Month: March 2021

THE END MACHINE, the new band featuring two members of the classic DOKKEN lineup — George Lynch (guitar) and Jeff Pilson (bass) — along with former LYNCH MOB and current WARRANT singer Robert Mason, will release its sophomore album, “Phase2”, on April 9 via Frontiers Music Srl. The official music video for the disc’s second single, “Crack The Sky”, can be seen below.

“Phase2” features drummer Steve Brown, younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer “Wild” Mick Brown, who played on THE END MACHINE’s self-titled 2019 debut.

The new LP builds on the great bluesy hard rock music of the debut, but sees THE END MACHINE move more towards more towards a classic ’80s hard rock sound and the result is a 2.0 reboot of a killer music machine.

Says Pilson: “On this record, we set out to make the very best songs possible and are more than excited with how it turned out. We also weren’t afraid to let elements of the DOKKEN sound come through loud and clear. As a result, not only was it a very organic and collaborative process, but it was a helluva lot of fun as well!!! I feel these are some of the best songs we’ve ever written and I’m blown away by all the performances. George was on fire throughout, Robert makes it clear he’s one of the very best rock vocalists around, and Steve delivered with all the passion and enthusiasm any band could ever desire. All in all, it is a musical statement we can and will stand behind for a very long time!!!”

Adds Lynch: “Jeff, Robert and I had discussions prior to pre-production and writing sessions that we would make a concerted effort to emphasize hooks and accessibility in our writing. We made sure to constantly remind ourselves of the self-induced parameters we’d created for ourselves so as not to get sidetracked and lose focus. I think that that guidance served us well. I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished with THE END MACHINE ‘Phase2’.”

State Mason: “I feel that ‘Phase2’ is a logical progression from our debut record, and I echo Jeff’s point that, in the writing process, none of us felt we had to distance ourselves from our past nor our collective roots. That hit making Lynch/Pilson chemistry and song lineage is surely powerful and present, while allowing me freedom to both embrace it and show my own musical and lyrical flavors. This record shows us solidly in each other’s musical pockets and grooves, and speaking of, Steve Brown showed up to crush it on drums…and he can sing some mighty background vocals! We hope fans of all of our catalogs will embrace THE END MACHINE and ‘Phase2’!”

Originally born from an idea of Frontiers Music Srl president and A&R director Serafino Perugino, who wanted to have the classic lineup of DOKKEN team up with a killer vocalist, THE END MACHINE’s self-titled debut impressed mightily upon release. Far from being a simple rehash of the members resumes, THE END MACHINE proved to be a jelled unit who sounded exactly like the seasoned pros they are, while taking their hard rock past and putting a stamp of modern production on things courtesy of Pilson.

For their debut album, THE END MACHINE’s sound developed through several initial songwriting sessions between Pilson and Lynch, with Mason later partnering with them. While the lineup may have had fans making assumptions about the sound of the band, things took a different turn. Said Pilson at the time: “The real truth of it is that George and I have this great songwriting partnership that’s been going on for 35 years, and we love to work together. Robert really jelled with us too, thus making the process smooth.”

Track listing:

01. The Rising
02. Blood And Money
03. We Walk Alone
04. Dark Divide
05. Crack The Sky
06. Prison Or Paradise
07. Plastic Heroes
08. Scars
09. Shine Your Light
10. Devil’s Playground
11. Born Of Fire
12. Destiny

“Phase2” recording lineup:

George Lynch – guitar
Jeff Pilson – bass, keyboards and background vocals
Steve Brown – drums and background vocals
Robert Mason – lead and background vocals

Former “Headbangers Ball” host Riki Rachtman spoke with Elliott Fullam of Little Punk People yesterday about his new Gimme Metal TV show called “The Ball” and he also went into more detail about his Lemmy bullet that he received as a personal gift.

He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I love MOTÖRHEAD. MOTÖRHEAD was a band that I was a huge fan of before I ever met Lemmy. When I was [very young], I liked MOTÖRHEAD, and they never, ever became a band that I was bored with; I always liked them. And then through [my Hollywood club] the Cathouse, I became friends with Lemmy, and then through MTV, I became better friends with Lemmy. He’d come to my house when I’d have barbecues, and he played my birthday party. And whenever I needed MOTÖRHEAD to do something at the Cathouse, Lemmy was always there. And he was just a very, very kind person and cool. I mean, he’s Lemmy.”

He continued: “I’d talk to [Lemmy’s] manager once in a while, Todd Singerman — he’s such a great guy — and Todd says to me, ‘Hey, MOTÖRHEAD’s got something for you. Lemmy’s got something for you that’s personal. What’s the best address to send it. So I’m thinking they’re gonna send an album or something. I’ve got a lot of stuff.

“Lemmy was one of a few guys that him and Todd always used to wish me happy birthday. I have this ‘Happy Birthday’ thing from the city of Los Angeles that they sent me. They were always so good to me.

“And so I didn’t know what it was. So I get it in the mail, and I’m opening the box, and it doesn’t say who it’s from. And I’m, like, ‘I don’t know what this is.’ And I open the box, and I take out this little plastic thing, and there’s a bullet in it. And I was, like, ‘Wow. That’s kind of cool.’ And the bullet says ‘Lemmy’. So I open this up, and this bullet says ‘Lemmy’ on it. So I’m holding it. And I [tell my girlfriend], ‘Look how cool this is. This is a bullet.’ I wondered maybe this was from Lemmy’s belt or something like this.

“So I got this letter from MOTÖRHEAD, and I’m reading it. And it says that when Lemmy died, he wanted his ashes to be put in bullets and given out to his close personal friends,” Riki added. “And when I read that, my eyes started getting really, really teary eyed. And I showed it to my girlfriend, and she started getting teary eyed.

“It is the greatest gift I’ve ever received in my life. It is, without a doubt, my prized possession. I’m getting it made into a necklace so I can keep it on me everywhere I go.

“When we did the Cathouse 30th anniversary, we did a tribute to MOTÖRHEAD, and we had a bunch of guys playing MOTÖRHEAD songs. And to know that Lemmy said that and gave that was very, very touching, and it means a lot to me.”

Rachtman’s bullet is not the only one whose existence has been publicly revealed. Last year, tennis player Pat Cash shared a photo of another Lemmy bullet, saying it had been gifted to UGLY KID JOE singer Whitfield Crane.

“#Lemmy (RIP) from #Motörhead asked that his ashes be put in some bullet and given out to his closest friends, last night one was presented to my mate #whitefieldCrane whilst we were having dinner at ‘Lemmys bar’ in ‘The Rainbow’,” Cash wrote on Instagram in February 2020.

Lemmy died in December 2015 at the age of 70 shortly after learning he had been diagnosed with cancer.

He had dealt with several health issues over the last few years of his life, including heart trouble, forcing him to cut back on his famous smoking habits.

MOTÖRHEAD had to cancel a number of shows in 2015 because of Lemmy’s poor health, although the band did manage to complete one final European tour a couple of weeks before his death.

Last June, it was announced that Lemmy will get the biopic treatment. The upcoming film, “Lemmy”, will be directed by Greg Olliver, who previously helmed the 2010 documentary of the same name, “Lemmy”.

“Lemmy” will go into production later this year, with VMI introducing the film at the Cannes virtual market. It will follow Kilmister’s life growing up in Stoke-on-Trent, becoming a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and a member of seminal psychedelic rock band HAWKWIND before forming MOTÖRHEAD.

A custom-made urn containing Lemmy’s ashes is on permanent display in a columbarium at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood, California.

Before his death #Lemmy asked for his ashes to be put in some bullets & handed out to his closest friends Today I received a bullet & was literally brought to tears Thank you @myMotorhead pic.twitter.com/gnI9aWe4iU
— Rev. Riki Rachtman (@RikiRachtman) March 22, 2021

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Dark Horse Records celebrates today’s release of “Assembly”, the newly remastered collection of solo cuts from Joe Strummer, the former frontman of THE CLASH, with the world premiere of a video for “I Fought The Law”. The song was famously covered by THE CLASH, and this newly unearthed version was recorded live in London by Joe and his band THE MESCALEROS.

“I Fought The Law”, along with the other live track, THE CLASH favorite “Rudie Can’t Fail”, were thought to be lost, but were discovered and mixed and mastered by three-time Grammy Award-winning engineer Paul Hicks (THE BEATLES, John Lennon, THE ROLLING STONES, David Bowie) especially for the release of “Assembly”. The accompanying video for the track was created by Spencer Ramsey.

“Assembly” is available now on limited-edition 2xLP red vinyl, gatefold 2xLP 180-gram black vinyl, CD, and digitally for streaming and download.

“Assembly” showcases carefully curated remastered singles, fan favorites, and archival rarities from the Strummer solo catalog, including “Coma Girl”, “Johnny Appleseed” and “Yalla Yalla” (with THE MESCALEROS) to his iconic rendition of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” and soundtrack contributions like “Love Kills” (from the 1986 film “Sid And Nancy”). Remastered by Hicks, the 16-track compilation features three previously unreleased versions of classic tracks by THE CLASH, including the never-before-heard home recording of “Junco Partner” and electrifying live performances of “Rudie Can’t Fail” and “I Fought The Law”, recorded by Joe Strummer and THE MESCALEROS at London’s Brixton Academy on November 24, 2001. In addition, “Assembly” includes exclusive liner notes written especially for this collection by musician Jakob Dylan.

Punk poet, musician, composer, actor, and style icon, Strummer spent his life smashing musical and cultural boundaries both as the singer of THE CLASH and as a solo artist. His songs sound as urgent and vital today as when they were written. Calling out social injustices and giving a voice to the struggles of the working class, Strummer’s politically charged lyrics struck a chord with legions of fans and the press alike, with Rolling Stone calling THE CLASH “the greatest rock and roll band in the world.” “People can change anything they want to,” he famously once said, “and that means everything in the world.” Through his art, Strummer played his part in shaping the musical landscape of the world and with it left an unrivaled and timeless legacy.

“Assembly” track listing:

01. Coma Girl
02. Johnny Appleseed
03. I Fought The Law (Live at Brixton Academy, London, 24 November 2001) *
04. Tony Adams
05. Sleepwalk
06. Love Kills
07. Get Down Moses
08. X-Ray Style
09. Mondo Bongo
10. Rudie Can’t Fail (Live at Brixton Academy, London, 24 November 2001) *
11. At The Border, Guy
12. Long Shadow
13. Forbidden City
14. Yalla Yalla
15. Redemption Song
16. Junco Partner (Acoustic) *

* previously unreleased

Ukraine’s modern metal juggernaut JINJER recently entered the studio to start working on its fourth album for Napalm Records. The recording sessions are once again taking place at the Kaska Records Studios in Kiev, Ukraine with producer and good friend Max Morton.

The second video report from the studio can be seen below.

Bassist Eugene Abdukhanov commented: “Those of you who keep an eye on us must have already heard that JINJER have been working on new material pretty much since the beginning of the pandemic. It is one of those situations where even the most negative and terrible predicament can sometimes have a positive outcome. Deprived of live touring, we managed to focus all our creativity and frustration and turn it into new songs which are, in my opinion, the best music we have ever written. It’s complex but yet catchy as hell, groovy but with such a palette of notes, sounds and most importantly: feelings… This new album might take the whole genre of extreme music to a whole new level and raise the bar of musicality even higher for this band and the metal scene in general.”

Earlier this week, JINJER announced the rescheduled dates for its North American tour. The trek, dubbed “Coming To America 2021”, will feature special guests SUICIDE SILENCE. Kicking off in Seattle, Washington on October 22, the tour will traverse for over a month — stopping in major cities such as Vancouver, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, New York, Houston and more — before ending on December 12 in Phoenix, Arizona.

JINJER’s latest live album “Alive In Melbourne”, was released in November via Napalm Records. The live album and the accompanying videos were filmed on March 5, 2020 during JINJER’s debut Australian tour, with the pandemic hot on the heels of their “Macro” world tour, which would sadly, along with the rest of the musical landscape, come to a screeching halt a week after the Melbourne set was captured for on film. Still, with JINJER’s sheer will, drive, determination and never give up attitude they were able to turn the madness of last year into a positive.

“Alive In Melbourne” features stunning artwork by gifted JINJER fan Gabriel Nicoletti and includes 17 tracks in total.

Los Angeles rockers BLACK VEIL BRIDES played an acoustic set for the Baltimore radio station WIYY (98 Rock) on Thursday, March 25. The performance was part of the band’s first-ever virtual acoustic radio tour, which is being held in conjunction with eight local radios stations. The shows started on March 23 for WEBN in frontman Andy Biersack’s former hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio and will wrap on April 2 for KCJK in Kansas City, Missouri. Other markets include Columbus, Ohio; Baltimore, Maryland; Detroit, Michigan; Monmouth Ocean, New Jersey; Phoenix, Arizona; and Madison, Wisconsin. Each performance will be unique and a different set for each station. All shows are streaming free.

Remaining dates:

March 26 – WRIF/Detroit – 5 p.m. EST
March 29 – WRAT/Monmouth Ocean – 7 p.m. EST
March 30 – KUPD/Phoenix – 8 p.m. PST
March 31 – WJJO/Madison – 7 p.m. CST
April 02 – KCJK/Kansas City – 8 p.m. CST

In November, BLACK VEIL BRIDES released “Scarlet Cross”, which will appear on the band’s upcoming album, “The Phantom Tomorrow”, tentatively due this summer. The track was produced by Erik Ron (GODSMACK, DANCE GAVIN DANCE, BUSH) and guitarist Jake Pitts and was accompanied by a music video directed by longtime collaborator Patrick Fogarty and based on a concept written by Biersack.

BLACK VEIL BRIDES celebrated the 10th anniversary of their debut, “We Stitch These Wounds”, with a brand new, reimagined, re-recorded 2020 edition of the album titled “Re-Stitch These Wounds”, released last July via Sumerian Records.

In November 2019, BLACK VEIL BRIDES announced the addition of bassist Lonny Eagleton to the group’s ranks. He joined the band as the replacement for Ashley Purdy, who exited the group earlier that month.

Eagleton previously played with Biersack (a.k.a. Andy Black) on his solo tour.

Biersack’s memoir, “They Don’t Need To Understand: Stories Of Hope, Fear, Family, Life, And Never Giving In”, arrived in December via Rare Bird Books.

SALIVA will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of its breakthrough major label debut, “Every Six Seconds”, with a special project called “Every Twenty Years”, an EP of classic songs re-recorded with current vocalist Bobby Amaru, on May 7 via Megaforce.

“In the 10 years I’ve been with the band, I’ve realized how strong our fan base really is,” says Amaru. “I wanted to do something for the fans for embracing me with open arms. Fans have asked me all the time if we ever thought about recording some of the old hits with my voice. I’ve sang those songs enough that they have become an important chapter of my life. What better way than to revive this album with an EP to mark the 20th anniversary? People of my generation and all around rocked these tunes before and will continue to. ‘Every Six Seconds’ brought SALIVA abundant success and we are all grateful.”

The first single from “Every 20 Years”, “Your Disease”, is available today. A documentary on the band’s journey through the years is also slated for release this spring.

“Every Twenty Years” track listing:

01. Your Disease (2021 Version)
02. Click Click Boom (2021 Version)
03. After Me (2021 Version)
04. Greater Than/Less Than (2021 Version)
05. Spyhunter (2021 Version)
06. Spoonman (2021 Version)

Formed in Memphis is 1996, SALIVA released a self-titled a debut album the following year. After selling 10,000 copies of the self-released album, Island Records took notice of the band. “Every Six Seconds” and its hit singles, the Grammy-nominated “Your Disease” and “Click Click Boom”, catapulted SALIVA into the mainstream and is now certified double platinum.

After nearly 15 years, SALIVA parted ways with vocalist Josey Scott. In 2011, Bobby Amaru stepped in to fill the roll, infusing SALIVA with new blood, spirit and an energy similar to that which launched the band’s career a decade earlier. From modern metal to straight up hard rock, SALIVA continues to write in-your-face, anthemic songs, and win fans over through tours around the world with the biggest names in rock and appearances on the main stages at countless festivals and the most well-known motorcycle rallies.

This past January, it was announced that SALIVA’s previously announced reunion with Scott had ” been put on hold” due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Scott broke the news of his return to SALIVA in October 2019 during an appearance on “The Morning Dump”, a podcast hosted by “The Big Mad Morning Show” in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At the time, Josey said that he wanted to get together with SALIVA and “write a badass record.”

SALIVA drummer Paul Crosby addressed Scott’s status with the band during an appearance on “The Chuck Shute Podcast”. Asked if there are still plans for Josey to reunite with SALIVA for a possible album and/or a tour, Paul said: “Honestly, that is completely his decision. I’m not sure where his head’s at. There was talk of all that, and then the pandemic put the brakes on it. And, obviously, we’re still dealing with the remnants of the pandemic, so I’m not sure what’s gonna play out. All I can is that all that has been put on hold at least for now — till everything clears up, and then maybe we’ll revisit it.”

SALIVA is:

Bobby Amaru – vocals
Wayne Swinny – guitar
Paul Crosby – drums
Brad Stewart – bass

Eddie Van Halen’s son has once again criticized The Recording Academy for the way it recognized his father at this year’s Grammy Awards.

The legendary VAN HALEN axeman was included in the “In Memoriam” segment at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, where The Recording Academy paid tribute to musicians who died in the past year. At one point in the segment, Eddie Van Halen’s name flashed across the screen over a clip of him shredding a guitar solo while a spotlight shone on his iconic red-white-and-black guitar.

Eddie’s son, Wolfgang Van Halen, later revealed in a social media post that he was approached by the Grammy producers to perform his father’s signature guitar instrumental “Eruption” during the broadcast but that he declined.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Wolfgang said: “It just seemed like kind of a tone-deaf ask. It just didn’t feel right. And I think some people are, like, ‘Well, you should have just fucking done it anyway.’ And I don’t think they were really thinking about the emotional attachment to it. And just the fact that it isn’t the right thing to do and something I’m not comfortable with.

“I’ll always be here to champion my father and to further his legacy to the ends of the earth,” he continued. “I’m a little biased, but I think you cannot argue the impact that three guitar players had on the history of the instrument. And that’s Les Paul, Jimi Hendrix, and my dad. And so when something like this happens, you think he would be deserving of a bit more time.”

Last week, Grammy executive producer Ben Winston defended The Recording Academy for the way it recognized Eddie Van Halen at this year’s Grammy Awards. He confirmed to Variety that Wolfgang was asked to appear on the program and he explained the reason Van Halen ended up not getting a longer tribute during the event.

Ben said: “We had a call with [a rep for] Wolfgang before the show, and I asked him if he’d be willing to come on and play. He felt he didn’t really want to do that, and I offered up eight or nine guitarists who maybe could. But instead, he felt like we should play a video of Eddie himself, because nobody could play like him, so that’s what we did.”

He continued: “I would have loved for it to be longer than it was, but Eddie was the only person in the whole ‘In Memoriam’ to play their own music, with no other faces being seen. I felt that was an appropriate tribute to him, but if Wolfgang didn’t, I’m sorry about that, of course.

“It’s such a horrific thing to lose a parent. We did the best that we felt we could.”

Wolfgang wasn’t the only one who felt The Recording Academy should have done better. SiriusXM DJ Eddie Trunk called out how short the memorial was in an Instagram post and noted, “So in a more than three hour show this is all the #grammys could muster for an ICON?! I am beyond outraged and disgusted.”

Former VAN HALEN singer Gary Cherone, who took over when Sammy Hagar left the group (or was fired, depending on whom you ask) in 1996, was also upset by the tribute.

“Maybe an artist that reimagined how one plays an instrument, who continues to influence generations of musicians and, literally changed the course of rock ‘n’ roll deserves more than fifteen second at the Grammys,” Cherone wrote on Twitter.

The Recording Academy regularly comes under fire for failing to include musicians who died in the past year, largely due to the time limitations of the broadcast. More than 800 names were considered for inclusion this year, according to Variety. On its web site, The Recording Academy included all of those names on a more comprehensive list, noting that the televised “In Memoriam” segment is meant to only highlight some of the artists who died this year, not necessarily all.

Eddie passed away in October at the age of 65.

VAN HALEN was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Eddie Van Halen No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.