In the wide world, 2021 was filled with stories about a virus and various other ills, but there was also plenty of noteworthy items (for better or worse) in the heavy metal realm. BraveWords recaps the top 66 news stories of 2021 that go from highs to lows to the weird and the strange.

The top stories were compiled based on the amount of views, not on story importance.

20) QUIET RIOT Announce Summer / Fall 2021 Tour Dates For The US

In a bout of curiosity for how Quiet Riot would forge on without Frankie Banali, the ‘80s rockers announced a string of summer and fall dates in May, and this was before the announcement of Rudy Sarzo back into the fold!

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19) STEVE VAI Celebrates 35th Anniversary Of DAVID LEE ROTH's "Yankee Rose" Video - "It Was A Very Different Time In The Music World And We Ate It Up... And Smiled"

Steve Vai has been wonderful at acknowledging his past works and most iconic moments. In June, the former David Lee Roth guitarist celebrated 35 years of the “Yankee Rose” video.

Vai stated, “I’ll never forget making this video. It was the first real outing with the DLR band and was just a wild experience. There was so much freedom to act out a childhood fantasy. Dave was pushing for us to be as extroverted as we could.”

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18) SUSPECT208 Feat. Sons Of SCOTT WEILAND, SLASH And ROBERT TRUJILLO Part Ways With Singer NOAH WEILAND Due To "Drug Use"

In a sad, unfortunate story, new rock group Suspect208 featuring the sons of Scott Weiland, Slash, and Robert Trujillo parted ways with singer Noah Weiland due to drug use.

The band said in a statement: "As many of you know, we let our singer, Noah, go. We were really close to him and it is the last thing we would’ve ever wanted to do, but it had to be done for his safety, as well as the longevity of the band. This decision was made by the band because it was the last thing we could do to keep going."

Check out more here.

17) JACK BLACK Mourns Passing Of School Of Rock Drummer KEVIN ALEXANDER CLARK - "Beautiful Soul; So Many Great Memories"

Tragedy struck in May when School Of Rock drummer Freddy “Spazzy McGee” Jones was killed by a motorist while biking in Chicago’s Avondale. He was only 32 years old.

Actor Jack Black said in a social media post, “Beautiful soul. So many great memories.”

Read more here.

16) RATT Cover Model, WHITESNAKE Video Star TAWNY KITAEN Dead At 59

In more sad news, Whitesnake video star Tawny Kitaen died at the age of 59 in Newport, California. During the '80s, Tawny starred in four Whitesnake videos: "Here I Go Again", "Still Of The Night", "Is This Love", and "The Deeper The Love". She was briefly married to Whitesnake's lead singer, David Coverdale from 1989 to 1991.

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15) DAVID ELLEFSON Looks Back On Guitarist KERRY KING Leaving MEGADETH For SLAYER - "He Saw There Was An Audience For It, And The Bay Area Was The Holy Grail"

In May, former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson was a guest on Waste Some Time With Jason Green and spoke about Kerry King’s brief stint in the band and his leaving of the group to join Slayer.

Ellefson said, “So we debuted the band in early 1984 in San Francisco with Kerry King on guitar, Lee Rausch on drums, me, and Dave. We'd go back up again in April, February and April of '84, we debuted the group, and right after that, Kerry King decides he's going back to Slayer full-time - because he saw there was an audience for it, and the Bay Area was the holy grail. Kerry saw that, and that's it, that's, 'I now see the vision of Slayer.'"

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14) CHRIS HOLMES - “Defenders Of The Faith And Born Again Had Just Come Out, So You Think I’m Going To Be Proud Of The W.A.S.P. Album?”

Previewing an interview with BraveWords, former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes did not have nice things to say about the W.A.S.P. debut.

Holmes said, “The first W.A.S.P. album to me wasn’t a guitar record to me, because the guitars were buried in the background. Defenders Of The Faith had just come out, and before the W.A.S.P album there was Born Again, so you think I’m going to be proud of W.A.S.P.?”

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13) RUSH Guitarist ALEX LIFESON - "I Think Beer, Most Likely, Is Better Than Being Hit In The Head With A Hammer"; Video

Rush’s Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee posted an entertaining video in December promoting their new Rush Canadian Golden Ale with Lifeson remarking “I think beer, most likely, is better than being hit in the head with a hammer.”

Watch it here.

12) DAVID COVERDALE On Upcoming WHITESNAKE Tour - "It WILL Be A Farewell Tour... It's Hard Enough Now To Get Into Me Jeans"; Video

Receiving The Rock Honours Award, Planet Rock spoke to Whitesnake mainman David Coverdale and the singer confirmed their upcoming tour would indeed be a farewell as Covedale is ready to call it a day.

See it here.

11) KISS Launch New "Official" Bootleg Live Series; Off The Soundboard: Tokyo Dome - Tokyo, Japan 3/13/2001 Triple Vinyl Set For June Release

KISS was finally going back into the vaults and the announcement of a new live series called Off The Soundboard was announced. The concert featured was Tokyo, Japan from March 2001 and featured the odd, short-lived lineup of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Eric Singer.

Read more here.