In a new interview with Kyle Meredith, ex-SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach was asked if he wanted to give the fans what they want on his new solo album, "Child Within The Man", by incorporating sounds that harken back to his former band. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, the sound of my voice harkens back. I was gonna be the singer of VELVET REVOLVER before Scott Weiland. You can Google interviews with Duff [McKagan, VELVET REVOLVER bassist] and he'll tell you, 'We wanted Sebastian, but the problem with Sebastian is that you just think of SKID ROW when you hear his voice.' And I didn't take that as an insult, 'cause it's true. That's the way it is.

"But do you give them what they want? I don't think the audience knows what they want," he continued. "I give the audience what I want [laughs], and I'm a son of a bitch, getting stuff the way I want to get it. And for 'What Do I Got To Lose?', the first song and video, I wanted fun. I wanted F-U-N. I wanted a video like WHITESNAKE or VAN HALEN or RATT where Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee play the cops and Bobby Blotzer arrests them and throws them in jail. That's, to me, fun. I wanna put a smile on people's face when everything is so fucking miserable. I want people to laugh and have fun, and that's what I want. Even the second video, which is a tough subject, because I wrote it about losing my home in a hurricane, and then the record company [said], 'But we want a video.' And I was, like, 'That's not very fun.' [Laughs] But I turned it around and I made it about the Maxell tape commercial, which is fun. And in the end, I'm watching all the footage of my house being destroyed and climate change, and I turn off the news and I put on my new record and start rocking out. And so that's still fun."

Bach added: "It's my mission to bring back the fun of rock and roll, which I find sorely lacking. I can't find fun on the Internet. No matter how hard I try, I can't find it. It's all negative fighting. This guy said this about this guy. That's not rock. Rock is supposed to be coming together, and that's what it always was before it all went to the Internet and now it's all clickbait and fighting and bickering. So I'm trying to just bring back the fun. That's it. That's all I'm trying to do."

"Child Within The Man" is being released today (Friday, May 10) via Reigning Phoenix Music. The LP 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. The album is available on jewelcase CD, cassette, and double LP in a variety of color options.

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?" tour is a mix of solo gigs and festival appearances. The stateside tour gets underway May 10 in Jefferson, Louisiana before wrapping June 29 in San Diego, California.

Bach performed "What Do I Got To Lose?" live for the first time during his February 24 concert at Palace Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Bach released the official music video for "What Do I Got To Lose?" in December. The clip was directed by Jim Louvau and Tony Aguilera. For the video, which shows Bach cruising through the desert in a convertible and performing with a full band, Sebastian was joined by his former SKID ROW bandmate, drummer Rob Affuso. The clip also features an appearance by actor and comedian Craig Gass and Sebastian's wife Suzanne, who plays a scantily clad car wash attendant.

Prior to the arrival of "Child Within The Man", Bach hadn't released a full-length disc since "Give 'Em Hell", which came out in March 2014. Like its predecessor, 2011's "Kicking & Screaming", the disc was released through Frontiers Music Srl, the Italian label which specializes in what's commonly called AOR, a term that once signified a popular radio format ("album-oriented rock") but nowadays applies to acts whose airplay is marginal.

The Tom deBlonk YouTube channel has uploaded video of MR. BIG performing the entire 1991 album "Lean Into It" on Saturday, May 11 at Rock & Brews in Highland, California. Check out the footage below.

Featured songs:

00:00 Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy
04:05 Alive And Kickin'
09:38 Green-Tinted Sixties Mind
13:08 CDFF - Lucky This Time
17:26 Voodoo Kiss
21:36 Never Say Never
25:36 Just Take My Heart
30:02 My Kinda Woman
34:45 A Little Too Loose
39:45 Road To Ruin
44:13 Band Intros
46:34 To Be With You

In a recent interview with Brazil's Rádio Kiss FM radio station, MR. BIG frontman Eric Martin confirmed that the group's ongoing "The BIG Finish" farewell will in fact mark the last time he and his bandmates hit the road together.

"When we say 'The BIG Finish', it's not, like — hey, more power to MÖTLEY CRÜE or when KISS kept going. We really are men of our words," he explained. "It's gonna be it. We're not touring anymore. That's it. We are putting out a new record. We're not even gonna tour on it. We'll play some songs from it as the tour progresses. I mean, it will end in August. And we've got a live album coming out. But that's it. That's it."

He added: "I would like to… I'm stuttering right now. I'm nervous because I don't wanna say the wrong thing, because I don't know what the rest of the guys plan, but it'd be great to do a couple one-off gigs here and there, like special shows. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that. But no more touring. It's not gonna happen, I promise you."

MR. BIG will release its tenth studio album, "Ten", on July 12. The LP features 11 new original tracks written by 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.

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

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.

The Crosscut Films YouTube Channel has shared a superscaled to 4K version of Van Halen's official video for "Poundcake". Check it out below.


"Poundcake" is the opening track on Van Halen's 1991 album, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. It was the first song to be released as a single from the record, reaching #1 on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart 







Sammy Hagar will be joined by rock heavyweights and longtime bandmates Michael Anthony (bass, backing vocals), Jason Bonham (drums) and Joe Satriani (guitar) on The Best Of All Worlds 2024 Tour.


Produced by Live Nation and featuring special guests Loverboy, the 28-date The Best Of All Worlds tour will commence on July 13 in West Palm Beach, FL and will conclude on August 31 in St. Louis, MO. For tickets and more details, go to RedRocker.com.


The tour follows on the heels of the chart-topping success of The Collection II, the box set released in October 2023, featuring newly remastered versions of the four consecutive #1 albums released during the Hagar era of Van Halen: 5150 (1986), OU812 (1988),  For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge  (1991), and Balance (1995). A reminder to fans of the arsenal of hits, many which haven’t been played live since the band’s 2004 reunion tour. Collectively, Anthony, Satriani and Bonham have played together in nearly every phase of Hagar’s career including Van Halen, Chickenfoot and The Circle, so fans can expect a setlist which draws from some of the biggest rock anthems of the last 4-decades, including, "Finish What Ya Started", "5150", "Your Love is Driving Me Crazy", "Best of Both Worlds", "Poundcake", "Sexy Little Thing", "One Way To Rock", "Right Now", "Good Enough", "Eagles Fly" and more. They’ve also enlisted legendary Australian musician, Rai Thistlethwayte on keyboard and backing vocals. The tour represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this band of brothers deliver one of the most legendary hits-packed live shows of their career.


“It’s crazy to think that it’ll be 20 years since Mikey and I played these songs with Van Halen on the 04’ Best of Both Worlds Tour,” said Hagar. “With Joe on board, we can take a deeper dive into those years. We’re going to touch on some hits from my entire career but seeing fans old and new really embrace the new collection set off something in Mikey and I. We were at my Birthday Bash in Cabo for my 76th and looked at each other and high fived, like ‘let’s do it.’ We pulled out a couple of them and it was an instant lovefest with the fans from our first riffs. The music we created is going to outlive us all. They deserve to be heard so it's time we go out and serve the fans that music, while we still can."





Tour dates:


July
13 - West Palm Beach, FL - iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
14 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre          
16 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre                                   
19 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
20 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live
22 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Broadview Stage at SPAC  
24 - Bridgeport, CT - Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater                       
26 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center
27 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center                                
29 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center                                
31 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage                             


August
2 - Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre
3 - Tinley Park, IL - Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
9 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena                         
11 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre               
13 - Spokane, WA - Airway Heights, WA BECU Live at Northern Quest
14 - Ridgefield, WA - RV Inn Style Resort Amphitheater            
16 - Wheatland, CA - Toyota Amphitheatre
17 - Concord, CA - Toyota Pavilion at Concord            
19 - Los Angeles, CA - Kia Forum
20 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resorts Amphitheatre           
22 - Dallas, TX - Dos Equis Pavilion
23 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion   
25 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP                      
27 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
28 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena                          
30 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center
31 - St. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

The first professionally filmed 4K 50fps video of PANTERA's current lineup has been published online. The footage, which can be seen below, consists of reunited PANTERA members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass),along with Zakk Wylde (guitar) and Charlie Benante (drums),performing the songs "A New Level", "This Love", "Walk" and "Cowboys From Hell" live at last year's edition of the Resurrection Fest on June 29, 2023 in Viveiro, Lugo, Spain.

In a recent interview with Sweetwater, Brown spoke about the decision to tour with a reformed version of PANTERA. The lineup has reportedly been given a green light by the estates of PANTERA's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. Rex said: "The last show, man, I had a creepy, like a cold — something came by me. It felt like there was a cold feeling. And I've gotten this a couple of times before. When we were down recording with Charlie — me and Charlie just went down [in late 2022], put up eighty to a hundred hours of tape before Zakk [started rehearsing with us]. Zakk was still on the road. So we wanted to get the bass and the drum real tight, and we had this scratch guitar player. I felt that same chill. And, to me, they're angels. And I think you know who they are. Those guys, I think they're looking down, or they're looking around us, with us, and I think they're digging what they're seeing, man. I really do. And that's the only kind of way I can look at it, and get as close as we can with Charlie and Zakk. And God, it's getting really, really good. And there's so much more potential to get even tighter."

Speaking about the opportunity to perform PANTERA's music to new generations of fans who never saw the band before, Rex said: "There's a lot of memories in this band that are hard to put down. And losing the brothers, I just never in a million years thought that something like that would happen. Here we are 22 years later, and to see these new fans' faces. You've got one kid sitting there, or man, woman or child crying, and you have this other guy just going, 'You did it right.' It's just amazing."

Earlier last month, Rex spoke to American Musical Supply about how touring with PANTERA in 2024 is different from how it was in the band's heyday. He said: "This is a completely different thing, man. We have Charlie and Zakk now, and they're just — number one, they've been great friends of ours for all these years. We get along extra super cool. Charlie and I went down, probably put about eighty, hundred hours on tape of all the songs we were gonna do for the set, and others that we would want to do. Charlie and I worked on this for six months before we ever got into a rehearsal room. That's just how good friends we are. Charlie has been one of my best friends for years. So, this is another band. It's hard to fill the shoes of the brothers. At the same time, this has become a really tight unit. And Zakk just puts the extra… Dime was a very unique guitar player, and he was my best friend, and it's good to see those boys up on the screens and with us. And that's what this is about tonight, for me."

Regarding how he and the rest of the current PANTERA lineup have balanced honoring the band's legacy with any new creative goals they might have, Rex said: "There's many ways that we wanna keep this legacy alive, 'cause the music is still played all over. We have a whole new generation of fans that, they probably wouldn't have heard this stuff if we weren't playing out here playing these shows. And so, that generation of fans — let's say the 15-to-18-year-old kids that come out — they'll shortly have children, and that keeps that new generation alive. And Phillip even says it in the set, the parents of the '90s, which I'm a parent of the '90s, it's a very important statement in the set because it's about the gratitude.

"We're not doing this for ourselves; we're doing it for the name and the brand PANTERA," he continued. "And by God, this music needs to be heard again. It does. It needed to for a long fucking time. And that's what we're here doing tonight… It's just wonderful to be able to do this and pay homage to my music, the riffs that I wrote, or the riffs that Dime wrote, or the patterns that Vinnie played, and for what Phil came up with — tremendous impact on this music."

Last month, Rex told Rolling Stone Australia about performing with PANTERA in 2024: "Two of our beloved brothers that just aren't here anymore man, that's life, you know? They're just not with us man. That's just fate; it's the way the ball rolls, dude."

He added: "This is no tribute band — Philip and I get to play these songs of ours that we haven't played in 23 years. And to be able to do that and connect with the enormity of what's happened is just extraordinarily fucking insane, you know?"

Regarding PANTERA's latest additions, Rex said: "We knew who would fit and who wouldn't. We knew what the obstacles were in front of us, and we knew after… I'll put it this way — Charlie and I came down in September [2022] before we played that [first] show in December [2022], and we have probably one hundred hours of tape of us playing every fucking PANTERA song that I could remember. And so, you know, me and Charlie lockin' in like that… the drummer and the bass player, that's your foundation. So when Zakk came in, there were certain things we had to go over and over and over, to get tight. And today, this band is about as tight and about as badass as I fucking want. You know what I mean, and that's all I'm gonna say on that."

"But, man, this band is on fuckin' fire, and I couldn't be happier, man," he added. "I just can't explain that as much as I need to, I could not be happier."

Rex previously told AndrewHaug.com that he was "absolutely" open to writing new music with the reformed version of PANTERA. "Yeah, I could tell you more but I'm not going to," he teased.

Earlier in the chat, Brown talked about what is has been like to go out and perform as PANTERA to a whole new generation of fans.

"You can't see it on the YouTube. You can't feel that vibe until you actually come to the show," he explained. "And we haven't been doing interviews just for the fact we want people just to come to the show. It's not about anything prior past or present that I wanna talk about today — just the show tonight.

"We're pinching ourselves over these new fans that have never seen this before, and it's a whole another generation that we either didn't know a) that were out there, b) that were still listening to us, and the turnout has just been unbelievable," Rex continued. "Of course, at first you had the naysayers and all that stuff, and as we played gig by gig, it's made us tighter. And I've been trying to rehearse this band as much as I can within schedules, and we'll just go down for no fucking reason and just jam. That's what makes a band tight."

The reformed PANTERA is headlining a number of major festivals across North America, South America and Europe and staging some of its own headline concerts. They are also supporting METALLICA on a massive stadium tour in 2024.

It was first reported in July 2022 that Anselmo and Brown would unite with Wylde and Benante for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

Asked how it feels playing those "timeless" songs again, Rex told AndrewHaug.com: "You just said it — they're timeless. So getting to play them again is a… These were a big part of Philip and I's songs too. Of course, respect to the brothers. I think that looking down on us and giving us a big — and they're with us. It's just uncanny. That's the glue. Those guys are hanging around with us.

"Look, I'm not some crazy old man, man. I know that we're here for reasons," Rex added. "And this time he gave us a heavy load, and we have come through in spades. And I'm very proud of Charlie and Zakk and Phillip for stepping up… All of us [were very close back in the day]. We were intertwined. There was a close-knit family of friends — Jerry Cantrell and all those guys, ALICE IN CHAINS. We were all brothers and we all had each other's backs — even as fucked up as we got. We're fine now, I'll put it that way. But it's just such a different time and we're older men and can appreciate this more. And I feel 25 years younger, man. It's just insane."

Addressing complaints from some fans that Brown and Anselmo are going out and touring under the PANTERA name even though Dimebag and Vinnie Paul are not involved, Rex said: "I don't call it anything. I call it PANTERA. The show itself is a celebration of the lives of all four of us. Two are sadly not with us, and we cannot bring them back. God, do I want them back. But that's just not possible. So we're doing the best thing that we can to keep our music alive. And I think they're smiling down and saying, 'You guys are doing all right, man.' And they're with us. And I'm not shittin' you."

Asked what his initial thoughts were when he was first approached about relaunching PANTERA as a touring act, Rex said: "Philip and I talked for several months before. He got on the phone and said, 'Hey, man, you wanna do it? I didn't have — maybe a six-second… not a hesitation, but just to wrap my head around the full gravity of the enormity of it. I went, 'Okay, I've got a couple of questions.' And, man, ever since that call we've worked really, really hard to get this thing going. And we've jumped over a lot of mountains."

Up until his passing in June 2018, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie, who was Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo had not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie suggested that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.

TWISTED SISTER's Dee Snider joined POISON's Bret Michaels on stage last night (Sunday, May 5) at the M3 Rock Festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland to perform four songs: TWISTED SISTER's "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock", AC/DC's "Highway To Hell" and POISON's "Nothin' But A Good Time". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

Nearly a year and a half after TWISTED SISTER's one-off onstage reunion at the Metal Hall Of Fame in Agoura Hills, California, Snider was asked by "The Hook Rocks!" podcast if he and the rest of the band would consider coming back together for special performances. The singer said: "As a result of all the bands retiring and dying, the offers get bigger and bigger for the holdouts to come back. And we retired in 2016, I think it was. So we're on eight years now of not playing, with no intention of coming back. But — my father, he says, 'Everything before the word 'but' is bullshit — but at some point, you've gotta say, 'Well, how can I say no to that?'"

He continued: "Is it there yet? No. Is it getting close? Yeah. Is there talk amongst us, like, 'Well, in the event that the numbers do get there, and they sure as hell seem to be going in that direction, how are we gonna do this?' So there's a little bit of that conversation. And that's both physically how we're gonna do it and on a number of other levels. And that's a recent occurrence, that the conversation has gone from 'never' to 'in the event that they make as an offer we can't refuse, what's the plan?' And there's some very general discussion on that, involving personal trainers [laughs], diets, hair extensions. And that's the first time in eight years that the conversation has changed."

Snider added: "We're all friends, by the way. The surviving guys, we all talk and we're all friends and we love each other. And that was one of the great things that came out of getting back together the first time is that we managed to fix the friendships and be friends and that, to me, is really why I wanted to do it in the first place, getting back [together] last time… So, anyway, we'll see what happens."

Last December, Snider confirmed to Canada's The Metal Voice that TWISTED SISTER will likely come back together in 2024 for special performances at different political rallies that need the band's support. He said: "Well, I won't be surprised if we're reuniting this election year to champion some important causes. We're all on the same page — pretty much all of us are on the same page — and I could see us helping fight the good fight. 'Cause this is a big-picture election, and with things like women's right to choose, that's a big-picture thing. That's gonna hurt the other side. I said 'the other side', because I'm not on that side, [on the side of] Mr. Trump.

"You can't roll back the clock," Dee explained. "We're not going back in time. We're going forward. The fact that my granddaughter does not have the right to choose just blows my mind. So these are important, important issues. It'll be less about the politicians and more about the parties they represent and what they represent. [Issues like] gun control. By the way, I'm the weird… I'm gunned up, man. But I am for intelligent gun control. I'm gunned up. I'm the moderate. I'm that person. I drive a Teslaand an H2 Hummer. I'm an environmentalist and I ride motorcycles.

"When Al Gore said to me, 'Oh, is Sick Mother-Fuckers [TWISTED SISTER's fanbase], is that a Christian organization?' And I said, 'Christianity and profanity have nothing to do with each other.' There's no 'thou shalt not curse', the 11th commandment that apparently was dropped or lost. No — those motherfuckers are cursing too. So everybody's cursing — like I just did. Sorry. I'm losing it now."

Snider added: "People say, 'What's a moderate? What is a moderate?' I tell people the middle, the vast middle, need to speak up, because right now the extreme left [and] extreme right are both. They're steering the ship, they're the loudest voices in the room, they're making the most noise, and the vast middle is sitting too silently. And they'll say, 'Well, what's a moderate these days?' I said, 'What's a moderate? If you're willing to discuss something and consider a compromise, you're a moderate.' Because the people on the extreme left and extreme right, they will not give one inch. They won't talk about it. They will not compromise under any circumstance. So there's a lot of us in the middle who may be more right leaning or left leaning. That's fine. But you need to speak up if you're willing to have a discussion on a subject and you're willing to consider compromising on something, 'cause those are the voices that need to be steering the ship, not the unrelenting, unyielding extremes on both sides."

Dee previously brought up the possibility of TWISTED SISTED becoming active at political events in 2024 during an interview in past April 2023 with Yahoo! Entertainment. At the time, he said: "We were all in favor of gonna go down to support Beto [O'Rourke], but we couldn't schedule it. You know, the band has a concern that the [classic TWISTED SISTER] song ['We're Not Gonna Take It'] is being co-opted by the extreme right… and we want to make sure that people still know it's a song for everybody and it does not represent that selfish micro group. It is really for the mass people, the moderate people, the people that just want to live their lives, be themselves, and not have people tell 'em they can't be themselves. So, I think you'll see us at political rallies and stuff like that. We'll be out there next year."

In January 2023, Snider told Eonmusic that there were no additional TWISTED SISTER reunion performances in the works. "A hard 'no plans'," he said at the time. "No plans at all to do that."

Going on to reference both OZZY OSBOURNE and MÖTLEY CRÜE's retirement and returns, he added: "You know, I've said when people retire, they should leave the stage, and all those bands, I'm tired of buying 'No More Tours' shirts and seeing people signing contracts in blood and then they show up three years later. I don't believe in that bullshit, so I don't think it's going to happen."

In March 2023, TWISTED SISTER guitarist Jay Jay French told The Metal Voice that the Metal Hall Of Fame performance shouldn't give fans the impression that there will be more TWISTED SISTER performances to follow.

"There's no reunion to speak of," he said. "I'm not gonna be so cynical and say that it couldn't lead to conversations, but we never had a single conversation about a reunion prior to this. Not one.

"People always go, 'When are you guys getting back together?' I say, 'Well, we talk all the time, but we never talk about playing. But we talk about business,'" Jay Jay added. "Why do we talk about business? Because 'We're Not Gonna Take It' and 'I Wanna Rock' are the most licensed songs in the history of the music business; they're in more TV commercials, movie soundtracks… So we do licensing deals all day long. It's really what we do. I'm in the business of music licensing, which is a business I didn't know existed."

In 2016, TWISTED SISTER embarked on one final trek, titled "Forty And Fuck It", in celebration of its 40th anniversary. These shows featured the band's "core lineup" of Snider, French, guitarist Eddie Ojeda and bassist Mark Mendoza, along with drummer Mike Portnoy. The band's last-ever concert took place in November of that year — 20 months after the passing of TWISTED SISTER drummer A.J. Pero.

TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.

Judas Priest frontman Rob halford is featured in a new interview with Metal Pilgrim. Check it out below.


Metal Pilgrim: "This interview episode's guest is nobody else but Metal God himself, Rob Halford, who speaks about the new Judas Priest album Invincible Shield, which comes out on March 8, 2024. Rob also discusses the lyrical themes of Invincible Shield, the first singles and why the band has chosen those to represent Invincible Shield and of course the Invincible Shield artwork and its concept.


In addition, hetalks about the upcoming 2024 Judas Priest live tour together with Saxon and Uriah Heep, and which songs Judas Priest will play live this time. And of course, also addresses the fact that he and Bruce Dickinson will be playing several shows at the same festivals in 2024, answering the question about a possibility of a duet. Rob Halford also shares some news about his new book and much much more. Enjoy!"




Halford on the possibility of performing "The One You Love To Hate" with Bruce Dickinson:


"That's in the lap of the gods. I don't know. I never say never to these kinds of things. I haven't spoken to Bruce in forever, I haven't spoken to Roy Z in forever; I'm just really excited to see the guys and get the group hug because between the three of us we've done so many things in metal. We have a great friendship, a great relationship, so yeah, anything's possible. I never say no to any possibilty or ideas."








Over the past 50 years Judas Priest have sold over 50 million albums worldwide and headlined the world’s biggest stages. With their evolving music and live performances also came a powerful unique identity, a look which has both defined the group and influenced future generations of metal bands the world over. With each year, the Judas Priest legend continues to grow; 2022 saw them inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and complete a sold-out rescheduled world tour in support of their 50th Anniversary. As we roll into 2024, Judas Priest continue to retain their crown as one of the biggest and best British bands in the world.


Invincible Shield can be pre-ordered here.





Tracklisting:


"Panic Attack"
"The Serpent And The King"
"Invincible Shield"
"Devil In Disguise"
"Crown Of Horns"
"As God Is My Witness"
"Trial By Fire"
"Escape From Reality"
"Sons Of Thunder"
"Giants In The Sky"


"Crown Of Horns" video:





"Panic Attack" video:





"Trial By Fire" video:





Invincible Shield album trailer:





Judas Priest will also delight fans with a world tour this year, the UK leg kicks off in Glasgow on March 11 before taking on North America in April and May.  See below for full North American tour routing and head to judaspriestinvincibleshield.com for tickets.


Tour dates:


April
18 - Wallingford, CT - Toyota Oakdale Theatre
9 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
21 - Reading, PA - Santander Arena
24 - Bangor, ME - Cross Insurance Center
25 - Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway
27 - Youngstown, OH - Covelli Center*
28 - Indianapolis, IN - Everwise Amphitheater at White River


May
1 - Rosemont, IL - Rosemont Theatre
2 - Minneapolis, MN - The Armory
4 - Kalamazoo, MI - Wings Event Center*
5 - Maryland Heights, MO - St Louis Music Park
7 - Huntsville, AL - VBC Propst Arena*
9 - Daytona, FL - Welcome to Rockville^
11 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
12 - Mobile, AL - Mobile Civic Center Arena*
14 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
16 - Columbus, OH - Historic Crew Stadium ^
17 - Evansville, IN - Ford Center*
19 - Washington, DC -The Theater at MGM National Harbor
21 - Albany, NY - MVP Arena
22 - Syracuse, NY - Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview


* Not a Live Nation Date
^ Festival Performance

Today, doom metallers Patriarchs In Black reveal the new track "What Do They Know? (For The Champions)", the first single from their third album, Visioning, set for international release on July 19th via Metalville Records.


Says guitarist Dan Lorenzo about the song, "I hope everybody loves this song as much as we do. I wrote the music, and Mark Sunshine wrote the lyrics and melody. When I wrote the music, I wrote the verse and the chorus simultaneously, and I knew I needed a third part for the song. So, what I do is I play along with the click track and I just do what comes naturally. The third part of the song was so simplistic, and I wondered why I wrote something that wouldn’t be that interesting. Then I decided to try some harmonies and add those to the notes, and I feel like I came up with something that I’ve never done before - multiple guitar harmonies. Of course, Johnny Kelly is on drums, and on bass guitar is Iron Lou, who is really big in the Maryland doom scene. Lou has been a really big Hades and Non-Fiction fan for many years, and he told me he can now die a happy man after playing on one of my songs. Sunshine did his usual incredible original lyrics and melody line, and I’m so happy with this."







Former Type O Negative / Danzig drummer Johnny Kelly and guitarist / riff writer Dan Lorenzo (Hades, Non-Fiction) formed Patriarchs In Black at the end of 2021. The project included well-known guests on vocals and bass, including Karl Agell (COC Blind / Lie Heavy) , Jimmy Gnecco, Dewey Bragg ( Kill Devil Hill / Bill Ward) among others. Their debut single "Demon Of Regret" came out in January 2022, and the debut album Reach For The Scars was released on July 1, 2022. Their second album, My Veneration, was released on October 6, 2023 with multiple guest vocalists and bassists.


For the forthcoming third studio album, Visioning, Dan Lorenzo has written 12 new songs. Beside drummer Johnny Kelly, it features again a bunch of great singers and bass players, like Dave Neabore (Dog Eat Dog), Karl Agell (Corrosion Of Conformity), Eric Morgan (A Pale Horse Named Death), Mark Sunshine (Riotgod), Jason McMaster (Watchtower), Kyle Thomas (Exhorder), and many more.


The songs on Visioning combine elements of classic doom metal with modern sounds as well as excursions into hardcore / crossover. The album was mixed and mastered at JROD Productions by Jon Cioicari.


"It's SO fun and not putting too much pressure on singers to come up with one or two amazing lyrics and melodies a year. I write a LOT of riffs/music. Our third album came together very easily. FUN FUN FUN," says Dan. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:





"Entry"
"What Do They Know? (For The Champions)"
"Before I Go"
"Heart Of Spite"
"Low Price"
"Welcome To Hell Again"
"Whiskey On My Mind"
"Empty Cup"
"Curse My Name"
"A Few Good Men"
"Birth"
"Visioning"


 

A new book of murder mysteries inspired by the iconic AC/DC album Back In Black is set to be released on July 16, reports Consequence.


The anthology has 10 short stories based on each song title from 10 different authors, including a brand-new Jack Reacher story by Andrew Child.


The book, titled Back In Black: An Anthology Of New Mystery Short Stories, is coming out via Blackstone Publishing. It’s curated by Don Bruns as part of his “Music and Murder Mystery Series,” which has previously featured anthologies based on Michael Jackson’s Thriller and The Eagles’ Hotel California.




One of the stories, “You Shook Me All Night Long,” features the character Jack Reacher, popularized by the series of Lee Child books, as well as the Tom Cruise movies and the current Prime Video series Reacher starring Alan Ritchson. It’s written by Andrew Child, who recently took over the Jack Reacher book series from his brother Lee.


According to the publisher, "The third in the collection of the Music and Murder Mystery Series, Back in Black features one story for each song from the seminal hard rock album of the same name. This book showcases ten brilliant mystery writers at the top of their game, including Reed Farrel Coleman, Heather Graham, Tori Eldridge, Ward Larsen, and Andrew Child, among others. Chilling and unexpected, Back in Black has a mystery for everyone."


Pre-order here.

Lausanne-based instrumental psych-rock act, Monkey3, have released a visualizer for "Ignition", the opening track of their new studio album, Welcome To The Machine, out now on Napalm Records. Watch below:





The Welcome To The Machine album was recorded and mixed by Raphaël Bovey at Blend Studio and MyRoom Studio, and was mastered by Lad Agabekov at Caduceus Studios in Switzerland. The incredible cover artwork was created by Sebastian Jerke.




Order here.





Welcome To The Machine tracklisting:


"Ignition"
"Collision"
"Kali Yuga"
"Rackman"
"Collapse"


"Kali Yuga" video:





"Rackman" visualizer:





Monkey3 is:


Walter - Drums
Jalil - Bass
Boris - Guitars
dB - Keys and Sounds


(Photo - Giuseppe Aufiero)

KittiePIG is the brainchild of South African-born, Grammy-featured producer, songwriter, entrepreneur and WE ARE PIGS frontwoman Esjay Jones, who has partnered with Morgan Lander and her all-female heavy metal band KITTIE. The partnership grew organically out of a musical collaboration between WE ARE PIGS and KITTIE in the form of the absolute rager "MOOT".

KittiePIG was born out of a passion for heavy music and a desire to provide alternative beverage options at shows and music festivals.

"I'm so excited for the metal masses to try KittiePIG!," says Lander. "Brewing our own NA beverage is new and uncharted territory for us, but I think we've really created something delicious and decadent without the usual regret. With an homage to our Canadian roots thrown in for good measure with the added Saskatoon berry flavor, it's certainly a unique taste experience beer aficionados and casual drinkers alike will love."

Jones comments: "We identified a gap in the market for non-alcoholic beverages that cater to music fans and health-conscious individuals alike. Market research showed that consumers have been leaning towards healthy alternatives, seeking out low-sugar and non-alcoholic options. KittiePIG's aim is to fill this gap by offering a product that is not only desirable and delicious, but that also caters to fans as well as their wants and needs."

KittiePIG is the brand's first offering — a non-alcoholic blonde ale crafted for rock and metal fans who desire all the fun — minus the buzz.

The product is responsibility sourced and sustainability prioritized. It's sourced from breweries that care about the environment.

KittiePIG not only looks fierce, but it pairs beautifully with festival foods including burgers, chips, tacos, ice cream, headbanging and heavy music!

KittiePIG is vegan and women-and-LGBTQ+ owned and operated.

Last fall, KITTIE spent time in the studio working on a new album with acclaimed hard rock and heavy metal producer Nick Raskulinecz.

Raskulinecz, who moved to Nashville from Los Angeles around 15 years ago, has previously worked with such acts as RUSH, ALICE IN CHAINS, KORN, RISE AGAINST, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, SKID ROW and the DEFTONES.

At some of its recent shows, KITTIE has been performing a brand new song called "Vultures".

KITTIE played its first concert in five years in September 2022 at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.

Joining Morgan and Mercedes in KITTIE's current lineup guitarist Tara McLeod and bassist Ivana "Ivy" Vujic.

Prior to Blue Ridge, KITTIE had not performed since its reunion show at London Music Hall in the band's native London, Ontario in 2017, celebrating the group's documentary "Kittie: Origins/Evolutions".

Vujic joined KITTIE in 2008 and appeared on the band's fifth studio CD, 2009's "In The Black". She also wrote and recorded bass for KITTIE's sixth album, 2011's "I've Failed You".

In January 2022, the original lineup of KITTIE — Morgan, Mercedes, Fallon Bowman (guitar) and Tanya Candler (bass) — reunited for an online chat to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of its gold-certified 2000 debut album, "Spit".

Candler left KITTIE after the release of "Spit" in order to finish high school and was replaced by Talena Atfield.

Bowman exited KITTIE in 2001 and started her own industrial/electronic project, AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT.

After KITTIE completed the touring cycle for 2011's "I've Failed You" album, the band entered a long period of inactivity during which Morgan focused on a marketing job for a chain of fitness clubs while Mercedes worked in real estate and more recently at a software company. The group also began work on a career-spanning documentary, "Origins/Evolutions", which finally saw the light of day in 2018 via Lightyear Entertainment in North America.

"I've Failed You" sold 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 178 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Photo credit: Whitney South

Jean-Michel Jarre and special guest Sir Brian May electrified the Bratislava, Slovaki skies last night with Bridge From The Future, the opening concert of the seventh edition of STARMUS Festival. In association with ESET, a global leader in digital security; the electronic music pioneer conceived this one-off futuristic staging installation, hosting the live performance set against the stunning backdrop of the SNP (UFO) Bridge.


During the afternoon, as the audience congregated around the Danube from throughout the city, they were welcomed by a brand new composition titled Blue Dot in Space. The music was specially created by Jarre specifically for this event, where real sounds of the stars were weaved into the soundscape, inviting the audience to consider our position on Earth within the cosmos, and the future of our home planet, reflecting the theme of this year’s edition of STARMUS Festival.


The staggering production featured exquisitely choreographed architectural light and laser displays that were visible from three different countries including Austria and Hungary. A mesmerizing 400-drone ballet painted the night sky with a supernova-like display, while fireworks punctuated the musical score. The stage included two towering turrets at over 30 meters tall, perfectly framing the UFO bridge behind it, which itself was adorned with lights and lasers. Jarre designed the entire visual element himself, conceiving it as a score to the music.




The concert in Bratislava represented the culmination of Jarre’s artistic vision, honed meticulously since he pioneered the concept of large-scale open-air events spanning entire cities, from Houston to Moscow and beyond. With this show in Bratislava, he continues to surpass himself, showcasing how he adeptly harnesses the latest technology to push the boundaries of live performance and entertainment. This event not only symbolizes Jarre's innovative spirit but also underscored the inseparable connection between science, technology, and art, a core principle of STARMUS Festival.


Among the concert’s repertoire of 19 musical works spanning Jean-Michel Jarre’s career was a remarkable new arrangement of Antonín Dvořák’s New World Symphony. Crafted by Jean-Michel Jarre and Sir Brian May, this rendition marked a historic first-time collaboration between the iconic musicians. Each brought their individual musical backgrounds and histories to the table, converging to create a singularly distinctive performance, firmly focused on the future. Sir Brian May also performed with Jarre on newly adapted works Bratislava Time and Rendez-vous Bratislava. Jarre was also accompanied on stage by his backing band featuring longstanding accomplice Claude Samard and newcomer British musician Adiescar Chase who played among other instruments the violin, bass guitar and didgeridoo. They were also joined by members of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra and a 19-piece chorus from the Slovak Philharmonic Choir.


The mammoth set, designed by Jarre, was constructed over a period of a month by a team of over 100 people working day and night, including hundreds of kilometers of cables, 21 screens, 150 lighting projectors and over 170 tons of staging equipment. It was the largest stage ever constructed in Slovakia. In an environmentally responsible approach and to offset its carbon impact, the production has also committed to the preservation and sustainable management of over 150 years of pan-European forests, notably in Slovakia.


The concert was televised on Slovakian National TV network RTVS as well as globally via the EBU network and live-streamed on Jean-Michel Jarre’s YouTube channel.


Bridge From The Future inaugurated the seventh edition of STARMUS Festival, the globe’s preeminent gathering uniting science, art, and music. This year, with the theme of ‘STARMUS Earth: the future of our home planet’, powered by ESET Digital Security, the festival convenes Nobel laureates, distinguished scientists and researchers, astronauts, intellectuals, and artists to exchange knowledge and insights as we explore profound and urgent existential questions. It was founded by astrophysicist Garik Israelian, PhD, and Queen guitarist and PhD in astrophysics Sir Brian May, under the auspices of the late Stephen Hawking. Science, often referred to as the bridge to tomorrow, holds the promise of transformative advancements - if we embrace its discoveries and predictions without hesitation.


STARMUS strives to inspire future explorers and reignite the passion for discovery by tackling pressing global challenges. Bridge From The Future embodies values of curiosity, creativity, and collaboration, echoed by main partner ESET, demonstrating their commitment to promoting science, culture, and education.


Jean-Michel Jarre said: “It is a great honour for me to be associated with Starmus Earth Festival and all the brilliant minds that will gather exceptionally in Bratislava to share their knowledge and vision with students and the general public over the week under the auspices of the extraordinary Dr Jane Goodall. Our planet needs scientists, artists and entrepreneurs that can invest their knowledge, vision and resources, beyond all political mandates, to gather together in educating the next generation, for them to be able to shape the future positively. Also as UNESCO Ambassador now for over three decades, I will always contribute where I can in pursuing progress in the fields of Education, Science & Culture : that is my mission as an active citizen of our planet and Starmus Earth in Slovakia is all about that.”


Brian May said: “It was a blast! The perfect kick-off for Starmus Earth.”


This 2024 edition of STARMUS Festival champions the theme of ‘The Future of our Home Planet,’ accentuating the vital role that both science and art play in ensuring a sustainable future for Earth. While science illuminates the truths of our universe, art and music inspire us to seek out further revelations.


The five-day event (May 13-17) comprises lectures and discussions on topics including Environment, AI and Cybersecurity, and Space. It also includes the annual presentation of the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication, for which Jean-Michel Jarre was a recipient in 2017. This year, Jean-Michel has been announced as the latest STARMUS Advisory Board member.


Richard Marko, ESET CEO said: “We couldn't be more thrilled that Jean-Michel Jarre ignited the STARMUS Festival with his captivating performance. The location with its backdrop of the SNP Bridge serves as a metaphorical bridge between the past and the future. It encapsulates the contrast of eras. On one end stands the historic centre of Bratislava, and on the other, the retro-futuristic UFO monument. A similar contrast is seen in the story of ESET. In the beginning, few businesses and individuals used the antivirus we developed 30 years ago. Now, that stands in striking juxtaposition to the multi-layered, AI-powered technology combined with human expertise, used by hundreds of millions of people all around the world for their protection. In both cases, such progress was only made possible thanks to science.”


Garik Israelian said: “It’s been 16 years since Brian and I met Jean-Michel in London and proposed to him a collaboration. We knew that Jean-Michel’s concert involves an ambitious production and never had an opportunity for this. It seems to me that we have been waiting for the Starmus Earth to make it happen. This is the first time STARMUS puts the spotlight on our planet and we want the general public to be more receptive than ever to the big questions of our time, of our planet. There is no doubt that kicking off this special edition with a performance as spectacular as "Bridge From The Future" will achieve that goal. Jean-Michel Jarre has always brought us music from the future to make us vibrate with the present, and that is the spirit of STARMUS.”


STARMUS Earth Festival runs from 13-17 May in venues throughout the city, tickets are available from ticketportal.sk.





(Photo - Tomas Kika)

2024 marks 40 years since the inception of The Black Crowes, and the Robinson Brothers are claiming this momentous year as their own. A salute to their past and a celebration of the present and future, Happiness Bastards is The Black Crowes’ tenth studio album and their first original music in 15 years. Produced by Grammy Award-Winning producer Jay Joyce, the album includes ten new tracks, with a very special feature from Grammy-winning superstar Lainey Wilson.


The Black Crowes have released the video below for "Wilted Rose" featuring Lainey Wilson, shot on the opening night of the Happiness Bastards Tour in Nashville, TN at the Grand Ole Opry.







The band's new single, and album opener, "Bedside Manners", will be impacting radio on May 14. Listen to the song below, and order Happiness Bastards here.





Tracklisting:


"Bedside Manners"
"Rats And Clowns"
"Cross Your Fingers"
"Wanting And Waiting"
"Wilted Rose" (Feat. Lainey Wilson)
"Dirt Cold Sun"
"Bleed It Dry"
"Flesh Wound"
"Follow The Moon"
"Kindred Friend"


"Bedside Manners":





"Wanting And Waiting" video:





"Cross Your Fingers":





The Black Crowes will be supporting Aerosmith this fall and winter. Dates are listed below.





September
23 - Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia, PA
26 - KFC Yum! Center - Louisville, KY
29 - Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse - Cleveland, OH


October
2 - Spectrum Center - Charlotte, NC
5 - Thompson Boling Arena - Knoxville, TN
8 - Capital One Arena - Washington DC
11 - State Farm Arena - Atlanta, GA
14 - Enterprise Center - St Louis, MO
17 - Heritage Bank Center - Cincinnati, OH
20 - Bridgestone Arena - Nashville, TN
31 - Footprint Center - Phoenix, AZ


November
3 - Frost Bank Center - San Antonio, TX
6 - Moody Center - Austin, TX
9 - American Airlines Center - Dallas, TX
12 - BOK Center - Tulsa, OK
15 - CHI Health Center - Omaha, NE
18 - Ball Arena - Denver, CO
21 - Moda Center - Portland, OR
24 - Climate Pledge Arena - Seattle, WA
27 - Delta Center - Salt Lake City, UT
30 - Chase Center - San Francisco, CA


December
4 - SAP Center - San Jose, CA
7 - The Kia Forum - Los Angeles, CA
28 - Prudential Center - Newark, NJ
31 - TD Garden - Boston, MA


January
4 - Little Caesars Arena - Detroit, MI
7 - Scotiabank Arena - Toronto, ON
10 - Bell Centre - Montreal, QC
13 - Schottenstein Center - Columbus, OH
16 - Gainbridge Fieldhouse - Indianapolis, IN
19 - United Center - Chicago, IL
22 - Xcel Energy Center - St Paul, MN
25 - T-Mobile Center - Kansas City, MO


February
11 - Kia Center - Orlando, FL
14 - Amalie Arena - Tampa, FL
17 - Amerant Bank Arena - Sunrise, FL
20 - PNC Arena - Raleigh, NC
23 - Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
26 - KeyBank Center - Buffalo, NY


The Black Crowes returned to the road this spring with their 35-date Happiness Bastards Tour. Remaining dates listed below.





May
14 - Manchester, UK - O2 Apollo
15 - London, UK - Eventim Apollo
17 - Newcastle, UK - O2 City Hall
18 - Wolverhampton, UK - The Civic at The Halls
21 - Brussels, BE - Ancienne Belgique
22 - Amsterdam, NL - AFAS Live
24 - Paris, FR - L'Olympia
27 - Milan, IT - Teatro Arcimboldi Milano
29 - Frankfurt, DE - Alte Oper
30 - Stuttgart, DE - Liederhalle


June
1 - Berlin, DE - Verti Music Hall
4 - Copenhagen, DK - Falkonersalen
5-8 - Sôlvesborg, SE - Sweden Rock Festival
9 - Mérida, ES - Stone & Music Festival


July
19 - St. Paul, MN - Minnesota Yacht Club*


September
13 - East Aurora, NY - Borderland Festival
14 - Asbury Park, NJ - Sea. Hear. Now Festival

DarWin featuring Simon Phillips, Mohini Dey, Greg Howe, and Matt Bissonette, will release their new album, Five Steps On The Sun, on June 7. A video for the song, "Be That Man", can be viewed below.


DarWin is an ongoing musical exploration driven by Simon Phillips and DarWin (DW). The music seeks to elevate the power of crafted songs, and the collection of songs into an album experience. Groove, energy, melody and harmony are all simultaneously prioritized. The songs should feel both original but somehow familiar.


The duo has collaborated with Matt Bissonette since 2015 as a song writing trio, fusing the diverse interests and experiences of the group. Matt’s vocals provide a soothing sonic resonance over novel rhythmic landscapes.




Follow-up to the critically acclaimed epic albums Origin Of Species and Frozen War, DarWin and Simon Phillips expand on their trademark sound - adding new levels of depth and melody.


The new album features a stellar lineup of musicians - Indian bassist Mohini Dey joins the band bringing her fiery playing, and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) and Greg Howe return to the project.


Five Steps On The Sun will beleased on CD and strictly Limited Heavyweight Vinyl including exclusive poster.





Tracklisting:


"Soul Police"
"Inside This Zoo"
"Be That Man"
"One Step On The Sun"
"Five Steps On The Sun"
"The Sun"
"Imitation Suede"
"Seasons Of A Life"
"Hulks & Heroes"
"What Do We Know"


"Be That Man" video:

As he did back in November 2022, Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys, Broken Teeth) stepped in for Armored Saint's John Bush at three shows last week - May 7 in Atlanta, May 9 in St. Petersburg, May 10 in Orlando - as Bush recovered from "voice issues". Fan-filmed video from the May 9 show at Jannus Live in St. Petersburg, Florida can be viewed below.


Following the Orlando concert, guitarist Phil Sandoval took to social media to write: "Thank you to Jason McMaster for saving Armored Saint again! He did a phenomenal job and we love and thank him so much! Mr John Bush will be back singing tonight. "


Bush was back on stage with the band as of Saturday (May 11) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Just days removed from a conquering performance at Legions Of Metal (review/photo gallery here), the Seattle based outfit, Greyhawk, took to social media to announce the amicable departure of vocalist Rev Taylor.


"It is with sadness that we have to let you know that our singer and frontman will no longer be singing for Greyhawk. Rev is changing the trajectory of his music career to focus on his opera performances. We are all still on great terms, and his decision to leave is strictly a professional one. Rev has been with us since this band officially started in 2018 and has sang on every release we have done and every show we have played. We will greatly miss his voice, his creative contributions, his larger than life presence and the brotherly bond we have all formed with him over the years. We have all been through a lot together and will miss our brother dearly. We are planning one final show with Rev in the Seattle area, date and venue TBD. Thank you Rev, for everything.


"You can follow his opera escapades here.




"With this being said, with every setback, great opportunity presents itself. The remaining 4 members are committed to continuing on as Greyhawk and bringing you more of our unique brand of heavy metal.  We are officially auditioning new singers as of right now. So anyone who is interested in singing for Greyhawk, please message us on Facebook, on Instagram or email us at greyhawkmetal@gmail.com.


"The keepers of the flame shall rise, and stand as one!!!!"

The pirates of VISIONS OF ATLANTIS have released "Monsters", the second single from their upcoming studio album, titled "Pirates II - Armada", which is set for release on July 5, 2024 via Napalm Records. The new successor to their high-charting previous release, "Pirates" (2022),is set as high as the waves cresting the Jolly Roger — taking everything that has been achieved to date to another level. With the second chapter of the pirates' saga, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS prove that they are more than ready to claim the crown of symphonic metal.

"Monsters" is a haunting musical adventure illustrating the confrontation with inner monsters, beginning with calm passages that burst into a rhythmic refrain, showing off the full musical power of the pirate queen Clémentine Delauney and brave captain Michele Guaitoli. With this preview of the second chapter of the pirates’ saga, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS prove that they are more than ready to claim the crown of symphonic metal and are eager to take stages by storm on their European tour this fall. Their raid will begin with their fulminant album release show in Aschaffenburg on July 6, 2024 and will be continued in the fall with the extensive "Armada" tour boasting 33 shows all over Europe — the biggest headliner tour of their promising career so far.

Guaitoli comments: "We fought the raging storms, the most dreadful foes and the darkest nights. Yet the worst enemy appears to be something we cannot face with cannons and sabers. This battle will be the hardest, as it’s time to look straight the eyes of the 'Monsters' inside of us. Proud and without fears, we're ready. Are you?"

Ship's log: July 5, 2024; High Seas

"A new day of sailing begins, the wind on our side, and the sea speaks of recent battles. The air feels fresh - Hypocrisy, greed, envy - hearts of the old world finally disclose their deluded truth. Old leaders are losing ground, their lies are getting worse, and darkness creeps in. Each sunny day hides a coming storm, nature testing our strength for the last battle.

"We've become pirates as their counterparts, free-spirited and true at heart. Navigating storms that try to make us doubt, we see the light in the darkness. The old truth is fading, making room for a new story. Our destiny is in our hands, in our hearts, in every step we take. Reconnecting with ourselves, we touch the essence of life we share with all creatures. Together, unstoppable, connected to the truth, guided by the sun and storms.

"We'll rule the oceans, the mainland, every street, every house, spreading hope. Our pirate cries will last for centuries, with ancestors humming our tunes, our words sung in the new world we create. Our glory will live on forever. United as one force, one army, under a final ARMADA."

Emotions, depth, richness of sound. Not only a record, but a true hurricane of feelings is what VISIONS OF ATLANTIS delivers with the new album, "Pirates II - Armada". On a journey in which listeners face their own battles and cannot resist joining the "Armada", VISIONS OF ATLANTIS will have listeners facing the "Monsters" inside them, with catchy melodies destined to endlessly stick in their mind. The uplifting "Tonight I'm Alive" surprises and captivates with the rhythms of a pirate party on the eve of combat, with the electrifying rumble of a hurricane — a unique, uncharted showcase of talent from VISIONS OF ATLANTIS. The burning flames of "Hellfire" enchant the listener before the sweetness of delicate melodies accompany them "Underwater". The cinematic adventure of seven-minute-plus masterpiece "The Dead Of The Sea" conjures the salty scent of the sea, making the listener feel — in every melodic twist and theatrical orchestral hit — the cannons firing and the battle raging. Listeners will shed a tear while mourning under the melody of "Ashes To The Sea".

"Pirates II - Armada" track listing:

01. To Those Who Choose To Fight
02. The Land Of The Free
03. Monsters
04. Tonight I'm Alive
05. Armada
06. The Dead Of The Sea
07. Ashes To The Sea
08. Hellfire
09. Collide
10. Magic Of The Night
11. Underwater
12. Where The Sky And Ocean Blend

Photo by Robert Eikelpoth / Photo editing by Blake Armstrong

HIGHLY SUSPECT, the trailblazing rock outfit comprised of Johnny Stevens (vocals, guitar),Ryan Meyer (drums, vocals),Rich Meyer (bass, vocals),Matt Kofos (guitar) and Mark Schwartz (keyboards/guitars),will release its new album, "As Above, So Below", on July 19 via Roadrunner/300/Elektra. Known for defying conventions and embracing their own sonic instincts, this forthcoming LP promises to continue the band's tradition of pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo within the rock genre.

With "As Above, So Below", HIGHLY SUSPECT invites listeners on a sonic journey that blends their trademark gritty guitars, haunting piano melodies, and off-kilter synths with a newfound sense of introspection and exploration. This album is poised to captivate both longtime fans and newcomers alike with its raw energy and thought-provoking lyricism.

To celebrate the news of "As Above, So Below", HIGHLY SUSPECT is unveiling the first single, "Summertime Voodoo".

"If my life is a book, then this album is the first chapter that truly addresses the central conflict," says Johnny Stevens. "The recognition of an ego, the problems its caused — and the birth of its death.

"If I'm being real, I hit rock bottom again. After another close call with death, I feel wide awake. I don't know how the book ends yet, but I'm very engaged in the plot now. I'd rather it not end at all.

"For the past few years I don't think I gave a shit one way or the other. Like Thom once said — 'for a minute there I lost myself.' 'Summertime Voodoo' is the introductory paragraph to this chapter.

"We didn't know which song to put out first, so this time, instead of trying to guess which one sounds most like a single, we just decided it makes the most sense to start at the top of the story."

HIGHLY SUSPECT will embark on a select series of tour dates across the United States this summer. These shows promise to be electrifying experiences, as the band will play the entire "As Above, So Below" LP from front to back.

Tour dates:

July 24 - Memphis, TN - Growlers
July 25 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall
July 26 - Chicago, IL - Outset
July 27 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop
July 29 - Detroit, MI - El Club
August 1 - Asbury Park, NJ - The Stone Pony
August 2 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall Of Williamsburg

"As Above, So Below" track listing:

01. Summertime Voodoo
02. Suicide Machine
03. The Blue-Eyed Devil
04. Mexico
05. Plastic Boxes
06. Melatonia
07. The Reset
08. Run For Your Death (More Pills)
09. Champagne At Our Funeral
10. The 8th Of October (To August 17th)
11. Then, Mickey 2

Never content to follow, HIGHLY SUSPECT push rock music forward by trusting their instincts and raising a middle finger to everything else. The multi-Grammy Award-nominated and gold-certified band don't just talk about burning the rules and breaking the mold; they actually do so.

The band's chemically imbalanced mix of gritty guitars, haunting piano, off-kilter synths, hip-hop production, cinematic vision, and beautifully possessed vocals transformed them into a phenomenon beloved by a diehard global fanbase known as "MCID" (My Crew Is Dope). After grinding it out as an underground curiosity, they scraped a path to mainstream infamousness with their 2015 full-length debut, "Mister Asylum". It earned a Grammy Award nomination in the category of "Best Rock Album" as the single "Lydia" received a nomination for "Best Rock Song" was certified gold by the RIAA.

The 2016 follow-up "The Boy Who Died Wolf" roared to life with the gold-selling "My Name Is Human", which catapulted to #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and garnered a Grammy nomination for "Best Rock Song." 2019's "MCID" affirmed them as the rare outfit who could collaborate with Young Thug and GOJIRA on the same album. Loudwire hailed the latter among the "50 Best Rock Albums Of 2019."

With hundreds of millions of streams and sold out shows on multiple continents, HIGHLY SUSPECT charged ahead of the pack again on 2022's "The Midnight Demon Club" with no compromises and no apologies as they challenged rock to be dangerous and maybe even life-changing again. Now in 2024, they are gearing up to share their latest opus, "As Above, So Below".

Photo credit: Jimmy Fontaine

In a new interview with The Metal Podcast, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory was asked if he and his bandmates are working on the follow-up to their 2022 album "AfterLife". He responded: "We always have music in the vault. We're always working on something. Probably next year, we will release an album at one point or another. And many times, actually, how it works, we have all this stuff in a vault, because there's so many times when I have songs that [are] not of the time, they're not… Like for example, 'Wrong Side Of Heaven' was probably one of our biggest hits. The lick on that song, the guitar piece on that song, I wrote it, like, 20 years ago."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH recently announced a headlining U.S. tour this summer with support from MARILYN MANSON and SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL. The trek will kick off on August 2 in Hershey, Pennsylvania and run through September 19 when it will conclude in Houston, Texas.

Prior to the U.S. run, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will embark on a tour of Europe in the spring for more stadium dates with METALLICA on the latter act's "M72" world tour in addition to headlining shows with special guest ICE NINE KILLS and select appearances at major festivals.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is continuing to tour in support of its ninth album, "AfterLife" which was released in August 2022 via Better Noise.

On April 5, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH released the digital deluxe edition of "AfterLife", featuring the original 12 tracks recorded with the band's longtime producer Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE) in addition to four bonus tracks: three acoustic versions of the album's songs "The End", "Judgement Day" and "Thanks For Asking" plus a brand new song, "This Is The Way", featuring the late rapper DMX.

In a 2023 interview with Midland Daily News, Bathory stated about the songwriting process for "AfterLife": "By our eighth record, we'd established who we are and how we sound. So it gave us artistic [permission] to let's just venture away from this a little bit. We could create a record that's sort of unexpected. We could create a record that's probably the most diverse of any of the records we've ever made.

"This is our favorite record, probably the deepest one [lyrically], the most complex," he added. "Yet it sounds like us. That's the best part."

Photo credit: Hristo Shindov

As the frontman of legendary Swedish maniacs Nifelheim, Hellbutcher stands among the most elite figures of the black metal underground, and with his eponymous new band, Hellbutcher, his frenzied mission continues conjuring sounds of pure blasphemy and absolute musical Armageddon. Nothing less than total metal devastation will do.


Following the end of Nifelheim, who played their final show in late 2022, Hellbutcher wasted no time in forging forward. Teaming up with old compadres in evil, guitarists Necrophiliac and Iron Beast, bassist Eld, and drummer Devastator (ex-Nifelheim), Hellbutcher quickly set about bringing their new vision to life. Together, they had quickly amassed enough material to record their raging, hellish, self-titled debut album, set for release on May 31 through Metal Blade Records.


Recording in various locations around Sweden, such as Devastator's own Red And Black Hall Drum Studio and Iron Beast's Chrome Studios, and producing and mastering everything themselves - "No need for an outside producer since we knew exactly how our band should sound" - it is a record that stands proud and unambiguous as a work or pure, metallic mayhem.




From the album's opener, the crazed "The Sword Of Wrath," Hellbutcher's intent is loud and clear: Channeling the spirit of Venom, Bathory, Iron Maiden, Exciter, Motörhead, Mercyful Fate, and the aggressive spirit of true heavy metal. It's an explosion of diabolic evil, performed relentlessly by true masters of the form.


Elaborates Hellbutcher of the band's latest single, "The title 'Hordes Of The Horned God' was inspired by an old Dissection song where Jon [Nödtveidt] mentions 'my god has horns.' I crafted the song with an epic yet raw and thrashing feel. The intro riff recurs in various forms, shaping both the chorus and the end of the mid-section of the song. Additionally, our great guitarist, known as Iron Beast, delivers some fantastic guitar solos on this track."


Listen to Hellbutcher's "Hordes Of The Horned God" below:





With an enviable musical pedigree and a killer album to their name, Hellbutcher are certain to scorch a mark onto the black metal scene. The man himself believes this could be even more devastating than his previous output. "I believe this band has the potential to surpass Nifelheim; we've accomplished more in a year than I did in the last decade with Nifelheim," Hellbutcher states. "The key difference lies in the fact that this band shares a common goal. I am now filled with tremendous inspiration, and I plan to create new songs, records, and gigs at a completely different pace than before."


Insisting in so many words that posers should die, and promising that their live shows "will be a neck-breaking experience," the underground is about to be hit with an outbreak of evil unlike anything it has seen for a long time. Time to turn the cross upside down: Hellbutcher is here, and they mean evil business.





Hellbutcher will be released on May 31 digitally and in the following physical formats and special editions:


- Jewel Case (EU + US)
- "Metal" Vinyl (EU + US)
- Special Edition (EU - CD, DVD, Patch)
- Special Edition (EU - LP, DVD, Patch) Orange Yellow Marbled Vinyl
- 180g Black Vinyl
- Ash Grey Smoke Vinyl (EU - Ltd. 300, Sound Pollution excl.)
- Blood Stained Ice Splatter Vinyl (EU - Ltd. 300)
- Red "Black Dust" Vinyl (EU - Ltd. 200, Sweden Rock Mag excl.)


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"The Sword Of Wrath"
"Perdition"
"Violent Destruction"
"Hordes Of The Horned God"
"Death's Rider"
"Possessed By The Devil's Flames"
"Satan's Power"
"Inferno's Rage"


"The Sword Of Wrath" video:





Hellbutcher lineup:


Hellbutcher - vocals
Necrophiliac - guitars
Devastator - drums
Eld - bass
Iron Beast - guitars


(Photo - Soile Siirtola)

Legendary Van Halen singer, David Lee Roth, has shared the video below, performing a portion of Steely Dan's "My Old School", featured on the band's 1973 album, Countdown To Ecstasy. Roth's clip features animation by Ramses Rios, TheArtOfRamses.com.





Last month, Roth debuted a new song called “Scotch And Sofa 4”. He had released three teaser clips of the track before unveiling the entire song with vocals. Check it out below:

Jona Tee and Nils Molin recently announces the upcoming release of the New Horizon album, Conquerors, an epitome of power metal finesse, slated to hit the shelves on June 14 via Frontiers Music.


Today, the band release the lyric video for the new single, "Apollo". Check it out below:







Following a remarkable journey that saw vocalist Erik Grönwall joining Skid Row, New Horizon's founder Jona Tee embarked on a mission to find a singer who could embody the essence of the band's next chapter. His quest led him to longtime friend Nils Molin, renowned vocalist of Dynazty and Amaranthe.


Upon encountering the band's fresh material, Molin was immediately drawn in, igniting a powerful collaboration. Reflecting on their partnership, Jona Tee shared: "At our first sit down in the studio he said ‘If I'm going to do this, I need to be 100% involved.’ Nils and I have been exploring the possibility of collaborating on a project for some time now. At first, I deemed it unlikely seeing as he’s got plenty on his plate already. However, I had to ask and was happily surprised that he considered it. And when we started bouncing ideas for lyrical themes the path forward appeared crystal clear. The die has been cast."


Conquerors marks New Horizon's sophomore album, showcasing their resilience and unwavering commitment to musical excellence. Nils's commanding vocals seamlessly intertwine with Tee's intricate melodies, resulting in a sound that is both familiar and refreshingly innovative.


Expressing his excitement for the project, Nils remarked: "My initial reaction to getting a text from Jona, asking me to sing on the new album was: Damn, I don’t have the time. But upon hearing some of the early material he was working on and after our first couple of sessions tracking vocals, effortlessly collaborating and mapping out a plan for the album, I decided that this simply needs to be done. Conquerors became a tale that grew in the making and ultimately expanding into an album way beyond my expectations, brim-packed with stellar songwriting, performances and surprise elements. If you like melodic metal - you’re in for a treat.”


With Conquerors poised for release, New Horizon is poised to ascend further in the power metal realm. Their dedication to musical craftsmanship and adaptability solidifies their position as a rising force in the genre. As they embark on this new chapter, New Horizon is prepared to conquer new frontiers and make an enduring impact on the music scene.





Tracklisting:


"Against The Odds"
"King Of Kings"
"Daimyo"
"Shadow Warrior"
"Apollo"
"Fallout War"
"Messenger Of The Stars"
"Before The Dawn"
"Edge Of Insanity"
"Alexander The Great (356-323 B.C)"


"King Of Kings" video:





"Daimyo" video:

Joe Satriani and Steve Vai's friendship with each other (and the guitar) started as kids in New York. It’s still going strong five decades later, and for the first time they  joined up for the Satch/Vai tour. It wrapped up at on May 12th at Luther Burbank Center For The Arts in Santa Rosa, CA and Vai has shared the message below with his fans:


"I’m sitting in my backyard the afternoon after the last Satch/Vai show of the tour. This had to be my favorite tour of my career. Having the opportunity to connect with Joe, in that intimate space of instant improvisation feels sacred, and quite a lot of fun. My deepest thanks to my band, Joe’s band, the amazing crew that made it all happen, and to all of you who have come out to support this celebration. And of course, infinite appreciation to brother Joe. Much more to come, my friends!"







Vai and Satriani recently collaborated on a new three-part piece of music, "The Sea Of Emotion". The duo recently spoke with Guitar World about the collaboration. Following is an excerpt from the interview.


Satriani: "When Steve and I decided the time had finally come for us to collaborate on an album I immediately thought of our humble beginnings, where we came from, and our teenage rock ’n’ roll hopes and dreams. To anybody else, it may look like just a field, part of the sprawling Carle Place Public School complex, but for some of us, back in the early ’70s, when the sun went down and the moon came up, (that field) became 'The Sea of Emotion'. We would hang out there late at night and share our deepest thoughts. The memories we shared at that location so long ago became the inspiration for a musical journey in three parts. Each part of the song has little reminders of what we were so into musically back then, including a chord sequence that Steve and I would sometimes jam over during guitar lessons."


Vai: "As young teenagers, we would sit overlooking this magnificent field and wax on generously for hours about the meaning of life and many other deep, rich discussions. We deemed this field 'The Sea of Emotion'. Connecting with Joe on this track, and the other music we are working on, is perhaps the most rewarding musical collaboration I’ve ever engaged in. Although we’ve toured and recorded jams together through the decades, for this music we are intimately bringing together our melodic impulses and playing techniques and creating something that is bigger than the sum of its parts."


Read more via Guitar World here.


Check out the official video for "The Sea Of Emotion, Pt. 1" below.


 

In a new interview with Eddie Jorgensen of San Francisco's CBS SF, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King spoke about the formation of his solo band, which also includes drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER),bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH),guitarist Phil Demmel (formerly of MACHINE HEAD) and vocalist Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL). Asked why he chose to tap three well-known musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area metal scene for the new group, Kerry said: "I didn't think of it like that, but that's just how it panned out. I've known these guys — especially everybody from the Bay Area — for decades. All of them except Mark needed work. Certainly Paul and I were out of work. Phil Demmel was also out of work, but he put his name in the hat very early and worked with us doing demos off and on. Every five or six weeks, he'd come down to play and we'd sound better. Using the demos we had, Phil would send new ideas whenever had new material. Phil's an incredible player and Mark's one of the best singers in thrash metal, without question. The pulse of thrash definitely comes from [the San Francisco Bay Area]. We [in SLAYER] were a little displaced because we were in Southern California, but at the end of the day, so was METALLICA."

He continued: "I met Kyle in 2015 on the 'Mayhem' tour and we became friends very quickly. I knew that if I ever wanted a bassist, that's who I'd be calling. He's my East Coast connection. Paul's been working with me on and off since the early '90s, so the talent and the friendship is there. I'm happy I could help the guys out when they didn't have work. Right now, I get to go forward and show everybody what we got."

King went on to say that KERRY KING "isn't a solo project. KERRY KING [the band] happens to have my name on it," he explained. "This is my band and will be until we decide no longer to be one. Hopefully, that's when we're all done and want to hang it up to go sit on our porch and watch a bucket of grass grow. These are my guys now, so get used to them."

Kerry's new band played its second show ever Thursday night (May 9) at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida.

King's first-ever festival solo appearance came just two days after his solo group made its live debut at Reggies in Chicago, Illinois.

As was the case with Reggies, King's setlist for Welcome To Rockville included SLAYER tracks as well as several of the 13 songs that appear on King's upcoming debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", which is due on May 17 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

Fan-filmed video of the Welcome To Rockville performance can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Metal Hammer magazine, King stated about the setlist for his solo band's shows: "For this coming summer in Europe, we're gonna do like nine or 10 tracks from the album and, depending on set length, fill it with stuff I've done — something I wrote in SLAYER or co-wrote. So nobody can say 'he's playing Jeff [Hanneman, late SLAYER guitarist] songs,' because although I love Jeff songs and he was such a big part of my life, I don't want to rely on it this year, this album cycle. At some point, I will play 'Angel Of Death', but there's so many fucking faceless haters on the Internet, I don't want to give them ammunition."

All material for "From Hell I Rise" was written by the 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.

King told Rolling Stone about the decision to call the band KERRY KING: "It was going to be KING'S REIGN for a long time, which is really cool. But even with that one, I went to the guys, like, 'I'm not a vain dude. I don't want my name to be a part of it.' We talked about BLOOD REIGN for a while, but it didn't work. Every time I came up with anything remotely cool, it was taken by some obscure band in Eastern Europe. It became KERRY KING because I love that logo."

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.

KERRY KING will next play at the Sonic Temple festival on May 16.

Photo credit: Jim Louvau

During a new appearance on the "Rockonteurs With Gary Kemp And Guy Pratt" podcast, Joe Elliott once again dismissed suggestions that DEF LEPPARD is a heavy metal band. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have an issue with the term 'heavy metal' because everybody outside of rock always thinks if you're a heavy metal band, it's like bad news… You get this impression that everybody's a moron.

"[AC/DC] were a blues rock band," he explained. "UFO and THIN LIZZY were not heavy metal. MOTÖRHEAD, even they had a blues influence to them… QUEEN were never a heavy metal band, but they had a couple of heavy metal songs, thanks to Brian May. And I think we were pretty much the same way. It was rock — absolutely heavy rock, for sure."

Elliott continued: "You listen to our first EP [from 1979], there's a song called 'Ride Into The Sun', which is a total pop song. But then '[Get Your] Rocks Off' was a, full-on rock song.

"If we're heavy metal, then so are THE ROLLING STONES, 'cause it's two guitars, bass, drums and a singer.

"It's a silly, silly term," Joe added. I like 'rock'. When you start pigeonholing, it gets on my tits, to be quite honest, because can't we just all be just a rock band or a pop band or be both?"

Four years ago, Elliott addressed the fact that DEF LEPPARD's debut single, "Getcha Rocks Off", on the band's own label, Bludgeon Riffola, helped kickstart the whole New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement.

While a handful of NWOBHM bands, most notably IRON MAIDEN and DEF LEPPARD, achieved global success, most of the genre has been consigned to relative obscurity. Ironically, thrash — the more extreme metal subgenre that was directly influenced by NWOBHM — wound up having more commercial appeal and staying power.

He told uDiscover Music: "Even after all these years, the British media still try to lump us in with the NWOBHM, whereas the American media still try to pigeonhole us as a 'hair metal' band, but none of that has ever stuck because we became established as a standalone band," Elliott said. "The fact of the matter is, only two bands of note survived the NWOBHM tag — that's us and IRON MAIDEN, and we're vastly different bands. DEF LEPPARD are where we are now — playing stadiums and beyond, and inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame — because of who we are rather than because we were part of a movement."

Elliott has consistently dismissed suggestions that DEF LEPPARD was once a heavy metal band, telling VH1 in a 2005 interview: "We've had this argument many times. If you put Lemmy, Scott Ian and [Ronnie James] Dio in a room and say 'Heavy metal — DEF LEPPARD, discuss,' they'd all burst out laughing. But at the same time, you could take Pink and Christina Aguilera and say 'DEF LEPPARD — pop music' and they'd do the same thing. I don't know where we stand. I don't think we ever believed we were a metal band. I think MAIDEN were a metal band and a very good one. We're a rock band."

While promoting DEF LEPPARD's 2006 covers album "Yeah!", Elliott told InsideBayArea.com about DEF LEPPARD being associated with New Wave Of British Heavy Metal bands: "Lumping us in with IRON MAIDEN was as ridiculous as lumping us in with DEPECHE MODE. And we've spent 20-odd years trying to tell the whole world that we're not a British heavy metal band. Now, if people finally hear the songs that influenced us, they might finally get the picture."

In a 2021 interview with "The Jeremy White Show", Elliott pushed back against the suggestion that DEF LEPPARD at some point moved away from its New Wave Of British Heavy Metal roots. "We didn't move away from anything 'cause we were never in it," he said. "We were put there by other people, and we would sit there kicking and screaming 'cause, youth being what it is, you're, like, 'Don't lump me in with that lot.'

"To me, there was only ever two bands that came out of that movement, and it was us and IRON MAIDEN, that have actually made something of themselves," he explained. "There was a lot of potential that fell by the wayside. To me, putting either of those two bands, us and MAIDEN, in the NWOBHM thing, is like saying that THE BEATLES were part of the Mersey sound. They weren't. They were the fucking BEATLES. They invented everything; everybody else followed in their footsteps and their slipstream.

"A lot of these bands, it was just because of the time period. Disco was dying on its ass. New wave was taking over as a pop phenomenon now rather than punk, and it was time for some rock music back in. 'Cause 1975, that was the last time that there was any love, at the time, for bands like [DEEP] PURPLE, [URIAH] HEEP, [LED] ZEPPELIN, [BLACK] SABBATH. Then punk came in and kicked everybody up the ass. But then when that didn't last and the new wave stuff was a bit more pop, there was rock coming back in it, but influenced by punk. I mean, you listen to early MAIDEN, it was punk, especially with [Paul] Di'Anno on vocals. You listen to our first album, songs like 'Wasted' and 'Get Your Rocks Off' were very influenced by punk, even if they don't sound like punk songs — short 10-, 15-second guitar solos instead of these things that lasted longer than a BEATLES song.

"It's an interesting thing that people always lumped us into that," Joe continued. "And in America, for example, we got lumped into the 'hair metal' thing. It's, like, how? All of a sudden we disappeared at the end of 1983 and we don't reappear until August '87. Something happens in Los Angeles while we're living in a frickin' windmill in Holland, and we get roped into it. It doesn't make any sense. I mean, I'd be the first to admit that with bands like WARRANT, 'Cherry Pie' — come on, it sounds like '[Pour Some] Sugar [On Me]'. Not that some of our stuff didn't sound like other people that came before us, but there wasn't an overload of that kind of stuff. But the fact is that some lazy media folk would lump us in with it, even though we were a) British, b) never spent any time on Sunset Boulevard. And, as I said, we were living just outside Amsterdam, watching windmills go around. What came out of us musically had nothing to do with anything else. It was totally us.

"Like I said, we've always wanted to be a standalone band," Elliott added. "And I've been accused year for decades now, 'Oh, he's being very defensive, isn't he?' And it's not being defensive. It's just trying to explain it to people that don't listen. And you do it, you do a round the press for a new album, and you have 3,000 interviews, and then the next time you put a record out, you're back to square one again. It didn't work, which is why when we did the 'Yeah!' album, we thought, 'Well, you know what? They don't listen when we talk. Maybe they will listen when we sing and dance.' Which is why you've got BLONDIE, David Essex, ROXY MUSIC, [David] Bowie, [Marc] Bolan, all that kind of stuff. No 'Smoke On The Water', no 'Rock And Roll', no 'Paranoid'. That's not us."

In a new interview with Andrew Daly of ClassicRockHistory.com, Alex Lifeson once again spoke about the chances are of him working on new music and touring with his RUSH bandmate Geddy Lee at some point in the future. He said: "There's so many people that ask about us getting back together, if we'll find a new drummer, or continue with RUSH, and honestly — I'm proud of the fact that we haven't, and that it was over when it was over. We toured for 41 years, and Neil [Peart, late RUSH drummer] was done. He couldn't play like he did ten years earlier, and it was very difficult; he did not want to play even one percentage less than perfect. That was understandable. And it was sad when it was over, and all of that, but in retrospect, we went out on a high note, and that's the legacy of RUSH."

Alex continued: "So many people remember us, and there's sadness amongst our fans that it ended, and they want more, but you can't go back. We can't just go and get another drummer, and go out and play concerts, and make new material. It just would not be the same. It would just be a money ploy."

Earlier in the month, Alex revealed to Ultimate Classic Rock that he had been revisiting RUSH's catalog with Geddy. "We decided that we would play some RUSH songs. Because, you know, we haven’t played these songs in 10 years," Lifeson said. "We started that a couple of weeks ago. We get together one day a week over at his place. We just picked some RUSH songs and we started playing them and we sound like a really, really bad RUSH tribute band."

Lifeson went on to say that RUSH fans shouldn't get their hopes up that he and Lee would go back on tour and perform any of the band's classic songs again.

"I'm 70. It's not as easy to get my fingers to do what my brain tells me to do," Lifeson said. "They're much lazier than they used to be and they have a poor memory. Doing this really helps a lot, and it's fun. That's it. The whole thing was that in the beginning, it was just fun. We're having a riot together doing that. There's no rhyme or reason. We're not planning on going back on the road, finding a new drummer or anything like that. It's just fun to do it."

This past January, Lifeson didn't rule out the possibility of playing with Lee again, telling Greg Prato of Ultimate Guitar: "There's certainly a lot of interest in us doing something. I think for a lot of RUSH fans, they've been hoping for… Geddy had his book tour. I went out on a few of those dates with him. I think that's kind of sparked more interest in us working together.

"Ged's a very busy guy," Alex continued. "He's written a couple of books over the years. He has a lot of stuff that he's into. This is my studio in my apartment. I've been working on the ENVY OF NONE stuff as well as a few other projects. So I've been playing and recording for all these years.

"When he's ready, he always says, 'Come over for a coffee and we'll go down to the studio and bash around a few notes.' Yeah, call me. And so far he's been so busy, but I think maybe in the new year — or this is the new year — maybe soon we'll find the time to sit down and see what happens," Lifeson added. "Maybe nothing happens. Maybe it's not there anymore. Maybe it's gonna be amazing. I don't know. We'll see. Honestly, it's not a priority for us. We're happy in our lives. So, it's not like we need to go back to something. And that's my fear. That if we — that would be the expectation, this is like RUSH 2. But by necessity it has to be something different. And it can never be RUSH. Without Neil [Peart, late RUSH drummer], it can never be RUSH. That's it. It's over. But you never know what can happen. So we'll see."

For the past couple of decades, Lifeson has been suffering from psoriatic arthritis, a chronic, autoimmune form of arthritis that causes joint inflammation and occurs with the skin condition psoriasis. During an appearance on the January 10 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", the now-70-year-old Canadian musician opened up about the severity of longtime physical ailments, saying: "I would say that's slowly getting worse, as to be expected. I have psoriatic arthritis, and I've been dealing with it for quite a while — for almost 20 years. I'm on two biologics [biologic drugs for the treatment of arthritis], so sort of like a double whammy in dealing with it. And it's been very, very effective. Despite the side effects and all of that, it's been a really effective regimen for me, and it's really helped my hands. I have times where the inflammation has its own mind, and that's when you'll see me shaking my hands [while I am playing]. But it is what it is, and I can still get by, and I'm so used to it, I don't really even think about it that much anymore. "

Lifeson also talked about the possibility of him returning to the road, either with Lee or with another project. He said: "[After] 40 years of touring, I'm not interested in touring anymore. I enjoyed it when we did it. There were lots of ups and downs. The gig is great, the show is great, and for the other 21 hours in a day, you're just waiting for those three hours. And it gets tiring, especially when you have a family and you have loved ones at home that you're estranged from for months and months and months at a time. I don't miss that aspect of it. Do I like playing in front of people? Yeah. I still like that — maybe not to the point where I have to do it. But when [Geddy and I] did the Taylor Hawkins benefits and we did the 'South Park' thing in Denver, and I do these Christmas shows with Andy Kim and lots of great musicians that I get to play with, then it's fun. I really enjoy that, and it's controlled, and it's great. To make a big deal and do a tour and get back into that thing, I don't really have an interest in that. I know Ged would like to play again and he would like to spend some time writing. But beyond that, honestly, we haven't talked about anything beyond just getting together and having a coffee and just bashing out a few notes."

Alex continued: "[Geddy] has a lot of stuff in his life. He's a very busy person. He's really enjoying this phase of being [a book] author. He's on the go, go, go, go all the time. And I'm here, and I'm playing on all these different projects. So, in a way, I've continued being that musician, and he's gone off to do other things. So, whenever he's ready, like usual, I only live five minutes away from him, like we have all our lives. I go over and hang out and we'll turn the recorder on and do some stuff, but there's no plan for a tour. There's no plan for anything. And I know rumors get started and people have their desires and lots of people would love to see us get back and play again. Well, I don't know. I don't know. Who knows? Maybe if we're together, we're messing around and we get excited… Certainly after we did those gigs, it was quite heady and very exciting. But I really love my life right now, and I don't know if I'm gonna disrupt it by being away from the things that I'm really enjoying, for any reason."

Lifeson also reflected on RUSH's final tour, which concluded in August 2015 in Los Angeles. According to Rolling Stone, the trek took the novel approach of presenting the band's music in reverse chronological order, meaning Alex and his bandmates — Lee and drummer Neil Peart — began the show with songs from their most recent albums and slowly worked back to their earliest material. As time went backwards, stagehands would swap out the backdrop to match the period they were visiting. That meant by the time they reached the encores, it looked like they were playing in the high school gyms of their youth.

"The last tour I thought was a terrific tour for RUSH," Alex said. "I thought we played really well. I thought the show was really fun. Going back in time to the beginning was a great way to celebrate the end of the band. I don't know if, at 70 years old, 10 years later, if I can play like I played back then. I haven't played that material in nine years. And if I can't play it like I played it nine years ago, then I really have no interest in doing it. I think RUSH has a strong legacy because of the way things ended. We ended on a high note, and that's the way people remember us. And I think that that also is partly the reason why so many people would love to see us back out, because that's the memory they have of us. We were dedicated to what we were doing. We practiced a lot. We were passionate. We played our hearts out. Physically, ten years later, at this stage, [after] these ten years, I don't know if we can do that. I don't know, can Ged sing like he did? Can I play guitar? Can he play bass like he did? I don't know. Unless we did a big rehearsal and tried to do all that stuff, we'll never know. But just thinking intellectually how this would work, I'm not keen on doing it, really."

Peart died on January 7, 2020, after quietly battling brain cancer for three and a half years. RUSH waited three days to announce Peart's passing, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.

In 2022, Geddy revealed that Neil wanted to keep his cancer diagnosis a secret prior to his death.

Lee went on to say that he and Lifeson had to be "dishonest" to fans in order to protect Peart's privacy.

Photo credit: Richard Sibbald (courtesy of Kscope)

During an appearance on the May 8 episode of the Brazilian TV talk show "Conversa Com Bial", Bruce Dickinson was asked if IRON MAIDEN is a democracy. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Uh, ultimately you can't have a team as a democracy. A football team is not a democracy. You've gotta have a manager, you've gotta have a captain, you've gotta have a game plan, and people have gotta stick to the game plan. Now you can disagree, you can have discussions and you can have arguments, because when you're passionate about something, you have arguments. But you can sometimes have areas where the coach will go, 'You know what? I'm not in charge of the physiotherapy department. If the guy in charge of the physiotherapy department tells me that I need everybody to do this, this, this, that's what we're gonna do.' So, with MAIDEN, we divide things up and things seem to work quite naturally now, organically. Like if Steve [Harris, MAIDEN founder and bassist] really is crazy about 'I'm gonna do this, this, this' musically, I'm, like, 'Okay.' So me and Adrian [Smith, MAIDEN guitarist] will write stuff, and if it fits, great; if it doesn't, not a problem. So we live with each other. It's quite cool. It's learning to be tolerant of each of each other, basically, because we're not the same. We all have different interests, all have slightly different attitudes. We were put together as a band. We didn't all know each other from childhood or anything else like that. So I would probably never have met Steve Harris if I wasn't the singer in IRON MAIDEN. I would never have met [MAIDEN drummer] Nicko McBrain if he wasn't the drummer. But we've all grown together, and we've ended up as a kind of family, because we tolerate each other, and we look after each other, and we care for each other."

Two months ago, Bruce was asked by Stereogum why he thinks there haven't been any lineup changes in IRON MAIDEN since he and Smith rejoined the band in 1999. He responded: "I think we've all grown up just enough to appreciate that we were all separate individuals who got together to play IRON MAIDEN music. I think what pissed Adrian off, and me to a certain extent, was this idea that we were just this homogenous blob that was IRON MAIDEN. That we were a single block of concrete. Adrian rebelled against that. I didn't particularly like the idea either. Because it was, like, 'Are we not individuals then?' And then it was, 'To a certain extent.' Well, no. Now we've rejoined."

He continued: "The reason we've rejoined is because we wanted to, so it's a choice. And it was actually our choice. It was a request, and it was our choice to rejoin. And now, having done that, let's have more adult relationships between everybody. It became a lot easier to get on with everybody, a lot easier to speak more honestly and open about things. And also, not to get bent out of shape about things, about somebody has a bad day or somebody's turned into a megalomaniac this afternoon. Just walk away, because tomorrow morning, they won't be like that. Whereas back in the '80s, we'd have had a fucking argument about it, or people would have gone away and sulked about it for weeks. And that just breeds resentment and discontent and things like that."

Dickinson added: "We're in the state now where the band's really successful, and we all get on, probably because — with the exception of [MAIDEN guitarist] Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, who lived in the same street together when they were growing up — none of us would ever have met each other if it wasn't for IRON MAIDEN. I would never have met Nicko McBrain. I would never have met Steve. What brings us all together is MAIDEN. So, this is a great place to be. We're probably one of the biggest heavy metal bands in the world. We mean a huge amount — and I do understand that — to millions of people around the world. And what's not to love about still being able to do it?"

Dickinson joined MAIDEN in 1981, replacing Paul Di'Anno, and made his recording debut with the band on the 1982 album "The Number Of The Beast". He quit the group in 1993, pursuing several solo projects, and rejoined in 1999.

In a 2019 interview with Spain's RockFM radio station, Dickinson said that he had no interest in reconnecting with MAIDEN if it meant only focusing on nostalgia.

"Well, all I needed to know was that we were not gonna come back as some sort of a reunion-type thing," he explained. "I didn't want to go back to the past. This was gonna be about putting a band together that was looking ahead to the future — to do a great new album and to really restart the whole impetus and direction of the band. And Steve said that's what he wanted to do, and I was, like, 'Okay. Let's do it.' And, of course, the first album we came out with after that was [2000's] 'Brave New World' — I think one of the best MAIDEN albums that we've ever done."

During Dickinson's absence from MAIDEN, the band released two albums with his successor, former WOLFSBANE singer Blaze Bayley — 1995's "The X Factor" and 1998's "Virtual XI" — which saw MAIDEN relegated to playing small theaters in America for the first time in years.

Dickinson is considered one of the world's most storied musicians. Aside from decades spent delivering high-octane performances with his larger-than-life persona in IRON MAIDEN, Bruce has lived an extraordinary off-stage existence too. A true polymath, his accomplishments include: pilot and airline captain, aviation entrepreneur, beer brewer, motivational speaker, film scriptwriter, twice-published novelist and Sunday Times best-selling author, radio presenter, TV actor, sports commentator and international fencer — to name but a few.

Dickinson, who had a golf gall-size tumor on his tongue and another in the lymph node on the right side of his neck, got the all-clear in May 2015 after radiation and nine weeks of chemotherapy.

Bruce later told iNews that he wanted to cover his cancer battle in his 2017 autobiography, "What Does This Button Do?", to raise awareness of the condition, which affects people who often have no or minimal history of tobacco or alcohol abuse. The individuals with HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer who undergo treatment have a disease-free survival rate of 85 to 90 percent over five years.

Bruce's new solo album, "The Mandrake Project", was released on March 1 via BMG. Dickinson and his long-term co-writer and producer Roy "Z" Ramirez recorded the LP largely at Los Angeles's Doom Room, with Roy Z doubling up as both guitarist and bassist. The recording lineup for "The Mandrake Project" was rounded out by keyboard maestro Mistheria and drummer Dave Moreno, both of whom also featured on Bruce's previous solo studio album, "Tyranny Of Souls", in 2005.

Photo credit: John McMurtrie

SLIPKNOT has shared an official video recap of the band's first two shows with its new new drummer, former SEPULTURA sticksman Eloy Casagrande.

The one-minute clip, which can be seen below, includes footage from the intimate show on April 25 at Pappy + Harriet's in Pioneertown, California and SLIPKNOT's first festival appearance of 2024, which took place on April 27 as one of the headliners of Sick New World in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For both the Pappy + Harriet's and Sick New World gigs, SLIPKNOT adopted a classic look, bringing back the 1999 red jumpsuits and elements of their early masks into their modern versions, tying into the fact that SLIPKNOT is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

After parting ways with Jay Weinberg last November, SLIPKNOT teased fans with a hint about a new drummer two months ago, posting a photo of a single broken drumstick online with the caption "Rehearsal."

The band explained in a statement that the split with Weinberg was a creative decision. Jay followed up with a statement of his own, saying that he was "heartbroken and blindsided" by his dismissal.

Weinberg has since joined SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and INFECTIOUS GROOVES.

Casagrande abruptly quit SEPULTURA three months ago, shortly before he was supposed to begin rehearsals for the band's recently launched 40th-anniversary farewell tour.

"February 6th, a few days prior to the first rehearsal, drummer Eloy Casagrande informed the band that he was leaving SEPULTURA to pursue a career in another project," the band said in a statement.

Casagrande joined SEPULTURA nearly 13 years ago as the replacement for Jean Dolabella.

In February 2020, SEPULTURA singer Derrick Green told Australia's Everblack Media that Casagrande had had "a tremendous impact" on the group since he joined in 2011. "It's undeniable because he's such a strong force," he said. "He loves playing metal music. He's one of the most talented drummers I've ever seen, honestly. That power is consistent from beginning to the end. It really has rubbed off on all of us to really push ourselves further. He's such a perfect match for the band. He really is always influencing us in so many ways to really go beyond — above and beyond."

SLIPKNOT's latest album "The End, So Far", arrived in August 2022. It marked the band's the last full-length LP before the departure of both keyboardist Craig Jones, who left the group in June 2023, and Weinberg.

FALLING IN REVERSE performed its new single, "Ronald (Feat. Tech N9ne And Alex Terrible)", live for the first time last night (Friday, May 10) during the band's set at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida. Joining FALLING IN REVERSE for the performance were rap rocker Tech N9ne and SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL frontman Alex Terrible. Fan-filmed video of their appearance can be seen below (courtesy of IFM RAW).

"Ronald (Feat. Tech N9ne And Alex Terrible)" will appear on FALLING IN REVERSE's new album — the band's first since 2017's "Coming Home" — "Popular Monster", which will be released on July 26 via Epitaph Records. The LP, produced by frontman Ronnie Radke alongside longtime collaborator Tyler Smyth (I PREVAIL, LIGHTS),arrives with several RIAA-certified singles, which have been made available over time since 2018. "Popular Monster" is certified two times platinum. while "Zombified", "Voices In My Head" and "Watching The World Burn" are all certified gold.

Since 2017, FALLING IN REVERSE has continued to explode by leaps and bounds. The catalog has clocked billions of streams, several gold and platinum certifications, recognition from top tier press such as Pitchfork, Billboard, The New York Times and Forbes, and several No. 1 radio singles.

FALLING IN REVERSE's catalog has accrued 5 billion streams, with 1.7 billion across all the album singles released to date. The catalog streaming remains robust at 35 million per week. Over on TikTok, the band has a stronghold, with 5.7 billion video views, with 4 million creations and a 1.5 billion creator reach.

Earlie this week, FALLING IN REVERSE announced its summer 2024 headline tour plans, produced by Live Nation. The band will play 7,000-12,000-capacity venues with support coming from BLACK VEIL BRIDES, DANCE GAVIN DANCE and Tech N9Ne. Jeris Johnson and Nathan James appear on select dates.

Ronnie formed a series of pop-punk bands in Las Vegas as a teenager, culminating in the creation of ESCAPE THE FATE. The metalcore group's meteoric rise coincided with the singer's spiral into addiction. By the time he was sentenced to two years in prison, the band he started had moved on without him. Some fans, critics, and industry types figured his story would end there. They were very wrong.

The gold-certified debut album from FALLING IN REVERSE, "The Drug In Me Is You" (2011),arrived less than two years after Ronnie's release. Thanks to his formative fascinations with metal, punk, and hip-hop, he almost single-handedly revived rap rock with the ambitious "Fashionably Late" (2013). "Just Like You" (2015),debuted in the Top 5 on the US Rock chart. The grungy and atmospheric "Coming Home" (2017) demonstrated yet another adventurous side of Radke's self-expression.

"Losing My Mind" and "Losing My Life" surprised the so-called "scene" all over again in 2018 when he became the first of his peers to swerve from the album format to standalone singles. "Drugs" explored the American substance abuse epidemic and channeled Ronnie's own heartbreak.

The massive "Popular Monster" became Ronnie's first No. 1 song on the radio and his first platinum single less than two years after its release. It was also the first No. 1 song on Billboard's inaugural Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, which considers airplay, streaming, and downloads. "Popular Monster" eventually went double platinum in the US and triple platinum platinum in Australia. "Zombified" and "Voices In My Head" went to No. 1 back-to-back. "Voices In My Head" was also the No. 1 Song of 2022 at SiriusXM's Octane. The unconventional, caustic, and super heavy "Watch The World Burn" dominated rock radio in 2023 and improbably became his first Billboard Hot 100 song.

As with the top-notch producers and directors Ronnie has hired to help execute his vision, he'd regularly surrounded himself with incredible live players, resulting in unforgettable performances with various lineups over the years. Radke owns the stage, whether taking the Warped Tour mantle held by MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and FALL OUT BOY in the tour's final years, performing in prominent spots on every major rock festival, or on massive headlining treks.

During a recent appearance on "The Rocker Morning Show", which airs on Kalamazoo's rock station 107.7 WRKR, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars was asked about the variety of sounds and musical styles covered on his debut solo album, "The Other Side Of Mars". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that me being on my own really doesn't give me any boundaries or any restrictions or stuff. I can take it to wherever I would like to have it. My album is pretty diverse. It shows different sides of how I write or how I approach music — just a lot of different things."

Regarding how long it took him to put together the material for "The Other Side Of Mars", Mick said: "Some of [the ideas] I had for a while, but it took me a good four years to get out what I really wanted to. 'Cause I listen back to some of my older stuff and I go, 'Ugh', and I get rid of it. 'Cause it sounds dated. I didn't wanna sound like, 'Here's an old rocker that's playing 1980s music still.' And not that that's a bad thing, but I couldn't stay there. I needed to get something different or something people wouldn't really expect from me."

Mars went on to say that he is able to have more freedom with his solo project than he would have been able to with MÖTLEY CRÜE. "I can play anything," he said. "I played everything, from country music to a lot of different things, a lot of different influences, a lot of people that I listen to, everything from classical, Mozart, Beethoven, and all those people, and country music, and all sorts of stuff. I fell in love with the blues."

"The Other Side Of Mars" was released on February 23. The effort was made available via Mars's own label 1313, LLC, in partnership with MRI.

Birmingham, Alabama rocker Jacob Bunton collaborated extensively with Mars on "The Other Side Of Mars".

Bunton had previously worked with former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler and CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer, and has songwriting credits with Mariah Carey, Steven Tyler and Smokey Robinson, among others.

Bunton sings lead on all but two of the 12 songs on "The Other Side Of Mars".

Other guests on the LP include WINGER/ALICE COOPER keyboardist Paul Taylor, KORN drummer Ray Luzier, and Brion Gamboa, who handled lead vocals on the songs "Undone" and "Killing Breed".

Bunton previously fronted the Alabama bands MARS ELECTRIC and LYNAM.

This past February, Mick told Joe Rock of the WBAB radio station that he wanted to take the music on his second solo album in a slightly different direction from what he did on "The Other Side Of Mars". "Another level. It has to be that way," he explained. "I'm not a youngster. And I'm not a depressed dark guy or nothing like that. But when you start getting older, you start going, like, 'I don't wanna do that again. Let's try this or move up or go a different level,' instead of putting the same repetitious kind of thing, which is [what you sometimes do when you are stuck in an] album-tour,-album tour [cycle]. And a lot of times, when that does happen, you find yourself kind of repeating yourself, and it gets to be pretty much samey after a while. So I'm fortunate enough to be old — I made it to here — but to be able to change my music, my next step. I don't wanna stay on this level. I have to take it up a notch every time. And if I get to do a third [album], it'll be a notch again, of course."

Regarding which guest musicians he would like to possibly approach about appearing on his second solo album, Mick said: "I think of different things, I guess. I was, at one point, just kind of like fantasizing about it. I don't even know if it would work. But I was thinking, like, Slash [GUNS N' ROSES] is a bud, and calling Slash in and going, 'Hey, come on in there and goof around.' And Doug Pinnick [KING'S X], just to play bass — not to sing, but for his bass playing. And I think that the fans would kind of dig that, but I don't know what would come out of it. But I'm willing to take the chance, of course.

"As far as other things go, let's take it back a bit and go, a lot of people were expecting more of a blues album [from me this time around]," he continued. "Maybe I could throw a blues song on there, but the 'cry in your beer' kind of blues, but the kind that you just wanna get up and fight. After having a couple beers, I'm gonna beat up this [guy]. But, yeah, I can do that kind of stuff. I'm so open, and I have so much freedom to take my project anywhere, of course, and any direction. It's all open. It's a great feeling, really a great feeling just to express myself any way I want. I could go out and get, let's say, an unknown female singer and just totally have something that's so different than what you would expect from me. I don't know if people do know what they expect, 'cause I don't what I'm doing next. I do know what I'm doing next, but I don't know."

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE 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 in Los Angeles County's Superior Court, 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.

Mars — whose real name is Robert Alan Deal — served as MÖTLEY CRÜE's lead guitarist since the band's inception in 1981.

In a new interview with Rapture Radio, Wolf Hoffmann was asked if he ever sees an end to ACCEPT. The ACCEPT guitarist and leader responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have no desire to ever — I don't wanna ever retire or anything, because in a way, the band had a really long break in the '90s, or late '90s to the mid-2000s already. So I've kind of seen what retirement is like, I've had my early retirement in a way, and now that we're back full in the swing of things, I don't wanna ever retire again, 'cause this is what I love and what I wanna do. And I think you only retire from stuff you don't like. And if you find something that really makes you happy, why would you wanna retire from it? So I wanna do this until the bitter end, man — however that looks."

Asked how he keeps things fresh for himself and his bandmates several decades into ACCEPT's career, Wolf said: "I think you only get bored if you stop caring, if you don't give a damn anymore. Maybe then you get bored, but I never feel that way. I'm really still in the middle of all these challenges, and right now it's super exciting. We're touring South America and things are just fresh and we have a full year of touring ahead of us. I can't ever see it getting boring. I mean, there's so many exciting things and so many challenges to overcome. I don't see this ever getting older or boring, because it's never the same — every day is different, every show is different, and every time I go out on stage thinking, 'Tonight's gonna be magic. It's gonna be the best show ever.' So I think with that attitude, it can't really ever get boring."

Hoffmann previously floated the idea of "dropping dead on stage" during an 2018 interview with RockSverige. "Honestly, I'm not even kidding," he said. "That's my personal goal, because I don't think retirement is really an attractive option. That is maybe partly because I've already been retired and away from the music business for 10 years when I became a photographer and I did something completely outside of the music business. I mean, those were good years in a way, but now that I'm back into it, I feel it's much more fulfilling and I have something… a goal where I get up every day in the morning and I have something I'm really looking forward to and it's something that keeps me busy all day long."

He continued: "Retirement is just a terrible thought to me because I wouldn't know what to do, to be honest. Maybe if I found something to do, because I'm never really bored… I'm a guy who's always doing stuff and a I have a lot of different interests, but it wouldn't have the same meaning and appeal as working with music and working with this whole machinery that's called ACCEPT. I don't want to retire if I'm not forced to it. You never know what's in the future."

Asked what has been the high point of his career so far, Wolf said: "You can always talk about the golden '80s and there was certainly something very special about it. Mainly because there was all of this sort of pioneer spirit; everything was new and exciting and everything happened kind of for the first time. We went to America for, like, eight months and stayed on the road and discovered the world, so to say. We were still kids — in our early 20s — so the year 1984 was very, very special. But since we were so young and everything happened for the very first time, you couldn't really put it its proper place. You almost took it for granted in a weird way, because it just sort of happened and we weren't as reflective on things. Now that we're a little bit older and we've been around the world dozens of times, when things happen now, you can put it in a much more clearer perspective."

As for a low point, Wolf said: "Yeah, no doubt that whole period with [singer] David Reece in the '90s when we had that album 'Eat The Heat' out, that was definitely a dip in the curve, I'd say. Another dip was in the late '90s when the band dissolved, but that was a time when heavy metal wasn't cool and nobody wanted to hear it and everybody was just into grunge and alternative this and that. That was definitely a low point for metal in general everywhere in the world. It was also the time when I decided that it was maybe time to call it quits and do something completely different in my life. I didn't really want to go down with the ship any further and didn't really want to make music, because I had to play music to make a living or anything. It sounded like a dreadful idea to me, so I said, 'Maybe it's time to walk away from everything.' An 'it was fun while it lasted' sort of thing."

ACCEPT's latest album, "Humanoid", was released on April 26 via Napalm Records. The LP was once again produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by critically acclaimed heavy metal producer Andy Sneap.

ACCEPT recently announced a massive European headline tour, with more than 20 shows across the continent for autumn 2024. This summer, ACCEPT will also return to some of the world’s most important rock and metal festivals, like Wacken Open Air, Hellfest and more, following their South American spring tour.

ACCEPT and KK'S PRIEST will join forces this fall 2024 for a North American tour. The run will begin on August 31 in Los Angeles, California, visiting a slew of major cities in the USA and Canada — such as Toronto, Montreal, New York and Nashville — before coming to an end in San Francisco, California on October 7.

In February 2022, it was announced that ACCEPT had inked a worldwide deal with Napalm Records.

ACCEPT's previous album, "Too Mean To Die", came out in January 2021 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was the group's first without bassist Peter Baltes, who exited ACCEPT in November 2018. He has since been replaced by Martin Motnik. ACCEPT's lineup has also been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, the aforementioned Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during 2019's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently.

Mark Tornillo joined ACCEPT in 2009 as the replacement for the band's original lead singer, Udo Dirkscheider. He can be heard on ACCEPT's last six studio albums, "Blood Of The Nations" (2010),"Stalingrad" (2012),"Blind Rage" (2014),"The Rise Of Chaos" (2017),2021's "Too Mean To Die" and 2024's "Humanoid".