Metalville Records has set a June 26 as international release date for "Black Waves Of Adrenochrome - The Sisters Of Mercy Tribute", an extraordinary tribute to one of the greatest bands of gothic rock.

With albums like "First And Last And Always" and songs like "Temple Of Love" and "This Corrosion", THE SISTERS OF MERCY celebrated worldwide chart success. Until today, the band's hits enjoy absolute cult status, and not only within the gothic/wave scene.

This tribute sampler contains rare and sought-after versions of some of the best-known SISTERS classics in a new guise, recorded by a squad of absolute cult bands from the metal and gothic scenes.

"Black Waves Of Adrenochrome - The Sisters Of Mercy Tribute" track listing:

01. FROWN - Heartland

02. ATROCITY - More

03. IN EXTREMO - This Corrosion

04. PARADISE LOST - Walk Away

05. CRADLE OF FILTH - No Time To Cry

05. DEADLOCK - Temple Of Love

06. NEVERGREEN - More

07. MARYSLIM feat. Jyrki69 - This Corrosion

08. DAEONIA - Alice

09. KREATOR - Lucretia My Reflection

10. CADAVEROUS CONDITION - Floorshow

11. DAN SWANÖ - Lucretia My Reflection

12. DREADFUL SHADOWS - 1959

13. CREMATORY - Temple of Love

14. CO BOX - Marian

Japanese pop-metal band BABYMETAL has announced a limited-edition NFT trading cards pack drop via WAX blockchain — available for 72 hours starting May 6 at 11:00 a.m. EST at babymetal.cards. The release, limited to 1000 packs, each containing ten trading cards (each card is 1 of 1000), represents all ten episodes of the "Metal Resistance" — the ten chapters of the band that have unfolded since their inception a decade ago. All of those chapters are explored in the band's recent best-of album, "10 Babymetal Years" — the first ultimate collection of highlights taken from the band's three studio albums "Babymetal" (2014), "Metal Resistance" (2016) and "Metal Galaxy" (2019), creating a unique and seamless tie in with the trading cards. "10 Babymetal Years" was released digitally in North America on April 23, with CD and vinyl available for pre-order now and releasing in late July.

Each pack of cards will be $100 and will come with an exclusive limited-edition gold-colored vinyl of the "10 Babymetal Years" LP, available only with these packs. The transactions will be made via credit card or PayPal, but fans will need to create and connect a WAX wallet to complete purchase.

The Worldwide Asset eXchange (WAX), known as the King of NFTs, is the world's leading entertainment NFT network. Cofounded in 2017 by William E. Quigley and Jonathan Yantis, WAX delivers the safest and most convenient way to create, buy, sell, and trade virtual items and physical products (NFTs and vIRLsTM) to anyone, anywhere in the world. WAX has facilitated the trade of more than 100 million digital items of collections including Blockchain Heroes, Topps GPK, Deadmau5 and Capcom's Street Fighter.

BABYMETAL played 10 shows at Tokyo's famed Nippon Budokan venue earlier this year as part of the group's tenth-anniversary celebration. The shows, which marked the final chapter of the "Metal Resistance" era, kicked off with two dates in January (19 and 20) and four concerts in February (16, 17, 19 and 20).

A book about the first ten years of BABYMETAL, "Bessatsu Kadokawa Souryoku Tokushuu", was released in Japan in October. It contains a long interview with Su-metal and Moametal as well as never-before-heard stories from band producer Kobametal from BABYMETAL's decade-long history, photos taken from live shows, a discussion between Demon Kakka and Kobametal, and much more.

BABYMETAL's third studio album, "Metal Galaxy", was released in October 2019 via earMUSIC/Edel. The follow-up to 2016's "Metal Resistance" is based on the concept of "The Odyssey Of Metal Galaxy".

"Metal Galaxy" hit No. 19 in the U.K. official album chart, No. 1 No. 1 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart, becoming the first Asian act to land at No. 1, and No. 18 on the German chart.

In the U.S., "Metal Galaxy" earned 28,000 equivalent album units (of which 27,000 were in album sales) in its first week of release. The album also topped the Hard Rock Albums chart.

"Metal Galaxy" entered the all-format Billboard 200 chart at No. 13. The group's previous disc, 2016's "Metal Resistance", peaked at No. 39.

"Metal Galaxy" contains 14 songs, including four singles that were released prior to the LP's arrival: "Pa Pa Ya!!", "Starlight", "Distortion" and "Elevator Girl". The album expresses light and darkness, emotions like duality and ambivalence, and "new metal" created by various chemical reactions as other entities evolved and expanded in this album.

The album includes five songs that feature guest appearances from worldwide musicians who were perfect to the character of each song. Vocalist Joakim Brodén from SABATON is featured on "Oh! Majinai". Guitarist Tim Henson and Scott LePage from POLYPHIA are featured on "Brand New Day". Vocalist Alissa White-Gluz from ARCH ENEMY is featured on "Distortion". Rapper F.Hero is featured in "Pa Pa Ya!!"

In 2018, BABYMETAL announced the departure of Yuimetal, who was formerly one of the members of the Japanese group's core trio. She exited the band, explaining in a statement that she would go on to pursue a solo career as Mizuno Yu.

Phil X, guitarist for BON JOVI and THE DRILLS, recently did an interview with the podcast "Side Jams With Bryan Reesman" and spoke about the charity work his family does for frontline workers. He also told a story about jamming with JUDAS PRIEST at Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp in 2016 when he was one of the faculty members.

"It was a good week too because I think Tony Iommi [BLACK SABBATH] was there, so I got to sing 'Neon Knights' with Tony Iommi and that was amazing," recalled Phil. "I think with JUDAS PRIEST, they split up the band. So one day, it was Rob Halford and Richie Faulkner, and the next day it was Scott Travis and Ian Hill. But then when we all jammed at the Whisky [A Go Go in West Hollywood], it was all four. It was really, really amazing. It's kind of funny, because sometimes they get up there, like Rob Halford gets up there, he doesn't know who's a faculty member. He doesn't know who's paying to be there. So we're on stage, and I know Richie. We've spoken for years and jammed a couple of times. We're doing 'Hell Bent For Leather', and he goes, 'Why don't you start?' I go, 'Yeah, but let's do the solo in unison, that would be amazing.' And he's like, 'Okay, let's do it.' So I started, and Rob looks over. He looks at the girl that runs the thing and he goes, 'He's good.' Like, who is this guy, you know? And then afterwards, she told me what he said. And I went, 'Hey, Rob, It's really nice to meet you. By the way, you know how Richie Faulkner kind of replaced K.K. Downing. I'm kind of in the same situation. I kind of replaced Richie Sambora in BON JOVI. And he's like, '….well, that makes sense.'"

Phil also spoke about a charity that he and his wife Lindy started at the beginning of the pandemic that they call Hero Drop. She "cooks a ton of food" that they deliver to frontline workers at fire stations and police departments, among others. The couple has many friends who work in hospitals and a friend who is a fireman.

"We take donations, said Phil. "We're in Nashville now, but we started doing the Hero Drop when we were still in L.A. last year. Then when we moved here in November, once we get settled, we should start doing Hero Drops again. But what happened last year was really interesting because we just started doing it. And before we knew it, without prompting it or requesting anything, friends and family started donating. It's a tough time, and these guys are doing something really amazing. And it can't be cheap. So here's some money. Then when we invited just anyone to participate or contribute, it started happening again. And it's happening here too.

"Usually, police stations here [in Tennessee] are like 100 people. We deliver in two drops. One is at lunch, okay, and the second shift would be delivered around six. So it's usually 100 people. The thing that we're doing on the 24th is the huge main department that deals with all the behind-the-scenes stuff, detective work and stuff like that. It's going to be 250 people. We're having a friend that's coming and he's gonna help us take it because we can't just get it into our SUV. So we're gonna have two SUVs. And the kids usually come too which is really exciting.

"The cool thing is my birthday was last week. My wife surprised me. We had a couple of friends that are all nurses or firemen. They've all had the vaccine. They came as a surprise to me because one couple came from Chicago and the other couple came from Vegas. So it was, like, 'Wow, we have visitors.' Like, we never have visitors. But the cool thing was, I'm like, 'Why is there a table on the sidewalk in front of the house?' And my wife's like, 'Stop asking, I'm not telling you.' And I'm like, 'What's going on? Do you know what's going on?' 'Okay, it's time, they're here.' I'm like, 'Who's here?' So I go out front and Brentwood PD, 10 police cars, parade in front of the house. They're going 'Whoop whoop' and all this stuff, and this one guy who sings higher than me is singing 'Happy Birthday, Phil'. And not only that, but she surprised them by taking what we were having for dinner and putting it into to go plates. So every officer that showed up to drive by also got hot lasagna and some meatballs and salad. It was so amazing. You know, what comes around goes around. It's just an incredible positivity of feelings going around.

"My girl came up with it. She goes, 'These guys are heroes. We should be feeding them.' There was one name before, but then we settled on Hero Drop."

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley is celebrating his 70th birthday today, (Tuesday, April 27). This afternoon, Frehley made an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", where he was asked how he felt this morning when he woke up as a 70-year-old for the first time. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I still had the same aches and pains I normally get. [Laughs] Growing old's a bitch. But mentally, I still think like I'm 25, so there's a conflict of interest there. But I've been working out, watching my diet. I dropped 25 pounds since the last time I've been on stage. So I'm ready to rock. Hopefully this fall I'll be back out on the road."

Speaking about whether he has heard from his former KISS bandmates on his 70th birthday, Ace said: "I got off the phone with [drummer] Peter Criss about an hour ago. Peter was nice enough to give me a sweet call — him and his lovely wife Gigi. So that was nice. I haven't heard from Paul [Stanley, guitar/vocals] and Gene [Simmons, bass/vocals], and I probably won't. But that's okay. I may get a text. But we're still on good terms. They're just a little more distant than me and Peter's relationship; that's all."

According to Ace, he was always closer to Peter than he was with the other members of the original KISS lineup. "Me and Peter used to pair off, because we were the two party animals in the '70s," he said. "Gene would go his wife, and Paul would go his way, and me and Peter ended up hanging out with — like, when we were touring with CHEAP TRICK, we'd end up in CHEAP TRICK's room, or they'd end up in our room, and so on and so forth. It was that kind of scene."

Last December, Frehley told Talking Metal Live that he would begin recording his next all-original album "after the New Year." The record will be the follow-up to "Spaceman", which was released in October 2018 via eOne. Ace is laying down the effort at the newly built studio at his new house in New Jersey.

Earlier last year, Frehley told Canada's iHeart Radio that he has "only written about three songs" for his next LP, and he added they were "not finished." He said: "Now that I'm [living] on the East Coast [after moving to New Jersey from Southern California], my engineer only lives an hour from me, Alex Salzman, who worked with me extensively on this last record, and he played a lot of bass guitar as well, So it's gonna be even easier, 'Origins Vol. 3' and the next [original] record."

Frehley's latest release was "Origins Vol. 2", the sequel to his 2016 collection of cover songs that inspired the former KISS guitarist.

Simmons co-wrote two tracks on "Spaceman", "Without You I'm Nothing" and "Your Wish Is My Command", the latter of which also features Simmons's bass play

Fans wishing to know the identity of NIGHTWISH's new bass player will have to wait another month.

In an interview with "Breaking Absolutes" host Peter Orullian two weeks ago, NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen said that the name of Marco Hietala's replacement will not be revealed until "a few hours" before the first of the band's two interactive "An Evening with Nightwish In a Virtual World" concert experiences that will kick off the "Human. :II: Nature." world tour.

NIGHTWISH will perform in a tavern called "The Islanders Arms" built in a virtual world for two nights — Friday, May 28 and Saturday, May 29, 2021. On both nights, the fans will experience an unforgettable one-and-a-half-hour performance, hearing songs live off the latest album, "Human. :II: Nature.", for the first time ever. These two nights will have their own, slightly different setlists.

Speaking about which songs NIGHTWISH will play at the virtual gigs, Tuomas told "Breaking Absolutes" (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're not gonna perform the whole ['Human. :II: Nature.'] album — it's not gonna be a 'Human. :II: Nature.' concert — so just some selected songs from the album a little bit split between those two shows."

He added: "[The setlist] will be more focused on the recent records, but there will be some older stuff as well. And naturally, since the departure of Marco, we had to, again, adjust the setlist a little bit because there are just some songs that are so focused on his vocals especially. For example, the song 'Endlessness' from 'Human. :II: Nature.', that was something that we were planning on performing live, but it's never gonna happen now, 'cause it's so prolific to Marco."

Hietala announced his departure from NIGHTWISH in January, explaining in a statement that he hadn't "been able to feel validated by this life for a quite a few years now."

In December, Hietala was crowned the winner of the fall 2020 season of "Masked Singer Suomi" — the Finnish edition of the popular masked singing contest. He was disguised as Tohtori — the Doctor.

"Human. :II: Nature." was released in April 2020. The follow-up to 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", "Human. :II: Nature." is a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters, on CD 2.

"The Poison To Venom" is a 200-page photographic book by photographer James Sharrock on his time documenting BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE from 2005 to 2015. James is raising funds through Crowdfunder to do a limited print run of 1000 editions of the book. This is the only place you'll be able to grab the book in this format, making it a true collectors edition.

Sharrock says: "As a music photographer, COVID-19 resulted in the loss of my income. The music industry has ground to a halt for 12 months, meaning I've had none of my regular work, but it's given me the time to go back through my archives which gave me the idea for this project that I'm really excited to share with you.

"I met BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE in 2005. I had just moved to London from Australia to shoot for Kerrang! magazine. One of my first shoots was for a news feature with a new band from Wales who were clearly going places. The guys had just finished recording 'The Poison' and they were just getting started. I didn't know it, but I was shooting one of the U.K.'s most successful metal bands since IRON MAIDEN.

"Between 2005 and 2015, I shot many features and we traveled the world together. I even directed two music videos — for 'Raising Hell' and 'Army Of Noise'.

"'The Poison To Venom' documents two stories: the story of a band, and a story about people. I was a witness to BULLET's incredible rise to fame — from tiny venues to top billing at festivals to magazine front covers. It was a rollercoaster, and I hope the book brings fans along for the ride they went on during this time. I also saw BULLET's transformation from young, hopeful metalheads to globally recognized stars. We hit Siberia, Colombia and everywhere in between. It was an incredible journey, and I'm excited to share it with you and all the BULLET fans across the world.

"With the help of some of the best art directors in the magazine world, I'm making two versions of 'The Poison To Venom' — a standard and a deluxe boxed version. It's a little different to any other music photography book you've seen before. Designed with the fans in mind, pages can be removed without damaging the book itself. There will be a bunch of extras in various deluxe boxed versions which you can see [here] once the crowdfunder campaign launches."

Introduction from BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE frontman Matt Tuck: "I've known James for the best part of 15 years now. We first crossed paths in 2005 doing one of our first big press photo shoots for Kerrang! magazine in London. We called him the 'yaaarrrr!' guy, cos he would always do this crazy pirate noise to try and make us smile during the shoots when all we were trying to do was look cool and as metal as fuck. He would always get us in the end!!

"It was always a lot of fun doing shoots with James as he was easy to hang out with, calming, polite, creative and very funny.

"James was part of the very early years of BFMV capturing us on and off stage and watching the rapid rise of a band who didn't even see it coming. Those early days were so special in so many ways and to have those memories in picture form are so priceless, we were just young guys living in the moment and enjoying every second of it.

"As the years have passed, we've had the pleasure of working with James all over the world from rocking the biggest arenas in Europe, riding the subways of NYC and drinking cocktails and partying at five-star Colombian hotels and all were great times. He directed two music videos for us for 'Raising Hell' and 'Army Of Noise'.

"Cheers to you James and thank you for capturing us and being part of the journey. To everyone reading this, enjoy the ride!

"YARRRRR! MT."

In an October 2020 interview with BraveWords, Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen revealed he was planning on returning to his Star One project, saying "each album I do is a reaction to the previous one, so I want to do a heavy album after Transitus. I want to do a colder album now (laughs). I think the last Star One album was 10 years ago, so I think it's time for a new one."

Lucassen recently confirmed that a new Star One album is indeed in the works, and he has revealed Ed Warby is playing drums for the record. Warby is well known to Ayreon fans, having recorded seven Ayreon albums, two Star One one albums and one live record, and Lucassen's Lost In The New Real solo album from 2012.

Lucassen launched Star One in 2002 with the debut album, Space Metal, and followed it up in 2010 with Victims Of The Modern Age. The line-up included Lucassen, Russell Allen (Symphony X), Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Dan Swanö (Edge Of Sanity), Damian Wilson (Threshold), Ed Warby (Gorefest), Peter Vink (HDK) and keyboardist Joost van den Broek.

Star One toured for Space Metal in 2002, recording filming their show in Rijssen, Netherlands for the live album / DVD release, Live On Earth.




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"Here's my drum playthrough of the title track from our EP called Paint The Sky With Blood, that was released on the 23rd of April 2021 via Napalm Records," says Bodom After Midnight drummer Waltteri Väyrynen.

"Get your copy here​. Huge thanks to my buddy Kris McCormick for mixing the drum track and editing the video. I proudly use and endorse Pearl drums, Sabian cymbals, Wincent drumsticks, Evans drumheads, Lime Ears and Sennheiser microphones."

Bodom After Midnight have released their highly-anticipated three-track EP, Paint The Sky With Blood, via Napalm Records. What was meant to celebrate the manifestation of a brand new metal era for Bodom After Midnight, now pays tribute to their incomparable frontman, guitarist and creative visionary; Alexi Laiho.

The EP, recorded in the band's native Finland, was intended to be followed by a full-length album later in the year, but now embodies a whole new meaning and remains the only work by Bodom After Midnight. Paint The Sky With Blood is undeniable evidence of the late Alexi Laiho's artistic spirit and his extraordinary musical skills, together with his talented bandmates Daniel Freyberg, Waltteri Väyrynen, Mitja Toivonen and live keyboardist Vili Itäpelto.

"Like ourselves, Alexi was beyond stoked about these songs and anxious to get these out, so we are happy that we can fulfill his wish. Needless to say, we are honored and proud to be a part of his very last creative work and to unleash it the way he wanted it. It’s time to let the beast out of the cage one more time as a celebration of Alexi’s music, legacy and the man himself." - Bodom After Midnight

The heavy title track “Paint The Sky With Blood” sets the stage for the 14-minute EP of the same name, and is strikingly reminiscent of early-Children Of Bodom elements while also adding exciting modern influences into the fold. Second stunner "Payback’s A Bitch" and its massive riffing are on a quest for retribution, delivering a hard-hitting, second to none offense. The interplay of Alexi Laiho, guitarist Daniel Freyberg, drummer Waltteri Väyrynen (Paradise Lost), bassist Mitja Toivonen (ex-Santa Cruz) and live keyboardist Vili Itäpelto is not only a testament to the band's extraordinary musical ability, but also showcases their skill in deftly incorporating a variety of genre influences.

Closing cover track, "Where Dead Angels Lie" is an absolute triumph – originally performed by Swedish extreme metal outfit, Dissection, the track shines as a timeless classic with a new edge. Eerie riffs and vocals alternating between menacing murmurs and characteristic guttural, distorted vocals stay faithful to the original while branding this version with an undeniable Bodom After Midnight punch.  

Paint The Sky With Blood is available in the following formats:

- 10" Spined Sleeve Oxblood
- 10" Spined Sleeve Inkspot Ox/Black
- 10" Spined Sleeve Black
- Deluxe Box
- 1 Digipak Mini CD
- Digital Album

Paint The Sky With Blood tracklisting:

"Paint The Sky With Blood"
"Payback’s A Bitch"
"Where Dead Angels Lie" (Dissection Cover)

"Payback's A Bitch" visualizer:

“Paint The Sky With Blood” video:

 




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Inglorious have released a lyric video for "Eye Of The Storm", a track from their new album, We Will Ride, out now. Watch the clip below, and order We Will Ride from the Frontiers EU and US webstores, as well as the band's webstore.

Tracklisting:

"She Won't Let You Go"
"Messiah"
"Medusa"
"Eye Of The Storm"
"Cruel Intentions"
"My Misery"
"Do You Like It"
"He Will Provide"
"We Will Meet Again"
"God Of War"
"We Will Ride"

"Eye Of The Storm" lyric video:

"Messiah" video:

"Medusa" video:

"She Won't Let You Go" video:




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Steve Riley's version of L.A. GUNS has unveiled its new logo, a day after it was announced that a settlement had been reached between Riley and L.A. GUNS guitarist Tracii Guns and vocalist Phil Lewis over the rights to the band's name.

In January 2020, Guns and Lewis filed a complaint in California District Court against their longtime former bandmate, Riley. Joining Riley as defendants in the case were the three musicians — including "classic-era" L.A. GUNS bassist Kelly Nickels — who perform in his recently launched rival version of L.A. GUNS; that group's manager, booking agent and merchandiser; and Australia's Golden Robot Records, which recently released the debut album from Riley's version of the group.

The complaint, which requested a trial by jury, alleged that Riley's version of L.A. GUNS (referred to in the case docket as "the infringing L.A. GUNS") was creating "unfair competition" through its unauthorized usage of the L.A. GUNS trademark. In addition, Guns and Lewis were seeking relief from and/or against false advertising, breach of contract and unauthorized usage of their likenesses.

On Friday (April 23), attorneys representing Guns, Lewis and Riley issued a statement announcing an out-of-court resolution of the issue. The statement read: "Plaintiffs Tracii Guns and Philip Lewis and defendants Stephen Riley, Kelly Nickels, Kurt Frolich, and Scott Griffin have agreed to settle the trademark litigation currently pending in the U.S. District Court in the Central District of California. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the parties have agreed to dismiss the pending lawsuit. Mr. Guns and Mr. Lewis will continue to operate under the 'L.A. GUNS' trademark, while Mr. Riley and his bandmates will now operate under the new name, 'RILEY'S L.A. GUNS' and a new logo. Both bands look forward to continuing to record and perform their new music, as well as continuing to include songs from the vintage L.A. GUNS catalog for their fans. Both groups' recordings will continue to appear together on Spotify and other digital music streaming services."

The following day, Riley's version of L.A. GUNS revealed its new updated logo, and it included the following message: "What's up everybody? Here's a quick update on the lawsuit regarding the name of the band. The case has been dismissed as we have agreed to add Steve's last name to it. We are now RILEY'S L.A.GUNS. Everything else stays the same.

"Like we always said, we never came up with it, we never owned it outright, we just had a legal right to use it.

"We hope that this will end the confusion some of you had as to what's what, and who's who. In the meantime we are writing for a new record and looking forward to getting out there and playing for you all this summer…"

At its core, Guns and Lewis's original complaint called into question Riley's claim of partial ownership of the L.A. GUNS name and logo and alleged that his usage of both had been unauthorized. In addition, Guns and Lewis claimed — as Guns had done publicly in the past — that Riley had embezzled much of the group's publishing proceeds over the past two decades.

Despite leaving the band soon after the release of 2002's "Waking The Dead" to focus on BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION (his short-lived supergroup with MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx), Guns "is the owner of common law trademark righs" for the L.A. GUNS name and logo, the complaint claimed. It noted that Guns founded the band in 1983, four years before Riley joined, and that Riley did not perform on the group's 1984 debut EP and contributed to just a single track on their 1987 self-titled full-length debut.

According to the complaint, Riley was fired from L.A. GUNS in 1992 for "assaulting" Lewis. He rejoined in 1996 after Lewis temporarily left the group. That same year, the complaint stated that a company formed and controlled by Riley began to "collect performance and mechanical royalties of the L.A. GUNS albums and performances," but has since failed to pay out any of the "over $200,000" in royalties collected from "just one record label, as well as additional amounts from other sources."

Three years later, the complaint said that, "purporting to 'help' Guns protect the name of the band bearing Guns's own name," Riley registered a federal trademark for the L.A. GUNS name and logo — but now, two decades later, Guns claimed that the "Stephen Riley and Traci [sic] Guns Partnership" "is not and was never a valid entity." "No such partnership was ever formed," the complaint alleged. "Guns never agreed to share ownership of the L.A. GUNS trademark with Riley or any such partnership." In addition, the complaint stated that Guns "never agreed to allowed Riley to share ownership of the" L.A. GUNS trademark despite Riley's contention that he owned 49 percent of the rights.

"Guns never intended to convey any ownership interest to Riley (or any partnership) in the L.A. GUNS mark," the complaint stated. "Riley and Guns had no written partnership agreement, nor did they have an oral partnership agreement, nor did they act in a manner consistent with the intent to create a partnership pertaining to the ownership of any L.A. GUNS mark."

The complaint further said that the "Stephen Riley and Traci [sic] Guns Partnership" never registered a fictitious business name, as required under California law; never filed a tax return; has no bank accounts; and had no accounting records of any kind.

Interestingly, the complaint acknowledged Guns's 2002 departure from the group, but described it as "a brief hiatus from live performances and recording new music." It also stipulated that Guns "initially agreed to allow Riley to continue to tour and perform" as L.A. GUNS, but only for a two-year period, after which Guns would return to the group.

"However, shortly thereafter, Guns discovered that Riley had embezzled and/or converted royalties due and owing to Guns and other performers and songwriters," the complaint alleged. At that point, Guns allegedly "revoked Riley's license to use" the L.A. GUNS name.

It was because of this "falling out," the complaint said, that Guns "was not interested in rejoining" his own band, at which point he formed a competing version of the group. Still, the complaint alleged that because Guns founded the band and is its most recognizable member, any other version of L.A. GUNS should be considered "unauthorized" and "infringing."

"The Tracii Guns version of L.A. GUNS is the real version of the band in the public's mind," the complaint claimed. "When the public goes to see L.A. GUNS or thinks they are going to see L.A. GUNS, they go to see the band containing its namesake... and they go to hear the signature voice of Lewis, who recorded the lead vocals on nearly every L.A. GUNS album. They do not go to hear Riley, a drummer who, though [he] admittedly played on a number of L.A. GUNS albums, is neither the face nor the sound of L.A. GUNS."

The complaint also stated that Riley in 2015 received an advance of $13,750 from merchandiser Epic Rights, a company to which he purportedly claimed to be "the sole and exclusive owner" of the L.A. GUNS trademark.

According to the complaint, Guns had "been injured by Defendants' unfair competition," while he and Lewis had "suffered harm including damages and and irreparable injury to their goodwill." It also claimed that Riley's L.A. GUNS was formed "with the intent of tricking and confusing consumers into believing that the infringing L.A. GUNS band is the original [Tracii] Guns version" of the group.

In addition to actual and punitive damages, Guns and Lewis were seeking a "permanent injunction" that restrained all of the named defendants from using the L.A. GUNS name, logo and likeness, as well as "a declaration that Guns is the sole owner of the common law trademark rights" for the L.A. GUNS moniker "and any related design marks."

For much of the 21st Century, there have been two competing versions of L.A. GUNS — one featuring Riley (which, until 2016, also included Lewis), and another featuring Guns. After Guns and Lewis reunited in 2016, Riley's version of the group disbanded, but the former W.A.S.P. drummer relaunched a new version in 2019 with Nickels, guitarist Scott Griffin and vocalist/guitarist Kurt Frohlich. The group released its Golden Robot debut, "Renegades", last November.




What's up everybody? Here's a quick update on the lawsuit regarding the name of the band. The case has been dismissed as we have agreed to add Steve's last name to it. We are now RILEY’S L.A.GUNS. Everything else stays the same. Like we always said, we never came up with it, we never owned it outright, we just had a legal right to use it. We hope that this will end the confusion some of you had as to what's what, and who's who. In the meantime we are writing for a new record and looking forward to getting out there and playing for you all this summer... ?☠⚡️

Posted by L.A. Guns on Saturday, April 24, 2021



Posted by L.A. Guns on Saturday, April 24, 2021

This past week, Alice Cooper spoke to "Good Day Rochester" about his COVID-19 battle at the end of 2020. "My wife and I had it at the same time — at Christmas; right at Christmas," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET. "All it really did with me was it knocked me out. For three weeks, I felt like I went 12 rounds with [boxing legend] Roberto Duran; I was just beat up. And then every day, you feel a little bit better, then you feel a little bit better, feel a little bit better, and after about a month, you start feeling pretty good. And so now I'm a walking antibody."

In a separate chat with "Good Day Sacramento", the 73-year-old rocker offered an update on his health, saying: "I'm fine now. I got my both shots, and everything's back to normal again. I certainly didn't have to go to the hospital or anything like that. But it did wear you out. It's not fun at all. So get your shots out there; go get your vaccinations."

Earlier in the month, Cooper told the Arizona Republic that he and his wife "were wiped out" after contracting the novel coronavirus. "I lost 15 pounds," he said. "I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. Now, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm feeling like I'm at least 95%."

Alice and his wife were fully vaccinated in their hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. He told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the experience: "I hate shots. I hate needles more than anything else. And I never felt either shot; it was the most painless thing I'd ever felt in my life. And the second shot, 12 hours later, I went, 'Oh, man. This is nothing.' I got the chills for about two hours. I was under blankets for two [hours], and then it was gone. That was it.

"The funny thing about it was I was watching the people getting the shot, and I didn't even see a grimace," he added. "I didn't see even that. And I went, 'How are these people not reacting?' There was an old lady getting a shot, and see didn't even [flinch]. And I said, 'Man, am I that big of a wimp?' [Laughs]"

Alice and his wife got the COVID-19 vaccine through Team Rubicon, a nonprofit organization that pairs military veterans with first responders to help in times of need.

In March 2020, Cooper told Arizona Republic that he felt "less vulnerable" in his house than he does in a different hotel every day. "You don't know who's been there, what they've touched," he explained. "When I was in Europe, I spent all day doing Purell, washing my hands. Every time you would touch something, you'd realize 'Well, how do you know that wasn't infected?'"

As to whether he was concerned about the possibility of contracting COVID-19, Cooper told Arizona Republic at the time: "I'm not scared of this thing. ... But you've got to consider everybody. You never know what the guy next door's health problems are."

Alice's new studio album, "Detroit Stories", was released in February via earMUSIC.

THE OFFSPRING guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman was the featured guest on BBC's "The Rock Show With Johnnie Walker" during the "Rock God" segment. Noodles picked RAMONES legend Joey Ramone and stated about his choice: "The reason why I chose Joey Ramone — well, there's many reasons. First and foremost is he is just an iconic figure in not just punk rock anymore but in the rock and roll scene in general. He was tall, he would wear ripped jeans and a leather jacket and tennis shoes. He just stood there and looked like a god with this crazy mane of black hair.

"What a lot of people don't know is that Joey Ramone really struggled a lot with both physical and emotional and mental maladies," he continued. "He had almost crippling OCD [obsessive-compulsive disorder] that drove his bandmates crazy when he would have to count every fence post before he got in a van, and if he thought he missed one, he'd have to go back and start all over. And sometimes it took a long time for him to even get in a van before they could go to a gig. But he did. He still overcame all those struggles and became one of the most iconic voices in rock and roll and punk rock. He wrote songs that are so relatable and just get stuck in your head. Every one is something you just wanna sing along to.

"I think even now more than ever, the RAMONES are more appreciated, more listened to and you certainly see more RAMONES t-shirts than ever before. So that is why Joey Ramone is, and always will be, my rock god."

Earlier in the month, it was reported that Netflix and STXfilms have partnered to develop and produce "I Slept With Joey Ramone", a biopic chronicling the life of the king of punk.

Pete Davidson ("Saturday Night Live") will portray Ramone in the film, which will be made with the cooperation and support of Joey Ramone's estate and with the assistance of Rosegarten Films. The film is based on the memoir of the same name, written by his brother Mickey Leigh. Leigh will serve as an executive producer.

"I Slept With Joey Ramone" will be directed by Jason Orley, who previously worked with Davidson on the 2019 feature film "Big Time Adolescence" and the comedian's stand-up special "Pete Davidson: Alive From New York".

Ramone passed away in April 2001 after a seven-year battle with lymphoma.

THE OFFSPRING's tenth studio album, "Let The Bad Times Roll", arrived on April 16 via Concord Records

SYSTEM OF A DOWN drummer John Dolmayan has publicly expressed his gratitude to President Joe Biden for officially recognizing the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

On Saturday (April 24), the Armenian-American musician thanked the president on social media for officially recognizing the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Empire forces in the early 20th century as a genocide, something past U.S. administrations were unwilling to do due to concerns over alienating Turkey, an important NATO ally and influential power in the Middle East. The Turkish government continues to deny that a genocide occurred.

"I would like to thank President @joebiden for recognizing officially that the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) happened and that this crime against humanity emboldened Hitler and many other genocidal dictators throughout the last century," John wrote on Instagram. "I will forever be grateful to this administration as an Armenian and as a proud American. I would further like to comment on the genocide of native Americans throughout North, Central, and South America and how the indigenous people who lived here before us deserve not only our empathy but also our support. Ultimately we are all one people regardless of our beliefs or other differences , hopefully one day we as humans will accept that fact and live in peace."

A few hours before Dolmayan's post, SYSTEM singer Serj Tankian, whose grandparents all fled the Armenian Genocide, also thanked Biden for his declaration, writing on social media: "Thank you to President Joe Biden for properly recognizing the #ArmenianGenocide today. This is extremely important but only a milestone towards the long road of justice ahead with Turkey and its imminent need to do the same and make amends towards the descendants of 1.5 Million Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians systematically slaughtered by its Ottoman Turkish ancestors. Today, I will say thank you to the US and all those who have fought hard for this statement over the years."

In 2019, both the U.S. House and Senate passed a bill declaring that the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks was, in fact, a genocide.

Last year, Dolmayan praised former U.S. president Donald Trump and accused Democrats of "demonizing" the real estate mogul and "blaming him for everything under the sun." The drummer also called Democrats "the true bigots" who "fought to maintain slavery" and were "directly responsible for 70 plus million abortions, a large majority of whom were black." Additionally, Dolmayan supported Trump's claim that his administration had done more for the African-American community "than any president since Abraham Lincoln."

Tankian discussed his relationship with Dolmayan, who is also his brother-in-law, during a recent interview with Consequence Of Sound. He said: "We're very good friends, we're family, and he's my drummer in my band, so, of course, we've talked about many, many different things, including political views. When you don't agree with someone after a while about a certain topic … look, it doesn't mean that we don't agree about other stuff. We agree a lot about Armenian stuff, for example, a lot about family stuff, a lot of other things, a lot of personal stuff. But when it comes to American politics, we happen to be on the polar opposite ends of it, and we're both very passionate and vehement about our views, which is fine."

Serj continued: "I love and respect John very much, but I don't love and respect his American political views. And that's fine. And I can live with that and he can live with that because we respect and care for each other. And it's really just that. Have we talked about it? Yeah. But do we talk about it often? No, because there comes a point where when you don't see eye to eye on something, you just rather talk about something else."
























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ANTHRAX's Scott Ian says that EXODUS's "Bonded By Blood" is the "best debut album" to have been released by any of the "Big Five" thrash metal bands.

Although EXODUS rarely gets mentioned alongside the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX — the aforementioned 1985 LP inspired the likes of TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL, VIO-LENCE and many others to launch their careers and is considered one of the most influential thrash metal albums of all time.

Earlier today, Ian took to his Instagram to share the "Bonded By Blood" cover and he included the following message: "This beast came out 36 years ago. Best debut album of the Big 5? I think so. @exodusbandofficial @garyholt_official #ExodusAttack #RIFFS".

EXODUS vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza discussed his band's exclusion from the "Big Four" during a 2014 interview with the Argentinian radio station Rock & Pop 95.9 FM. At the time, he said: "Personally, I don't pay attention to that necessarily. I was in the Bay Area in the beginning, before I was even a member of EXODUS, so I remember who was the forefathers of thrash. I mean, Tom [Hunting, EXODUS drummer] invented that drum beat. That [guitar] picking style was from Gary [Holt, EXODUS guitarist] — that's where the genesis of that came from.

"I think what [the media] did [when they came up with the 'Big Four'] was they took the four bands who were probably the most successful in the initial period of thrash metal — from, say, '85 or '84 to '90," he continued. "If you were to go off popularity, if you were gonna go off record sales, you would have to say ANTHRAX, MEGADETH, METALLICA and SLAYER.

"Now, when you ask me that question, this is what I say: it's 'The Big One And The Other Three.' Sorry. Neither one of those bands — and I love every single one of them… But METALLICA sits on their own. So, to say the 'Big Four'? I don't know if you can say that. You have to say 'The Big One And The Other Three.'"

"And again, I was the singer for LEGACY, which turned into TESTAMENT, so I hired everybody in that band — even Chuck Billy. So my influence, as a writer and musician starting a band, was tapered after EXODUS and METALLICA. I didn't even know, really, that SLAYER or MEGADETH or OVERKILL or ANTHRAX existed. I lived in the Bay Area, so then that band which you all known now as TESTAMENT, the genesis of that band was because of EXODUS, so…"

In 2013, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine spoke to Radio.com about which band should have been included if the "Big Four" were expanded and considered the "Big Five". He said: "You know, people will say there's a whole another generation, like the 'Medium Four' [laughs], and I think there's a lot of great bands that fit that bill, too. But I think probably EXODUS, because there was nobody else at the time that had that kind of pull or that kind of importance in the metal community. Granted, it was with [late EXODUS singer Paul] Baloff, and Baloff had a voice that you had to have an acquired taste for, but you know, I liked him."

In a 2010 interview with Metal Asylum, Holt was asked if he feels the "Big Four" should have been expanded and considered the "Big Seven", including EXODUS, TESTAMENT and OVERKILL. "Well, I think it should be the 'Big Five' with EXODUS, because we were there at the start of thrash metal with METALLICA in the real early '80s," he said. "Same thing with MEGADETH because Mustaine was a part of METALLICA's birth and he also created MEGADETH. And SLAYER are SLAYER. ANTHRAX are also great and old friends, but if you listen to those first few records, they have definitely changed. TESTAMENT has every right to be part of the thrash metal legends, but it just came down to timing because they came later. And OVERKILL have been their since the beginning also. But I don't get hung up on that shit, because I know how it all started and I know where I was when the shit got created. We [EXODUS] certainly deserve to be part of the founding fathers, but you know who often gets excluded are the Germans — KREATOR, DESTRUCTION and SODOM. Everybody looks to America and forgets those guys. KREATOR, DESTRUCTION and SODOM all released records in the early '80s."

He continued: "Really, the "Big Four" is solely based on sales and the ones who sold the most. But if you compare records, I will put EXODUS' last few albums up against anybody's shit. SLAYER is always awesome; the last TESTAMENT album [at the time of the interview], 'The Formation of Damnation', was great; the new MEGADETH [2009's 'Endgame'] is one of their best; METALLICA are still finding their feet again, and their last album, 'Death Magnetic', was a step in the right direction. The new OVERKILL, 'Ironbound', is one of their best records ever; it's so good. And KREATOR, DESTRUCTION, and SODOM still make great new music. What I think it boils down to is the bands who've been doing this the longest still can do it the best. METALLICA are still a mighty force live, but they lost their way for quite a while. But then again I've never had to deal with the horrible problem of having millions of dollars. [Laughs] Maybe if I had that kind of money, it would distract my hunger for doing this kind of shit, too. But, unfortunately for me, I have to keep kickin' people in the teeth, I don't have the funds to go art-shopping. My version of fine art is a new edition of Hustler magazine. [Laughs]"

Also in 2014, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett was asked by U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine if it's strange to him how much METALLICA has eclipsed the other "Big Four" bands in terms of commercial popularity. "I try not to spend too much time thinking about stuff like that because whatever I think of is still not going to be a satisfying enough explanation," he replied. "It's just the way things are and how the chips fell.

"EXODUS in the '80s had some bona fide problems, but I think their first album ['Bonded By Blood'] is just as good as [METALLICA's debut] 'Kill 'Em All'. We were just playing the music we wanted to hear because no one else was playing it and it wasn't being played on the radio. It was only a small group of people who knew about it and it was almost elitist in that 'No posers allowed!' thing."
























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A settlement has been reached between various members of the classic L.A. GUNS lineup over the rights to the band's name.

In January 2020, L.A. GUNS guitarist Tracii Guns and vocalist Phil Lewis filed a complaint in California District Court against their longtime former bandmate, drummer Steve Riley. Joining Riley as defendants in the case were the three musicians — including "classic-era" L.A. GUNS bassist Kelly Nickels — who perform in his recently launched rival version of L.A. GUNS; that group's manager, booking agent and merchandiser; and Australia's Golden Robot Records, which recently released the debut album from Riley's version of the group.

The complaint, which requested a trial by jury, alleged that Riley's version of L.A. GUNS (referred to in the case docket as "the infringing L.A. GUNS") was creating "unfair competition" through its unauthorized usage of the L.A. GUNS trademark. In addition, Guns and Lewis were seeking relief from and/or against false advertising, breach of contract and unauthorized usage of their likenesses.

Earlier today (Friday, April 23), attorneys representing Guns, Lewis and Riley issued the following statement regarding the out-of-court resolution of the issue: ""Plaintiffs Tracii Guns and Philip Lewis and defendants Stephen Riley, Kelly Nickels, Kurt Frolich, and Scott Griffin have agreed to settle the trademark litigation currently pending in the U.S. District Court in the Central District of California. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the parties have agreed to dismiss the pending lawsuit. Mr. Guns and Mr. Lewis will continue to operate under the 'L.A. GUNS' trademark, while Mr. Riley and his bandmates will now operate under the new name, 'RILEY'S L.A. GUNS' and a new logo. Both bands look forward to continuing to record and perform their new music, as well as continuing to include songs from the vintage L.A. GUNS catalog for their fans. Both groups' recordings will continue to appear together on Spotify and other digital music streaming services."

At its core, Guns and Lewis's original complaint called into question Riley's claim of partial ownership of the L.A. GUNS name and logo and alleged that his usage of both had been unauthorized. In addition, Guns and Lewis claimed — as Guns had done publicly in the past — that Riley had embezzled much of the group's publishing proceeds over the past two decades.

Despite leaving the band soon after the release of 2002's "Waking The Dead" to focus on BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION (his short-lived supergroup with MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx), Guns "is the owner of common law trademark righs" for the L.A. GUNS name and logo, the complaint claimed. It noted that Guns founded the band in 1983, four years before Riley joined, and that Riley did not perform on the group's 1984 debut EP and contributed to just a single track on their 1987 self-titled full-length debut.

According to the complaint, Riley was fired from L.A. GUNS in 1992 for "assaulting" Lewis. He rejoined in 1996 after Lewis temporarily left the group. That same year, the complaint stated that a company formed and controlled by Riley began to "collect performance and mechanical royalties of the L.A. GUNS albums and performances," but has since failed to pay out any of the "over $200,000" in royalties collected from "just one record label, as well as additional amounts from other sources."

Three years later, the complaint said that, "purporting to 'help' Guns protect the name of the band bearing Guns's own name," Riley registered a federal trademark for the L.A. GUNS name and logo — but now, two decades later, Guns claimed that the "Stephen Riley and Traci [sic] Guns Partnership" "is not and was never a valid entity." "No such partnership was ever formed," the complaint alleged. "Guns never agreed to share ownership of the L.A. GUNS trademark with Riley or any such partnership." In addition, the complaint stated that Guns "never agreed to allowed Riley to share ownership of the" L.A. GUNS trademark despite Riley's contention that he owned 49 percent of the rights.

"Guns never intended to convey any ownership interest to Riley (or any partnership) in the L.A. GUNS mark," the complaint stated. "Riley and Guns had no written partnership agreement, nor did they have an oral partnership agreement, nor did they act in a manner consistent with the intent to create a partnership pertaining to the ownership of any L.A. GUNS mark."

The complaint further said that the "Stephen Riley and Traci [sic] Guns Partnership" never registered a fictitious business name, as required under California law; never filed a tax return; has no bank accounts; and had no accounting records of any kind.

Interestingly, the complaint acknowledged Guns's 2002 departure from the group, but described it as "a brief hiatus from live performances and recording new music." It also stipulated that Guns "initially agreed to allow Riley to continue to tour and perform" as L.A. GUNS, but only for a two-year period, after which Guns would return to the group.

"However, shortly thereafter, Guns discovered that Riley had embezzled and/or converted royalties due and owing to Guns and other performers and songwriters," the complaint alleged. At that point, Guns allegedly "revoked Riley's license to use" the L.A. GUNS name.

It was because of this "falling out," the complaint said, that Guns "was not interested in rejoining" his own band, at which point he formed a competing version of the group. Still, the complaint alleged that because Guns founded the band and is its most recognizable member, any other version of L.A. GUNS should be considered "unauthorized" and "infringing."

"The Tracii Guns version of L.A. GUNS is the real version of the band in the public's mind," the complaint claimed. "When the public goes to see L.A. GUNS or thinks they are going to see L.A. GUNS, they go to see the band containing its namesake... and they go to hear the signature voice of Lewis, who recorded the lead vocals on nearly every L.A. GUNS album. They do not go to hear Riley, a drummer who, though [he] admittedly played on a number of L.A. GUNS albums, is neither the face nor the sound of L.A. GUNS."

The complaint also stated that Riley in 2015 received an advance of $13,750 from merchandiser Epic Rights, a company to which he purportedly claimed to be "the sole and exclusive owner" of the L.A. GUNS trademark.

According to the complaint, Guns had "been injured by Defendants' unfair competition," while he and Lewis had "suffered harm including damages and and irreparable injury to their goodwill." It also claimed that Riley's L.A. GUNS was formed "with the intent of tricking and confusing consumers into believing that the infringing L.A. GUNS band is the original [Tracii] Guns version" of the group.

In addition to actual and punitive damages, Guns and Lewis were seeking a "permanent injunction" that restrained all of the named defendants from using the L.A. GUNS name, logo and likeness, as well as "a declaration that Guns is the sole owner of the common law trademark rights" for the L.A. GUNS moniker "and any related design marks."

For much of the 21st Century, there have been two competing versions of L.A. GUNS — one featuring Riley (which, until 2016, also included Lewis), and another featuring Guns. After Guns and Lewis reunited in 2016, Riley's version of the group disbanded, but the former W.A.S.P. drummer relaunched a new version in 2019 with Nickels, guitarist Scott Griffin and vocalist/guitarist Kurt Frohlich. The group released its Golden Robot debut, "Renegades", last Novem

Ted Nugent has walked back his comment that COVID-19 is "not a real pandemic" — days after testing positive for the novel coronavirus.

The 72-year-old pro-gun activist revealed his COVID-19 diagnosis in a video on Monday (April 19), saying that he had never felt so sick in his entire life. He also said many people had warned him against announcing his diagnosis.

The outspoken conservative rocker, a staunch supporter of former U.S. president Donald Trump, previously referred to the virus as a "leftist scam to destroy" America's 45th president. "It's not a real pandemic and that's not a real vaccine, I'm sorry," he argued in a video posted on Christmas.

Nugent acknowledged his apparent change of mind while being interviewed by Florida's ABC7 earlier this week.

"There's been worse conditions and health problems in the past in this country and around the world where nobody ever shut down mom-and-pop diners and shut down entire economic societies in the United States of America," Ted said. "That's what I believe, and I will continue to believe that that's a hoax. But the pandemic is real, and the people that are sick are real."

In the past, Nugent had repeated a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggests the official death count from the coronavirus is inflated. He had also mocked people who wear face masks, despite that both the CDC and World Health Organization have urged their universal use.

On Tuesday (April 20), Nugent took to Facebook Live to call out the mainstream media for allegedly distorting his previous comments about the virus.

"The lies I've seen that I've been doing these public appearances knowing I had the COVID-19. False," Ted said. "Saying that I claimed COVID-19 was a hoax. False. I've always said… We have actually footage of me saying, if not hundreds, thousands of times… Of course there's a Chinese virus. Hello? Who thinks that I claimed there's no Chinese… There's a Chinese virus. They call it COVID-19. I'm well aware of that."

Nugent also addressed the fact that he previously blasted lockdowns on social media, publicly wondering why we "werent we shut down for COVID-1 through -18." (The number refers to 2019 — the year in which the disease was discovered. There was no COVID 1-18.)

"You know, comfortably numb is actually uncomfortably dumb, because when I said, 'What about COVID-1 through -18?', they missed the whole point," Ted insisted in Tuesday's Facebook Live stream. "I know there was not a COVID-1 through -18, but there were past COVIDs prior to COVID-19 that nobody ever shut down any mom-and-pop businesses, never encouraged the economic destruction of the entrepreneur engine that drives America. So I was merely commenting that prior to COVID-19, nobody ever shut down anything — not for Ebola [virus], not for the Spanish Flu, not for AIDS, not for the Black Plague. But they're doing it for COVID-19. So I was referencing those past epidemics-slash-pandemics as maybe a generalization of COVID-1 through -18."

He added: "You stupid motherfuckers. The left is such a great source of comedy. Keep it up. Richard Pryor isn't around anymore. We can't rely on him for the ultimate comedy, so we rely on the comfortably numb nuts, uncomfortably dumb nuts."

When Nugent first revealed his COVID-19 diagnosis, he described having a "stuffed up head," body aches and that he "literally could hardly crawl out of bed the last few days." "I thought I was dying," he said. He also used racist language to refer to the virus, calling it the "Chinese shit," and reiterated his previous stance that he wouldn't be getting the vaccine because he claimed — falsely — that "nobody knows what's in

STONE SOUR guitarist Josh Rand has joined forces with PARALANDRA singer Casandra Carson to form a new band called THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT. The new group's debut single, "The Nothingness", has just been released on all streaming services, to be followed by THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT's first EP, due this summer.

The official music video for "The Nothingness" can be seen below.

Last May, Rand told the "Behind The Vinyl" podcast that he was working on a new project. "As of right now, I have 12 songs musically done," he said at the time. "Right now I'm looking at vocalists — different vocalists."

Regarding the musical direction of his new material, Josh said: "It definitely is different than what I think most people would expect. I decided if I was gonna do anything that I wanted it not to sound like STONE SOUR 'cause it's going to, to some degree. So, a lot of it, half of these songs… I started playing — I shouldn't say I started playing piano. I know how to edit a mini-piano, so I'm a great piano player now… But a lot of 'em are piano-based, and I'm running with it like that. And I've also started incorporating all these different instruments — all kinds of crazy percussion and stuff. 'Cause I just wanted to have fun and be creative and not try to write the next '30/30-150' or have that pressure of trying to do that. So I'm just kind of running with it, and that's where I'm at."

STONE SOUR has been off the road and out of sight since completing the touring cycle for its 2017 LP "Hydrograd". Singer Corey Taylor has been working with SLIPKNOT since then, recording and touring behind that group's sixth effort, "We Are Not Your Kind". He also released his debut solo album, CMFT", last October. Rand has been promoting STONE SOUR's new live album, "Hello, You Bastards: Live In Reno", which came out in December 2019.

Last August, Corey said that he was open to doing more recording and touring with STONE SOUR at some point down the line. Asked if there is "a future" for STONE SOUR or if it's "kind of up in the air," Corey told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation Virtual Invasion": "It's kind of up in the air. I'm certainly not mad at STONE SOUR. [My solo album] is just something that has my attention; this is what I wanna do for a while.

"There's been some contention here and there, in the past — nothing that I'm gonna get into too much detail about — but it was just time for me to step away and do [the solo thing] for a while," he continued. "It was time for me to kind of do something different, and do it in a way that doesn't have the connotations of either band, to be honest.

"I'm still friends with everybody in STONE SOUR. Everybody in STONE SOUR is doing their own thing, and if the opportunity arose, I would absolutely do something with STONE SOUR. But for right now, this is really where my energy's at; this is where my focus is.

"I'll never say never, because, obviously, the best way to make God laugh is to announce your plans out loud," he added. "But this is what my focus is right now."

Corey's latest comments echo those he made in June, when he told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk": "Yeah, [STONE SOUR is] kind of [on] the backburner right now. We all kind of felt that we did exactly what we wanted to do on 'Hydrograd' [album] and we're just giving it a minute. I talked to the guys in the band about the solo thing and what I wanted to do, and they were all totally onboard with it. Everybody else has kind of got things going on, so they're all cool. Josh is actually working on a solo thing of his own, which is great. So, yeah, I think STONE SOUR is kind of on hiatus right now, which is fine. If someday we wanna get back together and do some stuff, it'll be bigger than it was. But for right now, we're all kind of focused on kind of doing our own thing. But you never say never in this business."

Black metal pioneers DARKTHRONE will release their new album, "Eternal Hails……", on June 25 via Peaceville.

Since forming in 1986 as BLACK DEATH in Kolboton, Norway, DARKTHRONE have been masters of their art. Dropping the death metal of 1991's "Soulside Journey" debut album in favor of a more primitive, black metal sound on the following year's "A Blaze In The Northern Sky", they helped define black metal in the '90s through albums like 1993's "Under A Funeral Moon" and its follow-up "Transilvanian Hunger". Truly, though, DARKTHRONE remain unique, even in their own canon.

On "Eternal Hails……", the longer, doomier songs reflect drummer Fenriz's love of doom, taking their time to make their point. For Fenriz, what he and co-conspirator Nocturno Culto have concocted stretches back even further than discovering black metal, to the sounds of the '70s and the more freewheeling sounds of bands playing with more expansive themes. This didn't just make the songs longer, it made them an entirely different beast from the ground up.

"When I was a kid growing up with metal I kept looking for bands with long songs. BLACK SABBATH had many, and CELTIC FROST's 'Dawn Of Meggido' had a long song, so I put that on in the record store and discovered another dimension of metal. CANDLEMASS's 'Epicus Doomicus Metallicus' had only long songs, so I think I bought that without even listening, and it was one of my best buys ever — an eternal inspiration for my entire career."

"For us, it has become a bit logical, hard to explain, but you get to build up for a different kind of listening," says Nocturno Culto. "A three-minute song is nothing we think of at the moment. We like it this way. For now."

Even a change of studio hasn't really changed anything in DARKTHRONE's DNA. Having recorded all albums since 2004 using their own Necrohell II studio — a portable 8-track recorder housed in an old bomb shelter, itself a replacement for the original Necrohell 4-track used for "Transilvanian Hunger" and "Panzerfaust", until it became "too necro" and broke — for "Eternal Hails……", the band went to Chaka Khan Studio in Oslo for the first time.

Though the material was almost all finished ahead of the session, something the new studio and new way of working did allow for on "Eternal Hails……", was the opportunity to experiment with ideas on the hoof.

In a world changing too fast for anything to stick, DARKTHRONE are both able to stay fresh, but also reassuringly reliable. And no matter where they record, what they do or what gear the use to do it — Fenriz actually ended up using a drum kit belonging to Carmine Appice when he was in Rod Stewart's band this time around — this, it seems, will never and can never change.

As Fenriz himself puts it: "No matter what happens we will still sound like us, it seems!"

The cover artwork features the piece "Pluto And Charon" (1972), from renowned science-fiction artist David A. Hardy; a hugely inspirational image for both Fenriz and Nocturno Culto spanning several decades, and this also stands as a symbolic link between the genre-bending styles apparent on DARKTHRONE's earliest works, to those same traits evident on "Eternal Hails……".

Track listing:

01. His Master's Voice [07:17]

02. Hate Cloak [09:16]

03. Wake Of The Awakened [08:24]

04. Voyage To A North Pole Adrift [09:24]

05. Lost Arcane City Of Uppakra [07:02]

Photo credit: Ester Segarra

Following is an update from the official Frank Zappa Facebook page:

"The first posthumous archival release from the '88 touring band focuses on the historic last show Frank Zappa ever played in the US, at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY, with live concert material taken from that show plus additional performances from Providence, RI and Towson, MD, all newly remixed from the 48-track digital master tapes. 

It features the first official release of 'The Beatles Medley' along with over 25 unreleased performances and liner notes by FZ’s drummer, Chad Wackerman and Vaultmeister, Joe Travers. Available June 18th on stream / download; on 2-CD; or a 4-LP 180-gram black vinyl box set. There is also a 4-LP 180-gram purple vinyl variant available exclusively through the Zappa Store and uDiscover online."

Pre-order / pre-save at this location.

Tracklist:

Disc 1

"We Are Doing Voter Registration Here"
"The Black Page" (New Age Version)
"I Ain’t Got No Heart"
"Love Of My Life"
"Inca Roads"
"Sharleena"
"Who Needs The Peace Corps?"
"I Left My Heart In San Francisco"
"Dickie’s Such An Asshole"
"When The Lie’s So Big"
"Jesus Thinks You’re A Jerk"
"Sofa #1"
"One Man, One Vote"
"Happy Birthday, Chad!"
"Packard Goose Pt. 1"
"Royal March From L’Histoire Du Soldat"
"Theme From The Bartok Piano Concerto #3"
"Packard Goose Pt. II"
"The Torture Never Stops Pt. I"
"Theme From Bonanza"

Disc 2

"Lonesome Cowboy Burt"
"The Torture Never Stops Pt. II"
"City Of Tiny Lites"
"Pound For A Brown"
"The Beatles Medley"
"Peaches En Regalia"
"Stairway To Heaven"
"I Am The Walrus"
"Whipping Post"
"Bolero"
"America The Beautiful"

 

 




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ASIA, the multi-platinum selling English supergroup, formed in London in 1981, is celebrating its 40th anniversary by releasing a five-CD box set, "The Reunion Albums: 2007-2012", on June 11 via BMG. This deluxe clamshell box set features the two-CD live recording "Fantasia: Live In Tokyo" together with the three reunion studio albums "Phoenix", "Omega" and "XXX".

ASIA took the world by a storm with its eponymous debut album, globally the biggest-selling album of 1982. The single "Heat Of The Moment", a huge soft-rock anthem, reached the Top 40 in over a dozen markets. peaking in the U.S. at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

The four original members of ASIA — John Wetton (KING CRIMSON; lead vocal/bass), Steve Howe (YES; guitar), Carl Palmer (EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER; drums) and Geoff Downes (THE BUGGIES, YES; keyboards), reunited to celebrate their 25th anniversary in 2006 and 2007 with a world tour. A live album from the tour "Fantasia: Live In Tokyo", was released in 2007 as they returned to the studio together for the first time in a quarter of a century. The reunion would yield three stunning albums, "Phoenix" (2008), "Omega" (2010) and "XXX" (2012) as they celebrated their 30th anniversary. Of these later albums, Palmer said: "The chemistry and energy that conies out when the four of us are working together is reflected in the new material." For his part, Wetton marvelled at how far the band had come. "Each one of us is comfortable as a human being, and the sound reflects the collective maturity of these four people who are not only eager to explore but also relaxed enough to luxuriate in the strength of the material," he said. This box set features the original ASIA lineup, reformed in 2006, and brings together, for the first time. all of ASIA's essential music into one concise collection.

"Fantasia: Live In Tokyo", the two-CD live show from ASIA's 2007 world tour, features many of the tracks from their first two albums, "Asia" (1982) and "Alpha" (1983), and includes "Heat Of The Moment" and "Don't Cry" together with heritage tracks from each of the band members musical history. The band also performed live. for the first time, an acoustic version of "Ride Easy", a B-side from the debut single "Heat Of The Moment". The box set collection is completed by the three reunion studio albums "Phoenix", "Omega" and "XXX". These represent some of ASIA's finest moments and allowed the band to explore fully their rock and progressive roots. These albums are presented together in a superb collector's edition boxset designed by Roger Dean, who produced all of the original albums' artwork. The box set cover image was previously unused and the "Fantasia" sleeve design has been updated by Roger.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY has shared the music video for the rip-roaring single "Heart Of Darkness" in continued celebration of its "None More Black" box set, available now via Entertainment One (eOne). The track originally appeared on BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's ninth studio album, 2014's "Catacombs Of The Black Vatican", now remastered and reissued as a double LP in the career-spanning "None More Black" box set that includes BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's deep catalog on 20 newly pressed and repackaged pieces of vinyl. The "Heart Of Darkness" official music video features Zakk Wylde and co. performing the fan favorite with psychedelic flair.

The "None More Black" box set features BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's 12 full-length studio albums in remastered and refurbished physical form for the first time alongside a 32-page hardcover photo book, "None More Black" bottle opener and the "Odin's Demolition Squad" back patch. It also includes a compilation of bonus tracks and reworked originals now on vinyl titled "Song Remains Not The Same Vol. 2", which features the track "Blind Man" that was shared as an official music video last week. In true Wylde fashion, the frontman also created an accompanying infomercial for the box set.

All original studio albums:

* "Sonic Brew"" - black/white marble x2 LP

* "Stronger Than Death" - black/apple marble x2 LP

* "1919 Eternal" - black/brown marble x2 LP

* "The Blessed Hellride" - black/silver marble LP

* "Hangover Music Vol. VI" - black/canary marble x2LP

* "Mafia" - black/neon coral marble x2LP

* "Shot To Hell" - black/tangerine marble LP

* "Order Of The Black" - black/grey marble LP

* "Catacombs Of The Black Vatican" - black/tan marble LP

* "Grimmest Hits" - black/olive marble LP

Two bonus albums

* "The Song Remains Not The Same II" - grey LP

* "Nuns and Roaches: Tasty Little Bastards" - black/magenta LP

In March 2020, Zakk Wylde told Billboard that he would spend April of last year composing the songs for BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's next disc and that he would record the LP in May and June of 2020.

He explained: "I don't demo or stockpile shit. Never have. I'm not like Prince, where he's recording stuff all the time. I just like to come up with a riff or an idea and be like, 'Why don't we track that one today?' It's like the beginning of a new season. It's always fun."

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY spent a couple of years touring in support of "Grimmest Hits", which was released in January 2018 via Entertainment One (eOne).

The band celebrated the 20th anniversary of its first album, "Sonic Brew", in 2019.

Zakk has been the on-again-off-again guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne since 1987, although he does not appear on the legendary heavy metal singer's latest LP, "Ordinary Man".

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY is:

Zakk Wylde - Vocals/Guitar

John "JD" DeServio - Bass

Dario Lorina - Guitar

Jeff Fabb - Drums

Dave Grohl was joined by his 15-year-old daughter Violet, former NIRVANA bassist Krist Novoselic, ex-SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo and producer Greg Kurstin for a performance of a cover of X's 1980 song "Nausea" on Tuesday night's (April 27) episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!". The track comes from Grohl's new documentary "What Drives Us", which premieres Friday, April 30. Dave and Violet originally recorded the cover for the documentary's soundtrack.

Directed by Dave Grohl and produced by FOO FIGHTERS. "What Drives Us" will be released in the U.S. exclusively on The Coda Collection — a unique, subscription streaming offering featuring an exclusive, curated selection of iconic music documentaries, concert films, and episodic series via Amazon Prime video channels, paired with a complimentary web site exploring new perspectives on music. "What Drives Us" will be available outside of the U.S. via Amazon Prime.

"This film is my love letter to every musician that has ever jumped in an old van with their friends and left it all behind for the simple reward of playing music," said Dave Grohl. "What started as a project to pull back the curtain on the DIY logistics of stuffing all of your friends and equipment into a small space for months on end eventually turned into an exploration of 'why?' What drives us?'"

"What Drives Us" is an homage to the moment in every musician's life when their commitment is tested and their desire to play music for others becomes an almost irrational act of blind faith. The first step to prove to yourself and the world that you belong is to load up your instruments, your talent and your courage, and get in the van to take your music to the world — a true rock and roll rite of passage.

The documentary is also a tribute to every young kid who dreams of a life playing music. Dave was that kid. As were Ringo Starr, The Edge, Annie Clark, Steven Tyler, Ian Mackaye and everyone in between. The list goes on forever. While they all have stories — outrageous, unbelievable, insane, as well as poignant stories — they all share a common bond. At some point, before anyone knew their name, they had an unstoppable drive to share their music with the world. Their passion led them to leave everything behind, throw caution to the wind, and chase their dream.

"What Drives Us" follows young bands RADKEY and STARCRAWLER who are taking on the world one town at a time, while also telling stories of the biggest artists in the music industry, recalling the romance and adventure, as well as the insanity and chaos, of their own time on the road. The film explores what it takes to turn a van into a home, and how the tricks of this trade have been handed down through the decades. There was a time before the digital age when players had to take the music to the people one show, one overnight drive, one dilapidated little club at a time. While the world has changed, the rite of passage has not. There is no other first step on the path to making it in music. You have to get in the van.

"What Drives Us" features interviews with an array of iconic figures spanning eras and genres, including Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Rami Jaffee, Pat Smear, Ringo Starr, Flea, Brian Johnson, St. Vincent, Slash, Duff McKagan, Ben Harper, The Edge, Mike Watt, Ian Mackaye, Starcrawler, RadKey, Exene Cervenka, Tony Kanal, DH Peligro, Charlie Gabriel, Jennifer Finch, Dave Lombardo, Kira Roessler, Pete Stahl, Lars Ulrich and Steven Tyler.

A Roswell Films/Therapy Studios production, "What Drives Us" was directed by Dave Grohl, produced by John Ramsay, James A Rota, Mark Monroe and FOO FIGHTERS, and edited by Dean Gonzalez. Jessica Young was the director of photography and Brandon Kim was the sound designer and mixer.

The Coda Collection features a highly curated library of the most sought-after concert films, music documentaries, episodic series, and more — bringing music's untold stories to life and deepening the connection between fans and artists. The Coda Collection offers hundreds of hours of exclusive concert and documentary content from artists ranging from such legendary icons as Jimi Hendrix, THE ROLLING STONES to contemporary premieres of new material by such diverse artists as EVANESCENCE, Billy Strings and JANE'S ADDICTION.

The Coda Collection's acquisition of Dave Grohl's "What Drives Us" signals the arrival of the new global home for the best music-centric original content and storytelling.

The Coda Collection is available to Amazon Prime members in the U.S. now for $4.99 per month, with a free 7-day trial, and will roll out globally throughout the rest of 2021. To see the complete library of titles available to stream exclusively on The Coda Collection and explore new perspectives on the artists and performances surrounding the most iconic moments in music, visit www.codacollection.co.

Grohl has been one of the most beloved and respected figures on the international music scene since his recorded debut with NIRVANA on 1991's generation-defining "Nevermind". Grohl took center stage with FOO FIGHTERS' 1995 self-titled debut, the first album in a massive 12-Grammy-winning catalogue, including the band's most recent release "Medicine At Midnight" (2021). Grohl has a well-earned reputation as a prolific collaborator through his work with Paul McCartney, THEM CROOKED VULTURES, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, late legends David Bowie and Lemmy Kilmister, as well as Mick Jagger, Neil Young, Elton John, NINE INCH NAILS, Roger Taylor and Brian May of QUEEN, to name a few.

In 2013, Grohl made his debut as a feature director/producer with the acclaimed documentary "Sound City" about the Van Nuys, California studio where NIRVANA recorded "Nevermind" in 1991, which would sell more than 30 million copies and transform the modern musical landscape. Premiering to unanimous raves at Sundance and achieving a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating, "Sound City" focused both on the history of the legendary studio and on the ongoing fight to preserve the human element of music. Grohl also directed the eight-part HBO docuseries "Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways", which premiered in October 2014 and went on to win two of the four Emmys for which it was nominated (outstanding sound mixing for nonfiction programming and outstanding sound editing for nonfiction programming).

RATT singer Stephen Pearcy has dropped the official music video for a previously unreleased solo song called "Don't Wanna Talk About It". The track was written "circa 2000s" entirely by Pearcy and features Stephen on vocals and guitar, Erik Ferentinos on lead guitar, Mike Duda on bass and Greg D'Angelo on drums.

"Don't Wanna Talk About It" arrives two months after the release of Pearcy's cover version of DURAN DURAN's 1981 hit "Girls On Film". Prior to that, Pearcy issued another new solo single, "Night Flight", a collaboration between Pearcy and Ferentinos, which is expected to appear on Stephen's upcoming sixth solo album, tentatively due later this year. The follow-up to 2018's "View To A Thrill" will reportedly feature 13 tracks.

Last July, Ferentinos, who has played with Pearcy for nearly two decades, told All Music/All Bands about the musical direction of Stephen's next album: "The new record will have the '80s rock sound that fans have come to expect from us with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. There are some heavy bangers on there that the RATT fans will love. I try to keep it edgy, but I want us to have a hit. I'm always trying to top what we've done so far, with catchier riffs and melodies to get more fans interested in our music."

Pearcy's fifth solo LP, "View To A Thrill", came out in November 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl. The follow-up to 2017's "Smash" was produced by Matt Thorne and Pearcy and was mixed and mastered by Thorne and Ferentinos.

Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT's current lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band are drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE, RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarist Jordan Ziff (RAZER).

In January, Pearcy told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band's classic lineup.

RATT hasn't released any new music since 2010's "Infestation" LP.

Impure Wilhelmina will be releasing their seventh full-length, Antidote, on May 21 via Season Of Mist. The band have released a video for the track, "Midlife Hollow", directed by Steven Blatter / Progressive Pictures.

The band comments: "‘Midlife Hollow' has always been one of our favourite tracks from Antidpte. Musically speaking, it is rather atypical in its construction while remaining perfectly coherent with the band's universe. In an atmosphere both tense and melancholic, the song speaks of the loss of illusions, the extinction of the inner fire, the rise of bitterness, the settling into solitude and the awareness of the brevity of existence. We are confronted with an unalterable destiny that holds us in its iron hand, as evoked by the telluric finale of the track."

Pre-order the album here.

Tracklisting:

“Solitude”
“Midlife Hollow”
“Gravel”
“Dismantling”
“Jasmines”
“Vicious”
“Torrent”
“Unpredicted Sky”
“Antidote”
“Everything Is Vain”

"Dismantling" lyric video:

“Gravel”:

(Photo - Mehdi Benkler)




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David Lee Roth has shared a couple of new pieces of original artwork in which he reflects on the racist past of his longtime hometown of Pasadena, California. Check out the artwork below.

VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen and his brother, VAN HALEN drummer Alex Van Halen, were sons of Dutch and Indonesian immigrants and spent their childhood in the Netherlands.

According to NBC News, the brothers' mother, Eugenia, met her future husband Jan, who was a traveling musician, in Indonesia when it was still under Dutch rule and the couple later moved to the Netherlands where Eddie and Alex were born.

Eugenia was treated like a "second-class citizen" in the Netherlands and the brothers were referred to as "half-breeds," according to an interview Eddie gave in 2017 with music journalist Denise Quan for Smithsonian's National Museum Of American History. The family left for the U.S. in 1962. Once they settled in the Pasadena, area, their issues with discrimination and racism continued.

"Now, you're in a whole other country where you can't speak the language, and you know absolutely nothing about anything and it was beyond frightening," Eddie said. "I don't even know how to explain but I think it made us stronger because you had to be.

"My first friends in America were black," Eddie explained. "It was actually the white people that were the bullies. They would tear up my homework and papers, make me eat playground sand, all those things, and the black kids stuck up for me."

Eddie passed away in October at the age of 65. His death was announced by his son Wolfgang.

VAN HALEN was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Eddie Van Halen No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.




pic.twitter.com/Fn2ZfvBhf0

— David Lee Roth (@DavidLeeRoth) April 26, 2021

DISTURBED, Incendium and Heavy Metal Entertainment have announced the launch of "Dark Messiah", a five-part comic book series. Published under Heavy Metal Entertainment and Incendium's music-focused OPUS imprint, the story was conceptualized by Incendium CEO Llexi Leon and Tim Seeley ("Nightwing", "Hack/Slash") and written by Seeley, with illustrations by Ángel Hernández ("Arrow", "Star Trek") and cover artwork by Ryan Christensen.

"Dark Messiah" takes place in the not-so-distant future, as firefighter Griffin DeSanto finds himself a man out of time, stumbling into a harsh world of poverty, automation, and subjugation. Technology rules and a tech empire built on suffering keeps the population in check through surveillance and mechanized policing. Though lost, Griffin is never alone. He was brought here for a reason, and The Vengeful One is his guide.

The iconic character and beloved mascot "The Guy" has been the faceless "face" of DISTURBED for over 20 years. This will be the first dive into The Guy's power's, history and lore, as we see him as The Vengeful One. "The Guy" has been featured in multiple DISTURBED music videos, including starring in Todd McFarlane's "Land Of Confusion" animated music video, and in cover artwork for the band. The Guy's origin was in album artwork for DISTURBED's 2000's "The Sickness", shown as a creepy smile with big teeth. After that, his first full-blown appearance was in the album artwork for "Ten Thousand Fists", where he was shown as a character with the same creepy, smiling face, cloaked by a hood, with an outfit made up of torn cloak and multiple chains, pumping his fist into the sky.

"Ever since 'The Guy' made his debut 20 years ago his evolution and transformation has only grown. We are excited to take 'The Guy' to the next level and bring his story to the forefront via both the comic book series and action figures. We can't wait to share this next chapter with all of you," DISTURBED said in a statement about the "Dark Messiah" series.

Seeley, who is also the editor-in-chief of Heavy Metal magazine, added: "the guys in DISTURBED have a lot of the same influences I do...horror movies, '90s superhero comics, punk music, and an interest in humanity and the fight against oppression. So, we've teamed up to give a story to 'The Guy', and it's going to be a savage horror epic about heroism, hope and a whole lot of teeth and chains."

Leon said: "DISTURBED's powerhouse of a mascot was destined for comics and we're thrilled to be developing the dystopian world of their immortal anti-hero, exploring the roots of his power, and digging into the rich history that's been teased to date through the bands iconic album artwork and music videos. With flames and chains in abundance, 'The Guy' action figure was also a must have, so we're realizing that out of the gate alongside issue one!"

"Dark Messiah" begins as a five-issue comic 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. The first issue is available to order now and ships in July 2021.

DISTURBED's "Dark Messiah" will extend beyond the printed page into toys, apparel, and collectibles, including an action figure of "The Guy".

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame band BON JOVI will kick off the "Encore Drive-In Nights" 2021 concert series with an exclusive brand-new show premiering on May 22, 2021. The never-before-seen concert will be broadcast at venues around the world, including approximately 300 drive-in and outdoor theaters across the United States, Canada and Ireland, and select indoor cinemas around the globe. BON JOVI's show follows the massive success of the "Encore Drive-In Nights" 2020 series, which hosted global superstars METALLICA, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Kane Brown and safely entertained nearly a million fans across North America.

"Encore Drive-In Nights" pioneered in-person entertainment in the COVID-era last year by hosting superstar acts for one-night-only shows broadcast for fans at outdoor venues across the country. As the world begins to reopen from the pandemic, "Encore Drive-In Nights" is continuing to reinvent live entertainment in a post-COVID world as well. These shows will enable fans who live outside of traditional touring stops to enjoy concerts by their favorite acts in ways that were never before possible.

"BON JOVI is a global icon and we're so happy that the band will be launching our 2021 concert season!" said Walter Kinzie, CEO at "Encore Drive-In Nights". "The pandemic has taught us that there are new avenues for live entertainment and this model is one of the safest and most innovative options for world-class, fun events for the whole family. There are millions of fans who don't usually attend live shows, whether it's because they live far away from the big touring arenas or because of the cost. Artists can now connect with these fans in a completely new way."

Over an illustrious career spanning more than three decades since their formation in 1983, BON JOVI has earned their place among global rock royalty and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as well as the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. With over 130 million albums sold worldwide, an extensive catalog of hit anthems, thousands of concerts performed in more than 50 countries for more than 35 million fans and ticket grosses well over $1 billion around the world in the last decade alone, BON JOVI is the consummate rock and roll band.

The "Encore Drive-In Nights" series is presented by leading event production company Encore Live, which has partnered with drive-in and outdoor theaters across the globe to provide fans world-class, live entertainment in a safe, creative way. Artists can broadcast their performance to a new global network of indoor theaters as well, thanks to an exclusive distribution agreement between "Encore Drive-In Nights" and Trafalgar Releasing, allowing fans that do not have an outdoor venue nearby to have an amazing concert experience at their local cinema. International screening dates outside of the U.S. and Canada will be announced soon.

Tickets for the BON JOVI show go on sale April 29 at 12 p.m. ET at bonjoviconcert.com. For more information and to see if a venue near you is presenting the show, visit encorenights.com or call your local theater. For a full list of procedures that the "Encore Drive-In Nights" is employing to keep fans and staff safe, visit encorenights.com.

According to Gothamist, this past weekend's hardcore concert at Tompkins Square Park in New York City is under investigation by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation for allegedly violating capacity limits instituted to stem the spread of COVID-19.

The April 24 event, which was headlined by MADBALL, reportedly drew between 2,000 and 3,000 spectators. The concert was organized by Black N' Blue Productions and was a free, unticketed event, but the bands — which also included MURPHY'S LAW, BLOODCLOT (former CRO-MAGS frontman John Joseph) and THE CAPTURERS — solicited donations on GoFundMe beforehand for the New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundation (over $6,000 was raised).

A New York City Department of Parks and Recreation spokesperson told Gothamist: "This matter is actively being investigated as the permit application filed and agreement appear to have been violated — future permits are in jeopardy."

Last month, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that beginning April 2, live performance venues in the state would be able to open indoor spaces at 33 percent capacity or up to 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors. If all attendees present proof of a negative coronavirus test prior to entry, capacity can increase to 150 people indoors and 500 people outdoors, according to the state.

Another hardcore show is currently scheduled to take place at the park on May 8 — featuring ANTIDOTE NYHC, KINGS NEVER DIE and THE LAST STAND — but that event may be in jeopardy now.

On Sunday (April 25), Joseph took to his Facebook to push back against the criticism over the fact that the crowds at Saturday's concert did not appear to be adhering to social distancing guidelines and were not wearing face masks. He wrote: "Yesterday in Tompkins Square Park well over 2000 peeps came out. Free show for the People by the People. It was a blast! We raised $ for the FDNY Burn Unit, and fed people organic plant based eats.

"And let me say this - to all those talking shit. For the last year in NYC there were protests - tens and thousands of people in the streets - some rioting and looting engaging in bias attacks - on 4/20 weed day - thousands filled Washington Square Park - sharing blunts and weed pipes. Nobody said shit. This was our PROTEST - OUR RALLY. People who didn't want to come - stayed away. Good - nobody missed their ass.

"Wanna thank Cousin Joe and The Black-n-Blue crew for doing an amazing job. All the bands killed it THE CAPTURES, WISDOM AND CHAINS, MURPHY'S LAW, and the KINGS of NYHC MADBALL. PMA was had - smiling faces everywhere - we all needed this! I hope other cities do the same."




We had close to 3000 people at the show yesterday in Tompkins Square Park - Everyone had a great time - thank you to all the bands that played and thanks to all those who came out I live streamed it for those who couldn’t make it - everybody have a great Sunday

— John Joseph (@jjcromag) April 25, 2021








Yes initially I was told 2000 peeps then someone counting bodies said 3000 in the park - amazing day https://t.co/5bQsv3p3v0

— John Joseph (@jjcromag) April 25, 2021






Yesterday in Tompkins Square Park well over 2000 peeps came out. Free show for the People by the People. It was a blast!...

Posted by John Joseph on Sunday, April 25, 2021



















Yesterday, in NYC, both Washington Square and Tompkins Square parks were packed with people for live music - and the photos have everyone pretty much shoulder to shoulder with very few masks in sight. So that should be good for a spike in the virus in about two weeks.

— Pixie Kruczynski is #Vaccinated. (@ANewAnimal) April 25, 2021








This screenshot is from one of several videos on youtube showing the all day concert in Tompkins Square Park TODAY @NYCHealthCommr @NY1 @nypost @DailyMail thousands of people screaming, dancing, moshpit chaos, stage diving almost all the people with no masks, any concerns? pic.twitter.com/KyTh2FDkTb

— Thiago Santiro (@thiagosantiro) April 25, 2021








Tompkins SQ Park NYC pic.twitter.com/PNqH5XH0v6

— BNB Productions (@BNBProductions) April 25, 2021






Here we go......Black N' Blue Productions presents: Sat. April 24 Madball / Murphy's Law / Bloodclot / The Capturers in...

Posted by The New York Hardcore Chronicles Page on Thursday, April 8, 2021

























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Playing old-school blackened death thrash metal with groove elements, Arkansas' Pantheon is preparing to take on new metal fans beyond their American shores, with the release of the vinyl edition of their first full-length, Age Of Wolvesm for Europe via Dutch label Doc Records and for South America via Brazilian label Old Shadows Records.

The vinyl will also be available in North America via Necrotic Records, in which the band originally unleashed the debut album digitally and on CD during July 2020. The vinyl will also feature two exclusive bonus tracks "Arcane Oath" and the band's cover of Black Sabbath's "Hand of Doom".

In lead up to the vinyl's release on May 27, the band is sharing a new lyric video for the album's title track, which can be seen below.

The band adds about the vinyl: "Age Of Wolves is an intricate merging of heavier, mid-paced poundage with the older, fast-paced death/thrash character. Its old school styles will feel familiar and nostalgic to veteran metal fans, but does it in such a way that it feels new and fresh."

A throwback to the glory days of death metal to simply headbang and enjoy, Age Of Wolves is a high-energy, brutal, dual guitar and vocal assault. For fans of Dissection, Carcass, At The Gates, Dying Fetus, Pantheon is ready to melt faces upon first listen.

The vinyl is due out May 27, 2021 with pre-order available at the following links:

- Necrotic Records - North America
- Old Shadows Records - South America
- Doc Records - Europe

Digital and CD available at Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp (CD).

Vinyl tracklisting:

"Serpent Death Cult"
"Awakening The Gods"
"Age Of Wolves"
"Lust Of The Beast"
"Left My Mark"
"Presence Of Dark"
"Choir Of Death"
"Eclipse Of The Worm Moon"

Bonus tracks (vinyl only):
"Arcane Oath"
"Hand of Doom" (Black Sabbath cover)

"Serpent Death Cult" lyric video:

Album and live band lineup:

B.J. Cook - Vocals, Lead Guitar
Buzzy Leistikow - Vocals, Guitar
Donnie Larkin - Drums
Jeremiah Baker - Bass




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GRETA VAN FLEET singer Josh Kiszka has dismissed the notion that rock is dead, saying that rock is a "very elastic" and "eclectic genre."

While rock and roll has been king of the music world for decades, in the past few years, it's been unseated by the growing popularity of hip-hop. This has caused many pundits to proclaim the genre "dead" from an industry perspective, noting that it has been eclipsed in all measures by pop, hip-hop, and EDM.

A few years ago, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons told Esquire magazine that "rock did not die of old age. It was murdered. Some brilliance, somewhere, was going to be expressed and now it won't because it's that much harder to earn a living playing and writing songs. No one will pay you to do it."

A number of hard rock and heavy metal musicians have weighed in on the topic in a variety of interviews over the last several years, with some digging a little deeper into Simmons's full remarks and others just glossing over the headline.

Kiszka, who is currently promoting GRETA VAN FLEET's sophomore album, "The Battle At Garden's Gate", spoke about rock's supposed diminishing status during a recent interview with NME. Addressing the whole "rock is dead" debate, Josh said: "Maybe the world of rock [Gene] remembers is dead. I think rock and roll is a very elastic genre, it's a very eclectic genre. It seems like every once in a while, a generation reinterprets what that is… And I've heard a lot, throughout the years, I guess people blowing hot air about…

"I think rock and roll can become dormant, but you can't kill something that supersedes time," he continued. "It's an attitude and a spirit and a celebration. I think people pass the torch and time moves on.

"I think there's probably a lot of people that would disagree with him," Kiszka concluded.

The "rock is dead" argument has popped up again and again throughout the years, including in 2018 after MAROON 5 lead singer Adam Levine told Variety magazine that "rock music is nowhere, really. I don't know where it is," he said. "If it's around, no one's invited me to the party. All of the innovation and the incredible things happening in music are in hip-hop. It's better than everything else. Hip-hop is weird and avant-garde and flawed and real, and that's why people love it."

"The Battle At Garden's Gate" was released on April 16 via Lava/Republic.