During an appearance on “The Sailor Jerry Podcast”, SLIPKNOT drummer Jay Weinberg spoke about the songwriting process for the group’s latest single, “The Chapeltown Rag”, which he performed live with his bandmates for the first time last November at Knotfest Los Angeles.

“Coming together with the idea of, like, ‘Great. We can’t play shows [due to the coronavirus pandemic]. Let’s make this new stuff.’ And ‘The Chapeltown Rag’ was born out of that,” he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “And to me, it’s such an exciting song. We’ve played it now twice on stage. And to me, that’s where songs really develop their legs.

“I often think it’s kind of ironic that you work really hard at making a song and recording it without being informed of how you’re gonna play it on a stage which is really, to me, where it starts its life,” he continued. “It’s incredibly backwards to me because it’s, like, the recorded version is the freshest that song is gonna be and then you start to put miles on it after the fact. It’s interesting to me. But now that we’ve played it on stage, I also find how it lives in that kind of environment as well. It’s amazing. I’m very happy with that, very proud of that. I feel like it’s probably, as far as my own playing within it, that song is a good example of, yeah, just trying to throw myself into every single note and thinking about every single note and the meaning behind it and the intent. You can listen to it on the surface and be, like, ‘What the fuck is this shit?’ It’s all over the place and it’s totally crazy chaotic. You can listen to it in that regard and that’s true, but that’s the very end of a very long process of hashing out every single note and me sitting next to [producer] Joe Barresi talking about this one snare note; it’s very important right here. [Laughs] That’s how deep…

“Now that I’m in this process, I’ve learned… My process of applying myself within making a new SLIPKNOT song happen, learning how to find those moments where I can be, like, ‘This is really important that I make this musical choice,’ or whatever, and doing that for a song. And then it ends up coming out totally crazy, like ‘The Chapeltown Rag’, but I can hear the intent in that. And that’s what makes me appreciate the creative process. You’re so in it, you’re so interweaved with it, but then it kind of comes out like that and you’re, like, ‘Wow. I’m so happy that we made these decisions. And yeah, it did lead us down this crazy wormhole but now we’re playing this live together and it all makes so much sense.’

“It’s one song of our newest creative adventure, but, to me, it’s a really rad way to show that character that I feel hasn’t necessarily come out — not for any intentional reason, that it hasn’t been in certain elements of ‘We Are Not Your Kind’ and ‘The Gray Chapter’, but the fact that it’s coming out now is super exciting,” Weinberg added. “And I think that’s because you just try to go deeper, you try to outperform yourself. It’s not with anybody else’s pressure of, like, ‘They’ve gotta be better. They’ve gotta do this.’ It’s, like, I wanna be better for myself. For the people I’m collaborating with, I wanna show that I’m better. And I think that that’s a good mindset as you go into just embarking on new musical territories, if you can just bring your ‘A’ game, you can make some stuff that you’re really proud of.”

The studio version of “The Chapeltown Rag”, which was released on November 5, 2021, was produced by the aforementioned Joe Barresi, who has previously worked with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and CHEVELLE, among many others.

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor described the song to Knotfest.com as “a punisher,” saying it documents what happens when the distortions of mass media circulate within the echo chambers of social media.

“It’s classic SLIPKNOT,” said Corey about the track, which is inspired by a Netflix documentary he watched about the Yorkshire Ripper serial killer who murdered multiple women in the West Yorkshire, United Kingdom suburb Chapeltown in the late 1970s. “And it’s frenetic. But lyrically, it’s coming from a point of talking about the various manipulations that can happen when social media meets media itself. And the different ways that these manipulations can try to pull us in different directions, in the fact that we’re all becoming addicts to it, which is very, very dangerous.”

Recorded during recent sessions for a yet-to-be-announced new album, “The Chapeltown Rag” barrels forward with the speed of a freight train derailing and incisively eviscerates Internet culture from the inside out with the scream, “When everything is god online…nothing is.”

M. Shawn Crahan, better known as Clown from SLIPKNOT, added: “‘The Chapeltown Rag’ facilitates a sort of mindset that you’re going to like: it’s along the barnburner side of things.”

According to Knotfest.com writer Dan Franklin, “The Chapeltown Rag” chorus sees Corey experimenting with vocal approaches he had never taken before.

“I wasn’t even sure if that part was going to be the chorus, to be honest,” Corey said. “But I just love the way that the chord progression lent itself this weird, chromatic, minor vibe to it, which I had never really done before. I played with it on ‘Vermilion’ years ago, but I had never really given it a little more aggression. The harmony that I created for it was just so fucking weird as well that it just gives it that slight dissonant vibe, but it’s also very, very melodic and hummable. Writing and pulling yourself out of trying to keep it in some sort of structure allows you to just fucking rip the scab off and let the wound be what it is. Then obviously, the big breakdown at the end where it just fucking goes off the rails is is so heavy, dude.”

SLIPKNOT’s last album, “We Are Not Your Kind”, was released in August 2019. The LP sold 118,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Furthermore, the album made an impact worldwide with No. 1 debuts in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, Canada, Japan, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal and Finland, as well as Top 5 debuts in Germany, France, Norway, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and New Zealand.

SLIPKNOT recently completed the “Knotfest Roadshow” tour, featuring support from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, FEVER 333 and CODE ORANGE. The 29-date run, produced by Live Nation, kicked off following the band’s Knotfest Iowa hometown show in Des Moines on September 25.

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ALL THAT REMAINS will be rejoined by bassist Matt Deis for its upcoming U.S. tour celebrating the 15th anniversary of “The Fall Of Ideals” album.

Deis was previously in ALL THAT REMAINS between 2003 and 2005, and also a member of CKY between 2005 and 2019.

Matt is stepping back into ALL THAT REMAINS as the replacement for Aaron “Bubble” Patrick who announced his exit from the band last September.

On Wednesday (February 2), ALL THAT REMAINS issued the following statement via social media: “ALL THAT REMAINS is thrilled to welcome back to the stage Matt Deis on bass and backing vocals. Some of you may remember Matt from our earlier material, we’re stoked he is here, make sure to send him some love!”

Patrick joined ALL THAT REMAINS in 2015 following the departure of Jeanne Sagan.

ALL THAT REMAINS will embark on “The Fall Of Ideals” 15th-anniversary trek this spring, kicking off on March 12 in Worcester, Massachusetts, and running through May 20 in Hartford, Connecticut. MISS MAY I, VARIALS and TALLAH will serve as support. ALL THAT REMAINS will perform “The Fall Of Ideals” in full on this run.

“The Fall Of Ideals” was reissued last November. The best-selling title features such fan favorites as “This Calling”, “Six” and “The Air That I Breathe”. In addition to the wide release, the band has exclusive colored vinyl variants with deluxe packaging available only at the band’s webstore.

In 2020, ALL THAT REMAINS vocalist Philip Labonte confirmed to the FM99 WNOR radio station that the band has commenced the songwriting process for the follow-up to 2018’s “Victim Of The New Disease” album.

“Victim Of The New Disease” was released via Fearless in North America and Eleven Seven in Europe.

ALL THAT REMAINS guitarist Oli Herbert was found dead in October 2018 at the edge of the pond on his Stafford Springs, Connecticut property. He was reported missing by his wife and his body was found by police face down at the edge of the pond where the water was only a few inches deep. He has since been replaced by Jason Richardson, who has previously played with BORN OF OSIRIS and CHELSEA GRIN.

All That Remains is thrilled to welcome back to the stage Matt Deiss on bass and backing vocals. Some of you may…

Posted by All That Remains on Wednesday, February 2, 2022

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British heavy metal legends SAXON have released the third single, “The Pilgrimage”, from their upcoming album, “Carpe Diem”, due on February 4 via Silver Lining Music.

“Pilgrimage is a fantastic word,” says SAXON singer Biff Byford. “People go on pilgrimages all the time, not just in a historical or religious sense, but it’s about going and visiting either a place that you feel is special in your life or somebody that’s meant something in your life. You can go on a pilgrimage to go see your great grandfather who died in the first world war, for instance. They’re journeys of great weight and importance.”

Produced by Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, EXODUS, ACCEPT) at Backstage Recording Studios in Derbyshire with Byford and Sneap mixing and mastering, “Carpe Diem” strikes the ear as one of the most essential British metal statements of the last few years and not lacking in pace or bite, an album which will ignite the joy in stalwart supporters and attract a whole new legion to the SAXON fold.

Sneap, himself a guitarist and producer of some metal repute, ensures that “Carpe Diem” does not lack one ounce of grit or sharpness. “Andy’s obviously a very good guitarist,” says Biff, “but he’s not a blues-based guitarist like our guys are; he’s more of a modern-style player. And that means the boys (Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt) love working with him because, again, it’s all about the intensity. Andy’s always pushing the envelope; he doesn’t let them get away with anything. They have to play it for real, full speed. He gets great sound, and we want that Gibson/Marshall ’80s sound even if they’re not Gibsons and Marshalls. We try and retain that British metal guitar sound that we created for SAXON, and he’s definitely an ’80s child.”

Despite a career which has spanned 44 years with over 15 million albums sold, including four top 10 U.K. albums, and having played to hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide, SAXON are revving up for one of their busiest eras yet.

“We’re gonna be quite busy this year,” says Biff. “There are festivals which have been rescheduled from two years ago, we’re looking to go to America, we’re also going to tour U.K. and Europe later in the year and like everyone really, we’re just keeping our fingers crossed that everything works out and we can do it all. We’re also recording the second ‘Inspirations’ album, and as we do that, you never know, we might write a few songs for the next SAXON album…”

The genesis of “Carpe Diem”‘s fierce intensity lies in two extremely significant life events.

“It’s been a difficult two years,” offers Biff with considerable understatement, “because I had the heart attack back in September 2019, so things went a bit pear-shaped for the band. And then COVID hit two or three months later, but luckily, we started writing and recording this album before COVID. We did the drums in Germany and we did the guitars in various places. I was doing a lot of writing while I was in the hospital bed, and we spent quite a long time writing and arranging the ideas that we all had. I do think it’s a very intense album, and maybe some of that intensity comes from the frustration of not being able to do anything in the COVID period.”

“Carpe Diem” track listing:

01. Carpe Diem (Seize The Day)
02. Age Of Steam
03. The Pilgrimage
04. Dambusters
05. Remember The Fallen
06. Super Nova
07. Lady In Gray
08. All For One
09. Black Is The Night
10. Living On The Limit

“We want every album we make to go platinum,” says Biff defiantly. “We never make an album that we don’t expect to be fantastic because there are no laurels around here, and as a band, we’re always trying to do something a little bit new, a little bit daring. I love fast metal like ‘Princess Of The Night’ and ‘20,000 Feet’, and I try and bring that style of SAXON into the music now, but in a more modern style. We don’t sound like an old band on records because we’re not sitting back on our past success, we’re always trying to make a great album.”

Produced by Andy Sneap and Biff Byford
Album mixed and mastered by Andy Sneap

Guitars recorded by Andy Sneap at Backstage Recording Studios, Derbyshire (U.K.); vocals recorded by Seb Byford at Big Silver Barn, York (U.K.); drums recorded by Jacky Lehmann (Audiosound) at Velbyproductions, Grünenplan (Germany).

All lyrics by Biff Byford. Backing vocals by Seb Byford

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Norwegian black metal titans ABBATH, the solo project of former IMMORTAL frontman Abbath (real name Olve Eikemo), have released the title track of their new album, “Dread Reaver”, which will arrive on March 25 via Season Of Mist. The cover artwork for the LP was created by Bjørn Stian Bjoarvik and the photos were taken by Francisco Munoz.

“Dread Reaver” track listing:

01. Acid Haze (04:51)
02. Scarred Core (03:29)
03. Dream Cull (04:15)
04. Myrmidon (04:33)
05. The Deep Unbound (04:05)
06. Septentrion (04:30)
07. Trapped Under Ice (03:59)
08. The Book Of Breath (04:35)
09. Dread Reaver (04:43)
10. Make My Day (04:16)

Two years in the making, ABBATH’s third full-length is the culmination of everything before it. A fusion of debut “Abbath” (2016) and follow-up “Outstrider” (2019), the aptly titled “Dread Reaver” extends its fantastical fangs outward and drives its cloven hooves onward. Indeed, there’s nothing like an ABBATH record. This is the darkest metal for epic journeys and ancient battles. Comprised of eight riveting tracks and a red-hot cover of METALLICA’s “Trapped Under Ice”, “Dread Reaver” shows ABBATH triumphing over all trials and tribulations, riding hard into merciless glory as the one and only “Lemmy of black metal.”

Powered by Abbath’s creative musical imagination, “Dread Reaver” runs riotously out of the gate. The album’s edifice affords tracks like “Acid Haze”, “Scarred Core”, “The Deep Unbound” and the album’s closing title track ample room to champion the extremes of black metal, heavy metal, and hard rock. While there are nods to NWOBHM greats, thrash metal’s luminaries, and black metal icons, “Dread Reaver” is unmistakably ABBATH. There is no other fingerprint. Paired with thought-provoking lyrics based on the historical figure of Othryades, ABBATH’s third album not only shouts exultant but reads like an ancient pyrrhic tale steeped in violence, sorrow, and grit. The idea of a Dread Reaver — a fearless duelist — can also be read as a metaphor for life’s actions and subsequent struggles.

“Dread Reaver” was produced by Endre Kirkesola, ABBATH, and Dag Erik Nygaard at Dub Studio in Kristiansand and Bergen Lydstudio, respectively. Kirkesola and Nygaard also engineered. Mixing was performed by ABBATH and Kirkesola, while the mastering was done by maestro Maor Appelbaum (FAITH NO MORE, HALFORD) at Maor Appelbaum Mastering in Los Angeles. The goal was to field a storming production that sat firmly at the crossroads of Abbath’s heroes KISS, MOTÖRHEAD, MANOWAR and BATHORY. From the anthemic thrust of opener “Acid Haze” and the epic pound of “Dream Cull” to the rampaging “The Book Of Breath” and the wicked cover of “Trapped Under Ice”, “Dread Reaver” sounds as massive as Norwegian mountain and as fiery as the depths of Hell. Truly, the recording lineup of Abbath (guitar, bass, vocals), Ukri Suvilehto (drums), Ole André Farstad (guitars) and Mia Wallace (bass) found their sonic muse.

Recording lineup:

* Abbath – Guitar, bass, vocals
* Ukri Suvilehto – Drums
* Ole André Farstad – Lead, acoustic guitars
* Mia Wallace – Bass on “Acid Haze”, “Scarred Core”, “The Deep Unbound” and “Dread Reaver”

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Perfect for times like these, Foo Fighters Radio will return to SiriusXM from February 4 at 3 a.m. ET through March 5 in celebration of the February 25 theatrical release of “Studio 666”, a horror comedy film starring the band.

The exclusive channel will air on Channel 105 and be available on the SXM app. Listeners will hear insight into all of FOO FIGHTERS’ albums, the stories behind some of their biggest songs, demos, B-sides, rarities and more. Tune in to also go behind the scenes with the band and discover the making of “Studio 666” in an exclusive interview with SiriusXM host Kat Corbett. Plus, enjoy shows hosted by the band members, weekly epic concerts from their vaults, and celebrity guest DJs.

Check out the trailer for FOO FIGHTERS’ “Studio 666” below along with an exclusive clip from Foo Fighters Radio, including a highlight from the band’s performance at the SiriusXM Garage in Los Angeles.

In “Studio 666”, the legendary rock band FOO FIGHTERS move into an Encino mansion steeped in grisly rock and roll history to record their much-anticipated 10th album. Once in the house, Dave Grohl finds himself grappling with supernatural forces that threaten both the completion of the album and the lives of the band.

“After decades of ridiculous music videos and numerous music documentaries under our collective belts, it was finally time to take it to the next level… A full-length feature horror comedy film,” said Grohl. “Like most things FOO, ‘Studio 666’ began with a far-fetched idea that blossomed into something bigger than we ever imagined possible. Filmed at the same house where we recorded our latest album ‘Medicine At Midnight’ (told you that place was haunted!), we wanted to recapture the classic magic that all of our favorite rock and roll movies had, but with a twist: hilarious gore that fucking ROCKS. And now, with the help of Tom Ortenberg and the team at Open Road Films, we can finally let this cat out of the bag after keeping it our best-kept secret for two years. Be ready to laugh, scream, and headbang in your popcorn. ‘Studio 666′ will fuck you up.”

Based on a story by Grohl and screenplay by Jeff Buhler and Rebecca Hughes, “Studio 666” is produced by Roswell Films’ and Therapy Studios’ John Ramsay and James A. Rota. Executive producers are John Silva, Kristen Welsh, John Cutcliffe, Gaby Skolnek, Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Rami Jaffee, James Masciello, Matthew Sidari, Mitchell Zhang and Tom Ortenberg.

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Super7 Toys has released a new Paul Baloff ReAction figure in honor of the late EXODUS frontman who passed away 20 years ago, on February 2, 2002.

Official figure description: “This year marks the 20th Anniversary of Paul Baloff’s death. Baloff personified the violent energy of the early San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal scene of the 80s with the band EXODUS on their ‘Bonded By Blood’ album. Baloff’s uncompromising lifestyle and attitude are immortalized with this 3.75″ ReAction figure. Comes with a microphone and shattered baseball bat accessories.”

On January 31, 2002, Baloff suffered a major stroke and was brought to Highland General Hospital in Northern California, where he remained in a coma until he was declared brain dead. On February 2, 2002, his doctors shut off his life support, leaving him to die in his sleep. He had no previous known health problems, and the stroke was a complete surprise to everyone around him.

On the fifth anniversary of Baloff’s passing, guitarist Gary Holt stated about his late bandmate: “His contribution to metal lives on. How else can you explain how a guy can record one album (twice!) and still be remembered as a thrash legend to this very day?”

In a 2015 interview, EXODUS drummer Tom Hunting said about Baloff’s passing: “That was a rough time for us, ’cause we weren’t really a good-functioning band at that time. We all had some drug problems going on, or most of us, anyway — myself included. And Paul had two strokes. And we knew something was going on with Paul, but we never realized that he’d had a stroke until he had the big stroke that killed him. And we got an education about strokes right then. But even his dying break our will to do drugs. It took awhile. Gary did it first… you know, he got sober first, and I soon followed, and the rest is history. We haven’t touched the shit ever since then. I mean, there’s a pretty cliché saying: you get to a point where you’re a musician dabbling in drugs, and then you become a drug addict that’s dabbling in music. And that’s kind of where we were. We thought we were doing stuff, but we weren’t really progressing. We were just kind of spinning the wheels.”

Last year, ex-EXODUS guitarist Rick Hunolt told Heavy Culture about firing Baloff and replacing him with Steve “Zetro” Souza before the release of 1987’s “Pleasures Of The Flesh” album: “I think losing Paul was a big deal back then. I think that maybe we made a mistake by firing Paul. And this is just looking back on everything for me; this is just my personal thought. This is the stuff that I think about sometimes. What would have happened if we didn’t fire Paul? I just think that maybe we would have gotten a little bit more traction if we didn’t have that lag in between.

“People love Paul,” he continued. “And Paul was… he’s a legend. He was going through a bad time in his life, and I guess, at the time, we felt that maybe he was holding us back; I think probably that’s what we were thinking. I think that probably we might have thought about getting him better instead of firing him.”

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Corey Taylor says that STONE SOUR is still “on the back burner” while he focuses all of his attention on SLIPKNOT and his solo career.

A year and a half after announcing in an interview that STONE SOUR had “run its course,” the SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman elaborated on the latter band’s current status during a February 2 appearance on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It’s on the back burner. It’s just one of those things where my mind and my heart are in a different direction. And that’s cool.

“I wish everybody in STONE SOUR all the best,” he continued. “I still talk to almost all of ’em. But sometimes you’ve just gotta do what’s best for your heart, and that’s what I’m doing. So STONE SOUR’s on the back burner. But I’m also doing a ton of music. And like I’ve shown in [my] solo show, if you wanna hear that stuff, that’s a great place to hear it ’cause I do a ton of STONE SOUR, I do a ton of SLIPKNOT, do a ton of covers, do a ton of originals for the solo stuff. It’s a great show.”

STONE SOUR has been off the road and out of sight since completing the touring cycle for its last studio album, 2017’s “Hydrograd”. Taylor has been working with SLIPKNOT since then, as well as making his debut solo album, “CMFT”. A STONE SOUR live album, “Hello, You Bastards: Live In Reno”, came out in December 2019.

In August 2020, Taylor said that he was open to doing more recording and touring with STONE SOUR in the future. But he admitted that there had “been some contention here and there” between the members of the band in the past and added that it was “time” for him to “step away” and pursue his solo project for a while.

In June 2020, Corey told SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” about STONE SOUR: “If someday we wanna get back together and do some stuff, it’ll be bigger than it was. But for right now, we’re all kind of focused on kind of doing our own thing. But you never say never in this business.”

Last June, STONE SOUR guitarist Josh Rand told MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn’s “No Fuckin’ Regrets With Robb Flynn” podcast about when fans can expect to see the follow-up to “Hydrograd”: “There’s no timetable for a return, ’cause, honestly, between Corey doing his solo thing, now me working on THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT stuff, Roy [Mayorga, drums] working on MINISTRY… So, there’s just no timetable.

“I made a comment [in 2020], and it kind of backfired, because of how I said [STONE SOUR was on an] indefinite hiatus, which, if you know the definition, actually just means it’s a long period of time with no timetable of return. I don’t know if everybody thought I said ‘infinite’ instead of ‘indefinite.’ [Laughs] All of a sudden, the band was, like, over. It was, like, ‘Oh my God! It’s over.’ All I was saying was there’s no timetable. It’s no different than what we’ve done in the past. It’s just gonna be a longer break.”

According to Rand, he and his STONE SOUR bandmates “needed to branch out”, “try different shit” and “work with different people” before regrouping to work on new STONE SOUR music. “And then whenever that time is that we get back together, it’ll actually be what is best for STONE SOUR,” he explained. “There’s no doubt about it in my mind. Just having these different experiences for all of us instead of just running that same cycle. I think more so with Corey and myself — like I said, he got to do a solo record where he’s doing a different style of music than anybody would have thought of or that wouldn’t have fit in STONE SOUR or SLIPKNOT. For myself, working with somebody that’s not Corey and Roy. So there’s a growth that will be there that we’ll ultimately get which will benefit the band. I know some people might not be stoked that it’s gonna be who knows when, but it needed to happen, and that’s what’s best for everybody involved.”

Asked how he and the rest of STONE SOUR made the decision to take a longer-than-usual break this time around, Josh said: “I think at the end of the tour cycle, we had a good idea of what was going to happen, where [Corey] wanted to do the solo record. For myself, it’s something I kicked around — just having some of the songs that I would musically write that I would never submit into STONE SOUR ’cause I don’t feel like it fits at all. So I was kind of on that path to begin with. I just kind of got an extra nudge with him doing his solo record of, ‘Hey, this is probably the time to do this.’ And then we got hit with the pandemic, which then really locked me into the house. And I was, like, ‘What else am I gonna do?’ So I just started writing and working on playing piano. I did a bunch of stuff on piano, which some of it will come out, and some of it, it’s, like, ‘No.’ I’ll [it] for myself. And that’s basically what we did. So we had a good idea, I think, that we were gonna take a longer break at the end of ’19. I think towards the end, all of us were just burnt.”

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British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST are “amped” to be nominated for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction for the third time.

JUDAS PRIEST was previously on the ballot for Rock Hall induction in 2020, but failed to receive enough votes to make that year’s class.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, PRIEST was also on the ballot for the 2018 class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but was ultimately left out of the inductee list.

On Wednesday (February 2), it was announced that JUDAS PRIEST is among the nominees for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s class of 2022. Inductees will be announced in May. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 2022 induction ceremony will take place this fall. The date, venue, and on-sale information will be announced later.

Within hours of yesterday’s announcement, JUDAS PRIEST took to social media to write: “We are amped to be nominated for the 2022 RRHOF!

“You can vote every day at https://vote.rockhall.com/ until April 29th.

“Voting is capped at one ballot, per day. #RockHall2022”.

Earlier today, PRIEST singer Rob Halford released a video message in which he said: “Hello heavy metal maniacs. As JUDAS PRIEST continues to celebrate our ongoing 50th anniversary, we’re absolutely thrilled and stoked and amped to be nominated for the 2022 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. And so we know you, our beautiful heavy metal maniacs from all around the world, will dominate the daily voting that goes on from now until April the 29th and get some more heavy metal into the hallowed halls of fame. Oh, yeah!”

Once again, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has named the individual bandmembers that will enter should their group get inducted.

For JUDAS PRIEST, they picked current members Halford, Ian Hill (bass), Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Scott Travis (drums), along with former members K.K. Downing (guitar), Les Binks (drums) and late drummer Dave Holland.

Back in October 2020, Halford said that the heavy metal genre “hasn’t been respected enough” by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Asked in an interview with Word In Your Ear if he was “bothered” by the fact that PRIEST hasn’t been inducted into the Rock Hall yet, Halford said: “Well, let’s put it this way. You have all of these institutions here in America — you’ve got the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for music; you’ve got the Basketball Hall Of Fame; you’ve got the Baseball Hall Of Fame; Football — you’ve got all of these places where, I think essentially, it’s just a really nice, cool recognition of what you’ve done, the work that you’ve done and the things that you’ve achieved, the place that you’ve been put at, and so on and so forth.

“So, am I bothered if we ever get in? Not really. But I think we do deserve to be in there. Because I look at the list of people that are in there, and I feel that we have a place. And it would not only be for JUDAS PRIEST — it would be for British music, particularly British heavy metal music, and that’s a beautiful achievement. [BLACK] SABBATH are in there, which is great. But I’ve always said that as far as what the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame represents, the genre of heavy metal music hasn’t really been looked after enough and respected enough.

“So, I’d like to feel that eventually we will get in.”

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N’ ROSES in that group’s first year of eligibility.

The Rock Hall didn’t induct BLACK SABBATH until 2006, and METALLICA followed three years later.

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other “criteria include the influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock ‘n’ roll,” which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn’t get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn’t get inducted until 2016.

After the 2020 Rock Hall inductees were announced in January of that year, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner said that it made no sense that DEPECHE MODE, Whitney Houston, NINE INCH NAILS and Biggie Smalls were going into the Rock Hall before PRIEST. “Hence why the Rock Hall holds no credibility for me and never has,” he tweeted.

In 2019, Halford was asked by Fox Sports 910’s “Freak Nation” if fans could expect to see any of the former PRIEST members joining the band on stage during a hypothetical Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction. He responded: “With something like the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, there’s a tinge of ‘what if’ [and] ‘whatever.’ It’s an open book.

“I know what you’re alluding to, and as I’ve had to [say] in the past, it’s just a case of ‘wait and see,'” he continued. “But it’s a celebration, and it’s 50 years of PRIEST, and, man, it’s gonna be great. Should we get in, it’s gonna be amazing.”

After host Kenny Sargent brought up the original KISS lineup’s controversial 2014 Rock Hall induction which was at least partly overshadowed by the musicians’ decision not to perform, Halford said: “[PRIEST is] not the first band that this has happened to, and on the day, some things turn out the way a lot of people want ’em.

“I was thinking about this the other day,” Halford added. “And this thing came into my head: ‘Jim, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or of the one.’ Spock [in] ‘Star Trek’. When he goes in the radiation room. Isn’t that great? … That’s a t-shirt, or an inspirational card.”

Downing previously told Rockin’ Metal Revival that there is a very good chance that he would perform with his former bandmates again if PRIEST gets the nod. “Oh, I think absolutely,” he said. “I mean, why wouldn’t you, really? It’s a special thing. We’re all of an age now. These opportunities only come once in a lifetime. And it seemingly takes a lifetime to get into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. I’ve always said, there’s no such thing as a young legend, right? [Laughs] So, while we’re still here, it would be great to receive that accolade and put on a great performance and put that one to bed.”

A month before the start of PRIEST’s tour in support of its latest album, “Firepower”, guitarist Glenn Tipton bowed out due to the worsening of his Parkinson’s disease, first diagnosed eight years ago (after being stricken by the degenerative condition at least half a decade earlier). His spot in the band is being filled by “Firepower” album producer Andy Sneap.

We are amped for this 2022 RRHOF nomination and we know our Metal Maniacs will dominate daily online voting till April 29th to forge more Heavy Metal into the hallowed halls!
You can vote every day at https://t.co/njqn3KlOlS #RockHall2022 pic.twitter.com/Sl1d2KPFyq

— Judas Priest (@judaspriest) February 3, 2022

We are amped to be nominated for the 2022 RRHOF!

You can vote every day at https://vote.rockhall.com/ until April 29th.
Voting is capped at one ballot, per day.

#RockHall2022

Posted by Judas Priest on Wednesday, February 2, 2022

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SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS performed their new single, “The River Is Rising”, last night (Wednesday, February 2) on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC TV and Hulu. Slash also sat down with host Jimmy Kimmel for an interview before playing “The River Is Rising” on live TV for the first time.

As previously reported, SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS will celebrate the release of their new album, “4”, by performing it its entirety on Friday, February 11. The “Live At Studios 60” concert event will stream live and free on the Slash YouTube and Facebook at 11 a.m. Pacific / 2 p.m. Eastern / 7 p.m. GMT. The concert will be immediately followed by a live question-and-answer afterparty with Slash exclusively on YouTube Premium.

To join the afterparty and live Q&A, fans can sign up for a free, YouTube Premium one-month trial at this location.

“4” will be released on February 11 via Gibson Records in partnership with BMG. “4” is Slash’s fifth solo album and fourth overall with his band featuring Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass, vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar, vocals).

In October, SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS released the official music video for the LP’s first single, “The River Is Rising”, shot on location in downtown Los Angeles with Gibson TV director Todd Harapiak.

For “4”, Slash and the band traveled across the country together to Nashville, Tennessee and recorded the new album at the historic RCA Studio A with producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, John Prine, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile), revealing a stunning new sound and style all captured live in the studio. Cobb shared the band’s desire to lay down the tracks live, in the studio including guitar solos and vocals — a first for the group.

The band’s previous albums over the last decade — “Apocalyptic Love”, “World On Fire” and “Living The Dream” — have continued on an upward trajectory, all achieving Top 5 Billboard charting debuts in the U.S. and reaching the Top 10 on 12 major charts across the globe. To date, the three SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS albums have now garnered 10 consecutive Top 5 Radio singles, spawned sold-out world tours, and have earned Slash and the band the best critical acclaim of their career with their latest album “Living The Dream” (2018) singled out by the Los Angeles Times, Classic Rock, Guitar World, Loudwire, LA Weekly, and more, as their best songs to date.

The new album “4” has the added history-making distinction of being the first-ever album to be released on the new Gibson Records label, which is headquartered in the iconic American instrument brand Gibson’s hometown of Music City, Nashville. In light of the 30-year partnership between Gibson and the Grammy Award-winning Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Slash, it makes sense the new SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS’ album “4” will be released via Gibson Records.

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS will kick off a North American headlining tour on February 8, in Portland, Oregon and hit 28 major cities, including Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, Nashville, Dallas, Austin, Houston, and more, before wrapping up March 26 in Orlando, Florida.

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