Dokken Announce One US Reunion Show

The classic lineup of Dokken will reunite during October for six shows in Japan. The reunion will feature Don Dokken, George Lynch, Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown. Now, there's news that Dokken will play one U.S. show before heading to Japan. That one date will be September 30 in South Dakota at Ron Keel‘s Badlands, Pawn, Gold & Jewellery in Sioux Falls.

Tickets are $50. Now, it's not an option for me to go to this show - but maybe one of you can make it? I think it would be killer for sure!

Poor Bobby Blotzer... Now This

Guitarist Nicholas "Blaze" Baum has left Bobby Blotzer's RATT. The departure was apparently very abrupt. The band has scrambled to replace Baum as they are in the middle of a tour.

Clearly everything isn't perfect in the Blozter camp these days, but Bobby says the band is soldiering on. I believe him... for now.

BOBBY BLOTZER's RATT Parts Ways With Guitarist NICHOLAS 'BLAZE' BAUM https://t.co/iOo2enF5VW pic.twitter.com/uebVd7DXYP

— BLABBERMOUTH.NET (@BLABBERMOUTHNET) August 8, 2016

Pearl Jam Covers 'Draw The Line'

Pearl Jam played Boston's Fenway Park the other day. The band covered the Aerosmith classic "Draw The Line" as a tribute to Joe Perry. In the Aerosmith canon, "Draw The Line" ranks in my top 3 favorite tracks by the band. Pearl Jam did a pretty good job with the cover, but the crowd is pretty lame.

Jackyl Does A Disco Cover... Seriously

Jackyl's back with a new album, ROWYCO. Most of the tunes that I've heard so far are classic, in-your-face Jackyl. You know the band, you know the sound.

Now, one track is a cover of the 1978 Hot Chocolate song "Everyone's A Winner." Yes, Jackyl did a disco cover! The song, surprisingly, works on many levels. Despite being Jackyl, there's no chainsaw. Jesse James Dupree stays pretty true to the original. For the most part, the band just makes the track heavier, with more guitars and such. I have to say, I expected to hate this song... and I don't! Give it a whirl:

Here's the original:

Bobby Blotzer Boasts About His Version Of RATT

Bobby Blotzer says his lead singer Josh Alan is way better than Stephen Pearcy. From a technical perspective, that might be true... but Pearcy will always be the voice of RATT. I mean, I wouldn't hate seeing Bobby's version of the band, but it's pretty clear that something better is brewing between Pearcy, Warren DeMartini and Juan Croucier... and the fact that Bobby is now making statements like the one highlighted below by Blabbermouth just further points in that direction.

Marq Torien and The Bulletboys Visit Dayton; New Interview

I recently interviewed Marq Torien of the Bulletboys for The Dayton City Paper. The band is coming to Dayton, Ohio this weekend and is also gearing up to work on a new album. The full article is below. 

There’s a lot of chaos in the world around us, from terrorist attacks to deadly mass shootings to an increasingly divided political scene. Sometimes, something as simple as a shared bond over a favorite song or band can build a bridge between different groups of people.

For the BulletBoys, their shows and music are a gateway to bring people back together again.

“I use music as a means to bring people together,” BulletBoys singer and guitarist Marq Torien tells theDayton City Paper. “We’re not a band that discriminates against any color or sexual preference. We love everyone that is walking this planet. We show them love and we have a diverse following. We don’t take ourselves seriously, but we do want to bring joy in the world.”

The BulletBoys will play their first show in Dayton in six years at Oddbody’s Saturday, Aug. 6. The stop is part of the Long Hot Summer tour, which will see the California-based band zigzagging across the country through most of August and September.

“I’m so blessed because we do shows and people say, ‘I was so down and I came to your show and it was uplifting.’ We kind of try to bring some love to each other. I know it sounds weird from a hard rock band, but we want to open doors for everyone who comes to see us,” Torien continues.

The BulletBoys are flying high these days. Best known for their 1988 self-titled debut with hair metal songs like “Smooth Up In Ya” and their cover of the O’Jays hit “For The Love of Money,” the band has kept on chugging, writing new music and evolving their sound. Their most recent release, Elefante, came out last year and was both well received and much heavier than other BulletBoys albums. Now, the band is celebrating a new two-album deal with Frontiers Records. For Torien, Elefante was the catalyst to landing the new recording contract.

“I really think that Elefante, for all intents and purposes, did well for us. We’re really grateful to our friends and family for really pushing that record and for everyone in our camp. I think that album really opened the eyes and ears of Frontiers. They loved some of the new material I’ve been writing for a new record. That basically got us our deal.”

The BulletBoys won’t head in to the studio to record their new album for a few months. Torien has been working hard, writing new songs and readying content for the recording studio.

“These days, it is about getting a record to flow. People are starting to listen to full albums instead of just piecing each song. A lot of music is just linear, especially in the rock world. I like to have peaks and valleys. Like the albums we grew up with back in the day. It makes things fun to listen to when talking about a whole record.”

Torien’s goal with the band’s new record is to create a sonic experience. He encourages music fans to listen to full albums from the top to the bottom. That way, you get to understand the full prowess of the artist when it comes to songwriting and really enjoy the melodies and meanings of each track. The end game, of course, is to create long lasting music, just like the band’s ’80s heyday.

“I think the quality of the music in the ’80s was exceptional. It’s long lasting,” Torien says. “People really want to see a performance and a performance that’s not riddled with samples. I really love the plug and play of the old school.”

The frontman promises an old school rock performance in Dayton. The band doesn’t use tapes to help with backing vocals – what you see is what you get. There’s also a promise of high energy, since Torien swears his BulletBoys play every show as if it were their last. They don’t stand in one spot and they sweat, too!

“I sweat down from my hair to my shoes. I put my all into it and we’ve gone full circle as a band,” Torien says proudly.

Finally, Torien says he can’t wait to get back to the Buckeye state. In addition to Dayton, the band will also play a stop in Cleveland during this tour:

“There’s been times when we haven’t had a place to sleep and Ohioans have opened their homes to us. We’re so glad and excited to be able to play Dayton again and to make it an awesome, joyous occasion.”

The BulletBoys perform Saturday, Aug. 6 at Oddbody’s, 5418 Burkhardt Rd. in Dayton. Tickets start at $10. Doors open at 7 p.m. for patrons 18 and over. For more information, please visit bulletboysofficial.com.

ShipRocked Adds More Bands; Waiting List Open

Despite selling out in just one week after staterooms went on sale to the public in May, ShipRocked 2017 continues to add to its stellar lineup. ShipRocked veterans Art of Dying, Stitched Up Heart and Letters From The Fire, as well as first-timers Living Sacrifice and Them Guns, join a lineup that features headliner Breaking Benjamin, along with Papa Roach, Alter Bridge, Sevendust, Pop Evil and more. ShipRocked 2017 sails January 16-20, 2017 from Miami, FL to Grand Turk in the Turks & Caicos Islands onboard Carnival Victory.

In addition, ShipRocked's own all-star band The Stowaways and its revolving cast of special guests will once again be pulling out all the stops with classic hits, unexpected surprises, and a roster of performers that can't be seen anywhere else. The initial roster for the 2017 edition of The Stowaways has been revealed, including Oli Herbert (All That Remains), Frank Bello (Anthrax), Dameon & Gabe Aranda (Aranda), Josh Todd and Stevie Dacanay (Buckcherry), Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (ex-Guns N’ Roses), Doug Robb and Chris Hesse (Hoobastank), Jerry Gaskill (King’s X), Madame Mayhem, Dave Buckner (ex-Papa Roach), Sonny Sandoval (P.O.D.), Geoff Tate (ex-Queensrÿche), Lukas Rossi and Miles McPherson (The Halo Method), Joey & Jorge Dueñas (Unloco), andRob Caggiano (Volbeat).

Those who would like to make a reservation for ShipRocked 2017 can join the waiting list by visiting www.ShipRocked.com.

The full lineup for ShipRocked 2017 is as follows: Breaking Benjamin, Papa Roach, Alter Bridge, Sevendust, Pop Evil, The Stowaways, 12 Stones, Another Lost Year, Art of Dying, Avatar, Cane Hill, Crobot, The Dead Deads, From Ashes To New, Lacey Sturm, Letters From The Fire, Living Sacrifice, Monster Truck, Mothership, Shaman's Harvest, Stitched Up Heart, Them Guns, and Wilson, plus the comedy of Big Jay Oakerson; D.J. Lippy Rage; The S.D.R. Sideshow; with ringmasters Kayla Riley of SiriusXM's Octane and Ralph Sutton of The Tour Bus Radio.

Additional details about ShipRocked 2017 theme nights and onboard activities will be available in the coming months at www.ShipRocked.com.

Produced by ASK4 Entertainment, ShipRocked is a once-in-a-lifetime experience with unique performances and musical collaborations that provides guests with the opportunity to vacation with their favorite bands, meet new friends, and reunite with old ones year after year. ShipRocked onboard and beach activities include photo meet and greets with band members, poolside games, artist Q&A sessions, trivia challenges, game shows, parties, contests and more. The ShipRocked Cancer Sucks! onboard charity auction has raised nearly $500,000 to date for innovative medical research and finding a cure for cancer.

Quick reminder that cabins cancels will occur before the cruise! Join our Wait List at https://t.co/MdREQ4X1dI to reserve the 1st available!

— ShipRocked (@ShipRocked) August 2, 2016