Guitarist Thomas Zwijsen has released the new video below, featuring an acoustic finger style guitar cover of the Scorpions' "Still Loving You".


Says Thomas, "'Still Loving You' is one of the Scorpions greatest hits, released in 1984 (original video) and is on the Love At First Sting album, which just celebrated it's 40th birthday!"







Zwijsen previously released an acoustic performance of the Scorpions’ Crazy World classic, “Send Me An Angel”, with violin. Watch below:

Indian old school metal institution, Kryptos, returns with their thunderous seventh studio album, Decimator, on July 5 via AFM Records.


Decimator holds all the band's trademarks: crushing riffs, barbwire vocals and true heavy metal attitude with songwriting to the razor point. The perfect combination of  old-school 80s metal and caustic thrash sensibilities, dragged kicking and screaming into the modern age. Without question Kryptos' finest hour so far.


Pre-order the new album here, and watch a video for the single, "Turn Up The Heat", below.







Tracklisting:


"Sirens Of Steel"
"Fall To The Spectre's Gaze"
"Turn Up The Heat"
"Electrify"
"Solaris"
"Decimator"
"In The Shadow Of The Blade"
"Pathfinder"
"We Are The Night"

The Black Crowes appeared on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show yesterday, live from the new SiriusXM Nashville studios to promote their new album, Happiness Bastards.


The band performed new song "Wanting and Waiting", their classic hit "Remedy", and Led Zeppelin's "Hey, Hey What Can I Do". Watch the videos below:













Watch interview clips from the show, below:

















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


Order Happiness Bastards here.





Tracklisting:


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


"Wanting And Waiting" video:





"Wanting And Waiting" lyric video:





"Cross Your Fingers":





The Black Crowes will be returning to the road this spring with the 35-date Happiness Bastards Tour.


The band have announced that support for select dates on the upcoming tour will be provided by Larkin Poe, Billy Tibbals, Olivia Jean, Amplified Heat, The Asteroid No. 4, Wine Lips, GA-20, Black Lips, Glyders, and Jim Jones All Stars. Support acts are noted on the tour poster below.





Tour dates:


April
2 - Nashville, TN - Grand Ole Opry House
3 - Atlanta, GA - Fox Theatre
5 - Houston, TX - 713 Music Hall
6 - Irving, TX - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
8 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
10 - Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Financial Theatre
12 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
13 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
15 - Seattle, WA - McCaw Hall
16 - Vancouver, BC - Queen Elizabeth Theatre
19 - Chicago, IL - Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
20 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore Detroit
23 - Montreal, QC - MTELUS
24 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
27 - New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall
28 - Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway
30 - Washington, DC - The Anthem


May
1 - Charlotte, NC - Ovens Auditorium
3 - Bethlehem, PA - The Wind Creek Event Center
4 - Atlantic City, NJ - Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Resort
7 - Philadelphia, PA - The Met Philadelphia
14 - Manchester, UK - O2 Apollo
15 - London, UK - Eventim Apollo
17 - Newcastle, UK - O2 City Hall
18 - Wolverhampton, UK - The Civic at The Halls
21 - Brussels, BE - Ancienne Belgique
22 - Amsterdam, NL - AFAS Live
24 - Paris, FR - L'Olympia
27 - Milan, IT - Teatro Arcimboldi Milano
29 - Frankfurt, DE - Alte Oper
30 - Stuttgart, DE - Liederhalle


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


** Festival Date

Norwegian gothic metal pioneers TRAIL OF TEARS are back after more than a decade of silence. Their triumphant return kicks off with the title track, "Winds Of Disdain", from their upcoming EP of the same name, set for release on May 24 via The Circle Music.

The single "Winds Of Disdain" is a powerful and emotional exploration of the frustrations and negativity that have gripped the world in recent years. The song channels the darkness of the pandemic and the bleak outlook of today's society, all delivered with TRAIL OF TEARS' signature dark gothic metal sound.

The song features the haunting vocals of Ailyn Giménez García, formerly of symphonic metal band SIRENIA. Alongside García's soaring voice, founding member Ronny Thorsen delivers his distinct growls. The rest of the band features a solid foundation with Runar Hansen on guitars, Nicolay Jørni Johnsen on guitars and programming and Endre Moe on bass. This lineup promises to deliver TRAIL OF TEARS' signature brand of gothic metal with a fresh and dynamic sound.

"Winds Of Disdain" marks the band's first release in over 10 years and signifies a new chapter for TRAIL OF TEARS. They have signed a multifaceted deal with The Circle Music, which will see the release of the "Winds Of Disdain" EP, a full-length album and vinyl reissues of all seven of their previous albums, starting with their iconic 1998 debut "Disclosure In Red".

"We are finally ready to share the results of our work since first announcing our return back in 2020," says Ronny Thorsen, TRAIL OF TEARS founder and vocalist. "We're excited to share our first new single and lyric video with you — and hopefully seeing you out there in concert, soon!"

Formed in 1997, TRAIL OF TEARS quickly gained acclaim with their debut album "Disclosure In Red" and relentless touring alongside bands like TRISTANIA and CRADLE OF FILTH. Over the next decade, they released a string of successful albums, each showcasing their blend of dark melodies, soaring vocals, and heavy riffs. The band also saw lineup changes, with founding member Ronny Thorsen remaining a constant.

Despite critical and commercial success, TRAIL OF TEARS went on hiatus in 2013. However, 2020 saw a resurgence for the band. Thorsen spearheaded a reformation, bringing together both original members and longtime collaborators, completed by García.

"Winds Of Disdain" track listing:

01. Winds Of Disdain
02. Take These Tears
03. No Colours Left
04. Blood Red Halo

Recording lineup:

Ronny Thorsen - vocals
Ailyn Giménez García - vocals
Runar Hansen - guitars
Nicolay Jørni Johnsen - guitars and programming
Endre Moe - bass

Photo by Nat Enemede

Dwarven metal force, Wind Rose, have unveiled a brand-new official video for their charging anthem, "Fellows Of The Hammer", first heard on their latest album, Warfront. The game-changing album debuted Top 10 on the US Current Hard Music Albums chart upon its release in 2022, and to date, "Fellows Of The Hammer" itself has reached nearly five million streams on Spotify alone.


Filmed by Simone D'Addazio at last year's Metalitalia Festival, the action-packed video for "Fellows Of The Hammer" arrives just in time for Wind Rose's upcoming North American tour kick off. "North American Warfront" - also featuring special guests and Napalm Records label mates Xandria - will begin its charge through the USA and Canada on April 1 in San Diego, CA, visiting a slew of major cities before coming to an end on May 4 in Los Angeles, CA. Select dates, such as Montreal, QC and Portland, OR, are already sold out, with several others expanding venues and near to selling out. Get your tickets now.


Wind Rose on the "Fellows Of The Hammer" video and North American tour: "'Fellows of the Hammer' is one of the most iconic tracks in our latest album Warfront. We wanted to shoot a live video for it and we choose the great stage of Live Club in Milan, Italy, on the occasion of Metalitalia Festival. This show was the night right before embarking on our first headliner tour - great times! We are so happy to embark on another journey overseas for our first headliner tour in North America and Oceania! We are proud of our fans for all the sold out shows we are having so far. Brace yourselves, fellow dwarves, for a night to remember!”










Wind Rose is:


Francesco Cavalieri - Vocals
Claudio Falconcini - Guitars
Federico Meranda - Keyboards
Cristiano Bertocchi - Bass
Federico Gatti – Drums







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In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, Mark Tornillo was asked about the challenges of touring North America for a band like ACCEPT, especially in the last few years. The 69-year-old New Jersey-based singer, who joined ACCEPT in 2009 as the replacement for the group's original frontman Udo Dirkschneider, said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's always been difficult to tour North America. It's mostly promoters and the fact that we need to play at least a big enough room where we're gonna make some money. But it's gotta have the turnout to do it. But we're gonna make it happen this year no matter what. I know that. We've all decided that if we have to take a cut, we'll take a cut. But we've gotta play — we've gotta play for the fans."

He continued: "We have no trouble selling tickets in South America. [We have] no trouble selling tickets in Europe, or else. I think it's just that the United States is just not metal territory anymore. I don't know why."

Tornillo added: "I would love nothing better than to tour the U.S. every year. But we'll see how it plays out."

Mark went on to say that ACCEPT fans in the U.S. should definitely expect to see the band perform in 2024. "There's definitely going to be a run in, I'm gonna say late August through October," he revealed. "And I can't really say any more about it right now. It's not confirmed and it hasn't been announced, obviously, but it's gonna be a very interesting bill."

Tornillo can be heard on ACCEPT's last five studio albums, "Blood Of The Nations" (2010),"Stalingrad" (2012),"Blind Rage" (2014),"The Rise Of Chaos" (2017) and "Too Mean To Die" (2021).

ACCEPT's new album, "Humanoid", will be released on April 26 via Napalm Records. The follow-up to "Too Mean To Die" was once again produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by critically acclaimed heavy metal producer Andy Sneap.

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

This past January, it was announced that ACCEPT will perform at all European festivals in 2024 and the South American tour in May with Joel Hoekstra.

Hoekstra will be standing in for Phil Shouse, who will remain with the band as their permanent live guitarist for all other gigs.

New York-based Joel Hoekstra is best known to fans as a current member of the legendary band WHITESNAKE and is part of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. He has also played with Cher, NIGHT RANGER and FOREIGNER, to name just a few of his numerous collaborations.

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

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

Rikki Rockett says that he is putting the finishing touches on a book which will focus largely on his time with POISON.

Earlier today (Wednesday, March 27),the 62-year-old drummer, whose real name is Richard Allan Ream, took to his social media to write: "I haven't really made an announcement or press release yet, but I have been working on a book and it's nearing completion. This book is of course about my life, but much of it about POISON through my eyes. What would you all like to really know?"

Rikki is the co-founder and drummer for the band POISON, which exploded into the highly competitive Los Angeles music scene in the 1980s, making a name for themselves in the clubs on the Sunset Strip.

POISON has sold over 50 million records worldwide, releasing eight studio albums, four live albums, and four compilations. The band has charted 10 singles on the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, including six Top 10 singles and one Hot 100 number-one smash hit, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn".

Relentless from the ground up and forged in the hellfires of the Pennsylvania and Los Angeles club scenes, POISON smashed its way up as an independent band who bet on itself. Selling over three million copies of an independent album which included the big hits "Talk Dirty To Me", "I Won't Forget You", "Cry Tough", "I Want Action" and the underground smash "Look What The Cat Dragged In", they were soon picked up by Capitol Records and beat the sophomore jinx by releasing the aforementioned No. 1 smash "Every Rose Has Its Thorn". Written out of emotion by singer/songwriter and frontman Bret Michaels, the song blasted into the charts remaining a top the pop, rock and country genres for threee months consecutively. The album "Open Up And Say...Ahh!" sold eight million copies out of the gate and spawned other hit singles "Fallen Angel", "Nothin' But A Good Time" and "Your Mama Don't Dance". Followed up by the multi-platinum album "Flesh & Blood", POISON again lit up the charts with several more smash hit singles, including "Unskinny Bop" and "Something To Believe In".

POISON's reunited original lineup — Rockett, Michaels, bassist Bobby Dall and guitarist C.C. DeVille — completed "The Stadium Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEF LEPPARD and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS in 2022. The trek was originally scheduled to take place in the summer of 2020 but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Rockett was declared cancer free more in 2016 after undergoing an experimental treatment. He was diagnosed with oral cancer back in 2015.

In April 2022, Rockett married his longtime girlfriend TC Smith at the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara, California.

Rikki was previously married to singer/songwriter Melanie Martel. They share joint custody of their two kids — son Jude Aaron Rockett and daughter Lucy Sky Rockett.

I haven’t really made an announcement or press release yet, but I have been working on a book and it’s nearing...

Posted by Rikki Rockett on Wednesday, March 27, 2024

The Eclipse YouTube channel has uploaded video of QUEENSRŸCHE's March 26 performance at the Hell's Heroes festival at Sycuan Live And Up Close in El Cajon, California. Check out the clips below.

The band's setlist was as follows:
"Queensrÿche" EP

01. Queen Of The Reich
02. Nightrider
03. Blinded
04. The Lady Wore Black

"The Warning" album

05. Warning
06. En Force
07. Deliverance
08. No Sanctuary
09. NM 156
10. Take Hold Of The Flame
11. Before The Storm
12. Child Of Fire
13. Roads To Madness

Encore:

14. Prophecy
15. Empire

Although QUEENSRŸCHE would score multi-platinum albums and hit singles over their career, their fans have developed an undeniable love for the group's early releases, the 1983 EP and 1984's "The Warning" album, when they helped trailblaze a style of rock that combined elements of metal and prog. And for the first time ever, QUEENSRŸCHE is performing both classic releases in their entirety as part of "The Origins Tour".

Launching on March 22 at the Hell's Heroes festival in Houston, Texas and running until May 12 in Ft. Meyers, Florida, "The Origins Tour" sees QUEENSRŸCHE — singer Todd La Torre, guitarists Michael Wilton and Mike Stone, bassist Eddie Jackson and drummer Casey Grillo — joined on most dates by another highly respected/influential band that also launched in the '80s, ARMORED SAINT.

When "The Origins Tour" was first announced, La Torre said in a statement: "We are thrilled to bring to you 'The Origins Tour'. This will be the first time in QUEENSRŸCHE's history that the EP and 'The Warning' will be performed live in their entirety. And to make this an even more stellar tour, we are so excited that our great friends and legendary metallers ARMORED SAINT will be joining us as direct support. We are all proud to bring you this touring package and we can't wait to see you on the road."

He added: "Join us for this unique and very special experience, as we celebrate the origins of QUEENSRŸCHE. Take hold!"

Early last year, QUEENSRŸCHE completed its 2023 U.S. headlining tour with support from former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman and TRAUMA. On that tour, QUEENSRŸCHE's 18-song set included no less than five songs from the band's sixteenth studio album, "Digital Noise Alliance", which came out in October 2022 via Century Media. The record was once again helmed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously worked with QUEENSRŸCHE on 2015's "Condition Hüman" and 2019's "The Verdict" LPs.

Stone, who rejoined QUEENSRŸCHE in 2021, contributed guitar solos to the band's new studio album.

Since late May 2021, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July 2021 that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on "other business ventures."

Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album "Tribe" and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.

For the past seven years, drummer Casey Grillo has been filling in for original QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band's touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.

In October 2021, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against guitarist Michael Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge. A few months later, Wilton and Jackson filed a countersuit against Rockenfield, accusing him of abandoning his position as a member of the band and misappropriating the group's assets to his own personal benefit. That dispute has since been settled out of court.

Queensrÿche storms back to town at Live & Up Close Theater on TUESDAY, March 26! Tickets start at $69 | 8PM Showtime. Get your tickets TODAY! Details:

Posted by Sycuan Casino Resort on Friday, March 8, 2024

Chris Dalston, who serves as co-head of international touring at CAA, spoke to Pollstar about the wild success of ticket sales for AC/DC's upcoming "Power Up" tour, which launches in Germany in May. Regarding how he approached the band's first tour since 2016, Chris said: "There was a lot of thought that went into it because we had to work around the Olympic Games in France and the European football championships in Germany. Now as agents, we have to think about a lot of things that we didn't have to think about many years ago, like the weather. One of the reasons the tour starts in Germany was because we had to find somewhere to rehearse for a week. And then it goes immediately into Italy and Spain because we believed if it gets to July and August, it's going to be way too hot and very dangerous for the fans and the band to be outside. I was in Europe last summer in Seville, and we had to delay shows until 11:30 at night because it was still 100 degrees outside. … And then we have to be very careful of Brian's [Johnson] voice that we don't push it, that he feels comfortable in the schedule. Then you have to make sure the finances work."

On the topic of the ticket sales for AC/DC's 2024 tour, Chris said: "We believed it was going to be one of the biggest tours ever, but you just never know until you put tickets on sale. It's like Christmas the night before we went on sale. You can't sleep, you're nervous. I woke up at 2:30 or 3 in the morning and Europe had already opened — and we'd sold out some of the shows already. They sold 1.5 million tickets in one day. … It's staggering and it gives you great faith because they're very particular in how they conduct their business. They don't do VIP. They don't do dynamic ticket pricing. They never want to hear fans complaining about ticket prices being too high. There's also a point where we have to push it a little bit because otherwise they couldn't afford to tour — especially when they're playing one day on, three days off. … Obviously the goal is to hopefully have them continue if they enjoy it and it works well … to try to keep them out in '25, '26, '27, however long they want to go, but we gotta get through Europe first."

The legendary band's lineup for the "Power Up" European tour, which will kick off in May and run through August, will consist of Johnson, guitarists Angus and Stevie Young, drummer Matt Laug and the latest addition to the group's touring lineup, bassist Chris Chaney.

When the tour was first announced on February 12, AC/DC said in a statement: "We are thrilled to finally announce the 'Power Up' European Tour. Angus, Brian, Stevie, and Matt will be joined by Chris Chaney to carry the torch for Cliff.

"The tour will see us play shows across Germany, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, England, Slovakia, Belgium, France & Ireland this Summer. We can't wait to see you all out there."

AC/DC's first show in seven years took place on October 7, 2023 at the Power Trip festival in Indio, California.

AC/DC recruited Laug to perform with the band at the three-day event.

The 55-year-old Laug is an American drummer who has played with many bands/artists such as Alanis Morissette, Alice Cooper, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and Vasco Rossi. Matt moved to Los Angeles after graduating from South Florence High School in 1986 and after attending college in L.A., Matt became a sought-after studio drummer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Second shows have been added for the 'POWER UP' European Tour in Dresden, Hannover, and Seville. Tickets on sale now ⚡️

Posted by AC/DC on Friday, February 16, 2024

An official unboxing video for the "Anno Domini 1989-1995" box set of the Tony Martin-era BLACK SABBATH albums can be seen below.

BLACK SABBATH's history with singers Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio has been chronicled extensively through the years in multiple collections. Until now, no boxed set has focused on BLACK SABBATH's time with Tony Martin, the band's second-longest-serving singer.

Rhino explores this prolific period from the godfathers of heavy metal in a new collection that brings four albums back into print after an extended absence. "Anno Domini 1989-1995" will be available on May 31 from Rhino in four-LP and four-CD configurations. The set contains newly remastered versions of "Headless Cross" (1989),"Tyr" (1990) and "Cross Purposes" (1994),plus a new version of "Forbidden" (1995) that guitarist Tony Iommi remixed specially for the collection.

Several albums make their vinyl debut in the LP version of "Anno Domini", while the CD version contains three exclusive bonus tracks: the B-side "Cloak & Dagger" and the Japan-only releases "What's The Use" and "Loser Gets It All". A booklet comes with the set featuring photos, artwork, and liner notes by Hugh Gilmour. The collection also contains a "Headless Cross" poster and a replica concert book from the "Headless Cross" tour.

"Anno Domini" picks up BLACK SABBATH's story in 1989, two decades and multiple lineup changes into the band's groundbreaking career as metal originators. At the time, membership had solidified around riffmaster and founding member Tony Iommi, legendary drummer Cozy Powell (JEFF BECK, RAINBOW, WHITESNAKE),singer Tony Martin, and longtime BLACK SABBATH collaborator and keyboardist Geoff Nicholls (QUARTZ, BANDY LEGS).

The group originally released "Headless Cross" in 1989 on I.R.S. Records, the first of four albums SABBATH recorded for the label. Praised by fans and critics alike, the band's 14th studio release produced three singles: "Devil And Daughter", "Call Of The Wild" and the title track. Bassist Neil Murray (WHITESNAKE, GARY MOORE) joined for the "Headless Cross" tour and stayed to record SABBATH's next album, 1990's "Tyr". Named for the Norse god of war, the album explores similar mythological themes in songs like "The Battle Of Tyr" and "Valhalla". On "The Sabbath Stones", the band channels Old Testament fire and brimstone into a classic bruiser.

In 1992, following a successful world tour, this incarnation of BLACK SABBATH was put on hold when the band reunited temporarily with Ronnie James Dio. Two years later, Martin and Nicholls were back in the studio with Iommi to record 1994's "Cross Purposes". The band was completed with the addition of founding SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bobby Rondinelli of RAINBOW.

The "Tyr"-era BLACK SABBATH lineup reunited in 1995 when Powell and Murray returned to record "Forbidden". It was the band's 18th studio album, and its last for nearly 20 years. (In 2013, Iommi, Osbourne and Butler released BLACK SABBATH's final studio album, "13".) "Forbidden", produced by Ernie C of BODY COUNT, the hard rock band fronted by rapper/actor/SABBATH fan Ice-T, who appears on the song "Illusion Of Power". Since its release, sonically improving the album has been one of Iommi's pet projects.

He explains: "I was never happy with the guitar sound, and Cozy was definitely never happy with the drum sound… So, I thought it would be nice to do it for him in a way." He adds, "I just felt that, without changing any of the songs, there was an opportunity to go back and bring out some of the sounds and make it more what people would expect SABBATH to sound like."

Included in the set:

* "Headless Cross", "Tyr" and "Cross Purposes" newly remastered
* "Forbidden" newly remixed by Tony Iommi
* 1989 "Headless Cross" tour replica concert book
* 40-page book with photos, artwork and new liner notes
* Replica color tour poster

Disc 1 – "Headless Cross"

01. The Gates Of Hell (2024 Remaster)
02. Headless Cross (2024 Remaster)
03. Devil & Daughter (2024 Remaster)
04. When Death Calls (2024 Remaster)
05. Kill In The Spirit World (2024 Remaster)
06. Call Of The Wild (2024 Remaster)
07. Black Moon (2024 Remaster)
08. Nightwing (2024 Remaster)
09. Cloak & Dagger (2024 Remaster)

Disc 2 – "Tyr"

01. Anno Mundi (2024 Remaster)
02. The Law Maker (2024 Remaster)
03. Jerusalem (2024 Remaster)
04. The Sabbath Stones (2024 Remaster)
05. The Battle Of Tyr (2024 Remaster)
06. Odin's Court (2024 Remaster)
07. Valhalla (2024 Remaster)
08. Feels Good To Me (2024 Remaster)
09. Heaven In Black (2024 Remaster)

Disc 3 – "Cross Purposes"

01. I Witness (2024 Remaster)
02. Cross Of Thorns (2024 Remaster)
03. Psychophobia (2024 Remaster)
04. Virtual Death (2024 Remaster)
05. Immaculate Deception (2024 Remaster)
06. Dying For Love (2024 Remaster)
07. Back To Eden (2024 Remaster)
08. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (2024 Remaster)
09. Cardinal Sin (2024 Remaster)
10. Evil Eye (2024 Remaster)
11. What's The Use (2024 Remaster)

Disc 4 – "Forbidden" remix

01. Illusion Of Power
02. Get A Grip
03. Can't Get Close Enough
04. Shaking Off The Chains
05. I Won't Cry For You
06. Guilty As Hell
07. Sick And Tired
08. Rusty Angels
09. Forbidden
10. Kiss Of Death
11. Loser Gets It All

Vinyl:

LP 1 – Side A

01. The Gates Of Hell (2024 Remaster)
02. Headless Cross (2024 Remaster)
03. Devil & Daughter (2024 Remaster)
04. When Death Calls (2024 Remaster)

LP 1 – Side B

01. Kill In The Spirit World (2024 Remaster)
02. Call Of The Wild (2024 Remaster)
03. Black Moon (2024 Remaster)
04. Nightwing (2024 Remaster)

LP 2 – Side A

01. Anno Mundi (2024 Remaster)
02. The Law Maker (2024 Remaster)
03. Jerusalem (2024 Remaster)
04. The Sabbath Stones (2024 Remaster)

LP 2 – Side B

01. The Battle Of Tyr (2024 Remaster)
02. Odin's Court (2024 Remaster)
03. Valhalla (2024 Remaster)
04. Feels Good To Me (2024 Remaster)
05. Heaven In Black (2024 Remaster)

LP 3 – Side A

01. I Witness (2024 Remaster)
02. Cross Of Thorns (2024 Remaster)
03. Psychophobia (2024 Remaster)
04. Virtual Death (2024 Remaster)
05. Immaculate Deception (2024 Remaster)

LP 3 – Side B

01. Dying For Love (2024 Remaster)
02. Back To Eden (2024 Remaster)
03. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (2024 Remaster)
04. Cardinal Sin (2024 Remaster)
05. Evil Eye (2024 Remaster)

LP 4 – Side A

01. Illusion Of Power
02. Get A Grip
03. Can't Get Close Enough
04. Shaking Off The Chains
05. I Won't Cry For You

LP 4 – Side B

01. Guilty As Hell
02. Sick And Tired
03. Rusty Angels
04. Forbidden
05. Kiss Of Death

In the summer of 2022, Martin told "The Rock And Metal Profs: The History And Philosophy Of Rock And Metal" podcast that "two record labels" were going to re-release the albums he recorded with SABBATH. "I don't know when, and I don't know what it's gonna look like," he said. "There was some suggestion a while back that we might be able to put extra tracks and stuff on it. I did offer, and I went to see Tony Iommi and offered some things. And then he said we can't use anything new 'cause nothing new can be released under the BLACK SABBATH name. It can only be stuff that's got the original four members on it.

"I'm expecting it to be a remixed version of whatever the original was; that's what I'm expecting," Tony added. "So I await as you do to find out. Let me know if you hear it first."

When the interviewer expressed hope that the box set will include some live recordings from the Martin era of SABBATH, either in audio or video format, Tony said: "I recorded the writing session with… Eddie Van Halen came over and helped us write one of the tracks [for 1994's 'Cross Purposes' album]. And I had an eight-track recorder at the time in the 1980s, and I used to take it everywhere, this thing. I've got all of the writing sessions and rehearsals recorded. So I sent [Iommi] this, and he went, 'Wow! That's fucking great.' And I said, 'Well, you're welcome to use it, if you wanna put that on.' So, I don't know… Maybe you'll get that on there."

Martin added: "It's great to hear Eddie play."

BLACK SABBATH released six albums with Martin on vocals: "The Eternal Idol" (1987),"Headless Cross" (1989),"Tyr" (1990),"Cross Purposes" (1994),"Cross Purposes Live" (1995) and "Forbidden" (1995). Eventually, Martin and his "Forbidden"-era bandmates were ousted when Iommi reunited with SABBATH's fellow original members.

In January 2022, Martin reflected on his time with SABBATH during an appearance on "The Ron Keel Podcast", saying: "It doesn't haunt me. It's not a bad thing. I've got a lot to be grateful for. SABBATH is the reason why you, and the world, knows about my voice. So there are things to be grateful for. It was hard work for me. I'm 12 years younger than the rest of the guys, so even just circle of friends was different — they're hanging out with Ian Gillan and Brian May, and my best friend is Dave down the road. So that was a gap. And also the experience — they were way ahead of me in experience, at least 12 years further up the road from me, and I never could quite catch them up; they will always have that much more experience than me. So that was hard work."

He continued: "When I first got the gig, it was actually 1986 that I was put on standby when they were with Glenn Hughes on the 'Seventh Star' album. And I don't know what the issues were, but something went wrong with Glenn and they put me on standby. That scared me to death, 'cause it's Glenn Hughes. I can't sing like Glenn Hughes; nobody can sing like Glenn Hughes. Only Glenn Hughes can sing like Glenn Hughes. So that was really scary. Then they got Ray Gillen in. Then he left — he left to join BLUE MURDER with John Sykes, so they called me again and said, 'You'd better come down to the studio and try this out.' And they gave me one song, which was 'The Shining' off 'Eternal Idol', and then two days later said, 'Okay. You've got the job. You've got a week to finish the album.' So right from the start it was scary — it was huge; suddenly being the frontman of BLACK SABBATH was just ridiculous. And yeah, the whole association with me and my voice lasted 11 years."

Seven years ago, Iommi told I Heart Guitar that "it's a shame" that "it took a lot for people to accept" Martin as SABBATH's vocalist. "It's taken all these years later for people to say, 'Oh blimey, that was a good band with good singing.' So it took a long time to get people to really realize how good it was."

In 2018, Iommi spent time in the studio remixing "Forbidden" for a future release. The LP, which features Martin, drummer Cozy Powell and bassist Neil Murray, is often regarded as SABBATH's worst studio recording.

In a 2012 interview with Über Röck, Martin said that he was "surprised" to see Iommi criticizing him in the guitarist's "Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath" book (referring to the Martin period, especially the touring phase following the release of "Cross Purposes" in 1994, Iommi lambasted his former singer as "unprofessional" and having "no stage presence"). Martin said: "I mean, they never said anything to me. Surely, if you've got a problem, the first person you should say something to is the person that's in the band with you... It sounds like a really stupid thing to say, as they didn't say anything to my face — and, if that's the case, then more fool them for not saying anything, because, you know, we could have fixed it. I said to them, endlessly, that if there was anything they wanted changed, done differently, just to say and we could fix it, but clearly, they didn't, they hadn't got the guts to, obviously, and to write about it in a book afterwards seems a bit daft to me. I'm not bitter about it, but it is surprising... It seems a bit stupid to say that after the event."

Photo credit: I.R.S. Metal (promotional photo)

Kuarantine, featuring Chris Jericho on vocals, have dropped their cover of "Good Girl Gone Bad", a classic, hidden gem from the KISS songbook. Listen here, and below.





The song is available on Madison Records via The Orchard. It was the No. 1 Most Added track on the SMR Rock Chart as well as the Most Added song on the Mediabase Active Rock Activator Panel.




"The mission of Kuarantine has always been to pull the forgotten gems from the non-makeup, '80s KISS catalog, give them a modern polish, and unleash them on current mainstream rock radio, so they can get the respect they deserve," Jericho explains about the mission of this project.


He continues, "With that mindset, we feel we've hit another home run with the 1987-released, underrated Gene Simmons classic 'Good Girl Gone Bad.' It's got more hooks than a tackle box, with a great chorus and brain-melting solos. This song is the perfect springtime tune to crank in your car and rock out with your unmentionables out! And with two Top 20 singles in our repertoire, we're stoked to get to the Top 10 and beyond. It's time to get KRAZY with Kuarantine!"





The band also has a trio of shows confirmed for July. All dates are below.


Kuarantine's lineup includes Joe McGinness (guitar) ; PJ Farley (bass); Kent Slucher (drums); and YouTube sensation Charlie Parra del Riego (guitar).


At 12 million strong on social media, there is nothing Chris Jericho can't do. He is easily one of the biggest entertainers of the modern era, cross-pollinating the rock, wrestling, and broadcast realms. Jericho has rocked the world for decades with his band, the 150 million streams (and counting) Fozzy. The band recently performed for over 80,000 rabid fans at an AEW event held at Wembley Stadium, along with a successful, sold-out UK tour.   He's a main attraction for AEW Wrestling, watched by millions of viewers on TBS each week. His over-the-top, rock star persona is one of the most beloved in the history of the sport. He is also a best-selling author, a film producer, and actor.


He also launched the Chris Jericho Rock N Wrestling Rager at Sea cruise experience. The sixth voyage, "Six On The Beach!," sets sail to Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic, on January 31 through February 4 of 2025 and will sell out.


Jericho also hosts the incredibly popular and influential Talk Is Jericho podcast. It's a top-rated SiriusXM show and has collected over 220 million downloads while clocking 1,000 episodes.


Live dates:


July
5 - Chesterfield, MI - Diesel Lounge
6 - Franklin, OH - JD Legends
7 - Warrendale, PA - Jergels

Richmond, VA-based rockers, Red Reign, take 80’s influences and steer them in a more contemporary direction – bridging the sounds of yesterday and today. The band is comprised of singer/guitarist Carlton “Bubba” McMichael, guitarist Stevie Shred, bassist Larry Moore, and drummer Sammy Lee.


Red Reign has worked with Grammy Award-nominated multi-platinum producer David Ivory (Halestorm) on both its releases: 2021’s self-titled EP and 2023’s forthcoming full-length Don’t Look Back.


Don’t Look Back landed in the Top 100 ADA/WMG Amazon sales and is bolstered by such standout tracks as the rocking “No Peace, No Love” which has gained over 120K views on YouTube, and “Don’t Look Back” which has a guest appearance from guitarist George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob).




Now they release “Darkness Of Pain”. View the lyric video below:





The band is also very excited to announce that they will be hitting the road in May as direct to support on select dates of the upcoming 2024 Nazareth World Tour.


As they state, "We are extremely excited to be supporting an iconic band like Nazareth. We look forward to being back onstage, performing new material and meeting new friends along the way as we support our new album release Don't Look Back.”


Dates with Nazareth:


May
9 - Tupelo Music Hall - Derry, Connecticut
11 - Queen Theatre - Wilmington, Delaware
13 - Robins Theatre - Warren, Ohio
15 - Brown Hall - Nashville, Indiana
16 - Arcadia Theatre - St Charles, Illinois


Don’t Look Back is available on CD and limited-edition vinyl. Order a copy at merchbucket.com now and get a limited edition bundle while supplies last.


Bundle Includes:


- (1) Red Reign - Don't Look Back CD or LP
- (1) Red Reign - Coozie
- (1) Red Reign - Sticker
- (1) Red Reign - T-Shirt





Tracklisting:


“No Peace No Love”
“Don’t Look Back”
“Here I Am”
“Follow Your Heart”
“The Truth”
“Bury Me Up To My Eyes”
“Darkness Of Pain”
“Yesterday”
“Changes”
“Open Spaces”


"Here I Am" video:





“Don’t Look Back” video:

During an appearance on Knotfest's "Nu Pod" podcast, former FEAR FACTORY frontman Burton C. Bell, who recently released his debut solo single, "Anti-Droid", was asked if he has an entire album's worth of material ready to come out. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No. I'm working on individual singles at a time. I do have a record's worth of music. But I'm adopting the hip-hop strategy where instead of coming up, releasing a single and then the whole album comes out a couple of weeks later, and then a couple of weeks later, when that album is out, the momentum of the single and the whole record just kind of slows and becomes sluggish and just almost crashes. So I learned watching hip-hop artists and other artists as well, [where] they would just release a single at a time, keep that momentum, keep that spotlight on them and just release a single every few weeks and just keep that momentum going."

He continued: "In this day and age, the short attention span of the masses is very apparent. There's this old saying in economics, less is more — supply and demand, less is more. So if you just feed 'em just a little bit at a time, they wanna hear more. And that's where the interest stays. They're compelled to keep listening. 'Oh, he's got something else coming out. Oh, he's got something else coming out.'"

Bell went on to tease his next single, which he described as "heavy", "groovy" and "dark. It's more uptempo. It's got more guitar in it," he revealed. "And it's gonna be awesome. I've got a couple of guest artists on this next track that it's gonna be sick. I recruited Paul Ferguson again, and I've also recruited Norman Westberg, guitar player from SWANS. SWANS is one of my favorite bands of all time and it's a band that influenced not just me but NEUROSIS — a lot of bands — GODFLESH."

Asked if he is planning to play shows or get a band together to promo his music, Bell said: "Yes to all of those questions. I'm in the process of booking a show. It's gonna be a showcase. It's gonna be in L.A., and I have a band together. They're already working on [the set]. It's a retrospection, so I plan to play four new songs, some deep-cut FEAR FACTORY, some [ASCENSION OF THE] WATCHERS, some G/Z/R, some CITY OF FIRE.

"My new music is an amalgamation of everything I've ever done, and I'm gonna basically put it all together into this package and just see what happens," he explained. "And the live show, it's gonna be heavy, it's gonna be groovy. And I wanna create a vibe. I really do."

As for which name he plans to perform under, Burton said: "It'll be BURTON C. BELL — maybe BURTON C. BELL AND THE DROIDS. I don't know. For now, it'll just be BURTON C. BELL, but we'll see what happens."

When "Anti-Droid" was first released earlier in the month, Bell said in a statement: "I'm starting my solo career. I'm working with different producers and co-songwriters, making music that I love, with full control of the music and creative direction."

Bell's discography includes multiple live and recorded collaborations with BLACK SABBATH icon Geezer Butler and JOURNEY's Deen Castronovo (as G/Z/R); industrial maverick Al Jourgensen and MINISTRY; and guest vocal appearances with PITCHSHIFTER, CONFLICT, SOIL, STATIC-X, SOULFLY and DELAIN, among others. He's the vocalist of ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS and CITY OF FIRE and, of course, the co-creator of FEAR FACTORY and the only musician to appear on every FEAR FACTORY release from 1992 through 2024.

FEAR FACTORY created a sound that revolutionized extreme metal, defined in no small part by Bell's innovative scream/sing dichotomy and the influences he brought from post-punk and industrial. Songs like "Replica", "Linchpin", "Edgecrusher", "Fear Campaign", "Archetype", "Cyber Waste" and "Zero Signal" are modern metal anthems. "Demanufacture" (1995) and the RIAA gold-certified "Obsolete" (1998) are genre-redefining works heralded by fans and critics as essential albums. Orwell, Bradbury, "Blade Runner", and sophisticated sci-fi and fantasy works fed Bell's lyrics and concepts.

The band toured the world with METALLICA, SLIPKNOT, KORN, MEGADETH and OZZY OSBOURNE, taking bands like SYSTEM OF A DOWN and STATIC-X out as support acts in their early stages. After years of behind-the-scenes band member turmoil and legal issues, Bell left FEAR FACTORY in the fall of 2020.

In the chorus of "Anti-Droid", he declares: "I'd rather be dead than a slave to the factory."

Bell says "Anti-Droid" is "a statement about breaking free. Breaking the bonds of what I felt was a prison in many ways. Not just financially or contractually but creatively, as well. I felt constrained to this format we'd written ourselves into. The 'factory' doesn't have a capital F. It's the factory of the music industry, a certain form of business, and priorities. Being a slave to an established way of thinking is not really freedom. I am moving forward."

Like the faithful cover of RAMMSTEIN's "Du Hast" he released in 2023, or the cover of "Enter Sandman" recorded with DANZIG's John Christ and METALLICA's Robert Trujillo more than a decade before, Bell's solo work embodies the best of hard rock, metal, and industrial's past, present and future. "Anti-Droid" is but the opening salvo in a brand-new campaign, which will see Burton C. Bell releasing increasingly innovative yet classic feeling, ever-engaging solo material.

The 55-year-old Bell had been largely inactive on the musical front since officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY in September 2020. At the time he said that he could not "align" himself with someone whom he did not trust or respect, an apparent reference to FEAR FACTORY founding guitarist Dino Cazares.

During an appearance on a May 2023 episode of the "Home Is Where The Dark Is" podcast, Bell reflected on his musical journey so far, saying: "I've had a lot of incredible ups in my career, a lot of incredible high points. I've had some devastatingly low points. But for me, this is all I wanna do.

"I consider myself an artist — multifaceted, but first and foremost I'm a musician; I'm a singer. So I wanna keep continuing that," he explained.

"I love performing on stage. I love being out in front of the crowd. I love the energy of the audience, and I miss it completely.

"I am making plans — I'm making steps to get back onstage."

At the end of the chat, when host Alex Crescioni thanked Bell for his "inspiring" musical output over the years, including that with FEAR FACTORY and ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS, Burton said: "People will hear those again. When I get back on the road, I'll be playing… I'm proud of 99 percent of the songs we did [with] FEAR FACTORY. Not every song is a winner, but I'm proud of all the work I did with FEAR FACTORY, THE WATCHERS, GZR, CITY OF FIRE, MINISTRY, HATEFACE. There's all these bands I've been part of. So when I go on the road, I will be playing music from all of these bands. Obviously, a lot from FEAR FACTORY, 'cause I got 30 years of that. But it's not gonna be all about FEAR FACTORY. It's gonna be FEAR FACTORY, WATCHERS, classic GZR, CITY OF FIRE — just do all of it. It's gonna be fun. And I'm jamming with some guys right now. We're working on it and making those steps to make that happen."

In March 2023, Bell was asked by Joshua Toomey of the "Talk Toomey" podcast how it felt to see FEAR FACTORY going out on tour with someone else singing the parts he originally wrote and recorded with the band. He responded: "It doesn't affect me at all. To be honest, I haven't been this happy in a long time. More power to them, but I'm just moving forward in my own life, my own career, and I'm just trying to make a name for myself."

Asked if he has checked out any of the videos on YouTube of FEAR FACTORY performing with his replacement, the Italian-born singer Milo Silvestro, Bell said: "No, I don't. I don't care to."

Burton went on to say that he doesn't mind being asked about FEAR FACTORY despite the fact that he is no longer in the band. "FEAR FACTORY, it's what I'm known for," he explained. "And the 30 years I had with FEAR FACTORY were some of the proudest moments of my career. And everything I've ever done in FEAR FACTORY I'm very proud of. Even some of the questionable things I've done in FEAR FACTORY I'm still proud of. It was a great legacy."

During an April 2022 appearance on an episode of "The Ex-Man" podcast hosted by Doc Coyle (BAD WOLVES),Bell touched upon FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Aggression Continuum", which was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Bell and fellow original FF member Dino Cazares (guitar) alongside drummer Mike Heller.

"I was just happy that record finally came out," Burton said. "We finished that record in 2017. By the time it came out, I'd forgotten all about it. 'Oh, yeah, I remember that song. Oh yeah.'

"There's some good songs on that record. The song 'Collapse' is a good song. The title track 'Monolith' is a good song," he added, referencing the LP's original working title, before it was changed by Cazares.

When Coyle noted that the mix on "Aggression Continuum" is "great," Bell hesitated for a couple of seconds before reluctantly agreeing. "I guess," he said. "When I finished the record [in 2017], the record was done and agreed upon and then further work was done without my say."

Elsewhere in the chat, Burton said admitted that "it was difficult" for him to leave FEAR FACTORY. "Stepping away from FEAR FACTORY was not an easy decision by [any] means," he said. "But what I experienced for the 10 years before that, the lawsuits, the acrimony, that was the one that killed me. And I just had to step away to realize, you know, they can take all this stuff from me — they can take the money, they can take the royalties, they can take the trademark away from me — and I realized that didn't define me. They can take that, but I'm still Burton C. Bell, motherfucker, and whatever I have they can't take. So I'm just kind of moving forward and doing new things."

According to Bell, hardship is par for the course for most musicians, who often find themselves victims of bad contracts, unscrupulous management and, all too often, what appears to be a penchant for self-destruction.

"I knew a long time ago I wanted to be an artist — way before I was in FEAR FACTORY," he said. "When I was in high school, I was, like, 'I wanna be an artist.' To be an artist, you've gotta suffer. You've gotta understand that people wanna take from you the entire time — what you create they wanna make money off of and take it away from you and just give you a pittance. But being bitter is not my style — never has been.

"Whatever negativity has happened in the past with FEAR FACTORY doesn't even hold up to the amount of positivity that has happened," he continued. "If you think about the negative, it can weigh you down so much, but it's not really that much in comparison to what the band achieved, what we created, what we provided to the music world, and for that I'm proud and very happy.

"No one likes to talk to a bitter person at all," Burton added. "Me for one. It's, like, 'Man, just get over it and just move on.' 'Cause holding on to the past doesn't serve me anything, it doesn't serve anybody else anything. Move on and show 'em what you can do from that point forward."

Bell's exit from FEAR FACTORY came more than two weeks after Cazares launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist him with the production costs associated with the release of FEAR FACTORY's latest LP.

Bell later told Kerrang! magazine that his split with FEAR FACTORY was a long time coming. "It's been on my mind for a while," he said. "These lawsuits [over the rights to the FEAR FACTORY name] just drained me. The egos. The greed. Not just from bandmembers, but from the attorneys involved. I just lost my love for it.

"With FEAR FACTORY, it's just constantly been, like, 'What?!' You can only take so much. I felt like 30 years was a good run. Those albums I've done with FEAR FACTORY will always be out there. I'll always be part of that. I just felt like it was time to move forward."

Last year, Bell unveiled "Paradise Found", his debut exhibition of photographic works, at the Vincent Castiglia Gallery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The photographs Bell presented were representational of his industrial and science-fiction aesthetic.

"Paradise Found" consisted of 20 original full-color photographs of abandoned industrial buildings taken in darkness and fog from 2002 to 2003. Bell's images are printed on aluminum using the dye sublimation process — an approach Bell calls "celluloid impressionism."

Bell's ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS project released its second full-length album, "Apocrypha", in October 2020 via Dissonance Productions.

Photo credit: Erica Vincent

Omnivide, the Canadian progressive metal act, formed in 2020 and is ready to release its debut album A Tale Of Fire. Musically, the album is a blend of their favourite elements from progressive metal, technical death, and symphonic/power metal. There are some very heavy/dark riffs, some very grandiose/more epic sections with lots of orchestral instruments, as well as lighter/cleaner sections with clean vocals. 


The band expands:


“We are extremely excited to finally share this album with the world. We started working on the first songs in 2019, so this has been in the making for a long time now. We had to learn a lot during those years to achieve our vision, from songwriting to audio engineering and production, and we wanted to make sure that we put out something we’d be truly happy with, which is why the process took so long. We don’t expect the next album to take nearly as long, let’s put it that way!”




Lyrically, the songs on A Tale Of Fire are broadly about Omnivide trying to understand death, both as a tragedy and a natural part of life, the pain it brings, and the resilience that can be born from it. They use storytelling in some songs as a vehicle for this, and since they love fantasy media, the content of these stories has fantasy elements, while also weaving in deeper concepts of death, hardship, regret, and growth. Other songs revolve around historical figures, while others are mostly metaphorical, but all are linked together by this exploration of all aspects of death.


With plans for future releases, Omnivide promises to continue pushing the boundaries of its musical exploration, offering fans an evolving and captivating experience. The band encourages fans to expect another album or EP within two years of this release, as they are already immersed in the creation of new material. A Tale Of Fire is recommended for fans of Alkaloid, Devin Townsend, and Obscura.


Due out on March 22, 2024, A Tale of Fire can be heard via its full stream premiere exclusively through BraveWords! Stream below:


A Tale of Fire by Omnivide


Preorder here.





Tracklisting:


“Clarity”
“Opulence”
“Desolate”
“A Tale Of Fire”
“Cosmic Convergence”
“Holy Killer”
“Death Be Not Proud”
“Stoned Dragon”


"Cosmic Convergence" lyric video:





“Opulence” playthrough:





(Photo – Deepti Suddul)

ART OF ANARCHY kicked off its first tour in support of the band's third studio album, "Let There Be Anarchy", on March 22 in Saginaw, Michigan.

Fan-filmed video of the second show of the trek, which took place on Saturday, March 23 at Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois, can be seen below.

"Let There Be Anarchy" was released on February 16, 2024 via Pavement Music.

Joining founding ART OF ANARCHY members Jon Votta (guitar),Vince Votta (drums) and guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (GUNS N' ROSES, SONS OF APOLLO) in the band's new lineup are vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOURNEY, SONS OF APOLLO) and bassist Tony Dickinson (SOTO, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA).

The Dale "Rage" Resteghini-directed music video for the first single from "Let There Be Anarchy", "Vilified", features Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr., along with "news narrations" by former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate.

Gooding said: "'Vilified' is not a song, but a statement, a message, and a warning. It is a reflection of the many issues that are being brought to the forefront within our society. Mental illness, mass shootings, institutions, people being demonized without proper information or due process. 'Vilified' will no doubt be one of those culturally significant rock songs that will speak to generations to come. Because in the end, we must fight against the urge to vilify what we do not understand!"

Although STONE TEMPLE PILOTS frontman Scott Weiland sang on the first ART OF ANARCHY album, 2015's self-titled effort, he never performed live with the group and distanced himself from the project before his death from an overdose of drugs and alcohol in December 2015 while on the road.

In July 2015, Vice Inc., whose chief executive officer and principal executive officer are Jon and Vince Votta, sued Weiland, alleging that he refused to help promote ART OF ANARCHY's debut LP and take part in music videos after agreeing to write and perform the lyrics for 10 songs for the disc. According to The Blast, Vice said that it paid Weiland $230,000 upfront for his work.

In March 2017, ART OF ANARCHY issued its sophomore album, "The Madness", featuring Scott Stapp on vocals. Less than a year later, the founders of ART OF ANARCHY sued Stapp for allegedly refusing to tour with the band and participate in promotional photo and video shoots and publicity events. That $1.2-million lawsuit was filed in New York State Supreme Court by Vice, which claimed to have paid the CREED singer $200,000 for services to be rendered, which he allegedly asked to be treated as a loan, for tax purposes.

According to Jon and Vince Votta, Stapp only performed at 18 concerts with ART OF ANARCHY in 2017 and was unwilling to appear at a scheduled video shoot in October 2017 on the deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on the Hudson River in Manhattan.

Stapp's failure to live up to his contract led to the cancelation of the group's recording contract at the end of October 2017, the complaint alleged.

KK'S PRIEST, which features former JUDAS PRIEST members K.K. Downing (guitar) and Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals),alongside guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE),played the final concert of the initial leg of its first-ever U.S. tour on March 24 at Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Fan-filmed video of the entire concert can be seen below (courtesy of Jim Powers YouTube channel).

The setlist was as follows:

01. Hellfire Thunderbolt
02. One More Shot At Glory
03. The Ripper (JUDAS PRIEST song)
04. Reap The Whirlwind
05. Night Crawler (JUDAS PRIEST song)
06. Burn In Hell (JUDAS PRIEST song)
07. Beyond The Realms Of Death (JUDAS PRIEST song)
08. Hell Patrol (JUDAS PRIEST song)
09. Brothers Of The Road
10. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
11. Breaking The Law (JUDAS PRIEST song)
12. Victim Of Changes (JUDAS PRIEST song)

Encore:

13. Strike Of The Viper
14. Raise Your Fists

KK'S PRIEST's first-ever U.S. headlining tour, which featured support from L.A. GUNS and BURNING WITCHES, kicked off on March 7 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The tour was the first of at least a two-leg USA run of shows, planned to continue later in 2024.

KK'S PRIEST's sophomore album, "The Sinner Rides Again", came out in September 2023 via the Austrian label Napalm Records.

KK'S PRIEST made its live debut on July 6, 2023 at Downing's KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.

K.K. formed KK'S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour. It followed a couple of celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summer of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that year.

KK'S PRIEST released its debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", in October 2021 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

Downing spent four months writing and recording "Sermons Of The Sinner" and, along with new ideas, he even resurrected a few archived riffs from the 1980s.

Downing was reunited with JUDAS PRIEST for a performance at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in November 2022 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at the event, which honored Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

JUDAS PRIEST was rejoined by guitarist Glenn Tipton on stage during the band's concert Thursday night (March 21) at OVO Arena Wembley in London, England.

As he has done a number of other times over the course of the last six years, Tipton appeared with PRIEST for the encore, performing "Metal Gods" and "Living After Midnight".

Fan-filmed video of Tipton's appearance can be seen below.

Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's 10 years ago — after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier — but announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of JUDAS PRIEST's "Firepower" album. He was replaced by "Firepower" and "Invincible Shield" album producer Andy Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

In a recent interview with Bryan Reesman of The Aquarian, JUDAS PRIEST's Richie Faulkner spoke about Tipton's contributions to the band's new album "Invincible Shield". Asked how many ideas Glenn worked on and how Richie collaborated with him on all the guitar parts, Faulkner said: "We all go away separately after a tour and put down riff ideas and song ideas and melody ideas. He was the same, really, so when we get in a room together — me, Glenn and Rob [Halford, vocals] — we get those ideas out. We put those ideas on the table, we play them back for each other. Glenn did the same. He had a few more ideas that were more developed — 'Sons Of Thunder', 'Escape From Reality', 'Vicious Circle', stuff like that — so we worked on those. It was no different in that regard. He was able to sit in a studio [to] take time and play the ideas that he was putting forward. And when he had an idea and we were together, if he couldn't play it that day, then he would translate it through me and we'd hash it out.

"If Glenn can play it, then he'll play it, and if he can't play it, then I'll take on the workload," Richie explained. "I mean, what's wrong with that? I'm a guitar player and I'm a fan. I love the guys. That's your duty — if something needs to be done, guitar or otherwise, you do it. You step up, you know? That applied to the recording, as well. There are some things on there that he played, and he could write. It was important to us to involve him, and it probably was just as important for him to be involved as much as he could after doing it and being a genre-defining guitar player for the last 50 years."

Asked where Glenn's soloing pops up on "Invincible Shield", Richie said: "Glenn's influence is more than just the solos. There are solos on 'Sons Of Thunder' and 'Vicious Circle', and it goes beyond that. As we said before, the little twists and turns musically… and the vibe. When you play songs and solos by both K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton on an intimate level for 13 years, I don't think you can help but have that become part of your DNA, as well, so I think you can hear stuff from Glenn in my playing as well as what I've learned from him in the last 13 years. On something like 'Panic Attack', there are some sweep picking stuff that was never part of my repertoire. Playing songs like 'Painkiller' on an intimate level becomes part of your repertoire, so it shows up on the record. So apart from the songwriting ideas he had, the songs he had, some of the solos he had, it's in my playing as well. He's infiltrated my DNA in that sense — along with Ken [K.K.], of course, and along with Zakk [Wylde] and Michael Schenker and people like that. I think [Glenn's] influence can't be overstated either."

In his first interview since revealing his condition in early 2018, Glenn, who turned 76 last October, told Guitar World magazine about his diagnosis: "It was upsetting, but I wasn't really shocked because I sort of thought it was Parkinson's. I probably hoped it wasn't but the doctor said it was."

Regarding being told by the doctor that he had likely already had the disease for between 10 and 15 years, Glenn said: "Hearing that I already had Parkinson's for a long time made me even more determined to fight. I could still play, so I just continued recording and touring."

About a month before the opening date of PRIEST's "Firepower" tour, Tipton realized he could not guarantee that he would be able to execute an energetic, precision performance with the band night after night and "decided that it was really going to be too much for me," he told Guitar World. "With the medication and the time zone changes and everything else, I realized it was time to retire — from touring at least. I don't ever want to compromise JUDAS PRIEST. It's too big a part of my life.”

"Invincible Shield" arrived on March 8 via Sony Music.

Today, two-time-Grammy-nominated, Emmy- and BAFTA Award-winning composer Bear McCreary shares the second single from his upcoming project "The Singularity". The new track, "Incinerator" features SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian on vocals and was mixed by ARIA-nominated producer and mixer Forrester Savell.

McCreary says: "Once I heard Serj's searing vocals, I knew immediately that 'Incinerator' would be the first song on the album, acting like a warning that a massive, aggressive, and emotional journey lay ahead."

Tankian adds: "When I got the music, when I got this song specifically, I was blown away. It's explosive."

"The Singularity" is an epic concept album, graphic novel, and concert experience featuring a legendary lineup of rock talent.

"The Singularity" arrives on CD, vinyl, and digital formats via Shadows & Sparks Records and Mutant on Friday, May 10; the digital version arrives a week early on Friday, May 3; pre-orders are available now. On Wednesday, May 8, Image Comics will release the ambitious graphic novel companion to the album, created by McCreary with Mat Groom and produced by Black Market Narrative.

McCreary and special guests will celebrate "The Singularity" with an exclusive live concert performance at Los Angeles, California's historic Fonda Theatre on Sunday, May 12.

"I began writing 'The Singularity' when I was fifteen," says McCreary. "I was obsessed, even then, with melding my love of hard rock, symphonic film scores, and dramatic storytelling into a cohesive whole, laying the groundwork for what would become a concept album, graphic novel, and multimedia concert experience. I spent the next three decades trying to perfect it."

"The Singularity" sees McCreary creating a unique hard-rock adventure bursting with cinematic energy from use of live orchestra, choir, and international colors including bagpipes, morin khuur, and nyckelharpa. In addition to Tankian, McCreary is joined by a truly extraordinary cast of musicians and vocalists that includes Slash (GUNS N' ROSES),Rufus Wainwright, Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT),Jens Kidman (MESHUGGAH),Joe Satriani, Buck Dharma (BLUE ÖYSTER CULT),Asdru Sierra (OZOMATLI),Gaelic rapper and poet Griogair, Kim Thayil (SOUNDGARDEN),Scott Ian (ANTHRAX),Brendon Small ("Metalocalypse"),Billy Boyd ("The Lord Of The Rings"),Eivør ("God Of War"),Guthrie Govan and Bryan Beller (THE ARISTOCRATS),Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa),Ben Weinman (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN),Steve Bartek and John Avila (OINGO BOINGO),Warren Fitzgerald (THE VANDALS),Esjay Jones (WE ARE PIGS),Sigurjón Kjartansson (HAM),Raya Yarbrough ("Outlander"),rapper Mega Ran, and legendary metal drummer Gene Hoglan (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, DETHKLOK). "The Singularity" was co-written and co-produced by McCreary's brother, Brendan McCreary, who also contributes lead vocals to eight songs. The accompanying story is revealed in three spoken-word monologues lifted directly from the graphic novel, performed on the album by celebrated actors Lee Pace ("Foundation", "The Hobbit"),Danai Gurira ("Black Panther", "The Walking Dead") and Ryan Hurst ("Sons Of Anarchy", "God Of War Ragnarök").

McCreary began his career as a protégé of legendary film composer Elmer Bernstein, before bursting onto the scene scoring the influential and revered series "Battlestar Galactica" in 2004. Since then, McCreary has been a four-time Emmy Award nominee and Emmy winner for "Outstanding Original Main Title Theme" for "Da Vinci's Demons", a musical palindrome that sounds the same forwards and backwards. McCreary has won multiple International Film Music Critics Association Awards and been named the 23rd Most Definitive Bear In Popular Culture by The Ringer. Recent projects include the Amazon Original hit series "The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power"; "Foundation" for Apple TV+; the beloved Starz series "Outlander"; Netflix's Academy Award-nominated documentary "Crip Camp" (produced by Barack and Michelle Obama); Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures' "Godzilla: King Of The Monsters"; Paramount Pictures and Bad Robot Films' "10 Cloverfield Lane"; AMC's global phenomenon "The Walking Dead"; Marvel's "Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D."; and the video game "Star Wars: Tales From The Galaxy's Edge" for Disney. McCreary's acclaimed scores to Sony PlayStation's blockbusters "God Of War" and "God Of War Ragnarök" have earned him honors including Grammy Award nominations for "Best Score Soundtrack For Video Games" and awards from the Game Awards, the D.I.C.E. Awards, the Hollywood Music In Media Awards, the International Film Music Critics Association, the ASCAP Composers Choice Awards and the BAFTA Games Awards.

McCreary has long enjoyed collaborating with artists from across the musical spectrum, including Hozier, Fiona Apple, the late Sinéad O'Connor and Shirley Manson (GARBAGE),among many others. He has composed concert commissions for the Calder Quartet and Getty Center, the Hagen Philharmonic and Ballet in Germany, the Television Academy, the Seattle Symphony, and the Golden State Pops Orchestra. In July 2014, maestro Gustavo Dudamel conducted a suite of McCreary's music with the L.A. Philharmonic and L.A. Master Chorale at the Hollywood Bowl.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

In an interview with the "Everblack" podcast conducted at the Brisbane date of this month's Knotfest Australia, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2022's "Back From The Dead" album. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're finishing up writing a new album. And we're gonna get back in April to finish it up. We'll be there in a few weeks, and, yeah, we'll see what happens. And then we'll be back here [in Australia] before you know it with some new music."

Asked what the new HALESTORM album will be called, Lzzy said: "Oh, we don't know that yet. As is tradition in HALESTORM, we always have the best ideas right when we start, and then we totally trash it, and it's, like, very last minute, 'What are we calling the record?' Last minute, that's what we do. So, yeah, we don't know. We're gonna let it tell us what it is. It's not up to us; it's the music."

Earlier in the month, HALESTORM guitarist Joe Hottinger told Monica Strut of Knotfest Australia about the songwriting process for the band's next LP: "Our goal as a band is may the best song win. So riffs are great and all, but at the day, it comes down to the song. Is it a good song or not? And not only is it, like, good, but it's gotta be great. We have, like, stupid standards. And so really anything goes. If it's a riff and it starts there, a riff and a melody, cool. Lzzy writes constantly, so she's always got songs that we're putting together.

"We haven't been in a studio since — I mean, recording for a record — since September," he revealed. "We've been busy. We've been traveling a bit. But we've been writing since then. And while we were at the last one, we just kind of rolled in and wrote a song in the morning and recorded it that night, and it was kind of everything fresh. We started out a few riffs, but, really, the idea was more about being in that moment. I was talking with Lzzy about it while we were in there, and it was, like 'Yeah, it's kind of like we came into the studio with nothing but 20 years of being a band together.' [Laughs] So, we know how to play — we're all players, we can play, we can write. So, like, 'It's a good idea. Cool. Yeah, let's do that. All right, let's record it. Here we go.' And I don't even remember what I played. I haven't listened to those songs in a while. And I vaguely remember any of them because it gets so intense. I think we did, like, 13 of them. Day after day after day after day after day, to the point where you're just, like, 'I don't know anything anymore.'"

Joe also talked about HALESTORM's writing and recording approach with producer Dave Cobb after making three records with Nick Raskulinecz.

"We had a few ideas going in, but we told [Dave] we didn't really… We'd been touring constantly and we didn't get together and put together anything solid," Hottinger said. "And he was, like, 'Great. Even better.' And that was exciting, 'cause we've never really done that before for a record, like just sit in a room and knock out a song a day — just go, go, go. And it was really intense. And I think it's great. And that was just round one, the first volley of songs. We'll see if any of 'em even make it. But we've got just a boatload more songs now. We haven't even gotten together and riffed them all out yet or wrapped our heads around them. We just have these demos. We're, like, 'All right.' Lzzy's writing right now. We love doing that. She'll go and write with friends or other people that she respects, which I think is great, 'cause she gets to bounce ideas off of somebody else, somebody that… Every song is like a puzzle, and she gets to put it together with somebody else who's better at different parts of the puzzle than maybe one of us. And then we grab a hold of it and make it a HALESTORM song."

In a separate interview with Niclas Müller-Hansen of RockSverige, Joe stated about HALESTORM's decision to work with Cobb this time around: "We've been a fan of Dave for a long time. He does like everything from country stuff like Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell to EUROPE and GRETA VAN FLEET, RIVAL SONS and AIRBOURNE. He's a rocker at heart and we needed to switch it up. It's our last record on Atlantic. Luckily, he wanted to work with us."

Lzzy added: "We were seeking him out for a while and the people at our label and everybody was, like, 'No. He's too busy. He's not gonna wanna work with you.' And we were, like, 'Well, just ask him. Just reach out to him. We can take the rejection because we've been doing it our entire life.' It's, like, why be all sensitive now? They went ahead, like, 'Hey, Cobb, there's this band HALESTORM…' and he went, 'Oh my God, I love HALESTORM! What are they doing?' and they told him, 'Well, they're thinking about doing a record…' and he said, 'I wanna do a record with HALESTORM.' He had a whole plan apparently."

Joe continued: "And it's not, like, 'Fuck Nick,' because he's one of our best friends. We talked to him and he went, 'Fuck, yeah. Switch it up.' We made a bunch of records. It's not like we'll never not record again."

Regarding HALESTORM's overall approach to writing and recording with Cobb, Joe said: "We dive in, but it's just like trial by fire and you see what works. 'Oh, somebody's getting a little pissed.' [Laughs] It's fun and spicy, but it's nothing bad. Everyone is good people and we all have the same goal to make some good music.

Lzzy added: "We definitely dive in, like, 'Okay, who's got a riff? Who's got a line? Let's go.'"

Joe continued: "And I love him because he doesn't make demos, so we just start recording. 'Let's put the drums down.' And we're flying by the seat of our pants."

Lzzy said: "He literally wanted us to come in without a plan, which we're not used to. Usually, with every single release, it's, like, 'So, what do you wanna do? What's the vision? What's the idea?' Usually you start out with a vision and then the music tells you what do to half way through.

Joe stated: I was, like, 'Well, let me just work out this guitar part before we get there.' And he was, like, 'Why worry about that? You'll get it.' And it was, like, 'Oh yeah, we've got a new thing now. Time to learn again.'"

This past December, Lzzy told Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global that she and her HALESTORM bandmates "went in with nothing" for their session with Cobb. "We had no songs, no ideas. We had some riffs and choruses, but it wasn't like we came in with these demos. And, to be honest, Dave Cobb didn't want that at all. We walked in and we were almost apologetic, like, 'I'm sorry, but we've been really busy, and I just have bits and pieces of things I think are special.' He was, like, 'Good. I don't want any demos. No plan, no nothing.' So were, like, 'What do you mean, no plan?' And it was amazing."

She continued: "We woke up every single day, we [worked] from 11 a.m. to 11 p. m. on average, every single day. [We'd] wake up, and I'm, like, at my desk and I'm figuring out lyrics from yesterday's demo, and then, 'Okay, but you know what? Scratch that. We're gonna work on a new song right now, and we'll go back to that.' So we were working on, like, four different things at once. We finished, what, like 12 songs in three weeks. So that's the magic of it all, was that we rediscovered how we as a band individually, uniquely operate and we thrive in that chaos."

Lzzy added: "As soon as you start thinking, like, 'Okay, this is the concept, these are the songs, this is what we go in, this is what we do,' it just becomes like an office job and there's no room to create, whereas this is totally not like that. You go in and you're, like, 'Wow. Anything is possible and anything could happen.' And then, as you are writing it and finishing it, you are recording it for real."

Added Joe: "It was cool. We didn't go in with anything but the shirt on our back, except that the shirt is, like, 20 years of being a band."

Continued Lzzy: "Obviously, you go in there with experience. We could have never done that 20 years ago."

Asked by Botas if the songs that were written in that chaotic environment ended up being heavier somehow because of the way they were put together, Joe said: "Yeah, a lot of them got like really weirdly heavy in a cool way. I don't know. It's not necessarily the record. That's what we did in those few weeks. And they're not all keepers, but they're great and they're good fun, and it's a reflection of where we were musically at that time."

Added Lzzy: "Yeah, and I think that comes from, even if it got darker or more intimate, especially I guess, on my end, and lyric-wise… It's a weird balancing act between, 'Okay, I'm comfortable with all of you guys enough to spill my guts because you've seen me at my worst, you've seen me at my best,' so having that experience with people that you trust, it bleeds itself into the music 'cause you're not holding anything back. But at the same time, I didn't have time to overthink either. It's, like, 'Okay, hey, by the way, we're getting a surprise visit from you're a&R guy, and we still have six songs to sing.' And I'm, like, 'Oh my god.' So I finished six songs within a weekend. And so there's a beauty in taking the too much thinking out of it too. So therefore, the song has no choice but to just be what it is, whatever it is at the moment."

In October, HALESTORM bassist Josh Smith revealed to Metal Global that the band was working with Cobb.

"We went down to [Dave's] place and all lived together for three weeks, which is — we live together on tour all the time, yeah, but to be in a creative space, it was incredible," Josh said. "And the music that came out is undeniably HALESTORM. There's going to be a lot of fan favorites."

Describing HALESTORM's recording process with Cobb, Josh said: "What we're doing and how he wants to work, how he's capturing us is what we do on stage. For instance, we're not using a click track; there's no time keep. It's us doing it, and so there's a lot of movement to the music… It's so human."

He continued: "I think naturally when you're even talking, just from building tension to releasing it and how that happens, and sometimes from a verse maybe is building and the tempo feels like it's building, and then the chorus — well, at least on stage — naturally probably bumps up a few BPM [beats per minute] or slows down, depending. And even our transitions or Arejay's [Hale, HALESTORM drummer] fills will push or pull. It's very human."

When Botas noted that it's "always fun to work with new people and create new ideas when someone has a different view from the one you normally have," Smith said: "Yeah, for sure. I mean, that's what you hope for in working [with] a producer. It's this person you really have to vibe with that fits into this, in this case our little world. And that chemistry between a band is so unique to every group. And so for someone to fit in, that's a special trait to have. [It's] essentially [bringing in] a fifth member of the band that can extract the uniqueness of that band. It's big shoes to fill for a producer. And thankfully we've been lucky with it, with [previous HALESTORM producers] Nick and Jay [Joyce], and Howard [Benson] was great. But, yeah, starting with someone new and also someone who has had a very different approach from the previous one, it's really exciting. And he really is bringing out the best of us. So, yeah, it's really exciting to find someone who is so good at their craft… And he just wants to catch what everyone is excited about — lightning in a bottle. And we've been doing that. And we've caught a lot. I can't wait to go back. It's really fun. I can't wait to get back to writing new music."

Cobb has shared in nine Grammy wins, including four for "Best Americana Album" and three for "Best Country Album". He's also been named "Producer Of The Year" by the Country Music Awards, the Americana Music Association (twice) and the Music Row Awards, and has been a Grammy nominee in the category.

Also in October, Hale told TotalRock's "Hobo On The Radio" show about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2022's "Back From The Dead" album: "We're always working on new music, but we've actually kind of started to buckle down and really kind of write with a purpose as to whatever we wanna kind of put out in the world next. It's kind of an exciting time because I feel like even since the last record, even beyond 'Back From The Dead', I feel like we're kind of shedding our skin in a way that's kind of beautiful where we all kind of feel like different people than who we were when we were writing the last record. So it's time for whatever that next chapter is. So it's very exciting."

She continued: "I've been writing in a lot of subjects that I haven't necessarily touched on before and been kind of exploring those things. And I've become even more of a serial eavesdropper. I will be sitting at a pub or something and I will kind of zone out, and it's amazing the conversations you hear other people talking about. And so sometimes those leech their way into the songs."

Lzzy and her brother Arejay (drums) formed HALESTORM in 1998 while in middle school. Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by Smith in 2004.

Last May, HALESTORM teamed up with country singer Ashley McBryde for a reimagined version of the band's song "Terrible Things", which was originally featured on "Back From The Dead".

In December 2022, HALESTORM released a deluxe edition of "Back From The Dead". "Back From The Dead: Deluxe Edition" includes seven previously unreleased B-sides, including "Mine", a 1980s-inspired rocker. "Back From The Dead: Deluxe Edition" is available digitally, on CD, and cassette tape, marking the first time that the album has been offered in those physical formats.

Death thrash force Dieth - featuring Grammy Award winning bassist David Ellefson, Swedish Grammy nominated guitarist/vocalist Guilherme Miranda (ex-Entombed A.D.) and drummer Michał Łysejko (ex-Decapitated) - released their debut full-length, To Hell And Back, last June via Napalm Records. Today, the band share a guitar playthrough for the title track. Watch below:





Order the To Hell And Back album here







To Hell And Back tracklisting:


"To Hell And Back"
"Don't Get Mad ... Get Even!"
"Wicked Disdain"
"Free Us All"
"Heavy Is The Crown"
"Walk With Me Forever"
"Dead Inside"
"The Mark Of Cain"
"In The Hall Of The Hanging Serpents"
"Severance"


"Walk With Me Forever" video:





"Don't Get Mad ... Get Even!" video:





"To Hell And Back" video:





"In The Hall Of The Hanging Serpents" video:





Dieth is:


Guilherme Miranda - Vocals/Guitar
David Ellefson - Bass
Michał Łysejko - Drums


(Photo - Maciej Pieloch)







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FOO FIGHTERS drummer Josh Freese will sit behind the kit for A PERFECT CIRCLE on select dates during the latter band's "Sessanta" tour. It will mark the first time he has performed with the Maynard James Keenan-fronted outfit in 13 years.

The "Sessanta" tour, which celebrates Keenan's 60th birthday, will also feature PUSCIFER and PRIMUS.

Freese will play with A PERFECT CIRCLE for the first 13 shows of the tour, from the kickoff concert on April 2 in Boston through the April 20 gig in Los Angeles. PUSCIFER's Gunnar Olsen will then take over from the April 21 show in Berkeley, California through the May 4 concert in Forest Hills, New York.

In a statement posted on his social media, Freese said: "Happy to report that for the first time in 13 years I'll be going out with A PERFECT CIRCLE on the upcoming 'Sessanta' tour. Due to my schedule with the FOO FIGHTERS I'll be having to jump off after the Hollywood Bowl on April 20. Gunnar from PUSCIFER will be filling in on the remaining dates (maybe a little Tim Alexander too?) There's a chance I'll be able to show up to another gig or two after that if time allows but for now that's the plan.

"A PERFECT CIRCLE has always been a very special band for me and I'm really looking forward to getting out and playing these songs again."

Earlier this week, Freese shared a photo of his A PERFECT CIRCLE DW Collectors drum kit, accompanied by the caption "13 years later…like riding a bike."

Freese played on the first three A PERFECT CIRCLE albums, leading up to the band's first hiatus in 2005. He rejoined for a short stint when A PERFECT CIRCLE regrouped in 2010, but didn’t appear on the band's 2018 LP "Eat The Elephant".

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Kvaen, an extreme metal band from Northern Sweden led by guitarist / vocalist Jacob Björnfot, is ready to unleash it's third album, The Formless Fires, on June 21 via Metal Blade Records. Check out the video below to see and hear what Jacob has to say about the pact he sealed with the Blade.


Kvaen's debut album, The Funeral Pyre, was released upon the world in early 2020. Heavily influenced by traditional speed metal, folk music, death metal, and relentless black metal, the album received stellar reviews and launched the project unto stages all over Europe.


In 2022, Kvaen released their second album, The Great Below, featuring Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy, Nevermore), Mike Wead (Mercyful Fate, King Diamond) and Vreth (Finntroll). The album once more received a blazing reception, taking the band to a new level and proving that Kvaen truly are a force to be reckoned with. Tours through Sweden (with Manegarm) and Denmark followed, as well as festival appearances all over Europe, including Summer Breeze, Gefle Metal, Tolminator, Dark Easter Metal Meeting, and Nordfest Metal Festival.




In the fall of 2023, Kvaen toured all over Europe for five weeks supporting Insomnium. "Playing in front of hundreds of people every night and getting amazing response is without a doubt one of the highlights in Kvaen's history as a live act. Touring for five weeks can be rough, but having people like the guys from Insomnium, In Mourning, as well as the crew was nothing but excellent. I thought it would be harder but honestly it was easier than expected. I normally don't hang out that much with people, I live in the middle of absolute nowhere and have nothing but forests and snow around me but I had the time of my life and I can't wait to get back on the road again with the new album!" Kvaen had no problems getting the attention of the Insomnium crowd even though they were a lot heavier than them. "The great thing about Kvaen is that we can adjust our setlist to different audiences since we have so many different influences. The crowds response was nothing but amazing, we sold out ALL of our merch during that run!"


Right after the tour, Jacob started recording the third album, The Formless Fires, and without a doubt this is his best work to date. The album will be released midsummer night on June 21. Stay tuned for more details and the first single and pre-order which will launch soon!





Kvaen lineup:


Jacob Björnfot - everything


Kvaen live lineup:


Jacob Björnfot - vocals/guitars
Kristian Gustavsson - guitars
Rasmus Rova - guitars
Per Lindström - bass
Fredrik Andersson - drums







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In a new interview with Spain's Rock FM, JUDAS PRIEST's Ian Hill was asked if he and his bandmates have thought about a possible retirement yet. The 72-year-old bassist responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, we have no plan to retire yet. We're still able to perform. The time to think about retiring is when your performances start to dip and you're not doing too well. You have to think about it then. We're not stupid; we know that we're not getting any younger and that there will be a time when we have to retire, but there's no plans to do so just yet."

As for whether he has ever wanted to pursue a side project away from JUDAS PRIEST, either a solo band or something else, Hill said: "Not really, no. I mean, Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist] and Rob [Halford, PRIEST singer] have both gone off and done their own thing at one time or another. And it takes a lot. Basically, you're starting all over again. And as a pragmatist, you start to think, do you really want that? I mean, to start right from the very beginning. But whatever I want to portray musically, I get that from JUDAS PRIEST anyway. It's always been my first love, the band, and it'll continue to be that. When we finally do retire, maybe, I don't know, I'll start an old blues band up with some of my old buddies locally and maybe go play in the old pubs. But, other than that, no, I've never considered doing anything on my own."

Earlier in the month, Halford was asked by Germany's Rock Antenne if there is an end to JUDAS PRIEST. The 72-year-old singer responded: "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, 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.

A trailer for the upcoming documentary "Unleashed Spirits - The Rise Of The Hollywood Vampires" can be seen below.

Directed by Daniel E. Catullo III, "Unleashed Spirits - The Rise Of The Hollywood Vampires" is an exhilarating and heartfelt film that takes viewers on a captivating journey through the formation of HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES and the profound impact they’ve had on their devoted fan base.

Named for a pack of famous musicians that legendary rocker Alice Cooper used to drink with in the early 1970s, including John Lennon and Keith Moon, HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES consist of AEROSMITH's Joe Perry, actor Johnny Depp and Cooper, along with producer and songwriter Tommy Henriksen.

The three legends first came together to record in 2015, bonding over a shared love of their favorite songs and a desire to celebrate their "dead, drunk friends" by playing the songs of the fallen heroes. Riotous performances ensued around the world.

In 2019, HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES — which also includes Cooper's drummer Glen Sobel and bassist Chris Wyse — completed a triumphant seven-city North American tour which included a sell-out show at the famous Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and were voted the "best performance" of 2018 at London's Wembley Arena.

HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES' sophomore album "Rise", produced by Tommy Henriksen and the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, was hailed as one of the purest, most unapologetic and enjoyable rock and roll albums of 2019, made by masters of the craft and true fans of the form. Unlike their 2015 debut record, the latest album consisted mainly of original material, written by the band. There are however, in the spirit of the VAMPIRES' original mission, three covers of songs originally written and recorded by legendary rockers who died far too young.

Five years ago, Cooper told Billboard about his chemistry with Depp and Perry: "That's a very odd thing about this. You've got three alpha males who are used to running the show, and all of a sudden, three guys are sitting there with zero arguments. The whole thing is, 'Okay, let's try that.' Every time they would send me a track with scratch vocals on it, if I worked on it and chopped it up and did my thing, it would turn into an Alice song. I took my fingerprints off of it. I would hear the song and say, 'Let's do it as it was written.' My instinct might be to say that this part goes too long or the intro goes too long, but that's what makes it interesting."

Regarding HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES' decision to record a second album as a follow-up to 2015's "Hollywood Vampires", which debuted at No. 43 on the Billboard 200, Cooper said: "We looked at each other and went, 'Let's do another album, but let's make this one original.' And just like that, Johnny was writing, Joe was writing, Tommy was writing, I was writing … and we just all kind of put it together while I was on tour. Tommy produced it, and the next thing you know, we had an album. The cool thing about it is that it doesn’t sound like an Alice album, it doesn't sound like an AEROSMITH album: It sounds like a HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES album."

HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES released their first live album, "Live In Rio", in June 2023 via earMUSIC. The LP was recorded when the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES played their biggest and most legendary gig in front of more than 100,000 fans at the Rock In Rio festival in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in September 2015

Photo credit: Ross Halfin