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TOOL has confirmed that Gibson Custom Shop is working with Adam Jones on recreating his original 1979 Les Paul Custom Silverburst guitar that can been seen live on stage on the band’s tour in support of its acclaimed new album, “Fear Inoculum”.

Jones told Guitar World last year about Silverburst Customs: “I remember buying my first one and the guitar salesman really tried to talk me out of it. It was the early ’90s on the Sunset Strip and it was like Guitars R Us or one of those shops where all the guys running it were very pretty, had hair-sprayed hair and jeans tucked into their cowboy boots.

“I have a true love for that color and that guitar in general, and I believe that particular metallic paint does something to the tone or the resonance or the polarity somehow.

“Right now, I have six actual vintage Silverburst Gibson Les Paul Customs and I have some others that people have given me that have been painted silverburst,” he continued. “I bought a couple extra because I used to only bring two guitars on the road, but now we use drop B for ‘Prison Sex’ and then we tune the guitar down to drop C for ‘The Pot’, which is a little easier for Maynard [James Keenan] to sing and he can really let go every time.”

As for how he modifies his Silverbursts with specific pickups and frets, Jones said: “I use the thickest frets possible because I pull off a lot and I also like to use kind of a sitar technique where if you push down really hard. The note will go sharp, and the big frets make that work.

“I still use just the original Seymour Duncan Super Distortion pickups. I buy those up whenever I see an old one from the ’90s.”

Earlier in the month, TOOL has officially canceled its 2020 North American tour, after initially postponing the trek due to the global coronavirus pandemic. It called the jaunt off so that fans could get their money back in what has become an intensely challenging economic climate. TOOL said it will return to the road “when the time is right.”

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~ It doesn’t get more OFFICIAL than this* ???? @adamjones_tv Gibson Signature Guitars now in production! ??? @gibsonguitar @gibsoncustom @gueikian @talldaddy90210 @toolmusic #gibson #gibsonguitars #adamjones #adamjonestool #vintagesilverburst #lespaul #silverburstlespaul #silverburst #gibsonsilverburst
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Jay Weinberg, drummer with band SLIPKNOT, has to keep his drumming and physical fitness in top shape. Touring with SLIPKNOT is the drumming equivalent of being asked to run a marathon, night after night. Playing a show this demanding without a warmup can lead to injuries, which could be game over for the tour. That’s why Jay chooses to take his Roland V-Drums on tour — so that he can maintain tour-readiness and warm-up before every live show. Having a V-Drums kit on-hand is also useful for helping Jay and the band pen new songs and easily capture demo tracks on tour.

In the video below, Weinberg plays along with a well-known favorite, using the V-Drums Acoustic Design VAD506 kit. Jay plays the SLIPKNOT song “Nero Forte”, with original drum track removed, from SD card inserted into the TD-27 module. The audio from the TD-27 module provides the drum sounds and are mixed with the SLIPKNOT track.

Jay’s custom setup uses two VAD506 kits, combined together, to exactly model his acoustic kit setup as played on stage with SLIPKNOT. Two TD-27 modules are tethered together to provide inputs for all pads within the kit. Drum audio is recorded directly from the TD-27 modules into a DAW. Mixing and panning completed in post-production, maintaining the authenticity of the TD-27 module sound.

The video and audio was recorded backstage at a SLIPKNOT concert on January 24, 2020 in Birmingham, U.K.

Weinberg discovered SLIPKNOT when he was a pre-teen, through his father Max, of Bruce Springsteen’s E STREET BAND, and leader of the house band on Conan O’Brien’s talk show. He was hooked immediately and was a huge fan of SLIPKNOT by the time he was invited to Los Angeles to try out as replacement for Joey Jordison in 2013.

For the first few months after the release of 2014’s “.5: The Gray Chapter”, the members of SLIPKNOT had declined to name the musicians who were playing drums and bass on their tour, despite the fact that their identities were revealed as Weinberg and bassist Alessandro “Vman” Venturella by a disgruntled former drumtech for SLIPKNOT who posted a picture of a backstage call sheet on Instagram.

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.

SLIPKNOT has spent most of last year touring in support of its sixth studio album, “We Are Not Your Kind”, which was released last August via Roadrunner Records.

Steve Riley’s version of L.A. GUNS has released its second single, “Well Oiled Machine”. The track is taken from the band’s first album, “Renegades”, which will arrive later this year via Golden Robot Records.

Riley’s version of L.A. GUNS is not to be confused with the band led by guitarist Tracii Guns and vocalist Phil Lewis, which issued two well-received albums, “The Missing Peace” and “The Devil You Know”, plus the live release “Made In Milan”, under the L.A. GUNS name over the last three years.

Riley’s version of L.A. GUNS made its live debut in May 2019 at the M3 Rock Festival. The drummer is joined in the group by Orlando, Florida-based guitarist/vocalist Kurt Frohlich, bassist Kelly Nickels (a member of L.A. GUNS’ “classic” incarnation) and guitarist Scott Griffin (who played bass for the band from 2007 until 2009, and then again from 2011 to 2014).

During a recent appearance on “The Classic Metal Show”, Riley was asked if he was concerned about creating confusion in the marketplace by starting another version of L.A. GUNS with Nickels. He responded: “No, not at all, because I was already tempered to it. If you remember correctly, Tracii quit in 2002 and Phil Lewis and I had carried on the band for, like, 15 years on our own, doing four albums — maybe five; I think it was four — we continued on, and there was Tracii taking out another L.A. GUNS. So, no, I was already used to it. And when two people own the mark and the name, then you can do that, and I never contested Tracii doing that, even though Phil was with me for those 15 years while [Tracii] was out of the band. So I was already tempered to it, and I already knew that when he originally did that back in the 2000s that he created confusion immediately, and I believe that’s when Phil went off on him for a number of years in the press, on Eddie Trunk’s TV show, he went off on Tracii non-stop; he didn’t like him and he didn’t like what he was doing by creating the confusion. So it’s something I’m already used to.

“I never quit L.A. GUNS,” he continued. “I never intended to stop working in L.A. GUNS. It’s just a matter of people leaving the band. The confusion thing, it was already there — it was already happening because Tracii started that confusion back in 2006, I believe, [or] 2005, after he did BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION and a couple of other projects. He started his own L.A. GUNS while Phil and I were working and recording with [producer] Andy Johns and doing four albums with Andy Johns and a live album. We just continued working on. So that confusion has already been there.”

Riley also talked about the fact that Lewis and Guns are the most recognizable members of L.A. GUNS and how it affects people’s perception of the two versions of the band.

“When you talk about L.A. GUNS and you talk about the singer and guitar player, the fact of it is that the biggest song L.A. GUNS had was written by Kelly Nickels; he wrote ‘The Ballad Of Jayne’,” Steve said. “And so the deal is that most of our publishing starts off with ‘The Ballad Of Jayne’; that’s pretty much our big heavyweight in our publishing. He wrote that, and he wrote a number of other songs. He actually wrote ‘Crawl’ too, the new single. But he’s a prolific songwriter; he contributed so much to the songwriting in the early years, as I did too. But the fact of it is he brought the biggest song in that we’re recognized for — ‘The Ballad Of Jayne’. That’s a Kelly Nickels composition.

“So I don’t know how you weigh one against the other,” he added. “It’s something that I’ve faced off for a number of years. All the guys have quit at one time or another. I just kept L.A. GUNS — the real L.A. GUNS, the original L.A. GUNS I kept going. I’ve been running the business all of this time, since 1988, and striking up record deals and world tours and what have you, and all kinds of concerts, and the deal is that I never really stopped.

“If Tracii wanted to take out another L.A. GUNS, there’s nothing I can do about it; I can’t contest it. So it is a problem with a lot of legacy bands, and it’s something that you can’t avoid… With this band, I pretty much begged everybody from the classic lineup not to quit, at one point or another. And when they wanted to leave, I tried to talk them out of it and say, ‘Come on. Hang on. This is a good thing we have. It’s something that we can do pretty much forever.’ And so I tried to talk everybody out of it, and a lot of times it wasn’t successful, and a lot of times I was successful , like in getting Phil back into the band with me, and Tracii. But it doesn’t always work out the way you want it, especially in this business.”

This past January, Riley was sued by Guns and Lewis in California District Court. Joining Riley as defendants in the case are the three musicians who perform in his recently launched rival version of L.A. GUNS; that group’s manager, booking agent and merchandiser; and Golden Robot Records.

The complaint, which requests a trial by jury, alleges that Riley’s version of L.A. GUNS (referred to in the case docket as “the infringing L.A. GUNS”) is creating “unfair competition” through its unauthorized usage of the L.A. GUNS trademark. In addition, Guns and Lewis are seeking relief from and/or against false advertising, breach of contract and unauthorized usage of their likenesses.

At its core, Guns and Lewis’s complaint calls into question Riley’s claim of partial ownership of the L.A. GUNS name and logo and alleges that his usage of both has been unauthorized. In addition, Guns and Lewis claim — as Guns has done publicly in the past — that Riley has embezzled much of the group’s publishing proceeds over the past two decades.

Despite leaving the band soon after the release of 2002’s “Waking The Dead” to focus on BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION (his short-lived supergroup with MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx), Guns “is the owner of common law trademark righs” for the L.A. GUNS name and logo, the complaint claims. It notes that Guns founded the band in 1983, four years before Riley joined, and that Riley did not perform on the group’s 1984 debut EP and contributed to just a single track on their 1987 self-titled full-length debut.

According to the complaint, Guns “has been injured by Defendants’ unfair competition,” while he and Lewis have “suffered harm including damages and and irreparable injury to their goodwill.” It also claims that Riley’s L.A. GUNS was formed “with the intent of tricking and confusing consumers into believing that the infringing L.A. GUNS band is the original [Tracii] Guns version” of the group.

In addition to actual and punitive damages, Guns and Lewis are seeking a “permanent injunction” that restrains all of the named defendants from using the L.A. GUNS name, logo and likeness, as well as “a declaration that Guns is the sole owner of the common law trademark rights” for the L.A. GUNS moniker “and any related design marks.”

Former GUNS N’ ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke has released “The Gospel Truth”, the second single from his forthcoming album of the same name.

“The Gospel Truth”is about the concept of truth today. The truth is whatever someone says out loud, no one is accountable and it’s puzzling. Reflecting on an upbringing within the Catholic church, Clarke touches upon the idea that honesty shouldn’t come from fear, and encourages the listener to be brave, say what you mean, and mean what you say.

This past April, Clarke released the official music video for his previous single, “Rock N Roll Is Getting Louder”. The Christopher C. Pearson-directed clip was shot in Palmdale, California and downtown Los Angeles, while the band performance footage was filmed in Hollywood club Oh My Ribs!

Gilby’s live band members bass player EJ Curse (SILENT RAGE, WHITE LION) and drummer Jimmy D’Anda (BULLETBOYS, GEORGE LYNCH) both appear in the video, along with some great cameos by Slim Jim Phantom (STRAY CATS), Taime Downe (FASTER PUSSYCAT), Jimmy Herald (HILLBILLY HERALD) and Teddy “Zig Zag” Andreadis (GUNS N’ ROSES, CAROLE KING, CHUCK BERRY, BO DIDDLEY, ALICE COOPER).

Gilby stated about the track: “The song is about having a rebellious spirit. Rock and roll means many things: rebelling, freedom and being who you are on your own terms — not following whatever’s now in vogue. Therefore, ‘Rock N Roll Is Getting Louder’ means ‘I am what I am, I won’t change that, and I stand up for things that are important to me, even if it’s not popular.'”

“The Gospel Truth” will be released later this year via Golden Robot Records. The disc was produced and written by Gilby at his Los Angeles recording studio, Redrum Recording, where he’s also helmed records for such artists as L.A. GUNS, THE BRONX, BEAT ANGELS, BULLETS AND OCTANE and many more. The album was mixed by Grammy Award winner Chris Lord-Alge and mastered by Maor Appelbaum. Joining Gilby on the LP are Muddy Stardust on bass, Kenny Aronoff (JOHN MELLENCAMP, JOHN FOGERTY, CHICKENFOOT) on drums, along with Matt Starr (ACE FREHLEY, MR. BIG) and Chad Stewart (FASTER PUSSYCAT, L.A. GUNS) on backing vocals.

When asked how his new music may be different to his previous material, Gilby said: “I don’t think it’s very different at all. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel. I have found the music that I like as an artist and a musician. It’s important that I get better at it and try new things, but I like rock and roll, and loud guitars are good for the soul.”

Clarke also discussed his songwriting process, saying: “I always start with a good guitar riff, then add the devil’s drumbeat. It’s good when you can put some interesting lyrics to it, too. I always try to find a new way of saying something simple. I don’t like to complicate my lyrics, but I never duplicate them either.”

At last year’s NAMM show in in Anaheim, California, Clarke stated about the long delay in getting his new solo album completed: “For me, I can’t do a record unless I feel good about the songs. I wanna make a record that I wanna listen to. So, these songs I’m really excited about. They’re new songs. It really is classic rock. There’s really nothing new on it — it’s just a new version of what I like to do, which is loud guitars, man. So, I went in there. I used guys like Kenny Aronoff on drums, Steve Perkins — some really great players. I played all the guitars and did all the singing on it. But I think it’s good — I think it’s a good fresh approach on classic rock, really.”

Clarke replaced founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin in the GUNS lineup in 1991, during the “Use Your Illusion” tour, and stayed with the band for three years. After exiting GUNS N’ ROSES, Clarke continued as a producer and solo artist, while also playing in SLASH’S SNAKEPIT, ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA, HEART and other acts.

Clarke released his solo debut, “Pawnshop Guitars”, in 1994.

In a new interview with Sam Coulson, JUDAS PRIEST’s Richie Faulkner was asked which three guitar players, living or dead, he would like to invite to a dinner party. He responded (see video below): “I think if I could invite any guitar player, living or dead, to a dinner party, I think [one] would be Jimi Hendrix. Purely, I’d love to pick Jimi’s brain about where he comes from musically, what inspires him as a guitar player and a songwriter. Obviously, he came from the blues, but, to me, that musical influence, I’m not sure where that came from — what took it from the blues to something else. So I’d love Jimi to come. Phil Campbell from MOTÖRHEAD. I always have a good time with Phil Campbell from MOTÖRHEAD. He’s a friend of mine. He’s from the U.K. — he’s from Wales — and I always seem to have a good time with Phil; he’s a lovely, lovely guy. We’ve toured a couple of times with MOTÖRHEAD in the past, both in Europe and in South America. I love Phil; [I] always have a good time. And the third person I’d like to invite is probably K.K. Downing. I’ve never met K.K., and if I’m having a dinner party, I’d love to meet him for once and pick his brain about some stories in PRIEST and that sort of stuff — purely ’cause I’ve never got the opportunity to meet and to talk to Ken. So, yeah, they’re my three.”

Last fall, Faulkner dismissed the criticism he received for supposedly trying to look too much like Downing.

“Obviously, you get the [haters] — the ‘clone’ comments,” Richie told the “Let There Be Talk” podcast. “I’ve got long blond hair, playing a flying V [guitar]… [Michael] Schenker, Zakk [Wylde], K.K., Randy Rhoads — all those guys. To say I was a Ken clone was fairly narrow-minded. There’s tons of guys who have flying Vs and long hair.

“The thing is if I had dyed my hair black to be different, I would have been shot down,” he continued. “You’ve gotta be real; you’ve gotta be who you are. And I grew up on Ken, I grew up on Glenn [Tipton, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist] and the guys that I mentioned. So you’ve just gotta be who you are. And I grew up with those guys, and I’m not ashamed. I wear it on my sleeve — they’re all my influences, and I’m not afraid of that… There’s no point in trying to hide it. But it’s gotta be natural as well. And I think somehow it worked out organically. I didn’t try to copy him. And as it goes on, you always try to do your own thing and make your own statement.”

Two years ago, Downing said that he felt like he was “being cloned” when he first found out he was being replaced by Faulkner.

Downing, who announced his retirement from PRIEST in April 2011 after nearly 42 years in the job, admitted to the “Appetite For Distortion” podcast that he was taken aback when he first saw his replacement.

“Richie, as far as I know, is a nice guy and obviously an excellent player,” Downing said. “I was a bit disappointed when, basically… I think the idea was to replace me [with a lookalike], so I did feel as though I was kind of being cloned. But I’m not sure that was exactly fair to Richie. I mean, I could be off the mark here, but I think Richie had the right to bring himself to the stage with his own… portray his own image and ability to play the instrument the way that he does. But it is what it is.”

He continued: “When Glenn retired from touring [in early 2018], the same didn’t happen — obviously, [Tipton’s replacement] Andy [Sneap] doesn’t look anything like Glenn; he doesn’t wear the same clothes, the red pants, guitars or anything like that. So I don’t really know what’s going on. But it is what it is.”

In a 2011 interview with the Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, PRIEST singer Rob Halford stated about Faulkner’s physical resemblance to a younger Downing: “People are saying, ‘It’s a clone. You’ve got some of K.K.’s DNA.’ It’s just the way it turned out. We made, like, a secret search. When we knew K.K. was not gonna be making the tour, we did a lot of secret, kind of, searching for another player. And Richie just happened to be the guy. And he just happens to look a little bit of the K.K. image, you know?! I think it would be silly to say, ‘We looked for a guitar player that looks like Ken.’ What we want is a very good metal guitar player, and that’s what Richie Faulkner is.”

PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix spoke to SkillBox’s “Artists For A Cause” initiative about the racial unrest in the United States following the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and many other black people who have died at the hands of the police. He said (hear audio below): “Right now, it’s a dire situation for African-Americans in America. Especially for young black men, they don’t feel safe, they don’t feel protected, and that’s a basic human right — period — to feel safe and feel protected by your people. They’ve been marginalized for years. Their voice has continuously not been respected, and it falls on deaf ears of the establishment.

“It was time a long time ago to listen to our brothers and sisters, but it’s boiled over, and finally our African-American brothers and sisters are being heard,” he continued. “And I think it’s important to take care of our people, man.

“I look at everybody as my brother and sister — beyond a border, beyond any type of religion, beyond politics. I see people as human beings. That’s just it.

“Music, that’s the thing that brings us together. We have a common bond. And if we can just find ways to find more common bonds between each other. Yeah, we’re different. Different cultures have different ideas or different traditions, but we’ve gotta honor and respect each other, and that’s what it comes down to.

“For me, I’ve grown up as a humanitarium, essentially,” Jacoby contininued. “My mom told me, she’s, like, ‘You’ve gotta leave the world a better place than you found it.’ And that’s always in the back of my mind. When I wake up in the day, it’s, like, ‘How am I gonna leave this world better?’ Some days I’m successful, and some days I’m not successful.

“It’s a really important time for us in America right now, especially, to take a moment and look in the mirror and maybe think, ‘Maybe I haven’t been right my whole life. Maybe I’ve been wrong.’ And I think that it’s a really good time for some self-reflection.

“I’m a firm believer — if I wanna change the world, I’ve gotta start with myself. And so I’m the type of person that every day, I will take a look in the mirror or I will take a look at my life and go, ‘All right. What needs to be worked on?’ And that’s how I approach my life.

“It’s a challenge, right? But it’s something that I think everybody should be willing to be up to — look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, ‘Am I correct about everything I believe? Am I correct about the way I treat people?’ Take responsibility.

“I’ve just got nothing but love for my African-American brothers and sisters — straight up. That’s my heart.”

PAPA ROACH is working on material for the follow-up to 2019’s “Who Do You Trust?” album for a tentative early 2021 release.

“Who Do You Trust?” was released in January 2019. The disc was produced by Nick “RAS” Furlong and Colin Cunningham except for the song “Top Of The World”, which is helmed by Jason Evigan.

On June 20, PAPA ROACH took part in its second live streaming experience iteration called “Infest In-Studio”, a special virtually ticketed, live HD broadcast. The program featured PAPA ROACH performing its breakthrough album “Infest” live in its entirety to celebrate the LP’s 20th anniversary, along with exclusive discussions and reflections in a unique studio environment.

In Conversation with Jacoby Shaddix | Papa Roach

We’re tuned in with Jacoby Shaddix from Papa Roach.
Click now to stream at – www.skillboxes.com/livebox/artists-for-a-cause

We’re talking all things music and some more as part of our Artists for A Cause initiative to help raise awareness and funds for migrants in India who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contribute generously.

Posted by Papa Roach on Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Former DREAM THEATER and current SONS OF APOLLO drummer Mike Portnoy has blasted people who refuse to wear a mask in public spaces to protect others from possible infection.

Portnoy addressed the hot-button issue as lawmakers push harder for their constituents to wear face masks to limit the spread of coronavirus. President Donald Trump has been loath to wear a mask, despite the advice of public health experts.

Earlier today, Portnoy took to his Twitter to share a video of a woman apparently throwing items from her shopping cart after being told by a store manager to keep her mask on.

“What the hell is wrong with some people??” Portnoy wrote. “All because she’s supposed to wear a mask in a store to protect other people…how much more childish, irresponsible and selfish can people be?? Are they throwing fits because they have to wear a seatbelt in the car too??? #growup”

Portnoy added in follow-up tweets: “This isn’t about YOU, it’s about OTHERS!! How can people like you be so selfish?? It is so YOU don’t spread YOUR potentially infected germs onto other people who may be vulnerable and at risk!!! How isn’t that soooo blatantly obvious?? And this isn’t about ‘sides’ or politics!

“There are certain matters that ‘Freedom of Choice’ doesn’t apply!! Are you allowed to drive without a seatbelt?? Better yet, are you ‘allowed’ to drive drunk??? It’s a matter of public safety & being considerate so as to not harm or kill yourself or others! Stop being so selfish”

Two weeks ago, the U.S. Surgeon General urged people to wear face coverings, saying they will promote freedom during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Some feel face coverings infringe on their freedom of choice- but if more wear them, we’ll have MORE freedom to go out. Face coverings [leads to] less asymptomatic viral spread [leads to] more places open, and sooner!” Dr. Jerome Adams wrote on Twitter.

In a study published earlier in the month, researchers from Texas A&M University, the California Institute of Technology and the University of California San Diego, concluded “that wearing of face masks in public corresponds to the most effective means to prevent interhuman transmission.”

In early April, the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention issued new guidelines that Americans should wear face coverings in public.

What the hell is wrong with some people?? All because she’s supposed to wear a mask in a store to protect other people…how much more childish, irresponsible and selfish can people be?? Are they throwing fits because they have to wear a seatbelt in the car too??? #growup https://t.co/GLV7bleUyB
— Mike Portnoy ? (@MikePortnoy) June 28, 2020

This isn’t about YOU, it’s about OTHERS!! How can people like you be so selfish?? It is so YOU don’t spread YOUR potentially infected germs onto other people who may be vulnerable and at risk!!! How isn’t that soooo blatantly obvious?? And this isn’t about “sides” or politics! ??‍♂‍ https://t.co/NCBNCTQkef
— Mike Portnoy ? (@MikePortnoy) June 28, 2020

There are certain matters that “Freedom of Choice” doesn’t apply!! Are you allowed to drive without a seatbelt?? Better yet, are you “allowed” to drive drunk??? It’s a matter of public safety & being considerate so as to not harm or kill yourself or others! Stop being so selfish https://t.co/vmYoFIerfj
— Mike Portnoy ? (@MikePortnoy) June 28, 2020

LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton is celebrating 18 months of sobriety.

On Saturday (June 27), the 47-year-old took to his Twitter to write: “As of today, I have been 100% free from all drugs & alcohol for a year & a half….One day at a time.

“If you’re reading this & addiction is ruining your life, please know that recovery is possible for you. Find someone in recovery & ask them for help.

“Life is truly amazing.”

Morton addressed his sobriety in the lyrics to the song “All I Had To Lose”, which appeared on his “Ether” solo EP, released this past January.

“When I was in that kind of mindset of drinking and drugs and all that, I tended to have this sort of negative filter,” Morton told ABC Audio about the track, which he described as among the “most personal” songs he’s ever written. “I could make anything ‘woe is me,’ or ‘it should be this way,’ just entitled, very addict sort of viewpoint on things.”

He continued: “You get a little bit of clarity and you get a little bit of gratitude, and you start seeing, like, ‘Wow, I still have so much going on. It’s amazing that I didn’t mess this up.'”

LAMB OF GOD’s self-titled album was released on June 19 via Epic Records in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Records in Europe. The follow-up to 2015’s “VII: Sturm Und Drang” marks the band’s first recordings with Art Cruz, who joined LOG last year as the replacement for the group’s founding drummer, Chris Adler.

“Lamb Of God” was recorded with longtime producer Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH, GOJIRA, TRIVIUM) and includes special guest appearances by Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT).

As of today, I have been 100% free from all drugs & alcohol for a year & a half….One day at a time.
If you’re reading this & addiction is ruining your life, please know that recovery is possible for you.
Find someone in recovery & ask them for help.
Life is truly amazing. ??❤️
— Mark Morton (@MarkDuaneMorton) June 27, 2020

In a recent interview with Higgo of Australia’s Triple M radio station, DEVILDRIVER frontman Dez Fafara spoke about “Dealing With Demons I” — the band’s first release of new, original material since 2016’s “Trust No One”.

“This record is about, look, let’s do a double record — volume one and volume two — let’s go into every single thing, hit it on the mark, every single demon that I deal with, which will be completely relatable to people, and get it out that way,” he said (hear audio below). “And my works after this, however many it is — one, two, 10, 20, if any — I can start writing in a moke woke direction and someplace I’ve been going in my head for about two or three years about lyrically writing. But first I had to get all this out.

“Look, a lot of musicians just say, ‘Ah, it’s the most personal record to me.’ Of course, every record should be personal to you,” he continued. “But this is called ‘Dealing With It’. So why? Because I’ve dealt with a lot of demons in my life. And how do I keep positive through them? Well, I’ll tell you what: listen to these songs and see if you don’t identify with every single thing that I’m talking about.”

Elaborating on why “Dealing With Demons I” is a particularly important album for him, Dez said: “I think it would be more difficult for me to actually keep writing about the things that I do since COAL CHAMBER all through DEVILDRIVER, which is the human enigma. We’re talking about the volatility of humans. We’re talking about trust, we’re talking about love, hate, loyalty, disloyalty, agoraphobia — whatever you’re going through as a human.

“I said to myself, in order for myself to go to the next level as a writer, I have to get some stuff out. And I told [my wife] Anahstasia this in the writing process, I have to hit the mark…

“If you’ve interviewed me before, most of the time you’ll say, ‘What is the song about?’ And I never tell anybody; I mean, it’s never been my way that I say, ‘Oh, the song is about this,’ ever. I say, ‘What does the song mean to you?’ ‘Okay. Cool. Let’s use that.’ But this is not the case.

“First of all, you’re gonna get a video for every song, ’cause I need a piece of art to go along with every song. And then I’m gonna explain every tune to you guys in interviews, so you’re well aware where I’m going.”

Fafara confirmed that “there is no fiction whatsoever” on “Dealing With Demons I”. “And if I use any analogies within the lyrics, going along with this amazing music that these guys wrote, it’s going to be very poignant and it’s gonna hit the nail on the head and go straight to the bull’s eye,” he said.

“Dealing With Demons I” will be released on October 9 via Napalm Records and will be available in several formats. The official lyric video for the disc’s first single, “Keep Away From Me”, can be seen below.

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral