The At The Movies project - launched by Pretty Maids guitarist Chris Laney due to the COVID-19 pandemic - caught fire over the course of 2020, and project has now moved on to movie soundtrack covers from the '90s. Check out their take on the Belinda Carlisle (The Go-Go's)  hit "Heaven Is A Place On Earth", which was featured on the soundtrack for the 1997 movies Romy And Michele's High School Reunion staring Lisa Kudrow. 

The song was originally released in 1987 on Carliske's second solo album, Heaven On Earth.

The core At The Movies players are:

Björn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork) - lead / backing vocals
Linnéa Vikström Egg (Therion) - lead / backing vocals
Chris Laney (Pretty Maids) - guitars
Allan Sørensen (Royal Hunt, Pretty Maids) - drums
Morten Sandager (Pretty Maids) - keyboards
Pontus Norgren (HammerFall) - guitars
Pontus Egberg (King Diamond) - bass

Stay tuned for more.




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LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia was a guest on the The Pit 's podcast "Last Words". Asked if she and her bandmates have used the coronavirus downtime to work on new music, she said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No. To be honest, no, because we didn't want any of our music to be connected with this period, because it wasn't something that we wanted to talk about. Of course, unconsciously, it will be inspiring us for the next record, because everything everything you live translates into music and lyrics unconsciously.

"The thing is that when you write a new record, it's because you're inspired by something," she explained. "But if you don't travel, if you don't live experiences, if you don't meet new people and [see] new cultures, I find it hard to find inspiration only through movies and — I don't know — series on TV. I need to live to be inspired, and the same for the guys [in the band]."

Cristina went on to say that she and the rest of LACUNA COIL have previously used negative personal experiences as fuel for their songwriting. "I feel really inspired when something bad is happening, but at least something is happening, and I'm living it," she said. "But this [pandemic] situation is really static."

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

Organized by KeepOn Live, Arci, Assomusica and Live DMA, the "L'Ultimo Concerto?" campaign was announced in January when the venues shared images on social media of their year of foundation and the year 2021 with a question mark, suggesting that their closures due to the coronavirus pandemic could be permanent.

Between March and June 2020, the Italian government imposed a national lockdown by restricting people's movements to contain the pandemic. Thus, museums and cinemas closed and all cultural events were either canceled or rescheduled.

Around 300,000 people working in theaters, music venues, cinemas and cultural spaces in Italy have been rendered jobless since they shut their doors due to the coronavirus crisis.

In September, LACUNA COIL took part in "Black Anima: Live From The Apocalypse", an exclusive streaming show featuring a full performance of the band's latest album, "Black Anima", for the very first time, including songs never performed live, plus special backstage/off-camera moments and more. The Italian heavy rockers played the concert from the Alcatraz Club in Milan. "Black Anima: Live From The Apocalypse" was hosted on A-Live.

On March 29th, international all-stars melodic death metal band Act Of Denial unleashed their fourth single, "Slave", featuring ex-Soilwork guitarist Pete Wichers. Stream and buy "Slave" here. The official video for the song will be released soon.

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

The band lineup is a metal who’s who and features vocalist Björn Strid (Soilwork), bassist Steve Di Giorgio (Death, Testament), drummer Kerim "Krimh" Lechner (Septicflesh) and keyboardist John Lönnmyr (The Night Flight Orchestra). The band also features other big names and special guests such as Bobby Koelble (Death), Peter Wichers (ex-Soilwork), Matias "IA" Eklundh (Freak Kitchen) and Ron ‘’Bumblefoot’’ Thal (Guns N' Roses, Sons of Apollo) who all contributed solos to the album.

The band's debut album has been preceded by three recent singles: "Puzzle Heart", "Controlled" and "Down That Line". Negative was mixed at Studio Fredman by legendary producer Fredrik Nordström (At The Gates, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, Arch Enemy).

Tracklist:

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

"Puzzle Heart"

"Controlled"

"Down That Line"




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Finnish melodic metal band Evil Drive strikes back again! On their upcoming third album, they present themselves more powerful, and with major musical and technical improvements. Demons Within will be launched and distributed worldwide on April 2nd by Reaper Entertainment Europe.

Evil Drive "proudly present to you, our third and final single before the album's release. Here is 'Demons Within'."

Demons Within artwork and tracklisting:

"Payback"
"Breaking The Chains"
"Demons Within"
"Rising From The Revenge"
"We Are One"
"Too Wild To Live Too Rare To Die"
"Lord Of Chaos"
"Bringer Of Darkness"
"In The End"
"Ghost Dimension"

"Rising From The Revenge":

"We Are One":

Evil Drive are:

Viktoria Viren - vocals
J-P Pusa - guitar
Ville Viren - guitar
Antti Tani - drums
Matti Sorsa - bass

For further details, visit Evil Drive on Facebook.

 




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Swedish melodic death metal combo Silent Verdict has released "I Am Forsaken" - the first single and lyric video from the band's upcoming album Condemned, due for release via WormholeDeath worldwide on April 30th.

"'I Am Forsaken' is a fast and heavy song about the beasts inside us all, and seems appropriate to launch as the first song to hint about what this album is about," says Silent Verdict.

A band statement reads: "Silent Verdict are a melodic death metal band from Sweden. After releasing our first EP, Azrael, and playing some gigs, we felt the next step was to start writing material for our debut full-length album. Just at the very beginning of this writing process, we were lucky to be discovered by producer Jonathan Mazzeo, who connected us with record label WormholeDeath. After having done approximately five songs, both parts felt it was the right time to sign a record deal. We proceeded to record the album with Jonathan Mazzeo (The Grid Europe) in Pistoia, Italy and the final product is the album Condemned."

Tracklisting:

"Pure" 
"Cinder" 
"I Am Forsaken" 
"Before You Were Hated" 
"Panic" 
"Gone" 
"Kings Of Heresy" 
"The Living Are Truly Dead" 
"Nocturnal Law" 
"Unholy Arrival"

 




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Die Laughing Records present their new signing Slamdinistas! The first single for the label, "Little Troublemaker (Live)", is the killer tune made famous by Ian McLagan of The Faces on his 1979 solo LP. This blistering live version burns hot with Slamdinistas love for all things Faces and Stones - the sparks fly high off this rock ‘n’ roll gem. 

Hark back to the glory days of '70s rock ‘n’ roll as Slamdinistas deliver a sound that perfectly blends US and UK influences of the era.

Slamdinistas bring raw, in-your-face, street rock and roll. Their song "Brand New Day" recevied massive radio respect, including regular play on Rodney Bingenheimer’s Sirius XM radio show, Underground Garage. This, and their incendiary live show at a label honcho’s Halloween Birthday Bash brought Slamdinistas to the attention of Die Laughing Records / Golden Robot Records. What next? The prestigious label signed them immediately.

Each band member has made claim to his own piece of music history – as they say, guilty by association!

Vocalist Gabriel Johns is a  longtime singer / songwriter, LA club booker, and has worked with his own bands Shelter, and FiDo.

Guitarist / producer Loren Molinare is a Michigan transplant whose band, The Dogs, left a serious mark on the seminal Detroit punk rock scene. He's also played with Little Caesar and Michael Des Barres & The Mistakes.

Guitarist Michael Gavigan has played on and produced recordings by The Blessings.

Bassist Paul Ill has recorded and performed with The Willie Dixon Family Band, Tina Turner and Linda Perry.

Drummer Brian Irving has worked with Chris Spedding, Gilby Clarke, and Glitter Trash.

These fine gents, whose collective roots grip deep in the LA rock scene, realized their studio chemistry worked so well, it's as if the band had several tours behind them. The sound born on those fateful sessions brings you: Slamdinistas!






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Nocturnal Hollow is a death metal outfit that came to form in Venezuela in 2010. Assembled and led by JR Escalante, to this day they continue to write brutal content that positions them as clear references in Latin American metal.

Made up of musicians with a long history both in local bands and in international projects, their music recalls the golden age of the genre offering a direct and raw proposal for fans. They are supported by major record labels that have printed, distributed and promoted their music around the world. In turn, important magazines and blogs have described the music of Nocturnal Hollow as "consistent and competitive to the world market of extreme metal".

They are currently promoting their seventh studio album, Triumphantly Evil, a record that stands out for its aggressiveness and density. Everything is pushed even further to the extreme. The track "Baphomet Crown" can be heard below.

About the new album: Triumphantly Evil was released on February 21. This seventh LP in their discography is presented as a faster and a more aggressive one. Those are the elements that the band sought to capture in this record work.

JR Escalante, leader of the group, commented in relation to this release: "We always try to experiment by putting ourselves at a level above our abilities. The type of sound is the same, always faithful to the roots of Swedish death metal. However, we seek to add certain elements of our musical tastes so that the result of this album comes out different."

Triumphantly Evil tracklisting:

"Shining Blaze Of Hell"
"Baphomet Crown"
"Bound To The Gore"
"Down To Void"
"Consumed By The Storm"
"In Rapture Of Pain"
"Through The Haze Of Dead"
"Voices Come From The Night"
"King Of Wrath"
"Remembrance Of Murder"
"Necrophiliac" (Slayer cover)

"Baphomet Crown":

Lineup:

JR Escalante: Guitar, Bass & Vocals
George Knive: Drums




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Montreal’s Vinyl Hero is paying homage to one of the great English rockers with their cover of “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel. The song will be celebrating its 35th anniversary, as it was originally released on April 21, 1986. The band will also be commemorating the classic track with a music video to follow next month.

The cover version can be heard below, and at Spotify.

Committed to breaking the mold of creativity and stretching the boundaries of what we all grew up calling “Good Old Rock n Roll”, the band pulls no punches when delivering bouncy, enthusiastic songs. The cover of “Sledgehammer” is no exception and is the first in a series of singles set to be released as they explain:

“We decided to release single by single. To make it easier for our fans to get to know us better and join us in the excitement after every single release. Fans should be expecting a bunch of new material for 2021.”

Vinyl Hero has established a distinct sound over the years and continues to release songs with a lot of soul, depth, tone, heartfelt lyrics, and powerhouse choruses. Along with this colourful reimagining of a classic track, the upcoming batch of singles will be a great representation of the band and the story they want to tell to their fans. Page by page, chapter by chapter.

No strangers to the stage, Vinyl Hero boasts an impressive live performance resume including multiple appearances at Indie Week in Toronto and Nappanee’s VoodooRockFest as well as touring across Quebec and Ontario. Their live shows are a continuous rollercoaster of entertainment from start to finish. They deliver high octane, fast-paced, honest, and real rock show. No bells or whistles, just three guys on one stage.

Vinyl Hero’s tunes are recommended for anyone who appreciates rock in all forms, especially fans of Queens Of The Stone Age, Stone Temple Pilots, and Big Wreck.




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Blameshift have released their official sports themed music video for their single, "Came For Blood", that came out on March 5.

The music video is the first for the band to tie in a sports theme into the story line. "Came for Blood" was filmed at NY Martial Arts Academy in Brooklyn and was directed by Tom Flynn (Lamb Of God, All That Remains).

Blameshift has partnered with PRS guitars and world famous painter Ron Williams aka RONZWORLD in support of their new single. Everyone who shares the video will get an automatic entry to win the Official PRS Guitar “Came for Blood” giveaway hand painted by Ron Williams.

"Came For Blood" can be streamed/downloaded here. Watch the music video below.

The story of "Came for Blood": As fate would have it, we recorded this song right before the pandemic hit. It was Jan 2020 and the band flew to LA to record some new songs with our producer Erik Ron (Godsmack, Panic at the Disco). The game plan was to release this first single and tour non-stop as usual. Fast forward the song came out on March 5th followed by the music video with an MMA /Fight Club Vibe. "Came For Blood" is about the underdog getting last licks and winning. It hits home more than we knew after the rest of 2020 ran it's course.

Ron Williams aka RONZWORLD gained popularity among Rock fans and musicians in 2015 by partnering with The Music Experience to deliver custom/hand painted "Official Festival Guitars" to the Danny Wimmer Presents portfolio of music festivals (Welcome to Rockville, Epicenter, Sonic Temple, Bourbon & Beyond, HomeTowm Rising, Louder Than Life and Aftershock). Blameshift was fortunate enough to get Ron on board as they launched a contest around their new single, "Came For Blood." The band's good friends at PRS Guitars supplied the canvas and Ron got to work.

"Came For Blood" came out on March 5th and Blameshift are giving away a PRS Guitar hand- painted by world famous artist Ron Williams.

More Ways To Win:

1. Enter To Win (3X Entries) here
2. Buy Merch (2X Entries) here

Winner announced end of March.




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Modern metal band, Dreamshade, released their fourth album, A Pale Blue Dot, on March 5. The album is available here, while merch is available here.

The band has just dropped the video for "Safe Harbour", which can be seen below.

"The lyrics are inspired by our fans and all the people who are truly energized by music and live it as a personal and profound experience," says singer Kevin Calì. "The people who use music as a reason to go on and live life to the fullest and as a refuge to always come back to when something goes wrong 'in the world out there,' outside of our headphones. From this idea, 'Safe Harbour' was born. We wanted to make listeners understand that within this song/album/band, they can always find the refuge they need — whenever they need it."

He finishes, "Sonically, we wanted a very powerful song we could start our live shows with and instantly engage with the audience. This song also represents our mindset in heavy music. We chose to go against the tide. As many other bands tune lower and lower, we decided to go higher. The song is in E! We think that putting this one at the beginning of the records sets the record straight right from the start and shows our attitude as songwriters and as a band."
Dreamshade also shared a drum playthrough for "Shanghai Nights." Watch it here.

The record was mixed and mastered by Grammy-nominated producer Jacob Hansen in Denmark, who also worked on 2013's The Gift Of Life.

The album includes two features - New York-based Italian pop singer Rose Villain and Darkest Hour's John Henry.

The closing song, "Save This", boasts a very special collaboration the band included gang vocals from 517 Dreamshade fans from 70 different countries, all shared through WhatsApp. Because #technology.

Tracklisting:

"Safe Harbour"
"Lightbringers"
"Question Everything"
"Step Back"
"Stone Cold Digital" (Feat. Rose Villain)
"Impulse"
"toD-eulB-elaP-(A)"
"Shanghai Nights"
"Elephant"
"Somewhere Else"
"On My Own"
"Nothing But The Truth" (Feat. John Henry of Darkest Hour)
"A Place We Called Home"
"Save This"

"Lightbringers" visualizer:

Dreamshade are:

Kevin Calì - Vocals
Fernando 'Fella' Di Cicco - Guitars, Vocals
Gian-Andrea Costa - Bass, programming
Luca Magri - Guitars, programming
Francesco "Fry" Ferrini - Drums




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Both Lacrimosa and Evil Masquerade are bands that have been around for ages, yet you don't hear much about them in the mainstream rock media.

When Lacrimosa mainman, Tilo Wolff, asked Henrik Flyman if Evil Masquerade wanted to contribute to the band's 30 Years Anniversary Box with a cover, he immediately accepted. The choice fell on the title track from Lacrimosa's 2012 release, Revolution.

Henrik comments in the Anniversary Box booklet: "It still feels uncomfortably up-to-date."

This new English version has Evil Masquerade written all over it. Powerful, quirky and dark. Evil Masquerade's singer, Nicklas Sonne, manages to elevate it even further with his expressive, and at times almost explosive, performance.

The new "Revolution" is now released as a single by Dark Minstrel Music. You can check it with the music video below, and on Spotify.




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EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee spoke to Alternative Press about how the band's original record label Wind Up threatened not to release the group's debut album, "Fallen", if she and her bandmates didn't add a male voice to lead single "Bring Me To Life" to make it more palatable for radio.

The album version of "Bring Me to Life" — which featured guest vocals from Paul McCoy of 12 STONES — reached No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and was EVANESCENCE's first U.K. No. 1 single. It was included on the soundtrack of superhero film "Daredevil" which helped propel sales.

Lee said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was really, really against having any male vocal in our music. That was really hard. And it was an idea that came from the label. And it suddenly all became about 'Bring Me To Life'; they decided that was the song. I actually didn't think that should be the first [single]; I wanted it to be 'Going Under'. They came up with this idea about having something in there that would be familiar to listeners in order to get us on the radio. I didn't really understand what that meant.

"I was really inspired by artists that were unique," she continued. "Like, what's great about all the artists [like] NIRVANA and SOUNDGARDEN and Björk was that there was nothing else really like them. And that, to me, was the key ingredient and something that I believed — and still believe — that we have. And, in my head, the more you try and make it familiar, the more you're taking away from our true power.

"The original fight was that the label wanted us to hold auditions and bring somebody into the band full-time to sing on most of the songs and make it a thing — try to be the 'female LINKIN PARK.' And I was, like, 'I'll think about it,' for, like, an hour, and then we called them back, and I was, like, 'We can't do that. It's not gonna happen. I'd rather start over. It's just not who we are. And I don't want that.' And then they took away our funding and I moved back in with my parents. And it was hard after all the buildup — we got signed, I quit school, moved to L.A., and it's, like, 'No, actually, we're coming home.' We didn't get actually to do it. It was hard, but in my heart, it was broken, but I knew that it was better than the alternative. It wasn't totally selling my soul. And then, a few weeks later, we got a call, and they'd kind of come around to a compromise, and decided, 'Hey, we have a cool movie placement thing with this 'Daredevil' deal, and we pitched it to 'em as this male-female thing, 'cause there's a fight scene, and that's kind of what scored it.' So now there's a reason. And it's only gotta be one song; it doesn't have to be your whole identity changing. That made it okay for me. I tried one last time. I was, like, 'Can we just make the first single 'Going Under' first, and then do that?'

"I just really was concerned that people would hear that sound — like, this is the band — and expect it to always be that," Amy added. "And it was not who we were. I hate that — I hate it when you hear a first single from a band and you think they're one thing, and then you hear the rest of the album, and it's, like, 'Oh, that's not what I thought this was. You just did that to get me in, and you tricked me.' But I loved the song, and Paul was really sweet. And it took some sacrifice for him to be a guest vocalist on that song, he didn't realize, because it skyrocketed in a way that sort of overshadowed what he was trying to do. So I feel for him. And I don't always wanna talk about it like I don't like [his contributions]. I love him. We were just kids in a crazy moment in time."

"Fallen" sold 17 million copies and won two Grammys, including "Best Rock Performance" for "Bring Me To Life".

EVANESCENCE's latest album, "The Bitter Truth", arrived on March 26 via BMG. It is EVANESCENCE's first album of original music in ten years.

In a new interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio, FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson was asked what keeps the band inspired to continue to make new music after all these years. He responded: "Like anybody, you wanna be relevant. Mick Jones [FOREIGNER guitarist and founder] has a very open-eyed attitude about everything; he understands where the market's at. So, for him, it's all about, well, these songs have just gotta be great; that's all. I don't think he's thinking in terms of, are they going to be a hit or whatever, because who knows about that anymore. But making it great. And it's really fun watching Mick, and then the rest of the band kind of react to that, because it really ups your game.; you have to really bring it to make something really special. And it's good for you as a writer, it's good for you as a musician and as a producer. Any time I can be with Mick, I value, 'cause he's just such a brilliant, wonderful dude and such an amazing songwriter. So, what excites us is the music itself, and that's how it should be."

Regarding the secret to FOREIGNER's longstanding success as a band, Pilson said: "It's the songs, for sure. FOREIGNER was really never much of an image band, so I would say it's definitely the music. I mean, you could talk to people on the street, and you may find a lot of people that don't really know the name FOREIGNER, but you won't find anybody that hasn't heard of 'Cold As Ice' or 'Hot Blooded' and stuff like that. So the songs and the music are more famous than the band, which is amazing, because it gives us the ability to do this long-term touring and bringing it out there. I mean, it's just an amazing collection of songs that FOREIGNER has. It's amazing — it really is. I mean, 16 Top 30 songs. How many bands can say that? It's really special. So, yeah, it's the music that's connecting with people. And, sure, people have fallen in love with personalities and all that kind of stuff over the years, but I really think it's the music. And I love that, because I love the music too."

FOREIGNER's last album, 2009's "Can't Slow Down", was the only full-length collection of new songs to have been released by the band since Kelly Hansen took over vocals after original singer Lou Gramm left the band for good in 2002. The album entered the Billboard Top 30, driven by the radio singles "In Pieces" and "When It Comes To Love". The band also has released a series of live albums and compilations, including 2016's "In Concert: Unplugged" and 2017's "40".

FOREIGNER's current lineup is rounded out by Thom Gimbel (rhythm guitar, sax, vocals), Michael Bluestein (keyboards), Bruce Watson (guitar) and Chris Frazier (drums).

Earlier today (Monday, March 29), KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was a guest on KTLA 5 Morning News where he discussed his and his wife's recent decision to sell their Beverly Hills home and relocate to the state of Nevada full time.

Simmons has been very vocal about his desire to leave California for some time due to wanting a quieter lifestyle and to get away from being listed on celebrity maps or having to deal with Beverly Hills tour buses.

"Our beautiful home in Beverly Hills on two acres, about 14,000 square feet, swimming pool, back rubs whenever you want — all the accoutrement, which is my French word of the day — we've loved this house and we've loved L.A. for so long," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "We've raised our two kids, who've now moved on and bought their own homes in the Hollywood Hills. It's time for Shannon and I to move out of L.A. and California. So we're moving to Lake Tahoe, Nevada. In the meantime, it's a very sad but also a happy time. It's sad because we raised our kids in this gorgeous home, but it's also a happy time because it's the next phase. So no more celebrity tour buses at the front door, no more Hollywood star maps."

He continued: "A home, a house, it's more than property and all that — it's our home; it's where our kids are raised. And so I really hope the folks who buy this home are gonna get as much joy as we have in this. It's like graduating high school or maybe leaving home; you love your mom and dad, and at some point, you've gotta move on. This is the next phase."

Last fall, Simmons put his Beverly Hills house on the market for $22 million. He later relisted it for $25 million after it never sold and he reportedly invested a lot of money in making improvements.

"The taxes [in California] are just insurmountable," Gene said. "But for us, it's a tug of the heart. We bought a four-acre property over [in Lake Tahoe]. There's lots of land. There's 96 acres next door that I wanna buy. Just sort of a change of page. Less of the hubbub. And no more traffic jams, no more earthquakes and no more fires. But, again, we love L.A. and love the home, but it's time for a change."

Simmons told The Wall Street Journal last October that part of the reason he and his wife listed the two-acre property in Benedict Canyon because the home had become too big for the both of them since their children had grown up.

Gene and Shannon were married in 2011 after dating since 1975. They have two children, Nick, 32, and Sophie, 28.

Gene, Shannon and their kids all appeared on the reality TV series "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" from 2006 until 2012.

For the past few months, Gene has been vocal about people taking the COVID-19 outbreak seriously. He has also blasted Americans who are defiantly skeptical of mask wearing, saying that their refusal to follow the rules is putting all of our health at risk.

In its 48-year career, KISS has accumulated 23 gold and platinum albums — more than any other U.S. band.

British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley, who fronted IRON MAIDEN more than 20 years ago, spoke to the Crowcast about how the rise of grunge in the early 1990s forced most hard rock bands off the radio and MTV, with album and tour sales plummeting.

"When I was in MAIDEN, we were at war with grunge, man," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "Grunge was trying to kill us. The U.K. press, they thought the sun shone out of various bands' bottoms, and they wanted MAIDEN to die. We went into the heartland of death — we played Seattle at the height of grunge, man, and it was one of the most awful gigs I've ever done. There were these people looking at us like we were some kind of dinosaur, and they were going, 'Why aren't they dead yet?' And then you've got a few rows at the front going, 'MAIDEN! Yes!' It's just unbelievable. And that's the war that we had with [1995's] 'The X Factor' and [1998's] 'Virtual XI'. We were fighting for the very existence of real heavy metal. And where are they now? Metal is forever, 'cause it's in the heart of fans.

"I'm sorry, but grunge, it was fashionable," Blaze continued. "And the best thing about what I do is it's not fashionable. I'm always unpopular, and that's why I've lasted so long. I'm tiny, but if I was gonna be really popular, I would be up, then gone. 'Have you heard of Blaze Bayley?' 'Yeah, isn't he that artist that's really small, a cult figure?' 'Yeah.' And they've been saying that for 25 years, the same thing. So because of that, I haven't disappeared. If everybody liked me, it would be kiss of death for my career."

In a 2014 inteview with The Metal Voice, Blaze said that he didn't leave MAIDEN of his own accord. "I was fired," he said. "They said I wasn't good enough. And I said, 'Well, is Bruce [Dickinson] coming back?' And they said, 'Yes.' And I think what was happening at the time was that worldwide, CD sales had gone down and EMI had closed all their manufacturing facilities around the world. The record business was shrinking, so, really, I think it was more of a business decision that Bruce came back at the time. And, yeah, I was just gutted by that. I think it took me about four years, really, before I kind of accepted what had happened. And I think, really, if things had been slightly different, then it would have been very difficult for Bruce to come back, because the songs that I was working on at the time, the ideas for what I thought would be [my] third IRON MAIDEN album, I really thought that that would be it, that third album would really show fans that we were serious and that this lineup would work. But I didn't get the chance to make that third album."

Bayley fronted IRON MAIDEN from 1994 until 1999. The two MAIDEN albums he appeared on, "The X Factor" and "Virtual XI", sold considerably less than the band's prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group's home country since 1981's "Killers".

Since leaving IRON MAIDEN in 1999, Bayley has released a number of albums, including several under the moniker BLAZE and more than a handful under his own name. He also appeared on 2012's "Wolfsbane Saves The World", the first album of new material by WOLFSBANE since the group's self-titled 1994 effort.

Blaze will release a new studio album, "War Within Me", on April 9. All songs were written and produced by Blaze and guitarist Christopher Appleton.

"War Within Me" finds Blaze moving forward from the success of his "Infinite Entanglement" trilogy released in consecutive years 2016-2018. The 10 brand new songs draw influences from Blaze's experience with IRON MAIDEN, plus his extensive solo career which started with his "Silicon Messiah" album in year 2000.

"War Within Me" is not a concept album but does include a positive thread throughout. The LP was recorded during 2020 with work split between Blaze's studio at home in the West Midlands and Christopher Appleton's studio in Greater Manchester. The now-very-consistent lineup, chosen from British metal band ABSOLVA, played on the album — Christopher Appleton (guitar, backing vocals), Martin McNee (drums), Karl Schramm (bass). Blaze and Appleton shared the work mixing and producing, while Ade Emsley (IRON MAIDEN, TANK, BRITISH LION, VOODOO SIX) handled the mastering. The striking and detailed artwork is provided by Akirant Illustration (IRON MAIDEN, "Star Wars").

Alex Skolnick has defended his right to speak out on political issues, saying that part of his motivation in pursuing music in the first place was to not be forced to suppress that which he wanted to express.

The TESTAMENT guitarist discussed his decision to publicly express his political views in an opinion piece for Newlines Magazine.

Skolnick wrote, in part: "True artistry includes challenging your fans on occasion. Some will come along and discover new ways of seeing. Others will prefer the comfort of their prejudices, hurl insults, and hit 'unfollow.' At a time when attention has become a prized commodity, the fear of losing one's audience is understandable. But we forget that it was fearless acts of imagination that built that audience in the first place. If there are risks to political activism, there are also gratifications to offset them. Every time I have spoken out on a political issue, I've alienated a few. I have also had my views amplified by journalists and opinion-makers, some of them household names. This in turn has brought me to the attention of people beyond my immediate audience — new follows, more retweets. The biggest loss to me would be to succumb to fear and suppress my voice at a time like this.

"Part of my motivation in pursuing music in the first place was to not be forced to suppress that which I wanted to express," he added. "I wouldn't have lasted long in a regular job that requires you to bottle up your feelings, put on a happy face, and suck up to those on whom your income depends. The 1999 Mike Judge film 'Office Space' deftly satirizes such an environment. And in some respects, the hordes of disgruntled social media followers who respond to your political tweet with some version of 'Stick to guitar!' are trying to impose a similar type of conformity on the nonconformist world of an artist."

You can read Skolnick's entire opinion piece at Newlines Magazine.

Ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Alex frequently tweeted against then-President Donald Trump's policies, including the last administration's handling of the outbreak of of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus first observed in China. In March 2020, the 52-year-old guitarist blasted Trump for not being able to "convey a sense of reassurance during a time of emergency."

Last fall, Skolnick released two anti-Donald Trump rap songs called "Trump Sucks" and "Wear A Fucking Mask".

TESTAMENT's latest album, "Titans Of Creation", was released in April 2020 via Nuclear Blast.




ANNOUNCEMENT: I’ve written an opinion piece about artists who are outspoken. It’s just been published. This is my 1st essay for a news-based, non-musical outlet. I’m both proud to be in @newlinesmag & humbled to be among these serious writers. I look forward to hearing feedback. https://t.co/0XktlGg0IE

— Alex Skolnick (@AlexSkolnick) March 29, 2021

David Lee Roth has shared a new piece of original artwork which was apparently inspired by the controversy surrounding Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's nationally televised performance of their popular 2020 song "WAP" at this year's Grammy Awards. Check it out below.

"WAP", whose title itself is an abbreviation for "wet ass pussy," is a track filled with explicit lyrics referencing female empowerment and sexual pride. During the show, the singers changed many of the original lines in "WAP", and CBS censored out others, while performing on a stage that featured a pole on a massive high heel, and ending with the two rappers writhing together on a giant bed.

For most of the last year, the VAN HALEN singer has been posting paintings on his Twitter account that reflect the times and channel the mass anxiety around the novel coronavirus.

This is not the first time Roth has shared some of his visual art with the public. Back in 2009, Roth released dozens of his own drawings and artwork, which he called at the time "authentic originals and incompetent imitations." He offered them up as "an official answer to the question 'what do you do in your spare time?'"

According to the Van Halen News Desk, the VAN HALEN frontman always been into art. Throughout his whole life, while touring the world, you could find him doodling on just about anything — setlists, tour riders, female body parts, etc. He was always a major part of the visual side of VAN HALEN, and always tried to make the stage show "look like the music sounds." He designed stage clothes, orchestrated photo shoots, came up with the stage choreography, etc. He also had a hand in designing VAN HALEN's early tourbooks and a few of their t-shirts.

Last March, Roth postponed the final six shows of his Las Vegas residency due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Roth performed as the opening act for the February/March 2020 North American leg of KISS's "End Of The Road" farewell tour.

VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen died of cancer in October at age 65.

Roth, who performed with VAN HALEN for the last time in 2015, tweeted shortly after Eddie's death: "What a long great trip it's been."

The official music video for the song "Whispering Dead Words" from THE TROOPS OF DOOM, the new Brazilian band featuring former SEPULTURA guitarist Jairo "Tormentor" Guedz, can be seen below. The track is taken from THE TROOPS OF DOOM's debut EP, "The Rise Of Heresy", which was released last October via Nuclear Blast's digital subsidiary, Blood Blast Distribution. The EP was mastered by Øystein G. Brun (BORKNAGAR) at Crosound Studio in Norway. It contains four new original songs and cover versions of two early SEPULTURA classics, "Bestial Devastation" and "Troops Of Doom".

THE TROOPS OF DOOM also includes acclaimed graphic artist Marcelo Vasco on guitar, Alex Kafer (ex-NECROMANCER, EXPLICIT HATE, ENTERRO) on vocals/bass and Alexandre Oliveira (SOUTHERN BLACKLIST) on drums. The band's goal is to revisit the essence of 1980s-style death metal, exploring a more primitive sound that takes listeners back to that era, while remaining fresh and genuine.

Guedz previously said about the project: "There's much passion and dedication on this work with THE TROOPS OF DOOM. The whole band and team is beyond fantastic, which drives me to push myself to the edge, putting out this feeling through the music somehow.

"We want to offer a full experience where the listener can feel as though they're in time machine, exploring that primitive and nasty metal sound from the '80s, inspired by my own SEPULTURA years as well as all those iconic bands we love like SLAYER, KREATOR, CELTIC FROST, SODOM, POSSESSED and DEATH, among others. It's a true homage to the old! That's what we're trying to revisit with this debut and I hope the diehard metalheads catch this and enjoy it, playing loud!"

"The Rise Of Heresy" track listing:

01. Whispering Dead Words

02. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

03. The Confessional

04. The Rise Of Heresy

05. Bestial Devastation (SEPULTURA Cover)

06. Troops Of Doom (SEPULTURA Cover)

THE TROOPS OF DOOM is:

Jairo "Tormentor" Guedz - guitar

Alex Kafer - bass, vocals

Marcelo Vasco - guitar

Alexandre Oliveira - drums

SEPULTURA was formed in 1984 in Belo Horizonte, the capital city of Minas Gerais. Jairo joined the group the following year and played on the band's first two releases, 1985's "Bestial Devastation" EP and their 1986 full-length debut, "Morbid Visions". He also participated in the early songwriting sessions for 1987's "Schizophrenia".

In early 1987, Jairo quit SEPULTURA after losing interest in playing death metal and was replaced by São Paulo-based guitarist Andreas Kisser.

Earlier in the month, OBITUARY announced a new two-part spring livestream series. The band performed its favorite songs on March 27 and will run through its classic third album, 1992's "The End Complete", in its entirety on April 3.

During the March 27 livestream, OBITUARY played a surprise cover version of POWER TRIP's Grammy-nominated track "Executioner's Tax (Swing Of The Axe)", featuring a guest appearance by POWER TRIP guitarists Blake Ibanez and Nick Stewart. The performance was dedicated to POWER TRIP frontman Riley Gale, who passed away last summer.

POWER TRIP confirmed Riley's death in a statement on August 25, 2020.

The Dallas, Texas-based band released two albums on Southern Lord, 2013's "Manifest Decimation" and 2017's "Nightmare Logic". A rarities compilation, "Opening Fire: 2008-2014", followed in 2018.

"Nightmare Logic" peaked at No. 22 on Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart.

POWER TRIP was said to be working on its third album at the time of Riley's death.

Last week, OBITUARY frontman John Tardy confirmed to France's United Rock Nations that the band has used some of the downtime during the coronavirus pandemic to work on material for a new studio album. "We've definitely been working on new tunes, and we've been taking our time," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "We didn't feel like releasing [a new album] now in the middle of the pandemic when you can't go on tour and support it is not what we wanted to do, so we're in no hurry. But by the time next year comes around, we're gonna be hitting the road again. We're getting tours set up, and we will be releasing another album next year before we hit the road and start touring again. So we are currently working on new material."

Asked what fans can expect from the follow-up to OBITUARY's 2017 self-titled album, John said: "I think it's just gonna sound like OBITUARY. [Laughs] You know us — we're kind of cavemen; we don't like to evolve too much. We like to change it up and do a little here and there, but we're getting too old to change too much, I think. So as long as it's heavy and pounding, then that's what you can expect."

San Francisco Bay Area-based metal/heavy rock outfit DRESS THE DEAD has released the official music video for the song "Knives Out", its first single on Blood Blast, a digital subsidiary of Nuclear Blast Records.

DRESS THE DEAD first announced the signing in December, along with a plan to release one new track per month for the first eight months of 2021. After the eight tracks are all released, they will become available in full album format as well.

DRESS THE DEAD stated about the track: "Knives Out! Ask yourself what's wrong with this picture?

"This was one of the first songs we wrote at the genesis of DRESS THE DEAD. Musically, it encompassed what we were after. All the anger and aggression, yet still leaning into positivity. That's what the video represents to us.

"As human beings, we have witnessed so much division and strife over the last decade. It boiled over on January 6th 2021 in Washington DC. Everything hit the wall and a large percentage of the American populous lost their fucking minds.

"With the 'Knives Out' video, we try to tell multiple stories through two separate lenses. One, while looking at our television from within your living room. The other by looking out your own window, seeing the unraveling of civility. The people's trust is almost completely broken.

"Almost all of the distrust is being fueled by mainstream and alternative media. The former caters to the corporations that control the narratives. This keeps the money and power flowing in their direction. The latter can create alternate realities not necessarily based on facts. Planting them on the internet and social media. Creating a frenzy of fear and paranoia. Both sides knowingly building up these tensions that eventually bring us to one another's throats. The divide-and-conquer game.

"We have lost our sense of reality. There's very little bullshit detecting anymore. Many run like lemmings towards the cliff on leaps of faith. What they WANT to believe. Mostly based upon hearsay. Rumors swimming in a sea of disinformation. Somehow, we need to see past the manipulation. Meanwhile the tension continues to mount."

DRESS THE DEAD was formed in 2016 and has been playing live since the end of that year — first with vocalist Peter Dolving (THE HAUNTED), and then with Kayla Dixon fronting the band since 2018.

DRESS THE DEAD features Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN, MANMADE GOD, SPIRALARMS) on guitar, alongside Mark Hernandez (FORBIDDEN, VIO-LENCE, RE:IGNITION) on drums, Mikey Rowan (INSOLENCE) on guitar, and James Walker (MANMADE GOD) on bass — all seasoned musicians with independent and major label experiences.

"Losing Peter was a complete shock to us because he was into it," Craig said. "Some of the people we tried out were good but didn't have what we were looking for... just not the right fit. All of a sudden, I get a text from Kayla. She'd been checking us out for months and was already a fan of the music." A couple of days after that now legendary text message, Dixon sent Locicero a new version of the DRESS THE DEAD song "1969" with her vocals. He was floored. "It was like it was made for her," he said. "She seamlessly fit into the music. We haven't needed to readjust. What having her in the band allows me to do is to not hold back and write anything I feel like writing, knowing that she can do it and sing without any limits."

Dixon is not only an enigmatic frontwoman with a powerful presence, she's an accomplished theatrical singer and actor. Her vocal qualities help give DRESS THE DEAD a unique sound that no other band possesses. Together they all complete the musical unit that cannot fall under any one category or genre.

Dixon started working professionally in her junior year and finished high school via home study. She then decided to immerse herself in theater and was soon working professionally. During her freshman year in college, she emerged to front a death metal band. Just as she mulled moving back to the East Coast to pursue more theater work, she heard the doom band WITCH MOUNTAIN was looking for a new vocalist. She nailed the audition and moved to Portland. Having relocated to the West Coast, Dixon was recommended to Locicero through a mutual friend. She initially worried that she was so different from Dolving she might face backlash from fans who wanted a certain thing. "In my mind, I thought I was going to be trolled, and I didn't know if I was ready to face that," she said. "But surprisingly there has only been positivity from the first song."

"I want to be continually creating," Dixon added. "When I heard '1969', I thought it was great. When Craig sent me the other songs, like 'Promises & Kisses', I was really in. I wanted it to be in a band that was heavy emotionally and sonically."

Ronnie James Dio's former wife and longtime manager Wendy Dio has reflected on the legendary heavy metal singer's passing, saying she thought he was going to beat cancer.

Ronnie lost his life to stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer, in May 2010. The disease often does not cause symptoms until its later stages. Usually, by the time stomach cancer is diagnosed, the prognosis is poor.

The musician, who was suffering from abdominal discomfort saw a doctor in the winter of 2009, and after a series of tests, he was diagnosed with cancer.

"We were told it was stage four cancer, but we didn't believe that Ronnie wouldn't make it, because Ronnie was a very strong person," Wendy told U.K.'s Planet Rock digital radio station in a new interview (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And we went to Houston to MD Anderson [Cancer Center] for his chemo treatment, and we would say, 'We're killing the dragon.' We called it the 'dragon,' and we said, 'We're killing the dragon.' Ronnie didn't suffer a lot. He did his chemo treatments. And I didn't think he was gonna die. I [thought] he was gonna beat it.

"When I realized it was too late was on the Friday [May 14, 2010]. He got up and said he didn't feel well at all," she continued. "And so I called his doctor over, and we went to the hospital. He was in extreme pain — agony — and so they gave him a bunch of morphine, and Ronnie actually went into a coma. And we stayed in the hospital there until Sunday morning when he passed away."

According to Wendy, a number of Ronnie's closest friends and associates got to see him one final time before he died on May 16, 2010.

"[BLACK SABBATH bassist] Geezer and [his wife and manager] Gloria Butler were amazing; they were there with me the entire time," she said. "They just couldn't do enough for me. And it was really nice.

"With Ronnie coming back with SABBATH this last time [as HEAVEN & HELL], all the problems everybody had had before all disappeared," Wendy added. "They were all the best of friends. They were doing amazing, playing amazing. The friendship was unbelievable. And Terry [Geezer] and Ronnie were planning to [take] a trip to Egypt together.

"There was about 30 people [who] came — close friends of Ronnie's — and we were in the hospital with him. And he passed away Sunday morning."

Asked if she was in denial at the time about Ronnie's health, Wendy said: "[I was in] denial. Total denial. Especially when three weeks before he passed away, he was accepting the [Revolver] Golden Gods award [in Los Angeles], and he was doing fine. And we all thought, 'He's gonna make it.'"

Ronnie passed away less than six months after announcing he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer.

In 2006, BLACK SABBATH's "Heaven And Hell"-era incarnation reunited as HEAVEN & HELL. Dio, Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Vinny Appice recorded the acclaimed 2009 album "The Devil You Know", and toured on and off for the next few years.

Ronnie James Dio's long-awaited autobiography, titled "Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography", will be released on July 27 via Permuted Press. The book was partially written before the singer's death and was originally scheduled to be published several years ago via MTV Books. Also in the works is a career-spanning documentary on the life and times of the legendary rock icon. It is the first documentary about Dio to be fully authorized by the artist's estate. BMG is both financier and executive producer of the film.




On-air now: Wendy Dio joins @WyattVW on My Planet Rocks.

She's playing her favourite songs and talking about the late great @OfficialRJDio

"I didn't think he was going to die. I thought he was going to beat it"

? https://t.co/UGulIKTvbp | app | smart speaker | DAB pic.twitter.com/NdZCUuZCPj

— Planet Rock (@PlanetRockRadio) March 28, 2021

The official music video for "Paint The Sky With Blood", the title track of the debut EP from BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT, the band launched by ex-CHILDREN OF BODOM guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho, can be seen below. Due on April 23 via Napalm Records, the effort was recorded in Finland back in 2020 and was meant to be the beginning of an exciting new chapter. Sadly, that chapter ended far too soon with the December 29 passing of Laiho, and now, the three-track piece embodies a whole new meaning. "Paint The Sky With Blood" is an overwhelming tribute to an outstanding artist and an exceptional sonic heritage, and, at the same time, a modern homage to the genre itself.

A storm of raging guitars and blaring drums merge with Laiho's versatile vocal power, leading into a heavy attack — title track "Paint The Sky With Blood" – opening the 14-minute EP of the same name. The song is strikingly reminiscent of early CHILDREN OF BODOM elements, while also adding exciting modern influences into the fold. Second track "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 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 formation 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.

The surviving members of BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT said: "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 that we are honored and proud to be a part of his very last creative work and unleash it the way he wanted it to. 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."

"Paint The Sky With Blood" track listing:

01. Paint The Sky With Blood

02. Payback's A Bitch

03. Where Dead Angels Lie (DISSECTION cover)

"Paint The Sky With Blood" will be 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

[Deluxe Box]

Alexi passed away in his home in Helsinki, Finland. The 41-year-old had suffered from long-term health issues leading up to his death.

BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT made its live debut on October 23 at Rytmikorjaamo in Seinäjoki, Finland. The 17-song show consisted entirely of CHILDREN OF BODOM material.

Alexi and drummer Jaska Raatikainen founded CHILDREN OF BODOM in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert in December of 2019.

Besides CHILDREN OF BODOM, Laiho had played in such acts as WARMEN, SINERGY, KYLÄHULLUT and THE LOCAL BAND. Awarded with a Metal Hammer Golden God and several other international prizes, the guitarist was also the main star, leading a group of one hundred guitar players at the Helsinki Festival in 2015 in "100 Guitars From Hel" — a massive concert piece he composed.

ANTHRAX guitarist Jonathan Donais has confirmed to "The Chuck Shute Podcast" that the band is working on a new album. "Hopefully, once this pandemic's over, there'll be a new record and a ton of touring behind it," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I know the band is working on stuff, and I know they've got stuff written. [But] I haven't gone into the studio with them or anything yet."

Asked if he is involved in the ANTHRAX songwriting or if the other guys piece together the material on their own, Donais said: "They've done all the writing. They've got a system down. All bands work different. It works great for them. They've been successful for over 35 years, [and] they're going strong — stronger than ever, really. The last few records have been amazing."

Donais, who joined ANTHRAX in 2013 as the replacement for Rob Caggiano (now in VOLBEAT), went on to admit that he has not yet actually heard any of the material that will appear on the band's follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" album.

Five years ago, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello said that Donais "brought a great energy to the band." ANTHRAX rhythm guitarist Scott Ian added: "Jon's approach towards lead guitar playing, he's more of a guy who's looking to construct something that makes sense and helps a song rather than the 45 seconds for him to be showing off how many notes he can play in X amount of measures."

Last November, Ian told "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, that he and his bandmates likely won't release any music until the coronavirus pandemic has subsided and they are able to tour in support of the effort. "That's where I am personally right at this moment," he said. "Six months from now, who knows where the world is gonna be? We don't know. Maybe things will be closer to being back to normal; maybe they'll be further away from back to normal. Nobody has an answer to this, so anytime someone asks me about that, I really don't have an answer.

"In my brain, I don't wanna put a record out until I can play shows," he continued. "That's what I wanna do, but, of course, I don't control the world and I don't control what's gonna happen with COVID. I think I can safely say we will certainly be ready to make a record [in 2021]. So I think we will probably go do that once we're ready to go do it. There would be no reason to have a record [written] and then just sit around and not record it. So, I think once we actually feel like we're ready to go into the studio, we'll do that, regardless of where things are at on the planet, and then just take it from there. At least it'll be in the can, and then we'll be able to make a decision on what the best course is for us to take at that point."

At the 2019 Download festival in the United Kingdom, drummer Charlie Benante said fans can expect to hear some surprises on ANTHRAX's next disc. "There's some extreme stuff on this record that we touched on," he said. "There's different things that we're gonna try and do that's gonna make it next level."

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

Richie Kotzen was the featured guest on BBC's "The Rock Show With Johnnie Walker" during the "Rock God" segment. Cooper picked Prince and stated about his choice: "One of my favorite artists of all time growing up was Prince. What really drew me in was once I realized that he was basically the mastermind behind everything I was hearing. The guitar player, the singer, the songwriter, the drummer — oftentimes the engineer, producer, arranging. And then, on top of it, his performing was just — nobody performed like him.

"I did have the privilege of going to his house years ago," he continued. "He rented a house in Los Angeles. And a buddy of mine that worked with him got invited to an Oscar after-party. And so there I was hanging out with all these people at Prince's house. And I was in the living room. They had everything set up. A band was playing, but the stage was low. And I was in the back, so I couldn't totally see who was up there. I knew Prince was up there. And my buddy says to me, 'Hey, did you see Stevie Wonder is here?' I said, 'No, I didn't see him. But someone was in there singing the hell out of 'Superstition'.' And my buddy's, like, 'You idiot. That was Stevie Wonder.'"

Kotzen is currently promoting the debut album from his collaborative project with IRON MAIDEN's Adrian Smith. Recorded on the Turks & Caicos Islands in February 2020, produced by Richie and Adrian and mixed by Kevin "Caveman" Shirley, SMITH/KOTZEN's nine-track opus is a consummate collaboration between these two highly respected musicians who co-wrote all the songs and also share lead vocals and trade off on guitar and bass duties throughout the record.

In February 2020, Kotzen released his 22nd solo album, "50 For 50", via his own custom label, Headroom-Inc. The three-disc collection is just what the title implies: a collection of 50 previously unreleased compositions produced, performed and written by Kotzen in honor of his birthday. It's the follow-up to his critically acclaimed "Salting Earth" album, which came out in April 2017 via Headroom-Inc.

WARRANT guitarist Joey Allen spoke with Darren Paltrowitz — host of the "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" — about how he and his bandmates have been spending their downtime during the coronavirus pandemic. Asked if there has been any talk of WARRANT making a follow-up to 2017's "Louder Harder Faster" album, Joey said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We talked about it last year when this whole pandemic started, and we were, like, 'Should we do something now? Should we do something live on the web? Should we do a new record?' And everybody was just, like, you know what? We've been at this since I got back in the band, Steven [Sweet, drums] came back in the band, since 2004, so that's roughly 16 years where we just haven't taken a break from the road or making a record; I think we made three records in that time. So it was just, 'Let's take a break and go away.' We don't wanna do anything that's gonna harm the brand. We just haven't gone away. So we went away. And now we're firing up to come back."

Allen went on to say that he and the other members of WARRANT are "stoked" to return to the road. "We just wanna get back out and play," he said. "We've worked really hard. We're working hard right now getting ready to go back out and play.

"We don't rehearse usually; we just keep touring. As long as we play two or three gigs a month, we don't have to rehearse," he continued. "Well, it's been 13 months, 14 months since we've played a gig, and we're gonna have to rehearse for the first time in years — maybe the first time in a decade, at least. So we're setting up the first rehearsals, which will be before our first gig going back in. So it's fun. It's exciting."

Last May, WARRANT guitarist Erik Turner told the "Talking Metal" podcast that the group was "throwing some ideas around" for a new LP. He said: "I've been sending Robert [Mason, vocals] some riffs, and Robert's been working on songs. I've got a song going with Jerry [Dixon, bass]. So it's a slow, long process for us, but the seed of a new record has been started. Now, that doesn't mean the seed will grow into a record. We've got a long way to go. We don't have one finished song. We've got a couple of things cooking, and we're actually sending ideas around back and forth to each other."

"Louder Harder Faster" was recorded with producer Jeff Pilson — a veteran bassist who has played with DIO, FOREIGNER, DOKKEN and T&N, among others — and was mixed by Pat Regan, except for the song "I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink", which was mixed by Chris "The Wizard" Collier (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, PRONG, LAST IN LINE).

Mason replaced original WARRANT frontman Jani Lane in 2008 and has brought a degree of stability to the band after Lane's unceremonious departure and subsequent 2011 death.

THE OFFSPRING singer Bryan "Dexter" Holland and guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman spoke to the 100.3 The X Rocks radio station about the band's upcoming tenth studio album, "Let The Bad Times Roll", which will arrive on April 16 via Concord Records. The follow-up to 2012's "Days Go By" was produced by Bob Rock, who also worked on the band's last two LPs.

Speaking about the long gap between "Let The Bad Times Roll" and the previous OFFSPRING album, Noodles said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've been working on it for a while. Really, about two or three years ago, everything started really kind of clicking, and we had a really creative period — then and since, actually.

"We were hoping to have the record done probably five years ago, ultimately, and it just took longer to make something that we really felt was strong and representative of the band in the best light."

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

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

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

In December, THE OFFSPRING released the official music video for its Rock-produced cover version of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)", a rock song originally sung by Darlene Love and included on the 1963 seasonal compilation album "A Christmas Gift For You" from Phil Spector.

Last April, THE OFFSPRING jumped on the "Tiger King" bandwagon by recording a cover version of THE CLINTON JOHNSON BAND's "Here Kitty Kitty", a song made popular by Joe Schreibvogel — better known as Joe Exotic, the "Tiger King" — through the Netflix docuseries.

STRYPER guitarist Oz Fox is "doing great" less than a month after he underwent the first of his brain surgeries to treat one of the tumors that were found in his head nearly three years ago.

STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet offered an update on Oz's condition during an interview with Talking Metal that was conducted more than a week ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[Oz is] doing great, believe it or not — he's doing really great. Just a few days after his surgery, he was pretty much back to normal in terms of how he sounded, talking to him on the phone. He's gonna be great, man; he's gonna be fine. He's heading home, I think, tomorrow. He wound up staying close to the hospital just in case anything were to happen. And he's doing great, man. He's in good spirits, and everything's cool."

On March 20, Fox made a Facebook post indicating that he had finally returned home following his surgery more than two weeks earlier.

Fox's tumors — one by his ear and the other in the back of his brain — were discovered when he suffered his first seizure in August 2018 while performing with SIN CITY SINNERS at Harrah's in Las Vegas. Over the past two and a half years, both tumors had grown and were posing a serious health risk to the guitarist, who turned 59 last June. Specifically, the tumor behind the ear, if it continued to grow, could have caused hearing loss, balance, vision and spinal problems, while the tumor in the back of Oz's brain was in the area where left side of his arms, hands and body operate. Removing it could have affected the upper left motor function and potential ability to recognize faces and objects.

Fox discussed his health during a January 17 interview with SIN CITY SINNERS manager Jason Green. Speaking about his procedure, Oz said: "I've got a great team of people, great team of doctors that are very specialized. They do hundreds of these procedures a year. They're gonna open up the skull. The good thing is the [first] tumor [they will operate on] is towards the outside of the head, towards the outside of the brain, which it's easy access — they don't have to go too deep to get to it. And they did all testing on me to make sure that wherever they go in there, they won't damage any of my functions. They did some really extensive testing — something called an fMRI, Functional [Magnetic Resonance Imaging], and they had me think about things, they had me actually act like I was playing guitar, and I had to hum backgrounds while I was playing, 'cause I couldn't move my head or my jaw. I had 'em play a STRYPER song, and I just kind of played to it and acted like I was playing guitar and tried to imagine what I was playing. And then they would see where the brain functions were while I was doing all that. And after they checked everything and went through it, they figured out that all of my activity for playing and singing and all that was nowhere near the tumor. So there's a good chance I'll retain all of that. But there's still always a risk. You never know with the brain. They seem to think I'm gonna be okay after the procedure, but it'll take time to recover, 'cause you may have some bleeding, some brain swelling — all that kind of stuff."

Asked if the surgeons would only work on one of his tumors during the initial procedure, Fox said: "They have to work on the right-brain low-grade tumor — they're gonna work on that first — and if all goes well with that, [there will be a] six-week recovery time, and then I can start working on the left one [behind the ear]. For the other side, it will be a bit different. They have to go into a different part of my skull here. They'll have to cut a portion of my skull out to get into that area, and then, of course, replace it again. I'll have steel titanium plates in my head and all that crazy stuff. The only thing about this one is it's so close to the audio nerves that I could lose my hearing. They say it affects nerves on the side of my face here, so that could be a problem. I'm already feeling numbness around my mouth."

Oz went on to say that his medical team initially tried "doing some other things that were non-invasive" without the desired results. "We were trying to get the tumors to shrink by using different methods that they say are proven to help do that," he explained. "But that didn't work — they still grew. And so now we're, like, we'd better go in and take some action — get working on cutting them out. Otherwise, if [the tumors] get too big, they won't be able to help me. Again, the left ear, when they work on this tumor, there's a good chance I could lose my hearing, or the nerves going to my balance part of the ear, the cochlea. If that happens, then I will have to really recuperate in a way where my right ear would take over for my balance, which it's amazing that the brain can do that."

According to Oz, he may be out of commission for several months after his second operation.

"It's gonna be a journey," he said. "I may be recovering for a while — maybe through summer. Hopefully I'll be recovered by the end of summer. If anything happens where I'm not, then, oh, well. We'll see how it goes."

Fox said that he is realistic about the risks involved with the operation and the likelihood of any complication, including death.

"The worst thing that could happen is something could go wrong and I could pass," he said. "Well, if that ever happened, in whatever situation — I could die driving a car, getting in a wreck somewhere or somebody running into me. But because of my [Christian] faith, I know where I'm going, and I have a belief in eternity with my soul. And because I've followed Christ for so long now, and I have a full-on relationship — I've surrendered my entire life to him — the promises that he gives in his words are that I have a better place to go to after this. I'll basically be changing addresses with my soul. That's the mindset I have.

"Nobody wants to ever leave their family or things that they invested in years, but when it's your time, it's your time," he reasoned. "So that doesn't scare me. I mean, we could go down in a plane. [Laughs] So, you never know. And I'm certainly not afraid of that — I'm not afraid of death. The only thing I think I'd be… Well, I don't even wanna say it… There's not fun ways to die, let's put it that way. [Laughs] If it's quick, it's better. [Laughs]"

Last October, Fox was briefly hospitalized after suffering another massive seizure.

Within weeks of Fox's original August 2018 seizure, STRYPER toured Australia and Japan as a three-piece, and later recruited Howie Simon (JEFF SCOTT SOTO, GRAHAM BONNET) to fill in while Fox was unable to go on the road.




Made it home!

Posted by Oz Fox on Saturday, March 20, 2021