Abramorama recently announced that they have acquired global theatrical distribution rights to the full-length documentary, Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision, from Experience Hendrix L.L.C. Abramorama previously distributed two other Jimi Hendrix documentaries, Electric Church, and the 2022 Grammy nominated Music, Money, Madness: Jimi Hendrix Live In Maui. An August release is planned, starting in New York City at the Quad on August 9, 2024, followed by a global roll out.


A new video trailer for Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision can be found below.







Evan Saxon, Abramorama’s President and Head of International Distribution states, “Abramorama is honored to once again collaborate with Experience Hendrix L.L.C, this time to share an insightful and never before seen documentary about one of the most famous recording studios in the world. Listen to an hour’s worth of music on your favorite playlist, DSP or radio station and odds are at least one of the songs was recorded at Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios.”


Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision chronicles the creation of the studio, rising from the rubble of a bankrupt Manhattan nightclub to becoming a state-of-the-art recording facility inspired by Hendrix’s desire for a permanent studio. Electric Lady Studios was the first ever artist owned commercial recording studio. Hendrix had first envisioned creating an experiential nightclub. He was inspired by the short-lived Greenwich Village nightspot Cerebrum whose patrons donned flowing robes and were inundated by flashing lights, spectral images and swirling sound. Hendrix so enjoyed the Cerebrum experience that he asked its architect John Storyk to work with him and his manager Michael Jeffery. Hendrix and Jeffery wanted to transform what had once been the Generation Club into ‘an electric studio of participation’. Shortly after acquiring the Generation Club lease however, Hendrix was steered from building a nightclub to creating a commercial recording studio.


The documentary includes never-before-seen footage and photos as well as track breakdowns of Hendrix classics such as “Freedom,” “Angel” and “Dolly Dagger” by recording engineer Eddie Kramer who was awarded an Emmy for his work on the film "Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train A Comin'."


An award-winning producer / engineer and longtime Jimi Hendrix collaborator, Eddie Kramer stated, “Jimi loved jamming at The Generation night club in the Village and when it went bankrupt, he and [manager] Mike Jeffery purchased it with a view to making it a place for him and his friends to relax and possibly record their jams on an 8-track tape machine in the corner. Soon thereafter I was asked to evaluate the space. I remember walking down the stairs to a demolition site as they had started to tear stuff down to see how much bigger they could make it. I knew at once that a club would be disastrous. I remember saying something like “You guys must be out your #$%^&ing minds! Do you have any idea of what Jimi spends in studio time in a year? Let’s build the best studio in the world for him so when he walks in, he can relax and record whenever he wants. The club idea was scratched, and Electric Lady Studios was born. By June of the next year (1970) Studio A was completed and after a few test sessions Jimi came in to record in HIS studio. Man was he proud of it. He loved the way it sounded and its vibe. We recorded many tracks for a new album over the next 4 months which became Cry of Love. The legacy of what Jimi wanted endures to this day: a place where one could create without being interrupted. Every artist who comes to Electric Lady Studios feels the spirit of Jimi Hendrix, a spirit that helps them create their own music!”


Directed by John McDermott and produced by Janie Hendrix, George Scott and McDermott, the film features exclusive interviews with Steve Winwood (who joined Hendrix on the first night of recording at the new studio), Experience bassist Billy Cox and original Electric Lady staff members who helped Hendrix realize his dream. The documentary includes never-before-seen footage and photos as well as track breakdowns of Hendrix classics such as “Freedom,” “Angel” and “Dolly Dagger” by recording engineer Eddie Kramer.


The documentary explains in depth that while Jimi Hendrix’s death robbed the public of so much potential music, the continued success of his recording studio provides a lasting legacy beyond his own music. John Lennon, The Clash, AC/DC, Chic, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Beyonce and hundreds more made records at Electric Lady Studios, which speaks to one of Jimi’s lasting achievements in an industry that has radically changed over the course of the last half century.


Janie Hendrix reflects, “Jimi’s creative mind was always filled with next level ideas. He was never content with the ordinary but was driven by the burning desire to create something incredible that hadn’t been done before. That was the catalyst for Electric Lady Studios. The film, Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision, brings to light just how forward-thinking and inventive Jimi was in every aspect of his music, including production and recording. It was at Electric Lady Studios where he pushed beyond the musical limits of what was known, and he then opened the door to other musicians, allowing them the space to realize their own artistic hopes and dreams. My brother conceived something so amazing and so big that it has lived on for decades since its inception, serving as a passageway for hundreds of artists to bring their creativity to a waiting world audience. This is what Jimi envisioned when he founded the New York brainchild, and his prophecy is fulfilled through the countless, brilliant musicians who have tapped into the energy of the studio Jimi created. Legendary artists such as Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, David Bowie, U2, Prince, Jon Batiste, Lana Del Rey, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, D’Angelo and so many others have produced their finest work in the inspired recording house. This film tells the story of how the dream of a visionary, who dared to think outside the musical box, can have a limitless reach, generation after generation. It tells Jimi’s story with his Electric Lady.”





For the first time in five years, The Experience Hendrix Tour, the critically acclaimed multi-artist celebration of Jimi Hendrix's musical genius, returns to the concert trail with a slate of concert dates that offer the musical excellence of numerous topflight artists in celebration of the life and legacy of Jimi Hendrix.


While there was a one-off event date in Austin, TX in 2022, the last full-fledged (pre-pandemic) EH tour took place in 2019. The concept for the Experience Hendrix Tour dates back more than 25 years; what started as a single concert at San Diego's Street Scene in 2001 and 2002 expanded by 2004 into a full-fledged national tour.


This year's outing marks the 20th anniversary of the Experience Hendrix Tour. This year's tour bring the music of Jimi Hendrix to audiences in the Pacific Northwest, California, Nevada, Arizona New Mexico and eastward through Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee concluding in Georgia and Florida. Most fittingly, the tour kicks off on September 19 in Seattle, Jimi Hendrix's hometown, at the Paramount Theater.


The tour presents a host of great artists collaborating and interpreting Hendrix's legendary songs as part of a powerhouse, three-hour concert experience. The wide range of multi-generational artists who participate in a reflection of the ecumenicism of Jimi Hendrix's classic repertoire and the diversity of those whose lives have been indelibly affected by his music. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is one of the major players in forthcoming edition of the Experience Hendrix Tour and a veteran of previous EH's outings. Shepherd, a five-time Grammy nominee and recipient of two Billboard Music Awards commented, "I'm excited to rejoin the Experience Hendrix tour this year. It's always been a great tour with exceptional artists honoring Jimi Hendrix, the greatest guitar player of all time, and his amazing and expansive catalog of songs. Being able to do a tour with friends always makes for a great time and this show is not to be missed."


Other notable artists who are part of the tour this time out include the legendary blues icon Taj Mahal, Zakk Wylde, founder of Black Label Society and most recently part of the reformed Pantera, Mississippi-born blues wunderkind Christone "Kingfish" Ingram who is both a Grammy Award winner and was named Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year at least year's Blues Music Awards, guitar greats Eric Johnson and Dweezil Zappa, Mato Nanji from Indigenous, Calvin Cooke and Chuck Campbell of the Slide Brothers, standard bearers of the "sacred steel" musical tradition, and vocalist Henri Brown. Participating artists vary for performance dates so Experience Hendrix concert goers are encouraged to visit experiencehendrixtour.com for specifics about each of the tour stops.


This year's tour will also present a host of rising stars including Texas born and raised blues sensation Ally Venable, who headlined the 60-date European Blues Caravan tour when she was just 20 years old, vocalist Dylan Triplett, Seattle guitarist Ayron Jones, young Brazilian blues rock guitarist Arthur Menezes and 20-year-old Mathias Lattin, winner of the Blues Foundation's 2023 International Blues Challenge. Other artists joining the tour for select dates (see below include Blues Music Award winner Samantha Fish, and Stanley Jordan, the noted jazz guitarist who is an exponent of the two-handed tapping technique. Beyond these artists, special guests will drop in over the course of the tour. These include country music sensation Hunter Hayes, legendary Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and many others to be announced.


The 2024 Experience Hendrix Tour is sponsored by Marshall, Fender, Dunlop, Hal Leonard, JMH Productions, Experience Hendrix, and Authentic Hendrix. Marshall amps have long been associated with Jimi Hendrix and were his amplifiers of choice during his career. Fender is now celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster, the guitar most often associated with Jimi Hendrix. Dunlop makers of gear and accessories, recently launched line of Authentic Hendrix '68 Shrine Series of stomp boxes/effects pedals while Hal Leonard, the world's largest print music publisher, has long had an association with Experience Hendrix, L.L.C.





Dates:


September
19 - Seattle WA - Paramount Theatre
20 - Spokane WA - First Interstate Center for the Arts
21 - Forest Grove OR - Grand Lodge
22 - Reno NV - Grand Theatre/Grand Sierra Resort
25 - Santa Rosa CA - Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
26 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery
27 - Las Vegas NV - Smith Center
28 - Highland CA - Yaamaya Theater
29 - Tucson AZ - Fox Theatre


October
1 - Anaheim CA - City National Grove
3 - San Diego CA - Rady Shell
4 - Mesa AZ - Mesa Arts Center/Ikeda Theater
5 - Albuquerque NM - Kiva Auditorium
6 - Colorado Springs CO - Pikes Peak Center
9 - San Antonio TX - Majestic Theatre
10 - Houston TX - Bayou Music Center
11 - Ft. Worth TX - Will Rogers Auditorium
12 - Tulsa OK - River Spirit Casino
13 - Shreveport LA - Shreveport Municipal Auditorium
15 - Nashville TN - Ryman Auditorium
16 - Evans GA - Columbia Country Performing Arts Center
17 - Clearwater FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
18 - Pompano Beach FL - Pompano Beach Amphitheater
19 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheater


For further details, visit the Experience Hendrix Tour page, here. Watch a video trailer below:

Italian power metallers, Frozen Crown, have shared a new video featuring guitarist Alessia Lanzone playing "Netherstorm" from the band's 2018 debut, The Fallen King. Check it out below. 





Frozen Crown recently issued the following update:




"New album complete!


Dear friends, many of you asked us what we were doing behind the scenes during the last months. Now, after some hints here and there, we can say we're happy and proud beyond words to finally be able to listen to this new material. It's the best stuff we ever recorded and yes, we know, all bands say this about their latest album, but this time it couldn't be truer. Not only cause this is the first material recorded as a 6-piece band, but also cause this is the very first time every single Frozen Crown member actively contributed to the final result.


Once again we worked with the best, who has been the hidden additional band member for all these years: Andrea 'Fusix' Fusini, which crafted the sound of all our albums since the beloved debut The Fallen King. You may have listened to some of his latest work on Napalm Records if you happened to check the latest Delain album!"





Frozen Crown inked a worldwide contract with Napalm Records in June 2023. The five-piece was founded in 2018, and have since become one of the most influential Italian metal bands in the current scene.


So far, Frozen Crown have released four albums - The Fallen King (2018), Crowned In Frost (2019), Winterbane (2021) and this year’s Call Of The North - which have brought the band huge media exposure, millions of streams and video views, and big European tours with the likes of Dragonforce and Nanowar Of Steel, as well as two headlining tours in Japan.


Their current album, Call Of The North, is Frozen Crown’s most mature work so far, showcasing the best of the band’s unique power metal style infused with classic heavy metal, melodic death metal and speed metal influences, all topped with bombastic production highlighting opulent orchestrations and harmonies.


Frozen Crown on the signing: "We're happy and honored to join the Napalm Records family and we're ready for our next big step together. Since we founded this band in 2018 we worked hard incessantly, day after day, not only trying to put our best in our studio albums and live, but also managing the band all by ourselves, conquering every single little accomplishment with our DIY attitude, always keeping loyal to our (extremely) small entourage. Thanks to the support of our lovely fans, Frozen Crown eventually grew bigger, and got to a point where we were not able to handle it all by ourselves anymore. At the same time, we knew we needed more firepower to push the band further and bring it to the next level. And speaking of firepower, Napalm Records was just the best record label to start this new chapter with... We're excited beyond words to be part of the best metal label in the world, and we can't wait to start working together on our new album, joining forces with this huge team of professionals."


Sebastian Muench, Senior A&R Napalm Records, adds: “Frozen Crown are simply one of the most creative power metal bands to emerge in the last five years. Their previous releases, Winterbane and Call Of The North, are brilliant. We look forward to working with Frozen Crown to reach the next level in their career.”


Frozen Crown are:


Giada “Jade” Etro - Vocals
Federico Mondelli - Vocals, Guitar
Fabiola Bellomo - Guitar
Francesco Zof - Bass
Niso Tomasini - Drums

Known for their electrifying performances, Thunder Horse is set to reignite a cherished tradition with the July 5th release of their latest album, Dead Alive in Texas. Evoking the spirit of rock's golden era, Thunder Horse channels the energy and raw power of live performances into a captivating nine-track record. Get your copy of Dead Alive in Texas on CD and/or Vinyl now at this location.


In homage to the revered practices of the 1970s, where legendary bands would unleash three studio albums before delivering a monumental live experience, Thunder Horse follows suit with Dead Alive in Texas. Recorded live in Cibolo, TX, the album captures the essence of Thunder Horse's exhilarating live shows, bringing fans closer to the heart of the music than ever before.


Dead Alive in Texas offers a visceral, in-your-face experience that harkens back to the glory days of rock 'n' roll. "Thunder Horse is proud to keep the flame of live rock music burning bright," says lead guitarist Todd “The Bird” Connally. "With Dead Alive In Texas, we invite our listeners to join us on a journey back to the roots of rock, where every riff and every beat pulses with the raw energy of the stage."




Artwork and tracklisting:





"Let Them Bleed"
"New Normal"
"Rememberance Demon"
"Demons Speak"
"Song For The Ferryman"
"Monolith"
"Liber Ad Christ Milites Temple"
"Chosen One"
"Ace Of Spades"


Check out the video for "Monolith":





For further details, visit Thunder Horse on Facebook.


 

Thy Will Be Done has unleashed an aggressive new song, "Join, Or Die", available now on all streaming platforms. Check it out below:





Speaking exclusively to BraveWords scribe Aaron Small, Thy Will Be Done vocalist J. Costa dissects "Join, Or Die": 




"This song was first drafted four to five years ago, with it really coming into its own recently. We are a very independent, center-based band. We just want the best for everyone, wherever they are on life’s journey, and believe everyone is on the level.


As someone who typically avoids diving into socio-political discourse, except with a select group of thoughtful and open-minded individuals in my life, I feel compelled to express some frustrations, drawing from my passion for metal and my experiences growing up in the '80s and '90s. The recent political debate has left many of us deeply disheartened. It seems to have devolved into a profit-driven spectacle where both sides of the political spectrum vie for attention.


There's a pervasive sense of corporate influence in our politics that concerns me deeply. The spectacle often distracts from the genuine needs of our nation's citizens. The erosion of checks and balances is particularly troubling; it's akin to removing guardrails on a hazardous mountain pass, inviting dangerous maneuvers and risking catastrophic failures. This undermines the core principles that uphold democracy and ensure accountable governance.


This song challenges people with different beliefs and opinions to work collaboratively as we have all been fed propaganda to fear or hate each other, in my opinion; amidst more bread and circuses. We the people need to look out for each other, work together, and protect each other's personal freedoms and liberties. When we know better, let’s do better.


It’s crucial to remember that every day, we exercise our influence through our choices, including how and where we spend our money.


Like the previous two, newest singles ("Encore Abomination" and "Prelude To Apostasy"), this one was also engineered by our guitarist Kurt Fraunfelter, and mixed by both Kurt and our lead guitarist, Chris Robinson. Mastering was again handled by George Richter at Edestus Audio. Another independent release on our Eye.On Lion Recordings with KMG Distribution handling the world-wide distribution. We haven’t announced the new album yet, but it’s imminent."





Thy Will Be Done recently supported Dead To Fall in Brooklyn, NY in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of their Villainy & Virtue album, and were recently announced as part of the second wave of artists on the 10th Annual RPM Fest in Massachusetts along with Misery Index, Prong, Jasta, Bongzilla and others. Upcoming Thy Will Be Done appearances are as follows:


July 
12 - New World Tavern - Plymouth, MA


August 
31 - RPM Fest - Montague, MA








For further details, visit Thy Will Be Done on Facebook.


 

When Janne and Antti Wirman reactivated their band, Warmen, in August 2023, no one could have guessed what would await us. While Warmen was known in the past as a side project and playground for the Children Of Bodom keyboardist, the men (Janne “Warman” Wirman, Petri Lindroos, Antti “Warman” Wirman, Jyri Helko & Seppo Tarvainen) released Here For None, a breathtaking melodic death metal masterpiece and impressively followed in the footsteps of Janne's previous band.


On June 28th, Warmen performed at the Tuska Festival in Helsinki, Finland. Fan-filmed video of the entire show can be viewed below.


Setlist:




"Warmen Are Here For None"
"The Driving Force"
"A World of Pain"
"Too Much, Too Late"
"Night Terrors"
"The End Of The Line"
"Hate Me!" (Children Of Bodom)
"Sixpounder" (Children Of Bodom)
"Death's On Its Way"
"In Your Face" (Children Of Bodom)
"Hell On Four Wheels"
"Somebody's Watching Me" (Rockwell)





Warmen recently released an animated music video for one of the new album's most popular songs, "A World Of Pain". The fully animated video clip was created by students on the Bachelor of Design (Animation & Interactive Media) course at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. They have spent the last 15 weeks working on the video and the result is a visual fireworks display, an animated short film. Producers Aaron McLoughlin and Simon Norton and their team spent around 3,000 hours creating the video. It can be viewed below.


 


The band explains: "We're delighted to have now received an animated video from RMIT University and we have to say it's fantastic. It's an incredible visual fireworks display that matches our song: 'A World Of Pain'. Probably the most brutal song on the last album it's always fun to play live, completely different to what we've ever done before. Have fun watching!"


 Aaron McLoughlin adds: "Our first impression of the song was how epic the raw emotion sounded, so we wanted to convey that sense of scale. RMIT's talented animation students never fail to impress, and they have dreamed up this brutal off-world setting in which large Things happen. The concept art was so amazing that we immediately knew we had to incorporate a lot of visual effects into the hand-drawn animations, much more than we had ever done before. I'm super proud of the result - it's a planet-destroying track and the team has worked countless hours to visualize the power of Warmen."





Here For None was released worldwide August 18, 2023 via Reaper Entertainment. True to the motto, "The king is dead, long live the king," Warmen is not only headed towards heavier shores musically due to the band’s updated lineup, but it can also be said with justification that Warmen is taking on the musical legacy of Wirman's former band in a spectacular way.


“I will always be Janne from Bodom. That's okay with me. I'm happy about it and I don't have to hide my past. I also see that as a positive thing for Warmen,” Wirman notes of his good reputation and the attention he gets within the metal scene. Together with his brother Antti Wirman and longtime friend Jyri Helko, the trio has recuited Seppo Tarvainen on drums as well as Petri Lindroos (Ensiferum) on vocals to make Here For None a true masterpiece of melodic death metal.





Tracklisting:


“Warmen Are Here For None”
“The Driving Force”
“A World Of Pain”
“Too Much, Too Late”
“Night Terrors”
“Hell On Four Wheels”
“The End Of The Line”
“Death’s On Its Way”
“The Cold Unknown”
“Dancing With Tears In My Eyes”


“Warmen Are Here For None”





Warmen:
Janne Wirman - keyboards
Petri Lindroos - vocals
Antti Wirman - guitar
Jyri Helko - bass
Seppo Tarvainen – drums

DEF LEPPARD and JOURNEY kicked off their co-headlining North American tour Saturday night (July 6) at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. Support at the gig came from fellow rock legends CHEAP TRICK.

13 of the 18 songs in DEF LEPPARD's set were culled from the band's two biggest albums, the diamond-certified "Pyromania" and "Hysteria". Among the tracks featured in the set were "Pyromania" opener "Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)" and DEF LEPPARD's latest single, the recently released "Just Like 73".

Regarding the setlist for the current tour, DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen told Ultimate Classic Rock: "We changed the whole set. You know, there’s a whole screen [production] and we've been using pretty much the same stuff for like 12 years. So we've changed it completely. The stage show is drastically different. It's going to take a lot of energy. There's going to be a lot of running around. So I'm working out, trying to get the stamina up and all of that. Vocally, too. You know, I'm having to sing every single day."

DEF LEPPARD's setlist for the St. Louis concert was as follows:

01. Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)
02. Rocket
03. Foolin'
04. Armageddon It
05. Animal
06. Love Bites
07. Just Like 73
08. Comin' Under Fire
09. Too Late For Love
10. Die Hard The Hunter
11. Two Steps Behind
12. This Guitar
13. Bringin' On The Heartbreak
14. Switch 625
15. Rock Of Ages
16. Photograph
17. Hysteria
18. Pour Some Sugar On Me

DEF LEPPARD's 23-city trek with JOURNEY will continue through September 8 in Denver, Colorado. Along the way, the two Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees will bring their show to stadiums in major cities like Chicago, Nashville, Boston, Toronto, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and more. CHEAP TRICK will play two shows at the beginning of the tour and two concerts at the end of the trek, while STEVE MILLER BAND will join the bill for the majority of shows.

DEF LEPPARD frontman Joe Elliott previously shared that the band's set on the 2024 tour will celebrate specific parts of the rockers' history. "We may even have a surprise or two up our sleeves," he said in a statement.

JOURNEY recently completed a number of dates as part of its 50th-anniversary "Freedom" tour.

The DEF LEPPARD/JOURNEY tour is being promoted by AEG Entertainment.

Both bands are offering VIP packages through their respective web sites.

DEF LEPPARD's VIP experiences include a premium seat, personal photo with the band, exclusive merchandise and more.

During an appearance on the June 20 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Collen stated about "Just Like 73": "We started it when we were doing [2022's] 'Diamond Star Halos' [album], and anyone who doesn't know, that's a line from a Marc Bolan song [from] T. REX. He says 'hubcap diamond star halo'. And me and Joe [Elliott, DEF LEPPARD singer] have always used that phrase to describe the time that we got really baptized into music. I remember seeing [David] Bowie on 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' and 'Top Of The Pops' and was, like, 'Oh my God. This is my guy.' I was, like, 14 or 15. I'd already seen DEEP PURPLE; it my first concert, which was amazing. So, then all of a sudden this glam stuff came out. So we would always describe that as 'Diamond Star Halos'."

Phil continued: "I was writing a song with Dave Bassett, who I wrote 'Kick' with. And the same deal — I really want to put a SLADE slant on the backing vocals and just make it very much about '72 or '73. And Joe heard the demo and he's, like, 'Why can't you have both?' So we did, and then Joe started writing some lyrics because he's obviously really tapped into that, and all the verse lyrics and all the imagery from exactly that 'Diamond Star Halos' period ends up on this song. We actually hadn't finished it, so the rest of the band hadn't even heard the demo, and we played it to everyone and they all loved it. They all put their stuff on it. Viv [guitarist Vivian Campbell] played guitar, Sav [Rick Savage] did [his bass tracks], Rick [Allen, DEF LEPPARD drummer] put his part on and then we had some vocals — everyone had sung on it — and before you know it, it came out like this. So, we're really thrilled. It actually sounds better than the stuff on 'Diamond Star Halos', to my ears. So I'm really excited about that. And it seems that everyone really digs it as well."

Asked if this is a one-off single or the seed of another DEF LEPPARD full-length album, Phil said: "Oh, it's absolutely the seed of another DEF LEPPARD record. I mean, it was a leftover from the album before, but it was also the start of a new album. So, without a doubt. [Joe and I] write all the time. We send each other things. Sav gets in on there. Just between the three of us, there's just a lot of stuff floating around already. So we've, yeah, got a bunch of stuff. It's really exciting. And it's a great place to be. It's never that thing where, 'Well, we've got to sit down and write an album.' It's, like, 'Wow, I can't wait to play this to the guys and see what the reaction is.' And we keep pushing the boat out even further."

Regarding whether he envisions a new DEF LEPPARD full-length album coming out this year, Phil said: "This year would be pushing it, I think this year. But once we kind of get into the groove, I think — yeah. Who knows? Next year [or] early the year after. But you know how these things go. We have these tours and everything, but we've got a new song. So that's really exciting. So that'll be on the go pretty soon."

"Just Like 73" will arrive on seven-inch vinyl on August 2, 2024 and will be available in a special color variant only through the band's D2C store and in black at all retailers.

"Just Like 73" notably marks the first collaboration between the iconic rock titans and the legendary guitarist, sonic innovator and co-founder of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE. The single revolves around a classic DEF LEPPARD stomp fueled by a robust stadium-size beat, thick riffing, and a signature chant, "Rock with me, just like 73!" Meanwhile, a knockout gang vocal gives way to a signature fret-scorching solo from Morello. The instantly recognizable whammy bar wheezes as he shreds at lightspeed into one last head-nodding hook.

DEF LEPPARD's 12th studio album, "Diamond Star Halos", came out in 2022. A year later, the band followed it up with "Drastic Symphonies", a collection of reimagining of some of DEF LEPPARD's greatest hits with London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road. The album spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Current Classical chart.

DEF LEPPARD's 2022 stadium tour across North America with MÖTLEY CRÜE reportedly sold more than 1.3 million tickets.

Fan-filmed video of Kerry King's June 27 concert at Hellfest in Clisson, France can be seen below.

The setlist for the gig included 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.

The setlist was as follows:

01. Where I Reign
02. Trophies Of The Tyrant
03. Toxic
04. Two Fists
05. Residue
06. Idle Hands
07. Disciple (SLAYER song)
08. Shrapnel
09. Raining Blood (SLAYER song)
10. Black Magic (SLAYER song)
11. From Hell I Rise

Hellfest was one of the last shows of Kerry's 2024 European tour, which launched on June 3 — King's 60th birthday — in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

In a recent interview with Metal Hammer magazine, King stated about the setlist for his solo band's shows: "For this coming summer in Europe, we're gonna do like nine or 10 tracks from the album and, depending on set length, fill it with stuff I've done — something I wrote in SLAYER or co-wrote. So nobody can say 'he's playing Jeff [Hanneman, late SLAYER guitarist] songs,' because although I love Jeff songs and he was such a big part of my life, I don't want to rely on it this year, this album cycle. At some point, I will play 'Angel Of Death', but there's so many fucking faceless haters on the Internet, I don't want to give them ammunition."

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 drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER),bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH),guitarist Phil Demmel (formerly of MACHINE HEAD) and Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL) on vocals. 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 Martha Wingen of the Bleeding Metal podcast, King was asked to name "the most important message" on "From Hell I Rise". He said: "I don't know that there's a message on the album. I'm not that kind of person. I like to bring things to a conversation. Say, for instance, I've been talking today about, I think a lot of people are born into a religious belief based on being handed down from their parents, friends, whatever. What I like to present to people is ideas that if that makes them question what they believe, what they were taught… I think everybody should make up their own mind. And at the end of the day, that would be my message. Make up your own mind, be it politics, be it religion. Just be your own self."

Asked if he was able to realize something in his music he always wanted to do, like new influences or new styles, on "From Hell I Rise", Kerry said: "Realistically, my influences were influences 40 years ago and they still are my influences. And along that way, did I pick up more? Yeah, absolutely. But I think in doing this project, it's just the next record for me. I didn't have anything that I wanted to achieve that necessarily I hadn't achieved. I just wanna make up the next batch of music for people that I think are my fans, that I think they would like, because SLAYER has a gigantic amount of fans, and if I make 95 percent of them happy with what I do, I think I had a good day."

In a separate interview with with France's Loud TV, Kerry said about the prospect of launching a solo career: "It's kind of funny, right? It's kind of funny to have 40 years in this business at all, let alone be starting a new band. It's funny, our first show in Europe is gonna be on my 60th birthday at the only venue I've ever canceled in my life, which is super ironic."

Referencing the fact that SLAYER hasn't released a new studio album since 2015 and hasn't played any live shows since 2019, King added: "I'm obviously not done. I've got lots more music and lots more things to say, a lot more people to piss off and argue about. So, let's start this new endeavor now. Move on."

When the interviewer noted that it takes "courage" to launch a new project several decades into his career, King concurred: "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. So, I'm anxious to get out and start doing it."

King told Rolling Stone about the decision to call the band KERRY KING: "It was going to be KING'S REIGN for a long time, which is really cool. But even with that one, I went to the guys, like, 'I'm not a vain dude. I don't want my name to be a part of it.' We talked about BLOOD REIGN for a while, but it didn't work. Every time I came up with anything remotely cool, it was taken by some obscure band in Eastern Europe. It became KERRY KING because I love that logo."

King said the album is about "various religious topics, some war entries, heavy stuff, punky stuff, doomy stuff, and spooky stuff, with Herculean speeds achieved," adding, "If you've ever liked any SLAYER throughout any part of our history, there's something on this record that you'll get into, be it classic punk, fast punk, thrash, or just plain heavy metal."

King added there's more to come, too. "Even with a record in the can, I've still got so many songs that need to be finished," he said. "This is what I know how to do…number one being music, number two being metal. It's been a part of my life for 40 years, and I'm nowhere near being done."

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.

In a new interview with Serbia's Highwaystar Magazine, DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess was asked about the band's reunion with founding DT drummer Mike Portnoy, who rejoined the progressive metal titans last October after a 13-year absence. Jordan said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it was so great to have him back. In many ways it feels like we never lost a beat. Because he was one of the ones who started this band, and he loves it so much, the welcoming process was really immediate and we're all so happy to kind of re-establish what we had. I mean, it feels like getting the core band together again."

Rudess also talked about DREAM THEATER's upcoming "40th Anniversary Tour 2024 - 2025". The trek — presented as "An Evening With Dream Theater" — is the first outing since Portnoy's return to the band. The European leg of DREAM THEATER's "40th Anniversary Tour 2024 - 2025" consists of stops in 23 cities, including in Zagreb, Croatia, and kicks off on October 20 and runs through November 24. Asked what fans can expect from the Zagreb show, Jordan said: "Well, it's gonna be a very, very exciting concert, as you know, because everybody's so excited about this reunion of all of us. And Mike will also have a lot to do with helping to pick the songs that we play in the setlist. That's one of his great talents, to decide things like that. And it'll be just a celebration. We're gonna play a bunch of songs from our catalog. We'll pick some ones that everybody really wants to hear. And, yeah, I think they can expect probably one of the most exciting DREAM THEATER shows that they've ever been to. I can almost guarantee it."

Portnoy co-founded DREAM THEATER in 1985 with guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung. Mike played on 10 DREAM THEATER albums over a 20-year period, from 1989's "When Dream And Day Unite" through 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", before exiting the group in 2010.

Mike Mangini joined DREAM THEATER in late 2010 through a widely publicized audition following the departure of Portnoy. Mangini beat out six other of the world's top drummers — Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati, Aquiles Priester, Thomas Lang, Peter Wildoer and Derek Roddy — for the gig, a three-day process that was filmed for a documentary-style reality show called "The Spirit Carries On".

DREAM THEATER's upcoming sixteenth album, which is currently being recorded, will mark the progressive metal legends' first LP since Portnoy's return to the group.

Asked by Brazil's Marcelo Vieira and Matheus Ribeiro if DREAM THEATER's upcoming LP picks up from where the last DT album he played on, 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", left off or if it's a different thing entirely, Portnoy said: "If I'm being honest, I think it picks up right where 'Black Clouds' left off, to be honest. There's a certain style that the five of us have when we write together. And if you listen to the album with this lineup from 1999, '[Metropolis Pt. 2:] Scenes From A Memory', through 2009's 'Black Clouds & Silver Linings', if you look at that string of five or six albums, that's the sound and style of these five people. So I think that's a good indication of what you can expect with the new DREAM THEATER album. It definitely sounds like classic DREAM THEATER."

Last month, Portnoy told The Prog Report about the writing and recording sessions for DREAM THEATER's sixteenth studio album: "It's going great. The writing is done. My drum tracks are done. Guitars are done. So, this week we're in bass land. I'm home at the moment. So I'm kind of jumping back and forth between the studio as needed. I'm not there 100 percent of the time. But I'm gonna go back for keyboards in a few weeks and then we're gonna start the vocals, I think, next month."

He continued: "So, yeah, it's a long process. I haven't spent this much time making an album in a long time, because usually [Mike's other projects] NMB [NEAL MORSE BAND] or FLYING COLORS or whatever, you kind of get together, do the writing and the tracking, and everybody does it at home. But DREAM THEATER is still old school where the band is in the studio the whole time. And it's not like anybody's doing anything at home separately. We do it all together, coming in one at a time to work and record. So, yeah, it's a longer process than I've had in quite some time. But it's great… It's the old way. It's the way I always made records with DREAM THEATER. I just hadn't done it that way in so long, but it is good. And the process is really detailed this way. All these other bands and projects, everyone kind of just does their own thing on their own time at their own place. But this really gives a real unified kind of band vibe. Even a couple of weeks ago, James [LaBrie, DREAM THEATER singer] flew back out, came down from Japan and we spent time collaborating on vocal melodies, so lyrics can be written to those melodies, which is kind of the way the process is in DREAM THEATER. So, yeah, it's nice to just be a part of each one of these steps, like the old days. It's been a while since I made a record this way."

Portnoy went on to say that he "can't give away much details" about DREAM THEATER's next LP, "but we are all just really, really excited about it, really proud of it. And just can't wait to unleash some info, but I can't do that just yet," he added.

In April, DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie was asked by Rolling Stone magazine why he and his bandmates wanted Portnoy to return. He said: "I think we had to return the band back to its strongest form." Petrucci added: "It wasn't one singular thing; it was sort of a series of life events that caused an organic conclusion. We all talked about it. It was like, 'Yeah, this makes sense right now.'" Keyboardist Jordan Rudess chimed in: "There's so many factors involved, and each of us has our particular relationships. And it was just a moment when everything seemed to come together, and we went, 'You know what? Let's do this. Now's the time.'" Myung concurred, saying: "It was a collective moment of certainty."

Asked if he was surprised when he was invited back into the band, Portnoy said: "Before the Covid pandemic, if you had asked me or any of these guys, 'Was a reunion in the cards?' I probably would've said I doubted that it could happen. I think if the lockdown hadn't happened, you guys probably would've been on tour, and I would've been on tour with one of my 48 bands. But once we were all locked down, John asked me to play on his solo album. Then, from there, Jordan, John, and myself did the LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT album. And then I did John's tour. So there were just these series of events of reconnecting us — not only on a musical level but also on a personal level for many years prior to that.

"All of our families are friends," he continued. "And my daughter and John's daughter shared an apartment together for many, many years. And John Myung lives right down the block from me, and his wife's at my house every night. There was just a series of events both personally and musically that started to feel like, 'Well, maybe this really is in the cards. Maybe this is the right time.'"

Asked if they see this reunion as healing a fractured band, Portnoy said: "I don't want to be over-philosophical about it, but as we're all getting older. Here we are in our 50s and 60s. You start to think of the reality of, 'How much time do we have left?' I would hate it if this were to become a Roger Waters-PINK FLOYD or Peter Gabriel-with-GENESIS situation where the fans want it, but it never happens."

Petrucci added: "When Mike left the band, it was traumatic for all of us. We had to figure out how we were going to move our career forward. And those years that went by, they were also healing years because you don't just have something like that happen, and all of a sudden, you're all best buddies a week later. There's some trauma there that had to heal. Thirteen years was enough time for that to happen and be, like, 'Hey, you know what, man? We love each other like we're brothers.'"

U.S. thrash/hardcore punk legends SUICIDAL TENDENCIES have released a new single, "Nós Somos Família", a reworked version of their late 1990s song "We Are Family". The Portuguese-language rendition of the track brings together Brazilian artists Badauí (CPM22),B Negão (PLANET HEMP),João Gordo (RATOS DE PORÃO),Rodrigo Lima (DEAD FISH),Supla, Fernanda Lira (CRYPTA, ex-NERVOSA),Marcão Britto and Thiago Castanho (Charlie Brown Jr),in addition to world skateboarding champions Sandro Dias and Pedro Barros.

"Nós Somos Família" is the first SUICIDAL TENDENCIES studio recording to feature new drummer Jay Weinberg, a former member of SLIPKNOT who joined the Mike Muir-fronted outfit earlier this year. The song was recorded at Estúdio Central (formerly RedBull Station) in São Paulo, Brazil, and was executive produced by SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' longtime collaborator Alex Palaia. British producer Paul Northfield and Brazilian sound engineer Rico Manzano also participated in the project.

Regarding how "Nós Somos Família" came about, Muir told Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We'd always talked about like doing a song with some other people. And my friends got on the phone. We got Jay in the studio, recorded a track. I said, 'Let me talk to a few people.' They said, 'Who would you want me to talk to?' I mentioned a few people and got everybody in the studio recording on it. And it was just a great to see everybody on FaceTime or whatever doing it, how excited everybody was, how gracious they were with their time and everything. Amazing."

He continued: "I think when it comes to music, a lot of times people talk about travel and this and that and I always say, you see the side from a hotel room or driving down the road, but when people welcome you and you can go to places and feel at home and they welcome you in their homes and you meet their families and all that, that's an amazing feeling. And then on the music side, for some people to be on a song that you did, that's just something that I never would have dreamed of when it first started."

Elaborating on the challenges of bringing together so many different artists on one song, Muir said: "Well, a lot of it [came about] when I was down there talking to a lot of people, and people were, like, 'Oh, we should do a song,' or and we just kind of got talking about music and different things like that. And so, usually years ago or something, it would be very difficult. Everybody's got the labels they've gotta get signed off on and all those things. And now the beauty is if somebody wants to do something, they can do it pretty much. And fortunately, there's a lot of people that wanted to do it. And then the problem is people's schedules and getting a bunch of people and trying to find everybody's schedule that works out to get them in the studio at the same time. A lot of people had to do a lot of — we call it 'pretzel', twisting and changing schedules and this and that, which makes it even more appreciative that it happened because it isn't easy. And the more people you have, the harder it is and stuff. So it's just something that, yeah, like I said, I never would expect something like that to happen. And everybody just really went out of their way to make it as smooth as possible. And I think also, the other thing is, for me I don't understand Portuguese or whatever, but when I listen to it, you could you tell each person's kind of individuality or whatever and their distinctiveness, but it all works together. And I know sometimes when I've heard projects or whatever with different people, it doesn't sound right, it doesn't fit. And for me, I hear that and I go, this sounds amazing to me. It sounds really, really exciting and energetic. I love it."

During a press conference at last month's Hellfest in Clisson, France, Muir was asked if there are any plans for him and his SUICIDAL TENDENCIES bandmates to work on new music. He said: "When we did the last record [of all-new material], it was 'World Gone Mad' in 2016, I kind of said, it sounds bad, but I don't enjoy making records, because it's like full-on mental fuck to me and, then it's the time and the family and everything. It's difficult. But now having [guitarist] Ben [Weinman, guitar] in the band, [drummer] Jay in the band…. One of the first things Jay did after we did a couple shows, he's just, like, going, 'Dude, I wanna fucking make a record.' And the way he and Ben, they said it, they go, like… Ben was, like, 'When I was 12 years old and I heard SUICIDAL, it spoke to me. And other music, I heard a lot of music.' He goes, 'I wanna do a record like that.' And that's exactly what Jay said. Obviously, having [bassist] Tye [Trujillo], Robert's [Trujillo] a son in there, Robert's, like, 'Dude, you guys need to make a record. do that thing.' And so I think that we're definitely leaning towards doing it."

He continued: "We realized that a lot of people, with music, you look around and you see what's popular, what's trendy, and we go back to what was popular and trendy when we did our first record, and we didn't do any of that and all the reviews were terrible. And so we'll do a record that people probably will not like, and I will be very happy and stuff. But I think that years from now that people will sit there, and there'll be a lot of people that are not so much into trends or genres that'll go, like, 'That's a fucking really bad-ass record.' And so that's what I want to do. As I say, I like to like people, but I don't care if people like me. [Laughs] It makes my life easier."

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' latest album, "Still Cyco Punk After All These Years", was released in 2018 via Suicidal Records. A reworking of Muir's 1996 solo outing "Lost My Brain! (Once Again)", "Still Cyco Punk" featured founding SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo.

Last year, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES celebrated the 40th anniversary of their debut album on a number of shows in the fall, including in New York City; Silver Spring, Maryland; Worcester, Massachusetts; and Berkeley, California. SUICIDAL TENDENCIES also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the LP on a tour of Australia.

The 2024 lineup of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES includes founding member Muir alongside guitarists Ben Weinman (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) and Dean Pleasants, bassist Tye Trujillo (son of Robert Trujillo),as well as the band's latest addition, drummer Jay Weinberg.

In a new interview with Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3, SLIPKNOT co-founder and percussionist M. Shawn Crahan (a.k.a. Clown) spoke about the band's upcoming follow-up to 2022's "The End, So Far" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah. I mean, basically we're very fortunate right now. COVID did really kind of screw everything up. We were supporting [2019's] 'We Are Not Your Kind'. COVID hit, ended that cycle. We decided to write during that whole lockdown. We came out with 'The End, So Far'. This time, we're gonna go out and celebrate 25 years [of the release of SLIPKNOT's debut album] and kind of end 'The End, So Far'. And then yes, writing is very soon. And the good news is, like, we've reached a point where we've accomplished everything we wanted to try for ourselves. So we wanted to leave the book open to everything. And I think that we've really accomplished that. So now I think because of the lineup and where we're at and what we've done, I have a really, really spiritual feeling about this next one. So, I feel like it's gonna be — not that anyone has not liked or liked what we've done, I'm just saying I have a feeling this one is much needed for everybody. And I think it's gonna be widely accepted. So I'm very excited. Especially with Eloy [Casagrande, new SLIPKNOT drummer] being in the band and the other guys, there's a lot being brought to the table, and that is very, very exciting."

Crahan also once again talked about SLIPKNOT's plans to put out a set of 11 previously unreleased songs recorded by four members of the band during the sessions for its 2008 LP "All Hope Is Gone". Crahan originally revealed the existence of the music in 2018, saying that he, singer Corey Taylor, guitarist Jim Root and DJ Sid Wilson wrote and laid down the more psychedelic-flavored tunes at a separate studio during an impasse in the recording of "All Hope Is Gone".

"The only reason why it's not been out is because it's a timeless album," he explained. "It can be released 10 years ago, 10 years from now, today, so on and so forth. And the main reason, and this sounds like B.S., but this is the truth, every time we've gotten it to a place where we were gonna pull the trigger, life has thrown the band through a circumstance of some sorts. For instance, the artwork's done, the mixing is done, the mastering is done — it's all done. But we like to promote things so everyone gets that chance. And then what happens is something like COVID hits and then maybe someone in the band goes and does other things. So what we've gotta do is we've gotta put our attention to those things. And we're not trying to make 'Look Outside Your Window' that has to force things to stop, but other things are making it stop, 'cause we're not making it a priority. But I sort of put my foot down because I'm tired of hearing everybody — not the fans or yourself, but guys in the band that are on it. It's been so long now that they just laugh. And I laugh too, but I do believe we're gonna get it out this year. I don't see it as one of these things… It's not like we're gonna go tour it. That doesn't mean we won't play some shows; I don't know. But it's really just a gift for ourselves. So, I'd really like it. It is gonna come out. You have my word. There's no drama. It needs its right time. It needs its own space and not to share with anybody or anything else. So it has its due time in this reality. So that's all I can say."

One of the songs from "Look Outside Your Window", "'Til We Die", surfaced on the digipak of "All Hope Is Gone", but the rest have not been made available anywhere.

In 2019, Taylor described the material on "Look Outside Your Window" to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" as "experimental," "super vibey" and "super melodic." He added: "There's something about those songs. They're very solemn, very energetic, very artistic. For people who are used to a certain way of SLIPKNOT sounding, this doesn't sound anything like that. It's much more of a rock vibe. Honestly, it's much more of a RADIOHEAD vibe, to be honest."

According to Taylor, the music that was recorded for "Look Outside Your Window" was originally supposed to be released simultaneously with the "All Hope Is Gone" tracks, but the plan never quite came together.

"Man, I tried like hell to make those two worlds come together — 'All Hope Is Gone' and 'Look Outside Your Window' — to the point where I was taking songs from both and kind of putting them together, like arrangement, sequencing," Corey told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "I had two different versions of 'All Hope Is Gone' that I had put together with songs from that. And just honestly, because of the emotional rifts that were in the band, the turmoil that was going on, nobody wanted to try and make that work. So what we ended up with was 'All Hope Is Gone' and then this unreleased album, which we've been trying to find a way to release this for a really long time."

This past May, SLIPKNOT revealed that a new song "Long May You Die" was recorded during recent sessions with Casagrande.

In an interview with Brazil's Veja São Paulo, Eloy hinted that he and his new bandmates had worked on new material together, saying: "I think that was also part of the audition. They threw new ideas at me to see what my songwriting was like," he said. "They wanted to test me in every way."

However, Casagrande clarified that "I'm still trying to understand how the dynamics of the band work. It's not so clear yet how things work in terms of records and new songs. We've written a few things, and they're shelved for the time being.

"I don't think there's any pressure to record new material," he added. "But I'm sure they want to, I don't know when, because right now the band is focused on celebrating its 25th anniversary."

SLIPKNOT has played a handful of shows so far with Casagrande, including on April 25 at Pappy + Harriet's in Pioneertown, California, April 27 at Sick New World in Las Vegas, Nevada and May 12 at Welcome To Rockville in Daytona Beach, Florida.

For all the gigs so far in 2024, SLIPKNOT adopted a classic look, bringing back the 1999 red jumpsuits and elements of their early masks into their modern versions, tying into the fact that SLIPKNOT is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

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

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

Weinberg has since joined SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and INFECTIOUS GROOVES.

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

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

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

SLIPKNOT recently announced the North American portion of the "Here Comes The Pain" tour. In addition to the already announced dates across the globe, the "Here Comes The Pain" tour, produced by Live Nation, includes arena plays nationwide this summer. Highlights include New York City's Madison Square Garden, Los Angeles's Intuit Dome, Austin's Moody Center and more with direct support from Kentucky's young and vibrant hardcore/metal forerunners KNOCKED LOOSE. ORBIT CULTURE and VENDED are confirmed as support on select dates.

Guitarist Lars Eric Mattsson has released his emotional new single, "Feel". a classic rock/melodic hard rock uptempo song about longing for genuine love and happiness.


Stream the single here, and watch a video below:







Mattsson previously released the single and music video, "Burn". Watch the clip below:

Sweden-based genre-defying rock act, We Are The Catalyst, have released their new single, “My Dreams Are Killing Me”, a soul bearing song about not giving up on your dreams, being driven by passion, - even when it is destroying you and becomes self-destructive. The song is both a statement about never giving up, while at the same time addressing the self-destructive parts of being in a creative industry.





"For some reason these past few months the realization that it might not get any better than this, reflecting on choices we made in our musical career, obstacles, expectations and dissapointments, I just started to feel old," says the band's Kenny Boufadene. "Having spent so many years following a dream and not quite reaching where you feel you want to be, and not stoppping to really reflect, I think it becomes inevitable that you reach a point where it starts getting to you. While at the same time knowing that you will never stop, as it also keeps you alive when you feel so strongly about something and finding strength and life force there. It´s an odd thing. And I think it´s important that we dare talk about the dark sides of passions as they can easily turn dark and self-destructive.”




Themes of mental health is not something new for We Are The Catalyst, having been openly talking about such issues for many years, both in lyrics and officially.


“My Dreams Are Killing Me” is out now and can be found on all major streaming sites and e-stores. Listen on Spotify, and below:





With a trailblazing attitude and relentless work ethic, and with several successful tours and festivals in Europe and Asia under their belt, We Are The Catalyst has with their unique fusion of futuristic cinematic atmospheres and an explosive genre-defying rock sound proven time and again since their inception in 2012 that they are a force to be reckoned with.


Amounting to over 17 million streams and views online, and thousands of songs sold since the start, combining elements of rock, metal, pop, electronics, alternative rock and cinematic soundtracks, their sound is a genre all its own.

"A Few Good Men" is the third single and the fastest song from the upcoming Patriarchs In Black album, Visioning. Watch a lyric video below.


Says the band: "'A Few Good Men' is a tribute to the small group of true friends we have in our lives who are there for us in the most important moments. It's a commentary on the fair-weather friends that camaraderie is easy in good times, but with time you realize that only true friends are there when it counts. Time does not lie!"







Visioning will be released on July 19 as CD, Vinyl and digitally and can be pre-ordered here.





Tracklisting:


"Entry"
"What Do They Know? (For The Champions)"
"Before I Go"
"Heart Of Spite"
"Low Price"
"Welcome To Hell Again"
"Whiskey On My Mind"
"Empty Cup"
"Curse My Name"
"A Few Good Men"
"Birth"
"Visioning"


"Welcome To Hell Again" lyric video:





"What Do They Know? (For The Champions)":

Legendary drummer Carmine Appice, who is promoting the new CACTUS album, "Temple of Blues - Influences & Friends", has told the Toilet Ov Hell podcast that he is not a big fan of the access-over-ownership business model of streaming music.

"Keep pushing this album," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "That's what we need. And keep telling people to buy it and don't Spotify it. Buy it on iTunes. Buy it on Amazon. Because musicians get screwed on Spotify.

"I will never, ever play a song on Spotify," Carmine added. "If I want a song, I'll buy it on iTunes. I did it already a few times. I heard a song — on YouTube, I heard it, and I said, 'I'm gonna buy that.' And I bought it. And I heard another one and I bought it. That's the way to do it, 'cause that keeps the musician alive and making money and working. Otherwise, the only way a musician can make any work or money is to tour and do touring and merchandise. Lucky for me, knock on wood, I started a long time ago. All my big money was made. And I used it and made investments, so I'm sitting okay. But a lot of musicians are starting on Spotify. And they once said, 'Well, Spotify is like radio.' I said, 'No, it isn't. Radio, you get paid for it.'"

A year and a half ago, Carmine, who worked as Rod Stewart's kit-man in the 1970s and 1980s, co-writing Stewart hits "Young Turks" and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy", spoke to the "Music Biz Weekly Podcast" about his decision to sell his songwriter share of some of his most popular songs. He said: "There's no money in songwriting anymore. There's no money in selling records. I've got all these gold records on the wall; nobody gets those anymore. And that's how you make money.

"The only way to make any money today is if you get a song on Netflix or you get a song in a movie," he explained. "That's the only way to get money. 'Cause the streaming business is ridiculously useless.

"The reason why I sold my songs was because there's no more royalties; they're very little. Because everything went to streaming, and streaming destroyed the music business, as far as I'm concerned. I won't even listen to Spotify or any of those things; I won't listen to 'em 'cause they're ripping the musicians off so bad. When you talk about young musicians, they have no chance — unless they somehow know how to get all these hits on YouTube. I don't know how to do that."

Later in the interview, Carmine reiterated his belief that he wouldn't know how to go about making money if he was starting out as a musician today. "I don't know how these bands come out and they get two million views on YouTube, or they get four hundred thousand people on Facebook and Instagram," he said. "I don't really know that stuff; I don't have a clue how to do that. So they probably know how to do that better than me. But still, when they do that, the only money [that] could be made from that is going out on tour and playing gigs and [selling] merchandise. Even if you don't have a bigger name, you open up for somebody, you do merchandise and you make some money. And you get big, and it's all about touring and merchandise. You get crappy money from Spotify. And the labels, they don't sell CDs anymore. They might sell a little vinyl, but there's no money in it."

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 Stewart. 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.

Julien's Auctions' bi-annual "Played, Worn, & Torn: Rock 'N' Roll Iconic Guitars" auction is once again set to feature some incredible guitars and music artifacts from your favorite artists — and this time around the Beverly Hills, California-based auction house is highlighting one piece of rock and roll history that has remained absent from the world for three decades.

For rock music aficionados, a recently unearthed piece of memorabilia adds a unique layer to this national holiday's history: a 1993 Ernie Ball Music Man Eddie Van Halen Signature guitar, emblazoned with the Canadian flag, played by the legendary guitarist himself during a Canada Day concert.

The guitar, unseen for 31 years, has resurfaced, igniting a wave of nostalgia and curiosity. Its backstory is as vibrant as its red and white paint job. Crafted in March 1993, the guitar, initially listed as "Guitar Van Halen Purple Translucent," may have undergone a transformation before its patriotic makeover. The maple neck, basswood body, and signature DiMarzio humbuckers remain a testament to Eddie Van Halen's meticulous style and eye for craftsmanship.

The guitar's significance, however, transcends its technical specifications. On July 1, 1993, Van Halen took to the stage at Molson Park in Barrie, Ontario, for a Canada Day concert. As the encore approached, he unveiled the Canadian Flag guitar — a surprise for the audience and a tribute to the nation. The encore, featuring iconic songs like "Jump", "You Really Got Me" and "Rockin' In The Free World", became a historic moment in both VAN HALEN's legacy and Canada Day celebrations.

Footage of the concert (see below),though grainy and low quality, captures the guitar's brief but impactful appearance. Eddie, bathed in stage light, can be seen wielding the instrument with his characteristic flair. The images, along with the recently discovered guitar, offer a glimpse into a forgotten chapter of rock history.

The guitar's whereabouts for the past three decades remain a mystery. Its re-emergence, complete with a black hardshell case, a concert ticket, and photographs of the performance, is a treasure trove for collectors and fans alike. The instrument's journey, from the factory floor to the stage to a hidden corner of rock and roll history, speaks volumes about the enduring power of music and its ability to create lasting memories.

While the reasons behind Eddie Van Halen's choice to play a Canadian Flag guitar on Canada Day remain a subject of speculation, the gesture itself is a testament to the musician's connection with his audience and his appreciation for the country. The guitar represents a tangible link between a rock legend and a national holiday, a symbol of cultural exchange and mutual admiration.

Eddie sadly passed away in 2020 due to complications from throat cancer. His musical legacy, lives on. To honor his memory and continue his fight against cancer, proceeds from the auction of this iconic Canadian Flag guitar will benefit the City Of Hope, a leading research and treatment center for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

For more information, visit JuliensAuctions.com.

Photo courtesy of Julien's Auctions

Fan-filmed video of AC/DC's entire July 3 concert at Wembley Stadium in London, England can be seen below (courtesy of the Room Of Mirrors (ROM) YouTube channel).

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

01. If You Want Blood (You've Got It)
02. Back In Black
03. Demon Fire
04. Shot Down In Flames
05. Thunderstruck
06. Have A Drink On Me
07. Hells Bells
08. Shot In The Dark
09. Stiff Upper Lip
10. Shoot To Thrill
11. Sin City
12. Rock 'N' Roll Train
13. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
14. High Voltage
15. Riff Raff
16. You Shook Me All Night Long
17. Highway To Hell
18. Whole Lotta Rosie
19. Let There Be Rock

Encore:

20. T.N.T.
21. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

The "Power Up" European tour marks AC/DC's first with the band's new touring lineup consisting of singer Brian Johnson, guitarists Angus and Stevie Young, drummer Matt Laug and the latest addition to the group's touring lineup, bassist Chris Chaney.

The 24-date trek will run through August. The trek will make another stop at London's Wembley Stadium on July 7, then moving on to Germany, Slovakia and Paris and winding down at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland. The European tour is the first run of gigs since AC/DC's return to the stage at last year's rock Power Trip festival in Indio, California.

AC/DC's last tour took place in 2015 and 2016 and had a $180 million gross, with 2,310,061 sold tickets reported to the Pollstar box office.

Laug is an American drummer who has played with many bands/artists such as Alanis Morissette, Alice Cooper, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and Vasco Rossi. Matt moved to Los Angeles after graduating from South Florence High School in 1986 and after attending college in L.A., Matt became a sought-after studio drummer.

In 2001, Laug supported AC/DC as part of SLASH'S SNAKEPIT on the North American and European legs of the "Stiff Upper Lip" tour.

In its announcement about Laug's addition to the band's Power Trip lineup, AC/DC offered no explanation for the absence of the band's longtime drummer Phil Rudd, who rejoined AC/DC for the recording of the group's comeback album, "Power Up", which came out in November 2020.

Rudd was ousted from AC/DC when he was sentenced to eight months of home detention by a New Zealand court in 2015 after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession. He was replaced on the band's "Rock Or Bust" tour by Chris Slade, who had previously served as AC/DC's drummer between 1989 and 1994, playing on the album "The Razor's Edge".

Rudd, who appeared on all but three of AC/DC's 18 previous studio albums, toured in support of his 2014 solo debut, "Head Job". It was the release of that album that led indirectly to Rudd's arrest, with the drummer allegedly so angry at a personal assistant over the way the record was promoted that he threatened to have the man and his daughter killed.

AC/DC postponed the last 10 dates of its spring 2016 North American trek after Johnson was advised to stop playing live or "risk total hearing loss." The band went on to complete the European and North American legs of its "Rock Or Bust" tour with GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose as a "guest vocalist." At the time, Johnson had been AC/DC's singer for 36 years, ever since replacing the late Bon Scott in 1980 and making his debut on the classic "Back In Black" album.

To enable him to perform live with AC/DC again, the now-76-year-old Johnson worked with audio expert Stephen Ambrose, who said he could help resolve the singer's hearing problems.

Ambrose, who invented the wireless in-ear monitors that are widely used by touring artists today, claimed to have invented a new type of ear-bud that would allow Johnson to perform without causing further damage to his eardrums. After three years of experimenting and "miniaturizing" the equipment, Johnson previously said the technology could allow him to tour again.

Chaney is best known as the bassist of JANE'S ADDICTION and as a member of Alanis Morissette's touring and recording band. Chaney was also a member of TAYLOR HAWKINS AND THE COATTAIL RIDERS and CAMP FREDDY, as well as being a prolific and versatile session musician, having played with artists including Joe Cocker, Shakira, Slash and Avril Lavigne to Sara Bareilles, Gavin Degraw, Cher, SHINEDOWN and Celine Dion. Chaney is also a founding member and partner in the all-star supergroup ROYAL MACHINES along with Dave Navarro (JANE'S ADDICTION),Mark McGrath (SUGAR RAY),Josh Freese (FOO FIGHTERS) and Billy Morrison (BILLY IDOL).

Bassist Cliff Williams announced his retirement at the end of AC/DC's 2015-2016 "Rock Or Bust" tour, which also saw Johnson leaving. However, Williams — and Johnson — took part in the recording sessions that resulted in "Power Up". Both of them were also part of the AC/DC lineup that performed at Power Trip.

During an October 2020 interview with Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast, Cliff was asked if Johnson's departure from the road was what led to his desire to stop touring. Cliff responded: "It was before then. I spoke to Angus about it initially. I was at a point — and this is at the beginning of the 'Rock Or Bust' tour — that I just felt, for me, it was time to hang it up. I knew that I didn't wanna keep doing these two-year tours, and I didn't wanna hold them back, so I made them aware of the fact that this was gonna be my last go-round. It was a tough tour to finish. God bless Axl for coming in and helping us out, finish it up. He did a great job. And at the end of that, I was definitely — that was it for me. Done — just done. That compounded the whole thing."

According to Williams, he wanted to take part in the recording sessions for "Power Up" as a tribute to Angus's late brother, founding AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, who died in 2017 from effects of dementia at age 64. Malcolm is credited as a writer on all 12 tracks on "Power Up".

"If 'Back In Black' has [late AC/DC singer] Bon Scott all over it, for me, 'Power Up' has got Malcolm Young," Cliff said. "This is for him. And it's the band that we played together with for 40-plus years. And I wanted to do that — I wanted to come back and do that.

"We did some rehearsals earlier [in 2020] before this darn COVID thing popped up, and we had great rehearsals," he continued. "The band was playing really well. So [they asked me], 'Do you wanna do a few shows? 'Sure'. A few shows. We were planning on doing that. Everyone goes home to their respective homes, and bang, we've been here ever since [because of the coronavirus-related shutdown]."

Cliff went on to confirm that his commitment to AC/DC was only for "a few" dates in support of "Power Up".

"For both [my mental and physical] health," he said. "I definitely have some physical issues, which I won't bore you with the details of. But, yeah, it's tough. I'm very grateful for everything. It's been fantastic. But I just don't wanna do that anymore."

Williams previously revealed that a "terrible" bout with vertigo contributed to his 2016 retirement. He also admitted the return of both Johnson and drummer Phil Rudd convinced him to rejoin the group. "It was like the old band back together," he told Rolling Stone. "It was not like starting over again, but as close to the band that's been together for 40-plus years as we can possibly make it. I didn't want to miss that."

The follow-up to 2014's "Rock Or Bust", "Power Up" was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked 2008's "Black Ice" and "Rock Or Bust".

Legendary guitarist George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB) joined Stephen Pearcy on stage during the RATT singer's July 5 concert at the Bay City Fireworks Festival in Bay City, Michigan to perform the RATT classic "Round And Round".

Stephen has since shared video of Lynch's appearance, and wrote in a description accompanying the YouTube release of the clip: "After a sudden thunderstorm during the George Lynch set, the Bay City Fireworks Festival was ready to cancel headliner & birthday boy Stephen Pearcy due to safety concerns. FLASH FLOODS and terrencial downpour blew through the Festival for aprox 1 hour. Then suddenly, the clouds cleared just in time for Stephen's 8pm set, and what started as an almost canceled show ended up being an 80's reunion for 2 of the eras' biggest names. The Stephen Pearcy Birthday Bash and The Bay City Fireworks Festival ended its 2-day event with a Bang and a Night to Remember for 80's fans everywhere!"

In a 2019 interview with Waste Some Time With Jason Green, George confirmed that he had received an offer to play with RATT in 2018 following Warren DeMartini's most recent departure from the group. "We were talking about it," he said. "But they wanted a hired-gun guy that was working for a not-great salary. And I'm not that guy. I've never been a hired-gun guy. If you want me, I'll be part of the band and I will write songs and I will be an integral part — one of the big cogs in the wheel — but if you want a hired gun, I'm sure you can get somebody to do that. But that's not me. And that's where it fell apart. The guy they got" apparently referring to Jordan Ziff — "is unbelievable. I've played gigs with this guy. He's fucking amazing."

Lynch went on to say that he thinks he would have made for a respectable replacement for DeMartini, who had a short stint with DOKKEN in the early 1990s when Lynch was out of the band. "It would have worked, I think — outside of personalities and politics of being in that band, 'cause they're probably worse than DOKKEN [when it comes to internal] issues," George said. "So that's something I probably wouldn't have enjoyed and wanted to get involved in. But if it was a clean situation where it didn't have a bunch of drama… Musically, I'm very confident I would have been a good fit. [Warren and I] have similar styles, obviously, and kind of come from the same place. I get what he's doing. We go for kind of the same tone. I think it would have worked in a way. It would have been a little different, but it would have been a decent fit, I think."

Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier were the sole remaining original members in RATT's most recent lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas.

RATT — featuring Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini — played a number of shows in 2017 after reforming a year earlier in the midst of a highly publicized legal battle with drummer Bobby Blotzer over the rights to the RATT name. They were joined at the gigs by guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who played on 2010's "Infestation" album, and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.

Today’s the day for Stephen Pearcy wsg Lynch Mob. The Bay City Fireworks Festival will be selling GENERAL ADMISSION...

Posted by The Bay City Fireworks Festival on Friday, July 5, 2024

From the dark alleys and dead ends of Los Angeles, EXCEL have been delivering maximum crossover since crossover first crossed over. Their classic albums "Split Image" (1987) and "The Joke's On You" (1989) remain linchpins of the genre decades after their release. The band continues to pack venues across the globe and appear at European festivals. On July 19, fans will have a chance to hear EXCEL's long-lost album.

Originally released in 1995 while grunge dominated airwaves and MTV, "Seeking Refuge" offers a glimpse at an EXCEL many have never heard before. Out of print for decades, "Seeking Refuge" will finally get its due, complete with a guest shot from H.R. of BAD BRAINS (on "Take Your Part Gotta Encourage") and a video starring Tony Alva for the anthemic single "Unenslaved".

"A lot of people who know EXCEL don't necessarily know about this record," bassist Shaun Ross explains. "It's been out of print since '95, and it was just kind of forgotten."

At the time that "Seeking Refuge" was recorded, Ross was working for Fuct streetwear and living in their warehouse. "One of the owners had a friend who knew H.R. from BAD BRAINS, and they just dropped him off at the studio," the bassist recalls. "He ended up living with me for the better part of the year in the Fuct warehouse. It was a crazy time." (As a result of H.R.'s appearance on "Seeking Refuge", Dan and Shaun would soon witness firsthand the reunification of the BAD BRAINS.)

H.R. makes a guest appearance on "Take Your Part Gotta Encourage" while EXCEL incorporate elements of rock, funk, and grunge on tracks like "Plastic Cracks" and "Drowned Out". For lead single "Unenslaved", they hit a hallowed Dogtown landmark to shoot a video starring skate pioneer Tony Alva. They re-emptied the Gonzales Pool, a.k.a. Gonzo Pool, where some of Alva's most famous moments had been captured in the movie "Thrasher".

Produced by Ron Champagne (JANE'S ADDICTION, ALICE IN CHAINS),"Seeking Refuge" didn't fit into any of heavy music's prefab categories circa '95. "We didn't get a great response," Ross recalls. "Between '90 and '95, the market for thrash and even punk kinda died with grunge becoming so popular. And we didn't use our original logo, which in retrospect was a big deal because it didn't look like an EXCEL record. We fixed that for the reissue."

In late 2023, Ross and Clements welcomed two new members to the EXCEL family: Greg Cerwonka of Chula Vista thrashers TAKE OFFENSE will take over on guitar, while Damon DeLaPaz of pop punk vets FENIX TX will handle drums.

"We've already started writing," Ross enthuses. "The goal is to record in 2024 and have a new album out by 2025."

EXCEL's "Seeking Refuge" was reissued by Southern Lord for Record Store Day 2024 and sold out. It will be available on red vinyl and on all digital platforms via Southern Lord, Southern Lord EU and Bandcamp.

"Seeking Refuse" track listing:

01. Unenslaved
02. Hair Like Christ
03. Plastic Cracks
04. Take Your Part Gotta Encourage
05. Drowned Out
06. United Naturally in True Youth
07. Riptide
08. Overview
09. Downpressor

New Year's Day, 1985: Venice crossover upstarts CHAOTIC NOISE change their name to EXCEL after vocalist Dan Clements and guitarist Adam Siegel recruit bassist Shaun Ross and drummer Greg Saenz to join the band. Clements is working for SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' merchandising company, Triple M and Dogtown Skateboards, when ST frontman Mike Muir invites EXCEL to appear on the soon-to-be-legendary "Welcome To Venice" compilation alongside NO MERCY, BEOWÜLF, LOS CYCOS and ST themselves.

"Welcome To Venice" put EXCEL on the map.

"The early '80s bands that were popular in L.A. were kind of falling off around this time," Ross says. "We walked into the perfect window of opportunity with punk/metal crossover becoming a thing. The first wave of hardcore bands were already established, and then we stepped in and came up locally pretty quick."

EXCEL's early demos, "Personal Onslaught" (1985) and "Refuse To Quit" (1986),were, along with an appearance on Thrasher magazine's "Born To Skate (Skate Rock 5)" (1987),already circulating among those tapped into the thriving speed metal underground. Pushead reviewed them for Maximum Rock N' Roll, giving EXCEL instant cred.

Muir went on to release EXCEL's full-length debut, "Split Image", on ST's own Suicidal Records. Hitting like a fist to the face in '87, the album was produced by studio overlord Randy Burns, who'd helmed game-changers like POSSESSED's "Seven Churches", DEATH's "Scream Bloody Gore" and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' self-titled debut.

"Randy produced a lot of stuff we grew up listening to, so that was a big deal for us," Ross recalls. "He made us sound good."

They started writing their next album immediately after "Split Image" came out. Titled "The Joke's On You", it added new dimensions to EXCEL's signature sound.

"With 'The Joke's On You', we had more influences," Ross explains. "We were able to hone in on our own thing. We came up with weird time changes without making it fusion-y. We were also influenced by bands like JANE'S ADDICTION and FAITH NO MORE, but we were still coming from the punk/hardcore side. We were also graffiti artists that listened to hip-hop. I think our lifestyle and our influences all came together on that album."

Released by Caroline Records in 1989, "The Joke's On You" put EXCEL on the international stage. They toured the U.S. and Europe with the likes of MEGADETH, OVERKILL, VIO-LENCE and DARK ANGEL while becoming reliable attendance boosters for major California promoters.

"We could play metal shows and punk shows — we were very versatile in that way," Ross says. "If Goldenvoice wasn't selling enough tickets for a particular show, they'd just put us on the bill."

In 1992, Siegel and Saenz left the band. At the same time, Clements's and Ross's tastes were evolving. Both changes became evident on "Seeking Refuge".

"Dan and I had to find a new lineup and write a new album, but the drummer we hired couldn't play fast so the album ended up being all midtempo," Ross explains. "At the same time, grunge happened between '90 and '92, plus we were hearing bands like KYUSS and SLEEP, and we'd been doing hardcore forever. We just kinda wanted to do something different. I think it's a very '90s record, but it still sounds like EXCEL."

Photo credit: Becky DiGiglio

Video of Myles Kennedy's June 28 acoustic performance at Oak City Grille in Royal Oak, Michigan for Detroit's WRIF radio station can be seen below.

Featured songs:

00:00 - Intro / Interview
01:41 - Devil On The Wall
05:56 - Interview
08:11 - Say What You Will
12:01 - Interview
13:54 - Year Of The Tiger
18:21 - Interview
20:20 - Addicted To Pain (ALTER BRIDGE cover)

In a recent interview with the I-Rock 93.5 radio station, Myles — known for his work with rockers ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS — spoke about his upcoming third solo album, "The Art Of Letting Go". The LP marks the return of Myles, backed by his band comprised of Zia Uddin on drums and Tim Tournier on bass. The album is scheduled for release via longtime label home Napalm Records on October 11, 2024, and is available for pre-order in multiple configurations.

Regarding the lyrical themes covered on "The Art Of Letting Go", Myles told I-Rock 93.5: "The first two solo records were, they were kind of concept records. The first, 'Year Of The Tiger' [2018], was a record kind of dealing with the loss of my father as a child. And then the second record, 'The Ides Of March' [2021], was dealing with kind of the state of the world about three years ago. But with this record, I wanted it to be a collection of songs and with a narrative that shifted from song to song. I really like that, because then for one thing there were a handful of tunes I had sitting around for a few years that just didn't have a home and didn't fit the storyline. So I was, like, 'Oh, I can pull that now and use that in this batch of tunes.' But it also just made it so that… I feel like because it's more of a riff-based record, it's more about the intensity of the music. I didn't feel like it lived or died as much by the narrative of the lyric. So it's really about just making a compelling riff and a good vocal melody first and then filling in the blanks with the words. But with that said, I never phone it. I'm not the guy who's like… I hear these stories about really good songwriters who are, like, 'Yeah, he sat in his truck for 20 minutes before he had to cut the vocal and wrote the lyrics.' I'm, like, I'm not that guy. I will obsess and rewrite and re-edit. 'Cause I have to know that if I'm gonna sing and I'm going to go tour it that I'm believing it night after night that it's honest. And I'm happy with the cadence and the rhymes and it's not just a bunch of hoo ha ha."

From the opening guitar riff of the title track "The Art Of Letting Go" to the haunting melody of album closer "How The Story Ends", Myles Kennedy is back with a collection of songs that is sure to cater to old and new fans alike. Songs like "Mr. Downside", "Miss You When You're Gone" and "Saving Face" showcase the memorable storytelling that has become synonymous throughout all of Myles's projects. The debut single — currently impacting radio around the globe — is the upbeat rocker "Say What You Will". The song is now available via all DSPs.

The "Say What You Will" music video was directed by Gordy De St Jeor (MAMMOTH WVH) and tells the story of a bullied and timid student who breaks out of her shell with the help of a teacher, janitor and lunch person portrayed by Kennedy, Uddin and Tournier in the school talent show.

The track listing for "The Art Of Letting Go" is:

01. The Art Of Letting Go
02. Say What You Will
03. Mr. Downside
04. Miss You When You're Gone
05. Behind The Veil
06. Saving Face
07. Eternal Lullaby
08. Nothing More To Gain
09. Dead To Rights
10. How The Story Ends

To celebrate the release of "The Art Of Letting Go", Myles Kennedy and his trio will be hitting the road in support of the new album. A six-date U.K. run with support from Devin Townsend recently went on sale for November and December. Twenty more newly announced dates are being added to "The Art Of Letting Go" tour 2024 all across Europe starting in October. The additional European dates will feature support from BLACK RIVER DELTA and CARDINAL BLACK. The band will also be bringing the tour to North America with dates set for January and February 2025. The 2025 dates will feature special guest Tim Montana.

As a prolific songwriter, powerhouse vocalist, and proficient guitar player, Kennedy tunes into the rhythm of his surroundings and goes with the flow. Fronting ALTER BRIDGE, his soaring vocals, open-hearted lyrics, and airtight riffs have fueled the group's global impact as a gold-certified, arena-filling force of nature over two decades-plus. On the microphone for SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, his towering range has consistently stunned audiences since 2010. Becoming a celebrated collaborator, he's the rare presence just as comfortable on a track with DISTURBED, HALESTORM and SEVENDUST as he is with GOV'T MULE and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels. It's why he's generated over one billion cumulative streams, earned gold and platinum certifications worldwide, uplifted countless fans, and Kerrang! christened him "one of rock's finest vocalists." It's also why he's carved out his own lane. 2021 saw him deliver his acclaimed sophomore opus, "The Ides Of March". It impressively notched a total of four No. 1 debuts across three countries, toppling the Billboard U.S. Top Current Hard Music chart, the U.K. Official Rock & Metal chart and Official Independent Album chart, and Canada's Hard Music Albums chart. Beyond generating 10 million-plus streams, it incited unanimous critical applause from American Songwriter, Guitar.com, Loudwire, Guitar World and more. RIFF hailed it as "a fantastic and must-listen record," while Classic Rock magazine awarded it "4.5 out of 5 stars," going on to attest, "'The Ides Of March' confirms Myles Kennedy as a musical powerhouse."

Professionally filmed video of METALLICA performing the song "Whiplash" on June 26 at the Tons Of Rock festival in Oslo, Norway during the 2024 leg of the band's "M72" tour can be seen below.

In support of METALLICA's latest album, "72 Seasons", the band has been playing two-night, no-repeat shows in each city— first in Europe , then in North America and now back in Europe — as part of the "M72" tour. Each concert sees METALLICA performing on a massive ring-shaped stage, with the Snake Pit in the center, and four drum sets which are equally spaced out around the circular stage so drummer Lars Ulrich can get closer to the audience at various points in the show.

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield spoke about his mindset going into the 2024 leg of "M72", telling "The Metallica Report":  "What I'm going into is unknown. I know how big the stage is. I know we have breaks here and there. I know what we're walking into. When we first started with this, with the 'M72' stage, in the round in the stadium, from between setting up cones, walking around thinking, 'Oh, this is how big the stage is gonna be.' 'Oh, this is cool.' 'This'll be great.' 'This is too skinny,' and this and that. And then, between that time and then actually seeing it built, where it's kind of too late, 'Oh shit, this thing is so big.' The anxiety level was off the charts at the beginning of the 'M72' tour. Like, how are we gonna cover this stage? And, of course, my ego saying, 'Well, the other guys don't have to sing. They don't have to run over there. They don't have to do all this. And no one knows the woes I have and all the worries.' But as soon as I share them with the other guys, they're, like, 'Yeah, but I got this and I got this.' It's like, 'Oh, okay. Okay. I want mine back. That's okay.' So it's a known. We know what we're up against and we know what shape we need to be in. And it's just fun. Now it's just fun. We broke that stage in. It's well trodden on and it's worked fantastically. And so we just get to step back into it and do what we do best."

Asked if there have been any modifications to the "M72" stage at all since the 2023 shows, Hetfield said: "There have been a few things here and there that have changed — extra microphones, whatever monitors that we need. And that's typical on any stage, though. The lighting tends to show things that you don't see before: 'Yeah, we need to drape that off' or whatever it may be, just things to make it better. Just like anything we do, you wanna improve on it. So that that was the first couple months of the first touring with the 'M72' stage."

Regarding how he prepares for a METALLICA tour, especially when it comes to performing around 32 songs at each stop on the ongoing "M72" trek, Hetfield said: "Obviously, before heading out on tour, sitting there, trying to remember the myriad of pretty awesome songs we have, and then just trusting that once we get together, it's, like, 'Oh, yeah.' It's muscle memory. But, yeah, over the last month, I will say that the normal thing happens where I start to doubt myself. I start to feel insecure that, 'Whoa, we're old. We can't do this,' and blah, blah, blah, all that bullshit that everyone tells themselves before they go into something that they care about and is important. So having the nightmares of, 'I'm the only one who cares about what we're doing here. Where is everybody?' I show up at the gig. Everyone's goofing off or there's 200 people backstage. And where's my stuff? Where's the setlist? What songs are we doing? And then typical things like the guitar neck is made of rubber, and there's only two strings on it. And where's my roadie? And the guitar cord won't let me get to the microphone. You know, silly stuff like that that has to happen, and I don't freak out over it. All you do is you practice and that comes back pretty quickly."

After Munich and Milan, METALLICA continued touring throughout Europe for the first part of summer, with stops in Spain, Denmark, Norway, France and Poland, among others. Another round of North American dates will begin on August 2 in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with stops in Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle and Edmonton. METALLICA will close out the 2024 touring season with four shows in Mexico City at the end of September.

According to Billboard, METALLICA's production travels in 87 trucks — 45 for the band and its setup, plus two groups of 21 each for the steel stage and towers. There are 130 people in the band's crew, plus 40 steelworkers, local hires and truck drivers.

METALLICA's manager Cliff Burnstein told Billboard that between 80% and 90% of fans at each concert attend both shows.

The "M72" tour launched in late April 2023 in Amsterdam.

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, who has been living and recording music in Japan since 2003, has reflected on being an American living outside of his original home country.

The 61-year-old musician marked Independence Day by sharing a message that addressed his experiences being immersed in a very different culture. He wrote: "Happy 4th of July!

"Some of my activities as Ambassador of Japan Heritage are speaking or playing at cross-cultural events, like I just did here in Tokyo. These things often make me reflect on being an American living outside of America.

"When you tour as much as I do, you'll find that there are Americans living in all sorts of different countries," he continued. "If there is one thing they have in common, I believe it's that they all are glad to have been born in America, just like most people are glad that they were born in whichever country they were born in. It's natural. Having that foundation, makes it easy to explore other countries and cultures, because you instinctively want to leave a good impression of your home country to people wherever you go.

"One thing that I believe is key to living happily outside your home country is that realizing that you will never 'belong' to another culture — and that's not a negative thing at all. I talk about this in great detail in my upcoming autobiography. (shameless plug) Being able to co-exist within a culture you were not born in is extremely rewarding. Yes you are different, but you bring unique things with you that are valuable to people in your new surroundings. This is not because I'm any kind of 'rock star', it applies to all people, as everyone has built-in knowledge that is valuable to people of other countries.

"I was lucky enough to be live in Germany for a while as a kid, so I had first hand experience being an outsider in an unfamiliar place," Friedman added. "It was a wonderful life lesson in co-existing. I'm here to tell you that if it is your dream to explore other cultures on the long or short term, at any age, you should go for it!"

Friedman first became known as the lead guitarist of the heavy metal band MEGADETH, which sold over 10 million copies and earned multiple Grammy nominations during his tenure. His overwhelming love of Japanese music and the Japanese language, in which he became fluent, led him to move to Tokyo more than two decades ago. He soon became a fixture on Japanese TV, featured in hundreds of television programs, commercials and even motion pictures. In 2017, the Japanese government appointed him Ambassador Of Japan Heritage, and he is the first foreigner ever to receive this title. With his home base in Tokyo, he continues to do concert tours around the world every year.

In a March 2023 interview with Greg Prato of Consequence, Friedman was asked what it is about Japan that drew him there in the first place. He responded: "It was definitely the music. I wanted to make Japanese music, and the only way to do that is to be here and be completely immersed in it. When I came here, I got very lucky and I joined the band of one of my favorite Japanese singers, Aikawa Nanase. So, I was doing exactly what I wanted to do, pretty much as soon as I got here — six or eight months or something. And that just put my foot right where I wanted to be in J-pop music. I started to work with all of my favorite artists and all of my favorite producers playing live and recording and writing music. And then once I branched into doing television, the whole world really opened."

Friedman also talked about his status as a popular television personality in Japan. He said: "I didn't start off wanting to do that at all, actually. Like I said, I joined the band of one of my favorite J-pop singers when I first got here, and when you do that, people start seeing you. That kind of started a lot of new eyes coming on me, and one of the new eyes was a television production company that put me on a new show. I was initially not really into doing it, because I wanted to just focus on playing music — J-pop music. J-pop, when I say the word 'pop,' it's really very heavy metal. There's a lot of heavy metal influence. People get scared when they hear the word pop, but there's guitar going crazy in it. I was loving it. I wanted to concentrate on that, but they said, 'Just try this TV thing. Your Japanese is very good, and you have a very interesting viewpoint. Just give it a try.' And the first thing out of the box was a really big hit. It was a show called 'Heavymeta-san', which turned into 'Rock Fujiyama'. It lasted for six seasons. For a new show, it's unheard of. So, other offers came up, and my management over here started filling things up, and the next thing you know, more people know me from television than music. And it's still the case… Doing television has facilitated the fact that I can leave for two months and tour America with my own music — and not have any problems with that. It's allowed me to live the exact life that I want to do. It's given me a lot of freedom. Of course, you never know when people come up to you, what they know me from. But my real gig is making music, and I love making music more than anything else."

Back in November 2021, Friedman was asked if he experiences culture shock when he returns to his former home country of America. Marty said: "When I moved to Japan, I completely was encompassed by Japanese culture. No one I worked with spoke English. No one around me spoke English. The only time I spoke English was when I was doing international promotion or international tours or international interviews. So 24/7, it was all Japanese. And when that goes on for years and years, you start to dream in Japanese. My wife's Japanese, and we speak only Japanese. So, cultural things also become a part of you, because when you live somewhere, you become a part of the culture. And the things that matter in Japan are not the things that matter in America. Or the things that matter in Europe are not the things that matter in South America. So things that matter on a day-to-day basis are different. So culture 'shock' is kind of a shocking word, so I don't really feel shocked. But I feel like I'm very blessed, because when I go to America, I'm an American, so I can feel all the great things about being American. But I've lived in Japan for [more than] 20 years, and before I came here, I've been in so many Japanese situations that there's a definite part of me that is really a part of the Japanese culture so I can really feel both of them.

"You should never think that you're trying to belong," he continued. "Because it doesn't matter how perfect my Japanese is — and it's not perfect — but I'm never, ever gonna be Japanese. I feel a part of me is definitely influenced by Japan very much, but if your goal is to belong in another society, I think you're gonna be let down very, very much. Because as hard as you try, Japan is a one-race society and you just look different and you're born in a different place and you have different things in you. So the goal is not belonging; the goal is to add what you have to Japan. If you're trying to belong to something like that, I think you're gonna be let down. But it's not a letdown. You only really belong to yourself. And belonging to something is overrated. So I think you'll enjoy your Japan experience a whole lot more if you celebrate your differences while understanding Japan and enjoying the great things that you're able to enjoy about Japan. And don't be let down when sometimes people are not necessarily so friendly to foreigners. This happens to every country. You just have to let it be; it's just the way it is, especially with older generations. They're, like, 'Oh, the world is changing. Now there's English in the taxicabs. Oh my God.' People fear change. But you can't let that bother you. It's never bothered me once. I'm completely fine being a gaijin [a Japanese word for foreigners and non-Japanese citizens in Japan, specifically non-East Asian foreigners such as white and black people]; it hasn't stopped me from anything. So culture shock, it's not really as bad as people think it is. I enjoy being in America, and I enjoy being in Japan because both things have given me a lot of great things in my life. So learning English — English is the language of the world, so that's helped me everywhere. But in Japan, it's the opposite — in Japan, Japanese is the language, so it's a must. So culture shock is not really that big of a thing."

Following his move, he landed a starring role for a new TV comedy "Hebimeta-san" ("Mr. Heavy Metal") and its spinoff, "Rock Fujiyama", which ran for six seasons and propelled him into the living rooms of Japan's mainstream. He has since appeared in over 800 TV shows, movies and commercials, including a two-year campaign with Coca-Cola for Fanta, authored two best-selling novels and was the first-ever foreigner to be appointed as an ambassador of Japan heritage and perform at the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Marathon. At the same time, Marty has continued his career in music with several solo albums in addition to writing and performing with the top artists in Japanese music, racking up countless chart hits, including a No. 1 with SMAP, two No. 2 songs with MOMOIRO CLOVER, a No. 2 with SOUND HORIZON — just to name a few.

Happy 4th of July! Some of my activities as Ambassador of Japan Heritage are speaking or playing at cross-cultural...

Posted by Marty Friedman on Thursday, July 4, 2024

A new video trailer for "Iommi - The Photographs" from Rufus Publications can be seen below.

Tony has collaborated with renowned photographer Ross Halfin to produce a 340-page luxury book encompassing the very earliest days of BLACK SABBATH through to his most recent partnership with the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Featuring exclusive written contributions from Sir Brian May, Ozzy Osbourne, James Hetfield and Philip Anselmo, the book will be available in both Standard and Deluxe signed limited editions.

Each copy of the Deluxe signed edition is personally hand-signed by Tony Iommi. This deluxe edition is numbered from 1 to 500 copies worldwide. The book measures 245mm x 345mm, with a luxury slipcase and gold foil embossing, and features a recycled black leather spine. Each book comes with a 3D lenticular suitable for framing. The book sells for £250 plus shipping and, if pre-ordered before July 31, 2024, will be discounted to £200.

The Standard edition features the same content as the Deluxe edition with a printed hardback cover and slipcase. This edition sells for £99 and, if ordered before July 31, 2024, will be discounted to £80 plus worldwide delivery.

Iommi is synonymous with heavy rock; his innovative, de-tuned, dark riffs are considered to be the blueprint for hundreds of bands that followed. As Anselmo says: "With a thick sound and crushing, bending riffs — riffs that paint the insides of our memory banks black with sacred knowledge — Tony changed the landscape of what was acceptable for a mere guitar to sound like."

For the last two years, Tony has been working with renowned music photographer Ross Halfin to compile this luxury 340-page, photographic book of his musical career; from the very early days of BLACK SABBATH through to the opening of the Birmingham Royal Black Sabbath ballet in 2023. This suitably heavy tome is a celebration of one of music's most innovative guitarists and, as Ozzy notes in his exclusive epilogue: "If someone asked me, who was the leader of BLACK SABBATH, it'd have to be Tony, wouldn't it? We all contributed, of course, but without Tony's riffs, we wouldn't have had a chance."

The book is a compendium of carefully selected images compiled from all eras of Tony's career, many from Ross Halfin's own archive, and the book also features further exclusive written contributions from some of music's leading talents and friends of Tony. These include Sir Brian May, James Hetfield and Philip Anselmo. As Sir Brian May notes in his introduction: "Ross Halfin has captured images of Tony in a huge number of settings over the years, as you will see in this book. The pictures show a man of great power and presence, as befits a giant riffmeister."

Iommi himself says: "I really appreciate all the work Ross has put in, both as a photographer and editor of the book. These photographs represent my career and the memories they conjure up remind me what a fantastic journey we've been on. So often I'd look down from the stage and there in the middle of the moshpit would be Ross fighting his corner to get just the right shot. Cheers, Ross, the book is a testament to our long friendship and the many defining moments in my life you've captured."

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