JEREMY SPENCER: Why FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH Splits Its Songwriting Credits Equally

In a new interview with RadioactiveMike Z, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM radio program “Wired In The Empire”, former FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH drummer Jeremy Spencer spoke about his time with the long-running metal act as well as his new project, PSYCHOSEXUAL. Asked about the fact that FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH split its songwriting credits equally between all the bandmembers for all of its albums after the debut, 2007’s “The Way Of The Fist”, Jeremy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It was pretty much decided early on that everyone needed to have a piece of the pie, just because it keeps the morale high and people aren’t getting their feelings hurt if their songs didn’t make it. Now everyone’s included; let the best song win. Everyone’s compensated properly. So that’s easier to deal with as a group. It really helps that band kind of get through some of the hard times, because it was equal playing field.”

Asked if there was one FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH song that he had a big hand in writing during his time with the band, Jeremy said: “I was always there giving input. Jason [Hook, former FIVE FINGER guitarist] and I were working on tracks, and I’d be in the studio with Ivan [Moody, vocals], helping him. But one that I really had a hand in was ‘Sham Pain’ [off 2018’s ‘And Justice For None’ album]. That was towards the very end. I had a big hand in that one. But I was pretty much there through most of it with everyone — either with Zoltan [Bathory, guitar], with Jason or with Ivan.”

Jeremy, who co-founded FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH with Zoltan, left the band so that he could undergo back surgery in the fall of 2018 that required a significant recovery period.

Spencer’s replacement in FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is Charlie “The Engine” Engen. Engen made his recording debut with the band on the “F8” album, which came out in February 2020.

Jeremy is currently the frontman of PSYCHOSEXUAL, which released a new single, “Devil From Hell”, last week.

PSYCHOSEXUAL released its debut album, “Torch The Faith”, last July. It was co-produced by Spencer and Shawn McGhee (DROWNING POOL) and released via Spencer’s 6eX Records. The debut premiered at No. 150 on the Billboard 200 chart, reaching No. 5 on the Hard Music Albums, No. 12 on Top New Artist Albums and No. 30 on Current Rock Albums.

Spencer, who sports a Mephistophelian mask as Devil Daddy, is joined in PSYCHOSEXUAL by guitarist Crucifer, bassist Astaroth and drummer Volac.

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SALIVA Reunion With Original Singer JOSEY SCOTT 'Ain't Gonna Happen'

SALIVA has abandoned its previously announced plan to reunite with original frontman Josey Scott.

Scott left SALIVA at the end of 2011 after 15 years with the group, reportedly to pursue a solo Christian music career. He was quickly replaced by Bobby Amaru, who can be heard on SALIVA’s last four releases: “In It To Win It” (2013), “Rise Up” (2014), “Love, Lies & Therapy” (2016) and “10 Lives” (2018).

Scott broke the news of his return to SALIVA in October 2019 during an appearance on “The Morning Dump”, a podcast hosted by “The Big Mad Morning Show” in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At the time, Josey said that he wanted to get together with SALIVA and “write a badass record.”

SALIVA guitarist Wayne Swinny addressed Scott’s status with the band during a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station. Asked if there are still plans for Josey to reunite with SALIVA for a possible album and/or a tour, Wayne said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “We were part of the conversation. After Josey made his announcement, there was a few text messages going on. I did talk to [former SALIVA guitarist] Chris [D’Abaldo] one time. But the problem is, we kind of already have a SALIVA. The problem with doing the reunion show is what do I do? Pull the bus over and say, ‘All right, Bobby, Brad [Stewart, bass], hop out, man, to the hotel room for a couple of [months].’ It just didn’t make sense on the business end. There was preliminary discussions, but it never really got off the ground. We just basically had to make plans and keep this train rolling, so to speak. It didn’t make sense to me to stop what we were doing. ‘Cause this unit, we’ve been together, it’s been almost 10 years now, with Bobby in the band. Brad came along shortly after that. We’re tight. We get along. It’s a well-oiled machine. We’ve got a great crew, a great bus driver. It would throw a monkey wrench into the actual SALIVA.”

He continued: “Bobby pushed me and said, ‘You know what, dude? If you wanna do it, do it. At least talk to [Josey] about it and check it out.’ I did. But there was no business plan put together. It was one of those — it seemed like a spur-of-the-monent idea, but it didn’t happen. It ain’t gonna happen.”

According to Swinny, even though there were some initial discussions about a SALIVA reunion with Josey, there was no follow-up to ensure that the plan was executed.

“If you wanna do something, do it,” Wayne said. “But you can’t just talk about it and have it magically happen. There’s work, there’s planning, there’s stuff that goes into it, and none of that stuff was done early enough to pull it off.

“Yeah, there was some fan response, saying, ‘Wow, yeah, that might be cool.’ But it didn’t get enough steam to take off,” he explained. “All the preliminary stuff kind of got set up, and it just didn’t jell.

“It just didn’t make sense to stop what we [the current lineup of SALIVA] were doing and do that, because you’ve got momentum, we’ve got a groove going, the band’s tight live. I didn’t feel like we should give that up or give that a rest.”

In February 2020, it was announced that SALIVA would team up with POWERMAN 5000, ADEMA and FLAW for a run of summer 2020 shows dubbed the “Nu-Metal Revival 2020” tour. A short time later, Scott revealed in an interview that he would not take part in the trek. (The shows were eventually canceled due to the pandemic.) During the same chat, Josey said that he wanted to write new music with D’Abaldo and Swinny. “They’re kind of the original nucleus of what SALIVA had to offer, I believe,” Scott explained. The singer also expressed interest in releasing new music to coincide with the 20th anniversary of SALIVA’s second album, 2001’s “Every Six Seconds”. As for SALIVA’s lineup for the reunion tour, Josey said that Tosha Jones would sit behind the drums while former BREAKING BENJAMIN member Mark Klepaski would likely play bass.

SALIVA released six albums with Scott and tasted platinum success and a Grammy nomination for its first big hit, “Your Disease”.

SALIVA will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of its breakthrough major label debut, “Every Six Seconds”, with a special project called “Every Twenty Years”, an EP of classic songs re-recorded with Amaru, on May 7 via Megaforce.

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ALEXI LAIHO's BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT Releases Music Video For 'Paint The Sky With Blood'

The official music video for “Paint The Sky With Blood”, the title track of the debut EP from BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT, the band launched by ex-CHILDREN OF BODOM guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho, can be seen below. Due on April 23 via Napalm Records, the effort was recorded in Finland back in 2020 and was meant to be the beginning of an exciting new chapter. Sadly, that chapter ended far too soon with the December 29 passing of Laiho, and now, the three-track piece embodies a whole new meaning. “Paint The Sky With Blood” is an overwhelming tribute to an outstanding artist and an exceptional sonic heritage, and, at the same time, a modern homage to the genre itself.

A storm of raging guitars and blaring drums merge with Laiho’s versatile vocal power, leading into a heavy attack — title track “Paint The Sky With Blood” – opening the 14-minute EP of the same name. The song is strikingly reminiscent of early CHILDREN OF BODOM elements, while also adding exciting modern influences into the fold. Second track “Payback’s A Bitch” and its massive riffing are on a quest for retribution, delivering a hard-hitting, second-to-none offense. The interplay of Laiho, guitarist Daniel Freyberg, drummer Waltteri Väyrynen (PARADISE LOST), bassist Mitja Toivonen (ex-SANTA CRUZ) and live keyboardist Vili Itäpelto is not only a testament to the band’s extraordinary musical ability, but also showcases their skill in deftly incorporating a variety of genre influences.

Closing cover track “Where Dead Angels Lie” is an absolute triumph — originally performed by Swedish extreme metal formation DISSECTION, the track shines as a timeless classic with a new edge. Eerie riffs and vocals alternating between menacing murmurs and characteristic guttural, distorted vocals stay faithful to the original while branding this version with an undeniable BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT punch.

The surviving members of BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT said: “Like ourselves, Alexi was beyond stoked about these songs and anxious to get these out so we are happy that we can fulfill his wish. Needless to say that we are honored and proud to be a part of his very last creative work and unleash it the way he wanted it to. It’s time to let the beast out of the cage one more time as a celebration of Alexi’s music, legacy and the man himself.”

“Paint The Sky With Blood” track listing:

01. Paint The Sky With Blood
02. Payback’s A Bitch
03. Where Dead Angels Lie (DISSECTION cover)

“Paint The Sky With Blood” will be available in the following formats:

– 10″ Spined Sleeve Oxblood
– 10″ Spined Sleeve Inkspot Ox/Black
– 10″ Spined Sleeve Black
– Deluxe Box
– 1 Digipak Mini CD
– Digital Album
[Deluxe Box]

Alexi passed away in his home in Helsinki, Finland. The 41-year-old had suffered from long-term health issues leading up to his death.

BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT made its live debut on October 23 at Rytmikorjaamo in Seinäjoki, Finland. The 17-song show consisted entirely of CHILDREN OF BODOM material.

Alexi and drummer Jaska Raatikainen founded CHILDREN OF BODOM in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert in December of 2019.

Besides CHILDREN OF BODOM, Laiho had played in such acts as WARMEN, SINERGY, KYLÄHULLUT and THE LOCAL BAND. Awarded with a Metal Hammer Golden God and several other international prizes, the guitarist was also the main star, leading a group of one hundred guitar players at the Helsinki Festival in 2015 in “100 Guitars From Hel” — a massive concert piece he composed.

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GOJIRA Wanted To Express 'Something More Joyful And Energetic' With 'Fortitude' Album

GOJIRA frontman Joseph Duplantier was a guest on a recent episode of Full Metal Jackie’s nationally syndicated radio show. Asked what he and his bandmates learned from 2016’s “Magma” album that became “starting points” for the follow-up effort, the upcoming “Fortitude”, Joseph said: “Well, ‘Magma’ was a beautiful experience, and it sort of brought us to another level, but we didn’t really realize that [at the time]. I see that today — when we release something, [there’s] much more attention around the band and stuff — but I was working hard, going on tour and I didn’t see anything really happening other than my everyday life with the band. But when we started to work on ‘Fortitude’, we wanted something different. ‘Magma’ was a little dark. We expressed some intense emotions related to the departure of my mom while we were recording the album. We talked about it, but on this album, we wanted to express something different, something more joyful and energetic. And [by] joyful I mean punchier music, more flamboyant, but the lyrics, like usually, talk about humanity and and the evil that men do. So, in that sense, it’s not exactly a party album. But the sound is more rock, more exciting, I would say.”

Duplantier also talked about the album title “Fortitude” and why it was important for him to encourage betterment of self, community and world. He said: “I don’t know. Despite the fact that I think humans are pretty fucked up, and a part of me wishes that humans disappear from this planet to leave these poor animals alone, I believe in the potential of us human beings. I think we have beautiful things to offer, and I still wish to see that best that we have inside of us come out. And that’s what I’m trying to do on an artistic level and a human level in my everyday life. And that’s what we wanted to express in this album — to see people give their best and be strong and to not despair, and to project a positive image for their future and for our future. And through discipline and decisions and the right intentions, we can better ourselves and better this world. So it’s almost by default the energy and the message we choose versus, ‘Ah, let it burn.'”

“Fortitude” will be released April 30 via Roadrunner Records. Recorded and produced by Joseph Duplantier at Silver Cord Studio — GOJIRA’s Ridgewood, Queens, New York headquarters — and mixed by Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE), the LP is a collection of songs urging humanity to imagine a new world — and then make it happen. The band initially laid the foundation for “Fortitude” last year with the surprise release of the 2020 single “Another World”. NPR hailed the track as “an apocalyptic banger,” and Stereogum declared, “GOJIRA are one of this century’s most important underground metal institutions,” while “Fortitude” was Voted by fans as the #1 release on Revolver’s “Most Anticipated Albums of 2021.”

On “Magma”, GOJIRA found strength — and crossover success — through a singular commitment to self-reflection. The intensely personal record, penned in memory of the Duplantier brothers’ late mother, was a painful significant turning point for the French group. The album earned the band two Grammy nominations — “Best Metal Performance” and “Best Rock Album,” and upon release, “Magma” took the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hard Rock Albums chart, a first for a French band. “Magma” also asserted itself as one of the most acclaimed albums of 2016, earning Metal Hammer’s coveted “Album Of The Year” title while also landing on Rolling Stone’s “Top 20 Metal Albums of 2016,” and Consequence Of Sounds’ “Top 50 Albums of 2016” / “Top 10 Metal Albums of 2016” lists.

GOJIRA’s widely anticipated tour dates supporting DEFTONES have been rescheduled for later this year.

Photo credit: Gabrielle Duplantier

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THE TROOPS OF DOOM Feat. Ex-SEPULTURA Guitarist JAIRO 'TORMENTOR' GUEDZ: Music Video For 'Whispering Dead Words'

The official music video for the song “Whispering Dead Words” from THE TROOPS OF DOOM, the new Brazilian band featuring former SEPULTURA guitarist Jairo “Tormentor” Guedz, can be seen below. The track is taken from THE TROOPS OF DOOM’s debut EP, “The Rise Of Heresy”, which was released last October via Nuclear Blast’s digital subsidiary, Blood Blast Distribution. The EP was mastered by Øystein G. Brun (BORKNAGAR) at Crosound Studio in Norway. It contains four new original songs and cover versions of two early SEPULTURA classics, “Bestial Devastation” and “Troops Of Doom”.

THE TROOPS OF DOOM also includes acclaimed graphic artist Marcelo Vasco on guitar, Alex Kafer (ex-NECROMANCER, EXPLICIT HATE, ENTERRO) on vocals/bass and Alexandre Oliveira (SOUTHERN BLACKLIST) on drums. The band’s goal is to revisit the essence of 1980s-style death metal, exploring a more primitive sound that takes listeners back to that era, while remaining fresh and genuine.

Guedz previously said about the project: “There’s much passion and dedication on this work with THE TROOPS OF DOOM. The whole band and team is beyond fantastic, which drives me to push myself to the edge, putting out this feeling through the music somehow.

“We want to offer a full experience where the listener can feel as though they’re in time machine, exploring that primitive and nasty metal sound from the ’80s, inspired by my own SEPULTURA years as well as all those iconic bands we love like SLAYER, KREATOR, CELTIC FROST, SODOM, POSSESSED and DEATH, among others. It’s a true homage to the old! That’s what we’re trying to revisit with this debut and I hope the diehard metalheads catch this and enjoy it, playing loud!”

“The Rise Of Heresy” track listing:

01. Whispering Dead Words
02. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
03. The Confessional
04. The Rise Of Heresy
05. Bestial Devastation (SEPULTURA Cover)
06. Troops Of Doom (SEPULTURA Cover)

THE TROOPS OF DOOM is:

Jairo “Tormentor” Guedz – guitar
Alex Kafer – bass, vocals
Marcelo Vasco – guitar
Alexandre Oliveira – drums

SEPULTURA was formed in 1984 in Belo Horizonte, the capital city of Minas Gerais. Jairo joined the group the following year and played on the band’s first two releases, 1985’s “Bestial Devastation” EP and their 1986 full-length debut, “Morbid Visions”. He also participated in the early songwriting sessions for 1987’s “Schizophrenia”.

In early 1987, Jairo quit SEPULTURA after losing interest in playing death metal and was replaced by São Paulo-based guitarist Andreas Kisser.

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OBITUARY Covers POWER TRIP's 'Executioner's Tax' During Livestream (Video)

Earlier in the month, OBITUARY announced a new two-part spring livestream series. The band performed its favorite songs on March 27 and will run through its classic third album, 1992’s “The End Complete”, in its entirety on April 3.

During the March 27 livestream, OBITUARY played a surprise cover version of POWER TRIP’s Grammy-nominated track “Executioner’s Tax (Swing Of The Axe)”, featuring a guest appearance by POWER TRIP guitarists Blake Ibanez and Nick Stewart. The performance was dedicated to POWER TRIP frontman Riley Gale, who passed away last summer.

POWER TRIP confirmed Riley’s death in a statement on August 25, 2020.

The Dallas, Texas-based band released two albums on Southern Lord, 2013’s “Manifest Decimation” and 2017’s “Nightmare Logic”. A rarities compilation, “Opening Fire: 2008-2014”, followed in 2018.

“Nightmare Logic” peaked at No. 22 on Billboard’s Hard Rock Albums chart.

POWER TRIP was said to be working on its third album at the time of Riley’s death.

Last week, OBITUARY frontman John Tardy confirmed to France’s United Rock Nations that the band has used some of the downtime during the coronavirus pandemic to work on material for a new studio album. “We’ve definitely been working on new tunes, and we’ve been taking our time,” he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “We didn’t feel like releasing [a new album] now in the middle of the pandemic when you can’t go on tour and support it is not what we wanted to do, so we’re in no hurry. But by the time next year comes around, we’re gonna be hitting the road again. We’re getting tours set up, and we will be releasing another album next year before we hit the road and start touring again. So we are currently working on new material.”

Asked what fans can expect from the follow-up to OBITUARY’s 2017 self-titled album, John said: “I think it’s just gonna sound like OBITUARY. [Laughs] You know us — we’re kind of cavemen; we don’t like to evolve too much. We like to change it up and do a little here and there, but we’re getting too old to change too much, I think. So as long as it’s heavy and pounding, then that’s what you can expect.”

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DRESS THE DEAD Feat. Ex-FORBIDDEN Members: Music Video For 'Knives Out' Available

San Francisco Bay Area-based metal/heavy rock outfit DRESS THE DEAD has released the official music video for the song “Knives Out”, its first single on Blood Blast, a digital subsidiary of Nuclear Blast Records.

DRESS THE DEAD first announced the signing in December, along with a plan to release one new track per month for the first eight months of 2021. After the eight tracks are all released, they will become available in full album format as well.

DRESS THE DEAD stated about the track: “Knives Out! Ask yourself what’s wrong with this picture?

“This was one of the first songs we wrote at the genesis of DRESS THE DEAD. Musically, it encompassed what we were after. All the anger and aggression, yet still leaning into positivity. That’s what the video represents to us.

“As human beings, we have witnessed so much division and strife over the last decade. It boiled over on January 6th 2021 in Washington DC. Everything hit the wall and a large percentage of the American populous lost their fucking minds.

“With the ‘Knives Out’ video, we try to tell multiple stories through two separate lenses. One, while looking at our television from within your living room. The other by looking out your own window, seeing the unraveling of civility. The people’s trust is almost completely broken.

“Almost all of the distrust is being fueled by mainstream and alternative media. The former caters to the corporations that control the narratives. This keeps the money and power flowing in their direction. The latter can create alternate realities not necessarily based on facts. Planting them on the internet and social media. Creating a frenzy of fear and paranoia. Both sides knowingly building up these tensions that eventually bring us to one another’s throats. The divide-and-conquer game.

“We have lost our sense of reality. There’s very little bullshit detecting anymore. Many run like lemmings towards the cliff on leaps of faith. What they WANT to believe. Mostly based upon hearsay. Rumors swimming in a sea of disinformation. Somehow, we need to see past the manipulation. Meanwhile the tension continues to mount.”

DRESS THE DEAD was formed in 2016 and has been playing live since the end of that year — first with vocalist Peter Dolving (THE HAUNTED), and then with Kayla Dixon fronting the band since 2018.

DRESS THE DEAD features Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN, MANMADE GOD, SPIRALARMS) on guitar, alongside Mark Hernandez (FORBIDDEN, VIO-LENCE, RE:IGNITION) on drums, Mikey Rowan (INSOLENCE) on guitar, and James Walker (MANMADE GOD) on bass — all seasoned musicians with independent and major label experiences.

“Losing Peter was a complete shock to us because he was into it,” Craig said. “Some of the people we tried out were good but didn’t have what we were looking for… just not the right fit. All of a sudden, I get a text from Kayla. She’d been checking us out for months and was already a fan of the music.” A couple of days after that now legendary text message, Dixon sent Locicero a new version of the DRESS THE DEAD song “1969” with her vocals. He was floored. “It was like it was made for her,” he said. “She seamlessly fit into the music. We haven’t needed to readjust. What having her in the band allows me to do is to not hold back and write anything I feel like writing, knowing that she can do it and sing without any limits.”

Dixon is not only an enigmatic frontwoman with a powerful presence, she’s an accomplished theatrical singer and actor. Her vocal qualities help give DRESS THE DEAD a unique sound that no other band possesses. Together they all complete the musical unit that cannot fall under any one category or genre.

Dixon started working professionally in her junior year and finished high school via home study. She then decided to immerse herself in theater and was soon working professionally. During her freshman year in college, she emerged to front a death metal band. Just as she mulled moving back to the East Coast to pursue more theater work, she heard the doom band WITCH MOUNTAIN was looking for a new vocalist. She nailed the audition and moved to Portland. Having relocated to the West Coast, Dixon was recommended to Locicero through a mutual friend. She initially worried that she was so different from Dolving she might face backlash from fans who wanted a certain thing. “In my mind, I thought I was going to be trolled, and I didn’t know if I was ready to face that,” she said. “But surprisingly there has only been positivity from the first song.”

“I want to be continually creating,” Dixon added. “When I heard ‘1969’, I thought it was great. When Craig sent me the other songs, like ‘Promises & Kisses’, I was really in. I wanted it to be in a band that was heavy emotionally and sonically.”

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One Shot – RONNIE ATKINS

If it’s diehard and dedicated you want, RONNIE ATKINS has been fitting the bill for four decades. His ongoing battle with lung cancer has obviously made the release of his first-ever solo album a somewhat double-edged sword for all concerned, but if you’ve ever enjoyed PRETTY MAIDS — and Ronnie’s gloriously rough-hewn but soulful voice in particular — then “One Shot” is both firmly within the same wheelhouse and sufficiently distinctive to set the great man’s solo work apart from the 16 albums he’s made with Denmark’s hard rock kings.

Ultimately, Ronnie Atkins is a great singer, and “One Shot” is full of great songs. With melodies permanently front and center, and sound that runs the gamut between sparkly AOR, gritty melodic metal and even a muscular but skinny-hipped strain of power-pop/rock “Scorpio” sounds more like THE WILDHEARTS than PRETTY MAIDS, for a start, and it’s that unexpected frisson of cool that makes the best moments here positively zing with energy and charisma. That said, the more traditional tunes here are just as absorbing in their own, endearingly straightforward way. The title track is a blustery power ballad with a hook that will lodge in your eyeball and drag you down the street; “Subjugated” is absurdly catchy, sounds like a long, lost gem from the ’80s and is, in reality, a far better song than anything BON JOVI have released in 20 years; “Frequency Of Love” is bittersweet and utterly classy radio rock, with one of those slowly rising chord sequences that nearly always precedes a killer chorus (which, of course, it absolutely does here). Elsewhere, “Before The Rise Of An Empire” takes the bombast of symphonic metal and welds it to an irresistibly sparky pop melody; “Miles Away” is another powerhouse ballad, underpinned by an almost gospel-like clangor; “Picture Yourself” veers from new wave verse to AOR chorus with seamless panache; “One By One” is punchy with pomp-rock power but blessed with a beautiful arrangement, lush vocal harmonies and, again, a chorus so huge you might reasonably mistake it for a sperm whale. Breezy but bruised big finish “When Dreams Are Not Enough” is equally great. The whole thing flies by in a snappy and shrewd 45 minutes, and the most lasting effect is to make you wonder why it took this long for Ronnie to make a solo record. It really is that good.

Loud, proud and heroically melodic, “One Shot” proves that you can’t keep a good legend down, and that Ronnie Atkins still has one of the coolest voices in hard rock and heavy metal. More power and the best of wishes to him.

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JEFF PILSON Says FOREIGNER's 'Songs And Music Are More Famous Than The Band'

In a new interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio, FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson was asked what keeps the band inspired to continue to make new music after all these years. He responded: “Like anybody, you wanna be relevant. Mick Jones [FOREIGNER guitarist and founder] has a very open-eyed attitude about everything; he understands where the market’s at. So, for him, it’s all about, well, these songs have just gotta be great; that’s all. I don’t think he’s thinking in terms of, are they going to be a hit or whatever, because who knows about that anymore. But making it great. And it’s really fun watching Mick, and then the rest of the band kind of react to that, because it really ups your game.; you have to really bring it to make something really special. And it’s good for you as a writer, it’s good for you as a musician and as a producer. Any time I can be with Mick, I value, ’cause he’s just such a brilliant, wonderful dude and such an amazing songwriter. So, what excites us is the music itself, and that’s how it should be.”

Regarding the secret to FOREIGNER’s longstanding success as a band, Pilson said: “It’s the songs, for sure. FOREIGNER was really never much of an image band, so I would say it’s definitely the music. I mean, you could talk to people on the street, and you may find a lot of people that don’t really know the name FOREIGNER, but you won’t find anybody that hasn’t heard of ‘Cold As Ice’ or ‘Hot Blooded’ and stuff like that. So the songs and the music are more famous than the band, which is amazing, because it gives us the ability to do this long-term touring and bringing it out there. I mean, it’s just an amazing collection of songs that FOREIGNER has. It’s amazing — it really is. I mean, 16 Top 30 songs. How many bands can say that? It’s really special. So, yeah, it’s the music that’s connecting with people. And, sure, people have fallen in love with personalities and all that kind of stuff over the years, but I really think it’s the music. And I love that, because I love the music too.”

FOREIGNER’s last album, 2009’s “Can’t Slow Down”, was the only full-length collection of new songs to have been released by the band since Kelly Hansen took over vocals after original singer Lou Gramm left the band for good in 2002. The album entered the Billboard Top 30, driven by the radio singles “In Pieces” and “When It Comes To Love”. The band also has released a series of live albums and compilations, including 2016’s “In Concert: Unplugged” and 2017’s “40”.

FOREIGNER’s current lineup is rounded out by Thom Gimbel (rhythm guitar, sax, vocals), Michael Bluestein (keyboards), Bruce Watson (guitar) and Chris Frazier (drums).

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TESTAMENT's ALEX SKOLNICK Refuses To Shut Up And Play His Guitar

Alex Skolnick has defended his right to speak out on political issues, saying that part of his motivation in pursuing music in the first place was to not be forced to suppress that which he wanted to express.

The TESTAMENT guitarist discussed his decision to publicly express his political views in an opinion piece for Newlines Magazine.

Skolnick wrote, in part: “True artistry includes challenging your fans on occasion. Some will come along and discover new ways of seeing. Others will prefer the comfort of their prejudices, hurl insults, and hit ‘unfollow.’ At a time when attention has become a prized commodity, the fear of losing one’s audience is understandable. But we forget that it was fearless acts of imagination that built that audience in the first place. If there are risks to political activism, there are also gratifications to offset them. Every time I have spoken out on a political issue, I’ve alienated a few. I have also had my views amplified by journalists and opinion-makers, some of them household names. This in turn has brought me to the attention of people beyond my immediate audience — new follows, more retweets. The biggest loss to me would be to succumb to fear and suppress my voice at a time like this.

“Part of my motivation in pursuing music in the first place was to not be forced to suppress that which I wanted to express,” he added. “I wouldn’t have lasted long in a regular job that requires you to bottle up your feelings, put on a happy face, and suck up to those on whom your income depends. The 1999 Mike Judge film ‘Office Space’ deftly satirizes such an environment. And in some respects, the hordes of disgruntled social media followers who respond to your political tweet with some version of ‘Stick to guitar!’ are trying to impose a similar type of conformity on the nonconformist world of an artist.”

Ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Alex frequently tweeted against then-President Donald Trump’s policies, including the last administration’s handling of the outbreak of of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus first observed in China. In March 2020, the 52-year-old guitarist blasted Trump for not being able to “convey a sense of reassurance during a time of emergency.”

Last fall, Skolnick released two anti-Donald Trump rap songs called “Trump Sucks” and “Wear A Fucking Mask”.

TESTAMENT’s latest album, “Titans Of Creation”, was released in April 2020 via Nuclear Blast.

ANNOUNCEMENT: I’ve written an opinion piece about artists who are outspoken. It’s just been published. This is my 1st essay for a news-based, non-musical outlet. I’m both proud to be in @newlinesmag & humbled to be among these serious writers. I look forward to hearing feedback. https://t.co/0XktlGg0IE
— Alex Skolnick (@AlexSkolnick) March 29, 2021

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