Tag Archives: lineup changes

This Just In: Peter Baltes Leaves Accept!!!

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The Press Release:
ACCEPT’s founding bassist Peter Baltes has announced his exit from the band. He said in a statement: ” To all ACCEPT fans: I hereby announce my departure as bass player from ACCEPT. I have been with the band from the very beginning. Many of you were there as well. I‘d like to thank you all for the great years we shared together. Keep it metal.“

ACCEPT’s founding guitarist Wolf Hoffmann commented: “We spent four decades together through thick and thin, ups and downs and I remember some incredible moments on stage. There was a blind understanding between us, personally and musically, which is very rare in this business! Looking back, I will forever cherish the carefree early years, the countless hours we spent writing songs, goofing around or roaming cities together on tour – just having a good ol’ time! Especially these last 10 years, after the revival of ACCEPT being so much fun and so successful that I thought we would continue forever and sail into the proverbial sunset together – maybe until one of us would drop dead on stage. But I guess I was wrong, it wasn’t meant to be. To see Peter leave ACCEPT now saddens me immensely but there’s nothing I can do but to wish him well – hoping that this is the right decision for him and that he will find whatever he is looking for… I will certainly miss my musical brother! One thing is certain, however: ACCEPT will continue full steam ahead!”

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Continue reading This Just In: Peter Baltes Leaves Accept!!!

Dramatic Lineup Changes In Finland’s Santa Cruz :(

It was just about a week ago when I pointed out that the Finnish Rock band Santa Cruz had pulled out of the remaining dates on their US Tour. They were one of the many openers for Fozzy and also doing some headlining dates on the off times during this run. We did that HERE if you missed it and want to be properly up to speed.

Though there wasn’t any sort of full OFFICIAL PRESS STATEMENT made about the status of the tour and why it was cancelled on their Official Website or Facebook Page, it seemed as though the band members took to their personal Instagrams and posted that they had left the group; Here are the embedded posts from Johnny Cruz, Taz Cruz and Middy Cruz (Joonas Parkkonen, Mitja Toivonen and Tapani Fagerstrom respectively).


Continue reading Dramatic Lineup Changes In Finland’s Santa Cruz 🙁

Judas Priest’s Glenn Tipton Diagnosed With Parkinsons

Speaking frankly, this isn’t the kind of news that I like to broadcast but with everyone alerting their own readers I must fall in with the pack and share the news about Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The full Official Statement hails from the bands Facebook Page. Read on.

Official Statement:
Ten years ago Glenn was diagnosed to have the onset of the early stages of Parkinson’s – from then until recently Glenn has lived his life as the great heavy metal guitar player he has always been, maintaining by his own definition a standard of quality and performance that is incredibly important. Right now Glenn is able to play and perform some of the Priest songs that are less challenging but due to the nature of Parkinson’s progression he wants to let you all know that he won’t be be touring as such – True to the metal spirit of ‘the show must go on’ Glenn has requested Andy Sneap to fly the flag on stage for him.

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“I want everyone to know that it’s vital that the Judas Priest tour go ahead and that I am not leaving the band – it’s simply that my role has changed. I don’t rule out the chance to go on stage as and when I feel able to blast out some Priest! So at some point in the not too distant future I’m really looking forward to seeing all of our wonderful metal maniacs once again”

Continue reading Judas Priest’s Glenn Tipton Diagnosed With Parkinsons

Kamelot’s Casey Grillo Relinquishes The Drum Throne!

Sigh. While Philadelphia is singing and destroying stuff based on yesterdays Super Bowl LII win, the Metal fans of the world are as sad as those of the New England Patriots as the news about drummer Casey Grillo departing the mighty Kamelot begins to make the rounds. I’ve culled the bands official statement from their resources and share it with you below. Check it out.

“Dear Kamelotians,

The forthcoming release of The Shadow Theory will mark another chapter in the band’s illustrious career. Coming off of the success of Haven, the band has stepped up their game even more on this new album and the massive tour planned for 2018/2019. Casey is off to new endeavors! Prior to the recent final recordings, long-time drummer Casey Grillo informed the band that he had made the difficult decision to pursue other music and touring opportunities, in addition to the desire to focus more time on his drumhead company.

“Casey has been my friend and colleague for nearly 20 years. We have seen and done a lot together both in and outside of Kamelot. As his friends, the band and I respect his decision. I’m sure that we will all still be hanging out together when we have down time.” adds Kamelot guitarist Thomas Youngblood (Official).

In a letter regarding his departure, Casey states: “First and foremost I would like to thank all of the Kamelot fans around the world for your support during my time with the band. It has afforded me the opportunity to travel the globe, meet the most amazing people, experience so many cultures, and to share some of the most memorable experiences of my life. Between the various other musical endeavors I am involved with, along with my rapidly growing business DrumStatic.com, it really just became evident it was time for me to explore and focus on these new opportunities without compromising the exclusivity Kamelot needs and deserves.”
Continue reading Kamelot’s Casey Grillo Relinquishes The Drum Throne!

Life Of Agony Hires Drummer Veronica Bellino

A short while ago the band Life Of Agony made an announcement about a brand new member of their lineup. Sadly, after many years behind the kit, drummer Sal Abruscato left the band on amicable terms – the news came care of the bands official website but has been circulating around the other mediums now as well.

The Scoop:
On January 22, 2018, Life Of Agony welcomed new drummer Veronica Bellino into the band, best known for her work with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jeff Beck, DMC, Richie Sambora/Orianthi, and Carmine Appice/Slamm. Updates on new LOA music and upcoming tour dates will be announced shortly! The 2018 Life of Agony lineup features vocalist Mina Caputo, guitarist Joey Z, bassist Alan Robert, and drummer Veronica Bellino.

PiercingMetal Thoughts: While we are going to miss the pounding might of Sal Abruscato in the lineup, I am surely excited to see what Veronica is going to bring to the table. We’ve been fans of her efforts for a number of years now and actually met her on several occasions around the NYC Music Scene. She is a stellar and deeply skilled player with chops that make other drummers say “how’d she do that”. I’ve not seen LOA in a few years based on scheduling but you can bet that I will be watching the announcements for some local dates so I can cheer on the new blood 🙂 Best of luck Veronica on this great news. Fans of the band should know that their legacy and brand new material are in very good hands. Goodnight.

Official Website: http://www.lifeofagony.com