Alternative Music

David Ellefson‘s longtime business partner Thom Hazaert was a guest on a recent episode of the “Talk Louder” podcast, hosted by veteran music journalist “Metal Dave” Glessner and lifelong hard rock/metal vocalist Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS). Speaking about what he has been doing in the nine months since he announced that he was retiring from the music business, Thom said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I just kind of laid low the last year. I didn’t really fucking do anything. I spent all this time doing all this Ellefson shit that just went in the fucking toilet. I wrote a whole another record. I got an investor to give us a ton of money to pay for ‘No Cover’ [the ELLEFSON band’s collection of covers] and to record a w...

In a new interview with Terrie Carr of the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA, KORN guitarist Brian “Head” Welch spoke about the personal chemistry between him and his bandmates, a little over a month after the release of their fourteenth studio album, “Requiem”. “It really is a good time [for KORN right now],” Welch said. “You can feel the energy. Everything’s synchronizing really well. Everyone’s done with the B.S. with the music industry. If there’s a hiccup and disagreement, and there is problems, everyone’s been humbled enough to know that we’re not gonna end up like — no judgment — but one of these… like a QUEENSRŸCHE or a RATT and all this ugliness. We’ve had our share of lawsuits and stuff li...

ACCEPT singer Mark Tornillo spoke to the “Nothing Shocking” podcast about GOTHAM, his cover band with Scott Metaxas (PROPHET) on bass, Paul Crook (MEAT LOAF, ANTHRAX) on guitar, and Craig Scoppa on drums. Regarding how he got involved with the project, Mark said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Well, GOTHAM was actually a band that they had in the ’90s. I’m guessing it was Paul and Scott Metaxas from PROPHET. And I don’t remember who the singer was at that point; I’m not sure of his name. Craig Scoppa was the drummer [and] still is. And it was just an industrial thing that they did; it was all [covers of MARILYN] MANSON and ROB ZOMBIE and KORN — you name it; really, really, really heavy stuff. And they hadn’t played for years. And Scott...

In a new interview with Elliott Fullam of Little Punk People, guitarist and founding member Tomi Koivusaari of Finnish melancholic progressive metallers AMORPHIS was asked for opinion on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, He responded: “This madness, it’s totally, totally a madman’s work, this thing. And I feel bad for Ukraine, of course, and I feel bad for those Russians who don’t support this. I feel like it’s one madman’s work. And, of course, as a Finnish [citizen], we have a long border with Russia and we have a history with Russia. So, of course, this makes me, like, worried, of course, like, what’s happening in the future and if the whole world would go mad someday or something. So it feels like that. But I hope this ends, like, very soon, ...

BLACK STAR RIDERS frontman Ricky Warwick spoke to Ireland’s Overdrive about the progress of the recording sessions for the band’s follow-up to 2019’s “Another State Of Grace” LP. He said: “The album is actually finished right now and is currently being mastered. There are fourteen new tracks on it and we worked with [producer] Jay Ruston who did ‘Another State…’ here in L.A. and it’s sounding great. Of course, this was the first BSR album without Uncle Scotty [guitarist Scott Gorham] which was strange. He’s been on the phone every now and again, checking in on things and I’ve sent him over the tracks to get his approval and whatnot. We definitely missed his presence in the studio, but I think we’ve adapted and brought ...

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson has wished his bandmate Steve Harris a happy 66th birthday. During the question-and-answer portion of his March 12 spoken-word show at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas, Nevada, Bruce was asked by a couple of different audience members if he had wished Steve a happy birthday earlier that day. He then proceeded to lead the crowd through a rendition of “Happy Birthday” in honor of the founding MAIDEN bassist, who formed the band in 1975. Since its inception nearly five decades ago, MAIDEN led the wave of British heavy metal music and became a global institution. Over the course of 47 years, the band has come to embody a spirit of fearless creative independence, ferocious dedication to fans, and a cheerful indifference to critics. IRON MAIDEN has b...

Fan-filmed video of QUEENSRŸCHE‘s March 12 concert at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California can be seen below. The band’s North American tour as the support act for JUDAS PRIEST kicked off on March 4 at Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois and will conclude on April 13 at FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. QUEENSRŸCHE was originally set to support SCORPIONS on their rescheduled “Sin City Nights” Las Vegas residency in March-April 2022 but pulled out of the dates in order to take part in the JUDAS PRIEST tour. SCORPIONS have since tapped SKID ROW as the new opening act for the Vegas residency. Last November, QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre discussed the band’s tour with PRIEST in an interview with Canada’s The Metal Voice. Regarding QU...

During the question-and-answer portion of his March 3 spoken-word show at at Palace Of Fine Arts in San Francisco, California, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson was asked if BLACK SABBATH can exist without its founding drummer Bill Ward. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I’m a massive lover of Bill Ward‘s drumming style; I think it’s inspired. ‘Cause he’s not really a rock drummer; he’s more like a jazz drummer playing rock. And I love that kind of style; it’s kind of like drums that kind of wander around the rhythm and everything else. But he’s on it; he’s brilliant. And I met him. He’s a lovely bloke as well. Slightly mad, but very nice. But then aren’t we all? All of us are on the madness spectrum...

Fan-filmed video of SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE performing the VAN HALEN classic “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” live on March 6 at the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, Florida can be seen below. Handling lead vocals on the David Lee Roth-era VH song was THE CIRCLE‘s Michael Anthony, who was also a member of VAN HALEN‘s classic lineup. In a 2014 interview with the “Lamont And Tonelli Show”, which airs on the Bay Area rock station 107.7 The Bone, Anthony was told by the radio hosts that he is such a great lead singer in his own right that he could probably front his own band. “Yeah, you know, but I don’t need that kind of pressure on me,” he responded. “Lead singers, they’re their own breed.” He ...

JUDAS PRIEST was rejoined by guitarist Glenn Tipton on stage during the band’s headlining concert Saturday night (March 12) at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California. As he has done a number of other times over the course of the last four years, Tipton appeared with PRIEST for the encore, performing “Metal Gods”, “Breaking The Law” and “Living After Midnight”. Video of the performance can be seen below (courtesy of Stephanie Cabral and YouTube user jesseriah). Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson’s eight years ago — after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier — but announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of JUDAS PRIEST‘s latest studio album, “Firepower”. He was r...