Mark Morton stepped out from behind his post as LAMB OF GOD's guitarist last year with his debut solo record, "Anesthetic". There were not any songs that could be considered groundbreaking, but the record showcased Morton's chameleon-like ability to adapt his songwriting to the capabilities and talents of diverse vocal performers like Chester Bennington (LINKIN ...
Posted in: CD Reviews
San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT will release the long-awaited follow-up to their 2016 album "Brotherhood Of The Snake" on April 3. Singer Chuck Billy revealed the new record's release date during an interview with Alex Haber of Heavy New York at this past Thursday's (January 16) METAL ALLEGIANCE concert in ...
Posted in: News
GRAND FUNK RAILROAD — the legendary rock and roll powerhouse — is extremely excited to be touring in 2020 and marking a 51-year milestone. After playing to millions of fans on the band's tours from 1996 to 2019, GRAND FUNK's 2020 "Some Kind Of Wonderful Tour" will continue to reach both new and longtime fans. ...
Posted in: News
"Ultimate Jam Night", the long-running community-oriented show in residency at the Whisky A Go Go, presents its third annual show at NAMM on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at the Hilton Anaheim California Ballroom. Entry is free of charge and requires no NAMM badge. The show is again presented by RCF. Called "Ultimate NAMM Night" to ...
Posted in: News
TUK SMITH & THE RESTLESS HEARTS have been added to this summer's "The Stadium Tour", featuring MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEF LEPPARD and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS. After cutting his teeth — among many other things — for nine years as the frontman for the Atlanta rock band BITERS, Tuk's solo debut sees him further expanding ...
Posted in: News
Additional talent has been announced for "Dimebash" — an all-star jam tribute to "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, the late co-founder and guitarist of PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN. Set for Thursday, January 16 at The Observatory OC in Santa Ana, California, the one-of-a-kind lineup will feature members of the following bands: ACCEPT ACT OF DEFIANCE ANTHRAX ARMORED SAINT ...
Posted in: News
British doom metal veterans MY DYING BRIDE will release their new studio album, "The Ghost Of Orion", on March 6 via Nuclear Blast. The new MY DYING BRIDE record features a more accessible style compared to some of the band's past, highly technical releases. "The Ghost Of Orion" features compositions not only of epic proportions ...
Posted in: News
The 10th-anniversary remastered reissue of HEATHEN's "The Evolution Of Chaos" album will be made available on January 31 via Mascot Records. The release will be available on CD/DVD, 2LP and digitally with a previously unreleased bonus track, "Seasons Of Purgatory". The CD/DVD will be accompanied by a two-hour "making-of" documentary on the album as well ...
Posted in: News
Former FORBIDDEN and TESTAMENT guitarist Glen Alvelais has released his first solo single called "Slow Down". The song was recorded at Glen's home studio and all his tracks were mixed by Eric Hill at The Blue Room Recording Studio and mastered by Maor Applebaum. Says Glen: "I have about nine [or] ...
Posted in: News
British doom metal veterans MY DYING BRIDE will release their new studio album, "The Ghost Of Orion", on March 6 via Nuclear Blast. The new MY DYING BRIDE record features a more accessible style compared to some of the band's past, highly technical releases. "The Ghost Of Orion" features compositions not only of epic proportions ...
Posted in: News
TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy has confirmed to Lana Morgan of Milwaukee's 102.9 The Hog radio station that the band has completed work on the follow-up to 2016's "Brotherhood Of The Snake" album. Asked if there are any musical "surprises" on the new LP, Billy said (hear audio below): "I don't know about surprises, but I ...
Posted in: News
DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott spoke to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation" about the band's upcoming "The Stadium Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS. Asked if he is surprised by the trek's out-of-the-gate's success, Joe said: "When you put something on of this magnitude, you hope for the best and kind of ...
Posted in: News
DEF LEPPARD and MISFITS wll headline the 2020 edition of the Domination festival, set to take place May 1-2 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Mexico. The billing is shaping up as follows: Friday, May 1 DEF LEPPARD RANCID OPETH SONATA ARCTICA LACUNA COIL DROPKICK MURPHYS KROKUS BEAST IN BLACK SCAR SYMMETRY POWER ...
Posted in: News
Knotfest, the music and lifestyle phenomenon created by multi-platinum, genre defining metal band SLIPKNOT, will once again make history in 2020 with the first-ever Knotfest UK. The event will take place at legendary venue The National Bowl, Milton Keynes on August 22. Members of SLIPKNOT's official fan club, Outside The 9, will have a first ...
Posted in: News
Today (Sunday, December 8) marks the 15th anniversary of the death of PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. Abbott, one of the most beloved and respected musicians in hard rock, was shot onstage during a DAMAGEPLAN concert on this date in 2004 at the Alrosa Villa club in Columbus, Ohio by a 25-year-old ex-Marine ...
Posted in: News
TESTAMENT was joined by MEGADETH drummer Dirk Verbeuren for its performance Friday night (December 6) at Knotfest Colombia in Bogotá. Dirk was filling in for regular TESTAMENT drummer Gene Hoglan, who couldn't make the gig for reasons that have not been disclosed. A short time after the concert, Dirk took to his Instagram to share ...
Posted in: News
Grasser Production conducted an interview with vocalist Jesse Leach and guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz of Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE prior to their November 10 at Löwensaal in Nürnberg, Germany. You can watch the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On the songwriting process for their latest studio album, ...
Posted in: News
Comedian/actor/ writer Brian Posehn will release his new comedy/metal album, "Grandpa Metal", on February 14, 2020 via Megaforce Records. Produced, engineered and mixed by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER), the disc features guest appearances from some of metal's finest, including Brendon Small (DETHKLOK), Scott Ian and Jonathan Donais (ANTHRAX), Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR), Gary ...
Posted in: News
Premier independent U.S. music festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents announces the anticipated music and art lineup for the second annual Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival, which returns to MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Friday, May 15, Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17, 2020. As previously announced, METALLICA — recently named the world's ...
Posted in: News
Vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN), guitarist Glen Drover (MEGADETH, KING DIAMOND, TESTAMENT, EIDOLON), drummer Shawn Drover (MEGADETH, ACT OF DEFIANCE, EIDOLON) and bassist Adrian Robichaud (EIDOLON) joined forces to perform heavy metal classics under the A NIGHT OF METAL banner on November 9 at The Rockpile in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ...
Posted in: News
EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt says that he gives Kevin Hart "a pass" for wearing one of the band's t-shirts even though the comedian is likely not a fan of the group's music. Last week, Hart and his pal Dwayne Johnson hit the road on a promotional tour for their new movie, "Jumanji: The Next Level". ...
Posted in: News
According to the music industry trade publication Pollstar, BON JOVI, METALLICA and GUNS N' ROSES were among the 20 highest-grossing touring acts of the second decade of the 21st Century. Over the course of five tours — including the ongoing trek in support of "This House Is Not For Sale" — ...
Posted in: News
SOULFLY will embark on "The Summoning" North American tour in February. Kicking off on February 1 at the Marquee Theater in Tempe Arizona, the trek will make stops in Portland, Toronto, and New Orleans before ending on March 12 at the Warehouse Live in Houston, Texas. Direct support on the tour will come from TOXIC ...
Posted in: News
The fifth annual "Bowl For Ronnie" celebrity bowling party, benefiting the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, was held on Thursday, November 7 at PINZ Bowling Center in Studio City, California. Once again sold out in advance, the event raised more than $50,000 for the music-based cancer charity. Over 300 rockers, bowling ...
Posted in: News
LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton has announced details of a headline acoustic tour in the U.K., his first solo headline tour outside of North America. Kicking off January 8 in Bristol and concluding on January 12 in London, the five-city trek will see Morton follow up his surprise acoustic set at Download festival in ...
Posted in: News
Sebastian Bach has once again slammed lawmakers for failing to enact tougher guns laws after a teenager shot five fellow students in a killing rampage at a Southern California high school. Nathaniel Tennosuke Berhow pulled a gun from his backpack Thursday at Saugus High School in the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Clarita, shot five ...
Posted in: News
NEW MESSIAH, the band featuring C. Will Harden on guitars and Craig Cefola (DUKES, WHEELHOUSE JUNCTION) on drums, recently released its debut album, "Voice Of Choice". The disc includes 20 cover songs that showcase several singers, including legendary drummer Tom Hunting (EXODUS). Tom handpicked the Stevie Wonder classic "You Haven't Done Nothin'" as a song ...
Posted in: News
ONE MACHINE, the brainchild of critically acclaimed guitarist/songwriter Steve Smyth, has announced the addition of former METAL CHURCH and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA vocalist Ronny Munroe. Says Smyth: "As our fans know, we have been looking high and low for the right fit in a frontman for ONE MACHINE for a few years now, and we have ...
Posted in: News
In a recent interview with Classic Rock, promoter Larry Morand — whose company On The Blue produces the annual Monsters Of Rock, Cruise To The Edge and On The Blue music cruises — discussed the inaugural Megacruise, a MEGADETH-branded event that set sail from Los Angeles in October. Morand said the ...
Posted in: News
ONCE HUMAN has released a new song called "Sledgehammer" as well as an accompanying video. The track will appear on the band's third album, which is scheduled for a 2020 release. Guitarist Logan Mader, who has spent the last couple of months touring with MACHINE HEAD, explains: "'Sledgehammer' smashes from start to finish. With insane ...
Posted in: News
