Helix leader Brian Vollmer checks in with the following update:

"Here's the new Vollmer video from the album Get Yer Hands Dirty, for the song "If You Need Me". The song was written by Wilson Pickett and has been done by many artists over the years. Filmed at the Aoelian Hall in London, Ontario by Brent Doerner with the help of Nick Olmsted & Ted Van Boort. The female lead is played by Maggie Park, the usher by Randy Heywood, Sean Kelly on guitar, and of course myself. Thanks to the many of you who helped make this happen including Mike McDowell and Dave Southen."

Vollmer previously released a video for “Rock ’N’ Roll” / “Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of Rock And Roll”, featured on his new solo album, Get Yer Hands Dirty. Get Yer Hands Dirty is available in the Merch section of the Helix website on both vinyl and CD.

“Rock ’N’ Roll” / “Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of Rock And Roll” video:

“Get Yer Hands Dirty” featuring Danko Jones:

Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde recently performed the new song "Room Of Nightmares" in a live in session for Planet Rock at the Hendrix Flat, 23 Brook Street, London. Watch below:

Black Label Society released their tenth full length, Grimmest Hits, on January 19th via Entertainment One (eOne). The new effort is the follow-up to Billboard Top 5 charting titles Catacombs Of The Black Vatican (2014) and Order Of The Black (2010). In-between then and now, Zakk Wylde released Book of Shadows II, the follow-up to his 1996 solo debut of the same name, which debuted at #18 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart.

Tracklisting:

“Trampled Down Below”
“Seasons Of Falter”
“The Betrayal”
“All That Once Shined”
“The Only Words”
“Room Of Nightmares”
“A Love Unreal”
“Disbelief”
“The Day That Heaven Had Gone Away”
“Illusions Of Peace”
“Bury Your Sorrow”
“Nothing Left To Say”

"All That Once Shined" lyric video:

“Room Of Nightmares” video:

Order Grimmest Hits via the links below:

- Physical
- Digital

Black Label Society are touring with support from Corrosion Of Conformity. Select dates will see support from Eyehategod and Red Fang. A full list of tour dates can be seen below.

January
26 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live
27 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
28 - Raleigh, NC - The Ritz
29 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore Silver Spring
31 - New York, NY - PlayStation Theater

February
1 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
2 - Portland, ME - Aura
3 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
5 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
6 - Akron, OH - The Goodyear Theater at East End
7 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE
8 - Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom Club Stage
9 - St. Paul, MN - Myth Live
11 - Saskatoon, SK - O’Brians Event Centre
12 - Edmonton, AB - The Ranch Roadhouse
14 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
16 - Grande Prairie, AB - Bowes Event Center at Revolution Place
17 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Hall
19 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
20 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
21 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
23 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
24 - Tempe, AZ - The Marquee
25 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
27 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre

* Red Fang - January 26 - February 9
* Eyehategod - February 11 - 27

Black Label Society is:

Zakk Wylde - Vocals/Guitar
John DeServio - Bass
Dario Lorina - Guitar
Jeff Fabb - Drums

(Photo - Justin Reich)

On March 16th, Britain's cult metallers Paradise Lost will release a remastered version of their legendary seventh studio album, Host, and a first-ever pressing of the songs on vinyl via Nuclear Blast.

Originally released in 1999, Host earned Paradise Lost their reputation as West Yorkshire's musical chameleon, as it saw the band moving further away from their previous death metal roots to a melancholic and catchier electropop sound. Preorder the special vinyl edition at this location.

Tracklisting:

“So Much Is Lost”
“Nothing Sacred”
“In All Honesty”
“Harbour”
“Ordinary Days”
“It’s Too Late”
“Permanent Solution”
“Behind The Grey”
“Wreck”
“Made The Same”
“Deep”
“Year Of Summer”
“Host”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Game Of Thrones" actor Iwan Rheon and "The Punisher" actor Daniel Webber are in negotiations to star as MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars and frontman Vince Neil, respectively, in the film adaptation of the group's biography, "The Dirt - Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band".

Last week, CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx tweeted that Douglas Booth will play him, and Variety reported that Tommy Lee will be portrayed by rapper Machine Gun Kelly.

Rheon made himself a household name with his turn on "Game Of Thrones", taking on the iconic role of Ramsay Bolton for four years until he met his timely end. He was most recently seen playing Maximus in the Marvel show "The Inhumans".

Daniel Webber brought a lot of depth and fractured humanity to his performance as a PTSD-suffering soldier in Netflix's "Punisher".

Booth has starred in movies such as "Jupiter Ascending", "Romeo & Juliet" and "Pride And Prejudice And Zombies" and has been described by Sixx as "a killer actor."

The film adaptation of "The Dirt" is being helmed by "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" director Jeff Tremaine and is being produced by LBI Entertainment's Julie Yorn and Rick Yorn, along with Erik Olsen and Amanda Adelson, who wrote the script. Netflix will distribute the project, which was previously at Focus and before that at Paramount.

Neil previously told Las Vegas Magazine that "The Dirt" movie script stays "pretty close to 'The Dirt', so if you've read 'The Dirt', it's really something to look forward to."

Asked how it struck him that he would be seeing an actor playing him on screen, Vince said: "That's gonna be strange. It's funny, I saw the table read of the last script. They have these different actors playing each person, and even just the table read of the script was weird when the Vince guy was talking. [Laughs] It wasn't the guy that's gonna play me, but it was just kind of weird hearing somebody say your words. It's a bit of a trip."

Sixx and Lee attended a read-through of the script in 2014 with Tremaine and were impressed with what they saw.

"Can I tell you it was the most fucking insanely surreal experience I've ever sat through, y'know," Lee told GMI Rock News at the time. "I sat through probably two hours and change of literally watching people act and play through this two-hour-plus movie of your… of 30 years of your life that went by in two hours, and I was just like, 'What the fuck?! That's insane. This movie is insane.' Even just the way the movie starts, you're like, 'How the hell are we gonna rate this thing, triple R?'"



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His name is @DouglasBooth and he’s a killer actor.All the actors playing @MotleyCrue are edgy and real. https://t.co/dnjzTiVMtl

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— Nikki Sixx (@NikkiSixx) January 19, 2018

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The official lyric video for the song "Dead Tomorrow" from reactivated San Francisco Bay Area metallers SKINLAB can be seen below. The track was produced by 36 CRAZYFISTS guitarist Steve Holt and marks the first new music from the band since 2009's "The Scars Between Us" album.

SKINLAB will kick off a short southwestern run, dubbed "Brothers In Blood", on January 25 in San Diego, wrapping on February 3 in Harlingen, Texas. Support on the trek will come from PISSING RAZORS and SHATTERED SUN. A five-date "No Sleep Till Cali" run will launch on February 6 in Tucson, Arizona and end on February 11 in Orangevale, California.

SKINLAB recently announced the return of guitarist Steve Green, best known to fans as Snake.

"We are very excited to announce that our brother Snake has returned home and has rejoined SKINLAB for the 'Brothers In Blood Tour'," said SKINLAB frontman Steev Esquivel. "Our boy has slithered right back into our lives, and we embrace him with open arms.

"Snake has always been a huge part of SKINLAB, making his debut on the 'Eyesore' EP back in 1998. That fan favorite has become a collector's item, and Snake's blood and spirit has been a constant fixture through every release we've done since. We couldn't be happier to have him back for this tour."

Added Snake: "It all comes down to LOVE... LOVE for these two dudes, Steev and Paul [Hopkins, drums], with whom I have shared so much time with. LOVE for the powerful music we have made, LOVE for the fans of SKINLAB, and ultimately, the LOVE for LIFE around every corner we turn. We're older, wiser and share a mutual passion for what we've created together. As for the future, we'll enter the studio and take things day by day, waiting to see what fate the metal Gods will bring forth. Enjoy the moment!"

"The last week has been an amazing experience that started off with handshakes, hugs and tears," continued Esquivel. "The mood quickly turned into a massive wall of heaviness, however, when we began rehearsing a setlist of a dozen-plus songs, each met with smiles and nods of approval. To us, it's obvious that this machine is back in action and ready for war! We are very excited to jump back on the road!"

In addition to rejoining SKINLAB, Snake remains a member of THE DEVIL IN CALIFORNIA, with whom he's been performing since 2015. The band has been added to the bill for SKINLAB's homecoming show on February 10 in Crockett, California.

SKINLAB's lineup for the "Brothers In Blood Tour" is:

Steev Esquivel - Vocals, Bass
Paul Hopkins - Drums
Snake - Guitar
Marcos Medina Rivera - Guitar

Fan-filmed video footage of STEEL PANTHER's January 19 performance at The Limelight in Belfast, Northern Ireland can be seen below.

STEEL PANTHER is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Lower The Bar", which was released in March 2016 via Kobalt Music Recordings. The disc was co-produced with regular collaborator Jay Ruston, and includes eleven songs recorded at studios in north Hollywood and Sherman Oaks, with an additional two tracks on a Best Buy deluxe edition.

When asked by A Music Blog, Yea? whether the members of STEEL PANTHER apply the "Lower The Bar" title to their relationships or if they have certain "stipulations", guitarist Satchel said: "I tend to feel — and this is my own personal belief — 'lowering the bar' is really the best thing you could do in order to have a happy life. It doesn't matter what you're talking about. Let's say, you just want a sandwich. If you're expectations of having a really great sandwich, if you go in with that expectation [you'll be let down]. It's just like having sex with a Tinder date. But, let's say you're on a Tinder date, and you, lucky guy, are able to convince her [the interviewer] by using your cousin's picture to go on a Tinder date with this hot young chick. You get to the date, you're at Taco Bell and you see that this dude doesn't look anything like his cousin. You're disappointed, aren't you? You should go in expecting to date a drummer and if you get a guitar player or bass player, you're happy."

"Resurrection", the new album from legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker's MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST project, will be released on March 2 via Nuclear Blast. The disc, which was produced by Michael Voss-Schön, was recorded in four different locations over a five-month period and features guest appearances by METALLICA's Kirk Hammett, Wayne Findlay and Michael Voss-Schön along with contributions from three original MSG (MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP) singers — Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet and Robin McAuley — plus Doogie White, who plays with Michael in MICHAEL SCHENKER'S TEMPLE OF ROCK. Also appearing on the album are musicians Steve Mann (guitars, keyboards), Ted McKenna (drums) and Chris Glen (bass).

Asked how Hammett came to be involved with the project, Schenker told Poland's Interia.pl (see video below): "He is a fan. He always wanted to jam with me. He actually did something very nice for me — he put [MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP's] 'Armed And Ready' on [METALLICA's] version of 'Guitar Hero'; they had their own version. Peter Mensch, he used to be the manager of AC/DC, then DEF LEPPARD and then METALLICA, he told me that Kirk Hammett, I'm his Santa Claus. And so that's how it started. So I found out very late in life that he was a fan. And then we met at a guitar magazine, [when we were named two of] the 10 most influential guitarists, we made the cover page for a guitar magazine in America, but we never talked. So he always wanted to jam with me. [Radio personality] Eddie Trunk, from New York, he arranged for Kirk and me to meet and jam. And so we jammed and then we did an interview together. And then, eventually, he even came to a concert and jammed a song with us. So, basically, Kirk was a fan, he became a friend and he plays in the biggest band in the world. And so I said, 'Kirk, you wanna [guest on 'Resurrection']?' And he was more than happy. His management even… 'Cause he wanted to record in Hawaii in his own recording studio, so [METALLICA's] management paid for the ticket for Michael Voss, the co-producer, to fly over there to record [Kirk's solo]. Then they sent me a picture of Kirk [in the studio]. He looked like a teenager, 20 years old, with his casual Hawaiian outfit, baseball hat, and he was happy."

Hammett and Schenker first traded licks during the taping of VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" in April 2015 at Metropolis Studios in New York City. Less than a month later, Kirk joined Michael on stage at the RockBar in San Jose, California to perform a couple of songs: UFO's "Natural Thing" and SCORPIONS' "Blackout".

According to Schenker, "Resurrection" contains all brand new songs, including "Warrior", which he previously described as "really, really good and really powerful."

The studio album will follow the release of "Michael Schenker Fest Tokyo", a concert recording filmed in August 2016 at Tokyo, Japan's International Forum, which was made available last March via Inakustik.

Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G., who joined Ozzy Osbourne's band just under a decade ago, says that "fans want to see" the BLACK SABBATH singer back together with his longtime axeman Zakk Wylde.

It was announced last April that 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.

Gus, who played on Ozzy's latest studio album, 2010's "Scream", told Metal Underground in a new interview that he was told in advance that Ozzy would be working with Zakk again. "I got a phone call and they let me know what's happening," he said (see video below).

"It's totally cool, man," he continued. "It's [Ozzy's] band; he can do whatever he wants.

"I had a great time [playing with Ozzy]. It was fantastic for me. It changed my life forever. I can't complain about anything. They treated me super nice.

"I think, given the fact that [Ozzy is] doing a farewell tour, it's great that he brought [Zakk back], 'cause they have a lot of history between them," Gus added. "And I think the fans want to see that."

Wylde originally joined Osbourne's band three decades ago and backed the legendary frontman from 1987 to 1995, then again in 1998, from 2001 to 2004 and also from 2006 to 2009. His guitar playing can be heard on Osbourne's studio albums "No Rest For The Wicked", "No More Tears", "Ozzmosis", "Down To Earth", "Under Cover" and "Black Rain". The first album with Wylde went double platinum and "No More Tears" remains Ozzy's most successful album, going four times platinum in the United States with four Top 10 songs on the U.S. Billboard chart. Wylde also appeared with Ozzy on three live albums.

In a 2010 interview with Metal Insider, Gus said that he "wouldn't be surprised" if Ozzy one day felt like playing with Zakk again. He said: "For me, when I was growing up, Zakk was there. The first time I ever saw on TV, Zakk Wylde was on guitar. From my generation, Zakk Wylde was the man. As a fan above all, I know these guys, they're like family more than just a team. So I definitely wouldn't be surprised if one day he would jam again with Ozzy. I know these guys love each other."

He continued: "Don't take what I'm saying the wrong way, but as a fan, trying to look from the outside, I mean I grew up watching Ozzy and Zakk together and that's all I'm saying. I also know that Zakk's been in and out of the band as well a couple of times. But with all that said, I'm very happy and feel very honored that I have this position right now and am there doing it."

Last year, Gus released a new studio album with his long-running band FIREWIND, "Immortals", after issuing two discs as a solo artist.

Myles Kennedy has released the lyric video for the song "Haunted By Design", taken from his debut solo album, "Year Of The Tiger". Due on March 9 via Napalm Records, the effort was helmed by ALTER BRIDGE's longtime producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette.

The acclaimed singer/songwriter known for his work with ALTER BRIDGE as well as SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS recently completed the highly anticipated record, which is available for pre-order in various bundle configurations at this location.

On "Year Of The Tiger", Kennedy embarks on his first venture as a solo artist by embracing musical elements and influences he hasn't explored until this point in his career. His appreciation for the blues and acoustic based music can be heard throughout the 12-song concept record inspired by the loss of his father when he was a child.

The multi-instrumentalist played lap steel, mandolin, banjo and bass in addition to the guitar on the record. This shift in instrumentation helped create a new sonic canvas that some might consider a departure from the high gain wall of sound Kennedy has been associated with. Examples of this can be heard throughout the record, from the hypnotic drone of the title track, to the intricate finger style approach of "Haunted By Design" and "Ghost Of Shangri La".

"Year Of The Tiger" is a personal story framed in a new context from an artist willing to take chances. It's also a story that took decades to summon up the courage to tell.

"Year Of The Tiger" track listing:

01. Year Of The Tiger
02. The Great Beyond
03. Blind Faith
04. Devil On The Wall
05. Ghost of Shangri La
06. Turning Stones
07. Haunted By Design
08. Mother
09. Nothing But A Name
10. Love Can Only Heal
11. Songbird
12. One Fine Day

"Year Of The Tiger" was described by Kennedy in a recent interview with Metal Wani as "probably the closest thing to a full-on concept record that I've ever written. I mean, the story is congruent throughout the entire... It basically tells a story from start to finish, and it documents when my father passed away when I was a kid and basically what happened after that with my mom, my brother and I — it tells that story," he said. "So it's a full-on concept from start to finish."

RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson has confirmed that the band is unlikely to play any more shows or make new music. "It's been a little over two years since RUSH last toured," he told The Globe And Mail. "We have no plans to tour or record any more. We're basically done. After 41 years, we felt it was enough."

But the 64-year-old musician added that he has "actually been busier lately than I have been in a while. I'm writing a lot," he said. "I'm writing on four or five different little projects. I get these requests to do guitar work with other people. It's really a lot of fun for me. It's low pressure: I get to be as creative as I want to be and I can work a little outside of the box, which is really attractive to me."

Lifeson also revealed that he was writing for the West End Phoenix, a new monthly newspaper in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where RUSH is based.

RUSH's chronic tendinitis-suffering drummer Neil Peart hinted during a 2015 interview with Drumhead magazine that he would no longer tour with the band, revealing his daughter had already started referring to dad as "a retired drummer."

A short time later, bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee played down Peart's comments, blaming the media for making too much of his bandmate's remarks.

Geddy said in a 2016 interview that he had "accepted" that RUSH's last batch of live shows was "probably the last one as a tour."

The 65-year-old Peart revealed in RUSH's documentary "Time Stand Still" that he initially had no intention of going on a tour in 2015. "In November [of 2014], we all got together in Toronto and I was quite prepared to say, 'Sorry, I'm done,'" he said in the film. "I realized I was kind of a solitary misfit in that context of being the one that wanted to pull that plug. I left one little window in my mind that if somebody wanted to do it one more time and didn't know if they'd be able to, [I would do it]."

Lifeson and Lee confirmed that the band will never do a show unless all three musicians agree to take part. "It's not like you just get new members of a band and just go for it," said Lifeson. "RUSH has never been a band like that. We'd never, ever do something like that." Lee added: "We always said that if the three of us aren't on board, we don't do a thing. There have been other decisions in our career where the three of us weren't on board and we didn't do it. Nothing as profound as ending our touring life, but fair enough. So one guy doesn't want to do that thing anymore that I love to do. That hurts. But there's nothing I can do about it and that's part of the agreement."

Metal Wani's Jessie David recently conducted an interview with former PANTERA and current DOWN and SUPERJOINT frontman Philip Anselmo. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below. A couple of excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the possibility of a hypothetical PANTERA reunion with Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) or Kerry King (SLAYER) filling in for the late "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott on guitar:

Philip: "To me, the most important factor in all of this hoopla are the fans — the fans, hands down. The band doesn't choose the audience — it's the other way around. So we're working hand in hand here. Whatever the fans really want, I guess, would be my answer to the whole thing. And I'm sure that it's a flip of the coin, depending on the fan. If it's something that they wanted desperately, then it's something that… sure, I would do it, but it would be for the fans, man. Everybody has their opinion, so it makes it really, really tough for me to gauge the importance of doing something of that magnitude. Because, yes, it would be a big deal — it would be big, man. It would be emotionally big, is what I'm getting at. I'm not talking about the size of shows, I'm not talking about the impact or anything like that, I'm talking about actually going out on that stage with the band name, the backdrop just giant reading 'PANTERA' and not seeing my brother Dimebag across from me on that stage, it would be absolutely… it seems invalid to me right now. I'm not seeing it. I'll admit it — I'm straight-up torn; I'm confused on the topic."

On whether he would ever consider performing alongside the other surviving PANTERA members and a hologram of Dimebag:

Philip: "You know, it would have to be right. I think everybody's heart would have to be in the right place, and I'm talking about the guys in the band. And it would have to be done right. There's no way we could skimp on something like that. I mean, if we were gonna do a hologram of Dimebag, it would have to be flawless and it would have to be perfect, just like he was every fucking night, man. No matter how piss-ass drunk he would be, once that guitar was in his hand, he was a machine, man. So it would have to be perfect."

On his 2018 touring plans:

Philip: "We'll do some shows. I've gotta say it, man… I've got one more, and I wanna say 'minor,' but I guess there's no such thing as minor back surgery. But I've got one more tiny procedure to do, and I'm kind of on a waiting list for right now. But I am getting in to see my surgeon next week, so hopefully we can speed this process up. Because, honestly, it's non-invasive, it's an outpatient-type thing, and if they clean up this one little spot, I'll be feeling like a million bucks; it'll make a better me. So right now we're kind of waiting on that to happen before we commit to anything definite. So I've got little obstacle in front of me, but that always makes me feel, I guess, more traveled and stronger at the end of the day. So, hey, everything happens for a reason."

Dimebag was shot and killed by a crazed gunman while performing with his and brother Vinnie's post-PANTERA act DAMAGEPLAN at a Columbus, Ohio rock club in December 2004.

Philip's solo project, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, will release its sophomore album, "Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue", on January 26 via Anselmo's Housecore Records in the U.S. and Season Of Mist in other parts of the world. The disc is the follow-up to PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS' debut, "Walk Through Exits Only", which came out in 2013 to mostly positive reviews.

In a brand new interview with the Louisville, Kentucky radio station 91.9 WFPK, LED ZEPPELIN legend Robert Plant was asked if he could ever see himself recording with Jimmy Page again. "I have no idea," he said (hear audio below). "It's not even within my countenance to imagine it, really."

After DJ Kyle Meredith pointed out that LED ZEPPELIN is still "near and dear to the hearts" of the band's fans, Plant replied: "Me too — nobody more than me. But I don't wanna do it a disservice either."

LED ZEPPELIN hasn't performed together in almost a decade, having last played London's O2 Arena in December 2007.

The concert was part of the Ahmet Ertegun tribute event, which was chronicled on the band's 2012 "Celebration Day" CD and DVD. The set, which featured Jason Bonham subbing for his late father John Bonham on drums, marked Plant, Page and Paul Jones's first full-scale concert together since John Bonham's 1980 death.

Last October, Robert shot down the possibility of a LED ZEPPELIN reunion, telling the Daily Telegraph that "you can't ever really go back." He added: "It's tough enough repeating yourself with something that's a year old, never mind forty-nine years old. I've got to keep moving."

Plant has arguably been the lone holdout for another LED ZEPPELIN reunion. Despite promoter-led attempts to get the band to reform for a series of concerts, Plant remains committed to his new musical direction in the roots and blues-based "Americana" field.

Robert's eleventh solo album, "Carry Fire", was released in October via Nonesuch/Warner.

Darko Rajić of Metal Jacket Magazine conducted an interview with DEATH ANGEL guitarist Ted Aguilar prior to the band's November 26 concert in Kino Šiška, Ljubljana, Slovenia alongside TESTAMENT and ANNIHILATOR. You can watch the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the variety found on DEATH ANGEL's most recent studio album, 2016's "The Evil Divide":

Ted: "Well, DEATH ANGEL, that's our style. We can play fast, we can play mid-tempo songs, we can play really melodic songs. It's our style. We like it. We like to mix up everything. We love playing fast, but we don't want to do it all the time. We want to do songs like, for example, 'Lost', that's a song if you're feeling it… we don't sit there and go, 'We have to write something like this.' Whatever comes out and it sounds good: 'Yeah, it sounds good. Let's keep it.' That's what we do. We pride ourselves in being a little different from all the other thrash bands. That's what is good about the thrash bands from the '80s from the Bay Area, the Bay Area, L.A. or the East Coast, we always strived to be different from everyone and that's how we got our unique sound. Everyone has their unique sound. TESTAMENT has their unique sound; EXODUS, us, OVERKILL, ANTHRAX, you can tell when you put on a record. Sometimes, DEATH ANGEL likes to write songs like 'Lost'. Sometimes we like to write songs like 'Thrown To The Wolves'."

On the stories of legendary METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton headbanging in the front row at early DEATH ANGEL shows:

Ted: "Oh yeah. Rob [Cavestany, guitar] and Mark [Osegueda, vocals] told me those stories. Early on in the DEATH ANGEL days, early '80s, maybe mid-'80s, Cliff Burton would be in the front row at their shows, headbanging, getting into it. From what they told me, Cliff was a big supporter of the band. There's times where you see old footage or old photos of Cliff wearing a DEATH ANGEL shirt, so that's really cool. Rest in peace, he's gone, but his music lives on. His legacy. He's always remembered as one of the greatest musicians in metal to this day."

On this thoughts on the current thrash metal scene:

Ted: "There's a lot of good bands. We've been fortunate enough to tour with quite a few. SUICIDAL ANGELS, HAVOK, we just did a run with WARBRINGER last summer, great guys, amazing. There's a lot of talent, so that's good that there's a lot of bands out there keeping thrash alive. There's a lot of bands and a lot of good ones and there's still more to come. There's so many out there that it's hard to go through them, but the bands that we've toured with have been great. As I mentioned before, HAVOK, WARBRINGER, SUICIDAL ANGELS, BONDED BY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL, would be one of them; they're one of my favorites right now. It's good that these up-and-coming bands are keeping the music alive, the thrash music alive."

On the different musical climates between Europe and the United States:

Ted: "It's very, very different. It's just two different cultures. Over here, it's not a good or bad thing, it's just different. Out here [in Europe], it seems more people are more open-minded. When you come to a show, it's more of a celebration, everyone comes, happiness. I don't know…it's hard for me to explain. For example, I have a couple of friends, a couple of people I know in the U.S. who have been to a lot of shows and some festivals in the U.S. and when they came to Graspop [Metal Meeting] in Belgium, their first time, they understood why bands love playing the festivals and playing club shows in Europe. They told me: 'We just had to witness it. We have to see it to understand.' I could sit here all day and try to explain to you, but you just have to come here and experience it. It's just a different culture. When metal in the States, when it kind of went underground in the '90s, it always stayed popular here in Europe."

"The Evil Divide" was released in May 2016 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was once again recorded at AudioHammer studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, DEICIDE), who previously worked on 2010's "Relentless Retribution" and 2013's "The Dream Calls For Blood".

TESTAMENT, EXODUS, FORBIDDEN and VIO-LENCE members performed at a benefit concert for VIO-LENCE singer Sean Killian last night (Saturday, January 20) at The Midway in San Francisco, California.

"Killian On Command: An Evening Of Vio-Lence" saw the musicians play only VIO-LENCE material spanning the band's entire catalog of songs written from 1985 through 1992. They were joined by other heavy hitters from DEATH ANGEL, KAOS, ILL NINO, FANG, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, VALOR & VENGEANCE, I AM MORBID, PSYCHOSOMATIC, D.R.I., ANNIHILATION, MERCENARY and SACRILEGE B.C. King Arthur's bastard son MORDRED supported and DRESS THE DEAD kicked everything off. Katon De Pena of HIRAX DJed the show, and DJ Will of KNAC was the host of the evening.

"Killian On Command: An Evening Of Vio-Lence" concluded with a performance of the VIO-LENCE classic "World In A World" featuring four-fifths of the band's classic lineup — Robb Flynn (guitar), Phil Demmel (guitar), Perry Strickland (drums) and Dean Dell (bass), with Flynn handling lead vocals. (Killian could not perform with the other members due to his health condition). Demmel and Flynn are both now in MACHINE HEAD.

The entire event was livestreamed by BB TV and can be seen on YouTube at this location. Additional fan-filmed video footage is available below.

Killian was recently diagnosed with stage four liver cirrhosis, which was caused in part by a genetic condition called hemochromatosis. He is currently a candidate for a live donor transplant. A living-donor liver transplant involves transplanting a portion of the liver from a living donor into a recipient whose liver no longer functions properly.

Sean will remain a candidate only as long as he is healthy enough for such a transplant. Sean's blood type is O+ and a matching donor must have type O+ or O-. Once this window closes, he will be reassessed to determine if he will be placed on the official list for a donor liver through UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing).

The "Killian On Command" organizers said: "The Killian family is not privy to any information about possible donors and where they are on the waiting list until it is confirmed they have an actual donor. Living or deceased. So the more volunteers we have for bathing donors, they better the chances are we get Sean one!"

A GoFundMe page raising money for Killian's medical expenses can be found at this location.

The final stage of cirrhosis of liver is considered as the most dreaded phase of the condition. If the patient is diagnosed during this stage, the life expectancy of the sufferer — without a liver transplant — is said to be one year to three years.

Megaforce Records reissued VIO-LENCE's classic debut album, "Eternal Nightmare", with a live bonus CD in June 2005. The bonus disc was recorded on December 14, 2001 at Slim's in San Francisco.

LIFE OF AGONY has announced the addition of drummer Veronica Bellino to the group's ranks. She joins the band as the replacement for Sal Abruscato, who "amicably" left LIFE OF AGONY last month.

Bellino is a New York native who has been on the rise as one of the industry's hottest young drummer/songwriters. Veronica has co-written with the legendary DMC, found a national spotlight in The Game's "Red Nation" video, worked with LL Cool J as a member of his signed band 13, conquered dozens of stages with drum icon Carmine Appice's SLAMM group, and worked with Living Legend Award recipient Jeff Beck.

LIFE OF AGONY says about Veronica: "We're so incredibly happy to have her on the team."

LIFE OF AGONY's latest album, "A Place Where There's No More Pain", was issued in April 2017 via Napalm. LIFE OF AGONY's fifth studio LP marked the band's first release since singer Mina Caputo (formerly known as Keith Caputo) came out as transgender in 2011.

& Please give a warm welcome to our new Drummer @VeronicaBellino, Best known for her work wth Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jeff Beck, DMC, Richie Sambora/Orianthi, & Carmine Appice/Slamm.
We’re so incredibly happy to have her on the team. More updates on the way! pic.twitter.com/Sy0af75Lg9

— LIFEOFAGONY (@OffiLIFEOFAGONY) January 22, 2018

Acclaimed metal drummer Derek Roddy has joined FIRE FOR EFFECT, the new band featuring former members of MALEVOLENT CREATION. Roddy steps into FIRE FOR EFFECT as the replacement for Mike Smith (SUFFOCATION), who appeared on FIRE FOR EFFECT's demo.

Derek has played with HATE ETERNAL, NILE, MALEVOLENT CREATION, DIVINE EMPIRE, COUNCIL OF THE FALLEN (where he also handled guitar), TODAY IS THE DAY, TRAUMEDY and AURORA BOREALIS.

FIRE FOR EFFECT guitarist Gio Geraca recently said about Roddy's addition to the group: "Mike was great and we had a blast with him helping us make the FIRE FOR EFFECT demo, but truth is Mike never had long-term agreements or obligations with FIRE FOR EFFECT, and he has his own things going on, so we decided to give an old friend, Derek Roddy, a call and now we're making the record with him. We thank Mike Smith; he will always be cool with us."

Geraca added that the recording of FIRE FOR EFFECT's debut album was "going great mainly because we don't have any time constrictions on us right now. We want to put out something we think could be memorable," he said. "That, of course, remains to be seen but everyone is really passionate about this band and the songwriting process."

According to Gio, he and FIRE FOR EFFECT singer Brett Hoffman "feel we have something to say and felt quite limited in our last band. [With] all the bullshit that surrounded us during that time, things got too serious and we kind of forgot and missed having fun again. Now with Eric Bukowski (guitar) and Derek Roddy in the picture, it's like being 17 years old again writing music with your bros."

Thrash metal pioneers MEGADETH will celebrate their 35th anniversary all year long, with special releases, exclusive merch items, and one-of-a-kind events and opportunities for fans worldwide. Founder Dave Mustaine will also celebrate the band's anniversary on his weekly radio show. MEGADETH's announcement comes two years to the day since the release of the band's acclaimed, Grammy-winning album "Dystopia", which arrived on January 22, 2016.

"When I started MEGADETH, I didn't imagine myself living for 35 years, let alone my band reaching this incredible milestone," says Mustaine. "Thanks to almost everyone I've met, worked, and played with these last three and a half decades."

Kicking off the celebration, MEGADETH's new music video for "Lying In State" launches on Megadeth.com today exclusively for Megadeth Cyber Army members. MEGADETH is offering discounted Premium Cyber Army membership starting today at through January 31 at 11:59 p.m. PST. In MEGADETH's webstore, all "Dystopia" items are specially priced for two weeks, beginning today.

Throughout the year, Mustaine will also celebrate the band's anniversary on his weekly Gimme Radio show, "The Dave Mustaine Show", which premieres each Thursday at 12 p.m. PST / 3 p.m. EST, with exclusive giveaways, contests, and behind-the-scenes stories about his career and MEGADETH. Fans can tune in and communicate directly with Dave in the Gimme Live chat feed at GimmeRadio.com or via the Gimme Radio app.

MEGADETH is tentatively planning to enter the studio in mid-2018 to begin recording its new album for a 2019 release. Mustaine revealed on Twitter that he is in the process of "collecting ideas" for the follow-up to "Dystopia".

MEGADETH's upcoming effort will mark the group's first release to feature drummer Dirk Verbeuren, who officially joined the group a year and a half ago.

"Dystopia" was MEGADETH's first album with Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.

The official lyric video for the song "They Played Rock And Roll" from British heavy metal legends SAXON can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's 22nd studio album, "Thunderbolt", which will be released on February 2 via Militia Guard (Silver Lining Music). The follow-up to 2015's "Battering Ram" was once again helmed by producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH, ACCEPT and TESTAMENT, among others. The disc will feature original artwork by longtime SAXON collaborator Paul Raymond Gregory.

"They Played Rock And Roll" was written about and dedicated to MOTÖRHEAD. SAXON singer Biff Byford said that he gave the track that title because "that's what Lemmy used to say every night [from the stage]." He added: "It's basically about early MOTÖRHEAD — '79/'80 MOTÖRHEAD, like around 'No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith', 'cause that's the tour we were on, that one. So, yeah, it's about the band, really, and their music."

According to Biff, "They Played Rock And Roll" is musically similar to Lemmy and Co. He explained: "I asked Nibbs [Carter, SAXON bassist] to write me some music that was like MOTÖRHEAD, and he did. So it sounds very MOTÖRHEAD-ish, but not MOTÖRHEAD, if you know what I mean."

Regarding the "Thunderbolt" album title, Byford said: "'Thunderbolt' is about Greek gods, so I read up on Greek mythology. There's not really that much. Homer had some writings… I made most of it up, but it's based on Zeus and Poseidon and Hades, so it's got a bit of good and a bit of evil in it, so it's pretty cool. Obviously Zeus's sign was a thunderbolt and his sign was an eagle holding a lightning bolt."

Like "Battering Ram", SAXON's new effort features Byford alongside Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt on guitar, Nibbs Carter on bass and Nigel Glockler on drums.

"Thunderbolt" track listing:

01. Olympus Rising
02. Thunderbolt
03. The Secret Of Flight
04. Nosferatu (The Vampires Waltz)
05. They Played Rock And Roll
06. Predator
07. Sons Of Odin
08. Sniper
09. A Wizard's Tale
10. Speed Merchants
11. Roadie's Song
12. Nosferatu (Raw Version) (not available on vinyl)

Legendary thrash metal band SLAYER has announced plans to "make its exit" with one final world tour.

An official announcement video regarding SLAYER's "final" tour, featuring a compilation of press clippings, early posters and press photos spanning the group's entire career, can be seen below.

SLAYER is rumored to be planning to hit the road in North America this summer, with support from LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT and BEHEMOTH. The trek is expected to be officially announced later this week.

SLAYER, LAMB OF GOD and BEHEMOTH last hit the road in North America together in the summer of 2017.

SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya talked about his possible retirement in a 2016 interview with Loudwire. He said: "At 35 years, it's time to collect my pension. [Laughs] This is a career move."

He continued: "I'm grateful that we've been around for 35 years; that's a really long time. So, yeah, to me, it is. Because when we started off, everything was great, because you're young and invincible. And then there came a time where I became a family man, and I had a tough time flying back and forth. And now, at this stage, at the level we're at now, I can do that; I can fly home when I want to, on days off, and spend some time with my family, which is something I wasn't able to do when [my kids] were growing up. Now they're both older and mature. So now I take advantage of that."

Araya added: "Yeah, it just gets harder and harder to come back out on the road. 35 years is a long time."

Tom also revealed another reason for his diminished enjoyment of the touring life. He said: "There's things that have gone on in my life that have made me change how I play as a bass player. I had neck surgery, so I can't headbang anymore. And that was a big part of what I enjoyed doing what I do — singing and headbanging. I liked knowing that I was one of the fucking badass headbangers. That played a big part. Now I just groove with the music, which is cool, because I'm grooving with the music and the feel of the songs, so that's changed a little for me."

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King later told Germany's EMP Rock Invasion that Araya was "very unclear" about his plans for the band's future. "That's just how he is," Kerry said. "I don't know if he likes holding his cards in his pocket or what."

He continued: "I mean, I don't have an answer. I'm holding off a lot of things I wanna do at home, just 'cause I don't know if I'm gonna be working in two years. I'm gonna be working, hopefully in SLAYER. Yeah, dude. What else am I gonna do? I came out of high school and fucking went on tour. [Laughs]"

Pressed about whether there was any end in sight for SLAYER, King said: "Not for me. Not for me, man — especially on such a good record [2015's 'Repentless']."

When the interviewer said that he was looking forward to another 35 years of SLAYER, Kerry said: "Well, I don't know about that. I'll take another record or two."

SLAYER has been touring in support of its latest album, "Repentless", which was released in September 2015 via Nuclear Blast. That effort marked the band's first release since the death of SLAYER's co-founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman.

Hanneman contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, in January 2011 from a spider bite in his backyard. The infection ravaged the flesh and tissues of Hanneman's arm, leading to numerous surgeries, skin grafts and intense periods of rehab that forced him into semi-retirement and left him near death at several points.

Hanneman eventually died in May 2013 from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver. He is credited for writing many of SLAYER's classic songs, including "Angel Of Death" and "South Of Heaven".

Original SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo was effectively fired from the band after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other members of SLAYER. He has since been replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001 and recorded four albums with the band.

According to the Spanish newspaper El Progreso, former JUDAS PRIEST drummer Dave Holland has passed away at the age of 69. The musician died on Tuesday, January 16 at Hospital Universitario Lucus Augusti in Lugo, Spain. The cause of his death has not been revealed, but his body has already been cremated, according to the newspaper.

Holland had reportedly been residing in Fonsagrada, a town and municipality in the province of Lugo in northwest Spain, after spending several years in a British jail for attempting to rape a teenage boy. The drummer was sentenced in January 2004 of trying to rape the 17-year-old in his cottage in Northamptonshire, England, while giving him drumming lessons. The abuse was revealed in a letter written by the teenager to his parents.

Holland always denied any involvement in the attempted rape of the special needs student and was at one point said to be planning to write a tell-all biography of his life and career.

According to El Progreso, Dave lived discreetly in a secluded part of Spain and was described by the neighbors who knew him as "very kind and polite."

Dave joined PRIEST in 1979 and stayed in the band for a decade, playing on such classic albums as "British Steel" (1980), "Point Of Entry" (1981), "Screaming For Vengeance" (1982), "Defenders Of The Faith" (1984), "Turbo" (1986), and "Ram It Down" (1988). He exited the band in 1989 and was replaced by Scott Travis. Holland was also a founding member of TRAPEZE alongside Glenn Hughes and Mel Galley, his bandmates from a previous group named FINDERS KEEPERS.

Holland was arguably the least popular of PRIEST's six drummers to date (John Hinch, Alan Moore, Simon Phillips, Les Binks, Dave Holland, and Scott Travis), with a 1986 Modern Drummer profile calling him "the Charlie Watts of heavy metal."

In a 2008 interview, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford stated about Holland: "I think there's an enormous respect for Dave and what he did for the band. As you know, we've had many drummers; we're almost like the living SPINAL TAP in some respects. The drumming for any band is absolutely vital — it's the anchor, and it's what keeps the band locked together. So after going through three or four drummers, we finally found the best man for the job, Scott Travis."

PRIEST bassist Ian Hill once described Holland's style as "very steady and solid. He doesn't try to fit things in and be fancy just for the sake of it. Dave's the sort of drummer that would rather leave something out and make his impact that way, instead of dealing with a real technical jazz-type drum fill. All I can say is that Dave's a damn good heavy rock drummer in my book."

While rumors are still flying thick and fast in the media, Thomas "Angelripper" Such has already announced the new lineup of his band SODOM: guitarist Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik (also formerly of KREATOR, ASSASSIN) has rejoined the group, with Stefan "Husky" Hüskens (ASPHYX, DESASTER) set to man the drum kit, and Yorck Segatz (BEYONDITION) on second guitar. Blackfire previously played with SODOM on the seminal albums "Persecution Mania", "Mortal Way Of Live" and "Agent Orange".

As he had hinted at the beginning of the year, Tom has opted for a lineup featuring two guitarists, an absolute novelty for SODOM. "Two guitarists allow us much more possibilities live, so we will be able to play tracks in future that we weren't able to perform as a trio," Tom said. In line with these new possibilities, the thrash act has already started to put together a setlist for the upcoming shows with all important classics as well as rare numbers that had never or only rarely been heard at their gigs. Tom added: "I can promise that we will really let it rip in future."

In Frank Blackfire, Yorck Segatz and Husky, Tom has consciously gone for musicians from his own background. "It's common knowledge that all three are exceptional instrumentalists and that heavy metal is their life," Tom explained. "But SODOM is also about getting on a personal level. The new band members are all dyed-in-the-wool SODOM fans and all live in Essen. Need I say more?"

While the guys have just moved into their new rehearsal room (Tom: "As it happens, exactly where it all started back in 1982!"), the SODOM mastermind is already looking to the future. "We'll start writing new material as soon as possible and plan to release a single with at least two brand-new numbers and a bonus track to give our fans a taste of our upcoming album," he promised. "The direction of the new material already stands: ready for action and full of adrenaline, SODOM are set to celebrate the glorious days of the 1980s old school thrash that we all grew up with and that the band has always been celebrated for."

A new SODOM single is expected to arrive this summer, with a full-length album to follow in the spring of 2019.

Former SODOM guitarist Bernd "Bernemann" Kost and drummer Markus "Makka" Freiwald released a joint statement earlier in the month claiming that they were fired from the band by Tom via messaging platform WhatsApp even before Tom had a chance to hear any of the material the duo had been working on for the group's next album.

Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL celebrated the 20th anniversary of their debut by playing a very special show, dubbed "Nothing Stands In Our Way", this past Friday (January 19) at London, England's O2 Forum Kentish Town. The unique extravaganza, which included visual effects, circus artists and enhanced stage production, was professionally filmed and recorded for future release.

The setlist was as follows:

01. A Current Obsession
02. 1.19
03. My Wings
04. End Of Time
05. Blood, Tears, Dust
06. Swamped
07. The Army Inside
08. Veins Of Glass
09. One Cold Day
10. The House Of Shame
11. When A Dead Man Walks
12. Tight Rope
13. Soul Into Hades
14. Hyperfast
15. I Like It
16. Heaven's A Lie
17. Senzafine
18. Closer
19. Comalies
20. Our Truth
21. Falling
22. Wide Awake

Encore:

23. I Forgive (But I Won't Forget Your Name)
24. Enjoy The Silence (DEPECHE MODE cover)
25. Nothing Stands In Our Way

Fan-filmed video footage can be seen below.

LACUNA COIL vocalist Andrea Ferro told Metal Nexus last fall that the 20th-anniversary concert would be "really special... with songs we've never played before, songs from the very early releases, and there's going to be interaction with a gothic circus doing stuff while we play. It's going to be special — unique and special."

LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia explained to Tattoo.com that "there is a reason" January 19 was chosen as the date for the anniversary show. "It's because 1/19 is recognized as 'Lacuna Coil Day,' because we have a song that's called '1.19', so the people from the fan club and the fans decided to declare it 'Lacuna Coil Day,'" she said. "And we thought about making a special show in London, because, logistically, we thought it was the easiest way to reach, even for people who are not coming from Europe, our area. Usually the flights are cheaper. Like, if you come from the States, it's easier to reach London than Milano, for instance, [which] is our hometown. So we thought about London."

LACUNA COIL is working on its first-ever book, also titled "Nothing Stands In Our Way", which is scheduled to be published later in the year.

"Nothing Stands In Our Way" is described as "the full 20-year story of the Italian gothfathers as told by the band in their own words. Illustrated throughout with rare and candid photographs, memorabilia and personal artefacts, it will see founding members Scabbia, Andrea Ferro and Marco Coti Zelati sifting through the birth, growth and full flowering of the band to tell 20 years of LACUNA COIL.

"Nothing Stands In Our Way" will be available around the world in two editions, the Classic and the limited-run Signature set.

Ferro told the Impact metal channel last year that LACUNA COIL fans will have to wait until at least 2019 for the follow-up to 2016's "Delirium" album.

Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) and Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) appeared as guests at this past Friday's (Janaury 19) "G3" concert at the Orpheum in Los Angeles, California. The "G3" tour features Joe Satriani, DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen and DREAM THEATER axeman John Petrucci. Hughes and Smith joined the three guitarists for a rendition of the DEEP PURPLE classic "Highway Star". Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

Smith and Hughes are featured on Satriani's 16th studio album, "What Happens Next", which was released on January 12 via Sony/Legacy Recordings. It marks the first time Smith and Satriani have recorded together since their work in the supergroup CHICKENFOOT.

Asked by radio personality Eddie Trunk how Hughes came to be involved with the project, Satriani said: "Just before [Glenn] put out his last solo record, which is mind-blowingly amazing, I had it in my mind that he would be a great bass player [to play on my record]. But I just thought it was a crazy thing to think of, because maybe the first thing that popped into my head was why would he ever say yes to just play bass on an album, because he's just this incredible singer. But it was sort of circulating in my head as I was doing the tour and I was thinking, 'Yeah, that would be so cool, 'cause then, if he did that, I could do this.' And then Chad's drumming popped into my head, and then I realized, 'You know, they've played a lot together, they've recorded together. I wonder if they would be willing to be the rhythm section for an all-instrumental record.'

"I innocently sent out these invitations, and so that's basically what happened — I sent out the invitation and just waited to see what was gonna happen, but I got immediate response from both of them that they were totally into it," he continued. "And the scheduling was crazy, and that's why we finished it so early, because I was really working around the schedule of the CHILI PEPPERS and BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION and trying to figure out when I could get ten days. And it wound up being ten days, but I had to go to L.A. to do it."

Satriani recalled the recording sessions for "What Happens Next", saying that "being at Sunset Sound [studios] with those two guys in the room, that was so cool. I really got what I was looking for, which was a real celebration of rock and soul and groove. Because I really wanted to move forward from progressive elements, from jazz or fusion or other elements of production that I had been working with the last number of records. I thought, 'I wanna make it more focused, more physical, more guitar-player, two-feet-on-the-ground sort of playing and writing about human things — not science fiction and crazy alter egos and all sorts of stuff like that.'"

In the end, Satriani said, "I couldn't have picked a better rhythm section; they were just absolutely amazing. And they wound up being… You know, when you've got just three guys recording, everybody's the star, and that's what I got. And I'm so happy."

MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson was interviewed for a recent episode of the "Thunder Underground" podcast. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below. A couple of excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On playing with various great drummers during his time in MEGADETH:

Ellefson: "Quite honestly, when I walk into any session at all, my saying 'yes' or 'no' to the gig usually depends on the drummer. [Laughs] I've played in some bands where you just wanna love it, and, man, if the drummer is just not grooving, or you're not grooving well with the drummer, it's a tough go — especially in metal. And yeah, in MEGADETH, we've had some incredible drummers. Chris Adler [LAMB OF GOD], he was a lot of fun to play with when he did the initial tours on the 'Dystopia' [cycle], and then, obviously, we knew he was gonna get busy with LAMB OF GOD. So we knew the search for a permanent drummer was gonna happen. And he had actually recommended Dirk [Verbeuren, ex-SOILWORK]. And when Dirk came in, the first day… He was initially just gonna fill in on a run of dates that Chris couldn't do and kind of heading towards, you know, this was probably gonna be a permanent-position kind of audition that we did with Dirk. And when he came in, Dirk was just… Man, great energy. And when he hits his snare, his snare is so loud, we have turn his snare down so much, even on a big stage like with MEGADETH, and that says a lot. There's a few guys that you can tell who they are by the sound of their snare drum — Kenny Aronoff is one, Alex Van Halen is another. So Dirk is one of those guys that, man, when he hits, he hits with conviction. And he's a real schooled, skilled drummer — he can pretty much play anything you throw at him — and it's a real treat to be able to work with Dirk."

On whether any music has already been written for the next MEGADETH album:

Ellefson: "A bunch of stuff has. MEGADETH records go through this process where everybody writes riffs and ideas and we start to scribble down thoughts and lyrics and concepts of songs. And then there comes this point where we start to throw it all into the pile, and Dave [Mustaine, guitar/vocals] will ultimately give it a listen and see if it works with something that he's conceiving or conceptualizing. And once in a while, you'll walk into something that'll just turn a whole different corner, which is fun, and other times you're just collaborating into an idea that Dave might have. This lineup is… 'cause we spend so much time together on the road and really becoming a team and becoming a band together has given a whole energy and a whole new breath and new life into MEGADETH, which is really cool. It feels like we've arrived at being a band — not just kind of getting from this record to the next record or from this tour to the next tour. I feel like we're really locked together as a team right now."

On whether Dave Mustaine will again produce the next MEGADETH album:

Ellefson: "Yeah. Look, what we did with 'Dystopia' worked well. And it's funny, because there were several different producers that had come in on that record. It's tough to be a producer to come into a band like MEGADETH, especially this many years into our career, because we're very decisive, we're very decided on what we want and what works and what doesn't. I mean, Dave, as the principal songwriter, of course, is gonna be pretty set in what he knows he wants to hear. On 'Dystopia', there was this mindset of, 'Let's just really step on the gas and go to the wall with this one — really hold nothing back.' And it turns out that's exactly what the fans wanted to hear. So it's nice to know that baseline of MEGADETH has been reset, and now we know what it is. So I think that makes the journey into the next record… there's kind of a confidence about it that's nice to have now."

MEGADETH is tentatively planning to enter the studio in mid-2018 to begin recording its new album for a 2019 release.

MEGADETH's upcoming effort will mark the group's first release to feature Verbeuren, who officially joined the group less than two years ago.

"Dystopia" was MEGADETH's first album with Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.

Legendary drummer Carmine Appice (BLUE MURDER, VANILLA FUDGE, KING KOBRA) was recently interviewed by Tigman of the Albany, New York radio station Q103. The full conversation can be streamed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):

On "Monsters And Heroes", a song from the new APPICE album "Sinister", which features vocalist Paul Shortino (ROUGH CUTT, KING KOBRA):

Carmine: "He's just a great, great singer. He's a good friend of mine. I call him my brother from another mother. We're so close, and any time I need vocals and lyrics, I call him because he's awesome. We did two KING KOBRA records together. 'Monsters And Heroes' actually started in 2011. It was written by me, Paul and Dave [Michael-Philips] from KING KOBRA. We recorded it with KING KOBRA and gave it to Wendy Dio to use for her foundation, the cancer foundation. They used it for two years, and anything that the record made money-wise went into the foundation. Then the rights came back to me. When we got this record deal, I said to [my brother] Vinny, 'You should listen to the song. I think it would be a great song for me and you to do for the album.' He loved the song, so we took that song and gave it to SPV as a demo, and they loved it and they signed us. When we did the record, we took the multi-track of that song, did some editing and fixing up and put Vinny on it, so actually Vinny and KING KOBRA are playing on that song. Then we released it, and we said, 'We were going to do the album dedicated to Ronnie.' Paul used to be managed by Wendy and Ronnie; Vinny played with him; he was like family to us; and I've known him since '78. I said, 'This is a natural.' The video, we got permission to use Ronnie's pictures in the video, and it's a real great tribute to Ronnie, who's a great singer and a great guy."

On his favorite act he ever performed with:

Carmine: "The stint with Rod Stewart had to be the most unbelievable time. You go in the studio; you record a record; you know you're going to sell five million records; you go out and you play, like, six nights at The Forum, which is 20,000 a night; then you go to Australia and play with 40,000 people in a stadium plus six nights at an 8,000-seater. It's, like, 100,000 people, almost. Then I co-wrote 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy', and it went to No. 1 and sold so much, and I made so much money and [it] brought me into a whole new status of my career. Learning a lot about songwriting from Rod, a lot about image. If you go out and do a drum clinic, don't just do a drum clinic. Make it an event. Giving money to charities. I learned so much from that whole experience with Rod that carried through to the rest of my career."

On the scariest moment he's experienced on the road:

Carmine: "I have been prone to these massive bloody noses. I had surgery ten years ago, and I just had another surgery, and they found something that was not correct in my body. There was a vein attached to an artery that went right to my nose, that shouldn't have been there. They said, 'If you have a nosebleed, it's like a faucet.' Right after the ['Monsters And Heroes'] video, I came back to New York and I ended up in the hospital for three days. Not supposed to happen according to the last surgery, but this one was more precise. Anyway, it's when I had some bloody noses on the road where it wouldn't stop. One time, I was in Australia and I was getting ready to go on and do a big clinic — there was, like, 800 people out there — and I was wearing a Sabian white gym suit, and I got a bloody nose and I bled all over the white. [Laughs] It wasn't good."

On whether he hopes VANILLA FUDGE will ever be nominated for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame:

Carmine: "I don't know. I gave up on that. I think if we were going to be in, we would have been in already. I'm very disappointed at it, because they should call it the 'Music Hall Of Fame', because they're bringing in people that are not rock n' roll. We influenced a lot of the people that they brought in already. Between VANILLA FUDGE and CACTUS, we influenced so many people back in the day. VANILLA FUDGE should have been brought in. I mean, DEEP PURPLE's brought in, right? We influenced DEEP PURPLE. We influenced LED ZEPPELIN. We influenced so many bands, but I don't really think we're ever going to get in. I don't really care. We're in the Long Island Hall Of Fame; I'm in the Modern Drummer Hall Of Fame; I'm getting a Heavy Metal Hall Of [History] award at the NAMM show; I'm on the RockWalk on Sunset Boulevard; so I think I personally left my mark, and VANILLA FUDGE left their mark too. 50 years, and we're still playing.."

On whether BLUE MURDER will ever reunite:

Carmine: "I doubt it. Me and Tony [Franklin, bass], last year we played with John [Sykes] at his house a couple of times and we thought we were gonna go out, and then it never happened. As Mike Portnoy asked me when he was trying to put THE WINERY DOGS concept together with John, he said, 'How do you get Sykes out of the house?' I said, 'Dude, I tried for 10 years, 12 years, I'm done.' Then I went back again and we tried again, and we still can't get him out of the house. The closest we got is 'Riot' on the 'Sinister' album, with Robin McAuley singing and GOV'T MULE's bass player, Jorgen Carlson, playing bass, and it sounds pretty damn good on that record."

"Sinister" — the first-ever joint studio record featuring both Carmine and Vinny — was released on October 27 through SPV/Steamhammer.

Photo credit: VintageRock.com

SAXON vocalist Biff Byford was recently interviewed by Diane Webb of Yesterdaze News. The full conversation can be streamed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):

On the group's new album, "Thunderbolt":

Biff: "We try to keep the same sort of guitar sound, which are very sort of vintage. Then we mix it together with fairly modern stuff. Andy Sneap produced the album, and he has a great way of keeping the sort of retro guitar sounds but adding something a little bit modern to it, so it sounds pretty cool to the modern ear."

On the group's upcoming North American tour with JUDAS PRIEST:

Biff: "We haven't done a long tour like this in America for quite some time. We did a few shows with JUDAS PRIEST a couple of years ago, but to be invited on a full tour is really, really special. It's really great. It's been a while since we were on the big stages in America, so we're looking forward to it. We play pretty big stages in Europe, so we're ready for it. We're trying to do as good of a production as possible. Obviously, it's a JUDAS PRIEST tour, not a SAXON tour, so we have to be a little bit aware that we can't bring everything, but we're going to try to make the show as great as possible, and do a few new songs and some of the big hits from the '80s. It should be cool."

On whether, after 22 albums, the band ever gets "tired" of performing anything live:

Biff: "No, we never get tired. The thing is, the songs belong to the audience, really. In the '80s, those songs were so big — 'Denim And Leather' and 'Power And The Glory' and 'Princess Of The Night', 'Wheels Of Steel' — they're such big songs with people that we never get tired of playing them. Each time we play to a different audience, so it's a different version, really."

On the new song "Predator", which features guest vocals by Johan Hegg of AMON AMARTH:

Biff: "They're good friends of ours. We like the band. We met them when they first started touring way back, several years ago. We like the viking rock. We feel like we're brothers-in-arms there. They're obviously a younger band than we are, but they grew up with SAXON in Sweden in the '80s, so they're big fans of SAXON, and we're big fans of theirs. When I wanted to do a lower voice on that song, I thought of Johan straight away. He was my first choice, and he did such a fantastic job. It sounds great. It's a little bit radical for us, but I don't like being predictable. I like taking a few chances with things like that, see if the fans like it."

On his thoughts on the state of heavy metal in 2018:

Biff: "I think where we come from — MOTÖRHEAD, JUDAS PRIEST and all those British bands, even the bands from the '70s like [BLACK] SABBATH — they all come from a very, very industrial, working-class background. That sort of background's not really there anymore in the U.K., and I know it's not there anymore in America, like Detroit and some of the big industrial towns. It's difficult these days, because a lot of bands have got recording equipment; they can mix; they can make records; they can write and record records in their garage and their bedrooms. It's a little bit changed. I find that a lot of new bands aren't quite so desperate. When we started, it was just cassettes and vinyl. I think that sort of attitude is gone now. I think it's a new attitude that young bands are writing stuff, because they're able to do that. They don't need a big studio. In some respects, I think it's better, but in other respects, it's not as good."

On his remaining goals:

Biff: "Apart from a platinum album in America... We'd like to go to China. We've done a lot of stuff, you know. But we still like touring and meeting our fans, and making new fans, especially in America. There's a lot of people in America who have sort of heard of 'Denim And Leather' but don't know who played the song, so I think we still have a lot of fans in America who we need to play to, who we haven't played to for years."

"Thunderbolt" will be released on February 2 via Militia Guard (Silver Lining Music). The follow-up to 2015's "Battering Ram" feature original artwork by longtime SAXON collaborator Paul Raymond Gregory.

The official video for the "Thunderbolt" title track, featuring footage from SAXON's pyro-filled performance at Wacken Open Air and a host of other live gigs, can be seen below.

SAXON will join JUDAS PRIEST on a North American tour that kicks off March 13 in in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and wraps on May 1 in San Antonio, Texas. Additional support on the trek will come from BLACK STAR RIDERS.

Tom Petty died of an accidental overdose due to a mixture of medications, his family has revealed. THE HEARTBREAKERS frontman passed away last October shortly after completing a tour celebrating the band's 40th anniversary. He was 66 years old.

According to a statement from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner, Petty was taking several medications, including Fentanyl, oxycodone, Xanax, Restoril, and Celexa.

The coroner's report lists his official cause of death as "multisystem organ failure due to resuscitated cardiopulmonary arrest due to mixed drug toxicity."

In a statement posted Friday (January 19) to the TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS Facebook page, Petty's widow, Dana, and eldest daughter, Adria, said that the medical examiner informed them Friday morning of the accidental overdose. "On the day he died, he was informed his hip had graduated to a full-on break and it is our feeling that the pain was simply unbearable and was the cause for his overuse of medication," they wrote.

Dana and Adria said that they "feel confident that this was, as the coroner found, an unfortunate accident," and they hope Petty's death leads to a greater conversation about the country's tragic opioid crisis. "Many people who overdose begin with a legitimate injury or simply do not understand the potency and deadly nature of these medications," they wrote.

Petty wrapped his 40th-anniversary tour with THE HEARTBREAKERS on September 25 at Los Angeles's Hollywood Bowl.

Petty's friend and collaborator Bob Dylan issued a statement to Rolling Stone, saying: "It's shocking, crushing news. I thought the world of Tom. He was great performer, full of the light, a friend, and I'll never forget him."

TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2002.

In 2005, Petty was awarded Billboard's Century Award, the organization's highest honor for creative achievement.

2016 saw Petty's induction into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.





Our family sat together this morning with the Medical Examiner – Coroner’s office and we were informed of their final...

Posted by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on Friday, January 19, 2018

Louisiana rockers LILLIAN AXE have released a new single, "The Weeping Moon". The track has been made available across all digital platforms, including iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and Google Play. The cover artwork was created by Todd Schmidt.

"The Weeping Moon" will appear on LILLIAN AXE's 14th album, "From Womb To Tomb", tentatively due this fall.

LILLIAN AXE guitarist and songwriter Steve Blaze stated about "The Weeping Moon": "This track was going to be the bonus track for the best-of-the-ballads album. However, we decided to put our efforts directly into the new studio record. Thematically, this song fits perfectly on the new album, but we decided to release it as a single to give you guys at least something new to listen to. I think you will find this song pleasing, especially if you have a fondness for songs such as 'The Needle And Your Pain' and 'See You Someday'."

LILLIAN AXE's latest album, "XI: The Days Before Tomorrow", was released in 2012 in Europe through Germany's AFM Records and in North America via CME Records.

Blaze told Headbangers Lifestyle in a 2017 interview that LILLIAN AXE is "making the best music of our lives. We still have the same energy we have always had," he said. "LILLIAN AXE will keep going until we drop!"

LILLIAN AXE's last release was 2014's "One Night In The Temple", recorded acoustically in an intimate setting housed in a Masonic Temple in the Bayou with the band's most diehard fans.

On March 23, THUNDER will release the brand new live album, "Stage", through earMUSIC.

"Stage" features hits from right across the band's career and includes fan-favorite classics, like "Backstreet Symphony", "Low Life In High Places" and "Love Walked In", and brings things right up to date with tracks from the 2017-released, Top 3 U.K. chart album "Rip It Up", like the storming title track and "She Likes The Cocaine".

"Stage" was captured at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena on March 24, 2017 during the U.K. tour; the band also played the rest of Europe, North America, and Asia, across Germany with Alice Cooper, at Planet Rock's Rockstock.

A performance video for the song "The Thing I Want", taken from "Stage", can be seen below.

Frontman Danny Bowes says: "The 'Rip It Up' album was so well-received — it was no surprise the tour was brilliant, too. We decided to include a Cardiff Motorpoint Arena show on the tour, purely because it was so good when we played there with JOURNEY and WHITESNAKE in 2013. Capturing it as well turned out to be one of our better decisions, because the resulting film and album are a shining example of an organic 'coming together' of fans and a band. We've released a few live recordings over the years, but this is most definitely up there with the best of them. We're extremely pleased with it."

"Stage" will be available as a 2-CD + Blu-ray, 3-LP, DVD, Blu-ray and a limited-edition box set.

The audio-visual formats will feature a host of bonus and interview material, while the limited-edition box set will include also boast the full "Live At The 100 Club" set, the "29 Minutes Later" acoustic set (only previously available as a Record Store Day release), and the documentary film "A Difficult Day In January: Thunder In London".

Since forming in 1989, THUNDER has established itself at the top table of U.K. rock, notching up some 20 Top 50 singles and two gold albums. The band's sound is a timeless marriage of unforgettable melodies and sheer rock power.

"Stage" track listing:

CD1:

01. No One Gets Out Alive
02. The Enemy Inside
03. River of Pain
04. Resurrection Day
05. Right From the Start
06. Backstreet Symphony
07. Higher Ground
08. In Another Life

CD2:

01. The Thing I Want
02. Don't Wait For Me
03. Rip It Up
04. Love Walked In
05. I Love You More Than Rock 'n' Roll
06. Wonder Days
07. She Likes the Cocaine
08. Dirty Love