One of the great up-and-coming hard rock singers of our time, Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, LORDS OF BLACK, SUNSTORM, THE FERRYMEN) has announced the release of a unique covers album, “Raised On Radio” on April 15 via Frontiers Music Srl. The first single and video from the album, “No Smoke Without A Fire”, a BAD COMPANY cover, is out today.

“Raised On Radio” features covers of classics that have meant something special to Romero over the years and helped forge this talented singer’s musical style. Songs by legendary acts like SURVIVOR, BAD COMPANY, FOREIGNER, QUEEN, LED ZEPPELIN and more are given Romero’s talented vocal treatment here. Joining Romero is a stellar cast of musicians, including Srdjan Brankovic (THE BIG DEAL, ALOGIA) on guitar, Javi Garcia on bass, Andy C (ex-LORDS OF BLACK) on drums, and keyboards by Alessandro Del Vecchio, who also handled production, mixing and mastering.

Serafino Perugino, president and head of A&R for Frontiers, obviously already had a working relationship with Romero through LORDS OF BLACK and THE FERRYMEN, but knew Romero had the pipes to sing melodic rock/AOR (hence why he brought him in to sing for 2020’s “Afterlife” by SUNSTORM). As the two discussed Romero working on a solo album for the label, Perugino brought forward the idea of Romero covering classic AOR and classic rock artists for a covers album. Romero, being a fan of these styles already and influenced by them in his formative years, knew he could easily pick a killer list of songs that suited his tastes and thus “Raised On Radio” was born.

Through Romero’s career thus far, he has performed killer renditions of several rock classics as part of his shows fronting legendary acts like RAINBOW and the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP (MSG). He’s also covered classic songs by JOURNEY, QUEEN, RAINBOW and more with Spanish metallers LORDS OF BLACK. So, with trying his hand at covers by legendary artists being familiar territory already, “Raised On Radio” were waters that Romero was already comfortable wading into.

But rather than go for covers of well-known mega-hits, Romero and company went for, in most cases, lesser known, deep cuts from these legendary bands. Because after all, when you truly love a band, you know those gems buried beneath the surface on their hit albums. Such gems by QUEEN, KANSAS, ELF, URIAH HEEP, BAD COMPANY, FOREIGNER and more are taken on here with passion and enthusiasm by Ronnie and his backing band of supremely talented players.

Romero’s voice and prolific musical activity have brought him to the forefront of the hard rock/metal scene where he can be seen/heard with LORDS OF BLACK, THE FERRYMEN, SUNSTORM, RAINBOW and the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP. Ambitious and driven as always, this record is a special treat for fans while Romero continues work on his proper debut solo album of original material, which is being worked on at the moment.

Track listing:

01. Sin’s A Good Man’s Brother (GRAND FUNK RAILROAD)
02. Backstreet Love Affair (SURVIVOR)
03. No Smoke Without A Fire (BAD COMPANY)
04. I Was Born To Love You (QUEEN)
05. Play The Game Tonight (KANSAS)
06. Carolina County Ball (ELF)
07. Girl On The Moon (FOREIGNER)
08. Gypsy (URIAH HEEP)
09. Voices (Russ Ballard)
10. All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan)
11. Since I’ve Been Loving You (LED ZEPPELIN)

Recording lineup:

Ronnie Romero – vocals
Srdjan Brankovic – guitars
Javi Garcia – bass
Andy C – drums
Alessandro Del Vecchio – keyboards

Additional musicians:

Danny Gómez – lead guitar on “I Was Born To Love You”
Javier Reyes – lead guitar on “All Along The Watchtower”
Corina Minda – backing vocals on “All Along The Watchtower”

Iggy Pop will be honored with the prestigious Polar Music Prize.

The legendary rocker has been chosen as one of the 2022 recipients of Sweden’s biggest music award.

The ceremony will take place in Stockholm on May 24.

The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by Stig “Stikkan” Anderson, the manager and music publisher of ABBA. A well-known lyricist, he also was the co-writer on many of their early hits. The prize was first presented in 1992.

“I was aware of the very fine range of people that have gotten the Polar Music Prize,” Iggy Pop said in a video statement released by the Polar Music Prize committee. “[2011 laureate] Patti Smith and [2007 laureate] Steve Reich have been huge for me forever, I love a lot of what he does, and so many others, so it’s a nice step for me. I respect it and I’m honored by it. I’m looking forward to coming to Stockholm in May to receive the Polar Music Prize.”

In a statement announcing Iggy’s award, the Polar Music Prize award committee said: “With his era-defining group THE STOOGES, Iggy Pop created furious rock music by blending together blues and free jazz influences with the roar of the Michigan automotive industry. With his courage, initiative and raw power, Iggy Pop paved the way for punk and post-punk. Groups like the SEX PISTOLS, RAMONES, BLONDIE, SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES, JOY DIVISION and Nick Cave all followed in his footsteps. As a solo artist, Iggy Pop has never slowed down, and has instead pushed this art form forwards for half a century. Iggy Pop is ‘the chairman of the bored’ who portrays alienation in poetic language. A wholly unique artist who personifies and embodies what rock music is about.”

Since his raucous proto-punk, peanut butter smearing days with THE STOOGES, few “street walking cheetahs” have mastered the maniacal with as much grit, gusto and flair as Iggy Pop.

Pop’s songs have been covered by the likes of GUNS N’ ROSES, R.E.M., RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS and SEX PISTOLS, among others. His 1990 album “Brick By Brick” sold more than 500,000 copies, and his 2003 LP “Skull Ring” featured the likes of GREEN DAY, SUM 41 and PEACHES.

Although his solo records were more commercial than those of his 1960s/1970 band THE STOOGES, he never broke through into the mainstream.

A reformed STOOGES recorded the album “The Weirdness” in 2007.

Previous winners of the Polar Music Prize include METALLICA, Elton John, Sting, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, LED ZEPPELIN, PINK FLOYD, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, B.B. King, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, Max Martin and Bruce Springsteen.

The Polar Music Prize honors two laureates every year to “celebrate music in all its various forms” and “to break down musical boundaries by bringing together people from all the different worlds of music.” It awards each laureate one million kronor (approximately $109,000) at a gala in Stockholm.

Congratulations! #iggypop #polarmusicprize2023 https://t.co/1ZjUUFMDtR
— Iggy Pop (@IggyPop) February 8, 2022

Featuring a NOLA-inspired finish and a lowered frequency range for warm grooves, the Leo Nocentelli Cry Baby Mardi Gras Wah pays tribute to a master of funk.Lead guitarist and founding member of the Meters, Leo Nocentelli cooked up sizzling New Orleans-infused licks that redefined the NOLA sound and influenced artists of all genres around the world. He used the iconic Cry Baby Wah to sling slick, syrupy grooves on classics such as “I Just Kissed My Baby.”Dressed in deep purple, flashy gold, and cash-money green with a custom fleur-de-lis tread, the Cry Baby Mardi Gras Wah features a lowered frequency range to deliver that same vocalic warmth in proper NOLA style.FeaturesCapture the slick, syrupy tones used by the master of funkSpecial finish in deep purple, flashy gold, and cash-money greenCustom fleur-de-lis treadLowered frequency range for warm, vocalic vibesThe Leo Nocentelli Cry Baby Mardi Gras Wah is available for $199.99 from retailers worldwide. More info at jimdunlop.com.

Built in Canada, the Glennwood TS6 Acoustic Electric is a workhorse guitar with a patented Neck-thru adjustable neck system.The Glennwood TS6 features solid Wild Cherry back and sides and a top made with torrified (aged) Sitka Spruce. This torrification utilizes their proprietary deep baking process that delivers a balanced and articulate blend of top-end brightness, midrange fullness, low-end warmth, that accommodates an array of playing styles with fantastic harmonics and clarity of tone. Riversong guitars’ patented Neck-thru adjustable neck system allows for less bracing and the ability to adjust intonation and string height with an easy twist of an Allen key. The Riversong exclusive patent pending Double Reaction bridge conducts sound to the top and under bridge plate simultaneously increasing overall volume by 10%. The Double Reaction bridge has a balanced mass, encouraging increased resonant vibration. On this guitar, the Double Reaction bridge is made using a special process with carbon fiber. The Glennwood TS6 Acoustic Electric Guitar includes the Fishman Flex System, a Top of the line preamp and pick up solution that delivers an amazing balanced tone.The Glennwood TS6 is priced at $1999 USD and can be purchased directly at riversongguitars.com with free worldwide shipping. Through their partner Klarna, Riversong Guitars offers 0% interest on any guitar.

A new vintage-style analog delay from TC Electronic with onboard modulation and 600ms of delay. TC Electronic created the BUCKET BRIGADE to give players a distinct and genuine vintage vibe that a true analog BBD-design provides. When you want to hear your latest notes on repeat, BUCKET BRIGADE’s articulate delay line and warm-sounding reproductions are designed to accommodate your needs.BUCKET BRIGADE is born with a specific skillset and treats the delay line to a carefully crafted series of filters in the feedback circuit, resulting in deliciously warm repeats. Add onboard modulation, TrueBypass and a whopping 600ms of delay intended for easy addition to any pedalboard.BUCKET BRIGADE ANALOG DELAY – Official Product Launch VideoFor more info visit: https://www.tcelectronic.com/

A little over a month ago, QUEENSRŸCHE entered the studio to begin recording its new album for a tentative late 2022 release. Helming the effort once again is Chris “Zeuss” Harris, who previously worked with the band on 2015’s “Condition Hüman” and 2019’s “The Verdict” LPs.

Earlier today, the official QUEENSRŸCHE Instagram account shared a photo of singer Todd La Torre in the studio along with the following message: “Todd has 6 songs down on vocals so far for the new QUEENSRŸCHE album – things are progressing! @zeussproducer #queensryche #inthestudio #tracking #vocals #toddlatorre #tlt #thevoice #talentedaf #ryche4 #killingit #badassvocals #newalbum #centurymedia”.

Last November, La Torre told Canada’s The Metal Voice about the musical direction of the new QUEENSRŸCHE material: “It doesn’t sound like ‘The Verdict’. It’s its own new kind of thing. We really kind of just focused more on melodic hooks. I don’t think we went in thinking, like, ‘Oh, we need to sound old school or new or this.'”

He continued: “You know what we did on this record… Every other time, each guy would kind of submit their own song ideas and then we would kind of work on that. But what we did on this record was, other than Eddie [Jackson, bass] — Eddie has a couple of songs that are really cool that he wrote and then showed us kind of when they were pretty much done. And then Michael [Wilton, guitar] kind of wrote some interesting chords — still staying within the keys and everything. But we all got in a room with our here [in Florida], and we literally started from scratch. Like, ‘Michael, what do you got?’ [And he would] come up with a riff. And Casey [Grillo] would sit on the drums, or I would sit on the drums. We were all actually in a room and just tried it like the good old days. So this record was totally like that — the whole thing pretty much, minus one or two songs. And even that changed a little bit.”

In early 2021, Wilton told The Metal Voice about the new QUEENSRŸCHE material: “Our producer, Zeuss, if this is any indication, he says it sounds like QUEENSRŸCHE … I think we’re just going with our gut right now. You don’t wanna take too many drastic chances in this day and age. So I think it’s more of a continuation of ‘The Verdict’, maybe, in some sense. We’re riding that wave. It’s been good to us. [Laughs]”

In October, Wilton confirmed that returning guitarist Mike Stone will likely contribute guitar solos to the band’s next studio album.

Since late May 2021, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on “other business ventures.”

Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album “Tribe” and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.

For the past five years, Grillo has been filling in for QUEENSRŸCHE’s original drummer Scott Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band’s touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.

In early October, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against the band’s fellow original members Wilton and Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge.

QUEENSRŸCHE recently pulled out of SCORPIONS’ rescheduled “Sin City Nights” Las Vegas residency in order to support JUDAS PRIEST on the “50 Heavy Metal Years” North American tour dates in March-April 2022. The tour will kick off on March 4 in Peoria, Illinois and conclude on April 13 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

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Watch the first video and single from Sum of R’s harrowingly heavy and delicately beautiful new LP Lahbryce.
The post Video Premiere: Sum of R – “Crown of Diseased” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

METALLICA was nominated for the very first “Hard Rock/Metal Performance” Grammy in 1989, but famously lost to JETHRO TULL, a band distinguished mainly by its heavy use of flute. Fans — and even some audience members — were rightly outraged, though TULL’s record label tried to make light of the faux pas by placing a Billboard ad that read, “The flute is a heavy, metal instrument.”

Asked in a new interview with the St. Louis, Missouri radio station KSHE 95 if he ever got a chance to “to rub in the face of METALLICA” the fact that his band won a “Hard Rock/Metal Performance” Grammy over the San Francisco Bay Area heavy metal giants, JETHRO TULL leader Ian Anderson said: “Well, I think METALLICA were actually very gentlemanly. At the time, they did say, when they did win the Grammy next year, as I predicted they would, they took out a page in Billboard thanking the record company, their friends and family for supporting them, the dog — I mean, they thanked everybody, including JETHRO TULL for not releasing a new album that year. They had a sense of humor about it. They took it on the chin even though everybody was busy telling them they were gonna win a Grammy and then, unfortunately, that year they didn’t. But they were the hot new act, and surely they were gonna win it the following year, and, of course, they did.”

Three years ago, on the 30th anniversary of that fateful day, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich took to his Instagram to reflect on his band’s first Grammy loss, writing: “Today 30 years ago, February 22 ’89, we played the Grammys for the first time and that was quite a mindfuck!!

“First time we were in front of a mainstream TV audience. First time mainstream America was exposed to whatever the hell it is we do. First time they had a hard rock/metal category on the Grammys. First time we were Grammy losers, since JETHRO TULL, somewhat unexpectedly to most people, walked away with the win.

“But all was not lost. The expressions of disgust from most members of the audience (other than Iggy!) is something I will treasure for the rest of my life. And I was rocking some pretty crazy hair that was edging dangerously close to a mullet! Happy days indeed!!”

After METALLICA lost the 1989 “Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Recording” Grammy to JETHRO TULL, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), parent company of the Grammys, separated the two genres in 1990 by creating categories for “Best Hard Rock Performance” and “Best Metal Performance”. METALLICA won the “Best Metal Performance” award the next year, for “One”, and has earned nearly a dozen so far.

When METALLICA’s “Black” album won another “Best Metal Performance” Grammy in 1992, Ulrich “thanked” JETHRO TULL for not releasing an album in that year.

In a 2012 interview with Powerline, Anderson recounted that historic day when his band was given the award for best hard rock/metal performer.

“I probably get [the question] a lot more when I’m talking to American writers than I do [at home in England],” Anderson said. “It’s not really a big deal over here. It was in a year where it was a new category for ‘hard rock’ forward slash ‘metal’ and that category still exists today … and we were, for some strange reason, nominated. And at the time, no one paid any attention to the fact that we were nominated. There was not a peep out of anyone. Because they thought there’s no way JETHRO TULL are gonna win it. Nor IGGY POP, nor JANE’S ADDICTION. It’s going to be METALLICA because they were the huge, new, straight-out-of-the-box, enormous, hit talent that year and everybody took it for granted that METALLICA were gonna win the Grammy, including METALLICA themselves. And when it was ordered to JETHRO TULL, to a barrage of boos and hisses and gasps of disbelief, I’d like to think that it wasn’t that the six thousand voting members of the National Academy Of Recording Arts And Sciences were voting for JETHRO TULL as a heavy rock band or a heavy metal band. They gave us the award because we were a bunch of nice guys who never won a Grammy before. And sad to relate, even after all these years, there is still no category for best one-legged flute player. Otherwise, I’d be winning it every year.”

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Today 30 years ago, February 22 ‘89, we played the Grammys for the first time and that was quite a mindfuck!! First time we were in front of a mainstream TV audience. First time mainstream America was exposed to whatever the hell it is we do. First time they had a hard rock/metal category on the Grammys. First time we were Grammy losers, since Jethro Tull, somewhat unexpectedly to most people, walked away with the win. But all was not lost.. The expressions of disgust from most members of the audience (other than Iggy!) is something I will treasure for the rest of my life And I was rocking some pretty crazy hair that was edging dangerously close to a mullet! Happy days indeed!! #wanna #flashbackfriday #grammyawardlosers #jethrotull #grammys
A post shared by Lars Ulrich (@larsulrich) on Feb 22, 2019 at 4:07pm PST

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched for former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes, who has been diagnosed with a cancer in throat and neck.

The campaign was organized by the 63-year-old musician’s wife and manager, Cathy-Sarah Holmes, who first shared the news of his diagnosis in a social media post on Saturday (February 5).

In a message on the GoFundMe page, Holmes’s drummer Steve Jackson wrote: “Hi Everyone, this is a tough message to write. You probably won’t know me but for the past 4 years I have been playing drums for Chris Holmes or you may know him as the ‘Mean Man’. In the time I’ve spent getting to know Chris, I can assure you this is so far from the truth, as many of you who have met Chris will agree. He has a lot of time for his fans and I wanted to do something to help out after his recent Cancer diagnosis. The medical bills are coming in quickly, as they are working to get Chris the Cancer treatment he needs, as soon as possible.

“As he is unable to tour during this time and he is going to have 7 weeks of extensive treatment, he is gonna need a little extra support to help to get himself back to full health and to kick cancers ass!! This is where hopefully you can help out! If you feel you can afford to donate something, I’d be very grateful and I know both Chris and Cathy would be too. Anything you can give would be a massive help, while he is undergoing his treatment.

“Please feel free to share this to anyone, you know is a fan or friend of Chris, or of the music he has been a part of during his 40+ year career.

“I thank you for all of your kind words that you have sent Chris so far. I know he has seen many of the messages and the extra positivity will help him and Cathy during this tough time. We will keep you updated as treatment progresses.”

Launched earlier today (Monday, February 7), the GoFundMe campaign has only raised €690 toward its €20,000 goal as of this publishing.

As a result of his diagnosis, Holmes has canceled his appearance aboard this year’s Monsters Of Rock cruise. However, Holmes still expects to be able to complete his previously announced Canadian tour, which is scheduled to launch in Quebec City on May 5 and wrap up in Vancouver on May 28.

Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1982 and remained with the group until 1990. In 1996, the guitarist returned to W.A.S.P. and stayed with the band until 2001. Chris has not played with W.A.S.P. since.

In October 2020, Chris said that he would never consider returning to W.A.S.P. unless Lawless agreed to pay him the publishing royalties that he allegedly owes him. He told Canada’s The Metal Voice: “A lot of people think I made money from W.A.S.P. I’ve never gotten my royalties, or even my songwriting. All the stuff that I wrote, I’ve never gotten paid one penny. And you know whose fault it is? It’s my my fault for not knowing the business, how it is. I trusted somebody.

“After every album, when the album is done, how they split up the publishing with the publishing contracts, the publishing companies — that’s where the money comes from,” he continued. “I was never told about when that meeting was. Because the other guys in the band never wrote — I was the only one [other than Blackie]. So I’m the only one that they have to screw over to get all the publishing. So I was never told. Then when I dug into it in about 2006 or [2007], I went into Sanctuary Music, had a lawyer go in to find out where all my publishing is, and I was written in as a session player into all the records. And if you don’t know about it, and you’re not told, and you don’t see, you don’t know. So I trusted Blackie Lawless about that. And when I found out, it really kind of yanked me wrong. It yanks me wrong — it makes me see he was sticking a knife in my back from the first day, from the first album, and not telling me, and being my best friend.”

Last month, Lawless shot down Holmes’s claim that the guitarist was “screwed” out of receiving royalties on the W.A.S.P. albums that he performed on. Lawless discussed Holmes’s tenure with W.A.S.P. in an interview with “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”. Asked to respond to Holmes’s assertion in Chris’s recently released documentary “Mean Man: The Story Of Chris Holmes” that he was financially taken advantage of during his time in the band, Lawless said: “I don’t really know much about… I spoke to [former W.A.S.P. guitarist] Randy Piper a couple of years ago. I don’t really know what’s going on with the rest of the guys. And I’m not sure exactly what you’re talking about with Chris about not being paid.

“Chris, at two different points in his musical career, received settlements from this band; he signed documents as such,” Blackie explained. “And he was paid quite well.

“I haven’t seen what you’re talking about. The answer I’m giving you right now is based on what you just said to me.”

The W.A.S.P. frontman went on to confirm that he hasn’t seen Chris’s documentary and was once again asked about Holmes’s claim that there is money and songwriting credits that he didn’t get that he’s due. Lawless said simply: “That is not true.”

During a November 2017 press conference in Moscow, Russia, Lawless was asked what he would say to those W.A.S.P. fans who continue to call for the band to reunite with Holmes. He responded: “People get divorced for certain reasons, and there’s times when the kids want the parents to get back together, but sometimes it never happens. And this is one of those [times]. Sorry.”