Prior to her career as the lead singer of Nightwish and launching ReVamp, vocalist Floor Jansen fronted After Forever. The band released five albums between 2000 and 2007. Jansen recently found out about a "re-issue" of After Forever's Remagine album from 2005 and has posted the following message on Facebook:

"Just found out this exists... I had no idea. I cannot tell you how horribly screwed over and defenseless this makes me, one of the musicians and the face on it, feel. Thanks to whomever is making money on this for ruining this legacy! I don't know what to tell you. As fan of our music, I know you are excited about a new release, but for me this hurts. The unrightful way the masters for our work were taken makes me mad until my last breath. This was our work! Nobody else's!"

The image below is the cover art being used for the bogus version of Remagine. Fans are encouraged to show support for Jansen and her After Forever bandmates by NOT buying this version of the release.

Check out the real version of Remagine below with original cover art displayed. The tracklist is as follows:

"Enter"
"Come"
"Boundaries Are Open"
"Living Shields"
"Being Everyone"
"Attendance"
"Free Of Doubt"
"Only Everything"
"Strong"
"Face Your Demons"
"No Control"
"Forever"

Legendary rocker Alice Cooper is featured in a new commercial for Apple Watch. In the 15-second ad, Cooper can be seen swinging futilely at golf balls but settling in the end for burning some calories, as measured by his watch.

Cooper's commercial is one of a series of seven ads which focus on different aspects of the Apple Watch. Each spot, which has a different colored background, is 15 seconds in length, giving a quick look at a single feature set to music. Three of the ads depict users reaching their fitness goals for the day, using the Workout app to track workout progress, and competing with friends for the best time.

Cooper has been a golf enthusiast for more than 30 years and has been quoted as saying he credits the game for helping him kick his drug addiction.

Irish thrash metal outfit Gama Bomb have released an animated send-up of the Irish 1916 Easter Rising centenary, titled “2016: Return To Easter Rising”.

The online-only single takes on a sci-fi theme as the leaders of the Rising return to battle killer robots on the streets of modern day Dublin in a video featuring art by Dublin illustrator Mark Flood. The track also lampoons the progress of Irish history over the last 100 years, bemoaning the ‘suicide and civic pride’ and ‘crooked deals in shades of green’ that characterised the century.

Gama Bomb frontman Philly Byrne commented “This started life as an in-joke about six years ago, but it’s turned into something else. To us, the centenary of 1916 just throws light on the lack of progress the country has made in some areas. We’re one of the best-loved nations on Earth, but we treat women’s bodies and children’s education with contempt under the law. We’re a nation of artists and dreamers, but we’re living in thrall to inequality and boom-or-bust economics. In the face of all that, you can only really take the piss using the medium of  killer robots.”

Gama Bomb are notorious for making their opinions known: from being the first band ever to release a full album as a free download in 2009, to asking fans to bring along ‘inferior’ metal CDs to be destroyed at their early live shows. The track will not be released physically or made available for purchase.

Dublin and Newry-based five piece Gama Bomb started life 14 years ago, releasing five full-length albums and touring globally.  

Gama Bomb are:

Paul Caffrey - Drums
John Roche - Guitar
Domo Dixon - Lead Guitar
Joe McGuigan - Bass and vocals
Philly Byrne - Vocals

Society 1 has released a music video for their track “Can't Get Through”, from their upcoming album Rise From The Dead.

The video was directed and edited by singer Matt Zane of Lord Zane Productions (John 5, Wayne Static, Zakk Wylde, DMC, Orgy). The song was produced and mixed by Alex Crescioni at Stygian Sound and mastered by Mike Wells at Mike Wells Mastering.

"This is a song that I thought was about one thing but really was about something else. It's so bizarre how opening yourself creatively can reveal the most difficult truths to see and accept. I wish the pain in this song on no one”, said Zane.

HATEBREED's video for the song "Looking Down The Barrel Of Today" can be seen below. Directed by David Brodsky (CANNIBAL CORPSE, WHITECHAPEL, ALL THAT REMAINS) the performance piece was shot earlier this month at the band's rehearsal space in Connecticut. The video opens with the preface "Welcome To Two Minutes And Forty-Seven Seconds With Hatebreed," and includes special text throughout that was written by vocalist Jamey Jasta as a message of keeping a positive mental attitude.

"Looking Down The Barrel Of Today" is now available at iTunes as an "instant-grat track" when placing a pre-order for HATEBREED's new album, "The Concrete Confessional".

"The Concrete Confessional" will be released on May 13 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The follow-up to 2013's "The Divinity Of Purpose" was produced by longtime collaborator Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ROB ZOMBIE, SUICIDE SILENCE, WHITECHAPEL) and mixed by Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD, MEGADETH). The artwork was created by Marcelo Vasco (SLAYER).

A number of tracks provide a pragmatic look at issues that have become front-and-center in today's New Normal, and the track "A.D." is a case in point. Reflecting what is today a challenging time, it's a song that fuses together frustration with torrential thrashed-out guitars, double bass drums, and Jamey Jasta's immortal growl.

"'A.D.' was a way that I could voice my frustration about the loss of opportunities available to the average guy," said Jasta. "With the government and big business drowning in corruption and greed, the average person is being squeezed, so achieving the American Dream is becoming less and less real.

"We all need to pay closer attention to what our elected leaders are doing," Jasta added. "Start locally, in your own community, make your representatives accountable."

Regarding the "The Concrete Confessional" artwork, Jasta said: "I think da Vinci said it best when he said painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen. Marcelo was able to capture a feeling that will accompany our musical and lyrical vision and he put together a striking piece that speaks volumes."

HATEBREED — vocalist Jamey Jasta, guitarists Wayne Lozinak and Frank Novinec, bassist Chris Beattie and Matt Byrne on drums — has just kicked off a 14-date European tour and will begin this project's first North American run on May 13 in Cleveland, Ohio.

HATEBREED's last album, "The Divinity Of Purpose", sold 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 20 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The new lineup of EMMURE made its live debut on Friday, April 22 in Oberhausen, Germany. Joining vocalist Frankie Palmeri in the band's latest incarnation are guitarist Josh Travis (GLASS CLOUD, ex-THE TONY DANZA TAPDANCE EXTRAVAGANZA), bassist Phil Lockett (ex-THE TONY DANZA TAPDANCE EXTRAVAGANZA) and drummer Josh Miller (ex-GLASS CLOUD).

EMMURE pulled out of a series of U.S. shows in October last year "to focus on other things," which was then followed by bassist Mark Davis, lead guitarist Jesse Ketive, rhythm guitarist Mike Mulholland and drummer Adam Pierce leaving the band. Davis later told AltPress.com about his departure from the group: "There is no time or room for negativity in life. If someone is bringing you down or holding you back from your full potential, it's time to cut them out, no matter how much you may love them."

Palmeri released a statement last month in which he said he regretted saying "a lot of stupid shit" in the past. He said: "Over the years, specifically the last decade, I have done a pretty good job at painting myself as an egotistical, psychotic, moronic douche. I did and said a lot of stupid shit, a good portion of which I look back [on] with embarrassment and regret. I have grown so much as person and I like to think there is still chance for people to understand that everyone grows differently and at their own pace. I am still growing, but I am not the person people have made me out to be. I look forward to reconnecting with all the fans who have stuck with EMMURE through the years and just over all excited about the future."

EMMURE's latest full-length album, "Eternal Enemies", was released in April 2014 via Victory Records.

"Always Dead", a brand new song from Columbus, Ohio's BEARTOOTH, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Aggressive", which will be released on June 3 via Red Bull Records.

In the two short years since their debut album was cooked up in frontman Caleb Shomo's basement, BEARTOOTH has catapulted into heavy music's stratosphere. They have collected over ten million views on YouTube, trekked around the globe sharing the stage with SLIPKNOT, PIERCE THE VEIL, BRING ME THE HORIZON and SLEEPING WITH SIRENS and playing festivals like Reading and Leeds, Download and the Vans Warped Tour.

For "Aggressive", Shomo again retreated to his home studio to write, perform and produce the album's twelve tracks, re-teaming with John Feldmann (THE USED, BLINK-182) for a bit of songwriting contribution and enlisting David Bendeth (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, PARAMORE) to mix the release. The resulting songs have as much in common with stomping metalcore as old-school punk, vintage screamo and harder-edged pop punk, combining circle pit-inducing bangers with soaring choruses and bridging raw authentic intensity with accessibility.

"Aggressive" track listing:

01. Aggressive02. Hated03. Loser04. Fair Weather Friend05. Burnout06. Sick Of Me07. Censored08. Always Dead09. However You Want It Said10. Find A Way11. Rock Is Dead12. King Of Anything

The video for the "Aggressive" title track can be seen below.

BEARTOOTH will give fans a taste of "Aggressive" on the band's U.S. spring tour, which kicks off tomorrow and includes slots on the Welcome To Rockville and Northern Invasion festivals. A summer tour across Europe that includes main stage slots on Download festival will follow, with more dates to be announced soon. They will also be performing at the 2016 Alternative Press Music Awards on July 18.

On April 20th the Lita Ford / Halestorm tour hit Spartanburg, SC. Fan-filmed video of Ford performing her hit song "Close My Eyes Forever" with Halestorm vocalist Lzzy Hale during her set can be viewed below, with Hale taking on the parts originally sung by Ozzy Osbourne.

Vocalist Dorothy Martin was also on the tour as support. Fan-filmed video of Halestorm performing Foghat's 1972 classic "I Just Want To Make Love To You" with Dorothy live in Tulsa, OK can be viewed below.

Halestorm's tour schedule is currently as follows:

May
18 - Bloomington, IL - US Cellular Coliseum
19 - Saginaw, MI - FirstMerit Bank Event Park
21 - Schaghticoke, NY - Rock N’ Derby

August
5 - West Allis, WI - Wisconsin State Fair

Additional dates to be announced. Stay tuned.

“Mayhem” video:

GUNS N' ROSES has added four shows to its previously announced "Not In This Lifetime" reunion tour.

Second shows in Chicago, Foxborough and East Rutherford have been announced, along with a date at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Tickets for the new dates go on sale via Live Nation at 10 a.m. local time on April 29.

"Not In This Lifetime" tour dates:

Jun. 23 - Detroit, MI @ Ford FieldJun. 26 - Landover, MD @ FedExFieldJun. 29 - Kansas City, MP @ Arrowhead StadiumJul. 01 - Chicago, IL @ Soldier FieldJul. 03 - Chicago, IL @ Soldier FieldJul. 06 - Cincinnati, OH @ Paul Brown StadiumJul. 09 - Nashville, TN @ Nissan StadiumJul. 12 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz FieldJul. 14 - Philadelphia, PA @ Lincoln Financial FieldJul. 16 - Toronto, ON @ Rogers CentreJul. 19 - Foxborough, MA @ Gillette StadiumJul. 20 - Foxborough, MA @ Gillette StadiumJul. 23 - East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife StadiumJul. 24 - East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife StadiumJul. 27 - Atlanta, GA @ Georgia DomeJul. 29 - Orlando, FL @ Citrus BowlJul. 31 - New Orleans, LA @ Mercedez Benz SuperdomeAug. 03 - Arlington, TX @ AT&T StadiumAug. 05 - Houston, TX @ NRG ParkAug. 09 - San Francisco, CA @ AT&T ParkAug. 12 - Seattle, WA @ CenturyLink FieldAug. 15 - Glendale, AZ @ University Of Phoenix StadiumAug. 18 - Los Angeles, CA @ Dodger StadiumAug. 22 - San Diego, CA @ Qualcomm Stadium

Only singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan from GN'R's "Appetite For Destruction"-era lineup took part in the seven shows the band has played this month. They were joined by keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and drummer Frank Ferrer. Also appearing with them was second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

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

By comparison, Rose's most recent pre-reunion lineup of GUNS N' ROSES was getting somewhere between $350,000 and $500,000 per show, according to Billboard's industry sources.

After a great tour kickoff in Minsk, Belarus [18th April], BELPHEGOR dealt with heavy opposition and censorship within Russia resulting in three shows being cancelled. We apologize to Russian supporters. The troop tried everything to secure the shows. The St. Petersburg concert was canceled just a few hours before BELPHEGOR was scheduled to enter the stage on the 19th of April. We arrived in Moscow hoping for the best on the 20th. We were ordered to remove the already hanging backdrop, then told that stage props such as sculptures and crosses were forbidden, and Helmuth was not allowed to do vocals for the track "Lucifer Incestus". During the second track, the sound engineer had been forced to mute the vocals for the rest of the show because of our lyrical content. We were outraged by the entire experience. Afterward, we were informed that we would be unable to play in Ekaterinburg [21st April] and Krasnodar [23rd April].

Helmuth adds: "We've toured Russia three times since 2006 and always had amazing experiences. We've ignored all protests including death threats during the past few weeks. I was aware many black and death metal bands were having trouble recently, but we still marched in. To people who think they know everything: When that waste of oxygen approached us at the airport on the 19th, he had a hand in his pocket. I expected him to have a weapon. If I had hit him, I would have been thrown in jail, and he would have ended up in the hospital. That was their plan; he had that other degenerate filming the entire thing. Special thanks to brother Mr. Karl Sanders, who had the courage to block him as he continued to harass me. I'm a musician, not a fighter, especially in Russia. I've survived Typhus and have already been dead for six hours, hanging on only by machines followed by open-heart surgery. I do not fear anyone other than myself. No excuses to anyone!! End of story. It is of the utmost importance that artists have freedom of expression. Throughout history religions and governments have and continue to censor creative works all around the world. Thank you very much to all metalheads who loyally stand behind us and fight against oppressors and hypocritical moralizers. Russian supporters, be prepared!! BELPHEGOR are unstoppable and will return."

Soilwork frontman Björn "Speed" Strid is featured in a new interview with Dead Rhetoric, conducted on their current North American tour supporting Fear Factory  An excerpt from the discussion is available below.

Dead Rhetoric: Being the only original member left, how does it feel to have twenty years of Soilwork under your belt?

Strid: "It’s just hard to grasp. I’ve changed so much, but at the same time, I’m the same person. It’s weird. It’s been such an interesting ride, musically and on a personal level, and I’m really proud of just about everything we have released and that we have been able to develop our sound. We have grown a lot as songwriters even though there have been line-up changes. There have always been people who brought something new to the table. We have been able to develop our sound and still sound like Soilwork. We never forced things, and when there have been line-up changes we haven’t done things like 'Oh, can he write like Peter, does he sound like Peter?' for example. We’ve been a democratic band and we have always been open to new people writing and so far it has been working really well. For me, it’s a lot more fun too since I have been there since the beginning and people throw me some new stuff. I don’t know what to do with it initially, and through that I have developed as a singer in having to step outside my comfort zone. I really like that challenge."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Soilwork released their masterpiece 10th album, The Ride Majestic, to great praise last year, and now the wait is finally over for UK fans to experience it live. Soilwork will support Arch Enemy across the UK before playing a headline London show this August.

Vocalist Bjorn 'Speed' Strid states: "We are very excited to announce this UK run together with our fellow Swedes in Arch Enemy. For the first time since Ozzfest 2005, we are once again sharing the stage! It will be one hell of a riff-and shred fest, ladies and gents! We're also announcing a special one off headline show at the Underworld in London on August 25th. It's been a long time coming... do not miss out! See you in August!"

Soilwork dates:

August
21 - Norwich, UK - Waterfront (with Arch Enemy)
22 - Sheffield, UK - Corporation (with Arch Enemy)
23 - Cardiff, UK - Tramshed (with Arch Enemy)
24 - Southampton, UK - Engine Rooms (with Arch Enemy)
25 - London, UK - The Underworld

Greece's Rockpages.gr recently conducted an interview with legendary hard rock vocalist Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN). You can now watch the chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the setlist for his solo shows:

Joe: "I've been getting a lot of requests, and a lot of negative feedback sometimes from people saying, 'Oh, why don't you do your own solo songs?' I'm, 'Oh, okay.' Here's the big thing: I plan to change the whole program. After I get off tour this year, I'm changing the whole program. I'm going all original; I'm going all my stuff. I don't even know if I'll play RAINBOW or PURPLE; I don't think so. But people always wanna hear 'I Surrender'. You know, they always wanna hear 'Can't Let You Go', they always wanna hear 'Stone Cold', 'Street Of Dreams'. So, I mean, you can't get away from it. And I think it's terrible when artists have a hit with their songs and they refuse to play them; they get tired of it. Of course we get tired of it. But you must play it for the fans. They are the important ones."

On his upcoming projects:

Joe: "I'm currently writing for another project of mine that is pretty secret, and I can't divulge too much of this now. It's with a very famous Swedish producer, and it's gonna change my sound completely, which is really interesting to me, because I believe that it's time for me to be born again, in a way, and I have so much material. So I've been busy writing with this producer and recording some things. We're nowhere near done, but we're in the beginning stages."

On the demise of his OVER THE RAINBOW touring project, which consisted of former RAINBOW members performing some of the band's most classic songs:

Joe: "Well, bands are like bad marriages sometimes. And the egos fly, and people get full of themselves and everything happens. The guys are great guys; they're all still my friends. But it was getting out of control, and I was getting very tired of the attitudes that I was hearing. I made everybody a full member, and maybe that was my mistake, being a generous person. Because then I could have just said 'no,' and controlled it all. But everybody had a vote, and the votes were getting crazy. So, to make a long story short, I just said, 'Look, I'm gonna drop out, okay? You guys want the project? You can keep the project. You can get another singer, whatever.' But not promoter would have it. They tried [another former RAINBOW singer] Doogie [White], they tried Graham [Bonnet], but nobody wanted to buy it after that. So that says a lot for me."

On Ritchie Blackmore's decision to go out and perform classic RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE material with a new group musicians instead of reforming RAINBOW with a more "authentic" lineup:

Joe: "I think Doogie said it best to me. He said, 'You know, Joe, it's not RAINBOW unless they do an album and a tour.' And I said, 'I have to agree with you, Doogie,' Because that's the truth. Until you can write the songs, make some sense out of it all, do some greatness to earn the name RAINBOW… Otherwise, our legacy, whether it's Ronnie [James Dio] — God bless him — or Graham or myself, or even Doogie, our legacy comes down in stature. Because then anybody can be in RAINBOW like this? So I don't agree with it. And I'll answer probably another question of yours right now. I wanted to create an authentic RAINBOW reunion. I was talking to Carole Stevens, [Ritchie's] management, over a year and a few months — no kidding. Everyone called me delusional [because I said] that Ritchie would rock again; everyone called me this, that… I took a lot of crap in the press. I'm pretty sick of that, by the way, 'cause you're a bunch of idiots if you don't realize that. And she didn't wanna go along with the multi-million dollar deal that I had set up, with UMG — Universal Music Group, if you don't know who that is — with Rock Fuel Media for an HD 3D DVD, who just went to No. 1 with the Axl Rose 'Appetite For Democracy' DVD. So it's great people. We were gonna have repackaging of our box sets, etc. And I was talking to Rick Franks over at Live Nation, and he wanted to put us on the biggest festivals going. And to my surprise, and to my shock, I found out [Ritchie] didn't wanna do it. Why? I'll never know. I have my suspicions, and I've read a lot of fan comments on their suspicions, and some of them, I think, are correct. But I really don't know why. It's a shame. Because I believe the fans deserve it. I believe RAINBOW deserves it. I wanted to do something like an extravaganza — you know, sing Dio songs, Bonnet songs… you know, everybody. Get Bob Daisley on bass… And I talked to people. And they were all into it. So I don't know. It's a shame, really."

Frontiers Music Srl will release SUNSTORM's fourth album, titled "Edge Of Tomorrow", on May 13. SUNSTORM is Joe Lynn Turner's successful AOR/melodic rock project, something that came about for the first time in 2006 when Frontiers president Serafino Perugino wanted to dig up some unreleased gems that Turner wrote during the late '80s and early '90s.

Metal Wani conducted an interview with BUTCHER BABIES frontwomen Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey on April 22 at the Underworld in London, England. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On how the writing and recording of 2015's "Take It Like A Man" was different from the making of 2013's "Goliath":

Carla: "Well, it was different, because with 'Goliath', we had our whole lives to write that album. We had lyrics from when we were teenagers on that album, and we had been together as a band for years, so we had songs stockpiled. With 'Take It Like A Man', we had been on tour for so many years that we didn't have that same, you know, [batch of already completed] songs to go to, so we had to write the album on the road and stolen moments on days off, and then we had a little bit of time in the summer and then we wrote it in the studio. So it was a very different process. And I was really worried about it. It was a little frustrating to actually do it in that small amount of time. But that added pressure just kind of helped us really dig out this great stuff. And I'm so proud of the album and the way that it came out. And lyrically, the album, it has a lot of different emotions on it than 'Goliath' did, because on this album, we wrote a lot about these new feelings that we've had, being alienated away from our family and friends at home, with being on the road so often. So while it still kind of tips into how we felt growing up and different emotions, it definitely kind of has more adult emotions about, like I said, our current situation."

On being females in a male-dominated industry:

Heidi: "I think right now we're in a really, really interesting time with females in the metal genre, in the rock genre. You see more females involved in metal now than, I think, you've ever seen, and it seems like girls are feeling more comfortable being, like, 'Yeah, I love this and I can do it.' And other girls do it. And I think that there's a shift happening where it's becoming more accepted and people are very open-minded to [the idea of females in rock bands]. They don't think just 'cause you're a girl that it's gonna be, you know, shitty. [Laughs]"

On BUTCHER BABIES' plans for a new album:

Carla: "We are taking the whole summer off to write a kick-ass third album and get some rest and relaxation."

Heidi: "We're so excited. When we get back from this tour, we have two days [off] and then we're out with LACUNA COIL for a couple of weeks. But we're excited to really dive in and write a really, really great third album. We are so lucky that we have this ability to… that people allow us to actually write music and put it out. It's so cool. So, I think, for us, the writing process is really, really fun, and we're excited for the summer. And then in the fall, we'll be back out, and we'll probably be back over here at some point. [Laughs]"

"Take It Like A Man" was produced by Logan Mader, who has previously worked with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, DEVILDRIVER, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY and GOJIRA.

Ex-MÖTLEY CRÜE singer John Corabi has responded to Nikki Sixx's description of the band's self-titled album as "very unfocused," saying that he is "extremely proud" of the record and insisting that he has "nothing but mad respect" for his former bandmates.

In an interview with Sweden Rock Magazine, the MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist said that writing the "Mötley Crüe" LP with Corabi was a prolonged and difficult experience. He said: I think it was a very unfocused record. It was painful for me, because John Corabi can't write lyrics, and I had to do all that work.

"It was the first time I ever had to work with somebody that wanted to participate in the lyrics. And my standard is so high that it was so hard, it took months. Usually, I write a set of lyrics in an hour.

"It's all about having pent-up information and aggression and just [letting it out]. It was just hard, because he was a nice enough guy, but he just didn't have that fire, and it was hard for me."

After Nikki's comments were first published by BLABBERMOUTH.NET on Wednesday (April 20), Corabi took to his personal Facebook page to offer the following response: "As my email, texts, and phone is blowing up over this, I'd like to publicly retort to this.

"Thank you to MÖTLEY CRÜE for the five years we had together. I'm extremely proud of the record we recorded TOGETHER!!!! And your phone call to me asking to join your band has honestly helped my career immensely. I have done everything since, MY WAY, under MY TERMS, and I'm happy knowing I haven't followed any trends, caved to any record label, and just basically been myself. I am who I am, I write the way I write, and I'm beyond happy being the person I am... I have nothing but mad respect for MÖTLEY, including Mr. Sixx... And wish them ALL the best with their future endeavors..."

He added: "I REALLY don't give a shit about any of this nonsense!!!! (This is it, kids... Enjoy your day!!!)"

In the Sweden Rock interview, Nikki also offered his theory as to why MÖTLEY CRÜE members Micks Mars (guitar) and Tommy Lee (drums) have both publicly expressed their fondness for the Corabi-fronted album. He said: "I think Mick and Tommy love that record, 'cause it's [got] great drums, great guitars. And, yeah, I think there was a freedom in having a different singer, you know. But it was just hard for me to have to go slow. I'm just not a good 'slow' guy in the studio. I've been in sessions with other artists where [someone is working slowly] and I've just gotta bail; I've just gotta go. It's, like, you can create on the spot or you can't create. That's it with me. I just don't have patience for that."

Released in 1994, "Mötley Crüe" ended up being a commercial failure in the wake of grunge despite a Top 10 placing on the album chart.

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx says that the band's self-titled album, which featured John Corabi on vocals instead of Vince Neil, was "very unfocused," with most of the songs lacking the "big" choruses that the group is known for.

Released in 1994, "Mötley Crüe" ended up being a commercial failure in the wake of grunge despite a Top 10 placing on the album chart. Since then, many fans, as well as MÖTLEY CRÜE members Micks Mars (guitar) and Tommy Lee (drums), have voiced their opinion that the effort never got a fair shake.

During an interview with for a cover story in the latest issue of Sweden Rock Magazine, Nikki was asked for his thoughts on the album more than twenty years since its release. He said: "I've gotta tell you, I think it was a very unfocused record. It was painful for me, because John Corabi can't write lyrics, and I had to do all that work. It was the first time I ever had to work with somebody that wanted to participate in the lyrics. And my standard is so high that it was just… It was so hard, it took months... Usually, I write a set of lyrics in an hour. And it's all about having pent-up information and aggression and just [letting it out]. And it was just hard, because he was… a nice enough guy, but he just didn't have that fire, and it was hard for me. And I just felt like [producer] Bob Rock really got us… 'Cause we just really wanted to get the riffs going and stuff, and he captured that. But in general, there's like… 'Hooligan's Holiday''s a good song. 'Poison Apples', I think, was a good song. But in general, it felt like a great-sounding record, but a little bit unfocused. That's just me. Like, the choruses weren't big enough. But it was just hard."

Nikki also offered his theory as to why Mars and Lee have both publicly expressed their fondness for the Corabi-fronted album. He said: "I think Mick and Tommy love that record, 'cause it's [got] great drums, great guitars. And, yeah, I think there was a freedom in having a different singer, you know. But it was just hard for me to have to go slow. I'm just not a good 'slow' guy in the studio. I've been in sessions with other artists where [someone is working slowly] and I've just gotta bail; I've just gotta go. It's, like, you can create on the spot or you can't create. That's it with me. I just don't have patience for that."

In a 2012 interview, Mars stated about "Mötley Crüe": "I thought that was probably… To me, and I can only speak for me, I think that was probably the best album we've done. Musical-wise, the songs, I felt, were strong. And just musically, to me, it was, I guess, my BEATLES 'White Album'; that's kind of how I feel about that one. I'm not saying that any of my other albums are crummy or anything like that — I love every album that we did — but that one just has a special thing for me."

Lee echoed Mick's sentiments, telling Australia's Beat about the CD: "It's huge. Honestly, dude, it's one of my favorite CRÜE records. Sonically, the songs and the playing on that record is gnarly. We worked our asses off on that record. We had so much to prove: Vince was gone, we had a new singer who also plays guitar and writes and he brought a whole new element to this. But once fans are used to a certain thing, they just didn't want to know about any other version of MÖTLEY CRÜE. That's understandable, but when you break it down, that record still sounds rad today."

One of the most emotionally charged tributes to legendary singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer Prince on the day of his passing came from SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor, who was scheduled to perform that night at the very club that Prince helped turn into a must-see mecca after featuring it in his breakthrough 1984 film "Purple Rain": Minneapolis's First Ave. Taylor paid his respects by taking the stage and opening his show with a cover of "Purple Rain", followed by a rendition of "Little Red Corvette".

The next day, Taylor spoke to Carlota of the KOMP 92.3 FM radio station in Las Vegas about what Prince has meant to him and the experience of playing Prince's hometown on the very day the Grammy-winning icon was found dead.

"It was intense, as is to be expected," Taylor said. "I mean, obviously, waking up, and you get that news, and then it kind of slowly dawns on you that not only are you in his hometown, but you're playing the house that he helped build. You're kind of, like, 'Ah, Jesus.' It was one of those things where you can either bow out or you can step it up. And for me, growing up as a massive Prince fan, there was no way that I was not gonna show respect to that man. And it seemed, to me, like the audience enjoyed it, and it seemed like people understood the respect that I was trying to show. I'm just glad I was a part of it. I'm just glad I was a part of history, to be able to show respect to a man that inspired me the way he did."

Taylor also talked about Prince's exceptional musical talent and how its influence spanned genres. He said: "There wasn't a genre that [Prince] didn't touch on. And not only that. There wasn't a genre that he could kind of shoot through the Prince filter and make even better. It was just like, 'Whoah!' I mean, the guy was… he was incredible. Every song that you can think of was not only different and creative, but it was just… it was amazing."

According to Taylor, Prince managed to appeal to music fans of different colors and backgrounds, including fans of SLIPKNOT, many of whom were in attendance at Thursday night's concert.

"I've been very vocal about being a fan of Prince for a very long time, but I think [Thursday night] was the first time I was able to really show my appreciation," he said. "And it was crazy. I'm in First Avenue, on that stage, with all of these fans, who, some may be Prince fans, some may be more heavy metal fans but appreciated Prince because he came from Minneapolis. And, I mean, I don't know if you've seen the video [of my performance], [but] it was so loud when it gets to the chorus. People were losing their minds, because that was the affection for him and his creativity and the fact that… Even if you were a hardcore metal guy… There's so many people I know out there who were maybe even secretly Prince fans, and [Thursday] was time to just give up the secret and embrace it, and that's what it was all about."

Taylor, who had previously performed "Little Red Corvette" as part of his solo appearances, described his mindset going into Thursday night's concert. He said: "It was heavy. Getting into it was heavy. The couple of things that went through my head was… obviously, first of all, 'Don't mess it up.' And second of all, 'Just kind of let the emotion happen.' 'Cause, I mean, honestly, I've known the words to ['Purple Rain'] for going on thirty years, but I'd never sat down and played that song before. So I literally learned it [Thursday] afternoon with the idea of, you know, that would be my tribute to him. So it was a little nerves, a little of trying to get a handle on the moment. And also, I didn't wanna say anything; I just wanted to play the song. Because, to me, that was the most respectful way that I could, you know, just show it. I was just, like, 'Don't even set it up. Just let the song breathe and let it do what it needs to do.' So that was me just kind of preparing myself for that."

The SLIPKNOT frontman admitted that he got very emotional when he first heard the hugely acclaimed and influential musician's lifeless body was found at his mansion in Minnesota.

"I bawled my eyes out," Taylor said. "I was crying the entire time watching CNN. I was okay up until the point when they confirmed it. Because there was that split second… Even after TMZ was reporting it like they do, there was that split second where it hadn't really been confirmed yet on any of the 'reputable' news feeds. And as soon as they confirmed it, I lost it; I really did. And I think the reason why is because when you're dealing with someone as poignant and as incredible of a talent as Prince, you not only flashback to his music, you flashback to the first time you heard it, you flashback to almost every time a song of his came on and it was like a special moment, you flashback to sometimes like the first time you saw him play live… just all of these things. It was the same thing when [David] Bowie died; I had the same exact reaction. And I remember I was just crushed by all of these memories. Like the first time I held the cassette tape for '1999' in my hand, the first time I watched him perform on a live video, on MTV, for 'Baby I'm A Star' and 'I Would Die 4 U'; I remember that video so vividly. The first time I saw the video for 'Batdance'. Like all of these crazy, crazy memories of this guy who I worshipped, for lack of a better term. You're bombarded with all of those memories, and then you kind of come to the realization that those memories are at a close, and it's a crushing idea. But the one thing that helps you get through it is the fact that you not only have those memories but you have all of these songs that you can use as a touchstone to come back to."

Prince has won seven Grammy Awards, and he won an Oscar for the original song score to the classic film "Purple Rain", in which he also starred.

He recorded some 39 studio albums, recording and touring prolifically even after a very public battle to get out of his major label contract threatened to derail his career.

Fan-filmed video footage of EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA project performing on April 15 at Playstation Theater in New York City can be seen below.

The AVANTASIA lineup for the show consisted of the following musicians:

* Tobias Sammet - Vocals* Michael Kiske - Vocals* Eric Martin - Vocals* Ronnie Atkins - Vocals* Jorn Lande - Vocals* Amanda Somerville - Backing vocal/vocals* Herbie Langhans - Backing vocal/vocals* Sascha Paeth - Guitars* Oliver Hartmann - Guitars* Miro Rodenberg - Keyboards* Andre Neigenfind - Bass* Felix Bohnke - Drums

AVANTASIA released its seventh studio album, "Ghostlights", on January 29 via Nuclear Blast. The twelve-song CD was produced by Tobias and Sascha Paeth at Gatestudio in Wolfsburg, Germany. Paeth engineered and mixed "Ghostlights", while the mastering was done by Michael Rodenberg.

AVANTASIA released a digital single, "Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose", on December 11, 2015.

Commented Tobias: "In my humble opinion, ['Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose'] is the perfect overture to the seventy-minute journey which the full album is going to be.

"Although 'Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose' is a rather short composition compared to most other AVANTASIA songs, I wanted to embellish and amplify it with flamboyance and all AVANTASIA trademarks. I wanted to make it a detailed piece of fantasy art, but at the same time it was a big challenge to make that painting look inherently consistent if you view it from the distance. The layered choirs took us forever to record and yet nothing distracts from the main theme and flow of the song. Every time you give it a listen, you will discover something else going on.

"I have a feeling that I have never managed to create such an epic and dreamy atmosphere in just four minutes. I've gotta admit I am slightly proud of it!"

"Ghostlights" features guest appearances by:

* Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER)* Geoff Tate (QUEENSRŸCHE)* Marco Hietala (NIGHTWISH)* Sharon Den Adel (WITHIN TEMPTATION)* Michael Kiske (HELLOWEEN)* Ronnie Atkins (PRETTY MAIDS)* Bob Catley (MAGNUM)* Jorn Lande (MASTERPLAN)* Bruce Kulick (KISS)* Robert Mason (WARRANT)* Herbie Langhans (SEVENTH AVENUE, SINBREED)* Oliver Hartmann* Sascha Paeth

The instrumentalists on "Ghostlights" are as follows:

* Sascha Paeth - rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass, additional keys* Michael Rodenberg - orchestration, keys* Tobias Sammet - additional keys and bass* Bruce Kulick - lead guitar* Oliver Hartmann - lead guitar* Felix Bohnke - drums