Austrian metallers, Boundary, have released a music video for the new single, "City Of Madness". The song is taken from the band's upcoming album, Overdose Of Sin, which will be released on January 18th. Watch the clip below.

Overdose Of Sin tracklisting:

"First Line"
"Better Off Dead"
"City Of Madness"
"The Curse"
"Overdose Of Sin"
"War"
"Break The Wall"
"Quit The Torment"
"Resurrection"
"L.N.D.A."
"Wasting Time"

"City Of Madness" video:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based technical/progressive death metal project, Equipoise, officially announce the upcoming release of their debut full-length, Demiurgus. The album is set for release on March 8th through The Artisan Era. It is the follow up to the group's 2016 heavily praised EP, Birthing Homunculi, whose material makes its way onto Demiurgus in a re-worked fashion far beyond their initial form.

Equipoise was founded in August of 2015 by Nick Padovani as a result of he and Zach Hohn writing riffs in the summer. Nick began transcribing these riffs into Guitar Pro soon after, which is where he began to start adding instruments and ultimately complete songs. After a few months of playing around with ideas, Nick had written up a full album's worth of material. Nick presented this material to Inferi vocalist Stevie Boiser and Beyond Creation bassist Hugo Karout, who agreed to join, and Equipoise soon became a reality. Keyboardist/Pianist Jimmy Pitts (Eternity's End, NYN)  joined the ranks of Equipoise in late June of 2016 to complete the line up present on Birthing Homunculi.

After its release in August of 2016, the band signed to The Artisan Era. In the time since, Equipoise has added more high-profile members to the group including Chthe'ilist, Serocs, Zealotry and First Fragment guitarist Phil Tougas, ex-The Faceless, and Ex-Hate Eternal powerhouse drummer Chason Westmoreland, as well as adding Wormhole and ex-live for Vale of Pnath guitarist Sanjay Kumar.

Having banded together as a multi-national collective of renowned death metal musicians, Equipoise then undertook the task of furthering their initial vision into the standout new heights reached throughout Demiurgus. The end product, while exploding with endless guitar solos and incredibly complex songwriting throughout, remains the same as when the project began, to offer a death metal experience that's both fun to listen to and memorable.

Bandleader Nick Padovani comments on Equipoise as, "Playing a melodic brand of technical/progressive death metal, we like to make frequent use of orchestral elements and flamenco guitar, as we feel good music shouldn’t be pigeonholed by any one sound."

Equipoise features an amalgamation of well-respected musicians within the technical death metal community from Pennsylvania, Illinois, Missouri, Denver, and Quebec. Fans of Gorod, Inferi, Necrophagist, Vale of Pnath, and Death will appreciate all Equipoise - Demiurgus has to offer.

You can check out an early album teaser video for Equipoise - Demiurgus, below.

Nick Padovani's statement regarding the release of Demiurgus: "Demiurgus is the culmination of 3 years of refinement packaged into 63 minutes of thoughtful compositions. The 14 tracks found within will take you through a journey inspired by the anime series, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, with lyrics, masterfully crafted and executed by Stevie Boiser. The material on this album is a logical progression from the band's debut release, "Birthing Homunculi", further exploring the use of nylon guitars, fretless bass, and symphonic elements. Every track was carefully crafted to maintain a cohesiveness that complements the sinister subject matter. Fans of such bands as Obscura, Necrophagist, Gorod, and Beyond Creation should find themselves captivated by this effort, while fans of unconventional elements in metal will be just as pleased.”

Stay tuned for more Equipoise news, early singles, and pre-orders to launch in the coming weeks.

Tracklisting:

"Illborn Augury"
"Sovereign Sacrifices"
"Alchemic Web Of Deceit"
"A Suit Of My Flesh"
"Shrouded"
"Sigil Insidious"
"Reincarnated"
"Dualis Flamel"
"Eve Of The Promised Day"
"Waking Divinity"
"Ecliptic"
"Squall Of Souls"
"Cast Into Exile"
"Ouroboric"

Teaser:

Lineup:

Stevie Boiser (Inferi, Tethys, Ashen Horde, ex-Vale Of Pnath) - Vocals/Lyrics
Phil Tougas (First Fragment, Chthe'ilist, Zealotry, Serocs) - Guitar, Nylon Guitar
Nick Padovani - Guitar, Nylon Guitar
Sanjay Kumar (Wormhole, Perihelion) - Guitar
Hugo Doyon-Karout (Beyond Creation, Brought by Pain) - Fretless Bass
Jimmy Pitts (Eternity's End, NYN, The Fractured Dimension) - Piano
Chason Westmoreland (Burning the Masses, ex-The Faceless, ex-Hate Eternal) - Drums

Space Vacation, the San Francisco, California (Bay area) true metal champions featuring ex- Vicious Rumors guitarist Kiyoshi Morganare, have released a new animated video for the song "The Black Divide".

Space Vacation lead singer/guitarist Scott Shapiro checked in with the following comment: "This video was the brain child of Brooklyn's own, Ryan Weibust. Ryan is an old friend of the band and also fronts the band Natur who we've toured with several times. I was so hyped when he agreed to do this one for us. My biggest issue with music videos is that I don't really want to watch a band lip sync while trying to act cool in a performance based video. I want to be entertained. Most band videos are pretty boring and I hate the production process and the results are less than re-watchable no matter how well the videos are put together. It's absolute torture for me and I don't want to make a video for the sake of having just something to go with the record. Plus I'm not exactly 22 anymore so who wants to see some aging dudes in HD?

"So this time I really wanted to do something outside the box and something we wouldn't have to actually "act" in! Boom! enter Ryan! Ryan has been animating with his company Unproduction and he agreed to do an animated video that really gets what we're about as a band. We don't really take ourselves too seriously and we wanted to make something that was funny and Ryan really came though! So if you like Outer Space, Star Wars, alien demons and Zelda, you should watch and then share this video! And if you dig the music, buy a copy of our latest release "Lost in the Black Divide"on cd/vinyl and help us to pay for more Marshall stacks!"

Space Vacation lineup:

Scott Shapiro - Lead Singer / Guitars
Kiyo Morgan - Shredding Guitars
Kai Sun - Lead Bass
Cubby Baumann - Thunder

German heavy/power metal machine, Steel Engraved, have released a new single and music video for "Where Shadows Remain", the opening song of their new self-titled album, out on January 25th via ROAR Rock Of Angels Records. Watch the clip below.

Steel Engraved's third studio outing will comprise 13 tracks guaranteed to please the fans of majestic, melodic, modern yet old-school metal. Find pre-orders here.

The album was produced by Mario Lochert (Serious Black) and Jan Vacik (Serious Black) at Dreamsound Studios. All vocals produced by Ralf Scheepers at RS Vocal Works. Mixed and mastered by Jan Vacik at Dreamsound Studios. Guest Vocals on “Searching For Regret” by Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear). Artwork & illustration by Dušan Marković (Dragony, Thor, Jag Panzer).

After the release of their two previous full-length albums State Of Siege (debut in 2009) and On High Wings We Fly (2012) it was about time for Steel Engraved to record their third album. Within those six years, many things happened; the band was very busy touring across Europe as well as playing a couple of one-off shows on different festivals and concerts. So it was never seriously discussed when to start recordings the predecessor of On High Wings We Fly. After a change in the line-up in 2016, the band felt that the time was right to get the spirit alive again.

Tracklisting:

“Where Shadows Remain”
“Generation Headless”
“The Oppressed Will Fly”
“Slave To Yourself”
“Nightwarriors”
“Rebellion”
“Searching For Regret”
“One By One”
“Heat”
“Your Inner Self”
“Close Your Eyes”
“We Will Follow” (bonus track)
“All That Lies Below” (bonus track)

“Where Shadows Remain” video:

Hungarian progressive metal band, Dreamgrave, have released a video for the song "Drop The Curtain", taken from their recent album, Monuments. This time a deeper topic is being explored by the band.

Says the band: "'Drop The Curtain' is a song for people, who have hard time fighting dementia, and also for those, who are dedicating their lives taking care after their loved ones for the very last moments. Caregivers of people with dementia often called the invisible second patients. The effects of being a family caregiver are generally negative, with high rates of burden and psychological morbidity as well as social isolation, physical ill-health, and financial hardship. Help caregivers caring for someone living with dementia. If you're a caregiver yourself It is essential that you ask for and accept help."

Monuments can be found on Spotify, iTunes/Apple Music, Bandcamp and on YouTube.

Alternative Nation is reporting that Duff McKagan’s wife Susan has revealed that Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell is undergoing back surgery.

Cantrell had Christmas dinner with the McKagan family, and Susan took to Instagram with the following: "Christmas dinner with a cool visit with Jerry Cantrell. Wishing him well from his back surgery, and hope you and your fam are having a sweet holiday too!"

Alice In Chains are on a break from their Rainier Fog tour until March, when they kick off their Australian tour, followed by a European run this summer.

 

Eagle Rock Entertainment has uploaded a video of KISS performing the classic “Love Gun” from the KISS Rocks Vegas release from 2016.

Captured in the midst of their 40th Anniversary World Tour, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers sonically shook Vegas during their residency at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in November 2014. This Sin City set sizzles with KISS classics from across their 44 album legacy: “Rock And Roll All Night,” “Detroit Rock City,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “Love Gun,” and more. As a bonus feature, KISS Rocks Vegas includes a seven-song acoustic set. Punctuated with pyrotechnics galore, the film presents the fire, electricity, and one-of-a-kind rock experience that earned KISS over 100 million sales globally.

The Deluxe Edition of KISS Rocks Vegas is presented as a hardcover package with a 12X12 book, boasting photos from the show and an exclusive CD.

“We rocked and Vegas rolled! This was epic in your face KISS! We got Up close and personal, I think rock and roll fans will really enjoy this spectacle that only KISS can deliver.” - Paul Stanley

“KaBOOM! We blew up the Joint at The Hard Rock in Vegas like never before. We are very proud of this and know that you will be blown away as well.” - Gene Simmons

 

 

 

 

Indian progressive death metal outfit, Dark Helm, have released their new album, Hymnus De Antitheist, via Bandcamp for digital purchase. Physical copies will be available in January. The album is available for streaming below, or at the Bandcamp page.

Guitarist Mohanish" "I hate the fact that humans, an example of peak intelligence and (debatably) peak evolution have been such a let down. Our ability to question (humans being the only species capable of doing that afaik) could have led us to something so beautiful. Instead we chose this cesspool. These are the thoughts reflected in the music and lyrics of the album."

Packed with a staggering eleven tracks; this album puts a solid mark in the scene with their unique blend of death metal with progressive elements, complimented by the use of ancient/traditional instruments. With this album, the band has put forth a release with a matured sound and writing progression that bands can only earn out of experience. Having been active in the Indian metal scene for a decade; the band knows what they are up to.

Tracklisting:

"At Dawn"
"Cilice"
"Eulogy"
"Embers"
"Akasha"
"Loss Laments"
"Obey"
"Asleep At The Wheel"
"Fallacy

Hymnus de Antitheist by Dark Helm

Cult German/Swedish thrash metal band PROTECTOR has released a new song called "Three Legions". The track is taken from the group's upcoming album, "Summon The Hordes", which will be released in the spring 2019 through High Roller Records. The effort will be available in both vinyl and CD, and on streaming media.

"Three Legions" was recorded at Phonostudio in Berlin and Wolfden studio in Stockholm. The album was helmed by Harris Johns, who has previously worked with SODOM, TANKARD, KREATOR, CORONER, CELTIC FROST, ASSASSIN and HELLOWEEN. Harris also produced PROTECTOR's classic album "A Shredding Of Skin".

Commented PROTECTOR vocalist Martin Missy: "We are very thrilled over our new material everything sounds dynamic and powerful. It has a nice old-school vibe as well."

PROTECTOR has released two full-length albums since its return seven years ago: 2013's "Reanimated Homunculus" and 2016's "Cursed And Coronated".

Missy sang on PROTECTOR's first two albums, 1988's "Golem" and 1989's "Urm The Mad".

Prior to their upcoming shows, Greek melodic power metallers The Silent Rage have decided to release a special edition of “My Race Won’t Last” from their debut album, The Deadliest Scourge, featuring their new singer, Michalis Rinakakis.

Listen below, or at the band's Bandcamp page.

Upcoming dates:

January
13 - Athens, Greece - Kyttaro Live (supporting Primal Fear, Gus G.)

February
23 - Thessaloniki, Greece - Fix Factory Of Sound (supporting Destruction)

Swedish death metal band, Crawl, have released a video for "Reject The Cross", featured on the album Rituals, released back in August via Transcending Obscurity Records. Watch the clip below.

Tracklisting:

"Reject The Cross"
"Breathing Violence"
"The Stench"
"Black Ritual"
"Trail Of Traitors"
"Sentenced To Rot"
"Cowards"
"Suffer"
"Coven Of Servants"

"Reject The Cross" video:

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions have signed Toronto's sick goregrinders, Vesication, and are set to release the compilation album, A Decade Of Damage, on January 25th as a digital album. Below is the official description.

After ten years spent congealing within the moist underworld of Toronto's brutal death and grind scene, Vesication have ruptured into HPGD's roster with A Decade Of Damage. A collection of songs extracted from the band's various DIY EPs, comps and a full length album neatly encapsulates the filth and grime these drunken veterans have been gleefully exuding in the darkness. Expect dirty groove, raw blasts, potty humour and vocals straight from the toilet bowl. For fans of Cliteater, Gutalax, Frightmare, Haemorrhage, Impetigo, The Mung, Hemdale and Butcher ABC

Pre-order the digital download for only $6.66 here. Pre-order the t-shirt for only $15 here.

Tracklisting:

"Shit Pipe Sundae"
"Festering Cunt Scabs"
"Piss Shitting Dick Nipples"
"Born With Two Dicks"
"Fossilized Fist Fuck"
"Spread Beagle"
"Regurgitate The Regret"
"Screaming For Tiki" (Wadge cover)

"Spread Beagle":

Up next in Antichrist magazine's tribute series is A Tribute To Death, due for release on March 22nd. Check out the track listing below, and stay tuned for further details.

Tracklisting:

Torment Tool (Germany) - "1000 Eyes"
Reject The Sickness (Belgium) - "Suicide Machine"
Symetria (US) - "Crystal Mountain"
Dynasty of Darkness (International) - "Symbolic"
The Father of Serpents (Serbia) - "Empty Words"
Beltane (New Zealand) - "Left To Die"
SavageZ (Brazil) - "The Philosopher"
Searching For Reason (US) - "Voice Of The Soul"
Basement Torture Killings (UK) - "Mutilation"
Injector (Spain) - "Within The Mind"
Body Harvest (UK) - "Spiritual Healing"
Frosthelm (US) - "Overactive Imagination"
Nethertale (Spain) - "Lack Of Comprehension"
Aetranok (US) - "Leprosy"
Sichgart (Ukraine) - "Legion Of Doom"
Unto the Wolves (US) - "Story To Tell"
Rat King (US) - "Born Dead"
Offal (Brazil) - "Defensive Personalities"
Wolftribe (Poland) - "Pull The Plug"
Hateful Agony (Germany) - "Infernal Death"
Abruptus (Mexico) - "Land Of No Return"

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

Premiere Radio Networks, a division of iHeartRadio, reached out to Anthony on Wednesday (December 26) as the rumors gained more steam.

"The only comment I have is that I haven't spoken to any of the guys since we last played together back in 2004," Anthony told Premiere.

He added that while he did speak to Alex Van Halen on the phone "a few years back," the two didn't get into anything more than small talk.

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.

Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Seek & Destroy" on September 26 in San Francisco, California can be seen below. The band played at Civic Center Plaza as part of the ninth annual Dreamfest fundraising event for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.

According to SF Gate, METALLICA's performance angered some of the neighbors because of the noise, which traveled a considerable distance across the city.

People reported hearing the concert from as far away as Dogpatch, Cole Valley and the Mission. The performace was part of Salesforce's annual Dreamforce conference and the goal was to raise millions for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals, the hospital that bears Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's name.

"Not a dream for me," wrote one local resident on Twitter. "Wrong to make an entire city a private venue. Anyone who thinks it's great is probably going home at the end of the week."

"Most people outgrow making the neighbors listen to your favorite band sometime in college," tweeted another neighbor. "Clearly Salesforce thinks it's a good look in middle-age."

The evening began with a reception in which Dr. Michael Anderson, president of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals, presented Myla Cunanan, a 14-year-old cancer survivor, with the UCSF General Colin Powell Medal of Courage Award.

The $1,000-per-ticket event also included appearances by Janet Jackson, plus MC Hammer and DJ Rob Garza in an after-party from 9:30 p.m. to midnight in City Hall.

In total, the annual concert has raised $60 million for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals.

Dreamforce is described as "four days of innovation, inspiration and learning, equality, giving back and fun for the Salesforce community."

Pink Floyd's "Paintbox'', written and sung by keyboardist Richard Wright, was first released in 1967 as the B-side to the single "Apples And Oranges". This performance of "Paintbox" was performed in Paris, France on February 20th, 1968.

"See Emily Play" was the second single released by Pink Floyd. Published in 1967, it was initially thought to be a non-album single but was later included on the US debut album, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn'. This performance took place on the TV show Tienerklanken in Brussels in February 1968.

"Corporal Clegg", "The Scarecrow", and "Astronomy Domine" from the Tienerklanken program can be seen below:

German melodic death/doom metallers, Nailed To Obscurity, have released a video for the new single, "Tears Of The Eyeless", featured on the band's upcoming Nuclear Blast debut, Black Frost, out on January 11th. Directed and produced by Vesa Ranta & Aapo Lahtela, the clip can be seen below.

Black Frost is now available for pre-order in various formats, here. Pre-order the album digitally to receive the title track instantly.

Tracklisting:

"Black Frost"
"Tears Of The Eyeless"
"The Aberrant Host"
"Feardom"
"Cipher"
"Resonance"
"Road To Perdition"

"Tears Of The Eyeless" video:

"Black Frost" video:

Trailer:

Track-by-track Part 1:

To celebrate, the band has announced an album release show in Aurich, Germany, which will take place on January 10th at JUZ Schlachthof. Support will come from Apallic.

Tour dates (with Amorphis, Soilwork and Jinjer)

January
11 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle 2
12 - Nijmegen, Netherlands - Doornroosje
13 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
14 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Amager Bio
15 - Stockholm, Seden - Fryshuset
16 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller Music Hall
18 - Hanover, Germany - Capitol
19 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
20 - Krakow, Poland - Klub Kwadrat
23 - Sofia, Bulgaria - Universiada Hall
25 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra Music Club
26 - Vienna, Austria - Arena
27 - Zlín, Czech Republic - Masters of Rock Café
28 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Majestic Music Club
29 - Berlin, Germany - Kesselhaus
30 - Munich, Germany - Backstage

February
1 - Geiselwind, Germany - MusicHall
2 - Cologne, Germany - Essigfabrik
3 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix Muziekcentrum
4 - London, UK - Islington Assembly Hall
6 - Paris, France - Cabaret Sauvage
7 - Toulouse, France - Le Bikini
8 - Madrid, Spain - Mon
9 - Barcelona, Spain - Salamandra
10 - Lyon, France - Le Transbordeur
12 - Trezzo sull'Adda, Italy- Live Music Club
13 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
14 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage
15 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA Longhorn
16 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7

Lineup:

Raimund Ennenga - vocals
Jan-Ole Lamberti - guitars
Volker Dieken - guitars
Carsten Schorn - bass
Jann Hillrichs - drums

(Photo - Ester Segarra)

Take a trip through Queen’s early career with this highlight video of Queen in the 1970s. The clip below features the legendary Top Of the Pops performance of "Killer Queen", live versions from A Night At The Odeon and the Jazz tour, and official promo videos for some of Queen’s biggest hits of the decade.

The soaring success of Bohemian Rhapsody - the Freddie Mercury/Queen movie - has proven that the public’s love for Queen remains as strong as ever. Longtime fans and recent converts will be thrilled to discover then, that Queen - original band members Brian May and Roger Taylor, teaming up once more with longtime frontman Adam Lambert on lead vocals - will return to North America next year. Produced by Live Nation, the epic 23-date arena and stadium Rhapsody tour is set to run from mid-July through late August with an all new concert experience.

Going under the Rhapsody header, the six-week tour will debut a brand new larger-than-life production. Stufish Entertainment Architects’ set designer Ric Lipson says: “Queen + Adam Lambert’s Rhapsody tour will, once again for them, expand the parameters of what a live music experience can be. This new show promises to be their most spectacular yet, an innovative and interactive celebration of the continued power of Queen’s music.”

The tour follows an acclaimed run of 10 sold-out shows at the MGM Park Theater, Las Vegas in September 2018 and will kick off July 10th at Vancouver Rogers Arena. Stop-offs include some of the most history-packed venues in the US and Canada, including The Forum in Los Angeles (the last venue the original line-up played in North America on September 15, 1982) and New York City’s Madison Square Garden (the site of past Queen glories, including a memorable performance from Queen + Adam Lambert on July 17, 2014). It will wrap August 23rd at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC.

Announcing their Rhapsody tour Roger Taylor said: "We are ready for America and raring to get back in the saddle.”

Adam Lambert said: “We have been designing a brand new visual spectacle that will reframe these iconic songs and we are excited to unveil it!”

With Brian May adding:“ This is a great opportunity. Our last tour featured our most ambitious production ever, and got us our best notices ever. So we decided to rip it apart and get even more ambitious! Watch out, America!"

Since Adam 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.

Completing the tour line-up are long-term collaborator Spike Edney on keyboards, Neil Fairclough on bass, and Tyler Warren on percussion.

Never known to rest on their laurels, Queen on this Rhapsody tour will unveil a stage show as experimental and rule-defying as the hit-packed Queen back catalogue. The band have worked with the creative partners behind the eye-popping News Of The World 2017 tour - Ric Lipson of Stufish Entertainment Architects handling set design; Rob Sinclair on lighting design; and Sam Pattinson of Treatment Studio behind the video content - to develop an unmissable show.

The tour follows a hugely successful time for Queen + Adam Lambert. 2014 saw them complete their first, rapturously-received North American tour together, as well as massive festival headline slots in Asia and a sold-out arena tour of Australia and New Zealand, leading to them being crowned Band Of The Year at the 10th annual Classic Rock Roll Of Honor awards and Best Live Band Of The Year in Ultimate Classic Rock’s Reader’s Poll.

And they kept up the momentum - in early 2015 they embarked upon their first full European tour together, including two nights at London’s O2 Arena and in September of that year they hit South America, with a headline appearance at Brazil’s Rock In Rio festival seeing them rock a crowd of more than 80,000 people. 2016 saw yet more enormous headline slots, with a celebratory set at the legendary Isle Of Wight Festival one of many highlights. They continued in 2017/2018 with full-blown tours of North America, Australia and New Zealand, and Europe. Their run of UK dates earlier this year sold out in less than half-an-hour, their reputation obviously preceding them.

Then along came 20th Century Fox’s Bohemian Rhapsody. The movie 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 $500 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 US, 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 17th, reached the top of the Billboard Rock Albums chart and were Spotify’s most streamed artist in the world for the week ending November 22nd. 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.

In the UK the release of Bohemian Rhapsody has also given a healthy boost to Queen's music on streaming services. Rhapsody remains their most popular, with 50.4 million streams, followed by Don’t Stop Me Now on 46.1 million plays.

When Freddie sang The Show Must Go On all those years back, even he couldn’t have guessed that Queen music would still be storming the charts in 2018. Next summer, the stages of North America will be well and truly rocked again. You can’t help thinking Freddie would be overjoyed.

Dates:

July
10 Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
12 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
14 - San Jose, CA - SAP Center
16 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resort Arena
19 - Los Angeles, CA - The Forum
23 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
24 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
27 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena
28 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena
30 - Washington, DC - Capital One Arena
31 - Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena

August
3 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
4 - Boston, MA - Xfinity Center
6 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
9 - Chicago, IL - United Center
10 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
13 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena
15 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
17 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - BB&T Center
18 - Tampa, FL - Amalie Arena
20 - New Orleans, LA - Smoothie King Center
22 - Atlanta, GA - State Farm Arena
23 - Charlotte, NC - Spectrum Center

Gruesome (featuring current and former members of Exhumed, Possessed, Malevolent Creation, etc.) performed at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival in summer 2018. Professionally-filmed footage of the band's full set can be seen below.

Setlist:

"Dimensions Of Horror"
"Trapped In Hell"
"Inhumane"
"Lethal Legacy"
"Seven Doors"
"A Waste Of Life"
"Savage Land"
"Pull The Plug" (Death cover)
"Forces Of Death"

The official lyric video for "Reforged", a brand new song from the Swedish thrash metal band CARNAL FORGE, can be seen below. The track is taken from the group's upcoming album, "Gun To Mouth Salvation", which will be released on January 25, 2019 via ViciSolum Productions. It is CARNAL FORGE's first LP since 2007's "Testify For My Victims".


Founder Jari Kuusisto says: "I quit CARNAL FORGE after the last full-length album, 'Testify For My Victims', because I was just fed up with the music industry and everything about being in the band. It took some years, but I felt I was kind of missing CARNAL FORGE, so I talked to my brother Petri and I called up Lars in 2013 and said. 'Hey, let's fuckin' do it!' He had been waiting since the hibernation in 2010, so it was a 'go' right on the spot. We made this mini-CD to wake up the corpse and we did some shows but then we decided to not do any more shows until we had a new album and new fresh songs to play. It's a long boring story why it took so long time, but finally here we are now, ready to kick som serious ass again! And with us we also have Lawrence Dinamarca (NIGHTRAGE, LOCH VOSTOK) and new vocalist Tommie Wahlberg."

"Gun To Mouth Salvation" track listing:

01. Parasites

02. Reforged

03. Aftermath

04. Endless War

05. Bound In Flames

06. King Chaos

07. The Order

08. Hellride

09. State Of Pain

10. Sin Feast Paradise

11. The Stench

Formed in 1997 in Sala, Sweden, CARNAL FORGE has released seven full-length albums and one live DVD and has toured in Europe, USA and Japan with band like TESTAMENT, EXODUS, HALFORD, NILE, AMON AMARTH, THE HAUNTED, IMMORTAL, PRIMAL FEAR and PRO-PAIN.


CARNAL FORGE 2018 is:

Tommie Wahlberg - Vocals

Petri Kuusisto - Lead Guitar

Jari Kuusisto - Rhythm Guitar

Lars Lindén - Bass

Lawrence Dinamarca - Drums

Former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley recently appeared on the "Juliet: Unexpected" podcast. The full conversation can be streamed below (interview starts at the 3:11 mark). A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On working from home:

Ace: "The last three or four records I've done, pretty much I've done from my home studio, so I don't have to leave the house. I can engineer myself, but most of the time, I use an engineer, because I don't want to worry about the levels and pressing buttons and stuff. I want to focus on what I'm doing, whether it be a lead vocal or a lead solo. On this last album ['Spaceman'], my creativity somehow, some way hit a high note, and I don't think there's a throwaway song on the whole record... A lot of albums, you get two or three great songs and the rest of them are okay. I think every song on this album is really good."

On appreciating his fans:

b>Ace: "The fans are the people who put me where I am. The fans are the reason why I'm living in an estate with a Bentley and a Jaguar... I always keep in mind when I'm recording an album what my fans would think of it. Look what happened with KISS with 'The Elder'. During the course of that whole album, I was telling Bob Ezrin, our producer, and Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley] that I think this is the wrong album for this time period, and that was our biggest flop."

On whether he still gets excited prior to an album's release:

Ace: "I still get excited. Sometimes, I feel just like a little kid. The great thing about being in the music business is you never really get old. I still feel like I'm in my twenties. The music business keeps your mind young, and a couple of face lifts later..."

On how his writing style has evolved over the years:

Ace: "My formula for recording hasn't changed very much from my first solo album, but I definitely feel I'm more creative now. I'm able to step back as a producer and look at things outside the box... I would say 90 percent of the rock guitar players in the world probably don't know how to read music. It's all about feel. If it sounds good, do it. The way I write is, I just come up with a chord progression and then try to weave a melody around it, and write the lyrics, and boom — you've got a song."

On his formative years:

Ace: "I grew up in a household where my mom, dad, brother and sister all played piano, so I was surrounded by music. I used to sing in the church choir, so I developed the idea of melody singing hymns in church."

On what would make him agree to participate in KISS's "End Of The Road" farewell tour:

Ace: "The only way I would consider coming back is [if] I took over Tommy's [Thayer] place. He took over my place — a character that I invented. He's pretty much going through the motions, but the only way I would consider going back is to replace Tommy and regain my throne. Number two, I'd like a big paycheck because I think I deserve it... I don't think Paul [and Gene] are going to make me an equal partner. I quit a long time ago and I was an equal partner at that juncture. Since then, those guys have been running the show, and they're control freaks, so they're always going to run the show from now until the end of time. On the last reunion tour, I was a paid musician — a hired gun in a sense — even though on stage, we all looked like it was one for all and all for one."

On Simmons, Stanley and sobriety:

Ace: "I think Paul and Gene, when I left the group the last time and I was strung out on drugs and alcohol, they probably thought I was just going to fade away and maybe O.D. or disappear. What happened was I got sober, and I came back stronger and bigger than ever... They were right about a lot of things. Today, I have no tolerance for being around drunk people. I put those guys through hell, if I do say so myself. I get it, but it took a while for me to understand."

On whether his sobriety was a catalyst for his recent decision to replace members of his solo touring band:

Ace: "Yeah. At least one of them was missing flights every other show, and the playing started to deteriorate. I don't have the tolerance. I'm an established superstar, so if you want to play with me, you've got to play by the rules or you're not going to be around."

On politics:

Ace: "I hate politics. I don't like talking politics, and I don't think politics and music mix. I really frown on musicians who get up on a platform and start talking about the president or complain about... I just don't think it belongs. I'm an entertainer. There's no reason to bring up politics. Let me play my guitar and write songs and entertain people. That's my job... Let me say this about Trump. Whether you love him or hate him, if you're an American and you're a patriot, you should get behind your president. He was elected. We live under the Constitution of the United States, and you're supposed to support your president. Love him or hate him, you're supposed to support him, or go move to another country... Being American, we have the right to free speech, and I'm all for everybody putting their two cents in on everything. But when musicians or actors get really verbal and jump on a bandwagon against our government, I don't agree with that."

Frehley's latest solo album, "Spaceman", was released on October 19 via eOne.

On December 9, Frehley celebrated the 40th anniversary of his acclaimed 1978 solo debut by performing the album in its entirety for the first time at the New Jersey Kiss Expo 2018.

Jake E. Lee says that he would be willing to play with Ozzy Osbourne again.

The guitarist, who was a member of Ozzy's band from 1983 until 1987, made the comments while speaking to YesterdazeNews magazine.

Asked if he would consider rejoining forces with the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer, Jake said: "I would. I don't think it'll ever happen.

"Sharon [Osbourne, Ozzy's wife and manager] had called me somewhere… 2009 maybe, 2010… somewhere in there. She tracked me down and called me and asked me if I'd be interested in doing some festivals with Ozzy and possibly the next record. At that time, I told her, 'Yeah, I don't have any problem with doing that.' I said, 'But it's always irked me. If you could just get my name on to the songs that I wrote on 'Bark At The Moon', then we can move forward. And that was obviously not gonna happen. And it was the same when I talked to [producer Kevin] Churko [who worked on Ozzy's 'Scream' album]. He said if I was gonna do anything with Ozzy, what would it take? And I said that again. I'm not holding a grudge about it — I'm not harboring any ill will about it — but I feel like that was somewhere where I got screwed. And if we can fix it, then I'm willing to do something with him again."

Currently promoting his band RED DRAGON CARTEL's second album "Patina", which was released in November via Frontiers Music Srl, Jake continued: "I didn't want the money. I didn't want publishing; I didn't want money; I didn't care if I ever made a penny off it. It would just be nice to have my name on music that I wrote.

"Like I said, it came up twice — working with Ozzy [again] — and both times I said, 'If we can get this squared away, then I have no problem.' And I would still work with Ozzy. I think it'd be fun. It's been so long. And I love Ozzy. Like I said, I'd be perfectly willing to do it. But there is that one point of contention that we have, and it doesn't look like that would ever be worked out. So I don't think the chances of me doing that are very good."

Lee had been absent from the music business for over a decade before working with Churko on RED DRAGON CARTEL's 2014 debut album.

Jake recently admitted to Eonmusic that he approached the Osbourne camp about taking part in Ozzy's current "No More Tours 2" jaunt, a move that could have seen the pair working together again for the first time in more than three decades. "I did actually offer," Jake said. "I said that what would be really cool, I think, would be if you could have RED DRAGON CARTEL open for the tour, and in payment for doing that, I would go up, and play a couple of songs, like 'Bark At The Moon', 'The Ultimate Sin', whatever — the songs that I actually played with him." However, it sadly came to nothing, with Lee admitting: "The offer was out there, but it wasn't taken."

Taiwanese metal band CHTHONIC was forced to cancel a show in Hong Kong after its lead singer fail to get a visa to enter the former British colony.

The Hong Kong Immigration Department rejected the visa application of CHTHONIC frontman Freddy Lim because he did not "possess a special skill, knowledge or experience of value," according to a letter revealed by local musician Denise Ho.

CHTHONIC was scheduled to perform with five local singers and bands on the second day of the On The Pulse Of Music festival in Hong Kong.

"Under existing policy, a person seeking to enter into [Hong Kong] for employment should, amongst other things, possess a special skill, knowledge or experience of value to and not readily available in [Hong Kong]," the letter from the department reads.

In an accompanying caption, Ho, who invited CHTHONIC to perform at the festival, wrote: "So if you do not possess skills, knowledge or experience that does not exist in Hong Kong you can't expect to get a visa.

"Foreigners better start practicing special abilities like invisibility, shadow cloning and teleportation before they apply for a work visa.

"This is purely an exchange of music. What to be afraid of?" Ho added.

CHTHONIC responded to the rejection letter by saying that Lim was allowed into Hong Kong four years ago. The band had performed at the Clockenflap festival in 2014.

"Freddy, what special ability did you use during past performances in Hong Kong, but can't use anymore?" the group mockingly wrote on its Facebook page. "Please help us remember what he lost besides his eight-pack!"

In January 2016, Lim was elected as a member of the Taiwanese parliament, making him the first metal star to become a parliamentarian. The new political party that he co-founded, the New Power Party (NPP), calls for Taiwan to be recognized internationally as a country.

China regards Taiwan, located 110 miles off its coast, as an integral part of its territory and wants to re-incorporate it under rule from Beijing.

A new song from GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose may have surfaced in the TV show "New Looney Tunes", which airs on the Boomerang streaming service.

The episode, which premiered on December 24, features Axl as a character. In the clip called "Armageddon Outta Here, Part Two", Rose asks Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and company how to get to the Civic Center, where he is scheduled to perform that night with his band STEEL UNDERPANTS. After the "Looney Tunes" characters tell Axl there is a giant asteroid heading towards earth, he informs them his new speakers can "shake mountains to the ground." Bugs then proposes that Rose play loud enough to destroy the asteroid before it can land, with the "Looney Tunes" gang serving as his backing band. The group then proceeds to play a song called "Rock The Rock", ultimately blowing up the asteroid and saving the world.

Although there has been no official confirmation that Axl did, in fact, contribute his talking and singing voice to the "New Looney Tunes", it definitely sounds like him. Furthermore, it is worth noting that GUNS N' ROSES has used the "Looney Tunes" theme to open concerts on its "Not In This Lifetime" tour.

GUNS N' ROSES' latest studio album, "Chinese Democracy", came out in 2008 and featured only Axl from the classic lineup.

Joining Rose and guitarist Slash on the "Not In This Lifetime" trek are bassist Duff McKagan, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

The last album on which Rose, McKagan and Slash appeared together was 1993's covers set "The Spaghetti Incident?"

Photo credit: Katarina Benzova

KREATOR frontman Mille Petrozza has commented on CANNIBAL CORPSE guitarist Patrick "Pat" O'Brien's recent arrest, saying that Pat is "the sweetest guy ever" who "needs help."

O'Brien, who has been a member of CANNIBAL CORPSE for more than two decades, was arrested on December 10 for burglary and assaulting a police officer while his Florida home was in flames.

Fire marshals found a large cache of weapon, locked safes and potential explosive devices inside O'Brien's home, including 50 shotguns, 20 semiautomatic rifles, two Uzi-style firearms, 20 handguns and two flamethrowers. Authorities also discovered thousands of rounds as well as additional weapons.

During an appearance on the latest episode of "The Jasta Show", the podcast hosted by HATEBREED's Jamey Jasta, Petrozza expressed his shock over O'Brien's arrest, saying: "I've always known that Pat was a little bit obsessed with guns. He told me that, but that's his… whatever he's happy with. But I hope he doesn't have any major problems.

"I don't know what's going on," he continued. "I know that he likes to drink and he gets in trouble when he's drinking. I hope that's probably it. But I hope there's no other substances involved."

Petrozza went on to say that he hopes CANNIBAL CORPSE will still be able to take part in the next North American leg of SLAYER's farewell tour, which was announced earlier in the month. "And I hope Pat's gonna be okay, because we're friends," he said.

Mille decried what he described as our culture's desire to see celebrities or public figures fail, and insisted that O'Brien deserves a chance to redeem himself.

"As soon as something like this happens, people online, they go, 'Ha! Look at this guy!' People wanna see you slip, they wanna see you fall," he said. "And even though they love your music, [they still go], 'Ha! Look at this guy!' And I'm, like, 'Fuck you.' The guy has a problem. Have a little respect. And let's hope he's gonna get better. Because he's one of the greatest death metal guitar players, if not one of the best metal guitar players in the world. So, let's just hope for the best.

"He needs help," Mille noted. "Whatever he did… I mean, this whole fucking thing doesn't make sense. How would somebody break into somebody's house while his own house is on fire, which is, like, two blocks away or something? So this whole thing doesn't make sense. It just shows you that it's some crazy thing. He was just 'out there.' It's nothing that he could control. It's not like that he wanted to do some bad stuff. So I hope that the Florida justice system sees that and gives him a chance to recover and get off whatever he's on."

Describing O'Brien as "a great, great guy," Petrozza admitted that he was "really surprised" when he heard about the guitarist's arrest. "Like I said, I knew that he was sometimes a little strange, but not like that," Mille said. "All of us, we're all strange. Pat was just… he was the sweetest guy ever."

O'Brien was released from Hillsborough County jail on December 14 after posting a $50,000 surety bond.

At a first appearance hearing on December 11, a Hillsborough County judge told the 53-year-old musician, clad in an anti-suicide vest with his hands and ankles chained together, that he would first have to pass a drug test before he would be allowed to post bail and leave jail.

Last week, CANNIBAL CORPSE issued a statement saying that "Pat is getting the help he needs" and confirming that all of the band's previously announced shows in 2019 will go ahead as scheduled.

Earlier this month, bassist Terry Butler of Florida death metallers OBITUARY spoke to Mammoth Metal TV about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2017's "Obituary" album. He said: "There are some riffs kicking around, and we've actually been talking when we wanna get together and start writing music, which is gonna be soon. You've gotta keep it going. You can't take six or seven years between albums; we're not KISS or IRON MAIDEN or whatever. People still wanna hear new music. Even though you don't sell a lot of records anymore, they still wanna hear new music. So, yeah, we've got some stuff in the works."

He continued: "When you boil it down, at this stage of the game for us, it's definitely a business. I mean, we love playing music and we love playing for people, for crowds, but it's a business. So you've gotta the engine running; you've gotta tour — that's where the money is at these days."

Asked about a possible producer for OBITUARY's next record, Terry said: "Joe [Cincotta] did an amazing job [mixing] the record, and, obviously, he's gonna be the top [candidate] to do it again. But we haven't even gotten to that point. We're just kicking around some riffs and thoughts right now."

As for a possible release date for OBITUARY's new album, Terry said: "We have some gaps in between all [the touring in 2019] where we can actually write the songs. Our recording schedule, I couldn't begin to tell you right now, but hopefully within a year, a year and a half, there'll be something [new] out there from us."

OBITUARY just completed a European tour with SLAYER, LAMB OF GOD and ANTHRAX.

OBITUARY's second Relapse release — the aforementioned self-titled tenth studio album — came out in March 2017.

According to the Hartford Courant, the home where ALL THAT REMAINS guitarist Oliver "Oli" Herbert lived and was found dead may soon be on the foreclosure market.

The bank that gave Herbert the initial $132,000 mortgage to buy the Stafford Springs, Connecticut house is asking a judge to grant a strict foreclosure on the property and allow it to immediately take possession of it.

Oliver and his wife, Elizabeth Herbert, purchased the home in 2013 for $135,000.

The Freedom Mortgage Corporation filed a foreclosure notice in June alleging that the guitarist hadn't paid the loan for the home. Herbert never contested the foreclosure and a judge issued a default motion against him for failing to appear in September, in effect granting the bank's foreclosure.

Oliver was found dead at the edge of the pond on the property in October 16. Connecticut police are are treating his death as suspicious.

Last month, Elizabeth Herbert released a since-deleted statement via his official Facebook page in which she revealed that Oli drowned after apparently ingesting antidepressant medication and sleeping pills.

ALL THAT REMAINS singer Philip Labonte said that he was "shocked" by Oli's death. "He was 44 years old, and he wasn't really a big partier," Labonte told Meltdown Of Detroit's WRIF radio station. "He would go hang out with people and stuff, but he didn't really do a lot of drinking… He didn't do drugs, he didn't really drink a lot. He would smoke pot once in a while, but that was the extent of it."

Herbert began playing guitar at 14. He co-founded ALL THAT REMAINS with Labonte in 1998.

ALL THAT REMAINS has released nine studio albums, a live CD/DVD, and has sold more than one million records worldwide.

The surviving members of ALL THAT REMAINS — Labonte, Mike Martin (guitar), Jason Costa (drums) and Aaron Patrick (bass, backing vocals) — have just completed a European tour with SEVENDUST. Guitar virtuoso and YouTube personality Jason Richardson (ALL SHALL PERISH, CHELSEA GRIN, BORN OF OSIRIS) filled in on the trek.

Southeast Wreck Metal conducted an interview with URIAH HEEP guitarist Mick Box on November 29 at the House Of Culture in Helsinki, Finland. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about how he and his bandmates manage to keep such an intense touring schedule five decades into URIAH HEEP's career, Box said: "I think it's 'cause if you've got passion for something you do… If you wanna continue what you're doing, look after yourself. If you wanna carry on the full rock and roll lifestyle, there's only one ending to it, and it's not a very nice ending. So we look after ourselves; we make sure we get enough sleep and stuff. It's hard enough work anyway for an 18-year-old, let alone people of our age. But because you've got that passion that drives you on, it gives you the energy to keep doing it every night."

Asked if he has ever thought about retirement, the 71-year-old guitarist said: "The only thing you retire is the tires on the wheels of your car when it's winter. [Laughs] We don't retire. We never think about those things. I think if you start putting blocks at the end of the road, then you're heading for trouble. We're always forward-thinking' we're always bringing out new music; we're continually writing; we'll record another album; and we'll just keep doing what we love doing. But you never give yourself those mental blockages, which is madness, really."

URIAH HEEP's 25th studio album, "Living The Dream", was released in September via Frontiers Music Srl. The disc was helmed by the widely respected Canadian producer Jay Ruston, known for his work with STONE SOUR, ANTHRAX and STEEL PANTHER.

Box is the original guitarist and sole remaining founding member of URIAH HEEP. He, vocalist Bernie Shaw and keyboardist/vocalist Phil Lanzon have formed the nucleus of the band for more than 32 years and released 17 albums together.

URIAH HEEP debuted in 1970 with the release of one of hard rock's milestones, "Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble", and has since sold in excess of 40 million albums worldwide. They constantly tour the world, playing up to 125 shows a year to more than 500,000 fans. The band's live set features the classic tracks from the '70s and is a musical journey from the band's beginnings to the present day.

Fan-filmed video footage of former SKID ROW singer Johnny Solinger performing on December 20 at The Ballroom at Warehouse Live in Houston, Texas can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube user "txsurfer4u").

Solinger, who joined SKID ROW in 1999, was fired by the band in April 2015 and replaced by TNT singer Tony Harnell. Tony quit the group only eight months later, and was succeeded by the South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I.

SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan confirmed to the "One On One With Mitch Lafon" podcast that Solinger was kicked out of the band, contradicting the singer's claim that he "decided to leave SKID ROW to pursue [his] solo career."

Asked what led to Solinger's departure from SKID ROW, Rachel said: "It was evident. There were certain things going on out on the road that kind of set us thinking… Things had been going on for a little bit. And, you know, I'm not here to say anything bad about the guy.

"At certain times, you just get the feeling someone isn't putting a hundred percent into things," he added. "And SKID ROW is very important to the rest of us. And we wanted to carry on with quality performances and quality songs, so we decided to make a change."

Asked if there was ever a time where they felt things were "clicking" and "100 percent right" between Solinger and the rest of the band, Rachel told "Eddie Trunk Live": "We were clicking big time. I thought we made a lot of great music together. And even with [the ongoing trilogy of] EPs, when we were in the studio, we were making great music. Snake [guitarist Dave Sabo] and I would write, and everyone came in and really sunk in. I think it was when we were in the studio that it really became evident that we all didn't have the same heart and soul… We weren't all putting the same heart and soul into it. And it's just one of those things, man. It's rough to make a decision like this, but we did."

Added Snake: "This has nothing to do with Johnny not being a good person; he's a really good person, and we all got along well. There's no animosity at all from our end. And these are terrible decisions to make, man. They're awful. The guy's been with us for fifteen years, and we saw a lot of miles of road together, and I feel extremely fortunate to have spent that time in a band with him. And he's a great singer and he's gonna be fine. He's gonna pursue his solo stuff, I guess, and that's what he should do."

On the topic of how Solinger reacted to being fired from SKID ROW, Snake said: "There was no screaming and shouting. We were both very respectful to one another. And we should be. I mean, like I said, we've traveled a lot of miles together, and this is not something that is easy in any way, but yet it's something that was necessary."

Asked how parting ways with Solinger was different to the split with Sebastian Bach in 1996, Rachel said: "That was a completely different situation. There was a lot of bad blood there, and… Yeah, it was a completely different situation. This is something, like Snake said, there's no animosity. It's just… We all didn't have our eyes on the same prize at this point, and it interfered. It interfered with moving forward. And that's why we made a change."