July 5, 2024 sees India's heavy metal powerhouse Kryptos strike back with their furious, new studio album Decimator via AFM Records. New lyric video for the band’s latest single “Sirens Of Steel” is available below.


Decimator continues where the band left of with their critically-acclaimed, 2021-album Force Of Danger, and sees them combine crushing riffs, barbwire vocals and powerful songwriting that grabs the ‘80s by the throat and drags it kicking and screaming into the modern age. If you’re a fan of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Accept and Kreator, this album will snap your neck in half and have you raging into the night like you’ve never raged before! In support of their upcoming record release, Kryptos have announced an extensive touring schedule for 2024, including a first-ever headlining tour in Australia.


As frontman Nolan Lewis recently revealed, “Decimator is without question our finest hour so far. We’ve sharpened our songwriting to a razor point and the album is absolutely exploding with pure heavy metal power and attitude. Once you’ve popped it into your stereo, you’re going to be raising your fist, air-guitaring to the riffs and humming the solos all year long. It’s as perfect a combination of classic 80s metal and caustic thrash sensibilities as you’re ever going to get!”




Preorder the new album here.





Tracklisting:


"Sirens Of Steel"
"Fall To The Spectre's Gaze"
"Turn Up The Heat"
"Electrify"
"Solaris"
"Decimator"
"In The Shadow Of The Blade"
"Pathfinder"
"We Are The Night"


"Sirens Of The Steel" lyric video:


"Electrify" video:





"Turn Up The Heat":

In a new interview with Sweden Rock, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King was asked what it feels like to be touring with his new eponymously named solo band. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "A little fish out of water, like. We're still feeling it out. I mean, I was in the same band for 40 years of my life, roughly, so other than Paul [Bostaph, SLAYER and KERRY KING drummer] being there, it's new being around the other guys. I don't mean it to sound weird, but just getting our feet wet, figuring out what to do with each other. I've never been on stage with four people in the front; there's only been three. So, it's logistical — knowing when to go to stage right, knowing when those guys come to stage left. And it's only, like, our sixth show [at the Sweden Rock Festival on June 6], so we're still figuring it out."

Asked about the decision to call his new band KERRY KING, the guitarist said: "I hate it. [Laughs] Every time I came up with [a possible band name], it would get all the way to the trademark attorneys and they would say, 'You don't wanna do this.' And I'd be, like, 'Why? Can't we buy it?' If it's just a little tiny company or something. And a couple of times it just had too many uses. And I said, 'Well…' It came time to announce those American festivals, and we had to go with something, so we went with my name. Never in a million years did I wanna do that. But here we are."

Pressed to reveal some of the other names that were initially considered for his new project, Kerry said: "Um, the earliest one — the Internet was right — the earliest one was BLOOD REIGN. The next one was KING'S REIGN, which I would have been okay with. And the band loved it. "Cause I kept trying to say, 'I don't wanna use my name. I don't wanna use my name,' 'cause I'm not a vain dude; I'm not like that. And that one got blown out of the water too."

He added: "It's extremely difficult to come up with a good name these days. I'm still trying. [Laughs]"

KERRY KING kicked off the European leg of the "From Hell I Rise" tour on June 3 at Poppodium 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands.

The setlist for the shows includes SLAYER tracks as well as several of the 13 songs that appear on King's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", which came out on May 17 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

All material for "From Hell I Rise" was written by the 60-year-old SLAYER guitarist, who was accompanied during the recording sessions by the rest of his solo band, consisting of Bostaph, bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH),guitarist Phil Demmel (formerly of MACHINE HEAD) and vocalist Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL). Helming the sessions at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles last year was producer Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with KORN, LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BAD RELIGION, among others.

In an interview with France's Loud TV, Kerry said about the prospect of launching a new band: "It is a lot more difficult than I thought. I've been kind of pampered for the last at least three decades. And starting over, even though I have a gigantic history in SLAYER, starting over, you're still starting over — you're lower on the bills, you're not making the [same kind of] money. Having to figure out how to make sure everybody in my band makes money so it's worth their time. But, yeah, never for a second did I consider not going on, because at this point in life, any record could be your last. I don't think this is my last record, but I have to move on like it is. So put it out, hope the fans like it, hope the fans show up. I like it. I think the fans are gonna like it, and I think we're gonna have a lot of good times."

Asked if the lineup for his solo band is made up of "friends", Kerry said: "Absolutely. The thing that meant the most to me about moving forward in this project was getting my friends. I could get anybody in the biz — I can get people I don't know, people I've never met, but I have enough friends in this business to know that I could put a band together of outstanding musicians that are friends that, after the show, we can get on the bus and have a drink and just have fun. No drama. Nothing weird is gonna happen that we don't foresee. I look forward to getting out on the road with these guys and having a good time."

Pressed about which member of his solo band was "the most surprised" when Kerry called him to offer him a spot in the group, Kerry said: "I think the most surprising moment was when I finally gave Mark the gig. Mark put his name in the hat very early, and he's the only one that did demos with me and Paul. We had him come down every six weeks or so, and he would just come down and sing the songs he'd already sang and just every time he'd come down, make 'em better. But I didn't tell him until, like, 14 months ago that he got the gig. And I was super nonchalant about it. He was at my place in [Las] Vegas, and I said, 'Dude, if you still want the gig, I guess you can have it.' And he was super excited, super excited, like almost fan excited. He was so excited, he texted his mom and texted me by accident. [Laughs] And I said, 'I love you too, man. It's cool. It's cool.' So we went in and recorded, like, two months after that."

When the interviewer remarked that Mark sounds like he is really pushing himself vocally on "From Hell I Rise", Kerry said: "Like I said, we did demos, and we always made the demos better. And then we got to the studio in Hollywood, and I was in another room doing something, and he sang 'Residue'. And the producer got me and says, 'Hey, I want you to hear where the song is.' And I went, 'Okay, cool,' expecting to hear what I was used to hearing. And I hear the first verse and I'm going, 'How did you guys get to this register?' It's, like, I'd never heard that before. He was, like, 'Well, that's where he started singing and felt comfortable.' So I went to Mark immediately and I said, 'Hey, dude, you can recreate this, right?' It's, like, 'You're not setting yourself up to fail the first show and blow your voice out and be canceling shows all over the place.' And he assured me he can do it. So, he carried on and went on and did even crazier performances on the later songs that he sang. So, apparently, he's very confident in what he can do. And I think it sounds great."

KERRY KING will be special guest on the upcoming LAMB OF GOD/MASTODON North American "Ashes Of Leviathan" co-headline tour. The six-week run will launch on July 19 in Grand Prairie, Texas and will wrap on August 31 in Omaha, Nebraska.

After the scorching Demise LP in 2021, the Bay Area’s Laceration has joined the ranks of 20 Buck Spin for the release of their second album, I Erode. Years of work and subtle refinement manifest in the band’s most assured and vicious material to date.


Absolutely loaded with hallmarks of US death metal’s peak era, I Erode vehemently explodes out of the gate with merciless riffs, savage tempos, tastefully fleshripping solos, and the malevolent undercurrents of aggressive death thrash perfection. Striking an ideal balance of technical and straightforward, high-speed and mid-paced breaks, and a concise, to the point attack packed with variety, I Erode offers a purely addictive shot of real death metal adrenaline in a lineage that includes Demolition Hammer to Morgoth to Suffocation.


While perhaps invoking a sense of nostalgia, the fact is Laceration’s evolved confidence and commitment to a song’s unsparing execution erase any focus on era on the neck-breaking I Erode. The dedication to the death metal form’s timelessness and high standards for true acknowledgment mark Laceration’s output now more than ever.




Recorded at Dark Corners Studios by Matt Harvey of Exhumed and Gruesome, mixed and mastered by Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer Studios (Undergang, Vastum, Ulthar, High On Fire), and completed with artwork by James Bousema (Frozen Soul, Kerry King, Celestial Sanctuary, Morgul Blade), photography by Bill Batchalor, and layout by Dan Fried, Laceration’s I Erode is a crucial listen for fans of Malevolent Creation, Dawn Of Possession-era Immolation, Devastation, Monstrosity, Morbid Angel, Asphyx, Pestilence, Demolition Hammer, Skeletal Remains, Morgoth, and Master.


With the incinerating first single from the LP, the band offers, “‘Excised’ is an amalgamation of riffs and ideas we all collaborated on. A recurring attribute across the album really. Delivering pure intensity and brutality while highlighting our ever-evolving musicianship. Thematically, it’s a claustrophobic out of body experience as mortality ceases.”


I Erode will be released July 26 on LP, CD, MC, and digital formats. Preorder on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


“Degradation (Intro)”
“Excised”
“Sadistic Enthrallment”
“Vile Incarnate”
“Dreams Of The Formless”
“Carcerality”
“Strangled By Hatred”
“Impaling Sorrow”
“I Erode”


Laceration is currently booking tour dates in support of I Erode, with a release show for the album confirmed August 10 in Santa Rosa. The band is also finalizing a West Coast tour running from the end of August through the first week of September which will be announced shortly, with additional tour updates to post over the months ahead.


Laceration:
Luke Cazares – vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar on “Dreams Of The Formless”
Donnie Small – lead and rhythm guitar
Aerin Johnson – drums
Eli Small – bass


“Excised”:





(Photo – Bill Batchalor)

Germany’s greatest export Scorpions have uploaded classic footage performing Blackout track “Can't Live Without You” from Rock In Rio 1985. “Can’t Live Without You” is the second song on the Blackout album and was released as a single in the U.K. in July 1982.


1985 was the first edition of the Rock In Rio festival. It was held from January 11-20 and an estimated 1.4 million attended. Scorpions performed on two days of the festival – Tuesday, January 15 and Saturday, January 19.







Watch previous footage of the Love At First Sting classic "Still Loving You":





Check out previous video of the Scorps performing Animal Magnetism track “Make It Real”:

Japanese rockers Crossfaith have shared another track from their upcoming album AЯK, which arrives on June 26 via UNFD and Warner Music Japan, and marks the band's first record in six years. Today, they have shared the video for "Warriors (Feat. MAH from SiM)."


"This track features MAH from SiM, who has been a friend of Crossfaith for 15 years," the band says. "Although Crossfaith and MAH share different direction of music, they are like warriors who have been fighting together in the same era of music scene. Although we have been in the music scene for a long time, the fire in our eyes can never be extinguished."


Pre-order the record here.




It is a welcome return for the band — after adjusting the global pandemic and a band hiatus, as well a membership change — and serves as quite a milestone. The album's title AЯK is a message of saying goodbye to the past and hello to a new beginning, and their fresh sound and perspective is reflected in the new material.


Additionally, the band recently announced Daiki Koide as its new guitarist.





Tracklisting:


"The Final Call"
"ZERO"
"My Own Salvation"
"God Speed" (Feat. WARGASM)
"Warriors" (Feat. MAH from SiM)
"HEADSHOT!"
"DV;MM¥SY5T3M"
"L.A.M.N" (Feat. Bobby Wolfgang)
"Night Waves"
"Afterglow"
"Canopus"


"Warriors (feat. MAH from SiM)" lyric video:





"Godspeed feat. Wargasm)":





Crossfaith previously shared the visualizer for the brand new single "L.A.M.N" (Feat. Bobby Wolfgang). Watch below. Fans can also check out the video for "ZERO".

Modern metalcore project, Oni have unveiled a brand new single, “Control.” The track comes accompanied with an official music video created by Ben Watanabe (555 Comic). Stream here.


The video is the initial episode of an animated series, written by Oni frontman and visionary, Jake Oni that explores the struggle with oneself. As the main character (Jake) struggles with his demons (Oni), the story of Jake's battle unfolds. As the episodes/music videos roll out in the coming months, we will see the dystopian world and character development playout as Jake's journey continues. Stylistically, traditional anime components are woven together with Oni’s evolving sound. The colour palette and aesthetics are inspired by the muted tones of Afro Samurai.







Of the new song, Jake Oni reveals,


"This song is definitely some of my best work yet. Josh Gilbert wrote the song with me, and I tracked vocals at my studio in Cayman with Joe McQueen. 'Control' has a different vibe than anything I’ve written before in terms of range of vocals. The song tells a story that’s brought to life in the music video by Ben Watanabe and his team at 555 comic. It was a huge privilege to work with Ben on this project."


Stay tuned for the next instalment in the series very soon.





Oni's 3rd full-length album, The Silver Line arrived last year to solid critical acclaim and featured the crushing singles “Aura” (feat. Howard Jones & Josh Gilbert), “Silence In A Room Of Lies” (feat. Jared Dines), “Underneath My Skin” (feat. Kellin Quinn) and “Silhouette.” Produced, mixed and mastered by Spiritbox bassist Josh Gilbert and Joe McQueen (As I Lay Dying, Light The Torch, Bad Wolves), 'The Silver Line' pushed the metalcore genre forward into the light of mainstream accessibility with enormous hooks fused with colossal riffs and catchy melodies.


(Photo – Jonathan Weiner)

Sammy Hagar has shared classic video of Van Halen performing “There’s Only Way To Rock” from Japan 1989.


Hagar says in the video caption: “Can't wait to do this solo with Satriani!”







Sammy Hagar will be joined by rock heavyweights and longtime bandmates Michael Anthony (bass, backing vocals), Jason Bonham (drums) and Joe Satriani (guitar) on The Best Of All Worlds 2024 Tour.


Produced by Live Nation and featuring special guests Loverboy, the 28-date The Best Of All Worlds tour will commence on July 13 in West Palm Beach, FL and will conclude on August 31 in St. Louis, MO. For tickets and more details, go to RedRocker.com.


The tour follows on the heels of the chart-topping success of The Collection II, the box set released in October 2023, featuring newly remastered versions of the four consecutive #1 albums released during the Hagar era of Van Halen: 5150 (1986), OU812 (1988),  For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge  (1991), and Balance (1995). A reminder to fans of the arsenal of hits, many which haven’t been played live since the band’s 2004 reunion tour. Collectively, Anthony, Satriani and Bonham have played together in nearly every phase of Hagar’s career including Van Halen, Chickenfoot and The Circle, so fans can expect a setlist which draws from some of the biggest rock anthems of the last 4-decades, including, "Finish What Ya Started", "5150", "Your Love is Driving Me Crazy", "Best of Both Worlds", "Poundcake", "Sexy Little Thing", "One Way To Rock", "Right Now", "Good Enough", "Eagles Fly" and more. They’ve also enlisted legendary Australian musician, Rai Thistlethwayte on keyboard and backing vocals. The tour represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this band of brothers deliver one of the most legendary hits-packed live shows of their career.


“It’s crazy to think that it’ll be 20 years since Mikey and I played these songs with Van Halen on the 04’ Best of Both Worlds Tour,” said Hagar. “With Joe on board, we can take a deeper dive into those years. We’re going to touch on some hits from my entire career but seeing fans old and new really embrace the new collection set off something in Mikey and I. We were at my Birthday Bash in Cabo for my 76th and looked at each other and high fived, like ‘let’s do it.’ We pulled out a couple of them and it was an instant lovefest with the fans from our first riffs. The music we created is going to outlive us all. They deserve to be heard so it's time we go out and serve the fans that music, while we still can."





Tour dates:


July
13 - West Palm Beach, FL - iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
14 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre          
16 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre                                   
19 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
20 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live
22 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Broadview Stage at SPAC  
24 - Bridgeport, CT - Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater                       
26 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center
27 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center                                
29 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center                                
31 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage                             


August
2 - Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre
3 - Tinley Park, IL - Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
9 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena                         
11 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre               
13 - Spokane, WA - Airway Heights, WA BECU Live at Northern Quest
14 - Ridgefield, WA - RV Inn Style Resort Amphitheater            
16 - Wheatland, CA - Toyota Amphitheatre
17 - Concord, CA - Toyota Pavilion at Concord            
19 - Los Angeles, CA - Kia Forum
20 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resorts Amphitheatre           
22 - Dallas, TX - Dos Equis Pavilion
23 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion   
25 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP                      
27 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
28 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena                          
30 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center
31 - St. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre


 

Bon Jovi have released their 16th studio album, Forever. The band have shared lyric videos for each track on the release. Find the clips below.


The new album is available for order here where fans can find exclusive colored vinyl options, CDs, cassettes, and limited edition signed copies.  An extremely limited run of Ocean Waves colored vinyl will include a one-of-a-kind instant photo of Jon.


“This record is a return to joy.  From the writing, through the recording process, this is turn up the volume, feel good Bon Jovi,” said Jon Bon Jovi.







Forever tracklisting:


"Legendary"
"We Made It Look Easy"
"Living Proof"
"Waves"
"Seeds"
"Kiss The Bride"
"The People's House"
"Walls Of Jericho"
"I Wrote You A Song"
"Living In Paradise"
"My First Guitar"
"Hollow Man"


"Legendary" video:





"We Made It Look Easy" lyric video:





"Living Proof" lyric video:





"Waves" lyric video:





"Seeds" lyric video:





"Kiss The Bride" lyric video:





"The People's House" lyric video:





"Walls Of Jericho" lyric video:





"I Wrote You A Song" lyric video:





"Living In Paradise" lyric video:





"My First Guitar" lyric video:





"Hollow Man" lyric video:

Megadeth have released the video below, stating: "Our first night back on the #CrushTheWorldTour KICKED ASS. 👊 Sweden, thank you for headbanging with us all night long. Let’s keep the good times rolling in Poland."





Megadeth's Destroy All Enemies US Tour kicks off August 2 in Rogers, AR. For information and to purchase tickets , visit Megadeth.com.







Destroy All Enemies US tour dates:


August
2 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP
3 - Houston, TX - 713 Music Hall
5 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheatre
6 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena
8 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
9 - Los Angeles, CA - YouTube Theater
10 - Concord, CA - Toyota Pavilion at Concord
12 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre
13 - Bend, OR - Hayden Homes Amphitheater
16 - Las Vegas, NV - Bakkt Theatre at Planet Hollywood
17 - Salt Lake City, UT - Maverick Arena*
20 - Irving, TX - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
21 - Austin, TX - Germania Insurance Amphitheater
23 - Macon, GA - Atrium Health Macon Amphitheater*
24 - West Palm Beach, FL - IThink Financial Amphitheatre


September
3 - Tinley Park, IL - Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
5 - Huntington, WV - Marshall Health Network Arena*
6 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
7 - Raleigh, NC - Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
9 - Reading, PA - Santander Arena*
10 - Albany, NY - MVP Arena*
11 - Boston, MA - Leader Bank
13 - Bethel, MY - Bethel Woods Center For The Arts
14 - Wantagh, NY - Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
15 - Richmond, VA - Virginia Credit Union Live!*
17 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
18 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE
20 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center
21 - Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre
24 - Minneapolis, MN - The Armory
26 - St Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre STL
27 - Southaven, MS - Bankplus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove*
28 - Nashville, TN - Nashville Municipal Auditorium       


* non Live Nation dates

Out today, Cactus have released their album, Temple Of Blues - Influences & Friends, on CD and double vinyl album via Cleopatra Records. BraveWords is premiering the new music video for the track, "One Way...Or Another" that features both dUg Pinnick and Ted Nugent. Watch the clip below.


Ted Nugent on "One Way...Or Another": "I was raised and inspired by the American rock founding fathers Chuck Berry, Bo Diddly, Little Richard, James Brown and allthings Motown soul music. Vanilla Fudge epitomized the combination of all that fiery music. When my Motor City music monsters Jim McCarty and Rusty Day teamed up with the most powerful rhythm section of Tim Bogart and Carmine Appice to form Cactus, I thought my musical world would surely spin off its axis! The raw Detroit energy of Rusty and Jim with the definitive thrust of Tim and Carmines richter scale groove made every band in the world practice harder! Cactus were a serious force to reckon with."


dUg Pinnick On "One Way...Or Another": “It was 1971, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, Deep Purple and Yes were my go to bands, and one day I went to visit a musician friend who played me 'Long Tall Sally' by Cactus! From the beginning Jim’s guitar intro I was hooked! The riff was so heavy, and when Rusty sang the first verse my mind was blown. A Little Richard cover!!!!..the reason I play rock music was because of Little Richard! So I listened to the whole album. Great song writing, Carmine’s brutal drumming, TIM’s bass and Jim’s guitar playing, So inspirational they were! Rusty had a special knack for writing amazing down to earth lyrics! I loved his voice! I learned to sing and play every song and I never looked back. These albums still stand the test of time!! Cactus is one of my ALLTIME favorite bands. This is why I said “Yes” to playing on this record."







Featured along with the current Cactus band is a who’s who of blues and rock icons: Guitarists Joe Bonamassa, Ted Nugent, Pat Travers, Warren Haynes, Vernon Reid, Steve Stevens, Johnny A (The Yardbirds), Ty Tabor (King’s X) and bassists Billy Sheehan (Mr Big), Dug Pinnick (King’s X) Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder), Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol), Rudy Sarzo(Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne), Kenny Aaronson (ex- Joan Jet and The Yardbirds), as well as members of Government Mule, Vixen, Rainbow, Zebra, and Whitesnake. Vocalist Dee Snider of Twisted Sister appears on the band’s remake of the Howlin’ Wolf classic “Evil,” and Appice’s bandmate in Vanilla Fudge Mark Stein turns in a powerful vocal on Little Richard’s “Long Tall Sally.” A second version of “Guiltless Glider,” appears as a bonus track with former Judas Priest vocalist, Ripper Owens. Another of Appice’s musical partners, Fernando Perdomo, also appears on the new record.
 
The new album merges the members of Cactus with a super ensemble of featured artists, all of whom have called the group among their biggest influences. Once heralded by critics as America’s answer to Led Zeppelin, Cactus recorded four hard rockin’ albums for Atco Records before Appice and bassist Tim Bogert left to form their own supergroup: Beck, Bogert & Appice.


In addition to Appice on drums on all tracks, original Cactus guitarist Jim McCarty also appears on Temple Of Blues. Current band members vocalist/guitarist and harmonica player Jim Stapley and bassist Jim Caputo also appear on many of the tracks. Appice announced today a new member to the band’s lineup: guitarist Artie Dillon will handle guitar duties for live tours and plays on one track for the new album. Founding member Jim McCarty currently contributes as a writing and recording member of Cactus on occasion but no longer does live tours.


Order the album on CD and vinyl here. Order the digital edition here.





Tracklisting:


"Parchman Farm" feat. Joe Bonamassa & Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big / David Lee Roth)
"Bro. Bill" feat. Randy Jackson (Zebra), Randy Pratt (Cactus) & Bob Daisley (Ozzy Osbourne)
"Guiltless Glider" feat. Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (Guns N' Roses) & Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne)
"Evil" feat. Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) & Dug Pinnick (King's X)
"One Way...Or Another" feat. Dug Pinnick (King's X) & Ted Nugent
"Alaska" feat. Johnny A. & Tony Franklin (The Firm)
"No Need To Worry" feat. Warren Haynes (Gov't Mule) & Jorgen Carlsson (Gov't Mule)
"Oleo" feat. Steve Stevens (Billy Idol) & Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big / David Lee Roth)
"Big Mama Boogie" feat. Pat Travers & James Caputo (Cactus)
"You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover"
"Rock N' Roll Children" feat. Britt Lightning (Vixen), Vernon Reid (Living Colour) & Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot)
"Let Me Swim" feat. Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake) & Marco Mendoza (Blue Murder)
"Restrictions" feat. Ty Tabor (King's X) & Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne)
"Long Tall Sally" feat. Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge) & Fernando Perdomo


Bonus track:


"Guiltless Glider" feat. Tim "Ripper" Owens (Judas Priest)


"Parchman Farm":





"Evil" video:





- Produced by Carmine Appice
- Co-Produced by Pat Regan-Jim Stapley
- Mix Engineer - Pat Regan
- Mixdown by Pat Regan with Carmine Appice.
- Carmine's drums recorded at “Realistic Rock Studios” Florida. Engineered by Carmine Appice


Upcoming Cactus tour dates:


June
7 - Orlando, FL - Orlando Live! (with Foghat)
8 - Boca Raton, FL - Funky Biscuit
9 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall (with Pat Travers & Foghat)
27 - Lima, NY - Fanatics
28 - New York City, NY - Iridium


August
10 - Westland, MI - Token Lounge


The current lineup of Cactus came together in 2021. Lead vocalist Jim Stapley comes from England and had worked with ex-Faces/Who drummer Kenny Jones in the Jones Gang and Humble Pie. “Nearly five decades after I formed this band, the time had come to re-invent Cactus once again,” says Appice, who also still drums for Vanilla Fudge, The Appice Brothers Drum Wars, and a hybrid tribute to former band leader, Rod Stewart. Adds Appice: “The music remains the same and Cactus is still a ‘hot and sweaty’ band. The level, quality and consistence of the band’s musicianship is as strong as ever.”


Cactus has had a long and turbulent history. Formed in 1970 from the ashes of Vanilla Fudge by Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert, the initial lineup also featured McCarty (from Mitch Ryder and The Buddy Miles Express) and Amboy Dukes vocalist Rusty Day. While Cactus saw success from the start and soon built a loyal fan base, by early 1973 the band had collapsed mainly due to lack of real support from its label and the fact that Jeff Beck was now ready play with Carmine and Tim in BBA.


The band reformed in 2006, three decades after the tragic death of Rusty Day with Randy Pratt on harp (who also appears on this album) and Jimmy Kunes vocals. When the late Tim Bogert was forced into retirement due to complications after a serious motorcycle accident, Pete Bremy joined on bass before Caputo replaced him in 2020. Now, with a powerful new lineup Cactus and an album the marries the band with some of the biggest names in rock and blues, embarks on a new and exciting musical journey to the Temple Of Blues.

Alt-rock veterans SMILE EMPTY SOUL have unveiled their latest single, "Savior", accompanied by an impactful music video. The track is a preview of their upcoming EP, "Swan Song", which is scheduled for release at the end of the year through TLG|ZOID / Virgin Music Group.

"Savior" addresses the challenging state of contemporary society, explained the band's frontman Sean Danielsen. "I feel like people have grown cold to each other and selfishness has stepped up as the primary mentality." The song's poignant lyrics and gripping melody are a testament to the band's signature sound and their ability to tackle relevant themes through their music.

SMILE EMPTY SOUL is a hard rock band that originated in Los Angeles, California in the late 1990's and has stayed true to their brand of "no-bullshit", "real-as-it-gets" hard rock to this day. The band signed a major label record deal in 2003 to release their self-titled debut album in May of that year. They realized huge success at alternative radio, rock radio, and the music video channels that have since fallen by the wayside or turned into reality show networks.

After three very successful singles/videos and a gold record from the debut release, the band ran into trouble with their record company (which was in the midst of turmoil at the top levels) and found themselves working extra hard in the trenches, and signed to indie labels or no label at all from then on.

This would become SMILE EMPTY SOUL's destiny, as they have gone on to release many more albums and EPs on various labels, as well as their own company Smile Empty Music Inc. The band released their ninth full length record, "Black Pilled", on October 12, 2021 completely on their own.

SMILE EMPTY SOUL has become known for its constant touring and never wavering honest sound/lyrics. They've never changed for anybody, and turned down many opportunities to "sell out" because it's not who they are.

With a new album, and just as much drive as they had starting out 20 years ago, this band looks to continue to build on the legacy they've created as one of the hardest working, and most underrated bands in rock and roll.

The band has recently partnered with TLG|ZOID / Virgin Music Group to release new music. Denny Sanders (The Label Group) and Sean Danielsen previously partnered on the successful release of "Consciousness". Issued in 2009, the record has become second only to the band's debut in popularity.

Photo courtesy of O'Donnell Media Group

During an appearance on the latest episode of "The Allison Hagendorf Show", Paul Stanley was asked if he has been in contact with his fellow KISS co-founder Gene Simmons since the completion of the band's farewell tour last December. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We text almost every day. We check in with each other. 'How's the family?' And it's great. It really is family. I consider his kids like my kids, and watching what they do is really incredible. And Shannon's [Gene's wife], she's like my sister-in-law."

Asked what he thinks it is about the dynamic between him and Gene that endures after more than five decades, Paul said: "I think prioritizing. Certainly for me, the band has always been the most important thing. Look, I'm not always a picnic to be around, and he's had to put up with me at times, but the thing that's always been our priority is KISS. And I think that over the years with whatever issues we've had with each other, that was never something that was going to be ultimately compromised. And, look, family members fight, but they're family. And Gene and I have never been closer than we are now, 'cause… I've said it before, it's, like we have nothing to bicker about. We won."

Pressed to name his "favorite thing about Gene," Paul said: "Um, well, that's an interesting question. Gene will always admit when he's wrong, and that takes somebody big. And I don't know that he's like that with everybody else, but we have a relationship that's so close that I think both of us will say, 'I screwed up,' or certainly I've told him something that went against what his line of thinking was, and he goes, 'You're right.' So, that takes a big person. And, again, I think that there's no substitute for time. And I was telling one of my kids that you can have your best friend who you met a month ago, but to find out if they're really your best friend is gonna take months, years — going through hard times, good times, bad times. How somebody responds to all those kind of crises and everything determines whether that person is in your life or not. And push come to shove, Gene's always been there. And likewise. I can't think of anything that I wouldn't do for him, and I can trust him to do the same. That amount of years says volumes."

Back in October 2022, Paul was asked during a question-and-answer session with fans aboard that year's Kiss Kruise what he has learned about himself through his 50-plus-year friendship and working relationship with Gene. He responded: "[That's an] interesting question. Yeah, we're very different, but we certainly share a pride in what we do, a work ethic. Maybe because our parents came from Europe where I think that that's important stuff, is that pride in the work you do and to work hard for your money. Other than that, I think one of the things that took me a long time to learn — and I think Gene, by the way… I mean, he's family to me; he's a brother. I remember there were things about him that used to drive me crazy. Then I realized that that's not his issue; that's my issue. When people do things and it bothers you, you need to figure out why it bothers you, not expect them to change. It's not about them. And things that used to bother me about Gene, I just had to kind of figure out, 'Wait a minute. That's my issue that bothers me. And why does it bother me?' Because he can only be the best he that he can be; he's never gonna be me, and I'm never gonna be him. So it's just a matter of putting a lot of that stuff aside. We're not gonna change anybody else, so we need to figure out why it bothers us."

Four years ago, Stanley admitted to "Live From Nerdville With Joe Bonamassa" that he "didn't particularly like" Simmons the first time they met. "But there was pragmatism involved," he said. "You have to prioritize and figure what's most important to you to reach your goal. And I knew that Gene and I were much stronger together than me alone. I'm not really sure that he knew that, but that became irrelevant. It was, 'How do I get where I wanna go? How do I achieve what I want?' And Gene was essential to it. And here we are 50-plus years later. It's astounding. We've created something that seems like it will outlast us."

In 2019, Stanley told Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast his relationship with Gene wasn't affected by the release of Stanley's 2014 memoir, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed".

"Gene's always been very accepting," Paul said. "And we've only gotten closer and closer over time, which is just terrific. I said things in the book that I felt were true, and I would stand by what I said. But it doesn't negate that in the scheme of things, he's been a terrific partner, he's a brother, and he's family. Certainly there were things that I spoke about in the book that aren't true anymore, but they were, to me, at some point. And that book was really my overview of my life. And I really didn't say anything to hurt anyone, and I didn't wanna throw anybody under the bus. There were a few people who walked under the bus — I didn't have to throw 'em. I think Gene has always respected that I have my own perspective. And, again, I couldn't be closer to him than I am now. Totally. I speak to him often.

"It would be crazy and sad to go through what we've done together and what we've accomplished and have ill will or animosity," he continued. "If anything, the two of us look at each other and go, 'Wow!' In those moments of candor, or when we're just talking to each other, or texting each other, there are those texts where it's, like, 'Wow! Look what we've done.' So, yeah, anybody who thinks otherwise is sadly mistaken. His family is my family. Shannon, I've known Shannon probably 35-plus years. [Gene's kids] Nick and Sophie, I feel like their uncle.

"Look, when [my son] Evan was born, the first person in the room to see him was Gene," Paul added. "Even when things have been tough, or there's been tensions in the past — and not in the near past — we always were family. When we had our big earthquake in the '90s, basically I wasn't talking to Gene at the time, and as soon as the ground stopped shaking, I called him. I said, 'Are you okay?' He said, 'Yeah.' And then we kept not talking to each other. But the most important thing was making sure he was okay.

"I'm very, very lucky to have him. And I don't necessarily agree with everything he does. But does anybody?"

In "Face The Music: A Life Exposed", Stanley insisted that his relationship with Simmons has slowly improved over time. But Paul also wrote: "[Gene] chose to ignore his underlying issues and instead committed himself to creating an external façade and persona that, unfortunately, he felt required to knock down anyone who threatened his singularity in the spotlight." He also dismissed the notion that Simmons is some kind of financial genius. "Gene's most successful venture in business was promoting the perception that he was a savvy businessman," Paul wrote.

A few years back, Paul admitted that he "read a little bit of" Gene Simmons's book when it first came out but that he had a different recollection of some of their shared history. While reading Gene's book, Stanley felt, "Gee, I thought I did that. I thought that was me. You thought you were me," he said.

KISS's farewell trek was launched in January 2019 and concluded nearly five years later in New York City.

Image courtesy of 60 Minutes Australia

DarWin featuring Simon Phillips, Mohini Dey, Greg Howe, and Matt Bissonette, have released their new album, Five Steps On The Sun. A video for the title track can be viewed below:





DarWin is an ongoing musical exploration driven by Simon Phillips and DarWin (DW). The music seeks to elevate the power of crafted songs, and the collection of songs into an album experience. Groove, energy, melody and harmony are all simultaneously prioritized. The songs should feel both original but somehow familiar.




The duo has collaborated with Matt Bissonette since 2015 as a song writing trio, fusing the diverse interests and experiences of the group. Matt’s vocals provide a soothing sonic resonance over novel rhythmic landscapes.


Follow-up to the critically acclaimed epic albums Origin Of Species and Frozen War, DarWin and Simon Phillips expand on their trademark sound - adding new levels of depth and melody.


The new album features a stellar lineup of musicians - Indian bassist Mohini Dey joins the band bringing her fiery playing, and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) and Greg Howe return to the project.


Five Steps On The Sun is available on CD and strictly Limited Heavyweight Vinyl including exclusive poster.





Tracklisting:


"Soul Police"
"Inside This Zoo"
"Be That Man"
"One Step On The Sun"
"Five Steps On The Sun"
"The Sun"
"Imitation Suede"
"Seasons Of A Life"
"Hulks & Heroes"
"What Do We Know"


"One Step On The Sun" video:





"Be That Man" video:

In a recent interview with Linda Advocate, DISTURBED singer David Draiman, who is of Jewish heritage, was asked about a supposed "ongoing feud" between him and British rock musician and anti-Israel activist Roger Waters. David said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "He's a piece of work, that deluded old freak. Antisemitic to his rotten core. Just ask [his PINK FLOYD bandmate] David Gilmour and his wife — they'll testify to it. He's been that way for the duration of his life and the duration of his career. It's nothing new. He's a coward. He's a hypocrite. He is a supporter of dictators and dictatorial regimes all over the world. He's an apologist for Putin and apologist for anybody that's on the wrong side of history. He's a deluded wannabe-socialist as well."

Draiman continued: "Everything that he wrote about, everything that he professed to believe in that was so — even a maniac can create some great art, and it's hard to argue with the level of artistry of, let's say, a piece of work like [PINK FLOYD's] 'The Wall'. But everything that he was trying to convey and express in that piece of art, he has shown himself to be a hypocrite for. I was already losing my mind with him years ago when he was flying around a pig in his stadiums with the [Jewish] Star Of David on it. The guy is a bully. And he wouldn't even dare to engage with me. Because it's not about logic and reasoning and facts and reality to people like him. It's all about the narrative. It's all about their hate-fueled antisemitic, just spite-filled narrative that they continue to fuel this narrative of demonization of our people, of the State of Israel, their inability to accept the fact that we even exist. He's a monster."

When the interviewer asked if Draiman has ever met Waters in person, David responded: "Oh, I'd love to meet him in person. Nothing would make me happier. I'd gladly serve whatever jail time and pay the bail necessary for whatever I could get done within a very limited period of time."

Waters has been repeatedly accused of antisemitism by Jewish groups and authorities in the U.S., Europe and Israel. He has has often used inflammatory rhetoric against Israel and has berated performers who included the Jewish state in their tours.

A year ago, the U.S. State Department said that Waters has "a long track record of using antisemitic tropes" and a concert he gave a month earlier in Germany "contained imagery that is deeply offensive to Jewish people and minimized the Holocaust."

This past May, Roger defended himself against criticism over his concerts in Berlin during which the former PINK FLOYD leader displayed Nazi-like symbolism and made what some people have described as offensive comments about Holocaust victim Anne Frank.

During the May 2023 shows at Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin, Waters appeared on stage as the character Pink from the rock opera "The Wall" during a performance of the song "In The Flesh", wearing a black leather trench coat with a red armband bearing two crossed hammers instead of a swastika.

It was later reported that Waters was under investigation for possible incitement by German police, in addition to possibly having committed trademark abuse for the use of Frank's name without the consent of the Anne Frank Foundation, which has trademarked the name.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center criticized the Berlin concerts and asked that German authorities prosecute Waters for invoking and distorting Holocaust images.

Waters, however, defended his costume choice, saying it was a clear stance "in opposition to fascism, injustice, bigotry in all its forms."

"My recent performance in Berlin has attracted bad faith attacks from those who want to smear and silence me because they disagree with my political views and moral principles," he said in a statement. "Attempts to portray those elements as something else are disingenuous and politically motivated. The depiction of an unhinged fascist demagogue has been a feature of my shows since PINK FLOYD's 'The Wall' in 1980.

"Regardless of the consequences of the attacks against me, I will continue to condemn injustice and all those who perpetuate it," he added, in part.

Waters has repeatedly denied all accusations of antisemitism and explained that his disdain is towards Israel, not Judaism. He also accused Israel of "abusing the term antisemitism to intimidate people like me into silence".

This past Monday (June 3),Draiman received the 2024 joint Jerusalem Post and World Zionist Organization award for outstanding contribution to the fight against antisemitism.

David accepted the award during the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference, which was held in New York City.

For years, Draiman has been a prominent activist for the State of Israel, constantly emphasizing the importance of dialogue and understanding. During DISTURBED's successful world tour this year, he made sure to mention the Israeli hostages held in Gaza and spoke against the delegitimization of Israel, understanding that now more than ever, silence has become a new form of antisemitism.

In addition to the Hebrew-speaking Draiman, who once trained to be a cantor and contemplated becoming a rabbi, DISTURBED includes guitarist/keyboardist Dan Donegan, bassist John Moyer and drummer Mike Wengren.

Draiman's father and grandfather served in the Israel Defense Forces and both of the singer's maternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors. His grandfather was also a cantor in Israel.

In December 2021, Draiman said that he had lost thousands of social media followers since publicizing his trip to Israel in November of that year.

On November 30, 2021, Draiman lit a candle at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel at the Old City site of the terror attack that killed South African immigrant Eli Kay. He later claimed that he lost 4,000 followers after sharing photos of his "demonstration" at the Western Wall.

Draiman has spent much of his recent time on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, sharing pro-Israel content and has often used his fame to speak out against antisemitism.

DISTURBED's song "Never Again", from 2010's "Asylum" album, was written about the Holocaust and calls out people who deny it.

The United States Holocaust Museum has featured Draiman in its "Voices On Anti-Semitism" podcasts.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN returned to the stage for the first time since 2017 on Saturday (June 8) for a reunion show celebrating the 25th anniversary of their 1999 debut, "Calculating Infinity", at the No Values festival in Pomona, California.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN played "Calculating Infinity" in its entirety for the first time, with original vocalist Dimitri Minakakis joining founding guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Liam Wilson, drummer Billy Rymer and guitarist James Love. THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN also performed a cover of the DEAD KENNEDYS' debut single, 1979's "California Über Alles", with a guest appearance by DEAD KENNEDYS' Jello Biafra, and rendition of MINOR THREAT's "In My Eyes", with Weinman's SUICIDAL TENDENCIES bandmate Mike Muir joining in on vocals.

When the first THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN reunion show was announced last December, Minakakis said in a statement: "It's been a long time coming for this opportunity to perform in a project I helped create over 25 years ago. Having the chance to celebrate 25 years of 'Calculating Infinity' with my closest friends in life is just a dream turned real. I'm looking forward to seeing all the old faces, as well as all the new ones. THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN has always been more than just a band. We were a force of nature. This reunion show is our way of thanking the fans who have stood by us and the album we made in a small basement in NJ all those years ago."

Wilson who shared the stage with Dimitri soon after the release of "Calculating Infinity" and continued to share the stage with Weinman until the band farewell shows in 2017 had this to say: "Amped to go party like it's 1999 again and give this album the birthday party it deserves! These songs are still unfuckwithable and as a musician, it's rad to have the opportunity to get back under the hood of this album and revisit my salad days, this time with more seasoning. Dimitri always had such a menacing presence and venomous voice, it's gonna be killer to rip these songs with him up there with us!"

"Dimitri has remained one of my longest and closest friends," added Weinman. "Even after leaving the band, his support and contributions through his work on our first albums have kept an everlasting spark in my heart for what we did together. I remember the first day we met. He was the new guy in school and I drove by him and gave him the finger. Then I reversed the car and asked him if he wanted to hang out and make a band. I said, you look like a singer dude. " We could have never imagined what an impact that moment would have."

He continued: "While we are all very happy with the resolve of the band in 2017 with Greg, something still feels unsaid as far as the Dimitri era of the band and with so many people talking about the album and after performing a handful of first album performances with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, it just all made sense. This needed to happen!"

Remaining "Calculating Infinity" 25th-anniversary celebration shows:

Jun. 21 - Brooklyn, New York - Brooklyn Paramount
Jun. 22 - Brooklyn, New York - Brooklyn Paramount
Jun. 23 - Brooklyn, New York - Brooklyn Paramount
Aug. 06 - Lokeren, Belgium - Lokerse Feesten
Aug. 24 - Chicago, Illinois - The Salt Shed Outdoors

In a recent interview with Metal Hammer, Puciato was asked how he felt about the announcement that Minakakis would reunite with Weinman, the group's lone consistent member over the years, along with fellow alumni Wilson and Rymer, for several shows this year celebrating "Calculating Infinity". He responded: "It doesn't bother me at all. When people ask me that, as if I'm gonna be bummed, I'm, like, why would I be bummed? I'm not on the record. To me, if the band was still a band, and some of those guys, obviously [original members Brian] Benoit [rhythm guitar], [Chris] Pennie [drums] and Adam [Doll, bass] aren't [part of the reunion shows], but if, if Dimitri and Ben were, like, 'Hey, we wanna do some 'Calculating Infinity' shows, what am I gonna do? Be, like, 'No!' That doesn't make any sense. I wasn't on the record."

Greg continued: "So, I hope they're wildly successful with it, and I hope that it does a lot of good for them — I hope it makes them feel good personally, those two. 'Cause, obviously, Liam and Billy were not on that record, but the ending of them before I joined, I don't think it was — it wasn't fulfilling. It wasn't a fulfilling closure. It wasn't exactly on everybody's terms involved. So I think them being able to go back and do this and celebrate what is non-arguably a fucking genre-changing milestone record that many bands would not exist if it wasn't for. They should play everywhere. They should come to London, they should go play festivals, they should do everything. Like I said, I'm all for it, man."

Puciato then quipped, "Don't play 'Miss Machine'," referencing THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's second studio album, which marked his first recorded appearance with the band.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, renowned for their mind-bending musical compositions and legendary high-energy live shows, officially disbanded in 2017 following three unforgettable final performances at Terminal 5 in New York City. After years of unwavering fan support, an incessant barrage of reunion appeals, and numerous reissues, the band has returned, honoring the album that initiated their groundbreaking journey. With its distinctive fusion of hardcore punk, progressive metal, and jazz, which left both fans and critics in awe, "Calculating Infinity" not only defined their sound but also revolutionized the game from the outset.

For many fans, the chance to experience the sonic atomic blast of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN performing "Calculating Infinity" live with Minakakis at the helm is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This reunion show offers fans not only the chance to witness the magic that sparked the band's meteoric rise over the past 25 years, but to experience the album that started it all performed right in front of them.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's mastery of their craft is unparalleled. Their live shows are an explosive spectacle of precision and passion. This reunion show promises to be no different. Prepare for an unforgettable night as they revisit the album that defined a genre and marked the beginning of their legendary career.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN is a globally celebrated American metal powerhouse, recognized for their groundbreaking and uniquely intense contributions to the heavy music scene. "Calculating Infinity" stands as a genre-defining masterpiece, marking a pivotal moment not only for the band but for the entire genre. It landed on countless "Best Of The Year" lists the year it dropped including Best Metal Album of the Year by Revolver magazine. It was later listed among the Top 10 Metal Albums of All Time by Metal Injection. Loudwire has since placed the record third on their list of "25 Best Metalcore Albums Of All-Time" with writer Stephen Hill stating that "the influence of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN is present at every major rock festival in the shape of any forward-thinking, heavy band and even in the current metalcore or tech-metal production line (who have aped elements of their sound in the most piss-weak and desperate way). But the fact that these bands are here at all and able to appeal to a wider audience is in no small part due to the trail blazed by "Calculating Infinity" and its utter contempt for compromise and uniformity." In 2017 Rolling Stone called the LP "one of the greatest metal albums of all time" and despite disbanding that same year, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's legacy continues to inspire musicians and fans alike.

The Jim Powers YouTube channel has uploaded video of FIREHOUSE's June 7 performance at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Pennsylvania. Check out the footage below.

Last month, Nate Peck, 2023 "American Idol" golden ticket recipient from Season 21, officially joined FIREHOUSE as the band's new lead vocalist. He replaced late FIREHOUSE frontman CJ Snare, who died on April 5 at the age of 64 following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Peck performed an outstanding audition for "American Idol" judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Richie praised Nate's performance, saying: "That was brilliant... The best rock singer EVER that we've had. You've got it!" Perry looked to the sky and said: "Actually, he's SO good!" High praises from all three judges got him unanimous consent to move onto the next level of the competition. Peck ultimately decided to leave the show to pursue his career in music his own way: playing live music in Nashville's booming rock scene and guest singing with national artists like JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE.

Peck was first introduced to FIREHOUSE guitarist Bill Leverty by JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE guitarist Robbie Lochner. Leverty explained: "When I first heard Nate's vocal range, tone and control, I immediately knew that he'd be the perfect fit, filling in for CJ who was recovering from surgery. I advocated hard to get Nate out to play at New England Rockfest in October of 2023. He learned our songs very quickly and absolutely crushed it at the show. I then sent some video to CJ, and he agreed, saying, 'THAT'S the guy'!"

CJ and Nate immediately became very good friends. According to Peck: "CJ and I would talk regularly, a few times a week. He would give me vocal coaching, advice on touring and life in general. He was definitely a great mentor for me."

Peck has been singing with FIREHOUSE since October of 2023, wowing audiences around the country.

"I am honored to be working with these guys and singing these great songs," Nate said.

Snare died was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in 2020 and took a hiatus from the band in 2023 to undergo abdominal surgery. However, his daughter is reported to have stated the official cause of death was cardiac arrest, according to TMZ.

CJ planned to rejoin FIREHOUSE for the band's summer tour in 2024.

In a statement on FIREHOUSE's social media, Snare's bandmates said he died "unexpectedly" despite his long illness.

They shared their "great sorrow" at losing their "brother… the rock and roll warrior.

"We are all in complete shock with CJ's untimely passing," they wrote.

"CJ was was arguably one of the best vocal talents of a generation, touring the world with FIREHOUSE non stop the past 34 years.

"Our heartfelt condolences go out to the entire Snare family, Katherine Little, friends, and all our beloved fans all over the world."

FIREHOUSE hasn't released a studio album since 2011's "Full Circle", which featured re-recorded versions of some of the band's older songs. The group's last collection of new material, "Prime Time", came out in 2003.

FIREHOUSE reached stardom during the early '90s with hits like "Reach For The Sky", "Don't Treat Me Bad" and "All She Wrote", as well as its signature power ballads "I Live My Life For You", "Love Of A Lifetime" and "When I Look Into Your Eyes".

At the 1992 American Music Awards, FIREHOUSE won the award for "Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock New Artist". They were chosen over NIRVANA and ALICE IN CHAINS.

Formed nearly four decades ago, FIREHOUSE's classic lineup consisted of Snare, Leverty, drummer Michael Foster and bassist Perry Richardson. Richardson left in 2000 and was replaced by Allen McKenzie in 2003.

GRANTVILLE, PA we can't wait to see you TONIGHT‼️ Get your tickets while you can to come rock out with us, Lita Ford,...

Posted by Nelson Band on Friday, June 7, 2024

Fan-filmed video of Bruce Dickinson's June 6 concert at the Mystic Festival in Gdansk, Poland can be seen below.

Dickinson's set opened with "Accident Of Birth" and closed with "Road To Hell". There was also the inclusion of a couple of tracks from Bruce's new solo album "The Mandrake Project", among them the latest single "Rain On The Graves".

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

01. Accident Of Birth
02. Abduction
03. Laughing In The Hiding Bush
04. Afterglow Of Ragnarok
05. Faith
06. Chemical Wedding
07. Tears Of The Dragon
08. Resurrection Men
09. Rain On The Graves
10. The Alchemist
11. The Tower
12. Road To Hell

After playing two warm-up shows at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California, Dickinson officially kicked off his first solo tour in more than 20 years on April 15 at The Observatory in Santa Ana, California.

Joining the IRON MAIDEN singer on the trek is his current backing band, featuring Dave Moreno (drums),Mistheria (keyboards) and Tanya O'Callaghan (bass),alongside the group's latest additions, Swedish guitarist, songwriter and multi-platinum-credited producer Philip Näslund and Swiss session and touring guitarist Chris Declercq (who played on Dickinson's "Rain On The Graves" single). Bruce's longtime guitarist and collaborator Roy "Z" Ramirez is not part of the touring lineup.

Prior to the April 12 Whisky A Go Go show, Bruce last performed with his solo band on in August 2002 at the legendary Wacken Open Air festival in Germany.

During an appearance on the April 16 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Bruce was asked if there are plans for him to stage a full U.S. tour in support of his recently released solo album "The Mandrake Project". He responded: "I brought the [booking] agents and the promoters, and everybody came down and saw the Whisky show [in West Hollywood, California over the weekend], and now they know what they've got to deal with in terms of doing a U.S. tour. So, we're looking at it, we're planning it.

"I absolutely wanna do a full U.S. tour with 'The Mandrake Project'," he added. "I obviously can't do one for the rest of this year [due to commitments in other parts of the world and MAIDEN's upcoming touring activities], but there's '25 and there's numerous opportunities that will crop up. So the answer to that is yes, of course, we wanna come and do the U.S."

Roy played guitar on Dickinson's 1994 album "Balls To Picasso" and went on to produce, co-write and perform multiple instruments on Bruce's subsequent three solo albums, "Accident At Birth" (1997),"The Chemical Wedding" (1998) and "Tyranny Of Souls" (2005).

O'Callaghan is an Irish musician who joined WHITESNAKE in 2021 and toured with the David Coverdale-fronted outfit the following year. She also hit the road with Dickinson last year as part of a performance of Jon Lord's "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" on nearly a dozen dates in Europe and South America.

Californian drummer Moreno previously played on "Tyranny Of Souls" and has worked with BODY COUNT, Jizzy Pearl, Dizzy Reed and Steve Stevens, among others.

Italian keyboard wizard Mistheria has collaborated with an array of artists live and in the studio, including Rob Rock, Mike Portnoy, Jeff Scott Soto and Joel Hoekstra.

"The Mandrake Project" arrived on March 1 via BMG.

Bruce and Roy recorded "The Mandrake Project" largely at Los Angeles's Doom Room, with Roy doubling up as both guitarist and bassist. The recording lineup for "The Mandrake Project" was rounded out by Mistheria and Moreno, both of whom also featured on Bruce's last solo studio album, "Tyranny Of Souls", in 2005.

Dickinson made his recording debut with IRON MAIDEN on the "Number Of The Beast" album in 1982. He quit the band in 1993 in order to pursue his solo career and was replaced by Blaze Bayley, who had previously been the lead singer of the metal band WOLFSBANE. After releasing two traditional metal albums with former MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith, Dickinson rejoined the band in 1999 along with Smith.

TALISMAN — the now-defunct Swedish-American melodic hard rock band featuring singer Jeff Scott Soto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOURNEY) — reunited for an appearance at this year's Sweden Rock Festival on June 5 in Sölvesborg, Sweden. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

Marcel Jacob, who would have turned 60 this year, was TALISMAN's bassist and undisputed leader. In his honor, the band's music was performed by his surviving bandmates — Soto, guitarist Fredrik Åkesson (currently in OPETH) and drummer Jamie Borger. Bassist Johan Niemann (EVERGREY) completed the lineup in a way that guarantees that classics like "I'll Be Waiting", "Mysterious" and "Colour My XTC" were played in a way worthy of one of Sweden's greatest hard rock bands ever.

After the show, Soto took to his social media to share photos of the performance and he wrote in an accompanying message: "My emotions are still screaming, what an absolute kick in the ass it was to play with TALISMAN for Marcel here at Sweden Rock Festival!!! Hearing 25,000 people singing I'll Be Waiting is something I will never forget!! Special thanks to our killer sound dude Peter Mansson and Christer Wedin for organizing and handling everything!!"

This past January, TALISMAN released a new song called "Save Our Love" as a way of raising awareness of the mental health crisis. In announcing the track, TALISMAN issued a statement in which the group said: "On January 30, 2024, Marcel Jacob would have turned 60.

"We want to shed light on the problem of mental health issues. Too many people are leaving their loved ones and friends far too early.

"Marcel Jacob founded the band TALISMAN in 1989 after playing with John Norum, Yngwie Malmsteen and early EUROPE. TALISMAN had a major hit with the song 'I'll Be Waiting' and released several studio and live albums. Unfortunately, Marcel took his own life on July 21, 2009.

"The remaining members of TALISMAN, Jeff Scott Soto (vocals),and Pontus Norgren (guitars),have written the song 'Save Our Love' as a tribute and in memory of Marcel Jacob and the music they created together. TALISMAN's drummer, Jaime Borger, also plays on the song, and it features guest appearances by Mic Michaeli from EUROPE on keyboards, Johan Niemann (EVERGREY) on bass and BJ (SOTO) on backing vocals.

"If you can, make a donation to the the non-profit organization Suicide Zero."

Jacob was a Swedish musician, best known as the bassist in the hard rock bands TALISMAN and LAST AUTUMN'S DREAM.

In 1978, he formed the band RISING FORCE together with guitarist Yngwie J. Malmsteen. Four years later, Jacob joined the band FORCE, which later changed its name to EUROPE, replacing John Levén, who took Jacob's place in RISING FORCE. During his time in FORCE, Jacob wrote the song "Black Journey For My Soul" together with vocalist Joey Tempest. The song was eventually included on EUROPE's second album, "Wings Of Tomorrow", re-titled "Scream Of Anger". After spending three months in FORCE, Jacob traded places with John Levén again, who apparently had issues with Malmsteen.

In 1987, Jacob played on the album "Total Control", the first solo LP released by EUROPE guitarist John Norum. Jacob also co-wrote several of the songs included on that album.

Two years later he formed TALISMAN together with Soto. Throughout the years TALISMAN was Jacob's major project and the band released several studio and live albums until 2007.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by jeғғ ѕcoтт ѕoтo (@jeffscottsotoofficial)

San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal pioneers TESTAMENT have announced an explosive celebration of the band's enduring legacy and their influential presence in the thrash metal scene. On July 12, TESTAMENT will release the remastered versions of their seminal albums "The Legacy" and "The New Order" both digitally and on vinyl via Nuclear Blast Records.

TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy states: "When 'The Legacy' and 'The New Order' were first recorded, we were new and had limited resources to record the albums being a young band. Now, with the remastering, fans will hear the albums in their signature sonic onslaught they were intended to be heard."

Today, the band offers fans previews of the remastered versions completed by Justin Shturtz at Sterling Sound via singles from each of the albums. "Over The Wall" from "The Legacy (Remastered 2024)" and "Into The Pit" from "The New Order (Remastered 2024)" are now available to be streamed on all platforms as well as a video visualizer.

"The Legacy" remastered track listing:

01. Over The Wall (Remastered 2024)
02. The Haunting (Remastered 2024)
03. Burnt Offerings (Remastered 2024)
04. Raging Waters (Remastered 2024)
05. C.O.T.L.O.D. (Remastered 2024)
06. First Strike Is Deadly (Remastered 2024)
07. Do or Die (Remastered 2024)
08. Alone In The Dark (Remastered 2024)
09. Apocalyptic City (Remastered 2024)

"The Legacy" was remastered by Justin Shturtz at Sterling Sound. It will be available digitally and on 180-gram vinyl on red and white swirl with black splatter (limited to 1500 worldwide). The release includes alternate cover artwork and gatefold packaging with new liner notes as well it includes an oversized booklet with never-before-seen images.

"The New Order" remastered track listing:

01. Eerie Inhabitants (Remastered 2024)
02. The New Order (Remastered 2024)
03. Trial By Fire (Remastered 2024)
04. Into The Pit (Remastered 2024)
05. Hypnosis (Remastered 2024)
06. Disciples Of The Watch (Remastered 2024)
07. The Preacher (Remastered 2024)
08. Nobody's Fault (Remastered 2024)
09. A Day Of Reckoning (Remastered 2024)
10. Musical Death (A Dirge) (Remastered 2024)

"The New Order" was remastered by Justin Shturtz at Sterling Sound. It will be available digitally and on 180-gram vinyl on blue and purple swirl with black splatter (limited to 1500 worldwide). The release includes alternate cover artwork and gatefold packaging with new liner notes as well it includes an oversized booklet with never-before-seen images.

This fall, the "Klash Of The Titans" makes its triumphant return to North America. Fans will enjoy an epic night of metal with thrash royalty TESTAMENT and KREATOR co-headlining the run. The 33-date trek will kick off on September 12 in Reno making its way across the U.S. and will include seven Canadian dates before concluding in San Francisco on October 27. Joining the night are special guests Bay Area death metal pioneers and labelmates POSSESSED.

Jon Bon Jovi says that Lzzy Hale should join SKID ROW as the band's new singer.

The 40-year-old Hale, who has fronted her band HALESTORM for more than two and a half decades, handled the vocal duties for SKID ROW for four shows only after the group's fourth frontman since Sebastian Bach's departure — "Swedish Idol" contestant Erik Grönwall — quit the band to focus on his health. She later took to social media to thank SKID ROW for the opportunity and express her hope to rejoin them at some point, but ruled out a full-time position in SKID ROW for the time being.

In a recent interview with Rock Sound where he answered interview questions from some of the magazine's cover stars, including Hale, Jon praised Lzzy, saying: "She should please join SKID ROW. Please, Lzzy Hale, join SKID ROW. Put the two bands [HALESTORM and SKID ROW] together, if you need to. But this is the best thing that happened to Snake [SKID ROW guitarist Dave Sabo] since he met me. [Laughs]"

A short time later, Lzzy shared the above-mentioned clip of Jon's interview with Rock Sound and she wrote in an accompanying message: "What a compliment, what an honor, and what a tremendous piece of advice! Thank you for your kind words and candor @jonbonjovi watch the full interview at @rocksound".

Back in December 2022, Sabo looked back on his childhood friendship with Jon Bon Jovi and how it inspired him and his bandmates to become better songwriters. He told Colombia's W Radio: "First of all, [Jon and I] have been best friends since we were children. He grew up three streets away from where I grew up, so we've known each other for an awfully long time — well over 40 years now. His work ethic and his commitment to music and his perseverance showed me and showed us that it was possible to be able to have success in the music business. He was very, very helpful at the very beginning with our band and he's always been a great mentor to me. And he's always been one hundred percent honest with me regarding all aspects of our relationship. We would always play him our music that we were writing and he would always give us his honest opinion. And he was the one who, at the very beginning, was really pushing us to be better songwriters, to be better musicians, to be a better band. And he was the guy that really instilled in us that being just good isn't good enough. You've gotta aspire to be great. And that was him teaching us that."

Despite the fact that the 1989 debut album from the Sebastian Bach-fronted SKID ROW went five times platinum and produced several hit singles — including "18 And Life", "I Remember You" and "Youth Gone Wild" — there was initially a lot of bitterness surrounding its success, largely due to the fact that in return for the helping hands of Jon Bon Jovi, SKID ROW reportedly had to enter a publishing deal with Jon's then-newly established Underground Music Company in which they waived their rights to publishing royalties. All money was paid to Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. After a public dispute, Sambora gave his share of the money back to SKID ROW.

Around a decade ago, Bach reflected on the business arrangement he and his then-bandmates made with Bon Jovi, telling ArtScenics TV: "Bon Jovi took us on our first tour and we signed some papers with him that he got a cut of, if we made it big, that he would get compensated for helping us out. Nobody expected us to get as big as we got. Nobody thought that we would become a big band. That happens all the time in the music industry. Jon was, like, 'We'll take you on tour, but if you guys make it big,' then he gets a cut of it. So I was bitter about that for awhile, but then I realized that we probably wouldn't have made it as big, or maybe at all, if he didn't take us."

Back in 2015, Bach told Rodney Holder of Australia's Music Business Facts that he no longer harbored any resentment toward Bon Jovi over the publishing royalties generated by the "Skid Row" album.

"We signed a publishing deal with Bon Jovi's company, which gave him an extremely large cut of the first album," he recalled. "And when that happened, none of us realized it, really, and we were very bitter when we found that out. But our next record debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, so quit your fucking whining. [Laughs] It's, like, I look back… He took us on tour… Nobody thought we'd make it. There was a million bands. We could have been BANG TANGO or TIGERTAILZ or… We could have been… There's a billion bands. We could have been BABYLON A.D. … Anyway, so, the fact that we were one of the bands that did make it was like a needle in the haystack. So for Bon Jovi to put us on the road in front of his crowd every night, that's how we made it. So he deserved to get paid for that. He could have taken any other band. So we re-did all those deals after the first album — for 'Slave To The Grind' and 'Subhuman Race' and the best-of album. We re-did all those."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LZZY HALE (@officiallzzyhale)

Texas thrashers POWER TRIP returned to the live stage last night (Thursday, June 6) at The Glass House in Pomona, California. The gig marked POWER TRIP's first full performance since the tragic passing of frontman Riley Gale.

POWER TRIP's longtime friend and collaborator Seth Gilmore handled vocals for the band at The Glass House concert and will continue to sing for POWER TRIP at all currently scheduled shows, including an at the No Values festival in Pomona on Saturday, June 8 (headlined by MISFITS). Gilmore is embedded in Texas's hardcore and punk communities and is well known as the vocalist of SKOURGE and as the frontman of Dallas thrash metal band FUGITIVE, which he founded in 2021 alongside POWER TRIP guitarist Blake Ibanez.

POWER TRIP's setlist for The Glass House concert was as follows:

01. Soul Sacrifice
02. Executioner's Tax (Swing of the Axe)
03. Firing Squad
04. Hornet's Nest
05. Nightmare Logic
06. Crucifixation
07. Divine Apprehension
08. Suffer No Fool
09. Drown (Intro)
10. Heretic's Fork
11. Crossbreaker
12. Manifest Decimation

Encore:

13. The Hammer of Doubt

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

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

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

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

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

Ibanez, Stewart, Whetzel and Ulsh played a surprise five-song set on December 1, 2023 at Mohawk in Austin, Texas. They were joined for the performance by the aforementioned SKOURGE vocalist Seth Gilmore, who also plays with Ibanez in FUGITIVE, which was the official headliner of the Austin gig.

After FUGITIVE finished its set, Gilmore and Blake remained on stage and were soon accompanied by Stewart, Whetzel and Ulsh for performances of POWER TRIP songs "Soul Sacrifice", "Executioner's Tax", "Hornet's Nest", "Manifest Decimation" and "Crucifixation". Fan-filmed video of the set can be seen below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Emerging from the gritty streets of Detroit in the mid-1960s, MC5 revolutionized rock and roll with their blistering fusion of garage rock, blues, soul, free jazz, and proto-punk. Infamous for incendiary live performances and a radical left-wing stance, their status as pioneers of punk and protest rock has inspired many musicians like RAMONES, THE CLASH, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, THE WHITE STRIPES, Slash and countless others and continues to shape the sound of punk and alternative rock for generations to come.

earMUSIC will release the first new music from MC5 in more than 50 years (following 1971's "High Time") with the album "Heavy Lifting" due October 18 — one day prior to the band's induction into 2024's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame when they will receive the "Musical Excellence Award."

"Heavy Lifting" features guitar and vocals by founding MC5 member Wayne Kramer, who also co-wrote 12 of the album's 13 songs together with Oakland singer/songwriter Brad Brooks. Prolific for five decades, Kramer was the last remaining active member of MC5. He passed away suddenly in February, followed by the death of drummer Dennis "Machine Gun" Thompson in May. It is Thompson's final studio recording.

The album's debut track "Boys Who Play With Matches" is out digitally today, June 6. Stream it below.

In an interview with Uncut in November 2023, Kramer discussed the album and said: "Live long and stay creative. This is my attitude. And this album continues from where 'High Time' left off. In that, I think it's an artist's responsibility to reflect the times they're going through. And I think that we made an album that is in sync with where we're at today and the challenges that we're facing, and that carries a positive message."

"Heavy Lifting" was recorded with iconic producer Bob Ezrin (LOU REED, ALICE COOPER, KISS) and features an all-star lineup of Kramer's friends and musical colleagues, including Slash (GUNS N' ROSES),Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE),William DuVall (ALICE IN CHAINS),Vernon Reid (LIVING COLOUR),Don Was and Tim McIlrath (RISE AGAINST),allowing for a collaborative effort that bridges the gap between generations of musicians inspired by MC5's fearless approach to music and activism. The breadth of MC5's impact can be heard by all the album's players, including Vicki Randle (ARETHA FRANKLIN),Stevie Salas (PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC, ROD STEWART),Abe Laboriel Jr. (PAUL MCCARTNEY),Winston Watson Jr. (BOB DYLAN) and Joe Berry (M83). Far more than a trip down memory lane, "Heavy Lifting" is a resounding affirmation that the spirit of punk endures.

"It's very heavy," Ezrin reports on "Heavy Lifting". "It has a revolutionary message but also a good sense of humor. There's a little bit of heavy metal. There's quite a bit of funk. But it is a heavy record, and it's a guitar record left, right and centre. Just a wall of guitars most of the time, and mostly driven by Wayne and his ethos. It's a snapshot of a guitar man at the height of his powers. We all feel a responsibility to make sure that his work is heard, and he is celebrated. We poured our hearts into the project."

In addition to the 13-track album, a 2CD / 2LP bonus disc will be released including previously unreleased live recordings from the MC50 tour in 2018 celebrating the 50th anniversary of MC5's revered 1969 debut album "Kick Out The Jams", which features classic anthems like "Kick Out The Jams" and "Ramblin' Rose". Alongside Kramer, the MC50 live band features SOUNDGARDEN guitarist Kim Thayil, FUGAZI drummer Brendan Canty, FAITH NO MORE's bassist Billy Gould, and frontman Marcus Durant (ZEN GUERRILLA) with a special guest appearance by Mark Arm (MUDHONEY). See the full track listing below.

"Heavy Lifting" track listing:

01. Heavy Lifting (feat. Tom Morello)
02. Barbarians At The Gate
03. Change, No Change
04. The Edge Of The Switchblade (feat. William Duvall and Slash)
05. Black Boots (feat. Tim McIIrath)
06. I Am The Fun (The Phoney)
07. Twenty-Five Miles
08. Because Of Your Car
09. Boys Who Play With Matches
10. Blind Eye (feat. Dennis Thompson)
11. Can't Be Found (feat. Vernon Reid and Dennis Thompson)
12. Blessed Release
13. Hit It Hard (feat. Joe Berry)

Additional track listing (2CD/2LP):

01. Ramblin' Rose
02. Kick Out The Jams
03. Come Together
04. Motor City Is Burning
05. Borderline
06. Gotta Keep Movin'
07. Future/Now
08. Poison
09. Shakin' Street
10. Sister Anne

Photo credit: Jim Newberry (above) / Margaret Saadi Kramer (below) (courtesy of The Outside Organisation)

In a new interview with Laureline Tilkin of Tuonela Magazine, Peter Tägtgren of Swedish industrial metallers PAIN was asked about recent accusations of plagiarism leveled against Croatia's 2024 entry BABY LASAGNA, whose song for this year's competition, "Rim Tim Tagi Dim", is said to be very similar to PAIN's "Party In My Head", which was originally released in 2021.

"I didn't even hear it in the beginning, and [comments about the supposed similarities between the two songs] started popping up everywhere," Peter said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "People were, like, 'Oh, I think Croatia stole your song,' blah, blah, blah. And I was, like, 'What? I don't hear it.' I just hear 'woo hoo hoo' [in the chorus], but you hear 'woo hoo hoo ' in 'I Love It Loud' with KISS since '81 or whatever. So, for me, I was fine with that. And then, actually, our bass player explained, 'Well, he has the same kind of figure of singing.' Whatever. I don't care. I thought it was fun. And I think it's good that they put in a little bit metal in this Eurovision thing, like they did with the LORDI 15 years ago. When you get it right, it gets popular. So people want more metal."

When the interviewer noted that it must make him feel good when other musicians are inspired by his work, Peter said: "I mean, I have no problem, like I said. I'm honored, even though it doesn't say my name on it. But you can maybe feel that he heard 'Party In My Head' before. So I'm totally fine with that."

BABY LASAGNA was formed by 28-year-old singer-songwriter Marko Purišić, who is from Umag, Croatia. Marko adopted the pseudonym BABY LASAGNA following the launch of his solo career in 2023.

At last month's Eurovision 2024 grand final, BABY LASAGNA achieved Croatia's best-ever result at the contest, topping the public vote and finishing second overall.

BABY LASAGNA won the televote but ultimately finished as a runner-up. Marko received 337 points from the public, while Nemo, the winner, received 226 points from the public. The difference was made by the juries, who awarded Switzerland 365 points and Croatia 210 points.

In some of his interviews, Marko admitted to taking inspiration from RAMMSTEIN, whose lead singer Till Lindemann has collaborated with Tägtgren on two full-length albums in the past.

"RAMMSTEIN all the way!" Marko said. "When I first started the first riff [for 'Rim Tim Tagi Dim'], I wanted it to sound like a RAMMSTEIN riff."

PAIN's new album, "I Am", came out on May 17 via Nuclear Blast Records.

ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello made his live debut with Norwegian black metal veterans SATYRICON on Thursday, June 6 at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

Bello is playing bass for SATYRICON for the latter band's summer 2024 European festival appearances, including Mystic Festival in Poland, Hellfest in France and Tons Of Rock in Norway.

When Bello's addition to SATYRICON's touring lineup was first revealed on May 27, SATYRICON wrote in an online post: "There is smoke in the chimney at the SATYRICON HQ every day. Next week we will fire up the engine again, starting at Sweden Rock and Mystic Festival. From there we go to Hellfest, Tons Of Rock, ARTmania Festival, Grieghallen/Beyond The Gates (two nights in a row),Brutal Assault, Hellsinki Metal Festival, Alcatraz Festival, Bloodstock Open Air and finally Næstved Metal Fest. In November we come to Latin America.

"As you can imagine, we look immensely forward to seeing all SATYRICON Ultras across the world again.

"If we're not playing anywhere near you, maybe you will travel to see us, if not we will meet later some day. This is going to be THE summer!"

When one of Bello's Instagram followers asked him if he was in SATYRICON now, Frank responded that he was "just playing some shows with them".

In April and early May, Bello sat out ANTHRAX's South American tour as well as two U.S. festival dates due to "personal reasons." Filling in on those shows was 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 guitarist Scott Ian.

In a recent interview with Finland's Chaoszine, Lilker was asked about the announcement that Bello was going to play a few festival shows with SATYRICON this summer and whether that meant that Dan would play more gigs with ANTHRAX in the future. Lilker responded: "I think it's only that because ANTHRAX had no plans in the summer anyway. They weren't doing all the Euro fests or anything. So, during the summer, everybody in ANTHRAX would go do something else. So, I think Frank had that plan anyway. So it's funny, because SATYRICON are old friends of mine from the Norwegian scene. Scott had told me, though, that Frank might do something like that. And I, of course, was surprised, but I think SATYRICON has changed from the very grim, dark stuff to more kind of like dark rock and roll. So I think that's cool. And I think he'll be great with that. He's a great bass player."

Last July, Frank and his wife Teresa celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. They share a son, Brandon, who just turned 18 earlier this month.

Bello released a memoir, "Fathers, Brothers, And Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment, And Anthrax", in October 2021 via Rare Bird. The foreword to the book was written by KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons.

Born into a family of five, Frank grew up in difficult circumstances. His father abandoned his wife and children, and Frank's mother moved heaven and earth to keep them fed and educated. Left with no male role model, Frank found inspiration in heavy metal bass players, following their example and forging a career with ANTHRAX from his early teens — first as a roadie, and then as the group's bass player.

International stardom came Frank's way by the mid-to-late 1980s, when he was still in his early twenties, but tragedy struck in 1996 when his brother Anthony was murdered in New York. Although the case went to trial, the suspected killer was released without charge after a witness, intimidated by violent elements, withdrew his testimony.

Bello's mother Rose died in April 2023.

Rosie was the older sister of Benante, who enlisted Frank to join ANTHRAX in 1984.

There is smoke in the chimney at the Satyricon HQ every day. Next week we will fire up the engine again, starting at...

Posted by Satyricon on Monday, May 27, 2024

BABYMETAL and ELECTRIC CALLBOY, two of the most acclaimed bands right now, have released a performance video for their new song collaboration that will make you dance and sing: "Ratatata". This song masterfully fuses the signature styles of both bands, seamlessly blending their worlds and pushing the music to exhilarating new limits. The clip was filmed on May 25 at BABYMETAL's first edition of the band's very own festival, "Fox_Fest", which featured appearances by ELECTRIC CALLBOY and POLYPHIA.

BABYMETAL commented on the new collaboration: "Unbeatable! Let's 'Fu Fu' together with 'Ratatata'."

ELECTRIC CALLBOY added: "Working with BABYMETAL was so much fun. We joined our creative forces and, in the end, we brought together the best of both worlds. We love 'Ratatata'!"

Always pushing boundaries and testing the limits of metal music, BABYMETAL are no strangers to collaborations, with recent partnerships including BRING ME THE HORIZON, Tom Morello and Lil Uzi Vert.

While basking in the success of their latest album "Tekkno", ELECTRIC CALLBOY is also making waves on the live circuit. The band just wrapped a successful run of dates in North America, and now they're poised to appear at some of the biggest festivals around the world this summer.

Eaarlier this week, BABYMETAL announced a fall 2024 headline tour across North America, with support from SCENE QUEEN on select dates. Produced by Live Nation, the 15-date trek will kick off on Tuesday, November 5 in Orlando, Florida at the Hard Rock Orlando, with additional stops in Charlotte, Madison, New York, Oklahoma City and more before wrapping up on Tuesday, December 3 in Anaheim, California at the House Of Blues.

In April 2023, BABYMETAL announced the addition of a new third member, Momoko Okazaki, who goes by the name of Momometal.

Okazaki had been a member of BABYMETAL's trio of backup dancers (along with Kano Fujihira and Riho Sayashi),known as "Avengers", since 2019, following the departure of one of BABYMETAL's original members, Yuimetal, in October 2018.

Momoko's addition to BABYMETAL was announced during the band's show at the Pia Arena MM in Okazaki, Japan.

Momoko was once a member of SAKURA GAKUIN and participated in South Korean reality TV show "Girls Planet 999" as a contestant. However, the singer left the series after the show's first elimination round.

In 2018, BABYMETAL announced the departure of Yuimetal, who was formerly one of the members of the Japanese group's core trio. She exited the band, explaining in a statement that she would go on to pursue a solo career as Mizuno Yu.

BABYMETAL was formed in 2010. Their mission was to unify the world through heavy metal by creating a fusion of heavy metal and the Japanese pop genre. Their music contains a stunning mix of electronic pop, a pinch of alternative and industrial rock, and is leveled up by fast-driven heavy metal. Their live shows are ground-breaking and epic visual as well as sound performances. BABYMETAL continued to travel the path of metal with the international release of their three albums, telling the story of the mighty Fox God and his brave metal warriors.

A book about the first ten years of BABYMETAL, "Bessatsu Kadokawa Souryoku Tokushuu", was released in Japan in October 2020. It contains a long interview with Su-metal and Moametal as well as never-before-heard stories from band producer Kobametal from BABYMETAL's decade-long history, photos taken from live shows, a discussion between Demon Kakka and Kobametal, and much more.

BABYMETAL's latest concept album "The Other One", was released in March 2023.

Last summer/fall, BABYMETAL embarked on a co-headline tour with DETHKLOK, the on-screen heavy metal band and stars of Adult Swim's "Metalocalypse".

Photo by Christian Ripkens

Earlier today (Friday, May 31),PAPA ROACH singer Jacoby Shaddix and guitarist Jerry Horton took part in an acoustic performance and question-and-answer session at " The Lounge" at the Chicago alternative rock station Q101. You can now watch the session below.

Asked to name their favorite tour, Jerry said: "I would say the KORN tour. 'Cause we were young. We did Warped Tour in 2000, and then right after that we did KORN. And they us under their wing. They were, like, 'Grasshopper, we'll show you how to do it.' And they treated us great, and they set the bar for how we treated bands when we took them out."

Added Jacoby: "They were just, like, 'Turn up as loud as you want. You can use the stage however you want. Just get up there and throw down.' And like some bands aren't like that. They wanna squash your sound. They wanna, 'Oh, you can't use this part of the stage.'"

Asked to name some of those bands, Jacoby said: "I'll tell you right now. We did a tour with MÖTLEY CRÜE [in 2008]. And they had these wings. It was 'Crüe Fest'. It was sick, dude. And I had befriended the guys in the band. And I didn't know Vince [Neil, MÖTLEY CRÜE singer] very well. And there were these wings out on the side, and they were, like… The stage manager comes over and he goes, 'You can't use the wings.' I'm, like, 'Don't tell me [not] to do it, 'cause I will.' So I'm out there on the wing doing my thing. And it's, like, halfway through the tour, and I continue to not listen. And I'm getting calls from management and this and that. And we get off and we're in — it was in Ohio somewhere. And I remember getting off stage I'm all sweaty. I'm walking back to the bus. And you never see Vince and Nikki [Sixx, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist] together on tour. And these two dudes are walking side by side, and they stop and they're, like, 'Hey, how'd the show go?' And I was, like, 'Oh, it was banging, dude. What's up?' Vince looks at me, and he goes, 'You know, next time you walk out on that wing over there, you could just walk right off this tour.' And I didn't skip a beat, and I just looked at him. I said, 'So there is a fucking way off this tour.' I just walked away. And I'm, like, 'Man…' I love the dudes in MÖTLEY CRÜE, but it was, like, 'How are you gonna try to tell somebody to live by rules? You're fucking MÖTLEY CRÜE. Give me a break.' Like, nah, dude. You can't. Nah, it's, like, it just don't work."

Shaddix went on to say that he remained on good terms with MÖTLEY CRÜE despite the testy exchange with Neil. "And then they had us back on the second 'Crüe Fest'. So it didn't burn the bridge," he said. "It was a good time, man. They even had me on a song of theirs, 'Saints Of Los Angeles'. I got to go up and sing with them and almost get burnt by pyro every night. I'm like, 'Where is it coming from?' I'm like, 'Guess, kid.'"

This past January, PAPA ROACH shared a brand new live version of their hit single "Scars" featuring a guest appearance by Chris Daughtry.

"Scars Featuring Chris Daughtry (Live)" is not only a fresh take on one of the band's biggest hits, but it also serves as the latest release on the band's "Leave A Light On (Talk Away The Dark)" EP.

In February, PAPA ROACH's "Leave A Light On" became the band's 10th career No. 1, and its fourth from PAPA ROACH's latest album, "Ego Trip", on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.

"Ego Trip" debuted at No. 6 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart in April 2022.

Previous PAPA ROACH radio hits include "Between Angels And Insects", "Gravity", "Getting Away With Murder", "She Loves Me Not", "Falling Apart", "Help" and "Last Resort".

Jacoby Shaddix photo credit: Darren Craig (courtesy of Mercenary Publicity)

Legendary drummer Carmine Appice was recently interviewed on "The Adventures Of Pipeman", which airs on W4CY Radio. When host The Pipeman noted that bands like QUIET RIOT weren't considered real heavy metal back in the early 1980s at the start of the thrash metal movement with bands like METALLICA and SLAYER, Carmine concurred. "Even SLAYER. They weren't that buzzsaw guitar back in the day," Appice said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "All those bands. BIOHAZARD. I mean, all those bands — they were hard rock. And then as the, per se, metal movement moved on and everybody started having that buzzsaw, METALLICA kind of buzzsaw guitars and fast bass drums like Lars [Ulrich]. And I think that's where it all started. All that stuff that's going on today started with METALLICA — in my eyes. I mean, I [could] be wrong. But for me, and all the stuff before that, including BLACK SABBATH, was hard rock. I mean, BLACK SABBATH was just, to me, like another LED ZEPPELIN coming out of Birmingham. I mean, we played gigs with BLACK SABBATH back in the day when they first came out with CACTUS… We were rock blues and so was BLACK SABBATH. I mean, 'Paranoid', to me, back in the day was like a 'Communication Breakdown' [LED ZEPPELIN] kind of thing. And then as it went along and went along, I mean, their sound got thicker, but it still didn't have that buzzsaw sound. That's my own opinion. Everybody says SABBATH is heavy — they're heavy hard rock."

Last year, Carmine confirmed to Ultimate Guitar that BLACK SABBATH offered him the drummer position in the band before his brother Vinny landed the gig. "They wanted me, but at the time, I was playing with Rod [Stewart], and we were playing 20,000-seat gigs," he said. "So, my publicist who worked for Warner Brothers, which was the label SABBATH was on, said to me, 'Carmine, SABBATH is looking for a drummer. Would you consider it?' But at the time, SABBATH was not doing well, and they couldn't even sell out one night at the same places Rod was selling out six nights at. So, for me, black sabbath was a much smaller gig. And with Rod, I had a percentage of the take, so that was good for me, too. So, at that point, I felt like SABBATH wasn't a good gig for me, and I told my publicist I wasn't interested. Now, from there, they listened to my brother's album he did with Rick Derringer, and they loved his sound. So, connections were made, and when Tony Iommi met with Vinny, he said he was listening to that album constantly. In the end, it was good that Vinny got the gig because that started his career. Even though he had played with Rick Derringer, for Vinny, that was an important gig, and it gave him a huge leg up."

Asked what he might have brought to the table that differed from Vinny if he had taken the gig, Carmine said: "I might have brought some different drum sounds; I might have some songwriting stuff. In pretty much every band that I was with, I ended up getting involved with the songwriting, not only the drums. There are some similarities between my style and my brothers, but I think there are a lot of differences, too. It's known that I was an influence on Vinny, but he does his own thing. He hits the hell out of the drums, but then again, so do I. [Laughs]"

Appice is the original drummer of VANILLA FUDGE, with whom he still records and performs today. He has also played with CACTUS and BECK, BOGERT & APPICE, in addition to spending stints in the bands of Ozzy Osbourne and Rod Stewart, co-writing the latter's No. 1 hit "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"Carmine was named the 28th greatest drummer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

Appice is widely considered to be one of the most accomplished showmen in rock and is the recipient of numerous awards, including dozens of gold- and platinum-selling records. Carmine has broken new ground in every aspect of his career as a performer, as a teacher, and as a writer, and he continues to inspire drummers and listeners throughout the world with his originality and his unwavering dedication to the art of drumming.

Carmine's autobiography, "Stick It!: My Life Of Sex, Drums, And Rock 'N' Roll", was released in May 2016 by Chicago Review Press.

Under the moniker APPICE, Carmine and his brother Vinny released "Sinister", their first joint studio album, in October 2017 through SPV/Steamhammer.

M-Theory Audio has announced the second album, and first for M-Theory Audio, from VERNI. If the name sounds familiar, VERNI is the solo project of legendary bassist D.D. Verni, better known as the bassist and a founding member of thrash metal legends OVERKILL. D.D. has held the bottom end of OVERKILL for four decades and been key in writing the band's material and overseeing much of their business over the years. VERNI gives D.D. the chance to step more into the spotlight and express himself without limitations.

"Dreadful Company" will be released July 26 on digital, CD and limited-edition vinyl (either black/white marble or traditional black) with insert and digital download card. As a bonus, if you preorder via M-Theory Audio's webstore or through Bandcamp you'll get an individually signed D.D. Verni photo, while supplies last.

Much like his first solo album, 2018's "Barricade", D.D. wrote all the songs on "Dreadful Company" in addition to singing, and playing guitar and bass. While this album bears some resemblance to "Barricade", D.D. lets his punk roots shine through on this album, which leads to 11 blistering tracks chock full of electrified songs and infectious sing-alongs.

Verni states: "This one has been a long time comin'. So psyched to finally do a punk-ish record. The best thing about these solo ventures is to be able to try out different stuff.

"When Covid came, I found I had a lot of time in the studio, which is not normally the case, so I used it to really ramp up on writing stuff and getting to some things on my bucket list done...this was one of 'em.

"The mantra for the record was write it like a punk band and play it like a metal band. So, when I was writing there was no palm mutes or metal twinged anything, all wide-open RAMONES chords and then big melodies, then I came back later and started to add in the metal flavor, and more how I typically play guitar. I asked Jason Bittner (OVERKILL, SHADOWS FALL) to do the drums 'cause I knew he would kill it, and told him the same thing — play it like you would do it... only parameter I had was no double kick, which I think kind of made it interesting for him too, because that's out of his norm too."

The first single, "Lunkhead", premieres today on all streaming/download platforms. "Lunkhead" gives you a good idea of the direction of the album, plus it includes a special musical guest.

Verni explains: "I did most of the solos, but I knew I didn't want to do 'em all. I thought about the last solo record I did where I had kinda a lot of shredders, and that didn't make sense on a lot of these songs. So, I started to think outside the box: who do I know who can slip from punk to metal easily? I'm driving scanning through stuff that is kinda punk/metal mix, like VOLBEAT, MOTÖRHEAD, some of those METALLICA MISFITS cover tunes, etc., and S.O.D. [STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH] comes on... and I'm like, oh yeah forgot about them and I love that S.O.D. record! Who doesn't? I remember the credits saying Charlie Benante drums and one solo, and so I thought… 'I wonder if Charlie would do it.' I reached out and he was into it, so I sent him a few tunes. He gravitated to 'Lunkhead' and just went for it. It's great, I think! I wish he had the time to do more of 'em. So, for the lead song of the album, it's a bass player and two drummers doing all the tracks hahaha! Awesome!"

In addition to Benante, VERNI have enlisted a few more famous friends throughout the forthcoming record, including the diverse bunch of Virus (DOPE),Michael Romeo (SYMPHONY X) and Charlie Calv (ANGEL, THE BRONX CASKET CO.) on a few more select tracks.

"Dreadful Company" is truly a glimpse into another side of D.D., who even produced and engineered, with mixing and mastering by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, MUNICIPAL WASTE, SOULFLY) and cover artwork/design by Travis Smith (OPETH, DEVIN TOWNSEND, NEVERMORE).

D.D. added: "It was great doing a deal with M-Theory Audio, too. They are just good people and have a good (and believe it or not) a fair system for artists to be able to release product. It's nice to work with people that actually get it!

"Back in the day a label supported their artists with whatever venture they were pursuing. It's just not that way anymore, labels approach everything as a math problem instead of an art project, which is a shame because so many of the so-called 'side projects' like S.O.D., for instance, were just amazing stuff. Megaforce got behind it because ANTHRAX was their artist, as they should, and the result is we all got these great records."

Photo courtesy of Secret Service Publicity