Month: March 2021

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor has announced details of his “CMFTour”. The 19-date run will kick off on May 18 at The Marquee Backyard in Tempe, Arizona and see Taylor and his band performing for fans socially distanced and following state recommended health guidelines. Pre-sale tickets are available today (Wednesday, March 17), with all remaining tickets going on sale to the general public on Friday, March 19. Support on all dates comes from girl gang dance squad CHERRY BOMBS, led by Taylor’s wife Alicia Taylor.

Taylor decided to launch this tour for a few significant and personal reasons. As always, he endeavors to deliver an unforgettable show for fans, but just as importantly, he recognizes the massive impact that the ongoing global pandemic has had on live music venues and touring crews alike. It upholds his staunch commitment to supporting live music and the industry surrounding it as illustrated last year through his popular eBay guitar auction, which raised $150,000 for COVID-19 relief, and his COVID-19 safe secret L.A. show benefiting Sweet Relief Musicians Fund — a 501(c)(3) non-profit healing musicians and music industry workers in need.

As for the show itself, Taylor and his band will run through anthems from his critically acclaimed solo debut “CMFT”, choice cuts from his SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR catalogs, and various covers and surprises. Additionally, CHERRY BOMBS will kick off each night of the tour with a high-octane, high-flying performance.

“It’s the full shebang,” Taylor told Rolling Stone about the tour. “The CHERRY BOMBS are gonna do their show, with fire and aerial and rock and all the good stuff, then me and the boys will get up and play for, like, two hours.”

Regarding how the idea for the tour came about, Taylor said: “We’d been looking for opportunities to play here and there constantly, but it wasn’t until a promoter friend of ours asked us how we would approach a tour with the kinds of safeguards we were interested in that we realized we could put a tour together. We’ll be taking as many precautions as we can: the usual social distancing, pod seating (sectioned off area with an allotted number of people who came together allowed inside), temperature checks, waivers signed at the door, masks in place everywhere but your pod, etc. We’re encouraging everyone to get vaccinated as well before the tour.”

May 18 – Tempe, AZ – The Marquee Backyard
May 20 – Lubbock, TX – Lonestar Event Center
May 21 – San Antonio, TX – Vibes Event Center
May 22 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
May 24 – Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey Outdoors
May 26 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
May 28 – St. Louis, MO – Pop’s
May 29 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
May 30 – Chattanooga, TN – The Signal
June 01 – Belvidere, IL – The Apollo Theatre
June 03 – Green Bay, WI – Epic Event Center
June 05 – Fort Wayne, IN – Piere’s Entertainment Center
June 07 – Joliet, IL – The Forge
June 11 – Detroit, MI – Harpo’s
June 12 – East Moline, IL – Rust Belt
June 15 – Dubuque, IA – Five Flags Event Center
June 17 – Des Moines, IA – Horizon Event Center
June 18 – Wichita, KS – The Cotillion Ballroom
June 19 – Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre

In a new interview with Cleveland.com, BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler confirmed that he is writing a memoir. “I started out because when my parents died, I always wished I’d asked them a lot more things than I knew about,” he explained. “I don’t really know much about my mum and dad, ’cause they were always just there. So, I started writing a memoir for my grandkids to read, and that’s been fun going through stuff — old times and growing up in Birmingham and all that. I’m right in the middle of doing that at the moment.”

Last fall, Butler told Australia’s Wall Of Sound that his book would be “about growing up in Aston, Birmingham and how SABBATH came about.” The 71-year-old also reflected on everything he has achieved in this past half a century, saying: “It’s a great achievement to still be relevant 50 years after we recorded our first two albums. We honestly thought we’d last a few years, then be forgotten about. Fifty years ago any form of popular music was seen as a passing fad — people even thought THE BEATLES would be forgotten about after they broke up, but nobody then [realized] how powerful the nostalgia effect would be.”

A founding member of BLACK SABBATH, Butler is also the lyricist of such SABBATH classics as “War Pigs”, “Iron Man”, “Paranoid” and others.

Butler, singer Ozzy Osbourne and guitarist Tony Iommi reunited in late 2011 and released a comeback album, “13”, in June 2013.

In February 2017, SABBATH finished “The End” tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet’s groundbreaking 49-year career.

“The End” was SABBATH’s last tour because Iommi, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 and is currently in remission, can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.

In the four-minute video below, Brian Johnson tells the “official version” of the answer to the question he gets asked more than any other: “How did you come to join AC/DC?”

Last month, AC/DC guitarist Angus Young told 95.5 KLOS’s “New & Approved” series about how late AC/DC singer Bon Scott first met Johnson in the early 1970s. “Bon had been in a band that had toured in Britain, and they were opening for the band Brian was in, which was a band called GEORDIE,” Angus said. “Anyhow, they were gigging away, and as Bon told the story, he was saying he was listening to GEORDIE performing and listening to Brian, and then he heard this screaming. He said it sounded great — he said it sounded like Little Richard was on the stage. He said this guy [was] howling and yelling. And then he said then he saw the guy on the floor. Bon thought it was great — it was the best act he had seen, and a singer, in a long time. But what he didn’t know, afterwards he found out, Brian had an attack of appendicitis. But Bon thought it was part of the act. He thought, ‘This guy is incredible.’ ‘And he was still hittin’ these high notes.'”

Brian previously spoke about crossing paths with Bon in a 2011 interview with New York Post. He said: “I met Bon in 1973 or 1974. His band was supporting my band, GEORDIE. I had a terrible case of appendicitis and I went down on my side, kicking and going, ‘Ooh!’ But I kept on singing. Apparently, he told the boys when he joined AC/DC, ‘I saw this guy Brian Johnson sing, and he was great. He was on the floor, kicking and screaming — what an act!’ Of course, it wasn’t an act. I was really ill.”

On July 25, 1980, AC/DC released “Back In Black” in the U.S., followed by the album’s U.K. release on July 31. It was the band’s first album without Scott, who had died a few months earlier after passing out and choking on his own vomit following a long night of drinking.

The group quickly decided to press on and hired Johnson from the band GEORDIE to take over on vocals, and they headed to the Bahamas for about six weeks to do the album. AC/DC had made some serious headway in America before Scott’s death, but no one knew how “Back In Black” would be received.

“Back in Black” first went platinum in October 1980. The RIAA lists “Back In Black” as the fourth biggest-selling album of all time.

“Back In Black” included the singles “You Shook Me All Night Long”, which peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Back In Black”, which peaked at No. 37.

Despite its massive success, it never got higher than No. 4 on the album charts. The band’s next album, “For Those About To Rock”, reached No. 1.

“Back In Black” was produced by Robert “Mutt” Lange, who went on to produce DEF LEPPARD, FOREIGNER, THE CARS, and BRYAN ADAMS.

In 2012, “Back In Black” was added to The Recording Academy’s legendary Grammy Hall Of Fame collection.

Last year, AC/DC launched a range of new merchandise to celebrate the 40th anniversary of “Back In Black”.

KANSAS, America’s legendary progressive rock band, will release its new live album, “Point Of Know Return Live & Beyond”, on May 28. This is the first live album since 2017 for the band that has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and is famous for classic hits such as “Carry On Wayward Son” and “Dust In The Wind” to progressive epics like “Song For America”.

“Point Of Know Return Live & Beyond” is co-produced by Phil Ehart and Richard Williams, and is recorded and mixed by Chad Singer. The album features 22 songs selected from 12 shows recorded in 2019 and 2020 during KANSAS’s “Point Of Know Return” anniversary tour. The setlist includes classic hits, deep cuts, and culminates with the band’s sextuple-platinum album “Point Of Know Return” performed in its entirety.

Following the success of the band’s “Leftoverture” anniversary tour, KANSAS followed that tour up with the even more popular “Point Of Know Return” anniversary tour. The overwhelming success of that tour, and the previous live album, “Leftoverture Live & Beyond”, led the band, along with InsideOut Music, to release selected songs from the tour as a live album.

“We knew we wanted to release a live album of the ‘Point Of Know Return’ anniversary tour. Being unable to tour for more than a year has given us the opportunity to work on ‘Point Of Know Return Live & Beyond’ and release it for our fans who are missing live concerts as much as we are,” said KANSAS drummer and album co-producer Phil Ehart. “When we discussed who would mix the album, we thought the best possible person would be the guy who mixes the band live every night and recorded the shows on the road. Nobody knows better how KANSAS sounds live than our front-of-house engineer Chad Singer.”

“This live album sounds great,” adds KANSAS guitarist and album co-producer Richard Williams. “We wanted to make sure this album captures and represents how KANSAS sounds live in concert. ‘Point Of Know Return Live & Beyond’ does just that.”

Along with original KANSAS bandmembers Phil Ehart on drums and Richard Williams on lead guitar, “Point Of Know Return Live & Beyond” features Tom Brislin on keyboards and vocals, Billy Greer on bass and vocals, Ronnie Platt on lead vocals and keyboards, David Ragsdale on violin and vocals, and Zak Rizvi on guitar and vocals.

“Point Of Know Return Live & Beyond” will be will be available as a double CD digipak, triple 180-gram vinyl + 2 CD box set, and digitally on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, iTunes, and other fine digital retailers.

“Point Of Know Return Live & Beyond” track listing:

01. Cold Grey Morning
02. Two Cents Worth
03. The Wall
04. Song For America
05. Summer
06. Musicatto
07. Taking In The View
08. Miracles Out Of Nowhere
09. Point Of Know Return
10. Paradox
11. The Spider
12. Portrait (He Knew)
13. Closet Chronicles
14. Lightning’s Hand
15. Dust In The Wind
16. Sparks Of The Tempest
17. Nobody’s Home
18. Hopelessly Human
19. Carry On Wayward Son
20. People Of The South Wind
21. Refugee
22. Lonely Wind

Former GUNS N’ ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke will release his new solo album, “The Gospel Truth”, on April 23 via Golden Robot Records. The disc was produced and written by Gilby at his Los Angeles recording studio, Redrum Recording, where he’s also helmed records for such artists as L.A. GUNS, THE BRONX, BEAT ANGELS, BULLETS AND OCTANE and many more. The album was mixed by Grammy Award winner Chris Lord-Alge and mastered by Maor Appelbaum. Joining Gilby on the LP are Muddy Stardust on bass, Kenny Aronoff (JOHN MELLENCAMP, JOHN FOGERTY, CHICKENFOOT) on drums, along with Matt Starr (ACE FREHLEY, MR. BIG) and Chad Stewart (FASTER PUSSYCAT, L.A. GUNS) on backing vocals.

The latest single from “The Gospel Truth” is a song called “Tightwad”, which features MÖTLEY CRÜE’s Nikki Sixx on bass and JANE’S ADDICTION’s Stephen Perkins on drums.

“This song was written around a guitar riff I discovered while trying out a new fuzz pedal,” Gilby said. “Lyrically I was inspired by deceit, treachery and the creative extremes people will go through to get ahead. I tried to get my message through with humor, but if it hits to close to home, maybe we all should take a closer look at ourselves and make improvements.

“I was lucky to have some wonderful musician friends contribute to the recording of this track, Nikki Sixx and Stephen Perkins. Stephen, as always, came through with a beat that drives the song and Nikki found a cool bass groove that accentuates the feel I was looking for. I tried to get my message through with humor, but sometimes the truth hurts.”

When asked how his new music may be different to his previous material, Gilby said: “I don’t think it’s very different at all. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel. I have found the music that I like as an artist and a musician. It’s important that I get better at it and try new things, but I like rock and roll, and loud guitars are good for the soul.”

Clarke also discussed his songwriting process, saying: “I always start with a good guitar riff, then add the devil’s drumbeat. It’s good when you can put some interesting lyrics to it, too. I always try to find a new way of saying something simple. I don’t like to complicate my lyrics, but I never duplicate them either.”

At the 2019 NAMM show in in Anaheim, California, Clarke stated about the long delay in getting his new solo album completed: “For me, I can’t do a record unless I feel good about the songs. I wanna make a record that I wanna listen to. So, these songs I’m really excited about. They’re new songs. It really is classic rock. There’s really nothing new on it — it’s just a new version of what I like to do, which is loud guitars, man. So, I went in there. I used guys like Kenny Aronoff on drums, Steve Perkins — some really great players. I played all the guitars and did all the singing on it. But I think it’s good — I think it’s a good fresh approach on classic rock, really.”

Clarke replaced founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin in the GUNS lineup in 1991, during the “Use Your Illusion” tour, and stayed with the band for three years. After exiting GUNS N’ ROSES, Clarke continued as a producer and solo artist, while also playing in SLASH’S SNAKEPIT, ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA, HEART and other acts.

Clarke released his solo debut, “Pawnshop Guitars”, in 1994.

Australian doom trio Amammoth light prehistoric joints from a stoner/sludge bonfire on their debut LP, The Fire Above.
The post Album Premiere: Amammoth – ‘The Fire Above’ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Covers albums are a risky business. There are, of course, lots of great examples of the form, and we all enjoy the healthy dismantling and reconstruction of a classic every now and then. On the other side of the mimicry coin, however, there have been lots of truly dismal covers albums over the years, none of which deserve to be mentioned here.

Fortunately, SAXON are a band of sufficient vintage and legend that they have absolutely no reason to explain anything they do at this point. “Inspirations” is very obviously a record that was bashed out and glued together during lockdown but sounds every bit as energetic and powerful as you might expect from the British veterans. If there is one tiny downside to the whole thing, it’s that the band’s choice of songs is all so screamingly obvious that it’s hard not to wonder why they couldn’t have come up with at least one curveball along the way. Observant fans could arguably have predicted at least eight of these 11 tunes, and even the mildly surprising likes of TOTO’s “Hold The Line” and THE KINKS’ “See My Friends” are firmly within the classic rock arena.

But then, as is so often the case with SAXON, the sheer, mad-eyed exuberance of the whole thing grabs you by the fundamentals and jettisons all cynicism with a chuckling flourish. Clearly having as much fun as they’ve had in years, this is a looser, less precise SAXON than we generally hear on their studio albums, but it’s also a showcase for the band’s resolute chemistry and, more importantly, their unabashed, shared love for these songs. It’s also an absolute joy to hear Biff Byford singing the likes of “Immigrant Song” and “Speed King”: songs that evidently influenced his own vocal approach, but which he sings, brilliantly, with an audible twinkle in his eye, very much on top of the job throughout. Similarly, when Biff takes on AC/DC’s “Problem Child” or THIN LIZZY’s “The Rocker”, he sounds squarely in his element, saluting his heroes but also contemporaries from SAXON’s early days.

With only a re-worked and slightly stilted rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s “Stone Free” missing the mark, “Inspirations” may be an unapologetic stopgap, but it’s also a vibrant and brashly entertaining collection of blasts from the past. It’s hard to imagine anyone else getting away with it, but this is SAXON: the finest covers band in the world (this week).