Rob Zombie's video for the song "The Life And Times Of A Teenage Rock God" can be seen below. The track is taken from his latest album, "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser", which debuted at No. 6 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 41,000 equivalent album units in the week ending May 5. It's the sixth solo Top 10 album for Zombie.

"The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" was released on April 29 via UMe/T-Boy Records.

Rob Zombie told NPR about "The Life And Times Of A Teenage Rock God" video: "I figured that a mixture of 'Three Amigos' with a 'Dia De Los Muertos' twist by way of the opening credit sequence of 'Natural Born Killers' hosted by a Satanic Paul Lynde would make the perfect video for 'The Life And Times Of A Teenage Rock God'."

Regarding his decision to keep the new album and songs short, Rob told Rolling Stone magazine: "Whenever I go through records that I love and I listen to over and over and over, I go, 'Man, this record's short. That's why I loved it so much.' It's, like, thirty minutes, so I've listened to it nine thousand times, whereas you have other records where you go, 'Yeah, I know that record's great, but it's, like, seventy-five minutes long, or the tracks are, like, six minutes long.' Like, I'd go back and look at BEATLES records and go, like, 'These songs are like a minute-and-a-half long. They don't feel a minute-and-a-half long.' Even when… Later, on 'Magical Mystery Tour', I used to think, 'Oh, well, these songs are much longer.' But they're not really; they're still short songs, but they seem epic. I love long songs, but if you're gonna write a song that long, it's better be 'Freebird' or 'Stairway To Heaven' or something. It'd better be worth my time."

"The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" was produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris and features Zombie alongside guitarist John 5, bassist Piggy D and drummer Ginger Fish.

Swedish metallers SABATON played their new single, "The Lost Battalion", during their June 11 appearance at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

"The Lost Battalion" is taken from SABATON's eighth studio album, "The Last Stand", which will be released on August 19 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2014's "Heroes" was once again produced by Peter Tägtgren (PAIN, LINDEMANN, HYPOCRISY) and it "marks a brand new chapter in SABATON history," according to a press release.

The story behind "The Lost Battalion" lyrics: "'The Lost Battalion" is the name given to nine companies of the United States' 77th Division during the battle of the Argonne in 1918. Even though these 550-575 brave men were completely surrounded by the German Army and subjected to friendly artillery fire, they kept on fighting for a week until they were relieved. Of the over 500-plus soldiers who entered the Argonne Forest, only 194 walked out unscathed. The rest were killed, missing, captured, or wounded.

SABATON bassist Pär Sundström previously stated about "The Last Stand": "We once again worked with Peter Tägtgren in his newly upgraded and top-class Abyss studio in Sweden to record, produce and mix the album. The mastering [was] done by Jonas Kjellgren who also works in the same building in nice Pärlby on the countryside of Sweden. Both 'Carolus Rex' and 'Heroes' were done in the same way and we [felt] very comfortable to return to the same place and people again. Fans will recognize the sound of the album as SABATON, but we really feel we took it a step forward this time."

The artwork for "The Last Stand" was created by Peter Sallaí, who has worked with SABATON since "Carolus Rex". Sundström explained: "We had the idea to make an image reflecting soldiers of different times representing the different historical battles we sing about on the new album. This only reveals a small part of the album topics though."

Stated SABATON vocalist Joakim Brodén: "The concept of a last stand has always fascinated me, and both me and Pär were 'all in excited' about the subject so it was an easy choice to make."

Added Sundström: "We have always several ideas for albums to work with. Since there are countless different views and angles of war, we will, unfortunately, never run out of ideas. We kinda felt that the last stand was something perfect for SABATON. Something we really wanted to do. 'Heroes' was a perfect theme and 'The Last Stand' is right down our alley too. It was exciting to do the research."

"The Last Stand" will be available in the following editions:

- CD+DVD-Digi (including a concert DVD)- CD- Box (including earbook, 2LP Pic, 12" photo card, 12" poster, three plectra)- 2LP (black, clear, gold, yellow/blue)- Special edition (SABATON tank + box)- Digital

"The Last Stand" track listing:

CD+DVD-Digi

CD

01. Sparta02. Last Dying Breath03. Blood Of Bannockburn04. Diary Of An Unknown Soldier05. The Lost Battalion06. Rorke's Drift07. The Last Stand08. Hill 323409. Shiroyama10. Winged Hussars11. The Last Battle

Bonus:

12. Camouflage13. All Guns Blazing

DVD - Live @ Stereolux, Nantes (France)

01. Intro (The March To War)02. Ghost Division03. Far From The Fame04. Uprising05. Midway06. Gott Mit Uns07. Resist And Bite08. Wolfpack09. Dominium Maris Baltici10. Carolus Rex11. Swedish Pagans12. Soldier Of 3 Armies13. Attero Dominatus14. The Art Of War15. Wind Of Change16. To Hell And Back17. Night Witches18. Primo Victoria19. Metal Crüe

CD

01. Sparta02. Last Dying Breath03. Blood Of Bannockburn04. Diary Of An Unknown Soldier05. The Lost Battalion06. Rorke's Drift07. The Last Stand08. Hill 323409. Shiroyama10. Winged Hussars11. The Last Battle

Earbook

CD:

01. Sparta02. Last Dying Breath03. Blood Of Bannockburn04. Diary Of An Unknown Soldier05. The Lost Battalion06. Rorke's Drift07. The Last Stand08. Hill 323409. Shiroyama10. Winged Hussars11. The Last Battle

Bonus:

12. Camouflage13. All Guns Blazing14. Afraid To Shoot Strangers

DVD - Live @ Stereolux, Nantes (France):

01. Intro (The March To War)02. Ghost Division03. Far From The Fame04. Uprising05. Midway06. Gott Mit Uns07. Resist And Bite08. Wolfpack09. Dominium Maris Baltici10. Carolus Rex11. Swedish Pagans12. Soldier Of 3 Armies13. Attero Dominatus14. The Art Of War15. Wind Of Change16. To Hell And Back17. Night Witches18. Primo Victoria19. Metal Crüe

Live CD - Live @ Stereolux, Nantes (France)

01. Intro (The March To War)02. Ghost Division03. Far From The Fame04. Uprising05. Midway06. Gott Mit Uns07. Resist And Bite08. Wolfpack09. Dominium Maris Baltici10. Carolus Rex11. Swedish Pagans12. Soldier Of 3 Armies13. Attero Dominatus14. The Art Of War15. Wind Of Change16. To Hell And Back17. Night Witches18. Primo Victoria19. Metal Crüe

2LP - 45 RPM

Side A:

01. Sparta02. Last Dying Breath03. Blood Of Bannockburn04. Diary Of An Unknown Soldier05. The Lost Battalion

Side B:

01. Rorke's Drift02. The Last Stand03. Hill 323404. Shiroyama

Side C:

01. Winged Hussars02. The Last Battle

Side D (Bonus):

01. Camouflage02. All Guns Blazing

Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Izzy Stradlin is currently mixing a new solo song, tentatively titled "Walkin'", to be released later in the month.

Izzy teased the track by posting a short video clip from the studio sessions in a tweet over the weekend.

Stradlin joined the social media site in February. In one of his first tweets, Izzy said that he would have "no involvement" in the April 2016 GUNS N' ROSES shows at the Coachella festival, Mexico and Las Vegas.

It was previously speculated that Stradlin would have some limited involvement — such as a guest appearance — at some of the GUNS N' ROSES reunion concerts, which currently feature Slash, Axl Rose and Duff McKagan.

Stradlin co-founded GUNS N' ROSES with childhood friend Axl Rose in 1985. He was major contributor to the band's classic 1987 debut LP "Appetite For Destruction" and the two "Use Your Illusion" albums in 1991, but quit the group that same year. The guitarist has maintained a low profile over the years, resurfacing periodically to make several surprise appearances at GUNS N' ROSES shows, including during the band's residency in Las Vegas in 2012.

Only Rose, Slash and McKagan from GN'R's "Appetite For Destruction"-era lineup took part in the first seven GUNS N' ROSES comeback shows in April. They were joined by drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and guitarist Richard Fortus. Also appearing with them was second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

MIXING NEW SONG FOR JUNE RELEASE !WORKING TITLE "WALKIN" pic.twitter.com/OJdI1WLJYk

— Izzy Stradlin (@IzzyStradlin999) June 11, 2016

"The Shooting Star", a brand new song from French progressive metallers GOJIRA, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new studio album, "Magma", which will be released on June 17 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to 2012's "L'Enfant Sauvage" was recorded at GOJIRA frontman Joseph Duplantier's Silver Cord Studio in Queens, New York.

"Magma" track listing:

01. The Shooting Star02. Silvera03. The Cell04. Stranded05. Yellow Stone06. Magma07. Pray08. Only Pain09. Low Lands10. Liberation

The cover artwork for "Magma" can be seen below

Joseph told RollingStone.com that GOJIRA worked on twelve songs for the album before ultimately deciding on ten. "We want a short album," he said. "Something less epic than what we usually do. People's attentions are shorter now. So a lot of the songs are four minutes."

Joseph and his brother, GOJIRA drummer Mario Duplantier, who make up the band's songwriting core, were forced to put the sessions for the new album on hold when their mother got sick and eventually died last summer.

"I felt physically, mentally exhausted," Joseph told RollingStone.com. "At the same time, though, the way it happened was beautiful. We were all around her. We had to cancel a few shows when she died, but it was very enriching at the same time. We learned a lot about death."

"When you read Joe's lyrics, for me, I cry right away," Mario said. "They're very deep and to the point. No bullshit. We recycle our sadness and depression in the music."

"Mario was recording drums, and I was playing guitar with him, just trying to help him know where he's at in the song, and both of us would start crying at the same time," Joseph added.

"The songs were half-written while she was sick," he said. "After she died, I still had to finish them. So one song was like, 'You're going to make it,' but the second verse is 'You didn't make it.'"

GOJIRA's fifth album, "L'Enfant Sauvage", sold almost 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 34 on The Billboard 200 chart.

In March 2015, GOJIRA released "Les Enfants Sauvages", a limited edition 5" x 7", 60-page hardcover photo book chronicling the band's journey around the world over the first two years since the release of "L'Enfant Sauvage". The images were taken around the globe, spanning over 150 shows on three continents, and were hand-selected by Joseph and Mario. The package also included a live CD and DVD capturing the band's performance at the legendary Brixton Academy in London, England.

DUNSMUIR, the new project featuring CLUTCH singer Neil Fallon, former BLACK SABBATH drummer Vinny Appice, FU MANCHU bassist Brad Davis, and THE COMPANY BAND guitarist Dave Bone, will release its self-titled debut album July 22 via Hall Of Records. The effort will be released digitally exclusively on iTunes. The LP will have a limited pressing of 1,000 copies and will include a signed lithograph poster of the album cover. The LP will be available exclusively at this location. The first single at radio will be "Our Only Master".

DUNSMUIR has released three seven-inch vinyl singles to date. The fourth and final seven-inch is slated for release June 15 with a very limited run of only 500 pieces and will not be re-pressed.

Appice said about the new record: "This album is pure simple heavy ROCK that ROCKS!"

Added Bone: "This record is an intense collaboration of four minds all set on 'destroy.' It's been a few years in the making and now ready to erupt. Raw and in your face, we hope you like it hot!"

Stated Davis: "DUNSMUIR has given us the opportunity to explore some of our favorite heavy metal influences. We strove to create something I hope will inspire a lot of head banging all over the world."

Fallon said: "We turned out some serious metal on this record and it shreds. The concept behind the lyrics is comprised of 10 tales from the survivors of a shipwreck. What had been intended as a scientific expedition, quickly deteriorates into a struggle to survive both the natural and supernatural world.”

"Dunsmuir" track listing:

01. Hung On the Rocks02. Our Only Master03. The Bats (Are Hungry Tonight)04. What Manner of Bliss?05. Deceiver06. ...And Madness07. Orb of Empire08. Church of the Tooth09. The Gate10. Crawling Chaos!

DUNSMUIR is:

Neil Fallon - Vocals/GuitarDave Bone - GuitarBrad Davis - BassVinny Appice - Drums

HIDEOUS, the new band featuring bassist Terry Butler (OBITUARY, DEATH, MASSACRE) and vocalist Ed Webb (MASSACRE, GENERICHRIST) have joined forces with drummer Greg Gall (SIX FEET UNDER, BLOOD DIVISIONS) and guitarist Matt Bishop (LIVIDITY, HORRIFIC DEMISE), will support GRUESOME for two shows in August:

Aug. 04 - The New World Brewery - Tampa, FloridaAug. 05 - The Haven - Orlando, Florida

Said Terry: "Ed Webb and myself are stoked about working with Matt Bishop and Greg Gall in a new band called HIDEOUS! We have a full album written. Fans of traditional death metal and thrash will enjoy our musical style. We are not trying to reinvent the wheel here, just [play] metal we enjoy and have fun playing."

Added Bishop: "I'm beyond excited to bring some killer death metal to the masses with my brothers Terry, Ed and Greg!!!! Can't wait for all to hear what we have been working on!!!"

MASSACRE's reunion came to an abrupt end in 2014 after the group's tour in support of the "Back From Beyond" album was "cut short by a series of events that could not be overlooked."

"Back From Beyond" was released on March 24, 2014 in Europe and April 1, 2014 in North America via Century Media Records.

Tony "The Demolition Man Dolan, frontman for Venom Inc. who are currently on tour in North America, has issued a statement regarding the tragic club attack in Orlando, Florida over the weekend that reportedly left 50 people dead.
 
"Currently we are touring North America again. The diversity of people makes me feel proud to be a citizen of the world in the most amazing countries that have a real pride in who they are and what they stand for! Yet still this terror over religious affiliations exist. We get stopped from playing a shown 'cause we are satanic, but now a murderous spree happens in Florida where innocent people are killed for doing nothing more than being in a land that holds true value on freedom. It could be despairing and my heart goes to those dead and their families. Humans create such atrocities but we cannot and must not give in to terror... fear is hiding away... let them feel the wrath of our strength! An eye for an eye, but innocents must not be the target. That would serve to make us like them and WE are more than that."

Comprised of the founding members and main songwriter from the legendary Venom, Venom Inc. is carrying the name forward with the integrity and merciless aural assault that made Venom the forefathers of an entire genre. Mantas, Abaddon and The Demolition Man kicked off their second North American tour this year last week with two shows in New York City.

"What a way to kick off a tour," Dolan said. "From start to end, every word was sung by the crowd right back at me. We are humbled, honored and ready for war!"

The seeds of Venom Inc. were planted when guitarist Mantas - the man who unknowingly coined the name of a future genre when Black Metal was released in the early 1980s - and bassist/frontman The Demolition Man dusted off some Venom classics while playing with their band M:pire of Evil. Drummer Abaddon soon began joining the pair for a full-on reunion, and Venom Inc. was born.

The trio has since taken Europe, Asia, South America and North America by storm, proving that true metal classics never die.

Venom Inc. dates with Necrophagia:

June
12 - Brauerhaus - Lombard, IL
13 - Rock Island Brewing Co. - Rock Island, IL
15 - 3 Kings - Denver, CO
17 - Studio 7 - Seattle, WA
18 - Shakedown - Bellingham, WA
20 - Star Theater - Portland, OR
21 - Oakland Opera House - Oakland, CA
22 - Catalyst - Santa Cruz, CA
23 - The Whisky - Los Angeles, CA
24 - Hard Rock Cafe - Las Vegas, NV
25 - Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA
26 - Rebel Club - Phoenix, AZ
27 - Trees - Dallas, TX
28 - Grizzly Hall - Austin, TX
29 - Walters - Houston, TX
30 - Siberia - New Orleans, LA

July
1 - The Haven - Orlando, FL
2 - Ground Zero - Spartanburg, SC

Austin Dickinson, vocalist of the London five-piece AS LIONS and son of IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson, was interviewed by Ticketmaster UK at this year's edition of the Download festival, which is being held June 10-12 at Donington Park in Leicestershire, United Kingdom. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about Download's decision to pay tribute to late MOTÖRHEAD frontman Lemmy Kilmister with a stage named after the iconic rocker, along with an additional musical tribute, Austin said: "Obviously, music in general has taken a lot of casualties this year… I say 'casualties'… I think that a lot of them leave legacies that are just unwavering, untiring; they are forever. And that's fucking incredible. It's just unbelievable. So to see them pay tribute to an icon with Lemmy, like they did with [Ronnie James] Dio, it is incredible, and it does sort of matt the bonds and fibers of the community. I think that's really important.

"I'm really excited to see what they did for Lemmy today. I actually had the forture to meet him a bunch of times, and he was always really nice. [His] reputation preceded him very much. He was always just kind of another guy down at the pub when you actually started talking to him. But before that, you were kind of knocked knees, slightly sweaty palms. But he was one of a kind — a beautiful soul."

AS LIONS' debut EP is due later in the year via Better Noise Records, part of Eleven Seven Music Group. The CD was helmed by David Bendeth, the multi-platinum, award-winning producer who has previously worked with PARAMORE, PAPA ROACH, IN FLAMES, A DAY TO REMEMBER, BRING ME THE HORIZON, OF MICE & MEN and more, and was mixed by Josh Wilbur (MEGADETH, LAMB OF GOD).

Megadeth mainman Dave Mustaine popped into the backstage area at the UK’s Download Festival to chat about Black Sabbath, the difference between European and US festivals, the new album Dystopia and the death of former drummer Nick Menza.

When asked about how Black Sabbath influenced Mustaine he responded: “Black Sabbath were one of the bands that I first heard when started listening to heavy metal. A friend of mine was a huge Sabbath fan and he would listen to it all the time. I was so immersed in that music real early in my life that it became a way of life for us. The record that I gravitated towards most was Never Say Die. That was a record that I took ownership in because it basically came out in the timeframe that I was a fan. I love never say die, we've done it live. It's a great record.”

Fan-filmed video footage of AC/DC and Axl Rose performing the band's classic song "Touch Too Much" for the second time ever earlier tonight (Sunday, June 12) at Ceres Park in Aarhus, Denmark can be seen below.

The group's setlist was as follows:

01. Rock Or Bust02. Shoot To Thrill03. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be04. Back In Black05. Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder06. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap07. Rock 'N' Roll Damnation08. Thunderstruck09. High Voltage10. Rock 'N' Roll Train11. Hells Bells12. Given The Dog A Bone13. If You Want Blood (You've Got It)14. Touch Too Much15. Sin City16. Shot Down In Flames17. You Shook Me All Night Long18. Have A Drink On Me19. T.N.T.20. Whole Lotta Rosie21. Let There Be Rock

Encore:

22. Highway To Hell23. Riff Raff24. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

AC/DC has one show left to go on the European leg and has now finalized the ten rescheduled North American dates it will play later this summer — after Axl finishes his stadium trek with GUNS N' ROSES.

The legendary Australian hard rock outfit recruited Rose for more than twenty shows after singer Brian Johnson had to abruptly come off the road or face total hearing loss.

AC/DC earlier in the month released a new video interview in which guitarist Angus Young and bassist Cliff Williams discussed the shows they're doing with Axl, pointing out that he's led the group to change up its setlist more than usual. Young explained: "With Axl, we've been able to mix up quite a few songs, do a few older ones and put them, which we haven't done in a number of years. We always used to kind of get a setlist, and that would be (it) for a tour. So now we've got a lot more adding and putting in different tracks, and the fun part is when we get there on the stage, and seeing it come to life in front of the audience and seeing the reaction."

Among the rarities the band has broken out on the current European run are "Riff Raff", "Rock 'N' Roll Damnation", the aforementioned "Touch Too Much" and "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)".

Young said recently that he's not sure what AC/DC will do after wrapping up its current tour, remarking, "We were committed to finishing this tour, so that's been our main goal, and Axl's helping us. I know he's very excited. He keeps saying, can he do more? But we don't really know at the end how we will [proceed]."

Original ENTOMBED members Alex Hellid (guitar), Ulf "Uffe" Cederlund (guitar) and Nicke Andersson (drums) will rejoin forces for an appearance on the Close-Up Båten cruise, which will leave the Stockholm, Sweden port on October 27 for Åbo, Finland, and return the following day. The group will also perform its 1991 sophomore landmark album, "Clandestine", with the Malmö Symphony Orchestra in Malmö, Sweden on November 12.

The ENTOMBED band that will perform on the Close-Up Båten cruise and in Malmö is not to be confused with ENTOMBED A.D., which features ENTOMBED vocalist Lars Göran Petrov alongside Olle Dahlstedt (drums), Nico Elgstrand (guitar) and Victor Brandt (bass).

Asked how his reunion with Alex and Nicke came about, Uffe told Decibel magazine: "Alex and I got together [in 2014] when he needed my help with the orchestration of 'Clandestine' [for the Gävle Symphonic Orchestra collaborative performance]...and we realized that we still really liked each other! We talked about how great it would be if Nicke joined us. So Alex asked to see if he was interested and he was. Nicke could not be present at that show, but he was into doing something together again. I guess the extra spur was we could not agree with L.G. Petrov on the legal issues over the name ENTOMBED — which Nicke came up with. I felt more comfortable once Nicke got involved because he formed ENTOMBED and wrote the best and most songs when he was in the band. None of this would exist if Nicke was not on the ENTOMBED ship...If Nicke had called me and said not to continue on without him, I would have respected that. He was always in my heart, somehow, and I am thankful for him letting us continue. He's the man and a genius! Alex pulls the strings to make cool things happen. I just ride along. We have fun when we hang out, we can be real honest on everything and I think it'll be great to play with these guys again."

Regarding who will be singing and playing bass for ENTOMBED on the Close-Up Båten cruise and in Malmö, Uffe said: "I'm sorry to not be able to let you know, 'cause I don't know! We're actually in the process of figuring that out right now. It's sort of difficult 'cause we really want this to work out the best way possible."

Uffe also talked about ENTOMBED's plans beyond the shows that have already been announced. He said: "We're not going to do big world tours. Right now we have these two shows booked and we're taking it from there. It must be fun and everyone must be into doing it." As for the possibility of new ENTOMBED music, Uffe said: "I hope so. We have been re-recording old stuff to see how we sound today — and we like it. Time is flying faster as I get older and I would love to be part of a new ENTOMBED album. First, though, we must focus on the shows. I would be satisfied if that's the only thing we end up doing, but I'm open for more."

Hellid and Petrov have been embroiled in a legal battle over the ENTOMBED name for several years. In 2014, Petrov was awarded the right to use the band name in connection with future recording and touring activities, a decision which Hellid appealed without success. The guitarist then went on to register a trademark for beverage production under the "Entombed" name. This move did not sit well with Hellid's former bandmate, who filed a letter of protest against Alex's registration of the name, claiming that it could be confused with band activities. He also said that Hellid acted in "bad faith" when he registered name and that there was a desire to "deceive the public." Petrov's protest, however, found no favor with the Swedish Patent And Registration Office, which rejected his claims on the issue in a March 8 ruling.

ENTOMBED A.D.'s second album, "Dead Dawn", was released on February 26 via Century Media.

MEGADETH members Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson were interviewed by Kerrang! magazine at this year's edition of the Download festival, which is being held June 10-12 at Donington Park in Leicestershire, United Kingdom. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked about last month's tragic passing of former MEGADETH drummer Nick Menza, Mustaine said: "The loss of [former MEGADETH drummer] Gar Samuelson [in 1999] kind of prepared us for any future losses of bandmembers. And we were really close to Gar; he was like a big brother to us, whereas Nick was more like a friend. He wasn't somebody that was older than us and kind of knew the ropes. So when Gar passed away, that was really hard. Nick passing away was equally as hard, but in a different way."

He continued: "The Nick that I know, at the end, I think that he… he went to heaven doing what he wanted to do: play drums. And I think that instead of us all mourning and shit, we should celebrate his life, celebrate his legacy. He doesn't want people to sit down here and bellyache about that; he wants people to go and buy his pictures. He had some wonderful artwork. He had a lot of music that he's done. He wants his legacy to be remembered, to support his kids. That's the best way to celebrate Nick, I think. And all these people that are saying, 'Oh, bummer. Nick's gone.' Show up."

Mustaine also once again confirmed MEGADETH's intention to play a benefit concert for Menza's family. "We wanna do something, but we know that his family already has something going on with some kind of a GoFundMe page or something like that," he said. "And if they have a calling on their heart to do that, then great. We wanna do something ourselves, if that's what the family wants us to do. And if it's unnecessary, then we'll step back."

According to Mustaine, he didn't realize how much he cared about Menza until he paid tribute to the late drummer during MEGADETH's performance at the inaugural Rock'N Derby festival the day after Nick's death.

"The craziest thing was, when we dedicated a song to Nick on the last tour, I got about halfway through the song and I couldn't sing anymore; I just started crying," he said. "And I tured around and I stood next to the drum riser with my back turned, 'cause I didn't want anybody to see me. But it was heavy."

He added: "With all the stuff that was going on at the end, with Nick talking about me in the press and stuff like that, I had no idea how much I really, really love him. And that was what was evident when I sang about him. And that's the Nick I'll always remember: the guy that made me smile, that made me happy and was a little bit of an annoyance, but somebody that I'll always love."

Nick collapsed after suffering a heart attack after the third song of OHM:'s set on May 21 at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California and was pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital. He was 51 years old.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said Menza died of natural causes. The cause of Menza's death was listed as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Menza had reportedly dabbled with drugs in the earlier part of his career but had been completely sober for eight years.

Menza joined MEGADETH for the 1989 recording "Rust In Peace" and for the next nine years became associated with the band's "classic" and most profitable era.

Menza's friends and bandmates launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Nick's kids. You can donate at this location.

PANTERA has issued a statement calling out the concert industry for not doing more to prevent future tragedies in the wake of the shooting death of Christina Grimmie.

On Friday (June 10), Grimmie, a former contestant on NBC's "The Voice", was shot and killed following her performance in Orlando, Florida. The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Kevin Loibl of St. Petersburg, Florida, didn't appear to know Christina personally and is believed to have traveled to Orlando specifically to attack her and then fatally shot himself.

The manner in which Grimmie was murdered struck a chord with PANTERA, whose guitarist, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, was killed onstage more than a decade ago.

Earlier today (Sunday, June 12), PANTERA released the following statement via the band's official Facebook page:

"We are so sad and disappointed to hear that Christina Grimmie was gunned down the same way that Dimebag Darrell was. After Dime's murder, we all prayed that our industry (i.e. club owners & promoters) would do whatever they needed to do to protect artists from gun wielding fanatics. Sadly, that's not the case and another rising star had to pay the consequences with her life. SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE! RIP Christina & RIP Dime, Jeff Thompson, Erin Halk, and Nathan Bray."

Dimebag was co-founder and lead guitarist for PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, Dimebag and his brother Vinnie Paul formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by Nathan Gale. He was 38 years old.

Gale, an auto mechanic and ex-Marine, was described by some as an unstable man who once asserted that PANTERA had stolen his song lyrics and even his identity.

Vinnie Paul sued Alrosa Villa over his brother's death. The lawsuit was settled out of court in 2007 for what was described at the time as a nominal amount.

Fighting the lawsuit cost "in the hundreds of thousands of dollars," Rick Cautela, the club's owner, told The Columbus Dispatch. "We went from doing damn good to being broke — and came back."

In a 2014 interview with the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast, Vinnie spoke about his brother's passing. He said: "It was a really hardcore, tragic event, and the guy [Nathan Gale] wanted to kill me too. And somehow or another, I was lucky enough to escape that, and I'm still here, and I will do everything and anything I can to carry on the legacy and the tradition that my brother always had."

Even though it's been a decade since his brother's murder, Vinnie still gets flashbacks of the day's events "every night." He says: "I don't wanna remember it, I don't wanna think about it, I don't want anybody saying, 'Hey, man…' You know…

"It's hard. It's hard. But I've found peace."

Fan-filmed video footage of German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN performing on June 11 at the Pinkpop festival in Landgraaf, The Netherlands can be seen below.

RAMMSTEIN once again opened its show with a brand new song, presently only known as "Ramm 4". The track, which was also played at all previous stops on the band's current European festival run, contains lyrics that seem to be a combination of various titles of previous RAMMSTEIN songs.

RAMMSTEIN last year released a 21st-anniversary box set, a numbered, career-wide collection titled "XXI". The set included the band's six studio albums, produced by Jacob Hellner and remastered onto 180-gram heavyweight double vinyl by Svante Forsbäck, as well as a separate rarities double LP, "Raritäten", including a previously unreleased version of the track "Los".

RAMMSTEIN hasn't made a new CD since 2009's "Liebe Ist Für Alle Da".

The band's frontman Till Lindemann last year released a debut album with his side project LINDEMANN.

RAMMSTEIN guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe's EMIGRATE project issued its sophomore album, "Silent So Long", in November 2014 via Spinefarm.

T-Group Productions has uploaded a trailer for "Ozzy & Jack's World Detour", the new show produced by the History channel starring Ozzy Osbourne and his son Jack.

"Ozzy & Jack's World Detour" is set to kick off July 27 at 10 p.m. and will feature the duo traveling the world together, exploring the history behind some of the planet's most storied sites, while checking out some lesser known locations along the way.

In this new ten-episode hour-long non-scripted series, the self-proclaimed history nerds hit the road in a father-son journey they've waited years to take. There will be no roadies, no tour buses and no boundaries. Just a bucket list of iconic and historically significant spots that includes Mt. Rushmore, Stonehenge, The Alamo, Roswell, The Jamestown Settlement and Sun Studios and a hit list of some fascinating sights and people that they've read about. From a Cold War-era Missile Silo to Bletchley Park; from gold miner Rattlesnake Randy's stream of dreams to vintage tank collector Allan Cors's private museum of working war machines, Ozzy and Jack get their eyes and hands on history.

The series is produced for History by T-Group Productions with Osbourne Media. Jenny Daly, Jack Osbourne, R. Greg Johnston, Peter Glowski and Rob Lobl serve as executive producers. Matt Ginsburg is the executive producer for History.

Ozzy in November returned to San Antonio, Texas as part of the History channel program — to apologize for urinating on the Alamo Cenotaph in 1982. He was also spotted around Roswell, New Mexico, where he and Jack visited the International UFO Museum, and they traveled to Cuba, where they spent almost a week.

Ozzy admitted to The Pulse Of Radio that doing the History channel show will help him fill in some blanks in his own knowledge of history: "Anything past World War II, I'm clueless," he said. "I'm kind of up on World War II 'cause I was born a couple of years after. So I know quite a lot about World War II and Hitler and the Nazis and all that. But anything from before or after I don't know anything about. So we're going to Mount Rushmore, we're going to the abandoned silos where you guys, America used to have their Minutemen missiles and all that. It's quite educational for me, actually."

On the music front, Ozzy recently completed the first North American leg of BLACK SABBATH's farewell tour, dubbed "The End", and is currently headlining European festivals with the band.

Colonial Williamsburg photo credit: Darnell Vennie

Video footage of IRON MAIDEN's Ed Force One plane touching down at East Midlands Airport on Saturday afternoon ahead of the band's headline appearance at the U.K.'s Download festival on Sunday night can be seen below.

Piloted by MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson, the chartered Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet is carrying the band, its crew, and 55 tons of equipment around the world.

Dickinson described Ed Force One as the "way to cause a fuss when you arrive," adding: "Honestly, it's such a beautiful aeroplane. It allows us to do a European itinerary on an intercontinental basis. It's our time machine, our magic carpet."

The Boeing 747 was back in the air in late March after a ten-day emergency repair mission following a ground accident in Santiago, Chile. The incident required the replacing of both of the plane's port side jet engines, a tough proposition at the best of times but not made any easier by the fact of the distances involved in getting such huge components, parts, tools and technical crew to Chile as quickly as possible to get Ed Force One flying again.

Ed Force One is leased from Air Atlanta who went into immediate action following the incident, with technical assistance from Boeing. An emergency meeting was called to create a comprehensive detailed plan for this complex operation — locating suitable engines, thrust reversers, cowlings and parts, working out necessary tooling and technical team, logistics of ground and freight transport and tech team travel and a myriad of other detail. The next couple of days were spent putting these plans meticulously into place.

IRON MAIDEN's world tour, in support of the band's latest album, "The Book Of Souls", kicked off on February 24 in Sunrise, Florida (a suburb of Fort Lauderdale).

Paul Anthony of Planet Rock spoke to IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain ahead of the band's much-anticipated closing set on Sunday, June 12 at the U.K.'s Download festival. Nicko talked about the phenomenal success of MAIDEN's latest album, "The Book of Souls", saying: "It's been so well received; it's great. It's beyond our wildest expectations, really. It's our sixteenth studio album, and, obviously, sixteenth world tour in terms of supporting albums and stuff. But, yes, it's been phenomenal, and the gigs are going so well. And the audiences are just phenomenal; they love it."

Nicko also praised Bruce Dickinson for the way the MAIDEN frontman has handled the band's intense touring schedule more than a year after undergoing cancer treatment for a tumor on his tongue. Dickinson, a commercial airline pilot and established aviation entrepreneur, is flying MAIDEN's chartered Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet, Ed Force One, which is carrying the band, its crew, and 55 tons of equipment around the world.

"I've gotta be honest… Bruce is my hero," Nicko said. "We all know — it's well documented what he went through with his illness and whatnot — and then he comes out and learns how to fly a 747. And it's so strange, because Bruce isn't a particularly big guy. He's a strong lad, but when you go up to the flight deck and you see this massive big cockpit and there's Bruce sitting there. It's such a great thing to see Bruce… Having him on a 757 is a lot smaller but he's gone along, he's done all the exams (for the 747 pilot license). He had 100% on his written exam, which is hats off. And then he gets up on stage — believe me… I mean, just listen to the performance of 'Death Or Glory' [the recently released MAIDEN video from 'The Book Of Souls' tour]. You know, that's just a little bit of what he gives in these live shows. And we're all having such a great time."

Elsewhere, Nicko talked about being blown away by the MAIDEN computer game "Legacy Of The Beast" and his enduring love for the band's fans.

You can listen to the full Nicko McBrain interview below.

On June 10, Kaaos TV conducted an interview with SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph at the South Park festival in Tampere, Finland. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether he is pleased by the fan response to SLAYER's latest album, 2015's "Repentless":

Bostaph: "Absolutely. Whenever you're putting a new record out, you're not sure what other people are gonna think. You know you like it, but it's always nice when you get positive feedback from people about the fact that they like it."

On whether he was nervous about being accept by SLAYER's fans again after being away from the band for so long:

Bostaph: "I don't think I was nervous about whether fans would take me back or not. I think it was more or less… The focus was mostly on writing a good record. It's got nothing to do with me; it's gotta do with the band. And, you know, in between the time I did 'God Hates Us All' [and I rejoined SLAYER], I did a couple of good records also; I also did a TESTAMENT record, 'The Formation Of Damnation', and I also did EXODUS's 'Shovel Headed Kill Machine'. So I've been out there. It's not like I just went away. I did some good records, so I think that I built up some faith with some people who followed my career, as well as the bands that I played with."

On how he feels about more and more bands releasing EPs and singles instead of full-length albums:

Bostaph: "Every album I've been a part of, it's a culmination of a period of time in your life. No matter what album or what band it's been that I've done it with, that body of work, those ten songs or whatever, sometimes they're not written in one day; I mean, they're written over months' or years' worth of time. So I'm a bigger fan of the albums. But then again, coming out with a single is nothing new to the music industry; that's what they used to do back in the '40s and '50s. They'd put one single out, and if that did well, then you do another single. I think I want records, because that shows me how good an artist is. Some of my favorite albums, there's not one bad song on the record. So I think, for me, I'd rather see albums. Because I love the album artwork. When I get in a car and I drive somewhere, I wanna listen to a whole album. I don't wanna be switching stuff out. We have MP3s nowadays, but I still listen to an entire record. When I go on long drives, and I do, I like to hear a whole record. So that's just me."

As previously reported, SLAYER will join forces with special guests ANTHRAX and DEATH ANGEL this fall for a seven-week North American beat down. The dates start in Cleveland on September 9 and will hit both major and secondary markets across the continent.

Fans will hear their favorite SLAYER songs from the band's 30-plus-year discography, as well as a few of the newer songs from "Repentless", named "The Metal Album of the Year" by Guitar World. SLAYER and ANTHRAX stormed through Europe together last fall, amassing a string of sensational live reviews, so North American fans, this will be a night of metal music that should not be missed.

"Repentless" debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 50,000 equivalent album units in the week ending September 17, 2015.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello seems to have shot down any chance of that band reuniting with singer Zack de la Rocha in the near future. Morello, who's now playing in PROPHETS OF RAGE, explained to The Wall Street Journal: "There's no RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE — right now, the burning embers of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, the cold embers, are now the burning fire of PROPHETS OF RAGE. Where RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE lives is this summer in these songs that we are playing."

Morello added: "We have nothing but the greatest love, and honor, and respect for Zack de la Rocha, the brilliant lyricist of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, who is working on his own music, which I'm sure will be fantastic. He's a great artist in his own right, but where you are going to hear RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE is in PROPHETS OF RAGE."

Morello also added that PROPHETS OF RAGE plan to record a couple of songs prior to their summer tour, which kicks off on August 19 in Fairfax, Virginia.

The group, which also features PUBLIC ENEMY's Chuck D and CYPRESS HILL's B-Real along with the instrumental members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, will travel to Cleveland to "Make America Rage Again" during the Republican National Convention in July.

PROPHETS OF RAGE made their live debut two weeks ago in Los Angeles, playing numbers from all three acts.

Having just announced rescheduled U.S. dates for the final leg of their massive "Rock Or Bust" world tour, legendary rockers AC/DC are proving the extraordinary value of the band's global brand appeal with the announcement of a multitude of new and unique licensing partnerships around the world, including a new spirit named Thunderstruck Tequila.

Perryscope Productions and Epic Rights, the licensing and merchandising companies that represent AC/DC, have collaborated with Fabrica de Tequilas Finos to create Thunderstruck Tequila. The high-quality tequila will be available in Silver, Reposado and Añejo and will retail from $29.99 to $39.99. Thunderstruck Tequila is scheduled to hit shelves in mid-2016.

Fabrica de Tequilas Finos, S. A. de C.V. (FTF) located in Tequila, Mexico, carries on an unbroken tradition of producing fine handcrafted tequilas dating back to 1905. This environmentally friendly state-of-the-art distillery produces tequila made from only the finest ingredients including organically produced 100% Blue Weber Agave with water drawn from a deep Artesian well.

Thunderstruck Tequila is not AC/DC's first foray into the beverage industry. The band in 2015 released its own beer, four years after launching its first wine range. An AC/DC High Voltage energy drink is also part of the band's beverage portfolio.

Fan-filmed video footage of BLACK SABBATH's June 8 performance at Waldbühnein in Berlin, Germany can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Black Sabbath02. Fairies Wear Boots03. After Forever04. Into The Void05. Snowblind06. War Pigs07. Behind The Wall Of Sleep08. N.I.B.09. Hand Of Doom10. Rat Salad11. Iron Man12. Dirty Women13. Children Of The Grave

Encore:

14. Paranoid

Nearly five years to the day that the legendary BLACK SABBATH announced they would be reforming, the band will play their last show ever in the U.S. November 12 at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.

This just-announced performance is one of three headlining arena concerts the band has added to the final North American leg of their massive 2016 "The End" world tour. The new shows are November 8 at BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma; November 10 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas; and November 12 at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. These dates and the previously announced headlining slot at this year's 20th anniversary celebration of Ozzfest (Saturday, September 24 at the Ozzfest Meets Knotfest double-header music and lifestyle weekend) come at the end of the band's North American tour, which kicks off August 17 at Nikon At Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York. The 2016 "The End" world tour and the Ozzfest Meets Knotfest are both produced by Live Nation.

The greatest metal band of all time — Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar) and Geezer Butler (bass) — are currently on tour in Europe for a mix of summer headlining and festival performances, before returning to North America in August. Immediately following the November U.S. shows, BLACK SABBATH will head to Mexico and then South America where they will wrap up their 2016 dates.

BLACK SABBATH is selling a new limited-edition CD titled "The End" at the shows on its farewell tour. The disc features four previously unheard studio tracks left off the band's 2013 reunion album, "13", as well as live versions of four songs from the world tour the band did in support of that disc.

The four studio cuts are "Season Of The Dead", "Cry All Night", "Take Me Home" and "Isolated Man". They feature drums by Brad Wilk.

The live tracks, with drumming from Tommy Clufetos, are "God Is Dead?", "Under The Sun", "End Of The Beginning" and "Age Of Reason". The live cuts were recorded in Sydney, Australia, Auckland, New Zealand and Hamilton, Ontario.

Wilk and Clufetos had to get involved after founding SABBATH drummer Bill Ward withdrew from the reunion after initially agreeing to participate in it.

"13", the first SABBATH full-length studio album in 35 years to feature original members Geezer Butler (bass), Tony Iommi (guitar) and Osbourne, also became SABBATH's first No. 1 album in the U.S. when it was released in June 2013. The band abandoned plans for a follow-up after deciding that the current trek would be its last.

Formed in 1974, Praying Mantis were an important part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, along with bands such as Iron Maiden (whose some ex-members used to be Praying Mantis members as well), Diamond Head and Saxon. The band disbanded in the middle of the '80s, and returned in the early '90s with more hard rock and melodic metal oriented releases. 

Their last two studio albums, Sanctuary from 2009 and the newest one, Legacy from 2015, which were originally released by Frontiers Records on CD, will be reissued as limited edition vinyl albums through No Remorse Records, and will be available on June 20th. Both albums will be available as double LPs (with fourth side being etched), packed in deluxe gatefold sleeves, and both will be limited to 300 copies only. Preorders are available at No Remorse Records.

Legacy tracklisting:

Side A
“Fight For Your Honour”
“The One”
“Believable”
“Tokyo”

Side B
“Better Man”
“All I See”
“Eyes Of A Child”
“The Runner”

Side C
“Against The World”
“Fallen Angel”
“Second Time Around”

Sanctuary tracklisting:

Side A
“In Time”
“Restless Heart”
“Tears In The Rain”
“So High”

Side B
“Turn The Tide”
“Touch The Rainbow”
“Threshold Of A Dream”
“Playing God”

Side C
“Broken Chains” (bonus track)
“Highway”
“Sanctuary”

Lanfear will release their new album The Code Inherited on July 1st via Pure Legend Records. A new video for "The Opaque Hourglass" is streaming below.

Four years after This Harmonic Consonance the unique Lanfear come up with their new album The Code Inherited. Once again they mix their metal with lots of power and melody. A monolithic album with an exceptional singer (Nuno Miguel de Barros Fernandes) and sublime songwriting, led by mastermind/guitarist Markus “Ulle” Ullrich. Outstanding tracks as “Converging Saints” and “Evidence Based Ignorance” are in the classical Lanfear style while the band undoubtedly is also influenced by progressive and sophisticated genres. Powerful songs as “The Delusionist” are on an international level and Nevermore or Communic would have loved to present material like that in their harmonic days.

One of the most melodic tracks on the album is “The Opaque Hourglass”. With the piano driven chorus this will surely be a fave amongst the fans. The terrific “Self-Assembled” starts almost gently until fat guitar riffs blend in and the whole song explodes and becomes very heavy. As a bonus and just for the fun of it Lanfear present their very own Bryan Adams song with “Summer of ‘89”.

Tracklisting:

“The Delusionist”
“The Opaque Hourglass”
“Evidence Based Ignorance”
“The Code Inherited”
“Self-Assembled”
“Converging Saints”
“Remain Undone”
“Summer Of ‘89”

"The Opaque Hourglass" video:

Lineup:
Nuno Miguel de Barros Fernandes – vocals
Kai Schindelar – bass
Markus Ullrich – guitars
Richard Seibel – keyboard
Jürgen Schrank – drums

Music lesson website PlayThisRiff.com from The Sword. In this guitar lesson, guitarist Kyle Shutt shows players two Pre-Choruses and the Chorus in The Sword song “Buzzards”. The Pre-Choruses are pretty quick but Shutt has confidence guitarists will get it. Access the lesson at this location.

PlayThisRiff.com is owned and operated by Bob Balch from Fu Manchu.

Following the success of the release of the picture disc of their current album High Country for the fall Record Store Day celebration, The Sword come back for this Saturday’s Record Store Day with a 7” vinyl single of the legendary blues classic, “John The Revelator”.

The song was originally recorded in 1930 by Blind Willie Johnson and received bigger acclaim when recorded in an a capella version in 1965 by blues man Son House. The song later found usage in the hit TV series Sons of Anarchy. The Sword’s version was recorded in Austin, TX as part of the recording sessions for High Country.  

 

Norwegian metallers Tomorrow's Outlook confirms that upcoming concept album, A Voice Unheard, will be mixed and mastered in August by the legendary Roy Z (best known for his work with Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford, Judas Priest and Helloween).

The band have previously revealed the cover artwork, album title and complete tracklist for the new album.

Tracklisting:

“Within The World Of Dreams”
“Descent”
“Through Shuttered Eyes”
“A Voice Unheard”
“Outlaw”
“Times Of War”
“One Final Prayer”
“The Enemy”
“Fly Away”
“Nothing Shall Remain”
“Crossing The Border” (Heir Apparent cover)
“Immune” (Lethal cover)

Ralf Scheepers, lead vocalist of the German heavy metal band Primal Fear, will be featured as one of the main vocalists on A Voice Unheard, along with the very talented Norwegian singer Tony Johannessen (Thunderbolt). A rough studio performance from one Ralf's sessions with the band can be seen below:

The band have also previously released footage of voice actor Jamieson Price doing voice overs for a track off the upcoming album:

amieson Price is best known for his deep and booming voice for numerous anime and video games, but some of you may also remember him from movies like The Patriot where he was cast with famous actors such as Mel Gibson, Jason Isaacs and Heath Ledger.

Jamieson is not the first professional actor to collaborate with the band on the upcoming release. The British actor Danny Webb recorded a narration for a song off the album called Nothing Shall Remain. Danny has played in numerous British movies, but is probably most known for starring as character "Robert Morse" in Alien 3.

“There is no official release date for A Voice Unheard yet, but we are committing to this year,” says the band.

Don de Leaumont of The Great Southern Brainfart recently conducted an interview with powerhouse Norwegian hard rock singer Jorn Lande. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

The Great Southern Brainfart: Did the surviving members of HEAVEN & HELL/BLACK SABBATH give you any grief for releasing the Dio album [the 2010 release "Dio", a tribute to the late BLACK SABBATH, DIO and RAINBOW singer Ronnie James Dio]?

Jorn: At the time, it was really a bad time but the good thing for me was when I felt really bad about it in the beginning, like when I got the call from Tony Iommi, when these guys said, "Jorn, don't worry about it." Most of the people in the SABBATH camp that were around Ronnie, even though they had mixed feelings, they were not blaming me for anything so I felt a lot of acceptance. That was a great confirmation and helped me not take things too personally and to move on and do my own thing.

The Great Southern Brainfart: When Ronnie James Dio started to really get sick, were you ever called in as a standby?

Jorn: When Ronnie was sick, I was asked to do some shows that they had already booked. I never really asked anybody in the camp this question, but as far as I know, it was Ronnie's decision that he wanted to go through with the shows regardless of his treatment. When Ronnie got weak and got into a really bad shape, the band discussed the possibilities of doing, if not all the shows, some of them. They asked me if I would be up for it to do some songs and then Ronnie would be on stage to sing some songs so we would just go back and forth, just so they could make the shows happen. A few weeks later, I got the message that Ronnie had passed. It was kind of strange and thinking back now, I'm honored that I was asked at the time. Don, you are actually the first person I'm ever telling this to.

The Great Southern Brainfart: Jorn, I'm honored to hear this.

Jorn: Thank you, Don. Honestly, most of my connection with that I just usually kept it to myself for many years. Mostly out of respect and also because I didn't want people to misunderstand things. I kept it to myself to just secure myself and to know in my own heart that I didn't go out there and talk about a lot of it in detail to upset all the fans of Ronnie and BLACK SABBATH. I just kept it to myself and kept a low profile. Still, there was a lot of shit going but now that years have passed, I'm so glad I did it. I'm really grateful for the experience and I owe a lot to Tony and Geezer [Butler] and everybody in that camp. They were always so nice to me and treated me with respect.

The Great Southern Brainfart: After Dio passed, you joined HEAVEN & HELL on stage to perform some songs in Dio's honor (at the High Voltage festival in England; see video below) and it totally made my heart soar. I was so sure that either you would join HEAVEN & HELL or maybe do another project with them. Did this ever come up?

Jorn: Actually, I did some demo things with Tony back around 2005. After that, HEAVEN & HELL happened so we already have done some stuff together that has never been released. Nobody told me back then about the plans for them to do HEAVEN & HELL. The Great Southern Brainfart: Was it somewhat disappointing that Tony and Geezer chose to go back with Ozzy [Osbourne] rather than move forward doing something with you?

Jorn: Looking at it now, it was obvious that BLACK SABBATH had a plan to finish and they had to look at their legacy and their health. On one side, I wish we could've played some more shows or I wish we could've written some more stuff together. Maybe it will even happen, but who knows? It's not something I expect. I have inner peace that I am doing my own thing and I'm fine that whatever happens in the future happens will happen. If it's the right time in the future and it happens, that's fine, but I'm also fine if it doesn't happen.

Read the entire interview at The Great Southern Brainfart.

GUNS N' ROSES drummer Frank Ferrer, who has been a member of the Axl Rose-fronted outfit for over a decade, spoke to Music Radar about his approach to playing some of the band's classic songs. He said: "I really try to keep the spirit of the way the song was played. When we play the 'Appetite…' stuff, I try to have the push and pulls. Steven's [Adler] punk rock bits are great.

"Adler's playing was one of the greatest rock drumming performances in the history of music. You can put it in the top ten. His playing on 'Appetite…' is perfect. Then with [Matt] Sorum, it's a little more tight and more reserved kind of playing. I do try to keep that spirit, though.

"I have tremendous respect for the drummers in GUNS N' ROSES. I love Brain [Brian Mantia] so much. What Brain told me was to try and make the songs my own. I never forget that. Obviously my own personality comes through, especially on some of the funkier stuff. I might give a more New York hip-hop kind of feel to it."

GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" summer stadium tour kicks off on June 23 in Detroit, with dates booked through August 22 in San Diego.

Only singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan from GN'R's "Appetite For Destruction"-era lineup took part in the first Las Vegas gig and the five official reunion shows that followed (one in Las Vegas, Nevada and a pair each in Mexico City and the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. They were joined by Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and guitarist Richard Fortus. Also appearing with them was second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

GUNS N' ROSES got a reported $8 million for its two appearances at Coachella and will make an average of $2.75 million per show on the "Not In This Lifetime" tour.

GUNS' second Coachella set in April featured the live debut of two classics, "Out Ta Get Me" and "Used To Love Her", that Slash, McKagan and Rose had not performed live together in over two decades.

Rose launched his stint as guest vocalist with AC/DC on May 7 in Lisbon, Portugal. Axl is also slated to perform ten rescheduled North American shows with AC/DC.

Trailight bassist and mastermind Omer Cordell has checked in with the following update on the band's second album, which is currently in the works:

"First week of the crowdfunding campaign has ended, we've got 3 weeks to go! 

Thank you so very much for your incredible support! I can't articulate enough how grateful I am for everyone who has been supportive of this project! 
In this day and age, making an album without any label backup or even a distribution deal basically means that you're making music for free where anyone can simply grab it from pretty much anywhere and all of you - with your support, have been helping me create something that I love doing and I hope that in the end you will love it just as much and this album, is also a part of you! So thank you and again, I say thank you! 

Here's a 7 minute sample of the music that we've been working on. Keep in mind that this this is a sample of the pre-production work-in-progress that Cory McBain and I have been working on over the past several months. The mix is pretty rough but it's a great snapshot of what things sound like.
There are no vocals as of yet, they are still being worked on and I'll share some samples with you as I make progress with the lyrics and harmonies.

Hope you enjoy and stay tuned for more updates as we go along!"

Check out the new music here. Go to this location for details on the Kickstarter campaign.

Trailight, featuring vocalist Dave Padden (ex-Annihilator), recently released a cover of the Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds classic "The Weeping Song". It features Padden and Fear Factory frontman Burton C. Bell on vocals and released on February 22nd. Check it out below.

Cordell: "I can only think of a handful of people alive today who I consider to be the most prolific and inspiring artists who have influenced and inspired countless of people all over the world yet, in some way are considered to be unpopular. Who instead of following trends, the trends seem to follow them. Who continue to create their art without having to compromise their artistic vision and by doing so, they are able to create their own fusion and magic in music, words and visuals.And so, I wish to pay tribute to one of those people; one who I consider to be the most important artists of our time; the great Nick Cave. This is our version of 'The Weeping Song'

My endless gratitude to Dave Padden, Burton C. Bell, Cory McBain and Adrian Windsor for their great talent and hard work!"

Cordell spoke with BraveWords scribe Carl Begai about Trailight last year. Following is an excerpt from the interview.

“When I was first starting to think about doing this project, considering the vibe and riffs I was coming up with – ‘A Thousand Years’ was the first song I wrote – I knew who I wanted to play drums on it. Ryan has known me as a photographer for years, so when I called him up it was like ‘This may come as a surprise, but I’m making music now…’ (laughs). I asked if he’d be interested in playing on it and he wanted to hear the demos, but he had a bunch of touring to finish with Devin and then record the DVP double album. After that he had time to do my stuff.”

“Ryan came back from Devin’s album recording, learned my songs in about a week or 10 days, we had one day of pre-production where I had a chance to hear what he would be doing in the studio. Three days later we were in the studio and 10 hours later he was done recording. When we were finished I knew why I’d gotten Ryan to do it. He not only fits stylistically, he was also such an immense help with the whole process. I was basically flying blind. I’d been to the studios lots of times back when Strapping was around to take photos, but I’d never actually recorded in one before, so Ryan was helpful in guiding me.”

Cordell also took on outside help to produce The Primitive Mountain, a long and drawn out process that slowly deteriorated as the songs were being mixed. He eventually opted to take on the task of mixing and mastering himself; a daunting task on one hand, but the only option left if the album was going to live up to his expectations. Rather than a play-by-play of events, Cordell channels Metallica to sum up the situation.

“As far as the mix of the album, the first batch of songs that I sent you sound like St. Anger, and the final mixes sound like the Black album.”

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