Metal Blade Records is pleased to welcome Category 7, the new band featuring vocalist John Bush, guitarists Phil Demmel and Mike Orlando, bassist Jack Gibson, and drummer Jason Bittner, to its legendary roster.
With veteran musicians from such legendary acts as Anthrax, Armored Saint, Adrenaline Mob, Machine Head, Overkill, Exodus, and Shadows Fall, it’s hard not to think of Category 7 as a supergroup. The origins of the band began with discussions between Demmel and Orlando of their mutual desire to form a twin lead guitar hard rock unit harkening back to bands of the ’70s such as Thin Lizzy. Bittner was next to join the conversation followed by Gibson. After composing some early music, it was obvious that the only vocalist that would fit the concept would be Bush.
Notes Bush, “Mike Orlando‘s and Phil Demmel‘s awesome riffs made writing lyrics over the music a piece of cake. The rhythm tandem of Bittner and Gibson rounded out the sound and the connection felt like it was put together in the stars. Obviously, everyone being a veteran of the metal scene made it that much easier.”
Based on Demmel‘s and Bush‘s long-term relationships with Metal Blade Records, it seemed to be the perfect home for the band. The label agreed and a union was quickly forged.
Comments Metal Blade Records‘ founder Brian Slagel of the signing, “Happy to welcome Category 7 into the Metal Blade family. Of course, some of them are already in. Seriously love working with this crew and it’s great stuff.”
As crushing and confrontational as an armed rebellion and as fiercely melodic as infectious riffs and aggressive vocals can be, Category 7 is a new breed of hard rock that lives up to the storied histories of its members. Category 7‘s debut will see release this Summer with their first single to be unveiled on May 2nd. Stand by for details!
A tour announcement that has been fourteen years in the making, GRAMMY®-winning, progressive music titans Dream Theater are announcing their 40th Anniversary Tour 2024 – 2025. The tour – presented as An Evening With Dream Theater – is the first outing since drummer Mike Portnoy’s return to the lineup joining vocalist James LaBrie, bassist John Myung, guitarist John Petrucci, and keyboardist Jordan Rudess. The European leg consists of stops in 23 cities and begins on October 20th and runs through November 24th. Dream Theater will be performing classics and fan favorites from their catalog in what promises to be an unforgettable evening of music. More information on all tickets and VIP packages can be found at dreamtheater.net/tour.
“This tour is going to be incredibly special for all of us! Each show will surely be filled with anticipation and a variety of emotions. We can’t wait to step on stage together once again and begin this historic celebration of 40 years with everyone this Fall. This is just the beginning, and we will have plenty of more exciting Dream Theater news to share in the coming months,” explains Dream Theater.
An Evening With Dream Theater 40th Anniversary Tour 2024 – 2025:
October 20 – London, England – The O2
October 22 – Berlin, Germany – Uber Eats Music Hall
October 23 – Koln, Germany – Palladium
October 25 – Milan, Italy – Forum
October 26 – Rome, Italy – Palazzo dello Sport
October 28 – Munich, Germany – Zenith
October 29 – Zagreb, Croatia – Arena Zagreb
November 1 – Budapest, Hungary – Budapest Arena
November 2 – Prague – Czech Republic – Fortuna Arena
November 3 – Lodz, Poland – Atlas Arena
November 6 – Helsinki, Finland – Metro Areena
November 8 – Stockholm. Sweden – Waterfront
November 9 – Oslo, Norway – Spektrum
November 10 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Poolen
November 12 – Luxembourg – Rockhal
November 13 – Zurich, Switzerland – The Hall
November 14 – Lyon, France – Halle Tony Garnier
November 16 – Lisbon, Portugal – MEO Arena
November 17 – Madrid, Spain – La Cubierta de Leganés
November 20 – Stuttgart, Germany – Beethovensaal
November 21 – Frankfurt, Germany – Jahrhundderthalle
November 23 – Paris, France – Adidas Arena
November 24 – Amsterdam – AFAS Live
Dream Theater has been in their DTHQ studio working on their 16th studio album and the first with Portnoy since 2009’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings.More information on the upcoming release will be unveiled in the future
C.J. Snare, the lead singer of the 80s hair metal band FireHouse — behind hits like Don’t Treat Me Bad and Love of a Lifetime — died unexpectedly Friday after suffering cardiac arrest. He was 64, as reported by the New York Post.
The band mourned Snare’s passing as a “sad day for Rock N Roll” in a statement on Facebook Sunday.
“It is with great sorrow we are letting the world know we have lost our brother: CJ Snare, the rock and roll warrior, lead vocalist, and a founding member of FireHouse,” it read. “CJ Snare passed unexpectedly at home Friday night, April 5th. He was a young 64 years old.”
“As you are all aware, CJ was expected to be back on stage with the band this summer after recovering from surgery,” the statement read adding that everyone in the group was “in complete shock with CJ’s untimely passing.”
“CJ was arguably one of the best vocal talents of a generation, touring the world with Firehouse nonstop the past 34 years,” the statement added. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to the entire Snare family, Katherine Little, friends, and all our beloved fans all over the world.”
“‘Reach for the Sky’ CJ,” the post concluded referring to their 1992 song of the same name. “You will be forever missed by family, friends, fans and your bandmates. You’re singing with the angels now.”
Several fans of the group also shared their shock over Snare’s sudden passing.
“A living legend. Loved your music, and so glad to have worked with you and met you,” one person commented on the Facebook post. “Your music and voice is my inspiration, my condolences and respect to the family, Rest well my friend. Your voice inspired generations!
“This is so sad. CJ was one of the most kind-hearted beautiful people I ever met. He was like family. A huge loss to the world, wrote a second person.
“No words. This is so terrible and my heart goes out to his loved ones. He was a friend and a true talent,” a third person lamented.
The New York Post has reached out to Snare’s reps for comment.
Snare’s daughter, Heather, later told TMZ that her father had passed away after suffering cardiac arrest after a lengthy cancer battle.
In addition to singing, the frontman — who helped form the group in 1987— also played keyboards on seven of the group’s albums including their debut LP which went double platinum in the United States.
Prior to his death, the singer posted a photo on Instagram announcing that he would be taking a brief hiatus from the band “until I have recovered from abdominal surgery…”
…In what would be his last social media post, Snare once again reiterated that he was feeling stronger and would be back on stage “before you know it.”
Snare is currently survived by his three children.
[Dana’s note: EddieTrunk.com send our condolences, and in honor of Snare, I will embed one of my favorite FireHouse songs, which I was listening to, yesterday.]
KISS has reportedly sold their catalog, brand name and IP to Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment Group in a deal estimated to be over $300 million, it was announced Thursday.
This isn’t the first time the band has partnered with Pophouse, which was co-founded by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus.
When the band’s current lineup — founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons as well as guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer — took the stage at the final night of their farewell tour in December at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden, they ended by revealing digitized avatars of themselves.
The cutting-edge technology was created by George Lucas’ special-effects company, Industrial Light & Magic, in partnership with Pophouse…The ways in which KISS’ avatars will be utilized has yet to be announced, but Pophouse CEO Per Sundin says fans can expect a biopic, a documentary and a KISS experience on the horizon.
An avatar show is scheduled to launch in the second half of 2027 — but don’t expect it to look anything like ABBA Voyage, Sundin told the AP. And fans can expect it to launch in North America.
Sundin says the goal of the purchase is to expose KISS to future generations— which he believes sets Pophouse apart from other acquisitions of music catalogs.
“The record companies, the three big ones that are left, they’re doing a fantastic job, but they have so many catalogs and they can’t focus on everything,” he says. “We work together with Universal (Music Group) and KISS, even though we will own the artists rights, and we’re doing it in conjunction with Kiss. But yes, we bought all rights, and that’s not something I’ve seen that clear before.”
“I don’t like the word acquisition,” Gene Simmons tells the AP over Zoom, assuring the band would never sell their catalog to a company they didn’t appreciate.
“Collaboration is exactly what it’s about. It would be remiss in our inferred fiduciary duty — see what I just did there? — to the thing that we created to abandon it,” he continued. “People might misunderstand and think, ‘OK, now Pophouse is doing that stuff and we’re just in Beverly Hills twiddling our thumbs.’ No, that’s not true. We’re in the trenches with them. We talk all the time. We share ideas. It’s a collaboration. Paul (Stanley) and I especially, with the band, we’ll stay committed to this. It’s our baby.”
And within that: no more live touring, for real. “We’re not going to tour again as Kiss, period,” he says. “We’re not going to go put the makeup on and go out there.”
Canadian rock band Coney Hatch is thrilled to announce that its live album, Postcard from Germany will be available on vinyl for the first time ever through Anthem Records. The limited-edition vinyl pressing will be available for purchase on April 20th, as part of Record Store Day. Each album has been autographed by the band, with only 300 units available.
Recorded LIVE at HEAT Festival in Ludwigsburg, Postcard from Germany also features two newly recorded releases, It’s About A Girl and Heaven’s on the Other Side.” A Cream Vinyl with Turquoise Splatter Variant will be a Record Store Day exclusive.
“Canada is going to love the stunning turquoise vinyl of Postcard from Germany by Coney Hatch, as much as we enjoyed pressing it here at Microforum Vinyl in Toronto,”says Noble Musa, Sales & Marketing for Microforum.”It is always a very special experience to be able to work with Canadian bands to create exclusive Canadian pressings for Canadian music fans.”
“It’s always a blast collaborating with classic Canadian bands,” adds Ryan Kerr, Operations Manager for Record Store Day Canada. “The Record Store Day Canada release with Coney Hatch is no exception. For the first time ever, we are bringing Postcard from Germany on vinyl on April 20th, as part of Record Store Day. We have loved the band for years, so this vinyl is definitely for the fans, by the fans.”
“So cool to have Coney Hatch part of Record Store Day for the first time ever,” says Coney Hatch bassist Andy Curran. “We’ve been a band for 40 plus years and ticked a lot of boxes …but not this one. We had a blast going to see our limited-edition vinyl being pressed real time at Microforum. It’s come full circle to when we started with vinyl releases, I guess everything old is new again.”
The band recently visited the Microforum facility to have a look at the test pressings of vinyl hot off the presses. You can view the visit here.
Postcard from Germany tracklist:
1. It’s About A Girl (Studio 2022)
2. Heaven’s On The Other Side (Studio 2022)
3. We Got The Night
4. Stand Up
5. Blown Away
6. Boys Club
7. She’s Gone
8. This Ain’t Love
9. Wrong Side Of Town
10. Girl From Last Nights Dream
11. Fantasy
12. Fallen Angel
13. Don’t Say Make Me
14. Devil’s Deck
15. Monkey Bars
Record Store Day, the global celebration of the culture of independent record stores, takes place this year on April 20th, as it has annually for the last 17 years. Once again, the moment has arrived to unveil the remarkable lineup of titles awaiting enthusiasts during the cherished annual celebration of independent record stores worldwide. This year’s Record Store Day raises the bar yet again with its unparalleled magnitude, artistry, and diverse array of releases.
For more information, logos, full list of participating stores please visit: recordstoredaycanada.ca.
I Want To Know What Love Is, Cold As Ice,Hot Blooded, Juke Box Hero, Urgent, and more Top 10 hits than Journey. Today (April 2nd) Foreigner, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominated band behind these iconic songs, announced the next leg of their farewell tour this fall, with special guests Loverboy and Lita Ford on select dates.
After one last show with Styx and John Waite in Memphis on September 20th, the tour is set to continue on September 23rd, at West Virginia’s Charleston Civic Center. Foreigner will be joined by Loverboy, one of the 80’s biggest hit-makers, and Lita Ford, the queen of rock and heavy metal. The spectacular shows will thrill audiences with stellar performances of more than 20 combined chart-topping songs. Tickets go on sale on April 5th at 10am CT at Ticketmaster.com or Foreigneronline.com, and Foreigner will be offering their own exclusive pre-sales beginning April 3rd at 10am CT at Foreigneronline.com. The full routing can be found below.
Leader and founder of Foreigner, Mick Jones said, “Many years ago, I wrote a song called Feels Like The First Time and today we are launching the next leg of our last worldwide tour. We will be presenting a show that I know will have the same enthusiasm as our very first appearances. The tour started last summer in America and we hope to get to every place that we have played over the last several years. While I’m sure our fans will have mixed feelings about the end of the road for the band, I know our shows are going to delight audiences everywhere.”
Says Foreigner lead singer Kelly Hansen, “The time has come. We have more or less lived our lives on the road for almost twenty years. We have always strived to give you our best and we intend to finish this the same way. Foreigner has a brilliant and increasingly demanding catalog of songs to sing and I refuse to give them less than they deserve. So, we’re going to finish strong. I want to make it very clear how grateful and appreciative we are to our audiences all over the world who have supported this band. I’m sure there may be occasions when we’ll do some special appearances, but I think the time is coming for us to live off the road. Thank you all so much.”
“I remember how cool the last time we toured with Foreigner was in 1982. We played to massive stadiums – New Orleans, Kansas City, Day On the Green in Oakland, JFK in Philly – and we’re back together again, 41 years later. It’s going to be the Tour of Fall ’24!” said Paul Dean of Loverboy.
“It’s not very often you get a chance to play on the same stage as one of your all-time favorite bands…and how many hit songs can you play on the same stage every night of a tour?….. it’s going to be amazing…. I can’t wait.” Said Mike Reno of Loverboy.
Says Lita Ford, “As a young guitarist in The Runaways days, who could forget how Foreigner ruled the airwaves, you just couldn’t hear them enough. Such badass songs that really hit home with everyone. I will be getting my inspiration from Foreigner to set the mood and the energy for each show. Great rock n roll NEVER dies.”
Foreigner will continue its long-term initiative with the GRAMMY Museum Foundation to invite choirs to open the show with a live a cappella Pitch Perfect performance of Classic Rock songs. Foreigner will join radio partners across the country to create a contest for local choirs to win donations to their music programs. One winning choir will be selected at each show, and that choir will receive a grand prize of new musical equipment. For more details please go to foreignerchoirs.com.
Mick Jones continues to elevate Foreigner’s influence and guide the band to new horizons with his stylistic songwriting, indelible guitar hooks and multi-layered talents while lead singer Kelly Hansen, one of rock’s greatest showmen, has led Foreigner into the digital age inspiring a whole new generation of fans. Bassist Jeff Pilson; Michael Bluestein on keyboards; guitarist Bruce Watson; Chris Frazier on drums and guitarist Luis Maldonado provide an unprecedented level of energy that has resulted in the re-emergence of the astounding music that speaks to Foreigner‘s enduring popularity. Foreigner has an extraordinary streaming and radio audience. Click here for an overview of Classic Rock artists’ stats.
With more Top 10 hits than Journey and as many as Fleetwood Mac, ten multi-platinum albums, Foreigner is universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world with a formidable musical arsenal that continues to propel sold-out tours and album sales, now exceeding 80 million. Responsible for some of rock and roll’s most enduring anthems including Juke Box Hero, Cold As Ice, Hot Blooded, Waiting For A Girl Like You, Feels Like The First Time, Urgent, Head Games, Say You Will,Dirty White Boy, Long, Long Way From Home and the worldwide #1 hit, I Want To Know What Love Is, Foreigner still rocks the charts more than 40 years into the game with massive airplay and continued Billboard Top 200 album success. Streams of Foreigner’s hits are approaching 15 million per week.
With their trademark red leather pants, bandanas, big rock sound and high-energy live shows, Loverboy has sold more than 10 million albums, earning four multi-platinum plaques, including the four-million-selling Get Lucky, and a trio of double-platinum releases in their self-titled 1980 debut, 1983’s Keep It Up and 1985’s Lovin’ Every Minute Of It. Their string of hits includes, in addition to the anthem Working for the Weekend, such arena rock staples as Lovin’ Every Minute of It,This Could Be the Night, Hot Girls In Love, The Kid is Hot Tonite, Notorious, Turn Me Loose, When It’s Over, Heaven In Your Eyes and Queen Of The Broken Hearts.
Lita Fords’s career began in 1975 as a founding member and guitarist of the groundbreaking all female group the Runaways. The group’s hard rock / punk edge spawned hits like Cherry Bomb and Queens Of Noise.” In 1983 Lita launched her career as a solo artist with her début album Out For Blood establishing her as the premier female performer in rock and Heavy Metal. Lita quickly followed up in 1984 with the release of Dancin’ on the Edge which earned her a Grammy nomination in the Best Female Rock Vocal Performance category. The album produced the world charting single Fire In My Heart and the U.S. Billboard top 50 charting hit Gotta Let Go. The song, along with the video being in MTV’s top rotation, began to make Ford a household name and face.
 Foreigner, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominated band behind ... )
