
QUEEN 'Rock Iconz' Collectibles Coming Soon
KnuckleBonz is currently in production creating limited-edition QUEEN collectible statues. Rock Iconz statues of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon will be hand-crafted in our fine arts process, featuring the band from their 1981 performance in Montreal.
Officially licensed, each statue is hand-painted, numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity on the base.
All designs have been approved by QUEEN.
The Rock Iconz series celebrates the world’s greatest music performers in a limited-edition collector series.
Never more than 3000 of each design is created. Reserve yours now.
“It’s been over a decade since our original QUEEN Rock Iconz designs for Freddie and Brian. This time out, we will be able to create the entire band, as it should be,” says Tony Simerman, CEO/creative director of KnuckleBonz, Inc.
“We are beyond excited to ship individual statues for Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon late this year…and OH yes, lots of other surprises for QUEEN superfans in our ‘3D Vinyl’ and ‘On Tour’ series.”
KnuckleBonz has been creating high-end statues since 2003 and continues to be dedicated to honoring music’s greatest performers through master artistry in the limited-edition statue series called Rock Iconz. The company’s goal is to capture a “live performance” moment in each limited edition.
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MORDRED Unveils Music Video For 'Love Of Money'
Influential San Francisco crossover thrash metal act MORDRED — which this summer will release its first full-length record in over 25 years — has unveiled a music video for “Love Of Money”, the latest clip from the band’s 2020 comeback EP “Volition”. Shot on location in San Francisco by Eddie Granillo for Keptone Filmz and featuring actress Szandora Lavey, it can be seen below.
“We all want her sometimes and we all need her sometimes,” says guitarist Danny White. “Some would kill for her. Some would die for her. Some would commit crimes for her. Few can walk away. She seduces and provides, her power won’t be denied, and she goes by the name of Money.”
Outside of their 2015 single “The Baroness”, “Volition” marked the first new MORDRED music since the band’s 2013 reunion. Fans won’t have to wait long for the follow-up, however, as the group recently put the finishing touches on “The Dark Parade”, their first full-length album since 1994’s “The Next Room”. Due out this summer, “The Dark Parade” features five-sixths of the personnel from 1991’s acclaimed “In This Life”, plus new drummer Jeff Gomes (formerly of FUNGO MUNGO and MIRV).
MORDRED was formed in 1984 as the burgeoning Bay Area thrash scene was beginning its rise to global prominence. While mosh-inducing thrash formed the basic blueprint of their sound, MORDRED stood out as a unique presence thanks to their integration of funk-infused musicianship and hip-hop and alternative music influences. The group was one of the first Bay Area bands to explore those diversities in extremes, but as the dexterous bass performance of Art Liboon and innovative turntable work from band collaborator Aaron “DJ Pause” Vaughn provided a new spin on the thrash metal genre, MORDRED retained their metallic bark thanks to groove-laden shred from guitarists Danny White and James Sanguinetti, and energetic shout-along choruses spearheaded by vocalist Scott Holderby. That combination of thrash metal and exploratory funk powered three full-lengths on Noise Records between 1989 and 1994, from their revered debut, “Fool’s Game”, to their even more eclectic sophomore follow-up “In This Life”, the EP “Visions” through their final — until now — record, “The Next Room”.
In addition to spending their 2020 releasing “Volition” and putting the finishing touches on “The Dark Parade”, MORDRED also entertained audiences throughout the year with their streaming variety show and concert series, “Mordred: Acting The Fool!” Episodes from the series include live performance by the band, guest interviews, burlesque performances and a healthy dose of sketch comedy, can be viewed at this location.
MORDRED is:
Scott Holderby – vocals
Danny White – guitar
James Sanguinetti – guitar
Art Liboon – bass
Aaron “DJ Pause” Vaughn – turntables/keyboards
Jeff Gomes – drums

HELLYEAH's CHRISTIAN BRADY: 'Trying To Move Forward Without VINNIE PAUL Has Been Really Tough'
At the end of last year, HELLYEAH guitarist Christian Brady made an appearance on the “Rock Detention” podcast during which he opened up about the passing of the band’s drummer, Vinnie Paul Abbott. The former PANTERA member died nearly three years ago at his home in Las Vegas at the age of 54.
“Losing Vinnie the way we lost Vinnie was probably one of the worst moments of my life,” Brady said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “First off, Vinnie was everything HELLYEAH. He loved that band. He loved his band, he loved his guys, he loved being on the road, he loved touring — he loved everything about it still, man. He wasn’t one of the guys that saw glory at one point and was just, like, ‘Yeah, I still wanna play, but my heart’s not really [in it]. Yeah, whatever. I’m here.’ He lived and breathed it, man, and he believed in that band. And he wanted to see it again. And he wanted us to be able to see it with him. So when he lost him, the bottom kind of fell out — it absolutely fell out.
“It’s been a long, hard recovery, man. I don’t think any of us truly recovered from it — honestly,” he admitted.
STONE SOUR drummer Roy Mayorga stepped in as Vinnie Paul’s replacement for the touring activity in support of HELLYEAH’s sixth album, “Welcome Home”, which came out in September 2019.
“We were in a position going in and doing that record — what ended up being ‘Welcome Home’ — and it was set up to be a big record for us, Christian recalled. “It was the third record we’d done with [producer] Kevin Churko. The last record had seen quite a bit of success, so we were looking forward to getting this one done and out and seeing what came from that. And, of course, Vinnie had finished his tracks — his drum tracks and everything — and it was kind of a slow-going process; there had been some delays and studio complications and things. But he passed not long after his tracks had been finished, very unexpectedly. So we had to deal with, first and foremost, that. And then we didn’t have much time, and we had go back into the studio, ’cause if we didn’t go in, we would have lost the time to do it. So we ended up going in and finishing the record, which we knew we had to do, because it was his last piece of work. We felt like we had to do it — number one, for him, and for the fans, because they deserve to hear it, ’cause he had played great on it. So it was really hard, man. And we went in and finished the record and gave everything we had to it. And then after that, we released the first single, and we put together a memorial tour, and we did two legs of that. We were slotted to do a third leg, although I don’t believe we were gonna do it as a memorial anymore. We did two runs of that — kind of all A and B markets in the States. And it definitely wasn’t ever our intention to milk that. That was the furthest thing from our minds. We just wanted to honor our brother, so we didn’t wanna keep going back to the well with that either. We were gonna do another run and see what happened after that, but COVID hit, so we had to cancel that, and here we are.
“But honestly, man, trying to move forward without Vinnie has been really tough,” Brady continued. “Not only do you lose your bandmember, but in that case, Vinnie was one of my best friends, man. He lived in [Las] Vegas more than he lived in Texas. The last four or five years [of his life], he was always in Vegas, and we were always together, man — we were always hanging together. He was one of my dearest friends. So not only do you lose your bandmember and family member, you lose your brother — you lose just everything. And it’s been difficult; I’m not gonna say it hasn’t.
“Roy Mayorga came in, from STONE SOUR, and played drums on those tours. And he’s amazing,” Christian added. “I love Roy. He knew Vinnie very well, and there was a lot of mutual respect and love there. So it made sense. All the guys knew him for years. So it was the right guy to bring in and have do the tours. But that being said, it was just still really difficult, because it wasn’t our boy. You’re used to turning around and looking back and seeing that grin and seeing your boy. And it was just a big part of the band missing because of that, and it’s been difficult.”
Vinnie Paul died in June 2018 of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn’t pump blood as well as a healthy heart.
Last December, singer Chad Gray said during a Headbangers Con live virtual panel that HELLYEAH was “in a holding pattern right now [due to the coronavirus pandemic]. I don’t have any new music,” he admitted. “I’ve been telling Tom [Maxwell, HELLYEAH guitarist] to get me some riffs so I can write, because right now is a great time to fucking write. So we’ll just have to see, man. Obviously, we need to get together and write some music. But, yeah, I mean, hopefully. It’s all fucked up right now, nobody knows what’s going on with anything.”
In September, guitarist Tom Maxwell told the “The Ex-Man” podcast that he wasn’t sure there would be a follow-up album to “Welcome Home”.
Mayorga previously played with HELLYEAH bassist Kyle Sanders in MEDICATION, the early 2000s outfit which also featured guitarist Logan Mader (MACHINE HEAD) and singer Whitfield Crane (UGLY KID JOE).
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Original BLACK SABBATH Drummer BILL WARD Is Working On Autobiography
Original BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward has confirmed that he is working on an autobiography.
The 72-year-old rocker revealed his plan to tell his life story in book form during a March 12 appearance on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”.
Regarding what fans can expect from his autobiography, Ward said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It’s not [going to be], like, ‘In 1968 we became famous, and then we did this and then we did that.’ In the book, I’m trying to be as careful about what I’m saying in order not to harm anybody — either the reader or anybody else that I’ve ever made contact with in my life. And right in the front of the book, there’s a great big notice to self, which is do not discriminate or do not say undignified things about your fellows or anything else. So it’s not gonna be a dirt book that puts me right down way below everything else, where the publishers — or some publishers — like it to be. I’m trying to write something that’s dignified.”
He added: “There are [things in the book that are] more pinpointed rather than all the other things about rock and roll — things that are, to me, distasteful now. I have grandchildren, so I’m writing it, more or less, for the grandchildren, so they can understand that I worked with some great men, some great players, some great musicians — I’ve worked with so many good musicians. And so far, I still continue to do that. So I hope it’ll be a book about being honorable and being worthwhile to other musicians and to interested readers.”
Ward said that he had completed another book a while ago for which he has secured a publisher and which doesn’t yet have a release date. In addition, he is “writing two or three other books,” he said. ‘I write all the time. Some of them are very personalized things. Some of them are sarcastic looks at life.”
Bill was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced nine years ago, but backed out soon after. The drummer later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn’t physically up to the task.
All four original members of SABBATH were present when the band announced its reunion in late 2011. But Ward split from the group in 2012, citing an “unsignable” contract, and singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler carried on with their Rick Rubin–produced “13” LP and extensive international touring without him.
It was rumored that SABBATH wanted to bring a second drummer on the road to share duties with Ward, something that Iommi confirmed in 2017 during a question-and-answer session about SABBATH’s “Ten Year War” box set.
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MIKE PORTNOY Says Playing With JOHN PETRUCCI And JORDAN RUDESS Again 'Felt So Natural' And 'Comfortable'
LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT, the instrumental progressive rock/metal project featuring DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess and guitarist John Petrucci, alongside ex-DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy and progressive rock icon Tony Levin (bass) of KING CRIMSON and PETER GABRIEL fame, will release its third album, “LTE3”, on March 26 via InsideOut Music. The effort will arrive 22 years after the release of 1999’s “Liquid Tension Experiment 2”.
Portnoy spoke to Rudess about their renewed collaboration for a video chat that was originally uploaded to Jordan’s Patreon channel. The drummer said (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Coming back together to do the LTE sessions last summer hit on two levels. The first level was the four of us — the four of us hadn’t been in a studio together in 22 years, and the last time we made that second LTE album, our kids were just getting born, and now they’re all adults. But then there was the other elephant in the room that me, you and John hadn’t been together in, I guess, 10 or 11 years. And that was pretty surreal. But the minute we started playing, it was like not a day had passed. It just felt so natural, so comfortable.”
Regarding the songwriting process for LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT, Portnoy said: “Even all those years we were together in DREAM THEATER, I found the chemistry for LTE and the chemistry for DREAM THEATER, between all of us, it’s a little bit of a different chemistry too, because it’s a different way of writing and working. With DREAM THEATER, there’s vocals — you have to write with vocals in mind — whereas LTE, it’s instrumental, so it’s a whole different way of writing. It’s also very, very improvisationally based, so there’s that element. There’s also the keyboards… I think with LTE, when we did those first two albums, you were free to do whatever, and that was our chance to work with you. And it was, like, ‘Man, whatever you want, Jordan. Go for it.’ But then once you came into DREAM THEATER, it’s kind of a different formula. You’ve kind of gotta find your place; the dynamic is a little different. But the LTE dynamic is so free and open — there are no rules with LTE.”
“LTE3” track listing:
01. Hypersonic (8:22)
02. Beating The Odds (6:09)
03. Liquid Evolution (3:23)
04. The Passage Of Time (7:32)
05. Chris & Kevin’s Amazing Odyssey (5:04)
06. Rhapsody In Blue (13:16)
07. Shades Of Hope (4:42)
08. Key To The Imagination (13:14)
The bonus disc includes almost an hour of improvised jams.
The album will be available as:
* Limited deluxe hot pink 3LP+2CD+Blu-ray Box Set (including a poster and 4 artcards, Blu-ray includes a 5.1 surround mix with visuals, and full band interview from the studio)
* Limited 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook
* Limited 2CD Digipak
* Gatefold black 2LP+CD
*Digital album (2CD)
Speaking about why now was the right time to resurrect LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT, Portnoy told Revolver: “The main reason is the insanity of 2020. The pandemic and the lockdown is pretty much what allowed it. But we’ve been talking about it for many, many years. It’s been 10 years since I left DREAM THEATER, and it didn’t make sense to do LTE while I was still in DREAM THEATER. Because it was three members of the same band. Then after I left, it took many years of healing and all the drama to pass and the dust to settle before the relationships with John and Jordan got real good again. And musically, Jordan and I played together a few years ago on the Cruise To The Edge, and then obviously John Petrucci and I played together last year for his solo album [‘Terminal Velocity’]. So it seemed like the time was right to finally do it. And the pandemic, for better or worse, gave us a window of opportunity where none of us were on tour and we could actually align the schedules and do it.”
On the topic of his musical chemistry with Petrucci, Portnoy said: “Well, John and I were writing partners and producing partners for 25 years. And when we reconvened last year for his solo album, I guess I will say the difference was that the roles were redefined, because it was his album. It wasn’t like DREAM THEATER where we wrote together and produced together. When I got together with him for ‘Terminal Velocity’, I was coming in and playing a much different role, as was he. John had written it all and I was there to do a service for him. And I’m very comfortable playing that role, being a session guy or a hired gun. But then when we got together to do LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT a few months later, that was more of the natural chemistry of us writing together, working together, making decisions together. Once we got to that relationship, it was exactly as it had been when I left DREAM THEATER. It was just so immediately comfortable.”
Photo credit: Tony Levin
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KISS's PAUL STANLEY: 'We've Got A Long Way To Go' Before Big Rock Concerts Return
In a new interview with “Talking With Mark Strigl”, KISS co-founder and frontman, best-selling author and Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Paul Stanley, who is promoting the debut album from his SOUL STATION project, was asked about the prospect of either KISS or SOUL STATION hitting the road later this year. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I’m optimistic, because I think the idea of big bands going out and doing arenas or stadiums, I think we’ve got a long way to go before that happens. KISS will pick up the ‘End Of The Road’ tour as soon as we can, but that’s gonna be on hold. A lot of bands or a lot of people can be putting tickets on sale for concerts, but most of them are gonna wind up postponing again, ’cause it’s not safe, and promoters can’t get insurance. So there’s so many reasons why that’s not gonna happen. However, the idea of SOUL STATION doing smaller shows, I think, is much more possible. So during that time, could we be out there playing? Fingers crossed, man. I wanna go.”
Due on March 19 via Universal Music Enterprises, SOUL STATION’s “Now And Then” is a collection of nine classic soul covers and five original tracks. Included on the LP are the band’s version of THE FIVE STAIRSTEPS’ “O-o-h Child” as well as SOUL STATION’s take on THE SPINNERS’ “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love”.
Stanley’s bandmembers include Rafael “Hoffa” Moreira (guitar and backing vocals), Sean Hurley (bass), Alex Alessandroni (musical director, keyboards), Ely Rise (keyboards), Eric Singer (drums and backing vocals), RayYslas (percussion), Gavyn Rhone (backing vocals), Crystal Starr (backing vocals) and Laurhan Beato (backing vocals) and Jon Pappenbrook (lead trumpet).
KISS’s farewell trek was launched in January 2019 and was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.
KISS last performed this past New Year’s Eve in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The concert broke Guinness world records for highest flame projection in a music concert and for most flame projections launched simultaneously in a music concert.
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ALICE COOPER Is 'A Very Big Optimist' About Post-Pandemic Concert Industry
Legendary rocker Alice Cooper spoke to Australia’s May The Rock Be With You about what the concert industry might look like post-pandemic. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “First of all, I’m a very big optimist about this. I think in six months, everything’s gonna be way, way better than it is now. I just think that the vaccine — I know in [my hometown of] Phoenix, there’s, like, ten thousand vaccinations a day, and I’m sure that Los Angeles and all the big cities are doing this. And by that time, I would say half the population will be vaccinated. And then I think that if you show your certificate that you’ve been vaccinated, why couldn’t you go to a concert? Show your certificate and get in the show. There’s nothing to fear; everybody’s covered.
“I think everybody’s being very, ‘Let’s not rush it. Let’s not this.’ But I’m more of a person that’s looking at the reality,” he added. “I think that we’re gonna have a really big resurgence of everything in the next six months.”
Alice’s new studio album, “Detroit Stories”, was released on February 26 via earMUSIC.
Named for the city that launched the original Alice Cooper group on the road to success, “Detroit Stories” follows 2019’s “Breadcrumbs” EP as a modern-day homage to the toughest and craziest rock and roll scene there ever was.
“Detroit Stories” was recorded with producer Bob Ezrin, mostly in Royal Oak with Detroit musicians and featuring a mix of original material alongside covers of songs by Bob Seger, the MC5, Mitch Ryder’s DETROIT and OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY.
Cooper recently said that his next studio album will be the first to feature the current lineup of his solo band: Tommy Henriksen (guitar), Nita Strauss (guitar), Ryan Roxie (guitar), Chuck Garric (bass) and Glen Sobel (drums).
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TRACII GUNS On MICHAEL SWEET: 'We Have The Same Influences In Music, We're Great Friends, And We Have Completely Opposite Ideologies'
Tracii Guns (L.A. GUNS) recently spoke to Talking Metal about SUNBOMB, his collaboration with STRYPER’s Michael Sweet. Regarding how the project came about, Tracii said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “The greatest thing about Michael and I is that we have the same influences in music, we’re great friends, and we have completely opposite ideologies — completely; on every level. And we laugh about it. We are two guys, when put together, we do discuss these things without any judgment. It’s just, like, ‘Hey, I respect your opinion. Cool.’ Whether it’s religion, politics — it doesn’t matter; we get along.
“It kind of came to be where when we did ‘The Devil You Know’ record, which is [L.A. GUNS’] last studio album, I wanted to tour with STRYPER,” he continued. “Of course I wanted to tour with STRYPER — it’s like the ‘Heaven And Hell’ tour. And Michael wanted to do it too. We couldn’t get promoters to okay it. They were just, like, ‘Oh, man. C’mon.’ It’s, like, what happened to the music industry? It’s, like, this is fun. This is great. This is literally combining two rock audiences that love the same style of music, but two separate audiences; a great opportunity. So, anyways, we couldn’t make it happen. So Michael and I just kept talking. And then I got a solo deal with Frontiers, who L.A. GUNS is on, and STRYPER has done records with Frontiers. And I started writing this stuff that’s super metal, man. It’s awesome; I totally love this album. And I sent Michael a couple of tunes and said, ‘Hey, I want you to sing on this stuff.’ I go, ‘It’s a great opportunity for us to do something together after talking about it for two years.’ And he goes, ‘Yeah. Totally. This is insane. This music is insane.’ And I’m, like, ‘All right. Cool.’ So, a lot of time went by, and finally I started getting the tracks back from him, with his vocal. And it’s mindblowing.”
Regarding SUNBOMB’s musical direction, Guns said: “I compare it — in my catalog, my personal catalog — to BLACK SABBATH’s ‘Born Again’ album. That album is so different than any other BLACK SABBATH album, yet it’s BLACK SABBATH. It’s a hundred percent Tony Iommi, but Ian Gillan is singing. That’s what this record is like — I hear my riffs and my style times a hundred; it’s what I do normally, but extra strength. And Michael’s voice is insane, man — he’s so good.”
SUNBOMB will release its debut album, “Evil And Divine”, on May 14 via Frontiers Music Srl. The lyric video for the first single, “No Tomorrows”, can be seen below.
According to a press release, “Evil And Divine” is “an absolute blinder of a heavy metal album, melding influences of classic metal bands such as BLACK SABBATH and JUDAS PRIEST, with Tracii’s love of metal subgenres, specifically doom metal.”
Initiated and conceived after Serafino Perugino, president and A&R director of Frontiers Music Srl, reached out to Tracii about working on a new musical project for the label, the idea of a classic heavy metal-sounding album was born. The music style on “Evil And Divine” is much heavier than what one would expect from these two musicians and is firmly planted in the “metal” category. While Tracii wrote the music for the album, the fact that Michael Sweet has been writing/playing in an increasingly heavier style in the latter era, and extremely well-received STRYPER albums made him a very logical choice to sing for the band. And since doom metal, often known for having powerful singers like Messiah Marcolin from CANDLEMASS, was a massive influence on Tracii’s songwriting here, Sweet’s ability and range were a perfect match.
Michael said: “Hard to believe that I met Tracii for the first time just a few years ago. We hit it off right away and we obviously share the same love for metal.
“Tracii sent me a song and I loved the vibe and then he eventually asked me to sing on the entire album.
“What I love about it is it’s definitely different not only for me, but for Tracii as well. I think fans will love this album, and although it’s reminiscent of some of the greatest metal bands of the past, it also has a fresh spin to it. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it! I’m honored to be a part of it.”
Tracii leaked the news of the new project in a March 2019 tweet, where he described the project’s debut LP as “the metal record I would have made when I was 17 years old.” In May 2020, he mentioned on “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” that “the SUNBOMB record is really kind of like ‘The Devil You Know’ times three. It’s more on the heavy side of ‘The Devil You Know’ album. And Michael Sweet, he’s a really fantastic metal singer.”
Drums on the album were handled by Tracii’s old L.A. GUNS bandmate Adam Hamilton, and bass was recorded by Mitch Davis, with the exception of the track “They Fought”, which features current L.A. GUNS bassist Johnny Martin.
“Evil And Divine” track listing:
01. Life
02. Take Me Away
03. Better End
04. No Tomorrows
05. Born To Win
06. Evil And Divine
07. Been Said And Done
08. Stronger Than Before
09. Story Of The Blind
10. World Gone Wrong
11. They Fought
Recording lineup:
Tracii Guns – Guitars
Michael Sweet – Vocals
Adam Hamilton – Drums
Mitch Davis – Bass
Johnny Martin – Bass (on “We Fought”)

PAPA ROACH's New Album Will 'Blow People's Minds', Says JACOBY SHADDIX
PAPA ROACH singer Jacoby Shaddix spoke to Germany’s Radio Bob! About the band’s recently completed follow-up to 2019’s “Who Do You Trust?” album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “We rented a house in August [of 2020], in the summer, and we wrote a ton of music. We all lived in [the house]. We all got COVID-tested. We had a friend that’s like a cook. He came out. We bought all the food. We stayed there — everybody. No one left for a month. And it was music 24 hours a day.
“This record, in my opinion, we’ve taken it to the next level,” he continued. “Our vision for this is, how do we take rock into the future? We see other bands like ARCHITECTS; they have their version of how they’re bringing rock into the future. BRING ME THE HORIZON is doing their version of taking rock into the future.
“Over the last two records, [2017’s] ‘Crooked Teeth’ and ‘Who Do We Trust?’, we’ve been really setting the bar a little bit higher for ourselves in the evolution of what we believe where rock’s headed. And this album is a testament to that. So I think we’re gonna blow people’s minds with this new record. It’s so dope, man. I can’t wait for people to hear it.”
Last month, Shaddix has told Germany’s Rock Antenne that PAPA ROACH would not release a new album until the coronavirus pandemic has subsided.
“The touring is not coming back for the rest of this year,” he said. “I mean, there’ll be some pop-up shows here and there, but we’re not gonna drop a new album and tour until 2022. We’re just gonna wait it out.”
In January, a snippet of a brand new PAPA ROACH song called “Stand Up” was included in commercial for Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) partnership with ESPN.
PAPA ROACH’s second greatest-hits collection, “Greatest Hits Vol. 2: The Better Noise Years”, is due on March 19 on Better Noise Music.
“Greatest Hits Vol. 2 – The Better Noise Years” includes 12 of the band’s top 10 hits released between 2010 to 2019 as well as three previously unreleased remixes and two unreleased acoustic recordings recorded live at the YouTube Studios in New York City.
“Who Do You Trust?” was released in January 2019. The disc was produced by Nick “RAS” Furlong and Colin Cunningham except for the song “Top Of The World”, which is helmed by Jason Evigan.
In December, PAPA ROACH released a five-song EP, “20/20”, featuring “new takes on old jams,” including “Last Resort” and “Scars”.
Photo credit: Bryan Roatch
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BUMBLEFOOT Looks Back On His Time With GUNS N' ROSES: 'I Was Inexperienced At Being A Hired Gun In A Stadium Band'
Former GUNS N’ ROSES guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal has described his eight-year stint with the band as a “very intense” experience.
Thal joined GUNS N’ ROSES in 2006 and played on 2008’s “Chinese Democracy”, an album which contained music that had been written before he came into the group. The disc took 13 years to make and was only a modest seller, moving just around half a million copies.
Thal looked back on his time with GUNS N’ ROSES during a March 12 appearance on FaceCulture’s “Behind The Music” livestream. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “My dream was always to be in a John-Paul-George-Ringo, not John-Paul-George-and-a-hired-guy,” he said, referring to THE BEATLES’ classic lineup. “Not to put it down and not to understate the eight years that I had with [GUNS N’ ROSES] — and I did write and play my own parts on ‘Chinese Democracy’ — but for me, I need to be a founding member and a writer of the music and a creative part of it.
“When I played with GUNS, it was cool playing all the big stages and everything,” he continued. ‘Yes, that was wonderful, and it’s what you aspire to as a kid when you start out.”
Asked to describe his years with GUNS N’ ROSES with one word, Thal said: “Intense. It was very intense. It was high highs, low lows and everything in between. And I made a lot of good friends. I hate to say I learned a lot of things, ’cause it’s not supposed to be an education — you’re supposed to be there ’cause you don’t need an education, but you never stop learning, and that’s the truth. And I got experiences and learned things that I didn’t do yet. So that was good. But at the same time, I was touring a lot before GUNS — a good 10 years of international touring. I mean, I played Russia before GUNS did, doing solo stuff — things like that. So it’s not like I was completely inexperienced. I was just inexperienced at being a hired gun in a stadium band or an arena band. So with that, that was a whole new thing. ‘Cause for me, bands were your friends that you played together and you had this familial kind of relationship, and you’re not just brought in to play with strangers. And I have done that kind of thing as well, where I’ve been called in to play gigs, but never on something on such a big scale and where it would be something that really is the biggest thing of notable name recognition or anything that I had done. So that was different. And there’s lots that come with that that you didn’t expect.”
Asked if he still speaks with GUNS N’ ROSES singer Axl Rose, Thal laughed and said: “He’s doing his thing, I’m doing my thing, and I wish them all the best. And I’m so happy to see how great they’re doing with [classic-lineup members] Slash and Duff [McKagan]. I’m very happy for them.”
Thal never officially announced his departure from the GN’R, but a source confirmed to Detroit music writer Gary Graff back in 2015 that the guitarist had been out since the end of the band’s second Las Vegas residency in 2014.
Thal later revealed that he was focusing on his solo career and other projects after spending eight years playing in GUNS.
In a 2017 interview with Meltdown of the Detroit radio station WRIF, Thal said that it would feel “kind of weird” if he went to see the reunited partial classic lineup of GUNS N’ ROSES perform in concert. “I quit the band and they moved on and I moved on. It’s not like we quit pretty,” he explained. “And also, what am I gonna do? I’m gonna stand in the audience and everyone’s gonna be, like, ‘Hey, you used to be there.’ It’s too weird, man.
“I wish ’em well and all, but to actually physically go [and see them], after hundreds of times on the stage with them, it just feels very surreal,” he continued. “I always describe it like going to see your ex-girlfriend’s wedding. And I don’t mean any disrespect by that, and I do wish them well and I’m happy that they’re doing so, so good. But for me to go and see it, it would just stir up a lot of stuff. So it’s better that I’m just doing my thing, they’re doing their thing and everybody just wishes each other well from afar. And I get lots of good reports from friends and everything and I’m still in touch with people in the camp. I’m real happy for them — they’re on top of the world right now, so good for them.”
Back in September, Thal told Jam Man that he “sometimes did” and “sometimes didn’t” get along with the members of GUNS N’ ROSES while he was in the band. “When a bunch of dudes are living together for months at a time, traveling from place to place and living such an intense life while you have this whole other life that’s happening back home that needs you, there’s a lot of things that can wear a person down, individuals,” he explained. “And when that person gets worn down, they’re not gonna be at their best. And other people, depending on who they are, the way they react to people who are worn down and not at their best, it will trigger things in them and maybe not bring out their best. And it’s very easy for the stress to get the best of people in a group environment — whether it’s a band, whether it’s an office, whether it’s anyting. That’s just the nature of human beings. The way we feel is very contagious. If one person is foul, everyone gets foul. If one person is happy, everyone can get happy. If one person is laughing, everyone starts laughing. So it’s very easy for us — and when I say ‘us,’ I mean any group of people — to react to each other in any direction.
“So, yeah, there were times when we got along great, [and] some times when we really didn’t, and everything in between,” he continued. “But ultimately, when you get on stage, most of the time, you forget everything and you just get lost in the music and you’re having a great time in that moment, just making music and being a part of something that’s bigger than ourselves and more meaningful than whatever you’re going through. And you’re there for hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands or whatever it is, that many people, that are there to be happy. And it’s hard not to be when you’re part of that.”
Thal is currently a member of SONS OF APOLLO, which also features drummer Mike Portnoy, keyboardist Derek Sherinian and bassist Billy Sheehan. SONS OF APOLLO released its second studio album, “MMXX” (pronounced: 20/20), in January 2020 via InsideOut Music/Sony.
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