According to Forbes, a remix of DISTURBED's cover of "The Sound Of Silence" by Australian DJ/producer Cyril Riley has landed at position No. 34 on Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

A month ago, the same version of the tune reached the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart, and it has since been on the rise, reaching No. 3 on the list.

DISTURBED singer David Draiman reacted to the news of his band's appearance on the Dance/Electronic Songs chart, sharing the Forbes article on X (formerly Twitter) and writing: "Holy shit".

"The Sound Of Silence" originally appeared on DISTURBED's sixth studio album, "Immortalized", which was released in August 2015.

In November 2019, video of DISTURBED's performance of "The Sound Of Silence" on the March 28, 2016 episode of Conan O'Brien's nighttime talk show, "Conan", surpassed 100 million views on YouTube, becoming the first "Conan" clip to reach the milestone.

DISTURBED's studio version of "The Sound Of Silence" went to No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hard Rock and Mainstream Rock charts and became the band's highest-charting single ever on the Top 100. The accompanying music video has had over 980 million views. It's also been used in the soundtrack for "The Blacklist" and the video game "Rock Band 4".

Draiman told the Colorado Springs Independent that he and his bandmates didn't have a clue that any of that would happen when they recorded the song and decided to issue it as a single and music video.

"How could we?" he asked. "It really, within the genre, was unprecedented. Never in a thousand years would I have dreamed it would be that massive and be used in all the places I've heard it used, figure skating, 'Dancing With the Stars', with the 9-11 Memorial and getting the blessing from Paul Simon, when we met him on Maui. The thing, surreal doesn't cover it."

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),performed on March 13 at Town Ballroom in Buffalo, New York. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below (courtesy of LiveCuttz YouTube channel).

Featured songs:

00:00:00 Hellfire Thunderbolt
00:06:32 One More Shot At Glory
00:11:41 The Ripper
00:15:24 Reap The Whirlwind
00:19:17 Night Crawler
00:25:12 Burn In Hell
00:30:42 Beyond The Realms Of Death
00:38:47 Hell Patrol
00:43:50 Brothers Of The Road
00:48:37 The Green Manalishi
00:53:19 Breaking The Law
00:57:02 Victim Of Changes

Encore:
01:07:21 Strike Of The Viper
01:11:41 Raise Your Fists

KK'S PRIEST's first-ever U.S. headlining tour, which features support from L.A. GUNS and BURNING WITCHES, kicked off on March 7 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The tour is 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.

SEPULTURA's new touring drummer Greyson Nekrutman, who officially replaced SEPULTURA's longtime drummer Eloy Casagrande in February, has uploaded drum-cam video of his performances of the songs "Roots Bloody Roots" and "Dusted", filmed during the band's March 2024 Brazilian tour. Check out the clips below.

SEPULTURA kicked off its farewell tour on March 1 at Arena Hall in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The sold-out show marked the band's debut performance with Nekrutman, who previously played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

The 21-year-old Nekrutman is one of the most explosive young players in the drumming world, having garnered a legion of fans since bursting on to the international music scene just a few short years ago.

Greyson is featured on ALICE IN CHAINS vocalist William Duvall's "11.12.21 Live-In-Studio Nashville" CD, which came out in June 2022. Nekrutman has also performed or recorded with Bakithi Kumalo, Darren Criss, Drumeo, Pearl Drums, Meinl Cymbals and has been featured in articles by Rolling Stone, Rhythm, Rhythm And Drum (Japan) and Sweetwater Music.

SEPULTURA announced Eloy's departure on February 27, explaining in a statement that he was leaving to join "another project", with some fans speculating that he will be the new drummer of SLIPKNOT.

The news of Eloy's exit from SEPULTURA came just two months after the band announced it would celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2024 by embarking on a "farewell tour" which will cover the entire globe.

In SEPULTURA's statement, the remaining bandmembers expressed their shock over Casagrande's departure, saying they were "taken by surprise" that their now-former drummer would "abandon everything related to SEPULTURA" less than a month prior to the start of the tour.

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

"The band were taken by surprise, without prior warning, he immediately left the band, abandoning everything related to SEPULTURA.

"Luckily American virtuoso Greyson Nekrutman will take the position of Eloy Casagrande and is welcomed as the band's new drummer for the 'Celebrating Life Through Death' farewell tour."

Casagrande, who joined SEPULTURA 13 years ago as the replacement for Jean Dolabella, later took to his social media to write: "I would like to announce my departure from SEPULTURA.

"Being part of the biggest Brazilian metal band was one of the best experiences of my life. I just want to thank the band and crew members.

"It was a story of almost 13 years, in which I had the opportunity to learn and contribute with every song, show and recording. These were years of great dedication, intensity and commitment. We did 3 studio albums very well received by the critics, countless shows on 5 continents and a lot of stories to tell. So, first of all, I reiterate my thanks to SEPULTURA and the fans for everything we've been through.

"Maybe for the band's fans it doesn't make sense at this point, but decisions needed to be made thinking about new cycles that will come. We are made of choices and they are not always easy. My departure will never erase my respect and gratitude to the band.

"There is a lot to come and I hope to continue making a lot of music and art. See you on the road."

Nekrutman also commented on his addition to SEPULTURA's lineup, writing in a statement: "Today I express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible opportunity to join the legendary ranks of SEPULTURA for their farewell tour.

"To contribute to this legacy is a privilege that fills me with both honor and excitement. SEPULTURA's fearless approach to exploring new territories in the metal sphere is something that I have always admired and strived to emulate in my own musical endeavors."

He continued: "I am eagerly looking forward to adding my own spirit and passion to the mix, to connecting with the fans who have supported the band through its evolution, and to the electrifying experiences we'll create together on stage. Here's to the new chapters we'll write together, to the stages we'll conquer, and to the powerful music we'll unleash upon the world."

Confirmed "Celebrating Life Through Death" tour dates so far include shows in South America and Europe. More concerts will be announced soon.

The C.ell YouTube channel has uploaded video of MINISTRY's entire March 1 performance at Roseland Theater in Portland, Oregon. You can now watch the video below.

MINISTRY's 16th studio album, "Hopiumforthemasses", was released on March 1 via Nuclear Blast Records.

MINISTRY founder and leader Al Jourgensen is joined in the band's current lineup by John Bechdel (keyboards),Monte Pittman and Cesar Soto (guitars),Roy Mayorga (drums) and Paul D'Amour (bass).

"Hopiumforthemasses" also has a slew of special guest contributors, including GOGOL BORDELLO's Eugene Hutz, longtime collaborator and LARD companion Jello Biafra and CORROSION OF CONFORMITY frontman Pepper Keenan.

"Just like you or anybody else, I'm simply a passenger in this lifetime," said Jourgensen. "I'm watching social changes, political changes, and economic changes, and I comment on them because I do have a First Amendment right. A lot of people say artists and athletes should shut up and play ball. No, I'm on this trip too. If I see something, I say something. That reflects on where each album goes. Instead of staying sedentary and singing about broken relationships, inner turmoil, or whatever is hurting this week, I comment on what's going on from the perspective of a fellow passenger."

"Hopiumforthemasses" is available in three vinyl variants, a CD jewelcase and digital/streaming platforms. The vinyl variants include: green with yellow splatter (in stores everywhere); blue with pink splatter (nuclear blast exclusive); red with white splatter (band/tour exclusive).

Last June, Jourgensen told Yahoo! Entertainment 's Lyndsey Parker that he was close to putting MINISTRY to bed, more than 40 years after he launched the band in his former hometown of Chicago.

"My career is winding down with MINISTRY," Jourgensen said. "I'm gonna stop MINISTRY in an album or two. I have to. I have other things I wanna do."

He continued: "My public and my band are all in agreement that we are being shackled by… We are taking our genre to the farthest limits it can go, and we're happy with that. And we'll stop when it's time instead of keep going and trying to just recreate the same stuff. We keep trying to push further. So, I figure there's only maybe one more MINISTRY album to go. Maybe two, but probably one."

Jourgensen added: "I have other things to do. I have projects that I'm working on with various people. I have film scores. And MINISTRY, now we're being held to the standard of this new MINISTRY of, okay, either push further or do the most popular stuff over and over and over and over, which we have with 'Psalm 69' or something like that. I'm tired of that. We're all tired of that. Well, we are. The fans aren't. So I think this next year or two is gonna be really transformative in the sense that I'm wrapping a bow on my entire career and saying, 'Drop mic. Thank you. Thank you for buying our t-shirts… Good night. And now I hope you follow me on my next journey."

Al revealed that one of MINISTRY's final recordings will be a 'remake" of the band's first album, "With Sympathy", which he claims he had little control over, with the record company at the time dictating its direction. According to Jourgensen, a new version of "With Sympathy" would "tie a bow on the whole thing, and just say, 'Drop mic. Good night. I'm outta here.'"

This is not the first time Jourgensen has vowed to make a "final" MINISTRY album. 2007's "The Last Sucker" was supposed to be the band's last-ever LP. Then, while working on other projects, inspiring riffs were born that would eventually become 2012's "Relapse". Later that year, Jourgensen began work on yet another MINISTRY album with longtime guitarist and collaborator Mike Scaccia. Three days after leaving the MINISTRY sessions in El Paso, in the early hours of December 23, 2012, Scaccia suffered heart failure onstage while performing with his other band, RIGOR MORTIS, and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Scaccia's death both devastated and motivated Jourgensen to return the studio to put the final touches on what they had started in memory of his best friend. The result was 2013's "From Beer To Eternity". Two more albums followed, 2018's "AmeriKKKant" and 2021's "Moral Hygiene".

AVENGED SEVENFOLD has released the official Chris Hopewell-directed music video for the song "Cosmic". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Life Is But A Dream…", which came out in June 2023 via Warner. The LP sold 36,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart.

In a recent interview with Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3, AVENGED SEVENFOLD bassist Johnny Christ spoke about the making of "Life Is But A Dream…" Written and recorded over the span of four years, it was produced by Joe Barresi and AVENGED SEVENFOLD in Los Angeles and mixed by Andy Wallace in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. The album is a journey through an existential crisis; a very personal exploration into the meaning, purpose and value of human existence with the anxiety of death always looming.

"Yeah, I guess it was a little different this time," Johnny said about the "Life Is But A Dream…" writing and recording process. "Yeah, we got off the road in 2018. We had to cancel a tour that we had lined up with PROPHETS OF RAGE. Unfortunately, Matt [Sanders, a.k.a. AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows] had messed up his vocal cords from the long, grueling cycle that we did for [2016's] 'The Stage' [album]. And by the end of it, we were just exhausted. So we took a couple of months off — some recovery time — and then got to writing pretty much right away at the beginning of 2019. So we've been demoing and working on these songs since then, and it just got released last year. So it was four years in the making of that stuff before anyone got to hear what we had been doing."

He continued: "Yeah, we approached it very differently. We wanted to do some different sounds and challenge ourselves creatively to trim out the fat and still keep it exciting throughout. Yeah, going in and recording, obviously by the time it was time to do that, we had time set up in studios and everything like that, and the whole world shut down, as everybody knows. And that gave it some more challenges to complete the record in the time that we wanted to. And each time it got pushed back, actually, we looked at it with a silver lining to it, and it elongated the time for us to work on the music and to work on it sonically and make sure the album as a whole flowed and did what we wanted it to do. And then we put it out and it was up the listeners to decide if we did a good job or not."

Christ also elaborated on his previous comment that he and his AVENGED SEVENFOLD bandmates want "Life Is But A Dream…"" to be a full experience as an album". He said: "Yeah, well, I think that comes from this record, just like all of our records — it's not unique in this sense — but we definitely take the time to figure out what perspective we have on life and where our muse is based on where we are. We're all new-ish parents with families, all of us now. We're getting into our early 40s. It's not the same thing as when we were 18 years old to start this whole thing out. So you get a different perspective 20-plus years later. And it's fun to tap into that and use it as a muse. And when you do that and you find stuff that's real in life and can touch everyday people and every person out there, and because it is very human, the perspective and the topics that we have on this record, that you're gonna get people who are probably of the same age, possibly, with the same life goals, just trying to make it and grow their tribe and do the good things. And I think that's why we've gotten that feedback from guys like yourself, and some others and ladies and everybody. I feel like there's something to grab on to on this record that definitely is very human and very common for many of us living on this planet."

This past December, AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarist Synyster Gates told Metal Hammer magazine about the fan response to "Life Is But A Dream…": "I think with an album like this, time is on its side. I've been using this analogy: both of my parents' favorite band is THE BEATLES. My mom hates everything post-'Sgt. Pepper's', my dad couldn't care less about the early stuff. They both still respect the fuck out of it, but it's not for them. So, for my mom, 'Sgt. Pepper's' was the death of THE BEATLES, and I think for a lot of people, this is the death of AVENGED SEVENFOLD. But for a lot of other people, it's a birth. The birth of a different band."

Asked whether he's read any of the more comments about the album online, Synyster said: "Funnily enough, I thought it could go either way. We've actually had really amazing support from the press, so I don't want to make people think that we feel like we aren't supported by the press at all. I actually feel it's good that it just hasn't been ignored. Even the bad reviews, people have talked about it. People are still interested in us, so that's all I could ask for, really. The negative comments, I feel they're the minority. I think people have been really thoughtful in considering this album."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows discussed the reactions to "Life Is But A Dream…" last June during an appearance on the "Let There Be Talk" podcast with with rock and roll comedian Dean Delray.

"With our new record right now, all you see are 10-out-of-10 reviews and zero-out-of-10 reviews," M. Shadows said. "But it's the best way to be because the people that hate it absolutely hate it. It's one of those things where, in 2023, having a zero out of 10 is actually better than anything you could ask for, because people are talking, and it's a weird society we live in at this point."

"All artists can do is be a reflection of themselves at any point in time," he continued. "There's nothing worse than when people are trying to put you in a box and want you to write the same music you wrote when you were in high school or 20 years old. Those were reflections of who we were back then; we were aggressive, young kids that were just kind of all over the place making a certain type of music. And every record kind of changed. But this one in particular — much more musical in terms of not having to have one foot fully in metal. It's got so many different eclectic influences that we've had our whole life that we never really were able to kind of quantify. Like if you think about THE RESIDENTS or MR. BUNGLE, all these different things that we were growing up listening to. And I think is just where we're at right now. It's a different type of record. The philosophy, all of it, is different, and so it's not gonna appeal to people that want the same thing or more of the same or they're there in their life right now. It doesn't mean they're not gonna get here. Maybe they're just not here right now. Maybe it's our job to put our arm around them and say, 'Hey, we're up the street at this bar. And let's hang out here. This is what we're doing now.'

"There are so many psychological things that go into if people like records or not or if they don't or what they're listening to at the time. And it's not really our job to figure that out; it's just our job to put something out that we totally back and we appreciate. And we'll see where it goes. It's hard to really talk about it, 'cause there's really no right or wrong answer. It's okay to hate this record."

The 42-year-old Shadows went on to cite a few other examples where certain records represented a departure from the sound and direction that fans expected their favorite artists to go.

"There's a few records I think of, for my era and my age, when they came out. One is 'Pinkerton' by WEEZER," he said. "They blew up with the 'Blue' album, and then they put out 'Pinkerton', which is why one of my favorite records of all time — it's dirty, it's lyrically uncomfortable, it's all these things. That's one. And then 'Disco Volante' is one from MR. BUNGLE. MR. BUNGLE was already weird with the self-titled [album], but 'Disco Volante' was just, like… Mike Patton is not even singing; he's just making noises the whole time. It's like them messing around with keyboards. It blows my mind. 'Yeezus' is one for me with Kanye [West]. He put out pretty much a heavy metal record. Everyone in hip-hop hated it, and now it's one of his essential records. But there's always those things that kind of stand outside the box and outside the norm and they ruffle feathers and people have knee-jerk reactions. And I think this is definitely one of those. But you've gotta make sure that it's backed up with musicality. It's gotta be backed up with some depth. It can't just be weird for weird's sake. And I think that's a lot of people's go-to on this: 'I hate it because they're just trying to be weird.' It's, like, no, actually, we're not. 'They're trying to be prog.' It's, like, prog is the last thing on our minds. We don't care about that. All we care about it writing shit that feels cool.

"People overthink it and they try to even put these things in boxes," Shadows added. "And I think prog has even become its own box, which sucks, 'cause prog should be so many different directions. Why does prog have rules? The world is funny. People like to put things in a box so they can kind of discuss it better, I guess. But this record is kind of boxless, I guess."

M. Shadows previously discussed AVENGED SEVENFOLD's songwriting approach on "Life Is But A Dream…" earlier in June 2023 in an interview with Lou Brutus of HardDrive Radio. At the time, he said: "We were just looking for really bold moments — in life, in art, in film. Things that we could sort of wrap our minds around an audio representation of how we were feeling about certain things.

"At this point, playing around with melody, playing around with tones, playing around with left turns, curveballs was really appealing to us.

"I think we've proven to everyone, whether they like the band or not, that we kind of know the rules of music, and this record, we were able to just go break all the rules," he continued.

"Mike Shinoda [of LINKIN PARK] put it to me really perfectly — I love his insight on a lot of things — and he said, 'This record is like you guys throwing paint at the wall, but if a fourth-grader was doing it, you'd say that's just paint on the wall. But because of everything you've done before, we all know you know how to make a beautiful painting, so this record is actually really special because it's not just paint on the wall. You guys have broken all the rules and done things in an abstract way. But we wanna listen and pay attention because we know what you guys have done before.' And I thought it was an interesting way of putting it, 'cause those [LINKIN PARK] guys — Dave ['Phoenix' Farrell] and Mike — have been big fans of this record. And I think that was a cool way of putting it."

M. Shadows added: "We kind of just really wanted to push the boundaries — the musical boundaries, the lyrical boundaries, the themes — and we didn't want anything on the record to sound generic or phoned in or not exciting. We wanted to redo everything we've ever done, where even the song lengths and the way we kind of put these little pieces of ear candy, but we get away from it quick. Or staying away from three choruses, or if there is three choruses, they're all vastly different. And really thinking about turning the traditional landscape of how you would normally put a song together on its head, but do it in an interesting way — not just to do it, but just to do it in a way that we think people will enjoy and give them sort of a reason to get to the end of songs or get to the next song on the record. And I think that was just a mindset this time, was just a little different — really looking at those things."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD made its first festival appearance in five years on May 19, 2023 at Welcome To Rockville at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's first concert since June 2018 took place on May 12, 2023 at AREA15 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

To date, AVENGED SEVENFOLD has sold over 10 million albums worldwide and earned two consecutive No. 1 albums on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart (2010's "Nightmare" and 2013's "Hail To The King") to go along with over a billion video views and a billion-plus Spotify streams, as well as multiple No. 1 singles on rock radio.

Lauded progressive death metal outfit DÅÅTH has emerged from its thirteen-year hiatus with a new album, "The Deceivers", set for release May 3 via Metal Blade Records.

"The Deceivers" is at once a devastating reminder and giant leap forward that showcases the technical wizardry and brutal intensity that the Atlanta, Georgia-bred band is capable of. Band founder/guitarist Eyal Levi has overseen an overhaul of the lineup, though importantly DÅÅTH still features force-of-nature vocalist Sean Zatorsky, who has fronted the band since 2007. Together they are now joined by Kerim "Krimh" Lechner on drums, Jesse Zuretti on orchestration and guitar, Rafael Trujillo on lead guitar, and David Marvuglio on bass.

"Now DÅÅTH is more orchestrated, more over the top. We have more melodies and they're beautiful," Levi says. That's what "The Deceivers" is: monstrously heavy but beautifully orchestrated, blessed with melodies that will haunt anybody fortunate enough to hear it. The nine tracks were produced by Levi, with Andrew Wade doing vocal production, John Douglass engineering, Jens Bogren mixing, and Tony Lindgren mastering.

Guest guitar solos are contributed across numerous tracks by Jeff Loomis (NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY),Mark Holcomb (PERIPHERY),Dean Lamb (ARCHSPIRE),Per Nilsson (SCAR SYMMETRY, MESHUGGAH),Spiro Dussias (PLATONIST) and Dan Sugarman (ICE NINE KILLS),with renowned video game composer Mick Gordon ("Doom Eternal") contributing sound design and synth to "Purified By Vengeance".

The album title is the continuation of a theme that began with 2007's "The Hinderers" and continued with 2009's "The Concealers".

"Those titles are about the outside world," Levi says. "They're not about us. While they touch on the self-destruction and self-deception, we all occasionally fall victim to, this album is a scathing critique and exploration of certain societal elements. The deceivers and obstructers in life. Those who impede your progress through subterfuge and manipulation."

That critique of the modern world is on full display in the single and video "Hex Unending", which features the lyrics, "Cleanse me, Rid the malignancy, Commence deliverance, Severance, From this wretched hex unending."

"It's about shedding skin, cleansing the old me; reinventing, and carving a new path vocally, physically, and mentally," explains Zatorsky. "This song needed to be front and center on the record."

Zuretti further elaborates, "'Hex Unending' is a track that combines all of the many eras of metal music at its peak — there's catchiness, groove, power, virtuosity, and uncommon creativity coursing through its veins. It's the sound of 2024 — it's perfectly polished yet organic, it's modern arrangement and composition leads you on unexpected paths — if we were to bet, this track will propel true metal back into the forefront of heavy music."

DÅÅTH's "Hex Unending" video, directed by David Brodsky and produced by Allison Woest for My Good Eye: Music Visuals, can be seen below.

"The Deceivers" track listing:

01. No Rest No End
02. Hex Unending
03. Ascension
04. With Ill Desire
05. The Silent Foray
06. Unwelcome Return
07. Purified By Vengeance
08. Deserving Of The Grave
09. Into Forgotten Dirt

DÅÅTH began their journey in 1999 and stayed busy for just over a decade before its 2011 hiatus. In that time, the band released four studio albums — "Futility" in 2004, "The Hinderers" in 2007, "The Concealers" in 2009, and their self-titled LP in 2010. Tours with CATTLE DECAPITATION, DARK FUNERAL, CYNIC, NILE, SLAYER, DRAGONFORCE, GOATWHORE, CHIMAIRA, DYING FETUS and DEVILDRIVER followed. DÅÅTH also landed a coveted spot on Ozzfest playing before tens of thousands of fans in outdoor amphitheaters across the U.S., in addition to the infamous and long-running metal tour "Summer Slaughter".

After twelve years on hiatus, DÅÅTH found their ideal new home at Metal Blade, signing to the label and wasting no time creating new music, cover songs (DEATH's "The Philosopher" and MORBID ANGEL's "Where the Slime Live") and reissuing previous albums. The first new song from the revitalized DÅÅTH, "No Rest No End" (released ahead of the album in February 2023),features guest solos by Spiro Dussias and now-DÅÅTH member Trujillo, who impressed Levi so much while guesting on the track that he was invited to join the band.

DÅÅTH is:

Eyal Levi - guitar
Sean Z - vocals
Krimh - drums
Jesse Zuretti - orchestration, synth, guitar
Rafael Trujillo - lead guitar
Davis Marvuglio - bass

Photo by Stephanie Cabral

Anette Olzon, the former powerhouse vocalist of NIGHTWISH and one half of the dynamic duo behind THE DARK ELEMENT alongside former SONATA ARCTICA guitarist Jani Liimatainen, has released a new solo single, "Day Of Wrath". The track is taken from her third solo album, "Rapture", due on May 10 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Set to captivate audiences worldwide, "Rapture" promises to deliver an electrifying blend of heavy melodies and soaring vocals that solidify Olzon's esteemed status as one of the premier female voices in the metal genre.

Following in the footsteps of her critically acclaimed second solo album, "Strong", Anette once again teams up with acclaimed Swedish guitarist and producer Magnus Karlsson to craft a musical experience that pushes boundaries and excites the senses. Together, they have curated a collection of songs that showcase Anette's unparalleled vocal range, complemented by Karlsson's masterful riffs and the addition of growls by Johan Husgafvel, adding a dynamic layer to the album's sound.

"Rapture" seamlessly navigates through various musical genres, from symphonic to melodic power metal, with hints of melo-death, while maintaining an irresistibly catchy and melodious essence. Olzon's performance on this album is her most versatile yet, proving her ability to evolve and innovate while staying true to her signature style.

Renowned mixer Jacob Hansen, known for his work with PRETTY MAIDS, VOLBEAT and THE DARK ELEMENT, returns to the fold to ensure that "Rapture" achieves the perfect balance between heaviness and hookiness, resulting in an album that is both impactful and memorable.

"Rapture" is set to unleash its sonic fury upon the world, cementing Olzon's status as a force to be reckoned with in the metal music scene. Prepare to be swept away by the sheer power and beauty of Anette Olzon's "Rapture".

"Rapture" track listing:

01. Heed The Call
02. Rapture
03. Day Of Wrath
04. Requiem
05. Arise
06. Take A Stand
07. Cast Evil Out
08. Greedy World
09. Hear My Song
10. Head Up High
11. We Search For Peace

Recording linup:

Anette Olzon - Vocals
Magnus Karlsson - Guitar, Bass, Keyboards
Anders Köllerfors - Drums
Johan Husgafvel - Growls

The music video for the LP's first single, "Heed The Call", can be seen below.

Olzon shares: "'Heed The Call' is a culmination of passion, energy, and creative expression, and I truly hope you'll enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to life."

The Swedish-born singer originally joined NIGHTWISH in 2007 and recorded two studio LPs with the band before being dismissed in 2012 in the middle of the group's North American tour. She was replaced by former AFTER FOREVER frontwoman Floor Jansen.

Olzon reflected on her time with NIGHTWISH in a 2021 interview with Finland's Chaoszine. Asked how she looks back on the entire five-year experience, she said: "Well, it's mixed emotions. It was a hell of a ride. You know how it was with the media in Finland. And for me, I didn't understand what was happening because I didn't know how big the band was, since I don't live in Finland. So it was really fun the first years with everything and also crazy. I wasn't home a lot. They did their heaviest touring when I joined. All of a sudden, they wanted to do so many long weeks [on the road]. I remember just that I had a five-year-old son [and] I came home after five weeks. I was home one week. I didn't almost have time to unpack my bags before I went off again for four weeks. So I don't remember everything, to be honest. There are so many things that I don't remember. And also, of course, the last years where it wasn't such a nice atmosphere between us. And I had my third child, and things happened.

"So I remember it both with really happy, happy feelings, but also with very, very negative and sad feelings," she explained. "But, of course, it was an amazing experience, and it was my dream that came true to be a full-time singer in an amazing big band. And they are a super-good band. So I bless the albums that we did and will always cherish that time, of course."

Not long after Olzon was fired from NIGHTWISH 11 years ago, she claimed that an argument arose between her and NIGHTWISH when she asked for an Australian tour to be postponed during her pregnancy. Keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen suggested that Jansen should front the band on a temporary basis, but Olzon said no.

Anette explained in a 2014 interview: "I would have been too pregnant to go to Australia, so I wanted to push the dates back, but Tuomas didn't want that. Discussions about a substitute came up, and at first, I was, like, 'Yeah, well, okay.' But when they mentioned Floor, it was an automatic 'no' from me. I didn't think it was a good idea, because I knew what would happen — I knew the fans would love Floor, because she's a metal singer and I'm a pop singer, and I wanted to keep my job."

A year after NIGHTWISH fired Olzon, the band released a statement denying that she was dismissed because of pregnancy or illness. "We discovered her personality didn't fit this work community, and was even detrimental to it," the group said. NIGHTWISH went on to say that Anette was initially receptive to the idea of hiring a temporary replacement if she couldn't "manage everything," but that she later "took back her decision, and the difficulties really started. Fear of losing money and position seemed obvious." The band also insisted that "Anette and her company" were "paid a fifth of everything that was done during her time" with NIGHTWISH.

Since the end of her stint with NIGHTWISH, Olzon also formed THE DARK ELEMENT with Liimatainen. The group's self-titled debut album was released in 2017; a follow-up, "Songs The Night Sings", came out in 2019.

Olzon and noted progressive metal vocalist Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X, ADRENALINE MOB) released a collaborative album titled "Worlds Apart" in March 2020 via Frontiers Music Srl. The project was issued under the moniker ALLEN/OLZON. A follow-up album, "Army Of Dreamers", arrived in 2022.

In a new interview with "The Card King Sports Variety Show", legendary German guitarist Uli Jon Roth, who left SCORPIONS four and a half decades ago after making five albums with the group, was asked if it ever bothered him that he wasn't involved in the writing and recording of what is considered SCORPIONS' signature song, 1984's "Rock You Like A Hurricane". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I can't stand the lyrics, but I think it's a great classic rock riff. I mean, that's really quite something to write a riff like that. It's unforgettable. So, yeah. Bravo, Rudolf [Schenker, SCORPIONS guitarist]."

Pressed about whether he would have "tweaked anything or changed anything" in "Rock You Like A Hurricane" had he been involved with that work, Uli said: "The title, of course, is great, but I wouldn't have liked the lyrics. But regarding the guitar lead, I think I would have played a guitar lead which supports the song. I never did anything that destroyed Rudolf's songs. On the contrary, I think we jelled very well. Had I stayed in the band, I would have, of course, played something that supports [and] fits those songs. Absolutely."

When the interviewer asked Uli if he feels "Rock You Like A Hurricane" could have had a better guitar lead, Uli clarified: "I didn't say that. I would have played it differently. That's all. I would have played a different lead, because Matthias [Jabs, current SCORPIONS guitarist] is Matthias and I'm who I am and we think differently. So, yes, I'm sure I would've done a different lead. But the song lives because of the riff and the vocals, not because of the guitar lead. The guitar lead in that song wouldn't have been so important, really. I would have done my best and I'd try to do my best, but the riff, we would have played the riff just as it is, because it's perfect. I wouldn't change anything there."

In a September 2023 interview with Vintage Rock Pod, Roth reflected on his decision to leave SCORPIONS, saying: "I handed in my notice a year before [the live double album 'Tokyo Tapes' was released], [in] 1977. And the reason was not personal; it was just purely artistic. It was because I started to write music like 'Earthquake' and other songs, which I knew had no place whatsoever in SCORPIONS. It would have kind of really not resonated with any of the other stuff. So in 1977, I led a little bit of a dual existence. I wrote some of the songs for SCORPIONS like 'The Sails Of Charon' and 'Your Light' and 'I've Got To Be Free' and then some other stuff. But I also already wrote this music for ELECTRIC SUN, which was very different. And because I was not so success-driven… I mean, the band, obviously, we all knew that we were getting more successful every year. We already had our first gold albums by then, and it was kind of inevitable almost. But, to me, that wasn't really so much the thing that interested me. I was more interested in exploring music in a way that was more free and in a band like that, I guess I had taken it as far as I could at that point. And had I stayed on, for all the other albums, I would have continued in the same vein as 'Tokyo Tapes'. But the ELECTRIC SUN stuff would have never been made."

Asked if any part of him regrets leaving SCORPIONS when he did, Uli said: "No. I would've gone mad had I stayed, because I had so many other things to say, and they needed saying. It was an easy decision and it had to come and I had to make it. It was just a natural progression."

The 69-year-old went on to say that he still has a friendship with his former bandmates. "We're very much on friendly terms," he said. "Nothing has ever changed in that, even though we were a great unit when I was in the band. And to this day there's a family feeling whenever we meet. And I guess that will never change."

Pressed about whether there will ever be a full tour with him and the SCORPIONS again, Uli said: "It's very late in the day. I don't know what their plans are. I mean, I would be open to anything, but I would say it's probably unlikely at this point in time."

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

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

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

Last July, it was announced that Roth was forced to postpone his previously announced North American tour due to health reasons. The trek was scheduled to launch on September 6 in West Hollywood, California and conclude on October 1 in New York City. According to a statement on Roth's social media, he recently underwent a "successful kidney removal operation" and "is fit to play, but has been advised not to embark on a full-scale major tour just yet. Uli will be performing at selected shows in continental Europe during his recovery period."

In April 2023, Roth told Canada's The Metal Voice that he used the downtime during the coronavirus pandemic to write a book called "In Search Of The Alpha Law". He added that the book "is not about myself — it's not about my life on the road or my life. It is about my — well, my philosophy of life."

Formed in Germany in 1969, Nektar favoured extended compositions and concept albums over the constraints of pop. They were among the progenitors of the progressive rock movement of the 1970s as well as the jam-band scene that arose in the late 1990s. Their sound traveled well to the States, where they enjoyed Top 40 success with “A Tab In The Ocean” (1972) and “Remember The Future” (1973). Nearly 20 albums and a half-century later, the band’s artistic and personal charisma has earned them masses of devoted fans along with their latest album, The Other Side (2020), which was Number 1 on Amazon Progressive Music.


As they begin the next 50 years of their career, they kick it off with Journey To The Other Side - Live At The Dunellen Theatre June 10, 2023. Recorded during the band’s 50th anniversary tour, this release captures the band in all their glory with a 2CD/Blu-Ray set with a 5-camera shoot and multi-track recording. Clocking in at over 2 and 1/2 hours and spanning the band’s entire career with classics like “Remember the Future Parts 1 & 2”, “A Tab in the Ocean,” and many more. View “Drifting” video below.


This recording has become a virtual remembrance of Nektar drummer and primary member, Ron Howden, who died suddenly at the ripe old age of 78 on September 29th, 2023. As founding member Derek “Mo” Moore states, “I think you will enjoy being part of Nektar’s 50th extended Anniversary Tour and glad we captured this performance. Rest in Peace Ron.”




There are a limited number of autographed bundles available while supplies last. Order here.








Tracklisting:


Introduction
"The Light Beyond"
"A Tab In The Ocean"
"SkyWriter"
"I’m On Fire"
"Dream Nebula"
"Drifting"
"Cast Your Fate"
"A Day In The Life Of A Preacher"
"Recycled 2"
"Show Me The Way"
"Remember The Future Part 1"
"Remember The Future Part 2"
"Look Through Me"
"Fidgety Queen"
"Good Day"


Bonus Track:
"Devils Door/King Of Twilight" – (Blu-Ray and Download Only)

In a new interview with Brazil's Ibagenscast, former NIGHTWISH bassist/vocalist Marko Hietala was asked if he would consider taking part in a reunion of the band's classic lineup, either for a tour or fresh material. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Hmm, I would consider it. But I think that the organization there would have to be looked very carefully into it and some of it would have to be dismantled. Because the business side and how the people there work, they are one of the big reasons why I left."

He continued: "In all the bands that I've been [in], I found out that I'm probably the most kind of courageous person there is and therefore also I have the inner strength to be the most honest and most fair and the one who upholds the justice between the people and taking care of everyone most. And that is something that I saw, the last years, were lacking. So, these kind of things would have to be taken care of. But I mean, [NIGHTWISH] was a big part of my life and I always, always backed up the music that we did because I love to do music that is versatile and ambitious with a lot of all kinds of atmospheres of all the world, from sensitive and soft into the big and pounding metal and all that. So, musically, I have no regrets at all. I'm happy and proud to have been a part of it. But, yeah, the organizational situation and the attitudes and who talks to whom and about what, those are things that I would totally dismantle and make into a transparent situation."

Hietala announced his departure from NIGHTWISH in January 2021, explaining in a statement that he hadn't "been able to feel validated by this life for a quite a few years now." He has since been replaced by bassist Jukka Koskinen (WINTERSUN),who made his live debut with NIGHTWISH in May 2021 at the band's two interactive experiences.

In an August 2022 interview with Finland's Chaoszine, Hietala revealed that he went through a dark period in his life, which included depression, insomnia, anxiety and an eventual attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. Speaking about how he eventually came to the realization that exiting NIGHTWISH was the right thing to do, Marko said: "It was a long process. Of course, the COVID year that was there, where I had a lot of time for soul searching, it obviously gave me the last incentive that I need something else, that if I just continue with this I'm just gonna get sicker and sicker. But, of course, it's a process.

"I've been chronic depressive since 2010 [or] 2011, so I've been on a permanent medication ever since," he revealed. "Sometimes you get used to the meds [and] you will need more. We did raise [the dosage] during the years also, but it just didn't work. And now that I started to do… I had psychotherapy for over four years now, and then I also talked to psychiatrists and some doctors and did that also in Spain. Then my psychiatrist here in Finland said that I should do these ADHD neuropsychological tests, which I then did in Spain. And, okay, I got it."

Hietala reiterated that he "had been thinking about" leaving NIGHTWISH "for a while" before making the final decision. "Because I had a lot of weight. And I tend to… With the attention disorder, it tells me that when there are lots of trouble, then the disorder makes it into a real chaos," he explained. "There's a shitload of stuff coming and going and no peace anywhere. And for a year or two, I was already waking up every night at three o'clock to bad dreams and anxiety. So I'd say that the whole process probably started already with my former divorce [in 2016]. That was a very sad time when you think about your kids and your broken homes and all that. And then, when I started to get clear from that, then there were, well, all kinds of things. I don't really wanna go any deeper to what kind of things I'd gone through, but I'd gone through enough."

Acknowledging that making NIGHTWISH's latest studio album, 2020's "Human. :II: Nature.", was a "difficult" experience for him, Marko denied that his mental state at the time resulted in a diminished role for him on the final LP. "I think the original idea was to have that… we'll do a couple of [solo vocal appearances], or one solo for me and Troy [Donockley], and the rest Floor [Jansen], and then the harmonies; that was the idea originally for that," he said. "So I don't know if it affected. I think it was sort of as planned. But at that time I already had serious trouble with concentrating and serious trouble with a constant black cloud over my head."

In July 2022, Hietala told Finland's Iltalehti that he had not kept in touch with NIGHTWISH since his departure or followed the activities of his former band.

In May 2021, Holopainen said that Hietala's decision to leave NIGHTWISH "came as a bit of a surprise." He told Finland's Kaaos TV: "Marko informed us in December [of 2020 that he was leaving the band]. And even though he has been very open about his state and problems during the past years, it still came as a bit of a surprise for us. So it was a really tough pill to swallow. And for a few days, I was actually quite confident that there's no coming back, that this is it. I remember talking to Emppu [Vuorinen], the guitar player, and we were, like, 'You think this is it?' 'Yeah, I think this is it.' I mean, enough is enough. So much has happened in the past. Something that broke the camel's back, as they say. Then, after some time had passed — a few days — we started to think that it's been such a ride of 25 years, with so many ups also, that this is not the way to end it."

Tuomas elaborated on NIGHTWISH's reasons for carrying on, saying: "I think we still have something to give, and that's the main point. The music is still there. We felt that there's still so much music that needs to come out from this band that, 'Okay, let's give it one more shot.' And then finding the new bass player was really easy."

He added: "It's not like we do this just because we need to do it and there's nothing else to do. On a personal level, I feel that there's still so many stories and melodies that I want to share with the world with one lineup or another, so that's why you want to continue and keep on going.

"I've said this a million times, that a lineup change is the ultimate energy vampire, and that's how it really felt and still feels."

In June 2021, Jansen spoke about Hietala's exit from the band in an episode of her "Storytime" YouTube video series. She said: "That was a very sudden surprise that, of course, was not fun at all. But we understand — I understand — it was a necessary thing for him to do. And from there, we had to think of how to continue without him, and that also, in preparations towards the virtual show, that was a huge challenge."

In December 2020, Hietala was crowned the winner of the fall 2020 season of "Masked Singer Suomi" — the Finnish edition of the popular masked singing contest. He was disguised as Tohtori — the Doctor.

In the summer of 2021, Holopainen said that NIGHTWISH would split up if the band's current singer Floor Jansen ever chose to leave. Holopainen, who formed NIGHTWISH in 1996 with guitarist Emppu Vuorinen and Turunen, made the comment while discussing the departure of Hietala.

Pressed by U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine about his 2019 statement that NIGHTWISH would disband if another member opted to depart, Tuomas said: "That's how I felt back in 2019, and that's also how I felt when Marko left. I take my words back when it comes to that. But if it would be Floor leaving, that's it, it's the end of NIGHTWISH. Absolutely, 100%."

On March 4, Sebastian Bach performed the Ozzy Osbourne classic "Shot In The Dark" during his set aboard this year's The 80s Cruise. He was joined for the performance by bassist Phil Soussan, who played on Ozzy Osbourne's "The Ultimate Sin" album and was credited with co-writing "Shot In The Dark". Fan-filmed video of their rendition can be seen below.

Soussan, discussed his decision to leave Osbourne's band during a 2021 appearance on "The Five Count" radio show. Asked about the "weirdness" that went on between him and Ozzy's camp following his exit from the group, Phil said: "Let me clear this up once and for all. There wasn't that much weirdness that was going on. I think what happened was I was in a position where I was not able to cut the deal that I wanted. I wanted to do certain things; I wanted to cut a certain type of deal. And kudos to Sharon [Ozzy's wife and manager]. Listen, she basically presented this to us in a very simple way. We were there, and we were being hired to do our best work — the best work that we could possibly do to make Ozzy sound and look as good as he possibly could. And we also knew that if we were not okay with that situation, there's probably three dozen people waiting in the wings that would gladly come along and do what we were doing."

He continued: "It got to a point where I was being expected to write more songs, and I wanted to kind of boost up my publishing and what have you, and for whatever reason, I was not able to cut a deal that was acceptable with Sharon, and I couldn't really get the same deal that I wanted. And at the moment, I just said, 'It's time for me to move on.' And it was a difficult decision — you leave the biggest band in the country. But I said, 'You know what? I've done it all once. I did one round, one tour, one this, one that, and let me move on and see what happens.' And I left. And I think she might have been a little upset about that, about the fact that I left. But for whatever reason, we had some accounting issues. So all of a sudden, I was having a hard time getting paid, and my accountants went back and forth a few times. And all of this got resolved eventually. It was just a payment thing — it was, like, late payments and stuff. And I don't know what the motivation was, or whatever it was, or if there was even a motivation — maybe it was just 'out of sight, out of mind' — but once I wasn't in the band, people weren't jumping to take my call about things like that. So it got resolved, and it got resolved in probably 1992 or 1993. And ever since then, everything's just been fine."

Soussan went on to say that he has heard "some really weird stories" about why he supposedly left Ozzy's band, including that he had sued Osbourne over unpaid royalties. He clarified: "I was asked to join a lawsuit that [former Ozzy bassist] Bob Daisley had, but I never joined that lawsuit; I didn't have anything to sue anybody about. I think Bob and Lee [Kerslake, former Ozzy drummer] had some issues that were going on, but when they called me, I just said the same thing I just said to you. I said, 'Why would I wanna do this?' So that was it. But all of a sudden, you hear these stories that we were in court. We never went to court. I never sued anybody."

"The Ultimate Sin" reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum in the United States on May 14, 1986, by the RIAA and and double platinum in October 1994. It was the follow-up to "Bark At The Moon", which was the first Ozzy album to feature Jake E. Lee on guitar following the tragic death of Randy Rhoads.

The writing sessions for "The Ultimate Sin" were by disagreements over songwriting, with Jake, who claimed he had been cheated out of the credits he deserved on "Bark At The Moon", later telling Ultimate Classic Rock that he demanded a revised contract before agreeing to contribute. Daisley was dismissed during the making of the LP and Soussan was brought in as is his replacement. Ozzy later invited Daisley to come back to help with the lyric writing, which Bob had shouldered the bulk of since the start of the singer's solo career.

Five years ago, Ozzy said that "The Ultimate Sin" was his least favorite album he has ever released as a solo artist. Although it's currently out of print physically (but available on streaming services),the 1986 LP has been certified double platinum. "[Producer] Ron Nevison didn't really do a great production job," Ozzy told Rolling Stone. "The songs weren't bad; they were just put down weird. Everything felt and sounded the fucking same. There was no imagination. If there was ever an album I'd like to remix and do better, it would be 'The Ultimate Sin'."

Daisley, who is credited with all the lyrics on "The Ultimate Sin" apart from "Shot In The Dark" (which is credited to Soussan and Osbourne),later said he was also heavily involved with the music writing on the LP.

"I did write the album with Jake and then Ozzy and I had a falling out and he fired me and he was going to fire Jake as well," he explained in an interview. "I've never been a 'yes' man. So a few weeks later, he called me and he had Phil Soussan on bass but I'd already written a lot of the music with Jake, so they knew they had to credit me on the songs anyway, so I guess he thought he may as well get his money's worth and asked me to come back and write the lyrics also. I did that as sort of a paid job. I write it, you pay me and take it and go. So I spent a few weeks writing the lyrics for the whole album. Then they recorded it. In a way, I am glad I am not on that album. It's the one album I didn't really like."

You've heard it literally everywhere since the 1980s: on the radio of every car you've ever owned, at every major sporting event you've attended in the last 20 years (including a live performance by the band at this year's NFC Championship Game between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers),sung by Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin and Mary J. Blige in the film "Rock Of Ages", and covered by the cast of the TV show "Glee". You heard it and then stared at a black screen in horror for a full 10 seconds wondering whether your DVR wasn't set to record the full episode, and then had it running through your head while you argued with friends over whether Tony Soprano got whacked in the diner or not.

And now, JOURNEY's timeless rock anthem "Don't Stop Believin'" has officially been declared the "Biggest Song Of All Time" by Forbes. According to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America),the hit rock song likely heard by everyone around the world is now an 18-times-platinum-certified single.

Released in October 1981 for JOURNEY's seventh studio album "Escape" through Columbia Records, "Don't Stop Believin'" quickly became the band's signature song. Critical acclaim was instant, with Billboard praising the "fluid guitar and vocal." AllMusic declared "Don't Stop Believin'" a "perfect rock song" and an "anthem", featuring "one of the best opening keyboard riffs in rock." Neal Schon, founder and lead guitar of JOURNEY, wrote the instantly recognizable bass line, and keyboardist and rhythm guitar Jonathan Cain had kept the song title from encouragement his father gave him as a struggling musician living on Sunset Boulevard. Decades after its release, the song became the best-selling digital track from the twentieth century, with over seven million downloads.

In a 2009 interview with CBC's "Q" cultural affairs show, former JOURNEY singer Steve Perry said he always thought "Don't Stop Believin'" had potential as a single. It was always a hit with live audiences, though it didn't get great radio play at the time it was issued, he said.

"When we were doing the song in 1981, I knew something was happening, but honestly, when I saw it in the film 'Monster' with Patty Jenkins, I started think, 'Oh my goodness there's really something.'"

He added: "The lyric is a strong lyric about not giving up, but it's also about being young, it's also about hanging out, not giving up and looking for that emotion hiding somewhere in the dark that we're all looking for. It's about having hope and not quitting when things get tough, because I'm telling you things get tough for everybody."

Current JOURNEY singer Arnel Pineda, who has been fronting the band for 17 years, told CBS News in 2012, "Even before I discovered 'Don't Stop Believin'', it has been my motto — you know, to never stop believing in myself. The life that I've gone through, all those hardships, I never stopped believing that someday there is something magical that will happen in my life."

In 2020, at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, "Don't Stop Believin'" had become a rallying call for patients recovering from COVID-19 at two hospitals in New York and Michigan. The 1981 hit was being played at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan and the New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital during celebrations for patients prevailing over the coronavirus.

JOURNEY features Schon, Cain, Arnel Pineda (lead vocals),Jason Derlatka (keyboards, vocals),Deen Castronovo (drums, vocals) and Todd Jensen (bass).

Since the group's formation in 1973, JOURNEY has earned 19 top 40 singles, 25 gold and platinum albums, and has sold over 100 million albums globally. Their "Greatest Hits" album is certified 15 times-platinum, making JOURNEY one of the few bands to ever have been diamond-certified, and "Don't Stop Believin'" has been streamed over one billion times alone.

JOURNEY was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017, and 2018's co-headlining tour with DEF LEPPARD was the band's most successful tour to date, landing them in the Top 10 year-end touring chart with more than one million tickets sold, and earning them the prestigious Billboard "Legends Of Live" touring award. March 2019 saw the release of "Escape & Frontiers Live In Japan", a live DVD/CD set from their concert at the Budokan in Tokyo featuring the band's first-ever performances of the albums "Escape" and "Frontiers" in their entirety. JOURNEY has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and were inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall Of Fame. Additionally, the band is the subject of the award-winning documentary "Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey" about the band's resurgence upon adding Pineda as lead singer after Schon discovered the Philippines native on YouTube.

JOURNEY will team up with DEF LEPPARD for a 2024 stadium concert tour of North America. The 23-city tour opens July 6 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and concludes September 8 at Coors Field in Denver. The opening act for most of the tour dates will be fellow Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Steve Miller and his band. Two other Rock Hall inductees will alternate as opening acts for the seven shows Miller is not playing — CHEAP TRICK and HEART.

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Ahead of their upcoming UK and Ireland headline tour this April, modern metal heavyweights, Sylosis, have released a live video for "Poison For The Lost", taken from their last full-length album, A Sign Of Things To Come. The video was filmed during the band's set supporting labelmates Malevolence in London last year.





Catch Sylosis live this April on their first headline tour of the UK and Ireland in eight years. Support from on all dates comes from Burner and Harbinger.







Dates:


April
3 - Southampton, Engine Rooms (Low Tickets)
4 - Bristol, The Fleece (Sold Out)
5 - Norwich, The Waterfront Studio (Sold Out)
6 - Dublin, Whelan's (Sold Out)
7 - Belfast, Limelight 2
9 - Edinburgh, La Belle Angele
10 - Glasgow, Cathouse (Low Tickets)
11 - Leeds, The Key Club (Sold Out)
12 - Colchester, Arts Centre (Sold Out)
13 - Cardiff, the Globe (Sold Out)
14 - Nottingham, Rescue Rooms (Sold Out)


All remaining tickets are available at sylosis-band.com.


Lineup:


Josh Middleton - vocals, guitar
Alex Bailey - guitar
Conor Marshall - bass
Ali Richardson - drums

Legendary Icelanders, Sólstafir, are turning to a new chapter by signing with Century Media Records, who are nothing short of thrilled to welcome their creative force that doesn’t shy away from blending metal, shoegaze, post rock and atmospheric black metal with unique emotional power.


Aðalbjörn Tryggvason (guitar, vocals) comments: “We have been fans for a long time. I have bought half of my death metal collection from them in the 90s. We started our career on a German label and now we are back with one – and we are looking forward to many years to come!”


Sólstafir are currently wrapping up working on a new album that will be out later this year. Come November they will embark on the Nordic Descent Tour 2024 that features a very special lineup.




Sólstafir are no strangers to the music world with their 20+ years of performing across the Globe as they consistently amaze audiences with their hearts on their sleeves from the first note. With a full catalog of truly exceptional timeless hits to perform, as well as some much-anticipated new music, the atmospheric Icelandic rock n’roll sound that is uniquely Sólstafir always delivers to those who bear witness to their epic sets that take you on a journey through the ice and snow, fire and lava and breathtaking soundscapes of their homeland.


Special guests on this tour, are none other than Finland’s own Oranssi Pazuzu, to support their forthcoming album to be released on Nuclear Blast Records, also later this year.


From November 13 - November 24, Hamferð from the Faroe Islands will open the evening with their haunting tales of doom that take the listener on a rollercoaster of emotions. This will be their first tour in support of their latest gem, “Men Guðs hond er sterk”, out March 22 on Metal Blade Records.


From November 26 - December 9, Season of Mist Records artists, Helga, will take over as support. Originally hailing from Dalarna, Sweden Helga's sound conjures visions of forests and nature in a magical blend of heaviness with a subtle dash of prog while combining both the Swedish and English language to the text.


The unique part of this package is that each of these bands sing in their native languages which offers a chance to truly immerse oneself into the music and the performance.


Sólstafir comments on the tour: “We are coming back with long shows, new songs, and old pearls. Ever since we played with Oranssi Pazuzu in Transylvania back in 2012 we have been fans of them, so we are very happy to be taking them on the road with us. Joining us as well, are our friends in Hamferð who we played with in their home country back in 2013. Hamferð will, and the other half will be our newest friends in Helga.





Dates:


November
13 - Groningen, Netherlands - Oosterpoort
14 - Nijmegen, Netherlands - Doornroosje
15 - Maastricht, Netherlands - Muziekgieterij
16 - Brussels, Belgium - Botanique
17 - Bielefeld, Germany - Forum
19 - Lille, France - Splendid
20 - Brighton, UK Concorde 2
21 - Manchester, UK - Club Academy
22 - Dublin, Ireland - Opium
23 - Glasgow, UK - Queen Margaret Union
24 - London, UK - Electric Brixon
26 - Paris, France - La Machine Du Moulin Rouge
27 - Rennes, France - Antipode
28 - Toulouse, France - Metronum
29 - Pamplona, Spain - Totem
30 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Mon


December
1 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
3 - Milano, Italy - Alcatraz
4 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
5 - München, Germany - Technikum
6 - Vienna, Austria - Simm City
7 - Warsaw, Poland - Proxima
8 - Leipzig, Germany - Täubchental
9 - Berlin, Germany - Metropol


Sólstafir lineup (left to right in photo at top):


Aðalbjörn Tryggvason: Guitar, vocals
Svavar Austmann: Bass
Hallgrímur Jón Hallgrímsson: Drums, backing vocals
Sæþór Maríus Sæþórsson: Guitar


(Photo - Katie Metcalfe)

Modern heavy symphonic metal leaders, Kamelot, will kick off their North American "Awaken The World Tour 2024" - featuring support from Swedish heavy metal frontrunners HammerFall and modern symphonic metal unit Ad Infinitum (featuring Kamelot touring guest vocalist Melissa Bonny) - on April 25 in Baltimore, MD. Tickets for this unmissable trek are on sale now, with VIP upgrades available in select cities via kamelot.com/VIP2024.





Today, in celebration of the tour's upcoming launch, Kamelot has unveiled a brand new lyric video for The Awakening album track and fan favorite, "NightSky" - one of the album's most hard hitting offerings. Check out the video today and get your tickets for the impending tour before they're gone.




Bandleader and guitarist Thomas Youngblood says: "This one is a favorite of mine to play live - we can't til April for the upcoming tour."


Singer Tommy Karevik adds: "'NightSky' is about the invisible ties that extend well beyond this life and echo into the next."





Kamelot will bring their Awaken the World Tour 2024 to Europe this October. The tour will begin on October 12, 2024 in Utrecht (NL) and will cross all over Europe and the UK, coming to an end on November 3, 2024 in Manchester (UK).


Tickets are available at kamelot.com/tour.





Kamelot lineup:


Tommy Karevik - Vocals
Thomas Youngblood - Guitars
Oliver Palotai - Keyboards
Sean Tibbetts - Bass
Alex Landenburg - Drums


(Photo - Tom Couture)

Country music legend, Toby Keith, passed away February 5 at 62 years of age following a battle with stomach cancer. Today, Sammy Hagar has released the video below, paying tribute to his friend with a performance of Keith's "I Love This Bar".


Says Hagar, "It's the first time I've spontaneously jumped on stage Cabo Wabo since Toby passed it felt like the right song to open with #ILoveThisBar! #IMissMyfriend."







Back in February, AXS TV shared the video below, in which Sammy joins Toby at his ranch and the two perform, "Rum Is The Reason". Then they talk music and check out the town where Toby lived in Oklahoma.

earMUSIC is delighted to announce the release of Marillion's An Hour Before It’s Dark: Live In Port Zélande 2023, an audio-visual masterpiece showcasing the band's 2022 studio album, An Hour Before It's Dark, in its entirety.


Listen to "Reprogram The Gene" (Live in Port Zélande 2023) here, and watch the video below.


Since 2002, Marillion has welcomed their dedicated fans to very special weekends every two years: the Marillion weekend. On three consecutive nights, Marillion performs different shows with different setlists - each night, a full album is played from start to finish, including fan favorites and rarities. Fans travel from all over the world to be part of these truly amazing nights.




From Friday, March 17 to Sunday, March 19, 2023, the Marillion weekend took place at Center Parcs, Port Zélande, The Netherlands.


On Saturday night, Marillion performed their latest album An Hour Before It’s Dark in its entirety. Their impressive live shows, with stunning projections and laser effects, add to Marillion's reputation as being one of the leading musicians of today.


An Hour Before It's Dark: Live In Port Zélande 2023 will be released physically on 2CD Digipak, Blu-ray Digipak , DVD Digipak and, for the first time, 3LP Heavyweight Vinyl. Pre-order it here.


Founded in 1979, British rock band Marillion have, over the course of 20 studio albums, become one of the most commercially successful progressive rock bands of the 1980s and are still one of the most outstanding representatives of their genre. Marillion embraced the potential of the internet for both their commercial approach and to interact with their audience, long before most of their peers. They are purveyors of soulful, powerful, and deeply-moving music, with a long-standing reputation of impressive live shows and an imposing, faithful and loyal global fan base.





Tracklisting:


"Be Hard On Yourself"
"Reprogram The Gene"
"Only A Kiss" (Instrumental)
"Murder Machines"
"The Crow And The Nightingale"
"Sierra Leone"
"Care"


Encores:


"Estonia"
"Afraid Of Sunlight"
"Go!"
"The Space"
"Zeparated Out"


"Reprogram The Gene" (Live in Port Zélande 2023) video:

In a new interview with Paul Cashmere of Noise11.com, DEEP PURPLE drummer Ian Paice spoke about the double-kick beat that introduces the band's classic song "Fireball". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, when you've got a riff which needs a rhythmic backup, you find the only solution that really works. And for me, it was doing something that I'm not known for, I'm not very good at, which is the double bass drum thing. But I could do that. And, to be honest, 50 years later, that's all I can do with two bass drums. My brain doesn't work that way. I'm just doing a reaction video to a really great young drummer, his double-bass drum thing. And what they're doing with it, I mean, it's no problem, because I don't wanna do it, but I appreciate how hard it is, what it is they do now and how it's sort of moved on.

"Music, and drums especially, must evolve, must go somewhere else," he explained. "But I don't have to be involved with it, because it's not my thing. But 'Fireball' was — it worked out really, really well. And it gave me a lot of fun in the breaks to show off a little bit. That sort of track for me today would be totally impossible. Not because I can't do it, but the changes in recording techniques. I mean, now we're in that digital age where things have to be chopped up into pretty little patterns and the freedom to do those fills, you can't do it with metronomic time — you just can't do it. There has to be an ebb and flow, a wave inside it, and if you don't have that freedom, it's almost impossible to do those crazy fills."

Some consider Paice to be the forefather of today's rock drumming. Such hits as "Space Truckin'", "Hush", "Fireball" and "Smoke On The Water" prove that Ian was helping create a genre that would last many years to come. In fact, throughout DEEP PURPLE's long career, which has seen numerous changes among the other personnel, he is the only drummer the band has ever had. When the group dissolved in 1976, Ian joined PURPLE vocalist David Coverdale to form WHITESNAKE. After a short hiatus, DEEP PURPLE reunited in 1984 for the "Perfect Strangers" release and has not stopped performing since.

In 2020, Paice was asked during a question-and-answer session with fans if he has ever felt the need to play double-bass drums. He responded: "Well, not really. The only time I ever really did it was on 'Fireball' because it added something to the track. The way the riff rolled along, it needed that power of two kicks.

"When I was growing up, the only guy who actually used two bass drums that I knew about was the wonderful Louie Bellson," he continued. "And even he had not really what you'd call mastered it. There are some wonderful young drummers around these days who've got the two-bass-drum thing down to an incredibly fine art. But I've always preferred to have to think in patterns.

"Sometimes with the bass drums, it's not where you put the note, it's where you don't put the note, and that makes it work," he explained.

DEEP PURPLE's latest studio effort, an album of covers titled "Turning To Crime", came out in November 2021 via earMUSIC. The LP contains DEEP PURPLE's versions of great rock classics and musical jewels — including songs originally recorded by Bob Dylan, FLEETWOOD MAC, Bob Seger, CREAM and THE YARDBIRDS — carefully chosen by each member of the band.

Professionally filmed video of MR. BIG performing the song "Alive And Kickin'" in July 2023 at Budokan in Tokyo, Japan can be seen below.

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

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

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

Last November, MR. BIG singer Eric Martin was asked by Troy Patrick Farrell of the weekly live "This That And The Other" radio show why he and his bandmates feel that now is the time to officially pull the plug on MR. BIG. He said: "Well, I really didn't wanna end it. I think we're gonna be done with it. I would just keep the door open forever. I didn't wanna ever end something. I hate the end of anything, but Pat Torpey is not there anymore. And that's kind of taking the wind out of the sails. He was the anchor of the band. And Nick D'Virgilio is a great replacement. He's phenomenal drummer. He sings just like Pat. Nick's great. But everybody has so many other projects. I don't. I really like the MR. BIG project… I have a couple of irons in the fire. But, yeah, it's over. To me, it's kind of a bummer. But it's time. It's been 35 fucking years, man."

Martin went on to say that it "feels great" to have a drummer in MR. BIG who can not only reproduce Torpey's parts on the band's classic songs but who also has the voice to harmonize with him during MR. BIG's live shows.

"No offense to Matt [Starr]," Eric said, referencing the drummer who played with MR. BIG for four years prior to Torpey's passing. "I thought Matt Starr was great. He was fine. The thing about Matt is that he came when Pat just couldn't do it anymore. He had this little cocktail kit on the side and he would play drums with us once in a while. Matt did it. It was just too soon for me. I wasn't ready to give up Pat Torpey. And when Matt did it, Matt has his own style. He's more like a John Bonham. He's not a Pat Torpey, and I was looking for somebody to play exactly like Pat, because I could. I wanted it, and I was really bummed that Pat couldn't do it anymore. And Matt did it, and he did a fine job for us. We sounded like a different MR. BIG. Pat Torpey has this finessey kind of things, and he's like Steve Gadd meets Vinnie Colaiuta meets maybe like a John Bonham. But Matt has got that form, heavy rock [approach], but there's a lot of finesse in the MR. BIG style — you know, 'Colorado Bulldog' and all that. And Matt did a great job; he really did. But then, after Matt, we didn't do anything. COVID thing, Pat passed away first, actually. And then nothing happened. And then when we were gonna get another drummer, we wanted to do a different style — not a different style, but we wanted to find somebody new that could play exactly like Pat. And that's what we found in Nick. He's got the same chops and the incredible voice. Matt can sing too. I mean, he was great. But I'm just letting the folks know out there, there's no bad blood between Matt Starr and MR. BIG or me or anything like that. He's killer."

Regarding the possibility of MR. BIG making a new album as the follow-up to 2017's "Defying Gravity", Eric said: "We're doing it now. We're working on it now. [MR. BIG guitarist] Paul Gilbert and I — I've been going back and forth to Portland, Oregon, where Paul lives, and we've been writing and recording everything. And so far, I wanna say, [we have] 10, 13 songs so far. And Billy's [Sheehan, MR. BIG bassist] got one that he just brought in. And Nick — we said, 'Hey, Nick, if you've got any tunes, man, throw it our way.' And he's got four songs that are pretty good."

In an April 2023 interview with Border City Rock Talk, D'Virgilio spoke about how he landed the gig as MR. BIG's new touring drummer, five years after the passing of the band's co-founder, Pat Torpey. The 55-year-old Nick, who has spent the last nine years working for the Indiana-based online retailer of music instruments and audio gear Sweetwater, said: "It stemmed through Sweetwater. I've known Paul [Gilbert]; Paul was the one guy I knew most. I met Pat, and I met Billy — Gosh — at a music trade show back in the day. And I was definitely a fan of the band. I listened to a lot of Pat's drumming way before I ever met him in person. But at Sweetwater, we do a lot of recording workshops and we get artists in to come and people pay to come to the studio and hang in the studio with the artists that come in. Paul does it quite a bit; he's been there a bunch. Billy was there a while back as well, but Paul's been there a number of times. And I've been able to play as his rhythm section for these recording workshops. And I also had Paul play on a song on my solo record called 'Invisible' that I put out in 2020. Through all of this stuff, we got to just jamming some more stuff. And I know Paul through Mike Portnoy and Neal Morse and a lot of circles of musicians. After the last thing we did at Sweetwater, Paul just sent me an e-mail and asked if I would be interested in going on tour with MR. BIG in Asia. Now, this was [in] July [2022], when he first sent me the e-mail, so nine, 10 months ago or so. And I immediately said 'yes'. I think I said 'fuck yes', all in bold letters… So then I went sort of hog wild here in my studio and I videotaped and multi-tracked my drums. I kind of just went hog wild, sending back these demos of me playing and then singing all the parts. So I sang the lead vocal, and then I sang Pat's parts too. Since [it was an] audition, I figured I'd put my best foot forward. Long story short, they said, 'Yeah, we'd love to do it. And you're in,' basically. So that's kind of how it all happened. It came out of the blue."

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

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

When D'Virgilio's addition to MR. BIG was first announced in March 2023, Sheehan said in a statement: "We found a wonderful drummer in Nick, and he's got a great voice too. Nick has a vocal range similar to Pat's, and he'll be able to do the parts Pat did with a similar finesse. It's a big relief because MR. BIG has always been heavy on the harmonies. When the band began, we really relied on each other. We knew each guy would do exactly what he needed to do vocally and to do it righteously, on key, and in time. It's difficult to find a drummer who sings in that range, but Nick has the voice we really need onstage."

Gilbert concurred, saying: "Nick gets close to the spirit of Pat Torpey. Billy, Eric [Martin, vocals] and I have been really happy with the music we've already shared back and forth. I'm impressed with Nick's level of musical adaptability and breadth of skill. He and I have done some recording together, and I was blown away with his groove, and how he just played what fit the song. If the song requires him to be more progressive and stand out, he will stand out. But if the song requires him to groove, he will groove. That's actually a rare thing, and it really fits in with what we do in MR. BIG."

Martin added: "I love the fact that Nick was a fan of Pat Torpey and wants to keep our BIG sound intact. When I first saw his audition demo video of the 'Lean Into It' song 'Lucky This Time', Nick was playing drums with those signature Pat snare hits and singing harmonies spot on to what Pat used to do. It gave me goosebumps!! I am so thrilled to have this man who will be filling some mighty BIG shoes join us on our last tour."

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, the supergroup featuring legendary vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH),guitarist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN) and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, ALICE COOPER, BILLY IDOL),played its first concert in six years last night (Sunday, March 17) at Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This rare appearance was the first live performance in America from the band in over 11 years. Presented by Bonamassa's Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, all profits from the concert will be donated to support music education and musicians in need. The band is also set to appear on the Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea cruise, sailing from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico from March 18-22.

Prior to the Fort Lauderdale gig, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's most recent performance took place in February 2018 at the fourth edition of the Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea, which benefits the Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Bonamassa's non-profit organization dedicated to providing students, teachers, and musicians with the resources and tools needed to further their music education.

Fan-filmed video of the Culture Room performance can be seen below.

According to Setlist.fm, the setlist for the concert was as follows:

01. Sway
02. One Last Soul
03. Wanderlust
04. The Outsider
05. Cold
06. Enlighten (live debut)
07. Crossfire
08. The Crow
09. Stay Free (live debut)
10. Save Me
11. Black Country

Encore:

12. Mistreated (DEEP PURPLE cover)

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION will release its highly anticipated fifth studio album, "V", on June 14. The LP's first single, "Stay Free", was made available earlier in the month.

Produced by longtime collaborator Kevin Shirley, "V" marks a monumental chapter in the band's storied career, embodying a renewed spirit and an evolution of their unmistakable sound. Shirley captures the essence of the band's journey, stating: "For a band that started out as a collection of the best practitioners of their instruments, they very quickly found a unique sound. This time around, it has more purpose, the riffs are tougher, and there are hooks! Yes, hooks! It's the most cohesive record, full of soul and grit, and I think this is the one that's going to be the benchmark for BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION." Glenn agrees: "In my opinion, we had the best time recording this record at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, tons of fun and a magical recording. Meet you inside the music.”

"Stay Free", the lead single, is a powerhouse track that blends hard rock's raw energy with a heavy dose of blues, channeling the spirit of legends like AC/DC and LED ZEPPELIN. It sets the tone for what fans can expect from "V" — a testament to the band's dynamic synergy and creative evolution.

Since their debut in 2010, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION has delivered a series of critically acclaimed albums, each showcasing the group's ability to fuse British blues-rock with American soul in a way that captivates audiences worldwide. Their return with "V" and the single "Stay Free" reaffirms their status as rock royalty and showcases their growth as musicians and storytellers.

Shirley's insight into the recording process highlights the unique chemistry and camaraderie within the band. "When we convened in 2023 to start recording the album 'V', it really was like picking up the day after the most recent gig," Shirley reflects. "The camaraderie is immediately evident. Once they start playing, everyone is deadly serious, and the music sounds like this band, and nothing else sounds like it."

"V" is a milestone that celebrates the journey, talent, and vision of BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION. As the band embarks on this new chapter, they invite fans old and new to join them in experiencing the depth and power of "V" and the electrifying energy of "Stay Free".

"V" track Listing:

01. Enlighten
02. Stay Free
03. Red Sun
04. Restless
05. Letting Go
06. Skyway
07. You're Not Alone
08. Love And Faith
09. Too Far Gone
10. The Open Road

During an appearance on an August 2023 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Hughes stated about the musical direction of the new BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION material: "It sounds like BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION. There's not too many left turns, there's nothing happening that's weirdly different. We followed a vibe of the first four albums, so it it's an extension, but it's really a progression, if you can call it a progression. Everybody's playing out of their skin. The vibe in the camp has never been so friendly and fun. It's a really, really great vibe in the band. And we had a great time at Sunset Sound [studios] in Hollywood. And I can't wait for you to hear it."

As for BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's touring plans, Glenn said: "If you go back 10 years when I wanted to… well, we all wanted to play more shows. And Joe has been very busy from the get-go of his career. What I want you to know, and I want everybody to know, that, of course, we want to play with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNITY, but Joe's schedule is crazy busy, and we all get it. Unfortunately, that's the way it is. So my priority is playing my own music with my own band and doing what I need to do to have fun on my own."

He continued: "Would I like to play some shows with Joe, Derek and Jason? Of course I would. I think everybody would like that. But what I can't do is say we're gonna do this, this, and that… I've done it before and it didn't happen, so I won't… I'm glad Joe has [said in a recent interview] he wants to do something like that, because I think we all wanna set some time out to do that, and we're hoping that we can play in North America [in 2024]."

Earlier that same month, Bonamassa told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the new BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION album: "The thing about BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, whether you like the way we sound or not, when we all get together, it has a very specific thing that it does. Everybody brings a very specific thing to the table, and it's a special band."

According to Joe, he brought the BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION members back together to make the follow-up to "BCCIV", which was released in September 2017 and marked BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's first studio effort since 2013's "Afterglow". "I was the one that kind of initiated the text, be, like, 'Hey, is there anybody interested in doing a fifth one?'" he said. "And Derek got back to me. Jason got back to me pretty quickly. And Glenn called me and said, 'I can't do anything until this DEAD DAISIES situation goes one way or the next.' And I said, 'Fair enough.' So when Glenn left THE DEAD DAISIES [in 2022], that was kind of the green light for us to get back together."

Regarding the songwriting process for BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's fifth album and how it compared to that on the band's previous efforts, Joe said: "This was the same. I went over to Glenn's house about six times and we hashed out some ideas — pretty rough, loose ideas. Nothing in stone. And so I had a playlist on my phone, voice memos, BCC 1 through 10. And that was it. So, so day one, we just [said], 'Okay, let's start with BCC 1.' And we sat in the courtyard at Sunset Sound — they have this really nice courtyard with a bunch of chairs — and we sat out there with an acoustic guitar and a couple of things and we just bashed out the arrangement. We were, like, 'Okay, that's cool.' We went in, played it three or four times and that was it. Nobody charted anything; we just kind of memorized it and did it. And we would go into the control room, listen a little bit, maybe tweak something, but once it fired up and after the second day, we really hit our stride, going, 'Okay, the band's back.' 'Cause we hadn't played together in six years."

As for the recording process for the new BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION disc, Joe said: "There's not a lot of overdubs. I rarely double the guitars, 'cause Glenn's bass sound is so big and distorted, you know what I mean? It's, like, why do I need to double the guitar? Same thing with Derek. It's almost like playing in the band FREE. All of the sound comes from the four of us. And Jason takes up a huge amount of bandwidth; he's such a big drummer."

Bonamassa went on to say that he is looking forward to performing with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION again. "I'd like to do some live shows with 'em [in 2024]," he said. "I think it would be really fun… Scheduling is the hardest thing, because of what everybody's got [coming up]… [My solo band is] booked almost two years out. But next year, I really wanna at least set aside a week, maybe two weeks, where we can go out and do selected shows, do a couple here in the U.S., go to Europe, do a couple there. 'Cause it is fun."

In a September 2022 interview with Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3, Bonamassa stated about what it is about a "band situation" that appeals to him, considering he has spent most of his career as a solo artist: "I like nothing more than to be a member of a band and playing guitar. I don't have to front it; I don't have to sing all the time. And it's a lot less pressure than being the front person. Being the person in front is a special skillset. You have to be an entertainer. You can't just sit up there and stare at your guitar and go, 'Wow. Look, I can play guitar pretty good.' That's not gonna fill the theater. You have to put on a show. And to put on a show requires being an entertainer. So being in a band, the sum of the parts is greater than the single entity. So this thing where Glenn co-fronts BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, I can just sit back and play rhythm guitar and watch him do his thing. He's a legend. And then conversely, Glenn doesn't have to sing all night; I'll sing three or four [songs]. So we kind of spread out the whole workload a little bit."

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's inception took place when Hughes and Bonamassa fused their styles on stage in Los Angeles for an explosive performance at Guitar Center's King Of The Blues event. With the help and guidance of Shirley, they further added to their rock lineage by recruiting Bonham and Sherinian.

In a 2017 interview, Hughes talked about the chemistry between the BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION members, especially since all the musicians have had successful careers prior to launching the group.

"This band was meant to be," Glenn said. "It was formed out of a friendship with Joe and I. We got the [other] guys to come in, and it's always been a strong brotherhood. And we're just very lucky and fortunate to have met. I've known Jason since he was [a kid]. I just think that these four guys in this band are the right guys to play in the band."
For the first time in 13 years @bccommunion play #USA 🇺🇸 SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2024 @thecultureroom in Fort Lauderdale, Florida 👏 Grab your tickets while you can 🎟️ https://t.co/7aMtONPOav

Who's going? Where you traveling from? 🌎 🚗 🏍 ✈#BlackCountryCommunion#BCC#GlennHughes… pic.twitter.com/Ht7r82O563

— Coast To Coast (@ctcfanzine) March 10, 2024

After blistering tours of the U.S., Japan, and Europe in support of their "Best Of" album in 2023, THE DEAD DAISIES have spent the early part of 2024 in both Nashville and Muscle Shoals busy in the studio with producer Marti Frederiksen writing and recording songs for their new studio album to be released later this year.

The band has also announced an exclusive short run of U.S. tour dates kicking off in New York City on June 6 at Racket NYC. The trek will hit some of the band's favorite cities and venues across the country.

THE DEAD DAISIES will release a new single in support of the tour and will give fans the first opportunity to hear some of their new forthcoming material as well as fan favorites.

Keeping it in the family, John Corabi (vocals),Doug Aldrich (guitar),David Lowy (guitar) and Michael Devin (bass) look forward to welcoming heavy-hitting Tommy Clufetos (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK SABBATH) back to the lineup.

Corabi states: "We're very excited about a TON of things happening as of late.

"We've been working really hard on new material with our good pal Marti Frederiksen down at FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, and at Sienna studios in Nashville. We can't wait for you all to hear what we’re doing and have done!!!

"We've also brought back our long-time buddy (and DAISIES alumni) Tommy Clufetos to kick this new music in the teeth.

"We're looking forward to seeing all of our incredibly supportive friends, fans, and family out on the road, right here in the 'Good Old U.S. of A' kicking off June 6th… Thank you, we love you!!!".

Tickets go on sale on Monday, March 1 at 10 a.m. local at thedeaddaisies.com.

Tour dates:

June 06 - New York, NY - Racket NYC
June 08 - Vineland, NJ - The Landis
June 09 - Lititz, PA - Mickey's Black Box
June 11 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop Concert Lounge
June 12 - St. Charles, IL - The Arcada Theatre
June 14 - Columbus, OH - The King Of Clubs
June 15 - Harrison, OH - Blue Note Harrison
June 16 - Nashville, TN - The Basement East
June 19 - San Diego, CA - House Of Blues
June 20 - West Hollywood, CA - Whisky Go Go
June 22 - Roseville, CA - Goldfield Trading Post

For more information, visit thedeaddaisies.com.

Twelve years ago, THE DEAD DAISIES burst on to the music scene with a mission to gather some of the finest musicians in the world and simply put, play some good old-fashioned, no-bullshit rock and roll. After more than a decade of recording and touring the planet, there have been some incredible one-offs and special highlights including sharing stages with some of the world's biggest rock bands. To mark this milestone, a collection of songs from six of the band's previous studio albums have been chosen. The "Best Of" album, which was made available in August 2023, includes some of the collective's favorite tracks and others that have become a staple part of every DAISIES touring setlist. Two previously unreleased tracks from the last recording session are also included.

Last May, it was announced that Corabi, former lead singer of MÖTLEY CRÜE, THE SCREAM and UNION, had officially rejoined THE DEAD DAISIES.

Corabi joined THE DEAD DAISIES in early 2015 and remained in the group until January 2019, during which time he recorded three studio albums with the band: "Revolución" (2015),"Make Some Noise" (2016) and "Burn It Down" (2018). In the summer of 2019, THE DEAD DAISES announced that they were being joined by legendary DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, who appeared on the band's last two studio albums, 2021's "Holy Ground" and 2022's "Radiance".

Last August, Corabi told Metal Talk about how he came to rejoin THE DEAD DAISIES: "We talked through the whole time that they had Glenn in the band. At one point, they were getting ready to tour with Glenn, and he was sick. I don't know if he had COVID or what his deal was, but he wasn't feeling well. I went up to New York for a week with the guys, and I helped them. I sang with them to help them prepare for their tour with Glenn, just to get their music together."

John went on to say that it was April or May that Lowy visited him in Nashville. "He basically told me that Glenn was going back to do his DEEP PURPLE thing and BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION," John said. "He asked me if I was rested and said, 'We'd love to have you come back and keep this train moving.' So I said, 'All right. All good.'"

Jeff Lynne's ELO is set to embark on the band's final tour dubbed "The Over and Out Tour". The 27-date trek, produced by Live Nation, will kick off in Palm Desert, California on August 24 and travel across North America to cities such as New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Seattle before concluding in Los Angeles, California on October 25.

Artist presale will begin on Wednesday, March 20 at 10 a.m. local time and the general onsale will start on Friday, March 22 at 10 a.m. local time. Exclusive VIP experiences will be available March 20 at 10 a.m. local. Please visit livenation.com and jefflynneselo.com for all details.

Known as one of the most iconic forces in music history, in recent years Jeff Lynne's ELO has delivered a critically acclaimed and chart-topping album along with a sold-out run of European shows. Jeff Lynne was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame last year and the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017. The band has always been known for their epic live shows and with a distinct style that seamlessly and innovatively blends rock, pop and classical, ELO has had more than 20 Top 40 hits across the U.S. and the U.K., making Lynne's sweeping productions some of the most recognizable music of the last forty years and helping sell over 50 million records worldwide.

Widely agreed upon as one of the greatest record producers in music history, Lynne was a co-founder and member of THE TRAVELLING WILBURYS together with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty, as well as a producer and collaborator with some of the biggest names in music including THE BEATLES, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh and Bryan Adams.

Tour dates:

Aug. 24 - Palm Desert, CA - Acrisure Arena
Aug. 27 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena
Aug. 28 - Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
Aug. 30 - Portland, OR - Moda Center
Sep. 01 - San Francisco, CA - Chase Center
Sep. 06 - St. Louis, MO - Enterprise Center
Sep. 07 - Indianapolis, IN - Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Sep. 09 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena
Sep. 10 - Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena
Sep. 13 - Cincinnati, OH - Heritage Bank Center
Sep. 14 - Cleveland, OH - Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
Sep. 16 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
Sep. 20 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
Sep. 23 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
Sep. 25 - Washington, DC - Capital One Arena
Sep. 27 - Chicago, IL - United Center
Sep. 30 - St, Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
Oct. 02 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena
Oct. 09 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena
Oct. 11 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
Oct. 12 - Atlanta, GA - State Farm Arena
Oct. 15 - Austin, TX - Moody Center
Oct. 16 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
Oct. 18 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Oct. 21 - Phoenix, AZ - Footprint Center
Oct. 23 - Sacramento, CA - Golden 1 Center
Oct. 25 - Los Angeles, CA - Kia Forum

Photo credit: Carsten Windhorst

In a new interview with Rolling Stone Australia, LAMB OF GOD bassist John Campbell was asked to name "a core festival memory that instantly springs to mind". He said: "One that instantly springs to mind is when we were in Germany at Rock Im Park, and I was side [of] stage watching SLAYER play to the German crowd. I'm still tight with all the crew guys, they're good friends of mine. Suddenly some dude got up on stage and the SLAYER crew guys are not the dudes to fuck around with. They just basically yoked the guy up. They didn't beat him up, but one guy had him in an arm bar and was leading him off stage. Another guy just had the other arm locked up while a third guy was running behind him, kicking him in the ass as they escorted him off the back of the stage. And what happened from there? I have no idea."

Last month, Campbell told the "RRBG" podcast about LAMB OF GOD's plans for the follow-up to 2022's "Omens" album: "We're gonna put out some records on the same rough schedule that we always do. We put out a record, tour the shit out of it, take a little time back, start working on another one, record it, tour the shit out of it. So, yeah, there's definitely — we are still alive and kicking, and there will be more records. In the next five years, there will definitely be a new LAMB OF GOD record. I don't think I'm giving away any secrets with that."

Referencing the fact that "Omens" was tracked with longtime collaborator Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH) live in the room together at Henson Recording Studios (formerly A&M Studios) in Los Angeles, California, a location that birthed classics from THE DOORS, PINK FLOYD, RAMONES and SOUNDGARDEN, among others, John said: "I would love to [do it the same way again]. I'd love to go back to Henson Studios and do it too, 'cause that place was badass. But we'll see."

On the topic of sharing a room with the rest of his band during the recording process, John said: "Well, we do that in the writing and the pre-production already. And then we would go to the studio and go to our own corners and create. We'd take the demos, the tracks that we had recorded and then we would just make them right and make them perfect. But this time, instead of doing it that way, we went in to get — it's mostly the drum tracks that are live, to get the vibe of the drummer playing with us rather than him sitting there… Onstage, we don't use clicks. We did years ago, but there's no… 'Cause the music can breathe without clicks. You can feel the moment, and you're connected. And it's about that connection on stage, and then bringing that out, and emoting that direction and then getting it back. I thought it was a really good move, and I hope we do more stuff like that. But who's to say?"

"Omens" was the follow-up to LAMB OF GOD's self-titled album, which arrived in June 2020. That effort marked LAMB OF GOD's first recordings with drummer Art Cruz, who joined the band in July 2019 as the replacement for the group's founding drummer, Chris Adler.

LAMB OF GOD and MASTODON will embark on the co-headlining "Ashes Of Leviathan" tour this summer. The trek will find the two bands join forces to celebrate the 20th anniversary of two seminal releases: LAMB OF GOD's biggest-selling album "Ashes Of The Wake" and MASTODON's acclaimed sophomore album "Leviathan", which were both released on August 31, 2004. Both bands will perform their respective albums in full. Special guests KERRY KING and MALEVOLENCE will support throughout the tour, with UNEARTH on select dates. Kicking off on July 19 in Grand Prairie, Texas at the Texas Trust CU Theatre, the North American arena and amphitheater run will take them through the U.S. and Canada, culminating on the exact 20th anniversary of each album on August 31 in Omaha, Nebraska at the Astro Amphitheater. The tour will notably make stops at iconic venues such as Denver, Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Los Angeles, California's Kia Forum. In addition, both bands will be supporting a charity of their choice throughout the tour, and fans will have the opportunity to opt-in to donate at check out when buying their tickets.