STONE SOUR's JOSH RAND Is 'Excited' About Debut THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT Live Performance

THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT, the musical meeting of minds between Grammy-nominated STONE SOUR guitarist Josh Rand and PARALANDRA vocalist/guitarist Casandra Carson, will make its live debut on April 30 at The Riff in Springfield, Missouri. Support at the gig will come from THE MANY COLORED DEATH and ETCHED IN EMBERS.

In a new interview with HardDrive Radio’s Lou Brutus, Rand stated about THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “In a sense, it was just something that I started doing a couple of years ago, just writing music myself. And then I just decided I wanted to get a female vocalist, basically, to work on these songs and sing on them. And I found Casandra through a mutual friend — actually, STONE SOUR’s A&R person, Dave Rath — and we hit it off. And then we’ve just been working on stuff for the last two years kind of just here and there. Obviously, with COVID and all that stuff going on in the world, it really restricted going out, so there’s really not been a desire to do that up until recently. So now we’re gonna end up being a full band and actually play our first show April 30th in Springfield, Missouri, which I’m really excited about finally getting back out there. ‘Cause for me, it’s been a bit, I guess — like, three years — since I’ve been on a stage.

“So, that’s really what it’s about,” he continued. “It’s just me musically trying different stuff, but also getting back to where I originally came from, as far as my musical journey. So it’s kind of getting back to my roots and just having fun with it. That’s what THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT is for me — it’s a different vehicle to express myself, I guess, artistically with truly no boundaries, but leaning more towards, musically, I think, coming at it as an educated teenager. What I mean by that is it’s the fire of that teenager — that drive, that style of music that I was playing 30 years ago — but now doing it with the experience, the knowledge and all that. So it’s kind of like revisiting the past, in a way, or going home in some ways.”

THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT released a new four-song EP, titled “Big F.O.U.R.”, on March 18 via Bloodblast. The collection features a clutch of cover versions, one each from heavy music’s pioneering icons METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX.

Rand previously stated about the EP: “Recording a ‘Big F.O.U.R.’ cover EP is something that I have wanted to do for a very very long time, and last fall I decided to finally do it with THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT.

“Without these four bands (METALLICA, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and SLAYER), my musical career wouldn’t be where it is today. In some ways, you could say this project is paying homage to them or, how I see it, a return to where it all started in my parents’ house as a teenager trying to learn just a piece of the music.

“Each of the four songs that I picked were pivotal in my development as a musician, whether it was learning the intro to ‘One’ on guitar, drums on ‘Symphony [Of Destruction]’ or bass lines in ‘Caught In A Mosh’.

“This EP was a true love and passion project for myself. I feel I captured the vibe and the spirit of the original but with THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT sound. Hopefully you hear it too!”

Stylistically, THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT is a fluid combination of classic metal sensibility and Rand’s penchant for pushing the boundaries of contemporary heavy.

THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT’s debut self-titled EP came out last summer and is available exclusively through the band’s webstore or via the Nuclear Blast store.

Josh and Casandra’s debut single, “The Nothingness”, was featured on several major playlists across streaming platforms, including Rock Hard on Spotify, Breaking Metal on Apple Music, Break Through Rock on Amazon and Metal Radar on Deezer. “The Nothingness” was also included on SiriusXM Octane’s “Test Drive” show on release.

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Boss Introduces the RE-202 and RE-2 Space Echo Pedals

Two new pedals by Boss based on the legendary Roland RE-201 Space Echo from the ’70s and ’80s.The RE-202 is an advanced pedal with three foot-switches and extended features, while the RE-2 offers core Space Echo features in a classic BOSS compact pedal. Known for its distinctive rhythmic echo sounds, warm character, and highly playable sonic quirks, the tape-based RE-201 continues to inspire musicians, producers, and audio mixers. Backed by intensive R&D and the latest BOSS innovations, the RE-202 and RE-2 capture the original Space Echo sound and behavior.RE-202 Space EchoThe RE-202 delivers the full vintage vibe of the RE-201—without the need for regular tape replacement and hardware maintenance. All the core controls of the original are here, including the iconic 12-position mode selector. Every behavior is replicated with complete accuracy, such as the gradual pitch change that occurs when the Repeat Rate knob is tweaked, or the cool runaway feedback that happens when the Intensity knob is maxed.With selectable tape age and variable controls, users can dial in everything from a brand-new Space Echo to the worn character and quirks of a well-loved vintage piece. The Saturation control introduces warmth and compression based on the actual magnetic tape and preamp behaviors of the RE-201, while the Wow & Flutter control provides all the natural modulation characteristics that are essential to the Space Echo sound.BOSS RE-202 Space Echo | The Next Generation of Space EchoRE-2 Space EchoThe RE-2 squeezes the complete sonic character of the RE-201 into the famous BOSS compact pedal format for the first time. An 11-position mode selector provides access to three virtual tape heads with or without spring reverb, and users can balance the echo/reverb blend with independent level knobs. The RE-2 also offers powerful features such as Wow & Flutter control, extended delay time, selectable carryover, stereo I/O, tap tempo, external control support, and more.BOSS RE-2 Space Echo | Authentic Space Echo in a Compact PedalThe BOSS RE-202 and RE-2 Space Echo pedals are available in the U.S. for $399.99 and $249.99, respectively.To learn more about the RE-202 and RE-2 Space Echo pedals, visit www.boss.info.

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Video Premiere: THROES – ‘Fang’

We’re not gonna give away the ending of this new video by Idaho quintet THROES, but it will only take you about 90 seconds to figure out the twist in the chaotic “Fang.”
The post Video Premiere: THROES – ‘Fang’ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

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Primitive Origins: Lucifer’s Friend’s ‘Lucifer’s Friend’

Diving into Lucifer’s Friend’s 1970 self-titled debut to see if the proto-metal holds up.
The post Primitive Origins: Lucifer’s Friend’s ‘Lucifer’s Friend’ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

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Ex-MEGADETH Bassist DAVID ELLEFSON To Perform At Homecoming Event In Jackson, Minnesota

Ex-MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson will perform in his former hometown of Jackson, Minnesota during this summer’s Jackson County Fair. The homecoming event is scheduled to take place on Friday, July 29 at 6 p.m. David will talk about his rock and roll journey before the races at Jackson Motorplex and will reunite with his high school bandmates from TOZ after the races.

Ellefson said in a statement: “I’m excited to make a return and visit my hometown of Jackson, Minnesota and especially for one of the most celebrated events which is the Jackson County Fair and stock car races. I look forward to giving praise up close and personal talk about my rock and roll journey which all began in Jackson and many of the ballrooms in night spots in the area. Just as much, I’ll be reuniting to jam some classic songs with my friends and bandmates of the group TOZ, a band that we formed as middle and high school students in Jackson back in the early ’80s. Music is all about connection and it’s great to be reconnecting with my lifelong friends that from Jackson.”

Tickets will be $10 in advance or $15 at the gate.

Ellefson left Jackson in the early ’80s to move to Los Angeles, where he met former METALLICA guitarist Dave Mustaine, and the pair co-founded multi-platinum, Grammy-winning hard rock act MEGADETH, going on to become one of the “Big Four” of thrash metal. Ellefson’s smalltown Jackson roots have been immortalized in MEGADETH lore as the subject of classic songs including the smash hit “Foreclosure Of A Dream” and the underground classic “Mary Jane”.

Ellefson, who has lived in Scottsdale, Arizona since 1994, was fired from MEGADETH last May, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. At the time, Ellefson released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he “groomed” an underage fan. He also filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of him by unknown offenders. In the report, Ellefson admitted that he had been exchanging sexual text messages with a Dutch teenager, who captured a video of several of their virtual “masturbating encounters” without his consent and shared them with friends. (According to Ellefson, the woman was 19 at the time of their first virtual sexual encounter.)

David, a Christian who launched the Mega Life Ministries worship group in 2007, studied for a year at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis a decade ago.

Last October, Ellefson told SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” that there is a perception that people of faith must set a higher standard of how they live with and treat others. “It’s almost like you’re this entity that’s floating up toward the heavens: ‘Oh, he’s such a wonderful man. He’s a man of faith. He’s got his family. And then this happens.’ It’s, like, ‘What the hell is this?'” he said.

“I mean, look, admittedly I’ve sort of trained the public to think that I’m one of the more well-behaved rock stars out there, and for the most part I have been,” he continued. “But at the same time, and this isn’t to claim anything other than just, oops, shit happens. That is what it is.”

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

In July, Mustaine addressed the possibility of Ellefson returning to MEGADETH while filming one of his own video messages on Cameo. Asked by Rock Feed if Ellefson could once again play with MEGADETH at some point down the line, Mustaine said: “Any chance on Ellefson coming back later on? The answer to that is no.”

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I Am The Void – EUCHARIST

Generally mentioned only as a footnote to the grand history of Scandinavian extreme metal, EUCHARIST released two seriously great albums in the ’90s and have scarcely been seen since. 25 years have passed since “Mirrorworlds”, an unsung benchmark for blackened, blasphemous melo-death, and band mastermind Markus Johnsson has made the sensible decision to not stray too far from that winning formula on EUCHARIST’s long-awaited third album. The real surprise about “I Am the Void” is how much further into black metal territory they have travelled. There are certainly plenty of riffs and hooks that hark back to those formative years in the Swedish death metal scene, but this is a much more epic, ambitious and cold-hearted record than either of its predecessors. EUCHARIST were always hell-bent on unholiness, but thanks to a combination of improved musicianship and a refined vision (presumably) crafted over a quarter of a century, their 2022 incarnation hits with a vehemence and conviction that swiftly obliterates anything that went before.

Effectively a double album, “I Am the Void” has plenty of dynamic moments, but its primary focus is on eviscerating everything in sight with maximum, unholy spite, for 70 feverish minutes. Opener “Shadows” begins with a suppurating synth drone, before the first of countless, heroically evil riffs take things straight to fast-as-fuck Hell. EUCHARIST always sounded rabid and uncompromising, but the years have hardened this band’s outlook to the point where everything they play sounds like all-out war, Johnsson’s vocals dripping with vitriol throughout. Songs like “‘Queen of Hades” and “In the Blaze of the Blood Red Moon” bristle with old-school animosity, but a glut of atmospheric heft adds mystery and depth to what could otherwise be wall-to-wall, profane blast-worship.

As “I Am the Void” progresses, the songs become more ambitious, and the prospect of an even more compelling future incarnation rears its head. The episodic, grandiose battery of “In the Heart of Infinity” is particularly stunning; while the title track’s imperious march through howling storms of windswept and grandiose black metal scree amounts to the finest ten minutes in EUCHARIST’s stop-start history.

Like being flattened by a giant, blasphemous bulldozer for an hour and ten minutes, “I Am the Void” heralds the return of a truly great band and another rusty spike thrust into the eye of Christ. No downsides here, folks.

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DEE SNIDER Shares 'Stand (For Ukraine)' Awareness Music Video

TWISTED SISTER singer Dee Snider recently announced his steadfast support of the people of Ukraine using the band’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” as their battle cry anthem, and within just days, became heavily involved at the forefront of World United Live. The platform operates with the goal of raising awareness that may otherwise be shielded from the Russian people, to digitally, simultaneously protest in support of Ukraine, and to eventually coordinate the world’s largest aid concert to help them rebuild.

Today, in support of World United Live’s initiatives and the people of Ukraine, Snider released a brand new, reworked music video for his “Leave A Scar” solo track “Stand”, specially renamed “Stand (With Ukraine)”. The video, featuring various pieces of current sourced footage, can be viewed at www.worldunited.live.

Snider explains: “About a month ago, someone on social media told me people in Ukraine were using TWISTED SISTER’s ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ as a battle cry and asked if I was cool with it. Of course I was. My response elicited someone asking me why I was okay with Ukrainians using my song and not some other groups. I won’t repeat my exact response (it was a bit political), but that tweet went internationally viral. Every news agency in the world suddenly wanted to talk to me.

“At that very moment, some great people (who were all friends of mine) were hatching the idea for World United Live and asked me if I would spearhead the organization. How could I say no? Since then, we have been beating the drum for the free world to come together, not only in support of Ukraine and condemnation of Putin, but in sending a message to the Russian people that they are misinformed and not being told the truth. Now, with the help of the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and many others, we are doing just that!

“About a week ago, it hit me that the song ‘Stand’ from my last Napalm Records album ‘Leave A Scar’ fit the crisis in Ukraine perfectly… but I had already released a video for ‘Stand’ recently. Yet I just couldn’t get around how well the lyrics resonated with Putin’s attack on these innocent people. Ukraine was the furthest thing from my mind when I wrote the words for that song, yet it was like I had done just that. So, I had a couple of incredibly talented people (Scott Pitek and Steve Sage Goldberg) cut together a new video using some live concert footage and news clips. The result is devastating. Please watch and share ‘Stand (With Ukraine)’ and join us at www.worldunited.live. Help save the world. Together we can.”

Other World United Live “messengers” include DISTURBED singer David Draiman and FOZZY frontman Chris Jericho.

“We come from all walks of life,” reads the info on the World United Live web site. “We are artists. We are combat war veterans. We are software engineers, journalists, and music producers. We come from every nationality, background, and way of life. We banded together to use our technology platform, storytelling, and influence in order to not stand idly by as the Russian-Ukraine war unfolds.

“We are organizing the world’s largest mass protest in record time. A worldwide concert event to raise money and provide support for the brave people of Ukraine. In addition, a campaign to use the voices of artists to speak on our behalf to the people of Russia. There is no later, time is of the essence. If we do not stand up now and if Ukraine falls it is too late and evil entrenches itself. We must act together today to send this message. The alternative is World War and mass suffering.

“Your involvement in this event can truly change the course of the world. Are you with us? Do you stand with freedom loving people everywhere? We beseech you to be our voice, to carry our message to peoples in Ukraine and in Russia upon whom this struggle will fall. We want people in villages, cities, squares, parks, and arenas around the world to be out in the streets. This is the only way change will come, when we can all unite and tell despots and dictators that ‘We’re NOT Gonnna Take It!'”

In a recently posted YouTube video, Snider outlined the main goals of the World United Live campaign. Check it out below.

Photo credit: Randy Frieder

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DON DOKKEN And ROBERT ENGLUND Celebrate 'Dream Warriors' 35th Anniversary On GIBSON TV's 'Metal And Monsters'

Gibson TV, the iconic, American guitar maker’s award-winning, worldwide online network — features original series about music and culture from the world’s best storytellers. Today, Gibson TV has unveiled the brand new original series “Metal And Monsters”, the network’s first show dedicated to the worlds of heavy metal and monster culture. Throughout the 60-minute episodes of “Metal And Monsters”, viewers are treated to different segments that explore the worlds of heavy metal, film, and tales from the dark side.

The host of Gibson TV’s “Metal And Monsters” is Matt “Count D” Montgomery — bassist for the King Freak himself, musician and filmmaker Rob Zombie. Count D has been a staple of the Zombie band and live show for the last 16 years and will share his deep knowledge of music and film with metal and monster fans worldwide.

In the first episode of “Metal and Monsters”, Count D takes us to Elm Street as he reunites Robert Englund, a.k.a. Freddy Krueger, and Don Dokken of the hard rock band DOKKEN to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the film “A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors”. DOKKEN wrote the song “Dream Warriors” for the movie and it was released as a single from the film and also appeared on DOKKEN’s album “Back For The Attack”. Featuring never-before-seen photos from the “Dream Warriors” video shoot which features Freddy Krueger as well as clips from the film, Robert and Don share stories from their musical influences, to behind-the-scenes tales of one of the most successful horror franchises in film history.

Each episode of “Monsters And Metal” will feature segments and interactive opportunities for horror and metal fans who tune-in around the world including:

* “Tunes From The Crypt”: Host Count D revisits METALLICA’s 1991 groundbreaking release The Black Album and gives fans a chance to win exclusive prizes from the band.

* “Terror Trek”: The show takes a field trip to the San Francisco-based Super7 — the renowned maker of action figures and collectible toys — to talk with founder Brian Flynn and his team. Tag along to learn more about their creations with MOTÖRHEAD, IRON MAIDEN and MEGADETH.

* “Exhumed From The Tomb”: Count D sits down with legendary CARCASS guitarist Bill Steer to explore the band’s 35-year history and their influence on the metal genre.

* “Fang Mail”: Fans can interact with “Metal And Monsters” and enter to win some epic METALLICA merch, sweet Super7 figures, and suggest future guests and topics. Send a letter to: Fang Mail and Contest Metal And Monsters, P.O. Box 70191, Pasadena, CA, 91117. No purchase necessary. Terms and conditions apply. Void where prohibited. 18 years old to enter. U.S. and Canada residents only. Winners will be announced on Gibson TV.

Filmed on location in downtown Los Angeles, the backdrop for “Metal And Monsters” is the historic 2,000-seat Los Angeles Theatre. Constructed in 1930, Charlie Chaplin helped fund the completion of the building so it would be ready to premiere his film City Lights in January of 1931. After closing its doors in 1994, the Los Angeles Theatre sat vacant for many years until serving as a film and television location for productions including “Man On The Moon”, “Charlie’s Angels”, “Mad Men” and “The Lords Of Salem”.

“We are always trying to push the boundaries of what we can do with Gibson TV as a platform,” says Mark Agnesi, director of brand experience at Gibson Brands. “As a guitar brand, it would be easy to just make product demos and call it a day, but that was never our vision. Our goal was to create TV shows that could compete with any network or streaming service, and ‘Metal And Monsters’ is our most ambitious effort to date. This show has been a passion project of ours for over two years now and we are so excited to unleash it onto the world.”

“With 2022 being the 35th anniversary of the film ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors’, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than reuniting two pillars of the metal and monster genre,” says Todd Harapiak, Gibson TV content and director. “Robert Englund and Don Dokken have meant so much to all of us for decades and having them appear in the first episode of ‘Metal And Monsters’ is a dream come true.”

“We’ve really taken our time to make sure this show feels exactly like the campfire it’s supposed to be for metal and monster fans of the world,” explains Montgomery. “As a full-time monster and musician, I’m so humbled and honored to take this journey with such an incredible team into the darkest and heaviest corners of the universe. Hit the lights! Here we go!”

All Gibson TV original shows are streamed for free on Gibson.com.

Below: Freddy Krueger and Don Dokken on the set of the video shoot for “Dream Warriors”. Photo by Mark Weiss.

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Hear New RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Song 'Not The One'

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS have released another new single, “Not The One”. The song, which can be streamed below, is taken from the band’s upcoming album, “Unlimited Love”, which will arrive on April 1 via Warner.

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS’s first new LP with guitarist John Frusciante since 2006’s “Stadium Arcadium” was once again produced by Rick Rubin who previously worked on “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” (1991), “Californication” (1999), “By The Way” (2002) and the aforementioned “Stadium Arcadium”.

The band stated about the new record: “Our only goal is to get lost in the music. We (John, Anthony, Chad and Flea) spent thousands of hours, collectively and individually, honing our craft and showing up for one another, to make the best album we could. Our antennae attuned to the divine cosmos, we were just so damn grateful for the opportunity to be in a room together, and, once again, try to get better. Days, weeks and months spent listening to each other, composing, jamming freely, and arranging the fruit of those jams with great care and purpose. The sounds, rhythms, vibrations, words and melodies had us enrapt.

“We yearn to shine a light in the world, to uplift, connect, and bring people together. Each of the songs on our new album ‘Unlimited Love’ is a facet of us, reflecting our view of the universe. This is our life’s mission. We work, focus, and prepare, so that when the biggest wave comes, we are ready to ride it. The ocean has gifted us a mighty wave and this record is the ride that is the sum of our lives. Thank you for listening, we hope you enjoy it.”

Frusciante said: “When we started writing material, we began by playing old songs by people like Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson, THE KINKS, THE NEW YORK DOLLS, Richard Barrett and others. Ever so gradually, we started bringing in new ideas, and turning jams into songs, and after a couple of months the new stuff was all we were playing. The feeling of effortless fun we had when we were playing songs by other people, stayed with us the whole time we were writing. For me, this record represents our love for, and faith in each other.”

On lead track “Black Summer”, ethereal guitar underlines introspective lyrics as the rhythm unlocks a hypnotic drum groove highlighted by evocative bass. It quietly inhales only to exhale with a massive refrain, “It’s been a long time since I made a new friend, waiting on another black summer to end,” before a guitar solo echoes to the heavens and back. For the music video, the group teamed up with acclaimed director Deborah Chow (Disney+’s “The Mandalorian”, “Obi-Wan Kenobi”). The result continues a tradition of captivating cinematic visuals — with a twist.

The interplay between the band borders on intergalactic once again — yet elevated to another stratosphere altogether. “Unlimited Love” represents the united spirit of four individual souls still fearlessly exploring the future of their eternal friendship and musical congregation.

“Here Ever After” follows a staccato bassline down a rhythmic wormhole as the hook promises, “She’s the kinda girl that make you wanna go faster now.” And whether it be wrangling wild horns and boisterous bass on “Aquatic Mouth Dance” or the poetic dreamscape of confessional ballad “Not The One”, the album twists and turns with gleeful unpredictability. On “Poster Child”, a funky riff spiked with wah pedal magic wobbles in tandem with the delivery as a blissful chorus takes hold. “The Great Apes” charges forward towards a primal clarion call. For nearly six minutes, “It’s Only Natural” slips in and out of hypnotic harmonies and magnetic grooves. The slinky funk of “She’s A Lover” bleeds into a chantable gang vocal and dancefloor-ready refrain, while “These Are The Ways” sees a soft melody give way to guitar and vocal catharsis.

“Whatchu Thinkin'” leans on head-nodding percussion as the vocals flutter with the tempo only for guitar to ignite the chorus. An analog synth choir colors the intro of “Bastards Of Light” while a heavenly crescendo elevates “White Braids & Pillow Chair” beyond the clouds. Hitting the highways, “One Way Traffic” revs up funk at an intersection of airy bass and drums. “Veronica” trades the band’s sunny Los Angeles for the South Side of Chicago and a near-cinematic story about the title character. Then, there’s “Let ‘Em Cry” where trumpet punctuates the momentum before peaking on an emotionally charged guitar solo. “The Heavy Wing” takes flight on a climactic burst of distortion and vocal conjurations. The ride culminates on “Tangelo”. Threaded together with delicate guitar and emotionally charged vocals, this otherworldly lullaby leaves off on a vibrant, vulnerable, and vital final note as it slips into the arms of feedback.

“Unlimited Love” track listing:

01. Black Summer
02. Here Ever After
03. Aquatic Mouth Dance
04. Not The One
05. Poster Child
06. The Great Apes
07. It’s Only Natural
08. She’s A Lover
09. These Are The Ways
10. Whatchu Thinkin’
11. Bastards Of Light
12. White Braids & Pillow Chair
13. One Way Traffic
14. Veronica
15. Let ‘Em Cry
16. The Heavy Wing
17. Tangelo

Last fall, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith told Rolling Stone that the four members of the band were “getting along great”, and were “really listening to each other in a new way”.

“All of our records are just real good snapshots of where we’re at that time,” he said. “You can’t really go, ‘Oh, gee, I hope it’s as good as…’ Then you’re starting to have preconceived notions about what you want to write.

“Look, John hasn’t been in our group in 10 years. That’s a long time. So of course it’s going to sound different, but it’s going to sound like the four of us because we do have this special chemistry together. It sounds like RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, but it’s different and new, and to me that’s great.

“We really like it and we’re proud of it and it has to start there. If other people like it, great. If people compare it to this or [say] it doesn’t sound like that, we have no control over that. But yeah, we’re all really happy with the record.”

Regarding the return of Frusciante, Smith said: “He is so dedicated. He’s so into it. He’s working so hard. We’re all working hard, but he’s in there with all the overdubs and the magic that he brings.”

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS will embark on a world tour this summer. The North American leg will kick off in Denver, Colorado on July 23 at Empower Field at Mile High. It will conclude in Arlington, Texas on September 18 at Globe Life Field.

Frusciante originally joined RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS following the death of founding guitarist Hillel Slovak in 1988. This lineup recorded two highly successful albums that brought the group mainstream popularity: “Mother’s Milk” and “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”. Sadly, Frusciante fell into a deep heroin addiction that caused him to leave the band while touring to support “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”. Frusciante rejoined CHILI PEPPERS six years later, playing on 1999 album “Californication”, 2002’s “By The Way” and 2006’s “Stadium Arcadium” before quitting the band again in September 2009.

In October 2020, Frusciante told the Australian digital radio station Double J that playing with his RHCP bandmates Anthony Kiedis, Flea and Smith once again was like “returning to family. I’m extremely comfortable with those people. It was as if no time had gone by at all when we started playing, pretty much, with a couple of minor exceptions, like how Chad and I gradually got our communication together in a new way. Basically, we’re all just as comfortable with each other as we ever were, and it just felt like that right off the bat.”

Photo credit: Sandy Kim

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EMPEROR's IHSAHN: R&B Superstar THE WEEKND Is 'Darker And More Edgy' Than Most New Extreme Metal Bands

Black metal legend Ihsahn has criticized the current metal scene for its lack of “danger”, claiming that R&B superstar The Weeknd is “edgier and more experimental.”

The EMPEROR frontman, whose real name is Vegard Sverre Tveitan, voiced his opinion on The Weeknd after telling Metal Hammer magazine that he has recently been listening to the new album from the popular Canadian singer-songwriter, born Abel Tesfaye, titled “Dawn FM”.

“It’s so heavy,” Ihsahn said. “Maybe it’s just me being old and grumpy, but there’s so much new metal coming out where there’s no danger. I listen to a lot of commercial R&B like The Weeknd. That’s darker and more edgy and more experimental than most new extreme metal bands, to be honest.”

This is not the first time Ihsahn has praised an artist far removed from his own genre. Back in 2018, he claimed that his solo music has been influenced by “the bravery” of Kanye West’s “Yeezus”, which had been described by some as the controversial rapper’s most divisive album.

“Let’s be honest, as a person, the character, he’s not the most easy to empathize with,” Ihsahn said of West in an interview with the Czech Republic’s Metalshop TV. “But sometimes your relationship with the person, the artist, if they act the way you don’t [like], you bring that with you when you listen to the music. But in spite of that, there’s no denying that it’s so brave. And I think the kind of megalomaniac ego that goes behind it makes it that genius; that is so brave. There’s no commercial thought when you do an album like that, when you just scream out this lyric: ‘I am a God.’ It’s crazy, and I love it.”

Ihsahn continued: “I have this theory that the really new creation in music, the real genius happens in the underground, where there’s no money and people just do it for the artistic ambition, and all the way at the top where’s so much money that they don’t even care, and they can do anything. And there’s all the rest in the middle who try to do the ‘right’ things and [make] those compromises to get there.”

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