In a new interview with Germany's MoreCore.TV, FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares was asked what the response has been to the live performances so far with the band's new lead singer, Milo Silvestro. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, the funny thing is we missed [what was supposed to be] our first show [with Milo in February 2023]. Because in California we got some really bad snow weather, so we got stuck in the snow. So we missed our first show. And it was really unfortunate because a lot of people from other parts of the world flew in to see him at his first show — people from Holland, people from Germany. So they were very upset. But luckily, we went back and made it up. But we missed our first show. But the reaction has been 100 percent positive ever since."

Milo concurred, saying: "We were all very thankful to the fans that they accepted this new era, because you don't take such thing for granted, because you're replacing a member, a singer in a such iconic band. It's always almost like a Russian roulette. Dino was, like, when we were doing the audition, 'Get ready for some backlash,' and stuff like that. Fortunately, the majority of the fans were, and still are, super happy about it. And I'm so thankful to them."

Added Dino: "I think people are happy just in general for us to be back. And because of Milo, to get these opportunities, and, of course, the legendary status of FEAR FACTORY that we're able to come back and do these well-established, legendary festivals."

Asked about what fans can expect from FEAR FACTORY in the future, Dino said: "Classic FEAR FACTORY record. Next year. For sure. We've been touring since February of 2023. We've been touring non-stop. And I think we're very lucky that a lot of the promoters and a lot of fans are happy to have us back, and we're excited to get out there and play for them."

At last month's Download festival in the United Kingdom, Cazares told Primordial Radio about how things are going with the band's current lineup, also featuring Silvestro, Tony Campos on bass, and Pete Webber on drums: " At the moment, smooth sailing. And it's been great. Everybody's on point. Pete Webber's on drums. He's sick. He came from a thrash metal band called HAVOK. Killer drummer. We call him Pete The Feet. Milo Silvestro — new kid on the block. He came straight from Rome, Italy. He sounds like a young Burton [C. Bell, original FEAR FACTORY singer], you know what I mean? [He sounds like Burton did] back in the day. He sounds amazing. He's probably the most musically talented in the band. And then Tony Campos, my old friend. He's been with the band since, like, 2015. He comes from a band called STATIC-X. He's been my mate for 30-plus years, and it's always good to play with him, and I'm glad he's with us."

Dino continued: "It's a great place right now. We are trying to avoid any of that drama. And luckily we have for the past year and a half since we came back."

Silvestro's addition to FEAR FACTORY was officially announced in February 2023.

In a recent interview with Brutal Planet Magazine, Dino was asked whether Milo is a "good lyricist". Cazares responded: "Oh, yeah. He's got some other little projects that he works on and the lyrics are really good. So we're not gonna have any issues with that. That was one of the main things that a lot of people have been complaining — not complaining, but the Internet type of bitching. It was, like, 'Okay. Yeah, he could sing great live. He could do all the songs great live. But what's it gonna be like when he does the record? How's his lyrics gonna be? How's this gonna be?' Relax. It's all gonna be good. Don't worry."

Cazares went on to say that FEAR FACTORY fans can definitely expect to hear new music in 2024. "We've gotta at least put a single out before the end of the year," he said.

Last fall, Dino told Nyva Zarbano that Milo "brings obviously a freshness that FEAR FACTORY needed. The last singer that we had [Burton C. Bell], obviously he had a lot of vocal issues and he really couldn't sing or do any of this kind of heavy touring," he explained. "It just was a big setback for us. So bringing Milo into the band, obviously he's got a great voice, he's very talented, he's a multi-instrumentalist. He could play more than one instrument. The kid's very talented. Of course, the story is I found him on the Internet. He was releasing videos of him doing FEAR FACTORY covers and he was posting them on all the FEAR FACTORY fan sites. And I saw him there, and I was, like, 'Okay, that's really got my attention.' But we had many people audition, but he was the one that really stood out. And he's a huge fan of FEAR FACTORY. And he pretty much learned from listening to our older vocalist. So he learned a lot of his stuff. And so, I mean, if you close your eyes, you think it's the original singer."

In a separate interview with Australia's "Everblack" podcast, Cazares was asked if Silvestro was "getting more comfortable" with his position as the frontman of the long-running California metal act. Dino responded: "Oh, yeah. I mean, from the first day, we talked about a lot of stuff. Before the tour started, we rehearsed, and we were, like, 'Okay, these are the kind of things that we've done before. And I think you need to do this, this, this.' And he goes, 'Okay.' So then the first day [of the tour] comes, he just goes wild. And I'm, like, 'Oh, shit.' I was, like, 'Calm down.' I go, 'You don't need to go insane everywhere. Just focus on singing, focus on getting everything, giving the crowd all equal attention,' blah, blah. There's certain things you just gotta teach him a little bit, right? And so he pretty much nailed it the first day."

FEAR FACTORY played its first headlining concert with Silvestro and touring drummer Pete Webber on May 5, 2023 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

Earlier last year, FEAR FACTORY completed the "Rise Of The Machine" U.S. tour as the support act for STATIC-X marked the Cazares-led outfit's first run of shows with Silvestro and Webber.

Webber had been filling in for FEAR FACTORY's longtime drummer Mike Heller who was unable to play with the band due to "scheduling conflicts."

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

Two months ago, FLAT BLACK, the band formed by ex-FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Jason Hook, released a new single, "Nothing To Some". The track, which features a guest appearance by SLIPKNOT vocalist Corey Taylor, will appear on FLAT BLACK's upcoming debut album, due later this year via Fearless Records. The LP, produced by Hook, was recorded at both Jason's home studio and The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas.

Regarding how he ended up collaborating with Taylor on "Nothing To Some", Hook told Ronni Hunter of the 99.7 The Blitz radio station at this past weekend's Sonic Temple festival in Columbus, Ohio (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I developed a friendship with Corey in 2020. He hit me up, actually. I was working in Los Angeles with his producer, and I think the producer said, 'I've got Jason Hook here. We're working on some material.' He said, 'Oh, give me his number.' And so all of a sudden we're texting back and forth. And we hit it off right away. He's just a fucking fantastic guy. Maybe he doesn't want anyone to know that, but he's actually a sweetheart. [Laughs] He's a really sweet dude. And he was, like, 'Look, if you're trying to build something and you don't have anyone to work with, I'll write with you. So it was just perfect for the time and the emotions I was going through at the time. He really helped bolster my spirit, like, 'Yes, let's do something.' And we ended up doing five songs together. Four will probably never get heard, but we used 'Nothing To Some' on the record."

Hook is joined in FLAT BLACK by singer Wes Horton, bassist Nick Diltz and drummer Rob Pierce.

In an interview with Jake Daniels of the Rock 100.5 The KATT radio station, Hook stated about how FLAT BLACK came together: "Well, I was pretty hell-bent on starting a new band. Music's in my blood. It's a part of my DNA, and I just knew that… I didn't really care how long it took. It just had to be potent. And so, one [musician] at a time… I found Rob first, and he's awesome. And then, of course, Nick; he's from Los Angeles. All my guys are just stellar players. And I wanted to have a good pack of songs. And so here we are."

Regarding the importance of getting along with his bandmates on a personal level, Hook said: "Well, it was a bit of a prerequisite to find guys that were mentally stable and free of drama and that we could hang. It's all about the hang. When you're on tour, you're stuck in this submarine, this rolling submarine, for 18 months. It's important that everyone is compatible. The personalities, I wanted to be very specific about that this time around… We're getting along great."

Having left his prior band in February 2020, which was right before COVID-19 put the entire world on pause, Hook wanted to assume creative control and let his musical free spirit soar in a project that was truly his. He opted to gamble on himself. With great risk comes great reward and the decision to form FLAT BLACK clearly worked out in his favor.

"As a musician, I crave freedom and I wasn't ready to stop creating," Hook shared.

"Life is short," he continued. "We all want to feel satisfied and happy with what we are trying to accomplish in life."

The pandemic shutdown allowed him the opportunity to assemble the right musicians and carefully craft their debut album. FLAT BLACK is armed with an arsenal of riffs that'll rattle your teeth loose from your gums, stadium-sized hooks, arena-ready anthems, and choruses that are guaranteed to touch a nerve. All of those factors combined make FLAT BLACK poised for success.

The origin stories of the rest of the players are indicative of a lifelong love of music and plenty of road-worn experience. The desire to play courses through their veins and propels them forward, which is why they all meshed so well with Hook.

Horton was introduced to music at age 13, thanks to his sister and Guitar Hero. He honed his vocal chops by playing in local bands and making online videos. Various music industry friends and acquaintances would become the connective tissue between himself and Hook. Horton knew he wanted to be a frontman, and FLAT BLACK afforded him that opportunity. Wes loves the fact that his bandmates prioritize songcraft — and that allows him to be the singer he has always wanted to be.

Diltz, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, is the son of a legendary rock music photographer who brought him to concerts during his formative years. He recalls being inspired by watching a VHS video of U2 performing at legendary venue Red Rocks. Seeing fans clamoring for a piece of Bono in the footage is a vision that never left his head. This first exposure to the power of a true rock icon solidified Nick's destiny as a live performer.

Pierce hails from Nashville, a.k.a. Music City. His dad was a race car driver and his grandfather was a pastor. He grew up racing go karts and at first, wanted to follow in his dad's footsteps until he joined the fourth-grade band and was bitten by the music bug. He chose the snare drum over the saxophone and from that moment on, music was the only thing that mattered. Rob got his first drum kit at age 11, which he set up in his dad's car shop. He learned to play his instrument next to 1,000 horsepower engines, which influences his highly energetic style to this day.

FLAT BLACK made its live debut on August 24, 2023 at the FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, California as the support act for GODSMACK.

FLAT BLACK is:

Jason Hook - Guitar
Wes Horton - Vocals
Rob Pierce - Drums
Nicholas Diltz - Bass

In October 2020, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH confirmed that it had officially parted ways with Hook eight months earlier during the band's sold-out European arena tour. He has since been replaced by renowned British virtuoso Andy James, who made his recording debut with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH on "Broken World", a song that was included on the second installment of the group's greatest-hits collection, "A Decade Of Destruction - Volume 2".

After his recovery from emergency gallbladder surgery at the end of 2019, Hook had to leave midway from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's tour of Europe to address further complications.

Jason, who joined FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in 2009, said about his exit from the band: "As for the reason I'm leaving… well, there really isn't just one. I've been in bands my entire life and I feel like I've done all the good that I can here. It's time to pass the baton and move on to new challenges."

BAD MARRIAGE, whose current lineup includes former TESLA guitarist Tommy Skeoch, has released a new single and lyric video titled "The Pennyman". Expertly produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Mike Fitz, "The Pennyman" also showcases Fitz on lead vocals. This is the second single to feature Skeoch, further highlighting the band's dynamic collaboration.

In addition, BAD MARRIAGE is set to embark on an exciting tour starting in October, sharing the stage with former WHITESNAKE guitarist Adrian Vandenberg. They will also make an appearance at this year's Monsters On The Mountain festival on August 23.

BAD MARRIAGE is not just another band out of Boston. They come out of the gutter swinging with a thunderous rock and roll swagger that would make the "Bad Boys Of Boston" smile. Indulging their mutual thirst for tone and overdriven guitars, BAD MARRIAGE pays homage to the British blues-hard rock of the past while etching their own signature style and sound.

Formed in 2015, BAD MARRIAGE exploded on to the hard rock scene, setting the bar high with their airtight, energetic live shows that has created a massive following of support.

BAD MARRIAGE has toured nationally with TESLA, Glenn Hughes and BUCKCHERRY, to name a few. They have had the honor of opening for EXTREME, Stephen Pearcy, L.A. GUNS, Geoff Tate, LAST IN LINE, Scott Weiland and many more. As a result of the band's success, they were welcomed to play on the 2022 Monsters Of Rock cruise and 2022's Monsters On The Mountain where they shared the stage with legends such as Alice Cooper, QUIET RIOT, KIX, NIGHT RANGER and Tom Keifer.

BAD MARRIAGE has released two full-length albums, titled "Bad Marriage" and "Bad Marriage 2" and one EP, "Artificial Mind", that was produced by Brian Wheat of TESLA.

BAD MARRIAGE is:

Jonny P - Lead Vocals
Mike Fitz - Lead, Rhythm Guitar
Tommy Skeoch - Lead Guitar
Ian Haggerty - Rhythm Guitar
Todd Boisvert - Bass Guitar
Mike Delaney - Drums

Skeoch left TESLA in 2006 and went on to receive treatment for substance-abuse issues. He has since been replaced by Dave Rude.

Guitarist, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Richie Kotzen has signed a label deal with global music company BMG. During his performance in London on Saturday, July 13, the final date of his European tour, Kotzen announced the September 27, 2024 release date of his brand new solo studio album, titled "Nomad". The effort will be available digitally, on CD and standard black vinyl.

Michael Kachko, BMG senior vice president says: "After working with Richie on the successful SMITH/KOTZEN project, we knew what an incredible songwriter and artist he is so we were excited to hear what he was working on as a solo artist. When he played us the new material, we knew immediately we wanted to be involved."

Kotzen states: "I was very much elated with the news that BMG wanted to release this album as I envisioned it without artistic compromise. I love the fact that the BMG team put their creative trust in me and my vision without re-design. So many times the business side of things can really interfere with the creative progress of a writer and with a team like this the focus is on what can we do to help you beyond what you've already done as a recording artist. The attitude seems to be, 'you've done the work as a writer, producer [and] musician, now let us take the ball and run'. This feels like the beginning of an amazing journey for me and a bit of a re-set in an industry that is becoming more complex to navigate for a lone artist."

Written, recorded and produced by Kotzen, "Nomad" features eight new tracks showcasing Kotzen's multi-faceted musical styles with Kotzen playing almost every instrument on the album. On "Nomad", Kotzen expresses his diverse techniques and influences, from hard rock to '70s-infused soul and funk, jazz fusion to R&B. It's all intertwined with his own unique playing and songwriting approach, while retaining his ever-evolving signature style.

"I came up exposed to soul, funk and R&B music extensively but at the same time I was a hard rock fan all the way," explains Kotzen. "So I've got this sort of interesting dynamic happening with my music where you hear elements of PARLIAMENT or Curtis Mayfield but then at the same time you've got the BAD COMPANY early Rod Stewart influence as well. Then when I started taking the guitar more seriously, I was drawn into fusion bands like THE DIXIE DREGS, RETURN TO FOREVER and Allan Holdsworth's work. It is a wacky mixture but that is the formula for Richie Kotzen."

Earlier this year, Kotzen released the first track from the album, hard-driving single "Cheap Shots" to critical acclaim. And today Richie premieres the follow-up single, "On The Table", a heavy-hitting rocker that had been living on his hard drive, waiting for the perfect lyric to complete it. A subconscious memory of his Brazilian father-in-law's first English words "The book is on the table" sparked inspiration and perfectly tied it all together.

While "Nomad" has no shortage of heavy guitar rockers, the sheer diversity of the album as heard on tracks such as "Nihilist", "This Is A Test" and the title track "Nomad" showcases not only Kotzen's musical range and vocal prowess, but his fearless imagination as a producer/arranger. Already globally renowned as an extraordinary guitarist, with "Nomad" Kotzen stands tall as a truly remarkable all-round lyricist-producer/arranger and singer.

"Nomad" track listing:

01. Cheap Shots
02. These Doors**
03. Insomnia
04. Nomad*
05. Escape
06. On The Table
07. This Is A Test
08. Nihilist

* Dan Potruch plays drums on "Nomad"
** Kyle Hughes plays drums on "These Doors"

Press photo credit: Juergen Spachmann

Guitarist/vocalist Steve "Lips" Kudlow of Canadian metal legends ANVIL, whose documentary, "Anvil! The Story Of Anvil", revived the group's career, has dismissed suggestions that he and his bandmates are not successful. He told Signals From Mars in a new interview (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The people calling out saying we're not successful — you go and record 12 albums. Before you say that I'm not successful, you go record 12 albums and live in obscurity and deal with having to have a day job and then finally get a movie out, and then you tell me what's going on, what's successful or not.

"Being successful in the music industry is writing a bunch of songs, recording them with the guys that you love like brothers and make the best pieces of music that you possibly can and get it out in the public domain," he continued. "That's being successful. How many records you sell is not even relevant because at the end of the day, it's about how many songs did you write? How much did you contribute? What did you bring to this world? That's what living is about, is what you bring to the world, not what the world gives to you. If you have to judge everything on what the world gives to you, you've got fuck all. Even if you've got no one that loves you, you've got fuck all. And if you haven't got someone to love, you've got fuck all.

"Money is only one small aspect of our human existence," Lips added. "And until you put it in perspective of what it actually is, it's a means to an end. It's to feed yourself. That's what you're using to make money. So once you've fed yourself, everything more is abundance. If you're a minimalist, you feed yourself and you go out and you enjoy your fucking life and get as much and put as much of yourself out there as you can to actually be responsible for as much as possible and get as much done in your life as you can. That's what it's all about. So, the guy who wins, the guy who, the guy who records a thousand songs in a lifetime — that's the guy who wins. He was successful. That's real success, man."

ANVIL released its 20th studio album "One And Only", on June 28 via AFM Records. The effort was recorded in the summer of 2023 with longtime producer Martin "Mattes" Pfeiffer and Jörg Uken at Uken's Soundlodge studios in Germany. The same production team was responsible for ANVIL's last four albums, "Anvil Is Anvil" (2016),"Pounding The Pavement" (2018),"Legal At Last" (2019) and "Impact Is Imminent" (2022).

When it comes to the most influential bands in the history of heavy metal, authorities on the subject regularly vote ANVIL among the top positions. The group from Toronto, Canada, with its two masterminds, Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner, and bassist Chris Robertson, not only looks back at an impressive career with countless highlights — as well as a number of well-documented difficulties — but has also had a lasting influence on lots of internationally renowned musicians, from METALLICA to SLAYER and beyond.

In January 2023, MVD Marquee Collection released the "Ultimate Edition" Blu-ray and "Standard Edition" DVD of "Anvil! The Story Of Anvil". The new version of the film features remastered picture and sound, as well as a new exclusive epilogue interview with director Sacha Gervasi and Lips and ANVIL drummer Robb Reiner moderated by former MTV host Matt Pinfield.

In a new interview with The Logan Show, former WHITE LION frontman Mike Tramp spoke about his recent social media post in which he revealed that he and the rest of his current band MIKE TRAMP'S WHITE LION would be available for "private/in-house shows" during their upcoming U.S. tour this summer and fall. When interviewer Logan Crosland noted that "the idea of going to a stranger's house to play songs" would "terrify" him, Tramp said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It would only terrify me if they stood there with shotguns and locked the door and said, 'You ain't leaving.'"

Tramp continued: "I've done many of those things with an acoustic guitar. We're doing it full band because we're carrying a full digital system. So, in reality, we can almost hook up straight into your stereo and not even make any more noise than if you just had a couple of friends over playing."

Circling back to why he is doing private/in-house shows in the first place, Mike said: "There were just a couple of dates along the road that we would like to fill because we're doing a lot of driving, so we wanted to throw it out. Who knows? Maybe the next tour will be all in-your-living-room concerts. Who knows?"

Tramp will release "Songs Of White Lion - Vol. II" on August 23 via Frontiers Music Srl. The album's ten tracks once again see Tramp re-imagining select cuts from his former band WHITE LION.

Back in 2019, Tramp revealed in an interview that he had apologized to guitarist Vito Bratta for trying to resurrect his former band without his onetime songwriting partner and bandmate.

The Danish-born singer hasn't played with Bratta since WHITE LION performed its last concert in Boston in September 1991.

In the 33 years since WHITE LION broke up, Bratta's public profile has been virtually nonexistent, while Tramp has remained active, recording and touring as a solo artist and with the bands FREAK OF NATURE, THE ROCK 'N' ROLL CIRCUZ and, more recently, BAND OF BROTHERS. Tramp also attempted to revive WHITE LION with the 2008 album "Return Of The Pride", featuring new members. Two years later, Tramp ceded ownership of the name WHITE LION to Bratta in an out-of-court settlement.

Mainly active in the 1980s and early 1990s, WHITE LION released its debut album, "Fight To Survive", in 1985. The band had its breakthrough with the double-platinum-selling "Pride" album, which produced two Top 10 hits: "Wait" and "When The Children Cry". The band continued its success with the third album, "Big Game", which achieved gold status.

By the time WHITE LION released its final album, 1991's "Mane Attraction", alternative rock was in the ascendancy, leading to a swift decline of the so-called "hair metal" scene in terms of sales, popularity, radio play, and most importantly, relevance.

Mike released "Songs Of White Lion", in April 2023 via Frontiers Music Srl.

“Many people have asked about us doing some private/in house shows on this tour - And when you ask, you shall receive....

Posted by Mike Tramp on Sunday, July 7, 2024

Sammy Hagar played the second show of his summer 2024 tour Sunday night (July 14) at the at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, Florida. Fan-filmed video can be seen below (courtesy of concertsrock).

For "The Best Of All Worlds" tour, Hagar and his bandmates in THE CIRCLE — ex-VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Jason Bonham — are being joined by guitarist virtuoso Joe Satriani, who has recorded and performed with Hagar and Anthony in the band CHICKENFOOT, and multi-instrumentalist Rai Thistlethwayte.

As was the case with the opening concert on Saturday in West Palm Beach, the 21-song set in Tampa consisted largely of VAN HALEN material, including the opening track "Good Enough", from 1986's "5150" album, as well as two songs from 1991's "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", "Poundcake" and "Runaround", and a pair of David Lee Roth-era VAN HALEN classics, "Panama" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", as well as a section of "Jump".

The rest of the set included Satriani's "Satch Boogie", the rousing rock-swing guitar instrumental that put him on the map in 1987 and helped propel his second album, "Surfing With The Alien", to platinum status. and several of Hagar's solo classics, such as "There's Only One Way To Rock", "Eagles Fly", "Heavy Metal" and "I Can't Drive 55".

The full setlist was as follows:

01. Good Enough (VAN HALEN song)
02. Poundcake (VAN HALEN song)
03. Runaround (VAN HALEN song)
04. There's Only One Way To Rock
05. Judgement Day (VAN HALEN song)
06. Panama (VAN HALEN song)
07. 5150 (VAN HALEN song)
08. Summer Nights (VAN HALEN song)
09. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love (VAN HALEN song)
10. Top Of The World (VAN HALEN song)
11. Best Of Both Worlds (VAN HALEN song)
12. Satch Boogie (Joe Satriani song)
13. The Seventh Seal (VAN HALEN song)
14. Right Now (VAN HALEN song)
15. Why Can't This Be Love (VAN HALEN song)
16. Eagles Fly
17. Mas Tequila (SAMMY HAGAR AND THE WABOS song)
18. Heavy Metal
19. I Can't Drive 55
20. Space Station #5 / Oh Yeah / Jump
21. When It's Love (VAN HALEN song)

Produced by Live Nation, the 28-date "The Best Of All Worlds" tour will conclude on August 31 in St. Louis, Missouri.

This past January, Satriani spoke to Australian Musician about how he plans to play Eddie Van Halen's parts on the tour that will focus largely on the music of VAN HALEN. Asked about how he plans to approach the concerts from a "tonal" standpoint, Joe said: "Yeah, there's a couple of things that you can zero in on. This is one of the guitars I used during 'The Howard Stern Show' [when Joe, Sammy, Michael and Jason first announced the tour and performed on the early-morning program]. It's tuned to a D standard, which is really low, and the strings were 11. That was my first two big mistakes. [Laughs] 'Cause I can't play 11s. And tuned down to D, I just wasn't used to it. Sammy and the guys, they've been doing it for years, but it was foreign to me. So a lot of things don't happen.

"Eddie played at 440 and then E flat, and he played light strings. He played nines and even sometimes the lower strings were lighter," Joe explained. "Every time I talk about Eddie, I finish it by saying 'besides the fact that he was a genius.' You always have to add that in, 'cause he was just amazing — period. 'Cause every time he picked up a guitar, no matter what it was, it was amazing. He had the hands and the heart, everything. I'm just catching up.

"What I learned from 'The Howard Stern Show', besides it's still important to rehearse and you can't do gigs without rehearsals… But what, what it confirmed was a couple of things I was thinking about, which was that Eddie had specific gear — he really did," Satriani continued. "He didn't play with the gear I used or Steve Vai or Slash or Tom Morello or any of his contemporaries. He actually had a very specific setup. And you ask yourself, 'Well, why?' Well, it's because, besides he was a genius, as we know, he knew that in order for him to play those parts, he had to have his gear tweaked a certain way; otherwise it wouldn't work. So, like when you go to play the beginning of 'Mean Street', if your setup is not allowing those harmonics to jump out, it's gonna sound like you're not hitting them. You've gotta get the setup right.

"If you refer to the first… Let's say, if you go to [VAN HALEN's 1986 concert video] 'Live Without A Net' or any of those things, even the early period, '5150' period, from [David Lee] Roth to the early Hagar period where he's still using Marshalls, when he goes to do things like that, it's a success. Every time he goes to hit a harmonic, boom, there it is. And it's low noise, big round fidelity, still sounds organic. You fast forward to live at the Tokyo Dome [2015's 'Tokyo Dome Live in Concert'], it's a totally different thing. He's playing an entirely different amp. When he goes to do those things, he's getting an overt amount of harmonic information, but he's also getting a ton of noise and none of the body that was part of the earlier sound.

"Now I learned that because of those two [EVH] amps right there. I got those back when Alex [Van Halen] and Dave called and asked me to do the [seemingly abandoned] Eddie tribute tour, and I thought, 'Well, I've gotta figure this out.' So the first thing I did was I got a couple of those and I thought, 'Well, this is great. You get all the harmonics, but, man, this is really small sounding. This is like for modern…' If I was 20 years old and I was playing modern rock, those would be the best amps ever. But I'm not, and I still wanna hear sort of the body of the guitar and I wanna hear a more dynamic mix. So I started to think, 'Well, what's my favorite VAN HALEN section?' And I did find that period in '86. I talked to Sam quite a bit about it and he said, yeah, that first 5150, he was still using Marshalls. In Sammy's view, his favorite sound that Eddie ever made. It wasn't small and then stereoized. So I reached out to Dylana Scott at 3rd Power amplifiers, and she is building me what we believe is going to be the amp that does it…"

Joe added: "This goes back to what I said earlier about how the gear is so important for the performer. I know that when we step out on stage and whether I'm playing 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love' or '5150', I'm gonna need to feel and hear that sound to convince myself to keep going. And if it's not working, then I'm just gonna say, 'Well, let me just have my solo rig.' But my solo rig is designed — it probably has a little too much gain, and is designed to make the high strings really fat sounding, because I play all the melodies. I play very little rhythm guitar all night long. It's just solo melody, solo melody. And I can't play the Hagar set like that. It's just the wrong sound. CHICKENFOOT, it kind of worked. But for the for the VAN HALEN stuff to really pop, and then we're doing MONTROSE, we're doing Sammy Hagar solo stuff, we're doing my stuff, we're doing CHICKENFOOT. It's a really fun setlist. Great setlist. But I know, in my heart, that I wanna hear that sound in my head, that mythical Eddie Van Halen sound that we all sort of hear in our mind, and I wanna be able to feel it. And so I've been getting these clips from Dylana every week, and the stuff that she's building is really amazing."

Last December, Satriani spoke to Ultimate Guitar's Justin Beckner about how he plans to play Eddie Van Halen's parts on the upcoming tour. Asked if there are some VAN HALEN songs that he found most challenging to perform, Joe replied: "The main thing is that for the last five decades I've tried so hard to be myself and to be me and not copy anybody. I've been lucky, since the late '80s, to have a solo career, so I really had a job that forced me to be myself as much as possible. So I made a point not to play like anybody. But it happens eventually when you're having fun, you're at a party and someone says, 'Oh, can you play this song?' and you realize, 'I have no idea how to play that song. I love that song. I've listened to it a million times. I don't know what the guy's doing.' And then you go to learn it and you go, 'Wow, that's really weird. It feels so awkward for me to be like this.' And it's not the parts, 'cause I can hear the chords and I know what everything is when I hear it. It's just the sensibility of timing, vibrato, picking. If you're so deep into your own thing, it's really hard to get out of it and try to properly emulate somebody else's playing. It would almost be like if you gave a guitar to Eddie and you said, 'Okay, Eddie, we want you to play 'Summer Song' note for note.' He'd be, like, 'What? I don't play like that. I don't do that. I just kind of do this, this and this.' Of course we'd love it no matter how he did it — it would be fun — but it wouldn't be exactly the same."

Joe continued: "When I was young and I was in cover bands, I knew what it was like to try to get as close as possible when you were playing — for me, it was [LED] ZEPPELIN and [BLACK] SABBATH and THE [ROLLING] STONES and stuff like that; that's what we played. But eventually, you'd have to go, 'I don't play like that. That's not my vibrato.' If I go to play AC/DC, there's no way I can do Angus's [Young] vibrato. He just has his own vibrato. If you're gonna try to play like Jeff Beck — he's so personal. You can play the notes and remind people of this part he did and that part, but it's not gonna sound quite the same.

"If we heard Eric Clapton trying to play 'Since I've Been Loving You' by LED ZEPPELIN, there's no way it would sound the same. It would be great, but it wouldn't sound the same. So, what I noticed right away, when I realized, 'I really have to figure out these songs,' [I asked myself] what is Eddie — what's he operating on?

"So here are a couple of things I've noticed," Satriani added. "Number one, he plays so on the beat and makes it feel like he's pushing the beat, but he's actually not. It's really amazing how he does it. And I realized, when I went back and I listened to my stuff back to back, I thought, 'Oh, that's me, sitting on the backbeat as much as I can,' because I'm playing the melody. When you play the melody, you don't wanna be on top. Actually, you want the band to be pushing, and you're sitting back here, like a singer, playing. I like the way Robert Plant sings in 'Since I've Been Loving You'. He's so behind. Or listen to any hip-hop song — the vocals are way in the pocket; they're just late on purpose. So that's something I've worked on my whole life is 'sit back, sit back, sot back,' and all of a sudden you go to play a song like 'I'm The One', and it's like, 'No, you have to be the guy way in front.' And Alex [Van Halen] is gonna be going, 'No, no. Sit back here.' And that's a difficult sensibility when every nerve ending in your body is saying, 'Sit back.' But to make the song work, you've gotta sit forward. That's the first thing I noticed, like the difference between Eddie's sensibility in timing and mine in terms of timing.

"Our vibratos aren't that different," Joe said. "He holds hick pick [with his thumb and middle finger], so he's always got [his index] finger for tapping, and I don't. So I always have to do something. And what I started to do early on was to use my pick for a lot of hammer-ons because I just wanted to be different, and I thought I'd get a better sound, I'd be able to do some different things that other players weren't doing. And I saw guys using their fingers back in the early '70s, when Eddie was my age, just a young teenager. There were other guys doing tapping for decades before, but as my generation started to figure out how to do tapping, I saw the thing was a split. There's tapping for effect, tapping for riff, and then there's tapping to create an entire musical piece. And Eddie did all of it. The way that he would do the tapping, when he would use it, [was] totally opposite of the way that I had forced myself to go with it.

"The third thing is… Again, we're talking about someone who was just an incredible virtuoso in several areas. One of the things that Eddie had was this super-tight swing that was ultrafast with his right hand. And that is something, again, that once… I remember hearing for the first time and thinking, 'Well, I'm gonna have to work on that.' That's gonna take me, I thought, I bet, three months of 45 minutes a day just working with a metronome to work that into my bag of tricks.' 'Cause that's kind of like what it is."

Satriani went on to say: "I think when you're getting ready for a tour and you're gonna play a song that you haven't played in 20 years, you remember it but you go, 'Ah, I don't do that anymore,' and it physically feels odd. So you say, 'Okay, I've got six weeks before the tour. I'm gonna play this thing ten times a day and I'm just gonna keep working, and start slow and figure out all the different ways of doing it so that when I hit the stage, I can relax and play it the way it should be played.'"

Hagar and Anthony previously worked with Satriani in the supergroup CHICKENFOOT. They recorded two albums between 2009 and 2011 and toured across America but never performed any VAN HALEN material. More recently, Hagar and Anthony have played some of the VAN HALEN catalog with guitarist Vic Johnson and Bonham in SAMMY HAGAR AND THE CIRCLE.

Hagar mended his relationship with Eddie Van Halen months prior to the legendary VAN HALEN guitarist's October 2020 passing.

Sammy, Eddie, Alex Van Halen and Michael last teamed up in 2004 for a U.S. summer tour. In exchange for taking part in the tour, Anthony reportedly had to agree to take a pay cut and sign away his rights to the band name and logo.

Although Hagar and Anthony normally play five or six VAN HALEN songs" on the road with THE CIRCLE, Sammy told Stern they were planning to only play "five or six of my songs" alongside VAN HALEN classics and deep cuts.

"When we go out next year in July, it will be almost exactly 20 years since Mike and I did a reunion with Ed and Al in '04," Hagar said. "Mike and I just said, 'We can't wait another 20 years. How long can I even sing these songs? How long can I do this stuff? I just thought it's time to serve the fans."

"There's stuff we're going to do on this next tour that we haven't played since that tour in 2004," Anthony added.

Regarding the challenge of learning legendary VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen's parts, Satriani said: "There are things that are so iconic, you have to nail it. But if you go deep with what he did live, he never played the same thing twice. He kept evolving; he kept pushing. He'd do the recorded version a little bit, but then he moved on.

"It's a daunting task when you do the deep dive into what he did," he continued. "But it's good to start at the beginning, and then you just learn all his little improvs and you get the idea of what he was trying to do. It's thrilling; it's fun."

Eddie died in October 2020 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. The iconic VAN HALEN axeman passed away from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

In a new interview with Scott Itter of Dr. Music, founding YES frontman Jon Anderson was asked if fans can ever expect to get a memoir or an autobiography from him. The 79-year-old singer responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was reading one that was… I actually wrote an autobiography up until when I first met my spiritual teacher, this little lady from Hawaii and when I met her. And she looked at me and said, 'Your name is Jon?' I said, 'Yeah.' And she said, 'You know that God is free?' And I said, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you.' And I sat with her for an hour, and I just knew that I was in love with life and in love with the idea of learning. And that's been my life. That was 30 years ago, just before I met [my wife] Jane. And I wrote an autobiography up to that moment in time, and now I showed my manager Larry the autobiography, and he said, 'Can you not do the rest of your life, please?' I said, 'Okay.' I have to start thinking about that."

After a highly successful 2023 tour with THE BAND GEEKS, Jon decided to expand the creative partnership with the band to create new material for a potential new studio album. The result of this effort is "True", which will be released on August 23 by Jon's new label, Frontiers Music Srl.

"True" is a nine-song album which will be a welcome gift to all fans of Jon's 40 years as lead vocalist of the multi-platinum Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee YES. The LP's collection of songs harkens back to YES's classic 1970s sounds as well as to their latter-day success with the album "90125".

The album was co-produced, engineered and mixed by THE BAND GEEKS bassist and musical director Richie Castellano.

Jon and THE BAND GEEKS embarked on their 2024 U.S. tour on May 30 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The tour will encompass three legs and will run through September.

In a recent issue of Mojo magazine, Anderson said that he was open to reuniting with his former YES bandmates Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe.

"I was talking to THE BAND GEEKS and said, hopefully we can play in London and Steve will get up and do a couple of songs with us, maybe Rick too," Anderson said. "It just means talking. When I'm out there singing on my own, I still think I'm part of YES. They still feel like my songs."

Anderson co-founded YES in 1968 with bassist Chris Squire, and remained with the band until 2008, when YES replaced him with Benoit David, an Anderson sound-alike who previously fronted the YES tribute band CLOSE TO THE EDGE. David left YES in 2012 and was replaced by Jon Davison.

In July 2020, Howe told Rolling Stone that there is virtually no chance of the surviving members of YES reuniting for a tour.

"I don't think [the fans] should stay up late nights worrying about that," he said. "There's just too much space out there between people. To be in a band together or even to do another tour like 'Union' is completely unthinkable," referencing the group's 1990 "Union" LP and tour, which brought together the previous YES album's lineup (Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Trevor Rabin, Alan White, Tony Kaye) and the then-ex-YES members' group ANDERSON BRUFORD WAKEMAN HOWE (Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe). "It was difficult when we went through that, particularly because of the personalities," Howe said. "I'm not saying any one person is to blame, but when you get a big hodgepodge like that together, it's pretty much a nightmare. We made a nightmare of possibly a good thing back in 1990. I don't think there is the stamina or the appetite for that kind of thing again."

Anderson, Wakeman and Rabin had started touring as ARW: ANDERSON, RABIN AND WAKEMAN in 2016 and then adopted the YES FEATURING JON ANDERSON, TREVOR RABIN, RICK WAKEMAN moniker shortly after the group's 2017 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction.

Howe last toured with Anderson and Wakeman in 2004.

YES has released over 20 albums across its career, including its self-titled debut in 1969 and "Tales From Topographic Oceans" in 1973.

In a recent interview with former THE HOURGLASS guitarist Rudi Messiah, Matthias Jabs spoke about his songwriting relationship with fellow SCORPIONS guitarist Rudolf Schenker. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "To me, the most important thing is that the band is successful. So if we have great songs, I mean, I have enough to do to do all the guitar arrangements, or most of them. But if we have enough good songs, it's not absolutely necessary to start writing something else. It might be as good, it might be better, it might be not as good, but the important thing is that the album is great — at least that's what we're all thinking at the time we are making it. Looking back, sometimes you have a different opinion, but that's the most important thing, that the band continues to be successful, and that's what, in the team, everybody should look for."

He continued: "I know some bands have their disputes about 'I do this, and I wanna do the same,' and blah blah, and sometimes it works but many times bands break up because of that stuff. So I think if you have a far vision, then you know that… We are celebrating our 60th anniversary next year. You can't do that when you have a dispute about relatively minor things or small things. You have to [see] the big picture. It's more important."

SCORPIONS' only continuous member has been Schenker, although singer Klaus Meine has appeared on all of the band's studio albums, while Jabs has been a consistent member since 1978, and bassist Paweł Mąciwoda and drummer Mikkey Dee have been in the band since 2003 and 2016, respectively.

SCORPIONS' latest album, "Rock Believer", was released in February 2022. The LP was recorded primarily at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

Last month, Deadline reported that a SCORPIONS biopic, "Wind Of Change", is currently being developed and produced by ESX Entertainment, the company founded by actor, producer and former race car driver Ali Afshar.

"Wind Of Change" will tell the story of "three unlikely friends whose passion for rock 'n' roll fueled their rise from the ashes of post-World War II Germany to the global stardom in the 1980s as the multi-platinum rock band SCORPIONS," according to Deadline. French-born filmmaker Alex Ranarivelo ("American Wrestler: The Wizard") will direct.

In a recent interview with 107.7 RKR's "The Rocker Morning Show", BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler was asked if THE BEATLES were an early influence on him like they were on his bandmate, SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "They were a massive influence, because there was nobody else like them at the time. And up until then, it was, like, my brothers were into like Elvis [Presley] and Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly, that kind of thing. And there was no real English [rock bands]. All the English rock and rollers were trying to sound American and copy of an American [band], and they never succeeded. And then when THE BEATLES came along, they had a completely original sound. And they were all literally from Liverpool, which is 90 miles from where we were born. And it just like gave us some hope that British musicians could actually become successful. And as soon as THE BEATLES were successful, then you had THE ROLLING STONES and THE KINKS and THE WHO, HERMAN'S HERMITS, a whole explosion of British pop music."

Back in 2004, Ozzy was one of 20 leading musicians who were invited by the music magazine Q to nominate their heroes for the compilation of a songwriters' Hall Of Fame. Osbourne's picks, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, were the "fucking catalyst for me to get into music," Ozzy said. He added: "To me, they're the Mozarts of our time. THE BEATLES were the only band in rock 'n' roll history to go from a fucking boy band to a psychedelic rock band."

In a 2007 interview, Ozzy said that he "couldn't describe" how he felt when he was told Lennon had been assassinated. He told Britain's BBC Radio 1 "Legends" show: "The world stopped for me when Sharon told me that John Lennon had been shot in New York. I can't even describe how I felt. If he was a politician, a soldier, anything else, it would be, 'Oh yeah, well he is in that kind of business,' but the amount of joy and hope that he gave people was just remarkable."

Ozzy also said he would have loved to see THE BEATLES perform, and thinks they would have reunited if all four members — John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Sir Paul McCartney and the late George Harrison — were still alive. He added, "I often daydream about whether they would ever have reformed. I never saw THE BEATLES, I saw Paul McCartney play but never saw THE BEATLES — I would have loved to have seen them play."

Butler served as BLACK SABBATH's bassist for the majority of the years since their 1968 inception in Birmingham, England, as well as serving as the band's chief lyricist — which in turn, played a major role in the creation of heavy metal. Additionally, his unmistakable bass playing served as an influence on such subsequent renowned four-string players as METALLICA's Cliff Burton, PANTERA's Rex Brown, and TYPE O NEGATIVE's Peter Steele, among others.

Geezer's autobiography, "Into The Void: From Birth To Black Sabbath - And Beyond", was released on June 6, 2023 in North America via HarperCollins imprint Dey Street Books and June 8, 2023 in the United Kingdom.

"Into The Void: From Birth To Black Sabbath – And Beyond" is described by the publisher as "a rollicking, effusive, and candid memoir by the heavy metal musician and founding member of BLACK SABBATH, covering his years as the band's bassist and main lyricist through his later-career projects, and detailing how one of rock's most influential bands formed and prevailed."

Butler, Osbourne and guitarist Tony Iommi reunited in late 2011 and released a comeback album, "13", in June 2013.

In February 2017, SABBATH finished "The End" tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet's groundbreaking 49-year career.

"The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 and is currently in remission, can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.

Fan-filmed video of KK'S PRIEST's July 13 concert at Kwadrat in Kraków, Poland can be seen below.

According to Setlist.fm, the setlist for the show was as follows:

01. Hellfire Thunderbolt
02. Strike Of The Viper
03. One More Shot At Glory
04. The Ripper (JUDAS PRIEST song)
05. Reap The Whirlwind
06. Night Crawler (JUDAS PRIEST song)
07. Sermons Of The Sinner
08. Burn In Hell (JUDAS PRIEST song)
09. Beyond The Realms Of Death (JUDAS PRIEST song)
10. Hell Patrol (Judas Priest cover)
11. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
12. Breaking The Law (JUDAS PRIEST song)
13. Victim Of Changes (JUDAS PRIEST song)

Encore:

14. Raise Your Fists

As previously reported, KK'S PRIEST, which features former JUDAS PRIEST members K.K. Downing (guitar) and Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals),alongside guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE),and German/American metal legends ACCEPT will join forces this fall 2024 for a North American tour. Both bands are touring in support of their brand new albums, out now via Napalm Records.

The massive 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.

KK'S PRIEST's first-ever U.S. headlining tour, which featured support from L.A. GUNS and BURNING WITCHES, kicked off on March 7 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and concluded on March 24 at Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

KK'S PRIEST's sophomore album, "The Sinner Rides Again", came out in September 2023 via the Austrian label Napalm Records.

KK'S PRIEST made its live debut on July 6, 2023 at Downing's KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.

K.K. formed KK'S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour. It followed a couple of celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summer of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that year.

KK'S PRIEST released its debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", in October 2021 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

Downing spent four months writing and recording "Sermons Of The Sinner" and, along with new ideas, he even resurrected a few archived riffs from the 1980s.

Downing was reunited with JUDAS PRIEST for a performance at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in November 2022 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at the event, which honored Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

Madfish are proud to present No Easy Road, an exclusive Wishbone Ash Coffee Table Book and the first official tribute to the band’s life on the road during their classic years from 1970-1980. This beautifully crafted 216-page set, set for release on August 30, offers a unique glimpse into the band’s journey and features contributions from Martin Turner, Andy Powell, Steve Upton, Laurie Wisefield and head roadie Mark Emery.


Watch a video trailer below, and pre-order here.







No Easy Road includes many previously unseen photographs captured by renowned photographers Jill Furmanovsky (Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin), Michael Putland (The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney), Barry Plummer (Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley) and Dick Barnatt (Alice Cooper, Rod Stewart), alongside personal photographs from the band members' private archive plus images of rare memorabilia and tour ephemera.


Limited to just 1,000 copies, each book comes with a photo signed by four band members: Laurie Wisefield, Andy Powell, Steve Upton and Martin Turner.


The book comes packed in a rigid slipcase containing a bonus 10-track KRO-NCRV concert CD, originally broadcast in Holland during the landmark Startruckin' 75 Tour - an essential addition for any Wishbone Ash enthusiast.


The ultimate chronicle of one of the world's greatest live bands, No Easy Road follows Madfish’s recent 50th anniversary edition of the band’s 1972 classic, Argus.

The Zombies founder, Rod Argent, is recovering from a stroke, and has announced his retirement from touring. Argent founded The Zombies in 1961 and went on to form Argent in 1969. The following message was issued by The Zombies’ Management:


"We are saddened to report that Rod Argent, founder, keyboardist & primary songwriter of The Zombies, has suffered a stroke. Rod had recently returned home from a triumphant Zombies tour of the UK, and spent a weekend in London with his beloved wife Cathy, celebrating his 79th birthday and their 52nd wedding anniversary, before the stroke occurred. He was hospitalized overnight, and released the next day. Doctors have advised that Rod will need several months of rest and recuperation.


"Rod has asked us to convey that he has made the very difficult decision to immediately retire from touring in order to protect his health. He was already preparing to wind down his live performance schedule after health scares on recent tours (a Fall 2024 USA run was in the works that was intended to be his final overseas tour, and a farewell to the country that launched The Zombies’ career in 1964). However, the stroke was an unmistakable warning sign that the risks are too great. Rod still firmly intends to continue his other creative joy of writing and recording with The Zombies, and has already been back at his piano for some much-needed “Bach therapy”.




"We have managed The Zombies together for the past 11 years, and Chris was their US booking agent for the 11 years prior. We have witnessed hundreds of times how Rod transforms back into an 18-year-old during the 100-minutes he’s on stage each night with The Zombies. The energy he receives from his musical symbiosis with the current lineup - original singer Colin Blunstone, drummer (and cousin) Steve Rodford, guitarist Tom Toomey and bassist Søren Koch - is doubled by the energy that flows back from the audiences, with fans of all ages joyfully singing along to their classics and new songs. Each year, we’d secretly marvel at how this band could possibly be playing at an even higher level than the previous year, instead of diminishing with age. That being said, the other aspects of touring can be grueling, and can take their toll on 18-year-olds, never mind a musician approaching 80. As heart-breaking as this is for us, the band, our crew and our team, we are a family and fully support Rod in this decision.


"Rod had retired from touring once before, in 1975 after spending his late teens and 20’s on the road with both The Zombies and his eponymous band Argent, in order to focus on his family, along with songwriting and production. This didn’t change until 1999, when Colin coaxed him to fill in on 6 of his solo gigs, after a keyboard player had dropped out at the last minute. Rod reluctantly told him, “I’ll do it…but 6 shows, that’s it.” On tour last month, Rod remarked to us how incredible and unexpected it was that those 6 shows turned into 25 years of touring and recording with the new incarnation of The Zombies, almost a third of his life.
 
"And it’s been a helluva run.


"The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Festivals like Glastonbury, StageCoach and KAABOO. Unforgettable shows like Central Park Summerstage, Santa Monica Pier, Stern Grove San Francisco, London Palladium, and Stubb’s at SXSW Austin. TV appearances with Jimmy Fallon and Jools Holland. Sharing stages with Tom Petty and Brian Wilson. Too many moments to count. The UK tour The Zombies just completed in June added two more highlights - a sold-out show for 2000 fans at London’s Barbican Centre with special guests like Paul Weller, and closing to a multi-generational crowd rapturously cheering them despite endless rain and mud at the Eden Festival in Scotland.


"As Rod’s experience shows, we don’t know what the future holds.


"What we have to tell fans today is that all upcoming performances by The Zombies will be canceled. However, our 2nd annual “Begin Here Festival” in St Albans UK (November 8-10, 2024) will continue. This fan weekend celebrating The Zombies and the historical and vibrant city where they formed is made even more important by this news. Our hope is to replace the scheduled Zombies performance with a special show honoring Rod, and ask fans to hold on to their tickets until we’ve had time to regroup and announce new plans. Colin Blunstone’s upcoming November performances of his seminal 1971 solo album One Year, at Begin Here Festival and other UK cities, will also continue as planned. Most importantly, know how much you are loved and appreciated by the band, and how grateful we are for your continued support. In the meantime, we will all get to enjoy The True Story of the Fake Zombies, an 8-episode true-crime Podcast detailing the 1969 story of an imposter version of the band on iHeart Radio starting today, and the official Zombies documentary, Hung Up On A Dream, directed by Robert Schwartzman, slated for theatrical and streaming release later this year.


"Our last message is that if a classic artist that has made music you love is performing nearby, don’t miss the opportunity to see them. You can sit on the couch and binge Netflix another day. The communal experience of a live performance by a veteran artist is a singular and joyous moment. These artists are treasures who have stood the test of time and are giving their all, but they are fragile human beings like all of us. Don’t miss out." Chris Tuthill & Cindy da Silva - The Rocks Management

"'Don'tcha Walk Away' is the second video released from Big F'n Deal's upcoming album, Fire, due out in just weeks. The release will be a soft release with no concrete date set. More details to come. 


BFnD, fronted by the charismatic Sammi DeVille, is the new outfit led by Jeff Westlake from Hydrogyn. Many familiar names from Westlake's past were brought in to charge this album with great players. Jeff Boggs, Ryan Stepp, John Cardilino, Todd Long, Jacob Freed, Patrick Liotard, Anthony Dura, Mickael Jublin, Joe Migz to newcomers like Kayla Watson along with Alex St.Clair, round out the people involved in the project. There is also an appearance from the late Chris Sammons on the album as well, to honor the great bass player and bandmate of Westlake's while in Hydrogyn.


Check out the official video for "Don'tcha Walk Away" below.







Following is Westlake's initial introduction to Big F'n Deal: 


"There are always things going through ones mind when you have been stricken by the creative bug. I am a musician that loves many different types of music and I never want to lock myself just into one style, so I don't.


Through the years I have been blessed with some amazing voices to help me get my passion across to you in many different styles. Now is no different than it has ever been.


I am proud to be able to bring this new phase to you. This phase will be different than any of the rest, as I have someone who wants to tell stories and be as edgy as possible in the process of telling them. I have wanted to take this avenue for years but just never had that accomplice to truly get the idea across. Now, not only did I get one, but I have blessed with two. We have used a couple different drummers in this process, but the band nucleus has been myself, Sammi DeVille, Alyx St.Clair and Ryan Stepp. This entire story will come out at some point no doubt but we just do not have the time here for it.


Over the next year there will be many videos and a lot of music coming from what will now be known as Big F'N Deal (BFD), fronted by the amazing Sammi DeVille. This track entitled 'I've Seen The Devil' is release one off of the product out this year called Fire. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have. 


All of this comes to you courtesy of Rapid Fire Global Music and Dangerous Doug Music."

Limitless, the power trio from Latin America, unveils their new album and music video "Last Train". Blending intense metal with captivating storytelling, the video for "Last Train" stands out not only for its powerful music, but also for its carefully crafted visual aesthetic.


Regarding the video, Limitless vocalist / bassist Luis Kooper comments: "The video shows us the story of a person (who could be you or me) who is escaping from life, running away from reality, from those situations that mark and define us in the end. In that context, La Sombra (who is the villain of the video) represents precisely those situations. 'Last Train' is set in a time when people traveled by train, so we chose the El Melocotón Train Station (in Chile) as an ideal location. We were very pleased with the final result, it was a great effort made with a lot of love, despite the limited budget. Everything was recorded in one day."







Last Train artwork and tracklisting:








"Word Of A Gun":





"126":





For further details, visit Limitless on Facebook.


 

In a recent interview with Portugal's Look Mag, KREATOR frontman Mille Petrozza spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2022's "Hate Über Alles" album. He said (a transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm writing music constantly. I know that 'Hate Über Alles' came out in 2022, but it was lying there for over a year. So, to us, the album came out almost in '21 because the music was done and we didn't release it because there was still lockdown and we wanted to wait until the whole pandemic is over. So, I have written since '21 or '22, when we recorded it, I've already written, like, 10 songs or something, or 10 ideas for songs. And I could record an album today, but I want to wait until the right moment comes, where I have a lyrical concept and everything feels right. To me, it's not important to release something just for the sake of it. I think it needs to just feel right… I'd rather be quiet than saying something where I don't have anything to say."

Asked if he and his KREATOR bandmates have an idea of when the group's next album will be released, Mille said: "Yeah, we have a rough idea. We have scheduled the record for 2026, maybe — but if everything goes right. We're probably gonna take the year '25 off for just for songwriting and recording. And let's see where it takes us. But if everything goes by plan, then there will be a new KREATOR record in the beginning of '26."

On the topic of the "secret" to KREATOR's success, Mille said: "There is no formula or secret. I think it's basically believing in what we do and trying to be us rather than trying to be something that we're not. And endurance is another factor, a little bit of luck, of course, and being at the right place at the right time. We have started very early, as teenagers in the '80s, and I think that kind of helps, being one of the first bands that play extreme metal in Europe."

Petrozza also talked about KREATOR's multigenerational appeal, saying: "It's just the way it goes. I guess when you're around for that long, it's just natural that the people are getting older and younger kids are discovering the music that we play. And therefore I feel very privileged to be able to see that. Not many bands endure that long, and I know that not many bands are staying together for more than 10 years or even 20 or five years sometimes. We were prepared to do this when we were kids, and I dedicated my life to this, and I'm happy that there's so much interest and there's still so many people, like almost two or almost three generations of an audience that still enjoy extreme metal from Germany. It's a cool thing. I think it's really cool."

KREATOR's fifteenth studio album, "Hate Über Alles", was released in June 2022. The follow-up to 2017's "Gods Of Violence" was recorded at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin, Germany. Helming the sessions was Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, CODE ORANGE, POWER TRIP and SOULFLY, among others.

The "Hate Über Alles" cover artwork was created by Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with HATEBREED, SOULFLY, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH and SODOM, among others.

"Hate Über Alles" marked KREATOR's first album with bassist Frédéric Leclercq, who joined the group in 2019.

In March 2020, KREATOR surprise-released a new single, "666 - World Divided". The song was produced by Andy Sneap and Markus Ganter and was recorded at Hansa Tonstudios.

KREATOR played its first show with Leclercq in October 2019 in Santiago, Chile.

Before joining KREATOR, Leclercq rose to fame with U.K.-based extreme power metallers DRAGONFORCE for whom he handled bass duties from 2005 until August 2019.

In May 2023, KREATOR released a music video for the song "Conquer And Destroy" from "Hate Über Alles". The performance footage was filmed on March 4, 2023 in front of 6,000 of KREATOR's mighty hordes in their spiritual home of Essen.

KREATOR and TESTAMENT will join forces for the North American leg of the "Klash Of The Titans" tour this fall. The 33-date trek will kick off on September 12 in Reno making its way across the U.S. and will include seven Canadian dates before concluding in San Francisco on October 27. Joining the night are special guests San Francisco Bay Area death metal pioneers POSSESSED.

Photo credit: Christoph Voy

“Although friends would constantly tell me you have to check out Bullets And Octane, somehow, I was only peripherally aware of the band. Then recently I stumbled upon singer Gene Lewis’s morning tick-tock posts, a truly charismatic fellow, a positive thinker, and an absolute rockstar. This sent me to check out their recent music, which I’m knocked out by. We connected and a scheme was hatched for a collaboration. It’s an absolute honor to be a part of the new single and video,‘No One Gets Out Alive’.” - Steve Stevens





Bullets And Octane, the hard-hitting rock band from Southern California, have unleashed their latest single / video “No One Gets Out Alive”. featuring renowned guitarist Steve Stevens (Billy Idol). On the new track, vocalist Gene Louis raves,"Working with Steve Stevens on 'No One Gets Out Alive' has been an electrifying experience, blending his iconic guitar prowess with our relentless energy. Steve is not only a virtuoso but also an incredible collaborator who brought out the best in all of us. This hard-hitting track is a testament to our shared passion for pushing musical boundaries and delivering an unforgettable experience. Get ready to feel the adrenaline surge as we prove that with Steve's legendary touch, nobody rocks harder than Bullets And Octane."




Formed in 1998, Bullets And Octane has been a powerhouse in the rock music scene, sharing stages with iconic bands such as Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour, Social Distortion, and Eagles Of Death Metal. With a career spanning over two decades, the band has solidified their position as one of the most dynamic and engaging acts in the industry.


Their journey began in 2003 with the release of their debut EP, One Night Stand Rock N Roll Band, followed by the explosive debut album, The Revelry. Since then, Bullets And Octane have continued to captivate audiences with their high-energy performances and infectious melodies.


In addition to their musical prowess, Bullets And Octane has garnered critical acclaim for their relentless work ethic and unwavering passion for their craft. As Gene Louis, the band's leader, singer, and chief songwriter, eloquently puts it, "I believe that if you have a passion, you die for it no matter what."


"No One Gets Out Alive” is poised to be another standout addition to Bullets And Octane's impressive discography. With its pulsating rhythms, shredding guitars, soaring vocals, and punky lyrics, the single promises to leave a lasting impression on listeners.  Stay tuned as Bullets And Octane continue to defy expectations and push the boundaries of rock music. 


 

"It's very nice to be here in Vienna, you've even got some good groupies," says Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant on stage in Vienna, Austria on March 16, 1973. 


The following previously unseen Super 8 film footage, courtesy of Mead Eblan and LedZepFilm, is something of a holy grail... the now earliest known footage from 1973 of Led Zeppelin's legendary show at the Stadthalle in Vienna.







Catch Robert Plant and Alison Krauss on the second leg of their North American tour beginning August 8th in Missoula, Montana at KettleHouse Amphitheater.


The Can’t Let Go Tour will see Plant, Krauss and their all-star band bring spellbinding vocal performances and uncanny arrangements to amphitheaters, pavilions, opera houses and other historic venues from coast to coast. Tickets and more information at plantkrauss.com.





Can’t Let Go Tour 2024:


August
8 - Missoula, MT - KettleHouse Amphitheater*
9 - Missoula, MT - KettleHouse Amphitheater*
11 - Edmonton, AB - Edmonton Folk Music Festival!
13 - Vancouver, BC - Queen Elizabeth Theatre*
14 - Vancouver, BC - Queen Elizabeth Theatre*
16 - Seattle, WA - Venue TBD*^
17 - Seattle, WA - Venue TBD*^
19 - Eugene, OR - The Cuthbert Amphitheater*
21 - Murphy's, CA - Ironstone Amphitheatre*
22 - Stanford, CA - Frost Amphitheater*
24 - Paso Robles, CA - Vina Robles Amphitheatre*
25 - Highland, CA - Yaamava’ Theater*
26 - Flagstaff, AZ - Pepsi Amphitheater*
28 - Santa Fe, NM - The Santa Fe Opera*
29 - Santa Fe, NM - The Santa Fe Opera*
31 - Colorado Springs, CO - Sunset Amphitheater*


September
1 - Vail, CO - Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater*


* with JD McPherson

Blacktop Mojo vocalist Matt James has released the official video for his new solo song, "Bad Guy", which can be seen below. The track is currently streaming everywhere.


"Thank you to Philip Mosley and David Ray for trusting me to cut this one, and Phil for bringing it to life in the studio," begins Matt. "A HUGE thank you to the otherworldly players on the session. It's always fun to watch those guys work. I'm extremely grateful to get to work around so many talented people all the time!"







Check out some of Matt James' previously released solo songs:


"From Outside":





"Chainsmoking Whiskey":





"Runaway":





Catch Matt James live with Blacktop Mojo on The Pollen Tour 2024. Confirmed venues are listed below. Tickets and VIP packages are available now at BlacktopMojo.com. 


July
19 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop
20 - Springville, IN - ABATE Boogie
21 - Lakewood, OH - The Winchester
23 - Columbus, OH - A&R Bar
25 - Hampton, NH - Wally’s
28 - Worcester, MA - Off The Rails
29 - Syracuse, NY Song & Dance
30 - Pittsburgh, PA - Crafthouse


August
1 - Streator, IL - Streator Fest
3 - Spillville, IA - Turkey River Music Festival
4 - Des Moines, IA - Lefty’s
6 - Lincoln, NE - Bourbon Theatre
7 - Sioux Falls, SD - Club David
10 - Three Forks, MT - Rockin’ The Rivers





 

In a new interview with Romania's Press One, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer Ivan Moody was asked if the current tensions in the U.S. should be addressed in music or if musicians should stay away from them. He responded: "[It] comes down to the individual. There are bands like SYSTEM OF A DOWN and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE that that's what they do and that's what they are and that's who they are. The numbers are saying it all. They've got millions and millions of followers who feel the same way.

"I have certain political songs, but I try to be very vague and open about it," he continued. "I'm not going to answer for my whole country, because that in itself is stupid. I can't control every person nor do I want to even know what the fuck they're thinking half of the time. But America has our own issues and we will deal with them. For a fact. I mean, nothing can stay that shitty forever, right? And when it comes to our politics and whatnot, we're very aware of what's going on. Just like in any country, the people are always separated from the government. And that is something I think, in a new world, that we will find a way to get around, all of us."

Asked how that could that be addressed, Ivan said: "I think it's being addressed daily. I think generations like yours and mine were woken and I don't mean that in the cliché way. We're awoken. And I'm not going to put up with the same thing my grandparents did. I'm not going to go through what my mom did. My mother was in the '60s when they were burning bras because women weren't allowed to walk around without them. It goes so far back and each generation has a time to do it. Unfortunately, the old methods don't fucking work and we've seen that, people like you and I, so there will come a time when our time is going to come.

"If you're talking about music, again, it comes down to the singer," he continued. "The idea, of course, the band supports it. But at the end of the day, is it an opinion? Is it true fact? I tend to try to write stuff that is bigger than one moment, because I think if you embrace a moment you get lost in it and you become stagnant. You're a part of that moment, instead of looking behind or beyond it.

"There's a line in a new song I just did, called 'Ferryman', and it says, 'You got to look past the rubble', notice you have to foresee that it's going to shake and rattle and roll, but you've got to see that there's also an end to it, that will be better. Especially having kids and living in America. I couldn't imagine what it's like to be a child right now, growing up through COVID and going through what they're going through over there. I have a young daughter who deals with this stuff every day. I've had to adapt with my platform because it absolutely reflects on them. I don't want them going to school and having other parents or other kids hate them for what I stand for. So for me, it's become more about being very delicate with my platform and understanding that music affects everyone differently and, at the end of the day, that's why I'm here. It's not about making an agenda. If I can help relate, then so be it, but I'm not here to tell you how to think."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH recently announced a headlining U.S. tour this summer with support from MARILYN MANSON and SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL. The trek will kick off on August 2 in Hershey, Pennsylvania and run through September 19 when it will conclude in Houston, Texas.

Prior to the U.S. run, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is touring Europe as the support act for METALLICA on the latter act's "M72" world tour in addition to headlining shows with special guest ICE NINE KILLS and select appearances at major festivals.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is continuing to tour in support of its ninth album, "AfterLife" which was released in August 2022 via Better Noise.

On April 5, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH released the digital deluxe edition of "AfterLife", featuring the original 12 tracks recorded with the band's longtime producer Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE) in addition to four bonus tracks: three acoustic versions of the album's songs "The End", "Judgement Day" and "Thanks For Asking" plus "This Is The Way", featuring DMX.

Last month, "This Is The Way (Feat. DMX)" hit the No. 1 spot at Billboard's Mainstream Rock radio chart, notably landing the Las Vegas-based band their 11th straight No. 1 hit on the chart. This extends the band's 2023 record of holding the longest streak of No. 1s in the chart's history. "This Is The Way" is the first No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart for legendary late rapper DMX and his very first appearance on the chart altogether. The single also claimed the No. 1 spot at Active Rock Radio, giving FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH its 16th overall No. 1 single at the format.

In the clip below, courtesy of the Ken Tamplin Music Academy, vocalist Gabbi Gun takes on the Queen classic, "Who Wants To Live Forever".


Ken Tamplin: "While we recognize that Freddie Mercury had an incredible voice with a considerable amount of range, power, stamina, and authority, in this particular piece especially, we found that it was not only those things but it was the conviction, the heart, the passion, and the living out the story in the way he sang the song that was our greatest challenge.


You see, singing isn’t just about hitting high notes, or singing in key and so on. Many would argue that it’s more important how you tell the story and engage the listener in that story, and then bring all of those other technical elements along in order to tell the story in a much more powerful and convicting way.




This is precisely what Freddie Mercury did with songs like 'The Show Must Go On' and, in this case, 'Who Wants To Live Forever'."

During an appearance on the Having Had podcast, LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton was asked if there was a particular moment when he realized that he had "made it" in the music business. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Every single step of the way, every step of the way, man.

"One of the things that's so great about my band, LAMB OF GOD, is that we did not miss a rung of the ladder," Mark explained. "Now there's a few we won't hit, but we didn't miss any of them on the way to where we're at. We didn't skip any of 'em. And I can tell you with absolute certainty that every time we leveled up or half-a-leveled up that we were all, 'Enjoy it, boys. This is as good as it's gonna get.'

"I tell people this — I've said this to someone the other day, and I've said it a few times — and I say it half to elicit a smile, but it's also as much true, is it was really only maybe five or six years ago that I finally was able to be, like, 'All right, I probably am gonna be okay playing music. I'm not gonna have to go get a day job, probably not. I might have to downsize, might have to rethink some of my financial decisions, but I'm probably not gonna have to go get a day job.' Because I'm so used to being convinced that it's just all gonna go…

"I saw an interview with Rob Zombie, actually," Morton added. "I don't know Rob Zombie. We toured together once. I don't think we even spoke. But he's a very creative dude, and I respect his creativity and his hustle and he's had a great career. And I saw an interview with him where he said something like he spent his whole career thinking it's about to end. And I really do understand that; I understand that.

"So the question was, was there a point in which you thought, 'Well, I finally made it.' Signing to Epic — when we signed a major label deal, that was like a breath of relief," Mark said. "There was a signing advance that came that really for the time, too, was to me… I'd never had that sum of money. It wasn't even enough money to buy a new car — maybe then, certainly not today — that I received and got in my bank account. But I had never had that kind of money. So I was, like, 'Oh my God. I could pay my…' I actually had a mortgage. I had bought a little tiny house in East Richmond working at a cabinet shop, and then we got signed. And with that amount of money, I was, like, 'Wow, I could pay my mortgage for the next 12 or 18 months. This is incredible.' But even then, I was, like, 'Wow, I made it.' I was, like, 'Cool. The next year or two is gonna be really cool. And then I'll go back to roofing.'"

Morton's memoir, "Desolation: A Heavy Metal Memoir", was released in June via Hachette Books. Co-written with Ben Opipari, the book explores both Mark's life in music and his tumultuous path through addiction and into recovery.

"Desolation" was described by the publisher as "the story of Morton's lifelong quest for clarity and self-acceptance, and shows how the pressures of career success and personal battles eventually came into conflict with Morton's dedication to the creative process. Intertwined with addiction, self-destruction, and the path to eventual surrender and recovery, Morton also reveals the greatest personal tragedy of his life: the death of his two-day old daughter, plunging Morton further into hopelessness. Surrounded by bandmates living their wildest dreams, Morton wanted nothing more than to disappear, ingesting potentially lethal cocktails of drugs and alcohol into his system on a daily basis.

"And yet, amidst the harrowing heartbreak, there were moments of triumph, hope, and incredible personal connection. Morton developed close relationships with his bandmates and crew members, sharing experiences that have made for some strange and hilarious tales. He's also gained a greater sense of purpose through interactions with his fans, who remind him that his work reaches people on a deeply personal level. Through the highs and the lows, Morton learns how to find presence and gratitude where he once found fear and resentment, a process that he considers a gift of spiritual awakening.

"'Desolation' is, at its core, about Morton's journey as a musician navigating self-doubt, anxiety and the progressive disease of addiction, and ultimately finding relative serenity. Perfect for fans, new and old, as well as anyone who has ever been tested and brought to their limits, "Desolation" is a highly satisfying, full-throttle investigation of the human experience."

When the book was first announced, Morton commented: "Initially, I started writing this book just to see if I could do it. But as the writing process unfolded, it quickly took on much more meaning. Unpacking my story, I was able to observe events in my life with an objectivity that I hadn't experienced while I'd lived them in real time.

"Through a lens of hindsight and recovery, I made friends with my past and found value in my most difficult days," he continued. "I hope that by offering my experiences, I can create a point of connection and commonality. There are a lot of fun stories in here and a few really sad ones. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to share them."

Morton co-founded LAMB OF GOD, which was initially called BURN THE PRIEST, in 1994.

In 2019, Morton released his debut solo album, "Anesthetic".

LAMB OF GOD's latest LP, "Omens", came out in 2022.

Morton and the rest of LAMB OF GOD will embark on the "Ashes Of Leviathan" tour with MASTODON this summer.

Kelly Clarkson covered AEROSMITH's 1988 hit "Angel" for the "Kellyoke" segment on today's episode of "The Kelly Clarkson Show".

The "American Idol" winner had previously covered several other rock songs during the segment, including AEROSMITH's "Dream On", METALLICA's "Sad But True", WHITESNAKE's "Here I Go Again", BON JOVI's "It's My Life" and SOUNDGARDEN's "Black Hole Sun".

Clarkson is one of the most popular artists of this era with total worldwide sales of more than 25 million albums and 40 million singles. The Texas-born singer-songwriter first came to fame in 2002 as the winner of the inaugural season of "American Idol". Clarkson's debut single, "A Moment Like This", followed and quickly went to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100, ultimately ranking as the year's best-selling single in the U.S. Further, Clarkson is one of pop's top singles artists, with 17 singles boasting multi-platinum, platinum and gold certifications around the world, including such global favorites as "Miss Independent" and "Because Of You".

Clarkson was recently honored with the 2,733rd star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and is the recipient of an array of awards, including three consecutive Daytime Emmy Awards for "Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host" for "The Kelly Clarkson Show", three Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, one MTV Movie & TV Award, two Academy Of Country Music Awards, two American Country Awards and one Country Music Assn. Award. She is also the first artist to top each of Billboard's pop, adult contemporary, country and dance charts.

Danish hard rock veterans PRETTY MAIDS performed at the Time To Rock festival in Knislinge, Sweden on July 6. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

PRETTY MAIDS played its first concert in nearly five years on June 16 at Forbrændingen in Albertslund, Denmark. The band was billed as KINGMAKERS for the "secret" performance, which served as a warm-up gig for PRETTY MAIDS's official return to the live stage on June 20 at the Copenhell festival in Copenhagen.

PRETTY MAIDS's current touring lineup is:

Ronnie Atkins - Vocals
Ken Hammer - Guitar
Chris Laney - Keyboard & Guitar
Rene Shades - Bass
Allan Tschicaja – Drums

Among the other already announced PRETTY MAIDS shows for 2024 is the Jailbreak festival, which is slated for August 16-17, 2024 in Horsens, Denmark. PRETTY MAIDS will also perform aboard the 2025 edition of the annual Monsters Of Rock Cruise, which will set sail March 10-15, 2025 aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Joy and depart from the Port Of Miami, Florida.

Last December, PRETTY MAIDS singer Ronnie Atkins, who is battling stage four cancer, spoke to Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global about the announcement that he and his bandmates were planning to reunite in 2024 to play several concerts. He said: "Yeah, well, we were planning on a few selected PRETTY MAIDS shows. It's not gonna be a hell of a lot, I think. We're gonna do maybe five, six festivals during the summer or something. Then I've got some festivals on my own. And then I might go out with AVANTASIA. It depends on how much it conflicts with our individual schedules. But let's see. I hope I'll be able to. I love doing AVANTASIA, and I more or less committed to it, but also now, since the things are what they are and PRETTY MAIDS, the opportunity came there, we got some really good offers and we haven't played together since 2019."

He continued: "I know there's a lot of fans out there that wanna see the band again, at least to make some kind of closure. It all ended in a wrong way because I got sick, and while I was sick, I couldn't do shit for six months. And in that time, we released a new album. We never had the chance to tour with it. Then came the lockdown. So we just wanna go out and play a couple of shows. How much it's gonna be, I don't know. I don't know how much more we're gonna do. We might continue. I don't know. It all depends a little bit on my health as well. You know. So, now I've been releasing a lot of music for the last couple of years, and now I feel like 2024, I intend to do a lot more live shows. I really love to do that. 'Cause I like the close encounter with the fans, whether it's a big festival with 50,000 or it's 200 people in a club, I don't care. I mean, I like them both, actually. But let's see."

Last September, before the PRETTY MAIDS reunion was officially announced, Atkins was asked in an interview with Power Metal Point if there were any plans for him to do anything again with the long-running Danish hard rock outfit. He responded: "There's been issues between the band since 2019, particularly between me and Ken [Hammer, guitar]. But now we're actually talking again. We just met a little while ago, and we still have some business through 40 years we have to discuss sometimes on mails. I think it's gonna end up that we will bury the hatchet, if nothing else for the fans."

He continued: "It's always been a love-hate relationship, and I can't confirm anything, but I think we might do some selected gigs next year or something like that. Because the whole thing ended in a bad way and I got sick and we had a brand new album out in 2019 and we never hit the road with it, 'cause we had to cancel the tour. Then the lockdown came, the corona thing. So, yeah, let's see, let's see. We might do something next year."

In December 2022, Atkins painted a more bleak picture of PRETTY MAIDS' future, telling Dawn Osborne of TotalRock: "We haven't seen each other since 2019. And there are some issues within the band that haven't been [resolved]. So nothing is happening. Ken is doing some other projects. Everybody is doing their own things, kind of. I'm not saying we won't get back together one day. Maybe — I don't know. But time is not on our side. Let's see. It would need some talks — a band meeting and some talk — before we go on. I'm a bit like 'I've been there, done that.' I mean, sometimes I miss it. On the other hand, I'm on with something else now, doing my own stuff."

Formed in early 1982 by Atkins and Hammer, PRETTY MAIDS' second album, 1987's "Future World", is still today regarded as a classic.

During the ensuing years, PRETTY MAIDS continued to release albums usually followed by European and Japanese tours.

PRETTY MAIDS' latest album, "Undress Your Madness", came out in November 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

"Future World" was released by CBS in 1987. By 1990, the album had sold 300,000 copies worldwide. The album charted at No. 165 on the Billboard 200 in the United States.

"Future World" was produced by Eddie Kramer, who was reportedly fired during the recording sessions. The band then finished the LP with engineer Chris Isca, who was credited as co-producer on the album. Mixing duties were shared between METALLICA, RAINBOW and MORBID ANGEL producer Flemming Rasmussen, and Kevin Elson, known for producing multi-platinum albums by JOURNEY, MR. BIG and EUROPE.

After being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019, the now-59-year-old Atkins underwent at least 33 radiation and four chemotherapy treatments in the fall of that year before being declared cancer-free. In October 2020, he announced that his cancer had returned.

In a 2013 interview with Myglobalmind, Atkins joked that the secret to keeping his voice in shape was "twenty cigarettes a day and little drink now and then."

Ronnie's third solo album, "Trinity", was released last October via Frontiers Music Srl.