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6 мар 2025
MÖTLEY CRÜE's 2025 Las Vegas Residency Postponed Due To VINCE NEIL's 'Medical Procedure'
 MÖTLEY CRÜE's Las Vegas Residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM, originally scheduled for March 28n- April 19, 2025, is moving to September 2025 due to a required medical procedure recently advised by vocalist Vince Neil's doctors.
Neil says: "To all the Crüeheads who were looking forward to see us this spring, I'm truly sorry. My health is my top priority so I can bring you the awesome shows you deserve, and I can't wait to return to the stage. Thank you for all the well wishes that keep reaching me. Your support means more than you know."
Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee and John 5 of MÖTLEY CRÜE shared in a joint statement: "Please join us in wishing Vince a speedy recovery. We are looking forward for him to get well again and to take over Vegas together in September. We can't wait to see you all out there, and thank you for your understanding and support in the meantime."
Tickets from the original spring residency dates will remain valid and be honored for the new September show dates.
New dates:
Friday, September 12
Saturday, September 13
Wednesday, September 17
Friday, September 19
Saturday, September 20
Wednesday, September 24
Friday, September 26
Saturday, September 27
Wednesday, October 1
Friday, October 3
Last October, Sixx spoke to USA Today about MÖTLEY CRÜE's third Las Vegas residency. Asked if he feels like CRÜE paved the way for AEROSMITH, SCORPIONS, DEF LEPPARD and other rockers who have since established Vegas residencies, Nikki replied: "We had a lot of people raising eyebrows when we [first] did it [in 2012], like, isn't that where bands go to die? But it's such a great opportunity. Last year we played a 400-capacity club in London [The Underworld] the night before selling out Wembley Stadium and did the same at the Bowery [Ballroom in New York]. It inspired this idea of intimacy and ginormity, if that's a word. Being in the smallest room and then the biggest room and there is a lot of talk about how to do that in Vegas as well as reimagine some tracks. Although, of course, we're going to play the hits."
The CRÜE's third Vegas residency is being billed as a "tell-all show [that] will immerse the audience in the band's history, leading all the say through their record-breaking 'Stadium Tour'." They previously set up shop in Vegas in 2012 for "Mötley Crüe Takes On Sin City" and in 2013 for "Evening In Hell".
About the prospect of staying in one place during the Vegas run, Sixx told USA Today: "Creatively, it's exciting for the band. But for me, I love that I can do a show in one place and keep my family together. That's my balancing act, to make sure I'm there for my family and for the fans. I would not be opposed to doing a long run in Vegas. I love the idea of popping in my car, driving to the Strip to do a rock show and then coming back home."
In a separate interview with Miami's WSVN-TV, Sixx promised that MÖTLEY CRÜE would play the hits during the Vegas run, along with some possible surprises. "We have to look at, make sure that, you know, we're giving the fans exactly what they want — those songs are great — but also listening to the fans," he said. "They're looking for some deeper tracks, some B tracks, maybe reimagined tracks would be fun for us."
MÖTLEY CRÜE previously announced that a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales of "The Las Vegas Residency" will be donated to Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, a Las Vegas-based organization that provides the thousands of young people experiencing homelessness in Southern Nevada with wraparound support to help youth move into stable housing, grow, and flourish.
The Las Vegas residency news follows on the heels of the band's return to where it all began, the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, with MÖTLEY CRÜE having completed a three-night string of exclusive, intimate club shows last October at the Troubadour, The Roxy and the Whisky A Go Go.
In October, MÖTLEY CRÜE released a new EP, "Cancelled". Produced by Bob Rock, the EP marked the band's first release with Big Machine and included three new tracks: Top 5 Rock Radio hit "Dogs Of War" a cover of the BEASTIE BOYS' "Fight For Your Right" and the title track and new single, "Cancelled".
Photo credit: Ross Halfin (courtesy of Live Nation)
Mötley Crüe’s Las Vegas Residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM, originally scheduled for March 28th- April 19th, 2025, is...
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5 мар 2025
GHOST Announces New Album 'Skeletá', Shares First Single 'Satanized'
 Swedish occult rockers GHOST will release their new album, "Skeletá", on April 25 via Loma Vista Recordings. The official music video for the LP's first single, "Satanized", can be seen below.
"Satanized" is described in a press release as "an avalanche of infectious hooks and harmonies is buoyed by a hypnotic shuffle, as the narrator succumbs to dark forces within and without, helplessly acknowledging their own blasphemy and heresy as it inexorably consumes them." By the time the song's opening lines "There is something inside me and they don't know if there is a cure" have moved from the inner monologue of the possessed to the ears of the hapless listener, it will already be too late: You will have been "Satanized".
The "Satanized" music video introduces the new character who will be fronting GHOST for its 2025 touring cycle: Papa V Perpetua.
GHOST's sixth psalm, "Skeletá", is its most unflinchingly introspective work to date. Where previous GHOST albums dealt largely with chronicling and/or observing outward facing subject matter — such as "Impera"'s meditations on the rise and fall of empires and its predecessor "Prequelle"'s evocations of the ravages of era-defining plagues — "Skeletá"'s lyrics render the distinct individual emotional vistas of each of its 10 songs in one-on-one fashion, at times as if in a dialogue with oneself in a mirror. The end result is a singular collection of timeless, universal sentiments, all filtered through a prism of a uniquely personal point of view.
GHOST has also launched an interactive element dubbed The Satanizer, a first-of-its-kind music video experience for fans who wish to be "Satanized." Developed in partnership with Jason Zada (Elf Yourself),The Satanizer will morph its users into characters featured in the song's melodramatic video. With a quick upload of your photo, The Satanizer will send out a personalized music video clip featuring the participant, who can in turn share via social media that they too have been "Satanized."
"Skeletá" track listing:
01. Peacefield
02. Lachryma
03. Satanized
04. Guiding Lights
05. De Profundis Borealis
06. Cenotaph
07. Missilia Amori
08. Marks Of The Evil One
09. Umbra
10. Excelsis
Papa V Perpetua's name was initially listed as one of the performers for BLACK SABBATH's final concert, set to take place on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
GHOST also confirmed the singer's participation at the Villa Park event in a social media update, writing: "We wish to inform you V is coming… To Birmingham on July 5th."
GHOST mastermind Tobias Forge performed as a "new" Papa Emeritus on each of the band's first three LPs, with each version of Papa replacing the one that came before it. Papa Emeritus III was retired in favor of Cardinal Copia before the release of 2018's "Prequelle". In March 2020, at final show of GHOST's "Prequelle" tour in Mexico City, Mexico, the band officially introduced Papa Emeritus IV, the character who fronted the act for its "Impera" (2022) album phase.
Asked in a 2019 interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show how those different identities empower him as a performer, Forge said: "Speaking just for myself, I know that coming out onstage as another character, looking different, acting different, definitely allows for you to act and behave in a way that you wouldn't normally do. This can be both traumatic and also therapeutical in away.
"Even though it's been a long time since I practiced any sort of martial arts, I almost feel similar to myself back then, like after karate class. I did all kinds of things. I did judo, jiu-jitsu, tae kwon do and karate. After you are sort of cleansed from any sort of violent urges that you had. And in a way, I feel that way. Especially now when we play on our regular nights. When we play that long, any inkling that you have of wanting to dance and rock out is sort of over when you come off stage, which is very nice.
"One of the luxuries of being able to dress up for it and become a different character is that as soon as I am not that character anymore, no one expects me to behave the way that the character does onstage," he added. "No one expects me to be that way offstage. There's been a great handful of rock artists that have had a big problem differentiating themselves from their character onstage. And that leads to a lot of potential problems."
As previously reported, GHOST will embark on a world tour in 2025. The European leg of the trek will kick off on April 15 in Manchester, United Kingdom and conclude on May 24 in Oslo, Norway. The North American leg of GHOST's 2025 tour will launch on July 9 in Baltimore, Maryland and wrap up on August 16 in Houston, Texas.
The physical home video of GHOST's worldwide Top 10 box office smash feature film debut "Rite Here Rite Now" was made available on December 6, 2024.
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5 мар 2025
GEOFF TATE On How He Keeps His Voice In Shape: 'I Have To Work At It'
 In a new interview with Portugal's Look magazine, ex-QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate spoke about how he goes about writing songs. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "For me, the creative process begins with a schedule and being able to start your day with music. For instance, if I'm working on a piece of music, I typically will leave it unfinished so that I have a place to start the next day. And so I begin with that piece of music and working on it and develop it and develop it to a point based upon where I left it the previous day. So for me, I need a schedule. I need to be able to start at, like, 10 a.m. with my coffee sitting at the keyboard and the computer with my recording gear, and I work that way. And it's been that way for 30 years. [Laughs] And [it's] definitely a lot easier now because in the past, we would have to remember our ideas and write them down on paper and then wait and book studio time and go in and record the idea, and maybe a month would pass before you had the ability to write your idea out. And nowadays I can just open up my suitcase, unpack my equipment, set it up. It takes 10 minutes, and, boom, I'm working on the idea that's still in my head. So it's a much more immediate process, and I love that."
Asked if the creative process is "more organic" nowadays, Tate said: "Yes, absolutely. More organic, because it's fast. In fact, if I wanted to, I could compose a song in one day, put it all together, play all the instruments myself and put it out on the Internet in one day. Never before could you do that. So, yeah, if you have an immediate idea that's very topical and maybe you have to capitalize on the situation that's going on in the world, you could do it very quickly nowadays."
Regarding how he keeps his voice in shape after more than four decades as a professional musician, Geoff said: "I have to work at it. [Laughs] Yeah, it's a muscle, so you have to keep working, working, working to keep it working correctly. I try not to take too many days off. I try to sing every day, and it keeps working, I think, because I use it so much. There's an American saying: use it or lose it."
Tate recently revealed that he is working on the third and final chapter in QUEENSRŸCHE's classic "Operation: Mindcrime" album series. He told Metal-Rules.com about the musical direction of the material that will appear on "Operation: Mindcrime III": "It definitely has a strong early QUEENSRŸCHE vibe, with some tracks being super heavy and technical. The album is also deeply emotional, marking the final chapter in the 'Mindcrime' saga. It continues the story of Dr. X, Nikki and Sister Mary, focusing on a specific point in their journey. I'm thrilled with how it's turning out and can't wait for people to hear it."
Geoff went on to say that he wrote the songs for "Operation: Mindcrime III" mostly with his guitarists Kieran Robertson from Scotland and Alex Hart from Boston. "I think that's it — the three of us primarily wrote the whole thing," he said.
Originally released in May 1988, QUEENSRŸCHE's third studio album, "Operation: Mindcrime" took the quintet to an entirely new level. The concept, revealed through the songs, revolves around the character of Nikki, a recovering drug addict disillusioned with a corrupt society. Drawn into a cult-like revolutionary group headed by Dr. X (voiced by the late and beloved British actor Anthony Valentine),Nikki is manipulated to assassinate political leaders until his friendship with nun Sister Mary finally opens his eyes to the truth. Regarded as one of the greatest concept metal albums of all time, "Operation: Mindcrime" was certified platinum in 1991 in the U.S. and was ranked in the "Top 100 Metal Albums Of All Time" by both Kerrang! and Billboard magazines. Rolling Stone included it on a similar list, noting that "nearly 30 years after its initial release, 'Mindcrime' feels eerily relevant."
The original "Operation: Mindcrime" album weaved themes of religion, drug abuse and underground, radical politics. By contrast, 2006's "Operation: Mindcrime II" was regarded as an unnecessary sequel that many felt cheapened the original album, despite being a decent record in its own right.
In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Guitarist Michael Wilton, drummer Scott Rockenfield and bassist Eddie Jackson responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.
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5 мар 2025
See QUEENSRŸCHE Singer TODD LA TORRE Lay Down Drum Tracks On New TWIZTID Album
 Video of QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre laying down the drum tracks on the song "Plastic" from "Welcome To Your Funeral", the latest album from Detroit's demented duo TWIZTID, can be seen below. The LP was released on February 14.
La Torre, who has played drums since the age of 13, previously recorded the drums on QUEENSRŸCHE's 2019 album "The Verdict" after original QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield took time off from the group's recording and touring activities to spend time with his young son.
Produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED, DEMON HUNTER, QUEENSRŸCHE),the latest effort from TWIZTID's Jamie Madrox and Monoxide blends driving rock akin to KORN and LINKIN PARK with the high energy of their underground rap classics, all with the duo's trademarked authenticity, integrity, and anguish. It's a vision that's made friends and supporters out of artists ranging from Jelly Roll to ICE NINE KILLS.
TWIZTID is an independent institution with over a dozen Billboard chart entries. Seen on the road with STATIC-X, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE and ATTILA, TWIZTID offers an intensely powerful catharsis, taking listeners on an unflinching ride through emotional darkness and anxiety-ridden paranoia.
"Welcome To Your Funeral" was produced, mixed, engineered, and mastered by Zeuss. Fritz "The Cat" Von Kosky provided additional engineering. Vocals were recorded at The Dojo in Livonia, Michigan; drums at Dexter's Lab Recording in Milford, Connecticut; and all other tracking at Planet Z in Wilbraham, Massachusetts. Madrox and Monoxide performed all vocals.
A renewed focus on clawing one's way back to sanity fuels the songs on welcome to your funeral. TWIZTID takes listeners on an unflinching ride through emotional darkness and confessional anxiety-ridden paranoia. Madrox and Monoxide spare no effort, offering an intensely powerful catharsis. This is the next chapter in the Demented Duo's "evilution," setting the stage for a furious future together. | 0 | |
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5 мар 2025
TESLA To Release Limited-Edition Double LP 'Real To Reel Vol. II' On Record Store Day
 TESLA has announced the release of a limited-edition double LP, "Real To Reel Vol. II", that is set to hit the shelves on Record Store Day, April 12, 2025.
Originally released only at shows, "Real To Reel Vol. II" is a cover song studio album that pays homage to classic rock tunes from the late 1960s and early 1970s. TESLA brings their unique touch to these iconic tracks, recorded using analog tape and vintage equipment, with a dedication to preserving the raw, authentic sound of the era. The album showcases the band's exceptional talent, captured in a live in studio setting, without the use of pro tools or an automated mixing console. The record was mixed by hand, sometimes with six hands on the mixing console at one time. Remarkably, TESLA accomplished the recording of 25 songs in just 30 days, working tirelessly from 10 am to midnight, pausing only for dinner.
"Real To Reel Vol. II" is limited to just 2000 copies. The double LP will be available in a striking clear red vinyl, adding a visually stunning element to the auditory experience.
"Real To Reel Vol. II" promises to be a collector's item, offering fans a rare opportunity to own a piece of the band's history in a format celebrated by music enthusiasts worldwide.
Track listing:
01. All The Young Dudes
02. Make It Last
03. Shooting Star
04. Not Fragile
05. Street Fighting Man
06. Is It My Body
07. I Want To Take You Higher
08. Do You Feel Like We Do
09. Beer Drinkers And Hell Raiser
10. Seasons Of Wither
11. Saturday Night Special
12. War Pigs
Released last November, TESLA's latest six-song EP, "All About Love", includes four versions of the title track (acoustic, electric, hybrid, live); a live version of "Walk Away", a concert favorite from "Reel To Real, Vol. 1"; and another new song, "From The Heart", an instrumental track by guitarist Frank Hannon.
Some fans criticized TESLA for adopting a 1980s-style polished production for its latest album, 2019's "Shock". The follow-up to June 2014's "Simplicity" was helmed by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, whose own group is no stranger to slicked-up, glossy-sounding recordings.
In September 2023, TESLA released the official music video for its cover of AEROSMITH's "S.O.S. (Too Bad)". The song is a bonus track on TESLA's live album, "Full Throttle Live!", which arrived in May 2023. The LP includes the band's "Time To Rock!" single, plus other songs, all recorded in August 2022 at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.
In September 2021, original TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA's gigs and in the recording studio by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.
TESLA's debut album, 1986's "Mechanical Resonance", went platinum on the strength of the hits "Modern Day Cowboy" and "Little Suzi". The 1989 follow-up album, "The Great Radio Controversy", produced five hits, including "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)" and "Love Song", which hit the pop Top Ten. | 0 | |
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5 мар 2025
ALESTORM Announces New Album 'The Thunderfist Chronicles'
 ALESTORM will release a new album, "The Thunderfist Chronicles", on June 20, 2025 via Napalm Records. The Scottish party pirates return with their eight album, containing eight new anthems packed with blistering riffs, wild shanty-driven riffs, and utterly ridiculous lyrics — taking the high seas of metal to new depths.
"The Thunderfist Chronicles" arrives as the successor to ALESTORM's epic seventh studio album, "Seventh Rum Of A Seventh Rum", which peaked at No. 5 on both the U.S. Current Hard Music and Top New Artist Albums charts, No. 7 on the German Album chart and many more. After the release of last year's "Voyage of the Dead Marauder" EP and extensive touring, the band returns for more! With "The Thunderfist Chronicles", ALESTORM proves once again why they are the undisputed rulers of the Seven Metal Seas. So, grab your nearest jug of rum — this is going to be loud, chaotic, and absolutely legendary!
ALESTORM vocalist Christopher Bowes comments: "This album is weird and full of difficult riffs that I already regret. There's a bunch of fun things to discover on the record though — we've got a cover of a song by our friends in NEKROGOBLIKON, a whole lot of other heavy stuff, plus the longest song I've ever written (over 17 minutes long) which features guest vocals from Patty Gurdy (everyone's favorite hurdy gurdy player) and Sir Russel Allen (SYMPHONY X singer and my favorite vocalist of all time).”
"The Thunderfist Chronicles" track listing:
01. Hyperion Omniriff
02. Killed To Death By Piracy
03. Banana
04. Frozen Piss 2
05. The Storm
06. Mountains Of The Deep
07. Goblins Ahoy!
08. Mega-Supreme Treasure Of The Eternal Thunderfist
ALESTORM are:
Christopher Bowes - Vocals, Keytar
Gareth Murdock - Bass
Máté Bodor - Guitar
Peter Alcorn - Drums
Elliot Vernon - Keyboard
Photo credit: Niek van de Vondervoort
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5 мар 2025
FASTER PUSSYCAT Singer TAIME DOWNE's Fiancée Dies After Going Overboard During 'The 80s Cruise'
 According to TMZ, the fiancée of FASTER PUSSYCAT singer Taime Downe died after going overboard from the Royal Caribbean ship Explorer Of The Seas during the first day of The 80s Cruise, a nostalgia music cruise featuring such acts as FASTER PUSSYCAT, WARRANT, DOKKEN, FIREHOUSE, SQUEEZE, Adam Ant, Tiffany and MEN AT WORK.
A search operation involving several ships was conducted after Kimberly Burch went overboard around 11 p.m. on March 3. She fell to her death after a heated argument with Downe aboard the ship, according to Kimberly's mother. It is still unclear whether Kimberly jumped or accidentally fell from the ship, but Carnell Burch told TMZ Kimberly wouldn't purposefully hurt herself.
A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson said in a statement: "Our crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort, is working with local authorities, and we are providing support and assistance to the guest's family during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our guest's family, we have no additional details to share."
A U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson told TMZ the incident happened roughly 20 miles away from Freeport, Bahamas.
The ship's captain informed passengers of the situation via the public address system, and crew members promptly deployed a speedboat to search for the missing individual. Two nearby vessels also joined the search efforts.
An anonymous ship passenger told The Hollywood Reporter the incident occurred at the end of the evening when SQUEEZE was on stage.
"There was an announcement over the PA saying someone went overboard so the ship was going to stop and turn around to try and locate the person," the ship passenger said.
The passenger added that the ship stopped for a few hours deploying safety boats and floodlights to search. Eventually, the Explorer Of The Seas continued, arriving at its next destination at Nassau, Bahamas just a few hours behind schedule.
Taime and Kimberly were together for about 6 to 7 years, according to TMZ.
For this year's Valentine's Day, Kimberly shared a series of photos of her with Taime and she wrote in an accompanying caption: "Happy Every Day! From your first hello to me I fell head over heels in love. You are my Valentine every day of my life. We are a tornado at times and pure raw love. I wouldn’t have it any other way. We do us like no other. I love you with my entire heart and soul".
Originally formed during the mid-1980s glam rock era, FASTER PUSSYCAT has gone on to have a triumph of success, with over two million albums sold worldwide, and has accompanied some of rocks most distinguished names on tour, such as ALICE COOPER, OZZY OSBOURNE, MÖTLEY CRÜE, GUNS N' ROSES and KISS.
"There were 212 recorded instances of passengers going overboard between 2009 and 2019, or roughly 21 times per year," according to data from the Cruise Lines International Association. "Of those, 48 people were successfully rescued. The report said that after investigations, each case was found to be caused by 'an intentional or reckless act."
It is with broken hearts that we share the sad news that Kimberly Burch has passed away. She was a beloved...
Posted by Kellie Burch on Tuesday, March 4, 2025
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5 мар 2025
'To Hell And Back With The Beast': Second Book About PAUL DI'ANNO's Final Years To Be Released This Spring
 The book "To Hell And Back With The Beast (And Mini Beast)" about the final years of former IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di'Anno is available for pre-order at www.maidencroatia.com.
In the sequel to "666 Days With The Beast", which was made available last December and sold out very quickly, Stjepan Juras, a Croatia-based MAIDEN fan and author of many MAIDEN-related books, who had been managing Di'Anno and taking care of Paul while he was getting physiotherapy treatments in Croatia, dives into the most turbulent period of Paul's career, including the joint tour with KK'S PRIEST, recounting events that almost led to Paul's concerts in Birmingham and Glasgow being canceled. Thankfully, the tour went ahead in full and ended triumphantly at London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire. It was followed by a return to Croatia for rehabilitation and a concert at the legendary Boogaloo club in Zagreb, where Paul "settled" old debts from 2009 with fans who had been left disappointed. A major comeback tour in the U.K. followed, with Juras describing both triumph and disaster, including stories that will, for the first time, reveal completely transparent details about what happened behind the scenes and the immense effort it took to keep the tour going. Readers will also experience firsthand the major conflicts before the Winterstorm festival and after the concert in Blackpool, as well as the controversies that arose at the Weston-super-Mare concert.
Following that, there was a major European tour filled with so many twists and controversies that "it's a miracle everything ended as planned," according to Juras. "During this tour, a pivotal moment occurred in Amsterdam when Paul faced a terrifying 'prophecy' that haunted and terrified him until the end of his life, and which ultimately came true," Stjepan says. "A scandal at the Athens concert almost led to the cancellation of his Australian tour, while in Germany, we witnessed a public verbal attack on his former band, ARCHITECTS OF CHAOZ. Another scandal occurred in Turin, Italy, this time involving drug-related issues, which nearly caused me to leave the tour and part ways with Paul, as I never tolerated or allowed any drug use near me. The final sold-out concert in Paris ended in controversy from statements made on stage, leaving many in shock. Then came Australia, which was so controversial that it made the news in Australian mainstream media and reached global headlines. You'll read about the story of going to Australia with shock and disbelief, as you'll never have the chance to read anything like this anywhere else. After that, there's the story of the highly successful tour in Chile and everything that happened on that journey, followed by tales from Uruguay and Paraguay, and a story from Argentina that took place exactly one year ago and is considered by many chroniclers as one of the most shocking stories in rock and roll history. And indeed, it's so shocking and scandalous that I still can't believe it happened. After that come the very sad days when my father waited for me to return from the tour so he could see me one last time before he passed away. A very sad and deeply personal event that breaks me every time I think about it."
Tentatively due in late May or early June, "To Hell And Back With The Beast (And Mini Beast)" will be printed in the same number of copies as the first edition (666). The name of each buyer will be listed individually on the inside cover of the book. Each book will come with the author's signature and hand numbering.
You can pre-order "To Hell And Back With The Beast (And Mini Beast)" via PayPal or with credit and debit cards at www.maidencroatia.com.
The third in Juras's "Beast" trilogy of books, "The Last Days Of The Beast", will go on public pre-sale from August 12, 2025, while the secret pre-sale will be open to all previous buyers on August 10, 2025.
Di'Anno was laid to rest on November 21, 2024 at the City Of London Cemetery And Crematorium in Manor Park, East London, United Kingdom.
Di'Anno, whose real name was Paul Andrews, passed away on October 21, 2024 at his home in Salisbury at the age of 66.
An official statement shared to Di'Anno's Facebook page on November 11, 2024 with permission from the late musician's family revealed that his cause of death was caused by a "tear in the sac around the heart."
"Dear fans and friends," the statement began. "We have received permission from Paul's family to bring you the news of Paul's cause of death, after the results of the autopsy have been received."
It continued, "His sisters Cheryl and Michelle confirmed the following: 'Basically he had a tear in the sac around the heart and blood has filled inside it from the main aorta artery and that has caused the heart to stop.' Paul's death was instantaneous and hopefully painless. May he rest in peace."
Born in Chingford, East London on May 17, 1958, Paul first came to prominence as lead singer of English heavy metal band IRON MAIDEN between 1978 and 1981. He sang on their groundbreaking debut album "Iron Maiden" and the influential follow-up release, "Killers".
Since leaving IRON MAIDEN, Paul Di'Anno had a long and eventful recording career with BATTLEZONE and KILLERS as well as numerous solo releases and guest appearances.
Despite being troubled by severe health issues in recent years that restricted him to performing in a wheelchair, Paul continued to entertain his fans around the world, racking up well over 100 shows since 2023.
His first career retrospective album, "The Book Of The Beast", was released in September 2024 and featured highlights of his recordings since leaving IRON MAIDEN.
In December 2022, Di'Anno spent time in Split, Croatia recording an album with his new project called WARHORSE. The band was formed earlier that year by Di'Anno and two guitarists/authors, Hrvoje Madiraca and Ante "Pupi" Pupačić. The resulting LP was made available in July 2024 under the PAUL DI'ANNO'S WARHORSE banner.
WARHORSE previously recorded three songs, two of which — "Stop The War" and "The Doubt Within" — were released in May 2022 as a special DVD single along with Paul's video message to all fans who bought the single and thus helped raise funds for his knee operation.
The WARHORSE single marked Di'Anno's first music release after a seven-year hiatus due to severe health issues.
Di'Anno, who finally underwent his knee surgery in September 2022, played the first show since the operation on October 1, 2022 at the Keep It True Rising II festival in Würzburg, Germany.
In May 2022, Di'Anno came face to face with MAIDEN bassist and founder Steve Harris for the first time in three decades before the band's concert in Croatia. Also in May 2022, Paul played his first full solo concert in seven years at the Bikers Beer Factory in Zagreb. The show was filmed and parts of it will be included in the upcoming Di'Anno documentary, which is being helmed by Wes Orshoski, co-director and producer of the acclaimed 2010 film "Lemmy" about the MOTÖRHEAD icon, and 2015's "The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead", about punk rock legends THE DAMNED.
Photo credit: Marco Benjamin Alvarado (courtesy of Central Press for Conquest Music) | +3 | |
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5 мар 2025
MIKE PORTNOY Believes That He Is 'More Of A Team Player' Now Than He Was During His Initial DREAM THEATER Run
 In a new interview with Japanese music critic and radio personality Masa Ito of TVK's "Rock City", DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy was asked what he has added to the band since he rejoined the progressive metal giants in October 2023 after a 13-year absence. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It is not really for me to say. I can't sit here and pat myself on the back and kind of tell all the things I bring to the band. I think it's more for the fans or the listener to kind of come up with that opinion. But I think it's pretty well known what I bring to the band. It's been this way since the beginning of the band 40 years ago."
Mike continued: "I was always contributing in every area — not just the drums, but collaborating on the music and the lyrics and the melodies and the production and the merchandise and the fan club and everything that goes into being in a band. I'm a very hands-on type of person, so for the first 25 years of the band, I oversaw all of that stuff. And then when I left the band, the guys had to kind of figure out how things were gonna get distributed amongst themselves. And however they decided that, that's the way they continued without me. And now coming back in the band, I've had to be very, very respectful of what they've been doing all the years without me. It's a very different organization than when I left in 2010.
"When I left in 2010, I was a control freak. and overseeing everything and very protective of everything," Portnoy added. "But now coming back, I need to respect that they've been touring for all these years without me and making records without me, so they have perhaps different ways of doing things. So, I had to come in very respectful and kind of tippy-toe my way around each area to see how much they wanted from me. There are some areas where they put complete control back into my lap. There's other areas that maybe they wanted to retain some control and maybe ask me to take a step back. So, it's been a learning process over the past year or so how the new chemistry was going to function. And it's been very easy, I think. We're all older and wiser at this stage of our lives. When I left the band in 2010, I was in my early 40s. Now I'm in my late 50s. And I think as you get older and you have more life experiences, you learn more, you learn how to behave in a more mutually beneficial way and try to be respectful of other people's opinions and ideas. And that's a lot of the stuff I learned all the years outside of DREAM THEATER. I did so many other bands and projects and albums, each one of which had a very different chemistry that I would have to adapt to. So I think adapting to all those different situations throughout the years really helped me to be more of a team player than maybe I was the first time around."
Last month, Portnoy was asked by Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece why he wasn't involved with the production of DREAM THEATER's latest album, "Parasomnia", after being credited as co-producer for the band's six prior LPs he appeared on, starting with 1999's "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory". He responded: "Well, to be honest, it was one of the very first things that [DREAM THEATER guitarist] John Petrucci brought up to me when the two of us began discussing the possibility of me coming back [to DREAM THEATER in 2023]. There were a lot of things that happened while I was away that they wanted to remain intact, and that was one of the things that was very important to John, was to maintain the sole producer credit. And what can I say to that? Would I have liked to have reunited the production team the way it always was? Yeah, I would have. But the reality is when he brought that up to me, I needed to respect that."
Portnoy continued: "When I left the band [in 2010], [John and I] were producing the albums together, and after that he began producing on his own. So, obviously, over the last five albums, that was the way that the band functioned. If that's very important to him, then I need to respect that. I can't just come back into the band and demand things to be the way they used to be. It's impossible. We're not the same people and things have transpired over a decade and a half at this point. So I needed to be respectful of his request for that. And that's pretty much it in a nutshell.
"But to be honest, it didn't dilute any of my ideas," Portnoy explained. "All of my ideas were always welcome. And some of the things that I did suggest, like the conceptual, thematic stuff, a lot of that stuff falls under the category of producer, but if John wants the sole credit, that's totally fine. All that meant for me is that I don't have to be in the studio 24-7 babysitting the keyboard tracks or the bass tracks, and that's fine with me. I live three hours away. So, I was more than happy to delegate that all to John and be able to get home and spend a little time with my family here and there."
DREAM THEATER kicked off the North American leg of its 40th-anniversary tour on February 7 at The Met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The trek is "An Evening With Dream Theater" and is the first tour of North America since Portnoy's return to the lineup, joining Petrucci, singer James LaBrie, bassist John Myung and keyboardist Jordan Rudess. The tour will conclude on March 22 in New York City.
DREAM THEATER's sixteenth studio album, "Parasomnia", came out on February 7, 2025 via InsideOut Music. The LP marks DREAM THEATER's first release with Portnoy since 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings".
"Parasomnia" was produced by Petrucci, engineered by James "Jimmy T" Meslin, and mixed by Andy Sneap. Hugh Syme returns once again to lend his creative vision to the cover art.
Portnoy co-founded DREAM THEATER in 1985 with Petrucci and Myung. Mike played on 10 DREAM THEATER albums over a 20-year period, from 1989's "When Dream And Day Unite" through 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", before exiting the group in 2010.
Mike Mangini joined DREAM THEATER in late 2010 through a widely publicized audition following the departure of Portnoy. Mangini beat out six other of the world's top drummers — Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati, Aquiles Priester, Thomas Lang, Peter Wildoer and Derek Roddy — for the gig, a three-day process that was filmed for a documentary-style reality show called "The Spirit Carries On".
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5 мар 2025
Watch: FOREIGNER Performs Acoustic Mini-Set On KTLA 5 Weekend Morning News
 On Sunday, February 23, FOREIGNER members Jeff Pilson (bass, backing vocals),Michael Bluestein (keyboards, backing vocals),Bruce Watson (guitar, backing vocals) and Luis Maldonado (lead vocals) appeared on KTLA 5 Weekend Morning News in Los Angeles to celebrate the band's upcoming 50th anniversary and special "power acoustic" shows in Southern California. They also performed "Feels Like The First Time", "Double Vision" and "I Want To Know What Love Is" live on the show. Video of the performance can be viewed at KTLA.com.
In a November 2024 interview with The Logan Show, Pilson addressed the fact that he and his FOREIGNER bandmates are often dismissed as a glorified cover band, particularly since founding guitarist Mick Jones no longer regularly tours with the act.
The only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, Jones suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. In February 2024, Jones revealed on social media that he was battling Parkinson's disease, which explained his absence from FOREIGNER's live shows since 2022.
Joining Jones and Pilson in FOREIGNER's current lineup are Kelly Hansen on vocals, Bluestein on keyboards, Watson on guitar, Chris Frazier on drums and Maldonado on guitar.
After singer Lou Gramm left FOREIGNER in 2003, Jones took some time off before regrouping a couple years later with an entirely new lineup, featuring Hansen and Pilson, among others.
Regarding the criticism the current FOREIGNER lineup faces for not featuring any original members, Pilson said: "Well, the ticket sales sort of speak for themselves. Listen, I understand where people are coming from. I understand it. But I also know that with FOREIGNER, the songs are really the legacy. And so my job, as musical director, is to make sure that the songs sound and deliver in a way that they should. And I think I'm doing my job because… Yes, there are haters online — of course — but I think there's not as many as you might think. I think their voices are louder than the amount of people doing it, because the ticket sales do speak for themselves and the offers from promoters speak for themselves. We are very well established as FOREIGNER right now. So, again, if people don't wanna come because there's no original members, that's okay. I understand that. But if you wanna come and hear FOREIGNER songs done really, really well, come to our show."
Elaborating on what being FOREIGNER's musical director entails, Jeff said: "Well, yes, I decide the setlist. And, listen, it's an easy job in the respect that everybody's a great musician, everybody listens. I mean, that's how you got to be in the band, is 'cause you were gonna fill that position well. So it's not like I have to ride herd on anybody, but I have to listen and I have to make sure, 'Hey, don't get too carried away doing this' or 'let's keep the vocals tight on this thing.' Yeah, I have to kind of ongoingly do that, but it's a very easy job because we all have the same vision and that's the biggest part of it. So, again, I kind of think of it as an easy job, but I take it very seriously. And it's very important to me that the delivery we give to people is a hundred percent. And I feel like we do that every night. So, I'm very, very confident in what we do."
Pilson also talked about FOREIGNER's announcement that it was extending its farewell tour and including a celebration of the band's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction.
Asked how long he thinks the FOREIGNER farewell tour will continue on, Pilson said: "Well, when we first decided — we did at one point think that this was gonna be the end of the road, and then the pressure just got too great. And then with the Rock Hall, it just became obvious that we had to continue… that maybe we're gonna not do the long nine-and-ten-months-of-the-year road stuff anymore. And that's kind of what we mean by a farewell tour. We always anticipated that in 2025 we'd be doing other things, like perhaps getting some new music out, and we came to the acceptance that we were gonna be doing shows in 2025 during the course of the year; we came to accept that. Now we're realizing, okay, it's gonna be more than we thought. It's not a nine-and-10-month-of-the-year tour, though. So in that sense, the farewell of that has happened. But how long do I see it going? I see it going a while with the momentum that we've established. So, I would not be surprised if we continue well past '25."
FOREIGNER was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on October 19, 2024. Singer Lou Gramm, keyboardist Al Greenwood and bassist Rick Wills were present to accept the award, while Jones and drummer Dennis Elliott sat out the ceremony. (Jones's daughter, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, was on hand to help accept the award.) Ian McDonald and Ed Gagliardi died in 2022 and 2014, respectively.
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5 мар 2025
SAXON's BIFF BYFORD: 'It's Good That People Like METALLICA Say That We Influenced Them'
 In a new interview with Dioses Del Metal, SAXON frontman Biff Byford was asked how he feels about the fact that his band has been cited as a musical influence by so many other major metal acts, including METALLICA. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think it's great that bands come out and say who influenced them. It helps us, because by doing that, some of their fans come to listen to us as well. So we pick up a lot of fans from METALLICA and some of the other bands that have stated their influences. So people are checking us out all the time, especially the younger audience. So I think it's good that people like METALLICA and MACHINE HEAD and some of the other bands say that we influenced them. A lot of the American bands like MÖTLEY CRÜE and some of the '80s rock bands were influenced by SAXON and MOTÖRHEAD and JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN. So I think it's good to be in the top five British metal bands, really."
Elsewhere in the chat, Byford spoke about how his band has been able to adapt to the access-over-ownership business model of streaming music. Asked if he thinks the current streaming model, with its low per-stream payouts to creators, has been good or bad for the industry, Biff said: " I think it's both — I think it's good and bad. I think for bands like us, we have to adapt to the new things. I think if you don't adapt, then you die, basically. So I think you have to adapt and have your foot in both the new and the old. We release vinyls, which people like and people buy, and we have big streaming numbers as well. So, we live in both worlds. And I think most of the bands that are successful still from the '80s also live in both worlds. I think bands like MAIDEN and PRIEST — and METALLICA, actually — they use social media a lot. But there are still rock printed papers and there are still vinyls and there are still cassettes and there are still CDs and there's streaming and you can buy things on iTunes. You just have to adapt. I think it's good and bad. I think some things are better for the public, but I think for the business, it's sometimes a lot worse now."
Back in December 2011, Byford joined METALLICA on stage for the first of four intimate shows at the 1,200-capacity Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the week-long celebration of its 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only. The iconic metal vocalist performed the SAXON classic "Motorcycle Man" with METALLICA.
It wasn't the first time Biff and METALLICA had surprised their fans with a live rendition of the song: in 2009, Byford joined the San Francisco heavy metal giants in Paris, at Palais Omnisport de Bercy.
METALLICA's second-ever gig was opening for SAXON, and Biff has been a longtime friend of the California band; like many other seminal bands of the genre, METALLICA always recognized SAXON as one of their main influences.
When METALLICA played Sheffield Arena on February 28, 2009, they invited as VIP guests former SAXON members Graham Oliver and Steve Dawson.
"In 1982 SAXON played the Whisky a Go-Go on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood," Graham explained to SouthYorkshireTimes.co.uk. "It was sold out and Steve and me were asked if we would pick out a support band from a pile of cassettes sent in by young metal bands. METALLICA were far and away the best and even though it was only their second-ever gig; we saw their potential and picked them out to play. We have been friends ever since. They have always had a soft spot for us. Over the years, they have cited us as a big influence and we are always welcomed at their gigs around the world. METALLICA have played Sheffield three times and they always treat us as VIPs. At Rock Am Ring — Germany's biggest rock festival — they played part of our song 'Princess Of The Night'. I wrote that riff in a council house in Dryden Road. Back then we were just some kids from Mexborough who once had a dream. To be supported by the band which became one of the biggest in the world, I think that is pretty special. We were sat in the auditorium at Sheffield and they played the old SAXON track 'Heavy Metal Thunder' as their intro track. Kirk Hammett [METALLICA guitarist] told me he loves the solo in that. They played in the round and it was very loud but it was a very pure sound.
"James Hetfield [METALLICA frontman] is a lovely bloke, but their drummer Lars Ulrich is probably the biggest SAXON fan of them all," he continued. "He told us that our 1980 album 'Wheels Of Steel' is his favorite and said it was a benchmark for them. It is hard for someone of my generation to see that. When I meet someone who played at the Woodstock festival, I am enthusiastic about it. I suppose it is the same for them. We were one of the bands to play in the first Donington Festival and METALLICA were a bit in awe and asked us what those days were like."
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AVANTASIA's TOBIAS SAMMET: Performing Onstage Can Be As Dangerous As Playing Football
 Appearing on Side Jams With Bryan Reesman, AVANTASIA/EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet recalled how the first headlining show for EDGUY nearly turned into a disaster. He had wanted to play soccer when he was younger, but music became his career. But music still had its dangerous side.
"When you're doing a sport and you're a touring musician, you have to be careful if you're out on the road and do anything, even if it's recreational, because if you injure yourself then it's going to affect what happens on stage," Sammet told Side Jams. He then recalled an accident that happened when EDGUY headlined the Bang Your Head!!! festival in 2012. "I fell off stage, and I broke my nose and a rib," he said. "Unfortunately, it happened during song number three, and we were booked as a headlining act. As a matter of fact, it was the first time we headlined a show. In advance, of course, there were all the naysayers and haters who said, 'EDGUY's not a proper headliner. They don't have the hits, they don't have the legacy, they don't have a pedigree. Why would you put a young band like that up on that stage to be the headliner?'
"I was on stage and fell off," he continued. "So it can be quite rough and dangerous on a stage, and then you fall off stage and you feel there's blood everywhere. You even hear the sound when your nose cracks, the bone in your nose cracks, and I still remember that sound. I was stopped from hitting the ground by a steel barrier that was just in front there to keep the people back. There was blood everywhere... We finished the show, and I was taken to the hospital. That's when I realized that being in a touring band, and being on stage and running around and doing all these weird moves, it's probably as dangerous as football."
AVANTASIA released its tenth studio album, "Here Be Dragons", on February 28 via Napalm Records.
AVANTASIA's impressive success story has seen nine previous studio albums (including the 2019 offering "Moonglow" that charted at No. 1 in Germany),gold awards, hundreds of millions of streams as well as headline shows at all important metal festivals and worldwide sold-out arena tours with tens of thousands of devoted fans.
In grand AVANTASIA tradition, the new full-length is rich in vivid storytelling and cinematic atmospheres, not to mention the highest level of musicianship.
The 10-track offering was written and composed in its entirety by Sammet himself, produced and recorded by Sammet together with Sascha Paeth, mixed by Sascha Paeth and mastered by Michael Rodenberg. The cover art was once again created by acclaimed British fantasy artist Rodney Matthews. | 0 | |
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Frantic Amber
