Month: March 2021

SION, the new project featuring former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Howard Jones and modern guitar virtuoso/content creator Jared Dines, has released the official music video for its debut single, “The Blade”. Check it out below.

Speaking about how their collaboration came about, Dines told Rock Feed: “Way back [in] 2018 was the TRIVIUM tour that I filled in for that Howard was on with his band LIGHT THE TORCH. And, of course, we met and we talked and we just kind of randomly started talking [about working together]. I think Howard mentioned, ‘Down the road, let’s maybe talk about doing something.’ And, of course, I was, like, ‘Yeah, that sounds awesome.’ So that’s kind of where it started. And then maybe just until [early 2020], I think [he] reached out and had said that [he] had some free time, and I had some free time, so we figured why not start now and start writing some songs. So that’s kind of how it started. It was just very casual, and it’s just been that way — very natural, and not, like, [with] any type of real plan.”

Regarding SION’s musical direction, Dines said: “I think there’s a lot of natural influence I have from bands like KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, AS I LAY DYING, et cetera, et cetera, because that’s the era I grew up on, so that’s kind of imprinted into my playing as it is. So it’s very natural for me just to flow out these very, you could call it KILLSWITCH ENGAGE-sounding songs, but that’s not the intent, what we were going for. But, yeah, they’re going to sound, when you hear them, of course, because of Howard and because of my influence and my style, they will be similar to that sound — just naturally. [KILLSWITCH ENGAGE’s third album, 2004’s] ‘The End Of Heartache’, of course, for me, was my favorite and what influenced me the most, so I would say it’s probably gonna sound more like that, as far as instrumentally. And whatever Howard wants to do with it, it’s gonna sound like Howard. It’s gonna sound like me and Howard, whatever that sounds like.”

Jones left KILLSWITCH ENGAGE in 2012 and battled manic depression and bipolar disorder before forming a new project, DEVIL YOU KNOW, with guitarist Francesco Artusato (ALL SHALL PERISH) and drummer John Sankey (DEVOLVED). Along with bassist Ryan Wombacher (BLEEDING THROUGH), they recorded and toured behind two well-received albums, 2014’s “The Beauty Of Destruction” and 2015’s “They Bleed Red”. In 2017, the band changed its name to LIGHT THE TORCH following a bitter dispute with Sankey, a part owner of the name.

Asked what made him get back into music after leaving KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, Howard told Heavy New York: “Honestly, I think it was because I was just kind of tired of doing nothing and I don’t do much else other than music. I felt like I needed to venture out because I was basically agoraphobic for three years. It’s kind of well known. I went off the grid. I didn’t have a cell phone for three years — I was gone. It felt, like, ‘Okay, maybe I should dip my toe in. I don’t have to do it full time. I don’t have to do what I don’t want to do.’ That’s all I was thinking. I started moving, I started doing things. It was definitely a struggle, especially for the first few years. I was, like, ‘What am I doing?’ There’s been few things in my life that has been consistent other than music. I just did it. It just took some time, then all of the sudden, the spark showed up. I fell back in love with what I was doing. I really can’t explain it. It just sort of happened.”

In a 2014 interview with Fishing World, Jones stated about his musical influences: “Well, just about anything I can listen to. AC/DC and KISS were the first bands that introduced me to heavy music. After that, I just absorbed anything I could get my hands on. Some favourites are FAITH NO MORE, HIM, ALICE IN CHAINS, PORTISHEAD … My taste is kind of all over the place.”

Jones makes an appearance on KILLSWITCH ENGAGE’s latest album, “Atonement”, contributing guest vocals to the song “The Signal Fire”.

Dines has redefined the very idea of a guitar hero online. His YouTube channel boasts a staggering 2.92 million subscribers and more than 700 million views. He also has collaborated with everyone from Post Malone to BREAKING BENJAMIN. His recorded output includes “Rest”, “Repose”, “Daddy Rock” and “Dissimilator”, to name a few. He made history as “the first YouTuber” to grace the cover of Guitar World magazine. Meanwhile, he teamed up with Music Man for a signature Stingray guitar.

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It seems reasonable to say that not everyone will remember GIZMACHI. 2005 seems like a very long time ago now, and the band’s excellent debut album “The Imbuing” never really got the recognition it deserved. This unexpected return after 16 years is unlikely to cause earthquakes, that is, until people actually hear it. With the inspired choice of SOILWORK / NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA frontman Björn “Speed” Strid on lead vocals, “Omega Kaleid” takes all the smart ideas, polyrhythmic mischief and scabrous, left-field melodies that made their debut so engaging and upgrades the lot, ensuring that GIZMACHI are now fighting fit for 2021 and considerably more distinctive and original than most. It is always, as they say, the quiet ones. They are quiet no more, and “Omega Kaleid” skillfully conspires to keep it that way.

The real magic here lies in the way GIZMACHI employ all kinds of jaw-wrenching polyrhythms and fucked-up riffs without ever sounding remotely like any other band, MESHUGGAH worshippers or otherwise. Perhaps a little annoyingly for the band themselves, they were making music this idiosyncratic and skewed 16 years ago too, but somehow it still sounds ahead of the game and yet weirdly timely and accessible at the same time. Not entirely surprisingly, the commanding, charismatic presence of Björn Strid has nudged everything up a few additional notches too, making GIZMACHI’s already nails-hard attack even more punchy, brutish and compelling as a result.

A thrilling entry point into this album’s twisted world, “Paradox” is a blur of flailing grooves and scattershot tempo shifts, with a woozy, tripped-out mid-section that provides Strid with his first opportunity to croon. There are countless ideas crammed into the song’s five-and-a-half minutes, plus some giant, soaring melodies and a hint of ALICE IN CHAINS-like morbid ennui. It’s such an intricate and intoxicating brew, that the relatively straightforward alt-rock thunder of “Broken Ends” comes as a slight surprise, that is, until the song veers off on several churning, mutant riff detours: another brilliantly tight but groovy ensemble performance from a band that truly sound like they have been itching to let rip for, oh I don’t know, at least 15 years.

Laudably, the rest of the album maintains both the sharpness of those hooks and the feverish invention driving the songs’ oddball structures and dynamic extremes. For sheer, visceral fire and fury, “Look What I’ve Become” is an obvious high point; for more epic, exploratory fare, the eight-minute “Inner Visions” begins as a flat-out bombardment, before slipping majestically down a psychedelic rabbit hole and into atmospheric, post-metal territory, while the closing title track morphs and warps through several movements, each one more mesmerizing than the last.

Whether anyone was expecting it or not, this is how you make a comeback.

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The reunited expanded classic lineup of German power metallers HELLOWEEN will release its new, self-titled album on June 18 via Nuclear Blast. The disc’s first single, “Skyfall”, will arrive on April 2.

The “Pumpkins United” lineup features returning singer Michael Kiske and guitarist/vocalist Kai Hansen alongside current singer Andi Deris, guitarists Michael Weikath and Sascha Gerstner, bassist Markus Grosskopf and drummer Daniel Löble.

Produced by Charlie Bauerfeind and Dennis Ward, the new HELLOWEEN LP was recorded in part at the H.O.M.E. Studios in Hamburg (where everything started in 1984). The same recording console used for such HELLOWEEN albums as “Master Of The Rings”, “Time Of The Oath” and “Better Than Raw” was utilized to record the band’s new material. The effort was mixed at the Valhalla Studios of Ronald Prent (IRON MAIDEN, DEF LEPPARD, RAMMSTEIN).

Said Löble: “This record is the coronation of the ‘Pumpkins United’ journey. I have always been fascinated by the different character traits and facets of HELLOWEEN’s history. For example, the legendary voices of Michi, Andi and Kai. To enjoy them now together on one record, under one flag, is the ultimate HELLOWEEN experience.”

“Skyfall” begins with a bang. The epic track describes an alien landing on earth and a dramatic chase, while Kiske, Deris and Hansen duel with each other in a truly breathtaking manner. Produced by Martin Häusler, it is the most elaborate video clip in the history of the band. Portrayed via truly cinematic 3-D animation, this clip is a real high-end experience.

Bauerfeind said: “After 30 years with different lineups of the band, I really thought I was well prepared for another extreme challenge, but I was wrong. My expectations were highly exceeded in every way with this super-sized package of creativity.”

Musical dexterity aside, it is also the immense passion of the band that defines HELLOWEEN. Weikath describes it thusly: “It is the incomprehensible encounter of seven musicians who are working as friends and even family who have created something that no one would have thought could be possible. It is like awaking from a sleep but still being in an incredible dream.”

Hansen reflects: “Being in the studio with my old companions after 30 years away was very emotional for me. But at the same time, it was a completely different experience with the ‘new’ boys. The collaboration of different songwriters, each of them strong characters in their own right, has made the album very special. A unique mix which draws from all chapters of the band’s history.

“HELLOWEEN is a big part of my life and I am looking forward to celebrating the songs live for and with our fans!”

Grosskopf agrees: “For me, being one of the last ‘survivors’ who played every note from the beginning, it was a fantastic experience and a very emotional process. I think everyone can hear it on this album. I love it.”

HELLOWEEN’s new album saw the legendary German power metallers going “back to the roots,” with the band recording fully analogue and Löble playing the drum kit previously used by HELLOWEEN’s original drummer, the late Ingo Schwichtenberg, on the legendary “Keeper Of The Seven Keys” recordings.

The album pre-order will kick off on March 26.

Track listing:

01. Out For The Glory
02. Fear Of The Fallen
03. Best Time
04. Mass Pollution
05. Angels
06. Rise Without Chains
07. Indestructible
08. Robot King
09. Cyanide
10. Down In The Dumps
11. Orbit
12. Skyfall

“Skyfall” will be available on CD, digitally and in two different vinyl versions.

Single 1: Vinyl, CD, digital:

“Skyfall” (single edit) + “Skyfall” (exclusive alternative vocals mix). Both are exclusive single versions and will not be on the album. Around 20 minutes playing time.

Single 2: Vinyl only

“Skyfall” (single edit) + “Indestructible” (exclusive album track). This is a strictly limited version of the new single with one exclusive album track.

The “Pumpkins United” tour marked the first time Kiske had played live with HELLOWEEN since 1993. Hansen, who departed HELLOWEEN in 1988, had been joining the band onstage on various tours and festival appearances throughout the years. The set featured several duets with Kiske and his replacement, Deris, along with many rarely played songs, including “Kids Of The Century”, “Rise And Fall” and “Livin’ Ain’t No Crime”. Hansen — who fronted HELLOWEEN until late 1986 — sang a medley of several early HELLOWEEN classics, including “Ride The Sky”, “Judas”, “Starlight” and “Heavy Metal (Is The Law)”.

HELLOWEEN’s European “United Alive World Tour Part II”, which was originally scheduled to take place in September and October will now take place next year.

The “Pumpkins United” lineup of HELLOWEEN already released one new song — aptly titled “Pumpkins United” — in October 2017.

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To celebrate the 20th anniversary of DEFTONES’ legendary platinum-certified album “White Pony”, the band has partnered with Abre Ojos Tequila to release a limited-edition Añejo Tequila.

The limited-edition Añejo was handcrafted in the town of Tequila, Jalisco. It is aged up to two years in American Oak used whiskey barrels, creating caramel, vanilla, hazelnut and chocolate notes. The buttery taste ends with a smoky, mature flavor. It is meant to sip and enjoy.

Last December, DEFTONES released “Black Stallion”, the long-awaited “White Pony” companion album featuring an eclectic cast of contributors re-imagining its songs and their far-reaching impact across the worlds of metal, hip-hop, indie, and electronic music.

DEFTONES announced their plans for a “White Pony” remix album during a virtual press conference in June. At the time, singer Chino Moreno stated: “We’re going to be releasing later in the year a reissue of [‘White Pony’] and we’re going to do sort of a split side of the record, a remixed version of it titled ‘Black Stallion’. So we have a bunch of different people on it, some that actually inspired some of the writing of the record itself, the original album. So it’s kind of come full circle.”

DJ Frank Delgado revealed that “Black Stallion” was in the works before “White Pony” even saw the light of day.

“We would talk about [‘White Pony’ before it came out], how good it was going to be, and we’d immediately jump to, ‘It’s going to be so good, we’re going to have [DJ] Shadow remix it and we’ll call it ‘Black Stallion’. I think one time we actually hit him up. He was playing here in town and I was opening DJing and me and Chino kind of cornered him.”

“White Pony (20th Anniversary)” is available in three physical formats: 2 CD + digital download; limited-edition deluxe box set (2 double LPs + 2 CDs); and a vinyl box set (2 double LPs).

DEFTONES’ ninth album, “Ohms”, arrived in September.

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FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has released a lyric video for “I Refuse”. The song was included on the second instalment of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH’s greatest-hits collection, “A Decade Of Destruction – Volume 2”, which came out in October.

“A Decade Of Destruction – Volume 2” contains four previously unreleased tracks: “Broken World”, the Steve Aoki remix of “Bad Company”, a Joe Hahn remix of “Wash It All Away”, a Felmax remix of “Trouble” and a new acoustic version of “Wrong Side Of Heaven”.

In October, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH confirmed that it officially parted ways with guitarist Jason Hook back in February 2020, during the band’s sold-out European arena tour. He has since been replaced by renowned British virtuoso Andy James, who is also featured on “Broken World”.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH’s latest album, “F8”, was released in February 2020. The follow-up to 2018’s “And Justice For None” capped a turbulent period for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in which singer Ivan Moody finally got sober after a near-fatal struggle with addiction, while co-founding drummer Jeremy Spencer bowed out of the band due to physical issues.

Much of “F8″‘s lyrical content deals with Moody’s battle with addiction, its aftermath and his recovery. The singer celebrated two years of sobriety in March.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH’s new disc was once again helmed by Kevin Churko, the Canadian record producer/engineer and songwriter who currently lives in Las Vegas, where he works out of his private studio, The Hideout Recording Studio. The drums on the LP were laid down by Charlie “The Engine” Engen, who made his live debut with the group during its fall 2018 tour with BREAKING BENJAMIN.

In an interview with Berlin, Germany’s Star FM, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory spoke about the inspiration for the title of “F8”. He said: “Originally, we were just gonna call it ‘8’, sort of. We thought it’s the eighth record, and if you wanted to be esoteric about it, we figured, well, if you turn the ‘8’ sideways, it’s the symbol of infinity. There was some play with the visuals. I do most of the design and the graphics for the merch in the band in general… So, I was playing around with the graphics and I thought it maybe needs a bit more. And we were bouncing around ideas, and we added the letter ‘F.’ So it was, like, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH’s eighth record. At the same time, if you want to read it phonetically, it could be ‘fate.'”

Bathory told The Pulse Of Radio the band felt a different kind of vibe when it finally got into the studio to make “F8”. “After eight records, I don’t think we have to say, ‘Well, we are here to stay,'” he said. “But there was this image of getting into the studio and ‘Let’s light this on fire.’ This was this different sort of power, this different sort of energy that was driving us.”

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SCORPIONS have announced the rescheduled dates for their “Sin City Nights” Las Vegas residency. The run of shows, which was originally slated to take place in July 2020 and was later pushed back to May 2021, will now happen in March-April, 2022 at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Support will come from QUEENSRŸCHE.

“Sin City Nights” 2022 dates:

March26
March 30
April 1
April 3
April 7
April 9
April 12
April 14
April 16

Fans who purchased tickets to an affected performance will have their tickets automatically transferred to a new date with the exact same seats, including VIP packages, where applicable. If you are unable to attend that date, please visit your original point of purchase for a refund. Those interested in purchasing tickets for the new dates can do so at this location.

SCORPIONS previously played a Las Vegas mini-residency in May 2016, consisting of five shows at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

SCORPIONS’ new album is tentatively due later in the year. The disc was recorded in part at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and will mark the German hard rock legends’ first release since 2017’s “Born To Touch Your Feelings – Best Of Rock Ballads”, which was an anthology of SCORPIONS’ new and classic material.

SCORPIONS originally intended to record the new album in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, most of the work so far has been done remotely, with Fidelman taking part via Zoom.

Fidelman began his career as the guitarist and songwriter for RHINO BUCKET before launching his career as a producer, engineer and mixer, finding an early mentor in Rick Rubin.

SCORPIONS’ last full-length collection of new recordings was “Return To Forever”, partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the ’80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS’ longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016. He has since been replaced by Mikkey Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD.

Our Sin City Nights Vegas Residency dates May 8 – 30, 2021 at Zappos Theater have been rescheduled to March 26 – April…

Posted by Scorpions on Wednesday, March 10, 2021

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PHILIP H. ANSELMO AND THE ILLEGALS will return to the stage next month for a very special livestream event.

Dubbed “A Vulgar Display Of Pantera”, the multi-camera shot, fully live performance will take place on Friday, April 9 and find the band celebrating the legacy of PANTERA with a set featuring select cuts from the band’s five classic albums: “Cowboys From Hell”, “Vulgar Display Of Power”, “Far Beyond Driven”, “The Great Southern Trendkill” and “Reinventing The Steel”. The livestream will also include an opening set by Australian grindcore unit/Housecore recording artists KING PARROT.

Comments Anselmo: “It’s always fun to get together with THE ILLEGALS and pay tribute to PANTERA with all the awesome fans jamming along with us. Let’s do this!”

The festivities will commence at 7:00 p.m. EDT / 4:00 p.m. PDT on Friday, April 9 with PHILIP H. ANSELMO AND THE ILLEGALS taking the stage at 8:00 p.m. EDT / 5:00 p.m. PDT sharp. Video on demand will be available through Monday, April 12 at 11:59 p.m. EDT / 8:59 p.m. PDT.

Early bird tickets are $12.50 ($17.50 week of show). Find tickets and exclusive merch bundles at illegalslive.com.

PHILIP H. ANSELMO AND THE ILLEGALS’ “A Vulgar Display Of Pantera Live” is presented in association with Danny Wimmer Presents.

PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS features Philip H. Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN, SUPERJOINT, SCOUR, EN MINOR) with guitarists Stephen Taylor (SUPERJOINT) and Mike DeLeon (FLESH HOARDER, BEING KILLED, ex-MOD), drummer José Manuel “Blue” Gonzalez (SUPERJOINT, WARBEAST), and bassist Derek Engemann (SCOUR, ex-CATTLE DECAPITATION). The band’s most recent full-length, the critically acclaimed “Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue”, was released in 2018 via Anselmo’s own Housecore Records.

In the summer of 2019, Anselmo spoke to Revolver about his decision to play a number of PANTERA songs during the latest tour with PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS.

“We were about a month out from touring [the second ILLEGALS album, ‘Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue’] when Vince Paul passed away and that was horrific and so unexpected,” he said. “It was something that stopped me dead in my tracks. I was in my kitchen and I just dropped to the floor and just had to breathe for a little while. That’s when the big plea for us to do more PANTERA songs became irresistible. The tribute had to be then. It had to be right. And I never thought it would be THE ILLEGALS. Clearly the mission for us was to be a sweaty hole-in-the wall death-metal band. I’ve got to say huge props to them for learning the PANTERA material. They didn’t even flinch, man, and just went for it.

“The vibe from most of the shows have been so fucking great, man,” he continued. “And what really tickles me is seeing the young bloods out in the audience, freaking out on the PANTERA stuff. And you know it’s their parents who got them into PANTERA.”

On the topic of whether his PANTERA tribute will continue into the future, or if it’s something he is doing right now, Anselmo said: “I’d like it to be just for now. For me, PANTERA was PANTERA and there’s no substitute. So playing those songs, I didn’t mind doing it for a one-off thing here and there with a group of guys — we used to do it in ‘Metal Masters’, [with] Kerry King and the ANTHRAX guys. But I wasn’t going to learn a set of PANTERA with another band. I didn’t feel entitled to do that. It’s not like I feel entitled now. I feel now it’s necessary.”

Up until his death in June 2018, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for the death of Dimebag, who was his brother.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie Paul died 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.

Vinnie was buried on June 30, 2018 next to his brother and their mother, Carolyn, at Moore Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Texas.

Photo by Joseph P. Dorignac IV

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A post shared by Philip H Anselmo (@philiphanselmo)

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A new video of AVENGED SEVENFOLD drummer Brooks Wackerman laying down tracks for the band’s upcoming album can be seen below. The clip was first shared via a livestream on the AVENGED SEVENFOLD Instagram, and was later uploaded by a fan to YouTube.

Last month, AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows told the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X that “70 percent” of the follow-up to 2016’s “The Stage” album was “done.” He said: “We’re working on stuff. We have some things we can’t finish right now ’cause of COVID — string players, et cetera. We know Andy [Wallace, AVENGED SEVENFOLD’s longtime mixer] doesn’t wanna travel, or his management doesn’t want him to travel because of COVID. So there’s just a lot of things going on.”

As for when fans can expect to see the new AVENGED SEVENFOLD LP released, M. Shadows said: “It doesn’t make sense for us right now to put out a record and not be able to tour it. The world has changed. Putting out a record on Spotify without touring for a rock band, it just doesn’t make sense to us. So we’re gonna wait till everything is back, then we’ll come out with the record, finish it up, and all will be good.”

Also in February, AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarist Zacky Vengeance told Detroit’s WRIF radio station that he and his bandmates have done “lots and lots of writing — at a lot slower pacer than usual” — during the coronavirus pandemic. “Now that we are a little bit older, we move around a little bit slower, but [we’ve done] tons of writing,” he said. “We’ve gone to the studio. It was kind of a weird time to do anything in 2020, but that’s when we felt like it was a good time to go out there and start tracking all the stuff that we had in us.

“But, like I said, we’re doing it at a slow pace, so we’re still in the process of recording,” he explained. “We’re taking it really, really slow, making sure everything is the way we like it. We’re not in a big rush to get anything out, mainly ’cause we wanna get on the road, and we wanna be able to bring it to life. We wanna tour, we wanna travel, we wanna play songs that people wanna hear; we wanna expose them to some new stuff. ‘Cause I just feel like rushing to put something out right now and letting it dissipate because of the void, while people are worried about where their next meal is coming from or the paycheck, the last thing in the world on people’s minds is, ‘AVENGED SEVENFOLD’s gonna put out a new album, and that’s gonna be the saving grace for us all.’ And I feel like we’ll take it slow, let the world get a little bit back to normal, and when people are ready, we’ll know — we have a good sense of that. We’ll slowly finish it up, and then unleash it when the world’s ready.”

Last December, M. Shadows told Kerrang! magazine about the musical direction of the new AVENGED material: “The [new] record sounds nothing like ‘The Stage’ — it’s a completely new direction, and it sounds nothing like anything we’ve done. That’s all I’ll say about it: it’s over the top, and it’s very eclectic and wild.”

AVENGED SEVENFOLD kept a low profile during 2019 and will likely not return to the road until the end of this year or early 2022. A blood blister on M. Shadows’s vocal cords forced the band to cancel a summer 2018 tour with PROPHETS OF RAGE and THREE DAYS GRACE.

Asked if he is fully healed up now, M. Shadows told 93X: “I feel good, man. I’m just working on a new technique so that I can make sure I don’t have any problems anymore. For the last year, that’s what I’ve been doing — is switching up a lot of things, singing from a different place, and just making sure that when I hit the stage again, I don’t resort back to old bad habits.”

“The Stage” was surprise-released in October 2016. The release of the disc, which was announced the night it went on sale, earned the lowest sales of an AVENGED SEVENFOLD album in 11 years. It sold 76 thousand copies in its first week, 73 thousand of which were physical.

“The Stage”, AVENGED’s debut for Capitol, sold less than half as many copies in its first week as the group’s two previous efforts, 2010’s “Nightmare” and 2013’s “Hail To The King”.

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As the world continues to mourn the loss of guitar icon Eddie Van Halen, California glam metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER decided to pay tribute to the legend the best way they know how — by going back to their cover-band beginnings. STEEL PANTHER has recorded its interpretation of the seminal tunes “Beautiful Girls” and “D.O.A.” from the classic album “Van Halen II”. The songs have been some of STEEL PANTHER’s favorites to play live and that became the inspiration to actually record them after all these years.

STEEL PANTHER’s versions of “Beautiful Girls” and “D.O.A.” are available via all streaming and digital platforms, and the band filmed a quarantine-style music video for each track.

STEEL PANTHER said: “When we were playing weekly shows on the Sunset Strip, VAN HALEN music was essential to our set lists to keep the place rocking. The music of that band is what helped shape who STEEL PANTHER is today.

“The loss of Eddie Van Halen has affected each of us in the band and these covers are our tribute to him to say thank you for the joy VAN HALEN music has given us.”

Last October, STEEL PANTHER guitarist Russ “Satchel” Parrish reflected on the passing of Eddie Van Halen, calling him “a great guitar player and a great songwriter.” The legendary VAN HALEN axeman died on October 6 at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer.

Satchel spoke about his admiration for Van Halen during an appearance on the “Talk Is Jericho” podcast. He said: “A lot of people know this, but [STEEL PANTHER singer] Michael [Starr] and I used to be in a VAN HALEN tribute band [ATOMIC PUNKS] for years. As far as tribute bands go, that band started in the early ’90s, just as a way to make money, but also because we were huge VAN HALEN fans, and we all grew up learning to play rock on VAN HALEN. That’s the first stuff I remember hearing on guitar that blew me away when I was, like, seven years old. Somebody played me ‘Eruption’. I didn’t even play guitar yet, but I just went, ‘Uhhh… That’s a guitar?’ I didn’t know that a guitar could make that sound. And, of course, I think that was part of what made me become a guitar player, looking back in retrospect.

“It’s so weird, because I never even talked to Eddie, I never met him one time, but he’s been such a huge part of my life, from the beginning of me playing music,” he continued. “Because he wasn’t just a great guitar player either. Throughout my guitar playing and my music, my learning of music, I realized that one of the reasons why I always put on VAN HALEN instead of Yngwie Malmsteen… Yngwie is a great guitar player, but Eddie wasn’t just a great guitar player and a great lead guitar player, he was also a great songwriter and a great musician. You can listen to any VAN HALEN songs — he cared about all the parts and all the rhythms.

“Eddie in the early days, listening back to some of his live playing, there’s no guitar player that’s been better than that, in my opinion. He was so on fire, and he had so much attitude. And his tone was so clean. Most guys would never be able to play the kind of stuf he got away with, with so much aggression and just attitude. It was unbelievable. He was a technician, but he was also such a great performer as well. And he didn’t have to concentrate. How many guitar players do you know who could smile like Eddie and make it look so easy, and actualy look totally at ease, ’cause he was at ease, and play the kind of shit he was doing. It was mind-boggling. It was like he was laughing at all of us — like, ‘You’ll never be able to do this.'”

Satchel went on to say that he was shocked to learn of Eddie’s passing.

“We all knew that he was sick, and we all had talked about it for a while, but the longer he went, the more you just kind of go, ‘Oh, well, maybe it’s not gonna happen,'” Satchel said. “And then all of a sudden, it happens, and it’s like a ton of bricks.

Starr, who fronted ATOMIC PUNKS in the 1990s and early 2000s under the stage name David Lee Ralph, told Rock Titan TV: “You don’t realize how rooted in VAN HALEN one is until one heavy metal hero departs the world, and for me, that’s what it’s been like. I didn’t even know what to post or say or do.

“I didn’t realize how much [Eddie] was a part of my life — inspiration, music-wise. That band was everything for me. And I’m sure it’s the same for a lot of people. I always wanted to David Lee Roth. I always wanted to be Eddie. I can’t play guitar that good, but… And thankfully, I got to meet Dave several times, and I also got to meet Eddie a couple of times before he passed away. And I’m grateful. I only met him briefly, like, ‘Hey, what’s up?’ I met him at a place called Staples, back before Gary Cherone joined [VAN HALEN]. It was him and [his son] Wolfie in the checkout. I’m, like, ‘Hey, Eddie. I’m a big fan.’ He’s, like, ‘I know your band. ATOMIC PUNKS. You guys are pretty good.’ And I was, like, ‘Holy shit! Eddie Van Halen knows our tribute band.’ That was a huge deal. Then I went to [VAN HALEN’s] dress rehearsal when they first rejoined with Wolfie at the Forum [in Los Angeles]. And I was walking in front of the stage, and I saw Eddie walk up, and I just walked to the stage and shook his hand and said hi, and that was the end of it. So, to me, I look at Eddie as this just complete rock god.

“VAN HALEN was everything for me,” Starr, whose real name is Ralph Saenz, repeated. “I love SCORPIONS. I love MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEEP PURPLE, CHEAP TRICK, RATT, BON JOVI, WHITE LION… I love all that stuff, but to me, it all started with VAN HALEN. Everyone tried to copy Dave and Eddie.”

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