Month: October 2021

Former VAN HALEN frontman Sammy Hagar says that he has “no problem” with the band’s original singer, David Lee Roth. The 74-year-old Red Rocker, who just kicked off his Las Vegas residency, discussed his relationship with Roth in a new interview with “The Mike & Carla Morning Show” on the 96.3 KKLZ radio station. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Him and I don’t even have a feud. To be honest with you, I have no problem with Dave. I don’t know what he’s got going with me, but I think he always feels competitive. I think he feels like he has to raise his flag, like, ‘I’m VAN HALEN.’ ‘Cause I had a solo career before VAN HALEN. I was in MONTROSE before VAN HALEN. I’ve had CHICKENFOOT. Dave has got VAN HALEN, so I think he has to hold on to that kind of tight. But I don’t care about that. If someone said, ‘Oh, I never knew you [were] in VAN HALEN,’ I’d say, ‘Eh…'”

Hagar replaced Roth in VAN HALEN in 1985 and recorded four studio albums with the band — “5150”, “OU812”, “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” and “Balance” — all of which topped the U.S. chart. The highest-charting Roth-led VAN HALEN album was a No. 2, and it took until “1984” to achieve that. (2012’s “A Different Kind Of Truth” also landed at No. 2.)

This past June, Hagar blasted Roth, saying his voice “hasn’t aged well” and describing the original VAN HALEN singer’s onstage persona as “totally bullshit.” He told Brazil’s “Inside With Paulo Baron” Internet show: “[David is] a real character. He’s a showman. He’s all show. I enjoy him. But you talk about cringing. I can’t imagine how he feels when he looks at some of them old videos, the way he was dancing and moving, and the way he was singing live sometimes. I don’t know how he feels about all that, but I don’t think he cares. The difference between him and I [is] I sincerely care — I care about everything I do and I care how it affects people and I care what they think. I care that it touches them and it makes them happy. And what is important to me is enlightening and elevating people spiritually and making them happy and making them have big dreams, making them want to be better themselves. And that’s my goal with everything I do — is to bring that to people and change their life, if I can. I don’t think he cares about anything like that. And that’s the difference between our presence. He’s very much into himself, very much into being a showman and doesn’t really care. I don’t know what he cares about; I really don’t. I don’t know him. I have no idea who that guy is; I don’t think anyone does. But he entertains me. I enjoy watching him do stupid shit.”

Asked what he thinks when he sees the way David presents himself to the public, Sammy said: “Well, the first thing I’d say is I look at him and I think, ‘Wow. He’s a strange person. He’s a strange character.’ He’s not what he’s saying he is; he’s pretending. He’s totally bullshit. Everything he does is thought up and it’s an image. It’s nothing to do with who he is; he’s not exposing who and what he is. And I know this for a fact. I knew that the first time I saw him. I said, ‘This guy, he’s putting on an image, putting on a show.’ He goes back home and goes in his house, and he’s a whole different guy — nothing to do with that guy [you see on stage]. He’s not honest about his image and his performance. That’s what I see when I see him; that’s how I feel. But I tried to be friends.”

Referring to the time when he and Roth teamed up for the “Song For Song, The Undisputed Heavyweight Champs Of Rock And Roll!” co-headlining tour in 2002, Sammy continued: “When we did our together, I thought it was gonna be so much fun. I thought, ‘If he’s anything like he claims to be, we’re gonna have a good time.’ But he wasn’t. He was the worst guy to be around. He wasn’t ever around. He hides out. You never see him. He puts on this whole big front and comes out, ‘I’m here. David Lee Roth is here,’ and then he goes and hides again. I don’t think he’s happy. He’s never been married; never had a relationship; never had children. It’s, like, man, how do you live like that? I don’t know. I’m a family man. And I love women — I love women and children… He hasn’t aged well — his voice. [Laughs] I don’t know. It’s hard.”

According to Hagar, he has tried a number of times to be respectful to Roth, particularly because of David’s immeasaurable contribution to VAN HALEN’s legacy.

“I used to not wanna cause trouble,” he said. “First, in the old days, before I was in VAN HALEN, I ripped him through the fucking coals when I [did] the press, before I ever was in that band. And then when I joined the band, I tried to be nice. And then when I left the band, I tried to be nice about him. And then we did our together, and then I fucking said, ‘Fuck this guy. He’s an asshole. You can’t get along with him. He’s no fun. He’s full of shit.’ And then now, after [VAN HALEN guitarist] Eddie’s [Van Halen] death, I feel, once again, he’s part of the VAN HALEN legacy and he’s important. So I wouldn’t wanna ruin anything to do with what he brought to that legacy. I want VAN HALEN to go down as one of the greatest rock bands of all time — but not just my [era]; Dave’s era [as well]. I want Eddie to be the legend and get the respect that he deserves, and the only way to preserve that is by being kind about the past. And, like in my [2011’s autobiography, ‘Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock’], like I said, that’s the only thing I would probably [change in the book if I was writing it now is I would] soften it up [as it relates to Eddie]. But it’s too late — it is what it is. And it’s honest. So I’m not lying, I’m not backpedaling — nope, nope. It’s all true. But God rest his soul. He brought a lot to this planet, to this business of rock and roll, Eddie Van Halen did. And Dave was a part of it. It’s too bad what he’s become. [Laughs] But that’s different. It’s not VAN HALEN anymore.”

Last November, Eddie’s son Wolfgang revealed that his father had contemplated a “kitchen-sink tour” that would have included classic-era bassist Michael Anthony, as well as vocal turns from both Hagar and Roth. There was even talk about bringing back Gary Cherone, who sang with VAN HALEN on one poorly received album, 1998’s “Van Halen III”.

Eddie died in October 2020 at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California. The iconic VAN HALEN axeman passed away from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

Decibel is deeply saddened to report the passing of Eric Greif, the extreme metal entertainment lawyer and former manager of Death and president of Perseverance Holdings Ltd, at the age of 59.
The post R.I.P. Eric Greif (1962-2021) (Death manager) appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

SEVENDUST frontman Lajon Witherspoon spoke to Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for his long-in-the-works debut solo album. He said: “I’ll start writing again after this [SEVENDUST] tour. I’ve got a couple of more sessions I wanna do, a couple of people I’d like to write with. And I’m taking my time on it. It’s fun. It’s exciting. I’m gonna leak out another song probably in a month or so and let some people start feeling it a little bit.”

Most of the early sessions for Witherspoon’s solo LP were overseen by RA’s Daniel “Sahaj” Ticotin.

This past January, Lajon released a solo single, a cover of British singer Jacob Banks’s 2017 song “Chainsmoking”.

In September 2020, Lajon told Talking Metal that working on his solo LP has been fun. “I’ve not had any pressure,” he said. “It hasn’t been something that, ‘Oh, I have to do this.’ This is something I’ve done on my own.

“I’ve been working with a very close friend of mine, Sahaj, [who] is the lead singer from the band RA, which I think a lot of people out there would know,” he continued. “[He’s] an incredible friend and artist, and we write well together.”

Asked about the musical direction of his solo material, Lajon said: “You can be on the avenue and hang out with my solo stuff. It’s rock. It’s a little bit of heavy, but I think it lends more towards a bluesy, soulful, more radio friendly… I’m not saying SEVENDUST isn’t radio friendly, but I think this is more of a radio friendly… I don’t know. It’s a lot, a lot, a lot of melody. It’s cool.”

Witherspoon released the standalone solo single “Love Song” in 2017.

SEVENDUST’s 13th studio album, “Blood & Stone”, was released in October 2020 via Rise Records. The follow-up to 2018’s “All I See Is War” was once again tracked at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida with producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette, who has previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH, among others.

THE HALO EFFECT, the new project featuring five former members of the Swedish metal band IN FLAMES — Jesper Strömblad (guitar), Daniel Svensson (drums), Peter Iwers (bass), Niclas Engelin (guitar) and Mikael Stanne (vocals) — will release its debut single, “Shadowminds”, on November 9. A teaser for the song’s official music video is available below.

A founding member of IN FLAMES, Strömblad quit the band in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.

Five years ago, Jesper slammed his former bandmates, calling the group a “sinking ship” and saying IN FLAMES singer Anders Fridén has “never been a songwriter.”

Svensson, who joined IN FLAMES in 1998, announced in 2015 that he was leaving the group to focus on his family life.

A member of IN FLAMES since 1997, Iwers issued a statement in November 2016 saying that he was exiting the band “to pursue other endeavors.”

Engelin has been sitting out IN FLAMES’ tour dates for the past two and a half years but has never officially confirmed his departure from the band. Engelin’s replacement for IN FLAMES’ live shows for most of 2019 and early 2020 has been former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick.

When Engelin was asked in an August 2020 interview with the “MetalBreak” podcast what his “future” with IN FLAMES was, he responded, “I choose to pass on that [question],” before quickly adding, “I’m still in the band.”

As of last year, Engelin was not listed as a member of IN FLAMES on the band’s Facebook page (Broderick was), and he is not featured in any of IN FLAMES’ current promotional photos from the group’s record label, Nuclear Blast.

IN FLAMES recruited American drummer Tanner Wayne, best known for his work with UNDERMINDED, SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS and CHIODOS, to sit behind the kit for the band for its 2018, 2019 and 2020 live appearances. Wayne stepped into IN FLAMES following the departure of Joe Rickard, who played on the band’s “I, The Mask” and “Battles” albums.

Shortly after leaving IN FLAMES, Iwers joined CYHRA, the band featuring vocalist Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE) and Strömblad. He announced his departure from that band in May 2018.

IN FLAMES’ current lineup features American bassist Bryce Paul Newman, who has been playing most of the shows with the group since Iwers’s exit.

During a January 2021 appearance on the “Vox&Hops” podcast, Iwers was asked if he ever misses being on the road. The bassist replied: “Yeah, absolutely. Well, ‘miss’ is kind of the wrong word. I loved being on the road for most of the years that I was with [IN FLAMES], and I miss the good times. I have no regrets as far as leaving, but, of course, sometimes I really miss just being free and out and playing shows and traveling to new places every day. But I have plans. Maybe this will happen again in the future — not with IN FLAMES, though, but, yeah, we’ll see.”

He continued: “I’m kind of not missing spending time thinking about stuff like that. I’m kind of more living where I am now, where I’m actually free to do whatever I can with my own time. I own my own time, as I like to say; I can plan it however I like it. And I’m kind of focusing on enjoying that rather than missing the past.

“It’s fun to reminisce, but at the same time, it can take you down a dangerous road as well,” Peter added.

In a 2017 interview with Ireland’s Overdrive, IN FLAMES guitarist Björn Gelotte said that he wasn’t surprised by Peter’s departure from the band. “It wasn’t a ‘shock,’ so to speak, as we kind of knew that it was coming,” he said. “I think he was just done with it all and not happy. No, ‘happy’ is the wrong word. He just wanted to pursue other things. Peter is a very, very busy guy. He has his own brewery with Daniel called Odd Island Brewing and he’s also got four or five different musical projects happening, so he’s really got his hands full at the moment.”

A year ago, DARK TRANQUILITY vocalist Mikael Stanne, who sang on IN FLAMES’ debut album, 1994’s “Lunar Strain”, dismissed comparisons between the two bands, telling the “BREWtally Speaking Podcast”: “We are kind of forever linked, just because of our connection early on. I sang on the first IN FLAMES album, and Anders sang on the first DARK TRANQUILLITY album, and this is still a cause of great confusion for some reason. But, yeah, we toured together, we are friends and we grew up together in the same area outside of town [in Gothenburg, Sweden]. So, of course, it’s obvious. And I’m okay with that — that’s fine. It just becomes a little bit old, because there’s not much to say about it anymore, because we’ve gone in very different directions. So it’s not relevant, but, of course, you do make comparisons — that’s how people work, how you go, ‘I like this band better than that band.’ And if there is a link somehow, and there are many between the two of us, then you use that as some kind of reference or, ‘This is better than that,’ or, ‘The guitar player is better in that band’ — that kind of stuff. So I’m okay with it. It doesn’t change anything. And sometimes questions about it tend to be uninspired. It’s just like, ‘Oh, what do you think of the other band’s albums?’ It’s, like, ‘It doesn’t matter, but I’m a huge fan. I love it.’ And it’s the same with, of course, AT THE GATES as well, even though we haven’t shared any members together, but we still kind of grew up together, so, obviously, there’s a huge connection there as well. And I don’t mind talking about my friends and the awesome bands that are from this town — it’s fine — but sometimes the direct comparisons seem… Maybe they meant something in the ’90s, but they really don’t anymore.”

Soon.. #TheHaloEffect pic.twitter.com/apkwgge3lW
— Mikael Stanne (@MiklStne) October 31, 2021

Legendary rockers KISS have announced the upcoming voyage of the “Kiss Kruise XI”. The KISS Navy will set sail for their eleventh mission from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico from October 29, 2022 to November 3, 2022.

This year’s edition of KISS’s annual “Kiss Kruise” event — in which the group performs aboard a cruise ship’s pool deck — kicked off on Friday, October 29. Fans need to be vaccinated to attend, bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons told The New York Post a few days ago.

On Saturday (October 30), KISS’s second Las Vegas residency was canceled, with fans who already purchased tickets via Ticketmaster having been notified that the shows are no longer taking place.

The cancelation came a day after Rolling Stone magazine published a story in which a group of KISS roadies suggested that the lack of COVID protocols enforced on the band’s “End Of The Road” farewell tour led to the death of a longtime guitar tech, 53-year-old Francis Stueber. Stueber died of coronavirus in his Detroit hotel room on October 17, just two days after being quarantined.

The crew members claimed the tour didn’t take strict enough safety measures, including not testing everyone regularly. In addition, some crew members allegedly disguised their illness and/or faked vaccine cards.

“End Of The Road” 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 Simmons and Paul Stanley (guitar, vocals), alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

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

David Coverdale says that he was shocked to hear about the death of actress Julie E. “Tawny” Kitaen, who is best known in the rock world for her appearance in the band’s video for “Here I Go Again”.

While WHITESNAKE was working on it 1987 self-titled album, Coverdale started dating Kitaen, who had recently starred opposite Tom Hanks in the movie “Bachelor Party”. Kitaen soon appeared in several of WHITESNAKE’s music videos, including those for “Here I Go Again”, “Is This Love” and “Still Of The Night”. Footage of Kitaen writhing around on the hood of a Jaguar in the “Here I Go Again” clip has been called one of the most iconic — and sexiest — video moments ever filmed.

Coverdale discussed Kitaen’s passing in a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit’s radio station WRIF. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I got a text late at night, and I thought, ‘Oh my God.’ Really, to be honest, there had been no communication for over 30 years. I’ve been deeply invested, and continue to be invested, in my marriage to [my current wife] Cindy. I think it would have been different had Tawny and I had a child, but we didn’t. And I sent my condolences out to her family and friends and made a modest public statement because it really wasn’t my place to do anything else.

“As you know, Tawny is synonymous with WHITESNAKE, with MTV,” he continued. “This iconic, amazing beauty who brought so much attention to my music. Once you go, ‘Oh my God, she’s gorgeous,’ you go, ‘Wow, the songs aren’t bad either.’

“Yeah, so that was a shock — there was no question,” David added. “I didn’t see that one coming. But then, sadly, I’m losing a lot of people. At this age, it’s so weird the amount of people I know who are checking out, privately or professionally. It’s pretty crazy. But it’s onwards and forwards — it has to be my philosophy.”

Earlier this month, a spokesperson for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in California said that Tawny’s cause of death was dilated cardiomyopathy. The manner of death was ruled natural.

According to the spokesman, other significant conditions included mild coronary atherosclerosis (clogged arteries); mirtazapine (antidepressant), mirtazapine metabolite, alprazolam (Xanax), acetaminophen (Tylenol), pregabalin (nerve pain medication) and hydrocodone (opioid).

Kitaen died on May 7 at her home in Newport Beach, California.

Tawny’s children — Wynter and Raine Finley, whom she shared with ex-husband, baseball player Chuck Finley — confirmed their mother’s passing, writing in a statement: “We are heartbroken and saddened to announce the death of our mom. We just want to say thank you for all of you, her fans and her friends, for always showing her such support and love. You gave her life everyday. We miss her and love her and we know her legacy will live on forever.”

In June 2020, Tawny told “Ouch, You’re On My Hair” about how she ended up being featured in the WHITESNAKE videos: “Ironically, I started dating David. He was two million dollars in debt to David Geffen at that time. I was working and had more money than David at that time, so I kind of supported us a little. And when I heard the album and I was allowed to go in and help mix the album… You know how when you sing different tracks, they give you a piece of paper and you pick the word from the best track. So I was able to do that. And John Kalodner, who was the biggest A&R guy in the business, who works for David Geffen, in my ‘E! True Hollywood Story’ called me Yoko Ono — because I picked the album covers, I picked the single, I picked the photographer. I made the rule that no girls were allowed backstage, so the groupies must have hated me.

“I’ll tell you how I came to be in the video,” she continued. “Marty Callner, the director of all the WHITESNAKE videos, had it all planned out — had the girl, had everything. The night before the shoot, David said, ‘Will you come with me to Marty, the director of the video’s house? We have to go over the story boards.’ So we went over to his Bel Air mansion, and he opens up the door, and without even saying hi or hello, he pointed at me and he said, ‘You’re her.’ And I’m, like, ‘I’m who?’ And he said, ‘You’re the girl.’ And I was already an actress. I had turned down a couple of bands from not being in their video, because I was an actress. ‘I’m not gonna do a rock video. Are you kidding?’ That was the mentality. But it was my boyfriend at the time’s video, so I thought, ‘All right, I’ve already helped my boyfriend on all the RATT album covers’ — referring to her former boyfriend, late RATT guitarist Robbin Crosby — “why can’t I help my boyfriend in his videos?’ And so that’s how it happened. And this poor girl got a call that she was no longer gonna be in it, and here I was.”

In a 2019 interview with Consequence Of Sound, Coverdale confirmed that Kitaen was not the first choice for the female figure featured in the video. “Claudia Schiffer was supposed to be ‘the WHITESNAKE woman,’ when she was the Guess jeans girl,” he said. “But that fell apart near the actual shoot. And I was taking Tawny out for dinner, when Marty Callner called me, and said, ‘You have to stop by, we have problems.’ We went to his house on the way to dinner, he opened the door, his jaw hit the floor — as you know, Tawny was an absolute beauty — and he said, ‘That’s her! She’s the WHITESNAKE woman!’ And I said, ‘Marty, this is a friend of mine. She’s an actress.’ And she said, ‘No, David. I’m happy to do it!’ So, sorry Claudia — you did very well afterwards, too.”

Coverdale and Kitaen tied the knot in 1989 but the union only lasted two years. Kitaen married Finley in 1997 and divorced him in 2002, not long after she was arrested for allegedly attacking her husband in their SUV a few blocks from their home. According to the Los Angeles Times, Kitaen pleaded not guilty to the charges of domestic violence, and the case was dismissed in 2003 after she attended court-mandated counseling. When she and Finley divorced, she released a statement saying she was being treated for a dependency on prescription drugs and vowed to become “the healthiest and the best mother possible” to her two daughters.

Prior to hooking up with Coverdale, Kitaen appeared in RATT’s “Back For More” music video. She was also featured in several reality shows, including “The Surreal Life”, “Botched” and “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew”. She had several other run-ins with the law, including a charge for cocaine possession in 2006 and driving under the influence in 2009.

One of the Jaguars from the “Here I Go Again” video was dusted off for WHITESNAKE’s clip for “Shut Up & Kiss Me”, from 2019’s “Flesh & Blood” album.

The day after Kitaen’s passing, Coverdale tweeted: “Just woke up to some very sad, unexpected news… My sincere condolences to her children, her family, friends & fans…”

ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell was the featured guest on BBC’s “The Rock Show With Johnnie Walker” during the “Rock God” segment. Jerry picked THE ROLLING STONES frontman Mick Jagger and stated about his choice: “I had the good fortune to see him perform with THE STONES in Los Angeles a couple of days ago. I’ve been lucky enough to catch a few STONES shows over the years, but it was really great to be reminded of their place in rock and roll history and Mick’s place as the genesis, I believe, of what fronting a rock and roll band really looks like. It’s amazing, the longevity, the attitude, just his ability to connect with the audience, to work a room, I don’t think you’d have Steven Tyler or David Lee Roth or any epic frontman without Mick Jagger. He is the archetype and the forerunner for what fronting a rock and roll band is all about.”

Last year, Cantrell discussed his early musical influences during an interview about his career for Gibson’s “Icon” series. He stated at the time: “Music was something that was always in our house from a very early age. By that time, I was heavily into rock, like AC/DC and KISS and all the English metal. And I grew up on bands that wrote good riffs. I just wanted to play guitar, write songs, and I’m proud to have sprung from the community and so many of my friends. And the reasons and the meaning behind why we all do it, where we all come from and what that means, that’s not lost on any of us.”

Jerry’s new solo album, “Brighten”, was made available on October 29. The LP was co-produced by Jerry over the past year with film composer Tyler Bates and Cantrell’s longtime engineer Paul Figueroa. They welcomed a dynamic cast of supporting players, including drummers Gil Sharone and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Paul McCartney), pedal steel master Michael Rozon, Vincent Jones on piano, Wurlitzer, and organ. Other rock legends added to the fun of this LP, including Duff McKagan (GUNS N’ ROSES) on select bass tracks, Greg Puciato (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) handling all of the background vocals and Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) overseeing the mixing of “Brighten”. Together, they recorded eight originals and the LP closes with an approved-by-Elton John cover of his classic “Goodbye” as the finale.

Jon Bon Jovi canceled his appearance at a Miami Beach concert Saturday night (October 30) after testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

The 58-year-old BON JOVI frontman, who is said to be fully vaccinated, pulled out of the fan event minutes before he was supposed to take the stage for an acoustic Halloween performance at the Loews South Beach.

According to the Asbury Park Press, Jon’s brother Matt Bongiovi took the stage and told the audience the singer had tested positive for the virus after Jon and his backing band had all taken a rapid test. Bongiovi added that Jon “feels great” but was headed “to bed,” according to WSVN.

Jon’s positive COVID-19 test was confirmed by a BON JOVI representative, who added that he is “fully vaccinated and feeling fine.”

A video posted on Twitter shows Bon Jovi leaving the venue. He reportedly then got into a yellow Maserati driven by his brother.

The event, dubbed “Runaway With JBJ” and put on by Runaway Tours, was scheduled to include an acoustic storyteller performance, question-and-answer session and photo-op with Jon, in addition to a Halloween costume welcome party.

Jon’s publicist told DailyMail.com: ‘This was a Runaway concert which means it is a smaller more intimate type acoustic show for the top levels of his fan club, so he is backed by on these by a group of musicians called the KINGS OF SUBURBIA, not by ‘BON JOVI’ — and out of an abundance of caution they did not perform without Jon.”

Last year, Jon’s 18-year-old son Jacob tested positive for COVID-19, as did BON JOVI keyboard player David Bryan and percussionist Everett Bradley.

Jon Bon Jovi cancels Miami concert. Tested positive for COVID according to staff. ⁦@jonbonjovi⁩ ⁦@wsvn⁩ pic.twitter.com/Hrvn7ETEwG
— Jessica Holly (@JhollyW) October 30, 2021