An official video for a cover of MOTÖRHEAD's "Ace Of Spades" by Philip H. Anselmo (DOWN, PANTERA),Gary Holt (EXODUS, SLAYER),Chuck Garric (ALICE COOPER),Sacha Dunable (INTRONAUT),Nick Oliveri (STÖNER, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, KYUSS),Dwid Hellion (INTEGRITY),and Zach Wheeler and Tom Polzine (HOWLING GIANT) can be seen below. The track is taken from the new MOTÖRHEAD tribute album, "Löve Me Förever: A Tribute To Motörhead", which will be released on June 19 via the new in-house label, Psycho Waxx, created by the founders of Psycho Las Vegas festival.
"Ace Of Spades" is one of rock and roll's most beloved and sacred anthems. Covering the bombastic ode to gamblers everywhere is a heavy crown to bear for any musician up for the task. That's why when Psycho Waxx proposed this sacred rite, it was asked of Psycho Las Vegas's most prestigious alumni and metal heavyweights. Rockers whose cred cannot be questioned were challenged to make this legendary piece of music sound fresh, heavy and ring true to MOTÖRHEAD fans all over the world.
Every rock and roll all-star featured on the song contributes a different offering in worship of Lemmy. Anselmo's jagged molasses vocals bounce off Hellion's demon howls while Holt's signature shredding gives the track an extreme outlaw's metallic edge. If you hear that desert rock vibe with a hardcore kick in it, you got Oliveri to thank for that. Kelley and Kyle Juett from MOTHERSHIP contribute the space rock rhythms that blast this message off through the atmosphere to deliver it straight to Lemmy. Wheeler and Polzine contribute HOWLING GIANT's crushing rock and roll to keep the track grounded close to the Earth, adding that massive, unmistakable groove. Sprinkle in Dunable's awesome virtuosity on guitar and Garric's legendary bass and you have a recipe for one of the greatest covers in rock and metal history.
MOTÖRHEAD was a dream headliner for the very first Psycho Las Vegas in 2016, and when the world lost the legendary Lemmy Kilmister, his band became an essential part of Psycho's DNA. In commemoration of Lemmy's legacy, Psycho Waxx is unleashing a double album of MOTÖRHEAD tracks by some of the festival's biggest bombers, being cut during the fest last year (August 20-22, 2021) at National Southwestern Recording in downtown Vegas.
"Löve Me Förever: A Tribute To Motörhead" track listing:
01. KING DUDE - Killed by Death
02. STÖNER - R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
03. HIGH ON FIRE - Iron Fist
04. CEPHALIC CARNAGE - Order / Fade to Black
05. EYEHATEGOD -Motörhead
06. LORD BUFFALO - God Was Never On Your Side
07. HOWLING GIANT w/ Chuck Garric & Calico Cooper - Love Me Like A Reptile
08. MOTHERSHIP - Bomber
09. FOIE GRAS - Born to Lose
10. PSYCHLONA - Iron Horse
11. BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT w/ Matt Pike - Please Don't Touch
12. CREEPING DEATH - In the Name of Tragedy
13. THE BRIDGE CITY SINNERS - Go to Hell
14. EXHORDER - Sacrifice
15. DEATH BY STEREO - Born to Raise Hell
16. MIDNIGHT - Dirty Love
17. RELAXER - America
18. Phil Anselmo / Gary Holt / Kelley Juett / Sacha Dunable / Tom Polzine / Nick Oliveri / Dwid Hellion / Kyle Juett / Chuck Garric / Zach Wheeler - Ace Of Spades
The video for “Between The Pines”, the new single from international progressive metal quintet Philosophobia, formed by current and former members of Kamelot, Pain Of Salvation, Wastefall, and more, can be viewed below.. The single is the latest preview of the band’s eponymous debut album, nearing release this month through Sensory Records.
Philosophobia unites vocalist Domenik Papaemmanouil, bassist Kristoffer Gildenlöw, drummer Alex Landenburg, keyboardist Tobias Weißgerber, and guitarist Andreas Ballnus. The band is now preparing to issue their eponymous debut album via Sensory Records, the band’s top choice for its release, in conjunction with Kristoffer Gildenlöw‘s return to prog metal on stages worldwide since his departure from Pain Of Salvation.
Together with recording engineer and producer Phil Hillen (Powerwolf, Kamelot, Alyssa White Gluz), Philosophobia recorded an hour-long experience covering a wide range of textures; somber tunes to heavy prog metal tracks to instrumentally artistic roller coaster rides. Philosophobia was mastered by Alan Douches (Fates Warning, Redemption, Mastodon) at West West Side Music in New York, and completed with cover artwork conceived by Ballnus and created by Björn Gooßes/Killustrations.
The video for “Between The Pines” was edited by Andreas Ballnus, who writes with the video’s premiere, "'Between The Pines' lyrically deals with the situation between a stepfather and his stepson. On the surface they get along very well with each other. But deep inside the boy is very insecure because of the experiences with his biological father. The stepfather remembers when he was a child playing in the woods. A place where all sorrow had gone away. A place where it was calm and peaceful. The place between the pines. It was chosen as a single because it shows another side of PHILOSOPHOBIA. Not as heavy or complex as the other tracks on the album. Nearly having a pop chorus. Another facet of Philosophobia."
In 2007, longtime friends Andreas Ballnus (Perzonal War) and Alex Landenburg (Kamelot, Cyrha, Mekong Delta) had the idea of creating a prog metal concept album. After recording a few demos, Landenburg joined Annihilator as their touring drummer while Ballnus became the guitarist for former Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Dianno. With both touring around the world for years, unfortunately they had to postpone their prog adventure due to lack of time.
In 2018, Ballnus got in touch with Kristoffer Gildenlöw (ex-Pain Of Salvation, Kayak) for a book project he had written; the two soon became friends and when Kristoffer heard the demos Ballnus and Landenburg had recorded, he was blown away by the quality of the songs, and at that moment Philosophobia was born. Completed by keyboard wizard Tobias Weißgerber and vocalist Domenik Papaemmanouil (Wastefall), the recordings for the band’s debut album began in 2020 against all odds.
Landenburg and Ballnus headed to SU2 Studios in Southern Germany and recorded nine songs of which eight made it onto the album. In fact, six of them remained the same songs that were written in 2007. The two still felt that those songs were timeless and deserved to be recorded for the final album version.
Sensory Records will release Philosophobia on CD and all digital platforms worldwide on June 24. Find physical pre-orders at the label webshop here, and visit Bandcamp for the standard digital here and 24-bit hi-res digital here.
Tracklisting:
"Thorn In Your Pride"
"I Am"
"Time To Breathe"
"Between The Pines"
"As Light Ceased To Exist"
"Thirteen Years Of Silence"
"Voices Unheard"
"Within My Open Eyes"
"Time To Breathe" video:
Lineup:
Kristoffer Gildenlöw - bass
Alex Landenburg - drums
Domenik Papaemmanouil - vocals
Andreas Ballnus - guitars
Tobias Weißgerber - keys
Caliban have release a music video for "Darkness I Became", captured by Sebastian Pielnik during the intimate release shows for the band's latest album, Dystopia. Watch below:
The approach to Dystopia was instinctive and organic. The result was simply darker and heavier. A state of the world address and a sign of these locked-down times. The band members worked in relative isolation, not being able to meet up for writing sessions. Ideas were passed around via the internet. Yet, the anxiety and angst they were all feeling came through. Hence the opening line of the album title track and war-cry: “Welcome Dystopia – Come show me who you are!” Amidst the anger and sonic wreckage, there’s still a ghost of hopefulness as the band searches for identity, solidarity and ultimately rising from dystopian ashes. A long running fixture in the European metal scene, Caliban have reemerged with a furious vision for these dark days. Welcome Dystopia.
Dystopia was produced by Benjamin Richter (Moonspell, Emil Bulls) and guitarist Marc Görtz, as well as co-produced by Callan Orr (Dream On, Dreamer). The eye-catching artwork was crafted by the creative team of Season Zero, who designed the artwork for Zeitgeister.
Tracklist:
"Dystopia" (feat. Christoph Wieczorek)
"Ascent of the Blessed"
"VirUS" (feat. Marcus Bischoff)
"Phantom Pain"
"Alien"
"sWords"
"Darkness I Became"
"Dragon" (feat. Jonny Davy)
"Hibernate"
"mOther"
"The World Breaks Everyone"
"D I V I D E D"
"Alien" video:
"Ascent Of The Blessed":
Caliban is:
Andreas Dörner (vocals)
Marco Schaller (bass)
Denis Schmidt (guitar)
Marc Görtz (guitar)
Patrick Grün (drums)
Legendary rock band DEF LEPPARD played a special invitation-only concert in Los Angeles at the Whisky A Go Go for SiriusXM listeners. The intimate performance, part of SiriusXM's Small Stage Series, took place on May 26 in celebration of DEF LEPPARD's new album "Diamond Star Halos" which was released the following day (May 27). Professionally filmed video of the "Rock Of Ages" and "Photograph" performances from the Whisky show can be seen below.
Prior to DEF LEPPARD's upcoming "The Stadium Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON and Joan Jett, this was the first time fans could see the band perform new songs live from its latest album live in addition to the stadium anthem hits that cemented DEF LEPPARD as rock icons.
The setlist was as follows:
01. Take What You Want
02. Animal
03. Foolin'
04. Armageddon It
05. Kick (live premiere)
06. Love Bites
07. Excitable
08. Rocket
09. Bringin' On The Heartbreak
10. Switch 625
11. Hysteria
12. Pour Some Sugar On Me
Encore:
13. Rock Of Ages
14. Photograph
The performance is being broadcast throughout June on Classic Rewind (ch. 25) and '80s On 8.
Def Leppard Radio launched on May 27 and will run through Saturday, June 25 on the SiriusXM app.
Featuring a slew of guest hosts, Def Leppard Radio delves into the band’s 40-year music career, providing insight behind both their greatest hits and their new album. Def Leppard Radio also spotlights other artists performing on their stadium tour like MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON and Joan Jett, as well as artists who influenced DEF LEPPARD, including David Bowie, QUEEN, T.REX, MOTT THE HOOPLE and more.
SiriusXM's Small Stage Series features performances with premier artists spanning music genres and styles, and comedy, and held in small iconic venues. SiriusXM launched its Small Stage Series in August 2021 and to date has announced performances by Alicia Keys, Avril Lavigne, Brandi Carlile, COLDPLAY, Dave Matthews, Ed Sheeran, GLASS ANIMALS, THE GO-GO'S, H.E.R., J Balvin, J. Cole, Jason Aldean, John Mayer, John Mulaney, Kane Brown, Kenny Chesney, Michael Che, Nathaniel Rateliff & THE NIGHT SWEATS, OLD DOMINION, Shaggy and TWENTY ONE PILOTS.
SiriusXM is available to subscribers nationwide on SiriusXM radios, the SXM App, and with Amazon Alexa, the Google Assistant or however they stream at home. Streaming access is included with all of SiriusXM's trials and most popular plans.
Creatures Fest 2022 took place Memorial Day Weekend (May 27 - 29) in Nashville, Tennessee at the Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel. Former KISS guitarist, Bruce Kulick, has shared the new video below, stating: "Zach Throne sings this great Gene Simmons song at the MTV Unplugged Pool Party at day one of Creatures Fest. It's got a great guitar solo, that was actually played by Paul Stanley on the MTV filming. I always enjoyed learning the riffs for that song from Paul's performance on The Elder."
Bruce previously shared the video below, in which he and his band are joined by his wife, Lisa Jane Kulick, at the Creatures Fest Pool Party for a performance of the KISS song, "Rock Bottom".
On May 29, Bruce and his band - Todd Kerns, Zach Throne and Brent Fitz - performed the Revenge album in its entirety as well as other KISS classics. Check out the footage below.
Professionally filmed video of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's June 12 performance at this year's edition of the Nova Rock festival, which was held on the Pannonia Fields in Nickelsdorf, Austria, can be seen below.
Featured songs:
00:00 Trouble
03:00 Wash It All Away
08:06 Jekyll And Hyde
Last Friday (June 10),FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH released another new song, "Welcome To The Circus". The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "AfterLife", which is due on August 19.
The "Afterlife" title track, which was released as a single in April, gave FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH the most consecutive No. 1s on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. The song was the band's 12th total No. 1 and eighth entry on the chart in a row. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH broke out of a tie with DISTURBED and SHINEDOWN, each of whom has seven consecutive No. 1s on the chart.
According to Billboard, only three artists boast more No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, which began in 1981: SHINEDOWN (with 17), THREE DAYS GRACE (with 16) and VAN HALEN (with 13).
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's follow-up to 2020's "F8" was once again recorded at the Hideout Recording Studio, the Las Vegas, Nevada facility owned and operated by Kevin Churko, the Canadian record producer/engineer and songwriter who has worked on all of FIVE FINGER's albums beginning with the band's sophomore release, 2009's "War Is The Answer".
"AfterLife" will be FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's first album with its latest addition, renowned British virtuoso Andy James, who replaced Jason Hook in 2020. James was previously featured on "Broken World", a song that was included on the second installment of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's greatest-hits collection, "A Decade Of Destruction – Volume 2", which came out in the fall of 2020.
Since FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's debut album, "The Way Of The Fist", came out in 2007, the band has released six consecutive albums that were certified gold or platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as well as two chart-topping greatest-hits albums. In addition, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has earned numerous national and international awards and honors over the last decade, such as the prestigious Soldier Appreciation Award by the Association Of The United States Army, an honor bestowed upon only one other recording artist before them: Elvis Presley.
"F8" debuted at No. 1 on rock charts around the world, with Top 10 mainstream chart debuts in the USA, Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and more. It produced four No. 1 hit singles with "Inside Out", "A Little Bit Off", "Living The Dream" and "Darkness Settles In". The band has amassed over eight billion streams and three billion video views to date and has sold over one million tickets between 2018 and 2020 alone.
This past April, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH announced a 2022 U.S. headlining tour presented by Live Nation. Kicking off in Portland, Oregon on August 19, the trek will span over 30 dates, closing out on October 15 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The band will be joined on tour by rock icons MEGADETH, with additional support from THE HU and FIRE FROM THE GODS, promising an intense multi-faceted night of heavy rock music.
Fan-filmed video of JUDAS PRIEST's June 12 performance at Saab Arena in Linköping, Sweden can be seen below.
Linköping is the former hometown of GHOST leader Tobias Forge, who attended last night's concert.
A photo of Forge and PRIEST singer Rob Halford, taken backstage at the Linköping show and shared via Rob's Instagram, can be seen below.
The band's setlist was as follows:
01. One Shot At Glory
02. Lightning Strike
03. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
04. Freewheel Burning
05. Turbo Lover
06. Hell Patrol
07. The Sentinel
08. A Touch Of Evil
09. Rocka Rolla
10. Victim Of Changes
11. Desert Plains
12. Blood Red Skies
13. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
14. Diamonds & Rust (Joan Baez cover)
15. Painkiller
Encore:
16. The Hellion / Electric Eye
17. Hell Bent For Leather
18. Breaking The Law
19. Living After Midnight
JUDAS PRIEST kicked off its spring/summer 2022 European tour with an intimate concert on May 31 in Berlin, Germany. For the gig, which was held at the 1,600-capacity Huxleys Neue Welt venue, Halford and his bandmates ditched their traditional leather-and-studs look in favor of a more stripped-down appearance.
Last month, Halford told ABC Audio that PRIEST was in the process of "tracking" follow-up to 2018's "Firepower" album.
"You can never have enough songs when you're making an album," he said. "Songs that you didn't even know you had bits and pieces and fragments of, suddenly they become an incredibly important part of your record."
Regarding the musical direction of the new JUDAS PRIEST material, Rob said: "The music that we're making now is representative of where PRIEST is at this probably sixth decade of our existence when it comes out… It sounds great. I'm really pleased. I'm really, really happy that… we're not dropping the ball. Not that we ever have. But it's good, because there are some elements in there that we've never… kind of discovered before."
More than a year ago, Halford confirmed that PRIEST's next album will see the band reuniting with the "Firepower" production team consisting of Andy Sneap, longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).
Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Richie Faulkner.
Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier. Tipton announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower". He was replaced by Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.
This past March, Faulkner told the "Metal From The Inside" podcast about the recording process for the new PRIEST album: "It's been slowed down a lot because of, obviously, the pandemic. We wanted to get together, like we did on 'Firepower', and record it together, but, obviously, the lockdowns and everything like that slowed that process [down]. Some of us live in the U.S., some of us live in the U.K., so getting together proved to be a bit difficult over the last couple of years. Now everything is kind of opening up, it's a bit easier, but now we're on the road, so we've got a touring cycle [to get through]. So, if we can, we might be able to do it in between the touring cycles."
As for when fans can expect to get the next PRIEST album, Faulkner said: "We don't have a release date. It's not finished. We've got the songs, but we've gotta record it. We've got drums down. I don't know if that's even been said yet. So we're gonna try and build it up as we move through this touring cycle. But as Rob always says, it'll be finished when it's finished. At this point in their career, there's no point in rushing anything, especially when we've waited this long through the pandemic to start doing it. It'll be done when it's done. But there will be another PRIEST record. We've got some great songs."
Regarding the musical direction of the new PRIEST material, Richie said: "It's different to 'Firepower', but it's definitely… You can hear where it's coming from. It's not even 'Firepower 2'… It's hard to say anything these days without people getting… If I say it's like a continuation of 'Firepower', people think it's 'Firepower 2'. It's got its own character, it's got its own legs, and we're looking forward to releasing it on to the world when it's done."
In February, Halford was asked by Remy Maxwell of Audacy Check In if he agreed with Faulkner's recent comment that the band's upcoming album will be more musically "progressive" than "Firepower". He responded: "Yeah, the metal is there. But here's the thing: we've tried our best not to replicate anything that we've done. From 'Rocka Rolla' all the way through to 'Firepower', each record has had a distinctive character. And it's tough because fans go, 'We want another 'Painkiller',' 'We want another 'British Steel'.' And [it's, like], 'Dude, we've already done that.'
"Fans know that we're a band that is always full of adventure and trying new stuff," he continued. "And so, yeah, this has got probably some more progressive elements that we've never really delved into before. And that's exciting, because, again, it gives us and our fans another opportunity to see a different side of PRIEST. But it's still metal. There's just more of it. There are more notes than there were before."
That same month, Faulkner told Canada's The Metal Voice about the overall sound of the new PRIEST music: "Whenever you start a record, you never know how it's gonna turn out. So you might start with an idea of what it's gonna be, and as it kind of rolls on, it comes out something different. So you don't quite know. And also it's really hard to sum up your own music, I find, without sounding really pretentious. But I think this one — it's not 'Firepower 2', I don't think. It's its own thing, it's its own animal. If anything, I would say it's a bit more progressive in places, and in places it's got a bit more of that 'Killing Machine' swagger."
Faulkner added: "I know everyone says, 'Oh, is it the next 'Painkiller'?' or 'Is it the next…?' whatever… I don't know if they'd ever done it, but I know we've never done it when I've been in the band; we've never tried to recreate an album. It's always we try to create an album that stands on its own legs. So I think it's definitely a little bit more progressive than 'Firepower' and, as I said, in places it's got a little bit of that 'Killing Machine' angry swagger attitude going on. But again, as I said, we're waiting to see what it turns out like, 'cause it could turn out completely different."
JUDAS PRIEST will receive the Musical Excellence Award at this year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, which will honor Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.
The induction ceremony will be held on November 5, 2022 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. It will air at a later date on HBO and stream on HBO Max. There will also be a radio simulcast on SiriusXM's Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Radio channel 310.
According to the Hall Of Fame, the JUDAS PRIEST members that will get inducted include current members Halford, Hill, Tipton and Scott Travis (drums),along with former members Downing, Les Binks (drums) and late drummer Dave Holland.
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KROKUS frontman Marc Storace has released the official music video for this solo track "High On Love". The song is taken from his first-ever solo album, "Live And Let Live", which was made available in Switzerland in December and was released in North America in February.
"Live And Let Live" track listing:
01. Live And Let Live (3:41)
02. High On Love (3:57)
03. Lady Of The Night (4:44)
04. Carry The Burden (3:16)
05. Broken Wings (3:41)
06. No Place To Hide (3:22)
07. Don't Wanna Go (4:40)
08. Love Over Money (3:53)
09. Time Waits For No One (4:14)
10. Paradise (2:59)
In an interview with Canada's The Metal Voice conducted before the "Live And Let Live" release, Storace said about how his solo album came about: "Twenty years ago, I wrote the title song of the album, 'Live And Let Live'. 'Live And Let Live' was written with this guitar player who was a neighbor of mine. I used to go over to his place, a little studio, on cold or rainy days and icy days. We spent hours writing songs, and we came out with about 20 of 'em. And this is one of 'em which fits for the album. And it's the opener. It's a great song.
"Anyway, so many years later, we did the [KROKUS] reunion, and I've been busy with KROKUS," he continued. "And as soon as lockdown started, I first did some stuff which I put on YouTube and Facebook, some karaoke stuff which I found. I did duets with my daughter, Giuliana. After that phase with Giuliana, I kind of fell in a hole of the lockdown boredom, and I thought, 'No way. I'm gonna get creative.' I opened my drawer [and out came] a pile of lyrics — bits and pieces, leftovers, new stuff. And I thought, 'Well, I've got enough material. And I need a guitar player.'
"This guy I got in touch with, he's in Newcastle, in England," Marc added. "We started communicating about ideas — he'd send me ideas, and I'd send him feedback, and I'd fit lyrics and build songs and stuff. So we built quite a few. And then I already went in contact with a couple of musicians whom I got to know when I was doing this big event, film series for television in 2019. And this thing came out during lockdown. But while we were filming this, I also started thinking, 'Well, we're on a farewell tour, and I don't really wanna stop.' And this thing came out during lockdown, which helped reduce the boredom, and in between I was writing songs. And then I got to know these two other guys — a drummer and rhythm guitarist — and they also produced the whole music side of [the TV series]. And they asked me during the filming stuff, in between, 'You should do a solo album now. It's gonna be over with KROKUS. What are you gonna do?' I said, 'I don't know yet. It's not over until it's over. And I'm still enjoying it. So I'm not thinking that far. I'm taking it — carpe diem. Day by day.' Cause you never know what tomorrow brings. And too much planning sometimes you're doing for nothing. Overthinking is unhealthy anyway.
"So, anyway, I came to that point. And then I called them. I said, 'Guys, you wanna do it? 'Cause I really enjoyed working with you.' … So we started. And at the end of last year, they already sent me two ideas, and at the beginning of this year, they sent me some more. And I got busy working, working, and we did demos and stuff. And here we are — it's ready. It's all recorded, and it's in the mix."
Asked about the musical direction of his solo album, Marc said: "It's energetic, heavy, melodic hard rock. And there's also a couple of ballads. I'm a singer — we love ballads. And then there's something out of the ordinary — it's a blues song, which is not the typical blues song. It's something I saw as a challenge. When they sent me that music, I thought, 'What? It doesn't really fit.' But then I thought blues is always inside the rock family — a body of rock always has blues in there, as opposed to jazz maybe, although that's also integrated sometimes. And then there's this one song — I think it's gonna be the last one on the album — which is quite acoustical and more light-hearted.
"I'm saying it's great, because I've worked for it and I'm emotionally involved with it," he continued. "But people around us and around me have been telling me I'm on the right track, and the results are good."
KROKUS released a new CD/DVD, "Adios Amigos Live @ Wacken", in February 2021.
Back in April 2020, KROKUS was forced to postpone its last-ever concerts in USA and Canada due to the coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the globe. The 13-date trek was originally scheduled to kick off at Canton Hall in Dallas, Texas on September 18, 2020 and conclude at Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California on October 10, 2020.
In September 2018, KROKUS announced that it was going to embark on a farewell tour dubbed "Adios Amigos" before calling it a day. At the time, they said their final show would take place on December 7, 2019 at the Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland. However, in June 2019, Storace posted a message on Facebook indicating that the band would play additional concerts beyond the Zurich date.
When KROKUS first announced its decision to embark on a farewell tour, the band explained in a statement: "KROKUS shows have always been special and should stay that way. That's why we decided to stop when it's still really good. That's how the fans should remember us."
On June 3rd, former vocalist Roy Khan's pre-Kamelot band, Conception, performed at ProgPower USA 2022 in Atlanta, GA. Fan-filmed video can be viewed below.
Seven Spires vocalist Adrienne Cowan guests on the songs "Silent Crying", "By The Blues" and "She Dragoon".
The setlist was as follows:
"Grand Again"
"A Virtual Lovestory"
"Waywardly Broken"
"No Rewind"
"The Mansion"
"A Million Gods"
"Quite Alright"
"Silent Crying"
"Sundance"
"Gethsemane"
"Feather Moves"
"By the Blues"
"She Dragoon"
Encore:
"My Dark Symphony"
"Roll the Fire"
In addition, Khan hit the stage with Seven Spires during the band's set to perform "This God Is Dead" on June 2nd.
Iron Maiden’s Legacy Of The Beast World Tour 2022 is currently trotting around the globe. On June 11th, they unleashed their show at the Download Festival at Donington Park, Castle Donington, England. Fan-filmed video is available below.
The setlist on the night was as follows:
Setlist:
"Senjutsu
"Stratego"
"The Writing On The Wall"
"Revelations"
"Blood Brothers"
"Sign Of The Cross"
"Flight Of Icarus"
"Fear Of The Dark"
"Hallowed Be Thy Name"
"The Number Of The Beast"
"Iron Maiden"
Encore 1:
"The Trooper"
"The Clansman"
"Run To The Hills"
Swedish bashers Amaranthe performed at this year\s installment of the Sweden Rock Festival on June 10th. Fan-filmed video is available below.
This was Amaranthe's first show with guest growler Samy Elbanna from Lost Society, who replaced vocalist Henrik “GG6” Englund Wilhelmson.
The setlist was as follows:
"Fearless"
"Viral"
"Digital World"
"The Nexus"
"Call Out My Name"
"Hunger"
"Maximize"
"Amaranthine"
"Helix"
"Strong"
"The Nexus"
Encore:
"Archangel"
"That Song"
"Drop Dead Cynical"
Last week, Amaranthe announced the departure of vocalist Henrik “GG6” Englund Wilhelmson after 9 years with the band.
Commented Henrik: "I'm sorry to say that I got some sad news for ya'll! I will no longer be a part of Amaranthe. After 2 years at home caused by corona, something hit me. I freakin’ loved being at home with my family and started to dream about doing something else. Something more important and also to NOT spend more time away from my kids. For many reasons I also slowly stopped enjoying life on the road with Amaranthe. It became more of a job and something I pushed myself to do. Not like back in the days when I had some serious fun all the time! I want to thank all my fans for your support over the years and I promise I’ll be back with killer 'GG6' stuff in the future when the mood and creativity finds its way back to me! Cheers n love and good luck to Amaranthe in the future."
Commented Amaranthe: "We fully respect and understand Henrik's decision, and we wish him all the best on his future adventures. Henrik is truly one of the world's foremost growlers, as anyone who have seen him rip through our songs live knows, and we can't wait to see what he comes up with next! Keep your eyes peeled to his socials to stay up to date with forthcoming GG6 madness! This summer’s shows will be performed by two special guests, stay tuned!”
Plush has released a new video for “Will Not Win”. The song comes from the band's self-titled debut album, which was released in 2021 via Pavement Entertainment and features the Billboard Top 40 charting singles “Hate” and “Better Off Alone”.
“Will Not Win” is a high-octane rock anthem that fires up listeners. The music video was directed by Kaylene Widdoes. It features energetic live performances of Plush, as well as behind-the-scenes footage of the ladies on tour.
Vocalist Moriah Formica says, “So excited for everyone to see our new music video for ‘Will Not Win.’ It’s one of my favorites off the album and I think this video really captures the energy of when we play this song live!”
Bassist Ashley Suppa says, “This video was a lot of fun to shoot because it captured us at a time that felt the most natural. There is nothing that compares to the energy of a live audience, whether you’re a part of it or in front of it!”
Guitarist Bella Perron says, “The video was filmed while we were opening for Sevendust on the Coun7down to 2022 mini tour and gives more of a behind the scenes look into our adventures on the road. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do!”
Drummer Brooke Colucci says, “‘Will Not Win’ is hands down my favorite song on the album and my favorite song to play live. I truly feel like this video captures that and it shows us as our most natural selves while we are out on the road!”
Plush’s mission is to help bring rock back to the forefront of the music industry. The band is composed of four talented young women, whose accomplishments and talent eclipse their age. They have been electrifying audiences during recent live performances across the United States supporting Evanescence, Slash, Halestorm, Seether, Mammoth WVH, Daughtry, and SevenDust and on the big festival stages of Rocklahoma and Welcome To Rockville.
See Plush live this fall. They will be playing the Louder Than Life Festival in Louisville, KY, on September 22, 2022. Plush will also join KISS on the second week of the KISS Kruise from October 29 - November 3, 2022 with more tour announcements to come!
The cover art and tracklisting for the self-titled debut from Plush can be seen below:
"Athena"
"Champion"
"Hate"
"Found A Way"
"I Don’t Care"
"Sober"
"Better Off Alone"
"Sorry"
"Why Do I Even Try"
"Bring Me Down"
"Don’t Say That"
"Will Not Win"
"Walk Away"
AS I LAY DYING's new touring lineup made its live debut last night (Friday, June 10) at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.
Earlier this week, AS I LAY DYING recruited drummer Nick Pierce (ex-UNEARTH) to sit behind the kit for the band's current tour.
The U.S. leg of the "Two Decades Of Destruction" trek will conclude on July 17 in Oklahoma. Joining the band for the 30 dates are WHITECHAPEL, SHADOW OF INTENT, BRAND OF SACRIFICE (June 24-July 17),and OV SULFUR (June 10-23)
On Friday, AS I LAY DYING released the following statement via social media: "We are pleased to announce that Nick Pierce, formerly of UNEARTH, will be playing drums for AILD this tour.
"We've toured with Nick many times over the years so we're stoked to have not only a long time friend out with us, but a phenomenal musician. The level of precision and power in Nick Pierce's playing has taken our songs to a whole new level.
"Nick had the task of learning 20 songs in a limited amount of time and he nearly played the entire set flawlessly at our first rehearsal. It's been inspiring to witness his dedication and strong work ethic to keep AILD performing at the standard our fans expect from us.
"We are just pulling up into Las Vegas for night 1 of the 'The Decades of Destruction Tour', we can't wait to perform and see our fans again!"
On Thursday, longtime AS I LAY DYING drummer Jordan Mancino announced that he would sit out the band's upcoming tour dates due to "a number of ongoing internal issues" that "have not yet been resolved." The 39-year-old musician released a statement via social media in which he said: "To all of our fans, my friends, family and supporters within the industry. There have been a number of ongoing internal issues with AS I LAY DYING that need to be worked out. It was my wish to avoid any further touring until these issues were resolved. Since they have not yet been resolved, it is with a heavy heart that I announce I will not be performing on any upcoming tour dates until further notice. Thanks to all of you for your understanding."
Mancino's announcement came less than a month after AS I LAY DYING's longtime bassist/vocalist Josh Gilbert revealed that he was leaving the band. In a statement, the remaining members of AS I LAY DYING said that Gilbert "decided to exit" the group "to pursue other musical opportunities." Josh is being replaced on the road by Ryan Neff of MISS MAY I. Playing second guitar on the trek will be Ken Susi of UNEARTH.
Josh was the second AS I LAY DYING member to leave the band in less than a year. Last August, guitarist Nick Hipa confirmed his exit from AS I LAY DYING, explaining that he could no longer justify being part of "a superficial pursuit" of the "story and meaning" that the band's 2018 reunion was built upon.
AS I LAY DYING frontman Tim Lambesis was famously convicted in 2014 for his role in a murder-for-hire plot against his estranged wife.
In May 2014, Lambesis was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to paying a San Diego police officer posing as a hitman $1,000 to kill his wife. Approximately two and a half years later — on December 17, 2016 — he was discharged from a California detention facility and was transferred to the Division of Adult Parole Operations.
In June 2018, AS I LAY DYING played its first show with Lambesis in five years and released a new single. Lambesis also owned up to his crimes in a long apology on the band's Facebook page after his release.
In September 2019, AS I LAY DYING released its seventh full-length album, "Shaped By Fire", via Nuclear Blast.
The return of AS I LAY DYING raised some questions, particularly since Hipa categorically denounced the band's disgraced frontman as a "sociopathic narcissist in definite need of rehabilitation" in a social-media post back in 2014.
Last September, AS I LAY DYING released a new song called "Roots Below" which was originally a B-side leftover from when the sessions for "Shaped By Fire".
As I Lay Dying
💣💣💣
CUBA 666 METAL
La Cueva
Ariel Lopez
Fan-filmed video of GREAT WHITE's June 10 concert at The Pavilion at Richmond Harley Davidson in Ashland, Virginia can be seen below.
Late last month, GREAT WHITE announced that it has parted ways with singer Mitch Malloy and has replaced him with Andrew Freeman (LAST IN LINE). Malloy had been in GREAT WHITE for nearly four years, having joined the group in 2018 following the departure of Terry Ilous.
In a new interview with Dr. Music, GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall stated about the band's latest addition: "[Andrew] sat in with us, I wanna say maybe eight months ago or so [when Mitch wasn't able to make the show]; we played with FOREIGNER up north [in Modesto, California in October of 2021]. And he blew our minds. So right then we kind of knew we wanted him. But because he was doing something, and we were really busy — [there was] not enough time to rehearse and stuff like that. And we saw this window of opportunity, [and] he was totally into it."
Kendall continued: "There's a lot of different sides to his voice too, so he's not one-dimensional, even though he delivers the LAST IN LINE thing [like] an in-your-face metal screamer. But he can sing a ballad like Satan; I mean, it's killer. So that's what I like. His voice is so well rounded. And the guy, he vibrates at a frequency that you like to be around — he's just this chill dude. There's no nonsense, no ego, no weird trips or anything, so you feel the brotherhood forming straight away. And that's what we like. We're into being a band — all of us, together — go places together, do things together and just enjoy each other. No weird trips. Because we've been through it all. If somebody's a little funny, it's, like, 'Really?' It's almost like if you see cocaine, you go, 'You still have that?' [Laughs] So any kind of weird head trips, we just don't understand it.
"So, yeah, we're just loving it," Kendall added. "We cannot wait for the fans to hear this guy sing some of our big songs. And we're real pumped about making new music, 'cause I have a lot of stuff, Michael [Lardie, guitar/keyboards] has a lot of stuff. We've done things together and just haven't quite put it together. But now we've got this guy that can do anything. Believe me, man, we wanna get something with him on it, 'cause it's gonna be ridiculous."
As for Mitch's departure, Mark said: "We were going in separate ways in the sense that he was always by himself; he didn't really talk to us much. He just kind of showed up… That's just not the way a band works, as far as we're concerned. He's a wonderful singer. I don't think he's used to him not being in full control of everything because he's been a solo artist for so many years. He's a sweet guy. I really liked him. I think a few of our songs are a little out of his range, so it's a little bit of a struggle. But nothing real heavy — no big, huge fights. Nothing ever came to fisticuffs, if you will. [Laughs] So it wasn't a case of that.
"We canceled a gig — or we were going to have to cancel a gig for him to do a VAN HALEN show, a tribute show," Kendall explained. "He gave us warning about this. But when FOREIGNER canceled [our show with them] because of some COVID thing, we rescheduled the date and it fell right on when he was gonna do that VAN HALEN show that he warned us about. So, regardless, it was probably pretty tough for him to get out of it. But it ended up being a blessing for us because we got Andrew to fill in. When we heard him do that show… And the whole band FOREIGNER was on the side of the stage going, 'Oh my God, man. This is pretty good.' So that was nice of them to acknowledge we had a good show. So that's when the seed of the idea was, like, 'Man. God.'"
Kendall went on to say that he doesn't think Malloy is upset about being out of GREAT WHITE. "He likes his solo career," Mark said. "I saw his post [about his exit from GREAT WHITE] where he said, 'Get ready for my VAN HALEN experience. And I'm gonna be doing an acoustic show, a storytellers show,' and all this stuff. So I'm encouraging people to go check him out when he gets in your area and wishing him to do well."
Asked if he and his bandmates had given any thought at all to the idea of reuniting with original GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell, Mark said: "That's the other thing. [People say,] 'Why don't you patch things up with Jack?' What people don't understand is we never even got in fights [with Jack]. In 25 years together, we might have gotten in two arguments. The thing that took him out is the horrible demons of addiction, and it's really affected his health. I just saw a video the other day where he's not even standing — he's using wheelchairs and he's sitting in a stool. So for us to go back to that, it just feels dark. I'd rather remember him… 'Cause I'm very proud of our career — I'm very proud of the past. I'm so lucky to be a part of it. And I wanna remember it like that, where he's flying around on stage and getting the crowds pumped and singing his heart out — not a sick person. So going to that…
"My goal has always been to deliver the best show we can possibly deliver and have the fans be beyond impressed," Kendall explained. "And the way Andrew sings, I really like the way he delivers the songs, because it's what you wanna hear. So that's important to me, just to have the songs — the big songs, especially — be sung right and with full power. It just makes everything — it makes us play better, believe it or not. So that's the whole thing with me."
GREAT WHITE's current lineup is rounded out by Audie Desbrow (drums) and Scott Snyder (bass).
Ilous, frontman of '80s L.A. hard rockers XYZ, joined GREAT WHITE in 2010 after stepping in for touring vocalist Jani Lane (WARRANT).
The Ilous-led GREAT WHITE released two albums, 2012's "Elation" and 2017's "Full Circle", before Terry was dismissed from the group.
This version of GREAT WHITE is not to be confused with JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE, which features Russell alongside Robby Lochner (FIGHT) on guitar, Dan McNay on bass, Tony Montana on guitar and Dicki Fliszar on drums.
Fan-filmed video of Ace Frehley's June 10 performance at Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania can be seen below.
Last November, Ace said that he had collaborated with his longtime friend Peppy Castro on "some heavy songs."
Peppy reportedly taught Frehley how to play guitar and previously collaborated with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons as a songwriter and performed on Frehley's and KISS frontman Paul Stanley's solo records.
In December 2020, Frehley told Talking Metal Live that he would start recording his next all-original album in 2021. The record will be the follow-up to "Spaceman", which was released in October 2018 via eOne. At the time, he said that had "been writing all along. Plus, I have tracks that I've already recorded that I have to revisit and decide whether they have a chance to make it on my new studio record — [if they] have to be rewritten or [they're] just good the way they are," he explained. "And I've got people sending me song ideas constantly… So, little by little, it's an ongoing process, and it evolves as it goes."
Earlier in 2020, Frehley told Canada's iHeart Radio that he had "only written about three songs" for his next LP, and he added they were "not finished." He said: "Now that I'm [living] on the East Coast [after moving to New Jersey from Southern California], my engineer only lives an hour from me, Alex Salzman, who worked with me extensively on this last record, and he played a lot of bass guitar as well, So it's gonna be even easier, 'Origins Vol. 3' and the next [original] record."
Frehley's latest release was "Origins Vol. 2", the sequel to his 2016 collection of cover songs that inspired the former KISS guitarist.
"Origins Vol. 2" featured cover versions of THE BEATLES' "I'm Down", DEEP PURPLE's "Space Truckin'", LED ZEPPELIN's "Good Times Bad Times", THE ROLLING STONES' "Jumpin' Jack Flash", THE KINKS' "Lola" and THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE's "Manic Depression", among others. A cover of the 1975 KISS tune "She" also appeared as a bonus track. Guests on the set included CHEAP TRICK's Robin Zander, Lita Ford and former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick.
KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons co-wrote two tracks on "Spaceman", "Without You I'm Nothing" and "Your Wish Is My Command", the latter of which also features Simmons's bass playing.
Fan-filmed video of ACCEPT's June 9 performance at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden can be seen below.
This past February, it was announced that ACCEPT had inked a worldwide deal with Napalm Records.
ACCEPT's latest album, "Too Mean To Die", came out in January 2021 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was the group's first without bassist Peter Baltes, who exited ACCEPT in November 2018. He has since been replaced by Martin Motnik. ACCEPT's lineup has also been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during 2019's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently.
"Too Mean To Die" was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with British producer Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH),who has been responsible for the studio sound of ACCEPT since 2010.
ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann told France's Loud TV about the "Too Mean To Die" album title: "It's more or less our answer to the whole corona vibe in the land, in the world. Of course, it's not meant serious — we said, 'We're too mean to die. We can't be bothered by any little virus that's out there.' Of course, it's not meant to be totally serious. But it sounded like a metal album, it sounded like a metal title, and we liked it. So we decided to go that route and give the metal fans a fresh and in-your-face sort of statement and a metal album that doesn't really deal with anything corona-related. 'Cause I think people had enough of all the corona stuff by now. It's time to move on."
Regarding ACCEPT's decision to release "Too Mean To Die" during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wolf said: "It's gonna be a while until we can do a proper headlining tour. But we decided to go ahead and release it, because maybe fans will enjoy it now that they're in lockdown, and maybe it's gonna take their mind off everything. And it's better than waiting until who knows when — until we can tour again. So let's have the album out now. Fans can enjoy it and listen to it, and then one day we'll be on tour and we'll meet each other again."
Mark Tornillo joined ACCEPT in 2009 as the replacement for the band's original lead singer, Udo Dirkscheider. He can be heard on ACCEPT's last five studio albums, "Blood Of The Nations" (2010),"Stalingrad" (2012),"Blind Rage" (2014),"The Rise Of Chaos" (2017) and "Too Mean To Die".
Asked about ACCEPT's overall approach since he came into the group, Tornillo told "That Jamieson Show": "Basically, [we went] back to what we did in the '80s — what everybody did back in the day. The whole thing was, when I joined the band, Wolf did not want the band to rest on its laurels and only go out and play the classics. He wanted a real band. So we've been album-tour, album-tour — like it always was."
Mark also talked about his musical personal chemistry with Hoffmann, who is the sole remaining member from ACCEPT's classic lineup.
"It's grown quite a bit, actually," he said. "We've got a great mutual respect for each other and for our talents. This album ['Too Mean To Die'] was a total collaboration. This is the first ACCEPT album without Peter, so that was a big gap to fill. But everybody stepped up. Our [new] bass player Martin Motnik contributed quite a bit to this album."
"The Rise Of Chaos" marked ACCEPT's first release with Lulis and drummer Christopher Williams, replacing Herman Frank and Stefan Schwarzmann, respectively.
RESIST & BITE, the new band featuring former TESLA guitarist Tommy Skeoch, has released a music video for the song "Home". The clip, which features live footage recorded at MadLife studios in Atlanta, Georgia, can be seen below.
Joining Skeoch in RESIST & BITE are ex-LYNCH MOB lead vocalist Nathan Utz, guitarist Steve Stokes, drummer David Parks and bassist Brian Powell.
Last September, RESIST & BITE released its self-titled debut album via Lor Live Records. The LP was recorded over a 21-period at Sound Stage Studios in Nashville, Tennessee with producer and engineer Michael Rosen and was mastered by Anthony Focx.
Skeoch said: "I never knew if I'd ever have another band. So great. What are the chances? But here it is. So organic, so natural the way it all happened. Great group of guys, and probably one of the best-sounding records I've ever made. The songs and performances are so perfect."
"Resist & Bite" track listing:
01. Blood On Me
02. Fate
03. Bombs
04. A Soul For Mary
05. I
06. Already Said
07. Afterneath
08. Till Tomorrow
09. Home
10. Crazy
11. Up In Flames
12. Scream
13. Say Watcha Want
RESIST & BITE's debut single, "The Myth I'm Livin'", came out in March 2020. A follow-up single, "Fate", arrived in June 2021.
Skeoch left TESLA in 2006 and went on to receive treatment for substance-abuse issues. He has since been replaced by Dave Rude. Asked in an interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if he exited the group of his own accord or if he was asked to leave, Tommy said: "I was fired. I was getting fucked up and I was definitely in the wrong about a lot of stuff, and they put up with it for a long time. But at the same time, none of us were angels, and we put up with a lot of stuff from the other guys for a long time too, and they're still there. So I felt like a little scapegoated by the thing. And the other thing is they didn't want people — I guess for the benefit of my family, so it wouldn't look bad — they said, 'Tommy's just gonna spend time [with his family].' That's why nobody knows, and that's why you're asking this question. Everyone's confused on even what happened. Basically, I was fired. I was getting fucked up, and I kept fucking up, and I kept telling 'em I wouldn't, and I just couldn't stop."
Skeoch added that he accepts responsibility for the circumstances that led to his departure from TESLA. "I do, of course," he said. "But I also believe we put up with a lot of shit for a long time from almost every other guy in the band, and they're still there. So I don't know what's up with that; that's a little weird to me."
Last September, TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon was asked by Detroit's WRIF radio station if the band will ever work with Skeoch again. Hannon said: "When we were kids, Tommy Skeoch and myself, I was 16 and he was about 19 or 20. I used to really look up to him — I was a huge fan of his style, and still am, a great fan of his guitar playing. We were like best buds. And then we would collaborate and write songs like 'Modern Day Cowboy' or any of those TESLA songs, we'd write 'em together. But as time went on, man, the egos and the problems — myself included — throughout the years, the competition, it really drove a wedge between us. And the drugs and alcohol just really destroyed our relationship, I've just gotta be honest. We weren't supposed to talk about this stuff, but now I figure it's been long enough.
"I don't see that TESLA will ever go back, because we love Dave Rude, and Dave has really been a great addition to the band. And it would be disrespectful to him to go backwards to a toxic thing, a relationship that really got very toxic.
"Unfortunately, I don't think that TESLA will work with Tommy again — ever," Frank reiterated. "But I will say that myself, personally, I have always loved Tommy and I just wish him the best. I'm so glad that he's still alive, and I know he's got a new band out [RESIST & BITE] that put a song out called 'The Myth I'm Livin''. It was kick-ass; it had Tommy's guitar. Look, I'm getting goosebumps right now. Every time I hear Tommy Skeoch play, it brings a smile to my face, 'cause he's freakin' awesome. As a musician, I have nothing but love and respect for the guy. But I don't think TESLA will ever work with him again. But I do wish him the best."
In a 2011 interview with Noisecreep, TESLA singer Jeff Keith stated about Skeoch: "Look, everyone in TESLA has been through their own substance-abuse issues. But Tommy got in too deep again. So the band told him that the only way we would be able to make this work is if he was clean and sober. I felt like we couldn't ask him to do that if we weren't going to commit to it too. So I was the first one to say that I wouldn't drink, or do anything else, on the tour. The next thing you know, the other guys did the same thing. Troy [Luccketta, drums] has been clean and sober for over 20 years, so it wasn't even an issue for him... Tommy couldn't stay off the stuff he was doing. It broke my heart to see it, but we knew we had to replace him."