AEROSMITH drummer Joey Kramer has decided to shut down his Rockin' & Roastin' organic coffee line.

On Friday (November 29),Kramer took to social media to write: "To all of Rockin' & Roastin''s loyal subscribers and my coffee loving fans along the way - It is with deep deep sadness that we have had to make the decision to close the business of Rockin & Roastin' Coffee.

"After the years of working to recover from the devastation to our business from the impact of Covid, significant increases in the cost of doing business and the tragic, painful loss of my wife, Linda, there just is no realistic alternative but to close our proverbial doors.

"We will fill all orders received through tomorrow, Saturday, Nov 30 but will not take orders thereafter.

"With so much gratitude and love for you all, Joey Kramer".

Rockin' & Roastin' was established by Kramer in 2012 as an online business after having trouble finding a decent cup of coffee on the road while touring with AEROSMITH. In October of 2013, Kramer landed his first hotel partnership with the Bethel Hill Resort (Bethel, Maine) and the company since had expanded in the foodservice industry.

The story of Joey Kramer's Rockin' & Roastin' organic, custom-roasted coffee blends begins in the field. Unlike "sun grown" coffee that's cheaper to produce but requires chemical fertilizers and pesticides and leads to the destruction of native rainforests, Rockin' & Roastin' coffee was lovingly cultivated using the traditional "shade grown" method, under a canopy of indigenous trees. This sustainable practice supports a wide diversity of plant and animal life, provides food and shelter to migrating birds, and helps to filter carbon dioxide from the air, reducing the danger of global warming.

Speaking to LongIsland.com, Kramer stated about his business venture: "It's always been a passion of mine — coffee has — and I've always wanted to have my own company outside of what I do. Fortunately for me, my career has gone as it has, so I haven't really had the time to do that, but right now we’re enjoying some time off and I've decided to take on this project. I went and got with a couple people that I knew that I wanted to work with and they're now my partners and it's taken off. Everything is working really well."

He added: "The problem is in order to build a brand, you've got to be pretty much hands-on and you've got to be able to do the work yourself and not be afraid of it. I'm the CEO of this company, it's my baby; I'm not just another one of those celebrities that's putting my name on something and expecting to make millions of dollars off it. I'm into the coffee in the same way my band is into the music; you know, we're into it because it's about the music and I'm into this because it's about the coffee. I'm the CEO, I cup the coffee myself, the beans are roasted to my specs, I'm hands-on all the time."

Asked what sets Rockin' & Roastin' apart from some of the other coffees that are out there, Kramer told The Courant: "I like something that's very robust, I like my coffee very strong. The places I like to drink coffee, the coffee is from is Sumatra, Guatemala and Ethiopia and those are the three places we're sourcing our beans.

"I think [Rockin' & Roastin'] is very smooth, which is the way coffee should be," he added. "We're bringing it for public consumption at a very reasonable price because I don't think people should be gouged for gourmet coffee."

Joey's wife Linda Gail Kramer, 55, passed away in June 2022. No cause of death has been revealed.

Joey and Linda were married in October 2009, with the musician calling her "the love of his life." "He once described meeting Linda as "the biggest rush you ever had in your life." Friends and family have always noted that Joey and Linda were simply "inseparable."

In March 2022, Joey announced that he would sit out AEROSMITH's concerts that year so he can "focus his full attention on his family during these uncertain times," according to a statement from the legendary rockers. While Kramer took "a temporary leave of absence" from AEROSMITH, he was once again replaced by his drum tech, John Douglas.

More than four years ago, Kramer rejoined his AEROSMITH bandmates on stage during the group's residency in Las Vegas. A month earlier, he sued the rest of AEROSMITH in a bid to perform with them at two Grammy-related events. But a Massachusetts judge eventually ruled against him and the group played without Kramer.

After Kramer injured his shoulder in 2019, Douglas filled in for a few gigs during AEROSMITH's residency. Kramer did, however, perform with the rest of AEROSMITH in July of that year at the Twin Cities Summer Jam in Shakopee.

In his January 2020 16-page complaint filed in Massachusetts state court, Kramer said the disability he suffered three years ago was minor, and insisted he was ready to return to the group's "lucrative" Las Vegas residency at the MGM Resorts a few months later, as well as its slate of "50th anniversary activities."

Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton and Brad Whitford later responded to Kramer's suit in a statement to People, saying Joey "has not been emotionally and physically able to perform with the band, by his own admission, for the last 6 months. We have missed him and have encouraged him to rejoin us to play many times but apparently he has not felt ready to do so. Joey has now waited until the last moment to accept our invitation, when we unfortunately have no time for necessary rehearsals during Grammys week. We would be doing a disservice to him, to ourselves and to our fans to have him play without adequate time to prepare and rehearse."

In a statement at the time, Kramer said he was "extremely disappointed" with the judge's ruling.

"I knew filing a lawsuit was a bit of an uphill battle," the drummer said. "I can hold my head high knowing that I did the right thing — to fight for my right to celebrate the band's success that I have dedicated the better part of my life to helping build."

Rockin & Roastin says Goodbye!

Posted by Joey Kramer's Rockin' & Roastin' on Friday, November 29, 2024

Former MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE drummer Bob Bryar has died at the age of 44.

According to TMZ, Bryar was found dead in his Tennessee home on Tuesday, November 26. Law enforcement officials have told TMZ there were no signs of foul play, and his belongings were untouched. His cause of death remains under investigation.

Bryar joined MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE in 2004 as the replacement for the band's original drummer Matt Pelissier. He performed and recorded music with MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE on all of the band's subsequent releases, including the classic album "The Black Parade", until his departure in 2010.

On March 3, 2010, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE guitarist Frank revealed that Bob had left the band. In an official statement on the band's web site, he wrote: "As of 4 weeks ago, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE and Bob Bryar parted ways.

"This was a painful decision for all of us to make and was not taken lightly. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors and expect you all to do the same."

In 2015, Bob opened up about his exit from MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, writing in a social media post: "It's been about five years since I was kicked out of MY CHEM, I became the most depressed, angry, suicidal person ever. Now, I am on so many pills that I feel a bit better, although, it still (b)others me every day. In a recent conversation, I was told I won't be back."

Bryar retired from the music industry in 2014 and pursued a career as an estate agent.

Legendary hard rock singer Joe Lynn Turner has teamed up with one of the most successful female vocal performers on the contemporary Bulgarian music scene, Maria Ilieva, for a new single, "Forever".

The official music video for the English-language version of the track can be seen below.

The 73-year-old musician, best known for fronting Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW during that band's creative peak in the 1980s and later as the frontman for Yngwie Malmsteen, shared the news of the collaboration in a social media post on October 13. He wrote: "Hi Everybody, I am excited and proud to announce my collaboration with the amazing Bulgarian vocalist and True Superstar Maria Ilieva!

"I have admired Maria's talents for a very long time and hoped that one day we would work together and finally that day is here!

"We share vocals on a strong and sensitive song entitled 'Forever'. A beautiful video will accompany the performance that compliments the message perfectly.

"I could not have chosen a better partner to spread love and unity in a world that sorely needs it now more than ever!"

Turner was reportedly responsible for the music and the arrangement of "Forever" as well as for the English lyrics, while the Bulgarian lyrics were written by Ilieva. The song was initially recorded with Bulgarian text.

More than two years ago, Joe dropped the hairpiece he had worn since the age of 14 after being diagnosed with alopecia at three years old.

The former RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE singer went public with his new look in August 2022 in a series publicity images released to promote his latest solo album, "Belly Of The Beast". In a press release for the LP, Joe said that he started wearing the wig to deal with "emotional and psychological damage from cruel bullying in school."

Joe was the singer of RAINBOW between 1980 and 1984 and he sang on the album "Difficult To Cure", which featured the band's most successful U.K. single, "I Surrender".

During Turner's time with RAINBOW, the band had its first USA chart success and recorded songs that helped define the melodic rock genre.

1990 saw Turner reunited with RAINBOW leader Ritchie Blackmore in a reformed DEEP PURPLE for the "Slaves And Masters" album.

Photo credit: Agata Nigrovskaya

Legendary rock band TESLA has unveiled the music video for the acoustic version of its latest single, "All About Love". The track is taken from TESLA's new six-song EP, "All About Love", which includes four versions of "All About Love" (acoustic, electric, hybrid, live); a live version of "Walk Away", a concert favorite from "Reel To Real, Vol. 1"; and another new song, "From The Heart", an instrumental track by guitarist Frank Hannon.

Music lovers will state that a great "song" will sound great played in any of these formats, so TESLA's Brian Wheat and Frank Hannon have teamed up to produce this 12-inch vinyl EP showcasing these different versions of "All About Love".

Captured by Wheat in his upstate New York recording studio, there is an electric version that shows how the band performs the song in full force, as well as two stripped down acoustic versions that showcase the dynamics of his mixes. Thus, Jeff Keith's heartfelt lyrics about sharing love can be felt, and to honor TESLA's tradition of adding an acoustic instrumental to their love ballads, Hannon recorded here a new classically influenced acoustic guitar solo piece titled "From The Heart" that is a nod to TESLA's 1987 hit "Love Song".

Furthermore, to present the "live in concert" element of TESLA, a rendition of "All About Love" segues into James Gang's classic song "Walk Away", both of which were recorded live at a Las Vegas concert earlier this year. They are included here as bonus tracks.

"All About Love" EP track listing:

01. All About Love (Electric Mix)
02. From The Heart
03. All About Love (Acoustic Mix)
04. All About Love (Live)
05. Walk Away (Live)
06. All About Love (Hybrid Mix)

Wheat said in a statement: "We spent six months on 'All About Love', and I think we got this one right. Honestly, I'm really, really proud of it. It's what I think a TESLA fan would expect from TESLA — right down the middle. Jeff sounds great. Frank's doing classic guitar licks again."

During an October 7 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Wheat said that TESLA has been performing "All About Love" for "probably four or five months, actually, which is kind of reverse to what we used to do in the old days. In the old days, we used to record the song and then go play it live," he explained. "So we played it live and then recorded it."

Asked if the "All About Love" EP will include the "Cold Blue Steel" and "Time To Rock!" standalone singles, which were made available in August 2021 and August 2022, respectively, Brian said: "No. There's two other tracks that aren't 'All About Love'. And I don't wanna give it away, 'cause it takes a little bit of the surprise away, but there'll be four different versions of 'All About Love' and two new tracks. There'll be the live version, the studio version and two kind of other alternate versions… It'll be something real nice for the fans. We worked real hard on it, and I'm excited to put it out there. It'll be cool. It'll be a nice piece for the fans to buy."

This past August, Jeff spoke to Joseph Suto of Rock Show Critique about the band's plans to release new music. He said: "Now, at this point, after COVID and everything, we're just releasing singles 'cause people can download them. And from what I understand — they explained it to me, 'cause I don't go on the Internet, but they explained to me, 'Jeffrey, in today's world, you can release a single for people to download, and it's just like back in the '40s and '50s when people would put a little 45 record with a B-side.' So from what I understand, the last two songs we released was 'Cold Blue Steel' and then 'Time To Rock!' And it's all getting worked up, and I forget what the release date is for a song called 'All About Love'. We've been playing it live, but it's going to be officially released and a limited supply on vinyl."

Wheat and Hannon previously talked about "All About Love" during an appearance on the April 12 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Brian said: "We just recorded [it] a couple weeks ago. And it's done and we're playing it live and this summer we should have it out."

Frank added: "It's actually the first song that J.K. [singer Jeff Keith] and myself wrote after a dry spell of writing songs during the COVID lockdown. And the first lyric of the song is, 'I wanna get back to where I started.' That was influenced by how we were feeling during COVID. So we chipped away. We made a little demo of it, and then we just kind of shelved it for a while, 'cause I always knew that I wanted the band and BDub [Brian] to produce it and make it sound rocking. And the original demo was really chill and almost sounded like AIR SUPPLY. It was mellow. And I knew, and I told Brian, I go, 'I love this song, but it needs to be rocked out TESLA style.' So that's what we did. And we worked on it over the past six months at soundchecks during the gigs, practicing it and really developing it and turning it into a rock song."

Asked if the plan is for TESLA to release a full-length album after issuing "All About Love" as well as the two previously released singles "Cold Blue Steel" and "Time To Rock!", Brian said: "No, not particularly. Because it takes too much time. Here's the thing. It's no secret, we're getting older. Jeff is 65, 66 years old… In order to do an album, it takes so much out of the band — time and energy. And right now, I think we're all on the same page that we'd rather take that time and energy and go around and play while we're still able to play at the level we play at, because we still play very well. Jeff Keith still sings very, very well. And we can address making an album where you can be in a studio and you can do things 26 times and all that thing, if you have to, later. But to sit there and make an album right now… Frank told you, we've been working on this song ['All About Love'] for six months."

Frank added: "It's different now. See, what people don't realize, for a band to make an album that's really great, you have to get locked in a room for about a year and really hash it out and argue and make demos. And then what you're doing is you're fabricating 10 songs, and you'll usually have two great ones and then the other ones are kind of half-assed written unless you spend that time doing it. And that's what we did on the first four albums, or all of our albums that we did up to this point. Now what we're doing is creating singles and touring and playing live and getting them out while they're fresh."

Continued Brian: "Plus there's the whole economic thing about it. We're not a independently multimillionaire wealthy guys. It's a matter of we have to take the time off. We are a working band. Trust me, if we were millionaires, multi-millionaires, and we could afford to take two years off, we maybe would, but we can't. We have to work. We're a working band."

Wheat added: "Look, I would love to go make a record, but like Frank says, I think the songs get compromised because you don't… We spent six months on 'It's All About Love', and I think we got this one right. Honestly, I'm really, really proud of it. It's what I think a TESLA fan would expect from TESLA — right down the middle. Jeff sounds great. Frank's doing classic guitar licks again. But it took six months. We just didn't pull it out of our ass. We worked on it. And to do a 10-song album, even if it's two months a song, that's a year… And quite honestly, you've gotta look at things for supply and demand. Like, how many people want a new TESLA record, a whole new album?

"I'm a statistics guy," Brian said. "And if you wanna get into this, I can go people buying records versus buying tickets. And there are way more people that are buying tickets than are buying records. And they wanna hear all them hits. And then there's the hardcores, which is a much smaller percentage, and you have to go, you have to look at it realistically and go, 'How much gas is left in that tank?'"

Some fans criticized TESLA for adopting a 1980s-style polished production for its latest album, 2019's "Shock". The follow-up to June 2014's "Simplicity" was helmed by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, whose own group is no stranger to slicked-up, glossy-sounding recordings.

In September 2023, TESLA released the official music video for its cover of AEROSMITH's "S.O.S. (Too Bad)". The song is a bonus track on TESLA's live album, "Full Throttle Live!", which arrived in May 2023. The LP includes the band's "Time To Rock!" single, plus other songs, all recorded in August 2022 at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.

In September 2021, original TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA's gigs by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

TESLA's debut album, 1986's "Mechanical Resonance", went platinum on the strength of the hits "Modern Day Cowboy" and "Little Suzi". The 1989 follow-up album, "The Great Radio Controversy", produced five hits, including "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)" and "Love Song", which hit the pop Top Ten.

In a new interview with Taylor Max TV, OPETH guitarist Fredrik Åkesson spoke about the band's upcoming album, "The Last Will And Testament", which will be made available on November 22 via Reigning Phoenix Music/Moderbolaget. Addressing his pre-release anticipation, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "For me, it's really exciting. And we've seen some of [the response from the fans and the media], because you guys [in the press] have listened to the entire album. So we get some response. We do a lot of interviews now, apparently, and also we released two tracks [from the LP so far]. And, of course, I'm getting curious. I wanna read the comments.

"I still think it's as exciting as when I joined the band at [2008's] 'Watershed' — I do, actually," he added. "And especially maybe this album, because this album is special to me. They're all good — I'm happy with them all — but this one kind of assembles the old OPETH and the proggy OPETH in a new direction and a step forward."

Asked if he consciously made a choice to make the guitars heavier on "The Last Will And Testament", Fredrik said: "We talked about [that] the guitar should play a bigger role than it did on [2019's] 'In Cauda Venenum'. For me personally, maybe there was a little bit too much keyboards… There was talk about giving the guitars a bit more room, and I'm happy that [OPETH] guitarist/vocalist] Mikael [Åkerfeldt] wanted me to play solos on almost every track. I mean 'Paragraph Two' has a little tapping thing, but apart from that, the solos were super important for me. I kind of wanted to treat them like little compositions within the songs. And this time around, the solos were different, 'cause I did them on my own, so I paid more afterthought to them. On 'In Cauda', I was improvising a few takes in Mikael's studio, but this time around I did it in my little boy room."

"The Last Will And Testament" was written by Åkerfeldt, with lyrics conferred with Klara Rönnqvist Fors (THE HEARD, ex-CRUCIFIED BARBARA). "The Last Will And Testament" was co-produced by Åkerfeldt and Stefan Boman (GHOST, THE HELLACOPTERS),engineered by Boman, Joe Jones (KILLING JOKE, ROBERT PLANT) and OPETH, with Boman, Åkerfeldt and the rest of OPETH mixing at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe Studios in Stockholm. The strings on "The Last Will And Testament" were arranged by Åkerfeldt and returning prog friend Dave Stewart (EGG, KHAN) and conducted by Stewart at Angel Studios in London. Not one to miss a beat, visual artist Travis Smith returns to the fold, crafting his 11th cover, a haunting "photograph" reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's infamous "Overlook Hotel" photograph. Miles Showell (ABBA, QUEEN) also revisits mastering and vinyl lacquer cutting at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Åkerfeldt rolls out the red carpet for storied flautist and JETHRO TULL mainman Ian Anderson. Not only do Anderson's signature notes fly on "§4" and "§7", he narrates on "§1", "§2", "§4", and "§7". Joining Anderson, EUROPE's Joey Tempest lends a backing vocal hand on "§2", while Åkerfeldt's youngest daughter, Mirjam Åkerfeldt, is the disembodied voice in "§1".

"The Last Will And Testament" is a concept album set in the post-World War I era, unfolding the story of a wealthy, conservative patriarch whose last will and testament reveals shocking family secrets. The narrative weaves through the patriarch's confessions, the reactions of his twin children, and the mysterious presence of a polio-ridden girl who the family have taken care of. The album begins with the reading of the father's will in his mansion. Among those in attendance is a young girl, who, despite being an orphan and polio-ridden, has been raised by the family. Her presence at the will reading raises suspicions and questions among the twins.

"The Last Will And Testament" is the darkest and heaviest record OPETH has made in decades, and it is also the band's most fearlessly progressive. A concept album recounting the reading of one recently deceased man's will to an audience of his surviving family members, it brims with haunting melodrama, shocking revelations and some of the wildest and most unpredictable music that Åkerfeldt has ever written.

The follow-up to 2019's widely acclaimed "In Cauda Venenum", "The Last Will And Testament" is set in the shadowy, sepia-stained 1920s. It slowly reveals its secrets like some classic thriller from the distant, cobwebbed past, with each successive song shining more light on the stated machinations of our dead (but definitely not harmless) protagonist. The emotional chaos of the story is perfectly matched by OPETH's vivid but claustrophobic soundtrack, which artfully winds its way towards a crestfallen but sumptuous finale. Masters of their own idiosyncratic musical domain, OPETH have never sounded more unique.

In a new interview with France's Loud TV, former MEGADETH guitarist Kiko Loureiro was asked for his opinion on SEPULTURA's decision to embark on a farewell tour. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "They have 40 years, right? Amazing, successful band. And I see it's not that youth is dying. I think it's more like you know you have another life — let's say, if you're 50 years old, you know you're gonna live until you're a hundred. And then it's, like, what can I do for the next half of my life? I think it's more like this. I think it's more of this feeling, like, I made it, the whole thing in SEPULTURA, it was amazing, but what can I do for my future? So it kind of connects with my decision to leave MEGADETH. I did eight years, nine years of MEGADETH — touring was amazing, great band, great guys, et cetera, et cetera — and then you have some situations in life that it's, like, you start reflecting. Do I wanna be another 10 years touring half of the year, playing those songs? And then start reflecting who you wanna be, who you are, and then what's the next step. And then you realize that you have the freedom to decide, because I can."

Kiko continued: "So that decision, I think, for SEPULTURA might be the same. They can do that. Everything is open for the future. Maybe they come back in 10 years, in two years, in 20 years, but I think open up, saying, 'Okay, it's a stop,' and it opens another path, even mentally you're, like, 'Okay, I don't need to do another album or do another tour. Everybody understood it's a stop, it's a farewell. So now let's see what happens.' A lot of people do the sabbatical year, sabbatical times. So if you can, why not?"

Loureiro added: "But it's hard to stop. We have [the legendary Brazilian soccer/football player] Pele — Pele, Brazilian, the best athlete of the century. So Pele was always an example. He quit soccer when he was in his peak. And he came back and played in the U.S. for a while. But he was at his peak and then he decided to quit, which was weird in a way, but it gives an example that sometimes it's good to stop when you're at your best. So that's the last image. The people don't see you going down or doing mistakes. But it's hard to do that, because if you're at your peak, you might think, like, 'All right, this is gonna be for another five years, another 10 years,' so you always believe that you can keep doing something, but it's never the case. So bands or artists, sometimes it's good to give a break. I think another example would be [American jazz trumpeter, bandleader and composer] Miles Davis. I think he stopped for six years in the '70s. So sometimes that break gives you a different perspective. Miles Davis, when he came back, he came back very different, with a different approach, and he was super successful during the '80s. So, yes, it is a thing to stop."

In November 2023, Kiko announced his decision to "extend" his absence from MEGADETH's touring activities, explaining that he didn't want to "hinder any of the band's plans or the hard work of all the incredible people involved in the tour."

Kiko revealed in September 2023 that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland.

One day after Kiko's announcement that he was "extending" his absence from MEGADETH's touring activities, band leader Dave Mustaine released a statement in which he said that he loves Loureiro and respects and fully supports Kiko's decision.

MEGADETH played its first concert with Kiko's replacement, Teemu Mäntysaari on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Loureiro officially joined MEGADETH in April 2015, about five months after Chris Broderick's exit from the group.

Kiko's new solo album, "Theory Of Mind", was released earlier in November.

In a new interview with U.K.'s The Sound Lab, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE bassist Tim Commerford, who is promoting his group 7D7D, spoke about his nearly three-year battle with prostate cancer. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "I'm 56 and I'm feeling good. I have cancer and I'm no longer crying about it. That's a huge thing for me. And to couple that with like being in a band and being proud of it and challenging myself, I feel like my life is full right now and I like it."

Asked for an update on his cancer battle, Tim said: "I mean, I have it. It's one of those things. And people will sometimes ask, 'Is it gone?' And it's, like, cancer — I don't care if you have skin cancer or prostate cancer or lung cancer, and let's say you get treatment and it goes into remission, you're not ever going to be saying, 'Cool, it's gone. It's gone. I'm not gonna get it.' You're always gonna have it. It's a dark passenger that you carry with you and you worry about and you have to get checkups and these sort of things. So it's always there."

He continued: "There was about a two-year period where — I wouldn't have been able to do this interview a few years ago, because I would have just gotten too emotional. You would ask me about cancer and I would have started crying and that was the hardest thing. That was harder than any of the treatment or anything. It was, like, 'Whoa, am I gonna be crying now everywhere I go? Is that gonna be the way it is?' And somewhere along the line, because I stay in shape, I'm proud of that, and I do a lot of exercising and I'm staying in really good shape, I think, and for a 56-year-old dude, I feel like I'm in really good shape. For a dude with cancer, I feel like I'm in really good shape. And so those two things really have empowered me.

"I used to know this guy. I have a cadaver hamstring tendon in my shoulder," Tim added. "So I got surgery on my shoulder one time and the doctor was, like, 'Your shoulder is gonna be 75 percent as strong, your left shoulder as your right shoulder,' and this man that I knew, he's this old guy, he's, like, 'Well, so you can work it out 200 percent more than you would have and it's still gonna be 125 percent stronger than it would have been.' And so that's how I live my life. And so here I am with cancer and I'm out just challenging myself physically and artistically. And it's empowered me — to be able to have cancer and do these things is something that I'm proud of. And so I've turned this really negative thing that made me cry into something that I'm actually proud of who I am and what I'm doing right now with it. Is it gonna make me live longer, cancer? I don't think so, but I'm gonna get 200 percent stronger and see."

Two years ago, Commerford told SPIN that he first found out about his cancer when he tried to register for life insurance and failed to qualify due to high numbers in his PSA (prostate-specific antigen) screening. A biopsy confirmed the cancer and his medical team extracted his prostate before RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE reunited for its tour in July 2022.

Earlier this year, Commerford told Rolling Stone magazine about his cancer battle: "I call myself Cancer Man. I'm in the best shape of my life. The cancer will never be gone though. It's always going to be there. When you have prostate cancer, they test your PSA level. I'm at a zero right now. But I get tested every three months… This is a different life now. It changed who I am, and in a lot of ways for the better. It slowed me down. It made me just take my time a little bit more on just noticing the world."

Although prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer found in men and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men, it can also be one of the most treatable forms of cancer.

If elevated PSA is identified early, there are treatment options that have been shown to extend survival. It is important for men to be informed about different treatment options and their side effect profile so that they can have educated treatment conversations with their doctor.

On average, approximately one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime.

Joining Commerford in 7D7D are Mathias Wakrat and Jonny Polonsky.

Raised in Irvine, California, Tim learned the bass and began to channel a tough childhood into music. By the time he was in his early 20s, he was in RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. Tim was also in AUDIOSLAVE (where he met Jonny) and PROPHETS OF RAGE.

MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine has reportedly entered the studio to begin writing and recording the band's next studio album.

According to a fan post on Reddit, Dave shared a message with MEGADETH's Cyber Army fan club members where he said "he's moving to the studio alongside producer Chris Rakestraw for the next six months to write and record the new album." Bassist James LoMenzo, drummer Dirk Verbeuren and guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari "are sending song ideas from home and they'll all reunite in the studio later on."

Rakestraw is a producer, mixer and engineer who previously worked on MEGADETH's last two albums, 2022's "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" and 2016's "Dystopia".

This past September, Teemu, who joined the band more than a year ago as the replacement for Kiko Loureiro, was asked by Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about the progress of the songwriting sessions for MEGADETH's next LP. He said: "Yeah, actually, already a while back Dave started talking about making the next album and kind of starting to do pre-production. And as soon as he mentioned that, and kind of before that already, once it was clear that I'm gonna be staying with the band, then I kind of started putting my ideas down and just recording any riff ideas that I feel like could be something that could be used in MEGADETH. And by now I have a bunch of riffs and ideas that I've gathered. And then Dave told me that he likes to work the way that everybody does their riffs and then at some point we're gonna get together and then review things and see which riffs are gonna work together and then work out the parts between the riffs to kind of connect things and then that way come up with the skeletons for the songs. And I'm really looking forward to doing that and hearing how he feels about my ideas as well. But what I've done so far is whenever I have a moment to sit down, I usually just record a little video of myself playing a riff idea and then when we have a day off at the hotel, then I would record that properly and then just like have this folder of riffs that we can look into at some point. So, [I'm] really looking forward to that. And Dave has been really supportive and sounds like he wants to have all the guys' input on the next album, which is really exciting."

In August, Mustaine was asked by Chuck Armstrong of "Loudwire Nights" how the dynamic within MEGADETH has changed since Mäntysaari's addition to the band. Mustaine responded: "Well, we are a band again. It doesn't feel like me and some side players or some session guys. Not that it felt like that with any of the previous lineups, but that was one of the fears that I had. I feel like Kiko did us a really huge courtesy by helping us find Teemu because with Kiko needing to step down… I thought I was gonna finish my career out with Kiko, and when things came up with him, he couldn't tour anymore because he needed to be home for his kids. So I see he's touring again, which I'm happy that he's still playing. But he had to go home. And when he did, he introduced us to Teemu. And it was an even closer connection between me and Teemu than Kiko and I had. We'll [Kiko and I] always be friends, but this new relationship I have is — it harkens me back to the days when we had Marty Friedman in the band and the four of us actually felt like a band."

Mäntysaari stepped in September 2023 for Loureiro, who announced earlier that month that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland. It was later revealed that the 37-year-old Finnish musician would continue to play guitar for MEGADETH for the foreseeable future, with Loureiro seemingly having no plans to return.

Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

Earlier in August, Mustaine was asked by Kyle Meredith what Mäntysaari has brought to MEGADETH that wasn't there before. Mustaine responded: "God, he's such an amazing talent. And as far as being a human is concerned, he's a really humble guy. He's fun to be around because he's kind of — there's this 'greenness' to him, if that's a word, greenness. He makes it really fun because he's gone from being in a band that was pretty well known to being in MEGADETH. And so everything's very new for him at this level. And for us, we get to kind of enjoy ourselves, because we sometimes forget where we're at and then you see other people that, 'Wow, the bread is round and so is the meat,' that kind of shit. And it just makes him really happy, and it just reminds you of how good you have it."

Regarding how much a lineup change like that actually alters the musical DNA of the band, Dave said: "Well, it depends on who the new player is. If they're willing to learn the parts, then the songs either, they stay where they are or they get better. And a lot of times when you have a new player, like when Teemu came in, he played everything identical to the original players. So, he's been one of the best guitar players to step in and play somebody else's stuff. I don't know what his stuff's going to sound like yet, which I'm looking forward to finding out."

This past June, Mustaine told Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece that he thinks Teemu will contribute to the songwriting process on MEGADETH's next studio album. "I think he's gonna be a great addition to MEGADETH," Dave said. "He already has. We're playing more songs now than we were playing before. And that has nothing negative to say about any of the previous lineups. It just says that he knew more about the band and understands the metal backbone of so many of these songs more than some of the other people would understand it."

He continued: "When you're a metal guy, I think you understand metal compositions more than somebody who, say for example, knows progressive rock like [former MEGADETH guitarist] Chris Broderick does, or somebody who knows bossa nova, which Kiko does, or somebody that plays jazzy, like [former MEGADETH guitarist] Glen Drover would play, maybe Al Pitrelli. These guys all have their strengths."

Mustaine added: "I've often thought, although I've never said it, I do believe that when somebody gets singled out by me, that's pretty much it for them. They've been indoctrinated into the world of great guitar players, and from that moment on, their life will change."

In early October 2023, Mustaine told Shaggy of the 94.9 and 104.5 The Pick radio station in Idaho Falls, Idaho about Teemu's addition to MEGADETH: "People are losing their minds over how things are going right now 'cause we have a really good chemistry together."

In September 2023, Mustaine was equally full of praise for Mäntysaari, telling Wes Styles in a separate interview: "He's really great. And I'm super excited with what Teemu has brought. And it's uncanny because he plays a lot like Marty. And it's really exciting. At certain times I just close my eyes during the set and I just hear these songs played, whether like Kiko in the past or Teemu now, it just sounds really magic because these guys have learned these songs and they're not just going out there and just banging their guitar around; they actually learned the solos from some of the virtuosos that I've played with over my career."

Photo credit: Ryan Chang

4;Unbound The Scream" Lyric Video Feat. TIM "RIPPER" OWENS">
Greek heavy / power metal force Sirius announces an exciting new chapter in their journey. The band proudly welcomes George Koursoumis as their new rhythm guitarist, and marks the occasion with the release of a lyric video for "Unbound The Scream".


The band shares: "We've been silent for a while now... The last few months have been a whirlwind of emotions and actions for us. A new album is out and your response is overwhelming! We had to part ways with our long-time rhythm guitarist for personal reasons. We want to thank Dimitris Stathopoulos for the journey. But, with great pleasure, we would like to reveal the new addition to the Sirius family. Please welcome George Koursoumis on rhythm guitar! Having George with us is a great boost for what is about to come."


To celebrate this new beginning, Sirius unleashed a lyric video for "Unbound The Scream" which is the opening song of the album A Quest For Life. "And it was an honor to have Tim "Ripper" Owens (Judas Priest, Iced Earth) as a guest vocalist. His powerful voice blends beautifully with our music! The song evolves around the personal

On November 12, GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan came to the KLOS Helpful Honda Rock Room, a top-secret location in the Los Angeles area, for an intimate interview with Matt Pinfield, followed by a live jam featuring his solo material. Video of his performance can be seen below.

In October, Duff heralded the U.S. kickoff of his "Lighthouse" tour 2024 with the premiere of three new songs that saw him joined by a trio of iconic punk legends who accompanied him on select dates of the headline run.

The U.S. leg of McKagan's "Lighthouse" tour 2024 got underway on November 4 at Boston, Massachusetts's Paradise Rock Club. Highlights included intimate shows at New York City's Le Poisson Rouge (November 6),Chicago, Illinois's Outset (November 8),and Denver, Colorado's Bluebird Theater (November 10),all of which saw support from Lee Ving's RANGE WAR, marking the first live performances from the famed FEAR founder's groundbreaking country-punk outfit in over three decades. "Lighthouse" tour '24 then hit Los Angeles, California's historic El Rey Theatre (November 13) with support from acclaimed singer-songwriter — and Duff's daughter — Grace McKagan, before wrapping up at Portland, Oregon's Aladdin Theater (November 18) and Seattle, Washington's The Showbox (November 20) joined by extremely rare solo acoustic performances by legendary D.O.A. co-founder Joey "Shithead" Keithley.

McKagan and his band wrapped the European leg of the "Lighthouse" tour in October following sold-out stops in Scotland, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, France, and Sweden. Among the tour's highlights was a very special guest appearance by SEX PISTOLS co-founding guitarist Steve Jones at London, England's Islington Assembly Hall that saw the two longtime friends (and NEUROTIC OUTSIDERS bandmates) joining forces for electrifying renditions of Johnny Thunders's "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory" and David Bowie's "Heroes", the latter of which can be viewed now at McKagan's official YouTube channel.

McKagan marked the start of "Lighthouse" tour in September with the debut of a double-sided single including a distinctive cover of Bowie's timeless "Heroes" backed with "True To The Death Rock N Roll Ballad", both available now. "Heroes" is joined by an official visualizer streaming now at YouTube.

In addition, McKagan recently announced "Duff McKagan Live At Easy Street", a Record Store Day exclusive vinyl LP release of his hometown performance last December at Seattle, Washington's Easy Street Records, arriving for RSD Black Friday 2024 on November 29. The limited-edition release features ten searing live tracks, including performances of songs from McKagan's critically acclaimed third solo album, "Lighthouse".

The legendary DUFF MCKAGAN from Guns & Roses is coming to the KLOS
Helpful Honda Rock Room. Tuesday, November 12, Matt...

Posted by Matt Pinfield on Friday, November 1, 2024

Birmingham, UK-based drummer Bev Bevan, who was an original member of both The Move and ELO (Electric Light Orchestra), and toured and recorded with Black Sabbath and numerous others, is featured in a new interview with Louder Sound.

In the following excerpt, Bevan reveals how he ended up playing with Black Sabbath on the Born Again tour in 1983-84?

"[ELO leader] Jeff [Lynne] wanted to make records and didn’t want to tour, but as a drummer I just wanted to work," says Bev. "I had an offer from Tony Iommi – my best friend in the rock’n’roll business – because Bill Ward wasn’t fit enough to do a Black Sabbath set. We did a European tour, headlined at Reading Festival, and did two American tours. This was with Ian Gillan, who was someone I admired as a singer. I had a great time. It was a bit like being back in The Move where I was allowed to do whatever I liked, really – play as loudly as I wanted to."

Asked why he left ELO in 1986, Bevan responds, "We were contracted to make one more album, which was Balance Of Power. The single, 'Calling America', was a minor hit, but the album didn’t sell well and Jeff wanted to work with other artists and produce other people. So that was the end of ELO. There were no plans, as far as I know, to record any more albums or to tour. So I didn’t exactly leave; it just ceased to be."

Hammerheart Records is offering Tankard’s classic debut album, Zombie Attack, as a deluxe picture-LP, limited to 500 copies. It comes with an insert and a huge poster of the artwork. A true thrash metal classic!


Pre-order here.







As part of the Teutonic Big 4, Tankard often get overlooked because of their beer-soaked, party lyrics, but that’s exactly what makes them fun. 


Thrash doesn’t always have to be serious, and this album proves it. The riffs are simple, catchy, and full of energy, blending Thrash intensity with a punk-like vibe.


The production is solid, giving the guitars a crunchier, more vibrant sound than many other ba

During a new appearance on "The Jasta Show", the podcast hosted by HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta, GODSMACK drummer Shannon Larkin discussed the latter band's musical evolution. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That is definitely a rabbit hole for me, seeing the evolution over two decades of making records with Sully [Erna, GODSMACK frontman and main songwriter] and his writing and the direction that the band took and as we aged.

"We had a unique thing in that we put a record out every four years since I joined in '03. And so we never overexposed," he continued. "And so that the differences, as the records changed, from 'Faceless' to 'IV' to 'The Oracle' to '1000hp' to '[When] Legends [Rise]' to the new one ['Lighting Up The Sky'] is a lot of change from… Imagine, four years pass, and you could be in and out of a love-affair relationship in four fucking years, and so our records definitely aged with us. And it's wild now to look out, man, and our fanbase, 'cause I was probably, God — I don't know — 30-something when I joined the band, and so a lot of the fans were, say, 10 years younger than us. And so now they're growing up and they have their kids, and then we end up playing last year on tour for almost eight months. And, man, we sold more tickets than we've ever sold, broke all our attendance records in every city, and [sold] more merch than we've ever sold, broke all our records. So I think that Sully is a fucking genius.

"Besides the 'Legends' record, the last one, which was definitely our commercial record, [Sully] wrote that record with Erik Ron and John Feldmann," Shannon added. "And they wrote a great record and all, but when he came to the band, and he's a Boston guy, man, and AEROSMITH was his first love and everything. And I always thought, well, it's not like we fell off or something like they did and needed help, but we all said, 'All right.' But as musicians, it was a kick the nuts. But we love him, we follow him. He's our fearless leader. And I knew Sully 17 years before I even joined the band. His band opened for [my former band] WRATHCHILD back in the day and shit, and that's when we became friends. So every time I'd come to Boston, Sully'd come pick me up and shit, take me to do my laundry. I'm talking WRATHCHILD days. So we've been friends for a long time. And then to watch his songwriting… God, he learned to play piano. And he's one of those dudes, he's a musician like us, but unlike me, anyway, he can just pick up — like he said, 'I'm gonna learn to play piano.' And three years later, he's fucking Elton John. That dude could pick up a fucking saxophone and be Clarence Clemons in two years or something; he's got that talent. And when he got really good at piano, well, as a vocalist, you also know that piano doesn't lie. If you're off a millimeter, it's very visible. So he got way better as a singer, and his brain's changed. Everything happened. And most rock singers like Sully, they usually go down as they get older, because it's your throat. It's not like our drums or bass or whatever. But he gets better. And so that's something, man."

"Lighting Up The Sky" was released in February 2023 via BMG. The LP was co-produced by Erna and Andrew "Mudrock" Murdock (AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ALICE COOPER).

The first single from "Lighting Up The Sky", "Surrender", which arrived in September 2022, marked the first release from GODSMACK in four years, following their globally acclaimed and gold-certified 2018 album "When Legends Rise", which earned the Erna-fronted outfit a No. 1 spot across U.S. Hard Rock, Rock, and Alternative album charts.

In a recent interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, Erna spoke about GODSMACK's announcement that "Lighting Up The Sky" will likely be its final collection of new material. Asked if he and his bandmates are working on any new music, Sully said: "No. There'll be no more new GODSMACK… I mean, you can never predict the future, but the decision that was made was that we're gonna go out now and start honoring the catalog of music that we created over the last 30 years and just enjoy kind of the greatest-hits moments."

Photo credit: Chris Bradshaw

Big Big Train will reissue their third studio album, Bard, on March 21, 2025. Originally released in 2002 and after many years of being unavailable as a physical CD, the album has been completely remixed by their longstanding engineer Rob Aubrey.


Additionally, the reissue features a live version of the album’s opening track, "The Last English King", recorded during the band’s tour in fall 2024, as well "Headlands", a song recorded during the original sessions but unavailable until now.


“I’m pleased to see Bard being reissued at last,” comments Andy Poole, the band’s former bassist and this album’s producer. “On its original release we expected Bard to be Big Big Train’s farewell. The album has a number of songs that I think stand up pretty well and which in retrospect laid some of the foundations for the upwards curve that the band subsequently embarked on. Rob Aubrey has worked wonders with the re-mix and enhanced the album considerably.”




“I’m never going to pretend that Bard is our best work,” Gregory Spawton adds. “But there’s been increasing demand from fans for a reissue and over the last few years, I’ve warmed towards the album, especially with the benefit of Rob Aubrey’s remix. I had never expected us to play anything from Bard live, but I’ve always been proud of 'The Last English King' and was particularly pleased with how we breathed new life into it on tour this year. It proved one of the highlights of the set, both for the band and apparently for fans too.”


“Since I joined the band in 2022, in parallel with creating new music I have been keen to embrace the entire back catalogue of Big Big Train,” says lead vocalist Alberto Bravin. “Of course, over 20 years ago, this was a very different Big Big Train and with the vocals being shared between a number of singers, Bard precedes David Longdon’s arrival as well. Bard certainly has its moments and I loved playing 'The Last English King' on tour this year.”


Bard will be released via the band’s own label English Electric Recordings on CD and 2LP and via Bandcamp high resolution download.


The CD and vinyl versions will be strictly limited editions and Bard will not be made available on streaming or other download platforms. The 2LP version of the album will be available as 180 gram “shark” blue vinyl (exclusive to Burning Shed and The Bandwagon USA) and 180 gram black vinyl.


The CD/2LP versions of the album will include extensive 4,000 word liner notes by Andy Stuart (author of the book A View From The Embankment, A View From The Line, which documented the band's 2023 tour) using material from a new interview with Gregory Spawton.


An audio teaser for the album is available below. Pre-order via the following links:


- Burning Shed
- The Bandwagon USA
-

During an appearance on the latest episode of "Talk Is Jericho", the podcast hosted by wrestling superstar and FOZZY frontman Chris Jericho, W.A.S.P.'s Blackie Lawless was asked if he was surprised by the fan response to the band's first couple of U.S. tours in 10 years, starting with the fall 2022 trek and continuing with the ongoing 40th-anniversary tour. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "We didn't know what to expect, but we found over the years, if you invest in what you do, hopefully you'll get return on it. And what I mean by that is you make the best records you can make, but also when it comes time to do the tour, you've gotta spend the money. This is not a cheap show that we do out here. It's expensive. It's expensive to get built, it's expensive to start up. The weekly running costs, you don't wanna know about it. I mean, it's not cheap. I understand that in a lot of situations, a lot of artists aren't able to do that, and I understand that, but this is not a situation where we do fly dates. We just can't. It's too expensive of a production. And we hope that the fans recognize that when they see what we do, because we literally take a Broadway stage with us when we go. We have two different — well, three, if you wanna get technical — but we have two primary set changes you will see between the first half of the show and the second half of the show. And it's just like seeing any other Broadway production, if you would go to New York or something like that. So to set that stuff up on a daily basis, you've gotta have a lot of personnel, you've gotta spend the money to start with, so it's detailed, to say the least. But that's the way we used to do it, and to try to give people the best bang for the buck, I still think that that's the best way to do it."

He added: "Hey, nobody likes boring. Nobody likes normal. Let's do something out of the ordinary. Let's dare to stick our heads up above the crowd and say, 'Look at me.' We've made a living doing it."

Asked if that was his mindset was from day one back in 1984 when he first started writing the W.A.S.P. songs, Blackie said: "Actually, no. Not at all. I tell you the truth, you're talking about a band now that never had any intention of ever playing live. Because in L.A., we knew in those days, with the major labels, you did not get record deals by playing live; you got record deals by making a great demo tape. So what we did is we recorded three different versions of what would eventually become our first record. And the last version that we did, we sent 'em out to the majors. Six weeks went by and we didn't hear anything. And we had lived in L.A. long enough to know that at the six-week mark, if you hadn't heard anything, you weren't going to hear anything. So, we talked amongst ourselves and we thought, 'You know what? We think these songs are okay. Why don't we take 'em out and play 'em live and see what kind of reaction we get?' Then we started asking ourselves, 'Well, what do you wanna do? You wanna stand there and look at your shoe tops and get arrested for loitering?' We had a very dark sense of humor. We were going out to flat-out entertain ourselves, and we would think up ideas and just start giggling. It's, like, 'Okay, let's do this.' But you quickly discover, there's a line between something that's outrageous and something that's ridiculous. And that line sometimes gets blurred."

Blackie continued: "When I came up with the idea of the saw blades, one of the guys that worked for us in the crew, his dad had a metal shop, but it was also a woodworking shop — a huge, huge complex. And we would go in there, and he gave us the run of the place. We built anything we wanted. And I came from a construction background, 'cause my dad had a construction company. so I knew how to build stuff. So we built all the early props there. And one day somebody had changed one of the saw blades. There was a table saw that had a 12-inch saw blade on it. And he took it out and he propped it up in the window. He was gonna move it, but for expediency, he just set it in the window so he could get the new blade in place. And I'm looking at it in the windowsill and I just started laughing. And the crew guys asked me, 'What's so funny?' I said, 'I just had the most insane idea.' I said, 'This is either gonna be the greatest thing ever, or I'm gonna get laughed out of town.' So that's where that line, where you don't always know… We look back at it now and say, 'Well, why didn't you recognize that from the beginning?' Because sometimes you don't know until you test it on people, and we did that with all those early props. We didn't know what was gonna work and what didn't, and fortunately for us, most of it worked."

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of W.A.S.P.'s classic debut album, the band is, for the first time in 40 years, playing the entire album from top to bottom, start to finish, on a fall 2024 North American tour, dubbed "Album ONE Alive", this fall. Support on the trek is coming from ARMORED SAINT.

W.A.S.P. kicked off the "Album ONE Alive" tour on October 26 at Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California.

Along with bassist Mike Duda and lead guitarist Doug Blair, whose tenures in the band are 29 and 26 years respectively, W.A.S.P. is joined by longtime drummer extraordinaire Aquiles Priester.

The 39-city run is making stops across North America in Vancouver, British Columbia; Toronto, Ontario; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Dallas, Texas; New York City; Orlando, Florida; and more before wrapping up on Saturday, December 14 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California.

W.A.S.P. is again offering fans VIP tickets that give fans a chance to meet W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless, get a personal photo with Blackie, autographs and take part in a very personal question-and-answer session with Blackie. VIP tickets can be purchased at waspnation.myshopify.com.

Because of the extensive back injuries Lawless suffered during the European leg of W.A.S.P.'s 40th-anniversary tour, the band's previously announced 2023 U.S. tour was canceled.

W.A.S.P.'s massive European leg of the 40th-anniversary world tour wrapped on May 18, 2023 in Sofia, Bulgaria at Universidada Sports Hall.

W.A.S.P. wrapped up its first U.S. tour in 10 years with a sold-out show on December 11, 2022 at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. This marked the 18th sold-out shows for the U.S. tour, which kicked off in late October 2022. W.A.S.P.'s performances included the return of the band's classic song "Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)", which hadn't been played live in over 15 years.

W.A.S.P.'s latest release was "ReIdolized (The Soundtrack To The Crimson Idol)", which came out in February 2018. It was a new version of the band's classic 1992 album "The Crimson Idol", which was re-recorded to accompany the movie of the same name to mark the 25th anniversary of the original LP's release. The re-recorded version also features four songs missing from the original album.

W.A.S.P.'s most recent studio album of all-new original material was 2015's "Golgotha".

In a brand new interview with the Mark And Me podcast, CREED and ALTER BRIDGE guitarist and acclaimed solo artist Mark Tremonti revealed that one of his "biggest bucket list item things is to become a published author." He explained: "I've written one book that I finished called 'A Dying Machine', but that was a co-write with John Shirley. And then I've just finished another book that I just wrote exclusively. And then in the middle — I'm about 200 pages deep into a novel that might take me forever to finish. But I wanna get a publishing house to take me under their wing and see what happens. So that's one of my biggest goals in life right now."

He added: "And just think, I travel around the world where I can go to bookstores on my days off and I can market this thing. [I'll be a] traveling book salesman."

Back in September 2022, Tremonti was asked by Lou Brutus of HardDrive Radio if he would consider one day releasing an autobiography. He responded: "Well, you never know. I'll have to live a little bit more life before that happens. I wanna write my fictional book first."

Tremonti went on to clarify that he previously wrote a full-length work of fiction with John Shirley based on "A Dying Machine", a concept album released in 2018 by his TREMONTI project. "We printed up I don't know how many copies of it, sold 'em out and then people advised me, 'If you wanna get a publishing deal, you've gotta stop selling 'em so you can get that deal,'" he explained. "I've written a new story.

"One of the toughest things in my creative career, if you wanna call it that, was getting this publishing deal. I've been up and down and left and right and gone through every — I've done everything to try to make this thing happen. And getting a publishing deal is — it seems way harder than getting a record deal.

"Not a lot of people buy books anymore. I love buying actual books, but a lot of people just buy the Kindle versions or whatever it is — just download it online.

"So that's one of my missions, Mark added. "I'm actively trying to get that book deal so I can get these books out again."

Six years ago, Tremonti spoke about how he turned the "A Dying Machine" album's concept into a full-length work of fiction. "The story itself that happens throughout the book — it was hard to figure out where I was going to go, but it was an exciting and cool adventure I was going to go on," he told "The Classic Metal Show". "When I decided that I wanted to do a novel, at first I was, like, 'I can do it. I can work around the clock and get it done.' Then I realized the record is coming out in six, seven months, back then, seven months, so I said, 'I have to partner up with somebody.' At first, I was going to hire a ghostwriter, just tell him the story bit by bit, then finally, I contacted my agent, my booking agent. He's part of UTA, which is United Talent Agency, which houses a literary department, so I said, 'Do you guys have any authors that fit this genre that I can partner up?' I think we went through about nine authors before we got to John Shirley. I looked at his resume and read a lot of his stuff and he is a specialist in futurism. He knows where technology is going. The book has a lot to do with where technology is going. When I explained the story, he helped me connect the dots of the story, so it wasn't just a pie-in-the-sky idea. He helped me make it make sense and believable."

The "A Dying Machine" story takes place in a future world where technology has advanced to the point where we can fuse man and machine into a life form called "vessels." They're encrypted with specific purposes from companion to security. But what happens when there's a flaw in the design? And when a recall angers the strongest and most intelligent of the vessels? Can humanity withstand an uprising? Or have they sealed their own fate?

In 2022, Tremonti partnered with National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to release an album of Frank Sinatra covers titled "Tremonti Sings Sinatra". The LP of selections from Frank Sinatra's catalog was made available as part of a new charity initiative created by Tremonti called Take A Chance For Charity. Proceeds from the album go to support NDSS and the work they do to advocate for and support individuals with Down syndrome and their families.

In a new interview with Kati Rausch of Music Interview Corner, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser was asked how it feels for him and his bandmates to be in the middle of a farewell tour. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It feels amazing. It feels great. It's something that we planned for the last two years, before we started the last run. It's a celebration of 40 years of SEPULTURA. It's great to see the fans coming — old-school fans and fans that are seeing SEPULTURA for the first time. It's very emotional. And we're having the best time of our lives. It's a fantastic tour.

"We're gonna stretch the tour further, until 2026, because we're not in a hurry," Andreas explained. "We still have a lot of places to go. SEPULTURA went everywhere during 40 years of history. It's, like, almost 80 countries that we've been, and [there are] some places that we've never been before. So we'd like to try to make that happen before we stop."

Kisser also talked about the fact that SEPULTURA is putting together a live album commemorating its last run of shows. The band is recording 40 songs in 40 different cities for what will be a "massive compilation of our best, most energetic moments on stage," according to a statement released by SEPULTURA last December.

Andreas told Music Interview Corner: "We are recording every show since the start of the tour. Of course, we have a setlist that we are changing a few nights, so we can put songs to build around that recording, but it's going great. Technology today allowed us to record every night, so I've be listening to some of the shows and the energy is there. It's a fantastic sound.

"I'm so excited about this project because SEPULTURA never really had a proper live album," Kisser explained. "We have the Barcelona video and the live in São Paulo, also a DVD, but this is gonna be different times in our tour, from the beginning to the end, in different places, in different cities. But, yeah, [I'm] very excited about it, and it's going great."

Asked if he knows when the new SEPULTURA live album will be released, Andreas said: "Yeah, we're gonna put it out in parts digitally — maybe six, eight songs, every part, every block. And then at the end, when we have the 40 songs chosen and released digitally, we're gonna put out a box set — vinyl, double vinyl, with a lot of pictures and photos. It'll be amazing, like old-school live stuff."

Earlier in the month, Kisser, whose wife Patricia Perissinoto Kisser passed away in July 2022 after a battle with colon cancer, admitted to France's Loud TV that the experience of losing his longtime partner accelerated the decision for SEPULTURA to embark on a farewell tour.

Patricia had just turned 52 years old one day before her death.

Andreas and the couple's three children, Giulia, Yohan and Enzo, announced Patricia's death in a social media post. They wrote: "It is with deep sadness that we have to share that Patricia Perissinoto Kisser passed away this morning. She will remain in our memories forever."

Andreas and Patricia had been together for 32 years after first getting together in 1990. They married in 1994.

In June 2022, Andreas left SEPULTURA's European tour due to what was described at the time as a "family emergency." He was temporarily replaced on the road by Jean Patton of fellow São Paulo, Brazil-based heavy metal act PROJECT46.

SEPULTURA's current lineup comprises Kisser, vocalist Derrick Green, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. and drummer Greyson Nekrutman.

SEPULTURA kicked off its farewell tour on March 1, 2024 at Arena Hall in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The sold-out show marked the band's debut performance with Nekrutman, who previously played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

On November 12, Duff McKagan, bassist of GUNS N' ROSES, sat down with Matt Pinfield for an intimate conversation at the KLOS Helpful Honda Rock Room. They discuss McKagan's experiences growing up in Seattle, moving to Los Angeles, meeting Slash and Steven Adler and forming GUNS N' ROSES, Duff's greatest inspirations, McKagan's latest solo album, "Lighthouse", and much more.

Asked if he and his GUNS N' ROSES bandmates will play any special shows next year for the band's 40th anniversary, Duff responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Is it the 40th anniversary? Thanks for letting me know. Man, we played, [my solo] band played a place in Boston last week, called The Paradise. It's a famous old club — legendary. We go to play the Paradise, and I'm, like, 'Oh, yeah, this is the same place that GUNS played on 'Appetite [For Destruction]'. We did a club tour, a bunch of them, and we played the Paradise. And the owner of the place — he's still the owner — he just bought it, I think, then, in '87. He goes, 'Yeah, man, you played here October 19th, 1987.' It was my first time back. And I said, 'Man, 27 years ago.' He goes, 'No. 37 years ago.'

"I don't feel any different," he continued. "The thing is you say a number like 37 years or 40 years — ooh, that sounds like a lot of time, but I'm still the guy that was in his slant-six Maverick driving down [the street], getting the job at Black Angus [restaurant, working as an appetizer server]… There's no difference.

"I wanna say something," he added. "There's people here, and you talk about GUNS N' ROSES and live shows and stuff. I love to travel the world. I love to go places — coffee shops and museums and churches and castles and you name it. My wife and I are complete nerds. We do all the stuff. And I've done this since the '80s. What happens is you get to meet people. And you get to see different cultures. And I like to stand back and watch the cultures, not insinuate myself into cultures. And I've been to Indonesia and Middle East and Asia and you name it — South America, Europe, of course, a million times. And America, it's got a bunch of different culture in it. And I've been in conversations with people, like, 'Oh, you just saved somebody's life yesterday.' 'Oh, fuck. What did I do?' But I meet the most amazing people, [and they] have their own epic stories. And we all have such depth. None of us are just like a fucking punter. We all have depth.

"When I play shows, I don't think there's a difference between up on stage and the people out watching. We're all in this fucking thing together. So, I'm honored that people would come, 'cause we all have the depth and the stories, and that you take the time to come and see me play or anything I'm doing play. I'm honored, and I always look out. It's kind of overwhelming. If you look out and you're, like, 'I wonder what his story is. I wonder what her story is,' and the energy. And [I'm], like, 'Oh, shit. Okay. Stop. Shut it down for a second. You've gotta finish '[Welcome To The] Jungle'.' But it's really appreciated, you guys. Cheers."

In October, Duff heralded the U.S. kickoff of his "Lighthouse" tour 2024 with the premiere of three new songs that saw him joined by a trio of iconic punk legends who accompanied him on select dates of the headline run.

The U.S. leg of McKagan's "Lighthouse" tour 2024 got underway on November 4 at Boston, Massachusetts's Paradise Rock Club. Highlights included intimate shows at New York City's Le Poisson Rouge (November 6),Chicago, Illinois's Outset (November 8),and Denver, Colorado's Bluebird Theater (November 10),all of which saw support from Lee Ving's RANGE WAR, marking the first live performances from the famed FEAR founder's groundbreaking country-punk outfit in over three decades. "Lighthouse" tour '24 then hit Los Angeles, California's historic El Rey Theatre (November 13) with support from acclaimed singer-songwriter — and Duff's daughter — Grace McKagan, before wrapping up at Portland, Oregon's Aladdin Theater (November 18) and Seattle, Washington's The Showbox (November 20) joined by extremely rare solo acoustic performances by legendary D.O.A. co-founder Joey "Shithead" Keithley.

McKagan and his band wrapped the European leg of the "Lighthouse" tour in October following sold-out stops in Scotland, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, France, and Sweden. Among the tour's highlights was a very special guest appearance by SEX PISTOLS co-founding guitarist Steve Jones at London, England's Islington Assembly Hall that saw the two longtime friends (and NEUROTIC OUTSIDERS bandmates) joining forces for electrifying renditions of Johnny Thunders's "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory" and David Bowie's "Heroes", the latter of which can be viewed now at McKagan's official YouTube channel.

McKagan marked the start of "Lighthouse" tour in September with the debut of a double-sided single including a distinctive cover of Bowie's timeless "Heroes" backed with "True To The Death Rock N Roll Ballad", both available now. "Heroes" is joined by an official visualizer streaming now at YouTube.

In addition, McKagan recently announced "Duff McKagan Live At Easy Street", a Record Store Day exclusive vinyl LP release of his hometown performance last December at Seattle, Washington's Easy Street Records, arriving for RSD Black Friday 2024 on November 29. The limited-edition release features ten searing live tracks, including performances of songs from McKagan's critically acclaimed third solo album, "Lighthouse".

The legendary DUFF MCKAGAN from Guns & Roses is coming to the KLOS
Helpful Honda Rock Room. Tuesday, November 12, Matt...

Posted by Matt Pinfield on Friday, November 1, 2024

CRADLE OF FILTH frontman Dani Filth has weighed in on a debate about people using artificial intelligence (A.I.) to create music. Asked by Spain's Metal Journal if he thinks this new technology is useful or if it's dangerous, Dani said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's dangerous. I have a friend who is a computer programmer. He writes code for computer games and all kinds of weird and wonderful things, and last January I went for a meal at his house and he showed me something then that scared the shit outta me, which was a program that was very new at the time where you could literally just type in what kind of music you wanted, what the lyrics should be about, how you want the video to look, what genre it should be — you put all these things in and five minutes later, you had a song. The trouble is it's soulless, because essentially it's just taking bits of information — millions — from around the web and binds them very quickly. And it learns. I know artists that are A.I. creators, and the longer they do it, the better it becomes. But the trouble is it's not just affecting… I mean, you get a painter, for example, or a band that spends a year writing an album, recording it, putting all the visuals together, releasing it. These things can do it almost instantaneously. So not only is it taking away from the entertainment industry, whether it's music, art, theater, cinema, but as soon as it becomes attached to a physical robot, something that can physically do the job that his mind creates, then it's gonna affect every walk of life. I mean, it's gonna have benefits, yeah. Everything has benefits. There'll be disabled people that will benefit from the use of A.I. There'll be historians and things that just do work for you that make it easy. But that's not the point. The point is it's soulless. And it's gonna make the human race not only lazy… I mean, look at the way people are with music nowadays, with just having access to everything. There's no soul searching, there's no going to a record store and finding an album… There was something very spiritual about spending the time drifting from shop to shop looking [for an album you really wanted]. Now you just press a button. And I think you lose the capacity to enjoy things as much… I do think that discovering bands and growing with bands and having them shape your parts of your life is important too."

He added: "So no, I think A.I. is shit. I think it is a danger. And I'm not talking about 'Terminator' robots and Skynet, although that could be a problem eventually, but I just think, for people's spiritual growth, for the replacement of hard work of artists in whatever they do, whether it's music, radio, TV, film, anything, I think it's a bit of a problem."

Last month, CRADLE OF FILTH released a new single, "Malignant Perfection". The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, which is tentatively due next spring via Napalm Records.

Regarding how he thinks fans will react to the new CRADLE OF FILTH material, DaniJorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global: "I think they're gonna love it. It's just part of the evolution of CRADLE. I mean, people ask me to describe it and it's very hard to describe it. I'm not gonna say, 'You know what? This is our 'Cold Lake'," referencing CELTIC FROST's much-maligned 1988 album. "It's just the next evolutionary step for CRADLE. It's got everything. There's a lot of things that hark back atmospherically and indeed musically in places to early CRADLE stuff. But then there's a lot of very modern CRADLE. It's got everything."

Last year, CRADLE OF FILTH released its first live album in over 20 years, "Trouble And Their Double Lives", via Napalm Records. The LP was recorded between 2014 and 2019 at different performances in the USA, Europe, Australia and beyond during the band's "Cryptoriana" world tour and dates following. Produced, mixed and mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios, with recording captured by Danny B, the effort not only featured a slew of fan favorites encompassing the band's discography but also two bonus tracks and two entirely brand new songs, "She Is A Fire" and "Demon Prince Regent".

Dani Filth press photo courtesy of Napalm Records

ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell has weighed in on the fact that PANTERA's surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) have united with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

Anselmo and Brown, along with Wylde and Benante, are headlining a number of major festivals across North America, South America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They are also supporting METALLICA on a massive stadium tour in Europe and North America.

According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who in 2021 said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

Cantrell discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in a new interview with Lipps Service With Scott Lipps. Asked if he has had a chance to catch one of the shows on the "celebration" tour, Jerry said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have. I saw them with METALLICA, I think at SoFi [Stadium in Los Angeles], and I've seen many, many clips of the guys.

"I'm really glad that they're doing that," he continued. "I think it's a cool celebration of the music. Also, being in a band with a couple of key members who are not here, I know that that takes a certain type of courage to get up there and celebrate what you did, and you wanna do it as well as you can for the fans that wanna see it. And Zakk and Charlie do a great job. I mean, I don't think it could have been done with either one of those guys out of the mix."

Back in December 2004, just a couple of days after Dimebag was murdered, Cantrell told the Dallas Morning News that the PANTERA guitarist was a one-of-a-kind character — a hard-partying Yosemite Sam who had a tender, more nurturing side.

"He was a deep soul," Cantrell said. "He was always there with a smile ... which is why this doesn't make any sense at all. Why would anyone have a beef with him?"

Cantrell recalled the time Dimebag borrowed his Yukon truck and returned it full of graffiti and adhesive stickers. "That's the kind of guy he was. ... He loved to pull pranks on you. ... He always had a joke and a smile."

In a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone, Jerry said that he knew Vinnie Paul and Dimebag longer "than I've known the guys in my own band." He explained: "I met Vinnie and Dime in '85… Back then, I had quit college with a couple buddies of mine and was working doing asbestos abatement all around the Dallas and Houston area, where I lived for about a year. We got paid really well to do it because it's a shit job, but what we would do is we'd work all day and then we'd go to clubs at night and check out bands. And there was a great club called Cardi's where rock bands came through all the time. I saw Yngwie Malmsteen there. I saw TALAS there. And I saw PANTERA there, when they had Terry Glaze singing.

"I loved their band. I was mesmerized by Darrell, and I loved how Vinnie played. I remember we talked a little bit after their show and we just hit it off. So, actually, I knew Vinnie and Dime longer than I've known the guys in my own band. I didn't meet Layne [Staley] and Sean [Kinney] and Mike [Starr] until I was 21. I was 19 when I met Vinnie. That's a long time, man. We reconnected a few years later when they had found Phil, and PANTERA came out with 'Cowboys From Hell' and we came out with 'Facelift'.

"Vinnie and Dime, they both had such a great sense of humor. At the same time, Vinnie was a guy who was extremely driven. A smart guy who could think on a lot of different levels — not just rockin' out, but also about business. I think early on he was probably the guy who handled a lot of that stuff. He was a smart cookie. And he was a true fan of rock and roll, like myself. That's why we both wanted to do it. We wanted to do what our heroes did, and do it well, at the top level you could do it at. And Vinnie did that.

"PANTERA were a revolutionary band for metal, and he completely influenced a whole generation of drummers. The way he played, the way he sounded — he had a kind of industrial sound to his drum. Nobody else was like him. And the motherfucker's meter was just spot on. I never heard him get off the groove or miss a beat, ever. He was a fucking machine.

"In whatever he did, Vinnie lived his life unapologetically. I always respected that about him. He was a guy who achieved his dreams, and worked his ass off to get there. And he always tried to have a good time doing it. And he and Dime were always really great with their fans. No matter the circumstance or how shitty they might be feeling, they wouldn't miss an opportunity to take a picture with somebody or have a shot with them. They went out of their way to make every person feel welcome and at ease and create a good time for them.

"When Dime was killed, that was such a shock to all of us. But the fact that Vinnie had to live with the vision of that, it still haunts me to this day. Goddamn. I can't even get my mind around that. But he had his own path."

Up until his passing, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

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

Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his other home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

LORDOFTHE80S has uploaded video of EXODUS's November 23 concert at Preserving in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. Check out the clips below.

EXODUS kicked off "The Battle Of '24" tour on November 2 in Tampa, Florida and is thrashing its way across North America, ultimately concluding the trek on December 7 in Los Angeles, California. The tour marks EXODUS's first headlining run in many years.

Earlier in the month, EXODUS released its cover of the AC/DC classic "Beating Around The Bush". The track, which features a guest solo by former EXODUS guitarist Rick Hunolt, was originally recorded during the sessions for EXODUS's 2021 album "Persona Non Grata" but had not been released until now.

"Persona Non Grata" was recorded at a studio in Lake Almanor, California and was engineered by Steve Lagudi and EXODUS. It was produced by EXODUS and was mixed by Andy Sneap. For the third time in the band's history, they returned to Swedish artist Pär Olofsson to create the album artwork.

"Persona Non Grata" is the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

In a new interview with "Reckless" Rexx Ruger of Pod Scum, EYEHATEGOD guitarist Jimmy Bower was asked if there is any new music in the works for the follow-up to the band's 2021 album "A History Of Nomadic Behavior". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Very much so. We have a lot of stuff written. It's just a matter of getting in the room and putting it all together. We stayed so busy that we haven't had a chance to work on the new record, but when we would do jam sessions, we always record everything. We have like all kind of cool stuff that we just need to get together and put it together. We're leaving December 4th to go to the U.K. for three weeks. And then that ends it up for the year. So hopefully in January [we can] get in the room with EYEHATEGOD and start finishing up writing for that."

Regarding the songwriting process in EYEHATEGOD, Jimmy said: "We'll go to the room. Usually nine times out of 10, Mike [IX Williams, vocals] doesn't come to practice, but we'll go up there and we do like a blues jam or something and then we get riffs out of that. We improvise probably the first hour of our practice, and then if we have a show or something, we'll practice the songs, but we always try and work on what we wrote in that improvisation. It's just always been that way.

"I'm not the sole writer," Jimmy clarified. "Our new drummer, Aaron Hill, plays guitar too, so he writes. Gary [Mader, bass] writes. I'm just the only guitar player now, but back in the day Brian [Patton, former EYEHATEGOD guitarist] would write as well.

"EYEHATEGOD, to me, is just now starting to graduate into writing songs. Before, it was just part, break, part, break, part, done. And it's been fun, with that style of riffing and everything, to try and up it and write songs."

In March 2021, EYEHATEGOD released its first new full-length album in seven years, "A History Of Nomadic Behavior", via Century Media Records. The LP was produced by EYEHATEGOD, Sanford Parker (YOB, VOIVOD) and James Whitten (THOU, HIGH ON FIRE),with mixing by Whitten. The band recorded at HighTower Recording and Hypercube studios. The artwork for the LP was created by Gary Mader and Mike IX Williams.

Williams previously said of the songs on the album: "We're not a political band, but it was hard not to be affected by the [pandemic-related] news from the past year. During this recording, I thought a lot about how stupid humanity has become and how America is now completely divided with these people who don't believe in science and blindly follow liars and nonsensical ideologies. Some of those feelings may have found their way into these songs, but it is mostly subliminal."

"A History Of Nomadic Behavior" followed a period that saw EYEHATEGOD on the road for three years, preceded by Williams suffering liver failure and a transplant. "We toured our asses off for three years and that's where 'A History Of Nomadic Behavior' basically comes from," Williams said before touching on his health challenge: "Death is a part of life; it's a roll of the dice. Sometimes you take life as it comes, other times you fight to stay alive."

EYEHATEGOD's previous album, a self-titled affair, came out in 2014. It arrived a decade and a half after its predecessor, 2000's "Confederacy Of Ruined Lives".

EYEHATEGOD's 1990 "In The Name Of Suffering" and 1993 "Take As Needed For Pain" studio albums are considered their seminal works and are often cited as pillars of the American sludge sound alongside ACID BATH, BUZZOV*EN and CROWBAR.

EYEHATEGOD 2024 lineup:

Mike IX Williams - vocals
Jimmy Bower - guitar
Gary Mader - bass
Aaron Hill - drums

Photo credit: Robb Duchemin (courtesy of The Noise Cartel)

In a recent interview with Guitar World magazine, BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi was asked what he thought of his band's influence on the thrash movement, which was popularized by such acts as METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX. He responded: "It was nice to hear those thrash bands paying tribute to us. It's great how they were able to push it forward into something new and turn it into their own thing. I was just coming up with things I liked. So it was brilliant to hear about other musicians liking what I'd done, taking the same kind of idea and improving on it, evolving it into their own sound. Like METALLICA, for instance, who probably learned things from us as well as other people. What they did with the metal sound, turning it into thrash, was fantastic. They've always been respectful toward us and they're lovely guys. I love their attitude toward things, the way they write and everything. It reminds us a lot of how we were — everyone in one room rehearsing together and taking it seriously."

METALLICA members Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield inducted BLACK SABBATH into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in March 2006 in New York City.

In a moving speech, Hetfield choked up as he painted a picture of himself as a nine-year-old introvert who found salvation in the din of Tony Iommi & Co. "He was drawn to them... like a shy boy to his own loud voice," Hetfield said at the event. "Those monstrous riffs lived inside him and spoke the feelings he could never put into words, sending chills of inspiration through him, from those gloomy lyrics and outlaw chords and all."

He added: "I realize that without [SABBATH's] defining sound, there would be no METALLICA, especially with one James Hetfield. Never have I known a more timeless and influential band. They have spread their wonderful disease through generations of musicians. They are always listed as an influence by heavy bands to this day. They are loved and highly respected as the fathers of heavy music."

Ulrich, for his part, said: "Obviously if there was no BLACK SABBATH, there would be no METALLICA. If there was no BLACK SABBATH, hard rock and heavy metal as we know it today would look, sound and be shaped very, very differently. So if there was no BLACK SABBATH, I could possibly still be a morning newspaper delivery boy — no fun, no fun.

"SABBATH join what I consider a very short list of artists who can claim to be synonymous with their specific genre of music," he added. "No matter how you fucking slice and dice it, when you say 'heavy metal,' the words BLACK SABBATH hover in the shadows fighting for pole position. On any given day, the heavy metal genre might as well be subtitled 'music derivative of BLACK SABBATH.' Sure, we're all respectful to BLUE CHEER, we're enamored with LED ZEPPELIN, we're in awe of DEEP PURPLE and, of course, admiring of STEPPENWOLF and John Kay's first uttering of the words 'heavy metal,' but when it comes to defining a genre within the world of heavy music, SABBATH stand alone. They took pre-existing elements of blues, rock and soul, threw in the right amount of darkness and street cred, and fused those elements with a previously undiscovered 'X' factor — whatever the fuck that was — creating something unheard, unexperienced, unique and utterly groundbreaking with their huge hymns of doom. BLACK SABBATH are an entity of their own — in my mind, the only word that fits is the word 'pioneer.' They were, and much more importantly, still are considered pioneers of all things heavy. All the metal bands and all the so-called subgenres of metal still trace their lineage to one place: four kids in their late teens from the black country of Birmingham who named their band after a 1963 Italian horror movie starring Boris Karloff. Subsequently they changed hard rock and by doing so the entire family tree of metal and everything that metal, for better or worse, stands for, was and will be forever both invigorated and elevated."

In a 1992 interview with Guitar World, Hetfield said that he "discovered BLACK SABBATH by digging through" his older brother's record collection. "Their album covers really drew me in," he said. "I immediately thought, 'I gotta put this on.' And when I did, I couldn't believe it. It was, like, 'Whoa! Heavy as shit.' SABBATH was everything that the '60s weren't. Their music was so cool because it was completely anti-hippie. I hated THE BEATLES, JETHRO TULL, LOVE and all that other happy shit."

Copenhagen-based hardcore quintet, Split, is poised to shake up the hardcore scene with their brand new track, “Cold Heart”, a fierce collaboration with heavy-hitters Dethrxner, offering a glimpse into the upcoming debut EP 2300, set to release in March.


Watch the accompanying music video below, with live footage from their recent show supporting Lifesick in Copenhagen.


"Our new track was inspired by Dethrxner, who are also featured on the song. ‘Cold Heart’ combines elements from rap, hardcore, and metalcore," vocalist Benjamin Jeppesen explains.

Former OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Jake E. Lee has offered more details about last month's shooting which left him hit three times about 10 miles from the Las Vegas Strip. He was later taken to the Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center's intensive care unit.

The 67-year-old musician took to his social media on Thursday (November 28) to write: "I've been debating on publicly talking about getting shot and have decided that it would probably be good for me. Somewhat therapeutic, and by documenting it I can more easily put it behind me. And you might find parts of it interesting! At first it seemed too daunting but then I realized I can do it in parts. Like this:

"We were about 50ft apart when I heard the shots. I quickly realized he wasn't aiming at me. He was aiming at my dog! I threw my end of the leash at Coco and yelled to go home. He did. He's a good boy.

"The first shot to hit me was in my left forearm. Entered about an inch below the elbow on the underside. Exited topside. It felt like a burn. Not particularly painful, just like a quick burning sensation. I thought it must have been a graze. Fortunately it missed any bones, and my elbow joint, and has healed remarkably quickly. The scars aren't much bigger or darker than some of my age spots and I'd probably have to point them out for you to notice. All the fingers still move well. Initially lost the feeling on the back of my hand but it has been slowly coming back.

"In the spirit of giving thanks, I am most thankful my dog wasn't hurt, and also the damage to my fretting arm was minimal. Unlike the other wounds, which I'll get to in Part 2."

Lee previously explained that he walked his dog in the middle of the night because "I'm a night owl, always have been. My wife works graveyard in a casino. 2-3 in the morning is the middle of the day for us! And during the summer, with temps 115-120° [Fahrenheit] during the day, walking Coco in the early morning can still be over 100°. So we walk when it's coolest, and have for the last two years without mishap, until recently."