Houston, Texas based brutal death metal beasts, Stabbing, have signed a worldwide contract with Century Media Records and, to celebrate this news, they have now unleashed new versions of "Vortex Of The Severed Dead" and "Pulled Apart", complete with Devourment's Ruben Rosas and PeelingFlesh's Damonteal "D" Harris on guest vocals - plus a new mix and master from Cryptopsy's Christian Donaldson (Suffocation, Ingested).


The tracks, which originally appeared on last year's aptly titled Demo 2023, can now be streamed with newfound clarity - and brutality - here. A visualizer video for "Vortex Of The Severed Dead" can be viewed below:







Stabbing vocalist Bridget Lynch - whose inhuman gutturals have earned acclaim from peers and fans alike both in the band's brief but brutal discography and via scene-viral videos of her filling in for Suffocation's Ricky Myers for a few shows - speaks on the signing: "After basically caring about nothing but brutal death metal for around 11 years now, I am stoked to be a part of something that brings this style of music to a wider audience through CM. I never expected this but am very grateful for the opportunity to share my love for this more niche style, which I consider to be death metal in its truest form, and to help push this part of the extreme underground in some way via Stabbing."


Mike Gitter, Century Media Vice President of A&R, commented as follows: "Stabbing live up to their name. They set new standards in extreme metal that Century Media has always pushed to be at the forefront of. This is the sound of brutality you're not soon to forget and we're excited to be working together."


The band is currently on a tour based around Milwaukee Metal Fest, at which guitarist Marvin Ruiz played a second set with other band Devourment; they are also set to play Maryland Death Fest later this week. Shows with brutal death mainstays Internal Suffering are peppered throughout. Routing shows to-and-from an NYC barnburner with Kittie (yes, that Kittie) were announced yesterday, with New Standard Elite brutes Nuclear Remains along for the ride. See below for all dates; tickets can be purchased here.


Live dates:


May
21 - Cleveland, OH - No Class *
22 - Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz
23 - Baltimore, MD - Maryland Deathfest (Soundstage) *
27 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 *
28 - Atlanta, GA - Boggs Social & Supply
29 - New Orleans, LA - Siberia *


July
16 - Huntsville, AL - Mad Malts ~
17 - Chattanooga, TN - Dark Road ~
18 - Richmond, VA - Cobra Cabana ~
19 - New York City, NY - Palladium Times Square ^
20 - Pittsburgh, PA - Preserving ~
21 - Cincinnati, OH - Legends ~
23 - Memphis, TN - Hi Tone ~


September
4-7 - Cave-In-Rock, IL - Full Terror Assault Open Air


* w/ Internal Suffering
~ w/ Nuclear Remains
^ w/ Kittie, Unearth, Within the Ruins


Stabbing lineup (from left-to-right in photo above):


Marvin Ruiz - Guitars
Bridget Lynch - Vocals
Matt Day - Bass
Nat Conner - Drums


(Photo - Israel Mendoza)

As I Lay Dying have released a recap video for their recent tour dates in Asia. Check it out below:





As I Lay Dying will launch their US summer tour on July 9 with major market performances in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles before concluding at a hometown show on August 10 at The Observatory Northpark. Joining the band are Chelsea Grin and Entheos.




Visit asilaydying.com for all show + ticket info.





Tour dates:


July
9 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst
10 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
12 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
13 - Tacoma, WA - Temple Theatre
14 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
15 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
16 - Denver, CO - Summit
17 - Kansas City, MO - The Truman
19 - Grand Rapids, MI - Upheaval Festival
20 - Mansfield, OH - INKcarceration
21 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
23 - Albany, NY - Empire Live
24 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
25 - Philadelphia, PA - Theater of The Living Arts
26 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
27 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
29 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
30 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
31 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Landing


August
2 - Houston, TX - House Of Blues
3 - Dallas, TX - The Factory in Deep Ellum
4 - San Antonio, TX - Vibes Event Center
6 - Albuquerque, NM - El Rey Theater
7 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren
8 - Los Angeles, CA - The Belasco
10 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory Northpark


As I Lay Dying is:


Tim Lambesis - Vocals
Phil Sgrosso - Guitar
Ryan Neff - Bass|Vocals
Ken Susi - Guitar
Nick Pierce - Drums

Former Overkill drummer Sid Falck, has released a new song, "Bulletproof", a cover of the 2009 La Roux song, under the Falck name.





Says Sid Falck: “Long story short; I was intrigued by the sound track of a commercial of all things. Obviously, the music was turned way down, so it was hard to make out exactly what was playing, except that it seemed to be fairly upbeat. What really drove me crazy, was that I couldn’t make out what the female “Actor” was singing … so I tried to lip-read, and I came up with “Wolle Woo” haha. I was fairly certain that wasn’t correct, so down the rabbit hole I went, to find out what the song was, and what the lyric was. It turned out that It was a Synth/Vocal song by La Roux, from 2009, named 'Bulletproof'. For some reason I couldn’t stop wondering what it would have sounded like if Rammstein, whom I’m a huge fan of, would have done a version of it during their first 2 album cycles. Could I adhere to their principle of “Uncomplicated and hard = good?” So I put the 3 original songs currently in the works on hold, and went to work on this. To me it seemed quite clear that whomever wrote it, had definitely been listening to a lot of old school punk, so trying to keep everything simple, off I went, everything dictated only by how much fun I was having, and how big the grin on me mug was. ”




"Bulletproof" can be downloaded here, where you can also find the whole Falck catalog. "Bulletproof" is also available on all streaming and digital platforms where you normally listen to and/or buy your music.


Watch a video for the song below:

Speed / thrash metal aficionados, get ready for a sonic onslaught! Rezet is set to unleash their sixth studio album, simply titled Rezet, on August 30th, 2024, via Violent Creek Records. Pre-save your copy now at this location. 


Rezet's new self-titled album promises to deliver an adrenaline-fueled, riff-heavy experience. Hailing from Schleswig in Northern Germany, Rezet has become synonymous with uncompromising thrash metal, blending the ferocity of the genre's classics with a modern twist.


With 11 blistering tracks and even a piano intro, Rezet showcases the band's evolution and maturity. The album seamlessly weaves between the golden era of thrash metal and contemporary influences, giving fans a devastating new experience.




This album marks a new chapter for Rezet, with the addition of string sorcerer Nikolay Atanasov (Agent Steel) and bassist Lorenz Kandolf (Traitor) to the lineup, joining the band's founder, singer, guitarist, and main composer Ricky Wagner, along with drummer Bastian "attt" Santen. The result is a lineup that sounds stronger and more energized than ever before.


Produced, mixed, and mastered by the one and only Eike Freese ( Helloween, Deep Purple, Heaven Shall Burn), Rezet was partly recorded at the band's own Rad Toad Studios in Schleswig-Holstein. The album's dystopian artwork, created by Pär Oloffsson ( Exodus, Aborted, Pathology) depicts a mechanical landscape being reclaimed by new life, echoing the album's themes of renewal and aggression.


"This album represents a second spring for Rezet," says the band. "It's honest, direct and bursting with aggressiveness. We've never sounded fresher."





Tracklisting:


"Opus 1984.2"
"Time To Die"
"Unholy Grail"
"Duck & Cover"
"Burning Prophets"
"Together Apart"
"Prisoner Of Fate"
"Killing Spree"
"Atmosfear"
"True As Lies" (Feat. Lips from Anvil)
"World War Z"
"Into The Abyss"


"Unholy Grail" video:





 

In a new interview with "THAT Rocks!", the YouTube series hosted by Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman spoke about his desire to focus completely on his solo career once he left the band nearly two and a half decades ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Of course, once I left MEGADETH, the tag 'ex-MEGADETH' was stuck to my name, and I understood that for about a year or two. And then I really, really wanted to cut that out because I was no longer in MEGADETH and I was doing my own thing doing other things not related to MEGADETH at all. So from about 2002 or [200]3, I just made it a strict rule that any kind of media when they published whatever they were doing, no 'ex-MEGADETH' next to my name. Just don't put it in the headline. Don't put my name with MEGADETH — 'former MEGADETH', all of that stuff was like a very, very strict rule. Of course, as you all know, in the media they tend to ignore those rules about 90 percent of the time. They ignored that a lot, but then, as time went on, it started to get less and less, and I started to feel better about it. And then in the mid-2010s, a lot of places stopped completely putting that next to my name, because there was nothing I was doing even remotely related to MEGADETH, so why put it in there? Of course, sometimes they even still do it now, and it just really, really bugs the shit out of me, because it's not doing MEGADETH any favors either. It's not doing me any favors. It's 25 years ago. They have their own band, and I'm the biggest fan of their band, and my thing is completely different from theirs. But sometimes you can't control what the media does. But that still doesn't mean that I don't have a lot of love and respect for the band. Of course I do. We're both doing separate things."

Friedman, who is best known for his stint as MEGADETH lead guitarist from 1990 to 2000, was also asked what it was like to rejoin his former band twice on stage in six months last year — first in February 2023 at Tokyo, Japan's famed Budokan and then in early August 2023 at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany. He responded: "When the opportunity to play with MEGADETH again at Budokan, that was just a wonderful, wonderful bit of closure for me and Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader]. Because we have been always on good terms, even since I was out of the band, since I left the band in 2000, we'd been on good terms. There is absolutely no bad blood between us. But I think the one bit of unfinished business that we had was when I was in the band, we had an opportunity to play Budokan. It never happened. And that was the one tiny thing that was left between myself and Dave. We're both big rock fans. We grew up with rock, and live at Budokan is a dream. When you play music and you're in a band like all of the bands that we're fans of, playing at Budokan — CHEAP TRICK at Budokan, all the big albums from Budokan. KISS at Budokan on 'Rock And Roll Over' tour and all that stuff. So Dave and I really had that seed in our hearts, ever since we were kids, and since we couldn't make it happen when we first had been booked for Budokan, that little thing was always left. And so when Dave asked me to play it with him in 2023, I felt it was a very nice gesture on his part, and I jumped at the chance to do it. I loved it. Playing together was as comfortable as it was back then, and, to be honest I think the band sounded better than it did when I was originally in the band. I don't know if it was because there was three guitars on stage instead of two, but it just sounded wonderful. And it was kind of also a love letter to the Japanese fans who wanted to see this moment as much as the two of us did. So, it was a wonderful thing all around. And, like I said, there was never any bad blood between me and MEGADETH. It's just I'm me and they're them. And I'm the biggest fan of theirs, and I'll always support them. It was a fantastic part of my career."

Asked if his guest appearance with MEGADETH at Budokan was the first time he saw Mustaine since he left the band, Friedman said: "We actually got together once in — I think it was 2014 or '15 when we talked… We had a meeting in L.A. where we talked about possibly reuniting the 'Rust In Peace' lineup. And that didn't happen. And all of the details of that will definitely be in my book. But it was still wonderful to see him then and see the entire band then. It just didn't materialize for several reasons. But, yeah, we've been in touch sometimes by e-mail, talking about certain things. But in person, I hadn't seen him in many years, and we hadn't played together since the last time I played with him in MEGADETH. So it was wonderful to share the stage together. And he came on this little YouTube thing I do in Japan, and we had a really nice chat, and it was just nice to kind of be back in the band for like several hours. It's like being with an ex-girlfriend, you know what I mean?"

Earlier this month, an interviewer from Finland's Chaoszine pointed out to Friedman that former MEGADETH guitarist Kiko Loureiro suggested in an interview that he would have liked Marty to rejoin MEGADETH after Kiko exited the group last fall. Asked if he was actually approached about coming back to MEGADETH when Kiko decided to leave the band, Marty said: "No, and I don't think that's realistic. I don't know anything about it. I don't think Dave would think that I would be a candidate to join the band, or rejoin the band, and it's certainly not something that I thought of. I think they're absolutely doing just fine the way they are."

On the topic of MEGADETH's current guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, who officially joined the band in November, Friedman said: "I met him for a moment at Wacken. [He] seemed like a very cool guy, and I wish him nothing but the best. He's gonna have a good time with those guys."

When the interviewer asked for more details about Friedman's meeting with Mäntysaari, pointing out that Marty is one of Teemu's "biggest influences", Marty said: "I really didn't have too much time to chat with him very much, because at the time Kiko was still in the band and he was there just kind of watching everything and just kind of being a fly on the wall and watching how the band does its business. He was a very polite, cool guy. And, unfortunately, I didn't get to see him play there. Yeah, I didn't really know what was going on in the band, but I just was there to do my show and hooked up with them for a show and he was there. And next thing you know, he's in the band. So all the best to him."

He continued: "I'm glad to hear he's a fan of mine because that's gonna help in MEGADETH. One of the things I remember about being in the band was it was really difficult for me to play the other guitar players' guitar work. Luckily, when I was in the band, they only had like three albums out before I joined the band. But it was very, very difficult for me to even try to play Chris Poland's stuff, and I was not suited for that at all. So, if the new guy is familiar with my stuff, it's gonna make his life a lot easier, and hopefully he'll put his own stamp on things and he'll make a whole lot of new fans too."

Mäntysaari was welcomed into MEGADETH after first temporarily filling in for Loureiro.

Earlier this year, Kiko told Guitar World magazine about whom he wanted as his replacement in MEGADETH: "Actually, I even mentioned to management and Dave that I thought bringing Marty Friedman back would be amazing. I have no idea if they're talking about it or talking to him, but I did say that. But again, I have no idea beyond that, and I don't want to make anything more complicated."

Loureiro went on to say that he was warmly embraced by MEGADETH fans during his nine-year stint with the group.

"The fans never said anything bad about me or complained, which was amazing," he said. "But I'm a fan, and I always understood that Marty was a part of those iconic albums like 'Rust In Peace' and 'Countdown To Extinction'. I understood that Marty was the guy who helped create that sound and style, you know? From the moment I joined MEGADETH, I knew the fans could show me love, but I would never win their hearts over Marty."

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

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

At last year's Wacken Open Air, Marty performed four songs with MEGADETH: "Trust", "Tornado Of Souls", "Symphony Of Destruction" and "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due".

At Budokan, Friedman came up on stage for three songs toward the end of MEGADETH's main set: "Countdown To Extinction", "Tornado Of Souls" and "Symphony Of Destruction".

Four years ago, Friedman admitted that money was a major motivator for him when he was approached about taking part in a reunion of MEGADETH's "Rust In Peace" lineup.

Friedman had met with Mustaine and then-bassist David Ellefson at the 2015 NAMM show in Anaheim, California to discuss the reunion, which would have seen him and drummer Nick Menza back in the mix.

Friedman opened up about his reasons for turning down the MEGADETH reunion in Mustaine's latest book, "Rust In Peace: The Inside Story Of The Megadeth Masterpiece", which details the making of the iconic record "Rust In Peace".

"My main thing was I'd be happy to do it, but I'm not going to take less money than I'm already making to do it," Marty said in part.

"I'd been in Japan for more than ten years cultivating a career with solid rewards. I was making money not only for myself but also for my management and staff. My manager has been with me fifteen years.

"Everything was sound and solid professionally, and when the offer came up to all of a sudden join MEGADETH again, as long as I would not be making less money, I was ready to go," he said. "But I was certainly not going to take a loss to join a band that, frankly, at that point, didn't seem like they had too much to offer musically. A couple of members of the band had recently quit, and musically I hadn't heard anything that they've done in a long time. I didn't know about how relevant they continued to be in the music business. It wasn't like MEGADETH was on the tip of people's tongues, at least not in Japan. I had reached the point where people stopped immediately connecting me to MEGADETH and were talking about the things that I had done in Japan."

According to Friedman, part of the reason he turned down the MEGADETH reunion is the fact that the group is largely seen as Mustaine's solo project, with members coming and going every couple of albums.

"Had it been more of a band situation and not such a one-man, Dave Mustaine-main-man party, I might have considered doing it for a little less," Marty said. "But, at the end of the day, MEGADETH is so much Mustaine because that's the way he engineered it. I didn't feel that kind of camaraderie, the four-man diamond, THE BEATLES, KISS, METALLICA. I felt like I would be going out there and tour and it was going to be Mustaine's big success. If I'm going to do that, I'm certainly not going to lose money to do that; I was doing great on my own in Japan."

Mustaine told Loudwire that he was put off by Friedman's financial demands when the topic of a "Rust In Peace" reunion was broached.

"Marty has a really successful career in Japan where he makes quite a lot of money," Dave said. "And this is the part where I thought it was a little weird, where he said he said that he has to pay all his team while he's gone instead of just himself. 'Cause I thought we'll pay you what you're making so that's switching horses in the middle of the river — it's no big deal unless you fall off. And then when we found out that he wanted to sell his merch, his this, his that, his this, his that, then he wanted this crazy amount of money and he wanted to fly first class everywhere. I said to our management, 'I can't deal with this.'"

In a 2016 interview with the "Eddie Trunk Podcast", Mustaine confirmed that MEGADETH didn't hold any rehearsals with Friedman while attempting a reunion of the "Rust In Peace" lineup.

"Marty had sent some e-mails saying, 'Oh, man, you know, the fans have this self-inflated importance of 'Rust In Peace' beyond what it really is. And I was, like, 'Huh?'" Dave said. 'So I didn't know if that was a backhand to the face of the fans or not, but he had basically said that if we were gonna do anything, it had to be better than 'Rust In Peace'. And he sent me over some links to some songs that he thought should be the direction that we were going in, and one of it was this J-Pop band with some Japanese girl singing, and I was, like, 'Uh-uh. This ain't gonna work.' More power to [Marty for being into that stuff]. Do what you want, Marty. He's a great guitar player. But I'm not gonna sing like a Japanese girl."

Speaking with Classic Rock in a new interview, rock legend Glenn Hughes revealed his six favourite Deep Purple songs. He was a member of the band from 1973 - 1976.


Following is an excerpt from the chat.


"Burn" (Burn - 1974)




Hughes: “We were at Clearwell Castle when Ritchie said: 'We should write song called Burn.' He had the idea of the title already. The five of us wrote that song together in the Castle’s crypt in the key of 'G'; Jon’s Bach instrumental, inserting the riff… it felt magical. Burn is such a great, dramatic rock track. It stops, starts, turns around, and there’s the Bach influence and vocal harmonies. It was completely different to anything that Deep Purple had ever done before. It ticked all the boxes of those that questioned whether the new line-up could work."





Gettin’ Tighter (Come Taste The Band - 1975)


Hughes: "Come Taste The Band was written at my home. Tommy (Bolin) was living with me at the time. We took it to the rest of the guys and they loved it. I still play it as a homage to Tommy. In fact it’s the only one of my legacy songs with Purple that I have played at every concert since December 4, 1976 (the date on which Tommy Bolin died of a heroin overdose at just 25 years old).”





Read more here.


Glenn Hughes has announced an August / September U.S. tour performing classic Deep Purple.


Hughes says, “Touring in the USA 🇺🇸 is a priority for me, & happy to announce the show's upcoming in August & September.


“This will be the last tour stateside, with this setlist of Purple Classics.


“I will return in 2025 with a retrospective show and new songs to be performed live. Music is the Healer 🧡”


Find ticket information here.





Dates:


August
30 – San Juan Capistrano, CA – Coach House Concert Hall


September
1 – San Diego, CA – House Of Blues
4 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live Midtown
6 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
7 – San Antonio, TX – Rolling Oaks Event Center
11 – Vineland, NJ – The Landis Theater
13 – Dunellen, NJ – Dunellen Theater
14 – Hudson Falls, NY – The Strand Theatre Hudson Falls
16 – Lakewood, OH – The Winchester 
17 – McHenry, IL – The Vixen
19 – Edwardsville, IL – The Wildey Theatre
20 – Edwardsville, IL – The Wildey Theatre
22 – Sedalia, MS – Mozark Fest
24 – Denver, CO – The Oriental Theater
27 – Montclair, CA – The Canyon
28 – Agoura Hills, CA – The Canyon Club & Special Events Center

Fresh off of their recent European tour with Skálmöld and Seven Spires, Vancouver-based blackened symphonic metal outfit Atavistia will release their new EP, Inane Ducam (translates to 'I Will Lead Into Nothingness'), on July 19, 2024. Featuring new guitarist Elia Baghbaniyan and bassist/vocalist Spencer Budworth, Inane Ducam  seeks to explore different genres and styles while still maintaining the core Atavistia sound.


Band founder Mattias Sippola comments "Inane Ducam was an experimental writing process - lower tuning, the debut of Spencer’s fierce low growls, and tempos reaching close to 300BPM. During the Winter months of 2023, Vancouver experienced extremely dark, cold, and gloomy days which is an antidote to creating music like this."


Listen to the first single "Timeless Despair" here, and check out the video below.







Inane Ducam artwork and tracklisting:





"Inane Ducam" 
"Timeless Despair" 
"Dark Isolation" 
"Unattained Creation" 
"The Void" 


For further details, visit Atavistia on Facebook.


 

Los Angeles-based atmospheric doomsayers, Qaalm, will release their new EP, First Light Of The Last Dawn, on June 21st via Hypaethral Records.


The follow-up to the band’s debut, Resilience & Despair, ushers in a new era of Qaalm, introducing influence from black metal and progressive rock and ultimately pushing their new material beyond the boundaries set by their earlier work. Even the production, graced by the skillful engineering of Paul Fig and expert mixing and mastering of Zeuss, two powerhouses who have collectively worked with the likes of Slipknot, Hatebreed, and Municipal Waste, displays evolution, elevation, and growth.


Comparisons to the likes of Agalloch and the “Peaceville Three” only scratch the surface of Qaalm's sonic tapestry. As bands like Paradise Lost, Neurosis, and Mastodon have continued to reinvent themselves between albums, so too has Qaalm, maintaining the spirit of their earlier work while composing new material that is even more dynamic and engaging.




Elaborates vocalist/guitarist Henry Derek Elis, “There are elements in First Light Of The Last Dawn that reflect my personal views of death, the afterworld, religion, and reincarnation. It has made me think about my own journey – all the losses and who I would be without having to endure such difficult experiences. My belief is that one must embrace such suffering, in hopes of having some real quality of life. May it remind us that we are not enslaved by our past.”


In advance of the EP’s release, the band unveils the title track. Elis further comments, “‘First Light Of The Last Dawn’ is a song that I wrote at the tail end of the writing sessions for the forthcoming second full-length album. As a band, we felt that this one was truly special and that it could potentially stand alone. It’s an honest and heartfelt composition that comes from a place of pain and hope. It deals with suicidal ideation, survivor’s guilt, grief and redemption far beyond a spiritual nature.”





Qaalm’s First Light Of The Last Dawn EP will be released digitally as well as on CD and cassette (limited to 100 copies each). Pre-orders can be placed now via Hypaethral Records or Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


"First Light Of The Last Dawn"
"Ward 81"
"Heaven And Hell" (Black Sabbath cover – physical releases only)


Catch Qaalm live with Dead Memory:


June
1 - The Naked Lounge - Chico, CA
2 - Overkill Bar - Tacoma, WA
3 - High Water Mark - Portland, OR
4 - Erebus - Kelso, WA
5 - TBA - Sacramento, CA
6 - Stay Gold Deli - Oakland, CA
7 - TBA - San Jose, CA
8 - Humdinger Brewing - San Luis Obispo, CA
9 - Jerry's Pizza & Pub - Bakersfield, CA
10 - Redwood Bar & Grill - Los Angeles, CA


(Photo by Samantha Wallschlaeger)


 

Swedish metal band Darkane has made an announcement regarding their new singer. It reads:


"Darkane would like to welcome our new vocalist Tobiasz Bennedal to the band! We are very excited to start a new chapter together with Tobiasz as he is a very talented singer who can do the old Darkane songs very well, while also contributing with his own style that will fit Darkane in an excellent way. He can be heard in bands such as Cronic, Halfpace and Crawl Back To Zero."


"Tobiasz will do his first live apprearence with Darkane on July 27th 2024 at Tullakroksfestivalen in Ängelholm, Sweden. He states that he is very eager to take on the roll as the new Darkane singer and while knowing it’s a bit of a challenge he will do his best to do it right."




It was a mere four days ago, on May 16th, that previous Darkane vocalist Lawrence Mackrory announced his departure from the band via the following statement: 


"The time has come to announce my departure from Darkane. I’ve struggled to find the passion and dedication these last few years and that’s why I have decided that the best thing to do is to hand in my resignation. If I can’t do it 100% why do it at all? That’s always been my motto and continues to be."


"It’s been so much fun making music, touring, and hanging out with some of my best friends since I rejoined the band in 2011. And they are the ones I will miss the most. But meeting all the dedicated Darkane fans has been the highlight. There are so many of you out there who are passionate about the band and to you I give a big heartfelt THANK YOU!”


The remaining members of Darkane commented:


"Lawrence handled the vocal duties for Darkane on the debut album Rusted Angel (1999), The Sinister Supremacy (2013), and Inhuman Spirits (2022). He’s been a huge part of the Darkane history and the rest of the members would like to say a huge thank you! We wish him all the best with everything. He is a very talented vocalist, song writer, producer, engineer, mastering wizard and a very good friend. Much love from Peter, Christofer, Jörgen and Klas."


 

Wicked Love's latest single, "Body Fire," is now available on all major platforms.


Shane Dwyer, the band's bass player, shares his excitement, saying, "This song is pure fire. I'm curious about the meaning behind 'different kind of lovin'."


Lead guitarist Austin Livingston chimes in, " 'Body Fire' was our inaugural creation after getting the band back together. We aimed for a track with an irresistible hook for the ladies to groove to, while still packing enough punch for the guitar aficionados in the crowd with killer riffs."




Straight out of Charleston, SC, Wicked Love brings a fresh, hard-hitting sound with a classic twist. Their music is a dynamic fusion of pop, metal, and rock’n’roll, sure to captivate audiences. Having shared stages with the likes of Five Finger Death Punch, Seether, and Hellyeah, Wicked Love is a force to be reckoned with in the rock scene.

Coming off two acclaimed studio albums ("Black Dawn", "Tightrope"),and an energized historic live album, "Birth Of Cactus", founding member and world-renowned drummer Carmine Appice returns with the ultimate tribute to his legendary rock band. "Temple of Blues - Influences And Friends" merges the members of CACTUS with a super ensemble of guest artists, all of whom have called the group among their biggest influences.

Once heralded by critics as America's answer to LED ZEPPELIN, CACTUS recorded four hard-rockin' albums for Atco Records before Appice and bassist Tim Bogert left to form their own supergroup: BECK, BOGERT & APPICE.

"The music of CACTUS has always been steeped in blues tradition," says Appice, who wanted the group to revisit its best songs within a modern rock approach to traditional blues. "We kept hearing from so many of our music celebrity friends how much CACTUS influenced them and how they would love to be a guest on a CACTUS album. Even our label president, Brian Perera from Cleopatra Records, suggested to us that this album happens. So, 'Temple Of Blues' was the logical next step."

"Temple of Blues - Influences And Friends" is set for release on June 7 2024 as a CD and also as double vinyl album. Featured along with the current CACTUS band is a who's who of blues and rock icons: guitarists Joe Bonamassa, Ted Nugent, Pat Travers, Warren Haynes, Vernon Reid, Steve Stevens, Johnny A (THE YARDBIRDS),Ty Tabor (KING'S X) and bassists Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG),Doug "Dug" Pinnick (KING'S X),Tony Franklin (THE FIRM, BLUE MURDER),Phil Soussan (OZZY OSBOURNE, BILLY IDOL),Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE),Kenny Aaronson (ex-Joan Jet and THE YARDBIRDS),as well as members of GOV'T MULE, VIXEN, RAINBOW, ZEBRA and WHITESNAKE. Vocalist Dee Snider of TWISTED SISTER appears on the band's remake of the Howlin' Wolf classic "Evil", and Appice's bandmate in VANILLA FUDGE, Mark Stein, turns in a powerful vocal on Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally". A second version of "Guiltless Glider" appears as a bonus track with former JUDAS PRIEST vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens. Another of Appice's musical partners, Fernando Perdomo, also appears on the new record.

In addition to Appice on drums on all tracks, original CACTUS guitarist Jim McCarty also appears on "Temple Of Blues". Current bandmembers, vocalist/guitarist and harmonica player Jim Stapley and bassist Jim Caputo, also appear on many of the tracks. Appice announced today a new member to the band's lineup: guitarist Artie Dillon will handle guitar duties for live tours and plays on one track for the new album. Founding member Jim McCarty currently contributes as a writing and recording member of CACTUS on occasion but no longer does live tours.

The current line-up of CACTUS came together in 2021. Lead vocalist Jim Stapley comes from England and had worked with ex-FACES/WHO drummer Kenny Jones in the JONES GANG and HUMBLE PIE.

"Nearly five decades after I formed this band, the time had come to re-invent CACTUS once again," says Appice, who also still drums for VANILLA FUDGE, the Appice Brothers "Drum Wars", and a hybrid tribute to former band leader Rod Stewart. Appice adds: "The music remains the same and CACTUS is still a 'hot and sweaty' band. The level, quality and consistence of the band's musicianship is as strong as ever."''

CACTUS has had a long and turbulent history. Formed in 1970 from the ashes of VANILLA FUDGE by Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert, the initial lineup also featured McCarty (from Mitch Ryder and THE BUDDY MILES EXPRESS) and AMBOY DUKES vocalist Rusty Day. While CACTUS saw success from the start and soon built a loyal fan base, by early 1973 the band had collapsed mainly due to lack of real support from its label and the fact that Jeff Beck was now ready play with Carmine and Tim in BECK, BOGERT & APPICE.

The band reformed in 2006, three decades after the tragic death of Rusty Day with Randy Pratt on harp (who also appears on this album) and Jimmy Kunes vocals. When the late Tim Bogert was forced into retirement due to complications after a serious motorcycle accident, Pete Bremy joined on bass before Caputo replaced him in 2020.

Now, with a powerful new lineup, CACTUS and an album the marries the band with some of the biggest names in rock and blues, embarks on a new and exciting musical journey to the "Temple Of Blues". This time around, the music is just as powerful as before — and bound to be just as successful "one way or another."

Dee Snider said: "Bass player Mark 'The Animal' Mendoza of TWISTED SISTER, turned me on to CACTUS. They were the hardest, heaviest, fastest (check out their version of 'Parchman Farm' live at the Isle Of Wight festival, if you want proof) band of their time, setting the standard for hard rock/heavy metal bands to come! I was hooked! (Thanks, Mark!)

"Cut to the early '90s and during rehearsals for our new project WIDOWMAKER, drummer Joe Franco and I play 'Evil' for the 'young guns' in our band and their minds are completely blown. The next rehearsal I walked into my them jamming 'Evil' like they'd discovered a new form of rock! I joined in on vocals, our producer heard us laying into it and said we had to put the song on our album ('Blood And Bullets'). 'Evil' became a staple of every live show we played over the next couple of years.

"To get a call from Carmine Appice asking me to sing this song on a CACTUS album is one of the highlights of my career. He told me I sounded more like the late great Rusty Day than anyone else he ever heard. Of course I do! You don't fuck with perfection!

"Thank you Rusty, Timmy, Carmine and Jim for showing me the way and allowing me (Carmine and Jim) the chance to do this. I am honored to rock with such greatness."

Doug Pinnick said: "It was 1971, LED ZEPPELIN, ZZ TOP, DEEP PURPLE and YES were my go-to bands, and one day I went to visit a musician friend who played me 'Long Tall Sally' by CACTUS. From the beginning [of] Jim's guitar intro, I was hooked. The riff was so heavy, and when Rusty sang the first verse, my mind was blown. A Little Richard cover!!!! The reason I play rock music was because of Little Richard. So I listened to the whole album. Great songwriting, Carmine's brutal drumming, Tim's bass and Jim's guitar playing, so inspirational they were. Rusty had a special knack for writing amazing, down-to-earth lyrics! I loved his voice. I learned to sing and play every song and I never looked back. These albums still stand the test of time. CACTUS is one of my all-time favorite bands. This is why I said 'yes' to playing on this record."

Track listing:

01. Parchman Farm [feat. Joe Bonamassa & Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG / DAVID LEE ROTH)]
02. Bro. Bill [feat. Randy Jackson (ZEBRA),Randy Pratt (CACTUS) & Bob Daisley (OZZY OSBOURNE)]
03. Guiltless Glider [feat. Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (GUNS N' ROSES) & Phil Soussan (OZZY OSBOURNE)]
04. Evil [feat. Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER) & Doug Pinnick (KING'S X)]
05. One Way...Or Another [feat. Doug Pinnick (KING'S X) & Ted Nugent]
06. Alaska [feat. Johnny A. & Tony Franklin (THE FIRM)]
07. No Need To Worry [feat. Warren Haynes (GOV'T MULE) & Jorgen Carlsson (GOV'T MULE)]
08. Oleo [feat. Steve Stevens (Billy Idol) & Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG / DAVID LEE ROTH)]
09. Big Mama Boogie [feat. Pat Travers & James Caputo (CACTUS)]
10. You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover
11. Rock N' Roll Children [feat. Britt Lightning (VIXEN),Vernon Reid (LIVING COLOUR) & Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT)]
12. Let Me Swim [feat. Doug Aldrich (WHITESNAKE) & Marco Mendoza (BLUE MURDER)]
13. Restrictions [feat. Ty Tabor (KING'S X) & Phil Soussan (OZZY OSBOURNE)]
14. Long Tall Sally [feat. Mark Stein (VANILLA FUDGE) & Fernando Perdomo]

Bonus track

15. Guiltless Glider [feat. Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST)]

MASTERS OF REALITY return with their first new music in 15 years. Today, they release their new single, "Sugar", on Mascot Records. They will also be playing shows across Europe in May — Eindhoven (The Netherlands),Utrecht (The Netherlands),Leuven (Belgium),Bielefeld (Germany),Rüsselsheim (Germany) as well as Deserfest London and Berlin.

"Sugar" is hypnotic, poignant and vulnerable. It builds from a stirring melody into a grand, orchestrated swell of emotion, with Chris Goss's ethereal-yet-soulful voice floating over the top of it. "Sugar" itself dates back to 2006, though it has been through many incarnations and iterations since before Goss added a chorus that had been rattling around the back of his brain since 1995. "As it developed, 'Sugar' revealed an inner will to become less esoteric and more directly personal," he says.

Goss is one of the elusive geniuses of American music. As the singer, guitarist and driving force behind MASTERS OF REALITY, he's spent more than 40 years charting his own musical journey, travelling from mystical blues to desert rock to psychedelia-edged beauty via all points in between. Where others follow the pack, this desert-dwelling California native has forged a career like no other. A desire to follow his own artistic muse and not bow to external pressures has resulted in a string of albums that sound like no one else but MASTERS OF REALITY, subtly yet indelibly leaving a mark on the generations of musicians who heard them.

This led him to a bunch of kids from Palm Desert called KYUSS. Goss worked with the band on three landmark albums in the early 1990s, helping plant the seeds for the so-called Desert Rock movement. He struck up a lifelong friendship with the band's guitarist Josh Homme, who enlisted Goss's help when it came to getting his post-KYUSS outfit, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, off the ground, co-producing their first two albums and working with Homme on his "Desert Sessions" project, with Goss held up as "The Godfather Of Desert Rock."

The list of bands and artists he has worked with in that capacity is long and illustrious: QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, KYUSS, Mark Lanegan, FOO FIGHTERS, THE CULT, UNKLE, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland, former HOLE bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur, even Hollywood star Russell Crowe. He's the connective tissue which links so much modern music.

One near miss was NIRVANA — Dave Grohl told him that the grunge band had considered Goss as producer for the follow-up to "Nevermind". "They used to listen to MASTERS OF REALITY and KYUSS in their van," says Goss. "But I would have wanted to fuck their sound up."

Now, 15 years after his last release, Goss has finally returned with MASTERS OF REALITY. Like everything they've released since their inception over 40 years ago, it's another step on a journey that has continuously moved forward.

Talking about "Sugar" further, he says, "It's a complete, emotionally based story instead of my usual, covertly whispered list of what's wrong with the world's tragic trajectory. Finally the lyrics gelled, reflecting on intelligent women trying to find their place somewhere in the mess. Not in the modern media's social strata angle as a percentage number to create ratings by directing a ruse to a large demographic, but a real picture of what real people feel. The inner emotional reality of one life and its relevance to many lives."

The arrival of "Sugar" – which was co-produced by Goss and Alain Johannes, and also features drummer John Leamy and bassist Paul Powell — heralds the welcome return of MASTERS OF REALITY.

"We can infer after a long silence of 15 years that the band is ready to face the world," he says. "When people are truly ready for real music played from the heart, as opposed to auto tune and everything so aligned, and that's not where this band ever came from. I've waited for some time for that storm to pass. Whether inner or outer, it wasn't right. It's simply time now, and this song 'Sugar' is the most personal track we have ever done."

Confirmed appearances in May:

May 16 - Eindhoven NL - Effenaar
May 17 - London, UK - Electric Ballroom, Desert Fest
May 19 - Utrecht, NL - Tivoli Pandora
May 21 - Leuven, BE - Het Depot
May 23 - Bielefeld, DE - Forum
May 24 - Rüsselsheim, DE - Das Rind
May 26 - Berlin, DE - Columbia Hall, Desert Fest

Firewind's Gus G. stopped by the Guitar World studio to show them some of his own favourite riffs, including "The Fire And The Fury", "World On Fire", "Ode To Leonidas", "Destiny Is Calling", and "Falling To Pieces". Watch the video below:





Firewind will be special guests on Sonata Arctica's European headline tour in September/October. Warming up the crowds will be Tungsten and Serious Black. Final Strike will appear on the tour's opening night.







Dates:


September
11 - Norrtälje (Opalen), Sweden - Rimbo Kulturscen (with Final Strike only)
12 - Östersund, Sweden - Gamla Teatern*
13 - Trondheim, Norway - Tapperiet*
14 - Örnsköldsvik, Sweden - Nöjesbolaget*
16 - Oslo, Norway - Vulkan Arena*
17 - Karlstad, Sweden - Nöjesfabriken*
18 - Huskvarna, Sweden - Folkets Park*
20 - Roskilde, Denmark - Gimle*
21 - Berlin, Germany - Columbia Theater
22 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
24 - Utrecht, Netherlands - TivoliVredenburg (Pandora)
25 - Tilburg, Netherlands - 013
26 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix
27 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal
28 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Konzertfabrik Z7
29 - Munich, Germany - Backstage (Werk)


October
1 - Paris, France - La Machine du Moulin Rouge
2 - Villeurbanne, France - La Rayonne
3 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Razzmatazz 2
4 - Madrid, Spain - WiZink Center (La Sala)
5 - Pamplona, Spain - Sala Totem
7 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz
8 - Padova, Italy - Hall
9 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
10 - TBA
11 - Warsaw, Poland - Klub Proxima
12 - Poznań, Poland - Tama

Vampires Everywhere! are back for blood with "White Wedding" single release just in time for National Goth Day 2024.


Michael Vampire of Vampires Everywhere! says "When I was a young boy my mother used to play Billy Idol for me nonstop! His music is in my blood (no pun intended) and I'm beyond excited to share with the world my rendition of one of his most iconic songs 'White Wedding'. I remember seeing the OG version on MTV and being blown away! I wanted to make sure I did the song justice and pulled no stops setting up a music video that even Billy Idol would be proud of. I absolutely feel this is my best music video to date and I couldn't be more thankful to everyone that was involved. 


“Alex from Black Wolf Imaging did a fantastic job bringing my vision to life and understanding the importance of storytelling in music videos. I wanted to pay homage to the classic movies that defined my childhood. Movies like "Carrie" and "Queen Of The Damned" helped inspire me to create something memorable. I've always been the underdog in the music industry and treated like Todd from "Wedding Crashers" haha! So I wanted the video to have the separation between the popular crowd and the so-called freaks. It was actually mind blowing to see the cast get so involved in the video and even genuinely clapping when the groom and bride get together in the end. It's amazing how powerful music can be and I'm proud to show the world my version of 'White Wedding'."







Get the single here.


Vampires Everywhere! has toured with the likes of Motionless In White, Aiden, Alesana, Orgy, Filter, Falling In Reverse, Escape The Fate, and countless others. The band played festivals including Inkcarceration Fest, Dark Force Fest, South By SoWhat, HTP Fest, and many more!


The 2021 rebirth of the band has generated major attention and spawned a whole new generation of VE fans! Vampires Everywhere!'s cover of "Cry Little Sister" , the theme song from the 1987 cult classic film "The Lost Boys" earned a Top 40 spot on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart and Mediabase Rock Radio Charts. The song was also featured on the Paramount+ Hit TV Show "Burning Girls" in the UK. The band has just released their latest single; a cover of Billy Idol's "White Wedding".


Check out Vampires Everywhere! tour dates here.


(Photo – Evan Middleton)

Nate Peck, 2023 "American Idol" golden ticket recipient from Season 21, has officially joined FIREHOUSE as the band's new lead vocalist. He replaces late FIREHOUSE frontman CJ Snare, who died on April 5 at the age of 64 following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Peck performed an outstanding audition for "American Idol" judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Richie praised Nate's performance, saying: "That was brilliant... The best rock singer EVER that we've had. You've got it!" Perry looked to the sky and said: "Actually, he's SO good!" High praises from all three judges got him unanimous consent to move onto the next level of the competition. Peck ultimately decided to leave the show to pursue his career in music his own way: playing live music in Nashville's booming rock scene and guest singing with national artists like JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE.

Peck was first introduced to FIREHOUSE guitarist Bill Leverty by JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE guitarist Robbie Lochner. Leverty explained: "When I first heard Nate's vocal range, tone and control, I immediately knew that he'd be the perfect fit, filling in for CJ who was recovering from surgery. I advocated hard to get Nate out to play at New England Rockfest in October of 2023. He learned our songs very quickly and absolutely crushed it at the show. I then sent some video to CJ, and he agreed, saying, 'THAT'S the guy'!"

CJ and Nate immediately became very good friends. According to Peck: "CJ and I would talk regularly, a few times a week. He would give me vocal coaching, advice on touring and life in general. He was definitely a great mentor for me."

Peck has been singing with FIREHOUSE since October of 2023, wowing audiences around the country.

"I am honored to be working with these guys and singing these great songs," Nate said.

Snare died was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in 2020 and took a hiatus from the band in 2023 to undergo abdominal surgery. However, his daughter is reported to have stated the official cause of death was cardiac arrest, according to TMZ.

CJ planned to rejoin FIREHOUSE for the band's summer tour in 2024.

In a statement on FIREHOUSE's social media, Snare's bandmates said he died "unexpectedly" despite his long illness.

They shared their "great sorrow" at losing their "brother… the rock and roll warrior.

"We are all in complete shock with CJ's untimely passing," they wrote.

"CJ was was arguably one of the best vocal talents of a generation, touring the world with FIREHOUSE non stop the past 34 years.

"Our heartfelt condolences go out to the entire Snare family, Katherine Little, friends, and all our beloved fans all over the world."

FIREHOUSE hasn't released a studio album since 2011's "Full Circle", which featured re-recorded versions of some of the band's older songs. The group's last collection of new material, "Prime Time", came out in 2003.

FIREHOUSE reached stardom during the early '90s with hits like "Reach For The Sky", "Don't Treat Me Bad" and "All She Wrote", as well as its signature power ballads "I Live My Life For You", "Love Of A Lifetime" and "When I Look Into Your Eyes".

At the 1992 American Music Awards, FIREHOUSE won the award for "Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock New Artist". They were chosen over NIRVANA and ALICE IN CHAINS.

Formed nearly four decades ago, FIREHOUSE's classic lineup consisted of Snare, Leverty, drummer Michael Foster and bassist Perry Richardson. Richardson left in 2000 and was replaced by Allen McKenzie in 2003.

**AMERICAN ROCK BAND FIREHOUSE ANNOUNCES NEW VOCALIST, NATE PECK**

With the untimely passing of CJ Snare, American rock...

Posted by FireHouse on Friday, May 17, 2024

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach performed his new song "(Hold On) To The Dream" live for the first time during his headlining concert this past Sunday (May 19) Rams Head Live! in Baltimore, Maryland. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below (courtesy of Rock N Roll Experience).

"(Hold On) To The Dream" is taken from Bach's latest solo album, "Child Within The Man", which was released on May 10 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

The official "(Hold On) To The Dream" music video was directed by Jim Louvau and Tony Aguilera and can also be seen below.

"If someone asked me to play the heaviest song I have ever recorded in my 35-year career, I would play them '(Hold On) To The Dream'," Sebastian previously said. "This song is an homage to two of my favorite things: classic metal of the '70s and also yacht rock as well! Hence the new term yacht metal!

"I have never heard a song quite like '(Hold On)To The Dream' where the crushing verse combined with the luxurious chest-hair harmonies of the chorus. I have tried to incorporate every tone of my voice into this song. For those of you keeping score, I can tell you that my voice hits some of the highest notes of my career in '(Hold On) To The Dream'!

"HOLD ON TO YOUR SEATS!!! CAUTION: this is a MONSTER JAM!"

"Child Within The Man" was recorded in Orlando, Florida; produced and mixed by Michael "Elvis" Baskette; engineered by Jef Moll, assistant engineered by Josh Saldate and mastered by Robert Ludwig of Gateway Mastering. Bach wrote or co-wrote all the album's 11 tracks and sang all lead and backing vocals.

"Child Within The Man" features guest appearances from John 5 (MÖTLEY CRÜE, ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON),Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL) and Orianthi (ALICE COOPER, MICHAEL JACKSON) — who all co-wrote their respective tracks with Bach — and two tracks co-written with ALTER BRIDGE's Myles Kennedy ("What Do I Got to Lose?" and "To Live Again"). Devin Bronson (guitars),Todd Kerns (bass) and Jeremy Colson (drums) round out the players on the album.

In an interview with "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, Sebastian spoke about the inspiration for the "Child Within The Man" title. He said: "Well, my wife calls me man-child. That's kind of been a theme for me my whole career. I bring a youthful energy to the stage when I get up there. People are smiling and excited and hooting and hollering. But the line 'child within the man' is a line of one of the songs on the record. And I scream it like bloody murder. And it kept haunting me. "

Sebastian also talked about the "Child Within The Man" artwork, which holds special meaning since it was designed by Bach's father, noted visual artist David Bierk.

"I have a lot of my dad's artwork," Bach said. "He's no longer alive. And we all, all of his kids, we got a lot of his art when he passed away. And I unrolled a roll of paintings that I knew had the SKID ROW 'Subhuman Race' painting in it, and I wanna take care of it and make sure it's preserved. But in that roll was this painting that I remember my dad doing of me when I was 10 in a field next to this beat-up old Cadillac car in the field and then behind the car, it's Jesus ascending into heaven, and I'm running next to the car. It looks like an album cover. And then he also did a painting of me from Circus magazine, the first centerfold of me on stage at Giants Stadium. He did a gigantic painting of that, like 12 feet high. And so the cover is gonna be me running as a child into me on stage as a man, and it's child within the man. And it just reminds me of the '70s, like child in time, and it just reminds me of a good '70s album cover. And the fact that I can bring back a painting from the year 1978 and make it into artwork in 2023, 2024, that's really mind-blowing to me."

Bach's "What Do I Got To Lose?" U.S. tour got underway May 10 in Jefferson, Louisiana and will wrap on June 29 in San Diego, California.

Prior to "Child Within The Man"'s arrival, Bach hadn't released a full-length disc since "Give 'Em Hell", which came out in March 2014.



Sebastian Bach debuts new song for the first time onstage!

Posted by Rock N Roll Experience on Sunday, May 19, 2024

Legendary hard rockers AC/DC played the second show of their "Power Up" European tour Tuesday night (May 21) in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

As was the case at Friday's (May 17) show at the same venue — the 62,000-capacity Veltins-Arena — AC/DC delivered a 24-song set that began with "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" and closed with "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)".

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

The setlist for the May 21 concert at Veltins-Arena was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. If You Want Blood (You've Got It)
02. Back In Black
03. Demon Fire
04. Shot Down In Flames
05. Thunderstruck
06. Have A Drink On Me
07. Hells Bells
08. Shot In The Dark
09. Stiff Upper Lip
10. You Shook Me All Night Long
11. Shoot To Thrill
12. Sin City
13. Givin The Dog A Bone
14. Rock 'N' Roll Train
15. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
16. Dog Eat Dog
17. High Voltage
18. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be
19. Riff Raff
20. Highway To Hell
21. Whole Lotta Rosie
22. Let There Be Rock

Encore:

23. T.N.T.
24. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vicky Psarakis, former vocalist for The Agonist and currently fronting SickSense, has checked in with the following update:


"Hello friends! I'm alive and have some really cool stuff I'm working on behind the scenes.


Really happy to be sharing with you this feature I did on Nino Helfrich's upcoming collaboration album, Shadow Empress, which is due to be released August 23rd, 2024. The song tickles a lot of my roots with melodic death metal / early metalcore vibes, so writing the lyrics and vocal patterns for it came pretty naturally. Also, Nino killed it on the instrumental and mix. Go give him some love and support and blast "Our Remedy" on all distro platforms.




I have a lot more music I've been working on behind the scenes and can't wait to share with you all!"





Hard-hitting and melodic; pissed off and groovy; energetic and catchy: upon first listen, it is clear that Sicksense is all of these things. The band - comprised of vocalists Killer V (Vicky Psarakis) and Rob The Ripper (Robby J. Fonts), guitarist Breakdown Bran (Bran Panic), drummer The True Cody Taylor (Cody Taylor) and bassist Spot-On Sam/SOS (Samuel Bedard) – have released their new EP, Fools Tomorrow. It is now available here.





Fools Tomorrow tracklisting:


"Feed Them To The Wolves"
"Fools Tomorrow" (ft. Billy Grey)
"Invitation"
"Run And Hide"
"Erase, Rewind"


"Feed Them To The Wolves"





"Fools Tomorow"





Having both performed a range of styles in numerous heavy bands, Killer V and Rob The Ripper (who are married) wanted to return to a genre that’s close to their hearts, but also make music that is specifically written for two vocalists. Written with dual vocal interplay from a male / female perspective, their performance reflects a personal and fun side of them as people, but also tackles social and societal issues in the world today. Backed by guitarist Breakdown Bran (Bran Panic), drummer The Trve Cody Taylor (Cody Taylor) and bassist Spot-On Sam/SOS (Samuel Bedard), Sicksense would be born out of the band’s desire to share their upbeat and fun message with the world. Sicksense chooses musical inspiration from various bands and those influences shine through in their debut EP, Kings Today.   


Sicksense is:


Killer V – Vocals/Keys
Rob The Ripper – Vocals
Breakdown Bran – Guitars
Spot-On Sam/SOS – Bass
The Trve Cody Taylor – Drums

In a new interview with Elena Rosberg of Radiocast BG, JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill was asked how he thinks heavy metal music and the metal community can combat the negative effects of artificial intelligence in music, particularly as it relates to the creative process. Hill responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't know. You'd know, wouldn't you? If something was put together — they're not gonna be able to play the instruments for a start, so they're gonna have to use some kind of music stem, some sort of source. And you'd know. I'd know, I'd know if something was put together. You can listen to — I don't know — even now songs, pop songs in particular, and you think, 'That's not a bass guitar. Some guy's playing that on a keyboard.' You know it. It might fool some of the public, because, obviously, I go into things a little bit more deeply. I drive my wife mad. She won't let me anywhere near… If she's going to a concert, I don't go, basically because I start picking it apart. But that's what we do. A welder would do the same thing. He'd look at something [and go], "That's a load of rubbish.' That's what you do."

He continued: "But I don't know. I just think that artificial intelligence can't really perform live. I mean, this is what it's coming down to. A lot of music, especially in the pop world these days, is a little bit on the false side — people mime to it and what have you. And A.I. can't even do that. You can't have artificial intelligence standing on stage. That ain't gonna work. So, from a recording point of view, yeah, they might fool people — they might fool a hell of a lot of people — but, actually, when they say there's a band playing live, that's gonna be the acid test, isn't it? And I can't see, really, unless they're all holograms standing up there. — which has been done. What am I saying? ABBA have just done it, haven't they? But it's there. It is advertised. You know it ain't ABBA. It's trickery. But it's in the live performance where it'll fall down and it won't stand up to scrutiny, I don't think."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Genre wanderers, Crimson Veil, have signed an exclusive record deal with Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). Creating unique, sinister soundscapes, the UK based outfit - consisting of four talented multi-instrumentalists - ingeniously combines elements of rock, metal and film music while lyrically covering esoteric topics, accompanied by dark visual aesthetics.


Their members originally come from different band projects and bring an impressive touring history across the UK, the US and Mexico. In addition, they have also been able to work with music industry greats such as Paul Reeve (Muse etc.) and John Fryer (Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails) in the past.


Crimson Veil state on their new adventure, "Dear music family, we can finally announce that we are signing with the incredible metal label Reigning Phoenix Music. This is a dream come true. We are really excited to work with a team of people who believe in our music and vision. It will be an honour to be on the same label as some of our favourite bands. You can expect a new album soon, lots of music videos and most importantly - touring. It's time to get back on the stage and play some shows! See you all very soon... Love - Anna, Garry, Hana & Mishkin"




Jochen Richert, managing director of RPM, points out, "Crimson Veil are truly special. One doesn't find a band like them every day, that's what made them even more interesting to us. They don't follow any trends. An important fact that also matches the RPM philosophy. We want to evolve trends ourselves! So giving a contract to Crimson Veil was an easy decision in the end."


The new partnership with RPM enables Crimson Veil to continue their creative path and to explore new territories in the universe of progressive music. Ready to cross the borders of the metal genre, the quartet's material refreshingly blends sound and deepness, and with the aforementioned deal being signed, all is set for a very fruitful and exciting common future. Crimson Veil are nothing but an outstanding addition to the musical roster of Reigning Phoenix Music with their experimenal approach when it comes to art.


Their drastic live presence is also about to be witnessed once again as the band will support new labelmates Lordi and All For Metal in France and the UK from tomorrow.





Crimson Veil are:


Mishkin Fitzgerald - vocals
Garry Mitchell - guitars
Hana Piranha - strings
Anna Mylee - drums


(Photo - Scott Chalmers)

ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna has launched a tribute band to Ronnie James Dio. The new group will play four shows in Florida in August, performing music from DIO, BLACK SABBATH and RAINBOW.

The dates are as follows:

August 15 - Captain Hiram's - Sebastian, FL
August 16 - Piper's Pub - Pompano Beach, FL
August 17 - OCC Road House - Clearwater, FL
August 18 - Conduit - Winter Park, FL

A decade ago, Belladonna spoke to Jay Nanda of the San Antonio Metal Music Examiner about the ANTHRAX frontman's involvement in "This Is Your Life", the tribute to album to Ronnie James Dio. Asked why ANTHRAX chose to record a cover version of the BLACK SABBATH classic "Neon Knights", Belladonna said: "I think I suggested it. When we talked about doing something, collectively, we all like the song, so it was a no-brainer. We could pretty much pick anything… I went for the heavier."

Asked if recording the "Neon Knights" cover was a more emotional experience than some of the other cover versions ANTHRAX had recorded over the years, Belladonna said: "For me, no. I just love doing that type of thing, and it was another day for me to sing something of his. Obviously, I'm excited, because it is a record, but I don't think I did it any different. In fact, I only did a couple of takes. I mean, I actually have on video the first time I tried it, and it pretty much sounds like what it sounds like already. It was business as usual for me."

Regarding what Ronnie meant to him, Joey said: "Ronnie's an inspirational singer for me." He added: "I really believe that as you grow up, you're inspired by the people that perform and things that you would like to hear yourself be in that kind of category and have such a talent like he did and just be inspired. [He was a] great human being, great musician — just all that… He was just the slickest. He was so heavy but melodic, as well as his attitude about everything. He had great charisma."

Belladonna also spoke about the first impression Ronnie made on him. "He made me laugh big time," Joey said. "He just want[ed] to be funny. And yet he [was] so sincere and [could] have that serious point of view. You need to be enthralled with that when you're around him, to have him speak to you with that kind of attitude and spunk that he had. And I'd been around him when things weren't so good, which I won't bring up right now, but to have him share that with me, which was more private, about being in his band — things like that. Just to engage in that with me and run that by me."

Belladonna, whose most recent return to ANTHRAX was officially announced in May 2010, was originally the lead singer of ANTHRAX from 1984 to 1992, and was considered part of the influential thrash metal group's classic lineup (alongside guitarists Dan Spitz and Scott Ian, bassist Frank Bello and drummer Charlie Benante),which reunited and toured during 2005 and 2006. His voice was featured on over 10 albums, which reportedly sold eight million copies worldwide.

Krista and I are proud to announce our new tribute band to Ronnie James Dio! A night of songs from Dio, Sabbath, and Rainbow!

@ronniejamesdio #ronniejamesdio #diocancerfund #anthrax

Posted by Joey Belladonna on Saturday, May 18, 2024

In a new interview with Charlotte Ryan of Radio New Zealand, SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian, who is promoting his memoir "Down With The System", was asked if he is aware of his security, especially since he is known as one of the most outspoken activists in the music community. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I try to be. I'm not always cognizant of my surroundings as far as security, but I try to be, if for nothing else than just for privacy purposes. There have been some scary moments. Yeah, I try to stay on top of it. There are things I've had investigated, when I needed to and whatnot, but so far, so good."

Asked if those scary moments were of people reacting to something he has sung about, Serj replied: "That is mostly on socials. I don't know if it was Jon Stewart [American comedian, writer, producer, director, political commentator, actor and television host] or someone else who said, 'But Twitter is not a real place.' I don't gauge it as true human reaction, one to one, unless you would say the same thing to my face on the street in person. That's what I gauge as a true human reaction."

He continued: "There's been cases of some fanaticism that we've had to kind of deal with, delusional cases. Not that many. But there's also the case of the threats from foreign governments that we've had to deal with that's in the book. And that is way more scary.

"I try to be truthful but respectful in everything that I do, so I'm hoping that I'm being a balanced person by doing so," Serj added. "That's the only thing I think that you could do."

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

Earlier this month, Serj told NPR that he is "okay" with possibly losing some of his fans over his activism. "An artist isn't supposed to please everyone," he explained. "An artist is supposed to basically try to receive through the collective consciousness whatever truths that we're trying to live by, the truths of our times. If we can't do that as artists, then we're entertainers. From day one, you have to make that choice: Are you an entertainer only or are you going to be an artist? If you're an entertainer, that's cool; there's many entertainers I follow and love. But if you're going to be an artist, then the road is not going to be easy. You're going to have to be honest with yourself and everyone else at all times, and people are going to like you and people are going to hate you, and that's okay."

He continued: "I was more of the activist in the band than anyone else. There was always this push and pull between the message and the music. The other guys, rightfully so, didn't want the music to be victimized by the message at all times. I understood that because I loved the music as well, but when there was [a message] that needed to be dispersed, I felt like that was just as important, if not more important, than the music."

In a separate interview with Books On Pod, Tankian touched upon how learning about his grandparents' Armenian background in his early teens prompted him to become an activist.

"When you're in a democracy and you are afraid to speak the truth because of backlash, that's when you feel like that something's really wrong," he said. "And mind you, that, coupled with growing up as an Armenian-American in Los Angeles, paying taxes to a country that is not properly recognizing the genocide of our ancestors, a democracy not recognizing proper history because of political expediency, because of Turkey being a NATO ally, and they didn't want to recognize it, just dirty political fucking geopolitics, that makes you an activist. That made me an activist. That made me someone who fights for truth and justice, not just having to do with Armenians or Armenian issues, but many issues — in the U.S., human rights issues around the world and even animal rights, climate issues. You see the world of injustice and justice, you see that imbalance, and you wanna kind of tip the scales up because you know that that's gonna make the world a better place in every way."

He added: "I've always spoken truth to power, but only because I cared. If I didn't care, I wouldn't speak my mind."

Tankian is best known as the lead singer of the Grammy Award-winning rock band SYSTEM OF A DOWN, but he is also a solo artist, composer, activist, painter, poet, and filmmaker. Since launching on to the rock scene in 1993, he's performed for millions of fans and sold more than 42 million albums worldwide. He's also a proud Armenian-American and a dedicated activist; along with Tom Morello, Tankian co-founded the non-profit organization Axis Of Justice, which strived to bring together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. He has composed scores for many films and television series, had his paintings exhibited in galleries in the U.S. and New Zealand, and released two books of his own poetry. He has also been an executive producer on multiple documentaries, including "I Am Not Alone", which tells the story of Armenia's 2018 revolution and which won awards at the Toronto International Film Festival, DOC NYC, American Film Institute Festival, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival, among others. Tankian lives with his wife and his son, splitting their time between Los Angeles and New Zealand.

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.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN co-headlined the second installment of the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas on April 27.