Iconic rock singer Meat Loaf has died at the age of 74.

The news of his passing was confirmed on the musician’s Facebook page by his family.

“Our hearts are broken to announce that the incomparable Meat Loaf passed away tonight surrounded by his wife Deborah, daughters Pearl and Amanda and close friends,” the post said.

Meat Loaf’s amazing career spanned six decades and saw him sell over 100 million albums worldwide and star in over 65 movies, including “Fight Club”, “Focus”, “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Wayne’s World”.

His “Bat Out Of Hell” remains one of the 10 top-selling albums of all time.

“We know how much he meant to so many of you and we truly appreciate all of the love and support as we move through this time of grief in losing such an inspiring artist and beautiful man,” the post added.

“We thank you for your understanding of our need for privacy at this time.

“From his heart to your souls…don’t ever stop rocking!”

No cause of death has yet been revealed.

The Dallas-born singer’s real name was Marvin Lee Aday.

His 1993 hit “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” earned him a Grammy Award.

“Bat Out Of Hell” was also adapted as a stage musical, written by longtime collaborator Jim Steinman.

Metal Sludge was the first media outlet to report that Meat Loaf was “on his deathbed” on Thursday (January 20).

Our hearts are broken to announce that the incomparable Meat Loaf passed away tonight surrounded by his wife Deborah,…

Posted by Meat Loaf on Thursday, January 20, 2022

Continuing the musical journey introduced on their fall 2021 album “See What’s On The Inside”, acclaimed British rockers ASKING ALEXANDRIA have released a new EP titled “Never Gonna Learn” via Better Noise Music. In addition to the title track, the project includes a new collaboration with Maria Brink from IN THIS MOMENT.

Serving as the second and current single off their latest album, “Never Gonna Learn” and its video, in which the band performs the song in an intimate setting interspersed with polaroid images of the session, received attention a number of outlets upon its release, with many of them praising the song’s immediate catchiness and declaring it a destined-to-be fan favorite.

ASKING ALEXANDRIA closed out 2021 by celebrating its first-ever No. 1 at U.S. active rock radio with hit single “Alone Again”, taken from the band’s seventh full-length studio album “See What’s On The Inside”. The song had the biggest first streaming day and week in the group’s history and was a fitting first offering from its latest album. “See What’s On The Inside” made a top 10 Spotify debut in both the U.S. and the U.K. upon release.

As ASKING ALEXANDRIA is excited to continue connecting with fans on the road in 2022, they’re also eager to share more music, with guitarist Ben Bruce stating: “2021 was another strange year for everyone, so we wanted to do something special for our fans and kick the new year off with a bang! We are super excited to release the ‘Never Gonna Learn’ EP. Instead of just releasing our new single, we wanted to give you all something a little extra so we have included two brand new songs on this single EP, one of which we hold near and dear to our hearts, and another that we collaborated with our good friend Maria Brink of IN THIS MOMENT. To top it all off, we will be going out on our first U.S. headline run since 2018! We cannot wait to see you all soon and we hope you love these new songs as much as we do!”

Brink also commented on her collaboration with the band, saying: “We’ve known ASKING ALEXANDRIA for years and it’s nice to finally collaborate together. They are incredibly talented and joining forces with them was a lot of fun. I can’t wait for everyone to hear the song and I’m grateful to be a part of it.”

“Never Gonna Learn” EP track listing:

01. Never Gonna Learn
02. New Devil (feat. Maria Brink)
03. Find Myself
04. Miles Away

California rockers PAPA ROACH are kicking off 2022 with a powerful message behind their anthemic new single, “Stand Up”. Produced by Jason Evigan (Dua Lipa, G-Eazy, MAROON 5), the song brings massive energy and unique arrangements to singer Jacoby Shaddix’s uplifting and motivating lyrics. The track seeks to provide a signature, bouncing anthem for a world that is energized to stand up against injustice, complacency, and opposition, further exercising their agency towards the obstacles in this new year.

“‘Stand Up’ is inspired by the social unrest of marginalized people throughout the world. It’s about feeling of wanting to give up when you’re backed against the wall. For the ones that have been oppressed for so long that a sense of hopelessness is all they have,” shares Shaddix. “‘Stand Up’ is meant to inspire that whisper, that small voice inside that you are worth standing for. Step into empowerment and shake the world with your voice.”

“Stand Up” joins previously released singles “Dying To Believe”, “Kill The Noise” (which held the no. 1 position on the Mainstream Rock chart for over a month) and genre-bending banger of a single “Swerve” featuring Jason Aalon Butler (FEVER 333) and Sueco, all pulled from a 2020 writing session with the iconic rock band and a tight-knit creative team including familiar collaborators Colin Brittain and Nick Furlong. What started as an escape and an exercise in keeping the creative juices flowing, in a world that had completely ground to a halt, quickly grew into something bigger. The forthcoming album, expected to drop later this year, will be released via New Noize Records, in partnership with ADA Worldwide (WMG’s independent label and artist services arm).

PAPA ROACH is also celebrating March 1’s Anaheim, California show as the first sold-out gig on its North American “Kill The Noise” tour featuring very special guests HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD and BAD WOLVES. The trek, produced by Live Nation, will make stops in the United States and Canada, marking the band’s first headlining tour in three years.

PAPA ROACH’s second greatest-hits collection, “Greatest Hits Vol. 2: The Better Noise Years”, was released in March 2021 on Better Noise Music. “Greatest Hits Vol. 2 – The Better Noise Years” included 12 of the band’s top 10 hits released between 2010 to 2019 as well as three previously unreleased remixes and two unreleased acoustic recordings recorded live at the YouTube Studios in New York City.

PAPA ROACH’s latest album, “Who Do You Trust?”, was released in January 2019. The disc was produced by Furlong and Cunningham except for the song “Top Of The World”, which was helmed by Jason Evigan.

In December 2020, PAPA ROACH released a five-song EP, “20/20”, featuring “new takes on old jams,” including “Last Resort” and “Scars”.

Photo credit: Darren Craig

GHOST has postponed its previously announced appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to an as-yet-unspecified “later date.”

The Swedish occult rockers were scheduled to perform on the Thursday night (January 20) episode of the ABC show, but pulled out just hours before, explaining that they “had a bit too much going on in Reno, getting all our shit together” for the band’s upcoming tour.

GHOST said in a statement: “Children of the World! …more specifically those of you who had just started to prep your couches up for tonights’ Jimmy Kimmel Live show. Well, it turned out that we had a bit too much going on in Reno, getting all our shit together for the tour, however – Our good friends at Kimmel offered us to come back and play the show at a later date during our now imminent US tour.

“So – Cool your jets for today but get ready to rock with us over the coming weeks.

“Are you ready?”

GHOST’s 26-date co-headlining U.S. arena tour with VOLBEAT and special guests TWIN TEMPLE will kick off on January 25 in Reno, Nevada and conclude on March 3 in Anaheim, California.

GHOST will release its fifth album, “Impera”, on March 11 via Loma Vista/Concord. The official music video for the LP’s latest single, “Call Me Little Sunshine”, was lensed by iconic director Matt Mahurin and stars Ruby Modine.

According to a press release, “Impera” “finds GHOST transported literally hundreds of years forward from the 14th century Europe Black Plague era” of its previous album, 2018’s “Prequelle”. “The result is the most ambitious and lyrically incisive entry in the GHOST canon: Over the course of ‘Impera”s 12-song cycle, empires rise and fall, would-be messiahs ply their hype (financial and spiritual alike), prophecies are foretold as the skies fill with celestial bodies divine and man-made… All in all, the most current and topical GHOST subject matter to date is set against a hypnotic and darkly colorful melodic backdrop making ‘Impera’ a listen like no other — yet unmistakably, quintessentially GHOST.”

In March 2020, at final show of GHOST’s “Prequelle” tour in Mexico City, Mexico, the band officially introduced Papa Emeritus IV, the new character who will front the act for its next LP phase.

GHOST leader Tobias Forge performed as a “new” Papa Emeritus on each of the band’s first three LPs, with each version of Papa replacing the one that came before it. Papa Emeritus III was retired in favor of Cardinal Copia before the release of “Prequelle”.

Children of the World!

…more specifically those of you who had just started to prep your couches up for tonights’ Jimmy…

Posted by Ghost on Thursday, January 20, 2022

Get lost in the city of stars painted by Caillaech Calling on their new single, powered by entrancing, atmospheric black metal.
The post Track Premiere: Cailleach Calling – “Bound By Neon” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

METALLICA has stepped in to help a Los Angeles street performer after his drum kit was stolen.

Sheriff Drumman, who is famous for playing drums from the bed of his truck, had both his truck and drums stolen from in front of his Hawthorne apartment in December. Although he eventually he got his truck back, the drums were gone.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Sheriff spent nearly six years custom-building the four-wheeled drum set, hand-crafting the metal that made the setup possible, cutting, shaping and bending each slab before adding the details and the bright “#SheriffDrumman” sign above the vehicle.

After hearing about the theft, METALLICA gifted Drumman a new drum kit in Hollywood Tuesday night.

“Man, thank you guys so much,” the artist born Anthony Eugene Sheriff said, according to NBC Los Angeles. “Thank you for taking the time and the resources to support and help what I do. I love you for that.”

In response, METALLICA tweeted: “We’re honored to be able to help out a fellow artist. Keep the music going, Sheriff Drumman!”

Back in 2016, Sheriff told LA Weekly that he was earning between $200 and $600 a day in tips.

We’re honored to be able to help out a fellow artist. Keep the music going, Sheriff Drumman!https://t.co/EwlAhNnFKd
— Metallica (@Metallica) January 20, 2022

Hear ambient dark wave solo artist Sataray’s ritualistic soundscape celebrating “witches night.”
The post Track Premiere: Sataray – “Hexenacht” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

METALLICA has announced the appointment of Peter Delgrosso as executive director to its All Within My Hands (AWMH) foundation. Pete has served on AWMH advisory board since 2018 and is focused on the future of the foundation.

Says Delgrosso: “All Within My Hands is an incredible organization reflecting the charitable vision of one of the greatest bands in the world, and I am incredibly honored and humbled to be named executive director and to the board. I’ve seen firsthand the huge impact the foundation has made across its Metallica Scholars program to promote workforce education, the fight against hunger, and numerous other local critical services, including disaster relief due to wildfires, COVID, and hurricanes. Ed Frank and the entire team have done an incredible job, and I am looking forward to following in their footsteps.”

Since the mid-1990s, Pete has been operating and investing in a wide range of public and private technology-related businesses. Throughout his career, he fostered a vast network of relationships across technology, sports, entertainment, consumer businesses, venture capital, and private equity. Pete is a founding and managing partner of Bryant Stibel, a firm Pete and his partners founded with Kobe Bryant in 2013 that has done over 200 venture and private-equity investments.

In addition to his current position on the AWMH board, Pete is an advisory board member for the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission, a group that brings the largest sports and entertainment events to Los Angeles. He also sits on the board of LSTN Sound Company, a socially conscious music company that has helped over 50,000 individuals receive the gift of hearing for the first time. Originally from Connecticut, Pete now lives in the Los Angeles area with his family.

Executive director emeritus Dr. Ed Frank, whose five-year leadership saw the formation of the Metallica Scholars initiative among other AWMH milestones, will remain a voting member of the board. METALLICA is also welcoming Paul Donahue, longtime AWMH advisory board member, to the board of directors. Paul Donahue is managing partner of Black Squirrel Partners, a content and growth equity platform backed by METALLICA. Prior to Black Squirrel, Paul enjoyed a 32-year career at Morgan Stanley, where he remains a senior advisor.

Says METALLICA: “We are encouraged by the leadership and commitment to the mission each person brings to AWMH and look forward to what’s to come.”

Formed in February 2017, All Within My Hands is a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation focused on creating sustainable communities by tackling the issues of hunger and workforce education and encouraging volunteerism.

AWMH was established as a way for the entire METALLICA family to give back to communities around the world that have supported the band on tour. In its first six months of operation, the foundation donated more than $750,000 to local food banks around the world — a practice the band and AWMH have continued on the North American “WorldWired” tour, donating to local food banks in every city and meeting dedicated people who focus their daily lives on helping others.

The METALLICA family and the All Within My Hands foundation board members are committed to running an organization of the highest integrity where expenses are kept to a minimum and are paid for entirely by the band, the board, and friends who have worked with the band over many years and are excited to help in this mission. As such, 100% of all donations from fans and third parties go to the organizations AWMH supports.

For more about All Within My Hands, visit www.allwithinmyhands.org.

Fan-filmed video of JACK RUSSELL’S GREAT WHITE’s January 17 performance at RokIsland Fest in Key West, Florida can be seen below.

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

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

Russell’s pyrotechnics ignited the deadly blaze on February 20, 2003 at The Station in West Warwick, Rhode Island, killing a hundred people and injuring hundreds more.

Russell’s bandmate Ty Longley (guitar) was one of the people who perished in The Station blaze, which became the eighth deadliest nightclub and assembly fire in the nation’s history.

Last month, Russell told Tulsa Music Stream that a documentary about the fire will have a premiere at the legendary club Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood in February.

During the same chat, Russell spoke about the status of his long-awaited autobiography, “Dancing On The Edge”. He said: “We’re almost done with it. I found a writer. Her name is Kate Catalina. She’s Chip Z’Nuff’s wife. She’s a fantastic writer. We get along like peas and carrots. So it’s gonna be a really great book. What I’ve read is really great. We’ve got a lot of people that have done interviews for it. Even [A&R guru] John Kalodner came out of the closet [to be interviewed for it].”

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

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

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