New Music Friday 4-28-23 Preview


Check out our preview of new Rock and Metal album releases coming out this week!

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The Jon and Marsha Zazula Private Collection (Metallica, Anthrax, King’s X, KISS) Auction – Last Few Days


Backstage Auctions, Inc. is honored to present The Jon & Marsha Zazula Private Collection memorabilia auction. The Zazulas, who are inducted in the Hall of Heavy Metal History (The Metal Hall of Fame), founded Megaforce Records and cemented their position as the de-facto music label in America for heavy metal. From their humble beginnings at the Indoor Market along Route 18 in East Brunswick, New Jersey to their global recognition, awards and various inductions, the “Z’s” were trailblazers in the metal arena. This auction is a celebration of the life and careers of Jon and Marsha Zazula.

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Megaforce Records Co-founder Marsha Zazula has Died, Age 68


Sad news to report as Marsha Zazula, the legendary co-founder of Megaforce Records which launched the careers of Metallica, Anthrax, King’s X and many others, has died. She was 68 years old. News of her passing was shared by her daughter Rikki, writing: “RIP Mom April 21, 1952 -January 10, 2021 Your love, Your strength, Your memory and Your music has changed lives and will continue to FOREVER.” Marsha formed Megaforce with her husband Jon “Jonny Z” Zazula in 1983, as metal music lovers and entrepreneurs with no prior industry experience, but founded a brand that will always hold an iconic place in the hearts of metal fans and band. In Jonny’s 2020 memoir, he largely credited a lot of the success of the label to Marsha. The label released Metallica’s first two albums, 1983’s “Kill ‘Em All” and 1984’s “Ride The Lightning”, before the band signed to Elektra. Other bands they fostered and worked with included Testament, Overkill, Ace Frehley, Ministry, Stormtroopers Of Death, Raven, and many more. The Zazula’s latest venture was Breaking Bands, a music management, and services company run with Chuck Billy of Testament and Maria Ferrero. RIP Marsha.

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Mike Portnoy, Dee Snider, Chris Jericho, Ray Luzier, John Moyer, and More to Raise Money for The David Z Foundation Livestream Tonight


Stars from across Rock and Metal will join together on a livestream to raise money tonight on the David Z Foundation Livestream. David Z (David Zablidowsky) was the brilliant metal and progressive rock musician best known for his work in bands such as Adrenaline Mob, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and ZO2, died three years ago on July 17th, 2017 when a tractor-trailer collided with Adrenaline Mob’s tour bus. Check out the updated poster from Mike Portnoy’s tweet below. You can donate at the GoFundM link below and watch the live stream including artists ranging from Mike Portnoy, Dee Snider, Chris Jericho, Ray Luzier (Korn), John Moyer (Disturbed) Rikki Rockett, Don Dokken, Richie Kotzen, Billy Sheehan, Jeff Scott Soto, Carmine Appice, Eddie Trunk, Marco Mendoza, Joel Hoekstra, Tiffany, John Pooper, Alex Skolnik, Charlie Benante, Dug Pinnick, Ra Diaz and more! Continue reading


BOOK REVIEW: Jon Zazula & Harold Claros-Maldonado: Heavy Tales: The Metal. The Music. The Madness. As Lived by Jon Zazula


I wish I could say I knew Jonny Zazula back in the day, but I wasn’t quite old enough. Sure, I had heard all the stories. As a major Metallica and Anthrax fan, Jon and his wife Marsha’s life stories are Metal history as much as any riff, album or chorus. I bumped into Jon about twelve years ago at Starland Ballroom in New Jersey. I was there to see a Testament headline show. Jon and Eddie Trunk, who owes his career to Jon and Marsha to an extent, walked right by and I totally fanboyed out. I’m pretty sure I blurted out something lame like “Holy shit, Jonny Z! Thanks for everything!”, since that what was in my heart. He gave me like a half-pat on the arm, half a “hey dude I need to get by you” move and slipped past me on his way backstage. Trunk just smiled. That was my in-person brush with him, until a recent phone interview (coming soon) for this book release. The book is a memoir about an enterprising music lover who put a genre or two on his back and raised up everyone around him toward greatness.

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King’s X Enter The Studio To Begin Recording New Album


King’s X have entered Blacksound Studio in Pasadena, California with producer Michael Parnin to begin tracking their first new album in 10 years. The album is releasing later this year via Golden Robot Records. Parnin is acclaimed for his work with a varied range of artists, from Rage Against the Machine and Missy Elliott to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Barbara Streisand.Continue reading


Watch Zakk Wylde and Ice-T with Supergroup Beauty In Chaos for “Un-Natural Disaster (Collide Mix)”


A new supergroup of truly superb artists has formed! Beauty In Chaos led by guitarist Michael Ciravolo and Dug Pinnick of King’s X, are joined on their new track “Un-Natural Disaster (Collide Mix)” by Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne) Ice-T (Body Count), and Pete Parada (The Offspring) for the track! Remixed by Statik of Collide. The new release features remixes from the debut album Finding Beauty in Chaos. Both albums are produced by Ministry’s Grammy-nominated producer Michael Rozon at Ciravolo’s own SAINTinLA Studio. Check it out now!Continue reading


King’s X Hit Record “Dogman” Turns 25 Years Old


The early-to-mid 1990s was a wild time for heavy music. With the Seattle bands like Pearl Jam and Nirvana blowing up and killing off a lot of hair metal bands, and Metallica and Pantera dominating, and death and black metal gaining steam and mainstream success, other kinds of rock bands struggled to cut through. King’s X already had four albums out by the time Dogman (Atlantic) landed in shops. Their heavy rock flirted with metal, but really they have always bucked trends and classifications. Interpreting their influences and their bare lyrics full of religious symbolism and metaphors have earned them a legion of fans and lengthy career worthy of respect. Continue reading