In a new interview with Mike Gaube and Shaggy of 94.9 and 104.5 The Pick and Mike Gaube's Headbangers, MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson spoke about how he first discovered RUSH's music. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I grew up in the Midwest where, ironically, most of my favorite bands from the '70s who got me into my love of hard rock and then eventually metal, and then my professional career started in '83 when we started MEGADETH. But growing up in the Midwest, most of the bands that I listened to — from KISS, Ted Nugent, RUSH, STYX, REO SPEEDWAGON, CHEAP TRICK, that whole kind of hard rock contingent — they pretty much cut their eye teeth on gigging and touring through the Midwest. And so I guess for me, KISS was kind of the first big love affair of hard rock music for me. Everything about it — the fantasy, all that stuff. And then, once I kind of got over that, then it was VAN HALEN, BOSTON, then RUSH, CHEAP TRICK and all the rest of the stuff, Ted Nugent, and everything that came after that. But for me, RUSH, I used to see that 'All The World's A Stage' album cover. There was a local drug store where I used to buy, like a pharmacy on main street in Jackson, Minnesota, that's where I used to buy a lot of my records. And then finally a record store opened. But 'All The World's A Stage' just beckoned to me. It just called to me — Marshalls, a killer drum kit, the Ampeg amps. And most importantly, they had carpet on the stage. I was, like, how fucking metal is that, to have carpet on your stage? And then I'd look at it and finally one day I bought it. I think probably the most striking thing for me was [RUSH bassist/vocalist] Geddy's [Lee] voice — that really high, screeching, shrilling voice was so different, so unique to everything, but, of course, as a bass player myself, as a young musician, hearing Geddy and [RUSH drummer] Neil Peart's, their drum combination, bass-and-drum thing, was just incredible, But they all looked cool, they sounded cool. And to me, that was what rock and roll was for me growing up. It was this fantasy. Some people play fantasy football. If I had a fantasy gang to go join, it would be a band. So I think that's what my tribe did… What's my fantasy band that I could probably be in? And I think that was, and it still is, my life pursuit, is to, like, 'Where is that fantasy band?' I'm still putting one together, and I've been in a gazillion of them. And that's just what it is. Even if we're in bands that are successful, you kind of go, people would ask us in interviews, 'Who's that one person you still haven't played with yet?' So there's always kind of this bucket list. So, that, to me, is kind of my overarching sort of career deal with music and RUSH has always been a part of that for me."

Asked what's more complicated, Lee's bass parts or Peart's drumming parts, Ellefson replied: "It's interesting because when you're growing up, you hear all this proggy stuff and you don't really know what it is. But then, as you get in the studios, you're working with professionals, and in the beginning, we're always working with everybody who's far ahead of us and advanced — and not just the musicians, but the producers and the engineers… So as a 15-year-old in my basement in Minnesota, I'm going, 'Oh my God. I have no frame of reference. I'm in jazz band and I'm learning all this stuff.' But now I hear it and I'm going, 'All right, it's not that hard,' 'cause it's pentatonic riffs. So everything's kind of in these pentatonic boxes. And I think for all of us, whenever you're playing someone else's music or learning their parts, or maybe as I have done, you're filling in for somebody famous, you find… Where's kind of the center of what they do? I watch guitar players. You can tell they've listened to Michael Schenker. For me, Geddy… Geezer Butler from BLACK SABBATH, Steve Harris from IRON MAIDEN, Geddy Lee from RUSH, they're kind of in this pentatonic box. And once you kind of figure out what that is, it's like statistics. Where's the means and the mode and the deviation? There's the center of it. So there's the center. And I think for me, that's kind of how I… all of a sudden it's like you unlock the Geddy box, like, 'Ah, that's what he's doing. Okay.' And then on every song, you're, 'Ah, there it is again.' And probably how I play as well. You kind of find the center of where I live in my parts on the fingerboard and that, and then you kind of go, 'Oh, that's how he plays.' So then it's easier to figure out someone's parts. That, for me, is kind of the key to studying someone's playing."

This past February, Ellefson praised Lee's memoir, "My Effin' Life", calling it "one of the greatest books ever written".

Released in November 2023 via HarperCollins, "My Effin' Life" explores not only Geddy's decades with RUSH, but growing up as the son of two Holocaust survivors. In the book, Lee charts his story from his humble beginnings outside Toronto in the 1950s and 1960s to achieving worldwide success with one of the biggest rock bands of all time.

On February 13, 2024, Ellefson shared a couple of photos of him holding a copy of "My Effin' Life", and he wrote in an accompanying message: "What a great effing book !!!!!

"Not only is this a fantastic memoir from one of my all-time favorite Bass influences, Mr. Geddy Lee, but also a harrowing detail of World War II and his family's archival facts & history within it. And of course, the inside scoop of one of the greatest rock bands of all time... RUSH!

"Geddy so accurately describes that moment, when during our most awkward formative years growing up, many of us discover that a-ha moment when our instrument of choice (the bass!) comes into our lives and changes everything we do, and how we view the world from that point onward....finding purpose and meaning to it all through our love of music.

"I don't know if it's a Bass player thing or what, but Geddy you have penned one of the greatest books ever written! Thank you for sharing your life's story, and your life's work with us!"

Upon its release, "My Effin' Life" was No. 1 in the Canadian bestselling books list and had spent five weeks on the New York Times non-fiction best sellers.

During an appearance on the link textScandalous podcast, DROWNING POOL and SOIL frontman Ryan McCombs explained that many musicians choose not to voice their opinions on political issues publicly because so many issues in the United States are filtered through partisan prism instead of being analyzed via practical considerations. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's a result of the bullcrap that surrounds us. No one wants to be the next one with their head on the chopping block and getting canceled. And regretfully, for decades we've let the minority speak the loudest. And I can go on for days, and believe me I can, because the people around me have to hear it; I can go on for days about my opinions on the politics and stuff like that.

"Politics is very much like religion," he continued. "I can sit here. You could be on one side of the fence and I could be on the other. And it sucks that there's different sides of the fence, it sucks that the red ties and the blue ties have drawn such a line in the sand, because it really shouldn't be about that. It should just be about what's best for the people, what's best for our society. But it isn't about that anymore. Everybody's got their opinion of what's important, and they base their level of importance… If they don't like this person, they will find that one policy that they don't agree with and they'll just hammer that home.

"Politics is just like religion," Ryan repeated. "You're gonna have your opinions, I'm gonna have my opinions, and no matter what I say, it's not gonna change your mind. And no matter what you say, it's not gonna change my mind. All it's going to do, at the end of the day, especially the way society is today, is just get people pissed off at you. And so it's a subject that I steer away from publicly because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter."

McCombs added: "My opinion shouldn't sway somebody. And I think that's the thing that frustrates me the most… I get frustrated when I see somebody in Hollywood or I see somebody in the music business talking politics in a way, because who gives a shit what their opinion is? I don't care what their opinion is, because their opinion has no bearing on my opinion, and my opinion shouldn't have any bearing on theirs. Everybody should have enough brains in their head to actually sit down, if they hear something, if they read something on that stupid book of faces, if they read something, hear something, whatever it is, have enough intelligence to actually look into it and actually use that stupid, ignorant, stupid smartphone that we all have in our hands and actually Google the things and actually find out the truth and come up with our own educated opinions instead of just being fed this comment that so many people tend to grab a hold of and hammer home like it's the gospel without even knowing whether or not it's right.

"I don't care what your opinion is, as long as it's an educated opinion," Ryan added. "I don't know. I talk in circles ,and I apologize. But that's really what I'm just getting at, is somebody's opinion can be completely different than mine. I don't care, as long as they're coming from a place of knowledge and they're not just regurgitating some bullshit that they read on some social media site that doesn't give a shit whether it's the truth or not."

"I think it was Ricky Gervais who said during the Golden Globes a few years back, talking about the people in Hollywood, he was just, like, 'Just shut up. Just come up here and take your award and leave your politics to the side.' That's what frustrates me, when I see these people in Hollywood and these people in the spotlight shouting their politics, their opinions on politics, because in a lot of cases they're the last people that's really being affected by politics. It's the people that are striving to try to maintain — even though there's very little middle class nowadays — trying to maintain surviving. You've got people out there holding down three jobs just trying to survive. Some person living in a mansion somewhere shouldn't be preaching to that person that's happened to hold down three jobs just to feed their kids… It's completely different worlds."

Back in December 2016, McCombs weighed in on Donald Trump's stunning upset of Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election, saying that while he was not a Trump supporter, he "would have voted for Satan" over Clinton. "I have too many military friends that have actually bled for the country to ever think about [voting for her]," he said, adding: "Do I think [Trump is] awesome? No. Do I think he's better than the [other] option? Absolutely!"

Ryan admitted in a separate interview with Metal Underground that he did not personally vote in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, blaming it on the fact that "I moved just before this tour, and I forgot to set up the whole… Basically, it was too late for me to register in my new location. So I didn't end up voting."

In the Metal Underground interview, McCombs defended Trump, saying: "He's not a career politician. He may not talk like a polished politician. He talks like you and I. He uses words like 'them' and 'they,' and then people wanna turn around and say he's being racist or whatever. He's just… He's not a polished career politician. And do I think he's great? No, not at all. But compared to the criminal he was running against? I couldn't be happier for the country. 'Cause that was an evil, evil woman. So I'm very happy with [the outcome]."

Canadian thrash metal veterans SACRIFICE return in 2025 with their first new album in more than sixteen years. "Volume Six", the band's sixth album overall and second since reforming in 2006, features ten new originals and a cover paying homage to the Toronto scene from which they originally emerged.

Working once again with engineer Darius Szczepaniak — who was also at the helm for SACRIFICE's 2009 effort "The Ones I Condemn" — "Volume Six" was recorded, mixed, and mastered at Phase One Studios in Scarborough, Ontario. Tracked over a period of sessions between September 2023 and May 2024, the eleven-song offering was produced by vocalist/guitarist Rob Urbinati and features the band's original lineup, with lead guitarist Joe Rico, bassist Scott Watts, and drummer Gus Pynn as well as Urbinati. They are one of, if not the only, 1980s thrash band that still has its original lineup intact and playing together, and on "Volume Six", the band hits it out of the park.

"I write all the time," says Urbinati about the latest album's origins. "It was around 2017 when I wrote a couple songs that I thought were really good. I played them for the band, and they were totally happy with them and the direction. I wrote a couple more and Gus and I were making some real progress in getting the songs tight and even talking about recording, then the pandemic hit. My creativity completely dried up for whatever reason, even though I was sitting at home with nothing to do. There was nowhere to rehearse in the city because things would shut down, then open up, then close down again, so it was hard to get a consistent rehearsal schedule going and I just wasn't feeling it. When things started coming back, our original plan was to do an EP, but we had enough songs that we were completely comfortable and happy with to do a whole album."

The songs on "Volume Six" run the gamut from speedy, breakneck thrash ("Comatose", "Explode", "We Will Not Survive") to more nuanced, layered, metallic compositions ("Underneath Millenia", "Your Hunger For War"). Two instrumental tracks on the album show yet another side of the band's songwriting while still clearly being SACRIFICE songs: "Lunar Eclipse" is a showcase for Rico and Urbinati's excellent twin guitar leads, while "Black Hashish" is SACRIFICE at their most psychedelic. The album's final track, "Trapped In A World", is a cover of 1980s Toronto hardcore band DIRECT ACTION, a group that had a massive influence on the members of SACRIFICE during their formative years. The song features guest vocals by YOUTH YOUTH YOUTH vocalist and Toronto music legend Brian Taylor, who operated the Diabolic Force label in the eighties and produced the band's first three albums, bringing everything full circle three decades later with his appearance here.

"SACRIFICE generally has pretty dark themes and a lot of lyrics were written over the pandemic when things were feeling pretty apocalyptic, especially at the beginning of it," explains Urbinati. "'Comatose' comes from us playing in Vancouver a lot and seeing the amount of drug abuse around downtown East Vancouver. It affects you when you're seeing human beings everywhere with extreme drug problems and paramedics walking around at night in groups of three basically looking for people who have overdosed or died. There's that, world politics, all the wars going on, natural disasters — half of Canada was on fire last year! — the album is pretty dark, and I think the art conveys the content."

The stunning front cover artwork for "Volume Six" was painted by PROPAGANDHI bassist and lifelong SACRIFICE fan Todd Kowalski. There is a mutual admiration between both bands: PROPAGANDHI's song "The Bangers Embrace", off their 2009 album "Supporting Caste" is a love letter to SACRIFICE about seeing them play live back in 1990. The bands have shared stages over the years and released a split single of covers — SACRIFICE transforms RUSH's "Anthem" into a thrash classic while PROPAGANDHI does a CORROSION OF CONFORMITY song — via the War On Music label in 2010. When Urbinati asked Kowalski about painting the cover he gave him the lyrics and the music and asked him to interpret it visually as he envisioned it.

"Volume Six" will be released on February 21 through all digital platforms and on CD, MC, and LP in blue, white, and black variants through Cursed Blessings Records in North America and High Roller Records in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

"Volume Six" track listing:

01. Comatose
02. Antidote Of Poison
03. Missile
04. Underneath Millennia
05. Your Hunger For War
06. Incoming Mass Extinction
07. Lunar Eclips
08. Explode
09. Black Hashish
10. We Will Not Survive
11. Trapped In A World (feat. Brian Tailor)
12. Trapped In A World (feat. Rob Urbinati) (North America CD/MC bonus track)

SACRIFICE originally formed in 1983 in Scarborough, Ontario, a suburb in the east end of Toronto. Taking influence from both the underground metal and punk scenes of the day, the then-teenagers released their debut album, "Torment In Fire", in 1986 and established themselves as a band to watch. It was followed up by 1987's "Forward To Termination", featuring the video single "Re-animation", which ended up in regular rotation on Canada's Much Music video station the following year and even became the theme song for the channel's long running metal music video show, the "Pepsi Power Hour". Former SEPULTURA frontman Max Cavalera recently revealed "Forward To Termination" to be one of his three favorite thrash metal albums of all time. Their third effort, 1990's "Soldiers Of Misfortune", has been praised as one of the most important Canadian albums ever, making NOW Toronto's "50 Best Toronto Albums Ever" list.

SACRIFICE played a prominent role in the 1980s underground metal scene in Toronto, and along with VOIVOD, RAZOR and ANNIHILATOR, is considered one of the "Big Four" of Canadian thrash metal. The band released four studio albums on Diabolic Force in Canada, Metal Blade Records in the U.S., and Roadrunner Records in Europe before parting ways in 1993. After coming back together to play a reunion concert in 2006, the quartet released their fifth studio album, "The Ones I Condemn", in 2009. Since reforming, SACRIFICE has played major international festivals, including Belgium's Alcatraz, Germany's Keep it True, Peru's Ai-apaec, Maryland Deathfest and California Deathfest in the United States, and both the 2012 and 2018 editions of Japan's True Thrash Festival, among others.

Photo by Kelly Clark

Swedish metallers AVATAR are planning to enter the studio in January to begin work on their tenth album. The follow-up to 2023's "Dance Devil Dance" will once again be produced by Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER and URIAH HEEP, among many others.

AVATAR's next LP is tentatively due in 2025 through the band's own label Black Waltz Records, which is distributed by Thirty Tigers.

In other news, AVATAR has shared a brand new, re-recorded piano version of its song "Tower". This gorgeous new version is the first time the band has re-recorded a track in its career thus far.

"This version of 'Tower' became a special moment in a very special period of our lives," states AVATAR vocalist Johannes Eckerström. "It feels natural to use it as a way to stop and look back for just a moment before we move forward with full force. It's a thank you to everyone who stands by our side and makes the magic happen."

The original version of "Tower" appeared on AVATAR's beloved and critically acclaimed fifth album, "Hail The Apocalypse", which was released in 2014. According to a press release from AVATAR's publicist, the re-recorded version of the song "is of incredible significance because AVATAR have neither ownership nor receives any royalties on 'Hail The Apocalypse', or any preceding albums, since 2015. The band is currently in the midst of a legal battle to reclaim their rights with former record label Fifth Island Music; formerly Gain Records, a part of Sony Music Entertainment," the press release adds.

"Dance Devil Dance" was recorded in the Swedish wilderness, far away from all the perceived glamor of the big city and modern studios. Ruston returned as producer. He first worked with AVATAR when he mixed "Hail The Apocalypse", a role he reprised on "Feathers & Flesh" before taking the wheel as producer on "Avatar Country" and "Hunter Gatherer".

"Dance Devil Dance" featured a guest appearance by Lzzy Hale of HALESTORM on the song "Violence No Matter What". The record also included the single "The Dirt I'm Buried In", which hit No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.

Johannes formed AVATAR in 2001. The band's lineup has remained virtually the same ever since, save for guitarist Tim Öhrström, who entered the fray just over a decade later. AVATAR also includes guitarist Jonas Jarlsby, bassist Henrik Sandelin and drummer John Alfredsson.

Earlier this year, Eckerström was asked by Mexico's Summa Inferno about the supposedly mixed fan reaction to "Dance Devil Dance", considering that AVATAR once again experimented with its sound. He said: "Well, I think we are experimenting as much as we always do, because we always want to change. Every album is based on wherever we were at that given time, so we will never — whatever we did in the past…. I mean, okay, AVATAR will always be a metal band, but beyond that, we kind of never really worry about what we have already done. We do go for the next great thing. And I think our fans are used to this — they're used to that 'Avatar Country' can happen and then 'Hunter Gatherer' can happen immediately after that, and so on."

He continued: "And as far as reception, I do believe that this is our best-received album so far, in terms of that more people liked it than disliked it. But you can't anyway please everyone. So I can't worry about that. As a matter of fact, I always prepare myself for even worse results every time an album is done. I listen to it one last time for myself and ask myself, 'Okay, if everyone hates it, is that okay?' Well, yes, because I like it and everyone else can just forget about this and go and listen to something else. But we have to live with this. So I answer that question every time. So I'm always ready for way worse reception, but instead this is the biggest thing we have ever made. So, I think it went pretty well."

Photo credit: Jens De Vos

Eclipse has uploaded video of former FEAR FACTORY frontman Burton C. Bell's December 12 concert at Brick By Brick in San Diego, California. Check out the clips in the YouTube playlist below.

Bell played the first concert with his solo band on June 13 at 1720 in Los Angeles, California.

Backing Bell at the 1720 gig were guitarist Henrik Linde (THE VITALS, DREN),drummer Ryan "Junior" Kittlitz (ALL HAIL THE YETI, THE ACID HELPS),bassist Tony Baumeister (ÆGES) and multi-instrumentalist Stewart Cararas.

When the 1720 concert was first announced, Burton called the gig a "historic event" and vowed to perform "new songs and classics spanning my career."

This past August, Bell released a new solo single, "Technical Exorcism", along with the official Don Pancho Films-directed music video for the track.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All of POISON drummer Rikki Rockett's stolen drums have been found and have been returned to Donn's Drum Vault, described as the largest inventory of rare and vintage drums in the world.

On Tuesday (December 10),Donn Bennett, the owner-operator at Donn's Drum Vault, wrote in a post on the Drummers Of The Pacific Northwest Facebook group: "UPDATE. All of Rikki Rockett's POISON stolen drums have been found!!!

"My sincere appreciation to everyone who helped spread the word. My deepest appreciation to our friends at the Tukwilla Guitar Center for their cool and quick action and for keeping the thieves occupied until the police arrived. Also to our new friends at the Burien Sheriff Department for their great police work and for being total pros! Thief was arrested. All of the drums were recovered and returned in perfect condition.

"I feel deeply fortunate to be part of our drum community that watches out for each other like we all do. Keep it up. This is a big win for the good guys!"

Rockett's gear was stolen from the Donn's Drum Vault warehouse in Burien, Washington. Bennett initially posted the following message along with photos of the stolen drums: "Stolen Drums!! Several drum sets from the collection of Rikki Rockett from POISON were stolen from our warehouse in Burien WA. They are all extremely unique and easily identified. Please let me know if you see them anywhere. Thanx!"

On Thursday (December 12),Rockett took to his social media to share the good news that all his stolen drum kits had been recovered.

Among the stolen kits stolen was a DW green-and-gray flamed kit used on POISON's 2022 "The Stadium Tour".

Rikki's memoir, "Ghost Notes", will be released on July 15, 2025 via Rare Bird Books. The book was written with writer duo Leif Eriksson and Martin Svensson.

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

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

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

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

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

In October, Rikki announced the launch of a new band called THE ROCKETT MAFIA. Joining him in the group are Brandon Gibbs (DEVIL CITY ANGELS) on vocals and guitar, Mick Sweda (BULLETBOYS) on guitar and backing vocals, and Bryan Kimes on bass and backing vocals.

Yep!!!

Posted by Rikki Rockett on Thursday, December 12, 2024

singles in the UK, and just one successful album, reports Forbes Senior Contributor, Hugh McIntyre.


The music they made is still remembered fondly, but the group is perhaps best known for helping launch the careers of some of rock’s most prestigious musicians: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. All three were once part of the band, which has just scored a new hit album this week in the country where their journey began.


The Yardbirds are back on the charts in the U.K. this week with their sole project aimed at the British audience. Roger the Engineer debuts on the Official Album Downloads ranking at No. 39, instantly earning the band a top 40 win.

Swedish melodic black metal band, Mörk Gryning, are streaming their new album, Fasornas Tid, ahead of its official release tomorrow, Friday, December 13, via Season Of Mist. Listen to the full album below.


Fasornas Tid lands at #30 on our BravePicks 2024 list. Follow the countdown here.


Mörk Gryning was founded in Stockholm, Sweden in 1993 by Goth Gorgon and Draakh Kimera. Two years later they released their debut album Tusen År Har Gått (1995), recorded and mixed at Unisound Studios, by legendary producer Dan Swanö and released by No Fashion. The album is one of the milestones of the ‘90s Swedish black metal scene.




The group returned to action in November 1996, working at Sunlight Studios together with Tomas Skogsberg and Dismember’s Fred Estby to craft the Return Fire album. Over the following years, three more albums were released, for example Maelstrom Chaos with new guitarist Avathar, a scene veteran, recorded at the legendary Grieghallen Studios Bergen, Norway.


Ever since the debut album, Tusen år har gått…, Mörk Gryning has refused to follow in the footsteps of others and walked their own paths – something which is made very clear on the 2003 release Pieces of Primal Expressionism, an experimental and heavy progressive release recorded at Dug Out, produced by Daniel Bergstrand. After a couple of years of touring and festival performances, the band was put on hold.


Returning to the scene again in 2017, the band performed an exclusive live show in Stockholm playing all the songs from the debut album and some other songs from the back catalogue. This ended in releasing the 4-song live record called Live at Kraken. During the pandemic the comeback album Hinsides Vrede was released to much critical acclaim with many of the songs today being the backbone of their live shows.


Now that they've returned,  Mörk Gryning are more active than ever. This year, the band announced their seventh album. Fasnornas Tid pays a brutal homage to the scene's raw ferocity and ageless spirit with a dystopian symphony that's driven by an insatiable hunger for self-destruction.


Available formats:


- Digital Download
- CD Digipak
- 1x12" Vinyl Gatefold - Black
- 1x12" Coloured Vinyl Gatefold - Transparent Red
- 1x12" Coloured Vinyl Gatefold - Crystal Clear & Silver Marbled


Pre-order/pre-save the album here.

During an appearance on "The Adam Carolla Show", KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons once again praised the upcoming KISS avatar show, calling it a "jaw-dropping, never-before-seen thing".

The technology being used for the KISS avatars, originally developed for ABBA's "Voyage" show in London, will allow KISS to stay "on the road" in retirement.

The KISS avatars were created by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and were financed and produced by the Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment, which is behind "ABBA Voyage".

Using cutting-edge technology, Pophouse Entertainment Group, which was founded by ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus, will create digital versions of KISS. The project was previewed at the final KISS concert in New York in December 2023.

Regarding his vision for the KISS avatar show, Simmons said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "This thing that we're doing with Pophouse is a jaw-dropping, never-before-seen thing. And I can't get too specific except to let you know the following, 'cause it's out there. We flew up to George Lucas's ILM and we did motion capture, just to make sure that it feels and moves like us, 'cause it is us. The experience is gonna be beyond anything you can imagine. Because imagine a caveman goes to IMAX and beholds, experiences a 3D event. They just wouldn't understand. So, the only way I can describe what's gonna happen in the next two years or so… Most of us know what virtual glasses are. And all of a sudden, the room and the world you're in disappears. And if you look down, the floor that you're standing on is no longer the floor. You could be floating in space or on another planet. So no matter where you look, in back of you, forward, up, down, you're in this alternative universe. Now imagine that experience with sound and heat and all that kind of stuff without glasses.

"If you go to the [Las Vegas] Sphere or if you go to the ABBA show, and millions of folks have gone, you'll swear to God they're live on stage," Gene continued. "But if you look down, you can see your hand and some person next to you. So it's reality crossed with you can't believe your eyes. The technology has improved so much that reality will disappear. You're gonna be in an alternate… It's tough to describe it."

Asked if the KISS avatar show could be played at almost any venue or if it needs a special venue, Simmons said: "Initially, we're controlling every square foot of these huge places in the same way that IMAX 3D, they need special cameras, special lighting and all that. You can't take IMAX and go to an outdoor property… It's not linear. You're not looking at a screen. It's all around you. So if you pick your head up, your chair disappears. It's difficult to describe it because nobody has seen this."

Simmons previously talked about the KISS avatar show earlier in the month during an appearance on The Zak Kuhn Show podcast. He said at the time: "Well, you may have read or not, there's a terrific company called Pophouse who are responsible for that ABBA avatar show outside of London, which has pulled millions of tickets, actually, and is quite a thing. But even that technology is now yesterday's news.

"I don't know how to describe it, but so far we're just calling it KISS avatars," he continued. "It'll be seen around the world. And I'll try to describe it. When you put on virtual glasses, you get a 360-degree experience. Wherever you turn your head, you're in that universe; you're in a parallel universe, if you will. You could be in the land of dinosaurs or falling off a cliff or you pick your head up to the sky and you see the sky. And you lower your chin and you look like a chasm with your feet falling. So you actually believe, to the extent that you shut off your mind, that you're actually in that world. Now imagine not wearing glasses and having that experience."

Asked if the KISS avatar show will "totally blow away" "ABBA Voyage", Simmons said: "It already does, yeah. Uh-huh… Technology, I'm sure you keep up with it, is growing by leaps and bounds… The future is here. A.I. now fixes itself and teaches itself. And so the technology has advanced by leaps and bounds even where the ABBA show was. You could swear ABBA was live on stage, but you have to look straight forward. If you look to the left or right, you can see your neighbor sitting behind you or next to you. And so you have that kind of, 'Oh, this is reality. And what's on stage looks like reality.' But as you know, with 3D glasses, virtual glasses, your sense of what's real and what's not is skewed. So there's all that."

This past October, KISS frontman Paul Stanley told Steve-O's Wild Ride! podcast about the KISS avatar show: "What we'll be doing with these amazing avatars will take us to another place, another level. Now, those images [that were previewed at the end of KISS's final gig at] the Garden were really — I had mixed feelings about showing those because they're so early on, they look nothing like that. I mean, the avatars are identical. I mean, they look like us. And I think the idea was really just to show people that we're going to move on and continue, but it won't be like that. And what we're putting together with George Lucas and Pophouse, this amazing company out of Sweden, is an immersive experience that you'll come to, and there'll be heat and fire and wind and things flying around."

Stanley continued: "The idea of us making a recreation of a concert, I mean, how long can you look and go, 'Wow, that looks just like an amplifier'? That's not what we're doing. I would say it's Cirque Du Soleil meets 'Star Wars' and a KISS concert. So it's gonna be amazing."

Paul was also full of praise for "ABBA Voyage", which has been very lucrative since debuting in May 2022. In 2023, the holographic show's performances numbered 374 and attracted 1,097,597 attendees for an occupancy rate of 97.8%.

"Yeah, that lives in London, and that's sold out for four years now, I think — every night, eight shows a week," Stanley said. "And it's amazing because I've seen it twice and the audience is just thrilled and so much a part of it. It's not like, 'Oh, we're watching something that's not real.' It's real… I mean, you can see through the clothes. They move back and forth, they interact. It's unbelievable. And when I saw it the first time, at the end of the show, the curtain pulled back and [the] ABBA [members as they look] today, the four of them, came walking out. And I was, like, 'Wow, I'm here on this night to see [the four of them at the performance].' [But] it wasn't them. That's how good it is."

Paul also talked about KISS's decision to sell its entire music catalog, likeness and brand name to Pophouse. Asked if he and Simmons will remain involved in the way the KISS brand is promoted and marketed going forward, Stanley said: "They want us involved, which is smart. And also it's a way to ensure, I hate to say purity, but a focus.

"Look, we got it this far," he explained. "And, they had no intentions of just taking it and them riding off into the sunset. This is a collaboration, and [it's] never been done before. I mean, bands sell publishing, songwriters sell their song rights. I dare say that there's not a band I can think of where anybody wants to buy the band's likeness and the logos and everything that goes with it."

Paul added: "You have to imagine that for us to create something and nurture it through the good and the bad for 50 years and then give it to a [someone else], it's like leaving home. Yeah, it's leaving home. But I'm still who I was. If I was the Starchild before, I'm Starchild now. That doesn't change. I'm who I've been. And it's such a unique situation that I don't think anybody else can ever fathom the magnitude, because people have a hard time giving up their publishing; that's like their babies. Well, we gave up our babies and the house and the block."

When Steve-O noted that the deal with Pophouse is a way to really ensure that the KISS legacy continues the way that he and Gene want it to, Stanley concurred. "Exactly," he said. "And to keep it going, as you said, continuously. Bands — I don't wanna say shelf life, but bands only have a certain amount of lifespan. Certain bands certainly live on through their music. What are we listening to inside? [LED] ZEPPELIN or THE BEATLES. But KISS is so unique, to keep it at the level we want it to be and for the personas to live on, this was a great way to do it. I had no thoughts of selling publishing — that didn't appeal to me — but this is kind of like finding, I don't wanna say foster parents, but we researched and did our due diligence and our homework and spent a lot of time with Pophouse also, and they're great people and totally understand what we are and what we're doing and what we wanna be."

In September, Stanley was asked by Billboard's "Behind The Setlist" podcast about the reports that the KISS avatar show will debut in 2027 in Las Vegas. Paul said: "What I can tell you is that the technology that's being used, which is a furthering of the technology used on the ABBA show, has to be installed and basically a building has to be built around it. So this isn't something where you're in Kansas City today, and tomorrow you fly with your projector to do it. It demands an arena, so to speak that's really solely used for a show like this. But it's not something that can play on Wednesdays and Thursdays or Saturdays and Sundays, and then something else is in there during the week."

Regarding what other things KISS fans can expect to come out of the band's deal with Pophouse, Paul said: "Well, really with Pophouse, what we're doing is focusing on this show. That's really the main focus. Obviously, be it the music or the personas and all that goes along with KISS that's been there all along will continue and expand. I think at this point there's a lot more understanding of the possibilities, and there are people coming to the table, so to speak, who perhaps for a while saw a rock band in make-up, and clearly it's turning into so much more than that."

Asked if there is going to be a live music element to the KISS avatar show, like "ABBA Voyage" has, Paul said: "I really can't tell you the ultimate technology that we'll be using. We're sitting down in in the very near future just to start to fine-tune the show and the presentation. And then how we project the music or utilize the music, as far as technology, will be decided."

On the topic of how he feels that the KISS legacy has been treated over the years, Stanley said: "I think it's been treated — well, it runs the gamut. I think people who don't understand it or haven't understood it or for whatever self-serving reasons have looked down their nose at it have been far, far overwhelmed and eclipsed by the people who love what we do. So the people who dismissed it or haven't understood it, quite frankly, they've missed out. I find it puzzling that anybody could have a vehement response to a band or performer. It's just — that goes Psychology 101. 'Whoa, what's your problem?'"

In a recent interview with Henrique Inglez de Souza of Brazil's Rockast, Simmons discussed the band's decision to sell its music catalogue, brand name and likeness to Pophouse. A biopic, an avatar show, and a KISS-themed experience are already in the works, with Simmons and Stanley playing key roles in the development of all these projects, working closely with Pophouse.

"There will be movies, cartoon shows, all kinds of things, but the avatars are the future of KISS," Gene explained. "And to say they're concerts is too small. It's bigger than that. And I don't wanna say too much. I'm not allowed to. Not yet."

Regarding KISS's apparent willingness to fully embrace modern technology, Simmons told Rockast: "Well, everything evolves. We didn't always stand up on two legs. A few million years ago, we were on four legs. Everything evolves, and you either evolve or you become obsolete or you die. So technology is here. A.I. is here. Virtual reality is here. Everything is here. And we don't wanna be yesterday's news. So even the end of something can be the beginning of something. But we're very excited — and proud. I keep saying proud, because that's what it is."

This past April, Simmons told People magazine that KISS's decision to sell its entire music catalog, likeness and brand name to Pophouse was the "natural thing" to do. "Life happens while you're busy making important plans," he explained. "We were planning our respectful, proud walking off into the sunset, because we've been touring, we had been touring for half a century.

"If you take a look at Mother Nature, you either evolve or you become extinct," he added.

While terms of the Pophouse deal were not officially announced, Bloomberg and Associated Press said it was worth upwards of $300 million. However, Simmons insisted that financial gain is "not what [the sale is] about. It's about enjoying life," while adding, "I'm certainly blessed."

In a separate interview with TMZ, Simmons defended KISS's plans for an avatar concert similar to ABBA's with digital versions of the group.

"A.I. [artificial intelligence] is here to stay," he said. "Technology is here to stay. And you either join in and try to adapt and try to figure out how that works with you or you're just yesterday's news in a very real way.

"Truthfully, KISS has stopped touring," he continued. "We will never tour as KISS again. However, the end is also the beginning. We're gonna do things that will blow your socks off. But we couldn't do this without our new best friends for life Pophouse. They're really remarkable people."

When the interviewer asked if fans will embrace the concept of a concert that is A.I.-driven and consists of nothing but holograms, Gene said: "It's not just, 'Okay, they're gonna show up on stage just like they did before, but it's holograms. No. That's an archaic term. Technology has advanced so far, you won't believe it.

"We spent some time at George Lucas's place and did motion capture stuff secretly," he continued. "We didn't talk to anybody — media or anything — about it, because we wanted this to be like nothing anybody's ever seen. And I will tell you, if you've seen the ABBA show in London, which is phenomenal, this is gonna be beyond anything you've ever seen.

"So the future is here, and with our friends at Pophouse, who are visionaries, we're gonna be doing things that no band and no musical — nobody's ever done before," Gene added. "Our events are going to be multi, I wanna say multidimensional. You just won't believe your eyes. Things are gonna be so much larger than life in front of you. You won't believe it. We've already seen the first fragments of that. It's just jaw-droppingly amazing."

Working closely with KISS, Pophouse will follow its unique, value-add approach of drawing upon its world-class, in-house creative and storytelling expertise to unlock new audiences and revenue streams. Pophouse will use its proven, industry-defining playbook to create new content and experiences to enrich the KISS catalog for fans, old and new, actively seeking to enrich and add value to the brands and artists it partners with. Inclusivity and community have always been vital to the KISS experience, and Pophouse is committed to nurture the close relationship between KISS and its devoted fans moving forward.

Johan Lagerlöf, head of investment at Pophouse, said: "KISS is one of the most recognized and iconic bands in the history of music. They redefined the concept of rock shows and have always taken their artistry to new uncharted territories. The band has consistently been able to appeal to new generations of fans and our mission is to fulfill the band's vision to become immortal, and to let new generations discover and be part of the KISS journey and carry it forward. With the help of the fans' energy, the band, our expertise, and creativity we will make that vision happen."

Per Sundin, CEO at Pophouse Entertainment, said: "KISS has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and has throughout their 50-year career continued to push the boundaries in popular culture. The band's enigmatic personas, unparalleled band attributes, and iconic imagery have made them a cultural force and a legendary act with multigenerational appeal. We will safeguard and enrich this legacy through future global endeavors, by breathing new life into their characters and personas while also leveraging and elevating the visual world of KISS."

As part of the partnership, Pophouse will create digital versions of KISS that will allow the band and their unique personas to live forever. The project, already underway, was previewed at the final KISS show in Madison Square Garden, New York on December 2, 2023, when, to the audience's surprise, KISS avatars closed the night with a rendition of "God Gave Rock And Roll To You" (resulting in international headlines). Through a magical combination of cutting-edge technology and unrivalled creativity, Pophouse will bring the full, authentic KISS experience to both existing and new fans for years to come. The avatar show is planned to launch in 2027.

Stanley said in a statement: "Our journey with Pophouse is fueled by the desire to eternally resonate across diverse facets of global culture. As we embark on this venture, we aim to weave our legacy into the tapestry of different worlds, ensuring that the KISS experience continues to captivate both our devoted fans and those yet to discover the thrill. This partnership is not just a chapter; it's an eternal symphony of rock 'n' roll immortality."

Grammy Award-nominated act IN THIS MOMENT has thanked fans for their support during the band's just-completed headlining tour across North America, featuring special guests KIM DRACULA, NATHAN JAMES and MIKE'S DEAD. "The Godmode Tour Part 2", which continued the celebration of the release of IN THIS MOMENT's 2023 album "Godmode", saw the band perform at arenas and amphitheaters across the country.

Earlier today (Thursday, December 12),IN THIS MOMENT released the following message via social media: "ITM just wants to thank everybody for all of their overwhelming support for this last 'Godmode' album cycle. We appreciate you all more than words can even express.

"ITM will now be stepping away to take a break and create the next chapter of music."

"Godmode" arrived in October 2023 via BMG. The LP was produced by Kane Churko (ROB ZOMBIE, DISTURBED, PAPA ROACH) and Tyler Bates. Bates produced, wrote songs for, and played multiple instruments on albums by MARILYN MANSON, BUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist Jerry Cantrell. He is best known, however, for scoring the box office smash "300", the Emmy Award-winning Showtime series "Californication", the "Guardians Of The Galaxy" and "John Wick" film franchises. IN THIS MOMENT's song "I Would Die For You" appeared on the soundtrack for "John Wick: Chapter 4", for which Bates wrote the score.

With a Grammy nomination ("The In-Between", 2021),platinum and gold record sales, multiple Top 25 entries on the Billboard Top 200 ("Black Widow" and "Ritual"),hits including "Whore", "Blood" and "Adrenalize" and career streams of more than 1.3 billion, you'd think IN THIS MOMENT might rest on their laurels. Instead, they've created "Godmode", 10 dynamic songs that mark a new high for the quintet, further cementing their legacy in the heavy music world. Proof positive is in "Godmode"'s first single, the industrial-heavy yet ultra-melodic "The Purge", and its darkly cinematic video directed by Jensen Noen (BRING ME THE HORIZON, DEMI LOVATO). From the portentous start of the '90s-tinged "Godmode" with Maria Brink's powerful primal scream to the pitch-perfect cover of Bjork's 1995 "Army Of Me" to the impassioned pain to partnership in "Everything Starts And Ends With You", "Godmode" is a cut above.

IN THIS MOMENT, a touring juggernaut who've slayed stages worldwide at Ozzfest, Warped Tour, Download, Knotfest and Rocklahoma, put out "Mother" in 2020, during the pandemic, giving fans something to hold on in during that bleak time, and earning "The In-Between" the band's first Grammy nod. It was 2021 when Howorth and Brink first wrote with Bates on "I Would Die For You". Following that collaboration, the duo were writing organically, for pleasure, not focused on the next album. As the pandemic waxed and waned, Howorth learned programming, and created music around synthwave sounds, which Brink leaned into. Her lyrical ideas arose both from soul-searching and "humanity and so much crisis and so many heart-wrenching things in the world. That negativity and darkness is how songs like 'The Purge' came about," Brink explained.

Photo credit: Joe Cotela

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Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman has once again admitted that money was a major motivator for him when he was approached about taking part in a reunion of the band's "Rust In Peace" lineup nearly a decade ago.

The opportunity for MEGADETH's most celebrated lineup to regroup arose following the departures of guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover in 2014.

Friedman had met with mainman Dave Mustaine and then-MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson at the 2015 NAMM show in Anaheim, California to discuss a reunion of the "Rust In Peace" lineup, which would have seen him and drummer Nick Menza back in the mix.

Friedman, who moved from America to Japan in 2003, opened up about his reasons for turning down the MEGADETH reunion in his autobiography, "Dreaming Japanese", which was released on December 3 via Permuted Press. Reflecting on the "salary offer" MEGADETH's then-manager Ron Lafitte made for him to rejoin the band, Friedman wrote: "Let's just say he wasn't even in the ballpark. Hell, he wasn't even in the parking lot for the ballpark. The amount they offered was right around the first salary I got when I joined MEGADETH in 1990. If I'd had any idea they would lowball me like this, I never would have met with them in Anaheim. Had I taken that offer, I would have been paid less in a week than I made in a normal day in Japan. I was stunned and angry and told them I couldn't even consider it. I made a counteroffer, which was the bare minimum I could accept, and far less than I have received from any of the artists I've toured with in Japan.'

Referencing the fact that Lafitte floated the possibility of a MEGADETH tour with IRON MAIDEN as the first order of business after the reunion of the "Rust In Peace" lineup, Marty continued: "I was willing to take the financial hit because a reunion tour with MEGADETH opening for IRON MAIDEN could open doors for me again in America. And what followed could be a bigger tour than anything we had previously done. Even if they met my rate, the tour would have been a huge windfall for them. They easily could have agreed to that, and the reunion would have been on, but they said I wanted too much money."

Friedman added: "I was happy with my career in Japan, doing what I loved, making real money without the kind of drama that comes with MEGADETH. They didn't even acknowledge they had just lost their guitarist and drummer and needed me more than I needed them. When I got over my initial anger, I was puzzled and sad."

Marty previously opened up about why the MEGADETH reunion failed to materialize in Mustaine's 2020 book, "Rust In Peace: The Inside Story Of The Megadeth Masterpiece", which details the making of the iconic record "Rust In Peace".

"My main thing was I'd be happy to do it, but I'm not going to take less money than I'm already making to do it," Marty said in part.

"I'd been in Japan for more than ten years cultivating a career with solid rewards. I was making money not only for myself but also for my management and staff. My manager has been with me fifteen years.

"Everything was sound and solid professionally, and when the offer came up to all of a sudden join MEGADETH again, as long as I would not be making less money, I was ready to go," he said. "But I was certainly not going to take a loss to join a band that, frankly, at that point, didn't seem like they had too much to offer musically. A couple of members of the band had recently quit, and musically I hadn't heard anything that they've done in a long time. I didn't know about how relevant they continued to be in the music business. It wasn't like MEGADETH was on the tip of people's tongues, at least not in Japan. I had reached the point where people stopped immediately connecting me to MEGADETH and were talking about the things that I had done in Japan."

According to Friedman, part of the reason he turned down the MEGADETH reunion is the fact that the group is largely seen as Mustaine's solo project, with members coming and going every couple of albums.

"Had it been more of a band situation and not such a one-man, Dave Mustaine-main-man party, I might have considered doing it for a little less," Marty said. "But, at the end of the day, MEGADETH is so much Mustaine because that's the way he engineered it. I didn't feel that kind of camaraderie, the four-man diamond, THE BEATLES, KISS, METALLICA. I felt like I would be going out there and tour and it was going to be Mustaine's big success. If I'm going to do that, I'm certainly not going to lose money to do that; I was doing great on my own in Japan."

Mustaine told Loudwire that he was put off by Friedman's financial demands when the topic of a "Rust In Peace" reunion was broached.

"Marty has a really successful career in Japan where he makes quite a lot of money," Dave said. "And this is the part where I thought it was a little weird, where he said he said that he has to pay all his team while he's gone instead of just himself. 'Cause I thought we'll pay you what you're making so that's switching horses in the middle of the river — it's no big deal unless you fall off. And then when we found out that he wanted to sell his merch, his this, his that, his this, his that, then he wanted this crazy amount of money and he wanted to fly first class everywhere. I said to our management, 'I can't deal with this.'"

In a 2016 interview with the "Eddie Trunk Podcast", Mustaine confirmed that MEGADETH didn't hold any rehearsals with Friedman while attempting a reunion of the "Rust In Peace" lineup.

"Marty had sent some e-mails saying, 'Oh, man, you know, the fans have this self-inflated importance of 'Rust In Peace' beyond what it really is. And I was, like, 'Huh?'" Dave said. 'So I didn't know if that was a backhand to the face of the fans or not, but he had basically said that if we were gonna do anything, it had to be better than 'Rust In Peace'. And he sent me over some links to some songs that he thought should be the direction that we were going in, and one of it was this J-Pop band with some Japanese girl singing, and I was, like, 'Uh-uh. This ain't gonna work.' More power to [Marty for being into that stuff]. Do what you want, Marty. He's a great guitar player. But I'm not gonna sing like a Japanese girl."

Menza was approached by Mustaine and Ellefson to replace Drover at the end of 2014, and he started working out new tracks with the band. But the plan collapsed after he was offered a contract he described as "very unfair." A year and a half later, in May 2016, Nick died after suffering a heart attack during a concert with OHM: at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California.

To mark the release of the remixed, remastered and extended Queen 1 boxset, the band have released the fourth episode in their Queen The Greatest Special series.


A message states: "Queen's reputation for music videos is legendary, but that journey had to begin somewhere, and in this episode we head back to 1973 and revisit the band's first steps.  And in an exclusive interview, Roger Taylor and Brian May reveal that after a BBC TV show provided the inspiration, the introduction to life in front of the film cameras was far from an enjoyable and rewarding experience."







Watch the first three Queen The Greatest Special episodes below:


Episode 1:





Episode 2:





Episode 3:





The 6CD + 1 LP Queen I box set (out now) contains 63 tracks with 43 brand new mixes, comprising the original album with its intended running order restored, intimate fly-on-the-wall audio of Queen in the studio, demos, rare live tracks, and previously unheard recordings from Queen’s first ever live performance in London, August 1970. Absent from the 1973 release, the song “Mad the Swine” has been reinstated to its original place in the running order. A 108-page book containing handwritten lyrics and memorabilia accompanies the release.





“This is not just a remaster,” writes Brian May in the CD sleeve insert notes, “this is a brand new 2024 rebuild of the entire Queen debut album, which, with the benefit of hindsight, we have re-titled QUEEN I.”


May continues, “All the performances are exactly as they originally appeared in 1973, but every instrument has been revisited to produce the ‘live’ ambient sounds we would have liked to use originally. The result is “Queen“ as it would have sounded with today’s knowledge and technology – a first.”


“Queen I is the debut album we always dreamed of bringing to you.”


Go to Queen's off

Rival Sons' live concert album, Pair Of Aces: Live From Santa Catalina Island (Part 2). is out today on both YouTube and all audio streaming platforms. It features the performance of their 2010 self-titled EP which was recorded by 9x Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb and led to the band first being signed. It includes fan-favorite tracks such as “Get What’s Coming,” “Torture,” “Radio,” “Sacred Tongue,” and “Soul.”


The YouTube premiere will be followed by a live Q&A/afterparty with frontman Jay Buchanan and guitarist Scott Holiday. Watch the live concert premiere, and join in on the afterparty below. Stream the album on your preferred listening platform here.










In June 2021, Rival Sons, delivered two live performances from Catalina Island, CA. They were originally streamed via Veeps to fans at home across the world, many of whom were still in lockdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic.


Both performances are available to stream visually and digitally for the first time. Pair Of Aces: Live From Santa Catalina Island (Part 1) features the full performance of their 2009 album Before The Fire was released in November. Watch the YouTube performance below, and/or stream the album digitally here.


Drummer Michael Miley states: “Night two of our trip to Catalina Island! We set up in the historic Avalon theater and it was like we were transported to another era. The theater has insane old school acoustics. You can hear someone whisper from 90 feet away like they’re directly in your ear; it was nostalgic. And dusting off the EP, especially during a pandemic, was a respite as well as a funky good time!”


Holiday elaborates on both releases: “In recognition of the 10-year anniversary of our first 2 albums, we played each album in its entirety over 2 different nights. One night in the ballroom (in the round!) performing Before the Fire, and the n

Italian progressive death metal band, Sadist, will release their Jugular Bell EP on December 20 via Nadir Music. It's a limited edition box set, which is going to make all the fans of the band very happy. Inside the box, a 5-track Jewel Box CD, Band sticker, wool hat, and band patch.


While waiting for the release of the Sadist Christmas box set, you can find the official video for the title track below.


The Jugular Bells EP will anticipate the release of the band's new album, which is scheduled for spring 2025 via Agonia Records. The tracks on the mini-CD will not be included on the full-length album.

Swiss rock legend Marc Storace’s band, Storace, have reissued their first record, Live And Let Live, in a special edition including a bonus live album, available now via Frontiers Music Srl.


The focus track, “Midnite Maniac”, and the accompanying visualizer, are also available now.


Marc Storace describes the new single, by saying: “'Midnite Maniac' is a popular Krokus song from the 80’s that Krokus never play! It came off The Blitz album. Back in the 80’s, MTV had the video on full rotation! It talks about a female serial killer.”




Talking about the album release, Storace comments: “Krokus had stopped to exist because of Covid and no one really knew what the outcome of the pandemic would be, so not wasting time I started working on a solo album! Live And Let Live is rich in melodic vocals, colourful riffs, great guitar solos, many hooks and a solid driving rhythm section!!”


Watch the visualizer for "Midnite Maniac" below:





On the bonus album, Marc notes: “During the past three intensive years playing throughout Switzerland we recorded many gigs and the live album features the best of the crop, highlighting songs we recorded during hot performances in Zürich’s Hallenstadion as special guests of KISS, and The Scorpions, and whilst sharing the famous 'Rock The Ring Festival' stage with Alice Cooper and his notorious band.


“Included on the setlist are songs from Krokus which we never play, like 'Midnite Maniac' and 'To The Top'; also a beefed up version of 'Telephone Man' from my late seventies London band Eazy Money”, he continues.


Live And Let Live is Storace’s first official solo album. It was recorded during the 2021 lockdown of the Covid pandemic and was produced by Cyrill Camenzind and Massimo Buonanno at Powerplay Studios, near Zürich.


Cyrill, Massi, and Marc composed some of the songs together, and they played on the album which also features the talented musicians Marco Blöchlinger on bass, Christian Roffler on keys, Jean Pierre Von Dach on lead guitar, and Gee K, Micha Dettwyler and Céline Hales on backing vocals.


Live And Let Live was officially released in Switzerland on December 18, 2021, during a gig at the legendary Music-Club outside Bern called the “Mühle Hunziken." It was performed by the studio band, all except J.P. Von Dach, who had been replaced by Turi Wicki due to his heavy touring commitments with Joss Stone.


Order Live And Let Live here.





Live And Let Live tracklisting:


CD1:
"Live And Let Live"
"High On Love"
"Lady Of The Night"
"Carry The Burden"
"Broken Wings"
"No Place To Hide"
"Don't Wanna Go"
"Love Over Money"
"Time Waits For No One"
"Paradise"


CD2:
"Live And Let Live"
"High On Love"
"Midnite Maniac"
"Telephone Man"
"Lady Of The Night"
"Hellraiser"
"Broken Wings"
"To The Top"
"No Place To Hide"
"Don't Wanna Go"
"Carry The Burden"
"Love Over Money"


"Lady Of The Night" visualizer:





After an internationally streamed "Baloise Session" gig in the legendary Atlantis of Basel-City in January, the first edition of the Storace band embarked on a package tour of Switzerland with Megawatt and Coreleoni in March.


In May 2022, Storace embarked on a headliner club tour with a newly formed band. He wanted to deliver with an increased amount of that good old school hard rock feel, so in addition to Turi Wicki (lead guitar), Dom Favez (ex-Krokus rhythm guitar) and Patrick Aeby (ex-Krokus drummer) joined the band, together with Emi-Meyer (bass).


The new Storace band then went on to play at the Rock The Ring Festival near Zürich along with Alice Cooper and, on July 7, they opened for KISS at the Hallenstadion. Their headline tour continued further in 2022, with the new Storace team becoming even more solid, delivering with much charisma and a strong punch!


On June 2, 2023, Storace played at the Hallenstadion again, opening for Scorpions. Drummer Patrick Aeby managed to record a selection of material taken from these fresh touring years, included as a bonus disc in the reissue of Live And Let Live.


Maltese-born Swiss musician Marc Storace started his exceptional musical career in 1970, with the Swiss cult progressive band TEA, with whom he released 3 LPs and toured Europe and the UK. TEA also supported Queen during an early tour in Germany. Marc gained attention for his frontmanship and his high-pitched raunchy vocal tone.


Whilst in London in 1977, Marc formed Eazy Money whose song "Telephone Man" made it into the UK Metal Charts and is in the Storace set list today.


In 1979, Marc became the voice of Krokus, the most successful Hard Rock Band from Switzerland. After their first album with Marc, Metal Rendez-Vous, Krokus played several world tours, sold over 15 million records, and won many gold and platinum awards.


When the group disbanded, Marc formed the band Blue, who released their self-titled album in 1991, including the widely known hit “You Can't Stop The Rainfall”.

Today, Blue Öyster Cult is celebrating the release of 50th Anniversary Live - Third Night, the final instalment of the live album celebrating the band’s 50th anniversary.


In September of 2022, Blue Öyster Cult enthralled fans with a unique trilogy of sold-out shows, each dedicated to one of their first three albums. Founding member Albert Bouchard made a special appearance on all three nights, adding a nostalgic touch to the historic milestone.


For nearly three hours each night, the band delivered a spellbinding set, weaving through the entirety of their now-classic initial trilogy of albums and treating fans to a mix of favorites, deep cuts, and classic hits. The atmosphere was electric, and Frontiers Music captured the magic, releasing each night as a special individual package.




This electrifying performance, which includes the band’s third album Secret Treaties performed back-to-back, hits shelves today and promises to be a spectacular follow-up to the band's historic three-night stint at Sony Hall in NYC.


To help roll out the album's release, Blue Öyster Cult shares a new live performance video for "I Love The Night". Watch below:





Blue Öyster Cult's legacy spans over five decades, captivating fans with intelligent hard rock loaded with classic songs. Hailing from Long Island, NY, the band is renowned in the hard rock and heavy metal scene for their pioneering work, earning both critical acclaim and commercial success.


Cited as a major influence by acts like Metallica, Blue Öyster Cult boasts a timeless catalog, including iconic tracks like "(Don’t Fear) The Reaper," "Godzilla," and "Burnin’ for You." The creative vision of the original core duo, Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser and Eric Bloom, is complemented by Richie Castellano, Danny Miranda, and Jules Radino, forming a powerhouse lineup.


As the band embraces its status as a 'classic rock' phenomenon, they continue to create vibrant work, offering a refreshing alternative to mainstream trends. With a relentless touring schedule and the critically acclaimed album, The Symbol Remains released in 2020, Blue Öyster Cult remains an enduring force, ready to ignite the stage onc

Today, British rock icons, Magnum, release a new digital single and video, "Days Of No Trust" (Live), taken from the upcoming album, Live At KK's Steel Mill.


"Days Of No Trust" (Live) is available on all digital platforms here. Watch the video below.


Talking about the new single, Magnum frontman Bob Catley says: “As we all know, Tony wrote this song for our 1988 album Wings Of Heaven and it’s a political statement that is still valid today – that people worldwide deserve better than vagabonds, crooks and corrupt politicians.”







Live At KK's Steel Mill is Magnum's final live album with founder Tony Clarkin. Recorded December 10, 2022, Live At KK's Steel Mill was the memorable night when they played the final show of their European tour at KK’s Steel Mill in Wolverhampton and, as they had done on all previous nights, wowed their fans from the first to the last note.


The concert was recorded by state-of-the-art audio equipment, which later turned out to be a real blessing because it was – as we now know – the last official live recording starring Tony Clarkin. The guitarist and main songwriter died unexpectedly on January 7, 2024, just a few days before the release of Magnum’s studio album, Here Comes The Rain.


The album presents Magnum as an enthusiastically celebrated act whose repertoire of hits, classics, and newer material could hardly be more varied. “It was the perfect evening,” recalls singer Bob Catley. “We finished our The Monster Roars tour in Wolverhampton, KK’s Steel Mill was packed out and the promoter was a passionate Magnum fan. I couldn’t imagine a more worthy farewell to Tony than those recordings.”


Due to the huge demand and to mark the first anniversary of Clarkin’s passing, Live At KK's Steel Mill will be available via Steamhammer/SPV starting January 10, for the first time on double CD, triple LP, and for digital download (pre-order here).


Live At KK's Steel Mill will be released  in the following configurations:


- 2CD DigiPak incl. 24 pages booklet
- 3LP box bag, 140 g, solid viola vinyl, 6-page colored insert
- Download / Streaming


Pre-order here.


- Exclusive CD/LP Bundles with a shirt and exclusive vinyl color (solid baby blue) only at the Steamhammer shop


Pre-order here





Live At KK's Steel Mill tracklisting:


CD1
"Days Of No Trust"
"Lost On The Road To Eternity"
"The Monster Roars"
"The Archway Of Tears"
"Dance Of The Black Tattoo"
"Where Are You Eden? "
"The Flood "
"The Day after The Night Before"


CD2
"Wild Swan"
"Les Morts Dansant"
"Rocking Chair"
"All England's Eyes"
"Vigilante"
"Kingdom Of Madness"
"On A Storyteller's Night"
"Sacred Hour"


"Kingdom Of Madness" (Live) lyric video:

"Shadow Walker" is the second release from Gypsy Pistoleros' groundbreaking new album, Welcome To The Church Of The Pistoleros, set for release in early 2025 via Golden Robot Records (Australia, New Zealand) and Earache Records (Rest Of The World).


Check out the official video for "Shadow Walker" below. 


"Shadow Walker" explores how facing and embracing our inner shadows allows for a profound transformation. The Shadow Walker’s journey is ultimately one of acceptance—of their connection to the unseen, primal forces of nature and the acceptance of their true self. By navigating the labyrinth of their fears, they achieve unity with both the self and the natural world, embodying a timeless, mystical force. Impervious to the dark world that we live in.







Welcome To The Church Of The Pistoleros, recorded at the renowned Old Cider Press Studios in Pershore, is produced and co-written by the legendary Dave Draper, whose credits include work with Ginger Wildheart, Nickelback, The Professionals and Terrorvision, etc. Draper has described Church of the Pistoleros as "a total monster" and one of the best projects he's ever worked on.


 


This album is a rallying cry to the outcasts, the misunderstood, the shy, the quiet and disenfranchised of society. A place where they are welcome. Gypsy Pistoleros is a band that refuses to conform. Proudly walking their own path, their music is a rallying cry for misfits everywhere. With a sound that defies traditional genres, Gypsy Pistoleros stand as one of the most unique and innovative acts in the world of rock music today.  


Gypsy Pistoleros’ sound spans a vast musical landscape - from 1950s Phil Spector-esque ballads to high-energy glam punk and Latin-infused rock, creating a sonic experience that is truly unmatched. Fusing anthemic rock, Latin swagger, glam punk, and even elements of goth and emo, their music is a celebration of the unconventional. 


Gypsy Lee Pistolero states: "Welcome to the Church of the Pistoleros. Come and take my hand, al

The original lineup behind the G3 touring concept returns with Reunion Live, released January 31 worldwide on earMUSIC. The album captures the guitar magic of Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, and Steve Vai on their sold-out 2024 US tour. This electrifying reunion features three guitar icons who first joined forces in 1996 and showcases boundary-pushing performances that define G3.


Fans will enjoy full sets from each guitarist, including hits like Satriani’s “Sahara,” Johnson’s “Cliffs Of Dover,” and Vai’s “For The Love Of God,” along with a thrilling encore jam of Hendrix, Clapton and Steppenwolf covers.


Vai has shared an unboxing video, which can be viewed below.







Reunion Live is much more than “just“ a live album. It’s a full album-length set from each artist, plus a collaborative supergroup LP and the first G3 release in 20 years.


The deluxe edition features a different coloured vinyl for each artist, a special splatter LP for the encore jam, and a 64-page photo book, divided into artist and jam chapters, with the full program also on 2 CDs. It is also available in a 2CD digipack with a 16-page photo booklet and, 4 LP gatefold and digital download.


Pre-order/pre-save the album here.


Satriani says, “This live album recorded at The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles captures all the energy of the live performances while shining a spotlight on the ever-evolving art of playing the electric guitar.”


Since its inception in 1996, the G3 tour has consistently brought together guitar legends for unforgettable performances. Each edition of the tour has featured guitar virtuosos performing solo sets that showcased their individual mastery, followed by electrifying jam sessions that highlighted their collaborative brilliance.


Over the years, G3 has seen iconic guitarists like Yngwie Malmsteen, John Petrucci, and Paul Gilbert, among others, joining the ranks. Expanding beyond the US, the tour has evolved into a global celebration of guitar excellence, uniting fans and artists from different generations and genres, making it a must-see event for guitar aficionados worldwide. The G3 experience represents more than just a series of performances—it has become a platform for creative collaboration and a testament to the enduring power of guitar music.


“A G3 tour is always an electrifying experience, and this particular G3 tour with Eric and Joe was a career highlight for me. To be able to hit the road with old friends and be in that lit-up environment of the stage and communicate on the deepest musical levels with friends is a privilege and honour, especially with such incredible players as Eric and Joe, who delivered magnificently at these shows.” – Steve Vai


“Playing with Joe and Steve was an affirmation that while we all want to push the envelope of musical boundaries; we also want to share our heart experience and a soulful communication of the music that we have been allowed to partake of in our own lives.” – Eric Johnson


“Reuniting with Eric and Steve this year, commemorating the very first G3 tour of ’96, was nothing short of glorious. They were the first two guitarists I called when planning G3’s maiden voyage, so, this reunion was a confirmation of our special connection. Storming the stage with two of my favourite musical giants, celebrating our shared roots as well as our unique differences, once again proved to be a winning formula.” – Joe Satriani





Tracklisting (all formats):


"Gravitas" (Vai)
"Avalancha" (Vai)
"Little Pretty Intro" (Vai)
"Little Pretty" (Vai)
"Tender Surrender" (Vai)
"Zeus In Chains" (Vai)
"Teeth of the Hydra" (Vai)
"For The Love Of God" (Vai)
"Land Of 1000 Dances" (Johnson)
"Righteous" (Johnson)
"Trail Of Tears" (Johnson)
"On-Ramp Improv" (Johnson)
"Freeway Jam" (Johnson)
"Desert Rose" (Johnson)
"Venus Reprise" (Johnson)
"Raspberry Jam Delta-V" (Satriani)
"Surfing With The Alien" (Satriani)
"Satch Boogie" (Satriani)
"Sahara" (Satriani)
"Nineteen Eighty" (Satriani)
"Big Bad Moon" (Satriani)
"Always With Me, Always With You" (Satriani)
"Sumer Song" (Satriani)
Introductions
"Crossroads" (Encore Jam)
"Spanish Castle Magic" (Encore Jam)
"Born To Be Wild" (Encore Jam)


"Crossroads" video:





About Joe Satriani:


For over three decades, the guitar virtuoso has travelled the world, playing to sold-out crowds as both a headliner and as founder of the all-star “G3” guitar extravaganza. Satriani’s studio and live recordings have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide to date and of his many solo albums, two have gone platinum and four others went gold, with 15 Grammy nominations between them. He launched his annual “G4 Experience” in 2014 bringing aspiring guitarists together for four days of workshops, mentor sessions and live performances, providing an exclusive learning platform led by him and his accomplished peers. In 2021, he introduced the "Crystal Planet" comic series, a five-part opus interweaving the realms of music and art. The tour documentary "Beyond the Supernova," directed by ZZ Satriani and currently available for streaming, offers an intimate behind-the-scenes glimpse that intricately chronicles his life, illuminating the profound dedication that fuels his guitar mastery. His side project, Chickenfoot, featuring former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, former bassist Michael Anthony and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith saw their debut album certified gold and their second studio album debuted at #9. Satriani released his 19th studio album, The Elephants of Mars, in April 2022. In 2024 Satriani embarked on Sammy Hagar’s Best of All Worlds tour.


About Eric Johnson:


Among Johnson's many accolades are a Grammy award for "Cliffs of Dover " (from his Platinum certified album, Ah Via Musicom), ten more Grammy nominations, lifetime induction into the Guitar Player Gallery of Greats and his listing among the "100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century" by Musician. In his hometown of Austin TX, a city full of guitarists, the readers of the Austin Chronicle have voted Eric Johnson the city'

Before the festive season starts, Sweden’s blackened thrash metal band Sarcator offers an early present for its fans with their newest single “Where The Void Begins”. The third track from the group’s upcoming album delivers a haunting exploration of despair and existential reflection. With vivid imagery, the lyrics delve into themes of isolation, loss, and the allure of the unknown. Dark and poetic, the song paints a picture of surrender to the infinite unknown - terrifying but liberating.


“Where The Void Begins” will be the last single before Sarcator’s third full length album, Swarming Angels & Flies, will be fully unleashed on January 17, 2025, via Century Media Records.


The band comments, “'Where The Void Begins' is the brother song of 'The Long Lost', off our 2022 album Alkahest - not in an obvious way but it felt like continuing on a story that wasn't complete. It's the heavy one on this album and ends up in a total rock n roll frenzy. Additionally, it is the first one we wrote that ended up on this album, so it still carries the spirit of the previous album in a way.”







Stream / download "Where The Void Begins" at this location. Pre-order Swarming Angels & Flies in various formats here.





Tracklisting:


“Burning Choir”
“Comet Of End Times”
“Swarming Angels & Flies”
“The Deep Ends”
“Where The Void Begins”
“The Undercurrent”
“Closure”
“Unto Sepulchres”
“Dogfight” (Anti Cimex cover)*
“The Black Vomit” (Sarcófago cover)

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of their "Mandylion" album, the lineup of Dutch rockers THE GATHERING that recorded the LP — including singer Anneke Van Giersbergen — will reunite for five exclusive sold-out shows at Doornroosje in Nijmegen, the Netherlands:

August 27 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje
August 28 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje
August 29 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje
August 30 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje
August 31 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje

Fans can expect to hear all "Mandylion" tracks as well as more songs from the band's Anneke era.

THE GATHERING says: "After so many years, we are very excited to celebrate this anniversary together, an album that still means so much to us."

The lineup for the Nijmegen concerts will consist of the following musicians:

* Anneke Van Giersbergen - vocals
* Hugo Prinsen Geerligs - bass
* Frank Boeijen - keyboards, backing vocals
* Hans Rutten - drums
* René Rutten - guitar
* Jelmer Wiersma - guitar

In November 2014, THE GATHERING celebrated its 25th anniversary with a one-time special show at Doornroosje in Nijmegen. All past and present members of THE GATHERING — from 1989 until 2014 — appeared on stage and performed in this unique show together.

Van Giersbergen announced her departure from THE GATHERING in 2007. She has since released several albums on her own and with her AGUA DE ANNIQUE solo project.

In 2005, Century Media celebrated the 10th anniversary of "Mandylion" by releasing a special deluxe edition of the album. The double-CD set featured new artwork, a 16-page booklet with song-by-song liner notes from the band and never-before-seen photos from the album's recording sessions. CD2 contained the first demo recordings THE GATHERING did with Van Giersbergen in June 1994 and early 1995. "Solar Glider" was a previously unreleased instrumental while "Third Chance" appeared two years later in a different version on the "Nighttime Birds" album.

In a 2007 interview with PopMatters, Van Giersbergen stated about her decision to leave THE GATHERING and launch AGUA DE ANNIQUE: "I had been in THE GATHERING for 13 years, and I had never done anything for 13 years in my life. It's been my whole adult life, so to leave that, on one hand, was a very clear decision and a very strong feeling, and I was ready. In 13 years, things had changed in my personal and musical life. It was difficult as well, because the guys, they were like brothers, so to leave that and to change that relationship has been a long process and was probably one of the hardest things I did.

"I told them at the beginning of March, and so we really took some time to assess the situation," she continued. "Also, the guys, they wanted to see what their plans would be next. Of course they were not happy with my decision, but they are respectful and they have good spirits to continue. Of course, I put a big stamp on the sound and the look of THE GATHERING, but on the other hand I'm not the only singer in the world, so it's going to change, but it's not going to stop."

Regarding her reasons for leaving, Anneke said, "There were a lot of physical reasons, but they all came out of one big feeling in my heart that it was time to change. I was supposed to do this record besides THE GATHERING, and I was given time and it was all okay, but I like to do other small projects and work with other people a lot. I had some plans, and the feeling became stronger to develop that more seriously and also especially to be with my family a little bit more. Now, I can direct everything I do from this one agenda, and it feels very good to be the director of your own life. In a way THE GATHERING was officially a bigger band, and we were day and night constantly working with it, and it was quite intense, all the processes. So a lot of small things became one big feeling, like, 'Okay, I'm ready.'"

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who bought tickets! We’re truly amazed by the incredible response. All dates, including the...

Posted by theGathering on Friday, December 13, 2024

SHINEDOWN songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Eric Bass has today shared his new single "Azalia", taken from his forthcoming debut solo album "I Had A Name". Fans can watch the brand new music video below.

A concept album set within a sprawling new world, "I Had A Name" was written, recorded, and produced entirely by Bass.

"'Azalia' is one of the two main protagonists in our story," explains Eric. "She is a former warrior monk who has thrown off her religion to become an assassin. Dedicating her life to the insurgency against the WAL and Legion, and to killing every official who had anything to do with her mother's death."

He continues: "In the song 'Azalia', we find her on the run for her life with the government's demons close behind. She will have to rely on her tenacity in order to not give up, and on her natural abilities to survive. The keys to which are contained within a gift her mother gave her as a child. Eric Bass presents… 'Azalia'."

Fans can look forward to more new music as Eric prepares for the release of "I Had A Name" on February 28. The record is available for pre-save/pre-order now at this location.

When "I Had A Name" was first announced in November, Eric said in a statement: "We live in a world right now where music gets homogenized and maybe everything sounds and feels the same. I wanted to create something different and I hope listeners hear that. Lyrically and emotionally I hope it empowers them and they can see themselves in the characters and stories I sing about."

He continued: "We all go through dark times and hardships, but there's always a way out. I think that's what being a human being is about. I feel like Earth is a test and we're here to prove ourselves, go through things and come out better on the other side."

Regarding the LP's first single, "Mind Control", he said: "'Mind Control' is part of a larger story than I'm telling on this record and in the graphic novel that goes along with it. We're following this character Devaren as he's talking about his disdain for the population and how he can't stand them, but at the end of the song he has this reflective moment where he actually regrets everything he's been doing. The interesting thing about the characters in this story is that they represent a different part of my neurodivergence and mental health journey. In 'Mind Control' Devaren represents the depression that has crept into my life over the years that I didn't see coming. I just had to personify that in a character so in 'Mind Control' it has taken over, but ultimately in our story it will be defeated."

Bass is best known as the co-songwriter, producer, and bassist for multiplatinum rock institution SHINEDOWN, which holds the record for most No. 1 singles on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.

"Eric Bass Presents: I Had A Name" is an immersive, expansive, and richly thematic work. As well versed in KISS and VAN HALEN as PEARL JAM and SOUNDGARDEN, Bass poured passion and creativity into "I Had A Name".

The initial storytelling spark behind "I Had A Name" ignited in a hotel room in Milan, Italy, as SHINEDOWN toured behind 2018's "Attention Attention". "I sat on the bed with a pen and paper and wrote for two hours," Eric explains. "It turned into a synopsis for a prequel to the story I'm telling on the album. When I started writing music, I thought about these characters. The album doesn't chronologically tell the story, but it depicts various scenes from it — bits and pieces that happen throughout it."

As with much of "Attention Attention" and "Planet Zero" (SHINEDOWN's first No. 1 on Billboard's Album Sales chart),"I Had A Name" looks both outward at society and inward, as darker emotions seep out from within the more significant metaphors and storylines on the surface.

"I've spoken about my struggles with depression and neurodivergent issues before," Bass points out. "When I finished writing this record, I looked back at these characters I've created and realized I'd written the most autobiographical record of my life, which wasn't conscious as I was writing it.

"The album is an epic odyssey. I don't want mental health to be an 'angle' that obscures that," he adds. "But I don't mind talking about it. Anytime I talk about it, I hope it's helpful to someone else."

With his SHINEDOWN bandmates' full support and encouragement, Eric challenged himself to write every lyric, compose every song, perform every instrument, and produce and mix the entire affair.

Ultimately, as with every endeavor of the South Carolina native's career, "Eric Bass Presents: I Had A Name" is about authenticity. "I'm always about honesty in art," he says. "When I listen to something, I want to hear that the person dug into the dirt and bled for it to happen. The truth always prevails."

"Eric Bass Presents: I Had A Name" track listing:

01. A World Unseen
02. The New Gods Of War
03. Azalia
04. We Can't Go Home
05. Goodnight Goodnight
06. Mind Control
07. New Graves
08. All Good Children - Our Guts
09. Modenhardt
10. Dead Inside
11. The Churches Of The Dead
12. Wanna Go To Hell

Photo credit: Sanjay Parikh

Australian hard rock band The Poor has just issued a video for their song, "Lies".





"Lies" appears on High Price Deed - the fourth studio from The Poor - released in 2023.







Tracklisting:


"Payback's A Bitch"
"Lover"
"Hurricane"
"This Is The Story"
"Take The World"
"Goin' Down"
"Cry Out"
"Lies"
"I Know It's Wrong"
"Love Shot"
"Let Me Go"
"Too Long"


"Payback's A Bitch":





"Lover":





"Cry Out":





"Let Me Go":





The Poor started out playing the pub circuit in Darwin nearly two decades ago. The plan was simple -, hard rockin’ hard drinkin’ and world domination. In 1992 the band cut their debut release, the EP Rude, Crude & Tattooed, produced by Rick Brewster and Bob Spencer from The Angels and from the opening line you knew it was going to be something great; Aussie pub rock, in your face, no bullsh*t, straight to the point, rock’n’f%&k’n’roll.


In mid 1993, the band recorded their

Tempe, Arizona-based deathgaze unit Kardashev performed at Germany's Euroblast 2024, and have released more professionally-filmed footage from the show. You can now watch video of the band performing "Between Sea And Sky", which joins the previously posted clips for "Snow Sleep" and "Cellar Of Ghosts". See all below.


Said the band: "Kardashev would like to extend a huge thank you to Euroblast and their team of volunteers, photographers, stage hands, FOH engineers, catering, kitchen, vendors and more! And an equally big THANK YOU to The Scream Dudes for their filming and audio work for this performance to be captured for all of you at home to witness! And finally, to our Stage Engineer, Jan Engstfeld, and FOH Engineer, Ramon Smith, for their help in capturing our live performance and making it sound as good as it does!


"Following 16 hours of individual travel by each band member, Jan allowed us 2 days to practice at his studio together with the equipment that we'd use at the Festival. Kardashev had never pra