Category : LATEST NEWS

PANTERA TO RELEASE “THE COMPLETE STUDIO ALBUMS 1990-2000” PICTURE DISCS ON JULY 21ST

Pantera‘s studio albums will make their picture-disc debuts in a new five-LP boxed set that spotlights the band’s everlasting mark on the metal scene.

The Complete Studio Albums 1990-2000 (picture discs) will be available exclusively online at Rhino.com, Pantera.com, and indie retailers on July 21st, limited to 3,500 copies worldwide ($149.98). Each picture disc features the cover image from the original album. The career-spanning set also comes with a poster featuring all four members.

The hard-hitting collection unleashes a decade’s worth of Pantera‘s inimitable sound and fury from Philip Anselmo, “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, Rex Brown and Vinnie Paul Abbott. It includes the double-platinum albums Cowboys From Hell (1990) and Vulgar Display Of Power (1992),platinum albums Far Beyond Driven (1994) and The Great Southern Trendkill (1996) and the gold-certified record Reinventing The Steel (2000).

Cowboys From Hell debuted in 1990 and is the album that made Pantera heroes to headbangers everywhere. After peaking at No. 27 on the Billboard 200, the album went on to become one of the most influential metal albums of all time and was recently certified double platinum.

Vulgar Display Of Power arrived in 1992 and refined the band’s heavier-than-heavy aesthetic with songs like Mouth For War while simultaneously showcasing the group’s musical range on the haunting ballad Hollow. The album was certified double platinum and spent 79 weeks on the Billboard 200, longer than any other Pantera album.

The band’s success continued in 1994 with Far Beyond Driven, the most extreme album to ever debut at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Several tracks became fan favorites, including 5 Minutes Alone and a cover of Black Sabbath‘s Planet Caravan. The single I’m Broken was nominated for the Grammy Award for “Best Metal Performance” — the first of four Grammy nominations the band would earn.

The Great Southern Trendkill was released in 1996 and debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The platinum-certified album contains some of Pantera’s darkest lyrics and fastest tempos, including Suicide Note Pt. II, nominated for the Grammy Award for “Best Metal Performance”. Guitar World magazine ranked Dimebag‘s solo on Floods at No. 32 on its list of the greatest guitar solos of all time.

Their final studio album, Reinventing The Steel, came out in 2000. The record peaked at No. 4 and was certified gold. The album features classics like Goddamn Electric and the Grammy Award-nominated single Revolution Is My Name.

Pantera’s surviving members Anselmo and Brown recently united with guitarist Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society) and drummer Charlie Benante (Anthrax) for a world tour under the Pantera banner.

MICK BROWN DISCUSSES WHY HE STOPPED PLAYING THE DRUMS

Drummer “Wild Man” Mick Brown (Dokken, Lynch Mob, The End Machine, Ted Nugent) was interviewed, two days ago, by Rimshots With Sean. Highlights of the interview appear below.

Brown, who turned 66 last September, reflected on his decision to stop playing music, he said (as per blabbermouth.net), “It’s been about four and a half years [since I last played with DOKKEN]. I was 63 [at the time]. My body started developing pain from playing drums. And I was really getting tired and it was really hard to walk through airports. I’m still in a lot of pain — shoulder pain, some joint pain in the fingers, which have subsided now, except the walking part. And it didn’t occur to me to stop. Although I just blurted out to Don [Dokken], ‘I’ve gotta stop doing this. I can’t do it anymore.’ And he got immediately, like, ‘Wow. I’m surprised you even made it this far with what you did to yourself.'”

According to Mick, the injuries that he had sustained over the decades of playing drums had taken their toll on his body.

“I wouldn’t have stopped if the pain wasn’t there,” he explained. “But the pain was, and it was getting too much for me. And the traveling — listen, after 40 years of traveling that fast [laughs], the last thing I wanted to do was go to another airport or sit in a van going to the hotel or on a tour bus. I was done. And I just let the higher power go, ‘All right. You’re done.’ And I followed that. Everything I liked about it had kind of disappeared anyway. Like in today’s world, Don wasn’t using me on the records — the last couple of records. And I’m, like, ‘I’m the drummer in the band. You’re not gonna…?’ ‘Cause it cost money to fly me; it turned into that world. And it became a job. And I was, like, ‘It’s still a real good job.’

“I loved the creative part of working,” he continued. “Like when Jeff [Pilson, former Dokken bassist] and George [Lynch, former Dokken guitarist] would write a song and deliver it to Don done and show him what we had, that was a really satisfying thing. That was gone. My roadie was gone. I had to set up a different drum set every day. It went full circle from what you did when you were 14 to 63. I’m, like, ‘I’m back as a 14-year-old, except I’m really old. I have to set these drums up? F–k that.’

“So I just [decided to stop playing],” Brown added. “And I’m telling you what, it’s been the best choice… I really discovered life after all that because I didn’t [do it] to prove anything and I got a chance to look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘Who am I?’ And now I’ve got this group of great friends in one place, so I can enjoy that.”

Addressing what he does to keep himself busy nowadays, Brown said: “I have no ambition anymore, and I’ve never really been ambitious with anything except music. I make enough money where I don’t have to do anything. And guess what? I don’t do anything. I ride that chopper… That’s really what my passion is. I do a lot of sleeping. And I don’t have anything I have to do — except enjoy my friends today. It’s that kind of a thing. That’s where I’m at. And I couldn’t be more pleased.”

He went on to say that he feels extremely fulfilled, even though he is no longer playing music for a living. “I want everyone to know — I’m just having the time of my life,” he said. “But I’ve always done that. But this is just as good.

“I haven’t touched a drum stick in two years,” Brown revealed. “Since I’ve retired, I’ve played two Highway To Hell s, three Rock And Roll‘s. And [my friend] Bobby makes me play with his band… we play River Of Love by Lynch Mob. So I’ve done six songs in four and a half years. But I’m done. I did it all… I did everything I wanted to do — tenfold more than I thought was gonna happen. Literally. And God, being able to get out, and looking back now, I’m so grateful. I literally cry tears of joy sometimes and just [think], ‘Wow. I did that.'”

Listen to Mick Brown’s entire interview below.

ON ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY, GUITARIST K.K. DOWNING REFLECTS ON JUDAS PRIEST’S APPEARANCE AT THE US FESTIVAL SAYING IT WAS “A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE”

[Dana’s note: I heard this simulcast live on the radio, and thought this was, hands down, one of Priest’s finest performances. This version of, “Victim of Changes,” was literally jaw dropping.]

In honor of the US Festival celebrating their 40th anniversary, original Judas Priest guitarist K.K Downing reflects on the band’s appearance, at the show.

In an audio message sent to blabbermouth.net, said, “Hi there everyone. This is K.K. Downing just stopping wishing…the US Festival a very happy 40th anniversary. And I must say, what a cherished memory that was for me and the band. Undoubtedly the biggest audience, and biggest festival, we ever certainly played or probably ever will play. Surely a one-off spectacular event.”

“I remember, I recall well flying in to the festival and out of the festival via a helicopter,” he continued. “They were saying that the crowd was so big that the best way to get in and out was that way, which was fantastic, obviously. Flying in to the festival, looking down through the helicopter windows, it was an astonishing sight.

Yeah, I would love to do that all over again. A fantastic lineup, obviously, with so many people — Ozzy, ourselves and Quiet Riot, Van Halen and Triumph. It was just a fantastic experience. A difficult gig — it was probably 110 [degrees Fahrenheit] in the shade. But, yeah, we were certainly up for it and well oiled. I think we were on tour at the time, which was great.”

“But, yeah, [it was] a wonderful experience,” Downing added. “And a big hello to everyone that was there on either side of the barriers, working the stage, playing or, obviously, in the audience. It would be great if we could experience that again at some point in our lives. Until then, I wish you all good health and travel safe. And thank you all for keeping metal alive. And I hope to see you all out there on the road again very soon.”

Sponsored by Steve Wozniak, formerly of Apple computer, the US Festival (US is an acronym for “Unite Us In Song”),held on Memorial Day of 1983, was a massive three-day celebration of technology and culture, with a temporary stage and open-air venue paid for by Wozniak himself just for the purposes of the festival. The event featured Heavy Metal Day on May 29th, 1983.

Despite the historical value of the performances, the festival was a failure, with two reported deaths at the 1983 festival and Wozniak and promoters losing some $24 million. Setbacks aside, the performances remain a worthy footnote in rock history.

In related news, Triumph has a released a special recording of their US Festival performance, please click here for more details.

See Priest’s phenomenal performance below.

EXTREME REVEAL FOURTH SINGLE EXTREME “OTHER SIDE OF THE RAINBOW” FROM UPCOMING ALBUM “SIX” DUE JUNE 9TH

Multi-platinum hard rock icons Extreme have been steadily building the anticipation for their much-awaited new album SIX—due June 9th via earMUSIC—with three previously released heavy-hitting rock singles (Rise (listen here), Banshee (listen here) and #REBEL (listen here)). The band have today (May 31st) revealed a fourth single, Other Side Of The Rainbow, which shows off their more intimate side in the vein of previous singles such as the RIAA gold-certified, Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit More Than Words, Hole Hearted, and Seven Sundays. Other Side Of The Rainbow is one of Extreme’s most soulful journeys, taking listeners into the depths of the human heart. Stream/download it now here, watch the Other Side Of The Rainbow music video below.

“Every once in a while, we’ll harness some kind of magic, and I think we did on this one,” says frontman Gary Cherone. “It’s a universal theme. It’s about restoring someone’s faith in love…we feel that it’s the perfect marriage of lyrics and melody.” 

Citing Brian May, Eddie Van Halen, and Neil Schon as particular influences, Extreme co-founder and guitarist Nuno Bettencourt asks, “How do you play a blistering solo, making it feel like a rainbow?” He goes on to share, “It’s a groove we’ve never done acoustically. It’s got my favorite guitar solo it’s an up-tempo, moving song.”

Extreme are currently gearing up to perform for audiences across the globe on their headlining Thicker Than Blood world tour. It stretches from August 2nd to December 16th and will see the band appear across the U.S., Australia, Japan, UK and Europe including specials guests Living Colour (U.S., Australia & UK only) and The Last Internationale (EU only). The tour has already sold-out dates in Hampton Beach, London, Melbourne, Tokyo, Amsterdam and more. Tickets are on sale now at extreme-band.com. See full dates listed here.

“Whatever you think an Extreme album is after two or even three songs, it’s not,” states Bettencourt. “That goes for every record we’ve ever done. True Extreme fans know to ‘expect the unexpected.’ I feel like we need a good old school rock album. SIXis definitely modern, but you can put on headphones and go on a journey from top-to-bottom. It’s like ‘Extreme 2.0’.” 

On SIX, Extreme swing between unapologetic fits of fret-burning hard rock and intimately introspective balladry. For the recording of the Bettencourt-produced 12-track album, the members–Cherone (vocals), Bettencourt (guitar), Pat Badger (bass), and Kevin Figueiredo (drums)–buckled down at Bettencourt’s home studio in Los Angeles to channel the electrifying eclecticism that defined their seminal output with a 21st century twist. Preorder “SIX” here. 

This dynamic affirms the iconic Boston quartet as one of rock’s most unpredictable, undeniable, and unbreakable groups whose songs course through the very fabric of popular culture. They’re the rare band whose music has appeared in an actual cult series a la Bill & Ted as well as the Netflix juggernaut “Stranger Things.” They’ve sold 10 million records, topped the BillboardHot 100 at #1, packed major venues on multiple continents, memorably performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in London, and regularly average over 5 million monthly listeners on Spotify. However, their dynamic approach hits harder than ever on their 2023 full-length offering, SIX.

SIX

The track listing is:

1.   Rise

2.   #Rebel

3.   Banshee

4.   Other Side of the Rainbow

5.   Small Town Beautiful

6.   The Mask

7.   Thicker Than Blood

8.   Save Me

9.   Hurricane

10. X Out

11. Beautiful Girls

12. Here’s to the Losers

GUNS N’ ROSES ANNOUNCE CARRIE UNDERWOOD, THE PRETENDERS, ALICE IN CHAINS, THE WARNING, AND DIRTY HONEY WILL SUPPORTGUNS N’ ROSES  2023 WORLD TOUR ON SELECT DATES

Ahead of their international dates of their 2023 global tour, Guns N’ Roses today announce the artists that will support the tour’s North American leg: Carrie Underwood, The Pretenders, Alice In Chains, The Warning and Dirty Honey. In addition, the band will be adding new shows: one in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at PNC Park on August 18th and another in Seattle, Washington at Climate Pledge Arena on October 14th.

Guns N’ Roses return to the road on a massive 2023 world tour produced by Live Nation, headlining stadiums, festivals, and arenas throughout the summer and fall. The powerhouse rock band launches this jaunt next week on June 5th in Tel Aviv, Israel at Park Hayarkon and will continue across Europe through July 22nd, wrapping in Athens, Greece. The band will continue onto North America, starting on August 5th in Moncton, New Brunswick at Medavie Blue Cross Stadium, and will visit historic venues across the country such as Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts on August 21st and Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois on August 24th. The tour concludes in Vancouver, British Columbia at BC Place on on October 16th.

Tickets for the new Pittsburgh date will be available starting with the band’s presale today at 10 a.m. local time, with the general on-sale starting June 2nd at 10 a.m. local time; tickets to the new Seattle date will be available starting June 9th at 10 a.m. local time, all on gunsnroses.com. Fans can also purchase VIP Packages, which may include premium tickets, VIP bar access throughout the show, invitation to the pre-show Paradise City Lounge, limited edition Guns N’ Roses VIP merchandise and more. For more information, visit vipnation.com.

This will be the first time the group have toured North America since the monumental We’re F’N Back! tour in 2021 — which also steamrolled stadiums coast to coast, including their first headliner at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Meanwhile, their now-legendary Not In This Lifetime… tour (2016-2019) stands out as the “third-highest grossing tour of all time.”

Expanding their influence across culture, Guns N’ Roses also notably just sponsored Erik Jones and the No. 43 in the Daytona 500. His race team, Legacy Motor Club is co-owned by NASCAR legends Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson who shared his excitement on Twitter.

2023 international dates:

Jun. 5 – Tel Aviv, Israel – Park Hayarkon
Jun. 9 – Madrid, Spain – Civitas Metropolitan Stadium
Jun. 12 – Vigo, Spain – Estadio Abanca Balaídos
Jun. 15 – Dessel, Belgium – Grasspop Metal Meeting
Jun. 17 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Copenhell
Jun. 21 – Oslo, Norway – Tons of Rock
Jun. 27 – Glasgow, UK – Bellahouston Park
Jun. 30 – London, UK – BST Hyde Park

Jul. 3 – Frankfurt, Germany – Deutsch Bank Park
Jul. 5 – Bern, Switzerland – BERNEXPO
Jul. 8 – Rome, Italy – Circo Massimo
Jul. 11 – Landgraaf, Netherlands – Megaland
Jul. 13 – Paris, France – La Defense
Jul. 16 – Bucharest, Romania – National Arena
Jul. 19 – Budapest, Hungary – Puskás Arena
Jul. 22 – Athens, Greece – Olympic Stadium

North American dates:

Aug. 5 – Moncton, NB – Medavie Blue Cross Stadium (with Carrie Underwood)
Aug. 8 – Montreal, QC – Parc Jean Drapeau (with Carrie Underwood)
Aug. 11 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium (with The Pretenders)
Aug. 15 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium (with The Pretenders)
Aug. 18 – Pittsburgh, PA – PNC Park (with The Pretenders) ^
Aug. 21 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park (with The Pretenders)
Aug. 24 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field (with The Pretenders)
Aug. 26 – Nashville, TN – GEODIS Park (with Carrie Underwood)
Aug. 29 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center (with Dirty Honey)

Sep. 1 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center (with Dirty Honey)
Sep. 3 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre (with The Pretenders)
Sep. 6 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena (with Dirty Honey)
Sep. 9 – St. Louis, MO – Busch Stadium (with The Pretenders)
Sep. 12 – Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena (with The Warning)
Sep. 15 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live (with The Warning) *
Sep. 17 – Atlanta, GA – Midtown Music Festival *
Sep. 20 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum (with Dirty Honey)
Sep. 23 – Kansas City, MO – Kauffman Stadium (with Alice In Chains)
Sep. 26 – San Antonio, TX – Alamodome (with Alice In Chains)
Sep. 28 – Houston, TX – Minute Maid Park with Alice In Chains)

Oct. 1 – San Diego, CA – Snapdragon Stadium (with Alice In Chains)
Oct. 6 – Indio, CA – Power Trip Festival *
Oct. 8 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival *
Oct. 11 – Phoenix, AZ – Chase Field (with Alice In Chains)
Oct. 14 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena ^ (support act to be determined)
Oct. 16 – Vancouver, BC – BC Place (with Alice In Chains)

^ Newly added date
*Not a Live Nation date

Guns N’ Roses launched its long-rumored and long-awaited reunion tour with an April 2016 club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California’s Coachella festival.

Guns N’ Roses’ reunion tour features classic-lineup members Duff McKagan (bass), Axl Rose (vocals) and Slash (guitar),backed by guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

Guns N’ Roses released a new four-song EP, Hard Skool (listen here), in February 2022. The effort, which is exclusive to the Guns N’ Roses’ official store, contained the two new songs the band released in 2021 — the title track and Absurd (listen here)— as well as live versions of Don’t Cry and You’re Crazy.

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.