In a new interview with Rockin' 101's "The Johnny Rock Show", SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo discussed the circumstances that led to the band's split with Swedish singer Erik Grönwall earlier this year. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Erik did 'The Gang's All Here' record, and then Erik was able to spend almost three years in the band. But whether you know or not, Erik's a cancer survivor, and he had a bone marrow transplant in order to put him in remission. And he immediately, once he was in remission and started getting some energy back, he immediately wanted to get back out and start singing again. And so we called him up and said, 'Hey, man, we just recorded a record and we'd love for you to sing on it.' And we sent him the music, and he did. Then all of a sudden we started touring. We could see early on that his health was still not there yet, and he knew it too. And so we did the best that we could with his situation, and he gave us all that he could, but it got to a point where it just was too much for his body at that particular point. And the way we tour, it's tough, it's a grind, and we attempted to compromise and come up with a situation where it would benefit his health. But after speaking with his doctors and him and his family and stuff, it turned out to be that we just wouldn't be able to work it out from a health perspective for him and from a sort of an economic standpoint for the band. We didn't wanna go and go in and have to go postpone more shows and things like that and then have to make them up later on down the road. It wasn't good for him and it wasn't good for the band and stuff. But we're thankful for the time that we got to spend with them. He's a great singer. And we were able to do two records that we're really, really proud of — 'The Gang's All Here', which we're extremely proud of, we all are. And then the live record."

Sabo also talked about "Live In London", SKID ROW's first official live album and concert film. earMUSIC released the concert — which took place on October 24, 2022, at London's O2 Forum Kentish Town — as a 2LP set and CD/DVD digipack worldwide on September 20.

"We had been toying with the idea forever of doing a live record, but it never felt right," Snake explained. "And then this situation, with going to London to play at the Forum, which is one of our favorite venues, and the way the band was hitting on all cylinders at that particular time and it just felt like, 'Yeah, let's capture this, 'cause we never know when we'll have an opportunity to do this again.' And it turns out that I'm so thankful that we did, because of Erik's health situation and where we are now. But it's a great representation of our time with him and the band and also a celebration of the music that we've created over the past 35 years."

Grönwall, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021, said in a video message that "the main reason" he decided to leave SKID ROW was "because it's been very hard and it's proved very challenging to prioritize my health and full recovery being the lead singer of the band. And it's not like I woke up yesterday and decided to go, 'Ooh. That's a horrible idea. What time?' This is something I've been considering for a long time. The first time I brought it up and requested a better balance in the touring was in 2022."

He added: "There's a lot of people that are relying on making a living from SKID ROW. And being on the road is mainly where the money is nowadays. So, I totally understand that people have to keep touring… But when I got sick on the road, we had to cancel, reschedule shows, and, honestly, it's not a fun position to be in. So, wait? All of this is happening because of me? It's not good for the band, it's not good for the crew, it's not good for the fans, it's not good for the promoters, it's not good for the SKID ROW team. All of that also made it less fun for me. I didn't really enjoy myself out there.

"I love singing," Erik concluded. "I love being an artist. I love touring, but I wasn't happy. I understand and respect that SKID ROW is a touring band, but like I told the guys, if I can't prioritize my health, then I'm not the right guy for the job."

SKID ROW's longtime friend Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM) handled lead vocals for the band's four concerts in late May and early June.

Grönwall, who was a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T. for nearly a decade before exiting the group in October 2020, announced in September 2021 that he was cancer free after receiving a bone marrow transplant one month earlier.

Grönwall sang on four H.E.A.T. studio albums — "Address The Nation" (2012),"Tearing Down The Walls" (2014),"Into The Great Unknown" (2017) and "H.E.A.T II" (2020).

In September 2021, just four months before he joined SKID ROW, Grönwall released his new cover version of "18 And Life" via all streaming platforms.

In 2018, Grönwall debuted in the U.S. for 10 million viewers in NBC's live broadcast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice's musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". Along with John Legend, Alice Cooper, Sara Bareilles and others, Erik played the key role of Simon Zealotes.

In late March 2022, SKID ROW released its first single with Grönwall, "The Gang's All Here". The song was the title track of the band's latest album, which arrived in October 2022 via earMUSIC.

SKID ROW played its first show with Grönwall on March 26, 2022 at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada as the support act on the rescheduled dates for SCORPIONS' "Sin City Nights" residency.

Eloy Casagrande performed with SLIPKNOT in his home country of Brazil for the first time last night (Saturday, October 19) at Knotfest Brasil 2024 at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

In an interview with Tone-Talk, SLIPKNOT guitarist Jim Root spoke about how Casagrande came to join SLIPKNOT and his impact on the band's overall sound. He said: "We didn't even try anybody else. Eloy's name came up. He contacted us, actually, about wanting to be a part of it and started sending a bunch of videos in. I think him and our bass player [Alessandro 'Vman' Venturella] might've had a little bit of a relationship before. I think they knew each other. They had mutual friends. And Vman's really in tune with a lot of really great, proggy, heavy musicians that are passionate about their instruments. And it just seemed like a no-brainer. And he's really respectful of the legacy of [SLIPKNOT's original drummer, the late] Joey [Jordison], and Joey was a huge influence on him. And he's so humble. The dude has so much humility. And you could tell he just lives and breathes his craft, to the point where I see his passion and it ignites my passion for my instrument. And Brazilians, South Americans in general, are so passionate about what they do. Our manager told me, he was out to dinner with four or five promoters from South America, and they were all really stoked. They're all, like, 'It's so good you've got a Brazilian drummer in SLIPKNOT now. We kind of feel like we've won the World Cup.' It's a cool feeling. And God, he just fits in so well. I don't know, man. I mean, there's a lot of things I can say about it. I'm just glad it happened when it did. And we're lucky to have him — we are really lucky to have that dude."

For its 2024 gigs so far, SLIPKNOT adopted a classic look, bringing back the 1999 red jumpsuits and elements of their early masks into their modern versions, tying into the fact that SLIPKNOT is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

After parting ways with Jay Weinberg last November, SLIPKNOT teased fans with a hint about a new drummer more than seven months ago, posting a photo of a single broken drumstick online with the caption "Rehearsal."

The band explained in a statement that the split with Weinberg was a creative decision. Jay followed up with a statement of his own, saying that he was "heartbroken and blindsided" by his dismissal.

Weinberg has since joined SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and INFECTIOUS GROOVES.

Casagrande abruptly quit SEPULTURA six months ago, shortly before he was supposed to begin rehearsals for the band's recently launched 40th-anniversary farewell tour.

"February 6th, a few days prior to the first rehearsal, drummer Eloy Casagrande informed the band that he was leaving SEPULTURA to pursue a career in another project," the band said in a statement.

Casagrande joined SEPULTURA nearly 13 years ago as the replacement for Jean Dolabella.

SLIPKNOT's latest album "The End, So Far", arrived in August 2022. It marked the band's the last full-length LP before the departure of both keyboardist Craig Jones, who left the group in June 2023, and Weinberg.

SLIPKNOT recently completed the North American portion of the "Here Comes The Pain" tour. The band was celebrating the 25th anniversary of its seminal debut album, "Slipknot", which catapulted the band back in 1999. The "Here Comes The Pain" tour, produced by Live Nation, included arena plays nationwide this summer. Highlights included New York City's Madison Square Garden, Los Angeles's Intuit Dome, Austin's Moody Center and more with direct support from Kentucky's young and vibrant hardcore/metal forerunners KNOCKED LOOSE. ORBIT CULTURE and VENDED also provided support on select dates.

Com Eloy Casagrande ovacionado, Slipknot termina seu primeiro show no Knotfest Brasil. Amanhã (20) tem mais! Vídeo de Thiago Zuma em cobertura para o site IgorMiranda .com .br.

Com Eloy Casagrande ovacionado, Slipknot termina seu primeiro show no Knotfest Brasil. Amanhã (20) tem mais! Vídeo de Thiago Zuma em cobertura para o site IgorMiranda .com .br.

Posted by Igor Miranda Igormirandasite on Saturday, October 19, 2024

FOREIGNER was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on Saturday night (October 19). Original singer Lou Gramm, keyboardist Al Greenwood and bassist Rick Wills were present to accept the award, while Mick Jones and Dennis Elliott sat out the ceremony. (Jones's daughter, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, was on hand to help accept the award.) Ian McDonald and Ed Gagliardi died in 2022 and 2014, respectively.

Sammy Hagar inducted FOREIGNER into the Rock Hall, telling the crowd: "I'm really sad [Jones] is not here tonight. Mick, we love and miss you and congratulations." Sammy went on to call FOREIGNER's "Jukebox Hero" "one of the greatest rock vocal performances ever."

In his acceptance speech, Gramm said: "First, I'd like to thank all of my former bandmates: Mick Jones, Ian McDonald, Al Greenwood, Dennis Elliott, Ed Gagliardi and Rick Wills for 30-plus years of great music and a wild ride. Now, right from the start, Mick and I hit it off in our first songwriting session. The chemistry for many of our biggest hits was the Jones-Gramm collaboration. Although the band went through some changes as time went on, I believe the original band encompassed what FOREIGNER was all about. As I think back about those times, I'm convinced that Ian McDonald and Ed Gagliardi, who have passed on to a better place, were pivotal players and personalities in FOREIGNER's early success. Lastly, I'd like to close by thanking my friend and songwriting partner Mick Jones. Along with the many triumphs and accolades, we didn't always agree about FOREIGNER's musical directions, but all told we were very fortunate to have been in FOREIGNER together, and our music continues to stand the test of time."

Wills said: "I love these guys and I love the guys who are doing what we did — and they're still doing it today, 47 years later. It's amazing. So, I want to thank you all, and thank the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for giving us this opportunity to finally be Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame people. Thank you!"

Greenwood added: "Wow, and a very, very special thanks to Mick Jones, the founder, the visionary and the creative force behind FOREIGNER. We wish that you were here with us tonight. And to all of our fans who have been with us for 47 years, spanning generations: We love you all and we thank you."

There was also an all-star performance of FOREIGNER music featuring Hagar, Slash, Chad Smith, Demi Lovato and Kelly Clarkson. Lovato, Slash, Smith and FOREIGNER's current touring lineup played "Feels Like The First Time", with Hagar joining in for "Hot Blooded". Lovato took over the lead vocal for "Feels Like The First Time", followed by "Hot Blooded" with Hagar singing while being assisted by current FOREIGNER singer Kelly Hansen. Clarkson and Gramm then sang a duet of "I Want To Know What Love Is".

This past February, Jones revealed on social media that he was battling Parkinson's disease, which explained his absence from FOREIGNER's live shows since 2022.

The induction ceremony was held at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. It aired live on Disney+. An edited three-hour prime-time special will follow, premiering on New Year's Day on ABC, and become available for streaming the following day on Hulu and Disney+.

In an interview with News 8 WROC, Gramm stated about learning that he will be one of Rock Hall class of 2024 inductees: "It was a relief, because we have been eligible for a good long time. And we were wondering if we'd ever be in the Rock Hall Of Fame. We've aspired to be part of it, and it's very satisfying now that we're voted in. And I don't think I don't think we could be any happier."

Shortly after FOREIGNER's Rock Hall induction was first announced, Jones told Billboard that he would have no problems reuniting at the induction ceremony with Gramm, with whom he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame with in 2013.

"On a personal level, I have no hard feelings toward Lou," Jones said. "We did perform together at the 40th-anniversary concert. It has been so many years now since Lou left FOREIGNER; I like to think that those ill feelings are in the past. There is power in letting go of hard feelings and getting on with your life. Why carry the burden of hard feelings? It serves nothing in the long run.

When FOREIGNER was first nominated for the Rock Hall in February, Gramm released a video message expressing his gratitude. In the one-minute clip, which was posted to Lou's social media, the 74-year-old singer said: "I'd like to thank the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for the honor of nomination. And I'd like to acknowledge Mick Jones for his courage as he faces Parkinson's. I'd like to thank my friends in the music and the acting industry for their support, especially over the last two or three weeks in helping us to receive the nomination. Now I've seen a lot of the videos and I've definitely been feeling the buzz. It's really exciting and it means a lot. It means a lot to me and all the guys in the band. Now [multi-instrumentalist] Ian McDonald and [bassist] Ed Gagliardi were vital contributing members of the early FOREIGNER, and I know they're somewhere in the hereafter fist pumping and cheering for this nomination."

Earlier that same month, Jones's stepson, Oscar-nominated producer/songwriter Mark Ronson enlisted Dave Grohl, Jack Black, Slash, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE frontman Josh Homme (along with Ronson himself) to create a video campaigning for FOREIGNER's Rock Hall bid.

"Yes, Mick is my stepdad and I love him more than anything," Ronson wrote in a message accompanying the video. "But I'm also a MEGA fan just like Dave, Jack, Slash, Chad and Josh… Enjoy this video and VOTE BABY VOTE!"

In the clip, Homme said: "You want to know what love is? Love is putting FOREIGNER in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame." Smith added: "I can't believe they’re not in already — oh my God."

"I've loved FOREIGNER since I got their debut record," Grohl said. "There's one drum riff that I have used in more than a few songs."

Black sang parts of FOREIGNER's "I Want To Know What Love Is" before pleading, "Hey, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, open the door! FOREIGNER's waiting outside. Let 'em in."

In his Instagram message, Ronson shared a brief history of FOREIGNER's influence, writing: "Everything that made me want to be a record producer came from being in the studio watching FOREIGNER make records. I'm still completely in awe of the sound of those first five albums. Guitars with swagger and bite. Heavy drums that groove like a mutha with the bass. Wide layers of synths. And then there’s that voice. And those songs. It's really crazy. It's also kind of crazy that this is the first time they've ever been on the ballot for the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame — after 20 years of eligibility."

He added: "Fun Facts: FOREIGNER are the most played band on classic rock radio to not be in the hall of fame. They've been sung by our fave characters from the Simpsons, The Office, I, Tonya, Stranger Things and Wet Hot American Summer. They've been covered by Diana Ross and Mariah Carey (what the rock band can boast that??). They were sampled and turned into HOT FIRE by M.O.P. (remember that Cold As Ice joint?) and Tone-Loc who used them to concoct some Funky Cold Medina."

To be eligible for this year's ballot, each nominee's first single or album had to have been released in 1999 or earlier.

Eligible since 2002, FOREIGNER has had a huge number of rock hits, including "Cold As Ice", "Double Vision", "Hot Blooded", "I Want To Know What Love Is", "Juke Box Hero" and "Urgent", and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, with no wins.



Kelly Clarkson joins Foreigner frontman Lou Gramm for a stellar performance of "I Want to Know What Love Is." Tune in NOW on Disney+ to watch the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. #RockHall2024

Posted by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 19, 2024



An eclectic all-star group of musicians, including Demi Lovato, Slash, and Chad Smith pay tribute to Foreigner covering their smash hit "Feels Like the First Time" at the 2024 RRHOF Induction. Tune in NOW on Disney+ to watch the 2024 Induction. #RockHall2024

Posted by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 19, 2024



It’s about time!!!!! FOREIGNER in the Rock hall!!!!

Posted by Chris Blaine on Saturday, October 19, 2024

AS I LAY DYING bassist/vocalist Ryan Neff has announced his departure from the band.

On Friday (October 18),Neff, who joined AS I LAY DYING in the spring of 2022, took to his Instagram to write: "As of today, I have made the decision to leave AS I LAY DYING. This choice comes after much reflection, and I believe it is the right step for my personal and professional journey.

"I am grateful for the experiences and connections I've made during my time with the band.

"Thank you to all the fans for your support."

AS I LAY DYING is preparing to kick off a massive European tour, "Through Storms Ahead", featuring support from CALIBAN, DECAPITATED and OV SULFUR, on November 15 in Würzburg, Germany.

AS I LAY DYING's eighth full-length studio album, "Through Storms Ahead", will be released on November 15 via Napalm Records. The LP features the critically acclaimed new tracks "Burden", "The Cave We Fear To Enter", and the recently revealed "We Are The Dead" featuring guest vocalists Alex Terrible (SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL) and Tom Barber (CHELSEA GRIN, DARKO).

"Through Storms Ahead" was producted by guitarist Phil Sgrosso and Hiram Hernandez, mixed by Aaron Chaparian, mastered Ted Jensen and album art once again created by Corey Meyers.

In June 2022, drummer Jordan Mancino announced that he would sit out AS I LAY DYING's tour due to "a number of ongoing internal issues" that "have not yet been resolved."

Mancino's announcement came less than a month after bassist/vocalist Josh Gilbert revealed that he was leaving the band. In a statement, the remaining members of AS I LAY DYING said that Gilbert "decided to exit" the group "to pursue other musical opportunities."

Josh was the second AS I LAY DYING member to leave the band in less than a year. In August 2021, guitarist Nick Hipa confirmed his exit from AS I LAY DYING, explaining that he could no longer justify being part of "a superficial pursuit" of the "story and meaning" that the band's 2018 reunion was built upon.

AS I LAY DYING singer Tim Lambesis was famously convicted in 2014 for his role in a murder-for-hire plot against his estranged wife.

In May 2014, Lambesis was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to paying a San Diego police officer posing as a hitman $1,000 to kill his wife. Approximately two and a half years later — on December 17, 2016 — he was discharged from a California detention facility and was transferred to the Division of Adult Parole Operations.

In June 2018, AS I LAY DYING played its first show with Lambesis in five years and released a new single. Lambesis also owned up to his crimes in a long apology on the band's Facebook page after his release.

The return of AS I LAY DYING raised some questions, particularly since Hipa categorically denounced the band's disgraced frontman as a "sociopathic narcissist in definite need of rehabilitation" in a social-media post back in 2014.

In September 2021, AS I LAY DYING released a new song called "Roots Below" which was originally a B-side leftover from when the sessions for "Shaped By Fire".

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Former CRO-MAGS frontman John Joseph McGowan, a pioneer of the punk rock and New York hardcore (NYHC) music genre, says that he will "never" be involved in a reunion of the band's classic lineup.

On Thursday (October 17),John took to his Facebook page to write: "2025 is the 40th anniversary of [CRO-MAGS'] 'The Age Of Quarrel' cassette - 2026 the anniversary of the album release on Profile Records. And still haven't seen a single dime.

"Lol -- I've had multiple promoters and fans hit me up about doing the OG line-up. So let me put this out there - I will NEVER be involved. I've even had promoters say, 'You're leaving a lot of money on the table.' I ain't in this sh*t for the money. I play music for the vibes, with people who respect each other and are honest. That being said BLOODCLOT (formed in 1981) are releasing some new music and even gigging a bit next year. But music isn't my only love - I just finished writing a short film I will be directing next summer in NYC, I'm doing a spoken word tour, releasing two more books, coaching and competing in IRONMAN Texas to raise money for Tunnel [To] Towers [foundation].

"There is a reason none of us want to be involved and it's not 'our egos' as recently claimed. It's because we learned our lesson dealing with people who steal money repeatedly from tours and record deals, treat other band members like shit, snitch to cops and lie repeatedly in the media, trashing former members. There is no beef to squash because I dont give a sh*t enough to care. So if you got to see the original line-up back in the day - hope there are good memories for you. For the rest... the 'real' cro-mags are out there - enjoy. Peace and Veggie Grease."

Back in July 2022, CRO-MAGS founder Harley Flanagan, who in 2018 filed a suit against his former Joseph and Mackie Jayson regarding ownership of the CRO-MAGS name, said that he has repeatedly reached out to Joseph and Jayson about a possible reunion of the group's classic lineup.

"Those of you who have been following my social media for any period of time, you'll see that I have made a lot of attempts over the years to try to get all those fucking guys to come to the table and have some sort of a conversation," he told Erin Micklow in an interview.

"The truth is everybody in that band got fucked; we all got stiffed. That's a lot of the reason why everybody kind of started turning on each other. When you have nothing and you're getting ripped off and robbed and fucked over, it's, like, desperation makes people desperate. You start fighting over crumbs; you start thinking everybody's getting over.

"I tried to get these guys to come to the table, see if maybe we could have done some sort of shows or at least come to terms with each other and maybe try to fight the legal battle together to try to get the albums back or this and that," he continued. "And you know what? It just got to a place where none of these guys wanted to try; nobody really wanted to put in the effort or to even try to be friendly.

"I've tried. I can't force other people to get along. And me, I just wanna play music; I wanna tour. This is what I do. And if those guys don't wanna fucking be involved, I can't force 'em. And after a while, it's kind of insulting, when you're offering people an olive branch over and over again. They're, like, 'Fuck you.' It's, like, 'You know what? Fuck you, man. I'm done. I'm actually quite happy without you. I feel like my life has been better since you've been gone.' So it's, like, 'Fine. Don't let the door hit you in the ass.'"

Harley also touched upon the July 2012 incident when he was arrested in New York City on charges of attacking several members of the CRO-MAGS during the CBGB Festival. Flanagan, who had been a panelist at one of the event's seminars, allegedly attempted to attend the concert of his former band. The brawl saw Flanagan stabbed and arrested after being jumped at Webster Hall. This led to charges of felony assault and criminal possession of a weapon, along with a brief stay at New York City's most notorious prison Rikers Island before those charges were dropped.

"They invite me backstage and have these fucking fake thugs, like seven of 'em, jump me," Harley said. " I wound up putting three of them in the hospital. I fucking got stabbed. I had, like, 40-something stitches. And then they tried to sue me for fuckin' 'em up. And then fuckin' John, my buddy John, goes in the newspaper and says, 'He's a skinhead. He's a Nazi. He hates black people. He's a snitch.' That motherfucker's, like, putting a target on me. I'm, like, 'Dude, I'm in motherfuckin' Rikers Island. You're basically saying, 'Hello everybody. Go get this guy.'' So I've got this black dude, Smoke, he comes in my cell, he hands me a newspaper with me in it, and says, 'That's you?' And I'm, like, 'Yeah.' And I'm reading all this shit. I'm, like, 'Damn, John. Not only did you have these jerkoffs fucking jump me because you were too much of a chickenshit to fucking put your hands on me yourself. Then now, that shit failed, and you wanna try to get some rando fuckin' con to fuckin' put a hit on me so that they can have a little bit of clout?'"

Asked what happened during his stay at Rikers Island, Harley said: "Nothing happened. I was respected. Everybody knew what I did. Everybody saw me on the news. They were, like, 'This guy fucked three dudes up. He got jumped.' I was respected."

In April 2019, Joseph and Jayson reached an agreement with Flanagan over the rights to the CRO-MAGS name. At the time, it was announced that going forward, Joseph and Jayson would perform as CRO-MAGS JM while Flanagan would get to use the CRO-MAGS name for his own version of the band.

When Flanagan, who founded the CRO-MAGS at the age of 14 and toured with the band for some 20 years, sued members of the group for allegedly using the CRO-MAGS name without his permission, he claimed that CRO-MAGS was his idea when he formed it back in 1981. Flanagan filed a lawsuit against the then-most recent lineup of the group — including Joseph — in part for copyright infringement, saying he trademarked the "Cro-Mag" name for recording in 2010 and for merchandise in 2009 and then again in 2017.

According to the New York Post, Harley claimed in the lawsuit that the other members of the CRO-MAGS took over the band around 2002 when "Flanagan's first son was about to be born… and Flanagan had to stop touring to help with the baby."

Back in 2012, Joseph told the New York Post he and Flanagan started the band together in the early '80s, but Flanagan continually took all the credit for himself. McGowan claimed the situation got so bad, Flanagan pocketed every cent from their 1986 tour. "That caused me to lose my apartment and be homeless in 1987," John said. "I lived hand to mouth."

In a separate interview with The New York Times, Joseph said that Flanagan "has been a negative thorn in the side of this band forever."

2025 is the 40th anniversary of the Age of Quarrel cassette - 2026 the anniversary of the album release on Profile...

Posted by John Joseph on Thursday, October 17, 2024

Live Rock Music Concerts has uploaded video of Jerry Cantrell's entire October 17 "I Want Blood" record-release concert at Pappy + Harriet's in Pioneertown, California. Check it out below.

Featured songs:

06:23 Vilified
11:08 Off The Rails
17:16 Psychotic Break
21:31 Them Bones
24:44 Atone
30:13 Had To Know
36:21 Afterglow
41:31 I Want Blood
46:25 Cut You In
50:11 My Song
55:28 Angel Eyes
1:01:11 Would?
1:05:13 Held Your Tongue
1:10:47 Echoes Of Laughter
1:17:17 Rooster
1:24:49 Brighten
1:30:09 It Comes

To celebrate "I Want Blood"'s arrival, the iconic ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist has announced a North American tour of the same name.

The trek kicks off on January 31 in Niagara Falls and makes its way across the country, concluding in Cantrell's home state of Washington.

Ahead of the album's release, Cantrell has been featured on the cover of Revolver, participated in a career-spanning conversation with Rick Beato, and has received widespread praise album for the collection's heavier sound. Metal Hammer described "I Want Blood" as having an "iconic sound, sludgy guitars and soulful vocals."

"I Want Blood", co-produced by Cantrell and Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, MELVINS),was recorded at Barresi's JHOC Studio in Pasadena, California. The album features contributions from bass heavyweights Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) and Robert Trujillo (METALLICA),drummers Gil Sharone (TEAM SLEEP, STOLEN BABIES) and Mike Bordin (FAITH NO MORE),and backing vocals from Lola Colette and Greg Puciato (BETTER LOVERS, ex-THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN).

In a recent interview with Australia's Heavy, Cantrell was asked about his previous comment that "there's a confidence to this album". He said: "Well, I would hope that most artists would feel pretty confident about their new record. If you don't, you probably shouldn't put it out. Making an album, it's a real commitment, and it's also a real special opportunity that not everybody gets to do. So I take it really seriously. I also have a lot of fun with it, too, and enjoy the process, 'cause it's a long ride to demoing it and writing it and then recording it and then taking it out on tour. So, you're looking at a two-to-three-year commitment there. And you wanna be marching out of the studio with something you feel pretty strongly about. And I think 'I Want Blood', it's the best record I could have made at that time. And I'd stand it up against any work I've done in my career. So, I have that confidence about it, but I make music for me first, and if it satisfies me, I've been really lucky that it seems to do the same for a lot of people who've been interested in work that I've been involved in. Rock and roll's not for everybody, but it finds its people, so it's time to throw it out there and see who grabs on to it."

Regarding his remark that "I Want Blood" is completely unlike his last solo album "Brighten", Cantrell said: "Yeah, well, I mean, it's a different record. It's new songs. It was made in a different time. I've made four [solo albums] now — 'Boggy Depot', 'Degradation Trip', 'Brighten' and 'I Want Blood' — and I dare you to say any one of those records sounds like the other one. They're all supposed to be unique, and they shouldn't sound like your other records. You can count on your musical fingerprint being there, so it should sound like you. I guess what I was talking about earlier is I'm pretty lucky that I can go into a lot of different fields and zones as far as songwriting, and people seem to have followed me when I've gone to those places. And so there's a lot of turf to play around on. What you wanna do is feel like you're standing on some fresh turf when you do a record, that you've done something new, maybe you've stepped up a little bit, hopefully you're getting better at your craft, and it's another one you can throw out to everybody and share with the world. And I definitely feel that way about this record."

Last month, Jerry told Sylvia of the Las Vegas radio station KOMP 92.3 about the songwriting process for "I Want Blood": "Well, I think you have to start each record the same way. There are habits that I instilled in myself and also by being a member of ALICE. We never pulled any punches. We didn't varnish anything. We didn't sand any rough edges off — 'warts and all' was our approach. And so I kind of carry that wherever I go. But the main ethos, if you will, I guess, that I carry within and outside the band, is you have to start from an absolute zero. It doesn't matter what you did before. You did that record, you wrote those songs, so it's gotta be something completely new. And so that's kind of a daunting task, but it's necessary. 'Okay. It's a blank chalkboard, blank piece of paper, absolute zero. What am I gonna do now?' If you're starting from that and not really relying or trying to compete with your past work, it's kind of a freeing thing. You also have the experience of having made some great records and wrote some great songs and been part of some really amazing collectives of people, musicians to make those records. So, I had a pretty good group of folks together to make this one, too — Gil Sharone, Mike Bordin, Robert Trujillo, Duff McKagan, Vincent Jones, Lola Colette and Greg Puciato and Tyler Bates and Joe Barresi. And that's a pretty good group of folks right there. So, you start from a zero and you just go and see where you end up."

Cantrell's tour with BUSH concluded last month, with the North American outing wrapping up at the iconic Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on September 15.

"Brighten" came out in October 2021. The LP was Jerry's first project without ALICE IN CHAINS in 19 years.

Jerry's career outside of ALICE IN CHAINS has consisted of two other solo albums and contributions to major film soundtracks. Cantrell's first solo album, "Boggy Depot", was released in 1998, followed by his second album, "Degradation Trip". In addition to his solo artist work, Jerry has released music on soundtracks for several films, including "Spider-Man", "The Cable Guy", "John Wick 2", "Last Action Hero" and "The Punisher".

ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, "Rainier Fog", in August 2018.

AN EVENING WITH JERRY CANTRELL

Join us for his record release:
“I WANT BLOOD.”

🩸SOLD OUT THANK YOU🩸

Presented by...

Posted by Pappy + Harriet's on Monday, September 23, 2024

CANNIBAL CORPSE guitarist Erik Rutan says that "90% of everything" he and his family own in St. Petersburg, Florida was decimated in Hurricane Helene on September 26 and Hurricane Milton, which hit the beleaguered region two weeks later on October 9.

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a Category 4 storm and as one of the deadliest hurricanes in the United States in the past 50 years.

Category 3 Hurricane Milton directly targeted the Sarasota area, just south of Tampa Bay, bringing high winds and torrential rains to the Tampa Bay area while making landfall 75 miles south in Siesta Key.

Rutan, who left CANNIBAL CORPSE's European tour on September 28 to be with his wife, took to his social media on Friday (October 18) to write: "We are so grateful for all the love and support that has come our way. The positive words, messages, texts and phone calls have meant so much to us. We feel so blessed to know that so many people care.

"Hurricane Helene and Milton decimated so many homes and lives and ours was one of them. 90% of everything we own including personal and family belongings, photos, things that can never be replaced as well as musical and studio gear was either severely damaged or completely destroyed.

"This experience has been difficult beyond words. Almost 3 weeks ago I left the CANNIBAL CORPSE tour to fly home to be with my wife, only to see our home and all our belongings in ruin. This has been one of the most difficult times of our lives. Right now, we, as well as many are suffering beyond measure. We worked so hard our entire lives to achieve what we have only to see it all taken away in a fleeting moment.

"I have no idea how we will overcome all of this, but anyone that knows us knows that we will fight our way back through sheer will and determination to hopefully one day reclaim some kind of normalcy. As we try to pick up the pieces of our lives, please send all the positive strength and energy you can. I will give further updates when time allows. Eternal Gratitude."

CANNIBAL CORPSE's European tour with MUNICIPAL WASTE, IMMOLATION and SCHIZOPHRENIA kicked off on September 20 in Oberhausen, Germany and is scheduled to end on October 20 in Frankfurt, Germany.

Rutan was named a permanent member of CANNIBAL CORPSE in 2021. He joined the band as the replacement for CANNIBAL's longtime guitarist Pat O'Brien.

Rutan, one of the death metal's most acclaimed guitarists, is known for his time as part of MORBID ANGEL throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, as well as handling vocals/guitars for HATE ETERNAL. He is also an acclaimed producer, working mostly out of his Mana Recording facility in St. Petersburg.

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NYMPHS frontwoman Inger Lorre has died at the age of 61.

The news of the singer's passing was confirmed in a statement released by her label, Kitten Robot Records.

"We are saddened to say goodbye to our beloved friend and artist Inger Lorre," the label wrote. "Inger, born Lori Ann Wening, passed on October 16 from complications due to recently diagnosed cancer. Her mother, Lois Wening, had also passed on October 4; both are confirmed by Jen Wening, Inger's sister.

"Inger was an accomplished singer, songwriter, recording artist, painter and a lover of animals. A singularly unique artist, both visually and musically, Inger first came to national attention with her band NYMPHS, whose self-titled LP was released by Geffen Records in 1991.

"Her career as a solo artist began with 'Transcendental Medication' released by Triple X in 1999. Kitten Robot released her final album, 'Gloryland', just last year.

"Our condolences go out to Jen and her family and to her many friends and fans."

Often seen as a musician's musician, Inger has worked with the likes of Iggy Pop, Jeff Buckley and Henry Rollins; her notoriety has frequently eclipsed her darkly beautiful music.

Inger's legacy remains haunted by the infamy of a band (the NYMPHS) that burned brightly all too briefly before imploding in a devastation of bereavement and misguided record company dealings.

In 1991, Inger famously climbed up on the desk of A&R man Tom Zutaut, hitched up her skirt and pissed on the paperwork and personal effects laid out on it. She later told LA Weekly that she felt Zutaut had been playing mind games for months, he'd put her first album on hold and hadn't allowed her to play for two years, and she was spiraling down in a depression that was both soothed and seduced by drugs. "So one day, I got really, really drunk," she recounted, "and I said to Jeff, our guitar player, 'You know, he's such a fucker. I should just walk in there and piss on his desk.' Jeff laughed — and I hadn't seen him laugh in months, we were so depressed. He said, 'You'd be my hero if you did.' So I drank a lot of beer and got totally inebriated so I would have the guts and a lot of pee in me… So when Zutaut said, 'Okay, send her in,' I was just like, fuck this, and I jumped up on his desk and was like, 'You fucked me over, you fucked my band, you're a fucker, how dare you keep me on hold,' and I pissed on his Rolodex, his phone, the photo of his wife, everything. But instead of screaming at me, he started to cry."

Her cult following remains loyal. While her releases are scarce, they are cherished. Infamous '80s new wave musician Josie Cotton signed Lorre to her boutique label, Kitten Robot Records.

Jeff Buckley once called Inger Lorre the "patron saint of fucked over musicians."

Photo credit: Yuko Ishii (courtesy of Reybee, Inc.)

We are saddened to say goodbye to our beloved friend and artist Inger Lorre. Inger, born Lori Anne Wening, passed on...

Posted by Kitten Robot Records on Friday, October 18, 2024

In a new interview with Rock Feed, M. Shadows spoke about AVENGED SEVENFOLD's special throwback show featuring a setlist composed of songs from the band's breakout 2003 album, "Waking The Fallen", and its 2005 follow-up, "City Of Evil". Headlining the October 25 concert at Santa Ana, California's Observatory venue will be the long-running Southern California hardcore punk band DEATH BY STEREO.

The AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman, whose real name is Matt Sanders, said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, we're playing a show for about a thousand people. We're gonna be playing only stuff from 'Waking The Fallen' and 'City Of Evil'.

"We're just not a band that wants to go take an old record on tour right now — it's doesn't interest us, it doesn't excite us, but one night does," he explained. "And it really isn't shots fired, 'cause everyone's doing those tours. Just for us, personally, it doesn't wanna make us get out of bed and go do that. But one night seems really fun to us."

Tickets to the show were made available in August exclusively for members of the Deathbats Club, a next-generation fan club and community built around AVENGED SEVENFOLD, priced at $25 each.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD and DEATH BY STEREO have a long history together, having toured together two decades ago. In addition, AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows contributed guest vocals to two songs — "Entombed We Collide" and "This Is Not The End" — on DEATH BY STEREO's 2005 album "Death For Life".

This past June, AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarist Zacky Vengeance told NME that he and his bandmates were making plans to celebrate the anniversaries of their albums "City Of Evil" and "Nightmare", which are turning 20 and 15 in 2025, respectively. He said: "I think those albums are really monumental and fans have grown with them. They've meant a certain thing to people at a certain place in their life, so I think it's important that we do something."

Explaining that he didn't want AVENGED SEVENFOLD to be a "nostalgia act", Vengeance added: "I've always wanted to be as proud of whatever we put out today as I was when we put out those albums." But, he said, "I'm totally cool with celebrating those albums because it was such a great place and time. Plus, it's actually fun to relive and play those songs and get those reactions. To bank our entire career off past successes, we can't do it, but we'll definitely do something to celebrate those albums though. For us, the most exciting thing about looking back is recalling where our heads were at when we were young and writing them. Remembering that they're part of who we are."

"City Of Evil", AVENGED SEVENFOLD's third album, produced the singles "Bat Country" and "Beast And The Harlot", while "Nightmare", the band's fifth studio LP, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. Both records have since been certified platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for shipments in excess of a million copies in the U.S. alone.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD has spent much of the past year touring in support of its most recent album, 2023's "Life Is But A Dream…"

$25 for 25 years.
Deathbats Club presents Death By Stereo with special guests Avenged Sevenfold (playing their two new...

Posted by Avenged Sevenfold on Monday, August 12, 2024

KORN frontman Jonathan Davis has collaborated with his son Nathan on a new single called "Dark Fantasy".

The 29-year-old Nathan, who makes electronic music under the name HI I'M GHOST, shared the song via social media earlier today, writing in an accompanying message: "Hi it's my birthday :) and for my birthday I want you to stream dad & son dubstep 100 times."

Jonathan posted in an Instagram story earlier today that he "had so much fun making this song with my son."

Nathan is Jonathan's son from his first marriage to his high school sweetheart Renee Perez.

Jonathan's second wife, Deven Davis, died in August 2018 at age 39. According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Deven ingested a lethal combination of five different drugs. A report from her autopsy showed heroin, clonazepam, topiramate and fluoxetine in her body when she died. The death was ruled an accident by medical examiners.

Jonathan and Deven married in Hawaii in 2004 and welcomed their first son together, Pirate, in 2005. The couple had another child together in 2007 — a boy named Zeppelin.

In celebration of their milestone 30th anniversary, KORN performed a once-in-a-lifetime show at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 5. This one-night-only performance featured special guests EVANESCENCE, GOJIRA, DARON MALAKIAN AND SCARS ON BROADWAY, SPIRITBOX and VENDED.

KORN kicked off its summer/fall 2024 North American tour on September 12 at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, Florida. The band's 18-song setlist, which is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of KORN's debut album, included "Oildale" off the band's 2010 LP "Korn III: Remember Who You Are" and "Hey Daddy", a track from KORN's 1999 album "Issues" which had only ever previously been performed almost 25 years ago.

The rock cultural icons' 25-date Live Nation-produced trek featuring special guests, Grammy-nominated band GOJIRA and Canadian heavy metal group SPIRITBOX, will wrap up in St. Paul, Minnesota at Xcel Energy Center on October 27.

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Melodic / power thrashers Among These Ashes will release their new album, Embers Of Elysium, on December 6th via Alone Records. The album features 12 new tracks, plus a bonus song, from the band.


A lyric video for new single, "Serpents Among Rats", is available now:







"It's very hard for me to pick a favorite track of ours because I have to love the track in order for it to make it on one of our albums," explains guitarist Richard Clark. "That said, 'Serpents Among Rats' is exceptionally memorable for me because it embodies all of my favorite elements of metal. It's melodic, heavy, and aggressive; the lyrics are clever, the vocals are delivered beautifully, and the band is crushing. Lyrically, this track is about how the societal elite, particularly politicians, manipulate and fuel division among the people. The lyrics encourage seeing through that behavior and unifying to rise above it."


As for the forthcoming album, Embers Of Elysium, Clark goes on to say that it "is quite the leap for us in every aspect from Dominion Enthroned. Where Dominion was a full concept album

The full 6-minute version of "Unfinished", the final song that Edward and Alex Van Halen wrote together is now available for download at Van-Halen.com.


The song is featured in the audiobook version of Alex Van Halen's new memoir, Brothers. It's due out October 22, but you can pre-order the book and audiobook now. Listen to "Unfinished" below:







Alex recently shared a clip from the audiobook edition of Brothers. The 4:30 clip can be found at Spotify, and features Alex reading a section of his memoir,  titled "Overture".


Alex says in part: "I watched you take your last breath. In that moment, all the stuff you did or made in this world, you can’t take it with you. Since you’ve been gone, I catch myself talking to you, yelling at you, in my head or sometimes out loud. I still have trouble believing you’re gone, and probably for me you never will be. Outliving my little brother? This just wasn’t the plan. As the older brother, I was supposed to die first. Same as always, Ed, butting in line.


"I’ve watched, sometimes with anger, sometimes with grief, and other times with pride, as the world has mourned your passing, and other people have claimed to tell your story. But I was with you from day one. We shared the experience of coming to this country and figuring out how to fit in. We shared a record player, an 800 sq. ft. house, a mom and a dad, and a work ethic.


"Later, we shared the back of tour bus, the experience of becoming successful, becoming fathers and uncles, of alcoholism and spending more hours in the studio than I’ve spent doing anything else in this life. We shared a depth of understanding that most people could only hope to achieve. We shared a last name, and we shared a band.”


Alex recently announced two signing events and a live conversation event in support of his upcoming book.





Alex Van Halen’s deeply candid and insightful book, Brothers, is not like any rock & roll memoir you’ve ever read. Alex Van Halen shares his story of family, camaraderie, immigration, music, and loss, and offers a remarkable tribute to his late little brother and bandmate, Edward, a once-in-a-generation talent and transformed our understanding of what it's possible to do with a guitar.


“I was with him from day one,” Alex writes. “We shared the experience of coming to this country and figuring out how to fit in. We shared a record player, an 800 square foot house, a mom and dad, and a work ethic. Later, we shared the back of a tour bus, alcoholism, the experience of becoming successful, of becoming fathers and uncles, and of spending more hours in the studio than I’ve spent doing anything else in this life. We shared a depth of understanding that most people can only hope to achieve in a lifetime.”


Tickets for the book signing and live conversation events, as well as book pre-orders, are available now via Van-Halen.com.


Dates:


Monday, October 21

Alex Van Halen has explained his refusal to participate in this past summer's "The Best Of All Worlds" that focused largely on the music of VAN HALEN. The trek featured former VAN HALEN singer Sammy Hagar and bassist Michael Anthony, along with guitarist Joe Satriani and drummer Jason Bonham.

The 2024 tour came more than two years after Satriani revealed that he was approached about participating in a VAN HALEN tribute show with Alex and David Lee Roth. That project never got off the ground, reportedly because Roth was "holding up" getting everything approved.

In a new interview with Billboard, Alex said about why he was not responsive when Hagar and Anthony reached out about him taking part in some way in "The Best Of All Worlds": "I'm not interested. They're not doing the band justice. They can do what they want to do. That's not my business."

Alex is promoting his upcoming memoir "Brothers", which largely ignores Hagar's stint with VAN HALEN, as well as that of EXTREME vocalist Gary Cherone, and even VAN HALEN's reunion with Roth that started in 2007.

"What happened after Dave left is not the same band," Alex told Billboard. "I'm not saying it was better or worse or any of that. The fact is Ed [legendary VAN HALEN guitarist and Alex's brother Eddie Van Halen] and I did our best work whenever we played. We always gave it our best shot. But the magic was in the first years, when we didn't know what we were doing, when we were willing to try anything."

In a separate interview with Rolling Stone, Alex didn't even utter Hagar's name. "The heart and the soul and the creativity and the magic was Dave, Ed, Mike and me," he said. In the book, his only acknowledgment of the "Van Hagar" era reportedly came in the line, "We had a lot of other singers over the years."

This past August, Hagar confirmed to Las Vegas Review-Journal that he attempted to see if Alex would be interested in taking part in "The Best Of All Worlds" prior to getting Bonham involved. Sammy said: "I reached out to Alex a dozen times, before this tour was announced, and got no response. I mean, I've asked him to meet me under any conditions, any circumstances, anytime, anyplace, anywhere. It's not like, 'Well, let me think about it.' It's like, no answer. Zero."

According to Hagar, he was willing to offer Van Halen the spotlight "to just play a couple of songs, or if you want to be the drummer the whole night, or be the executive producer. [Laughs] What do you want to do?"

Hagar went on to say that Alex's autobiography may have something to do with the drummer's lack of communication about a possible appearance on the tour.

"I'm sure when he made his book deal, they said, 'You cannot talk to Dave, and you cannot talk to Hagar," Sammy said. "I guarantee you, that that was part of the deal."

In July, Hagar told Ultimate Classic Rock that he and Anthony "reached out to Alex before we did [the tour]. We reached out to him a dozen times before this tour, in every way. E-mail, text message, phone call, message on the machine, okay? No response. No response. I mean, we made every offer to get together or to just talk or to have breakfast, lunch or dinner. Go to the studio and play. Come to my house or I'll come to your house. Go ride horses, go sit on the beach. What do you want to do? Let's just do something. Let's get together. And nothing."

Explaining that he and Alex Van Halen "don't have a relationship," Hagar added: "When the tour came, the first person we called and left all of the messages, sent all of emails, it was Alex Van Halen. Mike and I said, 'We're wanting to do this thing.' Alex's famous line to me [was], 'Sammy, we ain't getting any younger.' Mike and I said, 'Alex, we ain't getting any younger. We're going out and playing for the people. We're going to go honor the VAN HALEN catalog. Let's just get together and let's talk about it. Mike and I, we're going out, we're going to do this, Alex. Please join us. Let's be friends, let's bury the hatchet, whatever.' There was no response. I was saying, 'He'll come to a show, he's got to — in L.A. or something. I'm sure he'll come.' But no, no, he sold all of his equipment. That was his statement. That was like, 'ah, I ain't coming nowhere.'"

Hagar previously discussed the possibility of Alex taking part in "The Best Of All Worlds" last November during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". At the time, he said: "Jason insisted upon, 'I will not say yes to do this thing until at least you get… Alex says yes or no.' Alex hasn't returned my call for five years. I've called, I've left messages, I've left texts, I've left e-mails.

"I don't think Al really wants to go out and play; otherwise they would have did it with Joe when they were thinking about it [back in 2021]," he continued. "And [VAN HALEN's manager] Irving Azoff called me [around that time in 2021] and said, 'Hey, would you do it? Somebody's out of their mind. You and Alex, I've gotta get you guys together.' I said, 'Fine.' He said, 'Reach out one more time.' I reached out one more time. No response.

"Alex never played with anybody ever except his brother," Hagar added. "He never jammed with anybody. The whole time we were in VAN HALEN, Mike and I would be out playing clubs with Eddie [Van Halen], jumping on stage on nights off. And Alex [would be] standing on the side of the stage [and looking on]."

Hagar and Anthony previously worked with Satriani in the supergroup CHICKENFOOT. They recorded two albums between 2009 and 2011 and toured across America but never performed any VAN HALEN material. More recently, Hagar and Anthony have played some of the VAN HALEN catalog with guitarist Vic Johnson and Bonham in SAMMY HAGAR AND THE CIRCLE.

Hagar mended his relationship with Eddie Van Halen months prior to the legendary VAN HALEN guitarist's October 2020 passing.

Hagar replaced Roth in VAN HALEN in 1985 and recorded four studio albums with the band — "5150", "OU812", "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" and "Balance" — all of which topped the U.S. chart.

Sammy, Eddie, Alex and Michael last teamed up in 2004 for a U.S. summer tour. In exchange for taking part in the tour, Anthony reportedly had to agree to take a pay cut and sign away his rights to the band name and logo.

In a new interview with Guitar World magazine, MÖTLEY CRÜE's Nikki Sixx discussed the band's decision to hire guitarist John 5 as Mick Mars's replacement following the latter's decision to no longer tour with the legendary rock act. Nikki said: "Listen, we were forced. Guy's gotta choose: you want to break up? Do you want to fuck over [tour promoter] Live Nation? You want to screw [tourmates] DEF LEPPARD? All those tickets, all that planning that we'd done because one of your bandmembers is too ill to perform live?"

He continued: "We really had to think about it, bro. Like, do you think we wanted to take the grief we took, and end up in a lawsuit? But what were we supposed to do? Go home and fucking mow the lawn? It's like your fucking football team; if one of your guys can't play anymore, they bring in another guy."

Earlier this month, Sixx told Classic Rock magazine that "it was becoming harder and harder and harder to get anything done with Mick because of his memory problems and just his physical ailments. And we have a lot of empathy for that."

The bassist continued: "When Mick left the band, we had to make a choice. And we made the right choice with John. We wish Mick nothing but the best."

Addressing the fact that MÖTLEY CRÜE opted to carry on without the band's founding guitarist, much to the dismay of some fans, Sixx said: "I run this band with an iron fist and nobody can get in and fuck with our band, legally, marketing-wise." He went on to say that MÖTLEY CRÜE had to make "a self-sufficient decision" regarding how to continue without Mars, which he insisted was "the right thing to do". "But doing the right thing isn't always fucking fun," Sixx added, "[with] fans believing we did something we didn't do."

Mars suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS),a chronic and inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine and pelvis. After years of performing through the pain, he informed the other members of MÖTLEY CRÜE in the summer of 2022 that he could no longer tour with them but would still be open to recording new music or performing at residencies that did not require much travel.

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, in early April 2023 the now-73-year-old musician filed a lawsuit against CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

Mars said that when he refused to sign the papers reducing his share of touring royalties to only 5%, the band commenced an arbitration. His original filing said the group took it to arbitration "rather than a public lawsuit so that the public would not be aware of the deplorable manner in which they treated their 'brother' of 41 years."

This past April, Sixx told Angi Taylor of Chicago's Rock 95.5 radio station about Mars's departure from MÖTLEY CRÜE: "We didn't see this coming. We were out doing our stadium tour, and Mick had decided to leave. And we really had to sit down and go, 'Well, what do we do? Do we fold? Do we fold on the fans and [concert promoter] Live Nation [and 2022 and 203 tourmates] DEF LEPPARD?' John, we've all known John. I've worked with John. We kind of talked about it. And if we had to move on, it's moved on in a such a beautiful way. It's been great."

In August 2023, Nikki told Guitar World magazine about CRÜE's decision to hire John 5: "We never saw it coming that Mick wasn't going to be able to tour and was going to have to quit the band. In the middle — not even the middle — of a huge tour, we had to ask ourselves, 'Do we want to let the fans down? Do we want to let [concert promoters] Live Nation down? Do we want to let [tourmates] DEF LEPPARD down? Do we want to let ourselves down because an original member of our band can't tour anymore?' We had to have a deep, deep look into what we were going to do."

Sixx went on to say that John 5 was the obvious choice to step in for Mars in MÖTLEY CRÜE. He added: "[With John] knowing all the members of the band, and me having this relationship with him writing and as friends, and even being in the studio with him writing stuff with the band for [the soundtrack to] 'The Dirt', it felt like a no-brainer in a horrible situation something we did not ask for or want. And then it was just kind of obvious. If there was 'the guy', John was the guy. Like I said, we didn't choose this, but since we had to be put in this position, we're very happy with where we're at right now."

Mars — whose real name is Robert Alan Deal — served as MÖTLEY CRÜE's lead guitarist since the band's inception in 1981.

Although Sixx is responsible for penning the lion's share of the band's material, Mars did have a hand in co-writing some of the group's most famous tracks, including "Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)", "Girls, Girls, Girls" and "Dr. Feelgood".

The only credit Mars has on the first two MÖTLEY CRÜE albums is the instrumental "God Bless The Children Of The Beast" on 1983's "Shout At The Devil".

Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with MEGADETH and ANGRA, has made his entire new solo album, "Theory Of Mind", available for streaming in the YouTube video below.

Featured songs:

00:01 Borderliner
04:33 Out Of Nothing
08:35 Mind Rise
12:41 Talking Dreams
17:01 Blindfolded
21:26 Point Of No Return
25:57 Raveled
29:56 Lost In Seconds
34:20 The Other Side Of Fear
38:17 The Barefoot Queen
42:53 Finitude

The "Theory Of Mind" physical product is available for pre-order at kikoloureirostore.com. Products will be shipped on November 10.

Kiko commented: "When I set out to write this album, 'Theory Of Mind', it felt more like an exploration than a project. Music, for me, has always been about uncovering the hidden layers of thought and emotion, and this album took me into new territories — ones where psychology and technology intersect with the core of what makes us human. But this wasn't just a conceptual or intellectual exercise for me. I had personal experiences that led me to create this music, experiences that reshaped how I see the world and how we understand each other.

"The concept of 'theory of mind' isn't new. It's a psychological term, first developed to describe the unique human ability to recognize and interpret the mental states of others. We use it every day, often unconsciously, to navigate the social world, to empathize, to predict what others might feel or think. It becomes even more profound when applied to those who experience life differently for whom 'theory of mind' may not come naturally. In them, the gaps in understanding can be bridges to deeper ways of seeing the world. This album seeks to capture that complexity — the struggle, the beauty, and the unknown that comes with interpreting the minds of others. I've seen this first-hand, both in my own life and through people close to me. Watching someone struggle to connect with others on an intuitive level or seeing how people are often misunderstood because they process the world differently — it all started to shape my thinking. How do we understand those whose minds work in ways we can't immediately grasp? How do they understand us? These questions weighed heavily on me and became a driving force behind this album. I wanted to reflect on those personal experiences musically, creating an emotional landscape where the listener could step inside that journey, even if just for a moment.
But there's another layer to this album that extends beyond psychology and into the future of technology.

"We are on the verge of a new era where machines — artificial intelligence — are approaching what scientists refer to as 'theory of mind'. This marks the moment when AI not only calculates and processes information but begins to perceive, empathize, and interact as humans do. What intrigued me is how AI, now convincingly mimic human understanding of mental states, even outperforming humans in 'theory of mind' tests. It's one thing to create music that evokes human emotion, but what does it mean when a machine can understand and resonate with those emotions too? Imagine a world where technology not only responds but feels.

"Each track on the album is a chapter in this story, and I hope listeners feel the evolution. The opening song begins with an intricate awakening motif, almost like the first realization of self-awareness, like when a child first grasps that other people have thoughts, emotions, and experiences separate from their own. The music builds from there, layering with complexity, much like how we learn to navigate the minds of others — tentative at first, and then more certain, with moments of tension and harmony.
There's a rhythmic pulse throughout the album. It represents that shared essence we all have the need to connect, to feel understood. I incorporated melodies and counter-melodies, verses and choruses, peaceful and aggressive, dissonant or consonant that mirror the interplay of thoughts in dialogue, where communication is imperfect but still profound. The tension and release echo the internal conflicts we all experience—wondering if we truly understand others or if we're just projecting our own thoughts onto them.

"There's a vulnerability in the tracks' melodies, a fragile but fierce will to connect. In a way, it's a meditation on empathy, on the effort it can take to truly see someone for who they are.
The use of AI as an inspiration for some of the album's themes might seem abstract. As I wrote and composed, I kept coming back to the question: What happens when machines learn to understand us on an emotional level? When we teach them to interpret our mental states? Does it make them more human, or does it reveal more about what it means to be human ourselves? Should I let AI start making all the music, what about me, how can I express myself?

"'Theory Of Mind' isn't just about understanding — it's about the desire to understand. Whether it's a person who feels misunderstood, or a future AI learning to perceive our emotions, the album is an invitation to explore that space. To sit with the complexities, to feel the tension, and ultimately, to wonder — where do we go from here?"

Kiko previously stated about the song "Mind Rise", which was released in late September: "After years of playing in massive arenas and headlining festivals, there's something refreshing about focusing on the fundamentals. The new song taps into that, where catchy, straightforward guitar riffs take center stage, using a deep, lower-register pentatonic scale to immediately engage the listener. In my mind, the verse goes: Carlos Santana meets Jeff Beck, with sinuous, curvy lines where slight variations in playing the same note make a huge impact on the theme. As the saying goes, 'The devil is in the details,' and here those details shape the entire vibe of the track."

He continued: "The song kicks off in E minor, one of the most commonly used keys in rock guitar. But just when it feels familiar, it shifts into G major, its relative key, lifting the track and creating a sense of elevation. The dynamics between these two bring energy and keep the listener's attention without overcomplicating the composition. In this way, the song avoids relying only on a traditional chorus. Instead, it uses a strong, recurring guitar riff as its focal point. And then there's the suspense. The kind that lingers in the air like a shadow in the corner of a smoky bar, where a figure waits, watching, calculating the perfect moment to strike. That's the moment when the Neapolitan chord slips in, a classical technique thrown into the mix to build tension. The anticipation of the solo creeps in with echoes of the main melody, but this time under the command of a different chord progression. But as with any music tale, repetition is the thread that binds it all together. The riff and chorus-like sections repeat, reinforcing that music doesn't need to be overly complicated. Sometimes, it's the simple — like a direct riff — that leaves the strongest impression.

"Listen closely, and you'll hear it. Let me know what you feel when listening to the song."

Earlier in September, Kiko released another new solo single, "Out Of Nothing". He said of the track at the time: "My new single 'Out Of Nothing' emerges not from a plan but from the mystery of creation itself. When I compose, I do not think, nor do I theorize — I let my hands glide over the fretboard, as if they already know the way, discovering paths, rejecting others, always searching for the feeling that satisfies, even for a moment.

"'Out Of Nothing' kicks off with a bold tritone interval — 'Diabolus In Musica,' that notorious interval known for its tension. It's a simple, direct statement that immediately shifts the key, setting up a dynamic riff alternating between A and D with their tritones. The intensity ramps up with 16th notes that launch the track into high gear.

"The verse is simple, almost baroque in its harmony. A Tonic and Dominant, Am to E7, arpeggiated with hybrid picking over the rhythm of Baião, a syncopation from the northeastern reaches of Brazil. The original music from this area also incorporates many arpeggiated themes from European heritage. And then, bringing contrast, the chromatic lines arrive to challenge this basic cadence, introducing the mediant progression—Am to Fm—
For the chorus, I take things up a notch, moving to the fifth degree and playing with the tension between E major and minor, As I didn't feel the chorus should be completely happy and uplifting.

"In the middle of the song, I let the existing elements repeat, develop, and transform, as one might do in a symphony or a sonata. The arpeggios return, expanding the baroque spirit, and then, unexpectedly, nylon strings echo from a distant past. Before long, the tritone chord progression returns, but now with more complex lines and a mix of techniques.

"But I will not leave you lost. The verse and chorus return, as familiar as old friends. For in this song, though I take you far, I am careful never to lose you entirely."

In November 2023, Kiko announced his decision to "extend" his absence from MEGADETH's touring activities, explaining that he didn't want to "hinder any of the band's plans or the hard work of all the incredible people involved in the tour."

Kiko revealed in September 2023 that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland.

One day after Kiko's announcement that he was "extending" his absence from MEGADETH's touring activities, band leader Dave Mustaine released a statement in which he said that he loves Loureiro and respects and fully supports Kiko's decision. He described Kiko as "a top-notch professional, a maestro" and thanked the guitarist "for his dedication and hard work these past nine years, helping us to achieve a Grammy on 'Dystopia' and the additional awards we have received on this latest record 'The Sick... The Dying...And The Dead'." Mustaine added: "I could not have done this without Kiko Loureiro."

MEGADETH played its first concert with Kiko's replacement, Teemu Mäntysaari on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The 37-year-old Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

Loureiro officially joined MEGADETH in April 2015, about five months after Chris Broderick's exit from the group.

In a recent interview with Japan's Young Guitar, Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro was asked about the possibility of a future guest appearance with ANGRA. He responded: "In the last two albums from ANGRA, not being in the band, I did record a guest solo. I was touring a lot and I have small kids, so I didn't wanna travel more to do a guest appearance. It might be in the future. I'm friends of everybody. I have a great history with ANGRA. Same goes with MEGADETH. I'm still friends of everybody, and I don't wanna burn bridges."

He continued: "I'm proud of all the albums I recorded with ANGRA. I'm proud of the albums that I recorded with MEGADETH, the two albums I recorded with MEGADETH, all the concerts and tours we did together. So, guest appearances, recording a solo, helping somehow or just hanging, I'm happy to do it, because I like all those people as friends and family, because I shared so many great moments of my life with the guys from ANGRA, of course, many, many years, and also almost nine years in MEGADETH as well."

Dorothy, the raven-haired rock dynamo from Los Angeles, returned to prominence over the summer. She shared the first taste of new music from her forthcoming fourth album in the form of explosive and unforgettable new single "Mud". The track was produced by Scott Stevens (HALESTORM, SHINEDOWN, NOTHING MORE).

Today, the raven-haired rocker has shared an absolutely explosive performance video of the song, something her legion of fans has been eager to see and hear. Watch it below.

The performance captures Dorothy in her most natural habitat — onstage. It crackles and smolders with the intensity and heat that only Dorothy can bring. Cloaked in black leather, Dorothy schools the crowd on the undeniable chemistry that is alive and well amongst metal and rock loyalists and country badasses. She remains a musical outlaw through and through. Dorothy isn't afraid to get, well, dirty. The song boasts a hearty mix of the blues-infused rock her previous albums have been known for, but adds a countrified twist, as can be offered up by only an artist of Dorothy's caliber.

"The 'Mud' live performance video was shot at two shows we played opening for GODSMACK," the singer states. "I want to thank them for having us and I hope the fans enjoy the footage!"

Dorothy has also dropped alternative versions of "Mud" for fans, including the "Rodeo Remix".

Overall, "Mud" is a display of raw, full-bodied vocal power complimented by heavy-hitting instrumentation and riffs galore. The song is currently parked in the Top 5 at rock radio and it's gaining momentum.

In other Dorothy news, she will be performing with CREED's Scott Stapp at the legendary Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on October 23. It will be the first-ever live performance of their duet "If These Walls Could Talk", an acoustic ballad that delivers two Grammy-worthy vocal performances that escalate to soaring climax as they depict the experience of suffering in silence. It is Dorothy's first time performing at this historic venue.

The details of Dororthy's forthcoming fourth studio album will be announced in due course. Dorothy's discography thus far includes "Gifts From The Holy Ghost" (2022),which was inspired by a spiritual awakening, as well as "ROCKISDEAD" (2016),which inspired Roc Nation to sign the artist to the label, and "28 Days In The Valley" (2018). The Budapest, Hungary-born stunner has enjoyed over one billion global streams combined across her career and has participated in high-profile collaborations with everyone from STAIND to Slash of GUNS N' ROSES to Scott Stapp of CREED to Alice Cooper guitarist Nita Strauss, earning and ultimately cementing her place among the hard rock elite.

In a new interview with Pedro Alonso of Spain's Metal Journal, WHITESNAKE guitarist Reb Beach was asked if the band will resume performing live in 2025 or 2026. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have no news. David [Coverdale, WHITESNAKE frontman] hasn't told me anything. The last I heard from David about it was he asked me to keep some equipment at his house in case we do something. I know he has always talked about doing some shows in Vegas, just as a farewell in Vegas, but just personally, I don't see David traveling anymore, doing a world tour again and going to different countries. I just don't think he wants to do that anymore. That's my opinion. He hasn't said that. He's 72 years old. He sold all of his publishing. He got a lot of money. And I don't think he needs to do that, to tour anymore."

Asked if he thinks the WHITESNAKE farewell could take place in the form of a Las Vegas residency, Reb said: "Yes, I do. If anything, it will be that, in my opinion."

As for the possibility of a new WHITESNAKE studio album, Reb said: "I haven't heard anything, really. David sends us jokes. We have a WHITESNAKE thread, and every day he sends a new joke. And he commented to me about [former WHITESNAKE and current THE DEAD DAISIES guitarist] Doug Aldrich [who was recently diagnosed with cancer and who will be temporarily replaced in THE DEAD DAISIES by Beach] and THE DEAD DAISIES. He asked me to say hi to Doug and make sure he's okay and everything. So David keeps in touch. Once a week we text each other."

This past July, WHITESNAKE and Bruce Dickinson bassist Tanya O'Callaghan was asked by Finland's Chaoszine if the Coverdale-fronted outfit will ever resume its farewell tour, two years after WHITESNAKE pulled out of its previously announced North American run with the SCORPIONS due to what was described at the time as Coverdale's "continued treatment for a persistent upper respiratory infection. She said: "We're hoping… We're hoping to finish the cycle at least, but I can't really speak fully for David because he's, as he says himself, never say never. But he's still recovering a little bit because that was a pretty intense tour run. And between rehearsals and everything, he had gotten sick and a lot of health stuff unfolded for him. But he's doing pretty good. He's really excited about doing the farewell DVD and the book, and all that will be hopefully next year, which is fantastic. And, as he says, never say never. Maybe we'll go out around that, but he wants to write and record some stuff. So WHITESNAKE is not finished… It's not over by any means. But I don't know what iteration it will be that is next. Maybe, hopefully, I hope we finish the tour cycle. I really, really hope we do 'cause it's a great group of people to work with."

In November 2021, Tanya officially joined WHITESNAKE as the replacement for longtime bassist Michael Devin whose departure was revealed a few days earlier.

In October 2023, Coverdale told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about WHITESNAKE's future plans: "Well, my band and I are in touch all the time. There is still a WHITESNAKE and there are still offers coming. I can't entertain anything until I get my physical aspect together.

"I had a fall recently, which I don't think helped my… I've got two torn rotator cuffs, which would certainly compromise my performance," he explained. "But arthritis, all this kind of stuff's kicking in.

"My heart goes out to Steven [Tyler] after the [2023 AEROSMITH tour] cancelation. It's so awful, getting older and having this burden of responsibility to try to be as good as you can so you don't disappoint anybody. And I know how he feels and I sent my love to him through our friends, mutual friends.

"But I can't commit to anything until I know how my health is," David added. "The last thing I wanna do is go on tour and have to do what happened last year, which was come home, tail between my legs. It was heartbreaking. And being sick for a year didn't really help matters."

In May 2023, Coverdale told Rockonteurs about his respiratory infection: "That was really bad. When these things get on your cords, that just closes you down entirely.

"I spent a fortune keeping the guys [in my band] as safe as we could; we called it the 'COVID bubble.' Private jet wherever we went. And still COVID came in and took some of the crew out. It was really challenging."

Coverdale also shot down the suggestion that the WHITESNAKE farewell tour will drag on for many years to come. "I know contemporaries of mine that have been doing a farewell tour for 20 years," he said. "That's not it. I'm [72]. It's a number that I see and go, 'Really?' Because most of the time I certainly don't feel like that kind of age that would be the perspective we had growing up, when 20 looked old, 25 was ancient. 30? You're kidding. It's just fascinating to look at."

He added: "I have a feeling 72 is gonna be a really super year for me. Not 1972 — my age."

On June 28, 2022, WHITESNAKE scrapped three shows on its spring/summer European tour due to Coverdale's infection of the sinus and trachea. Three days later, the rest of the trek was also called off. At the time, David blamed the decision on "continuing health challenges, doctor's orders, and our concern for everyone's health and safety."

David was not the first member of WHITESNAKE to fall ill during the group's spring/summer 2022 European tour. Guitarist Reb Beach missed several shows on the trek in June 2022 after being "under the weather." On June 25, 2022, WHITESNAKE canceled its show at the Rock Imperium festival in Spain due to the fact that drummer Tommy Aldridge "went down" and "was bad enough at the time to have missed the first show ever in his career," according to Coverdale.

In April 2023, Coverdale told "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern" regarding the possibility of WHITESNAKE resuming its farewell tour in 2024: "It's not really a professional decision. It's literally a health decision.

"[In 2022] it took me seven months to get rid of a sinus infection that went so deep into my body… And then we discovered a secondary one, which is why I had to cancel the U.S. tour," he explained. "So all of that appalling antibiotics I had for three months, all the damage it did to my system, was a waste of time because this other infection was canceling it out. So I had to go on to heavier medications and steroids, and at the same time ignoring a torn rotator cuff.

"When I was onstage with Steve Vai at Hellfest [in France in June 2022], which turned out to be the last WHITESNAKE show — hopefully not the last WHITESNAKE show [ever] — underneath my shirt, my shoulder was taped up like I was going into the arena to face another gladiator," Coverdale revealed. "And you couldn't really tell. And thank God I could still fling the mic stand around. But as soon as I got signed off back in January, the infection had gone, I realized that we had to sort out the shoulder, 'cause that had been of secondary importance — minor compared to this, 'Am I ever gonna be able to sing again?' That's a big deal. It's something you wake up and almost take for granted.

"So, I'm getting a lot of approaches [regarding Las] Vegas residencies. I'm not quite sure about that. I feel I owe Japan. I feel I owe the U.S. I feel I owe South America. 'Cause I've been pretty successful for 50 years, and you can't buy that. It's people who've supported you to be in this position. It was a personal choice. I didn't wanna do a video going, 'Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, brothers and sisters of the 'SNAKE, thank you for 50 years. I'm done.' I wanted to be there.

"I wanted to retire in 2020," David added. "I thought the appropriate age for the singer of WHITESNAKE to step down was 69. But, of course, bloody COVID came [and ruined those plans].

"We have three to five years of projects here at my studio. So I'm certainly not finished with music. But my health will dictate whether I can take on [a full tour]. 'Cause it's incredibly physically demanding for me. I don't wanna do a half-assed [tour], standing-there stuff. I love telling my stories and moving and working."

Also in April 2023, Coverdale told Ultimate Classic Rock that the illness that forced him off the road in 2022 was "the worst sinus infection I've ever had in my life. And as a singer, I know them like fucking relatives of mine," Coverdale said. "This was one of the ugliest illnesses I think I've [ever] had. For seven months, I was taking ever-increasingly strong antibiotics and horrifying prednisone steroids."

WHITESNAKE launched its farewell tour on May 10, 2022 at Dublin, Ireland's 3Arena. The band's 14-song set, which was part of a European tour with special guests EUROPE and co-headliners FOREIGNER, marked WHITESNAKE's inaugural performance with the group's two latest two additions, keyboardist, guitarist and backing vocalist Dino Jelusick and O'Callaghan.

Coverdale had both his knees replaced with titanium in 2017 after suffering from degenerative arthritis. He later explained that he was in so much pain with arthritis in his knees that it hampered his ability to perform live.

Prior to the pandemic, WHITESNAKE had been touring in support of its latest album, "Flesh & Blood", which was released in May 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

In a new interview with Paul Salfen of AMFM Magazine, TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's upcoming studio album. The LP will mark TESTAMENT's follow-up to 2020's "Titans Of Creation", which was co-produced by Juan Urteaga, who previously worked with TESTAMENT on "Dark Roots Of Earth" (2012) and "Brotherhood Of The Snake" (2016). Chuck said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're almost done recording right now. We finished, I'd say, three quarters of the recording before we left for Europe. And we have a three-week break now. And Steve's [DiGiorgio, TESTAMENT bassist] in the studio finishing bass and Eric's [Peterson, TESTAMENT guitarist] finishing up some of the rhythm guitars, but out of the 11 songs, I already tracked eight of 'em. So I just have a couple more songs to sing. We have another break after this U.S. tour in November. We'll finish up all the backing vocals and anything that needs to be — after getting to live with it, which is something nice. We never really get to live with the music after recording. 'It's recorded. Here it is. Let's go. It's done, written in stone.' Which is nice, is now we really get to live with it out on the road and talk about it together and say, 'Hey, what if we did this or what if we tried that?' And we've already came up with so much alternative stuff to try now. Like this week, Friday, I go in and I'm gonna try some new things on some vocal verses. We're talking about tones of guitars and bringing in some string sections."

Going into specifics about one of the songs on the upcoming album, Chuck said: "On this record, I don't wanna say the word 'ballad', but we wrote a slower song like we had back in the '80s and '90s that we wrote on this record. And it's really awesome, really good. We're gonna bring in a guest vocalist, Floor Jansen from NIGHTWISH. She's gonna sing on it with me. And we're gonna put in some string section into the song.

"We're not afraid to take those chances where a lot of bands criticize you, like, 'Oh, we don't write ballads. 'What are you doing that [for]?'" he explained. "But you know what? At this point in our lives and career, we're writing to make us happy first and foremost and what feels good, what feels right, and this song just felt right right now to kind of do this again."

Billy recently told Metal Express Radio's Bryce Van Patten about how TESTAMENT's songwriting process has changed since the band's early days in the late 1980s and 1990s: "Oh, it's night and day. Before, back then, we all lived the same place, we all had to go to the same studio, where now it's by e-mail, sharing the songs. Everybody has home studios to work out demos. Definitely a different writing process, but still Eric is one of the main writers. And ever since we brought in our new drummer, Chris Dovas, he's been here two years — he was 24 when he came into the band; he's 26 [now]. But he's a smart kid. [He] graduated [from] the Berklee [College] Of Music. [He] knows theory [and is] great in the studio with Pro Tools. He's really into modern bands and new and upcoming stuff, and he's got an old soul so he knows the history of the music. But I think him working hand in hand with Eric as long as they did, he really pushed Eric and drove Eric to get challenged. And I wouldn't say 'copy', but I think Chris and what he listens to and the style Eric likes, it brought an influence to the new songs."

Regarding the musical direction of the new TESTAMENT material, Chuck said: "To me, the new songs sound current, they sound fresh. They're touching what a lot of new upcoming bands are making good names for themselves are doing. So, again, it's raising the bar one more time. And I think when fans hear this record, especially new, younger fans are gonna go, 'Whoa. That's TESTAMENT. I know the TESTAMENT I know from 30-something years ago and grew up with, but what is this?' I'm excited for that because I wanna hear what people think. I'd love to see the expression of them hearing it for the first time. That would be great, because it does sound new and modern and fresh, even though we're still being challenged."

Asked if he and his TESTAMENT bandmates have more freedom to do whatever they want now than they did when you were on a major label like Atlantic, Chuck said: "Totally. When we were on Atlantic, that was a big machine. They had an A&R department, they had the radio department, they had tons of departments, tons of money, and they were always influenced by how well their big-selling artists were, which were radio bands and they were pushing radio. So that A&R guy would be whispering in our ears, 'What's the next radio song?' And we're thinking, "Well, we're not a radio band. That's not us.' And even to this day, when I hear some stuff like [on the SiriusXM channel] Ozzy's Boneyard or something, they play ballads by us, and it's, like, that doesn't represent us, but that represents that era in thinking maybe of what TESTAMENT did or what they chose to expose us to the public, which it's misrepresenting us. So, yeah, the freedom's huge now, especially being with Nuclear Blast as long as we have. There's no deadline. It's just, 'When you're ready, you have a record, give it to us.' And that's been really nice. And the beauty about this record is that usually we have Andy Sneap mix our record, so we usually write a record and give it to him and then it's done, written in stone, can't go back. But this record, we had to pick a somebody to mix it, which wasn't available till early next year, January. So we decided, 'Okay.' We tried to get all the tracking done before we went to Europe this June or July, and we got most of it done."

This past September, Peterson told Brutal Planet Magazine that TESTAMENT has tapped Swedish producer Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with OPETH, KREATOR, PARADISE LOST, SOILWORK and AMON AMARTH, among others, to mix the band's upcoming studio album. Peterson said about the LP: "It's, like, 90 percent done. And it's gonna get mixed in December by Jens Bogren. He's a producer from Sweden, and he's done — God, he's done KREATOR, he's doing the new BEHEMOTH right now, he's done IN FLAMES, ARCH ENEMY. A lot of European bands. We usually work with Andy Sneap, but he's [the touring guitarist] in JUDAS PRIEST and he's just, like, 'Bro, I need some time off.' It's a good switch, though. I think Jens will do a good job. And yeah, there's a lot of crazy stuff on this record. I'm excited for everybody to hear it."

In August, Billy told Oran O'Beirne of Overdrive.ie about the musical direction of the new TESTAMENT material: "We always try to outdo ourselves or make a better record or write better songs. It's always a challenge for ourselves, and I think this time we really took a long time to create the record. We kind of got everybody in the same room to really go through the songs and kind of put their two cents in to the arrangements. I think by having Chris — he's a younger drummer, a really great drummer — but I think he brought you know a new fire to Eric in the writing process. And I believe because we're going on 37 years of making records, it's kind of full circle right now. We're kind of inspired by new generation, I guess, of music and metal. And Chris is a big part of that. He's a big fan of that. So I think he inspired Eric just to write some really aggressive, fast, creative riffs. And it really inspired me to really push myself to try to do a little more screaming, death vocals, melodic stuff. We even went as far as writing — I don't wanna say 'ballad', but it's something really catchy that's really slow that's something we haven't done in over 30 years. So I think just the overall songs and the confidence in the writing this time really is gonna stand out on this record."

This past June, Chuck told Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco, California radio station 107.7 The Bone about the lyrical themes covered in the new TESTAMENT songs: "[It's] not as focused [on], like, the aliens, creating mankind and that kind of stuff, but there is some of that. There's a lot. Each song definitely has its own identity lyrically. And again, we're writing stuff that is real, that happens with the environment; we're singing about that again. A.I., we're singing stuff about that. That's a big thing. So, there's always an inspiration for songs. I think it's a little easier. There's so much going on in our world to write about now. It's a crazy world today, so there's a lot of stuff to talk about. And I like singing about what's real and what's going on instead of some fantasy lyrics, because, for me, I think when I sing 'em, I have more conviction, I believe in 'em a little more. And maybe it's easier for me to remember the lyrics live. [Laughs]"

Naming specific tracks, Chuck said: "There's a song, 'Havana Syndrome', which is about the Havana Syndrome. People, look that up. There's 'Infanticide A.I.', which is another song going A.I. direction. And there's actually a slower song. We haven't done a slower song. I'm not gonna say 'ballad', but I'm gonna say a slower song that has a lot of groove and soul, called 'Meant To Be'. And it's like a classic TESTAMENT-type ballad, I guess, if you wanna use that word. But we've got a little bit of everything, but, again, I think it's really sticking to TESTAMENT, having to have some melodic stuff, even though there's some really brutal lyrics and real brutal, more of a death voice. I still put the hook in with more of a melodic hook or something. It's still classic TESTAMENT. If you listen to it, you'll go, 'That's TESTAMENT, but a little more octane to it.'"

Also in June, Chuck told Canada's The Metal Voice that he writes most of TESTAMENT's lyrics with Del James. "Del, he works with GUNS N' ROSES," Chuck said. "He's been working with them and wrote with them a long time ago. I think he had big hits like 'November Rain' with them. And we've been working [together] for over 20 years. So I always go down and work with him because I come up with a lot of the ideas and concepts, but he really interprets and gets the right words, how to say what I'm thinking. And we work fast. When we get together, we'll knock out like two songs in a day. So we don't mess around. We get there, say hello to each other, we sit down and we go right to work. It's about what we do."

Prior to joining TESTAMENT as a full-time member, Dovas filled in for Lombardo on the first six dates of TESTAMENT's summer/fall 2022 leg of "The Bay Strikes Back Tour".

Aries Descendant - an electrifying collaboration forged by the musical synergy of two virtuoso studio musicians, Jonah Weingarten and Nicklas Sonne - have released their debut album, From The Ashes Of Deceit, via Frontiers Music Srl. Lyric video for "Symphony Of Demise" is streaming below:





Jonah Weingarten started his career with highly acclaimed international progressive metal band Pyramaze. Over the years, he has collaborated with artists such as Dave Ellefson (Megadeth), James Murphy (Testament, Death), Matt Barlow (Iced Earth), Bill Hudson (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, NorthTale), and Grammy nominated producer Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe).




Jonah has been a full time member of Pyramaze since 2002, and in 2020 joined international cinematic symphonic metal band Catalyst Crime (Massacre Records). On top of all his work in the metal/rock worlds, Jonah is also an accomplished composer of independent films, video game soundtracks, sports team anthems, and epic trailer music.


Nicklas Sonne began his musical experience as a drummer before moving onto the guitar and ultimately becoming a singer songwriter in an array of metal and hard rock projects, starting with Defecto – created in 2010 along with Frederik Møller. Other bands include Evil Masquerade, Theory, Hank Shermann, One Machine, Waving Memories, Section A, Metallica Jam, Wasted, Omvendt Korstog and now his own self-titled project too. His long career has included international tours in places such as Japan, and opening for Metal heavyweights including Metallica and Rammstein.


United by a common vision, Jonah and Nicklas decided to embark on a groundbreaking musical journey, giving birth to the phenomenon that is Aries Descendant. This dynamic duo seamlessly fuses the evocative allure of film music with the raw power of heavy metal, creating an auditory experience that is nothing short of extraordinary.


Within the realm of Aries Descendant, audiences can antic

Dynamic London, United Kingdom-based duo WARGASM (not to be confused with the cult 1980s Boston metal band of the same name) continues its rapid ascent to the forefront of hard rock by turning up with not one, but two new singles titled "Circle Pit" and "Bad Seed" out now via Slowplay / Republic / Island UK. The double release is supported by a joint music video of the two tracks, dropped together as one piece.

About the tunes, the band said: "The world is apathetic and lonely, and music is our coping mechanism. Anger is our energy. 'Circle Pit' (a rework of a track our Japanese family might already know) is all about the cycle. You can't break it, so why be part of it? Get in the pit, come out to the coast have a few laughs. 'Bad Seed' on the other hand.... that's for those that choose to make the cycle worse. People who waste time being small and hating when there's so much to create. We're going back to the start. There's an intimate club tour coming up that craved some new riffs."

The pair of perennial sonic insurgents Sam Matlock and Milkie Way inject "Circle Pit" with enough energy to register on the Richter scale. A wild synth loop snakes around claps beefed up by heavy rifling and crashing cymbals as WARGASM beckon everyone into the center of the dancefloor. Like a powder keg ready to blow, a call-and-response chorus culminates with the chant, "Circle pit, circle pit, no one ever gave a shit, running in the thick of it." Then, there's the insidiously infectious "Bad Seed". Chugging guitar and a stomping groove set the tempo as Milkie teases, "You took a swing and missed, now you deserve this." "Die Hard"-style musical vengeance follows highlighted by rhyming "Mclain" and "Machine Gun" and a dizzying chant, "Running and gunning and running."

This drop follows their first release of 2024 "70% DEAD" with Corey Taylor of SLIPKNOT. The latter surged with over 870,000 Spotify streams and earned widespread critical acclaim. Right out of the gate, Revolver named it one of "6 Best New Songs Right Now," going on to profess, "They may not be here for a long time, and they're already 70 percent dead, but damned if WARGASM aren't still giving it their all on this delirious single." Consequence applauded how "the SLIPKNOT singer lends his guttural vocals to the electro-punk duo's new single," and Metal Hammer raved, "The track is a bouncy, high-energy edm-core banger."

Earlier this year, WARGASM played their debut album, "Venom", in its entirety in a tank graveyard. They also headlined the Cave stage at 2000 Trees festival in addition to laying venues to waste throughout the United States and Europe.

Last year saw the band release their debut album, "Venom", which includes fan favorites "Do It So Good", "Bang Ya Head" featuring LIMP BIZKIT's Fred Durst and "Modern Love". The LP has received love from critics, with NME stating the debut album, "cements WARGASM's position as one of U.K. heavy music's leading forces", while Kerrang! proclaim "'Venom' is arguably the biggest and heaviest WARGASM have ever sounded, as well as the most creative."

WARGASM is the climax of an orgy between heavy metal, electronic, rave, alternative, and industrial powered up by the friction of two gleefully insane creative insurgents Milkie Way and Sam Matlock. They honed a vital and visceral vision across early bangers such as "Spit", "Rage All Over", "Salma Hayek" and "Scratchcard Feeling", paving the way for 2022's "Explicit: The Mixxxtape". Beyond reeling in over 10 million streams and counting, the latter incited the applause of Paper magazine, Revolver and more as well as earning the endorsement of icons such as Jonathan Davis of KORN and Fred Durst of LIMP BIZKIT who personally tapped the band to open a 2022 North American arena tour. They stand out the rare force of nature who could hold their own on tour with either Yungblud or Corey Taylor. Plus, they've graced the covers of Alternative Press and Kerrang! in addition to garnering the first-ever "New Noise Award" at the 2022 Kerrang! Awards. However, everything simply set the stage for their 2023 full-length debut album, "Venom". The duo deliver a shockingly catchy blast of horny and hypnotic heavy music as unpredictable as it is uncompromising. Its lineage can be traced to the big-screen genre mashing of the '90s, yet it's spiked with a 21-century fury that could only belong to WARGASM.

On behalf of his family, Conquest Music has confirmed the death of Paul Andrews, professionally known as Paul Di'Anno.

Paul passed away at his home in Salisbury at the age of 66.

Born in Chingford, East London on May 17, 1958, Paul first came to prominence as lead singer of English heavy metal band IRON MAIDEN between 1978 and 1981. He sang on their groundbreaking debut album "Iron Maiden" and the influential follow-up release, "Killers".

Since leaving IRON MAIDEN, Paul Di'Anno had a long and eventful recording career with BATTLEZONE and KILLERS as well as numerous solo releases and guest appearances.

Despite being troubled by severe health issues in recent years that restricted him to performing in a wheelchair, Paul continued to entertain his fans around the world, racking up well over 100 shows since 2023.

His first career retrospective album, "The Book Of The Beast", was released in September 2024 and featured highlights of his recordings since leaving IRON MAIDEN.

In December 2022, Di'Anno spent time in Split, Croatia recording an album with his new project called WARHORSE. The band was formed earlier that year by Di'Anno and two guitarists/authors, Hrvoje Madiraca and Ante "Pupi" Pupačić. The resulting LP was made available in July 2024 under the PAUL DI'ANNO'S WARHORSE banner.

Less than two months ago, Di'Anno, who had been performing in a wheelchair as a result of serious health problems for most of the past decade, discussed the progress of his treatment, two years after he underwent major knee surgery in Croatia. He told SDTV - Stonedead Festival: "It's improving a hell of a lot. The only problem is, and I'm sad to say, with my own country, it's a piece of shit over here [in the United Kingdom] for the NHS [National Health Service, a comprehensive public-health service under government administration]. It's broken completely. I go away, I get — with the lymphedema [a chronic condition that causes swelling in the body's tissues due to a compromised lymphatic system] thing I've got here, it's like it's all full of fluid. Two hours with a medical staff over in Croatia, it's gone down. Come over here [back to the U.K.], they don't even do that, lymphatic drainage [a gentle massage that targets the lymphatic system, which resides just beneath the skin]. Or they wrap you up in bandages. We just took them all off yesterday and put compression stockings on them. And they won't even put that on unless you go through all these channels. Fuckin' England, you're finished, mate."

Paul also reflected on his recent meeting with the singer who replaced him in IRON MAIDEN, Bruce Dickinson, in Croatia. Bruce, who was promoting his new solo album, "The Mandrake Project", performed with his solo band on July 13 at Hala Zagreb in Zagreb, where Di'Anno had been receiving treatment after undergoing his knee surgery.

Paul said: "[Our conversation was] private, so I say no more. Everyone thinks that we hated each other, which is bullshit. That's the press for you. But we've known each other, obviously, from when he was in SAMSON and all that. So, yeah, it's all good."

Di'Anno also discussed his meeting with Dickinson during a recent appearance on "The Neil Jones Rock Show" on TotalRock. He said: "Well, I can't tell you too much. I came out of the clinic I was in, 'cause I was going on stage that night, in Zagreb as well, doing signings basically, and I was gonna go up and do three songs with a MAIDEN covers band sort of thing. All I remember is my transport came to pick me up from the clinic. I'm, like, 'Where are we going?' So I went down to this open-air concert thing. And Bruce was on stage. I was like, oh, I'm clueless. That was my initial thought. Anyway, so after it was all over, I went backstage. All of Bruce's band came down to say hello and all that stuff. They said, 'We're gonna come down and watch you later on, in about an hour or two.' And then next thing I know, Bruce came in. We just gave each other a hug, shook hands and had a little chat, which is private, obviously. But, yeah, it's all good. But the press have put the bad things up about us, that we don't like each other, et cetera, et cetera. But, yeah, it's all good. He's had a little snipe at me over the years, and I'd snipe back occasionally, but yeah, it just kept it all interesting. Yeah, he's a great singer, man. Absolutely brilliant."

Asked if that was in fact the first time he and Bruce had actually met in the flesh, as had been reported, Paul clarified: "No, because, obviously, [we had met when he was] with SAMSON [before he joined MAIDEN] and all that."

In 2005, Di'Anno was asked by Classic Rock Revisited editor Jeb Wright about his previous comment that Bruce is a better singer for MAIDEN than he was. He said: "Yeah, I did admit that Bruce is a better singer for MAIDEN than me. I still do think that but only related only to the MAIDEN albums that were made after my first two initial MAIDEN classic albums. My feeling is that I could never have stamped my mark properly on the MAIDEN albums that came after 'Iron Maiden' and 'Killers' because Bruce's voice is much better suited to that material than my voice ever could be. However, that aside, I am not actually comparing our voices against each other either, as I feel as much as I could not sing Bruce's period of MAIDEN songs, Bruce definitely does not have — and never did have — the voice to replace me on the first two classic albums either. My voice is, and always will be, mega aggressive and that is what helped make those first two classic albums what they are. On the other hand, Bruce's high-pitched, and sometimes operatic voice, is what has helped give the later albums their different character. I will say this though: Bruce sounds incredible on many later MAIDEN tracks such as 'The Trooper', 'Number Of The Beast' and 'Two Minutes To Midnight' but let's face it — without meaning to sound arrogant here, just saying what everyone knows — when Bruce tries to emulate me on classics such as 'Remember Tomorrow', 'Running Free', 'Wrathchild', 'Killers' or anything from the first two MAIDEN albums, he just does not have the tools for the job as the aggression just isn't there. Your voice can often explain a lot about your background, and I think my voice shows the kind of rough, lower-class background I came from. Bruce's voice kind of gives an impression of a public schoolboy background."

In a 2022 interview with Sakis Fragos of Greece's Rock Hard magazine, Di'Anno addressed the circumstances that led to his departure from MAIDEN and whether it's true that it has something to do with his vocal performance. He said: "My record stands for itself. I've played more shows than IRON MAIDEN have ever played… They play a lot of concerts, but I played a hell of a lot more than they ever had. So it was nothing to do with my voice. It was nothing to do with that. I was just upset about certain things, which were private things in the band. And the way I dealt with them maybe was not right, but I dealt with them. And that's the end of it. And that's as much as I'm gonna say."

Pressed about whether it's true that he wasn't properly compensated for his work on the first two IRON MAIDEN albums, Paul said: "I have nothing to comment on that at all, because, to be honest with you, it's nobody's damn business. I got paid very well. I'm very happy with that. See, if I try to say, 'Oh, IRON MAIDEN didn't pay me enough money,' it's a bad reflection on IRON MAIDEN. And I'm not taking that. I got paid very well. They looked after me. End of story."

Photo credit: Marco Benjamin Alvarado (courtesy of Central Press for Conquest Music)

India's Bloodywood have announced their signing to Fearless Records, celebrtating the occasion with a new single and video, "Nu Delhi". It is the band's first piece of recorded music since their independently released Rakshak album from 2022.


Pick up "Nu Delhi" here, check out the official video below.


Bloodywood: "'Nu Delhi' is our love letter to New Delhi, the city that raised us, where we grew up dreaming of doing exactly what we are now. It’s a city of vibrant chaos, filled with love yet quick to set you straight if you overstep. It’s not just a city, it’s a game of chess."




With regards to sigmning with Fearless Records, they offered the following:


"We’ve always been DIY to the core, figuring things out ourselves rather than relying on others. The success we achieved with Rakshak, all on our own showed us what we’re capable of. But now, we’re ready for the next chapter. Now we wanted to see what a label could bring to the table. We wanted a partner who’s as passionate and committed to our music as we are. We found that partner in Fearless Records, and we’re exci