|
| |
 |
  |
6 ôåâ 2025
 | +2 |  |
|  |
6 ôåâ 2025
| +1 | |
| |
6 ôåâ 2025
AEROSMITH Bassist TOM HAMILTON's New Band CLOSE ENEMIES Announces Second Single 'Inside Out'
 AEROSMITH bassist Tom Hamilton's new band CLOSE ENEMIES will release its second single, "Inside Out", on February 28 via TLG|ROCK.
Joining the 73-year-old Hamilton in the new group his bass tech Trace Foster, who plays guitar in CLOSE ENEMIES alongside Peter Stroud, who has been playing with Sheryl Crow for 25 years. CLOSE ENEMIES' drummer is Tony Brock, who had a band called THE BABYS and then played with Rod Stewart for 12 years. Fronting CLOSE ENEMIES is Chasen Hampton, a performer from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with a strong background in the country music scene. CLOSE ENEMIES is also working with "a great lyricist" named Gary Stier.
CLOSE ENEMIES released its debut single, "Sound Of A Train", on January 17, garnering overwhelming praise from both fans and the press. They recently wrapped up a successful string of tour dates, met with enthusiastic crowds and glowing reviews.
In other news, CLOSE ENEMIES has signed with TKO (The Kirby Organization) booking agency. This marks a significant milestone as the band sets its sights on bringing their music to audiences worldwide.
Hamilton says: "Looking forward to TKO helping get our band out in front of the fans."
Foster states: "With TKO in our corner were now ready to take on the world. Jim Lenz and all at TKO are top notch and we're in great hands."
Hampton adds: "From the start, CLOSE ENEMIES has focused on making great music, and it continues to bring the right people into our corner. We're thrilled to team up with TKO booking and can't wait to hit the road again, keeping rock and roll alive and strong into the future."
Jim Lenz of TKO says: "I'm honored to be working with this group of veteran musicians who have a catalog of great music and are putting out great new music! Our team at The Kirby Organization are looking forward to helping CLOSE ENEMIES make close friends and fans on the road this year!"
"Sound Of A Train" is being distributed through Virgin Music Group.
Foster and Stroud recently spoke to the "Is Breakfast Included?" podcast about how the band came together two years ago. Peter said in part: "I'm sure each of us have our own perspective. It was sort of in layers. Trace and I had already been working on another band project, trying to get something off the ground, and then just out of the blue — I think it was at the when an AEROSMITH tour had to go on a hiatus — apparently Tom and Trace had been speaking where Tom said, 'Man, I got all these songs I would love to try to do something with,' and the light bulb goes off in Trace's head, and he goes, 'I know just the guy to come up, and maybe we can get together and help you with that.' So he asked if I'd be interested in going up there and just jamming around, and I said, 'Yeah, well, I think I know just the drummer who would be into it.' And that was Tony Brock, who's a longtime buddy of mine. And we had always been trying to figure out some way to play together. And I figured that Tony and Tom might find some common ground and a good comfort zone playing-wise. So that was sort of the initial get-together."
Trace added: "I had this other band, and I thought we're riding around in a van, doing shows and not making any money. And I'm, like, if I'm gonna do this, I need to up my game, because at our age to be driving around in a van, not to make any money… So I called Peter. Why not? Why not start there? I just thought we could add him to the band I was already in. And then we did it. And it started to work really well. And then, of course, like every other band that you've been in in your life, somebody does something wrong and they're out of the band. Me and Peter were, like, 'This isn't worth it. Let's just wait.' And then, like he said, we started putting this other project together, 'cause we did all kinds of writing and we got the guy from Atlanta, Gary Stier, that was in my original band in Atlanta. I started writing with him, and then I brought Peter in. Peter knows Gary, of course. So the band that I was in in Atlanta all knew Peter, but I didn't so that's the weird thing. And then it just kind of went from there. Everybody's schedule didn't always jibe, and we just tried to make it work, and then we were in Las Vegas with AEROSMITH and I literally went, 'Man, we really gotta do something.' And then I just looked at Tom, and it was one of those moments where you go, 'This is the guy. He's asking for some help,' and this and that. I just walked up and I said, 'Hey…' I didn't ask him. I basically told Tom, I said, 'Hey, we're gonna come to Boston and work on your songs.' And he was, like, 'Well, let me think about that.' And then like an hour later, he was, like, 'I think that's a really good idea.' So that's how it started. And once Tom and Tony played together, it was pretty much a given."
Peter continued: "That was a great five days. I loved it, too, where Trace suggested to Tom, 'Hey, why don't we come up for a couple days, two or three days?', and he goes, 'How about five?' First he was, like, 'Well, let me think about it.' He was like, 'How about five? You guys wanna move up here?' I was, like, 'Man, there you go. I said, 'That's a reflection of somebody who knows hard work right there.'"
CLOSE ENEMIES made its live debut on October 11, 2024 at Eastside Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee.
In a recent interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Tom said about CLOSE ENEMIES' debut gig: "I was a little bit nervous, you know. But that feeling, it energizes you. It doesn't hold you back. It makes you want to dive in deeper and deeper."
In an interview with AARP, Tom described Hampton as "a gifted singer who really made the songs come to life."
"When I joined, these guys had worked up a bunch of great songs, and I was able to contribute something I had," the bassist continued. "Hopefully, when the time comes, we'll work up some others I've had in my pocket for a while. All of these guys are great musicians, and it's an honor and a challenge to be part of it all. I'm looking forward to seeing how people like it. I think they'll be pleasantly amazed."
The members of AEROSMITH made the announcement that they were retiring from touring on August 2, 2024 — nearly one year after singer Steven Tyler fractured his larynx during a September 2023 show.
The "Peace Out" tour came to a halt after what turned out to be a final gig in Elmont, New York on September 9, 2023. That show came just three dates into the trek, which was supposed to last through February 2024. Tyler said in a statement at the time that the injury caused bleeding but that he hoped he and his AEROSMITH bandmates would be back on the road after postponing a few shows.
The rescheduled "Peace Out" tour was due to begin September 20, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with special guests THE BLACK CROWES.
Photo credit: Tom Sprafke (courtesy of O'Donnell Media Group) | 0 | |
| |
![=]](/img/news-bord-shr.gif) |
|
  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 ôåâ 2025
| +1 | |
| |
6 ôåâ 2025
| 0 | |
| |
6 ôåâ 2025
| 0 | |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 ôåâ 2025
BLACK SABBATH Reunion Concert Will Be OZZY OSBOURNE's 'Full Stop': He 'Didn't Have A Chance To Say Goodbye To His Fans'
 Sharon Osbourne spoke to BBC News and Reuters about BLACK SABBATH's upcoming reunion concert, which will take place on July 5 in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Ozzy and the rest of the original BLACK SABBATH lineup — guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — will perform one last time as part a fundraising event at Villa Park, featuring a host of bands they inspired, including METALLICA, PANTERA, SLAYER, GOJIRA and ANTHRAX.
The concert, dubbed "Back To The Beginning", was announced at Villa Park on Wednesday (February 5) by Sharon and Tony.
Proceeds from the show will support Cure Parkinson's, the Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice, a Children's Hospice supported by Aston Villa.
The concert will mark the first time that Osbourne, Iommi, Butler and Ward have played together in 20 years.
Ozzy, who revealed in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, will play a short solo set before joining his SABBATH bandmates for the show's finale, marking his last-ever concert.
Sharon told BBC News about Ozzy: "He's doing great. He's doing really great. He's so excited about this, about being with the guys again and all his friends. It's exciting for everyone."
According to Sharon, Ozzy, who paused touring "for now" in 2023 after extensive spinal surgery and rescheduled his "No More Tours 2" shows from going ahead several times because of illness, the pandemic and logistical issues, will not play any more shows after the Villa Park event.
"Ozzy didn't have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there's no been no full stop," she explained. "This is his full stop."
In addition, there will be a performance by a "supergroup of musicians" including Duff McKagan and Slash (GUNS 'N' ROSES),Billy Corgan (THE SMASHING PUMPKINS),Fred Durst (LIMP BIZKIT),K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST),Jake E. Lee (OZZY OSBOURNE),Wolfgang Van Halen (VAN HALEN, MAMMOTH WVH) and Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE).
"It's an endless amount of people," said Sharon. "They're going to be doing some SABBATH songs, some Ozzy songs, and they'll all mix together. Different little groups will be coming on, but they're all icons."
The original lineup of BLACK SABBATH last performed in 2005. Since then, SABBATH has played in partial reunions but never in its original lineup.
"For Ozzy right now, it's definitely: 'I love you and good night'," Sharon told Reuters.
She added that Ozzy was doing well and excited about the gig. "It's stimulated him," she said. "He's very, very excited and very thankful that he can do it."
Tickets will go on sale on February 14.
BLACK SABBATH is considered a pioneer of heavy metal and was formed in 1968 in Aston, Birmingham.
BLACK SABBATH has sold over 75 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006, awarded a Lifetime Ivor Novello Songwriting Award in 2015 and were presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.
The band has a star on the Broad Street Walk Of Stars in Birmingham, alongside individual stars in their own right, together with a bench in their honor.
In February 2017, SABBATH finished "The End" tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet's groundbreaking 49-year career.
"The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi — who was diagnosed with lymphoma in late 2011 — can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.
Iommi revealed his cancer diagnosis in early 2012, shortly after SABBATH announced a reunion tour and album. He underwent treatment throughout the recording of the disc, titled "13", and the subsequent tour to promote it.
The BLACK SABBATH guitarist successfully underwent an operation in January 2017 to remove a noncancerous lump from his throat.
"13" was the first album in 35 years to feature Iommi, Osbourne and Butler all playing together.
Ward was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced 11 years ago, but backed out soon after. The drummer later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn't physically up to the task.
All four original members of SABBATH were present when the band announced its final reunion in late 2011. But Ward split from the group in 2012, citing an "unsignable" contract, and Osbourne, Iommi and Butler carried on with their Rick Rubin–produced "13" LP and extensive international touring without him.
| +7 | |
| |
6 ôåâ 2025
| 0 | |
| |
6 ôåâ 2025
| 0 | |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 ôåâ 2025
| +1 | |
| |
6 ôåâ 2025
| +2 | |
| |
6 ôåâ 2025
| +1 | |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 ôåâ 2025
| +5 | |
| |
5 ôåâ 2025
JON OLIVA On New SAVATAGE Music: 'I Basically Have An Album Ready'
 After more than two decades without a proper tour, SAVATAGE is preparing to return to the stage. The American metal band, known for its fusion of heavy, progressive, and power metal, has been largely inactive in the live scene since 2002, with their last full performance taking place at Wacken Open Air 2015. Now they are set for a series of concerts across South America in April and Europe in June. The return begins in Brazil, where SAVATAGE will perform at the Monsters Of Rock festival on April 19 at Allianz Parque, São Paulo. The event will also feature SCORPIONS, JUDAS PRIEST, EUROPE, OPETH, QUEENSRŸCHE and STRATOVARIUS. There is also speculation about a SAVATAGE solo concert at Espaço Unimed on April 21, though it has yet to be officially confirmed. However, one key member will be missing: Jon Oliva, SAVATAGE's founding vocalist and keyboardist. In 2023, Oliva suffered a T7 vertebra fracture in three places, a severe injury that has left him relying on a wheelchair. Additionally, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and Ménière's disease, conditions that have further complicated his health.
In an interview with Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda, Oliva repeatedly emphasized that his injuries prevent him from taking part in the tour, explaining how his condition has affected even basic activities, let alone performing. "I can't even sing right now because of the pain," he admitted. "I can't stand for too long, and I need time for my vertebra to heal naturally." When asked about surgery as a possible solution, Oliva explained that he had considered it but ultimately decided against it after seeking advice from medical professionals and acquaintances. "They wanted to put metal in my body," he said. "But people I spoke to told me not to do it, that I would regret it. So, I chose to let it heal naturally."
Despite his absence from the tour, Oliva remains deeply involved with SAVATAGE. He spoke about the band's legacy, the music's ability to withstand time, and the status of their long-awaited new album. When asked about his favorite SAVATAGE record, Oliva had a quick answer: "That's a tough one. The album that means the most to me is [1991's] 'Streets[: A Rock Opera]' because my brother [late SAVATAGE guitarist Criss Oliva], [producer] Paul [O'Neill] and I worked so hard on it. It took a year to record. I had the most fun making it because it had so many songs and showcased every side of the band. From 'Agony And Ecstasy' to 'Believe' and 'Somewhere In Time' — that's probably my favorite." He also reminisced about the recording process, emphasizing how special the album was for him and the band. "It was the first SAVATAGE album recorded digitally," he said. "We were the guinea pigs at Record Plant since they had just gotten all this digital equipment. We were the first band to use it. It was amazing."
One moment that stood out was recording the track "Believe", one of the most emotional songs in SAVATAGE's catalog. "I sang 'Believe' like 304 times… and they used the third take," he laughingly recalled.
Even after decades, SAVATAGE's music continues to captivate fans. When asked why the band's material remains relevant, Oliva pointed to its timeless quality. "A lot of SAVATAGE's stuff doesn't sound dated. It reminds me of BLACK SABBATH's 'Paranoid'. That album never gets old. I was listening to it the other day — you put it on, and it still stands out. I think that happens with SAVATAGE, too. 'Hall Of The Mountain King', for example, still stands the test of time."
Oliva confirmed that a new SAVATAGE album is nearly complete, though work on it has been sporadic. "I basically have an album ready," he explained. "I've been working on it off and on. We were talking about touring before my accident. I've been working on stuff for about a year. If I get the guys together to record, it's ready. But we wanted to do this tour first."
Regarding the amount of material available, he revealed that there is much more than just one album's worth. "We have enough for four albums," he said. "The lyrics aren't written yet, but musically, it's done. And it's my fault everything stopped because of the fractures."
Despite previously stating that the next album might be the band's last, Oliva now seems uncertain about that claim. "I said it might be the last one, but now I'm not sure," he admitted. "I have all this material. What am I going to do? Release a quadruple album? I don't think it will be the last one."
In a new interview with The Metal Voice, guitarist Chris Caffery and drummer Jeff Plate of reactivated American progressive metallers SAVATAGE spoke about the band's upcoming 2025 live shows. Regarding how the SAVATAGE "reunion" came together, Plate said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I think the catalyst has just been the fanbase. The fanbase never gave up on us. They've been beating the drum for this reunion for years.
"The band never broke up," the drummer clarified. "We haven't done a proper tour in over 20 years, but we never officially broke up. Obviously, we all work together in TSO [TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA]. We've played a lot of this SAVATAGE music in the TSO shows. Throughout the years, we've done at least one SAVATAGE song per tour, I believe — at least one. So the music has been out there. And the fanbase has been clamoring for this for the longest time. And, man, I've gotta hand it to them.
"[SAVATAGE frontman and mastermind] Jon Oliva, several years ago… Jon is always writing music, and the plan was to do some recording — he's got a bunch of new ideas — do some recording and get out there and let's do this again. Jon has obviously run into a number of health problems, which are serious, and I'm sure everybody's read about them. But in Jon's wisdom, he's, like, 'You know what?' The ball kind of started rolling again. He's not going to stop it this time. Jon's gonna be involved in everything that we're doing from here forward. He can't go out and do these tours right now, and he's gonna work himself back into it. We've got our fingers crossed. But I tell you, man, the music in general, the fanbase, there's just a strength behind all that that's really kept the name alive, kept the interest alive.
"We're all here," Plate continued. "We're all playing probably as well or better than we've ever played. It's not like we've been sitting around for 20 years doing nothing and decided to reunite. Chris and I, Johnny [Lee Middleton, bass] and Al [Pitrelli, guitar], we've been doing these TSO tours every year, plus a number of things in the off season. So there's a lot of factors to this. But the excitement of seeing the reality of it, seeing the confirmed shows, seeing the posters…
"Chris and I have been basically joined at the hip since 1995," Jeff added. "We've done a lot of stuff together. We talk about this all the time, and it really is exciting just to be able to get back out there and do this and play this music."
Chris chimed in: "The plan was, after we did Wacken [Open Air festival in 2015], to start playing. But [TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA founder] Paul [O'Neill] passed, and then we had to get over that. Then COVID came. And then Jon wanted to get started, then his injuries came. Like Johnny Lee had said when I was just speaking with him, 10 years went by like that. And we need to do this now. It's, like, if you blink your eyes, 10 more years will go by. And I don't wanna get emotional on things, but every other day, somebody in my life passes, it seems nowadays, as you get older. So we wanna take the advantage now of getting us together and celebrating what Jon and Paul and Criss [Oliva, late SAVATAGE guitarist] and all of us have done with SAVATAGE's music and give the fans that had a chance to see it a chance to see us again and the ones that never saw us a chance to see it."
Jeff continued: "And I'll tell you something. Chris mentioned losing Paul, and that obviously threw a huge wrench into everything. But in the infinite wisdom of Jon and Paul, they never dissolved the band. We've had this discussion several times. 'Well, what is SAVATAGE? Are we still a thing?' Paul refused to ever say that we were done. 'We're still a band,' yada, yada. So here we are all these years later. It may have been frustrating for a lot of people that we haven't played, but we never broke up. So now we're back. And I think this is gonna be really interesting and it's gonna be awesome."
Chris said: "I used to tell the fans, 'My crystal ball isn't working. When it happens, I will be there.' And I wanted it probably as much [as], if not 10 times more than, the fans, because it was such an important part of my everyday life. The fans are fans of a band, and SAVATAGE was a lot of my life for decades. And then TSO came along, but that piece of SAVATAGE not being there… I'm the one who's not married and I don't have kids, so it's, like, that part of my life being gone was a big part of me. So it means a lot for me to be back in that family and that world. It really does."
SAVATAGE's lineup for the 2025 dates will consist of Johnny Lee Middleton on bass, Chris Caffery on guitar, Al Pitrelli on guitar, Jeff Plate on drums and Zak Stevens on lead vocals.
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Ménière’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear that causes severe dizziness (vertigo),ringing in the ears (tinnitus),hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness or congestion in the ear. Ménière’s disease usually affects only one ear, but in 15% to 25% of people with the disorder, both ears may be affected.
Nearly two years ago, Jon told Sakis Fragos of Greece's Rock Hard that he had "enough material" for three SAVATAGE albums, but he wanted to take his time making the best LP possible. "I'm not rushing this," he said. "No fucking way. 'Cause this will probably be the last album we ever do. And I'm gonna make sure that it's a 10 out of a 10."
Regarding the musical direction of the new SAVATAGE material, Jon said: "Some of this shit is really strong. I'm even looking at myself going, 'Holy shit. This is really strong.' And the fact that you're gonna have me and Zak sharing the vocals and doing songs together in like a duet thing, is even more… it blows me away. I purposely wrote five or six songs specifically for Zak to sing. And then I worked [on] a lot of songs with Al Pitrelli that are definitely, 'These are Oliva songs.' And then we have a couple of big epic songs.
"This is gonna be the best album I ever made," Oliva promised. "Unless I kill myself. All I know is that the SAVA fans are gonna be fucking blown away when they hear this. They're gonna be blown away. I wasn't gonna do the SAVATAGE thing and just do a half-assed album. If I'm doing this album, it's gonna be the best album I've ever done. 'Cause when I go out, I wanna go out on top."
Jon went on to say that a new SAVATAGE song called "For The Man Who Would Be King" is one that he sometimes refers to as "the new 'Morphine Child'," a nod to the track on SAVATAGE's 2001 album "Poets And Madmen". "And that's one that me and Zak are gonna do together," he explained. "And then it's got this big middle section that's all these QUEEN, operatic[-style vocals]. I'm, like, 'Wow, this is gonna be epic.'"
Regarding which other musicians will be involved in the recording process for the new SAVATAGE album, Jon said: "I'm gonna have [former SAVATAGE drummer Steve] Wacholz come in and play on a couple of songs. But Jeff Plate, Johnny, Al Pitrelli, Chris Caffery, Zak, me, and on a couple of things I'm gonna have Jane Mangini [TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA keyboardist] come in and play."
He continued: "I'm getting everybody involved from the beginning. I want it to be a full-band album, all of us working together. And it's gonna be great."
Asked about a possible title for the new SAVATAGE album, Jon said: "The working title is 'Curtain Call', but I don't know if that's gonna be it. 'Cause the very last song that's gonna be on the album is this song called 'Curtain Call', and it's just me with a piano, and it's very deep. It's basically me singing to the fans, telling them all goodbye and thank you. Every time I hear it, I cry. Everybody I played it for cries. It's just very deep. But it's my way of saying goodbye to everybody. 'Thank you. I love you all. And this is my final goodbye. Thank you. Have a good life. And do whatever.' So I think I'm gonna call it 'Curtain Call', but it's not in stone yet."
Zak joined SAVATAGE in 1992 as the replacement for Jon Oliva. Zak sang on four albums with the band — "Edge Of Thorns" (1993),"Handful Of Rain" (1994),"Dead Winter Dead" (1995) and "The Wake Of Magellan" (1997) — before departing in 2000, allowing Jon to return. Both Jon and Zak took part in SAVATAGE's 2015 performance at Wacken Open Air, which marked the band's first, and only so far, appearance on stage since they went on hiatus back in 2002.
SAVATAGE's last album release, "Poets And Madmen", in 2001 was highlighted by Jon's return as lead vocalist, replacing Zak, who left the band citing family reasons, and the departure of guitarist Al Pitrelli, who accepted an offer to join MEGADETH in 2000. Pitrelli did record solos for some songs prior to his departure. Another very limited U.S. tour followed, supported by FATES WARNING in the early shows, and then NEVERMORE for the remainder. Around this time, Jon chose Zak's replacement in the form of Damond Jiniya (DIET OF WORMS). Damond performed Zak's parts on tour, with Jon having an increased vocal role in proceedings.
In September 2021, Jon Oliva was arrested on the west central coast of Florida for driving under the influence as well as possession of a controlled substance. Police charged Oliva with possession of cocaine, which is a felony, and DUI, which is a misdemeanor. Oliva was reportedly arrested again in July 2023 on another cocaine possession charge.
Back in 2016, Jon announced on social media that he suffered a stroke in April of that year. At the time, he said: "It was not as serious as it could have been, but it did leave me with some physical recovery challenges often associated with strokes."
Despite his health issues, Jon said that he didn't regret the way he had lived his life. He wrote: "I lived the rock 'n' roll lifestyle since I was 18. It's all I knew and I enjoyed the ride very much. But there comes a time in everyone's life where you have to step back and make some life-changing decisions... which I have."
Shortly after SAVATAGE's reunion performance at the 2015 Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany, Oliva claimed that he felt better than he had in 20 years because he had "stopped drinking and eating" in preparation for the concert. He explained: "It's my voice that's freaking me out, because, even when I was in my late 20s, early 30s, doing songs like '24 Hours Ago' were always really hard to do. And, of course, I didn't realize that it was all the drugs and alcohol I was doing. But, after doing that, getting my act together and stuff, singing '24 Hours Ago', it's actually easy now. [Laughs]"
In addition to his work with SAVATAGE, Oliva is well known for co-creating the classical music-meets-prog rock and pyro act TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA alongside the project's founder Paul O'Neill. Oliva has reportedly remained involved in TSO's activities even after O'Neill's April 2017 death of an accidental drug overdose.
Jon's brother Criss, who was one of the founding members of SAVATAGE, was killed in October 1993 by a drunk driver when he and his wife Dawn were en route to the Livestock festival in Zephyrhills, Florida. The driver of the other car was found to have a drunk driving record of seven prior DUIs and having a blood alcohol content of .294 percent.
Special thanks to Igor Miranda for providing BLABBERMOUTH.NET with original English-language quotes from the Jon Oliva interview.
| +4 | |
| |
5 ôåâ 2025
| +1 | |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 ôåâ 2025
ANGEL: 50th-Anniversary Reissue Of Debut Album To Coincide With Band's 2025 Tour
 Employing a dazzling mix of glam rock, hard rock, and progressive rock, ANGEL's outrageous, white-satin-heavy image and equally over-the-top stage shows, making them one of the more colorful arena rock bands of the mid '70s and early '80s. Discovered by KISS bass player Gene Simmons, the group issued their eponymous debut album in 1975, which hewed closer to prog rock than the glam pop that would be on future endeavors like "On Earth As It Is In Heaven" (1977) and "Sinful" (1979). ANGEL released a total of five studio albums and one live album before going their separate ways in 1981. The band officially reformed in 2019 with original members Punky Meadows and Frank DiMino, and released their comeback studio effort, "Risen", that October and followed up with "Once Upon A Time" in 2023.
ANGEL's self-titled 1975 debut was recorded for Casablanca Records with a lineup comprising Frank DiMino (vocals),Punky Meadows (guitar),Gregg Giuffria (keyboards),Mickie Jones (bass) and Barry Brandt (drums). A heavy slab of heavy pomp rock with lengthy songs featuring the longtime stage favorite "Tower". Now to celebrate the 50th anniversary, this classic has been remastered and is being released on both a six-panel CD digipak and on 180-gram vinyl in two amazing limited-edition colors with liner notes by journalist Dave Reynolds. There are only 300 of the white-blue splatter and 700 of the black-blue swirl available with a limited number of bundles signed by the four surviving original members Frank DiMino, Punky Meadows, Gregg Giuffria and Barry Brandt.
The current lineup of ANGEL starts its 50th-anniversary tour in March and it will continue throughout the year.
Tour dates:
March 13 - Angel City Music Hall, Manchester, NH
March 14 - The Vault Music Hall, New Bedford, MA
March 15 - The Strand Theater, Hudson Falls, NY
March 19 - The Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA
March 22 - The Wildey Theater, Edwarsdsville, IL
April 19 - The Token Lounge, West Midland, MI
April 22 - The Winchester, Lakewood, OH
April 26 - The Arcada Theater, St. Charles, IL
June 07 - The Whisky, Hollywood, CA
June 08 - Fulton 55, Fresno, CA
June 09 – Vamp'd, Las Vegas, NV
ANGEL was discovered in a nightclub by none other than Gene Simmons of KISS, a man who had (and still has) a knack for finding and nurturing talent. ANGEL was also known for their androgynous look and dressing all in white, a pure yin-yang contrast to KISS's own all-black clothing and elaborate stage outfits. In 1975, the glam-rockers were signed to the home label for KISS, Casablanca Records, ultimately releasing six albums (five studio, one live) uninterrupted between 1975-80 that mixed the best elements of glam, hard rock, and pure unadulterated fist-pumping melodic singalongs.
While ANGEL never quite achieved success as their labelmates KISS did, they left their mark on in-the-know rock fans of the era with tracks like the hard-driving "Rock & Rollers", "Tower", the perennial holiday favorite "The Winter Song", and their key contribution to the soundtrack of the Jodie Foster-starring 1980 teen drama "Foxes", "20th Century Foxes". The lineup for their self-titled 1975 debut, "Angel", consisted of guitarist Punky Meadows, bassist Mickie Jones, vocalist Frank DiMino, keyboardist Gregg Giuffria, and drummer Barry Brandt. This lineup recorded two more albums, 1976's "Helluva Band" and 1977's "On Earth As It Is In Heaven", after which Jones would be replaced on bass by Felix Robinson. Two more solid studio efforts, 1978's "White Hot" and 1979's "Sinful", ensued before the release of a stellar live set, 1980's "Live Without A Net".
ANGEL started to fall apart in the early 1980s after Casablanca pulled the plug on the group due in part to disappointing album sales. In 1981, Robinson and DiMino left to pursue other projects. Meadows and Giuffria tried to keep ANGEL going and came close to landing a record deal with CBS. But it didn't pan out, and ANGEL finally disbanded.
In 2018, Caroline/UMe saluted the core output of ANGEL with "Angel: The Casablanca Years". This ascendant, band-approved seven-CD box set featured the Washington, D.C.-bred glam/rock outfit's six albums that were released on Neil Bogart's legendary Casablanca Records label, in addition to a seventh disc that contains mono mixes, single edits, soundtrack contributions, and other rarities. ANGEL expert Dave Reynolds contributed insightful liner notes to the box set's included 28-page booklet, which also featured rare photos and other memorabilia.
| +2 | |
| |
5 ôåâ 2025
| +1 | |
| |
5 ôåâ 2025
| +2 | |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 ôåâ 2025
JET JAGUAR Signs With Steamhammer/SPV; Severance Album Due This Fall
 Aficionados consider Jet Jaguar to be one of Mexico’s hottest contemporary metal acts, ready to take Europe and the rest of the world by storm. Following their furioso performance at the 2024 Wacken Open Air and their acclaimed European tour alongside Anvil, the four-piece have recently enlisted with Hanover-based imprint Steamhammer/SPV. Their latest album, Severance, is scheduled for release in fall 2025.
Even before the arrival of their 2020 debut album Endless Nights, Jet Jaguar had performed countless concerts and lots of important festival appearances. In 2017, the band played Wacken Open Air for the first time, emerging as winners of the Metal Battle. The band furthers their pedigree seven years returning to the iconic festival stage and joining Anvil’s 2024 European tour. For lead guitarist Ariyuki Arce, these shows were “one of the best experiences Jet Jaguar have ever had. Sharing the stage with metal legends is always a huge honour.”
Drummer/band founder Jimmy Lozano on the upcoming album and the band’s contract with SPV/Steamhammer: “Severance is the culmination of years of work. During the pandemic, everyone was going through some dark and somewhat depressing times, so we ended up with heavier and more aggressive songs than on our previous album. For us, signing with SPV/Steamhammer is an incredible milestone. Having the honour of partnering with one of the biggest and longest-running labels in Germany motivates us to work even harder for our extremely supportive fans. We can’t wait to get started on this amazing collaboration!”
Label manager Olly Hahn is also looking forward to the upcoming collaboration: “When I saw the band supporting Anvil in Hannover last year, I definitely had to sign them. The club was small and sticky but the band played as if there were 1,000 people in the room. This is what heavy metal is all about and Jet Jaguar are like a breath of fresh air in this genre!”
Jet Jaguar are:
Bori – Bass
Ariyuki – Lead Guitar
Raiden – Vocals/Guitar
Jimmy – Drums
Pictured at top, from left to right: Bori (Bass), Ariyuki (Lead Guitar), Björn von Oettingen (Head of Promotion Steamhammer), Olly Hahn (Labelmanager Steamhammer), Raiden (Voice/Guitar), Jimmy (Drums) | 0 | |
| |
5 ôåâ 2025
| 0 | |
| |
5 ôåâ 2025
BUSH's GAVIN ROSSDALE Has No Idea How Young Bands Get Paid: 'I Can't Work It Out'
 In a new interview with Tom Power, host of "Q" on Canada's CBC Radio One, BUSH frontman Gavin Rossdale was asked to name the biggest difference he has noticed between the environment that young musicians are coming into today versus the environment that he found himself in back when BUSH was first starting out. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, quite obviously, when I began, if you made something good, people might buy it. Now, if you make something good, people might stream it. And I have two sons that are poised to make music their lives, and I couldn't be more concerned for them.
"I've been a musician my whole life and I'm at a loss to explain to someone how to do it, how to build from the ground up, how to get a career in that," he continued. "It's just terrifying because how do musicians, how do young bands get paid? I can't work it out. I don't know. Maybe you get one song with loads of streams and we know that Spotify barely pays, and whatever they pay, the record companies make sure they siphon off most of it before it goes to the artist. So it's the same deal — artists getting screwed, record companies making a fortune and getting all the money. So same shitty business, but if you love it, what are you gonna do? You just do the best you can. And you can obviously make money touring, but it takes a while to build up a catalog, so if you wanna come and see you, that's a crap shoot. So the difference is I think it's much, much harder now, and it was nearly impossible then. So, I don't know what the odds are, but they don't feel good for young musicians, which breaks my heart for them because we always need music. We always need people's opinions. A.I. can take care of many things, but you talk about people relating to other people, it's by writing that brutally painful, honest lyric that other people can relate and get strength from. That exchange will never go away because people will continue to be upset and look for other people that understand."
As the lead vocalist, guitarist, songwriter and founder of rock band BUSH, Rossdale has sold over 24 million records in the U.S. and Canada alone, and won the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement in Songwriting following a string of 26 consecutive Top 40 hit singles on the Modern, Mainstream, and Active Rock charts. Seven of these songs shot to No. 1: "Comedown", "Glycerine", "Machinehead", "Swallowed", "The Chemicals Between Us", "The Sound Of Winter" and 2022's "More Than Machines". Rossdale also reached the top of the charts with his 2008 standout solo hit "Love Remains The Same". He's starred in acclaimed films such as "Constantine" and "The Bling Ring", along with guest spots on several television drama staples including "Criminal Minds" and "Burn Notice". Most recently, BUSH released "Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994-2023", their first-ever career-spanning hits collection, providing an expansive view of their incredible legacy with 21 tracks covering nearly 30 years — from their breakthrough hit "Everything Zen" to their latest single, "Nowhere To Go But Everywhere". The band recently completed a massive headline summer tour of North America in support of "Loaded", playing to some of their largest crowds in recent memory. More new music and worldwide touring awaits for what is sure to be an equally busy 2025.
Last month, Vizio announced the exclusive premiere of the celebrity culinary talk series "Dinner With Gavin Rossdale" (formerly "Rockstar Kitchen Chronicles") on WatchFree+, launching February 13. Rossdale opens his home and his heart to guests including tennis legend Serena Williams, multi-hyphenate entertainer Common, actress Selma Blair, author and actress Brooke Shields, iconic singer Sir Tom Jones, and actor and comedian Jack McBrayer. While Gavin prepares world-class gastronomic delights for their enjoyment, he engages with his guests in deeply personal conversations about their lives, careers, and everything in between.
| +2 | |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 ôåâ 2025
| +1 | |
| |
5 ôåâ 2025
| 0 | |
| |
5 ôåâ 2025
RADIANT MOON Release Debut Album, Now’s The Time, Via Deko Entertainment
 Radiant Moon was formed in 2021 when veteran musicians/songwriters Brian Facklam (keyboards, vocals) and Dave Shahin (guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals) joined forces with Jimmy Grillo (drums) and Nick Lieto (vocals). They came from very different musical backgrounds which helped to create a unique chemistry in the band.
Dave Shahin has been in multiple original rock and prog bands as well as being Tommy Tedesco’s (Wrecking Crew Guitarist) East Coast bassist in the 90’s, and has performed with Steve Gadd. Jimmy Grillo is also a veteran of multiple original bands and has toured as Carl Palmer’s drum tech. Nick Lieto was a singer, keyboardist, and songwriter for Frogg Cafe who besides releasing original albums also performed at the famed Zappanale festival in Germany. Brian Facklam has not only been a major part of multiple bands but holds a master’s degree in music and music theory.
Together they’ve recorded their debut album, Now’s The Time, and it is already garnering impressive reviews. Listen to the album here.
Now’s The Time has ten tracks in total and features exceptional musicianship and songwriting in the vein of YES and Nektar which stands out on tracks like “Keep The Faith” and “Waking Dream”. Order your copy of Now’s The Time here.
Tracklisting:
“Waking Dream”
“Castaway”
“We Are One”
“Keep The Faith”
“One Life”
“Now’s The Time”
“Leave Yourself Alone”
“Nirvana”
“Take My Hand”
“Never Again” | 0 | |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 ôåâ 2025
HAREM SCAREM Unveil New Single “Reliving History”; Lyric Video
 Today, Canadian hard rockers, Harem Scarem, are pleased to unveil their new single, “Reliving History”, out now via Frontiers Music Srl. The single is accompanied by a lyric video, available to view below.
Vocalist Harry Hess comments on the new single: “It’s been almost 5 years since we’ve released any new music. We are thrilled to announce the release of our brand new single ‘Reliving History’. Looking forward to seeing everyone on the road this year. Enjoy!”
Watch the lyric video for “Reliving History” below. Stream the single here.
Arguably Canada’s finest melodic hard rock band, Harem Scarem were formed in 1987 by guitarist Pete Lesperance and singer Harry Hess, formerly of the heavy metal band Blind Vengeance. The lineup was rounded out by Darren Smith (drums) and Mike Gionet (bass).
They recorded a demo in 1989 and, on the strength of it, they were signed to Warner Music. Their self-titled album was a significant success in Canada and paved the way to the release of the heavier ‘Mood Swings’ album in 1993, often considered the crown jewel of their early releases.
Enjoying a particular success in the land of the Rising Sun, Harem Scarem kept on releasing albums regularly during the 90’s, until they decided to ultimately change their name and music style to Rubber between 1999 and 2001.
In 2002, the band came back to melodic hard rock with the milestone album Weight Of The World, which was their first proper release in the European marketplace thanks to their newly signed deal with Frontiers. With the Italian label, Harem Scarem released another five original albums (not counting 2006’s Human Nature) until they took a break from recording in 2008 after the release of the album Hope.
In December 2012, it was announced that a reunited Harem Scarem would headline the 10th Firefest festival in Nottingham, UK, in October 2013, to perform the Mood Swings album in its entirety. The band regrouped and performed at Firefest and moved forward re-recording Mood Swings II, a twenty-year anniversary re-recording of their critically acclaimed and fan favorite second album.
The three new songs included on that release showed renewed musical vigor and chemistry. This new energy was confirmed on 2014’s Thirteen release, which was a definitive return to the sound that put Harem Scarem on the map over 20 years earlier.
Two more acclaimed albums followed: United (2017) and Change The World (2020), where the band presented a new lineup featuring Harry Hess (lead vocals, keyboards), Pete Lesperance (guitars, keyboards), long-time drummer Creighton Doane, Mike Vassos on bass, and backing vocals from original sticksman Darren Smith.
With well over a million records sold in 43 countries and 12 top 40 hits around the globe, the new year will see Harem Scarem return and ready to dominate. Check them on tour in Europe in spring.
Harem Scarem are:
Harry Hess – Lead & Backing Vocals, Keyboards
Pete Lesperance – Guitars and Bass
Creighton Doane – Drums
Darren Smith – Lead and Backing Vocals
(Photo – Al Piazza)
| 0 | |
| |
5 ôåâ 2025
| 0 | |
| |
5 ôåâ 2025
| 0 | |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 ôåâ 2025
ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN To Release First Of Three EPs This Month – “I Was Inspired By The Sounds Of The ’80s And ’90s”
 Dutch singer / songwriter Anneke van Giersbergen (ex-The Gathering) has checked in with the following update:
“I’m excited to announce that my new album will be titled La Vie, La Mort, L’Amour – French for Life, Death, Love. This collection of songs will be released as a trilogy. The first EP, La Vie, will be available digitally on February 28.
I wrote these songs shortly after the passing of both of my parents and I brought my 8-piece live band into the studio to record them. Last year, I was confronted with some of life’s biggest questions and the doubt that came with my loss. These songs reflect my emotions and thoughts during that challenging time. Musically, I was inspired by the sounds of the ’80s and ’90s, the music that shaped my youth.
I’m really looking forward to sharing this with all of you!”
Anneke recently released a new acoustic single, “One More Nanosecond”, which is now available on streaming platforms. Check it out below. | 0 | |
| |
5 ôåâ 2025
Original BLACK SABBATH Original BLACK SABBATH To Play Final Show In July, With METALLICA, SLAYER, PANTERA, Others Supporting
 The original lineup of BLACK SABBATH — Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward — will play its final concert in July.
Dubbed "Back To The Beginning", the charity show will be held at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom on July 5, with tickets on sale from 10 a.m. on February 14. Support at the gig will come from METALLICA, SLAYER, PANTERA and many more.
Rounding out the event will be an all-star group featuring Billy Corgan (THE SMASHING PUMPKINS),Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE),Fred Durst (LIMP BIZKIT),Jonathan Davis (KORN),Wolfgang Van Halen and many others. Morello will also serve as the musical director for the event.
Morello promises: "This will be the greatest heavy metal show ever."
See the full list of performers in the poster below.
All proceeds from the show will go to Birmingham charities Cure Parkinson's, the Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice.
Osbourne comments: "It's my time to go 'Back To The Beginning'… time for me to give back to the place where I was born. How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham Forever."
A year ago, Sharon said that Ozzy was hoping to play a farewell concert at Birmingham's Villa Park as a "goodbye" to fans.
BLACK SABBATH is considered a pioneer of heavy metal and was formed in 1968 in Aston, Birmingham.
BLACK SABBATH has sold over 75 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006, awarded a Lifetime Ivor Novello Songwriting Award in 2015 and were presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.
The band has a star on the Broad Street Walk Of Stars in Birmingham, alongside individual stars in their own right, together with a bench in their honor.
In February 2017, SABBATH finished "The End" tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet's groundbreaking 49-year career.
"The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi — who was diagnosed with lymphoma in late 2011 — can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.
Iommi revealed his cancer diagnosis in early 2012, shortly after SABBATH announced a reunion tour and album. He underwent treatment throughout the recording of the disc, titled "13", and the subsequent tour to promote it.
The BLACK SABBATH guitarist successfully underwent an operation in January 2017 to remove a noncancerous lump from his throat.
"13" was the first album in 35 years to feature Iommi, Osbourne and Butler all playing together.
Ward was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced 11 years ago, but backed out soon after. The drummer later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn't physically up to the task.
All four original members of SABBATH were present when the band announced its final reunion in late 2011. But Ward split from the group in 2012, citing an "unsignable" contract, and Osbourne, Iommi and Butler carried on with their Rick Rubin–produced "13" LP and extensive international touring without him.
| +24 | |
| |
5 ôåâ 2025
| 0 | |
| |
|
|
  |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Putrid Offal
