In a new interview with the “Metal Mayhem” podcast, CANNIBAL CORPSE drummer and founding member Paul Mazurkiewicz was asked if he takes it as a compliment when his band is referred to as the “MOTÖRHEAD of death metal,” as was the case in a recent review in the U.K. magazine Kerrang! He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I totally take it as a compliment. Because you get what you get; when you’re gonna listen to CANNIBAL CORPSE, you’re gonna buy a new record, you know what you’re getting. There’s gonna be no second guessing; there’s gonna be no, ‘Oh, I wonder what they’re gonna… Is it gonna sound like this?’ Because so many bands have done that in the past.

“We’re being ourselves,” he continued. “We’re not being anybody else. We’re playing CANNIBAL CORPSE music for ourselves and we’re staying true to ourselves. And I know the fans, of course, over the years, have come to understand that and to rely on us, to know what they’re gonna get. They don’t have to worry that, ‘Oh my gosh. What are the gonna do? Are they gonna start having clean vocals?’ or whatever. It’s, like, no. It’s gonna be CANNIBAL CORPSE. That’s what you’re gonna get. So I totally take that as a compliment.

“The other one we always hear, and that’s a major compliment… If you’re gonna be put in the same sentence with bands like MOTÖRHEAD… I mean, those are legendary bands, of course,” Paul added. “Or we always hear we’re the AC/DC of death metal — kind of the same thing. There you go — AC/DC was AC/DC; they weren’t anybody else. They weren’t trying to be anybody else. They were AC/DC; you know what you’re getting.

“To hear those phrases and comparisons like that, it’s a complete compliment,” he repeated. “And that’s what we’re going for, man — we’ve gotta be CANNIBAL CORPSE until the end. That’s just the way it is.”

CANNIBAL CORPSE’s 15th studio album, “Violence Unimagined”, was released in April 2021 via Metal Blade Records. Erik Rutan, one of the death metal’s most acclaimed guitarists who is known for his time as part of MORBID ANGEL throughout the ’90s and early 2000s, as well as handling vocals/guitars for HATE ETERNAL, lent his guitar as well as production skills to the effort, which was recorded at his Mana Recording in St. Petersburg, Florida. Rutan previously produced four CANNIBAL CORPSE albums (in addition to “Violence Unimagined”), alongside the likes of GOATWHORE, SOILENT GREEN and BELPHEGOR. Filling in live on guitar since 2019, in 2020 he became a full member, contributing to the writing process.

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TWISTED SISTER vocalist Dee Snider was recently interviewed for “America’s Deadliest Concert: The Guest List”, a Reelz documentary about the infamous GREAT WHITE concert fire nearly two decades ago that killed a hundred people and injured hundreds more. Featured on the documentary soundtrack is one of the most heartfelt, moving songs from Dee’s latest album, “Leave A Scar”, titled “Stand”. Today, in honor of those lives lost, Snider and “The Guest List” director/producer David Bellino have unveiled a brand new music video for “Stand”, featuring footage from the documentary.

Snider says about the “Stand” music video: “While I didn’t write ‘Stand’ for the Station nightclub fire documentary ‘America’s Deadliest Rock Concert: The Guest List’, it is a perfect fit. The full tragedy of that horrific night was the despicable lack of support shown for a community in desperate need. ‘Stand’ speaks to the importance for us all to recognize these moments of desperation and do something about them. ‘Don’t leave your mark… leave a scar!'”

“America’s Deadliest Rock Concert: The Guest List” premiered this past Sunday, February 20, presenting the deeply personal stories of lives forever altered by the tragic Station nightclub fire that devastated the tight-knit community of West Warwick, Rhode Island. The documentary will air again on Reelz this coming Sunday, February 27 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Snider has performed at the Station nightclub, and was instrumental in bringing together fellow recording artists for a fundraising concert for survivors and victims’ families.

Snider adds: “Nobody should have to die because they want to see a band and listen to the music they love. Nobody should be scarred for life, be crippled or have their children orphaned because of their love for rock ‘n’ roll. This documentary not only serves as a reminder of this incredible tragedy, but it shines a light on an amazing group of people who overcame unfathomable loss, and survived, even thrived in the aftermath.”

Earlier this month, Dee spoke to the New Orleans radio station Bayou 95.7 about his involvement in “America’s Deadliest Concert: The Guest List”. He said: “It’s hard to remember and listen to, but a hundred people burned to death, over two hundred were injured, and 65 kids lost one or both parents in a fire in a nightclub. GREAT WHITE was playing. And yeah, GREAT WHITE, they were vilified. Their pyro ignited the building, and wrong or right, they’ve been shouldering the blame for a long time.

“One of the things I like about this documentary, it’s very well rounded and it actually allows Jack Russell [former GREAT WHITE singer, whose pyrotechnics ignited the deadly blaze on February 20, 2003 in Rhode Island] to speak,” he continued. “I remember Jack from back when, and we toured together back in the heyday, and now he’s a broken man. And people may say and rightfully so. But let me just say, was it stupid, was it foolish to set off pyro in a small club? Yes. Was it malicious? Not on your life. They would never, ever intentionally hurt any of their fans.”

According to Dee, the deadly event “struck a chord in so many ways” with him when it happened. “I had, post-TWISTED SISTER, gone from arenas to the bars, just like GREAT WHITE had, and I played The Station nightclub,” he explained. “The DJ, who was called Doctor Metal, he was this kid, and what he did with my show is what he did with GREAT WHITE — he introduced me and then jumped off the front of the stage into the front of the audience and rocked out, because he was that local guy, that fan. And he perished in the fire. There were so many people. To think that those same people who came to see me were probably at that GREAT WHITE show as well. So it just struck so many chords. And I got very involved in a concert event to help those people. Troy Luccketta from TESLA, myself… But more than the money we raised that night, it was a deadlock with the lawyers and the courts and the insurance companies for a decade. And because of the attention we brought to the plight of these people, 175 million dollars finally went through to help these people. But the truth of the matter is the scars, literally and figuratively, remain for that community. It’s very tough.”

Snider also touched upon the documentary’s title, saying: “It’s called ‘The Guest List’ because Jack had been in town at a tattoo parlor, getting a tattoo, and met a bunch of fans and put them on his personal guest list. The greatest honor ever to have a lead singer of a band that you like put you on their guest list. And in the documentary, their families are talking about how their brothers, their sisters, their wives, their friends called and said, ‘I met Jack Russell. He put me on the list.’ Jack put ’em on a list that turned into a death list — see those names, and they died. So it’s an awful, awful remembrance. But certainly Jack was doing something nice for the fans that turned into an awful tragedy.”

This past December, Russell told Tulsa Music Stream about the documentary: “We took three years shooting this thing. I mean, it was a long time. A lot of footage — a lot of footage. But it’s really moving. It is really moving, touching, and it’s a beautifully shot piece of film. It lets you know how beautiful music is and how music can heal everything, no matter what people think. There’s a certain thing in music that is very healing, and it’s helped a lot of people through the aftermath of the fire.”

Russell also said that he wanted the tragedy to serve as a reminder to remain alert about public safety.

“Honestly, I haven’t been asked a question about the fire in — I can’t remember how many years now,” he said. “It’s been a long, long time. The public has a short memory, unfortunately. It was something that I hoped that people would remember, just because of the nature of it and the fact that we need to take care of ourselves when we’re out at places; we need to be conscious of our safety.”

Five years ago, Russell told Psycho Babble TV about the documentary: “What it is is partly my life story, as a kid growing up, and then it goes off into the fire, unfortunately, and the aftermath of that, and testimonies… not testimony, but… talks by the victims and their families and how it affected them.”

Russell said that parts of the movie are especially hard for him to watch “because a lot of people blame me.” He then corrected himself: “I wouldn’t say a lot, but they’re very vocal.” Still, he said he understood why some believe he should be held accountable for what happened fifteen years ago. “I look at it like this: if it makes it easier for them to grieve the loss of somebody close to them, then my shoulders are big enough,” he explained.

The fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick began in an overcrowded club when pyrotechnics from Russell’s GREAT WHITE ignited illegal soundproofing foam lining the club’s walls.

“I’ve seen so many video tapes of pyro shooting off in that club with the foam — bigger stuff than we had — and it never happened,” Jack told Psycho Babble TV.” Why it happened that night… Who knows? I mean, it’s like a plane crash — it takes all these little things to fall in line for that one big thing to happen. So [the movie] gave me the opportunity to talk about how I felt and for me to apologize. Not a guilty apology, but because I just…

“I mean, I feel horrible that it happened,” he continued. “I lost a lot of friends that night — a lot of friends. People that I didn’t even know were even there. And people have said, ‘Well, he’s not remorseful.’ And they’ve gotta understand, when all this went down, my legal team, they said, ‘You cannot ever say you’re sorry, because it implies guilt.’ And I’m, like, ‘But I am sorry.’ [And they told me], ‘But you can’t say it.'”

According to Russell, at least one “really beautiful” thing came out of the tragedy. “There was a man named Joe; they call him ‘The Lizard Man,'” Jack said. “He was the worst, most badly burned of all the people. And he met his wife in the fire and they had a beautiful son. And his comment was, ‘If this wouldn’t have happened, I wouldn’t have met the love of my life.'”

The singer said that the documentary, which he hopes will help bring him some closure, is “really well done. The guy [making it]… He’s done Disney movies. He’s actually from that town. So he had to be really unbiased, which he really was — he just told it. And it’s really, really informative, and it delves into people’s lives.”

Russell added that he is “glad” the film was made. “It may not be the best thing in the world for me, but it’s very cathartic,” he said.

At least one relative of a Station fire victim was angered by Russell’s plan to make a documentary about the incident and discuss it in the upcoming book.

“I think it’s ruining all the positive strides that we’re now making to heal here in Rhode Island,” Jody King, whose brother Tracy was a bouncer at the Station, told the Associated Press in 2015. “If he wants to help, stay away, shut your mouth.”

Russell’s bandmate Ty Longley (guitar) was one of the people who perished in The Station blaze, which became the fourth deadliest fire in U.S. history.

In 2008, the band agreed to pay $1 million to survivors and families of the victims of the fire.

GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall founded the band with Russell in 1982. At the time of the fire, the group that was on the road was called JACK RUSSELL’S GREAT WHITE. Kendall later said he was asked to join Russell and his solo band on the tour to help boost attendance.

“America’s Deadliest Concert: The Guest List” includes interviews with Russell, Snider, Don Dokken (DOKKEN), Lita Ford and Michael Sweet (STRYPER).

Russell exited GREAT WHITE in December 2011 after he was unable to tour with the group due a series of injuries, including a perforated bowel and a shattered pelvis. Jack largely blamed these injuries on his alcohol and painkiller addictions as well as the prednisone drug he was prescribed.

Russell sued his onetime bandmates in 2012 over their continued use of the GREAT WHITE name after Jack had taken a leave of absence from the band for medical reasons. A short time later, Russell was countersued by Kendall, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie and drummer Audie Desbrow, claiming the vocalist’s self-destructive behavior was damaging the GREAT WHITE name (they also alleged he was charging promoters less for his own touring version of GREAT WHITE). The parties settled in July 2013 without going to trial, with Russell now performing as JACK RUSSELL’S GREAT WHITE while the others are continuing as GREAT WHITE.

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RUSH has just released the official audio for “Vital Signs (Live in YYZ 1981)” from the upcoming “Moving Pictures – 40th Anniversary” set. Check it out below.

On April 15, UMe/Mercury and Anthem Records label groups continue the extensive RUSH 40th-anniversary album series with new, expanded editions of the band’s groundbreaking 1981 release “Moving Pictures”, embodying its well-deserved classic album status. “Moving Pictures – 40th Anniversary” will be available to fans in six distinct configurations, including the (1) Super Deluxe Edition, (2) three-CD Deluxe Edition, (3) five-LP Deluxe Edition, (4) one-LP Edition, (5), Digital Deluxe Edition, and (6) Dolby Atmos Digital Edition and can be pre-ordered here.

“Moving Pictures”, RUSH’s eighth studio album, was originally released on February 12, 1981, and its adventurous-yet-accessible music catapulted the forward-thinking Canadian band to even newer heights as it began navigating the demands of a new decade. The album’s seven songs expertly blended RUSH’s intrinsic prowess for channeling its progressive roots into radio-friendly arrangements, a template the band had mastered to a T all throughout its previous album, 1980’s deservedly lauded “Permanent Waves”. “Moving Pictures” was also the second of many RUSH recording sessions at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec, which was ultimately nicknamed the trio’s own personal Abbey Road recording studio.

The album’s lead-off track, “Tom Sawyer”, became one of RUSH’s most cherished FM favorites in addition to taking its rightful place as a perpetual concert staple for decades to come. Next, the band shifts into the multi-generational dreamscape of “Red Barchetta”, which chronicles the thrills and chills of a high-stakes backroads car race. The instrumental barnburner “YYZ”, lovingly named after the airport identification code for Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, runs the gamut of the band’s forever impressive progressive chops in under four minutes flat. Side A closes out with the observational luminescence of “Limelight”, a timeless, if not prescient look at how introverted artists grapple with public demands while trying to maintain a personal level of earned privacy.

Side B commences with the expansive palette of “The Camera Eye”, a multi-layered, ten-minute-long travelogue that takes a bird’s eye view of the inherent hustle and bustle of New York City counterbalanced with the intense energy and deep-rooted history of London. “Witch Hunt” (subtitled as being “Part III of Fear”) offers a grim view of prejudice and mob mentality, while the album wraps up with the angular, cutting-edge “Vital Signs”, a propulsive track that clearly foreshadows a number of the more adventurous musical directions RUSH would undertake as the ever-shifting 1980s continued to unfold.

The Super Deluxe Edition includes three CDs, one Blu-ray Audio disc, and five high-quality 180-gram black vinyl LPs. The set encompasses the Abbey Road Mastering Studios 2015 remastered edition of the album for the first time on CD, along with two discs of previously unreleased and newly restored bonus live content newly mixed from the original analog live multi-tracks by RUSH’s original producer, Terry Brown, featuring the band’s complete, unreleased Toronto concert from Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, on March 25, 1981 (designated here as “Live In YYZ 1981”). The fourth bonus disc is a Blu-ray Audio disc with the core album newly mixed from the original multi-tracks in Dolby Atmos (a RUSH catalog first!), Dolby TrueHD 5.1, and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound as done by noted producer/engineer Richard Chycki, alongside the previously available PCM Stereo mix. Also included on the Blu-ray are four bonus videos: a brand-new video for “YYZ” plus three remastered vintage promo videos for “Tom Sawyer”, “Limelight” and “Vital Signs”. Additionally, all of the vinyl in the Super Deluxe Edition has been cut via half-speed Direct to Metal Mastering (DMM) (another RUSH catalog first!) on five 180-gram audiophile LPs.

The Super Deluxe Edition of “Moving Pictures – 40th Anniversary” will also include several exclusive items, including a 44-page hardcover book with unreleased photos and new artwork by original album designer Hugh Syme, along with new illustrations for each song; extensive liner notes by Kim Thayil (guitarist, SOUNDGARDEN), Les Claypool (bassist/vocalist, PRIMUS), Taylor Hawkins (drummer, FOO FIGHTERS), Bill Kelliher (guitarist, MASTODON), and Neil Sanderson (drummer, THREE DAYS GRACE); a Red Barchetta model car mounted on a black perch with an MP40 nameplate; two Neil Peart signature MP40 branded drumsticks; two metal-embossed guitar picks, one each with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson’s respective signatures engraved on them; a replica of the “Moving Pictures” 1981 official tour program; an MP40 logo enamel pin; a 3D lenticular “Moving Pictures in motion” lithograph; an 18×24-inch Toronto 1981 concert poster; a replica concert ticket from the 1981 Maple Leaf Gardens show; a 12×36-inch Rush Through The Years 1973-1981 poster; a YYZ luggage tag; and a All Access World Tour ’81 insert. All contents are housed in a premium lift-top box, which features movingly reimagined cover artwork by Hugh Syme.

The second configuration of “Moving Pictures – 40th Anniversary” will be released in a three-CD Deluxe Edition digipak that includes the newly remastered original album on CD 1 and the entire, unreleased 1981 Toronto concert on CDs 2 and 3. Extras include a 24-page booklet with unreleased photos and reimagined artwork by Syme, along with the aforementioned liner notes by Thayil, Claypool, Hawkins, Kelliher and Sanderson.

The third “Moving Pictures” configuration will be offered as a five-LP Deluxe Edition, all of it housed in a slipcase including a single-pocket jacket for the remastered original “Moving Pictures” on LP 1, and two gatefold jackets for LPs 2-5 that comprise all 19 tracks from the complete, unreleased “Live In YYZ” 1981 concert. As noted above, all vinyl has been cut for the first time ever via half-speed Direct to Metal Mastering (DMM) on 180-gram black audiophile vinyl. Extras include a 24-page booklet with unreleased photos, Syme’s reimagined artwork and new illustrations, and the complete liner notes.

The fourth configuration is a one-LP eCommerce exclusive edition, featuring the first-ever half-speed DMM vinyl pressing. It comes newly wrapped in a limited-edition premium tip-on style gatefold jacket with printed sleeve, and each pressing comes with one of six randomly inserted Neil Peart hand-drawn lyrics sheets.

The fifth configuration, the Deluxe Digital Edition, features the original album and all 19 bonus live performances from Toronto, and is the digital equivalent to the three-CD Deluxe Edition.

Finally, the sixth configuration, the Dolby Atmos Digital Edition, is the digital equivalent of Richard Chycki’s masterful Atmos mix of all seven tracks from the original album.

RUSH — bassist/keyboardist/vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist/vocalist Alex Lifeson, and drummer/lyricist Neil Peart — maintains a large and uniquely passionate worldwide fanbase that acknowledges and respects the band’s singular, bold, and perpetually exploratory songcraft that combines sterling musicianship, complex compositions, and distinctive lyrical flair. RUSH has sold more than 25 million albums in the U.S. alone, with worldwide sales estimated at 45 million (and counting), and has been awarded 24 gold, 14 platinum, and three multi-platinum album distinctions. RUSH has received seven Grammy nominations, and the band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame in 1994 and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013.

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Jager Henry Bonham, the grandson of iconic LED ZEPPELIN drummer John Bonham and son of Jason Bonham, has teamed up with KORN’s Ray Luzier on a new single called “Love Yourself”. The track, which can be streamed below, is a cathartic coming-of-age tale about growing up and learning to be easier on yourself.

“Music is in my blood,” Jager says. “Growing up as a second-generation musician with a lot to live up to is tough, but I chose a slightly different path musically. My voice is my instrument. My genre is a little different too, but it’s all rock ‘n’ roll.”

Pairing his signature vocals and diaristic lyricism with textured rock instrumentation, “Love Yourself” reveals Jager’s full promise as an artist who can create layered and immersive songs that capture the human experience in all its grit and glory.

Packing a mighty punch for running just over two minutes, “Love Yourself” is a wildly infectious and utterly unique rush that exudes feelings of courage and conviction. From the gripping riffs to the weighty drums, the newcomer has undoubtedly amplified his sound through mammoth guitar work, ride-along lyrics and a compelling, layered chorus.

Teaming up with Ray for this single, Jager demonstrates the collective creativity and spark that ignites when they combine to make music. A celebration of “positive vibes”, the record also captures a turbulence of emotions.

Jager said about “Love Yourself”: “It is truly about finding love for yourself before portraying toxic love to anyone else. We must first love ourselves before anyone else.”

“Love Yourself” is available now on all digital platforms.

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Former ACCEPT and current U.D.O. frontman Udo Dirkschneider will release a new album, “My Way”, on April 22 via Atomic Fire Records. Billed as “his most personal and extraordinary album to date,” the effort contains 17 cover versions of the very songs that have influenced the musician and singer the most. All kinds of classics from music history are among them — including those that you might not expect from Udo. Not only does a very personal story lie behind each of the tracks, but also a sometimes surprising arrangement that, despite the very individual implementation, lives and breathes Udo’s manuscript throughout.

Today, Udo reveals the first single from “My Way”, a cover of the QUEEN classic “We Will Rock You” which was personally approved by QUEEN guitarist Brian May who described it as one of the strongest QUEEN cover versions he has ever heard.

“QUEEN have shown how versatile a band can be”, states Udo. “They have always fascinated me and have been one of my very first favorite bands. QUEEN inspired me musically and I still enjoy listening to all of their records to this day. I liked the live version of ‘We Will Rock You’ most, which is why I used that one for my cover version.”

When “My Way” was first announced last month, Dirkschneider said in a statement: “Now when I hear the songs, I remember the time when, as a very young Udo, I’d go out to light up the town and lived all the stories that can only be experienced late at night in the clubs. Here, Alex Harvey’s “Faith Healer” allows the artist to feel those days of an era long past. The fact that “Nutbush City Limits” is also on the album reveals a secret rarely told until now. “What hardly anyone knows so far: I was a huge fan of Ike and Tina Turner, and especially Tina’s voice, once,” Udo said. “We always covered this song during ACCEPT rehearsals in the early days. It was one of the mainstays of our ACCEPT rehearsal repertoire for years. Regrettably, there is no recording of it.”

With WOLFSHEIM’s “Kein Zurück”, Udo sang in German for the first time in his career. “I immediately felt like the words understood me,” he said. “It seemed to me that the lyrics were telling the story of my career, of my highs and lows and all the good and bad experiences that life has. There simply is ‘no going back’ for those who choose to live as a musician.”

The cover album also makes one thing clear: just how many in the music industry have come and gone over the years, yet Udo Dirkschneider is still here.

“My Way” track listing:

01. Faith Healer (ALEX HARVEY)
02. Fire (CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN)
03. Sympathy (URIAH HEEP)
04. They Call It Nutbush (TINA TURNER)
05. Man On The Silver Mountain (RAINBOW)
06. Hell Raiser (THE SWEET)
07. No Class (MOTÖRHEAD)
08. Rock And Roll (LED ZEPPELIN)
09. The Stroke (BILLY SQUIER)
10. Paint It Black (THE ROLLING STONES)
11. He’s A Woman, She’s A Man (SCORPIONS)
12. T.N.T. (AC/DC)
13. Jealousy (FRANKIE MILLER)
14. Hell Bent For Leather (JUDAS PRIEST)
15. We Will Rock You (QUEEN)
16. Kein Zurück (WOLFSHEIM)
17. My Way (FRANK SINATRA)

U.D.O.’s latest album, “Game Over” was released in October via AFM Records.

In 2020, U.D.O. collaborated with Das Musikkorps der Bundeswehr, the military band of the German federal armed forces, on an album called “We Are One”, which was released in July 2020 via AFM Records/Soulfood Music.

U.D.O.’s current lineup includes Udo’s son and drummer Sven Dirkschneider, bassist Tilen Hudrap and guitarists Andrey Smirnov and Dee Dammers.

Udo’s DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG project, in which he is joined be fellow former ACCEPT members Peter Baltes (bass) and Stefan Kaufmann (guitar), issued its debut single, “Where The Angels Fly”, in September 2020. A second single, “Face Of A Stranger”, followed in April 2021, with the third single, “Every Heart Is Burning”, arriving in June 2021. Last August, all three songs were released as the “Arising” CD, a 12-inch vinyl and a download.

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SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor has shared his stripped back take on “Lunatic Fringe”, the 1981 classic originally performed by RED RIDER. The track is taken from his solo album of covers and acoustic recordings, titled “CMFB…Sides”, which is being released today (Friday, February 25) via Roadrunner Records.

“CMFB…Sides” comprises nine unreleased B-sides, covers of tunes that inspired Taylor, acoustic renditions, and live versions. Corey preserves the windows-down and arena-ready spirit of “On The Dark Side” made famous by JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND in the 1983 film “Eddie And The Cruisers”, and strips “Lunatic Fringe” down to a striking acoustic number. Furthermore, he and his cohorts hypercharge “Got To Choose” by KISS and lock into a punchy punk gallop during “All This And More” from DEAD BOYS. The EP also features Taylor’s snarling cover of “Holier Than Thou” from METALLICA, a song he initially recorded for “The Metallica Blacklist”. Perhaps most surprisingly, Corey and his bandmates transform Eddie Money’s “Shakin'” into a roaring banger with all of the original’s swagger intact. Plus, the EP boasts acoustic takes on “Kansas” and “Halfway Down” from Taylor’s 2020 full-length debut, “CMFT”, and a powerhouse live medley of “Home” and STONE SOUR’s famous “Come What(ever) May” finale “Zzyxz Rd”.

“CMFB…Sides” track listing:

01. Holier Than Thou (METALLICA cover)
02. All This And More (DEAD BOYS cover)
03. Kansas (acoustic)
04. Shakin’ (Eddie Money cover)
05. Home/Zzyzx (STONE SOUR) (medley) (live)
06. Lunatic Fringe (RED RIDER cover)
07. Got To Choose (KISS cover)
08. Halfway Down (acoustic)
09. On The Dark Side (JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND cover)

Corey broke the news of the “CMFB…Sides” release in an interview with SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” earlier in the month. At the time, he said: “CMFT is putting out a B-sides album which has all the covers that we’ve done and some acoustic versions of some of the songs that are on ‘CMFT’,” he said, referencing an acronym for “Corey Mother Fucking Taylor”. “The first single will actually be February 11th, and people will be able to download that. It’s our cover of ‘On The Dark Side’ by JOHN CAFFERY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND, which is one of the best rock tunes ever. It’s one of our favorites to play live… The ‘CMFT’ B-sides will come out February 25th. It’ll be available everywhere. We’re really stoked on that too.”

Asked if there are plans for him to do more solo shows in the coming months, Corey said: “We’re doing little stuff here and there. We just did ShipRocked, which was a lot of fun… It’s looking like we’re gonna do a handful of shows in the U.K. in October, kind of threaded around the SLIPKNOT schedule. So we’re just gonna do it here and there while we kind of gear up [for the next album].

“‘CMFT 2’ is written, it’s demoed, it’s ready to go,” he added. “Plus we’re constantly writing new stuff. So we’re gonna be in a great position, next year probably, to go in and record ‘CMFT 2’ and just be ready to kind of do that. But that’s obviously after SLIPKNOT has kind of done its thing.”

“CMFT” made impressive debuts on charts around the world, entering at No. 1 on Billboard’s Current Hard Rock Albums chart, while claiming No. 2 on Current Rock Albums, No. 6 on Vinyl Albums, and No. 9 on the Top Albums charts. Furthermore, “CMFT” landed Top 10 on the official album charts in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, with Top 20 debuts in the United Kingdom, Finland and Japan (international chart).

“CMFT” was recorded at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas with producer Jay Ruston and Christian Martucci (guitar), Zach Throne (guitar), Jason Christopher (bass), and Dustin Schoenhofer (drums).

“CMFT” had been a long time coming for Taylor, with newly written tracks alongside some dating back to his teens. The album was highlighted by the singles “Culture Head”, “HWY 666”, “CMFT Must Be Stopped” (featuring Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie), and the Active Rock radio hit “Black Eyes Blue”. Taylor also hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hard Rock Songwriters chart following the unprecedented debut of “Black Eyes Blue” and “CMFT Must Be Stopped”. Furthermore, Taylor debuted the pummeling “Culture Head” during WWE’s NXT broadcast on the USA network, illuminating yet another facet of “CMFT” and showcasing the broad spectrum of this fiery and fearless rock ‘n’ roll opus, as Taylor touched on lifelong influences ranging from hard rock to classic rock, punk rock to hip-hop. 14-time world champion and EVP of global talent strategy and development at WWE, Triple H, also shared a WWE exclusive performance of Taylor and his band tearing through the MOTÖRHEAD classic “Ace Of Spades”.

Last year, Taylor made history as he reached No. 1 at Active Rock Radio with his powerful single “Black Eyes Blue”. The achievement put Taylor in a class all his own, making him the first artist in the history of the format to reach No. 1 with three separate projects, following chart-topping efforts from SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR.

Featured in Rolling Stone’s “Fall Album Preview 2020,” “CMFT” has been garnering widespread critical applause, with Forbes affirming, “Corey Taylor’s singing is undeniably the best it’s ever been. From SLIPKNOT’s last album to his new solo material, Taylor is easily among the best sounding rock singers alive.” Kerrang! raved, “Corey Taylor certainly couldn’t have predicted how important a sense of uninhibited joy would be on his debut solo effort, it’s just what 2020 needs — and, even more importantly, exactly what he delivers.” The Daily Beast attested, “‘CMFT’ finds the singer broadening his horizons and showing off his considerable versatility,” while Stereogum noted, “Corey Taylor’s lived several lives in the span that it takes most of us to push through just one, and it’s clear that he cherishes every experience he’s had so far.” New York magazine added that “CMFT” “bridges his vast tastes and influences, dabbling in punk rock, metal, reflective acoustic tunes, plaintive piano ballads, and hip-hop, with Taylor’s power-house vocals and introspective lyrics acting as a guide.”

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