Punk rock veterans BAD RELIGION will embark on a U.S. tour this spring. The 10-date trek will kick off on March 26 in Tucson, Arizona and conclude on April 9 in San Diego, California. Support on the tour will come from SLAUGHTERHOUSE. Tickets go on sale today (Tuesday, February 1) at 10:00 a.m. PST except for Salt Lake City, Portland and Seattle, which are already on sale.

Tour dates:

Mar. 26 – Tucson, AZ @ The Rialto Theatre
Mar. 28 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union
Mar. 30 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory Concert Hall
Apr. 01 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre
Apr. 02 – Bend, OR @ Midtown Ballroom
Apr. 03 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
Apr. 05 – Monterey, CA @ Golden State Theatre
Apr. 06 – Ventura, CA @ Majestic Ventura Theatre
Apr. 08 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues Anaheim
Apr. 09 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues San Diego

Having celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2020, BAD RELIGION formed in 1980 in the suburbs of Los Angeles. The band has become synonymous with intelligent and provocative West Coast punk rock and are considered one of the most influential and important bands in the genre. BAD RELIGION has continually pushed social boundaries and questioned authority and beliefs armed only with propulsive guitars, charging drumbeats, thoughtful lyrics and an undying will to inspire and provoke anyone who will listen.

The band released its 17th studio album, “Age Of Unreason”, in 2019. The critically acclaimed record offers a fiery and intensely relevant musical response to the times, with songs that address a myriad of socio-political maladies, including conspiracy theories, racist rallies, Trump’s election, the erosion of the middle class, alternative facts and more. There is a stylistic consistency to the band’s iconic and influential sound — hard fast beats, big hooks and rousing choruses, yet each new song remains distinctive, utilizing composition, melody and lyrics to deliver a unique narrative consistent with the band’s longstanding humanist worldview.

In December 2020, BAD RELIGION celebrated its 40 years of making music with “Decades”, a four-episode online streaming event captured live at The Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, California. The band felt it important to commemorate the conclusion of 2020 as a strange moment in history when they reached that 40-year milestone. The celebratory episodes included live performance footage, exclusive interviews, and a peek at their rehearsals leading up to the taping of “Decades”.

In August 2020, BAD RELIGION released its autobiography, “Do What You Want: The Story Of Bad Religion”, written with the group’s full cooperation and support. It reveals the ups and downs of the band’s 40-year career, from their beginnings as teenagers experimenting in a San Fernando Valley garage dubbed “The Hell Hole” to headlining major music festivals around the world. The book predominantly features the four principal voices of BAD RELIGION in a hybrid oral history/narrative format: Greg Graffin, Brett Gurewitz, Jay Bentley and Brian Baker. It also includes rare photos and never-before-seen material from their archives.

In September 2020, Graffin spoke to “The Five Count” radio show about what keeps him inspired to make new music four decades into the veteran punk band’s career.

“That’s the thing that’s unique about BAD RELIGION, is our long catalog, our extensive catalog of songs and albums,” he said. “Even though a lot of bands are 40 years old, most of them are playing songs or hits from 30 years ago, because they don’t put out new music.

“When BAD RELIGION decides to put out new music, it’s not just because the world is in turmoil; I don’t think that’s very inspiring as a songwriter,” he explained.

“We write music that we hope speaks to some kind of a sentiment of optimism, even though our music is rather pessimistic. [Laughs]”

He added: “It’s funny, ’cause a lot of fans say, ‘Your music is about such serious stuff. A lot of it is tragic stuff about the human condition. But it always makes me feel so good.’ [Laughs] And these are not dark people — they’re not negative, nihilistic people.

“There’s something hopeful and uplifting about our music, and that’s something that I do feel a great sense of artistic satisfaction about.”

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Ted Nugent has blasted Neil Young for wanting to “censor people” after the legendary singer demanded that his catalog be removed from Spotify in response to “fake information about vaccines” being “spread” on the platform via Joe Rogan’s podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience”. Young delivered an ultimatum, adding, “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.” Spotify announced a few days later that it would pull Young’s music catalog from its platform.

In a new interview with Kristi Leigh, a former reporter for the Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned KMPH-TV, Nugent was asked to weigh in on Young’s position. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Number one, he’s a Canadian so he started at the back of the shitkicker line. And I love my Canadian friends. Look what they’re doing right now, the truckers in Canada,” he added, referencing what started as a truckers’ protest against COVID-19 mandates but has since snowballed into a blockade in the Canadian capital and gridlock at a U.S.-Canada border crossing. “That’s the human instinct. That’s the defiant middle-finger celebration of autonomy and good over evil. So Canadians are great people. But some of them, like Americans and everybody else in the world got so stoned that their brains got burnt. Have Ozzy [Osbourne] form a sentence for ya. And I love the man. But comfortably numb is uncomfortably dumb. And Neil Young is the poster child for that. I mean, [he sings] ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ but he wants to censor people? Hey, Neil, choose one. You can’t do both, you dirtbag. He’s just a sad… And I hope he’s healthy and happy, but I think his brain is so burnt, he doesn’t know what happy is anymore. If he is ‘rockin’ in the free world,’ then he wants to censor somebody who’s bringing information from world-renowned virologists and epidemiologists and calling that misinformation, but he’s gonna quote Joe Biden as the decree of… Are you kidding me?

“When you do that much mind-destroying chemicals upon yourself, your brain is burnt and you struggle to find logic, truth and common sense,” Ted added. “Neil Young has no common sense. He’s out of his mind. And all you can do is pray for him and ignore his stupidity. That’s what I do.”

In the days after Neil had his music from Spotify removed, a handful of notable artists have pulled their music from the streaming giant, blaming the platform for spreading false information about coronavirus via Rogan’s podcast.

Neil’s wife and acclaimed actress Daryl Hannah took to Twitter to express criticism for Rogan’s podcast and the eventual choice Spotify has made regarding Neil’s ultimatum.

Daryl wrote: “sad to see some confuse censorship & free speech with the choice a private company has in deciding what they profit from a podcaster is free to say whatever they want Just as Neil is free to NOT have his music on a platform that makes $$$ of disinformation that harms folks”.

In response, Rogan promised to “do my best, in the future, to balance things out,” while Spotify said it would add content advisories to podcast episodes with information about COVID-19. In an almost 10-minute-long Instagram video posted on Monday, Rogan said he would “try harder to get people with differing opinions on” on his show, which averages 11 million listeners per episode.

“The Joe Rogan Experience” became a Spotify exclusive in 2020, when Rogan signed a multi-year exclusive licensing deal with the streaming giant.

Spotify’s company’s chief executive Daniel Ek has defended Rogan in the past, including after an episode that featured the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in 2020.

“We want creators to create,” Ek told The Financial Times at the time. “It’s what they do best. We’re not looking to play a role in what they should say.”

Ted Nugent reacts to Neil Young calling on Spotify to remove Joe Rogan…
Full interview coming soon!

Posted by Kristi Leigh on Sunday, January 30, 2022

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SKID ROW’s Rachel Bolan says that he is “doing fine,” a week after having his appendix removed.

The 55-year-old bassist was scheduled to play with his bandmates this past Saturday (January 29) at the Showroom at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona but had to pull out of the gig after being diagnosed with appendicitis and undergoing surgery. He was replaced at the show by Robbie Crane, who has had stints with Vince Neil’s band, RATT and LYNCH MOB, before joining BLACK STAR RIDERS as a full-time member.

Bolan took to his Instagram on Monday (January 31) to share a photo of him lying on a hospital bed and explain his absence from the Scottsdale concert, prompting an outpouring of concern from his fans. Just hours later, Rachel returned to Instagram to post a video message in which he thanked everyone for their support and assure fans he was “feeling awesome.”

He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Man, I am so sorry. I freaked so many people out with my post. I am fine. Honestly, I posted just to let everyone know why I wasn’t in the show, why I didn’t do the show last Saturday. But I really didn’t mean to worry anyone. That said, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the outpour of concern. It made me feel really good; it made an old guy feel good. But I am doing fine. Doctor’s orders: can’t lift anything over 20 pounds; don’t go too crazy. And he just didn’t want me flying on an airplane or bouncing around onstage because it was too soon after the operation. But the operation was routine, easy. I felt immediately better as I came to. Out of surgery, after I came to, I felt awesome. I still feel awesome and expect to keep feeling awesome. So it wasn’t something super scary. But I apologize if I scared anyone or freaked anybody out but I’m fine. And I love you guys so much for showing your care and concern. So we’ll be rocking as soon as our next show. So have a great week, and thank you again. I love you, guys. Be well and we’ll see you out there.”

As previously reported, SKID ROW has replaced QUEENSRŸCHE as the support act on the rescheduled dates for SCORPIONS’ “Sin City Nights” Las Vegas residency. The run of shows, which was originally slated to take place in July 2020 and was later pushed back to May 2021, will now happen in March-April, 2022 at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

SKID ROW is continuing work on its long-awaited new album for a tentative early 2022 release. The band is recording its new album in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among many others.

SKID ROW’s new LP will mark its first release with South African-born, British-based vocalist ZP Theart (DRAGONFORCE, TANK, I AM I), who joined the band in 2016 following the departure of Tony Harnell (TNT, STARBREAKER).

Unlike 2014’s “Rise Of The Damnation Army – United World Rebellion: Chapter Two” and 2013’s “United World Rebellion: Chapter One”, SKID ROW’s forthcoming release will be a full-length record.

SKID ROW’s new LP will be released via earMUSIC, the recorded music label of German entertainment group Edel AG which boasts a roster of global artists including DEEP PURPLE, Alice Cooper, BABYMETAL, THUNDER, STATUS QUO and many more.

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Frontiers Music Srl has announced the signing of ’80s hard rockers AUTOGRAPH. The band, featuring vocalist Simon Daniels, guitarist Jimi Bell, bassist Randy Rand, and drummer Marc Wieland, is working on material for a new studio album.

AUTOGRAPH said: “Exciting news for AUTOGRAPH!! We are pleased to announce the upcoming release of a new studio album with Frontiers Music Srl. We are looking forward to introducing our newest collection of hard rock music across the globe. A very special thank you to Serafino, Mario and the entire Frontiers family.”

AUTOGRAPH, whose hit “Turn Up The Radio” was a staple of the hard rock soundtrack of the ’80s, disbanded in 1989, but in 2011, founding members bassist Randy Rand and guitarist Steve Lynch decided to meet up at the NAMM show in Anaheim, California. They rekindled their friendship first before even thinking about a musical reunion. With their personal relationship rebuilt, they made a collective decision to play again. “We approached our original singer Steve Plunkett about a reunion,” recalls Rand. “He didn’t have the time to join the band again due to his busy schedule. He did give us his blessing to move forward though, and that was important. We missed our fans. This is for them.”

Fully embracing the future, the remaining members begin a search for a new singer. They discovered some videos of singer/guitarist/songwriter Simon Daniels (of JAILHOUSE, FLOOD, 1RKO) on YouTube and instantly they sensed a connection and knew that he was the right fit for the band. “He was perfect to front AUTOGRAPH,” smiles Rand. “His hard-edged, bluesy voice and massive riffing sharpen our edge. He’s given us a new energy, and he impressed us immediately. We all had a euphoric feeling after the first rehearsal,” Rand adds.

Rand says that during his long-lived career, he has only loved playing with two drummers; one is the great late Randy Castillo, and then there is AUTOGRAPH’s new drummer Marc Wieland. As Rand puts it, “We’re heavier than before. At the same time, the melodic vocals and catchy hooks are still an integral part of our sound.”

In 2019, Lynch decided to leave the group to pursue different musical styles and was replaced by international monster shredder guitarist Jimi Bell (HOUSE OF LORDS, MAXX EXPLOSION). The band hasn’t skipped a beat since and is ready to continue their rock n’ roll journey on their next studio album.

AUTOGRAPH has released seminal albums such as “Sign In Please” (1984), “That’s The Stuff” (1985) and “Loud And Clear” (1987). Over the course of their career, they have played shows with everybody from MÖTLEY CRÜE and DIO to VAN HALEN and AEROSMITH. Successfully touring again since the beginning of 2014, AUTOGRAPH has strived and shined at arenas, casinos, major music festivals such as M3, Monsters Of Rock cruise, Moondance Jam, 80’s In The Park, Grand Rock Tember, Cat Club festival at Irvine Meadows and Firefest UK, among others. In 2017, AUTOGRAPH released a new album on ex-MEGADETH member David Ellefson’s EMP Label Group, hitting No. 21 on the Billboard Classic Rock Sales chart, as well as placing two new singles on the top 10 Hard Rock Mediabase radio chart.

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According to Rolling Stone, NIRVANA has responded to the second amended lawsuit against the band filed by the man who claims he was the baby featured on the cover of NIRVANA’s “Nevermind” album.

In the latest filing in federal court in Los Angeles, lawyers for the group say Spencer Elden’s latest complaint filed January 12 should be dismissed with prejudice. “This case must end”, the filing states. NIRVANA says that “no amendment is possible to salvage [Elden’s] claim. In his ever-shrinking pleading, Elden has now dismissed all but one of the myriad state- and federal-law claims he previously attempted to charge against defendants”, the claim adds. “The time has run. Elden’s decision to not sue these defendants for the past 30 years, despite his decades-long knowledge of their same and unvaried conduct, is dispositive of his claim. It is as simple as that.”

Last August, Spencer Elden filed the lawsuit, alleging the photo of the baby reaching for a dollar in a swimming pool violated federal child pornography statutes and arguing child sexual exploitation. He also claimed the image on the cover was taken and used without his consent.

In December’s motion to dismiss, NIRVANA, as well as Kurt Cobain’s widow, Courtney Love, had asked the court to throw out the lawsuit, saying Elden’s claim that the photograph on the “Nevermind” cover is child pornography is “not serious” and insisting that his claim is “barred by the applicable statute of limitations.” Federal child pornography law has a 10-year statute of limitations, beginning when a victim “reasonably discovers” the violation itself or the harm caused by it.

On January 3, Judge Fernando M. Olguin, who was presiding over the case at the U.S. District Court in Central California, dismissed the case after Elden missed his December 30 deadline to file an opposition to the defendants’ motion to dismiss. However, Elden had the option to refile an amended lawsuit by January 13, which he did.

In the amended lawsuit, Elden claims that NIRVANA “intentionally commercially marketed the child pornography depicting Spencer and leveraged the lascivious nature of his image to promote the ‘Nevermind’ album, the band, and NIRVANA’s music, while earning, at a minimum, tens of millions of dollars in the aggregate.” However, the second amended complaint drops a claim related to sex trafficking. Elden’s prior suit alleged that the defendants did “knowingly benefit from participation in what they know or should know is a sex trafficking venture.”

In their motion to dismiss, NIRVANA said: “Elden has spent three decades profiting from his celebrity as the self-anointed ‘Nirvana Baby’. He has reenacted the photograph in exchange for a fee, many times; he has had the album title ‘Nevermind’ tattooed across his chest; he has appeared on a talk show wearing a self-parodying, nude-colored onesie; he has autographed copies of the album cover for sale on eBay; and he has used the connection to try to pick up women.”

The motion added: “Elden’s claim that the photograph on the ‘Nevermind’ album cover is ‘child pornography’ is, on its face, not serious. A brief examination of the photograph, or Elden’s own conduct (not to mention the photograph’s presence in the homes of millions of Americans who, on Elden’s theory, are guilty of felony possession of child pornography) makes that clear.

“The ‘Nevermind’ cover photograph was taken in 1991. It was world-famous by no later than 1992. Long before 2011, as Elden has pled, Elden knew about the photograph, and knew that he (and not someone else) was the baby in the photograph. He has been fully aware of the facts of both the supposed ‘violation’ and ‘injury’ for decades.”

The motion went on to say: “In addition to his child pornography claim, Elden has alleged that the creation of the photograph for the album cover art entailed the sex trafficking of Elden when he was a baby. Setting aside that this premise is absurd, the statute Elden invokes to cover conduct in 1991, became effective on December 19, 2003 and has no retroactive application to conduct by a defendant that pre-dates its effective date.”

Late last year, Elden amended his lawsuit against NIRVANA to include the allegation that the photographer hired to take the photo, Kirk Weddle, also shot images of Elden styled to look like Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. The new filing also drops former NIRVANA drummer Chad Channing as a defendant in the case.

According to Rolling Stone, Elden’s first updated complaint cited personal journal entries from late NIRVANA frontman Kurt Cobain, which were published by Riverhead Books in 2002, in an apparent attempt to prove the claim that the photographer intended the cover image to be sexual in nature.

“Undated journals written by Cobain sketch the album cover in a sexual manner, with semen all over it,” the document stated. “In several instances, the journals describe Cobain’s twisted vision for the ‘Nevermind’ album cover, along with his emotional struggles: ‘I like to make incisions into the belly of infants then fuck the incision until the child dies.'”

The documents also repeated the claim that Weddle intended to “trigger a visceral sexual response from the viewer” by activating “Spencer’s ‘gag reflex’ before throwing him underwater in poses highlighting and emphasizing Spencer’s exposed genitals.” The documents add: “Weddle soon after produced photographs of Spencer dressed up and depicted as Hugh Hefner.”

When Elden first filed his lawsuit against the surviving members of NIRVANA as well as the estate of Kurt Cobain in August, he alleged the photo of the baby reaching for a dollar in a swimming pool violated federal child pornography statutes and argued child sexual exploitation.

A month after filing his lawsuit, Elden requested his genitalia be removed from “all future album covers” on the 30th anniversary of the project.

“Today, like each year on this date, our client Spencer Elden has had to brace himself for renewed unwanted attention from the media and fans alike throughout the world,” his attorneys told USA Today. “This is a choice that he has never had.”

The attorneys said that they planned on continuing the legal proceedings in order to “bring long-awaited privacy and dignity back to our client.”

“We implore the NIRVANA defendants to right the wrongs of their past, by acknowledging the harm they have perpetrated and redacting the image of Mr. Elden’s genitalia from further reproductions of ‘Nevermind’ because behind every cover is a person pleading for their privacy back,” they added.

A deluxe 30th-anniversary reissue of “Nevermind”, featuring its original cover artwork, was made available on November 12.

In Elden’s complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court, he claimed that his “identity and legal name are forever tied to the commercial sexual exploitation he experienced as a minor which has been distributed and sold worldwide from the time he was a baby to the present day.”

According to the suit, the defendants “knowingly produced, possessed, and advertised commercial child pornography depicting Spencer, and they knowingly received value in exchange for doing so. … Despite this knowledge, defendants failed to take reasonable steps to protect Spencer and prevent his widespread sexual exploitation and image trafficking.”

Elden claimed that his parents never signed a release authorizing the use of the photos, which were taken in a Pasadena aquatic center in 1990. He alleged that the band promised to cover his genitals with a sticker, which was never incorporated into the album art.

The suit further alleged the defendants “used child pornography depicting Spencer as an essential element of a record promotion scheme commonly utilized in the music industry to get attention, wherein album covers posed children in a sexually provocative manner to gain notoriety, drive sales, and garner media attention, and critical reviews.”

Elden sought damages of either $150,000 from each of the defendants or unspecified damages to be determined at trial, attorney fees, an injunction to prohibit all parties “from continuing to engage in the unlawful acts and practices described herein,” and a trial by jury.

“The permanent harm he has proximately suffered includes but is not limited to extreme and permanent emotional distress with physical manifestations, interference with his normal development and educational progress, lifelong loss of income earning capacity, loss of past and future wages, past and future expenses for medical and psychological treatment, loss of enjoyment of life, and other losses to be described and proven at trial of this matter,” the lawsuit stated.

Elden’s parents were reportedly paid only $200 for the photos, and the shoot lasted around 15 seconds.

In a 2016 interview with Time magazine, Elden said: “It’s a trip. Everyone involved in the album has tons and tons of money. I feel like I’m the last little bit of grunge rock. I’m living in my mom’s house and driving a Honda Civic.

“It’s hard not to get upset when you hear how much money was involved,” Elden added. “I go to a baseball game and think about it: ‘Man, everybody at this baseball game has probably seen my little baby penis,’ I feel like I got part of my human rights revoked.”

“Nevermind” has sold over 30 million copies worldwide and was certified diamond by the RIAA for sales in excess of 10 million copies in the U.S. alone.

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Martin Guitar expands the Modern Deluxe line with the arrival of seven new models that feature top-of-the-line technology and custom features.000-18 Modern DeluxeThe 000-18 Modern Deluxe is packed with custom features and modern technology. The vintage appointments include a Sitka spruce VINTAGE TONE SYSTEM (VTS) top, a dovetail neck joint, and natural protein glue construction, giving it the rich, fully-aged Martin tone that has inspired generations. These guitars feature East Indian rosewood binding, stylish gold frets, gold open-gear tuners, and a unique 1930s style script logo inlaid in pearl on the headstock. Some ultra-modern features include Liquidmetal bridge pins with red dots and a composite carbon fiber bridgeplate that boosts volume, and a neck shape that is slightly asymmetrical for maximum hand comfort up and down the fretboard. List price $3,599.00-28 Modern Deluxe Modern Deluxe is packed with custom features and modern technology. The vintage appointments include a Sitka spruce VINTAGE TONE SYSTEM (VTS) top, a dovetail neck joint, and natural protein glue construction, giving it the rich, fully-aged Martin tone that has inspired generations. These guitars feature European flamed maple binding, stylish gold frets, gold open-gear tuners, and a unique 1930s style script logo inlaid in pearl on the headstock. Some ultra-modern features include Liquidmetal bridge pins with red dots and a composite carbon fiber bridgeplate that boosts volume, and a new neck shape that is slightly asymmetrical for maximum hand comfort up and down the fretboard. List price $4,199.000-42 Modern DeluxeThe 000-42 Modern Deluxe is packed with custom features and modern technology. The vintage appointments include a Sitka spruce VINTAGE TONE SYSTEM (VTS) top, a dovetail neck joint, and natural protein glue construction, giving it the rich, fully-aged Martin tone that has inspired generations. These guitars feature European flamed maple binding (on the body, fingerboard, and headplate), stylish gold frets, gold open-gear tuners, and an ornate torch logo inlaid in pearl on the headstock. Some ultra-modern features include Liquidmetal bridge pins with abalone dots and a composite carbon fiber bridgeplate that boosts volume, and a new neck shape that is slightly asymmetrical for maximum hand comfort up and down the fretboard. List price $7,199.D-45 Modern DeluxeThe D-45 Modern Deluxe is packed with custom features and modern technology. The vintage appointments include a Sitka spruce VINTAGE TONE SYSTEM (VTS) top, a dovetail neck joint, and natural protein glue construction, giving it the rich, fully aged Martin tone that has inspired generations. These guitars feature European flamed maple binding (on the body, fingerboard, and headplate), stylish gold frets, gold open-gear tuners, and an ornate torch logo inlaid in pearl on the headstock. Some ultra-modern features include Liquidmetal bridge pins with abalone dots and a composite carbon fiber bridgeplate that boosts volume, and a new neck shape that is slightly asymmetrical for maximum hand comfort up and down the fretboard. List price $10,499.D-42 Modern DeluxeThe D-42 Modern Deluxe is packed with custom features and modern technology. The vintage appointments include a Sitka spruce VINTAGE TONE SYSTEM (VTS) top, a dovetail neck joint, and natural protein glue construction giving it the rich, fully aged Martin tone that has inspired generations. These guitars feature European flamed maple binding (on the body, fingerboard, and headplate), stylish gold frets, gold open-gear tuners, and an ornate torch logo inlaid in pearl on the headstock. Some ultra-modern features include Liquidmetal bridge pins with abalone dots and a composite carbon fiber bridgeplate that boosts volume, and a new neck shape that is slightly asymmetrical for maximum hand comfort up and down the fretboard. List price $7,199.0012-28 Modern DeluxeThe 0012-28 Modern Deluxe is packed with custom features and modern technology. The vintage appointments on this twelve-fret guitar include a Sitka spruce VINTAGE TONE SYSTEM (VTS) top, a dovetail neck joint, and natural protein glue construction giving it the rich, fully aged Martin tone that has inspired generations. These guitars feature European flamed maple binding on the body, stylish gold frets, and an ornate torch logo inlaid in pearl on the headstock. Some ultra-modern features include Liquidmetal bridge pins with red dots and a composite carbon fiber bridgeplate that boosts volume, and a new neck shape that is slightly asymmetrical for maximum hand comfort up and down the fretboard. List price $4,399.012-28 Modern Deluxe012-28 Modern Deluxe The 012-28 Modern Deluxe is packed with custom features and modern technology. The vintage appointments on this twelve-fret guitar include a Sitka spruce VINTAGE TONE SYSTEM (VTS) top, a dovetail neck joint, and natural protein glue construction that giving it the rich, fullyaged Martin tone that has inspired generations. These guitars feature European flamed maple binding on the body, stylish gold frets, and a unique 1930s style script logo inlaid in pearl on the headstock. Some ultra-modern features include Liquidmetal® bridge pins with red dots and a composite carbon fiber bridgeplate that boosts volume, and a new neck shape that is slightly asymmetrical for maximum hand comfort up and down the fretboard. List price $4,399.Connect with Martin Guitars and Martin Strings on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and via www.martinguitar.com.

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David Ellefson, who was fired from MEGADETH last year following a sex video scandal, says that “we’re meant to learn from our past but we’re not meant to be stuck in it.”

The former MEGADETH bassist, who turned 57 in November, touched upon his life philosophy while filming a new video message on Cameo, which lets users hire celebrities to record brief, personalized video messages about virtually any topic.

Asked to offer words of advice and motivation to a fan named Rafael who recently celebrated his 50th birthday and is about to retire, Dave said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Look, what do I know? I’m just a dude living my life like you. But one day at a time, I guess, is the thing, right? And more will be revealed.

“I always say the front windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason — ’cause we’re meant to be looking forward through the bigger picture of life and not regretting or looking backward at the things in the rearview mirror,” he continued. “That’s past, it’s gone, and move on. And we’re meant to learn from our past but we’re not meant to be stuck in it. So that’s all I would say.

“What an awesome opportunity to reinvent yourself. I don’t know if you’re a man of faith, but check in with the Creator once in a while, if it be your desire. And lead me where you need me. I think that’s kind of my deal; that’s what I do.”

Ellefson added: “I don’t know if I’m any good at advice; maybe just more of my sharing my experience.”

David charges $30 for each of his Cameo videos for personal use and $100 for a video for business use.

Ellefson stepped away from Cameo for several months beginning last May, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. At the time, Ellefson released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he “groomed” an underage fan. He also filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of him by unknown offenders. In the report, Ellefson admitted that he had been exchanging sexual text messages with a Dutch teenager, who captured a video of several of their virtual “masturbating encounters” without his consent and shared them with friends. (According to Ellefson, the woman was 19 at the time of their first virtual sexual encounter.) Within two weeks, he was fired.

David, a Christian who launched the Mega Life Ministries worship group in 2007, studied for a year at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis a decade ago.

Last October, Ellefson told SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” that there is a perception that people of faith must set a higher standard of how they live with and treat others. “It’s almost like you’re this entity that’s floating up toward the heavens: ‘Oh, he’s such a wonderful man. He’s a man of faith. He’s got his family. And then this happens.’ It’s, like, ‘What the hell is this?'” he said.

“I mean, look, admittedly I’ve sort of trained the public to think that I’m one of the more well-behaved rock stars out there, and for the most part I have been,” he continued. “But at the same time, and this isn’t to claim anything other than just, oops, shit happens. That is what it is.”

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band’s inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

In July, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine addressed the possibility of Ellefson returning to the band while filming one of his own video messages on Cameo. Asked by Rock Feed if Ellefson could once again play with MEGADETH at some point down the line, Mustaine said: “Any chance on Ellefson coming back later on? The answer to that is no.”

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