Swedish avant-garde metallers Diablo Swing Orchestra recorded their forthcoming album, Swagger & Stroll Down The Rabbit Hole, through 2020 but fell silent in January due to "some Covid 19 related setbacks" and therefore weren't able to meet up and complete the record. They have checked in with the following update:

"We’re finally back in the studio to finish up the mixes together with Roberto Laghi. We just have to get it mastered and then we can release this behemoth upon an unsuspecting world..."

Dedicated metalheads that we are here at BraveWords, we have gone to the painstaking trouble of puzzling out the tracklist as posted by the band, found below. You're welcome.

"Sightseeing In The Apocalypse"
"War Painted Valentine"
"Celebremos Lo Inevitable"
"Speed Dating An Arsonist"
"Jig Of The Century"
"The Sound Of An Unconditional Surrender"
"Malign Monologues"
"Out Came The Hummingbirds"
"Snake Oil Baptism"
"Les Invulnéables"
"Saluting The Reckoning"
"The Prima Donna Gauntlet"
"Overture To A Ceasefire"

D:S:O recently issued the following update:

"We’ve been living with these songs for a couple of years now and we honestly can’t wait to share this with you all. We really feel that we’ve achieved what we set out to do.

It’s by far our most ambitious undertaking ever and we know this album will make a mark. Writing-wise, we really threw the rules out of the window and just concentrated on the songs. All genres were welcome and we went out of our way to really explore and understand what we appreciate about a certain style or genre and how we can apply it to our way of writing songs.

We don’t have a set release date but we’ll let you know asap. The plan is q1 2021."




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Alcatrazz guitarist/American shred guitar legend, Joe Stump, has checked in with the following update:

"A motherfuc#in live show - yes! Much damage will be done. If you love Purple and Blackmore then be there. It's been awhile so I'm pulling out all the stops - no fuc#in around..."

The show will take place on Saturday, April 10th at Renegades in Warwick, RI. Watch the official Renegades Facebook page here for updates.

On April  24, Stump, will release a new digital single. The track, entitled "Forever Moore" is a gut wrenching, emotionally charged instrumental  guitar ballad fueled by the influence of Irish guitar giant, the late great Gary Moore. The track will also be featured on Joe’s upcoming instrumental record, entitled Diabolical Ferocity, which is slated for release this year in late August/early September.  

On releasing the single, Joe says: “Gary’s birthday is April 4th so I wanted to get this out during the month as a tribute to one of my all time heroes. While it’s extremely well documented who my favorite guitarists and main influences are - and of course the new record is filled with everything you’d expect from one of my releases: ridiculously technical playing, neo-classical shredding, killer riff action and strong melodies. For me, Gary Moore is still the one guitarist that really reaches me on an emotional level  like no one else. I frequently listen to all eras of Gary‘s work to this day and I often say to myself, 'why the fuck aren’t I listening to him even more'. Everytime, without fail, it’s an inspirational learning experience. On this tune I tried my best to keep it honest, channel his great impact on me and play from my heart. I sincerely hope you enjoy it  as it’s meant with nothing but the utmost admiration and respect  for someone that left us way too soon."




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Buzzing Columbus, OH rock band South Of Eden will host a stream of their sold out October concert, Live From Flannagan’s, on April 15 at 7pm CT / 8pm ET. Fans may pre-order and tune in here via Noon Chorus.

In the middle of the Global Pandemic, the fast-rising quartet produced two sold out shows at Flannagan’s in their hometown of Columbus. They adhered to all state and federal health and safety guidelines and delivered unbridled and unforgettable performances of fan favorites “The Talk”, “Solo”, “Morning Brew”, and “Dancing With Fire”, The guys gave their audience rock ‘n’ roll when they needed it most in the midst of COVID-19. This electrifying and engaging display serves as a testament to the power of South Of Eden on stage and captures an important moment.

About Live From Flannagan’s, the group had the following to say, “Looking back on putting together two safely-produced, sold out shows amidst a pandemic and otherwise terrible year has us feeling proud about this streaming event and the time spent putting it together, and more importantly, incredible optimism about the future for our band.”

Speaking of the future, South Of Eden are gearing up for a run of dates this spring, kicking off on April 24 at Southgate House Revival in Newport, KY. Check out the full itinerary below.

South Of Eden 2021 Tour Dates:

April 
24 - Newport, KY - Southgate House
25 - Bloomington, IN - Bluebird
30 - Panama City, FL - Barracuda Beach

May 
1 - Panama City, FL - Barracuda Beach

South Of Eden — Ehab Omran [lead vocals, acoustic guitar], Justin Young [lead guitar, vocals], Tom McCullough [drums], and Nick Fratianne [bass] — channel timeless rock ‘n’ roll energy through a modern perspective. Making waves as they shared bills with Puddle Of Mudd and Red Sun Rising, graced the stage of rock mecca Sonic Temple and Epicenter in 2019, and recently performing with everyone from Foo Fighters to System Of A Down. Lava founder Jason Flom caught wind of the band and signed them the same year. Now, the group reinvigorate rock on their forthcoming 2021 debut for Lava / Republic Records.




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"We cannot wait to get back at it," exclaims Black Stone Cherry. "First show of the year is a FREE show in Greenville, SC at Harley-Davidson of Greenville. Let’s do it!"

On Saturday, April 17th, Black Stone Cherry, with special guests Small Town Titans, will perform a free show - no tickets required - at Harley-Davidson of Greenville, located at 30 Chrome Drive in Greenville, South Carolina. The concert stats at 7 pm local time, food and beverages - including ice cold beer - will be available to purchase. For further details, visit this location.

Black Stone Cherry have released a new digital single, "Again" (Live), taken from their Live From The Sky streaming event recorded last October. The show coincided with the release of their new studio album, The Human Condition, out now via Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group. You can pick up the track here.

Guitarist Ben Wells tells us, "Again was the first song we played together live after not playing together for 8 months. You can definitely feel the energy and passion in this performance. An energy and passion that we cannot wait to bring back to the stage in front of audiences this Fall.”

Watch the video below:

The event was staged at SkyPac in Bowling Green, KY and sponsored by Black Bear Energy. The Kentucky rockers performed a string of tracks from The Human Condition for the very first time live, along with hits, deep cuts and various fan favourites.

The band's new album is available in digital, deluxe CD and vinyl formats, with an array of music & merch bundle options, including limited coloured vinyl versions (red is exclusive to UK indie stores, purple at Amazon UK and silver directly from the band’s online store). Order here.

Tracklisting:

“Ringin’ In My Head”
“Again”
“Push Down & Turn”
“When Angels Learn To Fly”
“Live This Way”
“In Love With The Pain”
“The Chain”
“Ride”
“If My Heart Had Wings”
“Don’t Bring Me Down”
“Some Stories”
“The Devil In Your Eyes”
“Keep On Keepin’ On”

"Ringin' In My Head" lyric video:

"In Love With The Pain" video:

"Again" video:

(Photo - Mike Rodway)

  




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Below is a video extract from the fantastic Nick Mason episode of A Life On The Road. Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason arrived by helicopter and took AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson for a spin in his £40M Ferrari 250 GTO - the car that helped finance Pink Floyd's 1987 Momentary Lapse Of Reason tour.

Mason also treated Johnson to an exclusive look at his amazing car collection, as part of A Life On The Road, Season One.

 




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In 1989, Metallica released their first ever promotional music video for "One", the third single from their 1988 album, ...And Justice For All. In that video, which can be seen below, Kirk Hammett plays an ESP 400 Series Natural Solid Body Electric Guitar.

Now, in 2021, that very instrument is up for auction via Heritage Auctions - The World's Largest Collectibles Auctioneer. The all-original ESP Strat-style guitar has a 1 & 11/16th width nut on a rosewood slab neck. It's signed on the body in silver ink by Kirk Hammett and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, also signed by Kirk Hammett. It weighs 7.90 lbs., is in excellent condition, and the original hard case is included.

To view the auction, which ends April 11th, and/or bid on Kirk Hammett's guitar, click here. The current bid is $26.000.

 




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Las Vegas metalcore veterans, Distinguisher, have released a music video for their emotionally charged new single, “We All Suffer”. A direct follow up to their well received track "Nothing Is Real" - released in March - the song sees the group showcasing their full dynamic range and melodic abilities.

The group elaborated on the thought process behind "We All Suffer" saying, "'We All Suffer' directly follows up a track we released 3 weeks ago titled 'Nothing Is Real'. The idea of making two songs with accompanying music videos that tie in together was something we've talked about doing for a very long time. The goal of this release I think stemmed from wanting to showcase the contrast of the band. We want people to know that we will continue to push the extremes of our sound, whether it's heavy, more melodic, or even more nu-metal influenced. Both titles were meant to be blunt and painfully inevitable. While 'Nothing Is Real' touches on the perception of life and the anxieties that come with it, 'We All Suffer' simply states the inevitable in that we will all one day be gone, and that's something I've continued to struggle with the older I get. 'We All Suffer' lyrically is filled mainly with questions that I personally feel never get answered in life, and the song's overwhelming sense of emotion was very much centered around the chorus. I'll never forget the night Josh and I locked in what would be the main vocal melody, the rest of the song came together so naturally from there. We're all incredibly proud of the music we continue to make, but we all individually stand by this being our favorite Distinguisher song to date, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do."

“We All Suffer” is part of Distinguisher's 2-track release "Nothing Is Real" / "We All Suffer" which sees the group deftly alternating between raw, punishing aggression, soaring choruses, and mosh pit inducing groove while never straying from their highly emotional and fearlessly honest lyrical content. The effort leaves listeners in no doubt that Distinguisher are at the very forefront of metalcore's new crop of bands that are pushing the genre further than ever before.  




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Two Minutes To Late Night has released the two new videos below, one in which Every Time I Die covers "Youth Overrided" by Cave In from their major-label debut, Antenna, the other in which Cave In covers "Moor" by Every Time I Die from their Kurt Ballou-produced album, From Parts Unknown.

These videos were made for Two Minutes To Late Night's new reoccurring livestream series, Splitsville, where two bands cover each other's songs.




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The pandemic continues to take its toll on concerts, tours and festivals. This morning (April 5) ProgPower USA organizer Glenn Harveston issued the following:

"It is with sadness and resignation, I must announce the postponement of ProgPower USA again this year. The unknown circumstances surrounding the current pandemic has simply made it impossible to move forward with safety & logistical planning. Despite progress  and optimism for the fall in the U.S., consideration has to be taken into account for both international bands and attendees who are experiencing different circumstances and restrictions.  

"ProgPower USA XXI will now take place June 1-4, 2022. Please note your current tickets will automatically carry forward to 2022. The same Ticketmaster protocol will be followed as last year in regards to any refund requests over the next 30 days as of April 6th. The following bands are **CONFIRMED** to return for Days 3 & 4 next year: Conception, Turilli/Lione Rhapsody, Jeff Scott Soto, Green Carnation, Witherfall, Thank You Scientist, and Aether Realm.  Replacements for two bands will be announced very soon. The remaining three bands are unconfirmed at present. Those bands and I are working hard to resolve the situation.

"The promoters for Day 1 (Nathan Block) and Day 2 (Milton Mendonca) will be issuing their own statements in regards to their rosters separately.

"Please join me on Facebook live tonight at 8 PM, EST for a detailed explanation of past events and our current issues still to be finalized. I will also take questions. Thanks for your understanding, patience, and much needed support during these unprecedented times."




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Boston-raised and Los Angeles-based Mexican-Italian-American siren, Diamante, has announced a May 7 release date for her upcoming independent album, American Dream. Pre-save it here, and watch a video for the female empowerment-themed first single, "Ghost Myself", below.

Diamante spent her teenage years cutting her teeth at local gigs on the Sunset Strip to become the powerhouse performer she is today. A disciple of both P!nk and Guns N' Roses who doesn't fall into rockstar excess tropes or even sport tattoos, she devoted every waking minute to honing a signature "hard rock sound with a modern alternative edge."

Her unique and undeniable approach caught the attention of Better Noise Music, which signed her in 2015. She hit the studio with super producer Howard Benson [My Chemical Romance, Halestorm, Kelly Clarkson] to record what would become her full-length debut, Coming In Hot. With the release of her first album, Diamante undeniably stormed the scene in 2018 with a #1 song at rock radio (her collaboration "Hear Me Now" with Bad Wolves), along with a Top 15 song with her own single "Haunted."

Now three years later, and after extensive touring with bands like Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Chevelle, and Shinedown, Diamante is back in full force and shining brighter than ever before.

In 2019, Diamante parted ways with Better Noise and re-teamed with Howard Benson and Neil Sanderson of Judge & Jury as an independent artist to make her sophomore album American Dream. Diamante capitalized on her newfound and ultimate creative freedom and independence by being her own CEO throughout every facet of the album process. On working with Benson and Sanderson, Diamante praises that they were instrumental in "bringing my stories to life and pushing me to embrace my vulnerabilities."

American Dream shows exponential growth from Coming In Hot - both sonically and with its raw authenticity, proving now more than ever that Diamante's fearlessness to bare her soul in her music is what truly sets her apart.

"With American Dream, I was given the ultimate artistic freedom to express my most personal moments, stories, confessions, flaws, fears, hopes, mistakes, desires, vices, heartaches, and redemption in a way I have never been able to in the past," Diamante shares. "Every word on this album is my personal diary screaming in your face. This album has no limitations, restrictions, or filter, really. That's why the music video for 'Ghost Myself' had to be equally raw and purposely gritty; it's a song about being at war with myself. I knew there would be no better way to show this internal battle than through an underground fight club scene between me, myself, and I."

Tracklisting:

"American Dream"
"Ghost Myself"
"Serves You Right"
"Obvious"
"Unlovable "
"Wake Up Call"
"Unfuck You"
"I Love Myself for Hating You"
"Iris"
"Hopeless"
"Obvious" (Acoustic)

"Ghost Myself" video:




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To celebrate 50 years of ground-breaking progressive rock, Focus are delighted to announce their Focus 50 3CD/Blu-Ray package to be released on April 30 through In Focus Records distributed by Cherry Red Records.

The Coronavirus pandemic forced Focus to postpone their anniversary celebrations from 2020 and Focus 50 will herald a year of celebration which will culminate in the release of a brand new studio album in early 2022.   

At the heart of the Focus 50 package are 2CDs and Blu-Ray of Focus Live In Rio, a concert recorded in Nitteroi, Rio de Janeiro, in 2017. The concert features music from across the history of the band from “Focus 1” and “House Of The King,” on their very first album, through the classics “Hocus Pocus,” “Sylvia” and “Focus III” to “Song For Eva” first released in 2017.

Focus 50 also includes a bonus CD, Completely Focused, with the classic Focus tracks numbered 1 through 12 re-recorded by the current Focus lineup of Thijs van Leer (keyboard, flute and vocals), Pierre van der Linden (drums), Menno Gootjes (guitar) and Udo Pannekeet (bass). The Focus tracks have been recorded during the lockdown period and mixed by Udo Pannekeet.

The discs are accompanied by a booklet with notes by the band, their long serving engineer Geert Scheijgrond and South American tour promoter Marcel Castro with whom Focus have had a long relationship and who brought together the recording of the show in Rio. The booklet also features photos from the Rio concert showing the energetic and fun side of life on the road with Focus together with personal photos from touring and in the studio - a more intimate view of the band away from the limelight. This captures the essence of the Focus family which includes Geert, Marcel and legendary artist Roger Dean, and is incredibly important to the band. The current line-up has been together since 2016 and has a magical chemistry which manifests into electrifying performances.

Focus 50 is released on April 30 as a 3CD/Blu-Ray with book package through In Focus Records, distributed by Cherry Red Records. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

Disc One: Live In Rio CD
"Focus 1"
"House Of The King"
"Eruption"
"Sylvia"
"Song For Eva"
"All Hens On Deck"

Disc Two: Live In Rio CD
"Le Tango"
"P’s March"
"Focus 5"
"Harem Scarem"
"Hocus Pocus"
"Focus 3"

Disc Three: Live In Rio Blu-Ray
"Focus 1"
"House Of The King"
"Eruption"
"Sylvia"
"Song For Eva"
"All Hens On Deck"
"Le Tango"
"P’s March"
"Focus 5"
"Harem Scarem"
"Hocus Pocus"
"Focus 3"

Disc Four: Completely Focussed CD
"Focus 1"
"Focus 2"
"Focus 3"
"Focus 4"
"Focus 5"
"Focus 6"
"Focus 7"
"Focus 8"
"Focus 9"
"Focus 10"
"Focus 11"
"Focus 12"

Focus emerged in 1970 with a debut album Focus Plays Focus which became better known as In And Out Of Focus. Their breakthrough came with the worldwide success of singles “Hocus Pocus” and “Sylvia” the early seventies with a line-up which included founder member Thijs van Leer (keyboard, flute and vocals), Pierre van der Linden (drums) and Jan Akkerman (guitar). The albums Focus II/Moving Waves and Focus 3 put the band at the very forefront of the progressive music scene.

Beloved by the student population, Focus’ music fused van Leer’s love of jazz and classical music and he employed a unique vocal style of yodeling and scat, using the voice as another form of instrumentation rather than singing in a conventional style. Focus played to sold out theatres around the world and, at that time, were quite possibly ‘the coolest band on the planet.’

Through many lineup changes across the years van Leer consistently sourced great musicians to join the Focus ranks. Focus went their separate ways in 1978, occasionally reuniting to perform on stage or record together on solo projects. Van Leer officially reformed Focus with a new lineup in 2001 and released the acclaimed Focus 8 album the following year. Pierre van der Linden returned in 2004 while current guitarist Menno Gootjes joined the Focus family in 2010. Udo Pannekeet completed the current Focus lineup in 2016 contributing to the Focus Family Album (2017) collection, which includes re-recordings and previously unreleased material, before the band returned to the studio to record Focus 11 (2018).

Focus are now looking forward to returning to live performance, once the Coronavirus pandemic has been controlled, and sharing their music with their fans - the extended Focus family.

(Photo - Rens Plaschek)




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US-based hard rock act, Edge Of Paradise, used the time of the COVID-19 pandemic to create their fourth studio album - which is, as the band describes, their most dynamic, cinematic, and thought-provoking album to date.

Singer Margarita states: “Being in a band, we learned how to make something positive out of any situation. It was extremely hard to learn that the tours, we were so looking forward to, were cancelled. So we dove into making new music, to keep ourselves sane through the shut down. And in a weird way, 2020 turned out to be, one of the most creatively fulfilling years for us.”

Regarding the new album, Margarita says, “We like to push the boundaries of reality with our music. I pour my soul into every word, and aim to create an otherworldly, larger-than-life setting for the songs to exist in, with the goal to take the listener on a journey through endless possibilities. In this album, we explore what our future might look like, as we merge with technology, as we make new discoveries and blur the lines of science fiction. Could our souls exist in a digital space? Could we coexist with the rise of artificial intelligence? What would the world look like, if we see past the boundaries of our body and mind… would it make us feel more connected or alone? And most of all, this music sends an empowering message: to find strength in the unknown.”

The band started recording at the end of 2019 with producer Mike Plotnikoff, who brought in Neil Sanderson of Three Days Grace to co-produce.
“It was cool to have Neil’s perspective; he really brought out the focus of the lyrics and melodies. It takes Dave and I a long time to build the songs; we nurture each part until we bring them all together to create a song.”

Shortly after, the partnership evolved to the band signing with Grammy Award-winning producer, Howard Benson of Judge & Jury Records. “It was amazing to start working with Howard; he really elevated the songs to the highest level and brought out the best in us. We are also back with Jacob Hansen, who mixed and mastered our previous album, “Universe.” Mixing is such a crucial piece of the puzzle, and we trust Jacob, as he does an incredible job with the final step: bringing these songs to life!

With a strong team supporting the band, Judge & Jury Records and Frontiers Records, Edge Of Paradise is excited to expand their dimension and bring it to all corners of the world!

The band puts great emphasis on epic visuals to support their music and has already filmed two music videos to support the release of the first two singles from the album. On working with Scott Hansen of Digital Thunderdome Studios, Margarita states, “We love working with Scott and his crew; he really gets our vision and turns our music into visual art!”




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PHILIP H. ANSELMO AND THE ILLEGALS will return to the stage this week for a very special livestream event. Dubbed "A Vulgar Display Of Pantera", the multi-camera shot, fully live performance will take place on Friday, April 9 and find the band celebrating the legacy of PANTERA with a set featuring select cuts from the band's five classic albums: "Cowboys From Hell", "Vulgar Display Of Power", "Far Beyond Driven", "The Great Southern Trendkill" and "Reinventing The Steel". The livestream will also include an opening set by Australian grindcore unit/Housecore recording artists KING PARROT.

The festivities will commence at 7:00 p.m. EDT / 4:00 p.m. PDT on Friday, April 9 with PHILIP H. ANSELMO AND THE ILLEGALS taking the stage at 8:00 p.m. EDT / 5:00 p.m. PDT sharp. Video on demand will be available through Monday, April 12 at 11:59 p.m. EDT / 8:59 p.m. PDT.

Find tickets and exclusive merch bundles at illegalslive.com.

Speaking about his decision to play a PANTERA-centric set with PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, Anselmo told Revolver magazine (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Things came together, and they had to, because of the circumstances. I was not even gonna do anything like this to the level I'm doing it right now — I mean, I always play a couple of [PANTERA] songs here and there, and that's fine.

"When we started doing this, it was right after Vince [PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott] passed [in June 2018]," he continued. "And there was a few comments and letters that came to my attention. And I spoke to people that I love and trust. And it was a tough decision. Vince had passed, and — shoot — we had two weeks before we left for a tour. We were playing some pretty extreme shit. I was nowhere near PANTERA-level style of vocal. That's a tough style of vocal, man. Whew — it's young-man stuff, let me tell you.

"Anyway, we had to throw that shit together quick — T.T. quick, as they say. And I've gotta give my guys huge props, man, for just knowing that we were not gonna ever be perfect — we're never going to be another PANTERA — but we can give a spirited go at it and do the best that we can and really encourage the audience to celebrate it with us," Anselmo added. "They know the fucking words to those songs. Sing the songs with us. It helps. And it only seems right. So, to me, it's just a big celebration."

Two years ago, Anselmo told Revolver that Vinnie Paul's "horrific" and "unexpected" death "was something that stopped me dead in my tracks. I was in my kitchen and I just dropped to the floor and just had to breathe for a little while," he said. "That's when the big plea for us to do more PANTERA songs became irresistible. The tribute had to be then. It had to be right. And I never thought it would be THE ILLEGALS. Clearly the mission for us was to be a sweaty hole-in-the wall death-metal band. I've got to say huge props to them for learning the PANTERA material. They didn't even flinch, man, and just went for it."

Up until his death, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for the murder of PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who was his brother.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie Paul died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

Vinnie was buried on June 30, 2018 next to his brother and their mother, Carolyn, at Moore Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Texas.

PHILIP H. ANSELMO AND THE ILLEGALS' "A Vulgar Display Of Pantera Live" is presented in association with Danny Wimmer Presents.

PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS features Philip H. Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN, SUPERJOINT, SCOUR, EN MINOR) with guitarists Stephen Taylor (SUPERJOINT) and Mike DeLeon (FLESH HOARDER, BEING KILLED, ex-MOD), drummer José Manuel "Blue" Gonzalez (SUPERJOINT, WARBEAST), and bassist Derek Engemann (SCOUR, ex-CATTLE DECAPITATION). The band's most recent full-length, the critically acclaimed "Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue", was released in 2018 via Anselmo's own Housecore Records.

"This is another live video from the archives to keep you busy during these strange days," states a message from Nightwish. Watch the band perform the Imaginaerum album track, "Last Ride Of The Day", live at Masters of Rock 2015.

The interactive An Evening With Nightwish In A Virtual World concert experiences that will kick off the Human. :II: Nature. World Tour were rescheduled from March to May due to changes in the band’s touring schedule. The new dates are Friday, May 28 and Saturday, May 29. Tickets purchased for the original dates are automatically valid for the new dates.

Nightwish will perform in a tavern called The Islanders Arms built in a virtual world for two nights in May. On both nights, the fans will experience an unforgettable 1.5-hour performance, hearing songs live off the latest album, Human. :II: Nature. for the first time ever. These two nights will have their own, slightly different setlists.

- Friday, May 28: Europe: 8 PM, CET / 7 PM, GMT, duration approx. 90min
- Saturday, May 29: North and South America: 8 PM, ET (UTC-5) / 5 PM, PT (UTC -8) / 10 PM, BRT (UTC-3) / 7 PM, CST (UTC -6), duration approx. 90min

The live events to be experienced at Burst.fi. A recording of the concert will be available for 48 hours after the event for all the ticket holders. More details and tickets at Nightwish.com.




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Epicus Records has signed a worldwide license deal with Pure Steel Records for a limited edition version of the latest Gaia Epicus album, Seventh
Rising. The CD will be released this spring in only 200 copies, and it will contain one bonus track.

This album was officially released in December 2020 and is the bands seventh studio album.

Seventh Rising Limited Edition tracklisting:

"Like A Phoenix"
"Rising"
"Nothing To Lose"
"From Ashes To Fire"
"The Dream"
"Invisible Enemy"
"Dr. Madman"
"Number One"
"Gods Of Metal"
"We Are The Ones"
"Eye Of RA"
"Jailbreak" (Thin Lizzy cover) - Bonus track

Album lineup:

Thomas Chr. Hansen - guitars, bass and vocals
Lukky Sparxx - lead guitars
Mike Terrana - drums

Special guest:

Tim "Ripper" Owens – vocals on “Gods Of Metal”




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The world’s favourite Pirate Metal Drinking Crew, Alestorm, are taking you on a wild, wet ride across the seven seas with their new live album/DVD/BluRay, Live In Tilburg, out May 28 via Napalm Records.

Tilburg’s hyped up crowd loses its mind when Alestorm kicks off the live version of the unofficial pirate’s anthem “Keelhauled”. The crazy live version of one of their most successful singles to date - with about 25 million streams on both Spotify and YouTube – marks a highlight at each Alestorm show, while every crowd on the planet shouts the lyrics out loud.

Lead singer & keytarist Christopher Bowes about “Keelhauled" (Live In Tilburg): “Oh wow! We're all really excited for the physical release of our live DVD "Live in Tilburg". In case you haven't watched it on YouTube yet, here's a clip featuring the first song so you don't have to sit through the entire miserable 90 minutes!”

Excellently produced and mixed by the renowned Lasse Lammert, who has already been involved in Alestorm’s studio albums Curse Of The Crystal Coconut, No Grave But The Sea, Sunset On The Golden Age and many more, Live In Tilburg features an amazing mix of Alestorm’s most beloved hits like “Drink“, “Mexico”, “Alestorm”, “Hangover”, “The Sunk’n Norwegian” and of course, “Fucked With An Anchor”.

The live album will be available in various colored vinyl formats, and the special edition of Live In Tilburg comes in a wooden box, along with a CD+DVD, a mediabook and a 7-inch vinyl featuring two new acoustic Alestorm cover songs. Live In Tilburg’s immersive experience is the true definition of what Alestorm is all about - an endless fountain of foot-stomping, riff-busting, piratical singalong fun. A must-have for all the filthy landlubbers out there.

Live In Tilburg will be available in the following formats:

- Deluxe Wooden Box: Mediabook, 7" Single (2 Acoustic Cover Songs), Lanyard + Pass, Alestorm Flag
- 2-LP Gatefold (Mint) + DVD
- 2-LP Gatefold (Yellow) + DVD, Slipmat & Patch
- 2-LP Gatefold Vinyl (Black) + DVD
- BluRay/DVD/CD Mediabook
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

Intro
"Keelhauled"
"Alestorm"
"Magnetic North"
"Mexico"
"Over The Seas"
"The Sunk'n Norwegian"
"No Grave But The Sea"
"Nancy The Tavern Wench"
"Rumpelkombo"
"1741 (The Battle Of Cartagena)"
"Drunken Sailor"
"Hangover"
"Pegleg Potion"
"Bar ünd Imbiss"
"Captain Morgan's Revenge"
"Shipwrecked"
"Drink"
"Wolves Of The Sea"
"Fucked With An Anchor"

Lineup:

Christopher Bowes - vocals, keytar
Gareth Murdock - bass
Mate Bodor - guitar
Peter Alcorn - drums
Elliot Vernon - keyboard

(Photo - Robert Zembrzycki)




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Devil Sold His Soul will release their new album, Loss, this Friday, April 9, their first release under the wings of Nuclear Blast Records. Watch a new album trailer below:

Singer Paul Green on the new album: "We're incredibly excited to announce the release of our 4th album, Loss, through Nuclear Blast Records. Loss comes from a dark place for us, life was cruel in the years before and during we wrote this record, this was our fuel for the songs. Loss is an honest snapshot of that time in our lives, and it is our way of paying respect to those we loved and who are no longer with us. We couldn't be more proud of these 10 songs and where they have pushed our songwriting, and we hope they truly connect with the listener. I don't think any of us imagined when we were writing this album, that we would end up signing to the biggest metal label in the world. It's given us that added validation that we've created something special, and we now have the platform to push it to where it needs to be.The belief that the team at Nuclear Blast has shown in the record is truly humbling, we're extremely proud to be a part of this great label, and to be on a roster alongside so many bands we love and respect."

The album will be available in various formats. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Ardour"
"Witness Marks"
"Burdened"
"Tateishi"
"The Narcissist"
"Beyond Reach"
"Signal Fire"
"Acrinomy"
"But Not Forgotten"
"Loss"

"Burdened" video:

"The Narcissist" video:

"Beyond Reach" video:

Devil Sold His Soul begin a new chapter in their highly-acclaimed career, signing to metal heavyweights Nuclear Blast Records. 2021 will see the band release their fourth studio album Loss, their first with the dual vocal attack of Ed Gibbs and Paul Green.

Devil Sold His Soul burst onto the UK underground metal and hardcore scene in 2004 growing a cult following from their first record, Darkness Prevails EP released through Visible Noise in 2005. Their debut album, A Fragile Hope, saw the band take their position as one of the most respected underground bands in the UK with their visceral and captivating live shows. Devil Sold His Soul’s sophomore album, Blessed And Cursed, elevated their sound and audience to new heights.

With Ed Gibbs departing the band early in the year, 2013 saw the first new material featuring singer Paul Green with single "Time", followed by 2014’s Belong Betray EP and 2016’s The Reckoning. After welcoming Gibbs back to sing on the 2017 A Fragile Hope anniversary tour, the band asked Gibbs to continue the dual vocals with Green for the remaining festivals and tours that year, with the lineup then becoming a permanent fixture.

2018 saw the band travel beyond Europe with their first touring in Asia, they also began to put the foundations down on what would become their new record Loss. Written about the struggles faced in recent years, Loss’treads familiar ground and explores exciting new territories for Devil Sold His Soul, including for the first time the dual vocals of Gibbs and Green on record. Recorded, engineered and mixed by guitarist Jonny Renshaw at his UK based Bandit Studios, Devil Sold His Soul have poured heart and sincerity into every atom of this their fourth album, with song writing elevated to new levels.

Devil Sold His Soul is:

Rick Chapple – Guitar, Piano
Jonny Renshaw - Guitar
Alex Wood - Drums
Jozef Norocky - Bass
Paul Green – Vocals
Ed Gibbs - Vocals




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The Mercy House, a fan favourite underground combo from the UK scene, has stepped out of its long-term hiatus to honour one of their fallen heroes on the 19th anniversary of his passing. The band has released a cover of the Alice In Chains classic "Dam That River" as a tribute to their late singer, Layne Staley.

The track was recorded across various locations during lockdown, then mixed by Jem at Renshaw Productions in Salford, Manchester and mastered by Graeme Lynch at Two Zero Nine Mastering in Liverpool.

The Mercy House erupted onto the London scene in 2009, releasing their critically acclaimed debut album, A Broken State Of Bliss, in 2012. Produced by the band itself under the moniker of The Picasso Brothers, the self-released effort was mixed by Donald Clark (Muse, Guns N’ Roses, Korn) and mastered by Grammy-nominated engineer Mandy Parnell (Bjork, Depeche Mode, The Prodigy). It received rave reviews across specialist rock press, with the band touring the UK and Europe over the next two years and working its way up to the stages of Download Festival and Bloodstock Open Air, quickly earning a reputation for their fierce live shows. The lead single off the album, "Greed", was also made available as downloadable content for the video game Rock Band.

The band last played live at the now defunct Purple Turtle club in Camden, North London, in June 2015 before going on an indefinite hiatus later that year, while working on what would have become their sophomore album.

Speaking of their AIC tribute track, the band says: "Alice In Chains were a major influence on us as a new band, and we couldn’t think of a more fitting tribute to one of our heroes than to release this cover on the anniversary of his passing. Layne Staley was one of rock music’s most unique and iconic frontmen and we truly hope we’ve done the song justice. It is certainly something that we’re enormously proud of, and reminded us just how much we’ve missed making music as The Mercy House. It is also our small gift to the fans that followed us during our first outing and the new ones that have discovered us since. The fact that people continue to come across our music and reaching out via social media was definitely an encouragement for us to put this out there. And while we’ve all been busy with our own projects over the last six years, who knows… never say never!"

The Mercy House are: 

Drew Davies - vocals
Dany Serrano - guitars & backing vocals
Dan Edwards - lead guitars
Nick Schlesinger - drums. 

The band is joined on bass by guest Hugh Richardson for this recording. 




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CANNIBAL CORPSE bassist Alex Webster, whose band has been around for more than three decades, spoke to The Metal Meltdown about the state of the modern death metal scene. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm not super familiar with some of the very newest bands, but it's cool because the current death metal scene… I would say 'modern death metal' if you're talking about bands that got together over the past 10 years. Again, I'm not so familiar with a whole lot of the newest bands. But in the current death metal scene, there's still currently a whole bunch of us veterans out there touring — SUFFOCATION, OBITUARY, us, MORBID ANGEL, et cetera. I mean, it's great because death metal never completely went away. It's had a few peaks and valleys in terms of its popularity, but it never completely went away, and a lot of the bands have been active throughout. So anybody who's making a new death metal band now, I think they're in a good position in that there's a scene that's been ongoing for several decades now that they can immediately jump into. And there's a chance — like, if you make a new death metal band now, then you might have a chance to go out and open for us or open for OBITUARY or whoever on a tour. So that's a good thing, I think. It's still doing well."

He continued: "It makes me happy to see… I know that some of these new bands sound kind of almost retro in a way… I think it's awesome. I think it's great that people are doing the old-school stuff. And also what I like even a little bit more are relatively newer bands — meaning maybe they weren't coming out in the first wave but they came out in the mid-'90s or so, and have kept it going. And there's a couple in particular that I would recommended to people that they check out, if they haven't already. And [one of them] would be AEON from Sweden — amazing band. And I feel like they have their feet grounded in the original kind of early '90s, late '80s death metal, especially the Florida kind of stuff, or us being from Buffalo, they're coming from that kind of background, but they take it a little further. So they're old school, but they're also moving death metal forward a little bit too. I think that's great. Ditto for BLOOD RED THRONE from Norway."

CANNIBAL CORPSE's new album, "Violence Unimagined", will be released on April 16 via Metal Blade Records. Erik Rutan, one of the death metal's most acclaimed guitarists who is known for his time as part of MORBID ANGEL throughout the '90s and early 2000s, as well as handling vocals/guitars for HATE ETERNAL, lent his guitar as well as production skills to the effort, which was recorded at his Mana Recording in St. Petersburg, Florida. Rutan previously produced four CANNIBAL CORPSE albums (in addition to "Violence Unimagined"), alongside the likes of GOATWHORE, SOILENT GREEN and BELPHEGOR. Filling in live on guitar since 2019, in 2020 he became a full member, contributing to the writing process.

Rutan joined CANNIBAL CORPSE as the replacement for longtime guitarist Pat O'Brien, who was arrested in Florida more than two years ago on charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault.

Photo credit: Alex Morgan

In a new interview with MetalTalk, George Lynch reflected on DOKKEN's participation in the 1988 "Monsters Of Rock" U.S. stadium tour, also featuring VAN HALEN, SCORPIONS, METALLICA and KINGDOM COME. The trek kicked off in East Troy, Wisconsin on May 27 that year and took in 28 dates over the ensuing weeks before concluding on July 30 in Denver.

"That was pretty much the pinnacle of it, wasn't it?" George said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "That was the last big tour of that style, I think, in that kind of giant rock arena tour, I think that was the last one. So it was kind of an end of an era. Nobody knew it at the time. And we were misplaced on that bill. It was kind of good for us, I guess, in a way, but we were billed over METALLICA; they hadn't quite gone over the edge yet. We had the same management company [Q Prime], so we were very fortunate to get that spot.

"The thing I will never understand about the management and that tour and the band was that in their insane thinking, the management called a meeting before the tour started and informed the band that Don [Dokken, DOKKEN lead singer] was gonna be breaking the band up and trying to just hire us as musicians on the band," he continued. "Or else, if that didn't work, we didn't agree to that, he was just gonna leave, keep the name and kick us out. [And that was] before the tour started — literally days before it started.

"I operate — or at least then operated — out of a sense of commitment and on a mission. We built this thing as a family, as friends, as a band of brothers. And that was really the struggle between Don and I. Don was kind of out for himself and used people as best he could. I'm not saying this in a derogatory way. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, because we succeeded because of him and that mentality — the way he views the world and the way he operates. He's able to do things that I personally couldn't do, or I wouldn't live with myself. For better or worse, I don't know if it's good or bad — I can't even say — but we benefited from it. But it also was a double-edged sword and it worked against us in a sense that we split everything up equal, we all worked hard and to the best of our abilities, and we all contributed what we have to contribute, and a rising tide floats all boats and we all win. And we have this sense of like we did it together, and there's enough to go around. Don saw the writing on the wall, and with the managers' help, decided that he wanted the whole thing for himself. Because we were up for renegotiation on our [record] contract. And that's where you wanna be in this career. When you build yourself up and you double your record sales every record for three consecutive [albums], and then your contract ends and you have to renegotiate that contract, that is exactly where you wanna be.

"When you renegotiate, you're negotiating from a position of strength. And now you're MÖTLEY CRÜE, now you're VAN HALEN, now you're set for life," George explained. "And we all were looking at that, and we all worked for that, and we all earned that, and we should have been patting each other on the back and in a really good place. Instead Don took that as, 'Well, I'm gonna take this all for myself, and fuck these guys.' I had to go on stage knowing that every night. And it depressed me, and I kind of just fell into drugs and alcohol and just went out and went through the motions. I was quite dispirited. I mean, I had some good shows, but I was maybe just faking it to a certain extent, 'cause I was definitely dispirited. All this for this, and now I have to go out and put on a face? I'm just sort of like a 'wear my heart on my sleeve' kind of guy, and it was [very hard] for me to do. It was very depressing. And the only way I'd deal with it was drugs and alcohol."

All the members of DOKKEN's classic 1980s lineup — Dokken, Lynch, bassist Jeff Pilson and drummer Mick Brown — reunited on stage for the first time in more than a decade in November 2009 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California.

Less than five years ago, the four musicians rejoined forces for a short Japanese tour. The trek marked the first time in 21 years they had hit the road together.

A DOKKEN concert DVD focusing on the band's reunion tour, "Return To The East Live (2016)", was made available in 2018. In addition to the Japanese performance, the set included footage from the classic lineup's only U.S. show in September 2016 at Badlands in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as well as newly recorded acoustic reworkings of "Heaven Sent" and "Will The Sun Rise". Also featured on "Return To The East Live (2016)" was "It's Just Another Day", the first DOKKEN track featuring the group's classic lineup since 1997's "Shadowlife".

Since completing the Japanese reunion dates, DOKKEN has continued to perform with the group's current lineup — including bassist Chris McCarvill, guitarist Jon Levin and drummer BJ Zampa (HOUSE OF LORDS).

Last month, Lynch told Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com that there has been talk of more shows featuring the classic lineup of DOKKEN. "I've actually been talking to Don a little bit, and we're both in agreement that that should probably happen — meaning some kind of a meaningful reunion done in the right way, carefully and with proper preparation and time and rehearsals and not just throwing it out there like we did last time," he said. George added that "the obvious choice" to replace the recently retired Mick Brown would be Mick's brother Steve, who can be heard playing alongside Lynch and Pilson on the upcoming THE END MACHINE album, "Phase2".

Chris Jericho has wished Sebastian Bach a happy 53rd birthday, less than a year after the former SKID ROW singer blasted him over allegations that the FOZZY frontman uses pre-recorded vocal tracks during live performances.

On Saturday (April 3), Chris took to his Twitter to write: "Happy birthday to my old friend @sebastianbach ! We've had ups and downs, but rock n roll never forgets....."

Bach initially accused Jericho of "miming to a tape" at FOZZY concerts in a social media post last July. In response, the wrestler-turned-rocker insisted that he had "never mimed anything ever" and challenged Bach to a "singoff" with "no effects, no tuning, no bullshit", saying "Bas is a great singer...but I'm better".

In the months that ensued, Bach brought up Jericho's alleged lip syncing on several occasions, most recently in January in an interview with The Aquarian Weekly. Asked specifically about his feud with Chris, Sebastian said: "I have an open mind about everyone. If I read on Blabbermouth.com [sic] that some band says, 'We're the future of rock 'n' roll and we are the next thing after THE ROLLING STONES,' I think, this must be incredible! What have I been missing out on? So, I checked out one video during which the singer was 100% miming to a tape on stage at The Rockpile in Toronto. I thought to myself, 'That's weird, that's not the next ROLLING STONES.' So, I watch another video where he was opening up for NICKELBACK in an arena and, again, he's miming to a tape. You can go watch it for yourself. Then someone said, 'Here's a clip of him singing live. Legit, bro.' And it's him miming to a tape again. It's crazy obvious. It is not my opinion, it's fact. It is not me starting a fight. But don't tell me what singing live is, 'cause I have never used tape. I don't even know how to do that."

Bach also addressed the fact that Jericho accused him of having a less-than-original stage name after Sebastian slammed Jericho for copying the name of a SKID ROW tour for FOZZY.

"I switched a couple of letters of my legal last name [Bierk]. Who's Mongoose McQueen?" Bach asked, referring to Jericho's original FOZZY stage name. "What kind of a stage name is that?

"How about this: professional wrestling sucks," he added. "Everyone wishes they were a rock star. It hilarious. Evidently, all you have to do is [record] a tape, go on stage, and jump around. You can jump off the drum riser and do jumping jacks. It doesn't matter if you are miming to tape."

Jericho's most public reaction to Bach's criticism came in a January tweet. At the time, he wrote: "I've been told that @sebastianbach continues to go out of his way to bury me. My response is this...be my guest! You are entitled to ur opinion & it doesn't affect me either way. I still dig ur work on the first 3 @OfficialSkidRow albums & look forward to ur new record."

When Bach first went public with his Jericho accusation, FOZZY guitarist Rich Ward called Sebastian "universally disliked" and said that seeing Bach "publicly go after the only guy that I have ever witness utter a nice word about him is sad."

Sebastian, who has been outspoken about rock bands using pre-recorded backing tracks during live shows, later tried to explain his outburst, writing: "I'm not trying to beat anybody at anything. I'm actually trying to say hey Chris maybe you're right maybe I'll stop singing live and prance around while the tape is playing just like you do Chris. I'm tired of trying so hard it's like beating my head against the wall."

After a self-proclaimed Bach fan called Sebastian "an asshat" on Twitter for firing "the first shots" in his war of words with Jericho, Bach came back with: "Hey man f*** you. I have spent my life learning how to sing live on stage. When someone comes along and mimes to a tape it sucks for all of the rest of us that don't. You want to go see a wrestling match good. Don't call it rock and roll".




Happy birthday to my old friend @sebastianbach ! We’ve had ups and downs, but rock n roll never forgets.....

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) April 4, 2021

During a recent appearance on "Another FN Podcast With Izzy Presley", Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, DIO, HEAVEN & HELL), Frank Bello (ANTHRAX), John Tempesta (THE CULT, EXODUS, WHITE ZOMBIE) and Paul Gargano (Metal Edge) debated and discussed BLACK SABBATH's "Heaven And Hell" album versus Ozzy Osbourne's "Blizzard Of Ozz". You can now watch the discussion below.

Asked if he "caught hell" from SABBATH fans for being "the new guy" after replacing original SABBATH drummer Bill Ward in 1980, Vinny said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Not really, because you're the drummer — you're sitting in the back… Ronnie [James Dio, then-SABBATH singer] had to put up with people in the front, like 'Where's Ozzy [Osbourne]?' signs and all this 'Where's Ozzy?' stuff, and he had to do that. And he hated singing those songs — he hated singing 'Iron Man' and 'Sweet Leaf' and the Ozzy songs. That's why eventually [SABBATH reformed as] HEAVEN & HELL years later, so we didn't play the old [Ozzy-era] stuff anymore."

Even though Ronnie disliked singing the Ozzy-era SABBATH material, Vinny says that he "sounded great" belting out the Osbourne clasics. "It was totally different," he said. "It was just a powerful voice singing the melody and the whole thing. So it was incredible."

In a 2009 interview with U.K.'s Absolute Radio, Ronnie said that BLACK SABBATH's decision to reunite as HEAVEN & HELL in 2006 with him on vocals was done in part "to differentiate us from the SABBATH that had come before. What it really did was this — it allayed this: 'Hey, play 'Iron Man'," he explained. "We didn't have to worry about that or feel bad about not playing those songs — about playing 'Iron Man' or 'Paranoid' or 'Black Sabbath' or 'Fairies Wear Boots' — we didn't have to do that, because we tried to differentiate ourselves by a timeline and by a name that, of course, that spoke so much of… You think of HEAVEN & HELL, you usually think of that song, so now you think of this band. And I think it was wonderful that it worked so well."

Asked if ever felt an obligation to play some of the Ozzy-era SABBATH songs, especially at various European festivals, as a way of letting the audience know, "This is what we're famous for," Ronnie said: "Well, it's not what I was famous for, and I'm part of this band. I mean, I don't hear Ozzy doing 'Heaven And Hell', so why should I do the other songs? And I think that's very sensible. We come from different generations of SABBATH — the two generations that were most important, I think. And no, I think we tried so hard to call this band a different name, that why go back and relate to that? It makes us really seem [like] hypocrites, I think, to do that."

Dio replaced Ozzy Osbourne in BLACK SABBATH in 1980, recording the "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules" albums, plus "Live Evil", before leaving in 1982. He rejoined the group 10 years later for an album called "Dehumanizer", and again teamed with the group under the HEAVEN & HELL banner. HEAVEN & HELL released an album called "The Devil You Know" in 2009.

Ronnie passed away of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.

Dio was renowned throughout the world as one of the greatest and most influential vocalists in heavy metal history. The singer was diagnosed with cancer in late 2009. He underwent chemotherapy and made what is now his final public appearance in April 2010 at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles.

Ronnie's long-awaited autobiography, titled "Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography", will be released on July 27 via Permuted Press.

Chris Cornell's widow has accused the surviving members of SOUNDGARDEN of wanting access to the band's social media accounts in order in order to "maliciously defame" her, "provoke her online stalkers" and to "instigate third parties" to harass her and her minor children.

Late last month, Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, Ben Shepherd and their business manager Rit Venerus filed papers in Washington state U.S. District Court claiming that Vicky Cornell had locked them out of their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo, YouTube, Snapchat, Tumblr, Top Spin and Pinterest accounts, as well as SOUNDGARDEN's official web site, and changing all the passwords.

According to Billboard, Thayil, Cameron and Shepherd claim their socials were previously managed by their then-management company Patriot Management. They say they later learned that Patriot had handed over all the login information to Vicky after Patriot was terminated in October 2019.

The band asked a judge to order Vicky Cornell to hand over the passwords or include a final posting stating, "SOUNDGARDEN has temporarily suspended its official social media accounts due to pending litigation."

On Thursday, Chris Cornell's Instagram Stories shared a statement from the late singer's former manager Ron Laffitte in which he wrote: "During my six years working with Chris Cornell and SOUNDGARDEN, Chris and Vicky always controlled all of SOUNDGARDEN's social media accounts, both directly and through their own personal social media representative. At no time were any other members of SOUNDGARDEN involved, and this was true both before and after Chris died. Because of this, SOUNDGARDEN's attempt to seek an injunction in connection with the social media accounts is surprising to say the least."

Also posted on Chris's Instagram was a separate statement from Vicky's lawyer, Marty Singer. It read: "Ms. Cornell's forthcoming motion will expose the truth about SOUNDGARDEN's supposed social media accounts. Ms. Cornell created the social media accounts; grew the accounts by allowing them to trade on Chris' then-existing, popular accounts; devoted her personal time and money in growing these accounts as SOUNDGARDEN displayed absolutely no interest in social media (unless it was to promote their solo projects). Ms. Cornell has overseen these accounts for close to a decade. The fact that SOUNDGARDEN is unaware of the user-names and passwords for their alleged 'own' accounts confirms their utter lack of involvement in creating, growing and maintaining their alleged accounts.

"SOUNDGARDEN solely wants the social media accounts in order to maliciously defame Ms. Cornell, provoke her online stalkers (as Matt Cameron has done continuously) and to instigate third-parties to harass Ms. Cornell and her minor children. Moreover, while they now claim a sense of urgency, SOUNDGARDEN's claim are a stale repacking of the claims that they filed in the Florida court in May of 2020."

Cornell was found hanged in his room at the MGM Grand Detroit hotel in May 2017, following a SOUNDGARDEN show at the city's Fox Theatre. His body was found soon after he had spoken with a "slurred" voice to his wife by phone. The death was ruled a suicide.

In December 2019, Vicky filed a lawsuit against the surviving SOUNDGARDEN members, alleging the group owed Cornell's estate hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid royalties and the rights to seven unreleased recordings made before the singer's death in May of 2017.

Responding to Vicky's lawsuit, Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd and Matt Cameron claimed that they "don't have possession" of their "own creative work," and alleged that "Vicky Cornell has possession of the only existing multi-track recordings of the last SOUNDGARDEN tracks that include Chris Cornell's instrumental parts and vocals. All of the band members jointly worked on these final tracks, Vicky now claims ownership of the final SOUNDGARDEN album."

Thayil, Shepherd and Cameron initially accused Vicky Cornell of misusing funds from the January 2019 "I Am The Highway: A Tribute To Chris Cornell" concert. After being challenged by Cornell's attorneys with the threat of sanctions, SOUNDGARDEN withdrew that portion of its countersuit, while its lawyers wrote at the time that the band believes the claims "remain well-founded."

In February, Vicky Cornell sued the surviving members of SOUNDGARDEN over the buyout price for her stake in the band. In the lawsuit, Vicky Cornell said Thayil, Cameron and Shepherd offered her just $300,000 for Chris's share. This amount, she said, is far lower than the real value of the Chris Cornell estate's interests in SOUNDGARDEN, especially considering the fact that the band got an offer of $16 million from an outside investor for SOUNDGARDEN's masters.

Legendary extreme metal drummer Nick Barker (LOCK UP, BRUJERIA, DIMMU BORGIR, CRADLE OF FILTH) was asked in a new interview with Ireland's Overdrive for his opinion on the current state of the "extreme music" scene. He responded: "I think it's become slightly oversaturated, especially death metal. There's an element where it's all beginning to sound the same. Thirty years ago, it was all about the 'riffs,' and now, thirty years later, it's all about how fast the BPM is on the track. It's not about the riffs anymore; it's about the typewriter.

"It's a real shame that death metal has gone that way," he continued. "I'm old-school in thinking the best death metal was 'Altars Of Madness' [MORBID ANGEL], 'Slowly We Rot' [OBITUARY]… POSSESSED, DEATH, et cetera. Those bands were all about the riffs rather than just what it had become now. There's very little artistic merit these days. It's almost become soulless. I mean… that's just death metal. It's a generational thing also. People don't want to pay for music anymore; they expect it for free. It's lost some of its credibility, and the artists that are creating this music are not getting the respect they deserve. Also, the attention span of people these days is a lot shorter. To be honest, I don't follow it anymore and am very much out of touch. [Laughs]

"The good bands will always withstand; the others will just be forgotten about," he concluded.

Earlier this year, Barker announced the launch of a new U.K. hardcore band called BORSTAL. The group, which also features Pierre Mendivil (KNUCKLEDUST), and members of DRIPBACK and KING OF PIGS, released its debut EP, titled "At Her Majesty's Pleasure", on April 1 via 4Family Records. The EP was recorded, mixed and mastered at Monolith Studios by Charlie "Squid Commander" Wilson in Tottenham (September 2020). The EP also features a cover version of THE LAST RESORT's "King Of The Jungle", featuring a guest appearance by British oi legend Arthur Kitchener, father of Lee Kitchener (BORSTAL guitari

In a new interview with "The SDR Show", legendary rocker Alice Cooper was asked to describe the first drug experience he ever had. He replied (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Weed was the first drug, and it was [with] Jimi Hendrix. I'm sitting there after the show. I went to see them. And we were just a little high school band. But they said, 'Hey, come on up to the hotel room.' And we were sitting on his bed, and Jimi goes, 'Here, man,' [and he passed me the joint]. And I went, 'Okay.' And then he goes and puts a quarter in the bed — you know, the vibrating bed. There was, like, eight people sitting on the bed. And he goes, 'We're on a spaceship.' And I went, 'Okay.'"

As for his "worst" drug experience, Alice said: "It was Detroit, and I think it was crystal THC. It was, like, four in the morning. I regained consciousness. And I thought it a Jim Jones thing. And I got up. I remember it was about 20 degrees below outside. And I walked outside just in my shirt on, just to wake up. And when I came back in, everybody was just kind of coming up. It was weird; it was like a [Federico] Fellini thing. It was so strange that I really did believe that everybody was dead, and I was the only one that survived it."

Cooper has been sober since 1983 when he was diagnosed with cirrhosis. He turned things around by going into treatment and renewing his childhood roots in Christianity.

Alice's new studio album, "Detroit Stories", was released on February 26 via earMUSIC.

Named for the city that launched the original Alice Cooper group on the road to success, "Detroit Stories" follows 2019's "Breadcrumbs" EP as a modern-day homage to the toughest and craziest rock and roll scene there ever was.

Eric Martin says that he "would love to get back together" with his MR. BIG bandmates again.

The singer made the comment while discussing MR. BIG's decision to go on hiatus following the passing of Pat Torpey. The drummer died in February 2018 at the age of 64 from complications of Parkinson's disease.

Speaking to Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic, Eric said (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "After Pat's death, the wind came right out of the sails, and it was really difficult to play without him, and it was a grieving process for a really long time.

"I would love to get back together with MR. BIG and do another, possibly a record — maybe," he revealed.

"When I write songs, I constantly think 'MR. BIG' in my head. Even when I try to write acoustic songs, it always comes out [sounding like] MR. BIG.

"I would love to do a tour — definitely — with the band," Eric reiterated. "But I'm okay with it…. I would love to do something again with MR. BIG. I love that band so much. I love playing live on stage with Billy [Sheehan, bass] and Paul [Gilbert, guitar] and the spirit of Pat Torpey. I love that music."

Last May, Sheehan gave an interview to the "Music Mania" podcast in which he claimed that a "mastering problem" with MR. BIG's latest album, "Defying Gravity", which came out four years ago, made the LP "unlistenable." He went on to say that "the label ruined the record" by insisting on having the album and "putting it out when it's not ready." He explained: "If we had another day to get it to proper mastering and get it done right, it would have been fine. 'Cause I was there for the final mixes — I went in there every day and listened to mixes. Pat was there with us too. We went through the mixes, and they were sounding great. And, unfortunately, we got screwed.

"I've seen it before in many other situations with many other bands," he added. "We've got the marketing department and they're ready to go and they've gotta have the record now. And then I've also seen other bands just say, 'No. The record is not done. You're out of luck.' And I wish we would have just said that, because I just don't think the record had the kind of life it had when I heard the final mixes."

A short time later, Frontiers Music Srl released a statement clarifying that it wasn't the label responsible for "ruining" "Defying Gravity", which marked Torpey's final recorded appearance with MR. BIG.

"Defying Gravity" was released via Wowow Entertainment, Inc. in Japan and Frontiers Music Srl in most of the rest of the world.

After announcing his Parkinson's diagnosis in 2014, Torpey continued to write, record and perform with MR. BIG, who also recruited Matt Starr to share drum duties.

MR. BIG, formed in 1988, produced numerous hit songs that ranged across a wide array of rock genres — be it ballads, heavy metal, or blues rock. Their hits include "Alive And Kicking", "Just Take My Heart" and the chart-topping ballad "To Be With You".

This past February, MR. BIG released a new live set, "Raw Like Sushi Mega Edition - Revive 2017: 2017 Japan Tour Official Bootleg Box". A complete collection of MR. BIG's 2017 performances in Japan, it features all nine concerts which took place between September and October of that year.

Stephen Pearcy was joined by his former bandmate Bobby Blotzer during the RATT singer's livestream concert on Friday, April 2 from the world-famous Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip.

Pearcy's Instagram account has shared several photos of the reunion, which marked the first time the two musicians had played together in around seven years.

Tickets, merchandise and VIP packages for Pearcy's livestream concert are available at stephenpearcy.veeps.com.

The concert will be available on demand through April 5.

This past February, it was reported by Metal Sludge that Pearcy would be joined by Blotzer for the filming of the virtual concert with his solo band over February 26 and February 27.

The rumors of Blotzer playing with Pearcy again came a month after Stephen confirmed to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was back on speaking terms with the drummer, who led his own version of RATT for a couple of years beginning in late 2015 before becoming embroiled in a legal battle with the singer, guitarist Warren DeMartini and bassist Juan Croucier over the rights to the band's name.

"I do talk to Bobby," Pearcy told "Trunk Nation". "Bobby and I are — it's love-hate, brother kind of a gig. We keep in touch and talk about positive things. He still has interest, so there are some things to talk about. And Warren is the same."

"Look, life goes on," he explained. "Life's short. Hate's not a good thing. There's communication. But I can't say anything."

Pearcy and Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT's current lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band are drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE, RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarist Jordan Ziff (RAZER).

RATT — featuring Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini — played a number of shows in 2017 after reforming a year earlier in the midst of a highly publicized legal battle with Blotzer over the rights to the RATT name. They were joined at the gigs by Cavazo, who played on "Infestation", and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.

Last month, Pearcy told 80's Glam Metalcast that he will not make a new RATT album unless all the surviving members of the band's classic lineup are involved: Blotzer, DeMartini and Croucier. "I will not do another record [unless it's with the original guys]," he said. "There's no way in hell. I've given DeMartini and everybody courtesy. Why would I do that? There's no reason. We tried with [RATT's 2010 album] 'Infestation'. People go, 'That's a great record.' I'm, like, well, that's because it was the only thing that we were able to give you. If there was Juan in there, if there was Robbin [Crosby, late RATT guitarist] in there, if there was the original guys — the nucleus — you would have gotten a better record. It's just the way it is; that's just the way it works. Because as dysfunctional or functional as we are, that's what makes our music.

"Look, Carlos Cavazo [former QUIET RIOT guitarist] was in the band for a bit. We wrote the first two singles [from 'Infestation'], Carlos and I. So there you go right there. It wasn't even really a true RATT record. No disrespect to the guys that played on it. But I just wouldn't do that to RATT, to the brand. It wouldn't work. So we will see what happens. But I will not do another RATT record, no, unless [it's with] the original guys. I put the feelers out there. Who knows? Maybe the doorbell will ring. I ain't counting on it. But who knows?"

RATT hasn't released any new music since "Infestation".
























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RIOT V vocalist Todd Michael Hall will release his first-ever solo album, "Sonic Healing", on May 7 via Rat Pak Records. The official music video — filmed in Los Angeles — for the dics's debut single, "Overdrive", can be seen below.

Todd received national attention when he appeared on the 18th season of NBC's hit television show "The Voice". After being selected by judge Blake Shelton for his version of FOREIGNER's "Juke Box Hero", Todd explored the idea of making a solo album.

As the world shut down during the recent pandemic, Todd connected with METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof to write the tracks that would become "Sonic Healing". Vanderhoof also produced the album that is now available for pre-order.

Todd stated about "Overdrive": "When Kurdt first played the music for me, the undeniable, driving energy made me think of flying down the highway in a fast car. With that imagery in my head, the lyrics and melodies started pouring out and 'Overdrive' was born. That same visual was what we wanted to showcase in the video too."

From the infectious guitar riffs of the opening track "Overdrive" to the anthemic album finale of "Long Lost Rock & Rollers", Todd showcases his vocal range and passion for rock music. Songs like "Let Loose Tonight", "Running After You" and "Like No Other" are testaments to the magic that was created when Todd and Kurdt began to focus on their deep love of classic rock icons like BOSTON, RUSH, STYX, FOREIGNER and REO SPEEDWAGON. Todd's multi-octave voice and Kurdt's riff-writing capabilities create memorable songs that are reminiscent of the artists that inspired them to pursue a career in music. With thought-provoking lyrics and rock-solid guitar riffs, "Sonic Healing" delivers all the power and punch that one would expect from these high-level players.

"Music has a healing effect to get you up and running," Todd explained. "People use it to console themselves on a daily basis. It's such a weird time right now. So 'Sonic Healing' is meant to be good positive rock. We definitely paid homage to our favorite bands, but we added a new twist. There's a hunger for this music, and there aren't many artists trying to scratch the itch. We're here to scratch the itch and bring the energy."

"Sonic Healing" track listing:

01. Overdrive

02. Let Loose Tonight

03. All On The Line

04. Running After You

05. Love Rain Down

06. Sonic Healing

07. Like No Other

08. Somebody's Fool

09. To The Bone

10. Long Lost Rock & Rollers

Photo credit: Doug Julian

Geoff Tate says that he doesn't really have an interest in a reunion of QUEENSRŸCHE's classic lineup.

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Fellow original QUEENSRŸCHE members Michael Wilton (guitar), Scott Rockenfield (drums) and Eddie Jackson (bass) responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform the albums "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

Speaking to 80's Glam Metalcast in a recent interview, Tate was asked if the thought of a QUEENSRŸCHE reunion ever crosses his mind. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm very happy the way things are. I spent 30-plus years making music with those guys, and I'm very proud of our legacy and what we achieved and the albums we made, songs we wrote. And I don't feel the need to go back in time and resurrect that. I'm fine with where I'm at now and what I'm doing. And I love my touring that I'm doing. And I have a fantastic band of musicians that are incredible to play with. So I don't really feel a need to go backwards — in that respect."

Asked if he would consider one final tour with QUEENSRŸCHE, similar to the way bands like KISS and MÖTLEY CRÜE have staged original-lineup "farewell" tours in recent decades, Tate said: "Usually they do those kind of tours because the money is so good. And it's hard to walk away from that kind of money often. But I don't know. I don't really need the money. So I'm pretty happy [laughs] right now."

Tate has gone back and forth on the subject of a possible reunion with QUEENSRŸCHE, telling The Rock Vault in November 2019 about the prospect of rejoining his former bandmates: "I think that would be something that makes sense, and I think it would be an interesting thing to do, if everybody could get in the same room and actually talk to each other." However, just eight months earlier, he dismissed the possibility of a QUEENSRŸCHE reunion, telling Greece's "TV War" that he had "no interest in that. No. Not at all. [I have] absolutely no reason to," he said. "I don't need the money. That'd be the only reason to do it. Maybe if they paid me, like, 10 million dollars or something like that. [Laughs]"

He continued: "It was a good thing for a long time, and then it went really bad. And I just don't want that kind of negativity in my life. My life is so good, and I have such great friends and family. I travel the world and sing songs for a living. I mean, it's lovely. I have wonderful, positive people in my life, and to go back and be in that negative land again… aargh, I just couldn't do it. It's not worth it."

Tate previously described his time in QUEENSRŸCHE as "a strange, strange sort of relationship." He told The Metal Gods Meltdown: "We weren't really friends, you know — we were business associates. We had a wonderful entity that we shared called QUEENSRŸCHE, but it wasn't an equal sort of partnership as far as involvement goes. You know, so there wasn't a real camaraderie amongst everybody in the band… From my perspective and my involvement, it wasn't an emotional sort of brotherhood kind of thing that some people might think existed. That wasn't my reality with them."

Last week, current QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre told "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" about the chances of Tate's return to QUEENSRŸCHE: "It's funny. I always hear, 'There'll definitely be an all-original lineup reunion. Every band does it.' And I'm thinking, if you knew what I know, I don't think that's gonna happen. And other than the optics of it, why? What's the point? We saw for 15 years what it sounded like."

SLAVES ON DOPE's Jason Rockman and Kevin Jardine, along with Bill Kelliher of MASTODON, are back with their project THE KINGS OF QUARANTINE, this time with a powerful rendition of PUBLIC ENEMY's "She Watch Channel Zero". The new video features musicians Billy Gould and Mike Bordin (FAITH NO MORE), Mix Master Mike (BEASTIE BOYS), SA (311), MC Serch (3RD BASS), Derrick Green (SEPULTURA), Sen Dog (CYPRESS HILL), Toby Morse (H2O) and a special appearance from legendary pop artist Ron English (POPAGANDA).

THE KINGS OF QUARANTINE came together in 2020 after a discussion between Jason and Bill about possibly collaborating on a cover song. "She Watch Channel Zero" is the third installment in a series of covers that will be released throughout 2021 in an effort to bring some joy and entertainment to music lovers worldwide.

"We hope to not only put a smile on people's faces, but also help the touring staff that have been severely affected by the pandemic," says Rockman. One hundred percent of the profits will be donated to Roadie Relief, a fundraising effort to aid qualifying roadies who have submitted an application for financial help.

THE KINGS OF QUARANTINE have no plans of slowing down, with more star-studded covers to be released in the near future.