Big Machine Label Group and MÖTLEY CRÜE have released a 10th-anniversary edition of their chart-topping tribute album "Nashville Outlaws". Out everywhere today via Big Machine Records, the re-release of the countrified homage to the legendary rockers features a brand-new track, with rising country star Chase McDaniel covering the CRÜE's latest Top 5 Rock Radio hit "Dogs Of War".

"The 'Nashville Outlaws' album introduced us to a whole new group of country music fans and showed day-one CRÜE members some of the best country music has to offer," MÖTLEY CRÜE said in a statement. "We've always tried to break down boundaries in our career, and we're proud to commemorate one of those milestones with this 10th-anniversary re-release."

"I was honored to participate in a 'country-rockified' version of 'Dogs Of War'," Chase McDaniel explains. "MÖTLEY CRÜE is legendary. Their era of heavy guitars, drums, and unforgettable stage presence heavily influenced the country genre I'm in today, and I admire them as writers, rebels, and people who stand up for what they believe in. This song is about not letting the naysayers get in your head, and that's a narrative I've lived my whole life."

Originally out on August 19, 2014, "Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Mötley Crüe", features classic CRÜE tracks covered by some of country music's biggest artists, including RASCAL FLATTS, FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE and Darius Rucker, among others. The album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200, No. 2 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, and featured the Top 30 hit "Home Sweet Home", performed by Justin Moore and Vince Neil.

The release laid the groundwork for MÖTLEY's eventual signing to Big Machine Label Group earlier this year. Ushering in a new era for the band, their debut album with the label, the "Cancelled" EP, is set to hit platforms on October 4. The release will precede a historic run of shows, dubbed the "Höllywood Takeöver", as MÖTLEY returns to the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles with three exclusive gigs at Los Angeles's Troubadour (October 7),Roxy (October 9),and Whisky A Go Go (October 11).

In addition to releasing the 10th-anniversary edition of "Nashville Outlaws", limited-edition merch, including vinyl, apparel, and band-signed instruments, is now available for purchase exclusively in the Big Machine webstore. Visit bigmachinelabelgroup.com for additional info.

"Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Mötley Crüe (10th Anniversary Edition)" track listing:

01. Dogs Of War - Chase McDaniel (4:05)
02. Kickstart My Heart - Rascal Flatts (3:54)
03. If I Die Tomorrow - Florida Georgia Line (3:41)
04. Smokin' In The Boys Room - LeAnn Rimes (4:52)
05. Home Sweet Home - Justin Moore featuring Vince Neil (3:51)
06. The Animal In Me - Cassadee Pope featuring Robin Zander (4:12)
07. Afraid - Aaron Lewis (3:52)
08. Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S) - Big & Rich (4:22)
09. Without You - Clare Bowen, Sam Palladio (3:27)
10. Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away) - Eli Young Band (3:58)
11. Looks That Kill - Lauren Jenkins (4:32)
12. Live Wire - The Cadillac Three (4:08)
13. Dr. Feelgood - The Mavericks (5:14)
14. Girls, Girls, Girls - Brantley Gilbert (4:04)
15. Wild Side - Gretchen Wilson (4:41)
16. Time For Change - Darius Rucker (3:34)
17. Home Sweet Home (Single Edit) - Justin Moore featuring Vince Neil (3:32)
18. Home Sweet Home (Live) - Justin Moore featuring Vince Neil (4:02)

MÖTLEY CRÜE's last studio album was 2008's "Saints Of Los Angeles", which was followed by a 2009 "Greatest Hits" compilation.

In 2018, MÖTLEY CRÜE recorded four new songs for "The Dirt" movie, including the single "The Dirt (Est. 1981) (Feat. Machine Gun Kelly)", "Ride With The Devil", "Crash And Burn" and the band's own spin on Madonna's "Like A Virgin".

John 5 joined MÖTLEY CRÜE in the fall of 2022 as the replacement for the band's co-founding guitarist Mick Mars. Mick announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

Thrash metal veterans DEATH ANGEL will take over the San Francisco Bay Area for their ninth annual "Xmas Shows" on December 13 and December 14. Taking place at the Great American Music Hall and livestreamed around the world, the holiday shows will feature guests NECROT and TAUNTED (December 13) and VIO-LENCE and DIANTHVS (December 14). Tickets are on sale now at www.deathangel.us/tour.

Commenting on the Xmas Shows, DEATH ANGEL lead vocalist Mark Osegueda says: "Wonder no more! Goddamn right they're still happening!! We've reached that time of the year… A Bay Area thrash metal tradition! The time of the year that we announce the lineup for the ninth annual 'Another Death Angel Christmas Show(s)'!!

"Friday, December 13th and Saturday, December 14th at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Friday we'll be joined by the brutal NECROT from Oakland, and San Jose thrashers TAUNTED! Then on Saturday we'll be joined by none other than our Bay Area brothers VIO-LENCE! Marking the first time that we've shared the same stage since 2001! And rounding out the bill that night will be DIANTHVS from Southern California bringing their original style of progressive rock and metal!

"Both shows will be available to be viewed via live stream! And as always there will be exclusive merchandise only available at the shows and from the live stream online broadcast virtual merchandise booth! As well as plenty of surprises! And of course! Bay Area Thrash!

"Stay tuned for more details! And mark these dates on your calendars NOW!

"We look forward to wiping off the ridiculous and unnecessary dirt of the year from our heels and unleashing with all of you soon! Thrash!"

Last month, it was announced that DEATH ANGEL would "no longer be able" to support W.A.S.P. on the Blackie Lawless-fronted outfit's North American tour, dubbed "Album ONE Alive", this fall. Replacing them on the bill will be ARMORED SAINT.

When it was first announced that DEATH ANGEL was pulling out of the W.A.S.P. tour, the only reason given for the cancelation was "unforeseen circumstances", with no further information offered. However, DEATH ANGEL drummer Will Carroll later shed some light on the circumstances that led to DEATH ANGEL pulling out of the tour, writing on his personal Facebook page "it's pretty fucking obvious" why his band was no longer taking part in the trek. "The word BETRAYAL comes to mind," he wrote, adding, "We knew there would be problems at some point but not so immediately," apparently referring to scheduling conflicts related to Osegueda's involvement with Kerry King's solo group.

DEATH ANGEL has spent the past few months working on material for the follow-up to the Grammy-nominated "Humanicide" album.

DEATH ANGEL released a new live album titled "The Bastard Tracks" in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast. Recorded live at The Great American Music Hall in their hometown of San Francisco on May 22, 2021, and streamed live soon after, "The Bastard Tracks" was described in a press release as "a deep-cuts collection of rarely and never performed songs from the band's catalog" that was released digitally and on CD, vinyl and Blu-ray.

In October 2020, DEATH ANGEL released a four-song EP, "Under Pressure". The effort included a cover of QUEEN + David Bowie's "Under Pressure", followed by a new track titled "Faded Remains", plus acoustic versions of "Act III"'s classic "A Room With A View" and "Humanicide"'s "Revelation Song". The EP was mixed by Max Norman (OZZY OSBOURNE, MEGADETH, BAD COMPANY) and mastered by Ted Jensen (LAMB OF GOD, MACHINE HEAD, HALESTORM).

Released in May 2019 via Nuclear Blast, "Humanicide" saw DEATH ANGEL returning to producer and friend Jason Suecof (DEICIDE, TRIVIUM) of Audiohammer studios for the recording and mixing, along with the mastering of the legendary Ted Jensen (SLIPKNOT, PANTERA) of Sterling Sound, who added the final touches and brought it all to life, with artist Brent Elliott White (LAMB OF GOD, MEGADETH) providing the cover artwork.

DEATH ANGEL was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the "Humanicide" title track. It was the group's first Grammy nomination.

In a new interview with the 100.3 The X Rocks radio station, SHINEDOWN drummer Barry Kerch spoke about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the follow-up to 2022's "Planet Zero" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're hoping to release some new music by the end of this year and then an album spring of next year. We're about, I'd say, halfway through the record, give or take. I know I've recorded, like, seven songs for it so far."

He continued: "Every record's different, and this one's gonna be different as well, but you're never gonna change [SHINEDOWN singer] Brent's [Smith] voice. So I'm excited. With the success of ['A'] Symptom [Of Being Human]' [single] and how well that did, we don't wanna really take too much time off 'cause we have a whole new audience with that song that deserve to see us live. 'Cause I think, yes, our records I'm very proud of, and I think they're great, and people latch on to 'em, but they really don't become a SHINEDOWN superfan until they see the live show. So it's time to get out there and let people see the show."

Earlier this month, Kerch was asked by Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station if he usually works out his drum parts to demo versions of the SHINEDOWN songs. Barry said: "For me, a lot of times, [bassist and producer] Eric [Bass] will send the demos over to me with just basic drum machine tracks, just placeholder tracks, and I'll listen to it. Sometimes, depending on the song, I'll make a small cliff-notes chart of, 'Okay, verse, chorus, how many beats per fill here,' that kind of thing, and write out my little Nashville chart. Sometimes I just wing it, and sometimes when we go in, we have the song, but we might wanna make a change or we accidentally stumble across something. So then we'll take it piece by piece. 'Okay, let's get some really good verses. Let's get the choruses, and then let's work on this new section that we're thinking about and just vibe back and forth on it till we make that transition,' maybe a pre-chorus or something like that. So, it varies, but I'm usually sent some sort of a demo form of the song to listen to 'cause I like to come in prepared. Can I play it right then? Yeah. But I wanna be prepared so I've thought about the vibe of the song and drum tones and, 'Hey, maybe this snare would sound good. Maybe these symbols would be the symbols I'd wanna bring and use. And this fill might be cool. This fill might be better.' And then Eric and I fight over it for hours. And then we come up with what we come up with."

Barry went on to say that Brent is "pretty early on the game" in terms of working out the lyrics and the melodies for the SHINEDOWN songs. "The lyrics are usually 98 percent done, if not fully done," he said. "And sometimes in the demo, they're completely done. Those vocals you hear on the final products were the demo vocals. He's just kind of prolific that way. And he really wants to get the vibe out."

He continued: "The way I've always played drums with SHINEDOWN is to the vocals more than anything. So I'm trying to really support what the vocals are and give lead-ins and lead-outs to whatever — I don't wanna step on those vocals. And you can hear it when singers put their lyrics on after the music's been written, that sometimes there can be this battle between drum fills and lyrics and maybe where it should have gone. And I think it steps on it sometimes. Sometimes it makes it cool. Like you listen to a band like TOOL. Most of the music is written, then it's handed to Maynard [James Keenan], and then he writes his vocals over that. So that's how they get that cool… It's just different. And it's, like, only Maynard would have thought to sing that because the music's already there. We're the polar opposite. I wanna support what vocals are already there."

Last month, SHINEDOWN's single "A Symptom Of Being Human" became the first song by a band or solo artist to chart in the top 10 on three major Mediabase charts: Active Rock, Alternative, and Adult Contemporary (AC).

In addition to holding Mediabase chart history with the most No. 1s, Top 5s and Top 10s in the Active Rock category, SHINEDOWN has achieved a record-breaking 23 chart-topping songs.

It's rare for a rock band to break into pop music, but SHINEDOWN has always believed that music is universal and doesn't have to be put in a genre box. "A Symptom Of Being Human" is resonating with listeners worldwide because of its uplifting and important message about how we are all a work in progress. Collectively, "A Symptom Of Being Human" has amassed tens of millions of streams across all versions including a live version, pop remix, acoustic version and piano version.

"A Symptom Of Being Human" is the fourth No. 1 Active Rock single from SHINEDOWN's acclaimed seventh studio album, "Planet Zero". The set debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart in July 2022.

Photo credit: Sanjay Parikh

The BLANDINI videos by Eric Hutcheson YouTube channel has uploaded a multi-camera video of Vince Neil performing the MÖTLEY CRÜE classic "Home Sweet Home" with his solo band. The clip, which can be seen below, was produced from a six-show, back-to-back tour with the Vince Neil band, using five cameras and seven audio recordings mixed and edited together.

Neil's backing group still consists of bassist Dana Strum and guitarist Jeff "Blando" Bland from SLAUGHTER, along with drummer Zoltan Chaney.

A few years ago, before CRÜE's 2019 reunion, Neil acknowledged to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was the only member of MÖTLEY CRÜE who was waving the flag for the band's music by performing CRÜE songs as a solo artist.

"It's a cool thing, because I love MÖTLEY CRÜE, I love MÖTLEY CRÜE's music, and I love singing, and I love the fans' reactions when they hear the songs," he said. "Whether we're playing in front of a thousand people or twenty thousand people, I can only see the front row anyway. So I'm happy for me and for the fans to be able to still hear that music after MÖTLEY CRÜE is finished."

As previously reported, MÖTLEY CRÜE will release the "Cancelled" EP on October 4. The three-song effort contains the title track, MÖTLEY CRÜE's cover version of the BEASTIE BOYS classic "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)" and "Dogs Of War", which was made available in April. All three songs were recorded in April 2023 with longtime producer Bob Rock.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's version of "Fight For Your Right" has quickly become a fan favorite since the band first debuted the song live during their secret 2023 club show at The Underworld in London, U.K. At its premiere, 450 lucky, sweat-drenched fans who came out to see a band advertised as DÖGS OF WAR got the surprise of a lifetime when MÖTLEY CRÜE took the stage with the BEASTIE BOYS classic in their set list.

The veil of speculation surrounding the DÖGS OF WAR pseudonym was finally lifted when the band released their first new single since 2019 by the "Dogs Of War" name in the spring of 2024. "Dogs Of War" subsequently became a Top 5 Rock Radio hit, accompanied by a highly acclaimed music video by director Nick DenBoer. The cutting-edge visual, which is entirely CGI-based, features the members of MÖTLEY CRÜE navigating an exhilarating post-apocalyptic world.

MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee told Bill Maher's "Club Random" podcast last year that he and his bandmates felt inspired to write a song called "Cancelled" because they were surprised it never happened to them.

"There was this article that was like, 'How did MÖTLEY CRÜE ever not get cancelled?'" he said. "And we were like, 'Fuck, we've gotta write a song about that because we didn't ever get it.' We snuck in under the whatever threshold, wherever that was, where we got away with fucking murder."

The "Cancelled" EP will be made available via MÖTLEY CRÜE's new deal with Nashville's Big Machine Records

MÖTLEY CRÜE's deal with Big Machine sees the band and the label working together again after making the 2014 project "Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Mötley Crüe", which featured CRÜE tracks covered by country stars RASCAL FLATTS, FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE, Darius Rucker and more. Big Machine also partnered with MÖTLEY CRÜE's new guitarist John 5 for the release of his 2021 album "Sinner".

MÖTLEY CRÜE's last studio album was 2008's "Saints Of Los Angeles", which was followed by a 2009 "Greatest Hits" compilation.

In 2018, MÖTLEY CRÜE recorded four new songs for "The Dirt" movie, including the single "The Dirt (Est. 1981) (Feat. Machine Gun Kelly)", "Ride With The Devil", "Crash And Burn" and the band's own spin on Madonna's "Like A Virgin".

John 5 joined MÖTLEY CRÜE in the fall of 2022 as the replacement for the band's co-founding guitarist Mick Mars. Mick announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues.

MEGADETH has dismissed Peter Frampton's claim about why both artists had their concerts canceled last week at Virginia Credit Union Live! at the Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia.

On Sunday, September 15, MEGADETH announced that the band's show at the venue was being called off, writing in a social media post: "Due to unexpected and unpredictable circumstances, our show tonight, Sunday, Sept. 15, in Richmond, Virginia, has been canceled and will not be rescheduled." Two days later, Frampton, who was scheduled to perform on Tuesday night, also called off his show. "Due to unforeseen circumstances, our show tonight at Virginia Credit Union Live has been cancelled," a post on Frampton's Facebook page read. "We apologize for the inconvenience. Refunds will be available at point of purchase."

After Frampton's cancelation, AEG Presents, which handles booking for the 6,000-capacity venue, did not respond to requests for comment from the Richmond Times-Dispatch. But the English-American guitarist and songwriter addressed the cancelations while performing at the The Met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania last Thursday (September 19). Frampton told the crowd at the gig: "So, we had a show canceled the other day because of weather. And also MEGADETH did a soundcheck, I think a couple of days before our show, and after they finished their soundcheck, there was structural damage to the stage. I'm not blaming them — could have been another band — but it looks pretty like it. So, sorry, MEGADETH. I had to rat on you."

Earlier today, MEGADETH's publicists at Schneider Rondan Organization released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET: "Based on Peter Frampton's recent statement, MEGADETH feels it's important to clear up some misinformation about the group's recent show cancellation (Sunday, September 15 at Virginia Credit Union Live! at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia). As recently reported, Frampton stated that MEGADETH's soundcheck damaged the venue, forcing Frampton to also cancel his show there a few days later.

"MEGADETH did not even get a chance to sound check at all in Richmond, Virginia contrary to what Peter Frampton reports. MEGADETH's rigger was in the venue's steel grid system above the stage getting ready to hang the lights when he noticed there was damage to the venue's grid. He pointed this out immediately to the promoters and the venue. It was determined that it was unsafe for MEGADETH to hang their production or put the band on stage at the risk of in-house grid failure to support the weight of the touring lighting and sound which could fall on the band, crew members, or audience, as it could cause serious injury or death. Therefore, MEGADETH, the local promoter, the venue, and booking agents had no other option than to cancel the show."

MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine added in a statement: "It seems Frampton was misinformed about our show being canceled. The decision was purely based on safety. It's disappointing when someone you admire talks out their ass about you."

In 2017, Virginia Credit Union Live! celebrated its 25th anniversary by forging a multi-year partnership with AEG Presents. The partnership brought new acts to the venue as well as continued the tradition of being the hub for outdoor concerts in Richmond.

Richmond Raceway and AEG Presents are in the eighth year of an exclusive 10-year booking agreement for Virginia Credit Union Live!, which is said to be the only covered amphitheater in the greater Richmond region.

Virginia Credit Union, a financial cooperative serving more than 320,000 members, continues its multi-year agreement on the naming rights of the amphitheater. As a partner since 2018, Virginia Credit Union is actively a part of the concert experience with the distinctive Virginia Credit Union Live! brand represented throughout the facility to colorfully convey the energy and excitement of the venue. Virginia Credit Union members also get exclusive access to pre-sales and free parking for concerts.

In May 2019, Richmond Raceway unveiled a completed $500,000 amphitheater redevelopment at Virginia Credit Union Live! The capital investment included a reseating of the venue to create flexible seating and additional aisles to offer fans the best views and concert experience. The new removable padded seats in the front half of the venue have provided flexible options for the amphitheater to offer reserved seating, general admission seating or a standing pit area. The expanded pit area has allowed more rock and alternative shows to perform at the venue.

Additional improvements to Virginia Credit Union Live! include a new stage, speaker system on Commonwealth Mall, new landscaping along the seating entrance, new restroom open on the hill and new backstage fencing. Past improvements include a porta bar on the hill overlooking concerts, public WiFi, updated public restrooms and redeveloped back of house to improve the experience for entertainers with updated star rooms and other new features.

Due to unexpected and unpredictable circumstances, our show TONIGHT, Sunday, September 15th, in Richmond, Virginia, has...

Posted by Megadeth on Sunday, September 15, 2024

Legendary thrashers SLAYER played their first concert in five years Sunday night (September 22) at Douglass Park in Chicago, Illinois. The band took the stage just after 8.30 p.m. local time and ran through a 20-song set that included opener "South Of Heaven", "Seasons In The Abyss", "Angel Of Death", "Hell Awaits", "Raining Blood" and the title track of SLAYER's final album, "Repentless".

SLAYER's setlist was as follows:

01. South Of Heaven
02. Reborn (first time live since 2014)
03. Blood Red
04. Postmortem
05. Repentless
06. Payback
07. Temptation
08. Jihad
09. Seasons In The Abyss
10. Born Of Fire
11. War Ensemble
12. Hate Worldwide
13. Disciple
14. Dead Skin Mask
15. Hell Awaits
16. 213 (first time live since 1998)
17. Mandatory Suicide
18. Raining Blood
19. Black Magic
20. Angel Of Death

Fan-filmed video can be seen below.

SLAYER will next perform at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky on September 27, followed by an appearance at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California on October 10.

Five years after SLAYER played the last concert of what was being billed as the band's farewell tour and just weeks after SLAYER guitarist Kerry King unveiled the details of his solo project, Kerry and his longtime bandmates announced that they would play at Aftershock, Riot Fest and Louder Than Life.

The lineup for SLAYER's comeback is the same as the one which last toured in 2019: King and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya, along with guitarist Gary Holt (also of EXODUS) and drummer Paul Bostaph.

In a recent interview with Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco Bay Area radio station 107.7 The Bone, King stated about SLAYER's stage show for the reunion shows: "There's some things you've seen before, things you haven't seen before. It's definitely the biggest SLAYER show that I've ever seen on paper."

Kerry went on to say that although he "liked" the stage production on SLAYER's farewell tour in 2018 and 2019, "this is still bigger. But we're headlining big-ass festivals, so we've really gotta show up."

Asked how he will go about choosing a setlist for the upcoming SLAYER reunion shows, Kerry said: "I think I've already got it. It's tough. I worked on it — I probably made, like, three or four different ones before I landed on the one that I sent to everybody."

Asked if the setlist is something where SLAYER will "give everybody what they want, but still trying to have a couple surprises," Kerry replied: "That's fair [to say]. There's definitely a few songs I still have to learn, so… ['Cause] I haven't played [them] in a while."

Last month, Kerry, who has spent the last few months touring with his solo band, told the Los Angeles Times about the SLAYER reunion dates: "I wasn't ready to hang it up, but there's really no point in going on with someone that doesn't want to do it anymore, because then you've got a half-hearted person onstage," referencing Araya, who was the bandmember most anxious to retire from the stage. "We won the Super Bowl and we left. That's pretty cool. Now we've got these three anniversary shows. Will there be more? I don't know. Will we ever record again? Definitely not. Will we ever tour again? Definitely not. But a show here and there to make some people happy, I'm not against that."

Bostaph said he was surprised when the reunion dates were lined up. "I'm, like, 'You're kidding, right?' I really put that to bed," the drummer told the Los Angeles Times. "When something like that ends, I'm not going to do that to myself: Gee, someday it'd be great to get back together again. Life is life and this is how it is, and I'm moving on to whatever the next thing is. I put that to bed and then all of a sudden the call comes.”

Last month, Kerry told Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio about the fact that SLAYER is playing shows again five years after the completion of the band's final tour: "Yeah, at the end of the day, it wasn't bad blood. Tom was just done. And when Tom told me he was done, I went, 'Okay, well, I'm not gonna try to talk you into it,' because if you're trying to talk somebody into it, their heart's not in it. So it was over for me. And, of course, a month after we were done, offers come in because people think you're done. So what we retired from was touring. We never said we were done playing. We said, 'This is our final tour', and I don't think three shows constitute a tour. So if you wanna get technical, I think we're in the ballpark of being truthful."

In July, King spoke to Metal Injection about the fact that SLAYER's reunion shows were announced just weeks after he told Rolling Stone magazine that a SLAYER comeback was unlikely. He said: "I turned [SLAYER reunion offers] down for the longest time. You can imagine we've been turning down offers since December 1st, 2019. And at that point, I thought, 'No, we're never gonna play again.' Tom retired. So it's written. And then offers keep coming, offers keep coming, the money goes up. And this one came around and it was when we were booking shows from my [solo] band, and I go to my manager. I'm, like, 'Are we talking about my band or SLAYER? What are we talking about here?' He's, like, 'SLAYER.' And I'm, like, 'Yeah, but that's done. We hung that shit up. I dropped the chains. Done.' But then it started getting to where this is really gonna be the five-year anniversary of [SLAYER's] last tour. And I went, 'That's kind of cool. Three shows, five-year anniversary. Okay.' That's about all I thought about it."

King continued: "The funny thing about this story is I didn't tell anybody in my [solo] band [that the SLAYER reunion shows were happening]. I'd never been in that situation. And the news dropped that we were doing three shows and everybody blows me up. I'm, like, 'Goddamn it.' 'It never occurred to me to tell you guys.' Never fucking occurred to me. It wasn't a secret. They can keep secrets. I know that. And I felt so bad. It never occurred to me. Paul knew, of course. But poor Phil and Kyle [Sanders, bassist in Kerry's solo band] and Mark [Osegueda, vocalist in Kerry's solo band], they all texted me and blew me up. I'm, like, 'I'm so sorry, man. It never occurred to me. This is what's up. This is what's gonna happen. If it happens again, it's gonna be the same thing. We're never gonna fucking make a record. We're never gonna fucking tour. This is my band.'"

Kerry went on to say that he doesn't rule out more SLAYER shows in the future beyond the three festival appearances this summer and fall. "I'm trying to be real and definitely say, hey, we're not gonna tour again," he explained. "And we're certainly not gonna record again, 'cause I have a means of doing that now with my band. [We're doing] three shows for now. And I say 'for now' because I know Europe's gonna come knocking, 'Hey, man, you guys played America. Come see us.' So it wouldn't surprise me if something like that happened, but it's certainly not on my books right now."

Earlier in July, Kerry told Guitar World magazine that he "was very surprised" when Araya agreed to play three SLAYER shows this year. "I made my comments [about SLAYER being finished] based on [Tom] not wanting to play anymore. As far as I was concerned, we were done and never going to play again. To be honest, I don't know what switched.

"We've been turning down offers to play shows for at least three years. So, one came up that, I guess, enticed Tom to the point where he wanted to roll the dice and try a couple. I don't know, but that's all it is."

Kerry added that he would be open to more SLAYER gigs in the future.

"There could be an instance where there's another one-off,” he said. "It just has to be the right offer at the right time, maybe someplace everybody loves to go. But touring, no, I don't see touring. But, you know, who's to say a one-off can't happen again?"

King previously told Total Guitar magazine about SLAYER's reunion shows: "It caught me off guard too. Do I wish the timing was different? Absolutely, but that's completely out of my hands."

King went on to say that fans shouldn't get their hopes up about a full-scale SLAYER reunion.

"Everyone thinks SLAYER are getting back together, but that couldn't be further from the truth," he explained. "We've been turning down gigs ever since we stopped. This one came and I thought, 'If we're ever going to do one, this could be cool because it's the five-year anniversary of our final tour.'

"We're not going to record anymore," he added. "That final tour was definitely our final tour. This is just a reason to have some fun the guys, play a few shows and then jump back in the coffin…"

In June, King was asked by Jonathan Clarke, host of "Out Of The Box" on Q104.3, New York's classic rock station, about how SLAYER's reunion shows came about. He responded: "I'll put it in the perspective everybody can understand. We've been turning down offers since beginning of 2020, pandemic and all. And then it started getting near the five-year anniversary of us stopping playing, so I'm, like, 'You know what? This is a three-show package. I think it would be fun to do.' It's kind of a five-year anniversary of our last tour. We're never gonna tour again — it ain't gonna happen. We're never gonna record again; that's not gonna happen either. But to do commemorative shows, I think that's kind of fun. I don't have to be married to it for a long time. Kids don't have to worry about it coming around on tour because we said we wouldn't. There's not a whole lot of weird diabolical shit going on here. I think people have just gotta say, 'Hey, it's anniversary celebration shows.' That's gonna be the end of it."

Kerry also discussed the SLAYER comeback in May in an interview with Andrew Daly of ClassicRockHistory.com. Asked for about his outlook on the reunion shows, he said: "It's not really much different at all. It's the same heads, same cabs, same pedals, same guitars. You know, there will be a lot of fire when SLAYER plays, and I think, yeah, those shows will just be fun. It'll be fun to play with Gary Holt for a few gigs; I haven't seen him in almost five years, so that will be cool. And it'll be cool to get together with Tom Araya and spit some hate out at people, but don't get used to this being a yearly event."

Earlier in May, King was asked by SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if he thinks SLAYER's reunion dates will have a positive or negative impact on the promotional efforts for his debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", which arrived on May 17 via Reigning Phoenix Music. He responded: "I see it both ways. We've [SLAYER] been turning down [reunion] offers for the last four years. Unfortunately, when the right offer came around, this one, it was right as my project was releasing. So there's certainly people, like my management and booking agents, who say, 'Oh, that's great. It's gonna boost your solo thing.' And I'm, like, 'Well, I don't know the business side of it, but it is what it is.' And every time I talk about it to journalists and magazines and stuff, I say, 'Listen, SLAYER is not gonna make another record. SLAYER is never gonna tour again.' May SLAYER do a one-off here or there? Maybe. I told my [solo] band when [the SLAYER reunion shows] came up, I'm, like, 'Listen, this is a blip on the radar to me. This isn't a solo project that's gonna recycle musicians every record cycle. You guys are with me till you don't wanna be.'"

Asked if he envisions SLAYER as the type of thing where the band will do one or two shows a year when a great opportunity comes up, Kerry said: "I'm not even talking yearly. I'm, like, every two years, every three years, every five years. I don't know. 'Cause I'm gonna be super busy with [my solo band] once 2025 rolls around."

Elaborating on his belief that SLAYER's comeback shows will not lead into a full-fledged reunion for the legendary thrash metal act, Kerry said: "The way I look at it, and when I tell you this, it puts it into perspective for a lot of people, I see it as three five-year anniversary shows of our last tour."

King also talked about the SLAYER reunion while speaking to Revolver magazine about "From Hell I Rise". Asked if he had known about these shows well before they were officially announced, King said: "If you ask promoters, they're going to have another answer. If you ask booking agents, they'll probably have a third answer. But to me, it kind of came out of nowhere. Have we been getting offers the past few years? Yeah, we turn down offers every year, probably every month of every year. These three festivals are right around the five-year anniversary of our last tour, which I thought was kind of cool. So, I thought this might be the right time to test the water. It will be great to play for the fans again."

Regarding whether the SLAYER reunion shows will steal some of the thunder away from the touring his solo band will do in support of "From Hell I Rise", Kerry said: "Well, time will tell, and my answer would be, 'hopefully not'. The funny thing is, it never occurred to me until the day the SLAYER announcement came, but Demmel said, 'Dude, is this real?' And I'm, like, 'It's just a few weekends and that's it.' Of course, Paul knew. But I didn't tell Phil, I didn't tell Kyle and didn't tell Mark — and I said to the guys, 'There's no master plan here.' I didn't want anybody to start getting cold feet. I said, 'This is a little moment in time, and yeah, KERRY KING is going to be touring, you know, hopefully later in the year, as well. But SLAYER is an entity and I'm just a person.' But hopefully, we drive on with the solo project."

King also spoke about the SLAYER reunion in an interview with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine. Admitting that the announcement of SLAYER's comeback "was not my favorite timing", Kerry said that the SLAYER reunion "is not going to translate into recording and it's not going to translate into touring. For me, it's three shows marking five years since our final shows, a fun, 'Hey, remember us from before the pandemic?' celebration."

Days after SLAYER's reunion was announced, Tom Araya's wife wrote on social media that she "harassed him for over a year" before he "agreed finally" to play more shows with the band. "We shared that news with SLAYER's awesome managers and they did the rest!" she explained. "So yes without Tom it wouldn't have happened.. without me BUGGING HIM it wouldn't have happened."

Both Gary and his wife Lisa Holt were among the hundreds of people who "liked" Sandra's Instagram post, with Lisa sharing three heart emojis in response to Sandra's message.

In a statement confirming SLAYER's return, Tom said: "Nothing compares to the 90 minutes when we're on stage playing live, sharing that intense energy with our fans, and to be honest, we have missed that." King added: "Have I missed playing live? Absolutely. SLAYER means a lot to our fans; they mean a lot to us. It will be five years since we have seen them."

The same day that SLAYER's comeback was announced, Holt's wife Lisa Holt took to her social media to write: "Yes, it's true..and an exciting adventure for the band and fans !

"To all the people saying 'they are liars' 'they must have ran out of money' 'its not SLAYER without so and so' ..I have an idea for you all...DON'T GO.. and for all the people who did go to the final tour dates and enjoyed it...awesome!!

"This isn't a 'TOUR' it's some dates..and GREAT NEWS!!!" she added. "And everyone that thinks they know all the inside info..you can't possibly know. so just enjoy the fact that this amazing band will play some amazing shows this year...go or don't..nobody cares!!!!!"

SLAYER played the final show of its farewell tour in November 2019 at the Forum in Los Angeles. One day later, Kerry's wife Ayesha said that there is "not a chance in hell" that the thrash metal icons will reunite for more live appearances.

SLAYER's final world tour began on May 10, 2018 with the band's intention to play as many places as possible, to make it easy for the fans to see one last SLAYER show and say goodbye. By the time the 18-month trek wrapped at the Forum, the band had completed seven tour legs plus a series of one-off major summer festivals, performing more than 140 shows in 30 countries and 40 U.S. states.

All material for Kerry's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", was written by King, who was accompanied during the recording sessions by Bostaph, Demmel, Sanders and Osegueda.

Danish-Swedish quartet VOLA has released a pulverizing new single, "Cannibal", which features IN FLAMES' Anders Fridén on vocals. The song is taken from VOLA's upcoming album, "Friend Of A Phantom", which will be released on November 1 via Mascot Records. You can watch the official "Cannibal" music video below, also featuring Fridén.

Talking about the song, the band says: "VOLA's music is heavily shaped by melodic death metal, so having Anders Fridén from the legendary IN FLAMES featured on 'Cannibal' is a dream come true for us. We feel truly fortunate and are enormously proud of the result."

Fridén explains how he got involved with the song, saying: "I have been a fan of VOLA since their first album. They are constantly evolving and, to me, are one of the most interesting bands out right now." He continues: "During the recording of our last album, I had the opportunity to meet the band and witness an incredible show at The Troubadour in L.A. Cut to a few months later, I was approached if I would be interested in being on a song for their next album. It was a yes without hesitation. It's an honor to be part of this monster of a song. Bang your head if you know what's good for you!"

VOLA elaborates on how the collaboration and song came about: "When we toured North America in the fall of 2023, Anders and Björn from IN FLAMES attended our concert at The Troubadour in Los Angeles. They came backstage before the show to chat with us, and it turned out they were big fans of the band. Quite a surreal experience, given that IN FLAMES have played a huge part in forming our musical DNA. When we came home from the tour, we dug deep into recording 'Friend Of A Phantom', and during that process, we began discussing whether 'Cannibal' would benefit from having guest vocals. We all agreed that having some really powerful screams in there would elevate the song, and having just created a bond with Anders meant that it was the easiest decision in the world to ask him if he wanted to be a part of the track. Anders quickly said yes to participate, and eventually, he both recorded vocals and came to Denmark to shoot the video with us. We were thrilled, to say the least!"

The song marries the euphoric and epic but complex and crushing sound that has become distinctively VOLA with a visually stunning video to accompany the song.

"Working with Vertigo and Riivata Visuals on the music video was incredible," VOLA adds. "We filmed the video in a gigantic hall in Denmark, with plenty of big lights and lasers, including a large triangle light at the back of the hall. To top it all off, Anders came to Denmark to join us and be part of the video. It was a fantastic experience, and the footage captured the heavy side of VOLA in its essence."

VOLA has already released three singles from the album. "Paper Wolf" sees an old-school metal atmosphere creep into their blend of sounds. "Break My Lying Tongue" offers a deep dive into themes of misalignment and emotional vulnerability, whereas the most recent single, "I Don't Know How We Got Here", interweaves stories about tragic events in society with a story about a relationship slowly dying out. "It seeks to portray the feeling of disbelief that follows when something valuable vanishes right in front of us," explains Asger Mygind.

It has been three years since the release of VOLA's defining album, "Witness". They've since wrapped up two tours of the US with several venues upgraded due to overwhelming demand, as well as sold-out shows in New York, L.A., and Chicago. Their first tour of Canada resulted in sold-out shows in Toronto and Montreal, and they rounded off the continent with triumphant South American shows in Mexico, Brazil, and a sold-out show in Chile. The quartet — Asger Mygind (vocals/guitar),Martin Werner (keys),Nicolai Mogensen (bass) and Adam Janzi (drums) — are now to set free their fourth studio album. Their strength has always been combining a multitude of ideas within a single song, packing it in with a grandiose power that can be as ferocious as it can be delicate.

"Friend Of A Phantom" track listing:

01. Cannibal (feat. Anders Fridén of IN FLAMES)
02. Break My Lying Tongue
03. We Will Not Disband
04. Glass Mannequin
05. Bleed Out
06. Paper Wolf
07. I Don't Know How We Got Here
08. Hollow Kid
09. Tray

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


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


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




Regarding Kurdt's approach to the songwriting on this album, “I wanted to focus on creating guitar-driven music that delivers something outside the realm of what most people would expect from a metal guitarist. I wanted the compositions to stand on their own,” explains V

In a new interview with Erin Molan of Sky News Australia, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons — born Chaim Witz in Haifa, Israel to Hungarian-Jewish immigrants — spoke about the war between Israel and Hamas which erupted nearly a year ago after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Above and beyond, whether you're Hamas or Israel or Gaza or Arabs or Iran or everything else, the one thing you have to agree on is that there are innocents on all sides. A child is a child that has no idea what Hebrew or Arabic or English or anything means. They're just innocent. They're born.

"I am a firm believer in generational cures," he continued. "Not too long ago, and some of my best friends, business associates, are Germans whose mothers and fathers and grandfathers were incinerating my people in gas chambers and killing them. It's generational. Just seeing different ways that people live can open up the next generation asking questions like, 'Why can't I do that?'"

Asked about the student protests over the Israel-Hamas war which have popped up at many college campuses after being inspired by demonstrators at Columbia University, Gene said: "I think it's well intentioned. I really do. They're not informed. I'm fully supportive, first one in line, of trans rights, gay rights, any and all variations of the hundreds of variations that people define themselves and all that kind of stuff. But don't kid yourself, if any one of them was in any country in the Middle East, they would be thrown off buildings or stoned to death. I think you're carrying the wrong flag, but I fully respect and support your right to do so in a democracy."

Simmons was born in August 1949, at Rambam Hospital in Haifa to Jewish immigrants from Hungary. He was the son of Holocaust survivor Flora Klein and a father, Feri Witz, who soon abandoned his family, leaving them penniless prior to emigrating to America in search of a better life.

Simmons's mother died in December 2018 in the United States at age 93. She survived living in a ghetto in Budapest and three Nazi concentration camps.

"When I was growing up, my mother hardly ever talked to me about Nazi Germany and the concentration camps because she didn't want to upset me, and I hardly ever asked her about it," Simmons told The Jerusalem Post over a decade ago. "But over the years, I started to learn more about it and about how my entire family was killed and how my mother saw her mother go with her grandmother to the gas chambers."

Even though he hadn't returned to Israel until 2011, Simmons had always been an ardent supporter of the country, including sending a televised message to an IDF soldier (and KISS fan) wounded during the 2006 war with Hezbollah, in which he called the soldier a "hero."

The sister-trio from Monterrey, Mexico, The Warning, have shared pro-shot video of their performance of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" at Pepsi Center WTC in Mexico City, Mexico on October 28, 2023. Check it out below. 





The Warning have announced a string of shows for Mexico in February 2025. Dates are as follows:




February 
6 - Mexico City, Mexico - Auditorio Nacional
11 - Mexico City, Mexico - Auditorio Nacional
13 - Guada

“I never intended to pick up with The Gates Of Slumber ever again in 2014. While I did start the band and wrote most of the first album, it was never intended to be a one man show.” - Karl Simon, 2024


Indiana’s true doom metal legends, The Gates Of Slumber, return with a new album, out on Svart Records in November. The self-titled album is the band’s first full length offering since The Wretch from 2011. First taste from the upcoming sixth album is out today. Listen to the new single, "Embrace The Lie", an ode to the lying news media and political talking heads. Stream the single here, and check out a visualizer below.


The Gates Of Slumber was formed by Karl Simon in 1998. Various people were in and out of the group between 1998 and 2001, when the Blood Encrusted Deth Axe demo was recorded with Jamie Walters of Boulder on drums and Dr. Phibes/Athenar (later to form the cult black metal band Midnight) on bass. In 2003 Jason McCash took over the bass duties and was a long-time member of the band until his untimely demise in 2014, after which Simon decided it was time to call it quits. That was until 2019 when the renowned metal festival Hell Over Hammaburg wanted to bring the band back on stage to perform at the festival’s 2020 edition. Simon reformed the band with its original member Chuck Brown on drums and Steve Janiak on bass and got back to work. “We’d been asked several times to play Hell Over Hammaburg. But there was no “we” to play. The germ of the idea started. We started re-learning songs from the first LP. It wasn’t too long into the rehearsals that we started coming up with new songs,” states Simon.




After a reunion tour was finished, Covid kicked in to slow down the process. Half of the album was already written but the remaining half took its time, and the songs were left to stew in their juices. With bastard heavy songs honoring the doom metal greats Saint Vitus and Penance, straight forward bangers, lyrics inspired by the black death and John Carpenter’s The Fog, The Gates Of Slumber is a truly crushing album and a must listen to any doom metal fanatic.


The Gates Of Slumber is available on Svart exclusive black/white marble vinyl, limited transparent blue vinyl, black vinyl, CD, and digital platforms on November 29. Pre-save the digital edition here, and pre-order the physical edition here.

French doom metallers THE BOTTLE DOOM LAZY BAND have announced their upcoming new album “Clans Of The Alphane Moon”, set to be unleashed on November 1 through Sleeping Church Records.

Delving into the essence of their creative journey, the band shares insights into the theme of their upcoming opus: “For this album, on the level of inspiration, we started off with a delirium of ‘concept album,’ around SF, news from the 60s and 70s, old ‘Metal Hurlant,’ with redundant riffs, a bit disgusting leitmotifs that are found from one track to another. Ben’s lyrics, and the cover made again by our friend Tetar, also reflect this Space/SF atmosphere. This album was intended to be a mix of ‘Blood for the Bloodking’ and ‘Lost n’ Drunk’: strong, big heavy riffs from the first album, and big psychedelic space songs from the second. We still have time to put this one, almost 5 years, since we are big wankers and we are not able to organize ourselves haha! Now, we’re gonna let the old dog go back to his belly, lie down at the bottom of the bar, let him fall asleep, and bother him for a while.“


Tracklist:

Ride The Leviathans
Crawling End
To The Solar System
Castle Made Of Corpses
The Technosorcerer
Flames Of Sagitarius
The Dying Earth
Crafted under the meticulous guidance of Guyome (drums in THE BOTTLE DOOM LAZY BAND) at The Cripple Room in France, the album’s recording, mixing, and mastering promise a refined auditory delight that will serve as a harmonious backdrop to the band’s distinctive sonic tapestry. Noteworthy collaborators, like Tetar, renowned for his visual marvels with CHILDREN OF DOOM, and the talented layout designer Tos, known for contributions to projects like BARABBAS and PRESUMPTION, have lent their artistry to create a captivating visual journey to complement the evocative musical narrative.

For the past three decades, Defiled have kept their blade sharp. Ever since Tokyo’s underground lost their minds over the band’s grotesque arsenal of finishing moves, Yusuke Sumita and his death metal samurai set off on a war path that’s left nothing but inevitable ruin in their raw wake. They’ve ransacked Milwaukee Metal Festival and joined forces with their fellow legends in Mayhem, Incantation, Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse.

Having now churned out three albums in almost as many years, metalheads can be forgiven for believing that Defiled had already reached the highest level. But the Japanese legends have topped themselves again on their eighth album. Horror Beyond Horror comes out this Friday, September 20, but you can hear all 14 slicing and dicing songs today by listening to the full album stream on Season of Mist’s YouTube channel.


Pre-order & Stream the album at https://orcd.co/defiledhorrorbeyondhorror

After they first took to the stage in 1995, Defiled needed nearly a decade before finally erupting with wrath on their debut album. But ever since the band’s lineup solidified around original member Yusuke Sumita, they haven’t stopped to look back and admire all the ugliness they’ve revealed. Horror Beyond Horror comes hot on the heels of the album they released just last year, which Metal Injection listed as one of the can’t-miss releases of 2023.

Like a poisonous dart, Defiled come shooting out of the shadows on Horror Beyond Horror. Blast beats pummel at unforeseen angles amidst “Smoke and Mirrors”. “Every lie has been revealed”, fearless frontman Shinichiro Hamada shouts, taking aim at perpetual frauds and tyrannical technocrats. The band charges into the pit behind bassist Takachika Nakajima’s greasy groove, which is snapping plenty of necks on their current Japanese tour.

“We wanted this album to be natural and realistic”, Sumita told New Noise. “We did not use any editing or artificial techniques in the recording process”.

With 30 years and eight albums under their belt, Defiled know where to stick the blade on Horror Beyond Horror. The album’s title track shreds through the corrupted torment of mind control with riffs that are honed from the jagged influence of ’80s thrash and hardcore. “The time has come”, the band spit at their captors with utter disgust. “Death strikes you with derision”.

Defiled aren’t afraid to crack open people’s skulls, either. Horror Beyond Horror descends deeper and deeper into the psychological shadows the further you go down the track list. “Syndicate” conspires around a greasy, pit-dwelling breakdown but drummer Keisuke Hamada never stops chopping up the tempo. “The path to your elimination”, Shinichiro Hamada cries, digging in amidst a flurry of blast beats during the album’s final boss “To See Behind the Wall”. Whether they’re slicing, dicing or leaping into a furiously fast solo, the band’s riffs take no prisoners.

“We still love death metal and are very proud to be recognized as a death metal band”, Sumita tells Antichrist Magazine. “At the same time, it’s clear from our songs that we do not follow trends. Who would be interested in a Japanese bands that follows Western trends? We have our own perspective, and we have been going our own way for many years now, and we are convinced that we are on the right path”.

On Horror Beyond Horror, Defiled unleash the kind of old-school ass-kicking that only true masters can deliver.


Cover Art by Wes Benscoter
Tracklist1. Smoke and Mirrors (2:35) [WATCH]
2. Horror Beyond Horror (4:01) [WATCH]
3. Syndicate (3:59)
4. The Alchemy (2:47)
5. Demagogue (2:13)
6. The Terminal Phase (2:18)
7. Trojan Horse (2:35)
8. Spectrum of Fear (2:30)
9. The Crook and Flail (3:08)
10. Replicator Dynamics (2:42)
11. Equinox (3:04)
12. The Chains (3:16)
13. Psychopomp (3:14)
14. To See Behind The Wall (2:45) [WATCH]

In customary fashion, this fall, Defiled are welcoming Horror Beyond Horror with a tour of Japan. Watch these legends shred through “Horror Beyond Horror”, “Smoke and Mirrors”, “To See Beyond the Wall”, “Syndicate” and other nasty rippers off their new album for the very first time.

The band also have two very special shows planned for later this year. In November, they’ll bang heads with fans in Bangkok alongside Batushka and Malevolent Creation. Then, to cap off what’s already shaping up to be another gloriously hellish year in their 30-year history, Defiled will share the stage with Hellchild and Satanic Hell Slaughter in a joint celebration of Japan’s historic death metal scene.

“As a Japanese death metal band, we wanted to reflect on where our scene started”, says Yusuke Sumita, who’s been Defiled’s guitarist since the band started in 1992. “Hellchild and Satanic Hell Slaughter are legends who built the Japanese death metal scene in the early ’90s. We are honored to have them return to share the stage with us. We want the young Japanese metalheads to come to this show. Don’t miss it”.

Former BUTCHER BABIES singer Carla Harvey has launched a new project called THE VIOLENT HOUR. At least some of the early recording sessions for the project have been overseen by producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER and URIAH HEEP, among many others.

Harvey shared the news of THE VIOLENT HOUR's launch in a social media post on Saturday (September 21). She wrote: "It's coming. I've put my heart and soul into my new project THE VIOLENT HOUR over the last 6 months. I can't wait for you to hear it. Keep your eyes peeled for updates. This is a slower process than I'd like...but...I'm pumped!"

BUTCHER BABIES announced their split with Harvey in July, saying in a statement that "Carla has been an integral part of our journey, bringing her unique talent, passion, and energy to the band," and wishing "her all the best in her future endeavors."

Carla, who co-founded BUTCHER BABIES in 2010 with fellow vocalist Heidi Shepherd, confirmed her exit from the band in a separate post, saying that she was "super proud" of her work with BUTCHER BABIES and adding that she was "not done making music and performing."

Last fall, BUTCHER BABIES completed a European tour without Carla, who sat out the trek in order to undergo emergency surgery on her left eye.

BUTCHER BABIES recently embarked on a three-week European tour, starting on July 27 at the Stonehenge festival in The Netherlands.

This past January, Harvey and ANTHRAX and PANTERA drummer Charlie Benante announced that they were officially engaged.

BUTCHER BABIES released a double album "Eye For An Eye..." and "…'Til The World's Blind", in July 2023. The double album celebrated the tenth anniversary of BUTCHER BABIES' critically acclaimed debut, "Goliath", released on July 9, 2013 via Century Media Records.

Smitten with tales of the Sunset Strip, Harvey made the pilgrimage to Los Angeles from her Native Detroit to play a little rock and roll…and instead found herself the entertainment report for a groundbreaking cable TV news program. After hosting two series and acting in a variety of television programs, movies and commercials, Harvey took a break from showbiz to earn her degree in mortuary science. She embarked on a successful career in embalming and funeral directing before going back to her first love: music.

In addition to writing and recording, Carla has a passion for drawing and penning comic books. Her love affair with the genre started when she discovered the Incredible Hulk at four years old. She spent the majority of her teenage years holed up in her room listening to PANTERA and developing an affinity for drawing her own scantily clad comic book characters. Dubbed a "comic book master-mind" by Hustler magazine, Harvey's first published comic book "Butcher Babies" (a fantasy, horror concept surrounding her now-former band),premiered and sold out at its Comic-Con San Diego debut, leaving fans chomping at the bit for her next comic, "Soul Sucka". Shortly after, she released her first full-length novel, "Death And Other Dances", to rave reviews. Carla's art has been featured in Famous Monsters magazine and has graced the cover of iconic Heavy Metal magazine.

It's coming 😈 I've put my heart and soul into my new project The Violent Hour over the last 6 months. I can't wait for...

Posted by Carla Harvey on Saturday, September 21, 2024

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In a new interview with Mark Kadzielawa of 69 Faces Of Rock, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser was once again asked about the possibility of reuniting with original frontman Max Cavalera and drummer Igor "Iggor" Cavalera for a final show to cap off the band's ongoing farewell tour. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I hope [we can make it happen]. Yeah, it'd be great. We're working on it. And I think we have the plan to go till 2026. We'd like to go everywhere, really to explore all the stuff that we can on this last goodbye. And hopefully at the very last show, which will be in Brazil, we have the participation on all the ex-members, including the brothers, of course. That'd be great for the fans and for everyone involved. And hopefully we could celebrate together this amazing history."

Asked what his relationship with Max and Igor is like at this point, Andreas said: "There's no relationship at all. We have just a communication between our managers and stuff, and that's it. Very respectful. But no friendship or no communication."

When Kadzielawa noted that it would be "nice" for SEPULTURA to reclaim the "great friendships" between all the current and former bandmembers by the time the final SEPULTURA concert rolls around, Andreas said: "Well, I don't know if that's possible, but all I can tell is what SEPULTURA is today is that: friendship. We love each other, band and crew. And this is the SEPULTURA way of being. This is the SEPULTURA spirit. No fucking separate buses and separate dressing rooms, and I don't talk to this guy, I don't talk to that guy — you know, that bullshit. We very much love each other. We have dinners together. We do stuff together. We jam together. We are on tour together. It's great. The vibes are amazing, and that's the way it's supposed to be in a celebration. So [I'm] very happy with everything that's going on the way it is."

Pressed to name his "favorite phase" or "favorite thing" he has done as a member of SEPULTURA, Andreas said: "Today. Yeah, that's the only time that I deal with my past and my memories. I have so many great memories. I mean, I had my dreams when I was teenager, but the reality of SEPULTURA was much further and much better than that I could ever dream, could possibly imagine all the stuff that happened in our history. It's fantastic. And the feeling is today. It's now. That's the present. That's the most important thing of all. That's where life happens. And today is the best of all. You look back and you see this 40 years of history — so much amazing things that happened, all the people that I met and my family that I built around the music and traveling, all the friends that we made. That's today. I mean, that's why we're celebrating today. We can go back and really pinpoint some special moments, but everything resumes to today."

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

Kisser previously addressed the possibility of the Cavalera brothers performing with SEPULTURA at the band's final show this past June in an interview with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine. He said at the time: "I won't deny that it would be great to have a very last show with their participation, but it has to be great. It has to have people who are there to celebrate and not trying to discuss who was right or wrong on decisions from the past. In the end, we are celebrating now as the SEPULTURA of today. If they want to be a part of it, it would be amazing."

Kisser's comments came less than two weeks after Max was asked by Sakis Fragos, publisher/chief editor of Rock Hard Greece, if he has been approached by SEPULTURA's current lineup to take part in what will eventually be the band's final concert at the end of the farewell tour. He responded: "I have not [been approached]. In fact, I think I saw one thing Andreas, of course said [in an interview], like, 'Why are we gonna ask them [Max and Igor to take part]? They're gonna spoil the party,' which is very typical [laughs] of Andreas to say that.

"I don't know. I think I'm gonna let things happen the way they're gonna happen," he continued. "I'm not gonna force anything, and if there comes a time where we feel that we should make a reunion — okay, fine, as long as we do it the right way. Just like with these re-recordings [of early SEPULTURA albums that Igor and I are doing under the CAVALERA name]. I think we made them the right way — honest, proper, from the heart.

"So right now I'm not thinking about that [a reunion]," Max added. "I know they announced the end of the band. I don't understand this idea. I don't know if they were forced to do it, or if it's a mutual decision of just stop playing 'cause you don't wanna do it anymore. I don't know. I myself cannot live without music. I need to play live. It's like the air I breathe.

"I love what I'm doing right now with Igor, with CAVALERA, and we're gonna continue," he concluded.

Max previously discussed the possibility of a classic SEPULTURA lineup reunion in a February 2023 interview with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of Rock Interview Series. He said: "I'm very, very busy right now with all the projects, 'cause I've got so many — SOULFLY being my main band, but also GO AHEAD AND DIE with my son Igor, and KILLER BE KILLED. And I'm already playing a lot of the old stuff with my brother; that, to me, right there, it fills the void anyway.

"So, yeah, I don't think about that at all," Max said in regard to a SEPULTURA reunion. "At this moment, I don't need to do anything like that. I think at this moment I'm so busy with the stuff that I have in front of me, and the fans love all the stuff that I've been doing anyway. There's no point, really. 'Cause I haven't even thought of that idea in a long time. But I think that my main thing right now is SOULFLY… And I love the fact that SOULFLY just keeps getting stronger and stronger with every record. And I look forward to the time to write the next one. It'll be another challenge and another chance to make something good again."

In the summer of 2022, Igor told the "Mike Nelson Show" about the possibility of him and Max returning to SEPULTURA: "I have to be honest with you, man. The reunion, in my opinion, it's me and my brother — that's the person that I wanna be united with. So, for me, if the other stuff, it doesn't happen, I can't really be too bummed about it. Of course, it would be amazing, but the real reunion for me is just me and my brother being together. That's what makes me happy."

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

Max was asked in a December 2021 interview with "General Population With Marco Lesher" what he thinks of his replacement in SEPULTURA, vocalist Derrick Green. "It doesn't bother me," he insisted. "It is what it is. At the end of the day, the fans know what the band was and what it is now, the difference [between the two]. And I really don't care. I'm not bitter. They do what they do; I do what I do. It's been like that for a long time now. But you can't touch the classics; those records that we did [in the 1980s and 1990s]. It still goes, but it is what it is.

"If you wanna really hear something that sounds close to what it was, you have to come see me and Igor play," he added. "That's the only thing that is gonna be close to what it was, to that time."

Igor and Max have spent much of the past decade celebrating the 20th anniversary of SEPULTURA's "Roots" and 30th anniversary of "Beneath The Remains" and "Arise" albums on tour all over the world.

In 2020, SEPULTURA bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. said that he has had "zero" contact with Max, adding that a reunion with the band's original frontman would have to happen "naturally."

Back in 2017, Igor told The Salt Lake Tribune that he and Max "believe SEPULTURA doesn't really make sense nowadays, to do what they're doing." The drummer also downplayed the possibility of a reunion of SEPULTURA's classic lineup, saying: "Unless it's something really solid — and we haven't seen that from their part — of doing something totally professional and coming together, trying to do something like that. At the end of the day, it would be special for the fans, so it's not like a closed door, but at the same time, we have no time to spend energy with this kind of thing. So we just move forward."

Max echoed his brother's sentiments, telling The Salt Lake Tribune that he doesn't even think about his former bandmates much. "For a time — for a long time — there was a war in the press, like, 'He'll talk this, I'll talk that,'" he explained. "I got really tired of it, honestly. I'm not gonna do that anymore. So let them go their way and do their thing, and we're gonna do our thing, and I think that's the best for everybody."

While stopping short of completely ruling out a reunion of SEPULTURA's classic lineup, Max said: "Right now, we don't even need it. It's been so much of that kind of bad vibes through the years that I don't even know how that would even really work out. I think what [Igor and I] are doing is the closest thing to that, and it works great, it works like a charm. It's amazing."

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

SEPULTURA's current lineup comprises Kisser, Green, Pinto Jr. and touring drummer Greyson Nekrutman, who officially replaced SEPULTURA's longtime drummer Eloy Casagrande in February.

This past January, Max was asked by Scott Itter of Dr. Music if he has heard any of the SEPULTURA albums that were recorded following his departure from the group. He responded: "I haven't. It's like… People say if you break up with your wife and she marries somebody else, you don't really go on Facebook and go see what they're doing. [You keep your] distance. I feel kind of like that. So I have no interest. I've got a lot of stuff to keep me busy. It's a fair question, and I'm sure a lot of people wonder about that, but, yeah, I haven't [heard anything]."

Max previously addressed the question of whether he has heard any of the music SEPULTURA recorded after his exit from the group nearly three decades ago in a 2015 interview with Sticks For Stones. At the time, he said: "Fuck no! I don't give a shit about SEPULTURA or what they're doing. I just heard from fans that people don't like their albums, and they're shitty, and the band's just going down and down, and, I don't know… I really can't care, can't care less what they're doing. It don't concern me at all. I've got my things going, and, for me, it's just so sad to see a band that was so important and special in the '90s turn to shit like that so fast. But whatever, that's what they're doing. But I've got my things, I've got my things to do, and I'm proud of what I did with them. We did great records and we did cool stuff, and that's there forever, and I'll leave it at that."

KK'S PRIEST, which features former JUDAS PRIEST members K.K. Downing (guitar) and Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals),performed on September 18 at Mickey's Black Box in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

KK'S PRIEST, which also includes guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE),and German/American metal legends ACCEPT have joined forces for a North American tour. The massive run began on August 31 in Los Angeles, California, visiting a slew of major cities in the USA and Canada — such as Toronto, Montreal, New York and Nashville — before coming to an end in San Francisco, California on October 7.

KK'S PRIEST's first-ever U.S. headlining tour, which featured support from L.A. GUNS and BURNING WITCHES, kicked off on March 7 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and concluded on March 24 at Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

KK'S PRIEST's sophomore album, "The Sinner Rides Again", came out in September 2023 via the Austrian label Napalm Records.

KK'S PRIEST made its live debut on July 6, 2023 at Downing's KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.

K.K. formed KK'S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour. It followed a couple of celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summer of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that year.

KK'S PRIEST released its debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", in October 2021 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

Downing spent four months writing and recording "Sermons Of The Sinner" and, along with new ideas, he even resurrected a few archived riffs from the 1980s.

Downing was reunited with JUDAS PRIEST for a performance at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in November 2022 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at the event, which honored Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

ProgPower USA 2024 took place from September 4 - 7th, 2024, at Center Stage, in Atlanta, GA. Aristsi on the bill included Amorphis, Winger, Dream Evil, Frozen Crown, Elegy, Soen, Striker, Pagan's Mind and more.


Fan-filmed video of Elegy's entire show on September 6 can be viewed below.


Setlist:




"Equinox" 
"Trust" 
"The Grand Change" 
"Visual Vor

Finland's Where's My Bible release their long-awaited second full-length studio album, Kave, on September 11th via Inverse Records.


They have shared an official release show aftermovie, shot at Möysän Musaklubi in Lahti, Finland on September September 13th.







Kave is a blackened death metal album that combines brutal sounds with beautiful melodies. This multi-layered work features ancient instruments and uses Nordic and Finnish mythologies as metaphors. The album follows a shamanistic cycle, beginning in the darkness of night and culminating in the ominous flames of dawn. It  delivers a heavy northern atmosphere and explores the darkness of the human mind. Where's My Bible introduces a new approach to mythology and folkloristic metal.


Vocalist Jussi Matilainen comments: "'Kave' was the first track completed for the new album. It immediately became the centerpiece and highlight of the record. In terms of the story, we find ourselves in a moment of a full moon at midnight, where the Kapeet (Kave) perfectly draws the moon in the sky. It’s also a turning point before we plunge into complete darkness.


The song's message is powerful: if you focus only on searching for the lost sunlight, you might miss the light that illuminates your path at night. The story encourages us to be open to life's possibilities and to see the solutions that are right in front of us. So remember to keep your mind and eyes open."


Check out the official video for "Kave" below. Pick up  the album here.





Tracklist:


"Yö"
"Màni"  
"Fenrir"
"Suden Hetki"
"Creator of Abyss"
"Waves"
"Musta Kuu"
"Kave"
"Deyr Sjalfr It Sama"
"Ghost From The Past"
"Rahko"
"Runo"
"Sòl"
"Aamu"


"Kave"

The "Experience Hendrix" tour, the all-star tribute to guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, kicked off its first outing in five years on Thursday, September 19 at the Paramount in Hendrix's hometown of Seattle. Front-row video of the entire concert — courtesy of SeattleStoodios— can be seen below.

While there was a one-off event date in Austin, Texas in 2022, the last full-fledged (pre-pandemic) "Experience Hendrix" tour took place in 2019.

Featured songs in the video below:

00:00:00 - Foxy Lady w/ Henri Brown, Mato Nanji & Chuck Cambell (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
00:06:23 - Stone Free w/ Ayron Jones, Mato Nanji & Henri Brown (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
00:11:23 - The Wind Cries Mary w/ Ayron Jones (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
00:17:09 - Killing Floor w/ Taj Mahal & Mato Nanji (Howlin' Wolf cover)
00:22:17 - Hey Joe w/ Taj Mahal & Mato Nanji (The Leaves cover)
00:29:12 - Catfish Blues w/ Taj Mahal, Calvin Cooke, Chuck Campbell & Mato Naji (Robert Petway cover)
00:37:20 - The Sky Is Crying w/ Calvin Cooke, Chuck Cambell & Mato Nanji (Elmore James & his Broom Dusters cover)
00:45:02 - Manic Depression w/ Zakk Wylde (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
00:50:17 - Little Wing w/ Zakk Wylde (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
00:58:58 - Purple Haze w/ Zakk Wylde (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
01:09:30 - Have You Ever Been (To Electric Lady Land) w/ Eric Johnson & Dylan Triplett (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
01:13:08 - Bold As Love w/ Eric Johnson & Dylan Triplett (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
01:18:00 - Are You Experienced w/ Eric Johnson (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
01:25:10 - Spanish Castle Magic w/ Eric Johnson (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
01:32:34 - Red House w/ Ayron Jones, Mato Nanji & Calvin Cooke)
01:39:39 - Them Changes w/ Henri Brown, Ayron Jones & Mato Nanji (Buddy Miles cover)
01:46:35 - Gypsy Eyes w/ Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Noah Hunt & Mato Nanji (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
01:50:48 - Come On (Part 1) w/ Kenny Wayne Sheppard & Noah Hunt (Earl King cover)
01:56:22 - I Don't Live Today w/ Kenny Wayne Sheppard & Noah Hunt (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
02:02:57 - Voodoo Chile / Voodoo Child (Slight Return) w/ Kenny Wayne Sheppard & Noah Hunt (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)

The concept for the "Experience Hendrix" tour dates back more than 25 years; what started as a single concert at San Diego's Street Scene in 2001 and 2002 expanded by 2004 into a full-fledged national tour. This year's outing marks the 20th anniversary of the "Experience Hendrix" tour. This year's tour bring the music of Jimi Hendrix to audiences in the Pacific Northwest, California, Nevada, Arizona New Mexico and eastward through Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee concluding in Georgia and Florida.

The tour presents a host of great artists collaborating and interpreting Hendrix's legendary songs as part of a powerhouse, three-hour concert experience. The wide range of multi-generational artists who participate in a reflection of the ecumenicism of Jimi Hendrix's classic repertoire and the diversity of those whose lives have been indelibly affected by his music. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is one of the major players in forthcoming edition of the "Experience Hendrix" tour and a veteran of previous "Experience Hendrix" outings.

Shepherd, a five-time Grammy nominee and recipient of two Billboard Music Awards, commented: "I'm excited to rejoin the 'Experience Hendrix' tour this year. It's always been a great tour with exceptional artists honoring Jimi Hendrix, the greatest guitar player of all time, and his amazing and expansive catalog of songs. Being able to do a tour with friends always makes for a great time and this show is not to be missed."

Other notable artists who are part of the tour this time out include the legendary blues icon Taj Mahal, Zakk Wylde, founder of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and most recently part of the reformed PANTERA, Mississippi-born blues wunderkind Christone "Kingfish" Ingram who is both a Grammy Award winner and was named Contemporary "Blues Male Artist Of The Year" at least year's Blues Music Awards, guitar greats Eric Johnson and Dweezil Zappa, Mato Nanji from INDIGENOUS, Calvin Cooke and Chuck Campbell of the SLIDE BROTHERS, standard bearers of the "sacred steel" musical tradition, and vocalist Henri Brown. Participating artists vary for performance dates so "Experience Hendrix" concert goers are encouraged to visit experiencehendrixtour.com for specifics about each of the tour stops.

This year's tour will also present a host of rising stars including Texas born and raised blues sensation Ally Venable, who headlined the 60-date "European Blues Caravan" tour when she was just 20 years old, vocalist Dylan Triplett, Seattle guitarist Ayron Jones, young Brazilian blues rock guitarist Arthur Menezes and 20-year-old Mathias Lattin, winner of the Blues Foundation's 2023 International Blues Challenge. Other artists joining the tour for select dates include Blues Music Award winner Samantha Fish and Stanley Jordan, the noted jazz guitarist who is an exponent of the two-handed tapping technique. Beyond these artists, special guests will drop in over the course of the tour. These include country music sensation Hunter Hayes, legendary DOORS guitarist Robby Krieger and many others to be announced.

The 2024 "Experience Hendrix" tour is sponsored by Marshall, Fender, Dunlop, Hal Leonard, JMH Productions, Experience Hendrix and Authentic Hendrix. Marshall amps have long been associated with Jimi Hendrix and were his amplifiers of choice during his career. Fender is now celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster, the guitar most often associated with Jimi Hendrix. Dunlop makers of gear and accessories, recently launched line of Authentic Hendrix '68 Shrine Series of stomp boxes/effects pedals while Hal Leonard, the world's largest print music publisher, has long had an association with Experience Hendrix, L.L.C.

2024 "Experience Hendrix" remaining tour dates:

Sep. 21 - Forest Grove OR- Grand Lodge
Sep. 22 - Reno NV - Grand Theatre/Grand Sierra Resort
Sep. 25 - Santa Rosa CA - Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
Sep. 26 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery
Sep. 27 - Las Vegas NV - Smith Center
Sep. 28 - Highland CA - Yaamaya Theater
Sep. 29 - Tucson AZ - Fox Theatre
Oct. 01 - Anaheim CA - City National Grove
Oct. 03 - San Diego CA - Rady Shell
Oct. 04 - Mesa AZ - Mesa Arts Center/Ikeda Theater
Oct. 05 - Albuquerque NM - Kiva Auditorium
Oct. 06 - Colorado Springs CO - Pikes Peak Center
Oct. 09 - San Antonio TX - Majestic Theatre
Oct. 10 - Houston TX - Bayou Music Center
Oct. 11 - Ft. Worth TX - Will Rogers Auditorium
Oct. 12 - Tulsa OK - River Spirit Casino
Oct. 13 - Shreveport LA - Shreveport Municipal Auditorium
Oct. 15 - Nashville TN - Ryman Auditorium
Oct. 16 - Evans GA - Columbia Country Performing Arts Center
Oct. 17 - Clearwater FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
Oct. 18 - Pompano Beach FL - Pompano Beach Amphitheater
Oct. 19 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheater

War, the latest project from former Attika and Onward vocalist Rob Van War, have released their debut single "Even After the Pain." This track marks a bold departure from the sounds of Attika, introducing fans to a new era of hard-hitting, classic-inspired metal that is both fresh and familiar.


"Even After the Pain" captures the essence of hard rock and metal, drawing inspiration from the legendary sounds of KISS, Accept, and classic Judas Priest. The track features powerful riffs, soaring vocals, and anthemic choruses that hark back to the golden age of metal while pushing the genre into exciting new territories.


This single is just the beginning for Van War, a band that is ready to make a significant impact on the hard rock and metal scene. With a sound that blends the raw energy of traditional metal with modern intensity, Van War is poised to capture the attention of fans old and n

In a new interview with Hear 2 Zen, SKID ROW guitarist Scotti Hill was asked if there are any singers that he and his bandmates would like to approach about guesting with them for a few shows, similar to what they did this past May and June with Lzzy Hale of HALESTORM. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, we've got some names in the hat that we're actually speaking to. But I can't announce anything yet. But that whole idea [of playing concerts with guest singers] is really cool. And that all came about by mistake. Well, accidentally."

Scotti continued: "[As far as having] a wish list [of guest singers to play with], yeah. Some of them aren't realistic and we've named some people that would probably love to do it, but can't do it because their style, it just doesn't match or maybe they don't have the range. That's the whole thing, is the range of those vocals. They're very hard to sing."

When the interviewer brought up SLIPKNOT's Corey Taylor as someone who could potentially do it, Hill said: "Yeah, I know. Well, see, that's a name that came up. And he's a good friend of Rachel's [Bolan, SKID ROW bassist]. They're tight." The interviewer also named former MÖTLEY CRÜE and current THE DEAD DAISIES frontman John Corabi, although he noted that SKID ROW would likely have to tune down to accommodate Corabi's voice. Scotti said: "I believe his name was brought up also. And we could tune down. When Johnny [Solinger, former SKID ROW singer] was in the band, we tuned down a half step. I wouldn't tune down any more than a half step, 'cause then you can hear it. I mean, I can hear when a band is tuned down a half step. I can totally hear it. I don't not like it, I don't disagree with it, but I can hear it. So, yeah, I think [it should] sound as close to original as it can, as far as tempos and pitch."

As for some fans' constant calls for a reunion with former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach, Scotti said: "I understand why people want that, but it wouldn't be how they remembered it. It wouldn't be what they expected. They would be disappointed. We would be unhappy. We just saw what happens when you try to do something like that, and we're talking about JANE'S ADDICTION [and the recent onstage altercation between singer Perry Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro]. And it's terrible what happened to those guys; I feel terrible for them. But some reunions maybe shouldn't happen. I don't know… And there's a lot on the line. Their whole crew — I mean, those guys… Boom, just like that, 'Okay. You're out of work.' That's affecting a good amount of people and affecting their families, it affects the band, the people that put tours together. The average fan doesn't understand how many parts there are to make this thing happen. So, yeah, it's, it sucks what happened with that whole thing, but I hope everybody comes through it healthy and back on their feet. When I saw that go down, I could relate to it on many different ways — many ways. I've been on both sides of that coin."

SKID ROW is currently searching for a new singer following the recent exit of Erik Grönwall. Erik, who was SKID ROW's fourth frontman since Sebastian Bach's departure, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021. As a result, he is immunocompromised, which made touring difficult.

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan, guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I. Theart was fired from SKID ROW in February 2022 and was replaced by Grönwall, who was previously a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T.

Earlier this month, Hill told "Appetite For Distortion" podcast that he and his bandmates are "looking at" a few potential singers. "We've got a nice list of people that we're gonna sit down with," he said. "And we're continuing to look. But it's not like SMASHING PUMPKINS and we're just inviting the whole world in to throw their tapes on our desk. That's a little over the top."

Asked if singers have reached out to him and his SKID ROW bandmates about trying out of for the group or if they are actively seeking out potential vocalists, Scotti said: "Lots of people have reached out. I understand why. But I'm not the guy to get in touch with. I love SKID ROW. SKID ROW is my family, it's my life, but when I'm not with SKID ROW, I'm in here [at my home] doing stuff. So I kind of keep my fingers out of that whole thing. But a lot of people are getting in touch with us and some of them are really good. Some of them are not really good. But with YouTube and Instagram and such, you can go out and find people quite easily. It wasn't like the old days where you had to put an ad in every music paper in the country and word of mouth and all that stuff, pre-Internet. It's much easier now."

As for whether there is a preference of whether it's a "name" singer or not, Scotti said: "No. It doesn't even have to be a guy. Look at Lzzy. I mean, she came and rocked it. It could be a woman."

This past May, Sabo ruled out a reunion with Bach telling The Hook Rocks podcast: "It's not gonna happen… I choose my happiness, my willingness to continue to be a really good friend to my best friends and a really good husband and a really good dad and bandmate and person. And I don't wanna endanger that in any way. So the people that we choose to play with, those choices are made in order to keep those particular things in line for all of us."

Four years ago, Bolan confirmed that he and his bandmates "were entertaining the idea" of reuniting with Bach following Harnell's departure. But Rachel shot down the possibility of a rekindling of his friendship with Sebastian, explaining: "Well… Here's the soundbite for Blabbermouth. I wouldn't say we were friends [when we were in a band together]. We were bandmates. You know what I mean? We're two very different people." Bolan added that he hadn't seen Bach "in years."

The Linkin Park hit, "What I've Done", has been given the jazz lounge treatment by Postmodern Jukebox vocalist Robyn Adele Anderson and her band. Check out this new rendition of the song, performed live and in one take, below.


Robyn: "Did you hear that Linkin Park has a new lead singer? She’s pretty badass, but I would have loved to have been in the running! Consider this video my unofficial audition." 







Linkin Park - Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Phoenix, Joe Hahn, alongside new members Emily Armstrong [of Dead Sara] as co-vocalist and Colin Brittain [songwriter/producer for G Flip, Illenium, One OK Rock] as drummer - performed their new single, "The Emptiness Machine”, last night (Tuesday, September 17) on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Watch below:





Linkin Park’s first album since 2017, From Zero, will be released on November 15. Pre-order / pre-save here via Warner Records.





Tracklisting:


"From Zero" (Intro)
"The Emptiness Machine"
"Cut The Bridge"
"Heavy Is The Crown"
"Over Each Other"
"Casualty"
"Overflow"
"Two Faced"
"Stained"
"IGYEIH"
"Good Things Go"


Without expectations, Shinoda, Delson, Farrell, and Hahn quietly began meeting up again in recent years. Rather than “trying to restart the band,” their instinct was to simply spend more time together, and reconnect with the creativity and camaraderie that has been at the core of their friendship since college. During this time, they invited various friends and cohorts to join them in the studio; among the guests, they found a special kinship with Armstong and Brittain. A natural chemistry drew these musicians back into its gravitational pull as they logged more and more hours in the studio. It was the sound of lifelong musicians rediscovering the uncontainable energy of a new beginning once again. Over this season, From Zero was born.


About the new era, Shinoda stated, “Before Linkin Park, our fi