During a recent livestream, singer Katon W. De Pena (HIRAX) addressed his departure from NEFARIOUS, which features 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. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, NEFARIOUS was great. I'm glad I did the record. I'm very proud of the record. And I did one show with them. That was awesome too. But I have to focus on HIRAX. That's my band. It's been my band for 40 years, and that's where my heart's at and that's what I gotta do. But I wish NEFARIOUS all the best. Great band and great musicians."

NEFARIOUS has since replaced De Pena with Sean Rivera (COFFIN HUNTERS). The band's new lineup will make its live debut on January 3, 2026 at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco, California.

Carroll discussed the NEFARIOUS singer switch during a recent appearance on Zetro's Toxic Vault, the YouTube channel of former EXODUS frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza. He said in part: "Things didn't work out [with Katon]… HIRAX is touring, and they're pretty busy. So that played a part in it. But it was a communication thing that was really the problem. He would not talk to us for months at a time… He just broke off communication with us. So we took that as he didn't wanna be in the band… And we did waste some time waiting and sitting around… But we had to move on. And that's where Sean comes in."

Regarding NEFARIOUS's new vocalist, Will said: "His name is Sean Rivera. And he sings for a band, or he's in a band called COFFIN HUNTERS. Not to be confused with the [side band of EXODUS bassist] Jack Gibson, COFFIN HUNTER. This one's plural, COFFIN HUNTERS, and they're more of a traditional heavy metal band. They play a lot in Santa Rosa. Rick discovered him. Rick went to one of their shows and saw him sing. And we knew things were kind of going south with Katon."

In a social media post, Carroll stated about his appearance on Zetro's Toxic Vault: "I didn't say anything out of line or untrue. In fact, I gave a very vanilla version of the whole Katon thing."

The Katon-fronted version of NEFARIOUS played its first — and only — show on 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."

This past July, NEFARIOUS released the official music video for the "Addicted To Power" title track. The clip is a raw performance piece filmed at Soundwave Studios in Oakland, California.

"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.

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

Press photo courtesy of Freeman Promotions

On November 13, GHOST's "Mary On A Cross" single was certified double platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) for accumulating two million certified units. The certification comes a little over two years after "Mary On A Cross" became the first GHOST single to achieve platinum status. Also on November 13, "Dance Macabre", the second single from GHOST's fourth studio album, 2018's "Prequelle", was certified platinum by the RIAA.

According to the RIAA, one equivalent song unit is equal to a single digital song sale, or 150 on-demand audio and/or video streams.

In November 2022, "Mary On A Cross" became the fourth GHOST single to achieve gold status that year. In June 2022, "Cirice" (from GHOST's third album, 2015's "Meliora"),"Dance Macabre" (from 2018's "Prequelle") and "Square Hammer" (from 2016's "Popestar" EP) were also certified gold. These marked GHOST's first RIAA certifications.

In September 2022, GHOST scored its first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with "Mary On A Cross". The song, which was originally released as a two-track single in 2019 via Loma Vista/Concord (alongside "Kiss The Go-Goat"),debuted at No. 90 on the chart with six million U.S. streams and 1,000 downloads sold, according to Billboard.

"Mary On A Cross" had been gaining traction after a TikTok user used a slowed down version of the song to soundtrack a short video about the Netflix show "Stranger Things". Since then, "Mary On The Cross" was used to soundtrack tens of thousands of videos on the platform. GHOST later released the official slowed down version of "Mary On A Cross" with added reverb.

This past May, GHOST's latest studio album, "Skeletá", landed at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 86,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States in the LP's first week of release. 89% of that figure (77,000) consisted of traditional album sales, with vinyl purchases accounting for over 44,000 copies. Notably, "Skeletá" was the first hard rock album to reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 since AC/DC's "Power Up" in 2020.

"Skeletá" marked the ninth time GHOST charted on the Billboard 200. The band first landed on the chart in 2013 with its second album, "Infestissumam", reaching No. 28.

"Skeletá" was GHOST's eighth album to reach the Top 40 and fifth to reach the Top 10. The band had previously peaked at No. 2 with 2022's "Impera".

In September 2022, GHOST scored its first-ever Top 40 single in the U.K. with "Mary On A Cross".

GHOST's "Skeletour" world tour will continue in the new year, with the recent announcement of 20 new North American shows kicking off January 21 at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida and running through February 23 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

As previously reported, the final two shows on this year's edition of GHOST's "Skeletour" were filmed for future release.

After's GHOST's September 23 concert in Mexico City was canceled due to frontman Tobias Forge having food poisoning, the band's two performances at the 20,000-capacity Palacio De Los Deportes on September 24 and September 25 were shot on 16mm film "for the rest of the world to see at some point".

This past August, GHOST completed the first U.S. leg of the "Skeletour" in support of "Skeletá", which came out in April. Marking a bold evolution in GHOST's live performances, the tour was the band's most theatrical and cinematic production yet. Designed by creative director Tobias Rylander and Forge, the tour embraced a grander and more ambitious scale than ever before.

Swedish / American death metal trio, Eye Of Purgatory, return with Darkborne – a powerful new chapter forged by Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Ribspreader), Taylor Nordberg (Deicide, Inhuman Condition) and Jeramie Kling (Inhuman Condition, Overkill).

The album, to be released on February 13 via Apostasy Records, captures the spirit of classic Swedish death metal: dark, atmospheric and full of organic weight – yet with a melodic and emotional depth that makes every track feel alive.



The cover artwork, created by Dan Goldsworthy (Accept, Alestorm, Cradle Of Filth), perfectly reflects the album’s mix of melancholy and menace. Darkborne isn’t about nostalgia; it’s a continuation of a sound that values emotion and atmosphere as much as sheer heaviness.

Stay tuned, complete album details coming soon!

Whitesnake guitarist Reb Beach has shared the following tribute to Coverdale and his legacy:

“Today, David Coverdale announced his retirement from the music world. It’s the end of an era, and it made me sentimental. I wanted to say a few words.

I was driving in my beat-up Subaru when I first heard ‘Still Of The Night’. I almost ran right into a tree. I had never heard a voice like that or riffs like that. If that kid had known he would be on stage for twenty years with that band, well, lets just say it’s totally ‘Charlie And The Chocolate Factory’. Over the years, David and I shared stages across the world — from the pounding music and flashing lights of arena shows to the quiet moments around the kitchen table. We wrote songs, I cooked dinners, we shared everything going on in our lives, we laughed until our sides ached, and I loved every minute of his stories of Deep Purple, Jimmy Page, and Whitesnake.

He brought a voice to hard rock that is unmatched, yet I think his favorite thing was hanging out with the band. At every gig, he would come right to our dressing room as soon as he got there and ask how everyone was and just hang out until it was time to get ready.

I loved that the show was front and center in his mind on every gig day. I remember a gig we did outdoors in the freezing cold. The high wind and freezing rain were unbearable for me. David performed like it wasn’t even there. I have never seen such a combination of focus and showmanship and determination to rock the audience. It was one of the greatest gifts I could ever have witnessed — let alone been part of.

Here are some pictures of David and me that might give you a tiny feel for what it was like to be up there with this legendary singer. I got goosebumps on my goosebumps when he would hit those notes over those awesome riffs. Yet, he would make me laugh almost every night onstage in front of 10,000 people.

To David I say,

Thanks for trusting me with your music, your stories, your laughter. Thanks for helping shape the sound I carry in my fingers and heart.

And now that you’ve chosen to call it a day… to hang up the platform shoes and step off the stage of that incredible five-decade journey, I think you should go and enjoy every minute, every quiet hour, every moment of peace you fought so hard to earn. Then I think you should have a big expensive party with a big jam and invite me.

Here’s to you, my friend. To your voice. To your heart. To the legacy you leave behind—not just in the records, but in the friendships, the memories, and the lives you touched (mine in an unforgettable way).

When people ask me what it meant to stand onstage with you, I’ll tell them this: it meant everything.

Rock on, with love and gratitude.”

Back in July, New York hardcore legends, Sick Of It All, announced that they had been forced to cancel their European tour this past summer due to vocalist Lou Koller being diagnosed with esophageal cancer (adenocarcinoma).

Now, Biohazard drummer Danny Schuler is auctioning off his drum kit via eBay to help Koller with the cost of his cancer treatment.

The official description reads: Rare opportunity to own a drum kit that was used by Danny Schuler on tour with Biohazard! This is a Tama superstar kit (no badges) including a 13”x9” rack, 16”x16” floor tom, 18”x18” floor tom, and a massive 26”x 14” bass drum! (Bio head on bass drum in pics not included!) drums only, no snare , no cymbals or hardware included. These are amazing sounding drums! All proceeds from the sale will help Lou Koller in his fight against cancer! Buyer pays shipping!

Schuler has shared the following video in which he talks about his drum kit, that could be yours!


The auction ends November 26th. Place your bid now at this location.

Koller issued an update on October 23rd stating: “Hey just a message before I go in for my surgery tomorrow. Thank you for all your support and everything you all have done for me! I am very lucky to have you all behind me. I’m also very lucky that this has been going so well and the treatments are doing their job. Please send well wishes and support and prayers to two of my friends fighting a much tougher battle than me.”

In the video below, Lou says, “Hey, everybody. What’s up? It’s Lou. Real quick update. I’m heading in for my surgery tomorrow, which is great. The chemo, besides messing me up and kicking my ass, actually did its job. The tumor is said to be dead flesh, that’s what the nurse said, I don’t know what it means, but I guess it’s good. The cancer has not spread. They will be cutting out the infected area tomorrow, so it should be about an eight-hour operation. What do I care? I’m gonna be sleeping through the whole thing. And, hopefully I see you all guys afterwards. It might be a little while before an update, depending on how well I feel and all that stuff, all right. But thank you again for all your support, prayers, well wishes, the gifts, the financial support, as always. Thank you, and hope you’re all doing good, and I’ll let you know how it goes. See ya.”

Inertial Music is proud to announce the signing of Rivers Ablaze, one of the most forward-thinking and uncompromising forces to emerge from the Eastern European extreme metal scene in recent years.

Founded in Budapest in 2019 by guitarist Márton Kertész (Sear Bliss, Special Providence), Rivers Ablaze quickly evolved from a studio vision into a fully realized live ensemble, joined by leading figures of the Hungarian underground, including Tadeusz Rieckmann of Týr on drums.

Across four albums released between 2020 and 2023, the band established a distinct identity defined by experimental songwriting, cinematic extremity and blackened death metal atmospheres. Their work has been praised by the international press, with reviews calling their output “nothing less than a masterpiece.”

Following their first European tour in 2024 — ten shows across seven countries — Rivers Ablaze are now entering a new phase of evolution. Their upcoming full-length, planned for 2026, promises to further deepen the band’s exploration of progressive, blackened and death-infused territories, pushing their sound toward even more immersive and boundary-shifting forms. The title will be revealed at a later date.

While awaiting the new chapter, listeners can experience the band in their purest and most visceral form through the recently released digital EP “Live In Europe 2024” — a raw yet astonishingly well-captured performance, showcasing a level of live production rarely heard in the underground.

Rivers Ablaze are ready to rise to the next level. Are you ready for the leap?

Says the band: “We’re thrilled to announce that we are signing with Inertial Music! They are home of unique artists like Time and the Hunter, Niklas Sundin, The Moor, Hjort, Behind Starvation, our compatriots Needless and many more. We are incredibly excited to work together to take our vision to new heights! The first step in this will be our fifth album, which will be released next spring.”

Rivers Ablaze are: vocalist Oszkár Knapp (Fragda, Grizzly, ex-Insane), guitarist Márton Kertész (Sear Bliss, Special Providence), guitarist Márton “Moth” Ferenczi (Fragda, Needless, ex-Niburta), bassist Pál Purnhauser (Divided, Mind’s Mirrors) and drummer Tadeusz Rieckmann (Týr, ex-Dalriada).

Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers has shared live footage of himself and his band performing “Little Bit Of Love” live on Germany’s long-running music program, Ohne Filter Extra, on November 29, 1996. Footage licensed from SWR Studios Distribution.



In 2016, Paul Rodgers suffered a stroke, followed by a second stroke in 2019, which subsequently required an endarterectomy – a surgical procedure to remove plaque from the arterial wall. He has since made a full recovery.

Bad Company has been eligible for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame since 1999, and received its first nomination this year. They were inducted on November 8, but sadly, Rodgers was unable to attend the ceremony. He issued the statement below:

West Coast heavy metal veterans METAL CHURCH return with a revitalized lineup and a hard-hitting new single that underscores the sound that has driven their four-decade legacy. The new formation features founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof alongside longtime guitarist Rick Van Zandt, joined by bass icon David Ellefson (MEGADETH),powerhouse drummer Ken Mary (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, FIFTH ANGEL, ALICE COOPER, HOUSE OF LORDS, TKO, CHASTAIN) and dynamic new vocalist Brian Allen (VICIOUS RUMORS).

Following the band's recent tour and return from Australia, METAL CHURCH found themselves at a crossroads. An unexpected spark reignited Kurdt's creative drive, prompting him to reach out to the musicians who would ultimately shape the group's next chapter. Their chemistry in the studio gave rise to the blistering new track "F.A.F.O." — a song that immediately energized the band and inspired them to continue writing and recording. The new single was produced by Vanderhoof and mixed/mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris at Planet Z. Those sessions have now evolved into a brand-new METAL CHURCH album, set for release in 2026 via Rat Pak Records. Additional details will be announced soon.

Vanderhoof comments: "After 45 years, the fact that we have new music coming in 2025 feels like a miracle. There was a time when I honestly didn't think METAL CHURCH would continue, but we're back — and this lineup is firing on all cylinders. I can't tell you how excited I am to have a new single on the way; that alone makes this moment incredibly special. 'F.A.F.O.' is an aggressive thrasher, and I think the fans are really going to dig it. We certainly do — otherwise it wouldn't be METAL CHURCH."

METAL CHURCH plans to tour extensively in 2026 and some festival dates have already been announced with more to come.

Aug. 5, 2026 - Josefov, Czech - Brutal Assault Festival
Aug. 8, 2026 - Kortrijik, Belgium - Alcatraz Festival
Aug. 9, 2026 - Geiselwind, Germany - Keep It True Festival

Born out of the explosive West Coast metal scene of the early '80s, METAL CHURCH quickly established themselves as one of the genre's most formidable and musically sophisticated bands. After signing with Elektra Records, the group released two landmark albums — their self-titled debut "Metal Church" and its follow-up "The Dark" — both of which remain essential listening in the heavy metal canon. As the U.S. metal wave surged, METAL CHURCH hit the road with labelmates METALLICA, further solidifying their reputation for precision, power, and uncompromising intensity.

The band continued to evolve into the late '80s and early '90s, tackling political and social themes with vocalist Mike Howe on the acclaimed albums "Blessing In Disguise" and "The Human Factor". While many peers shifted toward the era's commercial trends, METAL CHURCH stayed true to their heavy roots — a commitment that earned them a loyal global following.

In 2016, the band reunited with Howe for their eleventh studio album "XI", which debuted at No. 57 on the Billboard Top 200 and charted internationally, marking one of the strongest comebacks in modern metal. Its 2018 successor, "Damned If You Do", continued that momentum with additional worldwide chart success and reaffirmed the band's enduring relevance.

Singer Marc Lopes joined METAL CHURCH in the summer of 2022 as the replacement for Howe, who tragically passed away in July of 2021. Lopes's first and only studio album with METAL CHURCH, "Congregation Of Annihilation", came out in May 2023 via Rat Pak Records (America) and Reaper Entertainment (Europe). The LP was produced by Vanderhoof.

METAL CHURCH made its live debut with Lopes on June 3, 2023 at the Legions Of Metal festival at Reggies in Chicago, Illinois.

Now entering a powerful new chapter, METAL CHURCH features Vanderhoof, Van Zandt, Ellefson, Mary and Allen. With renewed energy, a legacy spanning over four decades, and a rapidly expanding worldwide fanbase, METAL CHURCH remains a driving force in modern heavy metal — still pushing forward, still evolving, and still unmistakably METAL CHURCH.

Photo credit: Rick Moyer

FIREWIND, the band featuring former OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G., has parted ways with singer Herbie Langhans (AVANTASIA, SINBREED) and has replaced him with a returning Henning Basse (METALIUM, SONS OF SEASONS, WITHERING SCORN).

Gus broke the news of the latest FIREWIND lineup change earlier today (Thursday, November 20) during a YouTube livestream. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "A lot of things have been happening. It seems that it's been a quiet year for FIREWIND, but it has not been a quiet year at all. It's been an eventful year, and we are preparing for a lot of stuff in '26.

"Tomorrow we're gonna have a big press release going out… But the big news that we wanna share first is that Herbie is out of the band," he continued. "I don't know if it's gonna come as a shock to some of you. But maybe if you have been following FIREWIND, it shouldn't be so much of a shock because we have had some singers coming and going, as you know.

"But, yeah, we just wanna wish Herbie Langhans all the best for the time in this band, the music we made together. And we wanted to tune in and let you guys know here first. Herbie was very busy with AVANTASIA and we had a busy schedule and we kept clashing and choices had to be made. But the show must go on. He's a great guy. He's a great singer. He offered a lot to this band, but show must go on. And we have a lot of stuff planned for the next year. We have some really good festivals lined up. We're working on a new album. We're working on more tours for '26 and '27, and at the same time, we wanna announce the new singer."

Regarding Basse's return to FIREWIND, Gus said: "If you guys are new here, we can tell a couple of things about Henning. Henning goes back — way back — with the band, since 2007. He was on the 'Allegiance' world tour. He helped us finish the tour. Then he joined the band for good in 2016. We made an album together called 'Immortals', which is one of the strongest FIREWIND albums in our career. We've done quite a few tours together, and then in 2019 we went separate ways for different reasons, but we always remained friends. And we thought this was perfect timing to call up Henning and see what he's doing and if he would be interested to work with us again. And luckily he was."

Henning, who was also present during the livestream, was enthusiastic about his return to FIREWIND, saying: "I'm back and happy about it. We have a great band vibe going on here. We know each other for so long, and I'm very happy."

Asked if he will be involved with any other projects besides FIREWIND going forward, Henning said: "Well, besides all the touring, I'm a voice coach. I'm a studio singer. I'm doing this for a living, but I don't have any plans on doing another band project live because this is priority and I wanna do this as long as we can… It's the best thing, whatever happened to me now, and all these shitty years behind me, and now it's so much better. So, yeah, this is the future, man."

This past August, Gus told Viky Surmová of Project Backstage that FIREWIND's follow-up to the "Stand United" album, which came out in March 2024 via AFM, would be released through a different record label and that it would be and "epic and massive" concept LP.

Five months ago, Dark Macek of the Brutally Delicious podcast noted in an interview with Gus that a band like BLACK SABBATH has also had a lot of singer changes over the years but has somehow managed to retain a signature sound. Gus concurred, saying: "It's a very good example, actually. And BLACK SABBATH is always my go-to band, because [Tony] Iommi has always very troubled with the singer position in his band, and so have I. But I always looked at history: what did Lord Iommi do back then? What did he do? And what would Tony Iommi do in this situation? And he always came back with another amazing singer.

"I don't care what people say, but I think, in terms of BLACK SABBATH, their worst album, so to speak, is still, by comparison, much better than most metal albums out there," Gus explained. "The stuff the guy writes is just insane. So it depends which era you are into, of course. They have different eras — the '80s and the '90s albums, and the '70s, of course, is the classic stuff with Ozzy [Osbourne].

"Actually, one thing talking about singer changes — yes, it hurts the band, for sure," Gus admitted. "That's the downside. But the good thing is when someone new comes in, it's how you keep things fresh in a way. You bring new energy into the band. And that's what happened with us, with Herbie, five years ago when he came to the band, and he brought this new energy. And the first album we did [2020's 'Firewind'] was kind of put together — we rushed it, 'cause we had to go on this major tour and then everything got canceled 'cause of COVID. But then I think 'Stand United', we kind of found each other. I started writing more for the singer, a specific singer's voice. And I think this is what is happening right now. We're kind of capitalizing on that. And we've been building on that thing."

"Stand United" featured nine brand new songs produced with Dennis Ward (MAGNUM, UNISONIC),as well as a cover of the 1980s pop rock classic "Talking In Your Sleep", originally recorded by THE ROMANTICS but given a metal twist in the style of FIREWIND.

FIREWIND released a concert album/Blu-ray, "Still Raging", in September 2023 via AFM Records.

Gus and Langhans got to know each other back in the autumn of 2019, when the FIREWIND leader was looking for a suitable replacement for Basse after the tour with QUEENSRŸCHE. Just a few weeks later, the recordings for "Firewind" were a done deal, ready for Swedish sound engineer Tobias Lindell (EUROPE, AVATAR, H.E.A.T.) to mix them in Lindell Audio Studios.

Heavy metal legend, acclaimed filmmaker and pop culture icon Rob Zombie has released "Heathen Days", the second single from his upcoming eighth studio album, "The Great Satan", due out February 27, 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records. Following the success of his Top 10-charting record "The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy" (2021),Zombie is back, revisiting his early Hellbilly roots for a slaughterhouse of anthemic punk infused heavy rock/metal.

"The Great Satan" track listing:

01. F.T.W. 84
02. Tarantula
03. (I'm a) Rock 'N' Roller
04. Heathen Days
05. Who Am I
06. Black Rat Coffin
07. Sir Lord Acid Wolfman
08. Punks And Demons
09. The Devilman
10. Out of Sight
11. Revolution Motherfuckers
12. Welcome To The Electric Age
13. The Black Scorpion
14. Unclean Animals
15. Grave Discontent

Rob's seventh studio album, "The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy", was released in March 2021 via Nuclear Blast. The LP marked Rob's first new album in nearly five years. The follow-up to 2016's "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" was produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris.

"The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy" was the third consecutive effort to feature Zombie and guitarist John 5 alongside bassist Matt "Piggy D." Montgomery and drummer Ginger Fish.

In the fall of 2022, John 5 exited Rob's band to join MÖTLEY CRÜE as the replacement for that group's founding guitarist Mick Mars. John 5 has since been replaced in Zombie's band by returning guitarist Mike Riggs.

Riggs had previously spent six years as a member of ROB ZOMBIE. Riggs joined forces with Rob in the '90s and stayed with him into the early 2000s, eventually leaving in 2004 (when Rob Zombie was largely focusing on films rather than music) to start a project of his own. Riggs songwriting and crunching guitars can be heard on Rob Zombie's "Hellbilly Deluxe", "American Made Music To Strip By", "The Sinister Urge" and "The Past, Present & Future" records.

More recently, Riggs had kept busy with his band SCUM OF THE EARTH, named after a song from "Sinister Urge". SCUM OF THE EARTH favors the sort of rhythmic, industrial-influenced, mildly funky, hip-hop-minded alternative metal that Riggs honed during his initial Rob Zombie days.

John 5 had worked with Zombie for 16 years, co-writing on all studio albums since "Educated Horses", and composing the score for Zombie's 2013 movie "The Lords Of Salem".

In January 2024, Piggy D. announced that he was exiting Rob's band after 18 years. Matt has since been replaced by a returning Rob "Blasko" Nicholson.

Blasko was a member of Rob Zombie's band from 1997 through 2006, playing bass on the first three Zombie albums: "Hellbilly Deluxe", "The Sinister Urge" and "Educated Horses".

Nicholson left Zombie in May 2006 in order to join Ozzy Osbourne's recording/touring band.

Montgomery's debut performance with Rob Zombie came on May 24, 2006 during an appearance on CBS's "Late Night Show With David Letterman".

Rob Zombie press photo courtesy of Nuclear Blast

LAMB OF GOD has released "Parasocial Christ", a relentless three-minute assault that once again pairs the Richmond, Virginia metallers with longtime producer Josh Wilbur. The standalone single follows "Sepsis", which arrived in early October and has dominated the U.S. metal charts for the past two weeks.

"Parasocial Christ" is accompanied by a stark, desaturated video directed by Jon Vulpine, whose unsettling visual style mirrors the track's intensity as it captures a man's descent into madness.

LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe comments: "The Information Age has birthed the attention economy, an industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars anchored in keeping eyeballs firmly glued to screens, thus generating ad revenue. Every second spent clicking and scrolling through the trivial and/or sordid details of other people's lives, people that you will most likely never meet — celebrities, politicians, influencers — is another dollar in some already obscenely wealthy tech bro's wallet. You are a product, and you are being sold in a marketplace you have no share in. The irony of you reading this some social media platform or music news aggregator site is not lost on me; nevertheless I hope this song might make you consider who and what you give your attention to. Fuck the clickbait, put down the phone, go live your life — it's waiting for you out in what's left of the real world."

Earlier this week, LAMB OF GOD announced a 2026 North American tour, produced by Live Nation, featuring support from KUBLAI KHAN TX, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY and SANGUISUGABOGG. Kicking off in Maryland on March 17, the trek will run across North America, hitting cities like Toronto, Portland, Albuquerque, Nashville, and Buffalo. The tour will conclude in Boston on April 26.

"Sepsis" was LAMB OF GOD's first new original song since 2022's "Omens". Produced by Wilbur, the track celebrates the Richmond underground and the bands LAMB OF GOD performed alongside during their early years. The band also shared a live video for "Sepsis", capturing the electrifying live debut of the song at Aftershock festival.

Consequence named the three-and-a-half minute track its "heavy song of the week," describing the single as "crushing" while Revolver spotlighted "Sepsis", calling it a "rock-solid addition to their ever-crushing canon."

"Sepsis" arrived during a milestone year for LAMB OF GOD. In 2025, the band celebrated the 25th anniversary of its discography, performed at the historic "Back To The Beginning" concert and subsequently released their thunderous take on BLACK SABBATH's "Children Of The Grave", along with appearances at several festivals, including Inkcarceration and Louder Than Life, and a headlining show at Richmond's new 7500-seat outdoor venue Allianz Amphitheater during its opening season.

LAMB OF GOD is Randy Blythe (vocals),John Campbell (bass),Mark Morton (guitar),Willie Adler (guitar) and Art Cruz (drums). Formed in 1994, the Richmond, Virginia-based band has released nine critically acclaimed albums, received five Grammy Award nominations, sold over three million albums, packed arenas around the world, and tallied over one billion streams and counting. Widely regarded as one of the most influential and innovative forces in modern heavy music LAMB OF GOD's most recent collection, "Omens", arrived in late 2022 , marking their sixth consecutive album to debut in the Top 15 of on the Billboard 200. Kerrang! noted that the album finds the band "as reliably heavy, violent, and pissed off as ever," and Consequence said the "album will break you down to nihilistic pieces."

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

In a new interview with Czech Republic's Project Backstage, Eicca Toppinen of Finnish cello rockers APOCALYPTICA spoke about "I Don't Care", which was released in 2008 as the third and final single from the band's sixth album "Worlds Collide" and features Adam Gontier, lead singer of THREE DAYS GRACE, on lead vocals. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for one week and No. 2 on the Alternative Songs chart where it spent a year in the Top 20. Eicca said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah. It is one of my first real co-writes. And I'm so lucky that I got an opportunity to write a song with Max Martin. I don't know if you know Max Martin, but he's a Swedish songwriter. He's one of the most successful songwriters in the pop world of all time. So he's behind all BACKSTREET BOYS [hits], last The Weeknd albums, Britney Spears, ACE OF BASE, starting from ACE OF BASE. So, he's done songs for Pink, whoever. If you Google Max Martin, he's the probably most successful songwriter of all time after Paul McCartney and John Lennon. So I got an opportunity to write with him, and as a result of that [we have] 'I Don't Care'. And we have two versions of 'I Don't Care' because Adam Gontier, who was a singer of THREE DAYS GRACE, a Canadian band. He was the singer for that. And we did the first version for the album, but then in America, the record company was, like, 'For the radio, we have to rethink this and we have to kind of remix it so it fits today kind of radio song.' So we have also an American edition of that. It's basically everything the same, but the vocal performance and a little bit structure of the song is changed and the mix."

Reflecting on "I Don't Care"'s enduring popularity, Toppinen said: "It's an evergreen hit. It's still streaming over three million streams a month on Spotify after almost 20 years. So it's a hard-proven song. If some song is going so strong 20 years after the release, it tells something about the song. But I love the song. It's condensing APOCALYPTICA mood with this kind of powerful vocal structure of songs. So it's a very unique piece."

APOCALYPTICA's latest album, "Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol. 2", continues the journey that began in 1996 when cellists from Helsinki's world-renowned Sibelius Academy played symphonic tribute to METALLICA. The "One" single saw METALLICA frontman James Hetfield joining proceedings for a soul-stirring, spoken word of those inimitable, now-immortal lyrics.

The album's lead single was "The Four Horsemen", a song that originally appeared on METALLICA's 1983 debut "Kill 'Em All". It features a guest appearance by METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo.

APOCALYPTICA's ninth studio album, "Cell-0", was released in January 2020 via Silver Lining Music.

The recording of "Cell-0" followed a four-year break between albums that gave the band — Eicca Toppinen, Perttu Kivilaakso and Paavo Lötjönen, all of whom are classically-trained musicians — a fresh perspective and affected the way they approached the new music. The album saw them return to their roots and was the quartet's first instrumental album in 17 years, finding APOCALYPTICA challenging themselves to discover new flavors and colors in their respective instruments.