Month: July 2021

NICKELBACK bassist Mike Kroeger has confirmed to Tulsa Music Stream that he and his bandmates are working on the follow-up to 2017’s “Feed The Machine” album. “That is happening right now,” he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET. “Music is being composed and recorded up in Canada. We were out there, and something came up and our producer had to take some time off. So I took that opportunity to [return home] to Los Angeles with family and spend a little bit of time at home. But I’ll be headed back up there in a couple of weeks to pick it up again.”

Asked if there is a tentative release date for the new NICKELBACK album, Mike said: “Release dates are primarily arrived at by business interests, like record labels and whatever. We don’t have one of those. We’ve been managing ourselves for about a year. So, the answer is no. We’re doing it on our schedule, at our own pace, and it’ll be done when it’s done. ‘Cause we’ve blown up deadlines in the past lots of times. Because we feel that you can make a good record and be late, but you can’t, or you shouldn’t, make a shitty record to be on time. So we won’t be pressed for time. And in this case, we don’t have to worry about that, ’cause we’re on our own schedule. We’re doing what we wanna do when we wanna do it. We’re paying for everything. Nobody can tell us what to do. We just have to decide when we wanna go on tour. It turns out we’re booking a tour for next summer. So we’ll have to get some stuff squared away and out there to the people in advance of that.”

NICKELBACK guitarist Ryan Peake said in April 2020 that the band’s documentary — which has been in the works for at least a few years — was “very close to being released.”

Last August, NICKELBACK released a music video for its cover version of THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND classic “The Devil Went Down To Georgia”. Honoring Daniels, who passed away in July 2020, NICKELBACK invited guitarist Dave Martone to join them on a cover of the infamous classic story — paying homage to Daniels’s influence on their careers and the legacy left behind.

NICKELBACK’s “All The Right Reasons: 15th Anniversary Expanded Edition” was released as a two-CD set in October and is also available digitally on all streaming platforms. The collection features a newly remastered version of the original 2005 album, a selection of B-sides and a 2006 live concert recording.

Since forming in Alberta, Canada in 1995, NICKELBACK has cemented itself as one of the most commercially viable and important acts of the past three decades. NICKELBACK’s success includes worldwide sales of more than 50 million units, solidifying their status as one of the top-selling acts of all time.

With more than 23 chart-topping singles and fans spanning the globe, NICKELBACK boasts twelve consecutive sold-out world tours, playing to well over eight million diehard and adoring fans.

Mike Kroeger of Nickelback – Tulsa Music Stream Episode 39

Tulsa Music Stream interviews Michael Kroeger, bassist for Nickelback. Brought to you by Tulsa Music Stream and Identity Merch.

Sponsored by Identity Merch, DEB Concerts, GreggShipman.com, Okie PC and Surviving Rocklahoma.
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Posted by Tulsa Music Stream on Thursday, July 29, 2021

AURI, the project featuring NIGHTWISH mainman/keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen and his wife, popular Finnish singer Johanna Kurkela, will release its second album, “II – Those We Don’t Speak Of”, on September 3 via Nuclear Blast. The effort will be the follow-up to AURI’s self-titled debut LP, which came out in March 2018 via Nuclear Blast.

The “II – Those We Don’t Speak Of” cover artwork comes once again from Janne “ToxicAngel” Pitkänen and bestows in its simplicity and depth.

The official lyric video for the disc’s second single, “The Valley”, can be seen below.

Holopainen comments on the track: “‘The Valley’ is an ode to homecoming. It’s about things worth a long wait, and about all the wondrous waypoints on the road. And while you’re wandering on that road, why not write a little tune to keep you company. A tune most delicate and hard to catch, but willing to reveal itself once you’ve made your journey, and have almost reached home.”

AURI began its life with three people, united through their shared need to hear a kind of a music which can’t be described by words alone. The first song born of this mindset, “Aphrodite Rising”, appeared in 2011.

Kurkela lent her unique voice, while Holopainen and English composer and multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley (also of NIGHTWISH) cast their spells with various other instruments. Now complemented by the dynamic percussive talents of Kai Hahto (NIGHTWISH), the threesome carves fantastical worlds entirely their own.

With a total running time of 50 minutes, “II – Those We Don’t Speak Of” consists of 10 captivating tracks:

01. Those We Don’t Speak Of
02. The Valley
03. The Duty Of Dust
04. Pearl Diving
05. Kiss The Mountain
06. Light And Flood
07. It Takes Me Places
08. The Long Walk
09. Scattered To The Four Winds
10. Fireside Bard

In a 2018 interview with Dead Rhetoric, Donockley stated about AURI’s formation: “It was always there for us, since 2010. We decided back then that the three of us wanted to do something together. Tuomas and I are huge fans of Johanna’s voice. I had been involved in one of her albums as a guest musician, and Tuomas had written a song for her on a solo album. So the three of us realized pretty early on that we wanted to do something together, musically. It was obvious that it couldn’t be like NIGHTWISH. But it was something we felt really strongly about, that we had to release this atmosphere we all felt, and were tuned into. I know that sounds fairly vague, but that’s truly what it was. It was a kind of music that we wanted to get out of ourselves. We are close friends and have very similar tastes and attitudes towards life so we made our plans, but NIGHTWISH is a behemoth. We have our commitments there and we did ‘Imaginaerum’ and ‘Endless Forms Most Beautiful’ after our decision to work together on some music. As it turned out, fortune smiled on us with a sabbatical year. We decided to dive in and work on it.”

Asked how he would compare the spirit/essence of AURI with that of NIGHTWISH, Donockley said: “We don’t see it as very different from NIGHTWISH at all. Sonically it is, for sure. We were struggling to find a label for it, as it usually happens, so I just tossed out ‘celestial metal.’ So this Polish journalist said to me, ‘I know what you mean about celestial metal. It’s kind of heavenly music. It has the metal attitude, but without all of the electric guitars and bass.’ Metal is an attitude. The metal scene — the metal fans are open-minded, as I said before. The Italian [NIGHTWISH] fan club, I did an interview with them, and this was brought up and she told me that she was a fan of DIMMU BORGIR as well as Ed Sheeran. That’s it right there! So I think the NIGHTWISH connection is inevitable because of Tuomas and I are in it, so there are those elements. But I think the spirit is the same as NIGHTWISH. It does cover a lot of the same themes, it’s just not obviously NIGHTWISH. It’s down to the sonic side, honestly.”

AURI is:

Johanna Kurkela: Voices, viola
Tuomas Holopainen: Keys, backing voices
Troy Donockley: Acoustic and electric guitars, bouzouki, uilleann pipes, low whistles, aerophone, bodhran, keys, voices

Holopainen and Kurkela have been married since October 2015.

Photo credit: Mikko Linnavuori

In a new interview with Cesar Gueikian, brand president of Gibson Brands, Kirk Hammett spoke about how METALLICA has spent its coronavirus downtime and its plans for the coming months. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Because of the unusual situation of the last couple of years, we were able to continue to communicate and be a band. We were able to get together on a somewhat regular basis, create a bubble that we could work in, get tested regularly every two or three days, and go in and function as a band. And in the last year or so, we’ve been doing that pretty consistently. And it’s difficult and it’s demanding to have to work under those situations, because when you’re in a bubble, you can’t really see anyone else. And when we’re in the band bubble, it’s just the band and 12 people allowed in the building at any given time. So it was a little weird, a little difficult, but we were able to really put all the events and all the feelings and emotions and experiences of the last year and a half into our music. And we’re jamming, we’re coming up with stuff, and we’re really enjoying each other’s company. And at this point in time, it’s looking like it’s gonna be more possible to play live shows, so we’re getting to that. We’re all very, very excited because we’re craving that — we have a real hunger for that. And we’re well aware of the fact that we’re probably not the only ones in the world who really are craving something like that too. I know that I miss seeing bands live, and I miss playing live. And it’s probably the sentiment of a lot of music lovers out there as well.”

Last summer, Hammett told Metal Hammer magazine that there was “a lot of material” written for a possible follow-up to 2016’s “Hardwired… To Self-Destruct” album, which marked METALLICA’s first full-length collection of new music in eight years. “I know I have tons, because I totally overcompensated,” he said. “You know, last time around, it was a real shock to my system losing all those musical ideas. [Editor’s note: Kirk lost a phone with more than 300 pieces of music on it during the creative process for ‘Hardwired…’] So, I was very determined to try and make up for lost time. I also felt that, creatively, I have so much more to offer this time around.”

Bassist Robert Trujillo added that the songwriting process for the next album could be a decidedly more collective effort compared to “Hardwired…”, which was largely composed by guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich.

“I’m not gonna speak on behalf of the other guys, but to me, it feels like this could be a very collaborative [writing process],” Robert said. “And for me personally, I love that. I love that we are in that head space to be more collaborative, and I think that’s very exciting for where we’re at now, the journey we’re about to take, the fact that those doors are opening like that.”

“It’s taking a couple of months, literally, for me to go through all [my ideas],” added Kirk, who is is not credited on any of the songs on “Hardwired…To Self-Destruct”. “I’ve got a wealth of material, and so, at any given point when we all decide, ‘Okay, let’s start formulating a schedule to start writing songs and recording it.’ I’m ready. I’m there, from day one.”

“Kirk has so many ideas,” continued Trujillo. “It’s funny because sometimes it’s literally him in the kitchen and he’s cooking, and at the same time he’s playing you a riff, or you’re sitting on the toilet and he’s playing you some ideas. But when we started to understand that [the lockdown] was gonna happen, it was like, ‘Hey, let’s be creative’, you know? Let’s just get on it. A lot of times, when there’s a band that’s been around as long as METALLICA has, you find that one of the biggest problems is, ‘Man I can’t come up with a riff, I can’t come up with any good lyrics, it’s just harder to write songs’, but that just doesn’t seem to be the problem with us. Not taking anything away from any other bands, but sometimes our worst riff might be another band’s A-list riff.”

“Hardwired… To Self-Destruct” debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart, selling 291,000 copies in its first week of release.

In a new interview with the “I Ask No One” video podcast, Swedish multi-instrumentalist Peter Tägtgren was asked about the final tour he played with LINDEMANN, his collaborative project with vocalist Till Lindemann of German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It was very successful — definitely. It was not really my cup of tea at all, to be honest. And that’s why we’re not playing anymore together. So he can go on with his stuff; I go on with my stuff. To keep it very simple.”

Last November, Tägtgren and Lindemann confirmed that they were ending their collaboration on the LINDEMANN project.

LINDEMANN’s second album, “F & M”, was released in November 2019. The follow-up to 2015’s “Skills In Pills” was once again produced and mixed by Tägtgren.

“Skills In Pills” reached gold status in Germany and was entirely in English. On the second opus, Lindemann went back to singing exclusively in German.

LINDEMANN had received some criticism due to its use of pornography during its second album cycle, with the music video for “Platz Eins” described by one site as “full-on art porn — slick and stylish, weird and experimental, and definitely X-rated.”

LINDEMANN released a concert film, “Live In Moscow”, in May on Blu-ray. The set included professionally filmed video footage of LINDEMANN’s March 15, 2020 performance at Moscow, Russia’s VTB Arena.

Fan-filmed video footage of THE BLACK CROWES’ July 28 performance at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

Produced by Live Nation, THE BLACK CROWES’ “Shake Your Money Maker” tour is playing 37-dates across the country before ending the tour at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York on September 25. The band is also set to perform at the legendary New Orleans Jazz Fest on Friday, October 8 and Stagecoach on May 1, 2022.

Joining Chris and Rich Robinson in the new BLACK CROWES lineup are longtime bassist Sven Pipien, who played with the band live from 1997 up until the band’s hiatus in 2015, along with Brian Griffin on drums, Joel Robinow on keyboards and Isaiah Mitchell on guitar, plus backup singers Mackenzie Adams and Leslie Grant.

Rich told Cleveland.com that he and his brother wanted to re-start THE BLACK CROWES with a clean slate. “There was a strong agenda in the band [previously] to keep Chris and I apart and keep Chris and I fighting,” he said. “We just didn’t want to have to deal with any of that negative [stuff], so it had to be this way in order for it to be what we want.”

BLACK CROWES’ debut album, “Shake Your Money Maker” was re-released in multi-formats sets in February through UMe/American Recordings. The album, fueled by singles “Jealous Again”, “Twice As Hard”, “She Talks To Angels” and a cover of fellow Georgian Otis Redding’s “Hard To Handle”, has sold over five million copies.

Chris Robinson recently confirmed to SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” that there are tentative plans to record a new BLACK CROWES album.

MEGADETH’s long-awaited sixteenth studio album is “almost done.”

The band’s leader Dave Mustaine touched upon the progress of the mixing sessions of the new disc while filming a new video message on Cameo, which lets users hire celebrities to record brief, personalized video messages about virtually any topic.

Addressing a fan named Kevin while walking to the recording studio where the new MEGADETH album is being mixed, Mustaine said: “The record is almost done, if you can believe that. I’m just listening to the last little bits right now. Kiko’s [Loureiro, guitar] stuff is all done. We should be turning this in any day now. We’ve been turning in individual songs, and right now it’s down to just approving the last couple of songs. So, keep your fingers crossed and hold your breath. It won’t be long till there’s a new MEGADETH record.”

Earlier in the month, Mustaine confirmed that the new MEGADETH album will be titled “The Sick, The Dying And The Dead”.

Dave previously floated “The Sick, The Dying And The Dead” as a “tentative” title for the new MEGADETH disc during a January 2021 Zoom chat with fans.

Mustaine has yet to reveal who played bass on the new MEGADETH album after David Ellefson’s tracks were removed from the LP following his dismissal from the band in late May.

Ellefson laid down his bass tracks on MEGADETH’s sixteenth LP in May 2020 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee. A short time later, he raved about his performance on the record, telling the 96.7 KCAL-FM radio program “Wired In The Empire” that his musical chemistry with MEGADETH drummer Dirk Verbeuren was comparable to the interplay between Geddy Lee and Neil Peart on classic RUSH albums. “I feel like on the new MEGADETH record, me and Dirk have those same moments,” he said. “It’s MEGADETH — it’s not RUSH, obviously — but in the field of what we do, there were these moments that I was just going, ‘Oh, my God.’ This is me as a kid going, ‘This is my Geddy/Neil moment right here.'”

Last month, Mustaine announced during an episode of his Gimme Radio program “The Dave Mustaine Show” that Ellefson’s bass tracks would not be used on the new MEGADETH LP.

“I just wanna thank you for all the kinds words and support as we get ready for this next tour and continue to hunt for a new bass player,” the MEGADETH leader said. “We are making progress. The record’s being completed, and we’re gonna have someone coming in in a couple of weeks to replace the bass tracks that we had. Which should be relatively quick because the person we’re talking to is a stellar bass player. And hopefully this will be an ongoing thing after the recording. Or we will find someone prior to the recording that will be our permanent guy going forward.”

In early May, on the same day that sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving Ellefson were posted on Twitter, he released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he “groomed” an underage fan. He also filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of Ellefson by unknown offenders. In the report, Ellefson admitted that he had been exchanging sexual text messages with a Dutch teenager, who captured a video of several of their virtual “masturbating encounters” without his consent and shared them with friends. (According to Ellefson, the woman was 19 at the time of their first virtual sexual encounter.) The 56-year-old Ellefson, who lives in Scottsdale, first became aware of the video on May 9, when the claim “David Ellefson of MEGADETH is a pedophile” appeared on Instagram. Ellefson told police he was notified on May 14 by MEGADETH that the band would be parting ways with him. Three days later, he was fired.

On May 24, Mustaine — who formed MEGADETH with Ellefson in 1983 — announced the bassist’s departure from the band, saying, “We do not take this decision lightly. While we do not know every detail of what occurred, with an already strained relationship, what has already been revealed now is enough to make working together impossible moving forward,” Mustaine wrote. Two days later, Ellefson released a follow-up statement in which he vowed to file a “defamation lawsuit” against the person who “illegally posted a very private video” of the bassist and made “false allegations” against him. He also said he was working with the police in Scottsdale “in their investigation into charges regarding revenge pornography to be filed against the person who posted the video. This person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Ellefson wrote. He went on to say that he was “taking this time to be with my family” and wished his “bandmates” the best with their upcoming tour.

MEGADETH is currently scheduled to take part in “The Metal Tour Of The Year” with LAMB OF GOD, beginning on August 20 in Austin.

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band’s inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest departure.

Monte Conner, the music industry veteran who signed SLIPKNOT to Roadrunner Records, has paid tribute to Joey Jordison, calling him “a truly groundbreaking character who will be sorely missed by metal fans worldwide.” The founding SLIPKNOT drummer’s family confirmed that Jordinson passed away “peacefully in his sleep” on Monday (July 26) of an unspecified cause. He was 46 years old.

In an essay for Variety, Conner wrote in part: “Joey Jordison was one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Fans know him for his explosive, no-holds-barred drumming style, but most don’t realize he was also a gifted songwriter, arranger and guitarist who understood the art of crafting huge choruses and hooks. Along with the band’s bassist, Paul Gray (who died in 2010), Joey wrote the majority of the band’s music, with vocalist Corey Taylor adding the unforgettable lyrics that would resonate with and speak to the ‘Maggots,’ as the band called their fans.”

Conner also recalled his first meeting with Jordison, saying: “He not only had a vast knowledge of extreme and underground heavy metal, but he was an encyclopedia on all things Roadrunner Records. He wanted to talk about DEICIDE, OBITUARY, SUFFOCATION, SEPULTURA and all his favorite bands on the label, and hear some insider stories. He knew as much about Roadrunner’s roster and history as I did, if not more — and I’d been with the label since 1987.”

Monte, who is currently VP of A&R at Nuclear Blast Records, concluded: “Joey was a truly groundbreaking character who will be sorely missed by metal fans worldwide. I feel incredibly lucky to have been a part of his all-too-short but seismic journey.”

SLIPKNOT announced its split with Jordison in December 2013 but did not disclose the reasons for his exit. The drummer subsequently issued a statement saying that he did not quit the group.

The same year that he exited SLIPKNOT, Jordison launched the band SCAR THE MARTYR and later, VIMIC. He also collaborated with former DRAGONFORCE and current KREATOR bassist Frédéric Leclercq in SINSAENUM.

Jordison’s family released a statement on Tuesday in which they wrote “To those that knew Joey, understood his quick wit, his gentle personality, giant heart and his love for all things family and music.”

The family will have a private funeral service.

FIRSTBORNE, the band featuring Grammy Award-winning artist Chris Adler and fellow MEGADETH alum James LoMenzo, has just released its latest single, “The Bidding”. The official visualizer for the track, which was mixed by producer Gene “Machine” Freeman, can be seen below.

“Every time we finish a FIRSTBORNE song, it’s like a little miracle occurs where we manage to get both sides of planet Earth rocking in harmony,” says guitarist Myrone of the alliance between the USA-based band and vocalist Girish Pradhan, who currently resides in India. “I would venture to say ‘The Bidding’ is the most miraculous one yet.”

FIRSTBORNE’s self-titled debut EP came out last year and marked the acclaimed drummer’s first dedicated band release since his departure from MEGADETH and LAMB OF GOD.

FIRSTBORNE features Girish Pradhan on vocals and guitar, Myrone on guitar, LoMenzo on bass, and Adler on drums.

The FIRSTBORNE self-titled EP included five songs and two lyric videos. The EP represented several years of dedicated introspection and refined effort to the idea of a heavy and positive message.

As might be expected, Adler chose his bandmates in this endeavor meticulously.

Not too long ago, Adler shared the stage across the Middle East with LoMenzo in HAIL! Prior to that, LoMenzo and Adler orbited each other for years traveling together on tours crossing the globe. The connect was inevitable.

Adler and Myrone began collaborating in early 2019 after Myrone noticed Adler’s e-mail address attached to a Bandcamp sales notification email. Adler had been a fan of Myrone’s talent for years prior and as soon as they connected, it was game on.

A chance meeting in India, almost a second home to Chris after eight visits, was the spark needed to form the international group FIRSTBORNE and for Chris to return to the studio. Adler met and shared the stage with Pradhan during a six-week clinic tour of India in the fall of 2019. After the first show of the clinic tour, Adler immediately called Myrone, noting he’d “struck gold” in their search for a singer for the then-unnamed project.

Girish Pradhan is the glue that united FIRSTBORNE. Pradhan on vocals represents an almost unprecedented international collaboration.

Pradhan is an established and well-known recording and touring artist in India and resides in Bengaluru. His band GIRISH AND THE CHRONICLES made international headlines earlier this year with their new album “Rock The Highway” and music videos “Rock ‘N Roll Is Here to Stay”, “Identity Crisis” and “Rock The Highway”.

Speaking on his experience creating with FIRSTBORNE, Myrone explains: “Every single part of this experience has been extremely surreal for me. Girish is one of the best metal vocalists on the planet, Chris is one of the most influential drummers of the last 25 years, and JLO can play anything from MEGADETH to John Fogerty to Motown and everything in between. I can’t believe I get to share space on a .wav with them.”

Myrone is a Los Angeles-based producer/guitarist who pioneered the “soft shred” genre. In the last six years, he has released seven albums and two EPs of instrumental guitar music and racked up millions of Spotify streams. In addition to his own recordings, he has collaborated with Rivers Cuomo (WEEZER), SZA, Little Boots, Michael Christmas and Deaton Chris Anthony. Most recently, Myrone was Guitar #1 in the L.A. production of “Rock Of Ages”, the 29th-longest running show in Broadway history.

LoMenzo is a veteran touring/recording musician since his multi-platinum band WHITE LION in the 1980s. Lomenzo is one of the most in-demand rock bass players in the world. His list of credits includes WHITE LION, Zakk Wylde’s BLACK LABEL SOCIETY/PRIDE & GLORY, MEGADETH, Jerry Cantrell, David Lee Roth, SLASH’S SNAKEPIT, LYNCH MOB, FREHEY’S COMET and more. Recently he’s been the touring/recording bassist for the legendary John Fogerty and can be seen in the live concert film “John Fogerty : My Fifty Year Trip” recorded live at Red Rocks.

LoMenzo had this to say about his collaboration within his new band, FIRSTBORNE: “I first met Chris in 2006 on MEGADETH’s ‘Gigantour’. I was playing bass with MEGADETH at the time. Watching Chris on that tour, I recall being struck by the creativity, speed and power of his drumming with LAMB OF GOD. In contrast, I found him to be a gentle, thoughtful soul. Years later, I had the opportunity to finally play with Chris, performing in the Middle East with the all-star metal band HAIL! We had a great time. At this time, Chris mentioned he was looking forward to exploring making all kinds of music. I suggested he keep me in mind. Next thing I know I’m being introduced to Myrone through a demo that Chris forwarded to me. I was immediately drawn to the music. Myrone’s guitar is uniquely untethered to any one style. He’s a brilliant and capable amalgam of classic rock, new and classic metal. Girish on top of all this had me stunned! A soaring, powerful voice that while uniquely his own, conjures images of the greatest singers of metal, blues and classic rock. His voice is a powerful, emotive vehicle to inform through his heartfelt and socially conscious lyrics. To my ear, the combination of all this musical talent is wonderfully unique and perfectly familiar. I’m very proud and excited for music fans to hear this new musical collaboration.”

Adler added: “I’ve been incredibly fortunate in my creative endeavors. From the start, I sought out the best players I could find to work alongside. It’s been an incredible journey that is clearly not over. Some things have changed. This may not be exactly what people expect from me right now, and I’m aware and embrace that. It’s time for something new. I’m have a platform to present something important, true and collaborative. Creating FIRSTBORNE beckons cohesiveness as a mission statement. This is not about being mad all the time, egos or fabricating polarizing drama. ‘This is right’ is now my alarm clock. Girish, Myrone and James have the exact locker room mentality of ‘kill ’em all! but let’s make sure everyone is okay and having a kick-ass time’ that I try and bring to everything I do. FIRSTBONE is the result of all of my experiences, both positive and negative, and I’m proud of what we are doing together.”

Adler is a Grammy-winning American metal drummer from Richmond, Virginia. Chris founded LAMB OF GOD in 1994 and helped usher in what critics have dubbed the “New Wave Of American Heavy Metal.” LAMB OF GOD’s discography with Chris includes multiple gold records and platinum DVDs as well as five Grammy nominations.

Chris received a Grammy for playing drums on legendary thrash metal band MEGADETH’s 2016 record “Dystopia”. Chris also toured with MEGADETH in support of the record while juggling and occasionally combining tour dates with LAMB OF GOD.

Chris has collaborated and contributed to records with PROTEST THE HERO, TESTAMENT, THAIKKUDAM BRIDGE, Michael Angelo Batio and Ron Jarzombek.

In 2018, Chris created an artist management firm Kintsugi Management.

FIRSTBORNE is:

Vocals: Girish Pradhan
Guitar: Myrone
Bass: James LoMenzo
Drums: Chris Adler

Southern California quartet JOYOUS WOLF has created its own hybrid of hard-driving rock ‘n’ roll, soul, blues, and alternative music. As such, they have steadily built their reputation as one of the brightest up-and-comers in the burgeoning scene. Mixing majestic riffs with soulful vocals, undeniable swagger, and the kind of hair-on-fire live performances that leave fans trying to catch their breath for days after the fact, JOYOUS WOLF is ready to take the leap into the rock ‘n’ roll stratosphere with its latest sonic transmission.

The band has dropped the video for the new song “Fearless”. Watch and listen below.

“‘Fearless’ was a bit of a wild card,” frontman Nick Reese shares about the song. “We completed it in the final days of our album sessions and it was the only song we hadn’t completed prior. It became one of those songs that fell together in an effortless way. I’ve found myself reflecting on how unafraid I was as a kid. I feel like that’s something more than a few people can relate to. For the most part, I like to believe we are born fearless and we are conditioned to be afraid.”

JOYOUS WOLF is continuing to work on its debut full-length.

JOYOUS WOLF is:

Nick Reese – Vocals
Blake Allard – Guitar
Greg Braccio – Bass
Robert Sodaro – Drums

JOYOUS WOLF formed in Orange County, California in 2014. Heavily influenced by artists spanning not only various genres, but literally decades of music, their electric live performances would take them from the clubs of the Sunset Strip to international tours, earning them a recording deal with Roadrunner Records in 2018.

The quartet has shown to be a force both on and off stage, having released its critically acclaimed debut EP, “Place In Time”, on Roadrunner in 2019, which led to subsequent tours supporting rock icons such as Slash and DEEP PURPLE. The single “Odyssey” arrived in June 2020 and was followed by the four-song “Mother Rebel” EP, the title track of which has received airplay on KLOS, and a two-song unplugged release featuring “Odyssey” and “Quiet Heart”.