In a new interview with Sean P McKenna, host of "Rimshots With Sean" on Barstools And Bandtalk, Chilean-born singer Ronnie Romero reflected on his time with Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW, whom he fronted for sporadic shows between 2016 and 2019. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was a huge, huge task, actually, to be in the band. Not only because there is a lot of different material for different areas, different singers that you need to cover, but especially because the people who, they were going to the shows, and I really respect this, they wanna hear the songs as close as the original, but at the same time, they don't want a guy just copying the original singers. So, it was always a fine line in between where I can actually do my performance. And it's a little bit unfair, but I understand the task. If I go and I sing, for example, 'Stargazer' in my pretty own way, the people are not gonna like it because they remember Ronnie James Dio singing that song. But also I cannot copy exactly how Ronnie James Dio did, because the people are gonna say, 'Oh, this guy's just copying it.' So, it was complicated, but at the same time it was a lot of fun. That was the music that I used to listen to when I grew up, when I was a kid, with my father — rest in peace. That brings me a lot of memories also from my childhood. So, it was just awesome for me."

Asked if there is a particular RAINBOW era that maybe strikes a chord a little harder for him than others, Ronnie said: "Yeah, especially the first period on the band, with the first record, [1975's] 'Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow'. Especially that one, because I remember Dio, he was not much aggressive on his singing. He was way more melodic, like he was in his band ELF. So that's my favorite era from Ronnie James Dio, actually. So that's probably my favorite. Also the 'Rising' album because you have all those anthems like 'Stargazer' and all this stuff, but probably the first record."

Back in October 2023, Romero was asked by The Classic Rock Podcast which of his projects in the last decade and a half has given him the most satisfaction. He said: "Well, for me, obviously, because I grew up as a big fan, it was to meet Ritchie and play with him in RAINBOW. It was probably something that I still — I still think about it, like, I would really love to have my father at that time because he died before [I started playing with Ritchie], and he was a huge fan of DEEP PURPLE also. So that's the thing that I [would] love for my father to watch me doing. Even we did not too many shows — at the end, there were, like — I don't know — 12, 15 shows."

Asked if he would do another run of shows with RAINBOW if the now-79-year-old Ritchie called him up again and wanted to do it one more time before he retires from the road, Ronnie said: "Um, I don't think so. But we've been talking before the COVID, we were supposed to do a tour in 2020. And then because of the COVID everything stopped. And then I never talked to him again. But I was thinking about this recently. And since I quit from MICHAEL SCHENKER [GROUP], it's the same thing. And I was, like, I don't think that I wanna do it again. I mean, I really enjoyed it, as I told you, and it probably is the highlight of my professional life and Ritchie gave me the chance to be in the spot and to develop a career and I will be always grateful, but I don't think that I wanna be there. I don't think that's my place anymore — with all due respect, obviously. I think I really wanna face my career from now on in the way that I'm doing now, just putting my name on the front and try to do my own stuff."

Romero previously talked about his decision to focus on his solo career in September 2023 in an interview with Lana Teramae of Metal Express Radio. At the time, he said: "I'm not gonna say I got tired, but, yeah, there was a point where, for me, I wanted to get rid of this label of, 'Ronnie Romero, the singer of.' Obviously, I feel really blessed and grateful and to have the chance to work with all those great musicians, especially with Ritchie Blackmore because he gave me my chance on the music industry and he put me on the spotlight and all the stuff. And obviously, I will always be very grateful. But then there is a point, especially at the end of last year, I was doing a tour with Michael Schenker. And then I felt, like, 'Okay, I need to establish my name at some point.' Because those guys, they're gonna stop playing at some at some point. It's gonna be very soon, because Ritchie, I don't think we're gonna do more shows, but Michael Schenker is celebrating his 50 years career anniversary. So at some point, he's gonna stop, and I need to have something to show to the people. I really wanted to establish my name and get rid of this 'the singer of' [label]. So I can show what I can do in the songwriting side and all this stuff. I learned and I grew up with all those great guys and I played with them, but it was enough. And now I need to move on and look into the future with my own material."

When Teramae noted that Romero didn't want to "rely on the safety net" of singing for someone else's band anymore, Ronnie concurred, saying: "Yeah, absolutely. Actually, the feeling was I was in the safety side. It was not my name or reputation in the front of those shows. There was no my name on the tickets. I was playing big arenas, stadiums, long tours, a lot of things, but because it was somebody else there. So I really wanted to have the risk and see how it's going with my own name, and I think that's part of the excitement also."

Earlier this week, Romero shared his new single and video, a live version of the track "Castaway On The Moon", recorded live at the Spanish Rock Imperium festival.

Romero is also gearing up for his upcoming European headlining tour, which starts March 6 in Wolverhampton, U.K. and wraps up on March 19 in Weert, Netherlands, with support from ABSOLVA.

"Castaway On The Moon" is taken from Ronnie's latest solo album, "Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters", which marks the first time Romero has been involved with 100% of the songwriting on an album he sings on. Romero also co-produced the album with Andy C., marking another first for Romero.

Candice Night has announced her new studio album "Sea Glass", due on April 25 via earMUSIC. The LP's first single, "Angel And Jezebel" (rock version),can now be streamed below.

In her career as a musician, vocalist, composer and lyricist, Candice is perhaps most famously known as the multi-instrumentalist and voice of BLACKMORE'S NIGHT.

"Sea Glass" finds Candice at a new plateau in her life and music.

Inspired by a lifetime of challenging musical adventures as well as the magic and demands of everyday life and family, Candice has crafted an album that observes life through a prism — looking through a kaleidoscope of sea glass colors with their own special glow. Much like an alchemist, she melds together her various influences and experiences to create music that is contemporary yet eternal.

Candice says: "We go through so much in life, we break, we shatter, our pieces tossed and tumbled by forces all around us, smoothing our edges, teaching us lessons. And though some pieces may be lost, most return to be changed, different, worn by time, and yet…brilliant treasures in who we have become…"

The album draws from rock and country influences on tracks such as first single "Angel And Jezebel" (featured on the album in two versions) as well as deft acoustic pop with "Unsung Hero (She'll Never Tell)". Thematically "Sea Glass" touches on themes of loss and love ("The Last Goodbye", featuring her husband, DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW legend and her BLACKMORE'S NIGHT bandmate Ritchie Blackmore, on guitar) as well as the bond between parents and children and their wishes and dreams for the future ("Promise Me", which, fittingly, features contributions from Candice's son and daughter).

"Sea Glass" features nine Candice Night compositions and a version of the beloved standard "Nature Boy", brought together by Candice in the role of producer on what may be her most personal album to date. It is a journey across time and tides.

"Sea Glass" track listing:

01. Sea Glass
02. Unsung Hero (She'll Never Tell)
03. The Line Between
04. Angel And Jezebel (Rock Version)
05. Promise Me
06. Dark Carnival
07. The Last Goodbye
08. When I Want To Fly
09. Another Day
10. Nature Boy
11. Angel And Jezebel (Country Version)

During an appearance on the January 23 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian spoke about last month's announcement that he and his bandmates added second shows as part of their one-of-a-kind massive stadium events this year. The run of 2025 North American shows will kick off at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on August 27-28 with special guests KORN, as well as two night at Soldier Field in Chicago (August 31-September 1) with AVENGED SEVENFOLD and a final stop at Rogers Stadium in Toronto on September 3 and September 5 with DEFTONES. Shavo said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Literally within a few hours we sold out every show, and it was a shock to us. But I'm very glad that the stadiums were available near those dates. We had a band conference that it sold out. My manager hit us up. He's, like, 'Dude, you guys sold it all out.' … It floored me. People are, like, 'Why should it be so surprising to you?' Everyone sees us a certain way. I still see us as that band from Hollywood. I'm not seeing us as this giant band that could sell out MetLife twice, two nights in a row. Football stadiums, bro. So, we decided, 'Let's add another show to each.' And we put it out there the next day and those sold out too."

Asked why SYSTEM OF A DOWN is only playing shows in three cities this time around, Shavo said: "We haven't played a lot together for a while. We've been doing one or two shows a year since 2017. So, the relationships were not as great as they are now. It's just everybody wasn't on the same page. We've been talking. Everything's great, knock on wood. Everyone's happy. So we decided to test the waters and play some shows. And that's what it is. There is no strategy to it, there's no plan to do the rest of the world just yet. I'm not saying it's not gonna happen; I'm not saying it is gonna happen. We told each other, 'Let's play it by ear, do these shows, see how we feel afterwards. If we don't wanna do any more, we don't do any more. If we wanna do more, we'll do more.' There's no heavy responsibility on anyone, because I feel like a lot of it is just thinking too much, overthinking what could happen."

Shavo continued: "Bad experiences have happened to certain people, and they kind of hold that as PTSD, I think. And now that things are better, we're older, we're, like, 'Dude, no pressure, bro. Let's just do it. If we like it, we do. If we don't like it, we [don't].' 'Cause you know what? Serj [Tankian, SYSTEM OF A DOWN vocalist] had a great time at Sick New World [festival in Las Vegas] last year. We had such an amazing, fun show and everyone left the stage hugging. And so he called back, he's, like, 'Dude, I loved it. Let's do more of these.' So that's where that happened. We're, like, 'Let's go.' As long as everyone is down. Daron [Malakian, SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist] was down. So we decided, 'Let's test the waters. Let's not just go full blast and start doing months. Let's just test the waters with three shows.' Those three shows turned to six."

Regarding why SYSTEM OF A DOWN chose to play in those three cities in particular, Shavo said: "We haven't been there for a long time. 'Cause we've been doing West Coast stuff a lot, because we haven't been leaving the West Coast. Like I said, we've been kind of dipping our toe in the water, testing the temperature of the water. So, we've been kind of upsetting the East Coast. It seems like we don't like going there, but we love the East Coast. We love all over. We love the entire country. It's not personal at all. So when we decided to do some extra shows, we said, 'We need to go to the East Coast. That's where this year has to be.' So that's the reason — because we the East; we really do. We talk about it every day — John [Dolmayan, SYSTEM OF A DOWN drummer] and I talk about it every day. We're, like, 'We can't wait for this.' So we're looking forward to seeing the crowd, being there and seeing the city and enjoying it with that eye again. We're playing the city again. And to play two stadiums in each city is just — it's a gift."

Asked if it is tough to ramp up a machine like SYSTEM OF A DOWN to playing at a stadium level for just six shows, Shavo said: "We can do it. Look, for the last few years, we've been doing one or two shows. And we go and we rehearse two weeks for one show. I think that's not smart. So six shows is better than one show to me. I'll take it. I'll take it, and I'm not gonna ask for more. I want it to happen organically. I think our band is that band — we can't be told what to do. The more we push each other to do something, the less we do. So I figure the less we push, the more we'll do. It should be done because we wanna do it, we love to do it, and that's why we do it."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN will also play a run of South American stadium gigs this spring. The seven-show "Wake Up! South America" tour is slated to kick off on April 24 in Bogota, Colombia at the Estadio Nemésio Camacho El Campin, followed by a show in Cercado De Lima, Peru at the Estadio Nacional. The tour will move on to Chile, Argentina and Brazil, wrapping up with a run of three shows in Curitiba, Rio De Janieiro and São Paulo. The concerts will be SYSTEM OF A DOWN's first visit to South America since 2015.

Last May, Serj spoke to the Soul Boom With Rainn Wilson podcast about his reluctance to embrace the touring lifestyle that characterized SYSTEM OF A DOWN's early years. He said: "We've had incredible, unexpected success as a very far-flung kind of progressive metal band with our 'Toxicity' record in 2001 and touring and doing what we did. And after many years of touring, when we were making the last few records which we made together, 'Mezmerize' and 'Hypnotize' — those recordings were done at the same time, then released as two records within six months of each other in 2005 and 2006 — before those sessions, when we first started those sessions, I told the [other] guys [in the band], 'Guys, this kind of cyclical thing that we're doing with making records for a year, touring for two years at that time, doing all this promo publicity,' it was just cyclical. It was, like, 'I've gotta stop. And I also wanna do my own thing. I have other artistic adventures that I wanna get on.'"

He continued: "Part of it was we had so much creativity and input coming into the band, specifically with Daron's songwriting and me wanting to bring in music as well, because, over time, he became a better lyricist and I became a better musical songwriter, a better composer, so it became kind of like a push and pull, which is really good for bands, actually, 'cause it's a yin-and-yang kind of thing — two strong, creative forces. And it also broken up so many bands. So, before 'Mezmerize' and 'Hypnotize', I basically told the guys, 'Listen, I'd like to take a hiatus. I'm not saying I never wanna do this, but I'm saying I can't do this right now anymore. And I wanna do my own thing and also take time off and have a life, and all of that stuff.' It wasn't taken well at the time. I won't get into that. But years later, we started touring again in 2011, and it became a fun thing, 'cause it left… Nothing was totally resolved creatively, but it became a fun thing because we at least put everything to the side and said, 'Look, we're friends, we're brothers. We've known each other for a long time. We still respect and love each other. Let's go have fun and tour together.' And we've been doing that since. Not as much as they would like, let's say, or I'm not gonna speak for each and every person of the band, because that wouldn't be fair of me either. But generally I'm the least person that wants to tour. Part of that is physical, because it's tiring. I've done it for 20, 25 years, and I had back surgery a few years ago. I'm much better now and all of that. But part of it is that. Part of it is that it's artistically redundant after a while, because it's 'Groundhog Day'; you're repeating yourself. David Bowie said the first two weeks of every tour is basically — I'm paraphrasing — creative; after that, it's redundant, kind of thing, which is correct. So it's that. But I do enjoy playing with the guys, and when it's a one-off, it's actually fun, 'cause there's no pressure to do this whole rigamarang of a long tour or press or anything. You just rehearse together, make your dumb jokes, have food together, and then go and play that one show and it becomes a hoorah. So that's what we've been doing. And I'm grateful for that."

Tankian, who was promoting his memoir, "Down With The System", previously addressed how his relationship with Malakian has evolved over the years, particularly as it relates to their collaborative partnership, earlier that same month in an interview with Tom Power, host of "Q" on Canada's CBC Radio One. He said: "Well, changing the dynamic is basically years of time and the progression of the band, the success of the band, everything that happened in between the day that we met and now, basically, so 25, 30 years. A lot changes in that time. And so I think that's a part of it.

"Daron's been a lifer and he's incredibly serious about his music and he's incredibly protective of his music and vulnerable due to his music," Serj explained. "All of those things kind of go together. So it's those things, I think, that created some of the creative differences that we started finding. And it's also our progression. Listen, when Daron and I started working together, I didn't really write a lot of instrumental music — I mostly wrote lyrics; I was the lyricist; I was the singer. And he didn't write any lyrics; he just wrote music. But as time progressed and I played more musical instruments and I started becoming a songwriter/composer and he started writing more lyrics, we started kind of covering each other's territory. And I was okay with that. If he wrote lyrics, I was trying to encourage him to write more, because I believe in artistic growth. I believe in progression. I don't believe in things staying the same way, for music's sake. Otherwise the music becomes the same thing over and over again. That progression is necessary in every artist's life or in every group's life. So I was very encouraging of that. And I just wish that I got some of that back. And so that wasn't the case, and it was disappointing. And it became a creative difference over the band's path, and whatnot, over time."

Asked why he wanted to write about this in his book, Serj said: "A lot of it has been publicized in a very sensationalist format by media, music media mostly, and I kind of wanted to put it in a proper perspective and grounding perspective, but with love and with balance and understanding that these things happen. This is normal. You have a relationship and you have differences in opinion as [to] how you wanna go forward, whether it's a band or a marriage or whatever it is. And these things happen. And so I wanted to take that aspect out, I wanted to take the sensationalist aspect out of the whole thing and be, like, this is not only what happened, but this is how I see things."

Tankian also addressed the fact that SYSTEM OF A DOWN has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, but has only managed to record two songs in the last 19 years, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". Released in November 2020, the tracks were motivated by the conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with all proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in SYSTEM OF A DOWN's ancestral homeland of Armenia. Along with other donations from fans on their social pages, they raised over $600,000.

"We haven't been making new music," Serj said. "We only put out two songs when the invasion of Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh happened in 2020 by Azerbaijan, because we felt like the Azeri trolls, the government-sponsored trolls were taking over social media and the news networks, and the victims of these attacks weren't getting the word out. So we became kind of obsessed with getting the word out, because we were seeing our people suffer. So we put out those two songs because of that and we donated a lot of the proceeds for that to the cause as well."

Asked how he balances the love and obligation he might feel toward his fans, those who love SYSTEM OF A DOWN, and the internal struggles within the band, Tankian said: "That's an incredibly smart question. It's really hard catering — when you're an artist, it's really hard catering. If you're an entertainer, catering is [what you do], but if you're an artist, then you're just creating what comes to you. You're almost unaware of what people want. Yes, if it's something heavier, you know people are gonna like it more. But if you're a good songwriter, you could do both. I do orchestral music, I do film music, I do rock music — I do it all. So I enjoy 'em all, but I know that if I do rock, more people are going to listen to it than a piano, instrumental orchestral piece of music, soundtrack kind of music. But it doesn't mean that you don't do both, as an artist. So it's hard to really cater to people's feelings. What I love is, and I know that I can speak for the rest of the guys in the band, that no matter what's going on with our creative difference or the band not making new music or not touring fully or whatever, everyone's incredibly appreciative of what we have in terms of the love that we get from our fans and the way that people react to our music and the way that we get all these e-mails about how it's changed people's lives and all of that stuff, and that is mind-blowing. It's the biggest honor. And when I meet people on the street, I'm still incredibly honored that someone would pick me out and look at me in a positive light, not knowing who I am personally, but knowing me through my music, through our music, let's say. And I think that's a great fucking honor. I feel blessed for it. But it doesn't mean that that thing should continue forever either."

Globally acclaimed dark-synth artist PERTUBATOR has announced that he has signed with Nuclear Blast Records for the release of his upcoming new album, which has officially been completed.

On his signing to Nuclear Blast, James Kent comments:
“Glad to finally announce that I’ll join forces with Nuclear Blast for future projects and even happier to tell you that I’ll hit the road again this November with my friends GOST and KAELAN MIKLA, it’s been way too long. I’ll give you some updates very soon”

Alongside the signing announcement, PERTURBATOR has also revealed the details of a UK & European headline tour for Winter 2025. The run of dates will feature the biggest venues that PERTURBATOR has ever headlined, and sees support form KÆLAN MIKLA and GOST.

In a new interview with Australia's Jaimunji, DROWNING POOL guitarist C.J. Pierce was asked if there was ever a point where he thought that maybe the band was "done". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Me personally, no. I mean, we've been hit with a lot of stuff, man. We've been hit with things — there's been stuff that's happened with us personally, within the band, that you read about, that has destroyed other bands for smaller things than that.

"I feel like I have a very full life," he continued. "I guess I should be appreciative of that. I've had a lot of life experiences — way more than I ever thought I would have. And it's pretty wild, man. But I love music. I'm passionate about it. We are. And when we're on that stage together, there's nothing like that in the whole world. And having that connection with the fans — and I'm a fan of music. There's been a lot of songs from a lot of other artists and bands that have gotten me through certain situations. And to hear that about your own songs from fans, it's, like, that connection, there's nothing like that in the whole world. So we do it for the right reasons.

"It's tough," C.J. added. "You've gotta fight the music business and all these things that tear you down and rip away from that passion. But you've gotta focus on what's real to you. And we love performing. We love playing. I love writing music."

DROWNING POOL's latest single, "Revolution (The Final Amen)", came out in September via SBG Records. It marks the first piece of music Pierce and his longtime bandmates — drummer Mike Luce and bassist Stevie Benton — have completed with singer Ryan McCombs in 13 years.

Regarding why DROWNING POOL chose "Revolution (The Final Amen)" as the song with which to reintroduce McCombs to the band's fans, Pierce told Australia's Heavy: "Well, we had several songs that are on the plate that we're working on together. This one just kind of gravitated towards being done first. I think all of us might have had a moment where [we thought] the eyes are gonna be on this, but at the end of the day, dude, it's us writing music together and it's not about the machine or about the industry. It's about us writing songs and art together as a band. And when it's ready to be out, that's when it's ready to go. All four of us sat down at a table with lyrics. We were all in a room together working on it. Musically, it's completely DROWNING POOL as us four, and that's the one that we finished first that we wanna get out to the world."

As for DROWNING POOL's plans to release more new music in the coming months, Pierce said: "We're hoping to get a few more songs recorded before the end of [2024] and a couple of more before we go to Australia in February [2025]. So, yeah, we're working on a full-length record.

"The original plan was to have a couple of reunion shows with Ryan, 'cause he still sings with SOIL… and then all of a sudden we just started writing songs together," C.J. explained. "And then we were getting [phone calls saying], 'Hey, come play some shows, play some shows.' So we've been pretty much just playing shows the last year and a half, having a great time doing it, writing music in between from all the inspiration from all the amazing shows, from all the awesome rock fans."

On the topic of what DROWNING POOL fans can expect from the band's upcoming material, C.J. said: "The next [song] coming up is even more jamming than ['Revolution (The Final Amen)']. I can't let any cats out of the bag. We have a very super-deep song that's coming out. I have a new tune that just came naturally that has a 'Tear Away' kind of vibe to it, that kind of chugging along feel that just came naturally again. And then we have some songs I got that [have] a lower tuning on it that's very Ryan McCombs's lower wheelhouse. I have some songs that are influenced by PANTERA. Who isn't? We have a lot of stuff on the plate, man."

McCombs played his first shows back with DROWNING POOL in March 2023 at Club L.A. in Destin, Florida and at the inaugural Throwdown At The Campground festival in Fruitland Park, Florida.

The longtime SOIL frontman, who has lived in Swindon, England since 2018, originally joined DROWNING POOL in 2005 and appeared on two of the band's studio albums, "Full Circle" (2007) and "Drowning Pool" (2010),as well as a live album, 2009's "Loudest Common Denominator". He rejoined SOIL after exiting DROWNING POOL in 2011.

McCombs is continuing to front SOIL and will carry on recording and performing with both bands.

The "Revolution (The Final Amen)" video was filmed at El Paso, Texas's Speaking Rock Entertainment Center and can be seen below.

DROWNING POOL's debut album, "Sinner", was certified platinum within six weeks of its release in 2001, while the CD's first single, "Bodies", was one of the most frequently aired videos on MTV by a new band. DROWNING POOL reached out to an ever-greater audience with dynamic performances at Wrestlemania XVIII and Ozzfest during the summers of 2001 and 2002. Unfortunately, their streak of success was not to last. Shortly after rousing the crowd at Ozzfest in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 3, 2002, vocalist Dave "Stage" Williams was found dead of natural causes on the tour bus.

Photo courtesy of O'Donnell Media Group

In a recent interview with "That Fuzzing Rock Show", (SEVENDUST singer Lajon Witherspoon was asked why he and his bandmates chose to celebrate the 21st anniversary of their iconic album "Seasons" on a U.S. tour in late 2024. "Seasons" is the fourth album from the band's catalog and exploded on to the metal world when it was released in October 2003. The album spawned a Top 10 Rock single with "Enemy" and the album closer "Face To Face" is a show staple and fan favorite of SEVENDUST to this day.

Lajon said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I just feel like this album is such an important milestone for us and it was a very important thing. And the 21st, I think just with everything going on in the world and the slowage and everything that stopped us, this seemed like it would be a perfect opportunity to present it and its entirety, the way it should be, with everyone being able to come out properly, if that makes sense."

Regarding why "Seasons" was such a special album for SEVENDUST, Lajon said: "We got to do it with [producer] Butch Walker. It was one of the last albums we recorded in Atlanta, Georgia, and I remember leaving RubyRed Studios, which Butch Walker owned, and leaving on a tour bus and feeling like things were gonna be different from that point on. And for sure, God had a plan, and things did change. We started touring more.

"'Seasons' is a very important album," Lajon continued. "I felt like we sang a lot on that album. I felt like we weren't afraid to do what we wanted to do as a band at that time in our career, if that makes sense. Everyone wanted us to be, 'Oh, you guys gotta be heavy and you gotta just wreck everything.' It was, like, we matured enough to feel that our people, our family that have grown with us are letting us mature as musicians. And I felt like that was a milestone in our career for us."

SEVENDUST's fourth studio album, "Seasons" was the band's final LP with TVT Records and was dedicated to the memory to both Dave Williams (DROWNING POOL's original singer),who died of cardiomyopathy in August 2002, and Reginald Witherspoon (Lajon Witherspoon's younger brother),who was murdered in November 2002.

"Seasons" was, for a time, the band's last album with guitarist Clint Lowery as he left in 2004. Lowery returned to SEVENDUST in March 2008 and has remained with the group ever since.

SEVENDUST's latest album, "Truth Killer", was released in July 2023 via SEVENDUST's new label home, Napalm Records. The follow-up to 2020's "Blood & Stone" was once again tracked at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who has previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH, among others.

"Truth Killer" showcases the original and current SEVENDUST lineup, comprised of Witherspoon, Lowery, John Connolly, Vince Hornsby and Morgan Rose.

Extreme metal giants BEHEMOTH have revealed the title, cover art, and release date of their upcoming new opus, "The Shit Ov God", which is due to be released on May 9 via Nuclear Blast Records. Alongside the title track, which is streaming now, an opulent music video will premiere at 10 a.m. ET today.

BEHEMOTH have always been known for not shying away from controversy, and they most certainly remain true to this approach with their 13th full-length. Here's a band that, 34 years in, is releasing its most inflammatory and extreme record to date. Eight songs that go into the fathoms of humanity, divinity, and what defiance means in an age where individuality is prized but everyone is clinging to their saviors — musically, politically, or otherwise. The title of the album is in line with those sensibilities.

Intentionally polarizing, BEHEMOTH founder and frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski says of the title: "We chose this provocative title deliberately, rejecting subtlety in favor of a direct and polarizing statement. It's a defiant plunge into the depths, daring to seek the absolute even in the gutter."

But make no mistake, despite its apparent insubtlety, the album title gets a touch of genius when seen in combination with the strikingly clever artwork, which depicts an upside-down version of the most common Christogram "IHS."

Nergal commented: "I've reached a point in BEHEMOTH's journey and my own creativity where words and statements mean less and less. The true essence of who we are and what we stand for lies in our music, our art, our visuals, our sounds, our performances, and the ways we connect with you. I deeply believe BEHEMOTH represents transcendent, timeless art.

"The number thirteen — so magical and significant. If this were to be our final album, I could say I die a proud man. Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the most refined, purest representation of BEHEMOTH. No filler, no excess — just the very best we have to offer, handed to you.

"Hail Satan."

BEHEMOTH meticulously chose the audiovisual artists involved on the album. Production on the album was helmed by the inimitable Jens Bogren of Fascination Street Studios (EMPEROR, ENSLAVED, KREATOR, ROTTING CHRIST et al.). Working closely with the band, Bogren's deft hand underscored the band's natural sound while sacrificing none of the mayhem and ferocity which permeates the band's essence. As is always the case with BEHEMOTH, the visuals were as carefully constructed as the sound. The band tapped long-time collaborator and partner in crime Bartek Rogalewicz (BLACK.LODGE.IS.NOW) as well as Dark Sigil Workshop to make the beautifully ominous and unique cover art.

"The Shit Ov God" track listing:

01. The Shadow Elite
02. Sowing Salt
03. The Shit Ov God
04. Lvciferaeon
05. To Drown The Svn In Wine
06. Nomen Barbarvm
07. O Venvs, Come!
08. Avgvr (The Dread Vvltvre)

This spring, BEHEMOTH will embark on the extreme metal event of 2025, featuring legendary Norwegian black metal pioneers SATYRICON as special guest. From the ancient lands of Greece, the ever-epic ROTTING CHRIST completes "The Unholy Trinity".

The tour kicks off on April 4, 2025, in Vienna, Austria and descends across major cities, including Berlin, Paris, London, and Stockholm, before culminating in Prague, Czech Republic on April 27, 2025.

Fans can expect a night of incredible metal mastery, as each band bring their distinct and intense sounds to life on stage. BEHEMOTH's explosive performances, SATYRICON's black metal majesty and ROTTING CHRIST's dark, melodic ferocity will make this tour one for the ages.

BEHEMOTH tapped UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS drummer Jon Rice for the Polish extreme metallers summer 2024 European tour. Rice was temporarily filling in for longtime BEHEMOTH drummer Inferno (real name: Zbigniew Robert Promiński),who was unable to make the shows "due to health issues".

Rice previously subbed for Inferno during BEHEMOTH's 2022 South American tour with ARCH ENEMY, 2017 North American tour with SLAYER and select 2019 headlining dates in Israel and Turkey.

BEHEMOTH's "O Father, O Satan, O Svmmer" 2024 European tour was described in a press release as "a monstrous voyage through the continent to perform upon huge outdoor festival stages and selected club shows, accompanied by a wickedly curated lineup of bands. Truly a spectacle not to be missed!" The tour featured special guests TESTAMENT, GAEREA, PESTILENCE, UADA, IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT and UNTO OTHERS on select dates.

BEHEMOTH's 12th studio album, "Opvs Contra Natvram", was released in September 2022. The LP was previously described in a press release as "a stark reminder of the rebellion, individuality, and unflinching self-expression that BEHEMOTH's phenomenal work imbues, shaped by a literary worldview."

Photo credit: Sylwia Makris and Christian Martin Weiss

SATYRICON singer Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven and drummer Kjetil "Frost" Haraldstad joined PANTERA on stage this past Friday (January 24) at Spektrum in Oslo, Norway to perform the Philip Anselmo-fronted band's classic song "Walk". Video of their appearance can be seen below.

Back in 2018, Satyr said that his EIBON project ultimately disintegrated as a result of Anselmo's severe drug addiction.

The short-lived black metal supergroup, which featured Satyr alongside the PANTERA singer, DARKTHRONE's Fenriz and NECROPHAGIA's Kiljoy, contributed one song to Moonfog Records' (Satyr's label) "A Different Perspective" sampler more than two decades ago and was working on a debut album, only to be shelved, never to be heard from again.

During an interview with Landry.Audio, Satyr was asked if he thinks there is any chance that EIBON could eventually be revived. "Every time when my brother Philip and I meet, we talk about it," he laughed. "So that's surely something that we would love to do. But it is hard to make that happen. I'm not really in touch with Fenriz, and nor is Philip. I guess Killjoy of NECROPHAGIA didn't necessarily… I don't know if he… In terms of lyrics, that was pretty much Philip, for the most part, and in terms of music, that was 95 percent me, if not more.

"Being brutally honest, Philip and I could do EIBON without Fenriz and without our late brother Killjoy, but I think that we should have finished it when we were working on this back in the late '90s [and] early 2000s," he continued. "But, frankly speaking, it was Philip's addiction at the time that ruined this whole project. That's all there is to it. [We] can talk about this and that, but that's what it comes down to. At the time, he was beyond fucked up. Yeah, but he really was. We were in the studio trying to do things. I'd come out from the recording room, [and] I'd find him lying, passed out on pills, heroin, whatever, on the floor, with his entourage surrounding him, not wanting to interfere or do anything that could offend him, because he was the big guy. And then I'd be thinking to myself, 'What the hell is this? I love this guy and he's a great musician, but I'm a black metal guy; I'm not a PANTERA fan. And when I travel from the other side of the world to come work, I'm here to work, not to do drugs.' So, for me, that was a deeply frustrating period that really upset me. But I consider Philip one of my very best friends and an outstanding musician, so, in one way or another, I would love to do more music with Philip at some point, that's for sure."

Asked if he knew Anselmo for a long time before they decided to collaborate on an album, Satyr said: "No, I didn't. And perhaps if I would have, maybe things would have been a little bit easier. I can't remember if it was '98 or '99 where I got to know him. It might have been '98, I suppose. And then we were on tour with [PANTERA] in 2000. I have to say this, though, about their music: in hindsight, I like it. I didn't like the music back then when we were actually on tour with them and had a lot to do with them, but in hindsight, I've grown to like their music. I think the [Abbott] brothers [Vinnie and Darrell], the way they interact musically, it's very intriguing. There's nothing quite like it. This rhythmical understanding that the Abbott brothers had is unique. And Dime's guitar playing is phenomenal, of course, but it's also… he [was] very creative from a rhythmical point of view. And I think Vince's way of playing drums and taking all the awkward timing of Dime's riffs and making it a little bit more powerful and straightforward with his drum arrangements was a unique quality that Vince had. And Rex [Brown] providing a strong backbone with his playing, and then Philip being just one of the most unique frontmen and singers in modern heavy metal history, I suppose."

Also in 2018, Anselmo admitted to Bardo Methodology that he "was still a pill-popping, druggard idiot who'd nod off mid-sentence" while he and Satyr were trying to work on EIBON in the studio. "But Satyr was always a hard worker; he was the guy who led," Philip said. "I found it interesting from a musician's standpoint. We played primitive black metal, so, in my opinion, the listener would consider what we were playing extremely simple… and it was — but I was made to play by the Norge rule of strumming with the wrist instead of down-picking on half-time parts, which is totally crazy in my mind. I tried explaining to a very willful Satyr that the downward chop sounds heavier than halftime-picking, but, alas, he was having none of it. [Laughs] So, despite the music's simplicity, it was a fresh, unexpected challenge within the genre. I fucking loved it! Damned cool experiences."

Asked what ultimately became of the project, Anselmo said: "There was a slight Norge fallout between the natives, and I didn't wanna get stuck in the middle of that particular fight. So, the band never materialized. All I have left is three poorly mummified-sounding songs, recorded and mixed terribly raw, with one song featuring place-keeper-style vocals. Hardly impressive."

Philip went on to say that he still keeps in touch with Satyr, although he hinted that he and the SATYRICON frontman weren't necessarily musically aligned. "Satyr kinda freaked me out back in the late 1990s to early 2000s with the type of bands he liked — especially U.S. acts who were popular at the time," Anselmo said. "I'll just leave it at that. I couldn't believe it. Terrible music taste, in my opinion, but music is subjective. Satyr always had big things on his mind, and there's a palpable hunger within him. I couldn't have predicted the direction they'd go in, but, truth be told, I played no role in the scribing of any SATYRICON record. That's all on them."

Australian guitarist, Orianthi, has two records in the works and recently spoke to Guitar World about them, as well as the way her career has shaped up since releasing her pop rock hit, "According To You", in 2009. Following is an excerpt:


Guitar World: You’ve dialled in your sound over your last couple of records. What’s been the key to that?


Orianthi: "I’m trying to get better. I’ve never stopped learning and want to be a better guitar player. I also want to be a better singer and songwriter because everyone has their own mind, fingerprint and journey. There were quite a few records where I was told the parameters, like, 'This is what you have to do. You have to make a heavy record,' or 'You have to make a pop record.' I was told what to do, but I wanted to play guitar. There’s freedom in that. You learn that there’s people out there that you’ll find who think they own you… but the label I’m working with now (Woodward Avenue Records) truly believes in me as an artist."




Guitar World: Are your two latest tracks, "First Time Blues" and "Ghost", indicators of where you’re going?


Orianthi: "Yes. And soon we’re putting out 'Some Kind Of Feeling' (available now), which is quite different. I wrote 'Some Kind Of Feeling' a while ago on acoustic and it’s got a soul kind of feel. People might think it’s quite a departure, but I figured, 'You know what? I put out enough heartbreak songs. Why not put out a happy song to manifest some good shit? I don’t want to be a person who only writes songs about a horrible relationship. This is about love, connection, what music does and what somebody can do when they come into your life. It can be love, a friend or a person… It’s just about feeling good. Life is all about connections for me, and this song represents that. I really dig the new vibe… it’s really different."


Read the complete interview via Guitar World here.








Alice Cooper recently announced that guitarist Orianthi will be joining his band for shows January 31 through February 16, filling in for Nita Strauss, who has conflicting obligations of her own. Orianthi toured with Alice from 2011 to 2014, along with longtime band members Chuck Garric, Glen Sobel, Tommy Henriksen, and Ryan Roxie.


“Working with him was such a blast, and it's such an honor. Alice is a legend,” Orianthi tells Guitar World. “I know the shows are going to be really fun. It's going to be just a whole different dynamic and sort of a change from Nita.”


The invitation came via an email that cut straight to the chase. “It basically said, ‘Hey, Alice would love for you to join him because Nita [Strauss] is busy.’ I was like, ‘Absolutely.’ Well, actually, at first, I said, ‘I'm not sure because I have my own stuff going on right now with my tour.’ But we moved things around and made it work.”


Read more at GuitarWorld.com.


Announcing Orianthi's return, Alice Cooper said, "When Orianthi moved on to pursue her own career in 2014, we were lucky to find Nita. Over the past decade, Nita, Chuck, and Tommy have also launched their own projects, and we always try to coordinate our schedule so we can keep the band

During an appearance on "The New Man" podcast with Tripp Lanier, LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe opened up about his feelings on religion. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I had some negative experiences with religion, organized religion, growing up. There were some negative experiences within the church when I was a child.

"When I was a child, I was raised in the church; I was raised in the Southern Baptist church. And I was always taught that God loves everyone and we shouldn't judge everyone and we shouldn't judge anyone and that we're all equal under the eyes of God. And then, around seven or eight years old, I began to notice rank hypocrisy within church-going people on how they treated other people, how they viewed other people, what they would say on the side. And I was, like, 'Okay, this is all bullshit.' So I was kind of done with the whole God thing. I was not an atheist. I've never been an atheist, but I was — I don't know. I just kind of loosely, I guess, gave lip service to the idea of a God, some sort of spirit, some sort of higher power. And it wasn't until I was really brutalized by alcohol to the point where I had to ask something outside of myself for help, 'cause nothing else was there — just me. 'Please help me. Something.' And so I definitely believe in a higher power. I don't know if it is a cognizant, rational, thinking deity. I don't know if it is simply a reality itself. I don't know if it is an underlying energy that runs through everything, but I think there is at least a sense of order to the universe.

"I've heard that the God uses an acronym for 'good orderly direction'," Randy continued. "If there wasn't any sort of direction, even within chaos, even within the chaos of our universe, I think everything would just cease to exist.

"So, do I believe in a God, for lack of a better term? Yes. Do I attempt to have a conscious contact with that quote-unquote God? Yes, on a daily basis. Really, the main point of it is, do I know what that God is? Absolutely not. No clue. It doesn't fucking matter.

"It seems illogical to me," Blythe added. "I don't think we can comprehend, specifically, with our limited senses… Like, if you think about a dog, a dog can hear things that we can't hear. I think we are not attuned to the frequencies of the divine. Not yet. So, it doesn't make sense for me for there to be a specific sort of monolithic, one particular god that 'this is it.' Because if there was, despite what cult leaders and televangelists and charlatans throughout the ages have tried to tell you, if someone had the fucking answer, then it would be self-evident when they presented it to you. But it's not. So I think with a lot of religions, at least the historically based ones, I think they have some, perhaps, divine aspect to this stuff. And maybe it's the divine expressing itself through a particular person so that that culture in that moment, in that time can understand it.

"That is one of my problems with dogmatic, fundamentalist religious people of any stripe," Randy said. "They're, like, 'My God is the only God. And if you don't follow this, you're gonna go to hell' or whatever. Let's just say Buddha, who wasn't even a God. He is a human being who supposedly attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree. Buddha, who appeared however many thousand years ago in India — he made sense when he he appeared there. Would he make sense to the Celtic tribes in Ireland at the same time, who were running around and committing warfare with the blue paint on their face or whatever, the Highlands of Scotland and Ireland, the Celts? No. He would not be culturally appropriate. So I think there may be culturally appropriate expressions of the divine throughout history in each corner of the world. So who am I to tell you my conception of the divine is the correct one when it wouldn't even make sense to you?"

Blythe's second book, "Just Beyond The Light: Making Peace With The Wars Inside Our Head", is due on February 18, 2025 via Grand Central Publishing (GCP).

"Just Beyond The Light" was previously described by Blythe as a "tight, concise roadmap of how I have attempted to maintain what I believe to be a proper perspective in life, even during difficult times."

Last month, Blythe announced more spoken-word and question-and-answer events to promote "Just Beyond The Light". The special "evening with" event includes a spoken-word performance, an audience question-and-answer session, a copy of "Just Beyond The Light" and an opportunity to have the book signed.

In a recent interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", Blythe was asked if "Just Beyond The Light" picks up where his debut book, "Dark Days", which focused on his ordeal in a Czech Republic prison and his subsequent acquittal, left off or if it's a completely different book. Randy said: "It's a completely different book. It's a collection of — I wouldn't call 'em essays, but different chapters about, basically different people and experiences who have [changed] my perspective for the better.

"As I get older, I try not to make the same stupid mistakes again and again and again and again," he explained. "And surprise, surprise, if you look at people who — you look at them and you think, 'Man, this person has their life together,' or, 'They've acted in a manner that I find admirable,' if you pay attention to them and follow their example, you don't do stupid things yourself. I'm not saying that I don't still do stupid things, but I'm trying fully in my old age to learn from others more."

In 2012, Blythe was arrested in the Czech Republic and charged with manslaughter for allegedly pushing a 19-year-old fan offstage at a show two year prior and causing injuries that led to the fan's death. Blythe spent 37 days in a Prague prison before ultimately being found not guilty in 2013.

Blythe's prison experience inspired two songs on LAMB OF GOD's 2015 album "VII: Sturm Und Drang": "512", one of his three prison cell numbers, and "Still Echoes", written while he was in Pankrac Prison, a dilapidated facility built in the 1880s that had been used for executions by the Nazis during World War II. It also led him to write the aforementioned "Dark Days", in which he shared his whole side of the story publicly for the first time.

“The exiles on the shores of the sea, if they turned towards the West in the desire of their hearts, spoke of Mar-nu-Falmar that was whelmed in the waves, Akallabêth the Downfallen, Atalantë in the Eldarin tongue.” (Tolkien – ‘The Silmarillion‘)

Delving deeply into the cosmos of J.R.R. Tolkien, US multi-instrumentalists Lord Bauglir and Griss have brought forth a monumental symphonic Black Metal creation. ANFAUGLIR – Sindarin for ‘Jaws of Thirst‘ – embodies the majestic vastness of its source material via intricate and longform cinematic compositions which take listeners to the heart of Middle-earth.

ANFAUGLIR states:

“At its core, our music serves as a vessel to tell stories that interweave the solace of darkness and despair with the danger of light and joy. Creating tension within hope and revealing serenity amidst sorrow, our art aims to reside in the nebulous fringes where shadows and light coalesce.“

ANFAUGLIR have signed with Debemur Morti Productions for the release of upcoming second full-length album, “Akallabêth“, in spring 2025. The album promises four towering compositions which weave a tempest of symphonic ferocity, metallic aggression and mesmerizing tranquility.

The band further unveils:

““Akallabêth” is a cinematic journey spanning over 3,000 years of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Second Age, following the downfall of the island of Númenor. Inundated with discordance and tragedy, the four epic tracks delve into the depths of doom and decay as light and existence fade beneath the cold inescapable torrent of oblivion.“

Discover an initial musical teaser below, and follow the band on Instagram for regular updates.

More details will be revealed soon!


ANFAUGLIR was forged by multi-instrumentalists Lord Bauglir and Griss as an exploration in storytelling through epic symphonic Black Metal. Based upon the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, the duo aims to match the scope and grandeur of the source material with their unique and cinematic compositions, transporting listeners to Middle-earth.

ANFAUGLIR are proud to partner with Debemur Morti Productions to bring their full-length album “Akallabêth“, a deluge of symphonic fury infused with discordant aggression and spellbinding tranquility, to light in 2025.

Shying away from traditional song structures, “Akallabêth” is written and arranged in the vein of a traditional symphony. Themes and melodies develop, recur and transform, entwining delicate motifs of rapture with tragedy, throughout the course of the album’s 4 monumental tracks.

Centering on the downfall of Númenor from the second age of J.R.R. Tolkien‘s legendarium, death, immortality and spiritual avarice weave the narrative thread creating a tapestry rich in conflict, emotion and sinking hope. From godly gifts to bombastic wars, the album spans more than 3000 years of prosperity, conquest and upheaval.

The band are currently working on their next album.

New Model Army announce their upcoming live album, ‘Live SO36’, to be released on March 28th, 2025, through earMUSIC.

Raw, unfiltered, and brimming with energy, ‘Live SO36’ captures New Model Army at their most visceral. This is the full electrifying performance, recorded on July 16th, 2022 at Berlin’s legendary SO36 venue, with 19 Songs, mixing both fan-favourites such as ‘The Hunt’, ‘Vengeance’ and ‘Poison Street’ with rarer songs from all eras of their long history – and can be seen as a companion piece to their 2023 live release ‘Sinfonia’, that had been recorded the day before.


When the idea of doing a New Model Army concert with a full orchestra at Berlin’s magnificent Tempodrom venue was first floated, we had a thought: that if we were going to do something so extravagant, we should also do the exact opposite on the same weekend. So, we booked the following two evenings at Berlin’s legendary Punk Rock sweatbox, the SO36 in Kreuzberg, and returned to being the simplest, stripped-down version of New Model Army we could be – without orchestra, keyboards or double drums. Over the two nights, we performed 38 different songs (to add to the 21 performed with the orchestra), with the intention that the weekend should be seen as a whole. The Sinfonia project, in all its magnificence, was released in 2023. Now, at last, comes the sweaty, full-on rock and roll. Both nights were recorded although only the first was filmed. Here it is!’ – New Model Army

Access the album ‘Live SO36’ HERE

‘Live SO36’ will be available as ‘2CD+DVD Digipak’, including the full show audio and video, and ‘Black 2LP Gatefold’. The first print-run of both formats exclusively include an audio download for the unreleased show 2, recorded one day later on July 17th, 2022.