STAIND has released an animated music video for the song "Better Days" featuring Dorothy. The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Confessions Of The Fallen", which arrived last September.

"Better Days", an emotionally charged power ballad that is classic STAIND, marks the first time the band has a featured artist on a song. Singer and namesake of her Los Angeles rock band, Dorothy brings her powerhouse vocals alongside STAIND frontman Aaron Lewis, taking the sentiment of the song to the next level.

"This was a departure for me," says Lewis. "It's really the first time STAIND explored a feature with a female guest vocalist. Once we started tracking, I could tell the synergy was there. We didn't have to pick harmonies, we didn't have to analyze parts, they just happened. I'm stoked to have Dorothy on this single with me. Her talent and voice are incredible."

"I had a great time tracking 'Better Days'," adds Dorothy. "It's a beautiful song and I hope fans connect with it. I'm so grateful to Aaron for the opportunity."

"Better Days" is the third rock song released from "Confessions Of The Fallen". The first two singles, "Lowest In Me" and "Here And Now", reached No. 1 on Active Rock chart.

See STAIND live on the "Tailgate" tour with special guests SEETHER, SAINT ASONIA and Tim Montana beginning on April 22 in Brandon, Mississippi.

STAIND's co-headline tour with BREAKING BENJAMIN and special guests DAUGHTRY and LAKEVIEW kicks off September 10 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania.

In a recent interview with Germany's Riot Vision, STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok spoke to about the "electronic element" which was incorporated into "Confessions Of The Fallen". Released via Alchemy Recordings/BMG, STAIND's first new LP album since 2011 was produced by Erik Ron (GODSMACK, PANIC! AT THE DISCO, BLACK VEIL BRIDES).

Mike said: "Well, that was something that Aaron really wanted to explore. We had talked about it before, but we'd never really done it. So he really wanted to make that a part of what we were doing. And it was funny, 'cause I do remember saying to him, like, 'I play guitar. I don't know how to do that.' So that's where I feel like Erik played a really big part in helping make that a part of what this album sounds like. Some of those verses where you hear [and] it's like more electronic[-sounding], that's a guitar part I wrote just played on a synthesizer, [using] some crazy sound. So he was able to take some of those things that I wrote and adapt it to kind of bring in some of those elements into the music. And I think he did a great job. I like it. I'm pretty happy with it."

Asked what new musical elements he would like to explore on future STAIND albums, Mike said: "I don't know. To me, it's just really about trying to write great songs. It's really just kind of trying to take what we do and make it better. And I don't really have any kind of guidelines. If it calls for more electronics or — I don't know — a guitar solo or whatever the case may be, whatever really the song calls for, I think that that's what the best thing to explore is. But I was very happy with the process of making this record and how it came out. Some records have been really difficult to make. This one wasn't one of those. The way we did it, it took us a while, but we got there. And by the end of the day, once we got there, I was really happy with the end results."

When "Confessions Of The Fallen" was announced in April 2023, Lewis stated about the LP's musical direction: "I did want to modernize the sound and bring us up to date. You can certainly recognize the band but at the same time you can hear that we've been paying attention and understand what kind of sounds and approaches we can use that maybe weren't around the last time we did this."

STAIND has released eight albums since 1995, including 2011's self-titled effort. The band has had a number of hit songs during its first two decades, including the Top 10 smash "It's Been Awhile" from the No. 1 album "Break The Cycle". Follow-up LPs "14 Shades Of Grey" and "Chapter V" also topped the Billboard chart.

STAIND released its first album in nine years, "Live: It's Been Awhile", in May 2021 via Yap'em/Alchemy Recordings. The "Live: It's Been Awhile" album was accompanied by "The Return Of Staind", a two-part global streaming series in partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents.

Last year, STAIND and GODSMACK completed a 25-city co-headlining tour, produced by Live Nation.

Former SKID ROW singer Erik Grönwall has released his cover version of "I Will Always Love You", the love ballad made famous by Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton (who wrote the song). You can check it out below.

Late last month, Grönwall, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021, released a video message in which he offered an even lengthier explanation for his decision to leave SKID ROW. In the clip, which was uploaded to his YouTube channel, the 36-year-old Swedish singer stated in part: "Okay, so it's out, and now you all know that I have decided to leave SKID ROW. I feel relieved, in a way. I'm happy that it's out, that I don't have to hide it from you guys. I think the word I'm looking for is ambivalent.

"So what do you say we talk about it?

"First of all, let me just say that I am overwhelmed by your understanding and your comments and the love and support you guys have shown me since we made the announcement," he said. "It's incredible. Thank you so much for being the best fans in the world.

"Like I said in the announcement, the main reason why I've decided to leave the band is because it's been very hard and it's proved very challenging to prioritize my health and full recovery being the lead singer of the band. And it's not like I woke up yesterday and decided to go, 'Ooh. That's a horrible idea. What time?' This is something I've been considering for a long time. The first time I brought it up and requested a better balance in the touring was in 2022.

"So most of you guys who follow me, you already know this, but for those of you who don't, let me give you some background info," he continued. "In 2021, I was undergoing treatment against leukemia, and as a result of the treatments and the bone marrow transplant that I did, my immune system was impaired. You can think of my immune system as a four-year-old kid bringing home all kinds of shit and viruses from preschool. So I pretty much get everything. It takes a while for the immune system to build up that resistance again, but my immune system is getting stronger every day. So that's the good news. However, I'm still doing regular checkups, like blood tests, at the hematology department at my hospital in Sweden. But that part has proved very challenging while keeping up with the SKID ROW schedule and demand. And as I'm sure you all understand, I have way too much respect for my medical history and for my health to push myself to the limit.

"But I also wanna say that this illness came with a lot of good things. And one of the best things that I want to mention here is that it gave me a superpower called perspective. I remember sitting at the hospital, and I was in a really fucking dark place. And I was looking out my window and I saw all these people going to work in a hurry, stressing. And I remember asking myself, watching all these people, and I was, like, 'What are we stressing about? What are we chasing?' So right there I felt like I had so much perspective on things and actually a gratitude towards — it's weird to say it, but a gratitude towards my illness. I remember going, 'Thank you for giving me this perspective this early in life.' Anyway, so I was sitting there, and I remembered that the samurai had a code of honor that they called Bushido that they lived by. And so with the perspective I had at the time, I wanted to create my own Bushido. My goal was always, okay, 'I'm gonna get through this and I'm gonna get healthy,' but I wanted to remember the perspective, that feeling of gratitude and perspective I had at the time, because I know that we're human beings and we move on and we forget things, but I didn't wanna forget this; I wanted to remember this for the rest of my life. So what I did was I created my own Bushido at the hospital, and on top of that list, it says 'health first'. And back to SKID ROW, that's exactly why I had to make this decision.

"I've had to look at that list a lot of times this last year," Erik added. "Actually, to be honest, since I joined the band. And I've been questioning myself if I'm really living according to those values. And at the end of the day, I realized that the answer was no.

"And I just wanna say, before the media starts with all this fucking clickbait shit, let me be perfectly clear. Listen carefully: I am not sick. And it's not like I don't wanna tour. I love being on the road. I just need a better balance. And, of course, we have tried to find the right balance together as a band multiple times. But at the end of the day, I realized that it was better for me to just step aside.

"There's a lot of people that are relying on making a living from SKID ROW. And being on the road is mainly where the money is nowadays. So, I totally understand that people have to keep touring. And I feel like it's hard to say this without sounding like, um, like a martyr. Is that the word I'm looking for? Yeah, I think so. But I feel like I need to say it to let you guys know the thoughts I've had recently.

"It's actually been a bit of a burden to tour with a new immune system — not only knowing that I'm intentionally pushing myself, but also knowing that if I get sick on the road, which I'm more likely to with a new immune system, there is no one who can fill in for me. We've had our amazing guitar tech, and I can't express how much I love this guy enough, but our guitar tech, Casey, he filled in for both Snake [Dave Sabo, guitar] and Rachel [Bolan, bass] when they got sick. But when I got sick on the road, we had to cancel, reschedule shows, and, honestly, it's not a fun position to be in. So, wait? All of this is happening because of me? It's not good for the band, it's not good for the crew, it's not good for the fans, it's not good for the promoters, it's not good for the SKID ROW team. All of that also made it less fun for me. I didn't really enjoy myself out there.

"I love singing," Erik concluded. "I love being an artist. I love touring, but I wasn't happy. I understand and respect that SKID ROW is a touring band, but like I told the guys, if I can't prioritize my health, then I'm not the right guy for the job."

SKID ROW's longtime friend Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM) will handle lead vocals for the band's four concerts in late May and early June.

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

Erik reflected on his leukemia battle and subsequent addition to SKID ROW in a summer 2022 interview with 80's Metal Recycle Bin. He said: "I wouldn't call myself a religious man [laughs], but I would call myself… After all of this, I'm way more spiritual. I'm, like, 'Okay, who planned this?' I was on my way to a completely different life [before my diagnosis], but it was kind of like someone just nudged me.

"I was scrolling on Instagram a couple of days ago and I just saw a post, and it was a text saying, 'I'm sorry I had to make you uncomfortable, but I had to make you move. God.' And I was, like, 'Oh, fuck, man.' [Laughs] That's what it feels like.

"I'm not sure if everything happens for a reason, but that's the only way I can explain this — getting leukemia, then ending up in my favorite band," he continued.

"When I was on stage in [Las] Vegas [with SKID ROW in March and April of 2022], I was interacting with the audience, and I told them that, 'Do you know how amazing it feels to be here singing the song that started your career?' 'Cause '18 And Life' was the song I auditioned with for the 'Idol' show; that's what got me on 'Idol'. And I told them, 'Do you know how it feels to be here on stage with your favorite band of all time singing the song that started your career?' And someone commented on it, and it was, like, 'Did he just quote the 'Rock Star' movie script?' And I was, like, 'Yeah, I didn't even think about that, but it's that movie," he said, referencing the film In which an average kid from Pittsburgh gets tapped to be the new lead singer for his favorite heavy metal band. "So it's kind of like a movie script.

"It's just incredible," Erik added. "I'm still trying to process it. It feels like I've been in the band for two years. It's been four months. We've done, like, 30 shows in four months. We recorded an album. We started working on a new album. We recorded a music video. Everything has been happening so fast. It's overwhelming in so many ways."

Erik also credited his wife with providing him with the emotional strength and support that he needed through his ordeal.

"I wanna say my wife has been incredible this whole journey, especially during the treatments, 'cause when I was ready to give up, she was, like, 'Hey, you're not giving up now. You've got so many people that love you and need you in their lives.' She was tough," he recalled. "And I needed that. So I was, like, 'Yeah, I know.' And I can mention I also have a two-and-a-half-year-old son at home. So that was really, really tough — coming back from the hospital and seeing him. That was my weak spot. She really helped me a lot, and she's very understanding. And obviously, when you have this kind of lifestyle, you need someone who really understands that lifestyle and supports it. And it's kind of a selfish lifestyle in many ways. But she totally gets it, and she's got my back."

Grönwall, who was a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T. for nearly a decade before exiting the group in October 2020, announced in September 2021 that he was cancer free after receiving a bone marrow transplant one month earlier.

"There's been a lot of tears, and I still get emotional now talking about this," Erik said. "I think I'm done with the crying [laughs] — I think — but somehow I feel grateful that I went through all of this, 'cause it gave me a lot of perspective. I just feel like I've gotten a lot of perspective on things.

"Being in this business, you see a lot of comments, and you've gotta be tough in many ways," he explained. "And back in the H.E.A.T. days, negative comments could really get to me. Now I'm just, like, 'Dude, I don't care.'

"I'm so happy to wake up every day above ground. It's, like, 'Shit, I get another day? What am I gonna do with this day?'

"I was happy before SKID ROW," Erik added. "I am very happy in SKID ROW. Everything is temporary. I will be happy after SKID ROW. I'm just happy. I've got perspective, and I'm just happy to be alive. And I'm gonna keep singing until this voice can't sing anymore."

Grönwall sang on four H.E.A.T. studio albums — "Address The Nation" (2012),"Tearing Down The Walls" (2014),"Into The Great Unknown" (2017) and "H.E.A.T II" (2020).

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

In 2018, Grönwall debuted in the U.S. for 10 million viewers in NBC's live broadcast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice's musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". Along with John Legend, Alice Cooper, Sara Bareilles and others, Erik played the key role of Simon Zealotes.

In January 2022, Grönwall told Headbangers Lifestyle about beating cancer: "Some anonymous wonderful human being somewhere in the world donated his/her blood cells so that I could get a second chance at life. Sometimes I can just get tears in my eyes when I think about it. It's so beautiful that one person who is not connected to me in any way wanted to do that for me. He/she doesn't know that the blood cells were for me. It's completely anonymous."

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

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

British guitar sensation, Sophie Lloyd, has shared the new video below, performing the Jimi Hendrix classic, "All Along The Watchtower".


Says Sophie: "Jimi Hendrix has always been one of my favourite guitarists! I hope you enjoy this shred version!"







Released in November last year, Sophie’s first full length album, Imposter Syndrome, sees the guitar virtuoso teaming up with some of rock’s biggest names and her own personal heroes to create a stunning collection of work spanning a variety of genres from the rock and metal world. Released totally independently via her own Autumn Records, the album debuted at #3 in the Rock charts and #11 in the Indie charts, and received rave reviews in the press.





Tracklisting:


"Do Or Die" (feat. Nathan James)
"Pressure" (feat. Brandon Saller)
"Imposter Syndrome" (feat. Lzzy Hale)
"Let It Hurt" (feat. Chris Robertson)
"Runaway" (feat. Michael Starr)
"Fall Of Man" (feat. Matthew K. Heafy)
"Lost" (feat. Cole Rolland)
"Hanging On" (feat. Lauren Babic)
"Avalanche" (feat. Trevor McNevan)
"Won't You Come" (feat. Marisa Rodriguez)
"Judge And Jury" (feat. Tyler Connolly)


“Let It Hurt" (Feat. Chris Robertson):





"Judge And Jury":





"Runaway" featuring Michael Starr of Steel Panther:





"Lost" featuring Cole Rolland:





"Hanging On" featuring Lauren Babic:





"Fall Of Man" featuring Matthew K. Heafy of Trivium:

SCORPIONS dedicated the song "Send Me An Angel" to their late drummer James Kottak during the opening concert of their Las Vegas residency on April 11 at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Prior to launching into the track, frontman Klaus Meine told the crowd: "We shared the stage with this man for 20 years, and this song we performed together for so many times around the world. And tonight we wanna dedicate this song to our dear friend, the late James Kottak. Oh, yeah. James, this one's for you. You will be always our brother from another mother. This is 'Send Me An Angel'." Fan-filmed video of the tribute can be seen below.

During an appearance on the April 12 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", SCORPIONS guitarist Rudolf Schenker stated about Kottak's passing: "James was a fantastic person. We called him the brother from another mother. And it was great to play with him and it was fantastic. But when he was starting to struggle, it was hard. We had to send him to [the island of Antigua to Eric Clapton's Crossroads drug and alcohol treatment center]. And we tried everything we could, but the moment you turned your back around, he was already gone. And in the end, we were only playing to click, and we said we can't do that. And then [MOTÖRHEAD leader] Lemmy [Kilmister] died and then Matthias [Jabs, SCORPIONS guitarist] had the idea to call Mikkey [Dee, MOTÖRHEAD drummer] and we started rehearsing with him. And Mikkey was great on drums. He was also as a person very nice. We said, 'Okay, we have to make a decision.' And then we said, 'It's very hard. We can cry, but we have to stick to the future.' And we tried everything. And now we make it with Mikkey. And Mikkey is a fantastic person as well in a different way. He's playing more straight-forward. James was a little bit more, playing around a little bit, which was very nice as well. He was also a good singer for backing vocals. But it was time to make a change."

Added Jabs: "We lost a very good friend."

Kottak's daughter Tobi told TMZ her father passed away on January 9 in Louisville, Kentucky, where he was born and lived until 1987, although further details about the exact circumstances weren't available.

In addition to SCORPIONS and KINGDOM COME, Kottak had toured with such bands as WARRANT and even DIO for a short run. James was also involved in various other projects, including the 1990s band KRUNK in which he sang lead vocals and played guitar.

Kottak spoke about his alcohol issues in an April 2023 interview with Tulsa Music Stream. He said in part: "I've had a few bouts with booze over the years. But what people don't know is all the years that I was sober. 2008 to 2011. And here a year, and there a year. And when our kids [with his ex-wife Athena Lee, MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee's sister and acclaimed drummer in her own right], were in the oven. I spent a lot of time not drinking. And then I had my moments when I did drink. And that doesn't mean I'm falling down drunk, walking around with a bottle around the house."

James, who said in a separate interview that he had been sober since October 2022, added that he hadn't been able to completely give up drinking. "Well, I'm not gonna say I haven't drank anything," he said. "When I go out [and] I see some guys playing, I'm standing there and everybody wants to buy me a drink. And I go, 'No, no,' and finally I take it and I have a couple of glasses of white wine. And then I'm pissed at myself. And so there you go."

He added: "I wish I could say, 'Oh, yeah, I've been sober for six years.' It hasn't worked like that for me. I've been in and out and in and out and in and out — and mostly 'in', meaning not drinking. But I've had my moments. And it's an ongoing process. It's progress, not perfection, as we say."

In a June 2022 interview with "This That & The Other With Troy Patrick Farrell", Kottak denied that his battle with alcoholism was the primary reason he was fired from the SCORPIONS in 2016. He has since been replaced by former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee.

"I hate to say it, but Blabbermouth's kind of been the worst James basher," Kottak said. "They always say — any article about SCORPIONS, they say, 'Yeah, ever since James Kottak was released for alcohol abuse.' So I e-mailed them one day and said, 'Man, stop saying that.' We parted ways. It wasn't just from alcohol, dude. We went through five years of negotiations, 'cause the manager and tour manager both died within six months of each other. Then the band decided to self-manage, which is cool. But I'll tell you what, man — that's when it was a super-bumpy road and we were just not on the same page anymore. And that happens with bands."

Six years ago, Matthias said that he and his bandmates "had to make" the decision to fire Kottak, explaining that they gave the drummer "all the chances" to get better. During an appearance on "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon", the guitarist said: "James was a real good friend — and he still is — but we couldn't continue with him. We gave him all the chances, and 10 more. And it was something that developed over the years — the drinking habit. It came in waves — sometimes it was good for four weeks, and then [there] was drama, and if you know him, you know what that's like. Then if it affects the show, you have to go, 'Hmmm…' Because our drum riser goes up 21 feet, or 24 feet sometimes, if the venue allows it, and the production manager, or stage manager, goes, 'I can't have him go up there. It's too risky.' If you can't really walk down the stairs straight, you can't have that. So that affects your intro of the show, and that's not good — it's not professional."

He continued: "We were helping him — we were sending him to Antigua, and we paid for it, and we did everything we could, because we are extremely loyal. It's always hard if you work with somebody for almost 20 years to say, 'Okay, you've gotta go.' We'd rather do the opposite and try to keep him and help him. But we reached the point — or he reached the point — where it was just not worth it. After three months or four months even — they gave him an extra month in Antigua, the rehab — he'd come home, we'd start again, and you can't even talk to him. So we had to make that decision. We had Mikkey on the road, so [James] didn't notice. So I rehearsed with [Mikkey] and Paweł [Mąciwoda, bass] in the afternoon, just a backup; that was the original plan. But then there was no way we could continue with James, so we started with Mikkey."

Four years ago, Kottak, who joined the SCORPIONS in 1996, told the SCORPIONS official fan club Crazyscorps about the circumstances that led to his departure from the legendary German hard rock band: "I always liked a drink here and there. And then I always also take a pain medication called Aleve. It's what all the baseball players take, all the footballers, and it works like a charm. You take those of those and you don't feel anything. But on top of that, I'm a rock drummer in a rock band, and you've got the green light to drink.

"From 2008 to 2011, I didn't drink," he explained. "I just woke up one day and said, 'I just don't wanna drink anymore.' I didn't go to rehab; I didn't do any of that stuff. I just didn't wanna drink anymore.

"If you have any knowledge of A.A. [Alcoholics Anonymous] or any type of program or rehab, it only lasts so long and then you have what we call in recovery a relapse. I would go through these phases of a year or maybe two years of no drinking, and then you gradually…

"SCORPIONS, we play our show, we go back to the hotel, [and] 45 minutes later, we're all downstairs having dinner," he continued. "And everything's just the right price — free. All these flights back and forth from Europe, from L.A. — I was just flying constantly. Which I'm not complaining about, but it's always business or first class, and once again, all the booze is at the right price. I'm going, 'I've got the next two days off. I might as well have a drink.' And that's what triggered me to start drinking again sometimes. It's a typical alcoholic way of thinking: 'Well, I may as well have a drink. Why not?' And that's typical alcoholic disease thinking. 'Cause it is a disease."

CREED played its first show in 12 years earlier today (Thursday, April 18) as the headliners of the Summer Of '99 cruise.

The band's lineup of Scott Stapp, Mark Tremonti, Brian Marshall and Scott Phillips is playing two shows during the cruise, which is traveling from Miami to the Bahamas between April 18 and April 22. Presented by Sixthman, the "Summer Of '99" cruise lineup also includes performances by 3 DOORS DOWN, BUCKCHERRY, TONIC, FUEL, VERTICAL HORIZON, THE VERVE PIPE, TANTRIC and NINE DAYS, among others.

CREED's performance on the deck stage of the Norwegian Pearl kicked off at 4:30 p.m. an consisted of 14 songs, beginning with "Are You Ready?", the opening track from the band's second album, 1999's "Human Clay".

CREED's setlist was as follows:

01. Are You Ready?
02. Bullets
03. Torn
04. My Own Prison
05. What If
06. Say I
07. Weathered
08. Overcome
09. Faceless Man
10. One
11. What's This Life For
12. With Arms Wide Open
13. One Last Breath
14. My Sacrifice

CREED will perform aboard a second cruise, the "Summer Of '99 And Beyond", traveling from Florida's Port Canaveral to Nassau from April 27 to May 1. A full-fledged tour, also dubbed "Summer Of '99" tour, produced by Live Nation, will kick off on July 17 and will run through September 28.

In a recent interview with Ryan McCredden of the I-Rock 93.5 radio station, CREED frontman Scott Stapp spoke about the fact that younger generations of fans have discovered the group's music in the 12 years since he and his bandmates played their last concert. He said: "Yeah, a hundred percent. And the analytics don't lie. We've started seeing, in late 2020, CREED beginning to go viral on TikTok, Instagram and then Facebook. And then it just seemed like every two or three months… The first couple months in 2021, we went viral again, and it just kept happening every two or three months. And then you look at the analytics, and you realize that when you look at the numbers, it's three generations. And now it's gotten down into high school kids. And so, what a gift and what a blessing. And I do not take that for granted. I understand how rare that that is. And I think I can speak for all of CREED, because we've had these conversations in private, that it's something we definitely understand is a gift, it's rare and we're not taking it for granted and we're just so grateful and appreciative that this has happened. And I think we're in the nurture phase of this whole thing and not taking a single bit of it for granted and just want to just share how grateful we are and fortunate we are that all these years later [so many people are discovering our music."

Stapp went on to discuss the overwhelmingly positive response to the announcement of CREED's first shows together in 12 years.

"I learned this from Mark [Tremonti, CREED guitarist] the other day in a Guitar World interview that we did together," Scott said. "One thing about Mark, and I hope he doesn't get mad at me for sharing, but he's always in touch with our long-term agent from day one, Ken Fermaglich at UTA. He started with us when we were doing clubs and nobody was showing up, and he's still our agent today. And Mark checks in with him to get analytics and get numbers. And Ken shared with him that right now we are bigger in terms of sales and how things are moving than we were at our peak in 2001, 2002, which blows my mind. It still doesn't seem that way to me, but Mark made a comment. He goes, 'Oh, well, you'll see it when you step out and there's 25,000 people in front of you.' And I said, 'Don't scare me, man.' It's been a long time since I've stepped in front of an audience that big."

When McCredden suggested that "the social media world of TikTok and Instagram" played a huge part in generating interest in a CREED reunion tour, Stapp said: "I've learned in my journey in sobriety and in recovery that… I believe in God and I believe that God has a plan. And looking at this from a thousand-foot perspective, it just all just seems, to me, without a doubt that God's had a hand in it. And I'm just grateful that I'm included on the ride and I'm just not gonna take a moment for granted and [I'm gonna] try to deliver every night and give the fans what they're asking for."

Stapp, whose road to sobriety kicked off in 2014 after issues with drugs and drinking, along with thoughts of suicide, credited his recovery with providing him with the necessary tools to reach new heights with his CREED bandmates. "Absolutely," he said. "In my experience, that's the only way you really learn. And, really, you have no other option. You have to get back up, no matter what you do and deal with the consequences, of course, but learn from it and grow. And one thing I'm looking at when I reflect back on my career is it kind of happened in reverse. With CREED, it was instant. It was first single 'My Own Prison', within 11 months, we're in arenas. But then there's been this 15-year drought for me where I went all the way back as a solo artist playing in small clubs and just duking it out, sweating it out in clubs and bars for over a decade. I mean, man, since 2005 or [2006]. So, I mean, we're talking 17, 18 years. So, it's happened in reverse, and I think that's how it needed to happen, because I think it really gave me a different perspective on how I wish I could have approached this from day one back in the day. But it is what it is, and I'm just gonna enjoy it now and be grateful for it."

CREED's enormous success is largely due to the prolific writing team of Stapp and Tremonti, who founded the band together in 1993. Their winning combination of driving guitar riffs, rousing hooks and introspective lyrics earned them legions of loyal fans around the world. Following the release of their first two albums, the four-piece — which also included bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips — became the first band ever to have seven consecutive No. 1 singles on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. CREED's third album, "Weathered" (2001),also debuted at No. 1, and produced several popular singles, including Top Ten hits "My Sacrifice" and "One Last Breath". Though CREED announced its breakup in 2004, the band briefly reunited in 2009 to release "Full Circle". Heavier than their previous albums, "Full Circle" debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, proving the incredible staying power of the band.

CREED disbanded in 2004 but reunited five years later for the aforementioned "Full Circle" LP and an extensive tour. Stapp has since toured and recorded as a solo artist, although he suffered a drug-related mental breakdown in 2014 and spent several years recovering from that.



Creed on the summer of 99 Cruise first show in 12 years

Posted by The Sound on Thursday, April 18, 2024

Summer of 99 Cruise with Creed!

Posted by Kim Varner Brooks on Thursday, April 18, 2024

We just saw Creed's first performance in twelve years on the Summer of '99 Cruise out of Miami!

Posted by Michael Morton on Thursday, April 18, 2024

#Creed #SummerOf99

Photo: Chuck Brueckmann

Posted by Creed on Thursday, April 18, 2024

Creed played their first show back.
Here is the setlist.

Posted by Jeremy Bellamy Music on Thursday, April 18, 2024

Octoploid, the new musical endeavor of bassist Olli-Pekka "Oppu" Laine (Amorphis, Barren Earth, Mannhai), will release their debut full-length, Beyond The Aeons, on July 5th  through Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). Today the band shares their first digital single from the record, “Human Amoral”, alongside an accompanying video.


“Human Amoral” perfectly mirrors many of the influences that have found their way onto the record and features Oppu's Amorphis bandmate Tomi Joutsen, splendidly contrasting but at the same time fitting the outstanding melancholic lead melodies with his remarkable vocal style. Its creeping psychedelic touch especially comes alive in Octoploid's first music video.


Comments Oppu, "Combining elements from folk, prog, and death metal, 'Human Amoral' is an epitome of Octoploid's sound and my musical influences." 







Beyond The Aeons was crafted at E-Studio in Sipoo, Finland where Petri Majuri (Hanoi Rocks, Michael Monroe) took care of mixing the eight tracks and David Castillo (Katatonia, Leprous, Opeth) mastered the album. Orion Landau (Carcass, YOB, Russian Circles ) completed the magnificent package with dreamy artwork.


Pre-order Beyond The Aeons in the physical format of your choice (digipak CD, eco-friendly/recycled “Dusk Of Vex" Marbled vinyl), presave it on your favorite DSP, or pre-order it digitally to receive “Human Amoral [feat. Tomi Joutsen]” instantly now at this location.





Tracklisting:


"The Dawns In Nothingness" [feat. Mikko Kotamäki] *
"Coast Of The Drowned Sailors" [feat. Tomi Koivusaari & Janitor Muurinen] *
"Human Amoral" [feat. Tomi Joutsen] *
"Shattered Wings" [feat. Petri Eskelinen] #/%
"Beyond The Aeons" #/%
"The Hallowed Flame" [feat. Mikko Kotamäki] *
"Concealed Serenity" [feat. Mikko Kotamäki] %
"A Dusk Of Vex" [feat. Jón Aldará | physical: long version; digital: edit] ^/%
"Monotony" (bonus track - physical only) [feat. Petri Eskelinen] %
 
* Kim Rantala (keyboards)
# Samu Leminen (additional lead guitar)
^ Ile Laaksomaa (additional lead guitar)
% Kasper Mårtenson (keybaords)


Octoploid is the solo band of Olli-Pekka Laine (bass, keyboards, backing vocals; Amorphis, Barren Earth, Mannhai), formed in 2022. Combining elements from ‘90s death/black metal, ‘70s prog rock, and ‘90s psychedelic rock, their music has its own place on the map. In one phrase, Octoploid's sound has been described as "classic death prog."


Built around Laine, the core band includes four additional musicians: well-seasoned and diverse drummer Mikko Pietinen brings experience from stoner rock (MannhaI) and Finnish mainstream pop rock (Kasmir), while lead/rhythm guitarist Peter Salonen (The Kinky Thing; a band performing Finnish psych rock legends Kingston Wall covers) is a new face in the scene. The five-piece is completed by keyboardist Kim Rantala (Giant Robot, Amorphis) and vocalist Mikko Kotamäki (Swallow The Sun; live).


For futher details, visit Octoploid on Facebook.


(Photo by Päivi Leino)


 

Finland's Never Stop The Sadness, signed to Lifeforce Records, may be most aptly described as death-doom, or perhaps a union of funeral doom intertwined with the melancholic gothic strains reminiscent of the mournful dirges of Type O Negative. These melancholic odysseys are riddled with unexpected detours, like the spectral echoes of vintage synthesizers woven into the tapestry of sound. Every composition resonates in a mournful abyss of down-tuned melancholy, entwined with themes of demise, the passage beyond, the nether realms, sorrow, longing, and the lamentations that shadow all things grim. 


"Go Gently, Swan, Into That Dark Water" is the band's second single, featuring none other than Amorphis frontman Tomi Joutsen on guest vocals. It is available on streaming platforms found here.







Check out the band's debut single / lyric video, "The Land Of Long Shadows", below.

Century Media Records and InsideOutMusic are pleased to announce the upcoming “First Chapter” of a comprehensive catalogue re-issue campaign for legendary and groundbreaking death metallers Edge Of Sanity, as well as versatile prog/hardrock outfit Nightingale, who were both fronted by Swedish vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and acclaimed metal producer Dan Swanö (Opeth, Katatonia, Dissection, etc.).


Long out of print, never previously available in certain formats or in any properly re-worked re-issue version, as well as enhanced by tons of exciting extra-material, these definitive re-issues come efficiently all re-mastered by Swanö himself and partly even shine in a new light via additional remix efforts as bonus.


Dan Swanö - who has not only had a long tradition of co-operating with mix/mastering roles for many CMR artists like Asphyx, Skeletal Remains or Insomnium, but also last became musically active in metal with the band Witherscape via CMR (Two albums and a mini album between 2013 and 2016) and also released his latest Nightingale album Retribution in 2014 on the IOM label - checked in with the following comment about the starting re-issue campaign:




“It’s hard to describe in words exactly how excited we all are about these re-issues for both Edge Of Sanity and Nightingale. It’s incredible that these albums are finally available again, with the attention to detail they always deserved and with a label like Century Media Records / InsideOutMusic behind us, we know that these releases will turn out amazing in the end and not be so hard to get a hold of like they used to be, and hopefully reach a new audience as well as the old!


"Personally, I always hoped that there would come a time when I could revisit all these albums and have the time and budget to remaster or even remix them and be able to present them the way I wish they had sounded all along.


"A lot of time, work and money have been put into making sure we have the best possible version of the original artwork to work with, and we searched everywhere for photographs and memorabilia. Endless hours have been spent talking and writing about these albums, resulting in super detailed liner notes for the Deluxe CD edition. Also, the lyrics have been double and tripled check, and it was quite amusing to see just how wrong most of them were both in the original booklets and online. The lyrics are in the booklets and on the inner sleeve of every re-issue!


"I wholeheartedly hope you appreciate these new, improved and definitive versions of the entire Edge Of Sanity and Nightingale back catalogues!”


The “First Chapter” of the reissue campaign will cover the following all-remastered releases and formats in June/August:


Edge Of Sanity – Purgatory Afterglow (Reissue), out June 21 (CMR)
- Ltd. Deluxe 2CD Jewelcase in O-Card (Incl. “Until Eternity Ends” EP songs and remix of all songs on bonus disc)
- Black LP (180g vinyl, unlimited)
- Ltd. transp. red LP (180g vinyl, limited to 500x copies, available from www.cmdistro.de & various other retailers)
- Ltd. transp. sun yellow LP (180g vinyl, limited to 300x copies, available from www.cmdistro.de)
- Digital Album / Remaster 2024
- Digital Album / Remix 2024
Note: The seminal 4th album, originally released in 1994, now celebrating its 30th Anniversary.


Edge Of Sanity – Until Eternity Ends - EP (Reissue), out June 21 (CMR)
- Black 12" EP (180g vinyl, unlimited)
- Ltd. blue 12” EP (180g vinyl, limited to 300x copies, available from www.cmdistro.de & various other retailers)
- Digital EP / Remaster 2024
- Digital EP / Remix 2024
Note: The companion 4-track EP to “Purgatory Afterglow”, originally released in 1994, now celebrating its 30th Anniversary. Never available on vinyl before, including remix versions on Side B.


Edge Of Sanity – Nothing But Death Remains (Reissue), out August 23 (CMR)
- Ltd. Deluxe 2CD Jewelcase in O-Card (Incl. remix and rare 1991 rough mix versions on bonus disc)
- Black LP (180g vinyl, unlimited)
- Ltd. transp. blue LP (180g vinyl, limited to 500x copies, available from www.cmdistro.de & various other retailers)
- Ltd. lilac LP (180g vinyl, limited to 300x copies, available from www.cmdistro.de)
- Digital Album / Remaster 2024
- Digital Album / Remix 2024
Note: The intense debut album, originally released in 1991.


Nightingale – Nightfall Overture (Reissue), out June 21 (IOM)
- Ltd. Deluxe 2CD Jewelcase in O-Card (Incl. 16-track live bonus disc)
- Black LP (180g, unlimited)
- Ltd. transp. light blue LP (180g vinyl, limited to 300x copies, available from www.insideoutshop.de & various other retailers)
- Digital Album / Remaster 2024
Note: Special compilation album, originally released in 2005 for the band’s 10th anniversary, including re-imagined and re-recorded songs from the band’s first four albums as well as 2 additional songs.


Nightingale – I (Reissue), out August 23 (IOM)
- Ltd. Deluxe 2CD Jewelcase in O-Card (Incl. 7 additional songs and 18-track bonus disc)
- Black LP (180g, unlimited)
- Ltd. transp. sun yellow LP (180g vinyl, limited to 300x copies, available from www.insideoutshop.de & various other retailers)
- Digital Album / Remaster 2024
Note: The 3rd album, originally released in 2000, available on vinyl for the first time ever.


For exact tracklisting of the “First Chapter” reissues, head here.


Pre-sale for the entire “First Chapter” started today, here.


In order to additionally support the kick-off of the comprehensive reissue campaign as well as to showcase the bonus remix treatment given to some of the material, you can now also check out the Edge Of Sanity digital single “Twilight" (Remix 2024), taken from the 2CD and Digital Album format from the upcoming Purgatory Afterglow reissue, on all DSP’s as well as in a brand-new video clip created by Costin Chioreanu / Twilight13Media, below:





You can also check out Edge Of Sanity’s “Twilight" (Remix 2024) as part of the “Death Metal” streaming playlist on Spotify here.


Stay tuned for further news about this catalogue campaign and look out for the “Second Chapter” of Edge Of Sanity and Nightingale reissues coming late 2024 / early 2025.


Edge Of Sanity lineup:


Anders Lindberg - Bass
Sami Nerberg - Guitar
Dan Swanö - Lead Vocals
Andreas Axelson - Guitar, Vocals
Benny Larsson - Drums


(Top photo of Edge Of Sanity 1993 by Åsa Jonsén)

British death-doom legends, My Dying Bride, are proud to announce that their 15th studio album, A Mortal Binding, has been released today. The Yorkshire based sextet have also revealed their final album single, "Her Dominion", which is accompanied by an evocative lyric video created by Tommy Antonini.


My Dying Bride's Andrew Craighan commented, "The video very closely represents the downward spiral the song itself is portraying. A twisted internal division masquerading as beauty. Enjoy the darkness."







A Mortal Binding, the much-anticipated follow-up to The Ghost of Orion (2020) finds the Yorkshire-based quintet delighting in anxiety, loss, and toil to resplendent effect. From the raw distress of "Her Dominion" and twisted horror of "Thornwyck Hymn" to the funerary violins of the 11-minute monolith "The Apocalyptist" and the classic-feeling "The 2nd Of Three Bells", A Mortal Binding is pinnacle My Dying Bride. If Songs Of Darkness, Words Of Light (2004) elevated the band to new heights and A Map Of All Our Failures (2012) expanded upon the group’s mid-tens grandeur, then A Mortal Binding stages My Dying Bride’s next exultant phase of elegiac misery.


My Dying Bride hired The Ghost of Orion studio wizard Mark Mynett to produce, mix, and master A Mortal Binding. The group holed up at Mynett’s Mynetaur Productions (Paradise Lost, Rotting Christ) in Manchester, UK, where they tracked the album consecutively from July to September 2023.





A Mortal Binding formats:


- CD jewelcase
- Vinyl 2LP gatefold - green
- Vinyl 2LP gatefold - red w/ black smoke
- Vinyl 2LP gatefold - clear w/ black smoke


Order here





A Mortal Binding tracklisting:


"Her Dominion"
"Thornwyck Hymn"
"The 2nd Of Three Bells"
"Unthroned Creed"
"The Apocalyptist"
"A Starving Heart"
"Crushed Embers"


"The 2nd Of Three Bells" video:





"Thornwyck Hymn" video:





For over three decades, My Dying Bride from West Yorkshire have been the voice of the hopeless and broken, combining haunting sounds with crushing misery and melancholy. With their signature sound they've shaped the doom metal scene like barely any other act and integrated both soft violin melodies and violent death metal growls into their music, whilst always staying strictly loyal to themselves. And since the early Nineties, the band's masterminds and founding members Andrew Craighan and Aaron Stainthorpe forged beautiful grief into studio albums with songs of epic length. As My Dying Bride edge past their 33rd year, they’re aging gracefully, remaining as vital and heart-wrenching as ever. The flower withers once more on My Dying Bride’s new record A Mortal Binding.


My Dying Bride are:


Aaron Stainthorpe - vocals
Andrew Craighan - guitars
Lena Abé - bass
Shaun MacGowan - keyboards / violin
Neil Blanchett - guitars
Dan Mullins - drums

Current and former members of ICE NINE KILLS and FROM ASHES TO NEW have formed a brand new band called HILLHAVEN. Today, they have shared the video for the new single "Damned To Dream".

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

"HILLHAVEN is two and a half year's life experience distilled into a single body of work and bolstered by four monster-level players," Kelly says.

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

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

"Damned To Dream" is just the beginning. There is plenty more coming from HILLHAVEN this year.

Marking the fifteenth anniversary of Lamb Of God's ferocious 2009 album Wrath, the five-time Grammy-nominated metal titans are reissuing both Wrath and its impressive follow-up Resolution, originally released in 2012 before the most turbulent period in the band's history.


Fans of the band are no strangers to these blistering albums, which contain some of Lamb Of God's best-loved tracks performed live, notably "Contractor," "Set To Fail," "In Your Words," and "Ghost Walking." Three of those songs also scooped the band Grammy nominations for Best Metal Performance.


Produced by Josh Wilbur, both albums will be available on CD and on limited edition, coloured vinyl - Wrath as a yellow red split vinyl and Resolution as a natural black marble vinyl - from June 14 via Nuclear Blast Records, ex-North America. The CD formats will also contain 3 bonus tracks.




Pre-order Wrath here and Resolution here. See tracklistings below.





Wrath CD tracklsiting:


"The Passing"
"In Your Words"
"Set To Fail"
"Contractor"
"Fake Messiah"
"Grace"
"Broken Hands"
"Dead Seeds"
"Everything To Nothing"
"Choke Sermon"
"Reclamation"
"We Die Alone" (Bonus Track)
"Shoulder Of Your God" (Bonus Track)
"Condemn The Hive" (Bonus Track)





Resolution CD tracklisting:


"Straight For The Sun"
"Desolation"
"Ghost Walking"
"Guilty"
"The Undertow"
"The Number Six"
"Barbarosa"
"Invictus"
"Cheated"
"Insurrection"
"Terminally Unique"
"To The End"
"Visitation"
"King Me"
"Digital Sands" (Bonus Track)
"Bury Me Under The Sun" (Bonus Track)
"Hit The Wall" (Bonus Track)


The Virginia, USA based band released their latest, ninth studio opus, the bruising 10-track Omens, in October 2022 to global critical acclaim. The group are currently gearing up for the co-headline, monster metal trek of the summer, the Ashes Of Leviathan Tour, with long-time friends Mastodon and special guests Kerry King and Malevolence. The tour will see Lamb Of God play their classic album Ashes Of The Wake in full, with Mastodon performing their epic LP Leviathan. The second installation of Lamb Of God's headlining cruise, Headbangers Boat, sets sail from Miami, Florida to the Dominican Republic in October 2024.


Lamb Of God is:


D. Randall Blythe – Vocals
Mark Morton – Guitar
Willie Adler – Guitar
John Campbell – Bass
Art Cruz – Drums


(Photo - Travis Shinn)

In a new interview with Hear 2 Zen magazine, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory spoke about the band's continued collaboration with Kevin Churko, the Canadian record producer/engineer and songwriter who currently lives in Las Vegas, where he works out of his private studio, The Hideout Recording Studio. Asked what it is that Kevin brings to FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH when they work together, Zoltan said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "So a producer — a producer, sound engineer; especially he's a producer-sound engineer combo, so he's excellent on both. So there are a couple of things that you have to think about when you're working with a producer. One of them is how much this producer is affecting your music. As a musician, this is your music, this is your creation. You wanna bring something that you meant to bring to the table. And so that means it has to pass to the producer, and the producer has to get the best performances out of you. Not to change the music, not to change who you are and what you and what you meant to say. So that's one element that it has to be — the throughput has to be natural. And then also be the mitigator between bandmembers. So a producer is also somewhat of a psychologist who can deal with all the bandmembers. It's a rock band; everybody's crazy. And then if you have disagreements, he would be the deciding factor. If you disagree on the music, then you ask him, like, 'So what do you think? What do you prefer?' So that has to be there."

He continued: "But, really, why we stay with Kevin, why we always work with him is because a producer intuitively has to know where would you go as a musician. So, to give you an actual physical example of that. For example, let's say you drop a drum beat and I have to record a guitar riff to this drum beat. And what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna record this guitar riff a hundred times. And then from that, all the takes, we're gonna see which one was the right one. And it's various elements. It's not just a precision, like how precise the riff was. Does it have that life? Does it have that star quality? Does it have that extra thing about this riff? And so let's say you recorded a hundred riffs and from the hundred riffs, there would be, like, seven, eight, nine of them that had the magic. And I know which one that was, because I can listen back and say, 'Okay, number seven, number 11 from the takes and number 24' — I know which one was the one that's magical. And he intuitively knows that. I don't have to tell him. He will pick exactly the same one. So that means, to me, that he hears the magic. He knows exactly what I would pick, so that basically speeds up the process. And we're just easily working together because he intuitively know which one to pick. Same with the vocal takes, same with everything. I think that's the most important part where, okay, he's a family member and he picks the right pieces. The flow is just perfect. It's like another bandmember. "

Zoltan added: "What makes a good band and what makes a good bandmember is when you can play together and everybody naturally goes to where they should. It has to be the same in the producer, that he naturally should pick the things and favor the things that you would. And he's that guy. So it makes no sense to us to go somewhere else. His mixes are loud and punchy. Why would you change something that enabled us to express ourselves the most efficient, proficient and professional way. It sounds great. His records, other producers, other artists try to recreate that stuff. I always like that stuff. And I read it in articles, and people talk about, like, 'Man, the guitar sound or the vocal sound on the FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH record,' studio professionals talking about that. I was thinking, like, 'Man, yeah, exactly. That's why we work with him.'"

Asked if FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is going to work with Kevin again on the next studio album, Zoltan said: "That's the plan. We'll see when we get to the point of doing the next record. We started kind of working on some stuff. We have a whole year of touring ahead of us, so we'll see when we get to it."

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.

Anticipated by many after the three promising singles self-released by the band, Finland’s Shade Of Sorrow have announced the street date of the forthcoming debut with M-Theory Audio. 


June 28 marks the release of Upon The Fields Of Grief. Featuring striking cover art by Gogo Melone (Kamelot, Ablaze My Sorrow, Mariana’s Rest) the album, available on CD and limited edition (300 onyx marble) colored vinyl, is available for preorder here.







Shade Of Sorrow started in 2017 when founder Mika Kankainen, former drummer of Soul Terror and Warceremony, was writing material and playing all the instruments himself, including drums, bass, guitar, keyboard, while also handling vocals thus showcasing his immense talent and virtuosity. These songs started to catch the attention of other musicians and producers who in 2020 encouraged Mika to deliver on his promise and he began to record the material to share with the world. A year later digital singles and accompanying music videos started to premiere, each self-released, including “No Return” and “Fabricated Hope,” followed by “Meteor” in 2022 which gained further attention including that of M-Theory Audio, who signed Shade Of Sorrow in 2023.


Since Mika has finished writing and co-producing a full album, ‘Upon the Fields of Grief,’ with Esa Uusimaa (Crowen, Rain of Acid, Wolfheart), who also mixed, and Saku Moilanen (Before the Dawn, Aeonian Sorrow, Red Moon Architect) with vocal production by Juha Kylmanen (To/Die/For, For My Pain…). Mastering was handled by Juho Raiha (Before the Dawn, Swallow the Sun). Now that this epic work is complete Mika is ready to share his bleak visions and strong performances with the world this summer.


”Upon The Fields Of Grief takes you to my mindset and perspective, where I see the world slicing its wrists and drowning us all. It’s a personal survival kit from this absolute darkness that we call life,” explains Mika Kankainen. “The bitter vinegar of endless disappointments and personal hate, disgust and aggression coming 100% from the heart. Black n’ dark is not enough to describe this macabre rollercoaster that this album gives you. It’s a one-man manifestation from the deepest northern darkness. Prepare to experience the coldest wind and grief from the north. From Finland with hate.”


More new music and album information on Shade Of Sorrow and the upcoming album revealed in the months leading up to release.

Billy Idol Rewind: A Twitch Livestream Event was held in July 2023, and today, Idol shares the official video for "Catch My Falll" from the session. Watch below:





Watch "Rebel Yell" From the livestream:







Billy Idol will embark on his transcontinental Rebel Yell Canada 2024 arena tour this summer, beginning July 30 in Vancouver and running through August 25 in St. John’s, Newfoundland.


Produced by Live Nation Canada, Idol’s show will include a myriad of hits from across his career with a focus on the landmark Rebel Yell album, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Joining Idol is his longtime backing band, including his lead guitarist and collaborator of over 40 years, Steve Stevens. Canadian Walk Of Fame inductees Platinum Blonde will appear as special guest across all stops.





Dates:


July
30 - Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena


August
1 - Edmonton, AB - Rogers Place
2 - Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome
5 - Saskatoon, SK - SaskTel Centre
6 - Winnipeg, MB - Canada Life Centre
9 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena
10 - Ottawa, ON - Canadian Tire Centre
14 - London, ON - Budweiser Gardens
16 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
19 - Quebec City, QC - Videotron Centre
21 - Moncton, NB - Avenir Centre
23 - Halifax, NS - Scotiabank Centre
25 - St. John’s, NL - Mary Brown’s Centre


Billy Idol is set to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his landmark album, Rebel Yell, with a deluxe expanded edition due April 26 via Capitol/UMe.


Available for pre-order here, the reissue includes a selection of previously unreleased songs and demos, the Poolside remix of Idols smash hit "Eyes Without A Face", and the never-before-heard Billy Idol/Steve Stevens original "Best Way Out Of Here" from the original sessions.


Idol has debuted the demo version of his 1984 hit single “Flesh For Fantasy” from the original Rebel Yell recording sessions. Listen to/share the track here and below:





Originally released in November 1983, Rebel Yell is the twice-platinum follow-up to Idols self-titled debut. The album features the iconic singles "Eyes Without A Face", "Flesh For Fantasy", "Rebel Yell", and "Catch My Fall". The reissue is available in 2xLP, 2xCD, and digital formats. See below for complete tracklistings.


Idol recently released the concert film Billy Idol: State Line, a Vertigo Live concert film documenting his April 2023 show at the famed Hoover Dam the first-ever concert performed at the location on DVD and Blu-ray following a successful limited theatrical run. The film highlights the history and significance of Hoover Dam and includes performances from two unique sets of Billy Idols iconic hits: a full band concert at sunset with special guests that electrified and illuminated the surrounding Black Canyon, and an acoustic duo set on the roof of the powerhouse at the foot of Hoover Dam straddling the Colorado River, directly on the Nevada/Arizona state line. For both sets, Idol is joined by his longtime collaborator and guitar player Steve Stevens, as well as special guests Alison Mosshart (The Kills, The Dead Weather), Steve Jones (Sex Pistols, Generation Sex) and Tony Kanal (No Doubt).


For 46 years, Billy Idol has been one of the definitive faces and voices of rocknroll. Between 1977 and 1981, Idol released three albums with Generation X as their camera-ready frontman. In 1982, he embarked on a transatlantic/trans-genre solo career that integrated the bold and simple lines of punk and rock 'n' roll decadence. Touring consistently around the world for the last ten years and showing no signs of slowing down, Idol released both The Roadside EP in 2021 and The Cage EP in 2022 on Dark Horse Records, earning praise from fans and critics alike. In January, Idol cemented his name among Hollywood legends with the first Walk of Fame Star of 2023.


Rebel Yell (Expanded Edition) tracklistings:





2xLP:


Disc 1, Side A
"Rebel Yell"
"Daytime Drama"
"Eyes Without A Face"
"Blue Highway"


Disc 1, Side B
"Flesh For Fantasy"
"Catch My Fall"
"Crank Call"
"(Do Not) Stand In The Shadows"
"The Dead Next Door"


Disc 2, Side A
"Best Way Out Of Here"
"Love Don't Live Here Anymore"
"Daytime Drama" (Demo)
"Flesh For Fantasy" (Demo)


Disc 2, Side B
"Catch My Fall" (Early Version)
"Crank Call" (Demo)
"(Do Not) Stand In The Shadows" (Demo)
"Eyes Without A Face" (Poolside remix)





2xCD/Digital Album:


Disc 1
"Rebel Yell"
"Daytime Drama"
"Eyes Without A Face"
"Blue Highway"
"Flesh For Fantasy"
"Catch My Fall"
"Crank Call"
"(Do Not) Stand In The Shadows"
"The Dead Next Door"


Disc 2
"Best Way Out Of Here"
"Love Don't Live Here Anymore"
"Daytime Drama" (Demo)
"Flesh For Fantasy" (Demo)
"Catch My Fall" (Early Version)
"Crank Call" (Demo)
"(Do Not) Stand In The Shadows" (Demo)
"Rebel Yell" (Session Take)
"Blue Highway" (Original Demo)
"Flesh For Fantasy" (Session Take)
"Catch My Fall" (Original Demo)
"Motorbikin" (Session Take)
"Eyes Without A Face" (Poolside remix)


"Love Don't Live Here Anymore" visualizer:

Arizona’s death-metal forerunners, Gatecreeper, recently announced their pivotal new album, Dark Superstition, due May 17 via Nuclear Blast - their label debut. Their sprawling third full-length is more concise, melodic, and memorable than anything they’ve ever done. It sees vocalist Chase H. Mason, guitarists Eric Wagner and Israel Garza, drummer Metal Matt Arrebollo and bassist Alex Brown—carving out their own path.


Gatecreeper’s searing new single, “Masterpiece Of Chaos”, evokes their tried and true, singular death metal style.


Vocalist Chase Mason tells, “'Masterpiece Of Chaos' is a nightmarish vision of a broken mirror with an ominous creature that lives within the fragmented web of glass. It sonically contrasts and compliments the more melodic approach we took to some of the other songs."




Stream the track here, and below:





Dark Superstition deals with the supernatural, divination, fear of the unknown, and trust in magic or chance. “Many of the songs incorporate supernatural ideas with my own experiences,” Mason says. “But the title itself is a reference to the Superstition Mountains in our home state of Arizona. It’s a beautiful mountain range surrounded by tragedy and legends of hidden fortune.”


The album’s intricate lead single, "The Black Curtain" leans heavily in a rock direction, and embodies Dark Superstition’s themes with a tale of divination. “It’s about being trapped between living and dying,” Mason tells. “A soul trapped in purgatory begging to be brought back by a supernatural force.” “The Black Curtain” is available today alongside a video directed by Max Moore. Listen to the song here, and watch the video below.


Dark Superstition moves swiftly from one brutal soundscape to the next, each sonic structure evoking its own emotion and landscape. To help perfect their game this round, Gatecreeper joined forces with drummer / songwriter Fred Estby, of Swedish death metal titans Dismember, whose influences can be heard throughout the album. Dark Superstition was recorded at God City Studios in Salem, MA with Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou, who also mixed the album.


Pre-order/pre-save the album here.





Dark Superstition tracklisting:


"Dead Star"
"Oblivion"
"The Black Curtain"
"Masterpiece Of Chaos"
"Superstitious Vision"
"A Chilling Aura"
"Caught In The Treads"
"Flesh Habit"
"Mistaken For Dead"
"Tears Fall From The Sky"


"The Black Curtain" video:





"Caught In The Treads" video:





Gatecreeper is:


Chase H. Mason - Vocals
Eric Wagner - Guitar
Matt Arrebollo - Drums
Israel Garza - Guitar
Alex Brown - Bass


(Photo - Joey Maddon)

Babylon A.D. announce the first single, "Wrecking Machine", from their upcoming album , Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day, to be released May 17 via Perris Records.


According to Derek Davis, "The song came about when lead guitarist John Matthews played me an old cassette tape recording of live music he had done with “Leonard Hayes” drummer for Y&T. I thought the opening riff was really cool and I played the music track a few times in my studio and came up with the idea for the song and lyrics pretty quick. The band then demoed the track and we all decided it was a great song for the album. The video and single came out amazing and we are extremely happy with the way the visual idea and track came together."


Get the single here, and watch the official video below.




Derek Davis’ back story on the lyrics, "The song is about a lost girl with destructive mental problems. She’s manipulative and vengeful and she is a created AI Robot! She’s not happy unless she is destroying people, relationships and eventually the world. She is a Sci-Fi “WRECKING MACHINE” come to life!"



 
Brian Basher from BraveWords Radio had this to say about the new album, "Too early to spoil it, but I will say two things about the record. IMO, it blows Revelation Highway out of the water and if you like the first two albums you will LOVE"Rome Wasn't Built In A Day."


Babylon A.D. can’t wait to start playing the songs live and have some very exciting shows coming up. Current dates listed below.





You can pre-order the autographed CD bundle at perrisrecords.com/babylon-a-d.





Tracklisting:


"Wrecking Machine"
"Pain"
"Sometimes Love Is Hell"
"Rome Wasn't Built In A Day"
"Looking For A Heartbeat"
"I Will Never Break Again"
"White Hot Bullet"
"Crashed Into The Sun"
"Face Of GOD"
"Shut Up"
"Super Beast"



 
Album details:


Produced, Mixed, Engineered by Derek Davis @ The BADMOFO’s Recording Studio, Pleasanton, CA.
Drums recorded by Gabriel Shepard @ 25th Studios Oakland CA.
Mastered By David Donnelly, DNA Mastering Los Angeles CA.
Photos - Angela Probst - Studio A
Vintage Artwork Concept Design - Derek Davis


Band Members:


Derek Davis - Vocals, Keyboard, Guitar
Ron Freschi - Lead Guitar, Background vocals
John Mattews - Lead Guitar
Craig Pepe - Bass, Background vocals
Dylan Soto - Drums / Background vocals


Background vocals on "I Will Never Break Again" - Lane Borchard


Tour dates:


May
18 - Retro Junkie - Walnut Creek, CA


June
7 - Whisky go Go - Hollywood, CA


August
3 - Fulton 55 - Fresno, CA
25 - Monster On Mountain - Gatlinburg, TN


September
21 - Horsefest - Newark, CA


About Babylon A.D.:


Formed in 1987, Babylon A.D. hail from the San Francisco Bay Area, CA. Original members, Derek Davis vocalist/songwriter, guitarist's and music writers John Mathews and Ron Freschi drummer James Pacheco and bassist Rob Reid met in high school before they began playing together as "The Persuaders" making a name for themselves with their powerful live performances and catchy songwriting skills becoming one of the top drawing original Hard Rock bands in the Northern CA.


In 1989 the band changed their name to "Babylon A.D." and caught the attention of Arista Records President and industry music mogul “Clive Davis”, who signed them at a live showcase in Los Angeles thanks to their impressive three song demo and a home made video. John Mattews departed the band and was replaced by another high school friend Dan De La Rosa just before their self-titled album Babylon A.D. was released in 1990. The album included their hard rock classic hits "Bang Go The Bells”, “Hammer Swings Down” and “The Kid Goes Wild”, which featured Screaming "Sam Kinison" and was the trailer song and promotional video for Orion Pictures (Robo Cop 2). The band scored three #1 songs at Metal Radio and reached Gold status on their first release, which spent 38 weeks on the Billboard top 200, peaking at # 46. Their sophomore effort (Nothing Sacred) was produced by the legendary "Tom Werman" and released in 1992, it produced two more top-ten metal rockers. “Bad Blood” and “So Savage the Heart”. Constant touring throughout the early 1990s and several MTV videos made them one of hard rock fans favorite bands.


In 1999 the band and released Live In Your Face on Apocalypse Records, a compilation of live tracks recorded at various cities’ across America. Their next release American Blitzkrieg soon followed in 2002 and both records were well received by critics and fans alike. In 2008 the band released Babylon A.D. In The Beginning on Perris Records, a compilation of songs from the original demo tapes that secured them their recording contract with Arista Records.


After a long hiatus the band started playing and recording again in 2014. Touring across the States and Europe releasing the four song EP Lost Sessions. in 2018 John Matthews rejoined the group and the band signed with Frontiers Records for their forth studio release Revelation Highway. Four singles/ videos and more touring followed through the beginning of 2020. In 2022 original members James Pacheco and Robb Reid left the band for other pursuits remaining connected to the bands legacy and part of a brotherhood of friendship that has lasted for over 30 years!


Present Day...


Fast forward to 2023, Babylon A.D. announced new members Craig Pepe (bass) and Dylan Soto (drums) and a new live concert album Live Lightning from Perris Records. The new album included their top-ten rock-radio classic hits from their debut album as well as songs from “Nothing Sacred”, “American Blitzkrieg”, and “Revelation Highway”.


As 2024 begins the band is set to release their fifth studio album on Perris Records titled Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day on May 17. The 11 track album is classic Babylon A.D. firing on all cylinders, showcasing great songwriting talent, performances and the hard rock sound the band is known for. New videos and singles are coming and the band is currently booking and playing select live shows across the states in support of the new album.

King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah Willcox, kick off "Rob Squad And The Creators" premier week.


During the episode with Rob Squad’s Jay + Amber Robinson, Fripp and Willcox react along with the hosts to King Crimson’s prog rock tour de force, Frame By Frame, talk about his ability to play nine notes a second, what Jimi Hendrix told him, and those arduous four-hour practice sessions.


On Fripp’s first meeting with Jimi Hendrix: “This is the hand shaken by the hand of Jimi Hendrix. He came to see the band and... was apparently upstairs saying, this is the best band in the world. And he came down to see us, and he came up to me and said, ‘Shake my left hand, man, it's closer to my heart.'”




On Fripp’s drive for excellence, Toyah says: “As someone who has listened to Robert play for 38 years within our house, the intensity of the fingers and the speed of the fingers, and sometimes Robert's playing 11 notes a second. He’ll practice this for four hours a day, and I can tell you sometimes it can be hell. Other times it's an absolute inspiration.”





Rob Squad and the Creators an offshoot of the popular Rob Squad Reactions Series (332 million+ views) on YouTube, adds a groundbreaking twist to the reaction genre by featuring artists reacting live both to their own work and to the reactors reacting. Rob Squad and the Creators (RSATC) offers a unique experience to witness artists, performers, and songwriters react in real-time to their own songs alongside Rob Squad hosts Jay and Amber Robinson. The eclectic lineup of artists includes Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Gos), Lisa Loeb, Taylor Dayne, Stuart Wood (Bay City Rollers), Mick Conroy and Robbie Grey (Modern English), Earl Young (The Trammps), The Zombies, Tom Higgenson (Plain White T’s), and Jesse Colin Young (Youngbloods).


Over the past three years, The Rob Squad Reactions Show and Channel on YouTube has captivated a global audience based on the hosts’ genuine, heartfelt reactions to a wide range of music from various genres and eras. Jay and Amber Robinson are two young former schoolteachers/athletic coaches who met as freshmen at Northeastern Oklahoma State, married, and now have three children. Jay started the reaction channel dedicated to unearthing hidden gems and celebrating timeless classics.


The visionary team behind RSATC are F Street Productions co-founders: media/music veteran Scott Kushner and Michael A. Simon, an EMMY Award-winning TV director/producer with an impressive portfolio that includes 43 seasons of MTV's Ridiculousness and numerous VH1 Storytellers and VH1 Divas episodes.

In a new interview with Brazil's A Rádio Rock, SUM 41 vocalist Deryck Whibley spoke about the band's decision to call it quits after the completion of the tour in support of SUM 41's latest album, "Heaven :x: Hell". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was a tough decision because I love what I do and I've loved being in this band for almost 30 years. But there comes a point in life where you start asking yourself, 'Is this all I'm ever gonna do? Is there anything else?' And I'll never really know unless I try to go see what else is out there for me. So I knew I had to make this decision at this point, although it was tough."

Asked what he hopes SUM 41's legacy will be, Whibley said: "It's not really up to me and I don't really think about it. I think the music will speak for itself. People will either like it or they won't. It will stand the test of time or it won't."

Regarding what he considers to be the most challenging and most rewarding moments in SUM 41's story, Deryck said: "There's been a lot. Our whole story has been heaven and hell. It's been extreme highs, extreme lows and it's been a long career. So we've gone through ups and downs. I think the most rewarding part about being in this band is having stuck through everything up until this point and just push through all the really hard moments and just kept fighting and just kept going and getting to a point where we're at the best we've ever been, we love each other more than we ever have and everything's just in a great place. So it's a great place to leave it at that."

As previously announced, SUM 41 will make stops in the United States, Japan, Mexico, Germany, Italy, and more, and will perform their largest show to date in front of a sold-out crowd of over 35,000 at Paris La Défense Arena in France later this year before the official Canadian leg of the tour and their final shows as a band in Toronto, Ontario, on January 28 and 30, 2025, at Scotiabank Arena.

Released on March 29 via Rise Records, "Heaven :x: Hell" is the most ambitious album from SUM 41 yet — "Heaven" is 10 tracks of snarling high-energy pop punk, while "Hell" consists of ten heavy metal anthems spiked with fret-burning solos, thrashing riffs, and fist-pumping hooks. The band has been straddling the line of pop-punk and metal for their entire career, and "Heaven :x: Hell" Is a testament to their innovative sound and unmatched skill, proving them as pioneers 27 years after the bands inception.

SUM 41's storied 24-plus-year career includes over 15 million records sold worldwide, multiple Billboard-charting releases, a Grammy Award nomination, two Juno Awards (seven nominations),a Kerrang! Award in 2002, as well as multiple Alternative Press Music Awards.

In September 2023, Whibley was discharged from a hospital after being treated for pneumonia.

Back in 2014, Deryck collapsed in his kitchen and was rushed to the hospital, before doctors revealed his liver and kidneys had failed. He was placed in a coma for a week to help his body detox from alcohol and went on to get sober and lead a healthier lifestyle.

Photo courtesy of Big Picture Media

British metallers Monuments shared news that their drummer Mike Malyan has decided to leave the band. You can read full statements form the both sides down under.

Comment from the band: "After countless tours, beautiful memories, and many great songs written, it is with heavy hearts that we must announce the departure of our great friend and drummer Mike Malyan. Mike has been with Monuments from the earliest days of the band and we are eternally grateful to have had the opportunity to create and play music alongside him.

"Throughout all the ups and downs, Mike’s unwavering dedication, talent, and spirit has shone through as a beacon of inspiration to us all. We will never forget the love, positivity, and sacrifices he’s made for us and the fans that are so dear to our hearts.

"As fun and rewarding as the band lifestyle can be, our paths in life naturally diverge and shift over time. We fully support Mike’s decision to step down and put his family’s and personal well-being first. From the bottom of our hearts, we love you Mikey, thank you for everything.

"In light of this, our summer festival plans have been postponed to 2025. We will be taking this time to recalibrate, write, and focus on the next chapter of Monuments. Our upcoming US/Canada tour with Leprous and Fight The Fight will still fully go forward as planned. More info on that later."

In a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock to promote the 2024 remastered reissue of UFO's 1977 album "Lights Out", UFO frontman Phil Mogg was asked if there is still "more to do" with the band. He responded: "No, no. I think it's come to a conclusion. We did that last U.K. tour in 2019, just before COVID. So that was kind of the end of it, and the time was right."

Mogg suffered a heart attack in August 2022. The now-76-year-old British-born musician was rushed to the hospital where he had two stents implanted into his coronary arteries. This is known medically as a coronary angioplasty and aims to re-open the blocked coronary artery by inserting one or more stents. This helps keep the narrowed artery open.

UFO's farewell tour was scheduled to kick off on October 15, 2022 at the De Casino in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium and run through a final show at the Fuzz Club in Athens, Greece on October 29, 2022.

When the news of Mogg's heart attack was first made public, UFO said in a statement: "On Thursday September 1st, 2022 — after having performed several detailed examinations in the past days — the doctors pronounced a strict performance ban for Mogg until further notice. This is why the entire Last Orders farewell tour, which was supposed to lead across Europe from October 15 to 29, 2022 before ending in Athens, had to be cancelled.

"If and when the tour or — at the very least — individual shows can be made up for, is currently completely unclear and will depend on Mogg's recovery, among other things. His rehabilitation therapy will be starting in about six weeks. According to the doctors, it is not yet possible to give any concrete statements about the duration and scope of the treatment."

In 2021, UFO announced that it would embark on its final tour featuring a series of exclusive concerts in summer 2022 to bid farewell to its fans in style. UFO was scheduled to play the very last concert of in Athens, where the band performed its first show featuring current guitarist Vinnie Moore in February 2004.

When UFO's final concert was first announced, Mogg was anticipating this very special farewell show with mixed feelings, while also very much looking forward to UFO once again meeting their extensive fan base between summer and autumn 2022.

Mogg, who turned 76 earlier this week, said: "After so many years with countless highlights, fantastic experiences and lots of beautiful memories — as well as some difficult moments, naturally — it'll be a worthy finale to say goodbye to your fans in person. I know that there are bound to be some very emotional moments on both sides."

In his original statement announcing UFO's final tour, Mogg said the decision was "a long time coming," adding that while "being out on the road isn't always tremendously luxurious and although the playing is as great as it ever was, the stuff that surrounds it becomes very tiresome. I always told myself that when I reached that stage, I would step down, and that's what I'm going to do. This is the right time for me to quit."

UFO guitarist/keyboard player Paul Raymond died in April 2019. He appeared on more than a dozen of UFO's albums, including "Lights Out" and the live classic "Strangers In The Night".

UFO's most recent lineup included original members Mogg and drummer Andy Parker, as well as Moore, who joined in 2003, and Rob De Luca (bass),a member since 2012.

UFO's latest release was the 2017 covers collection "The Salentino Cuts".

THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND have issued a statement on the passing of the band's founding member Dickey Betts. Dickey died Thursday morning (April 18) at the age of 80. The cause was cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Betts's manager David Spero confirmed to Rolling Stone.

In their statement, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND wrote: "With deep sadness THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND learned today that founding member Dickey Betts has passed away peacefully in his home in Sarasota, Florida, following a period of declining health.

"Dickey wrote quintessential BROTHERS songs including 'Blue Sky', 'Rambling Man', 'Jessica', 'In Memory of Elizabeth Reed' and many others. His extraordinary guitar playing alongside guitarist Duane Allman created a unique dual guitar signature sound that became the signature sound of the genre known as Southern Rock. He was passionate in life, be it music, songwriting, fishing, hunting, boating, golf, karate or boxing. Dickey was all in on and excelled at anything that caught his attention.

"Betts joins his brothers, Duane Allman, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks and Gregg Allman, as well as ABB crew, members Twiggs Lyndon, Joe Dan Petty, Red Dog, Kim Payne and Mike Callahan in that old Winnebago in the sky touring the world taking their music to all who will listen.

"Our condolences to his immediate family Donna, Duane & Lisa, Christy & Frank, Jessica, and Kim.

"Play on Brother Dickey, you will be forever remembered and deeply missed.

"ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, Family, and Crew".

Betts released several acclaimed solo albums in the 1970s and 1980s and was involved in THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND reunion in 1989 following a seven-year hiatus.

Betts exited THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND in 2000 after a comeback that found the group releasing several acclaimed new studio albums, winning a Grammy for a live performance of "Jessica" and being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Before fellow THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND founding member Gregg Allman died in May 2017, he and Betts reconnected, with Dickey later saying: "I'm so glad I was able to have a couple good talks with him before he passed. In fact I was about to call him to check and see how he was when I got the call."

In 2018, Dickey suffered from a mild stroke and survived an unexpected head injury. He later underwent surgery to relieve swelling in the brain.

Betts was reportedly the inspiration for the character played by Billy Crudup in Cameron Crowe's 2000 film "Almost Famous".

"Crudup's look, and much more, is a tribute to Dickey," Crowe told Rolling Stone in 2017. "Dickey seemed like a quiet guy with a huge amount of soul, possible danger and playful recklessness behind his eyes. He was a huge presence."

With deep sadness the Allman Brothers Band learned today that founding member Dickey Betts has passed away peacefully in...

Posted by Allman Brothers Band on Thursday, April 18, 2024

Renowned vocalist Brent Smith of SHINEDOWN recently joined host Erik Zachary as the latest guest on the "Spout" podcast, where he delved into a plethora of topics ranging from music collaborations to fitness routines and the profound lessons learned from influential women in his life. Watch the full episode below.

During the podcast, Smith revealed the exciting possibility of a collaboration with country star Jelly Roll, stating, "100 percent. It might be in the works. I mean, I don't know. If I say it, it's probably going to happen."

Speaking about Jelly Roll, Smith expressed deep admiration, highlighting their mutual respect and affection, saying, "We just have a mutual love for one another and just care so deeply about who he is as an individual and his story."

Smith went on to say: "This man [Jelly Roll] is the real thing on so many different levels; [he] could not be a more genuine individual; talented as all get out. I remember when, you know, we brought him out with us in 2022 on tour, there were people that were like, who is, why, like, what is going on here? Who is this? And I'm, like, 'Just get ready, man'... I told him [Jelly Roll] too. I said, 'Man, you are about to get into the most amazing rocket ship that only you can captain.'"

The conversation turned to SHINEDOWN's latest single, "A Symptom Of Being Human", which recently soared to the top of the charts, marking the band's 19th No. 1 single. Reflecting on the song's genesis, Smith shared, "The song came from the fact that we're all a work in progress. You know, we wrote the song in the midst of a pandemic when everybody was going through an array of emotions. People were angry. They were sad. They were lonely. They were frustrated. And a lot of ways symptom was a gift because it kind of utilized us as a vessel so that it could be born."

Smith also touched on the evolving landscape of music genres, and how SHINEDOWN's catalog is now being discovered by younger audiences. "We don't really write music inside of a vacuum, nor do we write in a box," he said. "And what I mean by that is, to us, we're inspired by so many different styles of music and so many different types of prolific songwriters that, go from all sides of the spectrum of music. We don't handcuff ourselves creatively. We never have on any record. So, it's not to us about, it's not a reflection of whether it's pop music, rock music, rap music, country music, metal, however, you want to look at it. It's about all music. And I think that for us too, we've always had a way of discussing the human spirit more than anything in our songs."

Beyond music, Smith, a dedicated fitness enthusiast, offered valuable tips for jump-starting a healthy lifestyle. Recommending a simple-yet-effective starting point, he said, "Go outside in the sunshine and start with a walk...it will change your mood quickly."

Drawing from personal experience, Smith shared his journey towards health and sobriety, crediting his son for catalyzing positive change in his life. "My son saved my life...it was no longer about me," he revealed.

In addition to fitness advice, Smith imparted timeless wisdom inherited from his mother and grandmother. Reflecting on his grandmother's teachings, he shared, "My granny always just told me, she was, like, 'Look, the key to success is to never arrive.' Like, there's always another gear. There's always another level. There's always another mountain to climb. And her whole thing was always like, climb the mountain to the top. It's not about conquering the mountain. It's about climbing that mountain and then finding if you're ready for another challenge go find a bigger mountain. So, it was always about learning from that, you know involving yourself in the experience being a witness to everything around you and being present and listening to people; being understanding of the fact that you know, you want to lead the way, but you also want to lead, you know, lead from the front and try to surround yourself with like-minded people."

The "Spout" podcast can be heard on Spotify, iHeart, Apple Podcast, Amazon Music or any other major podcasting platform.

Former GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell's long-awaited autobiography, now titled "The True Tale Of Mista Bone: A Rock + Roll Narrative", will be released this summer via Gatekeeper Press. Penned by author Katelyn Louise "K.L." Doty, it features a sentimental foreword by Lita Ford, with additional commentary from Eric Singer, Eddie Trunk, John Kalodner, Kip Winger and others. The book, with a cover photo by legendary rock photographer Mark Weiss, will be available in paperback, hardcover and e-book form. The exact release date will be announced later this spring.

In a recent interview with George Dionne of KNAC.COM, Russell stated about the status of his autobiography: "A girl named Katelyn Doty is working on it with me. We started writing this together about three years ago, I wanna say. I don't know if it's been that long, but it seems like it. Sorry, Katelyn, if I messed that one up. But we've been working on it for a long time. She's a brilliant writer, just brilliant. She knows how to put pen to paper, I'll tell you — just has a flair for it. I wanted somebody that had finesse with writing, not just, 'One day I was working on my car and then I got oil on me.' I wanted [to] let the pen be the voice."

Asked if he is going to dish any dirt in his autobiography, Jack said: "You know what? I said a few things that some people are gonna lift their eyebrows about, but I pretty much kept most of the dirt under the rug. There's no point in pointing fingers and calling people out on stuff. I mean, everybody's got skeletons in their closet, and probably me more than most. So, what's the point in talking bullshit about other people when you don't really necessarily need to? I don't need to fill up the pages, that's for sure. I've got enough stories without doing that. I think I may even have to do a second book. There's that much involved. I mean, you've got a lot of years of work on the big testimonial."

Back in December 2021, Russell told Tulsa Music Stream that he gets along with Doty, who is Chip Z'Nuff's wife, "like peas and carrots. So it's gonna be a really great book," he added. "What I've read is really great. We've got a lot of people that have done interviews for it. Even [A&R guru] John Kalodner came out of the closet [to be interviewed for it]. No, he didn't come out of the closet — I didn't mean the 'closet' closet."

Russell exited GREAT WHITE in December 2011 after he was unable to tour with the group due a series of injuries, including a perforated bowel and a shattered pelvis. Jack largely blamed these injuries on his alcohol and painkiller addictions as well as the prednisone drug he was prescribed.

Russell sued his onetime bandmates in 2012 over their continued use of the GREAT WHITE name after Jack had taken a leave of absence from the band for medical reasons. A short time later, Russell was countersued by guitarist Mark Kendall, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie and drummer Audie Desbrow, claiming the vocalist's self-destructive behavior was damaging the GREAT WHITE name (they also alleged he was charging promoters less for his own touring version of GREAT WHITE). The parties settled in July 2013 without going to trial, with Russell now performing as JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE while the others are continuing as GREAT WHITE.

Russell previously discussed his book in a 2016 interview, saying: "I'm just dumping everything in this book. And there might be a couple of lawsuits out of it, I would imagine. I'm gonna have to have my lawyers check it out before I release it. But, I mean, I don't really think that's gonna happen. 'Cause the book is about myself and what I've [gone through] and not so much about other people. But there are gonna be spots where somebody might raise an eyebrow and go, 'Hmmm….' It's gonna make some people upset. But it'll make more people laugh. If you're the butt of the joke, that's just the way it goes. [Laughs]"

Six years ago, Russell said that one of the main reasons he was writing a book was "because I want people to know that no matter how far down the ladder you fall you can always climb back up. You don't have to stay down," he told Daily Boom. "Whether you have a drug an alcohol problem or anything else for that matter, you can pull yourself out of it. You can accomplish so much in life if you just believe in it and visualize it. Nothing happens by chance, and I believe that everyone that you meet has some sort of message for you, if you listen closely enough. It might be a stranger that says something random to you that you shrug off, but if you sit and think about it, maybe they said something that you were supposed to hear. You just never know when you are being used as that voice of encouragement for someone else. I don't believe that anything happens by coincidence; it's all for a reason, both good and bad. Life isn't random; it's very well choreographed and we're here to learn."

Photo courtesy of Frontiers Music Srl

It’s almost here! Jack Russell’s long-awaited autobiography will be out this summer via Gatekeeper Press. Penned by...

Posted by Jack Russell on Wednesday, April 17, 2024