Author: planetsixstring

British heavy metal legenda JUDAS PRIEST have canceled tonight’s (Monday, April 4) concert at Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell in Lowell, Massachusetts due to a non-COVID-19-related illness. All tickets will be automatically refunded automatically via credit card. If tickets were purchased with cash at the box office, please visit the Tsongas Center box office for a full refund.

Says JUDAS PRIEST in a statement: “We hope to be able to make show up in the near future.”

Fans who attended JUDAS PRIEST’s concert on Saturday (April 2) at the Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut have reported that PRIEST singer Rob Halford seemed to be feeling sick during the show, as evidenced in some of the fan-filmed video clips which have since surfaced online (see below).

PRIEST’s current North American tour kicked off on March 4 at Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois and is scheduled to conclude on April 13 at FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Support on the trek is coming from QUEENSRŸCHE.

Halford recently publicly revealed that he battled prostate cancer during the pandemic. He previously mentioned his cancer battle in the new chapter added to the updated paperback edition of his autobiography, “Confess”. In “Confess”, Halford revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer after experiencing symptoms for at least a couple of years.

In July 2020, Rob underwent prostatectomy, an operation where the entire prostate gland is removed plus some of the tissue around it, including the seminal vesicles. After more cancer was found last year, he went through radiation treatments in April and May 2021 and eventually got then all-clear in June 2021. He also had an appendectomy after a tumor was discovered on his appendix.

PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner suffered an acute cardiac aortic dissection during the band’s performance at the Louder Than Life festival in late September. Faulkner was rushed to the UofL Health – Jewish Hospital where the cardiothoracic surgery team needed approximately 10 hours to complete a life-saving surgery.

PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease eight years ago after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier. Tipton announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of “Firepower”. He was replaced by “Firepower” producer Andy Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

SHOW CANCELLED APRIL 4
It is with regret we announce that unfortunately tonight’s show at Paul E Tsongas Arena, Lowell, MA is being cancelled due to non-covid related illness. We hope to be able to make this show up in the near future. Refunds available at point of purchase pic.twitter.com/7Hxj37ekTU

— Judas Priest (@judaspriest) April 4, 2022

SEPULTURA drummer Eloy Casagrande will miss the remainder of the band’s North American tour after breaking his right leg in a stage accident.

Earlier today, the 31-year-old Brazilian musician took to his Instagram to share X-ray photos of his fractured tibia and fibula bones, and he included the following message: “It is with deep sadness that I announce that I have unfortunately broken my right leg. Yesterday, at the El Paso show, during the break between songs I ended up falling off the stage and fracturing my tibia and fibula. I’m going back to Brazil to start the recovery. I’ll see you soon! The tour will continue, but without me. More news coming soon. I ask for your support.”

SEPULTURA’s “North American Quadra” 2022 tour with SACRED REICH and CROWBAR kicked off on March 4 in Sacramento and is set to conclude on April 8 in Berkeley, California. SEPULTURA also has a six-date tour of Mexico scheduled for April 12-17.

This is not the first health issue that has plagued the “North American Quadra” 2022 tour. Last month, SACRED REICH was forced to cancel more than half dozen shows on the trek due to frontman Phil Rind’s “ongoing respiratory illness.”

Last summer, guitarist Andreas Kisser spoke to France’s Loud TV about how Casagrande’s addition to has affected SEPULTURA’s sound.

“We’re very lucky to have such great musicians here in Brazil, especially in drumming,” he said. “We have great drummers and percussionists. You see [Carlos] Santana and all those great names, Paul Simon and stuff, always using some Brazilian here and there regarding the drum world. And Eloy started playing drums very early. He was made for SEPULTURA, man. I mean, he played in some other bands and stuff, but here with SEPULTURA, he’s really exploding; he’s really free to express himself the way he wants to, and SEPULTURA’s music really provides that. And in exchange, he gave me especially to write many new possibilities. I think ‘Machine Messiah’ and ‘Quadra’ are the consequence of that interaction we have, which is great. It’s so inspiring. It’s fantastic.

“We are kind of always writing,” he continued. “Sometimes he sends me some drum loops and I send him some riffs and stuff, and it’s really cool that we build stuff from there. And he’s a very professional guy — the best drummer in the world; at least for SEPULTURA he’s the best. [Laughs]”

In February 2020, SEPULTURA singer Derrick Green told Australia’s Everblack Media that Casagrande has had “a tremendous impact” on the group since he joined in 2011. “It’s undeniable because he’s such a strong force,” he said. “He loves playing metal music. He’s one of the most talented drummers I’ve ever seen, honestly. That power is consistent from beginning to the end. It really has rubbed off on all of us to really push ourselves further. He’s such a perfect match for the band. He really is always influencing us in so many ways to really go beyond — above and beyond.”

In 2019, Eloy told Drumtalk that he didn’t care about the long-simmering feud between founding SEPULTURA members Max and Igor Cavalera and his current bandmates. “I respect all the history,” he said. “I have total respect for the past drummers, Igor and Jean [Dolabella]. They are amazing guys, incredible guys, but we just live in the present. I really don’t care what happened, what didn’t happen. I respect all the music. I respect their music nowadays. It’s just that we have to follow our path and that’s it.”

Casagrande joined SEPULTURA 10 years ago as the replacement for Dolabella.

SEPULTURA’s latest album, “Quadra”, was released in February 2020 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was created at Sweden’s Fascination Street Studios with renowned producer Jens Bogren.

SEPULTURA comprises Green, Kisser, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. and Casagrande.

Just posted a photo https://t.co/dBzqvOTdld
— Eloy Casagrande (@eloycasagrandee) April 4, 2022

Before his voice fills stadiums during AFI’s upcoming “Bodies” tour, Davey Havok is speaking out about the cruel forced swim test in a new PETA campaign video released on World Rat Day (April 4). With a rat named Wee Man perched on his shoulder, the singer explains how small animals are dropped into inescapable beakers of water where they swim desperately, trying not to drown in the “behavioral despair test” — which pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly have used to screen antidepressant drugs.

“Is that depression that you’re measuring?” the musician asks in the video. “No. It’s fear. It’s trauma. It’s fight or flight. … Nothing is gained from that except their suffering. And no animals deserve that. No animals deserve to be treated like that.”

PETA and Havok are urging Eli Lilly to ban the forced swim test, which studies have shown to be notoriously inaccurate. The company has tormented a total of 3,400 mice and rats in this test since 1993, and after nearly 30 years, none of the drugs it has attempted to develop using this test are on the market.

In addition to pushing for modern, animal-free testing methods, Havok advocates against speciesism — the false notion that humans are superior to other species, who are nothing more than commodities to use and abuse at will. Playing with Wee Man, he adds, “All life has value, and it’s not our place to choose which life is more valuable than another … Rats do not deserve to suffer. Just like your dog or your cat, they feel pain and they feel joy. And they give and receive love — just like this little guy right here.”

Havok is part of a growing list of celebrities — including Paul McCartney, Iggy Pop, Dave Navarro, Nikki Sixx and RZA — who’ve teamed up with PETA to promote its motto, which reads, “Animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way.”

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has finished recording its ninth studio album.

The Las Vegas-based metallers shared the news of the LP’s completion in a message accompanying the release of the lyric video for the song “Brighter Side Of Grey” from the band’s last album, 2020’s “F8”.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH said: “It’s hard to believe that our last record ‘F8’ came out over 2 years ago in the beginning of 2020, born into the whirlwind of events that dominated our lives and will echo into the rest of our history. Those of you intimately familiar with that album, now know how some of ‘F8”s dystopian lyrics became rather prophetic.

“‘Brighter Side Of Grey’ was an important song on that record, but especially personal to [singer] Ivan [Moody] (who’s the only parent in the band). It is a more than fitting commentary to what’s going on in the world that probably needs a good reminder right about now that we are here only for second, a tiny blip on the flow of time… not just as individuals but as an entire species… It took a trillion conditions to be just right for human life to exist in this Universe yet it takes just one to go terribly wrong and make it all disappear.

“This song also serves as the perfect bridge to our new album we just finished this week, which generally revolves around similar existential questions.

“It’s incredible how much we don’t understand about our own existence, yet everyone’s relationship with the concept of death permeates, even orients their entire lives. Can’t wait to share it…

“Enjoy this video, and stay tuned for new music and big tour announcements in the very near future!”

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH’s new album was once again recorded at the Hideout Recording Studio, the Las Vegas, Nevada facility owned and operated by Kevin Churko, the Canadian record producer/engineer and songwriter who has worked on all of FIVE FINGER’s albums beginning with the band’s sophomore release, 2009’s “War Is The Answer”.

In addition to recording an all-new album, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH recently commenced re-recording its debut LP, 2007’s “The Way Of The Fist”, for its 15th anniversary.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH’s upcoming album will be the group’s first with its latest addition, renowned British virtuoso Andy James, who replaced Jason Hook in 2020. James was previously featured on “Broken World”, a song that was included on the second installment of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH’s greatest-hits collection, “A Decade Of Destruction – Volume 2”, which came out in the fall of 2020.

Since FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH’s debut album, “The Way Of The Fist”, came out in 2007, the band has released six consecutive albums that were certified gold or platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as well as two chart-topping greatest-hits albums. In addition, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has earned numerous national and international awards and honors over the last decade, such as the prestigious Soldier Appreciation Award by the Association Of The United States Army, an honor bestowed upon only one other recording artist before them: Elvis Presley.

“F8” debuted at No. 1 on rock charts around the world with Top 10 Mainstream chart debuts in the USA, Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and more. “F8” features No. 1 hit singles “Inside Out”, “A Little Bit Off”, “Living The Dream” and “Darkness Settles In”.

The Electro-Harmonix Small Stone was my first weird pedal. Initially I gravitated to the Small Stone because it seemed so utterly immodest, but I soon came to treasure its more subdued settings and its ability to communicate a strange, mysterious melancholy.Strymon’s new Zelzah, with its ultra-flexible controls and combinable 4- and 6-stage phasing modes, can generate many nuanced variations on these extremes and thousands of colors in between. It also generates immersive chorus and flange tones that make this a very powerful little waveform manipulator.Purple Waves of PhaseStrymon has remained crafty about maximizing the utility and user-friendliness of their compact stompboxes. On the Zelzah, they use their now-familiar formula of six knobs, two footswitches, and two small toggle switches allocated to two primary functions. Much like Boss pedals, this uniformity in design inspires a certain confidence (at least among players that have previously used small Strymon pedals) that you can dive in and find your way through the forest without first spending a week with a manual. Because this is a Strymon, quality time with the manual is a good idea. There is deeper functionality to consider—particularly if you embrace its MIDI potential. But players keen to get on with creation can dive headlong into the Zelzah’s pleasures and get fast results.The Zelzah is divided into a 4- and a 6-stage phaser section. The 4-stage phaser side is ostensibly the more streamlined of the two, with knobs for speed, depth, and mix. But the toggle functions makes things interesting fast. The classic voice does nice approximations of old-school analog phasers. But the addition of a barber pole phaser, which gives the aural illusion of phase cycles unwinding endlessly, helix-like, into space, opens up cool compositional possibilities and rhythmic phase effects. The envelope mode is awesome too, not least because it can be set to sit subtly in a mix. The speed and depth knobs double as range and sensitivity controls, and the modest-to-quacky range of effects is impressive.The 6-stage side of the Zelzah is also simultaneously streamlined and full of surprises. The main attraction here, apart from the thick 6-stage phaser, is a voice switch that morphs between phase, flange, and chorus modes—all of which are excellent. There’s also a 3-position resonance switch that gives all three voices great mellow-to-extreme range.While Zelzah’s MIDI functionality technically enables hundreds of presets, and you can hook up an expression pedal to effectively move between two preset sounds, you cannot store and recall presets on the unit itself. You’ll either need to delve into MIDI or use an external footswitch with which you can save a single preset. You’ll also need an external switch if you rely on tap tempo. Personally, I find the Zelzah’s basic controls intuitive enough that I don’t need presets or tap tempo much. Some habitual deep divers will, no doubt, be bummed.Players keen to get on with creation can dive headlong into the Zelzah’s pleasures and get fast results.The USB jack that enables MIDI connectivity is situated on the crown of the pedal. But there are also true stereo outs as well as a switch that moves the pedal from mono to stereo. Stereo operation is another joy well worth exploring in the Strymon. Just be prepared to allocate a whole week for spelunking these modulation depths.Motion for Many MoodsThe Zelzah’s possible modulation textures start to feel pretty limitless once you get acquainted with the controls—particularly because you can combine the 4-stage phaser with the 6-stage phaser, chorus, and flange.The 4-stage classic mode is easy to navigate and awash with nice phase colors. The slow and mellow tones are great. So are the fast and intense ones. You hear a lot of detail in these modulations, too, thanks to the pedal’s super-low noise. The potential of the barber pole phaser piqued my interest most. Most barber settings have a frequency-narrowing effect that lends the phase a little more focus, which in turn makes the phase cycle feel more intense. I found a bunch of cool ways to use the tick-tock sway of some of these patterns as rhythmic underpinnings for riffs. And when using the barber pole in compound 4- and 6-stage phaser sounds, you can tune in cool whistling overtones on top. Phasers may be almost intrinsically psychedelic, but the barber pole effect genuinely tweaks your sense of space and time a little more intensely.The envelope mode, meanwhile, is a riff factory. It twists simple licks in the same way any envelope filter would. But here, the breadth of phase sounds, the ability to keep the effect subdued, and the contouring effect of the phase waveforms take the Zelzah’s version to more malleable and mellow places.Six-stage phase sounds are generally more intense than 4-stage tones. And with the variable resonance switch available to ramp up the weirdness, you’ll probably want to stop here for your most freakish phase experiences. Even with the resonance switch off, most 6-stage voices feature a detectable whooshiness. And, at mild and high resonances and deeper depth settings, things get ultra-chewy.The nice chorus and flange effects on the 6-stage side can be made very mellow with the resonance off, but can also assume weird and intense personalities at high resonance and depth settings. They are a fantastic addition to the killer phaser sounds that make Zelzah a practical one-stop modulation shop.The VerdictIf you’re on the fence between keeping your phase classy and subtle and indulging your wildest modulation urges, Zelzah can accommodate wild fluctuations between those extremes. The compound modulations are an endless well of unusual sounds. And the very rich chorus tones and flanger—and the ease with which you can summon and shape them—make the Zelzah a very fair deal, even if the $349 price initially gives pause.First Look: Strymon Zelzah Multidimensional Phaser

BASTARDANE, the new band featuring drummer Castor Hetfield, the son of METALLICA frontman James Hetfield, will kick off its 2022 tour in May. So far the following shows have been announced:

May 13 – Smith’s Olde Bar – Atlanta, GA
May 14 – The Basement – Nashville, TN
May 15 – The Nick – Birmingham, AL
May 17 – Vanguard – Tulsa, OK
May 18 – Replay Lounge – Lawrence, KS
May 21 – Vultures – Colorado Springs, CO

BASTARDANE will also appear at this year’s METALLICA co-headlined edition of the BottleRock Napa Valley music festival, which is scheduled for May 27-29 at the Napa Valley Expo in Northern California.

BASTARDANE recently released its debut album, “Is This Rage?”

In addition to the 21-year-old Castor, the Savannah, Georgia-based hard rock trio includes Jake Dallas on vocals/bass and Ethan Sirotzki on guitar. The group formed in 2019 from a collection of college students who met through jamming in basements, backyards, and anywhere that was available. Their brand of entertainment fuses fast high-gain riffs and power chord grooves with heavy feedback and clean, dissonant chord progressions.

In a 2021 interview with The Hum, the trio said: “We are BASTARDANE and we are not some average chump white male band looking to get laid. There is a time in every generation when music is the guiding light out of hard times. We just want to make emotionally empowering music that isn’t trying to cater to a certain audience. Our career is about making people happy and fulfilling the emotional needs of those who can’t tolerate words alone.”

“Is This Rage?” track listing:

01. Above All
02. Praise No Bliss
03. Gaslight
04. Chum
05. Revolt
06. Let The Wasted Die
07. Imposter
08. The Cavalier
09. Ad Infinitum
10. Faint-Hearted Soul

James Hetfield isn’t the only member of METALLICA whose offspring has followed in his footsteps. Two of drummer Lars Ulrich’s sons play together in TAIPEI HOUSTON, while bassist Robert Trujillo’s son Tye plays bass for OTTTO.

Last December, BASTARDANE, TAIPEI HOUSTON and OTTTO performed as part of METALLICA’s “San Francisco Takeover”, a four-day citywide celebration of the band’s 40th anniversary that also included a film festival, photo exhibit and curated lineup of smaller venue shows featuring other acts.

Castor’s mother is James’s wife Francesca, whom he married in 1997. She is from Argentina and used to do wardrobe for METALLICA.

James and Francesca have two other kids: Cali, born in 1998; and Marcella, born in 2002.

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Is This Rage? by Bastardane

Fan-filmed video of ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell’s April 3 solo performance at Theatre Of Living Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

Cantrell kicked off his “Brighten” solo tour on March 24 at the Palace Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Jerry’s band for the tour consists of Tyler Bates (guitar), Greg Puciato (backing vocals), Gil Sharone (drums), George Adrian (bass), Michael Rozon (pedal steel) and Jason Achilles (keyboards). The set includes songs from Cantrell’s latest solo album, “Brighten”, along with favorite hits from Jerry’s catalog.

To make this tour even more attractive for fans, Jerry recently announced special VIP event packages at each show that offer fans tiered selections of exclusive experiences. These experiences include a meet-and-greet and photo opp with Jerry, personal autographed items of your choice, premium merch items, and at the top tier, a signed official “Atone” Gibson JC Signature Acoustic guitar. The guitar includes a letter of authenticity. Packages start at $100 all the way to $5,500, which includes the Gibson guitar.

“Brighten” came out last October. The LP has received praise from critics, including Kerrang!, which called it a “vivid, contemporary self-portrait of one of the most distinctive voices in hard rock. A long-overdue show of individual brilliance.” Classic Rock proclaimed it “his best yet. The work of a songwriter who is happy within his life, it spans a broad arc of styles.” The Sun commented: “A rich, organic album… ‘Brighten’ is brilliant.”

“Brighten” is Jerry’s first project without ALICE IN CHAINS in 19 years. Co-produced with film composer Tyler Bates and Paul Fig (longtime engineer), the LP got its beginnings just before the pandemic hit. They welcomed a dynamic cast of supporting players, including Duff McKagan (GUNS N’ ROSES) on select bass tracks, Puciato contributing to backing vocals and drummers Sharone and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Paul McCartney). Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) handled the mixing of “Brighten”.

Jerry’s new effort marks his first full-length release since “Degradation Trip”, the epic solo album he made in 2002 with future METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo and FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin.

Jerry’s career outside of ALICE IN CHAINS has consisted of two previous solo albums and contributions to major film soundtracks. Cantrell’s first solo album, “Boggy Depot”, was released in 1998, followed by his second album, the aforementioned “Degradation Trip”. In addition to his solo artist work, Jerry has released music on soundtracks for several films, including “Spider-Man”, “The Cable Guy”, “John Wick 2”, “Last Action Hero” and “The Punisher”.

ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, “Rainier Fog”, in August 2018.

Reposted from @lemmamoon Jerry Cantrell Brighten Tour
at Theater of the Living Arts
April 3, 2022
#jerrycantrell #brighten

Posted by Comunidad Alice in Chains Chile on Monday, April 4, 2022

Almost that time…. 3PM for sound check and meet and greet with Jerry Cantrell!!!!!

Posted by Ron Brubaker on Sunday, April 3, 2022