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	TESTAMENT's ALEX SKOLNICK: 'It Would Be Great'... 27
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ONSLAUGHT's NIGE ROCKETT To Return To Live Stage After Undergoing A Number Of Cancer Removal Operations

ONSLAUGHT founding member and guitarist Nige Rockett is preparing to make his return to the live stage with the band after a three-year absence following a long battle with illness. His first appearance back will be on the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise later this month as ONSLAUGHT kicks off a year of 40th-anniversary shows celebrating the release of the veteran British thrash metal group's debut album, "Power From Hell".

Rockett has endured a number of cancer removal operations, chemotherapy as well as two spinal operations — upper and lower spine — during his forced hiatus, with both conditions now thankfully in full remission/recovery and continuing to heal.

Rockett comments: "It's been a kinda brutal time over the past few years but it's great to finally be back. I'm not 100% by any means and it's gonna take a fair while to get the fitness back, but this will help massively for sure."

He added: "Sadly, no more headbanging for me. The surgeons have told me that it was the likely cause of one of the original injuries and that I must behave in the future or risk a recurrence.

"See you in the pit."

ONSLAUGHT will embark on a European tour in May/June 2025, performing "Power From Hell" in its entirety

ONSLAUGHT's latest album, "Generation Antichrist", came out in August 2020 via AFM Records. It was the first ONSLAUGHT LP to feature new vocalist Dave Garnett, who replaced longtime singer Sy Keeler.

Garnett made his live debut with ONSLAUGHT at the House Of Metal festival in Umeå, Sweden in February 2020.

ONSLAUGHT announced Keeler's departure in April 2020, explaining in a statement that "some things simply aren't sustainable year after year due to the nature of the modern-day music industry."

ONSLAUGHT is one of the most ferocious, explosive and controversial metal bands ever to come out of the U.K. The group released three now-legendary albums in the 1980s — "Power From Hell", "The Force" and "In Search of Sanity" — and became a major influence for many metal generations to follow.

Since reforming in 2005, ONSLAUGHT has performed countless shows in no less than 70 different countries across the globe, earning themselves the reputation as one of the very best live acts in the metal scene today. ONSLAUGHT also has the enviable kudos of being the first international thrash band to perform in Vietnam and Lebanon.

Five critically acclaimed albums were released between 2007 and 2015 — "Killing Peace", "Live Damnation", "Sounds Of Violence", "VI" and "Live At The Slaughterhouse" — with millions of streams between them.

Produced by Grammy Award-winning engineer Daniel Bergstrand (MESHUGGAH, IN FLAMES, BEHEMOTH),"Generation Antichrist" gathered huge international acclaim, with many renowned rock and metal pundits declaring it the album of the year.

OBITUARY To Celebrate 35th Anniversary Of 'Cause Of Death' Album On North American Tour

Florida death metallers OBITUARY will celebrate the 35th anniversary of their second album, "Cause Of Death", on a North American tour this spring. Support on the trek will come from NAILS, TERROR, SPIRITWORLD and PEST CONTROL.

Tickets will go on sale on Friday January 24 at 10:00 a.m. local time at www.obituary.cc/tour.

Tour dates:

Apr. 18 - San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre
Apr. 19 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
Apr. 21 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
Apr. 22 - Mesa, AZ @ The Nile Theater
Apr. 24 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
Apr. 25 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
Apr. 26 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether
Apr. 27 - Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre
Apr. 29 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
Apr. 30 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
May 02 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
May 03 - Denver, CO @ The Oriental Theater
May 05 - Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
May 06 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
May 07 - Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre
May 09 - Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
May 10 - Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall
May 11 - New Kensington, PA @ Perversing Underground
May 14 - Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
May 14 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
May 19 - Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
May 20 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
May 22 - Maspeth, NY @ Knockdown Center
May 24 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
May 25 - Reading, PA @ Reverb

OBITUARY's latest studio album, "Dying Of Everything", came out in January 2023 via Relapse Records.

In 2022, Decibel Books released "Turned Inside Out: The Official Story Of Obituary", the fully authorized biography of OBITUARY. The book was written by David E. Gehlke, author of "Damn The Machine: The Story Of Noise Records" and "No Celebration: The Official Story Of Paradise Lost".

In 2023, OBITUARY drummer Donald Tardy told Kerrang! magazine that the extended hiatus he and his bandmates went on in 1997 was a positive experience.

"Hindsight is 20/20," he said. "At the time we didn't know if that break was going to be one year, two years, six years or whatever it was. But, looking back, it was fantastic for us to step away and recharge, to get away from the music industry and that scene at the age that we were. And we were gone for long enough that we were hungry again when we got back onstage. It's weird to look back at how long ago that was. Our 'second career' has lasted longer than a lot of bands' entire existences."

In a 2014 interview with Vice, OBITUARY singer John Tardy stated about the band's songwriting process: "Songwriting-wise, it's easy. We really don't struggle to write songs. We've never written a song that we didn't record. We've been together so much. If Trevor [Peres, guitar] just starts off with a rhythm, he almost immediately stops himself before Don or I can say hey, that's not where we're going; it gets erased off the board so fast. What's not easy is the task of actually recording yourself. It really takes a lot of focus in the studio. Playing live — anyone can walk out in front of 30,000 people — you have so much adrenaline going, that's the easy part. You walk into the study and I'm staring at my brother and a microphone and just sitting there—to try and find that emotion, especially with this style of music, to get that energy in a studio, to me, is the biggest challenge. The songwriting is pretty cool. We just allow ourselves to time for things to work. The songwriting's been falling together pretty cool."

Photo credit: Tim Hubbard

3

Long-Running U.K. Metal Band ORANGE GOBLIN To Call It Quits After 2025 Tour Dates

U.K. metal stalwarts ORANGE GOBLIN have announced their decision to split.

The long-running London-based outfit will play all of its scheduled 2025 dates before closing the book on a three-decade-long career.

ORANGE GOBLIN explained the decision to call it quits in a social media post earlier today (Wednesday, January 22). They wrote: "As ORANGE GOBLIN enters its 30th year of existence, we have made the collective decision that 2025 will be our last. Maybe not forever and who knows what could be possible further down the line.

"It's been a wild 30 years and we have had some incredible experiences and are left with magical memories. For that we are all truly grateful.

"We started the band with no real preconception of what it eventually became, we started as bored teenagers with a mutual love of Heavy Metal, Classic Rock and Punk Rock. We feel very fortunate that we have been able to travel all over the world, numerous times, and have made a network of friends all around the globe. We are proud of everything we have accomplished together, we've always maintained a DIY ethic and done things our own way and on our terms. We have never compromised to fit into any specific scene and we feel we leave a very strong legacy of 10 studio albums, each one a milestone that marks exactly where we were at each point of our journey. Of this, we are fiercely proud.

"It's not been an easy decision for any of us, we have all given 30 years of our lives to this incredible band, but we feel that now is the right time for us to focus our attention on our families and other interests outside the band. We will of course be honouring all the shows and festivals we currently have planned for 2025, as well as a few other things that we have in the pipeline, but these could be your last chance to catch ORANGE GOBLIN live!

"We would like to express our gratitude to every single person that has made this possible for us, there are far too many to name personally, but especially to our wives and children that have supported us no matter what, our former band mates, Martyn and Pete, the current and former road crew that have kept the show on the road for so long, despite us never making things easy for them. But last and by no means least, we thank you, the ORANGE GOBLIN fans that have been the bedrock of everything for us. Nothing we have done would've been possible without the fans that have bought the albums, the merchandise, the show tickets and ALWAYS showed us and made us feel just how appreciated we are. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts."

For the last 30 years, ORANGE GOBLIN has tirelessly flown the flag for all out heavy metal and maximum rock 'n' roll. Driven by passion, persistence and heartfelt love for metal's dark magic, ORANGE GOBLIN has always been a vital force and a risk-free bet. But while some may be content to trade on past glories, ORANGE GOBLIN viewed heavy metal as a lifelong pursuit. In 2024, they released their tenth studio album, "Science, Not Fiction".

Photo by Tina Korhonen

**30 YEARS OF ORANGE GOBLIN....AND THAT'S ALL FOLKS!**

As Orange Goblin enters its 30th year of existence, we have made...

Posted by Orange Goblin on Wednesday, January 22, 2025

6

LED ZEPPELIN Members Recall First Time They Played Together In New Official Documentary Teaser

Sony Pictures Classics/Sony Pictures UK have released a new teaser clip from the upcoming official LED ZEPPELIN documentary "Becoming Led Zeppelin" in which the members of the band talk about the first time they played together. Check it out below.

Guitarist Jimmy Page says: "I said the first number that I want to do is 'The Train Kept A-Rollin''."

Page continues: "We just kept playing it, doing little solo breaks and all the rest of it and Robert's [Plant, vocals] improvising." Bassist John Paul Jones states that he'd "never heard anything like it" when discussing hearing Plant's vocals for the first time. "I was expecting some cool soul singer, and there's this screaming maniac with this fantastic voice and fantastic range. I was, like, 'What are you doing up there? You'll hurt yourself, man.'"

Plant recalls about the band's first performance: "It was devastating because it seemed like that is what I had been waiting for."

In an archival audio, late ZEPPELIN drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980, says of joining the band: "Well, I was pretty shy, and the best thing to do when you're in a situation like that is not to say much and soldier along and suss it all out."

"Becoming Led Zeppelin" will be released exclusively in IMAX on February 7, 2025, in nearly 200 theatres. Ahead of the release, IMAX will hold one night only early access screenings in eighteen markets on February 5, 2025.

"Becoming Led Zeppelin" is directed by the award-winning, Emmy- and BAFTA-nominated Bernard MacMahon ("American Epic"),and written by MacMahon and BAFTA-nominated producer Allison McGourty. It is produced by McGourty and Paradise Pictures in association with Big Beach, alongside executive producers Michael B Clark, Alex Turtletaub, Cynthia Heusing, David Kistenbroker, Duke Erikson, Simon Moran and Ged Doherty. Editing is by Dan Gitlin, sound supervision is by Nick Bergh, sound restoration is by Grammy Award winner Peter Henderson, with archival research from Kate Griffiths and Rich Remsberg.

"Becoming Led Zeppelin" explores the origins of this iconic group and their meteoric rise in just one year against all the odds. Powered by awe-inspiring, psychedelic, never-before-seen footage, performances and music, Bernard MacMahon's experiential cinematic odyssey explores LED ZEPPELIN's creative, musical, and personal origin story. The film is told in LED ZEPPELIN's own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.

The hybrid docu-concert film also unveils a huge amount of rare and unseen LED ZEPPELIN performance footage. The result is a visceral musical experience that will transport audiences into the concert halls of LED ZEPPELIN's earliest tours, accompanied by intimate, exclusive commentary from the famously private band.

Director Bernard MacMahon said: "The cinematic power of IMAX paired with the film's authentic sound creates an immersive and transportive viewing experience letting audiences feel like they are there, in the venues with the band."

"Becoming Led Zeppelin" is a movie that almost didn't come to fruition — the filmmakers were up against epic challenges, including the fact that hardly any footage from the band's early period existed. MacMahon and McGourty embarked on a global detective search for material to illustrate the band's story.

"We spent five years flying back and forth across the Atlantic scouring attics and basements in pursuit of rare and unseen film footage, photographs and music recordings," writer/producer Allison McGourty said. "Then we transferred each piece of media with custom techniques, so that in IMAX, these 55-year-old clips and music would look and sound like they came out of the lab yesterday."

"We couldn't be more excited to be partnering with IMAX and Sony Pictures Classics to bring this film to big screens for all audiences, ZEPPELIN fans, of course, but also all music lovers and anyone looking for an inspiring, uplifting story with amazing music," McGourty added.

Tom Bernard, co-president and co-founder of Sony Pictures Classics, said: "I had a mind-blowing experience seeing LED ZEPPELIN for the first time in August 1969 at the Texas International Pop Festival in Grapevine, Texas and it has stayed with me ever since. This legendary group merits a spectacular North American theatrical release of this incredible film! I cannot think of a single movie that more brilliantly draws you into an artist's story, shows you how their music was made, and makes you experience it as if it was brand new. I know it will be inspirational to young people and legacy defining for generations to come."

A "work in progress" version of "Becoming Led Zeppelin" screened at the Venice International Film Festival in Italy in September 2021, and the "now completed" cut features "a brand-new sound mix (and) newly unearthed material from the archives of all four band members," according to the Sony Classics announcement.

Speaking about his original goal for LED ZEPPELIN, Page said: "I was looking for a band with four… I didn't want to have a band with just the guitarist and the other guys are bit players. There was a lot of bands like that. I wanted each and every musician in it to be equally as strong. So then when they came together, they would feel the contribution by the others and up their game; everybody is upping their game. I believe that the first album, the musicians — Robert Plant, John Bonham… Certainly John Bonham, but Robert Plant, myself and John Paul Jones had never played at that level of intensity as to the quality of how good they could play. But it all joins together into something really special. And that never stops."

MacMahon previously directed the Emmy-nominated music documentary series "American Epic" about the early American roots music recordings of the 1920s. Page praised the film back in 2019, saying: "When I saw everything Bernard had done both visually and sonically on the remarkable achievement that is 'American Epic', I knew he would be qualified to tell our story."

Plant added: "Seeing Will Shade and so many other important early American musicians brought to life on the big screen in 'American Epic' inspired me to contribute to a very interesting and exciting story."

Jones stated: "The time was right for us to tell our own story for the first time in our own words, and I think that this film will really bring this story to life."

An official LED ZEPPELIN book, "Led Zeppelin By Led Zeppelin", came out in October 2018.

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Former OZZY OSBOURNE Guitarist JOE HOLMES Releases New Song 'The Deadfall' Feat. ROBERT TRUJILLO, MIKE BORDIN

Former OZZY OSBOURNE and DAVID LEE ROTH guitarist Joe Holmes has shared a new single called "The Deadfall". The track, which was made available under the Joe Holmes name, once again features a recording lineup that is similar to the one that tracked the debut album from Joe's FARMIKOS project, with Holmes on guitar, Robert Locke on vocals, and Holmes's former OZZY OSBOURNE bandmates, bassist Robert Trujillo (now in METALLICA) and drummer Mike Bordin (also of FAITH NO MORE) on drums. Also contributing melodies and lyrics to the song was Brent Hoffort.

Last month, Holmes released a new song called "Cross Eyed Stare" featuring Locke, Trujillo and Bordin.

FARMIKOS's self-titled debut album was released in 2015 to critical acclaim. The disc contained ten original songs written by Holmes and Locke, with writing contributions on eight songs by Hoffort. Some of "Farmikos" featured Brooks Wackerman (AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ex-BAD RELIGION) on drums.

FARMIKOS was Holmes's first venture under his own flag since first attaining local notoriety with TERRIFF, an L.A. band he formed after taking guitar lessons as a teenager from none other than original Ozzy axeman Randy Rhoads. Holmes eventually went on to replace ALS-stricken Jason Becker on the 1991 David Lee Roth "A Lil' Ain't Enough" world tour.

In 1995, Holmes was brought to the attention of Ozzy Osbourne who was looking for a new guitarist to take over Zakk Wylde's spot for the "Ozzmosis" album touring cycle. Holmes would go on to co-write three songs, "Facing Hell", "Junkie" and "That I Never Had", which appeared on Ozzy's 2001 album, "Down To Earth".

Holmes began collaborating and creating material with Hoffort and then joined forces with vocalist and Arkansas native Locke in 2011 to put together ideas for what would become FARMIKOS.

OPETH's MIKAEL ÅKERFELDT Pays Tribute To JOHN SYKES

OPETH's Mikael Åkerfeldt has paid tribute to legendary English guitarist John Sykes (TYGERS OF PAN TANG, THIN LIZZY, WHITESNAKE, BLUE MURDER, SYKES),who died earlier this week at the age of 65.

Sykes, who performed with THIN LIZZY and WHITESNAKE in the 1980s, died following a battle with cancer, a statement posted on his verified Facebook page said on Monday (January 20).

Earlier today (Tuesday, January 21),Mikael shared the following message via the OPETH social media: "Wow, I was completely surprised and shocked to hear about the passing of the great John Sykes. Now, there's a guitar player that's almost frame by frame the image that's conjured up when you think of a 'heavy metal/rock guitarist'.

"I was never a huge fan of TYGERS OF PAN TANG, because I never really listened much to them. I have the 'Wild Cat' record and some others, but when I think of John Sykes I think of '1987' by WHITESNAKE as well as BLUE MURDER. His great project with Carmine Appice and Tony Franklin. The music of BLUE MURDER is sometimes utilized by OPETH when we feel tired and are lacking in energy before a show. We sometimes put on the song 'I'm On Fire' by BLUE MURDER, but with Kelly Keeling on vocals. That song is surely bound to wake you up, it's so over the top! And then of course there's that THIN LIZZY album he was on. 'Thunder And Lightning'. Great record!

"I saw him live only once. He was fronting a reunited version of THIN LIZZY that felt more intended as a tribute to Phil Lynott perhaps? Either way, it was great to hear these classic tunes even if Phil obviously wasn't there. I know that [OPETH guitarist] Fredrik [Åkesson] is a huge fan of Sykes, and even hung out with him a couple of times. That's another story, and one that's best told by Fredrik himself.

"John was a magnificent guitarist in my opinion. And singer/songwriter too! He had a wide vibrato that I suppose is an acquired taste, but I have always loved his great feel and emotional playing. I first heard about him when he appeared in the video for 'Slow An' Easy' by WHITESNAKE. A new version of the song from the one I was used to, complete with Sykes reimagined guitar overdubs. He made it sound a bit more metal (which I liked) but had the good taste to keep the original (and lovely) guitar solo by Micky Moody. Right?

"Anyways, I digress somewhat. On behalf of OPETH I want to extend our warmest condolences to John's family and friends. A great loss indeed!"

John's best-known work was when he joined WHITESNAKE and co-wrote the band's self-titled seventh studio album, released in 1987. It produced a major power ballad hit, "Is This Love", along with the No. 1 hit "Here I Go Again". The album was a major crossover hit, eventually selling over eight million copies in the U.S. alone.

Sykes co-wrote nine of the tracks on "Whitesnake", including mega-hits "Still Of The Night" and "Is This Love?"

Sykes found himself thrown out of WHITESNAKE, alongside bassist Neil Murray and drummer Aynsley Dunbar, even before the album had been released. WHITESNAKE singer and leader David Coverdale then assembled an entirely different, MTV-friendly group to tour the record.

Sykes announced his departure from THIN LIZZY in July 2009, explaining that "I feel it's time to get back to playing my own music."

BLUE MURDER was formed by Sykes and released two studio albums — 1989's self-titled effort and the 1993 follow-up, "Nothin' But Trouble" — before calling it quits.

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Finland’s SEPULCHRAL CURSE Announce Crimson Moon Evocations; "House Of The Black Moon" Streaming

Sepulchral Curses’ third full-length Crimson Moon Evocations paints a vivid portrait of a band at their creative and productive peak. On their Dark Descent Records debut, the Turku quintet demonstrate unmatched ferocity and craftmanship, cementing their place at the very zenith of the global blackened death metal scene.

As with many Finnish death metal pioneers, the band incorporates a distinctive sense of weirdness, blending diverse influences in crafting a sound that’s unmistakably their own. “The backbone is death metal,” states vocalist Kari Kankaanpää, “but we’ve never shied away from exploring new inspirations and influences, which shape the unique edge synonymous with Sepulchral Curse. Music needs to be dark, heavy and furious!”

Crimson Moon Evocations marks the band’s debut with Dark Descent Records, a partnership that feels both natural and profoundly significant: “Dark Descent Records has always held a special place in my heart. To join their renowned roster with this record is a true honour.”

This new collaboration reflects the Sepulchral Curse's unwavering momentum, arriving merely two years after their bold leap forward with Abhorrent Dimensions “With Abhorrent Dimensions we truly began to find our own sound and style, and Crimson Moon Evocations takes an even deeper dive into who we are and crystallises the essence of the Sepulchral Curse sound.”

To capture their vision, the band returned to Finland’s Oxroad Studios to work with producer Tomi Uusitupa, whose influence has be

Sepulchral Curse

PERFECT PLAN Release "Heart Of A Lion" Single And Video

Perfect Plan have released their new single and accompanying video, “Heart Of A Lion”, the title track from the upcoming studio album, set for release on February 28 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Lead singer Kent Hilli describes the title track by saying: “'Heart Of A Lion' is inspired by our Swedish football hero Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his story and career. A magnificent football player with a very inspiring story. I can relate to the struggles he had as a youth growing up in Sweden turning his setbacks and people talking him down to fuel for development and reaching higher. The passion, ambition and drive he has is truly one of a kind. He also has the Lion as his “spirit animal” which - together with his unique drive - inspired me for the lyrics and theme of the song."

Perfect Plan’s fourth studio album, Heart Of A Lion, marks the culmination of the band’s musical production to date. Over the course of their first trilogy of albums, All Rise, Time For A Miracle and Brace For Impact, the Swedes have quickly established themselves as a new gold standard in not only the Scandinavian melodic rock genre, but the melodic rock genre as a whole.

Talking about Heart Of A Lion, Hilli continues: “The new album is once again showcasing that we have developed and matured as a band in terms of songwriting and production. The melodies, riffs, and hooks that we have created on this album are overall the best we’ve done so far. I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished. Although our main influences like Survivor, Foreigner, Europe, and Whitesnake are still shining through, there’s that unmistakable Perfect Plan sound that is the driving center of it all. And I think we have strengthened that sound and identity.

“With Brace For Impact we wanted to discover a new heavier and 'in your face' sound but on this album, we are back to the sound of the first two albums, with more keyboards and bigger sound taking you back to the 80’s with a modern touch and feel. On this album, we once again teamed up with Mårten Eriksson, whom we worked with on Time For A Miracle."

Hilli adds: “Mårten brought his extreme talent to the songs both co-producing with us and also did he mixing. Mårten's long experience as both a songwriter and producer in the pop industry brought so much to the table and the end result is simply fantastic. If you liked our previous albums, you are gonna love Heart Of A Lion!”

Kent Hilli is a one-of-a-kind singer that gained a world-class reputation almost from the start. His class, range, tone, and heartfelt expression caught the attention of his heroes Giant, who picked him to sing on their latest album Shifting Time, and saw Kent releasing two solo albums in 2021 (The Rumble) and 2023 (Nothing Left To Lose).

Completing the lineup is: Rolf Nordström, guitarist extraordinaire, Mats Byström, the music mastermind who plays bass and forms a solid, rock-hard base with drummer Fredrik Forsberg. The subtle textures, so important in AOR, come from Leif Ehlin’s keyboards.

Heart Of A Lion is a powerful statement from the band offering their absolute best songwriting and production ever: a strong offering with roots very well planted in the 80’s AOR sound. Produced in collaboration with Mårten Eriksson, the band was determined to top the musical results they had previously reached and took a few months to come out with the right musical material.

Sometimes the stars align, and the result is absolutely stunning: a perfect balance of energy and unforgettable melodies is what you are going to find in Heart Of A Lion.

Perfect Plan offers the “perfect” (pun intended) combination: a superb singer, a well-oiled band of experienced players, and a great songwriting talent with a knack for unforgettable melodies and driving rhythms.

With Heart Of A Lion, Perfect Plan has crafted an outstanding piece of work which, while paying tribute to the obvious references to the sound of the classics (think Survivor, Foreigner, The Storm, Giant, etc) and Scandinavian AOR, has a recognizable identity and personal feel.

Pre-order t

LORRAINE LEWIS Joins OnlyFans, Announces Plans To Resurrect FEMME FATALE With New Lineup

With her powerful, gutsy voice, Lorraine Lewis cemented her place in the rock world as lead vocalist for the band FEMME FATALE with their 1988 self-titled MCA album. It produced two big rock singles and MTV videos: "Waiting For The Big One" and "Falling In And Out of Love".

Coming off a nearly six-year run as the fiery lead vocalist of VIXEN, whom she was invited to join in 2019, the 66-year-old singer, songwriter, and sexy no-holds-barred performer is now doubling down on her legacy with a new FEMME FATALE lineup.

"FEMME FATALE is what most people know me for," says Lorraine. "I like being the only girl in the room, and I'm determined to keep my rock legacy alive. I've been working with a renowned songwriter/producer for a FEMME FATALE release. I'm lining up my band and hoping to have something out this year. We have a plan and are looking for the right fit with a label. I want to be around people who 'get me' and I'll never stop doing what I love. Rock and roll never dies."

Notably, Lorraine has also been recording with Lou Gramm, the original FOREIGNER lead singer and Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer. They have recorded an interpretation of David Bowie's "Heroes" for release this June (exact date to be announced).

"While the classic song has been covered by many others, it has never been recorded as a duet with a male and female voice," says Lorraine. "When Lou sings the line, 'I will be king and you will be queen', I melt."

"Lou is vocally brilliant," she adds. "There were moments I could hardly believe I was in the studio with him. The voice I have loved since I sang in bar bands in my hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico. I mean, 'Hot Blooded', 'Cold As Ice' and 'Midnight Blue'. His voice and chops are like no one I've ever worked with."

In addition to her musical projects, "I'm excited to have jumped into the OnlyFans arena!" says Lorraine. "I've always been unpredictable, and I know guys and girls have had my photo or poster on their wall since my hot videos back in the day. It's time to go for it, have some fun and show off my wild side! I mean one of my singles is called 'Waiting For The Big One'. It just makes sense. I recently saw a clip of Cher saying she wished she would have been 'badder' which made me think, 'Hell yes, I'm joining OnlyFans.' I've wanted to for the longest time. Have you ever wondered what it's like for me to be your girlfriend? Well here's your chance. I'm following in the footsteps of Cardi B., Carmen Electra, Drea De Matteo, and more!"

"So many people put down social media," she adds," but I love it. It's a way to connect with my tribe on a more personal level. I love being belly to belly with the fans & friends of mine."

Lorraine explains how her presence on social media led to working with Gramm. "I do a live 'Q and A' every Sunday at 5 p.m. Pacific (8 p.m. Eastern) where I let my tribe ask me anything. A question I get often is: 'Who would you want to record with?' My answer is always the same: #1 Lou Gramm, #2 Paul Rodgers, and #3 David Lee Roth.

"One Monday back in April," she recalls, "I got a message from his team on Instagram asking what songs I would want to do with Lou! I was stunned. Is this for real? They asked for my phone number and could I take a call with Lou on a Friday at 1:30 p.m. Pacific. Of course I said yes, not really sure this was legit. But Friday at 1:30 p.m. Pacific, I got a call and it was Mr. Gramm himself!! He told me to call him Lou. We started emailing and talking once a week to decide on songs we wanted to record together. It took several months, but we decided on some songs, recorded our vocals in May on our first track."

Lorraine is all lit up for 2025 and beyond. "I'm an entertainer. Before FEMME FATALE, I was always a singer and performer who wanted to push beyond the limits," she says. "That will never change, and I'm more fearless than ever. I've recently done stand up and I'm open to having a podcast. I'm still creating reality TV, have plans to produce a docu series, and want to do a remake of a movie. I'm an open book but still have secrets for my exciting future. I'm here to have fun, and live life to the fullest!! Let's F-ing GO!!"

Hear MIDNIGHT VICE Cover SAVATAGE's "White Witch"; Details Revealed For Upcoming Self-Titled EP

Tampa, Florida-based Midnight Vice have revealed new details about their self-titled debut EP, finally and for the first time ever physically available on CD and Vinyl via the band's new label partner ROAR! "Midnight Vice" will be out in Europe on March 28 and in North America on April 4; the pre-sale has just started here.

Midnight Vice, founded in 2020, is a NWOTHM (New Wave Of Traditional Heavy Metal) band hailing from the depths of Tampa’s Underground metal scene. With a sound that pays homage to the legends of the 1980’s metal era, they combine crushing riffs, soaring vocals, and blazing guitar solos to create a sound that is both familiar and fresh. They are characterized by denim and leather, with a “take no prisoners” attitude. The group is heavily influenced by bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Savatage, Megadeth, Motörhead and many more. Midnight Vice brings a sense of tradition to their music, all while infusing modern energy that is sure to ignite the flame within diehard metal heads.

Grown up in Tampa, the band was surrounded by the spirit of a lot of legends. “For the band as a whole, Crimson Glory and Savatage are by far the most influential local legends. We're also very big Death fans”, confirms singer Tyler Gray. To Savatage, the band even pays tribute with a cover version of their speed metal classic “White Witch”, from the almighty Hall Of The Mountain King album. “With us being a heavy metal band from Florida, it felt right to pay our homage to a band that put Florida on the map in regards of American heavy metal”, says the singer and adds that Midnight Vice guitar player Sam Bean grew up in Tarpon Springs, the hometown of Savatage.

Stream Midnight Vice's killer cover version of “White Witch” here. Listen below.

Within the past few years, a new and young scene developed, discovering and sharing their love for traditional 80s metal. While the first wave came with bands like Skull Fist, Enforcer, Ram, Cauldron and White Wizzard, a second wave just kicked-off with Midnight Vice possibly becoming one of the bands on top of it. “It is absolutely a new scene. It is incredible to see all of these new bands coming out. It's honestly gotten to the point that it's hard to keep up with all the bands popping up these days,“ Tyler adds. “I remember the heydays of Enforcer and Skull Fist being followed by bands such as Haunt, Riot City, and Sabïre. Since then, I feel like it's just been an overload of new bands. It's really cool to see, and we're happy to be part of such a flourishing movement.”

In 2023, Midnight Vice released their first EP digitally, which will be out physically in late March / early April 2025 on their new label ROAR, the home of Grave Digger, Crematory, Saber to n

MANTRIC MOMENTUM Feat. PYRAMAZE Vocalist Release New Single, Video “The Highest Mountain”

Melodic metallers Mantric Momentum have shared their new single and accompanying video “The Highest Mountain”, from the upcoming studio album, Alienized, set for release on February 14, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl.

Guitarist Christer Harøy comments on the new release: “On our second album, “Alienized”, we continue to build on the foundation made from the first album: a mix of heavy riffs, twin guitars, melodic vocals and massive choruses”.

About the new single, he says: “We wanted to write an “anthem-esque” song; a driving heavy tune, still very accessible with hooks to sing along to.”

Mantric Momentum is the new melodic the heavy metal group centered around vocalist Terje Harøy (Pyramaze) and multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Christer Harøy (Divided Multitude, Crossnail).

With the debut album “Trial By Fire”, Mantric Momentum raised the interest of the Melodic Metal audience, delivering great songs, amazingly composed and arranged, with a big production.

“Alienized” will bring the band to the next level, with an even more bombastic production, handled by Mr. Jacob Hansen and a collection of songs where Terje’s superb singing together with the excellent songwriting skills of Christer make the difference!

The initial idea for Mantric Momentum first saw the day of light in 2011, when Christ Harøy co-wrote a song with Danish producer Jacob Hansen. The project was slow to come to life though, due to Christer's duties with the bands Divided Multitude, Teodor Tuff, and Crossnail.

Their first single, “Awaiting Tomorrow", was finally released in 2017 along with the track “Immortal”, with guest appearances from Yannis Papadopoulos (Beast In Black), Truls Haugen (Circus Maximus), Joey Vera (Fates Warning), and Ketil A Jensen.

The single “Temple Of My Fears” followed in 2020, this time with Christer playing all the instruments and featuring Ralf Scheepers on vocals. A third single, “Shattered”, was released in 2021 and featured Netta Laurenne (Smackbound, Laurenne/Louhimo) on vocals.

With these songs out

Mantric Momentum

DISARMONIA MUNDI Unleash New Single "Adrift Among Insignificant Strangers"

eir triumphant return with the release of the first single, "Oathbreaker", after nine long years since their last album, Cold Inferno, Italian melodic death metal titans Disarmonia Mundi have unleashed a second crushing track, entitled "Adrift Among Insignificant Strangers".

Both singles serve as the first two harbingers of Disarmonia Mundi's forthcoming sixth full-length album, offering an intense

Disarmonia Mundi

RICKY WARWICK Debuts "The Crickets Stayed In Clovis" Music Video - "We Unashamedly Fired Up The THIN LIZZY Harmony Guitars On This One!"

Black Star Riders / The Almighty frontman, Ricky Warwick, has released the new single and music video, "The Crickets Stayed In Clovis", from his new solo record, Blood Ties, arriving on March 14 via Earache Records.

Says Warwick, "I’ve kept you waiting for this one - was it worth the wait?! My new single 'The Crickets Stayed In Clovis' is out now! We unashamedly fired up the Thin Lizzy harmony guitars on this one! You’ll find the track on my upcoming album Blood Ties, which you can pre-order now at earache.com/rickywarwick - heads up that the splatter vinyl edition is 50% sold out!

“'The Crickets Stayed In Clovis' is about how life can change in the blink of an eye, as was seen with the ill-fated plane journey that took the lives of Buddy Holly and three others. A few weeks before the flight, Buddy had fired his backing band, The Crickets. Waylon Jennings was supposed to be on the flight but gave his seat up to the Big Bopper, who had the flu and Waylon felt sorry for him. Ritchie Valens flipped a coin with Tommy Allsup for his seat, Ritchie won and lost his life.

"Life’s a game of chance, sometimes it’s better to play the long game and not be envious of others, as you never know what tomorrow brings."🤘

Warwick previously stated: "Blood Ties is a look into my deepest, darkest personal demons - but I’ve made sure the guitars were turned up way beyond driven to turn that negativity into an uplifting slab of rock’n’roll that I can’t wait for all of you to hear. Along with Lita Ford, you’ll hear my partners in R’n'R Charlie Starr, Billy Duffy and Tuk Smith amongst others on the album. Thank you to everyone who helped me create Blood Ties but, most importantly, thanks to YOU for making sure that I can keep doing what I love: making music for each and every one of you."

The journey from Belfast to Los Angeles, entwined with a lifetime spent at the coalface of bona fide rock n roll, has made for a heady cocktail of creativity and popularity. Ricky Warwick, founder of The Almighty, Black Star Riders, The Fighting Hearts, acclaimed and respectful frontman of Thin Lizzy since 2011, remains unstoppable.

This time he’s on a solo run with the release of his new album, Blood Ties.

Acknowledging that it was time to mine a deep seam for this record, the busiest man in the business has left nothing in the dressing room. Big cathartic guitar sounds and life-affirming, often joyous assessments of where he stands in this time and place make this album a standout piece of work in a career that has spanned over four decades. The Northern Irish man has spent his time well and the foundations for an album such as Blood Ties have been laid on solid ground.

As a solo artist and an esteemed singer/songwriter in his own right, Ricky Warwick has also collaborated with some of the finest musicians on the planet, with Blood Ties featuring Billy Duffy (The Cult), Lita Ford and Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke). Ricky has gathered many strings to his bow and his capacity to deliver new work to an appreciative fanbase with the accuracy of a perfectly flighted arrow is beyond impressive.

Having written with his friend and creative compadre Mr Keith Nelson (Buckcherry, Velvet Revolver, Blackberry Smoke) on this album, Ricky stresses that the guitars are turned up “beyond driven” on Blood Ties. When Warwick is as happy as this with a new work

1

MIKE PORTNOY On NICKO MCBRAIN's Retirement: 'It's Sad For Me To See Him Having To Struggle To Make Such A Heavy Decision'

In a new interview with Metal Pilgrim, DREAM THEATER's Mike Portnoy spoke about Nicko McBrain's recent announcement that the longtime IRON MAIDEN drummer was retiring from touring. Asked to elaborate on his social media post that he was "shocked" to hear about McBrain's retirement and whether Mike was shocked that Nicko decided to leave or he was shocked that the band decided to carry on without Nicko behind the kit, Portnoy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it was more about Nicko stepping down, and it was just sad for me to see him have to make that decision. I mean, Nicko's been a a good friend of mine for over 30 years, so as a friend, it's sad for me to see him having to struggle to make such a heavy decision.

"Of course, I understand the band carrying on," Mike continued. "They're a huge band and a big brand name globally, playing stadiums all around the world. So I understand that this giant empire needs to carry on. But he only mentioned retiring from touring, so I'm hoping that he's still in the band and could still make music with the guys, just maybe in a more limited capacity. But no matter what, I wish him all the best because he is a very good friend of mine. And you want him to be comfortable in his physical abilities. And if it means him having to put the drumsticks down from touring, I wish him all the best."

Asked if he would be open to "substituting for Nicko" in IRON MAIDEN if his schedule allowed and he was invited to play with the legendary British heavy metal band, Portnoy said: "That's such a hypothetical scenario and question. I mean, look, on the surface, of course. They're one of the biggest bands in the world and one of my favorite bands in the world. So, yeah, I hear that question come up all the time about [RUSH's] Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson as well. It's such a hypothetical. But I think for IRON MAIDEN in particular, it's not even worth posing that question because I don't think in a million years they would have anybody in the band that wasn't English. They are such a such a traditionally British band that I think this is a hypothetical question that needn't even be asked because it would be an impossibility — unless I changed my nationality."

The 72-year-old Nicko, whose real name is Michael Henry McBrain, announced his retirement on December 7, 2024 in a statement on MAIDEN's web site and social media. The British musician also said that night's concert at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil would mark his final show with the iconic rock band.

Despite the fact that he is stepping away from touring, McBrain said that he will remain closely connected to IRON MAIDEN and continue to be involved in "a variety of projects" with the band, while also focusing on personal ventures and his existing businesses.

On December 8, IRON MAIDEN announced Simon Dawson as its new touring drummer. Dawson is a former session drummer and MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's longtime bandmate in BRITISH LION.

The December 7 performance marked the final show of IRON MAIDEN's "The Future Past" world tour, which began in May 2023.

MAIDEN will return to the road in 2025 for the "Run For Your Lives" world tour, which is scheduled to launch in May.

In January 2023, Nicko was at his home in Boca Raton when he suffered a stroke with partial paralysis.

When Nicko first went public with his stroke in August 2023, the drummer said in a statement that the episode left him "paralyzed" down one side of his body and "worried" that his career with the band was over.

Four years ago, McBrain was diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer and opened up about it in a single interview in 2021 but otherwise kept it mostly under wraps.

Tapped to replace Clive Burr in 1982 after touring activities for "Number Of The Beast" concluded, McBrain brought a degree of finesse and technicality that was largely missing from IRON MAIDEN's early output. Whereas Burr was often lauded for his heavy-handed, punk-oriented style, McBrain was largely the opposite, playing with a degree of dexterity and flair that helped primary songwriter Steve Harris take MAIDEN down more adventurous paths. He eventually became the third longest-tenured member of MAIDEN, behind Harris and guitarist Dave Murray.

McBrain spent his early drumming years playing for the likes of Pat Travers and French rockers TRUST, eventually falling onto the radar of Harris and MAIDEN during the group's initial European tour.

Mike Portnoy photo credit: Travis Shinn

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HAKEN's CHARLIE GRIFFITHS Returns With New TIKTAALIKA Album Gods Of Pangaea; Title Track Video Streaming

Haken guitarist, Charlie Griffiths, returns with a follow-up to his 2022 solo album. This time Charlie assumes the moniker Tiktaalika and presents Gods Of Pangaea, set for release on March 14t. The album picks up where the last left off, and continues with an exploration into an ancient forgotten world, colliding with the human-centric planet we inhabit today.

To coincide with the announcement, the title track from the album has been launched, featuring vocals from Texture’s Daniël de Jongh. The video sees Charlie colouring in the striking cover art, once again created by Dan Goldsworthy (Sepultura, Body Count, Aborted). Watch below.

Musically the album pays tribute to the art of the guitar riff, with its DNA strands reaching back to the golden era of metal with flavours of Mercyful Fate, Judas Priest, Megadeth and Metallica. Of the creative process Charlie explains, “This time around I wanted to be more song oriented, rather than having an overarching concept. Although I had a rough blueprint for the shape of the album in my head and was always conscious of the balance and flow of the album experience; starting with a fast thrasher, following up with a longer progressive track, then a slower sludgy song, followed by a softer track and so on. I finished all the music first and really focused on each section be there for a good reason, with a guitar riff that propels the song.”

The album sees Charlie joined by drummer Darby Todd (Devin Townsend) and basis Conner Green (Haken). He is also helped by a collection of some of the best vocalists in the business, with Tommy Rogers (Between The Buried & Me), Rody Walker (Protest The Hero), Vladim

SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY To Release Where Mountains Hide Album In March; Official "Palantir" Video Streaming

US-based rising instrumental progressive metallers, Sometime In February, are pleased to announce their upcoming new studio album. Where Mountains Hide will be released March 21 via InsideOutMusic/Sony Music.

Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, this instrumental guitar trio present sophisticated yet accessible compositions that reveal a maturity beyond their brief time together as a band.

To celebrate the announcement, the band have also launched their latest single, "Palantir", accompanied by a brand-new video. Watch below.

The band comments of the album and single release: “We are so excited to announce our sophomore record, and our debut with InsideOutMusic, Where Mountains Hide. It’s been a long time in the making, our biggest accomplishment, and our boldest statement. Once we signed with the label, we knew we had to step up our game to keep up with the legendary names on their roster.

"Alongside this announcement comes our lead single, 'Palantir'. It was the first track written for our new album, and it sets the tone for the record as a whole. We feel it is the definitive sound for Sometime in February in our current state, and we are so excited for everyone to hear this single and the rest of the album, and for everyone to see it live in person very soon.”

Where Mountains Hide will be available as a Limited CD Digipak, Limited Edition Coloured Vinyl (both including bonus track) & as Digital Album. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Palantir"
"Mourning Bird"
"The Bad Fight"
"Outside In"
"What Was Heard"
"What Was Said"
"Phantom Sea"
"Bury You"
"Homeworld I: Green Mountain"
"Homeworld II: Dislodged"
"Funeral House"
"There Is Nothing Here But Technology" (Bonus Track)

"Palantir" video:

"The Bad Fight" video:

In 2023, the band introduced themselves with their first single under InsideOut, titled "Hiding Place", which showcased their melodic approach. Now, with a full album of new material, Sometime In February presents 11 captivating tracks, from the fusion-metal opener "Palantir" to the progressive complexity of "Outside In" to the blues-infused, prog-metal closer "Funeral House".

Originally founded as an instrumental solo project for guitarist Tristan Auman in 2020, Sometime In February became a fully rounded prog rock trio with the addition of drummer Scott Barber and bassist Morgan Johnson after making the jump from studio to stage following the release of their EP Here Goes in 2021. The Carolina-based group has kept their foot on the gas ever since, touring throughout the Southeast US and releasing their follow-up, the debut LP There Goes, in 2023.

The trio’s connections extend into the progressive music world, featur

Sometime in February

FOUR SECONDS AGO Feat. PERIPHERY Members Announce Sophomore Album, Share "Bump The Lamp" Visualizer

The Lamp" Visualizer">
Four Seconds Ago, the electronic duo featuring Periphery’s Jake Bowen and Misha Mansoor, return with 1000 Needles on February 21 via 3DOT Recordings). The album is a continued exploration of analog synths, spacey dynamics and otherworldly ambient melodies.

“Four Seconds Ago, aside from being a fulfilling outlet creatively, is also just a lot of fun,” Mansoor shares. “Jake and I have always had a blast writing together, and our explorations in electronic music are no exception. The sessions often feel like a good hang where songs magically materialize before our very eyes. To some degree we started Four Seconds Ago as an excuse to learn how to make this kind of music. Now I think we are able to use it as a genuine form of expression. We a

Four Seconds Ago

DREAM THEATER Shares New Song 'Midnight Messiah' Featuring Lyrics By MIKE PORTNOY

With their latest full-length record available worldwide in just 16 days, Grammy-winning, progressive music titans DREAM THEATER are releasing the next piece of music from their sixteenth studio album, "Parasomnia". The track "Midnight Messiah" — clocking in at 7:58 — is now available via all digital service providers and is the third musical composition available from the iconic reunited lineup of vocalist James LaBrie, guitarist John Petrucci, bassist John Myung, keyboardist Jordan Rudess and drummer Mike Portnoy. The song marks Portnoy's first lyrical contribution since 2009. A tour diary music video featuring footage from multiple dates of their successful European leg of the 40th-aniversary tour 2024 was directed and edited by longtime collaborator Mike Leonard from footage compiled by tour documentarian Wolfe Eliot and Paul Green Productions. The music video for "Midnight Messiah" can be seen below.

Portnoy states: "It was great writing lyrics again and contributing this chapter to the 'Parasomnia' story. DT fans may get a kick out of discovering some of the hidden nuggets I planted in the song referencing many of my past DT lyrics…and the music video is a great representation of the excitement of the first two tour legs we recently completed throughout Europe and South America. Just in time to prepare for our next leg throughout North America which we are so excited to embark on."

"Parasomnia" is due on February 7, 2025 via InsideOut Music. The LP marks the band's first release with Portnoy since 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings".

"Parasomnia" was produced by guitarist John 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.

From the opening track "In The Arms Of Morpheus" to the closer of "The Shadow Man Incident", DREAM THEATER returns with a collection of songs that showcase what has earned the band a loyal following for four decades. Clocking in at 71 minutes, "Parasomnia" takes the listener on a musical journey that has become synonymous with the band since the beginning of their career. "Parasomnia" is a term for disruptive, sleep-related disturbances including sleepwalking, sleep paralysis, and night terrors. Songs like "A Broken Man", "Dead Asleep", "Midnight Messiah" and "Bend The Clock" all build upon the themes brought on by the album title. The first single, "Night Terror", is a musical thrill ride captured in the just shy of ten minutes listening experience.

The track listing for "Parasomnia" is:

01. In The Arms Of Morpheus (5:22)
02. Night Terror (9:55)
03. A Broken Man (8:30)
04. Dead Asleep (11:06)
05. Midnight Messiah (7:58)
06. Are We Dreaming? (1:28)
07. Bend The Clock (7:24)
08. The Shadow Man Incident (19:32)

Portnoy co-founded DREAM THEATER in 1985 with guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John 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".

Asked by Brazil's Marcelo Vieira and Matheus Ribeiro if DREAM THEATER's upcoming LP picks up from where the last DT album he played on, 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", left off or if it's a different thing entirely, Portnoy said: "If I'm being honest, I think it picks up right where 'Black Clouds' left off, to be honest. There's a certain style that the five of us have when we write together. And if you listen to the album with this lineup from 1999, '[Metropolis Pt. 2:] Scenes From A Memory', through 2009's 'Black Clouds & Silver Linings', if you look at that string of five or six albums, that's the sound and style of these five people. So I think that's a good indication of what you can expect with the new DREAM THEATER album. It definitely sounds like classic DREAM THEATER."

In a recent interview with U.K.'s Devolution magazine, DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess talked about the band's upcoming sixteenth album. Regarding Portnoy's reunion with DREAM THEATER, Rudess said: "I'm really excited because welcoming Mike back is a really emotional, really beautiful thing to his home, where he really should be. He's been so wonderful and very respectful of all of us in terms of — he was gone for a long time. And he has all these skills beyond drumming. So he asks, 'Do you mind if I get involved with this? Is it okay if I get involved with this?' And we're always, like, 'Yeah, man, come on, bring it on. All the stuff that you do, all the Mike Portnoy stuff is important.' And I am so happy because, you know, when I listen back to the music that we've been creating, it's got his stamp on it. You know that some of the stuff is coming from his brain."

Jordan added: "Let's say it kind of like it is. DREAM THEATER survived for 13 years without him. We did fine. We won a Grammy. We wrote a lot of good music. We had a fantastic drummer. All that's good. But he came back, and now you will feel it in the music, you will hear it in the songs, you will see it when we're going out and playing live. It's unmistakable. This guy, he's who he is. He's a big character. He's very, very talented. Great drummer. Really great thinker about all the different elements that go into musical-visual creation. And this album we're working on just emits that. Everyone will know as soon as they hear it. So I'm really super excited about it, and all of it it's great."

In July, Rudess was asked by Chris Akin Presents how the upcoming DREAM THEATER album compares to the rest of the band's discography. Jordan said: "Well, let's put it this way. There's this undeniable, almost unexplainable or inexplainable, whatever the word is, type of thing that happens with drummers. We survived beautifully in the 13 years that Mike Portnoy was not there. Mike Mangini was a supreme drummer, just incredible. And that said, all the albums with Portnoy, all the albums with Mangini, they have different flavors, because there's something about the back beat, if you will, of a band and the drummer that just gives an energy to the whole thing. And a lot of people speak of that. It's kind of hard to pin down. But you really notice it. Like on this new album, I listen to it and I go, 'Okay, I feel the Portnoy energy back there.'

"I would say what I'm hearing personally is classic kind of DREAM THEATER, whatever that means to anybody that's listening," he continued. "You'll have to wait and see. Think of it this way: the core band is back together again. It's classic DREAM THEATER. I also like to point out that we are a bunch of guys that we take what we do very, very seriously. We put every ounce, every bit of effort, energy into everything we do. We care so much about it, each and every one of us.

"The other day, I was talking to John Petrucci in the studio when I was doing my keyboard parts. And we were really deep and working really hard and spending long hours and just getting things to where we feel they're really, really right. And I said to John, I said, 'John, look at what we're doing. We're here late. We're working like crazy. Why? We could have been making pop music. Why are we doing this?' Just to really understand, because a lot of people don't put the kind of effort, I guess, especially these days when there tends to be a different kind of work ethic around, and maybe we're kind of like old school in that way. But to produce a product, to make something that's gonna last, that is gonna be shared with a large number of people, that's just gonna live on, in a way, forever, that, to us, is a really serious thing. And as artists, we're trying to make a statement."

Circling back to Portnoy's influence on the new DREAM THEATER music, Jordan said: "One of the beautiful things is Mike has brought with him all his incredible skills. He's not a guy who just plays the drums really well. He also understands this business. I always like to say that he's got kind of like a film director's mentality, he's looking at everything from a conceptual point of view, and he has skills that the rest of us don't. I mean, yes, we survived fine [without Portnoy], we did really well, we won a Grammy [while he was out of the band] and all that, but there's a magic there that we now have back. It's cool — it's really cool. We're super excited."

CRADLE OF FILTH Announces New Album, 'The Screaming Of The Valkyries', Shares New Single 'To Live Deliciously'

Grammy Award-nominated extreme metal institution CRADLE OF FILTH will release its 14th studio album, "The Screaming Of The Valkyries", on March 21, 2025 via Napalm Records. Available for pre-order now, the album excels as a succinct summation of the ghosts of CRADLE's past, while taking bold new steps into the future.

CRADLE OF FILTH reigns supreme as one of the most revered, formative and notorious names in music — from the depths of the extreme metal underground to the peaks of mainstream pop culture itself, and are responsible for breaking ground for many of today's top metal artists with their trademark mixture of blackened heaviness, macabre theatricality, and scintillating gothic style. Now, following the release of 2021's "Existence Is Futile", iconic frontman Dani Filth & Co. emerge again with a legacy-cementing opus.

Entrance yourself with a brand new CRADLE OF FILTH anthem for a new era — "To Live Deliciously" — out today. The track hits with rhythmic, menacing urgency built around a Libertine lyrical hook that twists and writhes with aggression, atmosphere and melody.

CRADLE OF FILTH master of ceremonies Dani Filth says about the new track: "The song is about the celebration of life. Of indulging in everything unfettered from the conformities of religion, fashion or state. Free from guilt or constraint. As nature intended. It could be read as a hedonistic life code. And a positive one if not done at the expense or the suffering of others. To delight in simply 'being.' Being alive and free in the here and now."

On "The Screaming Of The Valkyries", Dani's recognizable scream and equally identifiable growl stand mightily alongside twin guitar attacks, symphonic flourishes and explosive rhythm section, implemented by drummer Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka, bassist Daniel Firth, guitarists Marek "Ashok" Smerda and Donny Burbage and keyboardist/vocalist Zoe Federoff.

After album opener "To Live Deliciously" hits immediately, second track "Demagoguery" blends dark beauty, blast beats and slaytanic groove as only CRADLE can combine. Across the album’s blunt and unforgiving yet inviting expanse, CRADLE summons the succulent flavors of classic albums like "Dusk… And Her Embrace" and "Cruelty And The Beast" with the galloping (but no less fierce) thunder of recent entries "Hammer Of The Witches" and "Existence Is Futile". Flashes of early metal influences coalesce with carnivorous glee into unapologetic death 'n' roll. "White Hellebore" is CRADLE OF FILTH at its most devilishly straightforward, juxtaposing traditional heavy metal with blasts of thrashing fury, spinning back to operatic goth without sounding disjointed. Anchored by arguably the most mournful melody in their catalog, "Non Omnis Moriar" ("I shall not wholly die") could be a cousin to PARADISE LOST or ANATHEMA, inverted through CRADLE's thorny prism. "You Are My Nautilus" is the darkest song IRON MAIDEN never wrote, spinning an epic tale with dueling guitars, while "Ex Sanguine Draculae" conjures "Dusk"-era atmosphere with imaginative new colors.

Produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios in Suffolk, England, "The Screaming Of The Valkyries" beckons the brave into a new era of CRADLE OF FILTH misadventure, celebrating massive melancholic melody, blackened thrash, and apocalyptic existential dread with a grinning smattering of unbridled revelry. "The Screaming Of The Valkyries" is a bloody dark love letter to the longtime legion of CRADLE OF FILTH faithful and a stunning entryway for fresh lambs to the sonic slaughter.

"The Screaming Of The Valkyries" track listing:

01. To Live Deliciously
02. Demagoguery
03. The Trinity Of Shadows
04. Non Omnis Moriar
05. White Hellebore
06. You Are My Nautilus
07. Malignant Perfection
08. Ex Sanguine Draculae
09. When Misery Was A Stranger

In a recent interview with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, Dani stated about "The Screaming Of The Valkyries": "It's got elements of everything we've done, really. It has a few head nods to works like 'Midian' and 'Dusk[... And Her Embrace]', especially in the atmosphere and the subject matter. It's also got a very brilliant production, courtesy of Scott Atkins."

Asked if there is any overarching theme to it, Dani said: "No, I wouldn't say so. They're tricky things, concept records. You have to have tunnel vision and you can't veer from that path. So this is just an album. It's not an album with filly bits attached, like intros and outros. No guest appearances. Just nine songs. It's still quite a lengthy running time, obviously. We can't write a short song to save our fucking lives."

Dani went on to say that CRADLE OF FILTH's collaboration with pop superstar Ed Sheeran won't be on "The Screaming Of The Valkyries" "because we don't want it to overshadow the record. But we are going to bring it out. Originally, everybody wanted us to bring it out to glorious fanfare but Ed's management weren't keen on that. We're not absolutely sure how it will emerge, but it's been done, mixed and it's sitting on the shelf somewhere… you know, virtually. And it's fucking fantastic. But only a handful of people have actually heard it. My mum hasn't even heard it."

Last November, Dani was asked by Portugal's Look Mag, CRADLE OF FILTH frontman Dani Filth why it was taking more than three years for him and his bandmates to release the follow-up to "Existence Is Futile" album. He responded: "[We've done] loads of tours. We were in the studio beginning the drums last May. But then we went and did all summer festivals. Then we had holidays — one holiday a year, which we allow us to rejuvenate. Then I was recording with my friend in America. Then we went to South America and Mexico. Then we went, did a co-headline tour with DEVILDRIVER. Then we went back to the studio. Then our producer had a baby. Then it was Christmas, and we did more in the studio. Then we went on tour in Europe. Yeah, that's what happened. We've just been very, very busy.

"It was finished — it's been ready since July [2024], I think," Dani revealed. "We're having two more videos and singles before the album drops. Yeah, maybe even four; I'm not sure. It depends how well it goes. But yeah, there's a plan to a gameplan to everything."

Asked about the musical direction of the new CRADLE OF FILTH material, Dani said: "It's very hard to talk about it. I don't really wanna talk about it because I can't do it justice. Every album has a lot of things going on. It's just a very, very great record. It's the next stage of our evolutionary step as CRADLE OF FILTH, moving on from the [two new songs] we debuted on [the 2023 live album] 'Trouble And Their Double Lives'. It has elements of old-school CRADLE, elements of new-school CRADLE. It's catchy, it's fast, it's slow, it's romantic, it's heavy, it's theatrical."

In October, CRADLE OF FILTH released a new single, "Malignant Perfection", along with a music video directed by Vicente Cordero, who has previously worked with FILTER, DEVILDRIVER, IN FLAMES and BLACK VEIL BRIDES, among others.

In 2023, CRADLE OF FILTH released its first live album in over 20 years, the aforementioned "Trouble And Their Double Lives", via Napalm Records. The LP was recorded between 2014 and 2019 at different performances in the USA, Europe, Australia and beyond during the band's "Cryptoriana" world tour and dates following. Produced, mixed and mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios, with recording captured by Danny B, the effort not only featured a slew of fan favorites encompassing the band's discography but also two bonus tracks and two entirely brand new songs, "She Is A Fire" and "Demon Prince Regent".

CRADLE OF FILTH will co-headline the 2025 edition of the North American "Chaos & Carnage" tour, featuring fellow co-headliners DYING FETUS, as well as FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, NE OBLIVISCARIS, UNDEATH, VOMIT FORTH and CORPSE PILE.

CRADLE OF FILTH is:

Dani Filth - Vocals
Marek "Ashok" Smerda - Guitars
Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka - Drums
Daniel Firth - Bass
Donny Burbage - Guitars
Zoe Federoff - Vocals, Keys

Photo credit: Jakub Alexandrowicz

2

Cradle of Filth

LAMB OF GOD Shares Official 'Aftermovie' For 2024 Installment Of 'Headbangers Boat'

Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD have shared the official "aftermovie" for the 2024 installment of their Headbangers Boat cruise. Check it out below.

Headbangers Boat is a special charter voyage, offering a unique blend of heavy metal music with LAMB OF GOD as the headliner. The charter cruise is organized by Sixthman, which is in partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line.

The second Headbangers Boat cruise was held October 28, 2024 through November 1, 2024 aboard the Norwegian Gem ship and cruised from Miami, Florida to Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic.

Along with two exclusive shows from LAMB OF GOD, the fully immersive event featured a range of special guests, including such DETHKLOK, CHIMAIRA, POISON THE WELL, AT THE GATES, SOULFLY, EXODUS, NAPALM DEATH, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, AFTER THE BURIAL, CURRENTS, BLEEDING THROUGH, UNEARTH, EYEHATEGOD, FROZEN SOUL, UNITYTX and LAMB OF GOD's Mark Morton (solo band),plus standup comedy from Shayne Smith and Mike Abrusci. In addition, members of LAMB OF GOD hosted an array of guest activities.

Last November, LAMB OF GOD and Sixthman announced Lamb Of God Presents Headbangers Boat 2025, sailing October 31-November 4, 2025 from Miami, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico aboard the glittering Norwegian Jewel.

Lamb Of God Presents Headbangers Boat 2025 will, for the third year in a row, feature live music and activities around the clock, highlighted by two exclusive performances from LAMB OF GOD. The fully immersive voyage will further showcase an electrifying range of special guests, including such relentless metal masters as CLUTCH, KUBLAI KHAN TX, OBITUARY, FEAR FACTORY, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, CROWBAR, EIGHTEEN VISIONS and BRAT, along with stand-up comedy from Josh Potter and Saul Trujillo. In addition, members of LAMB OF GOD will curate and host a massive range of exclusive activities. Highlights will include in-depth conversations and question-and-answer sessions with members of LAMB OF GOD, a guaranteed killer DJ set from LAMB OF GOD drummer Art Cruz, the annual Headbangers Poker Tournament (with a chance to win a spot at the final table with LAMB OF GOD co-founding bassist John Campbell),and a Drum-Off hosted by Cruz alongside a panel of heavy metal special guests.

Beyond the onboard experience, headbangers will have the chance to enjoy a spectacular shore excursion to the island paradise of Cozumel, Mexico, where they can explore ancient Mayan ruins, dive into crystal-clear waters, or simply relax on sun-kissed shores. With its blend of breathtaking natural wonders, vibrant culture, and irresistible vibes, Cozumel beckons travelers to experience the unforgettable magic of the Caribbean. Please note: shore excursions will not be available until 4-6 weeks prior to sailing. Guests will be able to book an excursion upon receipt of their official reservation number.

The magnificent Norwegian Jewel will provide everything needed to make Headbangers Boat 2025 the most exhilarating cruise vacation ever, with fully stocked bars at (almost) every corner, tasty dining options, the Pool Deck (with multiple hot tubs),Jewel Club Casino, Mandara Spa, Body Waves Fitness Center, Sports Court, and much more.

"Lamb Of God Presents Headbangers Boat 2025" lineup:

LAMB OF GOD (two sets)
CLUTCH
KUBLAI KHAN TX
OBITUARY
DEVILDRIVER
FEAR FACTORY
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER
CROWBAR
EIGHTEEN VISIONS
BRAT
Stand-up comedy from Josh Potter and Saul Trujillo

Hailed as the heroes of New American Heavy Metal by legions of fans around the world, LAMB OF GOD grew from basement shows and grimy DIY venues to arena headliners, beloved with the same devotion as such spiritual forefathers and touring comrades as METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH. Over the course of their career, the Richmond, Virginia-based band has created an unmistakable signature sound, injecting an extreme contemporary aesthetic to shove metal into the new millennium.

LAMB OF GOD have made history with such timeless works as 2003's "As The Palaces Burn" (named by Rolling Stone as one of the "Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time"),2004's RIAA-gold-certified "Ashes Of The Wake", 2009's landmark "Wrath", 2012's diverse "Resolution" and 2015's explosive "VII: Sturm Und Drang", the latter three of which debuted in the top 5 on the overall Billboard 200. Among their many accolades, the band has received five Grammy Award nominations for "Best Metal Performance" and "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance", as well as multiple Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards including "Best Live Band", "Best International Band" and "Best Album". The band's most recent album, 2022's "Omens" finds LAMB OF GOD as aggressive and ambitious as ever before, now as always redefining American metal with each and every move.

LAMB OF GOD is: D. Randall Blythe (vocals),Mark Morton (guitar),Willie Adler (guitar),John Campbell (bass) and Art Cruz (drums).

Sixthman festivals tear down walls between artists and fans by creating community-inspired vacation experiences at resorts and at sea. Since 2001, Sixthman has set the stage for moments that make life rock, serving over 300,000 guests on over 150 unforgettable vacations on sand and at sea with their favorite artists, athletes, actors, comedians, and brands. These carefully curated, intimate events bring non-stop performances, artist collaborations, in-depth panels, Q&As, fan-artist activities, museums, and overall, truly immersive experiences that celebrate community and change expectations of what a vacation can be. Sixthman's domestic homeport of Miami brings escapes for guests to dream destinations in the Virgin Islands, Belize, Honduras, Mexico, and The Bahamas. In 2019, Sixthman expanded its festivals at sea to Europe, sailing from Barcelona, Spain to exotic Mediterranean ports and then from Athens through the Greek Isles in 2022. In addition to festivals at sea, Sixthman has taken its innovative vacation concept to world-class, all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. In 2020, Sixthman Services was launched to support other event holders with a suite of on-site and virtual event management services and enhanced experiences.

BILL GOULD On FAITH NO MORE's Current Status: 'Right Now We're In A Really Weird Spot, A Really Strange Spot'

In a new interview with Chile's Radio Futuro, FAITH NO MORE bassist Bill Gould was asked what is going on with the band at the moment. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't know. I honestly don't know. And you don't have to believe me, but there's nothing… Right now we're in a really weird spot, a really strange spot, and I can't really tell you what's going on. I don't know myself. I get different information from people, and I'm in the band, so…"

When the interviewer suggested that Gould "calls the shots" in FAITH NO MORE, Bill replied: "Uh, not really. If I did, probably we'd be playing in Chile next week. [Laughs]"

Last October, FAITH NO MORE keyboardist Roddy Bottum said that the band was on "semi-permanent hiatus".

Three and a half years ago, FAITH NO MORE scrapped all of its previously announced fall 2021 performances, saying singer Mike Patton was unable to perform as hoped due to mental health issues, partially exacerbated by the pandemic. The other members of FAITH NO MORE issued a statement expressing their disappointment about the tour cancelation while also throwing their support behind their bandmate.

FAITH NO MORE, which hasn't played a concert since 2016, initially reunited for touring purposes in 2009, 12 years after issuing its previous studio set, "Album Of The Year", and followed that up with 2015's "Sol Invictus".

In a 2022 interview with The Guardian, Patton revealed he developed agoraphobia and depression during lockdown, and started drinking heavily. "Because I was isolated so much, going outside was a hard thing to do," he said, "and that's a horrible thing. And the idea of doing more FAITH NO MORE shows — it was stressful. It affected me mentally. I don't know why, but the drinking just… happened."

Patton didn't return to the stage until December 2022, when his avant-garde/thrash band MR. BUNGLE played six shows in South America.

In July 2022, Patton discussed the mental health issues which caused the cancelation of FAITH NO MORE and MR. BUNGLE's live appearances in an interview with Rolling Stone. At the time he said: "It's easy to blame it on the pandemic. But I'll be honest, man: At the beginning of the pandemic, I was like, 'This is fucking great. I can stay home and record.' I've got a home studio. So I was like, 'Yeah, what's the big deal?' And then something clicked, and I became completely isolated and almost antisocial [and] afraid of people. That sort of anxiety, or whatever you want to call it, led to other issues, which I choose not to discuss."

Asked to elaborate on the "other issues" that led to the cancelations and whether that included "substances" and "alcohol", Patton said: "It was a little bit of everything. But mostly, in my experience, it was mostly mental. I saw some therapists and all that stuff, which is the first time I ever had to do that in my life. And they basically diagnosed me as having agoraphobia; like, I was afraid of people. I got freaked out by being around people. And maybe that was because I spent two years basically indoors during Covid. I don't know. Maybe it reinforced feelings that I already had. But just knowing about it, talking about it, really helped."

Mike said that he realized he had a problem "right around the time that FAITH NO MORE was about to go back on the road. That's when I kind of lost it, and it was ugly and not cool," he said. "A few days before we were supposed to go on the road. I told the guys, 'Hey, man, I don't think I can do it.' Somehow my confidence was broken down. I didn't want to be in front of people, which is weird because I spent half of my life doing that. It was very hard to explain. And there were some broken feelings on both sides about it, but it's what I had to do. Because otherwise something really bad could have happened… It was right before our first rehearsal, and I just freaked out. I just said, 'I can't do it.' They had been rehearsing so [pauses] if I were them I'd be really pissed off at me. And they were. And they probably still are. But it's just about being true to yourself and knowing what your limits are. And I knew that if I kept pushing, it could have been some sort of disastrous result. It was just like, 'Goddamn it. Maybe I don't need to do this. Even though I agreed to do it, and it's gonna bum a lot of people out. I gotta take care of myself.' So I'm getting better at that."

As for where things stood with FAITH NO MORE as of July 2022, Patton told Rolling Stone: "Radio silence. [Laughs]. I don't know. We may reschedule stuff; we may not. I'll just leave it at that. It's a little confusing and complicated. So if we do, we do. If we don't, that's cool, too."

4

DIRTY HONEY Reveals Tracklisting For New Live Release, Mayhem & Revelry Live

Dirty Honey recently announced Mayhem & Revelry Live, the band’s first live-in-concert, double-vinyl CD and digital release, and its companion four-part video documentary, recorded live throughout North America, the UK and Europe on the band’s 2023-24 "Can’t Find The Brakes” World Tour.

Set for a February 21st release (Dirt Records), the album and video capture the band’s explosive energy and camaraderie with its audience and each other, and puts viewers front and center inside the barricade at the band’s sixty concerts. With 16 tracks total, Side One of the vinyl features recordings from the North American concerts, and the Side Two recordings are from the UK and European shows.

The tracklisting is as follows:

North America
"Won't Take Me Alive"
"California Dreamin'"
"Dirty Mind"
"Heartbreaker"
"Tied Up"
"Coming Home"
"Another Last Time"
"Rolling 7's"

Europe
"Can't Find The Brakes"
"Satisfied"
"Roam"
"The Wire"
"Don't Put Out The Fire"
"Scars"
"When I'm Gone"
"You Make It All Right"

Said guitarist John Notto, “We are very proud to present to you this collection of live performances from around the world. Like my favorite live albums I listened to constantly as a kid, I believe this album features the band in its most honest form, feeding off the audience and walking the wire with a grin and a dash of reckless abandon that can only come from that magical place we get to onstage with you, the audience. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed performing it.”

"To me, live albums have always been the quintessential corner stone for any rock band’s catalog,” vocalist Marc LaBelle added. "I grew up on Aerosmith’s A Little South of Sanity, AC/DC

Visions of Atlantis

BON JOVI Guitarist PHIL X And THE DRILLS Announce New Album 'POW! Right In The Kisser'

Theofilos Xenidis, better known as Phil X, prolific studio guitarist, songwriter and renowned guitarist for Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees BON JOVI, and his band THE DRILLS are back and ready to blow minds with their electrifying new album "POW! Right In The Kisser", set for release on March 28 via Frontiers Music Srl. Known for their unique fusion of punk, classic, and modern rock infused with guitar virtuosity, PHIL X & THE DRILLS have carved out a distinctive spot in the rock world — and they're kicking it into high gear with this upcoming release.

To celebrate this announcement, the band shares the album's second single "Moving To California", following up "Don't Wake Up Dead", alongside a new visualizer available to view below. The track features former FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH drummer Jeremy Spencer.

Phil X comments: "'Moving To California" was always a dream of mine when I was a young guitar player going up in Toronto, Canada. From a distance, it always seemed like the place to be. When I moved there in '97, a lot of the ROCK glamor was gone, but I stayed and stuck to my goals. The song is a reflection of my story and other stories I had heard along the way."

PHIL X & THE DRILLS — featuring Phil X on lead vocals and guitar and Daniel Spree on bass and backing vocals — is pulling out all the stops on "POW! Right In The Kisser", with an all-star lineup of guest drummers including Tommy Lee (MÖTLEY CRÜE),Ray Luzier (KORN) and Tico Torres (BON JOVI),among others.

About the album, Phil X shared: "'POW! Right In The Kisser' was a good 10 years in the making. 'Battleship' was tracked in 2014. I just kept writing and we'd record and then kept the whole 'different drummer on every song' thing going. It became a very special collection of songs and vibes. It's very exciting for me to share something like that with the world."

"POW! Right In The Kisser" track listing:

01. Don't Wake Up Dead (Drums: Ray Luzier)
02. Fake The Day Away (Drums: Tommy Lee)
03. Heal (Drums: Brent Fitz)
04. Find A Way (Drums: Tico Torres)
05. Moving To California (Drums: Jeremy Spencer)
06. You Sunk My Battleship (Drums; Brian Tichy)
07. Seemed Like A Good Idea (Drums: Tosh Peterson)
08. Broken Arrow (Drums: Liberty Devitto)
09. I Love You On Her Lips (Drums: Gary Novak)
10. Feel Better (Drums: Ryan Macmillan)
11. Way Gone (Beam Me Up, Scotty) (Drums: Kenny Aronoff)

In 2003, THE DRILLS started to cause a stir in Hollywood, with their brand of punk mixed with classic and modern rock with guitar virtuosic undertones. Phil X was at the helm as the lead vocalist and guitar player. Daniel Spree on bass and backing vocals and Jeremy Spencer (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH) completed the power trio. They remained quite underground and released their first EP, "Kick Your Ass In 17 Minutes", in 2009. Jeremy had left to start FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH by this time, so the constant rotation of drummers began.

Also in that time period, Phil was becoming a groundbreaking YouTube sensation on a video channel called Fretted Americana, where he demoed vintage guitars. Actual 1959 Gibson Les Pauls (worth in the range of $250,000),1954 Fender Stratocasters and hundreds of other guitars were put through their paces in Phil's hands. Before he knew it, Fretted Americana was sitting on millions of collective views and from a marketing standpoint, it made sense to take THE DRILLS to another level as PHIL X & THE DRILLS.

"We Bring The Rock'n'Roll" was the follow-up to "KYAI17M". With even more classic rock flavors stirred into the mix, this was the first endeavor to feature famed drummers that Phil had worked with on other artists' records, including Chris Cornell, DAUGHTRY, Kelly Clarkson and Gavin DeGraw, to name a few. Drummers like Josh Freese (Sting, FOO FIGHTERS),Abe Laboriel Jr. (Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton),and fellow Canadian Randy Cooke (SMASH MOUTH, FIVE FOR FIGHTING) were all featured on this record.

Following two successful tours in the U.K., the band released "We Play Instruments 'N Sh!t". Musically showing vast growth in writing and production, the band was excited to unleash this heightened evolvement to their new fan base. The fan base started to grow exponentially, due to Phil filling in for Richie Sambora in BON JOVI for thirteen shows in 2011. Phil went on to replace Sambora in 2016 and has been juggling both bands along with becoming a father since.

Multiple tours and recordings with BON JOVI inevitably took the front seat in Phil's career but every time he got a break, he was writing and setting up recording sessions with drummers like Tommy Lee, Tico Torres, Ray Luzier and many more.

The first of these sessions were mixed by Chris Lord Alge and released on "Stupid Good Lookings Vol 1". Taylor Hawkins, Glen Sobel, Brent Fitz, Matt Chamberlain, Abe Laboriel Jr. and Randy Cooke all participated on this drum extravaganza with more sessions in the vault.

2024 marked an exciting new landmark for the band when they opened for MÖTLEY CRÜE at Summerfest in Springfield, Illinois. Phil X, Daniel Spree and Brent Fitz took the stage and left the 10,000 attendees, event coordinators, promoters, and agents (not to mention the headliner) all thrilled.

PHIL X & THE DRILLS is:

Phil X - Lead Vocals & Guitars
Daniel Spree - Bass & Background Vocals
Brent Fitz - Drums & Background Vocals

Phil X & The Drills

DORO PESCH Receives Gold Record For 'Force Majeure' Solo Debut

"Force Majeure" was the starting signal for Doro Pesch's groundbreaking solo career as the female hard rock / heavy metal icon par excellence.

The metal queen had already paved the way for Doro's future as the frontwoman of the internationally successful band WARLOCK, with whom she became the first woman to conquer the stage at the legendary Monsters Of Rock festival in 1986 and then immediately embarked on her first major tour with JUDAS PRIEST.

Numerous awards and accolades speak for themselves: in the United States, she was inducted into the Hall Of Heavy Metal History and honored with the Metal Goddess Legend Award in Las Vegas. In England, Doro earned the Legend and Angel Of Rock awards. In Germany, she received the Echo, among others, and was honored several times for her life's work.

Now she can call another award her own as part of her extensive collection. At the German Universal Music office in Berlin, the metal queen was presented with a gold award for selling more than 250,000 copies of "Force Majeure".

Former Phonogram label boss Louis Spillmann and her former product manager Bettina Spillmann were special surprise guests at the event. Also present: Doro's manager Holger Koch (Flying Dolphin Entertainment),her social media manager Jan Jaedike, and Doro's Universal catalog domestic team.

In her 40-year career, Doro has performed over 3,500 concerts in over 60 countries. She has sold over 10 million records to date and has been able to win over legendary fellow musicians such as Gene Simmons (KISS),Lemmy Kilmister (MOTÖRHEAD),Slash (GUNS N' ROSES),Peter Steele (TYPE O NEGATIVE) and most recently Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST) for her albums.

Pesch says: "I am overwhelmed and very happy. My big thanks go to my beloved fans worldwide and the great team. On to further deeds."

Holger Koch (business management, Flying Dolphin Entertainment) states: "It is a great honor to have been able to accompany Doro's worldwide career for over 20 years. Polygram and Universal have supported Doro with great commitment and trust at the crucial time and are still a very important partner today, as the chart entry shortly before Christmas 2024 has shown once again. Many thanks to Thomas and his team — we are very much looking forward to the upcoming collaboration on Doro's catalog."

Thomas Thyssen (director catalogue domestic, Universal Music) says: "Doro is not only a pioneer and luminary of international female-fronted metal in personal union, but — much more importantly — as busy as ever to this day. So it was all the better that we were able to find a gap in her busy schedule to present her, long overdue, with gold for 'Force Majeure' and surprise her with two unannounced special guests. Thank you very much, Doro and Holger. We are immensely looking forward to working together again."

$/\\$

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