ALTER BRIDGE frontman Myles Kennedy spoke to Terrie Carr of the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA about his recently completed second solo album. The LP was tracked at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida with the same team that worked on 2018's "Year Of The Tiger", including producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, engineer Jef Moll, as well as drummer Zia Uddin and bassist Tim Tournier.

"When ALTER BRIDGE wrapped up our tour here in the States end of February, I had a feeling I was gonna have plenty of time to do something," Myles said. "So I took a week off and I started working immediately — demoing tracks, writing — all day every day. And it helped me a lot to process where we were going as people.

"Lyrically, it was a lot harder to write than I thought it was gonna be," he admitted. "And musically, it was very fun, because now, being at home in my studio and just being able to create all day every day, with no, 'Oh, there's a tour coming up.' It was just, like, 'You've got five months to put a record together. Sit in your studio and work. And then when you get to the real studio with Elvis and the guys, the demos will be done, the pre-production, essentially, 80 percent of it will be done, and you can just press the 'record' button and make your record.' So it was a cool process, and I'm real happy with how it turned out."

Kennedy went on to say that it was a joy to reconnect with Uddin, Tournier and Baskette for the making of the new album.

"Oh, yeah, it was great," he said. "It was great, because we actually drove [to the studio in Florida]. So Zia, my drummer, who, we've played together for the last 30 years, off and on, since we were in high school. He's, in my opinion, one of the greatest rock and roll drummers alive; he's so good, it's mind-boggling. So we started driving. We left Spokane, with the gear in tow. And then we met Tim about halfway. I think we met somewhere in Tennessee, maybe. Then we after driving to Orlando, we all quarantined. Zia did his drums and then he went home, and then Tim finished up. He hung around for a little while. And then I was there for, I think, seven weeks with Elvis."

He continued: "It's a fun environment. We all love each other dearly. I'm serious when I say this: we're a bunch of middle-aged children. I mean, it's as if we've taken a time machine and we're in the seventh grade. And the humor is ridiculously silly. I don't even know how to articulate how ridiculous it gets when you put all of us in a studio together. [Laughs]"

In July, Kennedy told "Offstage With DWP" about the musical direction of the forthcoming LP: "'Year Of The Tiger', first of all, is a very dark record, and it's very stripped down, very acoustic based. This one has elements of that. I wanted to keep a common thread with it. There are acoustic elements. There's definitely still that element of a lot of slide guitar, a lot of lap steel, 'cause I just love how emotive both those are. But it definitely rocks a little more. There's no doubt about it — this is more of a rock record, with kind of a heavy R&B undercurrent at times as well. There's even one song — if it makes the record — which is a full-on Motown thing.

"I've got so many [songs] right now," Myles added. "[The overall direction] is really gonna depend on what makes the record. I think I learned that from David Bowie interview, where he [said he] would try and write… He'd have 40 songs to choose from [for an album], so that way you can make the best statement you can."

Myles's tour in support of "Year Of The Tiger" featured music from the album as well as selections from Myles's work with ALTER BRIDGE, THE MAYFIELD FOUR and SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS.

Sarcofagus, the godfathers of Finnish heavy metal fronted by filmmaker and guitarist Kimmo Kuusniemi, declares the band has returned to the Valley Of The Kings.

Kimmo Kuusniemi: "Sarcofagus has been great balance of fun and pain. My albums have always had social commentary as many of my films have. I had come to the conclusions on the Core Values re-release video long before the Covid-19 pandemic arrived, that I am fed up with writing songs about social problems. Technology is progressing with ever increasing speed but us as humans we seem to be doomed to repeat our mistakes.

Since Covid started I have been working on a new audio visual project. This combines my need to create something new both in music and in film. There is already several songs finished with collaboration with great musicians from Siberia to Los Angeles.

This project will be released as album, videos and a world tour. Without going yet into too much detail this project is designed to work in the post Covid world. When we get over this virus I do not think the music business will ever be the same. So it is time to re-invent the wheel ;-)

Ending Sarcofagus has been in my mind quite long time but this year it became very clear that there is no space for Sarcofagus in my mind anymore. Time for a reset.

Sarcofagus has been an interesting and complicated 43 year rollercoaster ride, but everything comes to an end. At the end of this press release there is the Sarcofagus story ‘in brief’. The same story with plenty photos, some never published before, are available online at Sarcofagus.com.

On digital platforms (Spotify, iTunes...) you will also find the newest single release "Absence Of Light", accompanied by a fresh remake of the song "Go To Hell" featuring an almost original lineup of the band. We started the band with Hannu Leiden, Juha Kiminki and Esa Kotilainen, so like the title of the first album, Cycle Of Life, another Cycle of Life has come to a full circle with the "Absence Of Light" release.

The "Absence Of Light" was meant to be the next Sarcofagus album but in 2019 I decided to stop working on it. There already were few songs made for it.

Now the fantastic artwork for "Absence Of Light" by Toni Hietomaa are available as Sarcofagus T shirt and A3 Poster from the Sarcofagus website. These are made to order for awhile. So there is no stock and these are aimed for the fans and collectors to commemorate the 43 years of metal work.

The next project will be introduced soon so stay tuned. Thank you for all the fans who have been supporting us through these years!”

Kimmo Kuusniemi

Sarcofagus in a nutshell:

Sarcofagus is reputed to be one of the most influential & original Scandinavian Progressive Heavy Metal Bands (formed 1977). They have inspired numerous new metal bands.

- Officially the first Finnish Heavy Metal Band

- First Finnish Heavy Metal Band singing in Finnish

- First Scandinavian Heavy Metal Band to have a female vocalist (Muska Babitzin)

- First Scandinavian Band (first in the world?) to release a FULL ALBUM length story/broadcast quality video ever (Moottorilinnut/Motorbirds). This was before MTV, rental or sales videos and before people had VHS players

- 1979-1982 Released 1 Single and 3 Albums (Single: Go to Hell/All those Lies 1979, Albums: Cycle of Life 1980, Envoy of Death 1980, Moottorilinnut 1982)

- Kimmo Kuusniemi was the 1st spoke person for Finnish Heavy Metal. He also started the Finnish Heavy Metal Association to bring together all the Finnish metal fans

- Kimmo Kuusniemi brought metal to radio, TV and papers where he was often used as the expert to explain the metal philosophy to reporters

- 1996 the albums Cycle of Life and Envoy of Death re released as CDs in Italy by Mellotron

- 2004 Kimmo Kuusniemi released a downloadable free web version of 1981 Moottorilinnut (Motorbirds) album with original alternative Sarcofagus cover

- 2006 Cycle of Life re released in Finland

- 2007 Envoy of Death and Moottorilinnut (Motorbirds) re released in Finland

- 2007 the 4th Sarcofagus album Core Values came out after 25 years with most of the original band onboard; Kimmo Kuusniemi (guitars/drums), Esa Kotilainen (keyboards), Juha Kiminki (bass) and Tanja Katinka Karttunen (vocals)

- 2008 limited edition CD release of an previously unpublished studio tape Sarcofagus Live in Studio 1979, and a limited edition DVD release of the 1982 full album length music video “Moottorilinnut"

- 2008 Kimmo Kuusniemi produced a feature length HD TV documentary, Promised Land of Heavy Metal, that tells the story of the Finnish Metal Phenomenon (featuring also Sarcofagus) - Finland is the only country in the world where metal is now mainstream. The film is directed by Tanja Katinka Karttunen. It is in worldwide TV and DVD distribution (and also available as an iPhone App)

- 2009 Sarcofagus Anthology 1979-1982 double CD by Rocket Records published in Finland, including the first Single and 3 Albums, artwork and booklet with lyrics, history of the band and a foreword by Kimmo Kuusniemi

- 2010 First Finnish Metal Band to have an iPhone App

Joe Bonamassa spoke to Danny Stoakes about the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought many businesses across the globe to a screeching halt. Asked what he thinks the future holds for live music once the COVID-19 crisis has subsided, the acclaimed guitarist, who was calling from Nashville, where he has a home, stated (hear audio): "Who knows? Nobody has a crystal ball. All I know is that I've had many conversations with my friends, many conversations with my family, I've listened to a lot of podcasts, I've watched people on television, and everybody does not know definitively what's gonna happen — they just don't. And if they say they do, they're probably making it up. It's a lot of speculation.

"Who knows what the music business is gonna look like in two years, five years, 10 years?" he continued. "I mean, things have changed in the last five years that I never thought I'd see change. Now that livestreaming and Zoom and everything else, you're gonna see a hit on the commercial real estate market, where offices are just not gonna reopen, because companies figured out, 'Why are we paying all this overhead and supplying coffee for two hundred employees when they can make their own coffee at their own house and just get on a computer screen and we can do the exact same thing?' Concerts are a little bit different, because you can livestream a concert, and it doesn't matter if you have that wonderful Macintosh poweramp and all the speakers in the world in your house, you don't get that kinetic energy and that connection with the band, and the band does not get the connection with the audience. So that's what gives me hope that concerts are gonna come back; they just may look a little different in the short term. But you never know.

"All these sea-change events in the world always have ramifications," Joe added. "We went through the terrorist attacks in 2001, on September 11th, and things changed, and we just accepted it. We now have to take our shoes off at the airport. It changed, and we've been doing it for 20 years. So there's gonna be a sea change, there's gonna be things that are gonna be changing and permanent that we didn't think [would ever happen before the pandemic]."

Last month, Bonamassa sold over 17,000 tickets to his livestreamed concert from Ryman Auditorium, where he played his new studio album "Royal Tea" (recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London) in its entirety, a month before its release on October 23, along with fan favorites from his recent 20th-anniversary album, "A New Day Now", which is his 23rd No. 1 album.

Following the ticketed event, the concert is in the works to be broadcast on public television and will be available on DVD at a later date.

"Royal Tea" was inspired by Joe's British heroes Jeff Beck, JOHN MAYALL & THE BLUESBREAKERS, Eric Clapton, LED ZEPPELIN and CREAM. These ten original tracks were co-written by Joe and a cast of homegrown notables including former WHITESNAKE guitarist Bernie Marsden, ex-CREAM lyricist Pete Brown and national-treasure piano man Jools Holland.

"This whole adventure," admitted Joe, "was a bucket-list thing for me." This album reconnects the 43-year-old with the guitar-slinging kid from upstate New York, who stumbled across the best of British blues music in his dad's vinyl collection — whose influences have shaped him to be the player he is today. "I would have been about 12 years old, and it was the sound I heard in my head. Like, 'Okay, I'm in. That's what I want to be.'"

He added: "Writing this record in London has done its job. It really does sound inherently British. Bernie and I, we finish each other's sentences. We're cut from the same cloth." Bonamassa's long-standing producer Kevin Shirley and regular touring band flew in for the recording sessions, which included Anton Fig (drums), Michael Rhodes (bass) and Reese Wynans (keys).

MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee has told Stereogum that he is not a huge fan of the band's third album, 1985's "Theatre Of Pain". "There's parts I love, and parts that I don't," he said. "I can't say it's my least favorite, because there's some great stuff on it. But as a band, we were still trying to figure out what it is that we all collectively did. I was just coming into the picture with songwriting, and we were in this headspace where we loved David Bowie. Every time you saw him, he had changed into something different. We liked that, so that's why around 'Theatre Of Pain' we really glammed it out — super-bright colors, more makeup. Then we went for a different look on the next record. We were always evolving, but 'Theatre Of Pain' was early on enough that we were still figuring out what MÖTLEY CRÜE was."

"Theatre Of Pain" contained the hit singles "Smokin' In The Boys Room" (a cover of BROWNSVILLE STATION's 1973 Top 5 hit) and the power ballad "Home Sweet Home". The album reached No. 6 on the U.S. chart and No. 36 on the U.K. chart. It was certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA in June 1995.

In MÖTLEY CRÜE's band autobiography, "The Dirt", singer Vince Neil expressed his disbelief at "Theatre Of Pain"'s success.

"Every night, though I loved singing ['Smokin' In The Boys Room'], Nikki [Sixx, CRÜE bassist] would complain that the song was stupid and he didn't want to play it," he said. "I felt like the only one sober enough to realize how bad some of those ['Theatre Of Pain'] songs were. I was shocked the record went double platinum."

Sixx also had less-than-complimentary things to say about "Theatre Of Pain", calling it "a pile of rubbish, the whole fucking record, with a few moments of maybe brilliance" in 2014's "The Big Book Of Hair Metal".

MÖTLEY CRÜE's "The Stadium Tour" with DEF LEPPARD, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS " was originally scheduled to take place this summer but ended up being pushed back to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

Lee's new solo album, "Andro", is due on October 16. The first two singles from the collection, "Knock Me Down" and "Tops", were released in early June.

Alex Grossi says that he takes a lot of pride in knowing that QUIET RIOT is moving forward in the way that the band's late drummer Frankie Banali wanted it to. The group, which now features drummer Johnny Kelly (DANZIG, TYPE O NEGATIVE), will play a couple of shows later this month as well as a string of dates in 2021.

Asked in a new interview with the "Music Mania" podcast how Johnny came to be involved with QUIET RIOT, Grossi said (hear audio below): "When Frankie got sick, one of the first phone calls he made to me was regarding getting a substitute drummer. And Johnny and I had worked together, and still work together, in that band HOOKERS & BLOW, that cover band we do for fun. And he just made perfect sense on so many levels, because he's not totally intertwined in the L.A. music scene and doesn't really get involved with the gossip and this and that. Because keep in mind, Frankie wasn't public about his cancer until several months after his diagnosis."

He continued: "Johnny, he's family to me, and Frankie and him were friends. And he can definitely fill the role onstage and off; he's a total pro and he's a friend. It worked out great, because the first show that Frankie was gonna miss was in Dallas, Texas, which is when Johnny Kelly lives. So we were able to fly in, do one song for soundcheck, and then trial by fire, do the whole show. He had never played with us before. And Chuck [Wright, bass] and our singer had never even met him. So it was definitely a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants-type moment, but Johnny rose to the occasion, and we're thankful he's onboard to help us out."

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 said it was "Frankie Banali's wish that the band continue and we keep the music and the legacy alive."

Speaking about the discussions that Frankie and the other members of QUIET RIOT had about continuing without him, Alex said: "There really wasn't any one specific conversation. It was just, 'Keep it going. Business as usual.' We're not gonna miss any dates. We're not gonna make a thing of it. We're gonna keep the band rolling.

"Frankie put so much of his life into building, helping to build, keeping the band going through good times, through bad — '80s, '90s, 2000s — if you think about it, and that's his baby; that's his legacy. And when the reality is that you're not gonna be around anymore, you still want your baby to grow and your legacy to grow, and that basically was always this unwritten thing. And I'm really glad.

"I always tell people I wish I could have found a way to fix his ailments, if you will, but, obviously, no one can do that," Grossi added. "But I take a lot of pride in knowing that we pulled it off last year and we're moving forward the way he wanted to and delivering a great show to people. So that I find comfort in. So that's been a positive."

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 last year 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".

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.

SEVENDUST singer Lajon Witherspoon spoke to Darren Paltrowitz about the making of the band's 13th studio album, "Blood & Stone", which will be released on October 23 via Rise Records. The follow-up to 2018's "All I See Is War" was once again tracked at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who has previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH, among others.

"We were lucky enough to [record the LP] before the pandemic," Lajon said (see video below). "It was [done last] October. We were down in Orlando with Elvis Baskette, which I feel like is a sixth member of the band with his team. It was our second time recording with him, so it felt at home. His house — oh, man. We're one of the only bands to stay there. Maybe now it's different. But [it's] a beautiful mansion — a pool, everything. But what's so cool about it [is] you breathe and you eat and you sleep music, man. What a creative place to be at as an artist — to wake up and work out and then at 12 noon, go in the studio and be in there until 12 midnight. Just things going on all around the place in the house and never having to leave. So it was great to be able to do that again. And the album came out great. And like I said, luckily, it was before the pandemic, so there wasn't any stress on that end of things. So I think it made well for a great album."

The official music video for the latest single from "Blood & Stone", a song called "Dying To Live", can be seen below. The clip was directed by Jensen Noen, known for his work with FALLING IN REVERSE, CROWN THE EMPIRE and ASKING ALEXANDRIA, to name a few.

Earlier this year. guitarist Clint Lowery told Front Row Entertainment Live about "Blood & Stone": "I think this is one of our strongest records in a while. I'm proud of all the music we do. Every band likes to say, 'Oh, yeah, the new record is the best one we've ever done.' I think it's a very reflective record for where we're at musically, where we're at as a band. So that's always a goal. I think we just wanna be genuine. We don't wanna put out a dud record. Not everyone's gonna like it; we understand that. We just try to do what we do best. We're not the heaviest band in the world; we're not a pop-rock band at all either. We're just this aggressive band that has our own thing, and we stay true to that."

Last month, SEVENDUST announced its first-ever livestream and its only show of 2020: "Sevendust: Live In Your Living Room". The event will take place on October 23. The show will be live starting at 9:00 p.m. EDT/6:00 p.m. PDT and available globally at the corresponding hour for each territory. This will be a SEVENDUST show not to be missed as the band will not have any tour dates until 2021.

Tickets for the live stream are $17.00 and available here.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn / Chuck Brueckmann

In a new interview with Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3, EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee was asked if there are lessons she's learned over time, either on the creative side or on the business side, that would have been especially valuable around the time of the release of the band's debut album, 2003's "Fallen". She responded (hear audio below): "Yes. Absolutely. I don't even know how to go down that list, it's so big. More than anything, I was really young when we started and just unsure of myself — as a person, as a musician, as anything. And to put yourself up, and things really did rocket launch for us quickly when we made that album, to be in the spotlight and to have people looking at you, talking at you, about you, all of that, becoming famous like that, that was hard for me.

"I didn't start out on this path because I wanted fame," she continued. "I'm a pretty introverted person naturally. And that might have been a lot easier for me if I knew from the outside, for my future self, it was okay to just be myself. And as much as I felt like I would have said that to you back then — that this is what's important — it's really hard to put it into action, especially when you're young. To just be confident and just believe — truly believe — that I belonged where I was. Because for the first few years of being in this business, it was a constant fight within myself to feel worthy and to feel like I was good enough to be standing on the stages that I was standing on. The perspective of just making it through all those concerts and also seeing the much more important, deeper aspect, which is the connection made with people and the way that the music can touch people and inspire people and move people in a positive way, even when it's born out of pain — especially when it's born out of pain, because they've had that pain too. Making that connection is so much more powerful than if I mess up a note on the piano. I think that that perspective would have been good for me, for sure."

EVANESCENCE's long-awaited new album, "The Bitter Truth", will arrive later in the coming months.

This past August, EVANESCENCE released a new single, "Use My Voice", which was written to celebrate the power of speaking out in order to promote more justice in the world. The track, featuring contributions from THE PRETTY RECKLESS's Taylor Momsen and HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale, was chosen by HeadCount in the USA to encourage voters to register, check their registration, or find out about their remote voting options amid the COVID-19 pandemic at UseMyVoice.org.

EVANESCENCE's new music is being produced by Nick Raskulinecz, who also worked on 2011's self-titled LP.

EVANESCENCE spent much of the last two years recording and touring in support of 2017's "Synthesis", which contained some of the band's best-loved songs — as well as a couple of new ones — reinvented with full orchestra over a deep electronic landscape.

In a new interview with the "Behind The Vinyl" podcast, Joe Satriani was asked if he started using the technique of tapping notes on his guitar when he first heard Eddie Van Halen in 1978. He responded (hear audio below): "I'd been tapping before that. I think, just like Eddie, 'cause we were the same age and started playing pretty much at the same time, we saw other people on television doing it. So I saw the guitar players in WISHBONE ASH. There was a show in America called 'Don Kirshner's [Rock Concert]', and I think WISHBONE ASH was on one night. And I think my dad was watching it. And I just walked into the room for a second, and I looked and I see the guy playing with his fingers. And I'm, like, 'Oh my god!' I just went right up to my room, picked up my guitar and went, 'That's a great idea. I'm gonna do that all over the place.'

"My group of friends, everyone was tapping, but the great brilliance of Eddie was what he did with it," Joe continued. "And that's what you can say about everything. We knew the same chords — there's a million guitar players that know exactly the same 12 notes, the same chords, we buy the same strings, we're using the same guitars, pretty much. So what makes Eddie so special? Why did that genius just say, 'Well, I'll take that and just do this with it.' But he did, and all of us responded like it was godsent.

"The first time I heard Eddie was when 'Eruption' came to the radio, and I was sitting there with my guitar just jamming along with the radio, and, yeah, my jaw dropped. And I put my hands down and I went, 'Oh my god. I'm in the presence of greatness. That guy knows how to use things that I know.' It's, like, I've got all the tools laid out on my table just like him, but wow, look what he's doing with them.' And it just made me smile. I was so happy.

"The other part that made me so happy was because he played so aggressively and so melodically — the whole song, like it was a whole Eddie Van Halen world that he would show you," Satriani added. "But it was fun. It was rock and roll. It wasn't perfect. It wasn't pretentious. It was still, like, 'Let's just have fun.' And I thought, 'I need to get everybody that I know in this town to like this, because this is gonna be good for all of us guitar players that really wanna play.' Cause it was that attitude at the time — I was feeling like people were telling us, 'Slow down. Don't play so many notes. No feedback. Try to make your guitar sound like clean guitars from the '60s or something like that.' We were waiting for somebody like Eddie to come along and just like reinvent it. And he did. And it was truly great."

Eddie has said in the past that he was inspired to start doing the finger-tapping trick after watching LED ZEPPELIN at the Los Angeles Forum in the early 1970s. Jimmy Page played the solo from "Heartbreaker", using both hands to tap out notes on the neck of the guitar, which inspired Eddie to take the technique and refine it, enabling him to play a seemingly impossible flurry of notes and pinched harmonics.

"It's like having a sixth finger on your left hand," he explained in 1978, according to BBC. "Instead of picking, you're hitting a note on the fretboard."

DEEP PURPLE's Ritchie Blackmore reportedly claimed that he had seen CANNED HEAT guitarist Harvey Mandel using tapping onstage as early as 1968. DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch corroborated this, mentioning that both he and Van Halen saw Mandel employ "a neo-classic tapping thing" at the Starwood in West Hollywood during the 1970s. Mandel used extensive two-handed tapping techniques on his 1973 album "Shangrenade".

Eddie used the finger tapping technique during his legendary solo on the aforementioned "Eruption", voted the second best solo ever by Guitar World magazine.

In a brand new interview with the "Wong Notes" podcast, DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci was asked if he approaches writing music, producing music and playing music with an an intention beyond just the musicality and the fun of it. He responded (hear audio below): "Definitely. I think that's a big part of it. You have a couple of different perspectives that you work from or in. One is something that's very focused and microscopic, and the other is a lot broader. When you're looking at the whole big picture, what are you trying to say as an artist? What will your legacy be? And maybe that sounds pompous, but it's just something to keep in mind as you're doing all this.

"I've been doing this for a long time, so there's a lot of music out there," he continued. "And I kind of look at it all as just this continuous story that's being told, and all these musical moments are reflections of what was happening at that point in the story."

Petrucci went on to offer the following advice to aspiring musicians looking to have long and fruitful careers: "Just always have a vision, have motivation. Maybe that's easier said than done, but don't get lazy about it. Treat everything like you're trying your best.

"I don't like when musicians get stale or kind of get lazy," he added. "I like when you can hear that the player — and I know a lot of guys like this, and it's so awesome to see — that no matter what age they are in their musical journey, they love to play. They still have the passion. They put stuff out that's just as good now as it was 20 years ago, and you can hear that and feel that in the music. That's another big-picture thing. Make sure that you're connected to that.

"I'll never forget my formative years of just jamming with my friends when I was 15, 16, going to each other's houses. Oh my God. We'd play for hours. Time would disappear. And you just did it 'cause you loved it; you loved the connection. And [it's important to make] sure you don't lose sight of that."

Petrucci released his second solo album, "Terminal Velocity", on August 28 via Sound Mind Music/The Orchard. The follow-up to 2005's "Suspended Animation" features guest musicians Mike Portnoy (SONS OF APOLLO, ex-DREAM THEATER) on drums and Dave LaRue (DIXIE DREGS) on bass. The effort marks the first time Petrucci and Portnoy recorded together in over a decade, as well as their first time playing together since Portnoy departed DREAM THEATER.

In a new interview with Ultimate Guitar, ANTHRAX's Scott Ian was asked if he thinks there was one band that was "unrightfully excluded" from the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal (METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX) — the dominant thrash metal groups that helped bring that genre into the mainstream. He responded: "Well, I don't really understand that. Nobody was 'unrightfully' put out of anything. METALLICA didn't sit around and make a decision and say, 'These are the four bands that we're picking.' It's not really how it worked. The 'Big Four' was a title created by the press, calling these four bands as the 'Big Four' bands of thrash.

"When you say 'unrightfully' put out, I have to say that I have a problem with that, because it makes it sound like METALLICA purposefully excluded somebody, and the title 'Big Four' has nothing to do with METALLICA, or any of us — that was the title given to us by the press," he added.

Last year, TESTAMENT's Alex Skolnick told the "Basel Meets" podcast that he had "no problem" with the fact that his band wasn't included in the "Big Four." "I look at it as a seniority thing," the guitarist explained. "I joined TESTAMENT in very late '85; I think my first gig was early '86. So, 1986 — what happened [that year]? METALLICA releases 'Master Of Puppets'. They were already on their third record. They were on their way to becoming one of the biggest bands in the world, which was clear… I mean, it wasn't clear they would be that level, but we knew they were gonna at least be as big as IRON MAIDEN and SCORPIONS at that time. So they were already off and running. SLAYER released 'Reign In Blood' that year, after having several albums out. ANTHRAX had several records out. I think at that point, MEGADETH was on their second record. So all those bands, they were past their first record. They were all off and running. At the time, the classic TESTAMENT lineup was just forming. So, I'm fine with that. They were there first, and they were doing big things. And we came along a little later. But I have no problem with those groups being classified together."

Alex's comments echoed those of TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy, who told the "Music Mania" podcast in 2018 that his band came along too late to be included in the "Big Four."

"When you say 'Big Four,' you think of the '80s when that was what was referred to as the 'Big Four,' which is correct — those four bands [METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX] were the biggest four bands of our era; at that time, all [of them were] at the platinum level, when there was much more acceptability to this music," he said. "Around '91 [or] '92, the grunge scene came in, and all the bands following us — EXODUS and OVERKILL and all those kind of bands — lost that momentum because the industry started changing its format. So when they say [METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX are the] 'Big Four,' I say that's correct. We were the next generation of the 'Four' [laughs], but we were just caught in the wrong time… wrong place, wrong time."

Several years earlier, Billy told Metal Insider that METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX are the only bands that deserved to be lumped together as part of the "Big Four."

"I think that when it comes down to the 'Big Four,' as far as I can see it, back when metal was at its height in the late '80s/ early 90s, all of those 'Big Four' bands had a ton of great success and were selling millions of records," he said. "I think around that same time, we were growing apart as a band and the music market had changed. So I think we were kind of, I guess, as they say, 'on deck in the batting circle' waiting for our success selling millions of records at that time.

"So when people say the Big Four, Five or Six, I don't see it that way," he continued. "The 'Big Four,' those four bands had great success selling millions of records. But the rest of us — EXODUS, DEATH ANGEL [and] TESTAMENT — we didn't sell out those festivals or that amount of records. So I don't see us being compared to that. I'd say if metal was still going as strong as it was, yeah, we all stood a chance to sell a lot of records. That's just my take on it. When people talk about that, to me, those four bands are justifiable, and that's it. I don't see any other bands that were the 'Big' whatever."

Back in 2017, OVERKILL vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth said that "when it comes to being selected and not selected" for inclusion in the "Big Four", "that's a simple accounting issue. When you talk numbers, numbers make the world go around, numbers put food on your table, and numbers put the 'Big Four' in arenas. And they sell enough records to do that… He who sells the most gets the pole positions."

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine said in a 2013 interview that EXODUS "probably" should have been included if the "Big Four" were expanded and considered the "Big Five" "because there was nobody else at the time that had that kind of pull or that kind of importance in the metal community. Granted, it was with [late EXODUS singer Paul] Baloff, and Baloff had a voice that you had to have an acquired taste for, but you know, I liked him."

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett concurred, telling U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine in a 2014 interview that "EXODUS in the '80s had some bona fide problems, but I think their first album [1985's 'Bonded By Blood'] is just as good as [METALLICA's debut] 'Kill 'Em All'. We were just playing the music we wanted to hear because no one else was playing it and it wasn't being played on the radio. It was only a small group of people who knew about it and it was almost elitist in that 'No posers allowed!' thing."

BUCKCHERRY singer Josh Todd spoke to Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio about how he and his bandmates have spent their downtime during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said (hear audio below): "We had to shift gears. We had a whole year booked with touring, and then COVID happened. Every month, there was a new set of circumstances, shows falling off for everybody, not just us. And so we were, like, 'Well, we might as well go into songwriting mode and get a really great record together for next year.' And so we shifted gears and just started writing a lot. And, man, this record is good. We spent a lot of time on it, and it's very exciting."

Asked about the musical direction of the new BUCKCHERRY material, Josh said: "Well, it's not gonna change from a BUCKCHERRY rock record. Alls I can say is that we've just come leaps and bounds from the first record, as far as songwriting and how we put everything together. And just as far as the quality of songs, song to song, it's just so powerful. I can't wait for everybody to hear it. Marti Frederiksen is producing it. He produced a few records of ours back in the day. And it's been really great to be reunited with him, and he's a super talented guy. It's like having a sixth band member. So, it's been a lot of fun."

Regarding how BUCKCHERRY has grown and evolved over the years, Josh said: "I think it's just the fact that we never stop working. We never stop creating. If we're not on the road, we're writing songs. I'm a firm believer that you have to really work the muscle in order to really get good at your craft. I don't like to get far away from the craft of songwriting and singing and all that. And everybody in this band feels the same way, so we're united. Whenever we're united, it always makes for great records."

As for a possible release date for the new BUCKCHERRY album, Josh said: "Well, it's gonna be when we know that we can actually tour behind it. So I'm thinking maybe the beginning of summer next year. I'm hoping that's what's gonna happen. But you never know what is coming down the pipeline. I think more will be revealed in November, and then more will be revealed hopefully by the end of the year, with any kind of treatment for this to get us back to where we can put people safely together and do shows."

On November 11 at 5 p.m. EST, BUCKCHERRY will premiere a live show in partnership with the streaming platform LiveXLive Media. The 75-minute performance will include songs from across BUCKCHERRY's 21-year career. The stream will be available for an additional 48 hours for video on demand.

Tickets for the stream are $10 with an optional VIP bundle featuring a personal virtual call with Todd and guitarist Stevie Dacanay for $60.

Tickets can be pre-ordered here.

This past summer, BUCKCHERRY has JETBOY's Billy Rowe as its new guitarist. He joined the group as the replacement for Kevin Roentgen, who left BUCKCHERRY in July.

Roentgen, who joined the California-based band in 2017, made his exit official in a social media post. He wrote: "Bottom line, I made this decision to come off the road and spend more time with my family. The guys understood this, and for that I'm thankful. Though my wife and daughter always one hundred percent supported me in this gig, they are quite happy now to have me home."

Roentgen joined BUCKCHERRY as the replacement for original guitarist Keith Nelson. He can be heard on "Warpaint", which was released in March 2019 via Century Media/RED Music. The 12-song record was produced by Mike Plotnikoff, whose previous collaboration with the band was BUCKCHERRY's multi-platinum third album, 2005's "15".

Last year, BUCKCHERRY recruited Francis Ruiz as its new drummer. He joined the group as the replacement for Sean Winchester, who exited BUCKCHERRY after laying down the drum tracks on "Warpaint".

Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON have entered the studio to begin recording their next album. The follow-up to 2017's "Emperor Of Sand" will mark MASTODON's first collection of new material since the death of longtime manager Nick John and the passing of tour manager Bob Dallas.

In a new interview with Full Metal Jackie's syndicated radio show, drummer Brann Dailor spoke about how John's death has affected the MASTODON songwriting process. He said (hear audio below): "Well, I would say that a lot of the subject matter is gonna probably be, a majority of it is gonna be focused around him. Everything we do from now on will be in some way dedicated to him, because he was such an integral part of our existence. And we just miss him a lot, basically.

"When you experience something like that, such a heavy loss for our group, which we've dealt with loss and we've put loss into the music, but this person was sort of the center of the MASTODON universe; in a lot of ways, he was like the fifth member almost," he continued. "So for us to sidestep that, it's not gonna be able to happen.

"The pandemic is gonna lend itself to so much art and music, it's gonna be in the lyrics of a lot of the songs that are gonna be coming out. It's the kind of thing that's impossible to push to the side once you are creating art. Especially for us, it's sort of where we deal with some of the tougher things that life can deal you. It's where we put those things.

"It's kind of tough to listen to, to be honest," Dailor admitted. "Some of the lyrics and things will trigger these memories. Not that every single thing, when I think about Nick John, it's not like every single thing is a sad thing, but at the moment, it still is, a little bit. It's kind of half and half. You can have these special memories that make you laugh. We were talking about, the other day, because we were re-learning the song called 'Thickening' from 'The Hunter', and just I remember Nick John used to call me up, and I would answer the phone, and be, like, 'Hello,' and he would recite one of the lyrics from the song. It goes, 'Wrapped up like a baby.' And we just all started cracking up. So, it is getting a little bit easier.

"Listening back to the demos, it's kind of devastating," Brann said. "We also wanna honor him, so it's very, very important that the songs are great, or that we feel like the songs are great, and that they do honor him, and that it is something that he would have fallen in love with. He was our biggest cheerleader. I would send him a riff from my phone that I recorded at practice, like, 'Dude, listen to this riff.' that I recorded at practice like, "Dude, listen to this riff," He'd call me a couple of minutes later, and we'd talk about the riff for 20 minutes.

"He was always super, super supportive, and he loved our band. He was our biggest fan.

"When you are in there and you're creating something and you're putting such a heavy weight that it be great, you just wanna really, really pay attention to every single little detail and make sure that it's the best thing that you can create in that moment, for him."

Dailor also talked about the fact that MASTODON has written more than two albums' worth of material in the months leading up to the recording sessions for the new LP.

"It's a good problem to have, but it's also a little bit stressful, because I feel like maybe we've had too much time off," he said. "Like a lot of groups, we've had too much time, and we're constantly working. We had the little shutdown there for a couple of months, but we're back at it.

"I guess it's a good thing that we're still wanting to come down here and wanting to work, and we're still excited about our 20-year-old project that we have been working on called MASTODON. It's exciting to me, because every time you go to approach writing new stuff, you kind of say, 'Well, when is this well gonna dry up? When are we gonna go looking and can't find it anymore?' That's always a fear that a lot of musicians and artists go through. And sometimes you do have a mild case of writer's block or maybe you have a severe case of writer's block. But that isn't the case with us, luckily. We have an abundance of material, and we have a lot of really great things. 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.

In a recent inteviw with Ghost Cult magazine, GODSMACK's Shannon Larkin discussed his reluctance to publicly air his political views. Speaking about the recent U.S. presidential election and how it relates to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the drummer said: "I really felt that whoever won [the election], it's all gonna come soon, and the country's gonna normalize. It'll never be the way it was before, because we have this bug that is transforming itself as we try and make antidotes. Even with [the pharmaceutical company] Pfizer saying, 'Oh, we got 90 percent [efficacy rate on the COVID-19 vaccine],' or now, today, it's 95 percent. So if everybody goes and gets the shot, then why doesn't the country open back up? 'Oh, because they don't know the side effects…' Whatever.

"I'm just praying that, all right, Joe Biden won. Awesome. Let the shot out now and open this country back up," he continued. "And then, if you're gonna get the flu, you're gonna get the flu.

"We've been through this before — H1N1 and the bird flu thing. This is real — I'm not downplaying COVID, man. Wear a mask and social distance as much as possible. But when I look at a football game and I see they let — I don't know — ten thousand, or five thousand, people into this thing. And they're all sitting in groups anyway, and they all have to go to the bathroom, and they all have to walk around…

"To me, I feel like with the COVID-19 having, what, a 99.9 percent survival rate — something ridiculous, a super-high survival rate — it's totally a real thing, and it totally sucks, but it is the flu," Larkin added. "And we must go on with our lives and careers. I mean, I've got 28 dudes that literally don't have any other skills. I know the soundman for Luke Bryan, Frank, and he's, like, 'I don't do anything else.' And the money stops. Everybody's suffering right now."

On the topic of whether his Florida-based psychedelic rock side project THE APOCALYPSE BLUES REVIVAL will tour in support of its self-titled album, which came out earlier this month, Shannon said: "THE ABR is gonna tour. We're not gonna stream anything. We're gonna let this year go, let the new president get in and sit, and let the idiot extremists fight it out, or whatever, in the streets — whatever the hell is gonna happen, or whatever — let them get it all out of their systems, and then let the country notmalize, and love and peace will reign again. And then people can go out and enjoy music again, which was a sanity saver for a lot of us, especially people like me that live for music. And I'm a musician, but I have many friends that live for music and concerts. And that's their out from their day jobs and everything, and it's the way it should be. And now that's been taken away. So we're swelling the ranks of depression and suicide and just basic divisiveness between half the country — all this crazy stuff."

Shannon went on to say that he is against musical artists publicizing their political views, especially during award show speeches.

"I have extreme personal feelings about this country and which way it went and it's going and all that, but I would never say that here with you or anyone else, because I feel I'm an entertainer, man," he said. "It's like when Madonna goes up to accept her tenth Grammy, and all she can harp on about is whoever is dying in Lithuania or whatever. And I understand, but I'm, like, you're an entertainer, and I'm watching the Grammys to see you thank your fans for the music that they love, that you created, and you get this award — not to hear your political views. So I'm not gonna be that guy — whoever is watching this — that's gonna spout off, 'Oh, yeah, Biden rules,' or, 'Yeah, Trump's the best.' I don't care. I have my own feeling on it. But I'm not trying to — if I was, I'd be on a different show. This is a music show. And I'll open up personally — I'm a very open book; I wear my heart on my sleeve, man. But politics, I think I'll take the high road on that one."

Acknowledging that he was the one who brought up politics in the first place, Larkin continued: "When we talk about touring, that brings up politics, because the damn country is shut, man. And with the Democratic party winning, I feel that it's probably gonna stay shut for a while longer. We'll see what happens. But I spoke my agent, for ABR — we're with a blues agency in North Carolina, and we've been with them for four or five years now. And they told me three days ago that out of all the states in the United States, Florida has opened up the most for club bookings. Now, a lot of these clubs are not even — they won't even allow half capacity, so the capacity is lower. But at least they're letting shows. So, obviously, the bands don't get paid as much. But the blues — what are we gonna make? So I'm thinking that, hopefully March-April, THE APOCALYPSE BLUES REVIVAL will go on tour at least in the Southeast, no matter what Biden does with opening the country back up or whatever."

Shannon's GODSMACK bandmate Sully Erna has been more vocal about his political opinions in recent years, saying in a July 2020 episode of his Internet show "Hometown Sessions" that if "Trump stays in [office], COVID's gonna be a big, messy pain in the ass, and there's gonna be more people burning down Wendy's fucking restaurants. If Trump fucking is gone, all of a sudden they're gonna have this miracle vaccine that those fucking liars have been holding on to."

Sully also addressed the fact that several polls showed Trump trailing Biden by double digits nationally and losing in six battleground states that were key to his win in 2016.

"Are you gonna tell me that Biden's gonna win this thing?" Sully asked rhetorically. "Whether it's Trump or not, Biden's gonna be the guy? The guy that can't even remember his wife's name.

"Right now, the people that are trying to make noise are the people that are afraid that they're not gonna have the right president so they can control the president to do what they need to do in the country," he continued. "So what they're doing is they're trying to make as much noise as they can to say, 'Oh, Trump's going down and Joe Biden is the guy.' But what I hope is going on is that when it comes time for the election, I hope all the people that are silent right now just bombard this thing and make sure that at least…

"I don't care if Trump stays or goes, but do not let Biden control this country," he said. "Because if Biden controls this country, he's not really controlling it — it's all the people pulling his puppet strings that are gonna control it. I guarantee you we're gonna be really close to losing this country if that dude gets in office. And that is not gonna be a fun place to live. What used to be one of the greatest countries in the world, right now it's an embarrassment. People are laughing at us all over the globe. Even the crazy countries that we sit there and we watch the news sometimes, because they're beheading people and doing this radical shit, and we're, like, 'Wow, man. [I] don't wanna live over there,' now, all of a sudden, those countries look at us and they're, like, 'What the fuck is going on in America right now? Those people are out of their mind.'"

This past February, Erna came under fire for sharing a post that was flagged as part of Facebook's efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its news feed. The post in question criticized then-Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders's plan to raise the minimum wage and provide universal health care to all Americans. It also cited Sanders's Medicare For All plan, a single, national health insurance program that would cover everyone who lives in the United States.

Back in 2004, Erna revealed that he was not in favor of the Democratic candidate for president in that year's election, telling Launch Radio Networks: "I'm a Republican. I want Republican. I don't necessarily want [incumbent Republican president George W.] Bush to win. I don't like that choice, but I gotta tell you, I don't truly believe in the Democrats either, man. I don't like the way they think. I don't like, I don't love Bush, I'll tell you that, but I want a Republican in office."

During an appearance on the "Hardcore Humanism With Dr. Mike" podcast, SEETHER frontman Shaun Morgan spoke about how he has been dealing with his band's inability to tour amid the coronavirus pandemic. He said (hear audio below): "It's just been a very trying time to feel like my entire livelihood has been taken away from me. And that's obviously due to the reasons we all know, but it's been such an interesting thing to understand. For example, there's no guarantee, as of right now, that we're gonna go back to work next year. They're saying [tentatively] that there will be chances of touring, but there's a very good chance there's another year that's gonna go by where we're not gonna be able to tour. So that's something I'm learning to come to terms with. I have to figure out what else I can do with my life, and which other avenues I can pursue, because this one might be taken away from me involuntarily for quite some time. So it's up to me to find something else that makes me feel worthwhile and that I have some sort of worth. But that's a struggle too.

"For two decades, I've lived under the assumption that there's sort of a cyclical nature of my life," he continued. "It's write and record an album, tour for 18 monhts to two years, write and record an album, and then just rinse and repeat. And now, for the first time ever, that hasn't been the case. And it's been alarming in a sense to see how quickly that got to me. 'Cause it's such a double-edged sword.

"On one hand, I'm seeing my three-year-old — who was two and a half when this all started — I'm seeing how she develops and grows and how her vocabulary has exploded and how this little person is slowly emerging from this toddler body," Shaun added. "And if I'd been on the road, I wouldn't have seen that. So that part of it I am so happy and grateful for. The other side is I am starting to wonder if touring like we used to in the old days is something that I want to do anymore. So, now I'm having an existential crisis as well, as far as, 'Do I still want to do this for a living as far as a touring musician?' Because I've been doing that now since I was 20 years old — so almost 22 years now. Or are there other things that I might decide are more important to me now? And maybe I start shifting away from this as my main vocation, if you will, and then move to something else. I don't know yet, because I don't know if that's how I'm feeling because I don't have the opportunity to test out my theory. I don't have the chance to go, 'Okay, let's go play some shows.' 'Oh, man, do I still love it?' And I'm sure I will. But as of right now, my feeling is, yeah, it's kind of becoming a little bit less important to me, the touring side. The creative side is still great — I still love to do that and record and put out albums and music."

Shaun also talked in more detail about how the shutdown of venues has caused countless musicians like him to have their livelihoods largely wrenched from them without prior warning.

"Our entire business model is based on getting on a bus and playing to people," he said. "This is not the good old days when people would go out and buy CDs. Bands sustain themselves purely on merch and live music these days. And then, if you're lucky, you'll get some publishing from the streaming sites. But other than that, that's how we earn a living. So it's interesting to now be in a position where — well, interesting, but also kind of depressing in the sense that my job is not only for income but it's also for some sort of feeling of self-worth and some sort of productivity, as a human and spreading joy, if you will, to people that come to the shows. And there's that one element of playing the shows that gives you that chemical dump in your brain that makes you feel so good. I haven't had that in so long, I'm terrified if I get another hit, I might get fully addicted. I don't know."

He continued: "[It's] the roller-coaster ride of getting ready to leave on the road, which you have to ramp up for the mental state for that, because you don't just walk out of the house, close the door behind you, and suddenly now you're Shaun Morgan from SEETHER. Whereas before that, I was just Shaun hanging out with my family. It's very difficult to just flip on a dime like that.

"I was ready to go, and then it was all ripped out underneath us, and there's this anticipation, then it's the crash, then it's the depression, and then it's the anxiety," he added. "So it's been kind of a whirlwind. I have good and bad days. And, unfortunately, for the most part, it seems like the bad days are starting to outnumber the good ones, and I'm trying to figure that out and how to make that better."

SEETHER's latest album, "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" ("If You Want Peace, Prepare For War") was released in August. The LP was produced by Morgan and engineered and mixed by Matt Hyde (DEFTONES, AFI) in Nashville from December 2019 through January 2020.

In a new interview with the Phoenix New Times, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford spoke about the impact the coronavirus-related shutdown has had on his and other musicians' creativity.

"I think the most profound thing for me with this pandemic has been the level of human consciousness, the way that we're all connecting in a way that we're probably never aware about," he said. "That someone in Japan or South America is feeling the same way I do — that is a really important analysis. Each of the respective countries are going through the horrible political dissection of what we're all suffering. And everyone has lost people. It's one thing I've learned about human compassion and empathy. As far as making it work through creativity and art, PRIEST has always done that anyway, as the vast majority of our songs are about lifting up and positivity.

"The music we make has always been strong and full of optimism. PRIEST has been dealing with that as long as I remember. I'm sure it will filter through me as the songwriter for PRIEST — the emotion of what we're going through together — into the next PRIEST song."

Halford is promoting his autobiography, "Confess", which arrived on September 29 via Hachette Books. The book has been described by the U.K.'s The Telegraph as "one of the most candid and surprising memoirs of the year."

Last month, 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.

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor, who is preparing to play at The Forum in Los Angeles on Friday (October 2) as part of the "Forum Or Against 'Em" global streaming event, recently discussed his first memory of performing at the iconic venue. He said: "The first time I played the Forum that I remember was 2001 with SLIPKNOT. It was on the 'Pledge Of Allegiance' tour. It was right after 9/11, so it was a crazy, crazy time. It was the first time I got a death threat. Somebody called in to the switchboard and said, 'You have a hero playing there tonight. His name is Corey Taylor, and he's a dead man.' Because legally they have to tell me these things, I played the whole show wondering if there was a laser pointer on me the entire time. And then the fire marshall threatened to shut the show down because it looked like a riot was gonna happen and the barricade was starting to break. So to keep from shutting that show down, I had everybody stop and we had a moment of silence for the people who died in 9/11. And because we did that, everyone stopped, and you could hear a pin drop. And it was at least a minute. They were able to fix the barricades, and the fire marshal was, like, 'I've never seen anything like it.' That's my first memory of the Forum."

Tickets for the "Forum Or Against 'Em" pay-per-view streaming event are on sale now from watch.thecoreytaylor.com. Fans can also purchase ticket bundles that include a t-shirt, hoodie, poster, and access to watch an exclusive Taylor acoustic set. A limited number of one-on-one video chats with Corey are also available with some bundles.

"Forum Or Against 'Em" will be a full arena production complete with a visual feast of pyrotechnics, a stacked set list featuring all tracks from Corey's debut solo album, "CMFT", select fan-favorite cuts from Taylor's SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR catalogs, a handful of covers and an incendiary guest performance from rock n' roll girl-gang dance squad THE CHERRY BOMBS. Special event merch and bundles will be available during the stream. Kicking off the event's festivities will be a special pre-show event hosted by presenter/journalist Beez that will feature exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

Speaking about his upcoming streaming extravaganza, Taylor said: "I've been saying since the beginning I'd find a way to bring this music and this band to the people. And I'm honored that The Forum let us do just that. It's 'CMFT' in its entirety. It's songs I've shared over the years. It's a celebration, and I'm so stoked to party with all of you."

In the rapidly evolving sphere of streamed events, "Forum Or Against 'Em" is set to be an industry first, as Corey Taylor and his management team at 5B Artists & Media partner with Danny Wimmer Presents, the largest independent festival producer in the United States, to put on this one-of-a-kind, pay-per-view concert experience. In utilizing The Forum for this special steaming event, the team are not only able to put together a world class rock extravaganza with a massive arena production, in total, they are also providing work to approximately 80 event staff.

Speaking on this groundbreaking partnership, 5B Artist & Media founder and CEO Cory Brennan said: "When Corey sent me a text saying 'Forum Or Against 'Em', I knew we had something truly special and unique. The Forum is one of the most iconic venues in the world and I can't think of a better way to celebrate his debut solo album!"

"To do a rock show on this scale, with an icon like Corey Taylor — while putting some of the behind-the-scenes heroes of the concert industry back to work — is an exciting step into the future," says Danny Wimmer, founder of Danny Wimmer Presents. "We believe that pay-per-view is here to stay and we couldn't think of anyone better to help us launch our new digital platform than Corey Taylor. He's a global star, and his music with SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR, as well as our amazing relationship with 5B, has helped to fuel DWP's growth over the past decade. We can't wait to get this show started."

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

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

ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush 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 RadioactiveMike Z, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM radio program "Wired In The Empire", John said about Frankie (hear audio below): "We toured with QUIET RIOT our first tour. That was ARMORED SAINT's first tour, on the road, going out and opening up for QUIET RIOT and WHITESNAKE. QUIET RIOT was [touring in support of] the 'Condition Critical' record, it was, like, their first major release in America, with 'Slide It In'. It was amazing times.

"Frankie battled super hard, and he was given a raw deal by getting this really horrible pancreatic cancer that he had, and he fought it [in a] super noble [way] for years," he continued. "Nobody needs to go out that way. It's just terrible.

"But I did see him not too long ago, at the Ronnie Dio gala. That was one of the last things that my wife and I did to go out [before the pandemic]. And I think it was in February at the Avalon in Hollywood. And Frankie was there. And he was talking — he gave a little speech — and he seemed very together. It was obvious that he was still fighting.

"I have very memories of that tour," Bush added. "QUIET RIOT gave us an opportunity to go out and open for them. We were playing arenas… I mean, those are just amazing times. We [had just released] our debut full-length record, 'March Of The Saint', and we were on the road with QUIET RIOT and WHITESNAKE playing these venues. We were very lucky. We were very fortunate. So I'll always treasure those memories, and I hope Frankie is resting in peace now."

QUIET RIOT announced earlier in the month that it will carry on touring following Frankie's death. The band, which now features drummer Johnny Kelly (DANZIG, TYPE O NEGATIVE), will play a couple of shows in October as well as and a string of dates 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".

During a December 5-6 Headbangers Con live virtual panel, MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson explained why he and his bandmates have been opening all of their live performances in recent years with "Hangar 18", a classic track from MEGADETH's 1990 album "Rust In Peace". He said (see video below): "For a long time, we used to open the show with 'Holy Wars', and then we started to move that back to an encore. In 2010, we were on tour in Europe with SLAYER — in '10 or '11 — and we were in Russia, Saint Petersburg; our first time there. And Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH mainman] fell ill with a kidney stone. He was starting to have some stones, and it hit him — I don't know — an hour before we were gonna go on stage. We thought we were gonna have to cancel the show. And out of nowhere — Dave's a pretty tough dude, and all of a sudden, he just gets up and goes, 'Okay, we've gotta go do it. We've gotta at least play five songs.' And I went, 'Are you sure?' And he goes, 'Yeah. We've got to.' 'All right.' So I took the setlist, which I think at that time, one of the later songs in the set, we'd come out of 'À Tout Le Monde' into 'Trust' — we'd play 'Trust', 'Symphony [Of Destruction]', 'Peace Sells', 'Holy Wars'; it was some kind of thing. So I folded the setlist, and I said, 'Look, why don't we just start with 'Trust' and we'll just play these five songs?' So that's what we did. And it worked really well. It was kind of fun… So, for the next two years, we opened the set every night with 'Trust' — on a couple of Gigantours."

Ellefson continued: "Fast forward to 2013, we were on a Gigantour with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, HELLYEAH. And Vinnie Paul [Abbott, HELLYEAH and PANTERA drummer], who's been a lifelong MEGADETH fan and a good friend to us, he comes on the bus one day and he goes, [adopts Southern drawl], 'Man, y'all's stage show is amazing, y'all's light show is incredible. Man, y'all gotta be opening with 'Hangar 18'.' We went, 'Really?' Me and Dave kind of looked at each other, and [Vinnie] goes, 'Yeah, man. I'm telling you, man. That's the one, 'Hangar 18', right there.' So, that night, we went on stage and opened with 'Hangar 18', and it was, like, 'Wow!' It really had an excitement about it. So, since then, even to this day, we open with 'Hangar 18', and now kind of almost in honor and memory of Vinnie [who died in 2018]. So we come out rocking, and it's a great song. It's nice, because the front-of-house soundman can sort of get our mix together, 'cause there's no vocals, so it kind of gives him a minute to mix the band. Of course, we do soundcheck, and stuff is digitally stored on the console these days anyway, but still, it kind of gives him a couple of minutes to get the mix of the band together before Dave starts singing the verse."

As previously reported, MEGADETH's North American tour with LAMB OF GOD, TRIVIUM and IN FLAMES has been rescheduled for 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

MEGADETH is currently recording the follow-up to 2016's "Dystopia" album for a tentative 2021 release.

The early sessions for the LP took place last year with co-producer Chris Rakestraw, who previously worked on "Dystopia".

In addition to Mustaine and Ellefson, MEGADETH's current lineup includes former SOILWORK drummer Dirk Verbeuren and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, who was previously best known for his work with ANGRA.

TESLA bassist Brian Wheat, who is promoting his just-released autobiography, "Son Of A Milkman: My Crazy Life With Tesla", spoke to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about how the rise of grunge in the early 1990s forced most hard rock bands off the radio and MTV, with album and tour sales plummeting.

"We never really listened too much to what anyone else was doing; we only kind of did what we did," Brian said. "Where it caught us off guard was that the year before, we were the record company's champions — they loved us, and they had been loving on us for the last four or five years. And when the grunge thing came out, they were, like, 'Well, we might drop you.' And we were, like, 'What? What are you talking about?' Because [1994's] 'Bust A Nut', I think, sold seven hundred thousand copies, and the last record before that had sold over two million, or close to two million. So you have a gold record, and there's word coming around the campfire that the company is gonna drop you, even though you've sold a gold record. So that's where we got caught off guard, and I think that really demoralized us and led us down this path of destruction that we were on in the 'Bust A Nut' time period. It certainly didn't help. It kind of added to the angst and the things that we were going through and the doubts that we may been having. And then we broke up right after that. And the joke I always make is that it shouldn't have been called 'Bust A Nut'; it should have been called 'Busting Up'. Because when I look back upon it now, the whole thing, how it was put together and what was going on, we were really kind of unraveling at the seams."

Wheat went on to clarify that TESLA "didn't break up because of grunge. We broke up because we had been going non-stop for 10 years, and, at that point, maybe the drugs and alcohol kicked in a little too much," he explained. "We really just needed a rest; we didn't really need to break up. But we did, and I'm glad we broke up, because it taught us a lot. It taught us to appreciate the band again. By the time we got back together in 2000, we realized that we had something special, and we let it go, and that we needed to cherish it a bit more. And we do to this day."

In June, the members of TESLA got together — virtually — to jam out a quarantined version of "Breakin' Free" as part of their online series "Home To Home".

The original recording of "Breakin' Free" appeared on TESLA's 2008 album "Forever More".

"Son Of A Milkman: My Crazy Life With Tesla" arrived on December 15 via Post Hill Press. In this 304-page hardcover book, Wheat lifts the lid on living the rock 'n' roll life while struggling with anxiety, depression and other issues seldom discussed by musicians.

"Son Of A Milkman" features a foreword by DEF LEPPARD vocalist Joe Elliott, and was co-written with award-winning journalist and author Chris Epting, whose titles include "Adrenalized" (co-written with DEF LEPPARD's Phil Collen) and "Change Of Seasons" (co-written with John Oates).

Wheat co-founded TESLA, which became one of the biggest bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Brian owns a recording studio by the name of J Street Recorders in Sacramento, California. PAPA ROACH, TESLA, PAT TRAVERS, DEFTONES, KODIAK JACK, FLASHFIRES and many others have recorded there.

TESLA spent most of last year touring in support of its latest album, "Shock", which was released in March 2019 via UMe. The follow-up to 2014's "Simplicity" was produced by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen

KISS frontman Paul Stanley has blasted lawmakers for securing a deal for a coronavirus relief package which will include direct payments of up to $600 to eligible adults, plus $600 per child dependent.

Congressional leaders announced Sunday night that they have secured a deal for a $900 billion rescue package to deliver relief for small businesses, unemployed Americans and health care workers.

Under the new COVID relief package, at the full benefit amount, a family of four could potentially receive $2,400. As such, the adult benefit would be half the size of the stimulus check in the March CARES Act, while the amount earmarked for qualifying dependents was raised by $100. The payments would begin phasing out at incomes exceeding $75,000 ($150,000 for couples filing jointly) up to $99,000 ($198,000 for couples).

"$600 PER PERSON ISN'T 'RELIEF'," Stanley tweeted earlier tonight (Sunday, December 20). "The politicians who held firm to that number aren't ignorant, They're indifferent to the needs of the very people who put them in power. Look at them. Do you think ANY of them worry about THEIR rent or feeding THEIR children?"

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced the details of the agreement on stimulus checks.

Delivery of the second round of checks is expected to begin in early January 2021.




$600 PER PERSON ISN'T "RELIEF" The politicians who held firm to that number aren't ignorant, They're indifferent to the needs of the very people who put them in power. Look at them. Do you think ANY of them worry about THEIR rent or feeding THEIR children? https://t.co/i1fLqhnUQS

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) December 21, 2020

MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee spoke to Finland's Kaaos TV about how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed his everyday routine and affected his working life. He said (see video below): "It's been two things. One thing, like for instance doing this interview with you, typically we would probably be on the phone. It's nice that everybody has sort of resorted to, or figured out, doing these Zoom calls. It's just fucking cool. I get to see you, you get to see me — it's way better than the telephone, so that's a bonus. But other than that, the other side of it has been not very different for me, because I don't really leave home that much. I chill out here, I make music, and I don't leave home that much, so it hasn't changed incredibly. Only maybe a little bit on the social part of things — going out to see people at clubs or dinner or whatever, that kind of stuff. But for the most part, a lot of things are kind of the same."

Lee also talked about the importance of investing in yourself and your goals amid the coronavirus crisis.

"I really hope that everybody is taking the good things from this and do make those changes that are maybe necessary," he said. "I really hope so, because I think there's a lot of good coming from it. But I guess that's up to the individual and how they use it in their life. I think it's gotten a lot of people to slow down and realize a whole lot of things that they maybe overlooked or just not paid that much attention to. So I hope that we do learn. I know I have."

Lee's new solo album, "Andro", is due on October 16. The first two singles from the collection, "Knock Me Down" and "Tops" were released in early June. Lee's third single, "Demon Bitches", was the next step in the theme of "Andro" being the male and female sides of music, equal in power and status. Androgyny is a combination of the essences of male and female genders and the album is the manifestation of the concept.

"It's frustrating to let people hear a song or two at a time," Lee told Alternative Press. "I'm like, "Fuck. I want to see it come out already! There's so much badass shit on the record. It's a killer record. I'm really proud of it."

Other features on the record include a Prince cover from Lukas Rossi (ROCKSTAR SUPERNOVA), Josh Todd (BUCKCHERRY), Mickey Avalon and more.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's "The Stadium Tour" with DEF LEPPARD, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS " was originally scheduled to take place this past summer but ended up being pushed back to 2021 due to the pandemic.

Leslie West, born Leslie Weinstein, passed away on December 23rd. The iconic guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and storyteller has left a legacy that to this day is celebrated by peers and fans across the world. Savatage / Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist Chris Caffery has posted the following tribute to West.

"Our all star band of angels has yet another member.

Leslie West was someone I knew on and off for many years. Mostly through friends. On our second Beethoven’s Last Night tour with TSO he showed up in Mississippi to play 'Mississippi Queen' with us. Al Pitrelli had known Leslie for a long time as well as me. I spent most of that day hanging out with him at the hotel and on our bus. He was literally such a huge influence to so many of us. When I was 16 my club band with my brother called Anti opened for Mountain. This was at a rock club called JB’s Rock 3 in Middletown, New York. That day Leslie spent a lot of time showing me how he had his sounds together. Also one of the multiple times he schooled me on his picking technique. That was one of my most memorable shows with that childhood band. 'Never In My Life' was actually a song that was usually in my band's line set: that night we obviously didn’t play it! Over 35 years ago I first met and shared a stage and a gig with this incredible musician.
 
That day in Mississippi he was asking me again if I worked on that picking technique of his since the last time I saw him. The way a pick could talk and squeal different ways . Priceless knowledge from a true legend. 

He had also taught a good friend of mine for years how to play. Al B Romano. We did that Sun Red Sun record together. Al B was given a Gibson V by Leslie. The white Korina V you just saw in the live stream happens to be that guitar. When Al B was teaching me some of the things his mentors showed him he passed that V onto me! 

Rest In Peace, my friend. You were such an inspiration and a blessing to all of us guitarists. A genuinely kind soul with that priceless smile and incredible sense of humor.  

The Heavens will definitely be smiling and laughing when you walk through that gate!" 

Weinstein was born in New York City, and first emerged in the scene as a member of The Vagrants. A few years later he and Felix Pappalardi formed Mountain, a band that was amongst the first to pioneer the genre later to become known as heavy metal. Hits that include “Mississippi Queen,” “Theme From An Imaginary Western,” and others established an indelible voice and guitar tone that remains legendary to this day. In 1969, West brought his presence to the stage at Woodstock.

As the decade turned, he formed West, Bruce and Laing with his band-mate from Mountain drummer Corky Laing and Cream’s Jack Bruce. In, 1971 West contributed to The Who’s Who’s Next sessions in the city, performances which can be heard on the 1995 and 2003 reissues of that cornerstone album.

Alongside his significant contribution to pop culture as the face of Mountain, West appeared in films that include Family Honor (1973) and The Money Pit (1986).  He was a regular guest on the Howard Stern Show, and over the course of decades remained a periodic visitor alongside enjoying a decades-long friendship with the talk show host.

West was inducted in to the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and appeared on dozens of other recordings from a vast universe of artists. Samples of his performances lived a secondary life on the masters of a who’s who of hip-hop and rap stars.

The guitarist is renowned for helping popularize the Gibson Les Paul Jr. model with P-90 pick-ups to create a tone that is undisputedly his own. More recently, he enjoyed a long relationship with Dean Guitars, releasing several signature models.

Leslie West is survived by his wife Jenni, whom he married on stage after Mountain’s performance at the Woodstock 40th Anniversary concert in Bethel, NY on August 15, 2009. And, brother Larry and nephew Max.

From 1964 through today, few artists have left a more significant mark on music as we know it. Guitarists across the globe together will unite in sadness as the world says goodbye to a true original.

Stay tuned, as tributes to Leslie West are expected to pour in over the coming hours and days. Everyone here at BraveWords offer our sincere condolences to all of Leslie West's family, friends, and fans. R.I.P.

(Photo - Justin Borucki)

During an appearance on a recent episode of "The Ron Keel Podcast", acclaimed hard rock singer Jeff Scott Soto (SONS OF APOLLO, TALISMAN, JOURNEY, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) was asked how he feels about that "fine line" that artists always have to walk between speaking their minds on political issues and entertaining. He responded (hear audio below): "It's kind of in the same context of 'know the gig, keep the gig.' I realized there's too much divisiveness or dividing of thoughts and feelings and emotions. And I'm not one to stop being a friend or stop talking to a family member because their views are different than mine — unless you're talking about pedophilia, unless you're talking about something so extreme, like, 'Well, I believe Charlie Manson was a prophet.' That's where I kind of draw the line. But when it comes to religious, gender, political views, if you're my friend, you're my friend. And you're my friend because I like you as a person, not because you follow the same team, so to speak. And this is what I feel is a big problem."

He continued: "I hate the fact that we can't speak our voice, we can't make our voices heard, because people just want us to just shup up and sing: 'We don't care about your views.' Well, hang on. What makes [you] think I care about your views? You're a fan, you're somebody who buys my music, you're somebody who listens to me. I don't wanna hear your political views either, but I have to, because you seem to throw it at me when I try to make a statement that has nothing to do with politics.

"I posted the other day about my love for the Lakers, and I'm so happy the Lakers brought home the championship, and I got blasted. Because the Lakers and the NBA decided to run on the whole 'Black Lives Matter' platform, that automatically means that I'm a left-wing extremist, because I'm following their platform and I accept it, and if I were on the right wing, I would have told them to take a hike.

"You're going into my head without even knowing who and what I am," Jeff added. "I'm excited and I'm celebrating a moment, and you're crapping on it, because you think I'm trying to make a political statement. So this is why I personally have just backed off from it, because I realize, especially at my level — I'm not at the level of Bono or Eddie Van Halen or Brian May where if I drop even 50 percent of my fanbase, I'm gonna be okay. If I drop 50 percent of my fanbase, I might as well go start working at a gas station."

Jeff went on to reiterate that he can still have a relationship with people who have opposing political views.

"I tell my friends, 'Listen, as long as you don't have a problem with it, I don't,'" he said. "Even when it does come up, we kind of joke and share the laugh of, 'You're an idiot. There's no way you can believe this.' And this is without saying anything about who I'm talking about or what I'm talking about. Forget about the politics. I'm saying in general, you can agree to disagree and still love one another, and that's one thing that I really feel is missing right now in the world."

Last month, KEEL frontman — and "The Ron Keel Podcast" host — Ron Keel defended Donald Trump against accusations that the president's rhetoric is to blame for the divisiveness and unrest in the United States. The singer, who had previously tweeted in support of Trump's policies, took to the social media platform to comment on the fact that there has been more discord between Republicans and Democrats in our time than there has been in generations. He wrote: "And of course, like everything else, this is @realDonaldTrump 's fault. #BS Elections don't divide people. Beliefs don't divide people. WEAKNESS divides people."

Soto's new solo album, "Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)", was released on November 6 via Frontiers Music Srl.

The $900 billion stimulus bill that President Trump finally signed into law on Sunday evening includes funding for independent music venues that have been closed throughout the pandemic. The long-overdue $900 billion stimulus deal bill includes "$15 billion in dedicated funding for live venues, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions," according to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Earlier today, FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl — whose band played a very special acoustic set this past October in support of the Save Our Stages act — took to the FOO FIGHTERS social media to write: "A huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported the Save Our Stages Act, which passed yesterday as a part of the economic stimulus bill.

"The preservation of America's smaller, independent venues is not only crucial to the millions of concert goers whose lives are bettered by experiencing their favorite artists in the flesh, but to the future of music itself, as it gives the next generation of young musicians a place to cut their teeth, hone their craft, and grow into the voices of tomorrow.

"The absence of live music this year has left us all longing for that communal feeling of connection, one that is best felt when joined in a song. The Save Our Stages Act brings us one step closer to sharing that feeling again, one that I hope we can all experience again very soon. Everyday we're one step closer.

"See you there, Dave".

Small live music and entertainment venues have been hard-hit during the coronavirus pandemic, with 90 percent of venue owners, promoters, and bookers previously reporting they were at risk of closing without additional financial assistance and an estimated $9 billion in losses.

When FOO FIGHTERS played the aforementioned five-song set at Los Angeles's iconic Troubadour, Grohl spoke of the importance of Save Our Stages, saying: "It's crucial that we do everything we can to make sure that these venues survive in order to inspire the next generation of musicians to go on and do beautiful things with their lives like make music. So please donate anything you can, 'cause we're really hoping that we can save these smaller venues."

Grohl also shared memories of his own experiences playing smaller venues, including the Troubadour, saying: "As you've heard from all the stories we've told, each of us has had some pretty amazing experiences in this club, but there are lots of smaller venues like this around the world that need your support right now.

"These memories and experiences that we have here were life-changing and formative experiences that inspired us to play music. I can only imagine there are millions and millions of other people just like us that have done the same and it's made their lives a better place."




Thank You. #SaveOurStages @nivassoc pic.twitter.com/kD95iUmanw

— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) December 28, 2020

ALTER BRIDGE guitarist Mark Tremonti spoke to "The Jasta Show" about his plans to make a new album with his TREMONTI solo project.

"I'm gonna record in November and December and then just kind of sit on it until it's ready to go," Mark said (see video below). 'Cause we still have a lot of ALTER BRIDGE touring to do. Hopefully with COVID, we're pretty much just pushing pause when it all started, and we can just push play again and continue to tour the way it needed to be. And then maybe come out with a TREMONTI record late next year."

TREMONTI's next disc will once again be recorded at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who has previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH, among others.

Earlier in the month, Tremonti told Myglobalmind that he was "14 songs deep" into the songwriting process for the new TREMONTI LP. "I would get to about 20 songs before deciding which ones will make the final cut," he explained. "It's not a question of which songs are good or bad; it's which work and have a good dynamic range."

Speaking about the musical direction of the new TREMONTI material and how it compares to ALTER BRIDGE, Mark said: "It has heavier elements, and it definitely has some of the moody, atmospheric stuff like ALTER BRIDGE. The TREMONTI band's rhythm section stands apart from ALTER BRIDGE, and any type of speed metal that I bring into TREMONTI might not necessarily fit into ALTER BRIDGE. Our vocal couldn't be any more different. Myles is a seasoned tenor, and I'm almost a baritone. That's the big difference in how the two bands sound different."

TREMONTI is comprised of Mark on vocals/guitars, Eric Friedman on guitars, Ryan Bennett on drums and Tanner Keegan on bass.

The band's fourth album, "A Dying Machine", was released in June 2018 via Napalm Records. The disc was produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who had helmed all previous TREMONTI albums along with ALTER BRIDGE's last five long-players.

TREMONTI's third album, "Dust", was released in April 2016 via Fret 12.

"Dust", which was recorded during same sessions as 2015's "Cauterize", featured Wolfgang Van Halen on bass.

Although Wolfgang Van Halen was part of TREMONTI's touring band in 2013 and played on "Dust" and "Cauterize", he sat out TREMONTI's tour schedule because of commitments with VAN HALEN.

Ted Nugent says that he will refuse to be vaccinated against the new coronavirus.

The outspoken conservative rocker, who has previously railed against pharmaceutical companies and their development of the vaccine, made his feelings known during a December 25 live video on his official Facebook page.

Describing 2020 as a "royal clusterfuck of a year," Nugent stated about the prospect of vaccine requirements, as well as mask mandates: "We don't earmark a safety net during a scamming pandemic. It's not a real pandemic, and that's not a real vaccine. I'm sorry. I ain't taking no vaccine. You come at me with a needle, and I will be in fear of my life, and you know what I'll do if you come at me with a needle. 'Hi, I'm from the government. This needle is good for you.' Fuck you!"

This is not the first time that Nugent has offered his thoughts on a potential coronavirus vaccine. In late November, he shared a meme of what Homer Simpson would look like in "real life" along with the caption: "First person received the new vaccine… He said he feels great." Ted wrote in an accompanying message: "Hey soulless tyranical bureaucrat punkass power abusing assholes come at me with a needle and I will take it out of your hands and shove it up your ass. Any questions? Dial 1-800numbnut and Michael Moore will explain how personal hygiene is overrated. Fuck you and your bullshit vaccine."

This past August, Nugent repeated a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggested the official death count from the coronavirus was inflated.

"Here's what the guitar player wants," he said. "I wanna see a list of dead Americans, January, February, March, April, May, June, July of 2017. I wanna see a list of dead Americans, those months, for 2018. Of any deaths — all deaths. 'Cause that's what they're doing. You can get stabbed to death by a paroled murderer, and they'll claim you died of the communist Chinese virus. We've heard it from the doctors. We've heard it from health departments who were told, 'You can't say he died of a heart attack. You've gotta put COVID-19.'

"I wanna the list of dead Americans for the last five years, for the first six months of each year, and compare it to how many are dying this year," he continued. "And I have one big battle cry that resonates across this country: bullshit. They are lying. The CDC? Liars. The FBI? Liars. USDA? Liars. The Bureau Of Land Management? Liars. The USDA? Liars. You cannot trust any of the government's alphabet bureaucracies. They are entrenched in that deep state leftover Democrat, lying, scamming gang. And until Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and Lois Lerner and Susan Rice and Loretta Lynch and Eric Holder are in jail, America will not trust the United States government. You can write that down. You can transcribe what I just said and call me a radical, and you'd be correct. Because I'm radical for justice, and I'm not seeing it."

As of Monday morning, almost 2 million Americans have received the first dose of either Pfizer or Moderna's two-dose COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly 10 million doses have been distributed to states, the CDC reports.

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading member of the Trump administration's Coronavirus Task Force and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the country will need to reach a 80-85% rate immunity to achieve so-called herd immunity.




Posted by Ted Nugent on Friday, December 25, 2020



Hey soulless tyranical bureaucrat punkass power abusing assholes come at me with a needle and I will take it out of your...

Posted by Ted Nugent on Friday, November 27, 2020

Magnus: Polish Deathrash legends’ cult album “Scarlet Slaughterer” to be released on CD via Awakening Records.

A classic masterpiece of East-European violence, power, and aggression!

Magnus is one of the pioneers of the Death / Thrash wave in Poland. In the 80s, when Death Metal was born, Magnus blazed a trail of an innovative style of fast and heavy play. The first in Poland and one of the first bands in the world highlighting with music a controversial and rare image.

“Scarlet Slaughterer” was Magnus‘ debut album, originally released in 1989. The killer album will be officially reissued on CD by Awakening Records on 25 December 2020.

The reissue will include a lot of band photos, bonus tracks, and even 3 unpublished tracks, as well as the band biography.

This is a real immortal poem that transcends the times. No mercy. No trends. Only hellish voice and twisted riffs. Sharply, directly, brutally, fast, and uncompromisingly!

Tracklist “Scarlet Slaughterer”:
01. Trash Attack
02. Tomb
03. Pharisee
04. Confession
05. Crosses of War (Parts 1&2)
06. Messenger of Hell
07. Scarlet Slaughterer
08. Man Condemned
09. Destruction
10. Leprosy
11. Rabies
12. Achtung Magnus!!!
TRASH – SPEED – BLOOD [BONUS TRACKS]
13. Trash Attack
14. Spowiedź (Confession)
15. Leprosy
16. Skazaniec (Man Condemned)
17. Destrukcja (Destruction)
18. Achtung Magnus!!!
[UNPUBLISHED TRACKS]
19. Tomb (Live)
20. Pharisee (Live)
21. Achtung Magnus!!! (Live)

After releasing remastered versions of its two albums, “An Angel and the Eternal Silence”, and “The Dawn of Understanding”, My Threnody, the Doom Metal project formed by Jefferson Britto (In Apostasia, ex-Silent Cry) is releasing “Falling”, its first single in 13 years, which gives a preview of what is to come on the band’s forthcoming third album.

About the new track Jefferson said:

I am very excited about the release of this single.
It was a long time working on it, and being able to bring to the fans something new after 13 years is like opening new doors for My Threnody.
There are others tracks ready and if all goes well you can expect a new album soon.