STAND UP AND SHOUT FOR RONNIE JAMES DIO’S BIRTHDAY, the star-studded global virtual concert set for Saturday, July 10 from Rolling Live Studios, has continued to add to the lineup of musical talent coming together for one-of-a-kind performances, artist interviews and special birthday messages all for a good cause. The event, hosted on rollinglivestudios.com, begins at 2:00PM Pacific time (PDT), benefiting The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (www.diocancerfund.org), founded in memory of the late heavy metal icon who was the voice of Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath and DIO before losing his battle with gastric cancer in 2010.

 

Tickets are now available for the VIP After Party the next day, Sunday, July 11, also at 2PM Pacific time (PDT).

 

The global fundraiser is bringing together celebrities and fans all over the world to honor Ronnie James Dio’s undeniable impact both on and off the stage. Rounding out the already enviable lineup are Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell) and Alice Cooper.

 

They are joining a stellar lineup that includes:  Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Beck; Bogert & Appice); Vinny Appice (DIO, Black Sabbath); Michael Angelo Batio (Nitro, Holland, Shout); Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, Jon Bon Jovi), Sebastian Bach, Joey Belladonna (Anthrax); Chuck Billy (Testament); John Bush (Armored Saint); Gilby Clarke (Guns N’ Roses, Slash’s Snakepit); Mikkey Dee (Scorpions, Motörhead); the DIO band–Oni Logan and Tim “Ripper” Owens, vocals; Simon Wright, drums; Scott Warren, keyboards; Rowan Robertson, guitar; and Bjorn Englen, bass—Aynsley Dunbar (Journey, Frank Zappa); keyboard player Steve Ferlazzo, Frank Ferrer (Guns N’ Roses); Lita Ford; Chuck Garric (Alice Cooper); Sammy Hagar (Van Halen, Chickenfoot, Montrose); Lzzy Hale (Halestorm); Rob Halford (Judas Priest); Tony winning singer Lena Hall (“Hedwig and the Angry Inch”); Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Country Communion); Terry Ilous (Great White, XYZ); Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell); Richie Kotzen (Poison, Smith/Kotzen); LA metal band Liliac; James LoMenzo (White Lion, Slash’s Snakepit) Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses); Sean McNabb (Quiet Riot, Dokken); Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, DIO); Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne); Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt, “Raiding the Rock Vault”); Glen Sobel (Alice Cooper, Hollywood Vampires); guitarist Jasmine Star; Derek St. Holmes (Vanilla Fudge, Michael Schenker Group); Tenacious D’s Jack Black and Kyle Gass; Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne); Scott Travis (Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy); Mexican rock band The Warning; Ricky Warwick (Black Star Riders) and Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust).

 

Radio and television personalities Eddie Trunk and Matt Pinfield will co-host the event, conducting interviews with artists as well as with Dio record producer Wyn Davis; concert promoter Danny Zelisko and Ronnie’s widow and longtime manager Wendy Dio, among others.

 

Tickets are on sale now at https://rollinglivestudios.com/dio beginning at $20 for General Admission tickets to view the show. Tickets are also available for the VIP After Party the next day, Sunday, July 11, also beginning at 2PM Pacific time (PDT). The VIP After Party will feature exclusive performances by Joey Tempest (Europe), Paul Shortino and Richie Kotzen, among others, and artist interviews conducted by host Matt Pinfield, all of which will only be accessible to VIP After Party ticketholders.

 

In addition to viewing tickets, Rolling Live Studios is offering special merchandise packages and virtual VIP experiences for fans to participate in this unique worldwide event. Bidding is open for the “Dio Ultimate Bundle Auction,” comprising rare Dio-themed items hand-picked from the vault by Wendy Dio, and for a one-of-kind Dio-themed leather jacket that will be custom made for the winning bidder by celebrated artist Carin Hazmat.

 

There are many value-added items for purchase, including a “grab bag” of specially selected vintage DIO and Dio Cancer Fund event merchandise, a limited number of copies of RAINBOW IN THE DARK: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY, written by Ronnie James Dio (with Wendy Dio and Mick Wall) and signed by Wendy Dio, and specially designed event tee-shirts, baseball caps, laminates and lithographs.

 

The STAND UP AND SHOUT FOR RONNIE JAMES DIO’S BIRTHDAY virtual fund-raising concert will also feature exclusive archival footage from Dio’s life and long-spanning career and never-before-seen footage from Dio Cancer Fund events held in Los Angeles since 2011 when the organization began. Through musical performances and storytelling, a wide array of guests will celebrate the life of a man who deeply influenced their lives through his artistry and larger-than-life presence.

 

Throughout his career, Ronnie James Dio was a passionate supporter and contributor to charitable work and numerous animal charities. He was an artist who was not only well respected for his talent, but also admired and loved by his peers and fans worldwide, some of which included renowned celebrities, musicians, and prominent individuals from all walks of life.

 

The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (www.diocancerfund.org), dedicated to cancer prevention, research and education, has raised over $2 million in its history. The organization’s last in-person event was its 10th Anniversary Gala held at the Avalon in Hollywood in February, 2020. Its annual RIDE FOR RONNIE Motorcycle Ride and Concert and BOWL FOR RONNIE Celebrity Bowling Tournament have been temporarily suspended as the result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

STAND UP AND SHOUT FOR RONNIE JAMES DIO’S BIRTHDAY is the latest in a lineup of stellar events produced by Rolling Live Studios. In January, the studio worked alongside Mike Garson to bring together an extraordinary slate of vocalists to perform with David Bowie’s band alumni for “A Bowie Celebration: Just for One Day” streaming concert event. The following month, YUNGBLUD’s stunning performance of “Life on Mars?” from the event played after millions of viewers watched NASA’s Perseverance rover successfully touch down on Mars.

 

About The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund:

The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable fund formed in honor of the legendary Ronnie James Dio, who lost his life to stomach cancer on May 16, 2010. Cancer is a deadly disease that robs families of loved ones, and the Dio Cancer Fund is dedicated to support cancer prevention research, raise awareness and educate the public with the focus that early detection and prevention saves lives.

 

Monies raised have been committed to the cancer research work of the T. J. Martell Foundation for Cancer, AIDS and Leukemia Research, the gastric cancer research unit of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where Ronnie was treated for gastric cancer during the last six months of his life, and other cancer research projects. Since 2016, the Dio Cancer Fund has also committed funds to support the research of Dr. David Wong and his team at the UCLA School of Dentistry in developing a simple, non-invasive saliva test for the early detection of cancer, which is in keeping with the Fund’s mission of cancer prevention, research and education.

 

About Rolling Live Studios

Rolling Live Studios takes virtual live events to the next level. Since its inception, Rolling Live Studios has produced over 75 live virtual events and helped raise over $27 million in donations for an array of charities. Recent credits include Jeffery Katzenberg’s Virtual “Evening Before,” Chrysalis Night In – Virtual Gala, Richard and Demi Weitz’s RW Quarantunes, The Elizabeth Taylor’s AIDS Foundation Virtual pre-show and multiple livestreams for The Recording Academy. Rolling Live Studios was founded by Kerry Brown, who has managed and produced multi-platinum artists (The Smashing Pumpkins, Miley Cyrus, Cheap Trick, among others), feature films, television, and video games (Blow, Along Came Polly, Scream, The Academy Awards, and more). Kerry produced the live multimedia show BLACKOUT, a collaboration between PepsiCo and the NFL to celebrate the Super Bowl, among other live events.

 

To purchase tickets and VIP and merchandise packages for the Ronnie James Dio Virtual   Birthday Celebration, visit: https://rollinglivestudios.com/dio

 

Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund:

www.diocancerfund.org

www.facebook.com/RJDSUASCF

https://twitter.com/DioCancerFund

https://www.instagram.com/diocancerfund/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpIsd0Sa3IXQY2t33G3oEEg

 

Follow Rolling Live Studios:

www.RollingLiveStudios.com

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

Geezer Butler & Alice Cooper Join Lineup for July 10 ‘Stand Up and Shout for Ronnie James Dio’s Birthday’ first appeared on Game On Media.

Towards the end of every decade, a couple of artists emerge with something different, that leads to new trends for the following decade. In 1969, Led Zeppelin took the final step towards what became heavy metal, which Black Sabbath unleashed upon the 1970’s. In the late 1970’s, Van Halen took the world by storm, leading to a guitar explosion in the 1980’s, with one path towards glam metal and another towards thrash. Guns N’ Roses absorbed everything around them and broke it back down as the 80’s ended. This led to the grunge movement of the 1990’s, where the music and the image was more raw and natural. The 90’s were full of actual alternatives, and by the end, hip-hop was making its way into the mix. The 2000’s launched with rap influences found in the music of Linkin Park, Disturbed, Papa Roach and others. As the 2000’s evolved, bad-ass artist such as Shinedown and Halestorm made music personal, sharing the deepest, darkest parts of themselves, while still inspiring us. When the 2010’s wound down, and sharing had become a way of life, artists began looking outwards, writing about the world around them and hoping to bring about positive changes. Bands like Fire From The Gods and Fever 333 led the way to rocking out for social justice.

2020 has been different in many ways, and music has been a reflection of our shared reality. With a global pandemic, a massive social justice movement, and a heated political situation as background, many artists stood up tall to address everything that was going on all around us. There seem to have been more standalone singles recorded and released this year than any other. Some were cover songs, some were re-imagined, and some were written in direct response to the times. Bon Jovi even went so far as to hold the release of their album (mainly due to the cancellation of their summer tour), and recorded 2 new songs – one about the pandemic, “Do What You Can”, and one about racial injustice, “American Reckoning”.

The first trend to hit was a response to the year’s first crisis. As it quickly became apparent that our doctors, nurses and other essential frontline workers were being impacted the most, bands offered emotional and financial support. Nonpoint re-imagined their pro-soldier song “Frontlines” into a pro-healthcare worker anthem “Remember Me (A Frontlines Tribute)”. Shinedown polished off an unreleased track, “Atlas Falls”, and used it to raise money for Direct Relief, who provides personal protective equipment. Bring Me The Horizon unleashed the song of the year, “Parasite Eve”, perfectly capturing the anxiety and fear that continues to grip us all. Halestorm supported #RoadieStrong, an effort to support suddenly out of work concert crew.

The next gut punch to our collective consciousness was the deliberate murder of George Floyd, which sparked the Black Lives Matter movement to achieve worldwide support. FEVER 333 released “SUPREMACY” in their continuing efforts to inspire Community, Charity, and Change. Robb Flynn and Machine Head released “Stop The Bleeding”, and enlisted Jesse Leach from Killswitch Engage to join him. Black Veil Brides recorded a Bruce Springsteen song from the 1990’s, “American Skin (41 Shots)”.

Everyone expected a fierce political battle as the American Presidency was up for grabs, with the current occupant being our most polarizing figure ever, but his strategy of ignoring and minimizing both the pandemic and racial justice poured fuel on a country quite literally on fire for most of the year. Lamb Of God released an album chock full of sociopolitical commentary. They enlisted Jamey Jasta and Chuck Billy to lend their voices. Tom Morello, Shea Diamond & Dan Reynolds combined on “Stand Up”. Amy Lee and Evanescence released the single “Use My Voice”, accompanied by Within Temptation’s Sharon den Adel, violinist Lindsey Stirling, Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale and The Pretty Reckless’ Taylor Momsen. The band used the song to publicize HeadCount, which encouraged voter registration. System Of A Down responded to the attacks on Artsakh and Armenia with their first new song in 15 years, “Protect The Land”.

In addition to the trends of releasing singles, and supporting social justice causes, the other thing that should be evident by now is the increased level of collaboration between artists. The hip-hop industry has long used guest vocals as a way to enhance each other’s status, and introduce new artists to their audience. The rock world finally seems to be catching on. Hyro The Hero tapped Hellyeah’s Chad Gray on this week’s “Fight”, capping off a year that saw many interesting combinations. This was preceded by Hollywood Undead featuring Papa Roach & Ice Nine Kills on “Heart of a Champion”. They also have Hyro The Hero and Tech N9ne on new tracks. Corey Taylor also tapped Tech N9ne on his solo debut track “CMFT Must Be Stopped”. Islander added AJ Channer of Fire From The Gods on “Freedom”. I Prevail added Joyner Lucas to “DOA”. Breaking Benjamin enlisted Lacey Sturm on a new version of “Dear Agony”. Sixx: A.M. returned in 2020 to headline the opioid crisis Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation benefit single “Maybe It’s Time”, with an all-star cast that includes Corey Taylor, Joe Elliott, Brantley Gilbert, Ivan Moody, Slash, AWOLNATION and Tommy Vext. The Struts enlisted Joe Elliot and Phil Collen of Def Leppard on “I Hate How Much I Want You”. Even Ozzy Osbourne featured Post Malone and Elton John on 2 of his best tracks in decades, “It’s a Raid” and “Ordinary Man”.

If these trends hold true, we can look forward to an exciting decade of rock music, as worlds collide, sounds expand and artists work together to not only make great music, but to leave a positive impact on the world. When concerts and festivals resume, we can only hope that we get to experience some of these musical mashups in person, live on stage.

Top New Trends For Rock Music In The 2020’s first appeared on Game On Media.

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The time has arrived for legendary bay area thrash metal giants TESTAMENT to unleash new thunder to the masses and reveal their thirteenth studio album, Titans Of Creation, which will be released on April 3 via Nuclear Blast.

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Today, the band releases the lyric video for the first single, “Night Of The Witch”:

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Chuck Billy comments, “It has been months since the final mixing of ‘Titans Of Creation’ and we are eager for fans to hear it. We feel that we put a lot into this record and at the end of the day it is a TESTAMENT record that stands on its own. We are very proud of ‘Titans Of Creation.’”

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“’Night Of The Witch’ uses old school lyrics about witches chanting in the moonlight and casting spells. The beauty of this song is that I worked Eric’s vocals into the chorus. I wanted to incorporate him as he does Dragonlord and this song was a perfect match. It is a heavy song and a great way to introduce everyone to ‘Titans Of Creation.’”

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Titans Of Creation was produced by Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson while Juan Urteaga of Trident Studios handled co-producing, recording and engineering. Andy Sneap was responsible for the mixing and mastering of the album. Eliran Kantor stepped up once again to create a new masterpiece of artwork for the cover of this release.

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Titans Of Creation will be available in the following formats:

• CD Digipak
• Light Blue Cassette (Limited to 250)
• DLP + CD Mail-order Box Set (Limited to 1500)
• Includes Earth Element Vinyl
• Vinyl
• Fire Element Edition Vinyl (Limited to 2150)
• Air Element Edition Vinyl
• Water Element Edition Vinyl
• Blue Vinyl (Limited to 500; Retail)
• T-shirt
• TS+ DLP bundle

Pre-order your copy of Titans Of Creation in the format of your choice here: https://nblast.de/TestamentTOC

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Pre-save the album on Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer: nblast.de/TESTAMENTpreSave

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Below is the track listing:

1. Children Of The Next Level
2. WWIII
3. Dream Deceiver
4. Night Of The Witch
5. City Of Angels
6. Ishtar’s Gate
7. Symptoms
8. False Prophet
9. The Healers
10. Code Of Hammurabi
11. Curse Of Osiris
12. Catacombs

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Just as the elements of this planet thrive within all living creatures, each musician in TESTAMENT represents a necessary component of this latest musical creation. Still filled with a massive and unstoppable energy since their last release, TESTAMENT has taken their style to the next level and present an album that is loyal to the roots of traditional thrash metal while still including the alluring, brilliant and progressive ingredients they are known for.

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TESTAMENT is:

Chuck Billy | Lead Vocals

Eric Peterson | Rhythm/Lead guitar & Vocals

Alex Skolnick | Lead Guitar

Steve Di Giorgio | Bass guitar

Gene Hoglan | Drums

Testament Announces New Album “Titans Of Creation” & Video For “Night Of The Witch” first appeared on Game On Media.

Photo: Travis Shinn

“All I Had to Lose” featuring Mark Morales, the first single from Lamb of God guitarist MARK MORTON’s second solo offering, entitled Ether, is available today via iTunes HERE. Listen to the track, which features the Sons of Texas vocalist: “’All I Had To Lose’ is one of the most personal songs I’ve ever written,” MORTON says. “Mark Morales’ incredible vocal performance really brought it to life and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. I’m so grateful to get the opportunity to stretch out stylistically and appreciate everyone who’s given this stuff a listen!” Ether, a primarily acoustic five-song EP, is scheduled for release on January 17 via Rise Records. As with last year’s solo debut, Anesthetic, the guitarist enlisted the talents of various musicians and vocalists to bring his songs to life. In addition to Morales, who regularly tours as part of MORTON’s live band, Ether features appearances by Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage, Light the Torch), John Carbone (Moon Tooth). The EP is made up of three original songs and two covers that once again showcase MORTON’s diversity as a musician. Ether tracklisting: 1. All I Had To Lose (featuring Mark Morales) 2. The Fight (featuring John Carbone) 3. She Talks To Angels (featuring Lzzy Hale) *The Black Crowes cover 4. Love My Enemy (featuring Howard Jones) 5. Black (featuring Mark Morales) *Pearl Jam cover Ether was produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur (Lamb of God, Gojira, Trivium). MORTON is currently touring the UK, performing a handful of intimate acoustic shows as a three piece with vocalist Mark Morales and guitarist Joe Harvatt. MARK MORTON UK tour dates: 1/10 – Glasgow, UK @ Cathouse 1/11 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy 2 1/12 – London, UK @ Camden Underworld Photo: Johnnie Crow Anesthetic, MORTON’s first 10-track solo album, was made alongside a dream team of highly respected musicians from a multitude of musical worlds. Singers on the album include Chester Bennington, Randy Blythe, Jacoby Shaddix, Myles Kennedy, Alissa White-Gluz, Mark Lanegan, Chuck Billy, Jake Oni, Josh Todd, Mark Morales and Naeemah Maddox. Musically, MORTON performs all guitars, with Roy Mayorga, David Ellefson, Ray Luzier, Paolo Gregoletto, Alex Bent, Mike Inez, Jean-Paul Gaster, Steve Gorman, Marc Ford, Yanni Papadopoulos and Chris Brooks completing the band. The single “Cross Off,” featuring late Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington and Trivium’s rhythm section of Paolo Gregoletto and Alex Bent, spent six weeks in the Top 10 Active Rock US radio chart and has now amassed more than 14 million plays on Spotify and YouTube. Following the release of Anesthetic, MORTON took his live band, consisting of Morales on lead vocals, Doc Coyle (Bad Wolves) on guitar, Nick Villarreal (Sons Of Texas) on bass, Art Cruz (Lamb of God, Prong, Winds of Plague, on a North American co-headline tour with Light the Torch. MARK MORTON online: www.facebook.com/markmortonmusic www.instagram.com/mark.duane.morton https://twitter.com/MarkDuaneMorton www.youtube.com/channel/UCtNwby00cd3p9jfuNpP2FkA

Lamb of God Guitarist Mark Morton Reveals First Single from Solo EP “Ether” first appeared on Game On Media.

Lamb of God Guitarist Mark Morton to Release Solo EP “Ether” first appeared on Game On Media.