Hear Canadian grinders Expression of Pain blast on in memory of fallen drummer Graham Green on their self-titled release.
The post Blast Worship: Expression of Pain appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

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Swedish death metal veterans HYPOCRISY will embark on the “Worship” tour this spring. The 28-date trek will kick off at Warsaw in Brooklyn, New York on April 29 and will make stops in Toronto, Los Angeles, and Austin before concluding in Baltimore at the Maryland Deathfest on May 29. Support on the trek will come from CARACH ANGREN, THE AGONIST and HIDEOUS DIVINITY.

HYPOCRISY leader Peter Tägtgren comments: “We’re happy to come back on tour in North America with the new album. New songs and old songs never played live before will be added to the setlist. And we’re happy to share the stage with CARACH ANGREN, THE AGONIST and HIDEOUS DIVINITY.”

General admission tickets for the tour go on sale this Friday, January 21 at 9 a.m. PST/ noon EST.

Confirmed dates for HYPOCRISY’s “Worship” tour 2022 with CARACH ANGREN, THE AGONIST and HIDEOUS DIVINITY are:

Apr. 29 – Warsaw – Brooklyn, NY
Apr. 30 – Middle East Downstairs – Boston, MA
May 01 – L’Astral – Montreal, QC, Canada
May 02 – Lees Palace – Toronto, ON, Canada
May 04 – The Forge – Joliet, IL
May 05 – The Cabooze – Minneapolis, MN
May 06 – Park Theatre – Winnipeg, MB, Canada
May 07 – The Exchange -Regina, SK, Canada
May 08 – Starlite Room – Edmonton, AB, Canada
May 10 – Red Room – Vancouver, BC, Canada
May 11 – Club Sur – Seattle, WA
May 12 – Bossanova Ballroom – Portland, OR
May 13 – Cornerstone – Berkeley, CA
May 14 – Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
May 15 – 1720 – Los Angeles, CA
May 17 – Nile Theater – Mesa, AZ
May 18 – Rockhouse Bar & Grill – El Paso, TX
May 19 – Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM
May 20 – Come and Take It Live – Austin, TX
May 21 – Amplified Live – Dallas, TX
May 22 – White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX
May 24 – The Abbey – Orlando, FL
May 25 – Respectable Street – West Palm Beach, FL
May 26 – Furnace 41 – Jonesboro, GA
May 27 – The Blind Tiger – Greensboro. NC
May 28 – Enclave – Pittsburgh, PA
May 29 – Maryland Deathfest – Baltimore, MD

Last November, Tägtgren spoke out against vaccine mandates, saying “when they try to force it on you, I become the opposite.” The 51-year-old Tägtgren, who lives in a small Swedish village called Pärlby, discussed his views on vaccines in an interview with Tuonela Magazine. He said: “Unfortunately, I’m not a really optimistic guy when it comes to this COVID thing. I think there will be a couple of peaks again and [lockdowns] here and [lockdowns] there. Unfortunately, that’s how it is. I don’t know when it’s ever gonna pan out. I don’t know if it ever will pan out. But maybe we can be more immune to it so it’s not so deadly — so it doesn’t affect you so, so bad, if you get normal immunity to it.

“Everybody knows I’m really skeptical [about] the vaccine and stuff like that, especially when they try to force it on you,” he continued. “Because if you start forcing [it on people], then I become the opposite. But the good part with me [is that] I’m not social. I live in the woods, so, for me, I’m not out there breathing on people. The only time I go out is when I go to my studio or if I go to the local grocery store where there’s four people maximum every time I’m there shopping. So I’m not there to risk anything. And even people who do get the vaccine, they still spread the disease, so I don’t see the difference, unfortunately.”

“It scares me when they start going down in ages on kids [who are eligible for the vaccine] and pushing in things that they haven’t really tried,” he added. “And the only thing they’re trying is to get it approved in a very hurry, and that scares me as well. But this is how it is right now, and this is how we’re gonna have to take it. As long as I’m not out, I’m not gonna vaccinate myself. But I’m gonna have to because I’m gonna go on tour. So, yeah, that’s the way it is nowadays. So I stay away from people until I go on tour… In my village, there’s twenty people living, and our houses are very far from each other. So I see no problem not being vaccinated right now.”

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Steve Vai has postponed his planned tour of North America until the fall. The first U.S. leg of dates will now begin on Wednesday, September 28 in El Cajon, California and wrap the first week of December. The itinerary will now feature performances in 52 markets as opposed to the initial plan of staging 54 shows. All ticket and VIP purchases will be honored for the rescheduled date. Vai’s performance in Atlanta, Georgia will now take place at the Variety Playhouse instead of The Eastern and due to scheduling conflicts, the Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Billings, Montana shows will no longer be a part of the tour.

Approximately one year ago, Vai underwent shoulder surgery to repair an injury. That procedure was successful, enabling him to record the upcoming studio album release of “Inviolate” (Favored Nations / Mascot Label Group). In preparing for the tour, it became clear that a new injury emerged that requires another surgery, prohibiting the tour to be staged as previously announced.

Vai shares: “I’m gutted that we have to move this tour, but I also know it’s in the best interests for us and the fans that we do.”

The following appearances are confirmed:

Sep. 28 – El Cajon, CA @ The Magnolia
Sep. 30 – Riverside, CA @ Fox Performing Arts Center
Oct. 01 – Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues
Oct. 02 – Phoenix, AZ @ Celebrity Theatre
Oct. 04 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Rockwell at The Complex
Oct. 05 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater
Oct. 07 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Tower Theatre
Oct. 08 – Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues
Oct. 09 – San Antonio, TX @ The Aztec Theatre
Oct. 11 – Austin, TX @ Paramount Theatre
Oct. 12 – Houston, TX @ House Of Blues
Oct. 14 – Birmingham, AL @ Lyric Theatre
Oct. 15 – Macon, GA @ Hargray Capitol Theatre
Oct. 16 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
Oct. 18 – Clearwater, FL @ Bilheimer Capitol Theatre
Oct. 19 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ The Parker
Oct. 20 – Orlando, FL @ The Plaza Live
Oct. 21 – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL @ Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
Oct. 22 – Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall
Oct. 23 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
Oct. 25 – Alexandria, VA @ The Birchmere
Oct. 26 – Harrisburg, PA @ [to be determined]
Oct. 27 – Port Chester, NY @ The Capitol Theatre
Oct. 28 – Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
Oct. 29 – Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Theatre
Oct. 30 – Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
Nov. 01 – New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall
Nov. 02 – Providence, RI @ The Strand
Nov. 03 – Boston, MA @ The Wilbur
Nov. 04 – Rochester, NY @ Kodak Center
Nov. 05 – Albany, NY @ The Egg
Nov. 07 – Greensburg, PA @ Palace Theatre
Nov. 08 – Warren, OH @ Packard Music Hall
Nov. 10 – Detroit, MI @ Masonic Cathedral Theatre
Nov. 11 – Morgantown, WV @ Metropolitan Theatre
Nov. 12 – Nashville, TN @ CMA Theatre
Nov. 13 – Louisville, KY @ Old Forester’s Paristown Hall
Nov. 14 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
Nov. 16 – Chicago, IL @ Copernicus Center
Nov. 18 – St. Paul, MN @ Fitzgerald Theater
Nov. 19 – Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
Nov. 20 – Kansas City, MO @ The Uptown Theater
Nov. 21 – Sioux Falls, SD @ The District
Nov. 22 – Des Moines, IA @ Hoyt Sherman Place
Nov. 23 – Fargo, ND @ Fargo Theatre
Nov. 25 – Bozeman, MT @ The ELM
Nov. 26 – Missoula, MT @ The Wilma
Nov. 27 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
Nov. 28 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
Nov. 30 – Turlock, CA @ Turlock Community Theatre
Dec. 02 – Napa, CA @ Uptown Theatre Napa
Dec. 03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Theatre at Ace Hotel

Last February, Vai revealed that he had undergone shoulder and trigger finger surgeries, explaining that his shoulder had been “screwed up.”

During an appearance on Tyler Larson’s “Guitar Villains” podcast, Vai said that he sustained the finger injury by holding a tough chord for too long.

“I was doing this fun thing, and I had to put my thumb in this really weird position,” he said. “And I had to kind of hold this chord really for a long time — I was meditating on it. And I knew it was a hard position, and I just kept sitting there and playing it and playing and playing, and 20 minutes later, I’d kind of come out, and I [felt pain in my hand]. So I kind of sprained this, and then, all of a sudden, I developed trigger finger. My wife said, ‘Don’t show anybody,’ ’cause they did that operation and they cut in there, and the guy’s fooling around with everything in there, and it’s really bizarre. But it’s all fine — it’s something very simple that they can fix. But I won’t be able to play for a while.”

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WeTransfer, a leading provider of creative productivity tools, today announced its new global brand campaign, “Together We Make”. The campaign tells stories from creatives around the globe as they bring their ideas to life, with a little help from WeTransfer. It’s WeTransfer’s largest campaign to date, created in partnership with lead creative agency Preacher, production agency Partizan, and media agency Noble People.

The campaign explores the creative process through the eyes of an idea as it grows from concept to reality and ultimately comes to life in the real world. Throughout the journey, the campaign highlights features from WeTransfer’s latest product drop: portals and reviews. These new features help creatives navigate their clients through rounds of creative work — eliminating the long threads of messy feedback common in client services today.

Viewers will experience the creative and collaborative process behind designing and producing both an album cover and a fashion show. Explore how BABYMETAL, a popular Japanese pop-metal group, picks the mascot cover art for a limited-edition release through a seamless feedback experience. Then, step into rising British-Nigerian fashion designer Tolu Coker’s sketchbook and watch as a dress goes from concept to runway. The campaign will also include an online auction for a wearable NFT designed by Coker and world-class NFT artist Clara Bacou.

“There is a certain magic to seeing an idea, that started as a sketch in a notebook, grow into a fully realized creation. We’re a company built by creatives and for creatives, and this campaign shows how WeTransfer is growing its product offering to support the collaborative nature of modern creative work,” said Damian Bradfield, chief creative officer and co-founder of WeTransfer.

WeTransfer’s new campaign will also feature over 20 talented, prominent and up-and-coming creative professionals across paid and owned media channels. Featured creatives include illustrator Nicolette Schenck and ustwo games, the developers behind Monument Valley, one of the most successful games on the iOS platform.

WeTransfer is also working with leading media platform Vox to bring the features to life via a custom video series highlighting the behind-the-scenes process with a world-class creator. Twitch streamers will create custom content using WeTransfer products in real-time for a Twitch homepage takeover. Billboards featuring art from the campaign will also appear in creative hubs: New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami.

Zach Watkins, creative director at Preacher, the creative agency for WeTransfer, says: “Creatives know and trust WeTransfer as a file delivery service. And while that hasn’t changed, the product is evolving. Our new campaign aims to demo the new WeTransfer features, albeit in an unexpected way. Essentially, we bring to life a project, from the creative idea’s point of view. The idea witnesses its own creation as creatives and clients iterate, polish, and work together on the WeTransfer platform.”

Through its new brand campaign, WeTransfer is drawing on its heritage as a company that supports every part of the creative process. Since its inception, the company has built solutions and tools specifically tailored to the creative community and has been allocating 30% of its advertising space to support artists and social causes. In 2018 the company also launched WePresent, an editorial platform for unexpected stories about creatives around the world.

“Creatives today are working harder than ever to bring great ideas into the world. Remote work presents a brand new set of challenges for both clients and creators,” said Julia Shapiro, VP of marketing at WeTransfer. “But when we’re able to turn those ideas into reality, the feeling is that much sweeter. This campaign is meant to tap into that feeling.”

The campaign was produced in collaboration with creative agency Preacher, production agency Partizan, and media agency Noble People.

For more information, visit wetransfer.com/togetherwemake.

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The U.S. government requested and was granted permission to share sealed materials from the case involving ICED EARTH guitarist Jon Schaffer’s role in the U.S. Capitol riot case as discovery to the three main Oath Keepers cases.

Discovery is the legal term used to describe the different processes that require parties in a lawsuit to exchange information that each side possesses.

In their January 13 court filing related to Schaffer, government attorneys wrote: “The United States of America respectfully moves for entry by this Court of an order permitting the disclosure in discovery of materials protected by Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e). The United States also requests permission to provide in discovery in United States, Thomas Caldwell, et. al., sealed materials related to the above-captioned case, pursuant to the previously entered protective order governing discovery. Finally, the United States requests that any order granting this motion be made applicable to co-defendants who may later be joined. The United States is authorized to represent to the Court that Defendant [Schaffer] does not oppose this motion or the entry of the attached order. Wherefore, the United States respectfully requests an order authorizing the disclosure in discovery of the materials described above.”

A day later, U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta granted the motion to disclose materials from the Schaffer case in the case against Stewart Rhodes, the founder and leader of the right-wing Oath Keepers extremist group, and several of his deputies, who were charged with seditious conspiracy for their role in the U.S. Capitol Riot. That indictment, which was unsealed last week, alleges Rhodes and his co-defendants brought small arms to the Washington, D.C. area; engaged in combat training to prepare for the attack; and made plans to stage quick-reaction forces to support insurrectionists.

Last month, a lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C. accusing 31 members of Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys — including Schaffer — of “conspiring to terrorize the District” on January 6, 2021, calling their actions “a coordinated act of domestic terrorism.” According to CNN, the lawsuit cites the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, a federal law created after the Civil War to protect civil rights and, as Racine noted, “to protect against vigilantes and insurrectionists.”

“I think the damages are substantial,” Racine told The Washington Post. “If it so happens that it bankrupts or puts these individuals and entities in financial peril, so be it.”

The 84-page complaint, which can be found at this location, describes Schaffer as “a founding, lifetime member of the Oath Keepers.” It goes on to say: “Schaffer was criminally charged and indicted for his role in perpetrating the January 6th Attack. In connection with a promise to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in criminal cases related to the conspiracy to commit the January 6th Attack, Schaffer pleaded guilty to the entire Statement of Offense in the criminal action brought against him, which included two felony offenses: (1) trespass of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon and (2) obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress. The Criminal Complaint filed against Schaffer—as well as Schaffer’s Plea Agreement and the accompanying Statement of Offense describing his conduct—are publicly available documents that are hereby incorporated into the Complaint by reference.”

“No one bore the brunt of this gutless attack more than the courageous law enforcement officers including the men and women of the DC Metropolitan Police Department who went into the fire and violence with one objective in mind: remove the violent mob and restore our country’s fragile democracy,” Racine said at a news conference.

“The defendants, as you know, were not tourists, nor were they acting patriotically,” he added. “They were vigilantes, members of a mob, insurrectionists who sought to crush our country’s freedoms.”

As part of his April 2021 plea deal, Jon entered into a cooperation agreement with the government.

Although Schaffer was initially charged with six crimes, including engaging in an act of physical violence and targeting police with bear spray, he pleaded guilty to only two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress; and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The first charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while the second carries up to a 10-year prison term.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer acknowledged that on January 6, 2021 he was in Washington to attend the “Stop The Steal” rally at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. to protest the results of the presidential election, which he believed were fraudulent. Schaffer wore a tactical vest and carried bear spray, a dangerous weapon and chemical irritant used to ward off bears. When the rally finished, Schaffer joined a large crowd that marched from the Ellipse to the Capitol, where a joint session of Congress, presided over by Vice President Michael Pence, was in session to certify the electoral college vote results. Shortly after 2:00 p.m., members of the mob forced entry into the Capitol building, disrupting the joint session and causing members of Congress and the Vice President to be evacuated from the House and Senate chambers.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer admitted that after arriving on Capitol grounds, he walked past barriers intended to restrict access to the public and to a set of locked doors on the Capitol’s west side. At approximately 2:40 p.m., Schaffer positioned himself at the front of a crowd that broke open a set of doors being guarded by four U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers wearing riot gear. Schaffer admitted to being among the first individuals to push past the damaged doors and into the Capitol building, forcing officers to retreat. Schaffer and others advanced toward five or six backpedaling USCP officers while members of the mob swelled inside of the Capitol and overwhelmed the officers. The officers ultimately deployed a chemical irritant to disperse the mob. Schaffer was among the people who were sprayed in the face, after which he exited while holding his own bear spray in his hands.

As part of the plea deal, Schaffer agreed to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in related criminal cases, according to CNN. In return for Schaffer’s assistance, the Justice Department might later urge the judge to show leniency during his sentencing.

Also as part of the agreement, the Justice Department has offered to sponsor Schaffer for the witness protection program.

The 53-year-old musician was the first Capitol riot defendant to reach a plea deal.

The Indiana chapter of the Oath Keepers distanced itself from Schaffer after his arrest, claiming he was not a member of the local group. But the national organization, which sells lifetime memberships for $1,200, has not commented on his alleged affiliation with the group.

At a November 2020 Donald Trump rally in Washington, D.C., Schaffer was videotaped walking behind a Florida couple, Kelly Meggs and Connie Meggs, who were accused of being among 10 members of the Oath Keepers to have played a leading role in the Capitol assault. According to federal authorities, Kelly and Connie Meggs plotted for weeks ahead of the attack, attended training sessions and recruited others. Kelly Meggs is the head of the Oath Keepers’ chapter in Florida.

Following the initial reports that Schaffer was involved in the riot, his ICED EARTH bandmates distanced themselves from his actions. Singer Stu Block and bassist Luke Appleton later posted separate statements on social media announcing their resignations. BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch also quit DEMONS & WIZARDS, his long-running project with Schaffer. The allegations also apparently affected Schaffer’s relationship with his longtime record label Century Media, which had released albums from both ICED EARTH and DEMONS & WIZARDS. As of mid-January, the Century Media artist roster page did not list either band.

new filings:
govt requested and was granted permission to share sealed materials from the Jon Schaffer case as discovery to the three main #OathKeepers cases (Stewart Rhodes et al./Crowl et al./Walden)https://t.co/uzy2lwDtcdhttps://t.co/53neBR94aChttps://t.co/DRk41N48mD https://t.co/FByUXRxwf1 pic.twitter.com/EZae9BTo6j

— benny bryant (@bennybryant17) January 18, 2022

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SCORPIONS have shared the official music video for their new single, “Rock Believer”. The single’s cover art was designed by Klaus Voormann and can be found below.

“Rock Believer” is the title track of SCORPIONS’ 19th studio album, which will be released on February 25.

Two months ago, SCORPIONS released the official music video for “Rock Believer”‘s first single, “Peacemaker”. The track features music courtesy of guitarist Rudolf Schenker and bassist Pawel Maciwoda and lyrics by singer Klaus Meine.

Asked in a recent interview with Chile’s Radio Futuro what fans can expect to hear on “Rock Believer”, Meine said: “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.”

Added Meine: “Over the years, we’ve heard people say lots of times that rock is dead. But there are still millions of rock believers out there all over the world that prove them wrong. Our fans are the best in the world. We’ll see you someday somewhere out there, because we’re rock believers, just like you.”

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.

“Rock Believer” track listing:

01. Gas In The Tank
02. Roots In My Boots
03. Knock ‘Em Dead
04. Rock Believer
05. Shining Of Your Soul
06. Seventh Sun
07. Hot And Cold
08. When I Lay My Bones To Rest
09. Peacemaker
10. Call Of The Wild
11. When You Know (Where You Come From)
12. Shoot For Your Heart
13. When Tomorrow Comes
14. Unleash The Beast
15. Crossing Borders

SCORPIONS will kick off their “Rock Believer” world tour in March 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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Maryland rockers CLUTCH will embark on a North American tour in March. The trek will be split between two legs, with the featuring support from EYEHATEGOD and TIGERCUB and the second one featuring THE SWORD and Nate Bergman. Tickets go on sale this Friday, January 21.

Tour dates:

Mar. 16 – Birmingham, AL – Iron City
Mar. 18 – New Orleans, LA – Fillmore
Mar. 19 – Tyler, TX – Country River Club
Mar. 20 – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theatre
Mar. 22 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre
Mar. 24 – Santa Ana, CA – Observatory
Mar. 25 – Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl
Mar. 26 – Reno, NV – Virginia Street Brewhouse
Mar. 28 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
Mar. 29 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre
Mar. 31 – Edmonton, AB – Midway
Apr. 01 – Calgary, AB – The Palace Theatre
Apr. 02 – Missoula, MT – Wilma Theatre
Apr. 03 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
Apr. 05 – Billings, MT – Pub Station
Apr. 07 – Minneapolis, MN – First Ave.
Apr. 08 – Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre
Apr. 09 – Green Bay, WI – Epic Events Center
Apr. 10 – Joliet, IL – The Forge
Apr. 27 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
Apr. 29 – Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino
Apr. 30 – Providence, RI – The Strand
May 01 – Stroudsburg, PA – Sherman Theatre
May 03 – Rochester, NY – Anthology
May 04 – London, ON – Music Hall
May 06 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room
May 07 – Grand Rapids, MI – GLC Live at 20 Monore
May 08 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live!
May 10 – Moline, IL – The Rust Belt
May 12 – Tulsa, OK – Cains Ballroom
May 13 – Wichita, KS – The Cotillion
May 14 – Sauget, IL – POP’s
May 15 – Little Rock, AR – The Hall
May 17 – Knoxville, TN – Mill & Mine
May 18 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
May 19 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville
May 21 – Myrtle Beach, SC – Bike Week
May 22 – Richmond, VA – The National

Mar. 16 – Apr. 10 featuring special guests EYEHATEGOD and TIGERCUB
Apr. 27 – May 22 featuring special guests THE SWORD and Nate Bergman

CLUTCH recently completed recording its new album for a tentative early 2022 release.

Early last year, CLUTCH drummer Jean-Paul Gaster told the Chicago-based webzine Metal Kaoz that he and his bandmates had “written a lot of songs” for the follow-up to 2018’s “Book Of Bad Decisions” LP. He said: “We’ve been writing now for our new album, and I think we’re spending more time than ever in the studio, just trying out different ideas. And most of the ideas don’t ever really make it to the end; we try 10 things and we keep one.

“I think we are even more selective than we were before as to which ideas we really decide to focus on. And I think it is because we have so much more time. Before, we would come home for a tour and maybe we would have three weeks off. So, the first week, we don’t do really much of anything — everybody goes back home to their families and we rest — and then the next two weeks we would get together and we would just jam really hard and get a bunch of ideas, and then on the road and play those ideas, and then come back and do it again. And that process might go on for a year and a half. This has been different. This is the first time where we’ve had so much time at home to work on ideas and never really tried them in a live setting. So I’m not sure how it’s gonna impact the record. But I think it’s gonna make for a different album — whether it’s good, bad or otherwise, it’s too early to tell. But, for sure, it’s a different dynamic, and it requires more of us.

“So often, when we have new ideas and we put them in front of an audience, you can really tell right away — we know right away if the song is the right tempo, we know right away if the riffs are where they need to be, if the chorus is the way it needs to be,” Gaster added. “It’s a testing ground. And we don’t have that right now. So, for that reason, I think we are being a lot more careful about what ideas we really wanna focus on, and which ones we think, ‘You know what? We’ve done that before. Let’s do something a little different.'”

“Book Of Bad Decisions” was recorded at Sputnik Sound studio in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Vance Powell. The record sold 26,000 copies in America during its first week of availability, giving the group its third consecutive Top 20 album on the Billboard 200.

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Eddie Van Halen’s ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli, who is promoting her new book, “Enough Already: Learning To Love The Way I Am Today”, has told USA Today in a new interview that she started writing the memoir just weeks after the legendary guitarist died on October 6, 2020, after a long battle with cancer.

“I wasn’t expecting to write a book about grief when I started it, but I was in the thick of it,” she said. “It actually ended up being very cathartic to write about it.”

Regarding her relationship with Eddie in the years after they divorced, Valerie said: “Ed and I grew even closer together. We couldn’t live with each other, but we found it impossible to live completely apart.”

“I can’t make people understand this, because it’s so personal, but I’ve never felt love like that,” she continued. “Even through all of the horrible stuff that we did to each other, there were so many more good things. I just don’t feel like I’ve ever been loved like that, in that way, from anybody else. I just feel a connection with Ed that I’ve never really felt with anyone else.

“Love isn’t a big enough word for the feeling that Ed felt for me, and that I felt for him,” she added.

Bertinelli split with Van Halen in 2002 after 21 years of marriage. They officially divorced in 2007. Eddie then went on to marry Janie Liszewski in 2009, while Valerie also remarried, tying the knot with Tom Vitale in 2011. Valerie told People magazine that both marriages were struggling before Eddie’s death. She eventually filed for separation from Vitale in November 2021.

On the day of the VAN HALEN guitarist’s passing, Valerie shared a photo of her, Eddie and their son Wolfgang, taken while Wolfgang was still a toddler, and she included the following message: “40 years ago my life changed forever when I met you. You gave me the one true light in my life, our son, Wolfgang. Through all your challenging treatments for lung cancer, you kept your gorgeous spirit and that impish grin. I’m so grateful Wolfie and I were able to hold you in your last moments. I will see you in our next life my love.”

Eddie died at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Following his death, fans left flowers at his childhood home on Las Lunas Street in Pasadena, California. Additional flowers, candles and fan mementos were placed on Allen Avenue where Eddie and his brother, VAN HALEN drummer Alex, scratched their band’s name into the wet cement of a sidewalk when they were teenagers.

“One of the many reasons that Ed and I split up is to give Wolfie a better vision of what two people who are supposedly in love treat each other like,” Valerie told Oprah.com. “Ed and I weren’t treating each other like two people that loved each other, and that’s what Wolfie was seeing. So I’m hoping that when he does get married and start a life for himself, that he takes his time and marries a friend and not just someone that he can’t keep his hands off.”

Valerie went on to say that leaving Eddie wasn’t an easy choice. “We were all very raw from 9/11, and you heard all these stories of people coming together,” she said. “They hated each other and they were back together and divorces weren’t happening anymore. And I’m, like, ‘Am I the only one in the world that wants out now because of 9/11? I’m not going to live my life if it’s that tenuous. That’s not how I want to live my life anymore.'”

VAN HALEN was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Eddie Van Halen No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.

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311 returns to the road in 2022 with a 20-date “Spring Tour”, launching March 6 and ending on April 6. The trek includes the 12th biennial “311 Day” featuring two extended performances in Las Vegas, as well as an appearance at the Tampa Innings Festival, alongside GREEN DAY and INCUBUS. Tickets go on sale on Friday, January 21 at 10 a.m. local time.

Spring 2022 marks the exciting return of one of rock’s most entertaining and dynamic live bands. 311 erupts on stage, mixing rock, rap, reggae, and funk into its own unique, hybrid sound.

“311 Day” 2022 will be celebrated on March 11 and March 12 at the Dolby Live Theater at Park MGM in Las Vegas, Nevada. On both days, 311 will play multiple extended sets. This “Ultimate 311 Concert Experience” will feature a different setlist each night and stunning, state-of-the-art production.

Select “Spring Tour” performances will be available online through 311 Streamsystem (www.311streamsystem.com), 311’s own streaming platform. 311 launched Streamsystem in October 2020 to reach fans, new and old, during the pandemic. Streamsystem 2022 continues to offer virtual “front-row seats” from the comfort of home.

311 is one of the longest-running original lineups in rock. The band formed in 1990 in Omaha, Nebraska. 311’s celebrated live show and dedicated touring schedule have earned them a massive, grassroots following. Over their 32-year history, 311 played more than 2,000 performances across 27 countries, released thirteen studio albums, achieved 10 Billboard Top 10s on Billboard’s Top 200 Sales chart, and sold over nine million albums in the U.S. alone.

Their list of Top 10 radio hits includes: “Down”, “All Mixed Up””Amber”, “Love Song”, “Come Original”, “Beautiful Disaster”, “Don’t Tread On Me”, “You Wouldn’t Believe”, “Hey You” and “Sunset In July”.

311’s lineup features: Nick Hexum (vocals/guitar), Tim Mahoney (guitar), SA Martinez (singer, DJ), Chad Sexton (drums), and P-Nut (bass).

311 “Spring Tour” 2022 dates:

March 06 – Beaver Creek, CO – Vilar Performing Arts Center
March 07 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up
March 11 – Las Vegas, NV – Dolby Live theater at Park MGM
March 12 – Las Vegas, NV – Dolby Live theater at Park MGM
March 15 – Fayetteville, AR – JJ’s Live
March 18 – Key West, FL – Coffee Butler Amphitheater
March 19 – Tampa, FL – Innings Festival at Raymond James Stadium
March 20 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
March 22 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
March 23 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
March 25 – Norfolk, VA – The Norva
March 26 – N. Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues
March 28 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
March 29 – Huntsville, AL- Von Braun Center’s Mars Music Hall
March 30 – New Orleans, LA – The Fillmore at Harrah’s
April 01 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theatre
April 02 – Corpus Christi, TX – Concrete Street Amphitheater
April 03 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
April 05 – Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Theater
April 06 – Wichita, KS – The Cotillion

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