Napalm Records is gearing up for a raucous punk rock attack, welcoming Norwegian power trio Bokassa to its growing roster.

Since releasing their ferocious debut album, 2017’s Divide & Conquer, the Norwegian Grammy-nominated band has gripped major attention by fusing polished punk, hardcore and metal riffage, stoner rock grooves and hooky lyricism - forming their own self-proclaimed brand of gritty stoner punk. Upon release, their aforementioned debut was urgently hailed by critics all over the world and placed prominently on several “Best Of” lists.

From there, Bokassa performed on some of Norway's biggest festivals like Øya, Stavern, Pstereo and Malakoff, just to name a few, and toured throughout Europe and Norway. In 2019, the band set a massive milestone when they were handpicked by Lars Ulrich to support Metallica alongside Ghost on their summer stadium tour across Europe, the UK and Russia. The legendary drummer hailed them as "his favorite new band" and described them as "Insanely fucking cool" after hearing the first album. The band’s sophomore full-length, Crimson Riders (2019), was critically acclaimed all around the globe.

Bokassa already found their own way out of the seething underground, and with Napalm Records, the high-voltage Norwegian outfit is now ready to enter a new, promising chapter in their budding career, taking their energizing, boisterous punk to the next level.

Bokassa on the signing: “We are extremely excited and proud to have signed with Napalm Records and to join the roster of such a legendary label. We can’t wait to show the world our new music and feel that Napalm is a perfect fit for our unholy mix of everything awesome in rock, punk and metal.”

Fasten your seatbelts and get a glimpse of what lies ahead with the official video for “Mouthbreathers Inc.”, taken off the rumbling Crimson Riders:

Bokassa is:

Olav Dowkes - vocals, drums
Jørn Kaarstad - vocals, guitar, banjo
Bard Linga - vocals, bass

(Photo - Ole Ekker)

Finland's Nightwish is offering offers fans a unique experience by inviting them to a shared adventure at The Islanders Arms, a tavern built in virtual reality. The event takes place on two nights, Friday and Saturday, March 12th and 13th, 2021. On both evenings, the audience can expect an unforgettable 90-minute performance and will get to hear songs from the latest album, Human. :II: Nature., live for the first time. The setlist has variation for each night.
 
Released in April amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, Human. :II: Nature. has not been performed live yet. Having had to postpone their world tour in 2020, Nightwish decided to create something unforeseen to lighten up the dark times.
 
A full-length live experience that reaches magical dimensions will be set in virtual reality – The Islander Inn tavern. During the evening, both the band and the audience can dive into diverse imaginary 3D worlds. The technical production is led by Zoan, whose Burst Live platform also powered Finnish rap superstars JVG’s May 1st virtual reality show that attracted more than a million viewers last spring.
 
For an interactive virtual show experience, members of the audience can create avatars and join the show on their computers or mobile devices. The audience can react by gestures, cheers or emojis, and chat with other fans. One can also dress up their avatar with Nightwish merchandise.

Show details are as follows:
 
Friday, March 12th, 2021 - Europe: 8:00pm CET / 7:00pm GMT

Saturday, March 13th, 2021 - North And South America - 8:00pm ET (UTC-5) / 5:00pm PT (UTC -8) / 10:00pm BRT (UTC-3) / 7:00pm CST (UTC -6)

Experience the live shows at Burst.fi. Recordings can be watched for 48 hours after the show.

Tickets for both schows are available now via Nightwish.com

Nightwish have released a previously unseen live video for "Yours Is An Empty Hope", shot at Teatro Metropólitan in Mexico City on October 15, 2015.

Says Nightwish founder/keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen: "We dug up Ville Lipiäinen's archives and came across with some never seen live footage from the past tours. Something to reminisce while waiting for the Human. :II: Nature. tour to finally start. More to come soon!"

Run Out Groove is celebrating the 25th anniversary of FEAR FACTORY's classic "Demanufacture" album by issuing it on vinyl and expanding it with a previously unreleased live concert from 1996's Ozzfest. "Demanufacture" has been mastered for vinyl with lacquers cut by FEAR FACTORY's producer-engineer Damien Rainaud. The three-LP set will be pressed on transparent blue, solid white, and black mixed-color vinyl at Record Industry and housed in a tri-fold jacket containing an exclusive poster. Pre-orders are open now.

Asked in a new interview with The Pit if he ever revisits "Demanfucature", FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares said (see video below): "I sometimes look back at that record quite a lot, because it was a groundbreaking record. And I go back sometimes just to listen — not to the tones or anything, but listen to the structures. But a lot of times, I apply those structures into newer songs. Like, 'Okay, how did I write a song like 'Zero Signal'? How does it go? How does it start? Where does the verse go? Where does the mid-section go?' And blah blah. If I'm stuck on a new song, I'll go back to 'Demanufacture' and be, like, 'Okay, that's how we did it, so let's go back and apply it to this song.' Even though the songs are completely different, the riffs are different, it's still something that helps me craft songs today."

"Demanufacture" expanded vinyl reissue (Run Out Groove, 2020) track listing:

Side A

01. Demanufacture (4:12)

02. Self Bias Resistor (5:12)

03. Zero Signal (5:56)

Side B

01. Replica (3:56)

02. New Breed (2:49)

03. Dog Day Sunrise (4:45)

Side C

01. Body Hammer (5:05)

02. Flashpoint (2:52)

03. H-K (Hunter-Killer) (5:17)

Side D

01. Pisschrist (5:27)

02. A Therapy For Pain (9:43)

Side E (Ozzfest 1996)

01. Demanufacture (5:08)

02. Zero Signal/Self Immolation (5:49)

03. Self-Biased Resistor (5:00)

Side F (Ozzfest 1996)

01. Deep Dub Traumamix (4:51)

02. Replica (4:18)

03. Martyr (4:28)

This past August, singer Burton C. Bell issued a statement officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY, saying that he "cannot align" himself with someone whom he does not trust or respect.

Bell's exit from FEAR FACTORY came more than two weeks after Cazares launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist him with the production costs associated with the release of FEAR FACTORY's long-awaited new album.

In October, Dino issued a statement in which he said that the door for Burton to come back to FEAR FACTORY wouldn't "stay open forever." He also explained that Burton "lost his legal rights" to the FEAR FACTORY name "after a long court battle" with former drummer Raymond Herrera and bassist Christian Olde Wolbers. "I had the opportunity to do something right, and I felt that obtaining the name in full was the right thing to do for the both of us, so after nearly four years we can continue as FEAR FACTORY, to make more records and to tour," he said. "That is why it is sad to hear that he decided to quit and, in my opinion, for whatever issues he has it seems like it could've been worked out."

In explaining his reasons for starting a fundraising campaign, Cazares said that all donations will go toward covering newly incurred production costs involved with the making of the new FEAR FACTORY LP, including re-recording the drums, guitars, bass and keyboards, as well as mixing and mastering by Andy Sneap. Burton's original lead vocals, which were recorded in full in 2017, will remain on the new version of the album.

FEAR FACTORY's fundraising campaign marks the first public activity from the band since it completed a 2016 U.S. headlining tour on which it performed "Demanufacture" in its entirety.

Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON have recruited David Bottrill (TOOL, STAIND) to produce their eighth studio album. The follow-up to 2017's "Emperor Of Sand" is being recorded at West End Sound, which is located inside of Ember City, the rehearsal facility that members of MASTODON manage in Atlanta.

MASTODON's new disc will mark the band's first collection of new material since the death of longtime manager Nick John and the passing of tour manager Bob Dallas.

MASTODON drummer Brann Dailor recently told Full Metal Jackie's syndicated radio show that he and his bandmates wrote more than two albums' worth of material in the months leading up to the recording sessions for the new LP.

"We have an abundance of material, and we have a lot of really great things," he said. "The hardest part is gonna be picking the ones that are gonna go on the actual album, because there are too many songs at this point. We wanna put maybe around 10 to 12 songs on the album, and we have, like, 30. That's a lot. That's too much. [Laughs] But I think that it's coming into focus now. The ones that we are wanting to play more than the other ones, those are the ones that are gonna make it. But even with the ones we are really, really digging, there's too many of those too — there's, like, 20 of those. And there's always room for new ideas too."

He continued: "We were jamming the other day, and we have, like, 30 songs that we could be running through, and we started writing something brand new. So, it's like, 'stop.' But 'don't stop' as well. Because as much as I think it's kind of not the best to have one in the chamber, and I don't necessarily think that it's a great idea for us to release a double album, I don't see the problem with recording a full-length album, and then, because of the fact that we are not gonna be able to go on tour immediately, record another full-length album not far after. So I think that that's a possibility — that we will have an abundance of music, and we will have an abundance of stuff that we really dig that we can release to the public while we are still in this muck."

MASTODON's new rarities collection titled "Medium Rarities", was released in September. The compilation includes a new song called "Fallen Torches" as well as a bevy of classic covers, soundtrack contributions, instrumentals, B-sides, and live recordings on one complete package for the very first time.

"Emperor Of Sand" debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. That LP was nominated for the 2018 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album," and its opening track, "Sultan's Curse", won the Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance."

Earlier in the year, MASTODON wrote and recorded a new song called "Rufus Lives" for inclusion in the latest "Bill & Ted Face The Music" movie.

"Bill & Ted Face The Music", which reunites Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves in the title roles for the first time since 1991's "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey", was released in August.
























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HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale spoke to "The MetalSucks Podcast" about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2018's "Vicious" album. She said (hear audio below): "We started demoing for this record in the middle of our last record cycle, when we were still on tour. I was in our practice room every day on tour, with my amps and everything, I would just force myself to write something every day. So, when we finally got to the point where we were, like, 'Okay, let's see what we've got,' we all sit down and [go], 'That one beats that one.' It's very much like having this thousand-piece puzzle, and you dump it all out. And you're, like, 'Okay, I know it all goes together' [laughs], 'but I don't know what the picture it yet.'

"So we've been piecing stuff together," she continued. "We actually just — this week — ended up doing this socially distant version of getting into the studio with our producer. So we've actually begun recording. And so that's exciting. It was a much-needed change of routine. We're pulling in about 14-hour days. [Laughs] We go in and we're, like, 'All right. It's almost 11 o'clock. We probably should go home and get some sleep, so we can come and do it all over again.'

"So, yeah, it's exciting," Lzzy repeated. "We're working on a new record. I love this new material, and I'm super excited to get to the other side, whenever that may be."

This past September, Lzzy confirmed to U.K.'s Rock Sound that she has been using her coronavirus downtime to compose material for the new HALESTORM LP. "I've been writing, honestly, some of the best songs I've ever written, because I've just had the time, and there isn't any deadline and nobody's breathing down my neck, saying, 'Hey, where are those demos?'," she said.

"I haven't been home without a gig for this long in probably over 15 years, so that's a strange thing. I think in one way, I have the time, but in another way, I'm seeking that high out, I'm seeking that joy that I find from playing out live every night. I'm not writing for any other reason — I'm not writing for a deadline, I'm not writing for a record, even though technically I am; we are technically working on a new HALESTORM record. But I'm writing from such a position of joy right now, literally just getting excited about some small piece of music. And I'm taking more risks now, because I have the space and the time and I've settled into something. And I'm not even quite sure what that is, and I feel like it's gonna reveal itself maybe later, but right now, I'm in it, and it's exciting."

"Halestorm Reimagined", a collection of reworked HALESTORM original songs as well as a cover of "I Will Always Love You", the love ballad made famous by Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton, was made available in August.

Lzzy and her brother Arejay (drums) formed the band in 1998 while in middle school. Guitarist Joe Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by bassist Josh Smith in 2004.

In December 2018, HALESTORM was nominated for a "Best Rock Performance" Grammy Award for its song "Uncomfortable".

In 2012, the band won its first Grammy in the category of "Best Hard Rock/ Metal Performance" for "Love Bites (So Do I)". According to the Grammy web site, Lzzy became the first woman to earn a Grammy in the category.

During a new appearance on "The Metal Teddy Bear Experience" podcast, GODSMACK drummer Shannon Larkin spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for its new studio album. Asked if GODSMACK will release the follow-up to 2018's "When Legends Rise" in 2021, Shannon said (see video below): "We will not. What we're doing is we've already begun the process of building our new studio in Florida. We're officially a Florida band. Everybody's moved here; everybody followed me here. Sully [Erna, GODSMACK frontman] just moved here. He was the last guy [from GODSMACK] to finally leave the Boston area, and his house is seven minutes from mine now. We're building, like I said, our new headquarters-slash-recording studio. We've done the last couple of records [in our previous headquarters] up in Boston. And our goal is to just write as much material as possible.

"We took basically this year off to move the studio and do all this kind of stuff," he continued. "And in the meantime, by the way, we've all been individually writing. And Tony [Rombola, GODSMACK guitarist] and I have probably six to 10 songs to feed to Sully and see if it's on the right path. 'Cause he has the vision. Every record in GODSMACK comes four years apart — every single one, if you do look at the history, exactly four years apart on each record — and so we're at three now. So it's gonna work out for us again.

"We have the rest of this year off basically to finish the studio," Larkin added. "We don't have hammers and nails — we're not building this [ourselves] — but we have people building this. We hope to have it done by the first week of January, [at] which [point] we will start getting together — the four of us — in that room and just start fleshing shit out, man, letting shit come out of the air and the universe to us and start to try writing songs, with the intent of getting into the studio by the fall and making the new record for a 2022 release and tour."

This past September, GODSMACK's "Bulletproof" single was certified platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) for accumulating one million certified units. According to the RIAA, one equivalent song unit is equal to a single digital song sale, or 150 on-demand audio and/or video streams.

"Bulletproof" was released February 28, 2018 as the first single from "When Legends Rise"; the track was previously certified gold in the U.S. and was also the most-played song at rock radio in 2018.

Originally released April 27, 2018 via BMG (the band's debut on the label), "When Legends Rise" marked GODSMACK's first album in four years. The album earned career milestones for the group: four No. 1 rock tracks (an accomplishment that makes GODSMACK one of only four rock acts to achieve this), and a record 11th No. 1 singles in the band's career with the album's fourth single "Unforgettable".

"Unforgettable" followed three previous No. 1 singles from "When Legends Rise": "Under Your Scars" and "When Legends Rise" plus "Bulletproof". "When Legends Rise" entered the Billboard Top 200 album chart in the top ten (No. 8), with four No. 1 placements on other charts: Top Rock Albums, Top Hard Music Albums, Top Independent Albums and Top Alternative Albums.

This past June, GODSMACK's music publishing catalog and master royalty stream was acquired by Primary Wave Music Publishing. The deal includes the Grammy nominee's publishing and master income stream for its compositions and masters across its entire career to date. Titles include their debut album "Godsmack", "When Legends Rise", "Awake" and "1000hp", as well as their Billboard No. 1 albums "The Oracle", "IV" and "Faceless", which features the Grammy-nominated single "I Stand Alone". Erna, who formed GODSMACK in 1995, wrote the single, which shot to No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart upon release. It went on to sell over a half million copies, helping "Faceless" to quickly go platinum. Also included in the deal are EPs and compilations, including "The Other Side" and "Good Times, Bad Times".

KISS recently announced a New Year's Eve concert at the Atlantis resort in Dubai. Landmarks Live Presents will produce the show live from The Royal Beach at Atlantis Dubai. The show producers claim the event, which will apparently attempt to set the world's record for largest pyro, will be filmed with more than 50 cameras and 360-degree views. It will be seen via livestream, with a ticket purchase on any computer, mobile device, or Apple TV.

KISS frontman Paul Stanley told The National that the concert is the only way he and his bandmates know to kiss goodbye to a challenging year.

"Hopefully, most of us have survived the year and we'll dust ourselves off and move forward," he said. "So this is a time for camaraderie and to know we are not alone or isolated. And I am particularly very aware of that. I will make sure that each person knows that and this is for them."

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons concurred, saying: "When you see a fireworks show, the last thing you want to do is think about what does it all mean. It's not about that. It's about enjoying and celebrating life. And that's what we intend to do.

"Forget about 2020; it's been a pain in the butt. 2021 is going to be a much better time for planet Earth for everybody."

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.

KISS's current lineup consists of original members Simmons and Stanley, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss (drums) and Ace Frehley (guitar), KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.

In its 47-year career, KISS has accumulated 23 gold and platinum albums — more than any other U.S. band.
























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LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT, the instrumental progressive rock/metal project featuring DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess and guitarist John Petrucci, alongside ex-DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy and progressive rock icon Tony Levin (bass) of KING CRIMSON and PETER GABRIEL fame, has signed with InsideOut Music for the release of its third album. The effort is due in the spring, 22 years after the arrival of 1999's "Liquid Tension Experiment 2".

InsideOut Music label manager Thomas Waber said: "What happens, when you put four of the most talented musicians on the planet in one room? LTE. We all have been waiting for this album to happen for a very long time and it makes us very proud to be releasing this album. This one is for the fans!"

Added Petrucci: "We've all known Thomas Waber for a very long time, and Jordan and I recently discovered how great it was to finally get to work together when DREAM THEATER joined the InsideOut family a few years ago. There really is no better home for LTE, and we all look forward to doing great things together!"

Said Portnoy: "Myself and John have known Thomas Waber since we met on the very first DREAM THEATER European tour in 1993... Since then, I have worked with him and InsideOut for the past 20 years with TRANSATLANTIC, THE NEAL MORSE BAND and SONS OF APOLLO. When LTE finally reunited this summer, we knew there was no other label that we could call home."

A new LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT teaser trailer, created by Christian Rios, can be seen below.

This past May, Rudess addressed the prospect of a LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT reunion while filming a video message on Cameo, which lets users hire celebrities to record brief, personalized video messages about virtually any topic.

Asked if he thinks LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT will ever get back together, Jordan said: "Well, the answer is we are looking at our schedules, we are organizing a time. With the [coronavirus] pandemic, it's been a little difficult to coordinate personal kind of gatherings, but it looks very good, my friend."

In February 2019, Portnoy and Rudess reunited on stage during the Cruise To The Edge to perform "Instrumedley" from DREAM THEATER / LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT. They were joined by NEAL MORSE BAND guitarist Eric Gillette and HAKEN bassist Conner Green.

Back in April 2015, Portnoy and Rudess both joined the British progressive metal band HAKEN on stage in New York City. Three months earlier, they were photographed having what appeared to be friendly banter at the 2015 NAMM show in Anaheim, California.

Nearly three years ago, Portnoy posted a photo of him hanging out with Petrucci in a move that clearly represented a thawing of tensions between the two musicians who had been friends for more than three decades. More recently, Portnoy laid down the drum tracks on Petrucci's second all-instrumental solo album, "Terminal Velocity", which was released in August through The Orchard Music on John's Sound Mind Music record label.

In February 2019, Rudess discussed his Cruise To The Edge encounter with Portnoy during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation", which is hosted by Eddie Trunk. The keyboardist said: "I think it's really nice. People whose music you love, you wanna see them getting along. So, even from my perspective, I see John and Mike together, and I'm, like, yeah, that makes sense. They were so close. They made so much music together."

He continued: "I told Mike the other night. I said, 'The way I look at our relationship is that we've toured around the world together numerous times, we've written all this music together, we've been on tour buses everywhere. How many people in this lifetime that we're in can you be that close to and have that many experiences with?"

Although Portnoy and his former bandmates in DREAM THEATER engaged in a public war of words following his exit from the group, Rudess said that he harbors no resentment toward his longtime friend.

"When Portnoy left the band, there was tension — natural tension — because it was a big deal," Jordan told "Trunk Nation". "But what's really important to me is finding that… especially somebody who I care about, who I had so much life experience with. And he's a really great guy. There are so many wonderful things about him. So I wanna enjoy that.

"People will say, 'Oh my God! DREAM THEATER is gonna have Portnoy back in the band.' That's not what it's about," Rudess added. "This is about people and people who spent a lot of time together being able to be close together and be friends."

Rudess acknowledged that some of his other DREAM THEATER bandmates have "their own feelings" about maintaining a connection with their former drummer. "But Mike and I enjoyed hanging out and chatting about old times and all the stuff," he said. "So it was really cool."

In November 2017, Mike told Loud that he left DREAM THEATER because he wanted to expand his musical horizons. "[I didn't] want to go to my grave and just be the drummer from DREAM THEATER," he said. "I knew there was way more to what I had to offer."

Photo credit: Tony Levin

At a time in which the music industry is reeling from the loss of touring and live performance, leaving career musicians and music industry workers to struggle through this crisis while facing unprecedented loss of work, DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen and his wife, singer-songwriter Lauren Monroe, will host a virtual benefit concert, with all proceeds to benefit the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides financial assistance to millions of music industry professionals who are out of work due to COVID-19. On Saturday, January 23, 2021 at 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST, the first "Big Love Benefit Concert" will stream globally on nugs.net. Tickets go on sale on December 16.

Allen said: "We endeavor on a daily basis, through our music and through our Raven Drum Foundation and Project Resiliency to serve, educate and empower people and communities recovering from crisis. We cannot envision a more important and useful way in which to give back than this benefit concert."

Allen and Monroe are fierce and vocal advocates for social justice and many years ago founded the Raven Drum Foundation and Project Resiliency, two highly acclaimed undertakings that promote healing and growth for veterans, individuals and families facing trauma and difficult life circumstances.

The "Big Love Benefit Concert" will not only bring financial and mental health support to the music industry family but offer to the world a star-studded musical healing event that will reach your heart and inspire your soul. Auction items include everything from a Billy Idol signed army jacket, and a Yamaha drum set signed by Allen to a virtual meet-and-greet with the band FLORENCE & THE MACHINE.

"To further spread our mission of the past 20 years of unity and inclusiveness, we released the EP 'Big Love' in July and are collaborating with other charities and artists who have a voice and message of healing," states Monroe. "We will perform the song in this virtual musical benefit. 'Big Love' is a powerful anthem for this moment in time, with 100% of the proceeds from 'Big Love' having been donated back to the Raven Drum rapid response fund."

DOKKEN leader Don Dokken has reflected on the passing of QUIET RIOT drummer Frankie Banali.

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.

Speaking to Rock Confidental, Don said about Frankie: "It's interesting. Frankie played in DOKKEN. We did, like, five shows with him. It was right after the Germany tour in '79. Greg Pecka left the band for religious issues. He was a Scientologist. I actually went back to Germany in 1980 and had another lineup. I ended up getting Gary Holland to play drums on the next tour. That was my connection to why I ended up producing the first GREAT WHITE album. But after Greg left, we had shows coming up. I called Frankie. I'd known him from the scene.

"Funny story about Frankie, he had a Corvette like I have," he continued. "I believe it was a '65 black convertible. It's actually in the video for 'It's Not Love'. That's Frankie driving. He was starving. He was roughing it. I remember his front brakes were trashed.

"I'd always worked on Corvettes. I was a mechanic and I knew how to fix Corvettes. My first car in high school was a '63 split window, which is now the holy grail of Stingrays. If I'd kept that car, I'd be a very, very rich guy. They're going for like a half million dollars now. They only made it one year. The government said the split window was too hard to see out of.

"Frankie said, 'Yeah, I'll do the shows and do a couple of demos. I'll rehearse with you — if you'll fix my brakes.' I said, 'Okay, that's a fair deal.'

"I remember in front of his house, he lived up in Hollywood. I went over to his house and hung out. I jacked up his car in the street — totally illegal — put it on stands, tore off the tires, and I put new brake pads on his car. That was our deal. You fix my brakes and I'll play your shows.

"I knew Frankie way back in the day. Obviously, our friendship goes way back to the '70s.

"I was sad to see him pass," Don added. "Over the past 30 years, we've played many, many shows with QUIET RIOT. I knew Kevin DuBrow. VAN HALEN put out their first record in '78. We played a show at a club called the Starwood. I still have a flyer. The lineup was VAN HALEN, QUIET RIOT, DOKKEN. We did two nights, sold out at the Starwood. It was as popular as the Whisky, just right down the street on Santa Monica Boulevard. We all knew Randy Rhoads. He was a great guitar player. He had just joined Ozzy's [Osbourne] band. Those were Randy's last two shows with QUIET RIOT before he went to do the 'Blizzard Of Ozz' thing. VAN HALEN went off to do their first album, and I took off to Germany."

QUIET RIOT announced in September that it will carry on touring following Frankie's death. The band, which now features drummer Johnny Kelly (DANZIG, TYPE O NEGATIVE), played a couple of shows in October and has a string of dates booked in 2021.

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"

FOO FIGHTERS will release their tenth album, "Medicine At Midnight", on February 5, 2021 via Roswell Records/RCA Records. Frontman Dave Grohl told New York's Q104.3 radio station about the band's decision to put out new music during the coronavirus pandemic (hear audio below): "We started writing this record almost two years ago — a year and a half ago. We were writing it while we were still on tour. We moved into this funky old house in my neighborhood; built a studio in the upstairs bedroom; recorded the drums in the living room; the guitars were in the bedroom. I did the vocals in the bathroom next to the toilet. We started [recording] this, I think, in maybe September last year, and we were finished by January, February. We were totally done — mixed, mastered, ready to go. Artwork was done; t-shirts were being made; equipment was on the trucks — we were good to go. And then everything just kind of shut down. Then it was months and months of trying to decide when we would release it. 'Okay, do we just put it out now?' 'No, let's wait. Maybe we'll see what happens.' A month later, 'Do we put it out now?' 'No, let's wait.'"

He continued: "So, six or seven months went by, and I'm, like, we make this music for people to hear. We don't just make it so that we can go hit the road. We write these songs so people can enjoy them and sing along, whether it's in their kitchen by themselves with a bottle of Crown Royal or in a stadium bouncing around, singing the choruses. So, I was, like, right now, more than ever, people need something to lift their spirits, something to give them some feeling of relief or escape. I was, like, 'We've gotta put it out. Let's put it out right now.' I don't know when we're gonna hit the road, but we need to give the music to the people, 'cause that's why we make it."

The first single from "Medicine At Midnight", a song called "Shame Shame", was released last month. FOO FIGHTERS performed the track live for the first time during their November 7 appearance on "Saturday Night Live".

Grohl told Planet Rock about FOO FIGHTERS' musical approach on "Medicine At Midnight": "I started thinking about the direction that we should take for the next record. And I looked at our back catalog, and I thought, okay, we've covered a lot of territory in 25 years. We've made acoustic albums; we've made noisy rock records; we've made sort of midtempo singalongs. And you look back, and you can use it as reference, but you don't necessarily wanna revisit these places that you've already been. And so of all the things that we've done, I thought the one album we haven't made yet is sort of a groove-oriented party album. I mean, if you were to hear the rest of the record, a lot of it is rooted in these grooves that come from SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE and disco and two-step shuffle sort of thing. As a drummer, I always think about that as a foundation, because that can really create the aesthetic or the vibe of an album. So I thought, okay, a lot of our favorite rock and roll bands over the years have that one record that's a rock and roll record that you can really dance to — whether it's THE ROLLING STONES' 'Tattoo You' or David Bowie's 'Let's Dance' or a POWER STATION record; things like that. I thought, 'We haven't really done that yet.' A lot of our albums are really driving and sometimes kind of morose and melancholy, introspective. I was, like, 'Fuck that! Let's have a party. Let's make that record where you can bounce around.'"

Regarding why FOO FIGHTERS chose "Shame Shame" as the first single from "Medicine At Midnight", Grohl said: "It's hard to decide which song you present to the people first. You usually want something that will represent the direction or the tone of the album, but you don't necessarily wanna do something that's immediately recognizable as your band; you want something that sort of shows some kind of movement or progress or whatever it is. And when we recorded this song — it was maybe in the middle of the session — it was clear that we hadn't done something like this before, and it inspired us to keep moving in that direction for the rest of the record. I thought if it were up to me, this would be the first thing that the audience would hear. 'Cause this album is unlike anything we've done before. Though it's still the band, and it's still recognizable as the FOO FIGHTERS in some aspects, it's definitely sonically and tonally different than something we've done before."

Slash has once again paid tribute to Eddie Van Halen, calling him a guitar "innovator," "a gifted musician" and "an amazing artist."

The GUNS N' ROSES guitarist offered his latest comments in a new interview with Consquence Of Sound which focused primarily on the new GUNS N' ROSES pinball machines, as well as his new custom collection with Gibson Guitars.

Slash said: "The thing about Eddie is that he was such a gifted musician. Any instrument he had chosen to play would have been phenomenal, because he just had that pure musical talent. And he chose guitar, because that's what turned him on. And for somebody with that kind of musical talent to get turned on to rock 'n' roll guitar was sort of unique unto itself, because most of us guitar players are a ragged bunch of rock 'n' rollers who don't have too much technical ability or schooling. We just sort of go for this raw thing. And he had that, but he also had this musical, sort of classical gift. Then, on top of that, just being somebody sort of like Les Paul, who hears something in his head or has an idea and creates it. So it made him a triple threat. He was a great guitar player, but he was also this amazing musician, so it just made his guitar playing that much greater. And then he was an innovator on top of it, creating new things with whatever his imagination came up with. So he was just an amazing artist, period."

On the day that Eddie died, Slash told WGN News that he was "a little shocked" by the legendary VAN HALEN guitarist's passing. "It's hard for me to verbally say anything, other than I'm just devastated," he said. "Eddie was really cool. And I've been talking to him — we've been texting. And I knew he was sick, but I didn't wanna ask him how sick he was. But he was in a hospital in L.A. for a while. And I knew [expletive] was up, but I didn't expect that today at all. So I'm floored."

Asked what he thinks Eddie's legacy will be, Slash told WGN News: "Eddie changed guitar playing. I picked up the guitar, I guess it was 1979, 1980. The first VAN HALEN record came out, and Steven Adler, who was GUNS N' ROSES' original drummer, when we were kids, we used to just hang out and ditch school and go to the pizza place and whatnot. And we used to listen to that first VAN HALEN record, and it was just insane. It was, like, 'What the [expletive]?'

"He changed guitar playing," Slash continued. "He was such an amazing musician, amazing guitar player, amazing innovator and just a hell of a guy. And we really lost a major contributor to rock and roll today."

Eddie died on October 6 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. His wife, Janie, was by his side, along with his son, Wolfgang, and Alex, Eddie's brother and VAN HALEN drummer.

The iconic VAN HALEN axeman died from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

Eddie and Alex formed VAN HALEN in 1972 in Pasadena, California, with David Lee Roth on lead vocals and Michael Anthony on bass.

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

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

In Episode 451 of the "Iron City Rocks" podcast, JOURNEY singer Arnel Pineda reflected on Eddie Van Halen's passing, saying: "May he rest in peace. I'm not even a guitar player — I'm just an acoustic guitar player… Oh my God. When it comes to him as a guitarist, I think he's one of the best. And he's a God. He's a God when it comes to playing. I feel so bad. He's gone too soon, really. Gone too soon."

Eddie died on October 6 at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. His wife, Janie, was by his side, along with his son Wolfgang and Alex, Eddie's brother and VAN HALEN drummer.

After undergoing hip replacement surgery in 1999 due to a chronic joint problem, Eddie was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2000 and had to have part of his tongue surgically removed. Declared "cancer-free" in 2002, he subsequently had to intermittently have "cancer cells scraped out of his throat after they migrated there." He later battled lung cancer and had been receiving radiation treatment in Germany. Things took a turn for the worse in early 2019 when Eddie got in a motorcycle accident. He was subsequently diagnosed with a brain tumor, and received gamma knife radiosurgery to treat the illness.

Following Eddie's death, fans left flowers at his childhood home on Las Lunas Street in Pasadena, California. Additional flowers, candles and fan mementos were placed on Allen Avenue where Eddie and Alex scratched their band's name into the wet cement of a sidewalk when they were teenagers.

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

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

Producer Andrew Watt, who worked on Ozzy Osbourne's latest album, "Ordinary Man", has confirmed to Guitar World that he and the BLACK SABBATH legend have begun collaborating on a follow-up effort. "We're about halfway through," he said. "But, you know, it's been hard with COVID and everything to keep him safe. We all test every day before we work and it's just me, Ozzy and my engineer. So it's taken a little longer this time, but it's cool because the last one was made in this, like, swift love affair of passion, like, 'Oh my God, this is incredible!' [Laughs] But this time everyone's moving a little slower and we're taking a little more time. And the songs, there's some songs on there that are like eight or nine minutes long that are these really crazy journeys. I'm really excited about it."

Like "Ordinary Man", which featured Watt on guitar, Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on bass and Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) on drums, Ozzy's next album will feature guest appearances by a number of notable musicians.

"There's a bunch of people involved," Andrew told Guitar World. "I can't say for sure until the end, but I started doing a bunch of basic tracks with Chad and Robert Trujillo [METALLICA], who used to play in Ozzy's band. And Taylor Hawkins [FOO FIGHTERS] also came in and played a bunch on the record as well, which adds a different flair — it kind of harkened back to Ozzy's '80s era, in a great way. And I think it's so cool for a rock fan to be able to listen to half an album with Chad Smith on drums, and then you flip it over and you get to hear Taylor Hawkins. And you know, the last album was really special for everyone involved. And so there was no point in Ozzy or me doing this again unless we thought we could bring something new to the table. And I feel like we're achieving that."

Watt went on to say that that it was too early to discuss a possible musical direction for Ozzy's new LP, seeing as some of the songs that are currently being worked on may not make the album.

This past July, Ozzy said that he was still "not back to 100 percent" after suffering from several medical issues last year, including a fall, neck surgery and hospitalization for the flu. Ozzy also said that he was looking forward to performing again once he has regained his health and the coronavirus pandemic has subsided. The BLACK SABBATH singer had previously canceled all his 2019 tour plans, and the rescheduled 2020 shows have also been scrapped.

In May, Ozzy's son Jack said that his father will "probably" retire "within the next five to ten years." But Ozzy, who turned 72 on December 3, has repeatedly said that he is not calling it quits, despite the fact that his "No More Tours 2" — whenever it ends up happening — is being billed as his last major global trek.

Ozzy was also forced to cancel an April trip to Switzerland to see a doctor who specializes in treatment of Parkinson's disease. The singer revealed earlier this year that he was diagnosed with the condit

According to Deadline, a podcast which examines whether SCORPIONS' classic ballad "Wind Of Change" was written by the CIA is being adapted for television at Hulu.

Alex Karpovsky is writing and executive producing the project, along with Jason Winer. 20th Television is the studio and is producing in association with Winer's Small Dog Pictures, Crooked Media, Pineapple Street Studios and Spotify.

The "Wind Of Change" eight-part podcast series premiered on Spotify in May. It was produced by Crooked Media and Pineapple Street Studios, and hosted by New Yorker journalist Patrick Radden Keefe, who said he launched the investigation into whether "Wind Of Change" was actually penned by the CIA after hearing a second-hand story from a friend who used to work for the CIA — that "Wind Of Change" was actually written by the CIA to encourage change throughout the Soviet Union.

SCORPIONS singer Klaus Meine and his bandmates have always maintained that they wrote "Wind Of Change" after performing at 1989's Moscow Music Peace Festival in Moscow, where they shared the stage with other hard rock acts like BON JOVI and MÖTLEY CRÜE.

Seven months ago, Meine was asked during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" how the CIA rumor came about. The vocalist responded: "Earlier this year, I did an interview. I think his name was Patrick Keefe. He came all the way from New York City over here to Germany for an interview with me. And Matthias [Jabs, guitar] did a phoner later, I guess. And it was about the Moscow Music Peace Festival, about 'Wind Of Change', but this is what this interview was all about. He used to write for printouts like New Yorker and stuff — he's a great guy, and very sympathetic and a really nice guy. And in the middle of the interview, he goes, like, 'Klaus, you ever heard the story that 'Wind Of Change' was written by the CIA?' And I cracked up laughing — I totally cracked up laughing. I said to him, 'So, my friend, you think you make an interview with a songwriter or you think you make an interview with a spy?' [Laughs] It was pretty bizarre. And then I learned the story. This was all about the podcast that would come out in May.

"Those guys, they're very professional and very creative, and the way they put it [together], it feels like a Netflix series, right?" he continued. "That's what it is. It's a podcast, and there will be a lot of people who will get into this. It's a fascinating idea, and it's an entertaining idea, but it's not true at all."

Meine went on to say that he initially thought Keefe was joking. "But when he told me about the CIA, I realized that he was very serious about it, and he [spent] some serious time to get to this point and, at the end of the day, to even make an interview with the songwriter of 'Wind Of Change'," Klaus said. "I thought it was very amusing, and I just cracked up laughing. It's a very entertaining and really crazy story, but, like I said, it's not true at all. Like you American guys would say, it's fake news."

Keefe told Deadline about his decision to explore the topic: "It's a story that stretches across musical genres, and across borders and periods of history. So, it was important to me that you hear the music, and the accents and the voices, and judge for yourself who might be lying and who is telling the truth. I've had so much fun pursuing this crazy story over the course of a year, exploring the dark byways of Cold War history and doing nearly a hundred interviews in four countries with rockers and spies."

Tommy Vietor, the co-founder of Crooked Media, added: "We know that the CIA covertly sponsored cultural events during the '50s and '60s. They paid to film George Orwell's '1984' and 'Animal Farm'. They sponsored a European tour for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Why not help a German rock band write a power ballad to shred the iron curtain? And while the CIA closely guards its secrets, Patrick is one of the best investigative journalists and writers of his generation, and no one is better positioned to find out the truth."

Back in 2015, SCORPIONS said "Wind Of Change" was inspired by the sight of thousands of Russians cheering them on in 1988 — when they became the first hard rock band to play in Russia — and in 1989, at the aforementioned Moscow Music Peace Festival, even though they were a German band.

"We wanted to show the people in Russia that here is a new generation of Germans growing up," guitarist Rudolf Schenker said. "They're not coming with tanks and guns and making war — they're coming with guitars and rock 'n' roll and bringing love!"

"There were so many emotional moments in Moscow," Meine added. "I guess it could have been BON JOVI or MÖTLEY CRÜE, any of these guys who had gone home inspired by what they saw, but for them it was like, 'Hey! We rocked the Soviet Union, dudes!' For us, maybe it was different. We saw so many changes from Leningrad in '88 to Moscow in '89. That was the inspiration for 'Wind Of Change'."

Creatively prolific alt-rock trio PALAYE ROYALE has released its long-awaited graphic novel "The Bastards: Vol. 1", available now from link textpalayeroyale.store. The graphic novel features 260 pages of artwork and literature, every single page hand drawn by PALAYE ROYALE drummer Emerson Barrett and XoBillie. It is a labor of love that has been intricately created and obsessed over for the past three years.

The book is available in both hardcover and paperback, each available in a variety of bundles.

Speaking on the launch of the ambitious creative endeavor, PALAYE ROYALE said: "Welcome to the world of PALAYE ROYALE, where one can reside, reign and recreate themselves when destroyed by living. Ever since the conception of the band and the first single 'Morning Light', we have been hiding pieces of this story within the lyrics, artwork and visuals. Finally, after years of world, the doors are opened for all to enter. The best travel once can take in times like these is inside their own mind, in memory or imagination. Get lost in the pages of our book. Enjoy the ride. Love the void."

"The Bastards: Volume 1" is a companion to the band's third full-length studio album of the same name, which has spawned a string of hugely popular singles — the infectious "Hang On To Yourself", fuzzy, distorted brit-pop infused "Nervous Breakdown", anti-gun violence anthem "Massacre, The New American Dream", the heartbreakingly relatable "Lonely" and the bombastic, industrial tinged banger "Anxiety". To date the album has clocked up 48 million streams on Spotify and 10 million YouTube views.

PALAYE ROYALE is leading a generation in togetherness through honesty, danger and infectious art-punk. They have clocked up a whopping 224 million total streams across their catalog and 58 million YouTube views across all their music videos. They have been written about in SPIN, NME, Classic Rock, The Guardian, Billboard and have graced the cover of Alternative Press twice.

Their album "Boom Boom Room Side B" was released in September 2018 via Sumerian Records and saw an impressive first week on the Billboard charts, debuting at No. 17 on the Top Albums Chart, No. 3 Top Alternative and No. 6 Top Rock. The lead single from the album, "You'll Be Fine", hit No. 23 at rock radio and to date has had 14.1 million streams on Spotify.

PALAYE ROYALE has gone from playing any show they could while sleeping in their car to playing mega shows with such names as MARILYN MANSON, ROB ZOMBIE and STONE SOUR, clocking up an incredible 700 shows in four years. That, plus appearances at festivals such as Reading and Leeds, Download, Sonic Temple, Isle Of White, PinkPop and Nova Rock, has seen PALAYE ROYALE garner a reputation for being one of the best, most exciting live bands in the world.

A limited series about the infamous leaked sex tape from MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee and "Baywatch" star Pamela Anderson is currently in the works for Hulu.

Lily James will play Anderson, while Sebastian Stan will take on the role of Lee. Seth Rogen will also appear in the series, which has the working title "Pam & Tommy", as the man who stole the tape, according to Deadline, and will produce with his partner Evan Goldberg.

The series will focus on series the duo's salacious relationship in the 1990s, including the leak of the private honeymoon video and the legal battle that ensued.

The eight episodes will begin shooting in the spring of 2021.

Anderson and Lee got married on a beach in Mexico in 1995 after dating for just four days. The couple, who divorced in 1998, share two sons, Brandon, 24, and Dylan, 22.

The sex tape Lee made with Anderson during their 1998 honeymoon ended up finding its way online after being stolen from their home by an electrician. Pamela later sued the distribution company, but ended up settling, and the tape continued to be available online as a result. The tape reportedly made $77 million in less than 12 months.

"I've never seen it," Anderson said on "Watch What Happens Live" in 2015. "I made not one dollar. It was stolen property. We made a deal to stop all the shenanigans. I was seven months pregnant with Dylan and thinking it was affecting the pregnancy with the stress and said, 'I'm not going to court anymore. I'm not being deposed anymore by these horny, weird lawyer men. I don't want to talk about my vagina anymore or my public sex — anythi

Japan's WOWOW network began reviving live performances from the band X Japan as of September 2020 and will continue to make them available until February 2021. There are currently 10 archived performances shot by the network currently available. They are as follows:

- World Tour Live In Yokohama 2010
- World Tour 2014 at Yokohama Arena
- The Last Live - 1997.12.31
- Attack Resumed 2008 I.V. - Towards Ruin / Night Of Destruction
- Attack Resumed 2008 I.V. - Towards Ruin / Reckless Night 
- Live In Hong Kong 2009
- Live At Wembley Arena 2017
- World Tour 2017 - Acoustic Special Miracle Night
- Live 2018 - Premium Gigs / Yoshiki Revival Night

Go to the WOWOW network page here for broadcast / streaming details.

On October 29th, X Japan drummer / leader Yoshiki uploaded pro-shot video of the band performing their classic single "Week End" live without an audience. This was part of a live broadcast. Check it out below, watch for more footage in the near future.

MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson has set a December 18 release date for his first venture as a fiction thriller novelist, "The Sledge Chronicles: Rock Star Hitman". A two-page teaser from the novel is available at this location.

"The Sledge Chronicles: Rock Star Hitman" is the first chapter in the action-packed saga of Sledge; an up-andcoming musician who uncovers a startling quid pro quo: in exchange for achieving his dreams of rock stardom, he must enlist as a ruthless killer for a clandestine agency. Filled with twists, turns, screams, and even laughs, "Rock Star Hitman" is the cult thriller you've been dying for.

Ellefson states: "I've always wanted to write fiction, and 'The Sledge Chronicles' provided the perfect runway to launch the first of a series of books. I figured I may as well start close to home with a rock 'n' roll figure as the lead character and expand the global exploits from there."

David's canon of published literary work includes four non-fiction titles with his two memoirs "More Life With Deth" (Jawbone Press, 2019) and "My Life With Deth" (Howard/Simon & Schuster, 2014), a self-published lyric-and-poem offering "Unsung: Words & Images" (Blurb, 2012) and his debut how-to book "Making Music Your Business… A Guide For Young Musicians" (Hal Leonard, 1997).

Released through The Ellefson Book Co. imprint, "The Sledge Chronicles: Rock Star Hitman" was co-written with musician, filmmaker and actor Drew Fortier, known for his work with such artists as BANG TANGO, Chuck Mosley (FAITH NO MORE) and ZEN FROM MARS. Fortier also released his autobiography, "Dark, Depressing, And Hilarious", in 2018.

Ellefson and Fortier are no strangers to collaboration; on top of their forthcoming novel, they also have an independent found-footage horror film due out in 2021, "Dwellers", which was written and directed by Fortier, who also stars in the movie, with Ellefson producing via his Ellefson Films imprint.

"The Sledge Chronicles: Rock Star Hitman" can be ordered here.

Internationally esteemed heavy rock and metal record labels Napalm Records Handels GmbH and SPV GmbH have announced that they have joined forces, combining decades of renowned expertise and passion for music, their artists, and those who inspire it all — the fans. Napalm Records' acquisition of SPV was completed at the end of November 2020 and represents a logical step in the Austrian company's global strategy.

Long-established company SPV, founded in 1984 by Manfred Schütz, along with its current subsidiary labels such as Steamhammer (featuring a roster including SODOM, RUNNING WILD, MAGNUM, AXEL RUDI PELL, RAGE) and Long Branch Records (featuring artists such as AGENT FRESCO, THE INTERSPHERE, THE HIRSCH EFFEKT, SILVERTOMB, A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH), is now part of the Napalm Records family. The company's current location in Hannover, Germany and the SPV team under managing director Frank Uhle will maintain its structure and, in regard to new distribution partners and labels, be expanded in the future.

Napalm Records CEO Markus Riedler states: "The continuation and expansion of SPV GmbH as a distributor and the strengthening of the in-house labels are our major priorities. We will combine all forces, and link them with the power and worldwide network of Napalm Records in order to positively shape the future together. The employees of SPV are music-savvy, extremely experienced experts who are needed, now more than ever, to survive in these turbulent times on the international market. Together with managing director Frank Uhle and his team, we will seize the opportunities that currently present themselves and face the ever-growing challenges that the modern music market brings with it. In the ever-changing music landscape, we will continue to deliver our strong digital setup alongside our partners The Orchard, and also continue to provide strong physical product distribution for both our retail partners and the fans worldwide via our mailorder stores.

"We have purposefully launched and implemented this major project under difficult conditions in 2020. This was a great team effort, for which I would like to thank everyone involved, in particular to the attorneys Prof. Pascal Charles Amann (Napalm Records) and Joris Brand (SPV). For Napalm Records, this acquisition is without a doubt an extraordinary, historic moment."

SPV managing director Frank Uhle adds: "With Napalm Records, we have found a synergistically perfect partner for our artists, bands and labels. The international setup and the additional reach and power of Napalm's marketing capabilities mean an important upgrade for SPV in tackling future tasks. I look forward to working with Markus Riedler and the affiliated teams to further strengthen and expand our position in the market."

Rob Halford says that JUDAS PRIEST's Parkinson's disease-suffering guitarist Glenn Tipton is an "incredible, strong person" who is "still able to utilize certain techniques" to play the guitar.

Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's more than six years ago — after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier — but announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of PRIEST's latest album, "Firepower". He was replaced by "Firepower" album producer Andy Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT. Tipton occasionally joins PRIEST onstage for its encores, performing "Metal Gods", "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight".

Asked for an update on Tipton's health, Halford told Brutal Planet Magazine (hear audio below): "He's good. He's a hero. We talk about him in [the song] 'No Surrender', on 'Firepower'. He's just this incredible, strong person that sends out a message that if you're dealing with Parkinson's, you can still live your life. It's been very challenging for him as a musician, but he's not letting it stop him. He's still able to utilize certain techniques to use the guitar still, which is great. He's still an active member of JUDAS PRIEST. And he looks good, sounds good."

He continued: "I'll be talking to him later on this week, actually — we're having our end-of-year chatchat. And I can't wait to see him next year, because PRIEST is gonna go back on the road. I don't know whether Glenn's gonna be able to make any of the shows. Hopefully he will; it's totally up to him. He came out on some of the dates on the 'Firepower' tour, and the PRIEST fans go mental, they go ballistic when he walks out on stage. He's such a beloved person in many, many ways.

"But, yeah, he's good. And I can't wait to see him early next year when I get back over to the U.K."

Tipton turned 73 in October.

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then returned to PRIEST in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Richie Faulkner.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, JUDAS PRIEST recently postponed most of its previously announced fall 2020 U.S. tour dates to the summer/fall of 2021.

In September, JUDAS PRIEST and Rufus Publications announced the publication of the first-ever official JUDAS PRIEST book documenting the band's extensive history over the last 50 years. Titled "Judas Priest - 50 Heavy Metal Years", the book has been put together by David Silver, Ross Halfin and Jayne Andrews.

Prior to being canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, JUDAS PRIEST's spring/summer 2020 European tour was scheduled to kick off on May 30 in Helsinki, Finland and conclude on July 28 in Tilburg, the Netherlands. The band was also slated to headline the U.K.'s Bloodstock Open Air festival on August 9 at Catton Park, Derbyshire.

The U.S. leg of PRIEST's "50 Heavy Metal Years" tour was due to launch September 9 in Oxon Hill, Maryland and wrap up on October 17 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Finnish modern melodic metal band Everture is set to release their debut album Emerge on February 26th, 2021 via Inverse Records. The band released their new single "Undersky" today. Guitarist Matti Hautakangas comments:

"'Undersky' is a big sturdy metal song with the kind of marching pace that just gets to people. And of course the song has super catchy melodies and a huge chorus. The mood is somewhat uplifting and exciting at a point where hopelessness meets hopefullness. This song tells a story of a person who stumbles upon an unbelievably beautiful place. Soon discovering that it had been a secret of divine beings that are persecuting anyone who knows about it. Now our "protagonist" is forced to live their last days on the run finding people who are willing to unite against the oppression. People who also want to find better life and fair treatment to all."

 

Tracklist:

"In Between"
"For Tomorrow"
"Undersky"
"The River Flows"
"Promises"
"Ivory Tower"
"The Unfortunate End"
"White Lies, Black Skies"
"My 52 Shades"
"Closure"

Photo by Henri Korhonen 

Millennial Reign will be re-releasing a limited edition four song EP from their first album Carry The Fire, which has been aptly named Carry The Fire Again” The songs are updated with new vocal tracks by their current vocalist, Tiffany Galchutt and completely remixed and remastered. 

Tiffany fronted the band as they supported international acts Accept, Stryper and Y&T in late 2019 to early 2020. The new EP track list will include “Way Up High,” “Millennial Reign,” “Innocent Cry” and “Men Stand Alone.” A single from the upcoming EP will be released to all social media in the next few weeks. 

The tentative release date is scheduled for January 15 depending on the production company and the current state of world affairs. The EP will be a limited run of physical CDs and downloads via Bandcamp only. Millennial Reign is currently in the studio recording their forthcoming album, planned for a 2021 release.

Millennial Reign is:

Tiffany Galchutt - Lead Vocals
Dave Harvey - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Neil Bertrand - Bass, Backing Vocals
Steve Nichols - Drums

Chicago thrashers Aftermath have released a lyric video for the title track off their most recent album, There Is Something Wrong.

The band states: “The use of an animated human throughout the video is a strong symbolic image of what those in power want the new world to look like. No originality, no individuality and no independent thought. They want humanity to disappear and this song and video serve as a wakeup call to all of us."

More from singer Kyriakos 'Charlie' Tsiolis: "I grew up always questioning authority. I never understood what gives them the right to tell me what to do. I follow the 'Golden Rule'. I don’t need someone to tell me what is right or wrong. I am not your child. That feeling was there as a kid and continued to grow over the years. I have no idea why or what caused me to see the world like that. I must have been born this way. Back in the early days of the band all my lyrics were somewhat based on this. I just wasn’t as aware then as I am now. We wrote a song called 'Chaos' back in 1986. That song was about questioning everything and everyone including your parents. It was about challenging authority and the stories they force fed you. I didn’t know why I felt something was wrong in the world, but I KNEW IT WASN'T RIGHT. As I got older and read and researched things I figured it out. 

“Listening to 'Chaos' all these years later I realized I now had the answers to the questions I had in those lyrics. If you listen to 'Chaos' you will hear part of the lyrics in 'There Is Something Wrong'. Listen to these lyrics and you will hear me answering those lyrics. Wake up world before it’s too late."

US progressive thrash titans Vektor are teaming up with Dutch rising stars Cryptosis (Century Media Records) for a limited split EP release entitled Transmissions Of Chaos, to be released on February 25, 2021 through District 19. Preorder here.

In support of this release, the band is revealing the first new track since 2016's highly acclaimed Terminal Redux album.

Vektor comments: “We are proud to release ‘Activate’, which is the first of our two songs on our upcoming Split EP with our buddies in Cryptosis! This song features our new drummer Mike Ohlson, our new bass player Stephen Coon, and my old friend Erik Nelson. This song is about the reactivation of Vektor. We hope it spreads a little positivity in these trying times. After touring with Cryptosis (then named Distillator) in 2015, we are extremely excited to be working with them again. Keep an eye out as updates become available for our upcoming Split EP, Transmissions of Chaos.”

Tracklisting:

“Activate” – Vektor
“Dead By Dawn” – Vektor
“Decypher” – Cryptosis
“Prospect Of Immortality” – Cryptosis

Vektor’s “Activate”: