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5 àâã 2025
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5 àâã 2025
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5 àâã 2025
MARK KENDALL On New GREAT WHITE Music: 'We Made A Lot Of Demos'
 In a new interview with Rev. Tom Brice of Sportzwire Radio, GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall once again confirmed that he and his bandmates are working on material for the follow-up to 2017's "Full Circle" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We made a lot of demos. It shouldn't be too long. I've been saying it for so long, but it's just hard to put it together, man. But literally I've flown [GREAT WHITE singer] Brett [Carlisle] out here [to California] multiple times, and we're just going in and presenting the band with ideas. It's also a case of we don't know exactly how we're gonna do it, with today's world."
He continued: "To bombard people with, like, 13 songs, it almost doesn't make sense. With all the medium stripped away, except for downloading, I'd rather get the full attention of maybe one song and a video. Let them trip on that, and then we'll come with another one and another one, and maybe then hit 'em with eight songs or whatever. Because it's not like when we were teenagers where we knew everybody's name in every band and we'd sit there and read the liner notes and trip on an album all day long and go out and buy it and take it home and it'd be a 10-hour project. Now they just download a couple of songs from this guy and that guy. It's not the human connection that we used to have, so we have to conform to that. Our thing is we just want to get the music to the people. We want you to hear it 'cause we want feedback. We want you to say 'it sucks' or 'it's great' — tell me something, man.
Back in April 2024, Kendall told George Dionne of KNAC.COM about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the next GREAT WHITE LP: "I've been having [Brett] out recording new stuff. Because I want him to be inspired and just not singing our [old] songs perfect but put his name on some new stuff. So we've been recording. I got a friend, his studio is a little bit more upgraded than mine. This guy Tracy G [Grijalva], he's like a teenage friend of mine who was in DIO. He just has a better studio. So I go down there and lay down ideas and then I have Brett out and go, 'Check this out,' and we sit together. And it's coming out amazing."
Regarding how GREAT WHITE is planning to release its new music, Mark said: "We're not sure how we're gonna put it out, with this day and age. We're talking to a lot of people about it. 'Cause we don't want the music to kind of get lost, with this downloading world. It's not like when we were growing up, we'd buy a record and sit there and listen to [LED ZEPPELIN's] 'Physical Graffiti' all day. Now they just download a couple of songs from this [album], a couple of songs [from that record]. So we're thinking maybe the idea could be [to] just put two or three songs out, maybe a video, and just keep coming with three at a time or something. That way, the music isn't wasted; it actually gets to the people. That's all we're concerned about. We know it's gonna be free on the Internet immediately."
He continued: "Even in our heyday, I was always more interested in the feedback. I want people to tell me, 'Man, I really like this song' or, 'I hate it,' or whatever. I used to go straight to a friend of mine, as soon as we were done, before it was out or anything, because you've gotta wait about four months. So I'd ask him, I go, 'Man, please tell me I'm great. Tell me something good.' He would always pick the singles. And the guy can't — he can't hold a tune in a bucket. I mean, he's so tone deaf, it's insane. But he can listen and he could always pick the singles. I'm going, 'What are you judging by? Is it the beat?' He goes, 'I don't know.' So there's no answer there. But I always like to get the feedback 'cause I wanna know… You have to wait this waiting period after you finish a record to find out if you're good or not, or if people are gonna be accepting. So it is a frustrating time. So I always race all my friends and play it for 'em. So that's what I'm more interested in than the dollars, really, is what people think. And maybe we have a chance to create some more memories."
Asked if he and his bandmates were "a little bit apprehensive" about the fact that Carlisle is only 27 years old while GREAT WHITE, as a group, has been in existence more than four decades, Mark said: "He's in his late 20s, but, believe it or not, he's kind of an old soul in a way. Nothing overwhelms the guy. He just goes out and just totally handles it every night, engages the crowd. He's real good with the interaction. He sings perfect all the time. And he's got really good song sense for a young man. I'm used to feeding people melody ideas when I write a song because that's the way I do it. Everybody has their own way to do it, but I always know that there's a lot of melody available, and he sometimes comes up with something way better than I had. So that's a good sign. And the way he delivers the new stuff, he really has a good handle on the music. And I don't know — I think he was born in the wrong time or something. In other words, we can stand together. It's not like he's standing next to his grandpa or something. It's not like we're CROSBY, STILLS & NASH, and, 'What's that 13-year-old doing there?' When we stand together, it just looks like a band. It doesn't look like we're with a little kid or anything. He's a little better-looking than us, but apart from that…"
Carlisle was officially named GREAT WHITE's new vocalist in October 2022. Brett joined the group as the replacement for Andrew Freeman (LAST IN LINE),who sang for GREAT WHITE for only five months.
Regarding what it has been like working with a singer who wasn't even born when some of GREAT WHITE's classic songs were written, the band's rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Michael Lardie told Robert Miguel of Uvalde Radio Rocks: "Well, I think he gets what we're trying to do. It's been a godsend to have someone with his youth, but at the same time he has what a lot of people would deem as an older soul. His parents did a great job bringing him up on '70s and '80s rock, so he's pretty well versed in that. And he comes from the South, so he's got a little bit of that blues and gospel edge to him."
Michael went on to say that he is "really looking forward" working on the new GREAT WHITE album with Carlisle. "In fact, before we were going on the other night, I was playing him a little bit of a thing that he and I are working on, and he's going, 'Oh, yeah, I got this idea,'" Lardie said. "So he's really psyched about working with us. And it's a joy to be onstage with him. He's turned into a great little performer, and when he's offstage, he's the most down-to-earth, righteous young man that I've come across in a while. And it's been a joy."
Michael added that Carlisle has the singing ability to handle anything from GREAT WHITE's catalog. "With his energy and his vocal range, we can do pretty much anything," he said. "If somebody throws out a tune, no matter how obscure it might be or how high it might be in terms of range, he's, like, 'Yeah, I can do that.' Like one of the songs we are doing from the very, very first record is 'Stick It'. And he hits every one of those notes spot-on every night. So it's awesome."
Regarding the musical direction of the new GREAT WHITE material, Lardie said: "It's hard to say. I would love the album to be kind of an amalgam of '...Twice Shy' [1989], 'Hooked' [1991] and 'Psycho City' [1992]. I mean, that, to me, would be a great combination of things."
In March 2024, Kendall told The Logan Show about Carlisle: "Even though he's younger than us, he's kind of, like… Nothing overwhelms the guy. He's respectful and everything, but he's not, like, 'Oh, my god. Look at this. Oh, my god. [Look at] that.' He just goes out and just totally handles it every night. Yeah, he's younger than us and whatnot, and, like you said, he wasn't even born in our heyday or whatever, probably, but he just goes out, he really brings the crowd into the show. He's really good and natural at… He doesn't have a script when he goes out there; he just kind of whatever he's feeling, and he sings like perfect, no matter what. It's pretty incredible, really. We're looking forward to doing an album with him, I can tell you that much."
After interviewer Logan Crosland noted that "quite a few people online" have commented that Brett is "probably the closest-sounding singer to Jack Russell," GREAT WHITE's original vocalist, and asked if that was a criteria when hiring Brett to front the band, Mark said: "Not necessarily. What it was is he just sang the songs correctly and he has the range to sing 'em. I don't think his voice sounds that much like Jack, but he has the range of Jack in his heyday. And so we're able to play anything we want, and we really haven't been able to do that in the past. Like we're playing 'Stick It' off the first album, which is up in the astral planes with the vocal range, and he's hitting all those notes full power. I mean, it's not like a falsetto, weak high notes. He's like straight from the gut just like screaming these notes, like full power from A to Z. There's not a song in our catalog that he can't totally handle. And I've been writing with him."
Regarding whether he has any songs already completed, Mark said: "Oh, yeah. I probably have seven complete songs on tape right now. [They're] just absolutely killer. But we haven't collaborated. The way we do it is we get together and we sit in a circle and say, 'What do you got? Let's hear it. What do you got?' And if a riff kind of pokes out, we say, 'Let's work on that. That's badass, dude. That's killer.' And that way it's more of a group effort."
Carlisle made his live debut with GREAT WHITE on September 24, 2022 at the Cannery Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
According to Brett, he felt welcomed by his new bandmates and the GREAT WHITE fans from the get-go.
"After meeting [the GREAT WHITE guys], they're all super-cool dudes," he told Kevin McKay of the 99 Rock WKSM FM radio station. "In Vegas, we had a rehearsal the day before, and I already knew half the songs well enough to be able to do it. So I wanted to do the best that I could on 'em. But after we hung out, everybody was cool and stuff. I mean, it's a big crowd. I love big crowds; they're fun."
Carlisle has been playing guitar and singing since the age of eight and counts bands like VAN HALEN, SKID ROW and METALLICA as his main influences.
In May 2022, GREAT WHITE announced that it had parted ways with singer Mitch Malloy and had replaced him with Freeman. Malloy had been in GREAT WHITE for nearly four years, having joined the group in 2018 following the departure of Terry Ilous.
Ilous, frontman of '80s L.A. hard rockers XYZ, joined GREAT WHITE in 2010 after stepping in for touring vocalist Jani Lane (WARRANT).
The Ilous-led GREAT WHITE released two albums, 2012's "Elation" and 2017's "Full Circle", before Terry was dismissed from the group.
In January 2023, Kendall told the "Mark 2.0" podcast that he was surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response to Carlisle's addition to GREAT WHITE. "It was world news," he said. "I'm seeing stuff on the Internet from Italy, Germany, the U.K. And even some of the more online dirt-seeking-type entities that normally are just huntin' for the headline to say, 'He said his singer sucks'. That's the article. That's the way it starts. These guys actually said good things and posted some of the [fan-filmed videos]. They're cellphone cameras, so the quality probably isn't… But you can hear it. You need to sing great."
In October 2022, Carlisle was asked in an interview with AL.com about his approach to singing GREAT WHITE's classic songs. He said: "I just want to do the songs justice, because that's what people expect to hear. They want to go to the shows and hear the songs the way they remember them, the way they know them. It's not about me and how many high notes I can hit or anything like that. I just want to do the give the people, and the band, what they want."
Brett went on to say that he is honored to be singing for a band whose songs — including "Save Your Love", "Rock Me" and "Lady Red Light" — he had previously covered with his other band ALL OR NOTHING.
"I just want to learn from them," Carlisle said of his new bandmates "It's just really cool to be included in what I've grown up listening to, like looking at the CDs and everything. And then now people are coming up after the shows asking me to sign like original GREAT WHITE cassettes and stuff. And I'm sitting here feeling like I'm not worthy. Because I didn't record that. But I'm like, I just sang with them, so, sure, if you want me to.""
Image credit: Paul Roma | 0 | |
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5 àâã 2025
YOB To Be Inducted Into Oregon Music Hall Of Fame; Announces New Shows
 This year, Yob will be inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. The high, well deserved, honor comes in the same calendar year the band celebrate their 25th anniversary and further cements their legendary status as titans at the helm of their genre. The 18th Annual Oregon Music Hall of Fame Induction and Concert will take place on Saturday, October 11th at the Aladdin Theater in Portland, OR.
On the induction, Yob’s founder Mike Scheidt commented, “Yob recorded our first demo in 1999, but the birth of the idea came in 1996. It was a passion project inspired by the love of heavy music. No future plans beyond that. Fast forward nearly 30 years to now being inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame, “surreal” as a description pales to the reality of it. Words fail. Gratitude does not. We’re sending endless gratitude to everyone who has supported us in any way.”
This week Yob also revealed four US shows; New York and Chicago surround the bands previously announced European dates in October, Portland and Eugene will see dates in December.
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5 àâã 2025
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5 àâã 2025
KHAN Releasing Fourth LP In October
 Melbourne based stoner psych metal band Khan is ready to return with their fourth studio album on October 1st, 2025. The album will consist of two 23 minute tracks that conceptually explore the suffering of a man possessed by the spirit of the god of death, Erlik (Turkic/Mongolian mythology). The two tracks will be called "That Fair And Warlike Form" and "Return To Dust". | 0 | |
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5 àâã 2025
FOO FIGHTERS Enlist Drummer ILAN RUBIN To Replace JOSH FREESE
 According to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, FOO FIGHTERS have recruited Ilan Rubin as their new drummer.
Rubin had previously played with NINE INCH NAILS and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with the band in 2020.
Rubin steps into the FOO FIGHTERS as the replacement for Josh Freese, who was fired from the group in May. Freese, meanwhile, who was the NAILS' touring drummer from 2005 to 2008, will return to the band, with NINE INCH NAILS sharing a picture of Freese on social media earlier today and writing "let's fucking go."
Two years after he was recruited to fill the vacancy left by the late Taylor Hawkins, Freese shared a statement on Instagram on May 16 in which he said the FOO FIGHTERS called him earlier that week to let him know that they had decided "to go in a different direction with their drummer." Freese added, "No reason was given."
FOO FIGHTERS will play their first shows of 2025 this fall, starting in Jakarta, Indonesia on October 2, followed by dates in Singapore, Tokyo and Osaka later that month. They will also play a show in Mexico City on November 14.
NINE INCH NAILS will launch the North American leg of their "Peel It Back" tour at the Oakland Arena in Oakland, California on August 6.
Rubin played with NINE INCH NAILS from 2008 to 2009, and again from 2013 until his latest exit. Rubin is also a member of Tom DeLonge's band ANGELS & AIRWAVES, and has played with Danny Elfman. He also recorded solo albums under the name THE NEW REGIME.
FOO FIGHTERS' 11th album, "But Here We Are", was released in June 2023 on Roswell/RCA.
Hawkins tragically passed away in March 2022 at the age of 50.
Hawkins was found dead in a hotel room in Colombia, shortly before FOO FIGHTERS were due to play a festival in Bogotá. No cause of death was ever announced.
Hawkins had been the FOO FIGHTERS drummer for 25 years, taking over from original drummer William Goldsmith in 1997. He is survived by his wife Alison and their three children.
FOO FIGHTERS staged two tribute concerts in honor of Hawkins. The first tribute concert took place September 3, 2022 at London's Wembley Stadium. A Los Angeles concert was held on September 27, 2022 and raised money for Musicares and Music Support charities and served as a farewell party for Hawkins's adopted hometown.
Other notable tributes to come in the months following Hawkins's death included a segment at the 2022 Grammy Awards, a drum circle in Taylor's hometown, and a live performance of the FOO FIGHTERS song "My Hero" by more than 1,000 musicians.
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5 àâã 2025
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5 àâã 2025
LOU GRAMM Explains Why Now Is Right Time For Him To Hit The Road With FOREIGNER
 In a new interview with Ryan Vacey, music photographer and host of the Beyond The Vibe podcast, original FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm spoke about the band's upcoming shows where he will guest on some of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame group's biggest hits. Gramm will share the stage with Luis Maldonado, who is replacing current frontman Kelly Hansen on lead vocals. Asked why now is the right time for him to return to FOREIGNER as a guest singer, Gramm said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I know that since we were inducted into the Rock Hall Of Fame, there's been a lot reinterest in the band — the early band and the band as it currently is. And I know [FOREIGNER's founding guitarist] Mick [Jones] is not in good health. I think if he was in good health, he would be out there with this band, and maybe I would be joining him. But he's not well enough to play, and I feel like I wanna help fly the flag for the band — the original band, and the current band right now, in these waning moments and moments when we're getting so much attention for what we've accomplished over the years. I wanna be out there as one of the original members to wave the flag."
FOREIGNER recently announced the September 12 release of extensive super deluxe editions of its 1981 smash multi-platinum album "4".
Recorded at the famed Electric Lady Studios in New York City alongside respected music producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange (DEF LEPPARD, AC/DC),"Foreigner 4 Deluxe" will be available in black vinyl and various other formats on September 12 via Rhino. The release will encompass newly remastered Stereo or Atmos versions, and a five-disc CD/Blu-ray package that includes a booklet containing over 60 exclusive photos, five previously unreleased songs, 14 early and alternate versions of various songs, 15 instrumentals, and 15 live performances from across the globe, spanning the band's 1981 and 1982 "4" world tour. The digital deluxe release will also contain alternate versions, instrumentals, and live performances from the era.
Originally released July 2, 1981, "4" spent more weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard charts than any artist in the history of Atlantic Records, including AC/DC, THE ROLLING STONES and LED ZEPPELIN, and went on to sell more than ten million albums worldwide. "4" is certified six times platinum in the U.S. (RIAA),four times platinum in Canada (Music Canada),platinum in Australia (ARIA) and Germany (BVMI),and gold in seven additional countries. It spawned three Billboard Hot 100 singles: "Waiting For A Girl Like You", "Urgent" and "Juke Box Hero". "Foreigner 4", as it's often referred to, is the fourth studio album by the legendary British-American rock band released during a time of transition as they famously went from six members to four.
Jones noted: "Recording our fourth album took the better part of two years. It was something that just had to be right and I truly believe that Mutt Lange, Lou [Gramm], Rick [Willis], Dennis [Elliott] and I accomplished something very special. This package, and particularly the stunning Atmos mixes, present a spectacular culmination of one of the most exciting periods of my life."
To coincide with the deluxe package release, FOREIGNER — Luis Maldonado (lead vocals/guitar),Jeff Pilson (bass),Michael Bluestein (keyboards),Bruce Watson (guitars),Chris Frazier (drums) — will celebrate half a century of music with a new round of headlining tour dates which will include Gramm guesting on some of the songs he helped create almost 45 years ago. The upcoming "Foreigner 4 Deluxe Tour" signals yet another important transition for the band as these new dates will be the first major U.S. shows featuring Maldonado on lead vocals. On the season finale of "The Voice", it was announced that this year's summer tour would be the last for Hansen.
Of the transition, Maldonado had this to say: "Earlier this year, we toured Mexico and South America with the incredible Lou Gramm. We all had such a fantastic time performing and being together, and it's with that same excitement I look forward to working with Lou again. He was an integral part of the writing and recording of the 'Foreigner 4' album and his presence will add a historic dimension to our forthcoming tour."
Released in 1977, FOREIGNER's debut album produced the hits "Feels Like The First Time", "Cold As Ice" and "Long, Long Way From Home". The albums "Double Vision" and "Head Games" followed with more hits including "Hot Blooded", "Blue Morning, Blue Day" and "Dirty White Boy". Then came "Urgent", "Juke Box Hero" and "Waiting For A Girl Like You". Those songs helped give FOREIGNER's next album, "4", its impressive 10-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. At the zenith of 1980s sound, FOREIGNER's fifth album, "Agent Provocateur", gave the world the incredible No. 1 global hit "I Want To Know What Love Is". This musical milestone followed the record-breaking song "Waiting For A Girl Like You".
Check out the "Foreigner 4 Deluxe" show at any of the following tour stops:
December 03 - Port Chester, NY - Capitol Theatre
December 04 - Port Chester, NY - Capitol Theatre
December 06 - Staten Island, NY - St. George Theatre
December 07 - Bethlehem, PA - Wind Creek Event Theater
December 09 - Wallingford, CT - Oakdale Theatre
December 11 - Montclair, NJ - Wellmont Theater
December 12 - Montclair, NJ - Wellmont Theater
December 13 - Williamsport, PA - Community Arts Center | +1 | |
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5 àâã 2025
TED NUGENT On OZZY OSBOURNE: 'As He Got Clean And Sober, He Was A Fun Guy'
 During an appearance on the "Faith & Freedom" podcast, which is hosted by his wife Shemane Nugent, legendary rocker Ted Nugent was asked what it was like touring with Ozzy Osbourne back in the late 1970s when Nugent was the support act for BLACK SABBATH on a North American run of shows. Ted responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it doesn't really matter because — and bottom line is we love Ozzy. He was a kind man, a gentleman, a hard-working guy, extremely talented. He did a vocalization and a songwriting musical force to reckon with. So we're praying for his family and his friends and those millions and millions of fans out there that are really traumatized [by his passing]. I mean, there's a lot of heartbreak and a lot of crying going on. So we're with you people, and we share your heartbreak, we share your emotion and we share your love for Ozzy. Our hearts are heavy for the Osbourne family because he was a good dad and a good husband… And as he got clean and sober, he was a fun guy. He was a funny guy. He was a cocky guy. And more importantly, he's known as the Prince Of Darkness. He was a Christian. He was against war…"
Ted continued: "I've been reviewing a lot of the testimonies and celebrations of Ozzy's life, and a lot of his lyrics were for peace, supporting the military, good over evil, identifying the scourge of mankind, being negative and being evil and satanic. So I believe, I'm confident when I say that Ozzy Osbourne was a Christian."
Back in 2002, Nugent slammed Ozzy's family reality TV show "The Osbournes" for being "soulless" and singled out Osbourne's wife and manager Sharon for "[taking] advantage of [Ozzy's] drooling condition to make millions of dollars from people laughing at [him]". In an interview published at Salon.com, Nugent had the following response when asked for his opinion on the series that at the time was the highest-rated program in MTV history: "I think the success of 'The Osbournes' as a TV show is an indictment of the soullessness of mankind.
"Now, I'm just a guitar player, but when I see a train wreck, I don't look at it and laugh — I try to save injured people. You're not supposed to wring entertainment out of tragedy.
"Ozzy is a nice man, he is a kind man, he is an extremely talented man, extremely tenacious, obviously. But he is the poster boy of why I never touched poisons in my life. Because I don't want to drool, nor do I want to allow a woman in my life to take advantage of my drooling condition to make millions of dollars from people laughing at me. That's what she has done. And no one is laughing with the Osbournes — they are laughing at them. I find that soulless."
On whether the Osbournes represent the family life that people think most rock stars have, Ted said at the time: "That's the worst thing. There's three levels. Well, there's obviously a million levels. But let's go with the obvious three. There's Jerry Garcia's level: They did so many drugs they died. You don't have enough tape and I don't have enough time to list all the dead assholes. That's Level 1: The ultimate failure of individuals and society to identify deadly conduct. Horrifically, not only didn't they identify it, they fucking celebrated it. They encouraged it, they wrote about it, they danced about it, they drew people into it. So now, you have death and mayhem out of control. That's not an opinion; that's an observation of [more than five decades of] clean and sober. I'd like to go see Jimi Hendrix, I'd like to go see John Belushi, I'd like to, well, I wouldn't like to go see Jerry Garcia, he's not one of my favorite guitar players. But that's the ultimate stupidity: Poison yourself to death for no other reason except that some trendy asshole thought it was groovy, baby."
Ted continued: "The second level is Ozzy: you're not dead, but damn close. And again, I'm to repeat this: I like Ozzy. He is a good guy. He is an extremely talented man. More talented for the fact that he took those talents he does have, which are moderate, and sold 50 million records with them. He surrounded himself with the Randy Rhoadses and the Tommy Aldridges and the Zakk Wyldes and mastered building a million homes out of timber that most people couldn't have built a barn with. That's real talent.
"So that's Level 2: You did all the stupid things, but you survived. Great. Then there is Level 3: Ted. He defied the stupidity and his American dream soars on the wings of an American eagle. Because my happiness — the content, the fiber, the joys, the emotion — is all thriving in my life, because I discipline myself. Aha! That's what Jerry and Ozzy didn't have: The big 'D'. Discipline. My parents taught me to shoot a gun conscientiously, safely, and responsibly, and disciplined me if I didn't. I would get my block knocked off, which is what Ozzy's little brats need a good dose of. God, I wish my dad was still alive. He could fix those kids in one night. I'd just say, Dad, could you fix those assholes for me? Thank you very much.
"Level 3 is those who are smart enough not to drink and drive, not to poison their God-given gifts, and to live the American dream of seeking excellence, and the resulting happiness that can not be stopped."
In a 2003 interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Ted doubled down on his criticism of "The Osbournes", saying: "God bless Ozzy and Sharon. God bless their family. I hope they can find happiness. What I see is not happiness; it is superficial happiness. You don't encourage and much less allow your children to swear violently at people and be totally undisciplined. Look at how fat his kids are. When you have kids that fat, then they are just eating bad food, which is a manifestation of a certain cultural depravation where they can't even monitor their own health habits.
"Ozzy, God bless him, is super talented. He is a great man. He is a man of heart and soul and goodwill. He is a very funny man, but he is a perfect poster child of why I have never touched drugs, alcohol, tobacco or fast food. You get stupid, fat, slow and drooling. He is an absolute shell of a man. He doesn't have any capacities physically or mentally. It is just pathetic that someone would find entertainment or recreational joy from watching a wounded man shuffle about and mumble. It's embarrassing."
Ozzy died the morning of July 22, his family announced in a statement.
"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.
No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.
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5 àâã 2025
Watch: EXTREME Covers OZZY OSBOURNE's 'I Don't Know' In Honor Of Late BLACK SABBATH Singer
 Massachusetts rockers EXTREME have been performing a cover of Ozzy Osbourne's "I Don't Know" at the most recent shows on their ongoing European tour as a tribute to the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer, who passed away late last month at the age of 76.
Fan-filmed video of three different EXTREME renditions of "I Don't Know", including at the Artmania festival in Sibiu, Romania on July 26, can be seen below.
A week after taking part in Ozzy's final concert, which was held on July 5 at Villa Park in BLACK SABBATH's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom, EXTREME guitarist Nuno Bettencourt took to his social media to write: "Thank you Ozzy for being a big part of the soundtrack of my childhood and decades afterwards. Also… Thank you to 3 CHOSEN ONES. Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee, Zakk Wylde. Ozzy could not have been Ozzy without your iconic contribution as incredible guitarists and composers. You were an integral part of what made Ozzy Osbourne who he was as an artist. His 'not so' secret weapon. And what was even more amazing is that every single one of you three brought your own DNA to each era… It would've been easy and safe for all you to replicate and clone the previous guitar god and give the fans what they wanted. Given the pressure of the shoes you had to fill. Imagine: Randy having to step into Iommi's shoes. Jake having to step into Randy's and Iommi's shoes. Zakk having to step into Jake and Randy's and Iommi's shoes. And in the end neither of you did… instead you brought your own fucking shoes and cemented your own individual legacies. As a fellow guitarist … that alone is a historic feat.
"Thank you Randy, Jake and Zakk for you inspirational guitar work and shaping me as the guitarist I am today. Love you guys."
Last year, Nuno told YouTuber Rick Beato that he tried to join Ozzy's solo band more than four decades ago when he was just a teenager. "The first time I ever played through a proper cab was when the Circus magazine put out an ad," he recalled. "I think it had come out when Randy passed away, unfortunately, and we were all devastated. And I think, at the moment, [Osbourne's camp] were looking for a guitar player… There was like a little cutout thing, like, almost like an ad: 'Send your tape here, Ozzy looking for a guitar player.' And I'm, like, 'This is my gig. I can do this.' I'm in this four-family home in Hudson, Massachusetts and the ad says, I don't know, 'Send 'Crazy Train' on cassette to this address.' And I'm all in, man. I call my buddy saying, 'Can I borrow your Marshall?', and I put it in my bedroom. I can't do without a cabinet, and I borrowed a 4×12; I had never played through one before… I also borrowed some harmonizer and I didn't even know how to run it, and I'm like, 'That's it!' I'm playing the song, probably horribly; I'm doing the solo… I didn't tell anybody. I took the solo, wrote down the address, licked the stamp, brought it to the post office, and I was just like, 'Okay, now I wait. But I'm getting this gig.' Weeks have gone by, and I'm getting really upset. Then, I read that Brad Gillis is filling in, and I'm, like, 'Oh, man. They better not keep him, because this is my gig.' I believed I was going to do it… I'm waiting, and months have gone by. And then, I heard they got Jake E. Lee. I might have shed a tear because I thought that was my gig."
A decade later, in 1993, after Bettencourt had spent several years touring with EXTREME, the band's booking agent Rod MacSween told Nuno that Ozzy's team offered him guitarist position he once auditioned for, this time without the need for a homemade tape. The guitarist recalled: "He pulls me out and we're in a hallway. I'll never forget this. He's facing me, and Rod says, 'Nuno, Sharon Osbourne called me. Ozzy wants you to be his guitarist.' And then, he says, 'What do you think?' And all I could say was, 'They heard the cassette?', and he's like, 'What are you talking about?'… I was literally thinking about the cassette I sent when I was 12. That's how much trauma I had."
As it turned out, Nuno declined the offer to join Ozzy's band as a result of his loyalty to EXTREME and his determination to "carve [his] own path. He explained: "It finally worked, and I turned it down, because I was in a band, and I was doing my job. And that was the stupidest thing I ever did. Why? Because I left EXTREME about two weeks later. I was like, 'I'm an idiot.' I could have toured with Ozzy, and been on the next album… Because, playing with Ozzy was almost a rite of passage, like you were the chosen one… If Ozzy chose you, you were somebody… But I was trying to carve my own path and be my own person. I don't know what I was thinking; I should have done it."
Ozzy died the morning of July 22, his family announced in a statement.
"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.
No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019. | +2 | |
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5 àâã 2025
Germany’s Wacken Open Air Festival Honours OZZY OSBOURNE With Drone Show; Video
 Ozzy Osbourne, who sadly passed away on July 22 at 76 years of age, was honoured with a drone show at the 2025 edition of Germany’s Wacken Open Air festival. Video can be viewed below.
According to Merkur.de, the message “Ozzy We Love You” appeared above the main stages. This was accompanied by Osbourne’s song “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and then the Black Sabbath number “Paranoid.” Images of Osbourne were simultaneously shown on the large screens.
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5 àâã 2025
SLAYER – Repentless 10 Year Anniversary Edition Vinyl Out In September
 Nuclear Blast will release Slayer’s 2015 album Repentless as a 10 year anniversary edition on September 12.
The 10th anniversary release will be a limited edition, 180g clear silver red splatter LP, housed in a gatefold jacket with mirror board cover art. Limited to 3,400 units Worldwide.
Preorder at the Nuclear Blast webshop.
Repentless was BraveWords’ #1 on our BravePicks 2015 countdown. The album was originally released September 2015 and is the legendary thrashers’ final record. Singles include the title track, “You Against You”, and “Pride In Prejudice”.
Repentless has achieved gold status Poland for sales/streaming surpassing 10,000 units and reached its highest-charting debut in U.S. in the band’s history reaching #4 on the Billboard 200.
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4 àâã 2025
Official CANDLEMASS Documentary In The Works; Acclaimed Swedish Director JONAS ÅKERLUND To Serve As Executive Producer
 A Kickstarter campaign has been launched for a documentary about Swedish doom metal legends CANDLEMASS.
"9 Lives Of Doom – The Story Of Candlemass" will explore the career and legacy of CANDLEMASS and the band's 40-year journey through creativity, collaboration, breakups, and reconciliation.
As part of CANDLEMASS's 40th anniversary, the influential group has been booked to perform an exclusive, one-off reunion show with its iconic former singer Messiah Marcolin at the Rock Hard Festival in Athens, Greece. Messiah was an important figure in the band's early success. However, the relationship between Messiah and the rest of CANDLEMASS has been turbulent throughout the years. 2025 marks 20 years since they last shared the stage together. "9 Lives Of Doom" will document how the reunion plays out.
Added to CANDLEMASS's present activities, the band's guitarist Mats Björkman recently found a moving box filled with 50 hours' worth of old video tapes, yet to be seen. These tapes will provide a close and personal documentary of the history of CANDLEMASS from their humble formation in Upplands Väsby, north of Stockholm, in 1985 leading up to present day. The story is further told through a wide range of interviews with notable musicians and associates to CANDLEMASS.
After CANDLEMASS's anniversary show in Athens, the band is booked to enter the studio to record what possibly will be CANDLEMASS's last record and thus the culmination of the band's career.
CANDLEMASS's mark on the genre and their legacy can be heard in bands such as OPETH, GHOST and PARADISE LOST. In 2019 CANDLEMASS were nominated for a U.S. Grammy Award with the album "The Door To Doom". One could say that CANDLEMASS reached a full-circle moment when BLACK SABBATH's Tony Iommi played a solo on one of the tracks on the record.
CANDLEMASS's journey reflects the human condition and themes such as artistic expression, relationships and coming of age in a genre often associated with youthfulness and virility. "9 Lives Of Doom" is a story about passion and vision and how CANDLEMASS has been a major contributor to putting Sweden on the world map of heavy metal.
CANDLEMASS was formed in 1984 in Upplands Väsby, Sweden, by bassist and main songwriter Leif Edling. The band quickly became pioneers of a slower, heavier, and darker style of metal that came to be known as doom metal — a direct sonic descendant of BLACK SABBATH, but with its own epic and gothic twist. Their debut album, "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" (1986),is today considered a genre-defining classic, but at the time it flew under the radar. Ironically, the album's status grew over the years, making it one of the most celebrated and influential doom metal albums of all time. In 1987, the band recruited vocalist Messiah Marcolin, whose operatic, vibrato-rich singing style and monk-like stage persona became an identifiable part of CANDLEMASS's visual and sonic identity. With Messiah on board, CANDLEMASS released the albums "Nightfall" (1987),"Ancient Dreams" (1988) and "Tales Of Creation" (1989) — a trilogy that cemented their legacy and built a loyal international fanbase.
CANDLEMASS's career has been marked by both creative highs and internal conflicts, leading to multiple breakups and reunions over the decades. Despite this, the band has shown remarkable resilience and longevity and in 2018 Johan Längqvist, who sang on CANDLEMASS's debut album, joined the band as a full-time singer.
In 2011 Yasin Hillborg's documentary about the history of Swedish hard rock and heavy metal, "Så Jävla Metal" (English-language translation: "So Damn Metal") premiered. The cast is a who's who of Swedish hard rock and metal musicians. One such musician is the renowned film director Jonas Åkerlund who was the drummer of the legendary Swedish black metal band BATHORY. In the spring of 2024 Åkerlund contacted Hillborg and asked Hillborg if he would be interested in directing a feature length documentary about CANDLEMASS.
Åkerlund, who will serve as the executive producer of "9 Lives Of Doom", has a personal and professional relationship with the band since the 1980s. Åkerlund was the driver and drum roadie on CANDLEMASS's first tour of Sweden and director of CANDLEMASS's first music video, "Bewitched", from 1987. This also happens to have been Åkerlund's directorial debut as music video director. He has since worked with METALLICA, SATYRICON, RAMMSTEIN, MADONNA and THE PRODIGY, among others.
Hillborg has in turn been a fan of the band since he heard them on the radio in 1987. His fandom further deepened when Hillborg saw CANDLEMASS open for SLAYER in 1988. "Every chord they played was like a massive wall of sound," Hillborg says about seeing CANDLEMASS live. CANDLEMASS were also a part of his 2011 documentary "Så Jävla Metal". And when Jonas approached Yasin with the question of directing a documentary about CANDLEMASS, his answer to do it was, of course, yes.
Photo credit: Linda Akerberg
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4 àâã 2025
ALICE COOPER On Reuniting With His Original Bandmates For New Album: It 'Sounds Exactly Like It Did Back In 1974'
 In the new issue of Rock Candy magazine, Alice Cooper told editor Howard Johnson why now was the right time for the ALICE COOPER band to work together again and why they split up in 1974 after seven groundbreaking studio albums.
"I've always known it couldn't have lasted between us back then," he said. "There were too many things in the way. Mike [Michael Bruce] went through a bad period, Dennis [Dunaway] had some physical problems, Neal [Smith] had some physical problems. Plus I was dealing with my cocaine and alcohol things and that set me back at least five years. At the end of the 'Muscle Of Love' album period, we were not on the same page lifestyle-wise. I don't think anyone really understood where the group should be going. We were dysfunctional.
"I think the way it has finally worked out is perfect," Alice continued. "I never truly felt the band divorced. Rather we separated, and everyone went off down their own track. But what you have to remember is that we were in high school together, so we have real history... and when we finally got back together and started playing as a band, it felt just like coming home."
The new studio album they created, "The Revenge Of Alice Cooper", with the help of "fifth band member" producer Bob Ezrin has come out this month and sounds like they picked up where they left off in 1974.
"I was aware that some people were going to be cynical about whether we could do it, but the band sounds exactly like it did back in 1974," Alice said. "I was pretty amazed by that."
Read the rest of the interview with Alice, plus ones with Michael, Dennis, Neal and Bob Ezrin, in Rock Candy magazine issue 51, along with in-depth interviews with Glenn Hughes, Steve Hackett, Gregg Giuffria, Gil Moore of TRIUMPH, Brian Vollmer of HELIX, and many other fascinating articles including a lookback to September/October 1982, and a reappraisal of DEF LEPPARD's juggernaut "Pyromania" album.
Rock Candy magazine is a 100 page, full-colour bi-monthly rock mag, created in the U.K. It covers the sights, sounds and smells from the greatest era in hard rock, the '70s, '80s and early '90s. It is the brainchild of respected U.K. rock journalists Derek Oliver, Howard Johnson and Malcolm Dome — all frontline writers for the legendary Kerrang! magazine in the golden era.
"The Revenge Of Alice Cooper" was made available last Friday (July 25) via earMUSIC. The highly anticipated effort, dedicated to original ALICE COOPER guitarist Glen Buxton, who died in 1997, is heralded as the successor to their iconic records "School's Out", "Billion Dollar Babies", "Love It to Death" and "Killer".
Regarding how the reunion with the other original members of ALICE COOPER came about, Alice told 95.5 KLOS: "When we parted, we didn't divorce; we just separated. There was no bad blood. There was no lawsuits or anything like that. And we stayed in touch with each other. And finally, at one point — they had worked on some of my albums — I said, 'Why don't we just do an album?' Ah we got [longtime producer] Bob Ezrin involved. And I was absolutely amazed. Everything went so smoothly. We wrote all these songs, and it sounded exactly like 1975."
Alice added: "Losing Glen was really tough for us 'cause he was our Keith Richards. We got Robby Krieger to play on 'Black Mamba', which was perfect for that song. And we found a guy named Gyasi [Hues] in Nashville that just fit in perfectly."
Asked if he and the other surviving members of the original ALICE COOPER band just clicked right back in as friends too, Alice said: "Absolutely. It was never a beat even [that was missed]. It just felt like this was the album that should have come out after 'Billion Dollar Babies'. It had that feel to it."
The four surviving bandmates performed together in 1999 at the second Glen Buxton Memorial Weekend at CoopersTown in Phoenix. Another reunion concert took place in 2010 at Alice Cooper's Christmas Pudding, followed by an appearance at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in 2011. There was also a record store reunion concert captured in the documentary "Alice Cooper: Live From The Astroturf" as well as guest appearances on select tracks on Cooper's solo albums "Welcome 2 My Nightmare", "Paranormal" and "Detroit Stories".
To celebrate the release of "The Revenge of Alice Cooper", Dunaway, Smith and Bruce joined Alice on stage on July 25 at London, United Kingdom's sold-out O2 Arena to perform "School's Out" — supported by Cooper's current touring band and Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp. This epic night followed an equally memorable event the evening before at London's Union Chapel, where Alice, Dennis, Neal and Michael joined longtime producer and honorary sixth member Bob Ezrin for an exclusive, sold-out question-and-answer session and global livestream, hosted by Sir Tim Rice — which also featured the world premiere of the album in full.
Formed in 1968, the original ALICE COOPER band forged a theatrical brand of hard rock that was destined to shock and had never been seen before. Within five years, they would release no fewer than seven studio albums, amongst them their international breakthrough "School's Out" (including the Top 10 hit of the same name) and the U.S. No. 1 "Billion Dollar Babies" (1973). By 1974, the band had risen to the upper echelon of rock stardom... and then it dissolved.
In October 2015, over 40 years later, record store owner and superfan Chris Penn convinced the original lineup to reunite for a very special performance at Good Records, his record store in Dallas, Texas. Alice, Michael, Dennis and Neal were joined on stage by Alice's current guitarist Ryan Roxie (standing in for Buxton).
Cooper pioneered a grandly theatrical brand of hard rock that was designed to shock. Drawing equally from horror movies, vaudeville, and garage rock, the group created a stage show that featured electric chairs, guillotines, fake blood and boa constrictors. He continues to tour regularly, performing shows worldwide with the dark and horror-themed theatrics that he's best known for. With a schedule that includes six months each year on the road, Cooper brings his own brand of rock psycho-drama to fans both old and new, enjoying it as much as the audience does. Known as the architect of shock rock, Cooper (in both the original ALICE COOPER band and as a solo artist) has rattled the cages and undermined the authority of generations of guardians of the status quo, continuing to surprise fans and exude danger at every turn, like a great horror movie, even in an era where mainstream media can present real-life shocking images.
Photo by Jenny Risher
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4 àâã 2025
LITA FORD Is Still Searching For The Right Label Home For Her Already-Completed New Album
 In a new interview with WKBN 21 News anchor Lindsey Watson, '80s hard rock queen Lita Ford spoke about her long-awaited new studio album. Ford's upcoming follow-up to 2012's "Living Like A Runaway" was once again helmed by guitarist/producer Gary Hoey, who contributes some guitar playing to the disc. Ford said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I had put together this beautiful album, and it's sort of a dark fairytale. It's very almost kind of 'Shrek', but on a musical level. And I love 'Shrek', but there's some characters in that movie, and so there's some characters on my new record. And I wanna bring 'em to life. So the only way I really can do that is to find the proper record label to help me and to release everything and support me through it. And so far, I've struck out a couple times with a couple of labels, but if I don't find the right label, then I'm not gonna be able to put the record out and the music out the way I want to and the way I'd hope to. And I think once somebody gets it and latches on to this record, then they're gonna go, 'Ah, let's make this come to life.' I'm, like, 'Yes. That's the whole idea.'"
She continued: "So we're in the process, and we're at a good place with it now. And we're [going to] have new web site designs and new clothing designs and new songs. And so there's all kinds of new stuff. We have a new tour. We added this awesome new manager that started with us in in January, and he's brought all these great shows to the table.
"We've been trying to get back out overseas for a long time, in Czechoslovakia and Spain and Norway and Sweden and the U.K.," Ford added. "It's been a while, so he's brought all these shows in from all over Europe. And, of course, there's no place like the USA and it's always great to come home, but it's good to go also. It's good to get out and do these other shows. So I'm grateful."
Last month, Lita confirmed to Dawn Osborne of TotalRock that her new album will include a collaboration with German metal queen Doro Pesch. "It's waiting to come out," Ford said. "And I'm dying. It's so good. It's not a ballad, and it's not a fast song. It's just a really powerful, mid-range song. And it will reduce you to tears."
As for how the song with Doro came about, Lita said: "When I ran into Doro, she was receiving an award in Los Angeles, and she says to me, 'Lita, we have to do a song together.' And I said, 'I've got it. I've got the title. I know what the title is.' Because sometimes you just grab titles, and you don't even know why. It's just something that sounds amazing. And so I wrote it down in my little book of titles. And soon after that, Doro had came along and she said, 'Let's write something.' And I got the title. So, I went ahead and wrote the song. And Doro did not write the song, but she sure sang the hell out of it. She came out and nailed it. So it was a great honor to work with Doro again."
Ford also revealed that her new album will contain a collaboration with singer/songwriter/producer Jean Beauvoir (CROWN OF THORNS, PLASMATICS). She said: "Jean, he's like family because we kind of grew up in the punk rock era together, [him] from the PLASMATICS and [me] from THE RUNAWAYS. And sometimes you're just at the right place at the right time with the right people. And Jean and I wrote this song together. And, yeah, it's magic. It's a duet, but it's produced by Jean, and he just knocked it out of the park. It's a magic, magic song."
In July 2024, Ford told Joe Rock of Long Island's rock station 102.3 WBAB about her upcoming LP: "The studio, for me, has always been trying to teach everybody what I wanna hear. And a lot of that is because they basically don't know themselves as a producer or an engineer. I've had some of the greatest engineers and I've had some of the greatest producers, and this album — we're finished with it now — [was produced by] Gary Hoey. Gary Hoey is a great musician, great guitar player. And Gary and I — I can throw any idea at Gary, and he would try and make it happen. And the thing about being in the studio is you try and make things happen, and if they don't happen, then they don't happen. You can only try. And so we got real creative with guitars and we played — there's a lot of great guitars on this new record. I'm really excited about it."
Lita went on to say that the creation of her new album was completely in her control. "There were no songwriters that I had to work with because somebody else wanted me to work with them," she explained. "This is strictly Lita and what Lita wanted to do. And it's a concept record. There's a big story behind it. And so it's gonna open a lot of doors for a lot of things. And a lot of people are gonna be able to relate to this record. And it has some great musicians. Bobby Rock played drums on it. Jean Beauvoir wrote one of the songs with me. And it's just a great record. And Gary Hoey, of course, produced it. Max Norman, who mixed it — Max Norman did a lot of stuff for Ozzy [Osbourne] and MEGADETH, and he's just a metal guy. So it's all in the right hands. I've got all the badass people behind me. Got a new manager, and it's all good."
In May 2022, bassist Marten Andersson (STEELHEART, LIZZY BORDEN, LYNCH MOB) officially joined Lita's touring band. Andersson replaced Marty O'Brien who became the touring bassist for DAUGHTRY.
In a 2023 interview with "THAT Rocks!", the YouTube series hosted by Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson, Lita stated about her next LP: "The problem is we've had so many things happen over the last few years. Our manager died; George Marshall died [in] '22. And then my songwriting partner died. And it's just been devastation. But we take all that pain and everything and we just put it right back into the album. And then we recorded the drum tracks in Minneapolis during Black Lives Matter and COVID. Everything was locked down and the place was boarded up and the guys had shotguns and Rottweilers. And then we went in and did drum tracks. And it was awesome. Just memories of just pure badassery."
Regarding what her plans are for live shows in support of her upcoming LP, Lita said: "Well, what I would like to do is put together a theatrical show, sort of like a rock guitar opera kind of thing. It's been done before and different bands have done it before, but I think in this case, it might be a little different and just to bring the whole show not to life just for audio, but for visual reasons also."
In January 2021, Lita told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that her new album contains "some of the best guitar playing" she has heard "in decades." She added: "And I'm not blowing smoke up my own ass, but Gary and I just nailed it with the guitar playing on this record.
"I'm a huge fan of people like Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter from Alice Cooper's 'Welcome To My Nightmare'. I mean, there's some really great duo guitar players — [JUDAS PRIEST's] Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing… Those guitar players don't exist anymore — they just don't exist. If you wanna hear them, you have to go back in time a little bit and dig them up into your favorite library, favorite music catalog. But I think Gary and I really nailed it on this next record. It's, like, oh my God. I'm crying — I'm just, like, crying listening to this stuff. It's so badass."
Ford's last release was 2016's "Time Capsule", a collection of songs that were recorded by Lita in the past, but never before made available.
Nine years ago, Lita released an autobiography, "Living Like A Runaway: A Memoir", via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books),an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
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4 àâã 2025
JUNKYARD Singer DAVID ROACH Dies After Battle With Cancer
 JUNKYARD frontman David Roach has died after a battle with cancer.
On Saturday (August 2),Roach's JUNKYARD bandmates shared the following message via social media: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of David Roach.
"After a courageous battle with cancer, David passed away peacefully last night at home, in the loving arms of his wife.
"He was a gifted artist, performer, songwriter, and singer — but above all, a devoted father, husband, and brother.
"Our thoughts are with the entire Roach family and everyone who loved him."
This past February, it was announced that Roach was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. It was later revealed that he was battling an "aggressive squamous cell carcinoma affecting his head, neck, and throat". He reportedly received the shock diagnosis after falling ill with a "fever and cough"
Roach, who had been part of JUNKYARD since 1987, married his wife Jennifer Michael-Roach on July 19, 2025.
A GoFundMe page, which was launched by Jennifer along with some of David's close friends, raised $35,000 for the singer's treatment as he had no income coming in and was "struggling to keep a roof over his head".
In 1989 JUNKYARD burst on to the scene with its self-titled debut release on Geffen Records which featured the MTV "Hip Clip Of The Week" "Hollywood". Receiving heavy rotation on both MTV and on rock radio put the band among the forefront of the crop of rock bands coming out of Los Angeles in the late 1980s.
Multiple tours with the likes of LYNYRD SKYNYRD and THE BLACK CROWES (who supported JUNKYARD on their first U.S. tour) soon followed and the follow-up release "Sixes, Sevens & Nines" featured the radio hit "All The Time In The World" as well as the ballad "Slippin' Away" co-written by legendary songwriter Steve Earle.
Back in 1992, JUNKYARD was a well-oiled machine, their previous two releases performed well, they had multiple videos in rotation on MTV and successful club and arena tours under their belt. Looking to infuse more of their musical sensibilities into their third effort, they began writing and recording and in a short few months, they had compiled over 20 songs. The new material reflected more of their alt/punk roots, which wasn't much of a directional change considering their strong punk pedigree. But the major label's rush to jump on the next "popular music trend" quickly led to JUNKYARD's demise.
"At this point, NIRVANA's 'Nevermind' album had been out a few months and we all kind of knew which way the wind was blowing," Roach recalled in 2019. "We didn't really 'officially' break up as a band; it was as simple as the party's over." So, with zero fanfare, the bandmembers signed their release paperwork from Geffen (a whopping two-page fax),gathered their gear and parted ways. Twenty years later, Geffen re-released the first two JUNKYARD albums and once again, the band was in demand. Tours of Japan and Europe followed, including a headlining slot at Serie Z festival in Spain, and the band started writing again. In early 2017, JUNKYARD released "High Water", their first full-length album in 26 years, on Los Angeles independent record label Acetate Records. The album peaked at 24 on Billboard's Hard Rock charts and JUNKYARD once again played to packed houses across America and Europe.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of David Roach.
After a courageous battle with cancer, David...
Posted by Junkyard on Saturday, August 2, 2025 | 0 | |
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4 àâã 2025
SCORPIONS Share 'Blackout' Performance Video From Upcoming 'Coming Home Live' Album
 A performance video of the song "Blackout" from "Coming Home Live", the upcoming live album from the SCORPIONS, can be seen below.
Throughout their phenomenal career, the SCORPIONS have played in countless stadiums around the world. To mark their 60th anniversary, the band, for the first time, performed at the stadium in their hometown of Hanover, where it all began. The show took place on July 5, 2025 at the Hanover Stadium Arena/Heinz von Heiden Arena in front of a sold-out crowd of 45,000 cans.
Spinefarm/Vertigo/Universal will release this extraordinary concert, featuring all of the band's biggest hits and many musical surprises, as the "Coming Home Live" live album on vinyl and CD on November 14.
Pre-orders are now available here.
"Back then, we just wanted to be part of the global rock family — that was our dream," says SCORPIONS guitarist Rudolf Schenker, the man who founded the band six decades ago. "Since then, we've shared the stage with AEROSMITH and KISS, with METALLICA, AC/DC, and I don't even remember who else we're fascinated by — to the Berlin Philharmonic."
The band has always felt at home when performing at the world's major arenas. But even more so, over the years, the SCORPIONS have also influenced generations of rock fans, undoubtedly shaping the style and music of younger artists and fellow legends.
"They are the best thing that could have happened to hard rock or heavy metal," says Jon Bon Jovi about the SCORPIONS, while METALLICA's Kirk Hammett confesses, "I still remember being so smitten by the cover of 'Tokyo Tapes'. From then on, I was the biggest SCORPIONS fan and searched everywhere for all possible information about this band."
Members of SMASHING PUMPKINS, MÖTLEY CRÜE and GREEN DAY to GUNS N' ROSES and KISS have all said that the SCORPIONS' songs had a huge influence on their music.
The resources of their career years have now become an overflowing treasure trove, bridging the gap from yesterday to tomorrow, from 1965 to the iconic concert in the Hanover Stadium Arena on July 5. The fuel that spurs the SCORPIONS is the adrenaline that comes with performing live.
"It's the most important element," says SCORPIONS lead singer Klaus Meine. "And the strongest: The SCORPIONS are a band that, from the very beginning, has seen its place on stage and on some of the biggest stages in the world, in the biggest stadiums and arenas. It was always a challenge to win over fans and play a great show live."
But SCORPIONS constantly rose to the occasion and surpassed that challenge every time.
SCORPIONS lead guitarist Matthias Jabs says, "I don't like to think about the past. I prefer to think about what we're doing now or will do. And that's why, for me, the stadium concert in Hanover is the most important thing right now."
On September 26, SCORPIONS will release "From The First Sting", a collection showcasing the unforgettable anthems and iconic moments from their illustrious career. "From The First Sting" will be available on a deluxe 2LP and 2CD bookpack and 2CD format for European and rest-of-the-world fans, as well as 2LP vinyl and 1CD format for fans in the Americas.
During their career, the SCORPIONS viewed their music as a bridge between cultures. They performed in the former Soviet Union, China, and Southeast Asia, thereby fostering international understanding. Commercially, the band are also one of the best-selling hard rock and heavy metal bands of all time — with over 120 million album sales to their name.
"From The First Sting" is a sonic journey through the band's timeless hits, from "Rock You Like A Hurricane" to "Wind Of Change", showcasing SCORPIONS' evolution while honouring the spirit of their classic sound.
"From The First Sting" features two previously unreleased tracks, "This Is My Song" and "Still Loving You", the latter of which features British violinist Vanessa Mae. The physical for European and rest-of-the-world fans comes housed in a carefully crafted 2LP colored vinyl and 2CD 40-page deluxe edition bookpack, comprehensively illustrating the enduring influence of the pioneering masters of their genre.
SCORPIONS' latest album, "Rock Believer", came out in 2022. The LP was recorded primarily at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.
SCORPIONS originally intended to record the album in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, some of the initial work was done with Greg remotely, after which SCORPIONS opted to helm the recordings themselves with the help of their engineer Hans-Martin Buff.
SCORPIONS' latest album marked their first release since 2017's "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", which was an anthology of new and classic material.
SCORPIONS' previous full-length collection of new recordings was "Return To Forever", partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the '80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS' longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016. He has since been replaced by Mikkey Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD.
In January, SCORPIONS postponed their 2025 Las Vegas residency due to Dee's recovery from his recent hospitalization. Promoted by Live Nation and Caesars Entertainment, "Scorpions - Coming Home To Las Vegas 60th Anniversary Las Vegas Residency" was scheduled to kick off on February 27, 2025 at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. SCORPIONS.
The new dates are as follows: August 14, August 16, August 19, August 21 and August 23.
BUCKCHERRY will still provide support for the new SCORPIONS Las Vegas residency dates.
In celebration of SCORPIONS' 60th anniversary, the new show follows the band's two previous sold-out residencies at the venue — "Scorpions - Love at First Sting Las Vegas" in 2024 and "Sin City Nights" in 2022.
Earlier in January, Mikkey, who was previously a member of MOTÖRHEAD for 23 years, revealed that he was recovering after spending most of the holiday season battling a "very serious blood infection (Sepsis)." | +1 | |
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4 àâã 2025
DIMMU BORGIR's SILENOZ Confirms Band Is Working On New Album: 'We Demo Everything Down To The Smallest Little Detail'
 At this past weekend's Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany, DIMMU BORGIR guitarist Silenoz (real name: Sven Atle Kopperud) confirmed that he and his bandmates are working on the long-awaited follow-up to 2018's "Eonian" album. Asked how he knows that the LP is finished and it's time to unleashed it on to the rest of the world, Silenoz said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it's always that time where you can work and work and work on it, but at the same time you have to let it go. It's the same when you have a kid and it grows up. You have to let it out of its shell somehow, and once that's done, yeah, then it's done. But certain albums, we live with the songs for so many years before we actually record them. So we can go back and forth, back and forth, and when we finally then go to the main studio to record all the parts again, then we pretty much have everything set. 'Cause we demo everything down to the smallest little detail before we go and record actual albums, so we can live with the songs and figure out the small tweaks here and there. Even after months and maybe even years, you can go back, and it's, like, 'Yeah, let's tweak it a little bit there.'"
Regarding what advice he would give to young up-and-upcoming musicians who have a vision of starting a band, Silenoz said: "Well, I would say try and find your place in the group or in the band constellation and do whatever you are good at. And there's a place for everybody in the band in that sense. And try and figure out who is the more leader type, because not everybody can be a leader. Let's face it — being in a band is not a democracy. It only works up to a certain point. Everybody wants to be there when you take the easy decisions and the cool decisions, but when you have to do the bad decisions and the negative ones and all that stuff, then that's when you separate from the democracy and to the leadership."
Asked if the leadership of DIMMU BORGIR is a 50-50 split between him and vocalist Shagrath (real name: Stian Tomt Thoresen),Silenoz said: "You know what? I think there's very few things that we disagree on. I tend to look at all the other stuff that we actually do agree on. And we have the same drive now more than probably ever, although that probably sounds a bit weird, but that's a fact. And I think we have the respect for each other and for our brand and for our history and legacy to not mess it up, if you know what I mean. So, yeah, if there's a hard decision to be made, then we do it together."
This past June, DIMMU BORGIR announced Kjell Åge "Damage" Karlsen as the band's new guitarist. Karlsen, who previously played with Shagrath in the long-running Norwegian rock act CHROME DIVISION, made his live debut with DIMMU BORGIR on June 27 at the Tons Of Rock festival in Oslo, Norway.
Longtime DIMMU BORGIR guitarist Galder (real name Thomas Rune Andersen) announced his departure from the band last summer, explaining that he wanted to reactivate his OLD MAN'S CHILD project.
The now-48-year-old Galder played his final concert with DIMMU BORGIR on August 17, 2024 as the headliner of the main stage at Dynamo Metal Fest in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Galder is a founding member of the melodic black metal band OLD MAN'S CHILD, with whom he released one EP and seven studio albums between 1994 and 2009.
DIMMU BORGIR's current lineup is officially a duo comprising Shagrath on lead vocals and Silenoz on rhythm guitar. They are joined by session musicians Karlsen on guitar, Dariusz "Daray" Brzozowski on drums (since 2008),Geir "Gerlioz" Bratland on keyboards (since 2010) and Victor Brandt on bass (since 2018).
DIMMU BORGIR's latest album, "Eonian", came out in 2018. The LP was released right in time for the band's 25th anniversary in 2018, about eight years after its predecessor, "Abrahadabra". Since then, DIMMU BORGIR has played various tours all around the world, including shows at leading metal festivals such as Wacken Open Air and Hellfest.
DIMMU BORGIR released a collection of its cover songs, "Inspiratio Profanus", in December 2023 via Nuclear Blast Records. "Inspiratio Profanus" featured the first single "Black Metal" by VENOM, "Perfect Strangers" (DEEP PURPLE),"Burn In Hell" (TWISTED SISTER) and renditions from CELTIC FROST, as well as other influential artists.
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Secret Rule
