Fan-filmed video footage of VIXEN's May 5 performance at the M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, Maryland can be seen below.

This past January, VIXEN recruited FEMME FATALE's Lorraine Lewis as its new lead singer following the departure of Janet Gardner.

Lewis had already performed with VIXEN, having fronted the group in March 2018 in Durant, Oklahoma while Gardner was recovering from surgery.

Prior to Lewis's addition to VIXEN, Roxy Petrucci (drums), Share Ross (bass) and Brittany Denaro (guitar) Lewis vowed to "expand upon the VIXEN legacy while remaining true to our musical roots."

Gardner, who released her debut self-titled solo album in 2017, broke the news of her exit from the group on January 16.

"After much soul searching and many sleepless nights, I have decided that it's time for me to step aside and let Roxy and Share pursue their vision for the future of VIXEN," she wrote.

"VIXEN will always have a very special place in my heart and I am incredibly grateful to have been a part of it," she continued.

"I would like to thank everyone for the amazing support over the years, and as Roxy and Share continue to keep the heart and soul of VIXEN alive and well and I continue on my path, your continued support to all would be greatly appreciated."

Gardner, Petrucci and Ross are considered to be part of VIXEN's classic lineup, along with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of cancer in October 2013.

Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN's most commercially successful studio albums — "Vixen" (1988), "Rev It Up" (1990) and "Tangerine" (1998) — as well as the group's latest release, last year's live album "Live Fire".

In January 2018, Gardner underwent surgery to remove blood clots in her brain, a condition known as a subdural hematoma. At the time, she was touring in support of her solo album, which came out in August 2017 via Pavement Entertainment. The disc was a collaboration between the singer, who works days as a part-time dental hygienist, and her husband, guitarist/producer Justin James, who has previously worked with STAIND, COLLECTIVE SOUL and TYKETTO.

THE CIRCLE, Sammy Hagar's critically acclaimed supergroup also featuring Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham and Vic Johnson, played a special intimate show last night (Tuesday, May 7) at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California. The concert was recorded for broadcast on SiriusXM's Channel 101. The broadcast is scheduled to run on May 10, the release day of THE CIRCLE's debut album of original material, "Space Between".

Fan-filmed video footage of last night's show can be seen below (courtesy of Alex Vigil).

Hagar told the Broward Palm Beach New Times last year about the lyrical themes covered on "Space Between": "It's about the misconception that money is the root of all evil, because the truth of the matter is that it isn't money at all. You can feed the poor, you can heal the sick, you can make people happy, you can stop a war with money, but it's greed that is the problem. That's what the whole record is about. It's what I discovered by being both rich and poor."

SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE kicked off its 23-city North American on April 19 in Reno, Nevada and will end it on June 7 in Chicago, Illinois.

Formed in 2014, the acclaimed supergroup quickly established itself as one of the most emphatic and exciting live acts on tour today, seamlessly ripping through career-spanning hits from MONTROSE, VAN HALEN, SAMMY HAGAR AND THE WABORITAS and LED ZEPPELIN.

BMG signed a worldwide label deal with SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE for "Space Between", and will also include select Hagar catalog titles.

Guitarist Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper) introduces Body Shred with the following message:

"I promised you guys something fun we could all do to get in shape together… and the time is here!

"Introducing… Body Shred, a 90 day fitness challenge with the prizes you guys asked for the most, designed by me for you - the musicians and music fans. Check out the picture (below) to see some of the killer prizes we have up for grabs from Ibanez, Marshall, Trifecta, Beverly Kills and more!!

"All challenge participants will get a copy of my e-book before it’s released to the public next month, which contains all of my top tips for staying in shape with a busy schedule, maintaining a healthy and productive mindset, and of course- bonus pages of all my favorite healthy recipes!

"All participants will also get weekly emails from me with workout ideas, mindset challenges, a bonus recipe and whatever else my little brain can think up, as well as access to a private Body Shred Facebook group where I’ll be doing a monthly live Q&A and answering as many of your questions as I can!!

"I’m not a dietitian and you don’t want me making customized plans for you- but I do know someone who is!! The awesome team at RP Strength has partnered up with me for this challenge to create a tier for those looking to make a real change in their eating or just want more specialized guidance, which will include the same type of personalized diet template used by elite athletes around the world (and me!) If you’re serious about getting into great shape this year or just serious about getting that signed guitar- select the Elite package on the Body Shred page. I’ll post a link in the comments for you guys to see some of their transformations!!"

Signups are open until May 20, here.




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According to the BBC, THE PRODIGY singer Keith Flint had unspecified amounts of cocaine, alcohol and codeine in his system when he died two months ago.

The Senior Coroner for Essex, Caroline Beasley-Murray, officially recorded an open conclusion, saying that there was not enough evidence to rule that the musician killed himself.

Flint was found dead at his home in North End, Essex, on March 4. The 49-year-old had died due to hanging.

Beasley-Murray said: "We will never quite know what was going on in his mind on that date.

"I've considered suicide. To record that, I would have to have found that, on the balance of probabilities, Mr Flint formed the idea and took a deliberate action knowing it would result in his death.

"Having regard to all the circumstances, I don't find that there's enough evidence for that."

The coroner also said there was insufficient evidence to record the singer's death as an accident where he may have been "larking around and it all went horribly wrong."

THE PRODIGY was scheduled to embark on a U.S. tour in May. The 10-date trek was slated to include appearances at several festivals, including Sonic Temple in Ohio and Welcome To Rockville in Florida.

Originally recruited mainly as a dancer for THE PRODIGY, Flint became the voice and face of the group for its 1997 third album, "The Fat Of The Land". The breakout LP produced the hits "Breathe", "Firestarter" and the controversial "Smack My Bitch Up", reaching No. 1on the Billboard 200 in July 1997.

Flint's cartoonishly demonic look, punk attitude and frantic dance moves became the visual trademark of THE PRODIGY, one of the first electronic dance music acts to become a mainstream success. But Flint's role in the band was reduced after the release of another controversial track, "Baby's Got A Temper", in which Flint celebrated the "date rape" drug Rohypnol.

The singer/dancer did not appear on "The Fat Of The Land"'s 2004 follow-up "Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned", which featured guest vocalists in his place. He returned for 2009's "Invaders Must Die", and contributed both vocals and songwriting to 2015's "The Day Is My Enemy" and THE PRODIGY's most recent LP, 2018's "No Tourists".

In 2006, Keith married Japanese DJ, actress and model Mayumi Kai, but the couple reportedly separated three years ago.

He previously admitted to a long battle with drink, drugs and depression and said his wife "saved him."

During an appearance on yesterday's (Monday, May 6) edition of "Trunk Nation LA Invasion: Live From The Rainbow Bar & Grill" on SiriusXM, GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan was asked if the band has any other plans beyond playing the already announced three festival shows — Louder Than Life, Austin City Limits and Exit 111 — this fall. He responded (hear audio below): "There's nothing else I can tell you… Things are super, super, super positive in that camp. We are having the best times of our lives right now, I think. Things are going well. So you'll hear more from us."

Duff was also pressed about the reports that GUNS N' ROSES was recording new material last month at singer Axl Rose's studio in Malibu, California. Asked if the band had fresh music already in the works or if a new GN'R release is still just in the talking stages, Duff said: "In classic GN'R vernacular, I'm not gonna say anything. We'll keep the mystique."

Guitarist Slash, who recently returned to the road with his solo band SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, recently told BelfastLive that work on a new GUNS album could commence at the end of this year. Asked what the new GUNS album will be like, he said: "I have no fucking idea. I really couldn't tell you. It's like anything else — you don't know what it is until it's done."

GUNS N' ROSES' aforementioned festival shows will mark the band's first live appearances since ending its reunion tour in December 2018.

GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" tour began in April 2016, and after 159 shows in 41 countries, it played its last date at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on December 8, 2018.

"Not In This Lifetime" is now believed to be the second-highest-grossing tour of all time, having generated more than $500 million since it began three years ago.

Since the end of the tour last year, Slash and bassist Duff McKagan have both returned to solo endeavors.

The "Not In This Lifetime" tour featured classic-lineup members Slash, McKagan and Rose backed by guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

Photo credit: Katarina Benzova

A new documentary on LED ZEPPELIN is currently in post-production. The as-yet-untitled film is being helmed by Bernard MacMahon, the director of the Emmy-nominated music documentary series "American Epic", and will feature new interviews with guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant and bassist John Paul Jones, as well as rare archival interviews with the late drummer John Bonham. It marks the first time members of LED ZEPPELIN have participated in a documentary about the group.

The documentary will launch in Cannes with CAA representing the U.S. rights and Altitude handling international sales. It is billed as the "definitive telling of the birth of the world's biggest-selling rock band" and will be told solely from the band's perspective, with never-before-seen archive film footage and photographs and state-of-the-art audio transfers of the band's music.

Speaking of the upcoming release, Page said: "When I saw everything Bernard had done both visually and sonically on the remarkable achievement that is 'American Epic', I knew he would be qualified to tell our story."

Plant added: "Seeing Will Shade, and so many other important early American musicians, brought to life on the big screen in 'American Epic' inspired me to contribute to a very interesting and exciting story."

Jones stated: "The time was right for us to tell our own story for the first time in our own words, and I think that this film will really bring this story to life."

No official release date has been announced for the documentary.

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions have signed Providence, Rhode Island's thrashing crossover d-beat street metal maniacs, Hell Bent, and are set to release their debut album, entitled Apocalyptic Lamentations, on June 14 on CD and digital formats. Pre-order here.

Hell Bent formed in 2015 consisting of current/past members of Dropdead, Ulcer, Paindriver, Straight To Hell, Neon Bitches and Hard Drug. The band performs an intense concoction of crossover thrash, hardcore, d-beat and street ,etal. Following up on their self-titled EP from 2018, Apocalyptic Lamentations showcases more varied songwriting, bigger production and even more intensity than ever before. The album track "Welcome To The Dirt" is available for streaming below.

Hell Bent take their name from legendary speed/thrash act Znöwhite, and pay homage by performing cover versions of "Sledgehammer" and "Hell Bent" on this album. Apocalyptic Lamentations was recorded at Black Heart Sound, mastered at Mammoth Sound Mastering and features the amazing artwork of the legendary Drew Elliott. For fans of Aura Noir, Blood Feast, Cryptic Slaughter, D.R.I., English Dogs, Impaled Nazarene, Possessed, Sacrifice, Sodom, Terrorizer, Wolfpack and Znöwhite .

Tracklisting:

"Welcome To The Dirt"
"Oppression, Enslavement, Coersion"
"Ichthyosis"
"Pandemic"
"Cerberus Unbound"
"The Season Begins"
"Prey For War"
"The Scythian Horde"
"Sledgehammer" / "Hell Bent" (Znöwhite covers)

"Welcome To The Dirt":

    
Catch Hell Bent live at Maryland Deathfest XVII, Sunday May 26th at Soundstage in Baltimore, Maryland.




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Troy Sanders says that MASTODON will begin work on its new album in the fall. The effort will mark the band's first release since 2017's "Emperor Of Sand", which won the group a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category for the song "Sultan's Curse".

Asked by Consequence Of Sound if it was MASTODON's original plan to begin work on a new disc in early 2019, the singer/bassist said: "Well, that was the intention. We just completed the European tour in February and months ago, it felt like that would be a good stopping point of the 'Emperor Of Sand' touring cycle. But then this opportunity came up to co-headline [a tour] with COHEED [AND CAMBRIA], so we decided this would make sense and it would be the 10th anniversary of 'Crack The Skye', so we decided to take the summer tour. So, instead of writing a new album, instead of diving head-first into new new material right now, we've kind of just been enjoying a little home time and then rehearsing a lot of old material for this set that we're doing this summer. So, we don't really talk about it or mark the calendar, but just knowing how our band's operated for the past 19 years, once we recover and enjoy some home time after the summer tour, we'll probably, all four of us, I imagine, will be very excited to dive head-first into new material. And we never put timelines on us. We never put those restrictions on ourselves. We just want everyone to be excited about it. So it needs to come naturally. But I would imagine that we'll work [on a new album] in the fall of this year."

MASTODON and COHEED AND CAMBRIA's "The Unheavenly Skye Tour" will see the bands performing across a range of venues from large theaters to outdoor amphitheaters. MASTODON will perform its renowned "Crack The Skye" album in its entirety.

Produced by Live Nation, the rock outing will kick off May 28 in Louisville, Kentucky at the Iroquois Amphitheater and will make stops in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and more before wrapping July 3 in Irving, Texas at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory.

"Emperor Of Sand" was also nominated for "Best Rock Album" at the 60th annual Grammy Awards in January 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was the fourth and fifth time MASTODON had received Grammy nominations, having missed out on the three previous occasions — "Colony Of Birchmen" (2007), "Curl Of The Burl" (2012) and "High Road" (2015) — it had been up for the "Best Metal Performance" award.

RATT played its first show of 2019 this past Saturday, May 4 at the Domination México festival in Mexico. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

RATT's current lineup includes original singer Stephen Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier, along with drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE) and guitarists Jordan Ziff (RAZER) and Chris Sanders (BRITNY FOX, KNIGHT FURY).

Pearcy recently said that RATT fans can expect to see some fresh additions to the group's concert setlist when he and his bandmates return to the road.

"We have so many cool songs that we wanna put in the set this year, so we're gonna change it up a bit and put in some of these other songs," the singer said during an appearance on the April 17 episode of KCAA's "Controlled Chaos". "'I Want A Woman', 'Sweet Cheater' — everything from '83 to the full catalog. We're gonna shake it up a bit. That's the hardest thing to do. I put a little thing out there [on social media]: 'What do you wanna hear?' You'd be surprised how many people wanna hear a song like 'Givin' Yourself Away' or something else."

According to Pearcy, RATT fans shouldn't be surprised to hear slightly different versions of the band's classic songs when they come to one of the group's concerts.

"I'm from old school, like [Robert] Plant or [Rob] Halford," he said. "I don't myself up against any of these gentlemen, but I like to change it up a bit. So if I don't sing the exact words, people, don't get uptight. It's me just having a good time. Because, as a singer, I try to hit different notes and different things. We wanna change it up."

This past January, Pearcy underwent knee surgery. The operation came three months after two disastrous RATT shows that saw the 62-year-old singer incapacitated to the point where he had trouble remembering the words to some of the band's biggest hits.

Pearcy later apologized to the RATT fans, saying in a statement that he was "dealing with a pain-management issue due to a bad knee." He added that he "made the critical error of adding alcohol to my pain meds while on stage" at the September concert in Huntington, New York "and it destroyed my performance."

Former HANOI ROCKS singer Michael Monroe will release his new solo album, "One Man Gang", in October. The follow-up to 2015's "Blackout States" features guest appearances by ex-HANOI ROCKS guitarist Nasty Suicide and THE DAMNED legend Captain Sensible.


To coincide with the album's release, Monroe will embark on a full European tour at the end of the year.

Michael says: "I am very excited to announce that me and my band will be heading out for a full European tour this winter in support of our brilliant new album, 'One Man Gang', which is going to be released this fall. It's an 'all killers, no fillers' album and I can't wait for you to hear it. I also can't wait to see you down the road."

The Monroe band's all-star lineup features former HANOI ROCKS and NEW YORK DOLLS bass player Sami Yaffa, who has played with Michael since the '80s. On guitar duties are Rich Jones (formerly of the Ginger Wildheart band) and Steve Conte (best known as the guitarist who filled the void left by Johnny Thunders in the NEW YORK DOLLS, as well as playing guitar with many other name acts such as Suzi Quatro, Eric Burden and many more) and drummer Karl Rockfist (who has played with notable acts such as DANZIG).

European tour dates:

Oct. 22 - Oslo, NO @ John Dee

Oct. 23 - Gothenburg, SE @ Pustervik

Oct. 24 - Stockholm, SE @ Fryhuset Klubben

Oct. 25 - Copenhagen, DK @ High Voltage

Oct. 26 - Hamburg, DE @ Headcrash

Oct. 27 - Berlin, DE @ Frannz

Oct. 29 - Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie

Oct. 30 - London, UK @ O2 Academy Islington

Nov. 01 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club

Nov. 02 - Milton Keynes, UK @ Crauford Arms

Nov. 03 - Southampton, UK @ Engine Room

Nov. 04 - Birmingham, UK @ The Mill

Nov. 05 - Glasgow, UK @ Garage

Nov. 06 - Manchester UK @ Club Academy

Nov. 07 - Bristol, UK @ Fleece

Nov. 08 - Stoke, UK @ Sugarmill

Nov. 09 - Great Yarmouth, UK @ Hard Rock Hell Festival

Tickets go on sale this Friday, May 10.

Monroe told Heavy TV he named his new solo record after the album's opening track, which includes a "killer solo" by the aforementioned Captain Sensible. "It's one of the songs [on the LP], and we decided that since the band is called MICHAEL MONROE — the name of the band is MICHAEL MONROE; the name of a person — so 'One Man Gang'; it's a whole gang of me," he said.

Monroe was also full of praise for his current solo band, saying: "If I had a choice of playing with anybody — alive or dead — in the world, I would choose these guys; that's how important they are to me," he said. "Everybody is allowed to write. Steve Conte [brought] exceptional, totally outstanding material. And Rich Jones now came through amazingly on this record. I swear, I had, like, five or six songs of my own, and I was, like, 'Okay, that's out. I'm taking Rich's, because his are better. Forget about my songs.'"

He continued: "See, the best songs make the album; it doesn't matter who writes. Everybody has the freedom to write, and we choose the best songs for the album; it doesn't matter who writes them, as long as they're the best ones. The whole album, as an entirety, has to be as strong as possible. All killers, no fillers. I never let it go out if it's not perfectly… There can't be one weak track on the record. I'd rather wait and have it be perfect. Actually, we recorded 18 songs, so there's a couple of great ones that we left out too. They'll be on the next album. They're too good for bonus tracks; we'll save 'em for the next album. There's a few obvious bonus tracks — three or four, or whatever."

In June 2017, Monroe released "The Best", the first official collection of his (ongoing) solo musical exploits, featuring prime tracks from 1987 right up to 2017.

Monroe's latest studio album, "Blackout States", was released in October 2015 via Spinefarm Records.

Even though HANOI ROCKS was formed in Finland, their trashy, hedonistic, decadent hard rock/pop-metal boogie influenced many Los Angeles acts, including GUNS N' ROSES and MÖTLEY CRÜE.

TOOL's long-awaited new album will arrive on August 30. The band confirmed the release date Tuesday night (May 7) at its concert in Birmingham, Alabama. According to fans who attended the show, a video screen flashed the date "August 30th" before the set's encore. Frontman Maynard James Keenan then encouraged fans to share the news via social media. Not long after, the release date was tweeted out via TOOL's official account (see below).

As it did two nights earlier at the at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Jacksonville, Florida, TOOL performed two new songs, "Descending" and "Invincible", in Birmingham.

Although TOOL has previously played an instrumental version of "Descending" live, Sunday night's concert marked the first performance of the completed song with lyrics and vocals sung by Keenan.

"Descending" and "Invincible" are both expected to appear on TOOL's follow-up to 2006's "10,000 Days" album.

TOOL's new album was reportedly produced by Joe Barresi, and mastered by Bob Ludwig, who previously worked on "10,000 Days". Recording commenced in March 2018, with Danny Carey laying down his drum tracks first and Justin Chancellor recording his parts next.

Maynard attempted to explain the long gap between TOOL albums in a 2017 interview with "The Joe Rogan Experience". Speaking about his bandmates, the singer said: "Their writing process is so drawn out. And I'm sure there's a lot of reasons why the delay has been long. Their process is very analytical, and I think, at some point, maybe because so much time has gone by from the last album, there has to be a little bit of fear in here. [You think to yourself] 'Is this record gonna be as good as the last one?' The anticipation now is… Now the pressure is huge, so I'm sure there's some of that [that] goes into play."

TOOL is playing a series of U.S. shows this month before heading to Europe. The band is also scheduled to perform at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento in October.

NIGHTWISH bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala (a.k.a. Marko Hietala) will release a new solo album, "Mustan Sydämen Rovio", on May 24 via Savonian Rooster.

Asked by Kaaos TV when he started to think about releasing a solo album, Marco said (see video below): "It's a lot of stuff, lyrical, musical stuff and some of them started somewhere like 10, 15 years back, little tidbits of ideas that I hadn't used. I had been waiting and it's really a load of years. Some are from the couple of years behind some ideas when we started working on this album with the guys. Like I said, even back 15 years some ideas that developed into songs or got parts in songs. It's all kinds of stuff. Of course, I've been writing a lot for TAROT and quite a few pieces of music and some lyrical stuff with NIGHTWISH, too, but these things were kind of more personal. Like I said, this album — people think of heavy metal immediately when they see me, but I figured the right term for this album would be 'hard prog.' There's some very metallic elements, but there's also a lot of acoustic and atmospheric stuff that I've been writing a lot of. It's a wide variety of items, musically."


Regarding whether he enjoyed being able to do what he wanted with his solo album versus writing for TAROT or even NIGHTWISH, Marco said: "In a way, you don't have to justify your songs to a band who already has its own line and vision and all that. Then again, also being responsible for everything that is written, is also a heavy thing. I'm really happy the guys, Tuomas [Wäinölä, guitar] and Vili [Ollila, keyboards] really got into the music that much themselves. They really worked on doing the arranging. For instance, all the string quartet arrangements, they wrote them down on paper and gave them to the players when we were recording that. I don't know…in this case, the pressure and the responsibility have been greater because you're in the line yourself even though you have friends helping you. But the responsibility is heavier, therefore the pressure, also. In NIGHTWISH or TAROT, NIGHTWISH, especially since Tuomas [Holopainen] writes almost everything, it's kind of easier not to carry that much responsibility."


On the topic of when he decided now was a good time to release a solo album, Marco said: "It was when we had the sabbatical with NIGHTWISH that I figured it's time to ask the guys if they want to start working with me. We started, but then, of course, we originally planned for the release for the year and it didn't happen. Just way too much with everyone. So, then it took this much time to kind of finish, then I already did last year in between and recording some stuff here and there, some demo things and obscure German backstages with some vocals being sent over to Finland: 'What do you guys think of this?'"


Asked if it was important for "Mustan Sydämen Rovio" to reflect him properly as a solo artist, Marco said: "As a matter of fact, it doesn't have that kind of ego-based thinking at all. Of course, it might present me and I'm writing the whole thing in Finnish and in English. It's not something many people have done. I just had an ambitious plan for it and I started to realize it. Of course, if it gets me some respect and liking, I don't mind it, but I've been in the business for quite a while to know not to be dependent on what the world thinks of me."

"Mustan Sydämen Rovio" track listing:

01. Kiviä (05:14)

02. Isäni Ääni (04:37)

03. Tähti, Hiekka Ja Varjo (05:01)

04. Kuolleiden Jumalten Poika (04:42)

05. Laulu Sinulle (07:09)

06. Minä Olen Tie (05:05)

07. Juoksen Rautateitä (03:50)

08. Vapauden Kuolinmarssi (05:02)

09. Unelmoin Öisin (05:38)

10. Totuus Vapauttaa (05:43)

WHITESNAKE frontman David Coverdale has told the Cleveland Scene that he was thrilled to see his pals in DEF LEPPARD finally inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this year. "I've known them since they started," he said. "They're North Yorkshire and I'm South Yorkshire. If you don't support your fellow Yorkshire guys, there's a special place in hell for you. [Singer] Joe [Elliott] and I are in touch with each other every fucking day. If his mother could see the dirty filthy memes he sends me, it would make her toes curl, but I've been sworn to secrecy. We're dear friends. Last year, I was touring with FOREIGNER and Joe and the guys were out with JOURNEY. We were all having great crowds. Nothing pleases me more than to see people I generally care about doing well."

WHITESNAKE and DEF LEPPARD toured the U.K. together in the fall of 2015. At the time, Elliott told Uber Rock about his band's relations with WHITESNAKE: "I'd be lying if I said there was no rivalry. But, really, we both want each other to do well. It doesn't matter if you're going on first, last or in the middle, if the audience has the attention span to watch all three bands, then potentially everyone wins. There's no rivalry in that, but obviously all bands want to be as popular as possible, so you're always vying for top spot. But rest assured, Lord Coverdale and I get on famously."

WHITESNAKE is currently touring in support of its upcoming album, "Flesh & Blood", which will be released on May 10 via Frontiers Music Srl. The disc follows the 2011 critically acclaimed studio album "Forevermore" and 2015's "The Purple Album", a reimagining of DEEP PURPLE classics from Coverdale's time in that band.

Coverdale was among the DEEP PURPLE members who were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2016.

Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Disposable Heroes" live on May 3 in Madrid, Spain can be seen below.

METALLICA's "WorldWired" tour has played more than 130 shows across the world since its 2016 kick-off.

Last November, drummer Lars Ulrich told The Mercury News that the trek could last through early 2020.

The San Francisco Bay Area metal giants have been touring in support of their latest album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", which came out in November 2016.

With dates already locked in through the fall, Ulrich was asked if he is tired of touring yet. He replied: "We have the luxury, and we are very fortunate, to be able to set a touring schedule that works really well for us. We kind of set boundaries. We have a two-week rule, so that after two weeks we come home and see our families and kids and get a sense of San Francisco. So, for about a decade, we've had a really good setup in terms of how we balance all of it. It takes longer to play the same amount of dates. But the good news is that our chances for not losing our minds — or for playing all the shows, physically, mentally — are much higher, because we have a pace that we feel is at the right level for us. So, it's good. We still have to go to Australia. We still have to go to Japan. We have a couple of other things planned after Europe."

Pressed about whether there is any chance the tour will reach into 2020, Lars said: "This may just dip into the beginning of 2020."

"Parasite", a new song from the songwriter and guitarist Paul Masvidal, can be streamed below. The track is taken from "Mythical", the first collection from Paul's trilogy of records, "Mythical Human Vessel". They are the first independent solo releases on his label, Masvidalien Records. "Mythical" will drop May 31.

Best known for leading the influential progressive rock group CYNIC, Masvidal recorded embryonic demos of these tightly-crafted songs over a decade ago. Drawing on influences from musicians John Lennon, Brian Eno, Chet Baker, Russill Paul and Elliott Smith to visual artists Mark Rothko, Ai Weiwei, Hilma af Klimt and Cai Guo-Qiang, the songs embrace concise forms and catchy melodies in spite of their often painful subject matters of loss, depression, and heartache.

At the center of Masvidal's experiment is the use of Isochronic tones, a "brain-entrainment" technology. Isochronics are said to produce bio-chemical reactions in the body that increase serotonin, alleviate depression and stress, improve focus, and aid in restful sleep, similar to the effects of exposure to negative ions in nature.

Through its incorporation of Isochronic tones, "Mythical Human Vessel" is intended as "an inherently relaxing listening experience, and adding the tones multiplied the benefits," Masvidal says. "More serotonin for all!"

Throughout all three volumes of "Mythical Human Vessel", the sound of undulating and sweeping frequencies in slow and rapid succession act as a subliminal agent to affect the listener positively and help to create a deeper connection to the songs themselves.

"Mythical Human Vessel" was mixed and produced by Warren Riker. The Isochronic tones were designed by Dr. Stephane Pigeon, creator of the Brian Eno-celebrated web site MyNoise.

Masvidal is currently working with experimental artists Greymar to develop "Mythical Human Vessel" into an immersive live experience using evocative imagery, storytelling and technology as part of an experiential journey into heart-opening and multi-dimensional landscapes.

For more information, visit mythicalhumanvessel.com.

SKILLET will release its new album, "Victorious", on August 2 via Atlantic Records. The follow-up to 2016's gold-certified "Unleashed" includes the first single, "Legendary", which can be streamed below.

Frontman John Cooper told Billboard: "It's the first time that me and Korey [Cooper, John's wife and SKILLET guitarist/keyboardist] produced most of the record ourselves. When I was looking at what we did well on 'Unleashed', I thought it was a real energizing and fun record to listen to. That's what a great SKILLET record is — songs that make people want to put their fists up in the air at a concert or get them through a run or drive or whatever they are doing. So we set out to make a record that had a lot of emotion to it.

"We got to really dig in and try anything we wanted to try, and that comes through in some of the intricacies of the production," he added. "It's quite a musical record. I think it's a little bit more musical than we've done in a long time."

John and Korey co-produced six of the 12 tracks on "Victorious" and co-produced two additional songs with Seth Mosley and Mike "X" O'Connor.

The band's current lineup is rounded out by drummer/vocalist Jen Ledger and guitarist Seth Morrison.

John told Billboard about the new single: "'Legendary' is kind of fun because it sounds like SKILLET, but it's actually a little different for SKILLET as well. That opening guitar riff isn't like anything we've ever done on guitar. It's a little bit bluesy, a little bit rock. I thought it was cool.

"The general message of 'Legendary' is to make your life count," he added. "You're going to have a lot of hard things in your life. Sometimes it will get you down, but you need to make your life count. You are only here for so long on earth, so every day fight to be legendary."

SKILLET and SEVENDUST will embark on the co-headline "Victorious War" tour in August and September. POP EVIL will support, while DEVOUR THE DAY will open the shows. The tour kicks off on August 11 in Memphis.

Video footage of MEGADETH guitarist Kiko Loureiro teaching you how to play the guitar solo in the band's song "Poisonous Shadows" can be seen below. The track features piano playing from Loureiro as well as orchestration from famed Nashville arranger Ronn Huff, the father of former MEGADETH producer Dann Huff. MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine described the track to Rolling Stone as "a really haunting piece" and added that "the part that [Kiko] played is very Chopin-meets-MEGADETH, if that makes sense."

"Poisonous Shadows" is taken from MEGADETH's latest album, "Dystopia", which came out in January 2016. The disc shifted 49,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release. In terms of pure album sales, "Dystopia" opened with 48,000 copies, marking MEGADETH's highest-charting album since 1992's "Countdown To Extinction" debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the chart dated August 1 of that year. "Dystopia" also logged the group's best sales week since 2007, when "United Abominations" landed at No. 8 with first-week sales of 54,000.


In addition to Mustaine and Loureiro, MEGADETH's current lineup includes longtime bassist David Ellefson and former SOILWORK drummer Dirk Verbeuren.

MEGADETH is working on material for the follow-up to "Dystopia" for a tentative 2020 release.

Moon Chamber is a quintet featuring Marta Gabriel (front woman of the heavy metal stalwarts Crystal Viper) and Rob Bendelow (founder and original guitarist of the British rock band Saracen). Their debut album entitled Lore Of The Land, will be released in October 2019 on No Remorse Records. In addition to Marta and Rob, three other musicians complete the Moon Chamber ranks: keyboard duties are handled by Paul Bradder of Saracen, and the driving percussion comes courtesy of Pagan Altar’s Andy Green. In addition to vocals, Marta Gabriel recorded all the bass guitar parts for the album, but Richard Bendelow (Rob’s son) is now responsible for the bass element going forward. The album comprises ten new tracks, deeply rooted in the classic rock of the '70s and '80s, whilst drawing inspiration from the wealth of English folklore, history and legend.

The band’s first single entitled "Ravenmaster" had its premiere on April 26th, and now the band has released a new video for the single. The video was directed by Owe Lingvall (The Rasmus, Lordi, Hammerfall).

Both the album and the single were produced and mastered by Bart Gabriel (Cirith Ungol, Q5, Sortilege), and engineered and mixed by Rafal Kossakowski (Crystal Viper, Kat, and Kasia MOŚ - Polish Eurovision contestant). Cover artworks of the album and the single were painted by Roberto Toderico, Italian artist known for his work with artists such as Tygers Of Pan Tang, Quartz and Mythra.

(Photo - Owe Lingvall)




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Texas experimental duo, Pinkish Black, will release their fourth full-length, Concept Unification, on June 14 via Relapse. An official music video for the track "Dial Tone" is available for streaming below.

Concept Unification is the band's most adventurous record to date. Each of the six tracks on the album explore the innermost depths of forward-thinking doom rock, as psychedelic undertones collide with dark, crushing heaviness. Brooding synthesizers on Concept Unification's opening title track give way to the impending melancholy found on "Dial Tone", while progressive ebbs and flows on "Petit Mal" showcase Pinkish Black's ability to manipulate dark ambience. The album closer "Next Solution" presents a somber, contemplative piano performance front-and-center, before exploding into a dramatic whirl of choirs and rhythmic pummeling. "Concept Unification" is a beast of its own, pontificating on themes of anxiety, futility, and emptiness, positioning Pinkish Black as vital to the independent scene as ever.

Concept Unification is due out June 14 on CD/LP/Digital. Physical packages are available for preorder at Relapse.com.

Tracklisting:

“Concept Unification”
“Until”
“Dial Tone”
“Petit Mal”
“Inanimatronic”
“Next Solution”
“Away Again” (Bonus Track)
“We Wait” (Bonus Track)

“Dial Tone” video:

“Until”:




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Italian symphonic metal band, Clockwork, make their debut with the video for their new single "Closer", released via Heavy Load - Freemood (Tanzan Music Group). The song is part of the ambitious project created by Lorenzo Masiero, with the aim of blending music and literature, creating a true metal opera characterized by a wide and rich musical world.

Clockwork is an eight piece band that features musicians Gianluca Capelli (drums) and Daniele Mandelli (guitar) from Dark Horizon, Luigi Riccio (bass), Lorenzo Masiero himself (keyboards) and singers Paolo Taurino, Fabio Brunetti, Rossella Moscatello and Francesca Trevisan, whose voices give life to the characters of the book written by Masiero that inspired the metal opera's story.

The original novel's plot narrate the life of a musician who sell his soul to the demon Phedus (Francesca Trevisan) in order to obtain the perfect melody. The demon will mislead the man fragmenting his soul in different entities that represent his emotions, Joy (Rossella Moscatello), Rage (Paolo Taurino) and Solitude (Fabio Brunetti).

The video, directed by Niccolò Savinelli, shows the main character while returning to places of his youth. The young man in the video is a memory by the protagonist that became old and deprived of emotions.

"Closer" represents the melancholic sensation of arriving to the end of life without having reached your aim and with no possibilities to fix the mistakes committed.

The adventure of Clockwork has begun and will be enhanced by a full band theatrical live show.

The first single will be part of the Underground Symphony 25th year anniversary compilation by the Italian record label, to be released by the end of 2019.




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TMZ is reporting that rock legend Meat Loaf fell off a stage in Texas last Saturday during a Q&A at the 2019 Texas Frightmare Weekend horror convention in Dallas.

Says TMZ: "Meat was making his way across the stage Saturday when he suddenly lost his balance and started tumbling. You could see the shock and horror on his face, immediately. Meat Loaf tried to save himself, but eventually went down sideways and completely off the back of the stage, through a curtain. There are reports he tripped over a bunch of wires bundled on the stage. He was transported to a nearby hospital and kept overnight, where he was reportedly treated for a broken collarbone. According to eyewitness, Meat Loaf refused to hand the mic over before thanking his fans - and Frightmare staffers offered refunds for those who had paid for a photo op."




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According to Alternative Nation, SiriusXM host and "metal maestro", Eddie Trunk, recently shared a story on how a fan of KISS got a refund from Ticketmaster after he alleged that Paul Stanley was “not performing fully live.” Alternative Nation transcribed Trunk’s comments.

Trunk: "This is from Arch Hall, he writes: Maestro, curious to find out how many ticket buyers have requested a refund due to terrible performances. Back in the day I would recall many times venues refunding money for various reasons. With bands like KISS for example, Paul Stanley’s atrocious vocal performances would seriously upset me if I paid a substantial amount for a ticket and sit through some of the things I’ve seen uploaded to YouTube. It will be interesting to see if you could have a promotions person who dealt with customer complains in this area. To see if there are any that have actually requested their money back, it would be astounding if thousands would do it and the word got back to ticket suppliers and what was going on. I would pay good money to see that and his reaction.

"He calls me maestro, never been called maestro before Arch, thank you. Well Arch, look, as far as what’s going on, you’ve singled out KISS here but as far as what’s going on there it’s well documented and it’s all over YouTube. Constant examples and proof that Paul is singing to a track. He has a track assisting him in his live performance. All you gotta do is Google that, YouTube that and there’s a million – eventually they pull these videos down because they’re so incriminating but it’s been proven a thousand times online. So, he’s not gonna sound all that bad on this tour because he’s using a track!

"I know somebody in Boston, who I know very well who when he found out KISS was using a track and other bands were using fake tracks to supplement their live performance he request a refund and got it! I know a guy who spent a grand on four KISS tickets, in Boston, had never seen the band before, saw this stuff on YouTube that he wasn’t gonna get a full live performance, went to Ticketmaster and said “I paid for live, this not fully live, I want a refund”. Twenty four hours later Ticketmaster issued the refund, that is interesting. This person sent me an E-mail about it, this is a guy who is also in the business so this is not just a fan who is just trying to stir the pot."




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Cluj-Napoca, Romania based progressive extreme metallers Left Hand Path have set June 17th as the release date for their self-titled debut EP, in collaboration with Loud Rage Music. The cover artwork was designed by Alexandru Das.

As a taste of things to come, the band issued a video for the track "Egoschism":

For further information, visit Left Hand Path on Facebook.

 




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Closed Casket Activities has added Vamachara to its roster. The Southern California five-piece previously released the four-song EP Lapse in 2016, which was followed by the full-length Despondent in 2018. The band channels the late '90s and early '00s metal sound, with influences ranging from All Out War to Martyr AD to At The Gates.

The band has recorded its Closed Casket Activities debut, which was produced by Taylor Young of The Pit Recording Studio in Van Nuys, California. Further details about the band's next album will be revealed soon.

Vamachara have toured with like-minded bands such as The Acacia Strain, Twitching Tongues, Judiciary, Jesus Piece, Year Of The Knife, and Creeping Death. Upcoming Vamachara tour dates in the US and Europe are listed below.

May
6 - Atlanta, GA *
7 - Jacksonville, FL *
8 - Tampa, FL *
9 -  Baton Rouge, LA +
10 -  Houston, TX +
11 - Tulsa, OK +
22 - Essen, Germany - Don't Panic ^
23 - Hamburg, Germany - Übel & Gefährlich ^
24 - Querfurt, Germany - Return To Strength Fest ^
25 - Crailsheim, Germany - Jugendzentrum ^
26 - Olten, Switzerland - Coq D'Or ^
27 - Paris, France - Gibus
28 - London, UK - New Cross Inn ^
29 - Glasgow, UK - Audio ^
30 - Leeds, UK - Temple Of Boom ^
31 - Cardiff, UK - Fuel Rock Club ^

June
1 - Aarschot, Belgium - Revelation Fest ^

* dates with Chambers
+ dates with Piece of Mind
^  dates with Judiciary




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Fan-filmed video footage of KINGDOM COME's May 4 performance at the M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, Maryland can be seen below.

Singer Lenny Wolf is not involved in KINGDOM COME's current reunion tour, which kicked off last September in Seattle, Washington. The trek — which is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of the band's self-titled debut album — features drummer James Kottak alongside guitarists Danny Stag and Rick Steier, bassist Johnny B. Frank and vocalist Keith St. John (formerly of MONTROSE and LYNCH MOB). The tour marks Kottak's first run of shows since embracing recovery after a longtime battle with alcoholism got him kicked out of the SCORPIONS.

Asked if it was difficult to assemble four of the five original KINGDOM COME members for the tour, Kottak told Eonmusic: "No, actually. I originally started talking to Lenny in 2008. I knew the SCORPIONS farewell tour was coming, and we got everything together in about 2012, 2013. We had all five here in L.A., went to rehearsals, had conversations, we had shows, offers on the table, things were good, and then I got a call from the SCORPIONS camp saying, You know what? We decided not to say farewell. We're going to do the album, another world tour, and can you not play with KINGDOM COME and your other projects?' And I was, like, 'Well, okay,' because my allegiance was always with SCORPIONS. I love those guys, I love the band, so I pulled the plug. I had to put everything on the back burner. And here we are now; I had this opportunity, and everything kind of fell into place, so it's wonderful to be where we are now."

Kottak went on to say that he had been talking to Wolf about taking part in the tour "off and on, since about [2017]." He explained: "Things move really slow sometimes. Then suddenly, in January [2018] he just called and said, 'You know what?' — because he announced his retirement [in 2017] and didn't want anything to do with KINGDOM COME — but he said, 'I just really don't want to deal with all the chaos and the manic, crazy rock and roll.' He just wants to quietly retire and live in Hamburg, and I respect him, and he can do that. However, he has given us his blessing. I wish he was here, but it is what it is."

The drummer admitted that he and his bandmates were initially concerned about whether people would accept KINGDOM COME without Wolf. "Absolutely," he said. "And when we first put the word out to promoters and buyers, at first they were going, 'Oh yeah! KINGDOM COME!' Then we had to go back a few weeks later and say, 'Sorry. Unfortunately, there will be no Lenny Wolf.' So, out of the 20 or so offers we had from different buyers, only three actually pulled out. I was surprised; I thought we'd get a little more backlash. But so many bands, especially bands with longevity, they change members; look at THIN LIZZY, how they changed, or name any band that's been around for 25, 30 years, and there's very few that have all the original members."

UK-based symphonic/classic rock band, Izengard, has signed with Massacre Records. All band members are experienced musicians which were already involved in numerous projects before Izengard came to existence.

Their album, Angel Heart, is going to be released later this year, but the band is already in the process of writing their new material!

Izengard are vocalist Ian Ainsworth, guitarist Den Tietze, keyboardist Alison Fowler-Tietze, bassist Russ Vaughan and drummer Gary Reece.

Tour dates:

August
2 - Burton-Upon-Trent, UK - Marstons Club (Fecked Up Again 2019)
24 - Stoke-On-Trent, UK - Ran Ales Brewery

November
22 - Stoke-On-Trent, UK - Eleven Club

(Photo - Gary Reece Photography)




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IN FLAMES vocalist Anders Fridén and guitarist Björn Gelotte recently spoke with Sweden's RockSverige.se. The full conversation can be seen below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the working relationship between the two:

Björn: "To be honest, in the beginning I think it was way easier to define. It was a musical side — the song, riffs, melody, drums and all that — in one camp, and then you had the vocals, the lyrics and the vocal melodies in another camp. That's one of the things that I think we've broken down, which means that we're both very much part of each other's turfs."

Anders: "We have different strengths that we bring to the table that is necessary for the band as a whole today. There are fields where I am more driven, there are fields where Björn is more driven, but that is not 100 percent defined what that should be. It's more song-based or situation-based. I need him for what I do, and the other way around. Otherwise, there wouldn't be IN FLAMES today, where we are. In the past, it's obviously been different, and everybody had a certain role. That gave the identity of IN FLAMES, but we've figured out something that works for us. We don't have to say anything, really. You feel it, and it comes very natural."

On the group's 2016 album "Battles":

Anders: "Some amazing songs came out of this album, and it's been great playing them live. There are a few things that we'd change when it came to the production and how it was mixed. That's why we decided to work with Chris Lord-Alge. We wanted to give the mix a little bit more oomph. That was the right album that we did then, as all the other albums right when we did them at that point. We never look back [and] don't want to change anything."

On whether the pair saw any "good shows" during the time they spent in Los Angeles recording new album "I, The Mask":

Anders: "We saw Udo [Dirkschneider] doing all ACCEPT songs. That was fucking amazing. Myles Kennedy did an amazing job all by himself — acoustic, just him and a guitar and his voice. It was fantastic."

Björn: "A great show can be an amazing thing. A great show pumps you up. That's why we like the live environment so much as a band, because I think that's when you're the most honest and most powerful at the same time."

On the importance of "dynamics":

Björn: "It's interesting what you can do with a bit of dynamics in there. It's absolutely necessary for the record to have those elements. Otherwise, the faster songs wouldn't shine, and without the fast ones, these slower ones wouldn't take you on that journey."

On ignoring reviews:

Anders: "We recorded [2002's] 'Reroute To Remain'. We went on tour with SLIPKNOT and then we released that album. People said it sounded a lot like SLIPKNOT... We changed producer, we changed studio, we changed location — we went from Gothenburg to Uppsala and all that. There were so many things going on, and I was just like, 'I'm over it.'"

Björn: "The album was written and recorded before we did that tour, so it was so weird. It has nothing to do with that."

Anders: "It just [took] on a life of its own. I'm like, 'Okay, I'm done. That's it.'"

Björn: "We've learned [on] the latest albums that it's okay to listen to the producer, or to each other. That's big enough, but to have the whole world as your judgment, it's no way we can please everybody — and that's not the point."

Anders: "It's a waste of energy. You can't change somebody's mind. If you don't like it, you don't like it. I can't convince you. I tried with the album, but if you don't understand the music, then I give up."

On the band's American live debut in 1998:

Björn: "We went all the way over to Milwaukee, and we played for 20 minutes, and we went all the way back to Sweden. It was a very short experience, but it was really cool. I think it was a very important show for us, because all of a sudden, we were on at least some sort of map over there."

"I, The Mask" was released on March 1 via Nuclear Blast (worldwide, excluding North America) and Eleven Seven Music (North America).

HELLYEAH has officially recruited STONE SOUR's Roy Mayorga as its new drummer.

Earlier today, HELLYEAH released the following statement via social media: "Please welcome our dear friend and brother Roy Mayorga, who will be guesting behind the drum kit as we honor our brother Vinnie Paul. These men had so much love and mutual respect for each other, this makes our transition so much easier. Ready or not, here we come!"

Word of Mayorga's involvement with HELLYEAH gained strength last month after Roy posted two Instagram photos of his new drum setup, which was deemed by some to be "very Vinnie Paul-like," a reference to late HELLYEAH drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott.

Mayorga previously played with HELLYEAH bassist Kyle Sanders in MEDICATION, the early 2000s outfit which also featured guitarist Logan Mader (MACHINE HEAD) and singer Whitfield Crane (UGLY KID JOE).

Although Mayorga recently said that he was working on a solo project, STONE SOUR will likely remain inactive for much of the next two years as singer Corey Taylor focuses on the next SLIPKNOT album cycle.

In March, HELLYEAH released the official music video for a new song titled "333". The track is taken from the band's sixth album, which is due later in the year. The LP will mark the group's final effort with Abbott, who passed away in June 2018.

HELLYEAH filmed the "333" music video on March 1 at Duff's Brooklyn in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York.

Vinnie Paul died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

Not long before his death, Vinnie laid down the drum tracks for HELLYEAH's sixth album.

Like the last two records, 2016's "Unden!able" and 2014's "Blood For Blood", the new disc was recorded at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with producer Kevin Churko.

HELLYEAH will celebrate Vinnie Paul's life with a special performance on May 11 at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas, Nevada.


Please welcome our dear friend and brother Roy Mayorga,

Roy Mayorga, who will be guesting behind the drum kit as we...Posted by HELLYEAH on Monday, May 6, 2019

Ozzy Osbourne is "doing much better," more than a month after sustaining an injury that caused the BLACK SABBATH singer to cancel all live appearances through the end of the year.

In early April, Ozzy postponed all his 2019 tour dates, both in North America and Europe, as he recovered from an injury sustained while dealing with his recent bout of pneumonia. The singer fell at his Los Angeles home, aggravating years-old injuries from his 2003 ATV accident that required new surgery.

During a guest appearance on "Larry King Now", Ozzy's son Jack Osbourne was asked for an update on his father's health status. He responded (see video below): "He's doing good. He kind of got hit with a bunch of things, and he took a fall. And now he's doing much better."

Most of the 2019 shows on what is being billed as Ozzy's last full world tour have been rescheduled beginning in February 2020. Fans are being asked to hold on to their original tickets, as they will be honored for the rescheduled dates.

The 70-year-old Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee has battled a variety of health issues since kicking off his farewell "No More Tours 2" tour last summer. He contacted a staph infection in October that forced the initial postponement of his North American tour dates.

In January, Osbourne scrapped his European tour because of an upper respiratory infection that turned into pneumonia, forcing him to cancel dates in Japan, Australia and New Zealand.