California based extreme metal titans, Suicide Silence, have released a teaser for their upcoming sixth studio album, Become The Hunter, scheduled to be released in early 2020 with pre-orders expected sometime this month. The clip, entitled Part 1: "Meltdown" (To Be Continued), can be seen below:

Become The Hunter was produced by Steve Evetts at The Omen Room and mixed by Josh Wilbur. Ted Jensen mastered the album at Sterling Sound Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. The artwork for the album was created by Adrian Baxter.

Become The Hunter tracklisting:

"Meltdown"
"Two Steps"
"Feel Alive"
"Love Me To Death"
"In Hiding"
"Death's Anxiety"
"Skin Tight"
"The Scythe"
"Serene Obscene"
"Disaster Valley"
"Become The Hunter"

Stay tuned for more information about Become The Hunter.

Suicide Silence will head to Latin America on November 14. Stay tuned as additional dates will be announced.

(Photo - Dean Karr)




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Finnish melodic death metal masters, Insomnium, currently on their Tour Like A Grave in support of their new album Heart Like A Grave, have released a new video trailer for the tour. Watch below, and find the band's complete tour itinerary here.

Heart Like A Grave can be ordered here.

Tracklisting:

"Wail Of The North"
"Valediction"
"Neverlast"
"Pale Morning Star"
"And Bells They Toll"
"The Offering"
"Mute Is My Sorrow"
"Twilight Trails"
"Heart Like A Grave"
"Karelia"

“Pale Morning Star” lyric video:

"Heart Like A Grave" video:

"Valediction" video:

(Photo - Vesa Ranta)




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Finland's Arion have released a video for "No One Stands In My Way", a track from their latest album, Life Is Not Beautiful, available via AFM Records. Order the album here, and watch the new clip below.

Tracklisting:

"The End Of The Fall"
"No One Stands In My Way"
"At The Break Of Dawn" (Feat. Elize Ryd)
"The Last Sacrifice"
"Through Your Falling Tears"
"Unforgivable"
"Punish You"
"Life Is Not Beautiful"
"Last One Falls"

"No One Stands In My Way" video:

"Through Your Falling Tears" video:

"Punish You" lyric video:

"At The Break Of Dawn" video:

"Unforgivable" video:

Lineup:

Lassi Vääränen (Vocals)
Iivo Kaipainen (Guitars)
Arttu Vauhkonen (Keyboards)
Georgi Velinov (Bass)
Topias Kupianen (Drums)




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Power Theory have released the new single, "Mountain Of Death", featured on the band's new album, Force Of Will, out on December 6 via Pure Steel Records. Stream the single at The Orchard, Spotify, or below.

Force Of Will tracklisting:

"Morior Invictus" (Intro)
"Force Of Will"
"Draugr"
"If Forever Ends Today"
"Mountain Of Death"
"Albion"
"Th13teen"
"Spitting Fire" (feat Piet Sielck of Iron Savior)
"Bringer Of Rain"
"Path Of Glory"
"Shadow Of Man"
"The Hill I Die On"

"Mountain Of Death":

"Spitting Fire" lyric video:

Lineup:

Jim Rutherford - vocals
Robert Ballinger Jr - guitars, backing vocals
Carlos Alvarez - guitars, backing vocals
Alan D'Angelo - bass, backing vocals
Johnny Sasso - drums, backing vocals




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SnakeyeS will release their new studio album, New World Order, in March 2020. The band, started by José Pineda, Justi Bala, and Carlos Delgado (former members of the Spanish band Sphinx), together with Romanian singer Cosmin Aionita, have released a short teaser for a new song from the album, which can be found below. Additionally, the band have launched their new official website, snakeyes-metal.com.

The new album tracklisting, cover artwork, a series of “making of” videos, as well as the first concert dates for the upcoming tour will be revealed in the weeks to come. The new record has been produced, mixed, and mastered by José Pineda, also responsible for the band’s previous studio albums.

Here’s what producer and bass player José Pineda had to say about the teaser and new album: “The New World Order teaser is just a small sample we selected in order to introduce our fans to how SnakeyeS’ third studio album will sound like. A small showing reflecting our desire to consolidate the style we developed so far, and a very short sample of what promises to be a pure Heavy Metal record, with the added novelty that, for the first time in the band’s history, all the lyrics will revolve around the same base concept."

"The Evil Dead", the first single off SnakeyeS’ third album, will be released before the end of this year along with a lyric video. Stay tuned for updates.




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Marillion With Friends From The Orchestra, the new release from the classic rock band Marillion, will be available on CD Digipak, 2LP Gatefold (180g), Limited & Coloured 2LP and Digital, on November 29 via earMUSIC. A video for the song "Fantastic Place" can be seen below. You can stream or buy the single here, and pre-order the new release here.

Earlier this year, Marillion entered the studio with the intention to record selected songs from their rich catalogue along with friends from the orchestra. Recorded at The Racket Club and Peter Gabriel‘s Real World Studios, and with a running time of almost 80 minutes, With Friends From The Orchestra features nine classic Marillion tracks reimagined and accompanied by the In Praise Of Folly String Quartet with Sam Morris (French Horn) and Emma Halnan (Flute).

Marillion explain: “So our brilliant producer and collaborator Michael Hunter wrote some new string arrangements and we took a week out to go to Real World Studios and record with our friends. The result has exceeded our expectations, is indeed a thing of beauty. We hope you enjoy the songs and agree with us that some of them are actually better than the originals(!). Whether or not you agree with that bold statement we’re sure this work will move you.”

“Estonia”, originally from 1997’s album This Strange Engine and the first song to be revealed from the album, gives a first insight into the hauntingly beautiful and touching versions of some of the band’s most beloved songs. The official video grants an exclusive peak behind the scenes of the album recording sessions and can be found below.

Tracklisting:

"Estonia"
"A Collection"
"Fantastic Place"
"Beyond You"
"This Strange Engine"
"The Hollow Man"
"The Sky Above The Rain"
"Seasons End"
"Ocean Cloud"

"Fantastic Place" video:

"Estonia" video:

Marillion are currently working on their next studio album, the follow-up to the critically acclaimed and chart topping F*** Everyone And Run (F E A R). The band are currently out on a European tour. Dates below.

November
12 - Glasgow, UK - Royal Concert Hall
13 - Gateshead, UK - The Sage
15 - Southend, UK - Cliffs Pavilion
16 - Cardiff, UK - St David’s Hall
18 - London, UK - Royal Albert Hall
19 - London, UK - Royal Albert Hall

December
6 - Nijmegen, Netherlands - Concertgebouw de Vereeniging
7 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli Vredenburg
9 - Paris, France - Salle Pleyel
10 - Lyon, France - Radiant-Bellevue
12 - Rome, Italy - Auditoirum Della Conciliazione
13 - Padova, Italy - Gran Teatro Geox
15 - Essen, Germany - Colosseum Theater
16 - Essen, Germany - Colosseum Theater




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Metallica have released video from their show at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow Russia on July 21, 2019. Watch professionally-filmed footage of the band performing "Sad But True" below:

Metallica's next schedule live performance is on March 28, 2020 for the All Within My Hands Helping Hands Concert & Auction at The Masonic in San Francisco, CA. Find the band's live itinerary here.

Metallica recently donated $100,000 to help wildfire relief efforts in the state of California via their non-profit foundation, All Within My Hands. A message from the band states: "Sadly, for the third year in a row, communities we have called home throughout the state of California are again experiencing the tragedy left in the wake of wildfires.

"All Within My Hands would like to lend support to those affected in both Northern and Southern California by donating $100,000 to assist in relief, $50,000 to the Sonoma County Resilience Fund - created by the Community Foundation Sonoma County - and $50,000 to the Wildfire Relief Fund - created by the California Community Foundation.

"Both organizations are dedicated to long-term recovery efforts, helping residents resume normal lives as they get back on their feet after the devastation of these firestorms. We would also like to encourage you to join us in supporting those in need as well as the first responders who have been working tirelessly to keep Californians safe. Whether you are able to contribute money, non-perishable food, clothing and other supplies, or your time by volunteering or providing temporary housing, every bit helps.

"Donate to the Sonoma County Resilience Fund or to the Wildfire Relief Fund."




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Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the release of The Murder Of My Sweet's fifth studio album, Brave Tin World, on December 6. The song "Head Of The Snake" is available for streaming below. You can pre-order the album here.

Brave Tin World is yet another fantastic album where the band delivers a fine slice of cinematic/symphonic metal. Often compared to musical giants such as Within Temptation, Nemesea, and Delain, The Murder Of My Sweet are Sweden’s significant answer to those revered Dutch acts.

Musically, the band’s new album follows the path of their previous record, Beth Out Of Hell, with a more straight-ahead songwriting approach, while still offering the symphonic and cinematic elements the band is now well-known for. Brave Tin World showcases a Nordic sound that the members of the band grew up listening to and lyrically takes on issues in tune with our modern day life.

"It's a more relaxed and mature album,” says producer and drummer Daniel Flores. "We're currently in transition with our songwriting, trying to bring out our identity instead of our chops. Sonically, we've taken a step further too, concentrating on more details than before."

Debuting with the first single, “Tin Soldiers”, the band is truly stronger than ever. "The song seems like it's been growing in our heads for the past ten years. We just didn't know how to communicate it properly until now. It's sort of an adventure about a mature topic that is unfortunately still very much of an issue these days,” says singer Angelica Rylin.

With Angelica Rylin carrying the vocals with her smooth, powerful voice, the wall of sound supporting the vocals is provided by Christopher Vetter on guitar, Patrik Janson on bass, and Daniel Flores on drums and keyboards. It’s easy to close your eyes while listening to The Murder Of My Sweet and imagine you are listening to a movie soundtrack. It has that musical film production value that makes movies feel bigger than life, but translated to music.

"This album has something we've never accomplished before,” concludes Daniel Flores. "It's a perfect balance between heavy and light and the immersion is so substantial no one will be able to deny it."

The Murder Of My Sweet’s aim is to create a distorted film noir vibe and experience by putting the wonder, sadness, humour and sheer zest of life into their music. By playing it to the point where the drama explodes, the music and the words become the utmost expression of the direct and ecstatic pure joy of being. The Murder Of My Sweet have arrived again with an unforgettable thrill of a lifetime album. Whatever you do, don’t miss the show.

Tracklisting:

"Tin Soldiers"
"My Religion"
"Head Of The Snake"
"Reasons To Live"
"Safe In The Shadows"
"Hit The Ground"
"Everyone Wins"
"Memento"
"Keeper Of The Flame"
"Worth Fighting For"
"Alchemy Of Sins"

"Head Of The Snake":

"Tin Soldiers" lyric video:

Lineup:

Angelica Rylin - Vocals
Daniel Flores - Keyboards, strings arrangements, backing vocals and Drums
Christopher Vetter - Acoustic and electric guitars
Patrik Janson - Bass




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LA based theatrical metal band Raven Black has revealed the lyric video for their new single, "He Is The One", off of their upcoming third album.

In live news, Raven Black is currently on tour with Static-X, Mushroomhead, Drowning Pool, Dope, and Wednesday 13 on the second leg of the 20th Anniversary Wisconsin Death Trip / Memorial To Wayne Static Tour. Remaining dates are as listed:

November
12 - Baton Rouge, LA - Varsity Theatre
13 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
15 - Ft. Lauderdale - Revolution
16 - Tampa, FL - The Orpheum
17 - Destin, FL - Club LA
19 - Greensboro, NC - Cone Denim
20 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
21 - Columbus, OH - Express Live
22 - Albany, NY - Skyloft
23 - Providence, RI - Providence Metal Fest at Fete Ballroom
24 - New York, NY - Sony Hall
27 - Flint, MI - Machine Shop
28 - Flint, MI - Machine Shop
29 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverfront Live
30 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave II

December
1 - Champaign, IL - The City Center
2 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
3 - Green Bay, WI - Green Bay Distillery
4 - St. Paul, MN - The Myth
5 - Des Moines, IA - Wooly's
6 - Sauget, IL - Pop's
7 - Lincoln, NE - Bourbon Theater
8 - Colorado Springs, CO - Sunshine Studios Live

(Photo by Archaic Images)




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Cult Of Luna have released a short film for "A Dawn To Fear", the title track of their new album, and the band's first material under their sole name since 2013's Vertikal 1&2. Order the new record at MetalBlade.com.

The narrative for the 'A Dawn To Fear' short film was written as a continuous story spread out over two songs ('Lay Your Head to Rest' and 'The Silent Man'). Because of the hard work that was put in by numerous people it deserves to be viewed in it’s intended form. That is why I’m excited that it’s finally available as the 18 min. piece it was written as." - Johannes Persson

Building on 20 years of creating some of the most epic, emotive and inventive heavy music unleashed on the world, there is no denying that Cult Of Luna's A Dawn To Fear is a monster of a record. An album comprised of eight tracks running 79 minutes, it embodies everything the band's faithful have come to expect from them while covering new ground. "Going into the process, we knew the album we wanted to make, an antithesis of what we've done before," says vocalist/guitarist and lead songwriter Johannes Persson. "For pretty much every album there's been a very concrete theme. We've known from the start the kind of story we wanted to tell, and I didn't want that to be the case. I've seen a lot of subtle changes and patterns in my own behavior and my own thinking the last couple of years, and I wanted this to be a completely spontaneous process. I just wanted to see what came out of me, and A Dawn To Fear is the result of that."

Admitting he is perhaps still too close to the record to objectively describe the sound of A Dawn To Fear, Persson believes that it has a more organic feel to it, largely achieved through the use of organs and other acoustic instruments in place of electronic keyboards, and that it is perhaps a more melancholic collection. It is also arguably heavier than their last full-length, 2013's Vertikal and their 2016 collaboration with Julie Christmas, Mariner, both in terms of the sheer density of the music and its tone. When it came to tracking the album, the band opted to work at Ocean Sound Recordings in Norway, which, as the name suggests, is located right by the coast, far from the nearest town. For eleven days the band lived at the studio, and enjoyed the process of constructing the record. With the finished product running to the length of a double CD, there was some discussion of cutting a track, but this did not get far. "We sat down and looked at that song list and we couldn't. It would make it easier for us and everyone involved to cut one song, making it no problem when it comes to LPs and CDs, but we just couldn't see the album any other way. These songs are the songs that make sense. If we cut this song or that song, it would screw up the whole dynamic of the record."

Tracklisting:

“The Silent Man”
“Lay Your Head To Rest”
“A Dawn To Fear”
“Nightwalkers”
“Lights On The Hill”
“We Feel The End”
“Inland Rain”
“The Fall”

Album stream:

Cult Of Luna have announced their return to the US and Canada, with a North American headlining tour set for February/March 2020. Emma Ruth Rundle and Intronaut will join this bill as support. See below for all dates.

February
25 - Dallas, TX - Trees
26 - Austin, TX - Come and Take It Live
28 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
29 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage

March
1 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theater
2 - Montreal, QC - Corona
3 - Toronto, ON - Opera House
4 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
5 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theater
6 - Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall
7 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
9 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
10 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theatre *
11 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
13 - Mexico City, MX - Auditorio Blackberry**

* - no Intronaut
** - Cult of Luna only

(Photo - Silvia Grav)




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Townsend Music has launched a pre-order for the upcoming 30th anniversary vinyl edition of Alice Cooper's Trash album, due for release on December 13.

Trash is the 18th studio album by Alice Cooper, released in 1989. The album features the single “Poison”, Cooper’s first top ten hit since 1977. It was a great success in Cooper’s music career, reaching the Top 20 of various album charts and selling millions of copies.

The album features many guest performances including Jon Bon Jovi, Stiv Bators, and Steven Tyler. Songwriting contributions were also made by Joan Jett, Diane Warren, Richie Sambora, and John McCurry.

Trash is available as a 30th anniversary edition of 2,500 individually numbered copies on silver & black marbled vinyl. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

Side A
"Poison"
"Spark In The Dark"
"House Of Fire"
"Why Trust You"
"Only My Heart Talkin'"

Side B
"Bed Of Nails"
"This Maniac's In Love With You"
"Trash"
"Hell Is Living Without You"
"I'm Your Gun"




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THE DEAD DAISIES — the hard rock "collective" founded by Australian musician and businessman David Lowy — has entered La Fabrique Studios in the south of France to record its as-yet-untitled new album.

A video recap of the first week in the studio can be seen below.

This past August, THE DEAD DAISIES released "Righteous Days", the band's first song to feature Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION), who joined the group earlier in the year as its new bassist and vocalist, replacing John Corabi (MÖTLEY CRÜE) and Marco Mendoza (THIN LIZZY).

A statement on the group's web site elaborated on the lineup change. "THE DEAD DAISIES are a musical collective whose members come together through a common love for great rock music," the post reads. "It's a living, breathing, musical organism with the credo, 'Rock is indeed alive & well!' From the band's inception, the idea was for members to bring their own ideas to the table but also have the flexibility to come and go when working on their other projects. Both John and Marco are, and always will be, a part of THE DEAD DAISIES musical family, but at this point in time they have decided to do some work on their own solo projects."

THE DEAD DAISIES — Lowy, Hughes, guitarist Doug Aldrich (WHITESNAKE, DIO) and drummer Deen Castronovo (JOURNEY, BAD ENGLISH) — recently recorded "Righteous Days" and an undisclosed number of other songs at Los Angeles's Sunset Sound studio for a new album expected to be released in 2020. It will serve as the follow-up to the group's fourth full-length release, 2018's "Burn It Down".

According to Wikipedia, since the band's formation in 2012, THE DEAD DAISIES has featured two dozen different members (including "session" players and "temporary substitutes"), including drummer Brian Tichy (FOREIGNER, WHITESNAKE), GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Richard Fortus and GN'R keyboardist Dizzy Reed. The group has toured with the likes of AEROSMITH, KISS and BLACK STAR RIDERS.

Known as the "voice of rock," the 68-year-old Hughes is best known for fronting the Mk. III and Mk. IV lineups of DEEP PURPLE in the mid-1970s and for singing on BLACK SABBATH's 1986 album "Seventh Star". He was replaced by Ray Gillen after only six live performances with the band.

In 2009, Hughes formed BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION with blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa, keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, SONS OF APOLLO) and drummer Jason Bonham (BONHAM, FOREIGNER). Hughes recently told Midlands Metalheads Radio that the group will reunite to record its fifth album in January of 2021.

Robert Plant is celebrating the second season of his hugely popular podcast, Digging Deep With Robert Plant, with the release of a very special limited edition 7’’ singles box set. Digging Deep includes 16 A-sides and rare B-sides spanning three decades, remastered versions available on vinyl for the first time. The eight-disc collection also features restored artwork from the original 7’’ releases, packaged in a bespoke hardback book. Images of the packaging can be seen below.

Due for release on December 13, you can pre-order the set here.

Tracklisting:

Vinyl 1:

Side A: "Burning Down One Side
Side B: "Like I've Never Been Gone

Vinyl 2:

Side A: "Big Log
Side B: "In The Mood

Vinyl 3:

Side A: "Too Loud"
Side B: "Little By Little"

Vinyl 4:

Side A: "Ship of Fools"
Side B: "Tall Cool One"

Vinyl 5:

Side A: "Hurting Kind"
Side B: "Tie Dye on the Highway"

Vinyl 6:

Side A: "Calling To You"
Side B: "29 Palms"

Vinyl 7:

Side A: "Song To The Siren"
Side B: "Morning Dew"

Vinyl 8:

Side A: "Shine It All Around"
Side B: "Tin Pan Valley"




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DOWN has been confirmed for next year's edition of the Graspop Metal Meeting festival, set to take place June 18-21, 2020 in Dessel, Belgium.

The announcement of DOWN's participation in the event comes less than a month after singer Philip Anselmo revealed that DOWN was planning to reunite in 2020 for some shows in celebration of the 25th anniversary celebration of the band's classic debut album.

"We do have the 20th [sic] anniversary of 'NOLA' coming up, and I know that we have been offered some shows," Anselmo told Metal Nexus the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky. "And that's all I know. Pepper's [Keenan] still on tour [with CORROSION OF CONFORMITY]. CROWBAR's always on tour. And EYEHATEGOD, they're on tour for a long time. So, people ask me about it all the time."

Anselmo's response appeared to once again suggest that DOWN's lineup for a hypothetical "NOLA" 25th-anniversary tour would feature guitarist Kirk Windstein. A founding member of DOWN, Windstein left the band in 2013 in order to focus on CROWBAR and his family life. He was replaced by Bobby Landgraf, DOWN's former guitar tech who was previously in GAHDZILLA MOTOR COMPANY, a 1990s outfit also featuring Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS, WATCHTOWER), and HONKY.

DOWN was forced to cancel a number of shows in 2016 after Anselmo was filmed giving a Nazi salute and shouting "white power" at a California concert.

Keenan later offered his take on what transpired, telling Metal Wani that DOWN was "far from done" after the controversial incident. "You know, DOWN didn't do anything wrong," he said. "I mean, we were just guilty by association on that one. That was Phil's mistake. I've spoken to Phil and told him to get his shit together, and he is. He knows he made a mistake and was being stupid."

He continued: "I've known the guy [most of my life]. He's not what that whole thing framed him to be at all. But, yeah, there's definitely a future for DOWN. I wouldn't throw all the shit we've done, beautiful music we've done on one stupid moment that was caught on camera, and he apologized for. [So we are] far from done."

DOWN's last live appearance took place in August 2016 at the Psycho Las Vegas festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The band's latest release was the "Down IV - Part Two" EP, which came out in May 2014.

DOWN has not released a full-length album since 2007's "Down III: Over the Under".

1995's "NOLA" was largely credited with introducing the sound of underground New Orleans metal — "slow, super-heavy, doomsday guitar riffs stamped with Anselmo's trademark bellow," as described by NOLA.com — to a worldwide audience. The band has released albums and toured only intermittently, as its members all perform with other projects.

Chris Haskett is a Grammy-nominated American guitar player mainly known for his time in the Rollins Band in the 1980s and 90s. After eight albums, Chris is releasing an instrumental EP of original tunes, Insufficient Necessities, primarily featuring his European band (Mike Baker of DC go-go band Rare Essence does bass duties on the opening song “Going Back”) on November 15. Order via here, iTunes, Amazon etc.

The emphasis is decidedly on funk with nods to Chris's hometown go-go scene as well as New Orleans second-line grooves.

As on his other releases, Chris looks to strike a fragile balance of technique, tonal color and letting “interesting accidents” find their way in to the music. He wears his influences on his sleeve, and echoes of Beck, Ribot and Richard Thompson all peek through at various points. As he says himself, “I think I like things to teeter between being fluidly funky and a little fractured too.I'm hard to categorize because I straddle a kind of venn diagram/middle ground where hard rock meets downtown avant garde (with a little bit of 'Dark Star' sprinkled on top).”

The recordings are a mix of both studio and concert multi-track recordings re-edited and overdubbed, sometimes in the studio and sometimes in the concert venue. The four originals on this EP are part of a much larger batch of recordings. The rest, an eclectic collection of covers, are due for release in 2020.

Most of Chris's early life was spent in Washington DC though, by chance, he was living in the UK just as punk was breaking in 1977. The rule-breaking freedom offered by punk had a profound influence on him and remained with him on his return to the US in 1978. His first band, the Enzymes, synthesized diverse influences from both the early punk/no-wave scene as well as the avant-garde and free jazz musics of the time. This overlap of influences reluctance to be pigeonholed has been a constant throughout his career.

Moving back to England in 1980 brought him into collaborations with the Birthday Party's Rowland S. Howard and for Public Image bassist Jah Wobble. It was also during this time that he reestablished contact with old DC friend Henry Rollins who was then singing in Black Flag. When Black Flag broke up in 1986, Rollins immediately suggested they do a project together. The result was the genesis of the Rollins Band. Over the following ten years, the band became known for uniquely powerful, uncompromising hard rock that spanned and yet stood apart from both the grunge and metal scenes of the era. After ten albums, a Grammy nomination and nearly a thousand concerts across the globe, the band members decided to part ways in 1997.

Even in the midst of the Rollins Band's punishing schedule Chris found time for instrumental side projects. In 1995 he released Language, a mix of angular acoustic guitar pieces and musique concrête that also featured duets with Rowland S Howard. 1997's Non-Fiction was a collaboration with Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers drummer Brandon Finley. This electric guitar album incorporated DC's signature go-go beats alongside a clear influence of both Zappa and Sonny Sharrock. The subsequent releases, Not Part of the Solution (2002), The Return of the Geary Act (2004), Maybe Definitely (2012), Gravity:Left/Right (2013), The Courage Born of Conflicting Terrors (2014) and last year's Comprovisations in Linear B, all defy easy categorization but share a distinctive musical sensibility: funky, angular, lyrical and unpredictable.

In 1999 Chris was hired by David Bowie who said he was looking forward to Chris's “nose bleedingly hostile” guitar to complement Reeves Gabrels for an upcoming tour. The planned tour got sidelined but Chris can be heard alongside Reeves on Bowie's Hours album.

Aside from numerous concerts fronting his own bands in the US, Europe and Australia, some of Chris's other touring and performance credits include Steven Brown (Tuxedomoon), The Cassandra Complex, Elliott Sharp, Reeves Gabrels, Pigface, Chris D (Divine Horsemen), Utah Saints, and Foetus.. More recently he has been invited as onstage to perform with Helmet as well as MC50.

Chris divides his time between the US, Europe and Australia and is currently working on a percussion-heavy psychedelic live band.

“I first heard Chris Haskett with the Rollins Band, surely one of the most powerful of late 80s bands, and was instantly struck by the intelligence driving the molten guitar tone. What a pleasure to come to know his wide-ranging solo works, spanning the gamut from fun and impressively detailed electric workouts to truly thought-provoking and meditative acoustic compositions. Chris makes guitar music anyone can feel good about obsessing over.” - Mike Keneally

“Chris Haskett !!!!! Love the mans work all the way from Henry Rollins to the present.” - DeWayne Blackbyrd McKnight

“Chris is a gifted musician and guitarist who should be followed as the music he is involved with is real and engaging.” – Paul Reed Smith

“He’s always seemed to effortlessly cross genres with an authenticity and honesty that few are able to match, even in one genre. From punk to jazz, experimental to funk, he brilliantly manages to weave everything together on his albums. He’s like the perfect marriage of Snakefinger and Jeff Beck and a little Ornette Coleman.” - Rich Fortus




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FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH frontman Ivan Moody spoke to Metal Hammer magazine about the band's upcoming album, tentatively due in early 2020. The LP is being helmed by the band's regular producer, Kevin Churko, in FIVE FINGER's hometown of Las Vegas.

Moody, who is the group's primary lyricist, said: "This album has not been fucking easy to make. There was always somebody fucking quitting. Somebody wants to fire another guy, somebody's unhappy with someone's lifestyle. These things happen on a daily basis."

He added: "If there weren't bumps in the road, it would have been a shit record because that's complacency and that's settling."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH recently released a teaser for a new single called "Inside Out", and Moody told Metal Hammer that the track "pretty much encompasses everything" since he embraced sobriety after his much-publicized struggles with addiction.

"This is the first piece of music I've written since all this happened," he said. "So all these emotions, I finally get to put them out in a therapeutic way. It's about alcoholism. It's about my family leaving. It's about my bandmates. It's about looking at myself in the fucking face and saying, 'Dude, you're going to have to do this because nobody else is coming.'"

Earlier this year, Moody, who celebrated his first year of sobriety this past March, credited several of his friends and musical peers with helping him get through some of his darker moments, including JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford and KORN's Jonathan Davis.

A year and a half ago, Moody told the Green Bay radio station Razor 94.7 that he nearly died due to an alcohol-related seizure and woke up surrounded by EMTs and his daughter holding him while crying. He also admitted that he went to rehab five times before the last time finally stuck.

Moody revealed that he was sober but massively hung over during his onstage meltdown in Europe in 2017, with the band sending him home after that and later welcoming him back on a "probationary" basis after both Phil Labonte from ALL THAT REMAINS and Tommy Vext from BAD WOLVES filled in on a couple of tours.

According to Ivan, his battles with alcohol abuse also heavily inspired the lyrics on FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's most recent album, "And Justice For None".

The drums on FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's forthcoming eighth LP were laid down by Charlie "The Engine" Engen, who made his live debut with the group during its fall 2018 tour with BREAKING BENJAMIN. He stepped in for original drummer Jeremy Spencer, who left the band in December due to a back injury.

THE BLACK CROWES played their first reunion show last night (Monday, November 11) at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. The concert took place just hours after brothers Chris and Rich Robinson announced a 46-date 2020 tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of THE BLACK CROWES' classic debut album, 1990's "Shake Your Money Maker".

Joining Chris and Rich in the new BLACK CROWES lineup are EARTHLESS guitarist Isaiah Mitchell, former TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND bassist Tim Lefebvre along with ONCE AND FUTURE BAND members Joel Robinow on keyboards and Raj Ojha on drums.

The 60-minute Bowery Ballroom concert in front of a 600-strong crowd saw THE BLACK CROWES perform only the songs from the band's debut, along with the encore cover version of THE ROLLING STONES' "It's Only Rock 'N Roll (But I Like It)".

The setlist was as follows:

01. Twice As Hard

02. Jealous Again

03. Sister Luck

04. Could I've Been So Blind

05. Seeing Things

06. Hard To Handle

07. Thick N' Thin

08. She Talks To Angels

09. Struttin' Blues

10. Stare It Cold

11. It's Only Rock 'N Roll (But I Like It)

Regarding the decision to enlist all-new members for THE BLACK CROWES' reunion, Chris told Rolling Stone: "That was the first thing Rich and I agreed on. We don't want anyone from the solo groups. We don't want anyone from the past." Rich added: "In order to make this work. To give Chris and I the space to…" Chris interjected: "Be here right now."

THE BLACK CROWES' upcoming tour will mark Chris and Rich's first shows together since 2013. The group will perform its multi-platinum 1990 debut album in its entirety, along with a smattering of other hits and favorites.

THE BLACK CROWES will take the stage on Thursday (November 14) at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California. The official tour kicks off properly on June 17 at Austin's Austin360 Amphitheater in Austin wraps on September 19 at the Forum in L.A.

Chris told Rolling Stone the new tour will hearken back to THE BLACK CROWES' original style, explaining: "I think this is pure. We went off into a lot of things. There's no jamming. There's no extraneous stuff. This is the purest BLACK CROWES that people first [heard]. I hope we reconnect with some people who lost their way with us because of all of our other shit we were doing."

Rich spoke frankly about the obvious family politics in reuniting with his older brother, saying "No one is here to be a dick. We love this music. We're musicians. We're brothers. We love each other. We love this opportunity. Changing the context with Chris and I and all new people is a much healthier place for us."

The name "Jamey Jasta" represents one of music's most prolific and powerful reputations. As the founder and frontman for Grammy-nominated monoliths HATEBREED alongside his countless collaborations with everyone from DJ Khaled and Lights to FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, Jasta's reputation extends well beyond music. From stints as the four-year host of MTV's "Headbanger's Ball" to his own popular podcast, the 2016-launched "The Jasta Show", he has become synonymous with both heavy music and hardcore culture.

Jasta will drop the new solo album "The Lost Chapters - Volume 2" on December 13.

To herald the arrival of this unique, fully collaborative release, Jasta has shared not one, but two tracks — "When The Contagion Is You", featuring TRIVIUM's Matthew K. Heafy and currently generating airplay on SiriusXM's Octane, and "Strength To Draw The Line", a call-to-arms ripper featuring KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's Jesse Leach in peak form.

Both tracks are available now across all digital platforms.

The album also includes additional guest appearances from Max Cavalera (SOULFLY), Howard Jones (LIGHT THE TORCH), George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher (CANNIBAL CORPSE), Kirk Windstein (CROWBAR, KINGDOM OF SORROW), and many more.

This new material is the first all-new music from Jasta since the release of HATEBREED's most recent album, "The Concrete Confessional", which spawned the band's biggest streaming hit to date, "Looking Down The Barrel of Today". Moreover, this new body of work stands as a unique release for the genre, given the entirely collaborative nature of guest vocalists and musicians that rotate throughout every song.

As Jasta explains: "It was overdue for another solo release since the last one had come out in 2017. The timing for new music is perfect. It was important to me for this new collection to have the compilation feel of the first one while maintaining its catchiness and dynamics."

"The Lost Chapters - Volume 2" track listing:

01. They Want Your Soul (Featuring George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher)

02. Return From War (Featuring Max Cavalera)

03. Strength To Draw The Line (Featuring Jesse Leach)

04. Cleansed By The Waves (Featuring Zoli Teglas)

05. When The Contagion Is You (Featuring Matthew K. Heafy)

06. Spilled Blood Never Dries (Featuring Kirk Windstein)

07. Heaven Gets What It Wants (Featuring Howard Jones)

08. Silence Is The Enemy (Featuring BillyBio)

09. Just Breathing (Featuring Frank Palmeri)

10. Our Guardian Angel (Featuring Phil Rind)

11. 13 Appears (Featuring Tommy Victor)

12. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due (Featuring Joey. Concepcion)

BRING ME THE HORIZON frontman Oli Sykes's Drop Dead clothing company has collaborated with Dani Filth of British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH on a new range of clothing.

The new line of 20 pieces includes cut and sewn T-shirts, knitwear, accessories and more, all made using cruelty-free materials.

Sykes said: "Ever since I was a kid, CRADLE OF FILTH have been an enigma to me. Ever since I saw their infamous 'Jesus is a youknowwhat' shirt — widely regarded as the most controversial t-shirt of all time — I fell in love with the band. I love their approach to the über-serious clique they're in and their tongue-in-cheek designs — and the fact that they don't give a monkeys about ruffling a few feathers."

The line will launch in the U.K. at Drop Dead's flagship store in London on November 16. The company has also revealed that a pop-up shop will appear in Tokyo from November 15 to November 17.

Drop Dead was founded in 2005. With a headquarters in Sheffield, U.K, Drop Dead strives to create unique, high-quality, limited apparel and collectibles, inspired by '90s culture, life on the road and an ever-evolving taste in music, art and street culture.

Florida power metal act, Seven Kingdoms, have released a video for "Valonqar", featured on the band's recently released Empty Eyes EP. Watch the clip below.

Empty Eyes is out on all digital and streaming platforms, along with physical copies and other merchandise for sale at this location.

Empty Eyes was recorded with Jim Morris (Iced Earth, Savatage, Death) at Morrisound Recording. Seven Kingdoms mixed the album at Morrisound Recording and it was mastered by Jacob Hansen (Avantasia, Evergrey, Volbeat). Cover artwork by Bo Bradshaw.

Tracklisting:

"Empty Eyes"
"Monster"
"The Water Dance"
"Valonqar"
"Barracuda" (Heart cover)

"Valonqar" video:

"Empty Eyes" video:

"Barracuda" video:




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German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN have released behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the official video for their song "Ausländer". The track is taken from the band's seventh, untitled album, which came out on May 17 via UME/Spinefarm in Europe and Caroline Records in the U.S. The band's first studio disc since 2009's "Liebe Ist Für Alle Da" was produced by Olsen Involtini with RAMMSTEIN and was mixed at a Santa Monica, California studio with Rich Costey, an American producer who has previously worked with MUSE, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and FRANZ FERDINAND, among others.

RAMMSTEIN guitarist Richard Kruspe told Metal Wani about the making of the band's new album: "Well, when I thought to do another RAMMSTEIN record, I was like, 'No, I'm going to do that. I'm not going through more suffering.' That was four years ago. But what we did in the beginning is we said 'Let's get together and try to come up with three or four songs.' We didn't really put any pressure on us, which was very important at this time. While we were starting to rehearse and stuff and getting ideas, I thought, 'Wow, it's actually very good. Things have changed.' All of a sudden, there's a certain kind of respect that I always missed a little bit. We just had good chemistry, which reminded me of the first time when we started. Then I felt, like, 'What would interest me on a new RAMMSTEIN record?' I thought, 'Every time people talk RAMMSTEIN, it's about fire. It's all about the show.' Nobody talks about the music anymore for RAMMSTEIN, and it kind of bothered me. I was thinking, 'I want to do another record. It has to be musical in a way that can really stand out from other records.' That was my goal, or our goal."

As for the disc's musical direction and how it compares to the band's previous efforts, Kruspe said: "It's so hard to say it, because I'm working four years on the record, I'm so close. I think when I listen to the record — it's almost 'RAMMSTEIN 3D' is how I describe it."

RAMMSTEIN will embark on a European stadium tour in 2020. The trek will kick off next May and include shows in Germany, Austria, Poland, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Northern Ireland.

Photo credit: Jens Koch

SYMPHONY X vocalist Russell Allen "slipped and fell" during rehearsals for this year's TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA tour. As a result, he may miss some or all of the dates on the "TSO East" portion of the 2019 holiday trek, "Christmas Eve and Other Stories", which will kick off on November 13 and conclude on December 30. The tour brings to life TSO's 1996 debut album of the same name, and the first in its Christmas-themed trilogy, which includes 1998's "The Christmas Attic" and 2004's "The Lost Christmas Eve".

TSO revealed Allen's injury in a Facebook post earlier today. The band wrote: "We are here in the midwest preparing to give you one of the most exciting TSO productions you have ever seen. During rehearsal, Russell Allen slipped and fell. Russell is in good spirits but in a bit of pain. We are doing everything necessary to assure Russell is taken care of. We hope he is able to make it out on the road in the near future but our concern is that he rests so he can make a full recovery."

Back in July 2017, Allen was involved in a road accident that resulted in the death of his ADRENALINE MOB and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA bandmate, bass player David Zablidowsky. Russell escaped with minor injuries and returned to the stage with TSO in November of that year.

"Christmas Eve And Other Stories", from TSO's late founder, composer/lyricist Paul O'Neill, tells the tale of a young angel who is sent to Earth to discover the good of humanity. The story celebrates such themes as "strangers helping strangers" and "the kindness of others," as it takes listeners around the world.

Since its historic touring debut, TSO has played nearly 2,000 winter tour shows for more than 16 million fans, with tour grosses of more than $725 million, and has sold in excess of 12 million albums and DVDs. Year after year, TSO hits the upper reaches of the domestic and worldwide tour charts. Recently in July 2019, TSO was ranked No. 6 on Pollstar's North American Tours Mid Year chart and No. 8 on Pollstar's Worldwide Tours Mid Year chart. In 2018, TSO came in at No. 16 on Pollstar's 2018 Top 200 Year End North American Tours and at No. 17 on Pollstar's 2018 Year End Worldwide Ticket Sales Top 100 Tours chart with more than 925,000 tickets sold. Additionally, in July 2019, TSO was featured in Billboard's Money Makers of 2018. In 2009, Pollstar ranked TSO at No. 20 on the "Top Tour(s) of the Decade" and Billboard placed TSO at No. 25 on its "Top Touring Artists of the Decade."


We are here in the midwest preparing to give you one of the most exciting TSO productions you have ever seen. During...

Posted by Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Monday, November 11, 2019

UFO just wrapped the initial North American leg of the "Last Orders" tour, but fear not, the tour is not over yet and the band is pleased to announce new North American tour dates for 2020. These shows kick off February 13 in Medina, Minnesota and run through March 2. Included in this run is a co-headline gig with BLUE ÖYSTER CULT and an appearance on the "Rock Legends" cruise.

Tour dates:

Feb. 13 - Medina, MN @ Medina Entertainment Center

Feb. 14 - Waukegen, IL @ Genese Theater

Feb. 16 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater

Feb. 18 - New Bedford, MA @ The Vault @ Greasy Luck

Feb. 19 - Sellersville, PA @ Sellersville Theater

Feb. 20 - Annapolis, MD @ Ram’s Head Live

Feb. 21 - Leesburg, VA @ Tally Ho

Feb. 23 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Theater (with BLUE ÖYSTER CULT)

Feb. 25 - Ponte Vedra Beach, FL @ Ponte Vedra Concert Hall

Feb. 26 - Clearwater, FL @ Capitol Theater

Feb. 27 - Mar. 2 - Rock Legends Cruise

The British rock legends have been rejoined by Neil Carter as they continue their 50th-anniversary "Last Orders" tour following the recent passing of Paul Raymond.

Raymond died from a heart attack on April 13, just days after UFO completed the U.K. and Ireland leg of "Last Orders" tour with a sold-out show at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire.

Neil was previously in UFO between 1981 and 1983, having played on the albums "The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent", "Mechanix" and "Making Contact". Before he joined UFO, he was in WILD HORSES, and he later continued his career with Gary Moore.

In a statement, UFO said: "On April 13th 2019, the UFO family got the tragic news that our bandmate Paul Raymond had died of a heart attack. It had been just a week since we finished the first leg of our 'Last Orders' tour in the U.K. While mourning his loss, sadly we also had to face the reality of what to do with the band. We feel moving forward with the tour is the right thing to do. We all know this is what Paul would have wanted us to do. We are therefore very pleased to announce that our friend and former bandmate Neil Carter has agreed to join us again and take over the keyboards/guitar and vocals slot for the remainder of the tour. Neil was already part of the family between 1981 and 1983, playing on the albums 'The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent', 'Mechanix' and 'Making Contact'. Before he joined UFO, he was in WILD HORSES, later he continued his career with Gary Moore. Together with Neil, we will bring our 2019 'Last Orders' tour to a close. We want to make sure that all our amazing fans get a fantastic experience out of it one more time."

While many veteran bands in such a position simply cease playing live and continue to record, UFO will no longer be releasing new music. The covers collection "The Salentino Cuts" (2017) is set to become a signing-off point.

Raymond was recruited by UFO in 1976 to replace the band's first keyboardist, Danny Peyronel. When Michael Schenker left UFO, Raymond joined Schenker's MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP and later hooked up with Pete Way in WAYSTED.

Raymond appeared on more than a dozen of UFO's albums, including "Lights Out" and the live classic "Strangers In The Night".

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Tommy Thayer, who joined KISS in February 2003, stepping into the boots the band's original guitarist, Ace Frehley, was asked in a new interview with The Rockpit what it it like putting on the "Spaceman"makeup for the first time, and what he thinks it will be like putting it on for the last time when the group plays the final show of its "End Of The Road" tour. He responded: "Well, the first time that I put it on was when I did my first show with KISS. I wasn't officially in the band at the time; I was really just filling in. It was a private concert we did down in Jamaica in 2002. And, obviously, there's a lot of excitement and anticipation in doing that, but also a certain level of maybe anxiety or nervousness, to be honest with you, because those are huge boots, or shoes [laughs] to fill and to go out there and do that. So there were a lot of emotions with that for me, because, honestly, to begin with, you're almost in a 'no-win' situation with people, because they're really scrutinizing you — all eyes are on you — and they're all trying to determine if you're up to snuff or not. I think, fortunately, I pulled it off pretty well, but it's been a big growing experience and a big developing experience being in a band like this over the years. I obviously feel very comfortable where I am now, but it took a while for me to find that comfort zone. As far as putting the makeup on for the last time, I think that's going to be a very emotional experience, and I think it's going to be a mix of all kinds of feelings — a celebration and excitement, but, on the other hand, maybe a little bit of sadness at the end."

Two and a half years ago, Thayer told The Aquarian Weekly that he wasn't bothered by the fact that a small segment of KISS's fanbase can't accept him performing in the "Spaceman" makeup and attire, even though he has been working with KISS for decades and been the group's lead guitarist for more than 15 years. "You can't be fooled by a handful people that go on web sites and complain," he said. "Some people complain about everything, really, not just who's the guitar player. In that context, it doesn't really mean anything to me. If anything, I chuckle and smile when I hear things like that. It really has nothing to do with what's happening in reality. Put it this way: KISS continues to go out and play big shows and be the phenomenon that it is. I give more merit to that fact, than what a few oddballs say online. I don't really care."

In 2014, Frehley spoke out against Thayer in an interview, describing him as "just a guy up there copying me and trying to move like me and trying to sing like me and trying to play like me." But Thayer declined to fire back at Frehley, telling Australia's The Herald: "I don't want to get into a back-and-forth, but I'm sure you can kind of assess what you think when you hear all that." He continued: "I think [Ace] had every opportunity in the world to continue in KISS and be in KISS as long as he did the right thing, but it worked out better for me and he has to lead his life. As far as the jabs and all that, he can say that stuff and I'm not going to say anything bad about him."

Last weekend, KISS announced 75 new shows as part of its "End Of The Road" farewell tour, including what it says will be its last show ever, set to take place in New York City on July 17, 2021.

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

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

In its 46-year career, KISS has accumulated 23 gold and platinum albums — more than any other U.S. band.

Legendary guitarist and record producer Bob Kulick has gone public with his dispute with his brother, former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick.

On Friday, Bob made a public post on his personal Facebook page as as well as on his Instagram accusing his brother of contributory "copyright infringement" over the sale of "Kulick Brothers" merchandise items, including a signed photo. According to Bob, the items are being made available via Kiss Army Merchandise with permission from Bruce only.

"I have NOT given permission for this and have not been accounted to or paid for merchandise SOLD bearing my name and photos with my likeness," he wrote. "This is called COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT and an indication to all of you as to where my back stabbing Brother Bruce is in all this ! Disgraceful , uncalled for and a situation that will be answered in time !"

Bob went on to say that Bruce "has a restraining order" against him, but didn't offer any more details about the circumstances that led to the order being issued.

During 2017's "Kiss Kruise VII", the Kulick brothers played a 13-song set that featured 10 rarely performed KISS songs such as "Turn On The Night" and "All American Man", as well as three classics from Paul Stanley's 1978 solo album (on which Bob performed). That same year, Bob released a solo album, "Skeletons In The Closet".

Throughout his 40-plus-year music career, Bob Kulick has worked with an astonishing array of artists: from Meat Loaf to MOTÖRHEAD; from KISS to Michael Bolton; W.A.S.P. to Diana Ross; as well as legends such as Roger Daltrey, Alice Cooper, Lou Reed and Paul Stanley's first solo LP and tour.

Bob began his musical profession at 16 — when most high schoolers are still trying to figure out where they're going in life — appearing on the 1966 album "Winchester Cathedral" from the RANDOM BLUES BAND, the "baby band" that Bob played in that played The Café Wha in New York's Greenwich Village alongside Jimmy James and the BLUE FLAMES (later rechristened Jimi Hendrix).

1973 saw Kulick make the connection that he has been associated the most with throughout his career. He auditioned for — and got passed over by — KISS. Instead of being dejected, the six-stringer aligned himself with the band over the years, playing on the studio material on "Kiss Alive II", providing solos on the "Killers" album, co-writing "Naked City" from "Unmasked" and guesting on Paul Stanley's 1979 solo album and tour a decade later. He even suggested his brother to the band.

Bruce Kulick joined KISS in 1984 and remained with the band until the group's original lineup reunited in 1996. He joined GRAND FUNK RAILROAD in 2000 and continues to perform with the group to this day.

Bob discussed his growing frustrations with people within the KISS camp, including his brother, during an October 2019 interview with "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon". You can listen to the chat below.

Promotional photo of Bruce and Bob Kulick courtesy of Head First Entertainment


























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and with a heavy heart , I am compelled to post these photos and share this with all of you ...especially you KISS FANS The photos below are merchandise items currently being sold by KISS ARMY MERCHANDISE with permission from MY BROTHER BRUCE KULICK only I have NOT given permission for this and have not been accounted to or paid for merchandise SOLD bearing my name and photos with my likeness This is called COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT and an indication to all of you as to where my back stabbing Brother Bruce is in all this ! Disgraceful , uncalled for and a situation that will be answered in time ! The culprits are Keith Leroux Bruce Kulick ( who now has a restraining order against me ) Paul Stanley Gene Simmons Doc McGhee Please be advised that these “people “ are dishonorable and dishonest .....not like the HONORABLE artists that I Produced like Ronnie James Dio and Lemmy These are people who will lie cheat and steal just for the all mighty dollar Shame on all of YOU !!! PS These people are so pathetic that I had to give them $750.00 to start the merchandise operation and now they refuse to pay or acknowledge me #kissonline #kiss #brucekulick #kisskruise #theendoftheroad #rock #metal #docmcghee #acefrehley #lydiacriss #genesimmons #michaeljamesjackson #eddiekramer

A post shared by Bob Kulick (@bobkulickmusic) on Nov 8, 2019 at 5:43pm PST

Former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent says that he is open to the possibility of making an appearance during the band's "End Of The Road" tour.

Vinnie joined KISS in 1982, replacing Ace Frehley. As the "Ankh Warrior," he toured with the group in support of "Creatures Of The Night", on which he played lead guitar on six songs prior to becoming an official member of the band.

Asked in a new interview with "Rock And Roll Experience With Mike Brunn" what he would say if he was approached to get up on stage with KISS during the band's farewell tour, Vinnie said (hear audio below): "Well, it's not something I've thought about lately. I think there was something that my lawyer had been in contact with them about a year ago. As far as I know, nothing came of it. And it wasn't something I thought about — after that moment had passed, it wasn't anything I thought about anymore.

"I don't know what they're doing. I don't wanna assume anything — it's not for me to second guess. It seems like they've got the band that they're doing this with. I don't know if they're having past members play — I don't know."

After host Mike Brunn interjected that KISS has not yet played with any former members during the "End Of The Road" trek, Vinnie continued: "Well, that's as far as my thoughts go with it. If this is something that they want to approach, all they've gotta do is give me a call, and we'll take it from there."

Earlier this month, KISS manager Doc McGhee claimed that all former members of the group have been contacted about possibly taking part in the band's last-ever tour.

Prior to the "End Of The Road" launch, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons weren't very enthusiastic about the prospect of an onstage collaboration with Vinnie Vincent. "Now Vinnie, that's one exception, and for so many reasons," Stanley told Guitar World. "I would say that's not someone who I want to celebrate."

Simmons also chimed in, explaining that "it's worth stating that Vinnie has sued the band and lost 14 times. I'm not here to cast any aspersions. He's a talented guy. That's why he was in the band. But would I depend on him to get up onstage and do anything? Never. … Can he come to the shows? Of course! Anybody can. But onstage? Never."

Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — made several public appearances last year after spending the past two decades out of the public eye.

In 1983, KISS wrote and released "Lick It Up" — their first album without makeup — a recording on which Vincent co-wrote eight of 10 songs, including the title track, which remains a staple of the group's live performances to this day.

Despite the album's success, Vincent was fired by KISS after the "Lick It Up" touring cycle came to an end, allegedly due to a dispute over both the terms of his employment contract with the band and royalties. From there, Vincent founded VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, which recorded two albums.

In 1992, Vincent re-teamed with Simmons and Stanley to write three songs for their acclaimed album "Revenge", including the record's first two singles, "Unholy" and "I Just Wanna". Their relationship quickly soured once again, however. Four years later, Vincent released a solo EP, "Euphoria", which featured vocals by former VVI singer Fleischman and included material from sessions recorded around 1990. Soon after that, Vincent vanished from the public eye and remained off the grid for more than two decades.

Vincent recently announced that he will host "Vinnie Vincent's Merry Metal Christmas" on December 14 and December 15 at S.I.R. Studios in Nashville, Tennessee.

In April 2018, Vincent joined Gene Simmons at the KISS bassist/vocalist's "Vault" event in Nashville, Tennessee. He later said in an interview that he felt that got "a cold reception" and was "treated very indifferently" by Gene at the event.

KISS manager Doc McGhee says that all living former members of the band have been approached about taking part in the iconic group's final concert.

KISS announced over the weekend that it will play its last-ever show on July 17, 2021, in New York City. It will be the finale of the two-and-a-half-year "End Of The Road" world tour, which, by the time it is finished, will have taken in more than 165 dates across several continents.

In the months after KISS announced "End Of The Road", fans wondered openly if original members Ace Frehley (guitar) and Peter Criss (drums) would be involved in the tour, especially considering the apparent recent goodwill between Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons and Ace. Frehley's latest album "Spaceman" — a title suggested by Simmons himself — features two songs the pair wrote together, and the duo completed a joint summer 2018 tour of Australia, after which Frehley fired his solo backing band and hired Simmons's.

McGhee said during a question-and-answer session on the ninth annual "Kiss Kruise" that KISS is open to reuniting with all former members at the final gig.

"We want to include everybody that played with KISS to celebrate the 45 years of KISS," he said. "And everybody — Vinnie Vincent and everybody else — that [has] played with KISS is part of this whole celebration of 45 years. So, we're still looking at what we're gonna do on the final show of KISS."

According to McGhee, Frehley and Criss have both "been talked to" about participating in some form. But, he acknowledged, "It's pretty difficult. When people say, 'Oh, you should bring Ace and Peter up.' How do you do that when you have two Catmen and two Spacemen? So you say, 'Okay. You don't wear makeup and you wear makeup.' And then they [Ace and Peter] go, 'Well, that was my makeup.' I don't know. So it's real hard to do, but we'll figure it out because they're very much a part of the heritage of KISS. And they're acknowledged by Gene and Paul and everybody in this room as the founding members… So. it's important to you guys [and] it's important to us. It's just a matter of the balance and we can bring it where it works for everybody and everybody is having a great time."

Last year, Frehley told VintageRock.com that "the only way" he would "seriously consider" taking part in "End Of The Road" is "if I took back my make-up and costume and my character — which I designed." He added that current KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer "is not a bad guitar player, but he basically just mimics everything I wrote, and tries to imitate my persona. He's been doing it for 15 years," he said. "But the reality is I'm the original guy. And nobody can really copy the way I play guitar."

Asked if he would still consider participating in the tour if Criss was not involved, Ace said: "I think it would be great if Peter was involved. Obviously, at this point in his life, he wouldn’t be able to do a two-hour show. But I can see if we worked out a situation where Peter came out at the end and did three or four songs — sang 'Beth', did 'Black Diamond' and a couple of others, I think that would be fun."

"End Of The Road" kicked off on January 31 in Vancouver and will resume on November 16 in Perth, Australia.

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

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

Guitar legend Steve Vai recently checked in via Facebook with the following message:

"I came across the brilliant skating of Deniss Vasiljevs performing to my song 'Lotus Feet'. The song never looked so good! Seeing connected skaters mellifluously dancing on the ice is always uplifting and inspiring. I get the impression that while Deniss was skating to this piece, he was perhaps feeling the way I did when I performed it. Congrats on placing 6th in the competition, Deniss!"

Vasiljevs - who was competeing at the Figure Skating 2019 Japan Open in the clip Vai was referring to - responded to his message:

"Wow, thank you so much.Your music is so inspiring and really connects with my inner world. Thank you for creating this amazing piece!"

Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde, Nuno Bettencourt, and Tosin Abasi, collectively Generation Axe, are gearing up for live dates in Korea and Japan. Their schedule is as follows:

November
23 - Yes24 Live Hall - Seoul, South Korea
25 - Zepp Fukuoka - Fukuoka, Japan
26 - Zepp Namba - Osaka, Japan
28 - Zepp Nagoya - Nagoya, Japan
29 - 豊洲PIT - Tokyo, Japan

Generation Axe first staged a North American tour in April - May, 2016, and then travelled to Asia in April, 2017. They returned to the road this past November and December, 2018 for an extensive 32-date tour of North America.

When asked which song performed captures the true essence of Generation Axe, Steve Vai shares, “For me, I might say that our arrangement and performance of 'Highway Star' captures a good essence of what Gen-Axe is about. In this song we all came together and worked out a spectacular five guitar arrangement of this classic masterpiece, with an interplay of harmonies that is uniquely structured and potent. There are shifting solo sections tailor made for each guitarist, and a deep respect to the structure of wicked fast harmonies engineered around Richie Blackmore’s historic solo. And then there’s Yngwie’s powerful vocal performances on this track too. It has a high degree of rock and roll energy in it.”

Tracklisting:

Generation Axe - "Foreplay"
Tosin Abasi - "Tempting Time"
Tosin Abasi and Nuno Bettencourt - "Physical Education"
Nuno Bettencourt - "A Side Of Mash"
Nuno Bettencourt and Zakk Wylde - "Sideways"
Zakk Wylde - "Whipping Post"
Steve Vai - "Bad Horsie"
Yngwie Malmsteen - "Valhalla" / "Baroque n Roll" / "Overture" / "From A Thousand Cuts" / "Arpeggios From Hell" / "Far Beyond The Sun"
Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai - "Black Star"
Steve Vai / Zakk Wylde / Nuno Bettencourt / Tosin Abasi - "Frankenstein"
Generation Axe - "Highway Star"

"Sideways":

"Frankenstein":




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Richie Kotzen (THE WINERY DOGS, POISON, MR. BIG) spoke to IndiePower TV about his upcoming 50-song solo album, "50 For 50", that will be released on February 3, the guitarist's 50th birthday.

"I didn't know I was gonna do this," he said (see video below). "I had maybe 14 or 15 songs done that I knew I was gonna put out on the next record, and while I was on a tour, I had a copy of one of my hard drives that has a lot of stuff on it that I was working on. It goes back as far as the early 2000s. So I made a list — it had way more than 50. And I said, 'Well, let me just see how many of these I can finish.' Many songs had the drums already done, some were just missing a verse vocal, others had no vocal and needed to be written. But in the end, by the time I got through all this and I hit 50 [songs], I was, like, 'I don't ever wanna step foot inside a studio again.' And then two days later, literally, I was in there recording one of my wife's songs. So I guess I'm kind of like a studio rat."

Kotzen first teased the release in an August 25 video he posted to Instagram. Two weeks later, a subsequent Instagram post revealed additional information. He included the hashtag "50For50," which was also featured in a subsequent post the following day that displayed a screenshot of the work-in-progress.

Some of Kotzen's tentative new song titles include "Stick The Knife", "When God Made You", "Turning The Table", "Nickel Hustler", "Devil's Hand", "Confession", "Dirty Tricks" and "Mountains".

Although Kotzen gained international recognition via his work on POISON's 1993 album "Native Tongue", through his three-year stint in MR. BIG (with whom he recorded two albums, 1999's "Get Over It" and 2001's "Actual Size") and as the frontman and lead guitarist of THE WINERY DOGS (a group that also features his former MR. BIG bandmate Billy Sheehan and ex-DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy), he is also a prolific solo artist who to date has released 20 studio albums.

He has also recorded two collaborative albums with fellow Shrapnel Records alumnus Greg Howe and one with the jazz/fusion group VERTÙ, which also featured the rhythm section of RETURN TO FOREVER, bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White.

RATT singer Stephen Pearcy is in pre-production for his sixth solo album with his longtime guitarist and collaborator, Erik Ferentinos. A 2020 release is expected.

Pearcy's fifth solo LP, "View To A Thrill", came out in November 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl. The follow-up to 2017's "Smash" was produced by Matt Thorne and Pearcy and was mixed and mastered by Thorne and Ferentinos.

Speaking about the songwriting process for his solo material, Pearcy told Music Existence: "RATT's music is its own entity and animal, and it has its own schematics. With my solo stuff, I tend to do whatever I like — an acoustic song, a really heavy song — and go places and talk about things that I want to. It's my freedom of speech. That's one thing I like about it, and I'm always writing, so what else can I do, you know? Just try to get it out and get it heard! I don't care if it sells ten million or nil million; it's just what I do. You do the best that you can."

Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT's current lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band are drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE, RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarists Jordan Ziff (RAZER) and Chris Sanders (BRITNY FOX, KNIGHT FURY).

Pearcy told Sleaze Roxx that Erik was briefly considered for a position in RATT before Ziff and Sanders came along. "He's literally been in my band for years, in my solo band," he said. "He's a big part of my life, my solo records, the mixing, the engineering, just everything. I mean, we're like a team when I go in to do my solo records with Matt Thorne in the studio, and Erik and myself. We get in there and there is no stopping us, so I wanted to keep that a little separate, but he's always ready to go at any moment. He's a total professional."


New SEP solo record #6 in pre production with co writer Erik Ferentinos for 2020 release. Tba

Posted by Stephen Pearcy on Friday, November 8, 2019