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SAMMY HAGAR AND THE CIRCLE TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM “CRAZY TIMES” ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, BAND RELEASES VIDEO FOR TITLE TRACK

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame-inducted Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, performer, entrepreneur and New York Times best-selling author Sammy Hagar has announced the release of his second studio album with his Billboard chart-topping supergroup The Circle. The LP, titled Crazy Times, finds Hagar, fellow Hall Of Famer and Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, Grammy-winning drummer Jason Bonham and Grammy-winning guitar virtuoso Vic Johnson changing course, traveling to Nashville to record the album with eight-time Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A. Due out September 30th through UMe on CD as well as digitally, with the vinyl following on October 28th, the album’s title track is available today on digital and streaming platforms. The CD and vinyl configurations, including a translucent red color vinyl exclusive, are available for pre-order. The official Travis Detweiler-directed music video for the album’s first single, the Crazy Times title track, can be seen below.

Hagar shared about making the album, “Working with Dave Cobb for the first time was enlightening. We went into the studio to record in the fall of 2021, when the world was starting to come out of the pandemic bubble we’d all been living in. The lyrics for Crazy Times just came from that new freedom we were feeling, the freedom felt unbelievable, but a little uncertain, too. We had to ask ourselves ‘what are we doing here and what do we want?’

Going back in the studio, creating and being with the music is just what felt natural. And it was just so different from any record I’ve ever made. There was joy in the hard work, catharsis and the comradery we’d craved. It was like those two years of not being able to do very much fell away and we really all came together and let it out in the music and lyrics. We were able to express what we all felt.”

Crazy Times, the band’s long-anticipated sophomore album, is a follow-up to their much-lauded debut Space Between, a multi-category number one Billboard-charting album. The new LP will include 10 songs, nine of which Hagar wrote or co-wrote, along with a notable cover, Pump It Up, a 1978 song by Elvis Costello and The Attractions. The song Crazy Times was written by the whole band along with Dave Cobb and recorded live.

Sammy explains, “Before I stepped into the studio with Dave, he’d told me he wanted the best of my career on this record, and he wasn’t going to let me get out of that studio until I gave it to him. So, I said, ‘If you expect that from me, at my age, as many records as I’ve made, you’re going to have to push me,’ and he said no problem. Obviously, I dug down and just tried to write good strong songs, great lyrics, great melodies and not worry so much about the arrangements because he had that covered. And he pushed and squeezed every one of us. We went in the studio with seven songs and came out with 10. We ended up co-writing three songs with Dave Cobb and the band — including the new track, Crazy Times.”

Crazy Times track listing:Intro:

1. The Beginning Of The End
2. Slow Drain
3. Feed Your Head
4. Pump It Up
5.  Be Still
6.  You Get What You Pay For
7.  Crazy Times
8.  Funky Feng Shui
9.  Father Time
10. Childhoods End

In support of the album release, Sammy Hagar & The Circle hit the road in June with the 21-city Crazy Times U.S. amphitheater tour. Fans and critics have been raving about the new songs, which have found their way into their explosive greatest hits-heavy setlist. Following the tour wrap on October 1st in Sacramento, California, Hagar will celebrate his 75th birthday at his annual week of Birthday Bash concerts at his Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Hagar remains committed to social advocacy and philanthropy through his Hagar Family Foundation. For more than a decade, the foundation uses music and Sammy’s entrepreneur endeavors as a means to give back to causes special to him and his family; mainly food pantries and children’s music and health related causes. To date, they have supported these causes with personal contributions of more than $4 million.

For more than five decades, Hagar has been recognized as one of the best and most accomplished lead singers and songwriters in rock music. From breaking into the industry with the seminal hard rock band Montrose, to his multi-platinum solo career, to his ride as the frontman of Van Halen, Chickenfoot and his latest best-selling supergroup, The Circle, Hagar has amassed 25 platinum albums on sales surpassing 50 million worldwide. Along his journey, he has set the tone for some of the greatest rock anthems ever written with songs like I Can’t Drive 55, Right Now and Why Can’t This Be Love, and earned the highest respect of the music industry with a Grammy Award and induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Since launching his flagship Cabo Wabo Cantina in 1990, he’s turned a lifelong passion for great food, music and spirits into a thriving and iconic lifestyle brand. A pioneer in the spirits industry, Hagar’s development and nine-figure sale of his Cabo Wabo Tequila to Gruppo Campari in 2008 is widely credited as the start of the celebrity-owned spirits trend. His portfolio of spirits now includes Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum, Santo Tequila and Sammy’s Beach Bar Cocktail Co., as well as several restaurants. Never one to hit the brakes, he’s also found success in publishing, TV, radio and beyond, including five seasons of his hit TV show Rock & Roll Road Trip with Sammy Hagar and as host of Sammy Hagar’s Top Rock Countdown, his syndicated radio show that’s broadcast on over 90 U.S. stations. He’s also a New York Times bestselling author, a dedicated philanthropist and since January 5th, 2022, the first Honorary Ambassador to Los Cabos, an honor he was bestowed in recognition of his longtime investment in the people and economy of Mexico.

GUITARIST ZAKK WYLDE AND DRUMMER CHARLIE BENANTE DISCUSS THE PANTERA REUNION TOUR SAYING “YOU’RE HONORING [THE BAND]”

Guitarist Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society, Zakk Sabbath) and drummer Charlie Benante (Anthrax) were guests on Eddie’s Sirius/XM show, Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, today (July 27th). The musicians were discussing their forthcoming participation in a Pantera reunion tour, featuring surviving members, vocalist Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown.

Wylde said (per blabbermouth.net), “It’s gonna be awesome. The fellows have always… When [drummer] Vinnie [Paul Abbott] was still with us, it was always rolling around that, ‘Zakk, would you honor [guitarist] Dime [bag Darrell Abbott] and all of us get together and do this thing?’ And I said, ‘Fellows, whenever you wanna do this thing, I’ll be over here waiting in the dugout and in the bullpen. And just call me when you need me and I’ll learn everything and we’ll go do this.’

“Throughout the years, there’s always been rumblings about it, so it wasn’t until, obviously, now… I was speaking on the phone with Phil — we might have been all on a group call — but Phil was just, like, ‘Zakk, would you honor Dime and would you play?'” he recalled. “And I said, ‘Yeah, Phil. Of course. I’ve always said I would. Of course.’ I said, ‘If you guys wanna go do it, then let’s do it.'”

Regarding playing Darrell’s parts, Zakk said, “You approach it the same way as you do when I’m playing with Ozzy. Obviously I’ve gotta learn [Randy] Rhoads‘ stuff and I’ve gotta learn Jake‘s [E. Lee] stuff, and when I was doing the [Black] Sabbath stuff, you learn it and do it as faithful as you can. Charlie’s gotta learn all of Vinnie’s parts. You approach it as if you’re in a cover band. When we do the Zakk Sabbath stuff,” referring to his Black Sabbath cover band, “I don’t start changing lyrics midway through War Pigs. You learn the songs — so that’s what you do.”

Benante concurred, saying, “I can’t go do this as the drummer from Anthrax because it would be a different sound completely. So, the way I’m gonna do that is if you close your eyes, it’s gonna sound like it’s Vinnie, basically. And that’s how it’s gonna be… The sound is gonna sound exactly like him.”

When asked when he was approached about taking part in the tour, the drummer said, “Oh, man. December [of last year]. End of December. I was talking to Philip, and then he just mentioned this. And I said, ‘Oh, yeah, sure. Whatever.’ And then it became real about January [or] February… To this day, if it happens, if there’s one show that’s played, great.”

When asked about whether he knows when the first show from the is going to happen, Benante said, “No.”

Both Benante and Wylde went on to say that they see the Pantera tour as nothing more than a celebration of the music created by the legendary Texas-based act. “Absolutely,” Benante said. “And I think everybody in [Anthrax] feels the same way about those guys. We go back a long way [with Pantera] — ’86, maybe even ’85. We played a show at a place called Cardi’s in Houston, and Pantera were the opening band. It was in [April] ’86. Helstar was on the bill. It was the first time we met them. My friendship with Darrell goes a long way, and I love both of those guys so much. So, for me, it was a very emotional thing to do this. That’s what it’s all about — it’s all about those two guys and doing it… I don’t wanna see anybody else doing it but me, ’cause I’m gonna do it right.”

Added Zakk, “Whenever [the idea of doing a tribute has] come up, you’re celebrating the guys and you’re celebrating all their achievements and their greatness. And that’s what it is. ‘Cause everybody was just, like, ‘How can they call it a Pantera reunion?’ And I go, ‘Well, it’s Phil and Rex getting back together,’ ’cause they haven’t played together for a while. I go, ‘It’s a Pantera celebration.’ That’s what it is. It’s no different than Mitch [Mitchell] and Noel [Redding] from Experience Hendrix asking Eric Clapton to come out and sing and play Jimi‘s [Hendrix] stuff and honor him, and they’re gonna go out and honor Jimi Hendrix. To me, it’s the same thing. With Ozzy, we honor Saint Rhoads every night. Every time we’re playing I Don’t Know, Mr. Crowley — everything — you’re honoring Randy. To me, it’s an extension of that. You’re honoring Dime, you’re honoring Vinnie and you’re honoring Phil and Rex, all the guys, their achievements, what they achieved as Pantera and all the mountains they conquered. That’s the way I look at it. That’s the way I’ve always looked at it.”

DAVID LEE ROTH RELEASES NEW SONG INSPIRIED BY VAN HALEN CALLED “NOTHING COULD HAVE STOPPED US BACK THEN ANYWAY”

David Lee Roth has released a video for a song titled, Nothing Could Have Stopped Us Back Then Anyway, which was written about Van Halen.

The song was reportedly recorded in 2007 with guitarist John 5 drummer Gregg Bissonette, from Roth’s solo band, for an album that yet to be released.

Listen to the song below.

David Lee Roth has posted quite a few songs online, click the highlighted titles to hear them.

Pointing At The Moon, Giddy-Up!, Lo-Rez Sunset and Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bar And Grill, also from the unreleased album he wrote, and recorded, with guitarist John 5 several years ago. 

KING’S X RELEASE LYRIC VIDEO FOR NEW SINGLE “GIVE IT UP”

As previously reported, King’s X, comprised of dUg Pinnick, Ty Tabor & Jerry Gaskill, will release of their 13^th studio album Three Sides of One on September 2nd.

The band have released a lyric video for their sophomore single, Give It Up, watch it below.

To read more details about Three Sides of One, and to hear the band’s first single, Let It Rain, please click here.

Three Sides of One track listing:

1. Let It Rain 04:28

2. Flood Pt. 1 03:03

3. Nothing But The Truth 06:03

4. Give It Up 02:59

5. All God’s Children 05:32

6. Take The Time 03:45

7. Festival 03:30

8. Swipe Up 03:46

9. Holidays 03:22

10. Watcher 03:43

11. She Called Me Home 03:57

12. Every Everywhere 02:40

GHOST RELEASE VIDEO FOR “SPILLWAYS,” NORTH AMERICAN TOUR STARTS AUGUST 26TH IN SAN DIEGO, CA

Ghost have released a music video for Spillways, rendering the irresistible earworm of the band’s latest single in majestic visual form courtesy of director Amir Chamdin.

Ghost‘s Tobias Forge told Metal Hammer magazine about Spillways: “This is an elegy for the darkness that most people have inside. When you have a dam, spillways are the run-offs so the dam won’t overflow. That darkness inside us needs to find its way out.”

The song is taken from the band’s fifth album, Impera, which was released on March 11th. To read more about this release, and to view the video for the first single, Call Me Little Sunshine, please click here. To view a lyric video for the song, Twenties, please go here.

Ghost will launch a North American leg of Imperatour next month. They will headlining 19 arenas across the U.S. and Canada (plus an appearance at Virginia’s Blue Ridge Rock Fest), starting August 26 at San Diego’s Pechanga Arena and running through September 23rd at the Resch Center in Green Bay. Support on all dates (with the exception of Green Bay which will feature support from Carcass, and the Blue Ridge Rock Fest)  Mastodon and Spiritbox.

Ghost Imperatour tour dates:

August:

26 Pechanga Arena San Diego CA

27 Tuscon Convention Center Tuscon, AZ

30 Moody Center Austin, TX

31 American Bank Center Corpus Christi, TX

September:

2 Von Braun Center Arena Huntsville, AL

3 Gas South Arena Duluth, GA

4 ExploreAsheville.Com Arena Asheville, NC

6 Yuengling Center Tampa, FL

8 Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2022 Alton, VA

9 Cure Insurance Area Trenton, NJ

10 UBS Arena Belmont Park, NY

12 Dunkin’ Donuts Center Providence, RI

13 Cross Insurance Center Bangor, ME

15 Centre Vidéotron Quebec City, Canada

16 Place Bell Laval, Canada

17 Coca-Cola Coliseum Toronto, Canada

19 Dow Event Center Saginaw, MI

20 Covelli Centre Youngstown, OH

21 Peoria Civic Center Peoria, IL

23 Resch Center Green Bay, WI

ADRIAN SMITH AND RICHIE KOTZEN’S SMITH/KOTZEN TO RELEASE “BETTER DAYS…AND NIGHTS” ON SEPTEMBER 16TH

Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen‘s project Smith/Kotzen will release Better Days …And Nights on September 16th through BMG. The effort comprises five previously unreleased live tracks, plus for the first time ever on CD, the four studio tracks featured on their sold-out, limited-edition 12-inch vinyl EP, Better Days, released in conjunction with Record Store Day in November 2021.

Song listing for Better Days …And Nights:

Days:

1. Better Days
2. Got A Hold On Me
3. Hate And Love
4. Rise Again

Nights:

5. Hate And Love (Live)
6. Got A Hold On Me (Live)
7. Scars (Live)
8. You Don’t Know Me (Live)
9. Running (Live)

The live songs were recorded during Smith/Kotzen’s inaugural whistle-stop tour of the U.S. and U.K. at the start of 2022, which attracted unanimously rave reviews from fans and media alike, celebrating the duo’s debut on stage together with stellar back-up from Richie’s wife, internationally acclaimed bass player Julia Lage, and drummer Bruno Valverde of Angra.

Smith comments, “I think everyone in the band was extremely happy with how our very first tour turned out. We were all naturally a little anxious as we’d never played live together before but once we got out there, everything fell into place really easily and we all had a tremendous amount of fun. I can’t wait until we can do it again and get to play in many more places next time round.”

Kotzen adds, “We spent a lot of time discussing which of the songs from the live show to include on this CD. We wanted to capture an accurate snapshot of the special vibe we all felt on the tour and I think we’ve achieved this in the songs we’ve selected, and hope our fans will agree. We’re looking forward to seeing everybody again on future tours.”

Better Days….And Nights will be released globally on CD and digital formats.