Finland’s hottest new metal export, Blind Channel, have signed a worldwide deal with Century Media Records. Energetic live performances across Europe supporting the likes of Hollywood Undead, Enter Shikari, Simple Plan and Amaranthe have seen the Finnish Grammy (2019) nominees amass an impressive fanbase, with over half a million monthly listeners on Spotify. Their latest single “Dark Side” already made millions of streams, went number #1 of the charts in Finland and reached platinum status in their home country. Now, together with Century Media, they are set to take on the rest of the world with their unique brand of “violent pop”.

Blind Channel comments: ”We’re extremely excited and grateful to join the Century Media/Sony Music family. To join forces with one of the world’s biggest rock/ metal labels is a great honour to us. We’ve been working hard for almost 8 years and now it’s time for yet another level up. We can’t wait to start working with these awesome people to show everyone what Blind Channel and violent pop is all about. This week we’ll start with Europe. Next: the whole planet.”

Philipp Schulte, Century Media Director says: ”No doubt, Blind Channel are the most promising Finnish rock/metal act right now. More than ever, world class bands need to deliver a package of superior songs and live performances, outstanding visuals, constant activity on all fronts as well as highest commitment. We see all this in Blind Channel, that’s why we are committed to doing the best job possible for this great band.Welcome Blind Channel to Century Media Records and Sony Music. Let’s do this!”

The band will perform their latest single “Dark Side” at the Eurovision Song Contest semi final in Rotterdam tomorrow. Check out the official Eurovision entry video:




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Former Society 1 bassist, DV Karloff, recently passed away at 48. Society 1's Matt Zane, has shared the video below, along with the following message:

"This is the final song I co-wrote and recorded with DV Karloff before he left the band and moved back to the midwest. It's never been released or heard until now. In honor of all that we created and his life I felt it was the right time.

"This was recorded during the Black Level Six sessions as well as two other co-written songs between DV and I but this was the very last one. The images and video featured here were taken from the 15 years we toured and recorded together."

DV established himself joining Society 1 in 2003 after replacing Paul Raven (Killing Joke, Prong, Ministry), recording and touring with the group throughout its most commercially successful period. This culminated in their record breaking body suspension show at The Download Festival in 2005.

After leaving Society 1 in 2018, DV joined forces with former Ministry guitarist Sin Quirin in a new project, 3 Headed Snake, which debuted at the Bloodstock Festival in 2019. The band is currently signed to Cleopatra Records. DV was also a member of the band Hatesong which is signed to Metal Assault Records. Their next release, Chapel Rats is planned for June 4, 2021.




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Metal powerhouse BORN OF OSIRIS has unleashed its latest video, "Angel Or Alien". Not only that, but the band has also announced its eagerly awaited album, "Angel Or Alien", which will be out on July 2 via Sumerian Records. With crushing vocals and intricate guitar work laced with electronic twists and turns, "Angel Or Alien" is the follow-up to 2019's "The Simulation".

Speaking about the album and new music video, guitarist Lee McKinney said: "After what has been an extremely trying year for the world, we couldn't be more excited to bring you our new album, 'Angel Or Alien'. We feel like we brought the best elements from each album in our discography and combined them into what you will hear on 'Angel Or Alien'. So, no matter what album you favor in our discography, this one should shine. We tried to refine and improve on each aspect that makes us BORN OF OSIRIS, and I think it's apparent on this record.

"The 'Angel Or Alien' music video was actually extremely challenging for the band and crew. We wanted to walk out into the desert where there were no footprints and find the right spot for the performance shots. I'm sure you can imagine everyone loading guitars, drums, cabs, cameras, power, etc. across the desert with each step you take sinking six inches into the sand. It all lead up to a moment I'll never forget — everything set up on top of a dune in the desert, performing with my best friends and a great crew of amazing people filming, and looking over the desert in between takes as the sun set. I'll never forget the moments we shared that day. I think I can speak for the band AND camera crew when I say that we truly hope you love the final product, it was both a challenge and a pleasure to create."

BORN OF OSIRIS keyboardist and vocalist Joe Buras also commented: "There is a longing for connection. It’s not always easy and we crave it whether we know it or sometimes not. We get lost in thought at times but we always have to end up facing the world, exposed to the earth. You can shine like an Angel or hide like an Alien. Either way your heart and time are going towards the future and the end."

Written and produced by BORN OF OSIRIS, "Angel Or Alien" was mixed by Jeff Dunne with additional producing and engineering by Josh Strock. The band previously released "White Nile", the first track from the upcoming album.

"Angel Or Alien" track listing:

01. Poster Child

02. White Nile

03. Angel Or Alien

04. Waves

05. Oathbreaker

06. Threat Of Your Presence

07. Love Story

08. Crossface

09. Echobreather

10. Lost Souls

11. In For The Kill

12. You Are The Narrative

13. Truth And Denial

14. Shadowmourne

In a new interview with Rocking With Jam Man, NONPOINT singer Elias Soriano was asked for his opinion on the so-called cancel culture — where public figures are torn down after publicly judged for transgressions, perceived or real. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The Internet wields its power, and it's random how it chooses to do it. It just takes one comment from somebody having a bad day to snowball into somebody getting canceled or some business being closed down or people being called out. It's something that you have to be aware of when it comes to your being on the stratosphere of the Internet. It's a very volatile, very unforgiving place. And people have to tread lightly."

Soriano was then asked to comment specifically on the controversy surrounding MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson's intimate involvement in communications with a woman other than his wife. Over the weekend, sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the 56-year-old Ellefson were leaked on Twitter. The longtime MEGADETH member later released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan.

Elias said: "People are gonna put stuff up on the Internet, and people are gonna judge it. You can't expect no reaction. So when something like that happens, you have to expect a reaction. So when that does happen… Again, the Internet is a really unforgiving place. I've been thrown in the midst of it — right in the middle of the pandemic, we were all over headlines — so I don't envy Dave at all. He's one of the sweetest guys in the world. I've met Dave a million times. I've done interviews with him. He's a good person. So I hope he sees himself out of this."

Merriam-Webster broadly defines "cancel culture" as "to withdraw one's support for (someone, such as a celebrity, or something, such as a company) publicly and especially on social media," particularly after they have displayed objectionable opinions or actions.

In his statement on Monday, Ellefson wrote: "As you may or not know, some private and personal conversations and interactions have surfaced online, released with ill intention by a third party who was not authorized to have them or share them. While certainly embarrassing, I want to address it as openly and honestly as possible.

"As much as it's not something I'm proud of, these were private, adult interactions that were taken out of context and manipulated to inflict maximum damage to my reputation, my career and family," he continued. "The other party involved has made a statement which you can see below. I thank her for doing so and hope that this clarifies that the situation was not at all as presented."

Ellefson's statement was accompanied by a screenshot of a social media post from the woman involved, who denied any suggestions that she was underage at the time. The woman also revealed she recorded the intimate moments and shared them with a friend without Ellefson's permission, calling herself "naïve" for doing so and claiming that the contact between her and the musician was "all consensual and all online." She also called assumptions that she was "groomed" by Ellefson "misinformation".

"Yes, those video calls did happen, but I was the one to initiate it and never was I underage, I was always a consenting adult. Nothing inappropriate ever happened before that. It was all consensual, I'm not a victim and I have not been groomed in the slightest as I was the one to initiate it," the woman stated.

David, who became a Lutheran pastor nearly a decade ago, and his wife Julie Ellefson have been married for 27 years. They reportedly dated for six years after getting together in 1988. After two days of engagement, they married on April 2, 1994. They have two children, Roman Alexander (25) and Athena Grace (22).

Ellefson, who has lived in Scottsdale, Arizona since 1994, is also an author and entrepreneur, holding the reins of EMP Label Group, Combat Records, Ellefson Coffee Co., and more, in addition to a diverse portfolio of brands and signature products. Ellefson was also inducted into the 2018 class of the Iowa Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame, just over the border from Jackson in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

SLIPKNOT percussionist M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan and Murphy Quint, the head distiller at Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery, recently answered a number of questions submitted by members of the band's fan club, Outside The 9. Part four of the question-and-answer session can be seen below.

Asked about SLIPKNOT's art direction going forward, Crahan said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "For me, I spend a lot of time looking at society, listening to society, putting my ear to the street, staring at the sky, watching people on the phone, watching people at dinner, picking up little bits of information here or there. And when you do that, and you don't do it with a strict hand, you just kind of massage it, things start connecting themselves to each other. But if you force it, you can't get 'em to adhere to one another. But if you just open your eyes, pay attention and understand where you're at and maybe what you're getting into, which could be an album a year from now. But the direction is always what's going on with the beat of the world, what's happening with everyone. And it usually filters into me and somehow it gets to a larger place, and then more people get involved, and then the direction starts showing itself. But you never just wake up and admit to yourself it's gonna go one way because there's so many people involved, and you want everybody involved, and you want everybody's opinion and you want it to be beautiful for everyone. So the direction, especially on a stage, even the masks, even the music, we take this probably the most serious — absolutely the most serious. You never know where the direction's gonna go. Right now we're writing, and I'm still trying to connect dots between songs and understand where we're going; it just hasn't quite hit yet. We have a plan, but all the dots have not adhered to each other to point to a direction yet."

Last October, Crahan confirmed that SLIPKNOT had been using some of the downtime during the coronavirus crisis to work on new material.

SLIPKNOT's latest album, "We Are Not Your Kind", came out in August 2019. The disc sold 118,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Furthermore, the album made an impact worldwide with No. 1 debuts in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, Canada, Japan, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal and Finland, as well as Top 5 debuts in Germany, France, Norway, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and New Zealand.

"We Are Not Your Kind"'s sales in the U.S. were boosted by a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer with SLIPKNOT's summer 2019 tour.

In a brand new interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio, Myles Kennedy spoke about the camaraderie and respect between him and GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash. Kennedy sang lead vocals on a pair of songs that appeared on Slash's eponymous solo debut album in 2010 before taking a more central role — under the SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS banner — on 2012's "Apocalyptic Love", 2014's "World On Fire" and 2018's "Living The Dream".

Asked if Slash is as intimidating to work with as he appears to be, Myles said: "He's really cool. I mean, he's very easy to work with. There's no intimidating whatsoever, actually, as far as writing with him, because of the fact that he's not precious with his ideas. That's one of the downfalls with a lot of creative people, is you tend to get kind of protective and territorial, and you let your ego come into the fold. And with him, what I learned early on in the process was that he was open to whatever. So, having that ability and knowing that he's gonna do what's best for the song is very liberating. He's a very cool guy. He's just a really mellow cat who loves to play music more than anything in the world. So, it's fun."

Slash told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that his partnership with Kennedy has been easy from the start. "We work really well together," he said. "I never really thought about how that's progressing. It's real natural. So it's like any kind of sort of close relationship, where I think we established it really, really early on and now we're just sort of doing our thing, you know. Yeah, I don't know what else to say — it's just a really cool kind of synergy that we've got."

"Living The Dream" was released in September 2018 via Slash's own label Snakepit Records, in partnership with Roadrunner Records. The disc is Slash's fourth solo album, and third with Slash and his bandmates Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass and vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar and vocals). The artwork was created by renowned visual artist Ron English.

The "Living The Dream" sessions saw the band reunite with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who also helmed "World On Fire".

Bassist Gabe Crisp of Knoxville, Tennessee death metallers WHITECHAPEL recently spoke with DJ Chewy of WSOU 89.5 FM — the South Orange, New Jersey-based college radio station of Seton Hall University — about the band's forthcoming new studio album, "The Valley". You can listen to the entire chat via the SoundCloud widget below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On how "The Valley" differs and is similar to the band's previous studio output:

Gabe: "The only way I describe stuff like that to me is we're maturing, so I think the sound is maturing. I don't know if it's a great representation of it. For us, we're diving into some clean-singing stuff, a little more atmospheric, a lot more melody. For us, it's impossible to write the same thing, and we always try to bring something new to the table. The last couple of records have been teasing this and we've kind of went for it this time."

On using clean vocals for the new song "Third Depth":

Gabe: "We've always thought about it. It was track-specific. We knew Phil [Bozeman, vocals] could sing — we didn't know how good, but we knew he could sing. We just knew if we started writing stuff that called for singing, we would just let it happen. He was down and it was one those things where it came out way better than we ever imagined. We wrote stuff that sounded like it should have it and we didn't hold back. We went for it."

On whether there were any "roadblocks" for WHITECHAPEL during the writing of "The Valley":

Gabe: "Honestly, man, there's always time restraints and you always need more time no matter how much time you set aside for it, but it was a pretty good experience overall. We kind of stick to the same plan and we build off of it every record. We keep the good stuff and whatever works. We were able to get together a lot more this time since we were home. We were in a room together as a band a lot more for this record and it made things a lot easier. A lot more fun."

On the reasoning behind naming the album "The Valley":

Gabe: "'The Valley' is in reference to where Phil grew up, which is in Hardin Valley [Tennessee]. He still lives there, actually, but instead of calling it that, the idea was 'The Valley' is more universal. Where we live in Tennessee is kind of a valley outside of the [Great] Smoky Mountains, so it's specific to him, specific to us. It's kind of cool. Deeper than just saying 'The Valley'. It's cool to us."

On the "Based on true events" text that appears on the album's cover:

Gabe: "It's all Phil. He grew up in a rough household and I don't think the lyrics are literal — it's not meant to be like that, but it's inspired by true events, I guess you could say."

On why WHITECHAPEL has experienced a revolving door of drummers:

Gabe: "For us, since we've been doing this as a career or even full-time, whatever you want to call it, for the last ten years, we only had what we call two drummers actually be in the band. Ben Harclerode left and since then, we've had touring musicians. At the same time, it's not a tryout, but at the same time, if someone wants to be in the band, we're not going to let them be in the band overnight. If they want to be in the band, they want to play some shows and see if it works out — we want a sixth member. We're looking for a new drummer all the time, right now we're just waiting for the guy that's the one."

"The Valley" will be released on March 29 via Metal Blade Records.

This spring, WHITECHAPEL will co-headline the 2019 edition of the "Chaos & Carnage" U.S. tour with DYING FETUS. Support on the trek will come from REVOCATION, FALLUJAH, SPITE, UNCURED and BURIED ABOVE GROUND.

In a new interview with Rocking With Jam Man, BLACK SABBATH's touring drummer Tommy Clufetos was asked if he thinks the band's original drummer Bill Ward should have joined the rest of the group on stage for a song or two during the final show of SABBATH's "The End" tour in February 2017 in Birmingham, England. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm the last guy in the world who has any idea of what goes on there, so I can't say 'should he?' [or] 'shouldn't he?' 'cause I don't know what was really going on. All I know is that I was asked to play drums. So I don't really concern myself with things that aren't in my control. That's between him and the band. So you're asking the wrong guy the question, 'cause I'm just a drummer and I keep my mouth shut."

Clufetos went on to say that "it was a wonderful feeling" to be asked to play with SABBATH on the band's last-ever tour. "And it was even more wonderful, and it was an honor and a privilege to go on stage and be the guy [who was asked] to carry the torch to bring the music to the fans," he said. "And I really tried hard, my best that I could, to do justice to the great music that they created together — the four guys: Ozzy [Osbourne], Tony [Iommi], Bill and Geezer [Butler]. So I just tried to revere the music and bring the same vibe that the fans were expecting. And I was proud of what I did with those guys onstage. So it was a thrill and an honor for me."

Asked what emotions he felt while playing SABBATH's final show ever, Tommy said: "That whole tour was great. And the last gig of any tour is always a little more unnerving — people are packing their bags, and there's distractions, let along playing with BLACK SABBATH in their hometown of supposedly their last gig that they're ever gonna do. So there was a lot of hustle and bustle going on. But we provided what was necessary on stage that day, and they were recording it, and they filmed it. And it was a great night."

Two months ago, Ward said that he no longer has physical capability to perform live with BLACK SABBATH but he would love to join them in the recording studio. He told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk": "As far as touring with BLACK SABBATH, I don't have the chops, and I don't have the ability to drive a band like that on stage. I have to be back to 60 years old to be able to do that."

Ward continued: "I would love to do a studio album with SABBATH, with all the original members. I'm just saying that — I'm just floating that out there. I haven't talked to anybody about that or anything else. But I'm not done. So, the other three might be done, and I respect that, but no, I'm not done. I think as long as we all exist [laughs] and we're still breathing in air, I think we have every possibility of making some great music together."

Bill went on to reiterate his desire to make a new studio album with BLACK SABBATH but confirmed that he no longer wishes to play live with the legendary heavy metal act.

"I'm being honest," he said. "I'll be 73 next birthday [in May], and I know what kind of energy it takes to drive that band."

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

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

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

"The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi — who was diagnosed with lymphoma in late 2011 — can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.

Clufetos's new band TOMMY'S ROCKTRIP, where he offers his take on the rock 'n roll influences that made him one of the most sought-after drummers in the current hard rock scene, will release its debut album, "Beat Up By Rock 'N' Roll", on May 7 via Frontiers Music Srl. Eric Dover, known for singing and playing guitar with JELLYFISH, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and Alice Cooper, handles lead vocals on the LP (though Tommy grabs the mic for three tracks). Eliot Lorengo (bass), Hank Schneekluth (guitar) and Nao Nakashima (guitar) round out the supporting cast.

After the extremely successful launch of Joe Satriani's debut comic book series, "Crystal Planet", in January, issue #2 is now set to release this June. Created by Joe Satriani and Ned Evett, the series is released in conjunction with Incendium and Heavy Metal magazine under the all-new music-focused Opus imprint.

Issue #1 introduced us to Satchel Walker, a man out of time who finds himself caught between desperate factions as they battle for resources in the perilous orbit of a dying star in this vivid space odyssey. In a bold and brutal saga of sentient storms and Wingsuit armies, it's music, and more importantly the power and emotion that music can conjure, which could bring an end to the conflict, restore harmony to the timestream, and reveal Walker's true place in the universe. Issue #2 opens with a death in the family that raises even more questions for Satchel Walker as he takes his first perilous steps on the journey to Crystal Planet. Racing through the night in a banged-up station wagon with his father's old guitar and lifelong friend Sarah Fortune at the wheel, their world is about to change forever, and the swarm is hot on their trail.

"Crystal Planet" begins as a five-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. Each first printing will be limited to 1998 copies at $19.98, and available to order here.

Due to fan demand, an exclusive limited-edition bundle is also available to purchase, now. It features issue #1 signed by Satriani plus a sublimated hat, an art print of issue #2's cover and an enamel pin. Only 250 sets are available.

The world of "Crystal Planet" will extend beyond the printed page into toys and collectibles. A Joe Satriani "Crystal Planet" action figure is also available to pre-order for $29.95, featuring Joe in a Tri-Diver suit from the comics with his signature Crystal Planet Ibanez guitar. Shipping summer 2021.

Join Joe Satriani on a journey to Crystal Planet, where desperate factions battle for resources in the perilous orbit of a dying star. In a bold and brutal saga of sentient storms and Wingsuit armies, it's music, and more importantly the power and emotion that music can conjure, which could bring an end to the conflict, restore harmony to the timestream, and reveal the true power of the Time Shredder.

FigBiz officially licensed action figures are the perfect addition to any collection, inspired by the ultimate era of Saturday morning cartoons.

Accessories Include:

* 12 Points of Articulation

* Time Shredder Guitar

* Tri-Diver Helmet

* Alternate Hands

* Sunglasses

Ages 15 and up.

PRIMUS frontman Les Claypool spoke to Kerrang! magazine about auditioning for the then-vacant bassist slot in METALLICA following the September 1986 death of the group's previous bassist, Cliff Burton. Asked if it's true that when he auditioned, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield said something like, "Man, you're much too talented. Go do something wonderfully weird on your own," Les said: "He definitely did not say that. He said that later on in an interview, which was very kind of him. I think they thought I was a freak. They were very nice — Lars [Ulrich, drums] was particularly kind — and, of course, I knew Kirk [Hammett, guitar] from high school. But I think that James thought I was some sort of thug. Put it this way, I definitely didn't look the part."

According to Les, he "wasn't really into metal at the time" of his METALLICA audition. "I just knew that it was my buddy Kirk's band and that they were doing really well," he said. "It wasn't until the audition that I got a sense of what was really going on. It was a bit of a heavy thing, the audition, and I didn't realize until I got there that it was kind of a big deal. Afterwards I fantasized about quitting my carpentry job and touring Japan with them, but I didn't get the gig."

Asked what METALLICA would have sounded like with him as one quarter of the band, Les said: "Well, however it would have sounded, I would have only lasted for a month or two before they kicked me out. They've got enough chefs in the kitchen in that band — they don't need a guy like me. And the guy they have right now is unbelievable. Robert Trujillo is one of the nicest and sweetest guys I've ever met in the industry, and his playing is unbelievable."

Recalling the experience of Claypool trying out for METALLICA, Hetfield said in the band's VH1 "Behind The Music" special that Les was not awarded the job because "he was too good" and that Claypool "should do his own thing."

Claypool later told Citypages about Hetfield's comments: "I'd say, that's an untrue story. I mean, James said on VH1 'Behind The Music' that I was just too good, but ah, he and I were hanging out quite a bit during that time when they did the VH1 interview. And I said, 'What the hell are you guys talking about? You didn't want me. You thought I was a freak!' And he just laughed. Ya know, I showed up with a bleach blonde mohawk and wearing baggy skater pants, and two different colored tennis shoes. They were all in black with tight pants and the whole bit... But they have a great guy now; they've got Robert Trujillo, who's one of the nicest guys in the business."

Burton played on METALLICA's first three studio albums — "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning" and "Master Of Puppets" — and co-wrote classic songs like "Ride The Lightning", "For Whom The Bell Tolls", "Fade To Black", "Creeping Death" and "Master Of Puppets".

His life was tragically cut short at the age of 24 in a tour bus crash on September 27, 1986 in Sweden.

Burton's initial replacement in the group was Jason Newsted, who stayed in the lineup until 2001. Trujillo joined in 2003 and remains in the band to this

Ozzy Osbourne sat down with co-host Billy Morrison for another episode of "Ozzy Speaks" on SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard. During the chat, Ozzy confirmed that he has spent the last few months working on the follow-up to 2020's "Ordinary Man" LP.

"Some interesting people are gonna be on the album, which I can't really disclose," he said.

Osbourne also spoke about what it's been like to work with Andrew Watt again after previously collaborating with the producer on "Ordinary Man".

"[Andrew] goes in with a band," Ozzy said. "He gets some things going, and I'll go, 'Yeah, I like that,' 'No, I don't like that,' 'That's okay.' We've got, like, 13 [or] 14 really strong songs.

Asked if he still gets excited about making music, Ozzy said: "Of course I get excited. It's something that's creative that I can get my head around. When I get something really special, I go, 'Yes, this is a winner.' There's one [song] called 'Patient Number Nine'. It's one we wrote about Sharon [Osbourne, Ozzy's wife/manager] and I."

In December, Watt told Guitar World that he and the BLACK SABBATH legend were "halfway through" the new LP. "There's some songs on there that are like eight or nine minutes long that are these really crazy journeys. I'm really excited about it," he said.

Like "Ordinary Man", which featured Watt on guitar, Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on bass and Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) on drums, Ozzy's next album will feature guest appearances by a number of notable musicians.

"There's a bunch of people involved," Andrew told Guitar World. "I can't say for sure until the end, but I started doing a bunch of basic tracks with Chad and Robert Trujillo [METALLICA], who used to play in Ozzy's band. And Taylor Hawkins [FOO FIGHTERS] also came in and played a bunch on the record as well, which adds a different flair — it kind of harkened back to Ozzy's '80s era, in a great way. And I think it's so cool for a rock fan to be able to listen to half an album with Chad Smith on drums, and then you flip it over and you get to hear Taylor Hawkins. And you know, the last album was really special for everyone involved. And so there was no point in Ozzy or me doing this again unless we thought we could bring something new to the table. And I feel like we're achieving that."

Last July, Ozzy said that he was still "not back to 100 percent" after suffering from several medical issues last year, including a fall, neck surgery and hospitalization for the flu. Ozzy also said that he was looking forward to performing again once he has regained his health and the coronavirus pandemic has subsided. The BLACK SABBATH singer had previously canceled all his 2019 tour plans, and the rescheduled 2020 shows were also scrapped.

In May 2020, Ozzy's son Jack said that his father will "probably" retire "within the next five to ten years." But Ozzy, who turned 72 in December, has repeatedly said that he is not calling it quits, despite the fact that his "No More Tours 2" — whenever it ends up happening — is being billed as his last major global trek.

Ozzy was also forced to cancel an April 2020 trip to Switzerland to see a doctor who specializes in treatment of Parkinson's disease. The singer revealed early last year that he was diagnosed with the condition.

Former JUDAS PRIEST drummer Les Binks has opened up about the recent surprise revelation that he was not involved in the recording of the debut album from KK'S PRIEST, the new band featuring fellow ex-JUDAS PRIEST members K.K. Downing (guitar) and Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals).

When KK'S PRIEST's formation was first announced in early 2020, Binks was listed as a member of the group, and was scheduled to take part in the making of "Sermons Of The Sinner", which is now due on August 20 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records. However, earlier this month, it was revealed that the drum tracks on the disc were actually laid down by Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE) after Binks sidelined due to "a wrist injury."

The 69-year-old Binks, who played drums on PRIEST's "Stained Class", "Hell Bent For Leather" (released as "Killing Machine" in the United Kingdom) and "Unleashed In The East" albums, addressed his non-participation in "Sermons Of The Sinner" during a brand new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "This all came about from a one-off show that we did up in Wolverhampton, at K.K.'s Steel Mill, with Ripper. And it really was that — it was supposed to be a one-off thing. And I think K.K. enjoyed being out there on stage again, and he got the itch to go back on the road and to take it out and play to the fans again. And so he contacted me again after that, shortly afterwards, and asked me if I would like to make it a more regular band. And I agreed to that; [I] thought it would be a good idea. And he said, 'We'll have to do some fresh material, get an album together, and then do a tour.' He set up management and everything else, and everything was looking rosy. So that was the plan — let's do an album and then go straight on tour."

He continued: "We did that show in November 2019, and we're in 2021 now. So, of course, the recording sessions were set up, and I had a bit of a nasty accident and injured my wrist at the time, which was really bad timing. I didn't wanna delay the whole thing, 'cause I knew [K.K.] was anxious to get out on the road. So I suggested that they use another drummer, so that the album could carry on and be done. Because Ripper was flying over [to the U.K. from America] to do his vocals and so on and so forth. And luckily, he managed to do that before the lockdown came in and travel between America and the U.K. became rather a no-no."

According to Binks, it soon became obvious that his wrist injury was more serious than he originally believed. "I thought I just got a nasty sprain, but it turned out to be — after I've had it X-rayed — a little hairline fracture," he said. "So it took quite a few months to heal properly. And I'm more or less back to full fitness again. That was quite some time ago, obviously. And then, of course, the COVID thing happened, which screwed everything up. Not only for the plans that we had to go on tour, but everybody — the whole music industry, the West End shows. It's devastated the musicians' livelihoods, the road crews, the lighting people — everyone connected to live music entertainment. Everybody knows it's been a total disaster."

Binks, however, remains hopeful that he will still be able to make special guest live appearances when KK'S PRIEST tours in support of "Sermons Of The Sinner".

"I spoke to K.K. recently, and he tells me it's unlikely that there'll be any shows until 2022, which is next year," Les said. "So nothing's gonna happen for some time. And he's asked me if I would still like to be involved, and I said, 'Yeah.' So there may be something we can work out where I do a guest spot or something. But, as I said, no actual tour dates have been announced, and so everything's in that sort of uncertain stage at the moment. 'Cause nobody knows how this pandemic is gonna work out."

KK'S PRIEST, which also includes guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE) and bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX), will play select shows to mark the 50th anniversary of PRIEST and Downing's career as a founding member. KK'S PRIEST's setlist will consist of PRIEST classics and new songs.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's upcoming 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Photo courtesy of LES BINKS' PRIESTHOOD Facebook page

HELLOWEEN's Michael Kiske has opened up about using taped vocals during the opening show of the band's fall 2017 "Pumpkins United" world tour. The trek was HELLOWEEN's first featuring the reunited expanded classic lineup of the German power metal outfit, consisting of seven musicians, including Kiske and returning guitarist Kai Hansen alongside singer Andi Deris and guitarist Sascha Gerstner.

Although HELLOWEEN's October 19, 2017 concert at Escena in Monterrey, Mexico received mostly positive reviews, fans in attendance and others watching clips on YouTube accused Kiske of faking his way through some of the more difficult singing parts of the gig.

Now, in a brand new interview with Spain's Metal Journal, Kiske addressed the "playback" accusations leveled at HELLOWEEN, explaining that the move was necessitated by his ill health.

"I never did anything like that, and I will never do that again," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "It was just a situation where the management and the band wanted me to do it. It was such a difficult phase. I was so desperate, you can't imagine. You do this reunion after 23 years, or how long it was, and you sell out big arenas and big venues, and everything's perfect. And you have a fucking vocal cord infection and you can't sing. It was a very heavy test.

"I learned later why that happened," he continued. "It sounds maybe a little strange, but I was kind of reaching out for my spiritual guidance, and it was that I always try to be too perfect — I always wanna be perfect in what I'm doing — and I needed to learn that's not possible. Failing is part of humanity, and that's why they did that to me. It was a very tough lesson, but I was in a situation that I didn't feel like I could do it, so I wanted to cancel, and next time I will. If I'm ever in a situation like that again… I said that to the manager. I understand we didn't wanna start this tour with cancelations and all that; I understand it was a choice that we had to make somehow; but if I ever catch a virus like that again, and if after maybe two weeks on tour I'm not getting better, I'm flying home. I'll just get rid of it. Because you damage your health.

"It was really bad. I should not have done this… I was limping," Kiske explained. "I started to limp. Four weeks into the tour, I could only go on stage with two huge glasses of red wine and painkillers. I was swallowing a strong Ibuprofen, because I was limping. My immune system was getting into my left leg. And after the tour, like a year later, in 2019, I had a big… I don't know what you call it. Around your vocal area, you have these thyroid — I don't know what they call it — this organ there, and I had a big ball in there, which had to be operated out. It was very risky, because they have to cut the area where the nerve of your vocal cords go, and the doctor said, 'If I cut wrong, you won't be singing anymore.' So that was a 'pleasant' experience."

According to Kiske, everything went well with the surgery. "It wasn't cancer or anything like that," he said. "But I think it was another result of me not taking a break, of me going through that tour even though I had a freaking virus. We had two or three days off before, I think, Spain; there [were] two spots we could fly home for three or four days. And as soon as I got home, I got really sick. I had high fever — the whole night through. I was sweating — completely soaking wet — and that went through the whole time. And then when I had to get into the taxi to the airport, I got better. It's, like, you can tell how your mind controls your body. As soon as I understood, 'Okay, now you have four days,' my body said, 'Okay. Now the virus can come through.' So I was completely sick. And then I got to Spain, and we did that show and stuff like that, but it was a torture for my body. And I'm not gonna do that again. It was a situation that they said, 'You know what? We still have a recording of the previous show, and we do have recordings of the rehearsals we did. So you sing, and whenever we feel like you fuck up, the front guy sneaks in those other live recordings.' I never did that before, and, of course, I'm failing, because I'm not used to doing these kind of things. When you do a playback, you've gotta be doing the same thing as on the recording, and I was, like, holding the microphone to the audience and my voice was coming through the P.A. and stuf like that. Honestly, but I don't care. I didn't have a choice. The other choice was to cancel the show, and the band didn't wanna cancel the show. So I had no choice; I had to do it. But it's not gonna happen again. Next time I'll fly home when I'm sick like that."

HELLOWEEN will release its much-anticipated album on June 18 via Nuclear Blast Records. The official music video for the disc's first single, "Skyfall", came out last month.

The cover artwork for "Helloween" was painted by artist Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with HATEBREED, SOULFLY, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH and SODOM, among others.

The "Pumpkins United" lineup features Kiske and Hansen alongside Deris, guitarists Michael Weikath and Gerstner, bassist Markus Grosskopf and drummer Daniel Löble.

Produced by Charlie Bauerfeind and Dennis Ward, the new HELLOWEEN LP was recorded in part at the H.O.M.E. Studios in Hamburg (where everything started in 1984). The same recording console used for such HELLOWEEN albums as "Master Of The Rings", "Time Of The Oath" and "Better Than Raw" was utilized to record the band's new material. The effort was mixed at the Valhalla Studios of Ronald Prent (IRON MAIDEN, DEF LEPPARD, RAMMSTEIN).

The "Pumpkins United" tour marked the first time Kiske had played live with HELLOWEEN since 1993. Hansen, who departed HELLOWEEN in 1988, had been joining the band onstage on various tours and festival appearances throughout the years. The set featured several duets with Kiske and his replacement, Deris, along with many rarely played songs, including "Kids Of The Century", "Rise And Fall" and "Livin' Ain't No Crime". Hansen — who fronted HELLOWEEN until late 1986 — sang a medley of several early HELLOWEEN classics, including "Ride The Sky", "Judas", "Starlight" and "Heavy Metal (Is The Law)".

HELLOWEEN's European "United Alive World Tour Part II", which was originally scheduled to take place in September and October will now take place next year.

The "Pumpkins United" lineup of HELLOWEEN previously released one new song — aptly titled "Pumpkins United" — in October 2017.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE on Thursday voiced its solidarity with the Palestinians as Israeli airstrikes killed at least 51 people in Gaza and the West Bank.

Early this morning, the RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE Twitter account, which is run with the "blessing" of the four members of the band, shared the following statement: "The violence and atrocities we are witnessing in Sheikh Jarrah, the Al Aqsa compound and Gaza are a continuation of decades of Israel's brutal apartheid and violent occupation of Palestine. We stand with the Palestinian people as they resist this colonial terror in all its forms".

Additionally, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello retweeted several messages from Jeremy Scahill, co-founder and editor-at-large of The Intercept, that were critical of the Biden administration's response to the conflict.

According to RT, militants in Hamas-run Gaza have fired hundreds of rockets into Israel since Monday night, with some projectiles even reaching Tel Aviv. The attacks have killed at least five civilians, including two Arab-Israelis: a woman and a child. In response to the rocket barrages, the Israel Defense Forces has carried out a series of airstrikes in Gaza.

On Wednesday, U.S. president Joe Biden told reporters that Israel has a right to respond with military force "when you have thousands of rockets flying into your territory." He added that his "hope is that we'll see this coming to a conclusion sooner than later."

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE made its name through politically contentious, revolution themed, rap-metal. The band's official web site has a bio section in which a timeline highlights RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's more political moments.

Morello told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that the idea that musicians and entertainers should keep quiet about their political views is nonsense. "The reason why you hear from celebrities is because they have some access to the media to present an alt — you're not gonna hear that on the Fox News," he said. "They will not — they will have General This and General That and Generalissimo This. The fact that we have some, for lack of a better word, celebrity and are able to inject a different opinion, you can take it for what you want. We each get one vote, and we each have one voice."

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE was set to tour last summer for the first time in more than a decade until the pandemic pushed those plans to 2021 and now to 2022.




Awaiting the "stay out of politics" and "stick to music"

— Rage Against The Machine ? (@RATM) May 13, 2021

Earlier this week, Southern California rockers THE OFFSPRING performed the title track of their latest album, "Let The Bad Times Roll", for the Baltimore radio station 98 Rock. You can watch video of the performance below.

"Let The Bad Times Roll" arrived on April 16 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.

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."

Gene Simmons (KISS) and David Draiman (DISTURBED) are among more than 125 leaders from the entertainment industry who have signed a joint statement released by the non-profit entertainment industry organization Creative Community For Peace, which calls on fellow entertainers and executives to use their platforms to combat misleading and one-sided accounts of the conflict in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The open letter urges those in the entertainment community to use their voice to call for the de-escalation of violence and the end to divisive rhetoric while also acknowledging the pain and loss impacting all parties involved in the conflict.

The joint statement comes amid a wave of violence in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, including indiscriminate rocket attacks targeting metropolitan areas throughout Israel as well as Israel's retaliatory response in Gaza.

Meghan McCain (co-host, "The View"), Haim Saban (chairman and CEO, Saban Capital Group), Sherry Lansing (former CEO of Paramount Pictures), Orly Agai Marley (president, Tuff Gong Worldwide), Selma Blair (actress), Michael Bublé (artist), Diane Warren (songwriter, producer) and Ben Silverman (chairman and co-chief executive officer of Propagate Content) are some of the other signers of the joint statement, which was made public Friday (May 14).

"We are deeply concerned by the escalating violence in Israel and the Palestinian Territories," the statement reads. "The loss of life and violence is heartbreaking. We call on the leaders of all parties to end the violence, urge calm, and work toward de-escalation."

The statement's signers are among the first in the entertainment industry to publicly promote peace while also opposing a surge of deceptive media narratives that have dominated the news cycle since tensions escalated nearly a week ago.

"We also call on our colleagues and friends in the entertainment community to stop posting misinformation and one-sided narratives that only work to inflame the conflict instead of bringing about peace," the statement continues.

"Misinformed and fallacious memes being posted by those far away from the conflict are being taken for truth," said Ari Ingel, director of Creative Community for Peace. "This distorted version of reality is being spread online and then amplified by influencers, which only fans the flames of hatred and has real life consequences."

The full open letter reads as follows:

"We are deeply concerned by the escalating violence in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The loss of life and violence is heartbreaking. We call on the leaders of all parties to end the violence, urge calm, and work toward de-escalation.

"We also call on our colleagues and friends in the entertainment community to stop posting misinformation and one-sided narratives that only work to inflame the conflict instead of bringing about peace.

"While we may have differing opinions on the conflict, it is never okay for Hamas to publicly call for the killing of civilians, use civilians as human shields, and rain down missiles indiscriminately on civilian populations with no care about who is killed—Arab or Jew.

"When lives are at stake, we all bear responsibility to unite rather than divide. Incendiary language only benefits those at the extremes who have no interest in peace. Our thoughts are with all Israelis and Palestinians who are experiencing unfathomable levels of fear and violence, and hope for the day when both peoples can live side by side in peace."

Founded by entertainment industry executives, Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) is a non-profit organization comprised of prominent members of the entertainment industry who have come together to promote the arts as a means to peace, to counter antisemitism within the entertainment industry, and to galvanize support against the cultural boycott of Israel. CCFP is apolitical and does not stand for any government official or party. Instead, CCFP believes in artists and their ability to affect lives and effect positive change in the wo

In a recent interview with "Lipps Service With Scott Lipps", JANE'S ADDICTION frontman Perry Farrell discussed why so many Americans are waiting to get a COVID-19 vaccine or not planning to at all. Recent polls show 25% of Americans remain vaccine-hesitant.

"I'm a little bummed in my heart that human beings don't understand that they need to get vaccinated and put a mask on and social distance so that we can all get back to business," Perry said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "Yeah, yeah, you can exercise your right as an American… That argument's bullshit, honestly. We all wanna get back together again, and you're fucking it up and making it not impossible, but you're making it more difficult. That's all you're doing. If you wanna really be a bro, go get a fucking vaccination."

Farrell went on to praise President Joe Biden's efforts to get Americans vaccinated. "The White House is killing it," he said. "It's gonna happen, but it's gonna happen later rather than sooner because there's still people that are gonna just muck it up… But then, eventually, we're gonna do it, but it's just gonna take months longer before I'm gonna feel good."

The more people who don’t get the vaccine, the longer it takes to reach herd immunity, which experts now believe may not happen in the United States.

More than 156 million people in the U.S. have received at least one dose of a vaccine, while 121 million Americans are fully vaccinated against covid-19.

A recent NPR/Marist poll found that one in four Americans said they would refuse a coronavirus vaccine if offered. Another 5% are "undecided" about whether they would get the shot. 49% of Republican men said they would not take the vaccine when it's available to them.

Although the COVID-19 vaccine was produced quickly because of the urgency of the health crisis and the number of clinical trial volunteers, scientists say the vaccine was not rushed, and it relies on years of research.

The nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has estimated that about 70-85% of Americans would need to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity.

America's two main vaccines have shown 95% efficacy against the coronavirus.

QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre is selling one of four remaining pairs of drum sticks that were used by Scott Rockenfield during the drum recordings of the band's 2013 self-titled album.

Says Todd: "After drum recordings were completed, Scott gave me these sticks, to which I went to the studio kitchen to roll them up in saran wrap. They have been in my closet ever since. These are Regal Tip 5B "X" series with Scott Rockenfield signature and QUEENSRŸCHE logo printed in the sticks. Own a piece of history!! Condition: Sticks are worn due to recording. These are the real deal that recorded the album."

Earlier in the month, Scott launched a cryptic new QUEENSRŸCHE-centric web site that implies he is plotting his return to the music scene.

The drummer, who hasn't performed with QUEENSRŸCHE in more than four years, took to his Facebook page to write: "R ya READY TO F***in' ROCK !!!?? ....I AM !!!!!!! -- bruhahahha... www.queensryche2021.com *Welcome to the New World * Join the Legion".

Rockenfield's latest social media activity came four months after he shot down suggestions that he quit QUEENSRŸCHE or retired from playing music. In January, the drummer shared an update on Facebook in which he said that fans "have not been given the facts by any means" and implied that he would offer more details at a later date.

Scott's January 2021 comments marked the first time he had publicly addressed his status with QUEENSRŸCHE, which has used former KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo for touring purposes since April 2017.

This past February, La Torre was asked during an appearance on "The Eddie Trunk Podcast" if anybody in QUEENSRŸCHE has heard directly from Scott regarding his status with the group. He responded: "Not to my knowledge. All I can tell you is he took paternity leave, saying he would be gone for about six months, and that was four years ago. [Laughs] Casey shows up every day. He shows up to songwrite, he shows up to record, if needed, and he shows up for the live gigs. So that's all that I can tell you. I haven't communicated with [Scott] in years. So I have no idea what he's up to. I couldn't even tell you."

When DJ Eddie Trunk said that he heard from Rockenfield two years ago and that the drummer expressed an interest at the time in telling his story, La Torre replied: "I don't know what story there is to tell. People ask, but, honestly, it is literally like déjà vu. Go play the answer I gave you four years ago, because, literally, nothing has changed.

"As far as I understand, there really isn't communication [between Scott and the QUEENSRŸCHE camp]. And I couldn't tell you anything more than that. Some people think, 'They're not telling us more.' I don't have anything to say, 'cause I don't talk to him; he doesn't talk to me. Casey's been playing with us for four years — going on four years — and he shows up. The guy is doing an awesome job.

"I guess I'd revert back to you," Todd continued. "If you left your radio show saying that you needed six months paternity leave but you never communicated when you were coming back for four years, would the radio station stop running because you quit showing up to work? And keep in mind, you weren't fired, and you didn't give official written notice that you're never gonna come back; you just don't come back or communicate. Does your key still work? Is your name on the door? Or are they gonna find adequate talent replacement to keep things going?

"So I don't have anything bad to say," La Torre clarified. "I don't really have anything to say, other than he asked for paternity leave and just hasn't come back."

The drum tracks on QUEENSRŸCHE's latest album, 2019's "The Verdict", were laid down by La Torre.

Last year, former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate expressed his doubt that Rockenfield will ever play drums again, telling Metal Rules that Scott "has a lot of medical problems and things like that now." In 2019, Tate told 88.1FM WESU's weekly syndicated radio show "Noize In The Attic" that he was "pretty sure" Scott "didn't leave" QUEENSRŸCHE of his own accord. "I can tell you that there's lawsuits involved; I know that," he said. "He's in kind of a really dark place, and I hope he gets some help, 'cause he's really unraveled, you know? In my opinion. It's too bad — he's an incredibly talented drummer, and unfortunately, he never was happy with that. It wasn't good enough for him."




Thinning the herd of stuff!! Own a piece of history:https://t.co/K0GeeHAI4P

— Todd La Torre (@ToddLaTorre) May 15, 2021

According to the WARLORD fan club, the band's co-founder and guitarist William J. Tsamis passed away on Thursday, May 13 at the age of 60. No cause of death has been revealed.

In a 2017 interview, Tsamis revealed that he was suffering from a serious health issue which he said would "never go away" but he offered no specifics.

Founded in 1980 by Tsamis and drummer/percussionist Mark Zonder, WARLORD is considered a pioneer in power metal thanks to its now-classic 1983 six-song EP, "Deliver Us". Kerrang!, Sounds, Burrn! and Music Connection all featured the band and praised the release thanks to their outside the norm, semi-progressive style that was inspired by such diverse acts as RAINBOW, SCORPIONS and JETHRO TULL. Adding further intrigue to the WARLORD mystique was the band members' use of pseudonyms such as Destroyer (Tsamis), Thunderchild (Zonder), Damien King (vocalist Jack Rucker) and Sentinel (keyboardist Diane Kornarens). The band also refused to become just another L.A. club act and opted to present themselves on a grander scale. They famously rented The Raymond Theater out to stage what would turn out to be the only WARLORD live performance in the USA, prior to August 2013. It was filmed and recorded for the group's first full-length release, "And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun..." , issued in October 1984, accompanied by a home video release of the same name.

While the band disbanded in 1986, they amassed a cult-like following in Europe despite their inactivity. This was largely due to rave reviews in metal the press, continuous airplay, and the circulation of many demos via "tape trading," as well as positive word-of-mouth promotion among metal fans. With the onset of the Internet, the music of WARLORD spread worldwide and thus helped secure WARLORD a place in the history of heavy metal as one of the great metal forefathers of the ‘80s.

After the band dissolved, Zonder joined prog metal pioneers FATES WARNING and went on to release numerous albums with them as well as others thanks to his skills then and now being in high demand. It was during one of FATES WARNING's European tours that Zonder realized that WARLORD's following had grown considerably with multiple fans asking him to sign WARLORD albums and demanding new music from the band. Zonder contacted Tsamis and, as soon as schedules permitted, WARLORD was once again an active band. Vocal duties were assigned to HAMMERFALL vocalist (and massive WARLORD fan) Joacim Cans. Thus, in 2002, a new album, "Rising Out Of The Ashes", was recorded and released worldwide to rave reviews. This was followed by the first ever WARLORD live performance in Europe at the prestigious Wacken Open Air festival in Germany.

A string of mishaps and serious family health issues plagued WARLORD after these performances and the band was once again put on a hiatus, which lasted for almost nine years. WARLORD returned to active status formally in March 2012. Vocal duties would be handled by one of the original '80s WARLORD singers, Rick Anderson, and Philip Bynoe (Steve Vai, RING OF FIRE) joined the band on bass. That lineup released "The Holy Empire" to much critical and fan acclaim. In the meantime, mounting pressure by promoters and fans bore fruit and WARLORD announced that they would headline the April 2013 German Keep It True XVI festival. This announcement was followed by two headlining dates in Greece — Thessaloniki and Athens — which sold out, thus leading to a second headlining show in Athens which sold out as well.

Photo courtesy of William J. Tsamis's Facebook page

Legendary vocalist Ronnie James Dio passed away on May 16th, 2010 at the age of 67 following a battle with stomach cancer. It's a loss that is still felt to this day in the metal world. Avantasia frontman / founder Tobias Sammet posted the following tribute to Dio on the 11th Anniversary of his death.

"Today 11 years ago one of the greatest of all time left us, one of my biggest heroes and idols: Ronnie James Dio. I only met him a few times and only briefly for backstage chit-chat when we were on the same bill. He was a class act, interested in what you'd have to say and he made you feel welcome around him. 

And, what a songwriter, what a singer... Holy Diver is probably one of the five most played records of my collection. Check 'Don't Talk To Strangers' influence on my song 'Lucifer'. A lot of my songwriting was influenced by Ronnie: 'The Piper Never Dies', 'The Pharaoh', 'The Scarecrow', 'Asylum', 'Under The Moon', 'The Eternal Wayfairer', 'The Seven Angels'... those songs yell 'DIO' all the way. 

Never forgotten, I will blast some 'Rainbow In The Dark now! Hail to the King!"

Photo by PG Brunelli




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Ted Nugent has hit out at the decision to allow transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard to compete in the Olympics.

According to Yahoo Sports, the 43-year-old Hubbard had previously competed in men's weightlifting competitions before transitioning in 2013. She has reportedly been eligible to compete in the Olympics since 2015, when the International Olympic Committee issued guidelines allowing transgender athletes to compete as a woman as long as their testosterone levels are below 10 nanomoles per liter for at least 12 months before competing. Weightlifting's international federation follows these guidelines, and Hubbard is playing by the rules.

Nugent addressed the hot-button issue during a Facebook Live session earlier today (Monday, May 17). He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I heard the story of the world record holder weight-lifting champion which was born a man was allowed to compete against women. See, there's a manifestation of a cultural abandonment the likes of which I don't think we've ever seen before — where a man gets to go, 'I feel like a woman so I'm gonna compete against the women.' Then they set world records in athletic events because they're a man competing with women. And some dirtbag would go, 'Yeah, that's perfectly legitimate. That makes perfect sense.' Because women can't lift as much as men, so the man who claims he's a woman — he's not a woman; the penis might be an indicator. And he sets world records in athletic competitions where a man is competing against women. And some mindless dirtbag goes, 'Well, that's legitimate. That's good.'

"Woah! You have to literally trade in your soul for a sun-baked turd to believe that a man can compete against women and that that's okay," Ted continued, before adding: "What is wrong with these liberal Democrat Marxist Satanists?"

Nugent is not the only person to express his dissatisfaction over Hubbard taking part in women's competitions. Earlier this month, former Olympic weightlifter Tracey Lambrechs told TVNZ: "I'm quite disappointed for the female athlete who will lose out on that spot. We're all about equality for women in sport but right now that equality is being taken away from us. I've had female weightlifters come up to me and say, 'What do we do? This isn't fair. What do we do?' Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do, because every time we voice it, we get told to be quiet."

Caitlyn Jenner, who competed in the 1976 Olympics decathlon as Bruce Jenner, recently declared her opposition to transgender girls competing in girls sports, telling TMZ that it "isn't fair. That's why I oppose biological boys who are trans competing in girls sports in school. It just isn't fair, and we have to protect girls' sports in our schools."

Hubbard previously won a silver in the women's superheavyweight category at the 2017 World Championships.

The original International Olympic Committee guidelines for transgender athletes created earlier this century included the condition that they must have undergone sex reassignment surgery.




Posted by Ted Nugent on Monday, May 17, 2021

Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler and guitarist Tony Iommi spoke with Martin Popoff for Goldmine, looking back on the band's years with Ronnie James Dio. Following is an excerpt from the May 2021 cover feature:

To take you back, in 1980, something called the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was raising the stakes for the music that Osbourne, Ward, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler had invented through the issue of Black Sabbath one Friday the 13th in February 1970. Fortunately, after two commercial duds with Osbourne, the band were about to deliver an immediate rush of recorded adrenaline that could compete with the headbanged fare of any young upstarts who would dare question the continued relevance of the undisputed masters of metal.

“Once Ronnie came into the fold, we had a different voice all together,” begins Iommi, underscoring the freshness of Black Sabbath 2.0. “It encouraged us to write in a different way, really. The whole field was open again to trying different things. Ronnie could sort of adapt, with his voice, and it created a different vibe altogether and started us off writing some different new material. We had been in a bit of a doldrums. Once Ronnie got involved, it made us work and made us think more about what we were going to do. And he was encouraging us to do more. It was really refreshing.”

“It was obvious that Sabbath needed a change,” says Butler. “It felt like the original lineup had to come to an end. By the end of the ’70s, it just wasn’t happening together. Ozzy was really unhappy doing stuff, I was thinking about leaving, and the record company seemed to have lost interest in us. It either needed to completely split up or get somebody else in that was into what we were doing.”

Read the complete interiew here

Singer Ronnie James Dio joined Black Sabbath in 1979 which resulted in two back-to-back classic albums: Heaven And Hell and Mob Rules. On those memorable albums, Dio’s soaring tenor and gothic songwriting were the perfect foil for the band’s bone-crushing mix of razor-sharp riffs, intense grooves, and dark imagery.

Rhino salutes the long shadow cast by this short-lived lineup with newly remastered versions of both albums expanded with rare and unreleased music. Heaven And Hell: Deluxe Edition and Mob Rules: Deluxe Edition will be released separately on March 5. Each album will be available on 2-CDs ($19.98), or a 2-LPs ($31.98). Due to space constraints, both vinyl editions include a selection of bonus material from the CDs. The music will also be available via digital download and streaming services the same day. A live version of “Neon Knights” previously unreleased in North America, and a live version of “Voodoo” can both be heard below. Pre-orders can be placed here.

Dio joined Black Sabbath for the first time in 1979 and quickly found kindred spirits in guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward. When Heaven And Hell was released in April 1980, the album was met with effusive reviews for the band’s return to form on metal masterpieces like “Neon Knights” and the title track. The album reached #9 in the U.K. and #28 in the U.S., where it was also certified platinum.

Heaven And Hell: Deluxe Edition adds several bonus tracks that have never been released in North America, including versions of “Children Of The Sea” and “Die Young” recorded live in 1980 in Hartford, CT. The set concludes with live rarities like “E5150” and “Neon Knights” that originally appeared in 2007 on the Rhino Handmade’s limited edition collection, Black Sabbath: Live At Hammersmith Odeon.

To follow-up Heaven And Hell, the group returned to the studio in 1981 to begin recording Mob Rules, with drummer Vinny Appice joining the band for the first time. Released in October 1981 and certified gold, the album was another Sabbath classic, including standouts like “The Sign Of The Southern Cross,” “Turn Up The Night” and the title track.

Mob Rules: Deluxe Edition boasts an expansive selection of rare and unreleased recordings. Along with additional tracks from Live At Hammersmith Odeon, the collection also includes a newly mixed version of “The Mob Rules.” The cherry on top is an entire concert recorded in 1982 in Portland, OR. Highlights include stellar performances of “Neon Knights” “Heaven And Hell” and “Voodoo.”

The Dio-fronted lineup disbanded in 1982 but reunited a decade later to record Dehumanizer and tour before going on hiatus again. The group came together again in 2006 to record three new songs for Rhino’s era-spanning collection, Black Sabbath: The Dio Years. The collaboration led to a highly anticipated world tour in 2007 where the group was billed as Heaven And Hell. Their final album of new material, 2009’s The Devil You Know, again demonstrated the musical bond between the band members was unparalleled.

Heaven And Hell: Deluxe Edition

2CD Tracklisting:

Disc One: Original Album (2021 Remaster)
“Neon Knights”
“Children Of The Sea”
“Lady Evil”
“Heaven And Hell”
“Wishing Well”
“Die Young”
“Walk Away”
“Lonely Is The Word”

Disc Two: Bonus Tracks
“Children Of The Sea” – Live B-Side Of “Neon Knights” *
“Heaven And Hell” – Live B-Side Of “Die Young” *
“Lady Evil” – 7” Mono Edit (unreleased on CD)

Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT (August 10, 1980)
“Neon Knights” *
“Children Of The Sea” *
“Heaven And Hell” *
“Die Young” *

Hammersmith Odeon, London (Dec 31, 1981- Jan 2, 1982)
“E5150”
“Neon Knights”
“Children Of The Sea”
“Heaven And Hell”

2LP Tracklisting:

Side One
“Neon Knights”
“Children Of The Sea”
“Lady Evil”
“Heaven And Hell”

Side Two
“Wishing Well”
“Die Young”
“Walk Away”
“Lonely Is The Word”

Side Thee
“Children Of The Sea” – Live B-Side Of “Neon Knights” *
“Heaven And Hell” – Live B-Side Of “Die Young” *
“Lady Evil” – 7” Mono Edit (unreleased on CD)
“Neon Knights” – Live 1980 *

Side Four
“Children Of The Sea” – Live 1980 *
“Heaven And Hell” – Live 1980 *
“Die Young” – Live 1980 *

Mob Rules: Deluxe Edition

2CD Tracklisting:

Disc One: Original Album (2021 Remaster)
“Turn Up The Night”
“Voodoo”
“The Sign Of The Southern Cross”
“E5150”
“The Mob Rules”
“Country Girl”
“Slipping Away”
“Falling Off The Edge Of The World”
 “Over And Over”

Bonus Tracks
“The Mob Rules” – Heavy Metal Soundtrack Version
“Die Young” – Live B-Side Of “Mob Rules” 7” *
“The Mob Rules” – New 2021 Mix **

Live At The Hammersmith Odeon London (31/12/81 - 2/1/82)
“Country Girl”
“Slipping Away”
“The Mob Rules”
“Voodoo”

Live At Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR, April 22, 1982
Intro **
“Neon Knights” **

Disc Two: Bonus Tracks
Live At Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR, April 22, 1982
“N.I.B.” **
“Children Of The Sea” **
“Voodoo” **
“Black Sabbath” **
“War Pigs” **
Drum Solo **
“Iron Man” **
“The Mob Rules” **
 “Heaven And Hell” **
Guitar Solo **
“Sign Of The Southern Cross/Heaven And Hell” – Reprise **
“Paranoid” **
“Children Of The Grave” **

2LP Tracklisting:

Side One
“Turn Up The Night”
“Voodoo”
“The Sign Of The Southern Cross”
“E5150”
“The Mob Rules”

Side Two
“Country Girl”
“Slipping Away”
“Falling Off The Edge Of The World”
“Over And Over”

Side Three
“The Mob Rules” – Heavy Metal Soundtrack Version
“Die Young” – Live B-Side Of “Mob Rules” 7” *
“The Mob Rules” – New 2021 Mix **
“Sign Of The Southern Cross/Heaven And Hell” – Reprise **

Side Four
Live At The Hammersmith Odeon London (31/12/81 - 2/1/82)
“Country Girl”
“Slipping Away”
“The Mob Rules”
“Voodoo”

* previously unreleased in North America
** previously unreleased




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HEART's Nancy Wilson, who released her debut solo album, "You And Me", on May 7 via Carry On Music, spoke to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about the fear and challenges of stepping out on her own and making music away from the band. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[There was] definitely a lot of challenge for me to kind of screw up my courage enough to be the singer, 'cause I used to have troubles trying not to compare myself to my sister's voice [HEART singer Ann Wilson], 'cause her voice is so incredible. But then she actually gave me a good advice one time when she told me, 'Don't worry about being perfect. Don't stress the perfection. Just tell your story.' And that's kind of how I approached it on this album; I found myself remembering what she told me. As a singer, just tell the story. Don't sweat the big stuff. Just tell your story. And I got really comfortable being the singer on this one."

She continued: "Being a writer was a little daunting in a way, 'cause I've only written for HEART mainly or instrumentals for score music for film mainly, so I had to really go back to myself before I joined HEART — college girl self. Before I joined, I took a couple of classes first at university — creative writing and some music theory and some literature classes. So I wanted to bring that toolkit into the band when I finally joined the band. So I kind of went back to that same toolkit a little bit for this album, because it was not the assignment to write for HEART for a change; it was the assignment to write for myself. So I thought that was really uplifting and inspiring to do it. And I finally have a studio of my own to do it in where it's not gonna disturb the household at all. Anyway, [the way] it all came together, really, [was] serendipity for me."

"You And Me" was recorded primarily in Wilson's California home studio, working with band members and special guests remotely. Most of the tracks are originals, but Wilson decided to include a handful of covers by a few of her favorites, including a female perspective of PEARL JAM's "Daughter", a stirring turn of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Boxer" featuring Sammy Hagar, and an ethereal cover of THE CRANBERRIES' "Dreams", featuring Liv Warfield (Prince) from Nancy's previous band ROADCASE ROYALE. The first single from the album was Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising", which dropped last fall.

The other eight tracks are originals, mostly acoustic ballads, but there are also some rousing rockers like "Party At The Angel Ballroom" which features a superstar backing band, including Duff McKagan of GUNS N' ROSES and Taylor Hawkins of the FOO FIGHTERS. The album ends with a song that captures the full spectrum of loss, love and redemption in one instrumental coda. Titled "4 Edward", it is Nancy's tribute to Eddie Van Halen, whose 2020 loss still looms large over music.

The title track "You And Me", as with several of the songs on the album, reunites Wilson with longtime collaborator Sue Ennis, who co-wrote many of HEART's classics with Nancy and sister Ann.

With her band HEART, Nancy Wilson has recorded 16 albums, sold over 35 million albums worldwide and has four Grammy nominations. She had previously released one other album with just her name on it, "Live At McCabe's Guitar Shop", which captured her playing a set of covers and new songs in 1999. But Nancy considers this her first true solo album, a positive creative move amid a surreal year of loss; life during lockdown.

Former Society 1 bassist DV Karloff aka Dirt has passed away at 48 years-old. DV was currently in the bands 3 Headed Snake and Hatesong. He established himself joining Society 1 in 2003 after replacing Paul Raven (Killing Joke, Prong, Ministry), recording and touring with the group throughout its most commercially successful period. This culminated in their record breaking body suspension show at The Download Festival in 2005.

After leaving Society 1 in 2018, DV joined forces with former Ministry guitarist Sin Quirin in a new project, 3 Headed Snake, which debuted at the Bloodstock Festival in 2019. The band is currently signed to Cleopatra Records. DV was also a member of the band Hatesong which is signed to Metal Assault Records. Their next release, Chapel Rats is planned for June 4th, 2021.

Former bandmate Matt Zane of Society 1 has issued the following statement: 

"Even though Dirt wasn't in my band anymore and moved from Hollywood we still kept in touch. We actually spoke the day before he died. He was happy living a stress-free life just doing his art and music. He seemed content. I always threw the idea around of doing a 20 year anniversary of our body suspension show at Download with that line up, but now it's never going to happen. It just crushes you knowing you'll never share the stage again."

3 Headed Snake posted the following message on social media: 

"It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that we need to share with you all the passing of our beloved friend and bassist DV Karloff. We are all in shock and disbelief. DV was not only an outstanding bassist but also an amazing person and friend to us all. We will cherish the memories and always remember his passion for Metal! He will be missed immensely. RIP brother."

Hatesong has also expressed their sadness at Karloff's passing:

"We are completely saddened and at a loss of words.We lost our brother and bassist DV Karloff yesterday. Our hearts go out to the family as
we try to process what doesn’t even seem real."

Matt Zane has shared the clip below in memory of Karloff.




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SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor kicked off his solo tour, "CMFTour 2021" Monday night (May 17) at the Marquee Theater in Tempe, Arizona. As epected, Taylor and his band ran through anthems from his critically acclaimed solo debut "CMFT", choice cuts from his SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR catalogs, and various covers and surprises. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

Support on all "CMFTour 2021" dates comes from girl gang dance squad CHERRY BOMBS, led by Taylor's wife Alicia Taylor.

Taylor decided to launch this tour for a few significant and personal reasons. As always, he endeavors to deliver an unforgettable show for fans, but just as importantly, he recognizes the massive impact that the ongoing global pandemic has had on live music venues and touring crews alike. It upholds his staunch commitment to supporting live music and the industry surrounding it as illustrated last year through his popular eBay guitar auction, which raised $150,000 for COVID-19 relief, and his COVID-19 safe secret L.A. show benefiting Sweet Relief Musicians Fund — a 501(c)(3) non-profit healing musicians and music industry workers in need.

"It's the full shebang," Taylor told Rolling Stone about the tour. "The CHERRY BOMBS are gonna do their show, with fire and aerial and rock and all the good stuff, then me and the boys will get up and play for, like, two hours."

Regarding how the idea for the tour came about, Taylor said: "We'd been looking for opportunities to play here and there constantly, but it wasn't until a promoter friend of ours asked us how we would approach a tour with the kinds of safeguards we were interested in that we realized we could put a tour together. We'll be taking as many precautions as we can: the usual social distancing, pod seating (sectioned off area with an allotted number of people who came together allowed inside), temperature checks, waivers signed at the door, masks in place everywhere but your pod, etc. We're encouraging everyone to get vaccinated as well before the tour."

Taylor recently made history as he reached No. 1 at Active Rock Radio with his powerful single "Black Eyes Blue". The achievement put Taylor in a class all his own, making him the first artist in the history of the format to reach No. 1 with three separate projects, following chart-topping efforts from SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR.

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

Featured in Rolling Stone's "Fall Album Preview 2020," "CMFT" has been garnering widespread critical applause, with Forbes affirming, "Corey Taylor's singing is undeniably the best it's ever been. From SLIPKNOT's last album to his new solo material, Taylor is easily among the best sounding rock singers alive." Kerrang! raved, "Corey Taylor certainly couldn't have predicted how important a sense of uninhibited joy would be on his debut solo effort, it's just what 2020 needs — and, even more importantly, exactly what he delivers." The Daily Beast attested, "'CMFT' finds the singer broadening his horizons and showing off his considerable versatility," while Stereogum noted, "Corey Taylor's lived several lives in the span that it takes most of us to push through just one, and it's clear that he cherishes every experience he's had so far." New York magazine added that "CMFT" "bridges his vast tastes and influences, dabbling in punk rock, metal, reflective acoustic tunes, plaintive piano ballads, and hip-hop, with Taylor's power-house vocals and introspective lyrics acting as a guide."

"CMFT" is highlighted by the singles "Culture Head", "HWY 666", "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (featuring Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie), and the Active Rock radio hit "Black Eyes Blue". Taylor also hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Songwriters chart following the unprecedented debut of "Black Eyes Blue" and "CMFT Must Be Stopped", the latter of which has racked up more than four million YouTube views for its star-studded music video. Furthermore, Taylor debuted the pummeling "Culture Head" during WWE's NXT broadcast on the USA network, illuminating yet another facet of "CMFT" and showcasing the broad spectrum of this fiery and fearless rock 'n' roll opus, as Taylor touches on lifelong influences ranging from hard rock to classic rock, punk rock to hip-hop. 14-time world champion and EVP of global talent strategy and development at WWE, Triple H, also shared a WWE exclusive performance of Taylor and his band tearing through the MOTÖRHEAD classic "Ace Of Spades".

"CMFT" has been a long time coming for Taylor, with newly written tracks alongside some dating back to his teens. Recorded at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas with producer Jay Ruston and his band — Christian Martucci (guitar), Zach Throne (guitar), Jason Christopher (bass), and Dustin Schoenhofer (drums) — the album traces a wild and exhilarating roadmap through Taylor's musical psyche.

SATANIC PLANET has released the official music video for the song "Liturgy". The track is taken from the band's self-titled album, due on May 28 via Three One G Records.

SATANIC PLANET is the creation of Lucien Greaves (The Satanic Temple co-founder and spokesperson), Luke Henshaw (PLANET B, SONIDO DE LA FRONTERA), Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, MISFITS, MR. BUNGLE, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, DEAD CROSS) and Justin Pearson (THE LOCUST, DEAD CROSS, SWING KIDS, DEAF CLUB). With the birth of SATANIC PLANET, hip-hop producer Henshaw and punk provocateur Pearson joined co-founder and spokesperson of The Satanic Temple, Lucien Greaves — the most prominent and outspoken contemporary Satanist in the world. Greaves has gained international attention as an advocate for religious liberty and the voice of the Satanic Reformation, delivering lectures nationwide and featured in national media outlets, including MSNBC, NPR, Huffington Post Live, CNN, Harper's Monthly, Newsweek, Fox News, Vice, Salon, Rolling Stone and many more. As the trio were diligently working, and nearly completed with, the music for their debut album, the worldwide pandemic hit, seemingly bringing things to a halt. However, with the onset of this new way of living, the newly formed band was in a unique position to enlist the legendary Lombardo, who found himself not touring for the first time in years, and suddenly having more time to work in his home studio on projects that interested him. With the addition of this iconic drummer, SATANIC PLANET was complete. Along the way, an eclectic range of guest appearances arose, including CATTLE DECAPITATION's Travis Ryan, Nomi Abadi, SILENT's Jung Sing, Shiva Honey, Eric Livingston (also known as his artist moniker First Church Of The Void), and HEXA's Carrie Feller. This collaboration embraces the avant garde to create sci-fi sermons that range from doom and industrial to evil exotica.

"Satanic Planet" was recorded and produced by Henshaw and Lombardo. It was mixed and mastered by Brent Asbury.

Founding BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward has shared a new original poem called "Pommes Frites And Mayonnaise". Check it out below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




#NewPoem #pommesFrites #FrenchFries #ThankYou#Dover #Calais #Ostend #Harwich #France #Belgium #Dunkirk pic.twitter.com/C9RNpeMs5K

— Bill Ward (@billwarddrums) May 18, 2021

On a landmark day for British pubs as they re-open inside, IRON MAIDEN and Robinsons Brewery are celebrating 30 million Trooper pints sold around the globe during the week they marked the eighth birthday of their hugely successful collaboration.

Since its launch in 2013, the 4.7% premium British beer that is Trooper original has become a leading player amongst British ales, exported to over 60 countries around the world and enjoyed by countless beer lovers in the greatest of British pubs and from the comfort of their homes.

Trooper has also won multiple gold medals at the prestigious British Bottlers' Institute Awards, as well as picking up awards at the World Beer Awards, Global Beer Masters and International Beer Challenge.

Despite pubs being closed for a large part of 2020, Trooper has continued to enjoy strong sales through online distribution partners and export listings throughout and even spawned two new beers during the year — Trooper Fear Of The Dark, a 4.5% ABV English dark roasted chocolate stout that is full bodied and rich in flavor, and Trooper IPA, a 4.3% ABV golden India Pale Ale packed full of hoppy flavors. Both these new Trooper beers have again been brewed in collaboration with IRON MAIDEN frontman and beer aficionado Bruce Dickinson at the helm and both have enjoyed a terrific response in retail and export markets.

Dickinson said: "I couldn't be prouder of what we've achieved with Robinsons in reaching the 30 million pints milestone. We've developed a family of outstanding Trooper beers that our fans and beer drinkers all over the world enjoy, which tells you a lot about the quality, originality, provenance and distinctive character exhibited by every Trooper beer. The fact that other leading international brewers have also wanted to partner with us in creating local Trooper variants is further testament to what we and Robinsons have created. Long may it continue, and here's to the next 30 million pints!"

Along with the core beers — Trooper original and Trooper IPA — the Trooper family now includes a range of popular seasonal and limited-edition beers that have joined the charge over the last eight years including popular brews such as Sun And Steel (sake infused pilsner), Red 'N' Black (porter), 666 (extra strong bitter), and Belgian-styled beer Hallowed, along with the annual "Day Of The Dead" Trooper special edition. Internationally, the range was joined last week by Hellcat – a 6% India Pale Lager brewing collaboration with BrewDog to be released later this year and available in the U.S. only.

Earlier in 2021, Robinsons and IRON MAIDEN celebrated their award-winning beers with Trooper: The Collection 2 — a love letter to their finest beers allowing fans to get their hands on a collection of Trooper limited editions.

Dean Etchells, Robinson's Trooper brand manager, said: "It is a remarkable achievement for Trooper to be celebrating its eighth birthday along with an epic milestone of 30 million pints sold across the world. This success and longevity stands as testament to the quality of Trooper beer and its continued worldwide appeal to IRON MAIDEN fans and beer drinkers."

Oliver Robinson, managing director of Robinsons Brewery, said: "From Bruce visiting the brewery to do a blind taste test with us to this incredible milestone and several award-winning beers later, it's been quite the journey! We are immensely proud of what Robinsons and IRON MAIDEN have achieved with Trooper over the last eight years, and the exciting part is that it feels like we're just getting started."

To celebrate 30 million pints, Trooper and Robinsons Brewery are making it easier and cheaper than ever for Trooper fans to get their hands on the beer. Starting from Monday, May 17, Robinsons will be offering free shipping on all orders over £60 across the U.K. from www.robinsonsbrewery.com/shop (excludes Scottish Islands, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man).

Old school stalwarts Craven Idol celebrate their 15th anniversary with Forked Tongues. Swearing by the gods of old, the North London veterans further hone their unique blend of old school extreme metal.

Dark Descent Records will release Forked Tongues on CD, vinyl, cassette and digital formats on July 23.

“After spending a month on the road with Mystifier, we are a closer-knit unit than ever before. There’s a good reason for this being the longest standing line-up in our fifteen-year existence. The entire band lived and breathed this record in the months preceding the studio, and the performances delivered by each member are testament to their dedication to untarnished extreme metal of old,” says founding member Sadistik Wrath.

“'Forked Tongues' is a vicious and concerted tribute to folly of mankind. In these godless days of Sodom, craven idols are in their element, wheeling and dealing, beckoning you to follow their treacherous causes. The apocalyptic legends of ancient Greece read like unholy divination… and it is from them that we drew the subject matter for the record.”   

Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Tom Dring at Southport’s Vagrant Recordings, Forked Tongues showcases a rawer side of Craven Idol, aiming to bottle the band’s live ferocity.

Shunning the trends and genre-specifications poisoning the scene, Craven Idol pay homage to a wide variety of bands, including Bathory, Mercyful Fate, Master’s Hammer, Manilla Road, Gospel Of The Horns, Sodom, Satan, Candlemass, Mystifier, Cirith Ungol, and Absu.

Tracklisting:

"Venomous Rites"
"The Wrath Of Typhon"
"Iron Age Of Devastation"
"Even The Demons…"
"Forked Tongues"
"Deify The Stormgod"
"The Gods Have Left Us For Dead"

The album takes on the anomalous tale of the serpentine beast Typhon, the fiercest of all Titans in Greek Mythology. The ‘Father of Monsters’ is said to have challenged Zeus to do battle for cosmic supremacy, ultimately succumbing to the Olympian’s might, and facing imprisonment beneath Mount Aetna. According to legend, the sporadic eruptions of the volcano are due to the enduring wrath of Typhon.

Instead of merely reciting an ancient myth, Forked Tongues acts as sequel to the original tale, with Typhon returning to settle old scores. The power of the Olympians has waned over millennia, with their ambitions tamed by excess and indulgence. Meanwhile, the misguided worship of a fictitious Golden Age has facilitated Typhon’s escape. A corpulent Zeus now faces the hundred-headed monstrosity once again.

Forked Tongues is a cautionary tale, warning of all craven idols. The monumental artwork, courtesy of master painter Eliran Kantor (Sodom, Incantation, Testament, Atheist) displays a scene of our world on the brink of total devastation.

“Peculiarly enough, the original front cover concept was inspired by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, more specifically the woodblock print (Ukiyo-e) ‘The Dragon of Smoke Escaping From Mount Fuji’. Completed 1849, the work is thought to have been one of Hokusai’s last.

In Kantor’s piece, Shizuoka is replaced by Sicily, Fuji by Aetna, and the dragon by Typhon. The back cover also loosely pays homage to ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa.'"

 




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Anthrax recorded three songs for the world's biggest streaming event of 2020: Wacken World Wide. Event organizers have shared a clip featuring the songs "Madhouse", "Time" and "I Am The Law". Check it out below.

One of The Big Four turns the Big 4-0 this year and is celebrating with a number of special activities and events to honor the landmark anniversary. Formed by guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, NY 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 4. The band has built a strong reputation with fans as well as the record industry. With the lineup including Ian, bassist Frank Bello, drummer Charlie Benante, singer Joey Belladonna, and guitarist Jon Donais, the band is being feted on their 40th anniversary by a wide range of friends and music contemporaries.

Each week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and wrapping on the band's official founding anniversary of July 18, Anthrax's social media accounts will offer a series of video testimonials sent in by former band members, fellow musicians, colleagues, and industry veterans sharing behind-the-scenes stories of working with the band and what Anthrax's legacy has meant all these years on. These videos will honor each album in chronological order beginning with the original release, Fistful of Metal. Go here for the full schedule, and watch the first six below.

The 11-week series will include video contributions from Chuck D, Corey Taylor, Dave Grohl, Dave Mustaine, Gary Holt, Gene Simmons, Henry Rollins, John Carpenter, Kerry King, Mike Patton, Nergal, Norman Reedus, Michael Poulsen, Rob Zombie, Robert Trujillo, Roger Miret, Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC), Slash, Tom Morello and more. There will also be video clips from former Anthrax band members Dan Lilker, Dan Spitz, John Bush, Neil Turbin, and Rob Caggiano.

The finale will come as a very special Livestream performance from Anthrax on Friday, July 16, featuring a deep cuts set that will pull from the band's entire career-spanning catalog. All details including ticketing information will be announced shortly.

Fans will also be able to get their hands on a special 40th anniversary-edition bottle of Anthrax bourbon to enjoy during the Livestream and keep as a commemorative keepsake. More details will be coming soon.

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Twenty-twenty-one marks Anthrax's 40th anniversary, during which time the band has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple Gold and Platinum certifications, six Grammy nominations, and a host of other accolades from the media, the music industry, and fans. In 1991, the band helped break down race and genre barriers when they collaborated with Public Enemy on the track "Bring The Noise," and was the first metal band to have its music heard on Mars when NASA played "Got The Time" to wake up the Mars Rover in 2012.

Along with Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth, Anthrax is a card-carrying member of The Big Four, the four bands that defined the speed/thrash/metal genre. Anthrax has also introduced a series now sold-out signature whiskeys and bourbons and partnered with the Stockholm-based NEZUMI Studios for a high-end, limited-edition Baleine dive watch.

Twenty-twenty-one will see the release of Z2 Comics' "Among The Living" graphic novel with a track-by-track storyline inspired by Anthrax's iconic 1987 album, Among The Living. The book pulls together a "who's who" of names from the worlds of comics and music who created "bubble dialogue" and original artwork to express what the songs meant to them. Taking advantage of COVID-19's prohibition of concert touring, the band has been hard at work writing the next Anthrax album.




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