Deen Castronovo has officially left THE DEAD DAISIES.

The drummer announced his exit from the group two days after THE DEAD DAISIES' publicist revealed that Tommy Clufetos (BLACK SABBATH, OZZY OSBOURNE, ROB ZOMBIE, TED NUGENT, ALICE COOPER) will rejoin THE DEAD DAISIES when they hit the road in support of their new album, "Holy Ground". Clufetos previously toured with THE DEAD DAISIES in 2015.

Earlier today (Saturday, January 23), Deen released the following statement via social media: "Hi All! As some of you may have heard, I have officially left THE DEAD DAISIES. My decision to leave was not an easy one as I have great respect for my former band members and a tremendous amount of love and appreciation for all the fans who supported us. This decision will ultimately give me time to spend with my family after touring extensively and schedule a minor back surgery to ensure that I am able get back on the road playing music and doing what I love! Rest assured I will be back and playing soon! I love you all. Stay healthy, stay safe and look for great things to come in the future! Stay tuned!"

Deen Castronovo laid down the drums on "Holy Ground" as well as on 2018's "Burn It Down" LP.

"Holy Ground" was released on January 22. Recorded at La Fabrique Studios in the south of France with producer Ben Grosse, the LP is the band's first to feature Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION), who joined the group in 2019 as its new bassist and vocalist, replacing John Corabi (MÖTLEY CRÜE) and Marco Mendoza (THIN LIZZY).

Clufetos worked with such rock icons as Nugent, Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie before joining Ozzy Osbourne in 2010. That led to a spot as the drummer on BLACK SABBATH's last two world tours.

Castronovo's 17-year tenure with JOURNEY ended in 2015 when the group fired him after his arrest for a variety of charges involving his now-wife (including physical abuse, coercion, and unlawful use of a weapon).

In 2019, Castronovo, who had recorded and toured with THE DEAD DAISIES for the past three years, played several shows with JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon under the "Neal Schon's Journey Through Time" banner. Joining them were founding JOURNEY and SANTANA singer/keyboardist Gregg Rolie, bassist Marco Mendoza of THE DEAD DAISIES and THIN LIZZY, a musician named Chris Collins (on guitar and keyboards) and super-producer Marti Frederiksen (multi-instrumentalist, vocals).


Hi All!

As some of you may have heard, I have officially left The Dead Daisies. My decision to leave was not an easy...

Posted by Deen Castronovo on Saturday, January 23, 2021

Texas metallers PISSING RAZORS have returned with their latest single and video, "Wasting Away" — a blistering interpretation of the NAILBOMB classic, featuring SKINLAB frontman Steev Esquivel on vocals. Clocking in at just under three minutes, the track is a continuation of the group's raucous experimentation across the landscape of thrash, punk and metal. Crushing guest vocals courtesy of Esquivel are supported by angular, mean-sounding guitars from Mat Lynch — underscored by an explosive performance from rhythm section monsters Geo Gomez (bass) and Eddy Garcia (drums) that hurtles the song forward at breakneck speed. Joe Rodriguez steps up to the plate as the frontman PISSING RAZORS fans have been waiting for; equal parts pissed off lunatic and menacing vocalist able to inject a special kind of anger into each lyric.

Commented Lynch: "Shortly after NAILBOMB's 1994 'Point Blank' release, we added 'Wasting Away' to our live set simply for its sheer intensity, brutally honest approach, and blatant raw attack. There's no smoke and mirrors, no fancy production tricks there. The track demands attention, commands respect, and we are proud to revisit its place in the early development of our own musical pursuits and sound. The pure cut-throat approach to its sonic foundation is what we have consistently strived to ingrain into our own body of work and it still holds true today. We hope we do it justice."

PISSING RAZORS is a name synonymous with American groove-metal; albeit one that you might not be as familiar with as you should. Formed in the early '90s, the band is best known for 1996 album "Psycho Punko Metal Groove" — an introduction to their unique blend of metal, punk and hardcore influences with a healthy dose of heavy metal swagger. In the years since, the band has unleashed five more releases, toured relentlessly, drawn comparisons to (and praise from) acts like SKINLAB, EXHORDER, PANTERA and SEPULTURA and gone through a constant change of personnel. The 2021 incarnation of the band sees original members Garcia and Lynch joined by Rodriguez and Gomez.

"Wasting Away" will appear on PISSING RAZORS' forthcoming seventh studio album, "Eulogy Death March", due out this spring.

New Hampshire-based blackened melodic death metallers Unflesh will release their second full-length, Inhumation, on April 2nd. 

Inhumation comes a mere two years after the launch of their well-received 2018 debut album Savior, yet it showcases an incredible amount of new growth from a group already brimming with abundant talent. The group's new album Inhumation also sees guitarist / vocalist Ryan Beevers (Solium Fatalis) aided by two new members: bassist Orion Hubbard (Excrecor) and drummer Jeff Saltzman (Aversed).

Regarding the musical direction on Inhumation, Ryan Beevers says: "For this album, there was a lot more focus on developing a lingering dark atmosphere throughout the record with the music and lyrics to create a more immersive listening experience. The album is a lot more dynamic and introduces some new elements into the Unflesh sound, all to enhance the mood within the album."

Unflesh has premiered their new album's debut single, "To Renounce Flesh And Blood", with the following lyric video:

Unflesh vocalist/guitarist Ryan Beevers comments: "Inhumation delves into the concept of desensitization and losing one's soul or losing one's humanity so to speak. The title itself is used in a metaphorical sense, as the actual definition of the word 'Inhumation' is the action or practice of burying the dead. For album purposes, the title is used on a more spiritual and emotional level. Each track on the album is a bit of a meditation on different aspects of the primary concept. When the listener gets to the last song on the album, the totality of the album will have taken form." 

"I was extremely focused on binding together the riffs and lyrics to channel a certain atmosphere I had in my head initially when writing the songs. The goal was to create a more immersive listening experience. I think this goal is also reflected in how the album sounds and in the artwork. Everyone involved worked very hard on this record. We are looking forward to sharing this album with the world and to finally document the next step in the Unflesh sound with this second full-length album."

The band partnered with artist Junki Sakuraba (Seven Spires) once again to create the killer album cover for Inhumation. The album was mixed and mastered by renowned musician and engineer V. Santura (Triptykon, Dark Fortress) at Woodshed Studios in Landshut, Germany.

Tracklisting:

"Behold Nightfall"
"Vast Forest Of Impaled Cadavers" 
"To Renounce Flesh And Blood"
"Inhumation" 
"Holocaust Of Stars"
"The Sepulchral Depths"
"Amongst Horrors Must I Dwell"
"Dehumanized Legion"

Check out a two-minute teaser for the new Unflesh album, Inhumation:

For further details, visit Unflesh on Facebook.

 

The latest issue of Total Guitar features a reader's poll voting on The 50 Greatest Solos Of All Time. Taking the #1 spot in the rundown  is Queen icon Brian May for his solo in "Bohemian Rhapsody". May posted a response to the news via Instagram, which can be viewed below.

The Total Guitar issue is available for purchase here.

 

 

 

 



Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Brian Harold May (@brianmayforreal)

 

The UK's Midnite City have launched an uptempo rocker rammed full of riffs, hooks and harmonies - "Crawlin' In The Dirt" shows a tougher, edgier side to the band not seen or heard before. Midnite City kicks the doors off 2021 with a vengeance!

"Crawlin' In The Dirt" is the first single to be taken from the band's upcoming album, Itch You Can't Scratch, which is set for release in May on Roulette Media Records.

Buy / stream "Crawlin' In The Dirt" here.

Since bursting onto the scene in 2017, Midnite City have taken on the world and hustled themselves to the top of the hair metal pile. Following on from the release of their sophomore album There Goes The Neighbourhood in late 2018, the band have gone from strength to strength and proven to be one hell of a force to be reckoned with in the live arena.

Midnite City have headlined two consecutive UK tours, played shows all over Europe, Australia and also played two sold out shows in Japan and continue to dazzle a legion of growing and devoted fans around the world with their high energy, feel good, party rock.
Hot on the heels of two highly acclaimed albums, Midnite City return in 2021 with their third album. With new label Roulette Media in tow, as well as new management and booking agent, the band are back looking and sounding better than ever with a new array of songs, so strap yourselves in for the ride of your life. It’s all about the good times!

The cover art for Itch You Can't Scratch, available May 28th via Roulette Media Records, is available to view below. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location. 

For further details, visit Midnite City on Facebook.

(Photo - Rob Billingham)

From the streets of Hollywood, alternative metal outfit Revelry Gang is back with their biggest banger to date, "Transcend". The riff-laden track, mixed and mastered by Matt Good (Asking Alexandria, Sleeping With Sirens, The Word Alive), combines dueling guitar leads and lush production with huge choruses filled with titanic vocals.

For Revelry Gang, the themes of "Transcend" are universal, but come from a personal place. “It’s autobiographical, but it can apply to literally anybody. It’s all about the come up,” explains vocalist Austin Jaser. “For us, it’s rising from the streets of Los Angeles and trying to become the biggest band in the world. For someone else it could be about crushing goals and just ruling at life.”

Revelry Gang has released a video, filmed and directed by Sergey Sandul and Frank Kerrigan of Kerrigan Productions, to accompany the single. The video combines a neon-washed live performance with the band having fun in their city. “Our overall message in our music is just to live life however you want and not give a fuck what anyone else does. Just have fun and kill it,” says Jaser. “We tried to tie that into the video and the artwork with contrasting scenes and colors. It’s definitely a vibe anyone can relate to.”

Revelry Gang is a multi-dimensional band that seeks to break genre barriers and rewrite the rules of what it means to be a band in the modern era. Formed by frontman Austin Jaser and lead guitarist Tommy Bradley, they are rounded out by the powerhouse rhythm section of drummer Michael Fechter and bassist Mitch McCracken. Revelry Gang bring their own unique blend of raw attitude and technical finesse to the forefront of modern music.

For further details, visit Revelry Gang on Facebook.

 

Following the buzz of their Deep Purple - "Perfect Strangers" quarantine video, your favorite Jersey rockers decided to try it again. This time, they've covered the Bad Company classic, "Bad Company". Check out the video below.

"John Taglieri felt left out from our last go around," begins Kennedy Boulevard. "Granted he's from North Bergen, but John quickly reminded us that Kennedy Boulevard also runs through there too! So, please welcome our friend John on guitars."

"Our friend David Forbes from the legendary Canadian band Boulevard was also inspired by our last effort, and offered to join us on this number. With a string of Top 40 hits under his belt, David agreed to loan his stellar voice to us Jersey bums."

Kennedy Boulevard lineup:

Special guest on vocals: David Forbes (Boulevard)
Keyboards: Eric Ragno (The Babys, Joe Lynn Turner, London, Graham Bonnet)
Bass: Scott Jackson (Steve Bello, Vick LeCar, Thor)
Drums: Mike Sabatini (Jersey Dogs, Attacker)
Guitars: John Taglieri

Guitarist John Taglieri and keyboardist Eric Ragno first worked together on John's Days Like These EP, his second release to hit the Billboard charts. John walked away from a major record deal to start his own label, selling over 30,000 albums with a #1 single on Amazon and five Top 10 singles on iTunes. A popular live performer, John settled down in Boston where he hosts his music TV show, The Sunday Storyteller Series. 

Eric was performing in Chicago with Gary Moon of Night Ranger when he met David Forbes. With a string of hits on MCA Records, David's band Boulevard has wowed audiences on tour with Boston and Glass Tiger. Check them out at BoulevardBand.com. These guys left their hometown to explore musical adventures, achieving varying degrees of success. In this COVID lockdown, the time had come to do something with their old friends, and a new one. Welcome to Kennedy Boulevard. Kennedy Boulevard is the main artery that connects all of the neighborhoods in their hometown of Jersey City, NJ. Kennedy Boulevard takes you where you need to go. Take a ride on Kennedy Boulevard.

The aforementioned Kennedy Boulevard cover of Deep Purple's "Perfect Strangers", featuring the following lineup, can be enjoyed below.

Guitars: Jack Frost (Savatage, Seven Witches, Lizzy Borden)
Keyboards: Eric Ragno (The Babys, Joe Lynn Turner, London, Graham Bonnet)
Bass: Scott Jackson (Steve Bello, Vick LeCar, Thor)
Drums: Mike Sabatini (Jersey Dogs, Attacker)
Vocals: Rich Galdieri (Zen Boy)

 

"This band is turning out to be awesome my friends," says Vante frontman Brian Troch. In addition to Troch (Cyclone Temple, Elliott Waits For No One , Shooting Hemlock) on vocals, Vante featrues Rev Jones (Michael Schenker Group, Steelheart , Mr. Big) on bass, Scott McClellan (Brutal Intentions, Brotherhood Of Spine, Army Of Souls) on guitar, and Jeff Tortora (The Blue Man Group , Elliott Waits For No One) on drums.

Vante is currently writing a full length Album. "Keep your eyes and ears open," declares Troch. "This is in the works my friends. The lineup is proving to be very cool with all the creative players & all writing songs, so many years of experience from each individual player involved, all open minds. And everyone gets along very well & that alone is what makes Vante an awesome experience. Love to all. We look forward to bringing some cool songs your way. All rock and hard rock with a touch of metal."

 

Founded in 2020 by Brandon Fields, Minefield is more of a musical collective than a band or a solo project. For the debut album, Fields (vocals / guitar) is accompanied by Todd Kerns (vocals / bass), Jeremy Asbrock (vocals / guitar) and Matt Starr (drums).

The quartet has released an official video for their song, "Alone Together". The clip was directed by Jimmie Romero, while the song was mixed and mastered by Anthony Focx.

Order "Alone Together" at this location.

Brandon Fields has spent the last several years touring as a solo artist. He is also the lead guitarist in Detroit, Michigan based band Whiskey A Go Go.

Todd Kerns has served as the bassist in Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators since 2010. Kerns also fronted Canadian rock groups The Age Of Electric and Static In Stereo, he presently serves as the singer / guitarist in Toque.

Jeremy Asbrock is currently the guitarist in former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s solo band. Before this, Asbrock was in Gene Simmons’ solo band as well.

Matt Starr has been a staple in Ace Frehley’s solo band for the last decade while also playing with the supergroup Mr. Big.

Back in November 2020, Minefield released the song "Home". The band keeps the theme of big arena choruses on hand with this superb track. "Home" is ready-made hard-driven arena-rock and shows that Minefield are ready made for the big stage.   

Stream and / or buy "Home" here. For further details, follow Minefield on Facebook.

 

Finnish cello metallers Apocalyptica continue to dig through their archives. This week they have posted pro-shot video of their "House Of Chains" featuring vocalist Franky Perez performance at the Pol'and'Rock Festival 2016.

It is with great regret, but obvious and necessary compliance, that Apocalyptica has had to postpone their upcoming North American tour a second time to August/September 2021 due to the ongoing restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Please note that all tickets bought will remain valid for the rescheduled dates and tickets remain on sale.

Apocalyptica's performances will be comprised of new songs from most recent full-length Cell-0 as well as from the band's rich catalog. Lacuna Coil, who was scheduled to support on all North American dates, remain confirmed for the California, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, and Canadian shows. Support on the remainder of the tour is yet to be announced.

To keep the band's fans and everyone else involved with the tour safe at this time, the shows have been postponed to the following dates. Additionally, the Toronto show will now take place at Rebel.  

Dates:

August
16 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
17 - Plaza - Orlando, FL
19 - House Of Blues - Houston, TX
21 - Emos - Austin, TX
23 - Sunshine - Albuquerque, NM
24 - Van Buren - Phoenix, AZ
25 - Mayan - Los Angeles, CA (with Lacuna Coil)
26 - The Regency - San Francisco, CA (with Lacuna Coil)
27 - Crystal - Portland, OR (with Lacuna Coil)
28 - Showbox Sodo - Seattle, WA (with Lacuna Coil)
29 - Commodore - Vancouver, BC (with Lacuna Coil)
30 - Commodore - Vancouver, BC (with Lacuna Coil)

September
1 - Midway - Edmonton, AB (with Lacuna Coil)
2 - The Palace - Calgary, AB (with Lacuna Coil)
4 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN (with Lacuna Coil)
5 - House Of Blues - Chicago, IL (with Lacuna Coil)
6 - Rebel - Toronto, ON (with Lacuna Coil)
7 - Mtelus - Montreal, QC (with Lacuna Coil)
8 - Big Night Live - Boston, MA
9 - Webster Theatre - Hartford, CT
11 - Webster Hall - New York, NY

Rage In My Eyes drummer Francis Cassol is sharing his latest playthrough video for "The Core". The track is off their latest 2019 album Ice Cell. The video showcases the velocity and technicality Cassol applies in this high speed fist-pumping classic metal sounding song.

Rage In My Eyes have a new video out for "Winter Dream", taken from the 2019 album Ice Cell. The video was part of the band’s participation in the Roadie Crew Online Festival - 9º Edição. Watch below:

Ice Cell is the first album by the band under their current name; the group also released three albums under Scelerata. They originally formed in 2002 and with the recent name change has altered their sound to incorporate traditional music from South America with prog and heavy metal. Along with the cultural infusion, Rage In My Eyes brings in accordion for a truly one of a kind listening experience.

Vocalist Jonathas Pozo explains the conception of “Winter Dream”: “We had already chosen Winter Dream as the opening track, which led us to address the lyric theme in order to present a little of the icy scenery of Ice Cell, imagining the aspect of our biological and chemical origin under the influence of the morphic field theory of Rupert Sheldrake, that is, considering the presence of the past as an important constituent of our subsequent choices, as humanity. At the same time bringing in this scenario landscapes that are common in southern Brazil, such as fog, frost, and sometimes even snow. It was also chosen because it is a more cadenced and heavy song (although also extremely technical and quite proggy), thus contrasting with the usual melodic and fast opening tracks in power metal albums, representing more accurately the “musical humor” of the band.”

Overall, the album can be summed up as "tight". It has great guitar riffs, fast drum parts, intricate instrumental parts, and powerful yet melodic vocals. Sometimes it leans towards prog metal, sometimes to power metal, sometimes to folk metal, sometimes to traditional metal, sometimes to thrash metal. And it still sounds like a cohesive whole, due to how well blended it all is.

"Hole In The Shell" live video:

"Death Sleepers" video:

Join the prophetic aura of the blue orb and dive into the somber twilight of a cinematic metal ode: Finland's Dark Sarah unveil a beautiful live version of “Melancholia”, taken from their astonishing fourth studio album, Grim. Released in July 2020, this beguiling new dimension, coalescing between crystal-clear vocals and propulsive hardness, draws you into the tempestuous maelstrom of their horror fantasy theme.

Following previously-unveiled live videos for “Aquarium” and “Iceheart”, “Melancholia” marks another highlight of Dark Sarah's album release show, where they played Grim in Helsinki back in August 2020. With this breathtaking performance" the five-piece pulls its listener straight into another dimension while satiating the need for live experiences that are missed so much these days!

Heidi’s vigorous, yet melancholic soprano-like voice suffuses the rough soundscapes and merges with an irresistible narrative. With the help of a blue orb, the protagonist of the song, Luna, gains the magical power to see her past, helping her to reflect all occurrences and unveil the truth of why her heart had been frozen.

Heidi Parviainen states: "'Melancholia' is a dark (and maybe the saddest) song on Grim, yet it is also very powerful. In my opinion, it also contains the most beautiful guitar solo of the album. 'Melancholia' is the name of a blue orb which provides magical powers to the protagonist Luna. In the song, Luna sees into her past through the orb and learns what has happened to her. She lives through her longings and loneliness once again."

Dark Sarah's new epos, Grim, is available via Napalm Records. Order here.

Parviainen on Grim: “Our new album called Grim is a concept album like its predecessors, but Grim will start a new story line with a modern horror fantasy theme. Musically, Grim introduces a more modern sound and a taste of what's to come in the future - with a “Dark Sarah twist", of course. We're very happy about this album and it has been really fun to make. Also creating the new visual brand and the Grim world has been an adventure already!”

"Illuminate" video:

"All Ears!":

"Melancholia" video:

Dark Sarah is:

Heidi Parviainen - vocals
Sami-Petri Salonen - guitar
Erkka Korhonen - guitar
Rude Rothstén - bass
Thomas Tunkkari - drums

Italian metallers, Labyrinth, return with their new studio album, Welcome To The Absurd Circus. Once again, speedy power metal songs with unforgettable hooks, epic prog infused metal songs, and some great melodic numbers constitute a record which is going to become another milestone for the Italian metal masters.

Welcome To The Absurd Circus follows the band’s well-received 2017 comeback album, Architecture Of A God. Listen to the song "Sleepwalker" below, and order/save Welcome To The Absurd Circus here.

In the spring of 2016, the band’s founding members Andrea Cantarelli and Olaf Thorsen received a call from Frontiers, asking them to discuss with singer Roberto Tiranti the possibility of a comeback for the band. After much thought, the guys agreed to get back together and round out the line-up with John Macaluso (now replaced by Mattia Peruzzi), Oleg Smirnoff (Vision Divine, Eldritch) on keyboards, and Nik Mazzucconi (Hardline, Edge Of Forever) on bass, Labÿrinth’s comeback album Architecture Of A God (2017) was a definite and true return to form.

With the release of Return To Heaven Denied in 1998, Labÿrinth had a “classic” album on their hands, which was embraced by fans and metal scribes alike and gave a strong push not only to the band’s career, but also to the Italian metal scene as a whole. More albums followed, but after the release of Return To Heaven Denied, Pt. 2 - A Midnight Autumn Dream in 2010 the band went on an indefinite hiatus.

Their return in 2017 was greeted with open arms by metal fans from around the globe. Their upcoming release sees the band continuing the reinvigoration they showed on Architecture Of A God and pushing it even further.

A must hear for not only fans of the band, but progressive and power metal fans in general.

Tracklisting:

"The Absurd Circus"
"Live Today"
"One More Last Chance"
"As Long As It Lasts"
"Den Of Snakes"
"Word’s Minefield"
"The Unexpected"
"Dancing With Tears In My Eyes"
"Sleepwalker"
"A Reason To Survive"
"Finally Free"

"Sleepwalker":

"Live Today":

"The Absurd Circus" video:

Lineup:

Roberto Tiranti - Vocals
Olaf Thorsen - Guitars
Andrea Cantarelli - Guitars
Oleg Smirnoff - Keyboards
Nik Mazzucconi - Bass
Mattia Peruzzi - Drums

With years of combined experience and hundreds of gigs around the world, bassist Henri "Henkka T. Blacksmith" Seppälä, vocalist Ville Malja (LAPKO), guitarist Jussi Ylikoski and drummer Mikko Hakila (DISCO ENSEMBLE) united last year to form MOON SHOT. They now release the band's second single and video, "Blood Looks Cool", available on all streaming platforms.

A build-up of tension, a "rubber band stretched too far" according to Hakila, released with a flash as the chorus takes over, "Blood Looks Cool" has a very specific target in mind.

"'Blood Looks Cool' is a song for outsiders," says Malja. "For those who feel they don't belong. It's a positive fight song about social otherness."

Previously, the Finnish four-piece had raised the curtain on the project with debut single and video "Big Bang", a song with a feeling of timelessness that will go on to permeate the band's upcoming releases, and moulds the shape of a bright future for the "true 21st century rock band."

Ylikoski states: "MOON SHOT is something completely new, made from scratch. This lineup, the new songs, the team behind us. It's just amazing and makes me humble. I feel lucky to be alive and part of this band in this day and age. Can't wait to get up on stage."

Seppälä announced his decision to join MOON SHOT exactly a year ago, writing in a social media post: "When the decision to quit with BODOM became real in the end of spring 2019, I wasn't determined to do anything new as a musician. This might sound naïve, but I always thought I couldn't play anything else than BODOM, I was pretty sure nothing would inspire me enough. But then the most unexpected thing happened; the news about my situation reached these certain three guys who were brainstorming in Helsinki to find a perfect fit for bass in their brand new group.

"For me the classic 'one door closing blah blah' quote felt now very much on point.

"The idea of a new band felt scary, not only musically but also because it came so quickly after the biggest and scariest decision of my life. At the same time I saw it as a gift, new chance to do music with friends, musicians whose careers I have had the pleasure to follow with admiration. I didn't wanna miss this rare chance.

"Things came together quite quickly, as you might know, my plans for life after BODOM...well, actually there was no plans really…

"So here I am, introducing MOON SHOT to you. MOON SHOT is far from melodic death metal. It's a blend of alternative rock, some crossover elements, lots of melodies — but like always in music; you judge it and define it yourself."

Dutch / Brazilian metal act, Phantom Elite, have released their sophomore album, Titanium. Watch a video for the song "Glass Crown" below, and order the new album here.

Phantom Elite is a relatively new metal band fronted by singer Marina La Torraca (Exit Eden, live vocalist for Avantasia) and features songwriting and production from former After Forever guitarist and producer Sander Gommans. Marina and Sander together with Max van Esch (guitars), and Joeri Warmerdam (drums) are set to unleash an incredible slice of contemporary sounding heavy metal music in their sophomore album Titanium. Sonically, the band is a perfect combination of symphonic, progressive, alternative, and heavy metal.

Marina La Torraca explains, "'Diamonds and Dark' was one of the first songs we worked on for this album. It was one of those cases where everything just magically clicked and we were wowed by it from the very start. Although it probably has more symphonic touches then the other songs, this single is a good showcase of the quality and heaviness level of the whole album. We are really proud of what we achieved in writing, producing, and developing the concept together as a band (with the contribution of some wonderful professionals like Sander Gommans, Amanda Somerville and Hannes Braun)."

Originating six years ago, the seeds of Phantom Elite sprang from Sander Gomman's HDK project. While releasing the HDK album Serenades Of The Netherworld, Gommans brought together a group of young musicians with the intent of playing HDK's songs in a live setting. The natural chemistry among these passionate musicians wound up sparking a wealth of new and exciting musical ideas and thus Phantom Elite was born. The debut album Wasteland (2018), and the accompanying well received tour of Europe, showed that Phantom Elite are ready to take flight.

"With the support of Frontiers and their decades of history in the music business, we are proud to present the release of our second album with them in 2021,” says the band. "Listeners can expect songs where modern meets symphonic and progressive, (very!) heavy riffs meet epic melodies, all overloaded with a wide spectrum of emotions and love for music. For sure, a high note in our careers!”

Tracklisting:

"Conjure Rains"
"The Race"
"Diamonds And Dark"
"Worst Part Of Me"
"Glass Crown"
"Titanium"
"Bravado"
"Silver Lining"
"Haven"
"Deliverance"
"Eyes Wide Open"

"Glass Crown" video:

"Deliverance" visualizer:

"The Race" lyric video:

"Diamonds And Dark" video:

(Photo - Nat Enemede)

Swedish rockers, Creye, are back with their second studio album, II, out now. Find order options here, and watch a video for the album opener, "Broken Highway", below.

The album sees the band’s songwriting and playing jumping by leaps and bounds to put them at the forefront of the Swedish melodic rock scene.

After releasing the critically acclaimed EP Straight To The Top in early 2017, Creye signed a multi-album deal with Frontiers and released their self-titled debut album in October 2018 to much acclaim from press and fans.

After announcing that August Rauer would be the new frontman for the band in late 2018, Creye toured in Sweden and Europe in 2019, including appearing at the Melodicrock Fest, Frontiers Rock Sweden, and the Rockingham Festival.

Creye regrouped in the studio in late 2019 to start working on the follow up album to their self-titled debut. The plan was to refine and improve their songs and approach. The band’s strong determination shines through on this new record, which sounds incredibly cohesive and diverse.

Creye was started in 2015 by Andreas Gullstrand. His vision was to start a new Swedish pop/rock sensation that would take listeners on a journey back to the glory days of the eighties, both musically and visually. After spending nearly two months experimenting with the sound of the band, Andreas settled on what could best be described as a slick melodic rock sound with a touch of 80's retro in the mix.

Tracklisting:

"Broken Highway"
"Carry On"
"Find A Reason"
"Siberia"
"Face To Face"
"Can’t Stop What We Started"
"Lost Without You"
"Hold Back The Night"
"Let The World Know"
"Closer"
"The Greatest"
"War Of Love"

"Broken Highway" video:

"Find A Reason":

"Face To Face" lyric video:

Lineup:

August Rauer - Lead Vocals
Andreas Gullstrand - Lead Guitar
Fredrik Joakimsson - Rhythm Guitar
Joel Selsfors - Keyboards
Gustaf Örsta - Bass
Arvid Filipsson - Drums

In a new interview with Madness To Creation, former MEGADETH, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and WHITE LION bassist James LoMenzo was asked which band he found the most musically challenging to play with. He responded: "Oh, without a doubt it was MEGADETH, without a doubt. There were several things on the block when I joined that band. First of all, I never [put] stock in thrash metal, I really never did. I wasn't a huge fan of MEGADETH in that… When WHITE LION was touring, MEGADETH was pretty big, and directly after that, they got even bigger. But I wasn't listening to a lot of music back then while we were touring, oddly enough. I'd have my evening with a beer, and then put on music I loved from back in the day, as my entertainment and decompression. So I was familiar with maybe three or four of their songs, and that's it. So when I got a call to audition for that, I thought about it and I said, 'Yeah, I'll do anything. I've done all kinds of music. This might be well worth my effort.; And so I met with Dave [Mustaine], and I learned a couple of the songs that I thought I could do, and Dave saw that, and he listened to some demo stuff I'd done. And there was one song in particular that I did with a band called THE HIDEOUS SUN DEMONS, which was Ray Luzier [KORN] and a great guitar player named Toshi Hiketa and myself, it was just a three-piece, jazz fusion band that was built out of David Lee Roth's touring band; we were his touring band. And so we did that just as a lark, just to show off some chops, and just get together and do something interesting. And there was a song on that one called 'The Mummy', which was as close to heavy as I could get, and so I gave that to Dave, and he was really impressed with that.

"So the challenging part about it was this," he continued. "First of all, I was trying to be really true to what Dave Ellefson was doing, out of respect for not only Dave, but for the fans of the band, because I realized there was a really distinct sound that MEGADETH had, for a whole host of reasons. Every element was important. So I really tried to get really close to a tone that he would have, and played everything with a pick as he would, although I remember David said, 'I know you play. You're a great finger player. You can certainly play with your fingers.' I didn't think that was right for making the band sound right, so I didn't.

"I guess the trick was learning 28 to 30 of their songs in three weeks, which was mindblowing. If they were in my head anywhere before, if I had heard them before, it probably would have been a lot easier. So that was me, just bearing down every day, trying to learn three or four songs every day, and some of those songs are five minutes, with three or four sections. So there's nothing in the blues world that's predictable about MEGADETH, for sure.

"So yeah, I did, I managed that first show we did in Dubai. I had some cheat sheets on the floor, and everybody was fine with that, just to keep me honest. And after that, I was able to relax into it and get it, and the real thing that was the real challenge was being a stage performer and doing that, and that was what I got the biggest kick out of, was trying to find those faces, to stand up there and actually somehow perform the music, to show people what was going on in my little corner of the bass world. And that was a great, fun challenge, because I really do think that, to a degree, I did get that."

LoMenzo joined MEGADETH in 2006 and appeared on two of the group's studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame". He was fired from the band in 2010 and replaced with returning original MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson.

In addition to MEGADETH, LoMenzo has played with Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde and WHITE LION. For the past six years, LoMenzo has been performing with iconic rocker John Fogerty.

Devin Townsend has checked in with an update on his new project that is currently in the works.

"Over the last 6 months, I’ve been working on two 'scores' that have become a film, two albums, and a graphic novel among other things called The Puzzle. It’s become a massive project with a lot of great people involved. It’s not 'song oriented' and is complicated and abstract. The film has become a tremendous undertaking and we will be streaming it online when it debuts, (along with physical product that is pretty next level).

The concept is meant to describe the last year of chaos and the psychological process it required of us all. The music and visuals act as an analogy for it. The number of people involved (30-40) represents a sort of community amidst it. There’s two albums: Puzzle is chaos and meant to represent the internal dialogue in a fundamentally absurd time, Snuggles is meant to be a beautiful balm that acts as a conclusion and something you can listen to on loop to feel better. Both have a film.

The concept of it all (which I’ll explain in YouTube clips pior to the release) is such that I hope it inspires people- if visually inclined- to make their own graphic novels, films, books etc, using the music as a soundtrack. The Puzzle is written to be my version of a soundtrack to a kind of universal experience we’ve shared, I guess. The movie and books we are producing are meant as examples of the concept... as in: 'everybody’s puzzle is unique, based on the same experiences.'

My work has always really just been a product of a compulsion to reflect what’s going on in my life. If things are chaotic, it’s bound to be chaotic. It’s been a very bizarre work flow, but it’s starting to come together now. Delivery date is March 22, release 2-3 months later.

Finally in August, I will be begin recording my next actual album (with songs) for release early 2022. (Untitled so far) but before that, The Puzzle is something very different and really fascinating I think.

I’ll be back to podcasts and twitch streams when the workload lightens a touch here. Be well and thanks for everything."

Details have yet to be released, but Sheet Happens Publishing have confirmed that they will release an official guitar transcription book for Devin Townsend's Empath album. A release date has yet to be determined. Watch the official Sheet Happens website here for updates.

Empath was released in March 2019.

Tracklisting:

"Castaway"
"Genesis"
"Spirits Will Collide"
"Evermore"
"Sprite"
"Hear Me"
"Why"
"Borderlands"
"Requiem"
"Singularity Part 1 - Adrift"
"Singularity Part 2 - I Am I"
"Singularity Part 3 - There Be Monsters"
"Singularity Part 4 - Curious Gods"
"Singularity Part 5 - Silicon Scientists"
"Singularity Part 6 - Here Comes The Sun"

"Spirits Will Collide" video:

“Evermore” video:

"Genesis" video:

During an appearance on yesterday's (Thursday, Janury 21) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Stephen Pearcy revealed that he is open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band's classic lineup.

"I wouldn't wanna put a RATT record out there without the original guys," he said. "I mean, it just wouldn't make sense. We've tried it.

"Look, I accepted it a long time ago when Robbin [Crosby, late RATT guitarist] left the band, we lost a big element of direction. He was my right-hand man creating this monster. And I knew it — I knew once he was out, we would be going through motions. It's all cool, and it's great, but how many replacements can you have in a band and still consider it legit? So if we're gonna have something on plastic, so to speak, forever, I'd rather have the original band do a record and just not do a RATT record until that day comes — if it ever happens."

Asked when the last time was that he talked to guitarist Warren DeMartini, who hasn't played with RATT since early 2018, Stephen said: "Probably a couple of weeks back. We had some business to talk about, him and I, about some of the stuff we wrote. Which is great, 'cause Warren and I actually had a song in the can, written, that we can actually play and release. And there was another one we were starting to work on that was amazing. So you get me and Warren in a room, and we'll start writing immediately."

Pressed about whether Warren is open to doing something with RATT again, Stephen said: "No. I can't say anything like that. All I'm saying is we had stuff to talk about, and a couple of songs that we did, and that's it. And a record of ours. And we just chatted. So that's where it went."

Pearcy also revealed that he is back on speaking terms with drummer Bobby Blotzer, who led his own version of RATT for a couple of years beginning in late 2015 before becoming embroiled in a legal battle with the singer, DeMartini and bassist Juan Croucier over the rights to the band's name.

"I do talk to Bobby," he said. "Bobby and I are — it's love-hate, brother kind of a gig. We keep in touch and talk about positive things. He still has interest, so there are some things to talk about. And Warren is the same."

"Look, life goes on," he explained. "Life's short. Hate's not a good thing. There's communication. But I can't say anything."

Pearcy then circled back to the prospect of making a new RATT album, saying: "As far as doing a record right now, I really wouldn't wanna have guys that weren't really in the band on the record. And I think that was Warren's sentiment a long time ago — without having me on a record — so I'm just giving back the courtesy consideration.

"I would really like to actually finish the song that Warren and I had started, and the one that we have in the can, I would love to release it. I'm gonna talk to him about it, if we can just put it out there and just turn people on. He's not some aggro dude right now. I'm not aggro at any of these people. Look, we created this great thing, and if there's gonna be a RATT record, I just off the top of my head said I wanna do it with the original guys, if we're gonna do one — or don't even bother. The catalog is what you get. Or you get my solo stuff, which is as close as you're gonna get to RATT music. And that's it… If we ever do a [RATT] record, let it be the real guys, and call it a day. If that's the last thing we do, well, let's do it. If not, hey, we've got the records. That's all I can say."

Stephen also stressed the importance of not letting personal differences get in the way of making music and touring while he and his bandmates are still physically able to perfom the classic RATT songs live.

"Look, we're not the most dysfunctional band on the planet," he said. "I've said it before, there are bands much more dysfunctional — MÖTLEY [CRÜE], GN'R [GUNS N' ROSES], you name 'em — but the smart ones make an effort to take care of business. MÖTLEY — I don't know if they even talk to each other, but they're getting the business done. And that's where I'm at. What are you — punishing somebody? You're getting back at somebody? You're holding a grudge, vendetta… It's all bullshit. We're all gonna die anyway. Go figure it out."

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

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

RATT — featuring Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini — played a number of shows in 2017 after reforming a year earlier in the midst of a highly publicized legal battle with Blotzer over the rights to the RATT name. They were joined at the gigs by ex-QUIET RIOT guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who played on "Infestation", and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among oth

In his new autobiography, "Confess", JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford opens up about an assault that happened early in his life at the hands of his father's friend. Asked in an interview with Variety how he has processed what happened to him and if writing the book helped, Rob said: "It's an important story. Sexual abuse is a horrible thing. At the time, it was terribly confusing and couldn't have happened at a worse time, for me as a young guy that was already dealing with trying to figure things out. Talking about it now, I can feel the horror and being totally frightened and wanting to run away, but at the same time feeling, 'Now this is affection, in a very crude brutal manner.' It was incredibly, incredibly complex. You can only imagine for a young man, dealing with that type of assault.

"Somebody asked me, 'Would you put that story in the book if your father was still alive?' and I hesitated. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have, because I would hate to have thought that my father felt that he was in some way complicit to that because he absolutely was not. When it comes to sexual abuse, people on the outside, they feel the guilt as well — 'Well, maybe I should have said something' or 'it's my fault for introducing this person to that person.' It has a domino effect. But it was an important story to tell.

"As a young person, you're impressionable, and it manifests itself in a way that really stays with you for the rest of your life, and turns you into the sexually dysfunctional person that I am now. I've come to terms with that in my adult life, [but] had those incidents never happened as a teenager, would I have turned out differently in the way that I'm intimate with people? Probably so."

Halford publicly declared his homosexuality back in 1998 during an appearance on MTV News.

"I think that most people know that I've been a gay man all of my life, and that it's only been in recent times that it's an issue that I feel comfortable to address, and an issue that has been with me ever since recognizing my own sexuality," Halford said at the time. "It's something that I've been comfortable with forever, something that I feel has a moment, and this is the moment to discuss it and to go into the reasons, and the whys and the wherefores as to the statement, the so-called coming-out phase."

Three years ago, Halford told Fox Sports 910 AM's "The Freaks With Kenny And Crash" radio show in Phoenix, Arizona that the response to his addressing his sexuality publicly for the first time was overwhelmingly positive.

"So I said that thing [during the MTV interview], and I went back to the hotel, and I thought, 'Oh, what have I done? There's gonna be a fallout,'" he admitted. "[But] I'd never seen such an outpouring of love from people in all my life — the letters, the faxes, the phone calls from everybody in the metal community: 'Rob, we just don't care. We want you to be who you are. We want you to sing those songs. We wanna come see you.' And that was a tremendously uplifting moment for me. And it was also a tremendously uplifting moment for metal. Because, for the longest time, metal was the underdog in rock and roll, metal was never getting any respect, metal was always at the back of the line. And so I thought, 'Well, isn't this great?' This just goes to show you that we in the metal community, as we call ourselves — probably because of the pushback that we felt because of the music that we love — we are the most tolerant, if you wanna say, the most open-minded, the most loving, the most accepting of all the kinds of music that we know in rock and roll. So it was a great moment."

"Confess" will arrive on September 29 via Hachette Books. The book has already been described by the U.K.'s The Telegraph as "one of the most candid and surprising memoirs of the year."

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor recently gave Men's Health the rundown on the best and worst money he has spent throughout his career explained what he's learned along the way.

"The absolute worst money I ever spent… A friend of mine, a tattoo artist, hit me up to invest in a tattoo shop," Corey said (see video below). "There weren't a lot of tattoo shops in Iowa, so I was, like, 'Yeah, it's great.' However, he decided to put it in the middle of nowhere, in a town in the middle of nowhere, where nobody could get to it. And then, a relative of mine convinced me to invest in pet stores, in supplying pets — fish — for pet stores around the area. And that was a lot. Needless to say, drugs got involved, and not only did the entire operation get seized, almost all the animals died, and then tax time came, and I didn't even know that you were supposed to set stuff aside for taxes. I found a really great accountant, money manager. He walked me through the steps that it would take to kind of get back to where we needed to be. Basically, it was a very, very, very expensive lesson.

"Suddenly, everyone's your friend, and everyone has a great way for you to triple your money," he continued. "They will not give you any charts, graphs, no numbers, no percentages, but they will take your money. It's hardcore, dude."

As for the "best money" he has ever spent, "there's two kinds of that," he explained. "There's fun money, which I know a lot of people get really crazy with. I don't get too crazy. I'm a geek. I have a thing for movies, comic books — things like that. I don't get into expensive cars. I have a Spider-Man pinball machine. I have fun stuff. I don't need a jet; I don't need any of that crap. There's nothing wrong with the occasional movie here and there, or the occasional signed Boba Fett helmet by George Lucas, which sometimes you just have to have that. Now that's the fun side of it. The other side is real estate. I've been able to, over the years, buy and resell, at a good profit, many houses that I've lived in. Here in [Las] Vegas, I have slowly but surely upgraded every house that I've lived in to get to the house that I live in right now. It's the first house that I've ever built, where I put every dent in this thing. Just because of the neighborhood that I'm in, I've already walked into equity. If you move into the right neighborhoods, and someone sells a house for one price, and it's more than what you paid for your house, you'll walk into money, and you didn't do anything. It's definitely something that I enjoyed learning over the years and learning more about."

Corey's debut solo album, "CMFT", was released on October 2 via Roadrunner Records. Taylor recorded the effort with his band consisting of Jason Christopher on bass, Dustin Schoenhofer on drums, and Zach Throne and Christian Martucci (STONE SOUR) on guitar. The LP was completed at Kevin Churko's The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER and STONE SOUR, among others.

Earlier in the year, SLIPKNOT canceled all of its previously announced summer 2020 tour dates, including the "Knotfest Roadshow", Knotfest UK and Knotfest At Sea, due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

METALLICA's Lars Ulrich recently joined Zane Lowe on Apple Music to run through his "At Home With" playlist. During the chat, the drummer was asked for his take on the current situation in America, both as a father and as a Danish immigrant. He replied: "I think the first word that comes to mind is just 'bewildering.'

"It's hard for me to talk about America without putting it in the context of where I come from — Denmark. So my equalizer is Denmark. In Denmark, everything is 'we,' everything is 'us,' everything is just five million Danes standing together and trying to figure out how to move forward together. So words like 'unity' and 'collective' are very present when I think about Denmark, and it's always about opening your door and being embracive and hospitable.

"Obviously, America is three hundred and thirty million people, and it covers more ground than most other countries on this planet," Ulrich, who moved to the U.S. in 1980 at the age of 17, continued. "And those ideals, I think, are just very hard or just difficult… You can't just say, 'Well, America is gonna be the same as Denmark.' I understand the difficulties, and I understand all of it, and it saddens me. But I'm not even [of the mindset] that 'glass is half full,' I'm 'the glass is spilling over' all the time positive and obviously feel that, spending most of my time in the future, that the future will always be better than the past. And I'm hopeful that unity is in front of America at some point soon.

"I can see it in my kids. [I have] a 22-year-old, [a] 19-year-old and [a] 13-year-old," Lars added. "I'm very hopeful. I don't want it to sound cheesy, I don't want it to sound cliché, but when I look at these kids, my kids and so many of their peers, I just feel like so many of them are really, really good kids. And it's not about whether they're successful or whether they're becoming doctors or lawyers or scientists or whatever — that bar, to me, doesn't even exist anymore. Now it's just, are they good kids or are they not good kids? And pretty much all of them are — they're good kids, they're global citizens, they're respectful, they have empathy, they care and they're involved."

Ulrich, who has made no secret of his liberal views, had previously voiced his dislike of Donald Trump, saying in a 2016 interview that he would consider moving back to Denmark if Trump were elected president.

In a 2016 interview with Vulture, Lars was asked if he ever discusses politics with METALLICA frontman James Hetfield, who has described himself as being somewhat conservative politically. "I swear to you, I talk to James Hetfield about most things on this planet, but I don't think I've ever willfully had a political conversation with him," Lars responded. "We've spent [more than] 35 years together, and obviously we've been in the same room when the conversation went toward politics, but James and I sitting down in a room and discussing our particular views on something like affordable health care? Never happened."

Asked if it doesn't seem weird to work with someone for more than 35 years and never talk about politics, Lars said: "The thing you've got to understand is that METALLICA is made up of four people from four different places who took four very different paths to where we are now. The one thing that unites us is the love of the music that we're playing and that all four of us felt like outsiders trying to figure out who the hell we were. We didn't come together because we were questioning this in the culture or that about politics. We came together because we were all a little lost and trying to get a sense of belonging to something bigger than ourselves. I'll sit and talk politics with you all night, but I don't necessarily feel the need to do it in an interview. METALLICA is a collective, but we've just never been the kind of band to sit down and say, 'Okay, what's our common view of the world?'"

Ulrich also talked about his own personal view of the world these days. He said: "I grew up in a functioning social democracy. I grew up on affordable health care in a country where the word 'we' is more popular than the word 'I.' So, trust me, I have my opinions about this stuff, but I don't really need to shout it from the rooftops. Maybe one day I will, and there are times when it's difficult not to. I'm stunned about how truth and facts have become obsolete, and how if someone sees something they don't like, they just say 'the media made that up.' But I get plenty of shouting done about this stuff in my personal life."

Earlier this week, former WHITE LION singer Mike Tramp spoke to Dawn Osborne of U.K.'s TotalRock Radio about what the U.S. concert industry might look like post-pandemic. He said (see video below): "I don't ever believe that it'll be the same again. So there's sadness, but I'm also grateful that I had that chance, especially the last 10 years, where I've toured [America] and been on almost every highway and every gas station at every motel and something like that, even though I don't want it to end, I know that I have covered it and I know that I've done my part.

"It's horrible to sit and watch, and I don't have any words for it, and I can't engage in the social media and debating it, because it's an unwinnable war, and so on," he added. "But it's just horrible — it's completely horrible."

As for when he thinks he might be able to play shows outside his home country of Denmark again, Mike said: "I don't there will be any international shows in 2021 from Mike Tramp. But the quicker I accept that that's the way it's gonna be, the sooner I can start scheduling and planning instead of constantly canceling it and moving it every three months. And I've seen a lot of people doing it — they're doing it in sports events and things like that. We can't just build it up and then lock it down and then move on and build it up and stuff like that.

"I'm a little bit of news junkie, so I do my research and I check newspapers and press around the world, and I gather everything that's being said, and then I make my own decision out of that. I just don't see any hope in anything for a very long time."

Last month, Tramp released a best-of album celebrating 25 years as a solo artist, "Trampthology". The collection contains 16 of the biggest hits from his solo career, four brand new songs, and fresh liner notes.

"Trampthology" was released on 180-gram double gatefold black vinyl and double CD by Target Records. It is exclusively available through Targetshop.dk/miketramp.

Tramp previously stated about the collection: "As I started the process of writing songs for my first solo album, 'Capricorn', in late 1995. I was both apprehensive and curious of what the result would be like. For 20 years, I had been part of three bands and a collective songwriting team. But now I was on my own, and writing just for me, no one else. It became a wonderful journey where I both would discover who I am and where I come from, and also what my true inspirations and goals are. Now 25 years and 11 solo albums later. I feel safe and secure knowing that I am my songs and my songs are me. They are a musical scrapbook of the life I have lived and the life I continue living. They are not about paying the rent or alimony; they are a true and confident representation of the man I am."

Paul Stanley says that media platforms and elected officials should be held "accountable" for exacerbating and weaponizing disinformation.

Earlier today (Friday, January 22), the KISS frontman took to his Twitter to write: "The quickest way to end divisiveness in this country is to hold ALL 'news' media, personalities & elected officials accountable for lies, inaccuracies & fabrications. Freedom Of Speech should not cover the betrayal of the trust we rely on to make educated choices based on facts."

Stanley's latest comments come a little over a week after he defended his right to speak out on political issues, saying that he voices his opinions as a "proud citizen" of a country he loves deeply. He explained: "My profession should't disallow that as we all have that right so many have fought & died protecting. I also understand that the people who would like me to stay quiet are those who don't share my views. Sorry."

Two months ago, the KISS frontman criticized GOP senators for not publicly recognizing then-President-elect Biden's win and for not countering the promotion by Trump and his campaign of unfounded claims that voter fraud disrupted the presidential election.

Last April, Stanley blamed a shifting media environment for sharpening partisan divides, saying that Fox News and CNN viewers and live in "different realities."

"Any conversation I've had with somebody who feels contrary to [a particular point of view], they stick to their guns because their reality is based on information that they're getting from a source that has their own agenda," Stanley said during an appearance on Richard Marx's "Social Distancing" talk show. "I'm not saying that CNN is guiltless. It's really become the network of the Democrats versus the network of the Republicans, and your reality and what you see as the truth, not coincidentally, is based upon which network you watch. And that's terrible. We're living in separate universes. If you go from one channel to the other, you think you're in a different time.

"If I were to watch whatever network I watch that's called 'The News,' it's going to feed me what I believe to be reality," he added. "That's the basic truth of it. And, unfortunately, there seems to be different realities, alternate realities… There's gotta be a truth."




The quickest way to end divisiveness in this country is to hold ALL “news” media, personalities & elected officials accountable for lies, inaccuracies & fabrications. Freedom Of Speech should not cover the betrayal of the trust we rely on to make educated choices based on facts.

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) January 22, 2021

Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke recently spoke to 80's Metal Recycle Bin about how the rise of grunge in the early 1990s forced most hard rock bands off the radio and MTV, with album and tour sales plummeting.

"There was a lot of talk of the climate changing — a lot of it," Gilby said (see video below). "'Cause, obviously, Axl [Rose, GN'R singer] was always on top of that stuff. He loved NIRVANA; he loved SOUNDGARDEN; he loved PEARL JAM. He liked a lot of those bands a lot more than, I would say, myself, Slash [GN'R guitarist] and Duff [McKagan, GN'R bassist]; we were a little slower to the change.

"I think when we really noticed the big change is when we got off the road," he continued. "I had made a solo record; Slash had made a solo record. We were playing stadiums one year, and next year we were playing clubs. Theaters sometimes and stuff — but two or three years earlier, and Slash's solo band would have been playing in an arena. So we could definitely tell the climate had changed at that point.

"I remember one thing that stuck with Slash and I when we were coming out of the Rainbow [in West Hollywood, California] one time. And this was around probably '92 [or] '93. And somebody saw Slash and goes, 'Oh, my God. Look, it's Slash.' But they were laughing, like he was a cartoon character, not Slash from GUNS N' ROSES, which, three or four years before that, was the coolest motherfucker on the planet.

"So that was a couple of things that we could kind of tell that things were changing a little bit," Clarke added. "Some bands were starting to be a little cartoonish rather than having the musical credibility."

Clarke replaced founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin in the GUNS lineup in 1991, during the "Use Your Illusion" tour, and stayed with the band for three years. After exiting GUNS N' ROSES, Clarke continued as a producer and solo artist, while also playing in SLASH'S SNAKEPIT, ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA, HEART and other acts.

Clarke, along with Slash, McKagan, and former GN'R drummers Steven Adler and Matt Sorum, performed three "Appetite For Destruction" songs with Myles Kennedy at the band's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in April 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio. Kennedy, who handles lead vocals in Slash's solo band and ALTER BRIDGE, sang "Mr. Brownstone", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City", with "Use Your Illusion"-era member Sorum sitting behind the drum kit on "Brownstone" and the man he replaced in GN'R, Adler, pounding the skins for the other two songs.

Clarke's new solo album, "The Gospel Truth", will be released later this year via Golden Robot Records.

According to Indiana Public Media, ICED EARTH leader Jon Schaffer has waived a preliminary hearing after he was charged with multiple federal crimes at this month's insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and he will soon be extradited to Washington, D.C.

The 52-year-old musician, who resides in in Edinburgh, Indiana, is currently being held in the Marion County Jail after surrendering to police last Sunday.

The government lawyers and Schaffer's legal team have mutually agreed to handle all proceedings in Washington.

Earlier in the week, government lawyers asked the judge to not offer Schaffer a bond when he goes in front of U.S. magistrate.

Schaffer must prove to the federal magistrate that he is not a threat to himself or the public before being released on bail. Others who have been charged for insurrection at the Capitol have been given bail but ordered to surrender their firearms, avoid contact with other alleged Capitol rioters and stay away from all state capitol buildings. Some other alleged rioters have been prohibited from using social media and participating in any political rallies.

Schaffer made his first court appearance on Monday (January 18) after turning himself in to police in Hamilton County the day before. He faces six federal charges, including engaging in an act of physical violence in a Capitol building.

Authorities say Schaffer was photographed and seen on surveillance video carrying a pepper-based bear repellant and arguing with Capitol Police officers inside the Capitol. In images captured from the January 6 riot, Schaffer can be seen wearing a baseball cap that says "Oath Keepers Lifetime Member." The Oath Keepers describe themselves as an association of former law enforcement and military personnel dedicated to "support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic." But the Anti-Defamation League describes it as "a large but loosely organized collection of right-wing anti-government extremists who are part of the militia movement, which believes that the federal government has been coopted by a shadowy conspiracy that is trying to strip American citizens of their rights."

Just hours after the insurrection, ICED EARTH fans recognized Schaffer in a photo released by federal investigators in which he could be seen at the front of a mob, wearing black leather fingerless tactical gloves and pointing his finger while yelling at someone out of the frame.

Schaffer is believed to be one of at least 200 people who are being investigated by FBI officials over their roles in the insurrection. Additionally, the FBI has received roughly 140,000 digital media tips from the public.

While Schaffer has not yet said anything publicly about his involvement in the riot, his ICED EARTH bandmates put out a statement on Instagram and Facebook opposing the insurrection.

"We absolutely DO NOT condone nor do we support riots or the acts of violence that the rioters were involved in on January 6th at the US Capitol building," they wrote. "We hope that all those involved that day are brought to justice to be investigated and answer for their actions."

Earlier in the month, German daily newspaper Die Welt uploaded a video interview it conducted with Schaffer last November at a Washington, D.C. demonstration supporting Trump and protesting the 2020 presidential election results. In the chat, the guitarist said that "a group of thugs and criminals hijacked this country a long time ago" and warned that "they're messing with the wrong people here. Because now we see you, and you're going down. Mark my words."

Schaffer also seemingly threw his support behind Trump, saying "he's not your typical Republican" and claiming that America's 45th president is "dealing with a criminal mafia that has been in the shadows running the world, frankly, for a very long time. They wanna destroy all of our sovereignty and bring about global government," he added. "We're not having it… It will not happen. There will be a lot of blood shed, if it comes down to that — trust me. The American people will not go for that bullshit — once they understand what's actually happening. So, that's where we're at. Nobody wants this, but they're pushing us to a point where we have no choice."

Schaffer is also a member of power metal supergroup DEMONS & WIZARDS, which features BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch. He also had a solo project called SONS OF LIBERTY.

"My drums for DT15 are complete," begins Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini, referring to the as yet untitled 15th studio album from progressive metal stalwarts Dream Theater.

"I've not played on an album this energetically unrelenting start to finish since Annihilator. But the wild thing is the amount of vintage DT melody weaved on to that kind of energy. I've never tapped into more advanced uses of my old and new chops in musical ways because of a monumentally collaborative effort of five like-minded, organic/evolving individuals. Is it from the forced lockdown like other music I've heard released? Maybe. Is it from nobody individually or collectively trying to do anything specific musically except just play and be a daring 19-year-old again? Probably. I never say that any new album is better than another. It never seems to be to me after reading, 'this is our best blah blah blah.' What I'm communicating is exactly what it is about DT15 that sticks out as being significant and important to me. Better? That's pointless given so many different tastes. Who cares."

"However, it's really cool that the band and individuals can keep progressing at this career stage," continues Mangini. "But we're supposed to given how we're defined. Accordingly, there's all the 'familiarity' one needs in this new music, but it's definitely not the same old fills/chords/beats. Besides, what could be more boring than a defined 'progressive' musician not being creative, dynamic, and growing physically and creatively from album to album? That would be kinda like a poker machine spitting out the same hands game after game, year after year."

"Earning good mechanics is a great thing as it pertains to consistency and avoiding playing poorly. But A TRUE machine is a thing that doesn't grow. That's OK unless your thing, your claim, is to be a 'progressive' musician. We strive to 'complete' who we are even though nobody can fully 'complete' everything. No creative growth truly defines and = a 'BOT' so to speak. DT15 is no such thing and I'm excited to report back with so much joy."

As a footnote, Mangini added: "Please note - the drum tracks are done, but there's a way to go for 'it' to be done."

(Photo courtesy of Mike Mangini's official Facebook page)

 

Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes spoke to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the circumstances that led to his initial departure from the band.

Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1982 and remained with the group until 1990. In 1996, the guitarist returned to W.A.S.P. and stayed with the band until 2001. Chris has not played with W.A.S.P. since.

"You take the first album of W.A.S.P., and it was a group of guys — a group, a band," Chris said. "And after that, the second album, it wasn't a group — it was a one-man show. And it's been a one-man show after that ever since. It's the way it is. Look at the records. It's the way it is in that band.

"W.A.S.P. never played any shows until I was in the band, so where does a band start — when they record or when they do their first show?" he continued. "I came in before the first show, and it was 'one for all, all for one.' But then when money came into it and fame, people changed — they change real bad. And I never changed. I don't change. I haven't changed the way I think, the way I am. I'm not gonna change. I am what I am.

"During the [making of the] second [album], I was told the manager wants to use Blackie's [Lawless, W.A.S.P. frontman] image [on the cover], which the manager didn't tell me that — Blackie told me that."

According to Chris, he, guitarist Randy Piper, drummer Tony Richards and Blackie were all part of W.A.S.P. initial management contract, but Blackie was the only one signed to the record label. "Everybody thinks we [all] signed to the label, but it wasn't [like that]," Holmes said.

"I never learned about the business till about 10 years ago," he explained. "How do you learn about the business? You've gotta be in there with the manager and all that stuff, so I was always kept from that… I put my trust into somebody, and [I found out later that he was] sticking a knife in my back. I didn't find that out until 2010 or '11.

"Once [W.A.S.P.] became [all about] one person, [my attitude was] 'Hey, I'll just do my thing, and leave me alone. I'll play my guitar.'"

Despite the fact that he only got songwriting credit on a a couple of the songs on each of the first four W.A.S.P. records, Holmes is adamant that his input was essential to the band's overall sound.

"If I would have quit after the first album, the way I play guitar, the way I play is really important to writing those songs," he said.

"If I hadn't joined in the beginning, it would have never worked. Blackie told me that the first day, when he came and talked to me to play in W.A.S.P. He says, 'I've got this band. It's not gonna work unless you're in it.' He told me that to my face."

Last October, Chris said that he would never consider returning to W.A.S.P. unless Lawless agreed to pay him the publishing royalties that he allegedly owes him. He told Canada's The Metal Voice: "A lot of people think I made money from W.A.S.P. I've never gotten my royalties, or even my songwriting. All the stuff that I wrote, I've never gotten paid one penny. And you know whose fault it is? It's my my fault for not knowing the business, how it is. I trusted somebody.

"After every album, when the album is done, how they split up the publishing with the publishing contracts, the publishing companies — that's where the money comes from," he continued. "I was never told about when that meeting was. Because the other guys in the band never wrote — I was the only one [other than Blackie]. So I'm the only one that they have to screw over to get all the publishing. So I was never told. Then when I dug into it in about 2006 or [2007], I went into Sanctuary Music, had a lawyer go in to find out where all my publishing is, and I was written in as a session player into all the records. And if you don't know about it, and you're not told, and you don't see, you don't know. So I trusted Blackie Lawless about that. And when I found out, it really kind of yanked me wrong. It yanks me wrong — it makes me see he was sticking a knife in my back from the first day, from the first album, and not telling me, and being my best friend."

During a November 2017 press conference in Moscow, Russia, Lawless was asked what he would say to those W.A.S.P. fans who continue to call for the band to reunite with Holmes. He responded: "People get divorced for certain reasons, and there's times when the kids want the parents to get back together, but sometimes it never happens. And this is one of those [times]. Sorry."

The documentary film "Mean Man: The Story Of Chris Holmes", written and directed by French filmmakers Antoine De Montremy and Laurent Hart, was made available on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD on January 15. The project was born in 2014 after De Montremy and Hart had an opportunity to meet and direct Holmes in a music video for the Holmes-penned song "Let It Roar" in Cannes. At that time, the now-62-year-old rocker had more or less disappeared from the music scene, leaving his home in the U.S. to seek a new beginning with his wife Sarah in Fra