SEPULTURA bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. has joined long-running South American metallers CULTURA TRES.
The band, led by brothers Alejandro and Juanma Montoya, will release a new album, "Camino De Brujos", on April 7, 2023 via Universal Music in the Americas and Bloodblast in the rest of the world.
Alejandro commented: "Something we've learnt while listening to Andy Wallace's albums (he is God in our little world) is that if you can't imagine the band performing while you listen to a recording then you are just listening to a computer. And we are not interested in letting fans hear a computer... We'd rather invite them to hear four people playing their hearts out on a record. This record."
Added Paulo: "In 2019 after hearing about the plans for a new CULTURA TRES, I offered Ale and Juanma to join the band.
"The music is very organic. There are a lot of influence from the '90s and a little bit of hardcore as well. Personally [for this album], I got inspired by the bass players who I' loved the most back in the '70s."
To celebrate the band's comeback, CULTURA TRES has unveiled the first single from the upcoming full-length. Sounding like a train on fire — filled with ammunition — heading towards you, "The World And Its Lies" is the opener of the album and is about making an "easy to follow" statement about most of the things this world has to offer… only to the privileged people.
In the studio, CULTURA TRES explored new ideas and found a musical common ground. The resulting style retained elements of the psychedelic-sludgy past, but incorporated the groove of a more metal oriented vibe that Paulo brought in with his SEPULTURA influence.
Alejandro said: "The album title 'Camino De Brujos' can be roughly translated as 'Trail Of Witches'. Do you remember the little story about letting your subconscious make artistic choices? Well, this is one of the best examples. 'Camino De Brujos' is the main line sang on top of a nasty slow riff. The song is filled with tribal ritual percussion, typical from South America's black magic practices. The phrase didn't only end up being the only lyrics sang on the song but it also gave the name and identity to the album."
"Camino De Brujos" will be released as vinyl, CD and digital.
The track listing is as follows:
01. The World And Its Lies
02. Time Is Up
03. Signs
04. The Land
05. Proxy War
06. 19 Horas
07. Zombies
08. De Maracay
09. The Smell Of Death
10. Camino De Brujos
"Camino De Brujos" was recorded by Juan M. De Ferrari Montoya and Alonso Milano Mendoza at AJM Sound Studios, Amsterdam (NL) and at Reborn Studios, Artesa de Segre (SP). Alejandro Londono Montoya took care of the missing and the mastering at AJM Sound Studios in Amsterdam. The artwork was created by Damian Michaels.
CULTURA TRES is:
Alejandro Londono Montoya - guitar, vocals
Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. - bass
Juan M de Ferrari Montoya - guitar
Jerry Vergara Cevallos - drums
"Warning Sign'' is the first single from cinematic metal icons Dark Sarah's upcoming fifth studio album, Attack Of Orym. It's a powerful song with a message to fight back against the ones who wish to harm you. In the album storyline, the protagonist Luna chooses a powerful weapon of bewitched flowers to fight against Orym, the villain of the story.
Attack Of Orym will be released on January 27, 2023. Signed CDs are available to pre-order now at this location. Digital versions can be pre-saved here. The cover artwork and tracklisting are as follows:
"Intro - Choose Your Weapons"
"Attack Of Orym" (Feat. Mark Jansen)
"Invincible" (Feat. Kasperi Heikkinen)
"B.U.R.N."
"Warning Sign"
"Goth Disco"
"Delirium" (Feat. Kasperi Heikkinen)
"Piece Of My Heart" (Feat. JP Leppäluoto)
"Breaking Free"
"Hero And A Villain"
The beguiling new dimension, coalescing between crystal-clear vocals and propulsive hardness, draws you into the tempestuous maelstrom of their horror fantasy theme. Introducing the new villain Orym, the band invites you to choose your weapons and to join their epic battle against the dark forces!
Mark Jansen of Epica will sing the title role of Orym, the king of the forest folk. We´ll also hear a long time Dark Sarah guest, JP Leppäluoto returning in the role of Dragon. Kasperi Heikkinen (Beast In Black) will provide his talent on lead guitar.
Dark Sarah vocalist Heidi Parviainen on Attack Of Orym: “Our upcoming new album called Attack Of Orym is a concept album like its predecessors, and a continuation for the Grim -album which started a new story line with a modern horror fantasy theme. Musically, Attack Of Orym introduces yet again a more modern sound and a taste of what's to come in the future - with a 'Dark Sarah twist,' of course. We're very happy about this album and it has been really fun to make. Also creating the new visual brand and the Grim world has been an adventure already!”
A Life Divided are releasing their new modern rock/metal banger called "LAST MAN STANDING", which is the perfect combination of heavy guitar riffs, powerful vocal shoutings and an awesome clean chorus vocal-line, which makes this song an anthem!
Next week, Caliban will hit the road across Germany with labelmates Ghøstkid, plus Resolve and League Of Distortion, for a special run of shows. To celebrate this upcoming tour kickoff, the band has dropped a new standalone single for fans.
"The Shadow" can be streamed here. A video for the track (directed by Tom Brückner) can be viewed below.
Regarding "The Shadow", Caliban comments: "'The Shadow' is about breaking out of a situation you got into by being blinded and deceived. A bloody made-up fairy tale with a happy ending."
Caliban are (from left to right in the above photo):
Denis Schmidt - Guitar
Patrick Grün - Drums
Andreas Dörner - Vocals
Marc Görtz - Guitar
Stratovarius have restored their "Forever Free" live video, filmed in Hamburg, Germany in 1997, and featured on the band's Infinite Visions DVD (2009). Watch the restored clip below:
In line with their current live shows, Stratovarius recently released a visually stunning music video for "Survive", the title track of their new album. It offers intimate insight into the band's everyday touring life and increases fans anticipation for upcoming live concerts.
"We spent five or six days solid, trying to come up with the lyrics for that song," notes Jens Johansson. "When we finally settled on that punchline for the chorus, it was a good song about survival and it all just seemed to fit. It fits with the history of the band too, because we managed to survive as long as we have. This band has been through some strange days! The original line-up formed in 1984, so it's been a long story. It was the middle of the summer, there were forest fires everywhere, there was a global pandemic, and all kinds of crazy shit going on. Some of the lyrics are perhaps less uplifting than they could have been, but that reflects our mood at the time. There's a lot of positive stuff on there as well!"
"Survive"
"Demand"
"Broken"
"Firefly"
"We Are Not Alone"
"Frozen in Time"
"World on Fire"
"Glory Days"
"Breakaway"
"Before the Fall"
"Voice of Thunder"
New York-based metal photographer/videographer, Ignacio Orellana, has posted video of Sacred Oath performing their 80’s power metal anthem, “Two Powers”, at the Brooklyn nightclub Sovereign back on August 27. The band is currently performing sets of their entire 1987 debut A Crystal Vision as part of their 35th Anniversary concert tour.
Sacred Oath joined a reunion of three Mercenary Records bands from the late 80s including Attacker and Meanstreak for the “one night only” event hosted by Armageddon Productions. It was the first performance in more than 30 years for the all-female thrash outfit Meanstreak (currently on tour with John Petrucci) and the first time ever that all three bands shared the stage. The night took a tragic turn when Meanstreak singer Bettina Campagna France took a fall backstage and was unable to perform, much to the disappointment of fans who had traveled from out-of-state to witness the reunion.
“It was a crazy situation,” said Sacred Oath singer Rob Thorne. “The promoter was waving his arms at me from the side of the stage before the last song on our set list, and I was thinking ‘are you kidding me? You’re going to make us cut the last song when we’ve promised the whole album?’ But he was asking me to keep playing until we ran out of gas because Tina had just been rushed to the ER with a broken arm, so I just kept calling out songs and we worked our way through half of the Darkness Visible album as well. The rest of the band had no idea what was going on and they thought for sure a long hook was gonna come out and yank me.”
The band hired Ignacio Orellana of ProMusicVideo to shoot their set with four cameras, but ultimately scrapped the footage because of sub-standard sound and lighting at the venue.
Canada's Iron Kingdom presents its new lyric video for its latest single “Sheathe The Sword”, which draws inspiration from the fantasy series Wheel Of Time. For years now, Iron Kingdom has been gracing the world with its traditional heavy metal, weaving grand stories and teleporting listeners to far-off lands. This latest single refers to a sword move in which you willingly accept your opponent’s sword into your body in order to inflict a killing blow. The video features clips from the band's sold-out album launch show held in Vancouver on November 4 at Wise Hall.
The band comments on the single:
“We were looking to do something pretty fast and driving, and once we had the ideas for the first couple of riffs we knew it had to be about Lan Mandoragon - the uncrowned king of a lost and scattered kingdom and is highly respected by neighbouring kingdoms who recognize him as the battle lord of the borderlands. Musically this song is a speedy, driving power metal tune in the vein of early Hammerfall. ‘Sheathe The Sword’ is a warrior's last chance at victory, but that victory comes with a heavy cost.”
"Tides Of Desolation"
"Sheathe The Sword"
"Queen Of The Crystal Throne"
"Hunter And Prey"
"Witching Hour"
"In The Grip Of Nightmares"
"Primordial"
"The Blood Of Creation"
Teaser:
"In The Grip Of Nightmares":
In additional news, Iron Kingdom have announced their album launch show for November 4th in Vancouver, BC at The Wise Hall. For more info, head here.
Confirming to be one of the most promising power metal projects, Rodrigo Bravo’s Bravelord has just released an animated video clip to promote his new single entitled “Legendary War”, an epic audio-visual piece that shows another episode of his long-awaited conceptual debut album: The Power From The End Of The World.
“This single tells the story of the first encounter between Bravelord and The Evil, an epic battle represented in an animated video clip I did with visual artists Arnaldo Pino and Julian Rojas. The idea is to present a video that parents can enjoy with their children, so the love for power metal is passed along to new generations”, says Rodrigo Bravo on the single that you can already watch on YouTube and listen on musical platforms like Spotify, Tidal, iTunes and others.
While Bravelord is a project that barely started last year, it had made its way in the international power metal scene with its singles “The Power From The End Of The World”, “Destruction Is Coming” (featuring YouTuber Nico Borie) and the impressive Helloween cover “Eagle Fly Free”.
Rodrigo Bravo is Bravelord’s vocalist and leader, a solo project which includes the collaboration of Benjamin Cisterna on drums, Rodrigo “Pudu” Neira on keyboards, Jaime Salva on vocals and Nicolas Arce on guitar and bass, who also take part as producer. The art cover was created by Chilean artist and tattooist Miguel Cooper (@Cooper_Tattoo), who made the acrylic picture on canvas and has worked on the other covers as well.
Thrash legends Exodus performed at Medellín, Colombia's Altavoz Festival 2023 on November 2013. Pro-shot video of the band's entire set can be viewed below.
The setlist was as follows:
"The Beatings Will Continue"
"A Lesson in Violence"
"Blood In, Blood Out"
"The Years of Death and Dying"
"Deathamphetamine"
"Blacklist"
"Piranha"
"Prescribing Horror"
"Bonded by Blood"
"The Toxic Waltz"
"Strike of the Beast"
Co-headliners Anthrax and Black Label Society will be heading back on the road for a 24-date tour, making stops in all new markets, with both bands playing headline sets. Joining Anthrax and Black Label Society as Special Guest on this run will be Northern California’s thrash metal gods, Exodus.
As this tour will take the bands to different markets than last summer’s did, the multi-Gold and Platinum, card-carrying member of the Big Four, six-time Grammy-nominated Anthrax looks forward to continuing the celebration of its landmark 40th anniversary (now in its 41st year) with fans.
According to the band, “We are so pumped to be hitting the road again with Black Label Society. We had such a great time when we toured with them earlier this year, that we had talked about doing it again when we were still on the road together. And, having the guys from Exodus on the bill as Special Guest, will definitely make this a tour not to miss.”
Said Black Label Society’s Zakk Wylde, "Anthrax is one of The BESTEST LEGENDARY METAL/THRASH BANDS of ALL TIME - I have been buds with SCOTTY, CHARLIE, FRANKIE & JOEY for over 3O years & they are some of the BESTEST people you will meet. JON is The BESTEST new addition Anthrax could ask for. The Anthrax + Black Label Society & Exodus Tour is going to be one of the BESTEST TOURS EVER!!”
“Exodus are super stoked to announce that we will be touring with Anthrax and Black Label Society,” said the band’s Gary Holt. "Touring with our long-time friends in Anthrax is always an epic good time, and now we get to tour with BLS and watch Zakk and company rip it up nightly too! Going to be awesome and we will be bringing our unique brand of audio violence to every city! Let the metal roll!”
Tour dates:
January
17 - Boise, ID - Revolution Concert House
18 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
20 - Vancouver, BC - PNE Forum
21 - Penticton, BC - So. Okanagan Events Ctr.
22 - Calgary, AB - Grey Eagle Events Centre
24 - Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings
25 - Grand Forks, ND - Alerus Center
27 - Madison, WI - The Sylvee
28 - Mt. Pleasant, MI - Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
29 - Chicago, IL - Radius
31 - Montclair, NJ - Wellmont Theater
February
2 - Portland, ME - Cross Insurance Arena
3 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
4 - Bethlehem, PA - Sands Bethlehem Event Center
5 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
7 - Corbin, KY - Corbin Arena
8 - St. Louis, MO - The Factory at The District
10 - San Antonio, TX - Tech Port Center + Arena
11 - Houston, TX - Bayou Music Center
13 - Omaha, NE - The Admiral Theater
14 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Criterion
15 - Albuquerque, NM - Revel
17 - Riverside, CA - Riverside Municipal Auditorium
18 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
This past September, Danish progressive metal quartet, Feather Mountain, released its second album, To Exit A Maelstrom. The album is an ambitious further development of the band’s characteristic progressive metal, while the record thematically is a deeply personal story about the loss of a dear one to the slowly dissolving disease Alzheimer’s.
Now, Feather Mountain announces a batch of Danish shows in the months to come, including two December shows as support for MØL and Vola respectively, while the band will also perform at the annual When Copenhell Freezes Over showcase at Vega in Copenhagen.
In the same breath, the band shares a live video for the album single, "Sincere" giving a good impression on the band’s powerful live appearances. Watch the clip below.
Lead singer Mikkel Aaen Lohmann states on the live video: "Hecticmundo has made a documentary about "To Exit a Maelstrom" and our wonderful collaboration continues. We want to share with you this live footage of our performance at Copenhagen Metal Fest in 2021 that he did with us. Intertwined with the live shots are some beautiful visuals that bring mystique and an other-worldly feeling that resonates with the spirit of Feather Mountain and 'Sincere'. Our producer Johan Emanuel Jørgensen did the mix and mastering on this version of 'Sincere' and it will soon be found on the major streaming platforms. We are looking forward to our Denmark tour and we want to show the metal crowd our skills as a live band as well as songwriters. We want to draw the audience into our universe where pain, hatred and hope for a better future is essential.”
Tour dates:
December
16 - Bygningen, Vejle (with MØL)
17 - Vega, København (with Vola & H.E.R.O)
January
28 - When Copenhell Freezes Over - Vega, Copenhagen
March
3 - Kansas City, Odense (with Deadnate & Galge)
4 - Stars Vordingborg , Vordingborg (with Deadnate & Late Night Venture)
11 - Konfus, Esbjerg (with Deadnate & Galge)
Feather Mountain was formed in 2017 and from its inception, the band has consistently labored towards creating music that utilizes the contrasts from the heaviness of metal and the dreaminess of alternative rock. As the band moniker Feather Mountain illustrates, exactly the contrasts and nuances is pivotal to the band, which seeks towards creating sound and images that encompasses the duality and complexity of existence within its whole musical totality.
Feather Mountain debuted in 2019 with the album ‘Nidus’ with which they conveyed their own personal, faceted version of newer progressive metal, while they lyrically developed existential themes revolving around sickness and body in a symbolic, metaphorical language. Along with the debut album followed concerts, before the pandemic in 2020 complicated touring, but the band managed to play a string of shows, among those Progspace’s online event and Copenhagen Metal Fest 2021.
Since the release of Nidus, Feather Mountain has been working on new music and alongside producer Johan Emanuel Jørgensen, the band has completed its second album To Exit A Maelstrom which was released on September 2, 2022.
Feather Mountain is:
Andreas Dahl-Blumenberg - Bass, Vocals
Christian Dahl-Blumenberg - Drums
Jens Baalkilde Andersen - Guitar, Vocals
Mikkel Aaen Lohmann - Lead Vocals
Rising psych-occultists Green Lung, who recently announced their signing to Nuclear Blast Records, have issued the following update:
"We have enjoyed resurrecting one of the first songs we wrote as a band, 'Lady Lucifer', on tour with Clutch - it's incredibly satisfying to play a song that started its life at basement shows in cavernous theatres! So it feels only right that we resurrect the video from the vaults, too - you can behold the grimy DIY origins of the band in flickering Dungeonvision."
Stream "Lady Lucifer" here, and watch the video below:
The band's rich blend of proto-metal and doom laden hard rock, steeped in distinctly British folklore has proven a monumental hit across their debut EP Free The Witch (2018) and two critically acclaimed albums Woodland Rites (2019) and Black Harvest (2021). Watch the re-released video for "Let The Devil In" below.
Vocalist, Tom Templar comments on the signing to Nuclear Blast: "We're incredibly excited to partner with the team at Nuclear Blast to usher in the next era of Green Lung. Over the past five years we've gone from playing DIY basement shows and selling our music on home-taped cassettes to playing international festivals and working with the world's biggest metal label, and that's entirely down to the support and enthusiasm of our endearingly cult-like fanbase. We can't thank you all enough for your faith and support in getting us to this point, and rest assured we're only just getting started. We've spent the past few months hoping to repay the debt by writing our most ambitious album yet, and look forward to getting back into the studio to record it. But before then, we'll be embarking on our biggest tour to date, supporting Clutch across the UK and Europe this November and December. Come, join our rites!"
Senior A&R, Nathan Barley Phillips states: "I was lucky enough to catch Green Lung play at London's infamous Black Heart venue right before the covid lockdown kicked in during early 2020... I then spent two long years desperately waiting for another opportunity, thanking the blesséd wheat-weaving gods when Desertfest rolled around again in early 2022 and the stars of the goatwizard finally aligned. This band has riffs for days and I am so proud and excited to welcome them to Nuclear Blast. A special thanks to AMF Music Publishing for helping to make this happen - I can't wait to see what we can all achieve together!"
Green Lung is:
Tom Templar - Vocals
Scott Black - Guitar
Joseph Ghast - Bass
John Wright - Organ
Matt Wiseman - Drums
Italian electronic-metal act, Kalah, have released the video for their single, "Mermaids' Cry", taken from the debut album, Descent Into Human Weakness, released back in August via Pure Steel Records.
Directed by Carlos Reyes Vergara, the video sees singer Claudia in the role of a horrific siren who lures her prey into the world of dreams. The track mixes dark Nevermore-like atmospheres with the melodic openings of power metal, without neglecting the usual influences of heavier electronics.
Finnish symphonic metal band, Memoira, have released a new single and video, "Autumn's Heart". The new single represents a softer side of Memoira with the theme being the loss of a child.
"The lyrical theme of the song is child loss. The narrator is the mother, who has just lost her child right as the child had started his young adult life. The mother is reminiscing about all that they've been through with a plaintive mind, but there is also hope. For everything they've been through, there are always the memories. Autumn's heart is the cradle of the end of your life where all the memories will live on forever." - Lassi Nuolivaara (keyboards)
"Autumn's Heart" is available through all major streaming platforms.
The band will continue their Female Fronted Metal Night Tour with Averlanche and Dorothy Polonium in December and January.
Memoira lineup:
Annika Jalkanen - Vocals
Lassi Nuolivaara - Keyboards
Serdar Ilter - Guitar
Niko Laaksonen - Bass
Kimmo Puhakka – Drums
Legendary American metal vocalist, Leather, has released her new single and video for the song, "We Are The Chosen", the title track of her new studio album, out Friday, November 25. The song is available on all digital platforms here.
The "We Are The Chosen" video was shot in the forests of Brazil and was directed by Walter de Andrade. Watch below:
Leather Leone caused a sensation in the 1980s as frontwoman of Chastain, the band of guitar icon David T. Chastain. Together with him, Leone has produced a series of successful albums up to the present day, some of them for US talent scout Mike Varney’s imprint, Shrapnel Records. She has also released successful recordings with Malibu Barbi, Sledge/Leather, among others, and as a solo artist.
We Are the Chosen was recorded at the Hertz Studios (Behemoth, Vader, Hate among others) in Białystok, Poland, with Leather Leone and Vinnie Tex in charge of songwriting and production. Woitek and Slawek Wieslawski mixed and mastered the material, and Marcelo Vasco (Slayer, Kreator, Testament) contributed the cover artwork.
Leather and Vinnie Tex have invested vitality and passion in every last detail of their new metal anthems, so it comes as no surprise that Leone sums up her latest offering as follows: “To me, We Are the Chosen is a labour of love and I’m incredibly proud of it!”
We Are The Chosen will be released on November 25 as CD DigiPak, LP version, CD/LP bundle with shirt (only at the Steamhammer shop), download and stream. Pre-order here.
Tracklisting:
"We Take Back Control"
"Always Been Evil"
"Shadows"
"Off With Your Head"
"We Are The Chosen"
"Tyrants"
"Hallowed Ground"
"Dark Days"
"Who Rules The World"
"The Glory In The End"
British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST were reunited with guitarist K.K. Downing and drummer Les Binks for a performance at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony on November 5 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Pro-shot video of the performance as well as Alice Cooper's induction speech and the PRIEST members' acceptance speeches, which aired this past Saturday (November 19) on HBO, can be seen below.
PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at the event, which honored Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.
The JUDAS PRIEST members who got inducted include current members Rob Halford (vocals),Ian Hill (bass),Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Scott Travis (drums),along with former members Downing, Binks and late drummer Dave Holland.
Halford, Hill, Tipton and Travis were joined by Binks, Downing and current guitarist Richie Faulkner for a three-song medley consisting of "You've Got Another Thing Comin'", "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight".
PRIEST was inducted into the Rock Hall by fellow rock legend Cooper, who described them as "the definitive metal band." He added: "They defined the sound we know of heavy metal and their sound is unmistakable. And what can you say about Rob Halford's voice? Never have screams covered such a range. Is there any emotion that he can't express?
"They're electrifying on stage and one of the hardest-hitting live bands in the history of rock and roll. PRIEST has carried the flag of hard rock and heavy metal proudly for something like 50 years, never wavering or following trends or pretending to be anything but exactly what they are," Cooper said. "They are flying high tonight. Much deserved and long overdue."
In his acceptance speech, Halford told the crowd: "I'm the gay guy in the band. We call ourselves the heavy metal community which is all-inclusive, no matter what your sexual identity is, what you look like, or what you believe in or don't believe in. Everybody's welcome."
Halford also addressed the fact that PRIEST recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, saying: "We should get out another 50 years, but the joy about music is that it lives forever. And that's the reason why we're here. We live for heavy metal. We live for music. And we're living for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."
In an interview with Lauren "Lern" Elwell of the KSHE radio station, Halford was asked what it was like performing with Downing and Binks at the Rock Hall. He said: "It was good. We hadn't seen [Downing] forever. And I've still yet to watch footage of that. All I remember is my brief interactions with K.K., because I'm always running around the stage like a mad drag queen. My interactions with Ken and with Les, it was great. It felt wonderful to have that moment together after such a long time. And that just shows you the power, the weight, the vibe that the Rock Hall suggests you try to attempt. Try and recapture something of the essence that it really part of why you're here, why you're being inducted. I was just so happy that Ken and Les showed up, because they needed to be there. It was entirely their choice, but I said it makes absolute sense if you're in the room and we're playing together. And we did, and it was magical."
Last month, Hill was asked by the Detroit Metro Times if he thought there was any chance of ever reconciling with Downing and him rejoining PRIEST. Hill responded: "I think time is not on our side for that, you know? Never say never, put it like that. [Downing's] gonna be there at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame anyway. He's gonna get up and play some songs with us there. It might kickstart something; I don't know. On the other hand, he might pull us all apart. [Laughs]"
Earlier last month, Downing confirmed to Ultimate Classic Rock that his goal with the Rock Hall performance was "to represent the attitude and hopefully the legend of what JUDAS PRIEST is and has become and what it means to everybody who's been on that very long journey through the decades with the band. And hopefully it will just kind of remind people and bring back some cherished memories of the heavy metal parking lots all around the world."
Downing added that performing with PRIEST again would be like riding the proverbial bicycle, more than a decade after the guitarist last played with the band. "It's what I've done so many times," Downing said. "It's almost like cracking a beer, let alone riding a bike. It's embedded in me. It's what I do. So it'll be quite something to look forward to, just to get up there and crank the amps up and just do it once again, for that short moment in time."
Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance.
In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.
In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."
Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Tipton's decision to retire from touring.
JUDAS PRIEST was on the ballot for Rock Hall induction in 2020, but failed to receive enough votes to make that year's class.
Having been eligible for induction since 1999, PRIEST was also on the ballot for the 2018 class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but was ultimately left out of the inductee list.
Former ROB ZOMBIE and MARILYN MANSON guitarist John 5 has uploaded a video of him playing along to "Girls, Girls, Girls", the title track of MÖTLEY CRÜE's sixth album, which was originally released in 1987. The 52-year-old rocker captioned the clip: "It's Motley Monday!"
The latest video share comes a little over a week after John 5 posted a video of him playing along to "Too Fast For Love", the title track of MÖTLEY CRÜE's debut album, which celebrated its 41st birthday on November 10.
Last month, MÖTLEY CRÜE's Nikki Sixx praised John 5, saying he "checks all the boxes" as Mick Mars's replacement following the latter's decision to no longer tour with the legendary rock act.
Sixx commented on John 5's addition to CRÜE while answering fan questions on Twitter. Asked why the band chose John 5, who is one of the credited co-writers on the three original songs on CRÜE's "The Dirt" soundtrack, Sixx said: "He checks all the boxes. He's a insane player. Has respect for our music, is funny as fuck and has history with us and we've written some pretty big hits together."
Sixx also addressed Mars's announcement that he was retiring from touring because of his long struggles with degenerative disease ankylosing spondylitis. Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the spine joints and ligaments and can lead to stiffness over time, according to the National Institute Of Arthritis And Musculoskeletal And Skin Diseases.
"He's been a soldier along with us for 4 decades," Nikki said about his longtime bandmate. "We will continue to carrying our legacy to Generations of fans and honor Micks request for us to keep touring as Motley Crue."
In addition to co-writing the three songs on "The Dirt", John 5 collaborated with Sixx and Desmond Child on Meat Loaf's "The Monster Is Loose". Last year, Sixx and John 5 launched the L.A. RATS supergroup in which they were joied by Rob Zombie and drummer Tommy Clufetos.
The 71-year-old Mars — whose real name is Robert Alan Deal — served as MÖTLEY CRÜE's lead guitarist since the band's inception in 1981.
A day after Mick announced his retirement from touring, remaining members Sixx, singer Vince Neil and drummer Tommy Lee vowed to "continue the legacy." In a statement, they said: "While change is never easy, we accept Mick's decision to retire from the band due to the challenges with his health. We have watched Mick manage his Ankylosing Spondylitis for decades and he has always managed it with utmost courage and grace. To say 'enough is enough' is the ultimate act of courage. Mick's sound helped define MÖTLEY CRÜE from the minute he plugged in his guitar at our very first rehearsal together. The rest, as they say, is history. We'll continue to honor his musical legacy."
The statement continued: "We will carry out Mick's wish and continue to tour the world as planned in 2023. No doubt will it take an absolutely outstanding musician to fill Mick's shoes so we are grateful that our good friend, John 5 has agreed to come on board and join us moving forward. We'll see all you Crueheads out on the road!”
John 5, whose real name is John William Lowery, said: "I'm honored to carry on Mick's legacy and am looking forward to playing these songs."
In his statement, Mick said that he had decided to step back from live shows due to his "ongoing painful struggle" with ankylosing spondylitis and while he will continue to be a member of the band, he cannot "handle the rigors" of touring life.
The statement read: "Mick Mars, co-founder and lead guitarist of the heavy metal band MÖTLEY CRÜE for the past 41 years, has announced today that due to his ongoing painful struggle with Ankylosing Spondylitis, he will no longer be able to tour with the band. Mick will continue as a member of the band, but can no longer handle the rigors of the road. A.S. is an extremely painful and crippling degenerative disease, which affects the spine."
John 5's involvement with MÖTLEY CRÜE as the band's new guitarist was first reported as a rumor by the Metal Sludge web site on October 7.
Speculation about John 5 replacing Mars gained strength after the longtime ROB ZOMBIE guitarist failed to appear with the shock rocker at this year's Aftershock festival in Sacramento. Rob was instead joined on stage by returning guitarist Mike Riggs for the first time since 2006.
John 5 has performed MÖTLEY CRÜE songs a number of times in the past. Back in 2018, John 5 was joined by Sixx along with ANTHRAX's Scott Ian and his wife Pearl Aday at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California to play a cover of "Shout At The Devil". Earlier this year, the guitarist ran through renditions of both "Home Sweet Home" and "Kickstart My Heart" at various shows on his U.S. tour.
TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon has released the official music video for his new instrumental song "Octopus". "Octopus" is a jazz rock fusion instrumental song that features Hannon improvising spontaneous jazz-inspired bass lines to start, then he incorporates his experience as a producer/recording artist to perform by overdubbing piano, organ, drums and ultimately a blistering electric guitar solo to create a unique mix of rock, jazz and fusion music.
Known primarily as a founding member of the multi-platinum rock band TESLA, Hannon is also a multi-instrumentalist, producer and recording engineer who has produced many younger up-and-coming artists as well as TESLA singles and diverse solo albums.
Hannon states: "I have a very eclectic taste for different styles of music and I started learning to play the organ at five years old with my grandmother, then drums at 10 before falling in love with guitar at 12 years old in 1978. At 15 years old, I got a four-track recorder tape machine and learned that if you want to record well, it's important to understand the role of bass guitar and how all the instruments fit together in recordings. I used a four-track cassette machine to learn how to record overdubs. Since then, I've built studios over the years to record bands and albums.
"This new 'Octopus' song is a sample of my love of the art of recording and capturing 'improvisation' as a way to create interesting music as a solo artist. I couldn't think of a title for it until I saw the movie 'My Octopus Teacher' which made me fall in love with the extreme intelligence and diversity of the amazing animal known as the octopus."
Be sure to visit www.frankhannon.com for limited "Octopus" merchandise and gift box ideas in time for Christmas.
Next year, TESLA will return to Las Vegas for a special five-night residency, in celebration of their 36 years of entertaining rock audiences around the world. "TESLA: The Las Vegas Residency" will kick off Friday, March 17, 2023 inside House Of Blues Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the famed Las Vegas Strip.
In September 2021, drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He is being temporarily replaced at TESLA's gigs by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.
In August, TESLA released the official music video for the band's new single, "Time To Rock!". The track arrived five months after TESLA released the official lyric video for the 2021 standalone single "Cold Blue Steel".
Originally released in August 2021, "Cold Blue Steel" was the first TESLA song to ever be produced by the bandmembers themselves.
DEF LEPPARD has released the official live video for the song "Kick". The clip, which was during the band's summer 2022 "The Stadium Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, can be seen below.
"Kick" was the first single from DEF LEPPARD's latest album, "Diamond Star Halos", which arrived in May via UMe.
DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, who came up with "Kick" as an additional track after the first 14 songs were already completed, told Billboard that "'Kick' represented where we were at as well. It's got that glam rock feel, that hand-clap groove, big vocals. It was just a no-brainer. It was not only that it's got to be on the album, it's got to be the first single as well."
"It's a stadium anthem, and we were about to go into stadiums," singer Joe Elliott said. "We didn't write it for that reason, but Phil's always trying to write the next 'Sugar' or 'We Will Rock You' or 'I Love Rock 'N' Roll'. We all are, but he actually came up with one, and it's, like, 'Yeah, we've got to do that,' so now it's a 15-song record."
"Kick" thrusts into an anthemic stadium-ready frenzy kickstarted with driving guitars and bombastic drums woven into its musical fabric. Meanwhile, the chorus has all the makings of another iconic LEPPARD hit with its skyscraping vocals and melodies the band has become synonymous for.
Over the past two years, DEF LEPPARD recorded "Diamond Star Halos" simultaneously in three different countries with Elliott in Ireland, Rick Savage (bass) in England, and Collen, Vivian Campbell (guitar) and Rick Allen (drums) in the United States. Without the pressure of timelines or a fixed schedule, they poured all of their energy into crafting 15 meaningful tracks with a mixture of classic spirit meets modern fire. Thematically, they nodded to their earliest collective influences such as David Bowie, T.REX and MOTT THE HOOPLE, among others. The title itself notably references T.REX's "Bang a Gong (Get It On)". However, they didn't embark on this journey alone. The multi-Grammy Award-winning and legendary artist Alison Krauss lent her instantly recognizable and angelic voice to "This Guitar" and "Lifeless", while David Bowie pianist Mike Garson performs on "Goodbye For Good This Time" and "Angels (Can't Help You Now)".
"The Stadium Tour" was originally scheduled to take place in the summer of 2020 but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
DEF LEPPARD will team up with MÖTLEY CRÜE for the co-headline "The World Tour" in early 2023. Produced by Live Nation, the trek will kick off on Saturday, February 18, 2023 at Foro Sol in Mexico City. Both bands will bring their electrifying stage shows across the globe with stops throughout Latin America before heading to Europe in May 2023 — which includes a stop at the iconic Wembley Stadium on Saturday, July 1, 2023 — then wrapping up in Glasgow, U.K. at Hampden Park on July 6, 2023.
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