Vicious Rumors have parted ways with drummer Larry Howe. The decision was related to “personal political ambitions.”
The band commented:
“After years of disagreement on the issue, Vicious Rumors will no longer be touring with long time drummer Larry Howe. As a band we have never agreed with Larry’s personal political ambitions. As hard as it is to let an original member go VR can no longer tolerate being punished by association for Larry’s personal opinions. They do not reflect the opinion of Vicious Rumors. Our message is simple and clear: Unity ! and celebrating Heavy Metal together! This message hasn’t changes since VR started in 1979! We wrote songs like ” World Church to bring people together. That’s our message for Vicious Rumors.
Out of respect to VR, Larry will honor the bands commitment to the U.S. leg of “The Devil’s Asylum Tour” Just days away from Feb 25Th to March 28Th.
We want to thank Larry for all these years of commitment to the band and his incredible musicianship. We’ll announce New Touring drummer soon.
Now let’s get back to the Heavy Metal Music doing the talking! See you VR maniacs on tour in the US and Europe soon. 75 shows starting in one week!
Let’s go!”
They later added:
“VR is about the music! Not politics! Due to Larrys extreme views that have nothing to do with VR – four shows have been canceled so far because of this. It’s not about choosing sides in VR it’s about entertainment for all.
When the band is penalized this severly and our live events are being canceled, for one outspoken belief a change has to be made.”
Howe also issued his own statement:
“The skull
A depiction often used in vicious rumors merchandise and logos as in numerous other heavy metal bands. The reason being that it is the denomination of the collective gathering of a particular type of music enthusiast, the heavy metal fan.
The main reason for this is that it is the one characteristic that we all share. It does not matter what color skin lies on top of the skull, what color the hair -or if there is any, and also for what goes on inside between the ears. All these things can be different, the one thing that we all have in common is the skull. Nothing can change this. Those differences are the things we should all look beyond as we listen to the music we love, and attend live shows playing the music, taking us away from a judgmental world if only just for a few hours at a show.
So when I see junk journalism in what amounts to a grocery store gossip rag disguising itself as a heavy metal magazine, chastising band members such as myself and other musicians for their proclivities and beliefs, I see it as a crack in the system. These types of divide and conquer tactics are usually embraced by controlling authoritarian oligarchs, or corrupt career politicians, or DIGITAL DICTATORS. This cannot stand.
The heavy metal industry as a whole is one of the smallest markets in the entire music industry, and we shouldn’t allow it to disintegrate through infighting like children yelling on a playground in a “cancel culture”
Yes, I am guilty of reposting some memes that have upset some people. It was not my intention and I humbly apologize.
But we cannot afford to let this bastardization of opinion splinter the very foundation of the heavy metal scene around the planet. We need to embrace our differences to be stronger than ever, and remain vigilant and yearn for the freedom to express our opinions and thoughts without such a destructive result. United we stand divided we fall . Remember, in the state run entity, there is no music or freedom of speech, and this is something that we simply cannot ever allow to happen.
Musicians and fans alike look forward to these gatherings as a way to escape the banalities of life. Work related problems, stress , loss of relationships, marriage, divorces, foreclosure, bankruptcy… etc. etc. These are the things we ALL need to leave behind as we attend live music events.
If you feel the need to attack any musician over something they have randomly said or posted, you have that right. That is the double edged sword of freedom of speech. But please don’t seek to destroy the heavy metal scene we’ve all been building for decades. It is like one big family and we need for it to remain so. Whatever our differences may be.
So now I will politely walk away from the European tour since the German promoters felt the need to cancel the shows Geoff had worked so hard to arrange for our fans. This is an unfortunate result. Please continue to support the band that has been such a big part of my life for so long. FYI, I’m still doing all of the American shows.! It really should be an interesting tour!! don’t miss it!”
During a recent interview with Kazagastão, Van Halen drummer Alex Van Halen offered more details on his new album with Toto guitarist Steve Lukather. Notably, the effort will include previously unreleased material that was initially recorded with Van Halen.
Alex said the following:
“[The late Eddie Van Halen] and I had a lot of stuff that we made, that we made musically that we never let go. Many people have asked, what about releasing unreleased stuff? Well, we’re not gonna release it in its embryonic form because it wouldn’t make any sense. But I’ve been fortunate enough to have Steve Lukather, who was a good friend of Ed’s, and we’re working on putting a record together, but it has to be of the quality and the level of where we left it. Not just to say, ‘Hey, here’s some music that we made. If you like it, that’s great.’ No. It has to be the quality that we expect.”
He continued when asked about Lukather’s role:
“I call Lukather Luke affectionately. He is the connective tissue. Luke can play anything… But because of this talent that kind of blends in with everything, he doesn’t get the recognition that I think he deserves. And I may be wrong. Maybe he is recognized the world over. He should be, because I can’t play guitar. And I can work things out on a keyboard, but it takes me too long to figure it out. And by that time, the moment is gone. I went to Steve’s house several times and we played a piece of music and he goes, ‘Yeah, I got it. That’s it. That’s all we need.’ Then he can do all the connective tissues. He knows where to put the solo, as far as structure and organ and structure and an organization. I have my opinions and he has his, and they are just opinions. So he can facilitate things that would’ve taken me 10 times as long. And I love the guy. We’ve known him for years.”
He also added the following when asked about the possibility of using some of Eddie’s old recordings:
“Well, these are recordings that were going to be the next [VAN HALEN] record, and that were stopped because [Ed] didn’t live that long… The drums are already recorded. The drums, the guitar and the bass are already in there. What we didn’t have is a vocalist, and obviously the subtleties and the glue — we call it the glue or the spackle.”
He also confirmed that the album will feature bass from Wolfgang Van Halen:
“Most of ’em is Wolf, because these are recordings that were made ready for the next record.”
He also discussed “Unfinished,” a track that was included with his “Brothers” audiobook:
“The feedback for that song was incredible. But there was no vocals on it and it was not completed. And that was the whole point.
The lineage of how my brother and I did things was some of the stuff that our dad taught us were very deeply rooted, and one of his favorite songs was the ‘Unfinished’ by Schubert. And so this song was unfinished, so I figured we’d call it ‘Unfinished’ and then that’s it. We weren’t even aware that we were going to make this public at any point. This is just Ed and I working at the studio. Unbridled, unpressured, un-anything. And there are a couple of places, if you heard, where the needle goes right through the machine. [Laughs] I hope we didn’t blow up any speakers.”
He went on to discuss potential singers:
“We originally had plans to — I think I can probably say without talking outta school, one of the singers who we really, really, really wanted to use for the new stuff was Paul Rodgers, and he has a relationship with Luke and we grew up on FREE and all that, but [Paul] can’t do it anymore. And it was very difficult for him to bring himself to say, ‘No, I can’t. Count me out.’ I respect that. I’m saddened and disappointed, but you know, that’s life… He knows he can’t do it — which I think is better than saying, ‘Yeah, I can do it,’ and then not be able to do it.”
He continued:
“Yeah. Luke and I are looking for somebody right now.”
However, he has no one in mind at the moment:
“No, because it depends on who you ask. If you ask record executives, you’re gonna get one way of looking at it. If you listen to, I call it the peanut gallery, you’re gonna get something else.
Music is not so much about music as it is about people having a shared experience. I’m 72. We gotta find somebody in that age group who was exposed to the same musical experience that we have. Otherwise, it doesn’t have the depth.
I can’t remember what the expression is, but there’s a difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is knowing that a cucumber is a vegetable. Wisdom is knowing where to put it. [Laughs]”
He also added the following after the interviewer suggested Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant:
“Robert Plant is brilliant. But if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. And he’s out touring, doing his thing. He would’ve been an ideal choice. But nothing is etched in stone. And I really believe that the universe will work something out to where this project will come out the best it can possibly be. We have no other intent other than to have it come to fruition.”
[via Blabbermouth]
During an appearance on “The Magnificent Others” podcast, Ozzy Osbourne’s son Jack shared more details on his late father’s biopic. According to him, the film will be “an orign story.”
Jack said the following:
“We’re working on my dad’s movie right now, and I’m one of the producers on it. We’re doing it at Sony Studios. And I’m really kind of in the trenches with that. And it’s funny. Out of all the team assembled on it, with these amazing producers and directors and act[ors], whatever, I’m the least qualified, but everyone just comes to me. I’m the middleman for everyone because if they need questions for my mom or if my mom needs questions for them. So I’ve found myself in this position where I’m the middleman with it all, and I’m really enjoying the experience and just learning about it. Movies, they’re different. It’s a different animal.”
He continued when asked for further details:
“Well, it was announced that we were doing it with Sony Pictures. We haven’t done announced the cast yet, ’cause we haven’t settled [on all of it]. Initially it was gonna go from kind of my dad as a young man to the kind of mid-’90s, but we’re shrinking it down. We’re doing a rewrite right now. In my perfect vision of it, it would be kind of tail end of SABBATH, him going solo. [Because] you gotta have the love story. And that’s kind of the main focus of the film, and all the craziness that happened in the early ’80s and Randy’s [Rhoads, late Ozzy guitarist] tragic death. But, yeah, it’s an origin story.”
[via Blabbermouth]
Carmine Appice has announced a new Cactus album titled “Temple Of Blues II.” The effort will be released on April 3 and it will include contributions from Ted Nugent, Dee Snider, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Tracii Guns, Alex Skolnick, etc. The first single, “Back Door Man Pt. 1 & 2” (feat. Eric Gales and Billy Sheehan), can be found below. Appice commented on the track:
“When we finished ‘Back Door Man’ and listened to the whole mix, it blew me away. Billy and Eric are amazing together on top of my drums.”
“Temple Of Blues II” Track Listing:
01. “Back Door Man Pt. 1 & 2” (feat. Eric Gales & Billy Sheehan)
02. “300 Pounds Of Joy” (feat. Ty Tabor)
03. “Moanin’ At Midnight” (feat. Pat Travers)
04. “Down In The Bottom” (feat. Dug Pinnick)
05. “Token Chokin’” (feat. Bumblefoot)
06. “Bad Stuff” (feat. Steve Morse, Joe Lynn Turner, Derek Sherinian, & Tony Franklin)
07. “Tail Dragger” (feat. Rudy Sarzo & Alex Skolnick)
08. “The Little Red Rooster” (feat. Dee Snider, Tracii Guns, & Jimmy
Haslip)
09. “Purple Haze” (feat. Melanie)
10. “Spoonful” (feat. Ted Nugent & Bob Daisley)
Bonus track (CD only):
11. “Feel So Good” (feat. Billy Sheehan & Britt Lightning)
During an appearance on the Scandalous Podcast, former Fear Factory vocalist Burton C. Bell explained why he won’t sign copies of “Aggression Continuum.” The frontman took issue with the album due to changes that were made to it upon his departure.
Bell said the following:
“We finished that record in 2017 and it was titled ‘Monolith‘. So to me that was the last record, ‘Monolith‘. To me it was the tombstone and ‘Monolith‘ was the epitaph.”
He went on to say there are no hard feelings:
“No, I didn’t feel that way. But I was really disappointed that they changed everything. They kept my vocals. I mean, the album was done in 2017. It was mixed, mastered. It had an album cover, had a title, and then after three years, I departed and shit happened. They went and changed everything. So, that’s the one record I won’t sign.”
[via Blabbermouth]
Rise Against have announced “The A.R.T. Project (All Rise Together).” That venture will operate as a fan-driven community initiative.
Further information was shared in a press release:
“Rise Against announce the launch of ‘The A.R.T. Project (All Rise Together),’ a fan-driven creative initiative celebrating community, collaboration, and expression in support of their tenth studio album, ‘Ricochet,’ out now via Loma Vista.
At its core, ‘The A.R.T. Project’ is about bringing people together through music and creativity during divided times. Built on Rise Against’s long-held belief that music is a collective experience, the initiative invites fans into the band’s creative process to celebrate the community that has grown alongside them for over 25 years.
The short-form, sit-down conversation with the band was filmed on-site during an immersive art activation in Los Angeles to kick off the campaign. On that day, Rise Against invited dozens of dedicated fans to help shape a new visual world for ‘Ricochet’ by creating original posters to serve as the backdrop in their new music videos. As the band performed standout tracks off the album, fans were featured alongside them and their artwork that was inspired by the record’s lyrics, themes, and emotional urgency.”
The conversation and a video for “Ricochet” can be found below:
Deafheaven have announced a European/UK tour. Show Me The Body will open on select dates.
Tour Dates:
07/22 Vienna, AUT – Arena Wien
07/24 Tolmin, SLO – Tolminator Festival
07/26 Plovdiv, BUL – Hills Of Rock
07/28 Rasnov, ROM – Rockstadt Extreme Fest
07/31 Wacken, GER – Wacken Open Air
08/02 Cologne, GER – Die Kantine
08/04 Luxembourg, LUX – Rotondes
08/06 Ancora, POR – Sonic Blast Fest
08/08 Josefov-Jaromer, CZE – Brutal Assault Festival
08/12 Dresden, GER – Blauer Salon
08/13 Sulingen, GER – Reload Festival
08/14 Dinkelsbuhl, GER – Summer Breeze Open Air
08/16 Carhaix, FRA – Motocultor
08/17 Paris, FRA – Petit Bain
With Show Me The Body:
08/19 Wiesbaden, GER – Kesselhaus
08/20 Munster, GER – Sputnikhalle
08/21 Nijmegen, NET – Doornroosje
08/23 London, UK – All Points East (no Show Me The Body)
08/25 Copenhagen, DEN – Amager Bio
08/26 Stockholm, SWE – Slaktkyrkan
08/27 Oslo, NOR – Rockefeller Music Hall
08/29 Malaga, SPA – Canela Party (no Show Me The Body)
Metal Anarchy 
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