German metal legends Blind Guardian have shared a new video along with the following message:


"Wacken Open Air! We had a blast! Your enthusiasm and support turned the show into an epic celebration of metal. Thank you for an incredible night at the holy ground! Here’s the recap video produced by PixelEye Industries, with additional footage by Damir Palic of ‪Burning Tiger."‬  







Right on time with their show at 2024’s edition of Wacken Open Air, Blind Guardian, proudly present Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited, which includes a complete re-recording of this classic as well as a live celebration of 1992’s Somewhere Far Beyond, a landmark record in the history of the band.


Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited, which was recorded in 2022 and 2023, is a refreshing and powerful tribute to one of the most influential albums in German metal history. It paved the way for Blind Guardian’s international career that is still going strong today and this re-recording impresses with all the class and quality these pioneers have been known and respected for since forming as Lucifer’s Heritage three decades ago.


Watch a live video for the revisited version of their most popular track, "The Bard's Song - In The Forest":





Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited is out today and can be listened to in full at any streaming service or purchased in physical form. Get it here





Tracklisting:


"Time What is Time" (Revisited)
"Journey Through the Dark" (Revisited)
"Black Chamber" (Revisited)
"Theatre of Pain" (Revisited)
"The Quest for Tanelorn" (Revisited)
"Ashes to Ashes" (Revisited)
"The Bard’s Song – In the Forest" (Revisited)
"The Bard’s Song – The Hobbit" (Revisited)
"The Piper’s Calling" (Revisited)
"Somewhere Far Beyond" (Revisited)


"The Quest for Tanelorn" (Revisited) video:





"Ashes To Ashes" live at Hellfest 2022 video:





About Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited:


Right on time with their show at 2024’s edition of Wacken Open Air, Blind Guardian proudly announce the release of Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited on August 2 which includes a complete re-recording of this classic as well as a live celebration of 1992’s Somewhere Far Beyond, a landmark record for Germany’s heavy metal titans. After three albums on No Remorse Records, it was the band’s major label debut via Virgin Records and opened the doors to the Japanese market resulting in a wider availability and presence on the global metal scene. After finding the right balance of speed, heaviness, melodies, drama, and irresistible choruses on 1990’s Tales From The Twilight World, Somewhere Far Beyond honed this approach to perfection, evolving further on a conceptual level and increasing Blind Guardian’s sonic range. On Somewhere Far Beyond the band experimented with keyboards, orchestrations, and folk elements, the latter manifesting in the group’s best-known song and live staple, "The Bard's Song (In The Forest)", whereas other tracks like "Ashes to Ashes", the rapid "Journey Through The Dark" or "The Quest For Tanelorn" connected well with previous mostly fast-paced albums yet offered an additional push in dynamics.


Fast forward 30 years! Prior to releasing the much lauded opus The God Machine in September 2022, Blind Guardian had been performing Somewhere Far Beyond in its entirety at Rock Hard Festival and Hellfest in Summer 2022 in front of tens of thousands of fans singing along to each track. Both shows were filmed and recorded professionally and aired via WDR and ARTE. For the limited triple-disc-edition of Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited the Hellfest material was newly edited by the band’s long-time videographer Dirk Behlau using additional multi-cam footage.


The idea of re-recording the album originated from the rehearsals for these shows as Hansi Kürsch explains in the detailed liner notes: “The original idea wasn’t to do a re-recording. When rehearsing for the anniversary gigs, corona hit and we couldn’t be certain that those shows would take place. We still wanted to celebrate the anniversary of the album and if we wouldn’t be able to include a live version, we initially thought we could at least record the rehearsals.”


Not 100% satisfied with those rough versions, Blind Guardian decided to go all in, knowing the risk of being frowned upon by fans who consider re-recordings utter blasphemy. “We tried to recapture what we did in 1992 but compensate youth with skillful experience, though in a hungry way. We never discussed any major changes but with over 30 years of experience, and our current line-up, those ingredients already add a new flavor to it.” With the basic tracks recorded in a live setting, Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited is leaner and more focused on impact in terms of guitar arrangements yet retains all the harmonies and melodies essential to the original. “We finally ended up with this cool hybrid version”, André adds. “We combined how we play the songs today, but at the same time, really tried to retain that speed metal spirit of the early 90s!”


Tour dates:


August
9 - Leyendas del Rock - Villena (Alicante), Spain
17 - Reload Festival - Sulingen, Germany
18 - Burg Open Air - Illingen, Germany


December
16 - Reading 2 - Tel Aviv, Israel





(Photo - Dirk Behlau)

Dreamless Veil sign to Relapse and announce their debut album, Every Limb Of The Flood, out September 20.


Dreamless Veil, featuring members of Inter Arma, Artificial Brain, and Psycroptic manifest terrifying blackened extreme metal and offer one of the year's most haunting releases. Listen to the band’s new song “A Generation of Eyes” below.


Pre-order Every Limb Of The Flood on LP/CD/Digital via Relapse.com here.




Dreamless Veil Is an extreme metal band composed of Artificial Brain guitarist Dan Garguilo, Inter Arma / Artificial Brain vocalist Mike Paparo and Psycroptic drummer Dave Haley.


Dreamless Veil’s debut, Every Limb Of The Flood, is a blackened concept album that follows the travails of Grief, a character who awakens from extended debauchery and begins the slow and torturous process of trying to disappear completely.


Through tracks such as "A Generation of Eyes", "Saturnism", and "Cyanide Mine" Vocalist Mike Paparo and co. task the listener to consider what it would be like for an individual to fully disappear. Dreamless Veil delves into this murk through eight tracks - dramatic swells, melodic crescendos, and abrasive blast-beat poundings make way to more introspective moments ultimately resulting in pure horror.


Paparo explores the concept of corporeal disintegration with pained shrieks and disembodied bellows, resulting in one of the most unchained performances of his storied career. Lyrics for the record show, but don't tell. Dreamless Veil's concept alludes to misery leading to grotesquery - the opener "Dim Golden Rave" throws the listener into an ambiguous time and place: "Grief, spiritless, collapses against the filth-ridden street". The second track, "A Generation of Eyes" follows this narrative by invoking Neil Young, quoting him to the extent of "rust never sleeps." What ensues is a grief so powerful it decomposes from within. The end result manifests in the album closer "Dreamless" - the body is now fully discarded, hinting at a possible enlightenment through a horrible, gruesome process.


Sonically, Every Limb Of The Flood is a caustic, corrosive journey. Critically acclaimed drummer David Haley flexes some of his most creative drum work to date, dragging the listener through wild tempo changes, breakneck speeds that come to sudden halts, while guitarist Dan Gargiulo (Artificial Brain) interweaves disorienting guitar madness.  


Recorded by Brett Bamberger (Revocation) Every Limb Of The Flood was mixed by Gargiulo and mastered by Colin Marston (Gorguts, Krallice, and more.)





Every Limb Of The Flood tracklisting:


"Dim Golden Rave"
"A Generation Of Eyes"
"Saturnism"
"The Stirring Of Flies"
"Cyanide Mine"
"Every Limb Of The Flood"
"Glossolalia"
"Dreamless"


"A Generation Of Eyes":





Dreamless Veil Is:


Dan Gargiulo - Guitars, Bass, Synth and Vocals
Dave Haley - Drums
Mike Paparo - Vocals


(Photos by Julie Ferguson and Robert Brens)

Thrash metal mavens, Nervosa, have released a dual guitar playthrough for "Jailbreak", the title track of the band's firth album,  released in September 2023. This is the first album featuring Prika Amaral on vocals and guitars, and also the first one with two guitars.





Nervosa will launch their first ever headline tour of the US and Canada, beginning later this month. On the road for nearly a month-and-a-half, the tour will visit major locations such as Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Brooklyn, Montreal and Chicago - including seven total stops in Canada - coming to an end in mid-October. The tour will feature support from Lich King and Hatriot.




Get your tickets here.


Nervosa's Prika Amaral about the upcoming North American tour: "We're excited to be coming to North America with an awesome lineup of new wave thrash metal. We have waited so long to get back and will be bringing a very special show for you all! Don't wait, get your tickets & VIP now. It's our jailbreak!"





Tour dates:


August
29 - Milwaukee, WI - Blades Of Steel Festival
30 - Minneapolis, MN - White Rock Lounge
31 - Iowa City, IA - Wildwood


September
1 - Lincoln, NE - Cosmic Eye
2 - Denver, CO - HQ
4 - Salt Lake City, UT - Aces High Saloon
5 - Boise, ID - The Shredder
6 - Vancouver, BC, Canada - The Rickshaw Theater
7 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon / Funhouse
8 - Portland, OR - Dante's
10 - Sacramento, CA - Harlow's
11 - Las Vegas, NV - The Usual Place
12 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
13 - Los Angeles, CA - Whisky a Go Go
14 - Mesa, AZ - The Nile Underground
15 - Tucson, AZ - The Rock
16 - El Paso, TX - The RockHouse
18 - Austin, TX - Come and Take It Live
19 - Houston, TX - The White Oak
20 - Dallas, TX - RBC
21 - Fayetteville, AR - George's Majestic Lounge
22 - Nashville, TN - The End
24 - Atlanta, GA - Boggs Social & Supply
25 - Orlando, FL - Conduit
27 - Spartanburg, SC - Ground Zero
28 - Greensboro, NC - Hangar 1819
29 - Jacksonville, NC - Hooligans


October
2 - Mechanicsburg, PA - Lovedraft's
3 - Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz
4 - Brooklyn, NY - The Meadows
5 - Quebec City, Quebec, Canada - La Source
6 - Montreal, Quebec, Canada - Les Foufounes Électriques
8 - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - The 27 Club
9 - Kingston, Ontario, Canada - The Mansion
10 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Hard Luck
11 - London, Ontario, Canada - Rum Runners
12 - Detroit, MI - The Sanctuary
13 - Chicago, IL - Reggies


Nervosa is:


Prika Amaral – Vocals and guitars
Helena Kotina – Guitars
Hel Pyre – Bass
Michaela Naydenova – Drums


(Photo - Akis Zaralis)

As I Lay Dying have released the new tour recap video below. Follow the band across the midwest US with live footage from the stage and behind the scenes. Video by Justice Dodson.





As I Lay Dying recently released the new single "The Cave We Fear To Enter", available to stream now via Napalm Records and accompanied by a music video directed by Tom Flynn.







The lyrical concept behind "The Cave We Fear To Enter" began with an idea from bass player/vocalist Ryan Neff, inspiring vocalist Tim Lambesis to develop the lyrical message further. The balladic track begins pensively before charging into an emotive melodic metalcore opus. Like "Burden", the new track was co-produced by guitarist Phil Sgrosso and Hiram Hernandez, mixed by Aaron Chaparian and mastered by Ted Jensen.


Frontman Tim Lambesis offers about the lyrical process behind "The Cave We Fear To Enter": "This is the first time I’ve written lyrics based on an idea started by someone else in the band. Sometimes, when we try out different melodies, we’ll temporarily use words that just happen to fit as a placeholder. But on this song, Ryan chose words that he felt represented what he had been processing leading up to the demo. It felt right for me to leave that therapeutic expression in place. So, when I took over, the imagery of a cave where you face your fears came to mind. While I only know a little of Joseph Campbell’s work, the imagery brought to mind a quote of his that I remembered and used for inspiration as well."


Guitarist Phil Sgrosso chimes in on the development of the song musically and working with video director Tom Flynn again: "'The Cave We Fear To Enter' may be one of our most adventurous songs to date. We broke out of a lot of old habits and formulaic moves to create something that touches on a lot of emotional elements we haven't explored so deeply before. From its inception, it was instantly a favorite for all of us.


"We really enjoyed collaborating with Tom Flynn on the video to combine the storylines between 'Burden' and 'The Cave We Fear to Enter', continuing the journey of the character through new environments and circumstances. It was a lot of fun to take new creative risks to tell this story visually alongside the somber and uplifting nature of the song."


Stream/download "The Cave We Fear To Enter" here. Watch the music video below:





Phil Sgrosso said about the previous track and video, "Burden": "It's a pretty special moment for us to finally share some new music! 'Burden' was originally inspired by a guitar melody I wrote years ago on an old demo, thinking that it was lost for good in the demo abyss. It wasn't until Tim dug it up and was inspired to shape a new song idea for it. The collaboration process with our co-producer Hiram Hernandez and new members brought new life to not only the song but the band as a whole, as we faced this new creative chapter together. Musically, we feel that 'Burden' represents a familiar part of our melodic history combined with a modern sense of energy and aggression. We really pushed ourselves to expand our musical capabilities in every department. We look forward to the addition of 'Burden' into our live show as well as introducing more music we've been working hard on over the past few years. Stay tuned.


"It was a phenomenal experience working with Tom Flynn on the video for 'Burden'. We were fans of his creative approach to modern music videos and could sense his high level of enthusiasm to deliver a video that would match the intensity of the song. He completely knocked it out of the park capturing the band performance and shaping a captivating concept which we will expand further into the release of our second single release..."


Watch behind the scenes footage from the shoot for the "Burden" music video, as well as the official video, below:








As I Lay Dying's 2024 European headline tour, "Through Storms Ahead Tour", kicks off on November 15 in Würzburg, Germany and will trek through several more countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden and Norway, coming to an end on December 15 in Oberhausen, Germany. The tour will feature support from Caliban, Decapitated and Left To Suffer.


For tickets, merchandise and more information, visit asilaydying.com.


Phil Sgrosso about the European tour: "Europe has become a second home to us so we always look forward to returning for a 'go big and go hard' headline tour. Traveling alongside us will be Germany's very own Caliban, Poland's finest death metal legends Decapitated, and the pummeling Left to Suffer. Each show will be a night to celebrate heavy music with the fans, let's make it a memorable one together."


Through Storms Ahead Europe 2024 (with Caliban, Decapitated, Left To Suffer)


November
15 - Würzburg, Germany - Posthalle
16 - Prague, Czech Republic - Sasazu
18 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Film Studios
19 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller
21 - Helsinki, Finland - Kulttuuritalo
23 - Stockholm,Sweden - Fållan
24 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Amager Bio
25 - Berlin, Germany - Huxleys
26 - Warsaw, Poland - Progresja
27 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
28 - Vienna, Austria - Gasometer
29 - Munich, Germany - Zenith
30 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz


December
1 - Rome, Italy - Orion
3 - Zürich, Switzerland - Xtra
4 - Lyon, France - Transbordeur
5 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz
6 - Madrid, Spain - Riviera
8 - Paris, France - Trianon
9 - Saarbrücken, Germany - E-Werk
10 - Brussels, Belgium - AB
11 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
13 - Hamburg, Germany - Inselpark Arena
14 - Leipzig, Germany - Haus Auensee
15 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle


(Caliban & Decapitated to rotate depending on market)


As I Lay Dying lineup:


Tim Lambesis - vocals
Phil Sgrosso - guitar
Ryan Neff - bass/vocals
Ken Susi - guitar
Nick Pierce - drums

Back in early 2016, as part of "The Roth Show", David Lee Roth shared a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Baby Driver". Now the former Van Halen frontman is back with the new video below, performing one of his dance routines to the song.










Also in 2016, Roth released an episode of The Roth Show entitled “One last cup of coffee…”, which included his cover of Gerry Rafferty’s 1978 hit, “Baker Street”. The Mojo Dojo, "A David Lee Roth Tribute Channel", has since released a new video to accompany the cover.


Animator Ramses Rios states: "If you know by now how much I love that old red bomb of Dave’s, I had to add her to this video. Featuring Daves’s 51’ Merc, illustrated by me. With everything going on in the world today, we all need a little David Lee Roth in our lives to make things better. Enjoy!"

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx has paid tribute to AEROSMITH after the legendary Massachusetts rockers announced that they were officially retiring from touring due to Steven Tyler's vocal injury.

AEROSMITH made the announcement on August 2 — nearly one year after the now-76-year-old singer fractured his larynx during a September 2023 show.

Earlier today (Tuesday, August 6),Sixx took to his social media to share the following message: "In 1973, a fifteen-year-old kid named Frank Feranna walked into a record store alone and emerged with the first AEROSMITH album in hand. I would carry that album with me everywhere, including to friends' houses, confessing to them that this was the future of rock 'n' roll.

"As the years rolled on, my opinion never changed. Lyrically, musically, rhythmically, and especially with those monster songs, AEROSMITH was unparalleled. Their entire catalog is outstanding, but those first five albums were the holy grail for a young, future Nikki Sixx.

"I recently sat on the cliffs in St. Barths, playing along to those albums. Can I just say, Tom Hamilton's work continues to inspire me, and what a rhythm section they had with Joey Kramer behind that kit. Joe Perry and Brad Whitford wove those guitars back and forth to the point you sometimes couldn't distinguish the dueling guitars because the sound became one big kick to the side of the head. Steven Tyler, to me, has always been the ultimate singer, lyricist, and showman, but personally, he's a man who helped me at the beginning of my sobriety. I've been lucky to become a peer, a friend, and always a fan of this great American rock 'n' roll band.

"Thank you, AEROSMITH, for everything."

This past May, Sixx was asked by the KSHE 95 radio station if there was something — a TV show, a specific album or going to a concert — that made him decide to pursue playing music as a career. He responded: "It was hands down AEROSMITH. There's no other band that even comes close to what touched my heart as a 14-year-old. And those first five albums, I don't think anybody can touch 'em, in my opinion. They're like [LED] ZEPPELIN, [BLACK] SABBATH — those first five AEROSMITH albums. I mean, I know every lyric — I know that so inside out that I almost like fall under 'superfan' [when it comes to] that stuff. And they're great guys. We've got to tour with them before. But, man, put on AEROSMITH'Rocks', and then put on anybody else's record. And they're, like, 'Sorry. We shouldn't have put that record on.'"

Three years ago, Sixx told SPIN that the first five AEROSMITH LPs were "huge albums" for him. "But when I got the first AEROSMITH album — I heard this raw, dirty, garage band — it was like the amps were spitting and sputtering, and the drums were in the pocket, and Steven Tyler's approach on 'One Way Street' to 'Make It', to me, that was like the moment that set up the rest of their career," he said. "And for me, I always go back to that record as one of the most important records, and obviously 'Dream On' is on that record, which is a standout on its own for a first album."

Last year, Sixx named "Rocks" the greatest album of all time. He explained to Classic Rock magazine: "That album captured everything for me. It was raw, and dirty, and yet there was something going on that, especially when I was a kid, I couldn't really understand, because there were so many rhythms and overdubs. It's such a well-crafted album, song-wise, and with the energy of the band… it's an amazing album. Maybe it didn't become a commercial monster like 'Permanent Vacation', but when I was a teenager, 'Toys In The Attic' and 'Rocks' were monsters."

In AEROSMITH's original announcement, the band wrote: "As you know, Steven's voice is an instrument like no other. He has spent months tirelessly working on getting his voice to where it was before his injury. We've seen him struggling despite having the best medical team by his side. Sadly, it is clear, that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible.

"We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision - as a band of brothers - to retire from the touring stage," the statement continued. "We are grateful beyond words for everyone who was pumped to get on the road with us one last time."

The band also thanked its fans for their constant support.

"Thanks to you, our Blue Army, that spark caught flame and has been burning for over five decades," the statement read. "Some of you have been with us since the beginning and all of you are the reason we made rock 'n' roll history."

"It has been the honor of our lives to have our music become part of yours. In every club, on every massive tour and at moments grand and private you have given us a place in the soundtrack of your lives," the statement continued.

The "Peace Out" tour came to a halt after what turned out to be a final gig in Elmont, New York on September 9, 2023. That show came just three dates into the trek, which was supposed to last through February 2024. Tyler said in a statement at the time that the injury caused bleeding but that he hoped he and his AEROSMITH bandmates would be back on the road after postponing a few shows.

The rescheduled "Peace Out" tour was due to begin September 20 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with special guests THE BLACK CROWES.

Tickets for remaining dates of the "Peace Out" tour will be refunded through Ticketmaster. If fans purchased tickets through a third-party reseller like StubHub or SeatGeek, refunds will be available through that point of purchase.

AEROSMITH hasn't made a studio album since "Music From Another Dimension!", which came out in 2012.

Tyler released a solo LP in 2016.

In 1973, a fifteen-year-old kid named Frank Feranna walked into a record store alone and emerged with the first...

Posted by Nikki Sixx on Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Belgian classic rock band, Beyond The Labyrinth, have released their new single, "Fear's The Killer", with new vocalist, Johan Lotigiers. The single is available on all streaming platforms. Listen below.





Johan Lotigiers made his debut with Beyond The Labyrinth on July 6 during the Coq Rock festival in De Haan. With his energetic performance, he managed to enchant the audience and his joining the band was received with great enthusiasm.




Every year, radio station Classic 21 pays attention to Belgian hard rock and metal bands in a special broadcast in their "100% Belge" special. Beyond The Labyrinth wanted to sign up, but it was short notice and they didn't have any recordings with Johan yet. So things moved quickly and Johan chose a song from the large repertoire that Beyond The Labyrinth has released since 1996. For this new recording of "Fear's The Killer", Beyond The Labyrinth worked with Bram Van Den Berghe, who did the recording and mixing. The mastering was done by Pieter De Wagter (Equus).


The single "Fear's The Killer" is a re-recording of a Beyond The Labyrinth classic from 2011, with the new version offering a fresh and updated interpretation of the original song.

Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to announce the release of the sixth studio album from Radioactive, Reset, out on October 11 marking a brilliant return for the AOR project masterminded by Swedish guitarist/songwriter/producer, Tommy Denander.


The first single and accompanying video, “Sentimental”, is available now and offers a first taste of what to expect from this new melodic rock gem. Watch the video below.


Tommy Denander describes the new single as “a very “Toto-ish” sounding AOR rocker with Jim Jidhed singing, a song I’m sure all the fans who have missed that early Radioactive sound will love! Another big passion in life for me is creating artwork for albums, including this album, but also doing videos and this feels like one of the best I’ve done so far."




After working as a studio musician in Sweden, Tommy Denander moved to Los Angeles in 1987, when he was only 19 years old. There, he met some of the top players in town, from Toto band members to David Foster, Bill Champlin, and Michael Landau. When Toto played in Sweden in 1991, Tommy asked them if they would play on his first album if he got a record deal and, to his amazement, they all said yes. Only a few days later, Tommy signed with Sony, and in October of that year he travelled to Los Angeles to record the first Radioactive album with Jeff Porcaro, Mike Porcaro, Steve Porcaro and David Paich as his backing band.


Ceremony Of Innocence was released in 2001 and received stunning reviews worldwide, charting in Europe and Japan, and was followed by three albums with a sensational cast of musicians, including musical giants as Bobby Kimball, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Porcaro, Yngwie Malmsteen, Bruce Kulick, Neal Schon, Michael Landau, Steve Lukather, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jimi Jamison and more. The fifth album under the Radioactive moniker, X.X.X., was released by Frontiers Music on March 11, 2022.


As with the previous Radioactive releases, Denander has brought in a wealth of vocal talent to add their unique abilities to the proceedings, with the likes of Jeff Paris (Y&T, Cinderella), Robin McAuley (MSG, ex-Survivor), Joey Vana (Mecca), Jim Jidhed (Alien) and the awesome new vocal talent “Dio” Harris, whom he scouted in the Middle East, all making significant contributions.


Once again Tommy Denander plays guitar, bass and keyboards, while legendary producer Mutt Lange (Def Leppard, Bryan Adams, AC/DC, Foreigner etc.) appears on background vocals and co-writing two originals. Other special guests include Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel) and Keith Scott (Bryan Adams guitarist) appearing on the title track.


Discussing the sound of the new record, Tommy explains: “Reset is a return to the sound of my first records, a more classic AOR, and I’ve chosen to use fewer singers to give it a bit more of a band sound. The title Reset stands for me pushing that lovely button to reset Radioactive back to the sound where I started it so I hope you all will enjoy it much as I do!”


“This time I did four songs each with two dear friends and top class singers, Jim Jidhed and Jeff Paris. Added to their magic are the equally superb Robin McAuley, Joey Vana and new rising star Harris Dio Zindani. And since this year is the 40th anniversary of my first album ever, I decided to sing lead vocals on half of a song!” continues Denander. “I’m really happy to have done a couple of songs with my dear friend and mentor Mutt Lange, who also sings backing vocals on them. I’m also very proud to have the legendary Tony Levin on bass and Keith Scott on guest solo on the album.”


Denander is the master of hard but melodic rock, with a real touch of class, and you cannot go wrong with any Radioactive album. Reset showcases a collection of energetic and melodic songs to celebrate Tommy's talent in composing great melodic hits. An absolute must if you are into Bryan Adams, Toto and classic Def Leppard music.


Pre-order the new album here.





Reset tracklisting:


"Sentimental"
"Shame On You, Shame On Me"
"Gaia"
"When The Lights Go Down"
"In A Perfect World"
"Reset"
"Midnight Train"
"Open Spaces"
"Sweet Little Tina"
"Hard Times To Fall In Love"
"Breakaway"


"Sentimental" video:





Lineup:


Tommy Denander - Guitar, bass. keyboards, lead & backing vocals


Guest musicians:


Jeff Paris - Lead & backing vocals
Jim Jidhed - Lead vocals
Robin McAuley - Lead & backing vocals
Joey Vana - Lead & backing vocals
Harris Dio Zindani - Lead vocals
Mutt Lange - Backing vocals
Lenna Paris - Backing vocals
Neil Anami - Drums & percussion
Keith Scott - Guest solo on “Reset”
Tony Levin - Bass on “Reset”
Tony Nilsson - Additional keyboards & programming on “Reset”
Jeremy Rubolino - Strings


(Photo - Marty Punch)

Up-and-coming Italian power metal unit, Frozen Crown, are gearing up to unleash their new studio album and Napalm Records debut, War Hearts, out October 18.


Founded in 2017, Frozen Crown has garnered significant media exposure with their previous four albums and their massive hit, "Neverending”, which has gathered over 11 million views on YouTube to date. The fresh ten track offering marks their first as a six-piece band, capturing the essence of Frozen Crown's dynamic sound brimming with powerful riffs, unforgettable melodies, and raw energy.


Today, the band has revealed their driving single, "Steel And Gold”, featuring swift guitar riffs, relentless drums and a catchy refrain. Transporting the uplifting spirit to keep on fighting, the track is accompanied by an official music video that captures the band in a stunning castle ruin.




Giving a first impression of the youthful, raw and passionate approach to metal, get ready to experience their powerful live performances as the band heads out on tour with Kamelot in the fall of this year.


Frozen Crown comments the new single "Steel And Gold": "We're extremely excited to have the ‘Steel And Gold’ official video finally released via Napalm Records. This is the fulfillment of years of hard work, as well as a fresh start! This video doesn't deviate from the usual Frozen Crown style, it just consolidates it. Very often, our videos have been labeled as 'just a bunch of people having the time of their lives playing metal in some beautiful scenery... plus a lot of hair'. We must say, we totally agree!


This time, though, the beautiful scenery is the gorgeous "Castello dei Doria", in Dolceacqua, Liguria, in northwestern Italy, and the 'bunch of people’ is just one more person on guitar, adding firepower (and hair) to the ensemble. ‘Steel and Gold” is a song about loyalty, integrity and self improvement. It’s about remaining true to your ideals and about the search for unattainable perfection.”


Check out the official music video for "Steel And Gold" below.


During its short lifespan, the relentless band has performed at several festivals like Sabaton Open Air, Metal Fest Plzen and Rock Imperium Festival, headlined two Japanese tours and followed extensive European touring with significant bands such as DragonForce and Nanowar Of Steel – dubbed by a tour with U.D.O. in 2023. Joined by their newest member, 18-year-old guitar prodigy Alessia Lanzone, the band's characteristic sound has been expanded by her skills, adding depth and complexity to their performances.


Featuring all members on the recording for the first time, War Hearts symbolizes a fresh start and pays homage to the legendary Children Of Bodom with its album title, a band that inspired Frozen Crown's youthful, raw and passionate approach to metal. Addressing themes of self-improvement, awareness, personal growth and inner struggles, album opener and title track "War Hearts” is about fighting for your dreams in the darkest of nights and creates a powerful and uplifting message of always staying strong, making it through the storm as war angels. "I Am The Wind” features soaring choruses with dual vocals from frontwoman Jade and guitarist Federico, ingenious guitar riffs and perfectly blended drums, while the lyrics inspire listeners to let go like the wind and rise to shine again. To wrap up the album, tracks like "Edge of Reality”, inspired by the ’86 Highlander movie, and "Bloodlines”, referencing the Vampire: The Masquerade series of board and video games, showcase the band's colorful storytelling.


Frozen Crown constantly define and refine their sound, pushing their trademark elements to new levels of complexity without forgetting the characteristic catchy hooks. War Hearts exceeds their previous successes and solidifies their place in the global metal scene.


Frozen Crown on their new album: "War Hearts is our fifth album, but it's also the first one as a 6-piece band and the first one on Napalm Records. It’s also the first album where all members actually make their appearance on the recording. For these reasons, War Hearts represents a new beginning, a fresh start, and it may be considered the first episode of Frozen Crown "reboot”. We wrote and arranged this album acting like we had no history at all, never afraid to repeat some of our trademark stylistic features. On the contrary, we highlighted and gave more value to them, to make our new songs sound 100% like us. We worked hard on the material to cut away all the useless parts and make the songs as catchy and straightforward they could be, and to make them sound like quintessential Frozen Crown.”





War Hearts will be available in the following formats:


- Ltd. 1LP Gatefold Crystal Clear Black Marbled (Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive) - strictly ltd. to 200 copies
- 1LP Gatefold Translucent Red (Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive)
- Digisleeve
- Digital


Pre-order here.





War Hearts tracklisting:


"War Hearts"
"Steel And Gold"
"To Live To Die"
"Night Of The Wolf"
"On Silver Wings"
"Edge Of Reality"
"Bloodlines"
"I Am The Windv
"King Of The Sky"
"Ice Dragon"


"Steel And Gold" video:





Frozen Crown are:


Giada "Jade" Etro - vocals
Federico Mondelli - vocals, guitar
Fabiola Bellomo - guitar
Francesco Zof - bass
Niso Tomasini - drums
Alessia Lanzone - guitar


(Photo - Federico Mondelli, Alessia Lanzone)

In a new interview with Seb Di Gatto of The Metal Gods Meltdown, UFO frontman Phil Mogg was asked if the band is "definitely finished" and "never coming back". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "No, I think we've reached that point now. I believe when [bassist] Pete [Way] went, that it kind of took the wind out of our sails, out of the band, really. I know he was going a bit loopy, but he had a lot of the character which was in the band. So, no, we couldn't replace him. And no, definitely not. No. I think that'd end up being like the Frank Sinatra tour, wouldn't it? What's the other band? SCORPIONS kept retiring, didn't they?"

Mogg continued: "The other thing is when you say, 'This is our last tour,' that really should be, because people come along and they've spent their money getting there or doing whatever for the last tour, and then if you turn around and do another one, they go, 'Oh, you've just done your last tour. I've just paid 50 quid for that.' It would be a little bit unfair."

Asked how he would like UFO and Phil Mogg to be remembered in the years to come, Phil said: "Just as a cracking good little band. Nothing too glorious, but just… You know when you go, like I do, I'd seen THE ANIMALS at Club Noreik in Tottenham when I was about 14, 15. And I always would go, 'Oh, that was a good band. I really enjoyed that night.' And I enjoyed Eric Burdon. So, I think that's compliment enough."

Mogg previously addressed UFO's future this past April in an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock. Asked if there is still "more to do" with the band, he responded: "No, no. I think it's come to a conclusion. We did that last U.K. tour in 2019, just before COVID. So that was kind of the end of it, and the time was right."

Mogg suffered a heart attack in August 2022. The now-76-year-old British-born musician was rushed to the hospital where he had two stents implanted into his coronary arteries. This is known medically as a coronary angioplasty and aims to re-open the blocked coronary artery by inserting one or more stents. This helps keep the narrowed artery open.

UFO's farewell tour was scheduled to kick off on October 15, 2022 at the De Casino in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium and run through a final show at the Fuzz Club in Athens, Greece on October 29, 2022.

When the news of Mogg's heart attack was first made public, UFO said in a statement: "On Thursday September 1st, 2022 — after having performed several detailed examinations in the past days — the doctors pronounced a strict performance ban for Mogg until further notice. This is why the entire Last Orders farewell tour, which was supposed to lead across Europe from October 15 to 29, 2022 before ending in Athens, had to be cancelled.

"If and when the tour or — at the very least — individual shows can be made up for, is currently completely unclear and will depend on Mogg's recovery, among other things. His rehabilitation therapy will be starting in about six weeks. According to the doctors, it is not yet possible to give any concrete statements about the duration and scope of the treatment."

In 2021, UFO announced that it would embark on its final tour featuring a series of exclusive concerts in summer 2022 to bid farewell to its fans in style. UFO was scheduled to play the very last concert of in Athens, where the band performed its first show featuring current guitarist Vinnie Moore in February 2004.

When UFO's final concert was first announced, Mogg was anticipating this very special farewell show with mixed feelings, while also very much looking forward to UFO once again meeting their extensive fan base between summer and autumn 2022.

Mogg, who turned 76 in April, said: "After so many years with countless highlights, fantastic experiences and lots of beautiful memories — as well as some difficult moments, naturally — it'll be a worthy finale to say goodbye to your fans in person. I know that there are bound to be some very emotional moments on both sides."

In his original statement announcing UFO's final tour, Mogg said the decision was "a long time coming," adding that while "being out on the road isn't always tremendously luxurious and although the playing is as great as it ever was, the stuff that surrounds it becomes very tiresome. I always told myself that when I reached that stage, I would step down, and that's what I'm going to do. This is the right time for me to quit."

UFO guitarist/keyboard player Paul Raymond died in April 2019. He appeared on more than a dozen of UFO's albums, including "Lights Out" and the live classic "Strangers In The Night".

UFO's most recent lineup included original members Mogg and drummer Andy Parker, as well as Moore, who joined in 2003, and Rob De Luca (bass),a member since 2012.

UFO's latest release was the 2017 covers collection "The Salentino Cuts".

Phil's new band MOGGS MOTEL will release its self-titled album in September.

In a new interview with Sh!t Talk Reviews, POWER TRIP guitarist Blake Ibanez spoke about the Texas thrashers' recent return to the live stage for their first full performances since the tragic passing of frontman Riley Gale.

POWER TRIP's longtime friend and collaborator Seth Gilmore has stepped in for Gale to handle vocals for the band. Gilmore is embedded in Texas's hardcore and punk communities and is well known as the vocalist of SKOURGE and as the frontman of Dallas thrash metal band FUGITIVE, which he founded in 2021 alongside Ibanez.

Regarding Gilmore's addition to POWER TRIP, Ibanez told Sh!t Talk Reviews (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "He's a natural. He's been on stage a long time. Once we had done all this FUGITIVE stuff and we had done these last couple of recordings, his voice is killing it and he really feels good on stage. And I think I kind of asked him before we even started FUGITIVE if he wanted to mess around and maybe try out or throw something down on one of these… We had been working on a POWER TRIP record that we recorded all the music to. And I think at the time — it was during COVID — and he was sort of, like, 'Ehhh…' It was a little soon after everything had happened — it was probably a year after everything went down — but it was still a little soon, a little fresh. And I don't know if he really had the confidence level yet to feel like he could approach that the right way. I don't blame him, 'cause it was a little soon and it was a weird time."

He continued: "At this point, it had been so long. And I think we'd been playing together. I think POWER TRIP fans knew who he was. When it comes to like what we're doing, in terms of POWER TRIP, I had really no desire to reform the band if we couldn't do it the way we wanted to do it, with people that we wanna work with. We come from a scene, so we're not gonna just hold YouTube auditions for a guy that sounds like Riley, bring him in. It's gonna be someone that's a friend of ours, that's from our world, that's from our scene. And I just think the way it worked out — it had been long enough since POWER TRIP had played."

Regarding what criteria he and his POWER TRIP bandmates had for bringing in a new vocalist, Blake said: "It's not about filling any shoes. I think people need to understand that. We're not even really a full-time band. We're just playing some shows. So it's really just about playing the songs again and kind of honoring what we did and celebrating the songs and doing it a different way. I think we realized that getting someone that sounds just like him would have been really weird and, I think, not the right thing to do, because that's not right. And I think Seth is in the same family tree vocally, but he's got his own sound and his own delivery. And I think he sings the songs a little bit differently in a way that I think is more him. He's his own person. And so we wanted that."

Ibanez added: "You can't really win, 'cause some people want [us to get someone who] sounds exactly the same. If we did that, then the same group of people would be criticizing us for getting a lesser version. He's a different person; it's not gonna sound the same. But I really like what he brings to the songs, and I think this is the best-case scenario for us to play again."

Last month, POWER TRIP drummer Chris Ulsh told Metal Hammer about how the decision to return as POWER TRIP came about: "During COVID, we were still having bi-weekly or monthly Zoom meetings, and at one of those, we just came out with it, like, 'Hey, do you guys want to keep playing music together?' Everybody obviously still wanted to do that, but we didn't really know if it was going to be POWER TRIP or a different band or whatever. As those conversations progressed, we realized we wanted to keep doing POWER TRIP, but didn't really know what that would look like. As the COVID restrictions started lifting, Blake and I were getting together, working on some new music, just to keep busy. We tried out a couple things, with different people, just demoing vocals over it, just to kind of get a feeling for the full song. But initially nothing really came of it. It just didn't come as easily as maybe we would have thought."

Regarding Gilmore's addition to POWER TRIP, Ulsh said: "Yeah, during that time, Blake started FUGITIVE with Seth. He was someone that we reached out to at the beginning, but he wasn't ready. Somewhere along the way, I think he started feeling a lot more comfortable filling that role. We decided to test him out at that show in Austin [last December], since FUGITIVE were playing, and one of my other bands. So, we just had everyone get onstage."

In announcing POWER TRIP's return to the live stage, surviving members Ibanez, Nick Stewart (guitar, vocals), Chris Whetzel (bass) and Ulsh wrote on social media: "Nearly four years ago to the day, unbeknownst to us, we would perform for the last time as POWER TRIP. It has been a difficult road since then, marked by deep pain, grief, and everything else that came with losing our brother Riley.

"We know this can't be undone, and it will always remain part of us. We have thought deeply about the future of POWER TRIP and what always comes back to us is that this band was founded on resilience, perseverance, and most importantly: a love for the music and for all of the people it has brought us closer to along the way.

"We'll never have the words to convey our appreciation of the enduring support we've received over the years, and we feel as though the time is right to get back on stage for all of you who've been there throughout our existence as a band."

Regarding Gilmore's addition to the POWER TRIP lineup, the band said: "It feels right playing our songs with Seth, who's been a longtime figure in Texas hardcore, and we've had the pleasure of watching and playing alongside his bands since the origins of POWER TRIP. We're grateful for his dedication to this project and can't wait to see everyone."

Gilmore stated: "I'm honored to have the opportunity to contribute to the legacy of POWER TRIP and deliver these songs to the fans of past and current generations. I would not be who I am today without the massive influence that both the band and its members have had on my life, and I look forward to celebrating their work alongside them while giving it my all to honor the spirit of Riley's memory."

Ibanez, Stewart, Whetzel and Ulsh played a surprise five-song set with Gilmore on December 1, 2023 at Mohawk in Austin, Texas.

Riley died on August 25, 2020. An autopsy report for Gale ruled that he died from the toxic effects of fentanyl, while the manner of death was ruled accidental.

Following the news of Gale's death, a number of other artists shared tributes to the frontman, including members of CODE ORANGE, ANTHRAX and COHEED AND CAMBRIA.

Riley guested on the track "Point The Finger" on BODY COUNT's "Carnivore" album, released in March 2020, and BODY COUNT frontman Ice-T later suggested in an interview with Stereogum that Gale's death was opioid-related. Ice-T said in December 2020: "When we shot the video [for 'Point The Finger'], he looked healthy. It was a good vibe. That's why I got blindsided when I got the call from his dad, who said that Riley passed away. Apparently, he was dealing with the same bullshit everyone is — this opioid stuff. He'd gotten clean, and when you relapse, you go back to the same dose you're used to and it kills you. It was a really sad thing."

Gale's autopsy report noted that he died from pulmonary edema — a condition caused by excess fluid in the lungs. This was caused by "the toxic effects of fentanyl" in Gale's system. The fentanyl in Gale's blood was measured at 22.5 ng/ml (nanograms per milliliter),and he tested negative for all other drugs and alcohol.

The report went on to note that Gale had a "history of Xanax abuse" and a "history of depression," and revealed Riley was found "unresponsive on the floor at home."

In October 2020, plans were announced for the Riley Gale Library at the Dallas Hope Center — the city's sole shelter for LGBTQ+ youth.

POWER TRIP released two albums on Southern Lord, 2013's "Manifest Decimation" and 2017's "Nightmare Logic". A rarities compilation, "Opening Fire: 2008-2014", followed in 2018.

"Nightmare Logic" peaked at No. 22 on Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart.

POWER TRIP was said to be working on its third album at the time of Riley's death.

Photo credit: Adam Cedillo

During an appearance on a recent episode of the "Let There Be Talk" podcast with rock and roll comedian Dean Delray, TWISTED SISTER guitarist Jay Jay French spoke about the physical demands of playing in a touring rock band. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "People don't understand the physicality of playing high-end metal. They don't get it. [Playing] high-end metal is like a football game. It's like going to war. And you can't just go — you need to train back up.

"When TWISTED came back in 2003 [following a long hiatus], the first show we played was Sweden Rock [Festival], and we hadn't played in front of a crowd like that in years, and we weren't ready," he admitted. "And even though we were headlining, 'cause they were given the headlining spot over YES and JETHRO TULL, which, believe me, was mind-blowing. 'Cause I would see those guys when I was in high school and now they're opening for me, which was really weird. I felt embarrassed. I'm apologizing to them: 'The promoter did this. It's not me.' Anyway, it wasn't a good show, and we realized it. And so when we came back to do Bang Your Head!!! [in Germany] three weeks later, we said to our agent, 'Put us in a smaller room the day before. We need to get our sea legs back.'"

French continued: "It's kind of like if you're a lineman in a pro football game and you're facing another dude who weighs exactly what you do, which is 325 pounds, and you're about to hit helmets, you better be ready to hit helmets, motherfucker, because if you're not ready to get your head hit, you don't know what's coming. It's gonna send a lightning bolt through your body and freak you out. And you need to understand that psychology. Also, as a guitar player, especially in a two-guitar band, the intrinsic ability for the meshing of the distortions to be correct — you've gotta get it right — gotta get those guitar parts right. And it's an art form. That's why we can do it and a lot of people can't. It's an art form, And only you develop that art form by doing it thousands of times. And we needed to get our sea legs back."

A year and a half ago, TWISTED SISTER took part in a one-off onstage reunion at the Metal Hall Of Fame in Agoura Hills, California. On hand to be inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame were French, singer Dee Snider, bassist Mark "The Animal" Mendoza and Mike Portnoy, who has played drums for TWISTED SISTER since the passing of former member A.J. Pero. Guitarist Eddie Ojeda was absent from the event after contracting COVID-19; filling in for him was Keith Robert War.

The highlight of the ceremony — which also saw FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm, NWOBHM heroes RAVEN, and guitarists Chris Impellitteri and Doug Aldrich honored — was TWISTED SISTER's highly charged three-song set consisting of the staples "You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll" and "Under The Blade", as well as the anthem "We're Not Gonna To Take It".

In 2016, TWISTED SISTER embarked on one final trek, titled "Forty And Fuck It", in celebration of its 40th anniversary. These shows featured the band's "core lineup" of Snider, French, Ojeda and Mendoza, along with Portnoy. The band's last-ever concert took place in November of that year — 20 months after the passing of Pero.

TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.

Preparing to decimate with their forthcoming release Acolythus on November 7th, A Scar For The Wicked offer their first blood offering, the title track with a new music video.


The band comments on the first single, "Acolythus":


"'Acolythus' serves as the main theme song and self-titled track of the album. It delves into the sin of blasphemy, focusing on the sixth circle of hell. The song portrays a dark, twisted depiction of a cult devoted to the dark lord, presenting an inverted version of Christ through rituals of blood and sacrilege. The cult's worship is depicted as a perverse inversion of holy rites, emphasizing their eternal damnation and the blasphemous nature of their devotion. They are forever the servants.




'Acolythus' stands out as the catchiest song on the album, with a blend of memorable and engaging elements. From melodic riffs and technical Solos, heavy down-picked riffs drive the song, providing a powerful and intense foundation. Not one single riffs in this track is being repeated twice. The track concludes with a heavy breakdown that intensifies the experience, followed by a final solo that provides a dramatic and satisfying finish. This track combines all the elements of what A Scar For The Wicked is all about."





Based out of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the ensemble formed in 2011 drawing primary influences from the likes of The Black Dahlia Murder, Dimmu Borgir, The Zenith Passage, and Belphegor,  and the gory blood-soaked realms of horror. The following year saw the release of the debut EP, Scars, with subsequent EPs The Necrobutcher and The Unholy landing in 2014 and 2018 respectively. Across their career, the band have have brought their unyielding energy to festivals around their home province, and notably have shared stages with heavyweight acts including Whitechapel, Thy Art Is Murder, Born Of Osiris, Archspire and Chelsea Grin. 

In a new interview with Belgian Jasper, Steve "Skinny" Felton, drummer and founder of Cleveland theatrical art-metal ensemble MUSHROOMHEAD, spoke about the countless lineup changes the band has gone through since its formation more than three decades ago. Asked if it is difficult finding members who are the right fit musically as well as on an artistic level, he responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think when you're with the right creative people and there's a very similar mindset, and being very collaborative and open to critiquing and just hearing other people's ideas through, there's a bit of a balancing act, for sure; it's not always easy. But there's also an excitement. New blood brings new character to the table in many respects, and sometimes you don't know what you're going to get. So I think that is a little intriguing to me personally, especially in the artist realm. It's almost like stepping out of your comfort zone into the unknown. And you end up with something that you never thought you would or never really imagined before. So, it's a yin-yang type of thing, man… It's difficult, and if you have the patience and you have the like mindset with the people you're collaborating with, man, you can come up with some things that you never dreamed of."

Felton also addressed MUSHROOMHEAD's musical evolution and how it has been affected by the constant changes in personnel over the years. He said: "Well, I definitely think it definitely keeps it surprising because we don't even know what's gonna happen sometimes. There is the fear of that probably with many artists, that you get stale working with the same people, being, like I said, in your comfort zone. Getting out of your comfort zone to the point of you don't even know if it's gonna be anywhere near what you had before, sometimes that's scary for artists So, again, it is a difficult balance, for sure."

Referencing MUSHROOMHEAD's upcoming LP, "Call The Devil", will be released on August 9 via Napalm Records, he said: "This is album number nine. And if people have like a good grasp on what we've done, and if you even are kind of new to it, if you looked at it almost more of like art and cinema than a traditional band and think of, like, say, Quentin Tarantino and all his movies, you know what kind of world you're getting into. And a lot of times it's the same actors and a lot of times it's the same style of movies, as far as there's gonna be comedy, there's gonna be drama, there's gonna be violence. You know what kind of world you're getting into, even if you don't know the exact characters. And he brings back a lot of the same people in different roles and same crew people, same cinematographers. So if you think in that kind of regard, that's kind of like a different way to look at what MUSHROOMHEAD does."

"Call The Devil" marks the return — after a 12-year hiatus — of longtime MUSHROOMHEAD guitarist Dave "Gravy" Felton — who performed on several of the band's biggest albums and is credited as a primary songwriter on classic anthems like "Along The Way", "Sun Doesn't Rise" and "The Dream Is Over". Dave "Gravy" Felton contributes his trademark skills to two "Call The Devil" album tracks. The LP once again features production by Steve "Skinny" Felton, as well as the return of Matt Wallace (FAITH NO MORE, 3 DOORS DOWN) on mixing, also recognized for his work on MUSHROOMHEAD's iconic album "XIII". The album is also the band's first to feature mastering from Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, EPICA, ARCH ENEMY).

Last year, Skinny told Cleveland.com about MUSHROOMHEAD's longevity: "All I can say is that we have been very blessed to be able to do this. Whether it's 10, 20, 30 years — pretty much any time at all — anyone who gets to do this for any length of time knows how blessed and lucky and fortunate they are and to really soak in that.

"If there's a secret, it's to wake up every day with the goal of figuring out how to make your band, brand or artwork a little more accessible," Felton said. "To have an opportunity to create art with multiple people — to have their attention, time and creativity for a while — while chasing that creative element, staying inspired, believing in yourself and being true to your art is what does it, from my point of view."

Photo credit: SK1

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", ALL THAT REMAINS singer Philip Labonte spoke about the band's plans to release a new studio album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've got some music out, and there's a full-length record coming eventually. And I say eventually, just because I don't wanna give anybody any kind of heads up about when it will come out. 'Cause we're not gonna tell anyone. When it comes out, it's just gonna show up. So, we're not gonna do the big pre-order, blah, blah, blah. It's gonna be, 'Hey, go to Spotify or go to iTunes and listen right now.' But there's a full-length coming. And it'll be well worth the wait. And I hope that ALL THE REMAINS fans that have gotten a taste of the new stuff with [recently released singles] 'Divine' and 'Let You Go', hopefully they're as excited about more new music as we are."

Asked who produced ALL THAT REMAINS's upcoming album, Phil said: "The record is produced by Josh Wilbur. Josh is well known for his work with LAMB OF GOD. He's worked with MEGADETH. He's worked with TRIVIUM. I think he worked with KORN. He's done all sorts of metal records. He did 'The Order Of Things', which is our record that came out in 2015. And Josh and I work tremendously well together. I feel extremely comfortable with his opinions and when we're writing, we'll get together and we'll write the lyrics and stuff together. And his opinion is something that I put a lot of value in it. And I really think that he knows his stuff when it comes to getting not only the sounds that ALL THAT REMAINS looks for, but also helping me to tell the story that I'm trying to tell. A lot of times when we're writing, he'll just be like, 'Well, what's this about?' And he'll ask me to tell him the story behind the song. And he'll just start typing as I'm telling it. And he'll be, like, 'All right, cool. I think we got the first verse here.' And then we'll go ahead and he'll pick lines or words, things that I said, and he'll put them together in a way that looks cool. And then we'll go ahead and we'll adjust it a little bit. I'll change this line or move that around. And he's really, really great at getting the real spirit of what I'm trying to say out of me. And I feel real comfortable telling him really personal things because of that. So, like I said, he did 'The Order Of Things', but he also did 'Victims Of The New Disease', which came out in 2018, the last record we did with [late ALL THAT REMAINS guitarist] Oli [Herbert]. So, yeah, he's a great friend, a great producer and I couldn't be happier to work with him again. He's wonderful."

Released in June, the "Let You Go" video was directed by Tom Flynn (I PREVAIL, AS I LAY DYING, LAMB OF GOD) and can be seen below.

"Divine" marked ALL THAT REMAINS' first original new material since the passing of Herbert. "Divine" also ushered in a period of rebirth for ALL THAT REMAINS, which is, for the first in its career, 100 percent independent and will be releasing future material on its own label — All That Remains Records.

When "Divine" was first made available, Labonte said in a statement: "It's been a long time since ALL THAT REMAINS released new music. A lot has changed...in both the band, ALL THAT REMAINS, and in the world around us. When we lost Oli in 2018 it was hard to envision a path forward, six years later and I am proud to share 'Divine' with you. ALL THAT REMAINS has new life, and that is thanks to the fans for their years of support. We would not be here without them."

Six months ago, Labonte spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for follow-up to 2018's "Victim Of The New Disease" album during an interview with Rock Feed. He said at the time: "Right now I'm sitting in one of the dressing rooms at Henson [Recording Studios] in Los Angeles. It's a historiful place [being the former headquarters for A&M Records and the location of A&M Recording Studios]. I mean, Charlie Chaplin's lot is here. Studio A, they did 'We Are The World' in. They mixed [METALLICA's] Black Record here. They mixed [Dr. Dre's] 'The Chronic' here. So I'm in this awesome place with all this history.

"This is our second trip here doing drums," he continued. "We did four songs the first trip and that was in June [of 2023]. And now we're doing four more, and then we've got another session booked in March to finish up the drums. And that should be the last of actual tracking. Everything should be done. We might have some odds and ends, like maybe some solo stuff and noodley stuff. But we should be done tracking by the middle of March."

Regarding why it has taken six years for ALL THAT REMAINS to complete a new album, Phil said: "It has been a long time coming because — well, I mean a million reasons: because of COVID, because we had some legal actions with our label. We're no longer on a label. We're self-releasing it. So we're self-financing. We're gonna own it, which is a huge milestone. We had a great agreement with our label. We were supposed to have another record, but they let us go and they let us venture out on our own, which was awesome. I've got tons of love for Fearless and Concord Music Group and stuff, 'cause they let us do our thing. So that's awesome. And we're gonna get it out as soon as we can. We don't want to rush it."

Labonte added: "We started the sessions [for the new album] — really, the first time that I got together with Josh Wilbur, who's producing it. Josh Wilbur, you guys know him from TRIVIUM, from LAMB OF GOD, from a ton of [other bands]. He's worked with us [before]. He did [2015's] 'The Order Of Things', he produced that one, he mixed 'Victim Of The New Disease', so we've got a lot of history with him. But he's here [in Los Angeles], and we started with him — I think it was 2021, is actually when we started with him. He came out the first time and started working on some riffs and some ideas. And then we got our first like real song together in February of last year, where I got with Josh and wrote lyrics for a song. It was actually a song that Jason [Richardson, ALL THAT REMAINS guitarist] wrote the whole thing and kind of gave it to us."

Speaking about the addition of Richardson, who replaced late ALL THAT REMAINS guitarist Oli Herbert nearly six years ago, Phil said: "He's super creative, so it's a ton of fun. And this being his debut with us, we wanted it to be right. Not only is it the first record that we've put out without Oli Herbert, which took us a long time to kind of get used to the idea and figure out what that means and what it looks like and all kinds of things that had to happen since Oli passed away. But this being the first record that comes out with Jason, we want it to be right. There's not gonna be any half-assed [songs] on this at all. There's not any deep cuts — nothing at all. Right now we're eight songs in and there's zero deep cuts. Every single song that we've got, if someone else was, like, 'Oh, let's put this one out as the first single,' it'd be fine. That would work as a first single. And that's a big, big deal. Usually you'll hear three or four songs or five and you're, like, 'Yeah, we've got some killer songs on this record. We've got six great songs.' And there's 10 or 11 songs on the record and you're, like, 'Yeah, these other ones are cool, but we didn't have the time to do with them what we wanted. They didn't quite come out the way we want, and the record label wants to have this many songs on the record, so we don't have time to…' blah, blah, blah. 'We've got a deadline.' So you end up making compromises, and because we're doing it ourselves, putting it out ourselves and we've got a career and we're super fortunate that people still listen to our music and we've still got people out there that support us, so we can take the time to deliver the record that the fans deserve."

In July 2023, longtime ALL THAT REMAINS drummer Jason Costa announced his departure from the group, citing "deeply personal" reasons that "have nothing to do with any drama or anything within the band."

Jason was the featured drummer on the last six ALL THAT REMAINS albums: "Overcome" (2008),"For We Are Many" (2010),"A War You Cannot Win" (2012),"The Order Of Things" (2015),"Madness" (2017) and "Victim Of The New Disease" (2018). He is notable for being one of the few heavy metal drummers to play solely with the "traditional grip."

Back in March 2022, Costa left ALL THAT REMAINS' U.S. tour in order to "deal with some personal matters." He was temporarily replaced by Anthony Barone, who had previously played with BENEATH THE MASSACRE and SHADOW OF INTENT.

Earlier last year, ALL THAT REMAINS's breakthrough album "The Fall Of Ideals", was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA) for sales in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States.

In 2022, ALL THAT REMAINS embarked on "The Fall Of Ideals" 15th-anniversary tour.

"The Fall Of Ideals" was reissued in November 2021. The best-selling title features such fan favorites as "This Calling", "Six" and "The Air That I Breathe".

Oli was found dead on October 16, 2018 at the edge of the pond on his Stafford Springs, Connecticut property. He was reported missing by his wife about 3 p.m., and his body was found by police face down at the edge of the pond where the water was only a few inches deep. The medical examiner's office conducted an autopsy showing that Oli had three prescription drugs in his system — the antipsychotic olanzapine, the antidepressant citalopram, and Ambien. It also said: "Mr. Herbert's past medical history is reportedly significant for marijuana use."

ALL THAT REMAINS and MUDVAYNE are supporting MEGADETH on a 33-city, nationwide tour, "Destroy All Enemies", this summer. Produced by Live Nation, the trek kicked off in Rogers, Arkansas on August 2 and will run throughout the month before wrapping in Nashville, Tennessee on September 28.

Video of Slash's August 5 performance at Musikfest at PNC Plaza in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania can be seen below. The show was part of the "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival, a blues tour showcasing the GUNS N' ROSES guitarist's latest solo work.

S.E.R.P.E.N.T. is an anagram and stands for Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N' Tolerance. The festival is a celebration of the blues, featuring an all-star lineup varies.

Slash formed the "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival to bring fans together to celebrate the spirit of the blues, and to perform with other blues artists he admires who share his love of the genre. Slash also has a strong desire to give back to charities that he has supported over the years, as well as to help lift marginalized communities that share his restorative focus of elevating lives for the benefit of all. A portion of the proceeds from each VIP package and "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival ticket sold will directly benefit the following charities that Slash has selected: The Equal Justice Initiative, Know Your Rights Camp, The Greenlining Institute and War Child. "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival has partnered with Plus1.org to support these charitable endeavors.

Joining Slash at various stops on the tour are WARREN HAYNES BAND, Keb' Mo', Larkin Poe, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Samantha Fish, ZZ Ward, Robert Randolph, Eric Gales and Jackie Venson.

The trek kicked off on July 5 in Bonner, Montana and will wrap up on August 17 in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Slash's blues album, "Orgy Of The Damned", came out on May 17 via Gibson Records. The LP features guest appearances by AC/DC's Brian Johnson, AEROSMITH's Steven Tyler, Iggy Pop, Chris Stapleton, THE BLACK CROWES' Chris Robinson, ZZ TOP's Billy F. Gibbons, BAD COMPANY's Paul Rodgers, Demi Lovato and Gary Clark Jr.Slash is backed on the album by prior collaborators Johnny Griparic (bass) and Teddy Andreadis (keyboards),as well as drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal.

Regarding the inspiration for the "Orgy Of The Damned" album title, Slash told Germany's Rock Antenne: "It's the only title I came up with. It was just because blues and rock and roll have always been considered taboo and devil's music and all that kind of stuff. And it's 'hide your kids from that.' And I wasn't raised to think that, but I know society at large has always had that kind of attitude towards it, but of blues especially. And so when I thought about having a collaborative thing with all these different artists doing a blues record — 'Orgy Of The Damned', right? It seems so obvious to me, and I actually Googled it to see if somebody else had already used it, but they hadn't."

When the interviewer suggested that it must have been a "logistical nightmare" getting all those guest musicians to appear on the LP, Slash said: "It's difficult. I mean, you basically just have to get on the phone, and if they say 'yes', then okay. So that's really the hardest part, is calling people up and asking the question and seeing if they'll do it. And I was fortunate doing this, because I picked songs that… What I would do is I'd have the song and then go, 'Okay, who should sing this?' And whoever came to mind as being the appropriate singer, I would call them up. But, fortunately, I picked the right song for them to sing and so they would identify with it automatically. And so then that would make them feel more obligated to get involved and sing it properly or whatever goes through one's mind. But it was great because all the different artists were so open to the material and it really meant something to them. So, what happened was the vocal delivery really came from the heart; they were really singing from a place of connecting with the material."

Asked if there was anybody he wanted to get to appear on the album but couldn't, Slash said: "Well, the biggest one, really, the one that bums me out was [late MOTÖRHEAD leader] Lemmy. That was because there was a moment there where [I thought], 'Fuck, man, Lemmy would be great.' And I still haven't gotten used to the fact that he's not here, 'cause I'm so used to him being there. So that was the big one. I try not to make a big deal out of it. There's some people that I couldn't contact until after the record was done. And then they showed up, and [I would tell them] the record's done already. But other than that, everybody that I thought of were there."

Although he grew up in England, Slash's American grandmother turned him on to the blues early on and he was immediately taken with B.B. King. At the same time, his parents raised him on a healthy diet of '60s British rock 'n' roll, from THE WHO to THE KINKS. Once he moved to Laurel Canyon, Slash found himself surrounded by rock and folk singers like Joni Mitchell, CROSBY, STILLS & NASH and Neil Young — all of whom eventually inspired his playing and songwriting. It wasn't until he began playing guitar himself that Slash realized all of his favorite musicians had been influenced by the same B.B. King blues records he'd listened to as a young kid.

"Orgy Of The Damned" encompasses a broad range of styles within the blues genre, veering from an upbeat, rowdy take on Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" to a plaintive, twanging rendition of T. Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday". Some of the songs, like STEPPENWOLF's "The Pusher", Charlie Segar's "Key To The Highway" and Albert King's "Born Under A Bad Sign", had been performed by SLASH'S BLUES BALL while others, like Stevie Wonder's "Living For The City", were longtime favorites for Slash. "Hoochie Coochie Man", written by Willie Dixon and made famous by Muddy Waters in 1954, showcases the in-the-moment nature and unrestrained energy of "Orgy Of The Damned", with ZZ TOP's Billy F. Gibbons stepping in on guitar and vocals. The group went into a rehearsal room in North Hollywood and began hashing out soulful, rollicking takes on the classic songs. Everything was played live in the room, with an emphasis on improvisation which resulted in a collection of dynamic, energized songs that are immediate, raw, and distinctly familiar.

As Slash was considering vocalists, he approached his old friend and collaborator Iggy Pop, who had long wanted to record a blues song. Pop suggested Lightnin' Hopkins's 1962 track "Awful Dream", a sparse, drawling number originally laid down on acoustic guitar. The duo decided to recreate that stripped back vibe and recorded their own languid, emotionally-resonate version sitting on two stools in Slash's studio.

Elsewhere on "Orgy Of The Damned", Demi Lovato lends her powerhouse voice to "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone", a fervent, soulful version of the 1972 single by THE TEMPTATIONS that Slash admired as a kid. Although the song veers more towards R&B, the guitarist wanted to give it his own impassioned spin. The album concludes with a soaring original instrumental number, "Metal Chestnut", penned specifically for "Orgy Of The Damned" by Slash.

The first single, "Killing Floor", features Johnson on vocals and Tyler on harmonica.

For TONIGHT and TONIGHT ONLY!!! Don't miss a legendary night with Slash, ZZ Ward, Robert Randolph, and Grace Bowers and...

Posted by Musikfest on Monday, August 5, 2024

The members of DEF LEPPARD visited the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland last week on a day off during their stadium tour with JOURNEY. Watch the video below and see them take a look through rock history, those who paved the way for them, and some of their own memorabilia.

DEF LEPPARD was finally inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in March 2019 — 14 years after the British rockers first became eligible.

The 34th annual ceremony took place at Brooklyn, New York's Barclays Center and saw DEF LEPPARD inducted by QUEEN's Brian May.

"[Singer] Joe [Elliott] and I, in particular, have shared many precious and fun moments," May recalled. "We have a strong bond and he's one of my dearest pals. When news got out of [Freddie Mercury's] passing, the first call I got was from Joe Elliott."

DEF LEPPARD members entering the Rock Hall included the current lineup — Elliott, guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell, bassist Rick Savage and drummer Rick Allen — along with founding guitarist Pete Willis and LEPPARD's late guitarist Steve Clark.

Elliott delivered an acceptance speech on DEF LEPPARD's behalf, telling the audience: "Those songs we've written over the years were always our main priority. And although there seemed to be a looming sense of tragedy around every corner, we just wouldn't let it in. But it's true, it did seem that every time we made some musical headway, life would knock us back down somewhat. 'Pyromania' is a raging success… then Rick has a life-changing accident. He survived it and came out the other side stronger. 'Hysteria' gave us the global success that we'd always craved… and then we lost Steve. But we survived and came out the other side stronger people. And that's the way it's always played out throughout our career. So let's face facts here, if alcoholism, car crashes and cancer couldn’t kill us, the nineties had no fucking chance."

Elliott thanked his parents, saying his father loaned the band £150 to make their first very recording back in 1978 while his mother taught him the first guitar chords he ever knew. "I've learned two more since," Elliott then quipped, "and I've come to realize you don't actually really need them at all."

Elliott also thanked Willis, who "couldn't be" with his former bandmates at the induction ceremony. Joe said: "I want to emphasize how very important Pete's role was in this band in the early days. He was a terrific player, had a very mischievous sense of humor, but he brought plenty of great musical ideas to the band." Elliott also paid tribute to Clark, saying the guitarist "made a massive musical contribution to this band. His incredible and unique riffs helped shape some of the most important songs we will ever write, and it really does go without saying that we love him and we miss him every day."

For the performance part of the evening, DEF LEPPARD chose to play four of its biggest hits: "Hysteria", "Rock Of Ages", "Photograph" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me".

The 2019 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame concluded with an all-star performance of David Bowie's "All The Young Dudes", featuring DEF LEPPARD, Ian Hunter, May, Steve Van Zandt, THE BANGLES' Susanna Hoffs and THE ZOMBIES' Rod Argent.

One of the top-selling rock acts of of all time, DEF LEPPARD had been eligible for the Rock Hall since 2004.

With a musical catalog that includes 18 previously released full-length albums from his work with CREED, ALTER BRIDGE and various solo endeavors, world-renowned guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Mark Tremonti is back with his sixth album from his solo band TREMONTI. The new album, titled "The End Will Show Us How", is scheduled for global release on January 10, 2025 via longtime partner Napalm Records.

Mark Tremonti is back with a collection of 12 original compositions that continues his musical evolution while showcasing his ability to write memorable songs — something he has done for nearly three decades. Mark is backed in TREMONTI by Eric Friedman (guitars),Tanner Keegan (bass) and Ryan Bennett (drums). Each song on "The End Will Show Us How" will take the listener on a journey as Mark set out to create an album of a dozen individual compositions each unique from the other. The debut single "Just Too Much" is a perfect example of this. The song opens with a driving guitar riff — the basis for the entire song — as Mark delivers the message to keep pushing forward no matter what adversity is in front of you. An official music video for the single directed by J.T. Ibanez (SEVENDUST) can be seen below.

TREMONTI's musicianship and songwriting is on full display on each song on "The End Will Show Us How". Tracks like the opener "The Mother, The Earth And I" the thought-provoking "It's Not Over" and the epic closer "All The Wicked Things" show that Mark continues to create compositions that continue to engage audiences — both old and new fans alike. "Nails" is a musical idea that Mark has had for years and finally found the inspiration to complete. "Tomorrow We Will Fail" is an inspirational piece that talks about not putting off until tomorrow something you can conquer today. "Now That I've Made It" is a message for anyone who has ever had anyone doubt them and try to hold them back from following their dreams. "The End Will Show Us How" was produced by longtime friend and collaborator Michael "Elvis" Baskette — the producer Mark has worked with exclusively since 2007.

The track listing for "The End Will Show Us How" is:

01. The Mother, The Earth And I
02. One More Time
03. Just Too Much
04. Nails
05. It's Not Over
06. The End Will Show Us How
07. Tomorrow We Will Fail
08. I'll Take My Chances
09. The Bottom
10. Live In Fear
11. Now That I've Made It
12. All The Wicked Things

Mark Tremonti is currently on tour across the United States with the recently reunited CREED. TREMONTI will tour around the globe in support of "The End Will Show Us How" in 2025. Dates for Europe are recently announced and more information on additional tour dates will be available in the near future.

"The End Will Show Us How" 2025 tour dates:

Jan. 14 - Hamburg, DE – Gruenspan
Jan. 16 - Stockholm, SE – Debaser
Jan. 17 - Oslo, NO – John Dee
Jan. 19 - Copenhagen, DK – Lille Vega
Jan. 20 - Berlin, DE – Columbia Theater
Jan. 21 - Prague, CZ – Palac Akropolis
Jan. 23 - Krakow, PL – Hype Park
Jan. 25 - Zurich, CH – Komplex 457
Jan. 27 - Milan, IT – Magazzini Generali
Jan. 28 - Vienna, AT – Szene
Jan. 30 - Munich, DE – Technikum
Jan. 31 - Frankfurt, DE – Zoom
Feb. 01 - Cologne, DE – Kantine
Feb. 02 - Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg
Feb. 03 - Tilburg, NL – O13
Feb. 05 - Bristol, GB – Academy
Feb. 06 - Glasgow,GB – SWG3 Galvanizers
Feb. 07 - Belfast, GB – Limelight 1
Feb. 09 - Dublin, IE – Academy
Feb. 11 - Birmingham, GB – Institute 1
Feb. 13 - Manchester, GB – O2 Ritz
Feb. 14 - London, GB – O2 Kentish Town Forum
Feb. 16 - Paris, FR – Alhambra

After three decades, 18 full-length albums, and thousands of shows, Tremonti continues to relentlessly push himself as a guitarist, a vocalist, and a songwriter, above all. This unstoppable drive has underscored his catalog earmarked by a Grammy Award, cumulative streams in the billions, and total sales of 60 million units worldwide across his inexhaustible output with CREED, ALTER BRIDGE and solo band TREMONTI. Distinguished as Guitar World's "Guitarist Of The Decade," selected as a flagship PRS endorsee, and celebrated on the covers of numerous publications worldwide, he approaches the guitar with an insatiable curiosity and innate need to create. At the same time, he constantly stretches his voice, reaching new heights with each subsequent project. His voice, writing, and playing have supercharged TREMONTI as a force in its own right. The band has delivered a string of celebrated releases, including "All I Was" (2012),"Cauterize" (2015),"Dust" (2016),"A Dying Machine" (2019) accompanied by an acclaimed novel of the same name co-written by Mark with John Shirley, and "Marching In Time" (2021). Earning acclaim, Kerrang! hailed the latter as "another worthy chapter in its creator's well-populated book," and American Songwriter praised how "'Marching In Time' is structured around denser melodies and reflective epistles prodding around chunkier riffs." Loudwire applauded the title track as "hypnotically epic," and Guitar World readers voted "Now And Forever" as "The Best Riff of 2021."

Photo credit: Chuck Brueckmann

ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann went on Side Jams With Bryan Reesman to talk about the commercial and portrait photography career he developed during ACCEPT's hiatus between the late 1990s and mid-2000s when he was based In Vermont and then moved to Nashville. Two of his most memorable moments were photographing Chet Atkins's guitars and meeting and photographing Les Paul — who is credited with inventing the solid-body electric guitar later wielded by a legion of rock 'n' roll greats — and his guitars which ended up in the book "Les Paul: In His Own Words".

"First I was hired to shoot a guitar collection of Chet Atkins, the legendary guitar player and [vice] president of RCA and producer," Hoffmann told "Side Jams". "He wasn't that well-known to me, but I knew he was a big deal. I got hired to shoot his private guitar collection for a coffee table book. And that, in turn, led to another project that involved the same thing for Les Paul."

At the time, Paul was in his '80s and living "in his amazing house in New Jersey". Whoever hired Hoffmann did not know who he was. He was hired based on his camera skills. He went to Paul's house for a week and had access to all of his personal instruments and shot a portrait of him.

"You had all this amazing equipment, like the first electric guitar and the prototypes for Les Paul guitars, and amazing stuff that nobody else gets to see or touch," Hoffmann recalled. "I could just handle it and put it here, place it there, shoot the pictures. And it was fantastic. It was really a dream project, and it turned into a nice big coffee table book that was sold to collectors and fan club people. I still have a copy of it in my house."

He continued: "It was fascinating because Paul is a living legend, living in this old creepy house that was untouched since the '60s. Basically, nobody's ever done any remodeling or redecorating. It's just like a time capsule... I saw him sitting there all by himself in the middle of the night. He was a night owl. Actually, he only got up at four in the afternoon and was up all night. I saw him many, many times. He was still performing a little bit in New York City, at the Iridium, and I actually followed him to one of the shows while I was there. But I saw him practicing all by himself in the middle of the night in the kitchen there, and it was just that was a touching moment because I thought he's played all his life. And he's a living legend. Yet he still sits there and practices guitar. It was very, very moving."

As previously reported, ACCEPT will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025-2026. To mark this mammoth milestone, the band will ring in the band's golden birthday with a very unique anniversary tour at the end of 2025. An anniversary album will be released early 2026.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, ACCEPT is embarking on a spectacular world tour that will take fans on a musical metal journey through time. Fans can look forward to a unique stage show with surprise guests, all the classic hits from the band's history as well as rarely performed songs.

In spring 2026, ACCEPT will release a special album that covers the band's entire musical history. This anniversary album will contain a carefully curated selection of the best ACCEPT songs from the last five decades, re-recorded — partly with well-known surprise musical guests and colleagues, as well as with some rare tracks that have not been played so often before.

Over the past five decades, ACCEPT has sold millions of albums and inspired countless musicians. Their energetic live performances and iconic albums such as "Balls To The Wall", "Restless And Wild" and "Metal Heart" have left a lasting mark on the heavy metal genre. Hoffmann's guitar style and musical vision have made the band one of the most respected on the heavy metal scene.

After a hiatus in the band's career, Wolf was introduced to New Jersey singer Mark Tornillo in 2009. The chemistry and fit between them was so remarkable, ACCEPT reformed and almost immediately rose to global success with chart-topping albums. ACCEPT continues to be celebrated for each of their new records with Mark, who is now the longest-reigning frontman of ACCEPT, placing the Hoffmann-Tornillo partnership firmly in the Metal Hall Of Fame.

For decades, ACCEPT has been recognized as a guarantee of high quality and each of their albums has reached the top of the charts, delivering energy, melodies, killer riffs and an impressively powerful stage presence for 50 years.

ACCEPT's latest album, "Humanoid", was released on April 26 via Napalm Records. The LP was once again produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by critically acclaimed heavy metal producer Andy Sneap.

ACCEPT and KK'S PRIEST will join forces this fall 2024 for a North American tour. The run will begin on August 31 in Los Angeles, California, visiting a slew of major cities in the USA and Canada — such as Toronto, Montreal, New York and Nashville — before coming to an end in San Francisco, California on October 7.

Fan-filmed video of SEPULTURA's August 4 concert at the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival 2024 at Songdo Moonlight Festival Park in Incheon, South Korea can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Metal Hammer magazine, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser and vocalist Derrick Green were asked about their plans for after the completion of the band's ongoing 40th-anniversary "farewell" tour. Andreas said: "I don't know, and it feels great. I want to study acoustic guitar, and to create instructional material on the SEPULTURA music. I've done small things here and there, but not a complete overview of my guitar playing and writing. I will decide when the time comes, but right now it is time to celebrate the moment."

Derrick added: "I want to do a lot more with the TV show I'm working on, 'Highway To Health'. I've also been interested in doing voiceover work in animation or commercials. Musically, I'd like to do something outside of metal with more singing, but if somebody approaches with something I think is intriguing, I'm definitely open to that, because I never want to step away from music."

Asked if Andreas and Derrick will still work together in the future, Kisser quipped: "Nah. We only talk to each other by contract. When the contract is done, we're done. [Laughs] No, of course there are a lot of possibilities. I would love to work with Derrick outside of SEPULTURA. We have the idea for a reggae project on the cards, which we have a great name for. The comfort zone is the worst thing that can happen to an artist. It would be boring to stop SEPULTURA and do something else that is SEPULTURA-like."

As part of their massive "Celebrating Life Through Death" farewell tour, SEPULTURA will hit the road in North America this summer and fall. Joining SEPULTURA on the trek will be Florida-based death metal veterans OBITUARY, iconic New York hardcore pioneers AGNOSTIC FRONT, and São Paulo, Brazil's death/thrash metallers CLAUSTROFOBIA.

SEPULTURA's new touring drummer Greyson Nekrutman officially replaced SEPULTURA's longtime drummer Eloy Casagrande in February.

SEPULTURA kicked off its farewell tour on March 1 at Arena Hall in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The sold-out show marked the band's debut performance with Nekrutman, who previously played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

The 22-year-old Nekrutman is one of the most explosive young players in the drumming world, having garnered a legion of fans since bursting on to the international music scene just a few short years ago.

SEPULTURA announced Eloy's departure on February 27, explaining in a statement that he was leaving to join "another project", with Eloy later confirming that he is the new drummer of SLIPKNOT.

The news of Eloy's exit from SEPULTURA came just two months after the band announced it would celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2024 by embarking on a "farewell tour" which will cover the entire globe.

In SEPULTURA's statement, the remaining bandmembers expressed their shock over Casagrande's departure, saying they were "taken by surprise" that their now-former drummer would "abandon everything related to SEPULTURA" less than a month prior to the start of the tour.

In a new interview with the "What Else? With Corey Mann" podcast, STRYPER frontman and main songwriter Michael Sweet spoke about the band's upcoming album, "When We Were Kings", which will arrive on September 13 via Frontiers Music Srl. Asked if STRYPER has changed its sound for the new LP, Michael said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "We haven't changed our sound. That's the whole point, is not to. We still have the same sound. We try to modernize it here and there and add little twists and turns along the way to unexpectedly surprise you, but we're still STRYPER. You still hear the new album, any song on the new album, and go, 'That's STRYPER.' The signature sound, guitar tone, production, all the stuff you expect is there, but we always try to incorporate just little things that are different. And we definitely went back purposely, I went back as I was writing the album, and wanted to give people something a little more poppy, so I wrote the song 'Grateful'. It's kind of like our modern-day version of 'Calling On You' or 'Always There For You'. People were complaining we didn't do enough of that. But we've definitely gotten heavier as we've gotten older, and I don't think that's a bad thing. It's not forced. We're not trying to do it. It's just a natural progression. And we're really happy with where we're at as a band. But no, we have not changed our sound, other than just trying to still be relevant in 2024 and not sound like 1986."

Sweet previously spoke about the musical direction of STRYPER's follow-up to 2022's "The Final Battle" album in a recent interview with Canada's The Metal Voice. He said: "I think what it's always been in the past 10 years, 12 years. It's kind of similar to the last album and the album prior to that. But this album has some different twists and turns to it. And you have to hear it to understand that. When I was writing the songs, I wanted to make sure the choruses kind of went from — the verses might be in a minor chord, a little more on the darker side, and the choruses go to a major chord, a little bit more on the lighter side. Not lighter, but happier side— more major, melodic, more of an anthem, sing-along kind of thing. Then when it comes back to the verse, boom, it darkens up a little bit. You hear more of that kind of stuff."

Regarding the lyrical content on the upcoming STRYPER LP, Sweet, who is responsible for almost all of the songwriting in the band, said: "[There are] a couple of twists and turns. There's a song called 'Betrayed By Love'. It's a dark song, musically and lyrically. It's not a happy, typical STRYPER song that people might expect, like 'Honestly'. It's a song about being betrayed by someone you loved or love. And I think people will hear that and think, 'Oh, wow. This is different.' It's a great song. It's really cool. But there's little twists and turns here with the lyrics. The lyrics are a little different. And really cool. I can't wait for people to hear it."

This past March, Sweet wrote in an online post that he was "a little nervous" about his voice prior to the recording sessions for the new STRYPER album, "but in all sincerity, it seems fine to me," he said. "I didn't have any trouble tracking vocals and if anything, it seemed a little easier this time around.

"I have to say that this album has a very special signature," he added. "It has a heaviness yet at the same time, a very melodic approach and a bit more of a 'sing-along' style when it comes to the choruses. I'm really pleased with the results and I truly believe it will be at the top of everyone's 'best of' list. There are some stand out tracks to my ears already but I won't go into details quite yet. Bottom line, a KILLER new STRYPER album is coming!"

Last September, Michael said that he wanted "to branch out a bit" on the next STRYPER album "and try some new things and I also want to get back to some 'pop metal' on a few tracks as well."

In December, Sweet underwent partial thyroidectomy, the surgery to remove part of his thyroid gland. It is the most common surgery for thyroid cancer.

"When We Were Kings" track listing:

01. End Of Days
02. Unforgivable
03. When We Were Kings
04. Betrayed By Love
05. Loves Symphony
06. Trinity
07. Rhyme Of Time
08. Raptured
09. Grateful
10. Divided By Design
11. Imperfect World

STRYPER's 40th-anniversary tour dates will begin this fall. After an appearance at the Alive Music Festival in July, tour dates kick off September 11 in Greenville, Tennessee and conclude November 16 in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

STRYPER's 40th-anniversary tour will be a celebration of both classic hits and new-era fan favorites, including outfit changes and an exciting new show production. In most cities, this will be a two-set "evening with"-style show.

Formed 41 years ago, STRYPER's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen", "God Damn Evil", "Even The Devil Believes" and the aforementioned "The Final Battle".

Michael is joined in STRYPER by his brother Robert Sweet (drums),Oz Fox (guitar) and Perry Richardson (bass).

STRYPER's "To Hell With The Amps: The Unplugged Tour" kicked off in late May. For the first time ever, the Christian rockers staged a full tour where they performed their hits and fan favorites acoustically.

Photo credit: Alex Solca Photography

The LUV IT LIVE YouTube channel has uploaded video of VIXEN's August 2 concert at Foellinger Theatre in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Check out the clips below.

New VIXEN singer Rosa Laricchiuta, who joined the band in June as the replacement for Lorraine Lewis, spoke to the "All Bets Are Off" podcast with Robby Vegas about her experience so far with the long-running all-female rock outfit. She said: "Oh, it's amazing. I'm absolutely loving my time on stage, but I have to say it has been challenging — probably the most challenging of my entire career. [Laughs] I haven't had to learn 11 songs in such a short period of time, but the songs are amazing. I love the songs. I love melodic rock, and every song I was learning just got better and better. And I was, like, 'Oh my God. I love this. I love this. I love this melody and I love this song.' And I worked really hard. But I'm really proud of myself. And singing them — next level. The girls welcomed me from day one rehearsal, right from the start. And now I have — what? — three performances under my belt. And I honestly feel like I found a family."

Laricchiuta made her live debut with VIXEN on June 21 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California alongside GREAT WHITE, SLAUGHTER and QUIET RIOT. Asked what was going through her head at that first show, Rosa said: "Well, I was really excited because I'm all over the place because I'm so overwhelmed and it's all so surreal. But growing up, I always wanted sisters, so now I feel blessed to have three sisters. And I feel — this is funny, but I feel like I'm a part of an incredible hockey team doing what I love. [Laughs]"

As for the vibe on stage, Rosa said: "My heart was beating so fast and I was really grateful that the first show was only six songs. [Laughs] Oh my goodness. Of course it was adrenaline and the good stress. But, like I said, the girls really welcomed me from the start. And immediately, when we were on stage, I felt the energy. Britt's [Lightning, a.k.a. Brittany Denaro, VIXEN guitarist] infectious vibe, Julia's [Lage, VIXEN bassist] energy is just wow. And sometimes I had to tell myself, 'Rosa, focus on the crowd,' because I was so — I forgot. I was so lost in the energy that I forgot there's a good crowd in front of us. And then Roxy [Petrucci] on the drums, it's so fun. I just wanted to jump on her riser, but I couldn't because the riser was so incredibly high. And then the second and the third show, I had a moment. I like to look everyone in the eye. And I'm telling you, it's intense, it's amazing, but most of all, I'm having a blast."

Asked if she was aware of VIXEN's legacy prior to being asked to join the band, she said: "Sadly, no… The first thing, the first thing I said was, 'Oh my God. It's an all-female band. Is this really happening?' Because, again, growing up, I never had a sister, and I always dreamed of being in an all-girl, all-female band, always. And then the second thing that came out of my mouth was, 'This is so badass.'"

Laricchiuta is a singer, songwriter, and performer from Montreal, Quebec. After several years cutting her teeth with live shows, she auditioned for the third season (2015) of "La Voix", Quebec's version of the popular TV show "The Voice". Rosa had an instant connection with the legendary francophone rocker Éric Lapointe and chose him as her coach. Rosa showed a solid stage presence, with remarkable intensity and a voice so powerful it sent her straight to the Grand Finale where she shared the stage with DEF LEPPARD, Kelly Clarkson, Jean Leloup and her idol, Melissa Etheridge. She left a lasting impression as she won over millions of viewers who named her the new "it" female rocker of Quebec. She then released one album in the Quebec market before beginning work on her first English language album in 2016. That album, "Free", was released the following year and at the end of the year, she joined the popular American band TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA for their annual mega tour of the United States.

Laricchiuta's hard rock project BLACK ROSE MAZE released its self-titled debut album in August 2020 via Frontiers Music Srl.

VIXEN has around ten more shows scheduled for the rest of the summer and early fall.

During a recent appearance on the Battleline Podcast, Britt discussed the decision to part ways with Lewis. Asked what she would say to fans who are concerned that VIXEN bears little resemblance to the band that broke through in the late 1980s, with Roxy as the sole remaining member from VIXEN's classic lineup, Britt said: "Yeah, well, I think Roxy is definitely dedicated to maintaining the musical integrity of the classic VIXEN. And she said that. And I think for whatever reason, she feels that this change is gonna be a positive one… So, I'm excited. I trust her. She's been doing this a long time, and she knows what feels right."

Britt continued: "Sometimes things run its course. And, again, I'm not involved in in this decision or at liberty to really speak about … the reasons in it. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter, I guess. We're forging forward, we're forging ahead, and there will be new music. And I think it's gonna rock. So I'm very excited."

Britt went on to discuss the importance of getting along with VIXEN's new singer on a personal level, explaining: "At the end of the day, obviously you have to be talented, but just being a good person and being a cool person, 'cause we spend a lot of time together. I mean, that saying, musicians, we get paid to travel and then we play the gig, but what do we get paid for? The travel. I mean, I've flown to South America for one 30-minute show and then flown right back. So that's a lot of travel time and not a lot of playing. And that's a lot of time that you have to be with each other, and if you're with somebody that just drives you nuts, that's the worst thing ever. And then you can tell on stage too. So you know there's good chemistry when — you can feel it, is what I'm saying, on stage. And I think the audience can always feel it too."

In January 2019, VIXEN recruited Lewis as its new lead singer following the departure of Janet Gardner.

Lewis had already performed with VIXEN in March 2018 in Durant, Oklahoma while Gardner was recovering from surgery.

Prior to Lewis's addition to VIXEN, Petrucci, bassist Share Ross and Lightning vowed to "expand upon the VIXEN legacy while remaining true to our musical roots."

Gardner, Petrucci and Ross are considered to be part of VIXEN's classic lineup, along with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of cancer in October 2013.

Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN's most commercially successful studio albums — "Vixen" (1988),"Rev It Up" (1990) and "Tangerine" (1998) — as well as the group's latest full-length release, 2018's live album "Live Fire".

More than two years ago, Ross announced that she was "taking a hiatus" from VIXEN. Her replacement is Lage, formerly of the Latin Grammy-nominated Brazilian rock group BARRA DE SAIA and wife of Richie Kotzen. Lage made her live debut with VIXEN on February 8, 2022 at the pre-Monsters Of Rock cruise concert at Magic City Casino in Miami, Florida.

Last year, VIXEN released a new single called "Red". The official music video for the track, which was written and produced by CINDERELLA drummer Fred Coury, was directed by Drew Johnston and Vicente Cordero and edited by Ryan Conion.

Party mode On!🤘Ready to Rock the 80s? Friday Aug 2nd @foellingertheatre in Fort Wayne Indiana with our friends Slaughter...

Posted by Brittany Denaro on Thursday, August 1, 2024