In a new interview with Mike Gaube and Shaggy of 94.9 and 104.5 The Pick, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner spoke about the recently released remixed and remastered version of JUDAS PRIEST's classic debut album, 1974's "Rocka Rolla". Regarding the decision to reissue the LP, Faulkner said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We talked to different people. Some people were for it; some people liked it as it was. I think it was important for the band to get that album out more of the way they intended it to sound. But there's a lot of people out there that love that album as it was, and a lot of people are loving the new one. So, yeah, I mean, it's gonna be two different opinions on it. I think it sounds great. I think [longtime PRIEST producer] Tom Allom did a great job [remixing it], and it's good to see the album be put out in the way that the band envisaged. So that's a great thing."

Faulkner added: "Tom's obviously a great producer. He's got a great ear. He loves PRIEST. He always used to say when we were doing some of the 'Firepower' sessions that he loves PRIEST. So I think that really comes over in his mixes and in the work that he does for us."

Last month, JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill told John And Heidi Show's "Something You Should Know!" podcast about the remixed and remastered version of "Rocka Rolla": "It's been a long time coming, really. Those first two albums ['Rocka Rolla' and 1976's 'Sad Wings Of Destiny'], they were with our first record company called Gull Records. They were both put together on very low budgets. They were recorded overnight because the studio time, it was cheaper back then. And things were let go really because we had time constrictions as well. I mean, the whole album was done [in] probably three, four weeks maybe, not much longer. And we finally got the rights to the songs, or Reach Music has now got the rights to the songs, so we can do something with 'em. We would've done this a lot earlier, but Gull kept the songs close to the chest. And like I say, now [that] Reach has got it, we can play around with it a little bit."

When the interviewer noted that there are a lot of moving parts that have to align in order to be able to re-release an album like "Rocka Rolla", Hill said: "When we did 'Rocka Rolla' back in '74, it was more straightforward then, but there's still a lot of people involved, from the artistic point of view, from the production point of view, and, of course, the business point of view as well. Everyone's gotta be on the same page. And like I say, after 50 years, we've finally been able to do it, and it's gonna end up with the production it should have had back then. Tom Allom's on the case, and he's been recording the band since 1979. So, it's in a very, very safe pair of hands with him."

Asked if he remembers the making of "Rocka Rolla" like it was yesterday, Ian said: "Uh, no. There's been a hell of a lot of water under the bridge since then. [Laughs] You remember some of it — you remember the studios, obviously. Some of it sort of fades into a sort of the fog of time. Some things stand out vividly. I mean, it was the first time we actually went into a professional recording studio, so we were all sort of wide-eyed, big open mouths, in awe of… I mean, Island Studios, some of the most famous acts in the world had recorded there. And, of course, Trident, we did a part of it there. And the Olympic. We actually met [THE ROLLING STONES'] Mick Jagger and Keith Richards at the Olympic, which, for an up-and-coming band, that was an absolute bonus, absolute hoot to meet them. And things like that stand out."

The remixed and remastered version of "Rocka Rolla" was released digitally in the U.S. and Canada on September 13. The CD and vinyl versions of "Rocka Rolla - 50th Anniversary: Remixed And Remastered 1974 - 2024" will arrive on Friday, November 22.

In 1974, before the eternal metal flame was ever lit, JUDAS PRIEST — singer Rob Halford, guitarist Glenn Tipton, bassist Ian Hill, guitarist K.K. Downing and drummer John Hinch — were simply five young musicians in their 20s from the Black Country an area of working-class towns in England excited to have signed a record deal. With limited funds, the band recorded during the less expensive night shift hours. The album "Rocka Rolla" was born during these sessions, under the guidance of producer Roger Bain who was brought in by the label and who had previously produced BLACK SABBATH.

JUDAS PRIEST learnt over time how to record an album, and the experience of working in a professional recording studio helped prepare them for the next album to come, one of the most definitive and foundational heavy metal albums of all time, "Sad Wings Of Destiny". But with "Rocka Rolla", the band was not there for the mixing, the mastering process or any final approvals — they didn't have a say when it was finished or how it ultimately sounded. Although the band felt positive about how the songs sounded in the studio, they were particularly disappointed when they received a finished copy of the album in the mail to listen to for the first time.

Halford recalled: "I took the record and I put the needle onto the groove and I sat back. And I just slowly started to deflate, deflate. I was so disappointed with the way it was sounding. All of us were — we'd all worked so hard to get to this place. And now this music that we know when we play live is roaring — the heavy metal is roaring even in those early primitive days — none of that was coming out of the speakers"

The band never had a future say in "Rocka Rolla" in the intervening decades — the re-releases and early-era compilations… but that was about to change.

During JUDAS PRIEST's "50 Heavy Metal Years" tour in 2022, something remarkable was happening behind the scenes. The label that originally signed JUDAS PRIEST in 1974, Gull Records, and its owner David Howells, decided to sell the masters and publishing rights for the two albums the label owned, "Rocka Rolla" and "Sad Wings Of Destiny", and David contacted Tipton's music publisher, Michael Closter of Reach Music Publishing.

After discussing this opportunity and collaborating with JUDAS PRIEST's manager Jayne Andrews, a compelling offer from Reach Music was made to Gull Records. Terms were accepted. An acquisition agreement was prepared, and after almost 50 years from the release of these albums, Reach Music and its label Exciter Records, in partnership with JUDAS PRIEST, was now the owner of "Rocka Rolla" and "Sad Wings Of Destiny".

The first order of business was to retrieve the original multitrack tapes from storage (which miraculously still existed and kept in usable condition for all these decades) — and to begin the process of resurrecting "Rocka Rolla" from these multitrack recordings...

With the task of delving back into time and putting the tapes of "Rocka Rolla" back on the recording studio console, JUDAS PRIEST put their full faith in Tom Allom, known in the JUDAS PRIEST world for producing the iconic "British Steel" and "Screaming For Vengeance" albums, among many others.

As Allom stated: "What we did with the multitracks is quite unusual, to completely remix an album from that era, from scratch. So to clarify what we're doing, we're not adding anything musically. We're not re-recording any of the musical parts… We're remixing them, rebalancing them using the technology we have, the modern tools we have now, to sonically upgrade them, and make them sound more powerful."

The results of this remixed version are now available for posterity — the artist-approved version of "Rocka Rolla" is finally here for fans to add to their JUDAS PRIEST collection.

Halford said: "It's great to look back and see our future unfurl — from little metal acorns mighty metal oaks do grow. One small step for metal, one giant leap for metalkind — a lifelong metal journey began with these songs. This album lit the eternal metal flame — as real and fresh as ever five decades on.

He added: "I'm just thrilled… because it just goes to show you when you get an expert involved in a project, it's likely that you have a second chance. And I think that Tom Allom is giving us a second chance here with the way that a lot of the elements were lost in 'Rocka Rolla'. And it's also nice, like a really nice feeling, especially to attach it to what will be a 50th-anniversary moment. It's just a beautiful feeling."

Tipton said: "This is where it all started for us and 50 years later, we have a great re-mixed and re-mastered version of the original...and the band are still going strong!"

Hill stated: "Recorded during nighttime sessions to save costs, over a few weeks in June and July 1974, on a shoestring budget, 'Rocka Rolla' was always going to have its flaws! But walking into my local record store and seeing it on a shelf amongst all your idol's records was the proudest feeling in the world, and I thought, 'Whatever happens now, nothing can change that!' Now remixed by Tom Allom and remastered, 'Rocka Rolla' has finally got the production it deserved!"

Downing said: "At last! This! The first JUDAS PRIEST album can be listened to and enjoyed in the way it was always intended to be!"

"Rocka Rolla (50th Anniversary Remixed & Remastered)" track listing:

01. One For The Road
02. Rocka Rolla
03. Winter
04. Deep Freeze
05. Winter Retreat
06. Cheater
07. Never Satisfied
08. Run Of The Mill
09. Dying To Meet You
10. Caviar And Meths

COAL CHAMBER has canceled its appearance at the Aftershock festival, set to take place October 10-13 at Discovery Park in Sacramento, California, due to frontman Dez Fafara's health.

Earlier today, Fafara released the following statement via social media: "Hello everyone, due to doctors orders and waiting on CT scan results amongst other test results… COAL CHAMBER will not be performing at Aftershock festival.

"I thank Danny Wimmer Presents, my band and crew and supporters of COAL CHAMBER for being understanding during this very difficult time for myself & family."

Fafara's COAL CHAMBER bandmates — Miguel "Meegs" Rascón (guitar),Nadja Peulen (bass) and Mikey Cox (drums) — added in a separate statement: "It goes without saying that we are heartbroken that we won't be joining Aftershock with all of our fans, family, and friends. Our brother's health and making a full recovery is absolutely the #1 priority so we can be firing on all cylinders for our tour in March! We thank you for the patience, and joining us in supporting the Fafara family while Dez recovers."

Less than two months ago, COAL CHAMBER postponed its previously announced summer/fall "Fiend For The Fans" U.S. tour due to Dez's health emergency. The trek, which was scheduled to launch on Friday, August 23 in Las Vegas, was slated to feature support from FEAR FACTORY, TWIZTID, WEDNESDAY 13 and BLACK SATELLITE.

On August 16, Fafara released the following statement: "With a heavy heart, let me tell you a story about life taking a turn, I'm writing to you from my bed.

"I've been running 6 miles daily, I've been rehearsing two hours daily in my home studio and excited to hit the road, I'm excited to get on a bus with my brothers and sister and my crew. I' d never felt better and as you all know, I fought back hard after long haul Covid tried to kill me.

"Saturday morning I woke up and I was coming up my stairs. I saw flashes in my eyes. I passed out and my wife revived me. My vitals were through the roof, and I was sheet white and vomiting, and the whole world was spinning. [My wife] Anahstasia called 911. I ended up in the back of an ambulance and did nine hours in the ER testing all my vitals including taking X-rays of my heart and lungs. My doctor has advised me to get a CAT scan, and until further testing, I am on bedrest and must postpone the tour. Our agent sprung into action to rebook this tour for March 2025, and until we can figure out what the fuck medically is happening. We will see you in March 2025 on the 'Fiend For The Fans Tour'.

"This tour postponement is surreal, I was looking forward to playing with my band and connecting with fans, friends and family on the road.

"I want to take a moment to thank everybody for their outpouring of love and outpouring of calls and texts checking on me. It seems like the word spread and the whole industry has been ringing my phone since Sunday; musicians, agents and managers and I really really appreciate it. My band has been amazingly understanding and call me hourly - I thank them immensely for their caring nature.

"Kiss your loved ones, no one is promised tomorrow. I'll fight my way back to be with you all onstage you can be sure of that as well I'll keep you all updated on my socials as to what's going on.

"Apologies if this news causes you to rearrange your schedules to attend the concert with us and I want to say thank you in advance. We are all truly in the dark and I'm looking forward to finding out what's going on. HAIL."

COAL CHAMBER drummer Mikey Cox said: "After hearing the shocking news of our brother, we collectively had to make some tough decisions as a family. We discussed every possible scenario and it all lead back making sure Dez's health was the number 1 priority. In order for us to be 100% we need to take this extra time to allow him to make a full recovery so we can bring you the shows that you deserve!! We look forward to seeing you all in March 2025!!"

Rescheduled tour dates:

Mar. 05 - Denver, CO - Summit
Mar. 07 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
Mar. 08 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
Mar. 09 - Tempe, AZ - The Marquee Theatre
Mar. 11 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec Theatre
Mar. 12 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
Mar. 14 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
Mar. 15 - Fort Worth, TX - Tannerhill's Tavern & Music Hall
Mar. 19 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
Mar. 22 - Newport, KY - Mega Corp. Pavillion
Mar. 23 - Columbus, OH - Kemba Live
Mar. 25 - Norfolk, VA - NorVa
Mar. 28 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
Mar. 29 - Harrisburg, PA - HMAC
Mar. 30 - Boston, MA - Big Night Live
Apr. 04 - Pittsburgh, PA - Roxian Theater
Apr. 05 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Ballroom
Apr. 09 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Piere's Entertainment Center
Apr. 11 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop
Apr. 12 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop
Apr. 13 - Chicago, IL - Concord Music Hall
Apr. 15 - Sauget, IL - Pop's
Apr. 16 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
Apr. 18 - Maplewood, MN - Myth Live

Last year, COAL CHAMBER completed a U.S. tour as the support act for MUDVAYNE. Additional support on the 26-city "The Psychotherapy Sessions" tour, which was produced by Live Nation, came from GWAR, NONPOINT and BUTCHER BABIES.

COAL CHAMBER played its first two shows in eight years at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas in May 2023 and at the Inkcarceration Music And Tattoo Festival in Mansfield, Ohio in July 2023.

Photo courtesy of Adrenaline PR

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Jeff Wagner of WCCO-TV, the CBS television affiliate that provides local news to viewers in Minnesota, has shared a behind-the-scenes look at the massive effort that it took to put on the two METALLICA shows at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis over the weekend.

According to the report, METALLICA's touring crew includes 156 people, with 40 steelworkers, 168 local production hands and 92 truck drivers also helping to ensure things run smoothly. Another 800 people are employed locally to support each tour stop.

Jon-Michael Marino, the tour coordinator, told WCCO that there are four drum kits on the stage with two backups in the truck. There are 64 guitars and bass that go on the road, and 36 of them need to be show-ready (12 per band member). There are 6,000 guitar picks used or given out per concert and only 25 drumsticks are used or given away per performance.

Asked why so many guitars need to be ready for each show, Marino said: "Across, let's call it 15-16 songs, there's various tuning. There's also things that happen naturally like strings breaking, guitars going out of tune that have to be swapped in the moment."

In support of METALLICA's latest album, "72 Seasons", the band has been playing two-night, no-repeat shows in each city — first in Europe, then in North America, back in Europe, and now once again in North America — as part of the "M72" tour. Each concert sees METALLICA performing on a massive ring-shaped stage, with the Snake Pit in the center, and four drum sets which are equally spaced out around the circular stage so drummer Lars Ulrich can get closer to the audience at various points in the show.

Touring alongside METALLICA are PANTERA, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, MAMMOTH WVH and ICE NINE KILLS. For last weekend's Minnesota shows, the Friday lineup featured PANTERA and MAMMOTH WVH, with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and ICE NINE KILLS playing on Sunday.

A number of METALLICA-themed events took place on Saturday, including bowling, axe throwing, films about METALLICA, "Name That Tune" competitions and a performance by AND ONE FOR ALL, in between the METALLICA performances.

METALLICA will close out the 2024 touring season with four shows in Mexico City at the end of September.

METALLICA's manager Cliff Burnstein told Billboard that between 80% and 90% of fans at each concert attend both shows.

The "M72" tour launched in late April 2023 in Amsterdam.

Wanikiya Record is thrilled to announce the addition of Unfaithfull, one of Italy’s leading Industrial-Core metal bands, to its roster. This collaboration kicks off with the highly anticipated release of their new album, “Architextures”, on October 17, 2024.

The album, featuring 7 powerful tracks filled with dynamic soundscapes, marks yet another evolution in the band’s musical journey. Blending the crushing death metal of the ’90s with the cold and captivating atmosphere of post-industrial electronic music, “Architextures” offers an explosive fusion of styles ranging from industrial metal to metalcore, groove metal, djent, and death metal. The result is a visceral and immersive sonic experience, with no room for compromise.

Active since 2007, Unfaithfull have firmly established themselves in the metal scene with their distinctive style and fearless experimentation. They have already earned significant accolades, including the “Self Release of the Month” award from Rock Hard Italy for their third album, “AEON”, in 2020, and the “Best EP” award from European Metal Channel in 2015.

With “Architextures”, Unfaithfull aims to further cement their position on the global metal scene, offering innovative and raw sounds that break boundaries. Some of the band’s key members have played with Dark Lunacy, and the members include Drew (guitar, bass, drums, synth, and sound engineer) and Drake (vocals and lyricist).

Don’t miss the release of “Architextures”, available on all major digital platforms starting October 17, 2024, through Wanikiya Record

OPHIDIAN MEMORY is an American death metal project leaded by Blake Lamoureux. He already has in his account three records: “Ophidian Memory” (EP, 2021) and albums “The Stag” (2022), “Our Shattered Garden” (2023).

Sonically Ophidian Memory uses a base of melodic death metal to add and blend multiple sub genres together including black metal, thrash, progressive metal, and metalcore. Each album tells of tales based in a fictional universe where beings of light and dark are entwined in constant conflict as they plot to destroy humanity, eachother, and existence.

Now he is going to release brand new studio album titled “Carrion Lord“.


Music was recorded and mixed by Blake Lamoureux. Mastering was done by Rick Stallkamp. Cover artwork was done by Caelan Stokkermans (Abiotic, Hannes Grossmann, Lorna Shore). Album will be released on September 27, 2024.

“Carrion Lord” is a prequel to previous releases and marks a huge expansion in lore, set over one thousand years before the events of “The Stag” and “Our Shattered Garden“. Introduced are the main influential factions in the human realm known as The Kerberos and The Luminary as well as the characters within them that lead a great chain of causes and effects. In addition, new and returning ancient deities and seraphs that have only been mentioned before will make reprises and revelations.

Tracklist:

01. The Mausoleum
02. Hunger of Your Deceased Deity
03. A Jewel In Gocinia
04. Fleshbinding Ritual
05. Carrion Lord
06. A Murder on Warforged Soil
07. Hollowed
08. Sculptors of Seraphic Tributes
09. Kept From Dust
10. Bloodborne

Below you can check first foretaste of upcoming album! Listen to the “Fleshbinding Ritual” song at Death Metal Promotion.

ANGUISH FORCE, pillars of the Italian metal scene, have released their highly anticipated new single “Brothers Kills His Brother.” The track, distributed by Wanikiya Records, comes out about a month ahead of the release of their tenth studio album, already eagerly awaited by fans.

“Brothers Kills His Brother” is now available on all major digital platforms, giving metal enthusiasts the chance to preview the band’s new sound. But there’s more: for collectors and die-hard fans, the single will soon be available in a special 7-inch vinyl edition, released in an ultra-limited run, destined to become a true collector’s item.


The new single follows the path set by the success of their previous release, “Pool of Sins,” but stands out for its overwhelming energy and driving riffs, perfectly capturing the spirit and power of Anguish Force. Its catchy chorus, combined with solid musical structure, confirms the band’s ability to stay true to their Heavy Metal roots while continuing to innovate and surprise.

Thematically, “Brothers Kills His Brother” addresses a deep and timely subject: the tragedy of the war in Ukraine. Without taking a political stance, the song reflects on the drama of a conflict that involves peoples bound by a shared history, highlighting the absurdity of such a situation. Anguish Force’s message is clear and powerful, conveyed through their unmistakable musical intensity, which remains at the core of the listening experience.

This single is just a taste of what’s to come: the album’s release, scheduled for next month, promises to be one of the most significant moments in the band’s long career. “Brothers Kills His Brother” is an unmissable moment for the band’s fans and all Heavy Metal enthusiasts.

Don’t miss the chance to listen to “Brothers Kills His Brother,” available today on all major digital platforms, and get ready to collect the precious 7-inch vinyl. Anguish Force is back, stronger than ever!

Iron Maiden performed live at Osaka-Jo Hall in Osaka, Japan today, September 24, as part of their Future Past World Tour 2024. Fan-filmed video of the British metal legends playing “The Trooper”, “Caught Somewhere In Time,” and “Stranger In A Strange Land” are available below.













The Future Past Tour sees Maiden performing songs from their 2021 album Senjutsu, as well as from 1986’s Somewhere In Time, along with other crowd favorites. 


Remaining dates on The Future Past World Tour 2024 are as listed:


September
26 – Tokyo Garden Theater – Tokyo, Japan
28 – Pia Arena MM – Kanagawa, Japan
29 – Pia Arena MM – Kanagawa, Japan

In a new interview with Inside Of You With Michael Rosenbaum, original FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm was asked if his reaction was "it's about time" when he heard that he and his bandmates were finally going to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was about time. It was 20 years, at least 20 years, after our peers from the same year range that we started our band and other people started their bands and they were already in the Hall Of Fame 10 years. And we were wondering, 'What's wrong with us?' And we're going, 'How many hits? How many albums sold?' And we just couldn't figure out what in the world was going on.

Asked if he got emotional when he found that FOREIGNER was going to be inducted, Gramm said: "Well, I was emotional when we got nominated, yeah. And then the votes start coming in from the upper echelon of the Hall Of Fame. Then members of the Hall Of Fame also carry some clout. And then the public at large also counts. And I think for the most part, we started out behind Ozzy [Osbourne] and Peter Frampton, and then we passed Peter Frampton and we were behind Ozzy. And then Ozzy was displaced by Dave Matthews. And we finished two out of 13 — number two out of 13. I think they took the top seven to induct."

This past June, Lou was asked by Jim Monaghan of the WDHA radio station why it has taken so long for him and his FOREIGNER bandmates to finally get inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. He responded: "I knew we had the credentials to be part of the Hall, and I felt that our standing with our singles and our albums… I think we had 19 Top 20 singles; I think it was one or two less than THE BEATLES, and our sales were, were always exemplary. We had everything that the Hall required to get in, and for over 20 years, we weren't even nominated. Now, what, what I do know, and I'm not going to belabor this, is that Jann Wenner was the head honcho at the Hall Of Fame too. And he and Mick [Jones, FOREIGNER guitarist and main songwriter] were very good friends. They started their friendship working out together, and having coffee afterwards, and talking music. And then they went out to dinner and Broadway shows with their wives. They were, I would call them good friends. But increasingly Mick and FOREIGNER's management couldn't understand why other bands that came out around the same time as us, also very good bands, but lacking the exemplary credentials that we had were not only nominated, but they were in already, and we hadn't even been nominated. And so Mick and our manager went to see Jann at his office at the Hall Of Fame and just wanted some answers as to why things are the way they are. And I was told that he either wasn't willing to elaborate on it or just just more or less pretended that's the way things are. So Mick and FOREIGNER's manager kind of abruptly got off the chairs and walk out of the room without saying anything. Needless to say, that was the end of the friendship between Mick and Jann. And another [few] years went by. However, I think FOREIGNER's manager went to someone higher up than Jann even on the board of directors and kind of [inquired about it], and they looked into it very deeply and found that we weren't the only band that that had happened to, that periodically he just had a personal thing against certain artists and made sure that they would not get into the Hall. [Jann has since] been relieved of his services [when it comes to the Rock Hall]. And that was last year. Now this year, we're nominated and set to be inducted."

This past April, it was revealed that FOREIGNER is among the 2024 inductees into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

The induction ceremony will be held on October 19 at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. It will air live on Disney+. An edited three-hour prime-time special will follow, premiering on New Year's Day on ABC, and become available for streaming the following day on Hulu and Disney+.

In an interview with News 8 WROC, Gramm stated about learning that he will be one of Rock Hall class of 2024 inductees: "It was a relief, because we have been eligible for a good long time. And we were wondering if we'd ever be in the Rock Hall Of Fame. We've aspired to be part of it, and it's very satisfying now that we're voted in. And I don't think I don't think we could be any happier."

Shortly after FOREIGNER's Rock Hall induction was first announced, Jones told Billboard that he will have no problems reuniting at the induction ceremony with Gramm, with whom he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame with in 2013.

"On a personal level, I have no hard feelings toward Lou," Jones said. "We did perform together at the 40th-anniversary concert. It has been so many years now since Lou left FOREIGNER; I like to think that those ill feelings are in the past. There is power in letting go of hard feelings and getting on with your life. Why carry the burden of hard feelings? It serves nothing in the long run.

When FOREIGNER was first nominated for the Rock Hall in February, Gramm released a video message expressing his gratitude. In the one-minute clip, which was posted to Lou's social media, the 74-year-old singer said: "I'd like to thank the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for the honor of nomination. And I'd like to acknowledge Mick Jones for his courage as he faces Parkinson's. I'd like to thank my friends in the music and the acting industry for their support, especially over the last two or three weeks in helping us to receive the nomination. Now I've seen a lot of the videos and I've definitely been feeling the buzz. It's really exciting and it means a lot. It means a lot to me and all the guys in the band. Now [multi-instrumentalist] Ian McDonald and [bassist] Ed Gagliardi were vital contributing members of the early FOREIGNER, and I know they're somewhere in the hereafter fist pumping and cheering for this nomination."

Earlier that same month, Jones's stepson, Oscar-nominated producer/songwriter Mark Ronson enlisted Dave Grohl, Jack Black, Slash, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE frontman Josh Homme (along with Ronson himself) to create a video campaigning for FOREIGNER's Rock Hall bid.

"Yes, Mick is my stepdad and I love him more than anything," Ronson wrote in a message accompanying the video. "But I'm also a MEGA fan just like Dave, Jack, Slash, Chad and Josh… Enjoy this video and VOTE BABY VOTE!"

In the clip, Homme said: "You want to know what love is? Love is putting FOREIGNER in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame." Smith added: "I can't believe they’re not in already — oh my God."

"I've loved FOREIGNER since I got their debut record," Grohl said. "There's one drum riff that I have used in more than a few songs."

Black sang parts of FOREIGNER's "I Want To Know What Love Is" before pleading, "Hey, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, open the door! FOREIGNER's waiting outside. Let 'em in."

In his Instagram message, Ronson shared a brief history of FOREIGNER's influence, writing: "Everything that made me want to be a record producer came from being in the studio watching FOREIGNER make records. I'm still completely in awe of the sound of those first five albums. Guitars with swagger and bite. Heavy drums that groove like a mutha with the bass. Wide layers of synths. And then there’s that voice. And those songs. It's really crazy. It's also kind of crazy that this is the first time they've ever been on the ballot for the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame — after 20 years of eligibility."

He added: "Fun Facts: FOREIGNER are the most played band on classic rock radio to not be in the hall of fame. They've been sung by our fave characters from the Simpsons, The Office, I, Tonya, Stranger Things and Wet Hot American Summer. They've been covered by Diana Ross and Mariah Carey (what the rock band can boast that??). They were sampled and turned into HOT FIRE by M.O.P. (remember that Cold As Ice joint?) and Tone-Loc who used them to concoct some Funky Cold Medina."

To be eligible for this year's ballot, each nominee's first single or album had to have been released in 1999 or earlier.

Eligible since 2002, FOREIGNER has had a huge number of rock hits, including "Cold As Ice", "Double Vision", "Hot Blooded", "I Want To Know What Love Is", "Juke Box Hero" and "Urgent", and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, with no wins.

According to the Hall Of Fame, the FOREIGNER members that will get inducted include only the classic-era musicians Jones, Gramm, Dennis Elliott, Gagliardi, Al Greenwood, McDonald and Rick Wills. McDonald and Gagliardi died in 2022 and 2014, respectively.

German stadium rockers The New Roses are set to touch hearts with their moving new ballad, "Hold Me Up“, from the highly anticipated studio album Attracted To Danger, out this Friday via Napalm Records. The new single is a deeply moving duet with Scotland-based vocalist Gill Montgomery (The Hot Damn!, The Amorettes). As Gill’s soft voice melts tenderly with Timmy’s rough timbre, the track succeeds as an emotional masterpiece of a romantic rock ballad.


Known for their hits with plenty of radio play and millions of streams, The New Roses have toured and shared stages with iconic artists such as KISS, The Scorpions, Saxon and Accept, as well as earned high chart positions with previous albums. With Attracted To Danger, the band delivers a powerful blend of raw emotion that will resonate with listeners. 


The New Roses comment: “‘Hold me Up“ is the first duet in the history of The New Roses. I think Gil Montgomery did an amazing job and took this ballad to another level. So find yourself a sunset, crank up that song and ride right into it…”




Gill Montgomery adds: “….It was such a massive honour to be invited to be a part of ‘Hold me Up’ with the absolutely cracking The New Roses. Such a lovely bunch of very talented gentlemen it was an absolute pleasure and I had a blast! Quite a vocal challenge for me on such a massive banger of a ballad so I hope I did them proud!”


The New Roses’ newest onslaught, Attracted To Danger, starts off with the catchy and classy opener “When You Fall In Love”, setting the tone for an album that convinces with a rebellious free spirit, timeless melodies and catchy hooks. Overall, The New Roses present a heavier, rougher side, as is evident on the stomping “Four Wheels” with its heavy riffs, or closing track “Whiskey In The Backseat”, offering a heavier melody and dramatic audacity, like strong whiskey running down your throat. But still, the quartet stays true to their trademarks, delivering timeless hard rock hymns while unleashing a fiery energy and heavier touch on tracks like “Bring The Thunder”, then hitting differently when Timmy Rough presents the full range of his vocal skills on “This Heart”. Next, “Spirit Of A Rebel” creates a lighter atmosphere and invites listeners to celebrate life together under the sun.


There’s room for calmer and more emotional sounds as “Natural Born Vagabonds” creates an authentic bonfire-like atmosphere. A more romantic side manifests often in the lyrics, but culminates in the deeply moving “Hold Me Up” - a duet with Scotland-based lead singer Gill Montgomery (The Hot Damn, The Amorettes). As her soft voice melts tenderly with Timmy’s rough timbre, the track succeeds as an emotional masterpiece of a rock ballad, marking a romantic ending to a wild love story. The album is wrapped up by a cover version by Neil Young’s iconic hit single “Rockin’ In The Free World”, making it their very own - and by that claiming their rightful place in the upper echelons of the international hard rock scene.


Attracted To Danger is an outstanding hard rock album providing everything the band is loved and appreciated for: catchy sounds, true rock anthems, authentic emotions and an incredible rock’n’roll energy that can only be delivered by The New Roses. Get ready for an outstanding highlight as the Germans turn the intensity up to 11 and beyond, taking no time to rest and delivering a more explosive and rebellious sound than ever before.


The New Roses on their new album: "I think Attracted To Danger has everything a good rock & roll record needs. We tried to show the whole spectrum of rock & roll emotions. Good times, hard times, the traditional road vibe, a ballad and some harder riffs. So If you wanna have a rock & roll party this record is the soundtrack for it..."





Attracted To Danger will be available in the following formats:


- 1LP Gatefold Yellow Transparent
- Bundle: 1CD Digipak + Cover shirt
- 1LP Gatefold Black
- 1CD Digipak


Pre-order here.





Attracted To Danger tracklisting:


"When You Fall In Love"
"Natural Born Vagabonds"
"Attracted To Danger"
"Four Wheels"
"Bring The Thunde

In a recent interview with Neuborn Open Air Festival, CARCASS vocalist/bassist Jeff Walker and guitarist James "Nip" Blackford spoke about the band's musical evolution. Walker said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We did this, and then we grew up a bit, and then we did that, and we grew up a bit. And we keep growing up, and we keep… It's not a deliberate, cynical maneuver. We just play the music we like… But it's not like a cynical maneuver. You get better as a musician and you have different influences and you just try different things… Stylistically we're all over the place. That's the problem."

Blackford, who replaced former CARCASS guitarist Tom Draper in 2021, weighed in: "I would say as a fan of CARCASS primarily — I've been a fan for most of my life, and now I get to play with the band — I think that's a great thing about the band, that each album has been different. And it seems from the outside, that was where they were in that year, in that time, and then they evolved a bit and they got like that. You kind of see them maturing and growing up. And some bands do just do the same thing over and over again and that's great. It really works well for some bands. In fact, who would want AC/DC to do something different?"

Added Jeff: "That's also the handicap with CARCASS, 'cause someone that heard CARCASS in 1988 would think, 'That's shit.' And they wouldn't understand what we sound like now. And maybe if they heard us in 1990, they didn't like what we were playing then. But we've moved on. And we get that; I understand that. We've been written off so many times. 'That's CARCASS. They sound noisy. They sound shit.' But we're all right, I think."

CARCASS's latest album, "Torn Arteries", was released in September 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. Drummer Daniel Wilding did session work in Sweden at Studio Gröndahl with David Castillo while guitars were recorded at The Stationhouse with James Atkinson in Leeds, England. Eventually needing some form of residential location to finalize vocals, bass, and other guitarwork, the band headed back to Studio Gröndahl in Sweden to continue work in a very relaxed atmosphere with Castillo.

The "Torn Arteries" album title references an old demo created by original drummer Ken Owen back in the 1980s. The album artwork also rings reminiscent of the grotesque photography that appears on classic CARCASS album covers like "Reek Of Putrefaction" and "Symphonies Of Sickness". Artist Zbigniew Bielak traveled outside his normal wheelhouse to bring forth a time lapsed set of photos showing vegetables shaped like a heart, rotting over time upon a white plate. This form of artwork was influenced by Japanese Kusôzu, meaning: "painting of the nine stages of a decaying corpse."

Canadian rockers THREE DAYS GRACE have announced the return of original frontman Adam Gontier. The 46-year-old musician, who left THREE DAYS GRACE in 2013, will share lead vocals in the band's new lineup with singer Matt Walst, who has fronted THREE DAYS GRACE for the past decade.

THREE DAYS GRACE teased a reunion with Gontier earlier this week by posting a voicemail message in which Adam told Matt that he would "be at the studio soon, if you can just let everybody know."

Gontier said about his return to THREE DAYS GRACE: "I feel like it's been seamless, better than we were expecting. It's like we got back in a room together and picked up where we left off. We have been friends for so long, it's kind of natural to get back in the room together."

Walst added: "It's been so much fun and inspiring making this record. Combining over 20 years of THREE DAYS GRACE and doing something that no band has ever done. I'm excited for the fans to hear it!"

In April 2023, Gontier reunited with THREE DAYS GRACE onstage during the band's concert in Huntsville, Alabama. Gontier rejoined his former bandmates when they opened for SHINEDOWN at the Probst Arena At The Von Braun Center to perform two classic songs from THREE DAYS GRACE's 2006 album "One-X": "Never Too Late" and "Riot".

THREE DAYS GRACE later shared a post-performance photo with Gontier on social media and wrote in an accompanying message: "Soooo we did a thing."

In July 2022, Gontier said that a reunion with his former bandmates was "likely" to happen "down the road at some point." The Canadian-born musician made his comments just a couple of weeks after he and two members of the band's most recent lineup, bassist Brad Walst and his younger brother, vocalist Matt Walst, were inducted into the Norwood District High School Hall Of Honor in Norwood, Ontario.

Asked in an interview with Rock Feed if he would be open to working with THREE DAYS GRACE again now that he appears to be on good terms with his former bandmates, Gontier said: "You know what? Yeah. I mean, for sure. We've all grown up. It's been a while. There's no hard feelings or anything like that. We're all in touch now and we talk and text and stuff. We haven't really talked about doing anything — not yet anyway — but I feel like something like that is most likely down the road at some point," he added.

When interviewer Brian Storm noted that Adam's reunion with THREE DAYS GRACE would be a "big" deal, Gontier said, "And it would be a lot of fun." Storm then reiterated that the reunion would be "very big," to which Adam said: "Probably would be. You never know, man. We haven't really talked about it. But, yeah, I guess we'll see."

Earlier in July 2022, Brad Walst spoke about reconnecting with Gontier at the Norwood District High School event in an interview with Tommy Carroll of the 97.9 WGRD radio station. He said: "It's funny 'cause the high school's been calling us for years. And, obviously, we've all had kind of different schedules, and Adam's been doing his thing and we've been doing our thing. And until recently, to be honest, we hadn't really spoken that much — we'd text and stuff. But Adam's moved back to the area, and he's got a great family and a great wife. And we've all kind of been chatting and hanging out. Yeah, I called him and just said, 'They want the three of us' — they want Matt, Adam and myself. And everyone agreed, and it was, like, 'Okay, let's do this.' So it was pretty cool to see [our] high school, where you grew up… It's nice to be acknowledged."

He continued: "It's funny, 'cause I texted Adam, 'You made the Hall Of Fame.' He's, like, 'Yup. Straight-B student.' [Laughs] But I think just having us together in that room was way more powerful, for sure. So it was a pretty cool feeling."

In 1992, Gontier, Brad Walst, Phil Crowe, Neil Sanderson and Joe Grant formed GROUNDSWELL while most of the members were still in high school. That band broke up in 1995, but two years later Gontier, Sanderson and Walst reformed as THREE DAYS GRACE. Gontier left the band in 2013 and was replaced by Matt, the vocalist from another Norwood band, MY DARKEST DAYS.

In a 2007 interview with The Oklahoman, Gontier said that he met some of his first bandmates while they were freshmen at Norwood District High School.

"I ended up hooking up with Brad because we had the same love of music," Gontier said. "He didn't play anything at the time. I suggested him getting a bass, and he did."

Gontier said that Canadian bands, including THE TRAGICALLY HIP and OUR LADY PEACE were early influences, along with the Seattle rock scene, particularly the group SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE.

Gontier initially went into rehab in 2005 in Toronto after admitting an addiction to Oxycontin. The rehab stint influenced some material which would appear on THREE DAYS GRACE's "One-X" album, including the songs "Pain" and "Over And Over".

Gontier left THREE DAYS GRACE in the spring of 2013. At the time, the Canadian rockers cited unspecified "health issues" when his departure was announced. Adam later released a statement explaining he exited THREE DAYS GRACE to pursue new projects, and not to deal with addiction.

Gontier is currently a member of SAINT ASONIA, which also features STAIND guitarist/founding member Mike Mushok. The quartet is rounded out by Cale Gontier (bass) and Cody Watkins (drums).

THREE DAYS GRACE's latest album, "Explosions", was released in May 2022 via RCA Records.

Photo credit: Matt Barnes

After performing together in Nashville around this time last year and spending time in the studio since, we’re excited...

Posted by Three Days Grace on Thursday, October 3, 2024

Mike Portnoy says that he gets "goosebumps" thinking about his upcoming first concert with DREAM THEATER in 14 years.

The drummer co-founded DREAM THEATER in 1985 with guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung. Mike played on 10 DREAM THEATER albums over a 20-year period, from 1989's "When Dream And Day Unite" through 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", before exiting the group in 2010. Portnoy returned to DREAM THEATER in October 2023 after being replaced by Mike Mangini, who played with DREAM THEATER across five studio albums and accompanying world tours.

Regarding what it has been like rehearsing and recording with DREAM THEATER again, Mike told Spencer Kaufman of Consequence: "On a personal level, it's been incredible. I couldn't be happier to be back home with my family. We started this band as teenagers almost 40 years ago. And, really, everything about it feels right. It feels like this is where I should be and need to be and want to be."

He continued: "However, it is surreal that it's been almost a year now, and yet the public has yet to really see the five of us … I was on tour with THE WINERY DOGS, and we weren't even together when we decided to come together. And then when we finally did come together in February of this year to start the album, we've been in the studio all year. We've spent this entire year together, but the public still has yet to hear any music, see a show, really see any footage of us together. So it's been really hard to keep a lid on all that, to keep it all as top secret as we have."

The drummer added, "We have the tour coming up, which is incredibly exciting. And very soon we're going to start launching more information with the album … So, it's all starting to finally come together, but it's weird because we've been together for almost a year now, but finally the public unveiling is beginning."

Portnoy went on to say that he "can't wait" for his first show back with DREAM THEATER, which will take place on October 20 at the O2 in London, United Kingdom. "I get goosebumps even thinking about it," he said. "I think every night for the next year, every night that it's the first time in any place — whether it be Detroit or Paris or Tokyo, wherever it is, the first night in every one of these markets for the next year — is going to be incredibly electric and special for everybody in the audience. Whether they be fans who haven't seen this lineup now in almost 15 years or new people that never got to see this lineup before, it's going to be special each and every night. But that very first night at the O2 Arena in London, I can't even imagine what it's going to be like. I've dreamt about it 100 times, through the years, of what it would be like to be onstage with those guys again. And to feel the interaction and the love and the excitement in the audience, it's going to be so electric. I can't wait. I cannot wait. And we're now getting so close. It's going to be incredible."

DREAM THEATER's 2024-2025 40th-anniversary tour will kick off with a European leg this fall. The outing — presented as "An Evening With Dream Theater" — will launch on October 20 in London and run through November 24 in Amsterdam, hitting cities in numerous European countries along the way.

DREAM THEATER recently spent time in the studio recording the band's sixteenth album. The upcoming effort will mark the progressive metal legends' first LP since Portnoy's return to the group.

Mangini joined DREAM THEATER in late 2010 through a widely publicized audition following the departure of Portnoy. Mangini beat out six other of the world's top drummers — Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati, Aquiles Priester, Thomas Lang, Peter Wildoer and Derek Roddy — for the gig, a three-day process that was filmed for a documentary-style reality show called "The Spirit Carries On".

In an interview with Chile's Sonar FM, Portnoy was asked if he missed playing with DREAM THEATER during his time away from the group. He responded: "Well, of course, I always missed DREAM THEATER and the music and the guys and the fans. Not all DREAM THEATER fans went on the ride with me with all of my other bands. So, every time I would tour with SONS OF APOLLO or WINERY DOGS or SHATTERED FORTRESS or NEAL MORSE BAND, I would see someDREAM THEATER fans, but there's a big portion of the fanbase that wasn't with me for all those years. So yeah, I missed them and I missed the guys and I missed the music. We were always a family first and foremost."

Regarding the fact that he is once again in charge of coming up with the setlists for DREAM THEATER's live shows, Mike said: "Yeah, it's an area that was always my department and my passion. I always wrote all the setlists for DREAM THEATER, as well as any of my bands or projects. That's an area that's very important to me. And yeah, when I came back to DREAM THEATER, a lot of the things we have to figure out who's gonna be in charge of what. There's a lot of areas that I used to be in charge of, which now John [Petrucci, DREAM THEATER guitarist] may do, or maybe the band makes band decisions. So I have to kind of find my place within the band's chemistry now. But yeah, one of the things that they did give back to me was the setlist and writing the setlist. So yeah, it was something that was a lot of fun and exciting — a great open palette to work with, really. 40 years of music, and I haven't played any of this music with the guys in almost 15 years. So it's all so fresh. Back in 2010, I might have been bored with it, but now in 2024, I'm just as excited to play those songs as any of 'em."

On the topic of how different it is to play with DREAM THEATER in 2024 compared to how it was 14 years ago, Mike said: "There's two sides to that question. The first I'll say, personally, I think we're just all older and wiser, more mellow. I am not as much of a control freak as I used to be; I'm a lot more easygoing, a lot more mellow. So, yeah, there's the one side of the natural age of everybody just — we're now in our fifties and sixties, and I think we're just more mature and experienced. But the other side to that question is, like I just mentioned, finding my place within this new chemistry and overseeing every area. And then when I left the band, they needed to take some of these areas and divide them up amongst themselves and have different people overseeing different areas. And now that I'm coming back, I have to kind of see what's comfortable. I have to very much respect that they've had 13 years without me and they may do things a certain way differently now. So it's up to me to really be very respectful to that and not try to force myself in any of the areas. So anytime something comes up, whether we're talking about a setlist or the merchandise or how they wanna record in the studio, no matter what the subject is, it's always now, like, 'Okay, well, how do you guys do it now? How do you want me involved? Do you want me to oversee it? Do you want me to stay out of it? That's fine too.' And it's kind of like a learning process to find myself comfortable with the way that the band works now."

Portnoy also talked about DREAM THEATER's upcoming sixteenth album, which is tentatively due in early 2025. He said: "We started the new album in February of this year, and we figured that was about 15 years since we last made a record together with 'Black Clouds & Silver Linings' in 2009. So we got together — February 7th, 2024, I think is when we moved into the studio to begin — and it felt like it had only been one week since we finished 'The Count Of Tuscany' and wrapped the last album. It felt like it was only one week. It felt like only a week had passed. Like, okay, here we are 15 years later, but it felt like just yesterday. That's how familiar and comfortable the chemistry is with the five of us. We immediately felt comfortable, like not a day had passed, and immediately started writing ideas and bouncing ideas off of each other. And it just quickly snowballed and we were up and running and off and going."

Portnoy recently told the "So...You Want To Be A Musician?" podcast about his mindset when rejoining DREAM THEATER: "At our ages, we realized when we decided to reunite and get back together, I'd be lying if I didn't say we didn't start to look in the mirror and look at the clock and say, who knows how much time we have left? The clock is ticking, and we realize we're not gonna be here forever. And we wanna spend whatever time we have left together making music with the people that we grew up with and the people that we love. So, yeah, that's kind of where we're at at this stage."

Portnoy admitted to Mariskal Rock that he "needed to get used to was being the 'new guy'" after rejoining DREAM THEATER, "being the new guy in a band that I helped form when I was a teenager. So it's a bit of a transition for me to go from being a bit of the leader, as I was back when I left the band, now I have to kind of find my way back into the chemistry and I need to respect the fact that they've been doing this for 13 years without me and they have maybe new ways of doing things, new ways of making decisions," he explained. "So … I have had to be very respectful for my role as the new guy and finding my way back into the chemistry of the band."

This past June, Portnoy was asked by Brazil's Marcelo Vieira and Matheus Ribeiro if DREAM THEATER's upcoming sixteenth studio album picks up from where the last DT LP he played on, 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", left off or if it's a different thing entirely. He responded: "If I'm being honest, I think it picks up right where 'Black Clouds' left off, to be honest. There's a certain style that the five of us have when we write together. And if you listen to the album with this lineup from 1999, '[Metropolis Pt. 2:] Scenes From A Memory', through 2009's 'Black Clouds & Silver Linings', if you look at that string of five or six albums, that's the sound and style of these five people. So I think that's a good indication of what you can expect with the new DREAM THEATER album. It definitely sounds like classic DREAM THEATER."

Multi-talented singer, songwriter and artist Kat Von D has released a new music video for "I Am A Machine", which features ARCH ENEMY vocalist Alissa White-Gluz, and is included on Kat Von D's just-released album "My Side Of The Mountain". The music video was directed by Vincente Cordero (JINJER, CRADLE OF FILTH, SUICIDE SILENCE).

Kat Von D says: "I've been such a huge fan of ARCH ENEMY for so long, it's been a dream come true getting to create music with Alissa. I was actually nervous about even asking her to sing on one of my songs, considering I make more dark, electronic music and not metal, but was so happy/relieved when she agreed to be a part of this album. She's one of the most talented friends I have. Getting to record her massive vocal range in person was beyond inspiring."

"I Am A Machine" was penned by Kat Von D with acclaimed Los Angeles songwriter Ferras (Dua Lipa, Katy Perry, Adam Lambert). Kat Von D's music is a unique blend of disco goth with influences drawing from synthwave, new wave, and post-punk, creating an iconic electronic sound reminiscent of the 1980s. Her lyrics, inspired by her experiences of love, darkness, and vulnerability, aim to captivate listeners with a mesmerizing musical style that seduces with its ethereal and romantically macabre charm. Fans around the world have been drawn to Kat's unforgettable and evolving brand of music.

From revolutionizing the tattoo industry to starring in hit TV shows, writing best-selling books, and creating a beauty empire, Kat Von D has done it all. But before all of that, her first love was music. She poured her heart into melodies and songwriting, an interest that predates her fame in tattoos and makeup. With a background in classical music and an eclectic appreciation for different genres, it's clear that music has always been her passion. Now, she's making waves in the goth/synthwave scene, and fans and critics love it.

Kat Von D's music has been featured by Billboard, US Weekly, Loudwire, Consequence, Flaunt magazine, Revolver magazine, and many others. "My Side Of The Mountain" follows the success of her debut album, "Love Made Me Do It", the "Exorcisms" EP, and her recent singles "Truth In Reverse", "Illusion", "Dead" and "Vampire Love". The critical praise her music has received, along with a growing musical fanbase, is a testament to its high caliber of songwriting and quality production, and it's no wonder she's not just a tattoo icon or makeup mogul — she's now a legit music powerhouse.

DROWNING POOL has released the official music video for the band's new single, "Revolution (The Final Amen)". The track was made available late last month via SBG Records. It marks the first piece of music founding DROWNING POOL guitarist C.J. Pierce and his longtime bandmates — drummer Mike Luce and bassist Stevie Benton — have completed with singer Ryan McCombs in 13 years.

The "Revolution (The Final Amen)" video was filmed at El Paso, Texas's Speaking Rock Entertainment Center.

Luce comments: "There's a short-list of places DROWNING POOL considers home away from home when we're on the road. Speaking Rock in El Paso, Texas is certainly one of the elite on that list. It's like a family reunion from the moment we get there.

"When plans started getting sorted to shoot a live video and Speaking Rock was on the schedule, it was one of those rare moments that the planets aligned," he continues. "We planned a sort of guerrilla-style, surprise video shoot in that we didn't announce it until the night before/day of, and the El Paso DP family did not disappoint. A very cool side note was that my nephew and some of his fellow soldiers from Ft. Bliss got in on the action as well. I think it's evident in the video that everyone from Caliber TV captured the energy that Speaking Rock delivers without fail."

Pierce adds: "We had such a great time filming the video for 'Revolution (The Final Amen)' in El Paso, surrounded by our fans, up close and personal, face to face. It was the first time we performed 'Revolution (The Final Amen)' live. The energy and intensity from the fans was beyond incredible."

In a recent interview with iHeart Radio personality Debbie Sexxton, Pierce stated about "Revolution (The Final Amen)": "Yeah, it was great working on the song together. It's the first one with all of us back with Ryan, and we spent a lot of time on it. We started on it, actually, beginning of last year. And just between touring and stuff like that, we weren't able to get it down yet. But the whole process, all of us working together, I mean, we literally sat down at a table and we all had different ideas and every one of us kind of approached the song in a different way. And then we came together as a band. It was just amazing. That sounds like a DROWNING POOL song. That's what we want it to sound like. It sounds like us with Ryan."

Regarding the lyrical themes covered in the new DROWNING POOL single, Pierce said: "We spent a lot of time trying different things out to make sure all the bases were covered and we came across with the message lyric-wise too. We had a couple of different rewrites and redrafts just to make sure the flow is right to get the point across. It's more of a general thing about what's going on now. We definitely need a big change — not specific to any country or government or religion as much as just as a whole. It's more [about] planet earth."

In August, Pierce told the "Thunder Underground" podcast about the musical direction of the new DROWNING POOL song: "I'm so excited, man. It just came out naturally. We never tried to write like a 'Bodies Part Two' or a 'Tear Away Part Two'. We just write what we feel at the time, and the excitement that we had and the energy we have with Ryan being back in the band, the song definitely has that vibe to it. It's in drop C [tuning], and I got a new wah pedal in the studio when I was doing the song. So I'm wah-pedaling all over just like on [DROWNING POOL's] 'Sinner' record. So it has that old-school vibe to it. The people that have heard it so far, that's what they relate it to. It's got that same type of energy. It's its own song and entity. But yeah, it's intense, man. It's a banger."

Asked if the idea is for DROWNING POOL to put out standalone singles going forward or if he and his bandmates are working on an album, C.J. said: "Well, we wanna put out some singles, and stuff that we're doing with Ryan. And yes, we wanna do a full-length record. But we have a lot of stuff coming up in the works. We just did a bunch of shows in Poland for our troops back in December and January. We did a 17-song jam and acoustic set. And I've always wanted to do that. And we kind of fell into it 'cause they asked us to do it over the holidays right before that happened. So it kind of threw us into acoustic mode, which we've never done. And I love the way that set came out. Some songs, they sound heavier, some songs sound a little different, some sound exactly the same, but acoustic style. So I wanna record that as a whole to get that out there. There's a handful of songs we're doing now with Ryan off [DROWNING POOL's] 'Desensitized' [album]. It's the 20-year anniversary. So we talked about re-recording a few songs with Ryan's voice on it since we do those now. And then we're coming up on the 25-year anniversary of the 'Sinner' record, so I've been putting a lot of stuff together with that, that we have with [original DROWNING POOL singer] Dave Williams. I have so much video and songs we did. And there's a couple of things and ideas we had with Dave I wouldn't mind doing with Ryan and making them solid as well. So there's a lot of stuff in the works, man, on top of writing new songs. So, we wanna get a couple of new things out so you can hear what we're doing with Ryan and then definitely wanna do a full-length record with him in the process of doing these other things. But the writing hasn't stopped, man. Since he's walked into my house last year, the ideas — I mean, it's been 13 years and a lot has happened to all of us in that time frame, and so there's a lot to write about, a lot to share, and it comes out through the music, dude. It's killer."

In July, McCombs was asked by 94 Rocks KFML's "The Dark" rock music program if the sound of the new DROWNING POOL material harkens back to what Ryan did with the band in the past, McCombs said: "It's C.J. It's Stevie. It's Mike. It's myself. We did a couple of really — not to toot our own horn — I think we did a couple really good albums back in the day. And we pick up right where we left off.

"I think the coolest thing about DROWNING POOL is it's really easy with DROWNING POOL to separate things with the singers, as far as eras go, but there's always been the DROWNING POOL sound," Ryan continued. "There's always been a certain aspect of just the tones and everything. So it's still just like it always has been — DROWNING POOL."

In June, Pierce told Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio that he and his DROWNING POOL bandmates are once again working with producer Shawn McGhee. "He has his own studio," C.J. explained. "We did the last record with him as well. We did [2022's] 'Strike A Nerve' [with him]. And he's just a great guy to work with. He's on the same page as us and a great friend and a great musician and a killer producer and mixer. So, we love working with Shawn. He really knows how to capture what we're trying to do, man. That's the kind of producer you want. We put him in a driver's seat and somebody you can trust to have that outside ear to take what we have already and elevate it."

Asked what fans can expect from the new DROWNING POOL music, Pierce said: "It just came out naturally. We just started writing. We were all excited to be together again. And we never try to be that kind of band to [go], like, 'Okay, let's write 'Bodies Part Two' or 'Sinner Part Two'. We just write what we feel. And then this came out naturally just to have that 'Sinner' record foundation with Ryan singing on it, man. It's probably the closest thing we've had that's like that, that's a good blend of us and Ryan and stuff from the Dave Williams days. And it came naturally and organically and, dude, it's slamming."

Regarding what it has been like having Ryan step back into the band and if that familiarity was there again, C.J. said: "Yeah, it was there like that and then some, man, 'cause we're all different people. And getting to know all of us, the new us — new and improved, hopefully.

"We just did the [Welcome To] Rockville festival, and just to see friends say that, 'cause people are just now seeing us with Ryan again," he continued. "[People are telling us], 'Man, I can just tell you guys are having so much fun with it. It's awesome to see you guys'. You can tell when a band's up there doing it for real. There's no going through motions with us. And we're having fun with it."

Six months ago, Pierce told Tulsa Music Stream about the new DROWNING POOL music: "It's the first time we have new music with Ryan McCombs in 13 years. And everything's organic and natural. We just started jamming and it just came out like that. It's not trying to push anything or any agenda. We just had this great writing relationship, and it was awesome to click like that again, especially with everybody in the band. Before we finish up the lyrics and all the singing, we're all sat down at the table and bounce ideas off each other to finetune the songs. It's awesome to work with my brothers like that, to have that kind of relationship where everybody has some input and say into it. So when the song comes out, all four of us love what we do with it."

Asked if he and his bandmates usually discuss where they want their new music to go or if they just generally stick to a tried-and-tested formula, Pierce said: "It's actually none of those things at all. Sorry. The answer is none of the above. I mean, some people, they approach it like that. I know some bands have the songwriter in the band or two guys writing everything, and some people don't. I love the fact that we all just get in a room and jam. It's a feeling thing. Music's expressing what's going on at the time. So, the way ideas usually come up with us in DROWNING POOL, it's just, 'Hey, man, I have this feeling, this idea. What do you think about this or this subject matter?' If something comes up, like, 'We should write something about that.' It's different. It's not really a set formula. We need to sound like this; we need to sound like that."

He continued: "It was unfortunate that we lost Dave Williams in 2002 from cardiomyopathy, but it also allowed us to work with other singers. They all have their own style and where they fit within the music Mike, Stevie and I write, So that was also fun. I wouldn't say challenge as much as just coming up with you feel and then see how it works with the strong points of the singer that's singing to it as well. So it just comes up. Everything's, again, whatever you feel at the time; that's what we write. It's never been trying to follow the trend, which is I'm fine with bands that do that or trying to fit in here and there. We try to keep it a hundred percent original."

Pierce added: "There's a few bands out there that have that formula — like AC/DC, as an example — and that works for them and that probably works for them to stick with it. With us, we've kind of been all over the board with, obviously, singer changes and stuff. But everybody knows 'Bodies'. And that's the core sound of what we have anyway. And the excitement of Ryan coming back in the band with the new songs that we have are equal to, if not more jamming than, 'Bodies'. And not intentional, like 'we have to like write a 'Bodies Part Two'' or another song [like that]. It's we just have that fire again. So it just comes out like that."

Earlier in April, Pierce spoke to Pierre Gutiérrez of Rock Talks about how the new DROWNING POOL music compares to "Strike A Nerve", the band's first record in seven years, which came out in September 2022 via T-Boy/UMe. It marked the band's third album with singer Jasen Moreno, who joined DROWNING POOL in 2012. Asked if the material is "more balanced" than "Strike A Nerve", C.J. said: "I wouldn't say more balanced. With Jasen Moreno on the last couple of records, we just started going up a heavy thing. Plus our career, just things that were going on at that time — I write what's going on in my life at the time; it's art, it's music — and just things were getting more intense with Jasen. Not just Jasen, but the music business, everything. So the music got intense as well, as you hear. And then with Ryan back in here, we still have that same intention, but Ryan brings a different kind of aspect and the delivery to the songs. There's definitely the style that we had on the two records we did with Ryan that's there, but we still have that heaviness going on as well. So it's definitely the heaviest stuff we've done with Ryan, for sure. So it's all heavy, brother. There's definitely a few songs that may be… We had '37 Stitches' and songs like that with Ryan. We have one or two songs that are kind of more in that mellow zone with him as well that we're working on. But, yeah, the last few records, we were pretty much just slamming, just full-on super-heavy stuff, man, which I enjoy as well. So you're gonna get a mix of it. I feel like with Ryan, we can get more of a mix of styles in there as well… It's intense, man. It's intense music. That's what we write."

McCombs played his first shows back with DROWNING POOL in March 2023 at Club L.A. in Destin, Florida and at the inaugural Throwdown At The Campground festival in Fruitland Park, Florida.

The longtime SOIL frontman, who has lived in Swindon, England since 2018, originally joined DROWNING POOL in 2005 and appeared on two of the band's studio albums, "Full Circle" (2007) and "Drowning Pool" (2010),as well as a live album, 2009's "Loudest Common Denominator". He rejoined SOIL after exiting DROWNING POOL in 2011.

McCombs is continuing to front SOIL and will carry on recording and performing with both bands.

DROWNING POOL's debut album, "Sinner", was certified platinum within six weeks of its release in 2001, while the CD's first single, "Bodies", was one of the most frequently aired videos on MTV by a new band. DROWNING POOL reached out to an ever-greater audience with dynamic performances at Wrestlemania XVIII and Ozzfest during the summers of 2001 and 2002. Unfortunately, their streak of success was not to last. Shortly after rousing the crowd at Ozzfest in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 3, 2002, vocalist Dave "Stage" Williams was found dead of natural causes on the tour bus.

Photo courtesy of O'Donnell Media Group

A couple months back, M-Theory Audio released the latest album, Dreadful Company, from Verni, better known as the solo project of infamous Overkill bass player, D.D. Verni. Verni allows D.D. the chance to step out and express himself without limitations revealing the depth of talent and influences that make up the legendary musician.


On Dreadful Company, D.D. wrote all the material, produced, and played all the bass, guitars and sang while enlisting the drumwork of former Overkill drummer Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall, Category 7) and guest contributions on specific songs from members of Anthrax, Dope, Symphony X and Angel. It goes without saying this is a fun record, and D.D. focused on his punk rock roots drawing comparisons from everyone from Ramones, Misfits, Social Distortion to newer acts like Green Day. The songs are immediate, infectious and appealing to both fans of punk and metal.


To further evidence, check out the insanely catchy new video released today for “All You Need To Know” for more proof.







Dreadful Company is now in stores and online, or order direct

“My Sacrifice” is the newest single from Poland’s long-running death metal technicians Deivos. The song precedes the band’s devastating seventh studio full-length, Apophenia, nearing October release on Selfmadegod Records.


A hypnotically demolishing listening experience, Deivos’ Apophenia ruptures forth with nine new tracks. The album is void of filler, stacked end-to-end with breakneck transitions and bulldozing passages of technical but not overthought death metal that dismantles everything in its path.


Apophenia was captured across Poland throughout 2023, the drums engineered/recorded by Krzysztof Godycki at Roslyn Studio, the bass recorded at Kamil Home Studio, and the guitars and vocals recorded at Zed Studio where the album was mixed and mastered by Tomek Zalewski at Zed Studio in early 2024. The album’s intros and outros were created by Mścisław except the "Feretory" outro by Head.One.Beatz. The record features cover art by the late Mariusz Lewandowski (Mizmor, Bell Witch, Fuming Mouth), design and layout by Michał Kaczkowski, and photography by Marcin Studziński.




With the new song, Deivos vocalist Hubert Banach states, “‘My Sacrifice’ is about the things that are sacrificed for a false promise of a better life after death.”


Apophenia will be released on CD and digital platforms October 18. Preorder on 

In a new interview with The Metal Voice, vocalist Marc Storace of Swiss hard rock legends KROKUS, who released his first solo album, "Live And Let Live", in late 2021, was asked if the group is "packing it up now", six years after he and his bandmates announced that they would embark on their "farewell" tour. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, no, no, no. KROKUS is reborn. We all feel fresh again. We've had a really nice run and the feeling in the band is really harmonious. And I don't sense any bad vibes for doing my solo stuff, because they know I did it because I was in a lockdown situation and that's how it started and the ball kept on rolling. So it's something I'm doing not because I wanna leave KROKUS."

He continued: "KROKUS is my lifetime work; it's been my main baby since 1979, end of 1979, with a couple of breaks here and there. That happens in all bands, and we had so many musician changes and everything and ups and downs and troubles and lawsuits and all this. But we're still together because the music holds us together and our history holds us together. It's a sentimental thing. It's a brotherly love kind of thing without being cheesy about it, because we're not really like that. We don't meet up to go and drink a bottle of wine together or we don't really meet up outside working hours, if you like. I enjoy every time I have to drive down to Solothurn where the band comes from and do a rehearsal. And, yeah, it works. There's a nice team. The crew is fixed, and it's great."

With regard to the possibility of KROKUS making new music, Storace said: "Ah, yeah. Good question. That's what I ask myself. It would be nice, and I know there would be a lot of fans who would be thankful for that, but I don't see any sign of life in the creative way, except for the live stuff that we do. And the band has never been so good playing live, and it's really fun. And everything comes automatically nowadays. I mean, it would be nice, but who am I to talk, if everyone else is not [on the same page about it]."

Last year, Storace told Disturbing The Priest that he thought KROKUS was dead during the pandemic. "I really thought it was [over]," he said. "But then, you know how it is — we've all got this rock and roll virus in our blood. Music isn't easy to switch off. For us, it's like a hobby which turned to work, and we could manage to live off it, which is, for me, a golden thing. I really treasure the fact that what I do is what I love to do, what I loved to do when I was a kid already, and I'm still doing it."

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. The 13-date trek was originally scheduled to kick off at Canton Hall in Dallas, Texas on September 18, 2020 and conclude at Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California on October 10, 2020.

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.

Earlier in 2022, Storace explained to Rock Show Critique why he and his bandmates toured America so infrequently over the course of the last 20 years. The 72-year-old musician said: "Well, it starts with the work permits. And they cost money. Then the tax. Then the booking fees, the percentages, the renting out of equipment, buses, hotels and everything. So if you've gotta do a club tour, you can't even pay for all that. We haven't been there for a long while, so we don't expect to come over and do a headliner tour in stadiums; we're far from that again. Because in the meantime, there's a lot of water under the bridge. And that's how it is. The status sinks because there's no longer promoters who believe that you're gonna bring in the money back for that. I guess that's the way it is. It's like a vicious circle. You have to come over one day and get the ball rolling again and then come back the next year and the next year to reach the status that you are used to. And you have to also release a new album to accompany that. And the new album isn't enough. Albums don't sell anymore. There's Spotify — all these parasites around — streaming, which don't give you your money's worth."

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."

Ex-QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate has announced the U.S. dates for the "Operation: Mindcrime - The Final Chapter" tour. The trek, which will kick off on March 18, 2025 in Tucson, will see the 65-year-old vocalist perform the band's classic "Operation: Mindcrime" album in its entirety for the last time.

Select venues will do a presale this Wednesday, October 2 at 10:00 a.m. local time. All tickets will go on sale this Friday, October 4 at 10:00 a.m. local time.

Tour dates:

March 18 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
March 20 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
March 21 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
March 22 - Wichita, KS - TempleLive Wichita
March 23 - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads
March 25 - Lincoln, NE - Bourbon Theatre
March 26 - Fort Smith, AR - TempleLive Fort Smith
March 27 - Dallas, TX - Echo Music Halt
March 28 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
March 29 - San Antonio, TX - Aztec Theater
March 30 - Austin, TX - Empire Garage
April 01 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
April 02 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage
April 03 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theater
April 04 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
April 05 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues
April 06 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Parker Playhouse
April 08 - Louisville, KY - Mercury Ballroom
April 09 - Detroit, MI - St Andrews Hall
April 10 - Grand Rapids, MI - Elevation
April 11 - St Charles, IL - Arcada Theatre
April 12 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre
April 13 - Fort Wayne, IN - Clyde Theatre
April 15 - Cleveland, OH - TempleLive
April 16 - Columbus, OH - TempleLive
April 17 - Plainfield, IN - Hendrick's Live
April 18 - St Louis, MO - Delmar Hall
April 19 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
April 21 - Green Bay, WI - Epic Event Center
April 22 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
April 23 - Fargo, ND - Sanctuary
April 25 - Boise, ID - Revolution Center
September 25 - Greenville, SC - Radio Room
September 26 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
September 27 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre
September 28 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
October 01 - Hopewell, VA - Beacon Theatre
October 02 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre
October 03 - Greensburg, PA - Palace Theatre
October 05 - Harrisburg, PA - XL Live
October 08 - Hartford, CT - Infinity Hall
October 09 - Newton, NJ - Newton Theatre
October 10 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theater
October 11 - Tarrytown, NY - Music Hall
October 12 - Fairfield, CT - Sacred Heart Theatre
October 16 - Patchogue, NY - Patchogue Theatre
October 17 - Homer, NY - Center for the Arts
October 18 - North Tonawanda, NY - Riviera Theatre

In a recent interview with Cassius Morris, Tate was asked if he has any desire to ever create with his former bandmates, including guitarist Chris DeGarmo, again. He responded: "Well, I think that we had 30 good years, which is phenomenal. Most bands make a couple of records. How many records did GUNS N' ROSES make? Three? [Laughs] We had 30 years of making music, and we gave it a really good run. We had a lot of success. I think we created some really memorable albums, some really memorable songs that will outlive us. And I don't really have a need to go back and try to recapture that with Chris or any of the other guys as well. I feel like it's time to do other things, and to just explore. And we gave that a great run. It was successful. We did great things. It's time to do other things now."

Asked if he keeps in touch with any of his former bandmates at all, Geoff said: "Um, not regularly, not regularly. But sometimes situations arise where we have to sort of deal with each other, and it's not unpleasant now. Enough time has gone by [and] the bridges have mended, I guess."

Regarding whether it is tough for him to keep having to talk about his split with QUEENSRŸCHE more than a decade later, Geoff said: "At first, it was very challenging because we had kind of a bitter breakup, and I guess I was very angry over how it was handled. But then I started looking at the personalities involved and realized, well, it really didn't have any other realistic outcome. It was gonna be what it was. But that was 12 years ago when the band split up. And so a lot of water is under the bridge now and I can be a lot more forgiving of people in their situations. But I've had to talk about it. I keep getting asked questions about it, that kind of thing, 'You ever gonna get the band back together?' that question all the time. And so I've tried to think about how to talk about it in a way that is honest and real for me, but yet not so volatile. 'Cause I could get very volatile about it and point fingers and express blame and I can be very cruel, but it doesn't really serve me to even entertain that idea. I really appreciate what we had and what we did. And I'm happy with that. Very happy."

Back in March 2023, QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton shot down Tate's claim that the original lineup of the group was offered an "obscene" amount of money for one reunion tour but that "a couple of people in the band turned it down." Michael told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk": "I don't know. I didn't hear about it. I never saw any offers. I know our management never saw any offers. So I have no idea about that."

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

During a January 2022 appearance on "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Tate was asked if he is hopeful that a QUEENSRŸCHE reunion will happen someday. He responded: "I'm honestly not really expecting that to happen, basically because we've been offered just obscene amounts of money to get back together and do one tour — one tour and we'd never have to tour again. And a couple of people in the band turned it down; they're not interested in doing it. So that would really be, I think, the only motivation that would get everybody together was an obscene amount of money. But that didn't work, so [laughs] there's really no hope for it after that, I think… Money is not the motivator, and getting together for an artistic dream isn't a motivator either, so what do you have? You have nothing. Obviously, both camps are happy in the position they're at. I know for myself, I love my life — I love what I'm doing and I love traveling and playing music for people. And so far, I'm still kicking it, still happy and healthy."

Geoff went on to say that he is fine with the prospect of never returning to QUEENSRŸCHE and continuing to pursue his solo career and other projects for the rest of his time as a performing artist.

"We did hold it together for years and years and years," he said. "It was a really, really tightly run ship and it was very lucrative and we had a lot of great records and did a lot of world touring and made a lot of friends and played a lot of music together. And we had our time, and I'll aways be grateful for that time that we had. That was a time, and it doesn't mean that that time has to go on forever. There's new times to be had and there's more music to be made, there's more songs to be sung and more audiences to play music for."

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

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

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

In 2021, current QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre told "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" about the chances of Tate's return to QUEENSRŸCHE: "It's funny. I always hear, 'There'll definitely be an all-original lineup reunion. Every band does it.' And I'm thinking, if you knew what I know, I don't think that's gonna happen. And other than the optics of it, why? What's the point? We saw for 15 years what it sounded like."

In October 2021, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against guitarist Wilton and Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge. A few months later, Wilton and Jackson filed a countersuit against Rockenfield, accusing him of abandoning his position as a member of the band and misappropriating the group's assets to his own personal benefit. That dispute has since been settled out of court.

QUEENSRŸCHE has used former KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo for touring and recording purposes since April 2017.

We are announcing the following 2025 USA Tour dates to the Operation Mindcrime, The Final Chapter Tour! Select venues...

Posted by Geoff Tate on Tuesday, October 1, 2024

In a new interview with Australia's Heavy, OPETH guitarist Fredrik Åkesson spoke about the musical direction of the band's upcoming fourteenth studio album, "The Last Will And Testament", which will arrive on November 22 via Reigning Phoenix Music/Moderbolaget. he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It kind of resembles the old OPETH and the more proggy OPETH — last four albums kind of thing — in a more restless, compressed direction, and also step forward, I think. The songs are slightly shorter, but they have more ingredients than ever — a little bit like the modern-day society, even though the theme of the album takes place in 1920s, which is apparently quite some time ago. If you listen to [OPETH's fifth album, 2001's] 'Blackwater Park', certain sections are dwelled upon quite long, and that's different with this album. There's quite a lot of action — it's an action-packed album. There is also what's a big part of OPETH's sound — it has kind of the yin-and-yang thing. You have a really heavy section, then you have something more melancholic, beautiful-ish type of foresty sound as well."

Asked about the description of "The Last Will And Testament" in an official press release as OPETH's "darkest and heaviest record" in decades, Fredrik said: "I love that. Yeah, it is really dark. And that was the one of the goals, to make it really dark, but it's also, at moments, really beautiful, I think. But beautiful can be beautiful in a dark way as well. But it's quite evil-sounding, yeah. And we like that."

Regarding whether he and his OPETH bandmates sit down and make a list of goals that they want to achieve with each album before they start writing, Fredrik said: "I think it kind of comes as it goes. Of course, the direction of the album is — usually [OPETH frontman] Mikael [Åkerfeldt] says, 'Oh, this is gonna be the most darkest album ever.' That's a common thing. And to a certain point, I think we achieved that. But I think when we're [in the middle of writing], we just focus on one song at a time, just try to do the best [with each song]. And not necessarily looking at all the songs at once, just take one thing at a time, basically."

"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 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.

"The Last Will And Testament" is destined to be a milestone in OPETH's illustrious recorded history. The band's first out-and-out concept record, it features guest cameos from JETHRO TULL legend Ian Anderson and Joey Tempest, frontman with Swedish rock gods EUROPE. Only one of the album's eight songs has a title: closing ballad "A Story Never Told". The rest are simply labeled as numbered chapters in this slowly unfolding saga of deceit, recrimination and betrayal. Enigmatic, unsettling and immersive, "The Last Will And Testament" is a turbulent, prog metal tale like no other.

Making his recorded debut alongside OPETH's long-established lineup of Åkerfeldt, Åkesson, bassist Martin Mendez and keyboard maestro Joakim Svalberg on "The Last Will And Testament" is new drummer Waltteri Väyrynen, who joined the band in 2022.

OPETH will embark on a North American tour this fall. The trek, which will kick off on October 11 in Milwaukee, includes stops in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, New Orleans, Austin, Denver and more.

Photo by Terhi Ylimäinen

In a new interview with the "Thunder Underground" podcast, STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet weighed in on a debate about people using artificial intelligence (A.I.) to create music. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The human touch is fading, and that's very concerning. That is not good for music or art in general. When you just type in a few words and say, 'Show me this,' 'Give me this,' 'Create this,' and then — boom — in two seconds you've got it. Uh-uh. That's where we're at. I think we're at a point now where you don't know what's real and what's not, what's human and what's A.I.? You don't know; we won't know. Music is changed forever. And then people call you old for thinking that way. 'Oh, man, you need to get with the times. You're old school. You're an old fart. Come on, man.' It's, like, really? Okay. If other people don't care about that, wow."

He continued: "Music, art, it should be created by humans from the heart, not a computer. And I think just so many people are going down that road. And it's gonna be interesting to see where we're at in 10 years with music and the arts and film and all that stuff, man. It's mind-boggling. I don't think it's a good thing."

Sweet added: "I've heard stuff. I thought, 'Oh, wow, this is cool. What band is this?' And they're, like, 'It's A.I.' Okay. It's good — it's really good. You're sitting there going, 'Yeah.' But gee, I don't know why that doesn't scare more people than it does."

STRYPER's 40th-anniversary tour dates kicked off on September 11 in Greenville, Tennessee and will conclude November 16 in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

STRYPER's 40th-anniversary tour is a celebration of both classic hits and new-era fan favorites, including outfit changes and an exciting new show production. In most cities, this will be a two-set "evening with"-style show.

In December, Sweet underwent partial thyroidectomy, the surgery to remove part of his thyroid gland. It is the most common surgery for thyroid cancer.

Formed 41 years ago, STRYPER's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen", "God Damn Evil", "Even The Devil Believes", "The Final Battle" and "When We Were Kings".

Michael is joined in STRYPER by his brother Robert Sweet (drums),Oz Fox (guitar) and Perry Richardson (bass).

STRYPER's "To Hell With The Amps: The Unplugged Tour" kicked off in late May. For the first time ever, the Christian rockers staged a full tour where they performed their hits and fan favorites acoustically.

APOCALYPTICA's lead cellist Perttu Kivilaakso spoke to Australia's Metal-Roos about the band's cover of METALLICA's "The Call Of Ktulu" which features the original bassline laid down by METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton, who tragically lost his life in a tour bus accident in 1986. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, that's the original recording. And actually [APOCALYPTICA's] Eicca [Toppinen] made that arrangement and got the crazy idea of, like, 'What if we build up the arrangement on top of Cliff?' And, of course, we had to ask for permission from the Burton family, but they were really, really supportive and into it. And actually, the whole METALLICA [camp], starting from Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer], they were, like, 'Well, that's beautiful.'"

He continued: "It's such an honor. That's what we wanted to do — a major homage for Cliff Burton, who is one of the most innovative and amazing creators of certain kind of metal bass sounds and all. Then isolating the track and actually listening to it all the way, how he's using whammy effects and the very challenging playing. And when we started to play on top of that, it felt spiritual. It was incredible. I had tears, not once or twice, but many, many times while in the studio thinking of that and kind of having this feeling that this is so unbelievable. There are no words of describing how it feels, to kind of make music with Burton, reacting to his things. And I was imitating many things for the leads for my solos, kind of how he played. Because the funny thing is that Burton kind of thought he's a solo bassist. He didn't play the typical, you stay in low notes all the time. No, he was all the time doing leads, cool passages and stuff. And to reflect those in the studio, it was really fantastic. And actually we got the approval also to use that tape in a live show, which is another wonderful aspect of that. I still can bring Burton to the stage. And we have a little homage video of him behind. And so he is really present on all. And that is for us all who love the dude and love his legacy, it is a goosebumps [moment]. And I hope that people will reach the same kind of a feeling that we had because [there's] so much love and respect towards their music and the historical things. And that's what we try to do. We bring our own little color to something that is phenomenal already. And we pray that we don't ruin it. [Laughs]"

APOCALYPTICA's version of "The Call Of Ktulu" is featured on "Apocalyptica Plays Metallica, Vol. 2", the sequel to the Finnish band's legendary debut record.

APOCALYPTICA's "The Call Of Ktulu", the original of which first appeared on METALLICA's second album — 1984 landmark "Ride The Lightning" — is more than just a reimagining of that defining moment in thrash history. It represents a resounding seal of approval given by METALLICA and the family of Cliff Burton themselves, who were all enthusiastically behind the idea. It also serves as a powerful tribute to a legendary bassist whose colossal musical legacy lives on.

When APOCALYPTICA's rendition of "The Call Of Ktulu" was first made available in June, Toppinen said in a statement: "I've learned in life that if you have crazy ideas, it's always worth asking, so I called Lars! He was, like, 'I love that you guys always think outside of the box!' James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman] loved the idea, and I met one of Cliff's close relatives and she did too. It was a spiritual experience working on this. We wanted to treat this with honor and maximum respect, and it was magical to have people so close to Cliff say that he would have loved it."

Released in June via Throwdown Entertainment, "Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol. 2" continues the journey that began in 1996 when cellists from Helsinki's world-renowned Sibelius Academy played symphonic tribute to the biggest of the big four–heavy metal titans METALLICA.

The "One" single from "Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol. 2" saw Hetfield joining proceedings for a soul-stirring, spoken word of those inimitable, now-immortal lyrics.

Speaking to Mexico's Summa Inferno, Kivilaakso explained how Hetfield's involvement with his band's version of "One" came about. He said:  "I all the time had this idea of, I want to make a very epic cinematic version, like a movie type of soundtrack type of a version out of 'One', because it's one of absolute most important and beloved tracks for me personally, as for so many others too. And that's why I actually thought that the story of 'One' is really important and interesting, exciting and touching story that for a movie aesthetics or cinematic aesthetics, it would be so cool to have a narrator in the track to talk the lyrics. And we didn't really even consider having anything sung in this album, but this narrator idea, I think what the approach is really cool because it brings a different type of flavor to this soldier's story and kind of inside his mind. And, of course, in the very starting point, James Hetfield naturally was kind of the number one choice for us when we were speaking: 'It would be so cool if James does his own lyrics.' But we didn't even consider that he would ever step away from METALLICA to do something else. And that's why, at some period of time, we had maybe other ideas of involving some cool actor — Mads Mikkelsen or somebody like that — with a great charismatic voice there. But then, when our recordings were all done and we came into the finalizing the post-production of the album, all of a sudden James informed us that, basically, like, 'Why wouldn't you ask me to do [it]?' It kind of felt even that he wanted to do it — he really, really wanted [to do it]. And that was a mind-blowing experience."

He continued: "For me, I remember when I received, actually, all the files James had recorded in States, and I was working at my home in Finland, and I got all his tracks and I imported them to my session and I started to edit Hetfield at home, I fell to my knees crying because it felt like, in a way, of course, like a dream come true and the full circle going on. And eventually Trujillo wanted to play also bass to 'One' because they apparently loved the version, the demo, the original demo that I sent to the guys. And even that was exciting because I had spoken those lyrics or the poetic approach, the narrative with my own sound, with my everything else but perfect English. [Laughs] And I'm just sending these own demo versions to James and [I said], 'Oh, I hope you don't mind that I had to do it myself. But this would be the idea. Please do whatever you want. It's gonna be amazing.' But also, yeah, still speaking about 'One', it was very fascinating and highly exciting to get to work with the wonderful special effects person Jussi Tegelman, who works in Los Angeles and he has been working for Skywalker Sound and made sound effect designs for many, many great movies, starting from Marvel and 'Dr. Strange' and 'Spider-Man' and stuff like that. So we also had this element in there. I'm a big movie fan and big Marvel fan, actually, as well, and to work with absolutely greatest people in the world, having a great orchestra from Budapest to make it, it's by far the most bombastic and biggest thing we have done, this this particular song, for sure."

When APOCALYPTICA's version of "One" was first released, Toppinen said in a statement: "I think it's incredible that James wanted to do it. We were always thinking, 'It'd be great to someday do something with METALLICA!' I think the excitement for him came from the different approach we were taking — sometimes the craziest ideas are what excites people and that was our challenge."

"Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol. 2" track listing:

01. Ride The Lightning
02. St. Anger
03. The Unforgiven II
04. Blackened
05. The Call Of Ktulu (in memory of Cliff Burton)
06. The Four Horsemen (feat. Rob Trujillo)
07. Holier Than Thou
08. To Live Is To Die
09. One (feat. James Hetfield and Rob Trujillo)
10. One (instrumental)

The album's lead single was "The Four Horsemen", a song that originally appeared on METALLICA's 1983 debut "Kill 'Em All". It features a guest appearance by METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo.

Kivilaakso told the DJ Force X Podcast about how Trujillo's involvement came about: "This album concept has, in a way, been in our minds for throughout the whole career. We always knew that there are still a lot of cool [METALLICA] songs that we wanted play our style one day. So, but now after the pandemic and everything, this felt the exact right moment to dive back to the roots."

He continued: "We have always had a wonderful relation with METALLICA — they have been enormously supportive towards us always — but still we approached them to ask that would they agree, would it be fine for them if we make such an album. And through those conversations, actually, eventually Rob even offered that he could play something for us. And that's an enormous, amazing feature, of course, to be treated like that. And it really, really shows respect also from their side. And we are very, very thankful for it."

When "Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol. 2" was first announced, APOCALYPTICA said in a statement: "The first single we want to present to you is 'The Four Horsemen'. And we couldn't be more excited to have a great feature guest on it: Rob Trujillo himself, who is probably THE greatest bass player in this whole wide world! We've always enjoyed sharing our love for METALLICA. Now, this is next level for us as well!"

Toppinen commented: "It's the coolest thing. We didn't push; it was offered. We played the first album live and it was so much more fun and exciting than we expected, so we got the idea to do something like the first album, but we couldn't do it in exactly the same way; we needed to challenge ourselves and bring a totally new perspective to the original energy and emotion of METALLICA."

Kivilaakso added: "We've been talking about making another METALLICA album for around 20 years, as there were still so many great songs we wanted to play! We waited for the perfect moment to do it. Thinking of that teenage me who is now getting to play his favorite tracks gives me goosebumps!"

"Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol. 2" was the APOCALYPTICA's final studio release with the band's longtime member, drummer Mikko Sirén, who amicably departed after the new LP's completion. "Plays Metallica Vol. 2" was produced by longtime collaborator and studio supremo Joe Barresi (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, SOUNDGARDEN, NINE INCH NAILS, TOOL).

In a 2019 interview with Australia's Heavy magazine, APOCALYPTICA's Paavo Lötjönen spoke about the impact of the band's 1996 "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos" debut. Consisting solely of METALLICA covers, the album cast a spotlight on the group's classically trained abilities, setting the stage for them to release their own material in ensuing years. Since the 20th anniversary of "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos" in 2016, APOCALYPTICA has been playing the album in full at select live dates.

"It's been really fantastic," he said about playing "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos". "If we are talking about music in common, if you listen to music you used to listen to 20 years ago, it's a weird thing somehow, it brings all the same feelings back. Like, you are feeling when we were 20 years younger. I would call music a time machine in that sense. The same happens for us when we play those songs. Somehow the same feelings come back to us when we felt like we were 25 years or 20 years old and touring with a shitty van around Europe playing venues. This time, all the venues are bigger and really portioned nice. There's lots of people, and it's not too hot and shitty on the stage. It's a lot of joy and fun to play those songs. The magic of METALLICA has not disappeared anywhere. It's still really strong and passionate music. It's a lot of fun to play. We have never played this well as we are playing at the moment. I'm happy to see we have learned something during these years."

In 2015, Lötjönen and Kivilaakso spoke to Austria's Mulatschag about what it was like to join METALLICA on stage at the Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the week-long celebration of the band's 30th anniversary in December 2011. Perttu said: "Of course we felt very privileged being included amongst all those amazing artists. And after the thing, what we have done during our career, it has been pleasant to realize and notice that, actually, the METALLICA guys, who are the reason for us to start to do something like this, that they do respect us at least that much that they wanted us to be a part of this big celebration of their career. Of course, it was crazy. I remember that when we started to play 'One', I'm starting this song and James Hetfield is just next to me, and I'm thinking, when I was 13 years old, he was my biggest idol and now we are playing together. So it's absurd, but just natural and logical in other terms."

Added Paavo: "You know, the connection to METALLICA has been really super great all these years. We played first time as a support to them already in '96. It was actually our fifth show for a proper rock and roll audience, and we were supporting METALLICA, so it was quite crazy. And since that, we have played many times with them at same festivals and… Let me say that the connection with METALLICA is really cool and really nice."

Photo credit: Riki Murto

Japanese metal band Bridear released their new album, Born Again, on June 28 via Psychomanteum Records. A vinyl release is planned for December 1. A CD and merchandise bundle is available to order now at psychoshop.net.


With their recent anouncement that they will be hitting Australia, Japan, Europe, UK, the United States, and Canada, Bridear has shared an official live video for the title track from Born Again, taken from their live show on June 29.







Tour dates:


October (supporting Dream Evil)
31 - Soapbox Beer - Brisbane, Australia


November (supporting Dream Evil)
1 - The Abyss - Canberra, Australia
2 - Marrickville Bowling & Recreation Club - Sydney, Australia
4 - The Leadbeater Hotel - Melbourne, Australia


April
4 - Stereo - Glasgow, UK
5 - The Cluny 2 - Newcastle, UK
6 - Deaf Institute - Manchester, UK
9 - The Parish - Huddersfield, UK
10 - venue tba - Bristol, UK
11 - The Flapper - Birmingham, UK
12 -  Underworld - London, UK


The quintet from Fukuoka, Japan jetted out to Gothenburg, Sweden to record their sixth studio album with the legendary metal producer Fredrik Nordström (In Flames, At the Gates, HammerFall, Bring me the Horizon) at Studio Fredman.


Lead singer Kimi comments, “We are very honoured to work with Fredrik Nordström on ‘Born Again’. He has worked with the top names in metal and we are proud he wanted to produce the album! Working with Patric Ullaeus on the video was also a great privilege. I think it shows us moving up to the next level. It captures the energy of this album and presents us in such a powerful way!”


Fredrik Nordström adds, “I really enjoyed working with Bridear. ‘Born Again’ is for sure in my Top 5 albums of my career! They are an amazing band and this is a world-class album.”


Bridear deliver a mission statement of raw and unapologetic heavy metal on Born Again. It is the ultimate showcase of their un

Sun Dont Shine (formerly known as Eye AM) isn’t just a band—it’s a powerful convergence of four iconic musicians who have shaped the landscape of hard rock. Comprised of Kenny Hickey (Type O Negative, Silvertomb), Kirk Windstein (Crowbar, Down), Johnny Kelly (Type O Negative, Silvertomb) and Todd Strange (Crowbar, Down), Sun Dont Shine channels decades of hard-earned experience into a fresh and uncompromising sonic assault. This isn't a group content to rest on their laurels; they’re here to push boundaries and forge a new path for modern rock music.


At its core, Sun Dont Shine is a reflection of its members’ shared philosophy: embrace the raw, reject the overly polished, and let the music speak for itself. “I don’t want our music to be one-dimensional,” says Hickey. “I don’t want it to be just dark and doomy or always so heavy. I want it to be both light and dark, dynamic and unpredictable.” It’s a sentiment that runs deep in their sound, where each track takes on a life of its own, exploring contrasting moods and textures that reveal more with every listen.


With Windstein’s earth-shaking riffs and Hickey’s evocative, often ethereal melodies, the band strikes a delicate balance between heavy and haunting. Kelly’s drumming keeps things tight but never feels constrained, while Strange’s bass lines act as the backbone, holding down the bottom end with a ferocity only years in the rock trenches can cultivate.