Accept have released the new video below, with Martin Motnik stating: "I'm showing you how I played the bass on our album, Too Mean To Die. This is song no. 7, 'Symphony Of Pain'. It's the story of Ludwig van Beethoven's struggle with losing his hearing, which is probably every musician's worst nightmare. The song contains some classical pieces in typical Accept fashion. Enjoy!"
Accept have been flying the flag of classic metal for decades, and with their latest album, Too Mean To Die, they have once again proven themselves to be international chart stormers with top 10 placings worldwide. Now, after a long absence due to Corona, they are proud to announce they will finally be returning to European stages in 2022, with their usual driving energy full of irrepressible power. They will be playing the new album Too Mean To Die and the Accept classics.
For decades, Accept have stood for pure metal, great melodies and unforgettable live moments. Their three exceptional guitarists will undoubtedly transform audiences into a surging mass and blow the virus into oblivion. Because, according to Wolf Hoffmann: "We are too mean to die! Weeds do not die! Accept won't let it get them down!"
Guitarist Philip Shouse adds: "The best thing that will happen for us is to go to the airport, get on a plane, fly to you and play a big, fantastic gig."
Accept will be supported in Europe by none other than Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, who unforgettably brought venues around the world to boiling point with Motörhead and stands for pure Rock N Roll. The US speed/thrash wrecking ball veterans Flotsam And Jetsam complete the billing.
Tour dates:
December 2021
10 - Tokyo, Japan - Club Citta
11 - Tokyo, Japan - Club Citta
January
15 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
16 - Brussels, Belgium - La Madeleine
18- Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp
19 - Paris, France - Bataclan
21 - Pamplona, Pain - Burlada
22 - Madrid, Spain - La Riviera
23 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 1
25 - Ramonville, France - Bikini
26 - Villeurbanne, France - Transbordeur
28 - Zürich, Switzerland - Komplex
29 - Telfs, Austria - Rathaussaal
30 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
February
1 - Zlin, Czech Republic - Hala Euronics
2 - Warsaw, Poland - Progresia
4 - Tallinn, Estonia - Helitehas **
5 - Helsinki, Finland - House Of Culture **
6 - Tampere, Finland - Pakkahuone **
8 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fryshuset **
9 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller **
11 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Tradgarn **
12 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega **
13 - Bremen, Germany - Aladin
15 - Berlin, Germany - Huxley´s
17 - Ulm, Germany - Ratiopharm Arena
18 - München, Germany - Tonhalle
19 - Filderstadt, Germany - FILharmonie
20 - Geiselwind, Germany - Eventzentrum
22 - Leipzig, Germany - Haus Auensee
23 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage
25 - Moscow, Russia - Glavclub **
26 - St. Petersburg, Russia - Cosmonaut
28 - Kiev, Ukraine - Stereoplaza **
Shows marked (**) are without Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons.
To celebrate their latest release and debut album, Bionic Swarm, Cryptosis played a livestream show on April 24. The outstanding performance can now be watched in it’s entirety below:
Bionic Swarm was released on March 26th 2021 by Century Media Records and can be ordered at this location.
Bionic Swarm is a concept album consisting of eight dystopian stories that take place in the year 2149. Each track is a personal narrative of certain progress or technological advancements seen through the eyes of its inhabitants, both human and non-human.
Cover art by Eliran Kantor / Cryptosis logo by Christophe Szpajdel:
Tracklisting:
“Overture 2149”
“Decypher”
“Death Technology”
“Prospect Of Immortality”
“Transcendence”
“Perpetual Motion”
“Conjuring The Egoist”
“Game Of Souls”
“Mindscape”
“Flux Divergence”
Guitarist Thomas Zwijsen has released a new video, featuring an acoustic performance of the Joan Baez classic "Diamonds And Rust", made popular in metal circles by Judas Priest.
Thomas: "'Diamonds And Rust' was written by Joan Baez (about Bob Dylan) and introduced in the metal scene by Judas Priest, with both Rob Halford and Tim Ripper Owens on vocals. Richie Blackmore and Candice Night also performed it with Blackmore's Night. This acoustic solo guitar cover takes inspiration from all versions."
Canadian thrashers Lutharö have released a stunning video for their song, "Lost In A Soul". The track is from their upcoming album, Hiraeth, which will be released on October 15, 2021. Pre-orders can be placed here.
Vocalist Krista Shipperbottom commented, “We are extremely ecstatic to release our new album Hiraeth out into the world! This album is jam packed with a little bit of everything for true metal lovers! We have been working incredibly hard for the last year and have taken experimentation to the next level. Compared to our last release, Wings Of Agony, Hiraeth takes a lot more risks and is a huge step in the right direction for us as a band.”
Hiraeth artwork and tracklisting:
"Introspection"
"To Kill Or To Crave"
"What Sleeps In Your Mind"
"Phantom"
"Worship Your Path"
"Hopeless Abandonment"
"Valley Of The Cursed"
"In Silence We Reign"
"Eclipse"
"Lost In A Soul"
Video footage of RATT's July 23 performance at the Waukesha County Fair at the Waukesha County Expo Center in Waukesha, Wisconsin can be seen below.
Guitarist Frankie Lindia made his live debut with RATT on June 24 at the Lakes Jam in Brainerd, Minnesota. He joined the band for its summer 2021 tour dates following last year's departure of Chris Sanders.
Lindia is a Los Angeles-based guitarist/multi-instrumentalist and music teacher who played with David Lee Roth on the VAN HALEN singer's 2020 tour.
Singer Stephen Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT's current lineup, which played its first comeback gig in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Also joining them in the band is drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE, RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER).
Sanders joined RATT in 2018 after the departure of original axeman Warren DeMartini. Sanders spent almost two years playing sporadic shows with the band's most recent lineup before quitting the group left RATT in early 2020, saying in a statement that he was retiring from the music industry.
According to Ziff, RATT was planning to play several gigs early last year as a four-piece following Sanders's exit from the group, "but we only did one show where I was the only guitar player in the band," he said during an appearance on a video podcast hosted by Todd Kerns. "And it was in February. And then that was it. And then COVID [hit]."
RATT hasn't released any new music since 2010's "Infestation" album.
RATT — featuring Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini — played a number of shows in 2017 after reforming a year earlier in the midst of a highly publicized legal battle with drummer Bobby Blotzer over the rights to the RATT name. They were joined at the gigs by ex-QUIET RIOT guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who played on "Infestation", and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.
In recent months, Pearcy and Blotzer have mended their differences, as was apparent during the RATT singer's livestream concert on April 2 from the world-famous Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip where Bobby made a special guest appearance on several songs.
Video footage of former JUDAS PRIEST and ICED EARTH singer Tim "Ripper" Owens's July 23 performance at Artie's Bar And Grill in Frenchtown, New Jersey can be seen below. Tim's set included songs from PRIEST, ICED EARTH, BLACK SABBATH and DIO.
Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.
Owens and founding PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing are reunited in KK'S PRIEST which also features guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).
KK'S PRIEST will release its debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", on October 1 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.
A year and a half ago, Owens told Trevor Joe Lennon about how he managed to move on from being in PRIEST: "Leaving JUDAS PRIEST — you hate to leave the name JUDAS PRIEST. I think that was the one thing. It's, like, 'Oh, you're out of JUDAS PRIEST.' People still say to me, 'Man, you're out of JUDAS PRIEST. What have you done since you were [in the band]?' I've toured more places — even within this past year — I've toured more places than I ever did with JUDAS PRIEST. And it's kind of nice.
"Nowadays, people expect you to hand them something that you've done," he explained. "Years ago, in the '90s and '80s, you would get a paper, a magazine, you'd go to the local store, you might go to the person's web site. Nowadays, people just [go] on social media and [expect] to be handed, here's what you do.
"You know what I tell people? [When they ask me] 'What are you doing [now]?' I say, 'Google me.' It's not hard. [People will] send me messages on my Facebook, and they send me personal messages, saying, 'So, what are you up to?' I'm, like, you're sending me a message on my Facebook Messenger, where everything is on my Facebook, what I'm doing. I don't know what else to tell you. Everything is on my Facebook, and yet you're sending me a message on my Facebook asking me what I'm doing. It's, like, man, the days of us going to the local record store and picking up the magazine and seeing what was going on, the local magazine, [are long gone].
"People still say, 'After JUDAS PRIEST, where did you go?' I'm, like, 'Man, I've done…' Last year, I put out three records — THE THREE TREMORS, A NEW REVENGE and SPIRITS OF FIRE… So, it's, like, listen, I'm pretty busy."
Tim told The Metal Voice in 2016 that he "wouldn't have quit JUDAS PRIEST." But he clarified: "I wanted to leave JUDAS PRIEST, 'cause I had already recorded the ICED EARTH record ['The Glorious Burden']. So I wanted out of JUDAS PRIEST, 'cause I wanted to do other stuff, but I never would have quit. 'Cause I was great friends with them, and I was the singer of JUDAS PRIEST. But to make more money and to do more things, I had to branch out and do other things."
GREEN DAY played a cover of the KISS classic "Rock And Roll All Nite" during its concert Saturday night (July 24) at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.
Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons both tweeted out a short video of GREEN DAY's rendition, and offered their praise for the Northern California band, with Stanley writing: "'Tonight In DALLAS!' Another reason to love @GreenDay!" Simmons chimed in: ""@GreenDay In Houston [sic] yesterday! Thank you, Gentlemen." The official KISS Twitter account also shared the clip and added the message: "@GreenDay 'Rock And Roll All Nite' tonight in Dallas. SO Cool! #KISSisEverywhere!"
GREEN DAY is an American punk rock band composed of vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tré Cool. Formed in 1986, GREEN DAY was originally part of the punk scene at the DIY 924 Gilman Street club in Berkeley, California. The band's early releases were with the independent record label Lookout! Records. In 1994, its major label debut "Dookie" (released through Reprise Records) became a breakout success and eventually sold over 10 million copies in the United States.
GREEN DAY was widely credited with popularizing and reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States. Follow-up albums "Insomniac" (1995) and "Nimrod" (1997) each sold over two million albums and were certified double platinum, and "Warning" (2000) was certified platinum. 2004 brought the band's rock opera "American Idiot" which reignited the band's popularity with a younger generation and sold over six million copies in the United States.
GREEN DAY is one of the world's best-selling bands of all time, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. The group has won five Grammy Awards: "Best Alternative Album" for "Dookie", "Best Rock Album" for "American Idiot", "Record Of The Year" for "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams", "Best Rock Album" for the second time for "21st Century Breakdown" and "Best Musical Show Album" for "American Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording". In 2010, a stage adaptation of "American Idiot" debuted on Broadway. On April 18, 2015, the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a part of the 2015 class in what was their first year of eligibility for induction. On October 16, 2015, GREEN DAY released the documentary "Heart Like A Hand Grenade", an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the writing and recording of "American Idiot". GREEN DAY's 12th studio album, "Revolution Radio", was released on October 7, 2016 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. GREEN DAY released its 13th studio album, "Father of All Motherfuckers" last year via Reprise/Warner Records. It debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. albums chart while also hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums and No. 4 on the Billboard 200, resulting in the band’s 11th U.S. Top 10 album. They performed on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", "The Late Late Show With James Corden", "Good Morning America" and "American Music Awards".
ZAC BROWN BAND performed a cover version of the METALLICA classic "Enter Sandman" during last night's (Saturday, July 24) concert at the Twin Cities Summer Jam in Shakopee, Minnesota. Fan-filmed video footage of their rendition can be seen below.
ZAC BROWN BAND has been playing "Enter Sandman" during its live shows for about a decade, including in January 2019 when the American country group was joined by Dave Grohl in Atlanta, Georgia to close out its set at the Bud Light Dive Bar.
In a 2018 interview with Atlanta Business Chronicle's Phil W. Hudson and Atlanta radio personality Tug Cowart, ZAC BROWN BAND multi-instrumentalist Clay Cook stated about the group's cover of "Enter Sandman": "It's been around for seven years. People don't get tired of us doing it."
ZAC BROWN BAND founding member and songwriter John Driskell Hopkins told Herald-Tribune back in 2014 that playing "Enter Sandman" "is my favorite, by far."
ZAC BROWN BAND is a multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning Southern rock group led by frontman Zac Brown. Throughout their decade-long career, ZAC BROWN BAND has had six consecutive albums reach the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and five consecutive albums debut at No. 1 on Billboard's Country Albums chart. To date, the group has won three Grammy Awards, including "Best New Artist" in 2010, sold more than 30 million singles, nine million albums, has achieved 15 No. 1 radio singles and are the second act to top both the Country and Active Rock formats.
ZAC BROWN BAND has headlined seven North American tours and currently holds the record for most consecutive sold-out shows at the iconic Fenway Park. Since their debut, ZAC BROWN BAND has developed a reputation with critics and fans alike as one of the most dynamic live performers, marked by strong musicianship that defies genre boundaries.
Fan-filmed video footage of STYX's July 24 performance at the York State Fair in York, Pennsylvania can be seen below.
The setlist was as follows:
01. The Fight Of Our Lives
02. Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)
03. The Grand Illusion
04. Lady
05. Rockin' The Paradise
06. Crash Of The Crown
07. Miss America
08. Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)
09. Too Much Time On My Hands
10. Khedive
11. Lost At Sea
12. Come Sail Away
Encore:
13. Mr. Roboto
14. Renegade
STYX's latest studio album, "Crash Of The Crown", came out on June 18 via the band's label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe.
The legendary rockers — James "JY" Young (lead vocals, guitars), Tommy Shaw (lead vocals, guitars), Chuck Panozzo (bass, vocals), Todd Sucherman (drums, percussion), Lawrence Gowan (lead vocals, keyboards) and Ricky Phillips (bass, guitar, vocals — wrote "Crash Of The Crown" pre-pandemic and recorded it during the trying times of the coronavirus crisis.
The "Crash Of The Crown" song breaks some brave new world ground for STYX. Actually, it's the first cut in the band's storied canon to feature three lead vocalists, seeing how it has Young unleashed at the starting gate, Shaw heading up the heroic stacked-vocal middle section, and Gowan leading the vocal charge for the final verse.
Efforts to record "Crash Of The Crown" began in earnest at Shaw's home studio in Nashville during the fall of 2019, with Gowan — STYX's criminally minded showman extraordinaire and keyboardist/vocalist since 1999 — in the room together with Shaw and the album's producer, Will Evankovich, as he conjured up the album's first song to be recorded, with cosmetic flourishes that reign over the insistent, yearning call for togetherness, "Common Ground". But the global pandemic that inevitably transformed the way we all wound up living in 2020 changed the course for how many of the band's home-and-away recording sessions ultimately had to set socially distanced sail. Safety precautions took precedent for all involved STYX bandmembers and production compatriots with much diligent quarantining and testing required before any one of them could travel to Shaw's tranquility homebase to spread the uniquely ingrained STYX stardust that's been duly sprinkled across the album's cosmically chosen 15 tracks.
"Crash Of The Crown" is the follow-up to STYX's 16th studio album, "The Mission" (their first in 14 years at the time, which critics called "a masterpiece") which was released June 16, 2017 on the band's label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe. The highly anticipated two-disc reissue of "The Mission" was released on July 27, 2018 via Alpha Dog 2T/UMe, which includes a CD of the original album, as well as a Blu-ray of the album mixed in 5.1 surround sound accompanied by stunning visualizations for each of the album's 14 songs based on the album artwork. It originally debuted on various Billboard charts, including: #6 Top Rock Albums, #11 Physical Albums, #11 Vinyl Albums, #13 Current Albums, #14 Billboard Top Albums, #16 Retail, #17 Mass Merch/Non-Traditional, #29 Digital Albums, and #45 Billboard 200 (includes catalog and streaming).
Singular Vision Productions has uploaded multi-camera video of George Lynch's May 1 performance at the Dallas International Guitar Festival at Dallas Market Hall in Dallas, Texas. Check it out below.
Lynch's new solo album, "Seamless", will be released on August 20 via Rat Pak Records. The LP features nine brand new tracks and three bonus tracks from Lynch, who is backed by drummer Jimmy D'Anda and bassist Eric Loiselle on the album. "Seamless" is produced by Lynch and is now available for pre-order in various configurations here.
Starting in music in 1977, Lynch has long since been considered one of the most-notable guitar players of all time. His work with DOKKEN and LYNCH MOB has garnered him a legion of devoted fans around the globe. His creativity and musicianship has been showcased on over 50 albums since 1982 and 2022 will mark his 45th anniversary as a professional musician. Lynch continues to redefine guitar playing and songwriting while showing no signs of slowing down.
In recent years, Lynch has recorded albums with a number of different projects, including LYNCH MOB, KXM, SWEET & LYNCH, THE END MACHINE and DIRTY SHIRLEY. His most recent release was "Heavy Hitters", a collaboration with his former DOKKEN bandmate Jeff Pilson on a collection of studio recordings that turn pop music classics into metal anthems.
Last year, Lynch told Guitar World magazine that staying "diversified" was key to making a living in rock music today. "Do everything," he said. "Be an engineer, be a composer, play every instrument you can, get endorsements, learn how to make a web site, be social-media savvy and keep your eye on everything."
King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his singer wife Toyah Willcox - joined by the mysterious stranger Sidney Jake - are back with another episode in their "Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch" series. This time they take on "My Generation" by The Who. Watch below:
A selection of Robert & Toyah's previous Sunday Lunch videos can be seen below:
Former Delain singer and songwriter, Charlotte Wessels, recently released a video for "Superhuman", featured on her first solo endeavour, Tales From Six Feet Under, out September 17 via Napalm Records. Below is a live performance of the clip featuring her former Delain bandmate, Timo Somers.
Unable to perform live due to the pandemic, Wessels spent most of last year buried in her Six Feet Under home studio, writing, performing and producing an eclectic wealth of songs. Tales From Six Feet Under offers her favorites out of the bunch. All instruments and vocals on these ten intimate and honest songs were performed or programmed by Wessels herself - except for the exciting collaboration with Alissa White-Gluz on the haunting track "Lizzie" - showcasing the multifaceted nature of Wessels, including her exceptional ability to express the most sincere feelings and emotions within her art.
Charlotte Wessels states: “In May 2020, I started releasing a song every month on Patreon as an outlet for my surplus of music, and tracks I wrote that didn't fit my band. The year that followed was an absolute roller coaster, from living through a global pandemic to closing a chapter so dear to me. It shows through these songs, made right here in my Six Feet Under home studio. Producing these songs with the support of a wonderful community has been a lifesaver during such turbulent times, and I'm happy to bring them out of the basement and into the world with this release. Let me tell you the Tales From Six Feet Under.”
Tales From Six Feet Under is an electrifying collection with gems ranging from melancholic indie pop to synth-infused rock. The record features Wessels’ rendition of Goth classic “Cry Little Sister”, as well as a beautiful synergy of the stunning voices of Charlotte Wessels and Alissa White-Gluz on “Lizzie”. It also debuts a song in Wessels’ native language with the Dutch rocker “Afkicken”. The mesmerizing and haunting “Victor” was released in April this year along with a visually palpable music video. “Soft Revolution” showcases the artist right where the magic happens; in her Six Feet Under studio. The song - part sweet sorrow, part soaring call to action - is quickly becoming a fan favorite.
Tales From Six Feet Under will be available in the following formats:
Ten years after their last studio album, "Don't Talk Science", German hard rock titans VICTORY will release the follow-up effort, "Gods Of Tomorrow", on November 26 through AFM Records.
Formed in 1984, VICTORY is one of the most distinctive acts of its genre. VICTORY ranked alongside SCORPIONS, ACCEPT and HELLOWEEN as one of the most successful German bands, played countless arena and festival shows all over the world and released 10 records to date. After several line up changes and years on hiatus, in 2003 the band announced its reunion. "Don't Talk Science", released in 2011, was the last record of the original lineup. But guitarist Herman Frank, who was also a longtime member of ACCEPT, never gave up on VICTORY and decided to continue the band. Newborn, heavier and stronger than ever, they will return to the music scene this fall, featuring a lineup consisting of Frank on guitar, vocalist Gianni Pontillo, guitarist Mike Pesin, Malte Frederik Burkert on bass and drummer Michael Stein.
VICTORY's exceptional talents prove that they can be the gods of today and also of tomorrow. Thirteen addictive tracks taking you on a wild ride of unexpected power and classic rock grandeur! Listen to the first song released from the "Gods Of Tomorrow", "Cut To The Bone", watch the video below.
Says Frank: "An infinitely exciting and turbulent journey makes a stopover with the new VICTORY album 'Gods Of Tomorrow'. But the whole story is far from being told yet…"
A 21-minute documentary about the making of "Red Brick City", the debut album from HEAVY WATER, the new project featuring SAXON's Biff Byford and son Seb Byford of NAKED SIX, can be seen below. The LP was released on July 23 via Silver Lining Music.
Soaked in gritty, riff-baked blues yet rich with the sound and meter of classic hard rock, "Red Brick City"'s ten songs refuse to let you go. From the taut, elastic swing of the "Solution" riff to the rich, layered balladic strains of "Tree In The Wind", the LP moves with the class and cadence of a cracking journey uniting vintage rock 'n' roll sensibilities with the crackle and excitement of a fresh, youthful perspective.
With Seb on guitar and Biff on bass duties and both providing their vocal talents, the foundations for HEAVY WATER's sound are set in both that incredible father-and-son chemistry and a lifetime of know-how and experiences. Take the title track — and first single — "Red Brick City", all steam and smolder wrapped around a riff SOUNDGARDEN would've been proud of, and then there's the sun-soaked smile of "Follow This Moment" with harmonies evoking the BEACH BOYS relayed through LED ZEPPELIN, a gorgeous 1970s trip right down to the fadeout.
"We decided to do something together in these dark times and the family came together to help get this album off the ground," explained Seb and Biff.
Seb Byford recorded and engineered "Red Brick City" at the Big Silver Barn in York, U.K., while the drums were recorded by Ben Hammond at Reel Recording Studio in York. Seb produced the album with Biff, and Jacky Lehmann mastered. "Red Brick City" sees Seb take the reins on guitar and vocals, with Biff taking up the bass and vocal mantle. Tom Witts plays the drums, while Dave Kemp rounds out the HEAVY WATER lineup on keyboards and saxophone. To cap off this family affair, the packaging photos were taken by Steph Byford.
"We had great fun doing this album, working together on the songs and recording during lockdown," concluded Biff and Seb. "It's all recorded without samples or profiles... just loud and proud!"
This past March, Biff told Sweden's RockSverige that HEAVY WATER is musically similar to that of Byford's first solo album, "School Of Hard Knocks", which came out in February 2020. "The songs are also, stylistically, very similar to the [SACXON's] 'Inspirations' album," he explained. "There's some laid-back stuff and there's some heavy stuff. I wouldn't say there's any prog rock on there, but there are definitely two or three metal tracks on there. Seb's a great songwriter, and he likes to play heavy guitar riffs, so I'm sure people will be interested."
Asked what it's like working with his son, Biff said: "It's pretty cool. We're both pretty set in our ways, so it's working really well. It's great for me and for him, really. I'm getting off on his excitement and his first time doing things, and he gets off on my that wisdom that I've learned over the years."
"Red Brick City" track listing:
01. Solution
02. Turn to Black
03. Red Brick City
04. Tree in the Wind
05. Revolution
06. Personal Issue No. 1
07. Medicine Man
08. Follow This Moment
09. Now I'm Home
10. Faith
"Inspirations" was released in March via Silver Lining Music. The 11-track effort contains some of the classic rock songs that influenced Biff and the rest of SAXON.
ZZ TOP played without bassist Dusty Hill last night (Friday, July 23) at the Village Commons in New Lenox, Illinois after he was forced to return to Texas to address a hip issue. Filling in for him at the gig was longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis.
A few hours prior to the gig, ZZ TOP frontman Billy F Gibbons said in a statement: "And with Elwood to our right, rest assured ZZ TOP will deliver their good-time signature show. Billy's big guitar, crushing drums from Mr. Beard, and Elwood securing the bottom end continues the delivery with those famous three chords we all dig."
On Wednesday (July 21), ZZ TOP canceled its concert in Evansville, Indiana because of a "health issue within the band," according to local news outlet Evansville Courier & Press.
ZZ TOP kicked off its latest tour less than a week ago in Manchester, Iowa. The trek, dubbed "A Celebration With ZZ Top", continues in August with dates in the South, Midwest and Far West. Fall finds the legendary trio, who were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame by Keith Richards of THE ROLLING STONES, playing dates in the East, South and in their native Texas. A residency at The Venetian Theater in Las Vegas that had been postponed from last year is now set to start in early October. Looking ahead to 2022, a coast-to-coast Canadian tour has been announced for April and May.
When ZZ TOP announced the tour, Hill — who joined the band a year after its formation in 1969 — commented: "They shut the door right after our 50th-anniversary tour and now it's back open. We're excited to get out there and play our music for everybody."
Gibbons recently told Classic Rock magazine that he and his bandmates were working on ZZ TOP's 16th album after he had completed work on his latest solo LP, "Hardware". "The last laugh has yet to be heard," he said. "While we were working on 'Hardware', I was sending the roughs that might not have been fitting for that but were certainly fitting for the ZZ thing. I get to tiptoe out of 'Hardware' and back into ZZ, which is underway now."
The members of ZZ Top, Billy, and Frank, would like to share that Dusty, their fearless Bass player, is on a short...
WARRANT performed without bassist Jerry Dixon last night (Friday, July 23) at the Hannibal Bar-B-Q Festival in Hannibal, Missouri. No reason was given for his absence. Filling in for him at the gig was Robbie Crane, who has had stints with Vince Neil's band, RATT and LYNCH MOB, before joining BLACK STAR RIDERS as a full-time member.
This past May, WARRANT singer Robert Mason was asked in an interview with the "Thunder Underground" podcast if there had been any talk of a follow-up to 2017's "Louder Harder Faster" album. He responded: "Not as far as a defined schedule, but we're always writing. In all candor, the focus for 2019 was the 30th anniversary of 'Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich' and that tour. And then, on the heels of that, in September of 1990, 'Cherry Pie' was released, so 2020 was the 30th anniversary — or is, [and] has been — for the 'Cherry Pie' record. So, in early 2020, we revamped the stage set, staging — everything — and were all set, like '1, 2, 3, go.' We stopped to do a 30th-anniversary-of-'Cherry Pie' tour, playing all, if not damn near all, of those songs as the focus. And, like I said, the light, staging, the whole vibe of it was kind of to pay tribute to the 30th anniversary and all the fans that love the 'Cherry Pie' record so much. So, I think we're just taking a mulligan — if you play golf, we're just taking a mulligan on 2020 and we're going straight in in June and beyond and go right forward to do a 30th-anniversary-of-'Cherry Pie' tour. So, once we feel that we've gotten that out of our system enough, we'll probably end up writing songs."
More than a year ago, WARRANT guitarist Erik Turner told the "Talking Metal" podcast that the group was "throwing some ideas around" for a new LP. He said: "I've been sending Robert some riffs, and Robert's been working on songs. I've got a song going with Jerry. So it's a slow, long process for us, but the seed of a new record has been started. Now, that doesn't mean the seed will grow into a record. We've got a long way to go. We don't have one finished song. We've got a couple of things cooking, and we're actually sending ideas around back and forth to each other."
"Louder Harder Faster" was released in May 2017. The disc was recorded with producer Jeff Pilson — a veteran bassist who has played with DIO, FOREIGNER, DOKKEN and T&N, among others — and was mixed by Pat Regan, except for the song "I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink", which was mixed by Chris "The Wizard" Collier (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, PRONG, LAST IN LINE).
Mason replaced original WARRANT frontman Jani Lane in 2008 and has brought a degree of stability to the band after Lane's unceremonious departure and subsequent 2011 death.
WARRANT is rounded out by original members Joey Allen (guitar) and Steven Sweet (drums).
KK'S PRIEST, the new band featuring former JUDAS PRIEST members K.K. Downing (guitar) and Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals), along with guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE), will release its debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", on October 1 (postponed from the previously announced August 20) via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.
The official music video for the third single from "Sermons Of The Sinner", a song called "Brothers Of The Road", is available below.
The album cover features a mysterious figure robed in a monk's habit, whom Downing slyly states may or may not be him, holding a book of sermons. He says the "sinner" in the title refers to his famous solo in that classic song of the same name and also reflects his sense of alienation from the groundbreaking group that he helped create. "The whole concept is the fact that I continue proudly to be who I am and what I am and do what I do," declares Downing. "It's been nearly 10 years. I'm back making music."
And his disciples are ready to receive his sermons. He's brought a former bandmate along for the ride, and they have unleashed an album with a modern sound that hearkens back to what fans have always loved about Downing and his music and which still sounds fresh. "All of my life, people always wanted an album that we've made in the past," muses Downing. "'What's the new album like? Will it be anything like 'British Steel'? Will it be anything like 'Sad Wings'?' People hoping you're going to make a record that you've already made. So in a way this record just sounds like something that has already been made or should have been be made. It does have a lot of things that are connected to the past. For example, 'Brothers Of The Road'. If you take all the lyrics off and just listen to the music, maybe you could be listening to 'You've Got Another Thing Comin''."
After years of quietly enjoying life away from the rigors of the road and intense studio recording, Downing emerged again on stage in August 2019. From there, the conversation led to Downing performing a few songs with Ross The Boss at Bloodstock Open Air. The performance electrified the crowd and reinvigorated Downing. In November of that year, he put on a show in Wolverhampton, U.K. with Owens, Binks, MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and HOSTILE guitarist A.J. Mills. Downing had produced two albums for the latter band. Spanning JUDAS PRIEST's catalog, this superb and successful show sent shockwaves throughout the metal world: K.K. was back and the fans were clearly hungry for more.
Rather than simply rely on his past successes and go on the road performing classic JUDAS PRIEST songs, the renowned guitarist did what he has always done — make new music. And songs that fans would want to hear and sing along to in concert. Downing assembled Owens, Mills, Newton and Elg to create "Sermons Of The Sinner", an album that celebrates his classic metal roots and encourages us to cherish those iconic pioneers whom we still have with us. He jokes that KK'S PRIEST is "like a new old band. Or an old new band."
"The ultimate message is we've moved away from this music that we loved for so long and we're so dedicated to, and now we're in a situation where lots of people are actually passing away," explains Downing. "We've lost a lot of great people — [Ronnie James] Dio, Lemmy, I could go on — and that's gonna be accelerated over the coming years. Basically, enjoy everything that's left of this brand of metal including from me. It's not going to last forever."
Downing spent four months writing and recording "Sermons Of The Sinner" and, along with new ideas, he even resurrected a few archived riffs from the '80s. (Can you pick them out?) After partnering with Explorer1 Music Group, the album was originally intended for release a year ago, but with the COVID-19 pandemic curtailing everyone's release and touring plans, Downing pulled back and spent two more months tweaking the album to how he wanted it. The extra time paid off.
High-speed album opener "Hellfire Thunderbolt" offers a fictitious take on how metal arrived before the masses were ready for it, so it gestated in the late '60s before exploding in the '70s and '80s. Rousing rockers like "Raise Your Fists" and "Wild And Free" revel in the passion and excess that metal fans embrace. The guitar interplay is intense and inspiring, and the band is firing on all cylinders.
"The Return Of The Sentinel" is a bold choice to close the album. Not only is it a sequel to the classic track from JUDAS PRIEST's 1984's platinum-selling "Defenders Of The Faith" album, it's a nine-minute epic that doesn't play by the rules. The first half is stirring metal, and the latter half is somber and subdued, which reflects the tale of a being who, once a dispenser of justice and death, now faces his own mortality.
Conversely, KK'S PRIEST is alive and vital. They have plans to tour later this year with some Ripper-era JUDAS PRIEST songs tossed into the mix, and Binks hopes to make appearances at shows.
"Les was able to do the short set at the Steel Mill," says Downing. "But he had a wrist injury after that and wasn't able to do the album. Les wants to jump on the stage and a play a couple of songs, although he is not going to be able to play a full set. He will be our special guest."
Downing is hoping to reach as many headbangers as he can worldwide — from Europe to North and South America. "Sermons Of The Sinner" is a love letter to the music he helped create and evolve and to the devoted followers who have supported it. "I'm talking about the diehard fans that are not going anywhere," says Downing. "They're not certainly going to jump on a different genre of music just because a lot of their heroes are unfortunately passing away. And that sentiment is in this album where we said in the title track, 'time is running out for us, things may never be the same, but the sermons of the sinner center can help us rise again.' Because you never know when the last gig is going to be the last gig, so to speak. I'm pretty optimistic. I'm working on material for the second album."
"Sermons Of The Sinner" track listing:
01. Incarnation
02. Hellfire Thunderbolt
03. Sermons Of The Sinner
04. Sacerdote Y Diablo
05. Raise Your Fists
06. Brothers Of The Road
07. Metal Through And Through
08. Wild And Free
09. Hail For The Priest
10. Return Of The Sentinel
KK'S PRIEST, which pays homage to Downing's past, will play select shows to mark the 50th anniversary of PRIEST and Downing's career as a founding member. KK'S PRIEST's setlist will consist of PRIEST classics and new songs.
Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.
Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.
In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's upcoming 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 Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.
SKID ROW guitarist Scotti Hill has uploaded a video of him playing the guitar solo in the band's classic song "Wasted Time". In a note accompanying the YouTube release of the clip, he wrote: "I had to go back and brush up on this for some upcoming shows for the 30th anniversary of 'Slave To The Grind'. After seeing some people on Instagram playing it, I thought it would make a good lesson. Enjoy!"
SKID ROW is currently recording its new album in Nashville, Tennesse with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among many others.
SKID ROW's new LP will mark its first release with South African-born, British-based vocalist ZP Theart (DRAGONFORCE, TANK, I AM I), who joined the band in 2016 following the departure of Tony Harnell (TNT, STARBREAKER).
Unlike 2014's "Rise Of The Damnation Army - United World Rebellion: Chapter Two" and 2013's "United World Rebellion: Chapter One", SKID ROW's forthcoming release will be a full-length record.
SKID ROW previously collaborated with several outside songwriters on its new material, including Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR) and Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger of HALESTORM, a group that covered the title track of "Slave To The Grind" on its "ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP" in 2011. SKID ROW also worked with songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow.
SKID ROW's 2020 "The Big Rock Summer Tour", also featuring RATT, CINDERELLA's Tom Keifer and SLAUGHTER, was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the globe.
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS have released a new music video for their track "And So I Know" to coincide with the 25th anniversary of their 1996 LP "Tiny Music…Songs From the Vatican Gift Shop". The Hi8 clip was filmed by the bandmembers as they were laying down tracks in late 1995 with producer Brendan O'Brien at Westerly Ranch house in California's Santa Ynez Valley.
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS is celebrating the "Tiny Music" anniversary by releasing a three-disc/one-LP deluxe edition. Available today (Friday, July 23), it features a remastered version of the original album, alternate versions and mixes of several of the songs, and a complete concert taped at the Club La Vela in Panama City Beach, Florida, on March 14, 1997.
Prior to the release of "Tiny Music", singer Scott Weiland was arrested for possession of cocaine, heroin and drug paraphernalia and driving under the influence of a controlled substance. In April 1996, a judge ordered him to spend four to six months at a drug treatment center, which put the group's U.S. summer tour on hold.
"Tiny Music…Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop" deluxe edition track listing:
Disc One: Original Album 2021 Remaster
01. Press Play
02. Pop's Love Suicide
03. Tumble In The Rough
04. Big Bang Baby
05. Lady Picture Show
06. And So I Know
07. Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart
08. Art School Girl
09. Adhesive
10. Ride The Cliche
11. Daisy
12. Seven Caged Tigers
Disc Two: Early Versions, Instrumentals, & Alternate Mixes
01. Press Play (Full-Length Version)
02. Pop's Love Suicide (Early Version)
03. Tumble In The Rough (Early Version)
04. Big Bang Baby (Early Version)
05. Lady Picture Show (Early Version)
06. And So I Know (Early Version)
07. Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart (Early Version)
08. 5 Or 4 Times (Art School Girl) (Early Version)
09. Adhesive (Instrumental)
10. Ride The Cliche (Instrumental)
11. Seven Caged Tigers (Early Version)
12. Big Bang Baby (Alternate Version)
13. Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart (Percussion Mix)
14. Art School Girl (Jaw Harp Version)
15. Kretz's Acoustic Song
Disc Three: Live at Club La Vela, Panama City Beach, FL (3/14/97)
01. Crackerman
02. Meatplow
03. Tumble In The Rough
04. Vasoline
05. Wicked Garden
06. Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart
07. Plush
08. Big Empty
09. Interstate Love Song
10. Lady Picture Show
11. Unglued
12. Big Bang Baby
13. Dead & Bloated
14. Sex Type Thing
Weiland, who reunited with STONE TEMPLE PILOTS in 2010 after an eight-year hiatus but was dismissed in 2013, died in December 2015 of a drug overdose.
Chester Bennington, who joined STP in early 2013, departed nearly three years later to spend more time with his main band LINKIN PARK. Bennington committed suicide in July 2017.
Jeff Gutt joined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS four years ago. His recording debut with the group was on its self-titled seventh LP, which arrived in March 2018.
Gutt, a 45-year-old Michigan native who spent time in the early-2000s nu-metal act DRY CELL, among other bands, and was a contestant on "The X Factor", joined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS in 2017 after beating out roughly 15,000 hopefuls during an extended search that began more than a year earlier.
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