DEEP PURPLE has shared the official music video for the band's new single, "Portable Door". The track is taken from the British hard rock legends' upcoming album, "=1", due on July 19 via earMUSIC. The song marks DEEP PURPLE's first material with new guitarist Simon McBride, who stepped in two years ago following Steve Morse's departure.

McBride said: "The new album will reflect what the five of us create in the rehearsal room. Many of the songs, like 'Portable Door', were written in the first sessions and literally came together in 5 or 10 minutes. It all was so easy and natural."

Frontman Ian Gillan added: "Throughout DEEP PURPLE's history, our best songs have always been those that were written in no time at all. We've played what felt good and developed songs as we have always done."

DEEP PURPLE continues its charge of recent years, releasing hit albums and filling arenas around the world, adding yet more layers to its 100-million-album-selling legacy. The band is credited as one of the key originators of heavy rock and has constantly progressed its boundaries of music. They are fronted by Gillan, whose vocals have defined generations, accompanied by the masterful bassist Roger Glover, the powerhouse drummer Ian Paice, and the maestro on keyboards Don Airey.

"=1" is the band's first album with McBride, who seamlessly slotted in when longtime member Morse left due to personal circumstances. Since 2022, Simon has already played to DEEP PURPLE audiences totaling more than half a million people.

But DEEP PURPLE is more than just their members and "=1" embodies the essence and attitude of their 1970s incarnation possibly more than any other album in recent memory. With the legendary Bob Ezrin once again producing, the record evokes the pioneering band's classic sound, without relying on nostalgia.

The enigmatic title "=1" symbolizes the idea that in a world growing ever more complex, everything eventually simplifies down to a single, unified essence. Everything equals one. Its full meaning will be revealed in the coming weeks, with the artwork also playing its part. Fans have already been speculating after mysterious equations and depictions of multiverses appeared in London, Paris and Berlin in recent days.

With three consecutive No. 1 albums in their back pocket and a resurgent new energy powering them forward, this is DEEP PURPLE at their pinnacle. "Now WHAT?!" (2013),"inFinite" (2017) and "Whoosh!" (2020) have sold over one million copies worldwide, making DEEP PURPLE one of the most successful rock bands currently active. The latest studio album, "Whoosh!", reached No. 1 on the album charts in seven countries and charted in the top 10 in another 12.

"=1" will be released as a limited CD+DVD (digipak),CD (jewel case),2LP gatefold (black, 180g),limited purple 2LP gatefold (180g),limited crystal clear 2LP (180g) and limited box set (CD+DVD digipak, 2lp black gatefold, 3x exclusive 10" vinyl editions feat. live recordings from DEEP PURPLE's 2022 tour, exclusive collector's T-shirt, 2x exclusive guitar picks, 1x exclusive art print, 1x exclusive lanyard, and the chance to win a Golden Ticket giving access to all shows on the DEEP PURPLE "=1 More Time" tour). All LPs include a rich 12-page vinyl sized booklet. The bonus DVD features the approximately 60-minute documentary "Access All Areas" joining DEEP PURPLE backstage on tour and providing an exclusive look behind the scenes.

"=1" track listing:

01. Show Me
02. A Bit On The Side
03. Sharp Shooter
04. Portable Door
05. Old-Fangled Thing
06. If I Were You
07. Pictures Of You
08. I'm Saying Nothin'
09. Lazy Sod
10. Now You're Talkin'
11. No Money To Burn
12. I'll Catch You
13. Bleeding Obvious

There simply aren't enough superlatives to properly acknowledge the contribution DEEP PURPLE has made to rock music. Having sold more than 100 million albums and filled global arenas for decades, there's little wonder that the respected British radio station Planet Rock named the group the "Fifth Most Influential Band Ever". The band were also presented the Legend Award at the 2008 World Music Awards and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2016. DEEP PURPLE truly are "rock royalty".

With a body of work spanning seven decades, DEEP PURPLE has helped pioneer and define the hard rock genre while progressively moving into new areas, both keeping their sound fresh and attracting new fans to the legions who have remained loyal since the band's inception. The celebrated MKII line up of Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore were responsible for creating many of the defining rock albums of the early 1970s, including "Made In Japan", universally accepted as one of the most important and influential live albums of all time.

Known as one of the hardest working bands ever, DEEP PURPLE has continued to release No. 1 albums and tour globally since forming in 1968, with little rest. In 2007 (almost 40 years after being formed),the band performed 40 dates in France to an award-winning audience, and they continue to spend much of their year on the road selling out arenas across the globe.

DEEP PURPLE has stayed true to its musical roots taking from an eclectic mix of styles to create a distinctive sound that defines the band today, but which in turn, has created a legacy that very few bands could ever hope to replicate. The band has written and produced so many "classic", well-known songs, that its audience range widely in age and background — something the band has readily embraced.

DEEP PURPLE's recent studio album "Whoosh!" (2020) followed their worldwide chart-topping albums "inFinite" (2017) and "Now WHAT?!" (2013). 2024 sees the release of their brand-new album "=1". On all albums, DEEP PURPLE joined forces with producer Bob Ezrin, who has worked with the likes of KISS, PINK FLOYD, Lou Reed and Alice Cooper.

Furthering their collaboration with Ezrin, in 2021 and during the pandemic the band recorded a collection of cover songs from their own homes (normal for most bands nowadays, revolutionary for a band that records everything together in the studio),creating an eclectic and celebratory history of their roots in music, in the shape of "Turning To Crime".

In 2022 came the sad news of Steve Morse's departure due to personal circumstances, but DEEP PURPLE, never a band to let a set back throw them off course, sought out the masterful skills of guitarist Simon McBride and played the year out in style, exciting crowds with a new energy and excitement.

Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Don Airey and Simon McBride continue with renewed vitality, pushing the boundaries of hard rock to audiences around the globe, proving that DEEP PURPLE are very much here to stay.

Photo credit: Jim Rakete (courtesy of The Outside Organisation

SLIPKNOT has confirmed the identity of the band's new drummer.

As widely speculated, a new post on SLIPKNOT's Instagram account of all nine members notably includes a tag for former SEPULTURA sticksman Eloy Casagrande, who abruptly left that latter band in early February, just days before the start of the Brazilian/American outfit's farewell tour.

Interestingly, there are only eight tags in the new Instagram photo corresponding to all but one of the nine bandmembers, and the missing band member's account is that of Craig Jones's as-yet-unknown replacement.

SLIPKNOT made its first festival appearance of 2024 Saturday night (April 27) as one of the headliners of Sick New World in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show marked SLIPKNOT's second performance with Casagrande.

Prior to Sick New World, SLIPKNOT played an intimate show Thursday night, April 25 at Pappy + Harriet's in Pioneertown, California.

For both the Pappy + Harriet's and Sick New World gigs, SLIPKNOT adopted a classic look, bringing back the 1999 red jumpsuits and elements of their early masks into their modern versions, tying into the fact that SLIPKNOT is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

After parting ways with Jay Weinberg last November, SLIPKNOT teased fans with a hint about a new drummer nearly two months ago, posting a photo of a single broken drumstick online with the caption "Rehearsal."

The band explained in a statement that the split with Weinberg was a creative decision. Jay followed up with a statement of his own, saying that he was "heartbroken and blindsided" by his dismissal.

Weinberg has since joined SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and INFECTIOUS GROOVES.

Casagrande abruptly quit SEPULTURA three months ago, shortly before he was supposed to begin rehearsals for the band's recently launched 40th-anniversary farewell tour.

"February 6th, a few days prior to the first rehearsal, drummer Eloy Casagrande informed the band that he was leaving SEPULTURA to pursue a career in another project," the band said in a statement.

Casagrande joined SEPULTURA 13 years ago as the replacement for Jean Dolabella.

In February 2020, SEPULTURA singer Derrick Green told Australia's Everblack Media that Casagrande had had "a tremendous impact" on the group since he joined in 2011. "It's undeniable because he's such a strong force," he said. "He loves playing metal music. He's one of the most talented drummers I've ever seen, honestly. That power is consistent from beginning to the end. It really has rubbed off on all of us to really push ourselves further. He's such a perfect match for the band. He really is always influencing us in so many ways to really go beyond — above and beyond."

SLIPKNOT's latest album "The End, So Far", arrived in August 2022. It marked the band's the last full-length LP before the departure of both keyboardist Craig Jones, who left the group in June 2023, and Weinberg.

Photo credit: Jonathan Weiner

Symphonic metal veterans NIGHTWISH will release their new album, "Yesterwynde", on September 20, 2024 via Nuclear Blast. It marks the band's tenth studio album, following on from the release of "Human. :II: Nature." in 2020.

NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen states: "'Yesterwynde' is a fantastical voyage through time, memory, and the better angels of human nature.

"Three years in the making, we're thrilled beyond words to soon share our tenth album with the world!"

The album's first single, "Perfume Of The Timeless" will arrive on May 21.

"Yesterwynde" track listing:

01. Yesterwynde
02. An Ocean Of Strange Islands
03. The Antikythera Mechanism
04. The Day Of...
05. Perfume Of The Timeless
06. Sway
07. The Children Of 'Ata
08. Something Whispered Follow Me
09. Spider Silk
10. Hiraeth
11. The Weave
12. Lanternlight

In January, NIGHTWISH drummer Kai Hahto spoke about the band's upcoming follow-up to 2020's "Human. :II: Nature." album in an interview with Laureline Tilkin of Tuonela Magazine. He said: "At least it's not gonna be the same as 'Human. :II: Nature.', so… Probably, let's say that we go back to more heavy, heavier things on the new album, but also there's a lot of, again, new winds to blow, so to speak. So, different new elements. But, of course, it's still NIGHTWISH, but, of course, we brought back the big symphony orchestra again to the new upcoming tenth album. Yeah, it's gonna be exciting. And quite challenging music to play as well."

Asked if he is "in a way happy" that he doesn't have to play the new NIGHTWISH songs live right now, in light of the fact that the band is taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future, Kai said: "No, no, no. Totally opposite. I would love to go and play it live. But hopefully the time will come when we go back, charging the batteries first. Of course, it's nice to be home with the kids and wife and dogs, but still, of course, I've always been a player, so I also like to play for the people. But I believe I'm not gonna be bored. So I have a lot of things in the back of my head. Even NIGHTWISH is now taking a break. So, I'm not gonna be bored."

Earlier in January, Hahto told Chaoszine that "it looks like" NIGHTWISH won't play any shows in the next two or three years.

In April 2023, NIGHTWISH surprised fans by announcing that the band was not going to be playing any live shows for the foreseeable future and would be not be touring in support of the group's next studio album.

NIGHTWISH's statement read as follows: "As the 'Human :ll: Nature - World Tour' is drawing to a close, we feel now is the time to tell you of our plans for the next phase in our journey.

"After the planned shows for June 2023 we will be 'hanging up our spurs' for an indeterminate time, as far as live concert performances go, and won't be touring the next album.

"The reasons for this decision are personal, but, we all agree, vital to the wellbeing and future of the band. Be assured that we still love working together, and this decision has nothing to do with Floor's pregnancy or our other individual projects.

"However, an album of 12 new songs will see bright daylight in 2024, as will 3 music videos! The band is positively hyped beyond words over this new upcoming musical adventure."

In December 2022, Holopainen said NIGHTWISH's upcoming follow-up to "Human. :II: Nature." will be the third part of a trilogy that began with 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" album. He told Metal Hammer: "I immediately knew after getting that album ['Endless Forms Most Beautiful'] done that, 'Okay, we have to do more songs about this, because there's so much more to explore and tell the world. We're not done with this.' And the same thing happened after 'Human. :II: Nature.'; we're still not done. So let's do one more. At least one more.

"In a way, [the next album] is the third part of a trilogy, which started with 'Endless Forms…' and then 'Human. :II: Nature.' There are some major surprises there again, but it feels like a natural continuation to 'Human. :II: Nature.'"

According to Tuomas, NIGHTWISH's next LP will cover previously uncharted ground while continuing in the more cinematic style that has characterized some of the band's recent efforts.

In September 2022, Tuomas was asked if NIGHTWISH's upcoming LP will once again be an exploration of evolutionary science, as was the case with the previous two releases. Tuomas said: "Yes and no. It sails on the same waters, but there's some new surprises there as well."

In August 2022, Tuomas told Rock Sverige that he spent "about a year" working on the music and lyrics for the next NIGHTWISH album.

Asked if he got any kind of inspiration from the pandemic, Tuomas said: "Yeah, lyrically there's a couple of things that reflects the pandemic, but not in the way you would expect."

"Human. :II: Nature." was released in April 2020. The follow-up to 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" was a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters, on CD 2.

In August 2022, NIGHTWISH announced the addition of Jukka Koskinen (WINTERSUN) as an official member of the band. Koskinen, who made his live debut with NIGHTWISH in May 2021 at the band's two interactive experiences, had spent the previous year touring with NIGHTWISH as a session musician.

In November 2022, singer Floor Jansen revealed that she was "cancer free" after recently undergoing surgery to have a tumor removed following a breast cancer diagnosis.

This past October, Floor and SABATON drummer Hannes Van Dahl welcomed their second child, a daughter named Lucy. Jansen and Van Dahl already have a seven-year-old daughter named Freja, who was born on March 15, 2017.

Photo credit: Tim Tronckoe (courtesy of Nuclear Blast)

Priest has released "Black Venom," the third single off of their fourth studio album Dark Pulse set for release on May 31, 2024 via Label Blue Nine.


"Black Venom" is a hi-octane track with gothic lyrics, haunted samples and drugged beats. It delves deep into the human struggle to transcend the shadows of the psyche. It’s a testament to the cathartic potency of music exploring the enigmatic depths of the human spirit.







Dark Pulse is Priest’s fourth studio album and is produced by Simon Söderberg (ex-Ghost). It’s a dark synth pop album with rave elements and heavy industrial notes.


Heavily inspired by cyberpunk and Goth culture, it dives into the dark and seductive night life that can be found specifically in Berlin. Dark Pulse explores themes like alcohol addiction, surviving narcissism, forbidden love etc. connected to a past flamboyant lifestyle that just won't let go. With a signature blend of eerie synthesizers and pulsating hardware, Priest delves deeper into the shadows of dystopia and human-machine symbiosis. 


Priest is a synth band that creates music rooted in the vastness of electronic dreams. The goal of their multifaceted prophecy is to safely guide humanity unto the next evolutionary step – the merging with machines.


The occult techno-pop act from Sweden, containing ex-members from Ghost, will throw you into the neon lights of 80 ́s sci-fi mixed with gothic soundscapes. With several praised global tours and critically acclaimed releases like New Flesh and Body Machine they’ve successfully generated an ever growing fanbase worldwide.


Priest has toured with bands like Nitzer Ebb, Die Krupps, Combichrist, Deathstars and Front Line Assembly among others. Priest is also featured on Cleopatra Records tribute albums for Rammstein, Depeche Mode and The Cure and has remixed tracks for Pure Obsessions & Red Nights, Aux Animaux and Sjöblom.





Tracklisting:


“Burning Love”
“Black Venom”
“Demon’s Call”
“Dungeon Dance”
“Golden Gate”
“Just A Game”
“Your Devil”
“Enter Your Body”
“A Demonic Game”
“Chaos Reigns”


"Just A Game"

SUM 41's Deryck Whibley, whose battle with alcohol addiction landed him in the hospital with kidney and liver failure, is celebrating the tenth anniversary of his getting sober.

Earlier today (Saturday, April 27),the 44-year-old singer/guitarist shared the following message on his social media: "10 years of sobriety.

"This post is a little late for two reasons. One, I've never counted the days of my sobriety. There's nothing wrong with counting. It just didn't suit me. And two, I rarely know what the actual date is, ever!

"10 years ago on April 15th, I went into the hospital with liver and kidney failure due to what had become excessive drinking. My drinking didn't start out that way, it usually doesn't. But eventually I crossed the invisible line and went from functional and in control, to addicted and dependent. Most of you know, i was in pretty bad shape.

"So today, I couldn't be happier to be able to say that I haven't picked up a drink since that fateful day and now have a full decade of being sober, healthy, physically and mentally strong and most importantly really happy.

"With a ton of work, and the huge help from my friends, family, fans and as always @sum41 mum I'm in the best place I've ever been in my life. I have the love and support of my amazing wife @aribarbara and we have two incredible children together to share our love and happiness with.

"And I couldn't be happier and more proud of what we've done in SUM 41. The band is in the best place we've ever been. 10 years ago we were at our lowest point personally and professionally. Not on speaking terms and couldn't even be in a room together. Members gone and quitting, tours not selling and no prospects of being played on the radio anymore and the future looking less than zero.

"As I laid in that hospital bed looking at the tatters my life had become, I vowed that if I survived this mess I created for myself and got out of here, I was going to fight, work and scrape our way back to the top again. I was determined not let the story end there.

"Today, our song 'Landmines' went #1 on Billboard in both the U.S. and Canada across multiple formats making it our highest charting single, beating out 'Fat Lip' and 'In Too Deep'. Our record 'Heaven :x: Hell' came out and beat all of our old chart records in countries everywhere. Our shows are selling out all around the world and in some cases we're adding 2nd nights in multiple cities.

"I write this not to brag, but to recognize and be grateful for the moment. I'm glad it was hard to get here. I'm happy it took a lot of work and wasn't easy. And most of all i'm thankful for all the help.

"My younger self would've thought this moment was 'cool' and just moved onto the next. My present self understands how incredibly lucky i am.

"I really want to thank the few people who really helped me out at the very beginning and made me feel like I was not alone. @tommylee @iggypopofficial @mattsorum @duffmckagen @johnfeldy".

In a recent interview with People magazine, Whibley reflected on the worst moments of his alcohol addiction, saying that he often drank as a means to subside the symptoms of his long-lingering back pain.

"Because it was just nonstop touring, I never really took care of it," he said. "Things got worse, and I got to a point where we just put out a record, and I injured my back again for I think the third time. And it was really, really bad and really painful. The only options were to go home, cancel the rest of the years of touring and let that album just die, or take heavy painkillers. I don't remember what they were, but after seeing what became of the [oxycodone] epidemic across the U.S., I didn't really want to take any of that stuff."

"What I did notice was, when I had a couple drinks at night, my back pain would go away," he continued. "So I just thought, you know what? I can get through the tour because I pop some Advil, have a couple drinks, and I think I'll be fine. I just kept going on the tour."

As his pain got worse, "my drinking started earlier in the day," he said. "It just kept getting earlier and earlier because I was trying to self-medicate, trying to get through the tour…. All of a sudden if I didn't have a drink, my body starts shaking, my hands are shaking, and I would say to myself, 'I don't really want to drink right now.' But I had realized like, 'Oh my God, I'm having withdrawal syndrome, so I have to have a drink.' Then everything would mellow out. I'd feel better. But then you also feel good, because you just had a drink or two and you're like, 'Man, well, let's have another one. I've already had two. What's three?' And then, 'What's one more?' It just gets worse and worse and worse."

As previously announced, SUM 41 will make stops in the United States, Japan, Mexico, Germany, Italy, and more, and will perform their largest show to date in front of a sold-out crowd of over 35,000 at Paris La Défense Arena in France later this year before the official Canadian leg of the tour and their final shows as a band in Toronto, Ontario, on January 28 and 30, 2025, at Scotiabank Arena.

Released on March 29 via Rise Records, "Heaven :x: Hell" is the most ambitious album from SUM 41 yet — "Heaven" is 10 tracks of snarling high-energy pop punk, while "Hell" consists of ten heavy metal anthems spiked with fret-burning solos, thrashing riffs, and fist-pumping hooks. The band has been straddling the line of pop-punk and metal for their entire career, and "Heaven :x: Hell" Is a testament to their innovative sound and unmatched skill, proving them as pioneers 27 years after the bands inception.

SUM 41's storied 24-plus-year career includes over 15 million records sold worldwide, multiple Billboard-charting releases, a Grammy Award nomination, two Juno Awards (seven nominations),a Kerrang! Award in 2002, as well as multiple Alternative Press Music Awards.

Photo courtesy of Big Picture Media

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SYSTEM OF A DOWN played its first live show in 11 months Saturday night (April 27) as one of the headliners of the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, Nevada for the second year in a row.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN opened its 27-song set with "X", a partial rendition of "Suite-Pee" and "Prison Song", before performing "B.Y.O.B." and following it up with the first airing of "Innervision" since 2019, and later playing "Bubbles" and "CUBErt" for the first time in almost a decade.

The full setlist was as follows:

01. X
02. Suite-Pee (partial)
03. Prison Song
04. Holy Mountains
05. Soldier Side - Intro
06. B.Y.O.B.
07. Innervision (first performance since 2019)
08. Dreaming (breakdown only)
09. Needles
10. Deer Dance
11. Radio/Video
12. Bubbles (first live performance since 2015)
13. CUBErt (first live performance since 2015)
14. Hypnotize
15. ATWA
16. Bounce
17. Suggestions
18. Psycho
19. Chop Suey!
20. Lonely Day
21. Kill Rock 'n' Roll (first performance since 2017)
22. Lost in Hollywood
23. Aerials
24. Genocidal Humanoidz
25. War?
26. Toxicity
27. Sugar

Last November, SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian addressed his comment from a year earlier that he wasn't interested in touring due to some health issues. Asked if those issues are still affecting him, Serj told Revolver magazine: "Some of my back stuff is a lot better, in terms of health, which is cool. I have some other things I'm dealing with right now, which may or may not be affected by travel or touring.

"It wasn't just a health-related decision as far as cutting down on touring, but also a lifestyle decision," he explained. "Based on family and vision.

"I've been touring for 20-something years, on and off, of course. Not every year. And it's fun, it's profitable, it makes a lot of people happy in terms of being out there and sharing the music and [seeing] the reaction, and people really enjoying it and getting that feedback. But after years of doing it and the travel that's involved, it's one of those things where it's not the top priority on my list in life."

Asked if that means that he wants to spend more time with his son, Serj said: "Travel takes you out of… you could take your family with you if you're doing a small tour, I guess. And that's something that we have done, even when our son was really young. But it's just about prioritizing life and what you really want to do.

"Some people like to tour until they're ready to go from this plane, and that's not how I see myself going," he explained. "To me, doing different things in measured form allows me to be more creative than to take something that's repetitious and do it for a long period of time. And that includes everything that I do."

As previously reported, Serj's memoir, "Down With The System", will be released on May 14, 2024 via
Hachette Books.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN vocalist/guitarist Daron Malakian has resurrected his SCARS ON BROADWAY project for its first live appearances in five years: October 5 at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles as the support act for KORN, and October 11 at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California.

During an appearance on the April 24 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Robert Trujillo, who had a seven-year tenure with Ozzy Osbourne before joining METALLICA in 2003, was asked about the recent announcement that the legendary heavy metal singer will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame later this year as a solo artist in its 2024 class, marking his second entry into the organization following BLACK SABBATH's induction in 2006. Robert said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Ozzy is family. I love him. I wouldn't be where I am without him. If I think about it, even going back to INFECTIOUS GROOVES back in 1991, we were recording the first album, which is called 'The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move'. And Ozzy was recording 'No More Tears', and we were in the same studio complex [in North Hollywood]. It was called Devonshire Studios. So we were like a fraternity back then, hanging out in the same studio. Zakk [Wylde, then-Ozzy guitarist] was there, Mike Inez [then-Ozzy bassist] — we were all there. And he used to sneak away from his recording session and come and join us and hang out in the INFECTIOUS GROOVES room. And that's why you hear him on the [INFECTIOUS GROOVES] song 'Therapy' — that's how he ended up on 'Therapy'. And it was just so much fun back then. And there's some crazy stories that we won't get into now, but that kind of started it all back then. And then from that, I ended up being able to audition and join Ozzy's band and work with him for almost seven years. And still till this day, occasionally we do some stuff together. I co-wrote his last record, a few years [ago] — it was, like, three years [ago] now. And I know Ozzy really did help METALLICA too. And he's just always been there to help bands coming up and sort of help young artists grow into themselves into bigger bands. And he did that with KORN, and he's done that for so many people. So, God bless him, and congratulations to Ozzy. He deserves that."

During his time in Ozzy's band, Trujillo appeared on the "Down To Earth" and "Live At Budokan" albums, as well as the 2002 reissues of "Blizzard Of Ozz" and "Diary Of A Madman". The latter two were widely panned by Osbourne fans when Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon had Trujillo re-record original bassist Bob Daisley's parts after Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake sued Ozzy and Sharon over royalties. They were restored for the 30th-anniversary editions.

Asked in a 2022 interview with Revolver how Ozzy has influenced his creative development, Robert said: "Well, I was fortunate to be able to work with Ozzy for many years, and, you know, Zakk and I played together in the '90s in Ozzy's band. I was always really inspired by the bass playing of Bob Daisley and the rhythm section. [Daisley played on and co-wrote 'Blizzard Of Ozz' and 'Diary Of A Madman' and continued to work with Ozzy until the early '90s.] Ozzy used to tell me, [affects an Ozzy accent] 'Rob, you know, I'm your best friend, man. I'm your best friend because I love the bass. I don't want you to turn it down. I want you to turn it up!' [Laughs] You know, singers never say that. [Laughs] I mean, the only other singer that's ever said that to me was Lady Gaga when we jammed with her with METALLICA — and James [Hetfield] kinda looked over and was like, What? [Laughs]"

Robert clarified: "James loves bass. He just doesn't want to hear the bass when he's trying to sing and have that kind of taking over his sonic bubble, you know. But yeah, so I was already in heaven [with Ozzy], because here is this singer saying, 'Play louder … I want to hear more.' But you know, I would have to definitely say that the style of bass playing on Ozzy's solo records is an important ingredient to the recipe. You hear songs like 'No More Tears', where it's a prominent melodic statement in the song, and even the powerful accents on songs like 'Crazy Train' or 'S.A.T.O.'

"So bass was very important to both bands: Ozzy solo and BLACK SABBATH. And for me as a bass player, you're a kid in a candy shop, you know what I mean? You can't go wrong. It's a very special place to be. A lot of times people say, 'Oh, it's about the guitar in Ozzy's bands.' But no, it's also about the bass … it's about everything. It's like a power trio with a great, incredibly soulful singer."

Asked what his favorite Ozzy album is, Robert said: "'Diary Of A Madman' … I love that song 'Diary Of A Madman'. To me, it's the classic Ozzy song. It's just got a balance of everything. I love what the rhythm section's doing on there and the counterpoint or sort-of pulse rhythms. The dynamic range of that song is really, really powerful."

Regarding the first time he met Ozzy, Trujillo said: "The first time? Well, oh God, let's see… That's a good question. The very first time I crossed paths with Ozzy was at the Concrete Convention. I believe it was in L.A., but they had different venues around town, and you'd have different gigs and Ozzy was playing one of the convention gigs. I remember crossing paths with him and meeting him there, but … I don't count it as the official meeting because it was so brief. I was in SUICIDAL TENDENCIES at the time, and we were going to see him play. Somehow, we were able to get backstage, maybe through management or something, and have a quick hello."

The 2024 Rock Hall induction ceremony will be held on October 19 at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. It will air live on Disney+. An edited version will run on ABC at a later date, and will be available on Hulu the day after.

Artists are eligible to be inducted into the Rock Hall after at least 25 years have passed since their first record was released.

In 1999, Ozzy attempted to take BLACK SABBATH's name off the Hall Of Fame's nomination list that year, deeming the institution's nod "meaningless."

When BLACK SABBATH finally earned its induction in 2006, the band went in with LYNYRD SKYNYRD, Mike Davis and BLONDIE.

Legendary Ozzy guitarist Randy Rhoads was posthumously inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame during the 2021 ceremony. Rhoads, who played in Ozzy's band more than four decades ago, received the Musical Excellence Award at the October 2021 event.

Ozzy Osbourne photo credit: Ross Halfin

Professor Reggie Almeida of the Renzo Gracie TN Brazilian jiu-jitsu school in Tennessee, who has been traveling with MEGADETH on the band's recent tours, has uploaded video of the Dave Mustaine-fronted outfit's visit to the Observatorio Manuel Foster, or Manuel Foster Observatory, prior to the group's April 9 concert at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile. Check it out below.

The Manuel Foster Observatory is an astronomical observatory constructed on Cerro San Cristóbal near Santiago, Chile in 1903. The observatory is named for Dr. Manuel Foster Recabarren, who purchased the facility in 1929 and later donated it to the Catholic University.

MEGADETH recently announced a North American tour "Destroy All Enemies", produced by Live Nation. Support on the 33-city trek, which includes stops in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston and St. Louis, will come from MUDVAYNE and ALL THAT REMAINS. The tour begins in Rogers, Arkansas on August 2 and runs throughout the month before wrapping in Nashville, Tennessee on September 28.

Finnish guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari joined MEGADETH last September after the band's longtime axeman Kiko Loureiro, announced earlier that month that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland. It was later revealed that Mäntysaari would continue to play guitar for MEGADETH for the foreseeable future, with Loureiro seemingly having no plans to return.

The 37-year-old Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

MEGADETH played its first concert with Mäntysaari on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Loureiro officially joined MEGADETH in April 2015, about five months after Chris Broderick's exit from the group.

Since its inception in 1983, MEGADETH has ascended from its raw thrash metal roots to become an unstoppable force in the heavy metal world. With founder Dave Mustaine at the helm, MEGADETH's journey has been marked by a penchant for pushing the boundaries of speed, technicality, and complexity in their music. Their groundbreaking album "Rust In Peace", released in 1990, is frequently cited as a seminal work in the thrash metal genre. Along with the critically acclaimed "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?", it cemented MEGADETH's place in the annals of metal history.

Over four decades, the band's discography has earned numerous certifications, including platinum and multi-platinum awards, with albums like "Countdown To Extinction" and "Youthanasia" achieving widespread critical acclaim. 2016's "Dystopia" not only marked a high point with their first Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" after twelve nominations but also set the stage for their latest triumph, "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" in 2022. MEGADETH's status as part of the "Big Four" of thrash metal underscores their trailblazing role in the genre, laying the groundwork for countless bands and musicians who have followed in their wake.

HELLO from Manuel Foster Observatory, Chile! 😎👋 🇨🇱

#davemustaine
#jameslomenzo
#megadeth
#crushtheworldtour2024

Photo credit:
James LoMenzo 📷 ©️

Posted by Thrashing to Megadeth on Monday, April 8, 2024

Periphery has released a two-song single, Acoustic Singles, featuring stripped down versions of “Scarlet” (from Periphery II) and “It’s Only Smiles” (from Periphery IV: Hail Stan).


The single, which arrives with a performance video for “It’s Only Smiles” also feature a guest performance from Mike Dawes.







“We had Mike Dawes out with us on tour last fall and we decided to have an acoustic break in our set where Mike would come out and perform these two songs with me,” explains vocalist Spencer Sotelo. “The crowd response was electric every night! We figured we’d try and capture that magic in the studio and recreate the whole vibe. The songs actually ended up taking on a whole new feel once they were recorded, and ended up sounding so fresh and unique that we’ve even talked about possibly doing more in the future. I hope everyone enjoys them as much as we do.”


Dawes is regarded as one of the world’s most creative modern acoustic guitarists, and has been named “Best Acoustic Guitarist in the World” multiple times by Total Guitar and MusicRadar’s reader polls. His next solo record and U.S. solo tour is scheduled for this summer.


“I’ve been a fan of the guys in Periphery as musicians and humans for well over a decade so recording these was extra special,” adds Dawes. “Back in 2016, I realized a solo cover of ‘Scarlet’ as a way to showcase the melodic side of heavy music to my, at the time, pretty anti-metal fanbase so it’s cool to have rearranged it along with ‘It’s Only Smiles’ to introduce the modern acoustic playing to Periphery’s fans. The November tour opening up for the guys was such a blast, and Spencer and I locked into a kind of synergy you can only really get through gigging. Too bad there wasn’t time to track our neurotically profound Backstreet Boys’ covers. Maybe someday.”


Acoustic Singles is also available as a limited edition (500 copies) 7” single on white and gold vinyl available exclusively at the Periphery webshop.


Periphery return to the road next month for The Wildfire Tour ’24, an eight-date trek in support of their recently released album Periphery V: Djent Is Not A Genre





The Wildfire Tour ‘24 tour dates:


May
8 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
10 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
11 - Tampa, FL - Jannus Live
13 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works
14 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
16 - Toronto, ON - The Danforth Music Hall
17 - Montreal, QC - MTelus
18 - New York, NY - Palladium Times Square


(Photo - Ekaterina Gorbacheva)

French heavy metal frontrunners, Nightmare, have shared a brand new single, the opening track "Nexus Inferis" of their forthcoming, twelfth studio album Encrypted, due out June 7 via AFM Records.


"Today we are very excited to share with you our second single, ‘Nexus Inferis’... taken from our forthcoming album, Encrypted!" The band comments. "This track is our album opener and has a hell of a riff matched with catchy melodies on the whole song. Lyrically, it is highly connected with the ‘Encrypted concept’: What if the end was just the beginning or a passage to hell (inferis)?"


Founded in 1979, Nightmare have been an integral part of the European metal scene for the past three decades, and have been prolific with their album releases, all the while updating and evolving their sound.




The band released eleven much acclaimed studio albums and toured worldwide, playing some of the biggest metal festivals like Wacken, Hellfest, 70000 Tons Of Metal, Motocultor Open Air or Gods Of Metal, and supporting the likes of Def Leppard, Sabaton, Saxon, Grave Digger and Blind Guardian to name just a few. 2020 saw Nightmare release their latest album, Aeternam, via AFM Records. At the end of 2022, the band parted ways with singer Madie and welcomed their new, exceptional vocalist: Barbara Mogore, who transcends Nightmare onto a total new level.


As the band states: “…We have decided to move to new heights in terms of musical approach to make Encrypted our most ambitious album to date in terms of production, musical direction and achievement… You can find here some traditional power metal riffing in the trademark of Nightmare but also extreme metal parts and some highlights even reaching melodic death metal… making Encrypted our most varied opus so far, beyond all boundaries and expectations…”


Encrypted was mixed and mastered in Simone Mularoni’s Domination Studio in Italy. Preorder at the AFM Records webshop.





Tracklisting:


“Nexus Inferis”
“The Blossom Of My Hate”
“Voices From The Other Side”
“Saviours Of The Damned”
“Wake The Night”
“Encrypted”
“Incandescent”
“White Lines”
“Borderlines”
“Eternal Winter” (2023 Version)


"Nexus Inferis":





“Saviours Of The Damned” video:





“Eternal Winter” (2023 Version):

In a new interview with Francisco Zamudio of KNAC.COM, DEICIDE frontman Glen Benton spoke about some of his earliest musical influences that got him on the path of playing extreme metal. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Ever since I was a little kid, man, I remember, I even have it in my files upstairs in my boxes. I was asked as a small child, man, like when I was 11, 12 years old, whatever, they asked me what I wanted to be. And I put down exactly what the hell I am right now. So I had a long-term goal, man. Even when I was a little kid, it's what I wanted to do. I grew up, man, watching bands and listening to all kinds of music. I was exposed to music at a really young age. My uncle was a drummer. He had guitars hiding in the closet all the time, and I was around that a lot. And not that dad did it for me, but when I was a little kid and I heard [BLACK] SABBATH the first time, it was all over — it really was all over, man. I remember being at the breakfast table 7:30 in the morning with my boombox blasting 'Paranoid' at my mother… I was a huge SABBATH, huge [Ronnie James] Dio fan, man, and that era of metal, when they had [JUDAS] PRIEST and all that stuff from that era, man."

Lamenting the state of the metal scene in 2024, Benton said: "Metal was metal back then. Metal right now — you have so many subcategories of metal now, it's ridiculous. I understand individualism and that, and we can really use a lot more frontmen like that, like Ozzy [Osbourne] and Ronnie and all them people, Lemmy and that. We don't have that anymore. All we have is a bunch of wannabe-WEEZER-looking dudes trying to play metal. Everybody's sporting black-frame glasses and wearing trucker caps. Nobody gives a shit about imagery anymore, looking the part of metal and that. I walk around 24 hours a day looking [like I do]. I can't shake it, man. I'm never gonna fall into that. I've always been that way, too, about the guys on stage, man. You're not gonna come out there wearing a fucking plaid shirt and white tennis shoes. It's not happening."

DEICIDE's new album, "Banished By Sin", was made available on April 26 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

This past February, DEICIDE released the second single from "Banished By Sin", a song called "Sever The Tongue". The track was recorded at Smoke & Mirrors with engineer Jeramie Kling, while the mixing and mastering was handed by Josh Wilbur.

DEICIDE collaborated with David Brodsky from My Good Eye: Music Visuals for a visually arresting video for "Sever The Tongue" that complements the track's blasphemous undertones.

To close out 2023, DEICIDE celebrated Christmas with another blasphemous song called "Bury The Cross...With Your Christ".

DEICIDE played its first show with new guitarist Taylor Nordberg (THE ABSENCE, INHUMAN CONDITION) on May 21, 2022 at the Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Previous DEICIDE guitarist Chris Cannella amicably left the band in January 2022 after a three-year run.

Chris joined DEICIDE in 2019 following the departure of guitarist Mark English.

English became a member of DEICIDE in 2016 after the exit of longtime guitarist Jack Owen.

Wintersun recently completed Time II. The album has been in the works since 2012’s Time I and has been delayed multiple times due to various reasons. The band's last full-length was 2017’s The Forest Seasons. Time II is due out on August 30.


Wintersun is offering the Time Package on Indiegogo - which is available at a special price until April 30.


Time Package:




• Time II NEW ALBUM
• Time II bonus versions: Instrumental, Isolated Tracks, Singles, and Dynamic
• Time II high-resolution 8K wide format album booklet
• Time I 2.0
• Time I 2.0 bonus versions: Instrumental, Isolated Tracks, Singles, and Dynamic
• Time I 2.0 enhanced album booklet
• The Forest Seasons Loud And Modern
• The Forest Seasons Loud And Modern Instrumental
• The Forest Seasons Loud And Modern 5K "Night Theme" album booklet
• Completely new mix and master of Loneliness (Winter) Acoustic
• Wintersun - Legendary Early Demos (5 hours of early unreleased Wintersun music, 56 tracks in five albums)
• Wintersun - Legendary Early Demos 4K album booklets
• SECRET SPECIAL ITEMS (Only revealed to those who will order the TIME PACKAGE)


The Legendary Early Demos contains 5 hours of early Wintersun music made by Jari and comes with five different hour-long albums. The songs were recorded around 1992-2000 and contain some the first demos of the debut Wintersun album and the first demo of “One With The Shadows” from Time II. All songs have been newly remastered for modern standards and contains 4K booklets for every album crafted by Cameron Gray and Jari Mäenpää.


Wintersun has released new song “The Dragon Song” from the Legendary Early Demos.


"I wrote and recorded ‘The Dragon Song’ back in 1998. It was the first song I created for my Fantasy Metal Project. To record it, I used the Roland VS-1680 16-track hard disc recorder, which was a significant improvement from the 4-track and 8-track C-cassette tape machines I had been using before. I think it might have been the first song I recorded using the 16-track. I had been dreaming about the VS-1680 for months, reading all about it in music magazines and imagining the possibilities of what I could record with it. 


“It was a dream come true when I finally got it. It immediately upgraded my production quality and was much faster and easier to use than the old tape machines. I could now explore more with guitar harmonies and add more synths and vocal tracks, and it also had some nice built-in effects. Not only did it upgrade the production quality, but it also allowed me to dream bigger and eventually helped me write the debut Wintersun album. ‘The Dragon Song’ is still a demo, but it's one of my favorite compositions, so I created a little demo video for it. I hope you enjoy listening to the song!" - Jari





Previously released demo "Fountain Of Life":





Check out previously released demo "The Steel Of The Gods":





"This album has been the biggest challenge in my life and I'm still kinda surprised it is finally done." – Jari Mäenpää


“The day finally came: Time II is done!! Couldn’t be happier!” – Jukka Koskinen (bassist)


"I thought this day would never arrive and when Jari sent me a message that Time II was ready I still couldn’t understand that we were finally done after all the obstacles and challenges. I am more than happy now. Cheers!" – Kai Hahto (drummer)


"Whoa, I think Jari surprised us all! I’m happy that after all these years the album is finally ready!" – Teemu Mäntysaari (guitarist)





Time II tracklisting:


“Fields Of Snow”
“The Way Of The Fire”
“One With The Shadows”
“Ominous Clouds”
“Storm”
“Silver Leaves”


Teaser:

In a new interview with Terrie Carr and Mike Anthony at WDHA's Rock The Rock Fest 2024, SEETHER frontman Shaun Morgan confirmed that he and his bandmates have been working on new music as a follow-up to the "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" album, which came out in 2020. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET: "Yeah, we've got plans to release a new album this year. I believe — without giving too many specifics, we're looking, probably, [at releasing the] first single somewhere in July and then an album in September. So, yeah, pretty soon."

In July 2022, SEETHER issued the deluxe edition of "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum", containing 22 tracks in all, five of which were previously unreleased. It includes all 21 songs recorded during the "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" sessions, along with the alternate version of "Wasteland" that was originally featured on the 2020 "The Purgatory" EP.

Produced by Morgan and engineered and mixed by Matt Hyde (DEFTONES, AFI),the acclaimed "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" ("If you want peace, Prepare for war") was released in August 2020, spawned three No. 1 singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and at Active Rock radio and garnered some of the best reviews of the band's storied career.

Since forming in Pretoria, South Africa in 1999, SEETHER (Morgan, Dale Stewart, John Humphrey and Corey Lowery) has amassed a global, devoted fan base with an unbroken sense of purpose and commitment. Their impressive sales and chart history includes three platinum and two gold albums, 18 No. 1 singles, 21 Top 5 multi-format hits, single sales topping 17 million and over two billion streams worldwide across all platforms. SEETHER is Billboard's No. 8 all-time mainstream rock artist, which covers the over 40-year history of the chart's existence.

SEETHER has just kicked off "The Tailgate Tour" with longtime friends STAIND. Also appearing on the bill are SAINT ASONIA and Tim Montana.

Produced by Live Nation, "The Tailgate Tour", which reunites STAIND and SEETHER for the first time in years, launched on April 22 in Brandon, Mississippi, with dates across the U.S., including Franklin, Tennessee; Portland, Maine and Grand Rapids, Michigan before wrapping up in Pelham, Alabama on May 15.

In a new interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio, P.O.D. vocalist Sonny Sandoval was asked if he had any plans to work on solo music. He responded: "I had started a whole reggae album by myself when I was home, because you couldn't go anywhere. So I just did it at home and teamed up with a lot of different producers just online. I would just see their stuff, and I'd be, like, 'Hey, send me some tracks.' I was able to do everything. So I had planned to release that, actually, two years ago now, but then because our label and everybody was, like, 'We really, really need a P.O.D. record,' all that stuff got put on the back burner."

Sonny continued: "I've always been a reggae fan. I love reggae music. I think the scene is probably bigger now than ever. There's tours all around the world now for reggae music. And so I think once we're finished with [the touring cycle for] this [new P.O.D.] record and it starts to wind down, I'm definitely…. I mean, I am gonna release either an EP or a full record. And then I would just love to play shows just locally and maybe jump on tour with some reggae bands just because I just love doing it."

He added: "I'm pretty much just sitting on it. And so now it's, like, I just want people to hear that."

P.O.D. will release its 11th album, "VERITAS" on May 3 via Mascot Records.

Last fall, the band debuted the video for "Drop", which features a vocal cameo from LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe. It earned quick press accolades from Metal Injection, Consequence, Revolver, Idioteq, The Pit, Yahoo! and Knotfest. They followed with the video for single "Afraid To Die", featuring JINJER vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk.

"VERITAS" was written over the course of several years, with the band typically writing a tune or two at a time with the Los Angeles-based production duo called the Heavy (Jason Bell and Jordan Miller).

In a new interview with Brazil's Heavy Metal On Line, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann spoke about the challenges of keeping a band lineup together. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, nobody is forced to be in ACCEPT. Everybody's a volunteer in this. And sometimes it turns out that somebody decides, 'I wanna go a different direction.' And then that's totally normal. It happens in every company. It happens in every sports team. It happens in every other aspect of life. But for some strange reason, there's this romantic idea that musicians have to stay together forever. And that's just not practical. I mean, it's just not realistic. For instance, I'll give you an example. Phil Shouse is a third guitar player in ACCEPT. He joined us in 2019. And last year, after the South American tour, he came to us and said, 'Listen, guys. I had food poisoning on this tour. I had to sit for hours and hours on these airplanes. I was in a hospital. This is just too much for me. This is too rough. I have an offer from another band here in Nashville and I wanna join this other band. So, please, I wanna leave the band.' But we said, 'Man, Phil, you're a great, amazing player. We don't wanna let you go. We love you. We wanna keep you. What can we do?' And he said, 'Well, maybe I can be a permanent special guest in ACCEPT and still be part of most shows, but I cannot be in every show.' And that's a perfect example of what happens sometimes. We'd love to keep him, but he has other plans and his life changed slightly. So now he's not gonna be everywhere we play. And to complete that story, we're now bringing to South America Joel Hoekstra from WHITESNAKE with us on this run. But that's just a perfect example. If it was up to me, nobody would ever leave. We would just be all great friends and everybody would get along. But that's not how life is sometimes. So I see it as my role as the only surviving oldest member of the band to just keep the ship afloat. I wanna keep going to the best of my abilities. And that's what I do. It's my mission in life to keep ACCEPT going to the best of my abilities. I think we have a fantastic camaraderie in the band right now, but I cannot guarantee if maybe someday, a few years down the road, somebody will change their mind and wanna do something else. And that's okay."

Regarding what he and his bandmates do to create a peaceful atmosphere within ACCEPT, Wolf said: "Don't stress the little stuff. And one thing we found that really works for us, we try to have personal space. For instance, during the day, everybody goes to their room. Some guy is just watching TV, the other guy is walking the city, but we try to not always hang together. And then, like an hour before the show, it's fresh. We're happy to see each other and we're glad to make metal together. But if you're hanging together too much, that's when the problem starts. You can only take so much of each other, because we're always together — at airports, on flights, we share meals together. And after a while, you don't know what to say to each other because you've said it all already. There's not so much new stuff that you can talk about. So sometimes it's just nice to go into your room and call the wife or call the family and just be in a different zone. That's healthy and that's good and that's how we keep a healthy relationship in the band, because too much is too much."

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

Fans can immerse themselves in the upcoming album on an interactive web site, where they can reprogram the robot that is featured on the album cover, and discover different parts of the album in the process. Pre-save "Humanoid" now to gain access to the web site here.

ACCEPT recently announced a massive European headline tour, with more than 20 shows across the continent for autumn 2024. This summer, ACCEPT will also return to some of the world’s most important rock and metal festivals, like Wacken Open Air, Hellfest and more, following their South American spring tour.

In February 2022, it was announced that ACCEPT had inked a worldwide deal with Napalm Records.

ACCEPT's latest album, "Too Mean To Die", came out in January 2021 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was the group's first without bassist Peter Baltes, who exited ACCEPT in November 2018. He has since been replaced by Martin Motnik. ACCEPT's lineup has also been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, the aforementioned Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during 2019's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently.

"Too Mean To Die" was recorded in Nashville with Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH),who has been responsible for the studio sound of ACCEPT since 2010.

Mark Tornillo joined ACCEPT in 2009 as the replacement for the band's original lead singer, Udo Dirkscheider. He can be heard on ACCEPT's last six studio albums, "Blood Of The Nations" (2010),"Stalingrad" (2012),"Blind Rage" (2014),"The Rise Of Chaos" (2017),"Too Mean To Die" (2021) and "Humanoid" (2024).

In a new interview with Brian Aberback of The Aquarian, QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton spoke about the band's decision to perform its entire 1983 debut EP and 1984's "The Warning" album as part of the ongoing "The Origins Tour". Asked what the impetus was for the trek, Wilton said: "It came about last year. A promoter asked, 'Have you ever thought about doing the EP and 'The Warning' in their entirety?' We said, 'Well, let's think about it,' and it just kind of blossomed. We said we'd do it at this Hell's Heroes festival in Houston. Then ticket sales were through the roof. We thought, 'Hey, this would be a good thing to do.' It was born out of that. And our manager put it together and then our booking agent put it together even more. All the venues were highly interested in it, so for us, it was, 'Okay, let's get it going.'"

He continued: "It's pretty amazing to go back and play those songs. We've played a lot of them, so there were only a few we had to kind of relearn. It's all challenging, progressive, and heavy music. At our age now, we're still crushing it."

Reflecting on the making of the EP, Wilton said: "When you're 18, 19, 20 years old, and with the technology back then, we were just making demo cassettes and jamming on them. Before QUEENSRŸCHE, we were called THE MOB. We were playing roller rinks. We were performing everywhere, playing [covers of] JUDAS PRIEST, DIO, AC/DC, IRON MAIDEN. Then we decided to write music on our own. We kept hammering out riffs and ideas and songs. We got to a point that we could afford to go into a studio at that time.

"When we recorded EP, we could only afford the graveyard time. We had day jobs, so we were recording the album at night. That's when Geoff [Tate, QUEENSRŸCHE singer] came in and things just went from there. We took a mastered cassette to our management at the record store. They played it and people in the record store were going, 'Who the hell is that? Oh my God, that's killer.' It was a slam dunk. We put out the [record label] 206 record, which was released by our management at the time who owned the record store — 206 was the area code of where we lived. After we sold 50,000 to 60,000 of those records, the record companies were knocking on our door. EMI offered us a six-record deal. We said, 'Okay, let's do it.'"

"The Origins Tour" launched on March 22 at the Hell's Heroes festival in Houston, Texas and will run until May 12 in Ft. Meyers, Florida, "The Origins Tour" sees QUEENSRŸCHE — singer Todd La Torre, guitarists Michael Wilton and Mike Stone, bassist Eddie Jackson and drummer Casey Grillo — joined on most dates by another highly respected/influential band that also launched in the '80s, ARMORED SAINT.

Early last year, QUEENSRŸCHE completed its 2023 U.S. headlining tour with support from former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman and TRAUMA. On that tour, QUEENSRŸCHE's 18-song set included no less than five songs from the band's sixteenth studio album, "Digital Noise Alliance", which came out in October 2022 via Century Media. The record was once again helmed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously worked with QUEENSRŸCHE on 2015's "Condition Hüman" and 2019's "The Verdict" LPs.

Stone, who rejoined QUEENSRŸCHE in 2021, contributed guitar solos to the band's new studio album.

Since late May 2021, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July 2021 that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on "other business ventures."

Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album "Tribe" and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.

For the past seven years, drummer Casey Grillo has been filling in for original QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band's touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.

In October 2021, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against guitarist Michael Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge. A few months later, Wilton and Jackson filed a countersuit against Rockenfield, accusing him of abandoning his position as a member of the band and misappropriating the group's assets to his own personal benefit. That dispute has since been settled out of court.

The LiveCuttz YouTube channel has uploaded 4K video of ARMORED SAINT's April 26 concert at Empire Live in Albany, New York. Check out the footage below.

Featured songs:

00:00:00 End Of The Attention Span
00:06:12 Raising Fear
00:10:21 Tribal Dance
00:14:35 Last Train Home
00:21:05 March Of The Saint
00:25:19 Left Hook From Right Field
00:31:08 Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants
00:38:01 Win Hands Down
00:44:25 Can U Deliver
00:48:59 Reign Of Fire

ARMORED SAINT is currently on tour supporting QUEENSRŸCHE. The trek, which commenced on March 27 in Anaheim, California, includes several ARMORED SAINT headlining shows scattered throughout and closes with a very special hometown headlining show on May 22 at El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

Earlier in the month, it was announced that ARMORED SAINT had renewed its long-running partnership with Metal Blade Records with a worldwide multi-album deal. Metal Blade released ARMORED SAINT's 1983 eponymous debut EP and the band has called Metal Blade home since 1988's "Saints Will Conquer" live album.

ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush comments: "ARMORED SAINT cemented our family relationship with Metal Blade even more by signing a new contract for a record due in 2025. There is nowhere else I'd rather be! I love [chairman/CEO] Brian [Slagel], [president] Tracy [Vera], and the staff. It's home. What more can I say."

ARMORED SAINT drummer Gonzo Sandoval said: "I'm pleased to say that in the year of 2024 we have re-signed a record deal with Metal Blade Records. Once again, I'm looking forward to making killer ARMORED SAINT music with Metal Blade as our record label. I feel blessed and appreciate the opportunity to be able to release a new ARMORED SAINT record in 2025! Stay tuned, ARMORED SAINT hooligans throughout the world and beyond, and spread the word. ARMORED SAINT for life!"

ARMORED SAINT guitarist Phil Sandoval stated: "ARMORED SAINT and Metal Blade have a long history and after all the incredible amount of trials and tribulations the band has been through, Metal Blade has been there for ARMORED SAINT. Brian Slagel in particular was paramount in getting me back in the band to record 'Symbol Of Salvation' along with Jeff Duncan. And in 2024 we have a new deal. I just want to say, 'Thank you, Metal Blade.'"

ARMORED SAINT guitarist Jeff Duncan said: "I'm so thrilled to sign a new deal with Metal Blade Records. Metal Blade has been ARMORED SAINT's home for many years and I'm looking forward to another new and productive chapter with them!"

ARMORED SAINT bassist Joey Vera said: "We're honored to continue our long relationship with Metal Blade Records with this new signing. Their staunch support for ARMORED SAINT has been one of the pillars in the band's history. We cannot do any of this without them and we look forward to bringing even more new music this year."

Slagel commented: "I am honored and humbled to continue our long-standing relationship with ARMORED SAINT! One of the best metal bands of all time! So happy to keep them in the Metal Blade family!"

In a recent interview with "THAT Rocks!", the YouTube series hosted by Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson, Vera spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for ARMORED SAINT's follow-up to 2020's "Punching The Sky" album. He said: "We're about midway through writing a new record and music, hopefully for a '25 release. So that's what we're working towards. We also have a new single, with a video that we recorded in January. That should be coming out in June on Metal Blade. So, yeah, we're still busy. So, lots of stuff going on."

Regarding ARMORED SAINT's cover version of "One Chain Don't Make No Prison", which was written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter and was first released by PEOPLE in 1970 (it was also covered by FOUR TOPS, as well as SANTANA and THE DOOBIE BROTHERS),Joey said: "We kind of went for this '70s retro R&B thing. There's this tune called 'One Chain Don't Make No Prison' by the FOUR TOPS, and it's been one of my favorite songs forever. I always imagined it with John singing it, so I just did this demo, kind of like a more heavier version of the song. And then we did this demo, and we said, 'Wow, this is, this is amazing. We should just do this as a one-off.' Not really associated with a record per se, but just for fun, kind of. We've never done a single before. It's always been, record 10, 11 songs, put out an album. So all the kids nowadays are doing singles. So we're, like, 'Let's do a single.'"

Added John: "It's cool. It's a really cool version of the song. And I was trying to really pay tribute to Levi Stubbs [FOUR TOPS singer], who's one of the best R&B singers from that era. He just has a cool soulful, powerful, almost a rock voice, and I think a lot of people — Glenn Hughes probably in particular — would admire his singing. And he just had this vibe. And so I was, like, 'Okay, I'd better pull it out of me.' But we did a great job."

On the topic of the music video for ARMORED SAINT's version of "One Chain Don't Make No Prison", Bush said: "I'm kind of wearing these suits. It's not quite campy, but it does look kind of cool and retro, and it just kind of shows a little different side of the band."

Last month, Bush told Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco radio station 107.7 The Bone about ARMORED SAINT's cover of "One Chain Don't Make No Prison": "[It came out] really cool. It's kind of a throwback. I love that sound from — especially [FOUR TOPS] in the '70s was really cool. That's when they got a little bit more edgy. The '60s stuff was, of course, great, but Levi Stubbs, the main singer, was awesome. He had a cool, just soulful, powerful voice. So Joey had this idea of doing it. We did the song. I don't know when for sure it's coming out. We did a video for it that we're all wearing suits. So it's pretty funny. It's a little different for us. It was really aesthetically looking pretty cool. We filmed it at somebody's house somewhere here in Hollywood. The guy had all these crazy decorations inside of his house that he lived in. So, the director found it. And so we shot it kind of in a circle, which is really cool. It was fun."

Regarding the progress of the songwriting sessions for ARMORED SAINT's next LP, Bush said: "We've already written a few songs — we've got probably about five or six, and we need to write a handful more. ARMORED SAINT notoriously doesn't move too fast. It would be cool if we had a little urgency. Not that we're lazy about it. We kind of work at our own pace. And when ideas come, they do. And then the ball starts kind of getting momentum and then we're going. But in the end, I always say it's better to make an awesome record. We're never gonna be a band that had, like, 30 records — that just wasn't our kind of path — but we can still have every record be great, and that should be the objective. Not that all bands with 30 records are just saying, 'Let's put out some crap,' but sometimes I think a lot of people do things so they could just tour and that just isn't really our M.O. So, if we could try to get it less than every five years, especially [considering] our age, would be something that would be good. But in the end, it will come when it does. But 2025, I think, is fairly realistic."

Asked if ARMORED SAINT would consider making an EP instead of a full-length album, as a lot of other artist have done in recent years, John said: "I wanna make a [full] record because metal people still love records, metal fans still want to buy vinyl and CDs. It's probably the one genre that people still wanna… I mean, of course people get it through different means — downloading or MP3s or whatever; if that's your method to listen to music, do whatever it is that makes you happy — but I think that people still love the aesthetics of vinyl and record and CDs. Some people still have cassettes; I don't know if they're listening to them or if it sounded good in the first place. But people like having the product, and that's really great. And we've always released vinyl from the beginning, even in our latter years on Metal Blade when vinyl was taking a big dip. It's had a little resurgence now, but, yeah, I think it's great that fans still want that. And I wanna make a full-length record."

Bush previously told The Chill Dude On A Couch about the ARMORED SAINT songwriting process: "We write something and then we'll try to make this really good-sounding demo. I'll go and sing. I actually try to sing it like I'm singing a record, and we've kept a lot of the original vocals. This goes back to the way we wrote songs back to [2000's] 'Revelation' even. 'Cause sometimes I think you sing something that maybe you'll never sing exactly the same, and so that nuance in your voice or who knows what, your inflection, you can try to mimic it, but maybe you never will mimic it exactly that way. Same with a guitar lead — a certain bend, it may not be exactly how you play it again. So I think those are key things that you try to keep when you're making demos, and that's what we do. So I've gotta get back to doing some work. And we've got more work to do, that's for sure. We certainly don't work at a fast pace; everyone knows that about SAINT. We could try to put a little urgency into this and try to kind of move on it a little quicker without sacrificing quality. I think that's a good idea."

ARMORED SAINT was inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame last July at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

Eleven months ago, ARMORED SAINT's long-awaited documentary, Armored Saint: Band Of Brothers", had its world premiere in the band's hometown at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Hollywood, California.

ARMORED SAINT's eighth full-length album, "Punching The Sky", came out in October 2020 via Metal Blade Records.

ARMORED SAINT released the "Symbol Of Salvation Live" CD/DVD in 2021 via Metal Blade Records. The release came in celebration of the seminal album's 30th anniversary. "Symbol Of Salvation Live" was a combination live album and video of the band playing the album in its entirety at New York City's famed Gramercy Theatre during its 2018 tour.

SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser joined ANTHRAX on stage during the latter band's April 28 concert at the Summer Breeze festival at Memorial Da América Latina in São Paulo, Brazil to perform the ANTHRAX classic "I Am The Law". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

In a 2015 interview with Shredload, Kisser spoke about what it was like filling in for ANTHRAX's Scott Ian in 2011 while Ian spent time with his family following the birth of his first child. Andreas said: "[It was] one of the best moments of my life, really, as a musician, to be respected that way by them. To have Scott calling me and thinking about my name, giving me six months to prepare and stuff. And everybody… I felt home, really. It was a great to jam with them and spend two weeks with ANTHRAX, [playing] five 'Big Four' shows plus other shows and festivals. It was great. Everything went smoothly, and I think I was prepared to do the job. And I enjoyed it a lot. I was really there with them. You know, it's something that you never dream about. You dream so many things. But reality is much better. [Laughs]"

Kisser made his live debut with ANTHRAX on July 2, 2011 at Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany as part of a "Big Four" show with METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

After Kisser completed his stint with ANTHRAX, the band posted a letter addressed to the guitarist on ANTHRAX's official Facebook page, in which they wrote, "Words cannot express the feeling of love we have for you. From the first day, you were a part of the family. You were the only choice to fill in for Scott and that decision proved to be the right one. Thank you for being you."

Regarding how Kisser came to fill the temporary-guitarist slot in ANTHRAX, Ian said in an early 2011 statement: "We chose Andreas because we feel he can do the gig better than anyone. He has the fire, the attitude, and the crushing right hand to do the gig."

He continued: "I've played with Andreas at the Roadrunner 25th-anniversary show, and I've gotten up and played with SEPULTURA and we are kindred spirits. We both play every show like we're going to jail the next day, like it's the last show we'll ever play. He has what it takes and he has the experience and history to fucking bring it and make these ANTHRAX shows something special."

Late last month, ANTHRAX announced that, due to personal reasons, bassist Frank Bello would not be able to accompany the band on its South American tour, which kicked off on April 13 at MXMF The Metal Fest in Mexico City. Filling in on those dates, as well as two U.S. festival shows in May, is ANTHRAX founding member and original bassist Dan Lilker, marking his first appearance with the band in 40 years. Lilker, who co-wrote and played on ANTHRAX's debut album "Fistful Of Metal", was also a member of STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH with ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante and Ian.

Italian goth metal veterans LACUNA COIL performed their new single, "In The Mean Time", live for the first time during their April 27 concert at the Summer Breeze festival at Memorial Da América Latina in São Paulo, Brazil. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

The studio version of "In The Mean Time", featuring Ash Costello of NEW YEARS DAY, was made available on April 19. The song’s title is a reference to the mean times the world is living in, as well as a reference to the state the band itself is in, between cycles.

LACUNA COIL stated: "'In The Mean Time' is a reflection on how much our society has generally 'lost the plot'. We are living in really mean times filled with unhappy people: lonely, anxious, depressed, destructive. The pressure that crushes from the outside doesn't allow us to see things with the right clarity.

"This song is like group therapy: not a lamentation, but acceptance that once broken, it's hard to put oneself back together again.

"We need to take our minds off all the inescapable toxicity and find that there's so much more to this life… and know that in the meantime, everything cannot be aligned.

"We invited Ash Costello from NEW YEARS DAY to feature on the track and we're thrilled she came on board adding exactly what we needed for this song with her warm voice and charisma."

Costello said: "I am deeply honored to join LACUNA COIL on tour for the first time, to have the incredible opportunity to lend my guest vocals to a new track and appear in the music video. Working alongside the powerhouse vocalist Cristina has been a privilege, and I may be biased in saying that 'In The Mean Time' has quickly become my favorite by LACUNA COIL. Its message about embracing individuality and not conforming deeply resonates with me."

LACUNA COIL will embark on the "Ignite The Fire" U.S. tour next month with support from NEW YEARS DAY and OCEANS OF SLUMBER.

Last July, LACUNA COIL released the official lyric video for the band's single "Never Dawn". For the track, LACUNA COIL partnered with CMON, the renowned board game publisher behind the popular game "Zombicide".

LACUNA COIL has spent some of the last couple of years promoting "Comalies XX", the "deconstructed" and "transported" version of the band's third album, "Comalies".

"Comalies XX" was made available on October 14, 2022 via Century Media Records.

LACUNA COIL celebrated the 20th anniversary of "Comalies", by performing it in its entirety at a one-night-only concert on October 15, 2022 at Fabrique in Milano.

"Comalies" was originally released on October 29, 2002 through Century Media Records. The LP, which featured the band's breakthrough single "Heaven's A Lie", has reportedly gone on to sell over 300,000 copies in the United States alone.

MÖTLEY CRÜE has released the official lyric video for the band's new single, "Dogs Of War". The track was made available last Friday, April 26 via MÖTLEY CRÜE's new deal with Nashville's Big Machine Records.

"It's always great getting back in the studio with the guys in the band," CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx said. "We know you're gonna like this one."

Bob Rock, who produced the new single, as well as MÖTLEY CRÜE's famed 1989 album "Dr. Feelgood", added: "Working with the band on the new song was the easiest session I have ever had with them… The CRÜE is the best they have ever been! And they have plenty of new stuff in store."

"We want to keep putting out new music, too, so we don't get stagnant," CRÜE singer Vince Neil told Billboard. "We recorded '(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)' by the BEASTIE BOYS and we recorded this song, too, and I thought it turned out pretty good.

"There'll definitely be new music out next year, for sure," Neil added, "'cause we recorded a couple of other songs, too. Maybe we'll release one of those by the end of the year, but I can't say. But we want to keep putting out new music — not, maybe, an album but a few songs here, a few songs there, and that’s good."

Neil described "Dogs Of War" as "like old school meets new school. It's got that old-school vibe about it, but it's new music. Nikki came up with it and he sent me the music and I thought it was really cool. So I started singing it and we got in the studio and it turned into the song I think the fans are really gonna like it."

MÖTLEY CRÜE's new deal with Big Machine Records sees the band working together again after making the 2014 project "Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Mötley Crüe", which featured CRÜE tracks covered by country stars RASCAL FLATTS, FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE, Darius Rucker and more. Big Machine also partnered with MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5 for the release of his 2021 album "Sinner".

"It's a great match for us," Vince told Classic Rock. "We're good friends with [Big Machine founder/CEO] Scott Borchetta, who put together the 'Nashville Outlaws' album back in 2014. His company just knows radio, how to get it out there, how to get the right people listening."

MÖTLEY CRÜE's last studio album was 2008's "Saints Of Los Angeles", which was followed by a 2009 "Greatest Hits" compilation.

In 2018, MÖTLEY CRÜE recorded four new songs for "The Dirt" movie, including the single "The Dirt (Est. 1981) (Feat. Machine Gun Kelly)", "Ride With The Devil", "Crash And Burn" and the band's own spin on Madonna's "Like A Virgin".

"'The Dirt' movie got us a whole new generation of fans," Neil said. "We want to keep putting new music out. We don't want to stagnate."

"We self-released 'Too Fast For Love' on our own Leathür Records label," Neil added of the band's 1981 debut. "It cost $3,000 to make and was done in three days. It was a glorified demo tape, but we were the record label until we got signed by Elektra. We haven't been on a record label for 20 years. But Scott shares our philosophy and he's a brilliant guy."

In December, MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee told Desert Sun about the three new songs he and his bandmates recorded with Rock: "Wait until you hear it. It's insane. It's not a full album, but that might be down the road a bit. We're always writing and doing stuff, so that's always a possibility down the road. But we just went to the studio not too long ago and recorded three insane tracks and one of them is called 'Dogs Of War'. We're just finishing up the video for it. For those jonesing for some new CRÜE, people are going to bug out. John 5 is playing on it, the guitar work is incredible and it sounds sick."

MÖTLEY CRÜE debuted its cover of "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)" during a "secret" June 30, 2023 club performance for 450 lucky fans at the Underworld in London, England.

In September, John 5 told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about how much input he had during the songwriting process for the new CRÜE music: "We all sat in a room and did it together. 'Cause me and Nikki have written for years and years and years together. So it was nothing new. And me and Tommy worked in the studio together many times as well. So it was nothing new being in the studio, but it was new with Bob Rock.

"What was so wild was we got in a room… It was like total old school, man," he explained. "You get in the live room and there's my amp and there's Nikki's amp and there's Tommy's drums, there's a mic… 'Cause I'm so used to just playing in the control room. And it's, like, 'Oh no, no, no. We're all gonna get in this room and we're gonna play.' And that's how we recorded. It was incredible. I've never recorded that way. And it was maybe one of the best experiences I had recording. It was so fun. It was a blast. I had to, like, make notes and all this stuff, and we just played through it. It was incredible."

Last spring, John 5 told Sirius XM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about recording with Rock: "Bob would come in and [say], 'Okay, let's try this here, and that here and this here. It was one of the most incredible experiences ever… I'm thinking, 'We've got so much great technology today'… but we got in that room and it was like being in a garage working on a song when you were in high school… It was incredible, and we documented a lot of it too."

Regarding the musical direction of the tracks he and the rest of MÖTLEY CRÜE have recorded so far, John 5 said: "The songs are fucking heavy. I sound like a little excited kid right now, but they're heavy and they're mean. I can't wait for them to come out. I'm just so excited."

When host Eddie Trunk asked John 5 whether the new MÖTLEY CRÜE music can be compared to the band's breakthrough second album, 1983's "Shout At The Devil", the guitarist said that some of the new riffs are "heavier than anything" on that LP. "All I can tell you is that it's heavy and it's aggressive, and I think people are going to dig it because, talking as a fan, it's fucking badass," he said.

John 5 joined MÖTLEY CRÜE in the fall of 2022 as the replacement for the band's co-founding guitarist Mick Mars. Mick announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues.

Mars suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS),a chronic and inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine and pelvis. After years of performing through the pain, he informed the other members of MÖTLEY CRÜE in the summer of 2022 that he could no longer tour with them but would still be open to recording new music or performing at residencies that did not require much travel.

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, in early April 2023 the now-72-year-old musician filed a lawsuit against CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

The promoters of the Brazilian leg of Bruce Dickinson's ongoing solo tour have issued a statement in response to a video which emerged online over the weekend in which the IRON MAIDEN singer admonished a fan for allegedly using cannabis and pepper spray during one of Bruce's solo concerts.

Dickinson was performing in Brasília on Saturday (April 27) as part of his tour promoting the recently released "The Mandrake Project" solo album when he launched into his tirade against the attendee. In a now-deleted Instagram video, Bruce said: "I can't fucking breathe. Tanya [O'Callaghan, Bruce's bassist] can't breathe. You with the fucking vape over there, yeah, it's not you, but, you know, please, fucking do that outside, all right? You know, if you can't stay for five minutes without having a fucking addiction, but… Somebody down here has been using pepper spray. Some fucker has been using pepper spray, which is why people can't fucking breathe down there, right? So, you know, if you figure out who the fuck it is, I just don't care what happens to them after the show, all right? In the meantime, we will try and do the best we can."

In a separate video uploaded to YouTube, Bruce added: "I do apologize for coughing. Some of you fuckers are smoking, all right? I can't sing if you're gonna smoke, all right? [Tanya's] coughing her guts out, I'm coughing, my fucking wife is going, 'Blargh,' in the back there, all right? It's kind of disgusting, all right? But if you wanna be disgusting, do it outside, all right? Not in here. My throat's got work to do. You pay good money to hear me fucking sing, not go, 'Blargh, blargh,' all right?"

One day after the Brasília concert, MCA Concerts released the following "official statement" to BLABBERMOUTH.NET regarding the above-mentioned incident: "[Saturday] night over 2000 fans filled the Opera Hall in Brasília to see Bruce Dickinson on the third show of his, critically acclaimed, first Brazilian solo tour for over 20 years. An incident occurred towards the end of the show where noxious fumes were released, causing severe issues for the band members on stage and the crew and audience in the auditorium. Subsequently many members of the crowd have taken to social media to corroborate the incident that caused them breathing difficulties.

"As video footage shows, Bruce did his best, with limited knowledge of the situation, to explain the effects to the crowd but subsequently found out that several band members, including himself, were affected by the fall out and a member of the crew had to be treated with oxygen by a doctor. The footage also shows Bruce departing the stage to perform part of the encore after being seen visibly struggling to breathe and pitch his vocal.

"Tour promoters MCA are still working with authorities to understand the full impact of the incident and understand how the noxious fumes affected not just the audience and crew but also the band onstage.

"Fortunately, everyone has been checked out by medical staff and given the all clear. The show in Belo Horizonte at the Arena Hall tonight (April 28th) will be unaffected."

Dickinson has a history of publicly admonishing fans and security at MAIDEN's concert if he feels like they are out of line. Less than two years ago, he blasted a fan as a "Greek cunt" and a "fucking cocksucker" for lighting a flare during the band's concert in Athens, Greece. The incident occurred on July 16, 2022 as MAIDEN launched into the tenth song of its set, "The Number Of The Beast", at the Olympic Stadium. After singing the opening line of the track, Bruce noticed the flare lighting up and immediately burst into an angry rant, apparently concerned that the smoke from the flare would negatively affect his singing voice.

"The cunt with the fucking flare, I've gotta sing up here," Bruce shouted into the microphone. "You fucking cocksucker. You Greek cunt. All right. I've gotta fucking sing. All right. Fuck you."

As Bruce's bandmates continued playing the opening riff of "The Number Of The Beast", he apparently briefly left the stage in hopes that the smoke would clear up. However, when Dickinson eventually resumed singing the song, he was notably off time and not in sync with the rest of the group.

Dickinson addressed the incident during a recent interview with Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece about his upcoming solo album, "The Mandrake Project". Asked about his response to the flare at the concert, Bruce said: "Oh, the guy swinging his thing and everything else. You know what? I probably got his nationality wrong. [Laughs] I just lost my temper, because it was such… That activity that a very, very small minority of people do is so selfish and so disturbing. They think it's really cool. Actually, it's not about the band. It's not about the audience. It's about them drawing attention only to themselves and damaging the people around them who have this thing, this extremely toxic thing flying around. Of course, if you happen to be asthmatic, if you haven't been having any lung conditions, 'Oh, we don't care about them. We'll just fill the place with smoke, 'cause it makes me feel important,' is their attitude. It just annoys the hell out of me. Anyway, yeah, I lost my temper. I shouldn't have called him a Greek cunt; I should have just called him a cunt. [Laughs]"

Back in 2019, Bruce stopped a MAIDEN show midway through to slam a Tacoma, Washington venue for a violent and bloody incident in the crowd for which he claimed the venue's security was to blame. In 2012, Bruce called out a fan at a Indianapolis show who had been texting for three straight songs. In October 2022, Dickinson also called out fans who were allegedly smoking cannabis during a MAIDEN concert in Anaheim, California. He said: "There's so many fucking people smoking so much fucking dope down here, I'm amazed you can even see. Poor old Steve [Harris, MAIDEN bassist]. I don't know if you know, but he absolutely fucking hates marijuana and the smell of it, all right? So when he's trying to play bass, it fucks him up. It fucks me up. I'm a singer, all right?"

"The Mandrake Project" was released on March 1 via BMG. Bruce and his long-term co-writer and producer Roy "Z" Ramirez recorded the LP largely at Los Angeles's Doom Room, with Roy Z doubling up as both guitarist and bassist. The recording lineup for "The Mandrake Project" was rounded out by keyboard maestro Mistheria and drummer Dave Moreno, both of whom also featured on Bruce's previous solo studio album, "Tyranny Of Souls", in 2005.

Bruce Dickinson called out a group of fans at his concert in Brazil last night (Saturday, April 27) for smoking cigarettes and allegedly using pepper spray in the crowd.

The IRON MAIDEN singer, who recently kicked off a tour of Latin America in support of his latest solo album, "The Mandrake Project", hit out at some audience members during his show at Opera Hall in Brasília.

In a video shared by the Iron Maiden Brasil Instagram account, Bruce can be heard saying (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I can't fucking breathe. Tanya [O'Callaghan, Bruce's bassist] can't breathe. You with the fucking vape over there, yeah, it's not you, but, you know, please, fucking do that outside, all right? You know, if you can't stay for five minutes without having a fucking addiction, but… Somebody down here has been using pepper spray. Some fucker has been using pepper spray, which is why people can't fucking breathe down there, right? So, you know, if you figure out who the fuck it is, I just don't care what happens to them after the show, all right? In the meantime, we will try and do the best we can."

In a separate video uploaded to YouTube, Bruce added: "I do apologize for coughing. Some of you fuckers are smoking, all right? I can't sing if you're gonna smoke, all right? [Tanya's] coughing her guts out, I'm coughing, my fucking wife is going, 'Blargh,' in the back there, all right? It's kind of disgusting, all right? But if you wanna be disgusting, do it outside, all right? Not in here. My throat's got work to do. You pay good money to hear me fucking sing, not go, 'Blargh, blargh,' all right?"

The promoter of Dickinson's concert in Brasília, MCA Concerts, told Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda that the incident was caused by an accidental explosion of a fan's vape pen (electronic cigarette). The chemical present in the accessory spread and created symptoms similar to those of pepper spray. The medical team on duty at the event stated that those treated did not have symptoms caused by pepper gas, such as eye irritation, watery eyes, swelling or disorientation, and that only throat irritation was noted. MCA Concerts also told Igor Miranda that Opera Hall security does not use pepper spray to control the crowd and that no fights occurred on the site. Furthermore, the concert promoter said that Dickinson himself was not directly affected by the vape explosion, only another member of Bruce's band whose name had not been revealed.

Dickinson has a history of publicly admonishing fans and security at MAIDEN's concert if he feels like they are out of line. Less than two years ago, he blasted a fan as a "Greek cunt" and a "fucking cocksucker" for lighting a flare during the band's concert in Athens, Greece. The incident occurred on July 16, 2022 as MAIDEN launched into the tenth song of its set, "The Number Of The Beast", at the Olympic Stadium. After singing the opening line of the track, Bruce noticed the flare lighting up and immediately burst into an angry rant, apparently concerned that the smoke from the flare would negatively affect his singing voice.

"The cunt with the fucking flare, I've gotta sing up here," Bruce shouted into the microphone. "You fucking cocksucker. You Greek cunt. All right. I've gotta fucking sing. All right. Fuck you."

As Bruce's bandmates continued playing the opening riff of "The Number Of The Beast", he apparently briefly left the stage in hopes that the smoke would clear up. However, when Dickinson eventually resumed singing the song, he was notably off time and not in sync with the rest of the group.

Dickinson addressed the incident during a recent interview with Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece about his upcoming solo album, "The Mandrake Project". Asked about his response to the flare at the concert, Bruce said: "Oh, the guy swinging his thing and everything else. You know what? I probably got his nationality wrong. [Laughs] I just lost my temper, because it was such… That activity that a very, very small minority of people do is so selfish and so disturbing. They think it's really cool. Actually, it's not about the band. It's not about the audience. It's about them drawing attention only to themselves and damaging the people around them who have this thing, this extremely toxic thing flying around. Of course, if you happen to be asthmatic, if you haven't been having any lung conditions, 'Oh, we don't care about them. We'll just fill the place with smoke, 'cause it makes me feel important,' is their attitude. It just annoys the hell out of me. Anyway, yeah, I lost my temper. I shouldn't have called him a Greek cunt; I should have just called him a cunt. [Laughs]"

Back in 2019, Bruce stopped a MAIDEN show midway through to slam a Tacoma, Washington venue for a violent and bloody incident in the crowd for which he claimed the venue's security was to blame. In 2012, Bruce called out a fan at a Indianapolis show who had been texting for three straight songs. In October 2022, Dickinson also called out fans who were allegedly smoking cannabis during a MAIDEN concert in Anaheim, California. He said: "There's so many fucking people smoking so much fucking dope down here, I'm amazed you can even see. Poor old Steve [Harris, MAIDEN bassist]. I don't know if you know, but he absolutely fucking hates marijuana and the smell of it, all right? So when he's trying to play bass, it fucks him up. It fucks me up. I'm a singer, all right?"

"The Mandrake Project" was released on March 1 via BMG. Bruce and his long-term co-writer and producer Roy "Z" Ramirez recorded the LP largely at Los Angeles's Doom Room, with Roy Z doubling up as both guitarist and bassist. The recording lineup for "The Mandrake Project" was rounded out by keyboard maestro Mistheria and drummer Dave Moreno, both of whom also featured on Bruce's previous solo studio album, "Tyranny Of Souls", in 2005.

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SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian has told Metal Hammer magazine that he will release a new solo EP called "Foundations" in September. The 56-year-old Lebanese-born Armenian-American musician and songwriter, who is currently promoting his upcoming autobiography "Down With The System", said about the EP: "It's five songs. We just shot five videos for it last week with members of the FCC, my back-up band, which was really fun, and we're going to put it out in September. We're actually going to start leaking some material as early as next month."

He added: "The reason I'm putting it out is that archival nature of writing a book made me look into songs from different periods of time. So one of the songs is from early SYSTEM days, for example, that I've never put out, that I'd never worked with SYSTEM on. A couple of the songs are from my early 2007-2008 solo record period, but didn't fit the record ['Elect The Dead', released in October 2007].

"It's an interesting retrospective of rock music that I've never released from different times, and it's called 'Foundations' basically because it's the founding of my musical life," Serj added. "They're very interesting songs, very different from each other: one is really heavy, one is like, really progressive, there's just different elements to each of them. But I think they work in tandem."

Serj's new solo song "A.F. Day", the first single from the "Foundations" EP, will be released on May 17 digitally everywhere via Gibson Records. A teaser is available below.

"Down With The System" will be released on May 14 via Hachette Books.

Tankian is best known as the lead singer of the Grammy Award-winning rock band SYSTEM OF A DOWN, but he is also a solo artist, composer, activist, painter, poet, and filmmaker. Since launching on to the rock scene in 1993, he's performed for millions of fans and sold more than 42 million albums worldwide. He's also a proud Armenian-American and a dedicated activist; along with Tom Morello, Tankian co-founded the non-profit organization Axis Of Justice, which strived to bring together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. He has composed scores for many films and television series, had his paintings exhibited in galleries in the U.S. and New Zealand, and released two books of his own poetry. He has also been an executive producer on multiple documentaries, including "I Am Not Alone", which tells the story of Armenia's 2018 revolution and which won awards at the Toronto International Film Festival, DOC NYC, American Film Institute Festival, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival, among others. Tankian lives with his wife and his son, splitting their time between Los Angeles and New Zealand.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, but has only managed to record two songs in the last 19 years, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". Released in November 2020, the tracks were motivated by the conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with all proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in SYSTEM OF A DOWN's ancestral homeland of Armenia. Along with other donations from fans on their social pages, they raised over $600,000.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN co-headlined the second installment of the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 27.

The quartet will next co-headline a one-off concert with DEFTONES at the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California on August 17.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Century Media Records is proud to announce the signing of Sweden’s masters of aural dissonance and unapologetic heaviness, Humanity's Last Breath. Encompassing elements of djent, doom, deathcore and an apocalyptic sense of atonal atmosphere and calculated chaos, Humanity's Last Breath has ushered in the sound of extreme metal at its most startlingly modern. HLB’s ominous sonic landscapes have taken on their own self-coined definition - THALL.


The brainchild of guitarist and producer Buster Odelholm with vocalist Filip Danielsson, Humanity's Last Breath have set the standard for a new level of heaviness over the course of their steady stream of albums: the last two, 2023’s Ashen and 2021’s Valde (both released on the Unique Leader label) are considered genuine breakthroughs and have expanded the lexicon of extreme sounds for metal.


Humanity's Last Breath formed over a decade ago as a creative outlet for Odelholm (who also plays with Swedish progressive metal legends, Vildhjarta and drums with metalcore standard-setters, Thrown). Solidifying a live lineup in 2016, which now also includes guitarist Calle Thomer and drummer Klas Blomgren, HLB began a string scattered touring and appearances at European festivals including Brutal Assault, Euroblast and the UK’s Tech-Fest. Starting on April 30 Phoenix, Arizona, Humanity's Last Breath will make its first-ever stop on US soil on the 2024 Chaos and Carnage Tour with a lineup that includes Cattle Decapitation, Carnifex and Century Media labelmates, Vitriol.




Humanity's Last Breath is presently at work on their Century Media debut, due for release in 2025.


Says Humanity's Last Breath: “Humanity's Last Breath is thrilled to announce our signing with Century Media Records. We are excited to join forces with this legendary label! Stay tuned for what's coming next!”


Adds Mike Gitter, Century Media VP of A&R: “We’re very excited to be working with Humanity's Last Breath. We’ve already been working with Buster in Vildjharta and have long been fans of his work, which is breathtaking in its grasp.  HLB encompasses musical extremity and innovation in a way that is utterly unique. It’s a sound-design of hellish proportions.”


(Photo - Jesper Blom)