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Our cooped up correspondent pecks on a pair underground death and black metal underground faves in his latest new release preview.
The post For Those About Squawk: Waldo Pecks on Revulsion and The Ruins of Beverast appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

During an appearance on yesterday’s (Thursday, Janury 21) episode of SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”, Stephen Pearcy revealed that he is open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band’s classic lineup.

“I wouldn’t wanna put a RATT record out there without the original guys,” he said. “I mean, it just wouldn’t make sense. We’ve tried it.

“Look, I accepted it a long time ago when Robbin [Crosby, late RATT guitarist] left the band, we lost a big element of direction. He was my right-hand man creating this monster. And I knew it — I knew once he was out, we would be going through motions. It’s all cool, and it’s great, but how many replacements can you have in a band and still consider it legit? So if we’re gonna have something on plastic, so to speak, forever, I’d rather have the original band do a record and just not do a RATT record until that day comes — if it ever happens.”

Asked when the last time was that he talked to guitarist Warren DeMartini, who hasn’t played with RATT since early 2018, Stephen said: “Probably a couple of weeks back. We had some business to talk about, him and I, about some of the stuff we wrote. Which is great, ’cause Warren and I actually had a song in the can, written, that we can actually play and release. And there was another one we were starting to work on that was amazing. So you get me and Warren in a room, and we’ll start writing immediately.”

Pressed about whether Warren is open to doing something with RATT again, Stephen said: “No. I can’t say anything like that. All I’m saying is we had stuff to talk about, and a couple of songs that we did, and that’s it. And a record of ours. And we just chatted. So that’s where it went.”

Pearcy also revealed that he is back on speaking terms with drummer Bobby Blotzer, who led his own version of RATT for a couple of years beginning in late 2015 before becoming embroiled in a legal battle with the singer, DeMartini and bassist Juan Croucier over the rights to the band’s name.

“I do talk to Bobby,” he said. “Bobby and I are — it’s love-hate, brother kind of a gig. We keep in touch and talk about positive things. He still has interest, so there are some things to talk about. And Warren is the same.”

“Look, life goes on,” he explained. “Life’s short. Hate’s not a good thing. There’s communication. But I can’t say anything.”

Pearcy then circled back to the prospect of making a new RATT album, saying: “As far as doing a record right now, I really wouldn’t wanna have guys that weren’t really in the band on the record. And I think that was Warren’s sentiment a long time ago — without having me on a record — so I’m just giving back the courtesy consideration.

“I would really like to actually finish the song that Warren and I had started, and the one that we have in the can, I would love to release it. I’m gonna talk to him about it, if we can just put it out there and just turn people on. He’s not some aggro dude right now. I’m not aggro at any of these people. Look, we created this great thing, and if there’s gonna be a RATT record, I just off the top of my head said I wanna do it with the original guys, if we’re gonna do one — or don’t even bother. The catalog is what you get. Or you get my solo stuff, which is as close as you’re gonna get to RATT music. And that’s it… If we ever do a [RATT] record, let it be the real guys, and call it a day. If that’s the last thing we do, well, let’s do it. If not, hey, we’ve got the records. That’s all I can say.”

Stephen also stressed the importance of not letting personal differences get in the way of making music and touring while he and his bandmates are still physically able to perfom the classic RATT songs live.

“Look, we’re not the most dysfunctional band on the planet,” he said. “I’ve said it before, there are bands much more dysfunctional — MÖTLEY [CRÜE], GN’R [GUNS N’ ROSES], you name ’em — but the smart ones make an effort to take care of business. MÖTLEY — I don’t know if they even talk to each other, but they’re getting the business done. And that’s where I’m at. What are you — punishing somebody? You’re getting back at somebody? You’re holding a grudge, vendetta… It’s all bullshit. We’re all gonna die anyway. Go figure it out.”

Pearcy and Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT’s current lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band are drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK ‘N BLUE, RATT’S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarist Jordan Ziff (RAZER).

RATT hasn’t released any new music since 2010’s “Infestation” album.

RATT — featuring Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini — played a number of shows in 2017 after reforming a year earlier in the midst of a highly publicized legal battle with Blotzer over the rights to the RATT name. They were joined at the gigs by ex-QUIET RIOT guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who played on “Infestation”, and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.

Like the Devil, Melvin Brewing’s American Pale Ale appears in different forms. Hubert seems like an IPA at first, but it reveals itself to be a very hop-forward APA.
The post No Corporate Beer Reviews: Hubert appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Chester Bennington’s widow has announced her split from her husband of a year.

Talinda Bennington and Los Angeles County firefighter Michael Friedman walked down the aisle on January 4, 2020, four months after they announced their engagement. The ceremony took place at the Turtle Bay Resort in Kahuku, Hawaii.

Earlier today (Friday, January 22), Talinda took to her Twitter to write: “I am ready to announce that Michael and I have decided to move forward with our lives as friends.

“Divorce is never easy, but in our case it is for the best.

“We have remained good friends and he continues to be an important part of my children’s lives.

“Love and Loss is part of life and it’s even harder when you have to do it in the public eye.

“Thank you for your love and support and respect for our privacy at this time.”

Talinda and Michael’s wedding a year ago was reportedly attended by Talinda and Chester’s three children — son Tyler and twins Lilly and Lila — along with other friends and family members.

In 2018, Talinda said that she was “completely surprised” by Chester’s passing, explaining that she believed Chris Cornell’s death only two months earlier would serve as a deterrent against suicide to the LINKIN PARK singer.

Chester was found dead on July 20, 2017 — on what would have been the 53rd birthday of his late friend and fellow rocker, SOUNDGARDEN frontman Chris Cornell.

After Cornell died in May 2017 as a result of suicide by hanging himself inside his Detroit hotel room, Chester wrote a letter thanking him for inspiring him and hoping he would find peace in “the next life.”

Chester married Talinda shortly after his divorce from his first wife, Samantha Marie Olit.

In the first few months since her husband’s death, Talinda had used the hashtags #FuckDepression and #MakeChesterProud to grow an online community that is there to support people with depression, and people who have been impacted by a loved one’s depression or suicide.

Photo courtesy of “Alive & Running”

pic.twitter.com/Zm3slRXMOo
— Talinda Bennington (@TalindaB) January 22, 2021

Paul Stanley says that media platforms and elected officials should be held “accountable” for exacerbating and weaponizing disinformation.

Earlier today (Friday, January 22), the KISS frontman took to his Twitter to write: “The quickest way to end divisiveness in this country is to hold ALL ‘news’ media, personalities & elected officials accountable for lies, inaccuracies & fabrications. Freedom Of Speech should not cover the betrayal of the trust we rely on to make educated choices based on facts.”

Stanley’s latest comments come a little over a week after he defended his right to speak out on political issues, saying that he voices his opinions as a “proud citizen” of a country he loves deeply. He explained: “My profession should’t disallow that as we all have that right so many have fought & died protecting. I also understand that the people who would like me to stay quiet are those who don’t share my views. Sorry.”

Two months ago, the KISS frontman criticized GOP senators for not publicly recognizing then-President-elect Biden’s win and for not countering the promotion by Trump and his campaign of unfounded claims that voter fraud disrupted the presidential election.

Last April, Stanley blamed a shifting media environment for sharpening partisan divides, saying that Fox News and CNN viewers and live in “different realities.”

“Any conversation I’ve had with somebody who feels contrary to [a particular point of view], they stick to their guns because their reality is based on information that they’re getting from a source that has their own agenda,” Stanley said during an appearance on Richard Marx’s “Social Distancing” talk show. “I’m not saying that CNN is guiltless. It’s really become the network of the Democrats versus the network of the Republicans, and your reality and what you see as the truth, not coincidentally, is based upon which network you watch. And that’s terrible. We’re living in separate universes. If you go from one channel to the other, you think you’re in a different time.

“If I were to watch whatever network I watch that’s called ‘The News,’ it’s going to feed me what I believe to be reality,” he added. “That’s the basic truth of it. And, unfortunately, there seems to be different realities, alternate realities… There’s gotta be a truth.”

The quickest way to end divisiveness in this country is to hold ALL “news” media, personalities & elected officials accountable for lies, inaccuracies & fabrications. Freedom Of Speech should not cover the betrayal of the trust we rely on to make educated choices based on facts.
— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) January 22, 2021

The ACS1 is an amplifier and speaker cab simulator that aims to deliver the sound and feel of world-class amplifiers, complimentary speaker cabinets, and controllable room size.

The Custom Shop model was based on one of Frampton’s most famous instruments.

This week’s book of new heavy music contains the latest brutal chapters from Asphyx, Nervosa, Coffins and more!
The post Five For Friday: January 22, 2021 appeared first on Decibel Magazine.