On May 17th, Arjen Lucassen released Ayreon's 01011001 - Live Beneath The Waves DVD / Blu-Ray and Lucassen & Soeterboek's Plan Nine album, The Long-Lost Songs. He has checked in with the following message to the fans:


"Yessss, we did it again! Both Ayreon Live and Plan Nine entered the Dutch album charts at #2 and #3 respectively! Okay, defeated by Billie Eilish, but hey, at least we left Taylor Swift behind us. As always this is all because of YOU, thanks so much for your endless support!"







Lucassen recently checked in with the following:


"And here's the final preview video from the last Ayreon Live beneath The Waves DVD/BluRay: 'Fate of Man'. Maybe it's weird to not pick a song from the 01011001 album, but this song really stood out for me... such energy on stage! The band is just amazing as we all know, I'll never know how they manage to play this complicated song with such unflappable ease. And what about these breath-taking vocals from Brittney Slayes? She's unbelievable, right? Let me know if you agree... thanks and enjoy!"





01011001 - Live Beneath The Waves formats:


- Artbook (Webshop only) - 2CD+2DVD + Bluray incl. Behind The Scenes (BTS)
- 3LP - Green vinyl
- 2CD+DVD: Full show on 2CD and DVD
- Blu-ray: Full show + BTS


"The Sixth Extinction" video:





May 17 also saw the release of Lucassen & Soeterboek's Plan Nine album, The Long-Lost Songs, via Music Theories Recordings / Mascot Label Group.


Arjen Lucassen has issued the following update: "Howdy y’all! I’m proud to present you the second Plan Nine videoclip and single, 'Ice On Fire'. It was very hard to pick a second single, because we love them all! And they are all so different from each other. So we had the label pick this one. As you can hear his track is quite different from the first bluesy song 'Before The Morning Comes'. I think you’ll agree that this track sounds quite 80’s. Which is no surprise…  because we wrote it about 35 years ago! The clip is illustrated by Elan Lopez and edited by Dionne Mokkenstorm at Mascot Label Group. We hope you will enjoy all the silliness, have a real good time and let us know what you think!"





It was the early nineties, and musical polymath Arjen Lucassen had begun working on several projects: a solo album, a progressive-rock opera and a rock album. Around this time, he watched singer Robert Soeterboek perform live with Bodine, his former early-eighties heavy metal band. "His vocals truly impressed me, a rarity!" Lucassen recalls. "He had the charisma and power of singers like David Coverdale and Robert Plant. Discovering that we really got along personally, we decided to collaborate on some songs, just for fun."


"We started writing songs together and found a natural flow, leading to a wealth of ideas," remembers Soeterboek. "Our friendship grew as we spent more time together, and I remember that there were lots of shenanigans and laughter."


Fast forward to 2022, and they revisited those recordings. The album encapsulates a glorious treasure trove of 11 original songs with a loving 70s and 80s nod. It's a blistering romp through the good time rolling rocker of "Let It Ride", the Beatles-esque "Doctor Robert's Medicine Show," the bluesy groove of "Annie Moore," the chugging glam stomp of "High-Speed Chase" to the 80s metal of "Ice On Fire”, whilst "The Preacher" would fit on a number of Arjen's back catalogue records. The bonus disc features all the demos and some more newly recorded tracks.


The Long-Lost Songs are lost no more. Plan Nine is reborn, giving the long-lost songs a second life!


Order the album here.





Tracklisting:


Disc 1:
"Doctor Robert's Medicine Show"
"The Preacher"
"Annie Moore"
"Get Down To Bizniz"
"Before The Morning Comes"
"High Speed Chase"
"Let It Ride"
"Ice On Fire"
"Long Cold Night"
"Drunker Than Whiskey"
"Die With Your Shades On"


Disc 2:
"Stand Tall
"Gimme The Nighttime"
"Annie Moore" - Demo
"Get Down To Bizniz" - Demo
"High Speed Chase" - Demo
"Gimme The Nighttime" - Demo
"Magic Moments" - Demo
"Let It Ride" - Home Demo
"My Baby Loves Me" - Home Demo
"Stand Tall" - Home Demo
"Night On Fire" - Home Demo
"Life Goes On" - Home Demo
"Doctor Robert's Medicine Show" - Instrumental Demo
"Get Down To Bizniz" - Home Demo
"Magic Moments" - Home Demo
"Drunker Than Whiskey" - Instrumental Demo
"Long Cold Night" - Instrumental Demo
"Die With Your Shades On" - Instrumental Demo 1
"Die With Your Shades On" - Instrumental Demo 2
"Unnamed 1" - Instrumental Demo
"Unnamed 2" - Instrumental Demo


"Before The Morning Comes" video:

Ignescent are thrilled to share their new single and lyric video, “Goodbye”, coinciding with the announcement of the deluxe edition of their debut album, Fight In Me, available digitally on July 26 via Frontiers Music Srl. Listen to the single here, and watch the lyric video below.


About the track, Jennifer Benson says: "Stoked to release our new song. It was awesome working with Jasen Moreno formerly of Drowning Pool, Lethal City, and Billy Grey of Fozzy. Paul Lapinski at My Platinum Sound, who has worked with Columbia Records, Warner Brothers, and bands like The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, produced 'Goodbye'. So grateful they were all a part of this."







Ignescent is a dynamic new hard rock band hailing from Chicago. Fight In Me, originally released on November 10, 2023, includes songs co-written with Sameer of Flyleaf, along with Jeremy Valentyne and Brandon Wolfe of New Years Day among others. The band is fronted by the multi-talented singer Jennifer Benson and have released several singles and an EP in the past few years showcasing their contemporary metal sound, akin to Flyleaf, Evanescence, Jinjer and Skillet.


Since 2018, the band has been primarily touring throughout the Midwest and Nashville area. Ignescent’s last single, “Remnant” hit #46 on Billboard Rock Charts, while Ignescent’s first EP, Electrified, was produced by 4-time Dove Award winning & Grammy Nominated producer Travis Wyrick (10 Years, P.O.D.). The first song on the CD, “Calling Out to You”, was co-written with former lead guitarist of Skillet, Ben Kasica, and hit the top 30 on Billboard Rock Charts.





Tracklisting:


"Monster You Made"
"Unholy"
"Fight In Me"
"You're Not Alone"
"Under Attack"
"Triple Threat"
"Shadows"
"Carries Me"
"The Hurt"
"Woman On Fire"
"Not Today" (Featuring Kevin Young Of Disciple)
"Goodbye"
"Radio Gaga"


"Monster You Made" video:





Lineup:


Jennifer Benson – lead vocals
Tyler Hensley - guitars
Joel Seidlitz – bass guitar
Dusty Winterrowd - drums


 

Switzerland's King Zebra have released a video for "Wicked", the new single from their recently released new album, Between The Shadows. Order the album here, and watch the clip below:





King Zebra burst into the music scene with their 2019 EP, a sonic voyage marked by the standout track "Firewalker," amassing over 2 million streams and firmly establishing the band in the hearts of rock enthusiasts globally. Their presence soared as they graced renowned festivals like Rock the Ring and Rock of Ages, sharing stages with iconic acts such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Uriah Heep, and Rose Tattoo.




In 2020, King Zebra embarked on a transformative journey to Crehate Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden, to craft their sophomore album, Survivors, under the skilled guidance of producer Oscar Nilsson. The collaboration with ex-Thundermother singer Guernica Mancini on "Wall Of Confusion" elevated their sound, resonating with fans and critics alike. The album found a home with Golden Robot Records, paving the way for extensive touring throughout Europe, sharing stages with notable acts like Crash Diet.


Now, signed to Frontiers Records, King Zebra have delivered their next sonic masterpiece, Between The Shadows, meticulously produced once again by Oscar Nilsson. This is a musical journey three years in the making.





Tracklisting:


"Starlight"
"Children Of The Night"
"Wicked"
"Dina"
"Love Lies"
"Cyanide"
"With You Forever"
"Love Me Tonight"
"Out In The Wild"
"Restless Revolution"


"Love Lies" visualizer:





"Children Of The Night" video:





"Dina" video:

In a new interview with Oran O'Beirne of Fistful Of Metal magazine, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King, who is promoting his debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", talked about what it's like to be in the spotlight and deal with the media, particularly as it relates to answering some tough questions about the legendary thrash metal act. He said: "I was pretty much groomed during my time in SLAYER to take on all of the interviews because I can handle it, and I don't say stupid shit that people have to decipher and continue to ask more questions about. I'm used to dealing with the press, and I know when a journalist tries to put words in my mouth. I'm not gonna say who, but I'm just here to talk about the music, to celebrate the album and the live shows. At this point in my life, I know when people are looking for dirt, and I just reroute them every time. Since I'm decent at doing that, I'm just so used to it at this stage, and I know how to deal with it."

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

Joining Kerry in his new band are Mark Osegueda (vocals; DEATH ANGEL),Phil Demmel (guitar; MACHINE HEAD, VIO-LENCE),Kyle Sanders (bass; HELLYEAH) and drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, EXODUS).

Earlier this month, the KERRY KING band performed its first live show, totally sold out, at Reggies in Chicago. In the days that followed, the band went from playing an intimate venue to performing at the huge U.S. festivals Welcome To Rockville (Florida) and Sonic Temple (Ohio).

Now the KERRY KING band is ready to 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.

Photo credit: Andrew Stuart

THE AXEMAN COMETH.
Kerry King Music features in a massive 8-page feature in our new issue! And the Slayer legend has a lot to say... Out now!
https://fistfulofmetal.co.uk

Posted by Fistful Of Metal Mag on Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Legendary hard rockers AC/DC played the third show of their "Power Up" European tour Saturday night (May 25) at RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

According to Setlist.fm, AC/DC's set in Reggio Emilia consisted of 21 songs — three tracks less than was the case at Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on May 17 and May 21 — beginning with "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" and closing with "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)". "Givin The Dog A Bone", "Dog Eat Dog" and "Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be" were reportedly on the printed setlist for the Reggio Emilia concert but were not played.

The Reggio Emilia and Gelsenkirchen shows marked AC/DC's first with the band's new touring lineup consisting of singer Brian Johnson, guitarists Angus and Stevie Young, drummer Matt Laug and the latest addition to the group's touring lineup, bassist Chris Chaney.

The setlist for the May 25 show at RCF Arena was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

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

Encore:

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

The 24-date "Power Up" European tour will run through August. The trek will hit Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Switzerland before landing at London's Wembley Stadium for a pair of shows on July 3 and 7, then moving on to Germany, Slovakia and Paris and winding down at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland. The European tour is the first run of gigs since AC/DC's return to the stage at last year's rock Power Trip festival in Indio, California.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

⚡ AC/DC - PWRUP TOUR Set list REGGIO EMILIA, ITALY - RFC ARENA 25 May 2024

#acdc #PWRUP #pwruptour #reggioemilia #italy #acdcfamily

Posted by The AC/DC Family! on Sunday, May 26, 2024

METALLICA kicked off the 2024 leg of its "M72" tour Friday night (May 24) at Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany.

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

In Munich, METALLICA opened the show with "Whiplash" and continued with "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "Of Wolf And Man". The band also performed classic tracks like "The Memory Remains", "Fade To Black", "Nothing Else Matters" and "Master Of Puppets", as well as three songs from "72 Seasons": "Lux Æterna", "Too Far Gone?" and "Shadows Follow".

The setlist was as follows:

01. Whiplash
02. For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. Of Wolf And Man
04. The Memory Remains
05. Lux Æterna
06. Too Far Gone?
07. Fade To Black
08. Shadows Follow
09. Orion
10. Nothing Else Matters
11. Sad But True
12. The Day That Never Comes
13. Hardwired
14. Fuel
15. Seek & Destroy
16. Master Of Puppets

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opening acts include FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, MAMMOTH WVH, PANTERA, ARCHITECTS, GRETA VAN FLEET and VOLBEAT.

A portion of proceeds from the shows go to METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation, which seeks to assist and enrich the lives of members of the communities who have supported the band and combat food insecurity; provides disaster relief; and bestows scholarships.

@metallica The #M72 World Tour returns!!!

Night 1 of our #NoRepeatWeekend in Munich has finished! We’ll be back on Sunday with a completely different setlist.

#Metallica
#M72Munich
#MetOnTour
#DunlopPicks

Posted by AND HAWAII FOR ALL on Friday, May 24, 2024

IRON BUTTERFLY founding member, organist, primary composer and lead vocalist Doug Ingle has died at the age of 78.

The news of his passing was shared by his son, Doug Ingle Jr., who wrote on social media: "It's with a heavy heart & great sadness to announce the passing of my Father Doug Ingle. Dad passed away peacefully [Friday] evening [May 24] in the presence of family.

"Thank You Dad for being a father, teacher and friend. Cherished loving memories I will carry the rest of my days moving forward in this journey of life. Love you Dad".

Ingle was the last surviving original member of IRON BUTTERFLY, the American psychedelic rock band best known for the 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".

In July of 1968, IRON BUTTERFLY released its debut LP, "Heavy", and went on the road with the likes of THE DOORS, CREAM and THE WHO, while the album stayed on the Billboard chart for nearly a year. Their second release in July 1968 was the monumental "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida". The 17-minute title track helped the album sell more than 30 million copies, and a three-minute version of the song became a Top 40 hit.

"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" was famously covered by SLAYER on the "Less Than Zero" soundtrack.

Back in 2012, guitarist Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt, who was in IRON BUTTERFLY during the 1970s and 1980s, died. Later that year, Lee Dorman, who played bass on their seminal records, also passed away.

Longtime IRON BUTTERFLY drummer Ron Bushy died in August 2021 at the age of 79. The only member of IRON BUTTERFLY to appear on all six of the band's albums, he passed away after a battle with esophageal cancer.

In Memory Of Doug Ingle 🦋 "I Love You"
This song was recorded in 1979 at Smoketree Ranch Studios, (Chatsworth CA). Doug...

Posted by Iron Butterfly Studio on Saturday, May 25, 2024

Sharing the sad news passed onto to me from my friend Doug Ingle Jrabout the passing of his father. Doug Ingle last...

Posted by Larry Lawres on Saturday, May 25, 2024

RIP Doug Ingle of Iron Butterfly. The original In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida classic of 1968. This is the year our Mom met...

Posted by Denise Christine Pelchat Stone on Saturday, May 25, 2024

I am reminiscing about the days when Daddy Ron Bushy and Mom Connie would take my brother, Dennis, and I to Doug Ingle...

Posted by Denise Christine Pelchat Stone on Saturday, May 25, 2024

On a recent episode of the "Talk Louder" podcast, hosted by veteran music journalist "Metal Dave" Glessner and lifelong hard rock/metal vocalist Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS),ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann talked about his early interest in the Flying V guitars. Asked if he is partial to Flying Vs because of their playability or looks, or both, Wolf said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's definitely looks, because especially during the 'Restless And Wild' time, we kind of worked on our image and the stage show and all that.

"First of all, in those days, Flying Vs were kind of unusual," he explained. "Everybody had a Strat and everybody had a Les Paul, but Flying Vs were kind of rare, to be honest. And I think WISHBONE ASH was an influence on that, because they played twin harmonies, they played Flying Vs, and we thought, 'Oh, if we get that element in ACCEPT, that might set us…' Anything that would set us apart slightly was kind of a thing.

"We were filming our shows a lot of times on home recording videos and such, just to see the stage choreography and to check our image, visual thing, and we noticed you can't see dark guitars," Hoffmann added. "So we said, 'Well, why don't we make them white?' So we painted them white, and it's the white Flying Vs that you see on those album covers and such, and all of a sudden it became a bit of a trademark. And that's how that came about.

"But I'll tell you a little secret: they [Flying Vs] didn't sound right for me in the studio because they — I don't know — they just didn't have that bright attack that I wanted. So I always played a Strat in the studio. On 'Restless And Wild', 'Balls To The Wall', everything was recorded on a Strat… And I now still play a Flying V, but it's actually a — for that reason, when Framus, the German guitar company, came to me and said, 'Hey, man, we wanna make you your signature model,' I said, 'Well, make it look like a V, but it's really a Strat in disguise. I want the long neck. I want the single coil in the neck. I want the switches exactly where they are. I want a Floyd Rose.' So, that's why they built me that one."

Asked if fans can buy his signature Flying V guitar from Framus, Wolf said: "Of course you can buy it, yeah. But there was a bit of a lawsuit issue with Gibson [over the Flying V design], because Gibson is what it is, and they like to sue people. But Framus won, and it is available, yeah."

In 2019, Gibson lost an important trademark fight in Europe related to its Flying V guitar shape. After Gibson was initially granted a mark on its Flying V in the European Union in 2010, the mark was challenged four years later by the owner of German company Warwick, and a court later declared the mark invalid. Gibson appealed and lost in 2018 and in June 2019 had its second appeal dismissed by the Second Chamber of the EU General Court.

Back in September 2020, a documentary, "Flying V", was released, telling the story of the iconic electric guitar model through interviews with a number of metal artists who have helped to make the V famous, including METALLICA's James Hetfield, MEGADETH's Dave Mustaine, SLAYER's Kerry King and Michael Schenker. Also featured in the documentary are former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing, current PRIEST members Richie Faulkner and Andy Sneap, SCORPIONS' Matthias Jabs, MERCYFUL FATE's Michael Denner and Hank Shermann, and Hoffmann, as well as DIAMOND HEAD's Brian Tatler, KING DIAMOND's Andy La Rocque, WISHBONE ASH's Andy Powell and ARCH ENEMY's Michael Amott.

Part of the "Inside Metal" series, the 67-minute documentary was directed by Peter Hansen and produced by Hansen and Michael Denner. It "chronicles the origin of the most unique guitar on earth and its incredible influence on the history of rock and roll and heavy metal," according to the product's official description.

Former Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his weekly cover, this time putting a metal twist on the Eros Ramazzotti hit, "Più Bella Cosa".





 




Last week, Johansson shared a cover of the ABBA classic, "Money Money Money", released in 1976.


 


 





 

Vocalist Erik Grönwall (ex-Skid Row) has released the new video below, featuring his performance of "Rehab", a hit for late UK singer, Amy Winehouse.










Grönwall joined Europe on stage last night (Thursday, May 23) at Gröna Lund in Stockholm, Sweden, for a performance of Europe's "Cherokee". Fan-filmed video can be viewed below.


Grönwall took to social media following the performance and shared the photos below, writing, "Thank you @officialeuropetheband for having me. It was an honor sharing the stage with you for a few seconds! And what an incredible show you guys did on your home turf."

Following the recent, previously released single, entitled "Wings Of Twilight", featuring a guest performance of Ad Infinitum singer Melissa Bonny, today, Finland's melodic metal frontrunners Arion are sharing their brand new, powerful track "Wildfire". 


After skyrocketing out of nowhere to the public eye as teenagers with the Finnish Eurovision qualification program UMK and now three critically acclaimed studio albums under their belt, Arion seem to be gearing up for a new full-length, to be released in the hopefully not so distant future.


"Wildfire" was written by Arion guitarist Iivo Kaipainen and was produced by Matias Kupiainen (Stratovarius).







Says Iivo about the new track: 


"‘Wildfire’: the first song I wrote for the new album is also one of my favorites from the new album. The frighteningly infectious main riff with an equally catchy chorus, which is what everybody listening to the song points out, are the building blocks for a song that's as metal as metal can be. Wildfire made its live debut at the world-renowned 70 000 tons of metal cruise proving to be exactly the most fun and the most insane live song we can think of!”

German thrash legends, Kreator, have released their new boxset featuring Enemy Of God / Hordes Of Chaos remastered, including Kreator comics and a Kreator Demon mask.


The set is available via Nuclear Blast Records. Order here, and watch an official lyric video for the band's cover of Bad Religion's "You Are The Government" below


Enemy Of God was originally released in 2005 via Steamhammer and Hordes Of Chaos in 2009 through Steamhammer.







Box contents:


1x Demon Mask
1x Comic #2
1x Comic #3
2LP Gatefold 4p Booklet (Remaster)
2CD Digipak Remaster + WOA 2005
1LP Gatefold Remaster + Bonus Tracks
2CD Digipak Remaster + Bonus Tracks + Remix Album

By Nick Balazs


Las Vegas-based rockers Crash Midnight have premiered their new music video for “Dead Aces”. In conjunction with the video release, Crash Midnight has also announced a show at The Sand Dollar Downtown in the Plaza Hotel & Casino.







Vocalist Shaun Soho spoke to BraveWords’ Nick Balazs about the video and all things happening in the Crash Midnight camp.


BraveWords: Describe the process of putting together the "Dead Aces" video and why did it take so long considering this isn't your most recent single release?


“We had so many great fans out here sending us videos they'd shot at our shows that we came up with a concept of using some of that footage for a music video. Dead Aces was originally written in homage to all the cool bars and venues we used to hang at back in Boston so we thought it'd be interesting to have the video be like a "flash forward" to where we are now, going through all our spots here in Vegas. It took a while to collect all that footage at a level of quality that was decent enough to make it work for something like this. Luckily, in the meantime I guess they've come out with some programs that can sharpen up older footage and make it look a lot better, so I think that worked out in our favor and made the video better in the end despite the wait. It also gives our fans all over the world a chance to get a taste of the energy of a Crash Midnight live show ...and maybe that puts them over the top to book a trip to Vegas.”


BraveWords: You have a huge show coming June 29th at The Sand Dollar - what can fans expect to see and hear?


“We're officially announcing the show today alongside the music video debut. Getting back to The Sand Dollar Downtown here in the Plaza Hotel has been something we've had in the works for a long time now. We're working on a long-term series over there, but there have been some hurdles with scheduling something of that scale so in the meantime, we just said f*ck it, let's do a big headline show and get the ball rolling into the summer here. We're inserting two of the new songs we're recording right now into the set – ‘Too Far Gone’ and ‘Toxic Propaganda’. Should be cool for fans to get their first chance to hear those. In general, we really do like to play each new song live a bunch for people to get some feedback on how the song is working or you know, going over with the crowd and give us a chance to tighten it up. We've also got our favorite rock station KOMP 92.3 and morning DJ, Gooch, on board for this one. Gooch will host it and you'll be hearing a bunch of ads and ticket promo giveaways on KOMP throughout the month of June.  In support is going to be this cool band Double Wide that our bass player, Drake, discovered out here. Looking forward to seeing what they bring too.”


BraveWords: How is the rock 'n' roll scene in Las Vegas and how would you compare it to other scenes?


“The Vegas music scene has been great to us. Coming from Boston where you had to scrape and scratch to build a fan base one person at a time, taking that same approach out in Vegas helped us earn a rock-solid following much more quickly out here. There are a ton of real rock fans in Vegas whereas, maybe Boston was more fragmented with the hipsters, college kids, and all that stuff. Here we have a huge number of people that are really into what we're doing. Then you add on how supportive the venues, booking agents, and radio stations, like KOMP, have been to us and it really does feel like you're part of a family out here.”


BraveWords: The creative juices are flowing - when can fans expect a new track?


Shaun: “We're about halfway through recording our next single ‘Too Far Gone’ and we've demo'd out about three more singles so it should be a busy summer. We ended up coming up with a great process for getting multi-tracked demos together so the recording process seems to be even smoother these days. Hoping to have about seven songs completed through that demo process over the summer and that should make the actual recordings go a lot faster instead of having to figure out anything on the fly in the studio. To the shock of all involved, we already have the artwork completed for the next five or six songs, which puts us in the unfamiliar position of being terrifyingly ahead of the game on that end too.”


BraveWords: Anything else you'd like to say about the band?


Shaun: “Vegas fans and those flying in for the show June 29th at Sand Dollar Downtown at the Plaza Hotel & Casino can get their tickets now at crashmidnight.com - we made it simple for everyone trying to order tickets five drinks deep at the bar, it's the first thing that pops up when you open the site.  Also, we like how this video turned out so much that we're going to keep filming at these shows so if you come on out, you might end up seeing yourself on the next video. Doors are at 7:30pm tickets are $15 advance and $20 at the door (not including taxes and fees). There's also free parking with validation at the bar, which is pretty cool for this town. We'll see you all there!”

The Who legend, Roger Daltrey, spoke to Music Week to reflect on his 24-year stint organizing fundraising concerts for Teenage Cancer Trust at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall.


This year’s series, held between March 18-24, not only attracted the likes of Noel Gallagher, Chemical Brothers, Young Fathers, Eddie Vedder, Paul Weller, Robert Plant, Kelly Jones to join The Who in performing, but was also significant for two other important reasons. First, it is the final run of shows to be curated by Daltrey, with new musicians set to be taking the reins in the future. Secondly, and crucially, for the first time in its history, the charity raised over £2 million – its highest ever amount.


Since 2000, audiences at Teenage Cancer Trust’s annual gigs have witnessed a host of once-in-a-lifetime shows, from Noel Gallagher and Damon Albarn performing together for the first time ever in 2013, to Sir Paul McCartney, Oasis, Muse, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Ed Sheeran, Florence + The Machine, Rudimental and many more.




In the new interview, Daltrey reflects on his journey with the concert series, teases who might be taking over from him, and tells the industry why it needs to get involved. A couple of excerpts from the chat follows...


Music Week: How do you reflect upon the journey you’ve been on with the Teenage Cancer Trust?


Roger Daltrey: “From the moment my GP – who started the whole thing – Adrian Whiteson [OBE, founding member and chairman of TCT until 2010], mentioned what they were trying to achieve, it had an impact on me. From that day on, I was trying to work out how to help them, and myself, Pete Townshend and The Who did fundraisers for them for the first 10 years before the Royal Albert Hall shows. When I went to visit the first [TCT] unit, that only cemented the idea of what needed to be done, and what’s happened in the years since has been remarkable. There was the first year, in 2000, with The Who doing two nights at the Royal Albert Hall, recorded as a live album and DVD, which enabled us to replace two hospital wards. And that opened it up to the media and the public. To be honest, no one does anything alone, so to have the media on our side, recognising the issue, has been great. I love working for the charity – I’m not going away from it. In the space of 12 years, we’re in 65 hospitals and hoping to be at 100 hospitals by the end of next year, which is astonishing.”


Music Week: You have a close fraternity of artists who’ve supported the shows from the start, with Paul Weller, Eddie Vedder and Kelly Jones among them. Do you already know the people who will curate in the future, and will any of those names be among them in the future?


Daltrey: “I know who will be there for me in 2026, but I haven’t got a clue for next year. The Royal Albert Hall is run as a charity, and to guarantee the week when we have our shows -– which are positioned at the time of the year when most bands are getting ready to go out touring in the summer – then the new contracts with the Albert Hall are going to be a five-year period. So we’ve got to make sure we’ve got someone to sign up for the next five years.”


Music Week: What are your reflections on this year’s line up, featuring the likes of Noel Gallagher and Robert Plant, which was the first time TCT raised £2m from the shows?


Daltrey: “Yes, just £2m net in a week, which is remarkable. It’s only when you go out there and rattle a box that you find out how hard it is to raise money for a charity! This year’s lineup was brilliant, because it’s great to be around my old mates. Noel has been there from day one. When I had to have a year off because [The Who] were on tour, Noel did a year for me. And I’ve been friends with Robert [Plant] for 50 years and to have him on stage with me – two old farts having a good time – it was heaven!”


Read more at MusicWeek.com.


Daltrey will be returning to North America on a special solo tour this June, presenting a mostly acoustic set of Who gems, rarities, solo nuggets and other surprises with an intimate rock-based band and setting as well as answering questions from the audience, kicking off this very exclusive set of shows on 12 June at Virginia’s renowned Wolf Trap at Filene Center. The nine-city run will continue throughout the month of June (see dates below), wrapping on 29 June at The Pavilion at Ravinia in Highland Park, Illinois.


Special guests for the much-anticipated performances include Grammy-nominated Scottish singer/songwriter KT Tunstall and acclaimed, offbeat singer/songwriter Dan Bern.  The unique venues and amphitheaters Daltrey has chosen for his summer run will showcase Roger’s acoustic interpretations of his extraordinary canon of Who songs and solo work, supported by a hand-picked ensemble of musicians. Simon Townshend: Guitar and backing vocals; Billy Nicholls: Mandolin and backing vocals; Jody Linscott: Percussion; Doug Boyle: Guitar; John Hogg : Bass and backing vocals; Katie Jacoby: Violin and backing vocals; Steve Weston: Harmonica; Geraint Watkins: Keyboards/accordion; Scott Devours: Drums.


Daltrey’s return to the States follows The Who’s incredibly successful The Who Hits Back! US tour of 2022, with the band’s incomparable frontman drawing praise from all media platforms. The charismatic singer also brought a highly successful solo tour to the States in 2018 via a 10-city run that showcased The Who’s legendary rock opera Tommy, supported by full orchestral backing.  Never content to rest on his laurels, the adventurous artist will continue to peel back the layers on his upcoming June tour, excited about expressing more musical shades of his solo palette, which he has generously shared with audiences in the US and beyond throughout his career.


Also known to be one of rock’s more candid, straight-shooters, the working-class Daltrey (originally from London’s Shepherd’s Bush) will answer questions from the audience during the shows, sharing anecdotes and offering up uniquely tailored renditions of songs seldom performed live either by The Who or Daltrey.


In crafting this completely new show set to kick off in June 2024, Daltrey looks forward to unveiling one of his more intimate and unique stage shows, an up close and personal gift to his fans that highlights Who rarities, solo hits, and other songs from his incredible near 60-year career.





Tour dates:


June
12   Wolf Trap, Filene Center, Vienna, VA*
14  OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino, Niagara Falls, ON*
16   Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel, NY*
18  The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY*
20  Leader Bank Pavilion, Boston, MA*
22   Tanglewood, The Koussevitzky Music Shed, Lenox, MA*
25  Meadow Brook Amphitheatre, Detroit, MI**
27  Murat Theatre at Old National Centre, Indianapolis, IN**
29  The Pavilion at Ravinia, Highland Park, IL*


* with KT Tunstall
** with Dan Bern

In a new interview with Ronni Hunter of the 99.7 The Blitz radio station, 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 (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "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 [Villalta, Nita's husband, manager and drummer], 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.

Since their inception in 2021, Canada’s Gnarwhal has been at the forefront of the heavy music resurgence in their northern home of Yellowknife. With their self-titled debut album released in early 2023, the band quickly garnered critical acclaim, earning nominations for the Western Canadian Music Award and the Best New Single award at the 2022 Music NWT Awards. They are following that album up with a new EP Altered States and ready for the ears of those who like fuzzy, doomy rock. 


Vocalist Mark Kilbride comments on the EP:


“There seems to be a common thread to most of the lyrics on the album and I feel listeners will be able to relate their own experiences to the songs. I know what these songs mean to me and try to steer toward authentic emotions to accompany the instruments. The songs on the album portray a sense of resilience and a fight against the complexities of our own thoughts and emotions. No matter how much the characters in the songs endure, you can still feel a sense of hope and resilience.”




Altered States represents a significant evolution in Gnarwhal's musical journey, offering a darker and heavier atmosphere compared to their debut release. From the haunting melodies of “Tides” to the introspective depth of “From Her Hands”, each track on the EP contributes to a cohesive and immersive listening experience.


The creation of the EP was not without its challenges, as the band navigated the uncertainties of the pandemic and unforeseen obstacles during the recording process. Despite these hurdles, Gnarwhal remained steadfast in their commitment to delivering a powerful and authentic musical statement. “Altered States” was produced and mixed by Dan Ponich, mastered by David Collins, and the album artwork was done by Jonah Cutler. It is recommended for fans of Mastodon, Elder, and Truckfighters.


BraveWords is hosting the Altered States EP stream – listen below!


Altered States by Gnarwhal


Recommended for fans of Kyuss, Mastodon, and Elder, Altered States is due out on May 24, 2024, and is available for pre-order digitally and on vinyl at Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


“Tides”
“The War / Nothing More”
“From Her Hands”
“Altered States”

During an appearance on the latest episode of "The Metallica Report", the podcast offering weekly insider updates on all things METALLICA, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield was asked if he thinks his confidence in his ability as a lyricist has grown a lot in the last couple of decades. James said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Absolutely. I mean, my faith and where it comes from is strong. And just like when you're on stage, you don't know what you're gonna say. That sacred moment where you walk up to the mic and you say what you're just supposed to right then. Trusting that moment, trusting the moment that the lyrics will be there when they're supposed to.

"The lyric journey is kind of its own thing," he explained. "Music, yeah, it's a collaboration of all of us, but then lyrically, I can freak out. Like, 'I don't know what to write about.' And then I just start somewhere, and then it ends up going somewhere else. You start somewhere and then, 'Oh, that kind of sounds like this story or that sounds like this character,' or whatever. And then you have the metaphor of what does it mean? There's a deeper, vaguer kind of attachment to something else that hopefully everyone can relate to, so it's not all just about — whatever — my struggle with darkness or whatever. There's definitely a theme there, but being able to riff off of that and go other places. So, yeah, trusting that it will find its uniqueness."

When interviewer Steffan Chirazi noted that "it's nice not to be overthinking", James concurred. "I think," he laughed. "No, the mind is the enemy most of the time, and just trying to avoid that overthinking. And then just stream of conscious. Just be connected to the higher power, or whatever you wanna believe in, that what's supposed to come through me is supposed to right at that time and not will it to happen."

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

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

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

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

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

Opening acts include FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, MAMMOTH WVH, PANTERA, ARCHITECTS, GRETA VAN FLEET and VOLBEAT.

A portion of proceeds from the shows go to METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation, which seeks to assist and enrich the lives of members of the communities who have supported the band and combat food insecurity; provides disaster relief; and bestows scholarships.

The new Tony Martin-era Black Sabbath box set, Anno Domini 1989-1995, will be released on May 31. In anticipation of the upcoming release, the band have shared a remastered HD video for the Forbidden album track, "Get A Grip". Watch below:





Anno Domini 1989-1995 features remastered versions of Headless Cross (1989), Tyr (1990), Cross Purposes (1994) and a new version of Forbidden (1995) that Tony Iommi remixed for the collection.




It also includes a 1989 Headless Cross tour replica concert book, a 60 page book with photos, artwork and liner notes, and a Headless Cross poster. A vinyl LP version of Anno Domini 1989-1995 will be available, and three exclusive B-side bonus tracks will be i included with the CD version:: "Cloak & Dagger", and the Japan-only releases "What's The Use" and "Loser Gets It All".


Pre-order the set here.





Tracklistings:


Headless Cross (2024 Remaster)


"The Gates of Hell"
"Headless Cross"
"Devil & Daughter"
"When Death Calls"
"Kill In The Spirit World"
"Call Of The Wild"
"Black Moon"
"Nightwing"
"Cloak And Dagger (bonus)


Tyr (2024 Remaster)


"Anno Mundi"
"The Law Maker"
"Jerusalem"
"The Sabbath Stones"
"The Battle Of Tyr"
"Odin's Court"
"Valhalla"
"Feels Good To Me"
"Heaven In Black"


Cross Purposes (2024 Remaster)


"I Witness"
"Cross Of Thorns"
"Psychophobia"
"Virtual Death"
"Immaculate Deception"
"Dying For Love"
"Back To Eden"
"The Hand That Rocks The Cradle"
"Cardinal Sin"
"Evil Eye"
"What's The Use" (bonus)


Forbidden


"Illusion Of Power"
"Get A Grip"
"Can't Get Close Enough"
"Shaking Off The Chains"
"I Won't Cry For You"
"Guilty As Hell"
"Sick And Tired"
"Rusty Angels"
"Forbidden"
"Kiss Of Death"
"Loser Gets It All" (bonus)


"Anno Mundi":





"Headless Cross" HD video:





Anno Domini 1989-1995 unboxing video:





Tony Iommi and Tony Martin sat down to discuss titles from the upcoming release. Watch the duo talk about the Forbidden, Tyr, and Headless Cross albums below:

During an appearance on the May 23 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk",HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale spoke about what it has been like to play her first two shows as the vocalist of SKID ROW. The 40-year-old singer, who has fronted her band HALESTORM for more than two and a half decades, is handling the vocal duties for SKID ROW for four shows only after the group's fourth frontman since Sebastian Bach's departure — "Swedish Idol" contestant Erik Grönwall — quit the band to focus on his health.

"The response has been amazing," Lzzy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And i'm hearing from people that have been seeing SKID ROW since 1987 and are just raving about what I bring to the table. So, for me, it is friends helping out friends, but it's also this beautiful milestone in my life where I'm literally being challenged to fill in the shoes that I've always wanted to fill from being a kid. So it's wonderful."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk if Sebastian Bach's singing on SKID ROW's classic records had an impact on her as a vocalist, Lzzy said: "Oh, absolutely. All I wanted to be as a singer growing up was a dude in an '80s hair band. Not a chick in an '80s hair band, but I wanted to be the dude. I wanted to be Sebastian Bach, I wanted to be Tom Keifer [CINDERELLA], these men that held the world in their hands when they hit those high notes… But, yeah, it's crazy because I think about it. Then after it was made official, I'm feeling in for these dates, Rachel [Bolan, SKID ROW bassist] and Snake [SKID ROW guitarist Dave Sabo] sent me the set and 'here's all the songs we're gonna sing.' And this is such a beautiful opportunity because I get to deep dive. Now I am forced into having to deep dive on these records and the inflections of Sebastian Bach's vocals, the arrangements, the timing. So I was literally treating it like it was an Olympic sport. I'm on the stationary bike singing SKID ROW, making sure I can get through a set, making sure the high notes are there. And it was crazy, 'cause I've been annoying the hell out of my bandmates because they've been widowers to SKID ROW for the past couple weeks, 'cause that's all I've been doing and listening to. So they know all the words too. But, yeah, it's just really wonderful. And then to be able to perform these songs with these guys who are the same… It's the same thing. These boys are perpetually 15. We're all in a bus together. I'm on tour with the band. This is crazy to me. So my young self is screaming, because it's, like, 'Can you believe it?' And I also feel this immense calm and comfort with these guys. And to be able to deep dive with Rachel and Snake on the lyrics and how certain songs came about. We talked about 'Quicksand Jesus' and how 'Monkey Business' was made and recorded with [producer] Michael Wagener. So it's been a beautiful experience for me. And I would have done it just for the sake of helping somebody out, but now it feels almost selfish to me, because I'm getting so much out of this experience. [Laughs]"

Regarding what the most challenging aspect has been about performing with SKID ROW, Lzzy said: "I think the most challenging aspect for me — actually, there's a couple of things, because, really, in a whole, all of this has been a challenge for me. But a few things are… I really wanted to see what it was like to perform an entire set without playing an instrument except for vocals, which I've never actually done. I've guested with people and got up and sang songs without playing a guitar or a keyboard, but I've never — literally like stepping into somebody else's shoes. Not only am I getting up and singing these songs, but I'm also fronting the band. I'm in charge of keeping the energy levels up and the breaks in between the songs, making sure everything's said. And so that's a challenge. But I think that the biggest one for me is, in the moment, making sure that I'm not freaking myself out too much over… Songs like 'I Remember You', everybody knows that song inside and out. So there's a there's a fine line between… I really wanted to honor everything in that song and not take liberties and make it into my own these. These are songs that everybody knows. So really just kind of keeping conscious of that, whereas I'm not getting up and covering SKID ROW songs, I'm getting up and making them into the best versions of what they actually are. So that's been a beautiful challenge as well. And you know me, I like saying yes to adventure. [Laughs] I'll usually say yes to jump off the cliff before I know if there's a parachute. [Laughs]"

Hale played her second show as the vocalist of SKID ROW Saturday night (May 18) at the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort in Riverside, Iowa. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

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

01. Slave To The Grind
02. The Threat
03. Big Guns
04. 18 And Life
05. Resurrected
06. Piece Of Me
07. Livin' On A Chain Gang
08. Makin' A Mess
09. Psycho Therapy (RAMONES cover)
10. Quicksand Jesus
11. Time Bomb
12. I Remember You
13. Monkey Business
14. Riot Act
15. The Gang's All Here
16. Youth Gone Wild (with Joe Hottinger)

Lzzy made her live debut with SKID ROW on May 17 at Walker's Bluff Casino Resort in Carterville, Illinois.

Bolan spoke about SKID ROW's pairing with Hale during a recent interview with Fox 26 reporter Ruben Dominguez and Margot Hogan. Regarding how Lzzy was approached about doing the gig, Bolan said: "When we knew Erik made the decision that he made to prioritize his health and leave the band, I said to the [other] guys [in the band], I go, 'You know what? She's like a sister to me, and I'm just gonna ask Lzzy. I know they have a really busy schedule, and they just have a lot going on. We have these four shows. I'm just gonna ask her. And if she says no, no harm, no foul.' And Nick Raskulinecz, who produced our last record, produced a couple of HALESTORM records, and it was his birthday party. I happened to be in Nashville because painters were painting the inside of the house that I'm putting up for sale. So I was just there, and he's, like, 'Hey, dude, it's my birthday. We're having Lzzy, Joe [Hottinger, HALESTORM guitarist] are coming… Everyone's coming. You've gotta come by.' And I was, like, 'Okay, cool.' So I got the painters out of the house a little early, and I went there, and that's when I asked Lzzy. I just said, 'Hey, would you wanna fill in on vocals or you wanna come sing with SKID ROW?' And she thought I meant like at the Mercy Lounge [in Nashville] or something like that. It's, like, 'Yeah, we've jammed a million times. Sure. The guys gonna be in town,' type of thing. And it's, like, 'No, no. We have four shows on the books. And Erik can't do them. So would you come in?' She's, like, 'Hell yeah.' She's, like, 'Let me just double check with my team.' And I hit her up a couple of days later, I go, 'Hey, were you serious about that?' She's, like, 'I was dead serious. And I am good to go for that.'"

Rachel went on to say that he and his SKID ROW bandmates are "really excited" about performing with Lzzy, "because she is a powerhouse, without a doubt. And above all of it, above the band's name and everything involved, she's my friend," he explained. "And it means a lot to me. So far above anything cool someone could do for a friend, she's doing for us. And it means it really means a lot to me that she's doing it. And the reaction has been unreal. Unreal. It's great."

Elaborating on why Hale is the right singer to play with SKID ROW at these four shows, Bolan said: "Lzzy, she is her own person. We asked her not for any other reason than how good she is and how powerful she is and how much she means to people. And I've gotta be completely honest. I knew this was gonna get attention, but I didn't know people were gonna be snapping out. And it's making me, like, 'Wow, my mind is completely blown.' It's a matter of a friend coming in to help friends. And even though we came out before and may have influenced her with stuff, she's helping us a lot, a lot in a situation we're in, and it is becoming something bigger than both of us. And I'm using her words. She's, like, this has become really bigger than the both of us. And so everyone is really excited — her team is excited, SKID ROW team is excited. The fans are just losing their minds. And I can't wait. I just wanna get into rehearsal, man. I just cannot wait to hear her sing these songs. And I think what we're gonna put forth together is something really, really special that people are gonna dig."

A little over a month ago, Lzzy was asked in an interview with Terrie Carr of the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA how her pairing with SKID ROW came about. Lzzy said: "Well, first I'll give a statement for the beginning, because it just goes so much deeper for me than just helping out some friends.

"I'm from PA [Pennsylvania]. I know all about you Jersey boys. And I know we talk a lot about lifting up women and that's been very important in my life. But I can't forget about the men who raised me. And them being the SKID ROW boys, inadvertently, by my friends from Jersey who were listening to SKID ROW.

"I was always kind of an in-betweener in my interest in music," she explained. "So in the '90s, and like '96, it was BOYZ II MEN and Mariah Carey, BACKSTREET BOYS, Britney [Spears] was about to come out, that whole thing. I wasn't interested in that. I was interested in '80s, big hair, rock and metal. I loved Alice Cooper, BLACK SABBATH, CINDERELLA, JOURNEY, SKID ROW. And as that transition happened in the '90s, where all of a sudden I started getting into heavier music, a lot of the bands, except for a very small group of bands, helped me with that transition. And SKID ROW was one of them, because they were not so in their '80s bubble and in the time that came before that they couldn't see what was happening in the world and they couldn't see what the dark-seated underbelly that we were all feeling in the '90s. So they really helped bridge that gap for me.

"I can honestly tell you right now that I would not be the rocker that I am today without SKID ROW and those albums, because not only did they have those beautiful melodies and the vocal prowess and the riffs and the loud noise that I loved, but then the subject matter they were talking about was always very real and it hit me at the right time in the right place," Lzzy added. "And so this is just a beautiful example of that age doesn't matter. Time doesn't matter. Whenever you discover music, it doesn't matter. It's when it hits you. And so again, those men that raised me, the men from Jersey, the men from PA that all put these records in my hands. Then years later, I'm living in Nashville for the first time and I meet [SKID ROW bassist] Rachel Bolan and I meet [SKID ROW guitarist] Snake [Dave Sabo], and they're, like, 'Oh, man, there's more to Nashville than country. Let me introduce you to this guy.' Then I got to meet Tom Keifer from CINDERELLA and all those boys, and now I'm up playing AEROSMITH songs with all these weird guys that I grew up listening to. Then fast forward to a couple months ago when my good buddy Rachel — we were just at a birthday party, and Rachel's, like, 'Hey, would you ever consider singing with us?' And I'm, like, 'Oh, yeah, you mean like we do all the time down at Mercy Lounge?' He's, like, 'No, like actually be like our front person for some shows. There's some stuff going on.' And so I said, 'Well, yeah, sure. Just let me know when.' And then, you know, a couple of months later he goes, 'Hey, were you serious about that? Because this is going down now, and we've gotta know.' And so I cleared my schedule and I told everybody that that is on my team, 'Let me put up all these dates because I really wanna do this for these guys,' And so I'm helping my buddies out and they're helping me out and it's all full circle. But then we announced it, and I'm hearing from people I haven't heard from in 15 years saying, 'Oh my God, this is gonna save my life.' And we're bringing these two worlds together. It's giving everybody reason to smile and an event for someone to look forward to. And like generational gaps be damned. And it's just all gonna be great. And it's just wonderful.

"For me, I joked with the boys. I said, 'Oh, so my audition tape from '96 finally made it in the mail. Thanks for finally opening it up. My revised audition is in the mail.' So now I have all their songs on a playlist in the order of how they're doing their set. And I'm on the stationary bike trying to make sure I can hit the high notes. And I'm turning it like it's an Olympic sport. It's gonna be great."

Regarding the possibility of more SKID ROW shows with her on lead vocals, Lzzy said: "You never know. I will say something that most likely will happen is that these will not be the only four dates you ever hear. I will say that. As far as me being the permanent member of SKID ROW, we're gonna all have to find a plateau [laughs] in our schedules to do that. But you never know. Sounds like a pretty good gig for me, if I ever get to that point."

She added: "But, yeah, I'm just so grateful for the guys. And then think about it coming full circle. And it all comes from the right place. I mean, Erik, what an amazing voice and what a perfect fit for them and brought them into a whole new game changer. There's everything going on with his health, and how wonderful is it that amicably both parties can be, like, 'Hey, we're looking out for each other.' 'Hey, I can't give you what you need.' And also, 'Hey, us as a band, we can't give you what you need to look after yourself. So, hey, let's do that.' And 'Hey, let's bring in our buddy Lzzy.' I'm helping out my buddies. Everybody's doing it for the right reasons. And so it's a beautiful thing."

Remaining SKID ROW shows with Lzzy Hale on vocals:

May 31 - Nugget Casino Resort – Sparks, NV
June 01 - Hard Rock Live Sacramento – Wheatland, CA

HALESTORM covered SKID ROW's "Slave To The Grind" for the 2011 EP "ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP". The band has also performed the track live.

Grönwall, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021, is immunocompromised, which made touring difficult.

"I'm getting stronger and healthier every day but after consulting my doctor I need to allow myself more time to recover, which I can't do as the lead singer of SKID ROW," he said in a statement. "That's why I have reached the tough decision to move on."

The SKID ROW members said in a statement that they are "proud of what they have created and accomplished with Erik over the past two years" and "wish nothing but the best to him and his health. To celebrate the last two years, the band will be releasing a live album that perfectly captures this moment of time in the band's 35-plus-year history, to be announced soon."

In September 2021, just four months before he joined SKID ROW, Grönwall released his new cover version of "18 And Life" via all streaming platforms.

In late March 2022, SKID ROW released its first single with Grönwall, "The Gang's All Here". The song is the title track of the band's latest album, which arrived in October 2022 via earMUSIC.

SKID ROW played its first show with Grönwall on March 26, 2022 at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada as the support act on the rescheduled dates for SCORPIONS' "Sin City Nights" residency.

In a new interview with That Fuzzing Rock Show, ex-SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach was once again asked about possible reunion with his former bandmates. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, there's nothing happening on that front right now. Other than me and Rob [Affuso], the drummer of SKID ROW['s classic lineup], are making videos together and hanging out and getting along great. But I'm too busy with my own stuff to even think about that. But it would be cool to happen, I think for the fans mostly. But there's nothing happening right now on that front"

Earlier this month, SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo ruled out a reunion with Bach telling The Hook Rocks podcast: "It's not gonna happen. And I say the same thing every time. I'm thankful that people have such an interest in wanting to see that happen, but I also have to reiterate that this is about being happy in the situation that you're in. So I'll speak for myself personally.

"First of all, I do need to say something too, is that the reason that this isn't happening is because there's three of us — myself, Scotti [Hill, SKID ROW guitarist] and Rachel [Bolan, SKID ROW bassist] — who've had conversations about this, and we've all been on the same page that we don't wanna go down that road again. We just — we don't.

"Rachel has taken a beating over this through the years," Sabo continued. "He's the one who's been blamed for this. 'Oh, it's Rachel's ego.' 'It's this and that.' No, that's a load of bullshit. That is not true. And I feel bad because he's really, really had to shoulder that blame and has never said anything derogatory or anything like that. But you know what? The truth of the matter is that Rachel, Scotti and myself have continually felt the same way, that we enjoy being happy in this band and we're really happy.

"It's been such a great experience for the last however, 35 years, everything, all the ups, all the downs, everything, but we just don't wanna revisit that particular aspect of our history," he explained. "I love the songs, [I] love a lot of the memories, [I am] not fond of some of the memories, but just as individuals and as a collective, that's just how we feel. So this is not on Rachel. And this has nothing to do with anyone's ego or anything like that. So that's just gotta be clear. Again, for anyone to sit there and make assumptions that this is Rachel Bolan saying 'nope,' it's not. It's the three of us, and we've all collectively sat there and just said that we don't wanna do it. We just don't wanna do it. And we wish everybody all the best."

Snake added: "We've been just ripped apart by ex-members of the band and stuff — ripped apart. Some really shitty stuff [has been] said about all of us. And we just choose not to [respond]. It's not who I am. It's not who we are. We won't go down that road. We just wanna play music and be happy. This has really never been about a monetary aspect of things because it's known that we've been offered a good amount of money to do shows together and to reunite [with Sebastian] and whatever, but it's just never been about the money, man. I choose my happiness, my willingness to continue to be a really good friend to my best friends and a really good husband and a really good dad and bandmate and person. And I don't wanna endanger that in any way. So the people that we choose to play with, those choices are made in order to keep those particular things in line for all of us."

Two months ago, SKID ROW's latest frontman — former "Swedish Idol" contestant Erik Grönwall — quit the band to focus on his health.

Grönwall, who was SKID ROW's fourth frontman since Bach's departure, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021. As a result, he is immunocompromised, which made touring difficult.

Earlier this month, Bach was asked by SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if there has been any dialogue between him and his former bandmates in SKID ROW about a possible reunion now that they are once again in need of a singer. He responded: "I found out something at the very last KISS show that I did not know before the very last KISS show. And it's a major piece of miscommunication. And I need to communicate with those guys because there's been something that happened that is not accurate. I can't tell you what it is, but the whole narrative of they don't like me and I'm too crazy is complete bullshit. It's not true. There's been attempts to get us going again.

"I'm so focused on [my new] album ['Child Within The Man'] and this tour that I haven't had time to think about that," he continued. "I can just tell the world that there's a good chance that'll happen 'cause there's no fucking reason not to, 'cause right now why it hasn't happened is a miscommunication. That's all I can say. There's a miscommunication. That's all I can tell you."

Asked if he is working clear that miscommunication up and whether he is open and willing to play with SKID ROW again, Bach responded: "I play with everybody in the world. I'm in KINGS OF CHAOS. I'm in ROYAL MACHINES. I got 25 guys in my band. There's no reason why I can't play with them. But here's the thing: I only have so much energy. At the age of 56…. Right now, I'm trying to talk as softly as I can because I have three [shows] in a row. I don't have the fucking energy. I'm trying, I'm giving as much as I can.

"I need to write a thoughtful e-mail clearing up a miscommunication, but I have to make sure it's the perfect fucking e-mail and I don't say anything wrong or make any jokes," he explained. "I just don't have the energy to do that right now, but I know I need to do that. I've just got a lot on my plate right now."

Elaborating on his desire to play with SKID ROW again, Sebastian said: "I would love to do it. I have dreams about doing it. I have a recurring fucking nightmare where SKID ROW reunites, and I go to the gig, and I forget my in-ears. I'm backstage, and the whole arena's packed, and Rachel and Snake, I go, 'Fuck, you guys. Fuck, I've gotta go back to the hotel. I forgot my fucking in-ears.' [Laughs] And I'm in the Uber, and I'm fucking racing, and the whole reunion's happening. I've gotta get my fucking in-ears, and I can't get the hotel key. So let's analyze that, let's analyze that shit right there that goes on in my head. And then I have these other dreams where we do a reunion show, and nothing happens. We just play, and then we walk off and we're, like, 'Right on.' And there's no fighting, there's no drama, we just do a show. And there's no, like, fighting or drama. And I told this to Rob [Affuso]. He's laughing. He's, like, 'Imagine that. Fucking imagine that. Just do a fucking show.' It's funny, these dreams I have. But the in-ear one is real."

Bach previously spoke about the possibility of a SKID ROW reunion during a March 3 question-and-answer session with Downtown Julie Brown aboard this year's The 80s Cruise. He said: "There's no reason SKID ROW can't be together. I honestly think that it's a business thing at this point. But we're all still alive, and let's get the hair band back together while we've still got hair. I have no problems… I play with everyone — except for them. That's really weird."

He continued, addressing the audience directly: "How many of you guys watched METALLICA's 'Some Kind Of Monster' movie? It never gets old. It's all about them having a therapist. And James Hetfield [METALLICA frontman] can't rehearse past 4 p.m., and Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] is all mad, slamming the door. But that whole movie is about METALLICA working with a therapist. And nobody helped SKID ROW or anything. It was, like, 'You guys are on your own. Figure it out.' And every book I read — AEROSMITH, MÖTLEY CRÜE, every one — is about having somebody helping them. So maybe there's some therapist that wants to get paid some money and put the band back together. There's no reason that we're not together."

Referencing his 2016 autobiography, "18 And Life On Skid Row", Sebastian said: "When I first wrote my book, there was a lot of rotten shit in there. But right when that book was about to come out, we were talking about reuniting [the classic SKID ROW lineup], I swear. I know that seems crazy, but it's true. And my manager, Rick Sales, goes, 'Sebastian, take all that rotten shit out of your book right now.' I go, 'Really? I think people wanna read that.' He goes, 'No, take it out.' And I go, 'Okay.' So there's a file on my hard drive, my computer, that's called 'Rotten shit that I took out of my book.' And that might be the next book."

Asked if he is still hoping to get the classic lineup of SKID ROW back together, Bach said: "It's not that I'm hoping, but there's no reason why not to. There's no reason. They're, like, 'Oh, man. He was hard to work with in 1996.' 1996? Who remembers 1996? Sorry about 1996. Sorry. It's 2024. Can we move on or…?"

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan, guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I. Theart was fired from SKID ROW in February 2022 and was replaced by Grönwall, who was previously a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T.

Four years ago, Bolan also confirmed that he and his bandmates "were entertaining the idea" of reuniting with Bach following Harnell's departure. But Rachel shot down the possibility of a rekindling of his friendship with Sebastian, explaining: "Well… Here's the soundbite for Blabbermouth. I wouldn't say we were friends [when we were in a band together]. We were bandmates. You know what I mean? We're two very different people." Bolan added that he hadn't seen Bach "in years."

Five years ago, Bach was asked by Rolling Stone what it would take for SKID ROW to be reunited. He responded: "It would take those guys to realize that I have a lifetime manager. His name is Rick Sales. I've been with him since 2006. They don't want to deal with a guy like that. They want to give some singer who doesn't have a manager $700 to $800 bucks a week. I've got a team that's worked with me and don't allow me to get fucked around. I didn't have that team when I was 19 years old."

In response to Bach's statements about the earnings of SKID ROW's singer, Sabo told Rolling Stone in an e-mail: "I guess fact-checking isn't in his skill set… The five of us go on that stage as a band and we all get paid equally. We're in this together. There's no egos."

Sebastian went on to say that SKID ROW was "close to reuniting, but then it didn't happen. The fact that it didn't happen obviously makes me somewhat bitter, because life is only getting shorter, as the song says," he added.

"I wouldn't say 'came close,'" Bolan told Rolling Stone in an e-mail response to Bach's account of the reunion talks. "We entertained the idea. Snake and I went as far as talking with agents and promoters about money. But we quickly learned after a few text conversations, why we fired him in the first place. Nothing is worth your happiness and peace of mind."

Sabo added: "It was already a miserable experience, and we didn't even get on the phone."

In 2021, Bach completed a U.S. tour during which he celebrated the 30th anniversary of SKID ROW's sophomore album, "Slave To The Grind".

In a new interview with The Hook Rocks podcast, SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo was asked if he and his bandmates have "targeted" any new singers since SKID ROW's latest frontman — former "Swedish Idol" contestant Erik Grönwall — quit the band to focus on his health. Snake responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We haven't targeted anybody. If we wanna continue as SKID ROW, we're gonna have to get another singer. But we haven't targeted anybody. There's a lot of great singers out there. But Lzzy [Hale of HALESTORM who recently played two shows with SKID ROW as a stand-in singer] just raised the bar, man. And Erik is a great singer. He raised the bar as well. And then Lzzy just came in here and just really raised the bar and showed us another side of what this band could be. So, it doesn't necessarily have to be a male singer in SKID ROW. The options are wide open. And like I said, there's so much talent out there, but we just wanna make sure that we make the right choice and that we can bring the band to another level. That's the hope."

Pressed about whether anything has changed in terms of his thoughts about a possible reunion with the singer from SKID ROW's classic era, Sebastian Bach, Snake said: "Well, the answer has been the same for — I don't know — 20,000 years now. It's not gonna happen. And I say the same thing every time. I'm thankful that people have such an interest in wanting to see that happen, but I also have to reiterate that this is about being happy in the situation that you're in. So I'll speak for myself personally.

"First of all, I do need to say something too, is that the reason that this isn't happening is because there's three of us — myself, Scotti [Hill, SKID ROW guitarist] and Rachel [Bolan, SKID ROW bassist] — who've had conversations about this, and we've all been on the same page that we don't wanna go down that road again. We just — we don't.

"Rachel has taken a beating over this through the years," Sabo continued. "He's the one who's been blamed for this. 'Oh, it's Rachel's ego.' 'It's this and that.' No, that's a load of bullshit. That is not true. And I feel bad because he's really, really had to shoulder that blame and has never said anything derogatory or anything like that. But you know what? The truth of the matter is that Rachel, Scotti and myself have continually felt the same way, that we enjoy being happy in this band and we're really happy.

"It's been such a great experience for the last however, 35 years, everything, all the ups, all the downs, everything, but we just don't wanna revisit that particular aspect of our history," he explained. "I love the songs, [I] love a lot of the memories, [I am] not fond of some of the memories, but just as individuals and as a collective, that's just how we feel. So this is not on Rachel. And this has nothing to do with anyone's ego or anything like that. So that's just gotta be clear. Again, for anyone to sit there and make assumptions that this is Rachel Bolan saying 'nope,' it's not. It's the three of us, and we've all collectively sat there and just said that we don't wanna do it. We just don't wanna do it. And we wish everybody all the best."

Snake added: "We've been just ripped apart by ex-members of the band and stuff — ripped apart. Some really shitty stuff [has been] said about all of us. And we just choose not to [respond]. It's not who I am. It's not who we are. We won't go down that road. We just wanna play music and be happy. This has really never been about a monetary aspect of things because it's known that we've been offered a good amount of money to do shows together and to reunite [with Sebastian] and whatever, but it's just never been about the money, man. I choose my happiness, my willingness to continue to be a really good friend to my best friends and a really good husband and a really good dad and bandmate and person. And I don't wanna endanger that in any way. So the people that we choose to play with, those choices are made in order to keep those particular things in line for all of us."

Grönwall, who was SKID ROW's fourth frontman since Bach's departure, quit the band in March.

Erik, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021, is immunocompromised, which made touring difficult.

Earlier this month, Bach was asked by SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if there has been any dialogue between him and his former bandmates in SKID ROW about a possible reunion now that they are once again in need of a singer. He responded: "I found out something at the very last KISS show that I did not know before the very last KISS show. And it's a major piece of miscommunication. And I need to communicate with those guys because there's been something that happened that is not accurate. I can't tell you what it is, but the whole narrative of they don't like me and I'm too crazy is complete bullshit. It's not true. There's been attempts to get us going again.

"I'm so focused on [my new] album ['Child Within The Man'] and this tour that I haven't had time to think about that," he continued. "I can just tell the world that there's a good chance that'll happen 'cause there's no fucking reason not to, 'cause right now why it hasn't happened is a miscommunication. That's all I can say. There's a miscommunication. That's all I can tell you."

Asked if he is working clear that miscommunication up and whether he is open and willing to play with SKID ROW again, Bach responded: "I play with everybody in the world. I'm in KINGS OF CHAOS. I'm in ROYAL MACHINES. I got 25 guys in my band. There's no reason why I can't play with them. But here's the thing: I only have so much energy. At the age of 56…. Right now, I'm trying to talk as softly as I can because I have three [shows] in a row. I don't have the fucking energy. I'm trying, I'm giving as much as I can.

"I need to write a thoughtful e-mail clearing up a miscommunication, but I have to make sure it's the perfect fucking e-mail and I don't say anything wrong or make any jokes," he explained. "I just don't have the energy to do that right now, but I know I need to do that. I've just got a lot on my plate right now."

Elaborating on his desire to play with SKID ROW again, Sebastian said: "I would love to do it. I have dreams about doing it. I have a recurring fucking nightmare where SKID ROW reunites, and I go to the gig, and I forget my in-ears. I'm backstage, and the whole arena's packed, and Rachel and Snake, I go, 'Fuck, you guys. Fuck, I've gotta go back to the hotel. I forgot my fucking in-ears.' [Laughs] And I'm in the Uber, and I'm fucking racing, and the whole reunion's happening. I've gotta get my fucking in-ears, and I can't get the hotel key. So let's analyze that, let's analyze that shit right there that goes on in my head. And then I have these other dreams where we do a reunion show, and nothing happens. We just play, and then we walk off and we're, like, 'Right on.' And there's no fighting, there's no drama, we just do a show. And there's no, like, fighting or drama. And I told this to Rob [Affuso, former SKID ROW drummer]. He's laughing. He's, like, 'Imagine that. Fucking imagine that. Just do a fucking show.' It's funny, these dreams I have. But the in-ear one is real."

Bach previously spoke about the possibility of a SKID ROW reunion during a March 3 question-and-answer session with Downtown Julie Brown aboard this year's The 80s Cruise. He said: "There's no reason SKID ROW can't be together. I honestly think that it's a business thing at this point. But we're all still alive, and let's get the hair band back together while we've still got hair. I have no problems… I play with everyone — except for them. That's really weird."

He continued, addressing the audience directly: "How many of you guys watched METALLICA's 'Some Kind Of Monster' movie? It never gets old. It's all about them having a therapist. And James Hetfield [METALLICA frontman] can't rehearse past 4 p.m., and Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] is all mad, slamming the door. But that whole movie is about METALLICA working with a therapist. And nobody helped SKID ROW or anything. It was, like, 'You guys are on your own. Figure it out.' And every book I read — AEROSMITH, MÖTLEY CRÜE, every one — is about having somebody helping them. So maybe there's some therapist that wants to get paid some money and put the band back together. There's no reason that we're not together."

Referencing his 2016 autobiography, "18 And Life On Skid Row", Sebastian said: "When I first wrote my book, there was a lot of rotten shit in there. But right when that book was about to come out, we were talking about reuniting [the classic SKID ROW lineup], I swear. I know that seems crazy, but it's true. And my manager, Rick Sales, goes, 'Sebastian, take all that rotten shit out of your book right now.' I go, 'Really? I think people wanna read that.' He goes, 'No, take it out.' And I go, 'Okay.' So there's a file on my hard drive, my computer, that's called 'Rotten shit that I took out of my book.' And that might be the next book."

Asked if he is still hoping to get the classic lineup of SKID ROW back together, Bach said: "It's not that I'm hoping, but there's no reason why not to. There's no reason. They're, like, 'Oh, man. He was hard to work with in 1996.' 1996? Who remembers 1996? Sorry about 1996. Sorry. It's 2024. Can we move on or…?"

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan, guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I. Theart was fired from SKID ROW in February 2022 and was replaced by Grönwall, who was previously a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T.

Two years ago, Sabo told Ruben Mosqueda of We Go To 11 about the possibility of a reunion with Bach: "It's not even a part of any sort of thought process. This is SKID ROW. And that conversation is 23 years old [since SKID ROW reformed without Bach]. And I have no desire to… I'm not interested; none of us are. It comes down to happiness, and we're really, really, really happy where we're at and how the band sounds and feels. I love playing our music, and I love playing it with the guys that we're playing it now with. And so I don't wanna change that. I'm in a great place personally, and I think we're all in a great place as a collective."

In March 2022, Sabo was asked by Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio how he feels about people still calling for a reunion with Bach. He said: "Well, it's been 23 years [since SKID ROW reformed], so to say that I'm over it would be an understatement. We attempted [a reunion] slightly [back in 2016]. We dipped our toes in the water and realized that it didn't feel so good. It's just one of those things where we still could not see eye to eye; we couldn't even get past the point of simple texting.

"I am really, really happy where we are," Snake continued. "I'm very proud of our past, and all due credit to everybody who's been involved in every aspect of our career, whoever that may be, 'cause it all led to where we are now.

"I've been asked a thousand times: 'What about the payday [of a reunion with Sebastian]?' And that's all well and good, but if that's why I did this — if that's why we did this; I can speak for everybody — we probably wouldn't be doing it," Sabo explained. "I wanna be happy, and I am very, very happy. And so are the guys; everybody's really happy.

"The music climate is what it is, and we're a classic rock band, and I'm proud of that. And we're still able to make music. I mean, Jeez — I live a very, very blessed life, man," Snake added. "I have nothing but gratitude and humility for what we have achieved and for what we're able to continue to do. So while there may be people out there who are flashing dollar signs with a lot of zeroes, I still have to be happy doing it, and I am. And that's what's most important. I need to be happy being in a band with the people I'm in a band with. A lot of other bands can go out and they don't see each other till they're on stage and travel on separate buses and all that stuff, and that's all well and good, but I don't wanna live my life like that. I don't wanna be up onstage and kind of living a lie; it just doesn't feel good. So, while I'm thankful for people's interest and whatnot, I'm even more thankful that we still get to play music for a living under our terms."

In the summer of 2021, Bach told Florida's 98.7 The Gater radio station that "there's no reason" for the classic SKID ROW not to reunite. "When those guys [in SKID ROW] try to say [about me], 'He's difficult to work with,' let me just say this one more time. We have not been in the same room together since the year 1996," he said. "Shut the eff up about you thinking you know what I'm like. You don't know anything about what I'm like. And the 'Gilmore Girls' think I'm okay to work with; Broadway thinks I'm okay to work with; the 'Trailer Park Boys' think I'm okay; GUNS N' ROSES think I'm pretty cool. We're not getting any younger."

Sebastian went on to say that a SKID ROW reunion "should" happen "for the fans. And we are absolutely running out of bands — bands that can play in sheds," he said. "The fact that we are all still alive and we are all in our 50s — some closer to 60 than others — but that, to me, is selfish that we're not together.

"I can play with anyone. I do play with everyone [laughs] — except for them."

Four years ago, Bolan also confirmed that he and his bandmates "were entertaining the idea" of reuniting with Bach following Harnell's departure. But Rachel shot down the possibility of a rekindling of his friendship with Sebastian, explaining: "Well… Here's the soundbite for Blabbermouth. I wouldn't say we were friends [when we were in a band together]. We were bandmates. You know what I mean? We're two very different people." Bolan added that he hadn't seen Bach "in years."

Five years ago, Bach was asked by Rolling Stone what it would take for SKID ROW to be reunited. He responded: "It would take those guys to realize that I have a lifetime manager. His name is Rick Sales. I've been with him since 2006. They don't want to deal with a guy like that. They want to give some singer who doesn't have a manager $700 to $800 bucks a week. I've got a team that's worked with me and don't allow me to get fucked around. I didn't have that team when I was 19 years old."

In response to Bach's statements about the earnings of SKID ROW's singer, Sabo told Rolling Stone in an e-mail: "I guess fact-checking isn't in his skill set… The five of us go on that stage as a band and we all get paid equally. We're in this together. There's no egos."

Sebastian went on to say that SKID ROW was "close to reuniting, but then it didn't happen. The fact that it didn't happen obviously makes me somewhat bitter, because life is only getting shorter, as the song says," he added.

"I wouldn't say 'came close,'" Bolan told Rolling Stone in an e-mail response to Bach's account of the reunion talks. "We entertained the idea. Snake and I went as far as talking with agents and promoters about money. But we quickly learned after a few text conversations, why we fired him in the first place. Nothing is worth your happiness and peace of mind."

Sabo added: "It was already a miserable experience, and we didn't even get on the phone."

In 2021, Bach completed a U.S. tour during which he celebrated the 30th anniversary of SKID ROW's sophomore album, "Slave To The Grind".

During an appearance on the May 10 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Sebastian Bach was asked if there has been any dialogue between him and his former bandmates in SKID ROW about a possible reunion now that they are once again in need of a singer. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I found out something at the very last KISS show that I did not know before the very last KISS show. And it's a major piece of miscommunication. And I need to communicate with those guys because there's been something that happened that is not accurate. I can't tell you what it is, but the whole narrative of they don't like me and I'm too crazy is complete bullshit. It's not true. There's been attempts to get us going again.

"I'm so focused on [my new] album ['Child Within The Man'] and this tour that I haven't had time to think about that," he continued. "I can just tell the world that there's a good chance that'll happen 'cause there's no fucking reason not to, 'cause right now why it hasn't happened is a miscommunication. That's all I can say. There's a miscommunication. That's all I can tell you."

Asked if he is working clear that miscommunication up and whether he is open and willing to play with SKID ROW again, Bach responded: "I play with everybody in the world. I'm in KINGS OF CHAOS. I'm in ROYAL MACHINES. I got 25 guys in my band. There's no reason why I can't play with them. But here's the thing: I only have so much energy. At the age of 56…. Right now, I'm trying to talk as softly as I can because I have three [shows] in a row. I don't have the fucking energy. I'm trying, I'm giving as much as I can.

"I need to write a thoughtful e-mail clearing up a miscommunication, but I have to make sure it's the perfect fucking e-mail and I don't say anything wrong or make any jokes," he explained. "I just don't have the energy to do that right now, but I know I need to do that. I've just got a lot on my plate right now."

Elaborating on his desire to play with SKID ROW again, Sebastian said: "I would love to do it. I have dreams about doing it. I have a recurring fucking nightmare where SKID ROW reunites, and I go to the gig, and I forget my in-ears. I'm backstage, and the whole arena's packed, and Rachel [Bolan, SKID ROW bassist] and Snake [SKID ROW guitarist Dave Sabo], I go, 'Fuck, you guys. Fuck, I've gotta go back to the hotel. I forgot my fucking in-ears.' [Laughs] And I'm in the Uber, and I'm fucking racing, and the whole reunion's happening. I've gotta get my fucking in-ears, and I can't get the hotel key. So let's analyze that, let's analyze that shit right there that goes on in my head. And then I have these other dreams where we do a reunion show, and nothing happens. We just play, and then we walk off and we're, like, 'Right on.' And there's no fighting, there's no drama, we just do a show. And there's no, like, fighting or drama. And I told this to Rob [Affuso, former SKID ROW drummer]. He's laughing. He's, like, 'Imagine that. Fucking imagine that. Just do a fucking show.' It's funny, these dreams I have. But the in-ear one is real."

This past March, SKID ROW's fourth frontman since Bach's departure — former "Swedish Idol" contestant Erik Grönwall — quit the band to focus on his health.

Grönwall, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021, is immunocompromised, which made touring difficult.

Bach previously spoke about the possibility of a SKID ROW reunion during a March 3 question-and-answer session with Downtown Julie Brown aboard this year's The 80s Cruise. He said: "There's no reason SKID ROW can't be together. I honestly think that it's a business thing at this point. But we're all still alive, and let's get the hair band back together while we've still got hair. I have no problems… I play with everyone — except for them. That's really weird."

He continued, addressing the audience directly: "How many of you guys watched METALLICA's 'Some Kind Of Monster' movie? It never gets old. It's all about them having a therapist. And James Hetfield [METALLICA frontman] can't rehearse past 4 p.m., and Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] is all mad, slamming the door. But that whole movie is about METALLICA working with a therapist. And nobody helped SKID ROW or anything. It was, like, 'You guys are on your own. Figure it out.' And every book I read — AEROSMITH, MÖTLEY CRÜE, every one — is about having somebody helping them. So maybe there's some therapist that wants to get paid some money and put the band back together. There's no reason that we're not together."

Referencing his 2016 autobiography, "18 And Life On Skid Row", Sebastian said: "When I first wrote my book, there was a lot of rotten shit in there. But right when that book was about to come out, we were talking about reuniting [the classic SKID ROW lineup], I swear. I know that seems crazy, but it's true. And my manager, Rick Sales, goes, 'Sebastian, take all that rotten shit out of your book right now.' I go, 'Really? I think people wanna read that.' He goes, 'No, take it out.' And I go, 'Okay.' So there's a file on my hard drive, my computer, that's called 'Rotten shit that I took out of my book.' And that might be the next book."

Asked if he is still hoping to get the classic lineup of SKID ROW back together, Bach said: "It's not that I'm hoping, but there's no reason why not to. There's no reason. They're, like, 'Oh, man. He was hard to work with in 1996.' 1996? Who remembers 1996? Sorry about 1996. Sorry. It's 2024. Can we move on or…?"

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan, guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I. Theart was fired from SKID ROW in February 2022 and was replaced by Grönwall, who was previously a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T.

Two years ago, Sabo told Ruben Mosqueda of We Go To 11 about the possibility of a reunion with Bach: "It's not even a part of any sort of thought process. This is SKID ROW. And that conversation is 23 years old [since SKID ROW reformed without Bach]. And I have no desire to… I'm not interested; none of us are. It comes down to happiness, and we're really, really, really happy where we're at and how the band sounds and feels. I love playing our music, and I love playing it with the guys that we're playing it now with. And so I don't wanna change that. I'm in a great place personally, and I think we're all in a great place as a collective."

In March 2022, Sabo was asked by Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio how he feels about people still calling for a reunion with Bach. He said: "Well, it's been 23 years [since SKID ROW reformed], so to say that I'm over it would be an understatement. We attempted [a reunion] slightly [back in 2016]. We dipped our toes in the water and realized that it didn't feel so good. It's just one of those things where we still could not see eye to eye; we couldn't even get past the point of simple texting.

"I am really, really happy where we are," Snake continued. "I'm very proud of our past, and all due credit to everybody who's been involved in every aspect of our career, whoever that may be, 'cause it all led to where we are now.

"I've been asked a thousand times: 'What about the payday [of a reunion with Sebastian]?' And that's all well and good, but if that's why I did this — if that's why we did this; I can speak for everybody — we probably wouldn't be doing it," Sabo explained. "I wanna be happy, and I am very, very happy. And so are the guys; everybody's really happy.

"The music climate is what it is, and we're a classic rock band, and I'm proud of that. And we're still able to make music. I mean, Jeez — I live a very, very blessed life, man," Snake added. "I have nothing but gratitude and humility for what we have achieved and for what we're able to continue to do. So while there may be people out there who are flashing dollar signs with a lot of zeroes, I still have to be happy doing it, and I am. And that's what's most important. I need to be happy being in a band with the people I'm in a band with. A lot of other bands can go out and they don't see each other till they're on stage and travel on separate buses and all that stuff, and that's all well and good, but I don't wanna live my life like that. I don't wanna be up onstage and kind of living a lie; it just doesn't feel good. So, while I'm thankful for people's interest and whatnot, I'm even more thankful that we still get to play music for a living under our terms."

In the summer of 2021, Bach told Florida's 98.7 The Gater radio station that "there's no reason" for the classic SKID ROW not to reunite. "When those guys [in SKID ROW] try to say [about me], 'He's difficult to work with,' let me just say this one more time. We have not been in the same room together since the year 1996," he said. "Shut the eff up about you thinking you know what I'm like. You don't know anything about what I'm like. And the 'Gilmore Girls' think I'm okay to work with; Broadway thinks I'm okay to work with; the 'Trailer Park Boys' think I'm okay; GUNS N' ROSES think I'm pretty cool. We're not getting any younger."

Sebastian went on to say that a SKID ROW reunion "should" happen "for the fans. And we are absolutely running out of bands — bands that can play in sheds," he said. "The fact that we are all still alive and we are all in our 50s — some closer to 60 than others — but that, to me, is selfish that we're not together.

"I can play with anyone. I do play with everyone [laughs] — except for them."

Four years ago, SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan also confirmed that he and his bandmates "were entertaining the idea" of reuniting with Bach following Harnell's departure. But Rachel shot down the possibility of a rekindling of his friendship with Sebastian, explaining: "Well… Here's the soundbite for Blabbermouth. I wouldn't say we were friends [when we were in a band together]. We were bandmates. You know what I mean? We're two very different people." Bolan added that he hadn't seen Bach "in years."

Five years ago, Bach was asked by Rolling Stone what it would take for SKID ROW to be reunited. He responded: "It would take those guys to realize that I have a lifetime manager. His name is Rick Sales. I've been with him since 2006. They don't want to deal with a guy like that. They want to give some singer who doesn't have a manager $700 to $800 bucks a week. I've got a team that's worked with me and don't allow me to get fucked around. I didn't have that team when I was 19 years old."

In response to Bach's statements about the earnings of SKID ROW's singer, Sabo told Rolling Stone in an e-mail: "I guess fact-checking isn't in his skill set… The five of us go on that stage as a band and we all get paid equally. We're in this together. There's no egos."

Sebastian went on to say that SKID ROW was "close to reuniting, but then it didn't happen. The fact that it didn't happen obviously makes me somewhat bitter, because life is only getting shorter, as the song says," he added.

"I wouldn't say 'came close,'" Bolan told Rolling Stone in an e-mail response to Bach's account of the reunion talks. "We entertained the idea. Snake and I went as far as talking with agents and promoters about money. But we quickly learned after a few text conversations, why we fired him in the first place. Nothing is worth your happiness and peace of mind."

Sabo added: "It was already a miserable experience, and we didn't even get on the phone."

In 2021, Bach completed a U.S. tour during which he celebrated the 30th anniversary of SKID ROW's sophomore album, "Slave To The Grind".

U.K. behemoths BRING ME THE HORIZON have released their highly anticipated new album "Post Human: Nex Gen", via Columbia Records.

"Nex Gen" is the latest chapter in the series to be revealed and sees the band expanding both musically and conceptually. It follows on from 2020's "Post Human: Survival Horror", which featured collaborations with Yungblud, NOVA TWINS, BABYMETAL and EVANESCENCE's Amy Lee, and included the huge hit singles "Teardrops" and "Obey". Sonically, the album hits heavy, while frontman Oli Sykes's vocals are his most melodic to date.

BRING ME THE HORIZON entered 2024 with an explosive start having played to over 140,000 fans in the U.K. and Ireland on their biggest U.K. arena tour to date, winning the BRIT Award for "Best Alternative/Rock Act", announcing their first stadium show in São Paulo, Brazil (selling 30,000 tickets in the first day!) and now the surprise release of their new album, which has already caused a global frenzy since appearing online last night.

The first part of the "Post-Human" series, "Survival Horror" was recorded during the first COVID lockdowns, almost entirely remotely, and leaned into the band's heavy side to express its feelings of anger, fear, emptiness and despair. Of "Nex Gen", Sykes says that it's searching for something more hopeful, if not entirely positive in and of itself. Fittingly, the music this time — already previewed in huge singles "Kool Aid", "DiE4u", "AmEN!" and "DArkSide" — has an even more euphonic, post-hardcore-inflected stripe, while still bursting with the band's unique, forward-thinking creativity.

Oli adds the album took "ages to write". Partly, this is down to the band thinking that lockdown would last much longer than it did. When it lifted, they quickly found their schedules full with touring the world and headlining festivals such as Reading and Leeds (where they were joined by Ed Sheeran for their collaborative hit "Bad Habits"),hosting and headlining "Nex Fest" in Japan, Download festival in the U.K., Good Things in Australia and When We Were Young and Sick New World in Las Vegas.

But it's also down to the concept quickly growing into something bigger than its creators originally imagined. "Post-Human: Survival Horror" became far more of an event than the band had envisioned upon release, and crafting its follow-up required much bigger thinking than first anticipated.

There is so much to unwrap under the surface of the album for those who can spot it. "It's a real concept album, with a full narrative that connects to the first record, but the concept is hidden and buried," Oli says. "Some people aren't going to be interested, but for some people it could be like a self-help book. There's a lot of things in there, some of it's quite clear, but a lot of it cryptic and hidden. People are gonna have to work it out."

Not that BRING ME THE HORIZON are looking backward. As ever, "Nex Gen" is the work of a band unafraid to challenge both themselves and the musical world in which they have become leaders.

In January, BRING ME THE HORIZON released a new song called "Kool-Aid". The track was the first to arrive following the departure of longtime keyboardist and percussionist Jordan Fish in December.

Fish joined BRING ME THE HORIZON in 2012 and appeared on the albums "Sempiternal", "That's The Spirit" and "Amo", which he helped write.

BRING ME THE HORIZON has been called one of the most forward-thinking metal bands in the world. As it has grown, BRING ME THE HORIZON has undergone a musical progression from its earliest days as a metalcore band, in large part because of the production talents of Fish.

Jordan had been a major influence on BRING ME THE HORIZON's sound, inspiring many of the edgy guitar riffs and other elements on the "Sempiternal" album. His music production fingerprints can be found all over "That's The Spirit", which offered a stylistic departure from the metalcore genre.

When BRING ME THE HORIZON announced Fish's departure, the band said in a statement: "BRING ME THE HORIZON has decided to part ways with Jordan Fish. We want to thank him for the musical journey he took with us and wish him luck with everything in the future. Meanwhile we continue to work on 'Nex Gen', with brand new music coming very soon."

Fish added in a separate statement: "I'm really grateful for my 11 years with the band, and extremely proud of all that we have achieved together. I look forward to hearing what they do next, and wish them every success in the future. I'm excited to start this next chapter in my career."

BLACKMORE'S NIGHT, the renaissance-inspired rock band formed by Ritchie Blackmore and his wife Candice Night, will return to the stage in June and July 2024 in the United States.

Blackmore and Night comment: "Join us this summer as the mystical fires glow at midnight. To all our friends, fans, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT Family: grab your tambourine or your tankard of ale, and sing and dance with BLACKMORE'S NIGHT 'Under A Violet Moon.' Let us transport you back in time to a magical evening with music that will brighten your hearts and soul."

Tour dates:

Jun. 22 - The Sherman Theater - Stroudsburg, PA
Jun. 23 - District Music Hall - Norwalk, CT
Jun. 30 - Academy of Music - Northampton, MA
Jul. 5 - The Vogel - Red Bank, NJ
Jul. 6 - The Vogel - Red Bank, NJ

BLACKMORE'S NIGHT defines its music as renaissance folk rock. A unique and original genre of music inspired by the melodies and the tradition of the Renaissance period, "Blackmore-ized" into contemporary music. This is the sound of BLACKMORE'S NIGHT. And what a success it has been, since it all started...

Never intended to be a band thinking about charts and sales, it ended up being one of the most successful acoustic projects of all time, remaining a best-seller for over 25 years, while maintaining the purity of its original intention intact.

The band's last album, "Nature's Light", brought the band back to the German Top 10 (No. 7) and it has reinforced the relationship with the fanbase all over the world.

In 1997, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT released their debut CD, "Shadow Of The Moon", which immediately went gold in Japan and earned awards worldwide.

The album's reissue, released in 2023, re-entered the charts in Germany in the Top 20, thanks to a shiny new mix of the album, in a celebration of the music that started the journey for Candice and Ritchie. Meanwhile, their devoted fan base has been growing exponentially as the band continues performing their mystical music for all ages. From grandparents to children, everyone is enjoying their medieval mood music and gypsy dances. Clearly, the music of BLACKMORE'S NIGHT connects with fans on a deep level, allowing them to experience an entirely different era of merriment.

In the age of digital music, new fans discover BLACKMORE'S NIGHT every single day — making the band possibly the most streamed artist of its genre.

At the helm of this band, is award winning lyricist and vocalist, Candice Night, who not only contributes her unique, entrancing vocals, but deftly navigates seven medieval woodwinds, including chanters, shawms, pennywhistles and recorders. Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and celebrated DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW guitarist Ritchie Blackmore who traverses between acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, mandola, and hurdy gurdy.

Further enhancing the band's inspired sound are keyboardist/back-up vocalist Bard David; violinist Scarlett Fiddler; back-up vocalist/rhythm guitarist Lady Jessie; bassist/rhythmic guitarist Earl Grey; and percussionist Troubadour Of Aberdeen.

With lyrics penned by Night, the collective embraces the aura of the old-world inn, from madrigals and ballads to good old-fashioned renaissance-inspired pub songs.

Every BLACKMORE'S NIGHT studio CD has debuted in the top 2 of the Billboard New Age charts, many of which entered and remained at the No. 1 spot for weeks.

The media awards such as "Best Album of the Year" "Best Vocal performance of the Year" or "Best Guitar Performance" collected over the years are hard to keep count of.

Their sold-out concerts in castles and UNESCO sites worldwide are filled with thousands of fans dressed in renaissance garb, dancing and singing as if time stood still. No clocks...no pressure... just the gaiety and camaraderie of a medieval pub. Everyone joins in and loses their stress in the music.

2022 marked the official 25th anniversary of BLACKMORE'S NIGHT.

This year in 2024, they celebrate the 25th year of their third CD, "Fires At Midnight". A 25th year edition of "Fires..." will be released by earMUSIC, as with the debut album, the music has been remixed from the original multi-track masters for a new sonic experience.

In addition, Candice has been working intensely on very personal and intense solo music, which will be pure joy for anybody who has loved BLACKMORE'S NIGHT.

Those unique troubadours The Wizard's Consort will be opening the musical evening of concerts with BLACKMORES NIGHT.

Last important note from Candice and Ritchie: "We feel very strongly at helping local no-kill animal shelters. So, wherever we play, we always invite a local animal shelter or animal rescue organization to set up a donation table at our concert. We are happy to announce that the following organizations will be present at our upcoming concerts to help raise funds for our less fortunate furry friends."

Details about the organizations for each concert, as well as ticket pre-sales are available here.

In a new interview with Rock 100.5 The KATT's Cameron Buchholtz, original SALIVA singer Josey Scott (a.k.a. Joseph Sappington),who has been performing with his solo group in recent months under various names, including JOSEY SCOTT – THE ORIGINAL VOICE OF SALIVA and JOSEY SCOTT'S SALIVA, was asked about the musical direction of the material he is working on with his current bandmates — his stepson Dylan Edney on guitar, Ben Hosterman on lead guitar, Brian "9" Kirk on bass and Justin Barber on drums. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have influences from every genre, if I'm honest. I have folk influences and nu metal influences and really heavy influences and R&B influences. Growing up in Memphis, I was surrounded by R&B and hip-hop, and I love every bit of it. And with a band like mine, we aren't afraid to go down any of those roads. We're not afraid to travel any of those paths."

Regarding a possible timeline for the release of his new music, Josey said: "Well, as soon as we get a break — we've been really busy touring and I've been doing a lot of collabs with different bands. I've got something I'm going to Nashville to do with this rapper Doobie. We're doing something together that's going to be really fun. And it's kind of a surprise. And I've got a couple of movies coming up that I'm working on. But as soon as we get some time off and get some studio time together, we're definitely gonna lay down some new material."

Asked if it's intimidating at all to release new music after being away from the recording studio for so long, Josey said: "I don't see it as intimidating. I see it as a new opportunity to take the temperature of where I am now, because I think the barometer that I've always gone by in my lyrics has been, where am I at that point in my life? When I wrote 'Click Click Boom', I was still that kid looking out the window, watching the other kids outside having a good time and me being in my room and filling notebooks full of lyrics and plucking around on my girlfriend's acoustic guitar. And today I'm a husband and a father, and I adore my children. Unfortunately, I've lost one of my children to COVID. And so I have plenty to write about. I think struggle is what causes you to write, as a songwriter, what causes the best material to come forth out of you, is usually from your heart and it's usually from a broken heart."

Earlier this month, Scott was asked by Tulsa Music Stream 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: "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 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.

KnuckleBonz has announced the upcoming release of the new Death (Leprosy) statue.


Description: The Death (Leprosy) 3D Vinyl KnuckleBonz Statue is currently available for pre-order, ships late 2024.


This is a limited-edition statue. Only 1,988 will be cast for Death superfans worldwide. Each piece is hand-crafted. This is a fine-arts process where each statue is hand-cast, painted and numbered on the base. Officially licensed with the Chuck Schuldiner Estate.




Product Dimensions: 8.5" (h) x  5.25" (w)  x  5.25" (d)


For further details, and to pre-order, head here.

Tony Iommi recently spoke with Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation. During their conversation, Tony reveals that there is a recorded version of “Evil Eye” with Eddie Van Halen. He also discusses the possibility of a Black Sabbath reunion with Ozzy and the original members.


SiriusXM's Trunk Nation, hosted by Eddie Trunk, airs daily at 3 PM, ET on SiriusXM’s Faction Talk. Audio clips/transcriptions below courtesy of SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation.


On Eddie Van Halen almost appearing on "Evil Eye":




Tony Iommi: "What it was, I mean, it's got blown outta proportion to be honest. What it was, Eddie was playing, they were doing a show in Birmingham, and we've always called each other up when we're, if I'm in LA, we get together and we'd have dinner and all the rest of the stuff for years. When he comes here, he gets in touch with me. And so what he did, he came, he called me up and said, 'What are you doing?' I said, 'Well, I'm rehearsing.' And he said, 'Oh, I'd love to have seen you.' I said, 'Well, do you want to, you can come down if you want.' He went, 'Oh, great. Can I?' I said, 'Yeah, come down to rehearsal.' So basically that's what happened.


"I picked him up at the hotel and then I drove past the music shop. We picked an Eddie guitar up and took him down to where we were rehearsing. We started playing some Sabbath stuff, you know, he always liked sort of 'Into the Void' and all those. So we started playing those, and then we went into, I said, 'We are writing another song at the moment, ‘Evil Eye’.' And we started playing it, and he joined in and he basically played the solo under rehearsal, which was great. I mean, a really, really good solo. So that's as far as it went. I mean, and we have got a tape of that, but obviously, you know, we weren't gonna sort of prey on that, say, oh we'll release that because it, you know, it was just a special occasion that we jammed together."


Eddie Trunk: "But you did record it? You do have the recording of it?"


Iommi: "Yeah. Well, Tony recorded it actually. Yeah, because we always record everything at rehearsal. We'd always have a tape on it. So basically that was taped as well. Yeah."


Trunk: "So there is a recording of you and Eddie Van Halen playing Sabbath songs?"


Iommi: "Yeah. Yeah."





On Ozzy Osbourne’s comments for original Black Sabbath show:


Iommi: "Oh dear. Oh, as I said, we keep coming and going. It's a funny old thing really. I mean, God, we'll be 90 by the time we do that."


Trunk: "But I think he meant 'cause of course he's got his own problems and wish him well as far as his health, but obviously his touring days are over. I feel like where he was coming from was kind of like, because the last shows were without Bill, and he'd said, you know, wish that Bill could have been there. That he just felt like even if you guys set up in a club in Birmingham with Bill and Geezer and of course him that to do one LA, even if it was a short set, to just say the last Black Sabbath performance was the original four. Is there any desire for you with that? Or do you feel like where you left it is fine?"


Iommi: "It'd be a nice idea, but you know, you're gonna get everybody going, 'Oh, they're doing it for the money, they're doing it for this, they're doing it for that.' Well, it wouldn't be, I mean, it'd be something that, it'd be a nice thing to actually do, but whether it happens will be another thing. But we'll see. I mean, who knows?"

British four-piece rock band Collateral have released “Just One Of Those Days”, the new single taken from their sophomore album, Should’ve Known Better. 


The single, accompanied with an official music video, is released by Big Shot Records on the same day of the album, Friday, May 24th. The single is available on all streaming platforms. The album is available on red vinyl, picture disc, CD and digital, direct from CollateralOfficial.com as well as Cargo Records.







“Just One Of Those Days” and the new album Should’ve Known Better were produced by Dan Weller (Those Damn Crows, Monster Truck, Kris Barras).


To celebrate the release of the new album, Collateral will perform an Album Release Party Concert at The Underworld in London, England on Sunday, May 26th. Tickets are available from SeeTickets.com.


Collateral will also embark on an In-store Signing Tour that will see them perform 30-minute acoustic performances at Some Nice Things in Margate at 2pm on Saturday, May 25th, Raven in Camden Town, London at 1pm on Tuesday, May 28th, Rough Trade in Bristol at 6.30pm on Wednesday, May 29th, and Beyond Vinyl in Newcastle at 6pm on Thursday, May 30th.


"I'd love nothing more than to be on an open road, top down, sun on skin and the wind in my hair whilst blaring this out,” says Collateral’s frontman, Angelo Tristan. “It was always intended to be the soundtrack of any route 66 trip. What I really hope is for people to find happiness in this, I'm just trying to make what may seem like a bad day, turning out to be a good one. It's perfect if you're having Just One Of Those Days.”


Should’ve Known Better artwork and tracklisting:





"Glass Sky" 
"Original Criminal" 
"Just One Of Those Days" 
"Teenage Dreams" 
"Elysium" 
"On The Long Road" 
"No Place For Love" 
"Game Changer" 
"Final Stand" 


"On The Long Road" video:





"Glass Sky" video:





(Photo courtesy of Blackham Images)


 

Ensiferum / Warmen frontman Petri Lindroos recently spoke with Finland's Chaoszine about his upcoming plans and albums, including the debut of his new project, Satanic North. Check it out below.


On Satanic North


Lindroos: "There was an incident in a bar where Immortal was playing in the background. That kind of conveyed to the conversation, should we have a black metal band? And everybody said yes. Now, a few years later, here we are with the debut album coming out. Everybody (in the band) has sincere love for the '90s black metal scene, the music from that time, and we wanted to have our version of that."







Satanic North is what happens when you let two well-known Finnish metal artists stare into the abyss for too long: Petri Lindroos (Ensiferum, Warmen) and Janne Parviainen (Ensiferum) are well-traveled, experienced musicians who have stared into said abyss long enough for the abyss to stare back with interest.


The band has unleashed their eponymous debut full-length via Reaper Entertainment. To celebrate the release, the band presents a music video for "Village.”


Comments the band, "Satanic North has breached the gates and is out from the darkness to spread the Hatred and Blasphemy to the world. We are really looking forward to hearing your thoughts about our debut album. Check out also the new video for ‘Village.’"





Satanic North came together quickly and effortlessly, exorcized, and recorded during an unholy summer. "We kept everything very simple and practical. We didn't want to waste too many takes to keep the songs raw and natural," Lindroos explains. "The mix was completed by the Winter solstice and now this beast lies in wait, ready to be unleashed."


Satanic North, which features cover art by Finntroll guitarist and graphic mastermind, Samuli Ponsimaa, is an album storming towards us in the sign of hell, delivering an unrelenting, extreme approach to a genre that has perhaps become a little soft and tender as of late. Lindroos elaborates, "We all have the same vision of black metal, and that vision is: stop the midtempo, let's bring back the blastbeats."


Satanic North is available on CD and vinyl formats. Order at reaper-entertainment.com.





Tracklisting:


“War”
“Arise”
“Village”
“Hatred And Blasphemy”
“Four Demons”
“Behind The Inverted Cross”
“Vultures”
“Wolf”
“Kohti Kuolemaa”
“Satanic North”


"Behind The Inverted Cross" video:





“War” video:





Satanic North:
Von Occult - vocals
Skomorokh - guitars
IIT Caprae - bass, backing vocals
Abyssir - drums


(Photo – Reaper Entertainment)