In a new interview with Richmond Register Music, SALIVA vocalist Bobby Amaru and bassist Brad Stewart confirmed that there are plans for the band to release new music as a follow-up to 2023's "Revelation" album. "Yeah, we're gonna release more stuff," Bobby said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "We're gonna drop something in a few months, for sure. We may actually work on a single soon, very soon, like in the next few weeks. But we're gonna release something in a few months — like another thing. I can't really say [what it is]. We're working on something."

After the interviewer brought up the prospect of SALIVA dropping singles as opposed to full-length albums going forward, Bobby said: "That's probably the next move, is to do something like that. Just kind of maybe focus on a single or two and then lead it up to [a full-length album]. That's what we did with this one ['Revelation'], though. We started working on this record in 2020, and then we were, like, 'Oh, we'll put it out in 2021.' 'No, we'll put it out in 2022.' [It ended up being] 2023, but we were working singles all up until that."

Brad chimed in: "[People have] such a short attention span, though, in the TikTok world. Afull album? People are, like, 'What am I gonna do with that?' You'd be lucky to get three and a half minutes of their time."

Bobby added: "We do that for the core fans and the hardcore fans that really love full-lengths. I can't imagine a band that I really like giving me one song every six months… And I love doing the vinyl — all that stuff's great."

"Revelation" came out last September. It marked the band's first release since the passing of SALIVA's founding guitarist Wayne Swinny, who died six months earlier while on tour with the group. The "Come Back Stronger" video was notably filmed on March 16, 2023 — just five days before Swinny's death — and was dedicated to the fallen guitarist.

On March 22, 2023, SALIVA shared a statement on Facebook in which the band said that Swinny had been found that morning "in medical distress." Paramedics were called and the musician was transported to hospital "where he was diagnosed with a Spontaneous Hemorrhage in his brain."

SALIVA was on the road in the U.S. as part of the "Spring Mayhem" tour with THROUGH FIRE and ANY GIVEN SIN and had played in Warrendale, Pennsylvania on March 21, 2023.

When "Revelation" was first announced in July 2023, Amaru said in a statement: "We started working on this record in 2020 during the pandemic shutdown. I felt like we had to get outside of the box with this one.

"I've been sober almost five years now and there are many songs on this record that are a reflection of it. I just wanted to connect with the listener and pull them into what I was dealing with but also shed some light on overcoming personal adversity.

"With the passing of Wayne in March [2023], I felt lost. Where do I go? I knew we had this record we were all stoked about. Wayne's influence is all over these songs and, in my opinion, his playing on this album is next level. It's the only right thing to do to honor him and all our hard work and release it. I just want to share with the world what we have worked on the last three-plus years."

SALIVA's current lineup consists of Amaru and Stewart alongside Sammi Jo Bishop (drums),Sebastian LaBar (guitar) and Josh Kulack (guitar).

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 original singer Josey Scott for a one-off appearance at the 2022 edition of the 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.

Baest are sharing an ominous vision about their new song, “Imp Of The Perverse”. “Our second single shows the dark sides of the human soul. It combines the heavy grooves with catchy rock melodies which forces the listener to both bang and boogie. It’s unreason, it’s chaos, it’s the ‘Imp Of The Perverse’.”


The video was and edited / directed by Jakob Printzlau, and filmed by Theis Mortensen and Martin Hagge, during two very special headlining shows in Aarhus and Copenhagen that Baest played in March 2024.


Looking back, the band is still buzzing about seeing so many smiling faces who came to party with them: “We broke the record for the largest sold-out headlining shows any Danish death metal band has ever played. Thank you to everyone who came out to support us and helped to make this become a reality. We love you all…”







“Imp Of The Perverse” is currently available on all digital platforms.


This past January, Baest released “Colossus” as a first appetizer for new material:





In November, Baest are set to embark on their “Beast Against Beast” European co-headline tour together with Benighted. Special guests will be Coffin Feeder. Baest state: “In the fall of 2024 we will return to the European roads wreaking havoc with a colossus of a co-headline tour: We will bring the Baest factor as you know it with an energetic heavy metal show with both oldies, goldies and maybe some fresh tunes. We’re teaming up with French brutal deathgrinders Benighted, and Belgium blasters from Coffin Feeder. We can’t wait to get back on the road! See ya.”





 

São Paulo, Brazil-based thrash metal band, Insane Hell, has released its new single, "Faith Deceivers", marking a new chapter in its musical and artistic evolution.


Amidst the flourishing Brazilian thrash scene over the past decade, the quintet, currently comprised of Neskau Magnarello (vocals, RxUxA, ex-Megaforce, Sensimilla Dub), Michel Soria (guitar, ex-Neurônios Alucinados), Césinha (guitar), Luciano Meira (bass), and Crisolito Reis (drums, ex-Hellcrusher), emerges as a prominent example of this vitality.


With only four years of history, facing numerous challenges, style changes, and lineup shifts during the pandemic period, the band has embraced the essence of old-school thrash metal, with nuances of crossover and hardcore, completely abandoning the acidic roots of its black metal beginnings.




For this triumphant return with a new and solid lineup, the single "Faith Deceivers" featuring the brutal participation of Alex Kafer (vocals, The Troops Of Doom) in a captivating duet with Neskau Magnarello, is available on all digital platforms


Listen on Spotify Spotify, or on your preferred digital platform here, and below.





"Faith Deceivers" is a powerful critique of religious institutions that exploit faith for profit, a potent message echoing through the distortions and frenetic beats of thrash metal.


Alex Kafer comments on his participation: "Me and Neskau have known each other for many years. We're from the Paleozoic era of Brazilian metal (laughs). I was very happy to be invited to participate in one of Insane Hell's songs because, besides being his request, the song is a powerful old-school thrash metal, with lyrics that criticize the false religious sellers of faith. The combination of my more death metal style with Neskau's raw and thrashy vocals worked really well, and I was very pleased with the result. I hope the fans of 'brutality' enjoy it as much as we did! Thrash 'Till Death!"


Crisolito Reis (drums) comments on the song's lyrics: "In 'Faith Deceivers,' we address the religious institutions that exploit humanity's last hope, which is faith, to make a profit. These are the false prophets spread throughout the world. The lyrics are written by our former guitarist and founder of the band, Henrique Pavan, who was also responsible for the initial arrangements, with some new changes made by the new lineup and by Ciero."





"Faith Deceivers" is a glimpse of what's to come on Insane Hell's debut EP, promising an even more remarkable expression of this promising band's talent, which aims not to be just another one in the Brazilian thrash metal scene.


Recently, Insane Hell signed a full artistic management contract with Oitava Produções (@oitava_producoes), the first rock/metal band to be part of the roster of this innovative company that will provide complete partnership services for show sales, documentation, office structure, among other full support services for the prolific career of the quintet.


(Photo - Eduardo Firmo, @dufirmo)

In a new interview with MNPR Magazine, GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash was asked for his opinion on the current music scene. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I love what's going on in the blues scene. It's really vibrant right now. I wish the rock scene was similar. [Laughs] The blues scene's great. I think there's a lot of really exciting players in that area.

"I see that there is some — a lot of kids that are doing rock and roll on their own now, away from the record companies and away from all the bullshit that was going on in the '90s and in the first decade of the millennium," he continued. "They're creating their own music for themselves. No one's trying to make money from it. No one's trying to get a big record deal. No one's ambitions are limos and fucking hot chicks — it's all about the music, and it's really important because I think that's what's gonna bring the rock scene back around. And that rock scene will always be there. Anyway, but so that's sort of cool.

"All things considered, I'm still listening, more or less, to a lot of the artists I've been listening to," Slash added. "The new [THE BLACK] CROWES record's great, the new QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE record's great. And there's a couple other ones. So it's nothing super new and exciting, but there is new records coming out that I'm listening to."

Slash's blues album, "Orgy Of The Damned", was released on May 17 via Gibson Records.

This summer, Slash will bring his brand-new "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival to cities across the U.S. throughout 2024. S.E.R.P.E.N.T. is an anagram and stands for Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N' Tolerance. The festival is a celebration of the blues, featuring an all-star line-up that will vary. On all dates, Slash will perform alongside his blues band featuring bassist Johnny Griparic, keyboardist Teddy "ZigZag" Andreadis, drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal.

Slash formed the "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival to bring fans together to celebrate the spirit of the blues, and to perform with other blues artists he admires who share his love of the genre. Slash also has a strong desire to give back to charities that he has supported over the years, as well as to help lift marginalized communities that share his restorative focus of elevating lives for the benefit of all. A portion of the proceeds from each VIP package and "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival ticket sold will directly benefit the following charities that Slash has selected: The Equal Justice Initiative, Know Your Rights Camp, The Greenlining Institute and War Child. "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival has partnered with Plus1.org to support these charitable endeavors.

Joining Slash at various stops on the tour will be WARREN HAYNES BAND, Keb' Mo', Larkin Poe, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Samantha Fish, ZZ Ward, Robert Randolph, Eric Gales and Jackie Venson.

The trek will kick off on July 5 in Bonner, Montana and wrap up on August 17 in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Slash will visit Amoeba Music in Hollywood, California to play a special acoustic set celebrating his star-studded new album "Orgy Of The Damned". On Wednesday, May 29 at 5:00 p.m., Slash and his blues band vocalist/guitarist Tash Neal will perform live at the legendary record store. Capacity is limited, and tickets are required for entry to the event.

Although Slash's latest LP is his second under the "Slash" banner, he has released a handful of albums with his long-running band SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, in which he is joined by ALTER BRIDGE frontman Myles Kennedy.

In February, Slash resumed touring with SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS.

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS' latest album, "4", was released in February 2022 via Gibson Records in partnership with BMG.

"4" was Slash's fifth solo album and fourth overall with his band featuring Kennedy, Brent Fitz (drums),Todd Kerns (bass, vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar, vocals).

In a new interview with Ouest-France, IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson spoke about the evolution of his singing voice since he became a professional vocalist more than four decades ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm lucky I have a strong and powerful voice. I couldn't have done it 30 years ago because I was so busy in the race to see who could sing the highest, who could do this, who could say the words the fastest. 'Cause you're young and everything is a fight, battle, win, competition. And I'm not in competition with anything now except truth. What I want is authenticity of emotion. And that sounds boring, but, actually, if you put it in context with some like 'grrrr'-type metal, it's so powerful."

Regarding the connection he feels with the audience during his live concerts, Dickinson said: "The best thing in the world, the best feeling in the world, for me as a singer, is when you get a great sound for your voice and everything on stage and everything works. And you know that you're moving people with it. That's it — that's why you do it. That's the drug. Of course. The opposite is also true. It's the worst place to be when it doesn't work."

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

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

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

Dickinson's latest solo album, "The Mandrake Project", arrived on March 1 via BMG.

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

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

On May 9, American Musical Supply conducted an interview with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King at this year's Welcome To Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked about the differences in the musical direction of his solo band compared to that of SLAYER, Kerry said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's certainly similar. A lot of things I've been asked in the press is, 'How do you feel to be compared to SLAYER? You're gonna be compared to SLAYER your entire career.' I'm, like, yeah, well, I was in SLAYER. I think that's pretty cool. I'd rather be compared to myself than somebody I don't like. And in a nutshell, I think, say for instance, I had horse blinders on when I was in SLAYER, I think for this project, maybe they opened five percent — not a lot. But like the punk song on the [debut KERRY KING] album ['From Hell I Rise'], 'Two Fists', I probably wouldn't have done it on a SLAYER album, but punk is one of my influences and this album's all about my influences, so I felt comfortable doing that and putting that on there."

Speaking about the first live performance from his solo band, which took place on May 7 at Reggies in Chicago, Illinois, Kerry said: "I watched some of the Chicago show last night and today, and it's better than I remembered it. [Laughs] I came right out of the gate and just [fucked] up. Right out of the gate. I got the first chord right, and then there was a count-off, and I played something else. But luckily you can't hear it on the recording. No one in the crowd knew, 'cause they don't know that song yet. I bought myself a week [until the album release]."

Asked if he is planning on adding more SLAYER songs to the upcoming live shows from his solo band, which also includes drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER),bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH),guitarist Phil Demmel (formerly of MACHINE HEAD) and Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL) on vocals, Kerry said: "Well, no, 'cause these guys — I mean, me and Paul probably know most of it, but these other guys don't. And I'm not gonna waste their time learning shit that we may or may not play. In Chicago, we played five or six SLAYER songs and more of this band's songs. Tonight [at Welcome To Rockville] we have a shorter set. There's only two SLAYER songs. And I think we yanked a couple of the the K.K. songs too. We're playing 50 minutes, so it's probably 10 songs. The SLAYER ones, I'm only playing stuff I wrote or co-wrote. Will I play 'Angel Of Death' someday? Absolutely. Will I play 'War Ensemble' someday? Absolutely. But for this year, I don't wanna give anybody ammunition to say, 'Oh, he's playing [late SLAYER guitarist] Jeff Hanneman's [songs].' I'm not, 'cause I don't wanna hear it. "

Kerry went on to say is that he may start including some cover songs in his band's set as the tour progresses. "Covers, it's in the mix," he said. "My spin on it is I want to — I wanna throw in a cover every show, once we get used to it and being out, and I wanna play stuff that people can't see or hear anymore, like say for instance, 'Ace Of Spades'. You're never gonna see MOTÖRHEAD again. So, I think that's cool to do. Or for instance, songs that bands don't play anymore, like 'Killers' from IRON MAIDEN. I don't think they're ever gonna play that again. I don't think METALLICA is ever gonna play 'Damage, Inc.' again. So I wanna do things that actually aren't just me having fun. I want it to be fun for the fans to where they see it, it's the only place they can see it."

"From Hell I Rise" was released on May 17 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

The KERRY KING will embark on a European tour that will start on June 3 — on King's 60th birthday. The trek will combine headline shows in the U.K., The Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Spain but also festival appearances such as Rock Am Ring, Hellfest, Tuska, Download, Sweden Rock Festival and many more.

All material for "From Hell I Rise" was written by the 59-year-old SLAYER guitarist. 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.

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.

All-star rock band KINGS OF CHAOS — with special guests — headlined the Day On The Ridge festival on Sunday, May 26 in Gilroy, California.

KINGS OF CHAOS, the brainchild of GUNS N' ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER drummer Matt Sorum, is an international all-star band with a revolving lineup of top rock-and-roll talent. The lineup for Day On The Ridge included guest vocalists Robin Zander (CHEAP TRICK) and Sebastian Bach (SKID ROW) alongside Lita Ford (THE RUNAWAYS),Gilby Clarke (GUNS N' ROSES),Orianthi (ALICE COOPER, MICHAEL JACKSON),James LoMenzo (MEGADETH) and Brent Woods (TAYLOR HAWKINS & THE COATTAIL RIDERS, VINCE NEIL).

KINGS OF CHAOS had recorded just one song prior to the release of 2022's "Judgement Day" single: a cover of DEEP PURPLE's "Never Before" for the 2012 tribute album "Re-Machined: A Tribute To Deep Purple's 'Machine Head'".

During an appearance on the "2 Hours With Matt Pinfield" podcast, Sorum talked about the project's formation. He said: "The music business is more difficult to navigate than ever, especially for a guy that's been around a while," he said. "I've had an illustrious career, but it's always been, like, super-high, super-low, like riding the wildest roller coaster ever known to man. [Laughs] Emotionally, it's been challenging. When VELVET REVOLVER broke up, for me, it was like, 'Oh my god, I can't believe I pulled off another band.' So it kind of knocked the wind out of me, and I didn't really want to jump back into doing another band or project right away.

"When I started doing KINGS OF CHAOS, it became strictly about fun," he continued. "I decided, 'I'm going to pull a bucket list, [and] I'm going to call guys that I never had the balls to call, and have no fear. There's one or two answers that you can get — yes or no. And you've got to be able to accept no. Don't take it personal. I called Keith Richards. I called Jimmy Page. I called [Robert] Plant. I didn't care. I was just, like, finding them and calling them. And some of them said yes — not Robert Plant, dammit [laughs] — but Steven Tyler, Robin Zander, Billy Gibbons, Joe Elliott, Slash, the DeLeo brothers. I go and play with my friends, and it's a blast."

Sorum, who replaced Steven Adler in GUNS N' ROSES, recorded the highly successful albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" (both 1991) and "The Spaghetti Incident" (1994). He also supported the group on the "Use Your Illusion" tour and can be heard on GUNS N' ROSES' "Live Era: '87-'93" (1999) and "Greatest Hits" (2004).

Sorum was among the GUNS N' ROSES members who were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2012. He, Adler, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan attended the ceremony, while singer Axl Rose and founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin stayed home.

The 63-year-old musician, who has also played with THE CULT, VELVET REVOLVER and HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, is not involved with GN'R's hugely successful reunion tour, which features Rose, Slash and McKagan alongside drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

Sorum's autobiography, "Double Talkin' Jive: True Rock 'N' Roll Stories From The Drummer Of Guns N' Roses, The Cult, And Velvet Revolver", arrived in May 2022 via Rare Bird Books.

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May 26th Gilroy , Ca Let's Go !!!

Posted by Kings of Chaos on Sunday, May 19, 2024

Current and former members of ICE NINE KILLS and FROM ASHES TO NEW have formed a brand new band called HILLHAVEN. Today, they have shared the visualizer for the second single "The God You Think You Are".

"'The God You Think You Are' is a frontal assault on the manipulative narcissist," the band states. "At one point or another, we've all endured this type of personality — whether that be through family, friends or even within ourselves. It's an aggressive, forward, unapologetic ego killer of a song."

HILLHAVEN's lineup is comprised of Chris Kelly (ex-ICE NINE KILLS, ex-GALACTIC EMPIRE, and a rumored member of the BABYMETAL's backing band) on vocals, FROM ASHES TO NEW's Maty Madiro on drums, ICE NINE KILLS's Ricky Armellino on guitar, FROM ASHES TO NEW's Jimmy Bennett on guitar, and Jaime GoWell on bass.

When HILLHAVEN's first single, "Damned To Dream", was released last month, Kelly said in a statement: "HILLHAVEN is two and a half year's life experience distilled into a single body of work and bolstered by four monster-level players.

"We've all been in this business for a long time and releasing something new, outside of what we're all typically known for, is both exciting and nerve-racking.

"A lot of thought has gone into planning this year of releases and, in my opinion, 'Damned To Dream' is the best way to kick it off. It's loud, it's real, it's energetic, it's the perfect taste of what's to come and we're all really looking forward to seeing how listeners respond to it."

In a new interview with Peru's Zona Franca, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson spoke about how the music industry has changed in the four decades since the band's inception. He said:  "Here's the thing. Back in the old days of the record business — '60s, '70s, '80s; for me, it's '70s and '80s. '70s is when I was a fan, but the '80s is when I got [into it] professionally. And there was maybe — I don't know — 12 record companies. They each had a rock album, an R&B album, a pop album. So every month there would be a rock record coming out. BACHMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE, UFO, KISS, whoever. There was one from every label. So there was, like, 12 rock albums a year. So the quality had to be amazing. 'Cause there was no room for any other ones. And the record companies put a lot of money, a lot of time. The songs had to be great for the radio. Once the Internet came and made it available, everybody [could release their music online]. And, look, creatively, why not? Let people have the experience. But that doesn't mean that everybody gets to go to the top."

He continued: "Take football. There's a reason there's the greats, the GOATs, people that are at the top, because they put in the time, they've got a special gift, they've got some talent, they blend well with the other team members. And it's entertaining. At the end of the day, sports is entertaining too; people wanna go see it. So there's all these sort of — they call it 'it' factors that go into all this stuff. And I'm lucky that I got to be in a band — MEGADETH — that had the 'it' factor. It was dynamic, it was compelling, attractive. People wanted to tune in tomorrow to see what happens next. It was like a TV show. And the songs are great and they've stood the test of time. I'm lucky that I had that experience. I got to be a better musician, a better performer, all the rest of it."

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH three years ago, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

Last June, Ellefson told Andrew McKaysmith of the "Scars And Guitars" podcast that he was prepared for his latest exit from MEGADETH.

"When my departure from MEGADETH happened, a lot of people were hitting me [up and saying], 'Oh my God. It's so terrible. It's so terrible,'" he recalled. "[And I said], 'Yeah, believe me, it's not.' [Laughs] It really isn't. I was ready for it. I didn't think it was gonna go down that way; I didn't see that coming. But the fact that it happened, I was not sad about it. I was okay with it. Because I knew there's another journey ahead, and that journey wasn't gonna start until I was out of the old one.

"When you're in a group, you're in a setting, you've gotta play company man and you kind of go along with the narrative that's been set forth.

"There was a lot of things, a lot of the narrative in that band that I never agreed with," Ellefson admitted. "A lot of that band was started on a grudge and a hardship of the firing [of MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine] from METALLICA. That was never my story. I was always a METALLICA fan and I became friends with those guys. I have nothing but gratitude for that group and those gentlemen for what they've done for all of us, and I think they deserve the biggest applause. So it was hard to be in a band that always had this saltiness around that whole narrative, because it was never my narrative. So I went along to get along, but now I don't have to do that. And now I can be on my own path. These are my words; it's my story now. And maybe the events that happened a couple of years ago, I needed to have my own story to tell. 'Cause when you quit a band, everyone's pissed at you; they hate you: 'Oh, fuck you. You quit. You quit my favorite band.' But when you get tossed out… And I'm not looking for the sympathy card. You don't have to feel sorry for me; you don't have to do any of that. But it's interesting that, I guess the way it happened… it went down in a way that it was certainly visible enough and on a level that… It was sort of, like, okay, well, what's gonna happen next? And I just tried to be faithful to just following my heart, following the path."

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Mustaine, alleging the frontman shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Professor Reggie Almeida of the Renzo Gracie TN Brazilian jiu-jitsu school in Tennessee, who has been traveling with MEGADETH on the band's recent tours, has uploaded backstage and performance video of the Dave Mustaine-fronted outfit's sold-out May 13 concert at the 15,000-capacity Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Check out the clips below.

After the first concert at Movistar Arena sold out in a matter of minutes, the band added another date at the same venue for April 14. That concert sold out in two hours, according to concert promoter Ake Music Productions. MEGADETH later announced that it would play a third show at Movistar Arena on April 16.

MEGADETH's concerts in Argentina took place 30 years after the band's first appearance in the country, which was held on December 2, 1994 at the Obras Sanitarias stadium. It was at that gig that the chant "Aguante Megadeth" was started during the song "Symphony Of Destruction", loosely translating to "MEGADETH rocks".

Earlier this month, MEGADETH appeared on Pollstar's Live75 chart, which tracks active tours by the average tickets sold for shows that happened over the past 30 days.

According to Pollstar, five of the 12 MEGADETH concerts from the band's just-completed Latin American "Crush The World" tour moved a total of 73,372 sold tickets and grossed $4 million to enter the Live75 at No. 6. The shows include the April 9 performance at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile (14,828 tickets sold),the April 21-22 two-night stint at Bogotá, Colombia's Movistar Arena (21,074 sold tickets for a $1.4 million gross),the April 25 concert at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico (18,706 tickets sold) and the April 27 show at Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico (18,764 tickets sold).

The day before the final show of MEGADETH's Latin American tour, which took place on April 30 in San Salvador, El Salvador, the band's leader Dave Mustaine took to his social media to write: "We have had the most righteous time down here in Latin America. The fans have been insanely loud. Every city has had a different set list, and we've practiced our fingers off on this tour! We hope that the fans got to hear their favorite songs, as well as some deeper tracks that we haven't play for some time.

"Fast forward to today. I was looking down at some papers on the hotel suite desk. and noticed something different about the rooming list. It stated that we are going home from here and I always feel melancholy when we do.

"The four of us have become such good friends, and we are all thriving together in MEGADETH. If I may elaborate...

"Dirk [Verbeuren] is an amazing drummer, and I often wonder how I got so fortunate to play with him (he is a lot like [late MEGADETH drummer] Gar [Samuelson]),he is a wonderful, humble man who I've learned a lot from.

"James [LoMenzo, bass] has been our anchor and my mentor for singing out here. He is a killer bassist, who sings so confidently that I can easily accept direction and criticism from him. He has learned every song we play live, note for note, and I love seeing him every morning out here.

"I can't say enough about Teemu [Mäntysaari, guitar], and I don't have to, because you have no doubt seen footage of us together. He is a mad scientist on guitar, he plays ALL previous guitarists parts effortlessly with finesse, and the utmost respect for his predecessor.

"The four of us play, and go over songs every day, reviewing, perfecting, and building up our repertoire to play for you. By the time we reach Europe this summer, we will have even more songs added, to provide the variety to our playlists of songs played in concert.

"Well, that's it for now. I have to get some rest for my body. Tomorrow we are going to take back the night in San Salvador! Mother Nature tried stopping us last time, with insane wind and sideways torrential rain, but the sun is out and we're back!

"Hasta mañana chicos!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For The Metal Voice, Kenny Kessel spoke to Mark and John Gallagher from the NWOBHM band, Raven on April 27 in New Hope, Pennsylvania at John & Peters club. Watch video below.


When asked about their third album, All for One: "This year is the band's 50th anniversary, this album is 41 years. We came out with this album and it made an impact and in some ways we are still competing with this album, we are up against that history of that record. For us, All For One made a little bit of a first step into the USA. All For One is a seminal record, that third album. It's really a stamp of who we are and that is not taking anything away from our other albums. And of course it's the title track, 'All for one, one for all.' It's like we are connecting with the people who come to see us. We are all kind of together. I still look back fondly on this record. We're doing a box set for this record. It's going to be a little bit of everything but it also includes a lot of rare stuff that's beyond what's on this record."


When asked about seeing former Raven drummer Rob 'Wacko' Hunter for the first time in 35 years: "We never talked to Rob after he left for 5 years. Then I had a business thing come up, got him on the phone and we were on the phone for 3 hours. It was kind of nice to reconnect with Rob (recently on this tour). We picked right up where we left off. It has been 37 years since I have seen him."




When asked about Raven having the same song title as Metallica, 'Seek & Destroy' on 83' tour: "Yeah we did laugh about it. We never heard either one's (song before). All we heard from Metallica was No Life Til Leather (demo)."

The Devil Wears Prada have shared a new version of "Reasons", the collab track they released with electronic artists Excision and Wooli back in April 2023. The new version features LØLØ. Stream/download here, and watch a visualizer video below.





"When we made 'Reasons' with Excision and Wooli, we knew we had to play it live because the energy was just so high," the band explains. "We revamped the song to work in a TDWP set, and it went off so well that we decided to hit the studio and capture this new live version of the song."




They continue, "Bringing in the amazingly talented LØLØ as a feature has breathed even more life into the song, resulting in a song that defies genre and captures the spirit of how the song feels in a full room going absolutely nuts. We know that our fans will enjoy this version of 'Reasons' as much as we love playing it every night."


LØLØ offers her insight into this unique collaboration, saying, "I was really excited when TDWP asked me to feature on this track. I've always thought they were so awesome but never thought I'd end up collaborating on a track with them. I think I probably just got a lot cooler."





TDWP will appear at major upcoming festivals - So What?! in Texas in June and When We Were Young in Las Vegas in October. They will also be appearing at Sundown Fest and Furnace Fest. All upcoming tour dates and performances are here.


(Photo - Imani Givertz)

In January 2023, Nicko McBrain, who has been the drummer for the heavy metal band IRON MAIDEN since 1982, was at his home in Boca Raton when he suffered a stroke with partial paralysis. That was the beginning of a challenging journey of physical rehabilitation that followed rapid and precise treatment by stroke specialists at Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Boca Raton, Florida's Boca Raton Regional Hospital, part of Baptist Health.

Speaking to Baptist Health, McBrain reflected on that fateful morning. He said (see video below): "It was about probably 8, 8:15. I had a sleep. I woke up about quarter to 9. And as I got turned over, my arm wasn't moving. And I thought, 'What's going on?' And I pulled my hand up. I could feel — I had sensation in my hand. And I thought, 'Well, where's the pins and needles? Why has it gone to sleep?' And I started to [squeeze my hand]. And I let my hand go, and it just dropped. And I thought, 'Uh oh.'"

Nicko went on to say that he didn't know if he would be able to recover from the stroke quickly enough to join his MAIDEN bandmates on a tour they had scheduled for that spring.

"I did honestly think that was it," he admitted. "Now I'm laying in the bed, and I'm trying to move, move my hand, at least my fingers or something, encourage my body to, 'Come on, you can do this. You can do this.' Because we had scheduled this tour two years prior. And we were starting in May, and we were gonna do rehearsals starting the last week of April. So I thought, 'Well, I've got three months to see if I can at least play again.' And even holding a drumstick, there was nothing there."

McBrain previously talked about his post-ministroke recovery last December in an interview with Metal Hammer magazine. At the time, he said: "Well, it was very, very difficult. When it first happened, I thought, 'This is it. I'm not going to be able to play. I've got a tour coming up in three months' time.' I had a lot of time for reflection in the hospital. My wife was really my bastion of strength and encouragement and she was with me throughout. I did a lot of strength exercises, a lot of stretches with weird weights that they have and I got my stamina back."

McBrain told Metal Hammer that his MAIDEN bandmates, especially bassist Steve Harris, were very supportive during his recovery.

"Through all this period of time I was in touch with Steve, obviously all the guys, and I'd have a bit of a chat with them on the phone and they were all very, very encouraging, and none more so than Steve," Nicko said. "He said, 'Look, the most important thing is that you get well and work on getting yourself together.'"

Last October, Nicko spoke about his latest health scare during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation Power Trip Special". Asked how the shows on MAIDEN's "The Future Past Tour" have been, Nicko said: "It's going great. It started off a little shaky for me, but as the time [went on] and the more shows we performed, I started to get a little bit more strength and they'd been really rocking out well. And the last couple of months have been fantastic."

The 71-year-old McBrain also talked about his recovery in more detail and touched upon how his health setback affected his drumming. He said: "[I'm] doing good [right now]. I'm still probably — I'd say I'm 85 to 90 percent back to strength, but I still have a little less dexterity with speed in my fingers. My fingers are the ones that — this is the last thing to strengthen up. But I had to change certain drum fills. Some fills that everybody knows me for on certain songs, I've had to improvise those at rehearsals to be able to actually play the songs. So now I'm starting to actually be able to kind of embrace it a bit more. And I can't do that live. I have to wait until we start doing some rehearsals again or whatever it is. But I'm definitely getting stronger. And I've had great support from [MAIDEN manager] Rod [Smallwood], the band, and all of the fans out there. They've been absolutely — they've shown me so much love, it's amazing."

When Nicko first went public with his stroke in August 2023, the drummer said in a statement that the episode left him "paralyzed" down one side of his body and "worried" that his career with the band was over.

McBrain's statement read as follows: "I hope this message finds you all well!

"The reason I'm writing to you all today is to let you know of a very serious health problem that I have been through. In January I had a stroke, thank the Lord it was a minor one referred to as a TIA. It left me paralyzed on my right side from my shoulder on down, of course I was very worried that my career was over but with the love and support from my wife, Rebecca and family, my doctors, especially Julie my OT (Occupational Therapist),and my MAIDEN family I was able to bounce back to somewhere near 70% recovered. After 10 weeks of intense therapy it was almost time to start rehearsals for our tour.

"I feel it's important to let you know about this now instead of earlier as I was mainly concerned with doing my job and concentrating on getting back to 100% fitness. I'm not there yet but by the grace of God I'm getting better and stronger as the weeks go by.

"Thank you all for a most wonderful and magical tour so far, you have all been so amazing.

"Well that's it from me. God bless you all, stay safe and well and I look forward to seeing you all somewhere in time. "

Smallwood added: "The rest of the band and l think that what Nicko has been able to achieve since his stroke shows incredible belief and willpower and we are all very proud of him. With this new and musically very complex set to learn ahead of him, he just got his head down and concentrated on recovery. We honestly did not know if he would be able to play a whole show until band rehearsals started in May and there was just so much support for him from the band and then genuine relief for all when we saw he was going to be able to do it!

"Nicko being Nicko he did not want to make a fuss and cause any distraction to the tour at the time but, now that he is sure he will soon get there, he thought you fans should know straight from him rather than by any rumours! We are all of course delighted he battled through this so well and look forward to many more tours together!"

Four years ago, McBrain was diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer and opened up about it in a single interview in 2021 but otherwise kept it mostly under wraps. The musician received his cancer diagnosis after undergoing an endoscopy at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University Of Miami Health System and the Miller School of Medicine. Within a week, McBrain's cancer was surgically removed and he now gets check-ups every few months to make sure the cancer hasn't returned.

McBrain, who had the cancer in a part of his vocal cords, isn't the first member of MAIDEN to beat cancer. Back in late 2014, IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson was diagnosed with throat cancer. The singer, who had a golf gall-size tumor on his tongue and another in the lymph node on the right side of his neck, got the all-clear in May 2015 after radiation and nine weeks of chemotherapy.

In a 2015 interview with Overdrive, McBrain admitted that he thought MAIDEN was over when it was discovered that Dickinson had a cancerous tumor. "Well, I'd be a liar if I didn't think for a minute that IRON MAIDEN [was] finished," he said. "[But] I thought more about the possibility of losing my friend than anything else, to be honest. Then later, I was thinking, 'God forbid if the worst ever happened, the legacy would be the last 16 albums.'"

McBrain, who is a dedicated Christian, continued: "I've got to be honest, I did question his mortality at one point and thankfully that didn't last long. Honestly, I got down on my knees and said a prayer, picked my thoughts up and got positive about it all, thinking to myself, 'If anyone can beat this, it's Bruce.' He's so positive about everything he's ever done in his life, or whatever he is about to do. Basically, I prayed for him and my prayers were answered, as well as everybody else that knows and cares for him."

In a new interview with Associated Press entertainment journalist Alicia Rancilio, Jon Bon Jovi opened up about the vocal cord deterioration he experienced a few years ago which caused him to have surgery in 2022. He said: "It was heartbreaking, because I had done everything that I could. It's almost like shadow boxing or fighting an invisible enemy. I didn't know what it was. And I had done everything I could think of holistically. And I pride myself on being a vocalist, not a stylist. I've been fortunate enough to have sung with [legendary opera singer Luciano] Pavarotti. I know how to do it. So, as I knew it wasn't going well, and I thought if I just get myself back into touring shape and I go out there, maybe I'll pull the muscles back into what they need to be. It still wasn't working. It was after that 15 shows when the frustration became realization that I finally went back to the doctor that I had started to see. And he says, 'Now we can talk about surgery.' And that's when I loved him more because he wasn't one of these cut-happy doctors. And he said, 'As long as you've come to terms with that you've exhausted everything that you knew how to do, we can save this. I give you no guarantees, but this is the path.' And I wholeheartedly sunk myself into it since."

Jon went on to say that his February 2 appearance at the MusiCares "Person Of The Year" ceremony marked the first time he had sung in public in nearly two years.

"I'm still in deep vocal therapy. But I'm doing great," he said. "The [upcoming BON JOVI album 'Forever'] was easy to do. The process has been steady. Would I like it to be a light switch? Yeah. I mean, I'd said to the doctor, like, 'I've been a good boy. I wanna flip the switch and be done with this.' It's just not how it works. So like an athlete coming back from an ACL [injury] or whatever, it just takes time. This is the way it's gonna be. But yeah, the therapy is still intensive, and yet I'm confident that it gets progressively better."

Elaborating on the throat surgery and rehabilitation that he underwent to save his singing voice, Jon said: "Everybody's different. This was a unique situation. It's not a nodule. This is something much different where literally one of my cords was atrophying. So that was the bitch, is that, if theoretically, both of them are supposed to look [the same size], one of them [was much thinner than the other]. So the strong one was pushing the weak one around. And suddenly my inabilities were just exacerbated. Where'd that come from? I didn't understand it. But through modern medicine and an implant to bring this one back to the strength of this one, it's every day sort of like doing curls with weights and just getting them both to be the same size and to function together. So that's what it is."

BON JOVI's 16th studio album, "Forever", will arrive on June 7. The new LP is now available for pre-order where fans can find exclusive colored vinyl options, CDs, cassettes, and limited edition signed copies. An extremely limited run of Ocean Waves colored vinyl will include a one-of-a-kind instant photo of Jon Bon Jovi.

Produced by Jon with John Shanks, "Forever" features Jon Bon Jovi once again alongside fellow founding BON JOVI members, keyboardist David Bryan and drummer Tico Torres. They are joined by bassist Hugh McDonald and guitarist Phil X.

"Forever" contains 12 new songs, including the hit lead single "Legendary".

The Jim Powers YouTube channel has uploaded video of JUDAS PRIEST's May 19 concert at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Check out the clips below.

PRIEST's 18-song setlist included three songs from the band's latest album, "Invincible Shield": the title track, "Panic Attack" and "Crown Of Horns".

JUDAS PRIEST kicked off the U.S. leg of the "Invincible Shield" world tour on April 18 at Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, Connecticut.

In a recent appearance on The Break Down With Nath & Johnny podcast, JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill was asked who in the band has the final say when it comes to picking a setlist for the PRIEST live shows. He responded: "Well, it is probably Rob [Halford, PRIEST singer], really. But then again, we've got a whole spectrum now. You've got the younger element with Richie [Faulkner, PRIEST guitarist]. He's the same age as my eldest son. And then comes Scott [Travis, PRIEST drummer] and you've got Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist], of course. He can't do it anymore [due to his battle with Parkinson's disease]. [But] he's still sharp as a pin between his ears. Then Andy [Sneap, PRIEST touring guitarist] and Rob and myself. So you've got a full spectrum there of ages. So everybody has their own favorites and their own types of JUDAS PRIEST song. We all sort of [go], 'Yeah, like that. No, don't like that one.' And then we'll go. If someone's adamant that they really don't wanna do something, well, you don't wanna do something, and vice versa — if someone really wants to do a particular track, you do it. Like I say, you've got the ring-fence tracks there that you've gotta do — the 'Breaking The Law's and the 'Living After Midnight's and things like that, that you have to do. It's what brings people to the shows, basically. And then you've got your other sort of classic PRIEST songs, which is a little bit easier because you can swap and change those between — do a month maybe using one song, change it to another one of a similar kind. And then try to get some new stuff in there — three, maybe four maximum is about as much as you can get at any one time. I'm sure there'll be more than that, that we'll go through. And just swap and change as we go."

Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Original guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Faulkner.

"Invincible Shield" entered the U.K. chart at No. 2, just behind Ariana Grande's "Eternal Sunshine".

Prior to "Invincible Shield"'s arrival, PRIEST's highest U.K. chart achievement was with 1980's "British Steel", which reached No. 4.

PRIEST's 2018 album "Firepower" entered the chart at No. 5.

"Invincible Shield" was JUDAS PRIEST's fifth Top 10 album, after the aforementioned "British Steel" and "Firepower", as well as 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" (No. 6) and the 1979 live album "Unleashed In The East" (No. 10).

"Invincible Shield" landed at No. 1 in Germany, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as No. 5 in France, No. 8 in Italy and No. 16 in Australia.

Golden Robot Records announced the signing of the fiery, full-blooded Polynesian metal band, Shepherds Reign, in 2022.


Hailing from South Auckland, New Zealand, Polynesian by birth and blood; Filiva’a James (vocals/keytar), Gideon Voon (guitar), Oliver Leupolu (guitar/production), Shaymen Rameka (drums) and Joseph Oti-George (bass) are the real thing, a band who put their hearts and lives into their songs.


The band has shared an official video for the song "Ala Mai" accompanied by the message below:




"'Ala Mai' ('Awaken') is a call to our forefathers for strength and guidance, uniting not only Samoans but the entire Polynesian community. These stunning visuals were produced by the talented Bahador Borhani and made with the support of NZ On Air Music.


Join us on our journey to awaken the world to the spirit of Polynesia and inspire peace and resilience."


Shepherds Reign are famous in the Southern hemisphere for their primal performance, one which evokes many aspects of their cultural heritage and fierce Polynesian pride. Coupled with their enormous intimidating physical presence, there’s tribal roars, gargantuan riffs, twisting dual melodies, virulent virtuosity and crushing, bombastic rhythms, which all give Shepherds Reign their propulsive, dynamic metal sound. There is a special passion and power in every note struck, and in every word sung.


Ala Mai  waas released on August 25th, 2023 via Golden Robot Records.


"Ua Masa'a"

Five Finger Death have released the new video below, recapping Day 1 of their 2024 European tour:





The band's next show is scheduled for Tuesday (May 28) at Hallenstadion in Zürich, Switzerland. Find the band's tour itinerary here.




Five Finger Death Punch recently released the digital deluxe version of their acclaimed album, Afterlife, via Better Noise Records. Stream/download Afterlife: Deluxe here.


In the video below, FFDP take fans behind-the-scenes of their music video for "This Is The Way (Feat. DMX)":





The deluxe edition includes the original 12 tracks recorded with the band’s longtime producer, Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Disturbed), in addition to four bonus tracks including three acoustic versions of the album’s songs "The End", "Judgement Day", and "Thanks For Asking", plus the brand new highly anticipated single, "This Is The Way", featuring the late legendary rapper DMX. Five Finger Death Punch recently shared the music video for "This Is The Way (feat. DMX)" directed by none other than highly influential filmmaker Hype Williams, a longtime friend and close collaborator of the late DMX. Hailed by the New York Times in 2024 as "The Nineties Wunderkind", Hype Williams is known for his seminal work with luminaries like Tupac, Wu-Tang Clan, and Jay-Z amongst others. Watch the video below.





“Music is meant to be universal and without boundaries, and it starts at the top with us, the artists,” says Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory. “We have always embraced the mixing of genres, whether it be the remake of LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out" featuring Tech N9ne as a guest, or our collaboration with blues warrior Kenny Wayne Shepherd, country star Brantley Gilbert, and Brian May, the legendary guitarist of Queen, on the song ‘Blue on Black.’”


“The idea of collaborating with DMX had been in discussion for years, and it was a long and winding road to turn this particular item on our wish list into reality. He was a lyrical warrior, a true original who spoke his mind incorruptibly. We have always viewed DMX as “the metalhead of hip-hop’ because of his aggressive, raw, and untamed style. He growled and snarled, aiming to rattle some cages–an attitude we share, as Five Finger Death Punch has always been drawn to the fearless and the real. It made all the sense in the world, but today this is more than just a song; it's a salute to a legend, a way to honor DMX's memory.”


When playing the song for other hip-hop legends, DMC of Run DMC, one of the originals to do it first with “Walk This Way” with Aerosmith said, “The sound of the music, what Ivan is singing about, and what X is talking about, is how X lived his life. The struggle, the dark with the light, the bad with the good, the pain with the joy. This song is very emotional, very musical, it’s very well rounded.”


Order/save AfterLife: Deluxe here.





AfterLife: Deluxe tracklisting:


"Welcome To The Circus"
"AfterLife"
"Times Like These"
"Roll Dem Bones"
"Pick Up Behind You"
"Judgment Day"
"IOU"
"Thanks For Asking"
"Blood And Tar"
"All I Know"
"Gold Gutter"
"The End"
"This Is The Way" (feat. DMX)
"Judgment Day" (Acoustic)
"The End" (Acoustic)
"Thanks For Asking" (Acoustic)


"Judgement Day" (Acoustic):