The remixed and remastered version of JUDAS PRIEST's classic debut album, 1974's "Rocka Rolla", will be released digitally in the U.S. and Canada on September 14. The CD and vinyl versions of "Rocka Rolla - 50th Anniversary: Remixed And Remastered 1974 - 2024" will arrive on November 22.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo courtesy of Chipster PR & Consulting, Inc.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, the hard rock powerhouse founded by guitar icon Zakk Wylde, has unleashed a brand-new single titled "The Gallows" via MNRK Heavy (formerly eOne Music). The track showcases the band's signature blend of bone-crushing riffs, soulful melodies, and a relentless energy that fans have come to expect. "The Gallows" is available across all major streaming platforms.

Wylde, renowned for his exceptional guitar prowess and commanding stage presence, continues to make a lasting impact with this latest release. "The Gallows" captures the dark, brooding essence of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's catalog while infusing it with a renewed intensity that reflects the band's evolution. "The Gallows" embodies the core of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY — raw power, emotional depth, and a commitment to pure, unfiltered hard rock and roll.

Wylde comments: "Berzerkers!!! Here's a new BLACK LABEL song called 'The Gallows'.

"What do you call a fake noodle??? An impasta!!!

"See You ALL at the Berzerkus on Saturday September 14th at Poconos Park, PA!!!"

"The Gallows" exemplifies what BLACK LABEL SOCIETY fans should expect, blistering guitar solos and lyrics that will spark the heart and soul of the heavy metal community.

This past April, Wylde confirmed to Scott Davidson of Chicago's Rebel Radio 92.5 FM that he and his BLACK LABEL SOCIETY bandmates were working on the group's next album. BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's twelfth studio LP will be the follow-up to "Doom Crew Inc.", which came out in November 2021 via MNRK Heavy.

Regarding where BLACK LABEL SOCIETY was in the recording process as of five months ago, Zakk said: "Actually, when I get done talking to you, I'm going to [my studio] Black Vatican. I'm tracking some more stuff today right now. So during the times I'm home, I'll be doing some recording and stuff like that for the next album. I've gotta pick my spot for when I'm home. Then [I] can do some recording, and then, before you know it, we're back out on the road again."

In a separate chat with Metal Mayhem ROC, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY drummer Jeff Fabb stated about the band's next album: "I don't know exactly when it's gonna be released, but I heard some time in the new year. So I would assume that we're gonna tour it. So we're working on it right now. Actually. I'm about to go to [Zakk's] house in the next few days and finish up a few more songs that he wrote. And then, yeah, that's pretty much it. We've got that show in September and then I would assume that we're gonna hit the road at some point."

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY will headline Zakk's inaugural music festival, Berzerkus, on September 14, 2024 at Poconos Park in Bushkill, Pennsylvania. Berzerkus will be co-headlined by outlaw country music's Cody Jinks. Also scheduled to appear are CLUTCH, RIVAL SONS, BLACK STONE CHERRY, ZOSO (the ultimate LED ZEPPELIN experience),THE ATOMIC PUNKS (a tribute to early VAN HALEN) and THE IRON MAIDENS (the world's only all-female tribute to IRON MAIDEN).

Three years ago, Wylde told the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA about the BLACK LABEL SOCIETY songwriting process: "The way it always goes, it's always the music first and then a melody. And then I've gotta find out something I wanna sing about. So then I'll write the lyrics. That's usually always the way it goes. And then, when it's all done, then the solos go on it. The painting's all done, and the solo is the frame that goes on the thing. So you can sit back and look at the whole thing. That's the way we pretty much always do it… I would just have a cup of coffee and just start writing riffs. You always get inspired by — for me, it's always Mount Riffmore, which is CREAM, MOUNTAIN, [LED] ZEPPELIN, [BLACK] SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE… If you're not getting inspired by the riffs those guys have created, it's just like… So I'll just go fishing and just start writing till you get to something you like."

Wylde formed BLACK LABEL SOCIETY in 1998 and has kept the band busy in between touring and recording with Ozzy Osbourne, whose backing group he first joined more than three and a half decades ago.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "Order Of The Black" (2010) and "Catacombs Of The Black Vatican" (2014) both broke into the top five on the hard rock album charts.

Since first joining Ozzy, Zakk has played on all of the BLACK SABBATH singer's solo albums except for 2020's "Ordinary Man", including such classic efforts as "No More Tears" (1991),"Ozzmosis" (1995) and "Black Rain" (2007).

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY is:

Zakk Wylde - vocals, guitar, piano
John "JD" DeServio - bass
Jeff Fabb - drums
Dario Lorina - guitar

Photo credit: Jen Rosenstein

Peaceville Records has announced a limited corona vinyl edition of the Darkthrone classic Transilvanian Hunger to celebrate the album’s 30th anniversary. 


Famously written and recorded over a period of just two weeks, Transilvanian Hunger features primitive guitar riffs over a monotonous drum beat creating a feel of hypnotic starkness bringing to mind the rawness of early Bathory. 


Originally released in 1994, during what is often deemed to be the peak of the "Second Wave" of Black Metal, over the years the album has become representative of the definitive ‘90s Norwegian black metal sound and style, often copied but never bettered, and also contains lyrics by Varg Vikernes on half of the tracks. 

From Brush & Stone is a studio album by guitarist Gordon Giltrap and keyboardist Rick Wakeman. The album is the first opportunity to record together for Gordon Giltrap and Rick Wakeman. Both are longtime friends who have been on separate musical paths for forty years.


“Having known Gordon for more years than we both care to remember and having great admiration for both his musical and technical ability plus his unique style of composing, it was a no-brainer for us to produce this album together. Logically, I played exactly what I felt was needed on Gordon’s compositions and he played exactly what he felt was needed on mine - another no-brainer. It’s one of those albums where every time you listen to it you discover something new in the music. Each track evokes a different emotion for the listener which indeed it did for Gordon and myself when we recorded the tracks. An album I think we can be rightly proud of.” - Rick Wakeman


“In 1963 at age 15 I was forced to leave school by my well-meaning father, suggesting that I learn a trade thus abandoning any hope I had of going to art college. Since becoming a writer of tunes I think subconsciously I have been using music as my creative canvas. I have always found that paintings have been a great source of inspiration culminating in 1976 with the William Blake inspired Visionary album and then in 1981 with Peacock Party followed by the Pre-Raphaelite inspired Brotherhood Suite. When the opportunity came along to make an album with my old friend and towering keyboard genius Rick Wakeman I put forward my Brotherhood Suite as a concept and starting point. Rick responded very positively and came back with his idea of classical sculpture as an inspiration. This he did superbly. I was given the luxury of time to work on his compositions, about 6 months in fact, and I hope I did justice to his creations. It was and continues to be an honour to have worked with one of the great Godfathers of progressive rock.” - Gordon Giltrap




Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


Side One
"The Savannah Bird"
"Caesar Augustus"
"The Kiss"
"Hermes"


Side Two
"The Thinker"
"David"
"The Discus Thrower"
"The Last of England Spring"


Side Three
"The Death of Chatterton"

Aries Descendant - an electrifying collaboration forged by the musical synergy of two virtuoso studio musicians, Jonah Weingarten and Nicklas Sonne - proudly announce the release of their debut album, From The Ashes Of Deceit, out on October 18 via Frontiers Music Srl.


A video for the new single, "Aflame The Cold" can be viewed below. Jonah Weingarten describes the new song: “Aflame the Cold” is our second single and music video and the first song we ever wrote together for Aries Descendant. This song means so much to both of us as it became the beginning of what we were to become. It personifies our sound with its hard hitting and epic orchestration, dynamic and soaring vocals, and shredding guitars.







“From The Ashes Of Deceit” is our grand statement. This album has come from a great friendship that has been formed between us as well as combined decades of experience in the music industry. Aries Descendant is all about overcoming personal struggles and turning those things into art. We are so excited to share our vision with all of you!,” continues Jonah.


Jonah Weingarten started his career with highly acclaimed international progressive metal band Pyramaze. Over the years, he has collaborated with artists such as Dave Ellefson (Megadeth), James Murphy (Testament, Death), Matt Barlow (Iced Earth), Bill Hudson (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, NorthTale), and Grammy nominated producer Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe).


Jonah has been a full time member of Pyramaze since 2002, and in 2020 joined international cinematic symphonic metal band Catalyst Crime (Massacre Records). On top of all his work in the metal/rock worlds, Jonah is also an accomplished composer of independent films, video game soundtracks, sports team anthems, and epic trailer music.


Nicklas Sonne began his musical experience as a drummer before moving onto the guitar and ultimately becoming a singer songwriter in an array of metal and hard rock projects, starting with Defecto – created in 2010 along with Frederik Møller. Other bands include Evil Masquerade, Theory, Hank Shermann, One Machine, Waving Memories, Section A, Metallica Jam, Wasted, Omvendt Korstog and now his own self-titled project too. His long career has included international tours in places such as Japan, and opening for Metal heavyweights including Metallica and Rammstein.


United by a common vision, Jonah and Nicklas decided to embark on a groundbreaking musical journey, giving birth to the phenomenon that is Aries Descendant. This dynamic duo seamlessly fuses the evocative allure of film music with the raw power of heavy metal, creating an auditory experience that is nothing short of extraordinary.


Within the realm of Aries Descendant, audiences can anticipate colossal symphonic arrangements, adorned with grand yet gritty vocal melodies, and propelled by an unyielding rhythm section. While the combination of symphony and metal is not unprecedented, Aries Descendant elevates this fusion to uncharted heights, delivering a sonic tapestry that is unparalleled in its innovation.


Step into the world of Aries Descendant, where musical boundaries are shattered, and the convergence of genres takes on a new and awe-inspiring form. Brace yourself for an auditory odyssey that transcends expectations and leaves an indelible mark on the landscape of contemporary music.

In a new interview with Bill Hartel and Marcos De La Cruz of the Drum Syndicate Podcast, legendary drummer Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, LAST IN LINE) was asked if he wears ear protection while playing. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I wear little swimming plugs that cut out the top end, and that's it. And my hearing sucks. The TVs in this house are all closed captioned. And I'm always asking my beautiful girlfriend Leslie, 'What? What did he say?' So, yeah, my hearing is terrible."

Asked how far back in his career he started wearing the earplugs, Vinny said: "I wore 'em — probably first started with SABBATH, 'cause it was so loud. We played with monitors, the first SABBATH tour, 'Mob Rules'. There were fucking refrigerator-sized cabinets, two of 'em, behind me, just cranked. But you can't play that stuff through in-ears. It's BLACK SABBATH and [Ronnie James] Dio, and you've gotta feel the power. Unfortunately, it takes a toll on your ears.

"It's funny. I don't hear great — like on the TV, if they're talking, I'm better off with the closed captions, or in a room with a lot of noise, forget it," he explained. "It's hard to hear anything. But I can hear bad tuning, wrong notes, wrong key, wrong movements, whatever, timing and music while we're on stage. I'll be playing, it's loud. 'What the fuck? That's the wrong note.' And somebody's hitting the wrong note and stuff like that. I could hear that, like, perfect. But everything else is screwed up."

Vinny has recorded and co-written songs on several dozen albums and CDs, including many multi-platinum records. Vinny's drumming can also be heard on numerous movie soundtracks, including "Wayne's World 2", "Heavy Metal", "Iron Eagle" and "Bedazzled". Vinny, the author of drum instruction book "Rock Steady" and DVD "Hard Rock Drumming Techniques", has performed incredible powerhouse drum clinics around the globe. Numerous books have been written about BLACK SABBATH and DIO with the authors always mentioned Vinny's drumming style.

Vinny's unique drumming approach has influenced many artists over the last few decades. Never one to rest on his laurels, he is constantly putting out new music and is currently recording and touring with LAST IN LINE.

Vinny currently endorses Sawtooth drums, Evans drumheads, Istanbul Mehmet cymbals and Chromacast drumsticks.

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF 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 currently writing whatever the next record is gonna be. I'd say we're roughly halfway through. I've recorded, I think, six [or] seven songs for it. I know there's active writing going on right now. I think Brent [Smith, SHINEDOWN singer] actually might be up in Charleston [South Carolina] right now [at bassist/producer Eric Bass's studio]. I can't keep track of him. He's always bouncing around from hotel room to hotel room. But we're actively writing. I expect to, and the plan is to release some music this year, some new music this year, and then [full] record probably early spring of next year or springtime of next year and start touring March of next year. I mean, we're not slowing down."

Barry continued: "I think with the awesome success of [the] ['A'] Symptom [Of Being Human]' [single] and how broad that new audience got, it would be a shame to go away and not let them experience a live show. I personally think with SHINEDOWN, yes, I'm very proud of our records and I think our records are great, but you don't really become a superfan until you see us live and get that whole vibe and really see it. 'Cause Brent's so good at interacting with the crowd and bringing them into the show, you go to the concert going, 'I really wanna hear that 'Symptom' song. And then you go, 'Oh, they're that band. This is fun.' And then they're hooked."

Asked if he usually works out his drum parts to demo versions of the SHINEDOWN songs, Barry said: "For me, a lot of times, Eric 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

Melvin Zoopers has uploaded video of Mike Tramp's entire September 6 performance at the Rocktember Music Festival at the Grand Casino Amphitheater in Hinckley, Minnesota. Check out the footage below.

In a recent interview with The Rock N' Roll & Coffee Show, Tramp was asked what his former WHITE LION bandmate, guitarist Vito Bratta, thinks about Mike releasing two albums of reimagined WHITE LION songs with a lineup that includes guitarist Marcus Nand. Tramp said: "I can't sit here and completely honestly confirm what Vito thinks. He did give Marcus his blessing and so on. I have a feeling that it might awaken a few wounds. I mean, there are times when I sit and watch a JOURNEY [video] with Arnel Pineda singing, and I close my eyes and go, '[Steve] Perry's back.' And I think, man, how does Steve Perry feel? Probably one of the greatest voices next to Freddie Mercury. How does he feel? Has it really, really ever been completely confirmed that that's where he wanted to be, that's what he wanted to happen?

"You almost feel like my woman went away with the pool boy," Mike continued. " It's, like, 'Well when he can do it, we'll bring someone in who can do it and he's gonna be 100 percent.' And there will be people in the 25th row that [do] not know it's Steve Perry up there, I'll guarantee you.

"I haven't really gotten the chance to really say this in any interviews, and that is that when I turned to Vito three days before we were playing the final [WHITE LION] show on the first tour with the new rhythm section, and something had happened, and we were backstage waiting for the power to come back, I turned to Vito and go, 'When we play Boston the day after tomorrow, it's the final show. I'm done.' And Vito, with the classic Vito look, just goes to me. 'Okay.' Just like that. The day after the show, I fly back to Los Angeles, he flies to New York and stuff like that. And I've said this many times, but I don't think people listen. There [was] not one person in the big WHITE LION machine — record company, managers, publishers, merchandisers, road crew and Vito — who said, 'Let's just give Mike a couple of days to fucking calm down. And then we'll say, 'Okay, how about a break right now? And let's regroup and see where we're going with the next…' And up until today, and up until also tomorrow, not one single time in even in between the lines, in a hidden way or a sign in the sky has Vito ever come out with even anything that just smelled like, 'I would like to do something with Mike.' Not necessarily a WHITE LION reunion."

Tramp added: "If Vito had called me and [said], 'Let's do what Robert Plant and Jimmy Page did.' They knew they weren't gonna put LED ZEPPELIN back together because they felt John Bonham was [impossible to replace]. 'Let's do an album together. We're not gonna go out touring. Let's do something, let's see how strong our songwriting is.' Not a single word, but I have had to defend every time I brought WHITE LION back in one way or another — either with lawsuits, that I came too close to, 'Oh, you're calling it…' and stuff like that, all those things. And every time, after the smoke clears, I call Vito and he tells me 'you're my friend' and stuff, and we talk and we don't fucking get any further than just the weather today. But I still have to defend. And Vito has not done the courtesy, both to me and the fans… And as I say that, I consider Vito my friend, and I would do almost anything for him. He has not gone out and told the fucking world that 'I'm not coming back on stage. I'm not recording anything else. There will not be a reunion.' Instead, there's this old interview [that Vito gave to] Eddie Trunk. Eddie was part of WHITE LION at the beginning, so him and Vito and I have always been very, very, very close. And Vito is up there talking to Eddie — it's almost probably even 10 years ago — [and saying] 'Oh, well, the door's not closed.' Door's not closed? But it leaves me being sort of the bad guy, but I'm not gonna feel like the bad guy. I'm just going out there. I've been the only person keeping WHITE LION alive since WHITE LION broke up. One way or another, you can't do an interview or anything with me without WHITE LION being mentioned."

Tramp released "Songs Of White Lion - Vol. II" on August 23 via Frontiers Music Srl.

MIKE TRAMP'S WHITE LION, the band fronted by the former WHITE LION singer, is touring the U.S. tour this summer.

Last year, Tramp was asked in an interview about the possibility of WHITE LION reforming for a tour. He said: "When we broke up in '91, we always knew we would never go back together. And a lot of people always talk about reunions. WHITE LION reuniting would not be a better WHITE LION than WHITE LION was, so I'm out there performing the songs, not trying to recreate WHITE LION."

Asked if he has ever thought of calling his solo band WHITE LION and touring with new members, Mike replied: "I can't call it WHITE LION." Pressed about whether he would call his band WHITE LION if he could, Mike said: "I tried, and it cost me money. [Laughs] I think that the audience now is understanding that I'm just keeping the songs alive, and I'm able to perform it in a different way. I'm able to show the image that I'm not coming out there and doing a show but I'm gonna take them through like a greatest hits. I like to tell stories about what the songs are. You can't always do that on a festival when you have one hour, but that is my goal, that I will keep the songs alive. And I think that all the fans and the music fans know who Mike Tramp is and it doesn't need to be called WHITE LION. But it's called 'Songs Of White Lion'."

Back in 2019, Tramp revealed in an interview that he had apologized to Bratta for trying to resurrect his former band without his onetime songwriting partner and bandmate.

The Danish-born singer hasn't played with Bratta since WHITE LION performed its last concert in Boston in September 1991.

In the 33 years since WHITE LION broke up, Bratta's public profile has been virtually nonexistent, while Tramp has remained active, recording and touring as a solo artist and with the bands FREAK OF NATURE, THE ROCK 'N' ROLL CIRCUZ and, more recently, BAND OF BROTHERS. Tramp also attempted to revive WHITE LION with the 2008 album "Return Of The Pride", featuring new members. Two years later, Tramp ceded ownership of the name WHITE LION to Bratta in an out-of-court settlement.

Speaking to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation", Tramp said that he and Vito are once again on speaking terms following his ill-fated attempt to bring back WHITE LION a decade and a half ago.

"I have, over the past couple of years, been the one out there basically both admitting and apologizing that the only thing that I never planned to do in my career and wanted to do was go back and rehash a version of WHITE LION that had nothing to do with WHITE LION, nothing to do with the guys that played in the band," Mike said. "Mike Tramp's heart was not in it. It was just a moment of weakness, not believing enough in my solo albums. [You listen to] some guys saying, 'Hey, if you put a new WHITE LION together, you can play festivals and get much more money.' And then you fall for that and you engage in it and you go out there, and then you realize it's not what you wanna do. And then, of course, Vito did not want the name WHITE LION to be used without him being in the band. And it actually took a couple of years for me to really understand how much it meant to Vito. And when Vito one day told me in one of these conversations… First of all, he told me, 'Mike, I'm not against you. I just don't wanna turn YouTube on and see the title 'WHITE LION live in so and so,' and somebody doing 'When The Children Cry' solo and it's not me. WHITE LION was you and me, it was our band, we wrote the songs. That is the memories I want for the rest of my life.' And when he told me that, I had tears in my eyes and I totally understood it, because I had also gotten to that point that when we closed WHITE LION, we felt that this is where we wanted to stop it. There was something, going into the '90s, that didn't agree with the things we were looking at, and we wanted to somehow end it on a higher level than something that would not represent us in the future. But it just took many years to really understand it."

Asked if he understands why Vito doesn't want to play music professionally anymore, Mike said: "Yes, I do, because there are actually times when I also don't feel like doing it anymore. When all the magic around us, the stuff that made us fall in love with rock and roll — first of all, our heroes, then the industry, then the touring stuff — when all of that was really exposed that it was a two-faced kind of thing, that the people we thought loved us — and I'm not talking about the fans; I'm talking about the people that made money from us, and stuff like that — turned their back on us and stabbed us in the back, it really ripped us apart. And maybe it's just that I came from a different background than Vito, that I maybe was a little bit stronger or just of a different nature that I just fought back, but Vito just said, 'I just don't wanna deal with this.' And I understand now — I understand it from every conversation that I have with him."

Tramp also once again closed the door on a possible WHITE LION reunion, saying: "I can't be Mike Tramp 1988. I can't sing like that, and I'm not going up on stage and doing a half-assed job, which most of the bands out there are doing."

Mainly active in the 1980s and early 1990s, WHITE LION released its debut album, "Fight To Survive", in 1985. The band had its breakthrough with the double-platinum-selling "Pride" album, which produced two Top 10 hits: "Wait" and "When The Children Cry". The band continued its success with the third album, "Big Game", which achieved gold status.

By the time WHITE LION released its final album, 1991's "Mane Attraction", alternative rock was in the ascendancy, leading to a swift decline of the so-called "hair metal" scene in terms of sales, popularity, radio play, and most importantly, relevance.

Mike released "Songs Of White Lion", in April 2023 via Frontiers Music Srl.

In a new interview with "The Morning After With Nic & Big J" on the 100.3 The X Rocks radio station, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2022's "Back From The Dead" album. Lzzy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We'll be getting everything, like final wrap-ups are in the beginning of December. And so we'll be wrapping that up and then literally — we'll probably be pushing something out a little sooner than that, hopefully. But all best-laid plans, as you know. So I'm really excited. I'm ready for it to be done."

She continued: "It's been a really crazy whirlwind making it. We ended up going in with Dave Cobb, the producer. And it's something completely different than what we've ever had. We literally rolled in with all of our baggage, all of our songs, our riffs, the whole thing, and he's, like, 'No, we're not gonna do any of that. We're just gonna start.' And I'm, like, 'What? There's no plan? What's happening.' And it's kind of beautiful 'cause all of us are very ADHD, and we're locked together in this house in Savannah, Georgia, which, if you've ever been to Savannah, Georgia, there's no scene. It's a spooky historic town with a lot of Spanish moss. And we're locked — literally I'm saying locked, because we locked the doors — we're locked in this house full of every piece of equipment you could ever need. It's all set up. The board is there — everything — and we're all unsupervised. Which I can't tell you the last time that has happened making an album — probably since the first record, [when] we were all living in an apartment together. So, all of our inner children are screaming and we're all just getting into the sandbox and playing, 'Hey, I brought some LEGOs. You brought a rocket. Let's see if we can get it to space.' And so all of this stuff has really been coming together in such a weird and organic way, to the point that it's very much peeling back the onion of what is HALESTORM.

"My brother [HALESTORM drummer Arejay Hale] and I have had many moments while making this record where we look at each other and we're, like, 'This reminds me of when we were 14.' It's just wild," Lzzy added. "So, I'm very excited for everyone to hear it and I'm excited for it to be done. And so hopefully we wrap it up in December and get get it the hell out — out of my house. [Laughs]"

Elaborating on the songwriting process this time around and how it was different to some of HALESTORM's previous records, Lzzy said: "I think that the big lesson in the front of the race here that has been answered is that usually the weirdest ideas are the best. And sometimes it's the things that you don't think are very good that everyone collectively is, like, 'No, that's actually great.' And I think that that's been the beautiful thing is that the four of us, even though… I mean, my brother's 37 — he's the young gun, but we're all in our early forties — and we've been doing this a long time together. And so to have that kind of reconnection to who you are as people and as friends and really having that kind of come out in the music and it not be this kind of assembly line, like, 'Okay, Lzzy wrote 12 songs. We all really like 'em. Let's record 'em.' Or, 'Hey, we have this collection. And we have a month to be in the studio. Let's just go and bang it out.' We've really kind of taken the time to really let the music tell us what to do and honestly let our weird brains tell us what to do, because we're all terrible adults [laughs], and I think that we were never meant to be. So it's been nice to just kind of have the freedom to do whatever the hell we want and then worry about the consequences later. [Laughs]"

This past July, Arejay was asked by The VORTX Podcast with host Ethan Jackson about HALESTORM's decision to work with Cobb this time around. Arejay said: "It's always good for a band to, if you want your sound to evolve, bring in some fresh minds into it. And the cool thing about Dave is that he's a total hard rock and metalhead at heart. A lot of his most successful projects have been a lot of country, a lot of alternative — I mean, he's all over the spectrum — so when works with us, you can tell… There's a really great mutual respect between [us], 'cause we've been doing this long enough and he's been doing it for so long. We've been a huge fan of his as well, so there's a lot of mutual respect between the two of us, and you can feel it in the room."

Asked if he and his HALESTORM bandmates set a date for themselves for when they want to be done with a record, Arejay said: "It used to be a lot more stringent in the early days. 'Cause when you're trying to get the band off the ground, you really wanna kind of keep that momentum going. But our last couple of records have been a little bit more laid back, which is nice. It kind of gives it room to breathe. It gives us time to like really assess where we wanna go. And definitely COVID changed everything."

On the topic of whether the HALESTORM members do more work remotely now or if they still all get together in the studio and collaborate on ideas in one room, Arejay said: "Oh, it's so much more effective for us to be in the same room. I think it kind of forces you to just… I guess we work well under pressure, 'cause, going back to your last question… We definitely feel the pressure to get the album out at a certain time, but what really cranks up the pressure is the fact that we're leaving Nashville and going to Savannah for only a set period of time, 'cause Dave [only has certain] windows [of availability]. And it really forces us to just dig into your gut and just pull things out. And when we're all together in the room and Joe [Hottinger, HALESTORM guitarist] starts playing around with the riff and I start jamming with them, things just come out, things just happen. There's a magic there."

In June, Lzzy told Decker of the rock station Razor 94.7/104.7 (WZOR) that she and her HALESTORM bandmates initially "got a lot of pushback" from their team about the prospect of working with Cobb. She recalled: "We were saying, 'Oh, wouldn't it be cool to do a record with Dave Cobb? Because that would be something that nobody would really expect from us. And I bet you he would come up with some crazy ideas. Don't know the guy, but let's figure it out.' And everybody on our team was, like, 'No, no, he's too busy. That's not you. He's got this stuff going. He's got, like, nine Grammys with Chris Stapleton. That's not your scene.' And so we kept pushing back. We're, like, 'No, no, no. Just ask him. Just ask him. We can handle rejection, but just ask him.' And so finally, our A&R guy at our label is, like, 'Fine, I'll reach out. Whatever. Just stop bugging me.' And so he reached out, and then he called me, like, the next day. He's, like, 'Hey, I heard back from Dave Cobb. And guess what? Not only does he absolutely know who you are, but he's been wanting to make a record with you for, like, seven years. And he has a plan already of how he wants to do it.' And we're, like, 'What? This is sick.' So anyway, we went to go test the waters, and we go into the studio. And look, I write every day. When I die, there's gonna be so much that everyone has to sift through, just gibberish songs, all that. So I always have, like, a bank with me, like, 'Here's riffs, here's songs, here's subject titles, here's poetry.' And he was, like, 'No, no, no. We're not gonna do anything that you already have. Nothing.' I'm, like, 'Uh. What?' And he's, like, 'No, we're just gonna start.' Everyone's sitting in a circle and we're, like, gonna kumbaya. So everyone got an instrument, like, 'All right. So what are we feeling today?' I'm, like, 'Is this a therapy session?' And we ended up — it's crazy, 'cause then we'll like grab on to something 'cause of that pressure of, like, 'Well, I was thinking about this as this is happening.' 'Cool. Let's go there.' And so he has this amazing instincts that are very, like, you can't see it when you're in it. And then, as soon as we start like putting stuff together, we kind of zoom out and, like, 'Oh, wait a minute. This is so wild and awesome and exactly what we do.' So it's very strange. But we're all very free. And then the other thing is that while we're writing it, we're recording it at the same time. So these tracks are, like, us discovering the song for the first time as well as we're performing them. There are some things that we're performing them all at the same time. There's one track in particular that we completely forgot to put the click track on, and we did like three takes like that, and then we're, like, 'Oh, wait. We don't even have a click going.' Arejay said something, like, 'Were we supposed to have like a click track so we all are on time together?' And everyone's, like, 'We didn't even notice it was gone.' And so we did another take with the click. We're, like, 'No, we like that other one better.' So there's stuff like that. A lot of weird surprises. There's a lot of space. And we're really excited because we're not going country or anything like that, or Americana. This is such a new — it's got so much teeth, and it's so different than what we just did with 'Back From The Dead', but in this almost weightier, heavier way. And the lyrics are — I'm tackling subjects I've never tackled before because I'm having the freedom to do so. So I'm very excited."

HALESTORM and I PREVAIL recently embarked on summer 2024 co-headlining tour. Produced by Live Nation, the trek kicked off on July 9 in Raleigh and ran through August 17 in Las Vegas. HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD and FIT FOR A KING served as support. The tour was also the catalyst and the creative spark for HALESTORM and I PREVAIL's collaborative track "Can U See Me In The Dark?", which was released in June.

"Back From The Dead" has tallied over 100 million streams worldwide. Rolling Stone called the title track "a biting but cathartic howler about overcoming all obstacles," and that song as well as "The Steeple" marked their fifth and sixth number ones at rock radio, respectively. Associated Press said the album "will definitely be in the running for best hard rock/metal album of the year." Their previous album, "Vicious", earned the band their second Grammy nomination, for "Best Hard Rock Performance" for the song "Uncomfortable", the band's fourth #1 at rock radio, and led Loudwire to name HALESTORM "Rock Artist Of The Decade" in 2019.

Fronted by Lzzy with Arejay, guitarist Joe Hottinger and bass player Josh Smith, HALESTORM's music has earned multiple platinum and gold certifications from the RIAA, and the band has earned a reputation as a powerful live music force, headlining sold-out shows and topping festival bills around the world, and sharing the stage with icons including HEAVEN & HELL, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett and JUDAS PRIEST. Additionally, Lzzy was named the first female brand ambassador for Gibson and served as host of AXS TV's "A Year In Music".

DEVILDRIVER guitarist Mike Spreitzer says that he hasn't spoken to frontman Dez Fafara about his decision to leave the band.

Mike was the second-longest-lasting member of DEVILDRIVER following the departures of all original members except Fafara. Spreitzer co-wrote and performed on DEVILDRIVER's albums "The Fury Of Our Maker's Hand" (2005),"The Last Kind Words" (2007),"Pray For Villains" (2009),"Beast" (2011),"Winter Kills" (2013),"Trust No One" (2016),"Outlaws 'Til The End: Vol. 1" (2018),"Dealing With Demons Volume I" (2020) and "Dealing With Demons Volume II" (2023).

In December 2023, Spreitzer announced the launch of his VERONA ON VENUS project and released the debut single "Rodent", followed by a second single, "Monarch Acid Test". The band's debut album "Popular Delusions" was released in January. VERONA ON VENUS's most recent single, "War Baby", arrived in August.

In a new interview with Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio, Mike stated about his decision to exit DEVILDRIVER (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It is bittersweet for sure. I will never regret my time in DEVILDRIVER. The good always outweighed the bad. I still have a lot of love for all the guys in the band and I wish them well. And I'm even kind of excited to see who ends up replacing me. And I will always offer — whoever that person may be, I'm here to help with whatever they need. And I wanna see the band succeed. There's no negative feelings on my side."

He continued: "I wanna get back to being a full-time musician, like I said. I went to music school in college — I was a music major — and music, ever since I was six years old, has always been the plan. I would say that was my first moment of real clarity in my life when I was watching MTV and I saw the video for 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' by DEF LEPPARD, and for some reason, that just made something go click in my brain, and nothing's changed since that moment."

Asked how the rest of the guys in DEVILDRIVER reacted to his announcement that he was leaving, Mike said: "Honestly, I haven't spoken to Dez about it. No, I haven't. I've seen how things have went when other members have left the band, and I honestly felt like this was the best way to do it.

"I don't really wanna get into it much more than that because of obvious reasons, but all the other guys understood where I was coming from," Spreitzer continued. "And I wanna work more, and as of now, unless someone comes knocking on my door that wants me to join a band, which, depending on the band, I would definitely take into consideration, but right now I just wanna go full throttle with my new project VERONA ON VENUS.

"I'm excited to do things my own way and mix things up. Obviously, VERONA sounds a lot different than DEVILDRIVER — it's a completely different style of music — and it's time for something new for me. It's been 20 years, and it's been a lot of fun, but sometimes people just feel like moving on, and that's how I feel right now."

Asked if his previous comment that his decision to launch VERONA ON VENUS was "met with a heavy amount of negativity from a specific individual," apparently referencing Dez, was part of the reason he left DEVILDRIVER, Mike said: "Unfortunately, yes. I really hoped it wouldn't be a problem, and I have a lot of friends that get a lot of support from the bands that they're in, who they would consider their boss. Like Nita [Strauss] and Alice Cooper; Ozzy [Osbourne] has always been cool with Zakk Wylde doing BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and ZAKK SABBATH. Cesar [Soto] from MINISTRY — I remember when he first released MAN THE MUTE record that he did, I bumped into [MINISTRY leader] Al Jourgensen at an art show once and he just couldn't stop talking about how proud he was of Cesar. Monte Pittman, he's in MINISTRY, and Madonna seems to be just fine with him doing that. And even Zakk Wylde with his drummer Jeff Fabb; [Jeff] just released a record on his own. And so I really didn't see it being a problem. I never intended to make VERONA a priority over DEVILDRIVER. I had a lot of time during the pandemic, and I just wanted to keep on writing, so I did."

After Penfold noted that it's "odd" that Fafara was seemingly opposed to the existence of VERONA ON VENUS when Dez himself had spent much of the past year and a half touring with a reunited COAL CHAMBER, Mike said: "Yeah, unfortunately, it is, because I really gave him my blessing, when COAL CHAMBER started doing — even when they were at their first reunion. And at their first reunion, quite honestly, I needed the break at the time. Unfortunately, I think that was a big reason which led to John Boecklin and Jeff Kendrick leaving the band [in 2014], because DEVILDRIVER went on hiatus and it was not in their best interest at the time to stick around."

Spreitzer announced his departure from DEVILDRIVER in a social media post on September 3. He wrote at the time: "After 20 years of playing guitar for DEVILDRIVER, I have decided it is time to go my own way.

"Since around 2014, DEVILDRIVER gradually started to feel more like a part-time job. Our touring schedule is not what it used to be and I want to get back to being a full-time musician. In addition, the mere creation of my side project was met with a heavy amount of negativity from a specific individual that made things extremely uncomfortable for me.

"Ever since I was six years old I wanted to play in a metal hand and live the majority of my life on a tour bus with my friends traveling from city to city. Show up, set up, perform, leave, and repeat. I miss the camaraderie with my band and crew. I miss my bunk. I miss waking up and walking to a coffee shop with whoever would join me. I miss playing guitar all day in the dressing room before the show. I miss laughing my ass off every day with the guys. I miss the summer festival runs where I get to see all my friends from other bands that I have toured with over the last two decades. I miss the aroma of the venues. I miss the putrid smell of the bathrooms in a European dive bar. More than anything else, I miss the look of joy on everyone's face while you lovingly kick the crap out of each other in the crowd.

"I've waited patiently for DEVILDRIVER to become full-time again. I respectfully understand that since 2019 serious issues had to be dealt with that were out of anybody's control resulting in keeping the band off the road. We had a pandemic, there were family emergencies, and health issues that had to be addressed. But these dilemmas started in 2019. DEVILDRIVER became part-time long before this unfortunate chain of events. I would rather not sit at home waiting for this to become a full-time job any longer.

"In an attempt to fill the downtime. I started VERONA ON VENUS. It was never my intention to make VOV a priority over DEVILDRIVER. The only way I can see myself touring as much as I would like is by getting VERONA ON VENUS up and running or perhaps an opportunity to join another band.

"To all the DD fans out there, I love you with all my heart. You are some of the most dedicated humans I have ever met. The vitality in all of you has been the brightest light in my life. You filled my soul with happiness. l am forever grateful for every single one of you and will never forget your unwavering devotion.

"I wish Dez, Jon, Alex and Davier the very best."

In April 2004, DEVILDRIVER was about to embark on its first European tour opening for Swedish heavy metal band IN FLAMES. Two days before the tour began, then-DEVILDRIVER guitarist Evan Pitts was forced to withdraw from the tour due to personal reasons, leaving the band without a second guitar player. At the time, Jon Miller and Jeff Kendrick lived with Spreitzer when not touring with DEVILDRIVER. When Mike heard that Pitts would not be going on the European tour, he immediately offered to fill in temporarily for the duration of the tour. Shortly after DEVILDRIVER returned to its then-home base of Santa Barbara, Pitts had decided not to continue with the band and Spreitzer became a permanent member.

Since joining DEVILDRIVER in 2004, Mike has continued to tour with the band and contribute to all of the group's albums. He has also written and recorded music for small movie projects, including the documentary "Tokyo Comedy Store" that has been featured on the Documentary channel in the United States. In 2009, Mike co-wrote three songs featured on the video game "MX vs ATV Reflex" soundtrack alongside Raymond Herrera, Christian Olde Wolbers and Jeff Kendrick. In 2012, Mike worked with London-based alternative rock band ESO and featured on their debut single, "We Are Watching You".

Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer (courtesy of Napalm Records)

In a new interview with Sam Acevedo of El Planeta Del Rock, David Ellefson was asked if MEGADETH is "a closed chapter" for him at this point. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, look, it's never a closed chapter. I mean, look, I helped start the band. I was there from the beginning. My heart and soul was in it. You'll hear that in those songs forever. And, look, that way of life, our lifestyle, our work ethic has influenced me forever. It's part of how I still roll now moving forward. So, you can't just take that piece of your life and just pull it out and stick it on the shelf. It's part of me. I'm always part of that. And, hey, look, we're not sharing the stage together, we're not doing that right now. But, yeah, my thing is, why ever close doors? It wasn't my idea to not be there. So I'm, like, 'Yeah, whatever. Maybe another time. Anyway, let's go to Rome. Let's play a show. Let's go jam some tunes with OVERKILL.' So, to me, it's kind of, like, just keep moving, man. Just keep moving."

Ellefson continued: "Look, when I went back to [MEGADETH] in 2010, it wasn't in my rearview mirror; it was now in the front view. And that's kind of how I viewed it the first time around [after MEGADETH temporarily split up in 2002, only to reform a couple of years later without Ellefson]. It was, like, 'Well, don't sit here and focus on the little rearview mirror. Look out the big windshield in the front and see what's coming around,' and that was SOULFLY and all these other kind of cool things that came around. And then one day, next thing you know, hey, wow, MEGADETH's in the front view again. All right, well, let's do that for a little while. So, that's my outlook on it."

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH more than three years ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Dave Mustaine, alleging the MEGADETH frontman shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

In June 2023, Ellefson told Andrew McKaysmith of the "Scars And Guitars" podcast that he was prepared for his latest exit from MEGADETH.

"When my departure from MEGADETH happened, a lot of people were hitting me [up and saying], 'Oh my God. It's so terrible. It's so terrible,'" he recalled. "[And I said], 'Yeah, believe me, it's not.' [Laughs] It really isn't. I was ready for it. I didn't think it was gonna go down that way; I didn't see that coming. But the fact that it happened, I was not sad about it. I was okay with it. Because I knew there's another journey ahead, and that journey wasn't gonna start until I was out of the old one.

"When you're in a group, you're in a setting, you've gotta play company man and you kind of go along with the narrative that's been set forth.

"There was a lot of things, a lot of the narrative in that band that I never agreed with," Ellefson admitted. "A lot of that band was started on a grudge and a hardship of the firing [of MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine] from METALLICA. That was never my story. I was always a METALLICA fan and I became friends with those guys. I have nothing but gratitude for that group and those gentlemen for what they've done for all of us, and I think they deserve the biggest applause. So it was hard to be in a band that always had this saltiness around that whole narrative, because it was never my narrative. So I went along to get along, but now I don't have to do that. And now I can be on my own path. These are my words; it's my story now. And maybe the events that happened a couple of years ago, I needed to have my own story to tell. 'Cause when you quit a band, everyone's pissed at you; they hate you: 'Oh, fuck you. You quit. You quit my favorite band.' But when you get tossed out… And I'm not looking for the sympathy card. You don't have to feel sorry for me; you don't have to do any of that. But it's interesting that, I guess the way it happened… it went down in a way that it was certainly visible enough and on a level that… It was sort of, like, okay, well, what's gonna happen next? And I just tried to be faithful to just following my heart, following the path."

Fan-filmed video of MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil's September 1 concert at Fulton County Fair in Wauseon, Ohio can be seen below (courtesy of Krista Lambert, dan ginn and adlap015).

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.

Spend Sunday Sept 1st with me and Vince Neil at the Fulton County Fair. Tickets available at www.acefrehley.com Swing by the merch booth if you're interested in VIP meet/greet info.

Posted by Ace Frehley on Saturday, August 31, 2024

LINKIN PARK's Mike Shinoda spoke with Nicole Alvarez of Audacy's KROQ about yesterday's (Thursday, September 5) announcement that Emily Armstrong of the group DEAD SARA has joined him and his bandmates to be a co-vocalist in LINKIN PARK.

LINKIN PARK introduced its new lineup during a live performance event, with Armstrong and Colin Brittain, a songwriter and producer for G FLIP, ILLENIUM and ONE OK ROCK, joining Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell and Joe Hahn. LINKIN PARK also released a new single, "The Emptiness Machine", and announced an upcoming album "From Zero", which will arrive on November 15 via Warner. It will mark LINKIN PARK's first full-length effort since 2017's "One More Light", which was the last LINKIN PARK album before the death of lead vocalist Chester Bennington.

Asked about the process of enlisting Armstrong to be LINKIN PARK's new singer, Mike told KROQ (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Basically, what's important to remember, what's important to know here is that we didn't have like a moment where we said, 'Hey, let's get the band back together.' We didn't have a moment where we said, 'Let's try out singers.' People have suggested stuff like that — not suggested as much as, like, 'Hey, is this an idea that you'd like?' They floated things by us. One of which, by the way, which is my favorite, I talk about this all the time now, a couple of people were, like, 'What if you did like an 'American Idol', 'Voice'-style competition and the winner is the singer?' That's the opposite of what we wanted to do or the opposite of what we felt was like the right thing, because our band is built on natural chemistry and relationships. And it's just very important.

"I think that probably around [a few years ago], Dave and Joe and I, in the very beginning, had started talking more often and we were just, like, 'What if we get together and we just start making some things, making some music? It doesn't have to be LINKIN PARK. Let's just get together and be creative and have fun,'" he continued. "And that's what we did. So back then it was more about just spending more time together. And then the more time evolved into songs and the songs evolved into 'let's invite some other people in and see how that feels.' And eventually we got to the point where it's, like, 'That girl, Emily, the stuff we make with her is special. I don't know why it's special. It just feels special. And even though the things we've made are good, I bet we make stuff that's great with her if we just do it more often.' We also met Colin who's playing drums for us now, Colin is a writer and producer that I met in a session, some random session, a few years ago and just instantly clicked with him. And so once we all, once the six of us all started to get together with Brad and Joe and Dave, it was, like… it just slowly came into focus."

Asked what the next most significant moment or a turning point with all of them was when this started to become more of a reality, Mike said: "I bet everybody has different answers to this. I might even have different answers to it. I think, for me, the first one that comes to mind is… Well, I mean, there were a couple songs, and 'The Emptiness Machine' is one of 'em, there was a couple songs where, when we did them in the form that you hear on the record, on 'The Emptiness Machine', for example, when Emily sang on it. The song at that point was pretty written. And we had been making new songs with her from scratch, and we're, like, 'Oh, you know what? Will you sing on this one that we've already done, like, just learn the words and whatever?' And she came in and crushed it. And we were, like, 'That's a LINKIN PARK song.' You can't listen to that song and say it's anything else. At that point, too, we were like considering, 'Should we call this a different band name? Do we need one singer? Maybe we've got multiple people playing different roles and stuff.' And when she was singing on certain things, it sounded so much like the band, for me, I was just, like, 'That feels good.' I don't know. I can't be logical about it. It's an illogical thing. It just feels good."

Shinoda also discussed the scrutiny Emily will encounter as the replacement for an iconic singer like Chester. He said: "We've all talked about it with each other and with her a million times, and we're still talking about it. One difficult thing that people are experiencing is just that they've heard LINKIN PARK for so long with Chester's voice and the idea of somebody else being in that role, it feels really different. I know that in the context of the music that's not released yet, I know that I love it. I think her voice is incredible. And the best thing for people who have such a strong connection to Chester to know, just to know about me, is that Chester was a one-of-a-kind person and a one-of-a-kind voice, and Emily is also a one-of-a-kind person and a one-of-a-kind voice. She's not trying to be him. She's trying to be her. And it so happens that I think she singing on these songs sounds like LINKIN PARK."

Later this month, LINKIN PARK will embark on a six-date arena tour, making stops in Los Angeles, New York, Hamburg, London, Seoul and Bogota.

Pre-sale tickets for the "From Zero" tour will be available for the LP Underground fan club members starting on September 6. The general sale will start on September 7.

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

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

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

Armstrong made her live debut with LINKIN PARK onstage in a one-hour global livestream of a concert in Los Angeles on September 5, featuring performances of "The Emptiness Machine" as well as the LP hits "Somewhere I Belong", "Numb", "Faint", "Bleed It Out", "One Step Closer", "What I've Done" and "In The End".

Armstrong spoke in an interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe about stepping in for Bennington.

"Obviously on the side of the feelings and the emotions of it, I would love to do him proud," she said.

Regarding the task of singing LINKIN PARK classics that featured Bennington, she said: "It's never a thought where it's, like, 'I need to make this song my own.' It's, like, 'How do I make this song have the same impact, as much as possible, with my voice?'"

"There was a huge leap of faith that we had to say, 'I think she's the one,'" Shinoda said in the Apple Music interview.

Founded in 2018 by mastermind and lead vocalist Bartłomiej "Варфоломей" Krysiuk and propelled by their critically acclaimed album, Hospodi, and relentless touring around the globe, the Polish Orthodox black metal icons formerly known as Batushka have revealed their brand-new band name - Patriarkh!


Originally founded by Krzysztof Drabikowski in 2015, Batushka released their successful first album, Litourgiya, with vocals handled by Bartłomiej "Варфоломей" Krysiuk. Three years later, the band split up and both parties decided to keep going with the same name, until a legal dispute resulted in Krysiuk recently changing his band’s name.


Patriarkh is finally free from litigation, and with a clear and fresh vision, the new band looks towards a bright future. Deeply rooted in Eastern Orthodox tradition and music, Patriarkh combines black and doom metal and ushers in a new era with outstanding, ominous religious schemas that conceal their identities amid remarkable liturgies with their fans.




Conveying the spirit of true patriarchs and Orthodox sacredness, the band just returned from an intensive run through Latin America. Patriarkh will soon possess European audiences on their “Prophecy” tour, wrapping up their last shows in Poland before heading to 28 cities in 13 countries. The final Batushka show will take place on December 13 in Melbourne, Australia.


Patriarkh states:


“DEAR PILGRIMS, FANS, AND FRIENDS!


As you may have noticed over the past few weeks, we have been spreading the word about our latest concerts in various parts of the world. The time has come for which we have been preparing for the past few weeks – a time of FINAL CHANGES.


Over the past two years, we have been working on new music, a new album, and a new stage. It has cost us a lot of sacrifices and effort. Along with the new musical stage, we have decided to embrace a new chapter of the band under a completely new name. This is also the perfect time for all your attention to be focused on our music and what we have to say through it, rather than on legal or personal struggles that have plagued our minds like a cancer.


Now that we see how important it is for many people to discredit our hard work and divert attention from what really matters, our MUSIC, we have decided to lift this burden so as not to negate our efforts. We want to completely disassociate ourselves from all of this, change the band's name entirely, and start a new chapter for ourselves as individuals and for the band.
On the other hand, we appreciate how many people value us, the dedicated fans we have all over the world, and how much we owe to you. Therefore, we want to bury all negative emotions, disputes, and dramas along with the old name Batushka.


With new music and a new name, we aim to set a new direction and begin a new story. A story that we hope you will join us in building together worldwide because without you, our Pilgrims, it doesn't make sense!


The change will not happen overnight, this phase will last until the end of the year. In the meantime, prepare for new music, a new image, and a new quality of performances that we want to introduce along with the new music.


December 13th will be a symbolic date. In Melbourne, Australia, the final farewell concert of Batushka will take place, and we will collectively bury this stage during the last liturgy.


Right after the new year, with the new publication, Patriarkh will be born. The patriarch, along with the new covenant, will begin his reign and send his Prophet into the world!

Metallica have launched the pre-order for the Ride The Lightning Electric Chair Resin Statue, expected to ship October 2024.


Says Metallica: "Crafted from high-quality resin and meticulously hand-painted, the new Electric Chair Resin Statue by Nemesis Now is available for pre-order in The Met Store and the Probity UK Shop."

Gothenburg’s iconic melodic death metal pioneers, Dark Tranquillity, have not only just successfully released their 13th studio album, Endtime Signals, via Century Media Records, but are also pleased to announce a long overdue vinyl re-issue of their fourth album, Projector, from 1999.


Projector, which also marked the beginning of Dark Tranquillity’s long-standing relationship with Century Media Records as their worldwide record company partners and the band’s first release to receive a nomination for a Swedish Grammis Award, saw the group explore a more diverse and atmospheric side to their ever relevant and constantly progressing melodic death metal approach, making the album a total fan-favourite and a special release to finally re-visit with a new vinyl edition in order to celebrate its 25th Anniversary. 


Originally recorded with Fredrik Nordström at Gothenburg’s Studio Fredman (In Flames, Arch Enemy, At The Gates), the album’s main 10 songs now come with a fresh 2024 vinyl remaster crafted by Dan Swanö at Unisound (Opeth, Katatonia, Edge Of Sanity). 







The new Projector (Re-issue 2024) vinyl version will be released on November 1st, 2024 with pre-order starting today for the following three available variants:


- Ltd. brick red L

Back On Black Records has collected the recordings of Necrophagia from their Season Of Mist days.


The 4CD set includes the EP Cannibal Holocaust (2001) and studio albums The Divine Art Of Torture (2003), Harvest Ritual Volume I (2005), and Whiteworm Cathedral (2014). The set is due for release on September 20. Preorder on plastichead.com.







These pioneers of death metal have been slaying the scene since the early 1980’s when their debut Season Of the Dead hit the public’s ears.

The Lila YouTube channel has uploaded video of MÖTLEY CRÜE's August 31 concert at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Check out the clips below.

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.

In a recent interview with Janne Innanfors of the Swedish radio station Rockklassiker, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx stated about the mixed response to "Dogs Of War" from the band's fans: "We like the fact that there was kind of a knee-jerk reaction, because at least people were listening. It's a very strange time now where, whether it's a news cycle or socials, everybody has turned into a critic. And I always say, they've never erected a statue of a critic. It's never happened, right? It's always the artist. But now everybody's a critic. So within a short amount of time, we get, 'We love it.' 'We hate it.' 'You're over.' 'You've reinvented yourself.' 'It sounds like 'Shout At The Devil'. 'It sucks.' And we just kind of sit there and go, 'That's cool, guys, but we didn't really ask for any input from you.' We're just artists writing music, and we're pretty cool. I'm happy with it. I like it."

During an appearance on SiriusXM Fight Nation's "Busted Open" show, Sixx discussed the musical direction of "Dogs Of War", saying: "A lot of people said it's a different sound, but I'll be honest with you, I don't necessarily agree with that. If you listen to the verses, they're very similar to a lot of stuff that we've done — that simple, grinding thing with those almost CHEAP TRICK melodies. And the riff, I mean, it could be off of 'Dr. Feelgood'. So I don't really feel like it's that different. I think what's different for people is that when we were working on the song, Tommy [Lee, CRÜE drummer] had the idea to just let the bottom fall out in the verses, which is not really what we do. We usually go for it, and [it's] really unique for Vince [Neil, CRÜE singer]."

Vince chimed in: "I don't ever sing like that. But it works in the song." He added that "Dogs Of War" "was very easy to sing."

Nikki elaborated on the CRÜE songwriting process, saying: "I think what we do together is we all kind of know each other so well, we know each other's strengths and weaknesses. And for me as a lyricist, I'm always thinking about Vince and his tempo as I write. So it's not like out of the wheelhouse, but it's nice to know each other so well, if that makes sense."

When "Dogs Of War" was first released, Neil described the track as "like old school meets new school. It's got that old-school vibe about it, but it's new music. Nikki came up with it and he sent me the music and I thought it was really cool. So I started singing it and we got in the studio and it turned into the song I think the fans are really gonna like it."

Brutal death band Emasculator has released the official music video for "Eradication Of The Asuras”, the newest single of the band's debut EP The Disfigured And The Divine.


The Disfigured And The Divine delves into themes of the Goddess in mythology and legend, womanhood and motherhood, overcoming obstacles, justice, spirituality, the human experience, and growing into power. Vocalist Mallika Sundaramurthy delves into the concepts behind the song and how it connects to the album's overall theme.


"'Eradication Of The Asuras' is about the Hindu goddess Durga. She is known as Mahishasuramardini, the slayer of the shape-shifting buffalo demon. He has been endowed with superpowers and is almost invincible. He has gained the boon that no man may kill him - only a woman. He hungers for power and wages war on the gods and defeats them. So the gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva combine their energy to create Durga. They endow her with their many powers and weapons, and she goes off to fight the demon. Durga appears before him riding on a lion and an epic battle ensues. The demon attacks her in his many forms; lion, man, elephant, snake, and buffalo.




“On the tenth day, she strikes the death blow with her trident, and decapitates him with her Chakra, killing him. The gods rejoice and praise her. She bids farewell and promises to return when she is needed and called upon with devotion.


“Unlike the demon, Durga is violent out of necessity and in service to others. She is viewed as a great mother who enacts divine justice on the wicked for the liberation of the oppressed. In our song, we are reaching out to her for strength, so that we may persevere through dark, chaotic, and violent times.


“I am able to relate to her as a mother and protector of my children. They say every mother has a bit of Durga in her.


“There is another legend where Durga is fighting the demon Raktabīja. Every time he is wounded, blood falls to the ground and turns into more demons. So Kali comes forth from Durga's forehead. She holds a bowl and captures every drop of blood so it may not hit the ground, and she drinks it. Thus Durga is able to kill all the duplicates and at last, slays the demon Raktabīja.


“The music video combines these two stories from Hindu mythology, representing her power and the power of divine female energy, also known as Shakti.”


The EP is the product of the band sharing music back and forth online, and feeding off each other’s enthusiasm, ideas, and criticism. The guitars are heavily influenced by early 2000s underground brutal death (such as Disgorge, Deeds of Flesh, Disavowed, and Inveracity) while taking some inspiration from modern death metal. The drums meld together relentless blast beats with bone-jarring grooves. The vocals are aggressive and dynamic, featuring a wide range of techniques and styles.


The cover artwork - painted by vocalist and artist Mallika Sundaramurthy - is a portrait of the Hindu goddess Chhinnamasta.


"She is seen making the ultimate sacrifice for others," says Sundaramurthy of the concept behind her artwork. "She has severed her own head and is feeding her followers with her life force, her own blood. In giving, she is also receiving nourishment. She has overcome death and will soon return her head to its place. She is standing on a love-making couple, meaning she is above the life-procreation-death cycle. She can also be interpreted as a mother figure who sacrifices for her children, as mothers sacrifice and even risk their lives for their babies during childbirth."


New Standard Elite will release The Disfigured and the Divine on physical formats on September 25. Preorder at nserecords.bigcartel.com.


Emasculator will make their live debut at this year’s Texas Domination Fest, scheduled for September 26-28 in Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX. The band is set to tour Europe in May of 2025 around Nice To Eat You Deathfest (Czechia).


"The Unassailable" features a guest appearance by Vishal Singh, with chants by Swathi Kalahasti. Guest vocals on "Age of the Goddess" by Daniela Dahlien Neumanová.


The Disfigured And The Divine was mixed & mastered by Josh Welshman. Guitar and bass were recorded by L.B. at Divine Retribution Studios. Vocals recorded by Tonda Smrčka at Seabeast Production. Drums recorded by Taylor Hahn at Hahn Audio.





Tracklisting:


“Ecstasy In Disseverment (Of Self)”
“In Resplendent Terror”
“Thesmophoric Rites”
“The Unassailable”
“Eradication Of The Asuras”
“Age Of The Goddess”
“Supreme Void Of Acephalous Being”


"Eradication Of The Asuras" video:

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has reflected on the band's final performance, which took place on December 2, 2023 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Speaking to Artists On Record Starring ADIKA Live!, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm proud that we did this at the right time, at the right place. Because, I mean, let's call it for what it is — how many world-champion boxers have stayed in the ring too long? Think about it. The best of the best get knocked out by some new chump because they stayed there too long. And we've all seen shows that have gone on too long. Leave them wanting. Fifty years is plenty. And the other thing is we introduced ourselves with, 'You wanted the best. You got the best. The hottest band in the world.' That's how you're gonna introduce yourselves and you're gonna come out in wheelchairs with fireballs on the sides? So you wanna get off that stage while the getting's good. You don't wanna become fat, naked, bloated Elvis on a bathroom floor when you are the king of rock and roll. That's not the way to go out. And in a very bizarre and sad way, Marilyn Monroe will forever be iconic and young because she died when she was young. We don't have an image of her in her 70s and 80s. And there's nothing wrong with that, by the way. But the great stars of yesteryear, once they quit acting, whatever, they would get off the media stage, if you will, and you wouldn't hear — Marlene Dietrich, I don't know what she looked like when she was 80. Greta Garbo and so on. They would disappear. They became private citizens, and that's the way to do it."

Simmons also talked about the fact that he will perform with his solo band, the GENE SIMMONS BAND, this spring and summer. In addition to Simmons, the GENE SIMMONS BAND members for the shows will include guitarists Brent Woods (WILDSIDE, SEBASTIAN BACH, VINCE NEIL) and Zach Throne (COREY TAYLOR) alongside drummer Brian Tichy (LYNCH MOB, THE DEAD DAISIES, WHITESNAKE, BILLY IDOL, FOREIGNER, PRIDE & GLORY, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT).

"We're going out with the GENE SIMMONS BAND," he said. "Only one show in all of South America, São Paulo, but then July, August, we're headlining some festivals and joining other bands and other festivals — big, big outdoor shows. One of them is 80-something thousand people, Wacken in Germany — big, really cool bands. And we're just gonna show up and play. There's no stage show, nothing. We actually are using wires. We actually plug into amps the way we used to do it. No technology, no road crew, no managers, no nothing. Just show up and have fun, because this band rocks. So it's real easy having a lot of fun. And in fact, I don't know if this is happening or not, but yesterday DEEP PURPLE contacted CAA and wanted to know whether or not I'd like to come out and tour with them. We said, 'Yeah, sure. Just depending on availability.' So we'll see if that happens or not. But I wasn't planning to do that."

Asked if there will be any new music from GENE SIMMONS BAND, Gene said: "I'm open. You always have to have the right thing at the right place in the right time We got the right musicians. We got the right guys. I like them. We like hanging out with each other. So that's good. For instance, Ace [Frehley, former KISS guitarist] and Paul [Stanley, KISS guitarist/vocalist] and I've had our differences, but what family doesn't have problems? And even while we were having differences of opinion, Ace called and said, 'Can you help me write a song or two?' for his last solo record. And I wasn't doing anything at that time. I said, 'Sure.' So I drove out there and started off with titles that I had and co-wrote two things that appeared on Ace's last record."

He added: "There's plenty of time to do anything, but you've got to make the time because other stuff just gets in there."

GENE SIMMONS BAND 2024 tour dates:

Apr. 26 - Summer Breeze Open Air Festival - Sao Paulo, Brazil
Jul. 27 - Kuopiorock Festival - Kuopio, Finland
Jul. 29 - Dalhalla Amphitheatre - Rattvik, Sweden
Jul. 31 - Liseberg Amusement Park - Gothenburg, Sweden
Aug. 02 - Wacken Open Air Festival  - Wacken, Germany
Aug. 04 – Ronda - Utrecht, Holland
Aug. 08 - Den Atelier - Den Atelier Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Aug. 09 - Nirwana Tuinfeest - Lierop, Netherlands
Aug. 11 - Alcatraz Festival - Kortrijk, Belgium

KISS's final concert at Madison Square Garden lasted two hours and 15 minutes and saw the legendary rockers perform to 20,000 fans at the second show of a two-night stand. After the set-closing "Rock And Roll All Nite", a message was displayed on the video screens, "A new KISS era starts now", and digital avatars of the four members of KISS appeared, playing the band's anthem "God Gave Rock And Roll To You". The announcement signaled that from here on out, KISS will perform as digital avatars.

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

A short video was released last night showing the members of KISS hooked up to the motion capture technology that helped generate their avatars.

The avatars will now be available for live shows around the world and in digital online settings, which some people collectively refer to as the metaverse.

KISS will reportedly become the first American band to go fully virtual and stage its own avatar show.