San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT discussed the return of drummer Dave Lombardo to the group’s ranks during an appearance Tuesday (March 1) on SiriusXM’s Liquid Metal with host Jose Mangin.

An original member of thrash metal legends SLAYER, Lombardo was the guest drummer on TESTAMENT’s 1999 studio album “The Gathering”, which also marked the first time the band worked with then-up-and-coming British producer/engineer Andy Sneap.

Asked if he had to physically audition for the drummer spot in TESTAMENT this time around, Dave quipped (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I just sent them a link to my Wikipedia. ‘I’ve done these records, including one of yours. Can I come back?’ [Laughs]”

Lombardo said that he reached out to the TESTAMENT camp the same day that the band announced it was splitting with its longtime drummer Gene Hoglan.

“I was still asleep, and my wife, she just said, ‘Hey, Gene just left TESTAMENT,'” Dave recalled. “And she’s been always telling me, ‘Man, I can’t wait for you guys to get together for that ‘Gathering’ reunion.’ ‘Cause we had been talking about this two and a half, three years ago — before the pandemic. And so I immediately — I didn’t even get my other eye open and I was texting [TESTAMENT singer] Chuck [Billy]. I said, ‘Hey, man, what’s going on?’ I don’t know exactly what I mentioned in my text, but it was very simple, ‘Hey, what’s happening?’ And he immediately called me back. And I remember Tiffany [Chuck’s wife] was on the phone; Chuck was on the phone. We were, like, ‘Hey.’ It was a great come-together moment, like, ‘Hey, here we go. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for.'”

Dave went on to say that the timing was right for his return to TESTAMENT.

“‘The Gathering’ reunion didn’t have to happen putting Gene out, separating Gene and saying, ‘Gene, we’re gonna go with Dave for a while now.’ Nothing like that happened,” he said. “This happened organically. And it happened at a time where my other bands, two of the bands that I have, MR. BUNGLE and DEAD CROSS, [Mike] Patton sings in them and he’s trying to get healthy and is taking a little hiatus. And SUICIDAL TENDENCIES hasn’t been touring much lately. So that leaves me with a lot of little odd projects here and there that I work on in my free time. So it just felt like the right moment.

“I know it can be deceiving because I am in so many different bands, but there’s 24 hours in a day and I only sleep eight hours, or seven to eight hours, so that leaves me 16 other hours,” he explained. “And I don’t take Saturdays and Sundays off. So it was a no-brainer.”

Chuck said that he was surprised to hear from Dave so quickly after TESTAMENT made the news of its split with Gene public.

“Right when it happened, it was within minutes after the announcement,” Billy recalled. “And Dave doesn’t remember, but [his text message to me was] simply ‘Lombardo?’ That was the text. I’m, like, ‘You’re shitting me. Tiffany, Lombardo just wrote me, ‘Lombardo?” I called him right away. I said, ‘Hey, dude, what’s happening?’ He was, like, ‘Dude, I heard the news.’ I’m, like, ‘Dude, I would have called you right away, but I just thought it was kind of far-fetched for you to kind of jam because I know you’re probably pretty busy with all the other projects going on.’ And he was, like, ‘No. I’ve got a big opening and I’d love to get back.’ And we talked about ‘The Gathering’, doing that again. And here we are — it could be a reality to get to play ‘The Gathering’ like we spoke of.”

“The Gathering” was widely considered to be an improvement over 1997’s “Demonic”, an album that saw Billy employ a more guttural style of vocals and was released at a time when thrash acts as TESTAMENT had fallen out of favor.

Hoglan originally played drums on “Demonic”, but didn’t stick around long enough to do any touring with the band. He officially joined TESTAMENT in 2011 and played on the group’s last three albums: 2012’s “Dark Roots Of Earth”, 2016’s “Brotherhood Of The Snake” and 2020’s “Titans Of Creation”.

TESTAMENT, EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL played the sole 2021 date of “The Bay Strikes Back Tour” last November at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California. The gig took place less than two months after the three bands shared the stage at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento.

“The Bay Strikes Back Tour” was originally scheduled to kick off on October 6 at the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California and make stops in Austin, New York, and Detroit before concluding in Oakland. The tour has since been rescheduled to take place in April and May 2022.

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BAD WOLVES played their first show with new singer Daniel “DL” Laskiewicz last night (Tuesday, March 1) at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California as the support act for PAPA ROACH and HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

Laskiewicz has carved out an impressive career for himself over the last 15-plus years, most notably as a founding member and lead guitarist of metalcore band THE ACACIA STRAIN, of which he was a member from 2001 to 2013. A talented songwriter and producer, he’s also worked on projects with ALL THAT REMAINS, LEGION, FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS and collaborated with BAD WOLVES on their 2019 studio album “N.A.T.I.O.N.”, where the creative relationship with the band started.

BAD WOLVES’ third album, “Dear Monsters”, was released in October via Better Noise Music. It marked BAD WOLVES’ first full-length release with Laskiewicz.

BAD WOLVES broke the news of Laskiewicz’s addition to the band via a statement on social media in June 2021. The group wrote: “DL is a tremendous songwriter and singer, and we can confidently say that ‘Dear Monsters’, is the best BAD WOLVES album to date.

“DL is one of the most talented and hard-working people we have ever had the pleasure to know,” the band added. “He is a team player, a creative force, and overall a great human being who fits perfectly with our BW family. It feels incredible to be surrounded with such positive energy and the music we’ve made is certainly reflective of this new-found optimism and collaborative spirit. This new album shows a more cohesive and unique reflection of the band. There is a lot to prove and expectations are high with a new singer coming in. And we nailed it. The songs speak for themselves, and if you’re a BAD WOLVES fan, we know you won’t be disappointed.”

BAD WOLVES broke through in 2018 with a cover of THE CRANBERRIES hit “Zombie”. CRANBERRIES vocalist Dolores O’Riordan was supposed to contribute to the track but died the day she was supposed to go into the studio.

Original BAD WOLVES singer Tommy Vext quit the band in January 2021. He announced his exit in a since-deleted Instagram Live video, insisting that he was forced out by his former bandmates and record label, Better Noise Music, over his conservative political views. The singer also announced plans to launch a solo career while claiming he wrote a significant portion of the new BAD WOLVES album.

In the months leading up to his exit from BAD WOLVES, Vext — who is black — had been vocal about his support for former U.S. president Donald Trump while insisting he had never experienced racism in America and that it was all “manufactured.” In June 2020, Vext posted a six-plus-minute video on Instagram in which he suggested, without evidence, that “Black Lives Matter” was created by people like George Soros, the Holocaust survivor and billionaire who is the subject of many right-wing conspiracy theories, along with the Clinton Foundation. He also offered up the debunked theory that they invest in “Black Lives Matter” to profit from media coverage. The singer said he made the video “after weeks of research & interviews with independent journalist(s), military personnel, entertainment industry professionals, a virologist & many ex Democrats.”

BAD WOLVES guitarist Doc Coyle later took to his social media to “apologize to anyone who was hurt” by Tommy’s comments and to offer up his perspective on what he called a “distraction” from BAD WOLVES’ message of “inclusion and positivity.”

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Frontiers Music Srl will release “Complicated”, the eighth official studio album from veteran hard rock vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, on May 6 on CD, color LP and digital formats. Today, fans can get their first taste of new music from the LP with the release of the single and video “Love Is The Revolution”.

As with his previous studio album of all-new material, “Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)”, Soto teamed up with producer and songwriter Alessandro Del Vecchio (HARDLINE, REVOLUTION SAINTS, EDGE OF FOREVER) to craft “Complicated”. Arguably the best Jeff Scott Soto album since “Damage Control”, “Complicated” has a TALISMAN and even a W.E.T. (Jeff’s band with members of ECLIPSE and WORK OF ART) feel to it, but all feels wholly Jeff Scott Soto at the end of the day.

Jeff Scott Soto has more than 60 albums under his belt along with numerous collaborations and recordings. He has established himself as a consummate professional who manages to expertly deliver with his vocal performances across multiple musical genres, from metal to hard rock to progressive rock and even funk. His career spans nearly 30 years, beginning as the vocalist for guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen before coming the frontman for bands such as TALISMAN, SOUL SIRKUS, SONS OF APOLLO (featuring Billy Sheehan, Mike Portnoy, Derek Sherinian and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal), as well as an ongoing membership in TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA and a stint as the lead singer for the legendary classic rock band JOURNEY.

In 1994, Soto released his first solo album, “Love Parade”, followed years later by the acclaimed “Prism” (2002), then “Lost In The Translation” (2005), “Beautiful Mess” (2009), “Damage Control” (2012), “Retribution” (2017), “Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)” (2020) and “The Duets Collection, Vol. 1” (2021).

“Complicated” track listing:

01. Last To Know
02. Disbelieving
03. Home Again
04. Love Is The Revolution
05. Until I See You Again
06. Complicated
07. Don’t Look Back
08. New Horizon
09. Back To The Beginning
10. Thank You
11. Obsession

Recording lineup:

Lead and backing vocals – Jeff Scott Soto
Lead guitar – Fabrizio Sgattoni
Bass, keyboards and backing vocals – Alessandro Del Vecchio
Drums – Edu Cominato

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Ex-MORBID ANGEL drummer Pedro “Pete” Sandoval will rejoin his former bandmate David Vincent on the upcoming tour from I AM MORBID.

I AM MORBID, which features Vincent (vocals, bass) alongside guitarists Bill Hudson (CIRCLE II CIRCLE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) and Kelly McLauchlin, will celebrate the 30th anniversary of MORBID ANGEL’s second album, “Blessed Are The Sick”, with a European tour in March/April. Support on the trek will come from BELPHEGOR and HATE.

Earlier today (Wednesday, March 2), Vincent took to his social media to confirm his reunion with the drummer for the first time in 12 years. He added: “[Pete] will be performing drums with [I AM MORBID] on their upcoming #MorbidFestTour2022.”

Sandoval, who now lives his life as a born-again Christian, was forced to leave MORBID ANGEL in 2010 after undergoing surgery for a prolapsed disc.

Vincent told Invisible Oranges in a December 2013 interview that Pete had “found Jesus,” which meant that Sandoval and MORBID ANGEL were no longer “compatible.”

Sandoval has past the last few years recording and touring with TERRORIZER, whose latest studio album, “Caustic Attack”, was released in October 2018 via The End Records.

A year ago, Sandoval released an Instagram video in which he addressed some of the most commonly asked questions regarding his time with MORBID ANGEL. He said: “I’ve been asked about who’s my favorite singer or which era is my favorite one — the era with David Vincent or with Steve Tucker. Well, I wanna tell you that I love both eras. I had fun. I had a great time working with David Vincent, and I had a great time working with Steve Tucker as well. So, from ‘Altars Of Madness’ [1989] to ‘Heretic’ [2003], they’re all masterpieces for me. We worked hard [on] those albums. So I’m telling you my answer that I don’t have a favorite album, I don’t have a favorite era, I don’t have a favorite singer — I love ’em all. I had a great time in both eras with every album.”

Sandoval added: “And as far as the album released in 2011” — referring to MORBID ANGEL’s controversial “Illud Divinum Insanus” LP — “please don’t ask me any questions about it, because I have no comments about it — no comments at all, man. I stay what I am, I did what I did, and I am so happy and grateful that I did what I did with these guys.”

In a 2011 e-mail chat with Brazil’s Som Extremo, Sandoval was asked for his opinion of “Illud Divinum Insanus”, which incorporated industrial and electronic elements into MORBID ANGEL traditional death metal sound. “No comment! I don’t play on that album,” he wrote. He was then questioned about what he thought he would have done different on “Illud Divinum Insanus” had he played on the record. “More exreme deathgrind metal and less DJ, boring awful typical I care less industrial experimental same as everybody boring bull!” he said. “This is not what MORBID has been all about! …Hmmmmmm, and I really care less…!”

Initially announced for 2021, I AM MORBID’s “Morbidfest” tour had to be postponed due to the pandemic. But it’s finally happening in 2022.

“Morbidfest” 2022 tour dates featuring I AM MORBID with support from BELPHEGOR and HATE:

March 24 – Berlin, DE @ ORWO Haus
March 25 – Roskilde, DK @ Gimle
March 26 – Aalborg, DK @ Streetfood
March 27 – Bochum, DE @ Matrix
March 29 – Prague, CZ @ Futurum
March 30 – Poznan, PL @ Klub U Bazyla
March 31 – Gdansk, PL @ B90
April 01 – Katowice, PL @ P23
April 02 – Ostrava, CZ @ Barrack Club
April 03 – Bratislava, SK @ MCC Majestic
April 04 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique
April 06 – Hengelo, NL @ Metropool
April 07 – London, UK @ Underworld
April 08 – Cardiff, UK @ Fuel
April 09 – Manchester, UK @ Rebellion
April 10 – Rotterdam, NL @ Baroeg
April 12 – Nantes, FR @ Le Warehouse
April 13 – Paris, FR @ L’Empreinte
April 14 – Metz, FR @ Le Geulard
April 15 – Aaburg, CH @ Musigburg
April 16 – Munich, DE @ Dark Easter Metal Meeting
April 17: Leipzig, DE @ Hellraiser
April 18 – Kassel, DE @ Goldgrube
April 19 – Weiheim, DE @ Cafe Central
April 20 – Milan, IT @ Slaughterclub
April 21 – Rome, IT @ Orion
April 22 – Venice, IT @ Revolver

Vincent left MORBID ANGEL in 2015. He has since been replaced by a returning Steve Tucker, who previously handled bass and vocals on MORBID ANGEL’s “Formulas Fatal To The Flesh”, “Gateways To Annihilation” and “Heretic” LPs.

In a May 2019 interview with Jorge Botas of the “Metal Global” radio show, which airs on the Portuguese public TV and radio broadcaster RTP, Vincent said that he had every right to perform MORBID ANGEL’s classic songs with I AM MORBID.

“Times come and life works the way that it does,” Vincent said. “And there are times when… It’s like a marriage — sometimes they don’t always work forever. But that doesn’t mean that the children that we’ve had together, that I don’t still love my children. Although Trey [Azagthoth, MORBID ANGEL guitarist and sole remaining original member] and I have some irreconcilable differences, that doesn’t in any way preclude me from still having the love and the passion for all of my children.”

Asked what he has to say to people who insist that he should not play MORBID ANGEL’s early material without the other members of the group’s classic lineup, David said: “There’s examples of this very situation… I mean, when Ozzy [Osbourne] left BLACK SABBATH, that didn’t stop him from playing ‘Paranoid’ every night, even though he didn’t write the song. All of the songs that I’m singing I wrote. So I don’t really understand that. But different people become attached to different things. And they have their opinion and I have mine. And I don’t really consider this kind of negativity. I don’t have it in my life.”

In 2019, Vincent released “Something Wicked Marches In”, the debut album from his supergroup VLTIMAS, also featuring guitarist Rune Eriksen (formerly of MAYHEM) and CRYPTOPSY drummer Flo Mounier. Two years earlier, Vincent issued his debut country single, “Drinkin’ With The Devil”.

PETE “COMMANDO” SANDOVAL REUNITES WITH DAVID VINCENT FOR UPCOMING TOUR!

#IAmMorbid announces that Pete “Commando”…

Posted by Official David Vincent on Wednesday, March 2, 2022

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AMON AMARTH frontman Johan Hegg has denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has called for peace to be restored in Europe.

The 48-year-old Swedish death metal musician took to his Twitter earlier today (Wednesday, March 2) to write: “My lyrics are often about glorious battles & brave warriors, but they’re just stories, sometimes based on history. That doesn’t mean I condone war as a matter of solving conflicts. War is never a solution to any dispute. It can only generate more animosity & hate between people.

“Right now Putin has invaded the Ukraine, a democratic, sovereign state, and though this is far from the only weaponised conflict in the world, it has affected me deeply. I thought we as Europeans were passed this, especially considering our troubled past.

“My hope is that Putin will end this attack on Ukraine, & that peace will be restored in Europe. My fear is that even if this happens, it will take a very long time for trust to return between Russia & the rest of the world. I stand with Ukraine & all Russians who oppose this war.”

Last Thursday (February 24), Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine. Putin made the announcement during a televised early morning speech, peddling accusations of Nazi elements within Ukraine to justify the attack on his western neighbor, a move that experts slammed as slanderous and false. (Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish and lost three family members in the Holocaust.)

The Russian leader called for Ukraine’s “demilitarization and denazification” and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences they have never seen.”

Putin’s military aggression — which has been described by U.S. president Joe Biden as an “unprovoked and unjustified attack” on Ukraine — has resulted at least 136 civilian deaths so far, including 13 children, a United Nations agency said on Tuesday.

Ukraine’s health ministry previously said 352 civilians had been killed during the Russian attack as of Monday. The figure included 14 children, it said.

My lyrics are often about glorious battles & brave warriors, but they’re just stories, sometimes based on history. That doesn’t mean I condone war as a matter of solving conflicts.
War is never a solution to any dispute. It can only generate more animosity & hate between people.
— Johan Hegg (@AmonJohan) March 2, 2022

Right now Putin has invaded the Ukraine, a democratic, sovereign state, and though this is far from the only eaponized conflict in the world, it has affected me deeply.
I thought we as Europeans were passed this, especially considering our troubled past.
— Johan Hegg (@AmonJohan) March 2, 2022

My hope is that Putin will end this attack on Ukraine, & that peace will be restored in Europe. My fear is that even if this happens, it will take a very long time for trust to return between Russia & the rest of the world. I stand with Ukraine & all Russians who oppose this war.
— Johan Hegg (@AmonJohan) March 2, 2022

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