Fan-filmed video of SKID ROW's entire May 20 performance at the Pompano Beach Amphitheater in Pompano Beach, Florida can be seen below.
New SKID ROW frontman Erik Grönwall joined the band in January as the replacement for ZP Theart, who had been in the group for more than six years. Theart played his final gig with SKID ROW in February before being officially given the boot.
In late March, SKID ROW released its first single with Grönwall, "The Gang's All Here". The song is the title track of the band's upcoming album, which will arrive on October 14 via earMUSIC.
SKID ROW recorded most of "The Gang's All Here" in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among many others.
Grönwall was a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T. with whom he recorded four studio albums — "Address The Nation" (2012),"Tearing Down The Walls" (2014),"Into The Great Unknown" (2017) and "H.E.A.T II" (2020) — before exiting the group in October 2020.
Grönwall was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021. Six months later, he announced that he was cancer free after receiving a bone marrow transplant in August. "Some anonymous wonderful human being somewhere in the world donated his/her blood cells so that I could get a second chance at life," he told Headbangers Lifestyle in January. "Sometimes I can just get tears in my eyes when I think about it. It's so beautiful that one person who is not connected to me in any way wanted to do that for me. He/she doesn't know that the blood cells were for me. It's completely anonymous."
Last September, Grönwall released his cover version of "18 And Life" via all streaming platforms.
In 2018, Grönwall debuted in the U.S. for 10 million viewers in NBC's live broadcast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice's musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". Along with John Legend, Alice Cooper, Sara Bareilles and others, Erik played the key role of Simon Zealotes.
SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan recently told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about Grönwall's addition to the band: "Just the way he does things and his work ethic is one I've never seen other than the four of us that are already in the band. He just doesn't stop until he gets things absolutely right. Whether it's his version, what he thinks is right, or what we think is right, he works hard — he works hard. And you can see why he had the success he did overseas because he's a really, really hard-working singer that takes care of his instrument and that takes pride in his craft."
Rachel also reflected on SKID ROW's first live performance with Grönwall, saying: "Honestly, dude, from the minute he opened his mouth… His timing is impeccable. We knew it was gonna be cool. And each show has gotten even better, 'cause we're learning each other's rhythm on stage. When I walked away from that show, I said to Erik, I go, 'This was show one. I cannot wait for show one hundred. It's gonna be amazing.'"
Bolan previously talked about how Erik came to join SKID ROW during an appearance on the latest episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation L.A. Invasion", recorded just hours before SKID ROW's first performance with the Swedish singer. "We toured together. H.E.A.T. was on tour with SKID ROW. What year was that? '18? And we'd hear him every night from the dressing room," he said. "And a couple of times, I was, like, 'Man, listen to this guy sing. He's phenomenal.' And then, I forget who told me, someone that was with us, 'Yeah, he won 'Idol' in Sweden.' And I was, like, 'Man, he's got pipes.' And I was listening. Then I went behind the monitor board a couple of times. And in my head, I'm, like, 'Wow! When SKID ROW has some downtime, I'm gonna get in touch with this dude and start a side project with him.' And obviously, that never happened. But as time went on and we got to the point to where we were with ZP and stuff, Erik was our first… I told Snake, I go, 'We've gotta check this guy out.' And along with Snake and the rest of the guys, and Nick, our producer, Nick Raskulinecz, were, like, 'He's the guy, man. Send him some songs.' So we sent him some songs that we were recording, just with a guide vocal on it, and it came back about 24 hours later, and we were, like, 'All right. He's the guy. Get him on a plane. Let's do this.'"
Original KISS drummer Peter Criss joined Australian rockers SISTERS DOLL on stage during their concert Sunday night (May 22) at the Cutting Room in New York City to perform three songs.
Criss and SISTERS DOLL played the tracks "Don't You Let Me Down" (from Criss's 1978 solo album),"Words" (from his 1980 solo album "Out Of Control") and "You Matter To Me" (from his 1978 solo album).
SISTERS DOLL was previously the backup band for Criss at what was being billed as his last live show in the USA in June 2017, also at the Cutting Room. Prior to that, Peter played with SISTERS DOLL at a concert in Australia in May 2017.
Criss, who turned 76 in December, first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a reunion tour in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.
Criss has claimed that his contract with KISS wasn't renewed in March 2004. That charge has been disputed by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons.
In addition to playing drums in KISS, Peter also provided lead vocals for a number the band's most popular and memorable songs, including "Beth", "Black Diamond" and "Hard Luck Woman".
In a 2012 interview with "The Opie & Anthony Show", Criss revealed that a power struggle, with Simmons and Stanley on one side, and Peter and Ace Frehley on the other, led to his departure from KISS. "I could start feeling [Stanley and Simmons] wanting the power," he said. "The more we were going up the ladder of future and fame, the more it was kind of swaying to Mr. Simmons and Stanley. Ace and I were kind of not getting our musical [ideas] in. It's funny — I wrote the biggest hit the band [ever had] [the 1976 ballad 'Beth'], and meanwhile, I was kind of always getting put down for this stuff. So it was always a battle."
According to Criss, he and Frehley were extremely close, which is why it was especially hurtful for the drummer to learn that Frehley was making more money when the farewell tour ended in 2000. "[It] broke my heart when [Ace] broke my heart," he said. "In the book, I tell the story, but towards the reunion, towards the end, I was devastated, man. I couldn't believe what went on. And it was again about the old M-O-N-E-Y. Money, money, money. Power, power, power. It never was enough for those guys."
Simmons has remained baffled at why Criss decided to leave the band nearly two decades ago following such a triumphant reunion tour and album. "Most people only have one chance, if at all, to swing the bat," Gene said. "Peter's had many chances. When there's a party, not everybody comes. And if you're not in the party, from the outside looking in, you scratch your head and say, 'Why wouldn't anybody want to go to the party? Lots of girls. Lots of money. Lots of good times.' You got me."
After weeks of bad-mouthing each other in the press, the four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2014 by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, with all four — Stanley, Simmons, Frehley and Criss — delivering warm, nostalgic and even sweet-natured speeches that put aside the simmering tensions for at least 12 minutes.
KISS did not perform — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Simmons and Stanley insisted on the current lineup — which also includes guitarist Tommy Thayer and Singer — performing as well. In the end nobody won that battle.
Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One For All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night With David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What A Difference A Day Makes" and "Send In The Clowns".
DEEP PURPLE played its first show with new touring guitarist Simon McBride last night (Sunday, May 22) at the Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.
DEEP PURPLE's setlist was as follows:
01. Highway Star
02. Pictures Of Home
03. Strange Kind Of Woman
04. Nothing At All
05. Uncommon Man
06. Lazy
07. When A Blind Man Cries
08. 7 And 7 Is (LOVE cover)
09. Throw My Bones
10. Time For Bedlam
11. Keyboard Solo
12. Perfect Strangers
13. Space Truckin'
14. Smoke On The Water
Encore:
15. Caught In The Act
16. Hush (Joe South cover)
17. Bass Solo
18. Black Night
McBride, who has previously toured with both Ian Gillan and Don Airey, among others, is filling in for longtime DEEP PURPLE guitarist Steve Morse. Steve is taking a temporary hiatus from live shows but remains a full member of the band.
Morse's hiatus from the classic rock icons was announced on March 31. In a statement, he said that his wife Janine is battling cancer and added that he hopes he can rejoin PURPLE on tour "after she gets a clean bill of health."
Added the rest of the band: "All of our thoughts are with Janine during her fight against cancer and also with Steve while he supports his wife at a very difficult time. We hope that Steve will be able to join us back on the road later this year."
McBride said: "I'm deeply honored to be asked to stand-in for Steve and play for such an iconic rock band like DEEP PURPLE. They are amazing musicians and amazing people… I'm very excited to get out and play all those iconic songs and rock the stage with such legends. My thoughts are with Steve and Janine and their family."
Morse effectively took over Ritchie Blackmore's DEEP PURPLE slot in 1994 and has since been in the group longer than Ritchie.
In a 1997 interview, Blackmore stated about Morse: "I'm just glad they [DEEP PURPLE] found a guitar player to carry on because I thought I was going to be shackled to this band for the rest of my life. It was like a ball-and-chain thing, and luckily, they said, 'Well, we found someone.' 'Thank God, I can get out!'
"I haven't listened much [to DEEP PURPLE's recent recordings]. I just know that Steve Morse [is a] brilliant player. I remember Steve Morse with the DIXIE DREGS; they're fantastic."
Morse's solo career has encompassed rock, country, funk, jazz, classical and fusion. Having started playing guitar around the age of 11, he later on attended University of Miami's School of Music, where he studied classical guitar and jazz. A "guitarist's guitarist", he was voted "Best Overall Guitarist" in the Guitar Player Readers' Poll for five consecutive years, before being removed from eligibility to open the award to other musicians, and being inducted into their Gallery Of Greats. His work has received seven Grammy Award nominations, and he has appeared on over 200 albums.
DEEP PURPLE's latest album, "Turning To Crime", came out in November via earMUSIC. The LP contains DEEP PURPLE's versions of great rock classics and musical jewels — including songs originally recorded by Bob Dylan, FLEETWOOD MAC, Bob Seger, CREAM and THE YARDBIRDS — carefully chosen by each member of the band.
Thank you Tel Aviv for a great night of the long awaited ‘Whoosh!’ tour at the Menora Mivtachim Arena. Jerusalem tonight. Let’s rock!
Professionally filmed video of METALLICA performing its cover of the famous Irish traditional song "Whiskey In The Jar" (popularized by THIN LIZZY in the '70s) on May 7 at Estádio Couto Pereira in Curitiba, Brazil can be seen below.
Curitiba was the fourth stop on METALLICA's South American tour, which kicked off on April 27 in Santiago, Chile.
METALLICA played its first concert of 2022 on February 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show, which was reportedly attended by 60,000 fans, featured support from GRETA VAN FLEET and ICE NINE KILLS.
The Las Vegas show took place more than two months after METALLICA's two 40th-anniversary concerts at Chase Center in San Francisco, California which featured different setlists. They were part of METALLICA's "San Francisco Takeover", a four-day citywide celebration of the band's 40th anniversary that also included a film festival, photo exhibit and curated lineup of smaller venue shows featuring other acts.
In February, METALLICA announced it will perform only two summer stadium shows in 2022: Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, New York on August 11, and PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 14. Both shows will feature special guests GRETA VAN FLEET and ICE NINE KILLS.
METALLICA previously played at Highmark Stadium on July 25, 1992, and Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium on July 26, 1992.
Later this month, METALLICA will perform at the BottleRock festival in Napa on May 27 and Boston Calling on May 29. The band also has a number of European dates scheduled for June and July.
Formed in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, METALLICA has become one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, having sold nearly 120 million albums worldwide and generating more than 15 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on all seven continents. The band's several multi-platinum albums include "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning", "Master Of Puppets", "… And Justice For All", "Metallica" (commonly referred to as The Black Album),"Load", "Reload", "St. Anger", "Death Magnetic" and "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", released in November 2016 and charting at No. 1 in 32 countries.
METALLICA's awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards, and its 2009 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. In June of 2018, the band was awarded one of the most prestigious musical honors in the world: Sweden's Polar Music Prize.
Arch Enemy have released a recap video for the Portland, Oregon date on The North American Siege 2022, also featuring Behemoth, plus special guests Napalm Death and Unto Others. Watch below.
Says the band: "Portland, OR - you absolutely rocked the Roseland Ballroom and thank you to everyone that came out to have fun with us, Behemoth, Napalm Death, and Unto Others! We had so much fun with you guys and can't wait to do it again soon!"
On July 29, Arch Enemy will release their 11th studio album, Deceivers, via Century Media Records. For fans that can't wait for the record's release, the band is now offering a new 7", "Sunset Over The Empire" (due out May 20) - with the title track also appearing on Deceivers.
Arch Enemy's founder and chief songwriter Michael Amott comments: "I am thrilled that we are releasing our next single 'Sunset Over The Empire' not only digitally everywhere as usual, but also as a physical 7" vinyl record. I'm a big fan of the vinyl format myself and I think this killer looking 7" will be a nice collector's item as it's a limited run. The B-side is an instrumental we've never released before on a record, and the A-side is one of my fave tracks off our new upcoming album Deceivers!"
Pre-order "Sunset Over The Empire" here, where the 7" is available in the following versions:
- white vinyl (limited to 1000 copies; available via CM Distro Europe)
- transparent orange vinyl (limited to 500 copies; band exclusive)
"Sunset Over The Empire" tracklisting:
"Sunset Over The Empire"
"The Judging Eyes"
A collection of 11 tracks that are ruthlessly catchy and mercilessly violent, Deceivers stands toe-to-toe with the highlights of the band's storied catalogue. Pre-order the album here.
Deceivers tracklisting:
"Handshake With Hell"
"Deceiver, Deceiver"
"In The Eye Of The Storm"
"The Watcher"
"Poisoned Arrow"
"Sunset Over The Empire"
"House Of Mirrors"
"Spreading Black Wings"
"Mourning Star"
"One Last Time"
"Exiled From Earth"
"Handshake With Hell" video:
"Deceiver, Deceiver" video:
"House Of Mirrors" video:
Arch Enemy lineup:
Alissa White-Gluz - Vocals
Michael Amott - Guitars
Jeff Loomis - Guitars
Sharlee D'Angelo - Bass
Daniel Erlandsson - Drums
British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN kicked off the 2022 leg of their "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour earlier tonight (Sunday, May 22) at the 22,000-capacity Arena Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia. It marked the band's first live appearance in 31 months.
MAIDEN opened the set with "Senjutsu", the title track of its latest studio album, and followed it up with two more songs from the same LP, "Stratego" and "The Writing On The Wall".
Other tracks aired during MAIDEN's performance included "Revelations", "Blood Brothers", "Sign Of The Cross", "Flight Of Icarus", "Fear Of The Dark", "Hallowed Be Thy Name", "The Number Of The Beast" and "Iron Maiden".
MAIDEN also played two encores, consisting of "The Trooper", "The Clansman", "Run To The Hills" and the closing track of the night, "Aces High".
The full setlist was as follows:
01. Senjutsu (live debut)
02. Stratego (live debut)
03. The Writing On The Wall (live debut)
04. Revelations
05. Blood Brothers (first performance since July 2017)
06. Sign Of The Cross
07. Flight Of Icarus
08. Fear Of The Dark
09. Hallowed Be Thy Name
10. The Number Of The Beast
11. Iron Maiden
Encore:
12. The Trooper
13. The Clansman
14. Run To The Hills
Encore 2:
15. Aces High
Prior to the Zagreb concert, IRON MAIDEN hadn't performed live in two and a half years — since the completion of its South American tour in October 2019.
Earlier this year, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson confirmed that the band is planning to stage a tour where it will perform its new album, "Senjutsu", in its entirety. The 63-year-old singer told the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast: "The plan we've got — it's not really a secret; I think everybody else has chatted about it — we will, I hope, we've talked about doing the entire ['Senjutsu'] album start to finish, but not this time around. And we all appreciate that that is something that really diehard fans will probably love and other people will go, 'Hmmm, I'm not gonna go see that.' So the answer is you play smaller venues so that they sell out with just your diehard fans. 'Cause it's a musical thing to do — it's a musical thing."
Dickinson went on to clarify that the 2022 leg of MAIDEN's "Legacy Of The Beast" tour, which is scheduled to hit North America in September and October, will once again focus primarily on a decades-spanning setlist of fan favorites.
"The 'Legacy Of The Beast' tour, people have all paid their money to see the 'Legacy Of The Beast' show, with Spitfires and flamethrowers and Icarus and everything that goes with," he said. "So they're gonna get all that. But the first three tracks are probably gonna be the first three tracks on the ['Senjutsu'] album. 'The Writing On The Wall' they already know, so everybody should know the first three tracks. And I just think [the] 'Senjutsu' [title track] is just such a great opening song — so dramatic. And then once you've done that — and we'll have a stage set to go with it — once you've done that, you're back to the kind of 'Legacy' world at that point. But I think 'The Writing On The Wall' is gonna be a great song — I mean, a crowd singalong song. You can imagine that. It'll be fantastic."
Addressing the fact that MAIDEN infuriated some fans by forcing them to sit through the band's then-new, 75-minute "A Matter Of Life And Death" album on tour in 2006, denying the crowd the greatest hits they'd come for, Bruce said: "Nobody has to buy a ticket. If you don't wanna go [see us play an entire new album live], you don't buy a ticket. It's gonna be plain as the nose on your face. This is gonna be what they're gonna do. So given that, don't complain that they did what they said they were gonna do."
Clocking in at a hefty 82 minutes, "Senjutsu" came out in September. It marks MAIDEN's second consecutive double album behind 2015's "The Book Of Souls" which is the longest MAIDEN album, with a running time of 92 minutes.
IRON MAIDEN's first album in six years, "Senjutsu" was recorded in 2019 in Paris with longstanding producer Kevin Shirley and co-produced by bassist Steve Harris. It features three tracks whose running time exceeds 10 minutes each.
For "Senjutsu" — loosely translated as "tactics and strategy" — the band once again enlisted the services of Mark Wilkinson to create the spectacular Samurai-themed cover artwork, based on an idea by Harris.
"Senjutsu" bowed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, charting higher than even the band's early classics like "Powerslave" and "The Number Of The Beast". Nearly 90 percent of the LP's 64,000 equivalent album units earned came from pure album sales. The critically acclaimed double album debuted one place higher than 2015's "The Book Of Souls" and 2010's "The Final Frontier", which both peaked at No. 4.
"Senjutsu" was MAIDEN's 13th album to top in the Top 40 in the U.S.
According to Billboard, "Senjutsu" logged the second-largest week of 2021 for a hard rock album in both equivalent album units earned and in traditional album sales.
"Senjutsu" topped the charts in several European countries upon its release, including in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland.
Such an amazing Iron Maiden gig tonight in Zagreb, Croatia! A perfect ten!
So cool to meet Iron Maiden friends from all over the world again and sing "Blood Brothers" together! An amazing feeling to do so and to have the greatest band in history back!
Former IRON MAIDEN frontman Paul Di'Anno, who has been receiving physiotherapy and lymphatic drainage treatments in Croatia in preparation for his upcoming knee surgery, played his first solo concert in seven years last night (Saturday, May 21) at the Bikers Beer Factory in Zagreb. The show was filmed and parts of it will be included in a documentary about Di'Anno, to be directed by Wes Orshoski, co-director and producer of the acclaimed 2010 film "Lemmy" about the MOTÖRHEAD icon.
The Zagreb concert was free to attend and was held as a way of thanking Paul's fans for their help during the most difficult time of his recovery. The show took place just a day before the IRON MAIDEN's gig at the Zagreb Arena.
Fan-filmed video and photos of last night's show can be found below.
Di'Anno recorded two classic albums with IRON MAIDEN — a self-titled effort in 1980 and "Killers" in 1981 — before being fired and replaced by Bruce Dickinson. He went on to front a number of other bands, including KILLERS and BATTLEZONE, and released several solo records.
Di'Anno recently teamed up with several Croatian musicians to form a new project called WARHORSE. WARHORSE entered the studio to record three songs, two of which — "Stop The War" and "The Doubt Within" — have been released as a special limited-edition DVD single.
A fundraiser for Paul's upcoming surgery has been organized by his friends and fans coordinated by Kastro Pergjoni from the U.K. and Stjepan Juras from Croatia, in collaboration with the other members of WARHORSE. All proceeds from the single will be used to cover the costs of Paul's treatment and related needs.
In February, Di'Anno told the "Još Jedan" podcast that his health was "better" than it was just a couple of months earlier but noted that he still "a lot of work to do — a lot of physio and stuff like that."
Paul went on to blast the U.K.'s free-at-the-point-of-use National Health Service (NHS),saying: "Fucking NHS sucks. I was a defender of them big time. But the nurses are awesome and all the workers. It's the fucking bureaucracy bullshit — the management and the people who run the NHS are just total assholes. But the poor heroes — the nurses and the staff — they're great, but their hands are tied. So they didn't know what to do. They just dumped me."
Di'Anno, who turned 64 on May 17, outlined some of the recent health issues he has battled that have kept him from performing for seven years.
"I caught sepsis [when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body] in 2015, and it almost killed me," he said. "And I spent eight months in a hospital in England. You've got a crucial 45 minutes to get as many antibiotics in you before you die, and they managed to do that, which was great. Then I spent eight months in a hospital, and then another three months in a care home. And while I was in there getting things done, on hospital visits, I caught MRSA [Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, an infection caused by a type of staph bacteria that's become resistant to many of the antibiotics used to treat ordinary staph infections] there twice, in the hospital. So that was it. So it kept delaying things and delaying things… And then they took this knee out put this cement thing in. And it was only supposed to be in there for a year. And the first time they put that in, it broke, so they cut me open again and put another in. And that one is still in here. And while it's been in there this long, it's going toxic. So, what the fuck are they doing over there at the NHS?"
Di'Anno reportedly underwent an operation in 2016 to remove a "rugby ball-sized abscess" on his lungs and required a knee-replacement operation on both knees after getting involved in several motorcycle accidents over the years.
GREY DAZE, Chester Bennington's pre-LINKIN PARK band, will release a new album, "The Phoenix", on June 17 via Loma Vista Recordings. It is the follow-up to 2020's "Amends", which featured newly recorded music with remastered vocals from the group's long out-of-print and largely undiscovered catalog.
The official music video for the song "Starting To Fly", taken from "The Phoenix", can be seen below.
"'Amends' was more emotional and reflective," explains drummer and songwriter Sean Dowdell of the different mood and feel displayed on "The Phoenix", which also sees contributions from JANE'S ADDICTION's Dave Navarro, FILTER's Richard Patrick and Bennington's daughters, Lily and Lila Bennington. "We felt sad when we were writing it. Now that we're a couple of years removed, it's very clear what we were going through. We were at a different stage of grief. We went through the shock and the sadness. Now, we're back to gratitude. So, 'The Phoenix' is more of a celebration of our friend, his talent, and the music. It captures Chester's angst and energy that people fell in love with. It's much more aggressive. If you love Chester's scream, you'll love this record."
The official Marc Silverstein-directed video for the album's first single, "Saturation (Strange Love)", can be seen below. The track, evocative of the shift in energy between "Amends" and "The Phoenix", showcases a younger Chester and the raw, astounding talent was already in possession of, as Dowdell notes: "It's going to surprise a lot of people because it gets back to Chester's core. One of the things that people love about him was his unique ability to scream in key… and this song brings you back to everything you love about that scream. You feel that angst and raw emotion he brought to everything he did."
Over the course of GREY DAZE's first incarnation, which ran 1994 to 1997, the group recorded and released two albums. It is those albums that serve as a foundation for both "Amends" and "The Phoenix". Prior to Bennington's passing, he publicly announced GREY DAZE's return, which included re-recording the band's largely undiscovered discography. With Chester's widow Talinda Bennington's blessing, and working with producer Esjay Jones, the surviving bandmembers — Dowdell, bass player Mace Beyers and guitar player Cristin Davis — moved forward, as both a way to pay tribute to their fallen brother and bandmate, but also to expose his fans to another dimension of the dynamic singer. "Amends" arrived in 2020, with Rolling Stone, Revolver, Billboard and Kerrang! praising the collection. NME summed it up best as "a great modern rock record fronted by one of the best vocalists in the game." In late 2020, the trio reconvened with Jones re-recording, and re-working the remaining 10 tracks that would become "The Phoenix".
"The Phoenix" track listing:
01. Saturation (Strange Love)
02. Starting To Fly
03. Be Your Man
04. Holding You (featuring Dave Navarro)
05. Hole (featuring Lily & Lila Bennington)
06. Drag
07. Believe Me (featuring Richard Patrick)
08. Anything, Anything
09. Spin
10. Wake Me
In a 2001 interview with Revolver magazine, Chester described GREY DAZE's musical style as "early-'90s -style rock. It wasn't pop rock, it wasn't heavy metal. It was in between grunge and good rock. We didn't know what we were doing. We were just writing songs and singing. It was a four-piece band. Some of our songs were more rock. Others were more, I don't know, alternative? I've always been into punk and classic rock. The first few years of being a musician, it was all cover band stuff, and we'd throw in a few originals. The last band I was in, I was in it for almost eight years. We made two albums, and tried really hard."
He added: "I definitely know why it didn't go anywhere: We all wanted to make it, but we all wanted to make it for different reasons. It wasn't all about making good songs, where anything else that comes from that is a fringe benefit."
Bennington was found dead in his Los Angeles-area home in July 2017 after hanging himself.
LINKIN PARK headlined an all-star tribute concert for Bennington in October 2017 in Los Angeles but has not announced any future plans for recording or touring.
Italian heavy rockers Secret Rule have released a video for their brand new single "Obsession" taken from the upcoming album The Resilient out on June 17th. This tune is a high-energy mid-time song, heavy and dramatic with an addictive chorus that shows the diversity of Secret Rule's musical progression.
The band themselves describes it as follows.
Angela says: “This song is for all those fighters out there who have kept resisting these last two years, somehow. This society keeps putting us in front of difficult choices that could change our life completely. And the question is: do we have to keep fighting even if this could cut us off from society, or is it better to bow our heads and stick to the rules so as not to have problems? Any option would be understandable, we're living in an unfair world, and each of us knows what is ready to lose. We're here to give strength to everyone and speak to our community with no filters. But we can't pretend everything is going well.”
Andy's statement: “We worked hard on the music video, and we're proud of the result.
“Today it's always more difficult to distinguish real life from virtual life, that always blends more. And also, our rights are becoming something virtual, that someone can cancel fast with the button ‘Delete’. This is awful.”
"One More" will be included in the upcoming album The Resilient out on June 17.
The Secret Rule pre-sale campagain is going on until May 25. Get special rewards limited edition on fundrazr.com.
Secret Rule will promote the new album on tour in May and July.
On May 6th, veteran rockers KIX performed at the M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, MD. Fan-filmed video of the band's entire set is available below.
The setlist was as follows:
"Get It While It's Hot"
"No Ring Around Rosie"
"Midnite Dynamite"
"Lie Like a Rug"
"Scarlet Fever"
"Cold Shower"
"Girl Money"
"The Itch"
"Love Me With Your Top Down"
"Don't Close Your Eyes"
- guitar solo -
"Cold Blood"
- drum solo -
"Blow My Fuse"
Currently on their sold out Tekkno European tour, Germany's Electric Callboy have shared live POV stage footage of the band performing their hit "Pump It" in Hannover. Check out the official clip below.
Previously shared POV footage of "We Got The Moves" live in Hamburg is also available.
Electric Callboy officially announced the release of their brand new studio album, Tekkno, out on September 9 via Century Media Records. This announcement comes after the band hits the Top 40 of the German single charts with their newest single “Spaceman” (#31 single charts).
After the band released their previous album in 2019, it's time again for an energy-charged musical firework. The ten track album includes the previously released fan favorite tracks "We Got The Moves", "Pump It" and Electric Callboy's current single, "Spaceman".
Electric Callboy vocalist and keyboardist, Kevin, states, “It feels so unbelievably good to finally present our new album Tekkno to the world. Created in a time without any live shows we put all our passion, energy and craziness into this one record. Never felt it more intense to write new music. With this announcement we celebrate the liberation from our daily studio routine back to many awesome live shows with you guys! We can’t wait to see you again soon!”
Tekkno will be released on September 9 in several formats such as Ltd. CD Digipak, Deluxe CD Box Set, 180-gram LP+CD incl. poster in various vinyl colors and on all digital platforms. The Deluxe Box Set will come along with the CD Digipak, bottle opener with different sounds, signature card game and 6-piece coaster set.
Tempe, Arizona-based deathgaze outfit, Kardashev, will release their sophomore full-length, Liminal Rite, on June 10 via Metal Blade Records. The band have released a bass playthrough video for the first single, "Compost Grave-Song". Watch below:
Forged in 2012, Kardashev's mission statement could best be described as, "Attempting to create the most beautiful, heavy music through themes of love, loss, and altruism in the metal spectrum." The band dropped their debut full-length Peripety in 2015 and has since focused on short form concept records, most recently 2021's stirring The Baring Of Shadows. Rarely approaching the creation of a record with any preconceptions or plans as to what form it will take, they work until what they generally envisaged manifests itself. The result is this year's Liminal Rite featuring eleven deeply rousing, poignant, and musically grandiose tracks.
Opening with the gorgeous drones of "The Approaching Of Atonement" before launching into the densely layered, surging "Silvered Shadows," an air of tragedy looms over much of the record's proceedings demanding an emotional response at every musical turn. Liminal Rite is lyrically deep and complex, focusing on mood above all else. Guitarist Nico Mirolla aptly describes the songs as musically bearing resemblance to freeform jazz or a progressive record, because, "The story is the focus. There is an overtly important narrative taking place that is facilitated by the sonic textures and qualities intentionally designed for it."
The record follows a narrative laid out by drummer Sean Lang's spoken word parts. Elaborates Mirolla, "Liminal Rite explores how the past can both wound and seduce, leading us down a path of self-destruction. It's an anecdotal tale from a fictional man's perspective late in life on how perception and reality do not always coalesce. His experience tells a larger message of how our minds often create a false view of the past. Sean's narration is him expressing the man's perception and recollection of life. The failure of his memory, the nature of dementia, and how it plays into his experience are all encapsulated by the narrative sections."
While Lang simply speaks his parts, vocalist Mark Garrett possesses a phenomenal vocal range, branching from the heavenly and frail to multiple different extreme metal styles, and he follows his gut instincts when it comes to deciding which to employ. "Nico, [bassist] Alex [Reith], and Sean write music that is heavily focused on emotional storytelling, Garrett notes. Because of this, and since I write vocals once the rest of the song is complete, I find myself both swept away in the emotion of the song and wanting to help further the cathartic experience of the listener even more."
With drums tracked in Lang's home studio, Kardashev returned to Endless Gate Audio in Arizona to track guitar, bass, and vocals. They then gathered at The Sound Lair in Tennessee - the first time this lineup has ever been in the same room together - to work with producer/mixer Miah Lajeunesse. The album was mastered by Ryan Williams. The band also brought in Bohren & Der Club Of Gore's saxophonist Christoph Clöser -- which was a life goal checked off for Mirolla - to add an extra flavor to haunting, epic closer "Beyond The Passage Of Embers," and Christopher Blaney added some piano parts alongside those of Rieth. The members also pushed themselves into new territory: Garrett recorded his own vocal harmonies rather than relying on a vocoder as on previous releases, Rieth recorded some piano parts, and Lang penned and recorded the spoken word story that haunts the record. The album comes cloaked in the cover art of Faith Veloro.
Liminal Rite be available on CD, digitally, and LP on the following color variants:
• Misty Rose Marble (US exclusive)
• Light Gray Marbled (US exclusive)
• Pale Blue Grey Marbled (EU exclusive)
• Crimson Marbled Marbled (EU exclusive - ltd to 300 copies)
• Clear Ochre Brown Marbled (EU exclusive - ltd to 200 copies)
• Pastel Blue Marbled (EU exclusive - ltd to 200 copies)
• Clear Lilac Marbled (EU exclusive - ltd to 200 copies)
"The Approaching Of Atonement"
"Silvered Shadows"
"Apparitions In Candlelight"
"Dissever"
"Lavender Calligraphy"
"The Blinding Threshold"
"Compost Grave-Song"
"Cellar Of Ghosts"
"Glass Phantoms"
"A Vagabond's Lament"
"Beyond The Passage Of Embers"
"Compost Grave-Song" video:
Kardashev lineup:
Nico Mirolla - guitars
Mark Garrett - vocals
Alex Rieth - bass
Sean Lang - drums
Black Stone Cherry restored the party in front of the Faster Stage at Wacken Open Air 2019, right after the crowd returned from a storm caused evacuation of the festival's infield. Watch the band perform "White Trash Millionaire" below:
On Wednesday, September 29, 2021 - the year of the band's 20th anniversary - Kentucky's favourite sons, Black Stone Cherry, realized their childhood dream of playing at the legendary Royal Albert Hall, London. Now, Black Stone Cherry are set to release a live album/BluRay from that epic evening, titled Live From The Royal Albert Hall… Y'All on June 24 via Mascot Records / Mascot Label Group. Watch the first taste, via the video for "Ringin' In My Head" below.
Sat on the stage at the iconic Victorian building, singer-guitarist Chris Robertson paused, looked around and said; "When you're a kid, and you see your heroes' playing places, and then all of a sudden you find yourself sitting on the stage, it's pretty emotional. But we're gonna royally rock it this evening. You better believe that."
The four piece don't disappoint as they open with the explosive "Me and Mary Jane". From clubs to arenas and festival headline performances, no one puts on the kind of show that these boys do. Hit after hit - it's all killer - the rapturous crowd roar back. Black Stone Cherry was one of the first international bands to tour the UK following the Covid19 lockdown restrictions being eased, and they gave every single fan in there that night a euphoric dose of happiness.
They tear through an impressive back catalogue, playing songs from their most recent studio album The Human Condition – "In Love With The Pain", '"Again", and "Ringin' In My Head'" - through to their biggest hits and fan favourites. '"Blind Man", "Hell And High Water", "Blame It On The Boom Boom", and "White Trash Millionaire" rock the building alongside moments of tenderness such as the touching rendition and emotional performance of "Things My Father Said".
Talking about playing the iconic venue, drummer John-Fred Young said, "To be honest, I was terrified. It was heavy walking in there. You think about how many great acts have played this place. The prestige behind it. We've wanted to play the Royal Albert Hall since the first UK tour in 2007. Dudes from the middle of the country in Kentucky to go out here and have built an amazing group of people that we care about and come to our shows and support us. To know that with all that hard work and dedication we have put into Black Stone Cherry, we've accomplished something here. Walking in that place, it's just breath-taking. You walk on that stage, and you say, we did it, and it's a feeling that I will cherish for the rest of my life."
The band have always belonged to the fans and vice versa, which is why when you hear those songs emanate from the stage and then sung back, every fan in the world can close their eyes and remember either being there or imagine being there and the sheer joy and pride in the boys for realizing a dream.
New band member Steve Jewell Jr replaces founding bass player Jon Lawhon and criss-crosses the stage with Ben Wells and Robertson projecting boundless enthusiasm. This is a band absolutely revelling in playing together, and it comes across in each song.
Robertsons reflects: "We've headlined Wembley Arena, we've headlined festivals, but you walk into this place, and it's different. I remember watching footage of Zeppelin here, and now we're here."
On the Blu-Ray, the live footage is dotted with behind-the-scenes interviews, fly on the wall footage and archival insights into the band as kids first starting out, snippets of their first ever UK tour and heartfelt moments of reflection. But ultimately Live From The Royal Albert Hall… Y'All was about bringing rock 'n' roll to London, Kentucky style, and they tore the roof off that mother.
The release is available to pre-order here in various formats: digital, CD & BluRay, double vinyl and an online exclusive double vinyl in transparent red.
Tracklisting:
"Me And Mary Jane"
"Burnin'"
"Again"
"Yeah Man"
"In My Blood/Island Jam"
"Ringin' In My Head"
"Like I Roll"
"Cheaper To Drink Alone"
"Hell And High Water"
"Soulcreek"
"Devil's Queen"
Drum Solo"
"Things My Father Said"
"In Love With The Pain"
"Blind Man"
"Blame It On The Boom Boom"
"White Trash Millionaire"
"Lonely Train"
"Peace Is Free"
At the end of 2021 the Chilean metal band Parasyche presented Sons Of Violence, a double album, in English and Spanish, which features the participation of international artists such as Aquiles Priester (ex-Angra), Diva Satanica (Nervosa), Ronnie Romero (Rainbow, Lords Of Black), among others.
After their previous single, the powerful "Black Mamba” feat. Aquiles Priester, now the band led by YouTuber Nico Borie (1.35 M subscribers) shows a more melodic song with progressive influences. This one features another renowned YouTube musician: Anthony Vincent (3.45 M subscribers).
The video was produced and directed by Nico Borie himself along with the artist Milena Bralic. About this audiovisual work, the vocalist comments: "It is a song that seeks to motivate people not to waste their hidden or repressed talents, since in them lies the possibility of transcending one's own existence. It was a challenge to make the video for this song, but fortunately we found the right people to capture the story we came up with.
Regarding the participation of his American colleague, Borie adds: "Having Anthony Vincent was awesome because he has been a great reference for me on youtube. He really liked the idea of participating, even though it's an original song of ours instead what would have been the logic which is to invite him to a cover that aims to go viral."
You can check out the video for “Born To Transcend” and “Trascender” (Spanish version) below:
Swedish Gothenburg-based melodic death metal band Sailor Hunter have released their self-titled debut EP via Inverse Records. To celebrate the release, a new music video for "Life" can be viewed below.
The band has issued the following biography:
"We are Sailor Hunter. Swedish metal band that started as a one-man online project by our guitarist Al Rinald. Sailor Hunter's influences are among others the mighty metal Gothenburg sound. With a touch of symphonic orchestra and American groove metal together with inspiration from the Mediterranean sea, Sailor Hunter delivers metal from the heart.
In 2018, Al joined force with drummer Kutte Gashi were began their journey to where they stand today, as co-founders to Sailor Hunter. The band grew in 2019 in pursuit of musicians suited for the vision and quality of the band.
Today, Sailor Hunter's official lineup is a four-man band formed by the talented bass player Filip Jovanov and the charismatic Stellan Berndtsson, which delivers powerful and emotional vocals. The heart of the band is four members giving their passion in songwriting and soul in every production. Together we are Sailor Hunter."
PEARL JAM's Mike McCready has paid tribute to Eddie Van Halen by performing the legendary VAN HALEN guitarist's classic instrumental "Eruption".
The performance took place on May 9 during PEARL JAM's concert at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. McCready played the song after frontman Eddie Vedder gave a short speech on musicians and friends he and his PEARL JAM had lost in recent years, saying: "I don't think we've played a show since Eddie Van Halen passed away, and he was another legend that we miss. And so we've been wanting to play one for him."
McCready discussed Eddie Van Halen's passing during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" in October 2020. At the time, he said: "I started playing guitar a year after that first [VAN HALEN] record came out, and he was just the most untouchable, unreachable guitar player I've ever heard — besides [Jimi] Hendrix. But it was even more, in a way, because it was right then I was becoming a new guitar player. And Eddie Van Halen kind of turned everything upside down. And he was the most exciting thing to come out. And they had cool songs. It always felt like the summer was coming on. It was a great party band. They also were amazing musicians and great songwriters."
Asked what his first exposure to VAN HALEN's music was, Mike said: "I heard the first record [through] my guitar teacher. He played me 'Eruption'. And when you're a kid learning about Ritchie Blackmore and Ace Frehley and things like that… He played that for me, and it sounded like it was from another planet. Subsequently, VAN HALEN came [to Seattle] about a year, on the second record, and I saw them for that tour, and then three more times after that with David Lee Roth. So seeing them live on the second tour was unbelievable. Eddie did 'Eruption' live, and he ran into his amps and they almost fell over, and they came back. Everything about them was perfect as a rock band. Seeing them live on the second tour was one of the best shows I've ever seen. And it changed my life, for sure. And because of Eddie's playing, for sure."
According to McCready, he is not the only member of PEARL JAM who has a deep appreciation for VAN HALEN's music.
"Everybody in PEARL JAM has a VAN HALEN thing," he said. "I think Eddie [Vedder, vocals] saw 'em open for [BLACK] SABBATH in San Diego, as I think Matt [Cameron, drums] did. And Jeff [Ament, bass] saw 'em on the first tour in Montana. So there's a VAN HALEN connection throughout PEARL JAM — it's there. I mean, I do 'Eruption' sometimes, because I wanna learn how he did that. And it's such an amazing thing, I had to learn it note by note. And I still don't have it down, but it's one of those things that was just always this high-water mark, and it still continues to be for me. 'Cause when he does that, he has such a feeling behind his playing that no one else can really get when you try to tap and all that kind of stuff — at least in my mind."
Eddie and his brother Alex Van Halen formed a band called MAMMOTH in Pasadena, California in 1972, then renamed it VAN HALEN when singer David Lee Roth joined the group and, later, bassist Michael Anthony.
VAN HALEN was one of the biggest rock bands in the country in the 1980s, with hits like "Runnin' With The Devil", "Dance The Night Away", "Hot For Teacher", "Panama" and "Jump". The group, which later featured Sammy Hagar on vocals, was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.
The Van Halen family moved to Pasadena after emigrating to the U.S. from the Netherlands in 1962.
Rolling Stone magazine ranked Eddie Van Halen No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.
On May 7th, former Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer performed at the M3 Rock festival in Columbia, MD. It was his first show in two years due to the Covid pandemic. Fan-filmed video of his entire show, which featured several Cinderella classics, is available below.
"Touching The Divine"
"Night Songs" (Cinderella)
"Coming Home" (Cinderella)
"It’s Not Enough"
"Somebody Save Me" (Cinderella)
"Rise"
"Nobody’s Fool" (Cinderella)
"Solid Ground"
"Fallin' Apart At The Seams" (Cinderella)
"The Last Mile" (Cinderella)
"Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)" (Cinderella)
"Shake Me" (Cinderella)
"Shelter Me" (Cinderella)
"Long Cold Winter" (Cinderella)
"The Death Of Me"
"Gypsy Road" (Cinderella)
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