During an appearance on the “In The Trenches With Ryan Roxie” video podcast, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner was asked if he has had any interactions with the man he replaced in the band, original PRIEST guitarist Kenneth “K.K.” Downing. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “The ones [I have had] with him — I say directly, through Twitter or whatever — have been positive. I mean, there was one… He said something about my payment structure, which was [laughs]… which was weird for someone to say. And it wasn’t true, which was a bit mindblowing.”

Faulkner also commented on the fact that Downing has been vocal about his dissatisfaction over the fact that he wasn’t invited to rejoin PRIEST when Glenn Tipton announced his retirement from the road nearly four years ago.

“That whole situation with him and the band over the last 10 years, to me, has been totally unnecessary; it’s been a bit of a shit show,” Richie said. “And I don’t know why that is. To me, music aside, they should maybe pick up the phone and just talk to each other as buddies and go and have a beer and just be pals. You know, fuck music for a minute; let’s just be pals. And then whatever happens, happens. They were pals for 40 years. They lived pretty much together for 40 years — four decades.”

He continued: “I wish it was different. All that weirdness of the last 10 years didn’t need to happen. If they’d parted on good terms, maybe things would be different now. But, unfortunately, that didn’t happen.”

Richie went on to express his hope that Downing and his former bandmates in PRIEST will find a way to mend their relationship if they eventually get inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

In May 2019, BLABBERMOUTH.NET published an interview Downing gave to Germany’s Bleeding4metal.de in which K.K. said that it “seems wrong” that Faulkner and drummer Scott Travis “are not officially members of JUDAS PRIEST as they are on a wage.” Within a couple of days, Faulkner released a statement disputing Downing’s comments, insisting that he hadn’t been a salaried employee “since 2012” and slamming his predecessor’s remarks as “an attempt to devalue my and Scott’s position in the band.”

Faulkner, nearly three decades Downing’s junior, joined PRIEST in 2011 after K.K. left amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as “a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music,” while the second was “angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties.”

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was “a key reason” he wasn’t invited to rejoin PRIEST after Tipton’s decision to retire from touring.

Back in 2019, Faulkner dismissed the criticism he received for supposedly trying to look too much like Downing. “Obviously, you get the [haters] — the ‘clone’ comments,” Richie told the “Let There Be Talk” podcast. “I’ve got long blond hair, playing a flying V [guitar]… [Michael] Schenker, Zakk [Wylde], K.K., Randy Rhoads — all those guys. To say I was a Ken clone was fairly narrow-minded. There’s tons of guys who have flying Vs and long hair.

“The thing is if I had dyed my hair black to be different, I would have been shot down,” he continued. “You’ve gotta be real; you’ve gotta be who you are. And I grew up on Ken, I grew up on Glenn [Tipton, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist] and the guys that I mentioned. So you’ve just gotta be who you are. And I grew up with those guys, and I’m not ashamed. I wear it on my sleeve — they’re all my influences, and I’m not afraid of that… There’s no point in trying to hide it. But it’s gotta be natural as well. And I think somehow it worked out organically. I didn’t try to copy him. And as it goes on, you always try to do your own thing and make your own statement.”

Four years ago, Downing said that he felt like he was “being cloned” when he first found out he was being replaced by Faulkner.

Downing, who announced his retirement from PRIEST in April 2011 after nearly 42 years in the job, admitted to the “Appetite For Distortion” podcast that he was taken aback when he first saw his replacement.

“Richie, as far as I know, is a nice guy and obviously an excellent player,” Downing said. “I was a bit disappointed when, basically… I think the idea was to replace me [with a lookalike], so I did feel as though I was kind of being cloned. But I’m not sure that was exactly fair to Richie. I mean, I could be off the mark here, but I think Richie had the right to bring himself to the stage with his own… portray his own image and ability to play the instrument the way that he does. But it is what it is.”

He continued: “When Glenn retired from touring [in early 2018], the same didn’t happen — obviously, [Tipton’s replacement] Andy [Sneap] doesn’t look anything like Glenn; he doesn’t wear the same clothes, the red pants, guitars or anything like that. So I don’t really know what’s going on. But it is what it is.”

In a 2011 interview with the Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, PRIEST singer Rob Halford stated about Faulkner’s physical resemblance to a younger Downing: “People are saying, ‘It’s a clone. You’ve got some of K.K.’s DNA.’ It’s just the way it turned out. We made, like, a secret search. When we knew K.K. was not gonna be making the tour, we did a lot of secret, kind of, searching for another player. And Richie just happened to be the guy. And he just happens to look a little bit of the K.K. image, you know?! I think it would be silly to say, ‘We looked for a guitar player that looks like Ken.’ What we want is a very good metal guitar player, and that’s what Richie Faulkner is.”

Former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel performed a “ripping” rendition of the U.S. national anthem during this past Thursday night’s (February 10) Dublin Gaels basketball game as part of the East Bay Athletic League (EBAL). Video of his appearance can be seen below.

Demmel and his VIO-LENCE bandmates will release a new EP, “Let The World Burn”, on March 4 via Metal Blade Records. It is their first original release since 1993’s “Nothing To Gain”.

Joining Demmel in VIO-LENCE’s current lineup are singer Sean Killian, original drummer Perry Strickland, former OVERKILL guitarist Bobby Gustafson and ex-FEAR FACTORY bassist Christian Olde Wolbers.

VIO-LENCE released three studio albums between 1988 and 1993. The group reunited soon after Demmel left MACHINE HEAD in late 2018.

The band performed its first comeback concert in April 2019 at the Oakland Metro in Oakland, California and spent most of the ensuing months playing select shows in the U.S. and Europe.

Last year, Demmel told Revolver magazine how he first became exposed to the San Francisco Bay Area metal scene: “I grew up and still live in Dublin, California, which is about 15 miles east of Oakland. Our town has certainly seen some legends come out of it — Chuck Billy [TESTAMENT] is from here, Zet [Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza] from EXODUS is from here, my cousin, Troy Luccketta, who plays drums for TESLA, grew up in Dublin. So we had these older people who we could look up to who kind of brought us into the scene and exposed us to the clubs in and around San Francisco. I joined a band called DEATH PENALTY in June 1985, my last month of high school, and we changed our name to VIO-LENCE. We played a free keg party here in Dublin at our buddy Paul’s house, and that was our first gig. Zet had just joined LEGACY [which changed its name to TESTAMENT in early 1987] at the time, and LEGACY was getting big in the East Bay and playing all the clubs, opening for bands like LÅÅZ ROCKIT and EXODUS or SLAYER whenever they came through town. So we were seeing all this action happening at all these clubs and seeing things like slam dancing for the first time.”

Bay Area Thrash legend @DemmelitionMH did a ripping rendition of the National Anthem at @DHSGaels EBAL Basketball game tonight. ?? @MfnH @BPMDofficial #bayareathrashmetal #thrashmetal pic.twitter.com/7l0uPe8GpX
— Don Barnhouse (@bruins96) February 11, 2022

The guitar has been a major factor in so many styles of music over the last 70 years, and any experienced musician can tell you that playing any one of those styles with authenticity takes countless hours of dedication. As we learn the instrument, we seek out music that we find inspiring to help guide us toward our voice. The legends we all know in the guitar pantheon have inspired millions of players. In my musical journey over the years, I’ve always been thrilled to discover unique musicians who never attained the same recognition as their more famous counterparts. With so much music at our disposal these days, I thought this group of guitarists deserved a little more spotlight. The inspiration and knowledge they have provided me were paramount in my development, and I wouldn’t be the player I am without them. Biréli Lagrène’s Bombastic BopStandards was the first jazz guitar record I really listened to, and his playing on this entire album is devastating. There is so much groove, joy, and ferocity in every note. The way he lays ideas out on the fretboard made a lot of sense to me, his rhythms were intentional and clear, and it was surprisingly easy to dig into as a rock guitarist at the time. He has an extensive catalog of jazz, gypsy jazz, and fusion records with some of the best in the world, and he’s also a killer bass player who can sing just like Frank Sinatra! Ex. 1 is over the first eight measures of “Stella by Starlight.” I stole so much vocabulary from this solo that I can still play bits from memory 20 years later. Lagrène’s treatment of two-measure chunks to play his ideas was significantly helpful. Whether it was an engaging rhythmic phrase, constant eighth-notes, or just cramming in as much as he could, I stopped worrying so much about catching every chord change after I learned this one.Ex. 1Stella by StarlightOld-School Swing!George Barnes is a unique jazz guitarist who was a contemporary of Charlie Christian, Johnny Smith, and Django. A significant part of his early work was writing and arranging for radio and television, for NBC, and he also wrote the very first electric guitar method book in 1942. A friend in Austin gave me two CDs of his: a collection of his playing from the Plantation Party radio show and an overview of his octet recordings. The octet recordings sound like unhinged cartoon music with guitar and orchestral instruments and are highly enjoyable. Ex. 2 is a line I lifted from a recording of him playing “Ain’t Misbehavin.” It was one of the hippest endings I have ever heard on a jazz tune, and although I can’t find the recording anywhere, I still use it all the time. I love the intention in George Barnes’ playing. Swinging and mischievous, he always sounds like he was having fun.Ex. 2The George Barnes Sextet – Lover, Come Back to Me“Thrilling” Rhythm SolosDavid Williams is one of the greatest rhythm players of all time. He is responsible for most of the memorable guitar moments on Michael Jackson’s records, and all his parts have an infectious nature. He is the primary reason I got interested in rhythm guitar, and he is still an inspiration on that front. One of my favorite examples of his playing is the breakdown in Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” (where Vincent Price does the rap). His signature thunderous right-hand approach to single-note rhythm parts is in full effect, and the natural accents between the two rhythm parts are infectious on their own but weave perfectly together. Ex. 3 is my interpretation of two interlocking parts in this style. He’s said in interviews that his concept as a player was to develop “rhythm solos” that could stand out front in a song, and this is a perfect example of that.Ex. 3Thriller(Better than) Average RiffsThough Hamish Stuart is most known for being an original member of the Average White Band, the singer/guitarist/composer/producer also did extensive work with heavyweights such as George Benson, Paul McCartney, Chaka Khan, and Aretha Franklin. Though AWB was still working until 1983, Hamish was doing sessions with various artists as a sideman in the early ’80s, including this excerpt from “Move Me No Mountain” off Chaka Khan’s Naughty from 1980 (Ex. 4). I’ve always loved the interplay between these two parts, range-wise and rhythmically. The lower pick line hits some unusual 16th-note placements, and the higher dyads have a churn to them that is amazing. Both parts together feel different rhythmically from anything I have ever heard but sound so cool and unique.Ex. 4Chaka Khan – Move Me No MountainWayne KrantzWayne Krantz is one of those guys that hit me like a lightning bolt. Upon hearing him, I felt like I had “permission” to play more with the fingers of my right hand, use jagged and intentional rhythms, and above all, to play more naturally. Wayne has always played like himself. His control over rhythm and articulation alone is legendary, not to mention the vast body of unique work he has created. Ex. 5 is an excerpt from the only solo I ever learned of his, from “Infinity Split” off 1999’s Greenwich Mean. I love this solo because it is incredibly engaging rhythmically and melodically, but almost 100 percent inside the harmony. This solo taught me more about rhythmic placement and articulation than anything. Ex. 5Wayne Krantz – Infinity SplitThough I could only grab a certain percentage of these guys’ “vocabulary,” learning these parts over the years helped me find my sound. The result was an attempt to emulate some of their musicality in my way, rather than outright imitating them. Anything you hear that grabs your interest is probably worth sitting down and figuring out. While we might not mention the guitarists above alongside Hendrix or Van Halen, they have all done their part to put a brick in the cathedral, furthering music, and the instrument.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Slash spoke about “Hard Skool”, one of the first two songs he recorded with GUNS N’ ROSES in more than 25 years.

“‘Hard Skool’, in essence, was a completed song when I was first introduced to it,” he said. “And Duff [McKagan, GUNS N’ ROSES bassist] and I went in and redid the bass and the guitars. It’s a simple song, so it didn’t take a hell of a lot of thought and analysis. I think it was a lot of fun just because it was part and parcel of a bunch of stuff that we were working on that was all sort of new — at least to Duff and I — so we had a good time. There’s a bunch of new stuff also coming, maybe a little bit more complex, but it’s just as much fun.”

Asked if that means there’s a new GUNS N’ ROSES album coming, Slash said: “I know we’ve got some songs and we’re releasing another one at some point soon, and there’ll be another one after that. As far as the record is concerned, that remains to be seen as far as a whole package, but I feel pretty confident that at some point down the road, there will be.”

Last October, Slash told Audacy Check In host Remy Maxwell that GUNS N’ ROSES had yet to begin writing new material after recently releasing two reworked songs from the “Chinese Democracy”-era sessions.

In September, the guitarist and his bandmates dropped “Hard Skool”, which came more than a month after their performance and subsequent official release of “Absurd”, a reworking of GUNS N’ ROSES previously unreleased “Silkworms”.

“As far as new GUNS is concerned, we haven’t even gotten to that point of really in earnest sitting down and writing,” Slash told Audacy Check In. “We’ve been doing a lot of material that’s been sort of sitting around for a while. So that will be a whole focused endeavor unto itself.”

As for how “Hard Skool” and “Absurd” came about, Slash said: “They both have a lot of history. What happened was Axl [Rose, GUNS singer] has all these songs that he recorded at some point along the way. And so Duff and I went in and re-did them, basically… Like, I wrote my own kind of parts to what else is going on, and [we] just sort of took the drums and re-did everything else.”

Written by Rose and co-produced by Rose and Caram Costanzo, “Hard Skool”, which had the working title “Jackie Chan”, was originally recorded during GN’R’s “Chinese Democracy” era but was eventually omitted from that album. Short clips of the song were later posted online and a full version was leaked in August 2019.

On “Hard Skool”, Axl sings: “But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way/Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away/Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay/ If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway.”

“Hard Skool” is the title track of a new GUNS N’ ROSES four-song EP which will be released on February 25. The effort, which is exclusive to the GUNS N’ ROSES official store, contains the aforementioned two new songs — “Hard Skool” and “Absurd” (stylized as “ABSUЯD”) — as well as live versions of “Don’t Cry” and “You’re Crazy”.

“Hard Skool” EP track listing:

01. Hard Skool
02. ABSUЯD
03. Don’t Cry (Live)
04. You’re Crazy (Live)

“Absurd” came out on August 6, 2021, three days after GUNS N’ ROSES performed the tune live for the first time during its concert at Boston’s Fenway Park.

GUNS N’ ROSES last performed “Silkworms”, which was also reportedly written during the “Chinese Democracy” sessions, in 2001.

If and when it happens, the new GUNS N’ ROSES studio album will be the first under the GUNS banner since “Chinese Democracy” and the first to feature Rose, Slash and McKagan since 1993.

Finnish cello rockers APOCALYPTICA have released their collaboration with Ismo Alanko on a reworked version of the song “Peltirumpu”, a track originally written and recorded by Alanko’s former band SIELUN VELJET.

In a statement accompanying the release of the song, APOCALYPTICA said: “This is a big one for us! By being part of Laulu Rakkaudelle (Secret Song Suomi) on MTV, we were recently able to collaborate with the Finnish rock legend Ismo Alanko on a recreation of his legendary track ‘Peltirumpu’.

“It was really an honor to get to work on this with a guy who has spearheaded Finnish rock since the 70s! The track itself has a slow build before turning into a bonafide Finnish rocker!”

In May 2018, Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett played a cover version of the song “Rappiolla”, originally written and recorded by Alanko’s ’80s band HASSISEN KONE, during METALLICA’s concert at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland.

Last April, APOCALYPTICA released the official music video for its collaboration with PAPA ROACH singer Jacoby Shaddix on a cover version of the CREAM classic “White Room”. The track was produced by Howard Benson at West Valley Recording Studios in Woodland Hills, California and mixed by Chris Lorde-Alge.

“White Room” was the first release from APOCALYPTICA since “Talk To Me”, which arrived in August 2020. That song was a collaboration with HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale.

APOCALYPTICA’s latest studio album, “Cell-0”, came out in January 2020. The effort was the band’s first fully instrumental record in 17 years.

HALESTORM’s Lzzy Hale and ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 are the featured guests on “Naturally Wild”, the new single from acclaimed singer/songwriter Ray Wylie Hubbard. The track will appear on Hubbard’s upcoming album, “Co-Starring Too”, due on March 18 via Nashville label Big Machine Records. The LP will include another song called “Ride Or Die”, featuring guest appearances by Ringo Starr, Steve Lukather and Ann Wilson.

When “Naturally Wild” was first released on Friday (February 11), Lzzy tweeted: “Thank you so much to @raywylie for featuring me on his new song ‘Naturally Wild’ along with my friend @john5guitarist”. Hubbard shared her tweet and wrote: “having a full tilt bad ass rock and roll goddess add her incredible voice to my song is down right Steve McQueen jumping the fence in the Great Escape..and James Coburn’s knife throw in the Magnificent Seven cool. thanks, Lizzy. I am forever in your debt.”

With an innate knack for transforming commonplace into profound, Hubbard has created nuanced and naughty over the last five decades. His talents often escaping a siloed mainstream lens, those who are in the know relish in the Oklahoma-born, Texas-dwelling renegade poet.

“Ray Wylie Hubbard is a forefather of American rock ‘n’ roll, blues and country music who is as relevant today as ever,” Big Machine Label Group president/CEO/founder Scott Borchetta said back in 2020. “If you like your music delivered with heart, soul, snarl, attitude and guitars, then the new music from Ray Wylie Hubbard is for you.”

Expanding on 2020’s “Co-Starring” — the all-star project that included Don Was, Joe Walsh, Ringo Starr, Ronnie Dunn, Peter Rowan, Larkin Poe and Aaron Lee Tasjan, among others — Hubbard returns with another with a legion of misfits, both newcomers and icons alike. The Texas Heritage Songwriters’ Hall Of Famer invites a musical cohort of Willie Nelson, Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers, CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED founder Cody Canada, Hayes Carll, James McMurtry, Dalton Domino, Charlie Sexton, Gurf Morlix, Jaimee Harris, Wynonna Judd, Eliza Gilkyson, Lucas Hubbard, THE BLUEBONNETS, Kathy Valentine, Kevin Russell, THE SHINY SOUL SISTERS, THE LAST BANDOLEROS and THE BAND OF HEATHENS for another bar-setting album.

“All the twists of life have led me to some pretty interesting scenarios and people along the way. I’ve been just lucky enough to find inspiration in witnessing it all,” says Hubbard. “I’m grateful for this new crop of tunes and hope those who’ve been with me on this journey find some they can groove with too.”

Officially announcing the project with a series of eccentric teasers across his socials, “Co-Starring Too” also caught the attention of Americana radio garnering the most adds with “Hellbent For Leather”, featuring Steve Earle, upon release.