Alternative Music

FILTER‘s Richard Patrick and QUEENSRŸCHE‘s Todd La Torre have blasted SYSTEM OF A DOWN drummer John Dolmayan for saying that the COVID-19 pandemic “has always been about money.” On Sunday (February 27), Dolmayan, who was previously critical of vaccine mandates, saying they were akin to “self-imposed tyranny and mental slavery,” took to his Instagram to share a Pokémon COVID-19 meme, and he included the following message: “And just like that covid will slowly go away. This is and has always been about money , covid was about money , Ukraine is about money. Resources equal wealth , stability , and power. Theres a game of chess being played by those in the real positions of power and we’d like to think we’re the pawns but the truth is we&#...

Frontiers Music Srl will release of “Different Worlds”, the debut album from SKILLS, on May 13. Skills features the eye-popping lineup of guitarist Brad Gillis (NIGHT RANGER, OZZY OSBOURNE), bassist Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, THE WINERY DOGS, SONS OF APOLLO) drummer David Huff (GIANT) and vocalist Renan Zonta (ELECTRIC MOB). Today, fans can get their first taste of music from the band with the release of the single and video “Stop The World”. Skill is defined as “an ability to do an activity or job well, especially because you have practiced it.” In the perfect extension of the meaning of the word, SKILLS is an amazing new band put together from the vision of Frontiers president and A&R director Serafino Perugino. Cocky name for a band? Sure, but when s...

In a brand new interview with Herald-Whig, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner once again spoke about the band’s recent announcement that it would embark on the next leg of its 50th-anniversary tour as a quartet. Asked if this was just a way for the rest of the band to get to pick on him as the new guy again, Richie said: “Yeah, about a week later, we readdressed that announcement and we’ve gone back to a five-piece. But I did get that impression initially. It’s was, like, well, I’ve just had this issue; maybe they’re just test in my mettle, so to speak. But the fans voiced their opinion on that and we listened. We would have been crazy not to take that on board, really. So we addressed it and we’re coming back as a five-piece. We will go back t...

SKID ROW guitarist Dave “Snake” Sabo has confirmed to The Music Universe that fans will still have to wait several months for the arrival of his band’s new album. The group recorded the LP in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among many others. Asked if SKID ROW has a release date for the new effort, Snake said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It looks like, as it stands now, September 16th. But we’ll be coming out with new music, it looks like, around the second [or] third week of March.” Sabo also talked about the prospect of releasing a bunch of singles as opposed to focusing on full-length albums, as was the case for muc...

KROKUS singer Marc Storace says that he has no regrets about turning down a chance to audition for AC/DC more than four decades ago. The 70-year-old Maltese-born vocalist — whose band had opened for AC/DC in the past — passed on the opportunity to try out to replace the late Bon Scott in 1980. In February of that year, Scott died of acute alcohol poisoning after a night of heavy drinking at a club in London, just days after attending a session with Malcolm and Angus Young where they began working on music for what became the “Back In Black” album. “Back In Black” was the first album AC/DC released after singer Brian Johnson replaced Scott, and it went on to become the third-biggest-selling LP of all time. Asked in a new interview with Barbara Caserta of Italy’...

OVERKILL frontman Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth has confirmed to the Chicago Tribune that guitarist Dave Linsk will sit out the band’s March 2022 U.S. tour due to “personal reasons” and will be temporarily replaced by former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel. “We’ve used Phil in the past when we’ve had issues,” Bobby said. “We’re prepared. We’re ready. It’s not about the strength of the individual but about the strength of the unit. We found that out with Phil when he stepped in. “It’s just nice to be able to do what you do whether you’re the concertgoer or whether you’re the concert performer,” he added. “Let’s get back to normal. Let’s do what we ...

Founding STONE TEMPLE PILOTS bassist Robert DeLeo has confirmed that he is working on his first-ever solo album. The 56-year-old musician has revealed on his Instagram that he is recording a total of 12 songs for the effort, which will include a guest appearance by Kara Britz, who has worked as a backing singer on NBC‘s “The Voice” and has backed up country artist Blake Shelton, as well as piano playing by producer, engineer and mixer Bill Appleberry and cello playing of Dave Eggar. Among the tracks set to appear on the LP is “Anew”, which can be previewed below. Last summer, DeLeo discussed his upcoming solo album in an interview with Bass Player magazine. At the time, he stated about the set: “It’s all acoustic bass, and I got a chance to sharpen...

In a new interview with Kylie Olsson‘s YouTube show “Life In Six Strings”, former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing discussed his role with one of the oldest and most famous bands synonymous with the creation of heavy metal, along with BLACK SABBATH. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Bear in mind, I’m this young kid, just a young teenager, wanting to hear more of this music that I heard little bits of, but I was very hungry and frustrated that I didn’t have enough of it, that I was compelled to create it. Because it didn’t exist. Because I wanted more of it. I figured, ‘Okay, I’ll sit down and write the music that I would wanna listen to and hope there’s lots more people out there like me that will [relate] to this ...

Video footage of IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson belting out an a cappella version of the song “Road To Hell” during his February 23 spoken-word show at Stafford Centre in Houston, Texas can be seen below. “Road To Hell” originally appeared on Bruce‘s fourth solo album, “Accident Of Birth”, which was released in 1997, through Castle Communications sublabel Raw Power in the U.K. and CMC International in the U.S. In addition to being Dickinson‘s second collaboration with guitarist/producer Roy Z, the LP marked a reunion between Dickinson and then-ex-IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith; both Dickinson and Smith would later return to their former band in early 1999. Dickinson‘s two-month North American spoken-word tour kicked off on Janua...