According to Billboard, GHOST’s fifth album, “Impera”, sold 70,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marks the third top 10 album — and fifth top 40-charting set — for the Swedish occult rock act.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.

Of “Impera”‘s 70,000 units earned for the week, album sales comprise 62,500, SEA units comprise 7,000 (equaling 9.11 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise 500.

“Impera”‘s first-week album sales surpass that of any other album in the 2022 tracking year so far. It also has the largest sales week for a rock or hard rock album since the debut of FOO FIGHTERS’ “Medicine At Midnight” in February 2021 (64,000).

As previously reported, “Impera” landed at position No. 1 in Germany and Sweden, No. 2 in the U.K., Netherlands, Belgium and Norway, No. 3 in Australia, No. 5 in France and Ireland, and No. 20 in Italy.

“Impera” was released on March 11. The 12-song effort was produced by Klas Åhlund and mixed by Andy Wallace.

In a recent interview with El Paso Inc., GHOST mastermind Tobias Forge spoke his decision to record “Impera” with Åhlund, who also sat behind the desk for 2015’s acclaimed “Meliora” effort. Asked why he chose to end his streak of working with a different producer on each new GHOST LP, Tobias said: “The thing is you need to keep moving so that you don’t get stuck in friendly comfortable mode. ‘Meliora’, the record I made with Klas, was really good, but the recording and the production itself left a few things to be improved. When time came to record ‘Impera’, the writing and demoing had been done in 2020. But in early 2021, the American producer who was supposed to make the record couldn’t come because of the travel restrictions, and I couldn’t go to America. And because Klas is also a very scheduled person, he had a project lined up that fell through. All of a sudden, he had a few months off, and I was, like, ‘That is well-timed, because I don’t have a producer. Would you like to produce the record?'”

Forge worked on the follow-up to 2018’s “Prequelle” with Åhlund and Swedish co-writers Salem Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare, whose credits include Madonna and Lady Gaga.

Regarding his collaboration with Åhlund, Al Fakir and Pontare, as well as OPETH’s Fredrik Åkesson who was brought in to sharpen the album’s guitar attack, Forge recently told St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “I found that I can work really well with someone I respect, who is always pushing for the best. They make me want to write better, to get my game up a little.”

GHOST’s co-headlining tour with VOLBEAT kicked off on January 25 at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada and concluded on March 3 in Anaheim, California.

In March 2020, at final show of GHOST’s “Prequelle” tour in Mexico City, Mexico, the band officially introduced Papa Emeritus IV, the new character who is fronting the act for its “Impera” album phase.

Forge performed as a “new” Papa Emeritus on each of the band’s first three LPs, with each version of Papa replacing the one that came before it. Papa Emeritus III was retired in favor of Cardinal Copia before the release of “Prequelle”.

Photo credit: Mikael Eriksson

Read more »

Musical icons Danny Elfman and Trent Reznor have joined forces for a brand new version of “Native Intelligence”, the duo’s second collaborative reimagining of music from Eflman’s ambitious double album “Big Mess” (ANTI- / Epitaph Records). Featuring a lead vocal from Reznor and backing vocals from Elfman that soar over a precise syncopated orchestral arrangement and blistering rock instrumentation, the never-before-heard song serves as a fitting encore to the duo’s collaboration of “True” last year. Listen to the track now below.

Both of Elfman and Reznor’s versions of “Native Intelligence” and “True” are featured within the brand new collector’s edition box set of “Big Mess”, along with all 18 original songs from “Big Mess” and bonus discs containing additional unreleased reinterpretations and remixes of tracks from the album. Limited to 1500 copies worldwide, the stunning release offers fans the ultimate window into the creation and visuals of the groundbreaking project and is available for purchase now.

Included within the box set is a 60-page, hardcover artbook containing never-before-seen renderings of the distinctively unsettling digital sculptures of Elfman done by artist Sarah Sitkin, a 20-page stitched soft cover lyric book with behind-the-scenes photos, a 12″ x 9″ art print signed by Danny himself, a detailed life-sized light up model of Elfman’s peculiar hand designed to be a stand-alone showpiece or one-of-a-kind night-light, a code which provides downloadable digital audio files and a behind-the-scenes mini documentary on the making of “Big Mess”, and four LPs on exclusive color variants. The bonus discs are comprised of new remixes from HEALTH, clipping. and more, as well as never-before-released songs with featured vocalists including Rebekah Del Rio, FEVER 333, Blixa Bargeld and the aforementioned Trent Reznor.

On the horizon for Elfman is “Danny Elfman: From Boingo To Batman To Big Mess And Beyond!”, a pair of momentous concert performances at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 16 and April 23, 2022 that will see him perform tracks from “Big Mess” live for the first time ever along with OINGO BOINGO songs, which he has not performed since their 1995 farewell tour, as well as other music spanning his entire career. The 2020 festival notably served as the impetus for “Big Mess” over two years ago, when the cancellation and quarantine that followed triggered the creation of what would become the “Big Mess” double album.

Elfman officially unleashed “Big Mess” in June 2021. Clocking in at 18 tracks, the sprawling double album finds the four-times-Oscar-nominated, Grammy- and Emmy Award-winning composer breaking bold new ground as both a songwriter and a performer. Joined on the album by drummer Josh Freese (DEVO, WEEZER, THE VANDALS), bassist Stu Brooks (DUB TRIO, Lady Gaga, Lauryn Hill), and guitarists Robin Finck (NINE INCH NAILS, GUNS N’ ROSES) and Nili Brosh (Tony MacAlpine, Paul Gilbert), the project has garnered widespread praise since its release including the Los Angeles Times, who called it a “a fiercely political work filled with bombastic peaks and strikingly meditative valleys.”

The songs on “Big Mess” unite both harmonically complex arrangements and simple high energy driving music with biting, acerbic wit as they reckon with the chaos and confusion of the modern world. Elfman paired each single with groundbreaking music videos that channel the record’s unique visual journey, including the artificial-intelligence-generated “In Time” (Zev Deans), “Happy” (Aron Johnson), “Sorry” (Jesse Kanda), “Love In The Time of Covid” (Sven Gutjahr), “Kick Me” (Petros Papahadjopoulos), “True” (Sarah Sitkin), “Insects” (Sam & Andy Rolfes), and reimagined duet version of “True” featuring Trent Reznor (Aron Johnson). Led overall by Elfman’s creative director Berit Gwendolyn Gilma, each of the video’s directors have created individual statements that shape a diverse but cohesive whole; all of which channel the feelings of anger, angst and frustration that pulse throughout the album. The “Big Mess” album and visuals were produced by Danny Elfman and executive produced by Elfman’s longtime manager Laura Engel.

Danny Elfman photo credit: Jacob Boll

Read more »

Grammy Award-winning musician, producer, author as well as founding member of hard rock bands ALTER BRIDGE, CREED and TREMONTI, Mark Tremonti is “stepping out” with his most-ambitious and challenging project to date. Mark has partnered with National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) as he releases an album of Frank Sinatra covers titled “Tremonti Sings Sinatra”. The album of selections from Frank Sinatra’s catalog is being released as part of a new charity initiative created by Tremonti called Take A Chance For Charity. Proceeds from the album — scheduled for release on May 27 — will go to support NDSS and the work they do to advocate for and support individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Mark and his family were blessed to welcome their first daughter Stella last March — who was born with Down syndrome — and the idea for the project was born. A video sharing the story of Take A Chance For Charity can be seen below.

“For years, I’ve loved singing along to Frank’s songs,” Mark explains. “One night, I found an old video of him performing ‘The Song Is You’ from 1944. It made me want to dive into his vocal approach. I was all in and I wanted to do something with it. When we found out about our daughter Stella’s Down syndrome diagnosis, the stars aligned. My obsession with Sinatra had its reason. Frank Sinatra raised more than a billion dollars for charity and that is a fact I wish the public the public knew more about. Beneath his cool and calm persona, he had a big heart. Doing this charity in his name was another way the stars had aligned. I decided to do this record to raise funds for families and individuals with Down syndrome. This project is the start of a new purpose that I will have for the rest of my life.”

Tremonti has come together with surviving members of Frank Sinatra’s orchestra, creating new takes on some of the classics and some deeper cuts from Frank’s catalog. From the opening horns and piano of “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” to final vocal outro of “All Or Nothing At All”, Tremonti showcases the signature vocal approach and exemplary musicianship that made Sinatra’s work timeless. To see his vision through, Mark reached out to Sinatra’s musical director Mike Smith who collected as many remaining members as possible of Frank’s touring band to record the music for “Tremonti Sings Sinatra”. Popular standards like “I’ve Got The World On A String”, “My Way” and “That’s Life” find new life in the hands of these incredible musicians. Tremonti — known for his guitar work that has won him countless accolades — leaves the instrument behind and just sings on the 14-track album. The artwork on the album cover is an original painting that Tremonti created especially for this project. A video for the first track “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” can be seen below.

The track listing for “Tremonti Sings Sinatra” is:

01. I’ve Got You Under My Skin
02. I’ve Got The World On A String
03. I Fall In Love Too Easily
04. Wave
05. Fly Me To The Moon
06. Nancy (With The Laughing Face)
07. My Way
08. You Make Me Feel So Young
09. Luck Be A Lady
10. That’s Life
11. Come Fly With Me
12. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
13. The Song Is You
14. All Or Nothing At All

Take A Chance For Charity is a new charity focused on giving artists, actors, athletes and anyone with a platform the ability to get out of their comfort zone. The idea is to have people get out of the genre they are known for to raise funds and awareness for the charity of their choice. An actor can sing, an athlete can dance, a musician can perform a song out of their musical genre – any artistic interpretation. This gives participants the ability to do something out of the ordinary — in fact, extraordinary — all in the name of charity. “Tremonti Sings Sinatra” will be the first release for the cause, the recipient being NDSS.

The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) is the leading human rights organization for all individuals with Down syndrome. NDSS envisions a world in which all people with Down syndrome have the opportunity to enhance their quality of life, realize their life aspirations, and become valued members of welcoming communities. Founded in 1979, NDSS supports and advocates for the Down syndrome community by focusing on three key areas of programming: resources & support, policy and advocacy, and community engagement. Within these focus areas, NDSS engages in various activities, events, and programs on topics that are critical to our community such as federal and state advocacy and public policy, health and wellness, education, and employment. NDSS creates resources to support individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and caregivers across the lifespan and hosts awareness and engagement events throughout the country including the National Buddy Walk Program, the Times Square Video presentation and New York City Buddy Walk, Racing for 3.21 on World Down Syndrome Day, Run for 3.21, DC Golf Outing, the annual NDSS Gala & Auction, and various other events. Visit www.ndss.org for more information about NDSS.

Some quotes about “Tremonti Sings Sinatra”:

Hank Cattaneo, Frank Sinatra’s “Duets” producer: “Mark did a fantastic job on this record, His voice and take on the tunes are amazing!”

Slash (GUNS N’ ROSES): “Mark’s take on Sinatra is nothing short of uncanny. I could never have expected one of my fave metal guitarists to do such faithful renditions of Sinatra classics. Not only instrumentally, but vocally! And these recordings are for a cause near and dear to my heart; I was very close to an uncle who had Down syndrome when I was growing up. I fully appreciate and support Mark’s commitment to NDSS.”

Kirk Hammett (METALLICA): “Holy shit, I knew Mark was a ripping guitar player, but no way did I ever have a notion that he had golden pipes as well!!! Totally blown away. Totally into it. Let’s hear more, Mark.”

Chris Daughtry: “When Mark first played me a track from this project, my jaw dropped. Gave me chills! This is a side of Mark’s voice that people need to hear and I’m certain they will be just as blown away as I was.”

John Petrucci (DREAM THEATER): “Wow! I am absolutely blown away by Mark’s performance on this album!! He delivers the songs authentically, embodying all that is Frank but giving us a glimpse of his own personality as well. I love the arrangements and the fact that some of Frank’s original band members contributed to these tracks. Honestly, I’ve known Mark for a long time and know he is super talented but had no idea he was capable of channeling Old’ Blue Eyes like that! Just absolutely beautifully done and what makes everything even that much more touching is the cause. I bet Mark’s daughter Stella was in his heart during every step of the recording processes. Incredible!”

Tyler Connolly: “Okay this is so frickin’ good! I had a smile on my face when I heard marks voice come in on ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’. The production is fantastic, and I love that he has gifted the album to the NDSS (National Down Syndrome Society) Not surprised that he’s killed it on this one. Congrats, Mark. This is amazing!”

Brent Smith (SHINEDOWN): “Once again, Mark Tremonti never ceases to amaze me. These renditions of some of the most beloved Sinatra tunes, are so eloquently done that it is remarkable. And what a beautiful gift to the NDSS. Much love, respect, and success to this incredible project.”

James LaBrie (DREAM THEATER): “I met Mark around 10 years ago. First thing that struck me was his easy going, down-to-earth, respectful nature. That, to me, is a priority and a true measure of one’s makeup. Mark’s talent precedes him, I’ve listened to him since the ’90s ’til present day. It wasn’t until I listened to Mark’s solo albums that I was able to fully realize his vocal abilities. What a great voice!!! A beautiful and unique sound, alongside perfect delivery, dynamics and feel.

“When asked for my take on Mark’s Sinatra project, I really didn’t know what to expect. I went into this from the perspective of what I’ve heard. I was asked to listen to two tracks. I listened to the whole damn thing!!! I was completely blown away. He sounds just like Frank, with just enough of his own vocal characteristics to infuse just the right amount of himself while honoring Frank’s musicality. Mark did absolute justice to the number one iconic, legendary crooner of all time. A stellar job, nailing the inflections, nuances and all the subtleties in Frank’s delivery that made him unparalleled. Bravo, Mark. An admirable endeavor and cause for NDSS. All the best, Mark, Vicky and lovely Stella.”

Read more »

Tanya O’Callaghan says that “there is talk” of WHITESNAKE continuing to write and record new music even after the completion of the band’s farewell tour.

In November, Tanya was named the latest member of the long-running hard rock outfit as the replacement for longtime bassist Michael Devin whose departure was revealed a few days earlier.

When asked in a new interview with VWMusic if she will be staying on to record in the studio with WHITESNAKE as well, Tanya said: “Yeah, hopefully. There’s talk of it already. It’s one of the questions. We’ll probably keep recording, so absolutely. It’s just touring that David [Coverdale, WHITESNAKE frontman] is done and set with. I don’t think he can ever stop writing music, he’s a song machine, obviously, he’s an incredible songwriter. So, here’s hoping there are loads and loads of albums in the making over the next several years or so. I’d be honored to be involved.”

Tanya also said that joining WHITESNAKE at the end of its run is “actually the best part of it because I get to do the farewell tour. I mean, it’s gonna be probably two years to do everything, but it’s extra special because David is actually retiring from touring after this,” she said. “I know a lot of bands do the farewell thing for ten years, but he has said he’s going to continue writing and doing albums, which is awesome. I think it’s extra special especially the fact that we’re coming out of the whole world being locked down, and not seeing events. I think it’s just going to be magical in terms of energy, and so I love that I’m doing the farewell tour. I think it’s super special. It’s not just a tour, it’s the farewell tour.”

Last month, Tanya told Antihero about how she landed the WHITESNAKE gig: “David would’ve known of me, and we played the same festivals. And he called me directly… It was a direct call, and yeah, just a straight ask. But it is a process of putting the years in and being out there in the scene. There is no magic formula.”

She continued: “People ask, ‘How did you get the gig?’ It’s just this bizarre unfolding of, I’ve been working my ass off for years touring, and people are seeing you play, and you must have a presence. And, obviously, your CV speaks for itself. And then it’s just — I don’t know if the universe aligns, and WHITESNAKE happened to need a bassist. And I’m very honored that David called me immediately. I guess it was in his head from seeing me play. It’s a total honor. And it’s an amazing band. And just all amazing players.”

Coverdale, who turned 70 in September, recently confirmed that he plans to retire from touring after WHITESNAKE’s next batch of concerts around the world.

In early 2020, WHITESNAKE was forced to cancel its U.S. tour with SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE and NIGHT RANGER so that Coverdale could undergo surgery for bilateral inguinal hernia. Eventually, all of the shows were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Coverdale had both his knees replaced with titanium in 2017 after suffering from degenerative arthritis. He later explained that he was in so much pain with arthritis in his knees that it hampered his ability to perform live.

WHITESNAKE had been touring in support of its latest album, “Flesh & Blood”, which was released in May 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Read more »

A number of friends, family, fans and fellow rockers gathered this past Saturday (March 19) at late OZZY OSBOURNE/QUIET RIOT guitarist Randy Rhoads’s gravesite at the Mt. View Mortuary & Cemetery in San Bernardino, California to mark the 40th anniversary of his death. Among the well-wishers to a marble mausoleum bearing the Rhoads name were Randy’s sister Kathy and brother Kelle. Photos of the event can be seen below.

People reportedly travel from around the world, as far as Japan and New Zealand, to the cemetery to pay tribute to the iconic axeman. Back in 2012, on the 30th anniversary of Randy’s death, hundreds of heavy metal fans and fellow musicians gathered at his gravesite, including Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE), Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE) and Frankie Banali (QUIET RIOT).

Rhoads and two others were killed on March 19, 1982 when the small plane they were flying in at Flying Baron Estates in Leesburg, Florida struck Osbourne’s tour bus, then crashed into a mansion. Rhoads was 25 years old.

In his “Biography: The Nine Lives Of Ozzy Osbourne” special, Ozzy stated about first meeting Rhoads after his departure from BLACK SABBATH: “I knew instinctively that he was something extra special. He was like a gift from God — we worked so well together. Randy and I were like a team.

“One thing that he gave to me was hope, he gave me a reason for carrying on,” Ozzy added. “He had patience with me, which was great. He was great to work with. He pulled the best out of me. We had a lot of fun.”

Rhoads’s death had a tremendous impact on Osbourne’s life. “I lost a dear friend in my life — I miss him terribly,” Ozzy said. “I just bathed my wounds with alcohol and drugs.”

“The day that Randy Rhoads died was the day a part of me died,” he added.

Last October, Randy was posthumously inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame during the 2021 ceremony. Rhoads received the Musical Excellence Award at last year’s event, which was held on October 30 at Cleveland, Ohio’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The Musical Excellence Award is given to artists, musicians, songwriters and producers whose originality and influence creating music have had a dramatic impact on music.

Rhoads was inducted into the Rock Hall by Morello who stated in a video message. “Randy Rhoads is a peerless talent. He revived Ozzy Osbourne’s career as his gunslinger sideman. And it was Randy Rhoads’s poster that I had on my wall… You could study Randy’s songs in a university-level musicology class and bang your heads to them in a 7-11 parking lot.”

Also offering a video tribute was METALLICA’s Kirk Hammett, who stated about Randy’s death: “All of a sudden, the curtain came down unexpectedly and the show was over before it really, really got going.” Wylde spoke highly about his predecessor, saying “Randy, hands down, sits at” the round table of greatness in the Hall Of Fame alongside Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Eddie Van Halen.

Rhoads played on Osbourne’s seminal records “Blizzard Of Ozz” (1980) and “Diary Of A Madman”, influenced many musicians and is considered one of the greatest guitartists of all time. His death was a huge shock to the world and Ozzy wrote in his autobiography “I Am Ozzy” that he almost quit music after Randy’s passing.

Shortly after Rhoads’s induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was announced, Ozzy told Rolling Stone: “I knew him for a very short amount of time. But what he gave me in that short amount of time was immeasurable in fucking greatness. To get somebody like Randy Rhoads to play on two albums, and for those two albums to sound as good as the day they were recorded, is something else. And I’m forever in gratitude for that. God only knows where that man would be today. The very fact that he’s not here to breathe the air is just a fucking crime.

“Thank God that he’s getting recognized by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. He finally got there in the end. I’m sad that his mother was not alive to see it, because he was very close to his mom. It shows that he’s not been forgotten. He was a dedicated, true musician, and he was a lovely guy. I still think about him all the time.”

In Honor of RANDY RHOADS…
Such a beautiful Saturday filled with so much love for Randy shared with Family, Friends and…

Posted by Chuck Walker on Sunday, March 20, 2022

Randy Rhoads 40th memorial >==;;;

Posted by Jeff Hadjikhani on Saturday, March 19, 2022

Visiting Randy’s final resting place with his family and friends, on the 40th year after his tragic and untimely death….

Posted by Johnny Blade on Sunday, March 20, 2022

Beautiful Time & Vibes Up In
San Bernardino Wit The Rhoads
Family “””” #Rip Randy Rhoads ???

Posted by Daryl MoonThangski on Saturday, March 19, 2022

Read more »