Sugarbowl, the debut album from Shadow & The Thrill, was released in August through Deko Entertainment. 

Recorded in New Orleans, the band embraced the city’s influences to help guide its flavor, with the majority of the production handled by both Tony Montana (guitars, vocals, bass and harmonica) and Brentt Arcement (drums, B3 organ), with Jack Miele and Cedrick Courtois engineering the album, and the iconic Grammy award winning Sylvia Massey (Johnny Cash) overseeing the mix.

Tony had this to say about the new video and song "Ready To Roll", “There’s nothing quite like sitting with just an acoustic guitar, and having to develop a song with you and your guitar having to be the chordal and rhythm section all at once. 'Ready To Roll' started as just a groove on my acoustic and then it grew into a monster. I told Sylvia Massy when I watched her mix this one, that this was my 'one real indulgence' on the album. I had SUCH FUN doing all the guitars and talk-box, and bass. I was kinda bummed when it was done!  Brentt does a great job building the song, and Jack Miele really pushed the envelope with the layering of people and parts. It’s my guilty pleasure on the album.”

Sugarbowl artwork and tracklisting:

“Lovesong”
“Misery”
“The Grind”
“Sugarbowl”
“Ready To Roll”
“Just Enough”
“Crazy”
“Mississippi”
“Unaware”
“Sugarbowl” (acoustic, LP only)

 




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Melodic rockers, Unruly Child, return with their new album, Our Glass House, on December 4. The group, in its constant state of evolution, has generated an exciting new album reflecting its musical roots in contemporary and classic rock. For long-time fans of the band, this is a crucial entry in the Unruly Child discography and for melodic rock fans unfamiliar with the band, this is a wonderful entry point.

For a taste of the album, listen to the song "Underwater" below. Pre-order/save Our Glass House here.

After disbanding around 1993, the legendary melodic hard rock quintet Unruly Child reunited to produce a brand new album for Frontiers Records in 2010, with subsequent releases following in 2014, 2017, and 2019. Marcie Michelle Free (vocalist - King Kobra, Signal), Bruce Gowdy (guitarist - Stone Fury, World Trade), and Guy Allison (keyboardist - Lodgic, World Trade, Doobie Brothers) are now back together again for their new album, Our Glass House. Joined by legendary fretless bass player Tony Franklin (ex-Blue Murder, The Firm) on bass, Unruly Child have written and recorded a stunning new album that continues the hot streak they have been on. The album is going to be nothing short of a true delight for all AOR/melodic rock lovers.

Since the initial release of the critically acclaimed "Unruly Child", the band continued to release music through other projects. Marcie Michelle Free is one of the finest singers of the melodic rock genre. She first released a solo record as Mark Free, entitled Long Way From Love, in 1993 and then another solo record as Marcie Free, Tormented in 1996. Guitarist Bruce Gowdy and keyboardist Guy Allison were also quite busy over the years. They produced two more Unruly Child records without Free and participated on another World Trade album with drummer Jay Schellen. They have also pursued other projects and their reputation as writers, performers, and arrangers is second to none with their experience of working with the likes of Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Bobby Kimball (Toto), Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs, Air Supply, and The Moody Blues.



Tracklisting:

"Poison Ivy"
"Say What You Want"
"Our Glass House"
"Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead"
"Talked You Out Of Loving Me"
"Underwater"
"Catch Up To Yesterday"
"Freedom Is A Fight"
"The Wooden Monster"
"Here To Stay"
"To Be Your Everything 2020"
"Let’s Talk About Love 2020"

"Underwater":

Napalm Records welcomes a unique new discovery from the depths of the metal underground to its growing roster. The world’s very first black metal band incorporating the feral, desolate sounds of classic, old western cinematics - Untamed Land - has just inked a worldwide record deal with the premier rock and metal label.

Untamed Land explores yet uncharted territory, evoking the sound and atmosphere of classic Spaghetti Western soundtracks with a crushing black metal foundation. Based in Akron, Ohio (US), Patrick Kern, the exceptional mind behind Untamed Land, merges the seemingly infinite sonic environment of the Wild West with crushing rhythms and the sweeping force of cinematic scores à la Ennio Morricone.

Now, after releasing their debut album, Between The Winds, in 2018, Untamed Land is currently working on their second full-length album - more to be announced soon.

Patrick Kern of Untamed Land states: “I'm incredibly honored and excited to be working with this legendary label. Napalm Records has worked with so many amazing bands and has been an enduring part of the story of metal music. To have the opportunity to be a part of this legacy is absolutely unbelievable and I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported this project. Stay tuned for a new adventure coming soon.”

Napalm Records A&R Sebastian Muench states: “Untamed Land is one of the most exciting new bands we came across in recent years and is a perfect blend of Summoning, Caladan Brood with a touch of a post-apocalyptic world feel in the style of the Marshall Bravestarr TV-series. Welcome to the Napalm family!”

For a vision of what lies ahead, check out the outstanding debut album, Between The Winds, below:

Armored Saint recently released their eighth full-length album, Punching The Sky, via Metal Blade Records. The album has landed on the worldwide charts.



UK Charts
#33 - Independent Chart
#15 - Rock & Metal Chart

North American Charts
#4 - Current Hard Music Albums
#6 - Top New Artists
#16 - Top Independent Albums
#17 - Current Rock Albums
#28 - Internet Albums
#33 - Billboard Top Current Albums
#35 - Current Digital Albums
#39 - Billboard Top Albums

Canadian Charts
#8 - Hard Music Albums
#67 - Top Current Albums
#92 - Billboard Top Albums

European Charts
#12 - Germany
#23 - Switzerland
#40 - Finland (Physical Album)
#58 - Austria
#74 - Flanders (Region of Belgium)
#86 - Netherlands
#183 - France

Order Punching The Sky here.

Two Minutes To Late Night is back with another cover, this time taking on "Of A Lifetime", the opening track of Journey's self-title debut album, released in April 1975.

A message states: "Journey, but it's not where we get our sick shoes or that song from Family Guy. When Kurt Ballou (Converge, producer of every metal album you love from the past two decades) says he wants to cover the literal first Journey song you know he's gonna make it shred!

"This is our 29th bedroom cover made with the support of Patreon. With so many musicians stuck at home with no outlets, we're going to keep producing these style videos and use Patreon to give some money to everyone who has a part in them. Please support our friends by donating to our newly redone Patreon at honorableswords.com."

This cover features:

Kurt Ballou (Converge, GodCity Studio ), Stephen Brodsky (Mutoid Man, Cave In, Old Man Gloom), Marrissa Nadler (Solo artist and Droneflower with Mr. Brodsky and Emily Lee), Ian Miller (Kowloon Walled City, Puig Destroyer, Skankin' Pickle), Nick Bellamore (Dee Snyder, Toxic Holocaust, Jasta), Jordan Olds aka Gwarsenio Hall.

Leviathan Records, the label run by guitarist David Chastain, has posted more live footage from the archives.

A message states: "Chastain exploded onto the metal scene with the release of their epic debut album, Mystery Of Illusion, in 1985. Shortly after the release of that album the band met up in Cincinnati, Ohio to play a concert at Bogart's. The band for the show was David T. Chastain on guitar, Leather Leone on vocals, Mike Skimmerhorn on bass, Russell Jinkens on second guitar and Les Sharp on drums.

"The concert was actually a showcase for a major label that Mike Varney had arranged. We recently found this concert on a Beta tape and had it transferred to digital format. Considering the show was 35 years ago and shot on one camera by a fan, it obviously has some technical flaws but we decided to release it for its "historical" importance. Leather's performance alone is worth the price of admission!

"'I Fear No Evil' shows the bands heavy intensity. shows the band's mastery of light and dark dynamics. Mystery Of Illusion has just been reissued on CD by Divebomb Records."

oe Satriani has released the new video below, along with the following message:

"Nili Brosh goes 'Searching' and along the way creates an entirely new melody, complete with up-lifting harmonies! It’s so cool to hear Nili improvise in such an expressive, haunting way."



"At the heart of it is my love for composing unique and moving music for the electric guitar. I love the journey as much as the end result. With this compilation of backing tracks you get to peak behind the curtain a bit and experience that journey as I built the songs in the studio. And, of course, you can play along!" - Joe Satriani

Stripped x Three features full backing tracks from the complete Shapeshifting, Black Swans And Wormhole Wizards and"Is There Love in Space? albums, a special digital compilation booklet with original liner notes and credits and it is all packaged within a replica Joe Satriani Ibanez signature guitar USB stick and custom case. Pre-order here.

In the summer of 2018, Bremen, Germany's Mantar performed at Wacken Open Air for the second time. Watch the band's full performance below.

Setlist:

Intro
"Cult Witness"
"Praise The Plague"
"Into The Goden Abyss"
"Spit"
"Age Of Absurd"
"Cross The Cross"
"Pest Crusade"
"Astral Kannibal"
"The Huntsmen"
"Era Borealis"

Firewind's new self-titled album is out now via AFM Records. Get it here, and find a full album audio stream below.

“Firewind” boasts 11 prime examples of melodic metal songs. The skill, craftsmanship and power bleeds through every note, a passion you can almost taste, with hymnal melodies as a particularly outstanding feature.



Tracklisting:

"Welcome To The Empire"
"Devour"
"Rising Fire"
"Break Away"
"Orbitual Sunrise"
"Longing To Know You"
"Perfect Stranger"
"Overdrive"
"All My Life"
"Space Cowboy"
"Kill The Pain"

Album stream:

Brent Woods, who plays guitar in Sebastian Bach's solo band, has been diagnosed with a rare type of leukemia called hairy cell leukemia (HCL).

Woods revealed his health battle in a Facebook post earlier today (Monday, November 9).

He wrote: "This is NOT a sympathy post but more of an awareness post. I haven't told many people about this but the word has spread a bit and I'm getting a lot of concerned messages. I don't post much but felt this is the easiest way to respond to everyone.

"Yes, I was recently diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia called HCL. Approximately 1,200 people are diagnosed every year, it's not hereditary and experts say they don't know how one gets it.

"I start chemotherapy treatment today.

"I want everyone that reads this post to please go get your bloodwork done. I had NO idea I had this until I did. I had NO symptoms whatsoever. In fact , the only reason I got my bloodwork done was because I went to get a covid antibody test in May and my Dr. said 'It's been a while since we've seen all your bloodwork, so while you're here let's do it all'. I did and it showed a lot of my levels were alarmingly low. After months of testing, treatments and bone marrow biopsies with my hematologist, I was diagnosed with leukemia.

"I'm fortunate to have great medical insurance and I know some of you don't have insurance at all but it doesn't cost much to get your bloodwork done. It could possibly not only save your life but save you a lot of money in the long run.

"GO GET YOUR BLOODWORK DONE!!!

"As for me, I'm going to kick the shit out of this thing!!! I refuse not to!!!"

According to Cancer Treatment Centers Of America, HCL is caused when bone marrow makes too many B cells (lymphocytes), a type of white blood cell that fights infection. As the number of leukemia cells increases, fewer healthy white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets are produced. This type of leukemia gets its name from the way the cells look under the microscope — with fine fragments that make them look "hairy."

Born and raised in Burbank, California, Woods started playing the guitar at the age of 12 and was a student of the legendary Randy Rhoads. He was signed to Capitol Records in 1990 with his Los Angeles-based group WILDSIDE. Brent has played and performed guitar for artists such as Vince Neil of MÖTLEY CRÜE, as well as Tony- and Emmy Award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth from the Broadway musical "Wicked". He has also worked on many films and TV shows.


This is NOT a sympathy post but more of an awareness post. I haven’t told many people about this but the word has spread...

Posted by Brent Woods on Monday, November 9, 2020

Razor, Canada's legendary thrash metal icons, return with the reissue of their classic 1984 debut EP, Armed & Dangerous, and the highly sought-after 2011 live album, Live! Osaka Saikou 大阪最, which is available in full for the very first time as a 2xLP. Witness one of thrash metal's most unrelenting bands, from their beginnings as an undeniable raw force, to a band harnessing the height of their powers on the live stage.

Armed & Dangerous (CD/LP/CS) and Live! Osaka Saikou 大阪最 (CD/2xLP/CS) physical reissues are available January 15 via Relapse Records. Pre-order here.

Listen to Armed & Dangerous on all streaming services here, and Live! Osaka Saikou 大阪最 here.

Regarding the reissues, Razor comments: “Razor is extremely excited about working with Relapse Records on the new re-issues of Armed and Dangerous and Live Osaka Saikou. We are building on a 10 year relationship with Relapse, regarding both merchandising and previous releases. We know that the working symmetry between the band and label is amazing and will no doubt create an excellent partnership moving forward.”



Armed & Dangerous tracklisting:

"The End"
"Killer Instinct"
"Hot Metal"
"Armed And Dangerous"
"Take This Torch"
"Ball And Chain"
"Fast And Loud"
"Ball And Chain" (Demo)
"Hot Metal" (Demo)
"Take This Torch" (Demo)
"Killer Instinct" (Demo)
"Fast And Loud" (Demo)
"Armed And Dangerous" (Demo)



Live! Osaka Saikou 大阪 tracklisting:

"Instant Death" (Live)
"Iron Hammer" (Live)
"Violent Restitution" (Live)
"Tear Me To Pieces" (Live)
"Parricide" (Live)
"Behind Bars" (Live)
"Speed Merchants" (Live)
"Nowhere Fast" (Live)
"Cross Me Fool" (Live)
"Concussion" (Live)
"Stabbed In The Back" (Live)
"Shotgun Justice" (Live)
"Electric Torture" (Live)
"Brass Knuckles" (Live)
"Soldier Of Fortune" (Live)
"Take This Torch" (Live)
"Evil Invaders" (Live)
"The Pugilist" (Live)

Metal band Meridian Dawn have released their new single, a cover of Björk's "Pagan Poetry" today through BraveWords!

"When Nick first presented the idea of covering this song I was a bit skeptical at first. But after hearing his complete reconstruction of the original I was hooked! We made it into an M.D song which was not an easy thing to do" says Antony Hämäläinen.

Nick Ziros adds, "Pagan Poetry was something I decided we should take on as a little challenge. This song is filled with beautiful melodies and we thought, "hey, lets see if we could rework this tune into our style." I'm super stoked with the way it turned out, especially the phenomenal drumming provided by Janne Jaloma (Dark Funeral, Night Crowned)."

Meridian Dawn, founded in December of 2012, cover the musical grounds between death and melodic metal. However, this is not a band that appeals to the typical “metal clichés” but, instead, encompass a sound and aesthetic that’s all its own. Formed originally as a side project by vocalist Antony Hämäläinen (Nightrage, Armageddon, Crystal Tears) and guitarist/bassist Nick Ziros (Into The Moat, Remembering Never), the band immediately began writing and recording their debut EP. The Mixtape EP was produced in Skövde, Sweden by Thomas “Plec” Johansson and released in 2014. It received positive reviews for its heaviness, clean production, and raw attitude, a full frontal attack that was more than enough to prepare everyone for the beauty and savagery of the band’s debut album.

On July 21, 2020 the band released a full length record The Fever Syndrome via Seeing Red Records. Longtime drummer Johan Nunez (Nightrage, Kamelot, Marty Friedman, Firewind), the only familiar face from the band’s debut EP provides a stellar and versatile drum performance that compliments the varied, yet cohesive, song writing. Engineered and mixed by Meridian Dawn and mastered once again by Jeff Cloyes (311, Lauren Hill, Plies, Bishop, Remembering Never), The Fever Syndrome is available in both digital streaming and limited deluxe digi-pack edition via Seeing Red Records.

Purchase The Fever Syndrome here.




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In the latest issue of U.K.'s Uncut magazine, METALLICA's Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett discus the making of the band's multi-platinum self-titled 1991 album, also known as "The Black Album".

Although METALLICA had scored their first radio and video airplay with their previous effort, 1988's "...And Justice For All", the black album was the band's biggest commercial breakthrough, producing five singles and making them into one of the most popular rock bands in the world.

"When we were done with '…And Justice For All' and the subsequent two-year tour, there was no place to go on that path," Ulrich told Mojo. "We'd hit the wall. The last song on that album is a song called 'Dyers Eve' and it's six or seven minutes of the most crazy progressive off-the-wall stuff METALLICA is capable of doing. After playing all those songs on the road for a couple of years, we said, 'There's got to be a reset here.'"

Added Hammett: "It wasn't easy to make, as we wanted a certain sound on that album. We wanted everything to be the best it possibly could be, sound-wise, song-wise and performance-wise, and so we went in and — I'll probably be the first person to mention this — we wanted to come up with a 'Back In Black', an LP stacked with singles. That was the concept, songs which sound like singles but aren't. "

Continued Lars: "We sat down and thought about the MISFITS, AC/DC and THE [ROLLING] STONES. We thought about the art of simplifying and writing shorter songs. It's harder to write a short song than a long song and harder to be succinct. The new challenge was to write shorter songs. A little more bounce, to make the music more physical than cerebral.

The album was the first of four collaborations with producer Bob Rock, with whom the band clashed throughout the recording of the disc.

"Rock had recently worked with THE CULT, MÖTLEY CRÜE and BON JOVI and had a different approach to sonics," Lars recalled. "We were interested in having our records be a little bigger and more impactful. That was the next significant thing. We've never been in the studio with someone who was challenging us in the way he was. The good news was Bob was very encouraging of us expanding our processes. The bad news was we were not very open to having anyone tell us what to do.

"When we walked out of the studio a year later with the 'Black Album' in our pockets, I don't think any of us thought we'd see each other again," Ulrich admitted. "But we ended up spending the next 10-12 years making records together. It was a love affair, but it got off to a rocky start. But thankfully he pushed and challenged us. He didn't accept our refusal to be experimental and to cast the net wider."

You can read about the making of eight more METALLICA albums in the December 2020 issue of Uncut, out now, with Bruce Springsteen on the cover.

In 2014, "Metallica" became the first album to sell 16 million copies since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking sales in 1991.

"Metallica" in 2009 surpassed SHANIA TWAIN's 1997 record, "Come On Over", as the best-selling CD of the SoundScan era.

METALLICA performed the black album in its entirety at a number of European festivals in 2012.




The new @UncutMagazine is out now! Stars @springsteen, @jonimitchell, Fleet Foxes, @paulwellerHQ, @Metallica, @KimletGordon, @TheDoors, @toddrundgren, @SonghoyBlues, @ElvisCostello, @davedavieskinks + a free 15 track CD! Buy a copy here: https://t.co/Rs5CtGvNOE pic.twitter.com/6rJqM6VTvB

— Uncut Magazine (@uncutmagazine) October 18, 2020

Last month, AC/DC released "Shot In The Dark", the first single from the band's long-awaited comeback album, "Power Up", which is due on November 13. The follow-up to 2014's "Rock Or Bust" features AC/DC's reunited lineup of Brian Johnson (vocals), Phil Rudd (drums), Cliff Williams (bass), Angus Young (guitar) and Stevie Young (guitar). Johnson and Williams both left in 2016 for health reasons; and Rudd was sidelined in 2015 with various legal issues.

In a new interview with Radio.com, Angus spoke about the songwriting process for "Power Up" and the contributions of his late brother, founding AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, who died in 2017 from effects of dementia at age 64. Malcolm is credited as a writer on all 12 tracks on "Power Up".

Angus said (see video below): "All the hard work was done before we got [to the studio to begin recording]. A lot of the songs, Malcolm and myself, we had worked on. These were songs that we had been working through the years. And it was a case of getting these songs out. And I wanted to make sure that I had a lot of good tracks that Mal really liked.

"Any time we ever went to do an album, we went for the most current songs that we had," he explained. "They [were] the most current, and that's what we usually released. But in this case, because I had a bit of time, I'd go through and go back and get together all of these tracks and go through them. I've got a great collection of tracks that especially Malcolm really liked, and I thought this is the ideal chance to get those tracks down and get them out there to the public."

Asked if it was important for him to pick songs Malcolm liked to include on "Power Up", Angus said: "Yeah, that was my guiding force. Me and him, we'd spent so much time writing songs together, so I had a good idea of what he really liked. Plus whenever we worked on stuff, he kept a lot of notes, any lyric ideas he had. So I had a good roadmap to work with. And I know a lot of those songs he really liked very much — they were strong songs that, when we had been working on 'em, Mal always thought these are the tracks that we should get out there."

Angus went on to say that his brother was particulary good at keeping track of all the musical and lyrical ideas.

"Malcolm was pretty organized with a lot of stuff," he said. "He was more organized than me. When we worked together, the two of us, he'd pick up a guitar, but Mal would take notes and put dates and when it was done. So he was always a little bit more together. But I'd keep notebooks; I've always kept notebooks of song ideas and song lyrics. I've always kept that part together. A lot of songs, I've got 'em all marked up. I know where to look for when I'm going through [stuff]; I've got everything marked up and boxed up."

Asked if there is still a "mountain" of AC/DC material that's never come out, Angus said: "Oh, yeah. If I went through [all the boxes], there's a lot of ideas that were [recorded] through our career. The hard part is just keeping up with the technology of that time. Because in a lot of the early years, when cassettes mainly came around, you were using a lot of early cassettes. And then from that point, then when it went into CDs, we were using that. A lot of people go to their computers, but we'd pretty [stuck to] the CD world. We may have a few DAT tapes and other formats — ADATs and stuff like that."

Malcolm, who co-founded AC/DC with Angus in 1973, died three years ago after suffering from failing health for several years. His condition forced him to leave the band in 2014, with his nephew Stevie Young stepping into Malcolm's position.

The follow-up to 2014's "Rock Or Bust", "Power Up" was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked 2008's "Black Ice" and "Rock Or Bust".

In a new interview with "The Jasta Show", SEVENDUST singer Lajon Witherspoon spoke about how the group's music has evolved over the past two and a half decades and how he and his bandmates are influenced and inspired by things going on around them.

He said (see video below): "I feel like we've done music enough to where now, at this time, people say, 'SEVENDUST's heavy. They're nu metal. They're rock. They're soft,' or whatever — I don't care; we've done it. We can do heavy. We can do it all.

"I cannot continue to do the same music over and over again. We're all growing as artists, as men. We're not those same kids. I was 21 years old when I signed [my first] record deal. I didn't have a care in the world. I didn't care if I had a house, 'cause I all I wanted to do is get on the road. Then all of a sudden, life changed. I got a wife. Then I had babies. And I became a father. And then my music changed, because we're not mad anymore. We are pissed off — we're still hard as hell — but guess what? We're daddies. We go take the damn trash out [when we are at home]. That kind of thing right there, I feel like, helps me be a better artist, because I feel like when we're out there always on the road and you're never really coming home, I don't have anything to write about, because my life is just that.

"I need this [time at home]," he continued. "I need to look at my next-door neighbor and say, 'That dude is a douchebag,' to have all those different things… Life —I guess it's life, in a sense. And that's what I need to be able to continue to be an artist. And I feel like even looking at the bad side of what's going on in the world today that us artists are able to be creative right now in this time, and maybe not write the happiest songs, but we can definitely have an outlet right now."

SEVENDUST's 13th studio album, "Blood & Stone", was 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.

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 took part in its first-ever livestream and its only show of 2020: "Sevendust: Live In Your Living Room".

In a new interview with TalkRADIO's Kevin O'Sullivan Show, QUEEN's Brian May was asked what it was like to stand next to Freddie Mercury on stage every night during the band's heyday. He responded (hear audio below): "Challenging and always entertaining. He was a very unpredictable guy, but wonderful to work with. He had a great spatial awareness, and that's something very important. If you're working with people on a stage, you need to have musical contact, but you also need the kind of physical chemistry going on — the awareness of where you are and where you're aiming your energy. Freddie was wonderful for that, and we just clicked from the very beginning. From the days when he was very much a training singer, but he had all the presentation, he had that connection, and it was his amazing kind of skill that he managed to bring himself up to the point where he was using his talent to the best end. He really did work on himself. He was an incredible self-made man."

Asked what the highlight was from QUEEN's time with Mercury, May said: "Well, you'd have to say Live Aid. And it was so strange kind of reliving it for the ['Bohemian Rhapsody'] movie recently. They recreated it so incredibly faithfully, and to be there on that set was really spine chilling; it brought it all back. And at the time, we weren't aware of what an epoch-making thing it was, really. We came off [stage thinking], 'Well, that went kind of okay.' But we didn't realize that it had made such a lasting impression on the ether. 'Cause it sort of lives on, doesn't it?"

Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987 and battled the disease in private, telling only a select few close friends in the years which followed. He died in November 1991.

Released in November 2018, QUEEN's biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" has become the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time, bringing in more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office. It was also No. 1 biggest-selling film of 2019 on home release.

QUEEN's six-song performance at Live Aid serves as the triumphant finale for "Bohemian Rhapsody", starring Rami Malek as Mercury.

"American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert has been fronting QUEEN on tour since 2012. May told TalkRADIO about the singer: "He can do everything that we need a frontman to do. He's not imitating Freddie, but he's very much a parallel talen in terms of his expertise as a singer."

Lambert, May and drummer Roger Taylor first performed together during "American Idol" in May 2009 for a rendition of "We Are The Champions". They teamed up again in 2011 at the MTV European Music Awards in Belfast, Ireland for an electrifying eight-minute finale of "The Show Must Go On", "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions" and in the summer of 2012, the singer performed a series of shows with QUEEN across Europe as well as dates in Russia, Ukraine and Poland. They have since completed a number of tours and performed at some of the biggest festivals in the world.

QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT released their first-ever live album, "Live Around The World" on October 2 in CD, CD+DVD, CD+Blu-ray and vinyl formats. The set presents a compilation of concert highlights captured the world over personally selected by Taylor, May and Lambert from over 200 shows they have performed with several featured here becoming available for the very first time.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN drummer John Dolmayan has once again defended Donald Trump, saying that the president's opponents "perpetuated and instigated a total shutdown of the economy" in the hopes that it would crash and that Trump would be blamed.

Dolmayan made his comments hours after it was announced that Joe Biden has won the United States presidency by surpassing the 270 Electoral College votes needed to defeat Trump.

Earlier today, Dolmayan wrote the following message on Instagram: "If the will of the American people is that Joe Biden is president then so be it but only if he achieved this without fraud or collusion.

"This president has been under attack for nearly five years by all media both social and otherwise along with massive corporations and the lifelong politicians who have been actively attacking him since he decided to run. Why? He dealt with a worldwide pandemic crisis and a total shutdown of the economy perpetuated and instigated by his opponents in the hopes that our economy would crash and that he would be blamed . Massive violent protests ( they will go away if Biden is elected )that were most certainly instigated by his opposition to destabilize our nation and erode trust in our system.

"If Biden wins all of these protests will disappear and there will be a quick end to the pandemic , don't fall for it.

"You will probably never see another non politician run for this office again ,that is our loss.

"This election is not over nor should it be without complete transparency."

When one of his Instagram followers asked him to clarify if he was saying that the pandemic was caused by Biden and the Democrats, John responded: "not the pandemic , the riots and overlong shutdowns".

In recent months, Dolmayan has praised Trump and has accused Democrats of "demonizing" the president and "blaming him for everything under the sun." The drummer also called Democrats "the true bigots" who "fought to maintain slavery" and were "directly responsible for 70 plus million abortions, a large majority of whom were black."

In September, Dolmayan defended his reasons for voicing his political views that are ideologically opposed to those of SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer Serj Tankian, telling the "Deviant Gentlemen" podcast: "SYSTEM OF A DOWN has a legacy of being left-leaning, which isn't always the case. Serj, of course, is responsible for the lyrics, but they didn't always represent the band in the way that we maybe wanted [them] to. There's four individuals in the band. I don't speak for any of the individuals except for myself, and neither does Serj. But because he had that platform of writing lyrics, the perception was out there that that's how the band felt at all times, where I don't even think Serj necessarily felt those ways at all times. You're supposed to have diversity of opinion even within your own mind, and you should judge things based on information that's presented to you.

"If you're a SYSTEM fan and you gravitate towards the music, you enjoy the music, but you don't necessarily agree with the perceived message, well, where do you go?" he continued. "If you think that Serj is the mouthpiece of the band, which he is, as far as vocally, but not necessarily for ideology, then you have nowhere to go. So I wanted to present a different view and to give kids out there who think differently and who are critical thinkers, not necessarily following the norm, that there is a different option, you can think differently, it's okay to have diversity of opinion, as long as it's done peaceably."

Asked if he has been approached by anybody in the music industry and told to tone down his political rhetoric on social media, John said: "No. My manager, he was just, like, 'Look, maybe you guys are going a little too far' — for both Serj and I. And we did have a private text conversation between me, [our manager] and Serj. And again, I think Serj views himself in a way where he's really doing the right thing. And he really does care about people. And he does a lot for individuals and our nation as well. He's really trying to help people, Serj. I believe he's a good person, inherently. But again, it's that moral high ground that they think they're on — that perceived moral high ground. It kind of blinds them to being open about ideas they might be wrong on."

Dolmayan supports Trump's claim that his administration has done more for the African-American community "than any president since Abraham Lincoln."
























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If the will of the American people is that Joe Biden is president then so be it but only if he achieved this without fraud or collusion. This president has been under attack for nearly five years by all media both social and otherwise along with massive corporations and the lifelong politicians who have been actively attacking him since he decided to run. Why?He dealt with a worldwide pandemic crisis and a total shutdown of the economy perpetuated and instigated by his opponents in the hopes that our economy would crash and that he would be blamed . Massive violent protests ( they will go away if Biden is elected )that were most certainly instigated by his opposition to destabilize our nation and erode trust in our system. If Biden wins all of these protests will disappear and there will be a quick end to the pandemic , don’t fall for it. You will probably never see another non politician run for this office again ,that is our loss. This election is not over nor should it be without complete transparency.

A post shared by John Dolmayan (@johndolmayan_) on Nov 7, 2020 at 10:57am PST

BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski has reacted to the news that Joe Biden has become the new president of the United States, saying "it feels like a big fuckin' relief."

Biden amassed 273 Electoral College votes after winning Pennsylvania's 20 electors, surpassing the 270 needed to win the White House and defeat President Donald Trump.

Earlier today, Nergal shared a political cartoon of Trump being launched with a slingshot by the Statue Of Liberty, and he included the following message: "Soooo?! This is it? I saw the CNN announcement and it feels like a big fuckin' relief honestly. Why it is a relief for a Polish guy from the other side of the globe? I tell u right away: it's a light in the end of a tunnel that MAYBE era of barrators, opportunists, notorious liers is not finished but will be significantly limited!

"Change in one country can inspire and resound in another to push things further and start a 'revolution'. If the cause is right, people will follow eventually. But FIRST they MUST get up from their knees. I see a big parallel between the nature of Polish and American government and few others that do NOT appeal to my expectations. Poland's next.

"FUCK THE SYSTEM coz the system ain't working!"

Prior to becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Biden served as vice president under former President Barack Obama. He is also Delaware's longest-serving senator.

Before Biden's win was made official, Trump was seen arriving at his golf course in Virginia Saturday. He later tweeted several unsubstantiated allegations of massive voter fraud and irregularities, writing: "I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!"

Following Biden's win, Trump issued a statement saying: "The simple fact is this election is far from over. Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor.

"Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated," Trump added.

Several legal analysts have told CNN that the series of lawsuits the Trump campaign has announced in multiple states amount to longshot legal arguments focusing on thin claims or affecting such a small portion of votes that they wouldn't decide the presidential election.
























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Soooo?! This is it? I saw the CNN announcement and it feels like a big fuckin’ relief honestly. Why it is a relief for a Polish guy from the other side of the globe? I tell u right away: it’s a light in the end of a tunnel that MAYBE era of barrators, opportunists, notorious liers is not finished but will be significantly limited! Change in one country can inspire and resound in another to push things further and start a “revolution”. If the cause is right, people will follow eventually. But FIRST they MUST get up from their knees. I see a big parallel between the nature of Polish and American government and few others that do NOT appeal to my expectations. Poland’s next. FUCK THE SYSTEM coz the system ain’t working!???

A post shared by Adam Nergal Darski (@nergal69) on Nov 7, 2020 at 10:12am PST

LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe has reacted to the news that Joe Biden has become the new president of the United States, saying he hopes hope "this terrible atmosphere that has hung over America for the last four years will begin to lift."

Biden amassed 273 Electoral College votes after winning Pennsylvania's 20 electors, surpassing the 270 needed to win the White House and defeat President Donald Trump.

Earlier today, Blythe posted a photo he took at a "Stop The Steal" protest in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia, and he included the following message: "'Empathy' 11.07.2020, Richmond, VA. CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, ABC, CBS... all the major news networks have just called the 2020 Presidential election for Joe Biden & Kamala Harris. Although these are just projections by media outlets (nothing is official until the members of the Electoral College cast their votes on Dec. 14th, 2020, then announced by a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021), & although there will be a lot of lawsuits brought forth by Donald Trump who will not concede anytime soon (or ever?), it's obvious that it's OVER- Joe Biden will be the 46th President of the United States.

"At this time, I would like to encourage everyone, no matter who you voted for, to behave with some class; to speak & act with some empathy.

"This country has been consumed by a toxic polarity- it is time for that toxicity to end, because it is not sustainable & it does not accomplish anything.

"We are all tired. We all have strong feelings. It is time to act like adults with correctly calibrated moral compasses.

"My feelings about President Trump (& politicians in general, for that matter) are well known, but I have zero reason to gloat. That is childish, & it accomplishes nothing. Instead I will choose to act with empathy, & hope that some level of civility will return to American discourse across the board.

"I just came back from a 'Stop the Steal' rally near the VA State Capitol, where I shot these photos. No one was rude to me, & they announced from the beginning that it would be a peaceful protest- that is their right, & although I disagree with them, I support their right- they are my countrymen & women.

"These people are going to be very upset today- I will show people like this empathy in the hope that we can find common ground somehow, & that this terrible atmosphere that has hung over America for the last 4 years will begin to lift. It HAS to, or we all are screwed.

"Please- let's all start talking to each other again.

"I hope you all have a good day- now, I'm going surfing. Peace."

Prior to becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Biden served as vice president under former President Barack Obama. He is also Delaware's longest-serving senator.

Before Biden's win was made official, Trump was seen arriving at his golf course in Virginia Saturday. He later tweeted several unsubstantiated allegations of massive voter fraud and irregularities, writing: "I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!"

Following Biden's win, Trump issued a statement saying: "The simple fact is this election is far from over. Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor.

"Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated," Trump added.

In a recent interview with Holland's FaceCulture, Blythe's LAMB OF GOD bandmate John Campbell described Trump as "a murderous sociopath" and accused the president of "killing people" by holding large rallies while "there's a deadly virus going around."

Asked if he thought this year's presidential election would matter, Campbell said: "I don't know. I remember back when George Bush was elected a second time. That's when I realized that the bad guys sometimes win important things. And then I remember, shortly before Trump was elected, talking to my parents, and they were, like, 'There's no way he's getting elected. Don't worry.' And I was, like, 'Ehhh. I kind of remember this from before. He could win.' And he did.

"Regardless of the outcome of the election, leading up to it, I think it's just gonna get more and more chaotic; there's gonna be more violence stoked by the president. If he loses, he will [contest] the election and try and tie it up in court. He may try to incite his followers to violence to keep him in office somehow. I really have no idea what's gonna happen. It's crazy times we're living in, and people are very aggravated and divided."

Like Blythe and Campbell, LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton has been an outspoken critic of America's 45th president. Back in July, the guitarist blasted Trump over his claim that the United States is only seeing a spike in new coronavirus infections because more testing is being carried out.

This past April, Blythe told Consequence Of Sound that he didn't write the lyrics for band's recently released self-titled album specifically about Trump.

"My disdain for him is no secret," Blythe said. "Before he ever got elected, people would ask me in the press, 'What do you think about Trump being president?' And [I would say], 'The man's a fucking idiot, and he's a criminal.' All you have to do is research his real estate dealings in New York City; it's a matter of public fucking record. So it's not like I'm scared to say, 'Oh, fuck Trump,' or something. But I think he's just a symptom of a larger sociological problem."

LAMB OF GOD's latest LP was released on June 19 via Epic Records in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Records in Europe.
























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“Empathy” 11.07.2020, Richmond, VA. CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, ABC, CBS... all the major news networks have just called the 2020 Presidential election for Joe Biden & Kamala Harris. Although these are just projections by media outlets (nothing is official until the members of the Electoral College cast their votes on Dec. 14th, 2020, then announced by a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021), & although there will be a lot of lawsuits brought forth by Donald Trump who will not concede anytime soon (or ever?), it’s obvious that it’s OVER- Joe Biden will be the 46th President of the United States. At this time, I would like to encourage everyone, no matter who you voted for, to behave with some class; to speak & act with some empathy. This country has been consumed by a toxic polarity- it is time for that toxicity to end, because it is not sustainable & it does not accomplish anything. We are all tired. We all have strong feelings. It is time to act like adults with correctly calibrated moral compasses. My feelings about President Trump (& politicians in general, for that matter) are well known, but I have zero reason to gloat. That is childish, & it accomplishes nothing. Instead I will choose to act with empathy, & hope that some level of civility will return to American discourse across the board. I just came back from a “Stop the Steal” rally near the VA State Capitol, where I shot these photos. No one was rude to me, & they announced from the beginning that it would be a peaceful protest- that is their right, & although I disagree with them, I support their right- they are my countrymen & women. These people are going to be very upset today- I will show people like this empathy in the hope that we can find common ground somehow, & that this terrible atmosphere that has hung over America for the last 4 years will begin to lift. It HAS to, or we all are screwed. Please- let’s all start talking to each other again. I hope you all have a good day- now, I’m going surfing. Peace. #Leica #LeicaCamera #LeicaCameraUSA #LeicaM #LeicaM10P #LeicaM10Ptyp3656 #?? #Summilux #Summilux50mm #LeicaCraft #MadeInWetzlar #drandallblythe #RatsEyesPhotography #honetheaesthetic

A post shared by D. Randall Blythe (@drandallblythe) on Nov 7, 2020 at 9:42am PST

MetalgodZradiO recently conducted an interview with DEVILDRIVER frontman Dez Fafara. You can now listen to the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On guns:

Dez: "I'm definitely a Second Amendment guy, for sure, and I believe in everything that's written in the Constitution, and I don't want anybody to come along and change the Constitution.

"I saw this great statement the other day, that the Constitution was written for people who thought there should be no Constitution.

"I'm definitely a Second Amendment guy. I say it like that — if you can get past the alarms, get past the dogs, you've gotta meet everybody in the house that owns a gun, and that's everybody in my household is registered."

On what a "well-regulated militia" means to him:

Dez: "You've gotta understand that militias were formed when we were running from the U.K. and the Red Coats were coming over and they weren't gonna let us form our union. That's why militias were started. Now everybody will brand militias as white supremacists, right? But if you watch some of these stations, it's, like, 'No, there's a black guy right there with a gun. No, there's a Mexican guy right there with a gun.'

"So what is a militia? I think a militia is someone that will protect the Constitution, protect the people from government, should big government tend to try to discount the Constitution of the United States. That's exactly what a militia is. Now, obviously, you've got your right-hand militias, which are terribly white power, and I don't agree with any of that, but I think that a militia that is conducting themselves in a proper manner and is watching the people's back, I'm all for it."

On the "fear" narrative that is being pushed by the mainstream news media:

Dez: "They push the same narrative; they just push the narrative. The people that have a psychological tripwire fall for that and fall for those stations. I tend to watch stuff that's more underground and really look into things. You cannot be, during this time, a sheep, because if you are, you're just gonna panic and go into fear mode. There needs to be a little more — and I don't use 'woke,' because that got hijacked a long time ago. But there needs to be kind of an awakening towards government when it comes to government and media together and how they propose fear to all of us.

"I don't fall for it, and I have not fallen for it, to be honest with you. I mean, I just watched something on the news the other night where it was, like, 13 doctors talking about what's going on with COVID and, like, YouTube deleted it. I'm like, 'Well, wait a minute. There's 13 doctors talking on the steps of the of the courthouse [outside] the Supreme Court — they're all huge doctors in their fields, they have something to say, and then YouTube deletes it? I was, like, 'Huh?' [Editor's note: Dez is apparently referring to a video that was viewed or shared by millions of people on social media shows a group of doctors calling for the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19, despite warnings from public health experts. According to Politifact, many of the doctors' claims contradict recommendations from public health organizations and experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.] So, yeah, I tend to look deeper, and I think I think people should as well with all of this. And I'm not gonna discount what's going on. But the fear thing is too much — it's too much."

DEVILDRIVER recently announced a new double album, "Dealing With Demons". The first volume — titled "Dealing With Demons I" — dropped on October 9 via Napalm Records and marked the California metallers' first release of new, original material since 2016's acclaimed "Trust No One".

Original LYNCH MOB bassist Anthony Esposito has slammed the recently released "reimagined" version of the band's debut album as "a joke."

Issued in late August via Rat Pak Records, "Wicked Sensation Reimagined" is a reworked and re-recorded version of the original LP, featuring a more soulful, funkified take on LYNCH MOB's bluesy hard rock songs.

Esposito, who played on "Wicked Sensation" and is credited as a writer on five of the album's tracks, was asked in a new interview with the "Focus On Metal" podcast if he was approached by LYNCH MOB leader George Lynch about taking part in the "reimagined" version of the effort.

He said: "No — hell no. He never called me about the remastered reissue of 'Wicked'; he never called me about the reimagined version of 'Wicked' — he never called me about anything. And it kind of sucks, because supposedly it was an equal share, so if I own 25 percent of the publishing, I should be consulted. And it's, like — it's just bullshit.

"As far as the reimagined record goes, first of all, those songs have nothing to do with the [original] 'Wicked' songs except for the lyrics, and they may have changed some of them too," Anthony continued. "But I think if you judge it as a record — not as a reimagined version of a great record; just judge it as a record — forget the words and just listen to the music and the melody, I think it's a mediocre record. As it stands on its own, I think it's a mediocre record. And then, if you try to compare it to [the original] 'Wicked', I think that's kind of a joke."

Esposito also commented on George's recent announcement that he was retiring the LYNCH MOB band name. In August, Lynch said that he was ending LYNCH MOB, apparently due to the racial insensitivity of the moniker.

Asked if he recalled George ever saying he was uncomfortable with the LYNCH MOB name in all the time they played together, Anthony said: "The first two gigs we ever did as LYNCH MOB, we were called GAY BLACK NAZI BIKERS FOR CHRIST. If that wasn't an issue, why would LYNCH MOB be? And then, secondly, I remember he was, like, 'Oh, [LIVING COLOUR's] Vernon Reid is [playing] ESP Guitars' — and this was when [the original] 'Wicked' was coming out — '[he's] making this big stink; he doesn't wanna play ESPs if I call the band LYNCH MOB.' And then we ended up using the name LYNCH MOB anyway, and Vernon Reid left ESP Guitars.

"You've gotta realize — here's the deal. There's money in the name, okay?' Anthony continued. "Like if Jake [E. Lee] went out and called RED DRAGON CARTEL, BADLANDS, even though he's the only guy in the band from BADLANDS, the guarantees per show would probably be three or four times higher. So the name on the marquee, the marquee value of the name of a band is worth money. Even though [there is] only one original member or two, it's still worth money. Like, you put FOREIGNER on the marquee — none of the [original] FOREIGNER guys are in it anymore, and they still get paid a lot of money, because FOREIGNER is up on the marquee. So for him to change the name of the band — and George is money driven — it's gotta be something else, because he's gonna lose money not being able to throw LYNCH MOB up on the marquee.

"He did an interview a year ago — [LYNCH MOB played at the] Sturgis [motorcycle rally] for six days [in 2019] or whatever, and he really bagged on the crowd as Trumpers. I read it on Blabbermouth, and it was like he really degraded his fan base, basically. And I think he changed the name more for fear of being considered a hypocrite for saying what he said in that interview about the Sturgis crowd and the Trumpers, and if he didn't change the name, he would look like a hypocrite, so he sort of painted himself into a corner."

Last month, Lynch told "BODS Mayhem Hour" that there has "always been a problem" with the LYNCH MOB name "from day one." He explained: "I remember doing an interview with The Village Voice the first year LYNCH MOB were formed and we decided to use that [band] name. And the interviewer was a young black woman who was very bothered by the fact that I used that name and I had to try to explain it. And I found myself not really being able to explain myself very well — I knew my argument was disingenuous.

"I can make the argument that, yeah, it's my last name," he continued. "I know that that's not what most people think about, 'cause I know what the word represents. So, in the younger, younger days, I was able to just sort of rationalize it. It seemed to be less of a topical hot-potato issue. And I thought, 'Well, I'm gonna be okay. Most people understand that it has nothing to do with what it's normally known as. It's my name, and we've got this kind of desert, Western vibe. They strung up cattle rustlers too.' There's that argument. It's all silly argument — I don't buy it myself. I wouldn't use it these days. I found myself really scrambling for a logical way out of that interview, and she really had me pinned down. And I felt bad — not bad enough to get rid of the name. So I held on to it, obviously, for 30 years.

"I've gotta say, in all the years that I've had that name, it's gotten more and more uncomfortable, and, of course, now, recently to the point of not being able to rationalize it any longer," George added. "In addition to that, though, there's some other things at play here. We finished this record right under the wire before the pandemic hit, and once the pandemic shut down touring for at least a whole year or more — who knows if we'll ever tour again — LYNCH MOB being, basically, my only touring act, the band scattered to the four winds, so I really didn't, in essence, have a band any longer. And then I finished this 30th-anniversary record and really loved the way it came out and thought, 'You know, actually, this makes a lot of sense. I should end this chapter of my musical career now.' This should be the last LYNCH MOB record, because it mirrors the first one — it's a nice bookend. I can retire the name on a high note, going out with what I think is a good record. Kind of wrap it all in a nice, neat package and put the bow on it. And I felt like the time was right to do that. Everything sort of triangulated and events all just coordinated to come together at this point to make it pretty obvious it would probably be a good time to go ahead and move on."

Photo credit: Joe Gorelick

WHITESNAKE and WINGER guitarist Reb Beach has reflected on the passing of Eddie Van Halen, saying that "it's really strange to live in a world without VAN HALEN."

Beach discussed his appreciation for the groundbreaking musician in a brand new interview with the "BREWtally Speaking Podcast".

He said (see video below): "I'd met [Eddie] a few times. He was always really nice.

"When he died, I was in shock for a while. And then I kind of pondered it, and I was, like, well, wait a second… If it wasn't for Eddie Van Halen — let's just think about that he never existed, okay? In a world where Eddie Van Halen never existed, where would I be? And it was, like, okay, I wouldn't tap. And tapping is what made me get the kind of stamp on my forehead as like a shredder guy, and definitely helped WINGER. But then, would WINGER even be around? Because VAN HALEN was the first glam band, really, that came out — they really popularized it. And so WINGER was kind of a glammy band in the videos and stuff, and who knows if we would have had that success? I don't think so — without the advent of VAN HALEN. I certainly would not have been on the cover of the guitar magazine, which I wanted desperately since I was 16 years old."

"I don't think I would have had the success that I had without him," Reb added. "And it's it's very devastating that he's gone. It's just really strange to live in a world without VAN HALEN, you know."

Eddie died on October 6 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California at the age of 65. His wife, Janie, was by his side, along with his son, Wolfgang, and Alex, Eddie's brother and VAN HALEN drummer.

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

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

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

Geezer Butler has lamented the passing of Eddie Van Halen one month of after the celebrated musician died, saying, "I can't believe he's no longer with us." The BLACK SABBATH bassist also confirmed a long-running rumour that the band had worked with Eddie Van Halen, and that the guitarist even co-wrote a track with the Birmingham metal legends back in the 1990s.

Butler made his comments while speaking to Eonmusic about the recent reissue of his solo catalog ("Plastic Planet", "Black Science" and "Ohmwork"), which is available now via BMG.

Recalling the rehearsals and recording sessions for 1993's "Cross Purposes" — the only SABBATH album to feature the bassist and singer Tony Martin — Geezer said: "I enjoyed that album as I wrote quite a bit of it. However, towards the end of the tour, I had lost interest in that particular lineup."

While admitting to tiring of that particular incarnation, which also featured mainstay Tony Iommi and drummer Bobby Rondinelli, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer did, however, praise vocalist Martin for his performance in the studio, commenting: "I thought Tony Martin had a great voice and did a great job on the album."

He then went on to confirm the rumor that Eddie had contributed to the writing of one track on the album — widely cited to be closer "Evil Eye" — stating: "One of the highlights was when Eddie Van Halen came down to the rehearsal place and jammed with us, and helped write one of the songs."

When pressed about what became of the recording session, Butler said: "I've no idea what happened to the tape, but that was great seeing and jamming with Eddie again."

Speaking about the loss of Van Halen, Geezer added: "I can't believe he's no longer with us."

Read Eonmusic's entire interview with Butler from Tuesday, November 10.

GUNS N' ROSES' Slash, METALLICA's Kirk Hammett and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Tom Morello paid tribute to Eddie Van Halen earlier tonight (Saturday, November 7) during the "In Memoriam" segment as part of the TV special honoring this year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees.

Slash said: "Eddie Van Halen was a truly gifted musician. His style and his sound were completely unique to him. He had a massive impact on guitar playing and I don't think there's anybody who has picked up a guitar since 1978 who hasn't been touched in some way by Eddie Van Halen's influence. I really miss his playing and I really miss him as a friend."

Hammett added: "Eddie Van Halen was amazing. Not since Jimi Hendrix had there been a guitar player that had so much impact and was so inspiring to me. He just explored the most simplest thing, a harmonic on a string, and brought it into a realm of technique that nobody even thought was possible. He was just like from a different planet."

Morello stated: "Eddie Van Halen was the Mozart of our generation. He had the kind of talent that maybe comes around once a century. Eddie Van Halen inspired me to practice 20,000 hours to try to get within a hundred miles of his inspired mastery of the electric guitar."

Other musicians honored in this year's Rock Hall "In Memoriam" segment included Little Richard, Bill Withers, Neil Peart, John Prine, Ginger Baker, Ric Ocasek, Dr. John, Kenny Rogers and Charlie Daniels.

The program is available on HBO and to stream on HBO Max replaces the live 35th annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony that was originally scheduled for May 2 of this year.

It was announced in March that the ceremony would be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

Eddie died on October 6 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California at the age of 65. His wife, Janie, was by his side, along with his son, Wolfgang, and Alex, Eddie's brother and VAN HALEN drummer.

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

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

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

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

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Morello said: "Eddie Van Halen was one of the greatest, most inventive, truly visionary musicians of all time. He was an unparalleled titan in the annals of rock and roll. And on the Mount Rushmore of guitarists, he is neck-and-neck for the pole position.

"The way that he reimagined the instrument was a testament to divine inspiration: taking this kind of this cobbled-together, garage-built guitar and turning it into this divining rod of awesome rock and roll power. He was truly inspirational to generations of guitarists. I put myself on the list of people who not only [had] a deepened enjoyment of the genre because of his outstanding unsurpassed musicianship; it was also the way that he destroyed the notion that it had all been done before on the electric guitar. That certainly planted the seed for youngsters like me to begin exploring possibilities on the instrument that were undreamt of before Eddie Van Halen."

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

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