GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan kicked off his solo tour Monday night (September 30) at the Academy in Dublin, Ireland. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

According to Setlist.fm, Duff's 21-song set included one GN'R track, "You're Crazy", alongside select cuts from his "Lighthouse" (2023) and "Tenderness" (2019) solo albums. There were also covers of THE STOOGES' "I Wanna Be Your Dog", "I Fought The Law", a song written by SONNY CURTIS OF THE CRICKETS and popularized by a cover by the BOBBY FULLER FOUR, and Johnny Thunders's "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory".

U.S. dates for "Lighthouse Tour '24" begin November 4 at Boston, Massachusetts's Paradise Rock Club.

Late last month, Duff released two new songs, "Heroes", a distinctive cover of David Bowie's timeless classic, and "True To The Death Rock N Roll Ballad", both available now at all DSPs and streaming services.

"We thought it was good idea to put out a couple of fresh songs right here on the eve of the 'Lighthouse' tour," McKagan said at the time. "Choosing David Bowie's 'Heroes' seemed to be a natural subject matter for me (I am, of course, a massive history nerd)…star-crossed lovers in the shadow of the mid-'70s Cold War-era Berlin Wall. To try and compliment this era, I chose a sort of '70s glam-rock song that I wrote some time last year, 'True To The Death Rock N Roll Ballad', another lyric where love and lust and time are the central figures. We hope you dig this 'single' and thank you all for just being you!"

"Lighthouse Tour '24" will see Duff McKagan and his band traveling Europe and the United Kingdom, making stops in Scotland, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, France, and Sweden through late October. Support on all European dates comes from Cardiff, Wales's JAMES AND THE COLD GUN. U.S. dates will follow, including 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 will have special guests 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 hits Los Angeles, California's historic El Rey Theatre (November 13) with support from acclaimed singer-songwriter 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 "Sh*thead" Keithley. Tickets and VIP packages for all announced dates are on sale now.

McKagan has also announced a Black Friday Record Store Day (November 29, 2024) exclusive RSD vinyl LP release of his searing performance at Easy Street Records in Seattle, Washington on December 8, 2023. The set contains tracks from McKagan's critically acclaimed recent album "Lighthouse" and "This is The Song" EP.

McKagan's first solo headline run in half a decade, "Lighthouse Tour '24" celebrates last year's release of his critically acclaimed third solo album, "Lighthouse", available everywhere now. Hailed by Paste as "an emotional, personal and spiritual reckoning... [McKagan's] most important rock project yet," the album sees Duff McKagan baring more of his artistic spirit than ever before, fusing acoustic elements with hard-edged rock 'n' roll to land at the sweet spot between soul-searching reflection and pure energy. "Lighthouse" was met by critical applause from such international outlets as Rolling Stone, Kerrang!, Revolver and American Songwriter for such singles as "Lighthouse", "I Saw God On 10th Street" and "Longfeather", the latter hailed by Revolver as "folky, elegiac" and joined by an official music video streaming now at YouTube. McKagan later performed "Longfeather" with an exclusive appearance on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

According to Rolling Stone, Billy Idol, TOOL's Maynard James Keenan and country artist Jelly Roll will sing Ozzy Osbourne songs at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland on October 19. Backing them up will be a band consisting of Zakk Wylde, Andrew Watt, Steve Stevens and Wolfgang Van Halen on guitar, with a rhythm section featuring METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith. Actor Jack Black will make the speech inducting Osbourne.

Osbourne has earned a solo Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction for his nearly six-decade career in music. BLACK SABBATH was inducted in 2006. This honor makes Ozzy one of a handful of artists with multiple inductions into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Regarding Black's involvement in the event, Osbourne told Rolling Stone: "Jack invited my family to the 'School Of Rock' movie premiere in 2002. I've always been a big fan of his. Jack is one of the few great actors that is also a genuine rock & roller and not acting the part."

As for the musicians taking part in the performance, Ozzy said: "Billy Idol is a rock icon. His music is timeless. Billy Idol should be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Maynard has been a true family friend since 1997. He is such a creative force. There are few artists who can keep three successful bands going for multiple decades," referring to TOOL, A PERFECT CIRCLE and PUSCIFER.

"Who doesn't love Jelly Roll?" Osbourne added. "His voice is soulful, pure, and dirty. I'm so honored that someone would do this for me who I've never had the pleasure of meeting."

As for Trujillo and Smith, Ozzy said: "The rhythm section is the anchor of the band, and you honestly couldn't get a better rhythm section than Robert Trujillo and Chad Smith."

The 2024 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction will be seen live on Saturday, October 19 at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. The 2024 ceremony will once again stream live on Disney+ with a special airing on ABC at a later date and available on Hulu the next day.

Speaking to Billboard, the 75-year-old Osbourne said getting a second induction "feels big. I'm more than honored."

He went on to reflect on his solo career, saying: "With every new music venture there's always a certain amount of surprise that comes when you see the fans embrace it, because no one wants to make a record and have it flop. I feel like I was invited to a party in 1980, and it hasn't stopped. Not bad for a guy who was fired from his last band."

Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne discussed his absence from the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a solo artist during an appearance earlier this year on "The Adam Carolla Show". Asked by host Adam Carolla how the nomination process works and whether she has to lobby to get Ozzy in as a solo artist, Sharon said: "There are people on the board, and the people on the board have to go in, and it has to be on their list, and it has to be on more than, I think, half of the votes. More than half."

Sharon went on to say that she doesn't like to "beg" anyone for anything. "I will never beg, and I will never ask for favors," she explained. "I've never asked anyone for a favor. So, my thing is fuck you if you don't realize that somebody really deserves to be here. And you don't recognize that? Then, see ya."

When Adam pressed Sharon about whether she has done "any lobbying" to get Ozzy into the Rock Hall, she said: "We went to a dinner last year for the people who had been inducted in last year. They invited us to the dinner and we went. And people were saying to Ozzy, 'Oh, you've been inducted in,' and we were, like, 'No, actually. We were just invited for the food, so we're here.' That's as near as we've got, but no."

Sharon added: "They know that Ozzy deserves to be there. They know he's been a solo artist. You've gotta be doing it for 25 years. He's been 43 years as a solo artist. He sold nearly a hundred million albums as a solo artist. So where is he? Induct him."

Artists are eligible to be inducted into the Rock Hall after at least 25 years have passed since their first record was released.

In 1999, Ozzy attempted to take BLACK SABBATH's name off the Hall Of Fame's nomination list that year, deeming the institution's nod "meaningless."

In an October 1999 letter to the Hall Of Fame, Osbourne said: "Just take our name off the list. Save the ink. Forget about us. The nomination is meaningless, because it's not voted on by the fans. It's voted on by the supposed elite for the industry and the media, who've never bought an album or concert ticket in their lives, so their vote is irrelevant to me." He added, "Let's face it, BLACK SABBATH has never been media darlings. We're a people's band and that suits us just fine."

Back in 2005, BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi told Launch he was not happy that SABBATH had not yet been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. "I'm pissed off about that," he said. "I think that's... you know, I don't normally go round blowing our own trumpet saying we are this and we are that. I'm not that kind of person but I really think we deserve... you know, to be in that. Because without us that kind of music wouldn't have existed. 'Cause a lot of bands that have sparked off from us wouldn't be around and there probably wouldn't be this king of music."

When BLACK SABBATH finally earned its induction in 2006, the band went in with LYNYRD SKYNYRD, Mike Davis and BLONDIE.

Legendary Ozzy guitarist Randy Rhoads was posthumously inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame during the 2021 ceremony. Rhoads, who played in Ozzy's band more than four decades ago, received the Musical Excellence Award at the October 2021 event.
Taking the stage to celebrate the storied career of The Prince of Darkness, @OzzyOsbourne, is a true all-star cast of incredible musicians including @BillyIdol, @JellyRoll615, @RHCPchad, @WolfVanHalen, @ZakkWyldeBLS, @mjkeenan, @RobertTrujillo, @stevestevens, & @thisiswatt. pic.twitter.com/bR8eJ3mMkH

— Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (@rockhall) October 3, 2024


+ Ozzy super-fan @jackblack is set to stop by. It’s not a Shot In the Dark to say that this tribute is about to be legendary. Don't miss music’s highest honor, the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductions, LIVE on 10.19 on @disneyplus! #RockHall2024

— Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (@rockhall) October 3, 2024



Photo credit: Ross Halfin

A special set of stamps is being issued to mark the 60th anniversary of THE WHO.

Royal Mail revealed details of 12 stamps which feature images of some of THE WHO's most popular album covers and group shots from some of their live performances.

The album covers are "My Generation" from 1965 designed by David Wedgbury; "Tommy" from 1969 designed by Michael McInnerney; "Who's Next" from 1971 designed by Ethan Russell and Kosh; "Quadrophenia" from 1973 designed by Graham Hughes; "Who Are You" from 1978 designed by Terry O'Neill and Bill Smith; "Face Dances" from 1981 designed by Sir Peter Blake; "Endless Wire" from 2006 designed by Richard Evans; and "Who" from 2019 designed by Sir Peter Blake.

A miniatures sheet features two group publicity shots and two images of the band's live performances at the Marquee Club in London in 1967 and the Kings Hall in Belle Vue, Manchester, in 1973.

Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon formed THE WHO in 1964. (Before that they were THE DETOURS and, for a short period, the HIGH NUMBERS). Within five years, they went from performing club shows to headlining the Woodstock festival in the U.S. and becoming the biggest box-office draw in the world.

Daltrey said: "The artwork on the album sleeves was almost as important to the success of the record as the music. It's great to be reminded of them."

Townshend added: "Stamp! Stamp! Stamp! It's what I've done on stage all my life, sometimes in the air. At last my stamping, and that of my buddy Roger, has been honoured properly, and will help letters, parcels and birthday cards travel through time and space, just as we have."

David Gold, Royal Mail's director of external affairs and policy, said: "With their truly original sound and effortless ability to mix musical styles, THE WHO are rock royalty. These stamps celebrate one of the U.K.'s much-loved and revered musical bands who have achieved global popularity for six decades."

The new Royal Mail special edition stamps celebrating 60 years of the who will be available to purchase on October 17 from the Royal Mailweb site. But you can pre-order your set from today, October 3.

Celebrate 60 Years of The Who with our latest Stamps & Collectibles 🎸📮 Available worldwide, pre-order today!...

Posted by Royal Mail on Thursday, October 3, 2024

SOL INVICTO, the dynamic project formed by producer/guitarist Richie Londres, Stephen Carpenter (DEFTONES) and Eric Bobo (CYPRESS HILL),has announced the release of their long-awaited debut EP, "Loosely Aware", dropping November 8, 2024. Accompanying the announcement is the release of their first official single, "The Obvious Play", alongside an official visualizer.

Speaking on the EP, the band shares: "It's been quite the journey to get this to the people, just a taste of what's to come."

After years of experimentation and anticipation, SOL INVICTO is finally ready to reveal the first taste of what's to come with single "The Obvious Play", featuring guest vocals from Sean Plague of PLAGUE TO PYRES (who are signed to Londres and Carter's independent label Omyac Records). The EP marks the project's first official release following their extremely rare, private double album "Initium" in 2017, a collection of demos and experimental tracks gathered over the years which was available only to members of their private club, Sol Invicto Comiti.

"Loosely Aware" showcases the band's unique blend of furious riffs, razor-sharp lead guitar lines, industrial and electronic elements all infused with the percussive genius of Eric Bobo, drawing from the talents of Dan Foord (SIKTH) on drums. The EP signals a bold new chapter for the band as they prepare to record a full-length metal album later this year. More on that coming soon.

Fusing heavy riffs, industrial beats and Latin-infused percussion, SOL INVICTO has carved out its own unique space in the world of experimental metal.

The group initially blended lo-fi industrial drum and bass with Carpenter's crushing guitar work and Bobo's dynamic percussion. As the sound evolved, Londres brought in Foord to take over on drums, pushing the band toward a more live, raw energy.

To date, SOL INVICTO has released a single, exclusive double album titled "Initium", a collection of demos and experimental tracks gathered over the years. Released in 2017 on limited edition signed vinyls, "Initium" remains a rare gem for members of the Sol Invicto Comiti and currently unavailable to the public.

After starting work on new music in 2018, the group's plans were delayed, but 2024 will finally see the first official release from SOL INVICTO — the three-track EP titled "Loosely Aware", featuring vocals from Plague.

"Loosely Aware" was mixed by Adam "Nolly" Getgood (PERIPHERY, ANIMALS AS LEADERS) and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (GHOST, PARADISE LOST). The artwork was created by Kwonny.

When STONE TEMPLE PILOTS returned to the studio in 1994 to record the band's second album, the quartet was facing the high expectations set by its debut "Core" (1992),which sold more than eight million copies and earned a Grammy Award. The release of "Purple" on June 7, 1994, would cement their place as one of the definitive bands of their generation as the album debuted at No.1 on the Billboard album chart on its way to selling more than six million copies.

Today, Rhino announces the upcoming release "Purple Rarities", a 1LP purple vinyl with studio and live recordings broken out from the 2019 Super Deluxe Edition. Available exclusively for RSD Black Friday on November 29 at participating indie record stores.

For more information, visit www.recordstoreday.com.

"Purple Rarities" explores the making of the album with a mix of unreleased tracks that includes demos ("Unglued" and "Army Ants") and early versions of album tracks ("Meat Plow" and "Interstate Love Song"),plus acoustic recordings ("Big Empty").

Scott Weiland, Dean DeLeo, Robert DeLeo and Eric Kretz recorded most of "Purple" in Atlanta with producer Brendan O'Brien. The album features some of the group's most iconic tracks, including "Interstate Love Song" and "Vasoline" — which both topped the Mainstream Rock chart in 1994.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS wrapped their cross-country tour and will continue playing select shows throughout 2024 into 2025.

"Purple Rarities" track listing:

Side A

01. Meat Plow (Early Version)
02. Interstate Love Song (Early Version)
03. Big Empty (Acoustic Version)
04. Army Ants (Demo)

Side B

01. Unglued (Demo)
02. Kitchenware & Candybars (Demo)
03. Dancing Days
04. She Knows Me Too Well (Demo)
05. Interstate Love Song (Acoustic Version)

U.S. metalcore act LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES released their new album, "The Cycles Of Trying To Cope", on May 10 via UNFD. Today, the band has shared the visualizer for the new standalone track "Soul Exchange". It's a moody, dark rager that was written during the sessions for the last album.

"'Soul Exchange' is a weird one," states singer Chris Roetter. "It kind of feels like the one that got away. When we were putting together the record, it was hard to find a place for it. The song is an encapsulation of my experience and relationship with my career. The struggles of writing and feeling like it hits no one. The feeling of falling on deaf ears, being unheard."

LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES is touring the U.S. with THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and more this fall. They will tour with SILENT PLANET in Europe next year as well.

"When it breaks, what piece am I left with?," ponders frontman Chris Roetter over the rousing, palms-to-the-sky outro of "Kintsugi", an emotional thunderclap of a song that forms somewhat of a centerpiece to LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES' career re-defining sixth album, "The Cycles Of Trying To Cope". While the anthemic track's title pays homage to the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, for Roetter and his bandmates (guitarists Zach Pishney and Cody Cavanaugh, and drummer Roman Garcia),the notion of "Kintsugi" comes loaded with the profound human experience of seeking to find light in the dark, to birth good from bad — indeed, the cycles of trying to cope.

"The record encapsulates the varying emotions we go through when trying to grow through life," says Roetter. "Over the last few years, I've really tried to harness my emotions as a catalyst to get through whatever I was facing at the time. I think we all have our own unique ways to cope — these are mine. Just being able to write about this stuff and put it out into the world makes it feel like I'm not so alone."

Segmented into four chapters, dubbed Limbo, Fracture, Dissociate and Melancholia, "The Cycles Of Trying To Cope" album plays as an intense exploration of the LIKE MOTHS musical arsenal, straddling the ugly and the beautiful in equal measure, whilst Roetter's raw introspection pierces the heart of every vicious breakdown or soaring chorus with cathartic power. Though not originally designed to be a concept album, Roetter's reflections on these diverse, complimentary, and contrasting facets of the band's latest opus revealed common threads which led the singer even deeper into his internal landscape; exploring the ways in which differing stages and aspects of the record were connected evoked in Roetter thoughts of the terraces in Dante's "Purgatory" and the "cycles" were given shape.

"A big focal point for MOTHS has always been writing about things I'm actively going through," Roetter details. "But when I realized that each song on the new album covers a unique approach I've had to a specific emotion, it felt like we needed something that could escort listeners through the record. It definitely helps it all feel cohesive and complete; Sometimes an album can just feel like a collection of songs, but I think this is more an experience to the band — I hope that people are able to find some solace in knowing someone else out there is dealing with these things too."

Birmingham, England's Becky Baldwin, who is now Mercyful Fate's new bassist, replacing Joey Vera (Armored Saint) in the band lineup, has released a bass playthrough video for "Satan's Fall", originally featured on the band's 1983 debut studio album, Melissa.


Says Becky: "The epic closer of the Mercyful Fate live set... And as 11.5 minutes of prog metal greatness, I thought it should be the final playthrough from the set that I film, too. A wild structure of intense riffs, fun harmony lines and the occasional melodic interlude.


"I have now recorded playthroughs of the full Mercyful Fate live set that I have performed with them, except for the unreleased 'Jackal Of Salzburg' - which I'll film for you all after the single comes out!




"Next, I'll be selecting songs from a wider range of bands to record bass covers for. If you have any suggestions for songs - more Mercyful Fate or anything else you'd like to hear - let me know!"





Approaching the 10 year anniversary of Fury’s debut album, The Lightning Dream, the band have demonstrated their evolution with a new recording of a live favourite, "Prince Of Darkness".





Since 2017, the lineup of Fury has been slowly morphing into something new - now with bassist Becky Baldwin (Mercyful Fate), drummer Tom Fenn and lead guitarist Tom Atkinson replacing previous members. But the most impactful shift to the band’s new sound is the addition of vocalist Nyah Ifill.


Founding member Julian Jenkins explains: “There's something very cool about celebrating the tenth anniversary of our debut album, and with this "cover" we're simultaneously embracing our past and the journey that has led us to where we are today, whilst also looking forward to the future of the band. Obviously Fury has evolved and changed a lot over the past few years, and it's great to have a glimpse of how the band may have sounded if this line up had recorded the first album. As we prepare to release our next studio album in 2025, the first with Nyah as a full time member and co-lead vocalist, and the first with Aki on guitar. This really feels like one era is ending, a brand new one beginning, and this release is a fantastic homage to what I'm sure will be an important part of our history.”


Fury are currently working on their fifth studio album, with the release anticipated for spring 2025. Nyah Ifill comments on her move from guest session musician to a permanent position: “As a newer band member, I’ve felt so welcomed by the fans and I’m excited to share some lead vocals! While I haven’t been a part of Fury during the Lightning dream era, I’ve admired the driving force of the songs and massively enjoy playing them live. It isn’t often that bands re-visit older material, and I hope that it’s a treat for the long-time fans!

35 years ago today, Babylon A.D. released their self-titled debut album. Lead singer Derek Davis looks back on getting signed and their showcase performance for Arista Records Clive Davis...


"Getting a record deal and releasing our first record was one of the greatest highlights of my life. I had dreamed about getting “The Deal” and being in a recording artist since I was 8 years old. It just proved to me dreams can come true.


"I remember it like it was yesterday, The band had just moved to Hollywood in a one bedroom apartment at the infamous “Saint James” off Hollywood Blvd. There was 6 of us living there for less than a week when our manager called and said that Clive Davis the President of Arista Records wanted to see the band on that Saturday and they had arranged a showcase for us at SIR studios on Sunset Blvd. We had not practiced in a while do to the move from the Bay Area but we were ready! I mean this is “Clive Fukin Davis” The Music Mogul” the man who signed “Janis Joplin”, “Aerosmith”, Simon and Garfunkel”, “The Grateful Dead”, “Santana”,“Whitney Houston” and many more world renown artists and he wanted to see - US!!! WTF??????????




"That Saturday morning we practiced a 7 song set and Clive showed up around noon with two New York A&R guys and Randy Gerston the head of the West Coast A&R department. Our manager Jay Malla was there also and that was it! Five guys wearing suites, sitting on a big long couch right in front of the band. We were on stage and we blew through our set and nailed it, and the second we finished the last song “The Kid Goes Wild”, 'Clive Davis’ jumps up off the couch and opens his arms real wide and says, "Welcome To The Family Boys"! I will never forget the rush of that moment, We had been working for a moment like this our whole career. We signed a 10 album deal and the dream began with our first album the self titled "Babylon A.D.” which was released 35 years ago on October 3rd 1989!


"What a fantastic ride it has been and we plan to keep on going. There is no stoping us, “Babylon A.D.” is creating new music and we still get that rush every time we play together on stage and in the recording studio. The music and the fans keep us alive and let us live the dream we still have! We are truly grateful and blessed to be able to still do what we love!


"Stay tuned because we are just warming up!!!"


To celebrate their brand new album, Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day, Babylon A.D. and BraveWords are giving away an autographed guitar. Entering is easy, just head here and enter your email address. Good luck!


Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day is available now via Perris Records. Order/purchase the album here.





Tracklisting:


"Wrecking Machine"
"Pain"
"Sometimes Love Is Hell"
"Rome Wasn't Built In A Day"
"Looking For A Heartbeat"
"I Will Never Break Again"
"White Hot Bullet"
"Crashed Into The Sun"
"Face Of GOD"
"Shut Up"
"Super Beast"


"Sometimes Love Is Hell" video:





"Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day" video:





"Wrecking Machine":






 
Album details:


Produced, Mixed, Engineered by Derek Davis @ The BADMOFO’s Recording Studio, Pleasanton, CA.
Drums recorded by Gabriel Shepard @ 25th Studios Oakland CA.
Mastered By David Donnelly, DNA Mastering Los Angeles CA.
Photos - Angela Probst - Studio A
Vintage Artwork Concept Design - Derek Davis


Band Members:


Derek Davis - Vocals, Keyboard, Guitar
Ron Freschi - Lead Guitar, Background vocals
John Mattews - Lead Guitar
Craig Pepe - Bass, Background vocals
Dylan Soto - Drums / Background vocals


Background vocals on "I Will Never Break Again" - Lane Borchard


Tour dates:


October
26 - Vinnie's Bar & Grill - Concord, CA (107.7 Bone Night Out)


September 2025
5-8 - Hard Rock Hell Sleaze Festival at O2 Academy - Leicester, England


About Babylon A.D.:


Formed in 1987, Babylon A.D. hail from the San Francisco Bay Area, CA. Original members, Derek Davis vocalist/songwriter, guitarist's and music writers John Mathews and Ron Freschi drummer James Pacheco and bassist Rob Reid met in high school before they began playing together as "The Persuaders" making a name for themselves with their powerful live performances and catchy songwriting skills becoming one of the top drawing original Hard Rock bands in the Northern CA.


In 1989 the band changed their name to "Babylon A.D." and caught the attention of Arista Records President and industry music mogul “Clive Davis”, who signed them at a live showcase in Los Angeles thanks to their impressive three song demo and a home made video. John Mattews departed the band and was replaced by another high school friend Dan De La Rosa just before their self-titled album Babylon A.D. was released in 1990. The album included their hard rock classic hits "Bang Go The Bells”, “Hammer Swings Down” and “The Kid Goes Wild”, which featured Screaming "Sam Kinison" and was the trailer song and promotional video for Orion Pictures (Robo Cop 2). The band scored three #1 songs at Metal Radio and reached Gold status on their first release, which spent 38 weeks on the Billboard top 200, peaking at # 46. Their sophomore effort (Nothing Sacred) was produced by the legendary "Tom Werman" and released in 1992, it produced two more top-ten metal rockers. “Bad Blood” and “So Savage the Heart”. Constant touring throughout the early 1990s and several MTV videos made them one of hard rock fans favorite bands.


In 1999 the band and released Live In Your Face on Apocalypse Records, a compilation of live tracks recorded at various cities’ across America. Their next release Amer

Metallica have released the official live video for "Ride The Lightning", filmed at their show at Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City, Mexico, on September 22. Watch below:





Watch "Seek & Destroy" and "King Nothing" from the Mexico City show on September 20:










Metallica have launched the pre-order for the recordings from their September 27 and 29 concerts in Mexico City. It was their second round of shows following the September 20 / 22 No Repeat Weekend.





Says Metallica: "Relive the September 27 & 29 concerts from Estadio GNP Seguros with the ultimate souvenir... an official live audio recording on CD. Both shows are available now for pre-order in the Met Store individually and as a bundle. And in case you missed it, both shows from the previous weekend are available for pre-order, too!


Thanks again for four amazing shows across two incredible weekends in Mexico City. We hope to see you all again soon!"


Live CDs and bundles are available via the official Metallica online shop here.


Expected availability date is November 29.


"We’re kicking off year three of M72 with 21 North American shows across April, May, and June of next year," begins a recent M72 2025 update from Metallica. "This leg will stop in 14 cities with 18 shows in the round, plus two festival stops, seven No Repeat Weekends, and seven one-night-only stops.


"We’re continuing the M72 tradition of unique support acts - a mix of Pantera, Limp Bizkit, Suicidal Tendencies, and Ice Nine Kills - and setlists for each No Repeat Weekend show. The Snake Pit will remain in the center of the stage for all in the round (non-festival) stops. And we’ll be sure to have plenty of extracurricular events planned for the Metallica Family to stay busy around the shows.


"Enhanced Experiences ranging from access to a meet and greet, production and stage tour, food and beverage in the “Black Box” lounge to early entry into the venue and the aforementioned Snake Pit will be available. The I Disappear Ticket is back for the fan who wants to run away with us for all the shows. And new to M72, travel packages, including hotel, ticket, and shuttle options, will be available for most locations.


"North America is not our only stop in 2025, as this year, we will return to Australia and New Zealand after far too long away!!! Stay tuned for the full announcement coming VERY soon."





Tour dates:


April
12 - Las Vegas, NV - Sick New World Festival
19 - Syracuse, NY - JMA Wireless Dome *
24 - Toronto, ON - Rogers Centre *
26 - Toronto, ON - Rogers Centre ˣ

eorder">
Sweden’s At The Gates formed in 1990 and the Gothenburg based group released 4 highly successful and influential studio albums before the band broke up in 1996. They later reformed in 2007 and have been embarking upon successful and high profile live shows across the globe since, as well as a string of studio releases.


At the Gates developed a unique and pioneering sound in the early ‘90s of intense yet complex & melodic death metal cementing their reputation as one of the forerunners of the European scene - mixing a ferocious blend of distinct melody and brutal riffs into a sound that was extr

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", KITTIE guitarist/vocalist Morgan Lander was asked which METALLICA album she thinks is better, "Ride The Lightning" or "Master Of Puppets". She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think 'Ride The Lightning' is actually my favorite over 'Master Of Puppets'. I mean, all of '80s METALLICA is pretty incredible, but 'Ride The Lightning', for me, I think is an album that I'm a bit more into. Mercedes [Lander, KITTIE drummer and Morgan's sister] and I definitely listened to that album a lot, driving around town in her Cadillac at full blast. She had an '80s Cadillac and the stereo rumbling."

When MikeZ noted that the production on "Ride The Lightning" could have been better, Morgan said: "I know. But there is also a little bit of charm to it and charm to sometimes when the production isn't quite… I certainly wouldn't want to hear those songs re-recorded. They're amazing songs and if they were, I'm sure that they would sound incredible, but there's just something about that time capsule of the sound and what was available to them in the studio and everything like that and just their abilities at that time. It all sort of shines through. But I think there's something magical about capturing in that moment."

KITTIE's first album in over 13 years, "Fire", was made available on June 21 via Sumerian Records.

Last November, it was revealed that KITTIE was working on a new studio LP with producer Nick Raskulinecz at Nashville's Sienna Studios.

Raskulinecz, who moved to Nashville from Los Angeles around 16 years ago, had previously worked with such acts as RUSH, ALICE IN CHAINS, KORN, RISE AGAINST, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, SKID ROW and the DEFTONES.

In April, KITTIE announced an exclusive run of North American headline dates. The long-awaited shows saw the band perform in five cities across the U.S. and Canada this July and August, giving fans a very special and rare chance to see the band play a full headline set that will include their recently released singles "We Are Shadows" and "Eyes Wide Open" as well as classic hits and some deep cuts not played live since the band's early days.

KITTIE played its first concert in five years in September 2022 at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.

Joining Morgan and Mercedes in KITTIE's current lineup are guitarist Tara McLeod and bassist Ivana "Ivy" Vujic.

Prior to Blue Ridge, KITTIE had not performed since its reunion show at London Music Hall in the band's native London, Ontario in 2017, celebrating the group's documentary "Kittie: Origins/Evolutions".

Vujic joined KITTIE in 2008 and appeared on the band's fifth studio CD, 2009's "In The Black". She also wrote and recorded bass for KITTIE's sixth album, 2011's "I've Failed You".

After KITTIE completed the touring cycle for "I've Failed You" album, the band entered a long period of inactivity during which Morgan focused on a marketing job for a chain of fitness clubs while Mercedes worked in real estate and more recently at a software company. The group also began work on a career-spanning documentary, "Origins/Evolutions", which finally saw the light of day in 2018 via Lightyear Entertainment in North America.

In 2023, Max and Igor Cavalera revisited their earliest SEPULTURA releases, "Morbid Visions" and "Bestial Devastation", and re-recorded them with bone-breaking intensity. Earlier this year, they entered the final chapter of their early-days trilogy by releasing a re-recorded version of SEPULTURA's "Schizophrenia". Asked by Overdrive.ie's Oran O'Beirne if any of the other SEPULTURA albums will also get the re-recording treatment, Max said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Fans have asked us that, and there's both sides of the argument. Some people say we should do the other ones, but I think it's okay. I think those three are the ones that really needed it, because they were done in Brazil. Once [producer] Scott Burns got involved — I don't have a problem with the 'Beneath The Remains' sound. I think it sounds great. It has that Scott Burns sound that is a stamp of the death metal sound of the era. And I wouldn't dare touch 'Chaos A.D.' and 'Roots'."

Max added: "We kind of know our barriers and we know our limitations, which is good. Some bands don't — some people don't; they just keep going. I think we're gonna play a live it, though. I would love to see a 'Chaos A.D.' tour [with Max and Igor's CAVALERA project]… That's totally on the table. That's on the table."

SEPULTURA fell apart in 1996 with the exit of Max after the rest of the Brazilian four-piece split with the vocalist/guitarist's wife Gloria as their manager. Max's brother, drummer Igor stuck around with the group for another ten years before leaving SEPULTURA and re-teaming with Max in CAVALERA CONSPIRACY.

For the new versions of "Morbid Visions", "Bestial Devastation" and "Schizophrenia", the Cavalera brothers enlisted Travis Stone (PIG DESTROYER) on lead guitars. The full lineup would consist of more Cavalera alumni, as Igor Amadeus Cavalera (GO AHEAD AND DIE, HEALING MAGIC) once more brought his talents on bass to the fold.

CAVALERA's version of "Schizophrenia" was recorded from April 15, 2023 to June 5, 2023 at Focusrite Room in Mesa Arizona. Mixing and mastering was handled by Arthur Rizk (SOULFLY, GO AHEAD AND DIE, TURNSTILE). The original "Schizophrenia" cover artwork was restored in hand-painted watercolors by Eliran Kantor.

Although SEPULTURA has maintained a diehard fanbase in all parts of the world throughout the band's nearly four-decade history, Max-era albums "Roots" and "Chaos A.D." were by far SEPULTURA's most commercially successful, having both been certified gold in the U.S. for sales in excess of five hundred thousand copies.

In December 2023, SEPULTURA announced that it would celebrate its 40th anniversary this year by embarking on a "farewell tour" which will cover the entire globe.

SEPULTURA's current lineup comprises guitarist Andreas Kisser, vocalist Derrick Green, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. and touring drummer Greyson Nekrutman, who officially replaced SEPULTURA's longtime drummer Eloy Casagrande in February.

Ozzy Osbourne and Billy Morrison recently sat down together for a new episode of "Ozzy Speaks" on SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard. During their conversation, Ozzy recalled when VAN HALEN opened for BLACK SABBATH in 1978 on the European leg of the latter band's "Never Say Die!" tour.

"I just couldn't believe it," Ozzy said. "[Eddie Van Halen] made it look so fucking easy. They outshone us. They blew us off the stage.

"Eddie was a great guy," Ozzy added. "He was always nice with me. He was a lovely man to be around, and Alex [Van Halen]. I took all of them down to my local pub… That was fucking great."

Osbourne previously discussed his memories of touring with VAN HALEN in an October 2022 interview with Revolver. He said at the time: "[Eddie Van Halen] was such a great guy. They came to our local pub and it was good fun. But David Lee Roth, he's lost a couple of nuts and bolts. When you meet him, it's like, 'What's wrong with him?' He's like somewhere else, you know?"

Ozzy also discussed the supposed cross-town rivalry Randy Rhoads, the first guitarist Osbourne worked with after BLACK SABBATH, had with Eddie Van Halen.

"They were arch enemies," Ozzy remembered. "Randy didn't have a lot to say about Eddie. They were very, very similar guitar players. Eddie took that tapping thing to another level. Randy could do that, but he liked people like Leslie West.

"It amazes me that you get Eddie, you get Randy, and you go, 'No one's ever gonna top that.' But there's a new thing round every corner."

Rhoads's pre-Ozzy band QUIET RIOT had been gigging on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California at the same time as VAN HALEN. Although both Rhoads and Van Halen later became some of the most influential guitarists of the 20th century, playing with a similar flare and incorporating finger-tapping into their fleet-fingered solos, Eddie found commercial success before Rhoads, due in part to the fact that VAN HALEN landed a record deal years before QUIET RIOT did.

The rivalry between Rhoads and Van Halen was explored in the documentary "Randy Rhoads: Reflections Of A Guitar Icon", which was released in May 2022. The film contains archive audio of Van Halen discussing Rhoads, saying, "He was one guitarist who was honest, anyway. Because he said everything he did he learned from me.

"He was good," Van Halen continued. "But I don't really think he did anything that I haven't done. And there ain't nothing wrong with it. I've copied some other people, you know?"

LINKIN PARK has shared professionally filmed video of the band's performance of the song "Heavy Is The Crown" on September 24 at O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom. Check it out below.

LINKIN PARK's setlist for the London concert included two new songs, "The Emptiness Machine" and the aforementioned "Heavy Is The Crown", both of which will appear on the band's upcoming album "From Zero", due on November 15 via Warner. It will mark LINKIN PARK's first full-length effort since 2017's "One More Light", which was the last LINKIN PARK album before the death of lead vocalist Chester Bennington.

London marked the fourth concert of LINKIN PARK's comeback mini-tour, following dates in Los Angeles, New York and Hamburg. All four shows featured LINKIN PARK performing a two-hour set on a high-tech stage shaped like an aircraft carrier, allowing for a unique production as well as a greater-than-usual number of tickets sold at each venue.

As was the case with the Los Angeles, New York and Hamburg shows, the London gig showcased LINKIN PARK's new singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, who have joined returning members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell and Joe Hahn in the band's new lineup. Guitarist Alex Feder is filling in for Delson at all LINKIN PARK concerts for the foreseeable future.

"Heavy Is the Crown" is the 2024 League Of Legends World Championship Anthem, marking the band's first collaboration with Riot Games.

Late last month, LINKIN PARK added three November dates to the "From Zero" tour, in Paris, Dallas, and São Paulo.

In an interview with Billboard about LINKIN PARK's comeback, Shinoda explained that drummer Rob Bourdon — who had founded the band with Mike and Brad — had decided to exit LP.

"Rob had said to us at a point, I guess it was a few years ago now, that he wanted to put some distance between himself and the band," Shinoda said. "And we understood that — it was already apparent. He was starting to just show up less, be in less contact, and I know the fans noticed it too. The 'Hybrid Theory' re-release [in 2020] and 'Papercuts' release [this past April], he didn't show up for anything. So for me, as a friend, that was sad, but at the same time, I want him to do whatever makes him happy, and obviously everybody wishes him the best."

According to a press release, Shinoda, Delson, Farrell and Hahn "quietly began meeting up again in recent years" and "rather than 'trying to restart the band,'" they worked with numerous musicians and "found a special kinship with Armstong and Brittain."

Regarding the band's new lineup and future plans, Shinoda said in a statement: "Before LINKIN PARK, our first band name was XERO. This album title refers to both this humble beginning and the journey we’re currently undertaking. Sonically and emotionally, it is about past, present, and future — embracing our signature sound, but new and full of life. It was made with a deep appreciation for our new and longtime bandmates, our friends, our family, and our fans. We are proud of what LINKIN PARK has become over the years, and excited about the journey ahead."

"The Emptiness Machine" is said to "channel the DNA of LINKIN PARK." Shinoda said the band feels "really empowered with this new lineup and the vibrant and energized new music we've made together," adding that they are "weaving together the sonic touchpoints we've been known for and still exploring new ones."

In a new interview with Claudio Pérez of Cuero Y Metal Radio, former ACCEPT bassist Peter Baltes was asked what it has been like to tour and record with his longtime ACCEPT bandmate Udo Dirkschneider as part of the singer's U.D.O. and DIRKSCHNEIDER projects. Peter said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Well, I think it's almost two years now [since I first played with U.D.O.], and I have to say I'm extremely, extremely happy. I like the players. They're all very good musicians. Udo sounds the best I have heard him in many, many, many years. And we have a lot of exciting things coming. So, it's a lot of fun for me. I just [initially] helped him out two years ago — he just asked me to help [by stepping in for a tour] — and I'm glad I stayed, because I kind of missed touring a little bit. So now I'm back to [performing live]. But we've been friends our whole life, so that's wonderful that we're back together."

Asked about the controversy that broke out upon the American release of ACCEPT's fifth album, 1983's "Balls To The Wall", due to the record's title and front cover being deemed by some as homoerotic, as well as the lyrics to "London Leatherboys" and "Love Child", Peter said: "Well, yeah, it was controversial back in the day, but it's just because nobody understood it. Later on in life, people understood the lyrics and realized, okay, it's not what it is. And 'Balls To The Wall' is just an iconic album that, for ACCEPT, it will live on forever. It's one of the biggest albums or biggest metal songs in the world."

Referencing the fact that DIRKSCHNEIDER will celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Balls To The Wall" by embarking on a world tour starting with South American dates in November, Peter said: "For us to go out [later this year and] next year and just play 'Balls To The Wall' with DIRKSCHNEIDER — we're gonna play the entire album back to back, and I'm probably gonna sing one of the ballads we never played. Now we can. So it will be a really nice ACCEPT experience. And 'Balls To The Wall' will be the cornerstone of all of that. To celebrate that iconic album, it's just an honor — for me. It's been a long time — it's over 40 years that we recorded it — and here I am again with Udo having the opportunity to play it all over the world. That's pretty special."

This past February, Baltes was asked by Marko Syrjala of Metal Rules about the songwriting process in U.D.O. and how it compares to that of ACCEPT. He said: "Everyone is involved in songwriting in U.D.O. It's great because so many different writing styles come together to create something unique. In ACCEPT, it was always just Wolf [Hoffmann, ACCEPT guitarist] and me. Herman Frank [former ACCEPT guitarist], Udo [Dirkschneider, former ACCEPT and current U.D.O. singer] or Mark Tornillo [current ACCEPT singer] didn't write music, which is why the albums started to sound the same towards the end. I didn't like it anymore and felt like we were always just doing the same album or concept again and again, only with different lyrics. I was thinking, like, 'This is just the same. It's not growing.' In contrast, I still grow as a bass player. I listen to other bass players and other types of music, whatever it is. I practice my bass every day because I want to become better. The growing never stops."

When Syrjala suggested to Baltes that ACCEPT's first album with Tornillo, 2010's "Blood Of The Nations" is "amazing", Peter said: "'Blood Of The Nations' was different because all the material I wrote for the album had accumulated over the years. Once that was gone, we had to write the next album from scratch, and we only had a year, and so on."

Circling back to his involvement with U.D.O., Baltes said: "With U.D.O., we'll see how it goes, but I really hope we can capture the band's essence as it is now. I think it's very different than it was before. I have a completely different style than the bass players they had before. That doesn't mean it's better; I'm just saying my style is different. I try to play the songs how I would play them, so I just do it. Udo said, 'Do whatever you want,' and everyone is extremely happy. My writing gives it a slightly different touch, and we'll see if we can capture that next time."

In October 2023, Peter spoke to Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global about his decision to exit ACCEPT in 2018 after spending more than three decades with the Hoffmann-led outfit. He said: "Everybody knows now. I did a lot of interviews, and I really don't wanna talk about it anymore, but basically we used to go up as a band, as friends and stuff, and then these things change business-wise and music-wise. And then it always seems that somebody wants all the influence. Once you're not involved anymore in the decision making, what's the point? I'm not interested in that. So I left."

He added: "In order to be creative and in a good spirit, you have to feel good about what you're doing. That's the number one reason you're doing it in the first place that you started. If you go back, when you were really little and how you started, it was just a love for music. You had no idea how good you were. If you ever had talent, that all didn't matter because you just worked hard on it, and that's where you ended up.

"I had a lot of fans write, 'Why did he leave the mighty ACCEPT and join the little U.D.O.?' And they just don't get it. It doesn't matter — it really does not matter."

In September 2023, Udo told Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules that he was "not surprised" to see Peter leave ACCEPT. "I knew what was coming up already a long time before it was official," Udo said. "But Peter did already some interviews [where he talked about it]. I don't wanna make any comments about this."

In June 2023, Baltes discussed his departure from ACCEPT in an interview with Rock And A Hard Place. The now-66-year-old bassist said: "I wasn't the happiest person in ACCEPT before. In my life, every day counts. When you reach my age, I wanna enjoy my life and I don't wanna do anything I don't like. I have that right now."

Asked if Udo's exit from ACCEPT was caused by the singer's disagreements with Wolf and Hoffmann's then-wife Gaby Hoffmann, who also managed ACCEPT for several decades, Peter said: "The problem was always between Wolf and his wife and Udo. I never had a problem with Udo. I guess [Udo] wasn't sophisticated enough. He was a blue-collar guy. He was a singer. It never worked out between them. They just hated each other.

"I said that in another interview a while ago, I said here we made the biggest mistake," he continued. "I was asked, actually, by Metal Hammer [what I thought] the worst ACCEPT album [was], and I said it must have been [1989's] 'Eat The Heat' [which featured David Reece on vocals], because we left our true destiny. The singer, which was the sound of the band, is gone, and we try with an American singer to sound like DEF LEPPARD. What a stupid idea there.

"I think in 2005 we did a reunion tour with Udo. But I kept in touch with Stefan [Kaufmann, former ACCEPT drummer], and through him with Udo. Wolf and Gaby always had their [spats with Udo] back and forth in the media, and I kept out of that."

Peter added: "I told the guys in the [later version of ACCEPT], because they all chimed in, 'Eff Udo,' this and that. And I'm thinking, 'Without Udo, you wouldn't be in this band. You're the singer now and you're drummer. You're all humping on Udo. You never met the man, first of all. You never said a word to him. It is so easy to judge somebody. Without him, you would be nowhere.'"

Asked if he felt like he was stuck in the middle between Hoffmann camp and Dirkschneider, Peter said: "Of course. You grow up together, and you have a band. Fans — people who follow a band — for them it's hard to fathom and understand what you're going through, because you spend half a lifetime together or even longer. And you trust people. And then trust is betrayed. And you think, 'Why? What is there to gain? A little bit more money? Power? Is that it?' And I guess that is what it is. Certain people need control; they can't let go. And if they don't have it, they're not happy."

Baltes also reflected on the Mark Tornillo era of ACCEPT, which began with the aforementioned "Blood Of The Nations" album and has produced five more LPs so far.

"In the end, when you mention ACCEPT albums, yeah, the first one was really good because that was stuff that mostly I had accumulated over the years," Peter said. "So Wolf and I wrote that first album together; that was killer. But after that, it was so predictable — it was the same riff; it's the same thing. So we were very divided. One side just wanted… I'll never forget that — he said, 'We can just do this and ride in the sunset together.' And I said, 'I think I have a different sunset in mind,' because I wanna be relevant with my music. I don't wanna just keep my fans happy and don't go anywhere else and just keep doing this. I wanna evolve; I wanna explore things. I come from a progressive background — EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER, things like this. So I was, like, 'This is the same stupid riff again, the same vocal line. Just another word.' I didn't wanna do it. [There were] too many things that were just bad — financial situations, trust issues, musical [ideas]. Everything was wrong. So that's why I left."

Baltes previously discussed his departure from ACCEPT in an interview with Finland's Chaoszine. At the time he said: "Well, it was… maybe the last two years, it started to go down. I didn't like it anymore. And I found out some things — I don't wanna elaborate — but I found out some things that are really not nice. I'd been together with Wolf my whole life, and that wasn't really necessary. Some people have to have all the control, and when it started going into the artistic control, then it really bothered me more. So I really wasn't into it anymore. And I was glad I did it, because it was 2018, and it was the last tour. And then corona happened anyway, so I got to record a lot of different albums. I played on Mick Mars's [MÖTLEY CRÜE] solo album. I did so many different things. And I was writing music for television and radio anyway, so I had two years of working [on] other stuff that I wasn't used to. And then, on the other hand, sitting at home for two years, when Udo called [and asked me to join U.D.O. and DIRKSCHNEIDER], that's why I took about five minutes to answer."

Peter's latest comments are similar to those he made in March 2023 in an interview with Scott Itter of Dr. Music. At the time, he said about his exit from ACCEPT: "The statement that came from the band literally five minutes after I announced that I'm leaving [back in November 2018], that I wanna spend more time with my family, well, that wasn't true. No, no. I was extremely unhappy. And I found out a few things. I'd been in the band forever, and I found out in the end, in this incarnation of ACCEPT, I wasn't even really a member; I was a hired gun. And it's these things that come out where you don't have any input, insight, and you start getting bitter. And there's no reason to, but somebody else's ego is just so big or whatever — two of 'em — that it just takes them there, and they just need to control everything and have everything and you name it. That's what got Udo out back then, and I think in the end it hit everybody. So I was the last one standing, but I couldn't stand it anymore. I needed happiness in my life, and there was no happiness there. It was just a dead horse. So I left after the tour. And in my case, it was the best I ever could have done."

Baltes also talked about what it was like to play bass for U.D.O., on the group's fall 2022 European tour after U.D.O.'s then-bassist Tilen Hudrap was hospitalized after the band's show in Munich, Germany.

"In retrospect, when I stepped on stage in Berlin [in September 2022] with Udo after so many years — the last time was 2005, I think — it was a moment that I can't even describe it," Peter said. "We went on stage first, and then Udo comes, and he starts singing. And the first note brought me back instantly to our days when we played little clubs. The man is such a legend, and his voice… And it's nothing to do with you're short, you're tall, you're fat, you're skinny, none of that — you're in shape or you're not — none of that matters to me, to him and the audience. [What is important is] when something is authentic. And that's what got me at that moment. I was, like, 'Man, this is the real deal.' I wasn't used to that; I wasn't. I totally forgot. And you can into this where you think, 'We've been doing this all our life.' No, we didn't. We played kind of like it, with people that kind of sound like it. But no. He's the real deal, and the power that comes out of his voice is second to none. Sheer power, meaning volume, power. Bruce Dickinson [IRON MAIDEN] has power. When he sings, you can see it — he has power. Some singers, they have power. And Ronnie [James Dio] had power. Udo has power. That's certain power that just captivates you in your ears, in your stomach, and you go with it."

Baltes was replaced in ACCEPT by Martin Motnik.

Three years ago, Hoffmann was asked by SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if he had had a chance to talk to Peter since his departure from ACCEPT and if he had gotten clarification on why Baltes left the group. Wolf said: "No, man. That's kind of the sad part about it. He kind of made that decision alone, and we never really had a sitdown and a man-to-man talk that I was hoping we'd have. He just announced it to the world, and that was it, and at that point, it was almost too late. I have to respect his decision.

"I miss him very much, and I think he's always gonna be my buddy or whatever," Wolf continued. "But right now, we don't really have much in common. Because when somebody leaves the band, it's usually that we never really see them much again, as sad as it is. I wish we would, and maybe one day we will. But right now, we don't, really. But we didn't have any fights or anything. I can only speculate why he left the band, but I'd rather not."

Hoffmann was also asked if he was surprised to see Baltes working with Udo on some new music in 2020. He responded: "Yeah, I probably shouldn't say much about that. Again, I can only speculate what that was all about. At the end of the day, we do our thing, and everybody has to know for themselves what they wanna do. Yeah, let me not say as much about that as I can, please."

In January 2021, Hoffmann told Australia's Metal Mal that he was "a little bit heartbroken" when Baltes left ACCEPT. "I felt it was not only a sad day for ACCEPT, it was also a sad day for rock and roll, or heavy metal, in general, because I thought we were gonna be doing this until the sun goes down — I don't know; until forever," he said. "But he all of a sudden decided otherwise, and he made that decision, and that was it. And that's sad, but what can you do, man? I decided, along with everybody else, the show must go on, and we continue without him. So this is what we did. And here's the new album — without Peter. But it's still sad. I still miss him sometimes. It's just the way it is."

In November 2019, Hoffmann told Powermetal.cl that he no longer kept in touch with Baltes after the bassist exited the group a year earlier. "Unfortunately, when somebody leaves the band, they're always kind of out of sight, out of mind," Wolf explained. "It's very sad. I wish it wasn't that way, because we've been friends for so long. But the reality is I haven't really heard from him — even though I reached out a couple of times. He's almost like he wants to disappear or he wants to leave the music business altogether. It's sad and I still don't quite understand what really happened. But it is what it is, and we move on."

A new U.D.O. album, "Touchdown", featuring Baltes on bass, was released in August 2023 via Atomic Fire Records.

During an appearance on the October 1 episode of SiriusXM's Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, THE BLACK CROWES frontman Chris Robinson spoke about AEROSMITH's decision to cancel their farewell tour due to frontman Steven Tyler's larynx injury. THE BLACK CROWES were originally scheduled to support AEROSMITH on that tour, but have since made plans to embark on a headlining run of shows. Chris said: "We love AEROSMITH. They've always been very kind to THE BLACK CROWES, and one of our favorite rock bands. And the tour worked out to where it was really cool to be included in this, and it worked for us on a number of levels. So, when it got cancelled last year, we were, like, 'Okay.' That kind of threw us more for a loop, 'cause we had already started. So this year, we were just — I mean, I'm disappointed more as a fan than anything, because we're cool. We have our own world. We have our own life, THE BLACK [CROWES], we have our own people, and we're taken care of. And we have a lot ahead of us, even after 30 years. Were we bummed? Most definitely. But I'm also, like, I said, I'm bummed because I that band and it was great to see them. But I also get it, man. People say, 'Well, Mick Jagger [THE ROLLING STONES] does it.' I'm, like, well, there's only one Steven Tyler. That's Mick Jagger, dude. Like, of course Mick Jagger still does it. He's like a freak of freaks. He's Mick Jagger. So, I also understand that if, hey, if Steven feels like he just can't do it, it's heartbreaking for him. But I also understand that all the pressure is on the singer. And you listen to him, he's not singing to back-up tapes. When he comes out and does 'Back In The Saddle', 'BAAAACK'!, you're, like, 'Jesus, man.' That last show in Long Island, which was the third show of the tour last year, we all had a suite to go watch the shows. We're in New York, we have lots of friends and family, so we're all… We did our show. We had a great show. We all go up to the suite to watch them. And I'm sitting next to Rich [Robinson, THE BLACK CROWES guitarist], and they sounded incredible. I was, like, 'Wow.' So, I mean, I get it. We love them. We love Steven. I hope that that's not the last, that they get to do something. But I also understand the pressure. I also understand when your body is your instrument. And it's just a fact — you get to be 76 years old."

THE BLACK CROWES' latest album, "Happiness Bastards", was recorded at producer Jay Joyce's Neon Cross Studio in East Nashville in summer 2023 after they spent most of the two previous years on the road celebrating the 30th anniversary of "Shake Your Money Maker", their 1990 quintuple-platinum debut.

THE BLACK CROWES' first full-length LP of new material in 15 years, "Happiness Bastards" arrived on March 15 via the band's own record label, Silver Arrow Records.

"Happiness Bastards" contains 10 tracks, including a guest appearance by Lainey Wilson, a Grammy-nominated country singer and songwriter who rose to prominence after her music was featured on the television drama "Yellowstone". She was named the 2023 CMA Entertainer Of The Year.

THE BLACK CROWES released an acoustic collection called "Croweology" in 2010. An EP, "1972" — a collection of covers — arrived in May 2022.

Joining Chris and Rich in THE BLACK CROWES' current touring lineup are returning bassist Sven Pipien, who played with the band live from 1997 up until the band's hiatus in 2015, along with guitarist Nico Bereciartua, drummer Cully Symington, keyboard player Erik Deutsch and backing vocalists Mackenzie Adams and Lesley Grant.

In celebration of the culmination of their 2021-22 reunion tour, THE BLACK CROWES released "The Black Crowes: Shake Your Money Maker Live", an ode to the band reuniting and following an epic two-year anniversary tour with over 100 dates worldwide.

A deluxe reissue of "The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion" arrived on December 1, 2023. The set included previously unreleased studio recordings, rare B-sides and a live performance from 1993 at Houston's Sam Houston Coliseum.

THE BLACK CROWES' debut album, 1990's "Shake Your Money Maker", was re-released in multi-formats sets in February 2021 through UMe/American Recordings. The album, fueled by singles "Jealous Again", "Twice As Hard", "She Talks To Angels" and a cover of fellow Georgian Otis Redding's "Hard To Handle", has sold over five million copies.

STORACE, Swiss rock legend Marc Storace's eponymous band, will release its second album, "Crossfire", on November 22 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Storace comments: "Tommy Henriksen, in spite of his tight touring schedule with Alice Cooper, HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES and his work with his CROSSBONE SKULLY, actually 'made time' to produce my 'Crossfire' album! Hell yeah, that’s what I call a good friend! Creating the songs with T felt like magic… And he even got the incredible Olle Romo, Mutt Lange's very own engineer, to mix the album… Unbelievable! It was like a match made in heaven!! Play it loud!!"

Alongside the album announcement, STORACE unveils its latest single, "We All Need The Money", the second release from the upcoming album.

"Crossfire" track listing:

01. Screaming Demon
02. The New Unity
03. Rock This City
04. Adrenaline
05. Love Thing Stealer
06. Let's Get Nuts
07. Thrill And A Kiss
08. We All Need The Money
09. Hell Yeah
10. Millionaire Blues
11. Sirens
12. Only Love Can Hurt Like This

Maltese-born-Swiss musician Marc Storace started his exceptional musical career in 1970, with the Swiss cult progressive band TEA, which became a very successful band and with whom he released five LPs. Marc gained attention for his frontmanship and high-pitched raunchy vocal tone.

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

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

In the 1990s and 2000s, Marc acted in two feature films ("Anuk" and "Handyman") and reached gold status with various KROKUS formations and three LPs. With many guest appearances such as on "Rock Meets Classic", SWEET 50th anniversary, Ken Hensley live in Switzerland, "Schubert In Rock", and on Manfred Ehlert's albums "Amen" and the rock opera "Test", Marc remained present with his fans.

In 2008, fans were surprised by the news that the original KROKUS formation would be touring again. The success was tremendous: tours in USA, Japan, Europe and South America as well as two new studio LPs, which, in turn, earned platinum status. In December 2019, KROKUS played a farewell concert at the sold-out Hallenstadion in Zurich.

At the beginning of 2021, Marc started working on his solo career as STORACE and at the end of 2021, he released his first solo album "Live And Let Live". In the middle of the pandemic, Marc started his first tour in Switzerland accompanied by the album's studio band. Since May 2022, Marc has been performing with his new band and rocking the stage like never before.

Marc spent 2023 and 2024 writing and producing the new album "Crossfire", a monster piece of hard rock, with songwriting shared between Marc Storace, guitar player Tommy Henriksen (Alice Cooper band) and drummer Pat Aeby (KROKUS, GOTUS).

"Crossfire", produced by Tommy Henriksen and mixed by the award-winning engineer Olle Romo, features a collection of hard rock anthemic songs, with big choruses, great guitars, and an awesome rhythm section.

STORACE is:

Marc Storace - Vocals
Dom Favez - Rhythm Guitar
Serge Christen - Lead Guitar
Patrick Aeby - Drums
Emi Meyer - Bass

KROKUS has been playing sporadic shows in recent years, including the Riverside Aarburg festival in August 2023.

In September 2022, KROKUS played a special concert on the steps of the St. Ursus Cathedral in Solothurn, Switzerland. In addition, Solothurn honored the band with a "Stone Of Honor" on its 2000th anniversary. KROKUS also returned to the "holy ground of rock" in Switzerland, the Hallenstadion in Zürich, on May 6, 2023.

Four years ago, KROKUS postponed what was supposed to be the band's last-ever concerts in USA and Canada due to the coronavirus pandemic that was sweeping the globe.

When KROKUS first announced its decision to embark on a farewell tour in September 2018, the band explained in a statement: "KROKUS shows have always been special and should stay that way. That's why we decided to stop when it's still really good. That's how the fans should remember us."

Formed in 1975, KROKUS has sold over 15 million records, toured the world, and received gold and platinum discs in the USA and Canada. KROKUS was also the first Swiss band to sell out Hallenstadion and has received a diamond disc for selling one million albums in Switzerland alone.

In the course of its career, KROKUS has rocked over 2,000 shows on five continents, countless cities, unique locations, crazy gigs, and loyal fans.

English rock journalist Malcolm Dome quite rightly said: "If you look at the long-term output of this band, KROKUS is clearly one of the best hard rock bands of the last 40 years."

Photo credit: Frank Kollby

Today Buñuel, a literal supergroup of global significance, releases "Class", the new single from their upcoming double album, Mansuetude, out via Skin Graft Records and Italy's Overdrive Records on October 25. Stream the track here, listen below:





Buñuel boasts the singular vocals and razor sharp lyrics of Eugene S. Robinson (ex-Oxbow) and a powerhouse Italian trio comprising guitarist Xabier Iriondo (Afterhours, A Short Apnea), bassist Andrea Lombardini (The Framers) and drummer Franz Valente (Il Teatro Degli Orrori). Mansuetude was produced by Timo Ellis, and features guests including Jacob Bannon (lead singer of Converge), guitarist Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard, Tomahawk, The Denison Kimball Trio), vocalist Megan Osztrosits (Couch Slut), cellist Andrea Beninati and David Binney on alto saxophone and vocals.




Buñuel have always been led by instinct and the id-like impulse to express unfiltered emotion through song. They form a close musical alliance, with a seemingly innate ability to create music that warps and buckles with complexity, freedom, tenderness and primeval energy all at once.


The title, Mansuetude - meaning “meekness” or “gentleness” - might seem like a juxtaposition. The record is, in Eugene’s words “extreme but articulate.” A double album with three sides. A balancing act performed for and by the unbalanced.


Drummer Franz comments that “Buñuel is a name that embodies a certain cultural and literary reference, which evokes an entire world. Like his films, our Buñuel is surrealism. We take the listeners into a place that's suspended between dream and reality.”


“What we're doing with Buñuel is to carve out a very specific glimpse… partly into hearts of darkness, but more specifically into the depth of our secrets,” says Eugene. “Secrets we keep from each other, ourselves and whatever futures we've imagined for ourselves. We are ultimately trying to communicate something direct and deadly about the human condition.”


Throughout, Buñuel takes every opportunity to stretch their musical tendrils towards discomfort, surrealism and the deconstruction of tradition, as they reach absolute abandon. Mansuetude dives into the eye of the storm and beyond, encompassing many moods, from post-hardcore to avant-noise, hard blues to post-industrial, from symphonic thrash to metal to free-jazz, all played at great cost.


Buñuel makes music for those willing to take a closer, unflinching look at the depths of human instinct, and on Mansuetude the band have created an album that will free the listener of evil spirits and let the malignant influences loose. Mansuetude is a twenty- first century exorcism - right on time for the end time

As the one-year anniversary of their self-titled Mascot Records debut approaches, New York rockers King Falcon are releasing their first piece of new music from their upcoming 2025 release.


The quartet comprised of Michael Rubin [vocals, lead guitar], Joe Conserva [bass], Justin Kosisky [guitar], and Dipayan “Dip” Chakraborty [drums] are back with a cover of Paramore’s classic single, “Crushcrushcrush”. The song comes from Paramore’s 3x Platinum certified sophomore album, Riot!







The King Falcon reimagined version keeps the feel from the original while adding their own style and musical expression. The band’s version is more guitar-driven than the 2007 original and offers a completely different feel thanks to Rubin’s vocals. The song showcases the sound that has helped King Falc

The Mojo Dojo's Ramses Rio has released an animated video for David Lee Roth's cover of American folk duo Brewer & Shipley's "Tarkio Road". Check it out below:





Ramses Rios previously released a video for "Black Sand", featured on the DLR Band album from 1998. Ramses said: "Perhaps one of David Lee Roth’s greatest and most underrated tracks of his solo career, 'Black Sand' from the DLR Album is perfection. Matching the same type of vibe as 'Damn Good', Dave’s smooth voice and lyrical genius paired with Terry Kilgore’s guitar on this track is like combining JD & Coke.




"As you know, I am a die hard DLR fan. To me, DLR is not simply just legendary or my her

vailable On Double Black/Red Splatter Vinyl In November">
Peaceville will issue a special 25th anniversary edition of Opeth's Still Life album, on black/red splatter effect vinyl with an additional 4-page booklet, on November 8.


Long-standing Swedish progressive-metal pioneers and trailblazers Opeth initially burst onto the scene out of relative obscurity with their monumental 1995 debut, Orchid. Showing a clear understanding for dynamics, melody and intricate composition from the offset, word of this little-known but already hotly-tipped group had spread quickly through the underground, with portions of the metal press rightly hailing this bold new combination of progressive metal, death metal, and touches of black metal as a sign of a band destined for great things. Highly revered by fans and extreme metal press alike, Opeth released a further two albums of similar depth & quality, whilst still looking for their big, defining breakthrough moment.


Still Life was Opeth’s fourth career studio release, and first outing for Peaceville. Armed with renewed enthusiasm, the band delivered a flawless gem of an album. Originally released in 1999, the enigmatic Still Life is an ambitious concept album focusing

Riot V vocalist, Todd Michael Hall, will release his sophomore rock album, Off The Rails, via Rat Pak Records on October 18. Aligning himself once again with Metal Church founding member and guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, Todd offers the listener 10 new studio tracks and two bonus tracks of straight-forward classic-rock-inspired music.


Check out a music video for the title track below.


As to the inspiration for the album, Todd explains, "Some crazy things have happened over the last few years, so Off The Rails seemed like a great title for a new album. No matter how crazy life gets, music always has the ability to get us back on track and people will find an overall uplifting theme throughout my newest album.”




"Kurdt and I enjoyed working together so much on the first album (Sonic Healing), that we both wanted to create a second album. Off The Rails has the same awesome classic rock energy with great riffs and melodic vocals, b

Acclaimed KING'S X bassist, songwriter and co-vocalist Doug "dUg" Pinnick will release a new solo album, "Thingamajigger", on October 25 via Rat Pak Records. The LP features 11 brand new songs and follows his successful 2021 release "Joy Bomb".

From the opening chords of "Climbing Up the Mountain", which can be streamed below, it is clear that Pinnick's trademark tone lays the bedrock for his latest solo release "Thingamijigger". Doug tackles a wide array of emotions and topics with layered harmonies, hooky rhythmic sensibilities, and the total groove that remains a crucial ingredient to the KING'S X sound.

Pinnick states: "I wrote a new batch of songs, so it's time for another album! 'Thingamajigger' is my new offering to the universe. I hope it feels good in everyone's ear hole!"

The 74-year-old Doug proves that age is nothing to him and provides an album packed with the groove, swagger and soul that he has honed and perfected over his extensive career. Pinnick's ability to combine a multitude of his influences into one seamless offering is on full display. "Climbing Up The Mountain", "Let The Music Play", "The Valley", "Keep On Going" and "More Strings Attached" show why Doug is still one of the best at his craft, while "The Alarm", "Believe It" and "The One Thing" exemplify his ability to think outside the box and expand his range.

"Thingamajigger" track listing:

01. Climbing Up The Mountain
02. Keep On Going
03. More Strings Attached
04. Let The Music Play
05. Love Defines You
06. From The Now
07. The Alarm
08. The One Thing
09. The Valley
10. Working It Out
11. Believe It

For more information, visit ratpakrecordsamerica.com.

KING'S X released its 13th studio album, "Three Sides Of One", in September 2022. The LP was recorded during 2019 at Black Sound Studio in Pasadena, California with Emmy Award-winning producer Michael Parnin.

KING'S X was sidelined by several health scares in recent years, including Pinnick's two hernia operations and two near-fatal heart attacks suffered by drummer Jerry Gaskill.

In October 2019, KING'S X canceled all of its previously announced tour dates for the year so that Gaskill could undergo undisclosed heart "procedures."

2008's "XV" was KING'S X's highest-charting album since 1996's "Ear Candy".

In 2005, VH1 included KING'S X in its list of "100 Greatest Artists In Hard Rock.

METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation has donated $100,000 for immediate disaster relief in communities affected by Hurricane Helene.

Hurricane Helene made landfall on Thursday, September 26, and has since hit several communities across a 500-mile stretch, leaving in its wake a path of destruction throughout Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. It is now the third-deadliest storm to hit the U.S. this century, with over 215 lives lost and hundreds of people still unaccounted for. It is an unmitigated tragedy. Historic water levels and widespread flooding across the Appalachians have left hundreds of roads inaccessible, hindering rescue efforts.

All Within My Hands is donating $50,000 each to World Central Kitchen and Team Rubicon.

World Central Kitchen's response includes vital food and clean water, reaching isolated communities using helicopters and airboats. WCK has partnered with 35 food trucks across Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee, and 16 restaurants across North Carolina and Tennessee, already providing tens of thousands of hot meals and sandwiches to families in need.

More than 140 Team Rubicon volunteers, known as Greyshirts, comprise five recon teams serving more than 35 communities across the affected area. These route clearance teams have already cleared more than 400 dump trucks worth of debris and continue to work diligently across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee.

Through All Within My Hands, METALLICA donates a portion of all ticket sales back into the communities visited in each city on the band's "M72" world tour. In partnership with local promoters, the Foundation has been working diligently to find organizations that align with the AWMH mission and actively put funds to use to better the lives of people in need.

All Within My Hands was established in 2017 by METALLICA to invest in the people and places that have supported the band. It also allows METALLICA's fans to engage in philanthropy and volunteerism. The Foundation is dedicated to creating sustainable communities through workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services. All expenses of the Foundation are covered by the band, the board, and a few special friends so that 100 percent of donations go to the organizations it supports. AWMH is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

The METALLICA family and the All Within My Hands foundation board members are committed to running an organization of the highest integrity where expenses are kept to a minimum and are paid for entirely by the band, the board, and friends who have worked with the band over many years and are excited to help in this mission. As such, 100% of all donations from fans and third parties go to the organizations AWMH supports.
Our @AWMHFoundation is donating $50,000 each to @WCKitchen and @TeamRubicon to aid in first-response efforts.

Over the past week, Hurricane Helene has left a 500-mile path of destruction throughout Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee in its wake. It… pic.twitter.com/E6MDXUpkQA

— Metallica (@Metallica) October 4, 2024

JETHRO TULL's relationship with the Christmas season goes all the way back to the legendary band's early days. Now it's to be renewed for modern-day admirers and longtime fans alike, with the release of an expanded and remixed edition of 2003's "The Jethro Tull Christmas Album" via InsideOut Music on December 6, 2024.

Under the title "The Jethro Tull Christmas Album - Fresh Snow At Christmas", the band's 21st studio album has been remixed from the original masters by Bruce Soord (THE PINEAPPLE THIEF),as well as being given the Surround Sound treatment in both Dolby Atmos and 5.1. The limited deluxe 4CD + Blu-ray book-set collection features all-new artwork, as well as live material, and includes the following across its 5 discs.

CD1: Original Album Mixes
CD2: 2024 Remixes by Bruce Soord
CD3: Christmas Live At St. Bride's 2008 (newly remixed by Bruce Soord)
CD4: The Ian Anderson Band Live At St. Bride's 2006 (previously unreleased)
Blu-ray: Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound and High-Resolution Stereo Mixes of "The Jethro Tull Christmas Album", as well as High-Resolution Stereo Mixes of both live recordings

As well as this, the album will be released on vinyl for the very first time, as a gatefold 180g 2LP featuring the 2024 remixes.

"The Jethro Tull Christmas Album" was much praised on first release, with Rolling Stone noting admiringly: "The originals simmer with eccentric, eclectic, folky energy, rocking ditties threaded through with Celtic stylings, jazzy undercurrents, Ian Anderson's distinctive flute and wry humor." Allmusic called it "perhaps the most satisfying TULL releases in 25 years." It included new interpretations of no fewer than seven TULL songs, including their first to be inspired by the holiday, 1968's much-loved "A Christmas Song". That Anderson composition, which opened with lyrics interpolated from "Once In Royal David's City", was the B-side of the band's first U.K. chart single "Love Story".

"Some of the tracks are not necessarily Christmas songs; they're more seasonal so that gives a broader window," says Ian. "And then there are a couple of them that I quite often play in the middle of summer and say, 'It'll soon be Christmas — it's in the diary. So let's kick it off now.' And that's part of what I've done over the years since October of 1968 when I went into record 'A Christmas Song'. So, yes — it goes back a long way."

"A Christmas Song" was joined on the album by reworkings of such pieces as TULL's 1976 festive hit "Ring Out Solstice Bells"; "Weathercock", first heard on 1978's "Heavy Horses"; and "Another Christmas Song", from 1989's "Rock Island". Also among the re-recordings was J.S. Bach's "Bourrée", another longtime live favorite, inimitably imagined by Ian.

"Part of the joy of redoing those things," he says, "is that you can...not necessarily recreate, but you can keep all the essential elements of the song and maybe declutter it a little bit and give it a fresh look, but essentially still staying faithful to the original arrangements."

"The Jethro Tull Christmas Album" was their last studio set to feature longtime guitarist Martin Barre, who composed its pretty closing instrumental "A Winter Snowscape". Also featured on the album were keyboard and accordion player Andrew Giddings, bassist Jonathan Noyce and drummers Doane Perry and James Duncan. Anderson compositions making their debut included the opening "Birthday Card At Christmas" and "First Snow On Brooklyn", while traditional pieces such as "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" and "We Five Kings" were interpreted alongside Fauré's "Pavane".

In a new interview with Joshua Toomey of Talk Toomey, SALIVA vocalist Bobby Amaru and bassist Brad Stewart were asked if there has been any "confusion in the marketplace" over the fact that original SALIVA singer Josey Scott (a.k.a. Joseph Sappington) has been performing with his solo band in recent months under various names, including JOSEY SCOTT – THE ORIGINAL VOICE OF SALIVA and JOSEY SCOTT'S SALIVA. Brad replied (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There is, actually." Bobby concurred, saying: "Yeah, I think he's just kind of made it confusing. Josey's just being Josey, what he always was. He always thought he was like a one-man thing, and he's doing what he's gonna do. I think for us, though, we spent a lot of time, I spent a lot of time, too, when I got in the band just hearing a lot of 'noes' from radio stations and from managers and a lot of damage control, and that stuff that just kind of really… I'm not talking shit; I'm just being real. This is what it was. I got in the band, and there was a lot of roadblocks — a lot of roadblocks — and everything always led back to one person causing those roadblocks. I think it's just another roadblock.

Continued Brad: "And bridges burned into the ground that you're trying to sort of rebuild, in a lot of ways, at radio and places that there was a lot of self-sabotage that was going on there that was unfortunate. And for a lot of the times that [Bobby] spent in the band before I joined in 2015, it was all about sort of rebuilding bridges, man. And, 'Hey, this is not the SALIVA, though, that did or whatever happened with you guys at the station or somewhere else. We're sorry, but this is not the same band, and we're here now to rock and we're ready to do it. And then we're gonna kick some ass.' And so it was a lot of that — it still is, even in some places."

Added Bobby: "Even for someone like [Josey], you go away for so long and you come back, he's gotta be humbled at this point with some of the shows he's doing. 'Cause we hear about it and stuff. We're just kind of, like, whatever, let him do what he wants to do. But you're not gonna use the [SALIVA] name — don't use the name — because then all it does is it just steps on everything that I and we've worked hard for the last 13 years."

This past May, Scott was asked by Tulsa Music Stream if it is his hope and desire that he and the members of his new band — — his stepson Dylan Edney on guitar, Ben Hosterman on lead guitar, Brian "9" Kirk on bass and Justin Barber on drums — can eventually perform under the SALIVA name. He responded: "Of course that's my hope, because I've always wanted the name to sort of go full circle and come back home. Whether that happens remains to be seen. I think there's things that I think are fair and things that the other camp thinks are fair. And we'll see. We'll see how it all shakes out."

Asked if he is in communication with the band which is continuing to perform under the SALIVA name, consisting of Amaru and Stewart, about coming to a resolution on the usage of the SALIVA name, Josey said: "Uh, yes," before adding, "Basically, all I've been trying to do this whole time is appease the other side. I'll leave it at that."

He continued: "At the end of the day, as I've always said, this business is not about band names and it's not about personalities, it's not about Josey Scott and it's not about Bobby Amaru. It's about songs, songs, songs, songs. At the end of the day, when we all put our head on the pillow at night, it's always going to be all about songs."

Josey Scott's new band plays all of SALIVA's hits — "the ones that people, of course, expect to hear," he told LehighValleyNews.com. "And then I take 'em sort of down the road of music that has affected my life — like, I do an ALICE IN CHAINS song, and I do a RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE song, just to show them who some of my influences are, and then we do a beautiful tribute to [the late FOO FIGHTERS drummer] Taylor Hawkins, and we play [that band's song] 'My Hero'." The group also plays "some deep cuts that only true SALIVA fans would know ... things that I never played with SALIVA when I was in the band from 1996 till 2010. Like, 'Greater Than Less Than', a song that was on the first record that we never played live," Scott said.

In September 2023, Stewart and Amaru spoke to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about the fact that Scott embarked on a tour under the JOSEY SCOTT'S SALIVA banner which saw him performing a lot of the band's classic songs without any of the other original SALIVA members. Brad said: "It's an interesting thing because we've been doing this version of the band [with Bobby on vocals] since Josey originally left 11, 12 years ago. So we've kind of kept the fires burning and put out new records and new music and stuff. So it's an interesting situation that we're in now, to be quite honest, so we're just trying to figure out how to make it work for both parts of it — both versions of it, I should say."

Bobby commented: "I think it's good that [Josey's] trying to connect with fans and tour and play music. I think it's an awesome thing. He should have been doing it long ago."

Referencing SALIVA's founding guitarist Wayne Swinny, who died in March 2023 while on tour with the group, Amaru added: "I think what we're doing here [with the current SALIVA touring lineup] is we're just trying to do what Wayne would have wanted and we're honoring Wayne. This [latest SALIVA] record ['Revelation', which came out in early September 2023], I know how important it was to him and I think the world should hear it. We're going out every night, we're playing songs from it. And this tour has been great. The fans have been awesome, man."

In May 2023, Josey weighed in on the announcement that SALIVA's surviving members would carry on following the death of the group's last remaining original member, the aforementioned Swinny. Josey told Rock 100.5 The KATT's Cameron Buchholtz: "I'm very close with Bobby and I know in my heart and in my soul that Bobby will do the honorable thing. He never hasn't done the honorable thing. And I just trust in his steering the ship at this point, and I know he's gonna do the right thing. And I know it's all gonna work out; it's all gonna be great."

Josey will headline the 2025 installment of the "Nu Metal Revival Tour". The trek, which will launch on February 22 in Pittsburg, Kansas and conclude on March 26 in Houston, Texas, will feature support from (HED) P.E., ADEMA, FLAW and CORE.