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QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Todd La Torre has criticized Gov. Greg Abbott over his decision to lift indoor capacity restrictions for Texas restaurants, bars, and businesses, and statewide mask mandates next week, saying his actions are the reason the concert industry “will be the last to open.”

Effective March 10, all businesses in Texas will be allowed to open at full capacity for the first time in nearly a year, Abbott announced. Businesses may still limit capacity or implement additional safety protocols at their own discretion.

Earlier today, La Torre took to his Twitter to share an article about Abbott’s decision to remove statewide mandates, and he included the following message: “Fucking asshole scumbag. This is why our industry will be the last to open. Zero lessons learned. Tick tock.”

In announcing that he will end Texas’ statewide mask mandate next week and allow all businesses to operate at full capacity, Abbott said: “It is now time to open Texas 100%.” He added that he was rescinding “most of the earlier executive orders” he has issued over the past year to stem the spread of the virus. He said “all businesses of any type [will be] allowed to open 100%.” A spokesperson later confirmed that includes sporting events, concerts and similar events. Masks will no longer be required in public for the first time since last summer.

Todd resides in Florida, where municipalities can impose their own mask rules and curfews, restrict beach access and place some limits on bars and restaurants, but some have virtually no such measures in place.

More than 3.5 million Texans have so far received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 1.8 million fully vaccinated.

Following Abbott’s announcement, the Texas State Teacher Association issued a statement, warning it is too soon for Texans to let our guards down.

“Like Gov. Abbott, we believe we are making progress against the COVID-19 pandemic, but we are not there yet. Far from it,” said Texas State Teachers Association president Ovidia Molina. “The COVID numbers have been coming down, but there were still 1,637 new confirmed cases of COVID in Texas yesterday and 59 deaths. More than 5,600 COVID patients were in Texas hospitals, and much is still unknown about the more-infectious variants of the deadly virus that have started striking our state.

“Gov. Abbott needs to quit obeying his political impulses and listen to the health experts, who are warning that it is too soon to let our guard down without risking potentially disastrous consequences,” Molina continued. “The experts caution us to continue the safety practices that have worked against this disease, including widespread mask use and social distancing.”

Fucking asshole scumbag. This is why our industry will be the last to open. Zero lessons learned. Tick tock. https://t.co/CdxEqwiSTH
— Todd La Torre (@ToddLaTorre) March 3, 2021

For the enigmatic sect, Koldovstvo, it’s bewitching black magic.
The post Full Album Stream: KOLDOVSTVO Ni Tsarya, Ni Boga appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

It expands the HX Stomp processor by adding five capacitive-touch footswitches.

Despite having vastly different political views from Ted Nugent, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello says that they are good friends.

Morello, who is a member one of the most militant left-wing rap/rock/metal bands of all time, discussed his relationship with Nugent during a recent appearance on “The Howard Stern Show”.

Speaking about how he struck up a friendship with the otspoken conservative rocker, Tom said (see video below): “For his 60th birthday, someone reached out to me and said, ‘We’re making a video, and we’re asking guitar players [to say a few kind words]. At the time, the Ted Nugent which was sort of known in the world in general was this kind of more right-wing caricature — people were not thinking of him, first and foremost, as the guy who shredded on ‘Stranglehold’. But then I had to think, ‘What is the video that I’m going to make for Ted’s birthday?’ And I put some thought into it, and I said, ‘It’s gonna be about two things. One, it’s gonna be things that Tom Morello and Ted Nugent have in common,’ and I went down this long list of [things like] free-speech advocates, our love of rock and roll, our respect for black artists who created rock and roll. And then the second was things that Ted Nugent taught an adolescent Tom Morello about sex. And then I went through ‘Cat Scratch Fever’ — these strange words, like the lyrics to the song ‘Cat Scratch Fever’, the lyrics to the song ‘Wang Dang Sweet Poontang’, which were utterly foreign to me, and I had to ask about on the playground. Anyway, so Ted called me up after that. And while we certainly have differences, I consider him a friend.”

Morello previously spoke about his relationship with Nugent during a 2017 interview with The Guardian. He said at the time: “We have very similar views on freedom of speech. His libertarian edge and my anarchist edge overlap considerably.

“Sometimes, if he says something outrageous that will fire up his racist base, I’ll text him to say, ‘Dude. What are you on about?’ We’re able to talk about it as friends as opposed to people on the opposite sides of the barricade.”

Nugent, an avid supporter of former U.S. president Donald Trump, has repeatedly said that last year’s presidential election was a fraud, insisting that “hundreds of thousands of dead people” voted and claiming that machines were “rigged” to give a Donald Trump vote to Joe Biden.

Leading up to the election, Nugent teamed up with Donald Trump Jr. on the campaign trail.

Ted has called Trump “the greatest president in our lifetime,” and believes the billionaire real estate mogul represents “the heart and soul of the best American families out there.”

Less than two years ago, Morello referred to Trump as an “orange-faced demagogue.”

Last month, THE PRETTY RECKLESS’s latest album, “Death By Rock And Roll”, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart. It marked the third top 10 and first No. 1 for the Taylor Momsen-fronted act on the chart. The album opened with 16,000 copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending February 18, according to MRC Data.

Speaking about the LP’s impressive chart performance, Momsen told Thorn Of Rock (hear audio below): “It’s insane. I don’t know how to feel. It’s mindblowing. I mean, you never what to expect when releasing an album at any period in time, but especially nowadays, with the state of the world and how crazy everything is. We had no idea. It’s an incredible honor, and I’m so happy that people are taking the time to listen to this album that we spent so much time working on. I really poured everything I had of myself into it. So I’m incredibly grateful — and excited.”

Asked if she believed in “Death By Rock And Roll” from day one, Taylor said: “Of course. I wouldn’t make it if I didn’t believe in it. I think that’s the key to success in any form. And I’m not talking about commercial success; I’m talking about personal success. I don’t make something unless I really believe in it. And as soon as I wrote the record, I knew that we had something really special, and we had to record it. And then that was a whole other process — recording everything and making what I hear in my head somehow come out the other end of the speakers so everyone else can hear it too. And that comes with a lot of trial and error. But I really think that we accomplished something extraordinarily special on this record. I really do think this might be the best album we’ve ever released.”

“Death By Rock And Roll” was released via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world. It is THE PRETTY RECKLESS’s first LP to be made without longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died in April 2018 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

“Death By Rock And Roll” features guest appearances by Tom Morello of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, and Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron of SOUNDGARDEN.

The pedal uses extremely sensitive optical sensors directed at different points of the spring to detect very subtle movements.

LA hardcore institution Terror link with original guitarist Todd Jones (Nails) to re-record classic songs from their first two LPs, One with the Underdogs and Always the Hard Way.
The post Full Album Stream: Terror – “Trapped in a World” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Texas and Mississippi are both lifting their mask mandates and increasing capacity of all businesses and facilities in the states to 100%. This means that social gatherings, including at sports stadiums, concert halls and other large venues, will be allowed in Texas and Mississippi without any restrictions.

Effective March 10, all businesses in Texas will be allowed to open at full capacity for the first time in nearly a year, Gov. Greg Abbott announced. Businesses may still limit capacity or implement additional safety protocols at their own discretion.

“With the medical advancements of vaccines and antibody therapeutic drugs, Texas now has the tools to protect Texans from the virus,” Abbott said after issuing Executive Order GA-34. “We must now do more to restore livelihoods and normalcy for Texans by opening Texas 100%.

“Make no mistake, COVID-19 has not disappeared, but it is clear from the recoveries, vaccinations, reduced hospitalizations, and safe practices that Texans are using that state mandates are no longer needed. Today’s announcement does not abandon safe practices that Texans have mastered over the past year. Instead, it is a reminder that each person has a role to play in their own personal safety and the safety of others. With this executive order, we are ensuring that all businesses and families in Texas have the freedom to determine their own destiny.”

Mississippi on Tuesday issued a separate executive order to lift the state’s mask mandates and give all businesses the green light to reopen at full capacity.

“Starting tomorrow, we are lifting all of our county mask mandates and businesses will be able to operate at full capacity without any state-imposed rules,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves wrote on Twitter. “Our hospitalizations and case numbers have plummeted, and the vaccine is being rapidly distributed. It is time!”

More than 3.5 million Texans have so far received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 1.8 million fully vaccinated. In Mississippi, 14.1% of the state’s residents have had at least one dose, and 7.6% are fully vaccinated.

Iowa and Montana recently lifted statewide mask mandates, while Massachusetts is completely lifting capacity limits on indoor dining, and allowing concert venues to open at 50 percent capacity.

Late last month, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino said that he was optimistic that large-scale American concerts were closer than ever to returning. He said that “a clear outline to a 75% to 100%” capacity for outdoor U.S. events in 2021 was looking likely to be green-lit.”

Rapino added that the prospect capacity re-opening in the largest U.S. markets with over 75% capacity was “within sight.” He said: “We are seeing… what we’ve been talking about: [fans] are excited to get back to the show as soon as we get the green lights in these markets to open up.”

NEW: Issuing an executive order to lift the mask mandate and open Texas to 100 percent. pic.twitter.com/P4UywmWeuN
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) March 2, 2021

Starting tomorrow, we are lifting all of our county mask mandates and businesses will be able to operate at full capacity without any state-imposed rules. Our hospitalizations and case numbers have plummeted, and the vaccine is being rapidly distributed. It is time!
— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) March 2, 2021

Executive orders that interfered with peoples’ lives were the worst, but the only possible, intervention for much of the last year. Now, we are putting our focus towards rapid vaccine distribution. We are getting out of the business of telling people what they can and cannot do.
— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) March 2, 2021

We’ve been among the 4 or 5 most open states throughout this crisis, and we’ve been rewarded for it with more jobs and economic recovery. That’s not because what we put in place was a light burden. It’s only because the rest of the country was so harsh. That’s good, but…
— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) March 2, 2021

We need to recognize that none of these orders, in any state, are anything short of unprecedented. They have to end at the earliest possible moment. This is that moment for Mississippi.
— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) March 2, 2021