Author Archives : Dana

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT RETURNS TO FRONTIERS MUSIC S.R.L.  SPECIAL 50TH ANNIVERSARY MUSIC PACKAGESSET FOR RELEASE STARTING LATER THIS YEAR

Frontiers Music s.r.l. is pleased to announce that they have secured the rights to release the entire set of shows that Blue Öyster Cult held at Sony Hall in NYC in celebration of the band’s 50th Anniversary in September 2022.
 
BÖC celebrated their historic career milestone performing three sold-out shows in a row. Each show featured the band playing in its entirety one of their first three albums (Blue Öyster Cult, Tyranny and Mutation, and Secret Treaties), followed by a set of deep cuts and classics from their other albums. Founding member Albert Bouchard was a special guest on all three nights, as well.
 
The Frontiers label will release each night as a special individual package, starting with the first night before the end of 2023. But the good news for their fans is not over!
 
Blue Öyster Cult are working to make their fans a very special gift, the details of which will be revealed in due course. It will delight both longtime and more recent fans, and show the commitment that the Frontiers label has for the timeless music of these true Rock giants. More details on this project, which promises to be truly special and unique will be released at a later date.
 
For over five decades, Blue Öyster Cult has been thrilling fans of intelligent hard rock worldwide with powerful albums loaded with classic songs. Indeed, the Long Island, NY-based band is revered within the hard rock and heavy metal scene for its pioneering work. They occupy a unique place in rock history, because it’s one of very few hard rock/heavy metal bands to earn both genuine mainstream critical acclaim and commercial success.
 
The band is often cited as a major influence by other acts such as Metallica, and BÖC was listed in VH1’s countdown of the greatest hard rock bands of all time.
 
Upon the release of BÖC’s self-titled debut album in 1972, the band was praised for its catchy-yet-heavy music and lyrics that could be provocative, terrifying, funny or ambiguous, often all in the same song. BÖC’s canon includes three stone-cold classic songs that will waft through the cosmos long after the sun has burned out: The truly haunting (Don’t Fear) The Reaper from 1976’s Agents Of Fortune, the pummeling Godzilla from 1977’s Spectres and the hypnotically melodic Burnin’ for You from 1981’s Fire Of Unknown Origin. Other notable BÖC songs include Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll, Then Came the Last Days of May, I Love the Night, In Thee, Veteran of the Psychic Wars, Dominance and Submission, Astronomy, Black Blade and Shooting Shark.
 
The intense creative vision of BÖC’s original core duo of vocalist/lead guitarist Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser and vocalist/rhythm guitarist Eric Bloom is complemented by Richie Castellano on guitar and keyboards, and the longtime rhythm section of bass guitarist Danny Miranda and drummer Jules Radino.
 
“We realized we’re a ‘classic rock’ band. That’s what we are, that’s what we do best, and that’s what we know,” declares the band.
 
They’re proud of BÖC’s classic sound, and pleased the band is creating vibrant work for disenfranchised music lovers who don’t like the homogenized, prefabricated pop or sound-alike, formulaic rap-metal that monopolizes the radio airwaves and best-seller charts.
 
BÖC has always maintained a relentless touring schedule and an album of new material, The Symbol Remains, was released October 9th, 2020, to rave reviews.
 
Line-up:
Eric Bloom – Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals
Donald “Buck Dharma ” Roeser – Guitars, Vocals
Richie Castellano – Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals
Danny Miranda – Bass, Vocals
Jules Radino – Drums

Social media: blueoystercult.com, facebook, twitter and youtube.
 

RICHIE FAULKNER TALKS ELEGANT WEAPONS, NEW JUDAS PRIEST MUSIC AND THE BAND’S INDUCTION INTO THE ROCK N’ ROLL HALL OF FAME

Greg Prato for Bravewords spoke with Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner about his other project, Elegant Weapons, whose debut album, Horns For A Halo, is out today (May 26th). Portions of the interview appear below.

BraveWords: Let’s discuss Elegant Weapons’ debut album, Horns For A Halo.

Richie Faulkner: Obviously, this is something I’ve been thinking about – in career terms – since I’ve joined Priest. I had a conversation with [Judas Priest guitarist] Glenn Tipton right at the beginning when I joined the band on the Epitaph Tour. It was the final tour, so Glenn kind of laid it out for me – “This is a band at a certain point in its career. We’re not going to be around for 20-25 years. It’s the farewell tour.” So, I kind of started thinking then, “Well, I’d better start thinking about what I’m going to be doing after this.” It kind of spawned from there. It took a while to get going…and also, I wanted Priest to be my band. I didn’t want to get the gig in the Priest and then jump off and do other things straight away. The time was right. It was right around the pandemic really that I got all the songs and ideas together and wanted to see what I had. “Do I have an EP? Do I have an album? Do I have a band I can put together?” 

So, it’s been an ongoing process really…But when I realized I’d got an album, and it’s an album that stands on its own – it doesn’t sound like Priest…that’s when it became evident to me that this is something that I could release…and when that day comes that Priest decide to retire, and I can carry on with that. So, Horns for a Halo is the first album on that journey, really. It’s important to me to have a band that plays live and releases albums and grows and evolves – just as Priest has, really. In terms of the process, it’s a lot similar – the mindset is it’s not a band that does one record and then calls it a day. For me, it’s more of a thought process of, “Do a record, do some live shows, grow the band, do another record” – in that evolution that bands have, in terms of character and sound and style.

BraveWords: How does Elegant Weapons compare musically to Priest?

Richie Faulkner: My musical DNA is Priest. Obviously, before I joined the band and now being in the band for almost thirteen years, you can’t help but be influenced by that style of music. Priest have released two records with me in the band, and we’ve almost finished the third one. I think there’s different DNA in there, as well. I think it’s a bit bluesier than Priest. I’m a 43-year-old man that grew up in the 1980s, listening to ‘80s rock, metal, and synth pop and stuff like that. It’s going to have a different flavor…”

BraveWords: When will the next Judas Priest album be released?

Richie Faulkner: “The truth is I don’t know. We’ve got to finish up some vocals – that’s the main thing we have to finish. I think Andy [Sneap] is going out to see Rob at some point to finish up the vocal recordings. So, when that’s done, we’ve got to mix it, master it, we’ve got to get into the packaging and deliver it to the label. And then the label has to manufacture it – it’s the manufacturing that will take some time. As far as finishing the record – it’s almost finished. I can’t tell you when – but it’s not going to be long.”

BraveWords: When will the next Judas Priest album be released?

Richie Faulkner: The truth is I don’t know. We’ve got to finish up some vocals – that’s the main thing we have to finish. I think Andy [Sneap] is going out to see [singer, and Metal God] Rob [Halford] at some point to finish up the vocal recordings. So, when that’s done, we’ve got to mix it, master it, we’ve got to get into the packaging and deliver it to the label. And then the label has to manufacture it – it’s the manufacturing that will take some time. As far as finishing the record – it’s almost finished. I can’t tell you when – but it’s not going to be long.

BraveWords: How does it compare musically to the last few Priest albums?

Richie Faulkner: It’s the same band, so it’s the same DNA. But it doesn’t sound like the last record – it sounds like its own album, as they should. It’s exciting. It’s got a few more twists and turns musically – than the last record had. It’s by no means a Rush record, but it’s got a few more twists and turns and musical journeys.

BraveWords: What are some memories of when Priest was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Was it the first time you met K.K. Downing? 

Richie Faulkner: It was the first time. I’m not really a fan of awards ceremonies – I don’t think they mean much these days. Heavy metal to me was always “our music” because it was different. It was on the outside, it wasn’t in these award ceremonies. We were kind of the underdogs, we had our own thing, and that’s why it was cool. And to be accepted into something like that, it doesn’t really mean anything for me. Having said that, when I got there, there was Lionel Richie, there was Annie Lenox and Dave Stewart, the Edge, and Duran Duran were there. It was quite an amazing experience. And obviously, meeting Ken [K.K. Downing] was great. We know the history over the last decade or so with Ken and the band, but I haven’t really been a part of that – it’s not really my beef, if you know what I mean. It was great to meet him and great to play with him and Glenn, as well – it was a three-guitar attack in Judas Priest, who have always been known as a two-guitar attack. But to be part of a three-guitar attack with Priest – for what may be the only time ever – was a great thrill and a great honor.

BraveWords: Future plans? 

Richie Faulkner: It was a priority to be a band that gets out on the road and does dates and tours. We’ve got some dates coming up in Europe during the summer – we’re doing some festivals, we’re doing some dates with Pantera, we’re doing a couple of dates I think with the Winery Dogs. The record comes out [today], and then we’re getting out on the road. There are four big characters in the band – myself, Ronnie Romero, Christopher Williams from Accept, and Dave Rimmer from Uriah Heep. Those characters come together and create something new. “Greater than the sum of its parts” type stuff. So, I’m looking forward to getting out on the road and seeing where it takes the band.

Read more at Brave Words.

For more information about Elegant Weapons, please click here.

ELEGANT WEAPONS UNLEASH SINGLE/VIDEO FOR TITLE TRACK FROM THEIR DEBUT ALBUM, “HORNS FOR A HALO,” ON SALE TODAY 

On the same day that the all-star metal collaboration Elegant Weapons drops their debut album, Horns for a Halo – May 26th – fans will also be able to view their latest music video, for its title track. Comprised of Rainbow singer Ronnie Romero, Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner, Uriah Heep bassist Dave Rimmer, and Accept drummer Christopher Williams, the title track is the third single/video, and can be seen below.

“Unmistakably dark and brooding, light and dark, good and evil. A mid-paced blend of Birmingham and Seattle with a slice of thrash thrown in,” explains Richie Faulkner. “The title track Horns For A Halo is like Tony Iommi crossed with Alice In Chains. It’s about the way we justify the bad things we do. When we turn up on Judgement Day, will the angels kind of confuse our horns for halos, if you know what I mean.”

The band’s earlier singles/videos, Blind Leading the Blind and Do or Die, can also be viewed by clicking on their highlighted song titles.

Elegant Weapons’ debut full-length, Horns for a Halo (produced by Faulkner’s Priest bandmate, Andy Sneap and featuring album performances by Pantera’s Rex Brown and Judas Priest’s Scott Travis), and can be pre-ordered here.

Lastly, Elegant Weapons will also soon be hitting the road in Europe beginning in June and running through July, which will include performances with Pantera, festival appearances, and also headlining their own shows. Tickets to the shows can be purchased via this link.

“We are very much looking forward to touring and our first tour dates are taking place in Europe starting in June 2023. Fans can expect heavy songs with catchy melodies, great vocals and lots of riffs. We all live to play live, and can’t wait to take the Elegant Weapons out onto the live stage.”

Tour Dates:

June:

12 Czech Republic, Prague O2 Arena (With Pantera)

13 Germany, Berlin Verti (With Pantera)

16 France, Clisson Hellfest

18 Belgium, Dessel Graspop Metal Meeting

20 The Netherlands, Amsterdam Afas (With Pantera)

21 Germany, Hamburg Edel Optics (With Pantera)

23 Switzerland, Zurich Komplex

25 Spain, Murcia Rock Imperium Festival

26 Spain, Madrid Mon Club

28 Portugal, Lisbon Evil Live  Festival

29 Spain, Viveiro Resurrection Festival

July:

2 Italy, Bologna Return Of The Gods Festival

30 UK, Ebbw Vale Steelhouse Festival

Follow Elegant Weapons online: Official Website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. 

VINNIE VINCENT INTRODCES NEW SINGER SCOTT BOARD AT “JUDGEMENT DAY” LISTENING PARTY IN NASHVILLE

Former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent says that his Vinnie Vincent Invasion album Judgment Day (Guitarmageddon Pt. I) could finally arrive before the end of the year.

According to blabbermouth.net, he made the comment after holding a listening party for Judgment Day (Guitarmageddon Pt. I) on May 19th and May 20th at Starstruck Entertainment Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Fans who paid $500 got to hear Judgment Day — which features vocals by Robert Fleischman, who also sang on Vinnie Vincent Invasion’s self-titled 1986 debut — and take part in a jam with Vincent. Vinnie also introduced his new singer, Scott Board, with whom he performed at the Nashville event.

In a social media post,Vinnie wrote: “Man, that was a happy proud moment for me. Three years in the making..with blistering performances by my friend Rob Fleishman and yours truly. It felt like VVI #1 all over again. Its not a record for the 50 year old crowd tho… unless you’re 25 at heart. Lol.”

“There’s one more studio tweak session I need to complete in raising the vocal levels a bit on all the songs and then off to the record plant to press,” he added. “Expect 6 months at least for vinyl production. But my moment of happiness was jammin it out with my new singer Scott Board in our first studio shredd performance on some of my favorite songs.”

See a facebook post from Scott Board, here.

DRUMMER CARMINE APPICE RESPONDS TO MÖTLEY CRÜE’S NIKKI SIXX CALLING HIM “A WASHED UP DRUMMER” SAYING, “IT KIND OF PISSED ME OFF”

On May 15th, drummer Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne, Blue Murder) was guest on Eddie’s Sirius/XM show, Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk.

He discussed his comments about Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars, and his response to bassist Nikki Sixx, calling him “a washed up drummer.“

Appice told Eddie (as per blabbermouth.net), “Everything that I said, Mick pretty much backed it up with his lawsuit. I was just doing an interview, like we’re talking. And when I do interviews, I’m pretty candid. Mick told me that stuff, and I didn’t mean it to [get] out of proportion like that.”

“The thing for me is I knew Nikki since they opened up for Ozzy [Osbourne],” he continued. “And when they opened up for Ozzy, I’m like the kind of guy, when I’m on a headlining tour, I befriend the opening act. Like Led Zeppelin with Vanilla Fudge, I befriended John Bonham and all the guys. Same thing here. I was friends with these guys. Nikki used to live around the corner from me in L.A. We used to go out for breakfast at this ’50s café, and we were friends. Even their title Raise Your Hands To Rock on that [third] album [Theatre Of Pain], that was my title. I told him we were working on a song, Raise Your Hands To Rock, with King Kobra. And he said, ‘Oh, man. I love that title. Do you mind if I steal it?’ I go, ‘Oh, come on, dude.’ So he gave me credit, ‘Thank you’ for the initials, Raise Your Hands To Rock. And we were friends. So to hear him talk about me like that, it kind of pissed me off. But it is what it is. And I read all these things about other musicians talking about him. I said, ‘Wow, I didn’t realize everyone had hatred for this guy.’ I haven’t seen him or talked to him in years. Same with [Mötely Crüe drummer] Tommy [Lee]. Tommy and I used to hang out when he [was] married to Heather [Locklear] and Pam [Anderson]… And I haven’t seen him for ages.”

He went on to say that he “got a cease-and-desist letter” from the Mötley Crüe camp after he initially publicly revealed some of the things Mick had told him. “That’s why I stopped talking about it,” he said. “But then when Mick said all that stuff, it kind of vindicated me, because he said everything that I said. Because that’s what he told me.”

As previously reported, Mick Mars is suing his former bandmates, and the back and forth in the press between the two sides, has become contentious.

All related stories are hyperlinked below:

Mick Mars Sue Mötley Crüe, Claims He Is Being Cheated Out Of Money

Mötley Crüe’s Attorney Provides Seven Crew Complaints Against Guitarist Mick Mars, Mars Responds Stating “Those Guys Have Been Hammering On Me Since ’87, Trying To Replace Me

Mötley Crüe’s Manager Slams Mick Mars’ “Smear Campaign” And “False Accusations”

SINGER JOHN CORABI RE-JOINS THE DEAD DAISES, “BEST OF” ALBUM TO BE RELEASED ON AUGUST 18TH

John Corabi, former lead singer of Mötley Crüe, The Scream and Union, has officially rejoined the rock ‘n’ roll collective known as The Dead Daisies. The band’s current lineup is rounded out by founder/guitarist David Lowy, guitarist Doug Aldrich and drummer Brian Tichy, along with former Whitesnake bassist Michael Devin playing with The Dead Daises for the first time.

Ten years ago, The Dead Daisies burst on to the music scene with a mission to gather some of the finest musicians in the world and simply put, play some good old-fashioned, no-bullshit rock and roll. After a decade of recording and touring the planet, there have been some incredible one-offs and special highlights including sharing stages with some of the world’s biggest rock bands. To mark this milestone, a collection of songs from six of the band’s previous studio albums have been chosen. The upcoming Best Of album release will include some of the collective’s favorite tracks and others that have become a staple part of every touring setlist. Two previously unreleased tracks from the last recording session are also included. It will be available on double CD and vinyl on August 18th.

To celebrate a decade of rock, the band will begin in late August with some dates in Canada and the USA. Late October will see them head back to Japan followed by dates in Europe throughout November and December.

Lowy says, “It’s been an amazing decade with The Daises! We’ve rocked out with some of the best in the business, toured the globe, released eight albums and are thrilled to be showcasing the body of work from over the last decade with our upcoming Best Of album release and tour. I’m excited to be welcoming John Corabi back to the band. Can’t wait to get back on the road again in 2023 to perform for our fans.”

For a complete list of tour dates, visit TheDeadDaisies.com.

Best Of listing:

Disc 1:

1.  Miles In Front Of Me
2.  Lock N’ Load
3.  Face I Love
4.  Mexico
5.  Midnight Moses
6.  With You And I
7. Something I Said
8.  Fortunate Son
9.  Long Way To Go
10. Song And A Prayer

Disc 2:

1.  Make Some Noise
2.  Resurrected
3.  Rise Up
4.  Holy Ground (Shake The Memory)
5.  Unspoken
6.  Bustle And Flow
7.  Hypnotize Yourself
8.  Born To Fly
9.  The Healer (previously unreleased track)
10. Let It Set You Free (previously unreleased track)

Corabi joined The Dead Daisies in early 2015 and remained in the group until January 2019, during which time he recorded three studio albums with the band: Revolución (2015),Make Some Noise (2016) and Burn It Down (2018). In the summer of 2019, the band announced that they were being joined by legendary Deep Purple and Black Country Communion bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, who appeared on the band’s last two studio albums, 2021’s Holy Ground and 2022’s Radiance.