WOLFGANG VAN HALEN Dismisses 'Painfully Fake' VAN HALEN 2019 Tour Shirt

Wolfgang Van Halen says that a widely circulated image on social media purporting to show a shirt for one of the concerts on VAN HALEN’s proposed 2019 tour is “painfully fake.”

In November 2020, Wolfgang, who became VAN HALEN’s bassist in 2006 at the age of 15, revealed that his father, legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen, had contemplated a “kitchen-sink” VAN HALEN tour that would have included former bassist Michael Anthony, as well as vocal turns from both Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth. There was even talk about bringing back Gary Cherone, who sang with the band on one poorly received album, 1998’s “Van Halen III”.

On Monday (December 20), Montreal radio personality Jeremy White shared a photo of a “local crew” shirt that somebody claimed was intended for “the ‘Kitchen Sink Tour’ that never was.” The tweet added “that only a few venues had approval to print some shirts & this would have been in Chicago at Wrigley Field on 07/04/2019.” Alongside supposed headliners VAN HALEN, the shirt listed several support acts, including FOO FIGHTERS, Jason Aldean, WEEZER and Wolfgang’s own band MAMMOTH WVH, the latter of which wasn’t publicly launched until last year.

After one of Wolfgang’s Twitter followers asked him if the shirt is authentic, the 30-year-old responded: “Painfully fake. Said this a year ago when somebody made this the day after my Howard Stern interview when the kitchen sink tour was first talked about.”

Wolfgang added in a separate tweet: “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet, because that shirt is complete horseshit. Whoever made that is a weird fucking person. Just… why. It even looks stupid. Just such a a poorly designed shirt. Also we didn’t even have a final official design for the MAMMOTH logo at that time, so yeah.

“What an incredible coincidence that this picture surfaced right after my Howard Stern interview a year ago where I talked about the kitchen sink tour for the first time.”

With Wolfgang on bass, VAN HALEN embarked on lengthy tours in 2007, 2012 and 2015. The band’s final run of shows took place in the summer and fall of 2015. The North American trek included 41 concerts beginning on July 5, 2015 and ending on October 4, 2015.

In early 2019, a rumor surfaced that the classic VAN HALEN lineup would reunite that summer for a run of stadium shows. This would have been the first time that Michael, David, Eddie Van Halen and Alex Van Halen performed together since 1984.

The rumors originally started with Roth, who hinted to Vulture that VAN HALEN would be playing stadiums with Anthony back in the lineup.

VAN HALEN and Anthony had not been on good terms for more than a decade, with Anthony not invited to join the reunion with Roth that began in 2007.

Anthony took a pay cut and signed away all of his rights to the band name and logo in order to participate in VAN HALEN’s 2004 tour, which featured Hagar.

Eddie died in October 2020 at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California. The iconic VAN HALEN axeman died from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

Painfully fake. Said this a year ago when somebody made this the day after my Howard Stern interview when the kitchen sink tour was first talked about.
— Wolf Van Halen ? ? ? (@WolfVanHalen) December 21, 2021

Don’t believe everything you read on the internet, because that shirt is complete horseshit. Whoever made that is a weird fucking person. Just… why. https://t.co/OT65Dzf6tQ
— Wolf Van Halen ? ? ? (@WolfVanHalen) December 21, 2021

It even looks stupid. Just such a a poorly designed shirt. Also we didn’t even have a final official design for the Mammoth logo at that time, so yeah. ?
— Wolf Van Halen ? ? ? (@WolfVanHalen) December 21, 2021

What an incredible coincidence that this picture surfaced right after my Howard Stern interview a year ago where I talked about the kitchen sink tour for the first time.
— Wolf Van Halen ? ? ? (@WolfVanHalen) December 21, 2021

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Hear Shane Embury Return With Dark Sky Burial’s ‘Omnis Cum in Tenebris Praesertim Vita Laboret’

Napalm Death bassist Shane Embury completes the first quadrilogy of his instrumental/ambient/electronic solo venture Dark Sky Burial. Hear it now.
The post Hear Shane Embury Return With Dark Sky Burial’s ‘Omnis Cum in Tenebris Praesertim Vita Laboret’ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

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SCORPIONS Launch Documentary Series About Making Of 'Rock Believer' Album

SCORPIONS have released the first in a three-part series of short documentaries — directed by Thomas Noehre — focusing on the making of the band’s 19th studio album, “Rock Believer”.

Says the band: “For our new album ‘Rock Believer’, we all came back together in the studio like in the old days and captured that journey on camera. Today we release the first part 1 of 3. Maybe you discover some unreleased music snippets from our new album in it…”

Last month, SCORPIONS released the official music video for their new single, “Peacemaker”. The track, which features music courtesy of guitarist Rudolf Schenker and bassist Pawel Maciwoda and lyrics by singer Klaus Meine, is taken from “Rock Believer”, due on February 25, 2022.

Asked in a new interview with Chile’s Radio Futuro what fans can expect to hear on “Rock Believer”, Meine said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Well, you can expect an album that is dedicated to all the rock believers in the world. And we’re very excited after all these years. We thought, when you think about all the touring we did the last 10 years, after the release of ‘Return To Forever’ in 2015, the time was right to go back into the studio, to write new material, to write new songs and check out if the creativity is still working. The big aim was, the goal was to make a rock album — to make an album with lots of attitude, power and focus on the good old times and really enjoy the music and have some fun with the music. And that feels really good.”

Speaking about the “Rock Believer” album title, SCORPIONS guitarist Rudolf Schenker said: “Look, we are around the world since 50 years or more. And when somebody can say he’s a rock believer, then this is us. And of course, we meet our rock believers in front of us, our audience.

“So many people said rock is dead. It’s not dead,” he continued. “It’s always coming back — sometimes, okay, more stronger [or] less strong — but in the end, it’s great to play around the world in over 80 countries we’ve played so far, and all rock believers. It was always great to share the music with them together and be in connection with them. I mean, that’s so amazing and so fantastic, that we are very happy to come out with a new album. And yeah, let’s see what’s happening.”

Asked if “Peacemaker” is representative of “Rock Believer” as a whole, Klaus said: “It is an uptempo rock song, and this album really rocks. There are some heavy songs on the album, like when you think about ‘China White’ and ‘Animal Magnetism’, there’s a track on the record that is really in the best way of those songs. There are many uptempo songs and, believe it or not, there are even faster songs than ‘Peacemaker’. [Laughs] There’s also a very beautiful ballad on the album, and I’m sure there are fans out there especially love the SCORPIONS ballads, and they will enjoy this record as well very much. ‘Peacemaker’ is the appetizer for what the album is all about. It rocks.”

“Rock Believer” was recorded primarily at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

“The album was written and recorded in the SCORPIONS DNA with core Schenker/Meine compositions,” said Klaus. “We recorded the album as a band live in one room, like we did in the ’80s.”

SCORPIONS’ new album will mark their first release since 2017’s “Born To Touch Your Feelings – Best Of Rock Ballads”, which was an anthology of new and classic material.

SCORPIONS originally intended to record the new album in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, some of the initial work was done with Greg remotely, after which SCORPIONS opted to helm the recordings themselves with the help of their engineer Hans-Martin Buff.

Meine previously told Talking Metal that the goal with using Fidelman to produce “Rock Believer” was to bring “the old vibe from albums like ‘Blackout’, ‘Love At First Sting’ or even ‘Lovedrive’. We try to focus on those albums and this attitude,” he said. “If we get there, who knows — it’s so many years later. But it’s the spirit and it’s the whole vibe around this album. This time, the focus is on the harder songs.”

According to Meine, SCORPIONS’ new LP features “no outside writers at all,” unlike 2015’s “Return To Forever”, which was largely co-written by the album’s producers, Mikael Nord Andersson and Martin Hansen.

SCORPIONS will kick off their “Rock Believer” world tour in March 2022 in Las Vegas where the band will play nine shows as part of their residency at Planet Hollywood Hotel. Afterwards they will cross the Atlantic to Europe where they will play six concerts in France and six shows In Germany supported by Wolfgang Van Halen’s new band MAMMOTH WVH.

SCORPIONS’ last full-length collection of new recordings was the aforementioned “Return To Forever”, partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the ’80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS’ longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016. He has since been replaced by Mikkey Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD.

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Viral Storm Photo Includes Doctored Image Of IRON MAIDEN's EDDIE Mascot From 'Brave New World' Cover

According to USA Today, an image on social media purporting to show a skull face formed by clouds during the recent storms in Arkansas is actually a doctored image combining an IRON MAIDEN album cover with a photo of a 2019 storm in Pennsylvania.

A December 10 Facebook post containing the altered photo was accompanied by a caption claiming: “my sister took a picture of this today in lake village Arkansas while I was fixing her roof. look at the detail of this picture. if u turn the picture upside down and zoom in on it you’ll see Jesus in the middle with his arms wide open.. people if this is not a good enough sign then y’all better get right with the lord… it’s so crazy how he gives us signs but we’re to blind to see…”

The post was shared nearly 6,000 times within a week.

The same photo was previously posted on Facebook in June 2019 by someone claiming it was “a real picture taken in California” with “no edit”. That time, the post was shared more than 164,000 times.

As USA Today points out, grinning, skull-like face in the manipulated image comes from the cover design for MAIDEN’s “Brave New World” while the image of the clouds during a storm was taken from the web site of Pennsylvania’s The Patriot-News a newspaper, capturing a May 2019 storm over Kutztown University.

As it has become easier than ever to edit photos and videos, fake or manipulated images shared on social media have the capacity to deceive, emotionally distress, and influence public opinions and actions.

Some online sleuths have launched dedicated communities for spotting manipulated images, particularly in advertising materials, magazine photo spreads and celebrity social media posts.

Generally speaking, who are more familiar with photo editing techniques are better equipped to identify fakery.

If an image has been recirculated from another web site, or repurposed for whatever disaster has most recently struck, they can be discovered with a reverse image search using Google Images.

my sister Sam Lumley took a picture of this today in lake village Arkansas while I was fixing her roof. look at the…

Posted by Jimmy Lumley on Friday, December 10, 2021

This is a real picture taken in California ?‍♀️ wow, is all I can say!! No edit ?

Posted by Lorna Adams Kraemer on Thursday, June 6, 2019

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MESHUGGAH Postpones U.S. Tour, Reveals Bandmember Is Undergoing Treatment For 'Skin Condition'

MESHUGGAH has postponed its previously announced U.S. tour, originally planned for early 2022, to September/October 2022. The new dates will kick off on September 16 in Worcester, Massachusetts and conclude on October 16 in Atlanta.

The Swedish extreme tech-metal pioneers announced the postponement in a social media post earlier today. They wrote: “We regret to inform that MESHUGGAH will have to reschedule their U.S. headline tour.

“While the ongoing pandemic has been throwing various curve balls on us all the past year, ultimately delaying the completion of the upcoming MESHUGGAH studio album – there are other concerns that have forced us to make this unfortunate decision. Determining factor is the need to prioritize the physical health of one of the band members who is currently undergoing medical treatment related to a skin condition on his hands, hindering him from rehearsals and from all in all playing his instrument. While we are optimistic for his future recovery we know it will not be possible for him and the band to be ready to perform already in February 2022.

“With these shows now moving, CONVERGE will unfortunately no longer be able to do the tour. However we are grateful that TORCHE will still be performing with us. Another special guest to replace CONVERGE and to complete the bill is to be announced.

“Tickets will remain valid from the original dates, please contact your ticket provider with any queries.”

MESHUGGAH summer/fall 2022 tour dates:

Sep. 16 – Worcester, MA @ Palladium
Sep. 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franlin Music Hall
Sep. 18 – New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
Sep. 20 – Silver Springs, MD @ The Fillmore
Sep. 24 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
Sep. 25 – Columbus, OH @ Express Live
Sep. 27 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
Sep. 28 – Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Theatre
Sep. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Radius
Sep. 30 – Minneapolis, MN @ Myth Live
Oct. 02 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
Oct. 04 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield Theatre
Oct. 08 – Riverside, CA @ Riverside Municipal Auditorium
Oct. 09 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
Oct. 10 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
Oct. 12 – Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum
Oct. 13 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
Oct. 15 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
Oct. 16 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre

Earlier this year, MESHUGGAH entered Sweetspot Studios in Sweden to record its ninth studio album.

MESHUGGAH’s latest album, “The Violent Sleep Of Reason”, came out in 2016 and resulted in a “Best Metal Performance” Grammy nomination for the song “Clockworks”. The disc was produced by the band and was engineered by Tue Madsen of Puk Studios in Kaerby, Denmark.

In October 2020, MESHUGGAH drummer Tomas Haake confirmed to Knotfest.com’s “Mosh Talks With Beez” that the band had spent much of the downtime during the COVID-19 pandemic working on fresh material.

Regarding the musical direction of the new MESHUGGAH songs, Tomas said: “Of course, we have a certain framework that we still wanna sound like MESHUGGAH, we wanna have that signature sound, we want people to be able to — even if they haven’t heard the song [before] — in the best-case scenario, it’s, like, ‘Oh, that’s gotta be MESHUGGAH,’ even if it’s a brand new thing. So hopefully that’s something we’re aiming at. But with that said, as far as the music goes, we try to [do] kind of the opposite of what AC/DC has been doing for 40 years. So we’re not trying to write the same album over and over. And whether we succeed with that or not, that’s more up to our fans and other people, but that’s definitely the aim. We try our best to kind of find new grips within the framework of what we’re supposed to be, I guess. ‘Cause we don’t wanna really step out of that either. We’re not looking to be another band all of a sudden or something that we haven’t been or that is not true to kind of what we’re doing.”

Haake said that MESHUGGAH has fared better during the coronavirus-related music shutdown than most other artists.

“We know a lot of bands that just had their album out or just finished something and were just about to go on tour, and this [pandemic] happened,” he said. “So, of course, we feel with ’em — that’s no fun. We were fortunate enough [in that] we just kind of finished the tour run for [MESHUGGAH’s last album] ‘The Violent Sleep Of Reason’, so we’re just writing. We played a lot the last few years, so we had a good amount of cash in the bank to keep us afloat for a while, so we’ve been really fortunate in all this compared to a lot of bands that are just — they’re done. What are they supposed to do?”

We regret to inform that MESHUGGAH will have to reschedule their U.S. headline tour, originally planned for early 2022,…

Posted by Meshuggah on Tuesday, December 21, 2021

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SAMMY HAGAR Says He Was Asked To Join PANTERA As Replacement For PHILIP ANSELMO

SiriusXM’s Jose Mangin recently interviewed Sammy Hagar in the limo which was gifted to Jose from the estates of PANTERA founders “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott and Vinnie Paul Abbott. Jose has worked hard to restore the car and plans to take it all across the country and have epic hangs and chats with all of his buddies to reminisce about his dear friends, whom many of us still hold so dear.

In an interview clip which was posted on December 8, which marked the 17th anniversary of Dimebag’s death, Sammy recalled a time when he was supposedly approached by PANTERA’s then-manager about joining the band, apparently as the replacement for Philip Anselmo.

“How about if I tell you something crazy. I don’t believe it; I don’t believe it’s true,” Sammy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “But PANTERA had a manager. This was before I actually became friends with Vinnie. And [the manager] said PANTERA, he said, want me to be the lead singer of the band. And he asked me, ‘Would you be interested?’ And I said, ‘No, not after [my split with] VAN HALEN [in 1996]. I’m not gonna join another band, especially covering for somebody else,’ and this and that. And I brought it up to Vinnie one time. He didn’t remember it. But I don’t know if there’s any truth to that.”

This is not the first time Hagar had discussed being offered the singer gig in PANTERA. Back in 2011, he told Forbes: “I was asked at one time to be in MÖTLEY CRÜE. I was asked at one time to be in PANTERA by their managers. I was asked to be in VELVET REVOLVER when Scott Weiland quit and went back to the STONE TEMPLE PILOTS. I was waiting to be asked to be in LED ZEPPELIN to say no, since they were the greatest band on earth and no could replace Robert Plant. I was asked to be in AEROSMITH and I said no.”

He continued: “Certain bands and certain frontman singers are more difficult to replace than others. Steven Tyler and that band have stayed together for 40 years and you don’t to walk into something like that. They had one moment years ago, when they replaced Joe Perry, but it’s still always been Steven at the front of AEROSMITH. You don’t replace that.

“When I came into VAN HALEN, it was easy because Dave [Lee Roth] wasn’t a great singer, but he was a good frontman,” Hagar explained. “In those times, I was selling out the same arenas they were, so it was like the combination of two forces and it worked but it’s a rare thing. We were all lucky that the fans accepted it and it got bigger. I would avoid bands that are going to break up pretty soon.”

In a 2015 question-and-answer session at the DFW Acura Performance Showroom in Dallas, Texas, Vinnie Paul said that VAN HALEN was “a huge influence” on him when he first started playing drums. “Eddie and Alex [Van Halen] inspired me and my brother [Dimebag] so much,” he said. “It was really just unbelievable the parallels that we had between ourselves.”

In a lasting sign of deep respect, Eddie Van Halen donated the black-and-yellow tape-striped guitar pictured on the back cover of “Van Halen II” to be buried with Dimebag.

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METALLICA's 40th-Anniversary Shows To Stream On Demand Exclusively On 'The Coda Collection'

Fans who missed METALLICA’s pair of 40th-anniversary concerts this past weekend can enjoy rebroadcasts of both shows on-demand exclusively on The Coda Collection this Christmas weekend in the U.S. and on Amazon Prime internationally.

The shows will be available to stream from Friday, December 24 at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. GMT / 2 a.m. JST through Monday, December 27 at 8:59 p.m. PT / 11:59 p.m. ET / 4:59 a.m. GMT / 1:59 p.m. JST.

For information on how to stream both shows, click here.

Following the initial viewing period, both concerts will return to the The Coda Collection and Prime Video with enhanced bonus footage and additional exclusives as part of an extensive partnership between The Coda Collection and METALLICA, which will include a full slate of concert films, documentaries, and additional content spanning the band’s career arriving on the channel exclusively throughout 2022.

Additionally, fans can now stream METALLICA’s “Cunning Stunts” and “Orgullo, Pasión, Y Gloria: Tres Noches En La Ciudad De México” films exclusively on The Coda Collection, with more titles to be announced next year.

The Coda Collection is available to Amazon Prime members in the U.S. now for $4.99 per month with a free seven-day trial.

To explore The Coda Collection and to sign up for a free seven-day trial, visit www.codacollection.co.

The two sold-out shows were part of METALLICA’s “San Francisco Takeover”, a four-day citywide celebration of the band’s 40th anniversary that also included a film festival, photo exhibit and curated lineup of smaller venue shows featuring other acts.

The 40th-anniversary shows marked METALLICA’s return to Chase Center for the first time since the September 2019 “S&M²” concerts that also served as the venue’s grand opening.

Formed in 1981 by guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, METALLICA has become one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, having sold nearly 120 million albums worldwide and generating more than 2.5 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on literally all seven continents. The band’s several multi-platinum albums include “Kill ‘Em All”, “Ride The Lightning”, “Master Of Puppets”, “… And Justice For All”, “Metallica” (commonly referred to as The Black Album), “Load”, “Reload”, “St. Anger”, “Death Magnetic” and “Hardwired… To Self-Destruct”, released in November 2016 and charting at No. 1 in 32 countries.

METALLICA’s awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards, and its 2009 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. In June of 2018, the band was awarded one of the most prestigious musical honors in the world: Sweden’s Polar Music Prize.

On Thursday, San Francisco mayor London Breed presented Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo with a special declaration marking December 16 as “Metallica Day” in the city.

“When you talk about San Francisco,” Breed said at the news conference, “you talk about cable cars and then you talk about METALLICA.”

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ANTHONY KIEDIS And DEXTER HOLLAND Were Surprise Guest Performers At Last Night's 'Above Ground' Benefit Concert

Anthony Kiedis (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) and Dexter Holland (THE OFFSPRING) were the surprise guest musicians who performed last night (Monday, December 20) at the third “Above Ground” benefit concert founded by guitarists Dave Navarro (JANE’S ADDICTION) and Billy Morrison (BILLY IDOL) at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, California. They joined an all-star bill that included Perry Farrell (JANE’S ADDICTION), Etty Lau Farrell, Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT), Mark McGrath and Franky Perez. The event was host Dr. Drew Pinsky and included an art installation by Risk Rock.

Following previous successful events in 2018 and 2019, while sitting out in 2020 due to COVID-19, the evening celebrated the vinyl album as an art form, with the performance of two seminal albums in their entirety, while at the same time raising awareness and funds for the treatment of mental health. Throughout the event, there was an art installation from multi-talented fine artist, sculptor and graffiti pioneer Risk Rock.

Proceeds from the event will be donated to MusiCares, the leading music charity that acts as a safety net for the music community.

“MusiCares has literally saved more than a few of our friends from dying,” said Navarro and Morrison. “Their role cannot be overstated, and we have precious few organizations that actively step in to help people on the brink. On the frontline, finding and paying for beds in treatment, arranging therapy and counseling, and actually speaking up on a public level about the importance of mental health are all reasons why we continue to do what we can to draw attention to this subject.”

Navarro and Morrison, with an array of special guests, performed two musically/culturally seismic albums: Lou Reed’s 1972 album “Transformer” and THE SEX PISTOLS’ 1977 release “Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols”.

In 2018, the “Above Ground” guest musicians performed 1980’s “Kings Of The Wild Frontier” by ADAM AND THE ANTS and the 1967 self-titled album by THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO. In 2019, they tackled David Bowie’s 1972 effort “The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars” and THE STOOGES’ 1969 self-titled debut LP.

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ZZ TOP Sells Catalog For Reported $50 Million

Global music company BMG and global investment firm KKR today announced that they have acquired the entire music interests of American rock icons ZZ TOP. According to Variety, BMG paid a sum sources place at around $50 million.

The transaction marks the latest significant music rights deal the two companies have struck together since announcing in March 2021 that they would join forces in the fast-growing market for music IP.

The ZZ TOP agreement includes a buyout of the band’s publishing catalogue and their income from recorded royalties and performance royalties. Previously, BMG served as co-publisher and administrator of ZZ TOP’s publishing catalog.

In 1971, Billy Gibbons (guitar, vocals), Dusty Hill (bass, keys, vocals) and Frank Beard (drums) released their debut album ZZ TOP’s first album. They would go on to release a total of 15 albums throughout the course of their 50-year career including the commercial breakthrough “Tres Hombres” (1973), platinum-certified “Degüello” (1979), gold-certified “El Loco” (1981), smash-hit diamond-certified “Eliminator” (1983), five-times-platinum-certified “Afterburner” (1985), and the platinum-certified “Recycler” (1990) and “Antenna” (1994).

Selling over 50 million albums worldwide, ZZ TOP have earned four gold, three platinum, two multiple-platinum album certifications, and one diamond album. Known for their distinctive look and unabashed blues-rock inspired sound, the success of the group was driven by six No. 1 rock singles and eight Top 40 hits including rock music staples “La Grange”, “Tush”, “Cheap Sunglasses”, “Gimme All Your Lovin'”, “Legs”, “Got Me Under Pressure” and “Sharp Dressed Man”, among many others.

In 2004, the group was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and their recently released documentary “That Little Ol’ Band From Texas” received a nomination for “Best Music Film” at the 2021 Grammy Awards.

ZZ TOP manager Carl Stubner of Shelter Music Group said: “We are proud to continue working with and expand our long-standing relationship with BMG. This new deal ensures ZZ TOP’s remarkable legacy will endure for generations to come.”

BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch said: “This deal is a testament to the success, staying power and continuing musical relevance of ZZ TOP, but also to the power of our partnership with KKR. This agreement furthers our vision of providing artists and songwriters not just a financial exit, but also a vehicle committed to respecting and treasuring their artistry.”

Jenny Box, partner at KKR, said: “We are excited to invest in ZZ TOP’s iconic music and we look forward to collaborating with BMG and ZZ TOP to further amplify the reach of their catalogue.”

KKR is investing in the catalogue through its private credit investment funds and vehicles and will own its interest in the music through its recently launched Chord Music Partners platform. Latham & Watkins LLP served as advisor to KKR on the transaction.

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RICHARD Z. KRUSPE's EMIGRATE Drops 'Always On My Mind' Music Video Featuring RAMMSTEIN's TILL LINDEMANN

EMIGRATE, the side project of RAMMSTEIN guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe, has released a music video for its cover of the classic song “Always On My Mind”, featuring a guest appearance by RAMMSTEIN singer Till Lindemann. Check it out below.

“Always On My Mind” is taken from EMIGRATE’s fourth album, “The Persistence Of Memory”, which came out on November 5.

“The Persistence Of Memory”, which was named after a Salvador Dalí painting, features the following tracks:

01. Rage
02. Always On My Mind (feat. Till Lindemann)
03. Freeze My Mind
04. I’m Still Alive
05. Come Over
06. You Can’t Run Away
07. Hypothetical
08. Blood Stained Wedding
09. I Will Let You Go

As a member of RAMMSTEIN, the music world’s most explosive live act, Kruspe has been part of a ground-breaking global success story that continues to build and to ignite; along the way, he’s turned his attention to a number of parallel projects, such as constructing a studio (and a home) in his native Berlin, but it’s his decision to launch the EMIGRATE setup that has given him the greatest chance to satisfy creative instincts outside of the parent group.

The first EMIGRATE album appeared in 2007 (a self-titled record that went Top 10 in Germany, with single/video “My World” appearing on the soundtrack to the third “Resident Evil” movie); “Silent So Long” followed in 2014, featuring guest vocals from such high-profile artists as Marilyn Manson, Jonathan Davis, Peaches and the legend that will always be Lemmy. EMIGRATE’s third album, “A Million Degrees” came out in November 2018 and was described as “less a successor to ‘Silent So Long’ and more a re-booted take on the overall concept, continuing Kruspe’s desire to craft something personal.”

“I really want the freedom to collaborate with different people and to explore different kinds of music,” Kruspe explained when “A Million Degrees” was first released, “to express myself as both a writer and a singer away from deadlines, timelines and other such restrictions. The idea is to keep experimenting and to keep challenging myself. Plus, EMIGRATE works in an organic way, so musicians can come and go, and it’s still okay, it’s positive…”

RAMMSTEIN’s seventh, untitled album came out in May 2019 via UME/Spinefarm in Europe and Caroline Records in the U.S.

RAMMSTEIN will bring its full-scale stadium production to North America for the first time ever in the summer of 2022.

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