Month: March 2021

San Francisco Bay Area-based metal/heavy rock outfit DRESS THE DEAD has released “Circus Fleas”, its latest single on Blood Blast, a digital subsidiary of Nuclear Blast Records.

DRESS THE DEAD first announced the signing in December, along with a plan to release one new track per month for the first eight months of 2021. After the eight tracks are all released, they will become available in full album format as well.

DRESS THE DEAD stated about the new track: “‘Circus Fleas’ is our third song released through Blood Blast distribution worldwide. In many ways, it encompasses much of the elements that DRESS THE DEAD is all about. Wicked, heavy riffing. Bombastic, syncopated bass/drum interplay. Incredibly powerful, melodic and dynamic vocals. ‘Circus Fleas’ puts those elements on full display.

“This song was one of the first full band collaborations with Kayla [Dixon, vocals] involved in the writing process. [It was] once again produced by Robb Flynn and mixed by Zack Ohren, our production team since the origins of the band.

“You can download or stream it on all digital formats.”

DRESS THE DEAD was formed in 2016 and has been playing live since the end of that year — first with vocalist Peter Dolving (THE HAUNTED), and then with Dixon fronting the band since 2018.

DRESS THE DEAD features Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN, MANMADE GOD, SPIRALARMS) on guitar, alongside Mark Hernandez (FORBIDDEN, VIO-LENCE, RE:IGNITION) on drums, Mikey Rowan (INSOLENCE) on guitar, and James Walker (MANMADE GOD) on bass — all seasoned musicians with independent and major label experiences.

“Losing Peter was a complete shock to us because he was into it,” Craig said. “Some of the people we tried out were good but didn’t have what we were looking for… just not the right fit. All of a sudden, I get a text from Kayla. She’d been checking us out for months and was already a fan of the music.” A couple of days after that now legendary text message, Dixon sent Locicero a new version of the DRESS THE DEAD song “1969” with her vocals. He was floored. “It was like it was made for her,” he said. “She seamlessly fit into the music. We haven’t needed to readjust. What having her in the band allows me to do is to not hold back and write anything I feel like writing, knowing that she can do it and sing without any limits.”

Dixon is not only an enigmatic frontwoman with a powerful presence, she’s an accomplished theatrical singer and actor. Her vocal qualities help give DRESS THE DEAD a unique sound that no other band possesses. Together they all complete the musical unit that cannot fall under any one category or genre.

Dixon started working professionally in her junior year and finished high school via home study. She then decided to immerse herself in theater and was soon working professionally. During her freshman year in college, she emerged to front a death metal band. Just as she mulled moving back to the East Coast to pursue more theater work, she heard the doom band WITCH MOUNTAIN was looking for a new vocalist. She nailed the audition and moved to Portland. Having relocated to the West Coast, Dixon was recommended to Locicero through a mutual friend. She initially worried that she was so different from Dolving she might face backlash from fans who wanted a certain thing. “In my mind, I thought I was going to be trolled, and I didn’t know if I was ready to face that,” she said. “But surprisingly there has only been positivity from the first song.”

“I want to be continually creating,” Dixon added. “When I heard ‘1969’, I thought it was great. When Craig sent me the other songs, like ‘Promises & Kisses’, I was really in. I wanted it to be in a band that was heavy emotionally and sonically.”

In a new interview with Cleveland.com, Paul Stanley once again confirmed that KISS’s “End Of The Road” tour is the last time fans will get to see the band perform live.

“Mortality and physicality and the finite nature of life makes you realize at some point there are certain things that can’t be done forever,” he noted. “And running around in eight-inch platform boots, wearing 30 or 40 pounds of gear is one of them. So better that we acknowledge that and get a chance to spend one more evening with the people who have supported us. This is an opportunity for us to know that this is the last go-round and appreciate it together with the fans.

“And as soon as the coast is clear, we’ll come back,” he added, referring to the fact that the tour was forced to be put on hold during the coronavirus pandemic.

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.

Last December, bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons told the 95.5 KLOS radio station that KISS has “a hundred and fifty” shows left in its “End Of The Road” tour, including a stop at “the coldest place on earth.”

“Some of the later [concerts] are gonna be jaw-dropping,” he said. “You can’t imagine what we’ve got planned — like, beyond… I said, ‘No. We can really do that?’ They said, ‘Yup. Yup.’ The political people said we can play there. And so there’s gonna be stuff that’s just gonna make you go, ‘That’s the coolest.'”

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.

Landmarks Live Presents produced the $10 million spectacular, which was filmed with more than 50 4K cameras and 360-degree views and was held on a massive 250-foot stage at The Royal Beach at Atlantis. The show included “a million dollars’ worth of pyro,” according to Stanley.

KISS’s current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss (drums) and Ace Frehley (guitar), KISS staged its first “farewell” tour in 2000, the last to feature the group’s original lineup.

In its 48-year career, KISS has accumulated 23 gold and platinum albums — more than any other U.S. band.

On March 20 at 7:30 p.m. PT, legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen will take part in a one-night only exclusive livestream event — complete with full, live band — from the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tickets can be purchased at yngwie.veeps.com.

Yngwie’s latest album, “Blue Lightning”, came out in March 2019 via Mascot Label Group. On the disc, Yngwie paid homage to those from the blues world who have fueled his artistic spirit for so long. “Blue Lightning” also included four original tunes that bring to the fore Malmsteen’s love for the blues. “I have always featured songs with a blues groove on albums,” he said in a press release. “So, having my own material in this vein was very natural for me.”

Among the songs Malmsteen tackled on “Blue Lightning” were classics by THE BEATLES (“While My Guitar Gently Weeps”), Jimi Hendrix (“Foxey Lady”, “Purple Haze”), THE ROLLING STONES (“Paint It Black”), ZZ TOP (“Blue Jean Blues”), DEEP PURPLE (“Demon’s Eye”, “Smoke On The Water”) and Eric Clapton (“Forever Man”).

Two years ago, Yngwie denied his reputation as a temperamental egomaniac, saying that he is a “creator” who likes to control every aspect of his art.

“There are quite a few misconceptions about me,” the Swedish guitarist told Music Radar in an interview. “I think some people misunderstand what I’m doing; they believe I’m an egomaniac. The truth is, I’m a very focused person. My way of creating things is unlike rock ‘n’ roll musicians. I don’t have a band; I’m not in a band.

“I look at it more like a painter who locks the door of the room and just paints,” he added. “I do the foreground, I do the background. I frame it. Then I take it outside and say, ‘Here’s my painting.’ I don’t let anyone else put their paintbrush near it. People might think that’s an egomaniac thing — no, it’s an artist thing; I’m a creator.”

March 20th, 7:30PM PT, join The Maestro himself, Yngwie Malmsteen, in a ONE-NIGHT ONLY exclusive, LIVESTREAM event (complete with full, live band) as he performs his legendary songs from the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, NV!
Tickets @: https://t.co/Oj6NfSiZaZ pic.twitter.com/j32vJk0mo9

— Yngwie Malmsteen (@OfficialYJM) March 3, 2021

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich was a guest on the latest episode of the “Tanya’s Table” podcast hosted by Oakland, California-based celebrity chef, entrepreneur and cookbook author Tanya Holland. The one-hour discussion about music, food and where the two intersect can now be heard below.

Speaking about his Danish upbringing and how it has shaped who he is, Ulrich said: “As the world spins out of control here in many ways, I feel more and more Danish and kind of embrace my Danish roots. I love America; I love living in America. It’s been an incredible 30-[plus] years, close to 40 years now [since I moved to the U.S.], but the Danishness in me still flourishes, and I’m very proud and happy about that side.

“People [ask me], ‘Oh, you’re gonna move back [to Denmark]?’ I’m, like, ‘I’m very happy,'” he continued. “I’m very happy [living] in San Francisco. I love the Bay Area mentality and the creative energies that flow through all the different things — even tech here, obviously, where people are inventing the future. But I’m really more and more, I think, understanding and appreciative and understand what role my upbringing and the culture and the history and the Danish worldview plays in continuously shaping who I am.”

While still living in Denmark as a teenager, Ulrich played tennis professionally and could have gone on to a career as a tennis star, but chose music instead.

METALLICA was formed when Ulrich, who had moved to Los Angeles, placed an ad in a local paper called the Recycler looking for other musicians to play with. The ad was answered by guitarists James Hetfield and Hugh Tanner of the band LEATHER CHARM.

METALLICA officially formed in October 1981 and the band’s first recording was “Hit The Lights” for the compilation “Metal Massacre”.

Bay Area DJ Ron Quintana came up with the group’s name: he was debating between using “Metallica” and “Metal Mania” for the name of his radio show and Ulrich encouraged him to use “Metal Mania” so that he could use “Metallica” for his new band.

METALLICA’s first full lineup — featuring Hetfield, Ulrich, guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist Ron McGovney — played its first gig on March 14, 1982 at Radio City in Anaheim, California.

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QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Todd La Torre has criticized Gov. Greg Abbott over his decision to lift indoor capacity restrictions for Texas restaurants, bars, and businesses, and statewide mask mandates next week, saying his actions are the reason the concert industry “will be the last to open.”

Effective March 10, all businesses in Texas will be allowed to open at full capacity for the first time in nearly a year, Abbott announced. Businesses may still limit capacity or implement additional safety protocols at their own discretion.

Earlier today, La Torre took to his Twitter to share an article about Abbott’s decision to remove statewide mandates, and he included the following message: “Fucking asshole scumbag. This is why our industry will be the last to open. Zero lessons learned. Tick tock.”

In announcing that he will end Texas’ statewide mask mandate next week and allow all businesses to operate at full capacity, Abbott said: “It is now time to open Texas 100%.” He added that he was rescinding “most of the earlier executive orders” he has issued over the past year to stem the spread of the virus. He said “all businesses of any type [will be] allowed to open 100%.” A spokesperson later confirmed that includes sporting events, concerts and similar events. Masks will no longer be required in public for the first time since last summer.

Todd resides in Florida, where municipalities can impose their own mask rules and curfews, restrict beach access and place some limits on bars and restaurants, but some have virtually no such measures in place.

More than 3.5 million Texans have so far received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 1.8 million fully vaccinated.

Following Abbott’s announcement, the Texas State Teacher Association issued a statement, warning it is too soon for Texans to let our guards down.

“Like Gov. Abbott, we believe we are making progress against the COVID-19 pandemic, but we are not there yet. Far from it,” said Texas State Teachers Association president Ovidia Molina. “The COVID numbers have been coming down, but there were still 1,637 new confirmed cases of COVID in Texas yesterday and 59 deaths. More than 5,600 COVID patients were in Texas hospitals, and much is still unknown about the more-infectious variants of the deadly virus that have started striking our state.

“Gov. Abbott needs to quit obeying his political impulses and listen to the health experts, who are warning that it is too soon to let our guard down without risking potentially disastrous consequences,” Molina continued. “The experts caution us to continue the safety practices that have worked against this disease, including widespread mask use and social distancing.”

Fucking asshole scumbag. This is why our industry will be the last to open. Zero lessons learned. Tick tock. https://t.co/CdxEqwiSTH
— Todd La Torre (@ToddLaTorre) March 3, 2021

For the enigmatic sect, Koldovstvo, it’s bewitching black magic.
The post Full Album Stream: KOLDOVSTVO Ni Tsarya, Ni Boga appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

It expands the HX Stomp processor by adding five capacitive-touch footswitches.

Despite having vastly different political views from Ted Nugent, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello says that they are good friends.

Morello, who is a member one of the most militant left-wing rap/rock/metal bands of all time, discussed his relationship with Nugent during a recent appearance on “The Howard Stern Show”.

Speaking about how he struck up a friendship with the otspoken conservative rocker, Tom said (see video below): “For his 60th birthday, someone reached out to me and said, ‘We’re making a video, and we’re asking guitar players [to say a few kind words]. At the time, the Ted Nugent which was sort of known in the world in general was this kind of more right-wing caricature — people were not thinking of him, first and foremost, as the guy who shredded on ‘Stranglehold’. But then I had to think, ‘What is the video that I’m going to make for Ted’s birthday?’ And I put some thought into it, and I said, ‘It’s gonna be about two things. One, it’s gonna be things that Tom Morello and Ted Nugent have in common,’ and I went down this long list of [things like] free-speech advocates, our love of rock and roll, our respect for black artists who created rock and roll. And then the second was things that Ted Nugent taught an adolescent Tom Morello about sex. And then I went through ‘Cat Scratch Fever’ — these strange words, like the lyrics to the song ‘Cat Scratch Fever’, the lyrics to the song ‘Wang Dang Sweet Poontang’, which were utterly foreign to me, and I had to ask about on the playground. Anyway, so Ted called me up after that. And while we certainly have differences, I consider him a friend.”

Morello previously spoke about his relationship with Nugent during a 2017 interview with The Guardian. He said at the time: “We have very similar views on freedom of speech. His libertarian edge and my anarchist edge overlap considerably.

“Sometimes, if he says something outrageous that will fire up his racist base, I’ll text him to say, ‘Dude. What are you on about?’ We’re able to talk about it as friends as opposed to people on the opposite sides of the barricade.”

Nugent, an avid supporter of former U.S. president Donald Trump, has repeatedly said that last year’s presidential election was a fraud, insisting that “hundreds of thousands of dead people” voted and claiming that machines were “rigged” to give a Donald Trump vote to Joe Biden.

Leading up to the election, Nugent teamed up with Donald Trump Jr. on the campaign trail.

Ted has called Trump “the greatest president in our lifetime,” and believes the billionaire real estate mogul represents “the heart and soul of the best American families out there.”

Less than two years ago, Morello referred to Trump as an “orange-faced demagogue.”

Last month, THE PRETTY RECKLESS’s latest album, “Death By Rock And Roll”, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart. It marked the third top 10 and first No. 1 for the Taylor Momsen-fronted act on the chart. The album opened with 16,000 copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending February 18, according to MRC Data.

Speaking about the LP’s impressive chart performance, Momsen told Thorn Of Rock (hear audio below): “It’s insane. I don’t know how to feel. It’s mindblowing. I mean, you never what to expect when releasing an album at any period in time, but especially nowadays, with the state of the world and how crazy everything is. We had no idea. It’s an incredible honor, and I’m so happy that people are taking the time to listen to this album that we spent so much time working on. I really poured everything I had of myself into it. So I’m incredibly grateful — and excited.”

Asked if she believed in “Death By Rock And Roll” from day one, Taylor said: “Of course. I wouldn’t make it if I didn’t believe in it. I think that’s the key to success in any form. And I’m not talking about commercial success; I’m talking about personal success. I don’t make something unless I really believe in it. And as soon as I wrote the record, I knew that we had something really special, and we had to record it. And then that was a whole other process — recording everything and making what I hear in my head somehow come out the other end of the speakers so everyone else can hear it too. And that comes with a lot of trial and error. But I really think that we accomplished something extraordinarily special on this record. I really do think this might be the best album we’ve ever released.”

“Death By Rock And Roll” was released via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world. It is THE PRETTY RECKLESS’s first LP to be made without longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died in April 2018 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

“Death By Rock And Roll” features guest appearances by Tom Morello of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, and Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron of SOUNDGARDEN.