In a new interview with Billboard, original FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm spoke about his decision to retire after his 2024 tour dates. He said: "I've been doing it for years now, and I've thought about [retiring] a few years ago, and a few years before that. I still enjoy playing but I can't stand the travel anymore. I'm sure I'm gonna miss it initially, but I have a lot of memories, fantastic shows performed all over the world. I'm not becoming a reclusive person, but I value my time on my own, and when I'm out there, I don't have that, and I don't like that anymore."

Gramm previously addressed his retirement plans while speaking to Lee Richey. He said: "I've been doing it — Jeez — for almost 50 years, and I would like to turn my attention to my family and my muscle cars and just enjoy myself knowing that when I lay down at night, it'll be in my own bed."

He added: "This is gonna be it. I've been putting it off and putting it off. And I still enjoy performing, but when you've been doing it for as long as I have — the travel is the worst. It really takes its toll. And that's a sign that you're getting old."

Gramm also revealed that he is planning to release a new studio album this year. "It's song ideas and bits and pieces from my recording of my first [solo] album, second [solo] album and SHADOW KING [project]," he explained. "Now, what I mean is when you put an album out and you have 10 songs, you might record 13 and pick the best 10. So then you've got three songs that you don't know what to do with. And the years go by. Or maybe they're not complete songs. Maybe you have 10 songs on your album and there's a couple songs that you started and once the album was released, you just forgot about them. So when I was looking to put out a new album, I had freshly written songs too, but I just started going through the tapes in my tape closet and listening to these things that were 25, 30 years old, and the ideas were awesome. So I started them that long ago and I finished them about two years ago."

Back in December 2018, Gramm announced that he was retiring from performing as a solo artist. But he later clarified that he wasn't completely walking away from performing live.

SHADOW KING was a collaboration between Gramm and current DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell. The group released a self-titled album in 1991 and performed live only once, at the Astoria Theatre in London, England on December 13, 1991.

By the time Gramm left FOREIGNER for the first time in 1990, he had already released two successful solo albums: the aforementioned "Ready Or Not" and "Long Hard Look". He went on to launch LOU GRAMM BAND, which released an all-Christian rock album in 2009. He followed it up with "My Baby" in 2015.

The now-73-year-old Gramm left FOREIGNER for good in 2002 and has battled health issues in recent years, including the removal of a non-cancerous tumor. He told the Democrat & Chronicle in 2018 that he was planning to retire, but still reunited with FOREIGNER for several shows that year to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary.

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".

FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Kelly Hansen in 2005. Guitarist Mick Jones, the only remaining original member, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. More recently, Jones revealed that he has been battling Parkinson's disease.

In a new interview with Omar Rodriguez of The Metal Mixtape, founding BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas was asked about the recent announcement that his former bandmates will embark on a 2025 world tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album, 2005's "The Poison". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It is what it is. I mean, I'm glad I did 'The Poison'. I guess it's a classic album now and everyone's enjoying it. A lot of people use that album to get into metal, which is awesome. But whatever they wanna do. I don't care. I've signed off. That chapter is closed now, and I'm on to [my current band] KILL THE LIGHTS. So I wish them well."

The year of "The Poison"'s release, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE graduated from supporting FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND on their U.K. run in the summer, to ending the year headlining the very same venues just months later. Dropping in October 2005, "The Poison" hit number 21 in the U.K. album charts, becoming a late contender in end-of-year polls, placing at number seven on Kerrang!'s "Albums Of The Year" list, and since achieving gold status.

In December 2017, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE announced that it was officially parting ways with Thomas and replacing him with Jason Bowld (PITCHSHIFTER, AXEWOUND). Bowld had toured with the group since November 2015, filling in for Thomas, who had taken a leave of absence as he and his wife were expecting their first child.

In a February 2020 interview with MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast, Thomas spoke about his departure from BULLET FROM MY VALENTINE for the first time, saying that he didn't leave of his own accord.

"We'd done the last album [in 2015], which was 'Venom', which was kind of more back-to-the-heavier-roots type of thing, which I was a lot happier with; I think everyone was," Thomas explained. "And it was on that album we left — Jay [bassist Jason James], and then I left a year later. So we finished 'Venom' and then started touring 'Venom'. It was on the European tour cycle of 'Venom' that I left and didn't return. I would have gone back [on tour], but no one answered my e-mails."

Elaborating on how his dismissal came about, the drummer said: "My wife was pregnant with our first child together, so I went on to be with her. So that was December 2016, when I was supposed to come back, for the American tour in January, the following month. And they said, 'Oh, no. You still mind the baby.' And I said, 'Okay. Cool.' And then I was gonna come back for the Japan tour. And I was, like, 'Okay, guys.' [And I heard] nothing back. Then I started thinking, 'Okay. I know what's going on here.' And then the drummer started doing a drum solo, and I was, like, 'What the fuck?' I was, like, 'This is fucked up. These are my friends for the last fucking 20, 25 years. So I e-mailed them, and no one came back to me. And they came home for a few days. And I meet up with them, and I'm, like, 'What the fuck is going on?' And they're, like, 'Okay. Cool. Come back then.' Then I find out — the manager takes me out to dinner — that they boys are going to record a song. And I'm, like, 'Cool. When am I needed?' They were, like, 'No. The other guy is gonna do it. But they want you to be in the video.' And I was, like, 'No. I'm not doing that.' That's not the way I work. That's when I knew they didn't want me back. And then they called me up to London and said, 'We want you to step down.'"

Thomas is currently involved with the aforementioned KILL THE LIGHTS, which also features another former BULLET FROM MY VALENTINE member, bassist Jason "Jay" James, along with singer James Clark, guitarist Jordan Whelan and guitarist Travis Montgomery.

In a new interview with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of Rock Interview Series, legendary guitarist Uli Jon Roth spoke about his upcoming North American tour, which is scheduled to kick off on April 2 in Mesa, Arizona. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, touring North America has been a thing that I've been doing for many years on a regular basis, because I love doing that and then we've got a lot of audience over there in that neck of the woods. But we haven't been since before COVID. And so we had a 70-date tour booked for North America, including Canada, when COVID hit. And so I did a few shows in Europe. It was also called 'Interstellar Sky Guitar'. It was a solo tour, just with a big screen, an orchestra behind me, and I wrote a lot of music for it, new music. And then, yeah, thanks to COVID, there was no tour. So, forward to 2024, I thought it would be good to pick up that thread. And a lot of people still have tickets from back then, and they're, of course, fully valid, but I thought it might be a nice idea to not only bring the solo show, because after so many years bring the band as well. So we're actually doing a dual kind of show — two shows in one evening. I'm kicking off with one and a half hours of solo, which is called 'An Evening with Uli John Roth', which includes a little TED talk about my new book, 'In Search Of The Alpha Law', which I'm gonna be presenting. And then there's a break and then we're playing a full-on rock show consisting of my earlier material — SCORPIONS, ELECTRIC SUN and then also a little bit of Jimi Hendrix."

Asked when "In Search Of The Alpha Law" will finally be released, Uli said: "The book will be released pretty much during the tour. So we're not gonna have it on the tour. We're a little late. Unfortunately, it was quite complicated to get everything under wraps, but we're gonna have it. So I think what they're gonna do, at the merch, they're gonna sell vouchers, so 10- or 20-dollar vouchers for the book, and then people will be sent the book. Which is a good idea anyways, because you don't want to carry that book around you in the evening… It's quite a tome. It's big and heavy — four kilos. It's got 600 pages with about a thousand pictures and illustrations. I did all the design myself, because I wanted it to also be artistic, and I wanted the text to be one with all the imagery.

"The way this came about was thanks to COVID, actually," he explained. "I'm one of the few people who, actually, I guess, can be thankful to COVID because it was a horrible thing for most people. I was able to spend two years in lockdown writing this book. And this book has quite a history, because I started many years ago writing it. I wrote several versions. I was never quite happy because I wasn't quite sure how to present the book.

"The subject matter is not an easy subject matter. It's quite philosophical. It's about my view of life, and music has a lot to do with it. And I wanted to have a book that also non-musicians can enjoy. And that's not so easy when you're sometimes talking about technical stuff like octaves and fourths, et cetera. How do you explain that to somebody who doesn't know what an octave is?

"So, to cut a long story short, when COVID came and I was at home with all this time, the book just started to pour out and it kind of wrote itself," Roth added. "And the subject matter really goes back 40 years, because I've been always fascinated by these ideas that are described in the book… It's difficult to explain the book in a few words. That's why it's a book and that's why it's big. It's got a lot of facets. And I scripted it a little bit like a movie, so there are many different facets and various storylines, which sometimes drift side by side and then they jell together."

Asked what the most challenging part of writing the book was, Uli said: "The bigness wasn't really the challenge. I could have written a much bigger book. My original intention, back many years when I first started to do 'Sky Academy' in Los Angeles, was to write seven books, because it was a complete kind of philosophical system in itself, kind of. But I went away from that and I thought I'd make it more user friendly. I didn't want a dry something. I wanted something that can touch people that's inspirational rather than academic. And once I figured that out, it kind of started writing itself. And there were really no obstacles. Well, I did have to learn about book design; that's something that I didn't know before, how to do that. I wouldn't say I mastered that craft, but I got by in order to do what I wanted to do. And now I'm very, very happy with it. And it's a good foundation for my 'Sky Academy' also. Whereas before, when we did these 'Sky Academy' seminars, I never really had anything in writing, and now I do. This ties in very much with my musical output, my musical philosophy. Having said that, this book comes with a couple of bonus CDs because I thought it might be nice to bundle it with actual music, not just the visuals. And of all my output, the stuff that I figured was best for this was my 'Metamorphosis' album, which is Vivaldi's Four Seasons with electric guitar and orchestra, and a concerto of my own, 'Metamorphosis Concerto'. So, that's gonna be in here as a newly remastered release. And also half an hour's piano music, which I wrote in the early '90s called 'Aquila Suite', which isn't so well known, but that will also go very well with this book. And they're just other creative angles."

In recent years, Roth has revisited the early music of his period with the SCORPIONS, which resulted in the "Scorpions Revisited" double CD and "Tokyo Tapes Revisited" DVD/Blu-ray releases.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar players ever, Uli pioneered a unique style of guitar playing which — for the first time — combined complete mastery of the instrument with an intensely melodic and emotional appeal.

From his earliest days onwards, Uli has always been a bold and uncompromising musical innovator of the first order. Being the first guitar player in rock to incorporate complex melodic arpeggio sequences, Uli Jon Roth — in the eyes of many of his peers — practically reinvented modern guitar technique almost singlehandedly during his SCORPIONS tenure, but even more so during his ELECTRIC SUN days.

After a 14-year hiatus, Khanate returned in 2023 with the release of To Be Cruel, followed by physical reissues of their first two albums (Khanate and Things Viral), and now, as they prepare for their first live performances in nearly two decades, the band announces the forthcoming vinyl and CD reissues of Capture & Release and Clean Hands Go Foul via Sacred Bones Records on May 24.





Preorders:
Capture & Release
Clean Hands Go Foul







Khanate's live return is as precise and spare as these records and comprises only three perfectly curated performances: Roadburn Festival on April 20, followed by shows in Copenhagen on April 22 at Basement and Berlin on April 23 at Berghain. 


As part of their Roadburn appearance, Khanate is also participating in the festival's side program, taking part in a conversation with renowned artist Seldon Hunt on April 19. Tickets for all shows can be purchased here.


Additionally, Khanate has shared live footage of Capture & Release from their 2006 performance at the WIRE Adventure in Music Festival in Chicago. The performance was originally released as a limited-edition DVD with Clean Hands Go Foul.





Khanate is:


Alan Dubin (vocals)
Stephen O’Malley (guitar)
James Plotkin (bass)
Tim Wyskida (drums)


(Photo - Ebru Yildiz)







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Featured Video

Scottish progressive post-metal alchemists Dvne have unveiled their monolithic new single, "Abode Of The Perfect Soul." The track comes off of the band's forthcoming new full-length, Voidkind, set for release on April 19 via Metal Blade Records.


Voidkind succeeds in finding new modes of expression for Dvne. The songs are more pointed, direct, and memorable, but the soundscape still has a radiant, evolving, hypnotic flow, the effect achieved with fewer layers of sonic ornamentation, consciously urging closer to Dvne's incendiary live sound. And despite the addition of a full-time keyboardist, Vicart has no doubt about the album's defining feature, "We wanted very distinct left and right guitars, and punchier drums and bass, which would transcribe better live. And the synths needed to be clearer; it's very easy to put five guitars on each side, loads of different vocals and keys, but then you end up watching a band with an album you really like, and the songs sound nothing like the record. That's what we wanted to avoid. As soon as the song starts, we want people to immediately recognise the riff."


Conceptually, the lyrics continue the band's overarching narrative - "following a religious group through the generation line from the beginning to its end" - while Voidkind's extraordinary sleeve art depicts the main theme of this chapter, namely, "a godlike entity seducing and luring followers through their dreams and these followers' multigenerational journey to reach their god dimension."




One book that has been particularly impactful on the band's thought process: 1989 novel Hyperion by Dan Simmonds. Notes Vicart, "It's a very dark Sci-Fi book with loads of interesting parts, so you can go really prog with it, but you can also go more violent and animalistic." Further inspirational touchstones include FromSoftware video game Dark Souls, and the Japanese manga series that inspired it, Berserk, "It's a very cool, violent, psychedelic, medieval dark fantasy," explains Vicart. "We wanted to have these kinds of visuals and aesthetics on this album, in this mix-up of things. Even without the vocals we wanted to evoke something, different places and spaces, and take the listener on a journey."


Vicart further elaborates on the themes driving "Plerõma," the first single from Voidkind, and its accompanying video, which was directed by Vicart, "Plerõma is a concept that has appeared in Gnosticism, Greek Philosophy, and Judeo-Christian religions. In Gnosticism, it is the spiritual universe as the abode of God and of the totality of the divine powers and emanations. It is also the ultimate source of transformation. Plerõma is a key moment of the album narrative where religious followers are consuming the essence of their deity and reach a new sense of awakened existence. It is the first step in their transformation. Musically it also represents something similar to us, as it is a song that is bringing new elements that we didn't explore musically until that point."


Watch the "Plerõma" video below.


Voidkind was recorded between September and November 2023 in Edinburgh at Craigiehall Temple and Byres Farm in Scotland and features the stunning artwork of Felix Abel Klae.





The record will be released on CD and digital formats as well as 2xLP in the following color variants:


- Burnt Skin Marble (US)
- White Black Marble (US)
- Dark Crimson Marbled (EU)
- 180g Black (EU)
- Grey Brown w/ Black Smoke (EU - ltd. 500)
- Crystal Clear (EU - ltd. 300)
- White/Black Dust (EU - ltd. 300)
- Clear w/ Black Smoke (Band Exclusive - ltd. 666 available here)
- Clear w/ Black, Red + Gold Splatter (Band Exclusive - ltd. 200 available here)


Find pre-orders here.





Voidkind tracklisting:


"Summa Blasphemia"
"Eleonora"
"Reaching For Telos"
"Reliquary"
"Path Of Dust"
"Sarmatæ"
"Path Of Ether"
"Abode Of The Perfect Soul"
"Plērōma"
"Cobalt Sun Necropolis"


"Abode Of The Perfect Soul":





"Plērōma" video:





Following the release of Voidkind, Dvne will embark on a European Spring tour which includes shows with Sleemo, Conjurer, and My Diligence on select dates.





Dvne album lineup:


Allan Paterson - guitars, bass
Daniel Barter - vocals
Dudley Tait - drums
Maxime Keller - keys, vocals
Victor Vicart - guitars, keys, vocals


Dvne live lineup:


Allan Paterson - bass
Daniel Barter - guitar, vocals
Dudley Tait - drums
Maxime Keller - keys, vocals
Victor Vicart - guitar, vocals
Occasional Live Member:
Alexandros Keros - bass


(Photo - Alan Swan)







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Featured Video

Gothic metal veterans, Crematory, performed at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival for the eighth time when they hit the W:E:T Stage in 2023. Professionally-filmed footage of the band performing "Break Down The Walls", "Rise And Fall", and "Tears Of Time" can be viewed below:





Crematory's latest album, Inglorious Darkness, is available via Napalm Records. Order here.







Tracklisting:


"Inglorious Darkness"
"Break Down The Walls"
"Trümmerwelten"
"Rest In Peace"
"The Sound Of My Life"
"Tränen der Zeit"
"Until We Meet Again"
"Zur Hölle"
"Not For The Innocent"
"Forsaken"
"Das Ende"


"Rest In Peace" visualizer:





"Trümmerwelten" video:





“Tränen der Zeit” visualizer:





“Break Down The Walls” video:





"Inglorious Darkness" video:





Lineup:


Felix Stass – Vocals
Katrin Jüllich – Keyboards
Markus Jüllich – Drums
Rolf Munkes – Guitar
Patrick Schmid – Bass







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Featured Video

Dan Lorenzo has shared the video below, filmed at the 2024 Rock Against Dystrophy event, held on March 23 in Port Monmouth, NJ.


In the clip - filmed by Mark Sunshine from RAD (Rock Against Dystrophy) - Lorenzo (guitar), Bobby Blitz (vocals), Chris Caffery (guitar) Danny Watts (guitar), Pete Perrina (drums), and Tattoo Tony (bass) perform AC/DC's 1976 classic, "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap".












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Sci-Fi alt-metallers, Sick N' Beautiful, have released their new single, "My Wounds", out today via Frontiers Records. A video for the song can be found below.





Says the band: "Here we go Terror Terrans! We're thrilled to announce our second single 'Death Police', released through Frontiers Music srl and now available on all streaming platforms. As promised, our descent into darkness continues, and we're stoked to have you with us on this journey into utter madness!"




Get the single here.





Check out a video for the band's previous single, "My Wounds", below:










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Featured Video

Following their successful debut Colossal Gods, Cobra The Impaler returns with their second full length Karma Collision an album forged in the crucible of modern turmoil and bound by the chains of classic metal fury. This - their sophomore offering - stands as a towering monument amidst the ruins of lesser gods, a beacon of defiance shining in the shadow of a society on the brink.


After storming the festival stages of Hellfest, Brutal Assault, Dynamo Metalfest, Alcatraz, Bloodstock, Metaldays and more, Cobra The Impaler has refined and distilled their furious energy into ten tracks that stand as a testament to their unyielding spirit. Karma Collision is not merely a follow-up to "Colossal Gods" but a doubling down, a masterful evolution that takes their established sound to cataclysmic new heights.


When Cobra The Impaler rises, it's not just an album drop—it's an earth-shaking event, a moment that refuses to be ignored. With Karma Collision, they don't just beckon the listener—they command the attention of all, delivering an album destined to resonate through the ages and across the annals of metal lore.




Where Colossal Gods delved into the relationship between humanity and nature, Karma Collision sets sail from the shores of human interaction, navigating the complexities of society, the inequalities that have arisen, the lessons we may or may not learn, and the challenges where we find ourselves standing alone or together. It serves as a mirror reflecting the gravitas of life.


This band's relentless march forward is ready to set the world ablaze on May 31, 2024, under the banner of Listenable Records.


First single “The Message” - a reflection on humanity's plight and a battle cry for change, echoing the band's relentless drive to challenge and inspire - is scheduled for release on April 3, 2024


Karma Collision was recorded at Studio Scampi 2024, produced and mixed by Ace Zec, and mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios.


Karma Collision will be available as a digipack, double gatefold vinyl, and digital.


Artwork by Thijs De Cloedt:





Tracklisting:


“Magnetic Hex”
“Godless Beyonder”
“Season Of The Savage”
“Eye Of The Storm”
“Karma Collision”
“My Inferno”
“The Fountain”
“The Message”
“Assassins Of The Vision”
“Shifting Sands”


Cobra The Impaler is:
Thijs De Cloedt (Guitars)
Ace Zec (Drums)
Manuel Remmerie (Vocals)
James Falck (Guitars)
Michele De Feudis (Bass & Vocals)

NEW YEARS DAY singer Ash Costello has weighed in on bands who rely on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances.

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

Speaking to Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio, Ash was asked for her opinion on bands who use pre-recorded tracks during live performances. She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Every band does it. We do it. Every band does it. Maybe not METALLICA. Anyone that's watching this, every band you love, 'cause I've pretty much toured with every band at this point, whether it's a festival or a tour, has three or four or five laptops on the side of the stage."

She went on to defend the practice of using backing tracks, saying: "It is not cheating. It's just some music is impossible [to reproduce live], unless you have a 20-piece orchestra or a synthesizer — it's just not realistic. So I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with that."

KISS frontman Paul Stanley, who had been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years, was accused of singing to a backing tape on KISS's recently completed "End Of The Road" tour.

Back in 2015, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.

"I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, that's at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you're paying $100, 30 to 50 percent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip sync. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.

"There's nobody with a synthesizer on our stage, there's no samples on the drums, there's nothing," Gene continued. "There's very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, METALLICA, us. I can't even say that about U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks."

In March 2023, KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee defended Stanley's vocal performance on "End Of The Road", explaining that the "Star Child" "fully sings to every song" at every concert. He explained: It's enhanced. It's just part of the process to make sure that everybody hears the songs the way they should be sang to begin with. Nobody wants to hear people do stuff that's not real, that's not what they came to hear."

When McGhee was asked to clarify if he was "actually saying there are backing tracks that [Paul is] singing to," Doc said: "He'll sing to tracks. It's all part of a process. Because everybody wants to hear everybody sing. But he fully sings to every song."

In March 2020, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers said that "90 percent" of rock artists use at least some pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. He told Rock Feed: "It bothers me that it bothers people. I'm, like, 'Why does this bother you?' It's the way it is. People have been doing this since the '80s. And we want the sound to be the best it can be. Could we go up there, just the four of us, and put on the best rock show ever? Of course. But that's not how we wanna do it."

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has previously said that he is "one of the last people" who are still not using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows. "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have," he told Consequence Of Sound. "And I still don't. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way?' It's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."

In 2019, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he doesn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all," he told the New York Post. "I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."

One musician who has been open about his band's use of taped vocals during live performances is MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, who said: "We've used technology since '87." He added the group employed "sequencers, sub tones, background vox tracks, plus background singers and us. [MÖTLEY CRÜE also taped] stuff we can't tour with, like cello parts in ballads, etc.... We love it and don't hide it. It's a great tool to fill out the sound."

In a 2014 interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars admitted that he wasn't comfortable with the fact that his band used pre-recorded backing vocals in its live shows, claiming that he preferred to watch groups whose performances are delivered entirely live. "I don't like it," he said. "I think a band like ours… I have to say '60s bands were my favorite — '60s and '70s bands — because they were real, like, three-piece bands or four-piece bands, and they just got up there and kicked it up. Made a mistake? So what? Sounded a little bit empty here or there? So what? It's the bigness and the rawness and the people that developed and wrote the songs and made them and presented them. To me, that's what I really like. I mean, I could put on a MÖTLEY CD and play with it all day long. I don't wanna do that."

Photo credit: Matt Akana

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has once again defended KISS against claims that the band was using pre-recorded tracks during its recently completed farewell tour.

Ever since KISS's "End Of The Road" trek launched in early 2019, there had been persistent online chatter about frontman Paul Stanley allegedly singing to a backing tape. The speculation stemmed from the fact that Stanley had been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years.

Bach, a self-proclaimed KISS über fan, weighed in on the rumors of playback tracks being using at KISS concerts during an appearance on the Rocktails With Ahmet Zappa podcast. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We live in a world now where technology is taking over, and so many bands rely on backing tracks. It's well known. That's the way it is now. My position on that… I always hear people, Paul Stanley of KISS is using a backing track. And my thing is Paul Stanley has given us all fucking 50 years of entertainment. All he's trying to do is keep doing it one more time. The dude is in his 70s. He has to put on foot-high platform boots, makeup, make his body fucking skinny and rock. He has to strap himself on to wires and fly across the arena. My mom is 82 — I love my mom. I can't see her strapping on boots and spitting blood and breathing fire."

He continued: "My point is if Paul Stanley or somebody in their 70s, if somebody that is older is trying to put on a entertainment show and they need some technology to help them get through it, and they're that old, I don't mind that. What I do mind is having a band that's 23 open for me that doesn't even try to fucking do the singing or the backgrounds; they're just gonna run that shit. That's ridiculous to me. But if you've got, like, Phil Collins in a fucking wheelchair, give him a break. My point is have some respect for all that these guys have done. That's the way I look at it."

Bach previously talked about KISS's alleged use of backing tapes last September while responding to a question from the Syncin' Stanley YouTube channel at the Fanboy Expo in Orlando, Florida. He said: "My position on that is that if you are in your 70s, if you're 72 and you gotta put on foot-high monster boots and a Godzilla costume and hook yourself up to wires and fly to the top of the roof and sing, a guy in that age, I don't really have a problem with a guy that's in his 70s or 80s that might use the technology to give us a show. I can't imagine my mom, who's 81, I can't imagine her breathing fire and spitting blood. Well, I can imagine the spitting blood part. But I don't mind the technology being used for its proper thing, like an old dude giving a show, trying his best. But he's old, right? What I do have a fucking problem with — excuse my language there, but you know who you're talking to here — I don't like when I have an opening band who's 23 and they have the whole show on a click track and the background vocals are going. You can tell so easily — it's so easy.

"I'm not saying I'm the greatest singer, and you can hear it on my YouTube [videos]," he continued. "I don't always sing great. Nobody does. Newsflash — not everybody sings perfect every single show. That's not what rock and roll is. You have good nights; you have bad nights.

"You can't tell me about using tapes in a video. I know who's doing it, I know who's not, and if you wanna sit down and watch the video with me and tell me that you're not using the tapes, I will tell you that you're full of shit because I don't use tapes. And if you do, I'm not gonna pretend that you are on the same level."

Bach added: "I have seen KISS about four or five times [in the last three or four years], and it's still the greatest rock show in the world because KISS… There's no show that has the excitement of KISS. When the lights go down and that bass goes [imitates a low-frequency hum], and then they fucking hit the stage.

"If KISS were in their 20s, I would not like them to use tapes. Or if they were like an athlete one day and said, 'Oh, I think I wanna be a rock star.' And then they just get up there and do jumping jacks and have a tape going, I've got a problem with that. I don't have a problem with a 75-year-old man giving me the show that he's always given, but also… We're not, as fans, dicks. We should pay respect to a guy like Paul Stanley for everything that he's done in his whole life. Being of that age and still giving us the KISS show… I feel sorry for people that don't go to a KISS show… It's your loss."

Back in February 2019, Bach praised KISS after witnessing the band's concert at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. At the time, he wrote in a series of tweets: "KISS hit the exact same notes in Anaheim that they did in their 30s.

"I listened to Paul Stanley sing his ass off LIVE. I paid tribute to the band that has given us more than any other band that any of us can name. I have seen way more obvious use of backing tracks than with KISS.

"KISS is not lip syncing," he added. "There are too busy putting on the greatest rock show you will ever see."

Bach's comments came just hours after MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx called out another band for using taped vocals during its live performances after it previously derided other groups for doing the same thing.

Sixx wrote on Twitter: "Certain band out on the road right now putting other bands DOWN and saying that they are a REAL rock band, no background singers,and other old people cranky comments except his lead vocals are on tape.People in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks. #GetOffMyLawn #WizardOfOz"

Most fans assumed that Sixx was referring to KISS, especially since KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has previously slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.

After KISS played on NBC's "America's Got Talent" in September 2018, Stanley was asked by Rolling Stone if that was actually a live performance or if he and his bandmates tracked it earlier. "What you tend to do is record it live and that way you know that everything is as it should be," he responded. "It's not like going into the studio or anything like that. It's…with all its imperfections, it's live."

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

In March 2023, KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee defended Stanley's vocal performance on "End Of The Road", explaining that the "Star Child" "fully sings to every song" at every concert. He explained: It's enhanced. It's just part of the process to make sure that everybody hears the songs the way they should be sang to begin with. Nobody wants to hear people do stuff that's not real, that's not what they came to hear."

When McGhee was asked to clarify if he was "actually saying there are backing tracks that [Paul is] singing to," Doc said: "He'll sing to tracks. It's all part of a process. Because everybody wants to hear everybody sing. But he fully sings to every song."

On March 8th, Jesse James Dupree of Jackyl performed a free solo show in Daytona Beach, Florida.


Dupree's set included a tremendous cover of "Stay With Me", originally released in 1971 by English rock band Faces, which featured vocalist Rod Stewart and guitarist Ronnie Wood; who would go on to join The Rolling Stones. High quality video footage can be enjoyed below.


Joining Jesse on stage was his son Nigel T. Dupree on guitar, Roman Glick on bass, and Rodney Hammer on drums.










Catch Jesse James Dupree on tour with Jackyl at the following shows:





 

During an appearance on the March 25 episode of "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix spoke about the band's touring and recording plans for the rest of 2024. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "2024 is just pulling the slingshot back for 2025. We're writing new music. We've gone into the studio three times now so far, and we've got about seven pieces of music. Four of 'em are finished up. One of the sessions we went in, and we were, like, 'Let's just go write the heaviest, most savage, insane, brutally just out-there PAPA ROACH. And we went and wrote this track. It's so savage, and it's fun."

He continued: "I love this creative process that we go through and digging and finding what we can do creatively. And so this year is just about, where can we go creatively and experiment and find what direction we're pushing this thing. And I love that process.

"2025 is gonna be a big year for us," Jacoby added. "And so we're not doing any touring during '24. And so just gearing up for 2025. [It'll be the] 25th anniversary of our first album 'Infest'. We'll be dropping a bunch of new music. And we've got a book as well that we're gonna be dropping in 2025. It tells the story of the early years of 'Infest', from 1994 to, let's say, 2002, it tells that story. And it's told from many standpoints — all the bandmembers, A&Rs, other musicians. And so really cool.

"We've got a lot of things in the store. And it's fun being creative when we're away from the road.

"I definitely am starting to miss the road, but I look forward to it. 2025 is gonna be a big one."

This past January, PAPA ROACH shared a brand new live version of their hit single "Scars" featuring a guest appearance by Chris Daughtry.

"Scars Featuring Chris Daughtry (Live)" is not only a fresh take on one of the band's biggest hits, but it also serves as the latest release on the band's latest EP, "Leave A Light (Talk Away The Dark)". The track saw its debut performed live preceded by an emotional PSA delivered by Shaddix, who pledged a donation to the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention (AFSP) on behalf of each city's attendees, culminating in a $155,000 donation presented in Denver, Colorado. Three months later the song sat in the top 10 at Rock radio, becoming the band's 26th song to reach that plateau.

Last year, PAPA ROACH was so impacted by the emotive response each night of the "Revolutions Live" tour and the work done by the AFSP that they have since officially re-named the song "Leave A Light On (Talk Away The Dark)" after the organization's "Talk Away The Dark" campaign, and pledged a perpetual royalty from the song's use, to be donated directly to the AFSP to continue their mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide long after the "Revolutions Live" tour concluded.

"Scars Featuring Chris Daughtry (Live)" royalties will also be donated to the AFSP in support of their "Talk Away The Dark" campaign. This impactful initiative teaches you the warning signs for suicide, and how to have a conversation that could save a life — whether it's someone else's or your own. Help is available — talking is the first step to preventing suicide.

PAPA ROACH are two-time Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling leaders in alternative hard rock music who in 2020 celebrated the 20th anniversary of their iconic album "Infest". PAPA ROACH are not unfamiliar with calling attention to mental health, and have been doing so since day 1 with the iconic release of "Last Resort". Since then, the band has gone on to create 10 studio albums, along their most recent "Ego Trip" on their own label New Noize Records. "Ego Trip" has garnered over 260 million global streams to date, and has produced three No. 1 singles, bringing the band's total to 26 career Top 10 hits and 11 career No. 1s. 23 years into their career, the band continues to have global success.

When legendary rock band, Angel, released their new album last year, a great cry of “Hallelujah!” could be heard from far and wide across the music world.


Reuniting the holy trinity of Angel, vocalist Frank DiMino, guitarist Punky Meadows and guitarist Danny Farrow, alongside keyboardist Charlie Calv, drummer Billy Orrico and bassist Tommy Caradonna, Once Upon A Time brought some of the most melodic and supremely powerful songs the band has ever released, and fans and critics responded with a hearty “Amen!”


Now the band has returned bearing a divine gift for their many devotees, a captivating and stunning new video for the album’s title track. Sporting a title as enormous as its subject matter, “Once Upon A Time An Angel And A Devil Fell In Love” this melodic epic offers the story of a supernatural love that dared to defy the natural order of the Heavens, told with bold lyrics and even bolder, earth-quaking power chords. Combining performance footage with dramatic, cinematic scenes, this video captures the magic and magnificence that Angel have embodied throughout their multi-decade career.




Says Punky Meadows, "'Once Upon A Time An Angel And A Devil Fell In Love' is a cautionary tale... an age old tale... it's Biblical... and it did not end well! Beautifully dark!... visually stunning! It has everything that makes a story wondrous! Love, sex, lust, desire, betrayal, murder."





Once Upon A Time, the album, is available now on CD, vinyl, cassette and digital. Order the CD/Vinyl/Cassette here; get the digital edition here.





Tracklist:


"The Torch"
"Black Moon Rising"
"It’s Alright"
"Once Upon A Time An Angel And A Devil Fell In Love (And It Did Not End Well)"
"Let It Rain"
"Psyclone"
"Blood Of My Blood, Bone Of My Bone"
"Turn The Record Over"
"Rock Star"
"Without You"
"Liar Liar"


Bonus tracks:


"Daddy's Girl"
"C'mon"
"Let The Kid Out"

The Melvins latest opus, Tarantula Heart - out April 19 via Ipecac Recordings - is quite possibly the band’s most unconventional, catchiest and imaginative work yet, continuing a legacy celebrated for its eccentric and extraordinary output.


A new preview of the five-song, 39-minute collection arrives with the release of "Allergic To Food", and the accompanying visualizer. Watch below:







“The way we approached Tarantula Heart was different than any other Melvins’ album,” explains Buzz Osborne. “I had Dale and Roy Mayorga come in and play along with Steven and I to some riffs, then I took those sessions and figured out what parts would work and wrote new music to fit. This isn’t a studio approach we’ve ever taken. Usually we have the songs written BEFORE we start recording!”


“The majority of Tarantula Heart has dual drum parts,” adds long-time Melvins drummer Dale Crover. “Roy is an amazing drummer. We would discuss what we would do pattern wise, then we’d just go for it. Improvising riffs and trading off on drum fills.”


In actuality nothing appeared out of thin air. Buzz spent hours and hours with the drum tracks by himself writing songs to what he was hearing drum wise. “When the rest of the band heard these songs I’d created from the sessions, they were blown away,” Buzz shares. “These were fully developed new songs that they’d never heard before that had seemingly appeared out of thin air. Presto!”


Recorded, mixed and co-produced by longtime Melvins’ collaborator Toshi Kasai, the album also features We Are The Asteroid guitar player Gary Chester. Gary and the Melvins’ history goes back to their days on Boner Records, with the guitar player formerly having been a part of the legendary band, Ed Hall.


Tarantula Heart pre-orders are available here, with the album available on a trio of vinyl variants (black, indie exclusive Silver Streak and Ipecac Recordings’ 25th Anniversary Puke Green), featuring a 12-page booklet, as well as on CD and digitally.


Tarantula Heart cover artwork by Mackie Osborne.





Tarantula Heart tracklisting:


"Pain Equals Funny"
"Working The Ditch"
"She’s Got Weird Arms"
"Allergic To Food"
"Smiler"


"Working The Ditch" video:





The Melvins are one of modern music’s most influential bands. Having formed in 1983 Montesano, Washington, the group founded by singer/guitar player Buzz Osborne (with stalwart drummer Dale Crover joining the following year), has been credited with merging the worlds of punk rock and heavy music, forming a new subgenre all its own.


Over the band’s 40-plus-year history, they’ve released over 30 original albums, numerous live full-lengths and far too many to count singles and rarities. Recent releases include 2022’s Bad Mood Rising, a really good collection of what the Melvins do, what they can do and what they want to do, and 2021’s 36-track acoustic collection Five Legged Dog, featuring reinterpretations of some of the band’s heaviest songs as well as covers from their favorite artists.


In the course of their discography, they've partnered with Jello Biafra, Mudhoney, and Fantômas for individual releases and toured the world many times over. In fact, the band had the misfortune to be in both Christchurch and Tokyo for their 2011 earthquakes. In 2012, the Melvins completed the “51 States in 51 Days” (50 states +DC) tour, which was chronicled in the film “Across The USA in 51 Days.”


The current incarnation of the band is Osborne, Crover, and Steven McDonald (Redd Kross). Previous lineups include a pairing of Osborne and Crover with Big Business band members Jared Warren and Coady Willis, a four-piece featuring the current trio plus Butthole Surfers’ Jeff Pinkus, as well as Melvins Lite, which partners Osborne and Crover with Mr. Bungle’s Trevor Dunn. Sometimes, if you’re extra lucky, one version of the Melvins will open for the Melvins.


(Photo courtesy of the Melvins)

Swedish metal sensations Avatar are streaming previously unreleased track "On The Other Side Of Tonight". Stream the previously unreleased tracks "Make It Rain" and "On The Other Side Of Tonight" here.





The heavy metal 'n' roll, dark, madcap visionaries collectively known as Avatar - vocalist Johannes Eckerström, guitarists Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström, bassist Henrik Sandelin, and drummer John Alfredsson - will return to the US for a headline tour this May. The trek kicks off on May 8 in Indianapolis and includes appearances at key festivals such as Sonic Temple.




Oxymorrons and Conquer Divide will serve as support. All dates are below.  Get tickets here.


2024 will be quite a year for Avatar. With headline tours in Europe and Latin America announced, and festival dates in the US, the band is set to have a monumental start to their year. Europe already has nine sold-out shows, with many others on their way to selling out. Avatar's first headline tour in Latin America is a milestone in and of itself. The band will headline a Sonic Temple stage this May - their first headline set at a DWP Festival.  The band's latest album Dance Devil Dance is out now.





Tour dates:


May
8 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room
9 - Huntsville, AL - VBC Mars Music Hall
10 - Greensboro, NC - Piedmont Music Hall
11 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
12 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
14 - Portland, ME - State Theater
15 - Wallingford, CT - The Dome
16 - Reading, PA - Reverb
17 - Columbus, OH  - Sonic Temple*
18 - St. Louis, MO  - Pointfest*
19 - Milwaukee, WI - Milwaukee Metal Fest *


* Festivals


(Photo - Johan Carlén)

In a March 12, 2024 interview with Metal & Rock Zone, David Ellefson spoke about the recent announcement that New Jersey thrash metal veterans OVERKILL have recruited him to play bass for the band on their "Scorching Latin America 2024" tour. The former MEGADETH member will be filling in for original OVERKILL bassist D.D. Verni, who will be unable to make the shows as he is recovering from shoulder surgery.

Regarding how he ended up being asked to fill in for Verni, Ellefson said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I got approached before the end of the year. It was just brought to my attention that D.D. was going to go through this surgery. They didn't know if he was gonna be better or not. So I was kind of put on alert that, 'Hey, we may need some help.' And we grew up together, OVERKILL and MEGADETH. I remember the 'Peace Sells' tour, OVERKILL was our direct support. So we've been good friends, all of us. And I always said, look, if there were gonna be two more added to the 'Big Four' [of 1980s thrash metal], it would be EXODUS in California and OVERKILL on the East Coast. So, to me, these are brothers in arms. So, when they hit me a few weeks ago about it, I said, 'Sure. Count me in if you need me to do it.'"

OVERKILL's 10-date "Scorching Latin America 2024" tour will kick off on April 11 in Guadalajara, Mexico and will include stops in Costa Rica, Chile and Peru before closing on April 28 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

When Ellefson's addition to OVERKILL's touring lineup was first announced, OVERKILL singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth said in a statement: "South, Central America and Mexico, with D.D. on the mend from surgery and the opportunity in front of us, where to go but back to the roots of THRASH! Please welcome Mr. David Ellefson to the OVERKILL, touring ranks this April 2024! 'David, can you help?' The answer: 'Yes, let's go!' We can't wait to see you guys! Horns up!"

Verni commented: "Bummed to not be able to thrash it up with our Latin America fans, but gotta get this wing workin!!....but who better than one of the great original thrash bass players, and old friend, David Ellefson to fill in."

Ellefson said: "It's an honor to fill in for my friend, the mighty D.D. Verni, as he takes time to heal up right now. OVERKILL always brings the fury and I'm looking forward to scorching Latin America with them!"

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH nearly three years ago, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine ended up hiring TESTAMENT's Steve DiGiorgio to re-record Ellefson's bass parts on MEGADETH's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!"

In May 2022, MEGADETH announced bass player James LoMenzo as a permanent member of the band. LoMenzo was MEGADETH's bass player in the mid-2000s and initially stepped back in as a touring member for "The Metal Tour Of The Year".

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Mustaine, alleging the frontman shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

Posted by Nick Menza on Monday, March 11, 2024

Overkill ANNOUNCE THEIR 'SCORCHING LATIN AMERICA 2024' TOUR

DAVID ELLEFSON TO HANDLE BASS DUTIES

For four decades,…

Posted by David Ellefson on Monday, March 11, 2024

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST played their classic song "Killing Machine" during soundcheck prior to the band's hometown concert Tuesday night (March 19) at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England. Video of the rendition — which did not include singer Rob Halford — can be seen below.

"Killing Machine" was the title track of PRIEST's fifth studio album, which was released in November 1978 by Columbia Records. It was the band's last studio LP to feature drummer Les Binks. The album was retitled "Hell Bent For Leather" for its U.S. release in February 1979.

JUDAS PRIEST did not perform "Killing Machine" at the Birmingham concert, which included a brief guest appearance by guitarist Glenn Tipton who has been sitting out the band's tours since 2018 due to his battle with Parkinson's disease.

PRIEST most recently performed "Killing Machine" live in 2019 during the band's tour in support of the "Firepower" album.

In a recent interview with Metal Express Radio, JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill spoke about the task of coming up with a setlist for the band's tours. He said: "It is difficult. It gets more difficult every time. Obviously, the fans are coming to hear their favorite songs, so you have to be very careful which ones that you replace. You can't just keep adding songs. You'll stand around playing for days. We've got the core songs that the fans expect, as does any band. So, we sort of ring-fence those and then build the rest of the set around those songs. The other older songs, we can swap and change those; we can get away with that. And, obviously, we have to discard some to add the new material. So you can't play much more than three songs from the new album and keep everyone happy. Every new one you're putting in, you're replacing somebody's favorite."

JUDAS PRIEST kicked off its "Invincible Shield" world tour on March 11 at OVO Hydro in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The band's 18-song setlist included three tracks from PRIEST's latest album, "Invincible Shield" — the title track, "Panic Attack" and "Trial By Fire" — along with the first performance of "Love Bites" in nearly a decade.

Earlier in the month, Hill was asked by The Break Down With Nath & Johnny podcast who in JUDAS PRIEST has the final say when it comes to picking a setlist for the the band's live shows. He responded: "Well, it is probably Rob, really. But then again, we've got a whole spectrum now. You've got the younger element with Richie [Faulkner, PRIEST guitarist]. He's the same age as my eldest son. And then comes Scott [Travis, PRIEST drummer] and you've got Glenn, of course. He can't do it anymore [due to his battle with Parkinson's disease]. [But] he's still sharp as a pin between his ears. Then Andy [Sneap, PRIEST touring guitarist] and Rob and myself. So you've got a full spectrum there of ages. So everybody has their own favorites and their own types of JUDAS PRIEST song. We all sort of [go], 'Yeah, like that. No, don't like that one.' And then we'll go. If someone's adamant that they really don't wanna do something, well, you don't wanna do something, and vice versa — if someone really wants to do a particular track, you do it. Like I say, you've got the ring-fence tracks there that you've gotta do — the 'Breaking The Law's and the 'Living After Midnight's and things like that, that you have to do. It's what brings people to the shows, basically. And then you've got your other sort of classic PRIEST songs, which is a little bit easier because you can swap and change those between — do a month maybe using one song, change it to another one of a similar kind. And then try to get some new stuff in there — three, maybe four maximum is about as much as you can get at any one time. I'm sure there'll be more than that, that we'll go through. And just swap and change as we go."

Asked if there are any songs that he can think of straight off the top of his head, in the PRIEST back catalog that he really loves to play live but never has, Ian said: "Ah, there's one that we have played live that we haven't played for a while and that's 'Dissident Aggressor'. I still say that's probably my all-time favorite song. It's just so raw — it's just pure rock, really. It's one of those songs that, even in the studio, I can remember it being — it's two guitars, bass, drums and vocals. And I think there might be one extra guitar on there through the lead break. Other than that, it's totally raw. It's exactly as it would be on stage. And I love that song, apart from it being a great song. And there's always other things. We've never really done 'Before The Dawn' — from the other point of view, the other end of the spectrum, if there's a quiet part in [the show]. These days people tend to prefer the more upbeat stuff rather than the quieter pieces. But that would be cool to do as well. It's only about two and a half, three minutes long anyway, so it wouldn't take much time. But there's loads in there — there's loads of them. 'Sinner' we haven't done, so it'd be great to do that again. We haven't done that for a while. But we'll see."

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the heels of their recent No. 1 Active Rock single "Artificial" — the band's first of their career at the format — DAUGHTRY is back with their follow-up single. "Pieces" is the second track to be released from the band's upcoming EP slated for release later this year on Big Machine Label Group.

DAUGHTRY is the band fronted by Chris Daughtry and has been winning fans around the globe since he burst on the scene in 2006. The new single "Pieces" is a deeply personal song for Chris as it was written shortly after the loss of his mother and daughter. The evocative lyrics "I'll never get over it. It's hard to move on, but I'm learning to live with the pieces of me" are delivered with passion and is sure to be another chart-topping hit for the band.

The single will be going for add at radio starting on March 26 and the music video will be released later this month.

"At some point in our lives, we will all experience trauma of some kind," explains Chris Daughtry. "Something that chips away at the essence of who we are. Sometimes it's an event so devastating that it shatters our reality and rips a hole through our soul. This is about finding the strength to pick up those broken pieces, face the darkness head on, and fight your way toward the light."

DAUGHTRY has plenty of touring planned for 2024 and will see the band play various headline dates while also sharing stages with BREAKING BENJAMIN, STAIND and CREED, among others, the rest of the year.

DAUGHTRY had previously reached No. 1 over the years on other Billboard airplay charts, including four on Adult Pop Airplay ("It's Not Over", "Home", "Feels Like Tonight" and "No Surprise"),one on Pop Airplay ("It's Not Over") and one on Adult Contemporary ("Home").

DAUGHTRY's latest album, 2021's "Dearly Beloved", debuted at No. 4 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart and has earned 88,000 equivalent album units to date, according to Billboard.

DAUGHTRY's debut album, the self-titled "Daughtry", was the top-selling album of 2007 and was the fastest-selling rock debut album in SoundScan history. It was also nominated for four Grammy Awards and won four American Music Awards and seven Billboard Music Awards, including "Album Of The Year". Subsequent albums "Leave This Town" (2009),"Break The Spell" (2011) and "Baptized" (2013) have all gone platinum, with "Cage To Rattle" (2018) certified gold. "Dearly Beloved" marked a return to DAUGHTRY's rock roots and a return to the top of the rock charts with their singles "World On Fire", "Heavy Is The Crown" and "Changes Are Coming", each reaching the Top 10 on Billboard's Rock Airplay chart.

Photo credit: Darren Craig

ANTHRAX has 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 Charlie Benante and Scott Ian.

"I'm really looking forward to jamming with ANTHRAX again," said Lilker. "When we parted ways back in 1984, they told me to stick around because they might need me in 40 years."

Added the band: "We're all very excited about with playing with Danny again, and we really appreciate his filling in for Frank. It's been way too long since we played South America, so you don’t want to miss these shows, they’re going to be insane."

Bello said: "I wanted to let all my friends know that I'm sorry that I won't be coming to play the upcoming ANTHRAX dates in Mexico, South America or the couple of U.S. festival dates in May. Everything's OK, but for personal reasons, I won't be able to make those shows. I want to thank my friend Danny Lilker for stepping in for me; he's gonna rock it! Enjoy the shows. I'm sure they will be great, and I'll look forward to seeing you all soon."

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."

Photo courtesy of Dan Lilker

In a new interview with I Ask No One With Kevin Re LoVullo, APOCALYPTICA lead cellist Perttu Kivilaakso spoke about the recent departure of longtime drummer Mikko Sirén. Sirén laid down his drum tracks on APOCALYPTICA's upcoming album, "Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol. 2", before officially exiting the group.

"It was time that we continued like this," Perttu said about APOCALYPTICA's decision to part ways with Mikko. "And that's also one of the reasons why we wanted, in the new video, to also go back to the times when we were only the cellos, kind of seeing and show the positive spirit that we still have."

Perttu added: "I wish all the best for Mikko. He really was, at least, my best buddy."

Sirén started performing live with APOCALYPTICA in 2003 but didn't become a full-time member of the band until 2005, after playing over 200 concerts with APOCALYPTICA and recording an album with the group.

Due on on June 7 via Throwdown Entertainment, "Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol. 2" was produced by longtime collaborator and studio supremo Joe Barresi (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, SOUNDGARDEN, NINE INCH NAILS, TOOL). The LP continues the journey that began in 1996 when cellists from Helsinki's world-renowned Sibelius Academy played symphonic tribute to the biggest of the big four–heavy metal titans METALLICA. For their ninth record, the classically minded dynamos are returning to their roots to bring a legendary story full circle. It also features a host of surprises beginning with a unique collaboration. Lead single "The Four Horsemen", a song that originally appeared on METALLICA's 1983 debut "Kill 'Em All", features METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo, setting the scene for a compendium of deep cuts and brilliant highlights spanning METALLICA's staggering 40-year career, and there are more surprises to come.

APOCALYPTICA said: "The first single we want to present to you is 'The Four Horsemen'. And we couldn't be more excited to have a great feature guest on it: Rob Trujillo himself, who is probably THE greatest bass player in this whole wide world! We've always enjoyed sharing our love for METALLICA. Now, this is next level for us as well!"

APOCALYPTICA leader Eicca Toppinen commented: "It's the coolest thing. We didn't push; it was offered. We played the first album live and it was so much more fun and exciting than we expected, so we got the idea to do something like the first album, but we couldn't do it in exactly the same way; we needed to challenge ourselves and bring a totally new perspective to the original energy and emotion of METALLICA."

Kivilaakso added: "We've been talking about making another METALLICA album for around 20 years, as there were still so many great songs we wanted to play! We waited for the perfect moment to do it. Thinking of that teenage me who is now getting to play his favorite tracks gives me goosebumps!"

"Plays Metallica Vol. 2" track listing:

01. Ride The Lightning
02. St Anger
03. The Unforgiven II
04. Blackened
05. The Call Of Ktulu (in memory of Cliff Burton)
06. The Four Horsemen (featuring Robert Trujillo)
07. Holier Than Thou
08. To Live Is To Die
09. One
10. One (Instrumental)

In a 2019 interview with Australia's Heavy magazine, APOCALYPTICA's Paavo Lötjönen spoke about the impact of the band's 1996 "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos" debut. Consisting solely of METALLICA covers, the album cast a spotlight on the group's classically trained abilities, setting the stage for them to release their own material in ensuing years. Since the 20th anniversary of "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos" in 2016, APOCALYPTICA has been playing the album in full at select live dates.

"It's been really fantastic," he said about playing "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos". "If we are talking about music in common, if you listen to music you used to listen to 20 years ago, it's a weird thing somehow, it brings all the same feelings back. Like, you are feeling when we were 20 years younger. I would call music a time machine in that sense. The same happens for us when we play those songs. Somehow the same feelings come back to us when we felt like we were 25 years or 20 years old and touring with a shitty van around Europe playing venues. This time, all the venues are bigger and really portioned nice. There's lots of people, and it's not too hot and shitty on the stage. It's a lot of joy and fun to play those songs. The magic of METALLICA has not disappeared anywhere. It's still really strong and passionate music. It's a lot of fun to play. We have never played this well as we are playing at the moment. I'm happy to see we have learned something during these years."

In 2015, Lötjönen and Kivilaakso spoke to Austria's Mulatschag about what it was like to join METALLICA on stage at the Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the week-long celebration of the band's 30th anniversary in December 2011. Perttu said: "Of course we felt very privileged being included amongst all those amazing artists. And after the thing, what we have done during our career, it has been pleasant to realize and notice that, actually, the METALLICA guys, who are the reason for us to start to do something like this, that they do respect us at least that much that they wanted us to be a part of this big celebration of their career. Of course, it was crazy. I remember that when we started to play 'One', I'm starting this song and James Hetfield is just next to me, and I'm thinking, when I was 13 years old, he was my biggest idol and now we are playing together. So it's absurd, but just natural and logical in other terms."

Added Paavo: "You know, the connection to METALLICA has been really super great all these years. We played first time as a support to them already in '96. It was actually our fifth show for a proper rock and roll audience, and we were supporting METALLICA, so it was quite crazy. And since that, we have played many times with them at same festivals and… Let me say that the connection with METALLICA is really cool and really nice."

Photo credit: Riki Murto

American death metal juggernaut Skulldozer proudly announces their partnership with Wormholedeath for the reissue of their debut album, Non Stop Ruthless Crushing. Set to detonate on May 3, 2024, this collaboration promises a cataclysmic eruption of pure metal fury.


With thunderous grooves and a relentless onslaught of old-school death metal, Non-Stop Ruthless Crushing is a testament to Skulldozer's uncompromising sonic assault. Originally unleashed in 2023, this reissue breathes new life into a classic, delivering groovy hooks and traditional death metal punch with a heavy dose of southern sludge.


In a statement from the band, the members express profound gratitude for the opportunity to work with Wormholedeath: "Skulldozer is eternally grateful and honored to sign with Wormholedeath Records for the release of our debut album, Non Stop Ruthless Crushing. We are so excited to work with such a great label that will help us make 2024 a grand slam year. Huge thanks to Max, Carlo, and all at Wormholedeath for this amazing opportunity. Huge thanks to our manager Paul Andrejack of (EMG) Extreme Management Group. Huge thanks to all of our fans and supporters who continue to be a positive driving force. We love you all. Looking forward to crush your town in 2024."







Tracklisting:


"Non Stop Ruthless Crushing"
"Thy Enemies Driven Before Me"
"Kingdom Ossuarium"
"Hatesworn Shitstorm"
"Scum Beneath The Skin"
"Wolves Amongst Sheeple"
"Bastards Of Zeus"
"Bow To None"
"Deathblessed"
"Skullfucking Domination"





 

In a new interview with The Mistress Carrie Podcast, FOZZY frontman Chris Jericho spoke about the success of the band's latest standalone single, "Spotlight", which was released last October via Madison Records/The Orchard. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, it's amazing because if you look on the charts, it'll show you how many weeks each song has been on the chart. I think 'Spotlight''s at about 20 weeks now, which is five months and change, which is huge. To get that type of longevity, and if you know anything about rock radio, when you start getting spins, then you try and get other stations, and you've gotta keep the plates spinning all across the country to continue to get those plays, to get those numbers. So for us to be in the Top 10 five months in just shows that this song has some serious legs, it's got some longevity and it's got some traction. So it's great, man. Our last single, 'I Still Burn', I believe was the most played song on iHeart Radio. 'Spotlight''s on the charts after 20 weeks, is No. 1 for six weeks on the secondary rock charts, which is like smaller cities around the country. Wherever you get that type of pull, you know you've got something special. And we're really happy, not just with how 'Spotlight''s become another Top 10 hit for us, but the fact that it's been on the charts for months and months and months, which means people are still digging it after all this time."

Jericho also talked about the music video for "Spotlight", which was filmed by Exceleration Media and Firefly Drone Shows, who are recognized as the innovation leader in the drone light show industry. The clip features hundreds of live drones that light up the night sky to co-star in this first-ever drone show music video. It's a full-out assault on your eyes, ears, brain, and remaining senses, as Jericho braves the elements.

"The thing is, for me, it was all on green screen, which is even weirder because you're just by yourself," Chris explained. "There's not even any drones. Those are actual real drone shows that they do, but it's kind of projected behind me. So when you're sitting there, there's camera people and there's lighting people and there's band people and there's management people and there's social media people and you're just sitting there kind of lip syncing the words. It's hard. It's hard to do. It's not the easiest thing to do. It's a great video, but it's not like you just show up and do it once or twice; you've gotta kind of mime this and provide this energy and jumping and kicks and spins five or six or seven times. So you're doing that for pretty much an hour straight, and it's quite the cardiovascular aerobic workout when you're all said and done."

Chris then discussed how the importance of making music videos has evolved in the two and a half decades since FOZZY's inception.

"It's interesting how the culture has kind of changed," he said. "I've noticed that 20 years ago, people stopped buying records because you could get music for free on streaming, so that kind of changed things. And then, video shows disappeared, so videos were played on YouTube, and you can see the views on that. [FOZZY's music video for 2017 hit single] 'Judas' has, I think, almost 70 million views. But then a few years after that, not as many people even watch videos anymore. It's gone back to all streaming, so you have to adapt with what's going on in the culture. We probably won't even do a video for the next song, unless we have some really crazy idea, because people just aren't watching as much as they did before. So it's interesting to see how technology makes people's habits change."

"Spotlight" was helmed by FOZZY's longtime producer Johnny Andrews (THREE DAYS GRACE, ALL THAT REMAINS, HALESTORM) and sonically refined by mixer Jacob Hanson (VOLBEAT, AMARANTHE, ARCH ENEMY).

Last July, FOZZY guitarist Rich Ward told Diesel of Greenville, South Carolina's 93.3 Planet Rocks that "Spotlight" is "a fantastic song. Anyone who's known me for any length of time always knows I'm [a fan] of dance riffs. I mean, [my longtime band] STUCK MOJO was just a dance band dressed up in evil, heavy metal riffs. I've always been a fan of both. And partially [that was because] I grew up in the late '70s, early '80s in the disco era. That was what music was popular; that was the most popular soundtrack, the most popular album when I was a kid. And I Is loved dance music — Donna Summer and KOOL & THE GANG. These are people that put out albums that I was always in love with. And I loved Dick Clark, I loved America's Top 40, but I also loved 'Soul Train'. This is part of my DNA."

He continued: "So, this new song is a heavy metal dance song. It's just perfect. It's so suited for who I am as a guy and as a musician, as a songwriter. Jericho loves it. It's [producer] Johnny's [Andrews] kind of brainchild. So we're all dunking basketballs; [we're] so excited about it. 'Cause any time you have a new that everybody's on board…

"When you have a band and there's a lot of personalities and people involved in it, there's always somebody who's holding their nose, going, 'Okay, yeah. Okay. New song. Sure.' And they're trying their best to like it, but they don't really, and they're putting their best face forward on this," he added.

"Everyone loves the new song. It's a super-rad song."

FOZZY's latest album, "Boombox", came out in May 2022 and featured the aforementioned song "I Still Burn", which is closing in on three million views on YouTube. It also included the Top 10 singles "Nowhere To Run" and "Sane".

As previously reported, FOZZY will embark on a 25th-anniversary tour this fall. The trek will start October 3 at Madlife Studios in Woodstock, Georgia and run through October 21 in Cleveland, Ohio. Support on the tour will come from THE NOCTURNAL AFFAIR and CLOZURE.

In the spring of 2023, FOZZY spent time on the road with UGLY KID JOE as part of the latter band's first tour of the United States in 27 years.

In January 2022, FOZZY parted ways with longtime drummer Frank Fontsere and replaced him with Grant Brooks (THROUGH FIRE).

Fontsere was a founding member of FOZZY, having formed the group in 1999 with Jericho and Ward.

When FOZZY announced Fontsere's departure, the band said that he was "stepping down to focus on his family and other projects."

FOZZY is Jericho, Ward, Brooks, Billy Grey (guitar) and P.J. Farley (bass).

During an appearance on Joel Madden's podcast "Artist Friendly", CHEVELLE frontman Pete Loeffler spoke about the band's plans for the follow-up to 2021's "Niratias" LP. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've tracked 10 full-length songs at this point for the new album. We signed a new contract to put out one more [LP]. So we're in the process of finishing that up. So there's definitely one more [album] coming."

Regarding a possible timetable for the release of the new CHEVELLE music, Pete said: "It's hard to say when it'll [be released]. It's kind of stewing right now. We did eight songs, set 'em aside, took a break, did two more recently. I was actually just wrapping it up yesterday — the second song — and burned a mix so I could listen to it on the plane on the way here. I've gotta go revisit those other eight now and say, 'Are they done?' We mixed one and it sounded great. [I'm] super happy about it. That whole process started again. I went back and I listened to it. I was, like, 'Can I rewrite this song?' as a just kind of something to try and wrote an entirely different model of that song again. And this is what Pro Tools will get you into. You're, like, 'Oh, I can, I can quickly do something that in the past I'd have to sit down and map out with my brother in real time.' So it's good and bad. The only bad side is that I'm spending the time to learn that system instead of writing."

The "Artist Friendly" episode featuring Pete Loeffler is available on Spotify, Apple and Veeps, among other platforms.

Back in 2022, CHEVELLE drummer Sam Loeffler told Knotfest's Cori Westbrook about the band's songwriting process: "Well, Pete's our songwriter so he's our lyricist and everything. Basically, he just writes about what's going on around him. If he's taking the garbage out that night or has a bad day driving, he's watching a documentary that really affected him, he hears a podcast — so he's writing about those kinds of things. So if you're able to internalize that kind of a thing, I think you have a lot to write about. It doesn't just have to be a relationship that — a relationship with your dad or your significant other. I think those are some pretty powerful feelings — I get it — but if you are able to bring in all those other things in from your everyday life, there's a lot more to write about. So as far as inspiration goes, it's not hard to find; it's everywhere; it's all around you. And especially nowadays, we have so much access to what's going on around us that there's even more ideas to pull from."

In a separate interview with Heavy New York, Sam said that he and Pete had "a whole bunch of music written... Because that's what we do — you put music out, you write… It'll be our first record in a long time not with a major label, which is just neither here nor there," he added. "Epic Records did a lot of good stuff; we were with them for a long time, but we're finished with that contract now. So now we're doing something different. And we'll see how different it is."

Released in March 2021 via Epic Records, "Niratias" was recorded throughout 2019 and 2020 with longtime producer Joe Barresi (AVENGED SEVENFOLD, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE). The album artwork was designed by Boris Vallejo — the famed and award-winning artist is responsible for the posters used for films like "Knightriders" and "National Lampoon's Vacation", as well as iconic '70s and '80s science fiction novel covers and magazines (such as Heavy Metal).

Over the course of its career, the Chicago rockers have generated nearly half a billion streams, notched seven No. 1 hits, and sold out shows worldwide. Their catalog spans the double-platinum "Wonder What's Next", which boasts the double-platinum smash "The Red" and the platinum hit "Send The Pain Below". "This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In)" attained platinum status, while "Vena Sera" was certified gold. CHEVELLE has landed four Top 10 debuts on the Billboard 200, including "Sci-Fi Crimes" (2009),"Hats Off To The Bull" (2011),"La Gárgola" (2014) and "The North Corridor" (2016). The latter two each captured the No. 1 slot on the Top Rock Albums chart.

In a new interview with Germany's Rock Antenne, Rob Halford was asked if there is an end to JUDAS PRIEST. The 72-year-old singer responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, no. It's a good question. And no. I think once you start thinking about the end, you start to kind of deflate and decompress and the light starts to get a bit dim. I think all of us in this band, we're just so grateful to be where we are with this 19th studio album, 'Invincible Shield'. I think if you say, 'One more tour and then we're gonna call it quits,' or, 'One more album. Then we'll call it quits.' … Hey, listen, life is life. We all have the emotions, 'Oh, god. I've gotta work today. I just wanna stay in bed and watch the TV.' It's perfectly normal. But you have to balance that up against all these great things that JUDAS PRIEST has been blessed to achieve. And this thing about responsibility as well — I've gotta tell you, you owe your fans everything. So we've gotta come back to Germany, gotta come back to Austria, Italy, France, Spain, Japan, New Zealand, Australia. All of our beautiful fans are waiting and waiting and waiting to see this band again and celebrate this music that we make with JUDAS PRIEST."

Last month, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner was asked by Mexico's Summa Inferno how much longer he thinks the band can keep touring and recording. He responded: "Well, it's not for me to say, really. Those guys were the originators of PRIEST metal and they're still doing it and it's up to them, really. If they ever feel like they don't wanna do it or they can't do it anymore, that's for them to decide.

"When I joined the band, it was only for one tour, and that was gonna be the farewell tour. So, obviously, I've had to think about what I'm gonna do after PRIEST from that time. For all I know, that was gonna be the only tour, [and] then I'd have to do something after that. So it's always been a part of my mindset. But as long as PRIEST are here and we all wanna do it together and they wanna do it and push on, then I'm here for it. I'm here to fly the flag for them however long they wanna do it."

Back in 2019, PRIEST bassist Ian Hill told Canada's "Thorn Of Rock" radio show that there were no plans for the band to retire anytime soon. "We've done it for 50 years, and it would just seem strange if we stopped," he said. "Having said that, we thoroughly enjoy what we're doing, which is a main motivation these days. And there's no reason to stop. As long as can put on quality performances and put out quality music, we'll keep on doing so. And as long as the fine people who are the PRIEST fans are happy with that, there's no reason for us to stop."

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

Halford was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2020 after experiencing symptoms for at least a couple of years. In July of that year, Rob underwent prostatectomy, an operation where the entire prostate gland is removed plus some of the tissue around it, including the seminal vesicles. After more cancer was found in 2021, he went through radiation treatments and eventually got then all-clear. He also had an appendectomy after a tumor was discovered on his appendix.

Faulkner suffered an acute cardiac aortic dissection during the band's performance at the Louder Than Life festival in September 2021. Faulkner was rushed to the UofL Health - Jewish Hospital where the cardiothoracic surgery team needed approximately 10 hours to complete a life-saving surgery.

Halford's cancer battle and Faulkner's acute cardiac aortic dissection are not the only health scares the members of PRIEST have had to deal with in recent years. Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease more than 15 years ago but announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of PRIEST's "Firepower" album. He was replaced by "Firepower" producer Andy Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

JUDAS PRIEST's latest studio album, "Invincible Shield", arrived on March 8 via Sony Music.

Joe Satriani and Steve Vai kicked off their joint tour Friday night (March 22) at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando, Florida.

The setlist for the show included the first performance of a new collaborative Satriani/Vai song, "The Sea Of Emotion, Pt. 1", along with cover versions of "You Really Got Me" (originally recorded by THE KINKS and later covered by VAN HALEN) and "Enter Sandman" (METALLICA).

Joining Satriani and Vai for the above-mentioned songs were members of Joe's solo band, Rai Thistlethwayte on vocals/guitar, Kenny Aronoff on drums, and Bryan Beller on bass.

The "Satch/Vai" tour is scheduled to run through early May.

The studio version of "The Sea Of Emotion, Pt. 1" will be made available on March 29.

When the "Satch/Vai" trek was first announced last November, Satriani said in a statement: "Every time we play together it takes me back to when we were teenagers, eating and breathing music every second of the day, pushing, challenging and helping each other to be the best we could be. I guess we've never stopped!"

Vai added: "He is my favorite guitarist to jam with, and now we have another opportunity to take it to the stage. I feel as though we are both at the top of our game and that the show will be a powerful celebration of the coolest instrument in the world, the electric guitar!"

In a 2022 interview with LifeMinute, Vai reflected on studying under Satriani as a youth and how those lessons inspired him musically from an early stage. He said: "I can't even fathom what my life would be like without him. When I was 12, a friend of mine, John Sergio, who was a friend when we were in diapers, was also a great mentor, because he introduced me to all this music that I was unaware of — progressive rock from the '70s. He brought me to my first QUEEN concert. He brought me into his band; it was the first band I was in when I was 13. He's been a dear friend. [He had an] incredible musical taste. And he was playing the guitar when I was 12, and I couldn't believe it, 'cause he lived two houses away. And then he said, 'If you think I'm great, you should see my guitar teacher, Joe Satriani.' So he gave me Joe's number, and I started taking lessons. And my lessons with Joe were all that mattered to me.

"Joe was always cool," Vai continued. "He was always solid, sharing and strict. And it was the best thing because he was great, and that's what you want in a teacher; you're inspired by seeing.

"To this day, the thing that I got most… There's so many things. And we're so fortunate that all through these years we've been joined at the hips," Steve added. "When I would watch him play, when I was 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, everything he touched on the instrument sounded like music. When it came out of his fingers, it just sounded good; it sounded like there was a soul in it. It wasn't just noodly nothingness, the kind of academic exercises and stuff like that. I mean, we did some of that; that's part of the training… So I always appreciated that. And still, he's so solid and he's so musical. His inner musical ear is inspired, that he's continued to be an inspiration my whole life."

Three years ago, Vai told the "Striking A Chord" podcast that he took lessons from Satriani "religiously" on a weekly basis for about "three to four years."

"When I was in Joe's room, learning, I never felt as though I was going to run out of mentorship," Vai recalled. "There was always this greatness about Joe that always seemed to surprise and delight. He was always teaching one new lesson after another, [and] just revealed a wealth of information and almost what seemed to me at a time infinite depth of musicality."

Vai went on to say that his lessons with Satriani helped him develop into the accomplished player he has since become.

"I didn't know anything," he said. "I mean, I was noodling around with a guitar in my bedroom before that, but I didn't know what I was doing. I was just playing by ear and I didn't know how to keep the strings tuned. In the beginning, it was basically like finger exercises and just things to kind of get my dexterity going, but it was very well-balanced. My lessons [with Joe] evolved very organically. He was an incredible teacher."

Back in 2018, Satriani spoke to Albany, New York's Q103 radio station about what it was like giving lessons to Vai. He said: "Steve Vai was 12 years old and could not play guitar at all when I met him. He showed up on my front door with a guitar with no strings in one hand and a pack of strings in the other, and said, 'Hey, you're teaching my friend. Can you teach me how to play too?' So that was my introduction to Steve."

Several other Satriani students went on to achieve fame of their own, including Kirk Hammett, Alex Skolnick, Andy Timmons, Larry LaLonde, Rick Hunolt, Charlie Hunter, Jeff Tyson and Kevin Cadogan.

After 50 years of friendship, it's just the two of them... the Satch Vai US Tour kicks off right here in Orlando TONIGHT...

Posted by Hard Rock Live Orlando on Friday, March 22, 2024

In a new interview with Classic Rock History, ARMORED SAINT bassist Joey Vera revealed that the band's cover version of "One Chain Don't Make No Prison" will be released in a couple of months. He said: "Currently, we have recorded a single, which will be released in June 2024 on Metal Blade Records in digital format only. It's a cover of a song recorded by the R&B group the FOUR TOPS. It's one of my favorite songs from that era, and I thought [ARMORED SAINT singer] John Bush would do it justice — which he does. He killed it. We are also writing for a new record. We're looking for a 2025 release."

Regarding the progress of the songwriting sessions for ARMORED SAINT's next LP, Vera said: "We're about seven songs in with new material. All the guys are contributing, and we're just trying to write great songs. As usual for us, we're trying to stretch out a bit and take some chances but still keeping it in the ARMORED SAINT world. It's going great."

Bush recently told the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire" that ARMORED SAINT "made a really cool video" for "One Chain Don't Make No Prison" "that's gonna be really out of the box for us. And it was just something to kind of keep our name out there and keep people thinking about ARMORED SAINT," he explained. John went on to describe "One Chain Don't Make No Prison" as "a great song."

"One Chain Don't Make No Prison" was written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter and was first released by PEOPLE in 1970. It was also covered by the aforementioned FOUR TOPS, as well as SANTANA and THE DOOBIE BROTHERS.

Bush told The Chill Dude On A Couch about the ARMORED SAINT songwriting process: "We write something and then we'll try to make this really good-sounding demo. I'll go and sing. I actually try to sing it like I'm singing a record, and we've kept a lot of the original vocals. This goes back to the way we wrote songs back to [2000's] 'Revelation' even. 'Cause sometimes I think you sing something that maybe you'll never sing exactly the same, and so that nuance in your voice or who knows what, your inflection, you can try to mimic it, but maybe you never will mimic it exactly that way. Same with a guitar lead — a certain bend, it may not be exactly how you play it again. So I think those are key things that you try to keep when you're making demos, and that's what we do. So I've gotta get back to doing some work. And we've got more work to do, that's for sure. We certainly don't work at a fast pace; everyone knows that about SAINT. We could try to put a little urgency into this and try to kind of move on it a little quicker without sacrificing quality. I think that's a good idea."

ARMORED SAINT was inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame last July at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. The event was hosted by 95.5 KLOS DJ Marci Wiser, and featured performances by WEAPONS OF ANEW, Sergio Michel and DECONSTRUCT, surprise guest appearances and an all-star jam.

Ten months ago, ARMORED SAINT's long-awaited documentary, Armored Saint: Band Of Brothers", had its world premiere in the band's hometown at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Hollywood, California.

Armored Saint: Band Of Brothers" celebrates the 40-year career of ARMORED SAINT and the 50-year friendship the bandmembers have shared from school in El Sereno, a Los Angeles suburb. Many friends of the band gave interviews for the film, which also includes James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich from METALLICA telling tales of their early days touring, Scott Ian of ANTHRAX talking about seeing ARMORED SAINT in 1985, QUEENSRŸCHE members Eddie Jackson and Todd La Torre talking about the shared history. Key music industry figures and producers, A&R men, roadies, record label executives and family share thoughts and stories about the band's 40-year history.

ARMORED SAINT's eighth full-length album, "Punching The Sky", came out in October 2020 via Metal Blade Records.

ARMORED SAINT released the "Symbol Of Salvation Live" CD/DVD in 2021 via Metal Blade Records. The release came in celebration of the seminal album's 30th anniversary. "Symbol Of Salvation Live" was a combination live album and video of the band playing the album in its entirety at New York City's famed Gramercy Theatre during its 2018 tour.

Photo by Stephanie Cabral

A landmark in rock music history, this new, very special recording of Mark Knopfler’s anthemic "Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)" has been recorded to raise funds for Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.


Performed by Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes and produced by Knopfler’s longtime collaborator Guy Fletcher, the track features an unprecedented lineup of some of the greatest guitarists and musicians in history. The artwork has been designed by Sir Peter Blake (The Beatles, The Who, Band Aid).


Released on March 15, the single is available on CD, 12” with etched b-side, deluxe CD+BluRay, download and streaming (including a Dolby Atmos mix). Order here. Listen to the song below.




Guitar legend Steve Vai, who is one of the players on the track, has shared the following message:


"In this new video that was made for 'Going Home', the names of all the various guitar players come onto the screen when their riffs are played. It’s so beautiful to hear all the different and distinct tones that match the players. I was honored beyond beyond when I received the invitation to contribute to this historical track. Check out the new video for 'Going Home'."





Full list of contributors: Joan Armatrading, Jeff Beck, Richard Bennett, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Brown, James Burton, Jonathan Cain, Paul Carrack, Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, Jim Cox, Steve Cropper, Sheryl Crow, Danny Cummings, Roger Daltrey, Duane Eddy, Sam Fender, Guy Fletcher, Peter Frampton, Audley Freed, Vince Gill, David Gilmour, Buddy Guy, Keiji Haino, Tony Iommi, Joan Jett, John Jorgenson, Mark Knopfler, Sonny Landreth, Albert Lee, Greg Leisz, Alex Lifeson, Steve Lukather, Phil Manzanera, Dave Mason, Hank Marvin, Brian May, Robbie McIntosh, John McLaughlin, Tom Morello, Rick Nielsen, Orianthi, Brad Paisley, Nile Rodgers, Mike Rutherford, Joe Satriani, John Sebastian, Connor Selby, Slash, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr and Zak Starkey, Sting, Andy Taylor, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Ian Thomas, Pete Townshend, Keith Urban, Steve Vai, Waddy Wachtel, Joe Louis Walker, Joe Walsh, Ronnie Wood, Glenn Worf, Zucchero.





Cancer is different when you are younger: it can be harder to get a diagnosis, cancer treatments can be less effective for young people, and accessing clinical trials can be harder. This project is raising funds for two charities that are dedicated to supporting this specific age group.


Teenage Cancer Trust funds specialist nurses and youth workers to be there for a young person when cancer has turned their world upside down and to help make sure cancer doesn’t rob young people of the best years of their life.


Teen Cancer America partners with hospitals throughout the United States to develop specialized facilities and services for teens and young adults with cancer.


A minimum of 50% of net proceeds received by BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited from the sale of this recording (with a minimum of £1 per CD single solely embodying the recording sold in the UK and a minimum of 25p per download of the recording sold in the UK) will be given to Teenage Cancer Trust (registered charity in England and Wales under charity no. 1062559) which shall be shared equally with Teen Cancer America (501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization tax id 46-0825676).







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Holy Mother presents the follow-up to Face This Burn, and their overall seventh studio album, Rise.


Slated for release on June 7, 2024 via Massacre Records, the Rise album pre-sale – available as CD Digipak, Ltd. Vinyl LP and Digital formats – has just started at this location.  A video clip for the first single, the furious album opening track "Fire", can be seen below.







"This song is about a toxic love addiction that’s never ending and keeps haunting you forever. What inspired me to write this song was knowing people who just can’t get out of their relationship, and finally put an end to their misery," comments Holy Mother singer Mike Tirelli. 


"Also, at the very start of this song is the eeriness of my daughter Violet’s voice, who was only 14 years old at the time. Her voice really set the musical tone, and mood that inspired me to write that specific vocal melody; like a cry of agony and pain."


The new Holy Mother song "Fire" is now available on all digital streaming providers. 


Rise artwork and tracklisting:





"Fire"
"The Elevator"
"Jeremiah"
"Power"
"Rise"
"Down"
"Interventionist"
"Hex"
"Live To Die"
"Rain"


For further details, visit Holy Mother on Facebook.


 







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KELEVRA - "The Distance"

Hungarian avant-garde metal act, Thy Catafalque, have release a cover of "Babylon", which was originally written and recorded by the Hungarian space rock band Omega.


Band leader Tamás Kátai states: "'Babylon' is a cover of an old Hungarian space rock band, Omega  from 1987. I had recorded the song years ago for fun in instrumental form but during the process of recording the next album the idea popped up to finish it with vocals and so we did. The song isn't connected musically or lyrically with the next album, instead, think of it as a bonus song between records."












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