Sick Drummer Magazine has released a series of videos, in which artists remember Rush drummer Neil Peart... a year later.

Sick Drummer Magazine CEO, Ian Macdonald, states: "2020 was a mess. We went to NAMM just a few days after learning of the passing of Neil Peart. A legend, icon, influence on another level. The atmosphere, at least in the drumming community at NAMM, was somber, yet hopeful. There was a definite rift in the normal vibe. You could sense the loss in every interaction, whether it was talked about or not. We walked around just wondering what the next interaction would be like, as most of the people we generally interact with, all share a love for Neil.

"Got home from NAMM only to hear more tragic news only a week or so later. I was in my office still decompressing from NAMM and organizing media from the trip and I got a call from a strange number in California. I wasn’t going to answer but I did at the last second. It was Sean’s husband, Thomas, calling to tell me that Sean had just passed away. It was one of the worst phone calls I’ve ever received, and it has taken its toll on all of us.

"Enter COVID-19… We have all felt the impact of this pandemic in one way or another, and it sent me spiralling to another level. I’m sure you can all relate. Literally, all of our drumming and industry friends started suffering right then, and continue to suffer today. Our sincere love and condolences to all who have lost a loved one due to this virus.

"So, our intention was to record a ton of these Neil Peart tribute videos during NAMM and after, but that’s just not what happened. Having said that, why not publish them now? We could think of no good reason to keep them private, so here you go…

"Thanks to all the guys who took a minute to talk with us about Neil, it was truly appreciated. Mr. Chip Ritter, Daniel Cece of Krosis, Davier Perez of The Mirage Theory, Will Dorsey of Body Count, Jeremy Colson of Steve Vai Band, Matt Thompson of King Diamond, Randy Black of Destruction, RVP of iMonolith (ex-Devin Townsend), Samus Paulicelli, and Ken Schalk of Candiria.

"Rest in Peace Neil and Sean. We will at some point be publishing another tribute to Sean Reinert, but not sure on the timing. As soon as all the guys we want to include have had the time to partake, we will make it happen."

Rest In Peace
Neil Peart: 9/12/1952 - 1/7/2020
Sean Reinert: 5/27/1971 - 1/24/2020

Norwegian band, Slaves To Fashion, will release the concept album, The History Of Heavy Metal, on February 13. The album is a fictional journey in time through 50 years of metal from 1970 to 2020.

The songs on the album are inspired by and pay tribute to the different time periods and sub-genres of the great heavy metal genre and legendary producers like Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica), Beau Hill (Warrant, Winger, Ratt) and Tommy Hansen (Helloween) mixed the thrash metal, glam metal and power metal song, respectively.

The cover artwork for the album is now revealed. It was painted by the talented and dedicated artist Dimitar Nikolov and explores many of the symbols of the heavy metal genre.

Watch an lbum trailer below, and stay tuned for further details.

Fotis Anagnostou, former Nightfall, Casus Belli and Spitfire bass player has sadly passed away at the age of 49. You can read the bands statements down under.

Nightfall's statement: ''It is with deep sadness in our hearts that we have to bring you the news that our friend Fotis Anagnostou has passed away this morning after a short but brave fight. We are all devastated and it is unbelievable for everybody who knew him.

"Fotis Anagnostou recorded bass guitar in Diva Futura album and appeared with us in Wacken Open Air 2001."

Casus Belli commented: "A day of sadness and grieving! My heart goes out to you brother. Another Star in the sky tonight. Sleep tight brother Fotis. Rest assured that your Thoughtfulness, Kindness, and inspiration will stay in my heart forever. I love you, my brother. Αντίο αδερφέ μου Φώτη."

Los Angeles alternative metal band GEMINI SYNDROME has released the music video for "IDK". The track will be available to purchase and stream on Friday, January 22 via Another Century.

GEMINI SYNDROME vocalist Aaron Nordstrom states: "'IDK' plays with the double entendre, 'I decay' and 'IDK' (I don't know) to illustrate the Voltaire quote, 'The more I read, the more I acquire, the more certain I am that I know nothing.'"

GEMINI SYNDROME drummer Brian Steele Medina adds: "'IDK' opens the door to the idea that we have to be willing to discard our old ideas and identity to give space for new ideas to grow and allow a more evolved identity to flourish. The last thing we want to do is to get stuck in old patterns of thought and behavior. This is an essential principal as we progress through the various degrees of the initiatory traditions."

GEMINI SYNDROME spent the better part of 2018-2019 writing the final installment of its long-planned three-album trilogy. They retreated to Medina's Las Vegas home studio, where they meticulously crafted song after song, relentlessly reworking and rearranging the musical arrangements until they were fully satisfied. After an exhaustive writing process, GEMINI SYNDROME relocated to Good Sounds Studio in Tempe, Arizona, where producer Matt Good would help realize the collection of songs. Medina recalls: "We absolutely loved working with Matt, and he completely understood where we wanted to take this album creatively and what it was going to take to bring the third chapter of this trilogy to light. Our actual collective blood, sweat and tears went into its creation."

"IDK" follows the release of "Reintegration" and is the band's first new music since the release of their sophomore album "Memento Mori" (2016), which hit No. 1 on Billboard Heatseakers chart and spawned five singles: "Eternity", "Anonymous", "Alive Inside", "Sorry Not Sorry" and "Remember We Die".

GEMINI SYNDROME is Aaron Nordstrom (vocals, keyboards), Brian Steele Medina (drums, programming), Alessandro "AP" Paveri (bass), Miguel "Meegs" Rascón (guitar) and Nicholas Paul Arnold (touring guitar).

Led Zeppelin guitar legend Jimmy Page is featutred in a new career spanning interview with GQ conducted by Dylan Jones. An excerpt is available below.

On his vision for Led Zeppelin

Page: "I think one of the things that was really key was that I’d had a lot of experience, both on my own and with bands, especially with The Yardbirds. Robert Plant and John Bonham were slightly younger than us. But because we had the time to rehearse, we quickly developed how the band should sound. We also did a little tour, which was something The Yardbirds would have done if they hadn’t broken up. So we could go out and showcase what we wanted to record. It gave us a lot of confidence to go in on that first set of recording sessions, because it was already tried and tested. That’s why the album was done really quickly

But I did have a whole sort of audible vision of what I was trying to achieve with it, because having played with The Yardbirds in America, I could really feel what the scene was over there. And with the advancement of FM radio, which was starting to play album tracks, I could see where it was all going. They weren’t yet playing the whole sides of albums, but I thought, 'They will! They will!' I was aiming at the album market and I figured if you have something that is so interesting that one track leads into the next and it’s not just the same sort of vibe on every sort of song, if you are giving variety, and with all the different styles of guitar I played... That’s what I wanted to showcase on the first album. I wanted everybody to feel that they’re going to be able to reinvent themselves and play the best they’d ever played, which is of course what happened. It was the start.

I really did know what I was trying to do with each album and the important thing was making sure they were different from the one that preceded it. We had made a policy not to release singles and so we never worried about recording one."

On John Bonham's death and the end of Led Zeppelin

Page: "It was like staggering away from the vacuum caused by a great explosion, with your eardrums ringing. I found myself standing on a street corner, clutching 12 years of my life, with a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye, and not knowing which way to go. It was a most peculiar experience, because I knew that the dream was over and everything was gone. It was just a memory."

Read the complete in-depth story here.

Formed in London in 1968, Led Zeppelin consisted of vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. Together they became one of the best-selling bands with estimated record sales of 300 million units worldwide. In 1995 Led Zeppelin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for their innovative and influential impact on the entire music industry.

Nikki Sixx has paid tribute to Sylvain Sylvain, one of the founding fathers of punk rock as guitarist of legendary band the NEW YORK DOLLS, who died on Wednesday, January 13 at the age of 69. He had battled cancer for two and a half years.

Earlier today, the MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist took to his Instagram to write: "As a kid discovering The DOLLS was some of guidance I needed to head to LA and lean on not only them but so many great 70’s bands with punch and flair to start my own bands. . It was an honor to have The NY DOLLS open for @motleycrue and always a joy to sit backstage and talk to #sylvainsylvain. He was kind. Loved rock n roll and reminded me why I loved that band in the first place. RIP Rockstar."

The NEW YORK DOLLS were called many things — glam, proto-punk, hard rock — but are probably best understood as a "dirty rock and roll" band. Combining an aggressively androgynous style with street-smart New York attitude and campy humor, the NEW YORK DOLLS ushered in the era of CBGBs, heroin chic, loud guitars and referential lyrics which gave rise to Patti Smith, the RAMONES, TELEVISION and many more. Fans of the band range from GUNS N' ROSES to Morrissey, who organized the reformation of the band when he curated Meltdown festival in 2004.

Born Sylvain Mizrahi, Sylvain remained with the NEW YORK DOLLS until the group's breakup in 1977. He later worked on various projects, including a band called THE CRIMINALS and another group called THE TEARDROPS. Sylvain reunited with NEW YORK DOLLS in 2004 and played on the band's last three albums, "One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This", "Cause I Sez So" and "Dancing Backward In High Heels".

Sylvain's autobiography, "There's No Bones In Ice Cream", was released in 2018 via Omnibus Press.

In April 2019, a fundraising campaign was launched for Sylvain, who revealed at the time that he had been battling cancer for nearly a year.
























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Todd La Torre, who joined QUEENSRŸCHE in 2012 as the replacement for original vocalist Geoff Tate, spoke to the "Music Mania" podcast about what the last nine years have been like. He said (see video below): "Obviously, it was life changing. I had an upholstery business, and that was my trade that I did for, at that point, 22 years or something. So when I got into the band, it was, like, 'We're playing a show this weekend,' or, 'We're playing a show next weekend,' and I would have to say to myself, 'Okay, this is something where I might have to stop doing my career, and this is just like a full-time thing where I'm not home.' And I was never in a full-time touring band before. So that was a whole change in my life. And being gone eight, nine months out of the year sometimes where you don't see your family and your friends, it's a very different kind of a life.

"Obviously, it's amazing," he clarified. "I'm in a band that was one of my favorite bands growing up. We're like family. They're my good friends. We've shared amazing experiences together. I got to do things that most people dream of doing. I don't take it for granted at all. So I'm extremely thankful, and also thankful for the people that have embraced me, 'cause that's not an easy thing, when a band that you like changes a member like that.

"Overall, it's been an awesome experience. It is an awesome experience. And I wouldn't take it back. But it's definitely a different like.

"During the pandemic, I love being home," Todd added. "On the one hand, I don't miss touring at all, because I get to see my wife every day, I get to see my mom during the week and my sister and some of my really close friends, and be home in my own house. And I love that. On the other hand, I really miss the camaraderie and the whole experience that goes on where you're all together with the band and playing shows and that sort of thing.

"I wouldn't change it at all, but it has its pros and cons, like anything else in life. If you're a person in a business that travels — whatever your line of work is that requires travel — you might enjoy it 'cause you get to go around and see different places, but there's a sacrifice too. We miss birthdays, we miss certain holidays with our family, and it can be lonely."

Todd also confirmed that he and guitarist Michael Wilton are hard at work on material for QUEENSRŸCHE's next album. The disc will be the follow-up to 2019's "The Verdict", which marked QUEENSRŸCHE's third full-length release with La Torre.

"Michael's here at my house right now — he's in my studio — and Zeuss [producer Chris Harris] is here [as well]," Todd said. "We're working on new QUEENSRYCHE stuff, and they thought it would be a good idea to come down to Florida for a week or so. So we're just songwriting that way."

"The Verdict" was released in March 2019 via Century Media Records. The disc was produced, mixed and mastered by Zeuss at Uberbeatz in Lynwood, Washington; Planet-Z in Wilbraham, Massachusetts; and Watershed Studio in Seattle, Washington.

The current QUEENSRŸCHE lineup features two original members, bassist Eddie Jackson and Wilton, along with La Torre and guitarist Parker Lundgren.

La Torre will release his debut solo album, "Rejoice In The Suffering", on February 5 via Rat Pak Records.

A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to help raise £20,000 (approximately $27,000) so former IRON MAIDEN vocalist Paul Di'Anno can undergo his long-delayed knee surgery.

A message on the JustGiving page reads: "Paul waited for the past 5-6 years to get this surgery done but now it looks the only way to get it done and quick is privately.

"Please donate as much as you can so we can make it happen for Paul.

"We know times are hard for everyone now but every little helps. If we all get together we can make this happen for him."

Di'Anno has battled a number of health issues in recent years. He reportedly underwent an operation in 2016 to remove a "rugby ball-sized abscess" on his lungs and required a knee-replacement operation on both knees after getting involved in several motorcycle accidents over the years. As a result, Di'Anno was forced to sit down while performing at his most recent shows.

Di'Anno recorded two classic albums with IRON MAIDEN before being replaced by Bruce Dickinson. He went on to front a number of other bands, including KILLERS and BATTLEZONE, and released several solo records.

In March 2011, Di'Anno was sentenced to nine months in a U.K. prison after he falsely collected government benefits by claiming he suffered nerve damage to his back that prevented him from working.

Di'Anno completed his first North American tour in early 2010, 17 years after he was deported following a prison term for guns and drug offenses.

In a December 2019 interview with the Spanish web site Mariskalrock.com, Di'Anno said that he was lucky to be alive after developing a deadly infection several years ago.

"I nearly died four years ago," Paul revealed. "I had sepsis in Argentina. I was very, very sick. I just about made it home to England and then straight to hospital. I've been in and out of the hospital for four years now. I had operations done on both legs. I [haven't been able to] walk for four years. It's been very, very tough for me at the moment. Because of the sepsis, I keep getting infections, so they can't do the operations on my legs and stuff like that when they want to do them. And it's been very difficult. At the moment, I've only got one knee. The other knee has been taken out, but there's no new knee put in, so it's been a cement thing. But I wanna play, obviously, but I can't do that until I'm fixed. I haven't stopped playing music, and I've got no plans to retire — I wanna keep playing — but I need to get well."

Elaborating on his recovery process, Di'Anno said: "I'm not getting better and better — not yet, until I've had both of my knees operated on. The next operation is gonna be to take my left knee out and then put a replacement straight away, which then I've gotta do rehab to try to stand up on that one leg. And then I can sort of move about on crutches after a while, which would be fantastic. I may have to sit down on the stage, but if I can get up on one leg, it makes it easier for flying and things like that. I still may have to travel around on a wheelchair a bit, but if I'm playing on stage in a wheelchair, at least I can hop about on the crutches and then maybe sit down and sing. But I caught another infection two weeks ago, which they will not operate on you while you've got an infection. Unfortunately, this is gonna be the rest of my life, because of sepsis. I was so lucky. The sepsis really hits you hard, and on the London plane home from Argentina, everyone was saying to me, 'Hello, sir. Are you okay? Are you okay?' And I'm, like, 'Yeah, why don't you fuck off and leave me alone?' sort of thing. I didn't realize I was actually dying. And when I actually got home and I collapsed on the floor, I had my cell phone with me. I was on my own, 'cause my wife and kids were over in America. I got the ambulance people. They came down and they kicked my door in and took me to the hospital. I spent eight months in that hospital... And you've got 45 minutes to pump you full of antibiotics or you'll die. I just about made that. Eight months recovery there, then into a care home for another three months, and then I moved into this new house of mine, which is adapted for wheelchair users at the moment... And then it's been unlucky with the infections; otherwise I would have been up and running by now. But they won't operate on me for two years, with sepsis, because you have to make sure it's completely clear of you. And now I've got this other thing called MRSA, which you get from being in hospital, which is unfortunate. But, anyway, at the moment, I'm clearing out very well, so I'm waiting for the next call I get, which will be for surgery, and get things done".

Pressed about whether he is optimistic that he will be able to return to the stage someday, he told Mariskalrock.com: "Yeah. Fuckin' damn right. If I can't play music, I might as well fuckin' kill myself. So, yeah, I'm fine. As I said, once they have taken the left knee out and then put the replacement one in, I've got rehab to do. And the rehab will be learning to stand up and use crutches and move around with one leg, 'cause the other one, it's a very complicated operation on the right leg... I'm waiting for the surgeons to call me in. This operation will take about three hours to put the knee in, and then it's all rehab, rehab, rehab to strengthen my leg and [be able] to stand up on that one leg, 'cause the other one, I can't put it down on the floor, 'cause it's only got cement inside of it. There's no knee in the right one either, so that will be taken out. That one is a complicated operation — about nine hours. But this first one, if I can stand on crutches and get used to it after… I'll be in hospital for two weeks, and then it's all rehab, rehab — strengthen the left leg up, so I can hop about on the crutches and move around. It makes it easier for me to fly, and then I can go on stage. I may have to sit down on the stage in a chair, but at least I can go back on stage… And then, when they do the right leg, then I'll be all right to do everything. It's gonna take time. Unfortunately, it's two years where they will not operate on anything 'cause of the sepsis. And that's a two-year gap. And now all these infections are fucking me

A new video containing an interview with BLACK SABBATH guitar legend Tony Iommi has been made to commemorate the reinstallation of the band's "heavy metal" bench on Broad Street in Birmingham, England.

The mini documentary is presented by Christian Martin, the former Argentinian rugby player who is himself a huge BLACK SABBATH fan, and features rare footage of the band performing in its early days.

The video was commissioned and released by Westside BID to commemorate the rededication of the bench which first appeared in 2018 but had been temporarily removed during the Midland Metro tram extension works.

Martin, who was in Birmingham last week covering the COVID-19 lockdown for A24, the Argentinian-based cable news channel, agreed to front the video as a "labor of love" because of his enthusiasm for BLACK SABBATH.

During the 20-minute video, Martin sits on the bench — which features steel cut-outs of all four original members of the band — and uses a live Zoom link to interview Iommi from his home in the Cotswolds.

Iommi, BLACK SABBATH's lead guitarist who was born in Aston, talks about his Broad Street links and how apt it is for the bench to be there. He said: "I used to be on Broad Street all the time as a youngster at the Rum Runner nightclub, so this brings back a lot of memories to me."

He recalls the band's early days: "We had a tough road as no one had heard our kind of music and we could only play in small Blues clubs across the city. But we loved and believed in what we did."

Iommi spent a short time with the JETHRO TULL band and said this is where he learned the discipline it took to be successful. He said: "It was so organized, and when I went back to the band, I realized we had to rehearse and take it seriously. I was the only one who could drive, so I used to pick everyone up at 9 a.m., the same schedule every day, and we worked hard at it.

"It was never a chore, but it was tough in the early days when we had no money and on tour used to sleep together in one room. Then, as the money started coming in, we could stop in hotels when going around the world and it was amazing — I wouldn't change anything."

Iommi, who said he still speaks to lead singer Ozzy Osbourne by text most days, said he was "really proud" of the "heavy metal" bench. He added: "We've helped put Birmingham on the map. We're — if you like — the Birmingham BEATLES, and it's good for Birmingham to have these attractions."

The video also features an interview with Cllr Waseem Zaffar, Birmingham City Council's cabinet member for Transport and Environment, who originally allowed the bench to be placed on Broad Street.

At the end, Mike Olley, the general manager of Westside BID, cuts a huge black ribbon to rededicate the bench, using left-handed scissors specially made for the event by William Whiteley and Sons Of Sheffield. The scissors — engraved with Tony Iommi's name as he is well-known as a left-hander — were then presented to Martin to thank him for presenting the video.

Olley said: "The original unveiling of BLACK SABBATH's 'heavy metal' bench was a huge event back in 2018 and we wanted to celebrate its return now the Metro works have moved along. We're grateful to Christian Martin for helping us make this video and we hope SABBATH fans in Birmingham and across the world enjoy it."

The video was produced by Jim Simpson, the original manager of BLACK SABBATH, and all archive film and pictures used in it are his copyright which he has waived. The video was filmed by Greg Gdowski and Margaret Maslanka of 57 Studio, directed by Mike Olley and technical facilities were provided by Al Dawkins of Cannock Sound.

QUIET RIOT guitarist Alex Grossi has confirmed that there are plans for the band to release new music.

The veteran rock group's last collection of fresh material was 2019's "Hollywood Cowboys", which marked drummer Frankie Banali's final QUIET RIOT studio album before his untimely death.

Banali, who joined QUIET RIOT in 1982 and played on its breakthrough album, 1983's "Metal Health", the first heavy metal LP to top Billboard's album chart, died in August after a 16-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

The surviving members of QUIET RIOT later said it was "Frankie Banali's wish that the band continue and we keep the music and the legacy alive."

Grossi touched upon the possibility of QUIET RIOT making new music in a recent interview with "Rock Chat With Trace". He said (hear audio below): "There's been talk of doing a lot of new things… There could be a new album. There's definitely a lot of tracks that Frankie left behind that could be utilized for that, which is nice — that were works in progress before he got sick. All I'm gonna say is stay tuned, but there definitely will be new music from QUIET RIOT."

QUIET RIOT played its first concert after Banali's death on October 9 at at the Grand Stage Amphitheater near Urich, Missouri. The group now features drummer Johnny Kelly (DANZIG, TYPE O NEGATIVE).

At some of QUIET RIOT's 2019 and 2020 shows, Banali was replaced by Kelly or Mike Dupke (W.A.S.P.), depending on each musician's availability.

QUIET RIOT's shows in 2019 with Kelly and Dupke marked the first time ever that the band performed without any of the members from its classic lineup: Banali, singer Kevin DuBrow, guitarist Carlos Cavazo and bassist Rudy Sarzo.

QUIET RIOT initially featured the late guitar legend Randy Rhoads and went through some early lineup shifts before securing the musicians that recorded "Metal Health".

Bassist Chuck Wright has been a part of QUIET RIOT, on and off, since 1982, having initially been involved in the "Metal Health" recordings (he played bass on the tracks "Metal Health" and "Don't Wanna Let You Go"). Grossi was in the last version of the band, from 2004 through 2007, before Kevin passed away, and was asked by Banali to return in 2010.

QUIET RIOT went through two vocalists — Mark Huff and Scott Vokoun — before settling on Jizzy Pearl in 2013. Pearl announced his exit from QUIET RIOT in October 2016 and was briefly replaced by Seann Nichols, who played only five shows with the group before the March 2017 arrival of "American Idol" finalist James Durbin. Pearl returned to QUIET RIOT in September 2019.

Rachel Bolan has paid tribute to Sylvain Sylvain, one of the founding fathers of punk rock as guitarist of legendary band the NEW YORK DOLLS, who died on Wednesday, January 13 at the age of 69. He had battled cancer for two and a half years.

On Friday (January 15), the SKID ROW bassist took to his Instagram to write: "This is a tough one. The first time I met Sylvain Sylvain was at the El Mocambo in Toronto in 87/88? We played to about 6 people. After the show the dressing room door opened and in walked Sylvain. I was dumbfounded. All I could think is that there was a New York fucking Doll in our dressing room. No one will ever believe me.

"He was such a great guy. Funny, stylish, compassionate (like I said. 6 people). We started talking about songwriting and I expressed what a profound affect the DOLLS had on me. Without missing a beat he said 'We wrote songs by listening to Chuck Berry records with the turntable sped up!' I will never forget that moment. To this day I'm not sure whether he was serious or not.

"R.I.P. Sylvain. Thank you for the inspiration. #thereisnohashtag".

The NEW YORK DOLLS were called many things — glam, proto-punk, hard rock — but are probably best understood as a "dirty rock and roll" band. Combining an aggressively androgynous style with street-smart New York attitude and campy humor, the NEW YORK DOLLS ushered in the era of CBGBs, heroin chic, loud guitars and referential lyrics which gave rise to Patti Smith, the RAMONES, TELEVISION and many more. Fans of the band range from GUNS N' ROSES to Morrissey, who organized the reformation of the band when he curated Meltdown festival in 2004.

Born Sylvain Mizrahi, Sylvain remained with the NEW YORK DOLLS until the group's breakup in 1977. He later worked on various projects, including a band called THE CRIMINALS and another group called THE TEARDROPS. Sylvain reunited with NEW YORK DOLLS in 2004 and played on the band's last three albums, "One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This", "Cause I Sez So" and "Dancing Backward In High Heels".

Sylvain's autobiography, "There's No Bones In Ice Cream", was released in 2018 via Omnibus Press.

In April 2019, a fundraising campaign was launched for Sylvain, who revealed at the time that he had been battling cancer for nearly a year.
























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Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke has clarified his previous comment that he was asked to take part in the band's "Not In This Lifetime" tour but that he had to turn it down.

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 addressed his non-participation in GUNS N' ROSES' reunion tour, which features three-fifths of the group's classic lineup — singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan — during a new interview with "The SDR Show". He said (see video below): "They didn't ask me to join the band; they asked me to come out and do [a guest appearance] with the band. And it just happened to be the day that I was in Chicago with my daughter. Her band was playing Lollapalooza [in July 2016]. And I'm actually her roadie. I don't think anybody would know how to tune the guitar if I wasn't there. Just kidding. But, yeah, it was just bad timing. I just said, 'Look, I think it's a great idea. I'm up for it. I just can't do it today.' And they literally asked me that day. And I never heard back from them after I said that."

Gilby also confirmed that he only had a week to learn the entire GUNS catalog when he first joined the band nearly three decades ago. "That's true," he said. "They told me on a Monday, that 'You have the gig,' and the next week we were flying to Boston for our first show. And I literally had a week. And remember, this is before YouTube. I was glued to their records with the headphones on, trying to learn the catalog. And the last song I learned was a song called 'Estranged', which was a really long ballad piece. And if you listen to it, it's kind of one-dimensional guitar-wise — it really just features Slash. So I was listening to it, and I really couldn't figure out what I should do in that song. So I went to Dizzy [Reed, GUNS keyboardist]. I go, 'Hey, man, can you sit down with me, and let's work on 'Estranged'.' I go, 'I just wanna kind of figure it out.' And he goes, 'Oh, well, here's the music book.' And he handed me the music book. And I went, 'There's a music book? I just spent a week learning every note by ear when I could have just grabbed the freakin' music book…' I mean, I read charts — it would have taken me an hour. I was a little pissed off that I didn't ask. They could have offered it to me."

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. The disc was produced and written by Gilby at his Los Angeles recording studio, Redrum Recording, where he's also helmed records for such artists as L.A. GUNS, THE BRONX, BEAT ANGELS, BULLETS AND OCTANE and many more. The album was mixed by Grammy Award winner Chris Lord-Alge and mastered by Maor Appelbaum. Joining Gilby on the LP are Muddy Stardust on bass, Kenny Aronoff (JOHN MELLENCAMP, JOHN FOGERTY, CHICKENFOOT) on drums, along with Matt Starr (ACE FREHLEY, MR. BIG) and Chad Stewart (FASTER PUSSYCAT, L.A. GUNS) on backing vocals.

William DuVall has paid tribute to Sylvain Sylvain, one of the founding fathers of punk rock as guitarist of legendary band the NEW YORK DOLLS, who died on Wednesday, January 13 at the age of 69. He had battled cancer for two and a half years.

On Thursday (January 14), the ALICE IN CHAINS frontman took to his social media to write: "I idolized the NEW YORK DOLLS as a kid. Along with the MC5 and the STOOGES, the DOLLS were like superheroes to me.

"I remember being in 7th grade in 1979 writing fictional short stories for school that had Johnny Thunders as the main character. Fast forward sixteen years and somehow I struck up a fast friendship with Sylvain Sylvain circa 1995-96. He was living in ATL then and I can’t remember how we met but he heard some of the songs I was writing and producing for my band at the time, MADFLY, and he asked me to produce a solo album for him. In particular, he loved a song of mine called 'Chains Around My Heart'. He told me he wanted to record that song or at least write something like it with me. For several weeks, we either met up or talked on the phone pretty much every day. This was the pre-cellphone era of answering machines. So whenever Sylvain would call my apartment and I wasn't home, he would sing 'Chains Around My Heart' on my answering machine in his thick Noo Yawk accent. It's one of the most treasured memories of my early career. I think I still have some of those micro-cassette tapes from that old machine somewhere.

"We never ended up making that record of his but I really enjoyed that time getting to know him and hearing his many amazing stories.

"As cliche as it sounds, in Sylvain's case, the old adage is true: They just don't make 'em like that anymore.

"Rest In Peace and power, Sylvain Sylvain. Thank you for all you did for rock-n-roll. #sylvainsylvain #newyorkdolls".

The NEW YORK DOLLS were called many things — glam, proto-punk, hard rock — but are probably best understood as a "dirty rock and roll" band. Combining an aggressively androgynous style with street-smart New York attitude and campy humor, the NEW YORK DOLLS ushered in the era of CBGBs, heroin chic, loud guitars and referential lyrics which gave rise to Patti Smith, the RAMONES, TELEVISION and many more. Fans of the band range from GUNS N' ROSES to Morrissey, who organized the reformation of the band when he curated Meltdown festival in 2004.

Born Sylvain Mizrahi, Sylvain remained with the NEW YORK DOLLS until the group's breakup in 1977. He later worked on various projects, including a band called THE CRIMINALS and another group called THE TEARDROPS. Sylvain reunited with NEW YORK DOLLS in 2004 and played on the band's last three albums, "One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This", "Cause I Sez So" and "Dancing Backward In High Heels".

Sylvain's autobiography, "There's No Bones In Ice Cream", was released in 2018 via Omnibus Press.

In April 2019, a fundraising campaign was launched for Sylvain, who revealed at the time that he had been battling cancer for nearly a year.


I idolized the New York Dolls as a kid. Along with the MC5 and the Stooges, the Dolls were like superheroes to me. I...

Posted by William DuVall on Thursday, January 14, 2021

Multi-talented, genre hopping anonymous collective, Non Serviam, have teamed up with the Code666 label to bring forth another masterful release, blurring lines between genres and going beyond the boundaries that restrain them.

Non Serviam creates a sonic collage of experimental, black, doom, grindcore, crust and industrial metal while staying within the framework of a baroque influence that will assault the auditory senses in the form of one of the most brutal and extreme releases of the year.

Le Coeur Bat (The Heart Beats) is comprised of eight tracks which delve into the the deepest pits of the universe and worse even still, the darkest corners of the mind. This psychosis inspiring album will be available on all major platforms digitally as well as digipack CD and yellow vinyl on April 23.

Non Serviam adds: "It's a chance for a project like Non Serviam to benefit from the expertise and scouting talents of Code666. It is indeed one of the rare labels that has offered in the last decades the possibility to get under the spell of some of the best black metal bands from around the world, that is to say for us the most experimental and consequent ones, among which some of our inspirations (Ephel Duath, Imperial Triumphant, Negură Bunget, Aborym, Amesoeurs, Vampillia). Le Coeur Bat is an album that has been delayed many times, and has suffered greatly from the current pandemic crisis, it must now be released, like all of us. Long live the devil who threatens this world of money, cops and viruses - The old world has to burn."

Stratovarius tribute project, Stratofortress have revealed the cover artwork and tracklisting for the upcoming album, Anthems Of The World, available for pre-order here.

A message states: "This is our tribute to StratovariuS, our way to say "Thank you!" to all the members of this band (past and current) for all the great music they gave us. This music teached us how to play and how to live, helping us to carry on the bad moments and give us happiness during beautiful ones of our lives. This album is made from the deepest of our hearts as truly StratovariuS fans for truly StratovariuS fans..."

The cover was made by Harley Velazquez in collaboration with Iliour Griften, the mastermind of the project. The album album contains 14 songs and and features great bands and new super special guests, to be revealed soon.

Anthems Of The World tracklisting:

"Destiny" - StratospherE
"Hunting High & Low" - Kublai Kapsalis
"Black Diamond" - Beto Vazquez Infinity
"Distant Skies" - Marko Pukkila
"Eternity" - Dark Horizon
"Hold On To Your Dream" - Heart Attack
"Anthem Of The World" - Tales And Legends
"Paradise" - Heaven Denies
"Shine In The Dark" - Magma Lake
"Playing With Fire" - Gépmadár
"Father Time" - Iliour Griften
"S.O.S" - Eagleheart
"The Kiss Of Judas" - Silent Saga
"Halcyon Days" - Sunrise