AXL ROSE Has Come Up With 'Some Magnificent Stuff' For New GUNS N' ROSES Album

During an appearance (Friday, February 22) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation", Duff McKagan said that a new GUNS N' ROSES album could happen in the not-too-distant future, remarking: "I heard some new material and there's been some jams going around, and that's the next step for us, for the GN'R thing."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk "how real" the potential is for a new GUNS N' ROSES record, Duff replied: "Oh, it's real. But the fun part and the cool part about GUNS N' ROSES is we don't really talk about it, and what happens next just happens. It's never been that band that there's a direct schedule of how we do things."

He continued: "I've heard some magnificent stuff that Axl [Rose, vocals] has — really cool stuff he'd been working on. So I'm excited about the possibilities with that, of course. I don't mean to get anybody rabid. [A new GUNS N' ROSES album] will happen when it happens, that's for sure."

McKagan also said that he was surprised by the massive success of GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" tour, which lasted for two and half years. "Anytime I play a gig, if there's three people in there, I'm, like, 'Wow! They came to see me play,'" he said. "Nothing's changed. I'm just always so grateful and astonished. Some of these gigs we played, a lot of 'em — most of 'em, if not all — were astonishing how many people came and were so into it."

Earlier in the month, Slash told Japanese rock critic and media personality Maso Ito on TVK's "Rock City" program that there was "material going on already" for a new GUNS record. But Slash added, "It's just, with GUNS N' ROSES, you don’t go, 'Oh, there is a plan, and it's gonna be like this,' because that's not how it works. So, basically, the only real answer to give is we're hoping to put a new record out, and we'll just see what happens when it happens."

Slash's comments echoed those made by guitarist Richard Fortus the previous week, when the latter told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Slash is on tour [with his solo group] right now. Once he gets back from that, we're gonna get some more recording done and hopefully get an album out soon."

There has been speculation about a new album from GUNS N' ROSES ever since three-fifths of its original lineup reunited in 2016 for the "Not In This Lifetime" tour.

There hasn't been a new GUNS N' ROSES album since 2008's "Chinese Democracy", which featured only Axl from the band's classic lineup.

The last collection of original music to feature Axl, Slash and McKagan was 1991's "Use Your Illusions" albums, and the last LP of any kind to feature the three was the 1993 covers set "The Spaghetti Incident?"

Slash is currently on the road overseas with his solo band, MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, as they continue to promote their most recent album, "Living The Dream". Axl's plans for the rest of 2019 are less clear, although there has been speculation that he could tour again with AC/DC should that band's singer, Brian Johnson, be unable to perform live again for extended amounts of time.

Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett remember Cliff Burton’s final show

Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich have spoken in-depth about Cliff Burton’s last show with Metallica before his untimely death.

Promoting their expansive box set reissue of ‘Master of Puppets’, which is out today, the guitarist and drummer were asked by Rolling Stone if it was emotional listening back to Cliff’s last ever gig at Solnahallen in Stockholm, Sweden on 26th September 1986 - one day before the bassist's death. 

A fan recording of the show features in the box set on cassette format, which also includes a digital download card.

Lars said of the gig: “Obviously, we're 31 years past (the show taking place). So you pause, you reflect, you think, you appreciate, you're humbled. I move so fast through a lot of the stuff that I never slow down long enough to reflect.

“And occasionally, when you sit with some of the stuff at 2 o'clock in the morning, you go, ‘Wow.’ When you sit there and listen to the last two songs or look at the pictures from the last show with him, it stops you in your tracks as you deal with it.”

Cliff, Kirk, Lars and James in 1986

Asked what they specifically remember about the show, Lars responded: “We'd finished playing all the Odeons in England, which are these old, 3,000-seat movie theatres and we got to Scandinavia where they were more like ice-hockey holes – smaller, colder, darker. It was a different vibe.

“We played the show in Stockholm, and it went incredibly well. I think it may have been a rare case where we actually played an additional song that wasn't on the set list, because the show was so good. That's not something we did a lot then or now. So, there was a good vibe.”

Kirk added: “It was significant because it was the first show where James played guitar again (James had broken his wrist in a skateboarding accident several months previous).

“He strapped on a guitar and was able to play the encore; I think it was "Blitzkrieg" or something. But I remember the five of us, including John Marshall (Kirk’s guitar tech and stand-in for James), being really stoked James was back and playing and looking like was gonna make a pretty healthy recovery.

“I distinctly remember that show being good, and the feeling when we got offstage was really great and positive and forward-looking. Like, ‘Great, James is back in and it won't be long 'til we're back to our old selves again.’

“It was that kind of mood after the show and then the accident happened and it literally felt like we were going from a hopeful sort of circumstance to one where we found ourselves in into a deep, black pit.”

 Cliff and James in 1984

Lars continued: “We did a lot of press that day, and we did a photo shoot for a Swedish magazine called OK, which was almost like a teenybopper magazine. We were sitting on the bus afterwards, talking about how cool it was, and Cliff and I were hanging out, having a beer. It's a little fuzzy now but it was a good day.”

“I remember right when we were about to leave in the bus, the fans started running towards us,” says Kirk. “Cliff said, ‘Look at them. They look like zombies!’ He was way into zombies. We were all just kind of laughing. Then we started playing cards. And we had a long, long drive. And everyone knows the rest of it.”

The Genius Of AC/DC’s Malcolm Young And The Lost Art Of Rock And Roll Rhythm Guitar

On Saturday, AC/DC guitarist and co-founder Malcolm Young died at age 64. For the past three years, he had been retired from the road after being diagnosed with dementia. In his absence, the venerable Australian band released its sixteenth album, 2016’s Rock Or Bust, and embarked on a world tour that was almost derailed by the departure of singer Brian Johnson, who was ordered by doctors to quit the road lest he go permanently deaf. AC/DC subsequently tapped Axl Rose as a replacement, and the tour went on to gross more than $220 million. In true AC/DC fashion, the show went on, even without most of AC/DC.

 

With his brother Angus, Malcolm was AC/DC’s general — his no-nonsense leadership kept the band steadfastly pointed in the same direction for nearly 40 years, away from passing trends and toward foundational, meat-and-potatoes rock and roll. If you love AC/DC and feel grateful that the band never delved into ’80s power-balladry, ’90s rap-rock, or ’00s dance music, then send a prayer of thanks to Malcolm. While Angus was AC/DC’s duck-walking, schoolboy outfit-clad mascot, Malcolm was the band’s gritty soul. (Or, in the parlance of AC/DC, the balls.)

Someone unfamiliar with AC/DC’s history might question Angus’ apparent coldness in carrying on without Malcolm — their nephew Stevie was tasked with playing his uncle’s parts on the Rock Or Busttour — and later Brian. But surely this was what Malcolm wanted. When the band’s original lead singer Bon Scott died tragically in 1980 at 33, Malcolm corralled Angus and finished off what became the most popular hard-rock album of all-time, Back In Black. The Young brothers mourned Scott, but they integrated that grief into their work. Not working simply was not an option for rock’s quintessential blue-collar band.

Was this a display of ruthlessness or just the sort of toughness and fortitude one must have in order to build and sustain a band as mighty as AC/DC? A bit of both, perhaps, though AC/DC never shied away from rock’s un-sentimental side in its music. “I tell you folks, it’s harder than it looks,” Scott mewls conspiratorially in “It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Want To Rock And Roll),” the ultimate “life on the road” anthem from the band’s 1976 debut, High Voltage. And yet Malcolm and Angus, for many years, did make sustaining the reliable, stubborn, reassuring sameness of AC/DC seem as easy as pounding a case of beer to Highway To Hell.

Looking back, the obvious question music historians will ask about AC/DC is: How did this band sell more than 200 million albums worldwide, and make hundreds of millions (if not billions) on the road? AC/DC is utterly anathema to any common-knowledge definition of pop music. AC/DC is not trendy. AC/DC is not cute. AC/DC is not pleasant or easy-listening. AC/DC never conformed to radio formats or made flashy music videos. AC/DC, in fact, always seemed to hold all of those things — trendiness, cuteness, pleasantness, conformity — in contempt.

Judas Priest Confirm Title of New ‘Firepower’ LP, Announce Tour

Judas Priest are calling their upcoming 18th studio album Firepower. They've also announced a series of supporting shows for next year.

 

The appropriately titled Firepower 2018 Tour is set to begin in March. A complete list of dates, cities and venues is below. Pre-sales will begin on Wednesday at 10AM local time; check with venues for additional information.

Firepower, due in early 2018, follows 2014's Top 10 Billboard hit Redeemer of Souls. This new project was co-produced by Andy Sneap and Tom Allom. An engineer on Black Sabbath's first three albums, Allom has a history with Judas Priest going back to the '70s. Their work together includes British Steel, Screaming for Vengeance and Defenders of the Faith.

Allom's most recent project with Judas Priest was the 2009 concert recording A Touch of Evil. Sneap has worked as a mixer and engineer for Megadeth, Slayer and Saxon, among others.

Judas Priest Firepower 2018 Tour Dates
3/13 - Wilkes Barre, PA, Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
3/15 - Youngstown, OH, Covelli Centre
3/17 - Uniondale, NY, Nassau Coliseum
3/18 - Washington, DC, The Anthem
3/20 - Newark, NJ, Prudential Center
3/22 - Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun Arena
3/25 - Ottawa, ON, The Arena at TD Place
3/27 - London, ON, Budweiser Gardens
3/28 - Oshawa, ON, Tribute Communities Centre
3/30 - Orillia, ON, Casino Rama
3/31 - Detroit, MI, Detroit Masonic Temple
4/3 - Milwaukee, WI, Riverside Theater
4/5 - Green Bay, WI, Resch Center
4/8 - Bloomington, IL, Grossinger Motors Arena
4/10 - Casper, WY, Casper Events Center
4/11 - Loveland, CO, Budweiser Events Center
4/15 - Kent, WA, ShoWare Center
4/17 - Portland, OR, Veterans Memorial Coliseum
4/19 - San Francisco, CA, The Warfield
4/22 - Los Angeles, CA, Microsoft Theater
4/24 - Phoenix, AZ, Comerica Theatre
4/26 - Tulsa, OK, BOK Center
4/28 - Dallas, TX, The Bomb Factory
4/29 - Sugarland, TX, Smart Financial Centre
5/1 - San Antonio, TX, Freeman Coliseum

Metallica, Ziggo Dome, gig review: Luminaries of metal still manage to inspire with a magnificent spectacle

The most influential band in heavy metal history commence the European leg of their WorldWired tour.

It’s been over 35 years since a quartet of young, volatile, new wave of British heavy metal fanatics (NWOBHM for short) played their first ever show supporting denim and leather traditionalists Saxon at the Whiskey A Go Go in Hollywood. The four youthful, perma-drunk reprobates were paid a mere $16 for that first show and it’s fair to say that the pay cheque is not the only thing to have changed considerably in the intervening years. From modest beginnings, Metallica went on to conquer the world, achieving bona-fide status as the quintessential household heavy metal band (at time of writing, their 1991 self-titled fifth album, affectionately known as The Black Album, has sold almost 34 million copies worldwide, with sales achieving a healthy plateau of approximately 10,000 a week).

Despite the 21st century being home to the majority of the band’s missteps (the Napster debacle, the Lou Reed collaboration, the 3D concert film) the power of Metallica as a live entity has remained consistently strong over time. Earlier this year, the band revealed their intention to slow down as they near the twilight of their career and play fewer shows, so any opportunity to see them live, particularly in an arena, should be grasped fervently with both hands. Tonight is the third night of the first leg of their European tour in support of last year's long-awaited tenth studio album, Hardwired... To Self-Destruct.

On this run, Norwegian black n’ rollers Kvelertak have the unenviable task of opening up for the elder statesmen of thrash. The initial surprise that came from the sextet’s revelatory mix of black metal, punk and classic rock is beginning to fade with familiarity, although when they pull out the likes of “Mjod”, “Blodtorst” and “Manelyst”, it’s a formula that still proves to be intoxicating. They are inventive and experimental too; “1985”, the lead single from last year’s Nattesferd album, sounds like fellow nordmenn Satyricon covering Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow. Whether the world needs such an amalgam is up for debate, but it’s certainly an unusual and innovative blend.

Unfortunately a sound mix that’s muddier than the grounds of your average British music festival waters down the adroit concoction of 1970s rock pomp and metallic blast beats that make the band stand out amongst their contemporaries and as a result, their idiosyncrasies are lost on the majority of this audience. It really is a shame; Kvelertak, more than most, deserve to be given this platform but when hindered with sound as poor as this, nobody new to the band would be able to distinguish them from the reams of identikit bands that pollute daytime rock radio on a daily basis.

To the initiated, it’s clear Kvelertak deserve more than this but credit where it’s due, they perform with incredible relish and vitality, barely pausing for breath between songs; if sound gremlins are bothering the band, they show no sign of it whatsoever. The fact that a band as uncompromising and atypical as Kvelertak are able to support a behemoth like Metallica is something to celebrate. If you want to see them at full power however, go to one of the many headline dates that they have sandwiched in between these shows.

There’s nothing quite as invigorating as hearing the roar that erupts when Ennio Morricone’s The Ecstasy of Gold ushers in the beginning of a Metallica show. The composition, part of the Italian composer’s score for epic spaghetti western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, has been used as the band’s intro music since 1983. As the lights dim and hairs stand on end, the four horseman file onto the central stage and thunder straight into the title track from last year’s Hardwired... To Self-Destruct, a no-nonsense, three-minute, white-knuckle-tight barnstormer that sounds much more ferocious live than its studio counterpart.

“Atlas, Rise!” follows, with its dual guitar motifs that give the track a distinctly Iron Maiden-esque flavour, but it’s third song “Seek & Destroy”, an old-school riff-spectacular traditionally held back until the end of Metallica’s sets, that makes the entire audience collectively crap their pants with unmitigated joy. Heads continue to bang as the band pile drive into the lumbering, mid-paced and seldom-played “Leper Messiah”, the first of three cuts this evening from their undisputed classic 1986 album Master of Puppets. Despite the fact that the record is 31-years old and roughly two-thirds the age of heavy metal itself, the songs from it sound as if they could have been written yesterday.

There are several things that impress about Metallica’s stage show on this tour. First, and most obvious, is the central staging, whereby the band performs on a raised stage situated on the arena floor with the audience arranged in a 360-degree configuration around them. Arena rock behemoths such as U2, Prince and Muse have all used the in-the-round approach in recent years, but fans of those acts may be surprised to learn that Metallica have been using such a setup since the early 1990s. (Within live music, Def Leppard are generally considered the first band to use an in the round setup for a full tour). Such staging affords everybody in this vast 17,000 capacity arena a decent view and one can’t help thinking that such a setup should one day become the norm as opposed to the exception.

Pyromaniacs may be despondent at the lack of fire and explosions compared to Metallica concerts of the past but they still make appearances during key moments (“Fuel”, “Enter Sandman”) and it doesn’t affect the quality of the show in a drastically negative way. In fact, it’s the subtler moments that prove most successful, including a truly dazzling and hypnotising display that utilises drones during “Moth into Flame”. The group drumming that’s been shoehorned into “Now That We’re Dead” looks more like one of Phil Towle’s unorthodox approaches to psychotherapy than the percussive Stomp-style spectacular one suspects the band are attempting to emulate, but at least it gives the metal legends some room to have fun with something previously unseen at a Metallica show.

Overall, gripes are minimal, but it would be remiss not to air them; describing the material from last year’s Hardwired... To Self-Destruct as poor would be a huge disservice but you would have to be a very generous Metallica fan to sincerely hope that the likes of “Confusion” or “Halo on Fire” will replace set staples such as “Creeping Death” or “Battery” in the long term. That said, there is a balance to be struck; for a band who have railed consistently against becoming a nostalgia act, their set list has seen few major changes in the past 15 years or so. Certain fans will scoff, but it would be nice to hear more cuts from the oft-maligned “hard rock, cropped hair” era. Songs such as “Bleeding Me”, “Hero of the Day”, “The Unforgiven II”, “No Leaf Clover” and “The Outlaw Torn” barely get a look in, despite being vital parts of the Metallica story.

Despite those niggles, Metallica in 2017 are still one of the most thrilling heavy metal spectacles in the world. That the band still manages to perform with extraordinary passion and zeal whilst all approaching their mid-fifties is truly inspiring. Internet trolls who bemoan the fact that they don’t perform with the ferocity or accuracy of their former selves are missing the point; you can’t argue with a band who are able to toss out a holy triage of metal as damn near perfect as “One”, “Master of Puppets” and “Damage Inc” in quick succession (as they do tonight over 21 glorious minutes). Realistically, Metallica will remain a touring unit for the next 10, maybe 15 years maximum. Based on tonight’s performance, people should be grasping every available opportunity to see them before they are no more.