Tag: News

In a new interview with Loaded Radio, former ANTHRAX and current ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush was asked if he is concerned about the COVID-19’s impact on the music industry. He responded (hear audio below): “I’m very concerned with the music industry. I think everybody should be. I was just reading a big article on live shows, and somebody wrote an article suggesting that this is the new norm and now viral shows will happen. And I’m, like, look, don’t plant that seed in people’s minds. Don’t do that, because you’re not gonna be replacing live music concerts with something on a viral live stream.

“Don’t get me wrong — ARMORED SAINT‘s doing our live stream October 10th from the Whisky A Go Go here,” he continued. “We want everybody to tune in. It’s gonna be a fun thing. It’s gonna be a weird thing, ’cause nobody’s gonna be there, and we’re gonna be playing to cameras. And I understand that we have to do this, but it’s for now. I’m not saying that this is something that I’m hoping two years from now we’re still doing because no one’s going to shows. I think that would be a huge, giant area of frustration if that happened. So I’m optimistic and a little resilient to the fact of concerts are gonna be affected forever [by] this. I don’t wanna think like that, because I love going to concerts, I love performing at concerts, I like going to hockey games at the Staples Center for the Kings. I don’t wanna say, ‘I can’t do these things anymore,’ because I can’t be around a big group of people. I don’t wanna think like that, because our lives would be forever changed, and I wanna succumb to that, quite honestly.

“I’m all for it — believe me,” Bush added. “If we can get a hundred people at a show and everybody has to wear a mask, come wear a mask and be at the gig. Do what we’ve gotta do to get past this. I’m down for that. But I don’t wanna think that things are gonna be forever changed; I don’t wanna accept that. In the meantime, it’s a big element that’s missing for musicians and for fans and for promoters and for venues, and I’m really empathetic for all those people, because they need it. Concerts have changed my life since I was 12 years old and inspired me. So I wanna hope that we can get past this, and maybe a vaccine will happen and a large contingency of people will be willing to take it and we’ll get that herd immunity thing and it’ll be safe and we can move on and think of corona in the past as something like, ‘It was bad, but now it’s like a cold.’ I wanna get to that point.”

On Saturday, October 10 at 1 p.m PST / 4 p.m. EST / 10 p.m. CET, ARMORED SAINT will host a live record-release show online for its upcoming album, “Punching The Sky”. ARMORED SAINT will be performing a full set from the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, California, including four new songs from “Punching The Sky”. Additionally, the band will be answering select questions from fans who submit them via a post on the ARMORED SAINT Facebook page.

Tickets, plus exclusive event merch bundles are available now at: armoredsaint.veeps.com. Fans who purchase a ticket can access the footage and bundles until November 9.

Ticket-bundle options:

* Ticket plus signed CD of Punching the Sky [$30 (USA only)]
* Ticket plus exclusive event tee and signed CD [$65 (USA only)]
* Ticket plus exclusive event tee [$55 (USA shipping), $65.00 (Europe shipping)]

“Punching The Sky” will be released on October 23 via Metal Blade Records.

New York’s blackened, death metal juggernaut ALEKHINE’S GUN has released a new single, “Ngepar Chiwa” (Certain Death), from its forthcoming EP, “Year Of The Lazarus”. It is the second track to be made available from the EP, following “21”, which came out in June.

ALEKHINE’S GUN is fronted by Jessica Pimentel, the American actress best known for her role as Maria Ruiz on the Netflix original series “Orange Is The New Black”.

Commenting on the inspiration for “Ngepar Chiwa”, Pimentel states: “Ngepar Chiwa: A brief and effective meditation on death. Death is the one common denominator that pervades all existence. As most of us get bogged down with all the worldly goals, desires and fears of human life, how often do we sit and contemplate our own death? In Tibetan Buddhism, we focus, meditate on and practice our own death on a daily basis. Nothing in this world is yours. Even your own body will betray you. At the moment of death, you will lose everything. This moment can come at any time. Constantly reminding yourself of your impermanence causes a radical shift in one’s mind stream freeing you from attachments, hatred, greed and fear which cause daily suffering and helps you reevaluate what is truly important. By becoming friends with death, we are able to live a more perfect life. By eliminating the fear of the unknown, we can have a peaceful death, which not only benefits ourselves by helping us to easily reach our next plane of existence properly but helps ease the minds and suffering that we cause by our departure from those who love us.”

ALEKHINE’S GUN blends elements of thrash, black metal and death metal with subtle undertones and nods to New York hardcore of the 1990s and all things extreme. In this unique combination they have unlocked a captivating sound and style and created a feel that is notable and recognizably their own.

In 2012, ALEKHINE’S GUN released a four-track EP titled “Meditations In Wrath” with Jeff Martinez (DESOLATE) on guitar, Dan Martinez (KING HELL) on bass and Pimentel “The Crusher” (EVERYBODY GETS HURT, DESOLATE) on vocals and guitar. This NYC veteran lineup delivered a greatly received, high-energy sonic assault with their debut release. Their music is laced with a barrage of head-banging riffs and groove, colored with dark harmony and accented by relentless, technical drumming. Adding to all of this are fierce, in your face vocals and lyrics steeped in the profound wisdom of ancient Buddhist texts, vibrant imagery, and raw emotional honesty.

ALEKHINE’S GUN brings you a primal, transcendent, electric energy. This fury is not only felt in recordings but wherever they go as they have been marked as being standout, vigorous, dynamic performers who hold their own in any live venue alongside world renowned bands.

In 2014, ALEKHINE’S GUN released its sophomore record, “…And Kings Will Fall”, which proved the group is a force to be reckoned with.

In a recent interview with AXS TV‘s “At Home And Social With”, former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley explained why he ended up moving back to the East Coast after living in California for several years. He said (see video below): “I originally grew up in the Bronx. I’m a native New Yorker. About a year ago, I hooked up with an elementary school teacher in New Jersey, moved in with her, her two kids and a dog, and now I’m a New Jerseyite. [Laughs]”

Elaborating on how he ended up in a relationship with a school teacher, Ace said: “Her name’s Lara Cove. And I met her December 7th [2018] at a KISS convention in New Jersey that I was actually performing [at]. I met her on the 7th, and on the 8th, I performed my whole 1978 studio album live. It was standing room only. It was the only time I’ve ever done that. There might be YouTube videos of that floating around. I should have recorded it with a real camera crew, because I haven’t done it since. But I met her the day before. She had a booth with these mugs. [Lifts glass featuring a painting of Ace’s face from the classic 1970s KISS era] She painted one of me, Paul [Stanley], Gene [Simmons] and Peter [Criss]. She gave me this one. She’s a very beautiful woman. We got to talking. And then she came to one of my shows subsequently, several months later. And one thing led to another. I don’t think I need to go any further. [Laughs]”

Frehley, who recently said that he was “enjoying the seasons” living in the U.S. Northeast, later added: “I’m really excited because we just bought a six-thousand-square-foot house with a three-thousand-square-foot basement with a nine-foot ceiling, so I’m gonna build an amazing state-of-the-art recording studio there. And I’ll be able to record my next several albums there. I just re-signed with eOne for three more albums. And there will be an ‘Origins Vol. 3’.”

Ace has just released a new covers album, “Origins Vol. 2”. The sequel to his 2016 album “Origins Vol. 1” features renditions of songs by various artists who influenced and inspired the former KISS axeman.

This past January, a San Diego judge denied a restraining order against Frehley filed by his former girlfriend. In her documents, the former girlfriend claimed Ace controlled their finances and she was asking for money to cover the rent and deposits on their home, moving expenses, and the costs of their vehicles. She also wanted him to cover her legal fees.

During an appearance on a video podcast hosted by Todd Kerns, the bassist of SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS, David Ellefson spoke about MEGADETH‘s very first shows in April 1984 which featured Kerry King (SLAYER) as the band’s second guitarist

“Kerry King was incredible,” David said (see video below). “We were looking for a second guitar player to do these gigs when we debuted the band in 1984 up in San Francisco… There was a couple of guys around, and then Kerry was maybe referred to us by somebody. And he came in. At that time, SLAYER still had makeup. SLAYER didn’t really have their indentity yet… They grew up in Southern [California], so there was a lot of influences [from the L.A. metal scene]. So Kerry comes to play guitar with us. And he would stand there with just no expression on his face and watch Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader] play some gnarly riff like ‘Chosen Ones’ or ‘The Conjuring’, and then Kerry would just stand there and then he’d put his hand on his guitar and play it back note for note. And you’re, like, ‘Holy hell! This guy really gets Dave.’ And [Kerry] always said. He goes, ‘I saw Dave play with METALLICA opening for SAXON at the Whisky,’ and he said, ‘It changed my life. Watching Dave in particular, it changed my life.’ So he kind of became a mentor and a role model. So [Kerry] was super happy to be in MEGADETH. And then when we went up to San Francisco, he saw the thrash scene and met the EXODUS guys and all that was going on, and Kerry saw the light. And he went back home to L.A. and wiped the makeup off of SLAYER‘s faces.”

In a 2010 interview with Artisan News Service, Mustaine said: “Not very many people know this, but Kerry King played guitar in MEGADETH in the very beginning. David Ellefson still touts [Kerry] as being the best rhythm guitar player that MEGADETH ever had, which I think is really cool.”

He continued, “It’s funny, because when Kerry played with us, he would still wear his SLAYER colors. We didn’t, so we would be there with high-tops and sneakers on and Kerry would be there with nails for days everywhere. [Laughs] And I remember going to his house and he was making that thing [nail-studded wristband], man. His dad’s sitting on a chair watching TV and Kerry‘s just sitting there just hammering away, making a pentagram like it was nothing — not a big deal at all. [Laughs] And we had a great time, man. He’s a really smart player and he was able to learn the stuff that I wrote really quickly, which made a huge impression on David, ’cause he still talks about it.”

Regarding the first few shows he played with MEGADETH 36 years ago, King told Artisan News Service, “Yeah, it was after [SLAYER‘s] first album [came out]. I was an admirer of Mustaine, ’cause I saw METALLICA play with Mustaine; not many people can say that. And I was blown away by how good that kid was. And I think we didn’t really know each other, but we both played B.C. Rich [guitars], so an acquaintance brought it up, ‘Hey, why don’t you see if Kerry will play with you. And [he] asked me, ‘Would you be interested in playing with Mustaine?’ And I was a fan of his playing and admired how he played. So I [was], like, ‘Yeah, man, I’ll help the dude out.’ So I played the first five shows. Maybe that’s where the original bad blood [between Kerry and Mustaine] came when I left; I don’t know. But my band’s always been SLAYER. I saw it as an opportunity when we played, ’cause we [MEGADETH and Kerry] mostly played in the Bay Area — I think that’s all we played. But if people saw me, they would associate SLAYER as well. I’ve always thought about, ‘How can I make SLAYER something bigger by doing something on my own?’ And that was my thinking when I did [a guest appearance on] the BEASTIE BOYS album, too. I’m like, ‘These guys will probably get a video. We’re never gonna get a fucking video; we’re in a metal band.’ And if people see me with my nails and stuff, they’ll associate SLAYER with the BEASTIE BOYS, and they’ll think SLAYER, so that’s just how I think.”

QUIET RIOT guitarist Alex Grossi says that the response has been “very positive” to the announcement that the band is planning to carry on after drummer Frankie Banali‘s death. The group, which now features drummer Johnny Kelly (DANZIG, TYPE O NEGATIVE), will play a couple of shows in October as well as a string of dates in 2021.

Speaking to “That Metal Interview With James”, Grossi said: “All in all, as far as our friends and family and people in the industry, it’s been very, very positive. Obviously, there’s always people on the Internet that like to bash things. Since I’ve been in this band, every move they’ve made has been slammed on the Internet, but then again, so is a lot of moves that every other band makes; that’s what the Internet, what all those web sites are for — for people to voice their opinion. But all in all, it’s been very positive, and it’s nice to see that. I’m glad we’re carrying on the way we are for Frankie — that’s what he wanted. And it’s been good. I’m really glad to see a lot of friends and family come out of the woodwork and support it, which is nice, for sure.”

Banali, who joined QUIET RIOT in 1982 and played on its breakthrough album, 1983’s “Metal Health”, the first heavy metal LP to top Billboard‘s album chart, died in August after a 16-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

The surviving members of QUIET RIOT said it was “Frankie Banali‘s wish that the band continue and we keep the music and the legacy alive.”

Bassist Chuck Wright has been a part of QUIET RIOT, on and off, since 1982, having initially been involved in the “Metal Health” recordings (he played bass on the tracks “Metal Health” and “Don’t Wanna Let You Go”). Grossi was in the last version of the band, from 2004 through 2007, before singer Kevin DuBrow passed away, and was asked by Banali to return in 2010.

“Chuck‘s been doing this for almost 40 years, off and on,” Alex told “That Metal Interview With James”. “He contributed so much to the ‘Metal Health’ record, and he’s been there essentially from the beginning. People realize that, but they shouldn’t forget that. And I was chosen by DuBrow and Frankie in 2004 to be the guitar player in the band. And Jizzy [Pearl], as far as singers go, he’s probably the most like Kevin in that he’s from the ’80s Sunset Strip, the metal days — he was there. It was a scene that QUIET RIOT obviously had a lot to do with building, so he gets it. He’s one of us.

“It’s been great,” Grossi added. “It’s horrible circumstances, but I’m really glad, like I said, we’re able to carry on and put our best foot forward. I’m looking forward to getting back out there… And this is what Frankie wanted, and it’s the best way to honor him.

“Anything Frankie didn’t want to happen didn’t happen, if he didn’t want it to. So I’m glad that we’re doing it, and we’re gonna do it right. And it’s gonna be nice to go out and honor our friends and keep the music alive.

“Every year that goes by, a lot of these bands, people are gonna not be with us anymore, or retire, or quit, and eventually, there’s gonna be not too many guys from the heyday left. But the music’s still there. So as time goes on, bands are gonna keep going no matter what, ’cause the brand will live on, the songs will live on — the legacy. That’s just the reality of life.

“We’re not built to last as people, but the work and the art we create and the legacy is — it’ll always be there.”

At some of QUIET RIOT‘s 2019 and 2020 shows, Banali was replaced by Kelly or Mike Dupke (W.A.S.P.), depending on each musician’s availability.

QUIET RIOT‘s shows last year with Kelly and Dupke marked the first time ever that the band performed without any of the members from its classic lineup: Banali, DuBrow, guitarist Carlos Cavazo and bassist Rudy Sarzo.

QUIET RIOT initially featured the late guitar legend Randy Rhoads and went through some early lineup shifts before securing the musicians that recorded “Metal Health”.

QUIET RIOT went through two vocalists — Mark Huff and Scott Vokoun — before settling on Pearl in 2013. Pearl announced his exit from QUIET RIOT in October 2016 and was briefly replaced by Seann Nichols, who played only five shows with the group before the March 2017 arrival of “American Idol” finalist James Durbin. Pearl returned to QUIET RIOT in September 2019.