Steve “Lips” Kudlow’s comments highlight some intriguing contrasts between the promotional landscape for music and film. His experience with the promotion of *Anvil! The Story of Anvil* reveals how the scale and intensity of marketing efforts for a documentary can significantly exceed those for an album, despite the inherent challenges in breaking through as a new band.

Kudlow’s reflection on the promotional push for the movie versus the music points to a broader issue of visibility and the role of strategic promotion. The fact that 180 people were involved in promoting the film compared to a much smaller team for the band’s albums underscores how impactful dedicated marketing efforts can be.

His thoughts also touch on the importance of being prepared for opportunities, a valuable lesson for anyone in the music industry or beyond. It’s clear that the film not only brought renewed recognition to ANVIL but also reinforced the idea that persistence and readiness can turn challenging situations into defining moments.

Kirk Hammett’s reflections on his use of the wah-wah pedal and his approach to guitar solos are quite revealing. His connection to the wah-wah pedal as a means of expressing his inner voice highlights his deep commitment to creating music that resonates with his personal experience. It’s interesting to hear him draw inspiration from Brian Robertson of Thin Lizzy rather than the more commonly cited Jimi Hendrix.

Hammett’s thoughts on the solo for “Lux Æterna” also offer a glimpse into his philosophy on playing. He emphasizes the importance of serving the song over technical complexity, which underscores a common tension between technical prowess and emotional expression in music.

His willingness to dismiss criticism and stay true to his artistic vision speaks to his confidence and dedication to his craft.

In a recent episode of the Appetite For Distortion podcast, Scott Weiland’s widow, Jamie Wachtel Weiland, shared her thoughts on the legacy of the late STONE TEMPLE PILOTS frontman and addressed the circumstances surrounding his death more than eight years ago. Jamie expressed her belief that Scott does not receive the recognition and respect he deserves. She clarified that while Scott had drugs in his system at the time of his death, he did not overdose. Instead, she revealed that his death was due to his heart stopping because of severe blockages in his arteries, a condition resulting from years of heroin use, smoking, and heavy drinking.

Jamie recounted her conversation with the coroner, who confirmed that Scott’s heart condition was the primary cause of his death. She shared the pain of discovering that Scott had been using drugs again and the impact this had on their relationship. Despite his struggles, Jamie emphasized that Scott’s death should not be simplified to an overdose, as it undermines the complexity of his health issues and his efforts to stay clean.

Scott Weiland was found dead on his tour bus in December 2015 at the age of 48 while touring with his solo band THE WILDABOUTS. He was dealing with self-medication, estrangement from his children, financial difficulties, and an increasing drinking problem.

Jamie also addressed the criticism she has faced from some fans regarding her role in Scott’s life and death. She described the immense pressure and responsibility she felt as the primary person managing Scott’s health, career, and well-being. Jamie expressed her frustration with the negative comments and judgments made by people who were not present and did not understand the full scope of their situation. She revealed that she has stopped reading comments and articles about Scott because of the anxiety and depression they cause her.

A January 2016 report from Billboard highlighted additional struggles Scott faced in his final months, including hepatitis C, mental illness, and the knowledge that both his parents had cancer. The article included interviews with Jamie, Scott’s mother Sharon, his WILDABOUTS bandmates, and tour manager Aaron Mohler. Jamie revealed that Scott experienced episodes of paranoia and mania due to bipolar disorder, which at one point led her to move out for her safety. However, they eventually found medication that helped stabilize him, and she noted that Scott had been doing relatively well in the last couple of years of his life.

Through her interview, Jamie aims to correct the misconceptions about Scott’s death and highlight the challenges he faced, hoping to ensure he is remembered with the respect and understanding he deserves.

In a new interview with Chris Akin Presents, METALLICA’s former producer Flemming Rasmussen discussed the sound of the band’s “…And Justice For All” album. While “…And Justice For All” is considered one of METALLICA’s classics, it has been criticized almost since its release in 1988 for the lack of any bass guitar on the record. Jason Newsted’s playing is virtually buried in the mix — and many fans feel that drummer Lars Ulrich, who had very specific ideas for how he wanted his drums to sound, is to blame.

Rasmussen, who produced “Justice”, as well as “Ride The Lightning” (1984) and “Master Of Puppets” (1986), was asked if he was mad when he first heard the “…And Justice For All” mix. He said: “Yeah, I was. Lars came and played it to me, and I looked at him and I said, ‘What’s that?’ He said, ‘It’s the mix.’ I said, ‘No, it’s not.’ And he was, like, ‘Yes, it is.’ I said, ‘What? There’s no bass.’ He said, ‘Yeah, there it is. You can hear it. It’s in the bottom of the guitars.’ I was, like, ‘No.'”

Flemming continued: “You’re gonna have to ask Lars and James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman] why they took the bass down, ’cause I didn’t mix it. Because I came in so late, they had already hired Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero to do the mixing. And I mean, just go online, [and] you can get the story from the horse’s mouth what happened. There’s no reason for me to retell that. It was Lars and James. And why they did that, I’m not even sure they know themselves.”

In a separate interview with Daniel Sarkissian, Rasmussen offered a different theory as to what happened in the studio, saying: “I think — but this is purely speculation — I think that they did it to get some kind of reaction from Jason. Because what they hated the most about Jason was that he was a fan. He was never disagreeing or anything, or stating his own opinion. I think they were waiting for him to kind of state his place in the band… I think they probably did it to get a reaction, and when it didn’t come, that was the way the album turned out.”

Five years ago, Hetfield defended the sound of “…And Justice For All”, saying that he and his bandmates simply “wanted the best-sounding record” they could make. “It was not all about, ‘Fuck [Jason]. Let’s turn him down.’ That’s for sure,” he said. “We wanted the best-sounding record we could make. That was our goal. We were burnt. We were frigging fried. Going back and forth [between touring and mixing the album]. Playing a gig. No earplugs, no nothing. You go back into the studio, your hearing is shot. If your ears can’t hear any high end anymore, you’re gonna turn it up. So we’re turning the high end up more and more and more and all of a sudden, low end’s gone. So I know that played a bigger part than any hazing or any ill feelings towards Jason, for sure. We were fried. We were burnt.”

Hetfield also addressed some of the criticism leveled at METALLICA by one of the “…And Justice For All” album mixers, Steve Thompson. In a 2015 interview with Ultimate Guitar, Thompson suggested that Ulrich was the culprit for the lack of any bass guitar on the record, claiming that Lars wanted his drums to sound a certain way — even if it meant cutting out the bass.

“We wanted it tight,” James explained. “We wanted it fucking tight. That’s what we wanted. We wanted the snare, we wanted the guitar, we wanted everything up front and in your face and really tight. And we thought we got it. And, you know, we kinda know what we want to sound like. Can we sit behind a desk and make it happen? No. We ask people to do it, and they do it. So [Thompson] did his job. He’s got nothing to apologize for or point fingers at. No one’s to blame for ‘something.’ It is a piece of art. It happened and it ended up the way it is for a reason. And for reasons we were just talking about. We were burnt. We’re traveling, we’re playing a gig, our ears were fried. We were not sleeping. He doesn’t need to defend himself. He was a part of an awesome album in history, so I think he should be maybe be a little easier on himself.”

STRYPER’s Michael Sweet has once again weighed in on bands who rely heavily on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances.

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers, and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres, and they’re not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

Sweet addressed rock bands who use pre-recorded tracks in a social media post earlier today (Tuesday, July 2). He wrote:

“It’s a bit odd when bands speak out against tracks when they actually use tracks, isn’t it?

“The truth is many bands use tracks. Even if you think they don’t. Most musicians can hear when tracks are being used versus when they’re not. What’s really odd is when some people say adamantly that it’s live when tracks are actually running.

“We’ve always used some tracks,” he continued. “I’ve always spoken about that and been pretty transparent about it. We also don’t rely on tracks. We can still play if our computer goes down or gets lost. We certainly wouldn’t cancel any shows based on that. We have 2 guitar players in the band and we have 3 vocals going live at all times, on all songs. We only use tracks (very limited) for certain songs. Songs like ‘Yahweh,’ ‘Honestly,’ and so on. Songs that have huge production with choir-like choruses and/or keys/piano. We don’t typically travel with a keyboardist or a choir;-)

“QUEEN was using tracks back in the ’70s to pull off songs like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’ Can you imagine if they tried to perform such an epic song with just 4 guys? It probably would have sounded nothing like the recording.”

Sweet added:

“Regardless, it seems to be quite the controversial topic these days, but I think there’s a lot of miscommunication and confusion based on the subject. Some saying ‘if it’s not 100% live then you’re talentless and a joke.’ Really? Some bands have much bigger productions than other bands, and I think it’s perfectly acceptable and respectable to use a few tracks here and there to make the same statement live as you did in the studio. As long as you’re performing live and using tracks sparingly, it’s totally fine.

“To the guys out there who disrespect any band for using tracks – some of your favorite bands do! And have done so for years. That doesn’t make them any less of a band. If they’re miming and faking it completely (often the term ‘Milli Vanilli’ is used) and/or didn’t even play on the recordings and/or can’t play the parts recorded, then I get the frustration. I just think it’s a dead horse that some people so often beat.”

Michael previously offered his opinion on the use of backing tracks in a 2019 interview with MA Entertainment Global. At the time, he said:

“I’m going to be honest — we do use some [backing] tracks on a few songs like ‘Yahweh,’ [where] we have these big vocals to start the song and we have these big choruses that [sound] like a choir,” Sweet said. “We still sing, always. We never, ever go up and lip sync and fake it. We’re always singing on stage, but we do have some tracks that help us. Another song is ‘God,’ which isn’t in the set right now. We have a track on ‘Honestly,’ because that’s a piano ballad and we don’t travel with a keyboard player these days. Things like that.”

SYSTEM OF A DOWN vocalist Serj Tankian has responded to IMAGINE DRAGONS frontman Dan Reynolds’s defense of the latter band’s decision to perform in Azerbaijan.

Last month, Tankian criticized IMAGINE DRAGONS for their concert in Azerbaijan, stating that he doesn’t “respect them as human beings.”

The American pop-rock band performed in the country’s capital city, Baku, last September, which some perceived as an endorsement of Azerbaijan’s authoritarian president, Ilham Aliyev.

Prior to IMAGINE DRAGONS’ September 2, 2023, gig in Baku, Tankian, who is Armenian-American, wrote a “kind” personal letter to the band asking them to pull out of the Baku Olympic Stadium show. He explained that going ahead with the gig would help to “whitewash the dictatorial regime’s image.”

“I really feel that performing in Azerbaijan would have a negative impact on your brand as well,” Tankian added in his letter, also citing an Associated Press news report stating that the country was preparing genocide against ethnic Armenians in its Nagorno-Karabakh region. “I’m confident that you can decipher all the facts for yourselves to decide whether to cancel your concert.”

After the show went ahead, Tankian told Metal Hammer: “I don’t respect them [IMAGINE DRAGONS] as human beings.”

SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan married his longtime girlfriend Leila Porreca on Tuesday, July 23. Leila, a registered nurse, shared a few pictures from the ceremony on her social media on Wednesday (July 24) with the caption: “Sharing a few more photos from our wedding day 7-23-24.”

The 60-year-old Bolan, born James Richard Southworth, was previously married to Donna “Roxxi” Feldman from June 1994 until their divorce less than a decade later. Recently, Bolan moved back to his former home state of New Jersey after living in Nashville, Tennessee, for about eight years. Prior to Nashville, he resided in Atlanta, Georgia, for about 14 years.

SKID ROW is currently looking for a new singer following the departure of Erik Grönwall in March. Grönwall left the band to focus on his health. The Swedish-born vocalist, SKID ROW’s fourth frontman since Sebastian Bach’s departure, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021. This condition has left him immunocompromised, making touring difficult.

Sebastian Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996 when he was fired. Instead of disbanding, the remaining members took a hiatus and briefly played in a band called OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed with a lineup featuring bassist Bolan, guitarists Dave “Snake” Sabo and Scotti Hill, drummer Rob Hammersmith, and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, shortly before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Harnell exited the band eight months later and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who had previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK, and I AM I. Theart was fired from SKID ROW in February 2022 and was replaced by Grönwall, who was formerly a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T.

SHINEDOWN frontman Brent Smith and guitarist Zach Myers were guests on a recent episode of the Rock Sugar Magic podcast, hosted by Kerri Kasem, daughter of legendary DJ and media personality Casey Kasem. You can now watch the entire discussion below.

When Kerri told Smith and Myers that SHINEDOWN’s music helped her friend through her battle with stage four cancer, Brent said:

“I’ve gotta tell you, though, that’s something that, especially in the last few years, I’ve noticed more: music is a powerful thing. And especially when you’re talking about songs, but exactly what you said — I’ve seen songs cure cancer. It’s pretty powerful. There’s just a different level inside of that because we’re all connected to one another.

“The whole idea of rock and roll as a genre is one aspect, but rock and roll really is a spirit. It’s more of a way of life for people. I’ve said this a few times, but in that community, it’s not necessarily about a genre; it’s about a community of people where anyone from anywhere at any time is welcomed all the time. That’s what rock and roll represents.

“I remember when N.W.A. got inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and Ice Cube went straight to the mic and was like, ‘Rock and roll is the spirit and we’re honored to be here.’ It’s that inclusivity and not having any… There should be no barriers or any boundaries when it comes to music. And that’s the beauty of it: when you put people together in a room, you’re never gonna replace the dynamic of drums, bass, guitar, badass vocals in a killer song. It just will never go out of style.”

In a recent interview with “The Mistress Carrie Podcast,” SHINEDOWN drummer Barry Kerch said that he has laid down “six songs of drums” for the band’s follow-up to 2022’s “Planet Zero” album. “We’re actually further along than I thought we’d be this early in the year,” he added. “So I think new SHINEDOWN music will probably be by the end of the year, early next year. So, it’s kind of exciting.”

In a separate interview with WMMR’s Brent Porche, Kerch spoke about the musical direction of the new SHINEDOWN material. He said:

“It’s gonna be what SHINEDOWN does, which every record is completely different than the last one. It still sounds like SHINEDOWN. You’re never going to change [singer] Brent Smith’s voice, but I can’t make ‘Leave A Whisper’ again. I can’t make ‘Planet Zero’ again. I can’t make ‘Sound Of Madness’ again. That was then, that was that snapshot of time… We definitely try to grow and evolve and do something different because at the same time, we’re artists, we’re musicians. We want to create what we hear in our heads, and that’s what we do. So it’s coming soon, and it’s going to be cool.”

In a new interview with Greg Prato of Ultimate Guitar, former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony was asked if there are many unreleased songs from the David Lee Roth era of the band. He responded:

“There were quite a few songs that I was a part of and worked on, even a couple of things before the first VAN HALEN record and the early part of VAN HALEN that they actually restructured and used on the ‘A Different Kind Of Truth’ album that they put out [in 2012, featuring Wolfgang Van Halen on bass]. Songs like ‘She’s The Woman’; that’s the only one that comes to mind.”

“There were songs that were basically written way back in the early days when Dave, Eddie [Van Halen], Alex [Van Halen], and myself were together that they ended up using on that. But, God, I can’t recall. There’s probably miles of stuff. I mean, you’ve probably seen pictures of all the boxes of tapes and everything [in Eddie’s studio]. It’s miles of stuff.”

“Every time we went into the studio, whether it was Donn Landee or whoever was engineering for us, we had him press record. We recorded everything, every idea that we had. And there’s stuff in there that…”

“I hope Wolfgang goes through some of it because I’m sure there’s a lot of stuff that Eddie did on his own, too, that might be kind of interesting to listen to also. But there’s tons of stuff that we’ll probably never see. Or hear.”

Anthony was also asked for his opinion on the “A Different Kind Of Truth” album, which recently returned to streaming platforms after a nearly two-year absence. He said:

“I listened to a little bit of it. It was different. Dave was singing differently. And adding Wolfgang into the mix. It was different than what we were obviously doing when I was in the band. There’s a lot of good stuff on there. But yeah, I thought it was a good album.”

With Wolfgang on bass, VAN HALEN embarked on lengthy tours in 2007, 2012, and 2015. The band’s final run of shows took place in the summer and fall of 2015. The North American trek included 41 concerts, beginning on July 5, 2015, and ending on October 4, 2015.

VAN HALEN’s final studio album, “A Different Kind Of Truth,” has returned to streaming platforms.

The 2012 LP was removed from streaming services, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, in October 2022 without any explanation.

Last October, VAN HALEN bassist Wolfgang Van Halen told SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” that VAN HALEN’s 2012 LP—the band’s only studio record Wolfgang played on—was no longer on streaming platforms due to “some people involved” who “do not like that record.”

“The contract ran out on putting it up on streaming services,” Wolfgang said. “So we’ve been working on getting it back, but there are some people involved who do not like that record and are not making it easy to get it back up.”

When asked if these “people” making things difficult were involved in the record, Wolfgang confirmed: “Yeah.” When host Eddie Trunk prompted, “Might that person commonly be known by three initials?” apparently referring to singer David Lee Roth, Wolfgang replied, “Probably. I mean, yeah, you can put it together.”

“I hate to say it, because people will think I’m making stuff up, but it’s like, man, I’d love to have the record back up there, but [Roth] doesn’t like it and he’s not working with us to get it back up there,” Wolfgang explained. “So I hope people who like it have a physical version of it. [Laughs]”