After introducing modern upgrades to Electromatic Classic Hollow Bodies earlier this month, Gretsch launches its updated collection of Electromatic Jets and Lapsteels.Electromatic Jet BTThe Jet BT has a chambered mahogany body with a maple top produces a rich, present mid-range with the perfect combination of attack and resonance. A pair of Black Top Broad’Tron Pickups deliver the tone you’d desire from a Jet: capable of aggressive overdrive with the definition needed for pristine clean tone. The combination of individual pickup volume controls, master tone and master volume with treble bleed circuit provides global control over your pickup and tone settings. The Jet BT Single-Cut comes in a left-handed configuration finished in Jade Metallic and in a right-handed configuration finished in Jade Metallic, Bristol Fog or Midnight Sapphire.Electromatic Jet BaritoneThanks to the balance of its solid mahogany body, the mini-humbuckers drive subsonic tones while keeping each note beautifully distinct. Measuring in at 29.75”, the extended scale neck allows B to B tuning — use it to add color and texture in the studio or to double a lead onstage for a fiery live sound. The Electromatic Jet Baritone is available with a fixed v-stoptail tailpiece finished in Bristol Fog or Imperial Stain or with a Bigsby tailpiece available in Midnight Sapphire.Electromatic Junior Jet Bass II Short-ScaleThese bass guitars sport all the classic Gretsch appointments delivering massive, room-filling subsonic tones that boom out from the solid basswood body and versatile pickups. The Junior Jet Bass has a smooth and balanced tonality that’s easily delivered through the comfortable, easy-to-play short-scale maple neck (30.3”) with laurel fingerboard. Low-end color, smoothness and comfort make this a bass guitar worthy of the Electromatic name. Available in Imperial Stain, Bristol Fog and Shell pink.Electromatic Lap SteelThe Lap Steels produce one of the most unmistakable sounds out there:the beautifully rich electric Hawaiian guitar. Featuring a solid mahogany body and an intense tonal response that new and veteran players alike will appreciate. The single-coil pickup provides excellent note clarity, which sealed die-cast tuners keep locked-in. Available in the brand-new colors: Broadway Jade, Tahiti Red and Vintage White.Introducing the New Gretsch Electromatic JetsIntroducing the New Gretsch G5700 Electromatic Lap Steel GuitarsMore info at: www.gretschguitars.com

A full circuit recreation of the mythic Peavey Decade practice amp packed into a pedal enclosure.The latest innovation from Acorn Amplifiers, the Solid State, is a full circuit recreation of the now-mythic Peavey Decade practice amp packed into a pedal enclosure. The Acorn Amps Solid State incorporates the TDA series class-AB power amp device utilized in the original amp design, giving you the most authentic reproduction available in a modern pedal format. Two separate output jacks allow the Solid State to be used as either a preamp in your pedal chain or as a standalone 10 watt amplifier plugged directly to a speaker cab; they can even be used together at the same time. Additionally, a toggle switch lets you select between sending the signal out before or after the power amp circuit for maximum tonal versatility.Features Full 10 watt solid-state guitar amp circuitry (preamp and power amp) Low, Mid, & High controls to dial in your tonal frequency Two separate output jacks to use with a speaker cab or normal pedalboard wiring or both together at once Two footswitchable tone modes – Normal and Saturation Toggle switch to send the signal out from two different points on the circuit path as well as a mute switch for quick studio tracking Bi-color LED indicator that lights up green in Normal mode and red in Saturation mode True bypass & powered by 18VDC pedal power Preorder now at acornamps.com.

TOOL frontman Maynard James Keenan has chimed in on actor Will Smith storming onstage during this year’s live Oscars broadcast and smacking Chris Rock across the face before returning to his front-row seat and yelling a profanity-filled threat at the comedian.

The confrontation took place after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, calling Jade Pinkett Smith “G.I. Jane” in reference to her bald head, which she has previously explained is due to the medical condition alopecia.

In a new video shared via his personal Instagram account, Keenan, who recently earned a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, demonstrated what he jokingly described as one of “the techniques that could have saved Chris Rock’s life.”

“I realize we’re on the ass end of beating this dead horse, but fuckit,” Keenan wrote in a caption accompanying the video.

Smith first apologized about the incident at the Oscars, expressing his sorrow to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and his fellow nominees in a tear-filled speech while accepting his “Best Actor” trophy. A day later, he went further in an Instagram post, saying that “violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive” and calling his behavior at the Academy Awards “unacceptable and inexcusable.”

The Academy has condemned Smith’s actions and started a formal review around the incident. On Wednesday, the organization behind the Oscars revealed that Smith was asked to leave the ceremony following the slap. “Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated,” the Academy’s statement read in part. “While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”

Rock has reportedly declined to press any charges against Smith.

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In a new interview with Sofa King Cool Magazine, SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera was asked who played guitar on the band’s upcoming follow-up to 2018’s “Ritual” album, tentatively due in July. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “We’re keeping that kind of a secret right now. But, yeah, there’s definitely different people. And I’m very excited. We already played two songs on the tour. We played a song called ‘Filth Upon Filth’ and we played a song called ‘Superstition’, which is not a cover song; it’s an original song. It just has the same name as the other song ‘Superstition’, but it’s an original. We played it, and it was great — a great reaction from the fans. So I think they’re gonna dig the new record. We’re just waiting a little bit to start releasing the songs. I think they’re gonna start coming now in April. We’re gonna start putting them out on Spotify and Apple Music and [SiriusXM’s] Liquid Metal. But I’m very excited for the record, for sure, and I hope we get to get a good tour out of that when that comes out, probably in the summer.”

Fan-filmed video footage of SOULFLY performing “Superstition” and “Filth Upon Filth” on February 14 at Cornerstone in Berkeley, California can be seen below.

SOULFLY previously played “Filth Upon Filth” on its summer 2021 U.S. tour.

The band’s upcoming album was recorded at Platinum Underground in Phoenix, Arizona with producer Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, POWER TRIP and CODE ORANGE.

Last summer, Cavalera told “The Metal Teddy Bear Experience” show, which airs on the 90.3 WMSC radio station, that “Filth Upon Filth” was “a killer song” which reminded him of “old SLAYER; it sounds like SLAYER ‘Hell Awaits’ era meets SOULFLY, which is always a good thing,” he said.

Asked if there is an overall lyrical theme on the new SOULFLY album, Max said: “Some of it [is] dealing with, actually, the spiritual world and things like that, which is really cool. I think it’s always been kind of a SOULFLY theme anyway. There’s a song called ‘Spirit Animal’ that’s really cool. And there’s gonna be a couple of guests. I’m not gonna say who they are right now; I don’t wanna spoil the surprise. But, again, there’s gonna be some special guests singing on this record.

“[There isn’t gonna be] an overall theme,” he clarified. “It’s not gonna be a theme album like maybe [SEPULTURA’s] ‘Roots’ was more like a tribal theme kind of record. This is more like a [mixture of subjects]. There’s a song about the environment and how we’re destroying the earth and all that, called ‘The Damage Done’. And that came out really good. So, yeah, [it’s] just my way of writing. It’s pretty simple. I don’t try to get fancy with it. I know what I do. It’s like my riffs — I know how to do them. I don’t try to fancy them up. That’s how they are — they’re simple but direct, and they work. And that’s what I love about it.”

Last April, Max told Chris Enriquez of Saint Vitus Presents: Age Of Quarantine that Rizk took the new SOULFLY project “super seriously. He said, ‘Hey, Max, I don’t wanna do just another SOULFLY record. I wanna do the best SOULFLY record,'” he recalled. ‘I was, like, ‘All right. I take the challenge. Let’s do it, man.'”

As for the musical direction of the new SOULFLY material, Max said: “It’s full-on. I think it’s got kind of like the best of all the years. I think it’s a compilation Max Cavalera record of the whole 50 years. [Laughs] That’s what it feels like — it’s got old stuff, it’s got middle stuff, it’s got very SOULFLY vibes. It’s got a lot of groove. It’s got a lot of fast stuff.”

In December 2020, Max told the “Sappenin’ Podcast With Sean Smith” about the songwriting process for the new SOULFLY album: “The cool thing about Zyon, the way he plays drums, is he’s a bit like a wild animal — he has no restraint, man, and he just unleashes on the drum kit. Pure, pure brutality power drumming, and I love that. So that takes me back to a lot of the early records that I like — a lot of the old ENTOMBED stuff and CARCASS and NAPALM DEATH; out-of-control shit. So I think we have that kind of spirit going on on a lot of the new tracks.”

In August, SOULFLY parted ways with longtime guitarist Marc Rizzo due to personal differences. A permanent replacement guitarist has yet to be announced. FEAR FACTORY’s Dino Cazares played guitar for SOULFLY on the summer 2021 U.S. tour and once again handled second-guitar duties on the band’s most recent run of shows.

In June 2020, SOULFLY released a new digital EP, “Live Ritual NYC MMXIX”. The effort was recorded at The Gramercy in New York City on February 11, 2019 while SOULFLY was on tour in support of its most recent full-length album, “Ritual”. The audio for the EP was mixed and mastered by Charles Elliott (ABYSMAL DAWN) from Tastemaker Audio. Cover artwork was comprised of live photos taken by Rodrigo Fredes.

“Ritual” was released in October 2018 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2015’s “Archangel” was produced, recorded and mixed by Josh Wilbur (KILLER BE KILLED, LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA).