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THE BLACK CROWES' reunion tour, which was originally scheduled to take place last summer, will finally kick off this July. The trek will celebrate the 30th anniversary of THE BLACK CROWES' 1990 debut album, "Shake Your Money Maker" and see the band play the classic LP in its entirety followed by a set of CROWES hits. The rescheduled tour will kick off on July 20 and July 21 at Nashville's Ascend Amphitheatre and include 37 dates over a two-month period, concluding on September 25 at Bethel Woods in Bethel, New York. According to Rolling Stone, THE BLACK CROWES announced that bassist Sven Pipien, who played with the band live from 1997 up until the band's hiatus in 2015, will rejoin the group for the reunion trek. Tickets for the new dates are on sale now at the band's official site. All tickets purchased for the 2020 dates will be honored at the 2021 shows. THE BLACK CROWES 2021 tour dates: Jul. 20 - Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheatre Jul. 21 - Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheatre Jul. 24 - Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion Jul. 25 -Hartford, CT @ The XFINITY Theatre Jul. 28 - Pittsburgh, PA @ S&T Bank Music Park Jul. 29 - Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre Jul. 31 - St Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Aug. 01 - Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center Aug. 03 - Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center Aug. 04 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Amphitheatre Aug. 07 - Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Aug. 08 - Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Insurance Amphitheatre Aug. 10 - Rogers, AR @ Walmart Amphitheatre Aug. 11 - Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion Aug. 14 - Houston, TX @ Cynthia Mitchell Woods Pavilion Aug. 15 - Austin, TX @ Germania Amphitheatre Aug. 18 - San Diego, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre Aug. 19 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum Aug. 21 - Concord, CA @ Concord Pavilion Aug. 22 - Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre Aug. 25 - Portland, OR @ Sunlight Supply Amphitheatre Aug. 26 - Seattle, WA @ White River Amphitheatre Aug. 29 - Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheater Aug. 30 - Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheater Sep. 04 - Atlanta, GA @ Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood Sep. 05 - Birmingham, AL @ Oak Mountain Amphitheatre Sep. 07 - West Palm Beach, FL @ Coral Sky Amphitheatre Sep. 08 - Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Sep. 10 - Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion Sep. 11 - Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek Sep. 14 - Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center Sep. 15 - Boston, MA @ Xfinity Center Sep. 17 - Wantagh, NY @ Jones Beach Theater Sep. 18 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center Sep. 22 - Washington, DC @ Jiffy Lube Live Sep. 23 - Philadelphia, PA @ BB&T Pavilion Sep. 25 - Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods "Shake Your Money Maker" was re-released in multi-formats sets in February through UMe/American Recordings. The album, fueled by singles "Jealous Again", "Twice As Hard", "She Talks To Angels" and a cover of fellow Georgian Otis Redding's "Hard To Handle", has sold over five million copies. The most recent lineup of THE BLACK CROWES played two concerts in November 2019 — in West Hollywood, California and in New York City. Those shows saw Chris and Rich Robinson joined by EARTHLESS guitarist Isaiah Mitchell, former TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND bassist Tim Lefebvre along with ONCE AND FUTURE BAND members Joel Robinow on keyboards and Raj Ojha on drums.

HEART's Nancy Wilson, who released her debut solo album, "You And Me", on May 7 via Carry On Music, spoke to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about the fear and challenges of stepping out on her own and making music away from the band. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[There was] definitely a lot of challenge for me to kind of screw up my courage enough to be the singer, 'cause I used to have troubles trying not to compare myself to my sister's voice [HEART singer Ann Wilson], 'cause her voice is so incredible. But then she actually gave me a good advice one time when she told me, 'Don't worry about being perfect. Don't stress the perfection. Just tell your story.' And that's kind of how I approached it on this album; I found myself remembering what she told me. As a singer, just tell the story. Don't sweat the big stuff. Just tell your story. And I got really comfortable being the singer on this one." She continued: "Being a writer was a little daunting in a way, 'cause I've only written for HEART mainly or instrumentals for score music for film mainly, so I had to really go back to myself before I joined HEART — college girl self. Before I joined, I took a couple of classes first at university — creative writing and some music theory and some literature classes. So I wanted to bring that toolkit into the band when I finally joined the band. So I kind of went back to that same toolkit a little bit for this album, because it was not the assignment to write for HEART for a change; it was the assignment to write for myself. So I thought that was really uplifting and inspiring to do it. And I finally have a studio of my own to do it in where it's not gonna disturb the household at all. Anyway, [the way] it all came together, really, [was] serendipity for me." "You And Me" was recorded primarily in Wilson's California home studio, working with band members and special guests remotely. Most of the tracks are originals, but Wilson decided to include a handful of covers by a few of her favorites, including a female perspective of PEARL JAM's "Daughter", a stirring turn of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Boxer" featuring Sammy Hagar, and an ethereal cover of THE CRANBERRIES' "Dreams", featuring Liv Warfield (Prince) from Nancy's previous band ROADCASE ROYALE. The first single from the album was Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising", which dropped last fall. The other eight tracks are originals, mostly acoustic ballads, but there are also some rousing rockers like "Party At The Angel Ballroom" which features a superstar backing band, including Duff McKagan of GUNS N' ROSES and Taylor Hawkins of the FOO FIGHTERS. The album ends with a song that captures the full spectrum of loss, love and redemption in one instrumental coda. Titled "4 Edward", it is Nancy's tribute to Eddie Van Halen, whose 2020 loss still looms large over music. The title track "You And Me", as with several of the songs on the album, reunites Wilson with longtime collaborator Sue Ennis, who co-wrote many of HEART's classics with Nancy and sister Ann. With her band HEART, Nancy Wilson has recorded 16 albums, sold over 35 million albums worldwide and has four Grammy nominations. She had previously released one other album with just her name on it, "Live At McCabe's Guitar Shop", which captured her playing a set of covers and new songs in 1999. But Nancy considers this her first true solo album, a positive creative move amid a surreal year of loss; life during lockdown.

On a landmark day for British pubs as they re-open inside, IRON MAIDEN and Robinsons Brewery are celebrating 30 million Trooper pints sold around the globe during the week they marked the eighth birthday of their hugely successful collaboration. Since its launch in 2013, the 4.7% premium British beer that is Trooper original has become a leading player amongst British ales, exported to over 60 countries around the world and enjoyed by countless beer lovers in the greatest of British pubs and from the comfort of their homes. Trooper has also won multiple gold medals at the prestigious British Bottlers' Institute Awards, as well as picking up awards at the World Beer Awards, Global Beer Masters and International Beer Challenge. Despite pubs being closed for a large part of 2020, Trooper has continued to enjoy strong sales through online distribution partners and export listings throughout and even spawned two new beers during the year — Trooper Fear Of The Dark, a 4.5% ABV English dark roasted chocolate stout that is full bodied and rich in flavor, and Trooper IPA, a 4.3% ABV golden India Pale Ale packed full of hoppy flavors. Both these new Trooper beers have again been brewed in collaboration with IRON MAIDEN frontman and beer aficionado Bruce Dickinson at the helm and both have enjoyed a terrific response in retail and export markets. Dickinson said: "I couldn't be prouder of what we've achieved with Robinsons in reaching the 30 million pints milestone. We've developed a family of outstanding Trooper beers that our fans and beer drinkers all over the world enjoy, which tells you a lot about the quality, originality, provenance and distinctive character exhibited by every Trooper beer. The fact that other leading international brewers have also wanted to partner with us in creating local Trooper variants is further testament to what we and Robinsons have created. Long may it continue, and here's to the next 30 million pints!" Along with the core beers — Trooper original and Trooper IPA — the Trooper family now includes a range of popular seasonal and limited-edition beers that have joined the charge over the last eight years including popular brews such as Sun And Steel (sake infused pilsner), Red 'N' Black (porter), 666 (extra strong bitter), and Belgian-styled beer Hallowed, along with the annual "Day Of The Dead" Trooper special edition. Internationally, the range was joined last week by Hellcat – a 6% India Pale Lager brewing collaboration with BrewDog to be released later this year and available in the U.S. only. Earlier in 2021, Robinsons and IRON MAIDEN celebrated their award-winning beers with Trooper: The Collection 2 — a love letter to their finest beers allowing fans to get their hands on a collection of Trooper limited editions. Dean Etchells, Robinson's Trooper brand manager, said: "It is a remarkable achievement for Trooper to be celebrating its eighth birthday along with an epic milestone of 30 million pints sold across the world. This success and longevity stands as testament to the quality of Trooper beer and its continued worldwide appeal to IRON MAIDEN fans and beer drinkers." Oliver Robinson, managing director of Robinsons Brewery, said: "From Bruce visiting the brewery to do a blind taste test with us to this incredible milestone and several award-winning beers later, it's been quite the journey! We are immensely proud of what Robinsons and IRON MAIDEN have achieved with Trooper over the last eight years, and the exciting part is that it feels like we're just getting started." To celebrate 30 million pints, Trooper and Robinsons Brewery are making it easier and cheaper than ever for Trooper fans to get their hands on the beer. Starting from Monday, May 17, Robinsons will be offering free shipping on all orders over £60 across the U.K. from www.robinsonsbrewery.com/shop (excludes Scottish Islands, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man).

QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre is selling one of four remaining pairs of drum sticks that were used by Scott Rockenfield during the drum recordings of the band's 2013 self-titled album. Says Todd: "After drum recordings were completed, Scott gave me these sticks, to which I went to the studio kitchen to roll them up in saran wrap. They have been in my closet ever since. These are Regal Tip 5B "X" series with Scott Rockenfield signature and QUEENSRŸCHE logo printed in the sticks. Own a piece of history!! Condition: Sticks are worn due to recording. These are the real deal that recorded the album." Earlier in the month, Scott launched a cryptic new QUEENSRŸCHE-centric web site that implies he is plotting his return to the music scene. The drummer, who hasn't performed with QUEENSRŸCHE in more than four years, took to his Facebook page to write: "R ya READY TO F***in' ROCK !!!?? ....I AM !!!!!!! -- bruhahahha... www.queensryche2021.com *Welcome to the New World * Join the Legion". Rockenfield's latest social media activity came four months after he shot down suggestions that he quit QUEENSRŸCHE or retired from playing music. In January, the drummer shared an update on Facebook in which he said that fans "have not been given the facts by any means" and implied that he would offer more details at a later date. Scott's January 2021 comments marked the first time he had publicly addressed his status with QUEENSRŸCHE, which has used former KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo for touring purposes since April 2017. This past February, La Torre was asked during an appearance on "The Eddie Trunk Podcast" if anybody in QUEENSRŸCHE has heard directly from Scott regarding his status with the group. He responded: "Not to my knowledge. All I can tell you is he took paternity leave, saying he would be gone for about six months, and that was four years ago. [Laughs] Casey shows up every day. He shows up to songwrite, he shows up to record, if needed, and he shows up for the live gigs. So that's all that I can tell you. I haven't communicated with [Scott] in years. So I have no idea what he's up to. I couldn't even tell you." When DJ Eddie Trunk said that he heard from Rockenfield two years ago and that the drummer expressed an interest at the time in telling his story, La Torre replied: "I don't know what story there is to tell. People ask, but, honestly, it is literally like déjà vu. Go play the answer I gave you four years ago, because, literally, nothing has changed. "As far as I understand, there really isn't communication [between Scott and the QUEENSRŸCHE camp]. And I couldn't tell you anything more than that. Some people think, 'They're not telling us more.' I don't have anything to say, 'cause I don't talk to him; he doesn't talk to me. Casey's been playing with us for four years — going on four years — and he shows up. The guy is doing an awesome job. "I guess I'd revert back to you," Todd continued. "If you left your radio show saying that you needed six months paternity leave but you never communicated when you were coming back for four years, would the radio station stop running because you quit showing up to work? And keep in mind, you weren't fired, and you didn't give official written notice that you're never gonna come back; you just don't come back or communicate. Does your key still work? Is your name on the door? Or are they gonna find adequate talent replacement to keep things going? "So I don't have anything bad to say," La Torre clarified. "I don't really have anything to say, other than he asked for paternity leave and just hasn't come back." The drum tracks on QUEENSRŸCHE's latest album, 2019's "The Verdict", were laid down by La Torre. Last year, former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate expressed his doubt that Rockenfield will ever play drums again, telling Metal Rules that Scott "has a lot of medical problems and things like that now." In 2019, Tate told 88.1FM WESU's weekly syndicated radio show "Noize In The Attic" that he was "pretty sure" Scott "didn't leave" QUEENSRŸCHE of his own accord. "I can tell you that there's lawsuits involved; I know that," he said. "He's in kind of a really dark place, and I hope he gets some help, 'cause he's really unraveled, you know? In my opinion. It's too bad — he's an incredibly talented drummer, and unfortunately, he never was happy with that. It wasn't good enough for him." Thinning the herd of stuff!! Own a piece of history:https://t.co/K0GeeHAI4P — Todd La Torre (@ToddLaTorre) May 15, 2021

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame president and CEO Greg Harris has addressed criticism from rock fans over the fact that rapper Jay-Z is being inducted this year while IRON MAIDEN has been snubbed. Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that group's first year of eligibility. Asked if he believes MAIDEN is worthy of being inducted into the Rock Hall, Harris told Joe Rock of the WBAB radio station (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's no doubt that [IRON MAIDEN] are an impactful, influential band, and that's why they were nominated this year, along with 15 other artists and acts, and when the votes came in, these six [FOO FIGHTERS, Jay-Z, Tina Turner, THE GO-GO'S, Carole King and Todd Rundgren] were the leaders. So we're not questioning, are they an important band, are they impactful and influential. "Of those that have been nominated throughout history, over 80 percent of them have been eventually inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame," he continued. "So everybody has their favorites; everybody has different artists that impacted them or impacted other artists. So, if you look at this list, you can make that case for all of these folks, just like people make that case for IRON MAIDEN." Asked how he would respond to people who say that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should be more correctly called the Music Hall Of Fame, Harris said: "I think to get to the core of it, people like the stuff that's closest to them, and I think they need to expand their thinking of rock and roll. It's a big tent. Rock and roll was never just four skinny guys with long hair and guitars; it's always been diverse… We take that interpretation that these are all variants of rock and roll. And I think, underneath it, it frequently gets to the hip-hop question because some people are not fans. Well, the fact of the matter is that ship has sailed. We've inducted quite a few artists in that canon. It's a big tent and everybody fits under it. It's an attitude, it's a spirit, and that's rock and roll." The Rock Hall didn't induct BLACK SABBATH until 2006, and METALLICA followed three years later. Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation. Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014. DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2016. PRIEST was on the ballot for Rock Hall induction last year, but failed to receive enough votes to make the class of 2020. Having been eligible for induction since 1999, PRIEST was previously on the ballot for the 2018 class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but was ultimately left out of the inductee list. IRON MAIDEN was on the ballot for Rock Hall induction this year, but didn't make the class of 2021. Eligible for induction for a decade and a half, IRON MAIDEN is one of the biggest bands on the planet. Since the arrival of its self-titled debut album, MAIDEN has released a further 15 full-length studio records, and sold over 100 million copies.

According to the WARLORD fan club, the band's co-founder and guitarist William J. Tsamis passed away on Thursday, May 13 at the age of 60. No cause of death has been revealed. In a 2017 interview, Tsamis revealed that he was suffering from a serious health issue which he said would "never go away" but he offered no specifics. Founded in 1980 by Tsamis and drummer/percussionist Mark Zonder, WARLORD is considered a pioneer in power metal thanks to its now-classic 1983 six-song EP, "Deliver Us". Kerrang!, Sounds, Burrn! and Music Connection all featured the band and praised the release thanks to their outside the norm, semi-progressive style that was inspired by such diverse acts as RAINBOW, SCORPIONS and JETHRO TULL. Adding further intrigue to the WARLORD mystique was the band members' use of pseudonyms such as Destroyer (Tsamis), Thunderchild (Zonder), Damien King (vocalist Jack Rucker) and Sentinel (keyboardist Diane Kornarens). The band also refused to become just another L.A. club act and opted to present themselves on a grander scale. They famously rented The Raymond Theater out to stage what would turn out to be the only WARLORD live performance in the USA, prior to August 2013. It was filmed and recorded for the group's first full-length release, "And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun..." , issued in October 1984, accompanied by a home video release of the same name. While the band disbanded in 1986, they amassed a cult-like following in Europe despite their inactivity. This was largely due to rave reviews in metal the press, continuous airplay, and the circulation of many demos via "tape trading," as well as positive word-of-mouth promotion among metal fans. With the onset of the Internet, the music of WARLORD spread worldwide and thus helped secure WARLORD a place in the history of heavy metal as one of the great metal forefathers of the ‘80s. After the band dissolved, Zonder joined prog metal pioneers FATES WARNING and went on to release numerous albums with them as well as others thanks to his skills then and now being in high demand. It was during one of FATES WARNING's European tours that Zonder realized that WARLORD's following had grown considerably with multiple fans asking him to sign WARLORD albums and demanding new music from the band. Zonder contacted Tsamis and, as soon as schedules permitted, WARLORD was once again an active band. Vocal duties were assigned to HAMMERFALL vocalist (and massive WARLORD fan) Joacim Cans. Thus, in 2002, a new album, "Rising Out Of The Ashes", was recorded and released worldwide to rave reviews. This was followed by the first ever WARLORD live performance in Europe at the prestigious Wacken Open Air festival in Germany. A string of mishaps and serious family health issues plagued WARLORD after these performances and the band was once again put on a hiatus, which lasted for almost nine years. WARLORD returned to active status formally in March 2012. Vocal duties would be handled by one of the original '80s WARLORD singers, Rick Anderson, and Philip Bynoe (Steve Vai, RING OF FIRE) joined the band on bass. That lineup released "The Holy Empire" to much critical and fan acclaim. In the meantime, mounting pressure by promoters and fans bore fruit and WARLORD announced that they would headline the April 2013 German Keep It True XVI festival. This announcement was followed by two headlining dates in Greece — Thessaloniki and Athens — which sold out, thus leading to a second headlining show in Athens which sold out as well. Photo courtesy of William J. Tsamis's Facebook page

Gene Simmons (KISS) and David Draiman (DISTURBED) are among more than 125 leaders from the entertainment industry who have signed a joint statement released by the non-profit entertainment industry organization Creative Community For Peace, which calls on fellow entertainers and executives to use their platforms to combat misleading and one-sided accounts of the conflict in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The open letter urges those in the entertainment community to use their voice to call for the de-escalation of violence and the end to divisive rhetoric while also acknowledging the pain and loss impacting all parties involved in the conflict. The joint statement comes amid a wave of violence in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, including indiscriminate rocket attacks targeting metropolitan areas throughout Israel as well as Israel's retaliatory response in Gaza. Meghan McCain (co-host, "The View"), Haim Saban (chairman and CEO, Saban Capital Group), Sherry Lansing (former CEO of Paramount Pictures), Orly Agai Marley (president, Tuff Gong Worldwide), Selma Blair (actress), Michael Bublé (artist), Diane Warren (songwriter, producer) and Ben Silverman (chairman and co-chief executive officer of Propagate Content) are some of the other signers of the joint statement, which was made public Friday (May 14). "We are deeply concerned by the escalating violence in Israel and the Palestinian Territories," the statement reads. "The loss of life and violence is heartbreaking. We call on the leaders of all parties to end the violence, urge calm, and work toward de-escalation." The statement's signers are among the first in the entertainment industry to publicly promote peace while also opposing a surge of deceptive media narratives that have dominated the news cycle since tensions escalated nearly a week ago. "We also call on our colleagues and friends in the entertainment community to stop posting misinformation and one-sided narratives that only work to inflame the conflict instead of bringing about peace," the statement continues. "Misinformed and fallacious memes being posted by those far away from the conflict are being taken for truth," said Ari Ingel, director of Creative Community for Peace. "This distorted version of reality is being spread online and then amplified by influencers, which only fans the flames of hatred and has real life consequences." The full open letter reads as follows: "We are deeply concerned by the escalating violence in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The loss of life and violence is heartbreaking. We call on the leaders of all parties to end the violence, urge calm, and work toward de-escalation. "We also call on our colleagues and friends in the entertainment community to stop posting misinformation and one-sided narratives that only work to inflame the conflict instead of bringing about peace. "While we may have differing opinions on the conflict, it is never okay for Hamas to publicly call for the killing of civilians, use civilians as human shields, and rain down missiles indiscriminately on civilian populations with no care about who is killed—Arab or Jew. "When lives are at stake, we all bear responsibility to unite rather than divide. Incendiary language only benefits those at the extremes who have no interest in peace. Our thoughts are with all Israelis and Palestinians who are experiencing unfathomable levels of fear and violence, and hope for the day when both peoples can live side by side in peace." Founded by entertainment industry executives, Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) is a non-profit organization comprised of prominent members of the entertainment industry who have come together to promote the arts as a means to peace, to counter antisemitism within the entertainment industry, and to galvanize support against the cultural boycott of Israel. CCFP is apolitical and does not stand for any government official or party. Instead, CCFP believes in artists and their ability to affect lives and effect positive change in the world.

MACHINE HEAD's Robb Flynn and Jared MacEachern held the latest "Electric Happy Hour" on Friday, May 14 during which they performed around a dozen and a half songs, including MH tunes "Davidian", "Ten Ton Hammer" and "Now We Die", plus covers of STONE SOUR's "Bother" and JUDAS PRIEST's "The Sentinel". You can now watch the session below. Featured songs: 00:00 Beers Up And Welcome 05:00 Bulletproof 10:31 Davidian 18:40 Hope Begets Hope 23:17 Ten Ton Hammer 28:19 Is There Anybody Out There? 34:45 Still Loving You 42:38 Slanderous 48:29 Now We Die 1:00:21 Children Of The Grave (acoustic) (snippet) 1:04:18 Bastards (acoustic) (intro) 1:06:39 Bastards (acoustic) 1:12:45 Say It Ain't So (acoustic) (snippet) 1:15:29 Bother (acoustic) 1:23:30 Behind A Mask (acoustic) (intro) 1:24:31 Behind A Mask (acoustic) 1:31:52 Aesthetics Of Hate 1:38:10 Blood For Blood 1:42:12 The Sentinel (snippet) 1:51:45 Darkness Within (acoustic) (intro) 1:56:55 Darkness Within (acoustic) Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Flynn has been staging "Acoustic Happy Hour" solo sessions every Friday, during which he has performed a number of MH tunes as well as covers of other artists' songs. Flynn told Kerrang! magazine about "Acoustic Happy Hour": "It's just basically a free show on Facebook. I try to learn two new songs every Friday. I take requests, and I try to play MACHINE HEAD songs that have never been played live acoustic. Last week I covered MUSE, TOOL and LYNYRD SKYNYRD. It's been fucking awesome. The first three or four were horrible — I knew they were — but I knew that if I kept sucking for six weeks I would get past it. "For the first 20 years of my career, I never took singing lessons," he continued. "Then I did some about 10 years ago. With these acoustic shows, I've been back in contact with my old singing teacher to try and figure out why I can do a three-and-a-half hour MACHINE HEAD show, but this clean singing is kicking my ass. It's been an opportunity to un-learn all the wrong shit and get an opportunity to do things right." In November, MACHINE HEAD released a new single, "My Hands Are Empty", via Nuclear Blast. The song marked the first musical collaboration between Flynn and original "Burn My Eyes" guitarist Logan Mader in 24 years. "My Hands Are Empty" was the latest in a line of singles to be released by MACHINE HEAD, which issued "Do Or Die" in October 2019, "Circle The Drain" in February, and the two-song digital single "Civil Unrest", consisting of "Stop The Bleeding" and "Bulletproof", in June. "Stop The Bleeding" featured guest vocals from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach, and was written and recorded just days after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. In July, MACHINE HEAD canceled its previously announced rescheduled 2020 tour dates for Europe and Australia due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe. Each show on MACHINE HEAD's "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour consisted of two parts: part one saw Flynn and MacEachern performing alongside new recruits, guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka (DECAPITATED) and British drummer Matt Alston (DEVILMENT, EASTERN FRONT); while part two featured "Burn My Eyes" played in its entirety for the first time ever, with original "Burn My Eyes"-era drummer Chris Kontos and Mader joining in.

HELLOWEEN's Michael Kiske has opened up about using taped vocals during the opening show of the band's fall 2017 "Pumpkins United" world tour. The trek was HELLOWEEN's first featuring the reunited expanded classic lineup of the German power metal outfit, consisting of seven musicians, including Kiske and returning guitarist Kai Hansen alongside singer Andi Deris and guitarist Sascha Gerstner. Although HELLOWEEN's October 19, 2017 concert at Escena in Monterrey, Mexico received mostly positive reviews, fans in attendance and others watching clips on YouTube accused Kiske of faking his way through some of the more difficult singing parts of the gig. Now, in a brand new interview with Spain's Metal Journal, Kiske addressed the "playback" accusations leveled at HELLOWEEN, explaining that the move was necessitated by his ill health. "I never did anything like that, and I will never do that again," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "It was just a situation where the management and the band wanted me to do it. It was such a difficult phase. I was so desperate, you can't imagine. You do this reunion after 23 years, or how long it was, and you sell out big arenas and big venues, and everything's perfect. And you have a fucking vocal cord infection and you can't sing. It was a very heavy test. "I learned later why that happened," he continued. "It sounds maybe a little strange, but I was kind of reaching out for my spiritual guidance, and it was that I always try to be too perfect — I always wanna be perfect in what I'm doing — and I needed to learn that's not possible. Failing is part of humanity, and that's why they did that to me. It was a very tough lesson, but I was in a situation that I didn't feel like I could do it, so I wanted to cancel, and next time I will. If I'm ever in a situation like that again… I said that to the manager. I understand we didn't wanna start this tour with cancelations and all that; I understand it was a choice that we had to make somehow; but if I ever catch a virus like that again, and if after maybe two weeks on tour I'm not getting better, I'm flying home. I'll just get rid of it. Because you damage your health. "It was really bad. I should not have done this… I was limping," Kiske explained. "I started to limp. Four weeks into the tour, I could only go on stage with two huge glasses of red wine and painkillers. I was swallowing a strong Ibuprofen, because I was limping. My immune system was getting into my left leg. And after the tour, like a year later, in 2019, I had a big… I don't know what you call it. Around your vocal area, you have these thyroid — I don't know what they call it — this organ there, and I had a big ball in there, which had to be operated out. It was very risky, because they have to cut the area where the nerve of your vocal cords go, and the doctor said, 'If I cut wrong, you won't be singing anymore.' So that was a 'pleasant' experience." According to Kiske, everything went well with the surgery. "It wasn't cancer or anything like that," he said. "But I think it was another result of me not taking a break, of me going through that tour even though I had a freaking virus. We had two or three days off before, I think, Spain; there [were] two spots we could fly home for three or four days. And as soon as I got home, I got really sick. I had high fever — the whole night through. I was sweating — completely soaking wet — and that went through the whole time. And then when I had to get into the taxi to the airport, I got better. It's, like, you can tell how your mind controls your body. As soon as I understood, 'Okay, now you have four days,' my body said, 'Okay. Now the virus can come through.' So I was completely sick. And then I got to Spain, and we did that show and stuff like that, but it was a torture for my body. And I'm not gonna do that again. It was a situation that they said, 'You know what? We still have a recording of the previous show, and we do have recordings of the rehearsals we did. So you sing, and whenever we feel like you fuck up, the front guy sneaks in those other live recordings.' I never did that before, and, of course, I'm failing, because I'm not used to doing these kind of things. When you do a playback, you've gotta be doing the same thing as on the recording, and I was, like, holding the microphone to the audience and my voice was coming through the P.A. and stuf like that. Honestly, but I don't care. I didn't have a choice. The other choice was to cancel the show, and the band didn't wanna cancel the show. So I had no choice; I had to do it. But it's not gonna happen again. Next time I'll fly home when I'm sick like that." HELLOWEEN will release its much-anticipated album on June 18 via Nuclear Blast Records. The official music video for the disc's first single, "Skyfall", came out last month. The cover artwork for "Helloween" was painted by artist Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with HATEBREED, SOULFLY, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH and SODOM, among others. The "Pumpkins United" lineup features Kiske and Hansen alongside Deris, guitarists Michael Weikath and Gerstner, bassist Markus Grosskopf and drummer Daniel Löble. Produced by Charlie Bauerfeind and Dennis Ward, the new HELLOWEEN LP was recorded in part at the H.O.M.E. Studios in Hamburg (where everything started in 1984). The same recording console used for such HELLOWEEN albums as "Master Of The Rings", "Time Of The Oath" and "Better Than Raw" was utilized to record the band's new material. The effort was mixed at the Valhalla Studios of Ronald Prent (IRON MAIDEN, DEF LEPPARD, RAMMSTEIN). The "Pumpkins United" tour marked the first time Kiske had played live with HELLOWEEN since 1993. Hansen, who departed HELLOWEEN in 1988, had been joining the band onstage on various tours and festival appearances throughout the years. The set featured several duets with Kiske and his replacement, Deris, along with many rarely played songs, including "Kids Of The Century", "Rise And Fall" and "Livin' Ain't No Crime". Hansen — who fronted HELLOWEEN until late 1986 — sang a medley of several early HELLOWEEN classics, including "Ride The Sky", "Judas", "Starlight" and "Heavy Metal (Is The Law)". HELLOWEEN's European "United Alive World Tour Part II", which was originally scheduled to take place in September and October will now take place next year. The "Pumpkins United" lineup of HELLOWEEN previously released one new song — aptly titled "Pumpkins United" — in October 2017.

While speaking to Australia's Triple M radio station, Gene Simmons reflected on how AC/DC ended up supporting KISS on a short run of dates in late 1977 and early 1978. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I saw them playing this really small club in L.A. I happened to be there. And all I remember is being close to the stage, 'cause I love that — I wanna feel it; I wanna feel the chest kind of cave in when the bass and the kick drum hits it. I don't wanna be at a safe distance. If it's too loud, you're too old. So I'm in the front. And even after the blackouts between songs, there's Angus [Young] just running around on stage, not posing — just kind of feeling it, like somebody in a trance or something. I said, 'That guy is rock and roll. That guy is real.' So after the show, I went backstage. And [Angus came up to me and said], 'Oh, Gene Simmons.' I'm doing a bad Ozzie accent. 'Oh, Gene Simmons. Yeah. All right.' [And I said], 'You're the guy. What's your name?' 'Angus.' And then he smiled. And I'll never forget it, he didn't have front teeth. I guess at that point they couldn't afford it. So I said, 'Let me take you a few blocks away. I wanna sit down and talk with you.' So he did." He continued: "I'll never forget it, we went to a place called Mel's Diner, which is in some parts of the world real famous. And there we are at 1 a.m. in the morning. To some people, I'm kind of a big deal, so all the waitresses and everybody gathered around the table. And at that point, they had yet to know who Angus and the boys were, but it was just Angus and myself. 'What would you like, Mr. Simmons?' All that kind of stuff. I said, 'Ask my friend first.' I'll never forget it, Angus asked for a frankfurter — instead of a hot dog — and beets. And they looked at each other, and I said, 'Get the man what he wants.' So they did. They brought it back. And I'll never forget, Angus picked up the hot dog without the bun and started biting into it on the sides of his mouth because the two front teeth were missing. And I said to him — I can still remember most of the conversation — 'You guys are great. I'm gonna make some calls. You're going out on tour with us." Two years ago, Simmons told SiriusXM that AC/DC was the best opening band KISS ever had. "A band that shares the same philosophy — no matter what any other band is doing, to thine own self be true," he said. "I've said it before but it's more true now than ever. "A lot of people look the same and act the same and do the same thing. Every once in a while, you see a band like AC/DC. Nobody's like them. We'd like to think we're unique in that way too." KISS's farewell trek was launched in January 2019 and was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022. KISS last performed this past New Year's Eve in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The concert broke Guinness world records for highest flame projection in a music concert and for most flame projections launched simultaneously in a music concert.