In a recent interview with Kevin Ryder and Megan Holiday of the KROQ radio station, EVANESCENCE's Amy Lee was asked what fans can expect from her and her bandmates in the coming months. She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "More of the goodness. We are just full speed ahead, making stuff, putting stuff out, doing stuff on the side. We're in a super just energized creatively mode this year."

Asked if there is a release date for EVANESCENCE's next album, the singer responded: "I don't have a date. I don't like to set a date until it's really done. So, we're recording now. We're writing now. We're doing this album kind of in a way that is very freeform. We have a few songs with one producer, we have a few songs with another one over here. We're just doing whatever feels good. No rules except what the song wants."

Earlier this month, EVANESCENCE and alt-rock visionary K.Flay released the video for their new song "Fight Like A Girl". The track plays over the end credits of "Ballerina", the latest film set in the world of "John Wick", now playing in theatres and available on PVOD. The clip was helmed by Chad Stahelski, director of the "John Wick" films and producer of "Ballerina".

EVANESCENCE will kick off a run of live shows later this year, including "My Chemical Romance: The Black Parade" tour and Louder Than Life festival before joining METALLICA on their "M72" world tour.

Co-written by Lee, K.Flay, Dylan Eiland and "Ballerina" film composer Tyler Bates, who also produced the track, "Fight Like A Girl" followed the release of Halsey and Lee's thunderous track "Hand That Feeds", the first original song recently revealed from the film in early May.

In 2003, when the rock charts were dominated by predominantly male nü-metal and post-grunge acts, a young female-fronted band from Arkansas stood out from the crowd, offering something entirely new. They were EVANESCENCE — and with their debut album, "Fallen", they transformed the rock landscape. Led by Lee, EVANESCENCE's cinematic blend of metal and symphonic, piano-driven melodies captured a generation, while "Fallen" set the band on a path to global superstardom, earning them multiple Grammys, and becoming one of the highest-selling albums of all time.

Released in the spring of 2003, "Fallen" resonated deeply with fans, selling more than 141,000 copies in its first week and peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, where it spent an astonishing 43 weeks in the Top 10. Within a month, "Fallen" was certified platinum by the RIAA, while it was a Top 10 hit in more than ten countries, reaching No. 1 in the U.K., Canada, Australia, and across Europe. Much of the album's initial success can be attributed to its stratospheric singles, including "Bring Me to Life", which broke the Top 10 in more than 15 countries and topped Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 and Alternative Airplay charts. "My Immortal" was a Top 10 hit in over ten countries, including the U.S., U.K. and Australia.

At the 2004 Grammys, EVANESCENCE received five nominations, including "Album Of The Year", "Best Rock Album", "Best Hard Rock Performance" for "Bring Me To Life", and "Best New Artist", taking home the latter two. The following year, "My Immortal" received a nod for "Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals".

Today, "Fallen" holds steady as the sixth best-selling album of the 21st century (ranking just behind Lady Gaga's "The Fame" and ahead of COLDPLAY's "A Rush Of Blood To The Head") and remains one of the best-selling albums of all time, with more than 17 million copies sold worldwide. In 2022, "Fallen" received a rare diamond certification from the RIAA, which recognizes 10 million units in U.S. album sales. As a testament to the album's enduring appeal, the video for "Bring Me To Life" surpassed 1.2 billion views on YouTube, making it one of the most-watched rock videos of all-time while "My Immortal" follows close behind.

To date, EVANESCENCE has released a total of five studio albums, including the multi-platinum "The Open Door" (2004) and "Evanescence" (2011),both of which topped the Billboard 200. In 2021, the band thrilled fans with their first album of new material in a decade, "The Bitter Truth". Now 20 years on, EVANESCENCE continues to scale new heights. Featuring a lineup of Amy Lee (vocals, keyboards),Tim McCord (guitar/bass),Will Hunt (drums),Troy McLawhorn (guitars) and Emma Anzai (bass, backing vocals),the band continues to travel the globe, staging some of the most successful shows of their career, including Allianz Parque, a soccer stadium in Sāo Paulo, Brasil, which was the biggest headline show of EVANESCENCE's career to date, drawing 40,000 fans. EVANESCENCE's most recent single, "Afterlife" from the Netflix series "Devil May Cry", has had great success, with over 20 million streams and over 10 million views on YouTube in just the first few weeks. "Afterlife" is the fastest-moving single of the band's career.

The Eclipse channel on YouTube has uploaded video of QUEENSRŸCHE's July 18 concert at Sycuan Casino Resort in El Cajon, California. Check out the clips in the YouTube playlist below. (Note: After each song, the YouTube player automatically jumps to the next song in the playlist.)

According to Setlist.fm, the setlist for the show was as follows:

01. Queen Of The Reich
02. Operation: Mindcrime
03. Walk In The Shadows
04. The Lady Wore Black
05. Breaking The Silence
06. I Don't Believe In Love
07. The Mission
08. Warning
09. Behind The Walls
10. Take Hold Of The Flame
11. Silent Lucidity
12. Jet City Woman
13. Screaming In Digital

Encore:

14. Empire
15. Eyes Of A Stranger

Earlier in the month, QUEENSRŸCHE announced that it will hit the road this fall on the "Volume And Vengeance Tour" alongside special guests ACCEPT. The trek will kick off on November 7 in Denver, Colorado at Summit and will conclude on December 20 in Temecula, California at Pechanga Theater Casino.

QUEENSRŸCHE vocalist Todd La Torre commented: "We are extremely excited to announce our upcoming 2025 U.S. fall tour with metal legends ACCEPT!

"For years and years both bands have discussed wanting to do a proper tour together, and the time has finally arrived. And while we both have our unique stylistic approaches, both bands continue to have a deep and revered history, shared by an amazing fanbase that is sure to enjoy this moment in time.

"So it is with great pleasure that we invite you to experience the 'Volume And Vengeance Tour' with QUEENSRŸCHE and ACCEPT, and be part of metal musical history with us! See you soon!!!"

In a recent interview with Sonoridades Inc., QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton spoke about La Torre, who joined the group in 2012 as the replacement for QUEENSRŸCHE's original vocalist Geoff Tate. Michael said: "[Todd has] helped keep us relevant. He's a great songwriter, but he's not just a vocalist and a lyric writer. He's a drummer. He can play guitar. He can speak to you and communicate to you as a musician, not just a singer. I mean, he grew up in Florida in the metal era, and he's got a lot of that influence, but he's very melodic as well. And he's got a killer voice. So I think it's just something that in the evolution of post-QUEENSRŸCHE, it's, like, we are still doing it and kicking ass. And hopefully we'll have something new out in the future."

Regarding the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the follow-up to 2022's "Digital Noise Alliance", Michael said: "Right now we're writing. We're doing so much touring right now, it's hard to figure out where we will have a block of time to make an album. But before we went to Europe, we brought Zeuss [Chris Harris], our producer, down to Florida, and we worked on some ideas. We just started writing. And that's where we're at right now."

Wilton also talked about QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Casey Grillo, who joined the band in 2017 as the replacement for the original QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield. He said:  "[Casey is] an amazing player and he brings so much to QUEENSRŸCHE. He respects the songs, but he's such a dynamic player. He's very talented, and he helps in the writing process as well. So, yeah, he's been in the band over five years, six years, or whatever it is, seven, and, yeah, he's great."

In October 2021, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge. A few months later, Wilton and Jackson filed a countersuit against Rockenfield, accusing him of abandoning his position as a member of the band and misappropriating the group's assets to his own personal benefit. That dispute has since been settled out of court.

This past April, La Torre was asked by Chile's iRock.cl how QUEENSRYCHE's sound has changed since he joined the group 13 years ago as the replacement for Tate. He responded: "I think that the band kind of got its sound back, more of the roots, the heavier kind of sound that QUEENSRYCHE was known for early on. There was a long period of time where the music got more adult contemporary and less hard rock and heavy metal and progressive and all of the different elements that QUEENSRŸCHE was kind of known for. So I think me being in the band — I mean, it could have been any other singer — has allowed these guys to completely write whatever they wanna write without it being turned down as being too heavy, for example, 'cause that had happened."

He continued: "I love the old classic stuff. We perform all the songs in the standard tunings like they were recorded, so there's nothing downtuned that changes the way they sound. I think that's helped contribute to kind of the resurgence of the band. But we just write songs, and sometimes I think, 'Oh, I wanna write a masterpiece of a song like 'Roads To Madness'' or a great song like 'Take Hold Of The Flame' or — I don't know — songs off of '[Operation:] Mindcrime', for example. But we all have a great time and the chemistry in the band is perfect. We all are super, super close. We all get along off the stage so well that it really kind of… I think that the contribution that I bring in is the jokes, the laughter, the creativity with music and art idea, artistic ideas with album covers and video concepts and that kind of thing. I don't know. That's the best way I could answer it, is I'm just one fifth of QUEENSRŸCHE. But the band is in a very healthy state."

Regarding how he sees the future of QUEENSRŸCHE, Todd said: "Oh, man. I kind of see the future as kind of what we're doing still. A lot of bands have retired, and we're still out there. There's nothing in the future that I see of the band retiring. I mean, we play about a hundred shows a year. So probably more of the same — just performing live shows, writing new songs and making new records and promoting our art that way. But, I mean, really it boils down to the live concert. That's really what we are now."

In a separate interview with Brazil's Monsters Of Rock, Todd was asked which "unexplored musical directions" he would like to see QUEENSRŸCHE go in on the band's upcoming follow-up to "Digital Noise Alliance". He said: "[We're] kind of [doing] the same thing as what we've been doing. I mean, we don't go in writing a record with a preconceived idea. We just get in a room and [go], 'Hey, show me your guitar parts. What do you have in your mind?' And we kind of all get together in a room and just see what happens in real time. So as far as unexplored musical directions… Personally, I'd love to hear more clean guitar on the next record, maybe some more spacious stuff, some more clean guitar. Orchestration is always fun to work with. It's very huge and cinematic sounding. So those are fun things to play with. Maybe some different percussion things would be interesting to play around with again.

"But, gosh, after 40-plus years, I think without completely changing the band, the band's style of music, I don't know that there's really any too much unexplored musical directions," he continued. "I mean, QUEENSRŸCHE's kind of done a lot within the large space that QUEENSRŸCHE has to run around in. I mean, if we were to do something — we wouldn't write a hip-hop song, we wouldn't write a death metal song. So within the confines of what QUEENSRŸCHE kind of is, as diverse as it as it is, I don't know what kind of unexplored musical directions there would be. On the next one, I mean, I would love to, like I say, play around with some other clean guitar sounds, maybe some more interesting percussion things — like the song 'I Am I' had some really neat percussion things going on."

Guitarist Mike Stone, who rejoined QUEENSRŸCHE in 2021, contributed guitar solos to the band's latest studio album.

Since late May 2021, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July 2021 that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on "other business ventures."

Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album "Tribe" and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.

In a new interview with RichardMetalFan, OBITUARY bassist Terry Butler was asked about the possibility of a new studio album from the veteran Florida death metallers. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "We're just kind of talking about, hey, maybe by '26 or '27 we'll have another album out, possibly. We haven't set any kind of release date. There's really no songs even recorded yet or anything like that. It's just kind of just amongst ourselves kind of kicking ideas around. That's it."

OBITUARY recently celebrated the 35th anniversary of its second album, "Cause Of Death", on a North American tour. Support on the trek came from NAILS, TERROR, SPIRITWORLD and PEST CONTROL.

OBITUARY's latest studio album, "Dying Of Everything", came out in January 2023 via Relapse Records.

In 2022, Decibel Books released "Turned Inside Out: The Official Story Of Obituary", the fully authorized biography of OBITUARY. The book was written by David E. Gehlke, author of "Damn The Machine: The Story Of Noise Records" and "No Celebration: The Official Story Of Paradise Lost".

In a 2023 interview with Invisible Oranges, OBITUARY drummer Donald Tardy stated about the six-year gap between 2017’s self-titled album and "Dying Of Everything": "COVID had everything to do with it. We've been sitting on this album for two years; we started writing it five years ago. When we did the SLAYER tour in Europe, we were hell bound to get home and write an album. The plans were to obviously ride the coattails and get back to Europe on a headlining tour and talk about a new album. But then COVID took everything out. So we realized that we had a fucking awesome start to an album, so what are you gonna do when you realize you're gonna be home for more than just months? We were home, so we just really focused on the songs that we had; wrote some more songs and really focused on, how can you make them killer? And then the recording process… we really took our time because we knew that we were not going to put an album out when we’re sitting on our couches because of COVID. So a lot of bands released records when they were sitting at home."

He added: "I'm not 20 years old anymore, and there's not that many more albums coming out of OBITUARY. This was the 11th one; this was the one we knew was super important. And so we've been sitting on it for two years. It's been finished and in our back pockets waiting for the world to open up, especially Europe. Because Europe hadn't seen us since 2016."

Regarding OBITUARY's longevity, Donald said: "My brother [OBITUARY frontman John Tardy] says it a lot of interviews, and I don't often repeat him, but we're doing something that we're having a good time doing. And if we don't have a good time doing it, we'll find something else to do. I think that's a great way to put it.

"My brother and I moved to Tampa, Florida from Miami, Florida in 1980. Within minutes, I met Trevor [Peres, OBITUARY guitarist] and I was only a 10-year-old kid. And by the time we were 12 years old, we already had the bug and we knew what we wanted; we wanted to be a band. And we've been best friends for 40-something years. And the longevity of the career with this band is simply that we're all brothers, we kind of get along, beyond just bandmates. We're lifetime friends, and, genuinely, we have a good time together. We're fortunate that we found each other in life, and we're good friends. And that's the success plan that kept OBITUARY together now for going on 35 years."

That same year, Donald told Kerrang! magazine that the extended hiatus he and his OBITUARY bandmates went on in 1997 was a positive experience. "Hindsight is 20/20," he said. "At the time we didn't know if that break was going to be one year, two years, six years or whatever it was. But, looking back, it was fantastic for us to step away and recharge, to get away from the music industry and that scene at the age that we were. And we were gone for long enough that we were hungry again when we got back onstage. It's weird to look back at how long ago that was. Our 'second career' has lasted longer than a lot of bands' entire existences."

Photo credit: Tim Hubbard

NEFARIOUS, the new California-based thrash metal band featuring Katon W. De Pena (HIRAX) on vocals, Rick Hunolt (EXODUS, DIEHUMANE) and Doug Piercy (HEATHEN, ANVIL CHORUS) on guitar, Tom Gears (BLIND ILLUSION, ANCIENT MARINER) on bass and Will Carroll (DEATH ANGEL) on drums, made its live debut last night (Saturday, July 19) at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

NEFARIOUS's debut album, "Addicted To Power", came out on July 18 via Relentless "Metal" Records, with the collector vinyl available through Hectic/Bleeding Priest Records.

Regarding how NEFARIOUS came together, Katon told The Metal Crypt: "I think it was going to be a solo record for Doug Piercy at first. We had all run into each other from years of playing in the same scene. It seemed like the timing was really what it was. I did a couple of benefits. I did one for Tom Hunting from EXODUS where we raised money for his hospital bills. We did another one for Sean Killian, the singer from VIO-LENCE. At those benefits, I saw a lot of these musicians. We talked to each other and obviously talked about music. Then it came around to where we played some shows together. I think that's what made us all notice each other a little bit more, like, 'Hey, I wonder what it would be like to play with those guys.' Even though I live in Los Angeles, I go up to San Francisco quite often. It's been working out pretty well. We're just going to keep writing music. The one thing that we all have in common is we love writing music. I think that's what keeps us so motivated to do this."

On the topic of NEFARIOUS's musical influences, Katon said: "We all listen to a lot of music. Some of it would surprise people. Obviously, there's going to be heavy metal influences in there because we all grew up on DEEP PURPLE and early SCORPIONS. We love Uli John Roth, obviously, BLACK SABBATH and THIN LIZZY, bands like that. You can't help it. When you play music for as long as we have, other styles of music are going to come into play, whether it's classical music or jazz. Myself, I love stuff like Luciano Pavarotti. There's going to be those things. It also helps the songwriting because you take from some of your heroes, like Jimi Hendrix or, like I said, back to opera music or classical music, you can't help but intertwine some of that in the music. That is in the roots of the music. Then, obviously, thrash metal plays a very big part of it, because we all came from a lot of the early bands. There's going to be some of those influences. People will hear a little bit of the EXODUS thing; they will hear a little bit of the HIRAX thing. Even with Doug, he's just a well-rounded guitar player, and his songwriting skills are majorly off the charts. This guy's got a big brain, and he really has a great way of looking at music. People are going to hear the stuff that we grew up on, whether it's BUDGIE or any of that kind of stuff. They're also going to hear thrash metal mixed in with elements of classical music."

Describing NEFARIOUS's sound, Katon said: "I think we're a cross between, obviously, early thrash metal, but also a lot of the heavy metal influence is there as well. You will hear some harmonies, bands like [IRON] MAIDEN and THIN LIZZY. We'd be lying if we said that wasn't there, because we grew up on that stuff. DEEP PURPLE's a big influence. RAINBOW. Obviously, Ritchie Blackmore, stuff like that. It's going to be in there. I think we also have a different way of looking at it, because we've been doing it for so long. We're not trying to be like a lot of the other bands, and we're not trying to be modern. There are modern sounds, because we're recording in modern studios. The music's definitely coming from the right place. I think that people hear that when they listen to this new song 'One Nation Enslaved', you can hear that we definitely have stuck to our guns. We're not trying to do commercial music, but we also are writing songs that are memorable."

Earlier this month, NEFARIOUS released the official music video for the "Addicted To Power" title track, a ferocious anthem for the disillusioned and the defiant. "Addicted To Power" delivers razor-sharp riffs, breakneck rhythms, and politically charged lyrics that cut straight to the bone. With legendary thrash titans Hunolt and Piercy unleashing guitar fury, De Pena on vocals, secret weapon Gears on bass, and Carroll on the skins, NEFARIOUS blends classic old-school thrash intensity with a sophisticated edge. The accompanying music video is a raw, performance piece filmed at Soundwave Studios in Oakland, California. The clip captures the essence of NEFARIOUS: unapologetic, unrelenting, and razor-focused on truth through sound.

This song is about the insatiable hunger for control and the destruction it leaves behind, a reflection of times we are all experiencing right now.

"Addicted To Power" followed previously released, critically praised tracks "Master Plan" and "One Nation Enslaved", which were made available earlier this spring.

The music for "Addicted To Power" was recorded at Subterranean Studio in Oakland, California and Pyramid Studio in San Francisco, California. It was mixed by Damien Rasmussen of Smoke And Mirrors Productions.

Leading the charge is De Pena, whose signature vocal attack sets the stage for a sonic onslaught. On guitars, the twin-axe assault is nothing short of legendary — Hunolt and Piercy unleash a relentless barrage of riffs and searing solos that define the essence of thrash metal's golden era while pushing its boundaries forward. Anchoring the chaos with a thunderous backbone is Gears, whose low-end power drives the band's relentless groove. Behind the kit, Carroll delivers a percussive assault that is both ferocious and exact, ensuring that every track hits with maximum impact.

Hunolt commented: "I'm so honored to be with this amazing group of dudes. About to release some old-school thrash on you mofos. It's long overdue, and I'm confident you guys will love it as much as we do. You, our metal brothers and sisters, deserve it. See you on the road. Let's fuckin go!!!"

De Pena added: "We're not a band. We are a gang ready to crush skulls and make eardrums bleed ... Necks will be sore ...!!"

Piercy exclaimed: "Let’s get ready to rage! We are really stoked to finally be able to release this stuff and discuss it. It's been under wraps for a while. More insane videos and shows are coming soon! We hope everybody enjoys this release as much as we had fun creating it, for you all!"

Guitarist Phil Fasciana of long-running Florida death metallers MALEVOLENT CREATION remains in ICU (Intensive Care Unit) at a hospital in Montpelier, France after developing a severe case of bacterial pneumonia.

On Friday (July 17),Fasciana's MALEVOLENT CREATION bandmate Jesse Jolly (bass, lead vocals) released a video message in which he stated (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Hey, guys. Jesse here from MALEVOLENT CREATION. I just wanted to take a minute to give everyone the most sort of recent update that we've received regarding Phil's condition. He's still in the ICU in Montpelier, France. On a positive note, it does appear that some of his numbers are returning a little bit to normal due to the intravenous medication that he's receiving while he is dealing with his bacterial pneumonia. It's a very serious condition. And bacterial pneumonia can be absolutely life threatening in any age group, but most certainly anyone a little younger or a little older can absolutely contract this and then it can be a very quick and very sudden onset.

"So we just wanna take a moment and thank all of you very much from the bottom of our hearts for the outpour of love and support for our boy Phil," Jesse continued. "He loves his friends, his fans and his bandmates dearly. And his family, they're obviously going through a lot. We love them and we wish them peace during this time of stress, because being this far away from your brother, from your son, it's gotta be an absolute nightmare. So please continue the love and support for Phil. We will update you as soon as we find out any changes, hopefully positive changes only. So please keep Phil in your thoughts, your hopes, and if it's your thing, keep him in your prayers. We all greatly support it. Thank you all so much. And we will update you as soon as we know more. Thank you."

As a result of Phil's hospitalization, the other members of the band — Ronnie Parmer (drums),Jolly (and Chris Cannella (guitar) — are playing the remaining shows of the band's in-progress European tour as a three-piece, beginning with this past Thursday night's (July 17) concert at Razzmatazz in Barcelona, Spain.

When MALEVOLENT CREATION went public with Fasciana's latest health battles, Ronnie, Jesse and Chris released the following statement via social media: "Dear MALEVOLENT fans, far and wide: It is with immense sadness that we report our helmsman Phillip Fasciana was admitted to the ICU in Montpelier, France last night. He developed what the doctors deemed to be a severe case of bacterial pneumonia, which may have spread to surrounding organs. He has been listed as being in critical condition. His family has been notified and will be deciding on next steps, based on what is best for Phil's condition and overall health.

"We are all crushed to see him in this situation, and it is absolutely life-threatening. So please, please keep Phil in your thoughts and/or prayers with hope he makes a full recovery. Make no mistake, this is a very bad situation and we greatly appreciate your love and understanding. It is with the support and direction of his immediate family that have requested we finish the remainder of the tour in Phil's absence, as he needs to focus on his recovery.

"Eternal gratitude for your support -Jesse, Ronnie, Chris".

Fasciana is the sole remaining original member of MALEVOLENT CREATION, which formed in in Buffalo, New York in 1986 and later relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

MALEVOLENT CREATION's latest album, "The 13th Beast", was released in January 2019 via Century Media. It was the band's sole disc to feature drummer Phil Cancilla and vocalist/guitarist Lee Wollenschlaeger.

Former MALEVOLENT CREATION frontman Bret Hoffmann died in July 2018 after a battle with stage 4 colon cancer. He was only 51 years old.

Bret performed on the first three MALEVOLENT CREATION releases until he left the band after 1993's "Stillborn" album. Five years later, he returned and performed on "The Fine Art Of Murder" and "Envenomed" before leaving again and being replaced by Kyle Symons. He rejoined MALEVOLENT again in 2006 and appeared on three more of the group's albums, 2007's "Doomsday X", 2010's "Invidious Dominion" and 2015's "Dead Man's Path". He exited the group once again in 2016 and was replaced by Wollenschlaeger.

BLACK SABBITCH — the all-female powerhouse hailed as the most popular BLACK SABBATH tribute band in the world — has officially signed with heavyweight label Ripple Music. The band is set to release a live album "Unrest In The West" on November 7 to a global audience.

About the upcoming release, BLACK SABBITCH drummer Angie Scarpa comments: "Every night on tour, we make time to visit with fans, and the number one question we're asked is, 'When will you make a live album we can buy'? So when Ripple Music came calling the only dilemma we faced was what to include. Thirteen years in, we have a huge catalog of material we play (enough for eight records). We wanted to make a fun, hard-hitting record that felt like our live shows and not lean on the same old setlist you might hear from countless others. We hope you enjoy the selections."

Formed in 2012 by acclaimed session drummer Angie Scarpa, BLACK SABBITCH quickly became a force to be reckoned with, recruiting an all-star lineup of musicians including Emily Burton (FIREBALL MINISTRY),Melanie Makaiwi (PENNY DREADFULS, SCARLING) and Alice Austin (ZOLA TURN). Over the past decade, the band has captivated audiences worldwide, selling out shows and earning the respect of critics, fans, and fellow musicians alike.

BLACK SABBITCH has transcended the typical "tribute band" label, delivering electrifying performances that honor the spirit of BLACK SABBATH while adding their own unique energy and intensity. Their talent and dedication have earned them coveted spots at major festivals and events, including performing at Cal Jam with FOO FIGHTERS, and playing to a crowd of 80,000 at Wacken Open Air in Germany.

The band has also headlined Psycho Las Vegas and the Maryland Doom Fest, performed on the Kiss Kruise at the request of Paul Stanley, and collaborated with artists like Nick Zinner (YEAH YEAH YEAHS),Shepard Fairey and PEACHES. Critics have praised BLACK SABBITCH for their ability to capture the potency and swing of the original SABBATH catalog, with publications like LA Weekly, Times Union and San Diego Reader calling their performances "captivating," "undeniable," and "spellbinding."

With "Unrest In The West", BLACK SABBITCH is poised to bring their stunning live experience to fans around the globe. Featuring deep cuts like "A National Acrobat" and "Wheels Of Confusion", this is a must-have collection for SABBATH worshipers everywhere.

BLACK SABBITCH is:

Angie Scarpa - Drums
Melanie Makaiwi - Bass
Emily Burton - Guitar
Alice Austin - Vocals

Mysterious masked British rock band PRESIDENT, which is rumored to be fronted by Charlie Simpson of the pop-punk act BUSTED and the post-hardcore outfit FIGHTSTAR, will release its debut EP, "King Of Terrors", on September 26 via King Of Terrors/ADA.

The title, which is a Biblical reference, sees the EP address themes of darkness, religion, and the ultimate maker to life — death.

New single "Rage" explores a new sonic avenue for PRESIDENT, incorporating a much more synth laden, electronic landscape. The song's lyrical themes were inspired by Dylan Thomas's epic poem — "Do not go gentle into that good night."

PRESIDENT said in a statement: "'King Of Terrors'. The Inaugural EP. Forged in solitude. Shaped by memory. These are chapters drawn from the shadows we tend to sidestep — because facing them demands more than most are willing to give.

"PRESIDENT began as an attempt toconfront the uncomfortable. To watch others embrace that confrontation has been quietly profound. There to be done. We press forward."

Operating at the intersection of heavy music, electronic experimentation, and cinematic atmosphere, PRESIDENT doesn't conform to the traditional structures of genre or identity. Prioritizing intent over image and shifting the spotlight away from those who have created this movement, firmly on to the music itself.

Notably, King Of Terrors Limited is a London-based company with Charles Robert Simpson listed as its director.

In February, it was announced that PRESIDENT would perform at this year's Download festival. At the time, very little information about the band's identities was released, and a photograph of PRESIDENT on the event's web site depicted a shadowy figure against a red neon-lit backdrop.

Earlier this year, a Reddit user discovered that the U.K. trademark for "PRESIDENT" was registered under Komorebi Entertainment Limited, a company owned by Simpson.

Simpson previously wore a mask for his appearance on the British version of the singing show "The Masked Singer" in 2023 as Rhino.

PRESIDENT made its live debut in June on the Dogtooth Stage at Download festival.

The band will play its first headlining concert on July 30 at The Garage in London.

Charlie is a 40-year-old multi-instrumentalist who was born into a musical family. He began his career as one third of the multi-BRIT award-winning pop rock outfit BUSTED before forming alternative rock group FIGHTSTAR.

Jason Richardson, an American heavy metal guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and teacher known for a highly original, deeply technical style on seven and eight-string guitarist, has today shared the video for his version of "Hedwig's Theme". Watch it below.

"I'm so excited to finally have this coming out after working on it for so long," Richardson shares. "I've always wanted to hear this iconic piece from John Williams arranged this way. Studying his music has been such a tedious but unbelievably rewarding and informative journey! I was psycho enough to get my hands on a conductor's book of the orchestra score. I read and recreated the entire thing from the ground up, note-for-note so I could have the entire orchestra in the song as well!"

He finishes, "Once I did that, I went in and figured out all the guitar, bass and drum parts I wanted, while still trying to maintain the dynamics and spirit of his music, but with my own spin on it."

Richardson grew up in Manassas, Virginia. His father is a musician, and instruments were all over the house. He took piano lessons in the fourth grade, but gave them up. Though he could emulate what his teacher was doing on the keys, he couldn't learn — yet — to read music. In the fifth grade, he tried violin and drums. The kit became his main instrument for a time, but he wanted to learn guitar in order to be able to write songs. At 12, his father gave him a gothic black Gibson Les Paul. He practiced endlessly. Obsessed with the band DREAM THEATER and in particular the song "This Dying Soul", he began cutting lawns and doing odd jobs in order to purchase a seven-string instrument. He bought his first at 14. His inventive technique began to develop while in a local band called GALLOWS HILL (with future VEIL OF MAYA bassist Danny Hauser). Trying to promote the group, he answered a trade ad to audition for ALL SHALL PERISH, hoping he could shine a light on his own group.

Instead, he won the audition and left high school in February 2009 — with three months left until graduation. He hit the road for 10 months with ALL SHALL PERISH. After touring together with BORN OF OSIRIS, Richardson filled in on a tour for guitarist Tosin Abasi (ANIMALS AS LEADERS),who was playing with the band at the time and had a scheduling conflict. Richardson ended up leaving ALL SHALL PERISH to begin his tenure with BORN OF OSIRIS. He remained with the group for more than two years and played on 2011's "The Discovery".

Richardson then joined deathcore act CHELSEA GRIN following the departure of guitarist Michael Stafford when he was unceremoniously fired from BORN OF OSIRIS in 2011. He remained with the band until 2015, playing on the "Evolve" and "Lilith" EPs and 2014's "Ashes To Ashes" album. His departure was mutual and amicable.

Almost immediately, Richardson launched a crowdfunding effort to finance his debut solo effort. He reached his goal quickly and went into the studio, playing many instruments himself and enlisting help from friends including drummer Luke Holland, vocalists Spencer Sotelo (PERIPHERY) and Lukas Magyar (VEIL OF MAYA) and guest guitarists such as Rick Graham, Jeff Loomis, Nick Johnston, Mark Holcomb (PERIPHERY) and Jacky Vincent. The album I was issued in the summer of 2016.

Richardson joined ALL THAT REMAINS on lead guitar after the tragic passing of their lead guitarist and co-founding member Oli Herbert in late 2018.

The follow-up album to his well-received first solo effort, "II", was released in the summer of 2022 and has Luke Holland on the drums again and a guest spot from POLYPHIA's Tim Henson.

Richardson has also collaborated with such artists as FALLING IN REVERSE, POLYPHIA, AUGUST BURNS RED, VEIL OF MAYA and WITHIN DESTRUCTION.

Former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Howard Jones has entered the studio to begin recording his debut solo album. Helming the sessions for the effort — which are apparently taking place at Sparrow Sound in Glendale, California — is the production team of Josh Gilbert, an acclaimed producer and bassist/vocalist who previously played in AS I LAY DYING and is a current member of SPIRITBOX, and engineer Joseph McQueen (BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, AS I LAY DYING, SUICIDE SILENCE).

Earlier today (Saturday, July 19),Jones took to his Instagram to share a few photos from the studio, and he included the following message: "I'm back with the dream team of Josh and Joseph, my solo album recording has officially begun. We have talked about this for a couple years, thrilled to finally get started. Lots to share with several projects over the next few months, thank you to everyone who has kept up with this crazy ride. Here we go!"

Jones has and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz recently completed work on the debut album from their collaborative project BURN ETERNAL.

Jones left KILLSWITCH ENGAGE in 2012 and battled manic depression and bipolar disorder before forming a new project, DEVIL YOU KNOW, with guitarist Francesco Artusato (ALL SHALL PERISH) and drummer John Sankey (DEVOLVED). Along with bassist Ryan Wombacher (BLEEDING THROUGH),they recorded and toured behind two well-received albums, 2014's "The Beauty Of Destruction" and 2015's "They Bleed Red". In 2017, the band changed its name to LIGHT THE TORCH.

Jones makes an appearance on KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's latest album, 2019's "Atonement", contributing guest vocals to the song "The Signal Fire".

Jones discussed his previous mental health issues in a 2016 interview with Metal Hammer. He said: "For a lot of the time during the whole manic depression thing, I didn't realize how bad I was. I thought the high levels of anxiety I was experiencing was just my lot in life, I didn't realize that there was help on hand for me to be able to deal with that. I thought that I was just meant to feel really nervous around large crowds. Now it's like being a kid again, because I can deal with it, so I've got my passion back and it's great."

Asked what made him get back into music after leaving KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, Howard told Heavy New York: "Honestly, I think it was because I was just kind of tired of doing nothing and I don't do much else other than music. I felt like I needed to venture out because I was basically agoraphobic for three years. It's kind of well known. I went off the grid. I didn't have a cell phone for three years — I was gone. It felt, like, 'Okay, maybe I should dip my toe in. I don't have to do it full time. I don't have to do what I don't want to do.' That's all I was thinking. I started moving, I started doing things. It was definitely a struggle, especially for the first few years. I was, like, 'What am I doing?' There's been few things in my life that has been consistent other than music. I just did it. It just took some time, then all of the sudden, the spark showed up. I fell back in love with what I was doing. I really can't explain it. It just sort of happened."

Current KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach appeared on the band's self-titled debut and sophomore album, "Alive Or Just Breathing", before exiting the group. Jones took over on vocals for "The End Of Heartache", "As Daylight Dies" and the 2009 self-titled set before being dismissed from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE 12 years ago and being replaced by a returning Leach.

In 2012, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE bassist Mike D'Antonio told Boston Globe that the band's split with Jones was necessitated by the singer's struggle with personal issues, including diabetes that had gone untreated for several years. "It became very apparent we had to move on without him," D'Antonio said. "Howard didn't quit."

Photo credit: Hristo Shindov

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MEGADETH bassist James LoMenzo has confirmed that the Dave Mustaine-fronted outfit was not invited to take part in the "Back To The Beginning" charity concert in Birmingham, United Kingdom earlier in the month.

In a post in the Back To The Beginning - Black Sabbath's Final Concert Facebook group, Charrie Foglio, who spent a decade under the tutelage of Doc McGhee (BON JOVI, KISS) as part of the McGhee Entertainment artist management company, shared a portion of the interview she conducted with LoMenzo on July 9 for Japan's BURRN! magazine. After Foglio noted that three out of the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal played at the event — a reference to METALLICA, SLAYER and ANTHRAX — but not MEGADETH, LoMenzo said: "Charrie, I'm going to let the cat out of the bag. The truth of the matter is, I don't believe that anybody asked us, which was fine. Not everybody gets invited to every party. But at the same time, when we were in Europe last week, David said that he was reaching out to everybody and telling them that we were in the neighborhood and that we were close enough to come. And if they wanted us to, we could stay over for a few days and work it out... If they wanted us to. I don't know what our manager had accomplished with that, but it didn't get accomplished, so we just came home."

He continued: "So I know what you're saying [about one 'Big Four' band missing from the event]. Even before all of this started, everyone was saying, 'Well, what about MEGADETH?' It was really funny to read because there was no invite and there was no talking to people, there was actually nothing to do with any of it. It was this exciting situation where we're celebrating Ozzy [Osbourne] in his retirement... Anyway, the show was amazing! I would have loved to have been there. I knew about the show months and months ago.

"I've been recording with [original BLACK SABBATH drummer] Bill Ward," LoMenzo revealed. "He's been doing his [new solo] record, and every now and then I'll get this wonderful phone call from his assistant Walter saying that 'Bill would love to have you come down and do a song with him.' And you don't know what that sounds like to my brain. It frazzles me, but I've been working with him for a while. And he intimated about the show. I would ask him if he had spoken to any of the guys in BLACK SABBATH, and he said that he spoke to Ozzy every day because Ozzy wasn't feeling very well at that time, so I was curious. He said, 'By the way, it looks we may do this final show.' So he knew about it, obviously, before they announced it. So I was excited when it came to fruition because I knew that it meant a lot to all the guys in BLACK SABBATH to have Bill up there."

Circling back to MEGADETH's absence from the event, James added: "I don't see it as controversy or anything. I do know that conspicuously we were missing, but nobody was invited."

Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson, who was fired from the band in May 2021, appeared at "Back To The Beginning", taking part in the first of two hastily assembled supergroups which performed at the event. Ellefson played "The Ultimate Sin" (with Lzzy Hale, Nuno Bettencourt, Jake E. Lee, Mike Bordin and Adam Wakeman),"Shot In The Dark" (with David Draiman, Jake E. Lee, Mike Bordin and Adam Wakeman) and "Sweet Leaf" (with David Draiman, Nuno Bettencourt, Scott Ian, Mike Bordin and Adam Wakeman) at "Back To The Beginning", which took place on July 5 at Villa Park in BLACK SABBATH's original hometown. The sold-out show was attended by 42,000 fans, with more than five million more streaming the event via VOD.

After the theatrical release of the "Back To The Beginning" movie in early 2026, there will also be a physical version available later in the year, with additional details on the rollout and release dates to be announced later.

"Back To The Beginning" was billed as 76-year-old Osbourne's — and SABBATH's — final-ever concert, with additional performances by GUNS N' ROSES, MASTODON, PANTERA, ALICE IN CHAINS, GOJIRA and members of THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, LIMP BIZKIT and JUDAS PRIEST, among others. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello curated the musical portion of the event.

Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon told Billboard that she was forced to remove one big name from the lineup of "Back To The Beginning" because the artist in question "wanted to make a profit" from the event. "And it's not the time to make a profit," she added. "After the show, I'll let everybody know who it was. I think people will be shocked."

Last month, Sharon revealed to Metal Hammer magazine that she got into a dispute with the manager of one of the bands who were originally slated to take part in "Back To The Beginning".

"I had a huge, huge to-do with a manager over this celebration for Ozzy and SABBATH," she told Metal Hammer. "And it was probably the worst way I've felt in years. And I don't care what this person says about me, thinks about it, because he doesn't know me. And he's now going around making up bullshit lies because I threw his band off the bill."

Sharon did not specify which band she had booted, though she did say that it wasn't IRON MAIDEN. Two decades ago, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson was involved in a verbal battle with Ozzy's wife and manager when his band was pelted with eggs, lighters and ice during the final performance of its headlining performance on the 2005 Ozzfest tour.

Although TOOL's name was missing from promotional materials when a global livestream was announced for the concert last month, sparking rumors on Reddit that they were nixed from the festival, the Maynard James Keenan-fronted outfit took part in the concert.

Since "Back To The Beginning" was announced in February, no bands or artists had been removed from the bill, except for Wolfgang Van Halen, who was unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts. It is therefore believed that the mystery band was ousted before the lineup announcement.

Ozzy and Sharon's daughter Kelly Osbourne denied that MEGADETH was the band which was removed from the "Back To The Beginning" lineup, writing "Nope! Not him!" below an Instagram post speculating that the Mustaine-fronted outfit was the one Sharon was referring to in her Metal Hammer interview.

Tickets for the concert sold out in less than 16 minutes in February, with more than 150,000 people reportedly in the virtual queue.

The all-day event, produced by Live Nation, was hosted and compered by American actor Jason Momoa.

Formed in Birmingham in 1968, BLACK SABBATH revolutionized the music world, selling over 75 million albums worldwide and setting the foundation for heavy metal as we know it today. "Back To The Beginning" was not only a tribute to the bandmembers' unparalleled career but also a beacon of generosity, with 100% of proceeds going to charity.

Proceeds from the "Back To The Beginning" show will support Cure Parkinson's, the Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice, a Children's Hospice supported by Aston Villa.

FEAR FACTORY kicked off a European tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of its classic second album, "Demanufacture", Friday night (July 18) at Turock in Essen, Germany. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

According to Setlist.fm, the setlist for the show was as follows:

"Demanufacture" album:

01. Demanufacture
02. Self Bias Resistor
03. Zero Signal
04. Replica
05. New Breed
06. Dog Day Sunrise (HEAD OF DAVID cover) (first time since 2016)
07. Body Hammer
08. Flashpoint (first time since 2016)
09. H-K (Hunter-Killer) (first time since 2016)
10. Pisschrist
11. A Therapy For Pain (first time since 2016)

Encore:

12. Shock
13. Edgecrusher
14. Powershifter
15. Linchpin
16. Archetype

In a 2021 interview with Cuartel Del Metal, FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares was asked what the initial response to "Demanufacture" was from the fans and the critics when it was first released in 1995. He responded: "Some people didn't realize that it was real. Some people thought it was electronic drums — programmed drums. Some people thought my guitars were sampled. Because it was such a tight record, it was so mechanical sounding in some ways, so people thought it wasn't real. I was very happy that I was able to create a sound that people still admire today; people still love it today. Some people are still influenced today by that record. It was a milestone in the band's career, and it was something that we created that, I think, defined the genre of industrial metal. Sure, you had bands like MINISTRY and GODFLESH and stuff like that, but I think that FEAR FACTORY took it to another level. We combined a lot of elements that maybe other people weren't doing. I think one of the main things also was the production of the record. The mixing of the record definitely took it to a new level. When Rhys Fulber and Greg Reely mixed the record, it was mindblowing, that it set the standard for that type of music. The vocals alone inspired a generation of musicians to come, vocalists to come. Syncopated guitars and drums… A lot of people were saying, 'Well, MESHUGGAH made that popular.' Yeah, MESHUGGAH didn't make it popular till much later. FEAR FACTORY at that time was a much bigger band. We were the only band, really, at the time that was really popularizing that style with the syncopated guitars and drums. So, yeah, I feel very lucky that I made a classic record that stood the test of time."

In December 2020, Dino told The Pit that he still revisits "Demanfucature" "quite a lot, because it was a groundbreaking record. And I go back sometimes just to listen — not to the tones or anything, but listen to the structures," he said. "But a lot of times, I apply those structures into newer songs. Like, 'Okay, how did I write a song like 'Zero Signal'? How does it go? How does it start? Where does the verse go? Where does the mid-section go?' And blah blah. If I'm stuck on a new song, I'll go back to 'Demanufacture' and be, like, 'Okay, that's how we did it, so let's go back and apply it to this song.' Even though the songs are completely different, the riffs are different, it's still something that helps me craft songs today."

In 2020, Run Out Groove celebrated the 25th anniversary of "Demanufacture" album by issuing it on vinyl and expanding it with a previously unreleased live concert from 1996's Ozzfest. "Demanufacture" was mastered for vinyl with lacquers cut by FEAR FACTORY's producer-engineer Damien Rainaud. The three-LP set was pressed on transparent blue, solid white, and black mixed-color vinyl at Record Industry and housed in a tri-fold jacket containing an exclusive poster.

FEAR FACTORY's current lineup features Cazares, Milo Silvestro on vocals, Tony Campos on bass, and Pete Webber on drums. Ricky Bonazza (BUTCHER BABIES) is playing bass for FEAR FACTORY on the road in Europe while Campos is busy touring with STATIC-X.

Silvestro's addition to FEAR FACTORY was officially announced in February 2023.

FEAR FACTORY played its first headlining concert with Silvestro and Webber on May 5, 2023 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

In early 2023, FEAR FACTORY completed the "Rise Of The Machine" U.S. tour as the support act for STATIC-X. It marked the Cazares-led outfit's first run of shows with Silvestro and Webber.

Webber had been filling in for FEAR FACTORY's longtime drummer Mike Heller who was unable to play with the band due to "scheduling conflicts."

FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Aggression Continuum", was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, featured Cazares, Heller and FEAR FACTORY's original singer, Burton C. Bell.

In September 2020, Bell issued a statement officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY, saying that he "cannot align" himself with someone whom he does not trust or respect, apparently referring to Cazares.

Bell later told Kerrang! magazine that his split with FEAR FACTORY had been a long time coming. "It's been on my mind for a while," he said. "These lawsuits [over the rights to the FEAR FACTORY name] just drained me. The egos. The greed. Not just from bandmembers, but from the attorneys involved. I just lost my love for it."

In a new interview with Pavel Bazdyrev of the podcast Musical Craft, former RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE vocalist Joe Lynn Turner was asked what it feels like to be in Russia these days. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I've been here … back [when I played] with Yngwie [Malmsteen], if you remember, when we did the record '[Trial By Fire:] Live In Leningrad'; [present-day Saint Petersburg] was still called Leningrad back then. That was quite a while ago. And that was my first introduction to Russia in a cold February [of 1989]. And we did 11 shows in Moscow and 11 shows in Leningrad, in the big halls. I forget the name, but it's very famous. And we had over 20,000 people per night for 11 nights each. Everyone came — babushkas, everybody came out because it was very new. And I had quite an experience that I think in many ways changed my life, because of the situation that existed here and situations that we were sort of involved in. KGB was everywhere, military style, the whole thing — in the hotels, papers, you name it. So it was a very different Russia than as I've seen it progress over the years. So I'm very glad that I got that observation back then to compare it to today because it is different — very different. But it brought a sense, to me, of the world — more knowledge of what was really happening here in this country, the depth of the people, the depth of the culture, what they've gone through. And for example, most Americans have never understood that at all because they've never had a war in their country. I mean, the Civil War was not even remembered; it wasn't really a world war or anything. But here you people have a — what's the word I'm looking for? There's a special word. Again, depth is one thing… Of sacrifice and of feeling and of camaraderie, and it sets the mind of the people here in a different position than a lot of the western world. Yeah, it really does. And I'm glad that I had that experience. We call it the 30,000 view — like you're above everything. You're looking down on it and you start to see in comparisons. So, yeah, from back then to now, the progress here has been amazing. And I played just about all over Russia … and it came a long way till now."

After Bazdyrev said that it is "an honor" for him and his countrymen that Turner picked a region like Russia and Belarus to be in, Joe said: "Well, thank you. A friend of mine is a prominent podcaster, and he was here for a while and he went back. Now he's coming back for citizenship. And the reason why is because of exactly what I'm saying, is that the mentality and the depth of character, et cetera, the culture is much more feeling as opposed to the craziness and the materialism that exists. I'm not saying people don't like materialism everywhere, but there's a depth here."

Asked if he still feels like a foreigner or he feels "at home" in Russia, Turner said: "I feel very at home. I wish I can speak more Russian… I can actually understand more than I can speak, but I find the grammar's very hard. And as a singer, I'm very good with linguistics. Spanish… Whenever I go to a country, I try to pick up a little bit of the language, whether it's Japan, Germany… out of respect… But I find a lot of people now, I think in the schools, it's a second language — English is a demand of a second language. So now the younger kids, shall we say, high school, teenage, they know that they've gotta learn the business language, which is basically English, to go anywhere… So I don't feel that foreign. You know why? Because I think it's the heart of the people. It's feeling more than it is differences, whether it's food and things like that. There are some people that can't fall into this category, I think. I, however, welcome it and embrace it, the differences — the differences and the similarities. So I feel very comfortable, really."

The former RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE frontman, who has performed in Russia a number of times in the last couple of years, broke with most international artists who canceled their live appearances in the country in response to the global condemnation against the Kremlin and its president, Vladimir Putin, over the war in Ukraine. In addition, major record labels suspended their operations in Russia, while streaming services like Spotify pulled out of the market.

Back in 2022, Turner apparently threw his support behind Roger Waters over comments the PINK FLOYD co-founder made about Russia. Waters blasted then-U.S. president Joe Biden for "fueling the fire in the Ukraine" amid Russia's ongoing invasion of the country, and asked in an interview with CNN's Michael Smerconish, "Why won't the United States of America encourage [Volodymyr] Zelensky, [Ukraine's] president, to negotiate, obviating the need for this horrific, horrendous war?" After Smerconish responded that Waters got it "reversed" and was "blaming the party that got invaded," Waters fired back, saying it was about the "action and reaction of NATO pushing right up to the Russian border."

A short time later, Turner took to his official Facebook page to share a video of Smerconish's interview with Waters, and he included the following message: "Roger Waters speaks TRUTH to power! Thank you Roger. Someone has to say it..."

This was not the first time Joe had publicly taken a political stance. Back in 2015, the singer made headlines when it was revealed that he joined a list of Western celebrities who publicly expressed support for and defended Vladimir Putin, whose image had suffered greatly because of Moscow's aggressive foreign policy.

Two years later, Turner said that his opinion of the Russian president had remained unchanged. "He still is [telling the truth]," the singer told Kraig Casebier's "American Barber In Prague" in a 2017 interview. "Honest to God, I got a lot of crap for [saying] that [before]. But it's true, and he still is, whether you like him or not. He may be a gangster, but he's a good gangster. And I say there are good gangsters.

"There were gangsters in my family, in the Mafia, and they were good people," he explained. "They were the safest neighborhoods, and they protected everyone on the block, and they took care of a lot of people. And they actually donated their time, money to good causes. If somebody didn't have enough bread or food, they'd buy it for 'em. I mean, it depends on what kind of gangster you are. The politicans are bad gangsters; they can't even cover up their crimes."

Joe went on to lament the state of American politics and denounced the culture of extreme political correctness, which he believed had gone too far.

"I think America's lost its way," he said. "We've lost God, we've lost a lot of things that made that country great. And I'm sorry to say, being an American — Italian-American, and holding an American passport… I have had uncles… and my father did military service for twelve overseas stripes — the whole thing. And I went to Iraq for the troops, so anybody that wants to challenge that, c'mon, bring it on, because I think I know a few more things than you. But I think that we've lost a lot in our values of America. We can't even speak freely anymore. There's more freedom in Russia; I can tell you that. I've done a lot of time there and still will. People don't understand what Russia is [in America]."

According to Turner, his country's demonization of Russia is rooted in the fact that "America always needs a big, bad wolf. We need to hate somebody, because of the military industrial complex," he said. "So we need to hate somebody all the time [and] create a war. There's no need for it, really. If we can just straighten out the economy and get the Fed out of there, I think the people would have a chance. But right now, I pray for them — I really do. Because I just think they've got it all wrong."

As if sensing the criticism that would likely follow his comments, Turner preemptively defended himself by saying: "I said Putin was telling the truth, 'cause he is telling the truth. I got subpoenaed by my own government, okay? So all these naysayers and these haters who are gonna see this about me and stuff, you guys have no clue. 30 percent of the American people have passports, so 70 percent of you are isolated and know dick about it — you have been nowhere and done nothing. Excuse me, but that's what you should have been told a long time ago."

The now-73-year-old singer went on to explain that he was "subpoenaed" by the U.S. government after he played "three charity shows" in Russian-annexed Crimea, which he called a "wartorn country." "The people had a great time [and] we had sellout houses," he said.

Joe was the singer of RAINBOW between 1980 and 1984 and he sang on the album "Difficult To Cure", which featured the band's most successful U.K. single, "I Surrender".

During Turner's time with RAINBOW, the band had its first USA chart success and recorded songs that helped define the melodic rock genre.

1990 saw Turner reunited with RAINBOW leader Ritchie Blackmore in a reformed DEEP PURPLE for the "Slaves And Masters" album.

Photo credit: Agata Nigrovskaya (courtesy of Mascot Label Group)

On the 50th anniversary of its original release, the self-titled album has been certified 9x platinum by the RIAA. In celebration, Rhino announces two new premium audio editions of Fleetwood Mac, the 1975 album that ushered in a new era for the band. On August 8, the album will debut in Dolby Atmos and arrive on vinyl as part of the Rhino High Fidelity series of high-end reissues.

The Blu-ray Audio edition features a new Dolby ATMOS mix by Chris James, delivering a fully immersive experience of this classic album. It also includes a 5.1 surround mix by original producer Ken Caillat and Claus Trelby.



Fleetwood Mac (Rhino High Fidelity) was mastered by Kevin Gray, cut directly from the original analog master tapes, and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Optimal. Available exclusively at Rhino.com and internationally at select WMG stores, the album is limited to 5,000 individually numbered copies. A special version (limited to 2,000 copies) will also be available that includes two replica 7-inch singles featuring the single mixes of “Over My Head” b/w “Rhiannon” and “Say You Love Me” b/w “Blue Letter.” Pre-order here.



Released on July 11, 1975, Fleetwood Mac was the band’s tenth studio album and the second named after the group, sharing its title with their 1968 debut. Often referred to by fans as ‘The White Album,’ it also introduced Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks into the group’s core lineup, joining Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, and Christine McVie. The chemistry between the five was immediate—and transformative. The album’s sound marked a break from the band’s blues-based roots, pivoting toward a melodic, harmony-rich approach that would come to define a generation of FM radio.

Christine McVie’s “Over My Head” was the first single from the album and the band’s first U.S. Top 20 hit. It was followed by “Rhiannon,” “Say You Love Me,” and “Landslide,” tracks that remain among the most beloved in the band’s catalog. While initial momentum was modest, the album gained traction through constant touring and word of mouth. Fifteen months after its release, Fleetwood Mac reached #1 on the Billboard 200 and went on to sell over 7 million copies in the U.S. alone.

In the new liner notes by acclaimed music journalist Anthony DeCurtis, Buckingham recalls the energy surrounding that period: “I think we all felt that we had grabbed ahold of something and that it was going to take us wherever it was going to take us.” He adds, “It was a great sign that we were destined for something.”



LP tracklisting:

Side One:

“Monday Morning”
“Warm Ways”
“Blue Letter”
“Rhiannon”
“Over My Head”
“Crystal”

Side Two:

“Say You Love Me”
“Landslide”
“World Turning”
“Sugar Daddy”
“I’m So Afraid”

Prog-Rock supergroup, DarWin, today announce the upcoming release of their new studio album, Distorted Mirror, on September 26 via OoS/Phantom Recordings.

Distorted Mirror is the follow up to last year’s hit release, Five Steps On The Sun, and picks up exactly where the last album left off, with original and creative rock songs that continue to break new ground. The album is a true journey, packed with intricate melodies, sledgehammer grooves and wall-to-wall virtuoso playing. The 8-track album should be listened to in its entirety, from the dramatic Instrumental opener “Rising Distortion,” where we sonically witness the rise of superintelligence, to the title track “Distorted Mirror” which marks some of the heaviest—and athletic—work of DarWin to date. The album closes with a multi-minute jam fest at the end of “Winter Fare,” with guitarist Greg Howe laying down some of his tastiest solo work to date, promising fans that the fun has just started and DarWin has a lot of gas left in the tank.

In June, DarWin released “Man vs. Machine” to a chorus of praise and accolades, reaching over 450,000 streams on YouTube within the first two weeks. Today, DarWin releases the next song from the album, “Loophole.” The multi-faceted “Loophole” is a jarring cautionary tale about “ancient conflicts rearing their ugly heads again.”

Says DarWin, “I envisioned a young man having no choice but to take up arms, the emotional weight of such a decision.”

The circular, acoustic guitar patterns underscore this notion of “history repeating,” and an ominous feel weaves its way throughout this stunning track that sees Andrew Freeman joining Matt Bissonette on vocals. Watch the lyric video for “Loophole” below.

Pre-save / pre-add the album here. Physical CD pre-order here.



The Distorted Mirror tracklisting:

“Rising Distortion”
“Distorted Mirror”
“Man vs. Machine”*
“33rd Century Man”
“Cry a River”
“Glow”
“Loophole”*
“Winter Fare”

Celebrated Canadian roots rock band The Commoners return to The UK in December 2025 for a ten-date headline tour. Tickets go on general sale at 10am on Friday, July 11th via TheCommoners.ca.

“The UK has become a second home for us,” says The Commoners bassist, Ben Spiller. “Over the last few years, we’ve had the pleasure of rocking dozens of shows over the course of five unforgettable UK tours and festivals.”

To coincide with the announcement of the December tour, The Commoners release their new single “Too Soon To Know You” available to stream on Spotify and YouTube.



“The new single is a reflection on the fleeting nature of connection, and the bittersweet feeling of having had someone in your life when the timing wasn’t quite right to make the connection last,” says The Commoners drummer, Adam Cannon.

“We wanted to capture that fragile moment when everything feels both urgent and uncertain. Recording it was a real collaborative effort — we tracked live off the floor and layered it with raw vocals and textured guitars and organ to evoke that sense of vulnerability.”

“The song is about the human tendency to cling to what might have been and the hope that, maybe, there’s still a chance to understand each other before it’s too late.”



The news of the new single and December UK tour follows the release of The Commoners – Live In The UK album available on CD and Vinyl here, and digitally at this location. Featuring nine explosive live tracks to get you on your feet, the live album includes The Commoners anthems with added parts, extended sections, performed live on the band’s 2024 UK tour.

Last month, ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna brought his "Joey's Jukebox" project to Bernie's Beach Bar in Hampton, New Hampshire. Video of the 64-year-old musician belting out karaoke-style covers of several classic rock songs — Sammy Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55", Billy Squier's "In The Dark" and STYX's "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" — on June 14 can be seen below (courtesy of Smash Machine!).

"Joey's Jukebox" isn't your average jukebox from a retro diner. It's an extraordinary live experience curated by Belladonna himself. This project revolves around Belladonna performing a diverse array of cover songs, showcasing his incredible vocal range and paying tribute to the musicians who have influenced him throughout his career.

What sets "Joey's Jukebox" apart is its eclectic setlist. Belladonna seamlessly transitions between iconic tracks from different eras and genres, from classic rock anthems to soulful ballads, heavy metal classics to alternative hits. Each performance offers something for everyone, reflecting the rich tapestry of music that has shaped Belladonna's own artistic path.

With a setlist featuring hundreds of iconic songs across various genres and eras, Belladonna's powerful vocals and dynamic stage presence captivate and thrill audiences of all ages.

"Joey's Jukebox" is more than just a performance; it's a celebration of music's timeless magic and a rare opportunity to see a metal legend honor the artists who have inspired him. It gives fans an opportunity to get up close and interact with six-time Grammy-nominated metal superstar Belladonna as a solo performer.

Belladonna, who was born Joseph Bellardini in Oswego, New York, is best known for his work in the 1980s and early 1990s with ANTHRAX's classic lineup. Belladonna has also performed as a solo act (including as "Joey's Jukebox") and with Central New York-based bands like CHIEF BIG WAY. He also leads the JOURNEY tribute band BEYOND FRONTIERS and occasionally plays shows with DIO DISCIPLES, which is the official tribute to fellow Central New York native Ronnie James Dio.

Belladonna's JOURNEY tribute made its live debut in March 2020 at The Beacon Theatre in Hopewell, Virginia.

In a 2019 interview with Sweetwater's Nick D'Virgilio, Belladonna stated about CHIEF BIG WAY: "We do four hours straight. I sing and play [drums] the whole night. We do about 60 songs a night. There's no setlist — just pulling stuff out of the hat… RUSH, JOURNEY, BAD COMPANY, LED ZEPPELIN, [THE ROLLING] STONES, ZZ TOP, [JIMI] HENDRIX, PINK FLOYD… It's a full, full slot of that type of music. Not many deep, deep cuts, but popular songs. Maybe people can't dance to it, but it's cool. 'Cause a lot of people just sit around and just listen. So it's okay. But I can't do that with [ANTHRAX]. [ANTHRAX] is an hour and a half — 45 [minutes] or an hour. And I'm bantering with the crowd during the songs, after the songs — a lot of that stuff. And it's moving. I'm more beat [playing with ANTHRAX] than I am in four hours [playing with CHIEF BIG WAY] — other than my butt, sitting for four hours. I literally don't get up; I just sit down for four hours."

Asked what the appeal is in performing with CHIEF BIG WAY, Joey said: "To do other music, and to do melodic-type stuff that I love, and just be able to get out and just play. It's just that certain thing that you get when you play. Driving in the car with the equipment, unloading it and setting it up, and then, 'Okay.' And we just start up — no banner. Just play, play, play and then go home. Put [the equipment] back in the car and go home. And these [other] guys [in ANTHRAX] wouldn't do that — there's no way. They wouldn't even walk in some of these bars — they really wouldn't."

Back in 2011, Belladonna admitted to Attention Deficit Delirium that "it's not an easy thing" singing and playing drums at the same time. "I never thought that I would sing and play 'Tom Sawyer' [RUSH] at the same time. Something that you think is easy to play is often not. 'Heartbreaker' by LED ZEPPELIN has so many different [drum] accents that have nothing to do with the song vocally. It's a good challenge."

ANTHRAX is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, 2016's "For All Kings", which was called by some critics the band's strongest album to date. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the group experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the 2010 "Big Four" tour with METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH, and continuing with the 2011 release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

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🌴🎶 This Week at Bernie’s Beach Bar 🎃🍹

Thursday – Tropidelic & Ballyhoo!
Friday – Joey Belladonna’s Jukebox + Halfway to Halloween Party w/ Run4Cover
Saturday – Joey Belladonna’s Jukebox + Turn It Up

Posted by Bernie's Beach Bar on Monday, June 9, 2025

In a new interview with Elwood of the 95 WIIL Rock radio station, BEARTOOTH frontman Caleb Shomo confirmed that he is working on material for the follow-up to the band's fifth album, "The Surface", which came out in October 2023. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Oh my God. Dude, you have no idea. I literally have one entire album in my back pocket right now, and I'm about to go into the studio again and write another one. We're just gonna see how much music I can possibly get."

Shomo also talked about BEARTOOTH's January 18, 2025 hometown arena debut at The Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio which was professionally recorded and released earlier this month in multiple formats, including on the band's YouTube channel. Addressing the fact that the concert took place while a series of destructive wildfires affected the Los Angeles metropolitan area, he said: "It was one of the craziest days ever. It's kind of hard to put into words. Really, it was almost kind of like a week. So I [now] live in Los Angeles, and I flew out basically the day after we all kind of were, like, okay, the fires are getting somewhat under control. But it was a really hectic 72 hours. Before that, we were housing some good friends [and] not really [getting] much sleep. It was just a lot going on, very heavy weight. And then flying to Columbus from that, I just felt very bizarre. I just felt like I wanted to be in L.A. I wanted to be there to help and make sure, if there's anything I could do, whatever. So, it was just a bit of an odd head space to be going into a tour. And then we get there for rehearsals, and — I don't know — I just couldn't quite get out of my head. And I remember one, one of my very good friends, he's a good childhood friend of mine. We hung out and kind of did some meditating and just got lunch. And I just kind of had this realization, like, 'You know what? I really have a chance to just be so present in this.' And there's just something that comes out of like getting rattled by something like a natural disaster. Life is, is very finite and these moments that we get to like experience joy are not all the time. 'So I'm really gonna try and cherish every second of this.' And I just cannot put it into words. It was as if I just wasn't on stage. It was the most ethereal, spiritual, whatever you wanna call it… I was just somewhere else, and it was as if I was just kind of experiencing it. I didn't feel like I was performing. I don't know a word I said. I don't really remember much of it, other than I was just somewhere behind these eyes just watching through the camera, just trying to enjoy every second of it. And I feel like we captured that pretty well with the recording that we were able to get and the amount of work that everybody put in it. It really shows up."

BEARTOOTH will appear at When We Were Young festival in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 18 and 19, as well as We Missed Ourselves festival in Mexico City on October 25. They are currently co-headlining the "Summer Of Loud" tour in North America.

Upon its release, "The Surface" hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart and No. 5 across Billboard's Album Sales, Alternative Albums, Top Current Albums, and Vinyl Albums charts. The band also earned its first No. 1s on the Mediabase Active Rock and Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay charts for both "Might Love Myself" and "I Was Alive".

Like NINE INCH NAILS, BEARTOOTH remains a one-person band in the studio, with Shomo, who was raised in Westerville, Ohio, recording albums largely by himself, but on stage, he is joined by several other Columbus natives.

The BEARTOOTH catalog boasts more than 1.3 billion streams across all platforms.

BEARTOOTH's single "Hated" was recently certified gold by the RIAA.

Mr. Big could not disband without one last show at Wacken Open Air 2024 as part of their Big Finish Farewell Tour. Watch them playing some true classics to the crowd that gathered in front of the festival’s Louder Stage: “Addicted To That Rush”, “To Be With You” and “Wild World”.



Mr. Big closed out their 35-year career in a big way by releasing two sonically powerful albums to serve as a farewell and victory lap. In July 2024, they released their 10th studio album, simply entitled Ten, and their last-ever live album and DVD release, The BIG Finish Live, which came out September 6th, 2024 via the Evolution Music Group.

During an interview with We Go To 11, bassist Billy Sheehan was asked if the band will continue as a studio project, or if they intend to perform live in the future when the opportunity arises.

Sheehan responded: “The end is the end. It’s finished. If some extenuating circumstances come up, we might do a show or two, maybe, but touring and recording… we kind of wanted to put a period at the end of the sentence. And as I’ve said many times, we wanted to run over the finish line, not crawl over it. And for us, a fully functional band is on tour playing live and writing, recording, and then go out after the record and do another tour. We’ve done that for 34 years, and it’s been an amazing run. We have friends all over planet earth. It’s fantastic, and it’s probably our greatest asset, personally, for me, the amazing people that we’ve touched around the world. But we decided to really… ‘Let’s do it the right way,’ and not to have some continual farewell thing that goes on for an eternity. I’m glad we did it. We did it with as much class as we’re capable of. We did the final tour, and I’m very, very pleased about it.”

During an appearance on the July 15 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Wes Scantlin was asked if it's fair to say that PUDDLE OF MUDD is "a band in name only", with Wes as the sole remaining original member and a "revolving door" of musicians playing alongside him. Scantlin — who is joined in PUDDLE OF MUDD's current lineup by Michael Anthony Grajewski on bass, Miles Schon (son of JOURNEY's Neal Schon) on guitar, and Jon Smith on drums — responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Right now everything's solid, and I pray to God that no one leaves me again. Please, dear God above, do not let any of these people leave. It's hard to make — the transitions are a pain in the butt."

Asked why he thinks there has been so much turnover in PUDDLE OF MUDD over the years in terms of the band personnel, Wes said: "Well, I got signed by Fred [Durst] from LIMP BIZKIT [25 years ago], and they just were, like, 'Here, we just want you to come. We just want you to come.' But the band was already dissolved at that point, and I was at the breaking point to where I was just gonna stop doing music anyway. And lo and behold, Fred, man, he came to the rescue. But he was just, like, 'Yeah, we just want you to come.' So we had to piece the band and we had to do a lot of tryouts and stuff. And people come and people go and there's nothing you can do. People have their lives and they have different jobs and stuff. It's a weird situation to be in a rock band — or any type of band or any type of artistic situation. But all I know is they said, 'Here's a guitar. Here's a hotel room. And write. Keep writing, keep writing, keep writing.' And, unfortunately, some people have different situations in their lives and stuff, and I can't control that stuff. So, I've had to make different moves and stuff. And hopefully these guys, hopefully they won't take off on me like a lot of other people have. So, we can keep this one intact for now and hopefully forever."

Scantlin also talked about the various problems with the law, alcohol, finances and other issues that he has encountered over the years, a lot of which was covered by the mainstream media. Asked if he feels like much of that stuff is behind him at this point, Wes said: "Yeah. [My] main goal [is] just [to] stay out of trouble. And I really seriously don't really do that much wrong things. I really just don't. But I'm like a big fish in the little pond. I call myself a Christmas dinner trophy for the Poppo. I wonder how many times they've explained that they arrested me at their Christmas dinner, at Christmas day. I'm telling you, man. I'm just a big, huge trophy."

On the topic of whether a lot of his troubles with the law have been misrepresented in the media, Wes said: "I've made some mistakes, but at certain points I could breathe in the wrong direction and get cuffed and slammed in a dungeon. Shoot, man. It's weird. My whole thing, my whole motto is turn around and run for your life as fast as you possibly can, man." Clarifying that he wasn't referring to running away from the police, he added: "I'm talking about maybe like a girlfriend or something. If they hit the 'psycho wall', as I call it — turn around and run… Somebody's gotta go down, and they usually pick me, 'cause I'm the trophy. But my motto is turn around and run as fast as you can and just run."

According to TMZ, Scantlin was arrested this past March after allegedly getting into a physical altercation with his girlfriend. Additionally, the now-53-year-old musician was found in possession of a small amount of a controlled substance.

Earlier that same month, Scantlin made headlines when he claimed he was "roofied" by an ex-bandmate before a disastrous PUDDLE OF MUDD gig at Daytona Bike Week.

Scantlin's most recent legal problems came just eight months after he was arrested in Burbank, California for an outstanding warrant and a new charge of resisting arrest.

Wes claimed to have gotten sober in 2017, explaining in an interview that he ended up going back to rehab and receiving treatment "because there [was] really nowhere else to go." He also credited his family and fans for giving him the strength to try to get better.

In February 2023, RadarOnline.com reported that Scantlin was arrested after he allegedly showed up at an old home he lost to foreclosure.

Prior to that, Scantlin was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in September 2017 after he attempted to board a plane with a BB gun. He pleaded no contest and was banned from LAX unless it involved traveling for work.

Less than two years earlier, in December 2015, Scantlin was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and had several previous busts that same year for driving under the influence.

Additionally, he was arrested at a Denver airport in 2015 for taking a joyride on a baggage carousel and taken into custody as far back as 2012 for an altercation with a flight attendant.

He also ended a number of PUDDLE OF MUDD shows in 2016 early with various meltdowns, including one in which he accused a fan of stealing his house.

Nearly four years ago, Scantlinmade headlines when he walked offstage midconcert at the EPIC Event Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin after complaining about the venue's lights.

PUDDLE OF MUDD was formed in 1991 in Kansas City by Scantlin, the only original member still with the band. The group into the mainstream with 2001's "Come Clean", which yielded three hits — "Control", "Blurry" and "She Hates Me".

PUDDLE OF MUDD's latest album, "Kiss The Machine", came out in May via Pavement Entertainment.

In a new interview with American Musical Supply, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach spoke about how he takes care of his singing voice while on the road. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's just learning how to take care of yourself, number one. Getting a proper sleep. And it doesn't hurt that my vocal coach, Melissa Cross, is one of the best in the entire world to do it. She's the originator of The Zen Of Screaming. And she's not just a coach; she's a friend, and she's kind of a guru. So I have to give her a ton of credit. And working with people like Adam [Dutkiewicz, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist and producer] in the studio. He's taught me a lot about being genuine as a vocalist and learning what pitch is what. He's taught me a lot. So between Adam D. and Melissa Cross, those two have kept me afloat in my career. And then just learning how to dial back on the partying and sleep better and just take it really serious, 'cause the shows are everything. If the shows aren't good, the rest of the day is shot. And we owe it to the fans, dude. People show up to see us put our best. So I'm gonna do that as best as I can."

Asked how he gets into that head space where he puts a hundred percent into his live performance even on those days when he might be feeling down about something in his personal life, Jesse said: "I'm not gonna say it's easy, but it's kind of easy because I'm so hyper aware of that. So, for me, it's a lot of deep breathing, breath work, meditation. And on occasion, with the boys, having a couple beers. And we remind each other. So, for example, if somebody knows I'm not in a good space, I'll say it. Or somebody will be, like, 'Hey, are you okay? I can tell you're off.' And we talk about it. I think that's super important. And to this day, I'm still learning how to be a better communicator. You just have to realize who you are in this world, what people expect of you, and what you can give, and learn how to balance that out. But be vocal, talk about it, ask for help, and then get the help. And moments before I go on stage, if I've just had a little chat with Adam or [KILLSWITCH ENGAGE bassist] Mike [D'Antonio] or somebody and I said to them, 'Hey, I'm missing home right now,' and we do a little hug. And that changes everything, instead of carrying that on stage with me. So I'm super aware of not only the fans, but the energy that I'm giving off. So when you see me on stage, hopefully you're seeing a man who's doing his best to give love and reciprocate. It's a deep thing, but at the same time, we make stupid jokes and laugh and have fun. So the balance of ritual and performance, I think, is really important."

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's latest album, "This Consequence", came out in February via Metal Blade. "This Consequence" is KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's ninth album overall, and sixth with Leach, who rejoined the band in 2012.

"This Consequence" arrived alongside a hugely successful winter/spring 2025 tour, yielded a Top 10 single with "I Believe" and landed KILLSWITCH ENGAGE on the covers of Revolver and Outburn.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE returned to the road last month on the massive "Summer Of Loud" tour, co-headlining alongside BEARTOOTH, I PREVAIL and PARKWAY DRIVE.

Fans got their first taste of "This Consequence" with pulverizing track "Forever Aligned", swiftly followed up with the instant classic "I Believe". More recently, the group shared a video for "Collusion".

Mystical masters of heavy metal Castle Rat have delivered their epic second single, “Wolf I,” from their highly anticipated odyssey, The Bestiary, that will be released September 19 via King Volume Records (US) and Blues Funeral Recordings (UK/Europe).

Preorder The Bestiary on Bandcamp.

Commenting on the song, Riley Pinkerton (The Rat Queen) states:

“‘Wolf I’ marks the gateway into The Bestiary, setting the stage for the epic journey ahead. The Wolf—fierce, solitary, and primal—serves as both symbol and sentinel, embodying the shadow self and guiding listeners through peril with instinct and ferocity. The track is a tempest of layered riffs and surging energy, building toward a thunderous, headbanging climax. With its haunting vocal chants and immersive atmosphere, ‘Wolf I’ expands the Castle Rat sonic universe—introducing, for the first time, a blistering, razor-edged solo by Franco ‘The Count’ Vittore, delivered with surgical precision and flair.”



Since their formation in 2019, Castle Rat have created a vivid labyrinth of fantasy lore led by “The Rat Queen” (AKA Riley Pinkerton). Together with “The Count,” “The Plague Doctor” and “The All-Seeing Druid,” the group has carried out countless battles against “The Rat Reaperess” with riffs, swords and spells on stages across the country.

Recorded by Randall Dunn (Sunn O))), Wolves in the Throne Room, Björk) and mixed by Jonathan Nuñez (Torche, Restless Spirit), the band’s latest odyssey features 13 spellbinding tracks of epic carnage and mystical metal.

Commenting on the new album, The Rat Queen says:

“The Bestiary’ is a conceptual book of beasts containing a collection of mystical creatures from a world forgotten. The last remaining souls of each have been gathered and preserved by ‘The Wizard.’ Cautionary tales of each beast and The Wizard himself are woven through the power of traditional heavy metal song and spell.”



Tracklisting:

“Phoenix I”
“Wolf I”
“Wizard”
“Siren”
“Unicorn”
“Path Of Moss”
“Crystal Cave”
“Serpent”
“Wolf II”
“Dragon”
“Summoning Spell”
“Sun Song”
“Phoenix II”

Alpha Destroyer, the explosive new band featuring Martin Sweet (Crashdïet), Kelly LeMieux (Buckcherry), and Eric Sexton-Dorsett (Sleepless), has launched the first single off their upcoming debut album, Fast Lane. The album is out this fall on Necromantic Press Records.

“The first single and title track, ‘Fast Lane,’ really sets the pace for the LP,” comments Sexton-Dorsett. “Though the album is super diverse, Fastlane comes right out of the gate with a straightforward, almost punk vibe that is matched by Martin’s heavy yet melodic lyrical approach to life’s struggles.”

Physical copies of Fast Lane -including limited-edition red splatter and standard black vinyl – will begin shipping on September 15. The album will be available on all streaming platforms on October 31. Pre-orders are available at the Necromantic Press webstore.



Tracklisting:

“Straight Into The Grind”
“Masterplan”
“Dirt In The Ground”
“Lobotomized”
“Transmission”
“Fast Lane”
“Sweet Dreams From Oblivion”
“Manic Messiah”
“Conspiracy”
“The Prophet”