I usually do not like to deal in speculation especially when reporting on News because until it’s proven true then it’s just an opinion. So, I have some speculation news that could be huge for the rock and metal world. Nine hours or so ago, Lizzy Borden posted a picture (to the left of this paragraph) with no caption listing them as the fourth band on a bill that already features Motley Crue, Def Leppard, and Poison. The bill is already stacked with some top talent that adding Lizzy Borden to the bill would just be absolutely maniacal and would be sure to conjure up some competition for sure as to who ruled the bill. Then around the same amount of time, the band would post this next picture below asking if their fans would be intrigued to see the show if it actually happened.
So as far as we know, nothing is set in stone or concrete as to whether this is just wishful thinking on part of Lizzy Borden or if there is any actual truth to this. I have not seen any other rock or metal news sites post anything on this yet, but if I do see anything be sure that we will post the news, but there is one question that remains. Would you want to see Lizzy Borden added to this bill?
Back in 2016, I accomplished a goal that I had been messing around with for years and that goal was to watch a film every day for one whole entire year. One year, I had made it to the 90’s mark while another had fizzled out in the 70’s. In 2016 though, I started the challenge on January 1st with the film Aloha and ended it on December 31ST with The Man With One Red Shoe. You can check out the blog for yourself right here at 
For those of you who do not who Steve Daskewisz is, he was an actor known to horror fans every where as Steve Dash, the man who would don the infamous sackhead mask that Jason Voorhees originally used in Friday The 13TH Part II. So, it’s safe to say that Steve Dash is the original adult Jason Voorhees the series ever had and it’s with sadness that I announce that Steve has passed away. We learned two weeks ago that Steve was due to have his leg amputated due complications from Diabetes, but Monster Mania reported today that he passed away. A couple of weeks, Steve took to Facebook to tell fans, “I have an update on my condition. They’re amputating my left leg tomorrow afternoon. It’s been pretty tough suffering from diabetes, blood clots and a bad heart over the last year. I welcome the decision I’ve made because I will be able to play golf in 6-8 weeks with a brand new leg. Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and personal messages to me. The fans are the best fans on the planet.” Steve was recently tapped to appear in the Friday The 13TH fan film titled Vengeance, A Friday The 13TH Fan Film, but that is now not going to happen. Steve was a regular at horror conventions where he always took the time to speak to fans and has starred in films like Alone In The Dark, 13 Tzameti, and Mr. Hush to name a few. R.I.P. Steve Dash (March 14, 1944- December 18, 2018)
If you are reading the headline, then you know that it’s absolutely true that my old radio show from my days at Bridgewater State University is coming back for one night only. That is not a mistake because every year, the college holds it’s annual Alumni Takeover during the school’s Homecoming weekend which allows some old alums to come back and host a show for an hour or so. For the last three years, I have had some fun wracking my brain to come up with a playlist that I thought you would enjoy as well, but this year it’s going to change. I think every year, I am going to pick a theme and I am just going to run with it. This year, I have something special planned out for you guys, but you’ll have to wait and just wonder exactly what Pedal To The Metal Fest is all about. I do not have the exact day and time I am going to be on, but you should know that Alumni Takeover weekend is October 12TH and 13TH. Stay tuned here because as soon as I find out what time I’ll be on, I will let you guys know here and on the 
I just wanted to take the time to write all the individuals no matter where in the world you are an update as to what is going on at the moment. There has not been a lot of posts on the site as of late besides the Album Of The Week posts and there is sort of a reason for that. Sometimes there is a bit in your life when it finally catches up to you and you find yourself strapped for time and energy because you are dealing with what life gives you. I am hoping that I am going to be able to start doing more with the site very soon like bringing back some of my favorite segments like Cheeseball Cinema, Tuesday Night Fights, as well as some new segments for the blog like a Podcast that I will post on the site. I have been working on several ideas for a podcast for a very long time and I am hoping that I finally have the content set in place. Plus, Eddie’s 31 Days of Halloween returns for the seventh year and I am excited for what we have for you this year. I have a lot of ideas and hopefully soon, I’ll be finished with the comic book challenge that I am doing because I am honestly over it already. So, I say just stay tuned here for more as I am looking forward to producing more content for you guys.
I have done many of these when Metal bands fight posts and usually there has never been any resolved circumstances except for maybe one. One instance that definitely closes out a case is none other than death because one side can not obviously fight back in their case. I am going to take the time now to close out some of our cases that have been left out there in When Metal Bands Fight: Case Closed. The first one that was closed was the case of Scott Weiland vs the members of Stone Temple Pilots. I first reported on the 
Some cases are just cases of people opening their mouths and nothing ever comes of it ever again until something else happens between the two. For instance, N.W.A. has already been inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame and there is nothing that Gene Simmons can do about it. The Mayhem Fest is officially dead and all Kerry King may have done is just predicted the ending of it especially now that he doesn’t have to deal with Kevin Lyman anymore. The one case that was never going to be resolved regardless of who lived is the case of Vinnie Paul vs Phil Anselmo which is really a sad case that breaks a lot of hearts. Vinnie Paul recently passed away which is what prompts me to say case closed. I was supposed to come out with a second part to it, but I just didn’t have the time. In an interview that Ultimate Classic Rock posted, Vinnie comments on what could be considered the reason it would never be resolved saying, “He’s done a lot of things that tarnish the image of what Pantera was back then, and what it stood for and what it was all about. And it’s sad. But I carry on with what I do, which is Hellyeah – which I’m very, very proud of. And, you know, I can’t control anything that goes on with that dude. I mean, honestly, I haven’t spoken to him since 2000. We tried to make amends of things when we were doing Damageplan, and he didn’t want anything to do with it. And then the horrible thing that happened to my brother happened. And, to me, that was the nail in the coffin. Period”
If I was a betting man I would say that was evidence enough that it would have never happened anyways. One case that could potentially become a case closed is one that involves the case of Black Sabbath (Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler) vs Bill Ward. Apparently, Birmingham, England is going to be hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games and according to Loudwire there are parties that could be interested in reuniting for a one off gig. Ozzy Osbourne told ITV that he loved the idea and that he would perform, “with Black Sabbath or on my own.” Tony Iommi apparently loved the idea and told the Birmingham Mail, “I think that it would be a great thing to do to help represent Birmingham. I’m up for it! Let’s see what happens!” The only question that really remains is whether Bill ward will join the gang for the one off gig for a proper send off the original Godfathers of Metal. It remains to be seen and if there is any news of it then we will deliver it to you.
I am still not quite sure what words I need to say to express the utter shock that the rock/metal world and I are in after the news broke of the passing of Former Pantera/Damageplan/Heallyeah drummer Vinnie Paul. At first, I had to do a search online to find out if this was one of those fake articles that are always posted on Facebook when it says a celebrity has died. CNN, the new site confirmed for me that Vinnie Paul born Vincent Paul Abbott died at the age of 54 years old. We still at this time do not know what the cause of death is, but what we do know is that he is finally reunited with his brother Dimebag Darrell. Vinnie along with his brother Dimebag were the co-founders of the groove metal band Pantera who dominated the metal scene with the release of Cowboys From Hell in 1990 and they continued to dominate with albums like Vulgar Display Of Power and Far Beyond Driven until the band broke up in 2002. They went on to start a new band in Damageplan releasing their only album in 2004 entitled New Found Power and toured with the act until the death of his brother in December of 2004.
Vinnie had taken some time off from the music scene releasing the home video collection Dimevision, Vol. 1 in 2006 as well as a never before heard collaboration album with Country music legend David Allen Coe entitled Rebel Meets Rebel. He didn’t get back in the studio until 2007 when he officially became a member of the supergroup Hellyeah which featured Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett of Mudvayne, Tom Maxwell of Nothingface, and Damageplan bassist Bob Zilla to record the self titled debut album. Together the band would release five albums with the latest Unden!able coming out in 2016. It is said that Vinnie has laid down drum tracks for an upcoming album, but it is not known yet what will become of that album as of this time. The band however has released a statement with Tom Maxwell saying, “Just so broken hearted and in shock. I’m struggling to write this but we want to thank you all for your kind words and support in this tragic time. We don’t have much info to give you other then Vinnie is now with Dime and they are together in a better place. Sadness, shock, confusion, anger, despair. We feel it all together. Hug your loved ones and keep them close. Thank you all again for all your love. Vinnie will be and is greatly loved and missed but his music will live forever. Crank it loud today and scream to the heavens so he can hear you.” Fellow musicians and other celebrities have come out to pay tribute to one of the greatest drummers of the modern era. There is a lot more tributes online and on Twitter, but the ones below are just some of them. R.I.P. Vinnie Paul (1964-2018)
One of the things we have learned over the years is that being in a band is a very difficult thing to do. We have learned that being in a band is like being in a committed relationship with your bandmates and we have learned from bands like Kiss, Motley Crue, Skid Row, White Zombie, Guns N Roses, Black Sabbath, and so many other countless bands that sometimes divorces happen and those can get pretty ugly pretty damn often. A little more than year ago, a nasty break up was definitely the case when came to Swedish rock/metal act Ghost after four Nameless Ghouls came out and revealed some information to the world. The Nameless Ghouls came out and revealed their names and claimed that the frontman of Ghost Papa Emeritus a.k.a. Tobias Forge had screwed them out of money. Simon Söderberg (Alpha, Guitars), Mauro Rubino (Air, Keyboards), Henrik Palm (Ether, Guitars), and Martin Hjertstedt (Earth, Drums) all filed a lawsuit for compensation that basically totals $22,000. If you look below, you will see a full statement that Söderberg posted on Facebook airing out all of his grievances.
Of course, Tobias Forge didn’t stay quite for a very long time and he basically responded saying that Ghost was a solo project and that when the band was formed that, “none of the plaintiffs were present at the time.” He basically says that they were paid a price like hired guns that was fixed and that he is basically the mastermind of the band having created the image and music. If you want to read the full response to the lawsuit you can do so by clicking on article 
One of the things that bothered me the most as a fan of the band was the fact that his identity was revealed. I thought it was a very cool mystique to have as people continually tried to figure out whether it was Tobias Forge behind the mask. Tobias doesn’t seem to be sour about it tell Blabbermouth, “I haven’t felt very anonymous for many years. I don’t feel very bummed by that. I can feel bummed about the reasons why it was revealed. [Laughs] But, it didn’t do much harm. I don’t feel, in any way, like a loser here and it didn’t seem to do a lot of harm. No, especially with a little bit of hindsight and couth. It’s fine. I feel good. It’s going well. I’m out here working. I made a record. [Laughs] You know, it’s always alarming, obviously, when you have people, and some of them used to be close to you, working diligently to destroy your life. That’s always a bummer. That sucks. Sometimes that happens in all parts of the world: at workplaces, in schools, in families, in relationships and friendships. There’s nothing new about it; it’s perfectly natural. It’s a sad avenue to ride down on, but it’s a part of life and it’s fine.” He also added to the convo about who he will choose in the future saying, “You should hire people because of their abilities and not proximity. You usually learn the hard way, unfortunately. I learned that. [Laughs] So, lesson learned! It’s all good. I’m never, ever going to do that again.”
Of course, the band responded to the claims of Ghost being a solo act saying on Reddit, “Forge has certainly been the band’s main songwriter, has had the role of cinematic front figure ‘Papa Emeritus,’ has been a driving force in the band’s business, as well as in the handling of the band’s business affairs. However, the activities carried out with respect to Ghost were extensively handled jointly by the members – for example, by making decisions jointly regarding the band’s image, by participating in interviews, and by the fact that every member has, at certain times, contributed when recording albums and singles, and by touring together almost continuously since 2011.” They went on to add, “To the contrary, Tobias Forge always emphasized that it was a collaboration that everyone was involved in, and would share in the profit of, once the business became profitable. The first time Tobias Forge, through the band’s management, mentioned that he saw them as hired musicians rather than full-fledged members of Ghost was in the context of a contract proposal presented in April 2016.” One thing is for certain and that is I agree 100% with Tobias and this statement regarding the lawsuit, “I took it almost as an acknowledgment that I must be doing something right. If things were going down the fucking tubes, no one would care.” Think about it, if Ghost was on their way out, none of these guys would have cared as much about it. It remains to be seen what happens next, but stay tuned for more because Justice will be served!
Back in 2013, I extensively covered the strange, but true case of one Tim Lambesis for another blog that I owned at one time. It was the most shocking case of 2013 because no one had seen this coming not even fans of his metalcore band As I Lay Dying. As I Lay Dying were one of a few metalcore bands that I respected in those times, but I haven’t listened to a single track since then. You see Tim was accused of conspiring to have his estranged wife Meaghan murdered by a hitman. He was sentenced to a six year sentence, but was released on parole in 2016 after serving three years. There was a lof mystery surrounding the frontman as to what his plans were going to be now that he was out of jail. Some rumors were going around suggesting that he was going to be bringing back As I Lay Dying, but with all new band members and as of June 1ST, that looks to be a true statement. The band released a 30 second teaser video on it’s Facebook page that showcases some new music. The only problem is that you can not tell who is on vocals, but we can only assume that it is Tim Lambesis. The question moving forward is how many people are willing to give the singer a second chance and how many will actually check out the band’s new music? How do his old band mates feel about the new music coming out as well?
I am hoping that at this point in the game that you understand how the tournament works and that you stop crying about Iron Maiden not being in the tournament anymore. We have an interesting scenario this year and one is that this is the first year that Iron Maiden is not in the final four and that there will completely be a new champion when it is all said and done. This tournament has always been about one fan base versus another and if a band does not share the tournament on their Facebook page, then I cannot be held responsible for them not winning. I am not Loudwire or Metalinjection.net, I don’t have their kind of pull. I am just a guy who loves metal and tries his best to promote it when he can. Anyways, one fan base that showed up to the tournament for sure was Queensryche’s fan base as they without a doubt sent their band through to the final four by 753 votes. Megadeth’s fan base also came to bat as they destroyed Testament by 728 votes setting up a match with Queensryche. The next match featured two newcomers with something to prove as Lamb Of God took on Trivium. The match was close for the most part, but in the end Lamb Of God distanced themselves winning by 316 votes.
Our last match of the Elite 8 round was the most interesting one because it was so darn close right up until the end. Tournament newcomer, Amon Amarth took on 2015 champion (who defeated Iron Maiden to win the championship) Kreator in our last match of the elite 8 round. These two bands were separated by a couple of votes for almost the whole entire round. It was quite an amazing site to see, but in the end Amon Amarth pulled off the win by only seven votes (710-703). I will be setting up the matches real soon so stay tuned. I also wanted to express how excited I was at the turn out for the tournament and where you guys are coming from because we have reached nations like Singapore, Mexico, Netherlands, Finland, Argentina, Bulgaria, Thailand, Israel, Peru, Lithuania, Taiwan, Cayman Islands, Faroe Islands, Vietnam, Macedonia, and an island named Jersey just to name a few. There were way too many nations to list, but to me that is exciting and that is what this is all about. I just hope that we can get more and more countries involved in this tournament and that Iron Maiden fans stop being so salty over this.
Moshpits And Movies 