-length, the critically acclaimed "Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue", was released in 2018 via Anselmo's own Housecore Records.

Former FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm claims that he was unfairly "aced out" of songwriting credits for the band's smash hit song "I Want To Know What Love Is". The power ballad, which is credited solely to FOREIGNER's founding guitarist Mick Jones was, released in November 1984 as the lead single from the group's fifth album, "Agent Provocateur".

Gramm discussed his supposed lack of contribution to the track during a brand new interview with "The Jeremy White Podcast". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "As much as I worked my tail off on 'I Want To Know What Love Is', and I think I had a strong presence on that album and was contributing ideas to the arrangement too, I got zero credit on that song. The song was No. 1 around the world, and the reality is [Mick] made a hundred percent of the song royalties. I was aced out of that completely."

Gramm went on to say that "Mick was very fair" with regard to splitting songwriting credits in the early years of FOREIGNER. "No matter who contributed what, between him and I, it was 50-50 or 60-40, but it was always 50-50 or close to 50-50," he said. "When 'Waiting For A Girl [Like You]' came out [in 1981], it was 75-25. And then when 'I Want To Know What Love Is' came out, he offered me 95-5, and I said, 'I don't want five.' So he kept a hundred."

"After 'I Want To Know What Love Is', then he came out with 'I Don't Want To Live Without You' [on 1987's 'Inside Information' album]," he continued. "That was completely done by him. I didn't wanna even partake in that. Then he started writing songs completely and showing them to me; he just wanted me to sing 'em. No input on lyrics or melody or anything — he came to me with complete songs that he had written and just wanted me to sing 'em."

Asked by White if Jones's "ego" was to blame for the shift in the songwriting approach, Gramm said: "You can call it that… I always wanted it [to be a] collaborative [effort], but after a certain point, he got caught up with what he was doing and didn't want input."

Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER's biggest hits, including "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold As Ice" from the band's eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like "Hot Blooded" and "I Want to Know What Love Is".

The 71-year-old Gramm left FOREIGNER for good in 2002 and has battled health issues in recent years, including the removal of a non-cancerous tumor. He told the Democrat & Chronicle in 2018 that he was planning to retire, but still reunited with FOREIGNER for several shows that year to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary.

FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Kelly Hansen in 2005. Jones, the only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012.

Gramm and Jones's June 2013 performance of "I Want To Know What Love Is" and "Juke Box Hero" at the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in New York City marked the first time the pair performed together in a decade after Gramm left FOREIGNER for a second time. Hansen has fronted the group for the past 16 years.

RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson spoke to Andertons Music Co about the music he has been working on since the completion of the band's final tour nearly six years ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have two tracks on my web site that were in the video [to promote the release of the new Alex Lifeson Epiphone Les Paul Standard Axcess guitar] — 'Kabul Blues' and 'Spy House', they're called. So that's a little indication of some of the stuff I've been doing in the last four or five years. Currently, I've been working with Andy Curran [of CONEY HATCH] on some material. He sent me some stuff that he was working on — boy, it's gotta be four years [ago] now — and he just asked if I would put some guitars on it for him, which I did do. And then another track came. And then he changed singers. And Maiah Wynne is the current singer in this project. She's from Portland, Oregon — a fantastic voice; a great singer with great sensibilities. And the project just started growing and growing. And then I found that I was replacing parts that I did earlier because they were just sort of casual little guitar bits into something more substantial. And now we have about 10 or 11 songs that we have in album format that we're mixing right now. And hopefully we'll have something to listen to in the late summer [or] early fall of this year. I'm really excited about it. 'Cause her voice is very fragile and delicate in a lot of ways, and that contrasting with the heavy, dark music that we put together, it's a really, really cool combination and I really love the stuff."

Asked if the project, which is tentatively dubbed ENVY OF NONE, will do any touring once the album is released, Alex said: "[It's] too early to say, especially after the pandemic. We're just starting to get back into that whole thing. Right now we're focused on doing the mixes and getting it sounding the way we want it to and see what we can do in terms of distribution. And then we'll see."

Lifeson previously collaborated with Wynne on her 2019 solo single called "Fearless Girl", which featured Alex and the Portland Cello Project. Wynne also laid down vocals on a May 2019 collaboration between multi-instrumentalist Marco Minnemann and Lifeson titled "Lovers Calling".

RUSH drummer Neil Peart died in January 2020 in Santa Monica, California after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old.

RUSH's final show took place at the Forum in Los Angeles on August 1, 2015. Peart indicated at the time that he wanted to retire while he was still able to play well, along with a desire to spend more time at home with his young daughter.

Lifeson and bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee have repeatedly said that RUSH will never do a show unless all three musicians agree to take part. They haven't performed as RUSH without Peart since he joined the band in 1974.

Reunited San Francisco Bay Area thrashers VIO-LENCE will release a new EP, "Let The World Burn", in early 2022 via Metal Blade Records. The effort was recorded at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California with producer Juan Urteaga, who has previously worked with TESTAMENT, MACHINE HEAD and EXODUS, among many others. Mixing duties were handled by Tue Madsen.

Singer Sean Killian told Ireland's Overdrive about the decision to make the EP: "It was after [a] show [we played with SACRED REICH] in Arizona when Phil [Demmel, guitar] and I really started to talk about it because we're the guys that wrote 'Eternal Nightmare'. We talked about who would be involved and made the decision that if we do this, we've gotta be sharp, you know? We have to be tight, on it, spending time in the studio and really putting in 100%. It took some time — about eight months or so — to get things up and running with regards to schedules, but when it began to take shape, and we were vibing off each other in the studio, writing new songs, and lyrics, etc., everything felt really natural from start to finish. The album is currently in the mixing stages, and we're really happy with the way it all came out."

Regarding the recording process, Killian said: "[Urteaga] was really digging deep with all of us in order to get the best out of us. Like I'd be doing my vocal lines and he's in the booth saying, 'Come on, man. I know you can do better than that. You've gotta get more aggro. I want to you sound like you're about to kill somebody!' [Laughs] Also when we were doing the drums, we were all saying to Perry [Strickland, drums], 'That sounds great.' He [Juan] was, like, 'No, it doesn't. You can do better. C'mon. Dig deep.' He really pushed Perry a lot. [Laughs]"

In August 2020, VIO-LENCE released a new digital single, "California Über Alles", a cover version of the DEAD KENNEDYS classic. The band also filmed a music video for the song with director Scott Kirkeeng.

In January 2020, VIO-LENCE parted ways with guitarist Ray Vegas and replaced him with Bobby Gustafson (ex-OVERKILL). The band's current lineup also includes bassist Christian Olde Wolbers (ex-FEAR FACTORY).

VIO-LENCE released three studio albums between 1988 and 1993. The group reunited soon after Demmel left MACHINE HEAD in late 2018.

The band performed its first comeback concert in April 2019 at the Oakland Metro in Oakland, California and spent most of the ensuing months playing select shows in the U.S. and Europe.

Although MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn was part of VIO-LENCE's classic incarnation and played on the band's debut album, "Eternal Nightmare", he wasn't approached about taking part in any of the comeback shows.

Killian underwent a successful liver transplant surgery in March 2018. The year before, Killian was diagnosed with stage four liver cirrhosis, which was caused in part by a genetic condition called hemochromatosis.

VIO-LENCE's last album, "Nothing To Gain", was recorded in August 1990, but wasn't released until 1993.

VIO-LENCE 2021 is:

Sean Killian - vocals

Perry Strickland - drums

Christian Olde Wolbers - bass

Bobby Gustafson - guitar

Phil Demmel - guitar

Photo credit: Harold O.

THE OFFSPRING has uploaded video of the band's short performance at SIR Studios in Los Angeles. The three-song includes the title track of THE OFFSPRING's latest album, "Let The Bad Times Roll", along with "Self-Esteem" and "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid". Check it out below.

"Let The Bad Times Roll" arrived in April via Concord Records. The follow-up to 2012's "Days Go By" was once again produced by Bob Rock, who also worked on the band's last two LPs.

THE OFFSPRING singer Bryan "Dexter" Holland, guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, drummer Pete Parada and new bassist Todd Morse wrote and recorded "Let The Bad Times Roll" in the last few years at various locations, including the band's studio in Huntington Beach, California.

Speaking about the long gap between "Let The Bad Times Roll" and the previous OFFSPRING album, Noodles told the 100.3 The X Rocks radio station: "We've been working on it for a while. Really, about two or three years ago, everything started really kind of clicking, and we had a really creative period — then and since, actually. We were hoping to have the record done probably five years ago, ultimately, and it just took longer to make something that we really felt was strong and representative of the band in the best light."

Added Dexter: "I think that's it. It had to feel right before we wanted to put it out. We're not really under a deadline. We didn't even have a label, actually — we were sort of floating out there. So it was a good time to just take our time and make the right record."

Asked how hard it was for them to sit on those songs for so long without being able to share them with their fans, Dexter said: "There really is this feeling, when you have something that you're really happy with… 'Cause sometimes you go through a bunch of stuff that, 'Oh, this song needs work. This needs work.' When you have something that's clicking, you're, like, 'Oh, man. I can't wait to get this out.' But you just kind of have to sit on it for a while. I mean, we basically sat on this since the pandemic started, 'cause we kind of thought, 'This is probably not the best time to release a record, 'cause we can't go out and tour, we can't promote it, can't be there to play it for the people,' so we've kind of been sitting on it for the better part of a year. Although we kept on going back and tweaking it, and it actually got better over that year. But we decided, well, we can't wait forever if we're gonna put this out."

Regarding the inspiration for the "Let The Bad Times Roll" album title, Dexter told HardDrive Radio: "We had a song two albums ago [on 2008's 'Rise And Fall, Rage And Grace'] called 'Shit Is Fucked Up'. We wrote that 'cause we thought how terrible things were in the world back then. But it actually got worse. So we had to come up with a new title, 'Let The Bad Times Roll'.

"You can apply it to a lot of things," he explained. "I mean, we're not a political band. Some people would apply it to the last administration. Some people would apply it to things that are going on today, or just how messed up everything is, trying to fix our pandemic and all that kind of stuff."

Added Noodles: "But really, it's not just an American-centric thing either, cause you're seeing stuff happening around the world. There's unrest happening literally everywhere — on all continents. You're seeing unrest, and then you're also seeing anti-democratic forces kind of taking power in some places, in which case causes more unrest. So, yeah, the whole world is a little bit of a scary place right now."

Dexter continued: "That's right. Climate change, climate deniers, vaccine, anti-vaxxers — whatever you want, it's out there."

METALLICA's Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo joined Los Angeles jazz master Kamasi Washington on stage last night (Sunday, July 18) at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California to perform the band's song "My Friend Of Misery". Fan-filmed video footage of their appearance can be seen below.

Washington's cover version of "My Friend Of Misery" is one of more than 50 songs which are included on METALLICA's massive new covers compilation called "The Metallica Blacklist", which features artists' takes on "Black Album" songs.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of METALLICA's self-titled album, the Grammy-winning, 16-times-platinum-certified LP is receiving its definitive re-release on September 10 via the band's own Blackened Recordings. Remastered for ultimate sound quality, The Black Album remaster will be available in multiple configurations including 180-gram double vinyl LP, standard CD and 3 CD expanded edition, digital, and limited-edition deluxe box set (containing the album remastered on 180-gram 2LP, a picture disc, three live LPs, 14 CDs (containing rough mixes, demos, interviews, live shows), 6 DVDs (containing outtakes, behind the scenes, official videos, live shows), a 120-page hardcover book, four tour laminates, three lithos, three guitar picks, a METALLICA lanyard, a folder with lyric sheets, and a download card).

Much more than a mere tribute album, "The Metallica Blacklist" celebrates the enduring influence of this musical milestone with one of the most ambitious projects ever conceived by the METALLICA team: An unprecedented 53 artists spanning an unbelievably vast range of genres, generations, cultures, continents and more, each contributing a unique interpretation of their favorite Black Album cut.

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

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

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

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

BLACK VEIL BRIDES and Incendium have announced the launch of "The Phantom Tomorrow", a six-issue comic book series expanding upon their upcoming album of the same name. Published under Incendium's music-focused OPUS imprint, the story was conceptualized by BLACK VEIL BRIDES founder Andy Biersack, written by Michael Moreci ("Stranger Things", "Batman: Detective Comics"), with illustrations by Augustin Padilla ("Dungeons & Dragons", "Borderlands") and cover artwork by Ryan Christensen.

"The Phantom Tomorrow" is a series that follows Dennis Kane, a scientist with an intellect matched only by his massive ego. When his hubris causes the world falls apart around him, a dark avenger is born of his agonizing shame. Resurrected as "Blackbird" — a mysterious figure caught between life and death — he desperately seeks redemption, willing to fight through hell and back to get it. The Blackbird's quest becomes is a beacon of hope to the downtrodden, and their uprising is coming.

Said Biersack: "We are so excited to release this series and build on the world that we have developed for Blackbird, 9, Scarlet, and the entire 'Phantom Tomorrow' universe that BVB fans have come to know over the past year via our music videos and other visual mediums. Growing up, I was heavily influenced by the works of Alan Moore, Todd McFarlane, and many other iconic writers and artists in the comics field and to have the chance to create and develop an original character that both pulls from those influences as well as creates new and compelling story arcs is a dream come true. I believe that in Michael Moreci we have found the perfect writer and collaborator and the partnership with Incendium is an ideal match to deliver rock and comics fans a memorable character-driven experience. We believe this book will serve as an excellent companion to our upcoming album and helps us to fully tell the story of 'The Phantom Tomorrow'."

Added Llexi Leon, CEO of Incendium: "BLACK VEIL BRIDES' 'Phantom Tomorrow' was destined for comics, with it's distinctive noir feel and a thrilling homage to the great comic book anti-heroes, we're thrilled to be developing the world Andy has envisaged and exploring themes of obsession, religion, and hero worship through this compelling original saga."

"Black Veil Brides: The Phantom Tomorrow" as a six-issue series. The first print edition of each issue will be released as a prestige format limited-edition collectible comic book, featuring cardstock covers, specialty foil treatments, glossy pages, and individual numbering.

Due to ship in October, the first print edition features:

- Limited to 2000 copies

- Individually numbered

- Exclusive bonus content

- Specialty foil treatment

- Cardstock cover

- Glossy pages

- 48 pages

Credits:

Cover artwork by Ryan Christensen

Interior artwork by Agustin Padilla

Story by Andy Biersack

Written by Michael Moreci

Letters by Jacob Bascle

Edited by Llexi Leon and Denton Tipton

Committed to uncompromising expression, with a foundation in hard rock tradition and rule-breaking iconoclasm, BLACK VEIL BRIDES is a transcendent celebration of life-affirming power and anthemic catharsis. A gothic vision first summoned in a smalltown by an isolated kid fascinated with death, rock, theatricality, and monsters (both real and imagined), BLACK VEIL BRIDES is now a postmodern heavy metal institution with a legion of like-minded fans and supporters worldwide. A new chapter in the band's ever-evolving story arrives with "The Phantom Tomorrow", an ambitious sixth album pushing the music of BLACK VEIL BRIDES forward without sacrificing their beloved signature sound. Built around a thematically rich story, written by singer Andy Biersack, "The Phantom Tomorrow" combines imaginative worldbuilding with unrelentingly catchy and melodic bombast.

"Death By A Thousand Licks", the first single from George Lynch's upcoming solo album, "Seamless", can be streamed below. Due on August 20 via Rat Pak Records, the LP features nine brand new tracks and three bonus tracks from Lynch, who is backed by drummer Jimmy D'Anda and bassist Eric Loiselle on the album. "Seamless" is produced by Lynch and is now available for pre-order in various configurations here.

George opens "Death By A Thousand Licks" with firecracker guitar licks that seem to emanate from another galaxy. With drum and bass then quickly entering the fold, George takes the listener speeding down a sonic highway full of guitar tricks and acrobatics, arguably packing more licks than the song title suggests.

"'Death By A Thousand Licks' was the last piece I wrote for 'Seamless'," George says. "I decided to do something that was maniacal and shooting from the hip, completely improvised. It isn't really intended to be a fully developed composition but more of a vehicle for solo insanity. I think at least half of what I played is in the right key."

From the driving guitar riff of album opener "Quiver" to the haunting outro of album closer "Falling Apart", it is clear George Lynch was looking to explore his writing and love for the guitar. Songs like "Cola", "Sharks With Laser Beams" and "Supersonic Hypnotic Groove Thing" explore the various musical styles George likes to play while giving him room to experiment with new sounds alongside his signature tone. The album on all formats includes three bonus tracks that were added to the album after the extra tracks were presented to the label. "Blue Light Effect", "House Of Eternal Return" and "The Weight" also show the musical diversity that only George Lynch as a trio can create.

Lynch previously said: "'Seamless' is my attempt at creating a guitar-driven instrumental record that delivers something outside the realm of what most people would expect from a guitar instrumental record coming from a semi-redeemed '80s hair shredder . I wanted the record to be challenging but not exhausting; personal without being belligerently self-indulgent and include a fair amount of guitar histrionics and pay tribute to the masters without making it sound like I'm competing to be the end all summation of all guitar legacies that preceded me. I also wanted the underlying music to be more than vehicles for solos; I wanted the compositions to be able to stand on their own."

"Seamless" track listing:

01. Quiver

02. Cola

03. TJ69

04. Death By A Thousand Licks

05. iThink

06. Sharks With Laser Beams

07. Octavia

08. Supersonic Hypnotic Groove Thing

09. Falling Apart

Bonus tracks

10. Blue Light Effect

11. House Of Eternal Return

12. The Weight

Starting in music in 1977, Lynch has long since been considered one of the most-notable guitar players of all time. His work with DOKKEN and LYNCH MOB has garnered him a legion of devoted fans around the globe. His creativity and musicianship has been showcased on over 50 albums since 1982 and 2022 will mark his 45th anniversary as a professional musician. Lynch continues to redefine guitar playing and songwriting while showing no signs of slowing down.

In recent years, Lynch has recorded albums with a number of different projects, including LYNCH MOB, KXM, SWEET & LYNCH, THE END MACHINE and DIRTY SHIRLEY. His most recent release was "Heavy Hitters", a collaboration with his former DOKKEN bandmate Jeff Pilson on a collection of studio recordings that turn pop music classics into metal anthems.

Last year, Lynch told Guitar World magazine that staying "diversified" was key to making a living in rock music today. "Do everything," he said. "Be an engineer, be a composer, play every instrument you can, get endorsements, learn how to make a web site, be social-media savvy and keep your eye on everything."

Photo credit: Cat Parker

After spending a year in a COVID hibernation, Mammoth Mammoth have awoken from their slumber and are back, reunited with their classic lineup (Frank ‘Bones Trobbiani, Ben ‘Cuz’ Couzens, Mikey Tucker and Pete Bell), to announce they have signed with global powerhouse Golden Robot Records. They are set to unleash a live album later this year, which will give fans who are currently unable to see the band in action a dose of Mammoth Mammoth live.

Mammoth Mammoth hail from the Black Spur Forest of Victoria, Australia, and proudly represent the freight-train power of Australian born and bred rock n’ roll. They describe their sound as “more awesome than God’s tits” and “patented good-time murder fuzz”.

"Mammoth Mammoth has always been an Australian, balls-out, rock n' roll band, and we've proudly flown that flag in the pubs of Australia and clubs of Europe for almost 15 years. We're pumped to be reunited and now signed with Golden Robot. They understand what we do and how we do it...and they also have their balls-out." - Mammoth Mammoth Guitarist, Ben 'Cuz' Couzens

Formed in 2007 by guitarist Ben “Cuz” Couzens, bassist Gareth “Gash” Sweet, drummer Frank “Bones” Trobbiani and frontman Mikey Tucker, Mammoth Mammoth spent three years working the pubs of Australia and released their first two albums (a self-titled EP and LP Volume II - Mammoth) on their own label Golden Triangle Records. They also embarked on multiple Australian tours including runs with Airbourne and Kyuss’s John Garcia.  

In 2011 Gash left the group citing drug issues (he couldn’t get enough drugs), and was replaced by Pete Bell, cementing the classic Mammoth Mammoth line-up. In 2012, Mammoth Mammoth caught the attention of Austrian label Napalm Records, and over the next nine years released five albums and spent much of their time on the road in Europe, where they have built a loyal following of fans.

The band has shared stages with Hellyeah, Black Label Society, Rose Tattoo, Sleep, Electric Wizard, and have played Melbourne’s famous Cherryrock Festival in AC/DC Lane a record of four times.

As the global pandemic ground live music to a halt, the band posted this message on their social media in August 2020: “F@#k you corona virus! While the world is afraid of blood, sweat and beers, Mammoth Mammoth simply cannot exist. We’re outta here!”

After a year underground, founding members Mikey, Cuz and Bones, along with longtime bassist Pete, have reunited and signed to Golden Robot Records to release their long-awaited live album, dropping in the second half of 2021.




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Firewind guitarist Gus G. has released the video below, stating: "Here’s my best Kirk Hammett impression. 😁 ‘Through The Never’ has always been one of my favorite Metallica tunes!"

Firewind has been at the forefront of European melodic heavy/power metal for two decades now and what better way to celebrate that than with a tour in Europe.

2022 marks the 20th anniversary since Gus G & Co. released their debut album. This headline run will be very special as the band will perform a 'best of' set, but also songs from their self-titled album that features vocalist Herbie Langhans (Avantasia, etc.) that have never been played before, as well as some more obscure tracks from the band's catalogue.

See dates and an announcement video below, and get your tickets here.

Dates:

May 2022
7 - Malmö, Sweden - Plan B
8 - Stockholm, Sweden - Hus 7
10 - Oslo, Norway - John Dee
11 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Valand
12 - Kolding, Denmark - Godset
13 - Rodovre, Denmark - Viften
15 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust
17 - Cologne, Germany - Kantine
18 - Enschede, Netherlands - Metropool
19 - Berlin, Germany - Lido
20 - Wroclaw, Poland - A1
21 - Warsaw, Poland - Progressia
24 - Vienna, Austria - Szene
25 - Frankfurt, Germany - Das Bett
26 - Uden, Netherlands - De Pul




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French modern metallers, Dagoba, are back. After putting their stamp on the metal scene with their unique blend of metal and neckbreaking grooves, relentlessly touring and sharing the stage with legendary acts like Machine Head and In Flames, Dagoba have signed with leading Austrian metal label Napalm Records to bring their career to the next level.

On the new single “The Hunt”, the four-piece is back with their most ambitious material yet: punishing vocals, groove and modern metal infused guitars, and hard-hitting production prove that Dagoba are on top of their game - pushing their boundaries and incorporating electronic elements seamlessly into their modern metal formula! Combined with an impressive, ambitious music video, Dagoba are hinting at what they have planned for their eighth full-length album.

Watch the music video for “The Hunt” below.

Dagoba on their new single and video for “The Hunt”: “We are super stoked about this release! 'The Hunt' has been our biggest video production so far, and the final result even exceeded our expectations. Being big fans of Blade Runner, Drive, and Akira, it’s super exciting to see the mix of these influences in our own music video.From writing and composing the track until its release, 'The Hunt' has been a very long and tough journey for us. But the song and video we are releasing turned out to be even more exciting than we expected it when we started project ' The Hunt'. We would like to thank all our fans and backers of the project “The Hunt” who helped us bringing this ambitious video project to life. Without them, the video would not have been as cinematic as it is right now. THANK YOU! Stronger together."

“The Hunt” is available as a standalone single, as well as a limited 7” vinyl that features an exclusive remix of “The Hunt”, showcasing how far Dagoba can take their electronic influences on their upcoming material – a must-have for true fans of modern metal.

Pre-order the 7” single of “The Hunt” here.

Lineup:

Shawter - vocals/machines
Ritch DM - guitar
Kawa - bass
Theo - drums




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Grand Funk Railroad - the legendary rock & roll powerhouse who kicked off its 2021 tour with a sold-out show July 2 in Fayetteville, GA - is now represented by United Talent Agency (UTA) having followed their longtime agent Zach Hartley there. Hartley joined the agency in June 2021 and is based in the company’s Nashville office.

Curt Motley, agent, UTA Nashville music leadership, says, “Grand Funk is one of the great all-time rock and roll acts. To be able to play a part in their legendary career is a huge honor and we are excited to welcome them to the UTA family.”

“After 52 years, the legacy of Grand Funk Railroad continues full steam,” says Hartley, who joined UTA in 2021 and is based in its Nashville office.  “Their love of and commitment to the live experience has touched fans across the country and I am increasingly excited each year as we write a new chapter in their story.”

Grand Funk Railroad is performing 30 shows this year. View the dates here and read a Q&A here with original founding member Don Brewer (vocals and drums, writer and singer of the multi-million selling hit, “We’re An American Band”). Watch the tour trailer here.

After playing to millions of fans on the band’s tours from 1996 to 2019, Grand Funk will continue to reach both new and long-time fans on the Some Kind Of Wonderful Tour, named in honor of their 1975 Billboard pop smash. Originating from Flint, Michigan in 1969, this top-selling American rock group of the 70’s is “Comin’ To Your Town To Help You Party It Down.” Notably, this year marks the 50th anniversary of when the group’s show at New York’s Shea Stadium sold out faster than the Beatles.

Known as “The American Band,” the high-energy five-piece group Grand Funk Railroad includes original founding members Don Brewer (vocals and drums, writer and singer of the multi-million selling hit, “We’re An American Band”) and bassist Mel Schacher, “The God of Thunder.” Joining Don and Mel are true “All Stars.” Singer Max Carl is a rock veteran from 38 Special. Max penned and sang 38’s biggest hit “Second Chance” and was co-founder of California’s legendary Jack Mack and the Heart Attack. Don refers to Max as “the best blue-eyed soul singer on the planet.” Lead guitarist Bruce Kulick is best known for his 12 years with KISS and has credits with Michael Bolton, Meatloaf and Billy Squier. (KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were influenced early on by Grand Funk.) Keyboardist Tim Cashion has a master’s degree in music from the University of Miami. Affectionately called “Dr. Tim,” his credits include stints with Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band and English soul man Robert Palmer.

Grand Funk laid the groundwork for such bands as Foreigner, Journey, Van Halen and Bon Jovi with its signature hard driving sound, soulful vocals, muscular instrumentation and forceful pop melodies. The fact that Grand Funk’s legacy still reigns over the Classic Rock landscape 50 years after is a testament to the group’s influence and staying power. Mega-hits “We’re An American Band,” “I’m Your Captain/Closer to Home,” “Locomotion,” and “Some Kind Of Wonderful” still receive continuous airplay on Classic Rock radio. “We’re An American Band” has received notoriety in recent years being used in movie soundtracks and in television/radio advertising. The huge hit was featured in a General Motors national TV ad campaign and in Disney’s animated feature film The Country Bears. “We’re An American Band” was featured in the Cuba Gooding Jr. film Radio, and in the swash buckler Sahara starring Matthew McConaughey.

Internationally acclaimed Grand Funk has toured the world, selling out in the US, Canada, Europe, Japan and South America. A 1971 performance at New York’s Shea Stadium sold out faster than the Beatles. The group’s widespread appeal is also evident in its prestigious recording achievements. Over their career, Grand Funkhas had 19 charted singles, 8 Top 40 hits and two Number One singles (“We’re An American Band” and “Locomotion,” both selling more than one million each). The group has now accumulated 13 gold and 10 platinum records with record sales exceeding 25 million copies sold worldwide. The most recent gold CD award was presented to the band for their greatest hits package Grand Funk Railroad the Collectors Series.

The multi-talented band carries on the tradition of Grand Funk hits and creates a new chapter in the legacy of Grand Funk Railroad. GFR drew 25,000 people to their Molson Canal Series Concert outside Buffalo, 20,000 in Albany, New York, and 20,000 fans to downtown Orlando, Florida. EMI/Capitol (Universal Music) released a new Grand Funk Greatest Hits package that includes a bonus DVD of rare concert footage. Grand Funk Railroad’s 2019 “50 Years Of Funk Tour” was a huge success and now, with the group’s 2021“Some Kind Of Wonderful Tour,” seasoned Grand Funk lovers and contemporary rock fans discovering the group for the first time will be able to celebrate 50 Years of Funk with Grand Funk Railroad.

(Photo - Allen Clark)




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UK black metal metal act Necronautical have released the video for "Necropsychonautics" from their upcoming fourth album, Slain In The Spirit, out August 20th via Candlelight / Spinefarm.

Vocalist / guitarist Naut comments, "We are proud to unveil 'Necropsychonautics', the second single and music video from our new record Slain In The Spirit. In this visual manifestation, created by James 'Carcarrion' Goodwin and Courtney Sherives, we witness an individual fleeing an unnamed malevolence, testing the fabrics of reality and the limits of human consciousness. This is a journey of cosmic significance through the maddening horror of the unknown. Behold 'Necropsychonautics'!"

Necronautical have always been about exploring the darkness. Their very name means "to explore death." It's fitting, then, that on Slain In The Spirit, the Manchester band are pushing both their sound and their concept to the outer limits. 

Since forming in 2010, Necronautical have become respected among the British black metal underground. Across three albums — 2014's Black Sea Misanthropy, 2016's The Endurance At Night and 2019's Candlelight Records debut Apotheosis — their sound has become one rich in its skill with the dark side of metal. Ambitious and grandiose in its symphonic touches, this velvet glove hides beneath it an aggressive iron fist. 

On Slain In The Spirit, this is truer than ever. Everything has been taken to a degree beyond where the band has trodden previously, with the symphonic elements swirling even more dizzyingly above a metallic attack that hits with an almost machine-like ferocity. So much so that the band have transcended black metal altogether. 

Slain In The Spirit tracklisting:

"Ritual & Recursion"
"Occult Ecstatic Indoctrination"
"Slain In The Spirit"
"Hypnagogia"
"Pure Consciousness Event"
"Necropsychonautics"
"Contorting In Perpetuity"
"Death Magick Triumphant"
"Disciple" (Slayer cover -CD exclusive)

"Hypnagogia" video:

 




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Texas-based Scattered Storm released their debut EP Oblivion earlier this month. To complement that release, they have issued a new lyric video for the track “Under The Fire”.  

Lyrically, the politically-charged single touches upon a recent shooting by a racist that happened in the band's hometown of El Paso. They share details about the musical work on the track:

“Musically it began with Jay Arriaga using an eight-string to create syncopated riffs that melted into a steady groove of legato slides on the guitar. Then transitioning to machine riffs to Mediterranean landscapes in the middle with climaxing vocals making a segway to the ethereal brutal ending.”

Formed three years ago, Scattered Storm is a group of seasoned musicians that write very dark, futuristic heavy music with a lot of ambience. They are recommended listening for fans of Fear Factory, Gojira and Devin Townsend.

Digitally order the EP here.

Tracklisting:

“Aeon Flux”
“Under The Fire”
“Kingslayer”
“Empty”
“Necronomicon”
“Scattered Storm”

"Aeon Flux" lyric video:

“Kingslayer” video:

 




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Today, July 19th, international all-stars melodic death metal project Act Of Denial premiere their fifth and final single "Your Dark Desires", before the debut album Negative comes out on August 13th, via Crusaders / Golden Robot Records.

"Your Dark Desires" features a guest guitar solo by Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (Guns N' Roses, Sons Of Apollo). Watch Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal introducing "Your Dark Desires" in the video below:

Act Of Denial vocalist Björn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork): "'Your Dark Desires' is about inner struggle and being able to separate inherited angst and self inflicted mental pain - once you've learned, you can move on and feel much stronger. The song is motivational and about acceptance." 

Act Of Denial is an international melodic death metal group founded by lead guitarist and songwriter Voi Cox (Koziak, Victim) and guitarist Luger (Koziak, Benighted-Cro) in early 2020.

The band lineup is a metal who’s who and features vocalist Björn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork), bassist Steve Di Giorgio (Death, Testament), drummer Kerim "Krimh" Lechner (Septicflesh) and keyboardist John Lönnmyr (The Night Flight Orchestra). 

Negative was mixed at Studio Fredman by legendary producer Fredrik Nordström (At The Gates, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, Arch Enemy). The album cover artwork was created by Carlos Del Olmo Holmberg.

Tracklist:

"Puzzle Heart"
"Controlled"
"Down That Line"
"Negative"
"Reflection Wall"
"In The Depths Of Destruction"
"Lost Circle"
"Your Dark Desires"
"Slave"
"Clutching At Rails Of Light"

"Puzzle Heart"

"Controlled"

"Down That Line"

"Slave"

 




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In a new interview with Kyle Meredith, PEARL JAM bassist Jeff Ament discussed the band's plans for the coming months. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We actually had a little bit of a play, like three weeks, four weeks ago in Seattle. We just got in a room. We weren't playing any songs. We just jammed, and it was so beautiful. I just missed that so much. And we talked a little bit just about how everybody was feeling.

"We have a few things penciled in for next year," he continued. "Hopefully this [COVID-19] variant and whatever's going on with the vaccinations and all that stuff, hopefully we've turned a corner. It feels like we're sort of still teetering on the edge of this thing. If we turn a corner, then hopefully we hit late winter, early spring with a tour, or a leg, at least. We're jonesing to do it. And most of the shows that we have to make up for — the two legs: the European leg and the U.S. leg — most of those shows, they're indoors. I just don't know if I wanna go out and do 30 shows where you're checking vaccination cards. Hopefully we can be smart enough that, again, we can just turn a corner and, by March, we're rocking and everybody can feel good about traveling and getting 20 thousand people into a space."

This past May, PEARL JAM released a digital collection of music from a staggering 186 live shows that included 5,404 individual tracks. Spanning two decades of shows, this drop consisted of the most sought-after bootlegs from fan-favorite tours during 2000, 2003, 2008, and 2013.

Continuing to engage those diehard fans worldwide while also appealing to fans who may not be familiar with the band's tenured live history, PEARL JAM also launched the immersive live web hub, "Deep", on Deep.PearlJam.com. By accessing this hub, fans may search their favorite shows by category and listen to fan-curated playlists, including "Best Of" tours, "Covers", a politically charged playlist "Know Your Rights" and many more. "Deep" will enable easier discoverability across the catalog and allow newer audiences to experience the best of the band suited directly to their personal preferences. Each live bootleg on "Deep" has the added bonus of show descriptions written by Ten Club superfans adding a personal fan story to each and every record.

Due to popular request, PEARL JAM also unveiled the ability to create your own personalized setlist, using the Custom Setlist Generator. Creating the setlist each night is usually reserved for Eddie Vedder and fans have long wanted the ability to create their own. By inputting your name and birthday, you can receive a custom streamable setlist playlist and setlist graphic generated in Eddie's instantly recognizable handwriting for sharing across your social media. The Setlist also transforms into a streamable, custom playlist that has the added bonus of various Ten Club superfans written personal descriptions for the bootlegs, adding a personal fan story to each and every record.

Over a year ago, PEARL JAM unveiled their latest album, "Gigaton", to widespread critical and fan praise and a Top 5 debut on the Billboard Top 200. It graced year-end lists by Mojo, Consequence Of Sound, Insider, and more. They will embark on the "Gigaton" tour soon.

Former KISS guitarist teamed up with his former bandmate and current KISS drummer Eric Singer, bassist Todd Kerns, drummer Brent Fitz for a cover of the Bryan Adams classic “Heaven”. Singer takes lead vocal on the song as the track was released in support of the David Z Foundation. 

The David Z Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises money for music education in memory of David Zablidowsky. Zablidowsky performed with Adrenaline Mob and Trans-Siberian Orchestra before his death in 2017. Find out more about the foundation on Facebook.




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Legendary guitarist and composer Jason Becker, who has been living with ALS for over 30 years, sold three of his most important and rare guitars for a total of $230,000 at on online auction. These guitars are being sold as part of a fundraiser, co-organized by DRAGONFORCE guitarist Herman Li, to provide funds for Jason's ongoing battle with ALS.

Jason's white, 22-fret Hurricane guitar, pictured on the cover of CACOPHONY's genre-defining "Speed Metal Symphony" and used to record his groundbreaking solo album "Perpetual Burn", and his blue, 24-fret Hurricane guitar, pictured on the cover of "Perpetual Burn" and used in the recording of "Boy Meets Guitar", fetched a total of $165,000. Jason's one-of-a-kind Peavy "Numbers" prototype guitar, pictured on the cover of Guitar For The Practicing Musician, sold for $65,000.

The guitars were sold through Guernsey's Auctions, the prestigious New York auction house renowned for offering unique memorabilia and artifacts.

A short documentary introducing Jason and his guitars to the buying public, is available below and features Eddie Van Halen, Paul Stanley, Steve Vai, Marty Friedman, Tosin Abasi, Herman Li, Nita Strauss and Tim Henson.

In addition to Jason's guitars available through Guernsey's Auctions, rare and signed guitars from Paul Gilbert, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Tosin Abasi, Warren DeMartini, Gus G and others are or will be available soon through the Jason Becker Reverb store.

The fundraiser for Jason Becker, which has taken place virtually on Twitch and Reverb, has raised over $200,000 so far for Jason's ongoing care.

Fundraiser co-organizer Herman Li says: "In America, having a chronic condition such as ALS can be unbelievably expensive. Our goal from the beginning has been to make sure Jason never has to worry about money again, so he can put his energy toward music and his health.

"It has been great to see the guitar community rally around Jason. He has given us so much inspiration, I'm glad we have the opportunity to give back."

Becker says: "I am so grateful for all the love and support everyone has given to me and my family. As far as selling my guitars being sad, and that I shouldn't have to do it, I just want you to know that isn't how I feel. It makes me happy to see others playing my music. I feel good about passing on my guitars, thinking they mean something to others. I can't play them now, but other folks can. That's a good thing. And, I want myself and my family not to have to worry about money, if possible. Thank you for all the love, I send it right back to you."

George Lynch rejoined DOKKEN on stage this past Friday night (July 16) at Richmond Harley-Davidson in Ashland, Virginia to perform three of the band's classic songs. Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

Prior to Friday's concert, George had played with DOKKEN on July 9 in Moline, Illinois and in early June at the Live United Live Music Festival in Sunbury, Pennsylvania.

Four months ago, Lynch was asked in an interview with Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com if there has been any talk of more shows featuring the reunited classic lineup of DOKKEN. He responded: "I've actually been talking to Don [Dokken] a little bit, and we're both in agreement that that should probably happen — meaning some kind of a meaningful reunion done in the right way, carefully and with proper preparation and time and rehearsals and not just throwing it out there like we did last time." George went on to say that "the obvious choice" to replace DOKKEN's recently retired drummer "Wild" Mick Brown would be Mick's brother Steve, who can be heard playing alongside Lynch and ex-DOKKEN bassist Jeff Pilson on the latest THE END MACHINE album, "Phase2".

In a separate interview with Alamo True Metal, Lynch reflected on the last time DOKKEN's classic lineup — Dokken, Lynch, Pilson and Mick Brown — reunited for a short Japanese tour in the fall of 2016. The trek marked the first time in 21 years the four musicians had hit the road together.

"I think I was slightly disappointed in it — not overwhelmingly disappointed, but I have some regrets," he said. "I wish we had prepared more. And I know we all feel that way. 'Cause of the logistics, we all had things we had to do right after the time we had allotted and beforehand. So we just were barely able to even pull it off with everybody else's pre-existing commitments. The fact that we got to do it at all was… you know, we were fortunate for even being able to pull it off. So we were a little underprepared, I feel. And yes, we were offered a good amount of money to go to Japan and do some other things, so it made it just kind of a no-brainer."

A DOKKEN concert DVD focusing on the band's reunion tour, "Return To The East Live (2016)", was made available in 2018. In addition to the Japanese performance, the set included footage from the classic lineup's only U.S. show in September 2016 at Badlands in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as well as newly recorded acoustic reworkings of "Heaven Sent" and "Will The Sun Rise". Also featured on "Return To The East Live (2016)" was "It's Just Another Day", the first DOKKEN track featuring the group's classic lineup since 1997's "Shadowlife".

Since completing the Japanese reunion dates, DOKKEN has continued to perform with the group's current lineup — including bassist Chris McCarvill, guitarist Jon Levin and drummer BJ Zampa (HOUSE OF LORDS).

Over the past four years, Lynch has appeared on recordings by THE END MACHINE, KXM, ULTRAPHONIX and SWEET & LYNCH. He will release his first-ever full-length instrumental album, "Seamless", in August via Rat Pak Records.

During last weekend's Lifest 2021 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, John Cooper, the frontman and bassist for the Grammy-nominated Christian rock band SKILLET, spoke to 30-CC about how he and his bandmates have been spending their coronavirus downtime. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We did work on music as well, and we are going to be releasing music this year. It's not announced yet, but I'm very excited about the new project. It's really aggressive, it is really in your face, and I think that probably is born out of the year that we've had. I mean, this has been such a bizarre 15 or 16 months. People are wondering how they're going to make it. People are wondering, what does this mean for my faith? What can I do to make a difference? And I think it's becoming clear to people that we are at a breaking point, that there's a lot of different sides. And so this album, I hope, is an encouragement to people to not be ashamed of Christ, to live your faith, live out the word of God, because the word of God never changes, and everything else, as we've seen, is going to let you down in a huge way."

He added: "So, everybody look out for new SKILLET music this year. I hope it rocks your face off."

This past March, Cooper, who recently recently released his debut book, "Awake & Alive To Truth (Finding Truth In The Chaos Of A Relativistic World)", told the "Undaunted.Life: A Man's Podcast" that it was perfectly fine for Christians to play rock music. "I would say that music is created not by the Devil; [it is] created by the Lord," he said. "All things were created by God. So instead of thinking that the Devil owns a genre of music, I would say capture that music and bring it back into subjection under the lordship of Christ."

"Awake & Alive To Truth (Finding Truth In The Chaos Of A Relativistic World)" "tackles the reigning philosophies of our day of post-modernism, relativism, and the popular view of the goodness of man-and combats these viewpoints by standing on the absolute truth of the Word Of God," according to the book's official description.

In various interviews over the years, Cooper has said that he "always had faith in God" and that his mother was a "Jesus fanatic." He also claimed that he was willing to put his career on the line to take a stand for Chr

Video footage of ANTHRAX performing the song "The Devil You Know" during its 40th-anniversary livestream event can be seen below.

The special worldwide livestream event, presented by Danny Wimmer Presents and originating from Los Angeles, kicked off in North America on Friday, July 16 and will remain available to fans worldwide to tune in through July 25 at 11:59 p.m. ET via video on demand. The band — Joey Belladonna (vocals), Scott Ian (rhythm guitar), Frank Bello (bass), Charlie Benante (drums), and Jon Donais (guitar) — performed an extensive set of hits and deep cuts that pulled from the band's entire catalog.

All purchasing details are accessible at www.anthraxlive.com.

The countdown to July 18 began on May 3 with the ongoing, 11-week, online video docu-series presented on ANTHRAX's social media accounts. Posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, in the album catalog's chronological order, each episode focuses on a particular album, with past and present band members, fellow musicians, colleagues, and industry veterans sharing behind-the-scenes stories of their interactions. Those contributing their personal memories include Kerry King, Robert Trujillo, Dave Grohl, Dave Mustaine, Gene Simmons, Henry Rollins, John Carpenter, Norman Reedus, Rob Zombie, Slash, Tom Morello, Mike Patton, Nergal, Darryl McDaniels, Michael Paulson and Roger Miret.

"I was a 17-year-old metal-head kid from Queens when I started this band," said Scott Ian. "I am a 57-year-old metal-head kid from Queens about to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this band. That means for 40 years, I've gotten to do exactly what I've wanted to do — and getting to do what I love and being a part of something so much bigger than myself has made the time, the unbelievable weight of 40 seems so light. It's been an amazing story so far, and I see 40 as a milestone that absolutely should be recognized and celebrated. Congratulations to us! I also see 40 as a stepping stone to the next chapter of ANTHRAX — we still have a lot to say and some killer riffs to unleash. I'm not going to say, 'Here's to 40 more,' because nobody wants to see that (I'd be 97). How about, 'Here's to at least ten more, and we'll go from there! Thank you for enabling me, my friends."

ANTHRAX is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a number of special activities and events. Formed by 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 the band's strongest 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".

Current and former members of EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD, HIRAX and FORBIDDEN performed the EXODUS classic "A Lesson In Violence" with hardcore punk legends THE BONELESS ONES last night (Saturday, July 17) at Holy Diver in Sacramento, California. The event was a benefit for EXODUS drummer Tom Hunting who recently underwent a successful total gastrectomy, less than five months after he started treatment for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the stomach. Video footage of the performance — featuring Gary Holt (EXODUS, SLAYER), Katon W. De Pena (HIRAX), Craig Locicero (ex-FORBIDDEN), Rick Hunolt (ex-EXODUS) and Chris Kontos (ex-MACHINE HEAD) — can be seen below (courtesy of Capital Chaos TV).

A number of musicians, including members of SLAYER, EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD, TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL, STONE SOUR, KING DIAMOND, OVERKILL, D.R.I. and FOGHAT, have donated ultra-rare signed custom guitars, drum heads, cymbals, sticks, jerseys, other merchandise and rare collectables to be auctioned to raise funds for Tom's mounting medical expenses. The ultimate bidding items are a Yamaha super-limited-edition 50th-anniversary drum set worth at least $12,000; TESTAMENT's Ultimate Backstage Pass Experience which includes two round-trip tickets to said show along with hotel accommodations for two nights on top of the tickets and backstage passes worth over $5,000. Bidding won't end until this coming Tuesday, July 20.

A GoFundMe campaign to help Hunting with medical expenses had previously raised more than $98,000 — including $5,000 from Tom's former EXODUS bandmate, current METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, and $1,500 from FOZZY singer and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho.

On July 5, Hunting said that he had four rounds of chemotherapy and that "the mass [had] shrunk to less than half the size it was in March… After recovery [from gastrectomy], I get four more treatments, then I can resume my life cancer-free."

He added: "I can't wait to travel the world, playing music, enjoying every moment of this crazy journey!! I'll check in soon again and share how thing's are going. THANKS AND MUCH LOVE TO EVERYONE!!! CHEERS!!!!"

According to Cancer.org, a total gastrectomy involves the surgeon removing the entire stomach, nearby lymph nodes, and the omentum, and possibly removing the spleen and parts of the esophagus, intestines, pancreas, or other nearby organs if the cancer has reached them. The end of the esophagus is then attached to part of the small intestine. This allows food to move down the intestinal tract. But people who have had their stomach removed can only eat a small amount of food at a time. Because of this, they will need to eat more often.

After Hunting went public with his diagnosis, Holt said that EXODUS will "delay" the release of its recently completed new album, "Persona Non Grata", "so that when Tom has defeated this, he will be back to full strength to hit the road and pummel his drums like only he can! When he has kicked cancer's ass like we know he will, we will resume kicking YOUR asses with the sickest record yet!" he said.

The squamous cell carcinoma of the stomach is a very uncommon entity, with worldwide incidence of 0.04% to 0.07% of all gastric cancers.

"Persona Non Grata" will be the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

"Persona Non Grata" was recorded at a studio in Lake Almanor, California and was engineered by Steve Lagudi and EXODUS. It was produced by EXODUS and was mixed by Andy Sneap.

The family of late CINDERELLA guitarist Jeff LaBar has issued a statement regarding his passing.

Jeff was found dead by his wife, Debinique Salazar-LaBar, on Wednesday, July 14 inside his apartment in Nashville. He was 58 years old.

Earlier today, the publicist for LaBar's family released the following statement: "Jeffrey Philip La Bar of Nashville, Tennessee passed away peacefully at the age of 58 on July 14, 2021. He was born on March 18, 1963 in Darby, Pennsylvania to June and Bob La Bar. Jeff grew up in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania and went to Upper Darby High School.

"Inspired by his brother Jack to pick up the guitar, he joined the local rock band CINDERELLA, who rose to prominence in the late 1980s with a string of platinum-selling albums. The group toured the world and had numerous charting songs and videos on MTV. CINDERELLA had an exceptionally strong fanbase in Japan, which was particularly special to Jeff as that's where his mother June was born and raised. He would always take her and their family in Japan to the band's shows there, a life highlight for both mother and son. As Jeff got older, a love of music shifted to a passion for the culinary arts, with his cooking inspired by June's Japanese heritage. He would reinterpret dishes that were standards in the La Bar household and add a unique flair.

"Following a move to Nashville in 2004, Jeff quickly surrounded himself with a community of dear friends who he loved to host and cook for at his home there. He never forgot his Delco roots though and stayed close with all those he grew up with in the region. While he became a bit of a fan of the Tennessee Titans when he moved to Nashville, Jeff's number one sports franchises were in his hometown, number one being the Philadelphia Eagles, as he never missed the team's games and would always text his dad Bob during them. He would always make time to talk to his mom for hours every Sunday on the phone, reminiscing and listening to stories about June's days growing up in Japan. He planned on moving back to Delco as his parents got older, and his mother was excited to have him return with his cooking.

"Jeff inspired many of his friends and family to get into music, notably his son and pride and joy, Sebastian. He was eternally proud of the man and musician his son became and looked forward to working on a music project with him. Sebastian visited his father in Nashville often and loved playing music with Jeff and hearing about adventures from the old days when he was on the road. An animal lover, Jeff rescued cats, spent time taking care of his fish and adored his cat Loki.

"In addition to Sebastian, Jeff is survived by his wife and best friend Debinique, with whom he created an internet radio show 'Late Night with the La Bars', his parents Bob and June, brothers Jack (Alice) and David (Victoria), sister Diane (Jason), sister-in-law Lisa and many nieces and nephews. Jeff was like a second father to his siblings Diane and David growing up. Although he had many admirers, Jeff was an even bigger fan of his family and friends, seeing the absolute best in everyone he met. Rarely was there a picture of Jeff without a smile on his face. Jeff was an incredibly loving human being and will be missed beyond measure. Immediate arrangements are private and a celebration of Jeff's life is being planned for close friends and family.

"In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Grammy's MusiCares financial and addiction recovery assistance program."

LaBar joined CINDERELLA in time to record the band's debut album, 1986's "Night Songs", which peaked at position No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart and was eventually certified triple platinum. It included CINDERELLA's biggest hit, "Nobody's Fool", which reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. CINDERELLA's second album, 1988's "Long Cold Winter", was also certified triple platinum. The band's third LP, 1990's "Heartbreak Station", went platinum before the rise of the grunge movement effectively killed glam and hair metal, resulting in drastically lower sales for the band's final release, 1994's "Still Climbing".

LaBar released a solo album, "One For The Road", in 2014.

Although CINDERELLA hadn't released a new studio album since "Still Climbing", the band started playing sporadic shows again in 2010 but had been largely inactive for the last few years while frontman Tom Keifer focused on his solo car

According to Billboard, STAIND frontman Aaron Lewis's controversial new solo single, "Am I The Only One", bowed at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after posting blockbuster first-week sales of 59,300. The track, which which Lewis wrote with Ira Dean and Jeffrey Steele, also topped Billboard's airplay-, sales- and streaming-based Hot Country Songs chart (dated July 17). It opened atop Country Digital Song Sales and at No. 2 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales ranking. "Am I The Only One" also drew 4 million U.S. streams in the tracking week.

The outspoken conservative rocker, who reinvented himself as a solo country artist in the last decade, debuted the song in March at a solo concert in Texas — a state which removed all pandemic restrictions that same month.

"Am I The Only One" finds Aaron asking if he is the only one fed up with the state of the country right now, featuring such lyrics as: "Am I the only one, who can't take no more, screaming, 'If you don't like it there's the fucking door.' It's not the freedom we've been fightin' for

It was somethin' more, yeah, it was somethin' more.'

Apparently addressing the removal of Confederate statues, Lewis sings in the song: " I'm not the only one, willin' to fight for my love of the red and white and the blue, burnin' on the ground as a statue's comin' down in a town near you. Watchin' the threads of Old Glory come undone, I'm not the only one. I can't be the only one."

Lewis also criticizes Bruce Springsteen at the end of the track, singing: "Am I the only one who quits singin' along every time they play a Springsteen song."

Springsteen can best be described as Lewis's political polar opposite, having been a vocal opponent to former U.S. president Donald Trump on many occasions. Last August, Bruce went as far as to allow the use of his song "The Rising" in a video that aired during night one of the Democratic National Convention.

Lewis, who is widely considered to be one of the most politically conservative musicians in rock, told the Anchorage Press in a January 2020 interview that he considered the first Trump impeachment by the House Of Representatives as the clearest representation of what's wrong with America these days.

Lewis was a staunch critic of President Barack Obama, telling a crowd at one of his solo concerts in 2016: "Barack Obama should have been impeached a long fucking time ago. Every fucking decision he makes is against the Constitution, it's against what's good for our fucking country, and he is truly the worst fucking president that we have ever had in the history of this fucking country."

That same year, Lewis told Billboard that he would support Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential race, even though he was "disappointed" by the real estate mogul "with the bickering and the name-calling." Lewis added that he voted for Senator Ted Cruz, Trump's closest competitor in the Republican nomination race, in the Massachusetts primary.

Earlier this month, Lewis made headlines when he accused the U.S. Democratic Party of fighting against every major civil rights initiative and of having a long history of discrimination.

In a new interview with Greg Prato of Guitar World focusing primarily on the upcoming 25th-anniversary issue of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS' "Tiny Music…Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop" album, bassist Robert DeLeo was asked what is up next for him and his bandmates as the world navigates its way out of the pandemic. He responded: "We're still trying to figure that out. These are interesting times. The people that are in this business of entertainment are the last to kind of shove off on what we used to be doing. I think we're still trying to figure that out," he repeated. "I think the world is still trying to figure that out. So, we're kind of at the mercy of the hands of this pandemic and seeing where this all takes us. I'm hopeful — to see what's going to happen here. And hopefully see the light at the end of the tunnel."

Due on July 23, the three-disc/one-LP deluxe edition of "Tiny Music…Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop" will feature a remastered version of the original album, alternate versions and mixes of several of the songs, and a complete concert taped at the Club La Vela in Panama City Beach, Florida, on March 14, 1997.

Singer Jeff Gutt joined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS four years ago. His recording debut with the group was on its self-titled seventh LP, which arrived in March 2018.

Gutt, a 45-year-old Michigan native who spent time in the early-2000s nu-metal act DRY CELL, among other bands, and was a contestant on "The X Factor", joined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS in 2017 after beating out roughly 15,000 hopefuls during an extended search that began more than a year earlier.

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

Chester Bennington, who joined STP in early 2013, departed nearly three years later to spend more time with his main band LINKIN PARK. Bennington committed suicide in July 2

August 13 will see Australia-based alternative rockers, The Ugly Kings, release their new album, Strange, Strange Times, via Napalm Records.

Following 2018’s Darkness Is My Home, with Strange, Strange Times, the four- piece is poised to turn heads and continues to infuse their foreboding alt-rock with blackened blues and gritty punk edge. The Ugly Kings may channel the flavor of groups like Queens Of The Stone Age and Danzig, but their revitalizing infusion of dark energy is evident while preserving razor sharp, daringly introspective control with clever lyricism, addictive riffage, catchy melodies and a heavy power blues flavor.

After The Ugly Kings just recently shared a first song, the punk-infused single “Technodrone”, today the band released a second appetizer taken from Strange, Strange Times. On smoldering blues rock standout "The Devil Comes With A Smile", The Ugly Kings flex their musical muscles, taking you on a dusty road trip to the outback with the bitter taste of nicotine and whiskey in your mouth. Once more, the Melbourne powerhouse showcases their ability to distort hard blues rock into dark, unique territories.

"Beware of false promises and easy answers,“ says vocalist Russell Clark about the band’s new single. "The Devil Comes With A Smile is about powerful people that exploit our weaknesses and manipulate us with their charm; twisting the world in their own image."

Each song on the band’s new album is about a different state of mind in this strange, strange time. Both lyrically and musically, The Ugly Kings have created a captivating and enthralling ride! In a scene in which gimmick-free, angsty, inspired rock n’ roll is becoming increasingly difficult to come by, Strange, Strange Times is a breath of welcomed, yet strange, strange air…

Strange, Strange Times will be available in North America in the following formats:

- CD Digipack
- 1LP Gatefold Black
- 1LP Gatefold Transparent Yellow w/ Red Marble (Napalm mailorder only - limited to 100)
- 1LP Gatefold Rose Gold (Napalm mailorder only - limited to 200)
- Digital Album

Pre-Order Strange, Strange Times here.

Strange, Strange Times tracklisting:

"Strange, Strange Times"
"Technodrone"
"Do You Feel Like You're Paranoid?"
"In The Shadows"
"Last Man Left Alive"
"Lawman"
"Electric Lady (My Kryptonite)"
"The Devil Comes With A Smile"
"Mr. Hyde"
"Another Fucking Day"

"Technodrone" video:

Lineup:

Christos Athanasias – guitar
Nicolas Dumont – bass
Joel Martin – drums
Russell Clark - vocals

(Photo - Joel Adams)




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Icelandic tech death battalion, Ophidian I, will be releasing their new album, Desolate, this Friday, July 16, making it their debut to Season Of Mist. Listen to an advanced album stream below, and pre-order Desolate at the Season Of Mist webshop.

Artwork by Eliran Kantor.

Tracklisting:

“Diamonds”
“Spiral To Oblivion”
“Storm Aglow”
“Unfurling The Crescent Moon”
“Sequential Descent”
“Captive Infinity”
“Enslaved In A Desolate Swarm”
“Dominion Eyes”
“Jupiter”
“Wither On The Vine”

Album stream:

“Storm Aglow” video:

“Spiral To Oblivion” video:

“Diamonds” video:




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Gathering Of Kings performed live from Spinroad Vinyl Factory in Lindome, Sweden in 2020. Pro-shot footage of the band performing "The Gathering" (Intro), "Love Will Stay Alive" (vocals by Rick Altzi), "Saviour" (vocals by Apollo Papathanasio), and "Heaven On The Run" (vocals by Rick Altzi), can be seen below:

Lineup:

Rick Altzi (Lead and backing vocals)
Apollo Papathanasio (Lead and backing vocals)
Victor Olsson (Lead Guitar)
Magnus Mild (Rhythm Guitar)
Mikael Planefeldt (Bass)
Joel Selsfors (Keyboards)
Efraim Larsson (Drums)

Livemix: Pedro Ferreira
Monitor: Jesper Sirenius, Qtech
Camera by: Qtech




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