Hard rock fans, if you’ve been craving a grinding, blues soaked, heavy groove, then Tom Keifer#Keiferband’sUntitled, just might be the fix. Drawing inspiration from the classic album cuts of the ‘70s vinyl era, Untitled‘s unconventional, nearly six-minute arrangement, is the antithesis of today’s radio single format. Written by Tom Keifer and Savannah Keifer, the heavy, dark jam and lyric of Untitled screams a cautionary tale of evil, deception and the consequences that follow, and the video, can be seen below.
Along with the Untitled music video premiere, Cleopatra Records is announcing the release of a special edition splatter-designed vinyl of #Keiferband’s critically acclaimed album, RISE+, with a 20-page 11”x11” full color illustrated lyric booklet that’s due out July 7th Fans can pre-order it now here.
2023 will commemorate the ten-year anniversary of #Keiferband and ten years of incredible memories with their fans. The band will be celebrating the milestone this year on their Live Loud 2023 tour along with Winger and John Corabi. Plenty of high energy, eardrum-shattering shows combining all the classic hits of Cinderella and new favorites from the solo releases are set to launch June 15th in Atlanta, GA at the Buckhead Theater. The line-up varies for some shows. Details and ticket info can be found on Keifer’s official website.
Tom Keifer remains a resilient, relevant figure in the Rock world through constant reimagination and renewal. His story begins as the singer-songwriter, guitarist, and frontman of Hard Rock heavyweights Cinderella. His signature voice and guitar, and bluesy, no-BS arena-shaking songwriting, were integral in moving 15 million records worldwide. Over the past decade, Keifer transitioned his talents to a solo career, enjoying continued success recording and touring with #Keiferband (Tom Keifer, Savannah Keifer, Tony Higbee, Billy Mercer, Jarred Pope, Kory Myers, Tanya Davis). Two critically acclaimed albums have been released to date: The Way Life Goes (2013) and Rise+ (2019).
Check out #keiferband ‘s “LIVE LOUD 2023” tour at any of the following stops:
June:
15 Buckhead Theater Atlanta, GA w/Winger & John Corabi.
17 Blue Note Theatre Harrison, OH w/Winger & John Corabi
18 Dr Pepper Park Roanoke, VA w/Winger & John Corabi
21 St. George Theatre Staten Island, NY w/Winger & John Corabi
23 Santander PAC Reading, PA w/Winger & John Corabi
24 Palladium New York, NY w/ Winger & John Corabi
27 Patchogue Theatre Patchogue, NY w/Winger & John Corabi
28 Casino Ballroom Hampton Beach, NH w/Winger & John Corabi
30 Keswick Theatre Glenside, PA w/Winger & John Corabi
July:
1 Mountain View Amph Cheswick, PA w/Winger & John Corabi
6 Penn’s Peak Jim Thorpe, PA w/Winger & John Corabi
7 The Strand Providence, RI w/Winger & John Corabi
8 Summer Stage at Tags Big Flat, NY w/Stephen Pearcy & Vixen
13 The Goodyear Theater Akron, OH w/Winger & John Corabi
14 Arcada Theatre St. Charles, IL w/Winger & John Corabi
15 Des Plaines Theatre Des Plaines, IL w/Winger & John Corabi
18 Oriental Theater Denver, CO #keiferband Evening with
19 Steelhouse Omaha Omaha, NE w/LA Guns
21 Mid-Summer Music Fest Menahga, MN w/LA Guns
22 Event Center Medina, MN w/LA Guns
27 Granada Theater Dallas, TX w/John Corabi
28 Rise Rooftop Houston, TX w/John Corabi
29 Haute Spot Cedar Park, TX w/John Corabi
August:
3 Epic Events Center Ashwaubenon, WI w/Winger & John Corabi
4 Civic Center Peoria, IL w/Winger & John Corabi
5 Black Oak Mountain Lampe, MO w/Winger & John Corabi
10 District 142 Wyandotte, MI #keiferband Evening with
11 Paramount Theatre Anderson, IN w/John Corabi
12 Honeywell Center Wabash, IN w/John Corabi
16 Tennessee Theatre Knoxville, TN w/John Corabi
17 The Underground Charlotte, NC w/John Corabi
18 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN w/Winger & John Corabi
Tesla drummer Steve Brown, the younger brother of former Dokken drummer Mick Brown, spoke to Chaotic Riffs about his brother’s decision to retire from touring in 2019. When speaking about the physical challenges that forced Mick to retire from performing live, Steve said (as per blabbermouth.net), “It’s not so much the playing, but it’s the travel on top of it. He’s a lot bigger guy than I man, and cramming into airline seats for long flights… They would play in Washington state on a Friday and somewhere on the East Coast on a Saturday. Those two things, you just can’t do it forever. And he’s been doing it — what? Fifty years. So I was kind of surprised. To be honest with you, I thought he would do it till he just keeled over on stage one day.”
“When [Mick] was playing with Ted Nugent at the same time [as Dokken] and trying to do both, he kind of got tired of that,” he continued. “And then when the Ted thing was done, he stuck it out with Don [Dokken] as much as he could. But then just came a point where he just physically couldn’t do it anymore. And both of us have the same type of thing — I have it worse. It’s psoriatic arthritis. So it’s an immune deficiency thing. And he kind of worked his way through it; it kind of passed. But I know the kind of pain that I’m in, so for him to continue on like that, kind of untreated too — ’cause I take shots and I do this and that and try to stay ahead of it a little bit… And one thing is when you’re sitting on a plane and then you’ve gotta get up, and you’re, like, ‘Oh, God.’ [Laughs].”
“So I wasn’t surprised that he had decided to do [retire from touring]; I just didn’t think he was gonna stick with it forever,” Steve said. “And a couple of years later, I told my wife, I go, ‘Let’s go down and see him, see what’s going on down there.’ And he was great — and he was in the best possible mindset I’ve ever seen him in. And I thought, ‘Well, there you go.’ And soon after that he sold every piece of drum gear, everything he owns. And all of his friends that I run into out here, they’re just, like, ‘He really retired?’ I’m, like, ‘He doesn’t even have drums. He doesn’t even have drum sticks.’ [Laughs]”
West coast thrash metal veterans Metal Church have released another song from their upcoming 13th studio album, Congregation of Annihilation. The new track Making Monsters puts the musicianship of new vocalist Marc Lopes, founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bassist Steve Unger and drummer Stet Howland on full display in 2023. The new song comes on the heels of the recently released Pick A God and Preywhich jumped over 100K views in three weeks and shows the band is still converting new fans even today. Making Monsters is available via all digital service providers and a static visualizer for the new song can be seen below.
About Making Monsters, Kurdt Vanderhoof comments, “Keeping with the Metal Church tradition of combining the heavy and aggressive sound of thrash metal while injecting a good dose of melody and hooks, ‘Making Monsters’ is a track that showcases what we have done for over 30 years. It has the comfort of old school Metal Church while showcasing how our signature sound has evolved. The band is firing on all cylinders.”
Marc Lopes adds, “Just a dark, creepy, heavy ass driving tune that is lyrically based from the book Making Monsters: The Uncanny Power of Dehumanization by David Livingstone Smith – a truly terrifying read. It’s based on actual real-life research. The dehumanizing of others that transforms them into something so terrifying that they must be destroyed. Deep, philosophical and psychological stuff here, just another day in my train of thought.“
Congregation of Annihilation is set to be released on May 26th, to read more details, please click here.
May 29th, 1983 will forever be an important day in the history of heavy metal. After all, it was on this date that the world’s top metal acts (Van Halen, the Scorpions, Triumph, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Mötley Crüe and Quiet Riot) shared the stage on “Heavy Metal Sunday” at the mammoth US Festival. And to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this legendary concert, one of the day’s standout performers, Triumph, will be issuing the double-LP, Live at the US Festival. The set will only be available via the official Triumph merch store – and specifics about the set include:
• Double-LP, gatefold sleeve including never before seen photos
• Etching of the iconic Never Surrender thunderbird logo on the 4th side
• Remastered for vinyl at the legendary Metalworks Studios
• Limited to 750 copies, comes in either black, red, or blue vinyl
• Fans who buy from the official Triumph merch store will receive a US Festival special podcast featuring new interviews with Rik Emmett, Gil Moore,Mike Levine, Mike Primeau, Harry Witz, John Roberts,Wayne Webster and more.
To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of their US Festival performance and the new release on Limited Edition Vinyl, Triumph is hosting a special viewing of the concert on the official Triumph YouTube Channel on May 25th (9:00 P.M Eastern and 6:00 P.M Pacific Time).
Fans will be able to join a group chat while the video is streamed and watch it together. Also, ALL three band members, Mike, Rik and Gil, will join the chat, say hi to the fans and answer a few questions.
“Playing on the ‘Heavy Metal Sunday’ was just amazing for us,” recalls Triumph bassist Mike Levine. “ It was really neat playing without our big production. We killed it. The band was hotter than a pistol. That day will always be locked in my memory – flying in on the chopper and looking at the endless amount of people and going, ‘What have we got ourselves into here?!’”
Between 1975-1988, Triumph – singer/guitarist Rik Emmett, singer/drummer Gil Moore, and Levine – rocked the world, and in the process, gave us countless classic hard rock anthems (Fight the Good Fight, Hold On, Magic Power, Lay It On the Line, A World of Fantasy, etc.) and albums (Just a Game, Progressions of Power,Allied Forces, Never Surrender, Thunder Seven, etc.).
But it was the trio’s show-stopping performance at the US Festival that remains one of the greatest performances of their career. And now, fans can revisit it from start to finish with the killer Live at the US Festival set.
Live At The US Festival tracklist:
Side 1: 1. Allied Forces 2. Lay It On The Line 3. Never Surrender
Side 2: 4. Magic Power 5. A World Of Fantasy 6. Rock And Roll Machine
Side 3: 7. When The Lights Go Down 8. Fight The Good Fight
Side 4: Etched with Triumph’s Never Surrender Thunderbird logo
Nick D’Virgilio spoke with Border City Rock Talk to talk about he landed the position as Mr. Big‘s new touring drummer, five years after the passing of the band’s co-founder, Pat Torpey, Excerpts from interview, (as per blabbermouth.net), appear below.
D’Virgilio, who has spent the last nine years working for the Indiana-based online retailer of music instruments and audio gear, Sweetwater, said, “It stemmed through Sweetwater. I’ve known [guitarist] Paul[Gilbert] Paul was the one guy I knew most. I met [late drummer] Pat [Torpey], and I met [bassist] Billy [Sheehan]-Gosh — at a music trade show back in the day. And I was definitely a fan of the band. I listened to a lot of Pat’s drumming way before I ever met him in person. But at Sweetwater, we do a lot of recording workshops and we get artists in to come and people pay to come to the studio and hang in the studio with the artists that come in. Paul does it quite a bit; he’s been there a bunch. Billy was there a while back as well, but Paul’s been there a number of times. And I’ve been able to play as his rhythm section for these recording workshops. And I also had Paul play on a song on my solo record called Invisible that I put out in 2020. Through all of this stuff, we got to just jamming some more stuff. And I know Paul through [drummer] Mike Portnoy and [singer] Neal Morse and a lot of circles of musicians. After the last thing we did at Sweetwater, Paul just sent me an e-mail and asked if I would be interested in going on tour with Mr. Big in Asia. Now, this was last July, when he first sent me the e-mail, so nine, 10 months ago or so. And I immediately said ‘yes’. I think I said ‘f–k yes’, all in bold letters… So then I went sort of hog wild here in my studio and I videotaped and multi-tracked my drums. I kind of just went hog wild, sending back these demos of me playing and then singing all the parts. So, I sang the lead vocal, and then I sang Pat’s parts, too. Since [it was an] audition, I figured I’d put my best foot forward. Long story short, they said, ‘Yeah, we’d love you to do it. And you’re in,’ basically. So that’s kind of how it all happened. It came out of the blue.”
D’Virgilio went on to say that he is looking forward to performing with the bandon their worldwide tour, aptly titled “The BIG Finish,” which will take them to Japan and Southeast Asia in July and August, while shows in South America, Europe, and the U.S. will launch in early 2024.
“You’ve been in this music business for a long time. Especially as you get older, the phone doesn’t ring as often,” he said. “I live in Indiana now. I’m not in California and L.A. where I grew up. So I have a great job, but I’m not where all the action is all the time. So the phone doesn’t ring quite like that, maybe like it used to 10, 20 years ago, so it was super exciting to get that e-mail from Paul.”
As a session musician and touring artist, D’Virgilio has worked with many different kinds of artists and bands, from Tears For Fears, Sheryl Crow, Kevin Gilbert to Peter Gabriel and Eric Burdon and the Animals. In 1996, D’Virgilio took Phil Collins‘s place in Genesis and played on their Calling All Stations album. He has also carved out a major presence in the progressive rock world with his bands, Spock’s Beard and Big Big Train.
Alice Cooper was unstoppable during the 1970s when the band released four consecutive platinum albums and five Top 40 hits like I’m Eighteen, School’s Out, No More Mr. Nice Guy, and Elected. Rhino will reissue two of those platinum albums – Killer(1971) and School’s Out (1972) – with newly remastered sound, rare recordings, and previously unreleased live performances.
Both Deluxe Editions will be released on June 9th as 2-CD sets and 3-LP versions on 180-gram vinyl. Killer (Deluxe Edition) retails for $69.98 (LP) and $29.98 (CD). School’s Out (Deluxe Edition) will be available for $89.98 (LP) and $29.98 (CD). Pre-orders are available now at Rhino.
A previously unreleased live version of Be My Lover from the upcoming School’s Out (Deluxe Edition) is available today digitally, listen now
Released in 1971, Killer was the fourth studio album recorded by the founding quintet of singer Alice Cooper, lead guitarist Glen Buxton, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway, and drummer Neal Smith. Bob Ezrin produced all four of Alice Cooper’s platinum albums from the 1970s, including Killer and School’s Out.
Killer (Deluxe Edition) introduces a newly remastered version of the original release, which peaked at #21 on the Billboard albums chart. Along with the singles Under My Wheels and Be My Lover, the record also includes Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Desperado, and the prog-rock-inspired epic Halo Of Flies. The bonus material features alternate takes for You Drive Me Nervous, Under My Wheels, and Dead Babies.
The collection also gives fans an unreleased live recording of the band’s performance at Mar Y Sol Pop Festival in Puerto Rico on April 2nd, 1972. Recorded a few months before the band returned to the studio to make School’s Out, the show previews Public Animal #9 from the upcoming album. The band played most of Killer during the concert, including You Drive Me Nervous, Under My Wheels, and Halo Of Flies. They also tapped the group’s 1971 album, Love It to Death, for live versions of Is It My Body?, Long Way To Go, and the smash hit I’m Eighteen.
Shortly after the festival, the band released the title track from its follow-up album, School’s Out. The single was released several weeks ahead of the full album to ensure it hit radio airwaves before the school year ended. It worked. By the time school was out, the song was a hit, reaching #7 in the U.S. and #1 in the U.K.
School’s Out (Deluxe Edition) begins with a newly remastered version of the 1972 original, which peaked at #2 on the albums chart. Essential tracks like Luney Tune and Alma Mater are joined by Gutter Cat vs. The Jets. The latter is an homage to West Side Story, a significant influence on the band. The song incorporates lyrics from Jet Song from the 1957 musical, which led to an unlikely songwriting credit for Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim on an Alice Cooper track.
The Deluxe Edition contains rarities like the single versions of School’s Out and Gutter Cat vs. The Jets. Two previously unreleased tracks are also included, an alternate version of Alma Mater and an early demo for Elected, a song that would appear in 1973 on the band’s first #1 album, Billion Dollar Babies.
Alice Cooper’s concert in Miami on May 27th, 1972, adds even more unreleased music to the collection. The show was recorded a few weeks before the band entered the studio to record School’s Out. The live performance features standout versions of Halo Of Flies, School’s Out, and Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, a song that gives Cooper a chance to show off his impressive harmonica skills.
The vinyl versions for both Deluxe Edition recreate the original album sleeves down to the smallest detail. For Killer, that means a gatefold sleeve that opens to reveal a detachable 1972 calendar with a photo of Cooper in the gallows. The cover of School’s Out looks like a wooden school desk and opens to reveal the LP wrapped in a pair of panties. The band stopped including the underwear following a controversy as to whether or not they were flammable. Thankfully, the lacy unmentionables in the new Deluxe Edition are not a fire hazard.
Both sets come with booklets that include track-by-track commentary by band members and former Creem Magazine editor Jaan Uhelszki, plus liner notes by Bill Holdship, also a former Creem Magazine editor. In Killer (Deluxe Edition), Holdship writes, “Listening to Killer again after all these years to write these notes was rewarding because, like The Beatles and Elvis, it’s gratifying to realize I ended up ‘wasting’ my life on something that, even in retrospect, really was that great. Fifty years later, Killer remains a perfect – perfect! – rock ’n’ roll record.”
In addition to experiencing the unearthed concerts on these two new deluxe editions, fans can also see Alice Cooper revisit School’s Out and Killer on an extensive tour spanning spring and summer. Beginning this weekend, the run of more than 40 shows will bring him and his band all across the country, including dates with Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe, plus a month-long run with Rob Zombie, Ministry, and Filter for this year’s Freaks on Parade. Find all of Alice Cooper’s upcoming tour dates below, and tickets at alicecooper.com/tour.
Killer: Deluxe Edition–Vinyl Track Listing:
LP One: Original Album Remastered
Side One:
1. Under My Wheels
2. Be My Lover
3. Halo Of Flies
4. Desperado
Side Two:
1. You Drive Me Nervous
2. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
3. Dead Babies
4. Killer
LP Two: Live at Mar Y Sol Pop Festival, Puerto Rico (April 2nd, 1972)
Side One:
1. Be My Lover *
2. You Drive Me Nervous *
3. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah *
4. I’m Eighteen *
Side Two:
1. Halo Of Flies *
2. Is It My Body? *
LP Three: Live at Mar Y Sol Pop Festival, Puerto Rico (April 2nd, 1972):
Side One:
1. Dead Babies *
2. Killer *
3. Long Way To Go *
Side Two
1. Under My Wheels *
Studio Extras:
2. You Drive Me Nervous (Alternate Version)
3. Under My Wheels (Alternate Version)
4. Dead Babies (Alternate Version)
School’s Out (Deluxe Edition)–Vinyl Track Listing:
LP One: Original Album Remastered:
Side One:
1. School’s Out
2. Luney Tune
3. Gutter Cat vs. The Jets
4. Street Fight (Instrumental)
5. Blue Turk
Side Two:
1. My Stars
2. Public Animal #9
3. Alma Mater
4. Grande Finale (Instrumental)
LP Two: Live in Miami, FL (May 27, 1972):
Side One:
1. Be My Lover *
2. You Drive Me Nervous *
3. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah *
4. I’m Eighteen *
Side Two:
1. Halo Of Flies *
2. Dead Babies *
3. Killer *
LP Three: Live in Miami, FL (May 27th, 1972):
Side One:
1. Long Way To Go *
2. School’s Out *
3. Is It My Body? *
Side Two: Studio Extras:
1. School’s Out (Single Version)
2. Gutter Cat (Single Version)
3. Alma Mater (Alternate Version) *
4. Elected (Early Take) *
* Previously Unreleased
Alice Cooper Tour Dates:
4/29 – Covelli Centre – Youngstown, OH
4/30 – Hershey Theatre – Hershey, PA
5/2 – Allen County War Memorial Coliseum – Fort Wayne, IN
5/3 – Miller High Life Theatre – Milwaukee, WI
5/5 – Mystic Lake – Prior Lake, MN
5/6 – Sanford Center – Bemidji, MN
5/7 – Tyson Events Center – Sioux City, IA
5/9 – State Farm Center – Champaign, IL
5/10 – The Louisville Palace – Louisville, KY
5/13 – Tennessee Theatre – Knoxville, TN
5/14 – Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium – Spartanburg, SC
5/15 – North Charleston Coliseum – North Charleston, SC
5/17 – Shreveport Municipal Auditorium – Shreveport, LA
5/18 – Beau Rivage Theatre – Biloxi, MS
5/20 – Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, FL
8/5 – JMA Wireless Dome – Syracuse, NY**
8/8 – Ohio Stadium – Columbus, OH**
8/11 – Fargodome – Fargo, ND**
8/13 – Charles Schwab Field Omaha – Omaha, NE**
8/16 – Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium – Tulsa, OK**
8/18 – Sun Bowl Stadium – El Paso, TX**
8/24 – Dos Equis Pavilion – Dallas, TX*
8/26 – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre – Tampa, FL*
8/27 – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre – West Palm Beach, FL*
8/29 – Coastal Credit Union Music Park – Raleigh, NC*
8/30 – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater – Virginia Beach, VA*
9/1 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Tinley Park, IL*
9/2 – Wells Fargo Arena – Des Moines, IA*
9/5 – Pine Knob Music Theatre – Clarkston, MI*
9/6 – Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON*
9/8 – The Pavilion at Montage Mountain – Scranton, PA*
9/9 – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY*
9/10 – Xfinity Theatre – Hartford, CT*
9/12 – Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN*
9/13 – Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, OH*
9/15 – Azura Amphitheater – Bonner Springs, KS*
9/16 – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre – Greenwood Village, CO*
9/19 – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater – Ridgefield, WA*
