Month: November 2021

Houston promoter and musician Christian Larson discusses new records from Necrofier and Night Cobra, plus the fourth edition of his Hell’s Heroes festival.
The post Interview: Christian Larson Talks Necrofier, Night Cobra and Hell’s Heroes IV appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Original AC/DC singer Dave Evans has received an honorary lifetime membership from Club Atlético Temperley, an Argentine soccer club from the city of Temperley in greater Buenos Aires. Evans was also given his own personalized and genuine player shirt complete with the sponsors’ logos and the number 10 made famous by Argentina’s soccer legend Diego Maradona.

Dave recorded AC/DC’s first two singles, “Can I Sit Next To You Girl” and “Baby, Please Don’t Go”. But in October 1974, less than a year after AC/DC’s first gig, Evans was out of the band. He was replaced by Bon Scott, who sang on AC/DC’s first six studio albums and became a legend himself after his death in 1980.

Earlier this year, Dave was asked in an interview with The Rocker Diaries if he thought “that would be it” for AC/DC after Bon’s death in 1980. He responded: “No, not at all. I mean, we all keep going. And AC/DC has had that many players through [the history of] the band. I don’t know how many. 20? And three singers, plus a stand-in singer as well.

“We were always ambitious when we first started,” he continued. “We always wanted to be the best in the world — all of us. And after me, Bon Scott got his chance. He did great with the band. And when he died, I just thought, ‘Who are they gonna get?’ I never thought [I would be approached about it] myself, because that’s water under the bridge. And I was busy with bands as well at the time, and doing my own music and recording. I was just wondering who it would be. I had heard of [Brian Johnson’s pre-AC/DC band] GEORDIE — just the name GEORDIE. I’d never heard of Brian. And then Brian popped up and, of course, the ‘Back In Black’ album came out, which was a massive album around the world, and they were off and running with Brian. But if Brian quit, they’d get another singer, and another singer. [They’ve gone through] different bass players [and] different drummers.

“The drive was always Malcolm Young,” Dave added. “I remember Malcolm when I first met him. He was such a driving force. Just a tiny little guy — just a little touch over five foot tall — but, boy, he had a big heart and a big personality. And he was tough, too — Malcolm was very tough. And no matter what, he was AC/DC through and through. And, of course, once he passed away, which is very sad, AC/DC, of course, will never, ever be the same without Malcolm. How can it be?”

This past May, Evans released a new compilation album called “BADASS Greatest Hits”. The effort contains “20 massive hits on one album,” including Dave’s version of “Rockin’ In The Parlour”, the song that originally appeared as the B-side of the “Can I Sit Next to You Girl” single.

In a new interview with the “Tales From A Gemini” podcast, SKID ROW’s Rob Hammersmith was asked to name his top five drummers and biggest influences. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I’m gonna start with a couple of obvious ones… John Bonham [LED ZEPPELIN]. Obviously, for a reason… Cozy Powell [RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH]. Any metal guy knows who Cozy Powell is. The list of albums and iconic bands that he played in, it’s out of control. Phil Rudd [AC/DC] — for me, he’s been the blueprint by which I approach music, the way I approach drums. I know there’s a lot of debate out there; some guys aren’t impressed with him. That’s fine. They’re missing out. For me, he’s kind of the blueprint; that’s what I go by. Mickey Curry is another guy. [He] may not be a household name, but when I talk about… It’s startling when you start doing research how many… We were talking about THE CULT earlier; he’s the guy that played drums on those iconic CULT records. The list of albums and groups and artists that he’s played with, to say it’s impressive is kind of an understatement. I’ve gotta say for that fifth one, it kind of ebbs and flows a little bit. For what I do in the hard rock world, you’ve gotta mention Tommy Lee [MÖTLEY CRÜE]. I mean, there’s a reason why his name comes up as much as it does. He’s just another guy — talk about kind of laying out a blueprint for guys in the hard rock world. Maybe not so much the heavy metal world, but in the hard rock genre, man, that was a game changer for a lot of us. So he’s probably in my list of top five as well.”

Rob’s musical journey began at an early age in a small town outside of Buffalo, New York. Starting out in the cover scene, Rob quickly developed an appreciation for a solid back beat and playing for the song — an approach to drumming that he still considers the foundation for his style today. Later settling in Atlanta, Georgia, Rob’s drumming quickly gained attention in the rock underground.

Prior to joining SKID ROW in 2010, Rob spent many years touring and recording with Atlanta-based rockers ROCKETS TO RUIN and has performed with GUNFIRE 76, the band featuring onetime MURDERDOLLS frontman Wednesday 13.

When he first hooked up with SKID ROW, Hammersmith stated about his then-new gig: “Having always been a fan, it is an honor to be asked to join the band. The band’s music and history holds a special place in both my life and the lives of so many loyal fans. To be a part of that history is the chance of a lifetime.”

During a recent appearance on AXS TV’s “At Home And Social With…”, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY’s Zakk Wylde spoke about his long-standing friendship and working relationship with legendary BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I always said, with Ozz, it’s a miracle any work ever gets done just because we’re constantly… All’s you gotta do is hang out with him for, like, five minutes, you’ll be on the floor crying. ‘Cause he’s always taking the piss out of himself or whatever else is going on in the world. He’s the best. I was thinking if he wasn’t this legendary frontman and singer and everything like that, he’d have to do stand-up [comedy]. He’s the best. He’s hilarious.”

Asked if Ozzy has had a chance to listen to the new BLACK LABEL SOCIETY album, “Doom Crew Inc.”, Zakk said: “He tried. He goes, ‘Zakk, I really enjoy the new album.’ I was, like, ‘Ozz, what song do you like the best?’ He goes, ‘I like the part before you put it on and when it ends, and I also like the parts in between the songs when it’s just silence.’ I go, ‘Thanks, Ozz.’ And he goes, ‘Carry on. Good luck with the record.’ I’d expect nothing less. [Laughs]”

It was announced in April 2017 that guitarist Wylde would be rejoining Ozzy’s backing group for all his future solo show dates. Osbourne’s touring lineup also includes Rob “Blasko” Nicholson on bass, Tommy Clufetos on drums and Adam Wakeman on keyboards.

Wylde originally joined Osbourne’s band more three decades ago and backed the legendary frontman from 1987 to 1995, then again in 1998, from 2001 to 2004 and also from 2006 to 2009.

Although Zakk does not appear on the legendary heavy metal singer’s latest LP, “Ordinary Man”, he has already laid down his guitar tracks on Ozzy’s upcoming follow-up effort, tentatively due in early 2022.

“Doom Crew Inc.” was released on November 26 via MNRK Heavy (formerly eOne Music).

Chicago death metal institution Broken Hope re-live three decades of debut album Swamped in Gore with a Top 5 by axe-master Jeremy Wagner.
The post Top 5 Things That Influenced Broken Hope’s ‘Swamped in Gore’ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

An interview with former GUNS N’ ROSES drummer Steven Adler conducted in July at the M3 Rock Festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland was recently uploaded to the M3 Rock Festival YouTube channel and can now be seen below.

Asked how he ended up recruiting Ariel Kamin, the singer of Argentinian GN’R tribute band SON OF A GUN, to front his ADLER solo band, Steven said: “Actually, I went to Argentina [in November 2016] — my wife’s from there; her family lives there — and the GN’R guys invited me to do a couple of songs. And so I had a little party at a club called the Roxy in [Buenos Aires], and he was the singer [that played with us that night]. You can go on my web site and see — the Roxy in Argentina. He was so great. I was, like, ‘You’re coming with me.’ And the guitar player from the band that opened up for GN’R was so amazing. I told him, ‘Come down. I wanna jam with you.’ And he came down. I tell you, if [GUNS N’ ROSES guitarist] Slash would have seen him playing, he would have been in the back, in the dressing room, practicing. That’s how good he was.”

Joining Adler and Kamin in ADLER’s current touring lineup are guitarists Michael Thomas and Alistair James, and bassist Todd Kerns (filling in for Tanya O Callaghan, who recently became the new bassist of WHITESNAKE).

Kamin replaced Constantine Maroulis of “American Idol” and “Rock Of Ages” fame, who was the vocalist for ADLER’S APPETITE for a dozen or so dates in May 2018, including an Australian tour.

Although he wasn’t included in the lineup that launched the “Not In This Lifetime” trek in 2016, Adler rejoined GUNS N’ ROSES at several shows on the tour, including three stops on the U.S. leg and one gig in Buenos Aires, Argentina, playing drums on “Out Ta Get Me” and “My Michelle”.

In February 2017, Adler revealed that he was originally supposed to appear at more than just a handful of shows on the GUNS N’ ROSES reunion trek. He claimed that he expected to play all the “Appetite For Destruction” material during the entire tour, only to be told he was out after he hurt his back during rehearsals.

Speculation was rampant that Adler would participate in at least a portion of the reunion tour ever since GUNS made it official in January 2016. The regular GUNS drummer for several years has been Frank Ferrer, who is also part of the current lineup.

Canadian rockers THREE DAYS GRACE will release their seventh studio album, “Explosions”, on May 6 via RCA Records. The official Jon Vulpine-directed music video for the LP’s first single, “So Called Life”, can be seen below. The song is the first new original music from THREE DAYS GRACE since the Juno Award-nominated “Outsider” album came out in 2018.

THREE DAYS GRACE singer Matt Walst states: “In these crazy and divided times, everyone needs something to take the edge off.”

Vulpine adds: “I wanted to make this video really raw and stripped down. Something high energy with extreme angles and fast movements. A bunch of old analog gear in this ’70s apartment that looked like some hoarder died in it 20 years ago and the guys just came in and recorded. I didn’t want to go for a clean and super polished look, so Justin Jones, my DP, suggested these rehoused 1960s Japanese lenses for a grittier more contrasty feel. That, along with different lens distortions and attachments, just added to the diversity of shots.”

THREE DAYS GRACE bassist Brad Walst told Jave Patterson of Two Doods Reviews about “So Called Life” (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It’s a little different. It’s a pretty heavy song and definitely full of emotions and frustrations of everyday life. It was actually the first song we wrote on this record, going back almost pre-pandemic. We started jamming, actually, beside Neil’s [Sanderson, drums] pool and it turned out really angry. [Laughs] I think it’s a great tune. I think the fans are gonna relate to it. And it’s gonna be a fun one live, I know that.”

Asked how much of THREE DAYS GRACE’s upcoming album, which is tentatively due in the spring of 2022, was inspired by the pandemic, Brad said: “We didn’t really direct the songs towards there, but we’re a pretty honest band and we like to write about our true emotions and what we’re going through. So, naturally, being stuck at home and stuck on Zoom with each other, some pretty emotional songs came out of it. We wrote the first half of the record remotely. We recorded it remotely, which we’d never done. And then we just got back together a couple of months ago and did the rest. But it was interesting, man, and definitely a different vibe. And I think some great songs came out of it.”

Earlier in the month, THREE DAYS GRACE announced more than a dozen U.S. dates for April and May 2022, including a number of headlining concerts and radio shows as the support act for GODSMACK.

THREE DAYS GRACE’s most recent release was a cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know”, which came out in July 2020. The official music video for THREE DAYS GRACE’s version of the track was directed by Mike Filsinger.

In 2019, THREE DAYS GRACE extended its record for the most No. 1s in the 38-year history of Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs airplay chart, with “Right Left Wrong” its 15th No. 1 single on the tally.

“Right Left Wrong” is featured on “Outsider”, THREE DAYS GRACE’s sixth full-length album and fifth consecutive Top 40-charting LP on the Billboard Top 200.

THREE DAYS GRACE’s other No. 1 singles include “Misery Loves My Company”, “Chalk Outline”, “World So Cold”, “Never Too Late”, “Just Like You”, “Animal”, “Pain”, “Home” and “Infra-Red”.

TOTO will return to the road in early 2022. The band will begin the “Dogz Of Oz” world tour in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 25. Initial dates on sale this week are presented below, while additional appearances will be announced in the coming weeks.

In April and May 2022, TOTO will perform an additional 18 shows in U.S. arenas with JOURNEY. In July and August, the band will be touring in Europe headlining festivals, alongside performing in arenas and large theaters which include an already sold-out appearance at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome.

For the headline appearances, American Express card members can purchase tickets in select markets before the general public beginning Wednesday, December 1 at 10 a.m. local time through Thursday, December 2 at 10 p.m. local time. A local pre-sale will follow on Thursday, December 2, with general on-sale being live Friday, December 3 at 10 a.m.

TOTO newly announced headlining tour dates:

Feb. 25 – Las Vegas, NV – Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
Feb. 26 – Indio, CA – Fantasy Springs Resort Casino
Feb. 28 – Tucson, AZ – The Rialto Theatre
Mar. 02 – Midland, TX – Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center
Mar. 03 – Corpus Christi, TX – American Bank Center – Selena Auditorium
Mar. 06 – Mobile, AL – Saenger Theatre
Mar. 07 – Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre
Mar. 09 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Music Hall
Mar. 10 – Durham, NC – Durham Performing Arts Center
Mar. 12 – Atlantic City, NJ – Ocean Casino Resort – Ovation Halllee
Mar. 14 – Munhall PA – Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
Mar. 15 – Detroit, MI – MotorCity Casino Hotel – Sound Board
Mar. 19 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theatre

TOTO’s “Africa” recently crossed the threshold of one billion streams on Spotify. This accomplishment speaks to the continual discovery of the band’s repertoire, alongside the multi-generational fan base enjoying a composition that is nearing 40 years since the band’s album “IV” was released. Co-writer David Paich shares: “This surpasses a dream come true! Thank you to our family, friends and fans! ‘Africa’ is the result of a team effort in the studio – resulting in musical magic! And thanks to Spotify for helping TOTO connect with so many awesome listeners. I know my co-writer Jeff Porcaro would be smiling and celebrating this moment with us.” Cumulative Spotify streams exceed 3.3 billion plays.

TOTO will stage 18 appearances with JOURNEY in arenas across the United States. The run begins on April 7 at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California and ends on May 11 at XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

TOTO recently released “With A Little Help From My Friends”, a recording of a special November 21, 2020 concert when guitarist Steve Lukather, singer Joseph Williams and Paich appeared with the new lineup of TOTO for a global event originating from Los Angeles. They were joined by bassist John Pierce, drummer Robert “Sput” Searight, keyboardist/background vocalist Steve Maggiora, keyboardist Dominique “Xavier” Taplin and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Warren Ham. This lineup marks the fifteenth incarnation of TOTO in consideration of band members or sidemen who joined or exited. In the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the set, a documentary is featured alongside the performance, which includes commentary from all members of the band that appeared that evening.

On February 26, Lukather and Williams presented separate solo albums via The Players Club / Mascot Label Group which charted in multiple territories across the globe. Both artists made significant contributions to the other’s recordings. Additionally, Paich performed on select tracks on Lukather’s “I Found The Sun Again” and Williams’s “Denizen Tenant”. The titles were released on LP and CD, and a limited-edition deluxe edition is available with the two titles bundled together.

This past June, Lukather confirmed to Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com that there are no plans for TOTO to record new music. “There’s not gonna be another TOTO record,” he said. “What we do is we continue doing what we do. Joe and I can make [solo] records and have some of the cats on it. And we can go out and play as TOTO. And if we get the audience, we pay off the people that sued us, and we go forward.”

Lukather continued: “I’m gonna dig in. I don’t roll over easily. I’ve taken a lot of punches over the last 45-plus years — whatever the hell it is; it’s a long time. So I can take a punch, man, and I’ve taken a whole lot of ’em on falsities. But that’s okay. It’s behind me now. I let it all go. Peace and love to everybody. I don’t carry around any hate. I’m, like, ‘Okay, life changes. I’m sorry.’ It broke my heart too. But it’s like getting over a divorce — you’ve gotta get back on the horse again and do it. And that’s what we plan on doing. There’s no malicious vibe or, ‘I’m gonna get even with anybody.’ It’s just such a waste of time. I’m 63 years old, man. I don’t wanna play the games anymore.”

Grammy-nominated band TRIVIUM has announced two livestream shows set to unfold over two weekends in December. Both events will take place from the band’s brand new headquarters, known as “The Hangar,” in Orlando, Florida. This is the official streaming follow-up to 2020’s massively successful “A Light Or A Distant Mirror” streamed event. While the band did conduct several free streaming events after the fact, this is the official follow-up.

These events are incredibly special and here’s why. The weekend shows serve as the official debut of The Hangar. They coincide with the release of a new Hangar website portal, which is where the events will be broadcast from. This will be the online home of The Hangar and be the nerve center of future TRIVIUM events, merch drops, or other public activities from the space. It’s also the 10-year celebration of the release of the band’s critically acclaimed album “In Waves”.

Ultimately, the streaming events are a summary of everything TRIVIUM is and everything the band has become over the last few years. They have reached a creative summit with their last three albums (2017’s “The Sin And The Sentence”, 2020’s “What The Dead Men Say” and this year’s “In The Court Of The Dragon”) and remain ahead of the curve, as they were early adopters of the Twitch platform and have built The Hangar as their own house for content creation.

“The Hangar – In Waves” takes place on Saturday, December 11, with FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY as the pre-show.

“The Hangar – Deadmen & Dragons” is set for Saturday, December 18, also with FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY as the pre-show.

TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy commented: “‘In Waves’ is hailed as one of the greatest TRIVIUM albums of all time. While TRIVIUM has the greatest supporters on earth, The Shogunate is also incredibly passionate on their decision of the best classic record. The fanbase always seems to be resoundingly split on three albums when it comes to speaking of ‘the best’: ‘Ascendancy’, ‘Shogun’ and ‘In Waves’.”

He continued: “‘In Waves’ is an album where TRIVIUM embarked on a journey to a new world of sounds, textures, feelings, and visuals. ‘In Waves’ was the moment where TRIVIUM finally, truly realized everything of its visuals. The ‘In Waves’ album changed the course of history for TRIVIUM, and its influence and impact is vastly apparent in the current modern metal scene.”

“‘Deadmen & Dragons’ is the celebration of the last two years — two albums, The Hangar, ‘The Metal Tour Of The Year’, and, of course, ‘A Light Or A Distant Mirror’,” said bassist Paolo Gregoletto. “The moment we knew that touring was off the table in 2020, we shifted focus back to the creative process. This stream is the closing of this unexpected chapter of TRIVIUM and the beginning of a new one full of many exciting possibilities with The Hangar.”

From Cyber Monday, November 29 through Wednesday, December 1, tickets for both shows will be on sale for $20. From Thursday, December 2 through Tuesday, December 14, tickets for both shows will be $25. Fans can enter to win a guitar from The Hangar Vault when they purchase a ticket to the livestreams. Virtual GA tickets for one show will be $15. Both shows will feature an in-stream chat and a 72-hour, video-on-demand replay function. Meet-and-greets are also available.

Tickets are available here.

Schedule:

Saturday, December 11:

FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY pre-show
3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET

“The Hangar – In Waves”
4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BT / 10 p.m. EU

Saturday, 12/18:

FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY pre-show
3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET

“The Hangar – Deadmen & Dragons”
4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BT / 10 p.m. EU