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MEGAFORCE RECORDS Co-Founder MARSHA ZAZULA Dies At 68
Marsha Zazula, who co-founded Megaforce Records in 1983 with her husband Jon (a.k.a. Jonny Z), died earlier today (January 10) at the age of 68. Marsha and Jonny‘s daughter Rikki Zazula confirmed her mother’s passing, writing in a Facebook post: “RIP Mom April 21, 1952 -January 10, 2021 Your love, Your strength, Your memory and Your music has changed lives and will continue to FOREVER.” Megaforce is widely credited for launching the career of METALLICA by releasing the band’s first two albums, 1983’s “Kill ‘Em All” and 1984’s “Ride The Lightning”, before METALLICA landed a major label deal with Elektra. Megaforce‘s roster has also included such artists as ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT, OVERKILL, Ace Frehley, MINISTRY, KING&...
ACCEPT’s WOLF HOFFMANN Looks Back On ‘Eat The Heat’ Album: ‘It Was A Dark Time In Our History’
In a new interview with Hardrock Haven, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann reflected on the band’s ill-fated late 1980s period when they were fronted by American singer David Reece. Reece was recruited for ACCEPT‘s “Eat The Heat” LP in 1989 following the departure of Udo Dirkschneider. Reece‘s higher-pitched delivery was in sharp contrast to Dirkschneider‘s distinctive style, and overall, the album was a critical and commercial disappointment. Midway through the “Eat The Heat” tour, differences between the band and Reece had come to a head, leading to the altercation between the singer and bassist Peter Baltes in Chicago. By the end of 1989, ACCEPT had hung it up. Asked by Hardrock Haven what he thinks about this particular record, Wolf said: ...
Former LOU REED, FOREIGNER And DOWNCHILD Keyboardist MICHAEL FONFARA Dies At 74
Internationally renowned Canadian keyboard player Michael Fonfara has died in a Toronto hospital on January 8, 2021, due to complications from his two-year battle with cancer. He was 74. Born in Stevensville, Ontario in 1946, the former Lou Reed keyboardist/bandleader appeared on nine of Reed‘s albums between 1974 and 2005, including his highest-charting U.S. album (#10) “Sally Can’t Dance” on RCA, as well as “Rock And Roll Heart”, “Street Hassle”, “The Bells” (which Fonfara executive produced) and “Growing Up In Public” that was co-written and co-produced by Fonfara for Clive Davis‘ Arista Records in 1980. A supremely talented musician, Fonfara loved many different styles of music, performing on British-American...
Trent Reznor, Billy Corgan, Gary Oldman & Others Sing Bowie Songs for 74th Birthday Livestream: Watch
On Saturday night, David Bowie’s friends, collaborators, and some of the many musicians he inspired came together to celebrate his 74th birthday. (The event had originally been scheduled for Friday night, but was postponed due to technical difficulties.) Among the many highlights: Trent Reznor, along with his Nine Inch Nails bandmate Atticus Ross, Reznor’s wife Mariqueen Maandig, and Bowie collaborator Mike Garson, performed covers of “Fantastic Voyage” and “Fashion”. Billy Corgan played “Space Oddity”, Duran Duran covered “Five Years”, and The Cult’s Ian Astbury tackled “Lazarus”. Bowie’s close friend Gary Oldman sang Tin Machine’s “I Can’t Read”, and Michael C. Hall, who starred in Bowie’s musical Lazarus, performed “Where Are We Now?”. Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawki...
10 Times David Bowie Was the Coolest Man Who Fell to Earth
Editor’s Note: As we continue to celebrate the life and art of David Bowie, we take a look at some of our favorite Starman’s coolest moments. If you’ve missed any of the Bowie content we shared or reshared this week, you can experience it all again here. Five years ago, the sudden passing of David Bowie sent shockwaves through the whole landscape of popular culture. Born David Jones on January 8, 1947, Bowie was far more than just one of the most groundbreaking, expansive, and fearless musicians of his era; he was also an accomplished actor, painter, sociopolitical advocate, philanthropist, and much more. In a multitude of ways, then, his loss was so tragic and surreal because his life was so inspiring and matchless. (Hell, Flight of the Concords devoted practically a whole episode to him ...
R.I.P. Marsha Zazula, Megaforce Records Co-Founder Who Helped Launch Metallica’s Career Dies at 68
Marsha Zazula, who co-founded Megaforce Records with her husband Jon Zazula (aka Jonny Z), has sadly passed away at the age of 68. The couple were instrumental in launching the careers of Metallica, Anthrax, and other metal bands. Marsha’s passing was confirmed by her daughter Rikki Zazula, who wrote, “RIP Mom April 21, 1952 – January 10, 2021. Your love, Your strength, Your memory and Your music has changed lives and will continue to FOREVER.” Along with Jonny, Marsha helped open the door for thrash metal on the East Coast. Jonny quit a Wall Street job and the pair began selling records at a flea market under the name Rock N’ Roll Heaven. Eventually, they established a New Jersey store that became an influential metal destination. Upon hearing Metallica’s No Life ‘Til Leather demo, Jonny ...
Watch Music Video For ‘Lost (My Guardian)’ From Former URIAH HEEP Keyboardist KEN HENSLEY’s Final Album
The music video for the single “Lost (My Guardian)” by the late Ken Hensley can be seen below. Taken from his upcoming album “My Book Of Answers”, “Lost (My Guardian)” is the first track to be released from Hensley‘s collaboration with Russian fan Vladimir Emelin whose poems have been turned into an album’s worth of songs, a series of videos, a concert and an illustrated lyric book (available later this year). “My Book Of Answers” will be released on March 5 as a CD/DVD and vinyl album through Cherry Red Records. Drawing on the strong faith of both Hensley and Emelin, “Lost (My Guardian)” is a spiritual quest, as they search for a light in the darkness: “I’m lost, out here in Neverland / I’m lost, jus...
ESCAPE THE FATE Releases ‘Not My Problem’ Featuring TRAVIS BARKER
ESCAPE THE FATE has released the new song “Not My Problem”, featuring Travis Barker on drums, from the upcoming album “Chemical Warfare”, out April 16. The collaboration with the producer, songwriter, and renowned drummer came about through the band’s producer John Feldmann. Feldmann made the introduction, and Barker supplied the driving backbeat of the song. The new single follows the releases of “Invincible” (also featured on Better Noise Films‘ upcoming film “The Retaliators” and its soundtrack) and “Walk On”, which was featured in connection with Better Noise Films‘ “Sno Babies”. “Not My Problem” is an ode to self-preservation. With lyrics about not taking on the problems of others, th...
SKILLET’s JOHN COOPER Criticizes Twitter For ‘Censoring’ DONALD TRUMP: ‘Freedom Of Speech Is Gonna Be Gone’
John Cooper, the frontman and bassist for the Grammy-nominated Christian rock band SKILLET, has criticized Twitter for permanently suspending President Donald Trump‘s account. Earlier this week, the social media platform decided that the president had crossed a line too far continuing to use Twitter to repeat debunked conspiracy theories about the election, even after thousands of his supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol in an insurrection that left five dead. Twitter, which has a policy against inciting violence, undermining democratic processes and spreading election misinformation, announced it would no longer let Trump use its platform. Twitter suspended the president’s personal account, @realDonaldTrump, citing “the risk of further incitement of violence....
Iced Earth Bandmates Address Jon Schaffer Storming the Capitol: We Do Not Support Riots or Acts of Violence
Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer was among the hundreds of people who stormed the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, and is currently being sought by the FBI and Washington D.C.’s Metropolitan Police. On Saturday (January 9th), his bandmates addressed the situation, stating, “We absolutely do not condone nor do we support riots or acts of violence.” Schaffer was photographed at the head of a mob that broke into the Capitol building in an effort to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States. The riot occurred shortly after Donald Trump held a rally nearby and urged his supporters to march to the Capitol, at one point saying, “If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.” The guitarist’s face was plastered all over m...
Music from Lady Gaga, Marshmello, SAINt JHN Tops MRC Data’s Dance/Electronic Songs of the Year
The annual MRC Data year-end report, which highlights the trends in music that shaped 2020, has arrived. Despite a year that saw most of the population confined to the premises of their own homes, music provided a valuable escape for many. That notion is perhaps best elucidated by the dance music scene. Lady Gaga brought fans to their feet with her EDM-focused album Chromatica, which quickly surged up the charts. With hits such as the Ariana Grande-assisted “Rain On Me” and contributions from a myriad of elite electronic producers, including Skrillex, Madeon, and Tchami, the album was the top selling Dance/Electronic LP of the year according to the report. On the singles front, “Rain On Me” was eclipsed only by the sensational, TikTok-driven single &...
Cheat Codes Teams Up With TikTok Sensation Lil Xxel for New Single “No Chill”
LA based trio Cheat Codes recently joined forces with TikTok hip-hop star Lil Xxel for “No Chill,” the fifth single off the trio’s forthcoming Hellraisers Pt. 1 album. Having built momentum throughout 2020 with a steady stream of singles featuring the likes of Bryce Vine, CXLOE, and Marc E. Bassy, the group is braced for their biggest year yet with the impending release of their debut three-part album. Hellraisers is set to release in three chapters, each personifying an individual member of the trio. “No Chill” delivers Cheat Code’s signature upbeat pop style. Blissful guitar riffs and a touch of trap fuse with the catchy vocals of rising rapper Lil Xxel, creating an energetic and uplifting tune. “This song is about a relationship that is just too much to handle, hig...
