Month: August 2021

Martin Motnik, bass player for German pioneers of heavy metal ACCEPT, is currently finishing up his second solo CD. His album consists of 10 bass-centric songs, with each song featuring a solo by a prolific guest musician:

* Joe Satriani (solo, CHICKENFOOT)
* Wolf Hoffmann (ACCEPT)
* Bruce Kulick (KISS, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD)
* Frank Gambale (Session Guitarist, Chick Corea)
* Trev Lukather (Session Guitarist, Steve’s son)
* Andy Timmons (DANGER DANGER, Olivia Newton John, Solo)
* Mattias IA Eklundh (FREAK KITCHEN, solo)
* Tim Tucker (United States Marine Band)
* Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck, solo)
* Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, WHITESNAKE, SONS OF APOLLO)

Like on Martin’s first solo album, “Bass Invader”, which featured Gregg Bissonette, he is again relying on world-class drumming, this time by:

* Christopher Williams (ACCEPT, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley)
* Walfredo Reyes Jr. (Carlos Santana, CHICAGO, Steve Winwood)
* Joe Babiak (Michael Angelo Batio, ATTITUDES & ALTITUDE)
* Gregg Bissonette (RINGO STARR ALL-STAR BAND, David Lee Roth)

Mixing and mastering was done by Frank Motnik (Elton John, ROXETTE, THE DARKNESS, Curtis Stigers, N’SYNC).

Motnik will release the album on his own record label, Kintom Music, and has started a crowdfunding campaign to give fans the opportunity to get their own name attached to the project.

Contributors can get their names in the album credits, and perks range from pre-release mp3s and signed CDs to video shout-outs and one-on-one calls, executive producer credits, a gold record, and ownership of the master files as NFT.

The Indiegogo campaign has already gained momentum and is ending on October 10. It can be found at this location or via www.motnik.com. The page has all info about the project, song excerpts and a two-minute video of Motnik talking about the motivation behind the album.

Born in Ludwigshafen, Germany, Motnik has been playing music since he was seven years old and has been a member of several bands, both in Germany and the United States. He was asked by Uli Jon Roth to join him for his 2008 U.S. tour and again in 2009 and 2012. In addition to his musical talent, Motnik also has a Master’s Degree in business from the University of Mannheim.

In a recent interview with Vinyl Writer Music, Hoffmann called Motnik “a fantastic songwriter. He really contributed some stuff [to ACCEPT’s latest album, ‘Too Mean To Die’] that nobody expected because we took him into the band as a player, not so much as a potential songwriter. I mean, you always hope that somebody will and wants to write, but you don’t know until you actually start doing it. So, when the songwriting time came, I asked and invited everybody to contribute stuff and Martin really came around.”

Motnik stepped into ACCEPT following the 2018 departure of ACCEPT’s founding bassist Peter Baltes. Hoffmann told Vinyl Writer Music how Martin came to join the band: “Obviously, he’s a different player from Peter and we weren’t trying to find a Peter clone or anything, and couldn’t expect that. But he’s really a tremendous player. We hooked up in Nashville because Martin had heard that Peter had left the band. So he sent us his contact information, and he happens to be a German living in Nashville, which is kind of a rare thing. So, now at least we kept a contingency of Germans in the band, which is good. [Laughs]. But that wasn’t the only criteria. Obviously, he’s a super-nice guy and his personality really fits well. So, he’s an awesome player, a great personality, and a good songwriter. Pretty much all you can ask for. It’s great.”

Photo credit: Wolf Hoffmann

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month after being fully vaccinated, discussed his battle with the disease in a new interview with Lyndsey Parker, editor-in-chief of Yahoo! Music.

“I’m absolutely fine,” he said. “I never doubted I would be. I mean, it’s like, you know, look, everybody I know has had both jabs. I’m quite happy about it. You know, none of us have started growing extra heads, suddenly wanting to sidle up to 5G phone masts or expressed a willingness to go down on Bill Gates. So all of these things I think is largely a myth. And yeah, so I’m absolutely fine.”

Dickinson went on to lament the hesitancy toward medical and scientific recommendations, including the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I do honestly find it incredible that some people are still resistant [to getting vaccinated], but that’s okay,” he said. “The mask thing I genuinely do not understand. It doesn’t mean you have to go wear masks everywhere all the time, but it’s just that kind of awareness. Clearly, they do help. And if they do help, then why not? I mean, what is this craziness about it? I don’t understand it. Not a big deal, quite frankly. There are much more weird things you could get upset about, which are probably quite serious, you know?”

Bruce stressed that while vaccines are exceptionally effective in preventing death and severe illness from the coronavirus and its known variants, they are far from foolproof in preventing infection altogether.

“Most people that have been vaccinated and get a case of what is almost certainly the delta variant, because it’s 100% the dominant variant pretty much everywhere,” he said. “So the people who are, these skeptics, will go, ‘Oh yeah, yeah, but you still got it.’ I said, ‘Yeah, I did still get it.’ My belief is — and I stress it’s a belief, ’cause I can’t prove that I wouldn’t have been more sick if I’d not taken the vaccine. There’s no proof of that. The only reason I’d prove that is if I didn’t take the vaccine and got very, very sick, and then I’d be able to go to all these vaccine skeptics and go, ‘There you are. You see? I told you I was right. I’m really sick.'”

He continued: “I mean, there’s no arguing people like that, because their facts are based on different facts to the rest of us. I don’t think it’s anything to do with politics. I don’t think people believe things like this because of politics. They believe it because of their psychological makeup. They have a need to believe in these things. And in fact, it’s the same as people who go and sit on top of a mountain every year and wait for the world to end. And the world doesn’t end. But do they modify their beliefs? Actually, no. It strengthens them that, ‘Yep, we were right all along. It is definitely gonna end, just not this year. You see? The rest of the world is against us.’ That’s the way that some people think. It’s their mentality. And you’re probably not gonna change that. But for the rest of us, I would say just get vaccinated. And if you do get sick, you won’t get very sick. It’ll just be like a mild case of the flu.”

Dickinson previously told Rolling Stone magazine that he doesn’t personally believe that fans attending concerts should be required to get vaccinated, calling it “a personal choice,” However, he said that he hopes everyone will get the shot. “Personally, I think people are just very badly advised if they don’t go and get themselves double jabbed as quickly as possible, not for the reasons of going into concerts, but for their own health,” he said. “Having said that, even if you’ve had a double jab, you can still get COVID, and therefore you can spread it to other people who might not have been vaccinated and they might get very sick and die. Now you cannot legislate against mortality. There are many things in this world that kill people and they’re not illegal but are unfortunate. Cancer kills a lot of people. Heart attacks kill a lot of people. Obesity kills a lot of people. Malaria kills a shitload of people every year… So at some point, we have to just go, ‘We’re probably going to have to live with this. And if we’re going to live with it, then you have your vaccination.'”

IRON MAIDEN’s new album, “Senjutsu”, will be released on September 3 via BMG. It was recorded in Paris with longstanding producer Kevin Shirley and co-produced by bassist Steve Harris.

The video for the LP’s first single, “The Writing On The Wall”, was made by BlinkInk based on a concept by Dickinson with two former Pixar executives. It followed a month-long teaser campaign and global “treasure hunt” for clues about the track title and concept.

Paul Stanley says that his battle with COVID-19 is over.

The KISS frontman tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus last week, forcing the postponement of at least three KISS shows.

Yesterday evening (Monday, August 30), Paul took to his Twitter to write: “My COVID symptoms were MILD compared to many others and let me tell you… It kicked my ass. It’s over now.”

KISS called off its show last Thursday in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania while fans were waiting for the gates to open.

“I had been sick with flu-like symptoms and was tested repeatedly and was negative,” Stanley tweeted that day. “As of late this afternoon I tested positive. The crew, staff and band have all tested negative once again.”

In a social media post, KISS said the whole band and the crew members who are traveling with them on the tour are fully vaccinated.

Members of KISS “and their crew have operated in a bubble independently to safeguard everyone as much as possible at each show and in between shows,” the band wrote in the statement.

“The tour also has a COVID safety protocol officer on staff full-time that is ensuring everyone is closely following all CDC guidelines,” the statement continued.

On Friday, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons told “TMZ Live” that Paul is “gonna be great because he got vaccinated. He’s gonna be fine… Yesterday he started feeling like his voice wasn’t up to it and he started feeling a little fatigued. So we always take precautions. And we sent a doctor over, and he said, ‘Okay, you may be coming down with something. You guys better just stop.’ And that’s exactly what we did. And at the right time, as soon as we heard from the doctor, we had paramedics come in from a local hospital and tested the entire crew — the truck drivers, our backstage lineup, the band and everything. Everybody tested negative; Paul tested positive. Now we’re quarantining ourselves — all of us; the band, the crew and everybody — for at least five days, just to make sure that we’re not carrying it even though we’re not experiencing anything. I feel great. We can do shows. My voice is great. Paul is not feeling great. And to be safe for everybody else, we’re making sure.”

KISS kicked off the summer 2021 leg of its “End Of The Road” farewell tour on August 18 at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The concert marked the band’s first full-length live appearance in front of an audience since March 2020.

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’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.

My COVID symptoms were MILD compared to many others and let me tell you… It kicked my ass. It’s over now. pic.twitter.com/8HDMjKZT37
— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) August 31, 2021

A supergroup formed by vocalist Bjorn “Speed” Strid and guitarist Daniel Andersson of SOILWORK and joined soon after by bassist Sharlee D’Angelo (MERCYFUL FATE, ARCH ENEMY) on paper has the makings of a devastating display of heavy metal forces joining together. Beginning with their 2012 debut record “Internal Affairs”, THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA surprisingly soon became well-renowned for its catchy tributes to the power-pop, arena-rock, and movie soundtracks of the early 1980’s. In 2021, their formula may no longer have the surprise factor of earlier efforts, but their sixth album, simply titled “Aeromantic II” in the wake of 2020’s “Aeromantic”, showcases a band that has well-honed the beats of their chosen sound for another serving of feel-good power-rock odes to nights in search of love and adventure.

The group re-establishes that sense of comfort food from the onset with “Violent Indigo”. The song’s opening guitar licks are reminiscent of the title card from a movie released in the 1980’s by defunct production studios such as Touchstone Pictures. The track very quickly becomes another showcase for the arena-level choruses, catchy guitar hooks, drum fills and synth solos that prove to be the main drivers for the next 50 minutes. The influences that have driven the band up to this point are still omnipresent, perhaps even more so than ever on “Aeromantic II”. The underlying keyboard work of “Change” plays like a super-charged version of the 1983 GENESIS hit, “That’s All”. D’Angelo’s bass lines on “I Will Try” evoke the spirit of TEARS FOR FEARS’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”. Strid channels the best performances from the singers that topped the charts in ’84, belting it out like RICK SPRINGFIELD, especially so on the album-closing “Reach Out”.

The true beauty of THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA though is that for all of the moments that their ’80s-influence pastiche could potentially cross over the line into irredeemable cheese, these are musicians that have well mastered the ability to both craft a great pop song and still undeniably make it rock. Drummer Jonas Källsbäck once again gives a stadium-worthy performance behind the kit. Andersson and fellow guitarist Sebastian Forslund long ago established their chemistry and ability to deliver axe work that merges the power of the shred with a pop sensibility, and new keyboardist John Lönnmayr very capably steps into the seat vacated by longtime stalwart Richard Larsson emerging very quickly as a valuable force. Lönnmayr shines with solos that are equally as flashy as those performing from the front of the stage, combing his talents with the guitar duo on standout moments for many of the album’s tracks. Lönnmayr’s keys stand alongside a catchy bit of funk-rock guitar to elevate the sense of triumph that powers “Midnight Marvelous”, provide an even bigger boost of adrenaline to “How Long”‘s already energetic chorus, and boost the dance-floor conga-rock of “You Belong To The Night”.

It’s a testament to the chemistry that THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA have developed — and the strong musicianship that backs that chemistry — that what on the surface initially came off as a fun diversion has not worn out its welcome a decade later. “Aeromantic II” is the sound of a band that hit the ground running in executing its vision and still has many miles left on its shoes years later.



Nikki Sixx says that MÖTLEY CRÜE originally invited VAN HALEN’s David Lee Roth to share the bill with them and DEF LEPPARD on “The Stadium Tour” but that David passed. “I don’t open for bands that I influenced,” the CRÜE bassist says Roth told him, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Back in October 2019, Roth reflected on the influence of VAN HALEN on bands that followed, telling KKLZ’s “The Mike & Carla Morning Show”: “Hair bands were the imitations of VAN HALEN. Yeah, it is true, and spandex was what they came up with as something visual. I started off in leather, with the same haircut that Bono and [Bruce] Springsteen and the guys in METALLICA had. A famous haircut — if I had that same haircut today, it’d have its own Instagram. But VAN HALEN was a ’70s band — we started off in 1972, and our first two albums were in the ’70s. We sold our first 10 million records before the ’70s were over. We spawned a whole lot of imitators who resorted to gimmickry and trade crap. It’s easier to imitate a haircut and a kind of pants and to exhibit bad behavior.”

“The Stadium Tour”, which also features POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, was originally scheduled to take place last summer but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus crisis.

When it happens, “The Stadium Tour” will mark the CRÜE’s first live dates since wrapping its 2014/2015 farewell tour. CRÜE toured with POISON back in 2011 and DEF LEPPARD teamed up with POISON for a string of road dates in 2017 — but the upcoming jaunt marks the first time all four acts have hit the road together for an extended tour.

As of January 30, 2020, “The Stadium Tour” had already grossed $130 million from one million tickets sold, plus another $5 million worth of VIP seats, according to Billboard.

Tickets ranged from $150 to $400, not counting some varied pricing that reflected demand as part of “dynamic pricing.”

Roth performed as the opening act for the February/March 2020 North American leg of KISS’s farewell tour, but is not making any appearances on the rescheduled KISS shows which kicked off on August 18 in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

In March 2020, Roth postponed the final six shows of his Las Vegas residency due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Velvet Underground: A Documentary Film By Todd Haynes – Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack”, a 2CD and digital soundtrack that features both well-known and rare VELVET UNDERGROUND tracks, will be released on October 15 via Republic Records/UMe. Curated by the documentary’s director, Todd Haynes, and music supervisor Randall Poster, the album is the official soundtrack for the critically acclaimed Apple original documentary “The Velvet Underground”, which will be released in theaters and premiere globally Friday, October 15 on Apple TV+.

Featuring some of THE VELVET UNDERGROUND’s most well-known tracks, rarities and songs that influenced them, “The Velvet Underground: A Documentary Film By Todd Haynes – Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack” serves as the perfect introduction to the band and companion piece to the film. The soundtrack features such VELVET UNDERGROUND favorites as “Sunday Morning”, “All Tomorrow’s Parties”, “Pale Blue Eyes”, “I’m Waiting For The Man” and “Sweet Jane”, as well as the mono version of “Heroin” and the rare cut “Foggy Notion”. Also featured are live versions of “After Hours” and “Sister Ray”, Nico’s “Chelsea Girls”, and the tongue-in-cheek novelty song “The Ostrich” by THE PRIMITIVES, an early band formed by Lou Reed and John Cale.

“Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack” also features tracks by artists who influenced THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, including a live version of “Road Runner” by Bo Diddley; “The Wind”, a doo-wop classic by THE DIABLOS featuring Nolan Strong; and the previously unpublished La Monte Young composition “17 XII 63 NYC The Fire Is A Mirror (excerpt)”, performed by THE THEATRE OF ETERNAL MUSIC.

“The Velvet Underground: A Documentary Film By Todd Haynes – Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack” track listing:

Disc 1

01. Venus In Furs – THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (5:12)
02. The Wind – THE DIABLOS (3:05)
03. 17 XII 63 NYC The Fire Is A Mirror (excerpt) – THE THEATRE OF ETERNAL MUSIC (6:21)
04. Heroin [mono] – THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (7:14)
05. Road Runner (Live) – BO DIDDLEY (4:14)
06. The Ostrich – THE PRIMITIVES (2:25)
07. I’m Waiting For The Man – THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (4:40)
08. Chelsea Girls – NICO (7:27)
09. Sunday Morning – THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (2:56 )

Disc 2

01. Sister Ray (Live) – THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (19:03)
02. Pale Blue Eyes – THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (5:40)
03. Foggy Notion – THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (6:59)
04. After Hours (Live) Version 1 – THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (2:56)
05. Sweet Jane – THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (4:09)
06. Ocean – THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (5:14)
07. All Tomorrow’s Parties – THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (5:53)

Ex-JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing, who left JUDAS PRIEST a decade ago, spoke about his former group in a brand new interview with Let’s Rock. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “When I quit and my voice wasn’t being heard and I was very frustrated in 2010, we all agreed to end the band. We were about to embark on the ‘Epitaph’ tour, which was the final farewell tour. We were ending the band. I just decided I didn’t wanna go forward to do the final tour, because I didn’t think I would enjoy it, and I wanted to enjoy it, because things were not right in the band. Everything had come to a head, and it was ugly; it wasn’t right. And I wanted my voice to be heard, so that I could go and enjoy the farewell tour of the band. But if that wasn’t gonna happen, I jumped ship. It was the end. They didn’t tell me they were gonna carry on for another 10 years… Because we all agreed it was the end. I told them I wasn’t gonna do the farewell tour. We had all the press releases, everything, about the end of the band. It was gonna be the end of the band, however long the tour was gonna be. And my replacement was coming in to do the farewell tour, and that was it. Those guys told the world that I retired from the band. But we were all retiring. I’ve got the press statements here on file. We were all retiring. And they didn’t tell the world that I changed my mind a couple of months later, and I was speaking to Ian [Hill, PRIEST bassist] about doing the tour, and had him send me the setlist over. They didn’t tell the world that either. But they still sent out the press release, ignored my intentions of doing the tour.

“I was the one that was very loyal — loyal, always loyal — to JUDAS PRIEST. Because in 2010, Rob [Halford, PRIEST singer] did a tour with his own band, playing JUDAS PRIEST songs, and he did release two studio albums. All of this was getting more than I can take, and that’s what happened.

“Anyway, lots of water under the bridge,” Downing added. “There’s a big story still to be told. I hope the fans can find it in their hearts to believe that the set of circumstances was not what was supposed to happen. History was changed, and it’s been changed since, with the opportunity of me potentially being able to step back into my role. I’ve been denied that. The media have been denied that, [as well as] the fans, and the history has been denied that.”

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band’s upcoming 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as “a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music,” while the second was “angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties.”

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was “a key reason” he wasn’t invited to rejoin PRIEST after Tipton’s decision to retire from touring.

Last year, Downing announced the formation of KK’S PRIEST, in which he is joined by former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim “Ripper” Owens, guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

KK’S PRIEST’s debut album, “Sermons Of The Sinner”, will be released on October 1 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records. The LP’s first single, “Hellfire Thunderbolt”, came out in May. The title track followed in June.

In a brand new interview with HardDrive Radio, SHINEDOWN frontman Brent Smith spoke about what it has been like for him and bandmates to play live shows during the pandemic. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Finally being able to get back out with SHINEDOWN, man, it was emotional. It really, really was. These eight shows, they were massive — they were, like, big attendance; everything was sold out.

“Obviously, people know what transpired,” he continued. “We were in the middle of rehearsals, and then Barry [Kerch, drums] tested positive for COVID in the middle of rehearsals. We were able to get our good friend Dustin [Steinke] from SIXX:A.M. to come in and fill in for Barry for three shows until Barry had a negative test. Once again, Barry was fully vaccinated in April of this year, so it kind of is what it is. We got [Barry] back out there and then just stayed really meticulous with the protocol. We’re still having to do behind the scenes… The outfit, we kind of create our own bubble. The crew stays with the crew. The band stays with the band and the crew. Days off, we don’t kind of go out with anybody else; we kind of stick together. No one right now is able to go into any kind of big areas where there’s a bunch of people without a mask, just because we’re still in the middle of this. Because if one of the bandmembers tests positive, we’re in a bad situation.

“So we’re just trying to be meticulous about everything going into this next run, which is longer than what we just did,” Brent added. “It’s five weeks — a lot of big, big shows. The focus is just being smart, staying healthy, doing what we need to do. Because we don’t need to go backwards. We’ve gotta push forward. You’ve got take responsibility for yourself also, man. You’ve gotta stay healthy. You’ve gotta stay up on things. You’ve gotta give yourself as much as you can. Especially in the industry right now — it’s your responsibility. If you’re a band or you’re an artist that’s touring right now, we’re still in the middle of all this. So you’ve just gotta go through the protocol, man.”

SHINEDOWN has spent the last few months recording its seventh studio album for an early 2022 release. The follow-up to “Attention Attention” is being recorded at a new studio in Charleston, South Carolina spearheaded by the group’s bassist and producer Eric Bass.

SHINEDOWN’s film “Attention Attention”, a cinematic experience of the band’s 2018 studio album of the same name, will premiere worldwide on Friday, September 3. Available on digital and cable VOD via Gravitas Ventures, “Attention Attention” is a visual journey that brings to life the story of SHINEDOWN’s acclaimed chart-topping album, their sixth full-length, which has accumulated more than 622 million global streams, debuted Top 5 on the Billboard 200, simultaneously hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative, Top Rock and Hard Rock Albums charts, and led to five iHeartRadio Music Award nominations. This sonic and visual work of art was directed by Bill Yukich (BEYONCÉ, METALLICA, WIZ KHALIFA) and features theatrical performances from the band, Melora Walters (“Magnolia”, “Big Love”, “PEN15”), and Francesca Eastwood (“Old”, “Twin Peaks”, “Fargo”), among others.