Swedish high-energy rock 'n' roll legends THE HELLACOPTERS have released a new single called "Stay With You", their first new original song since the release of their triumphant, chart-topping comeback album "Eyes Of Oblivion" in April 2022.

And unsurprisingly, "Stay With You" picks up exactly where the band left off two years ago. It's a no-bullshit action rock stunner that cuts right to the chase and yet again the band has delivered a stylish music video to be released alongside, which was directed and edited by Emil Klinta.

"Stay With You" is out today on all streaming platforms. The song will also be available as a limited seven-inch single via Lightning Records. The B-side contains a cover version of "Fire In Cairo" by THE CURE.

THE HELLACOPTERS' Nicke Andersson (guitars and vocals) commented: "We're in the middle of recording our new full-length album which has no date of release just yet. In the meantime, we're very excited about the release of our new single, 'Stay With You'. It was originally intended to be included on the upcoming LP but we decided to do a BEATLES and release it as standalone track with a B-side. 'Stay With You' is a straight-up minor key rocker and it's backed with our interpretation of THE CURE's 'Fire In Cairo'. We hope you dig."

THE HELLACOPTERS released their eighth studio album titled "Eyes Of Oblivion" in April 2022. It marked the first full-length since the release of their temporary farewell record "Head Off" in 2008, and was met with massive acclaim from fans and media alike. Charting at No. 1 in Sweden, No. 3 in Germany, No. 6 in Finland, the band celebrated a triumphant return culminating in a show with the mighty IRON MAIDEN in Gothenburg in July 2022, and gigs with GHOST in Germany in June 2023. In February 2024 their beloved classic album "Grande Rock" was re-released on physical formats, featuring a re-worked companion piece with additional guitar, piano and vocal tracks called "Grande Rock Revisited".

Upcoming THE HELLACOPTERS tour dates:

May 28 - ES - Barcelona - Razzmatazz 1
May 29 - ES - Valencia - Repvblicca
May 30 - ES - Málaga - París 15
May 31 - ES - Madrid - La Riviera
Jun. 01 - ES - Bilbao - Santana 27
Jul. 12 – NO - Tønsberg - Foynhagen
Jul. 13 - NO - Kristiansand - Makeskrig Festival
Jul. 19 - FI - Seinäjoki - Vauhtiajot Race & Rock Festival
Jul. 20 - FI - Laukaa - John Smith Rock Festival
Jul. 27 - SE - Östersund - Storsjöyran
Aug. 15 - SE - Malmö - Slagthuset
Aug. 16 - SE - Glanshammar - Humlehagen
Aug. 17 - SE - Linkoping - Skylten
Aug. 30 - SE - Gothenburg – Kulturkalaset

In a new interview with 105.7 The Point's "The Rizzuto Show", vocalist Johannes Eckerström of Swedish metallers AVATAR was asked why he thinks Sweden has one of the most vibrant metal scenes in the world and one of the highest densities of heavy metal bands per capita. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have a long, serious answer for that. In Sweden, post World War II, there's this kind of — I think it's hard to find an equivalent for what it would be in an American system, but kind of an afterschool program thing that all municipalities opened music schools. It's not part of the school and the school curriculum; it's just a place you can go and get to learn to play an instrument. And that is super subsidized and available to basically everyone. The first year, you get to borrow an instrument for free, and then second year, if you're sticking with it, you will get to buy things very subsidized. And initially, it's just 20 minutes per week with a music teacher, playing 'Mary Had A Little Lamb' on a violin or something, but it keeps growing from there. If you're drawn into it, it goes pretty far with musical education, just as a fun afterschool thing for kids to do, kind of like playing little league or something, but for music. And that is readily and widely available, which means that a lot of Swedish kids get to get a taste for it."

He continued: "Almost everyone in [AVATAR], before knowing each other, because we grew up relatively close to each other — well, in the same town, different parts of it, but went to the same school — so one of us played the clarinet, one the flute, one the trombone in this same little kids orchestras playing horrible renditions of 'Meet The Flintstones', actually. And then you start to get into whatever you get into musically as a teenager, the subcultures, all that, but you kind of already had a head start on doing music together and also automatically befriend people who are equally into music. So through those 'Meet The Flintstones' gang, when you were 10 years old, kind of leads to then in your teens, suddenly people have grown their hair all the way to here and wear METALLICA and IRON MAIDEN shirts and you can form bands. So that's a big part of it."

Johannes went on to say: "Another big part of it, I think, is once a country has had one version of a success story, that country get branded like that. It's a pure case of prejudice. If you can say this is a new metal band from Sweden, you feel some kind of confidence and curiosity about it… So we're kind of used to that. So that's a self-feeding system."

He added: "Do you know what Fagersta is? Do you know who THE HIVES are? They're from Fagersta. And every little Fagersta has their own THE HIVES in Sweden at this point. So you grow up… Representation matters, right? We talk a lot about that, that all kinds of people should be in front of a screen and be seen, and that inspires kids to look like that person to [feel like] 'I can make it too.' And Sweden has been very beneficial for lanky, pasty teenage boys to see, like, 'Hey, they made it,' and, 'That guy's mom works in the post office with my friend's mom, so then we can do this too.' So that's availability. And it's a welfare state, which means there's a safety net for — to have terrible ideas of what you wanna do for a living, fail miserably and find then a different path in life later. So you can afford to fail. So I think all those things combined."

Johannes formed AVATAR in 2001. The band's lineup has remained virtually the same ever since, save for guitarist Tim Öhrström, who entered the fray just over a decade later. AVATAR also includes guitarist Jonas Jarlsby, bassist Henrik Sandelin and drummer John Alfredsson.

AVATAR's latest album, "Dance Devil Dance", came out in February 2023. The LP was recorded in the Swedish wilderness, far away from all the perceived glamor of the big city and modern studios. Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, MR. BUNGLE, CROBOT, STONE SOUR, AMON AMARTH, URIAH HEEP) returned as producer. He first worked with AVATAR when he mixed "Hail The Apocalypse", a role he reprised on "Feathers & Flesh" before taking the wheel as producer on "Avatar Country" and "Hunter Gatherer".

"Dance Devil Dance" featured a guest appearance by Lzzy Hale of HALESTORM on the song "Violence No Matter What". The record also included the single "The Dirt I'm Buried In", which hit No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.

Photo credit: Johan Carlén

Live Nation has responded to the U.S. Department Of Justice's claim that it maintains a monopoly over the live entertainment industry.

On Thursday, May 23, the Department Of Justice sued to break up Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, over alleged antitrust violations. The lawsuit, joined by 30 states, claims that Live Nation's 2010 merger with Ticketmaster created a dominant entity in the live event industry. The company, which generates $22 billion a year in revenue, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment globally and also owns and operates more than 265 entertainment venues in North America, including more than 60 of the top 100 amphitheaters.

"We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators," attorney general Merrick Garland said in a statement. "The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster."

In a statement, Live Nation's executive vice president Dan Wall rejected these allegations, saying: "The Department of Justice and a group of State Attorneys General have now filed the much-anticipated antitrust suit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster. This follows intense political pressure on DOJ to file a lawsuit, and a long-term lobbying campaign from rivals and ticket brokers seeking government protection for themselves.

"The complaint — and even more so the press conference announcing it — attempt to portray Live Nation and Ticketmaster as the cause of fan frustration with the live entertainment industry. It blames concert promoters and ticketing companies — neither of which control ticket prices — for high ticket prices. It ignores everything that is actually responsible for higher ticket prices, from increasing production costs to artist popularity, to 24/7 online ticket scalping that reveals the public's willingness to pay far more than primary tickets cost. It blames Live Nation and Ticketmaster for high service charges, but ignores that Ticketmaster retains only a modest portion of those fees. In fact, primary ticketing is one of the least expensive digital distributions in the economy.

"It is also absurd to claim that Live Nation and Ticketmaster are wielding monopoly power. The defining feature of a monopolist is monopoly profits derived from monopoly pricing. Live Nation in no way fits the profile. Service charges on Ticketmaster are no higher than elsewhere, and frequently lower. And even accounting for sponsorship, an advertising business that helps keep ticket prices down, the company's overall net profit margin is at the low end of profitable S&P 500 companies.

"The trendlines confirm Live Nation's lack of market power. Every year, competition in the industry drives Live Nation to earn lower take rates from both concert promotion and ticketing. The company is profitable and growing because it helps grow the industry, not because it has market power.

"It was evident in our discussions with the DOJ Front Office that they just did not want to believe the numbers. The data conflicted too much with their preconception that Live Nation belongs in the ranks of the other 'tech monopolists' they have targeted.

"It is also clear that we are another casualty of this Administration's decision to turn over antitrust enforcement to a populist urge that simply rejects how antitrust law works. Some call this 'Anti-Monopoly', but in reality it is just anti-business. A central tenet of these populists is that antitrust should target companies that have grown large enough that in some nebulous way they 'dominate' markets — even if they attained their size through success in the marketplace, not practices that harm consumers, which is the focus of antitrust laws. 'Dominant platform companies', this thinking goes, should just not be allowed to vertically integrate in most circumstances, including for distinctly non-antitrust reasons such as alleged 'conflicts of interest.

"There is no legal basis for objecting to vertical integration on these grounds. Antitrust law views vertical integration as procompetitive in most circumstances. As the leading antitrust treatise states, 'vertical integration is ubiquitous and … [in] the great majority of cases no anticompetitive consequences can be attached to it.' And, critically, Live Nation can offer and has offered fans, artists, venues and the rest of the performance ecosystem better prices and better services than they would receive if these complementary businesses were separated. Ticketmaster in particular is a far better, more artist- and fan-focused business under Live Nation's ownership than it ever was as a standalone company. But that's not how this DOJ sees it. They are reflexively antagonistic to vertical integration.

"The Obama Administration saw it differently. It allowed Live Nation and Ticketmaster to merge, and in defending that position acknowledged that there was no legal basis for challenging the vertical aspects of the merger — specifically, allowing a large concert promoter to combine with a large ticketing company. In one filing, it said that it had 'determined that it could not prove that the vertical integration resulting from the merger would significantly harm competition in the concert promotion market.' There is no factual basis for concluding otherwise today. The world is a better place because of that merger, not a worse one."

The Department Of Justice's lawsuit didn't specify how the company should be broken up or how much more fans paid for tickets collectively because of the alleged monopolistic behavior.

Mercury Studios, Universal Music Group's innovative and multi-faceted content studio, has announced the DVD+Blu-ray release of the critically acclaimed documentary film "Have You Got It Yet?", a compelling dive into the life and genius of Syd Barrett of PINK FLOYD fame. The film will also be made available on digital formats, as well as on demand.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Roddy Bogawa and the late, acclaimed album cover designer Storm Thorgerson (PINK FLOYD, LED ZEPPELIN, PAUL MCCARTNEY, BLACK SABBATH),and produced by Orian Williams ("England Is Mine", "Creation Stories", "Control"),the feature-length documentary drew praise for its candid glimpse into the prismatic character and artistry of PINK FLOYD founder Syd Barrett. Visionaries behind prog rock and British psychedelic music, PINK FLOYD chartered a monolithic legacy in both music and cultural history. Syd, who gave the group their moniker by combining the names of two obscure blues players — Pink Anderson and Floyd Council, played a crucial role in igniting that history, then left the group before they met stardom.

Released in cinemas worldwide in summer 2023, "Have You Got It Yet?" achieved a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a successful theatrical run with many sold-out screenings. Intimate interviews with bandmembers David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Roger Waters uncover Barrett's ongoing impact on the group. Going a step further, the film also includes an interview with Syd's sister, Rosemary Breen. Narrated by actor Jason Isaacs, the film also features original band managers Peter Jenner and Andrew King, as well as THE WHO's Pete Townshend and BLUR's Graham Coxon.

In addition to the full-length film, the DVD+Blu-ray set includes a plethora of bonus features. Two poignant live performances of "Arnold Layne" are highlighted — this first features David Gilmour and David Bowie (originally released in David Gilmour's "Remember That Night Live At The Royal Albert Hall", 2007). The second is a performance from 2007's "The Madcap's Last Laugh" — a tribute concert for Syd Barrett featuring David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright in their final performance as PINK FLOYD.

Additionally, the DVD+Blu-ray includes an interview with Bogawa and director and producer commentary of the film with Bogawa, Rupert Truman and Julius Beltrame. Further exploring his creative works, the set features discussions surrounding Barrett's paintings and spoken-word performances of Barrett's lyrics by comedian Noel Fielding ("Dark Globe"),poet Rob Fitterman ("Rats") and actor Gerard Bell ("Lucifer Sam"). The package, designed by StormStudios, is completed with an exclusive "Have You Got It Yet?" poster, which was also designed by the studio.

Syd Barrett and PINK FLOYD crystallized a cultural moment where anything seemed possible but where that freedom could come with a cost. Was Syd just another drug casualty? Did he suffer from an undiagnosed mental condition? Or did he dislike the attention and fame as the fun turned to work? While there are no clear answers which might be the case, there is the feeling by all those around Syd that something went terribly wrong. "Have You Got it Yet?" is a chronicle and a mosaic of Barrett's creative and destructive impulses, his captivating presence and absence — a portrait of the complex puzzle that was his life.

VAN HALEN's ninth studio album, "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", debuted at No. 1 and stayed there for three weeks during the summer of 1991. It was the third consecutive No. 1 album from singer Sammy Hagar, guitarist Eddie Van Halen, drummer Alex Van Halen and bassist Michael Anthony.

An expanded edition of the album is arriving this summer from Rhino, including a newly remastered version of the original, along with previously unreleased audio and video footage from VAN HALEN's December 4, 1991 concert in Dallas, Texas.

"For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (Expanded Edition)" will be available on July 12 and includes two LPs, two CDs, and a Blu-ray.

Rhino.com will have an exclusive bundle featuring the release and a set of four seven-inch singles, including "Poundcake" / "Pleasure Dome", "Top Of The World" / "In 'N' Out", "Right Now" (Organ Version) / "Man On A Mission" and "Right Now" (Guitar Version) / "The Dream Is Over" (Instrumental Version).

Originally released in June 1991, "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" was an immediate success. It reached triple platinum certification and earned VAN HALEN its first Grammy Award for "Best Hard Rock Performance" and American Music Award for "Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Album". Producer and engineer Bernie Grundman expertly remastered and cut lacquers for this edition, ensuring pristine sound quality.

The expanded edition includes previously unreleased alternate versions of "Right Now" and "The Dream Is Over". The main attraction, however, has to be the previously unreleased concert footage from VAN HALEN's December 4, 1991, performance in Dallas. Captured during the "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" tour, this electrifying show is a powerful example of VAN HALEN's unparalleled stage presence.

The show's setlist mixes new songs ("Judgement Day" and "Poundcake") with songs from "5150" and "OU812" ("Best Of Both Worlds" and "Finish What Ya Started"). The band also played "Panama", a hit from its time with singer David Lee Roth, plus two of Hagar's hits, "I Can't Drive 55" and "There's Only One Way To Rock".

In addition, the Blu-ray includes the official music videos for "Poundcake", "Runaround", "Top Of The World" and the 1992 MTV VMA "Video Of The Year" winner "Right Now". Finally, the remastered album is included in the set as a double LP, featuring an etching of the VAN HALEN logo on the fourth side.

"For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (Expanded Edition)" 2-CD track listing

Disc One: Original Album Remastered

01. Poundcake
02. Judgement Day
03. Spanked
04. Runaround
05. Pleasure Dome
06. In 'N' Out
07. Man On A Mission
08. The Dream Is Over
09. Right Now
10. 316
11. Top Of The World

Disc Two: Rarities & Live

01. Right Now – Organ Version (Single Mix)
02. The Dream Is Over – Instrumental Version *
03. Right Now – Guitar Version (Single Mix) *

Live at the Westend Market, Dallas, TX (12/4/91)

04. Poundcake *
05. Judgement Day *
06. There's Only One Way To Rock *
07. Runaround *
08. Why Can't This Be Love *
09. Panama *
10. A Apolitical Blues *
11. Finish What Ya Started *
12. I Can't Drive 55 *
13. Best Of Both Worlds *
14. Top Of The World *

Blu-ray

Live at the Westend Market, Dallas, TX (12/4/91)

01. Poundcake *
02. Judgement Day *
03. There's Only One Way To Rock *
04. Runaround *
05. Why Can't This Be Love *
06. Panama *
07. A Apolitical Blues *
08. Finish What Ya Started *
09. I Can't Drive 55 *
10. Best Of Both Worlds *
11. Top Of The World *
12. Poundcake - Promo Video
13. Runaround - Promo Video
14. Right Now - Promo Video
15. Top Of The World - Promo Video

LP: Original Album Remastered

2-LP track listing

LP One: Side One

01. Poundcake
02. Judgement Day
03. Spanked
04. Runaround

Side Two

01. Pleasure Dome
02. In 'N' Out
03. Man On A Mission

LP Two: Side One

01. The Dream Is Over
02. Right Now
03. 316
04. Top Of The World

Side Two

VAN HALEN Logo Etching

* Previously unreleased

SHINEDOWN frontman Brent Smith and guitarist Zach Myers performed a cover of the LED ZEPPELIN classic "Stairway To Heaven" at the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum's inaugural Grammy Hall Of Fame Gala. The Gala took place this past Tuesday (May 21) at the Novo Theater in Downtown Los Angeles and was hosted by veteran CBS broadcast journalist Anthony Mason. The annual Gala honored Atlantic Records, LED ZEPPELIN's and SHINEDOWN's longtime record label.

On Wednesday (May 22),Smith took to his social media to share a video of the "Stairway To Heaven" performance and he wrote in an accompanying message: "Thank you EVERYONE @grammymuseum @recordingacademy for allowing us to be a part of the inaugural #grammymuseumgala. It was such an honor to support not only @atlanticrecords but also to perform one of the greatest songs ever recorded. The Iconic 'Stairway To Heaven' by @ledzeppelin All of us in @shinedown Myself, @zmyersofficial @ebassprod and @bkerchofficial are beside ourselves with gratitude".

A separate post on SHINEDOWN's social media reads: "About last night… We got the chance to celebrate our record label of over 20 years Atlantic Records in Los Angeles at GRAMMY Museum Inaugural Hall of Fame Gala.

"Thank you to everyone at the Grammy Museum and Recording Academy / GRAMMYs for hosting us. It was an incredible honor to perform one of the greatest songs ever recorded, the iconic 'Stairway To Heaven' by LED ZEPPELIN, with an amazing band led by the incomparable Greg Phillinganes.

"All of us in SHINEDOWN are overwhelmed with gratitude for this unforgettable experience!!!"

This special event, which celebrated some of music's most iconic recordings being inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame, was produced by longtime executive producer of the Grammy Awards, Ken Ehrlich, along with Chantel Sausedo and Ron Basile, with musical direction by globally renowned producer and keyboardist Greg Phillinganes.

The Grammy Hall Of Fame was established by the Recording Academy's National Trustees in 1973 to honor recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old.

This year, the Hall brought forth 10 new inducted recordings — four albums and six singles — including GUNS N' ROSES' "Appetite For Destruction".

The Grammy Hall Of Fame was established by the Recording Academy's National Trustees in 1973. The inducted recordings are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts with final ratification by the Recording Academy's National Board Of Trustees. With ten new titles, the Hall currently totals 1,152 inducted recordings in the Grammy Hall Of Fame. Recipients will receive an official certificate from the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum.



Thank you EVERYONE @grammymuseum @recordingacademy for allowing us to be a part of the inaugural #grammymuseumgala. It was such an honor to support not only @atlanticrecords but also to perform one of the greatest songs ever recorded. The Iconic "Stairway To Heaven" by @ledzeppelin All of us in @shinedown Myself, @zmyersofficial @ebassprod and @bkerchofficial are beside ourselves with gratitude

by @iamchrisporter

Posted by Brent Smith on Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Grammy Museum Inauguration Hall of Fame Gala

About last night… We got the chance to celebrate our record label of over 20 years Atlantic Records in Los Angeles at GRAMMY Museum Inaugural Hall of Fame Gala.

Thank you to everyone at the Grammy Museum and Recording Academy / GRAMMYs for hosting us. It was an incredible honor to perform one of the greatest songs ever recorded, the iconic “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin, with an amazing band led by the incomparable Greg Phillinganes.

All of us in Shinedown are overwhelmed with gratitude for this unforgettable experience!!! ❤️🤘🎶

Posted by Shinedown on Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Brent and Zach from Shinedown performing Zep’s “Stairway to Heaven” at the Grammy Hall Of Fame Gala tonight. Celebrating 75 years of Atlantic Records.

Posted by Todd Libby on Tuesday, May 21, 2024

On Wednesday, May 22, streaming platform Apple Music revealed the albums that ranked on its "100 Best Albums" list. Landing at #1 is Lauryn Hill’s debut album, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill.


According to a press release, Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums is a modern 21st-century ranking of the greatest records ever made, crafted by Apple Music’s team of experts alongside a select group of artists, songwriters, producers, and industry professionals. The list is an editorial statement, fully independent of any streaming numbers on Apple Music — a love letter to the records that have shaped the world music lovers live and listen in.


Classic/hard rock and metal albums featured on the list include:




#99 - Eagles - Hotel California
#97 - Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine
#90 - AC/DC - Back In Black
#81 - Neil Young - After The Gold Rush
#78 - Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
#74 - Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
#73 - Steely Dan - Aja
#69 - Metallica - Master Of Puppets
#63 - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced
#53 - The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St.
#52 - Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction
#28 - Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
#27 - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II
#24 - David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
#22 - Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run
#21 - The Beatles - Revolver
#11 - Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
#9 - Nirvana - Nevermind
#3 - The Beatles - Abbey Road


View the full list here.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian was a featured guest on a recent episode of the Soul Boom With Rainn Wilson podcast, a series of intimate conversations, hosted by comedic actor, producer and writer Rainn Wilson, exploring meaningful and inspiring topics that tickle the mind, heart and soul. During the 70-minute chat, which can be seen in its entirety below, Serj spoke about his reluctance to embrace the touring lifestyle that characterized SYSTEM OF A DOWN's early years. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've had incredible, unexpected success as a very far-flung kind of progressive metal band with our 'Toxicity' record in 2001 and touring and doing what we did. And after many years of touring, when we were making the last few records which we made together, 'Mezmerize' and 'Hypnotize' — those recordings were done at the same time, then released as two records within six months of each other in 2005 and 2006 — before those sessions, when we first started those sessions, I told the [other] guys [in the band], 'Guys, this kind of cyclical thing that we're doing with making records for a year, touring for two years at that time, doing all this promo publicity,' it was just cyclical. It was, like, 'I've gotta stop. And I also wanna do my own thing. I have other artistic adventures that I wanna get on.'"

He continued: "Part of it was we had so much creativity and input coming into the band, specifically with Daron's [Malakian, SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist and vocalist] songwriting and me wanting to bring in music as well, because, over time, he became a better lyricist and I became a better musical songwriter, a better composer, so it became kind of like a push and pull, which is really good for bands, actually, 'cause it's a yin-and-yang kind of thing — two strong, creative forces. And it also broken up so many bands. So, before 'Mezmerize' and 'Hypnotize', I basically told the guys, 'Listen, I'd like to take a hiatus. I'm not saying I never wanna do this, but I'm saying I can't do this right now anymore. And I wanna do my own thing and also take time off and have a life, and all of that stuff.' It wasn't taken well at the time. I won't get into that. But years later, we started touring again in 2011, and it became a fun thing, 'cause it left… Nothing was totally resolved creatively, but it became a fun thing because we at least put everything to the side and said, 'Look, we're friends, we're brothers. We've known each other for a long time. We still respect and love each other. Let's go have fun and tour together.' And we've been doing that since. Not as much as they would like, let's say, or I'm not gonna speak for each and every person of the band, because that wouldn't be fair of me either. But generally I'm the least person that wants to tour. Part of that is physical, because it's tiring. I've done it for 20, 25 years, and I had back surgery a few years ago. I'm much better now and all of that. But part of it is that. Part of it is that it's artistically redundant after a while, because it's 'Groundhog Day'; you're repeating yourself. David Bowie said the first two weeks of every tour is basically — I'm paraphrasing — creative; after that, it's redundant, kind of thing, which is correct. So it's that. But I do enjoy playing with the guys, and when it's a one-off, it's actually fun, 'cause there's no pressure to do this whole rigamarang of a long tour or press or anything. You just rehearse together, make your dumb jokes, have food together, and then go and play that one show and it becomes a hoorah. So that's what we've been doing. And I'm grateful for that."

Tankian, who is promoting his memoir, "Down With The System", previously addressed how his relationship with Malakian has evolved over the years, particularly as it relates to their collaborative partnership, earlier this month in an interview with Tom Power, host of "Q" on Canada's CBC Radio One. He said: "Well, changing the dynamic is basically years of time and the progression of the band, the success of the band, everything that happened in between the day that we met and now, basically, so 25, 30 years. A lot changes in that time. And so I think that's a part of it.

"Daron's been a lifer and he's incredibly serious about his music and he's incredibly protective of his music and vulnerable due to his music," Serj explained. "All of those things kind of go together. So it's those things, I think, that created some of the creative differences that we started finding. And it's also our progression. Listen, when Daron and I started working together, I didn't really write a lot of instrumental music — I mostly wrote lyrics; I was the lyricist; I was the singer. And he didn't write any lyrics; he just wrote music. But as time progressed and I played more musical instruments and I started becoming a songwriter/composer and he started writing more lyrics, we started kind of covering each other's territory. And I was okay with that. If he wrote lyrics, I was trying to encourage him to write more, because I believe in artistic growth. I believe in progression. I don't believe in things staying the same way, for music's sake. Otherwise the music becomes the same thing over and over again. That progression is necessary in every artist's life or in every group's life. So I was very encouraging of that. And I just wish that I got some of that back. And so that wasn't the case, and it was disappointing. And it became a creative difference over the band's path, and whatnot, over time."

Asked why he wanted to write about this in his book, Serj said: "A lot of it has been publicized in a very sensationalist format by media, music media mostly, and I kind of wanted to put it in a proper perspective and grounding perspective, but with love and with balance and understanding that these things happen. This is normal. You have a relationship and you have differences in opinion as [to] how you wanna go forward, whether it's a band or a marriage or whatever it is. And these things happen. And so I wanted to take that aspect out, I wanted to take the sensationalist aspect out of the whole thing and be, like, this is not only what happened, but this is how I see things."

Tankian also addressed the fact that SYSTEM OF A DOWN has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, but has only managed to record two songs in the last 19 years, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". Released in November 2020, the tracks were motivated by the conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with all proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in SYSTEM OF A DOWN's ancestral homeland of Armenia. Along with other donations from fans on their social pages, they raised over $600,000.

"We haven't been making new music," Serj said. "We only put out two songs when the invasion of Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh happened in 2020 by Azerbaijan, because we felt like the Azeri trolls, the government-sponsored trolls were taking over social media and the news networks, and the victims of these attacks weren't getting the word out. So we became kind of obsessed with getting the word out, because we were seeing our people suffer. So we put out those two songs because of that and we donated a lot of the proceeds for that to the cause as well."

Asked how he balances the love and obligation he might feel toward his fans, those who love SYSTEM OF A DOWN, and the internal struggles within the band, Tankian said: "That's an incredibly smart question. It's really hard catering — when you're an artist, it's really hard catering. If you're an entertainer, catering is [what you do], but if you're an artist, then you're just creating what comes to you. You're almost unaware of what people want. Yes, if it's something heavier, you know people are gonna like it more. But if you're a good songwriter, you could do both. I do orchestral music, I do film music, I do rock music — I do it all. So I enjoy 'em all, but I know that if I do rock, more people are going to listen to it than a piano, instrumental orchestral piece of music, soundtrack kind of music. But it doesn't mean that you don't do both, as an artist. So it's hard to really cater to people's feelings. What I love is, and I know that I can speak for the rest of the guys in the band, that no matter what's going on with our creative difference or the band not making new music or not touring fully or whatever, everyone's incredibly appreciative of what we have in terms of the love that we get from our fans and the way that people react to our music and the way that we get all these e-mails about how it's changed people's lives and all of that stuff, and that is mind-blowing. It's the biggest honor. And when I meet people on the street, I'm still incredibly honored that someone would pick me out and look at me in a positive light, not knowing who I am personally, but knowing me through my music, through our music, let's say. And I think that's a great fucking honor. I feel blessed for it. But it doesn't mean that that thing should continue forever either."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN played its first live show in 11 months on April 27 as one of the headliners of the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, Nevada for the second year in a row.

"Down With The System" was released on May 14 via Hachette Books.

Malakian has resurrected his SCARS ON BROADWAY project for its first live appearances in five years: October 5 at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles as the support act for KORN, and October 11 at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California.

QUEEN guitarist Brian May joined forces with THE OFFSPRING for a one-night-only performance at the Starmus VII festival in Bratislava, Slovakia.

The unique collaboration was held on Day 3 (May 15) of Starmus VII at the Tipos Arena as part of the "Sonic Universe" concert following the Stephen Hawking Medal Ceremony.

Confirming itself once again as the world's most ambitious science and music festival, Starmus, in partnership with ESET, brought the most inspiring debate on the future of the planet to Bratislava turning the Slovak capital into the world's science capital for a whole week.

The multi-day event brought a spectacular opening concert, four days of exclusive lectures; its exclusive musical program with the Starmus signature night events "Sonic Universe" concert and the popular Star Party; the open campus Starmus Camp, with which science took to the streets of the city, and its prestigious award, the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication.

The prestigious Starmus festival kicked off with a spectacular performance, followed by a four-day program of the unique Starmus exclusive talks with more than 50 world-class speakers and world-renowned artists in the popular Ice Hockey Stadium, Ondrej Nepela Arena.

This was the first edition of Starmus which focused on Planet Earth, as the most amazing planet in the universe. As in previous editions, the festival brought together a large cast of Nobel Prize winners and world icons such as Dr Jane Goodall DBE and the music legend Brian May, also co-founder of the festival. The festival also brought an unprecedented musical program with exclusive performances by the popular Californian punk-rock band THE OFFSPRING, Tony Hadley — the former lead singer of the British pop icon from the 1980s SPANDAU BALLET — and more one-off live performances.

As if this were not enough, the festival brought to Bratislava its signature prestigious Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication which awards excellence across four categories: Music & Arts, Science Writing, Films & Entertainment, and Lifetime Achievement. The winners are selected by the Starmus Advisory Board made up of a prestigious cast of eminent figures such as Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Peter Gabriel, David Eicher, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Richard Dawkins, Tony Fadell, Jill Tarter and Starmus co-founders Brian May and Garik Israelian.

In addition, the Starmus organization signed agreements with the main Slovak universities and academic institutions, like the Comenius University in Bratislava and the Academy Of Fine Arts & Design, the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, the Alexander Dubcek University of Trencin and the Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia. Through these academic collaborations, Starmus carried out its "City Program" with exclusive activities between the speakers and the Slovak academic environment as well as several volunteer programs to be part of the festival.

Since the very first homo sapiens looked up at a star-filled sky, we have been awestruck by the vastness of the cosmos. Even today, we remain humbled by the sheer immensity of space, especially as progress in physics and astronomy has made us aware of the tremendous distances involved — even to our closest neighboring stars.

Created by Garik Israelian PhD, astrophysicist at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC) and Sir Brian May PhD, astrophysicist and the lead guitarist of the iconic rock band QUEEN, Starmus is a festival of science, art and music that has featured presentations from astronauts, cosmonauts, Nobel Prize winners and prominent figures from various scientific disciplines and musical backgrounds. Starmus brings Nobel laureates, eminent researchers, astronauts, thinkers and artists together to share their knowledge and experiences, as we search for answers to the great questions.

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We’re so thrilled to have Legendary Queen guitarist Sir Brian May joining us tonight for a one-night-only performance at...

Posted by The Offspring on Tuesday, May 14, 2024

BRIAN MAY to Perform with THE OFFSPRING !
Another hot SURPRISE from Starmus

A one-night-only performance at the Starmus...

Posted by Brian May on Monday, May 13, 2024

In a new interview with Chaoszine, BATTLE BEAST singer Noora Louhimo spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2022's "Circus Of Doom" album. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Yes, we've been doing some songwriting. I had the first vocal demo sessions last week. And yeah, we will keep on doing some songs during this — we have, like, seven weeks of touring here. So we're gonna have songwriting sessions on the road."

Noora went on to say that writing on tour is "normal for us. Before pandemic time, we always used to make our songs kind of on the road, touring and making songs and then going to the recording booth and making the album and constant movement. It's like organized chaos. [Laughs]

"The only way nowadays to make money for the band is to make shows and tour," she explained. "So the making of the album is always just — [spending] money, and you have to make the money. So it would be nice if there would be like that we could maybe sometimes have one year just making an album and then another year for touring. But maybe in the future. We'll see."

Asked if she and her bandmates have a timetable for the release of the next BATTLE BEAST album already, Noora said: "Yes, we have, but I can't reveal it. [Laughs] [And] yes, we will release singles, but I can't tell you anything else about the schedule yet. You just have to hold on for a while."

Louhimo revealed in November that she had been diagnosed with a ruptured left carotid artery, causing the postponement the band's tour. The 35-year-old Finnish musician has since revealed in an interview that she has "definitely started doing more warm-up before any singing and warming down and taking care of my overall health even more than before." She added: "I really appreciate life more now. I'm thankful for each and every day and every moment that I get to live, I get to love, I get to see. I get to see people. I get to be with my loved ones and with my animals here at home. And now I get to tour in the places that I've always dreamed of. And it's not something that you should take [for] granted."

When Louhimo first revealed her diagnosis six months ago, she wrote on her social media: "I went to be examined because of a weird pain in the left side of my neck, throat, ear and chin. At ultrasound examination the doctor found the rupture that had already started healing, and he saved my life. I was hospitalized for more exams and finally got confirmation of the situation. I was ordered to have a break on everything that might stress or increase my blood pressure for the next month. Otherwise, I could have a stroke. As you know how passionate I am as a singer and performer, the blood pressure getting high is a guarantee. So, I did not want to take the risk to die with my boots on, not quite yet".

Louhimo joined BATTLE BEAST in 2012 with no previous experience as a metal vocalist but quickly acclimated herself as the replacement for Nitte Valo (a.k.a. Nitte Vänskä).

Less than two years ago, Noora, who in 2021 released her debut solo album, "Eternal Wheel Of Time And Space", under the NOORA LOUHIMO EXPERIENCE banner, admitted publicly that she had been struggling with eating disorders and her weight since she was "a little child" and said that she was "still trying to find a balance." She added that she had "been depressed and anxious sometimes 'without a reason'."

In an interview with Metal Divas, Noora explained how she ended up fronting BATTLE BEAST: "[In] September [2012], I got a call from [then-BATTLE BEAST guitarist] Anton [Kabanen] that they want me to join BATTLE BEAST. I had heard their music and loved the sound and the vocals, so the next day I called Anton and said I'm in.

"Anton found me by accident on YouTube when he was searching for the new vocalist," she continued. "He had been looking for a vocalist — male or female; [it did not] matter. The only thing that mattered was can that [he or she could] sing his songs without compromises.

"I've been singing since I was four years old," Noora added. "While being a huge fan of heavy metal of '80s and a teenager, I had some classical singing lessons when I was 16 years old. Then at the age of 19, I started studying music in pop/jazz line. At the same time, I started doing some jam sessions at bars. There I found my first band (ADMIRAL OCTOPUS) in the blues bar. We used to play rock and blues music from '60s-'70s and Janis Joplin was the reason I got the rasp in my voice. After ADMIRAL OCTOPUS, in 2011, I took part in a singing competition ('Wanna Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star') at Henry's Pub of Tampere and won it with Janis Joplin's 'Piece Of My Heart'. That's how my single 'Relax' was born."

Slash has said that GUNS N' ROSES is currently "trying" to make a new album, and that he is "working" with his bandmates "in that capacity".

The legendary hard rock outfit has not released a full-length effort since 2008's "Chinese Democracy", which included only singer Axl Rose from the band's classic lineup. Slash and bassist Duff McKagan reunited with Axl in 2016 and have since released several standalone singles — "Absurd" (stylized as "ABSUЯD"),"Hard Skool", "Perhaps" and "The General" — but have not made any announcements about another LP.

In a new interview with the Daily Star, Slash, who is promoting "Orgy Of The Damned", a record of mostly blues tracks featuring a string of guest vocalists, was asked why Axl and Slash's THE CONSPIRATORS collaborator Myles Kennedy aren't featured on his new album. The 58-year-old guitarist replied: "It was my own side thing, so I wasn't dragging my own guys in.

"GUNS N' ROSES are trying to make their own record and I'm working with them in that capacity but this didn't involve anyone else," he explained.

GUNS N' ROSES released a four-song EP, "Hard Skool", in February 2022. The effort, which was exclusive to the GUNS N' ROSES' official store, contained the two new songs the band released in 2021 — the title track and "Absurd" — as well as live versions of "Don't Cry" and "You're Crazy".

According to Slash, several other older GUNS N' ROSES tracks have also been reworked during the pandemic. "There's a handful of those songs that we actually fixed up and did when we were in lockdown," he explained to "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "So those have yet to be released. So those are gonna come out. They're really good, too. So I'm excited for those. We're just gonna put out like one or two songs, and another one or two songs. And I think that's gonna be pretty much all of 'em. I'm not sure exactly how many we did in total."

When host Eddie Trunk noted that "Hard Skool" in particular was a strong cut, Slash said: "These other ones, they don't have the same kind of amount of history, 'cause I know 'Hard Skool' seriously has… [it] goes way back. But there's a couple of epic ones coming out, so I'm excited about that."

If and when it happens, the new GUNS N' ROSES studio album will be the first under the GUNS banner since "Chinese Democracy" and the first to feature Slash, Rose and bassist Duff McKagan since 1993.

Slash previously spoke about "Hard Skool", one of the first two songs he recorded with GUNS N' ROSES in more than 25 years, in February 2023 in an interview with Rolling Stone. At the time he said: "'Hard Skool', in essence, was a completed song when I was first introduced to it. And Duff and I went in and redid the bass and the guitars. It's a simple song, so it didn't take a hell of a lot of thought and analysis. I think it was a lot of fun just because it was part and parcel of a bunch of stuff that we were working on that was all sort of new — at least to Duff and I — so we had a good time."

In October 2021, Slash told Audacy Check In host Remy Maxwell that GUNS N' ROSES had yet to begin writing new material after releasing the two reworked songs from the "Chinese Democracy"-era sessions.

"As far as new GUNS is concerned, we haven't even gotten to that point of really in earnest sitting down and writing," Slash said. "We've been doing a lot of material that's been sort of sitting around for a while. So that will be a whole focused endeavor unto itself."

As for how "Hard Skool" and "Absurd" came about, Slash said: "They both have a lot of history. What happened was Axl has all these songs that he recorded at some point along the way. And so Duff and I went in and re-did them, basically… Like, I wrote my own kind of parts to what else is going on, and [we] just sort of took the drums and re-did everything else."

Written by Rose and co-produced by Rose and Caram Costanzo, "Hard Skool", which had the working title "Jackie Chan", was originally recorded during GN'R's "Chinese Democracy" era but was eventually omitted from that album. Short clips of the song were later posted online and a full version was leaked in August 2019.

"Absurd" came out on August 6, 2021, three days after GUNS N' ROSES performed the tune live for the first time during its concert at Boston's Fenway Park.

GUNS N' ROSES last performed "Silkworms", which was also reportedly written during the "Chinese Democracy" sessions, in 2001.

"The General" was the B-side of GUNS N' ROSES' limited-edition seven-inch vinyl single titled "Perhaps", which was made available for pre-order in August 2023.

Like "Perhaps", "Hard Skool" and "Absurd", "The General" was written during the sessions for the "Chinese Democracy" album. It was previously talked about by ex-GN'R drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia, who reportedly wrote some of the song's music and gave it its title, and former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach.

Photo courtesy of The Oriel Company

In a new interview with Ronni Hunter and Lewis of the 99.7 The Blitz radio station, SEETHER frontman Shaun Morgan explained why he and his bandmates aren't ready yet to perform any of the material from their recently completed follow-up to the "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" album, which came out in 2020. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET: "We live in such a horribly overconnected world that even the smallest things that make life slightly more exciting, even for us, I think it's cool. So, if we played [the first single] live, it would be all over the Internet by the next day, and then it kind of blows the surprise. And maybe we should, so we don't talk it up too much. And [people will be], like, 'Oh, this is what it was about.' But I think anticipation is a good thing.

"We finished this in January, we mastered it in the beginning of February, so we've been sitting with us for a long time too," he explained. "So we're also excited to get out and play it. But, again, I think anticipation is not to be underestimated as far as just how much it can mean when you finally get to the day… You used to wait for album releases, like, 'Oh, my God. Finally we can go to the store and we can buy the album. We can go home. We can read the lyrics,' all those kinds of things. Those don't exist anymore. More often than not, albums just kind of arrive and [you'll] be, like, 'Oh, they have a new album? I had no idea.' And that's kind of a sad world. We used to all line up around the block to go get a new album when it came out, so any bit of anticipation we can [build is what we intend to do]."

Asked if there is an increased amount of pressure every time he and his SEETHER bandmates go into writing a new album, Shaun said: "The idea is not to put any pressure on yourself with a deadline. And when it's ready, it'll be ready and you'll know. So if you had a deadline, you'd panic and you'd write stuff for the sake of writing it. But I think, at the end of the day, as long as you understand that once it's finished, it'll present itself as finished, and then you can go, 'Okay, it's finished,' and you can move on. But, having said that, then you get into recording, and you're done recording, and you're, like, 'Ah, I should've changed that,' and now it's too late. You can't change those words anymore. So it's always evolving, and it's always a process. But I think, as far as from, 'All right, we're done with that tour. Let's take a couple months off, and then we'll start again.' It's always a thing of, like, 'All right, well, let's see what happens.' And the first three months might be garbage, but at least it's starting to get the gears moving again. And then eventually there's a stride that you find yourself in. And then, again, it'll complete itself and you'll know when it's done. And then it's, like, 'Hey guys, label guys, we've got this album for you.' And, thankfully, they're not a very intrusive A&R company; they pretty much leave us to our own devices. And that's great too, 'cause you don't have some guy breathing down your neck and trying to put his thumb on the scale to make you sound a certain way or do a certain thing."

Earlier this month, Morgan told The Mistress Carrie Podcast that the new SEETHER album is "done. Currently, I think it's an 11-track album with two bonus tracks," he said. "The [first] single's already been picked out. It's the opening track to the album. The single is, I think, coming to radio in, like, July. And then the album is, I think, slated for September 20th. But the single will be called 'Judas Mind'."

He continued: "We can't play it live yet, 'cause I don't really wanna spoil the surprise, but, yeah, I think it's a great album. I'm hoping each one's better than the last one. It's been four years, so it's a little bit long, but it's also been really weird times worldwide. It feels like everything's kind of getting back to normal now. So I don't know that the next album will take four years, but I'm excited about this one."

In July 2022, SEETHER issued the deluxe edition of "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum", containing 22 tracks in all, five of which were previously unreleased. It includes all 21 songs recorded during the "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" sessions, along with the alternate version of "Wasteland" that was originally featured on the 2020 "The Purgatory" EP.

Produced by Morgan and engineered and mixed by Matt Hyde (DEFTONES, AFI),the acclaimed "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" ("If you want peace, Prepare for war") was released in August 2020, spawned three No. 1 singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and at Active Rock radio and garnered some of the best reviews of the band's storied career.

Since forming in Pretoria, South Africa in 1999, SEETHER (Morgan, Dale Stewart, John Humphrey and Corey Lowery) has amassed a global, devoted fan base with an unbroken sense of purpose and commitment. Their impressive sales and chart history includes three platinum and two gold albums, 18 No. 1 singles, 21 Top 5 multi-format hits, single sales topping 17 million and over two billion streams worldwide across all platforms. SEETHER is Billboard's No. 8 all-time mainstream rock artist, which covers the over 40-year history of the chart's existence.

SEETHER recently completed "The Tailgate Tour" with longtime friends STAIND. Also appearing on the bill are SAINT ASONIA and Tim Montana. Produced by Live Nation, "The Tailgate Tour", which reunites STAIND and SEETHER for the first time in years, launched on April 22 in Brandon, Mississippi, with dates across the U.S., including Franklin, Tennessee; Portland, Maine and Grand Rapids, Michigan before wrapping up in Pelham, Alabama on May 15.

Montreal metallers Blackguard have announced a new lineup, including the return of keyboardist Jonathan Lefrançois-Leduc.


The band says in a statement:


“On keyboard, we are overjoyed to welcome back Jonathan Lefrançois-Leduc! Jonathan is an original member of Blackguard, from our inception until 2010 when he stepped away from touring. He has always been an integral part of our family and continued to work with us behind the scenes as our recording engineer and co-producer. 




“On bass we welcome Vincent Harnois ! Some of you might recognize Vince as the guitarist for Karkaos.  He has been a long-time friend of the band and we can’t wait to hit the stage with him. 


“On Lead Guitar we welcome David Gagné! David has been our live lead guitarist for years now (when we actually get around to playing). It is a pleasure to share the stage with him again! 


“...and of course
Paul Zinay - Vocals 
Justine Ethier - Drums 
Terry Deschenes - Rhythm Guitar 


“Our first 3 shows are coming up fast!! Get your tickets for Rouyn Noranda / Montreal / Quebec”


Find tickets here .


(Photo – Sebastian Rioux)

In a new interview with Germany's Moshpit Passion, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King spoke about the increased prevalence of lyrics about religion and occult themes in heavy metal today compared to how it was when the band first started out more than 40 years ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, I think people got desensitized over the decades, 'cause when we came out, it was far more taboo than it is now. And I think what I do is more like just putting opinions on the table."

He continued: "I think a lot of people are just born into their beliefs — they come down from their parents, their friends, whatever. And I don't believe in God or the devil — I don't believe in anything; I'm an atheist — but I like to put options on the table for those people that may never question what they believe or why they believe it. I don't care if you believe in God — good on you; have fun with that; that's a good story — but I just like to throw things on the table and say, 'Hey, have you ever thought of a different perspective? Have you ever thought of all the preachers that get arrested for fondling little boys?' This world isn't perfect. So I just put things out on the table and hopefully get people thinking about their own life and figure things out for themselves."

He later added: "That's why, first and foremost, I always say I am an atheist. I don't believe any of it. But I don't mind writing about it. [Laughs] I like to think of my songs as mini screenplays that give you visuals in your mind. And it just makes you think of things, makes you think like you're watching a movie in your head. Maybe someday somebody will make up a movie based on a short story by Kerry King, and that story is my song."

King's debut solo album, "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. The concert was described as "dark, packed, and exceptionally loud," everything you could ask for at such a landmark show as this one… a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience." In the days following, the band went from playing an intimate venue to performing at the huge U.S. festivals Welcome To Rockville (Florida) and Sonic Temple (Ohio),treating the audience to an incredible experience of pure metal firepower.

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.

Murashita, masterminded by renowned guitarist, producer and engineer Masaki Murashita, have released the visualizer for new song, “I'm Not Done Yet”. 





“I'm Not Done Yet” is the new single from acclaimed metal musician Masaki Murashita and is now available on iTunes, Amazon MP3, Bandcamp, Spotify and most major digital outlets and streaming platforms.  This epic, blistering single is offering a complex approach to melodic harmonies while still retaining an aggressive stance and showcasing a virtuosic performance.




Murashita exploded onto the scene to showcase his ability to provide scorching riffs, powerful songwriting, and aggressive vocal style through his modern thrash band Hemoptysis in 2007.  Their debut full length, Misanthropic Slaughter was met with major critical praise from a variety of critics. After their demise, he formed a self-titled solo project, releasing the debut EP Inescapable Damnation in 2015.


“I'm Not Done Yet”, ensures the wait for new music has been worth it by including two big names in the scene:  Kevin Talley (Suffocation, Six Feet Under, Chimaira) on drums and Rodney Mcglothlin (Voice Of Dissent) on bass. Blackened death elements edged with layered melodies add to a dynamic composition that continues to push Murashita’s sound further.  

In a new interview with "The Mistress Carrie Podcast", SHINEDOWN drummer Barry Kerch was asked about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2022's "Planet Zero" album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Actually, last week I was in Charleston [South Carolina] with [bassist and producer] Eric [Bass] at his studio where we recorded the last record, and [we] recorded, I think, six songs of drums for the new stuff. So we're actually further along than I thought we'd be this early in the year. So I think new SHINEDOWN music will probably be by the end of the year, early next year. So, it's kind of exciting."

Regarding the possibility of a collaboration with country hip-hop artist Jelly Roll, with whom SHINEDOWN has toured in the past, Barry said: "Those collabs might happen. I know we've talked about it. It hasn't happened yet. But I'm not definitely not saying that's not gonna happen. That would be a blast.

"When we took Jelly Roll out with us, right before he blew up and became even bigger than he was then, we just became fast friends," Barry explained. "We had a lot in common and he's just a joy to be around. So it'd be fun to write some music with him."

In a separate interview with WMMR's Brent Porche, Kerch spoke about the musical direction of the new SHINEDOWN material. He said: "It's gonna be what SHINEDOWN does, which every record is completely different than the last one. It still sounds like SHINEDOWN. You're never going to change [singer] Brent Smith's voice, but I can't make 'Leave A Whisper' again. I can't make 'Planet Zero' again. I can't make 'Sound Of Madness' again. That was then, that was that snapshot of time… We definitely try to grow and evolve and do something different because at the same time, we're artists, we're musicians. We want to create what we hear in our heads, and that's what we do. So it's coming soon, and it's going to be cool."

Kerch also noted that Bass, who helmed SHINEDOWN's last two albums, is on board to produce the next LP.

This past February, Smith told James Steele of the FM 101.9 radio station that he and his SHINEDOWN bandmates had "been working on new material for a while."

SHINEDOWN's "A Symptom Of Being Human" single, taken from "Planet Zero", recently landed at No. 1 at Active Rock. This marked SHINEDOWN's record-breaking 21st No. 1 song on the Mediabase Active Rock chart and extended the band's record for the most No. 1s in the history of Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with 19 total.

The "Planet Zero" album also featured the pop-rock anthem and No. 1 rock hit "Daylight", which People called one of "the most powerful of pop-rock songs created to remind us that we are truly all in this together."

SHINEDOWN, who recently appeared at this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards where they were nominated for multiple awards including "Rock Artist Of The Year" and presented/introduced their good friend Jelly Roll on the live broadcast, will play select tour dates this spring and summer. The mix of headlining shows and festival appearances includes Boston's KISS Concert alongside Doja Cat and Jason Derulo, headlining sets at Inkcarceration festival and Tailgates N' Tallboys, and more.

Photo credit: Sanjay Parikh

NONPOINT has unveiled a new single, "Underdog", along with an accompanying official music video. According to a press release, the song embodies the spirit of perseverance, urging listeners to embrace their underdog status and defy expectations.

NONPOINT frontman Elias Soriano states: "Being the underdog doesn't mean you're defeated; it means you have more room to surprise everyone with your resilience and determination."

The music video, directed by Drew Johnston, complements the song's empowering message and can be seen below.

In a recent interview with DJ Force X, Elias confirmed that he and his NONPOINT bandmates were working on a full-length studio album after focusing on a series of EPs over the last couple of years. He said: "It's been three years since we put out a full-length; we'll be tapping on four years here shortly. So, for us, it's just time. It's time for us. We normally put — year after year, there was constantly music coming out, and I feel like with the EPs, we got a chance to fool around with some styles and play with some themes and entertain our fans outside of the normal NONPOINT brand. And I think now it's time to kind of pull it in and put a body of work together that people ask for from our group.

"We're creators, and we're constantly creating, so we're sitting on a ton of music," he explained. "It's just about which ones kind of work together and kind of fit together and we wanna finally put together into a body of work."

Soriano also discussed NONPOINT's decision to launch its independent record label 361 Degrees Records LLC after working with other record labels for most of the band's two-and-a-half-decade-plus career. He said: "Yeah, it's a workload. It's definitely a workload. You got the creative side and the administrative side and juggling it both is about putting people that you trust and putting at least some sort of plan and even a small team behind things that need to be recirculated back into the brand and checked on and nurtured, like our socials or like our merch store and things like that. So, we definitely try to get some sort of administrative plan and team behind those certain things so that way they're kind of running on autopilot. So that way, when we wanna do grand things within the label plan, it's easy for us to do and take on those projects within the label."

After DJ Force X applauded the "DIY" nature of running an independent record label with no external pressure, Elias clarified: "There's definitely really no outside influence, but I wouldn't call it just DIY, because I have to give credit where credit's due. We have people that we've brought on that we work together. We see the value in the NONPOINT brand. And where we see that we can grow and we wanna scale, we lean on professionals and get advice and get plans and get things calendared so that way we have a finish line that we try to aim at. And I think that, being smart with your team, being smart with your plan is paramount to surviving, especially today."

Last December, Soriano told "Cutter's Rockcast" about the decision to work on a full-length album next: "I think we've kind of felt out the crowd, felt out the fans in our independence right now and have just a clear mind of what we feel like we wanna do that is not only gonna connect with us, but we feel like will translate to the fans. Just fooling around with some different styles, some riskier things that we've really held back, when we were either with the label or just concentrating on writing a certain type of song versus just writing a song."

Last July, NONPOINT released a new single, "A Million Watts", via 361 Degrees Records. The track, which was produced by Chris Collier, who has previously worked with KORN and WHITESNAKE, among other bands, was the third single from NONPOINT's latest "Heartless" EP, which came out in November. The EP was made available digitally and as a limited-edition cassette along with a NONPOINT-branded cassette player.

Three years ago, NONPOINT launched 361 Degrees Records and filmed the process, along with documenting the making of new music, in a docu-series titled "A Path To Independence" that can be seen on the band's YouTube and official web site.

In December 2021, NONPOINT released its previous EP, "Ruthless". This followed their independent label plan of delivering music to their fans through more frequent releases and videos from the band.

NONPOINT's songs "Bullet With A Name", "Alive And Kicking", "In The Air Tonight", "Circles", "Your Signs", "Everybody Down" and many others have been featured in trailers, hit movies, television, iconic video games, as well as broadcasts from NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WWF.

NONPOINT has toured with major acts like DISTURBED, PAPA ROACH, MUDVAYNE and SEVENDUST, to name a few. They have also been featured on the main stages and support stages of iconic festivals like Soundwave, Rock Am Park, Rock Am Ring, Ozzfest, Rock On The Range, Welcome To Rockville and many more.

BABYMETAL and ELECTRIC CALLBOY, two of the most acclaimed bands right now, have collaborated on a new song that will make you dance and sing: "Ratatata". This song masterfully fuses the signature styles of both bands, seamlessly blending their worlds and pushing the music to exhilarating new limits.

The video, produced and directed by Schillobros., will debut at 11 a.m. EDT / 8 a.m. PDT today.

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

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

Riding the success of last year's concept album "The Other One", Japanese dance metal sensation BABYMETAL is hosting the first edition of its very own festival, "Fox_Fest", this weekend, featuring exclusive appearances by ELECTRIC CALLBOY and POLYPHIA.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo by Christian Ripkens

MR. BIG will release its tenth studio album, "Ten", on Friday, July 12 via Frontiers Music Srl. The LP features 11 new original tracks written by singer Eric Martin and guitarist Paul Gilbert, along with André Pessis and Tony Fanucchi. In a tribute to their late drummer Pat Torpey, Martin, Gilbert and bassist Billy Sheehan have enlisted the exceptional talents of Nick D'Virgilio on drums for "Ten", which was produced by Jay Ruston and MR. BIG.

In the midst of their final tour — "The BIG Finish" — MR. BIG, inspired by the legions of fans that shared in their goodbye over the past year, wanted to say a final farewell with the undertaking of a brand-new studio album. Culminating over three decades of musical partnership, Martin, Gilbert and Sheehan, with the help of D'Virgilio, ignite their spark once more and take a new form with "Ten". The first single and accompanying video, "Good Luck Trying", is a loud, raw, 1970s blues rocker that pulls influence from MR. BIG's earliest musical inspirations.

Martin comments on "Ten": "This new album doesn't copy anything from the nine previous studio records. It's all new stuff from scratch. This is raw, unadulterated riff rock and blues with all the MR. BIG trimmings."

Gilbert explains the meaning behind the "Good Luck Trying" lyrics: "Overall, it’s about being overwhelmed with life and realizing that you won't win many of the battles, but still fighting to the end. And keeping a sense of humor about it by saying to anyone nearby, 'Wish me good luck trying!'"

"Ten" track listing:

01. Good Luck Trying
02. I Am You
03. Right Outta Here
04. Sunday Morning Kinda Girl
05. Who We Are
06. As Good As It Gets
07. What Were You Thinking
08. Courageous
09. Up On You
10. The Frame
11. See No Okapi (instrumental - Japan bonus track)

MR. BIG recently completed the European leg of "The BIG Finish", which sees the veteran band performing MR. BIG's 1991 album, "Lean Into It", in full, along with other cuts from the group's history.

Regarding how the farewell tour has been going so far, Martin told Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire": "It's been a bro love fest… Everybody loves each other. We're going out on top.

"I don't wanna tour like we're touring now," he explained. "I'm okay with it 'cause I've had a couple of weeks break to just chill out, rest the larynx, have a couple of beers and just hang out with my family. And I'm raring to go. We're going to South America, doing the West Coast USA, and I'm looking forward to it. But, man, this is a long-ass tour. It started last year in Asia. Then I did some solo things where I went to Japan, and then I came home and sang the 10 songs or 11 songs that are on the new studio album. But I don't wanna tour like this."

"He added: "We're touring all the way up to August 23rd, I think. And then right after that, I got other projects, but no more MR. BIG. No more MR. BIG touring-wise."

Regarding the possibility of MR. BIG still making new music after the completion of the farewell tour, Eric said: "Everybody was saying, 'Hey, we could still continue to make records.' I'm, like, 'Yeah, that would be fun.' Well, the record was hard to put together because of everybody's scheduling, but it came together pretty quickly. The thing that took the longest was the album cover. Nobody could agree on it. It was ridiculous. I mean, our creative juices were poured out long time ago for any kind of artwork. And Paul Gilbert is kind of a cartoon artist, and I asked him, I go, 'Just draw pictures of us in cartoon form and we'll give it a name.' We couldn't even think of a name. Anyway, that took the longest. So hopefully we'll do another record, but I don't know. The album cover thing was painful."

When MR. BIG announced "The BIG Finish" tour last year, the bandmembers said that it was "time to mark the end of this chapter of their legacy" after Torpey lost his battle with Parkinson's disease in 2018. The first leg kicked off in Japan and Southeast Asia in July and August 2023, where the band performed for hundreds of thousands of loyal fans at 11 sold-out shows including Budokan in Tokyo, Japan.

As a session musician and touring artist, Nick has worked with many different kinds of artists and bands, from TEARS FOR FEARS, Sheryl Crow and Kevin Gilbert to Peter Gabriel and Eric Burdon and the ANIMALS. In 1996, Nick took Phil Collins's place in GENESIS and played on their "Calling All Stations" album. He has also carved out a major presence in the progressive rock world with his bands, SPOCK'S BEARD and BIG BIG TRAIN.

Before joining the Sweetwater team, Nick spent almost five years touring with Cirque Du Soleil's "Totem" as drummer, vocalist, and assistant bandleader.

Photo credit: Joel Barrios / Photography That Rocks

The Wacken TV YouTube channel has uploaded professionally filmed video of BIOHAZARD's August 5, 2023 performance at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.

Featured songs:

00:00 Tales From The Hard Side
05:57 Wrong Side Of The Tracks
10:32 Punishment

In a recent interview with El Planeta Del Rock, Evan Seinfeld was asked if there are any plans for the reunited classic lineup of BIOHAZARD to release new music in the not-too-distant future. The bassist/vocalist responded: "We just begin writing. We're working on our process on a couple of really cool songs, and when something is special enough and we are excited about it, I imagine we'll release a single before release an album, but there's a full-length album in the works. That's the mission… We wanna go into the studio and really lock ourselves down, like we used to do in the '90s, and spend some time really [making a strong album]. For us, it's not about one song, one song. Making an album is still something that we care about."

He continued: "I know it's not the popular [way of doing things]. How many people buy new albums by artists and listen to the whole album from beginning to end? Young people don't really ingest music like that so much. But BIOHAZARD is about authenticity. We do what we do, and we're gonna make the best album we can make in 2024, and hopefully get it out by the end of the year."

This past March, Evan explained to Battleline Podcast how the classic lineup of BIOHAZARD managed to come back together last year for a series of festival appearances and headlining shows. He said: "I left the band in 2012, and the other guys toured around [with a replacement bassist/vocalist] for like about two years, three years after that, but that was 10 years ago. They hadn't played together in 10 years, and nobody was really talking to anybody. And it wasn't something that I was even thinking about. I was going through the airport and my drummer, Danny [Schuler], who I've known since I'm 12 years old, his brother, Richie Schuler, from East 94th Street in Canarsie [Brooklyn], who was also a drummer, who also I used to play with, I hear his voice, 'Yo, Evan.' I turn around. It's Richie Schuler, Danny's brother. I'm in the airport changing planes somewhere, coming back from Los Angeles to Tulum, to Mexico. And I love Richie. We started talking."

He continued: "It's one of those things like… I was so living in my ego that I was attached to a bunch of resentment about a bunch of things that were a bunch of stories that I made up in my head about thinking how other people should react to things…. I didn't even remember anymore what the real reason was the band wasn't together anymore. But I ran into Richie, and he said, 'My brother would love to hear from you.' And I thought to myself, 'We were like best of friends, all of us at one time, and my life's a lot different now.' And I picked up the phone and called Danny, and we just started talking. It wasn't about putting the band back together. I wanted to reconnect with my brothers.

"If I hadn't been working on myself and learning that resentment only hurts you, only hurts me… If I got a beef with you, you don't necessarily know it. I'm carrying it around like a boulder in my backpack, weighing me down.

"A band is hard — it's a bunch of egomaniacs with low self-esteem. It's a bunch of guys who are fighting to get to the top together and fighting with each other for every inch of creativity, input of stardom, of fame, of contribution, of acknowledgement. People wanna be seen, people wanna be acknowledged, and when you're doing it in a group setting, not everybody gets the same out of it. Everybody might put in the same. And it's complicated, but right about the time I ran into Billy [Graziadei, guitar/vocals] and I got on the phone with Bobby [Hambel, guitar]. I actually talked to Bobby first during the pandemic. He called me out of the blue and we had a really cool conversation, but there was no intention behind it. And somebody started a rumor that we were putting the band back together because people had seen us talking. And next thing I know, I run into Andy Gould and Paul Gargano, the band's managers… Andy used to manage Rob Zombie for 25, 27 years, and he used to manage LINKIN PARK — big bands. PANTERA he worked on. And Andy said, 'There's this incredible opportunity right now for an iconic metal band with all its original members, that everybody's really good shape and got their chops up. You guys can really make some impact on the scene.'"

Seinfeld added: "We got together in a room, we broke some bread, we had a rehearsal. It sounded incredible. It was revitalized. It needed to go away for 10 years for everyone to get rejuvenated and excited about it. The fans are hungry. We just did a huge European tour, and if you look at my Instagram, there's a shot from this festival in Poland with 600,000 people. To stand on a stage in front of that many people and have them like chanting or jumping, it's another level of experience. I don't know that I ever appreciated it… I now have a huge amount of appreciation for everything I do. I have gratitude and a positive mindset. It doesn't matter if I'm sitting in my house or if I'm on a big stage, I tend to appreciate everything more, and that's a gift, man."

The first reunion gig from Graziadei, Hambel, drummer Schuler and Seinfeld took place on May 26, 2023 at the Milwaukee Metal Fest at The Rave/Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Last August, BIOHAZARD confirmed that it was working on material for a new studio album.

"The inspiration's coming from these shows," Bobby told Le Coin Metal in an interview. "Being back together, celebrating and doing all these shows, it's great. We're having a good time, but now we're getting the vibe from the crowd and we're feeling it, and it's getting in our bones. We're getting that hunger and the ideas are starting to come out off of these shows."

Added Billy: "For me, it's kind of cool because the other reason I did [my solo project] BILLYBIO is because there was no BIOHAZARD, and the songs that I would've been showing these guys just [ended up] BILLYBIO songs. So being back with these guys is, like… It's cool to have another outlet for my music."

In 2022, Graziadei said in an interview that there had been "talk" about putting BIOHAZARD back together.

The group, which is acknowledged as one of the earliest outfits to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip-hop, had been out of the public eye since Scott Roberts left the band eight years ago.

Roberts, who played guitar on BIOHAZARD's 2005 album "Means To An End", rejoined the group in June 2011 as the replacement for Seinfeld. Scott fronted BIOHAZARD for nearly five years before exiting the band in February 2016.

In an August 2020 interview with the "Aftershocks" podcast, Roberts said that he left BIOHAZARD because he "wasn't happy" anymore. "There was one guy that I wasn't getting along with very well, and it made touring not fun anymore for me," he said. "My reason to stick around was to make a new record that was great and I'd be proud of and all that stuff, and then it became kind of clear that wasn't gonna happen, so I was, like, 'What am I doing it for?' So I quit."

Seinfeld made his last recorded appearance with BIOHAZARD on 2012's "Reborn In Defiance" album, which marked the first LP featuring the band's original lineup in 18 years.

Graziadei is currently a member of POWERFLO, which also features Christian Olde Wolbers (FEAR FACTORY),Sen Dog (CYPRESS HILL) and Rogelio Lozano (DOWNSET).

Billy's solo project, BILLYBIO, released a new album, "Leaders And Liars", in March 2022 via AFM Records.

Carmine Appice says that he couldn't believe it when Nikki Sixx called him "a washed-up drummer" in response to comments he made about Mick Mars's exit from MÖTLEY CRÜE.

When Mars, a co-founding member of MÖTLEY CRÜE, announced his retirement from touring with the group in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, he has since filed a lawsuit against MÖTLEY CRÜE, claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting. In his lawsuit, Mars also alleged that he was the only bandmember to play 100 percent live on their 2022 stadium tour, insisting Sixx "did not play a single note on bass during the entire U.S. tour."

Mick's lawsuit came less than a month after Carmine told Ultimate Guitar that he had been talking to the guitarist about his exit from MÖTLEY CRÜE: "Mick told me, 'When I was on 'The Stadium Tour', I was not happy,'" Carmine said. "Basically, everything was on tape; it was all planned out and ultimately a lot of crap. And Mick is a pretty good player, and so to now let him loose and play the way he wants, that was never going to work for him. The truth is that everything has been weird for a while with MÖTLEY CRÜE, and Mick didn't like that everything was on tape. Mick told me that people that came to see it could tell that it was all pre-recorded and that everything was on tape.

"When you play in a stadium like that, you can hear a lot of things come to the monitors or what doesn't. And with Vince's [Neil] vocals, bass, drums, guitars, and all the other stuff, it was obvious that it was all on tape. And Mick was pissed off and said, 'I can play these things. I want to play them. I don't want to make believe I'm playing them.' So, I think that's one of the reasons why he said, 'I'm done.' Sure, the disease that he has doesn't help, and it doesn't make life easy on tour, but Mick can play all the licks, and he was allowed to."

When Ultimate Guitar asked Appice to clarify that "Mick wasn't getting along with the rest of" MÖTLEY CRÜE, Carmine said: No, he wasn't. He had his own means of travel and would travel alone on a bus while the other guys flew everywhere. He said, 'Man, these guys are pissing their money away, flying to every gig.' They were all busy still trying to be rock stars, and Mick just wanted to play the music. Mick wasn't interested in wasting time and money flying everywhere, so he traveled by bus. Their lifestyles are different than his, and so there were a lot of disagreements. I think he was just done. They were supposed to have done their last tour, and then they came back. Then they did 'The Stadium Tour', and that was apparently supposed to be the last. So, when they came back again, he said, 'You can do it. I'm not going out with you for this.'"

On March 15, 2023, Sixx, who had not given any interviews about Mars's departure from CRÜE, apparently responded directly to Appice's comments, writing in a tweet: "Love how people talk FOR us without talking TO us. This is why the media has lost credibility. Obviously by printing BS they make money off of advertising and we're not into that clickbait game. When the truth comes out it will be FROM üs."

He added later that same day: "A washed up drummer trying to speak for us? And bottom feeder media running with it to make money off of lies? Welcome to the sad new world of LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME."

On March 17, 2023, Sixx took part in a Twitter question-and-answer session and was asked by one fan: "Is what Carmine Appice said true?" the CRÜE bassist replied: "A washed up drummer speaking for our band without any of the facts is as ridiculous as bottom feeder media running with stories without fact checking. When you hear the truth it will be from us." This prompted Appice to respond by challenging Nikki to a "jam-off to see who the better musician on their respective instrument is."

Now, during a brand new interview with The Logan Show, Carmine was asked if Nikki ever reached out to him about his "jam-off" challenge. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No. And that whole thing was so messed up, because I didn't mean to do anything. When I was doing an interview about the BBA [BECK, BOGERT & APPICE] record that was coming out, the guy said, 'What do you think about this? And why do you you think Mick left?' So I just told him what Mick told me. Mick didn't say, 'Don't say anything.' I just told him what started that whole war that's still going on. It was unbelievable. I was reaching markets I never was in before, and I was seeing myself in this one that one."

He continued: "I knew Nikki for a long time. They opened up for Ozzy when I was with Ozzy, and Nikki lived around the corner from me. We used to go out for breakfast, and I got his phone number and his real name in my phone. And I haven't talked to him in a while, but ever since they got big, they got a little stuffy. Now that'll come out now: 'Carmine says Nikki Sixx is stuffy.' But that's the truth.

"So when he started that stuff, and he called me a has-been drummer, I said, 'You fuck. What did you start? Give me something that you started in this industry. I can tell you a bunch of stuff I started that's still going on. What did you start?' That's why I challenged him. I never heard anything back. Because I was a has-been drummer, he said."

Carmine previously addressed his war of words with Nikki during a May 2023 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Carmine was asked if he had anything to add to everything that had been said between all the parties. He responded: "Everything that I said, Mick pretty much backed it up with his lawsuit. I was just doing an interview, like we're talking. And when I do interviews, I'm pretty candid. Mick told me that stuff, and I didn't mean it to go out of proportion like that.

"The thing for me is I knew Nikki since they opened up for Ozzy," he continued. "And when they opened up for Ozzy, I'm like the kind of guy, when I'm on a headlining tour, I befriend the opening act. Like LED ZEPPELIN with VANILLA FUDGE, I befriended John Bonham and all the guys. Same thing here. I was friends with these guys. Nikki used to live around the corner from me in L.A. We used to go out for breakfast at this '50s café, and we were friends. Even their title 'Raise Your Hands To Rock' on that [third] album ['Theatre Of Pain'], that was my title. I told him we were working on a song, 'Raise Your Hands To Rock', with KING KOBRA. And he said, 'Oh, man. I love that title. Do you mind if I steal it?' I go, 'Oh, come on, dude.' So he gave me credit: 'Thank you' for the initials, 'Raise Your Hands To Rock'. And we were friends. So to hear him talk about me like that, it kind of pissed me off. But it is what it is. And I read all these things about other musicians talking about him. I said, 'Wow, I didn't realize everyone had hatred for this guy.' I haven't seen him or talked to him in years. Same with Tommy [Lee, MÖTLEY CRÜE]. Tommy and I used to hang out when he married to Heather [Locklear] and Pam [Anderson]… And I haven't seen him for ages."

Carmine went on to say that he "got a cease-and-desist letter" from the MÖTLEY CRÜE camp after he initially publicly revealed some of the things Mick had told him. "That's why I stopped talking about it," he said. "But then when Mick said all that stuff, it kind of vindicated me, because he said everything that I said. Because that's what he told me."

In response to Mars's lawsuit, CRÜE's manager of 30 years, Allen Kovac, told Variety that Mars is coming out with a list of allegations "to gain leverage in a smear campaign on MÖTLEY. He's attacked the band, and he's done it in a slanderous way, with false accusations and misrepresenting the facts to the fans. Mick is not the victim. The victims are MÖTLEY CRÜE and the brand, which Mick is so prideful of." But, he added, "What's upsetting to me is not Mick, but his representatives, who have guided Mick to say and do harmful things to the brand he cares about so much, MÖTLEY CRÜE. He has a degenerative disease and people are taking advantage of him. It's called elder abuse."

Kovac continued: "Mick's representatives have no idea what they've created, but I've stopped the band from speaking about this, so they're not gonna turn the fans against Mick. But I am going to make sure that people understand that Mick hasn't been treated badly. In fact, he was treated better than anyone else in the band, and they carried him and they saved his life."

Mars suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS),a chronic and inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine and pelvis. After years of performing through the pain, he informed the other members of MÖTLEY CRÜE in the summer of 2022 that he could no longer tour with them but would still be open to recording new music or performing at residencies that did not require much travel.

Regarding Mick's claim that he was the only CRÜE member to play 100 percent live on their most recent tour, Kovac told Variety: "Everything is live with Nikki's bass playing and Tommy's drum playing. When they've used loops, they're still playing. There are augmented vocals, which were (recorded) in the studio and are backgrounds behind the two ladies who are singing and (other background vocals by) John 5 and Nikki Sixx, and before that Mick and Nikki." He described the pre-recorded vocal layering as where "you multi-track and you do gang vocals with, like, 20 people, just like all the other bands do with background vocals. They've got background vocals in the mix. That's the truth.

"But Nikki played his bass and always has," Kovac continued. "Vince was singing better than he was before (on the latest tour). That was in reviews. Now, John 5 is playing like who John 5 is. I've heard John 5 perform and I heard Mick perform. Both are great guitar players. Unfortunately, Mick is not the same. He hasn't been the same for a long time. Which was in reviews! You see that the professionals knew. DEF LEPPARD (which alternated headlining spots on tour) knew. And (Mars) caused a train wreck up there, because he would play the wrong songs and the wrong parts, even with the guide tracks. When he played the wrong song, it wasn't Nikki Sixx that had a tape; it was the soundman bringing it into the mix so the audience could hear a song, even though the guitar player was playing a different song." He says audiences "would hear it at first, but (sound engineers) would fix it so that we could keep the song going. I heard it. I'd go to the sound board."