Phear have released a drum playthrough video for "Save Our Souls", the title track from their new studio album, set for release this spring. Watch Phear drummer Mike Harshaw perform the track below:





Watch bass and guitar playthrough videos for "Save Our Souls" below:










Phear has been recording this album over the last three years, mostly due to Covid restrictions. But now it’s time for these Canuck metalheads to unleash the heaviest tracks so far in the Phear catalogue!


2024 will be all about performing these new songs live. If you have ever seen Phear in concert, you know that they deliver an arena show in a club. As stated by the band; “You haven’t seen anything yet!”


Fans can stay up-to-date on Save Our Souls release details by joining their email list here.


Save Our Souls is expected to feature the following tracks:


“Save Our Souls”
“Snake”
“Aftershock”
“Lease On Life”
“Narcosynthesis”
“Bleed”
“On Thin Ice”
“New World Error”
“Delusions” (Live / Bonus track)


“Save Our Souls” video:

Having defied throat cancer, learned to fly and fence, then released his latest solo album (plus a spin-off comic series), Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson can't wait to get back on the road performing. But he's troubled by the future of the UK music industry, reports Daily Express.


One of the most successful music spin-offs in rock history, heavy metal legends Iron Maiden’s own brand of beer has become a favourite tipple in pubs across Britain. More than 35 million pints of Trooper have been poured since it was launched in 2013, featuring the band’s in-famous demonic mascot, Eddie, as its logo. Respected in the beer industry, Trooper’s success is in part because Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson has become an expert in what makes a good pint and is passionate about Trooper becoming an established ale.


So it’s small wonder that Dickinson is in despair about the state of Britain’s pubs. The frontman is furious at the disappearance of so many boozers, which he sees as an important part of our community life.




In a rare interview, Dickinson tells the Daily Express: "Pubs are being closed down in a way that's ignorant. Pubs are either being closed altogether or are being ripped out so that they become a drinking factory, instead of anywhere with a sense of community. They become soulless, so that there's no love or character there anymore."

He added: "The state of small venues in Britain is absolutely shocking. Once venues go, they're seldom replaced. When I started, shows were super-cheap. Then, bands would earn their money from their records' royalties. They don't now and live music is the essence of everyone's existence. We've got to the stage where it costs £100 to see even a low-level show."

Elaborating on the hardships younger hard rock and heavy metal musicians face when trying to break through in today's music industry, Bruce said: "Artists get paid basically nothing from [music] streaming, yet the streaming companies still can't make any money — so nobody is making any money. How this rotten old system still exists, I've no idea. It defies gravity."

Read more at Daily Express.


Dickinson has released The Mandrake Project worldwide on multiple formats. Across ten inventive, expansive and absorbing tracks, Dickinson and his long-term co-writer and producer Roy Z, have created one of 2024’s defining rock albums. Sonically heavy and rich in musical textures, The Mandrake Project sees Bruce bring to life a musical vision long-in-the-making, and features some of the finest vocal performances of his career.


Recorded largely at LA’s Doom Room with Roy Z doubling up as both guitarist and bassist, the lineup for The Mandrake Project was rounded out by keyboard maestro Mistheria and drummer Dave Moreno, both of whom also featured on Bruce’s last solo studio album, Tyranny Of Souls, in 2005.


The Mandrake Project is Dickinson’s seventh solo album. Order here.





The Mandrake Project tracklisting:


"Afterglow Of Ragnarok"
"Many Doors To Hell"
"Rain On The Graves"
"Resurrection Men"
"Fingers In The Wounds"
"Eternity Has Failed"
"Mistress Of Mercy"
"Face In The Mirror"
"Shadow Of The Gods"
"Sonata (Immortal Beloved)"


"Rain On The Graves" video:





"Afterglow Of Ragnarok" video:

Xeneris, the Italian powerhouse of symphonic power metal, is set to ignite the global metal scene with their debut album, Eternal Rising. slated for release on June 14.


Prepare to be hypnotized by their first single and video, "Eternal Rising", a mesmerizing tale of resurrection and resilience, narrated through the myth of the phoenix's rebirth. This song embodies the determination to move forward in life challenges, echoing the phoenix's immortal cycle of death and rebirth. A video for the song can be found below.


Mastermind Federico Paolini states: "'Eternal Rising' tells a story of resurrection and resilience narrated through the myth of the phoenix's rebirth: every 500 years, the phoenix dies and rises from its ashes, thus ensuring immortality through this purifying ritual. For us, it's a concept very representative of our musical journey that is reborn and continues, representing also the will to continue our path with renewed passion."




Formed in December 2022, after the disbandment of Kalidia (one of the hottest italian power metal band with over 7 million streams and 5 million YouTube views), Xeneris is the brainchild of Federico Paolini (co-founder, composer, and guitarist) and Roberto Donati (co-founder, Bassist). Coupled with Maryan jaw-dropping vocals and the rhythmic genius of Stefano Livieri. Xeneris manage to honor the Heritage of Kalidia expanding the musical spectrum fusing power metal, symphonic metal, and progressive metal into an electrifying blend of irresistible melodies, powerful riffs, and grand arrangements.


Federico is thrilled to invite fans to “Get ready to be transported on a mesmerizing odyssey through the annals of myth and legend. From traversing the Mediterranean alongside Ulysses to beholding the Phoenix's resurrection. Follow Dante's descent into Hades and surrender to the seductive allure of an Arabian night, where the Sahara's gentle zephyrs embrace you in their warm embrace.”


Xeneris invites metal enthusiasts worldwide to join them on this epic voyage, as they redefine the boundaries of symphonic power metal. Prepare to be captivated by the grandeur of Eternal Rising and immerse yourself in a world of myths, real-life and fantasy legends, and introspection from human experiences.





Tracklisting:


"Barbarossa
"Before The River Of Fire"
"Eternal Rising"
"Pandora's Box"
"A New Beginning"
"To The Endless Sea"
"Shahrazad"
"Scilla And Cariddi"
"Burning Within"
"The Glorious Fight"
"Equinox"


"Eternal Rising" video:





Band lineup:


Marianna Iacona (Vocals)
Federico Paolini (Guitars)
Roberto Donati (Bass)
Stefano Livieri (Drums)


(Photo - Manuel Moggio Photography)

“The big theme of this record is putting your life back together.” That’s Black Tusk guitarist/vocalist Andrew Fidler talking about the band’s new album, The Way Forward. “When everything seems like it’s against you, put your head down and push through. Take those bad things that are happening and use them to help create.”


The Way Forward might be the Savannah swamp metal crew’s seventh album, but it marks many firsts for Black Tusk. It’s their first with their new lineup, which sees guitarist Chris “Scary” Adams and bassist Derek Lynch joining Fidler and drummer James May. Which also makes it Black Tusk’s first record with a two-guitar lineup. “We were able to add leads and harmonies and all kinds of stuff on the new record that we haven’t done in the past,” Fidler says. “As far as our records go, this one has the most guitar work.”  


You can hear it in the squealing solo of “Dance on Your Grave,” the killer harmonies on ripper “Harness (The Alchemist),” and the glorious dual guitar interplay of the powerful title track.  




“‘The Way Forward’ is my favorite song on the record,” Fidler says. “It’s based on a personal experience that everyone can probably relate to. I got divorced in 2020, and I kinda felt like my entire world was collapsing when that happened. But I pulled myself out of it. I realized that this one thing ending in my life isn’t the end of everything. I’m gonna find a way forward. I’m gonna figure out how to live my life and create and be happy and make new relationships. Which is what I’ve done.”  


In true Black Tusk fashion, the new lineup has expanded their triple-vocal approach to quadruple. “Everyone is doing vocals,” Fidler says. “That’s always been a thing in Black Tusk. Derek said he’d never done heavy vocals before, so I was like, ‘Well, here’s the mic. Here’s some words. Yell at it and see if you like it.’ I was blown away the first time he did it. It sounded good as fuck.”   


That’s Lynch on lead single “Brushfire,” a song for which he wrote the main riffs and lyrical concept. “That was my first real contribution to the band,” the bassist says. “Thematically, I wanted the aggressiveness of the lyrics to keep with the idea of pushing forward even when the world is trying to drag you down. The mood of the lyrics needed to match the pulverizing tempo of the song.”  


The lyrics for second single “Dance on Your Grave” were written by May, who moved from Savannah to Athens, GA, in the time since Black Tusk’s last album. “It’s about his struggles through Covid and what this lifestyle can do to people,” Fidler says. “It’s about getting past the party lifestyle and continuing to do things that are creative.”  


Meanwhile, “Breath of Life” distills Black Tusk’s lyrical philosophy into a righteous five-minute pummeling. “Scary came up with the main riff of this song, and it’s one of my favorite riffs on the record,” Fidler says. “I wrote the lyrics, and it’s just about darkness crushing everything. The world is a fucked-up place that we have to navigate through. That’s what a lot of Black Tusk songs are about.”  


Black Tusk recorded The Way Forward at Adams’ own Hidden Audio studio just outside of Savannah. Adams engineered the album and the whole band produced. “I actually helped him build the studio in the detached garage next to his house,” Fidler explains. “Me and my carpentry company went out there to do it, and Scary helped.”  


“We had about 90% of the riffs and song structures going into the studio, while still experimenting with ideas and inspirations,” Adams explains. “Sometimes we completely reworked parts, which made all the difference. For example, early versions of ‘Breath of Life’ and ‘The Way Forward’ are quite different than the record, and I love where they ended up. Though we did use a few effects and synths here and there for texture and space, to me this record still feels raw and powerful. It captures the feeling of being at a Black Tusk show.”  


The cover art for The Way Forward was done by Brian Mercer, who also created the sleeve for Black Tusk’s 2018 album, T.C.B.T. “T.C.B.T. had a dark cover because it was a dark time for the band,” Fidler says, referring to the period immediately after the passing of their longtime friend and bassist Jonathan Athon. “This time, it’s full blown, full-color Black Tusk. Brian Mercer and James collaborated on the concept, and Brian really knocked it out of the park.”  


“The title is kind of a double play,” Fidler says. “It’s the first record with the new lineup, and this is the direction we’re taking the band in. We’ve been doing Black Tusk for 19 years now, and we still love it. That’s why we called it The Way Forward.”  


Available formats:


- Digital Download
- CD Digipak
- 12" Vinyl Gatefold - Black
- 12" Colored Vinyl Gatefold - Transparent Green
- 12" Colored Vinyl Gatefold - Orange w/ Red Splatters


The album will be released on April 26 via Season Of Mist. Pre-order here; pre-save here.





Tracklisting:


"Out Of Grasp"
"Brushfire"
"Harness (The Alchemist)"
"Lessons Through Deception"
"Breath Of Life"
"Dance On Your Grave"
"Against The Undertow"
"Lift Yourself"
"Ocean Of Obsidian"
"Flee From Dawn"
"The Way Forward"


"Breath Of Life" video:





"Dance On Your Grave" video:





Lineup:


Andrew Fidler - Guitars, Vocals
James May - Drums, Vocals
Chris "Scary" Adams - Guitars, Vocals
Derek Lynch - Bass, Vocals, Synths

In a new interview with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of Rock Interview Series, TRIUMPH guitarist/vocalist Rik Emmett was asked about his health, having recently completed radiation treatment for prostate cancer. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Everything's not bad. I can't say I'm a hundred percent, but I'm 70 years old and, by and large, I'm pretty good. The prostate cancer, I think, is under control and being treated. And I'm taking some medications that follow along after having the radiation. I'm getting some arthritis things that are starting to happen. And it was getting into my hands, which was worrying me a little bit. I've been playing, pushing myself to play a little bit more guitar every day. And I think it actually helps."

He continued: "It's an interesting thing that music is therapeutic on a certain level, but it's also physically, it can be therapeutic for me, not just mental. And certainly in terms of just dealing with the whole idea of getting older and having things starting to go wrong physically, it's, like, well, that's not gonna slow me down in terms of being creative and having fun and doing the things that I wanna do as a creative person. So, I'm writing, I'm playing, I'm feeling good."

When Orwat noted that Emmett looks "no older than 40 years old", Rik replied: "Well, I think I'm lucky that I was able to keep most of my hair, although in the last stages of being a touring act — in 2014, 2015, 2016 — I started to have some anxiety issues and I started to lose patches of my hair. It's called alopecia areata. And I was losing a little — the size of a silver dollar. You go, 'What's happening there?' And then you become very good and artful at combovers. But some guys are 20 and they start turning into Patrick Stewart [with his trademark bald look]. You know what I mean? And I'm lucky in some regards. Now, my mom and my mom's mom, they were both young-looking women into their old age, and people would always say, 'No, you can't be. Really? Oh, wow. You don't look it.' So I think I was lucky that I inherited that. So I think luck has a fair bit to do with that. I don't think that has anything to do with the way I've been taking care of myself, 'cause I don't really think I've been taking care of myself."

Emmett went public with his prostate cancer battle last November, telling John Beaudin of RockHistoryMusic.com: "I have to take medications and stuff. I've just had another biopsy done. I'm gonna find out in a couple of weeks whether or not it's gonna have to come out or stay. Men my age, everybody should be getting checked regularly. You've gotta try and stay ahead of it. And I am ahead of it. But my dad had it for, like 20 years at the end of his life. I'm hoping I've just got that slow-growing kind of…

"There's a statistic — I think it's like 80 percent of men's bodies when they're old, when they do autopsies, they have some form of prostate cancer," the 70-year-old Emmett, who was promoting his then-just-released memoir, "Lay It On The Line - A Backstage Pass To Rock Star Adventure, Conflict And Triumph", explained. "It's just if you live long enough, you're probably gonna get it. So it doesn't freak me out. It would freak me out if somebody sat me down and said, 'Yeah, it's moved. We're finding it in other places now.' 'Cause I've been there with my brothers and my mom. And you go 'Well, that's not good. How much time have I got?'"

Although prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer found in men and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men, it can also be one of the most treatable forms of cancer.

If elevated PSA (prostate-specific antigen) is identified early, there are treatment options that have been shown to extend survival. It is important for men to be informed about different treatment options and their side effect profile so that they can have educated treatment conversations with their doctor.

On average, approximately one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime.

Both JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE bassist Tim Commerford have spoken out publicly about their prostate cancer battles.

Emmett, who quit TRIUMPH — acrimoniously, in 1988 — over music and business disputes, went on to pursue a solo career, while TRIUMPH carried on with future BON JOVI guitarist Phil X for one more album, 1992's "Edge Of Excess", before calling it a day the following year.

Emmett was estranged, both personally and professionally, from the two other members of the legendary Canadian classic rock power trio for 18 years before they repaired their relationship.

"Lay It On The Line - A Backstage Pass To Rock Star Adventure, Conflict And Triumph" came out on October 10 via ECW Press.

Gil Moore (drums),Mike Levine (bass) and Emmett formed TRIUMPH in 1975, and their blend of heavy riff-rockers with progressive odysseys, peppered with thoughtful, inspiring lyrics and virtuosic guitar playing quickly made them a household name in Canada. Anthems like "Lay It On The Line", "Magic Power" and "Fight The Good Fight" broke them in the USA, and they amassed a legion of fiercely passionate fans. But, as a band that suddenly split at the zenith of their popularity, TRIUMPH missed out on an opportunity to say thank you to those loyal and devoted fans, a base that is still active today, three decades later.

After 20 years apart, Emmett, Levine and Moore played at the 2008 editions of the Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma. A DVD of the historic Sweden performance was made available four years later.

Back in 2016, Moore and Levine reunited with Rik as special guests on the "RES 9" album from Emmett's band RESOLUTION9.

In a new interview with "The Double Stop With Brian Sword" podcast, FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson was asked about his feelings regarding the fact that the band is planning to wind down its farewell tour in 2025. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, this much time on the road coming to an end, I'm very happy about. I'm very ready for that. But having said that, we are firing on all cylinders right now, so I'm gonna miss the guys. We've all gotten real close, and the band is just working phenomenally well right now. So I'm gonna miss seeing them as much as I do — I will, honestly. But not having to travel and being at home is a welcome thing. I'd love to do more recording 'cause I'm very passionate about that. And we're all ready to not be on the road as much. I mean, I've been doing this for 20 years — a hundred shows-plus every year, except pandemic. And that's a lot. I didn't necessarily think I was gonna be doing this at this age. So I guess mixed feelings is the answer. But all kind of good mixed feelings, because even in missing the guys, it's going to be a fond memory. And it's nice to have fond memories."

Pilson went on to clarify that FOREIGNER won't be inactive, even after the completion of the farewell tour. "Yeah, we're not disappearing off the face of the earth just yet," he said. "We'll be doing some shows in 2025. It's just this is the end of the nine-months-of-the-year-on-the-road kind of thing. And that's a welcome change, I think on, on everybody's part, to a certain degree. But, yes, we will do some shows in 2025. And I'm looking forward to a lighter schedule. We even have some music that we haven't finished, and I'd love to finish that, too. So, yeah, there's other things coming from FOREIGNER. Plus, I'm working on a live record right now. We just recorded it last week. And when I get off the phone with you, I'm gonna start editing a live record that we're gonna be doing that is gonna be incredible. It's just gonna be an amazing live record. I've been listening to the tracks, and it's amazing."

After one last show with STYX and John Waite in Memphis on September 20, FOREIGNER's farewell tour is set to continue on September 23, 2024, at West Virginia's Charleston Civic Center. FOREIGNER will be joined by LOVERBOY and Lita Ford.

This past February, FOREIGNER founder Mick Jones revealed that his ongoing absences from the band's farewell tour, which began in 2022, have been due to his battle with Parkinson's disease. The 79-year-old musician added that he is "still very much involved in the background with FOREIGNER" and remains "a presence."

Just a week earlier, FOREIGNER was nominated for the 2024 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The inductees will be announced in late April, with the ceremony returning to Cleveland this fall and again streaming live on Disney+.

To be eligible for a nomination, the artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years before the year of nomination.

FOREIGNER's current incarnation includes Jones on guitar, Michael Bluestein on keyboards, Bruce Watson on guitar, Luis Maldonado on guitar, Kelly Hansen on vocals, Pilson on bass and Chris Frazier on drums.

Jones, the sole remaining original member of FOREIGNER, hasn't played a full show with the band for at least a couple of years.

FOREIGNER's "Renegades & Juke Box Heroes" tour with STYX will visit venues across North America starting June 11, 2024 in Michigan

After singer Lou Gramm left FOREIGNER in 2003, Jones took some time off before regrouping a couple years later with an entirely new lineup, featuring Hansen and Pilson, among others.

Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER's biggest hits, including "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold As Ice" from the band's eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like "Hot Blooded" and "I Want To Know What Love Is".

PANTERA's Rex Brown and Philip Anselmo have paid tribute to Jerry Abbott, the father of PANTERA's founding members, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. Jerry died on April 2 in a Denton, Texas caregiving facility. He was reportedly only five days away from celebrating his 81st birthday.

Earlier today (Monday, April 8),Brown and Anselmo released the following statement via social media: "Rest in Peace Jerry Abbott.

"Jerry was the father of Vince & Darrell & was a huge influence on us, in our formative years. He passed down an incredible legacy of his own. He was a great songwriter and a much sought after engineer & producer. He managed the band from '82-'89 & taught us a lot. We can look back now & see that without him; we might not have ever made it out of Tejas. But we did...

"Hearing the news of his passing, we immediately thought of all the great times we had with the 'LD', a nickname we gave him, and all the things that made him so very special!! This cannot be said enough, he was one of the good ones & will be missed!! He's in a much better place now... God Bless."

Jerry was a professional musician, as well as a recording engineer. He also managed and engineered/produced PANTERA from the band's formation in 1981 right up to the Philip Anselmo-fronted outfit landing a major-label deal in late 1989.

Ten years after Dimebag's death, Jerry released a book, "Over My Left Shoulder: The Life And Times Of Jerry Abbott", via CreateSpace, the publishing engine of global online retailer and publisher Amazon.

Writing about the breakup of PANTERA, Jerry, who, by his own admission, had "very little contact" with his sons "from the time [the band] began their world tour in support of 'Cowboys From Hell' until they began recording 'Far Beyond Driven'," said: "Too much success can breed failure and often does. I think that's an accurate assessment of what happened to PANTERA. It's like a marriage that's just too good to believe, and the next thing you know it's on the rocks."

He continued: "What happened? Who knows? People grow apart. People have different ideas. People develop physical or mental problems. Booze and drugs don't help the situation, and one unhappy camper can spoil the whole bunch.

"PANTERA had been to the top of the marquee more than once and lived to tell about it, but this time it was not to be. The year 2003 marked the end of PANTERA."

Jerry Abbott also wrote that after the release of "Far Beyond Driven", he "only got to see Vinnie and Dime on Dime's birthday at Tunica and at Christmas time in Texas. The rest of the time they were simply, 'on tour.'"

Asked if he was ever worried about Dimebag's reputation as a hard-drinking hellraiser, Jerry told Guitar World magazine in a 2009 interview, "Not really. I was around in the early years, so I was there when he had his first beer.

"Being a performer myself, in my opinion, there's nothing wrong with having a drink or two before you get onstage to get your juices flowing and get ready to rock and roll.

"While I knew their fans were kinda rowdy at times, I was never really worried about it, and I never saw him do anything that affected his performance whatsoever. He always gave 110 percent. He was there to put on a great show, and he damned well did every single night.

"I kinda figured that he'd eventually outgrow the drinking and hellraising, because people do tend to mellow as they mature. I'm not sure he would have [laughs], but I always thought he might."

Dimebag was shot to death along with three others during a DAMAGEPLAN performance at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio in December 2004.

Dimebag was posthumously inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk in May 2007 in a ceremony attended by Vinnie Paul, their father Jerry Abbott and Dimebag's longtime girlfriend, Rita Haney, along with members of ALICE IN CHAINS, ANTHRAX, KISS, SLAYER and Ozzy Osbourne's band.

Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his other home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

Rest in Peace Jerry Abbott

Jerry was the father of Vince & Darrell & was a huge influence on us, in our formative...

Posted by Pantera on Monday, April 8, 2024

In a new interview with Rolling Stone magazine, the five members of DREAM THEATER discussed their decision to reunite with Mike Portnoy last October, 13 years after he left the drummer first left the progressive metal titans. Asked why they wanted Portnoy to return, singer James LaBrie said: "I think we had to return the band back to its strongest form." Guitarist John Petrucci added: "It wasn't one singular thing; it was sort of a series of life events that caused an organic conclusion. We all talked about it. It was like, 'Yeah, this makes sense right now.'" Keyboardist Jordan Rudess chimed in: "There's so many factors involved, and each of us has our particular relationships. And it was just a moment when everything seemed to come together, and we went, 'You know what? Let's do this. Now's the time.'" Bassist John Myung concurred, saying: "It was a collective moment of certainty."

Asked if he was surprised when he was invited back into the band, Portnoy said: "Before the Covid pandemic, if you had asked me or any of these guys, 'Was a reunion in the cards?' I probably would've said, 'I doubted that it could happen.' I think if the lockdown hadn't happened, you guys probably would've been on tour, and I would've been on tour with one of my 48 bands. But once we were all locked down, John asked me to play on his solo album. Then, from there, Jordan, John, and myself did the LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT album. And then I did John's tour. So there were just these series of events of reconnecting us — not only on a musical level but also on a personal level for many years prior to that.

"All of our families are friends," he continued. "And my daughter and John's daughter shared an apartment together for many, many years. And John Myung lives right down the block from me, and his wife's at my house every night. There was just a series of events both personally and musically that started to feel like, 'Well, maybe this really is in the cards. Maybe this is the right time.'"

Asked if they see this reunion as healing a fractured band, Portnoy said: "I don't want to be over-philosophical about it, but as we're all getting older. Here we are in our 50s and 60s. You start to think of the reality of, 'How much time do we have left?' I would hate it if this were to become a Roger Waters-PINK FLOYD or Peter Gabriel-with-GENESIS situation where the fans want it, but it never happens.

Petrucci added: "When Mike left the band, it was traumatic for all of us. We had to figure out how we were going to move our career forward. And those years that went by, they were also healing years because you don't just have something like that happen, and all of a sudden, you're all best buddies a week later. There's some trauma there that had to heal. Thirteen years was enough time for that to happen and be, like, 'Hey, you know what, man? We love each other like we're brothers.'"

Earlier today, DREAM THEATER announced the European leg of its "40th Anniversary Tour 2024 - 2025". The trek — presented as "An Evening With Dream Theater" — is the first outing since Portnoy's return.

The European leg of DREAM THEATER's "40th Anniversary Tour 2024 - 2025" consists of stops in 23 cities and kicks off on October 20 and runs through November 24.

DREAM THEATER recently completed writing the material for the band's sixteenth studio album. The upcoming effort will mark the progressive metal legends' first LP with Portnoy in 15 years.

Portnoy co-founded DREAM THEATER in 1985 with Petrucci and bassist John Myung. Mike played on 10 DREAM THEATER albums over a 20-year period, from 1989's "When Dream And Day Unite" through 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", before exiting the group in 2010.

Mike Mangini joined DREAM THEATER in late 2010 through a widely publicized audition following the departure of Portnoy. Mangini beat out six other of the world's top drummers — Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati, Aquiles Priester, Thomas Lang, Peter Wildoer and Derek Roddy — for the gig, a three-day process that was filmed for a documentary-style reality show called "The Spirit Carries On".

METALLICA honored Elton John and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin by performing at a tribute concert at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. on March 20.

Elton and Bernie collected the Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize for their contribution to music at the invitation-only event, which included appearances by John and Taupin, was hosted by Billy Porter.

METALLICA opened the show with a rendition of "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" from John's 1973 double album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road".

On Monday, April 8, METALLICA shared a snippet of the performance on social media, writing in an accompanying message: "Sir Elton John helped cover 'Nothing Else Matters' on 'The Metallica Blacklist' in 2021, and tonight, you can see us return the favour! Tune in to PBS to catch our rendition of 'Funeral For A Friend' / 'Love Lies Bleeding' at this year's Gershwin Prize for Popular Music, celebrating the achievements of Elton John and his writing partner, Bernie Taupin."

According to People, members of METALLICA told reporters how much John and Taupin's collaborations have meant to them. "They're an inspiration to us," frontman James Hetfield said. Guitarist Kirk Hammett added, "They're responsible for some of the greatest songs of my childhood."

Also appearing at last night's concert were singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, country singer Garth Brooks, folk singer Brandi Carlile, and Scottish musician and EURYTHMICS star Annie Lennox.

Ahead of the event, METALLICA said in a statement: "We are beyond excited and proud to have been invited to perform at a very special event honoring the legendary songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin as they are presented with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

"We are traveling to Washington, DC, next month to join Garth Brooks, Annie Lennox, Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, and others for the tribute concert and award presentation on March 20. PBS stations nationwide will premiere the concert on Monday, April 8, at 8 PM ET (check local listings),available via broadcast and streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app.

"Elton and Bernie have been collaborating for 56 years and counting, and together, they have penned some of our lifetime's most memorable and influential songs. We are thrilled to celebrate this honor with them, and we look forward to an incredible evening of unique performances from their remarkable collection of songs."

The 90-minute program "Elton John & Bernie Taupin: The Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song" honors the longtime singer-songwriter duo as the two iconic artists receive this year's distinguished recognition from the Library Of Congress.

Recording artist Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin joined creative forces in 1967 and went on to pen timeless standards such as "Your Song", "Tiny Dancer", "Rocket Man", "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". In addition to ballads, the duo created sensational rock hits, including "Bennie And The Jets" and "Crocodile Rock", which became their first No. 1 single in the U.S. in 1973.

Today, John is among the top-selling solo artists of all time, with over 70 Top 40 hits over six decades, including nine No. 1s and 28 Top 10s on the Billboard Hot 100. He has sold more than 300 million records worldwide. John holds the record for the biggest-selling physical single of all time with Taupin's rewritten lyrics for "Candle In The Wind 1997", which sold more than 33 million copies after the sudden death of Princess Diana. In 2018, he was named the most successful male solo artist in Billboard Hot 100 chart history. In America, John holds the record for the longest span between Billboard Top 40 hits at 50 years.

In 1992, John established the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which continues to lead the global fight against HIV/AIDS. The foundation has raised more than $565 million for HIV/AIDS grants that have funded more than 3,000 projects in more than 90 countries to care for patients and provide education for AIDS prevention. His music and charitable service have been honored with a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II; the Légion d'honneur, France's highest award; and the National Humanities Medal awarded by President Joe Biden at the White House in 2022.

Since launching his first tour in 1970, John has delivered more than 4,000 performances in more than 80 countries. His work has spanned recording studios, stadiums, stages, and screens — always with music that resonates with new generations of audiences. Disney's "The Lion King", carried by John's tunes, continues to be one of Broadway's longest-running shows.

In January 2024, John won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special for his show "Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium", making him just the 19th performer to achieve rare EGOT status, having also won five Grammy awards, two Oscars for his work on "The Lion King" and with Taupin on the movie "Rocketman", and a Tony Award for the score to the Broadway musical "Aida".
Sir Elton John helped cover “Nothing Else Matters” on The Metallica Blacklist in 2021, and tonight, you can see us return the favor!

Tune in to @pbs to catch our rendition of “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” at this year’s #GershwinPrize for Popular Music, celebrating… pic.twitter.com/Bbo5gzzzUw

— Metallica (@Metallica) April 8, 2024

Earlier this week, ANTHRAX announced that, due to personal reasons, bassist Frank Bello will not be able to accompany the band on its upcoming South American tour, set to kick off April 13 at MXMF The Metal Fest in Mexico City. Filling in on those dates, as well as two U.S. festival shows in May, will be ANTHRAX founding member and original bassist Dan Lilker, marking his first appearance with the band in 40 years. Lilker, who co-wrote and played on ANTHRAX's debut album "Fistful Of Metal", was also a member of STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH with ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante and guitarist Scott Ian.

Asked in a new interview with Metal Mayhem ROC when he was first approached about reuniting with ANTHRAX for the aforementioned shows, Lilker said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was actually contacted, I guess, about a month ago… I had a lot more advance notice than when everybody just found out a couple of days ago. It was just that's when the press release went public. So, yeah, about a month, 'cause I needed some time to learn some of the material, obviously, to play it correctly and play it with authority, too. You don't wanna just learn it; you wanna play it with confidence and look like you're up there being metal and not tentative. So, yeah, you could say late February, early March, something like that."

Pressed about whether there was a reason given as to why Bello isn't able to commit to these shows, Dan said: "Well, we're just saying personal reasons. I am not at liberty to say. But Frank is fine and the picture of health, and it's nothing like that. But [it's] nothing I can go into; it's not my place."

Regarding what his initial reaction was to being asked to play these ANTHRAX shows, Lilker said: "I got a text from Scott when he was in Japan on tour with MR. BUNGLE. And I was actually at work. I work in precision optics [at the Rochester, New York-based company called Sydor Optics], because I've realized that playing the type of music I played for the most part wasn't lucrative enough to not have a job. But point being that, yeah, I was just [having] a little smoke break at work at, like, 8:13 a.m. on a Monday or something, and I got a message from Scott going, 'Do you think yo'd be able to do some shows with us next month?' So, yeah, it would have been the very beginning of March. And it's funny. I just looked at my boss who's also a metalhead — that's that's how I ended up working for the company — and said, 'Hey, I just got asked to be do some ANTHRAX shows next month.' And he goes, 'You'd be fucking crazy not to.' And so I knew it would be cool there. And I said, 'Sure. Sounds like fun.' I looked at the tour dates and said, 'I've never been to Uruguay before,' so I can cross that off the list.' Everybody at [the] company [I work for] has been really super supportive about that. So I'm very lucky in that aspect."

On the topic of how long it took him to accept the invitation, Lilker said: "Oh, I just pretty much said, 'Sure, that sounds cool.' I informed my wife, but I can't imagine that she would have said, 'No, don't do that. That's crazy.' So, I'm pretty sure the order of things was replied and said, 'Yeah, that sounds cool.' And then I went about clearing it with the people I have to talk to here [at home and at work]."

Asked what he is most excited about when it comes to playing with ANTHRAX again, Lilker said: "Well, one thing that's cool is since we haven't done S.O.D. for a while, it was always fun jamming with Scott and Charlie, because the other guys are cool, but remember in 'Fistful Of Metal', that was pre-Joey [Belladonna, current ANTHRAX singer] and everything like that. So we were like the nucleus of the early, early ANTHRAX and, of course, S.O.D., which had one guitar, so in that aspect, jamming with those guys. But also the other dudes — I've never been on stage with Joey or anything like that. And, of course, Jon [Donais], the new [ANTHRAX guitarist], who's been very helpful with showing me riffs. So it'll be that. And also, some of the stuff on [ANTHRAX's third album, 1987's] 'Among The Living', it's real heavy, fast thrash metal — I actually have a couple of riffs I wrote on some of that stuff — so it'll be fun to actually play that stuff too. And, of course, the latter-day stuff from the '90s is fun because it was actually really easy to learn because it was more kind of slow. So, obviously, for me, playing grindcore and death metal and black metal, some of this stuff is going to be nice and easy. I have to make sure I don't start daydreaming."

Regarding what fans can expect from the setlist for the ANTHRAX shows that he will be a part of, Dan said: "I would just say that if you look at recent ANTHRAX setlists, subtract a song or two and add another song or two, that would be pretty close. And as far as subtracting songs, nobody's going to be rapping on stage too much."

After one of the interviewers expressed hope that ANTHRAX will play a "Fistful Of Metal" deep cut like "Subjugator", Dan said: "That's a pretty deep fucking cut, dude. You might get something else that ends with an 'R.'"

Lilker later confirmed that ANTHRAX will perform some material from "Fistful Of Metal" at the upcoming shows. "I mean, that's not many beans to spill there," he said. "They've always played 'Metal Thrashing Mad', and since I already [said] we'll be doing another song that ends in 'R', that would be the song before it ['Deathrider'] on 'Fistful Of Metal'. And, yeah, that's kind of our one thing toward acknowledging me doing the stuff, because that was a pretty primitive album for what ANTHRAX ended up progressing into, some of that having to do with my writing style."

Asked about his current relationship with Scott, Charlie and Frank, having attended Ian's 60th-birthday party this past New Year's Eve in Van Nuys, California, Dan said: "Well, we've always had a relationship. It's just been more kind of like one of those off-on things because you're not traveling in the same circles or whatever; they're out doing something and I'm doing something else. So [at Scott's birthday party], it was more just kind of like getting to see old friends again, catching up with them. Frank, I hadn't seen Frank for a long time; I've seen Scott more recently than that, I believe. And, yeah, it was a really good time going out there with my wife and celebrating his birthday and playing a few tunes."

He added: "But, in general, yeah, I'm looking forward to sharing a stage with those guys, helping them out and having some fun, playing some metal. 'Cause I'm not really playing in bands anymore, which is by choice, and so just getting to do occasional little forays like that are cool with me."

Asked if there are any long-term future plans for him to play with ANTHRAX again, Lilker said: "Well, as far as I know, I'm just doing the 10 shows that I was asked to do — the eight that are in Central and South America and then the two U.S. fests. It's just filling in for Frank — I wanna make sure and stress that. I am not [rejoining] the band, even though I formed it before. This isn't gonna be, 'Finally after 40 years, my plan…' I'm doing my friends a favor. And if that situation changes in the future, it will not have anything to do with me taking any steps to do so, let's put it that way."

Lilker has not been idle over the past four decades, having played in a wide variety of bands. He was the bassist for the thrash/metal band NUCLEAR ASSAULT and the grindcore band BRUTAL TRUTH. He also plays bass for EXIT-13, MALFORMED EARTHBORN, THE RAVENOUS, OVERLORD EXTERMINATOR, VENOMOUS CONCEPT, and more.

With Lilker on bass, dates for ANTHRAX's upcoming tour dates are as follows:

April 13 - MXMF The Metal Fest, Ciudad De México, Mexico
April 15 - Cancha Diamante, San Salvador, El Salvador
April 17 - Pepper's, San Jose, Costa Rica
April 19 - The Metal Fest, Quito, Ecuador
April 21 - The Metal Fest, Santiago, Chile
April 23 - Sala de Museo, Montevideo, Uruguay
April 25 - El Teatro Flores, Buenos Aires, Argentina
April 28 - Summer Breeze Open Air, São Paulo, Brazil
May 09 - Welcome to Rockville, Daytona Beach, FL
May 17 - Sonic Temple Festival, Columbus, OH

To celebrate ANTHRAX's 40th anniversary in 2021, the band's social media accounts offered a series of video testimonials sent in by former bandmembers, fellow musicians, colleagues, and industry veterans sharing behind-the-scenes stories of working with the band and what ANTHRAX's legacy has meant all these years on. These videos honored each album in chronological order beginning with the original release, "Fistful Of Metal". The 11-week series included video contributions from former ANTHRAX bandmembers Lilker, Dan Spitz, John Bush, Neil Turbin and Rob Caggiano.

Lilker, who played bass on "Fistful Of Metal" and wrote most of the music for the record, told Knotfest about ANTHRAX's 40th anniversary: "I'm definitely proud of that whole thing. I think it's great that those guys are still going… That was real good memories back then. I know people go, 'Oh, they fucking threw you out after that,' and blah blah blah. But, obviously, I got over that and formed NUCLEAR ASSAULT. And next year we were doing S.O.D. So I'm not the kind of guy who stays bitter forever. But, yeah, the memories of those times, writing that record and recording it and everything was... 'Cause there was no blueprint or anything; we just had influences and just tried to put our own stamp on 'em back then. So, yeah, it kind of sucks being thrown out three days before [it got] released, but it gave me an excuse to do something else."

When interviewer Daniel Dekay noted that it was "really cool" of ANTHRAX to allow Lilker to tell his side of the story in the above-mentioned documentary series, Dan said: "There was times in the past where I might have been a little neglected on some of the stuff. So I think they wanted to make sure to just have a nice, inclusive vibe and not forget any particular details. Like the fact that I wrote 75 percent of 'Fistful Of Metal'. You know, a minor detail."

A number of years ago, Lilker told Voices From The Darkside that he was fired from ANTHRAX due to "a conflict" with the band's then-vocalist Neil Turbin. "He was an egotist (like most singers, haha) and it bothered him that I was taller than him," Lilker explained. "Also, he had no sense of humor, so if you busted his balls he took it seriously. So, he told the other members, 'I can't take Lilker anymore. It's him or me.' They decided he was more important as a familiar frontman to the fans, so they threw me out, even though I wrote 75 percent of the music on 'Fistful…'. Oh well. He was, of course, thrown out seven months later, and I played with Scott and Charlie in S.O.D. the next year."

In his 2014 autobiography "I'm The Man: The Story Of That Guy From Anthrax", Ian described Lilker's dismissal from ANTHRAX 30 years earlier as "the worst moment for me in the history" of the band. He went on to say that the decision to kick Dan out ANTHRAX was made by Turbin and not the other members of the group.

"The biggest dick move Neil ever pulled was when he fired Danny Lilker behind our backs after 'Fistful…' came out in January 1984," Ian wrote. "The main reason he did it, in my opinion, was because Danny is taller than him. He honestly didn't think someone should be taller than the frontman onstage. He thought it made him look bad, so he tried to stand as far away from Danny as possible, which was hard when we were playing stages the size of ping-pong tables."

In recent years, Ian has voiced his appreciation for the role "Fistful Of Metal" played in giving ANTHRAX its start, telling Metal Hammer: "Let's face it, 'Fistful Of Metal' gave us our career. It got the band some attention, made people all over the world aware of what we could do — and for that reason alone I have to be grateful to everyone involved. The record was vital in launching us, and everything we've done, and become, since stems from that debut record. I may be critical of it in some ways, but I could never do anything other than admit we owe it all to 'Fistful Of Metal'. If that had never happened… well, perhaps you would never have heard of ANTHRAX."

During a lengthy discussion on the latest episode of "The Jasta Show", the podcast hosted by HATEBREED's Jamey Jasta, AS I LAY DYING frontman Tim Lambesis spoke about the departures of longtime members, drummer Jordan Mancino and guitarist Nick Hipa. Both Mancino and Hipa were involved with part of AS I LAY DYING's lineup when the band reunited in 2018 after Lambesis spent time in prison for his role in a murder-for-hire plot against his estranged wife.

Asked if he sees "a road back" with Mancino and Hipa at some point in the future, Tim said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I would never close a door on anything permanently, because I think like concepts like 'always' and 'never' are very immature concepts. But I can just speak matter of factly that I think that sometimes when you've created enough hurt, so the very thought of me or sight of me, to some people, is a traumatic trigger and brings a high, high level of emotion to the surface. And I could say specifically as it relates to Nick — I don't know where he's at now in his life, but I do know that in our interactions, there was just constantly a heightened level of emotion. I mean, I could be trying to do the simplest thing in the world, like, 'Hey, I'm sending these files around to the guys in the band, 'cause I rearranged the song. I think this arrangement might be the better arrangement.' And it's, like, instead of advocating for the song, all of a sudden now we're talking about, 'Well, does Tim have the right to be doing whatever he wants with the song? And is he trying to call the shots again?' I'm not saying that he was even giving me a hard time, but I'm just saying as an example, all of a sudden this weird overthinking comes into everything, 'cause it's, like, 'Does this person have nefarious intentions in every single thing that he does?' And then I still have shortcomings as a human being. So then sometimes, he's looking at me, like, 'See, dude, you still screw up. You're frustrating me.' I'm not pointing the finger. I'm just saying the level of heightened emotions there just made an environment to where even our band therapist was, like, 'This is for the best, collectively.' And that's when everybody else was still in the band. And he wasn't choosing sides; he just was saying, 'Guys, sometimes this is just what you have to accept.' Somebody's creating a situation where everybody constantly feels like emotionally pushed into — whatever this person's emotions are, everybody has to accommodate that person's emotions. And if that's constantly what's happening, maybe it's just sometimes best if that person is not part of the equation. And it wasn't anything personal. Now, from his side, he could feel totally differently — he could have hatred for me. I think, if anything, he probably just kind of feels like neutral, just like, 'Ah, it's just better for my life if I just sort of go forward and don't have this constant trigger in my life.' And I sympathize with that, 'cause it's, like, man, I don't wanna be around somebody every day of my life, trying to live in a van and a bus with them where, every time they see me, they feel terrible about themselves. That sucks."

Regarding the circumstances that led to Mancino's exit from AS I LAY DYING, Tim said: "I truly don't know anything, because he just one day — this isn't just me; this is the entirety of the whole process — he just one day… We were trying to reschedule a tour that had gotten canceled during COVID. And we reached out and said, 'Hey, they finally wanna reschedule it for these dates. Can everybody confirm?' And then nothing. 'Hey, Jordan, what's up? We're trying to figure out what's up. You committed to these days originally. We're just trying to have the new ones.' Nothing. And then months and months go by later, and his attorney reaches out and says, 'Hey, Jordan's asked that only communication comes through me.' And I was just, like, 'Okay, well, what was the fight about?' I mean, I'm not gonna ask, at 400 dollars an hour, what the fight was about. I don't even care at that point. So, that's the mystery right there."

He continued: "If you worked at — I don't know — say you owned a tire shop, and that's it. You're just the owner of a tire shop, not even a band, but you've got five people working at the tire shop and one dude just doesn't show up to work on Monday. You call him, the next Monday comes around, he doesn't show up to work. Sixteen Mondays go by and this dude doesn't show up for work. So it's, like, at that point, you're not the jerk for saying, 'Hey, dude, we've gotta move on without you.' I mean, you're just kind of doing what you've gotta do at that point."

When Jasta pressed Lambesis about Mancino's involvement with AS I LAY DYING, suggesting that the tire-shop analogy was "unfair" because Jordan had "equity" in the band, Tim said: "The band was started by me. Jordan has quit on a couple different occasions back in the day. He was asked to be in the band by me. If he wants to say… I'm not gonna… the legality of it, 'cause some of this stuff just gets insane. If he wants to say, like, 'Oh, I'm owed a portion of ownership of this,' that's totally fine. But the band exists to make music and perform music. So you can't just one day say, 'I don't wanna do those things, but I wanna make money from them.' That's absurd. Any judge in the world is gonna be, like, 'Dude, you're out of your mind.'"

Jamey then noted that "some people get a severance from employment or get a sunset clause, if they had equity,' to which Tim replied: "And that's something we can figure out over time. I think that that's actually the easiest thing in the world to just say, 'Hey dude, here's all the books. You see what we make. There's not one dollar that's hidden from you. What do you think is a fair way to handle this?' And as long as whatever that is is based in some sort of actual reality to where, like, the person's not delusionally thinking, like, 'Hey, I need, I need 20 million dollars to be bought out of this band that I didn't even start.' Once that kind of thinking gets into the equation, it's just, like, 'Hey, dude. I don't even know what to say to this.'"

Jasta went on to say that the other members of AS I LAY DYING's classic lineup lent Tim "a lot of credibility by making the jump" and trusting the singer and vouching for him publicly, which therefore provided value when it came to promoters booking the band. Lambesis said: "I have a lot of feelings about this because I don't really try to go around inserting my version of the story. I do very few interviews. My life is simple. I just wanna play music. I started this band. I was the primary songwriter at that time, on guitar and everything. I just wanna make music. I just wanna perform music. The foundation of the band was, like, we perform music, we play music. And if somebody doesn't wanna do that, that's totally fine. They can leave. But the machine keeps going, 'cause this is what I started, this is the foundation of what I started. And so it takes a certain amount of faith or trust, I guess, is the word or good faith from me toward them to actually ask them to play with me again. And that's one of the things I think has been misunderstood this whole time, is when I first got released from incarceration, every manager I talked to was, like, 'Do not do the band with those guys, because what will happen is' — not all of them, but a couple of them — 'is that you can tell just speaking to them for five minutes, the amount of emotion around this topic, they're gonna be able to get past it for a certain amount of time, and then without proper, actual healing and therapy, dedication to these kinds of things, it will fall apart and they will leave. And then people will think you were the bad guy. You're the reason that they left.' And so I had to actually just say — I said to multiple managers, 'I don't care about that. I just wanna do it anyways. Even if it hurts me in the long run, I just wanna do it.' And I forced a square peg into a round hole for those dudes to all come back together…. The amount of faith for me to say, here's two guys that have never been significant songwriters in the band. Behind the scenes, they've never changed the outcome of an album. And I'm going to go ahead and rebrand them as an integral classic-member lineup that's, like, this band cannot go forward without these guys. And they have the potential ability to go burn me later by them leaving and being, like, 'Oh, it's just not the same as it used to be. And the band just feels different to me now.' And I don't know — whatever comments could be made, they're welcome to have that opinion. But, to me, it's just, like, dude, behind the scenes, nothing changes whether you're in this band or not. Phil [Sgrosso, guitar] and I still just keep writing records like we did since 2004."

Tim went on to say that he "would happily give away half my money, no problem, to just enjoy what I do with my life. So that's what it comes down to. Hey, maybe the public likes a couple of these dudes way more than [they like me] — not maybe. Almost certainly. I'm very self-aware. I'm certain that these people are more likable in a public square. I just kind of, when it comes down to my quality of life going forward, it's just, like, dude, you mean I could just write music, record music and perform music without it being a constant amount of drama and difficulty. That sounds awesome. How much money do I have to give away for that to happen? That's cool with me. And I don't mean that resentfully or angrily. I think what they did was a very sincere effort. Like, 'I think I can make this work.' They tried it. They got into the nitty gritty of, like, 'Wow. I feel triggered every day on a regular basis. This is not sustainable. I probably don't wanna do this, actually.' After a year or 18 months or whatever it was of just trying to push this thing to happen, it is completely understandable that they're, like, 'Man, I don't feel as good about this as I thought I maybe would be able to grow to do.' And, man, I'm super thankful that they like gave it a shot at all, and I knew that it could potentially hurt me, and it did, just as everybody behind the scenes like predicted with me and they said, 'Don't do this 'cause this is exactly what's gonna happen.' All those things happened, and I still don't regret it, 'cause it's, like, you know what? I got a chance to know beyond doubt that I tried my best and they tried their best and now we don't have to wonder, like, 'Oh, I wonder what would happen if we tried to all get back together.'"

Tim and his bandmates recently completed the recording process for their next studio album. The LP will mark the group's first with its new lineup, featuring Lambesis and longtime guitarist Phil Sgrosso alongside drummer Nick Pierce (ex-UNEARTH),bassist vocalist Ryan Neff (MISS MAY I) and guitarist Ken Susi (UNEARTH).

In September 2022, Lambesis told Metalshop TV about AS I LAY DYING's recent lineup changes: "I think for our fans, they think that the changes happened all in a very short period of time, but they actually happened over the last two years. The first change was on guitar we invited Ken Susi to fill in for us. And that was about two years ago that we invited him. But then, of course, the pandemic happened and so we had a lot of breaks until we had a tour again. So Ken's been rehearsing with us, or talking about rehearsing with us, for the last couple of years. And on drums we have Nick Pierce, who joined us. Nick Pierce was previously in UNEARTH; Ken is from UNEARTH as well. And Nick stopped playing with UNEARTH and coincidentally at the same time we needed a drummer, because our previous drummer hadn't been communicating with us; he went very isolated once the pandemic hit. And so there wasn't an argument or anything like that; it was just a situation where when the pandemic hit, he decided to take a new direction in life and kind of cut himself off from the rest of us. And we decided we wanted to keep going forward. Phil and I had been the ones writing the songs all these years, so when Nick Pierce left UNEARTH, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to have him perform with us. And then Ryan came from MISS MAY I. He was the last guy to come in. And he didn't come in until a couple of months ago. Our bass player, Josh, previously left, and he's with SPIRITBOX now. And when he decided to go perform with SPIRITBOX, we called up Ryan, who was with MISS MAY I. And Ryan Neff was on tour at the time. And then we asked him, 'Can you start touring with us as soon as this tour is over?' And he said, 'Well, I'm only gonna have three days off to rehearse in between tours.' He said, 'If you guys want me to do it, I'll make sure I come prepared.' And he had a lot to learn in three days, but he pulled it together. He's a very, very hard-working guy."

In June 2022, Jordan announced that he would sit out AS I LAY DYING's tour due to "a number of ongoing internal issues" that "have not yet been resolved."

Mancino's announcement came less than a month after AS I LAY DYING's longtime bassist/vocalist Josh Gilbert revealed that he was leaving the band. In a statement, the remaining members of AS I LAY DYING said that Gilbert "decided to exit" the group "to pursue other musical opportunities."

Josh was the second AS I LAY DYING member to leave the band in less than a year. In August 2021, Hipa confirmed his exit from AS I LAY DYING, explaining that he could no longer justify being part of "a superficial pursuit" of the "story and meaning" that the band's 2018 reunion was built upon.

In May 2014, Lambesis was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to paying a San Diego police officer posing as a hitman $1,000 to kill his wife. Approximately two and a half years later — on December 17, 2016 — he was discharged from a California detention facility and was transferred to the Division of Adult Parole Operations.

In June 2018, AS I LAY DYING played its first show with Lambesis in five years and released a new single. Lambesis also owned up to his crimes in a long apology on the band's Facebook page after his release.

The return of AS I LAY DYING raised some questions, particularly since Hipa categorically denounced the band's disgraced frontman as a "sociopathic narcissist in definite need of rehabilitation" in a social-media post back in 2014.

In September 2021, AS I LAY DYING released a new song called "Roots Below" which was originally a B-side leftover from when the sessions for "Shaped By Fire".

Symphonic metal band, Dragony from Vienna, Austria, is excited to announce their new label deal with Steamhammer/SPV.


After four albums, one EP, and more than 15 years on the international metal scene, the Austrian sextet has signed a new record deal with Steamhammer/SPV in advance of the upcoming release of the band's fifth album.


Dragony states: "As a renowned label with a forty-year history in the metal business, Steamhammer/SPV has seen and done it all, and is still going strong today! Some of our favorite bands are or were signed to SPV, and we've enjoyed their releases greatly over the years, so we are thrilled to write the next chapter in the Dragony story together with SPV. We've got a lot of great things cooking behind the scenes right now, and we can't wait to unleash them upon the metal world in cooperation with SPV!"




Olly Hahn, head of Steamhammer, adds: "Dragony is a hardworking band and has countless fans all over the world. Dedication and persistence are trademarks for this sextet from Austria and we are ready to start the next chapter together with them."


The band's new studio album is scheduled for on October release. First single and video will be released in late-April.


Dragony are:


Chris Auckenthaler: Drums
Herbert Glos: Bass
Manuel Hartleb: Keyboards
Matvei Plekhanov: Guitars
Simon Saito: Guitars
Siegfried Samer: Vocals

Finnish hard rock act, Brother Firetribe, have shared a new single, entitled "Are You Ready?"





About the single, vocalist Pekka Heino had this to say: "It’s always exciting to put out a brand new song after working on it since the first idea. 'Are You Ready' has everything one would expect from this band and we hope it serves as a great soundtrack for the upcoming hot summer. We also can’t wait to play it live on tour! Are you ready? We sure as hell are!"




Listen to "Are You Ready?" here, and below:





Check out the band's short film, Night Drive, here.


Lineup:


Pekka Heino - Vocals
Roope Riihijärvi - Guitar
Tomi NIkulainen - Keys
Jason Flinck - Bass
Hannes Pirilä - Drums


All music by: Roope Riihijärvi, Hannes Pirilä, Pekka Heino, Tomi Nikulainen, Jason Flinck

In an interview with Spotlight Report conducted at this month's Knotfest Australia in Sydney, DISTURBED drummer Mike Wengren spoke about how sometimes fans will come up to him and his bandmates and say that one of their songs has helped them in some way or even saved their life. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, we always write songs from the heart and from the experiences that we go through ourselves. It's catharsis for us to be able to sing and perform those songs. And when fans just started to reach out, that they use these songs to help them get through their hardships, it brings the connection together for us. We write it so that we can heal, that we can cope with some of the hardships of life, and it's just a pretty incredible thing to be able to share that with everybody. And we get that message all the time. People say, 'I went through a really hard time of my life. I was divorced' or 'I had an addiction issue I was dealing with, and your song saved my life and helped me get through it.' I mean, that is the biggest compliment of all. It's not just that we get to write and perform music, but we get to touch people's lives. It's emotional. It's an incredible thing that we don't take for granted at all."

Earlier this month, DISTURBED garnered its 19th No. 1 on the Active Rock radio chart with "Don't Tell Me", the band's latest single, which features a guest appearance by Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and HEART co-founder Ann Wilson. The song is DISTURBED's fourth No. 1 off the band's latest album, "Divisive".

This is the second time DISTURBED has earned four No. 1s on a single record, having previously accomplished the same feat on 2015's "Immortalized". Only nine rock albums since 1992 have been able to secure four No. 1 songs on the Mediabase Rock charts and two of them have been DISTURBED's.

Released in November 2022, "Divisive" was recorded earlier that year with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee.

"Divisive" sold 26,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, with 22,000 units via album sales. On the all-format Billboard 200 chart, "Divisive" debuted at No. 13.

DISTURBED has had five No. 1s on the all-genre chart, beginning with "Believe" in 2002.

According to Billboard, DISTURBED's "Take Back Your Life" summer 2023 tour grossed $17.4 million and sold 336,000 tickets.

DISTURBED averaged 11,573 tickets sold per show, up from 6,901 in 2019 and 4,404 in 2016. The average ticket price for the "Take Back Your Life" tour was $51.07.

DISTURBED's biggest headlining concert ever happened on September 2, 2023 at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana, where the band drew more than 20,000 fans.

In a new interview with Robert Edwards of Talkin' Bout Rock, MR. BIG bassist Billy Sheehan spoke about the band's decision to enlist Michele Luppi (WHITESNAKE) to assist with the lead vocals during MR. BIG's U.K. tour while singer Eric Martin was dealing with an unspecified voice issue. Billy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's tough when you get.. I mean, that's kind of why it's a farewell tour. We could limp over the finish line or run over the finish line, and right now we're planning to run over the finish line. But it's tough. Vocals are tough. We have a tight, tough schedule. So, this gentleman plays in one of the Italian MR. BIG tribute bands. He's got a great voice and [he's] a wonderful guy. So he just comes in… As you get older, not all singers can hit those high notes anymore. And that's not every song or everything like that, but a little help from my friends comes in on the lead vocals. I still do my part as I do. Paul [Gilbert, guitar] and our drummer, Nick [D'Virgilio], is a great singer — really just a really excellent singer."

He continued: "One great thing about [late MR. BIG drummer] Pat Torpey, God rest his soul, was that he was a lead singer also and at a really high range, so we were worried we could never find somebody like that, but we found Nick, and on top of being an amazing drummer, he does Pat's parts perfectly, and they're quite difficult; there's a lot of nuance and finesse, things you need to know."

Elaborating on why it was necessary to bring Luppi into the picture, Billy said: "We're not faking anything, and we never have and never will. But the vocal cords are a little tiny, two little flaps of skin there, and done right, with correct training, you can be Tony Bennett and sing into your 90s. But a lot of singers, to hit a higher note, they just push harder. You can only do that for so long. I was very lucky to get vocal lessons from a [vocal coach] named Ron Anderson. And he was the number one guy… When Bono blows his voice out, they fly Ron Anderson in to fix him. He's the guy. Ozzy [Osbourne], Janet Jackson — his list of singers that he works with is an A list of all the best singers there are, everybody. And I went to him for quite a while and really increased my range, my accuracy, everything. I sang my whole life, but I never — like I played bass my whole life. I don't know what I'm doing, but I play it. Same thing with my singing — I sang my whole life. I didn't know what I was doing. But getting some instruction from Mr. Anderson was just amazing. What a difference it makes. But everybody's different, everybody approaches it a different way, and we're doing our best to keep everything real. So we brought somebody in. We didn't have him behind a curtain. There he is. He's helping the singer sing."

MR. BIG played its first concert with Luppi on March 22 at KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. Fan-filmed video of the show can be seen below.

MR. BIG's ongoing last worldwide tour is aptly titled "The BIG Finish". Since the band's original drummer and co-founder Pat Torpey lost his battle with Parkinson's disease in 2018, the band now feels it's time to mark the end of this chapter of their legacy. The first leg kicked off in Japan and Southeast Asia in July and August 2023, where the band performed for hundreds of thousands of loyal fans at 11 sold-out shows including Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. Joining MR. BIG on drums for this special final world tour is longtime friend of the band Nick D'Virgilio (SPOCK'S BEARD, BIG BIG TRAIN),stepping in for Torpey.

MR. BIG's final tour sees the band performing the entirety of its breakthrough platinum-selling 1991 album "Lean Into It" from start to finish as a featured highlight of the live setlist.

MR. BIG recently entered the studio to record a new studio album to coincide with the last shows of the band's farewell tour.

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

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

Bleed From Within have had an extraordinary couple of years. In April, they'll be hitting the road for a month-long US and Canada tour with The Ghost Inside, Paleface, and Great American Ghost, and are also looking ahead to a string of summer festival appearances including their Hellfest debut, Download Festival and Graspop, plus a couple of German shows with Shadow Of Intent, The Acacia Strain and Fuming Mouth. Not to mention that they'll be capping off this year in the finest way by playing as special guests to Slipknot across the UK and Europe, for Slipknot's Here Comes The Pain tour celebrating the Iowan's 25th anniversary.


Today, Bleed From Within have released an immense, high-energy video for their track, "Killing Time", made up of some touring highlights from the past few months. "Killing Time" has become a set-list favorite throughout their recent runs, the track coming from their latest studio album Shrine.


Ali Richardson stated: "As we approach the end of the Shrine cycle, we've been looking back at everything that we've achieved with this release. It has been a truly amazing couple of years, taking us thousands of miles around the world. The perfect setup to the next chapter of our band. The lyrics for 'Killing Time' are personal, but I hope that the clear message about making the most of the time we have left will resonate with those reading them. The song always stood out to us and our fans, so it has been great to give it a place in our live set and celebrate it with this video. Shot and edited by our close friend and long-time videographer/photographer Tom Armstrong, we hope you enjoy this montage as much as we do. A true celebration of the band's journey over the last couple of years!"







Find Bleed From Within's tour itinerary here.








Bleed From Within are:


Scott Kennedy - Vocals
Craig Gowans - Lead Guitar
Steven Jones - Rhythm Guitar & Vocals
David Provan - Bass
Ali Richardson - Drums

In a new interview with Reggie Edwards of Front Row Report, BREAKING BENJAMIN guitarist Keith Wallen spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's long-awaited new studio album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're working on tunes. You can't rush it. You really wanna make sure it's great. And I wanna believe the fans can understand that too. You don't wanna just rush something out. I mean, granted, it's been a minute, it's been a while, I know, but we wanna feel good about it and we wanna put our best foot forward and record and release the best music we can. But in the meantime, yeah, I think we've got some tours in the books coming up. We've got some festivals; we just announced a few. And, yeah, I'd say there's probably, maybe some more stuff on the horizon that I'm sure it will all come to light in due time."

Last month, BREAKING BENJAMIN guitarist Jasen Rauch told the FM99 WNOR radio station that he and his bandmates were "definitely recording" new music. "We've been writing for a while," he said. "Our tour schedule keeps things kind of intermittent. So it's hard to get… We'll go on a tour. We're out for quite a while, come home. Everybody wants to go see their family, have some downtime or whatever. And then it may only be a six-week turnaround, a 10-week turnaround, till we've gotta go back out and start prepping for the other thing. Keith and I do some work on the side with other bands, other projects. Keith's got his solo stuff, which is rad… But as far as recording goes, it's been so long since we've had an album out, we feel somewhat precious about it and are just making sure our quality control is there. So we are actually working, we are actually recording. We have songs that are finished, and it's just gonna be about all the business stuff —interfacing with the label and release schedule, what windows are open, that kind of thing, and then as far as us fitting in those recordings around the tour schedule."

Jasen continued: "A lot of bands would go and lock themselves away for three or four months in the studio. We're opting not to do that. We're doing a lot remote and things like that."

Asked by FM99 WNOR if it's easy to work on an album and tour at the same time, Jasen said: "It's almost impossible. I can count maybe three bands, I think, that would be successful at writing [and] recording on the road, because it's very difficult. You can have all the best intentions, but it's hard just squeezing things in between press, any sort of VIP stuff that we have, soundchecks."

Added Keith: "Even just finding a nice quiet place to you know record some vocals or something. And not even just that, but just recording vocals in general, it's, like, when you're on tour, you're using your vocals a lot and there's a fatigue factor there. So you wanna be at your best when you're recording; you don't wanna be just completely cashed from singing three shows in a row."

Jasen concurred, saying: "It's a recording, so it'll live forever, so you want it to be the best, you want it to be perfect, but is that going to be at the expense of the quality of the show suffering as well? So, yeah, it's a difficult line to walk there."

Last July, Keith told Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", about BREAKING BENJAMIN's next studio LP: "We've always been kind of writing and kind of chronicling some ideas over the past few years — through the pandemic, all that stuff, we've always been writing. But here recently it started to pick up a little bit. So I'm hoping — hoping — there's gonna be some new music out sometime within the next year. That's a nice, safe answer. I could say month, I could say two months, but I'm gonna say year, just 'cause it's been so long. I don't wanna screw ourselves somehow; I don't know."

Keith went on to say that there is quite a bit of new BREAKING BENJAMIN material nearly ready to be released. "We've got some stuff in the works," he said. "We've got a lot of music recorded. Ben [BREAKING BENJAMIN frontman Benjamin Burnley] just posted yesterday — he just tracked some vocals for a song. So, yeah, we're getting there. We move at our own pace here, much to the dismay of a lot of people, I've noticed, online."

He added about the new BREAKING BENJAMIN music: "It's awesome. It's exciting. And man, I can't wait to get it out there finally."

Two months earlier, Rauch told Janna of 97.9 WGRD radio station in Grand Rapids, Michigan about BREAKING BENJAMIN's plan for the follow-up to 2018's "Ember" album: "We are working on music. We've been writing for quite a while. And regardless of whether we were able to record anything or not, we've been writing for a little over a year, I would say. We kind of keep the bar pretty high for ourselves as far as the standard moving forward. We've been experimenting with some things, throwing some things out, started over a couple of times, and are getting to a place where we're pretty happy.

"So, yeah, we've been in the studio," he continued. "We did some in Nashville. We've done a lot of stuff remotely. Ben and I have dozens and dozens of voice memos going back, 'Hey, try this. Try this.' And we'll record something and send it back and forth. But, yeah, we're looking forward to it. And hopefully we'll have something out soon for everybody to hear."

The members of BREAKING BENJAMIN are no strangers to the upper echelons of the rock charts. Since bursting on to the scene with 2002's "Saturate", the band has amassed an impressive string of mainstream rock radio hits, with 10 songs hitting No. 1, numerous platinum and multi-platinum songs and albums, billions of combined streams worldwide and a social imprint of over 6.5 million — a testament to the band's global influence and loyal fan base. Their most recent release, "Aurora", gave BREAKING BENJAMIN their tenth No. 1 song at rock radio with "Far Away ft. Scooter Ward".

BREAKING BENJAMIN's last studio album, "Ember", debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200 and marked the multiplatinum band's fourth Top 5 debut on the Billboard Top 200, following 2015's No. 1 debut for "Dark Before Dawn" (gold),2009's "Dear Agony" (platinum) at No. 4 and 2006's "Phobia" (platinum) at No. 2. "Ember" spun off two No. 1 hits at Active Rock Radio with "Red Cold River" and "Torn In Two". "Aurora" and "Ember" charted Top 10 across numerous countries worldwide and topping charts across multiple genres, including Top Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, Top Hard Rock Albums and Top Digital Albums.

"Aurora" was released in January 2020. The disc featured reimagined versions of the band's biggest and most popular songs with special guests including Lacey Sturm (ex-FLYLEAF),Scooter Ward (COLD) and Spencer Chamberlain (UNDEROATH),to name a few.

Legendary Canadian thrash metal quartet, Sacrifice, have completed work on their forthcoming new album. The band's last studio album, The Ones I Condemn, was released in 2009.


Announcing the completion of the band's new album, Sacrifice drummer Gus Pynn took to social media, stating: "Six months later new albums done and our first practice. What do you think it sounds like!? LOL"


Stay tuned for further updates from the band.








(Photo - Kieran Palmerston)

Fan-filmed video of Ace Frehley's entire March 28 concert at Sony Hall in New York City can be seen below (courtesy of JPL Productions).

According to Setlist.fm, Ace's setlist was as follows:

01. Shock Me (KISS song)
02. Rocket Ride (KISS song)
03. 10,000 Volts
04. Rock Soldiers (FREHLEY'S COMET song)
05. Love Gun (KISS song)
06. Parasite (KISS song)
07. God Of Thunder (KISS song) (partial instrumental version)
08. New York Groove (Russ Ballard cover)
09. Rip It Out
10. Detroit Rock City (KISS song)
11. Cold Gin (KISS song)
12. Guitar Solo
13. Strange Ways (KISS song)
14. Shout It Out Loud (KISS song)
15. Deuce (KISS song)

Encore:

16. Rock And Roll All Nite (KISS song)

Ace's new solo album, "10,000 Volts", was released on February 23 via MNRK Music Group (formerly eOne Music). The 11-track LP was produced by Ace and Steve Brown (TRIXTER).

In a recent interview with VRP Rocks, Ace praised "10,000 Volts", saying: "I'm very happy with the way the record turned out. Now, a lot of times I've recorded records where sometimes you look at three or four songs on the album and you consider them not as good as some of the other ones and you kind of consider them as filler. But I don't think there's any filler on this album. I think every song has merit to it."

He added:  "I think it's one of the best albums I ever did. I mean, I think it's probably as good as my solo album in 1978, which everybody seems to think is my best album to date. But I think this new album is equally as good as my 1978 solo album, and I think there's more than one hit single on the album. So, if I was a KISS fan or an Ace Frehley fan, I'd go out and buy it immediately when it's released on February 23rd, because you're in for a treat."

Ace's new all-original album is the follow-up to "Spaceman", which was released in October 2018 via eOne.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons co-wrote two tracks on "Spaceman", "Without You I'm Nothing" and "Your Wish Is My Command", the latter of which also features Gene's bass playing.

Frehley recently revealed that his next release will be a third "Origins" volume, covering songs by artists who influenced him. He will once again work with Brown on the project, which is tentatively due in 2025.

In an interview with Billboard, Frehley said that he is at one of the best points of his career. "Y'know, here I am at age 72 and I'm putting out one of the best records I've ever recorded," he said. "The playing is great and the singing is some of the best vocals I've ever done. It really doesn't make any sense, but I'm the kind of guy that’s always broken rules, y'know?"

HAPPENING THIS WEEK! We're getting BACK IN THE NEW YORK GROOVE! Buy tickets to see me live on stage at Sony Hall on...

Posted by Ace Frehley on Wednesday, March 27, 2024