In a new interview with Talking The Talk With Don podcast, Richie Kotzen confirmed that he is planning to release a new full-length solo album before the end of the year.

"I didn't know until recently [whether I was going to release a new album]," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET. "My attitude is because I'm not under contract at the moment, I don't wanna have to put any kind of pressure on myself. So my attitude was, if I come to the point where I feel like I have a collection of songs that sound like a record to me, then I can make a plan to release a record. So I'm here. And the idea is to put it out to coincide with dates that I'm gonna be doing in the fall.

"I'm leaving for a European tour in June, and then I come home for a while after that," Richie continued. "And I'll go back out in the fall in the States. And hopefully by then I have a release date, I'll have the record out. And that's the plan. But up until a few weeks ago, I wasn't sure. But now that I can hear everything, I'm sure that I'm putting out a record.

"Every band in the world says, 'Oh, we're writing our album. We're gonna release it,' blah blah blah, this and that, but because I'm one guy, I have the luxury of playing a little free and loose with it," Kotzen explained.

Earlier this month, Richie premiered the official music video for his new single "Cheap Shots". The clip was directed and choreographed by Emmy Award winner Jeff Wolfe.

"The video was directed by my good friend Jeff Wolfe who had a visual concept after hearing the song," Kotzen explained in a statement. "In addition to being a talented director, he is also an accomplished actor and stuntman, so he had the eye for bringing those boxing scenes together. Although the song isn't about boxing per se, I thought it was a good visual to go along with the idea of someone constantly taking what we may call 'cheap shots' in order to bring you down."

When "Cheap Shots" was first released on May 1, Kotzen said about the track: "I really never know how, when or where inspiration will strike for a song idea. I never try to force anything because I know ultimately at some point in time life will hand you a situation and for a guy like myself that is the perfect spark. I'm not someone that likes to outwardly go at it with someone if I feel I was wronged but I certainly use my creative outlet as a song writer to exercise that stuff out of me so I never find myself carrying around resentment or bad vibes. So if someone does you wrong, multiple times, then we're done here. You're your own worst enemy. I've tried to help and now I'm a target? Nope… No thanks… I'm off the bus. My attitude is 'Get it out! Throw it in the trash where it belongs.' Move on and forget 'em! That is really where the song is coming from."

The single came together very quickly in March 2024 after a trip back to Kotzen's original hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania.

"It has been quite a while since I have released new solo music and I feel very fulfilled to have come to a place where I've got new music I believe in," continued Kotzen. "Although I find myself writing all the time not always do I feel compelled to share the work. When the story for 'Cheap Shots' came to me, I knew I had the perfect lead track to follow up where I left off from my previous record.

"Of course I'm thrilled to be able to say I've got a new song for you but I'm equally overjoyed to announce the upcoming live dates. In fact, the timing is perfect as we embark on an extensive European tour in June which will end in the U.K. on July 13th at London's Islington Assembly Hall. And these dates will most likely spill into a North American fall tour as well."

Kotzen has performed on some of the biggest stages in the world since he first signed a deal with Shrapnel Records in 1988 as a guitar prodigy. He began releasing records both as a solo artist and in multi-platinum bands POISON, MR. BIG and THE WINERY DOGS. Now known also as a prolific songwriter and one half of acclaimed duo SMITH/KOTZEN with IRON MAIDEN's Adrian Smith, Richie's ever-growing back catalogue (including more than 20 solo albums) ensure that his fans around the world are constantly treated to his prodigious talent both recorded and live.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Pete Loran, the multi-platinum, award winning, singer-songwriter out of Paramus New Jersey, is best known for being the lead singer of 1990s, American metal band TRIXTER. Not ever leaving music in the rearview mirror, Pete is back with a new solo project and single, "Around Again", which can be streamed below.

Now based in Arizona, Pete says: "The inspiration for 'Around Again' is me drawing from my experiences and also observing my friends and their relationships. Where things took a turn and went the wrong way and then they became fundamentally broken, it's the hurt that's inevitable to follow."

Comparing TRIXTER's music and his solo efforts, Loran says: "TRIXTER was geared more towards a specific audience, and we were going for that arena-rock vibe right out of the gate. It was marketable for the times".

When it comes to writing music for himself, Pete has always taken a different approach, describing his solo material as "more organic and earthy, a powerhouse of Americana."

Loran has maintained his popularity over the years and believes his fans will be happy that he finally has new music to put out.

"Around Again" plays into the fact that there are a lot of us out there who can relate to a broken relationship, and all the good and bad that we learn from them.

On March 22, Loran joined TRIXTER guitarist Steve Brown and bassist P.J. Farley — who have been performing acoustic TRIXTER shows backed by Ben Hans on percussion — on stage at The 44 Sports Grill And Nightlife in Glendale, Arizona to perform a couple of TRIXTER songs.

Speaking to Sonic Perspectives about how Loran's guest appearance came about, Brown said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Man, it was awesome. We've talked, and let's just get everything straight: there's no bad blood between me and Pete. He's my brother. I love him. Like any family member, we have had our disagreements, but we always come back. And I hadn't seen him in seven years, and I walk in the dressing room, and there he is. And within 30 seconds, we revert back to the '80s when we were kids and the same jokes. And there was no question. We didn't say, 'Hey, do you wanna work on anything?' He came out after seven years — I don't think he's been on stage — and he crushed it. He sounded great. He looked great. And it was so much fun to have him."

Regarding the possibility of Loran making more appearances with TRIXTER in the future, Brown said: "Pete is always welcome to come out and play with us. And you never know what's going to happen." Steve then seemingly downplayed the likelihood of Pete performing with TRIXTER on a more permanent basis again, saying: "Hey, man, he's so happy in his life. His kids are doing great. He was telling me about his son. He's doing great. And that's ultimately what it's all about.

"Being a traveling musician, rock and roller, it's not for everybody," Brown explained. "It's easy when you're number one on MTV and you're playing arenas every night.

"P.J. and I, after it all fell apart in the '90s, we looked at each other and it was, like, 'All right, what are we doing now musically. And we started THROWAN ROCKS and we started a cover band and we started this cover band SUGARBELLY that went on for 10 years and we made a lot of money and that's how we supported ourselves as musicians. Some people get away from it, whether they want to go work for a car dealer or they want to be Indian chiefs or lawyers or whatever, that's all well and good. Music, for me, is life. It's in my blood. It's in my heart."

During a June 2023 appearance on the "Rimshots With Sean" podcast, Loran spoke about the possibility of him and his TRIXTER bandmates reuniting to play their first shows since 2017. He said: "Well, as of right now, there's three of us — me, P.J. and Steve — who, we talk. We're cordial. I actually just saw P.J. about three weeks ago. He was out here [near my home in Arizona] — he's out with Chris Jericho's FOZZY, and they were doing UFEST here in Phoenix with GODSMACK. And he had called me up and said, 'Let's get together. Let's grab some lunch.' And I hadn't seen him since probably 2017. And it was needed. For me, it was needed. We had really kind of talked past what had happened. So we're great. It was really good for me. Gus [drummer Mark Scott], on the other hand, with those guys, not so much… And they've all done interviews and really talked some shit about each other, which — I get it, I guess.

"I think if you got all four of us in a room, within a short, reasonable amount of time, everyone would be hugging each other [and saying] 'I'm sorry' or whatever," Pete continued. "As far as doing a gig, I don't know about that. But it would be nice if that could happen, though — at least that part… And I'd like that to happen. I don't know if they'd like that to happen, but it would be good. The possibility of doing shows? I don't know if that ever happens again. But those guys [P.J. and Steve] are very busy, number one; they always have been. But they're also doing like a TRIXTER acoustic thing. And if they ever roll through Phoenix, I'll probably jump up there and do a couple of songs. I don't see why not."

Pete went on to lament the fact that Gus, Steve and P.J. have been unable to mend their differences. "These are guys that have known each other since junior high, grew up in the same town, started a band together," he noted. "Gang mentality — us against them. 'We're getting a record deal. Now we're gonna open up for the SCORPIONS in front of 18 thousand people, and we're gonna have to kick them in the teeth because we want them to accept us.' And all the accolades and whatnot throughout the years. It would be kind of sad to let that just all get kicked to the side because of something stupid. My opinion."

Both Brown and Farley have been critical of Scott in recent interviews, with Steve saying that the drummer is on "the shit list beyond belief" with the rest of the group, while P.J. compared being in a band with Mark to owning a disobedient dog. "Sometimes you let the dog off a leash and he just goes running to the middle of the street — no good," he said.

Since reuniting in 2008, TRIXTER has released two studio albums via Frontiers Music Srl — 2012's "New Audio Machine" and 2015's "Human Era".

TRIXTER toured extensively in the United States, Canada and Japan in support of its five major label releases. They have performed live in arenas and amphitheaters with crowds up to 35,000 people, appearing with such rock superstars as KISS, SCORPIONS, POISON, TED NUGENT, NIGHT RANGER, CINDERELLA, TWISTED SISTER, DOKKEN, WARRANT, GREAT WHITE and FIREHOUSE.

Photo courtesy of Alive Music Marketing

In a new interview with Jonathan Clarke, host of "Out Of The Box" on Q104.3, New York's classic rock station, Kerry King was asked about how SLAYER's upcoming reunion shows came about, five years since the completion of what was being billed as the band's farewell tour. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'll put it in the perspective everybody can understand. We've been turning down offers since beginning of 2020, pandemic and all. And then it started getting near the five-year anniversary of us stopping playing, so I'm, like, 'You know what? This is a three-show package. I think it would be fun to do.' It's kind of a five-year anniversary of our last tour. We're never gonna tour again — it ain't gonna happen. We're never gonna record again; that's not gonna happen either. But to do commemorative shows, I think that's kind of fun. I don't have to be married to it for a long time. Kids don't have to worry about it coming around on tour because we said we wouldn't. There's not a whole lot of weird diabolical shit going on here. I think people have just gotta say, 'Hey, it's anniversary celebration shows.' That's gonna be the end of it."

Kerry previously discussed the SLAYER comeback last month in an interview with Andrew Daly of ClassicRockHistory.com. Asked for about his outlook on the reunion shows, he said: "It's not really much different at all. It's the same heads, same cabs, same pedals, same guitars. You know, there will be a lot of fire when SLAYER plays, and I think, yeah, those shows will just be fun. It'll be fun to play with Gary Holt [SLAYER guitarist] for a few gigs; I haven't seen him in almost five years, so that will be cool. And it'll be cool to get together with Tom Araya [SLAYER bassist/vocalist] and spit some hate out at people, but don't get used to this being a yearly event."

Earlier last month, King was asked by SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if he thinks SLAYER's upcoming dates will have a positive or negative impact on the promotional efforts for his debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", which arrived on May 17 via Reigning Phoenix Music. He responded: "I see it both ways. We've [SLAYER] been turning down [reunion] offers for the last four years. Unfortunately, when the right offer came around, this one, it was right as my project was releasing. So there's certainly people, like my management and booking agents, who say, 'Oh, that's great. It's gonna boost your solo thing.' And I'm, like, 'Well, I don't know the business side of it, but it is what it is.' And every time I talk about it to journalists and magazines and stuff, I say, 'Listen, SLAYER is not gonna make another record. SLAYER is never gonna tour again.' May SLAYER do a one-off here or there? Maybe. I told my [solo] band when [the SLAYER reunion shows] came up, I'm, like, 'Listen, this is a blip on the radar to me. This isn't a solo project that's gonna recycle musicians every record cycle. You guys are with me till you don't wanna be.'"

Asked if he envisions SLAYER as the type of thing where the band will do one or two shows a year when a great opportunity comes up, Kerry said: "I'm not even talking yearly. I'm, like, every two years, every three years, every five years. I don't know. 'Cause I'm gonna be super busy with [my solo band] once 2025 rolls around."

On the topic of whether he has spoken to Araya since SLAYER's reunion shows were announced, Kerry said: "I'll tell you the truth, 'cause you know that's how I roll. No, we haven't. But you know what's weird about that? It's not weird. [Laughs]"

He continued: "We'll go probably rehearse off and on for a couple weeks [before the first show], 'cause even though me and [SLAYER drummer] Paul [Bostaph, who is also in Kerry's solo band] will be sharp from playing, playing with different people, you've gotta get sharp together."

Elaborating on his belief that SLAYER's comeback shows will not lead into a full-fledged reunion for the legendary thrash metal act, Kerry said: "The way I look at it, and when I tell you this, it puts it into perspective for a lot of people, I see it as three five-year anniversary shows of our last tour."

Five years after SLAYER played the last concert of what was being billed as the band's farewell tour and just weeks after the SLAYER guitarist unveiled the details of his solo project, Kerry and his longtime bandmates announced that they will play at the Aftershock, Riot Fest and Louder Than Life festivals in September and October.

King also talked about the SLAYER reunion while speaking to Revolver magazine about "From Hell I Rise". Asked if he had known about these shows well before they were officially announced, King said: "If you ask promoters, they're going to have another answer. If you ask booking agents, they'll probably have a third answer. But to me, it kind of came out of nowhere. Have we been getting offers the past few years? Yeah, we turn down offers every year, probably every month of every year. These three festivals are right around the five-year anniversary of our last tour, which I thought was kind of cool. So, I thought this might be the right time to test the water. It will be great to play for the fans again."

Regarding whether the upcoming SLAYER shows will steal some of the thunder away from the touring his solo band will do in support of "From Hell I Rise", Kerry said: "Well, time will tell, and my answer would be, 'hopefully not'. The funny thing is, it never occurred to me until the day the SLAYER announcement came, but [Phil] Demmel [guitarist in Kerry's solo band] said, 'Dude, is this real?' And I'm, like, 'It's just a few weekends and that's it.' Of course, Paul knew. But I didn't tell Phil, I didn't tell Kyle [Sanders, KERRY KING bassist] and didn't tell Mark [Osegueda, KERRY KING singer] — and I said to the guys, 'There's no master plan here.' I didn't want anybody to start getting cold feet. I said, 'This is a little moment in time, and yeah, KERRY KING is going to be touring, you know, hopefully later in the year, as well. But SLAYER is an entity and I'm just a person.' But hopefully, we drive on with the solo project."

King also spoke about the SLAYER reunion in an interview with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine. Admitting that the announcement of SLAYER's comeback "was not my favorite timing", Kerry said that the SLAYER reunion "is not going to translate into recording and it's not going to translate into touring. For me, it's three shows marking five years since our final shows, a fun, 'Hey, remember us from before the pandemic?' celebration."

Kerry also explained in more detail why he still has not spoken to Tom since the news of SLAYER's reunion was announced. "It's not like I'm angry with him or anything," King clarified. "We're very different people, and we evolved into business partners at the end of the day. He has very different interests from me, and very different outlooks. Does that make me hate him? No. But I don't need to talk to him every day… We just don't have much in common. When it comes time to rehearse, I'll have no problem showing up. We're professionals, and that's what we do."

When Kerry's solo project was first announced, King told Rolling Stone that he was almost positive he and Tom would never resurrect the band. "I can pretty much a hundred percent say no because I have a new outlet, and it's not SLAYER, but it sounds like SLAYER," King said of a potential SLAYER reunion.

The lineup for SLAYER's comeback will be the same as the one which last toured in 2019: Araya and King, along with guitarist Gary Holt (also of EXODUS) and longtime drummer Paul Bostaph.

Days after SLAYER's reunion was announced, Tom Araya's wife wrote on social media that she "harassed him for over a year" before he "agreed finally" to play more shows with the band. "We shared that news with SLAYER's awesome managers and they did the rest!" she explained. "So yes without Tom it wouldn't have happened.. without me BUGGING HIM it wouldn't have happened."

Both Gary and his wife Lisa Holt were among the hundreds of people who "liked" Sandra's Instagram post, with Lisa sharing three heart emojis in response to Sandra's message.

In a statement confirming SLAYER's return, Tom said: "Nothing compares to the 90 minutes when we're on stage playing live, sharing that intense energy with our fans, and to be honest, we have missed that." King added: "Have I missed playing live? Absolutely. SLAYER means a lot to our fans; they mean a lot to us. It will be five years since we have seen them."

The same day that SLAYER's comeback was announced, Holt's wife Lisa Holt took to her social media to write: "Yes, it's true..and an exciting adventure for the band and fans !

"To all the people saying 'they are liars' 'they must have ran out of money' 'its not SLAYER without so and so' ..I have an idea for you all...DON'T GO.. and for all the people who did go to the final tour dates and enjoyed it...awesome!!

"This isn't a 'TOUR' it's some dates..and GREAT NEWS!!!" she added. "And everyone that thinks they know all the inside info..you can't possibly know. so just enjoy the fact that this amazing band will play some amazing shows this year...go or don't..nobody cares!!!!!"

Three weeks before SLAYER's reunion was announced, Kerry told Rolling Stone that he didn't foresee SLAYER coming back together for the foreseeable future.

"Will SLAYER tour again? I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen. Could SLAYER play a show again? I'm sure there's a scenario," King said, adding that he hadn't spoken to Araya since that final show. "Am I looking for it? No, I'm just getting ready to start my [solo] career. So if that happens, it happens. But I'm going to be doing this for the next 10 years at least."

SLAYER played the final show of its farewell tour in November 2019 at the Forum in Los Angeles. One day later, Kerry's wife Ayesha said that there is "not a chance in hell" that the thrash metal icons will reunite for more live appearances.

SLAYER's final world tour began on May 10, 2018 with the band's intention to play as many places as possible, to make it easy for the fans to see one last SLAYER show and say goodbye. By the time the 18-month trek wrapped at the Forum, the band had completed seven tour legs plus a series of one-off major summer festivals, performing more than 140 shows in 30 countries and 40 U.S. states.

All material for "From Hell I Rise" was written by King, who was accompanied during the recording sessions by Bostaph, Demmel, Sanders and Osegueda. 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 a new interview with Ultimate Guitar, Nita Strauss was asked about her plans for the follow-up to her sophomore solo album, "The Call Of The Void", which came out last July via Sumerian Records. She said: "I don't want to lose the momentum of this one. It was five years between 'Controlled Chaos' and 'Call Of The Void'. I don't want to wait another five years. It has been kind of hard to think of any concrete ideas because I've been on the road the entire time, literally from the month before the record came out. We started touring to promote the record, and I have not had more than two weeks home since then. It's been almost a year. So it's been hard to sort of sit and be creative, but I plan to do it."

She continued: "I plan to sort of get into the meat potatoes of it after I get back — we're [Nita and her husband, manager and drummer Josh Villalta] going on honeymoon next week. Then, after that, I'll sort of sit on that stuff during the Alice Cooper tour and start trying to piece some ideas together."

Asked if there are some other collaborations that she hopes to have in the future, Nita replied: "I think, on the next record, I just want to go further in both directions. I would love to do something more mainstream; maybe it's with someone like Demi [Lovato], which would be a dream come true, or somebody like Pink. And then I want to do something heavy because the stuff that I listen to on my own time is pretty heavy. So I would love to just explore more of my range in different ways. I think a cool thing that we did on this record is we brought everybody into a new space for them. You're hearing Chris Motionless [MOTIONLESS IN WHITE] sing on a more mainstream style of song. It's still heavy, but it's a little bit more mainstream. We just tried to push everybody in different ways. So I'd like to keep doing that."

Nita previously talked about her upcoming third solo album last month in an interview with Ronni Hunter of the 99.7 The Blitz radio station. She said: "Well, when we made 'The Call Of The Void', I had a specific vision in mind that I wanted to branch out, and this is a vision that Josh, as my manager, has been very insistent on for a long time, to push me out of just doing instrumental music and move out into the wider and broader audience and show more people what we can do as a band. And so that'll be the goal for the next one — just keep on expanding, keep on stepping out of the comfort zone and trying new things, working with different people and really just growing."

Strauss also talked about why she doesn't play any other instruments or sing on her solo albums. She said: "The thing is I can sing a little, I can play the other instruments a little bit, but I have such a great drummer, why would I play the drums when I can work with somebody that's so good? I'm an okay singer, but if I can have someone like Lzzy Hale [HALESTORM] sing a song, or someone like David Draiman [DISTURBED], who is, like, the best singers in the world, what kind of ego would I have to have to be, like, 'No, I think I'll do it.'"

She continued: "I love playing guitar. I don't really like singing. I'm not particularly good at it. I think if I did go out and step out, I think I would probably get some people that liked it, and the vast majority of people would be, like, "Why would you do that? Stick to playing guitar.' It's, like, 'I know. I'm not very good. Just let me play guitar in peace.'"

Earlier this year, Nita told Rob Rush of Long Island's 94.3 The Shark radio station about the challenges of writing and recording songs with vocals for "The Call Of The Void". While Strauss's first LP, 2018's "Controlled Chaos", was all instrumental, her latest effort saw the Alice Cooper guitarist teaming with a different vocalist on at least half of the tracks — Cooper, Draiman, ARCH ENEMY's Alissa White-Gluz and Hale, among others.

Nita said: "Yeah, it was a really educational experience as a songwriter, going in and not writing songs that were only for myself, if that makes sense — thinking a lot about the structure of the song and the format of the song and what key it would be in for the singer not to be too high or too low or too fast or anything like that. [That part was] completely [ to me] — I mean, not entirely new. I've been in bands before, but as far as writing as a solo artist, it was a completely new experience, because as an instrumental solo guitar player, you can just write whatever you want — you can write a one-minute song, you write a 10-minute song. It's not gonna go to radio — there's no format for it. So it's just stream of consciousness. It doesn't have to have a beginning, a middle, an end, a chorus — it's just whatever you feel. And so working in this new medium, for me, was almost like learning how to write a haiku when you're used to just doing like a beat poem. So I'm out there in the corner of the coffee shop with my beret on, just feeling my poetry out, and all of a sudden it's, like, 'Okay, now you've got to have the syllables and lines and the rhymes and the stuff.' So I found it really educational learning how to do it, and I think I grew a lot as an artist and a creator over the course of making that record. So I'm just so excited that it was as well received as it was."

The Los Angeles-born guitarist has become a force to be reckoned with, dazzling over a million audience members per year around the world. Fans may recognize Nita as the touring guitarist for rock legend Alice Cooper and superstar Demi Lovato, the official guitarist of the Los Angeles Rams, as well as her successful career as a solo artist. She has played multiple sports events, including NASCAR races and WWE pay-per-views, most notably her critically acclaimed performance at "WrestleMania 34" in 2018.

"The Call Of The Void" debuted as the No. 1 Top New Artist album on the Billboard chart, No. 1 on the iTunes Rock chart, and No. 4 on the overall iTunes chart, behind only Taylor Swift.

With the album's first single, "Dead Inside" featuring Draiman, Nita became the first female solo artist to have a No. 1 single at rock radio in 32 years.

Nita released "Controlled Chaos" to mass acclaim from fans and media alike, with Metal Injection calling it "a great debut that — as its creator intended — leaves no doubt", and Guitar World stating "'Controlled Chaos' is a panoramic view of Nita Strauss's many strengths".

In March 2023, it was announced that Nita would return to Alice's band for his 2023 tour and beyond.

Nita spent eight years playing with Alice before joining Demi Lovato's band in the summer of 2022.

Strauss has been playing with Cooper since 2014 when she replaced Australian musician and former Michael Jackson player Orianthi. She joined Alice in time for a mammoth MÖTLEY CRÜE tour. She was recommended to Cooper by the legendary rocker's former bass player and WINGER frontman Kip Winger.

Zildjian has uploaded video of LAMB OF GOD drummer Art Cruz performing the band's song "September Song" using Z Custom cymbals. Check out the clip below. Also available is the previously released clip for the track "Memento Mori" from the same sessions.

In a recent interview with Drumeo's Brandon Toews, Art was asked to name the "hardest part" about joining LAMB OF GOD — if it was "something technical, like learning the parts, or it was "dealing with fans who have opinions of the old band configuration". He said: "It's a combination of both. I was so confident with my playing, and not in an egotistical way. I was just very confident with where I was on my skill level. I had been touring for a long time in the trenches, man — from local bands to selling merchandise for bands to being a driver to just being the guy that 'let me help' kind of thing to playing in bands and sleeping on floors and doing all that good stuff. But it wasn't really that — it was wasn't the playing; I was confident enough with my playing. It was a challenge with the fans. It's a big deal. And that goes for anybody. You're [former METALLICA bassist] Jason Newsted, you're [ex-METALLICA bassist] Robert Trujillo; it's crazy how they went back to back to convince fans. And you don't think about that until it's a reality, and you're getting blown up on social media and you're experiencing it. And those are probably the most challenging parts. But with a band and a brotherhood that I have, they've walked me, literally — pun intended — walked me through hell and helped to see me on the other side, so I don't have to really pay attention to that stuff anymore. And I don't. I'm here to inspire. That is my only goal in this world, is to show you where I came from — my vulnerabilities, my weaknesses, and show you how I grow from that and do what I can to be in this position. And thankfully I'm in a better place than I used to be before. It was hard to get through that stuff, man. But thankfully, it's a lot easier to avoid it. Yeah, I just don't go on [social media]. It's fun."

In June 2023, Cruz was asked, as part of Jonathan Montenegro's "My 3 Questions To" series, to name his top three drummers of all time. He responded: "It's a tough one. Honestly, I always have to say my first inspiration — I just got finished, actually, watching a video of Woodstock — [Carlos] Santana. He's not a drummer. However, to me, the entire entity of Santana and his music is very percussion backed — it's very percussion. So, as a kid, that's what I first listened to, it's what I first saw, it's what I first was around my entire childhood. So that's what got me into drums. So I stuck with that. So Santana — I have to classify him as one of my favorite drummers. Weird, but it's the truth.

"After that, I would have to say most definitely Mike Portnoy [DREAM THEATER]," he continued. "A huge part of my career. Good friend now — thank God. He influenced me to really think outside the box and get creative and have that Portnoy factor in my playing. And I'm sure, if you are a drummer, you can hear that in my playing.

"And then my third… That's really hard, man — top three's hard. But I will probably have to say… David Garibaldi, the drummer from TOWER OF POWER. I'm a very funky dude," Cruz added.

"Notice how not all these guys are metal, or metal at all, but those are the guys that influenced me early.

"To give you some bonus fours and fives — Dave Lombardo [SLAYER] and Chris Adler [LAMB OF GOD]. And a bonus six — Joey Jordison [SLIPKNOT]."

In a 2022 interview with Finland's Chaoszine, LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton was asked if Cruz, who has been the band's drummer of the past six years, was more involved in the songwriting process on LAMB OF GOD's latest album, "Omens", than he was on 2020's self-titled effort. He responded: "I think so. Yeah, I'd say so. Not that he wasn't involved in the first one — he was very involved in the first one — but I think his confidence was up. And I think psychologically, everyone, especially him, was ready to have a bigger impact sonically on the record and to have more personality in the drums rather than… I think on the last album, the self-titled album, he played phenomenally but he stuck very close to traditional LAMB OF GOD movements, and on this album he stretched out quite a bit."

Morton continued: "I think it's about finding a balance about staying true to the historic sound of the band and how the band has sounded; you don't wanna come in sounding radically different. But I think we're all ready, and have been ready, to allow him to grow within the context of LAMB OF GOD, and he's done that for sure."

Cruz filled in for original LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler on several of the band's tours before being named Adler's official replacement in July 2019.

Art spoke about his contributions to "Omens" — which arrived in October 2022 via Epic Records — during an appearance in June 2022 on "The Garza Podcast", hosted by SUICIDE SILENCE guitarist Chris Garza. "The first, self-titled one we did, it was great, man — we wrote some great songs," he said, referring to 2020's "Lamb Of God", which marked his recording debut with LAMB OF GOD. "But I was still learning their vibe. I was green to that level of… Those guys had been doing it for 28, 29 years — almost 30 years — and I'm the new guy, a young kid coming in. You have to go through the trenches in every which way. And that first album was a very secure, safe way for all of us to just, 'Here's the tunes. Let's figure it out. Learn how we work.' And this one that's coming out, 'Omens', they really let me spread my wings and they really let me play me — they let me be me.

"I'm always inspired by LAMB, and LAMB is a signature sound," he continued. "LAMB OF GOD, to me, is that sound as a unit. It's a unit — it's not one individual. It's Randy [Blythe, vocals], it's Mark [Morton, guitar], it's Willie [Adler, guitar], it's John [Campbell, bass], it's Chris. That's, to me, what LAMB OF GOD was. So I'm not far off from that. That's what inspired me to be listening to metal and shit. It's my favorite metal band of all time. So to take that inspiration and then become my own person, my own player, from WINDS OF PLAGUE to AZUSA to my first band ENTHRAL to PRONG, to finally come to this point, and this is the album. It's all of those bands, it's all of those struggles, all of those trenches, all of those challenges, all of those tours — this is the album that I was able to really… And then the last LAMB OF GOD album, that is what built me to be to this 'Omens' album, for real. And we're just getting started, man — we're so just getting started. And I'm ready. And I'm mentally in a better place to do that, and I'm ready to do it. And the band is, they're my brothers."

The band tracked "Omens" with longtime collaborator Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH) live in the room together at Henson Recording Studios (formerly A&M Studios) in Los Angeles, California, a location that birthed classics from THE DOORS, PINK FLOYD, RAMONES and SOUNDGARDEN, among others.

After completing their legendary ‘40 Years Of Destruction’ anniversary tour in 2023 throughout South America, Mexico and Europe, vicious thrash metal pioneers Destruction are far from slowing things down.


Today, the quartet releases a hard-hitting new single, “No Kings - No Masters”, with an official music video. This surprise release will be available on two track 12’’ vinyl in a very limited fan edition and will contain the new single and a cover version of Accept’s world famous hit “Fast As A Shark”.


Destruction‘s massive career has seen many successes, with the band hitting stages at the world’s biggest festivals around the world like Hellfest, Wacken Open Air, Graspop Metal Meeting and México Metal Fest. They are more than prepared for their next milestones – stay tuned for more news about an upcoming album, set for release in early 2025.




Destruction is known as one of the Teutonic 4, alongside Kreator, Sodom and Tankard, which will be reunited this year at the ‘Klash Of The Ruhrpott’ on July 20 – a show that promises to celebrate thrash metal in its purest form and solidify their legacy in the genre. Don’t miss out on this show promising to become a legend and the rare occasion to witness the Teutonic 4 united.


Mastermind Schmier on the new track: “The new single starts the countdown for the new album a bit early, but we wanted to show our fans, that we are working on a kick ass new record!  Yes it will be worth the wait: ‘No  Kings - No Masters’ is a razor-sharp riff monster with tons of crushing guitars and neck-breaking speed! Next Level Destruction!!! We hope this beast will keep you excited for the new output in early 2025 - PLAY IT LOUD!!!“


Watch the video for "No Kings - No Masters" below.





"No Kings - No Masters" will be available in the following limited formats:


- 1LP Slipcase Translucent Blue (strictly limited)
- 1LP Slipcase Solid Gold (strictly limited)
- 1LP Slipcase Silver (strictly limited)
- Digital Single


Get your copy of "No Kings - No Masters" here.





Tracklisting:


"No Kings - No Masters"
"Fast As A Shark" (Accept Cover)





Destruction are:


Schmier – Vocals, Bass
Martin Furia – Guitars
Randy Black – Drums
Damir Eskić – Guitars


(Photo - Jennifer Gruber)

DISTURBED frontman David Draiman received the 2024 joint Jerusalem Post and World Zionist Organization award for outstanding contribution to the fight against antisemitism.

Draiman accepted the award during the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference, which was held earlier today (Monday, June 3) in New York City.

David later shared a photo of him holding the award and he captioned it simply, "Humbled and grateful".

In his speech today, Draiman told the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference attendees (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Crazy times we are living in. Crazy, crazy times. If you had told me ten years ago that I would have lost so many of my colleagues and friends over my position to simply defend my people, our people, the Jewish people, I'd call you crazy. If you would tell me that the entire world would flip this script on us, if he would tell me that this bizarro existence that we're currently living in, where good has become evil and evil has become good, and where modern-day Nazis are praised in progressive circles all over the world where university students champion their cause… The world can seem like a very, very dark place these days. But I can tell you from my own personal experience that it takes incredibly powerful light in order to dispel darkness. And it is up to each and every one of us to be that light in this darkness we are currently living in.

"I have so many friends of mine in my industry that could really be much more outspoken, that could really be raising their voices to defend their own people, our people, the Jewish people," he continued. "And I have to say to each and every one of you: where the hell are you? Where are you? What are you waiting for? We just experienced the worst Jewish catastrophe, the worst Jewish loss of life since the Holocaust. Does something more impressive need to happen for you to finally open your mouths?

"I, for one, have stood defiant despite daily death threats by the thousands — daily threats to my family, to my livelihood, to our very existence.

"This is what we do, ladies and gentlemen," Draiman added. "You brush that off. You keep going on, you keep soldiering on. You do not let the terrorists win. You do not let them intimidate you. We do not let ourselves succumb to the fear that they are trying to instill in each and every one of us. You remain strong, you remain steadfast and you stay rebellious and defiant in the face of these animals who seek to end our very existence, ladies and gentlemen.

"Stay strong, stay resilient. Am Yisrael Chai."

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

The Jerusalem Post Annual Conference is being livestreamed on The Jerusalem Post web site and social media channels.

This year's conference also features a slate of government and business luminaries from Israel and around the world, in addition to having a unique focus on the stories and heroes of October 7 and the resilience of the State of Israel.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Humbled and grateful 🙏🏻🇮🇱❤️

#AmYisraelChai

The Jerusalem Post

Posted by David Draiman on Monday, June 3, 2024

David Draiman at JPost Conference.

Posted by Karen Lehrman Bloch on Monday, June 3, 2024

Headed to the The Jerusalem Post conference.

#AmYisraelChai ❤️🇮🇱🤘🏻

Posted by David Draiman on Monday, June 3, 2024

Has a fabulous day at The Jerusalem Post Conference in NYC where I got to hear from so many incredible people doing so...

Posted by Gabriel Boxer on Monday, June 3, 2024

Following the cancelation of ANNIHILATOR's appearance at the Topfest in Slovakia, which was scheduled for late this month, the Canadian thrash metal pioneers have announced a livestream event from the United Kingdom celebrating the 35th anniversary of ANNIHILATOR's classic debut album, "Alice In Hell", with former ICED EARTH frontman Stu Block singing the entire record. Block, ANNIHILATOR guitarist and founder Jeff Waters, guitarist Aaron Homma, bassist Rich Gray (a.k.a. Rich Hinks) and drummer Fabio Alessandrini will also perform a few "best-of" songs that will include "hits" chosen by the fans.

Jeff said in a video message announcing the livestream: "We are celebrating, as some of you already know, the 'Alice In Hell' record, which is 35 years old now. And to celebrate that for you, actually, we want to do, and we'll do, a livestream, one-off, no downloads, no repeats. It's gonna happen on Saturday, June the 29th. We are gonna play the entire 'Alice In Hell' record. We're gonna play some other classic ANNIHILATOR songs. We are gonna give you some documentary footage talking about the record and the making of the album and the early days. Also, we are featuring Stu Block — yes, the amazing Stu Block is going to sing in honor of Randy Rampage, the original singer, and we're gonna have a blast. So come and join us Saturday, June 29th. Check it out."

The livestream will take place on June 29 at 12 p.m. PDT / 3 p.m. EDT / 8 p.m. BST / 9 p.m. CEST.

To get 15% off the ticket price, the code for BLABBERMOUTH.NET viewers is "BMOUTH". Just enter it on the checkout page to receive the discount.

Block can be heard on "Metal II", the reworked version of ANNIHILATOR's 2007 "Metal" studio album. "Metal II" also features former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo.

Founded in 1984, ANNIHILATOR took the metal scene by storm with "Alice In Hell", upped the ante with 1990's "Never, Neverland" and has continued a non-stop career-pattern of releasing records and touring with many of the biggest bands in the metal genre (mostly all outside North America),ever since, cementing ANNIHILATOR as the biggest-selling metal act in Canada's history.

"Alice In Hell" was the first of six ANNIHILATOR albums to feature songwriting contributions from the band's former singer John Bates, who was credited as the co-writer of the songs "Alison Hell", "W.T.Y.D.", "Burns Like A Buzzsaw Blade" and "Human Insecticide".

To promote "Alice In Hell", ANNIHILATOR supported ONSLAUGHT internationally on the "In Search Of Sanity" tour, and TESTAMENT in the United States on the "Practice What You Preach" tour.

"Alice In Hell" was re-released twice: in 1998 with three demo tracks as bonus tracks and again in September 2003 as part of a two-disc compilation set along with "Never, Neverland", titled "Two From The Vault".

Two years ago, earMusic announced a reissue series of (almost) the entire ANNIHILATOR catalog. In total, 18 records are being released over the next few years, including the original 2007 version of the "Metal" album.

LED ZEPPELIN legend Robert Plant and country-bluegrass chanteuse Alison Krauss were interviewed by USA Today ahead of the June 2 launch of their summer 2024 tour in support of their 2021 album "Raise The Roof", the follow-up to 2007's Grammy-winning "Raising Sand". Asked what he has been doing since getting off the road last year, Robert said: "I've been very busy following my north star and reaching into the great old world of R&B for songs I might do something with down the road. And watching football (soccer)."

The 2024 live tour features Plant, Krauss and their all-star band running through "a cosmic collision of early blues, country deep cuts, revolutionary folk-rock and lost soul music." Fans can also expect reimagined arrangements of classic LED ZEPPELIN cuts like "The Battle Of Evermore", "Rock And Roll", "When The Levee Breaks" and other surprises.

Asked if he enjoys performing a few reconstructed LED ZEPPELIN songs in his show or is it more obligatory, Plant said: "I love them and am very proud of them and to get to change them around and to hear that voice next to me, it allows for an exotic overview of the more dramatic elements. At times I'm emotional about it because I'm hearing these songs — they are all beautiful adaptations that I could never have dreamt. It's a great achievement."

Plant and Krauss's tour features support from their lead guitarist JD McPherson.

In addition to JD, the backing band consists of drummer Jay Bellerose, bassist Dennis Crouch, multi-talented string player Stuart Duncan and Viktor Krauss on keys and guitar.

"Raise The Roof" debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 and spent 20 weeks at No. 1 on the Americana chart.

Upon its release, "Raise The Roof" amassed critical acclaim from The New York Times, New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Variety, Pitchfork, People, Associated Press, NPR and more, in addition to appearances on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert", "The Kelly Clarkson Show", CBS, PBS, MSNBC, the BBC and beyond.

Photo by David McClister

In a new interview with Tulsa Music Stream, original SALIVA singer Josey Scott (a.k.a. Joseph Sappington),who has been performing with his solo band in recent months under various names, including JOSEY SCOTT – THE ORIGINAL VOICE OF SALIVA and JOSEY SCOTT'S SALIVA, was asked if it is his hope and desire that he and the members of his new band can eventually perform under the SALIVA name. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Of course that's my hope, because I've always wanted the name to sort of go full circle and come back home. Whether that happens remains to be seen. I think there's things that I think are fair and things that the other camp thinks are fair. And we'll see. We'll see how it all shakes out."

Asked if he is in communication with the band which is continuing to perform under the SALIVA name, consisting of longtime singer Bobby Amaru and bassist Brad Stewart, about coming to a resolution on the usage of the SALIVA name, Josey said: "Uh, yes," before adding, "Basically, all I've been trying to do this whole time is appease the other side. I'll leave it at that."

He continued: "At the end of the day, as I've always said, this business is not about band names and it's not about personalities, it's not about Josey Scott and it's not about Bobby Amaru. It's about songs, songs, songs, songs. At the end of the day, when we all put our head on the pillow at night, it's always going to be all about songs."

Josey Scott's new band, which also includes his stepson Dylan Edney, plays all of SALIVA's hits — "the ones that people, of course, expect to hear," he told LehighValleyNews.com. "And then I take 'em sort of down the road of music that has affected my life — like, I do an ALICE IN CHAINS song, and I do a RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE song, just to show them who some of my influences are, and then we do a beautiful tribute to [the late FOO FIGHTERS drummer] Taylor Hawkins, and we play [that band's song] 'My Hero'." The group also plays "some deep cuts that only true SALIVA fans would know ... things that I never played with SALIVA when I was in the band from 1996 till 2010. Like, 'Greater Than Less Than', a song that was on the first record that we never played live," Scott said.

Last September, Stewart and Amaru spoke to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about the fact that Scott embarked on a tour under the JOSEY SCOTT'S SALIVA banner which saw him performing a lot of the band's classic songs without any of the other original SALIVA members. Brad said: "It's an interesting thing because we've been doing this version of the band [with Bobby on vocals] since Josey originally left 11, 12 years ago. So we've kind of kept the fires burning and put out new records and new music and stuff. So it's an interesting situation that we're in now, to be quite honest, so we're just trying to figure out how to make it work for both parts of it — both versions of it, I should say."

Bobby commented: "I think it's good that [Josey's] trying to connect with fans and tour and play music. I think it's an awesome thing. He should have been doing it long ago."

Referencing SALIVA's founding guitarist Wayne Swinny, who died in March 2023 while on tour with the group, Amaru added: "I think what we're doing here [with the current SALIVA touring lineup] is we're just trying to do what Wayne would have wanted and we're honoring Wayne. This [latest SALIVA] record ['Revelation', which came out in early September 2023], I know how important it was to him and I think the world should hear it. We're going out every night, we're playing songs from it. And this tour has been great. The fans have been awesome, man."

In May 2023, Josey weighed in on the announcement that SALIVA's surviving members would carry on following the death of the group's last remaining original member, the aforementioned Swinny. Josey told Rock 100.5 The KATT's Cameron Buchholtz: "I'm very close with Bobby and I know in my heart and in my soul that Bobby will do the honorable thing. He never hasn't done the honorable thing. And I just trust in his steering the ship at this point, and I know he's gonna do the right thing. And I know it's all gonna work out; it's all gonna be great."

Josey also reflected on his relationship with Wayne in the months leading up to his death. He said: "[We were] just absolute brothers. I think there was things that certain news outlets said about our relationship, that we'd said things about each other or that there was some kind of tension between each of us. That was all blown out of proportion. We were always brothers. I can show you text message after text message where we would talk in the middle of the night and check on each other. And [we] always ended every text with, 'I love you, brother. I can't wait to see you again.' The last text that we shared was talking about him… I said, 'Will you come play some solos on my new stuff?' And he was, like, 'Yeah, of course I will, man.' So we couldn't have been on better terms. And I'm thankful for that."

SALIVA launched its career in 2001 with the release of "Every Six Seconds", a double-platinum selling album with hits that include "Click, Click Boom" and "Your Disease".

The band has toured the U.S. with SEVENDUST, AEROSMITH and KISS.

SALIVA reunited with Scott for a one-off appearance at the 2022 Blue Ridge Rock Festival at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.

Scott left SALIVA at the end of 2011 after 15 years with the group, reportedly to pursue a solo Christian music career. He was quickly replaced by Amaru, who can be heard on SALIVA's last five releases: "In It To Win It" (2013),"Rise Up" (2014),"Love, Lies & Therapy" (2016),"10 Lives" (2018) and "Revelation" (2023).

SALIVA released six albums with Scott and tasted platinum success and a Grammy nomination for its first big hit, "Your Disease".

In May 2021, SALIVA celebrated the 20th anniversary of its breakthrough major label debut, "Every Six Seconds", with a special project called "Every Twenty Years", an EP of classic songs re-recorded with Amaru.

In a new interview with David Morrell of the RUN GPG podcast, FILTER leader Richard Patrick was asked about the current state of the music industry. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The music industry is really crazy right now. Back in the day, if you were lucky enough to get a record contract, which was hard, they took care of you. From my perspective, not necessarily in the early days with [Patrick's former band] NINE INCH NAILS, but from my perspective, my record company, Warner Brothers, was a godsend. They were absolutely amazing. I asked for the moon and they were, like, 'Sure. You can do whatever you want. We're here. It's an artist-oriented label. We do what you want us to do.' And I'm, like, 'Okay. So I wanna grab 30,000 dollars' worth of equipment, go back to a little house in Cleveland, Ohio, and make my record, and then have someone else mix it later on.' And they're, like, 'Done.' And like I remember going through my equipment and getting all this fancy stuff, just amazing stuff, and they bought all of it and put it together in road cases and I went across the country out to Cleveland, Ohio and sat there with Brian Liesegang and worked on these records, or the first record, 'Short Bus', and I just remember being taken care of. And then money — I had money. They gave me pretty much an allowance to sit there and work, and they gave me an advance, which I used to live. And then it was, like, 'Hey, let's do a video. Here's 300,000 dollars for that. Who do you want to work with?' 'I wanna work with Kevin Kerslake. He did the SMASHING PUMPKINS video that I like.' And they were, like, 'Great. Here's his treatment.' I get in touch with this guy. He gives me his treatment. I'm, like, 'I love it. Let's do that.' That's the video for 'Hey Man Nice Shot'. And then they put someone on the road with us who was a liaison between all the people that we were supposed to meet, all the press we were supposed to do. And so she lived on the bus with us, which was crazy because we were pretty wild back then. But it was amazing. And now you just don't have that anymore. So the way they're doing it now is if you have a TikTok following of, like, 100,000 people and you have your own built-in following already, you can get a record deal, but I don't know how much they take care of anybody anymore. I think they just kind of take their money. They put the records out. I don't know if they have A&R people. It's bizarre."

Richard continued: "It's wild because Billie Eilish is truly one of the most talented — her and Finneas are some of the most talented people ever. And they made it by going viral off of their own SoundCloud and stuff. And I remember my daughter told me about Billie Eilish when Billie Eilish was 16 back in 2018, or whatever it was, '17 or '18 or '16. So, the cream is rising to the top, but it's wild how different it is.

"Rock is not that big anymore. That's the sad thing, is rock music isn't really that big anymore," Patrick added. "And it's expensive to be in a rock band. It's very expensive to be in a rock band. You make noise, so you have to find a place that'll allow you to make noise in. Basically, what I've done was I started off using a little studio in my house to make the beginnings of the record. Then I would go to a studio and flesh it out and add guitar overdubs and stuff like that and do drums in a studio. Then I would go to a mixer and spend six weeks with a mixer, Ben Grosse. And we had a place to stay every time we did anything. And now, because budgets are gone, I have my own little studio that I have. And then all of my bandmates have their own private home studios. And so I'll come up with the main piece of music and then I'll sing it and then I'll send it out to my guitar player Bobby and he'll play bass on it and sing overdubs or sing background harmonies or something like that. So we send it through Dropbox, and that's how we work on it. Eventually it'll come time to do drums, and we'll just spend two days with a great drummer who will flesh it out on drums for two days. And that's the most expensive part about doing a record these days. But my monthly rent for my little studio… Luckily, I'm moving into movie scores as well, so that supplements my studio time as well. But it's wild."

Richard went on to say: "[FILTER's latest album, 2023's] 'The Algorithm' [cost] probably 15 grand [to make], and [FILTER's third album, 2002's] 'The Amalgamut' cost 600,000. [1999's] 'Title Of Record'… People are, like, 'Oh boy, those first three records, man, they were amazing.' Yeah, each one of 'em cost, like, 400,000 dollars to make."

In a November 2023 interview with ADK Metal News, Reviews, Reactions & Interviews, FILTER mainman Richard Patrick spoke about how his band has been able to adapt to the access-over-ownership business model of streaming music. He said: "I've kind of gotten to the point where I just am, like, I make records because that's what I do. I make records [and] I hope people listen to them. I'm gonna play them at my concerts. But I don't expect anything. I don't expect, like, 'Oh, you're gonna go fucking platinum again.' Those days are just gone."

Asked how the record labels are able to make money from Spotify nowadays and whether they can withhold their releases from streaming platforms, Patrick said: "Well, they sold it out years ago. The record companies were, like, 'Here's our catalog. Pay us a big, huge amount of money first, and then we'll get it to the bands when they ask for it.' So all the music heads made tons of money when they made these deals with Spotify to have the catalogs originally. So, Spotify paid 17 million to Warner Brothers for its catalog and they took it and paid themselves. I'm not saying that's what Warner Brothers did. I'm just using it as a hypothetical. But yeah, it's fuckin gone. It's over."

Pressed about how difficult it is for someone to be a professional musician in this day and age, Patrick said: "I made the last record ['The Algorithm'] for 20,000 bucks. I made 'The Amalgamut' for 350,000 dollars. People bought houses because they worked so hard on a record, and they bought houses. And we'd sell a million records. So you'd pay it back; you'd make it back. So 'The Algorithm' cost me, like, 20 grand. And I don't even know if I've been reimbursed from the label or whatever. I don't even know if I've been reimbursed. I don't even know."

Asked if there is still a benefit for artists to go down the record label route anymore or if they are better off doing things independently, Richard said: "I don't know. The jury's out on where I'm at with my label. The jury's kind of out right now. I've been signed to 10 labels or something — a handful of labels — and I know what it's like when a label wants you to be big and wants to make your life amazing and work your record. And Golden Robot's fighting with everybody else on how to make a living on this. And it's tough. And you don't have sure things. If you get on radio, you'll sell a million records. That's not happening anymore. Radio is not as effective as it used to be. So it's, like, well, what are we? A TikTok account? Do I literally have to like hire a TikTok person and invest 10 grand in doing TikTok videos and starting this whole thing. And I have a TikTok account, and I just don't get it. I don't see what the point is. I release stuff on it, but it's the same as Reels on Instagram or Stories or whatever on Facebook]. But it's all about posting shit; it's all about posting content."

"The Algorithm" arrived in August 2023 via Golden Robot Records.

Originally conceived in 2018 as a collaboration between Patrick and fellow FILTER founding member Brian Liesegang, the band's new album was given a tentative title, "ReBus", as a nod to FILTER's 1995 debut, "Short Bus", before being changed to "They Got Us Right Where They Want Us, At Each Other's Throats" and later to "Murica" and then back to "They Got Us Right Where They Want Us, At Each Other's Throats". In the end, Patrick went with "The Algorithm".

"The other title was way too long," Richard previously explained. "And I don't wanna be as divisive as I've been in the past. So I decided to just call it 'The Algorithm' 'cause if makes total sense to me."

A new FILTER single, "For The Beaten", arrived in October 2022 and was followed by "Face Down".

Last year, FILTER completed the "Freaks On Parade" tour with ROB ZOMBIE, ALICE COOPER and MINISTRY.

UK alternative metal act Neonfly has announced the release of the band's upcoming live EP Master Tapes - 10 Years Live At Masters Of Rock, set to be released on June 19 via Noble Demon.


Having graced the festival for the fourth time in ten years back in 2022, this digital EP commemorates their decade-long journey since their first captivating performance on the international stage. Masters Of Rock festival holds a special place in Neonfly's hearts as it provided them with a crucial platform that kick-started the band's global presence. With each performance, Neonfly has established a profound connection with their fans and the festival community, culminating in this special EP that commemorates their decade-long adventure at Masters Of Rock festival from humble beginnings to the here and now.


Neonfly comments: "Our journey with Masters Of Rock began in 2012 when we played to a packed second stage, winning the hearts and minds of everyone present. This led to us returning the following year and being promoted to an early afternoon slot on the Main Stage. Since then, the Czech fans, and especially those at Masters Of Rock, have always held a special place in our hearts. Playing there feels like coming home, and we wanted to show our gratitude to all the fans who rocked out with us over the years, as well as to the fantastic team at Pragokoncert for their unwavering support."




"Our first live recording dates back to our Main Stage debut in 2013, where we premiered the yet-to-be-released track 'Heart Of The Sun', later featured on our second album. The live version has been remixed and remastered for this release. In 2015, we returned for another epic Main Stage performance, proving that Neonfly was here to stay and a force to be reckoned with. That show also marked the debut of our visually captivating fire-breathing act, performed by guitarist Frederick Thunder, which has since then become a festival staple for us. Two tracks are taken from that show, 'A Gift To Remember' and 'Morning Star'."


"'Although we performed at Metalfest 2017, also organized by Pragokoncert, it took seven years for us to return to Masters Of Rock. Originally scheduled for 2020, the pandemic put our plans on hold until 2022, turning our return into a special moment, marking our 10-year 'MORversary.' 'Highways To Nowhere' and 'This World Is Burning' are taken from that show, with their respective videos edited by Frederick Thunder."


Watch the music video for the first single "Highways To Nowhere", which the band performed at the Masters Of Rock Festival 2022:





Guitarist Frederick Thunder about the track: "‘Highways To Nowhere’ has been a staple in our setlist since our second album, Strangers In Paradise, came out. It’s really punchy and straight-forward, and it’s a great song to start the set with a bang and set the tone for the rest of the show. Even after all these years, the song only seems to have grown in popularity as evidenced by the number of people who request it and the way it’s positioned itself as one of our most popular songs on streaming platforms. It seemed like a great option as the starting track of our EP to celebrate what Neonfly is all about live."





Tracklisting:


"Highways To Nowhere" (Live at Masters of Rock 2022)
"This World Is Burning" (Live at Masters of Rock 2022)
"A Gift To Remember" (Live at Masters of Rock 2015)
"Heart Of The Sun" (Live at Masters of Rock 2013)
"Morning Star" (Live at Masters of Rock 2015)


Master Tapes - 10 Years Live At Masters Of Rock will be coming out digitally on June 19 via Noble Demon. The EP is available for pre-save at this location.


(Photo by Rakkan)


 

The old school death metal band, Monastery, have released a first single, "Fall Apart," from their upcoming album. Details of the full album will be revealed soon, but for now, stick with "Fall Apart"  and its unparalleled intensity.


"Fall Apart" is a relentless and powerful track, symbolizing Monastery's raw energy and aggression. From the first note, the song's high velocity and intense lyrics showcase the band's prowess and even when the speed eases, the guitars keep the intensity high, ensuring constant momentum. Ending as fiercely as it begins, "Fall Apart" highlights Monastery's dedication to the old school death metal and offers a glimpse into their upcoming album.







Music: Krisztián Tóth / Róbert Kovács
Lyrics: Roland Kovács
Sound engineer: Zoltán Cserfalvi
Made by: Denevér studio / Szolnok / Hungary
Cover: Gergely István Olasz

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King celebrated his 60th birthday by kicking off the European leg of his "From Hell I Rise" solo tour Monday night (June 3) at Poppodium 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands.

As was the case with the first three U.S. shows Kerry played with his solo band, the setlist for the Tilburg 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.

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

01. Where I Reign
02. Trophies Of The Tyrant
03. Toxic
04. Repentless (SLAYER song)
05. Two Fists
06. Tension
07. Everything I Hate About You
08. Chemical Warfare (SLAYER song)
09. Idle Hands
10. Rage
11. Hate Worldwide (SLAYER song)
12. Residue
13. Disciple (SLAYER song)
14. Crucifixation
15. Shrapnel
16. Raining Blood (SLAYER song)
17. Black Magic (SLAYER song)
18. Payback (SLAYER song)
19. From Hell I Rise

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."

Pressed about whether there is anything he wants to achieve musically and personally with his solo project, King said: "Musically, not really. Just keep putting out music that translates between me writing it and the fans liking it. The thing that I can't wait for, which is a lot closer than I expected — I was told today our first show is in, like, 10 days [laughs], so I gotta go home and rehearse. But I'm looking forward to playing with the guys, 'cause even though we've done a video, we've never actually played together all at once. So, that's gonna be pretty exciting. And that happens Sunday. I fly home Saturday, and then I gotta fly to the West Coast Sunday and start rehearsing. So I've got a big week, but that's what I look most forward to these days, is getting in the rehearsal room and then finally getting on stage and showing the new band to everybody."

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 the Percussion Discussion Podcast, legendary drummer Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, LAST IN LINE) addressed host Matty Roberts's comment that Vinny has a "signature style and sound" which as kept him "in solid employment" for the last few decades. Appice said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then people say, 'Wow, I knew that was you on the drums [on that recording].' I take that as a compliment. 'Well, thank you very much. That's pretty cool.' But the other thing is I'm a nice guy. I'm not a scumbag. I'm not a jerk. I'm on time with all these bands."

He continued: "Actually, [when I played] with BLACK SABBATH, we used to rehearse at one o'clock in the afternoon out here in California. And I'd pull up about 20 to 1 or 12:30. Tony's [Iommi, SABBATH guitarist] in there getting his sound on his guitar, messing with his gear. Geezer [Butler, SABBATH bassist] arrives right there, and then, boom, behind him's Ronnie [James Dio, then-SABBATH singer]. Everybody's there before it's our time, and they care and they wanna make it the best that it can be. And then later on, I played with a band called KILL DEVIL HILL [with] Rex Brown from PANTERA. I love the way Rex plays — he's fantastic — but the band itself couldn't… We needed a clock. I got tired of it. Mainly it was one guy in the band that was just an hour and a half late and this and that, and after a while I'm [going], 'I can't deal with this.' It's a waste of my time. I'm sitting there for an hour and a half waiting. But it was fun. It was a great band, and Rex was great. Rex was cool. He was there. He just blew the amps up all the time, but he was there on time.

"You've gotta be a team player, and then people work with you," Vinny added. "When you're an A-hole, they go, 'Well, what about that guy?' 'No. He's [always] late' or whatever the problem is. You've gotta be part of a team."

When Roberts noted that Vinny has never burned any bridges, even when he has left projects in the past, Appice concurred. "That's right," he said. "I know people that burn bridges and then years later, it comes back to haunt them. I mean, I left DIO — I left, actually, twice, and I tried to run it by Ronnie [James Dio] all the time, when the time was right, and Wendy [Dio, Ronnie's manager], and I always kept in touch. And then later on, they put HEAVEN & HELL together, which was BLACK SABBATH. And they were working with Cozy Powell at one point. Then he fell off a horse and couldn't play for a while. 'Let's call Vinny.' That was '92. And then later on, in 2007, they did HEAVEN & HELL. And they were working with Bill Ward, and that wasn't working out. 'Let's call Vinny.' And luckily, I didn't burn any bridges; I didn't do anything like that. And I was in touch with Wendy Dio. She said, 'You wanna play with the guys again?' I said, 'Sure. That'd be awesome.' And I went, and that brought my career back in the spotlight. [We put] BLACK SABBATH back together again. So you can't burn the bridges. It's not a good idea."

Vinny has recorded and co-written songs on several dozen albums and CDs, including many multi-platinum records. Vinny's drumming can also be heard on numerous movie soundtracks, including "Wayne's World 2", "Heavy Metal", "Iron Eagle" and "Bedazzled". Vinny, the author of drum instruction book "Rock Steady" and DVD "Hard Rock Drumming Techniques", has performed incredible powerhouse drum clinics around the globe. Numerous books have been written about BLACK SABBATH and DIO with the authors always mentioned Vinny's drumming style.

Vinny's unique drumming approach has influenced many artists over the last few decades. Never one to rest on his laurels, he is constantly putting out new music and is currently recording and touring with LAST IN LINE.

Vinny currently endorses Sawtooth drums, Evans drumheads, Istanbul Mehmet cymbals and Chromacast drumsticks.

The year was 1984, the year of the cassette boombox and the Sony Walkman, and the year when a little band from Los Angeles invited the world to "Turn Up The Radio". That band was AUTOGRAPH, fronted by the fiery-haired powerhouse vocalist Steve Plunkett, and their single became an immediate smash hit from the debut album "Sign In Please" and was featured in numerous films and TV shows of that era.

But as big as AUTOGRAPH was, it could not contain the creative energy of Plunkett. He soon found a new career as an in-demand songwriter for bands such as THE GO-GO'S, Edgar Winter and VIXEN as well as doing production work for Cyndi Lauper and Graham Nash. He released his first solo album in 1991, an album that showed Plunkett's growing confidence in both his own songwriting and studio techniques. Now, more than three decades later, Plunkett is ready to release his second solo album, a smokin' hot collection called "Straight Up".

This 10-track all-killer-no-filler album cranks up the volume knob to 11 and shows that Plunkett hasn't lost an ounce of the passion and power that made him a hard rock hero. Just check out the album's first single "Rock Machine", which kicks off with a driving guitar lick and chanted lyric that lunges straight at the listener's jugular. It's a powerblast of pure, unfiltered rock mania as only Plunkett knows how to deliver.

Reflecting on the album, Plunkett declares: "With 'Straight Up', I wanted to get back to rock basics. No parameters or targets — just the kind of real rock that got me excited back in the day. Fast, fun and loud!"

"Straight Up" will be available on both CD and digital July 26 via Cleopatra Records.

Track listing:

01. Rock Machine
02. Here We Go
03. First Step
04. Six String Hero
05. Rock Star
06. We're Gonna Jam
07. Knock Out Punch
08. On The Stage
09. Gotta Jump
10. Start It Up

Founding AUTOGRAPH guitarist Steve Lynch recently settled a lawsuit against some of the later members of the band over the AUTOGRAPH name. As part of the settlement, the musicians who have been performing as AUTOGRAPH in recent years will now be called AUTOGRAPH BEYOND. Meanwhile, Lynch has retained all rights to the AUTOGRAPH brand name, trademarks and logo.

Plunkett and Lynch were part of the original AUTOGRAPH band alongside bassist Randy Rand, drummer Keni Richards and keyboardist Steve Isham. Rand, Richards and Isham passed away in 2022, 2017 and 2008, respectively.

AUTOGRAPH BEYOND consists of Simon Daniels (a.k.a. Danny Simon) on vocals, Marc Wieland on drums, Jimi Bell on guitar and Steve Unger on bass.

In a new interview with Finland's Chaoszine, former SEPULTURA and current SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera spoke about his recent decision to launch his official Instagram account with the help of his wife and manager Gloria Cavalera. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, I think it was necessary for a musician to grow. As much as I wanted to stay away from it, because — I like it, but I don't let it be the only thing in my life. That's why I don't have a cell phone. I'm one of the few people in the world that don't have a cell phone. And I feel very free about that, because when I go to eat at a restaurant, I wanna talk to my friends. I wanna sit down at a table and talk to people, not stare at some machine. I think that's ridiculous, when people are in a restaurant and they are sitting across each other and they don't talk to each other. It's fucking sad. It's fucking crazy — it drives me crazy. At the same time, I know how important it is to have your presence in the social media world. And that's why together, I found a way to do it with [Gloria] so she becomes my voice. She shows me everything, so I get to see everything that people are saying. I respond. We do a live Facebook. I was doing a lot of 'Max Trax' [Internet video series in which Max discusses the inspiration for many of the songs spanning his 40-year music career]. I might wanna start doing that again and do Cameos and all this stuff. But I think she's great. She's doing right now six, I think, social media things. She does Max Cavalera, she does SOULFLY. she has her own Facebook page, and it's cool."

He added: "I always did this — even back in the day, in the SEPULTURA days before Internet. I would read bad reviews so I get real pissed off and have a good show. So now I kind of do the same. I tell her like, 'Show me some people talking shit.' So she gives me the phone, and there's all these people talking shit. And I read it, and I go on the stage and I fuck shit up. [Laughs] It's ammunition. It's gasoline for the fire."

CAVALERA, the band featuring former Max and his brother, former SEPULTURA drummer Igor "Iggor" Cavalera, recently re-recorded SEPULTURA's 1987 album "Schizophrenia" for a June 21 release via Nuclear Blast Records. The Cavalera brothers enlisted Travis Stone (PIG DESTROYER) on lead guitar, with Igor Amadeus Cavalera (GO AHEAD AND DIE, HEALING MAGIC) playing bass.

CAVALERA re-recorded "Schizophrenia" from April 15 to June 5, 2023 at Focusrite Room in Mesa Arizona. Mixing and mastering was handled by Arthur Rizk (SOULFLY, GO AHEAD AND DIE, TURNSTILE).

This summer, CAVALERA will travel across Europe on their "Third World Trilogy" tour. The trek will kick off on June 12 in Leichester and will make stops in Wroclaw, Oslo, and Barcelona before ending in Switzerland on July 21.

Swedish progressive metal band Seventh Dimension has just released their debut single "The Great Unknown", available now on all major streaming services. The single sets the stage for their upcoming album, Of Hope & Ordeals, set to drop on June 21, 2024.





Known for their intricate blend of progressive metal and rock, Seventh Dimension continues to evolve their sound while staying true to their roots. The album reflects a new chapter for the band, marked by the addition of lead vocalist Markus Tälth and a more collaborative songwriting approach.




Of Hope & Ordeals is a vibrant mix of symphonic elements, soaring melodies, and some of the heaviest music the band has ever produced. Influenced by legendary acts like Dream Theater, Opeth, and Symphony X, the album offers a rich tapestry of emotions and themes. The first five tracks feature deeply personal lyrics, drawn from the band members' experiences over the past year, culminating in a 25-minute epic that showcases their classic storytelling style.





Tracklisting:


"The Great Unknown"
"Ghost Veil"
"V23"
"Underwater"
"Mind Flayer"
"Black Sky: Final Frontier"


For further details, visit Seventh Dimension on Facebook.


 

STONE SOUR guitarist Josh Rand has shared a snippet of some of the new music he is working on for his THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT. He wrote in an accompanying caption: "I want to thank all of you for be patient on the new music. Sorry, had to take care of some things over this last year but I'm back at it! Can't wait for you guys to hear what we have been working on. We are shooting for a fall release. We'll keep you posted."

Last month, Rand's THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT bandmate, PARALANDRA vocalist/guitarist Casandra Carson, told the Nothing Shocking podcast about the status of the collaborative project: "As of just less than a week ago, Josh is back playing guitar. He had back surgery that he'd been out of commission for a little over a year at this point, so we've just kind of been waiting for his recovery. So now the plans are to continue writing. We've already got, like, five songs that have been written and recorded that we just haven't released 'cause we wanna be able to actually go out and tour and support it when we do release it. So, yeah, [we're] kind of getting back into the swing of things, but I'm super excited. It's some good music."

Regarding how she balances PARALANDRA and THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT, Casandra said: "It's difficult. PARALANDRA is my baby and I live in Springfield [Missouri], and that's where everybody lives for PARALANDRA. So it's much easier to get together twice a week to have practices. And we write songs organically right there in the garage, whereas with Josh, it's, like, you send off the track to get drums recorded and then you send it off to get the bass done. It's a very different process. So I'm kind of in two different worlds, but I do try to do both of them at the same time as often as I can."

In September 2022, THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT released a new single, "Dying Of The Light".

Earlier that year, THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT completed a run of U.S. dates as the support act for ALICE IN CHAINS, BREAKING BENJAMIN and BUSH.

THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT made its live debut on April 30, 2022 at The Riff in Springfield, Missouri.

In an interview with HardDrive Radio's Lou Brutus, Rand stated about THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT: "In a sense, it was just something that I started doing a [few] years ago, just writing music myself. And then I just decided I wanted to get a female vocalist, basically, to work on these songs and sing on them. And I found Casandra through a mutual friend — actually, STONE SOUR's [then-]A&R person, Dave Rath — and we hit it off. And then we've just been working on stuff kind of just here and there.

"So, that's really what it's about," he continued. "It's just me musically trying different stuff, but also getting back to where I originally came from, as far as my musical journey. So it's kind of getting back to my roots and just having fun with it. That's what THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT is for me — it's a different vehicle to express myself, I guess, artistically with truly no boundaries, but leaning more towards, musically, I think, coming at it as an educated teenager. What I mean by that is it's the fire of that teenager — that drive, that style of music that I was playing 30 years ago — but now doing it with the experience, the knowledge and all that. So it's kind of like revisiting the past, in a way, or going home in some ways."

THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT released a four-song EP, titled "Big F.O.U.R.", in March 2022 via Bloodblast. The collection featured a clutch of cover versions, one each from heavy music's pioneering icons METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX.

Rand previously stated about the EP: "Recording a 'Big F.O.U.R.' cover EP is something that I have wanted to do for a very, very long time, and [in the] fall [of 2021] I decided to finally do it with THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT.

"Without these four bands (METALLICA, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and SLAYER),my musical career wouldn't be where it is today. In some ways, you could say this project is paying homage to them or, how I see it, a return to where it all started in my parents' house as a teenager trying to learn just a piece of the music.

"Each of the four songs that I picked were pivotal in my development as a musician, whether it was learning the intro to 'One' on guitar, drums on 'Symphony [Of Destruction]' or bass lines in 'Caught In A Mosh'.

"This EP was a true love and passion project for myself. I feel I captured the vibe and the spirit of the original but with THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT sound. Hopefully you hear it too!"

Stylistically, THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT is a fluid combination of classic metal sensibility and Rand's penchant for pushing the boundaries of contemporary heavy.

THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT's debut self-titled EP came out in the summer of 2021 and was made available exclusively through the band's webstore or via the Nuclear Blast store.

Josh and Casandra's debut single, "The Nothingness", was featured on several major playlists across streaming platforms, including Rock Hard on Spotify, Breaking Metal on Apple Music, Break Through Rock on Amazon and Metal Radar on Deezer. "The Nothingness" was also included on SiriusXM Octane's "Test Drive" show on release.

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Finnish cello rockers APOCALYPTICA have announced the fourth and final exciting single from "Apocalyptica Plays Metallica, Vol. 2" – the hotly anticipated sequel to their legendary debut record. "The Call Of Ktulu" follows on from a rapturous response to the preceding three singles: stunning reinterpretations of "The Four Horsemen", "The Unforgiven II" and "One". Most notably, "The Call of Ktulu" features the original bassline laid down by METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton, who tragically lost his life in a tour bus accident in 1986.

APOCALYPTICA's "The Call Of Ktulu", the original of which first appeared on METALLICA's second album — 1984 landmark "Ride The Lightning" — is more than just a reimagining of that defining moment in thrash history. It represents a resounding seal of approval given by METALLICA and the family of Cliff Burton themselves, who were all enthusiastically behind the idea. It also serves as a powerful tribute to a legendary bassist whose colossal musical legacy lives on.

APOCALYPTICA founder Eicca Toppinen comments: "I've learned in life that if you have crazy ideas it's always worth asking, so I called Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer]! He was, like, 'I love that you guys always think outside of the box!' James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman] loved the idea, and I met one of Cliff's close relatives and she did too. It was a spiritual experience working on this. We wanted to treat this with honor and maximum respect, and it was magical to have people so close to Cliff say that he would have loved it."

Due on June 7 via Throwdown Entertainment, "Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol. 2" will continue the journey that began in 1996 when cellists from Helsinki's world-renowned Sibelius Academy played symphonic tribute to the biggest of the big four–heavy metal titans METALLICA.

In a stunning development, the "One" single sees Hetfield joining proceedings for a soul-stirring, spoken word of those inimitable, now-immortal lyrics. More than a unique collaboration, this is history in the making.

Speaking to Mexico's Summa Inferno, APOCALYPTICA's lead cellist Perttu Kivilaakso explained how Hetfield's involvement with his band's version of "One" came about. He said:  "I all the time had this idea of, I want to make a very epic cinematic version, like a movie type of soundtrack type of a version out of 'One', because it's one of absolute most important and beloved tracks for me personally, as for so many others too. And that's why I actually thought that the story of 'One' is really important and interesting, exciting and touching story that for a movie aesthetics or cinematic aesthetics, it would be so cool to have a narrator in the track to talk the lyrics. And we didn't really even consider having anything sung in this album, but this narrator idea, I think what the approach is really cool because it brings a different type of flavor to this soldier's story and kind of inside his mind. And, of course, in the very starting point, James Hetfield naturally was kind of the number one choice for us when we were speaking: 'It would be so cool if James does his own lyrics.' But we didn't even consider that he would ever step away from METALLICA to do something else. And that's why, at some period of time, we had maybe other ideas of involving some cool actor — Mads Mikkelsen or somebody like that — with a great charismatic voice there. But then, when our recordings were all done and we came into the finalizing the post-production of the album, all of a sudden James informed us that, basically, like, 'Why wouldn't you ask me to do [it]?' It kind of felt even that he wanted to do it — he really, really wanted [to do it]. And that was a mind-blowing experience."

He continued: "For me, I remember when I received, actually, all the files James had recorded in States, and I was working at my home in Finland, and I got all his tracks and I imported them to my session and I started to edit Hetfield at home, I fell to my knees crying because it felt like, in a way, of course, like a dream come true and the full circle going on. And eventually Trujillo wanted to play also bass to 'One' because they apparently loved the version, the demo, the original demo that I sent to the guys. And even that was exciting because I had spoken those lyrics or the poetic approach, the narrative with my own sound, with my everything else but perfect English. [Laughs] And I'm just sending these own demo versions to James and [I said], 'Oh, I hope you don't mind that I had to do it myself. But this would be the idea. Please do whatever you want. It's gonna be amazing.' But also, yeah, still speaking about 'One', it was very fascinating and highly exciting to get to work with the wonderful special effects person Jussi Tegelman, who works in Los Angeles and he has been working for Skywalker Sound and made sound effect designs for many, many great movies, starting from Marvel and 'Dr. Strange' and 'Spider-Man' and stuff like that. So we also had this element in there. I'm a big movie fan and big Marvel fan, actually, as well, and to work with absolutely greatest people in the world, having a great orchestra from Budapest to make it, it's by far the most bombastic and biggest thing we have done, this this particular song, for sure."

When APOCALYPTICA's version of "One" was first released, APOCALYPTICA's Eicca Toppinen said in a statement: "I think it's incredible that James wanted to do it. We were always thinking, 'It'd be great to someday do something with METALLICA!' I think the excitement for him came from the different approach we were taking — sometimes the craziest ideas are what excites people and that was our challenge."

"Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol. 2" track listing:

01. Ride The Lightning
02. St. Anger
03. The Unforgiven II
04. Blackened
05. The Call Of Ktulu (in memory of Cliff Burton)
06. The Four Horsemen (feat. Rob Trujillo)
07. Holier Than Thou
08. To Live Is To Die
09. One (feat. James Hetfield and Rob Trujillo)
10. One (instrumental)

The album's lead single was "The Four Horsemen", a song that originally appeared on METALLICA's 1983 debut "Kill 'Em All". It features a guest appearance by METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo.

Kivilaakso told the DJ Force X Podcast about how Trujillo's involvement came about: "This album concept has, in a way, been in our minds for throughout the whole career. We always knew that there are still a lot of cool [METALLICA] songs that we wanted play our style one day. So, but now after the pandemic and everything, this felt the exact right moment to dive back to the roots."

He continued: "We have always had a wonderful relation with METALLICA — they have been enormously supportive towards us always — but still we approached them to ask that would they agree, would it be fine for them if we make such an album. And through those conversations, actually, eventually Rob even offered that he could play something for us. And that's an enormous, amazing feature, of course, to be treated like that. And it really, really shows respect also from their side. And we are very, very thankful for it."

When "Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol. 2" was first announced, APOCALYPTICA said in a statement: "The first single we want to present to you is 'The Four Horsemen'. And we couldn't be more excited to have a great feature guest on it: Rob Trujillo himself, who is probably THE greatest bass player in this whole wide world! We've always enjoyed sharing our love for METALLICA. Now, this is next level for us as well!"

Toppinen commented: "It's the coolest thing. We didn't push; it was offered. We played the first album live and it was so much more fun and exciting than we expected, so we got the idea to do something like the first album, but we couldn't do it in exactly the same way; we needed to challenge ourselves and bring a totally new perspective to the original energy and emotion of METALLICA."

Kivilaakso added: "We've been talking about making another METALLICA album for around 20 years, as there were still so many great songs we wanted to play! We waited for the perfect moment to do it. Thinking of that teenage me who is now getting to play his favorite tracks gives me goosebumps!"

This album will be the APOCALYPTICA's final studio release with the band's longtime member, drummer Mikko Sirén, who amicably departed after the new LP's completion. "Plays Metallica Vol. 2" was produced by longtime collaborator and studio supremo Joe Barresi (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, SOUNDGARDEN, NINE INCH NAILS, TOOL).

Alongside the announcement, APOCALYPTICA will be touring in support of the record, taking them through Europe.

Sirén started performing live with APOCALYPTICA in 2003 but didn't become a full-time member of the band until 2005, after playing over 200 concerts with APOCALYPTICA and recording an album with the group.

In a 2019 interview with Australia's Heavy magazine, APOCALYPTICA's Paavo Lötjönen spoke about the impact of the band's 1996 "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos" debut. Consisting solely of METALLICA covers, the album cast a spotlight on the group's classically trained abilities, setting the stage for them to release their own material in ensuing years. Since the 20th anniversary of "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos" in 2016, APOCALYPTICA has been playing the album in full at select live dates.

"It's been really fantastic," he said about playing "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos". "If we are talking about music in common, if you listen to music you used to listen to 20 years ago, it's a weird thing somehow, it brings all the same feelings back. Like, you are feeling when we were 20 years younger. I would call music a time machine in that sense. The same happens for us when we play those songs. Somehow the same feelings come back to us when we felt like we were 25 years or 20 years old and touring with a shitty van around Europe playing venues. This time, all the venues are bigger and really portioned nice. There's lots of people, and it's not too hot and shitty on the stage. It's a lot of joy and fun to play those songs. The magic of METALLICA has not disappeared anywhere. It's still really strong and passionate music. It's a lot of fun to play. We have never played this well as we are playing at the moment. I'm happy to see we have learned something during these years."

In 2015, Lötjönen and Kivilaakso spoke to Austria's Mulatschag about what it was like to join METALLICA on stage at the Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the week-long celebration of the band's 30th anniversary in December 2011. Perttu said: "Of course we felt very privileged being included amongst all those amazing artists. And after the thing, what we have done during our career, it has been pleasant to realize and notice that, actually, the METALLICA guys, who are the reason for us to start to do something like this, that they do respect us at least that much that they wanted us to be a part of this big celebration of their career. Of course, it was crazy. I remember that when we started to play 'One', I'm starting this song and James Hetfield is just next to me, and I'm thinking, when I was 13 years old, he was my biggest idol and now we are playing together. So it's absurd, but just natural and logical in other terms."

Added Paavo: "You know, the connection to METALLICA has been really super great all these years. We played first time as a support to them already in '96. It was actually our fifth show for a proper rock and roll audience, and we were supporting METALLICA, so it was quite crazy. And since that, we have played many times with them at same festivals and… Let me say that the connection with METALLICA is really cool and really nice."

Photo credit: Riki Murto