FOO FIGHTERS Pay Musical Tribute To ZZ TOP Bassist DUSTY HILL

FOO FIGHTERS paid musical tribute to late ZZ TOP bassist Dusty Hill during the during concert Thursday night (July 29) in Cincinnati. The Dave Grohl-fronted outfit played snippets of “Beer Drinkers And Hellraisers” and “La Grange” at the Andrew J. Brady ICON Music Center, with drummer Taylor Hawkins sporting a sleeveless T-shirt with the words “Dusty RIP” written on it.

Hill died in his sleep at home in Houston, Texas, according to ZZ TOP’s official web site. He was 72.

The ZZ TOP concert scheduled to take place last night (Wednesday, July 28) in Simpsonville, South Carolina was canceled in the wake of Hill’s sudden death.

Funeral arrangements for Hill have not yet been publicly announced.

ZZ TOP played without Hill last Friday night (July 23) at the Village Commons in New Lenox, Illinois after he was forced to return to Texas to address a hip issue. Filling in for him at the gig was longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis.

On July 21, ZZ TOP canceled its concert in Evansville, Indiana because of a “health issue within the band,” according to local news outlet Evansville Courier & Press.

ZZ TOP kicked off its latest tour two weeks ago in Manchester, Iowa. The trek, dubbed “A Celebration With ZZ Top”, will continue in August with dates in the South, Midwest and Far West.

When ZZ TOP announced the tour, Hill — who joined the band a year after its formation in 1969 — commented: “They shut the door right after our 50th-anniversary tour and now it’s back open. We’re excited to get out there and play our music for everybody.”

I @foofighters ieri sera hanno suonato a Cincinnati.
Taylor Hawkins, omaggia Dusty Hill degli #ZZTop. @MaxxGhe @silvertongue77 @cosimomang
Poi non devo amarli. Come si fa, dai. pic.twitter.com/0AxcH33PLB

— Lela (@LelaDipi) July 29, 2021

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TED NUGENT Resigns From NRA Board Over 'Scheduling Conflicts'

According to Bloomberg, Ted Nugent has resigned from the board of the National Rifle Association (NRA) after 26 years.

Nugent, who joined the board in 1995, is stepping down “due to ongoing schedule conflicts,” according to a July 29 e-mail from NRA general counsel John Frazer sent to board members.

Ted’s decision to leave the board comes less than a year after he told Newsmax’s “The Chris Salcedo Show” that the National Rifle Association was “he most important civil rights organization in the world.”

“What is more important in the American Dream right now than the God-given individual right to keep and bear arms to defend yourself from these recidivistic street thugs,” Ted said. “So, number one job in America is being a member of the National Rifle Association. It’s the most important civil rights organization in the world. What other rights can you possibly hang on to if you don’t have the right to defend yourself? Especially when these leftist freaks are engineering recidivism — they’re letting the worst dangerous violent criminals out into the streets and then attempting to limit the availability of self-defense tools. I mean, this wouldn’t make a ‘Twilight Zone’ script.

“All I can tell you is the NRA is more important now than ever,” he continued. “And when you look at the background of this monster, this traitor in New York — the attorney general, and the mayor, and the governor — they’re out to destroy individual freedoms. And who’s the biggest fighter for individual freedoms? The National Rifle Association. That’s all your need to know.”

Earlier in the month, Nugent said that recidivism was to blame for the recent rise in violent crime and gun violence in America. He said: “Bad guys need to be locked up. If they shoot or stab people, I don’t care if they even miss, that’s a dangerous, vicious, evil act. We don’t want people capable of dangerous, vicious, evil acts walking our streets. We want them either dead or in a cage — forever.

“We’re living in engineered recidivism,” Nugent said, referencing a measure of convicted criminals who commit another offense and re-enter prison. “The failed court system, the crime-celebrating prosecutors and attorneys are engineering recidivism. Ninety-six percent of violent crimes are committed by people that were let out for violent crimes. Here’s a little guitar player idea: don’t let ’em out.

“There isn’t a gun problem in America,” Ted added. “There is an intentional engineered recidivism problem in America. You wanna stop ninety-six percent of the violent crimes. Don’t let ’em out.”

This past March, Nugent threatened President Joe Biden and other Democrats, telling them to “come and take it” just hours before the House of Representatives passed two gun-safety bills.

In a March 11 Facebook post, Nugent addressed Biden and “all you other oath violating traitors,” writing, “Google my address and itinerary and Come and Take It!” He also proclaimed, “If you want to play Concorde bridge again, you will be the British and I will be the Americans, again.”

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Undeath To Release New Song, “Diemented Dissection,” via the Decibel Flexi Series

Get your deluxe Decibel subscription by Monday, August 2 to obtain this HIGHLY LIMITED flexi disc single from New York new jack death metallers Undeath.
The post Undeath To Release New Song, “Diemented Dissection,” via the Decibel Flexi Series appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

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COREY TAYLOR's Wife Says News Of JOEY JORDISON's Death 'Has Been Heartbreaking'

Alicia Taylor, the wife of SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor, says that she has been focusing on supporting her husband in the days since his former bandmate Joey Jordison was found dead.

The founding SLIPKNOT drummer’s family confirmed that Jordinson passed away “peacefully in his sleep” on Monday (July 26) of an unspecified cause. He was 46 years old.

On Thursday, Alicia, who is a professional dancer and a member of the all-girl dance group CHERRY BOMBS, took to her Twitter to write: “As a fan, the news of of Joey has been heartbreaking, but I haven’t had much time to process it yet. My focus has been supporting my husband, and pouring into our family.

“Things are tough, but they will get better in time- one day at a time.

“Rest easy, Joey.”

Corey has yet to publicly comment on Joey’s death, but he and his SLIPKNOT bandmates posted a black box on their social media sites in an apparent show of mourning.

According to TMZ, Joey’s family said they will hold a private funeral service for him, but it’s unclear when that will happen.

SLIPKNOT announced its split with Jordison in December 2013 but did not disclose the reasons for his exit. The drummer subsequently issued a statement saying that he did not quit the group.

Back in 2014, Corey Taylor told Metal Hammer that firing Jordison after 18 years was “one of the hardest decisions” the group ever made, adding that Joey is “in a place in his life” which is “not where we are.”

Taylor said he could not get into specifics for legal reasons, but admitted, “It’s when a relationship hits that T-section and one person’s going one way and you’re going the other. And try as you might to either get them to go your way or try and go their way, at some point you’ve got to go in the direction that works for you. This is me speaking in the broadest terms, with respect to Joey. I guess to sum it up, it was one of the hardest decisions we ever made.”

Taylor said that the band is “happy right now and we hope that he is . . . he’s just in a place in his life, right now, that’s not where we are.”

The singer would not answer whether drug use played a role in Jordison’s dismissal, and confessed that he had not been in touch with his former bandmate. Taylor said, “I haven’t talked to Joey in a while, to be honest. That’s how different we are. It’s not because I don’t love him and I don’t miss him. And it is painful; we talk about him all the time, but at the same time, do we miss him or do we miss the old him? That’s what it really comes down to.”

As a fan, the news of of Joey has been heartbreaking, but I haven’t had much time to process it yet. My focus has been supporting my husband, and pouring into our family.
Things are tough, but they will get better in time- one day at a time.

Rest easy, Joey. ?

— uh-lee-see-yuh Taylor (@AliciaETaylor) July 30, 2021

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METAL CHURCH: MIKE HOWE Was 'Victimized By A Failing Health-Care System' Before His Suicide

METAL CHURCH singer Mike Howe was “victimized by a failing health-care system” before his decision to take his own life, his bandmates say.

Howe was found dead at his home in Eureka, California on Monday, July 26. According to TMZ, Howe’s official cause of death was determined to be asphyxia due to hanging. A spokesperson for the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Dept. told the site authorities are calling it a suicide.

Cops got a call just after 10 a.m. reporting an unexpected death at a home. By the time deputies arrived, they found the 55-year-old dead at the scene.

According to police, drugs and alcohol are not believed to be factors in the death and no controlled substances or paraphernalia were located at the scene.

Earlier today, the surviving members of METAL CHURCH issued the following statement in response to the TMZ report: “If you knew Mike Howe, then you knew he was a truly good human being who loved his friends, his family and his many fans around the world. He would always go the extra mile to make someone feel good and he would always give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. We ask that you remember Mike in that way and for the amazing metal music he created.

“As to what really happened? He was victimized by a failing health-care system and subsequently poisoned by the venom of Big Pharma,” they wrote, using a term which refers collectively to the global pharmaceutical industry. “In short and in essence, he fell prey to the real ‘Fake Healer’…enough said. #truth

“Godspeed Mike Howe, WE LOVE YOU!!!”

Howe, who fronted METAL CHURCH from 1988 until 1994, officially rejoined the band in April 2015.

Prior to joining METAL CHURCH more than three decades ago, Howe spent two years fronting California metal act HERETIC.

The reunion between Mike and METAL CHURCH was put in motion in July of 2014 when Mike started working with guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof on a side project Kurdt was forming with Nigel Glockler from SAXON. Through these initial conversations, Kurdt convinced Mike to ultimately return to METAL CHURCH. The idea was to see if they could recapture some of the magic from the three albums METAL CHURCH released in the late ’80s: “The Human Factor”, “Blessing In Disguise” and “Hanging In The Balance”. Out of those sessions, 2016’s “XI” was born and captured the sound that made the band fan favorites in the ’80s and mixed it with a new, invigorated sound.

METAL CHURCH’s latest release was “From The Vault”, which arrived in April 2020 via Rat Pak Records. The effort was a special-edition compilation album that featured 14 previously unreleased songs from the Howe era, including four newly recorded studio tracks, among them a redux of the band’s fan favorite classic “Conductor”.

Howe is not the first singer of METAL CHURCH to die. David Wayne passed away in May 2005 from complications following a car crash. He was 47 years old.

Wayne sang on METAL CHURCH’s first two classic offerings (1984’s “Metal Church” and 1986’s “The Dark”) before leaving the group and being replaced by Howe.

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CRADLE OF FILTH Announces 'Existence Is Futile' Album Details, Releases Music Video For 'Crawling King Chaos'

British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH will release their 13th studio album, “Existence Is Futile”, on October 22. Pieced together in isolation, at Grindstone Studios in Suffolk with studio guru Scott Atkins (DEVILMENT, BENEDICTION, VADER), the band’s latest chef-d’oeuvre is a pitch-black, perverse and at times absurdly brutal and extreme masterpiece following a truly nihilistic concept:

“The album is about existentialism, existential dread and fear of the unknown,” frontman Dani Filth explains. “The concept wasn’t created by the pandemic. We’d written it long before that began, but the pandemic is the tip of the cotton-bud as far as the way the world is headed, you know? I guess the title, ‘Existence Is Futile’, does sound a little morbid. But again, it’s more about recognizing that truth and saying that everything is permitted because nothing really matters, which mimics the occultist Aleister Crowley’s maxim. We all know we’re going to die, so we might as well indulge life while we possess it. The final track on the album — ‘Us, Dark, Invincible’ — really drives that point home. Also, the artwork for this record was created by the Latvian visionary Arthur Berzinsh, who also dressed the last two albums, and that reeks of the exceedingly beautiful yet apocalyptic too.”

Diehard fans will be thrilled to learn that horror icon Doug “Pinhead” Bradley makes a welcome return to the CRADLE fold, lending his dulcet tones to the band’s most politically astute song to date, the epic “Suffer Our Dominion” as well as the album bonus track “Sisters Of The Mist”, which is the conclusion to the “Her Ghost In The Fog” trilogy that started over 20 years ago on the infamous and classic “Midian”.

Today, the hellhounds from Suffolk reveal one of their most brutal tracks on the new album, accompanied by an infernal music video directed by Vicente Cordero. Poison your eyes and ears with CRADLE OF FILTH’s latest Lovecraftian anthem and evoke the “Crawling King Chaos” below.

“Existence Is Futile” consists of 12 new tracks with a total playing time of 54 minutes:

01. The Fate Of The World On Our Shoulders
02. Existential Terror
03. Necromantic Fantasies
04. Crawling King Chaos
05. Here Comes A Candle… (Infernal Lullaby)
06. Black Smoke Curling From The Lips Of War
07. Discourse Between A Man And His Soul
08. The Dying Of The Embers
09. Ashen Mortality
10. How Many Tears To Nurture A Rose?
11. Suffer Our Dominion
12. Us, Dark, Invincible
13. Sisters Of The Mist (Bonus track)
14. Unleash The Hellion (Bonus track)

Two months ago, CRADLE OF FILTH announced the addition of keyboardist Anabelle Iratni to the band’s ranks.

Iratni, who previously played alongside CRADLE OF FILTH frontman Dani Filth in DEVILMENT, as well as her own group VEILE, made her live debut with CRADLE OF FILTH on May 12 during the band’s livestreamed concert.

Anabelle joined CRADLE OF FILTH as the replacement for Lindsay Schoolcraft, who announced her departure from the group in February 2020 after a seven-year run.

This past December, Dani said that isolation and lack of live touring amid the coronavirus pandemic has contributed to making CRADLE OF FILTH’s upcoming LP “our best album of current years, if not all time.” He wrote on CRADLE’s Facebook page: “There was absolutely no pressure to turn the album in. In fact, there really was nothing better to do than indulge our creative juices and thus a huge swathe of the year was spent in the sultry depths of the Suffolk countryside polishing and perfecting our latest musical excretion.

“It’s an absolute killer of an album (if you forgive my self-flattery), with an immense production courtesy of Scott Atkins and Grindstone studios once again, and I’d like to be able to describe it to you but there is so much bubbling intently in this album,” he continued. “Fast and slow parts (and faster still), new delectable flavours and those reminiscent of earlier COF albums galore, massive choruses and melancholic drop-downs, old skool melodic NWOBM amid furious, scathing black metal amid apocalyptic groove and we as a band can’t wait for everyone to hear it…. And more importantly, experience our birthed monster live.”

Last October, Dani told Metal Injection that CRADLE OF FILTH’s follow-up to “Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay” was turning out to be “fantastic” and “probably the best album we’ve written. We’ve had the opportunity to really dig deep into it and work hard on the tracks, and, if necessary, rewrite parts, which we have done,” he said. “I certainly have rewritten parts and have no qualms about Scott saying this just isn’t good enough compared to all the other songs on the record. But I would say it’s not very different from ‘Cryptoriana’. It’s not as intricately laced. That album spoke of the times it was trying to assimilate and represent. This album is about existential terror. The threat of everything. The end of the world, the end of one’s life, existential dread. A little hope, I guess in there. It’s a CRADLE OF FILTH record. The songs are strong. They’re extreme, but it’s a mixture of everything.”

Regarding what is has been like working with Atkins again, Dani said: “It’s very comfortable recording with him. You know, he’s very free and easy with how he talks to me. There’s no pandering; we’re good friends and we can talk to each other how we want. His studio is not far from where I live. It’s in the countryside, so during lockdown, I was able to travel to and from the studio. We had less hours to work. We had nothing more that we could do. There was no pubs that we could saddle off to over lunch time — it was just work, work, work. And it was nice, relaxed and, fortunately, lockdown in England’s been okay, because we’ve had some fantastic weather this year.”

CRADLE OF FILTH 2021 is:

Dani Filth – Vocals
Richard Shaw – Guitar
Ashok – Guitar
Daniel Firth – Bass
Martin “Marthus” Skaroupka – Drums
Anabelle – Keyboards & backing vocals

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DEE SNIDER Releases Music Video For 'Down But Never Out' From 'Leave A Scar' Solo Album

The official music video for the song “Down But Never Out” from Dee Snider can be seen below. The track is taken from the TWISTED SISTER frontman’s fifth solo album, “Leave A Scar”, which is being released today (Friday, July 30) via Napalm Records.

Snider says about “Down But Never Out”: “I pride myself on the fact that throughout the decades, my music has always tried to not only push back against all oppressors (in this case COVID-19), but also lift people up and encourage them to fight back. ‘Down But Never Out’ is a perfect example of this ethos.”

Once again produced by HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta with co-production, mixing and mastering by drummer Nick Bellmore, “Leave A Scar” sees Dee continuing in the invigorated, modern direction of his previous release, “For The Love Of Metal”, infusing a dose of classic heavy metal flavor that longtime fans will rush to embrace.

Like a scar itself, “Leave A Scar” is an illuminating plentitude of angst etched in time — serving as a musical refuge and expressive output for Dee. But in turn, this auditory time capsule written to express the anger, unease and pain he experienced during lockdown emerges as not only blisteringly heavy, but relentlessly powerful. Each of the 12 tracks on “Leave A Scar” not only further bolster Snider’s position as one of the most celebrated frontmen of all time, showcasing that his vocal delivery and commanding swagger is as strong as ever, but that he is nowhere near stopping.

Heads will bang within seconds of the hard-charging opening notes of ultra-catchy album starter and lifer anthem “I Gotta Rock (Again)”, instantly setting the stage for the non-stop onslaught of metallic mainstays to come. Tracks like the brutal “Time To Choose” — featuring the primed guest vocal attack of CANNIBAL CORPSE’s George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher — and mosh-ready “The Reckoning” showcase the album’s heavy assault, without sacrificing the harmonic goodness evident on tracks like the unrelenting, hooky thrasher “All Or Nothing More” and melodic, metalcore inspired “In For The Kill”. Energetic single of strength “Down But Never Out” encapsulates the chunky riffage and driving drums palpable throughout the album, while searing “Before I Go” provides one of the album’s most massive, memorable choruses and chilling lyrics. The album closes with victorious ballad “Stand”, a call for listeners to take a stand and make their voices heard. If “For The Love Of Metal” ignited Snider’s eminent surge into a new era — “Leave A Scar” sets it ablaze.

Snider says about “Leave A Scar”: “By the end of 2020, I knew I not only had to get back into the studio, but for the first time since the ’90s, I wanted — no, needed — to be a part of the writing process. I reached out to my producer Jamey Jasta and told him I was ready to make another record. ‘Leave A Scar’ is filled with messages to and for the silent voices in the world who need someone to speak out on their behalf. This is my purpose.”

Jasta says regarding working with Snider again: “Getting to work with Dee again has been incredible! The power and range in his vocals on this album really shine. Not only is he an American treasure and staple in the rock/metal community, he’s a truly original voice and talent like no other. Combine that with the metallic prowess of the Bellmore bros + Russell Pzütto and Nick Petrino, you get a rockin’ metal recipe that even the most ‘Dee-hard’ SMF’ers will surely love!”

“Leave A Scar” track listing:

01. I Gotta Rock (Again)
02. All Or Nothing More
03. Down But Never Out
04. Before I Go
05. Open Season
06. Silent Battles
07. Crying For Your Life
08. In For The Kill
09. Time To Choose
10. S.H.E.
11. The Reckoning
12. Stand

Snider previously said about “I Gotta Rock (Again)”: “‘I Gotta Rock (Again)’ is the starting gun for this album and the driving motivation behind me returning to the studio to record ‘Leave A Scar’. At the end of 2019, I had felt my recording and live performing was over, but I didn’t announce it to the world. I mentally had decided I was done. But the state of things in 2020 had other plans for me. Between COVID and the political state around the globe, I found myself yearning (yes, I yearn) to get back in the studio. In the immortal words of Ice Cube, ‘I got somethin’ to say!'”

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ALICE IN CHAINS' JERRY CANTRELL: More 'Brighten' Solo Album Details Revealed

Iconic singer, songwriter, guitarist, and ALICE IN CHAINS co-founder Jerry Cantrell returns with the first single, “Atone”, from his new solo album, “Brighten”. Watch the official music video for the track below.

Right from the start, the album opener’s riff rolls like a runaway freight train underscored by cinematic twang. As the momentum builds, he intones the hummable hook before a psychedelic break, and a hard-hitting hook evocative of the album’s incendiary spirit.

The video is a perfect accompaniment to the song as it is a compilation of black-and-white footage of Jerry playing the song in outdoor locations such as Joshua Tree, the Salton Sea, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. It was creatively directed as a group effort by Jerry; photographer/musician Jim Louvau; singer/guitarist Greg Puciato; visual artist Jesse Draxler; and photographer Tony Aguilera.

Talking about “Atone”, Jerry says: “As a fan of Ennio Morricone scores and Sergio Leone movies, it’s got a bit of that outlaw vibe, with a cool psycho hillbilly stomp. It’s been kicking around in my head for like 20-plus years, haunting me. Sometimes it takes a while for a good idea to find its best form. Such was the case with ‘Atone’.”

The veteran rock artist delivers by offering up another dimension of his recognizable guitar sounds while at the same time featuring his signature vocals.

“I’ve been in the band for almost 34 years now,” says Jerry. “It’s always my first and foremost commitment, but it’s nice to explore different things and add another chapter to a growing body of work. After the last AIC tour wrapped, I geared my mind towards the possibility of making another record of my own.”

Over the past year, Jerry co-produced “Brighten” with film composer Tyler Bates (“300”, “John Wick”) and long-time engineer Paul Fig. Reflecting a classic spirit, 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.

“‘Madman Across The Water’ is one of my favorite records of all time,” Jerry exclaims. “Out of respect to Elton, I wouldn’t include it unless he said it was okay. He’d played piano on ‘Black Gives Way To Blue’, which I wrote for [late ALICE IN CHAINS singer] Layne [Staley], so I reached out to Elton, he listened to it, and told me ‘You should absolutely use it.’ I got the signoff by the man himself. I couldn’t think of a better way to close the record!”

Cantrell played a pair of sold-out solo shows in Los Angeles joined by an eclectic group of musicians and friends, several of whom appear on “Brighten”.

“It was fun to play tunes I hadn’t performed in years from ‘Boggy Depot’ and ‘Degradation Trip’,” Jerry continues. “Tyler Bates not only introduced me to a lot of cool players, he also helped me put the band together for the shows, and performed with me.”

“Brighten” spawned from those gigs.

“It was like an old-school ’70s record where a multitude of musicians played,” smiles Cantrell. “So it’s not a set band. I got to make music with a bunch of people I never had before, along with friends like Duff, Tyler and Gil who I’ve worked with previously.”

Jerry’s expansive sonic palette incorporates everything from moments of moody organ and powerful pedal steel to the cathartic choruses and airtight riffs which is the hallmark of Cantrell’s sound.

To commemorate its release, “Atone” will be available in multiple configurations including a 12-inch vinyl single with a B-side that includes an exclusive instrumental version (with glow in the dark packaging), 180-gram heavyweight vinyl and a blood red colour vinyl exclusive to the Jerry Cantrell webstore. Each “Atone” vinyl single purchase includes a red flexi disc, red pick set, and an instant download of the song.

“Brighten” is available for pre-order everywhere now and will be offered in an exclusive bone with gold splatter color 180-gram vinyl via Jerry’s webstore. Limited signed CDs will also be available in the webstore for pre-order.

“Brighten” track listing:

01. Atone
02. Brighten
03. Prism of Doubt
04. Black Hearts and Evil Done
05. Siren Song
06. Had To Know
07. Nobody Breaks You
08. Dismembered
09. Goodbye (Elton John cover)

The cast of players on “Brighten”

* Jerry Cantrell – Guitar, bass, vocals, keys
* Greg Puciato – Background vocals
* Duff McKagan – Bass
* Gil Sharone – Drums
* Abe Laboriel Jr. – Drums
* Tyler Bates – Strings, percussion, guitar
* Vincent Jones – Piano, keys, & strings
* Jordan Lewis – Piano
* Michael Rozon – Pedal steel
* Lola Bates – Background vocals
* Matias Ambrogi-Torres – Strings

Jerry’s upcoming effort will mark 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.

Cantrell announced the new LP’s completion in an Instagram post in March.

Jerry’s career outside of ALICE IN CHAINS has consisted of two 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”.

Back in 2018, Cantrell told Billboard that he wasn’t in good headspace when he made “Degradation Trip”. “I was just really fucked up back then, to be honest with you, and you can totally hear it on that record,” he said. “It was done right before I got sober, and it was also done right when I was dealing with the death of my band, and then the unhappy coincidence of Layne [Staley, ALICE IN CHAINS frontman] passing away right after I released that record. So it was not a good time in my life, and it totally comes across on that record.”

Cantrell added: “It’s a record I don’t listen to a lot anymore because of all those things I mentioned,” revealing that he got sober a year after it was recorded. He continued: “But it’s a record that’s important to me, and I’ll see Robert and Mike every once in a while and they’re like, ‘We should do some fucking shows, man. Some ‘Degradation Trip’ shows.’ [Laughs] I tell ’em we’ll do it someday.”

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.

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METAL CHURCH Singer MIKE HOWE's Death Ruled Suicide

According to TMZ, METAL CHURCH singer Mike Howe’s official cause of death was determined to be asphyxia due to hanging. A spokesperson for the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Dept. told the site authorities are calling it a suicide.

Cops got a call Monday morning (July 26) just after 10 a.m. in Eureka, California reporting an unexpected death at a home. By the time deputies arrived, they found the 55-year-old dead at the scene.

According to police, drugs and alcohol are not believed to be factors in the death and no controlled substances or paraphernalia were located at the scene.

Howe, who fronted METAL CHURCH from 1988 until 1994, officially rejoined the band in April 2015.

Prior to joining METAL CHURCH more than three decades ago, Howe spent two years fronting California metal act HERETIC.

The reunion between Mike and METAL CHURCH was put in motion in July of 2014 when Mike started working with guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof on a side project Kurdt was forming with Nigel Glockler from SAXON. Through these initial conversations, Kurdt convinced Mike to ultimately return to METAL CHURCH. The idea was to see if they could recapture some of the magic from the three albums METAL CHURCH released in the late ’80s: “The Human Factor”, “Blessing In Disguise” and “Hanging In The Balance”. Out of those sessions, 2016’s “XI” was born and captured the sound that made the band fan favorites in the ’80s and mixed it with a new, invigorated sound.

METAL CHURCH’s latest release was “From The Vault”, which arrived in April 2020 via Rat Pak Records. The effort was a special-edition compilation album that featured 14 previously unreleased songs from the Howe era, including four newly recorded studio tracks, among them a redux of the band’s fan favorite classic “Conductor”.

Howe is not the first singer of METAL CHURCH to die. David Wayne passed away in May 2005 from complications following a car crash. He was 47 years old.

Wayne sang on METAL CHURCH’s first two classic offerings (1984’s “Metal Church” and 1986’s “The Dark”) before leaving the group and being replaced by Howe.

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RUNNING WILD To Release 'Blood On Blood' Album In October

Veteran German metallers RUNNING WILD will release their new album, “Blood On Blood”, on October 29 via Steamhammer/SPV. The LP’s first single, “Diamonds & Pearls”, will arrive on August 13, followed by the second single, “The Shellback”, on September 24.

RUNNING WILD leader Rolf “Rock N’ Rolf” Kasparek states about “Blood On Blood”: “We all know the difficulties the cultural sector was faced with during the lockdown. On the other hand, it also gave me and many other artists some extra time since most releases had to be postponed. I used that time to fine-tune every little detail of my new material. The result is an album that, in my opinion, is probably the best in RUNNING WILD’s career to date. Every one of the ten songs sounds exactly as I had it in mind when I composed it. I’ve never been happier with a RUNNING WILD record before.”

Rolf describes “Blood On Blood” as the most diverse offering he has released so far, not only in terms of the compositions but also as far as the production is concerned. “Every song has its own unmistakable sound,” he says. “Although I recorded the rhythm guitar parts with my 1976 Gibson Explorer as usual, the other parts were cut with a Gibson Flying V, a Fender Stratocaster and even — the undistorted parts — with a Fender American Standard Telecaster.” A prime example being “One Night, One Day”, which owes its great depth to its clean guitar performance. Rolf is referring to a song that is guaranteed to cause a stir with its anthemic direction and unusual arrangements. “For me, this track was a little experiment that I’ve never dared to try before, because ‘One Night, One Day’ doesn’t have the typical intro-verse-chorus structure, instead gradually building up throughout the song,” he says.

The grooving “The Iron Times (1618 – 1648)”, a worthy album finale, is just as remarkable, with its eleven minutes of playing time the longest track on the disc, and thanks to its lyric about the Thirty Years’ War also one of the most ambitious numbers. Speaking of lyrics, “Wings Of Fire” and “Say Your Prayers” are about prophecies, albeit not — as on many other releases — the prophecies of Nostradamus, but, among others, the prophecies of John of Jerusalem, the French Knight Templar and co-founder of the Order of the Knights Templar, who predicted organ trafficking back in the Middle Ages. Historically no less interesting, “Crossing The Blades” sees RUNNING WILD broach the story of the three musketeers from the 17th century, their emblem having been recreated on the cover artwork, once again designed by Jens Reinhold (VIRGIN STEELE, FREEDOM CALL, among others). Rolf says: “It’s a kind of hybrid between the cross of the musketeers and our mascot, Adrian.”

Despite these lyrical ambitions, “Blood On Blood” also features two “party rock numbers,” as Rolf likes to refer to them: “Wild & Free” and “Wild, Wild Nights”, which are meant to be pure fun, fulfilling their mission to a tee. And last but not least, there’s “The Shellback”, a track in typical RUNNING WILD style that starts with a Celtic-inspired intro, RUNNING WILD revisiting the atmospheric seafaring theme of its 1994 classic “Black Hand In”, a prequel of that maritime story. Equally characteristic of the band, which, in addition to Rolf, guitarist Peter Jordan and bassist Ole Hempelmann, has since 2019 included drummer Michael Wolpers, who contributed all the drum parts on the new disc, are the lead single “Diamonds & Pearls” (including lyric video) and the title track, incidentally the first number Rolf wrote for the new album.

“Blood On Blood” track listing:

01. Blood On Blood (4:07)
02. Wings Of Fire (3:57)
03. Say Your Prayers (5:14)
04. Diamonds & Pearls (4:44)
05. Wild & Free (5:28)
06. Crossing The Blades 6:00)
07. One Night, One Day (4:59)
08. The Shellback (6:11)
09. Wild, Wild Nights (4:30)
10. The Iron Times (1618 – 1648) (10:29)

Lineup:

Rock N’ Rolf – guitar, vocals
Peter Jordan – guitar
Ole Hempelmann – bass
Michael Wolpers – drums

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