Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM have teamed up with Fat Lizard Brewing Co. to launch a beer brewed with Lake Bodom water.

Introducing Lake Bodom Pre-Prohibition Lager — a modern take on a classic with a dark twist. Roasted malts and the noble Tettnanger hop make this the perfect beer for socializing, dinner, head banging or lakeside camping. Water used from the Lake Bodom puts this over the top and makes it so good you can bury a few in one go, so beware!

The beer will go on sale February 1 in Finland. A limited batch will be available through the band's webstore in Central Europe later in February.

CHILDREN OF BODOM will embark on the "Hexed" 2019 North American tour this spring. The trek will kick off in Quebec City on March 13 and conclude in New York City on April 19. Support on the trek will come from Finnish death-doom melody makers SWALLOW THE SUN and Finnish epic melodic death metal quartet WOLFHEART as well as SUMMONER'S CIRCLE (March 13-16 and April 9-19), HOLLOW CRY (March 18-29) and FRAGMENTUM (March 30 April 7).

CHILDREN OF BODOM's tenth album, "Hexed", will be released on March 8 via Nuclear Blast Records. The disc saw the return to Finland's Danger Johnny Studios where COB was reunited with Mikko Karmila ("I Worship Chaos", "Halo Of Blood", "Hatebreeder", "Follow The Reaper" and "Hate Crew Deathroll") who recorded everything except keyboards and also produced the album with the band. Janne Wirman recorded keyboards at Beyond Abilities Studios. The album was mixed and mastered at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland.

For this album, the band enlisted Deins Forkas to create the album artwork.

Original IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Mario Day says the dispute over credits for the band's song "Strange World" is "finished with."

Over four years ago, the singer suggested in an online post that he had co-written "Strange World" but was never credited for his contributions.

Day wrote at the time: "This is my opinion. When I sang in IRON MAIDEN, it was a new pub band and nobody wanted to see or hear them. We were all nobodys all trying to make the best music we could and fighting for an audience.

"In 1976, photos/recording were next to impossible to have if you were poor boys from East London, so I cannot prove I wrote the words and melody for 'Strange World'.

"As for before the time of albums and recording deals, I would say it was creative theft, not deliberate, as probably I would have done the same thing myself to keep it clean and simple. I think, however, if it made me a mega amount of money in the future, I would have done the right thing and [made] amends. As back then we were all pulling for the same side and it still hurts to think the first-ever song I ever composed was on a big-selling album and nobody knows it was me. Not to mention how I scrape to earn a living while Mr. [Steve] Harris is living like a god!"

In a recent interview with Danish webzine Power Of Metal (video below), Day, who was with MAIDEN from 1975 to 1976, was asked about his supposed contributions to "Strange World", which appeared on MAIDEN's 1980 debut self-titled album. "That's something I really don't talk about anymore, if you don't mind," he said. "It's all good. It's all finished with. It's happened. That's good. I can't speak for anyone else. I can't speak for them, but I'm talking the present, because I've had this discussion. Everything's fine as far as that's concerned. I don't want to go down that road."

Day also talked about how he landed the gig as MAIDEN's first singer. "It's hard to remember the details, but I remember Steve being the bass player playing in a band at the Bridge House in Camden," he said. "It was GYPSY'S KISS. I knew the guitar player because he was maybe one year above me at school, but never knew him to talk to. I knew Steve and I thought, 'He's bloody good.' I heard he was only playing for three years and I thought, 'He's bloody amazing!' That was forgotten. I was working as a motorcycle mechanic in East London. I was outside the workshop and I saw Steve Harris and a group of guys walking past the workshop. I never really was in a band, I just worked with guitar players in bedrooms, just sort of learning, experimenting, because I wasn't really a singer. I just felt I could sing. So I said to the group of people and I focused on Steve because I've seen him before: 'I think I'm a singer. Could I join your band?' And he went, 'No.' I went, 'Okay, no problem.' I went back to work. A few days, or maybe a week or two later, Steve says, 'I couldn't say anything because the singer was with me of the band.' I don't know who it was and he says, 'Yeah, I'm interested. Do you want to come and have a blow?' So I did, they liked me and straight away, I was singing some of Steve's songs. He wrote some songs before the IRON MAIDEN period, they were in the old band. I sang and he wanted me to stay. I seemed to fit and then we started rehearsing. Then all the songs were being written and I was singing his songs."

Day was booted from MAIDEN in 1976 due to his supposed lack of stage presence. He was asked whether his departure had anything to do with its members' inability to deal with inter-band issues. "What happened to me, I think, was quite reasonable," he said. "It hurt me like losing a girlfriend that you had been in love with for maybe five years, losing a girlfriend suddenly. That's the emotion, but the thing is, for instance, Steve was saying, pardon me, I've got to let you know, that was my first real band. I never, ever sung with a drummer before, so I had zero experience. I just used to sing with records at home and had the patience to do. Steve was saying, 'You've got to get better. You've got to be more in the audience's face. You've got to be commanding. You've got to be a hero.' And I agreed with him, but I didn't actually know how to make that happen. I got warning for maybe three months: 'Get it together. Get it together.' And I wanted to, I just didn't know how to do it. So the funny thing is, the worst experience was the best lesson because when I got that notice and I felt so gutted, it changed me. The real reality. IRON MAIDEN at that time were nothing, honestly. It was the beginning… Everyone had to start from zero. That was when I was in the band, that was their zero point. What Steve was doing was trying to make the band big. He knew what he wanted. What he wanted is what he got. He got one of the biggest bands on the planet. As much as it hurt, as much as it upset me, I learnt a big lesson that day. I really did. I used that emotion, I guess, in my singing."

Last month, four-fifths of the original IRON MAIDEN lineup reunited for the first time in 42 years. Harris, who formed IRON MAIDEN on Christmas day in 1975, was photographed with Paul Mario Day and guitarists Dave Sullivan (1975 - 1976) and Terry Rance (1975 - 1976). Missing from the photo op was drummer Ron "Rebel" Matthews.

Day was replaced in MAIDEN by Dennis Wilcock. He went on to front SWEET and MORE while Rance still plays with AIRFORCE, which features former IRON MAIDEN drummer Doug Sampson.

MAIDEN's first demo recording, "Soundhouse Tapes", featured Harris, singer Paul Di'Anno, guitarist Dave Murray and Sampson. It eventually landed MAIDEN a record deal with EMI in 1980. The band's self-titled debut album brought about a new lineup with the addition of Clive Burr to replace Sampson and Dennis Stratton on guitar.

Video footage of several former IRON MAIDEN members —Paul Mario Day, guitarist Terry Wapram (1977 - 1978), drummer Doug Sampson (1977 - 1979), Terry Rance (1975 - 1976) and Dave Sullivan (1975 - 1976) — performing on January 20 at the legendary pub Cart & Horses in London, England can be seen below.



"Wrathchild" soundcheck with Paul Mario Day, Terry Wapram and BUFFALO FISH:




"Wrathchild" live first time with Paul Mario Day, Terry Wapram and BUFFALO FISH:



Whole AIRFORCE set with Paul Mario Day and Doug Sampson:



"Prowler" with Marius Danielsen, Terry Wapram and BUFFALO FISH:



"Iron Maiden" with Paul Mario Day, Terry Wapram and BUFFALO FISH:



Paul Mario Day, Terry Wapram, Terry Rance and Dave Sullivan on stage together with BUFFALO FISH:

The inaugural World Metal Congress will be held on March 22 and March 23 at Rich Mix in London, England.

Representatives from every field will come together to discuss, promote, and celebrate the incredible success and scale of heavy metal music from India to South Africa to Singapore and beyond through panels, documentary film premieres and live music showcasing the unparalleled global impact of one of Britain's greatest cultural exports.

Conceived by ex-Metal Hammer editor and Twin V Ltd. founder Alexander Milas in partnership with Dr. Lina Khatib of world-renowned policy institute Chatham House, University of Central Lancashire's Dr. Niall Scott and independent promoter Josh Retallick of Old Empire, the aim of World Metal Congress is to connect the global metal community.

"This is a world first," says Milas. "In these troubling times the fact that this music resonates with people of every colour and culture and creed is an incredibly special thing, and we want to shout that from the rooftops. With the [World Metal Congress] we're creating a unique forum to help bring that truly global community together, and we've already had a phenomenal response."

"I'm really pleased to hear that the World Metal Congress will be taking place in the U.K.," says Tony Iommi, the founding guitarist of BLACK SABBATH. "The metal community is huge but rarely gets the recognition it deserves. My best wishes for a successful event."

Created with the support of Arts Council England, an industry-facing conference on day one will feature key decision-makers from labels, festivals, media, and the artists themselves including BBC Radio 1, Wacken Open Air festival, Music For Nations, Vice, and Barney Greenway of NAPALM DEATH, among many others.

Human rights and universal artistic licences are tightly intertwined," says Greenway. "Breaking tired old stereotypes, celebrating free creative expression without borders and confronting and debating challenging ethical band decisions continues to be an absolute must."

Day two presents documentary films highlighting metal's triumph over adversity and a live gig from Singapore's WORMROT, one of global metal's true success stories, with much more to be revealed in the coming days.

A full program of events will be announced in the near future through www.worldmetalcongress.org.

GRETA VAN FLEET bassist Sam Kiszka has confirmed to Australia's Heavy magazine that the band has already begun compiling ideas for the follow-up to last year's "Anthem Of The Peaceful Army". "We were actually talking, and we all decided earlier this month that we need to do a record as soon as possible," he said (hear audio below). "So the one thing I can say right now is that you can definitely expect Album 2 in 2019."

Asked if it's a daunting process heading into GRETA VAN FLEET's second album or if he is excited about the challenge, Sam said: "I'm very excited about it… I think that if you think about it too much, then it becomes unnatural, and it's very easy to be caught up in that. So, yeah, I think we're just gonna do what we do, and we're gonna make the music that we wanna hear, and we're gonna grow musically. There's a lot of stuff that we're working on right now that's very exciting and very new and we're going places that we've never been before — literally and figuratively. But I think Album 2 is going to be very worldly. Touring the world — seeing Japan, seeing Australia — and having all these new experiences, in a way, those sounds of… the colors of our mind get put into the record like that. This only skyrockets our creativity, because we get to see so many beautiful things that we've never seen before… This is a great life."

"Anthem Of The Peaceful Army" debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's rock chart and No. 3 on the all-genre albums chart last year. It has also reached the Top 10 in Canada, Italy and Germany.

Since its April 2017 breakthrough with the song "Highway Tune", GRETA VAN FLEET has also put out two EPs and has performed on "Saturday Night Live" and "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon".

Last month, GRETA VAN FLEET scored four Grammy Award nominations, one for each major rock category — "Best Rock Album", "Best Rock Song", "Best Rock Performance" — and a "Best New Artist" nod.

Listen to "The Making Of GRETA VAN FLEET" on Spreaker.

SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan and singer Sebastian Bach spoke to Billboard about the band's decision to follow up its multi-platinum self-titled debut album with a much more aggressive sophomore effort. Released in June 1991, "Slave To The Grind" quickly soared to platinum status and became the first LP to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart since it began using Nielsen Music data in May of 1991.

"Our female audience decreased by about 45 percent," noted Bolan. "It was mainly dudes, because the album was so much heavier too, so it alienated a lot of women."

"The times were getting heavier," observed Bach. "The bands that didn't get heavier in '91 really lost fans quick. Looking in hindsight, the whole scene was changing to a darker thing. If we had gotten lighter than the first SKID ROW record in '91, I don't think we'd be doing this interview right now."

"Slave To The Grind" spent a week at No. 1 and has sold more than two million copies in the U.S. alone.

Back in 2015, Bolan discussed the "Slave To The Grind" songwriting process with The Aquarian. "I think a lot of people expected us to become formulaic with the way we approached the first record and we had no interest in doing that," he said. "And I'm so proud of all of us for being on the same page with that. I'm not saying that it would have been easy from the creative standpoint to sort of go along the lines of the first record, because it had some pretty big songs as far as radio goes, but we were in a different mindset. We had gone from barely leaving the state of New Jersey to seeing the world that very few people are privileged with."

Rhino is celebrating the 30th anniversary of "Skid Row" with a digital deluxe edition that includes the original album remastered for the first time, expanded with the bonus track "Forever". The deluxe edition also features a previously unreleased live performance from 1989, marking the first ever release of a full live show from the band. "Skid Row: 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" is available now on all digital download and streaming services.

An in-depth interview with Bolan and Bach about the making of "Skid Row" can be found at Billboard. (Note: The bassist and singer were interviewed separately.)

MetallicaTV has uploaded footage of Metallica performing the Hardwired... To Self-Destruct album track, "Moth Into Flame",at Verizon Arena in Little Rock, AR on January 20th. Watch below:

Footage from Metallica's performance at the I Am The Highway: A Tribute To Chris Cornell celebration at The Forum outside of Los Angeles, CA on January 16th. can be seen below. Watch the band perform Soundgarden's "All Your Lies", and "Head Injury", below.

This gig was a celebration of the life and music of Chris Cornell and benefitted the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation as well as The Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to raising funds and awareness for this painful and debilitating genetic disorder. This was one of the causes that Chris cared deeply about and supported through his commitment to helping others.

Metallica's complete tour schedule, which stretches into August, can be found at this location.

Metallica frontman James Hetfield tops off the coveted ensemble cast of the upcoming thriller, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile (Voltage Pictures). The film follows the relationship between notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, played by Zac Efron, and his longtime girlfriend, played by Lily Collins, who at the time, had no knowledge of the crimes. The movie had it's premiere at the Sundance Film Festival  on Saturday, January 26th. An official teaser video can be found below.

Hetfield portrays Officer Bob Hayward, a no-nonsense Utah highway patrol veteran who was the first law enforcement officer to arrest Bundy in 1975 after pulling the killer over and discovering burglary tools in his car but wisely suspecting much worse. While James has played himself in other films and television productions, this will be his first dramatic role taking on a different character.

Academy-award nominee Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost) directs. Hetfield and Berlinger have crossed paths before when the latter directed and produced the seminal rock-doc Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster along with the late Bruce Sinofsky. Berlinger also penned a book about his experiences with the band, Metallica: This Monster Lives.

"Having spent hundreds of hours behind the scenes with James and the rest of Metallica, I have experienced his charisma and powerful presence close up," says director Joe Berlinger. "It seemed only natural that he would bring that same power and magnetism to a dramatic role, so when he agreed to my pitch that he be in the movie, I was thrilled."

Movie synopsis:

“1969. Ted (Zac Efron) is crazy-handsome, smart, charismatic, affectionate. And cautious single mother Liz Kloepfer (Lily Collins) ultimately cannot resist his charms. For her, Ted is a match made in heaven, and she soon falls head over heels in love with the dashing young man.

“A picture of domestic bliss, the happy couple seems to have it all figured out … until, out of nowhere, their perfect life is shattered. Ted is arrested and charged with a series of increasingly grisly murders. Concern soon turns to paranoia—and, as evidence piles up, Liz is forced to consider that the man with whom she shares her life could actually be a psychopath.

“This is the story of Ted Bundy, one of the most notorious serial killers of all time. Collins shines as Liz, while Zac Efron gives a performance that could redefine his career. Renowned filmmaker Joe Berlinger, best known for his true-crime documentaries, proves to be the perfect match to bring this Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Viletrue story to the screen.”

Californian rockers BUCKCHERRY have recruited Francis Ruiz as their new drummer. He joins the band as the replacement for Sean Winchester, who left BUCKCHERRY after laying down the drum tracks on the group's new album, "Warpaint".

Ruiz has previously worked as a drum tech for such acclaimed drummers as Paul Bostaph (SLAYER), Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX), Mikkey Dee (MOTÖRHEAD), Tommy Aldridge (THIN LIZZY), James Kottak (SCORPIONS), Jeff Fabb (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and "Wild" Mick Brown (TED NUGENT). He also filled in for Dee in 2009 during a MOTÖRHEAD tour in Canada.

Francis told BLABBERMOUTH.NET: "I've been back and forth behind the drums to working with some of the greatest drummers and bands out there. It's all good and for a love of great music and drumming — that's how I see it.

"Getting to tour with so many of my drumming idols has been an experience I am very grateful to have," he continued. "Many players in bands may not ever get that experience — that everyday one-on-one friendship and trust — and I can say I have learned from the best. That is invaluable. I have learned so much from each and every one of them — about drumming, performing, health, gratefulness, humility, relationships, and always striving to be better. All of these are important if you choose a life of touring. Not only drummers though — I have so much love and respect and have learned volumes from Zakk Wylde. He is a machine! He also displays so much passion and compassion in everything he does. And he never stops.

"The greatest feeling now is that I am in a band, a full band that all have every bit of the same qualities I just mentioned. We're all cut from the same cloth, love the same music, know the same people, stomped the same streets. That, again, is invaluable."

Fan-filmed video footage of Ruiz performing with BUCKCHERRY on January 17 at The Canyon club in Santa Clarita, California can be seen below.

Winchester hooked up with BUCKCHERRY in 2017 following the departure of the band's longtime drummer Xavier Muriel. Sean was previously the drummer of JOSH TODD & THE CONFLICT, the group featuring BUCKCHERRY singer Josh Todd and guitarist Stevie Dacanay (a.k.a. Stevie D.).

"Warpaint" will be released on March 8 via Century Media/RED Music/Sony. The 12-song disc, featuring 11 new BUCKCHERRY songs along with a cover of the NINE INCH NAILS classic "Head Like A Hole", was produced by Mike Plotnikoff, whose last collaboration with the band was the platinum-certified album "15".

Photo credit: Israel Perez

Kane Roberts's video for the song "Beginning Of The End" can be seen below. The track, which features guest appearances by Alice Cooper and ARCH ENEMY singer Alissa White-Gluz, is taken from Kane's new solo album, "The New Normal", which was released on January 25 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Kane has involved some really amazing friends in the making of "The New Normal", including Cooper, White-Gluz, Nita Strauss, BABYMETAL drummer Aoyama Hideki, Kip Winger, Paul Taylor and Ken Mary. Three years in the making, "The New Normal" melds the old and new in metal for a truly outstanding album.

Kane comments on how the collaborations came to be: "I noticed artists that were busting down doors and at the same time kickstarting new ways of thinking about life and creativity. I knew I wanted to try to work with some of them. Nita Strauss is a killer guitarist. She really tore it up on the song 'King Of The World'. Her work on it woke me the fuck up and forced me to explore new guitar techniques to compliment her insane skills!

"Alice Cooper... no one individual has scorched the earth like my former boss. I started getting into recording 'Beginning Of The End' and realized I needed Alice to sing a duet with me. Not just a line, not just an intro, but sing throughout the song. I took the shot that he might be available at some point to get involved and when I called, he said, 'I'm in Hollywood. I'll be right over.' Full on stroke of luck.

"My approach to much of the album was cinematic in the hope that sounds and lyrics would create imagery and emotion beyond what I had done before. Keeping with that idea, I had Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY) fall from the sky like some pissed-off dark angel in the middle of the song with Alice and I and burn the place down. Her attitude and singing prowess is stunning and I was so jazzed when she agreed to participate.

"I was obsessed with getting drum monster Aoyama Hideki from BABYMETAL. After he heard the song, he immediately came on board and played with controlled fury like only he can.... AMAZING!

"I also was also able to work with Brent Smith (SHINEDOWN) and Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM) on songwriting and they were, of course, a blessing to the entire process.

"Upon hearing a few of the early recordings, Michael Alago (the A&R guy that discovered METALLICA and WHITE ZOMBIE, to name just a few) offered to executive produce the project for me and got a lot of things done for that otherwise would have been impossible for me to accomplish.

"Last, but certainly not least, no one plays bass like Kip Winger or sings quite the way he can. Didn’t think twice about asking him to join up and he delivered, like always.

"My music has evolved over the years, even though I was out of the spotlight. Stepping into this new project, there are new styles and sounds evident, but I haven't made some false effort to distance myself from the past. People will notice a blend of influences from classic rock and metal to the hot bands that are emerging more recently. ZEPPELIN to VOLBEAT to ARCH ENEMY… they're all bringing crushing energy to rock/metal while creating truly awesome music.

"I was lucky to have found Frontiers because they allowed me three years to make this album and sort through my truest feelings and vocal/guitar skills to create something meaningful to me. There is a real concern for preserving the creative process at Frontiers, and to my way of thinking, there's no better place for me right now."

"The New Normal" track listing:

01. King Of The World (feat. Nita Strauss)

02. Wonderful

03. Beginning Of The End (feat. Alice Cooper, Alissa White-Gluz, Aoyama Hideki, Kip Winger)

04. Who We Are (feat. Katt Franich)

05. Forever Out Of Place (feat. Kip Winger)

06. Leave This World Behind

07. The Lion's Share (feat. Kip Winger)

08. Leave Me In The Dark

09. Above And Beyond (feat. Kip Winger)

10. Wrong

Kane previously recorded a total of four solo albums (also including the PHOENIX DOWN project released on Frontiers in the late '90s).

Kane's name and abilities first came to prominence on Alice Cooper's "Constrictor" album, which was soon followed by his self-titled debut solo album in 1987. More albums and tours with Alice followed, making Kane a well-known face in the business especially for his guitar skills, but also for his body-builder image and his now iconic machine-gun guitar.

As a solo recording artist, he landed a few Top 40 hits, and his varied musical background includes recording, writing and touring with artists such as Rod Stewart, Alice Cooper Desmond Child, KISS, Diane Warren, ALICE IN CHAINS, BERLIN, GUNS N' ROSES, Garland Jeffries and more. He's also written or recorded music for films like "Light Sleeper", Penelope Spheeris's "Decline Of Western Civilization", "Friday the 13th IV Jason Lives", John Carpenter's "Prince Of Darkness", and more. In 1991, his second solo album, "Saints And Sinners", for Geffen Records included the Top 40 Billboard hit "Does Anybody Really Fall In Love Anymore?", originally written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora.

Rikki Rockett says that he hopes POISON will make some new music in the not-too-distant future. "I'm always up for working and writing and recording with POISON," the drummer told VintageRock.com at this past weekend's NAMM show in Anaheim, California (see video below). "It's my baby, it's my life's work, so I'm always up for it. And hopefully we'll get our shit together and go do it."

Last month, POISON singer Bret Michaels told Newsday that the band "is looking forward to returning in 2020 with some new songs."

POISON's last album of new material was 2002's "Hollyweird". An album of covers, "Poison'd", followed in 2007.

Last year, POISON's last completed the "Nothin' But A Good Time 2018" tour with CHEAP TRICK and POP EVIL.

In a 2017 interview, Rockett acknowledged that part of the reason POISON hasn't been motivated to work on new music has been the fact that fans rarely show interest in hearing fresh material performed live when classic rock groups go on tour. "We could write the second coming of 'Talk Dirty To Me', and I don't know if people wanna hear it or not, and that's a frustrating thing; it really is," he said. "AEROSMITH was able to do it, but not everybody is. I mean, even THE ROLLING STONES have had problems with that in the last few years. So… I don't know. But I do think it's important to stay viable. For the 'über fans,' it's always a really, really good thing. And that's what you do it for — you do it for you, you do it for the real fans, the real true fans."

Rockett also admitted that he and other members of POISON harbor some resentment toward Michaels, whose frequent tours as a solo artist caused the band to take a five-year break from the road.

"I think we need to get away from each other and do other things, but at the same time, I think he spent a little too much time away," Rockett said. "There's definitely some resentment, but not resentment like I want him to fail. I want him to do good. I just want POISON to be important too, and I would like [him] to put a little more energy into POISON."

Thomann Music conducted an interview with legendary bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) at the Orange booth at this year's NAMM show in Anaheim, California. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about his status as a rock "legend," Hughes said: "I'm as normal as they come. I'm just a musician that was in the right place at the right time and I had the ability never to give up. I had the love of music. I learned how to read music at 11 years old. I played the trombone — not a sexy instrument. I was named after Glenn Miller — you know who he is, a trombone player. I was born into a musical family, and I had no other choice than to become a soccer player or a musician, and I chose the right thing."

Asked if there is a specific period of his career that iis particularly memorable for him, Hughes said: "There was a period before DEEP PURPLE, with TRAPEZE, a long time [ago]. I was 18 years old. We were playing to five people a night. And when I left the band, we were playing to ten thousand people a night. Then I joined DEEP PURPLE and it got huge. I remember that, because I was borrowing money from my parents and really working it. And then it happened for me. And it happened because I never took my eye off the ball and I never wanted to stop. So that was the most spiritual moment for me."

Glenn will spend most of 2019 on the road as part of his "Glenn Hughes Performs Classic Deep Purple Live" tour. The trek finds him performing various hits and deep cuts from the DEEP PURPLE catalog, including "Burn", "Stormbringer", "Sail Away" and "Smoke On The Water", among others.

During the "Glenn Hughes Performs Classic Deep Purple Live" tour, Glenn and his band, featuring Søren Andersen (guitars), Mike Mangan (keys), and Ash Sheehan (drums), focus on arrangements from the live albums — not studio recordings — for the classic PURPLE songs.

Steve Vai has released two new titles: "Vaideology: Basic Music Theory For Guitar Players" and "Piano Reductions: Vol. 2".

Vai's first music theory book via publisher Hal Leonard, "Vaideology: Basic Music Theory For Guitar Players" was designed to help both beginners and veteran guitar players.

Vai takes a deep dive into the basics of music theory to help players better understand the language of music and become more musically literate. Through in-depth discussions of music theory fundamentals, the esteemed player combines practical exercises, diagrams, tips, practice methods, and various ways of looking at music to help kickstart a new view of the guitar for readers.

Topics covered include: Academic vs. Experiential Learning; Notes on the Neck; Music Notation; Reading & Writing Music; Scales; Intervals; Key Signatures; Circle of 5ths; Chords and Chord Scales; Rhythm Basics; Time Signatures; Guitar Harmonics; Modes; and more.

The book carries a list price of $24.99 and will be available at local music stores, halleonard.com, or vai.com. E-book versions are also available at all major e-book outlets.

Vai states: "One of the questions that I'm usually asked by aspiring guitar players is, how much music theory do I really need to know, and is it necessary? My answer is usually, 'You don't need to understand music theory at all to be an effective player, but it will always help to at least understand the basics". So, I wrote a book that I believe contains the basics of music theory that can aid the student to be musically literate, and perhaps much more."

In the pages of "Vaideology", Steve shares: "Since as far back as I can remember remembering, I always had a deep fascination with the written language of music. On paper, it looked like beautiful art to me. It felt like a warm, safe place (a bizarre analogy, I know). It was this mysterious language that I instinctively knew could unlock my musical expressions. To be able to write a composition for a large group of people by starting with a blank piece of score paper, with its infinite possibilities for inventiveness, was absolutely spellbinding to me. I always had an intense desire to understand it fully and master it completely. Although I'm still a work in progress — because the evolution of music theory is infinite — I so much enjoy being able to use what I do know, and I still continue to study it."

Vai and Miho Arai have collaborated on the release of "Piano Reductions: Vol. 2".

Vai's prior similar release, "Piano Reductions: Vol. 1", arrived in November, 2004, and featured eleven songs from his repertoire performed by Mike Keneally. Over the past four years, the current title took flight with piano virtuoso Miho Arai as the featured artist performing twelve Vai compositions. The title will be released globally by The Orchard.

Steve says: "I had seen video clips that Miho had made of her performing some of my songs on solo piano from her home on an electric keyboard, and I was blown away. I contacted her and asked if she would be interested in recording this record. Based on the fact that she had my Vai logo tattooed on her neck, I assumed she would be interested in this project, and she was! I choose the songs and over a 3-4-year period we would go into Ocean Way studios and record a few tracks at a time. It was obvious to me that she is a completely thoroughly trained musician and piano virtuoso. Her command of the instrument is stunning, and she took these songs and found all the little golden nuggets within them. She is an inspired player and I feel great appreciation for the way she respected, arranged and performed these tracks."

MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell has told Greece's "TV War" that he hopes to release his debut solo album by the summer. The disc, which has been in the works for more than five years, will include guest appearances by Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST), Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER), Chris Fehn of SLIPKNOT, and UGLY KID JOE vocalist Whitfield Crane, among others.

Campbell also once again confirmed that he has scrapped plans to write a book. "I stopped it, 'cause I wanted to [a] record [with PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS] first," he explained (see video below). "Some things must remain a secret. Man of mystery — I wanna be Austin Powers.

"I may do it one day, yeah," he continued. "I've got two Swedish guys [Leif Eriksson and Martin Svensson] to help me write it. I just had too much pressure on last year. I had a problem with my house flooding, and we were trying to make the BASTARD SONS record, and the big shows we had, so I said, 'I need to wait a little bit.'"

Two years ago, Campbell told Overdrive that the original "concept" for his book was "not an autobiographical-type book but more a collection of wild stories of bizarre things that have happened on the road." He added: "I was thinking to myself during the writing process, 'Where the fuck are they gonna file this book, under fact or fiction?' because some of the stuff that's happened to me has been fucking crazy, man. Totally fucking crazy!"

Phil previously said that his book would consist of "stories." He explained: "It's just gonna be 30 or 40 amazing things that will put a smile on people's faces. It won't be about what school I went to, or that boring crap. It won't be an autobiography, no."

Campbell is joined in PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS by his sons Todd, Dane and Tyla, plus vocalist Neil Starr. The group's debut album, "The Age Of Absurdity", was released in January 2018 via Nuclear Blast.

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees ZZ TOP are coming on strong with their "50th Anniversary Texas Bash" celebrating a true career milestone with three key performance dates set for three "Texas towns" this May. The band's 50th-anniversary celebration is set to commence May 17 in Dallas at Dos Equis Pavilion, followed by a performance on May 18 in Houston at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands. On May 19, the Austin360 Amphitheater hosts the ongoing festivities. The shows feature performances with friends and fellow rock legends BAD COMPANY and CHEAP TRICK. The "Texas Bash" concerts launch ZZ's anniversary tour that has them rocking across North America and on to their European shows throughout 2019.

ZZ TOP still maintains the most consistently stable lineup in the history of rock music: Billy F. Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard. In 1969, following the demise of THE MOVING SIDEWALKS, Billy's Houston psych-rock band, the singer/guitarist formed ZZ TOP, linking up with drummer Beard and bass-guitarist Hill, both from the Dallas-based band THE AMERICAN BLUES. Fifteen studio albums, 30 million record sales and fiuve decades later, "That Little Ol' Band From Texas" is still going strong, playing timeless hits like "La Grange", "Legs", "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Tush" to audiences the world over.


Gibbons looked back at the history of the band, while also looking forward to the "50th Anniversary Texas Bash" dates. "It's been five decades, and I think we're starting to get pretty good at this," he said. "We're just as excited to be back in Texas this May playing our bluesy kind of rock as when started with in '69. The beards, Frank excepted, are perhaps a bit longer, yet nothing else has changed much and we're keeping it that way."


"Those three Texan hombres, aka ZZ TOP, are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year so BAD COMPANY is going to join them and the fans to mark the occasion; hang on to your hats and heels!" said BAD COMPANY frontman Paul Rodgers. The English rock supergroup formed in 1973 by veterans of FREE, KING CRIMSON and MOTT THE HOOPLE has several multi-platinum albums under its belt, propelled by radio staples such as "Can't Get Enough", "Feel Like Makin' Love" and, of course, "Bad Company".

A combination of innovative hard rock and power pop combined with stage theatrics helped make CHEAP TRICK a household name by the end of the '70s. Songs like "Surrender", "I Want You To Want Me" and the 1988 chart topper "The Flame" have enhanced massive success over the decades as highlighted by their 2016 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The band's Rick Nielsen commented: "ZZ TOP are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, so it is truly an honor that the famed 'Little Ol' Band from Texas' has asked CHEAP TRICK (all of whom are longtime ZZ TOP fans and musical touring friends) to be included and open for these living legends — the great Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard."

ZZ TOP's "50th Anniversary Texas Bash" with BAD COMPANY and CHEAP TRICK:

May 17 - Dallas - Dos Equis Pavilion

May 18 - Houston - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

May 19 - Austin - Austin360

Tickets on sale this Friday, February 1 at 10 a.m.

DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci has dismissed suggestions that Mike Mangini has a more "robotic" drumming style than that of Mike Portnoy, saying that Mangini is "one of the most talented" musicians he has ever had the opportunity to play with.

Mangini joined DREAM THEATER in late 2010 through a widely publicized audition following the departure of Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER more than 30 years ago.

During a brand new interview with Mike The Music Snob, Petrucci was asked how he feels about criticism from some DREAM THEATER fans about Mangini's supposed lack of "feel" compared to the playing style of Portnoy.

"I can't wrap my head around that thought — being a person who plays with Mike [Mangini], the guitarist said.

"I mean, first of all, listen, I understand being a fan of a band and having a member change disrupt your whole world. I get it. I'm a fan of bands [where] that happens," he continued. "So that side I understand. But the concept or the thought that Mike Mangini, as a drummer, is lacking feel — that blows my mind, because the guy is just unbelievable. He is one of the, if not the most talented drummer I've ever, ever had the opportunity to play with. We can call out styles of music, and he has authentic feel to play anything from metal to rock to Latin to jazz to swing to shuffle. He's just a monster, monster musician."

Petrucci added: "Listen, comparisons will be made, and people feel nostalgic about past members. People are still saying things like that about other earlier members, and that's fine, and I get it. I get it to a point, but when people say things that are just really ridiculous, [I feel] like reaching through [the computer screen], like Homer choking Bart Simpson. 'Are you kidding me right now? Do you have any idea what you're saying?' This guy is the feel machine. He is a feel monster."

In a 2017 interview with Rockhok, Portnoy said that had "no longing to reunite" with DREAM THEATER, but claimed that he would return to his former band "for the fans." "I'm a very sentimental person and I have a lot of great, fond memories of those guys and the times," he explained. "I'm a sentimental guy, so I would never close the door on it. So, really, the ball's in their court, honestly. [But] if you're asking me the odds [of a reunion happening], I would say, don't bet on it, because I know their personalities as well and I don't think they're the type that are looking backwards."

Portnoy added that he is "always [just] a phone call away" from playing with any of his former bandmates. "Like I said, [I'm] a sentimental guy and I don't hold grudges. Life is too short for resentments and I always forgive. So, yeah, the door is always open for me. But that being said, like I said, it's not something I'm looking for or wanting to do. I would be very content to never do it again. If there's more in the future, that's their phone call to make."

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

Petrucci previously told "The Classic Metal Show" that he "wouldn't have done anything differently" in the way DREAM THEATER went about finding a replacement for Portnoy.

"Mike Mangini really helped us to get through a major bandmember change, and in a way, that was probably as smooth as any bandmember change could have gone," he said. "The way that he came in, his personality, his skills as a drummer, his background, his history… it clicked to the point where it was, like, if we would have met Mike [Mangini] 20 years ago, we would have been playing with this guy. If I would have grown up with him, I would have been friends with him jamming. And that's rare."

DREAM THEATER's 14th studio album, "Distance Over Time", will be released on February 22. The disc, which marks the first for the band's new label InsideOut Music, was produced by Petrucci, mixed by Ben Grosse and mastered by Tom Baker.

Danish power metal veterans, Iron Fire, will release their new album, Beyond The Void, on March 8th via Crime Records.

How do you top great power metal albums like Voyage Of The Damned and Among The Dead? Well, the answer from Iron Fire is to keep the focus on songwriting straight, keep the approach real and speak straight from the beating metal heart. Beyond The Void is, therefore, nothing but an honest in your face metal album, filled with blistering power metal songs that meld traditional melodic heavy metal with hard-hitting power trash. This melting pot of heavy metal madness is mixed and mastered by legendary producer Tue Madsen (The Haunted, Dark Tranquillity, Madball etc.).

Beyond The Void is an album spanning a musical range from Testament to Judas Priest to Helloween and beyond. Fans of good heavy metal songwriting should give this new creation a spin.

The album's first single, the title track, will be available on February 1st as a digital single and lyric video.

Tracklisting:

Intro
"Beyond The Void"
"Final Warning"
"Cold Chains Of The North"
"Wrong Turn"
"Bones And Gasoline"
"Old Habits Die Hard"
"Judgement Day"
"To Hell And Back"
"One More Bullet"
"The Devils Path"
"Out Of Nowhere"

Lineup:

Martin Steene - Vocals & Bass
Kirk Backarach - Guitar
Gunnar Olsen - Drums

Within Temptation will release their new album, Resist, on February 1st via Spinefarm/Universal Music in North America. Watch an unboxing video for the box set edition of the album:

Stream snippets of all songs from Resist below, and pre-order the album here.

Resist marks a departure from the Within Temptation's past. The record is armed with 10 anthemic tracks, driven by grand melodies and dark hooks. It brings a futuristic take on metal to the table - both instrumentally and thematically.

"Resist is a true milestone for us. If it wasn't for Resist, Within Temptation wouldn't be here anymore," the band stated.

"With this record, we've taken inspiration from modern music and gave it a face - a very dark one," said singer Sharon den Adel. "Sometimes, it feels that today's pop music lacks a rebellious edge. Our main goal was to collect pieces from sounds we did like and roughen it up as much as we could, resulting in a surprisingly new musical world that is heavier, dirtier and more futuristic than we’ve ever created before. Resist is our take on metal in a new way: to give modern music its rebellious edge.”

Resist tracklisting:

"The Reckoning" (feat. Jacoby Shaddix)
"Endless War"
"Raise Your Banner" (feat. Anders Fridén)
"Supernova"
"Holy Ground"
"In Vain"
"Firelight" (feat. Jasper Steverlinck)
"Mad World"
"Mercy Mirror"
"Trophy Hunter"

Song snippets:

"In Vain" lyric video:

"Firelight" (feat. Jasper Steverlinck):

"Raise Your Banner" (feat. Anders Fridén) lyric video:

"The Reckoning" video "making of":

"The Reckoning" video:

"The Reckoning" lyric video:

Within Temptation recently announced their 2019 North American tour plans. The band will embark on a tour of the US and Canada this coming winter. The tour kicks off February 28th in Baltimore and runs through March 19th in Los Angeles. The trek makes several stops in Canada. Special guests will be In Flames and Smash Into Pieces. All confirmed tour dates are below.

February
28 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live

March
1 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore
2 - New York, NY - Playstation Theater
3 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
5 - Montreal, QC - Olympia
6 - Toronto, ON - Rebel
8 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
9 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theater
11 - Denver, CO - The Summit
12 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
14 - Portland, OR - Roseland Ballroom
15 - Vancouver, BC - The Vogue Theater
16 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SODO
18 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
19 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern Theater

MERCYFUL FATE guitarist Hank Shermann will release a solo single, "The Bloody Theme", on February 8. The track, which was mixed by Tue Madsen, features guest appearances by vocalist Nicklas Sonne (DEFECTO) and drummer Bjarne T. Holm (MERCYFUL FATE).

A one-minute teaser for "The Bloody Theme" is available below.

Back in 2015, Shermann told Metal Wani that he would love to make "a final, cool album" with MERCYFUL FATE. "Maybe we could do some special selected shows — that could also be an option — but it needs to be [done at the right time]," he said. "But, you know, I'm sure it will happen at some point. It would be a shame if it didn't."

The band's last studio album, "9", was released in 1999.

MERCYFUL FATE will be remembered for its unquestionable mark on the history of metal with its innovative sound, complex arrangements, memorable melody, and its influence on bands that later took the genre to new heights.

In 1998, METALLICA paid tribute to MERCYFUL FATE by recording a medley of classic MERCYFUL FATE songs on the album "Garage Inc." Titled "Mercyful Fate", the medley included parts from "Satan's Fall", "Curse Of The Pharaohs", "A Corpse Without Soul", "Into The Coven" and "Evil".

Lars Ulrich of METALLICA — a fellow Dane — played drums on a new version of MERCYFUL FATE's "Return Of The Vampire" on the "In The Shadows" album, which came out in 1993.

Professionally filmed video footage of MR. BIG's entire August 2018 performance at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany can be seen below.

Last fall, MR. BIG singer Eric Martin told the "Friday NI Rocks" show that the band was planning to make a new studio record in 2019. The effort will mark MR. BIG's first release since the passing of drummer Pat Torpey, who died in February 2018 at the age of 64 from complications of Parkinson's disease.

According to Eric, once MR. BIG is done with its 2019 touring commitments, it will be time for the band to call it quits. "Yeah, that's the last hurrah — that's it," he said. "It feels a little uncomfortable to keep going without Pat Torpey."

"Defying Gravity" was released in July 2017 via Frontiers Music Srl.

After announcing his Parkinson's diagnosis in 2014, Torpey continued to write, record and perform with MR. BIG, who also recruited Matt Starr (Ace Frehley) to share drum duties.

MR. BIG, formed in 1988, produced numerous hit songs that ranged across a wide array of rock genres — be it ballads, heavy metal, or blues rock. Their hits include "Alive And Kicking", "Just Take My Heart" and the chart-topping ballad "To Be With You".

Snakebite Whisky has quickly established themselves as Australia's number one sleaze band, bringing something fresh to the global hair metal revival. Their sound is a heady mix of punk and heavy metal-injected sleaze rock.

After the successful release of several singles, an EP, and touring, Snakebite Whisky are ready for the world to hear their debut album, This Side Of Hell, out now via Pavement Entertainment. This Side Of Hell was recorded at Sonic Clarity Studios in Australia and mixed and mastered in the US by Peter Rutcho, who has worked with diverse artists such as Falling In Reverse, Parkway Drive, Deez Nuts, and many more.

This Side Of Hell features the single "Down In The Dirt," a heavy, guitar-driven song that marries the best qualities of sleaze rock and metal.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, PAPA ROACH was awarded Pandora's "Billion Streams" plaque in celebration of the group's catalog reaching two billion streams on the music service. The bandmembers were presented with the plaque on Thursday (January 24), the last of their three-night run at the Roxy in Los Angeles to celebrate the release of its new album, "Who Do You Trust?"

PAPA ROACH said: "We're thrilled to be Pandora billionaires. It means so much that our fans support us through the years and that Pandora gives them the opportunity to stream how they want. Thanks to the fans and thanks to Pandora — big thumbs up from PAPA ROACH!"

"Who Do You Trust?", PAPA ROACH's newly released 10th studio LP, already has some pretty impressive numbers. Besides reaching No. 1 on the iTunes Rock Albums chart, it also accumulated 4.1 million album streams in just four days.

Singer Jacoby Shaddix told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that PAPA ROACH is always itching to prove itself all over again. "We've always had that hungry, you know, fighter spirit, that hustler spirit, you know, and that's just something that's been ingrained in our band since the beginning," he said. "We're still excited about this rock and roll band that we're in, and we're still... it doesn't feel like a job to us. When we get in that room and the four of us start jamming, it's like there's something magical that happens there and, you know, we just can't deny that."

The band will next join SHINEDOWN's North American tour in February, before headlining its own trek in July with ASKING ALEXANDRIA and BAD WOLVES along for support.

Former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 joined Ace Frehley on stage this past Saturday (January 26) at The Canyon in Agoura Hills, California to perform the KISS classic "Cold Gin". Fan-filmed video footage can be seen below.

After the show, John 5 wrote in an Instagram post: "[Nikki Sixx] and I went to go see Ace and his awesome band tonight what a blast, and yes that is me playing a Flying V."

Two years ago, John 5 — real name: John William Lowery — took partial credit for reuniting Frehley and Gene Simmons at the former KISS guitarist's February 2017 concert in Beverly Hills, California, marking the first time the KISS legends were photographed together since their 2014 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

John 5 told Seattle Music Insider that he "wanted to be like KISS" when he first started to play guitar. "[I] loved KISS growing up," he said. "Who didn't?" John 5 revealed in a separate interview with Digital Trends that KISS's 1977 classic "Love Gun" was the first album he connected with. "It's got a great cover. I loved it. I was, like, 'Oh my God — these are monsters with guitars!' I was so young then."

Ace's current solo band consists of Philip Shouse on guitar/vocals, Ryan Cook on guitar/vocals, Jeremy Asbrock on guitar/vocals, and Matt Starr on drums.

Frehley's latest solo album, "Spaceman", was released in October via eOne.

Frehley first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002, soon after the conclusion of the group's first "farewell tour."

THE CIRCLE, Sammy Hagar's critically acclaimed supergroup also featuring Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham and Vic Johnson, will release its first album of all-original material, "Space Between", on May 10 via BMG. The disc's first single, "Trust Fund Baby", can now be streamed below.

Hagar said: "Play it on whatever system suits you and crank it up, it fucking rocks like the rest of the album!"

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."

Hagar added that "Space Between", which will be followed by a "large-scale tour of North America," will likely be his last album, and he hopes to get a Grammy for it.

"That's my bucket list: to have one more credible musical experience in my life," he said. "I think I did it, and I hope it's as good as I think it is. I've been double-parked in the rock 'n' roll business for 40 years, and I want a stamp on my validation so I don't have to pay to get out."

Bonham told Sonic Perspectives in an interview that THE CIRCLE's upcoming disc is a "concept kind of album" that needs to be listened to "in a specific order, which kind of tells the story."

The drummer added that Hagar has "been really inspired as of late, and I think it's gonna be some of his best stuff. It's definitely diverse," he said. "As I said, when you listen to it in the order… It's gonna be an incredible… What he wanted to do was do something very different than he's ever done, which is send you on a journey, like the old days. When you put on an album, you listened to it from start to finish instead of just a song — where the placement of each [song] is vital for it to make sense."

THE CIRCLE released a concert album, "At Your Service", in May 2015. Recorded on tour in 2014, it features live performances of hits from Sammy's four decades of rock (MONTROSE, solo, VAN HALEN, THE WABORITAS, CHICKENFOOT) as well as classic tracks from the LED ZEPPELIN catalog.

Photo credit: Leah Steiger

JUDAS PRIEST performed the song "Killing Machine" live for the first time since 1978 during last night's (Sunday, January 27) concert at Zénith de Paris in Paris, France. Fan-filmed video footage can be seen below.

"Killing Machine" is the title track of JUDAS PRIEST's fifth studio album, which was retitled "Hell Bent for Leather" for its U.S. release. It was the band's last studio album to feature drummer Les Binks.

Original JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing recently said that "Killing Machine" was the album that set the band up "for the big change that was about to come, helped enormously by the success of the song 'Take On The World', which was exactly what we were about to do. Launching the PRIEST on an international scale was our prerogative," he explained. "And this pre-preparation album for the timely 'British Steel' played a very crucial part in what was to be the unique consolidation of JUDAS PRIEST and heavy metal."

During last year's "Firepower" U.S. tour, JUDAS PRIEST's set included rarities like "Running Wild", "Bloodstone" and "Tyrant", plus "Saints In Hell", which had never been performed live before.

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Singer Rob Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003.

JUDAS PRIEST's new album, "Firepower", was released in March 2018 via Epic.

The band will return to the United States in May for a run with fellow classic heavy rockers URIAH HEEP.

DEADLAND RITUAL, the new band featuring bassist Geezer Butler (BLACK SABBATH), guitarist Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL, VINCE NEIL), drummer Matt Sorum (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER) and singer Franky Perez (APOCALYPTICA), will embark on a European tour in June. The trek will kick off on June 4 in Copenhagen, Denmark and will conclude the weekend of June 21-23 at Hellfest in Clisson, France.

DEADLAND RITUAL promises the live shows will be something special, mixing the original material with deeper cuts from the bandmemebers' collective past. "Not the typical songs you would expect," according to Sorum.

Tour dates:

Jun 04 - Copenhagen, Amager Bio, DK

Jun 05 - Oslo, Rockefeller, NO

Jun 06 - Sölvesborg, Sweden Rock Festival, SE

Jun 10 - Berlin, Kesselhaus, DE

Jun 11 - Hamburg, Markthalle, DE

Jun 14-16 - Donnington, Download, UK

Jun 17 - Tilburg, 013, NL

Jun 18 - Paris, Trianon, FR

Jun 19 - Pratteln, Z7, CH

Jun 21-22 - Vitoria, Azkena, ES

Jun 21-23 - Clisson, Hellfest FR

Geezer said that he initially had no plans to join another band after SABBATH completed its "The End" farewell tour.

"Well, I retired after the last SABBATH show," he told "Trunk Nation LA Invasion: Live From The Rainbow Bar & Grill" on SiriusXM. "I just traveled and did everything that I wanted to do when I was retired for a year. And then I got fed up watching the TV every day. And I started writing stuff again, 'cause that's what you do. I've been doing it for 50 years, so it's in your blood. You can't just stop, especially when it's your hobby as well. And I just got back into writing stuff. I was planning on doing another solo album, a GZR thing. And I got a few songs together for that. And then Matt got in touch with me about DEADLAND RITUAL."

Asked what appealed to him about being in a band again, Geezer said: "It's what I've known since I started when I was 16; I was in a band. When you're doing solo stuff, it's just you writing stuff. There's nobody to bounce off, and I really missed that. It's good to have people saying, 'That's good. That'll work.' Or, 'That's not so good.' And I missed having that. The guitarist that I worked with in GZR, he's just moved to the East Coast and he's got other things on his plate at the moment. With DEADLAND RITUAL, everybody's local, so it's easy to get together. And you don't have to plan months in advance to do an album or write songs. If I feel like writing a song today, I call up Steve, go around to Steve's house, and we try something."

DEADLAND RITUAL recently released its first song, "Down In Flames". The track, which was produced by Greg Fidelman (METALLICA, SLIPKNOT), was made available via Sonik Riot Records/AWAL powered by Kobalt.

According to Matt, DEADLAND RITUAL now has "a whole bunch of songs we're stacking up. And we're working towards a record down the line a little bit. We've got about three [tracks] in the can right now," he said. "We've been working with Greg Fidelman, who just did miraculous things for METALLICA on their new record. And I told Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] it's one of my favorite records they've done in years. And he comes from the Rick Rubin camp. And he did the last SABBATH record as well — he engineered that record — and the new SLIPKNOT stuff. So he was a perfect fit. He was amazing to work with. So we loved that process. And I think the tracks sound awesome."

The first four U.K. shows on the OZZY OSBOURNE/JUDAS PRIEST tour have been postponed due to Ozzy having a very bad case of flu. The concerts in Dublin (January 30), Nottingham (February 1), Manchester (February 3) and Newcastle (February 5) will be rescheduled at a later date. Details will follow once they have been finalized. The trek will now kick off on February 7 in Glasgow.

The news of the postponement comes just days after Ozzy said that he coughed so hard that he burst a blood vessel in his eye.

This is not the first time an illness has forced the singer to call off a round of dates. Last October, Osbourne contracted a staph infection that required him to have surgery on his hand and resulted in him canceling several shows.

The European leg of Ozzy's "No More Tours 2" is being billed as the 70-year-old singer's official farewell to more than five decades of touring.

"No More Tours 2" is a reference to Ozzy's 1992 "No More Tours" trek, which marked the first time the singer announced the end of his days as a touring artist. The tour name was a pun based on the title of his then-most recent solo album, "No More Tears". Ozzy returned to action three years later and has been on the road ever since.

View this post on Instagram It is with great regret we have to announce that the first four UK shows on the Ozzy Osbourne/Judas Priest tour have been postponed due to Ozzy having a very bad case of flu - therefore Dublin, Nottingham, Manchester and Newcastle will be rescheduled at a later date - details to follow once finalised - we are very sorry that this has happened and to disappoint so many fans - we wish Ozzy well and look forward to the Glasgow, Birmingham and London shows together - and to the rescheduled ones in the future. JUDAS PRIEST - 28th January 2019 #metalmaniacs #judaspriest #firepower #firepowertour2019 A post shared by Judas Priest (@judaspriest) on Jan 28, 2019 at 3:58am PST

Nikki Sixx says that Ace Frehley should be part of KISS's "End Of The Road" tour.

The MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist made his comments after watching Ace perform Saturday night (January 26) at The Canyon in Agoura Hills, California.

Sixx wrote on Instagram: "Went with @john5official to see @acefrehleyofficial and his awesome band tonight. John jammed Cold Gin. Ace played great and looked amazing. He should be on this Last tour with KISS. He brings #RawPower #RealDeal."

The first North American leg of KISS's farewell trek will launch January 31 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at Rogers Arena and will hit an additional 43 cities.

Joining founding members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons in the band's current lineup are Tommy Thayer on guitar and Eric Singer on drums. Thayer and Singer are replacements for original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, respectively.

Stanley has hinted that Frehley and Criss could make appearances on "End Of The Road", but KISS hasn't promised anything beyond a longer set and newly designed band costumes.

As most fans remember, back in 2000 and 2001, KISS already performed a "farewell" tour. The trek, which was the last to feature both Frehley and Criss, played 142 shows over five legs, covering North America, Japan, and Australia.

Frehley first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002.

Back in 2016, Sixx and Simmons engaged in a war of words over the KISS star's admittedly callous comments regarding Prince's death. Nikki stated at the time that Gene's "heartless and uneducated remarks" about Prince's passing show "why he's not my hero anymore or anybody's. I think that he is an overrated, lucky guy that dresses like a clown. He wrote some good songs, but hasn't in a long time, and loves to brag about himself."

Photo credit: Courtney Sixx

View this post on Instagram Went with @john5official to see @acefrehleyofficial and his awesome band tonight.John jammed Cold Gin.Ace played great and looked amazing. He should be on this Last tour with “KISS. He brings ?. #RawPower #RealDeal A post shared by Nikki Sixx (@nikkisixxpixx) on Jan 27, 2019 at 12:12am PST

Former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony has once again shot down rumors that he will rejoin the band for a reunion tour this summer.

A new rumor has suggested that the original VAN HALEN lineup — including Anthony, who has not played with the band since 2004 — will reunite in 2019 for a stadium tour. This would be the first time that the four founding members of the band, including singer David Lee Roth, guitarist Eddie Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen, perform together since 1984.

During an appearance at this weekend's NAMM show in Anaheim, California, Anthony was asked by Music Radar if there is any chance of him reuniting with VAN HALEN in the not-too-distant future. He responded (see video below): "I'm a 'never say never' guy. At this point… I don't know what kind of rumors are floating around or whatever, but I personally haven't been contacted by them yet or anything. So, at this point, nothing is happening. But you never know."

The rumors stem from a recent interview Roth did, as well as a report from radio personality Eddie Trunk. Roth hinted to Vulture that the band would "come back through town in the summertime and do the original thing, maybe somewhere sportin', maybe with somebody famous…. next time my rock band will be playing the same place that the Yankees play."

Meanwhile, on his SiriusXM show, Trunk said that he heard from reliable sources that the band would tour in 2019 with Anthony back in the fold. He explained, "Every year there’s some rumor about VAN HALEN about to do something or announce something, and ultimately it just doesn't happen. But, a little more so than normal as we close out 2018, I'm starting to hear some rumblings."

He went on to say: "The rumors from reliable sources — but still rumors that are unconfirmed — is that the band will tour in 2019 with the original band, which would mean the return of Michael, and that it’s gonna be some sort of stadium package."

VAN HALEN and Anthony have not been on good terms for more than a decade, with Anthony not invited to join the reunion with Roth that began in 2007. The subsequent two tours and studio album, "A Different Kind Of Truth", featured Eddie's son Wolfgang on bass.

Anthony has said that a reunion of the original VAN HALEN lineup would be an opportunity for "closure." He told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that he's ambivalent about playing VAN HALEN songs live even though he still feels like he has "ownership" of the old songs. "Part ownership, anyway," he said. "I was part of it. You know, that's kind of one of the reasons why I've never wanted to like actually put a [solo] thing together and go out and play like that. I know Roth did it for quite some time. But you know, to me, I mean, that's basically, that's VAN HALEN's stuff, and it's best left to VAN HALEN doing it."

Anthony took a pay cut and signed away all of his rights to the band name and logo in order to participate in the 2004 tour, which featured singer Sammy Hagar. Anthony later participated in a series of post-VAN HALEN collaborations with Hagar, including THE CIRCLE and CHICKENFOOT, which also reportedly irked the Van Halen brothers.

Mike Portnoy says that he would play with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson "in a heartbeat" if he were ever asked to step in as the replacement for RUSH drummer Neil Peart.

Lee recently revealed that that not only is Peart done playing with RUSH, but he's done playing period.

Asked by Eric Blair of "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" at last Wednesday's (Janaury 23) Hall Of Heavy Metal History event in Anaheim, California if he has had any talks with Lifeson and Lee about working with them on music in the future, Portnoy replied (see video below): "Not recently. I had a brief e-mail exchange with Alex, I think when Neil announced his retirement.

"The reality is, look, those guys are my heroes and Neil as well, obviously," Mike continued. "I would do it in a heartbeat if hypothetically it was ever asked. But I don't think in a million years it would ever happen without all three of them. And I love and respect and honor Neil so much, I would never wanna do anything without his blessing. But that being said, in a hypothetical world, if the call ever came, yeah, it would be a dream gig for me. Of course."

When Blair pointed out to Portnoy that a new Lee-Lifeson collaboration would not be called RUSH, making it easier for Mike to just "slip right in there," the drummer said: "Hey, I know the tunes. I've been playing 'em my whole life. In fact, I just did a really cool RUSH tribute. It's a steel drum tribute, with a pan drum orchestra of 50 different steel drummers and myself on drums and guitar and bass, and we recorded a bunch of RUSH songs, but with this 50-piece steel drum orchestra. It was really cool. That's gonna be coming out in the next couple of months."

RUSH has been completely inactive since completing the "R40 Live" tour more than three years ago. Peart was battling enormous physical pain through much of the trek, including a foot infection that made it agonizing for him to even walk.

Lifeson and Lee have repeatedly said that RUSH will never do a show unless all three musicians agree to take part. They haven't performed as RUSH without Peart since he joined the band in 1974.

For first six years of RUSH's existence, John Rutsey was behind the kit and he played on the band's self-titled debut LP.

Portnoy previously told "The Chainsaw Symphony" radio show that he understood why Lifeson, Peart and Lee would want to call it quits while they were still at the peak of their playing ability.

"I grew up with [RUSH] and I went through a huge RUSH phase in the mid-'80s, early '80s when I was a teenager," he said. "Neil was always my hero back then, and since then I'm honored that we've become good friends and I cherish that relationship. And I've stayed a RUSH fan through all these years.

"It's sad to see it end, but you've gotta respect that, because if they can't deliver, and if they are in physical pain and they can't deliver what fans wanna see, I respect that they would go out on top," Mike said. "I don't like when I see bands that are just a memory of what they used to be, and there's a few out there that I've seen recently that are still touring… I'm not gonna name them, but some of the members can barely play their parts, and then they have a lot of other members that weren't even originally in the band. So I don't know. I would rather see a band like RUSH go out on top and have all the good memories of what they're capable of."

The instrumental members of VAN HALEN singer David Lee Roth's solo band reunited last night (Saturday, January 26) for a two-song performance at "Ultimate NAMM Night" in Anaheim, California. Guitarist Steve Vai, bassist Billy Sheehan and drummer Gregg Bissonette were joined by singer Jeff Scott Soto (SONS OF APOLLO, TALISMAN, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) to play a cover of the QUEEN classic "Tie Your Mother Down" and the Sheehan-penned TALAS headbanger "Shy Boy" which appeared on Roth's "Eat 'Em And Smile" album.

Video below comes courtesy of VintageRock.com and Jessica Chase of "Ultimate Jam Night". The photo above comes courtesy of Joe Schaeffer Photography and Jessica Chase of "Ultimate Jam Night".

Last night's surprise appearance came more than three years after Roth's aborted "Eat 'Em And Smile" reunion in Hollywood. The November 2015 show at the Lucky Strike Live, which was called off at the last minute by the fire marshal, would have marked the first time in 30 years that Roth joined Sheehan, Vai, Bissonette and keyboardist Brett Tuggle to perform some of the hits from the classic LP.

While fans were disappointed that the show was scrapped, Vai later told Ultimate Classic Rock that there was still hope the "Eat 'Em And Smile" musicians might reunite at a later date. "We tasted a little bit of the forbidden fruit there," Vai said. "We all decided that it would be nice, why not? It was a great era. It was a great record, we were a great band. So it's on the radar. It's just a matter of getting everybody's schedules to align. That's the tough part."

"Eat 'Em And Smile" was the first of two Roth albums to feature the duo of Vai and Sheehan on guitar and bass.

Billy said in a 2017 interview with Songfacts that he was "ready to go" if Roth ever decided to do some shows with the "Eat 'Em And Smile" band. "We have a great respect and love for Dave and what he did for us," he continued. "There's no secret undercurrent thing going on that I'm not talking about. The fact of the matter is it's Dave's call. If he chooses to do so, I couldn't be happier."






ULTIMATE NAMM NIGHT

EAT EM AND SMILE BAND featuring Jeff Scott Soto!

“SHY BOY”

Jeff Scott Soto #SteveVai Billy Sheehan Brett Tuggle Greg Bissonette Ultimate Jam Night #namm2019Posted by Jessica Chase on Saturday, January 26, 2019

Canada's Brighton Rock have checked in with the following update:

"Brighton Rock is releasing a new single called 'End Of Time' mixed by legendary producer Beau Hill. The song will be released on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify very shortly, and the band is very excited to let everyone hear it. Stay tuned!"

Brighton Rock performed at Hamilton Studio in Hamilton, Ontario on April 28th, 2018. Footage of the band performing "Hollywood Shuffle" from their third album, Love Machine, is available below. Previously uploaded video of "Hangin' High And Dry" from the same show is also available.

For information and updates on Brighton Rock go to their official Facebook page here.