KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons believes that the band's "End Of The Road" tour will gross nearly $200 million.

The trek launched January 31 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is expected to last two to three years and extend around the world.

Asked by The Wall Street Journal in a new interview how much money he will personally make from the tour, Gene said: "Let's just say Paul [Stanley, KISS co-founder] and I are partners, and everybody else works for the organization. Everybody gets paid very well. I don't want to quote figures, but this will be $150- or $200-million gross tour, not counting ancillaries, licensing, merchandise and stuff like that. It goes without saying that we also, in our restaurants and other places, hire vets, give to philanthropy and stuff like that. But how embarrassing is it before each show if I held up a check and said, 'Look what a nice guy I am'?"

Simmons, who will turn 70 in August, went on to say that the reason he is still touring after all this time is "to make more money. And we're making bucket-loads, and I'm happy to say that," he said. "The guy that wins the lottery jumps up and down and runs to everybody and says, 'Oh my God. I just made $100 million,' and everybody applauds. But the guy that works for it and makes $100 million, oh, he's just boasting. Bitch, I worked for that money, I deserve the accolades more than the guy that walks in and did nothing to win the lottery. So I tour, and I work hard. We have a restaurant chain, and I have a cannabis company, and soft drinks — Moneybag Sodas — and there's all kinds of stuff coming that people can't wrap their heads around. You're alive, you're supposed to pump your heart, keep making more money."

The Vancouver concert was attended by a sold-out crowd of 13,373 with a gross revenue of $1,551,414, according to Billboard's Boxscore.

According to Pollstar, KISS reported 1,292,121 tickets and a total gross of more than $61.6 million in 2000, when the band's first farewell tour was in full swing. Pollstar has record of 127 shows that year, and for most of that run, KISS kept prices between $35 and $85.

KISS came in at No. 79 on the 2016 Year End Top 200 North American Tours chart, with a $15.4 million gross and 233,262 tickets on the year.

Although Simmons recently admitted that he has "made millions every year for more than 40 years," he told the BBC News in a 2015 interview that he won't stop looking for ways to make himself ever richer.

"Life is business, and I approach life the way sharks approach life — they must keep moving or else they will drown," he said.

"I'll never stop hunting more money, I'll never have enough."

The KISS lineup on the "End Of The Road" tour features the current version of the band — Simmons, Stanley, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer.

Mortiis has released a gore-splattered video for the song Visions Of An Ancient Future ahead of his forthcoming album Spirit Of Rebellion. The former Emperor bassist originally recorded the song on his long out-of-print 1994 solo album Ånden som Gjorde Opprør, from his so-called ‘Era 1’ period. This brand new version sees Mortiis completely reinterpreting the song for the 21st century. “I had all these artistic aversions to everything I'd done in the 90s for different reasons,” Mortiis tells Metal Hammer. “But when [Swedish record label] Cold Meat Industry asked me to play their 30th anniversary show, I decided that it was time to go back to it and re-interpret some of it.

“I started again from scratch. I re-recorded everything, digging up new things and replacing old sounds. And I always felt the old Mortiis stuff could have had more percussion. That was one of the things I went crazy on – I added some really heavy percussion in places. It's epic-sounding now in parts.”
Visions Of An Ancient Future is taken from Spirit Of Rebellion, which is a modern reimagining of Ånden som Gjorde Opprør.

“This is just a snippet of the song - a section I thought was effective for a video. The whole song in itself is 25 minutes – that’s longer than the original song. The whole of Spirit Of Rebellion now is 50 minutes. The original was 38 minutes.” Mortiis has also announced a US tour which begins on March 28 and ends on April 7.

Nikki Sixx says that there are no plans for MÖTLEY CRÜE to perform live ever again.

In 2015, MÖTLEY CRÜE completed "The Final Tour", closing the book on the band's iconic career after performing a total of 164 shows in 72 markets, grossing over $100 million.

To cement the sense of finality, the four members of MÖTLEY CRÜE in 2014 publicly signed a "cessation of touring" contract that prevents any of them from performing under the CRÜE name in the future.

After the four members of MÖTLEY CRÜE reunited last year to record four new songs for the film adaptation of their 2001 autobiography "The Dirt", some fans assumed that the group would be open to the idea of playing together again at a special event to promote the movie. But Nikki says that is not the case.

"Sometimes I look out at my friends, like the guys in AEROSMITH and METALLICA, and I'm, like, 'God damn it, did we retire too soon?'" the bassist told Rolling Stone in a new interview. "But there will be no one-offs in our future. Maybe we'll just get together and jam in [guitarist] Mick Mars's front room."

After MÖTLEY CRÜE played its last-ever concert on New Year's Eve 2015, Nikki reportedly unfollowed drummer Tommy Lee on Twitter and they didn't see each other for a couple of years.

"Everything's cool now," Lee told Rolling Stone. "That tour was almost two years straight, and by the end of it, I don't think anybody wanted to fucking see anybody maybe ever again. It was like a marriage that just got fucking tired. I was the only one there having a big after party with everybody on New Year's Eve. I was just like, 'You know what? Fuck you guys.' After about a year, everybody started to either miss each other or just wonder what happened, and we were in a much different place, so we regrouped and rekindled friendship and the whole thing you do with people you love."

"Me and Tommy hadn't really talked or seen each other since the final show, and we went to New Orleans to visit the movie set," Sixx said. "We'd just needed a breather from each other from over 30 year of being in each other's faces. It was so nice when me and Tommy started hanging out again."

"I looked at him and said, 'Do you realize that I've known you longer than I've known anyone in my life?'" Lee recalled. "Wives and both of my parents are gone. I said, 'It's really cool that we're able to realize and appreciate how long we've known each other and remain the best of friends from here on out, because it's something extraordinary and truly special that we've done together and shared.' There's no room for stupid animosity or things that wear on you after touring together for so long. So everybody's in good spirits now, which is fucking awesome. It wasn't like that a couple years ago; it was just actually ugly."

A tour film about MÖTLEY CRÜE's final shows, "The End", came out in 2016.

Due on March 22, The Dirt" movie, which was helmed by "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" director Jeff Tremaine, was picked up by Netflix after being previously developed at Focus Features and before that at Paramount.

FATES WARNING bassist Joey Vera will be unable to join his bandmates at their upcoming shows in Detroit, Chicago and Milwaukee due to his commitments with ARMORED SAINT. He will be temporarily replaced by original FATES WARNING bassist Joe DiBiase.

Vera broke the news of his absence from next month's gigs in a Facebook post on Friday (February 22). He wrote: "Dear friends, Just a quick heads up with something regarding the upcoming FATES WARNING tour. Over a year ago I had committed to playing a gig with ARMORED SAINT in Athens, Greece this March 15. I wish to honor that commitment but that means that I'll sadly have to miss a couple of gigs with FATES in order to do it. So i will be not playing on the Detroit, Chicago and Milwaukee shows. (Some of my favorite cities by the way!).

"Luckily for us, and YOU, my brother and OG FATES WARNING bassist Joe DiBiase will be stepping up once again for these three gigs. So this will be amazing!

"I will resume in Minneapolis with FATES.

"I am currently practicing over 37 songs for the upcoming gigs with MOTOR SISTER, ARMORED SAINT and FATES WARNING. My head is spinning out. But, not to pity me. This is the bed I've made for myself this time.

"I'm very sorry I'll be missing these three gigs but I know you'll be in good hands. i look forward to seeing all of you out there very soon!"

DiBiase will play the following shows with FATES WARNING:

March 13- Diesel - Detroit, MI

March 14 - Concord - Chicago, IL

March 15 - The Rave - Milwaukee, WI

A founding member of FATES WARNING, DiBiase left the group in 1996.

In a 2001 interview, Joe stated about his reasons for exiting the band: "Well, we just finished the 'Inside Out' tour which was especially long and grueling and it seemed to take its toll on our relationships within the band. So we decided to take a bit of a break before the next recording or tour. In the meantime, my wife got pregnant with our son and I had walked into a decent-paying job. By the time we were ready to do something, I had the decision to make. Lose a chance of a decent job with a kid on the way for a month-long tour or not. Plus, I really didn't want to miss my kid growing up. It was a tough decision but one I thought I had to make."

FATES WARNING began in the early 1980s, playing a traditional style of heavy metal. However, they quickly began to adopt a more technically proficient style and are considered by many to be the first true prog-metal band. While the band has subsequently moved in more melodic and ambient directions, they have remained a vibrant and well-respected cornerstone for the prog camp within the heavy metal strata.

FATES WARNING released its latest album, "Live Over Europe", last year to critical acclaim. The first live release featuring the current lineup, it contains 23 songs and was recorded at various European locations during the band's January 2018 headlining tour for "Theories Of Flight" (2016).

Next month, FATES WARNING will head back out on the road with QUEENSRŸCHE, touring the USA in support of "Live Over Europe". After the conclusion of this trek, FATES WARNING will begin work on its 13th studio album, set for a 2020 release.


Dear friends, Just a quick heads up with something regarding the upcoming Fates Warning tour. Over a year ago I had...Posted by Joey Vera on Friday, February 22, 2019

Rikki Rockett says that he is "hopeful" that POISON will return to Europe and that the band will record new music in 2020. The drummer made the comments while chatting to Eonmusic and the "Neil Jones Rock Show" at "Ultimate NAMM Night", which took place on January 26 in Anaheim, California.

POISON last toured in Europe in 1993 on the "Native Tongue" album, and has only made fleeting appearances since. When asked about the band's absence, Rikki said: "[It's been] fucking ridiculously, way, way too long" since the last European shows. He added: "What's going on is we need to get our asses back to Europe; that's what the hell's going on."

The "Native Tongue" era saw a change in the band's sound, look and lineup, with guitarist C.C. DeVille ousted from the band. Acknowledging the changes during that period, Rockett said; "It was quite a bit different. I mean, the essence was there, but yeah, Richie Kotzen was in the band."

Despite having not toured in Europe since, the drummer went on to reveal that it almost happened in 2018. "At one point, there was talk of DEF LEPPARD and POISON coming to Europe", Rikki said, adding: "I don't know what the hell happened, but I was really looking forward to it."

Clarifying when he and his bandmates might return to live performances, the drummer said: "It's not going to be 2019; it's possibly going to be 2020. We're not going to work this year".

Although he still enjoys playing POISON's catalog, Rikki enthused that 2020 might see new music from the glam rock icons. "I still love doing it, absolutely," he said. "[But] I'd like to do new stuff, because I like that challenge. I like trying to convert people. I like making new music and trying to get people to like it over again. I like that challenge. I don't like to just sit and relax — that's not me — so hopefully we'll do some new stuff, come over, play for some new audiences, older audiences too. That's my goal."

This past December, POISON singer Bret Michaels also said 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."

Video footage of Yngwie Malmsteen performing at the Monsters Of Rock cruise pre-party on February 22 at Magic City Casino in Miami, Florida can be seen below.

Yngwie will release a new album, "Blue Lightning", on March 29 via Mascot Label Group. On the disc, Yngwie pays homage to those from the blues world who have fuelled his artistic spirit for so long.

Yngwie took part in the 2018 edition of the "Generation Axe" tour alongside Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi.

Yngwie's last album, "World On Fire", came out in June 2016 via King Records.

Last fall, Yngwie said that he chose to handle lead vocals himself on "World On Fire" because he "always thought that singers have the Elvis Presley syndrome — they think they're Elvis Presley. They're not Elvis Presley," he said. "Because I write the music, I write the lyrics, I write the vocal melody lines — I write everything. Just because I let somebody sing something doesn't mean they're more important than the bass player or the keyboard player or the drummer. Because I write all the parts — I write the drum parts, the bass parts, the keyboard parts, the guitar parts and the vocal parts — like a classical composer. And I really kind of got tired of dealing with their bullshit, really. So I decided to sing myself."

German nautical doom monsters have checked in with the following:

"Chris – our lyricist, guitar player and co-founder of Ahab – is looking for a singer (female or male) with interesting voice and much musical creativity for demos of his newborn side project, Silurian. It's not doom, but gloomy music. Chris is exploring his childhood, when he used to listen to mid '70s electronic music pioneers such as Jean Michel Jarre or Tangerine Dream and early '80s artists who combined reverberant guitars and synthesizers in interesting compositions. That said: if you're looking for some new band / side project and some new musical challenge... well, just drop him an e-mail at chris@ahab-doom.de or message and send him some demos – no matter what music it may be. Good luck!"

Ahab have confirmed an appearance at the 2019 installment of the Summer Breeze festival on August 14th.

The band returned to Wacken Open Air 2017 and served some heavy riffs and dark moods. In the video below, the band performs "The Hunt" from their 2006 album The Call Of The Wretched Sea.




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"Miracle", a new song from Alan Parsons, can be streamed below. The track is taken from Alan's upcoming studio album, "The Secret", on April 26 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Alan and Frontiers' relationship began in 2010 when the label released "Eye 2 Eye - Live in Madrid". They have kept in close contact since, with the ultimate goal to release another album together. Alan wanted it to be a really special album and only recently have the right plans and ideas fallen into place where Alan felt ready to enter the studio to record what he had in mind.

"The writing and recording sessions are going incredibly well," says Alan. "The album already has a working title, which is 'The Secret', and it will include musical and lyrical themes that are very close to my heart and my own interests and passions. I do not really want to reveal a lot about it, except that for the moment everything that surrounds 'The Secret' is going to be just that… a secret!"

The overall musical approach of the album is expected to be in keeping with the symphonic rock that Alan explored on his earlier solo records and the "Project" albums. But, of course, there will be new twists and turns and robust new creative inspiration behind the album. Some special guests will be on the album, but those will be revealed later... again, in keeping with the working title of the album, "The Secret".

Frontiers president Serafino Perugino commented: "This is pretty much a dream come true for me. For Frontiers being able to represent the artistry and the talent of such a huge artist is a magnificent opportunity. We look forward to this release as much as Alan's fans and it will see the light of day in multiple exciting formats. Stay tuned!".

Parsons said: "I wish to thank Serafino and the team for the commitment and the patience to make this happen. To the fans… we'll see you soon on a world tour!"

The track listing for the disc is as follows:


01. The Sorcerer's Apprentice (instrumental)

02. Miracle (lead vocal: Jason Mraz)

03. As Lights Fall (lead vocal: Alan Parsons)

04. One Note Symphony (lead vocal: Todd Cooper)

05. Sometimes (lead vocal: Lou Gramm)

06. Soirée Fantastique (lead vocal: Todd Cooper, Alan Parsons)

07. Fly To Me (lead vocal: Mark Mikel)

08. Requiem (lead vocal: Todd Cooper)

09. Years Of Glory (lead vocal: PJ Olsson)

10. The Limelight Fades Away (lead vocal: Jordan Huffman)

11. I Can't Get There From Here (lead vocal: Jared Mahone)

Check out the cover artwork below.

Parsons's music career started at 19 when he earned one of his his first credits as assistant engineer on THE BEATLES' "Abbey Road", an album recorded in the legendary London studios of the same name. He soon become a well-respected studio engineer, working for Paul McCartney, THE HOLLIES, and many others. He is particularly renowned for his work as recording engineer on the PINK FLOYD masterpiece "The Dark Side of The Moon". This classic album was recorded in 1972 and Parsons experimented with many of the most advanced recording techniques of the time. As a producer, he enjoyed many successes with PILOT, STEVE HARLEY AND COCKNEY REBEL, John Miles, and Al Stewart, including the masterwork "Year Of The Cat".

In 1975, Alan Parsons formed THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT along with principal songwriter (and occasional singer) Eric Woolfson. The PROJECT consisted of a group of studio musicians and vocalists, often involving the members of three bands Alan produced: PILOT (Ian Bairnson, Stuart Tosh and David Paton), COCKNEY REBEL's Stuart Elliott on drums, and (on the first album) American progressive pop/rock band AMBROSIA.

THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT released ten acclaimed studio albums, but never performed live during the heyday of the albums, even after several U.S. and European Top 20 hits. The PROJECT made its final album at the end of the '80s with the album "Gaudi". Since then, Alan has released a number of recordings under his own name using several musicians that also appeared on the "Project" releases.

As well as receiving gold and platinum awards from countless countries, Parsons has received eleven Grammy Award nominations for his engineering and production work. In 2007, he was nominated for "Best Surround Sound Album" for his studio album "A Valid Path".

In 1994, Alan Parsons started touring regularly as THE ALAN PARSONS LIVE PROJECT and has released a number of live releases in audio and video. His live concerts continue to this day.

Former LIFE OF AGONY drummer Sal Abruscato has slammed the band's transgender lead singer, Mina Caputo, as "a really nasty person" who "is not who she says she is."

Asked in a new interview with Big Music Geek about the reasons for his December 2017 departure from LIFE OF AGONY, Sal said: "We had nothing in common anymore. I was 'ying' and they were 'yang'.

"I had written the music for and had arranged nine out of the ten songs on that last record [2017's 'A Place Where There's No More Pain'] hence why I got distracted from putting out another A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH record... I was riding in a van and people had nothing in common anymore.

"I'm into hot rods, I work on my cars and I do electrical and plumbing work in my house. I work with my hands," he continued. "I'm basically a man's man. But I'm also an artist and a renaissance man, so I can do a lot of things. Basically, I was sitting by myself in the van in my own world. I also felt that the band was becoming something else and I wasn't really happy. I wasn't really happy with all the shenanigans going on around me. I felt like I was in a three-ring circus all of a sudden.

"I had a lot of bad things happen during the year where I was diagnosed officially with depression. They tried putting me on medication, but that medication was making me nuts, so I stopped taking that crap. At the same time, my youngest daughter is disabled. She went through 20 procedures that year alone and I had to leave on tour two different times. So I'm at the airport with my wife who was pregnant at the time and with my daughter at the hospital while she was getting surgery, so I was getting very depressed. In the end, they became very shallow as bandmates because they did not understand my situation and did not understand what it meant to be a father of a special-needs family. It's been going on since 2013 yet all they cared about was their superficial, shallow Twitter posts. I felt like it was becoming two different things. They weren't happy with me and I wasn't happy with them. Then they started getting really nasty with me towards the end via e-mail."

He added: "Mina Caputo is not who she says she is. She's actually a really nasty, nasty person. This preaching crap that she does is all a fake show, so in December [2017], I said, 'I had it. I'm out. I quit.' They already had their mind set on somebody else and I was, like, 'That's the thanks I get for literally writing ninety percent of your freaking record that made you have a successful comeback?' You can literally hear the A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH-style guitar playing and writing that was in various songs on that record. Nonetheless, I was already talking to the other guys in the band and wanted to make another record. I think they had their hopes set on the fact that I was going to again be a fantastic ghostwriter on the next record for them, so it's two different worlds, dude. I like playing really heavy, dark and doomy stuff. ...I'm really not too fond of talking about them, to be honest, so I will just leave it at that."

Last October, Abruscato called Caputo a "piece of shit" on Facebook after the singer claimed in a Twitter exchange with a fan that the Sal was a "bigot" and a "homophobe." Mina also said that Abruscato was "kicked out" of LIFE OF AGONY twice and described him as an "envious," "spiteful" and "combative" person who "hates his own pathetic life."

"She went on social media and tried to destroy my career," Sal told Big Music Geek. "She made an unprovoked tweet to her thirty thousand followers calling me anti-transgender, a bigot and a homophobe, all of which is all bullshit. I've never said anything about her online. She totally tried to have the mob show up at my house with torches and chant, 'Burn the witch,' right? It was like the Salem witch trial.

"To be honest, I'm all for people doing whatever the fuck they want. I don't give a shit," he continued. "But people need to have the mutual respect to not shove their shit in other people's faces. Things were supposed to stay somewhat respectable and be a little conservative. What you do in the privacy of your own home is your own thing, but I don't need to have it force-fed down my throat every day.

"Basically, the band turned into a joke," Sal added. "It turned into a back-up band for this whole crazy movement she's been trying to do. And honestly, I think it's all fake. I think it's just like the people that get desperate to make it and get on the Ellen DeGeneres show and try to re-invent themselves. ...They're, like, 'Well, if I go this one way, I might get famous,' or something. After a while, I was, like, 'I'm not believing in any of this at all,' because I saw this really nasty person come out every now and then and it totally contradicted the preaching this person does."

Mina Caputo, formerly known as Keith Caputo, came out publicly as transgender in 2011. A few months later, she told Noisecreep: "I got a lot of grief for it, but it was nothing compared to the years of pain I went through not being open about the way I felt inside."

Abruscato told the press in 2012 that LIFE OF AGONY could no longer play live because "Keith wants to pursue his life and his lifestyle," but the band was eventually convinced by its agent to reunite again in 2014. Caputo told Rolling Stone in a 2017 interview that she felt hurt by Abruscato's comments and approached him about them. She claimed at the time time of the interview that there had been a misunderstanding. "Now he's, like, 'My fuckin' girlfriend's here!' when he sees me," she said. "All of the members of the band are so wonderful, holding doors open for me, carrying my bags, making sure I'm safe. They treat me like they treat their wives."

Abruscato was replaced in LIFE OF AGONY by Veronica Bellino, a New York native who has previously worked with DMC, LL Cool J, Carmine Appice and Jeff Beck.

Sal's long-running band A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH released its third album, "When The World Becomes Undone", in January via Long Branch Records/SPV.

Bloodbound are back with their new album, Rise Of The Dragon Empire, out on March 22nd via AFM Records. A music video for the album's title track can be found below. Pre-order the new album here.

One has to make a compliment towards the six swedes as Rise Of The Dragon Empire is full of hits, hits and again hits. The band further refined their formula and now comes up with the best material in their entire career. Even if Bloodbound add their own taste, Rise Of The Dragon Empire will not only thrill their numerous fans, but also fans of Sabaton, Powerwolf and even Nightwish.

Tracklisting:

“Rise Of The Dragon Empire”
“Slayer Of Kings”
“Skyriders And Stormbringers”
“Magical Eye”
“Blackwater Bay”
“Giants Of Heaven”
“The Warlock’s Trail”
“A Blessing In Sorcery”
“Breaking The Beast”
“Balerion”
“Reign Of Fire”

“Rise Of The Dragon Empire” video:

“Slayer Of Kings”:




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KISS have posted pro-shot footage of their show last night at the FedExForum in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. Check it out below:

KISS launched the first leg of the End Of The Road World Tour on January 31st at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC. More pro-shot footage from the tour can be seen below:

A once in a lifetime concert experience like no band has offered before; the KISS ultimate VIPs are rock and roll royalty at their shows on the End Of The Road World Tour.

Ultimate VIP Package Includes:

- Private backstage Meet & Greet with KISS
- Personal Photo Opportunity with KISS
- Watch the whole show from the Pit (no fans have ever had access to the Pit)
- Backstage Tour with your personal KISS Concierge including;
- Your tour will take you to areas that only the band and limited members of the crew can visit!
- Start out by stepping foot on the holy ground that is the KISS stage
- Sit on Eric Singer’s drum stool at his drum kit
- Stand at Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Tommy Thayer’s Microphones
- Hold Paul's legendary Cracked mirror guitar. Gene's classic Axe bass and Tommy's signature Epiphone guitar
- Visit KISS wardrobe where you can see the bands outfits up close and try on the REAL KISS boots
- Along the way we'll visit all areas of the KISS production and you'll meet many members of the crew that keeps the KISS machine going strong

- Autographed "End of the Road" Limited Edition Framed Lithograph, specific to your show. -Hand numbered, 1 of 15, and shipped directly to your home
- Lifetime Membership for the Official KISS ARMY Fan Club
- Exclusive Access to the KISS Army Captain’s Hospitality Lounge including;
- VIP Bar with wine, beer and the KISS "End of the Road" Signature Cocktail
- Hot and cold hors d’oeuvres and a dessert bar
- Dedicated VIP entrance
- Commemorative KISS Meet & Greet laminate
- Access to crowd free merchandise shopping
- On Site VIP Host




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Due to personal reasons, Andreas "Vintersorg" Hedlund has decided to exit the Norwegian epic black metal band BORKNAGAR. As a result, I.C.S Vortex will take over as the group's lead vocalist, and will, together with Lars Nedland, carry on BORKNAGAR's legacy of vocal brilliance.

According to BORKNAGAR, Hedlund's decision to leave "is based on mutual understanding, respect and in a friendly manner with the rest of the band.

"BORKNAGAR would like to express their sincere gratitude for the musical brotherhood we have shared throughout the years and wish Andreas the very best in his future endeavors," the group says.

"There is no drama to this situation, and our friendship will remain. No one should be too surprised if Vintersorg reappears as a guest vocalist on a future record."

BORKNAGAR founder and guitarist Øystein G. Brun comments: "It is with a lot of respect, gratitude and good memories I see one of my brothers in music set sails for new shores. Times are changing, and we both saw this coming for a while. Even though we are splitting as partners in BORKNAGAR, I am happy to say that we have decided to carry on our musical brotherhood in CRONIAN. A new album will be released whenever time allows for that."

Hedlund states: "Time has come to make some tough decisions and let reality set the rules.

"It is with both a light and heavy heart I leave BORKNAGAR as the lead vocalist. The light part is that it's done in an amicable way and that this is the right thing to do for me, in respect for the fans and BORKNAGAR. The heavy part is that it’s hard to leave something this meaningful and beautiful.

"My situation after the accident makes it hard to tour, and my job situation complicates things further. So in a way I'm not 'leaving' as such, it's more like I'm putting some oil into the BORKNAGAR machinery so the band can keep their busy schedule, get out on the road and meet you guys.

"BORKNAGAR will always have a special place in my heart and mind, and I hope that I can do some guest performances further down the road. The guys in the band are fantastic musicians and persons and I wish them the best of luck. However, CRONIAN is not dead and may shake its head before you know it."

BORKNAGAR is currently in the final stages of recording its eleventh album. It will be mixed and mastered this spring by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studio.

Back in November 2014, Hedlund was seriously injured when he fell head first on a concrete floor while moving some furniture. This resulted in multiple fractures to the skull, brain hemorrhage and momentary dysfunctional hearing in one ear.

DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie says that he and his bandmates were "shocked" when they saw the similarities between their "Distance Over Time" album artwork and the cover of an issue of The New York Times magazine.

Last November 6, DREAM THEATER revealed the "Distance Over Time" artwork via social media. Just 12 days later, The New York Times magazine published a cover story titled "What Will Become of Us?" as part of its "Text And Design" issue, featuring remarkably similar artwork. While The Times cover does feature some minor aesthetic differences, the design concept is virtually identical. The band briefly chimed in on Twitter, saying, "Imitation is the highest form of flattery, NY Times." Gail Bichler, The New York Times magazine's design director, then tweeted her response to the band's observation, writing: "Yes, these things look remarkably similar but we had never seen the album. As far as I can tell the album and our cover were released within days of each other. Sometimes people independently come up with the same idea at the same time."

A DREAM THEATER representative later said that the robotic arm seen on the album artwork was taken from a licensed stock imagery. This caused one DREAM THEATER fan to blast the band's longtime cover collaborator Hugh Syme as "a con artist" who created the artwork by "literally" putting "two stock pictures together." The fan added: "I hope you didn't pay him."

In a brand new interview with Italy's Linea Rock, LaBrie and guitarist John Petrucci weighed in on the controversy, with the singer saying: "We were all flabbergasted. We were shocked. John sent it out to the bandmembers, and, of course, we were all, like, 'What? What is going on? Is this for real?'

"We had released what the album cover would be two weeks before that was the cover of The New York Times," he continued. "So we were, like, 'Is this a coincidence?'

"It's anyone's guess at this point," James added. "Was it somebody who was a fan that worked at The New York Times? That's my theory. They saw it [and went], 'Hey, this is really cool. I'll just suggest it.' But who really knows? Is it coincidental? I've got a hard time believing it. That's me personally."

Petrucci said: "That freaked us out… We were, like, 'What the hell is going on?' And there was a tweet that went out where fans were kind of talking about it. And I think the art director for The Times chimed in and said, 'Oh, sometimes that happens. There's similarities.' So I don't know. It's just bizarre. It could be some bizarre cosmic coincidence. Who knows?"

James went on to say: "The art director from The Times will get fired, and then he'll reveal the truth. No. Who knows?"

"Distance Over Time" was released on February 22. The disc marks the first for the band's new label InsideOut Music.

DREAM THEATER is planning to hit the road in support of the new album. The "Distance Over Time" tour of North America will kick off on March 20 in San Diego, California. The tour will run for seven weeks before wrapping up in Mexico City on May 4.

STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet has set "Ten" as the title of his next solo album, due later in the year via Rat Pak Records.

In a brand new interview with Daily Boom, Sweet stated about the upcoming follow-up to 2016's "One Sided War": "It's really great. I always go into a project with expectations and sometimes I meet or surpass them, but sometimes I don't. Sometimes a song might be a little bit of a letdown and not what I had hoped for, but with this album so far, everything is as I've expected and then some. Now granted, I don't have the lead vocals done yet, so the pressure is on me. [Laughs] I hope the lead vocals turn out how I hear them in my head and how I would like them to be, but you never know. You just don't know until you get in there and you start singing and you get it done."

He continued: "So far though, the songs all have incredible energy. I've got Will Hunt playing drums on it and John O'Boyle is playing bass. The rhythm section is phenomenal and the guitar tones are great. I'm going to have a different guest guitar player on every song, with a solo, of course. I've got Todd La Torre of QUEENSRŸCHE joining me on a song and it's just turning out to be a really cool album. I think that it's going to surpass my last solo album and that did really well, but I think this one is going to be even better."

As for a possible release date for "Ten", Sweet said: "I'm still not sure. It's definitely going to be this year. We're talking about a summer release, and I'm turning it all in by the end of April, and so we're probably looking at a July or August release. It depends on how much setup we need with licensing deals worldwide and those kinds of things. But I would say hopefully July-August."

Other guest musicians who will appear on Sweet's new disc include guitarists Joel Hoekstra (WHITESNAKE, NIGHT RANGER), Jeff Loomis (ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE), Marzi Montazeri (EXHORDER, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS), Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE) and Andy James.

Sweet previously stated about his new solo album: "There are old-school, straight-ahead metal ideas à la [JUDAS] PRIEST and DIO, as well as a few uptempo riffs à la [IRON] MAIDEN. There's also a few ballads with a bit of a [LED] ZEPPELIN vibe.

"I'm really excited about the musical direction. I'm bringing back a few of those classic hooks and melodies that some of you have asked for. Ask and you shall receive."

Regarding Hoekstra, Sweet said: "[He] blew my mind the first time I saw him perform with NIGHT RANGER. I've seen him continue to shred with Cher and WHITESNAKE/David Coverdale and I really admire Joel as a player and as a person. One of the best, and I'm blessed to have him on two songs (co-writes and guitars)."

Michael called Todd "the best metal singer going today" and a "dear friend." "Todd is not only an amazing singer but an amazing drummer as well," Sweet said. "And an incredible human being. He will be joining me on vocals for a song (a duet if you will) and it may very well blow minds."

As for Loomis, Sweet said: "Jeff is a monster player who has an incredible sense of melody and technique. He is one of my favorite players today."

Michael said that he first encountered Montazeri a few years ago at NAMM and described him as "one of the nicest and most humble guys that I've ever met. Then I saw him play and I was blown away. He's one of the best. Can't wait to hear what Marzi does."

According to Sweet, Andy James is an "outstanding" guitarist whom he had "always wanted to do something with. If you haven't heard him play, you should," Michael said.

Michael and Gus G. first met a few years ago in Anaheim, California and Sweet was "an instant fan. Feel, tone, style, speed — you name it, he has it," Michael said. "I'm honored to have him as a guest on a song from the new solo album."

"One Sided War" was released in August 2016 via Rat Pak Records. Backing Michael on the record were Hoekstra, Hunt, O'Boyle and East Coast shred-master Ethan Brosh.

In a 2016 interview with The Aquarian Weekly, Sweet said that he enjoyed making solo albums "because it's an opportunity to free myself up a little bit more, experiment a little bit more, and try some things that STRYPER may not be able to try."

STRYPER's latest album, "God Damn Evil", was released in April 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl.

California rockers THE OFFSPRING have completed work on their long-awaited tenth album.

Guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman confirmed that the follow-up to 2012's "Days Go By" was finished in an Instagram comment over the weekend.

"The album is done," he wrote. "Working on getting it to the fans now. Stay tuned!"

Last fall, Noodles told Junkee that THE OFFSPRING has been "spending a bit of time in the studio" with producer Bob Rock, who also worked on the band's last two albums. "He's great, man — we get along with him really well," the guitarist said.

At the time of the Junkee interview, Noodles said that THE OFFSPRING had been contemplating releasing all of its new music on two separate albums. "I think there's a record's worth in there, but we're thinking that maybe the songs are just a little too different," he said. "We know there's a song or two on every record that comes out of left field for us, but it's more than just a couple this time. Right now, we're entertaining the idea of doing two records — one where we can put all of these, and another of straight-up OFFSPRING songs."

Last summer, Noodles told Australia's Music Feeds that THE OFFSPRING had been working with Rock "on and off on this record for five years, really. But we had a real productive string this year, in the earlier part of the year. We had probably five or six songs that we did just right then and it started to feel like maybe this is the direction we should be going with this record. A little bit more straight-forward OFFSPRING stuff.

"I think we're looking at making two records out of it — you know, like, splitting 'em up and coming out with a pretty straightforward punk and rock record that sounds like us, and then maybe saving some of the crazier stuff for another record."

As for what THE OFFSPRING's "crazier stuff" sounds like, Noodles told Music Feeds: "Well there's always a song that we do [on each album] — because it's just fun for us to experiment in the studio where we take different sounds — so sometimes we'll try some piano or keyboard kind of sound… We have a song that has a lot of horns in it, like a full-on horn section in it, and we've been working on that song for a long time. I think that one might be the the one kind of wacky one that we keep on this record; well, at least I hope it is. We love this song; it's such a fun song. It's a risk to put it out there, but at some point you've just gotta say, 'Screw it, man,' and just go with what you're feeling and let the chips fall where they may. So I think we're gonna do that."

Noodles also confirmed that THE OFFSPRING was without a record label and was looking into various options about how to make its new music available to the masses. "We've been talking with a bunch of different labels and distributors, but so far nothing's really stuck," he told Music Feeds. "So we're not sure how we're gonna do this. I mean at this point, the way things are distributed, we're thinking we could even maybe do it ourselves."

THE OFFSPRING debuted a new song called "It Won't Get Better" live in concert last June and has been performing it ever since. Noodles described the track as "kind of like a straight-forward OFFSPRING song."

THE OFFSPRING's last single, "Coming For You", dropped in 2015.

Photo credit: Sam Jones / MSO PR

Thanks: Dying Scene

SYMPHONY X guitarist Michael Romeo was asked in a new interview with "The Metal Command" if he has begun writing material for the follow-up to the band's 2015 album "Underworld". "There's always little bits and pieces I'm writing, and there's always things I'm tucking away," he responded (hear audio below). "And it feels like this summer, this record [Romeo's 'War Of The Worlds / Pt. 1' solo album] had just come out, and now it's New Year and it's, like, 'Okay, man…' I've been talking to the guys in the band a little bit lately, and we're gonna do a run, a couple of months in the spring — get back on tour. And, yeah, when I talk about what we're gonna do, we'll maybe do some more touring after that, or maybe a record. So, yeah, that whole thing, we're kind of getting back on track."

Romeo went on to say that there are no "total finished songs" ready for a new SYMPHONY X album. "But I'm not worried about it," he explained. "It wouldn't take really that long. I think all of us, just by doing some solo records and different things and just kind of taking a little hiatus from the band, you just try some other things. But then when you come back to it, it's, like, 'Oh, yeah, man. All right. Cool. This is what we're gonna do.' So sometimes those breaks are actually good. I'm not worried about it. I'm sure at some point we'll figure out exactly what we're gonna do. But, like I said, we're definitely gonna do this tour, get back together and start talking about our plans for more touring and a record. But I'm always writing — I am always writing. So it's just a matter of saying, 'This is what we're gonna do with this record,' and then you start putting those songs together, whatever the theme is or whatever the idea behind the record is. That's when it goes pretty quick — when you kind of have a goal, you kind of know what you want it to be. And I don't know what we want it to be yet. So, [we'll have] to wait and see."

SYMPHONY X will embark on a European tour in May. The run will see the five-piece hit eleven countries in one month — with the trek kicking off on May 7 in Lyon, France, culminating in Gelsenkirchen, Germany at the Rock Hard Festival.

"Underworld" was released via Nuclear Blast. Heavily inspired by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri, the disc drew on the themes from the "Divine Comedy", most notably the part on "Inferno". As homage to Dante's use of the number 3 and its multiples, the band utilized the motif in both lyrical and melodic context.

In July 2017, SYMPHONY X vocalist Russell Allen and his ADRENALINE MOB bandmates were involved in a crash that killed the latter group's bassist, David Zablidowsky.

SYMPHONY X completed an extensive tour behind "Underworld" in 2016, including a U.S. run of shows with OVERKILL and a pair of headlining performances in Australia.

Vocalist Clémentine Delauney of Austrian symphonic metallers VISIONS OF ATLANTIS has provided an update on the songwriting process for the follow-up to their most recent studio album, 2018's "The Deep & The Dark".

Currently promoting the band's first live set, "The Deep & The Dark Live @ Symphonic Metal Nights", Delauney was asked in an interview with Sonja of Napalm Records during this year's 70000 Tons Of Metal Cruise whether VISIONS OF ATLANTIS will continue in the direction of "The Deep & The Dark" for its next studio album. "I think it's going to be done pretty much in the same with 'The Deep & The Dark', except we have a new singer now, Michele [Guaitoli]," she said (see video below). "The vocal division and harmonies will be different with him, but we're looking forward to it. He's an amazing vocalist. The songs, we trying to keep track with 'The Deep & The Dark'. It's going to be a continuation of the symphonic metal, but it could be a couple of songs will show us under a different light. We need to evolve as a band. There's no point in doing 'The Deep & The Dark' Part II. The band needs to grow up and evolve. Those who really like that album will definitely not be disappointed."

Regarding whether VISIONS OF ATLANTIS has anything special planned for the band's upcoming 20th anniversary, which will take place in 2020, Delauney said: "I think it's a topic we have to start up in the band. I got exactly the same reaction, like, 'Soon it's going to be our 20th anniversary.' But so far, there are no special plans to reveal, but I guess there will be something. We celebrated the 15th anniversary in our hometown, playing a special show with two or three of the former singers. That was really special. For the 20th, we'll definitely have to do something."

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS released "The Deep & The Dark Live @ Symphonic Metal Nights", on February 22 via Napalm Records.

The official music video for the new QUEENSRŸCHE song "Blood Of The Levant" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "The Verdict", which will be released on March 1 via Century Media Records. The disc was produced, mixed, and mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ROB ZOMBIE, ICED EARTH, HATEBREED) at Uberbeatz in Lynwood, Washington; Planet-Z in Wilbraham, Massachusetts; and Watershed Studio in Seattle, Washington.

Says QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre: "We are very excited to unveil our new video 'Blood Of The Levant' from our upcoming album 'The Verdict'. This song and video is based on real events that sparked the onset of the Syrian war.

"We would like to thank David Brodsky and Allison Woest from MyGoodEye Music Visuals for bringing our vision and concept to life on screen! A very special thanks as well to the additional cast and crew for their valued dedication to this effort."

"The Verdict" track listing:

01. Blood Of The Levant

02. Man The Machine

03. Light-Years

04. Inside Out

05. Propaganda Fashion

06. Dark Reverie

07. Bent

08. Inner Unrest

09. Launder The Conscience

10. Portrait

Todd spoke about "The Verdict"'s musical direction with Eclectic Arts, saying: "It's got more driving songs on this record than the last one… I think there's elements that are more progressive — some different time signatures. It's a good-flowing album. There's some slow, kind of haunting, creepy, cool stuff on this record," he continued. "Like I say, there's more progressive elements on this one, I think — certainly more, I think, than the last one. The song 'Condition Hüman' was kind of progressive in QUEENSRŸCHE's standards, so there's kind of some of those elements going on. Really good lyrical content — thought-provoking stuff. Certainly never trying to tell anyone what to think, but to think. Again, a lot of it deals with things that are happening in the world that everyone can identify with and relate to. I tried to have some really good vocal acrobatics on this [album]. There's not a ton of high singing, but there's some high stuff on there vocally. I mean, it just sounds like a great QUEENSRŸCHE album to me. But you never know until you put it out to everyone, and then it's not yours anymore."

"The Verdict" will mark QUEENSRŸCHE's third full-length release with La Torre, following the departure of Geoff Tate in 2012.

For the past two years, drummer Scott Rockenfield has been taking time off from QUEENSRŸCHE's touring activities to spend time with his young son, who was born in early 2017. Filling in for him is former KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo.

La Torre, who has played drums since the age of 13, laid down the drum tracks on "The Verdict".

QUEENSRŸCHE's spring U.S. headline tour with special guests FATES WARNING will kick off on March 2 in Orlando, making stops in major markets such as New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and will wrap on April 3 in Seattle. THE CRINGE will be joining both bands on select dates.

SACRED REICH guitarist and founding member Jason Rainey has exited the band for "health reasons" and has been replaced by Joey Radziwill.

The veteran Arizona thrashers are putting the finishing touches on their highly anticipated new studio album — the band's first in 23 years — titled "Awakening". Due this summer, the disc is being produced by Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, POWER TRIP and CODE ORANGE, among others. "Awakening" will mark SACRED REICH's first release since the return of drummer Dave McClain.

SACRED REICH said in a statement: "Joey and his dad Tim [drums] helped us record the demos for the new songs. So when we needed a new guitar player, Joey was the obvious choice and was able to jump right in and crush his parts on the new record. He is 22 years old and grew up listening to SACRED REICH (his parents raised him up right).

"We welcome Joey, his immense guitar skills, and youthful energy to the band!"

SACRED REICH vocalist/bassist Phil Rind told BLABBERMOUTH.NET that he and his bandmates "had hoped that Jason would be up to recording and the touring to follow, but it didn't work out." He added: "Joey stepped right in and did a killer job on the guitar tracks."

According to Rind, SACRED REICH will begin mixing the new album this week. "We went for a very organic sound," he said. "Dave did not want to use any triggers or sound replacement. We spent a lot of time on the room mics to get a big natural drum sound. Modern recording technology is great for a lot of things but we don't want to rely on it."

Rind went on to say that the "whole recording experience" for "Awakening" has been "incredible." He said: "The Platinum Underground is a fabulous studio. Great gear and vibe. Producer Arthur Rizk has brought new ideas to the songs and a positive energy. Engineer John Aquilino has amazing technical know-how and is the best dude. The songs sound great. The process has been so fun and positive. Everything has been smooth and easy. We can't wait for everyone to hear it."

SACRED REICH recently announced tour dates across Europe and the U.S. The "Awakening" European tour will cover all of Europe and begins in November 2019. Additionally, SACRED REICH has announced a string of dates in North America alongside IRON REAGAN, LEEWAY and ENFORCED for May and European visits for festivals in July and August.

McClain was a member of SACRED REICH from 1991 to 1995. He played on the "A Question" EP (1991) and the "Independent" (1993) and "Heal" (1996) albums before leaving to join MACHINE HEAD.

Rind said that Dave's return to the band was "the best-case scenario that we could have hoped for. Dave is the best!" he added. "A great drummer and a great person and we are beyond excited to welcome him back to the band."

Dave stated: "I'm so excited about rejoining my brothers in SACRED REICH. To have the opportunity to make and play music with one of my favorite metal bands was always something I hoped could happen. I can't wait for everyone to hear the new album that we're recording and to come see us out on the road in 2019-2020."

McClain left MACHINE HEAD in November after completing the band's "Freaks & Zeroes Tour".

Formed in 1986, SACRED REICH is part of the second wave of thrash, along with TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL, DESTRUCTION and DARK ANGEL. Over the years, SACRED REICH has produced a catalog of politically charged aggressive songs that have stood the test of time.

SACRED REICH's last studio album, "Heal", came out in 1996. The band broke up in 2000 and remained inactive until 2006 when they received offers to play European festivals.

Since coming out of retirement more than a decade ago, SACRED REICH has almost exclusively played the European festival circuit every summer. But that changed in 2017 as SACRED REICH celebrated the 30th anniversary of its classic album "Ignorance". To commemorate this milestone, the band brought its "30 Years Of Ignorance" tour around the world.

"On My Side", the new Andy Maier-directed video from the Christian metal band DEMON HUNTER, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album "War", which will be made available alongside a companion LP, "Peace", on March 1.

Frontman Ryan Clark said about the "On My Side" clip: "[We tried to] keep things straightforward with regards to the overall approach. Though the video is strictly performance, we did have some fun by filming each setup the same way a number of times using different lighting scenarios in each. This meant performing it the exact same way (hand motions, body positioning) over and over, but ultimately allowed us to toggle between looks while maintaining the same general positioning, which gives a really cool effect in the end."

Clark told Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show that releasing two separate albums "with the polarized styles" that DEMON HUNTER is known for — "heavy and the super-melodic 'ballad'-style songs" — is something he and his bandmates have "talked about doing for a long time." He explained: "We didn't want to do it too early in our career just because it felt like a lofty sort of endeavor. So we didn't want to get carried away too early. So now kind of rounding out our albums at No. 9 and No. 10, seems like a really good time to do it."

Ryan said that DEMON HUNTER decided not to package the two LPs together because "double albums are too hard to digest. Of the ones that have been released from bands that I really like, I never really found myself diving into them and fully really soaking them in just because it's quite an undertaking," he said. "So I wanted this to almost be two autonomous things that are meant to be listened to. And I know, coming out on the same day and everything, they might as well be packaged together, but the idea of them being separate is that they… it might not be so burdensome to consume."

"War" track listing:

01. Cut To Live

02. On My Side

03. Close Enough

04. Unbound

05. Grey Matter

06. The Negative

07. Ash

08. No Place For You Here

09. Leave Me Alone

10. Lesser Gods

"Peace" track listing:

01. More Than Bones

02. I Don't Believe You

03. Loneliness

04. Peace

05. When The Devil Come

06. Time Only Takes

07. Two Ways

08. Rescue Myself

09. Bet My Life

10. Fear Is Not My Guide

DEMON HUNTER formed in Seattle in 2001. The lineup features Clark alongside co-founder Jonathan Dunn (bass), drummer Tim "Yogi" Watts (drums, since 2004), lead guitarist Patrick Judge (since 2008) and guitarist Jeremiah Scott (since 2011). Clark remains the primary songwriter, with increasing contributions from Judge.

Former OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G. transformed into "Satchel G." for a guest appearance with STEEL PANTHER during the final show of their joint tour on February 19 in Pratteln, Switzerland. Together, they performed the Ozzy classic "Crazy Train", which originally appeared on Osbourne's debut solo album, 1980's "Blizzard Of Ozz". Check out a video of the performance below (filmed by Matt Stocks and Elias Aravidis).

Gus, whose real name is Kostantinos Karamitroudis, joined Osbourne's band in 2009 after building a name for himself as one of metal/hard rock's most exciting new shredders in his own melodic metal act, FIREWIND. The guitarist would go on to play on Osbourne's most recent studio album, 2010's "Scream" and managed to start a solo career while Ozzy was touring and recording with BLACK SABBATH.

It was announced in April 2017 that guitarist Zakk Wylde would be rejoining Ozzy's backing group for all his upcoming solo show dates. Osbourne's touring lineup also includes Rob "Blasko" Nicholson on bass, Tommy Clufetos on drums and Adam Wakeman on keyboards.

In a 2018 interview with "The Right To Rock" podcast, Gus shared his thoughts and feelings when he got the word that Wylde would be stepping back into his role as Osbourne's guitar player. "I think some people were more upset about it than I was," he said. "I'm not saying I was really happy about it or anything, but given the circumstances, I had a really good run. Now he's retiring and he's 70 years old this year, I think, and he's bringing back his classic guitar player and there's a lot of history between them. It's something I totally understand. Obviously, he's a solo artist and he can play with whoever he wants. I can't say I didn't see that one coming at some point. Yeah, sure, I would have loved to do some more gigs with him and all that. In all honesty, there wasn't a lot of shows happening. He was busy with SABBATH and we would do scattered dates here and there. I don't know, it's great that he and Zakk are back together and also gives me the opportunity to focus on my own thing and basically just make a more long-term commitment plan into my own career. It was a gig that did a lot of good for me. It opened a lot of doors. It was only good times."

The 91st Academy Awards saw the world's biggest rock band own Hollywood's biggest night.

Legendary rock group QUEEN + Adam Lambert opened — and stole — the show at the star-studded Oscars, performing a medley of two of their most iconic songs, "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions", getting a much-deserved standing ovation from Tinseltown's elite. Watch their electrifying tour de force below.

It was also a history-making performance, as QUEEN is the first rock band to ever open the Academy Awards. "Guitarist Brian May was the first to appear on stage, shredding on his guitar to the iconic beat of 'We Will Rock You'," wrote Rolling Stone. "Lambert joined, paying homage to [Freddie] Mercury's gravity-defying vocals and unmistakable showmanship."

The QUEEN biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" was up for five Oscars, including "Best Picture". Rami Malek, who plays Freddie Mercury in the film, took the "Best Actor" trophy for his portrayal of the late singer.

Since Lambert first shared the stage with QUEEN for the 2009 "American Idol" final, his dynamic performances have reinvigorated the band and delighted fans worldwide. Their first full show together — starting as they meant to go on — thrilled a half-a-million-strong crowd in the Ukraine capital city of Kiev in June 2012. Since then, May and Taylor's musical fireworks have been matched by Lambert's vocal prowess and stage presence, making for an explosive combination. Over 180 gigs later, the partnership has proven a commercial and critical triumph, playing to enraptured full houses in every corner of the world.

20th Century Fox's "Bohemian Rhapsody" has topped the cinema box office in more than 35 countries around the world since its late October release, drawing worldwide box office receipts in excess of $845 million. The excitement the film inspired also saw QUEEN propelled back on to the music charts, where they hit No. 1 on Billboard's Artist 100 chart, reminding fans why they loved them and dazzling the previously-uninitiated. In the U.S., the band scored its highest-charting album in 38 years with the "Bohemian Rhapsody" soundtrack (Hollywood Records), which surged from #25 to #3 on the Billboard 200 chart on November 17, reached the top of the Billboard Rock Albums chart and were Spotify's most streamed artist in the world for the week ending November 22. In the same week, QUEEN's "Greatest Hits Vol I, II & III: The Platinum Collection" rocketed from #194 to #9 on the Billboard 200 and they had a jaw-dropping 22 songs charting on the Digital Rock Tracks chart including seven of the Top 10.

QUEEN original band members Brian May and Roger Taylor will team up once more with vocalist Adam Lambert for the "Rhapsody" tour, an epic 25-date run from mid-July through late August. The North American headline tour will be produced by Live Nation.

SCHATTENMANN keep on continuing their success in thrilling the Goth Scene: The NDH Newcomer release their second album! “Epidemie” is going to be released on 5th of July and is the band’s AFM Records debut. This new chapter is heralded by the first single of the forthcoming album. “Kopf durch die Wand” is an energetic anthem for all the mavericks and free spirits of this world and describes the quartet’s philosophy perfectly. Have a listen to “Kopf durch die Wand” here:

“There are always people changing the world, moving borders and making the impossible real”, says singer Frank Herzig. “Everyone of us can achieve great things – especially together! ‘Kopf durch die Wand’ is a song getting the heart of this issue. WE never give up! WE support each other! WE can change things!”


Album Tracklist - Schattenmann - Epidemie:

01. Schattenland
02. F.U.C.K.Y.O.U.
03. Schlag für Schlag
04. Epidemie
05. Wahrheit oder Pflicht
06. Ruf der Engel
07. Kopf durch die Wand
08. Schwarz = Religion
09. Gewissen
10. Darkroom
11. Nadel und Faden
12. Phantom


The first songs of “Epidemie” can be heard live on the SCHATTENMANN headliner tournee starting today:

15.02.2019 Leipzig - Hellraiser
16.02.2019 Berlin - Privatclub
22.02.2019 München - Feierwerk
23.02.2019 Nürnberg - Cult
01.02.2019 Zofingen - (CH) Oxil
02.03.2019 Frankfurt - Das Bett
08.03.2019 Flensburg - Roxy
09.03.2019 Hamburg - Markthalle
22.03.2019 Bremen - Tivoli
23.03.2019 Hannover - Subkultur [Sold Out]

With their debut album „Licht an”, SCHATTENMANN did not only shape the term NDH 2.0 as a cocktail made of stoic rhythms and danceable melodies but also thrilled critics and fans across all borders in 2018. The band did not only support acts like MEGAHERZ, UNZUCHT and FEUERSCHWANZ during their tours, but also left a lasting impression with their explosive and exciting show on the legendary MERA LUNA FESTIVAL.

Alex Haber of Heavy New York conducted an interview with frontman Maurizio Iacono of Montreal, Quebec, Canada melodic death metallers KATAKLYSM prior to their January 11 concert at Gramercy Theater in New York City. You can watch the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the touring cycle for their latest studio album, "Meditations":

Maurizio: "[It's been] good. We started really strong in Europe. It's been one of KATAKLYSM's strongest markets. We went out supporting the record there first. It was phenomenal. It was sold-out shows after the other. It was really good. We were with our friends and brothers in HYPOCRISY. It was a really good tour together. We are now starting to get into the U.S. part of it. Unfortunately, we couldn't do the whole SOULFLY tour because my wife is expecting, so she's holding on for dear life until I get home because she's this big right now. It's anticipated it's coming earlier, so I had to cancel the last week of the tour. Other than that, this is the first tour for 'Meditations' in the U.S. We're really happy to be here. It's been good so far."

On whether KATAKLYSM sticks to a formula when writing a new album or takes a new approach every time:

Maurizio: "There's always going to be a base to everything. KATAKLYSM's has always had its own identity regarding that, but we've never treated an album the same. We've never been 'This is what we have to do.' It's more of like how do we feel? What worked and didn't work? It's an acknowledgment of your career pretty much every time we come in. At the same time, we don't want to change anything. We've been around for so long and there's a reason we've been here for so long. We want to keep that going and we want to keep our fans satisfied. I know exactly how fans feel if you take a 360 [sic] change and you completely change the sound just because you want to. It's not cool for the fans who have been following you all these years and having that formula that they like about you. I think you take it with a grain of salt. You want to throw out some surprises and do some new things. KATAKLYSM is KATAKLYSM the way it is. I think we're going to try and perfect what we do as much as we can."

On whether there has been a time when his lyrics have determined the composition of a KATAKLYSM song:

Maurizio: "A perfect example of that is a song called 'Shadows And Dust'. We wrote it a long time ago; it's one of our biggest 'hits'. I don't like to say that word, but in death metal, it's whatever. We wrote the entire song around the chorus, so it was one of those things where I had an idea and I was like, 'Look, I want to do this. I want to come in with 'Shadows And Dust' and boom!' Everybody's, like, 'Okay, cool.' Everything got written around it. Sometimes it's the opposite. We don't have a formula per se. It's really about the feeling. Sometimes the music is there and I got the ideas on top of what we're doing. Sometimes the opposite and I'm going to have an idea and we're going to work around it. It's always different."

On whether he likes to leave his lyrics "open to interpretation" or there's a message behind them:

Maurizio: "I leave it open to interpretation, but I do have a message behind everything I do. KATAKLYSM has a very strong connection with its fanbase. We've never been a big media band. We're not always in the media, like 'This is what I'm eating right now.' We're not that type of band. We've come to learn about that and part of us really accepts that and likes that, like that we don't have that type of thing, but we do have this connection. When I write a lyric, they know that I'm dealing with something that's kind of personal, either it happened to me, happened to my guys, happened to us. It's open to interpretation to whatever is going on out there. It's very important to us, this aspect, because I think I have to write about something that matters to me. Everyday life to me matters. It's not about 'Satan's here! We're burning!' It's like, 'Alright. What after?' I think I'm not about a fantasy type of literature when it comes to writing music. Some bands, that's what they thrive on and some of them have a political angle to it. They're talking about Satan, but they have a political angle to it, or whatever, butchering babies. Everybody got their thing. But for KATAKLYSM, it's more of an everyday struggle because we've struggled like that as a band, also. We've never been accepted with everything, it's always been a fight. It reflects in our music and our lyrics. Yeah, it definitely has an underlying message, always. But we leave it open because sometimes I say something and it means something else. Example, 'Manipulator Of Souls' that we did back in the day. For me, it meant something. Somebody else came to me and said 'You saved my life. I was addicted to heroin and it manipulated me to my core. Your lyrics pulled me out.' Even if I don't credit myself to any of that, I think if the lyrics are helping the person, they already have the fight in them, they just don't know they have it. Maybe that will help them come out. To me, that's mission accomplished. I'm super happy with that."

"Meditations" was released last June via Nuclear Blast. The 10-song disc was produced by the band's guitarist Jean-François Dagenais and drummer Oli Beaudoin, and was mixed by Jay Ruston. Mastering duties were handled by Paul Logus (PANTERA).

The "Meditations" cover artwork was created for Ocvlta Designs by Surtsey, who also crafted the artwork for KATAKLYSM's previous record, "Of Ghosts And Gods".

LINKIN PARK vocalist Mike Shinoda has shot down reports that the band is actively searching for a replacement for singer Chester Bennington, who died nearly two years ago.

On Thursday (February 21), Shinoda took to his Twitter account to write: "Lemme clarify a rumor: we are not looking for a new singer, and if it were to happen organically, I'd be open. Seems pretty clear, yet I guess some folks have a hard time understanding.

"I'm not into predicting the future. The future will happen.

"Stop making shit up."

Shinoda made his latest comments in an apparent response to how the media covered a recent interview he gave to Rock Antenne. Asked whether he and the other members of the band have gotten together recently, Shinoda told the German outlet: "I see the other guys here and there — not all together usually. Usually it's just one on one. But I'm sure we're gonna get together soon and just hang out — hang out and see what's up."

When asked about the possibility of finding a new singer, Shinoda said: "That's not my goal right now. I think it has to happen naturally. And if we find somebody that's a great person that we think is a good personality fit and a good stylistic fit, then I could see trying to do some stuff with somebody... I wouldn't wanna ever feel like we were replacing Chester."

Shinoda added: "I know the other guys, they love to get onstage, they love to be in the studio, and so to not do that would be — I don't know — almost unhealthy. If doing that means that we need to have some other people in the mix in order to do it and do it well, then we would do that... But, like I said before, it has to happen naturally. I'm not running out and putting up 'vocalist wanted' posters."

Shinoda released a full-length solo album called "Post Traumatic" last year, and says he is continuing to write music both for himself and other artists, along with doing some producing.

Bennington was found dead in his Los Angeles-area home in July 2017 after hanging himself. LINKIN PARK headlined an all-star tribute concert for Bennington in October 2017 in Los Angeles but has not announced any future plans for recording or touring.

Lemme clarify a rumor: we are not looking for a new singer, and if it were to happen organically, I’d be open. Seems pretty clear, yet I guess some folks have a hard time understanding.

I’m not into predicting the future. The future will happen.

Stop making shit up.— Mike Shinoda (@mikeshinoda) February 22, 2019

Prior to AMORPHIS's show in Bratislava, Slovakia on January 29, bassist Olli-Pekka Laine spoke with Rocker.sk. The full conversation can be seen below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On how AMORPHIS strives to maintain its relevance:

Olli-Pekka: "I think the main key is to stay open-minded to different music styles, and kind of learning about music constantly. We have had a really good production team — Jens Bogren and good songwriters. We were working quite hard for the arrangements after the last tour. We had around two months [where] we went through the songs and went through the material. We're quite strict about the material — like, which songs are allowed to go to the album. That's the way AMORPHIS has always been. Even since the '90s, we were really harsh for ourselves when it came to the material. Even when we arranged music at home before presenting to the guys, we wanted to make sure that you could stand behind it at the end of the day. That's the basic recipe, I think."

On the "big" sound of the group's latest album, "Queen Of Time":

Olli-Pekka: "That's one part of this band, of trying new things. It's been [like that] since day one. I think we will continue on that track from now on, but since we've tried this orchestrational things and choirs and stuff like that, maybe we try to do something else the next time. It seems to be the trend nowadays that metal bands are flirting with orchestral things, because it's kind of an easy thing to do even at your home studio. You can have a sampler and make huge arrangements for strings and horns and whatever. It makes the music sound more bombastic of course, but that's what we've been doing since day one. Even when we were putting out our first demo, which was pure death metal, we had choirs there as keyboard pads. That's nothing new for us. We [will] probably use those in the future as well, but I'm really happy that Jens did it in such a stylish manner that he didn't just poison the entire stereo picture with choirs all the time like many bands [do]... I think he's pretty sensitive about AMORPHIS and our style and our limits."

On the challenge of choosing a setlist from so many albums' worth of material:

Olli-Pekka: "We start with the most obvious songs — the video songs, and the songs which have been most present in the Internet. Then we start arguing about the rest. There are three guys who are mainly making suggestions for the set list, and we basically mostly agree with it. In a way, it's hard, because AMORPHIS has such a long history and large back catalog, but still, there are songs we have to play. There are those video tracks, and if we have 13 albums, if you take one from each, you have already quite a long set there. Now, since we are promoting the new album, we are naturally playing more new stuff. Therefore, it's easier to combine the set list because we have to play, say, four or five new songs. Then there's space left for maybe seven old songs, which would be video songs, basically. Next summer, we are playing special shows with 'Queen Of Time' — we are playing the album in its entirety in Finland. We have a little bit of a challenge there, because we haven't played those songs [since] the studio session. It's going to be interesting."

On "Skyforger", which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2019:

Olli-Pekka: "It was such an important and successful album for AMORPHIS. Now, because we are in the middle of the touring cycle for 'Queen Of Time', I think we don't have time to concentrate on any other separate albums right now. Maybe we'll do it later on. We have some plans for a special tour next year, but I can't reveal anything more about it yet."

AMORPHIS will perform "Queen Of Time" — which was released last May via Nuclear Blast — in its entirety at select festival performances in the group's home country of Finland this summer, including Provinssi, which takes place on the island of Seinajoki, and Tuska, which is held each year in central Helsinki. They will be joined at the shows by former THE GATHERING singer Anneke Van Giersbergen.

"Queen Of Time" — the follow-up to 2015's "Under The Red Cloud" — includes the use of real strings, flutes, orchestral arrangements and even choirs. In addition, this is the first time that people are able to hear AMORPHIS lyricist Pekka Kainulainen on the album, as he contributes a speech in Finnish.

In a brand new interview with the Arizona Republic, Paul Stanley spoke about his continued partnership with fellow KISS co-founder Gene Simmons — this despite their seeming like extremely different types of people. Asked how they've managed to keep working with each other for so long, Stanley responded: "I think maybe because of our backgrounds and our stock in terms of heritage or whatever. We believe in working hard for what we're given. We're not slackers. I also believe we've built a relationship on trust and a relationship on respect for each other. It doesn't mean we haven't fought or had our moments. But so do brothers. And I think Gene is the closest thing I've had to a brother. I can count on him in any situation. He's been there for me and I will always be there for him."

Having said all that, Stanley continued: "That doesn't negate the fact that we are very different people in how we react or respond to things. Or what we say. Do I agree with a lot of things he says or certain things he does? Of course not. Do I like certain behavior? No. But that's not what our relationship is about. Nor does it need to be. We are different people. But at the core of it, there are some basics that are very in tune with each other. And I think the years together have only cemented us that much closer."

In his 2014 memoir, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed", Stanley insisted that his relationship with Gene has slowly improved over time. But Stanley also wrote: "[Gene] chose to ignore his underlying issues and instead committed himself to creating an external façade and persona that, unfortunately, he felt required to knock down anyone who threatened his singularity in the spotlight." He also dismissed the notion that Simmons is some kind of financial genius. "Gene's most successful venture in business was promoting the perception that he was a savvy businessman," Paul wrote.

A few years back, Paul admitted that he "read a little bit of" Gene Simmons's book when it first came out but that he had a different recollection of some of their shared history. While reading Gene's book, Stanley felt, "Gee, I thought I did that. I thought that was me. You thought you were me," he said.

Last month, KISS kicked off its second farewell tour, dubbed "End Of The Road", which could last three years. The first leg of the global trek wraps April 13 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Legendary guitarist Peter Frampton has confirmed "Peter Frampton Finale - The Farewell Tour" presented by SiriusXM. The primarily U.S. tour, produced by Live Nation, will begin on June 18 in Tulsa, Oklahoma and continue throughout the summer and fall. The tour will feature special guest JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EVENING, as well as Julian Frampton on the west coast stops, with additional surprise guests to appear on select dates.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning next Friday, March 1 at 10 a.m. local time at LiveNation.com (check local listings for pre-sale information). VIP packages will also be available at Frampton.com.

Citi is the official presale credit card for the tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase pre-sale tickets for the newly announced dates beginning Tuesday, February 26 at 10 a.m. local time until Thursday, February 28 at 10 p.m. local time through Citi's Private Pass program.

Peter Frampton remains one of the most lauded artists in rock history. Most recently, Frampton performed as part of "I Am the Highway: A Tribute to Chris Cornell" concert as well as receiving the Les Paul Innovation Award at the 2019 NAMM Show's 34th annual TEC Awards. He also just celebrated the 43rd anniversary of his fifth solo album, "Frampton Comes Alive!", one of the top-selling live records of all time, with over 17 million copies sold worldwide.

At age 16, he was lead singer and guitarist for British band THE HERD. At 18, he co-founded one of the first super-groups, seminal rock act Humble Pie. His session work includes collaborations with such legendary artists as George Harrison, Harry Nilsson, David Bowie, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ringo Starr, John Entwistle, Mike McCready and Matt Cameron (PEARL JAM), among many others.

Frampton has appeared as himself on television shows "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy". He also served as technical advisor on Cameron Crowe's 2000 film "Almost Famous" as well as appearing in it and writing songs for the soundtrack. In 2007 he won the Grammy Award for "Best Pop Instrumental Album" for "Fingerprints" and in 2014 he was inducted into the Musicians Hall Of Fame.

Tour dates:

Jun. 18 - Tulsa, OK - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa+

Jun. 20 - Little Rock, AR - Robinson Performance Hall

Jun. 22 - Montgomery, AL - Wind Creek Casino & Hotel+

Jun. 23 - Chattanooga, TN - Tivoli Theatre+

Jun. 26 - Memphis, TN - Orpheum Theatre+

Jun. 27 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheater*

Jun. 29 - Salamanca, NY - Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino*^

Jun. 30 - Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts*

Jul. 02 - Pittsburgh, PA - Benedum Center for the Performing Arts

Jul. 03 - Syracuse, NY - St. Joseph's Health Amphitheater at Lakeview*

Jul. 05 - Montreal, QC - Montreal Jazz Fest- Place des Arts: Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier+

Jul. 07 - Gilford, NH - Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion*

Jul. 09 - Boston, MA - Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion*

Jul. 10 - Philadelphia, PA - The Met Philadelphia*

Jul. 12 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center*

Jul. 13 - Stayner, ON - Roxodus Music Festival+

Jul. 23 - Traverse City, MI - Interlochen Center for the Arts-Kresge Auditorium+

Jul. 25 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre*

Jul. 26 - Morgantown, WV - MountainFest Motorcycle Rally*+

Jul. 28 - Chicago, IL - Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island*

Jul. 29 - Cedar Rapids, IA - McGrath Amphitheatre

Jul. 31 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Aug. 02 - Minneapolis, MN - Grand Casino Hinckley Amphitheater*+

Aug. 04 - St. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre*

Aug. 05 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre*

Aug. 08 - Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center*

Aug. 11 - Atlanta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre at Encore Park*

Aug. 16-21 - Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Mediterranean+

Aug. 30 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion*

Sep. 01 - Albany, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center*

Sep. 02 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena*

Sep. 04 - Jacksonville, FL - Daily's Place*

Sep. 06 - Miami, FL - Coral Sky Amphitheatre at the S. Florida Fairgrounds*

Sep. 07 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the FL State Fairgrounds*

Sep. 10 - Simpsonville, SC - CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park*

Sep. 11 - Washington, DC - The Anthem*

Sep. 13 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden*#

Sep. 14 - Raleigh, NC - Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek*

Sep. 21 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman*

Sep. 22 - Dallas, TX - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory*

Sep. 24 - Albuquerque, NM - Sandia Resort & Casino*+

Sep. 26 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre*

Sep. 28 - Las Vegas, NV - Red Rock Resort Spa & Casino+

Sep. 29 - Temecula, CA - Pechanga Casino-Pechanga Summit*†

Oct. 02 - San Diego, CA - Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU*†

Oct. 03 - Paso Robles, CA - Vina Robles Amphitheatre*†+

Oct. 05 - Los Angeles, CA - The Forum*†

Oct. 06 - Tuolumne, CA - Black Oak Casino Resort-Westside Pavilion*†+

Oct. 09 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre*†

Oct. 10 - Portland, OR - Ilani Resort & Casino-Cowlitz Ballroom*†+

Oct. 12 - San Francisco, CA - Concord Pavilion*†

* With JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EVENING

† With Julian Frampton

+ Not a Live Nation date

^ General on-sale beginning March 22 at 12 p.m. local time

# General on-sale beginning March 8 at 10 a.m. local time

Photo credit: Amy Harris

"Dance Of Life", the new video from WEST BOUND, the hard-hitting Los Angeles-area rock band featuring vocalist Chas West (RESURRECTION KINGS, BONHAM, LYNCH MOB), guitarist/producer Roy Z (BRUCE DICKINSON, HALFORD, TRIBE OF GYPSIES), guitarist Jimmy Burkard, bassist Jason Cornwell and drummer Dave "Chilli" Moreno, can be seen below. The song is taken from WEST BOUND's debut album, "Volume I", which was released on February 22 on Frontiers Music Srl.

West says his "inspiration for WEST BOUND's sound came from "influences from the '70s and '80s classic hard rock, back when music was — in my opinion — real and passionate, from the heart and soul. Bands like LED ZEPPELIN, WHITESNAKE, DEEP PURPLE, FOREIGNER, AEROSMITH, VAN HALEN, etc. were what we grew up on and we went back to our youth when writing the songs for the album."

If you remember the great bluesy hard rock explosion from the late '80s and early '90s with bands like TESLA, CINDERELLA, BADLANDS, TORA TORA and SALTY DOG and enjoy the modern throwback hard rock like RIVAL SONS, MASSIVE WAGONS, INGLORIOUS and the like, you are going to find WEST BOUND right up your alley.

On the first single and video, Chas explains that "the song 'Never Surrender' is one that Roy Z and I came up with in the studio. It's about going through struggles in life and never giving up on your dreams. People can relate to it in their own lives… It's a theme we all know as human beings. Sometimes the tough times can help you define your true character."

"Volume I" track listing:

01. Never Surrender

02. Dance Of Life

03. Ain't Gonna Drown

04. Beautiful Dream

05. Nothing

06. Roll The Bones

07. On My Own

08. Keeper Of The Flame

09. Turn To You

10. No Room For Sympathy

11. Traveller

Stephen LeBlanc provides keyboards on the album and Brian Tichy (ex-WHITESNAKE, OZZY OSBOURNE, FOREIGNER drummer/guitarist) played on and co-wrote two songs with Chas.


Lineup:

Vocals - Chas West

Guitar - Roy Z

Guitar - Jimmy Burkard

Bass - Jason Cornwell

Drums - Dave "Chilli" Moreno