Florida death metal veterans MALEVOLENT CREATION have returned to a five-piece lineup, featuring Deron Miler on vocals/guitar, Jesse Jolly on bass/vocals, Chris Cannella on guitar, Ronnie Parmer on drums and Phil Fasciana on guitar.

Earlier today (Saturday, November 29),MALEVOLENT CREATION released the following statement via social media: "It is official!! MALEVOLENT CREATION has returned to a 5 piece with Deron Miler returning on vocals/guitar, Jesse Jolly bass/vocals, Chris Cannella guitars, Ronnie Parmer drums and Phil Fasciana guitars. We feel this will be the best way to retain the classic MC sound and now with 3 guitars we can do things we have wanted to do but never could. 3 part guitar harmonies and playing songs that have not been played in many years.

"We're going to start working on our 14th studio album in January and there will be no live shows in 2026 (never say never) but finishing our new album is top priority.

"Let's welcome Deron Miller back into the band and this line up should be very intense on our new album 'Return Fire'."

Last month, Fasciana publicly apologized to his bandmates, family and touring crew after mixing alcohol with prescription medication, which left him unfit to continue MALEVOLENT CREATION's recent North American tour.

This past summer, Fasciana was hospitalized while touring in France after developing a life-threatening bacterial pneumonia that left him in a coma.

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

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

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

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

It is official!! Malevolent Creation has returned to a 5 piece with Deron Miler returning on vocals/ guitar, Jesse Jolly...

Posted by Malevolent Creation Band on Saturday, November 29, 2025

A special feature about METALLICA's All Within My Hands Foundation will air on "CBS Sunday Morning" this Sunday, November 30.

"CBS News Sunday Morning" is scheduled to air at 9 a.m. Sunday on the CBS television network and streaming on Paramount+.

Asked how me makes METALLICA's live performances fun for himself more than four decades into the band's career, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's so easy. It is so easy. Just looking into one set of eyes — that's all it takes for me. I will hook up with one person's eyes and I'll just see them change. I'll see the passion in them, and I'm full — my heart fills right up and I'm ready to just keep going, kicking ass.

"I am so blessed," Hetfield continued. "I have the best seat in the house. I got the best job in the world, if you even wanna call it a job. I found my passion early on in life; I'm super grateful for that. I had parents that were supportive around that. And I struggled. I struggled hard to get what I thought was what I needed, which was be in a band and make music. Struggle is part of it, and with this foundation [All Within My Hands], hopefully we're a little bit of a helping hand getting from that, 'I can't get out of this struggle. I just can't,' to the, 'I can, but I gotta work hard and I'm gonna be able to get what I want.'

"So, yeah, I have the best job in the world," James repeated. "I get to see three generations of people hugging each other. Oh, God, the last thing I would've wanted to do is go to a gig with my dad, or my grandpa even. But I see that happening out there. And little kids down in the front, old people down the front, people in wheelchairs down the front — a mixed match of backgrounds and stories of people.

"We gather a lot of misfits around this planet, and we make a family out of it. And we create some energy that helps us get through life."

Referencing the fact that All Within My Hands focuses on "giving back" through community support and skilled trades education, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich said: " It goes back to the basics, which is giving, giving back, sharing. We come out of not just a community, but come out of community itself. And in community, whatever words — whether you call it a collective or a community or a gang or like-minded folks, or whatever it is — we've always thrived in the plural. And we always use the word 'we', 'we', 'we', 'we', 'we', 'we', all of us together. And so in that is us, the fans, the like-minded."

Ulrich continued: "I know this may sound slightly corny, but I feel that one of the purposes of what we do is to try to break down that barrier of sense of separation between the group and the fans, the band and the fans, the artists and the people who appreciate what the artist is doing, to try to sort of do away with — you could almost call it in a concert setting, a physical barricade that's there, and try to sort of bring that sense of we're all in this together."

Lars added: "I think instinctively you just wanna help. I mean, we all depend on each other. If you really wanna break it down, then you go, humans are herd animals and really thrive — you know, the flock does better when everybody's doing well."

Formed in 1981 by Hetfield and Ulrich and including guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo, METALLICA has become one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, selling nearly 125 million albums worldwide and generating more than 17 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on all seven continents — more than 1.3 million of whom belong to the band's fiercely loyal and consistently growing Fifth Member fan club.

METALLICA's catalog of multi-platinum studio albums includes "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning", "Master Of Puppets", "…And Justice For All", "Metallica" (commonly referred to as The Black Album),"Load", "Reload", "St. Anger", "Death Magnetic", "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct" and, most recently, the Grammy-winning "72 Seasons", released April 14, 2023, on the band's own Blackened Recordings label.

METALLICA's awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards, a 2009 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and Sweden's Polar Music Prize.

In 2017, METALLICA established its own charitable foundation, All Within My Hands, to give back to communities that have supported the band. To date, All Within My Hands' collective efforts have raised nearly $20 million since inception, including $11.4 million in grants to workforce education, $7.4 million to fight hunger globally, and $5.2 million donated to critical local services around the world.

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On November 20, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson joined over 1,000 musicians at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico to perform a cover of the BLACK SABBATH classic "Paranoid". The performance was part of the fourth edition of the Rockland festival, which featured additional appearances by Alex Lora (EL TRI),El Abulón (VÍCTIMAS DEL DOCTOR CEREBRO),Germán Arroyo (LA GUSANA CIEGA),Alfonso Fors (LA CUCA),David Chirino (LA LEY),Kenny Avilés (KENNY Y LOS ELÉCTRICOS) and Rasheed Durán (LOS DANIELS),among others. Check out video of Ellefson's appearance below (courtesy of the Entrelazados channel on YouTube).

The 2025 edition of Rockland saw the musicians perform a total of 26 songs, which, according to the event's creator and producer Rodrigo Renovales, paid tribute to the history of Latin American rock with songs by CAIFANES, FOBIA, VÍCTIMAS DEL DR. CEREBRO, CODA and LA LUPITA, among others. In addition, the musicians performed tributes to Ozzy Osbourne of BLACK SABBATH, Xava Drago of CODA and Ace Frehley of KISS .

Ellefson commented: "Performing 'Paranoid' at Rockland in front of 12,000 excited fans alongside 1,000 musicians at the Arena CDMX was an experience unlike anything else. The energy, the passion, the unity — absolutely unparalleled. Only in Mexico do you find a concept this bold and this powerful. That was truly one of the most fun things I've ever done.

"Performing 'Paranoid' with 1,000 other musicians as we honored the late, great Ozzy Osbourne inside Arena CDMX was an experience I'll never forget.

"With performers ranging from age 5 to 83, I fit comfortably somewhere in the middle — and the energy from every corner of that stage was absolutely electric.

"Grateful to have been part of something so massive, so joyful, and so truly rock 'n' roll.

"I'm truly honored and incredibly appreciative of the invitation to perform with all of you."

This past August, Ellefson spoke to The Logan Show about Ozzy, who died in late July at the age of 76. He said:  "He certainly defied the odds, from the lifestyle that he had led earlier in his career. I think a lot of that had changed in recent years."

Reflecting on the publicity surrounding the "Back To The Beginning" event, which marked Ozzy and BLACK SABBATH's final performance, Ellefson said: "Leading into the gig, obviously, was huge. The week of the show [was] amazing. The week after was amazing. And the news feeds were still full of content, everybody just feeling the love, the emotion of the event. And then [Ozzy] passes, [which] was just a whole other week of mourning. And then a couple days ago was the memorial and then, I guess yesterday, the funeral. So it's been a month of just feelings all over.

"I think there's a few things that we can all agree on," Ellefson continued. "It's so much better to celebrate someone's life… 'Cause look, Ozzy knew he was dying. We all knew the day was coming here. I think we all thought it was going to be some time off in the distance — not so soon. That was, of course, shocking. But to celebrate with him rather than just this heavy mourning after the fact. The fact that we got to celebrate with him — all of us, not just those of us who are at the show, but everybody around the world — it just showed the significance of what he meant to all of us. And then to be able to sort of turn the celebration into mourning, it was different than this shocking news that someone passes, which is usually what happens. Suddenly someone passes, and you're, like, 'Oh my gosh. I had no idea. We didn't know.' So I think the way that the Osbourne family, the way [Ozzy's wife and manager] Sharon, everybody did it was very cool of them to sort of give us this advance warning, that we could sort of all wrap our arms around Ozzy, the family, our community. And I think the thing that I saw was this wasn't just rockers and metalheads. I mean, country, pop… I saw a letter from Kermit The Frog. I mean, come on. This thing crossed so many genres of life. Not even music, Sports people, everybody was weighing in on this. I saw something — even Texas, San Antonio, where he peed on the Alamo. Now they're proud. 'Ozzy peed here.' They were obviously not promoting that, but they were proud that he's part of the legacy of their state.

"I feel like there hasn't been a significant event like this, of this level probably since the funeral and the passing of Queen Elizabeth," David added. "That was probably the last worldwide monumental event of this magnitude — ironically from England. And I feel like there's a new royal family: it's the Osbournes. It's kind of like Sharon's now the Queen of England. They needed a new one, and she's the one. And it just goes to show the magnitude of this thing.

"Our world has been so divisive, especially since January. It has just been nothing but turmoil, divisiveness, pitting everybody against each other. And this last month, the irony that Ozzy Osbourne would be the one to bring us all together, and through his music, through his life, that they brought us all together rather than everything that's been dividing us," Ellefson concluded. "So, there's just so many layers that you can unpack from all of this and just kind of the divine timing of it all that it's incredible. It just moves you to emotions. You get goosebumps just thinking about it."

On July 23, Ellefson spoke to Fox 10 Phoenix 's Ron Hoon and Syleste Rodriguez about where he was when he found out about Ozzy's death a day earlier. David said: "Well, it's funny, I think that is a question that's gonna be with all of us: where were you when you heard the news [about Ozzy dying]? So I was literally in the [Battery] studio [in London]. I was right downstairs. We were just taking a break 'cause we were working here yesterday as well. We're doing some video and some promotional work here. I was downstairs on the couch. Our guitar player, Walter, comes down the stairs and he says, 'Did you hear that Ozzy might have died?' And he sends over the clip from Sky News. And I immediately hit [GUNS N' ROSES guitarist] Slash, 'cause he and I are friends. We had just played together at the 'Back To The Beginning' event up in Birmingham, the final farewell show. I said, 'Is this for real?' He goes, 'I don't know. It looks pretty big.' And sure enough, as it started to come out, Eric Singer from KISS had called our singer Jeff [Scott Soto] and [said] it's confirmed, yes, it's true. And it just very quickly became this just shocking news."

David went on to reflect on the last time he saw Ozzy on July 5 when both he and Osbourne performed at the "Back To The Beginning" event in Birmingham, United Kingdom. He said: "Obviously, we were all wondering, 'Is this gonna work?' And of course it did. [Ozzy] performed, both with the Ozzy Osbourne band and with BLACK SABBATH. And after the show, there was a VIP area that [Ozzy's wife and manager] Sharon gave me and a few of us some tickets to go to, some passes. So we hung out there. And ironically, they bring Ozzy in. I see him, he waves me over. We have a minute to just talk, and he's glowing. There's this after-show glow you get right after performing, especially at a stadium gig like that. And he looked fantastic. He was sitting down, he was in his chair, but he looked like he was just the king of the ball, as he was. The funny thing was his daughter Kelly Osbourne was there, and right in front of me, front row of this event, her boyfriend proposes to her, which she's put this on her social media. He gets down on his knee and gives her a ring and proposes marriage. And there's Sharon and Ozzy, and I was, like, 'Oh my God. It's like being in the Osbournes' living room right now, watching this whole thing happen.' It was just such a beautiful moment."

Ellefson added: "The whole show was just fantastic. Anyone who sees obviously everything on social media or if you happened to see the livestream, it was heavy metal Live Aid. It had that special feeling about it, and it sounded so well with us."

Addressing Ozzy's legacy and the fact that Osbourne was considered one of the inventors of heavy metal with his band BLACK SABBATH, David said: "Look, Ozzy was our Elvis [Presley]. And I remember, I was 13 years old. My mom was a big Elvis fan. I grew up on a farm in Minnesota, and I remember the day Elvis died, time stood still. The world stopped. And that's what it felt like [on Tuesday, when Ozzy died] and even feels like today [one day after the fact]. It's just like time has stood still.

"I think the beauty of it is the way the ['Back To The Beginning'] event happened — obviously, we all knew the end was coming for Ozzy; the end was near, with his health condition. So rather than throwing a concert afterwards to remember him, it's like we did the show in advance so we could all say goodbye to him," David added. "He could say goodbye to all of us and all of his fans. And it's kind of like we got to have the memorial and the wake and the celebration of life before he actually passed. And I think that was just such a remarkable thing, because now that he's gone, we have great memories of him and having just seen him and performed for us, rather than going, 'Gosh, I, I sure wish I could have seen him one last time.' So I think that there, there is a little bit of kind of divine beauty in how it all has played out, actually."

At "Back To The Beginning", Ellefson took part in the first of two hastily assembled supergroups which performed at the event. David played "The Ultimate Sin" (with Lzzy Hale, Nuno Bettencourt, Jake E. Lee, Mike Bordin and Adam Wakeman),"Shot In The Dark" (with David Draiman, Jake E. Lee, Mike Bordin and Adam Wakeman) and "Sweet Leaf" (with David Draiman, Nuno Bettencourt, Scott Ian, Mike Bordin and Adam Wakeman).

Ozzy died the morning of July 22, his family announced in a statement.

Image credit: Entrelazados

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In celebration of the first anniversary of the release of OPETH's latest album, "The Last Will And Testament", the Swedish progressive metallers have unveiled a brand-new animated video crafted to bring the LP's intricate story to life. Created by Absynthe Moon Media, the film offers a visual interpretation of the narrative that has intrigued fans since the record's release in November 2024.

The animated music video for "§3" returns to the central family story at the heart of the album. Set during the reading of a 1920s patriarch's will, the video captures the shifting relationships and subtle tensions that shape the storyline, while allowing viewers to interpret the finer details for themselves.

Guided by OPETH leader Mikael Åkerfeldt's story and concept, the visual narrative enhances the album's core themes: identity fractured by lies, legacies built on instability, and the slow unraveling of those who once believed they understood their place within the family. The result is a stirring and immersive complement to one of OPETH's most ambitious works.

Revisit the world of "The Last Will And Testament" and watch the new "§3" animated video below.

"The Last Will And Testament" was released on November 22, 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music/Moderbolaget.

"The Last Will And Testament" was written by Åkerfeldt, with lyrics conferred with Klara Rönnqvist Fors (THE HEARD, ex-CRUCIFIED BARBARA). "The Last Will And Testament" was co-produced by Åkerfeldt and Stefan Boman (GHOST, THE HELLACOPTERS),engineered by Boman, Joe Jones (KILLING JOKE, ROBERT PLANT) and OPETH, with Boman, Åkerfeldt and the rest of OPETH mixing at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe Studios in Stockholm. The strings on "The Last Will And Testament" were arranged by Åkerfeldt and returning prog friend Dave Stewart (EGG, KHAN) and conducted by Stewart at Angel Studios in London. Not one to miss a beat, visual artist Travis Smith returns to the fold, crafting his 11th cover, a haunting "photograph" reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's infamous "Overlook Hotel" photograph. Miles Showell (ABBA, QUEEN) also revisits mastering and vinyl lacquer cutting at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Åkerfeldt rolls out the red carpet for storied flautist and JETHRO TULL mainman Ian Anderson. Not only do Anderson's signature notes fly on "§4" and "§7", he narrates on "§1", "§2", "§4", and "§7". Joining Anderson, EUROPE's Joey Tempest lends a backing vocal hand on "§2", while Åkerfeldt's youngest daughter, Mirjam Åkerfeldt, is the disembodied voice in "§1".

"The Last Will And Testament" is a concept album set in the post-World War I era, unfolding the story of a wealthy, conservative patriarch whose last will and testament reveals shocking family secrets. The narrative weaves through the patriarch's confessions, the reactions of his twin children, and the mysterious presence of a polio-ridden girl who the family have taken care of. The album begins with the reading of the father's will in his mansion. Among those in attendance is a young girl, who, despite being an orphan and polio-ridden, has been raised by the family. Her presence at the will reading raises suspicions and questions among the twins.

"The Last Will And Testament" is the darkest and heaviest record OPETH has made in decades, and it is also the band's most fearlessly progressive. A concept album recounting the reading of one recently deceased man's will to an audience of his surviving family members, it brims with haunting melodrama, shocking revelations and some of the wildest and most unpredictable music that Åkerfeldt has ever written.

The follow-up to 2019's widely acclaimed "In Cauda Venenum", "The Last Will And Testament" is set in the shadowy, sepia-stained 1920s. It slowly reveals its secrets like some classic thriller from the distant, cobwebbed past, with each successive song shining more light on the stated machinations of our dead (but definitely not harmless) protagonist. The emotional chaos of the story is perfectly matched by OPETH's vivid but claustrophobic soundtrack, which artfully winds its way towards a crestfallen but sumptuous finale. Masters of their own idiosyncratic musical domain, OPETH have never sounded more unique.

"The Last Will And Testament" is destined to be a milestone in OPETH's illustrious recorded history. The band's first out-and-out concept record, it features guest cameos from JETHRO TULL legend Ian Anderson and Joey Tempest, frontman with Swedish rock gods EUROPE. Only one of the album's eight songs has a title: closing ballad "A Story Never Told". The rest are simply labeled as numbered chapters in this slowly unfolding saga of deceit, recrimination and betrayal. Enigmatic, unsettling and immersive, "The Last Will And Testament" is a turbulent, prog metal tale like no other.

Making his recorded debut alongside OPETH's long-established lineup of Mikael Åkerfeldt, guitarist Fredrik Åkesson, bassist Martin Mendez and keyboard maestro Joakim Svalberg on "The Last Will And Testament" is new drummer Waltteri Väyrynen, who joined the band in 2022.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame channel on YouTube has uploaded a video in which ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist Jerry Cantrell faces an impossible task: picking just three songs that define the legendary SOUNDGARDEN. In this exclusive interview, the grunge icon reflects on the "undefinable" genius of Chris Cornell and his SOUNDGARDEN bandmates. Growing up in the same Seattle scene that changed rock history forever, Cantrell explains why SOUNDGARDEN never wrote a bad song — from "Hunted Down" and "Rusty Cage" to "Black Hole Sun". Jerry also dives deep into the track that still gets him "in the short and curlies" — "The Day I Tried To Live" — and offers a moving tribute to his late friend, SOUNDGARDEN frontman Chris Cornell.

Asked to name the three SOUNDGARDEN songs that define the band, Cantrell said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I hate this because I hate having to pare it down to three songs that define SOUNDGARDEN, because I think SOUNDGARDEN's kind of undefinable.

"It's always hard for me to do favorites," he explained. "I'm really bad at this, because I like it all. I really do. I mean, if it was a band that was like a one- or two-hit wonder, it'd be a lot easier. But SOUNDGARDEN wrote so many great fucking songs.

"The records that they made — what? Six records? — they were fucking brilliant. So to pick like one of those out and say one is better than the other, or even that one means more to me than another is pretty tough because I think it's all really superb. It's all pretty stellar," Cantrell said.

"I was going through things today and thinking of things all the way from 'Hunted Down' and 'Flower' to 'Limo Wreck' and 'Gun' and 'Burden In My Hand' and 'Superunknown', 'Rusty Cage', 'Black Hole Sun' — I mean, I could go on and on. I don't think they ever did anything bad," Jerry added. "I don't think they ever put a bad record out, and I don't think they ever wrote a bad song. And as far as the lyrical approach, it's all poetry, man. It's all super-high-quality stuff. And so to pick something out — 'The Day I Tried To Live', I think maybe that song, it's pretty… I mean, the hair just went up on the back of my neck just mentioning that song. There's one that gets me in the short and curlies."

Speaking about his friendship with other Seattle-area acts from the same era, including SOUNDGARDEN, Cantrell said: "I grew up in an area that produced some of my favorite music, SOUNDGARDEN being one of them, in the world. And some of my favorite people in the world that I still cherish deeply to this day. When you see 'em, the smile just comes out and the warm embrace, and if any one of us are playing near the others, somebody's doing a show, PEARL JAM is playing, I'm going. If we're playing some, somebody's coming to see us. It's still a sense of community. In the case of music, even if you're not here, unfortunately, you do live on through your music. Your music lives on, and your music is you. It's you injected into that piece of art. It's an experience in life permanently recorded and shared for anybody that may relate to it."

SOUNDGARDEN was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on November 8 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. The Seattle grunge legends were inducted by actor-comedian Jim Carrey.

The surviving members of SOUNDGARDEN — drummer Matt Cameron, guitarist Kim Thayil and bassist Ben Shepherd, as well as original bassist Hiro Yamamoto, who left the group in 1989 — were joined by PEARL JAM guitarist Mike McCready and THE PRETTY RECKLESS frontwoman Taylor Momsen for a performance of "Rusty Cage", while Brandi Carlile and ALICE IN CHAINS' Jerry Cantrell came out for a rendition of "Black Hole Sun".

After SOUNDGARDEN acceptance speeches, Cornell's daughter Toni was joined by HEART's Nancy Wilson for an acoustic rendition of "Fell On Black Days".

Thayil, Cameron, Shepherd and Yamomoto all delivered induction speeches.

SOUNDGARDEN was first nominated for the Rock Hall in 2020 and again in 2023 before finally being inducted this year.

The band finished sixth in the fan vote with 233,205 votes.

This marked the second induction for Cameron, who previously got the nod with PEARL JAM in 2017.

DEATH TO ALL, the touring tribute to the late Chuck Schuldiner and his pioneering band DEATH, performed this past Wednesday, November 26 at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fan-filmed video of the entire concert can be seen below.

The setlist for the concert was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. Living Monstrosity
02. Defensive Personalities
03. Lack Of Comprehension
04. Altering The Future
05. Zombie Ritual
06. Within The Mind
07. The Philosopher
08. Spiritual Healing
09. Symbolic
10. Zero Tolerance
11. Empty Words
12. Sacred Serenity
13. 1,000 Eyes
14. Without Judgement
15. Crystal Mountain
16. Misanthrope
17. Perennial Quest

Encore:

18. Spirit Crusher
19. Pull The Plug

DEATH TO ALL is currently touring North America as part of "Symbolic Healing", a month-long celebration of two of DEATH's landmark albums: "Spiritual Healing" (1990) and "Symbolic" (1995).

DEATH TO ALL features DEATH veterans Gene Hoglan (drummer on the DEATH albums "Individual Thought Patterns" [1993] and "Symbolic"),Steve DiGiorgio (bassist on 1991's "Human" as well as "Individual Thought Patterns") and Bobby Koelble (guitarist on "Symbolic"),as well as Max Phelps (EXIST, ex-CYNIC) on guitar and vocals. DEATH TO ALL celebrated "Scream Bloody Gore" (1987) and "The Sound Of Perseverance" (1998) across North America in 2024.

Along with the dual album celebration, each night on the fall 2025 tour is showcasing classics from DEATH's catalog. The tour features special guests GORGUTS and PHOBOPHILIC.

Founded in 1984 by Chuck Schuldiner under the original name of MANTAS in Altamonte Springs, Florida, DEATH was among the more widely known early pioneers of the death metal sound, along with California's POSSESSED. Inspired by NASTY SAVAGE, DEATH was among the first bands in the Florida death metal scene. In the late '80s, the band was both a part of and integral in defining the death metal scene which gained international recognition with the release of albums by a number of area acts.

DEATH TO ALL operates as a tribute band to the original DEATH, which dissolved in 2001 following Schuldiner's passing.

"Born Human: The Life And Music Of Death's Chuck Schuldiner", the fully authorized biography of the legendary DEATH frontman, has just been released via Decibel Books.

"Born Human", authored by accomplished journalist David E. Gehlke ("The Scott Burns Sessions: A Life In Death Metal 1987-1997", "Turned Inside Out: The Official Story Of Obituary"),features exclusive interviews, contributions, stunning new Ed Repka cover art and previously unreleased, hand-selected photographs from those who knew Chuck best. "Born Human" brings life to the dramatic story of the man who blazed an iconic path in metal music, laying the foundation for generations to come.

Fans can order their copy now at store.decibelmagazine.com.

DEATH TO ALL
"THE SYMBOLIC HEALING" TOUR
starts November 4th!

SPIRITUAL HEALING (35 YEARS) • SYMBOLIC (30 YEARS)
WITH...

Posted by Death To All on Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn and drummer Anthony "Abaddon" Bray, iconic co-founders of the pioneering black metal band VENOM, recently announced that they will celebrate the 45th anniversary of VENOM's classic debut album, 1981's "Welcome To Hell", at various festivals in 2026, including Germany's Keep It True. Speaking to MetalKaoz, Dunn confirmed that the door is open for VENOM bassist/vocalist Conrad "Cronos" Lant to take part in the reunion.  "I'll tell you right now that for 2026, the 45th anniversary of 'Welcome To Hell', Cronos has been invited," Mantas said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "He was invited by me. He was invited by the lawyers in the [recent] court case [involving Cronos and Abaddon]. His answer was, 'It's not worth my time.' That was his answer."

Mantas added that the prospect of spending time with Cronos again was not something he would ever look forward to.

"What I say to people is this. Fair enough, everybody wants to see their favorite members back together. We know that. 'And, oh, yeah, just travel separate. Just go in separate hotels.' We've done all that," Mantas explained. "We've done that. We did it on the first reunion. Okay, think of the most toxic relationship you've ever been involved in, how it made you feel. At your age now, invite it back into your life."

Mantas also touched upon the lawsuit Cronos filed against Abaddon and Plastic Head Music Distribution Ltd in June 2024 in which he accused the distributor of selling merchandise with Lant's copyrighted VENOM designs and Bray of approving the infringement through a licensing agreement. The dispute revolved around the fact that both parties were licensing and selling official VENOM merchandise featuring the contested designs.

Reflecting on VENOM's early days, Mantas said: "We were three young guys in a band, happy to be in a band and jamming. And that was it. And to us, at that particular point, it didn't matter who wrote the songs or who did the drawings or whatever. It was one for all and all for one. And that's why everything went the three ways for the first two albums. But then, when you get a bit wise at the business and everything like that, it's, like, you think, 'Wow. I wrote all that stuff and everybody else is still getting a share.' I don't mind that. That's the songs. That is the songs. And at the end of the day, you put those songs out into the world and you are giving them to the people.

"Now, it doesn't matter what your logo looks like," he continued. "It doesn't matter how good your album cover is. It doesn't matter what your image is, how much leather you are wearing or what guitar you are playing, if someone puts that album on and doesn't like the songs, you are done. A band isn't about logos and t-shirts and stuff like that — it's about music. Why do you wear the t-shirt of a band? Because you like their music. It's as simple as that.

"Now, I'm not saying that Cronos didn't write anything," Dunn clarified. "He wrote some phenomenal lyrics, and I've said this. The lyrics to 'Manitou', I think they are stunning. The lyrics to 'Nightmare' — amazing. We came up with some great songs together in the later stages, where we just bounced the ideas, and some of it just happened. We didn't have to look for it. And 'Welcome To Hell' is my first attempt at writing songs. I hadn't written anything before that — not a thing."

Asked if he and Abaddon have thought about writing and releasing new music, possibly under the VENOM banner, Mantas said: "No, no. At the end of the day, does the world need a new VENOM album? I remember reading an interview with Paul Stanley [of KISS] where he even said, 'I'll never write another KISS song.' Because as good as some of the '80s KISS material was, everybody still wants to hear 'Black Diamond' and 'Cold Gin' and 'Strutter' and 'C'mon And Love Me' and all that stuff. And I'm the same. Like JUDAS PRIEST — 'Firepower', great album; 'Invincible Shield', great album; but if I go to see PRIEST now and they kick into 'The Ripper', game over. It's, like, I'm happy. I know that's a sort of nostalgic way of looking at it, but if we are doing a celebration of this band… All I'm saying is it's a celebration of the music that we wrote 45 years ago; that's all it is. And you've got the two original members in there doing it as well."

Mantas added: "So, new music? I don't know. I don't know. I'm not adverse to maybe getting one song together or something like that. But do people really wanna hear it? It's, like, let's have a vote. I don't know."

There are now three different bands using variations of the VENOM band name. In addition to Mantas and Abaddon's new collaboration, there is the Cronos-fronted version of VENOM, in which Cronos is the sole remaining member from the band's classic era, and there is VENOM INC., which is led by bassist/vocalist Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan, who was a member of VENOM between 1989 and 1992, appearing on the albums "Prime Evil" (1989),"Temples Of Ice" (1991) and "The Waste Lands" (1992).

According to Law360.com, Lant testified in court earlier this year that he joined VENOM in late 1979 and came up with the Satanic-themed designs used in the band's logo and album covers, which included goat heads, pentagrams and inverted crosses.

Bray filed a counterclaim for infringement against Lant and Lant's distributor, Razmataz.com Ltd., arguing that Bray was the real author of the works.

Because Lant was able to produce numerous sketches which demonstrated his design process and Bray was unable to do the same, Bray was deemed the owner of the original logo, while Lant was found to be the creator and copyright owner of all but one of the other artistic works in dispute.

Nearly a decade ago, Dunn formed VENOM INC. with Bray and Dolan.

Last December, approximately eight months after suffering his second heart attack, Dunn announced that he was leaving VENOM INC., explaining in a statement that his "health and wellbeing are of paramount importance to myself and my family," but adding that "there are also more personal issues which have influenced my decision."

Dunn suffered his first heart attack in May 2018 and underwent a double bypass surgery.

Mantas sat out VENOM INC.'s fall 2023 U.S. tour after revealing that his wife had been diagnosed with cancer. He was replaced on the trek by Mike Hickey, known for his work with VENOM, CARCASS, CATHEDRAL and CRONOS.

VENOM INC. is not to be confused with the Lant-fronted version of VENOM, which is continuing to tour and make albums under the VENOM moniker. Joining Cronos in that group are Rage (a.k.a. Stuart Dixon) on guitar and Danté (a.k.a. Danny Needham) on drums.

VENOM's classic lineup trio of Dunn, Lant and Bray recorded four studio LPs, "Welcome To Hell" (1981),"Black Metal" (1982),"At War With Satan" (1984) and "Possessed" (1985),and live album, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" (1986). Often cited by bands such as METALLICA, BEHEMOTH, CELTIC FROST and MAYHEM as major influences, they are one of the most revered bands of their generation. VENOM is still fronted by Cronos and headlines festivals all over the globe and continues to release new music while Dunn and Dolan had joined forces in the similarly named VENOM INC.

Abaddon was part of VENOM's classic lineup from 1978 to 1992. He then returned to the band in 1995 and stayed with them for four years before joining VENOM INC. alongside Dunn and Dolan. VENOM INC. released its debut album, "Avé", in August 2017. A year later, VENOM INC. revealed that it was recruiting Jeramie Kling of the Tampa-based melodic death metal band THE ABSENCE to fill in for Bray on a European tour while Abaddon stayed home to spend time with his newborn daughter.

Dunn, Bray and Dolan released the aforementioned three albums as VENOM: "Prime Evil", "Temples Of Ice" and "The Waste Lands".

In September 2022, Bray revealed that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma.

Japanese rock music promoter UPP-tone Music announced in July that Dunn and Bray will perform "VENOM classics" on November 30 at Shinjuku Antiknock, a legendary music venue in Tokyo, Japan, alongside some of Japan's finest black metal players: Masaki "Gezol" Tachi (SABBAT) on bass and vocals, Mirai Kawashima (SIGH) on vocals, Shinji "Samm" Tachi (METALUCIFER) on drums, and Noboru "Jero" Sakuma (ABIGAIL) on guitar. Support at the gig will come from SURVIVE and HELL FREEZES OVER.

For the April 24, 2026 appearance at the Keep It True festival at Tauberfrankenhalle in Lauda-Königshofen, Germany, Mantas and Abaddon will be joined by an all-star lineup of guest musicians:

* Tom Angelripper and Andy Brings (SODOM)
* Tom G. Warrior (CELTIC FROST, HELLHAMMER, TRIPTYKON)
* Schmier (DESTRUCTION)
* Attila Csihar (MAYHEM)
* Danny Lilker (NUCLEAR ASSAULT, S.O.D.)
* Diva Satánica (BLOODHUNTER, NERVOSA)
* and introducing Blake "Bulldözer" Arendell from the rising force INTERCEPTOR

In a recent interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, Mantas said about the fact that there are now three different bands using variations of the VENOM band name: "I'm just gonna speak the truth, the absolute truth. I'm the founder member [of VENOM]. If there's a co-founder, it's Abaddon. Cronos was the last one to join. Everyone knows that. I wrote all the early material, blah, blah, blah. And at this very moment in time, the way I look at it is there isn't a VENOM out there. There's bands out there who are playing VENOM material. And that's the honest way that I look at it."

Regarding why he and Abaddon chose to reteam for these shows right now, Mantas said: "Myself and Abaddon, we said, 'Look, why don't we just do something to celebrate this fucking band?' And that's all we're doing. It's a celebration of 'Welcome To Hell', 45 years of that album. And this stupid fucking band has missed every major anniversary in its history. We've never celebrated an anniversary of this band. So I spoke to the guys at Keep It True, Oliver Weinsheimer in particular, the owner of the festival. And I said, 'Right, here's an idea. Why don't we get some special guests, people who have been influenced by the band? All that kind of thing.' And he said, 'Great. Let's do it.' So that's how it all came about. And now we're getting offers from other places to do the same thing. So, yeah, if nobody else will do it, we're gonna go out and celebrate this band."

Asked what band name he and Abaddon will perform under, Mantas said: "As far as I'm concerned, there's no fucking name to it. There's Abaddon's VENOM logo, which is his. And underneath it, it says, 'Mantas and Abaddon.' And then special guests. And that's what we're doing."

Elaborating on the reasons he and Abaddon have chosen to play the VENOM music together again, Mantas said: "I know it's not gonna be the PANTERA thing, and I know it's not a fucking KISS reunion or anything like that, but this band has had, for whatever reason, and it still amazes me to this day, but this band has had so much influence on the metal scene from day one, especially when that album ['Welcome To Hell'] came out. And then [VENOM's second album] 'Black Metal' — black metal, as a genre, is still alive and kicking today. Extreme metal is around, people say, because of us."

On the topic of the response from VENOM fans to the announcement of the Keep It True concert, as well as the November 30, 2025 appearance by Dunn and Bray at Shinjuku Antiknock, a legendary music venue in Tokyo, Japan, alongside some of Japan's finest black metal players, Mantas said: "Every comment I've seen so far, 90 percent has been really, really positive. Like, 'Great. Go for it, guys,' all this kind of stuff. Then you get the one, 'Oh, no Cronos, no VENOM.' It's, like, okay, listen to me right now. You can you imagine the most toxic relationship and the most stressful relationship you've ever had in your fucking life, and now go back and invite it back in. And that's what we tried to do.

"If everybody knew the real reason I left in 1986, you wouldn't even fucking look at that guy again. All these people who say that about Cronos and stuff like that, yes, he was a part of the band. I appreciate that. He didn't write all the fucking early material. He didn't found the band. He was the last person to join.

"If you were having problems with your wife and you put it on the fucking Internet, I would never go, 'Oh, yeah, well, I know what's going on,' because you don't — you don't know the personalities of the people involved in it," Mantas explained. "All you see from the outside is a band. I mean, I love KISS. I love JUDAS PRIEST. Now there's fucking problems with K.K. [Downing] and all the rest of fucking PRIEST. There's problems with Ace [Frehley] and fucking Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley] and Peter [Criss], but we don't know what's really gone on. And it's, like, yeah, I tell you what, get back in your mom's basement. Eat your fucking microwave meal and play your video games. This is ridiculous to comment on people's careers. And that's the way I feel about it. And all I'm saying is that myself and Abaddon, as the two original members of VENOM, we're gonna go out and we're gonna celebrate this band and its music. And that's it. Nothing more, nothing less."

Abaddon also offered his opinion on the VENOM name issue, saying: "My take on that is very straightforward. If you've got three bands using the word VENOM to sell the music… Originally, VENOM were a three-piece. Unless you've got two members of that three-piece, you can't call it VENOM because it's Cronos and some other blokes, or it's Dolan and some other blokes. If you've got me and Jeff, you've got two-thirds of the original fucking band. That's as straightforward as you can get."

Proud to announce true metal legends VENOM of Mantas & Abaddon in our booking roster worldwide.

Venom will celebrate...

Posted by THE FLAMING ARTS AGENCY on Thursday, October 30, 2025

In a new interview with Ore Bihovsky of TotalRock's "Louder" radio show, LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia was asked if she and her bandmates, like some other artists, have taken a step in their lyrics in recent years toward activism and calling for change. She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No. In our music, in the lyrics we include our reflections, but we don't want to teach anything. We never touch politics or strict religion. Of course, we have a song called 'Heaven's A Lie', we have a song called 'In Nomine Patris', but it's always through metaphors."

She continued: "It's not because we don't think about it or we are not related to specific thoughts, but in our opinion, music has to be something that it's liberating, something that kind of lifts your spirit. It doesn't have to be something that puts you in a bad mood or makes you angry. It has to make you powerful, but you have to have your own opinion. You don't need mine to tell you what to do. So it has to be something empowering."

Five years ago, Scabbia — who grew up Roman Catholic in Italy — opened up about her views on religion, telling "The Jasta Show": "I have nothing against religion. I think that every person can decide for their lives if religion brings you comfort in a tough moment of your life. If you have lost, for example, someone that you love and you need comfort and you want to believe that this person will be in a different place, in a better place, I will not be the one to tell you what's wrong. What I don't understand is when religion literally leads your life and you don't question some things that are not logical, and you are following rules just because someone told you to follow, but they are making no sense. Even in the context of the religion, even if you read the Bible, and it's just, like, the Bible [doesn't] say this. The Bible itself [doesn't] say this. The Bible says that you don't have to gather to celebrate Jesus; the Bible is saying it. Why organized religions by men are deciding this? I try to observe different points of view every time, and that is why I'm more on the skeptical side."

Asked if she is atheist or agnostic, Cristina said: "Maybe more agnostic, because, to be honest with you, I would love to know that there is another place beside earth and behind us being living humans. I would love to reunite with my parents when I will be gone and to all the ones that I have lost. But to be honest, I don't know. I can only speculate; I can only hope that there's something like this. But I don't have any proof. I don't have a single proof."

In 2019, Scabbia told Revolver magazine she was raised to "live with good principles," yet in adolescence, she became disenchanted by the hypocrisy of the Church. "I know so many people who would go to church and then leave and act like the worst Christians," she explained. "That's what turned me off. I was searching for answers, and I didn't get the answers I was expecting."

In a separate interview with NME, Cristina was asked if she was "team science" or "team theology." She replied: "Science. 100%. Actually, let's call it 80%. I still understand the spiritual part and I do hope there is something in us that lasts. I want to believe my loved ones are still around me in the form of energy, but I don't have any proof. That stops me from blindly believing.

"Obviously, Italy is a very religious country," she continued. "We have the Pope. But while I grew up going to church — my parents were believers — I never did believe. I used to just be confused why I had to go to church every week. I didn't understand why people didn't behave like they said they did in church. I always thought it was more important to be a good human being, to be a respectful human being, without any fear of God attached to it."

LACUNA COIL's latest album, "Sleepless Empire", came out in February 2025 via Century Media Records. Inspiration to create the LP came during the sessions for "Comalies XX" (2022),the acclaimed remake of LACUNA COIL's breakthrough third record "Comalies". Writing and recording took place in northern Italy between Milano (the band's hometown) and Como, where SPVN Studios are located. As with their previous albums, production was done in house with Marco "Maki" Coti Zelati at the helm, and artwork was hand curated by the talented Italian artist Roberto Toderico. Two other very special talents enrich the album, namely the guest vocalists: LAMB OF GOD's Randy Blythe on the song "Hosting The Shadow" and NEW YEARS DAY's Ash Costello on "In The Mean Time".

In October 2024, Italian guitarist/producer Daniele Salomone confirmed that he had joined LACUNA COIL as the replacement for the band's longtime guitarist Diego Cavallotti.

Salomone made his live debut with LACUNA COIL on August 4, 2024 at the Rockstadt Extreme Fest in Râșnov, Romania.

In June 2024, LACUNA COIL announced Cavallotti's departure. Diego, who joined LACUNA COIL in 2016, initially as a fill-in guitarist following the exit of Marco "Maus" Biazzi, later said in a social media post that "this decision is not the result of my dissatisfaction or desire to explore new opportunities."

Cavallotti and Salomone played together in the Italian metal band INVERNO, which released its debut album, "Stasis", in December 2023.

In a new interview with Neil Jones of TotalRock, CANDLEMASS singer Johan Längqvist (a.k.a. Johan Langquist) spoke about the band's recent one-off world-exclusive performance featuring CANDLEMASS's former vocalist Messiah Marcolin, which took place at this year's edition of the Rock Hard Festival Greece on September 13, 2025 in Athens, Greece. Asked if the show was always meant to be just a one-off event, Johan said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, that's the way it was supposed to be.

"[CANDLEMASS] were very popular in Greece when they started up the band," he continued. "And now [the fans have] seen me [performing with CANDLEMASS] in Greece for a couple of years. So, they just had a wish that, 'Could you do something with Messiah as well?' And we were all talking about it. And [we all said], 'Yeah, for sure.' And it turned up to be one show with Messiah. [Laughs]"

Asked if he was on stage as well for the concert, Johan clarified: "No, no, no, no. I wasn't there at all, actually. [But Messiah] had my blessing."

He added: "I pretty much know all the singers that have been in CANDLEMASS through the years, but actually I just met Messiah last year. And we've had a couple of nights together. We're grown-up people these days. If the fans wanted to see a show with Messiah, I don't have a problem with that at all, actually."

CANDLEMASS's appearance at this year's edition of the Rock Hard Festival Greece marked Marcolin's first performance with the band in nearly 20 years.

Less than two months ago, Messiah told Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece about the concert: "That was some fantastic show with CANDLEMASS at the Rock Hard Festival Greece. I wanna thank all the fans from all around the world who traveled from 40 different countries — big, big thanks from the heart. And also all the Greek fans, who traveled all across Greece to come there. It was, like — I don't know — 4,500 people [going] crazy and everyone was singing and it was so much fun — singing, screaming, doom dancing, just the way it should be. So I'm very happy about it. And a big thank you."

Asked how it felt to be back on stage with CANDLEMASS after almost two decades, Messiah said: "It felt like it was yesterday [that we had last played together]. It was 20 years [earlier], but it felt like yesterday. It was the same thing when we did… I was with CANDLEMASS from 1987 till 1991. Then I quit the band the first time. And then we did a reunion again in 2002, and I quit again in 2006. So in total I've been with them for eight years, but those, I think, I guess 12 years in between, it felt like time hadn't passed. When we start playing, it's just, like — I don't know — it's magic. Some bands, they have that when they play together; there's something special that comes with it. And CANDLEMASS always had that. Even since the first gig back in 1987 in Jönköping in Sweden — it was our very first concert, and we start the show with 'Crystal Ball' and all of a sudden punk rockers and everyone starts jumping on the stage, getting crazy. There's something special about when the five of us play together. So that's very cool. It's always been like that. It just works. I don't know how to describe it. It just works. It works really well. Off stage is another thing."

Asked if he was nervous before the Rock Hard Festival Greece show, Messiah said: "No, I don't get nervous. Of course, you get a little excited before the show, but I don't get nervous. I'm more excited. I want to kill. [Laughs] I don't want to kill, but I feel like I wanna kill. You want to do the best. Then, of course, your body doesn't act the same way as 20 years ago. I fell on my ass. What are you gonna do? The balance is not the same. All I can do is practice tai chi or something and try to get a better balance.

"With me and CANDLEMASS, it's like the family Addams," he explained. "If Uncle Fester goes away for 20 years and then he comes back and he's all weird — that's what it was like."

Regarding how he prepared for the Rock Hard Festival Greece performance, Messiah said: "People would say to me, 'Oh, good luck in Athens, good luck.' And I said, 'No, there's no luck. It's hard work.' I'd been practicing singing for almost every day for five months. So it all comes down to determination and hard work, 'cause you need that. 'Cause when you fall on the stage, like I did, or some technical thing, you can't hear yourself or whatever, then you need the muscle memory. So you must be prepared. And also I'm lazy. I don't sing all the time. I only sing when I have to. But I really got in shape for this one gig — five months, that's a lot of work. But it was all worth it in the end because the fans got a great show. And it was really fun."

Marcolin also talked about the possibility of more performances with CANDLEMASS in the future, saying: "I never said this is the only one show we're gonna do — Leif [Edling, CANDLEMASS bassist and main songwriter] said that. But I would tell all the promoters of the world, get in contact with CANDLEMASS's manager, Mr. Olé Bang, and try to book CANDLEMASS featuring Messiah Marcolin, because I just think it's such a shame for all the CANDLEMASS fans in the world not to be able to see [us play], the ones who couldn't be there [in Greece]. That's how I feel. I don't know how they feel. They're probably tired of me already, but I just think it would be great. If they can treat us as well, these promoters and the big festivals in Europe and all around the world, in Japan — I don't know — everywhere, if they can treat us as well as Rock Hard Festival Greece did, I see no problem with playing any more shows. 'Cause we're all getting old, and I'm the youngest — I'm 57. I'll always be the youngest. But anyway, what I'm saying is I don't see a reason for it not to happen again. For me, it's kind of like the vintage CANDLEMASS."

Asked if he has discussed with the members of CANDLEMASS the possibility of him playing more shows with the band, Messiah said: "No, because Leif went out and said 'no more shows' and this and that. But maybe they'll change their mind if we get some really good offers from around the world, treating us as well as Rock Hard Festival Greece did, maybe they'll change their minds. I would think now is the time to book the big festivals of 2026, next summer. So I think they should give it a try, even if it's just one or two. Who knows? At least it's something."

CANDLEMASS's setlist for the Rock Hard Festival Greece show was as follows:

01. The Well Of Souls
02. Dark Are The Veils Of Death
03. Mirror Mirror
04. Darkness In Paradise
05. Bewitched
06. Samarithan
07. Black Dwarf
08. Crystal Ball
09. A Sorcerer's Pledge

Encore:

10. At The Gallows End
11. Solitude

Fan-filmed video of the gig can be seen below.

Back in May, Edling reiterated that the band's reunion concert with Marcolin would be a one-off event, with no chance of further dates being added. In an interview with Rock Hard Greece, Edling stated about CANDLEMASS's concert with Messiah: "Well, it feels great. And we [are celebrating CANDLEMASS's] 40-year anniversary with many happenings, so this is one of the happenings that we have. So we have a special EP out with a couple of tracks, and we will have a special line of merchandise out. And we will do special shows in Sweden, and we will also do the thing with Messiah Marcolin in Athens. So there's several ways we can celebrate. We put a lot of old photos up on social media right now, for example, and I think there's a documentary about CANDLEMASS being filmed during the year as well. So, we celebrate in many ways."

Regarding the possibility of more concerts with Messiah being added, Leif said: "Yeah, it will be a one-off show. Absolutely. And we have no recording plans, we have no reunion plans. There are no plans whatsoever but just one show and one show only. So that's the entire thought behind it. Go down to Greece where we have a lot of true fans, loyal fans, and have a blast. Play a great show and enjoy ourselves for the 40-year anniversary's sake. Not many bands survive to have a 40-year anniversary. So we feel very lucky that we have managed to survive this long."

Asked if he saw the concert in Athens as "the perfect closure" of CANDLEMASS's chapter with Messiah, Leif said: "I think we had a closure, like, 20 years ago, actually. [Laughs] I mean, we didn't know that we would survive one year after Messiah left. And we didn't know that we would be playing 20 years after. So this is a bonus. And it's a bonus for all the people that would like to see us live with Messiah. So why not? Let's do it. Let's have fun for an evening in Athens."

During the chat, Leif also reflected on some of the "biggest challenges" CANDLEMASS's career, particularly in the first couple of decades of the band's existence. He said: "Well, difficult times — I guess it was when Messiah left the first time, and also the second time. It's not easy for a band to recover after that. We had quite a few changes of singers, and every time you make a singer replacement, you go through a difficult time. But it's been 40 years, so I think it's also kind of a natural thing, when you have such a long career. So, I don't think of it as we have a band with a lot of problems or anything. I mean, if you change a singer every eight years or whatever, I think that's quite natural that some members come and go. If it's not the singer, maybe it's the guitar player or the bass player or the drummer. So this happens in every band on the planet — they change the personnel. But we have four people playing for 40 years together — me, Jan [Lindh, drums], Mats [Björkman, guitar] and Lars [Johansson, guitar]. And now we have Johan [Längqvist, vocals] back in the band, and it's fucking fantastic. So I think we are very lucky to have survived these 40 years, and we are lucky enough to still be regarded as a headliner band or co-headliner band. And we play great shows for a lot of people. And every gig we play, we have all the hands in the air and people are cheering. So it makes me feel fucking fantastic every time, because you still attract people, you still make people happy with your music. That's absolutely fantastic."

As the godfathers of epic doom metal, CANDLEMASS defined the genre with releases such as "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" (1986) and "Nightfall" (1987). Through their evil riffs, crushing rhythmic attack and dramatic vocals, they changed the landscape of metal worldwide. Led by Edling, CANDLEMASS reunited with Längqvist in 2018, 32 years after the singer performed on "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus".

Längqvist originally exited CANDLEMASS after "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" and was replaced by Marcolin.

Marcolin left CANDLEMASS for the presumably final time in 2006, one year after the release of the band's self-titled album. He was later replaced by Robert Lowe (SOLITUDE AETURNUS),who sang on the band's "King Of The Grey Islands" (2007),"Death Magic Doom" (2009) and "Psalms For The Dead" (2012) LPs. CANDLEMASS's frontman between 2012 and 2018 was Mats Levén, who previously recorded and toured with YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and THERION. Seven years ago, CANDLEMASS fired Levén and rehired Längqvist.

Back in October 2022, Messiah and longtime CANDLEMASS guitarist Mats "Mappe" Björkman joined Canadian metallers ANVIL on stage at the Slaktkyrkan venue in Stockholm, Sweden to perform the classic ANVIL song "Metal On Metal". The event marked the first time in 16 years that the two musicians performed together.

CANDLEMASS's latest EP, "Black Star", came out in May via Napalm Records.

Johan's solo project JOHAN LANGQUIST THE CASTLE released its self-titled debut album on CD and vinyl on June 27 via I Hate Records. The record was initially made available digitally without a label in 2024.

CANDLEMASS's mark on the genre and their legacy can be heard in bands such as OPETH, GHOST and PARADISE LOST. In 2019 CANDLEMASS were nominated for a U.S. Grammy Award with the album "The Door To Doom". One could say that CANDLEMASS reached a full-circle moment when BLACK SABBATH's Tony Iommi played a solo on one of the tracks on the record.

CANDLEMASS was formed in 1985 in Upplands Väsby, Sweden, by bassist and main songwriter Edling. The band quickly became pioneers of a slower, heavier, and darker style of metal that came to be known as doom metal — a direct sonic descendant of BLACK SABBATH, but with its own epic and gothic twist. Their debut album, "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" (1986),is today considered a genre-defining classic, but at the time it flew under the radar. Ironically, the album's status grew over the years, making it one of the most celebrated and influential doom metal albums of all time. In 1987, the band recruited Marcolin, whose operatic, vibrato-rich singing style and monk-like stage persona became an identifiable part of CANDLEMASS's visual and sonic identity. With Messiah on board, CANDLEMASS released the albums "Nightfall" (1987),"Ancient Dreams" (1988) and "Tales Of Creation" (1989) — a trilogy that cemented their legacy and built a loyal international fanbase.

San Francisco Bay Area metallers DEATH ANGEL officially kicked off their "Act III U.S. Tour 2025" Wednesday night (November 26) at the Oriental Theater in Denver, Colorado. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

Featured songs:

00:00 - Seemingly Endless Time
03:57 - Stop
09:38 - Veil Of Deception
13:00 - The Organization
17:40 - Discontinued
24:00 - Room With A View
30:30 - Stagnant
36:40 - EX-TC
40:30 - Disturbing The Peace
44:40 - Falling Asleep
51:03 - Humanicide
57:07 - Cult Of The Used
1:01:40 - The Moth
1:07:20 - Lost
1:14:28 - Thrown To The Wolves

"Act III U.S. Tour 2025" celebrates the 35th anniversary of DEATH ANGEL's "Act III" album and sees the band performing the LP in its entirety. The trek, which features support from VIO-LENCE (replacing originally announced support act TOXIC HOLOCAUST),LIONS AT THE GATE and MISFIRE, will wrap with two Christmas shows on December 18-19 at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California.

In a 2020 interview with Now Hear This, Inc., DEATH ANGEL vocalist Mark Osegueda and guitarist Rob Cavestany described the making of their third album, 1990's "Act III". The LP was the band's first on major label Geffen, and featured more melodic and straightforward compositions compared to DEATH ANGEL's debut, "The Ultraviolence", and follow-up effort, "Frolic Through The Park". This rapid development was particularly noteworthy considering the members of DEATH ANGEL were much younger than some of their thrash metal contemporaries. Their time on a major label was short-lived — the band dissolved after a horrific 1991 bus crash that left then-drummer Andy Galeon seriously injured with a head injury and other damages that would require reconstructive surgery.

"We've pretty much sampled every possibility of what you can do right and what you can do wrong, especially what you can do wrong, but, luckily, we had a few moments of what you can do right, hence why we are still here and nominated for a Grammy," Rob said. "What you can do right is to work extremely hard. Every step of the way, we put our whole life into everything we were doing, even making a flyer for a show, just everything done as best and as hard as you can because you're that into it and you're proud of what you're trying to do and what you're going to put out there to people. And, that was emphasized along the way as we started to work with more professional-caliber people, better producers, better engineers, just dealing with people that showed you that how hard you thought you were working, that was a joke compared to how hard you really need to be working. We learned a lot. For instance, during our first two records, we thought we were working hard. We were writing our asses off, touring and playing as many shows as we possibly could. Again, we were young. We're still teenagers; we're not even 18 at this point in time. We don't really have the drive and any kind of life experience to know what we were supposed to do. We were doing it because we were so into it."

He continued: "One thing is, when we did sign to the major label and we went in to write and record our record 'Act III', it was a major lesson. We worked with a producer named Max Norman, and we were extremely excited to work with him being that he had produced two of our favorite records, 'Blizzard Of Ozz' and 'Diary Of A Madman' by Ozzy Osbourne, Ozzy's first two solo records, and the two albums that feature Randy Rhoads on guitar, who is an absolute hero of mine and everyone. He is very well respected and a big influence on many people, including us. We knew we had a chance to work with Max Norman on our record. That alone freaked us out because we realized we were about to work with this legendary guy. He and the label, they basically made us write. We were writing, I don't know, for six months straight or eight months nonstop. Easily. Maybe up to a year. We were used to, at this point, 'Okay, so the album will have ten songs. Here's ten songs. Let's go!' So, we wrote ten songs, had our demos, sent them to the label, sent them to the powers-that-be, then all of a sudden, we were told, 'Okay. That sounds pretty good. Let's hear some more.' We were like, 'Is that not enough?' They were like 'You guys are getting started.' We were like, 'All right.' We went back and wrote four more and gave them another four-song demo. We're like, 'Here's four more songs.' They're like, 'Okay. Getting warmer.' 'Getting warmer? What's wrong? What do you mean? That's more than enough.' They're like, 'You guys are just getting started.' Basically, we ended up writing 30 songs for that album. But, at the time, we were hating it. By that point, we were just, like, 'Screw all of you!' We were so pissed. We couldn't understand why we were being made to keep going back to the drawing board, searching, searching for what? 'Keep going!' Sure enough, at the end of the day, some of the better songs, I think, on that album, came in the fourth quarter of the writing."

"I guess we realized that the people that were telling us to do this, they knew what they were talking about," he added. "They were the pros. They were the label management, they were the management, they were the older people that had experience and just like your teachers in school or parents or whatever, you reluctantly give in, and say, 'Okay. I'll do my homework.' We were taking the word of the authority and going with it, and probably some slight sense of understanding of what they were talking about. We just didn't have the experience to push through it ourselves. We learned from it. We ended up making a really killer album and going through the experience. From that point on, that was major to me because I never needed that kind of whip-cracking again. After that, I realized, we realized, that's what you need to be working as hard as that."

According to Mark, "Act III" was "technically" the first album DEATH ANGEL "ever did pre-production on." He explained: "We never even heard what pre-production is. Once the songs were sorted out, then Max Norman flew up to San Francisco and started going through the songs with us and started weeding them out. We got to the ones that were going to be on the record, and we got down to those, then we started dissecting those songs. Then it became a whole other thing, re-arranging and dissecting: 'Maybe try this for four measures. Try this.' We always did want to be good songwriters, even though it's writing thrash metal. We still wanted to have good song structures. Max is one of the first people that really kind of roped our excitement in from being musicians and roped it into being palatable. Sometimes, you're a young musician, you're learning your instrument better and better. You want to flaunt that you've improved and that doesn't necessarily make for a better song because you're just flaunting, 'We can do this now!' I think we were a victim of that on our second record. When Max got involved for 'Act III', all of a sudden, our songwriting got a lot more structure and a lot more viable. It also left an impression on us, to a certain degree, there is a science to this. Don't get me wrong, it's the most soulful science in the world, but there is some science to it."

DEATH ANGEL was nominated for a Grammy Award for the title track of its latest studio album, "Humanicide". Released in May 2019 via Nuclear Blast, the disc saw DEATH ANGEL returning to producer and friend Jason Suecof (DEICIDE, TRIVIUM) of Audiohammer studios for the recording and mixing, along with the mastering of the legendary Ted Jensen (SLIPKNOT, PANTERA) of Sterling Sound, who added the final touches and brought it all to life, with artist Brent Elliott White (LAMB OF GOD, MEGADETH) providing the ominous cover artwork.

DEATH ANGEL has released two new singles in 2025, "Wrath (Bring Fire)" , which was first made available in May, and "Cult Of The Used", which came out earlier this month.

JUST ANNOUNCED 💀👼 Death Angel are kicking off their Act III tour, performing Act III in its entirety in Denver! Join...

Posted by The Oriental Theater on Monday, June 23, 2025

In a new interview with Sefo of VegaTrem, guitarist Jeff Loomis spoke about the return of his longtime band NEVERMORE. Bassist Jim Sheppard isn't involved with the reunion, which was initially teased on December 27, 2024 via a one-minute video containing various NEVERMORE-related imagery and silhouettes of Loomis and drummer Van Williams along with the text "Resurrecting The Dream". The teaser ended with the NEVERMORE logo along with the line "A New Chapter Rises" and the year "2025".

Jeff said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was something that I've been talking with to Van Williams for, I would say, three years, about reforming NEVERMORE.

"The whole subject comes up, is it proper to [reform the band] when a singer passes away?, or whatever," he continued, referencing the December 2017 death of founding NEVERMORE vocalist Warrel Dane. "I think it is. I think that there were some things that were left unsaid, and I think we had more things to say musically.

"It's unfortunate that Warrel Dane passed away — he was one of my best friends — but I really honestly believe that Van and I and the rest of the new band [will do the music justice], and we are scheduling shows already for 2026."

According to Loomis, fans will have to wait several more months before they learn the identities of NEVERMORE's latest additions.

"We're withholding the names of the members of the new NEVERMORE, simply because there's a lot of online criticism nowadays about pointing fingers about, 'Oh, you should have gotten that person or that person,'" Jeff explained. "We're just gonna wait until the first show and have an announcement before that, probably sometime in, I would say, March. And we'll announce the new members. They're all extremely talented. They know the NEVERMORE material and are huge fans of the material. We picked people that are excellent musicians. We really spent time [looking for the right people]. And we went through about seven [hundred submissions], and it took a long time [to check everybody out]. And this started basically about a year ago. So Van and I started looking for new musicians about a year ago. And since then we've accomplished so much. There are new shows that are being scheduled. We have all these festivals that are coming up for '26, and I'm also working on writing a new album right now for NEVERMORE. So a lot of exciting stuff coming up for 2026. We're just so excited to get back out there and play those songs again that people wanna hear from our earlier albums, and some new stuff, and just kind of a new direction."

Regarding NEVERMORE's plans for new music, Jeff said: "It's gonna be a heavy album. It's gonna have all the NEVERMORE qualities you would expect, with heavy aspect. But yeah, we're just really excited."

He added: "With everybody's input in the band, it's gonna be really cool. The musicians are absolutely fantastic and are able to play all the stuff perfectly and the singer's able to sing almost exactly like Warrel. But he's got a death metal voice, he's got different [ways] he can use his voice, and we wanna utilize that. So, it's gonna be cool. But we'll see what happens."

Reflecting on his journey that led him to the NEVERMORE reunion, Loomis said: "I've had a fantastic life up to this point. I spent 10 years in ARCH ENEMY, and I got to [tour with them around the world], they're just a fantastic bunch of people and musicians, and I love them. They're all very close friends. But there was a time that I felt like I needed to kind of do my own thing. And that's important to me. If you're feeling something, you've gotta go with those feelings. So I had to wave goodbye to ARCH ENEMY and just kind of go in my own direction. I'm very happy I did because it's allowing me to kind of focus more on my music and just kind of be my own person. And we'll see where it leads."

Sheppard addressed NEVERMORE's return in a statement he released to BLABBERMOUTH.NET on January 4, 2025. He wrote at the time: "In my heart, NEVERMORE will always be Warrel, Jeff and I living in a one-room apartment, slaves to an eight-track recording machine, non-stop songwriting insanity. We were driven, we were hungry... To quote Dave Mustaine, we were ready to 'smile, eat shit and ask for more!'

"True, I've been retired. I enjoy my new life in Alaska following bears with my wife Priscila, a wildlife photographer.

"My opinion of [Loomis's and Williams's] press release [announcing the NEVERMORE comeback is] Van came across self-promoting and Jeff felt very sincere; he truly wants to capture a little piece of the magic we held.

"I'm disappointed no one reached out to me concerning the name NEVERMORE, a name that means blood, sweat and tears.

"With that said, I wish them the best."

NEVERMORE effectively split up in 2011 when Loomis and Williams announced their departure from the band due to personal differences with Dane and Sheppard. Warrel later described NEVERMORE in an interview as "the greatest band that alcohol ever ruined."

Dane died in São Paulo, Brazil while recording his posthumously released solo studio album, "Shadow Work". The musician reportedly had a heart attack during the night and could not be revived.

According to guitarist Johnny Moraes, who played in Warrel's solo band, Dane had a history of addiction and other health issues. "His health was already very weak because of his diabetes and his problems with alcoholism," he said.

The instrumental parts for Dane's follow-up to 2008's "Praises To The War Machine" solo album were almost completed and he had begun laying down his vocals shortly before his death.

When Loomis and Williams revealed their plan to launch a "world search" for a vocalist and bassist for the reformed version of the band, Van addressed Jim's absence from the reunion, saying: "Some people think it's disrespectful not to involve Jim or inform him of our plans. But those who feel that way don't know the history of the band or the behind-the-scenes dynamics that led to this decision. While it may not have been the most ideal approach, the reality is that there hasn't been communication with Jim in years.

"We felt that sometimes, for the sake of a fresh start, it's necessary to move on from relationships that may no longer be conducive to growth or new beginnings. We made this decision with the intention of honoring the legacy of the band while moving forward in a way that felt right for us at the time. That said, we wish him good health and he is free to pursue whatever path he chooses. Without going into too much detail, I'll just say respect goes both ways, and certain things became irreconcilable over time for us… I wish the situation with Jim were different, but the past has brought us here."

Williams also denied that he and Loomis were reforming NEVERMORE as a "money grab", explaining: "Most musicians don't do this for the money. We've spent countless hours thru the years sweating, rehearsing, performing, and recording simply because we love it. This is what we chose to do in life because we've always loved it. That's what drives us, the passion for music, the connection with fans, and the creative process. If money comes from that, great but it has never been the focus, but we also have bills to pay like you."

For his part, Jeff defended the decision to reactivate NEVERMORE with new musicians, writing: "No one can replace Warrel Dane. Bottom line. With his interesting melodies and charisma onstage, he was a force that was a huge part of the band both lyrically and spiritually. With that being said, we aren't looking for a Warrel Dane clone. We are looking for someone that can carry the older NEVERMORE tunes in his vocal style, and someone who can add something new and refreshing to the next chapter of the band. Obviously, this won't be the easiest thing to do."

Loomis "amicably" left ARCH ENEMY in December 2023 and was replaced by Joey Concepcion.

Jeff, who was the main songwriter in NEVERMORE, joined ARCH ENEMY in late 2014, but was not involved in the writing for the latter act's two albums that he appeared on, 2017's "Will To Power" and 2022's "Deceivers".

In December 2019, Sheppard launched a project called THE DEAD HEART COLLECTIVE, featuring music and lyrics inspired by Dane. At the time, Sheppard sent his synopsis of THE DEAD HEART COLLECTIVE to BLABBERMOUTH.NET in which he explained his decision to start a new project as a vehicle for Warrel to "channel songs and paintings" through him.

Press photo courtesy of Fender Musical Instruments Corp.

French progressive metallers GOJIRA kicked off a tour of their home country Thursday night (November 27) at Reims Arena in Reims, France. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

GOJIRA guitarist/vocalist Joseph Duplantier recently underwent "minor surgery" on his right hand, rendering him unable to play guitar on the trek. As a result of his injury, he and his bandmates have hired Greg Kubacki of the New York-based mathcore act CAR BOMB to play guitar for GOJIRA on the tour, which is scheduled to conclude on December 12 in Strasbourg.

The setlist for the Reims concert was as follows:

01. Only Pain
02. The Axe
03. Backbone
04. Stranded
05. The Cell
06. Wisdom Comes (first performance since 2017)
07. Flying Whales
08. From The Sky
09. Another World
10. Silvera
11. Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça Ira!) ([traditional] cover)
12. Born In Winter (live debut)
13. Born For One Thing
14. The Chant
15. Amazonia

Encore:

16. L'enfant Sauvage
17. Where Dragons Dwell / To Sirius / Ocean Planet / In The Wilderness ("From Mars to Sirius" medley)
18. Global Warming (live debut)

When Duplantier first went public with his injury on November 23, he shared X-ray images of his broken hand and he included the following message: "Hey! I hurt my hand a few weeks ago. After getting minor surgery, I'm on the mend but unfortunately I won't be able to play all my guitar parts on the next tour in France… No worries though, we hired our good friend [Greg Kubacki] of the incredible [CAR BOMB] to 'Give us a hand'. The mood in our camp is up there though, as we're embarking for an interesting experience on our own turf. Show must go ooooon".

This past February, GOJIRA was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 67th annual Grammy Awards, which was held at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly the Staples Center) in Los Angeles, California. GOJIRA was nominated for "Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça Ira!)" — a version of the French Revolution-era standard "Ah! Ça Ira!" — which the band performed at last year's Olympic Games opening ceremony.

In July 2024, GOJIRA performed a surprise rendition of "Ah! Ça Ira" alongside opera singer Marina Viotti as well as a number of beheaded figures representing the slain Queen Marie Antoinette. The performance took place outside the Conciergerie, a former prison and residence of French kings during the French Revolution where Antoinette was held before she was beheaded in 1793.

GOJIRA made history as the first metal band to ever perform at the Olympic Games. The performance made international headlines and was widely regarded as one of the most talked about moments from the 2024 summer Olympics.

Prior to winning this year's Grammy, GOJIRA had been nominated for a Grammy Award three times — twice in 2017, for "Best Metal Performance" and "Best Rock Album" ("Magma") and once in 2022 for "Best Metal Performance".

GOJIRA is considered a standard-bearer for French rock and bringing French rock to an international audience. Metal Hammer declared GOJIRA "metal's most important band" in 2016.

GOJIRA's latest album, "Fortitude", entered Billboard's Top Albums chart at No. 1 in May 2021, while also claiming the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Top Current Albums, Current Rock Albums and Current Hard Music Albums tallies. The release also marked a career high debut on the Billboard 200 for GOJIRA, arriving at No. 12, with several career high chart positions and Top 10 debuts in countries around the globe including: France (No. 2),United Kingdom (No. 6),Australia (No. 3),Germany (No. 8),Belgium (No. 2),Netherlands (No. 4),Denmark (No. 3),Portugal (No. 4),Finland (No. 2) and Norway (No. 10).

Furthermore, GOJIRA concluded a month-long fundraising initiative in support of the indigenous-owned NGO The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) who advocate for environmental and cultural rights of indigenous tribes in the Amazon. Working with the social good-focused digital platform Propeller, the charitable campaign raised over $300,000 through an auction and raffle of one-of-a-kind items from the band and their friends in METALLICA, TOOL, SLIPKNOT, SLAYER, Slash and more. All proceeds were donated to APIB to support their work aiding the indigenous tribes of the Amazon who have suffered immensely — victims of deforestation, land loss, forced labor, violence, and harassment.

Recorded and produced by Joseph Duplantier at Silver Cord Studio — GOJIRA's Ridgewood, Queens, New York headquarters — and mixed by Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE),"Fortitude" is GOJIRA's first album in five years and the follow-up to 2016's Grammy-nominated LP "Magma". A collection of songs urging humanity to imagine a new world and then make it happen, "Fortitude" has been earning widespread critical praise with Rolling Stone naming it one of their best albums of April 2021 and remarking "It's all the rage of death metal mixed with the conscience of punk rock and the musicality of progressive rock." NPR hailed "Another World" as "an apocalyptic banger," and Paste called "Into The Storm" a "much-needed revolutionary anthem." Stereogum declared, "hearing this band operating at their peak is a life-affirming thing," while Revolver attested "Fortitude" "could spark a revolution."

🎁 JEU CONCOURS - GOJIRA 🎁

🤘 Tentez de remporter 2 places pour le concert de Gojira à #ReimsArena le 27 novembre 2025...

Posted by REIMS ARENA on Tuesday, October 28, 2025

British metallers WOLFSBANE have released an official music video for "All Or Nothing", a blast of raw power from their new album "Live Faster". The LP is a full-throttle reinvention of WOLFSBANE's iconic debut, "Live Fast, Die Fast", which was originally produced by Rick Rubin and released on Def American Recordings in 1989.

Over 35 years since its release and following years of requests from fans, WOLFSBANE's all-original lineup from the "Live Fast, Die Fast" recording re-recorded the album in its entirety.

"Live Faster" is a completely new recording — not a remix or remaster of the original — featuring reimagined versions of all ten songs from "Live Fast, Die Fast".

Track listing:

01. Manhunt
02. Shakin'
03. Killing Machine
04. Fell Out Of Heaven
05. Money To Burn
06. Greasy
07. I Like It Hot
08. All Or Nothing
09. Tears From A Fool
10. Pretty Baby

"Live Faster" features the lineup from the original 1989 recording:

Blaze Bayley - Vocals
Jase Edwards - Guitar
Jeff Hateley - Bass
Steve Danger - Drums

Edwards said: "You asked, we listened. None of us know how long we'll be here on this earth, especially me, so it felt like the right time to remake the album in the way the band first envisioned it. It's splendidly in your face and everything we hoped it would be."

Bayley added: "It's great to be able to go back to the vibe of these songs and use the experience we have now to re-record and reimagine them with Jase producing it all. It's been one of the most exciting things we've done and we didn't expect it to be so much fun."

Danger commented: "BLACK LEATHER JACKET! A new one, because old faithful no longer zips up due to a life full of experiences. Experiences equals cake!"

Hateley summed it up: "People have asked us to do this for years. We've always said no. But then we realized we still play most of these songs live and they've evolved over the years. Now seemed like a good time to do it all again, our way. The same but different, different but the same."

WOLFSBANE burst out of the Midlands in the mid-1980s, signed to Rick Rubin's Def American label in 1989, built up a massive following of (self-titled) "howling mad shitheads" (HMS) and released three raucous albums before imploding in 1994, when Bayley joined IRON MAIDEN.

WOLFSBANE reformed in 2011 to record its first studio album for 17 years, "Wolfsbane Save The World", released in January 2012 to huge acclaim.

WOLFSBANE's first album in a decade, "Genius", was released in June 2022. The artwork for the LP was designed by Simon "Mackie" Piasecki, who also created the covers for WOLFSBANE's 1990 EP "All Hell's Breaking Loose Down At Little Kathy Wilson's Place" and 1991's album "Down Fall The Good Guys".

🔥 LIVE FASTER - THE DEBUT ALBUM RE-IMAGINED & RE-RECORDED!...

Posted by Wolfsbane on Friday, March 28, 2025

Bassist Jørn "Necrobutcher" Stubberud of Norwegian black metallers MAYHEM spoke to Mexico's Metal Memes Mx about the band's just-launched 40th-anniversary tour of Latin America. Asked if he thought, when MAYHEM was first formed in 1984, that the band would still be around 40 years later, Stubberud replied: (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yes. And the reason why I can say that very quickly, without even thinking about it, is that I think, as in most things, to put it in perspective so people understand that, if you find something that you believe a lot in, and so you think this is it. And then just with that, you already believe that this is gonna be so great that it's gonna last forever. So, I think that you even need this kind of way of thinking to be able to succeed. You tell yourself, 'This is fucking great. This is gonna go fucking straight up there. We're gonna make it. This is good music.'"

He continued: "I told in many interviews over the years that me and Manheim, the guy I started the band with, we had different bands before we met Øystein [Aarseth, a.k.a. Euronymous]. And I think Øystein was our fifth guitarist at that time, when he came along in 1984. And so when he plugged in and we started jamming with us, he knew some of the same cover songs. We did some VENOM covers. We did some MOTÖRHEAD covers. I think we did a JUDAS PRIEST cover, and we knew some BLACK SABBATH. So we kind of knew the same cover tracks. So when we started to jam on that, I immediately felt — and I never forgot it — the feeling of euphoria. It was, like, This is it. This is what we were looking for.' And I always felt that, and I felt so strongly for this project my whole life. This is my life's work. This is the essence of all my work, my whole life. So, I always believed in it."

Necrobutcher went on to clarify that MAYHEM has never achieved the kind of commercial success that would allow him and his bandmates to stop working. "We are not METALLICA — we are still an underground band — so it's not like achieved everything and now I can retire," he explained. "It's not that kind of achievement. It's more like we made it and we are doing what we are supposed to do. We are now playing live concerts 'cause we are live musicians. We are not studio musicians. We are that, too, but most and foremost, we are a live band and we have been since 1984. And I don't see any reason to stop."

Asked if he would like to see MAYHEM continue as a band even after he is no longer involved in the group, Necrobutcher said: "I think, personally, that there should at least be one original member. Otherwise, it could be watered out, and then maybe it will lose the essence of it.

"I don't see us continuing without, let's say, the old members that are in the band today, and I don't think, let's say, if anything would happen to me, Hellhammer [MAYHEM drummer Jan Axel Blomberg] or Attila [Csihar, MAYHEM singer], we might say, 'Okay, we'll call it quits.' But here's the thing. We're still able to do it. And I'm 57 now. I'm the oldest in the band, so everybody was born two years or more, younger than me, but they are getting there at some point. But here is my philosophy. We go on as long as we can because you never know when you're forced to stop… You never know what's gonna happen. And this is my perspective, and I haven't thought about it, but since you just asked the question, I would think if the core members, something happened to them that they were not able to do it anymore, maybe then we will say that we have met the end of the line. Now, MAYHEM will live on anyway, but there wouldn't be any touring, there wouldn't be any recording of new albums. But the will be there as long as people are interested in listening."

MAYHEM will release its seventh studio album, "Liturgy Of Death", on February 6, 2026 via Century Media.

"Liturgy Of Death" is the follow-up to MAYHEM's sixth studio album, "Daemon", which came out in October 2019 via Century Media. A live album, "Daemonic Rites", arrived in September 2023.

MAYHEM's current lineup consists of Necrobutcher (bass),Hellhammer (drums),Attila Csihar (vocals),Teloch (guitars) and Ghul (guitars).

MAYHEM will embark on the "Death Over Europe" European headlining tour in February 2026. Support on the trek will come from MARDUK and IMMOLATION.

In the fall of 2024, MAYHEM canceled its previously announced North American 40th-anniversary tour "due to a member of the band having a medical emergency that requires immediate surgery."

The North American dates were scheduled to kick off on November 12, 2024 in Montreal, with stops in Toronto; Queens, New York; Chicago; and Los Angeles before and wrapping up November 23, 2024 in Denver.

MAYHEM launched a short European tour on December 4, 2024 in Paris, France. An Australian tour followed in January.

When MAYHEM's North American tour was first announced in August 2024, the band said that its 40th-anniversary show would be "a once-in-a-lifetime experience for fans, featuring a setlist that spans their illustrious career, from their groundbreaking debut album, 'Deathcrush', to present day."

In a new interview with the That Metal Interview podcast, DEATH ANGEL singer Mark Osegueda spoke about his involvement with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King's solo band. Joining Kerry and Mark in the group are Phil Demmel (guitar; MACHINE HEAD, VIO-LENCE),Kyle Sanders (bass; HELLYEAH) and drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, EXODUS). Osegueda said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, it's doing great. We just got back from Japan about three weeks ago, our first shows in Japan. So those were amazing. And, yeah, for [King's debut solo] record [2024's 'From Hell I Rise'], we toured everywhere. And I guess in a certain way, the touring cycle for that record has been completed. We did North America a couple of times, Europe a couple of times, South America, Japan, Australia. So we've worked that record pretty good. And now we're busy writing, getting the material together for the second record. And it's coming, it's coming along. And we're gonna probably record the second record sometime in the first quarter of this upcoming year. As far as when it'll be released, I'm not quite sure. But we're definitely in the process of getting the songs together for it."

Commenting on what it has been like to record and tour with King, Demmel and Bostaph, Osegueda said: "They're good guys. I love the guys. It's a great band to be a part of. Touring with them's amazing. They're all solid dudes that I've known for years, decades. And I'm very proud to be a part of it and I look forward to much more to come, for sure."

When the interviewer noted that Mark does a "great job of emulating Tom Araya's" vocal parts when King and his solo band perform SLAYER material live, Osegueda said: "Well, Tom, he's an icon. I admire him; I have for many years. I'm a SLAYER fan, so he's got a very distinct voice and one that I've admired for many, many years. So when we do those songs, I just get out there and do my best to do the songs justice and his voice justice, because I think he's fantastic."

Last December, Mark was asked by Australia's May The Rock Be With You what he thinks he can do vocally with Kerry's solo band that he can't do with DEATH ANGEL. He responded: "I don't know if that is anything that I'm not allowed to do that I can't do with DEATH ANGEL because I kind of have carte blanche with DEATH ANGEL to do what I want, in a way. But what I think it's just brought out another character in my voice. And it's much more aggressive — probably the most aggressive thing that I've done vocally. The closest thing we'd have in it from DEATH ANGEL is a song called 'Divine Defector'. [That] is the closest one that we have to that intensity level. But this whole album is even more so. If anything, it just allows me to just really get out all frustrations the whole way through the set. [Laughs] And, as I said, it gives more variety in my voice."

"From Hell I Rise" came out in May 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music. Working with producer Josh Wilbur (KORN, LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, BAD RELIGION),the vast bulk of King's solo album was recorded at Henson Recording Studios (formerly A&M Studios) in Los Angeles, California, a location that birthed classics from THE DOORS, PINK FLOYD, RAMONES and SOUNDGARDEN, among others.

Last year, Mark told Uruguay's The Dark Melody about how he feels about being part of Kerry's band: "I'm thrilled about it. That's how I feel about it. I'm excited as hell. I worked hard to get that gig — very hard to get that gig — and since I did, I worked very hard in the studio. And then the recording experience of the record was incredible. We went to the studio with Josh Wilbur and the recording went great. It went great. And I think Kerry assembled a band of people he knew could pull off the vision and what he heard in his head… And the album, it's a beast. It's a savage. It is."

Regarding how he landed the gig in Kerry's band, Mark told El Planeta Del Rock: "It wasn't an overnight thing. It was a long process. Me and Kerry are friends, for sure, but that's not the reason I got the gig. By no means did I get the gig because we're friends; it was definitely a lot of hard work.

"He's an institution unto himself as his, as is SLAYER, and when SLAYER announced that they weren't gonna go any longer, he made it known to everyone that he was far from done," Mark continued. "And when that was announced, it was quite a few years ago. It was probably during the pandemic that I just gave him a cold call out of the blue, or a cold text rather, just saying, 'Just so you know, I heard you're doing this, and I'm just throwing my name into the hat, into the ring, or throwing my throat into the ring rather.' And he was, like, 'Hmm.' He's a very to-the-point guy, and he said, 'Okay.' And I know he's very serious about everything he does musically.

"It was a lot of hard work, I'll tell you that — a lot of going back and forth," Mark repeated. "I did quite a bit of demoing with him, and nothing was a sure thing ever. I know he had other people in mind for every for every position in the band. I think Paul was the shoo-in right off the bat, and then after that… Kerry knew his vision. He knew what he wanted. He knew what he heard in his head, and he wanted a lineup that could deliver it. And after a lot of hard work, one day me and him were out together — and it was plain simple as that. But quite some time had gone by and a lot of work was put into it, and he just said, 'If you want the gig, it's yours.' And I, of course, I just looked at him, like, 'Ah.' Pretty much, 'Fuck yeah.' And I gave him a huge hug, and from then on it was just even more hard work. As hard as I worked to get the gig, once I got the gig, it was even more hard work just concentrating on the songs and getting what I was gonna do to deliver in the studio. Once we got in the studio, we went in with Josh Wilbur, who produced it, at Henson Studios in Hollywood, and we didn't mess around. We got in — I think loaded in, two weeks later loaded out. It was work every day, but one of the most amazing studio experiences I've had and very fulfilling."

Kerry told Rolling Stone about Osegueda's addition to the band: "With Mark, he was on board early on. I just didn't pull that trigger. I was like, 'Let's see what happens.' Say for instance, [JUDAS PRIEST's] Rob Halford calls me and says, 'Hey, I would love to be your singer,' I'd have to go that way."

King also confirmed that PANTERA's Philip Anselmo was "considered" as a possible singer for his new project. "My management, my promoter, my record label all wanted Phil," Kerry said. "Phil's a good friend of mine, but I always thought he's not the right guy. That has nothing to do with his ability; I just knew he wasn't the right guy. When you hear Mark on this record, you know that's the guy.

"I had to do due diligence, because at the end of the day, had Philip been the guy, we'd be in arenas immediately because we could play new stuff, we could play PANTERA, we could play SLAYER, and fans would've been happy. It ended when the PANTERA thing came up.

"I saw Mark a few years back singing covers of MINOR THREAT and cameo in THE WEDDING BAND with members of METALLICA," King added. "It was different from what he does in DEATH ANGEL, and he sounded great. He's super versatile. He took steps to make this different than DEATH ANGEL. I don't touch on probably 50 percent of what he can do on the album.

"Mark knew how I expected the songs to be performed. On my demos, I sing with very good conviction, but I don't have pipes; that's why I don't sing. With 'Residue', he sounded so good I had to ask him, 'Is this sustainable? I don't want you to blow your load on this record and then blow your voice out every third show.' And he swore up and down he could do it. He went on to some of the harder ones and did the same thing on those, so I went, 'Okay.'"

Following a tour with LAMB OF GOD and MASTODON and his first European headline tour in 2024, King and his new band hit the road for the 28-date North American headline tour in early 2025. With MUNICIPAL WASTE as special guest and ALIEN WEAPONRY supporting, the tour launched in San Francisco on January 15, 2025, and wrapped at House of Blues in Las Vegas on February 22, 2025.

In early May 2024, the KERRY KING band performed its first live show at Reggies in Chicago. In the days following, the band went from playing an intimate venue to performing at the huge U.S. festivals Welcome To Rockville (Florida) and Sonic Temple (Ohio).

KERRY KING launched a European tour on June 3, 2024 — King's 60th birthday – in Tilburg, The Netherlands. The trek combined headline shows in the U.K., The Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Spain but also festival appearances such as Rock Am Ring, Hellfest, Tuska, Download, Sweden Rock Festival and many more.

The SLAYER guitarist's solo band played its first concert as the support act for LAMB OF GOD and MASTODON on July 19, 2024 at the Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas. The six-week "Ashes Of Leviathan" tour wrapped on August 31, 2024 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Photo credit: Andrew Stuart

In a new interview with Robert Edwards of Talkin' Bout Rock, legendary guitarist George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB) spoke about the 1989 breakup of the classic DOKKEN lineup. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The truth of the matter is, and I said this many, many times, and I'm not saying it in any kind of disparaging way, but the fact is that Don [Dokken, DOKKEN frontman] really wanted to control everything and have the lion's share of the money. And that's really what it all came down to. When you boil it down to its foundational element, most basic thing, that's what he was trying to accomplish. And he let us know that. And he got his own separate management and then he had his own separate record deal and he was trying to fire us, but we couldn't do that — he couldn't do that because we all owned the band. So, he disbanded the band, or whatever, or left or whatever. He tried to fire us, but he couldn't do that, so he just started his own thing and then sued us. So we countersued, and the end result was nothing. Everybody just went their own way, I guess. But, really, everybody lost. We all did."

George continued: "We've all done wonderful things [since then] and very satisfying and gratifying musically. But what we all gave up was the sure thing, which was what we had all worked for, which was we did the build. We did it the right way with the help of our incredible management, Q Prime — Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch at Q Prime, who managed QUEENSRŸCHE, METALLICA, even THE ROLLING STONES and other huge bands at the time. And we had that power of that whole machine guiding us. And we did the right records all at the right time. The timing was perfect. And on a wonky business level, everything was primed for us to pretty much turn the corner."

Lynch added: "So that's what every professional musician wants, at our level, is to get to that point where you have this negotiating power with the labels and promoters and others, but especially the labels, to have leverage to where you get the deal. And those deals last for many, many years. And then you go to another level — financially, security, music security. You have a home and you're gonna be established and it's gonna carry you through the rest of your life. And that's the point we worked towards, and we were on the cusp of signing that deal with Warner Brothers/Elektra."

Elaborating on the reason he didn't see eye to eye with Don when it came to DOKKEN's business affairs, George said: "I had insisted that all throughout the band's career, when we were intact, I was insisting that we be four for one, one for all, quarter splits on everything, regardless of who wrote what, regardless of anything. I wrote the most music and I suffered the most for that, if you wanna call it suffering, but I gave up the most. And I still believed in that, 'cause I thought you get the best results that way because you're letting the people that are contributing the most important music, you're letting them do that and you're not forcing people that are contributing inferior music to feel compelled to insist on their contribution musically to the album because they wanna make more money. This way you're paying the weaker writers to stay home, and they get just as much money. And I thought that was a good idea. And plus it was just fair. We'd all been out there for 10 years busting our ass. We all came up from the same place. We all played together in the garages and the kegger parties and the sock hops, and we all did our time. So, just because one of us has got the last name or one of us has more talent or identifiable style or something, the other person shouldn't suffer for that. So I was very comfortable with that, and Don was not. And that was our problem. That was his problem with me. I didn't have any problem with him other than the fact that he wasn't comfortable us with being fair and sticking to the plan and the agreement that we all worked under for those 10 years. And then when it came down time for the big payday that we all worked for, he wanted to take it all and pretty much kick us to the side, off to the side. And it's not what good people do. You know what I'm saying? So I lost a lot of respect for him, and I fought him on that. And here we are today."

Lynch concluded: "DOKKEN could have been a much bigger band — could have been on the MÖTLEY CRÜE level [or] BON JOVI level, which is a whole other level. We all would've been pretty set for life. And that got stolen from us, because he took the gamble to take it all."

Back in March 2024, George was asked by The Hook Rocks! podcast if he was still holding out hope for a new classic-lineup DOKKEN album happening somewhere down the line, featuring him, Don and bassist Jeff Pilson. He responded: "I wouldn't say I would say no out of hand to it, because I'm usually the guy that's trying to put it together and make it happen. We've had a couple, a few instances where we had big opportunities approach us and avail themselves to us that if we had taken advantage of them, would have been good deals for us to do, but obviously it didn't happen. So, on a practical level, I would probably want to do one, but it would be very challenging. Jeff and I could write the music — that would be beautiful — like we always have. I wouldn't have any qualms about that. We get Don involved and he does his thing and Don has a kind of a poetic — or at least did; I think he still does to some extent — a poetic sensibility. That's his kind of narrow little thing that he does that's cool. But his voice is not — I don't know if it's up to snuff to where we can even pull off a record; that's the problem. And on another note, on the personal side, when a guy just bashes you in the press, as he has, he does constantly with me and the other guys in the band, but especially me, when he pulls his character assassination stuff and just pulls a Trump and just lies about everything [laughs], trying to relitigate history and say that he did everything and we're all a bunch of fuck-ups. I mean, Jesus Christ. Okay, sure. Whatever. He just keeps pounding the table with these lies and hopes people buy into it. Very Trumpian. It's hard to go back to somebody like that and work with them. It's pretty awful and shitty thing to do. And I haven't called him out on it 'cause I really don't wanna even say anything, 'cause what good does it do at this point? But, anyways, I think that's the more difficult proposition, is working with somebody like that."

After the interviewer noted that it must be challenging working with someone who "maybe doesn't create the best environment" and takes credit for everything, George said: "Well, here's how records have always gone down with DOKKEN. Jeff and I, and to a lesser extent Mick [Brown, former DOKKEN drummer], get in a room — mostly Jeff and I — whether it was on the road or at home, and we woodshed, literally. We'd nail the doors shut. We ended up calling it Scrotum Sound because we wouldn't shower and it would end up smelling like a fucking sweaty scrotum in there. And we would just go for days and days and days and come up with these records — the bulk of the records. And Don had some input here and there — on good songs, important songs. Him and Jeff wrote 'In My Dreams', I think without input from me. Don had 'Alone Again'; I don't know where he sourced that out from, but that was his song. But 90 percent of the material was Jeff and I. And on later records, Don would come in and do melodies and lyrics, sometimes on his own, sometimes with Jeff's help, sometimes with all of our help, but 'Tooth And Nail' was — I was involved a lot with 'Tooth And Nail' lyrically and melodically. I came up with most of those titles, I think, if not all of them, and the lyrics… And then Jeff would sing. All these records that we did with DOKKEN, Jeff would sing all the guide vocals — most of them. And then we'd bring it in and Don would just ghost what Jeff did. But what we did was we raised the bar so high that Don really had to step up. We had vocal coaches and we had a lot of people looking at us and we had a lot on the line with the label and the management and the record deals and the public. So Don would step up, with our help, and we would support him. We said, 'It's gotta be this quality.' And Jeff's a great singer. So Jeff would lay down the vocal, which was our guide vocal, and Don would go in and match it, with Jeff's help. And that's how we got these records to be as good as they could be, as far as the performances and so forth. And so to go relitigate that and try to explain that some other way is absolutely ridiculous and untrue. But whatever."

Lynch continued: "But, yeah, to go work with somebody like that, it would be very difficult, very painful. And at the end of the day, yeah, you make a little bit of money and it might be a nice end cap for the whole DOKKEN story, for us all to come together again and do a viable record. But that's the question — how do you guarantee it's gonna be a viable record with the challenge of having a singer that can't sing anymore and who's very difficult to work and takes credit for everything at the same time? It's just absolutely insane. So, I don't know. 'Cause the worst thing would be to come out with a record that everybody just goes, 'Ugh. Why'd they do that? Why didn't you just leave the good DOKKEN in our memory? Why'd you have to pollute it with that piece-of-shit album?' So there's that scary. I don't know how you get around that. If somebody can't sing, they can't sing."

Circling back to Don's claim that he wrote most of DOKKEN's biggest hit songs without much input from other members of the band, George said: "Don is very good at one thing, and that's self-promotion, lying and using other people's abilities to further his agenda and then taking the credit for it. And he has a gift for it, and I will say, in all deference and honesty, that because he has that gift, I've been able to do things that I wouldn't have been able to do — have a music career — because he's the kind of person that's willing to do things I would never be willing to do: lie, cheat and steal. I'm not saying that I haven't probably cheated a little bit here and there, but Don does it on a whole other level. And he can sleep at night, because he's just wired that way. He can fuck you over and lie and know he's lying and you know that he knows you know he's lying and he doesn't care and he'll just keep lying all the way to the bank and be able to sleep at night. And I don't understand that, but it has benefited me. It's also hurt me in some ways. But it was the reason that we got a record deal initially and it's the reason that we got our foot in the door in a lot of different ways along our path of rock success in the '80s, which got us to where we are now. I've been able to support my family and make a pretty consistent living being a musician, and that's a very, very rare thing. And when I was growing up as a kid, my parents worried about that incessantly. They said, 'Nobody is really gonna be a rock star. That doesn't happen in the real world.' And it happened, on a certain level anyway. So I'm very proud of that. And I'm very proud of the consistency of it more than just… Maybe I never had a huge hit song, maybe I don't have a billion dollars, but I've been able to support my family and consistently work and do healthy, honest work and make some people happy over the whole span of my working life. And I think that's a gift and a beautiful thing. And grudgingly, I have to give Don a little bit of credit there — none of this would have happened [without him]. I'd probably be a district manager for a Payless shoe store or working in the fast-food industry or driving a truck or working in a warehouse if it wasn't for [Don] 'cause I have no education. And I'm not really good at holding down a job because I'm an insomniac and I can't get up in the morning and go to work. I've had every job on the planet — probably had 50 different jobs in my life. I'm a hard worker. I'm willing to work, but I can't hold down a job and I don't have any skills other than my inherent kind of musical aptitude. So, I have to acknowledge that, I think, just to be fair and balanced."

DOKKEN's current lineup consists of Don alongside bassist Chris McCarvill, guitarist Jon Levin and drummer BJ Zampa (HOUSE OF LORDS).

DOKKEN's 13th studio album, "Heaven Comes Down", came out in October 2023 via Silver Lining Music. The follow-up to "Broken Bones" was produced by Bill Palmer and Don Dokken and was mixed by Kevin Shirley (AEROSMITH, IRON MAIDEN).

In an interview with the "On The Road To Rock With Clint Switzer" podcast, Don explained why he and his DOKKEN bandmates decided in the beginning to split their songwriting royalties equally between the four members of the group. He said: "DOKKEN was a very unusual band. When I formed the band, even though I'd been DOKKEN for years and years before I met George and Jeff and Mick — I'd already toured Germany twice — but when we finally came together, I said, 'Let's make it simple. You write a hit, you write a hit, you write a hit, we'll just split it four ways. It doesn't matter who writes what. May the best songs win.' And that's how it was. Now, looking back, I could say it was a stupid thing to do, because I wrote a lot of the hits and I gave up 75 percent to the three of them. So instead of me getting four bucks, I got a dollar and Mick got a dollar and George got a dollar and Jeff got a dollar and the management took theirs and the accountants took theirs, and I thought, 'Jesus.' I go, 'I lost millions' writing 'In My Dreams' and 'Just Got Lucky' or 'Alone Again'. I mean, I can name a bazillion songs that I wrote by myself on the guitar and wrote all the music. But that's the deal we made. We were nobody. We weren't famous. Hey, if George wrote a hit, I get money. Jeff writes a hit, I get money. Mick's the one that scored. He didn't write. We rehearsed the songs for a week, go into a rehearsal studio, flesh it all out, pick the 12 best songs, Mick comes in the studio for four or five days, knocks out his drums and he goes to the drug dealer and then he heads off for the Rainbow [Bar & Grill in West Hollywood]. I said, 'Mick, you scored. You made millions of dollars and all you had to do was spend a couple of weeks playing drums.'"

Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME),Sully Erna (GODSMACK) and Kevin Figueiredo (EXTREME) took part in this year's "Turkey Jam" on Wednesday, November 26 at the Hudson Portuguese Club in Hudson, Massachusetts. Among the tracks which were performed was a cover of ALICE IN CHAINS' "Man In The Box", with Erna on lead vocals, and a rendition of LED ZEPPELIN's "Immigrant Song", with Sully on drums. Fan-filmed video of the concert — courtesy of the Bill Curran channel on YouTube — can be seen below. (Note: After each song, the YouTube player automatically jumps to the next song in the playlist.)

"Turkey Jam" is an annual, family-run rock concert tradition hosted by Bettencourt and his family during Thanksgiving week in Hudson, Massachusetts. The event features the "Bettencourt Clan" performing rock classics for friends and family, celebrating music and togetherness. Tickets often sell out quickly, and the event has been running for several years.

Bettencourt rose to rock superstardom as lead guitarist of the legendary rock band EXTREME. He has parlayed that success into an acclaimed career as a Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum artist, songwriter, and producer, working alongside industry titans such as Sir Paul McCartney, Steven Tyler, Kanye West, Robert Palmer, Rihanna, Janet Jackson and Perry Farrell, among others.

EXTREME's latest studio album, "Six", was released in June 2023 via earMUSIC.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Boston, Erna has been a musical force since age three, beginning as a drummer before evolving into one of rock's most distinctive vocalists. As frontman of GODSMACK, he has achieved over 20 million albums sold worldwide, three consecutive No. 1 Billboard 200 debuts, and countless sold-out arenas. Beyond music, Erna is a successful producer, actor, and multi-instrumentalist committed to using his platform for positive change.

GODSMACK's "final" album, "Lighting Up The Sky", arrived in February 2023 via BMG.

This past April, GODSMACK announced the departure of longtime guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin. The news was shared in a lengthy statement revealing that both men had decided to retire from the band in order "to fulfill their desire to live a more simple and quiet life away from touring."

Our hometown peeps have spoken !

2nd show added on the Eve of Thanksgiving!

Get a night of Rock & Roll into you and...

Posted by Nuno Bettencourt on Thursday, September 11, 2025

During an appearance on the November 25 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx spoke about the band's upcoming "The Return Of Carnival Of Sins" tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of CRÜE's groundbreaking 2005-2006 "Carnival Of Sins" tour and the 45th anniversary of the band. The 33-city Live Nation-produced trek will kick off on July 17, 2026 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania at the Pavilion at Star Lake and will feature support acts EXTREME and TESLA. Regarding how the tour came together, Nikki said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We were looking for the right time slot and the right venues to play and also the right support. It's not as easy as fans might think when you're a specific genre of music that our fans are gonna like. So the fact that TESLA and EXTREME both wanted to sign on… I really like this package too, because from the very beginning to the very end, it's just a lot of great songs."

Sixx continued: "We talk about songwriting a lot and about how important songs are, and they really make a difference in a band. You could have a band that's a killer band, killer musicians, killer stage show, but they don't have those great songs or a lot of those great songs. And that was always super important to MÖTLEY CRÜE, whether it was stuff like 'Red Hot' off the 'Shout At The Devil', or songs like 'Generation Swine' off of that album. Anything we've done in our career, it was about how good the song was. It didn't matter how it was played. So TESLA and EXTREME, look at the songs they have. We're both fans of both of their bands."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk if MÖTLEY CRÜE reached out to some other bands from the same era or even tried to broker some reunions in order to team up with them for a possible tour, Nikki said: "You look at who's available. You look at who's alive, and then you're, like, 'Well, which bands are still drawing?' I don't wanna name names, but there's a lot of bands that I really like that only have maybe two members and they're playing to 200-to-500-seat clubs, and it's, like, I love 'em, but you're playing an amphitheater that can go up to 40,000 people. You wanna be sure that you got someone that's pulling in people. If you're an EXTREME fan or a TESLA fan and you like some MÖTLEY CRÜE songs, you may get really turned on to more MÖTLEY CRÜE songs or vice versa. MÖTLEY CRÜE fans may know one or two TESLA songs, and then they go see 'em live and they become a bigger fan of their bigger catalog. So it's not as easy as, like I said, as you would think. We go round and round and round. And there might've been a couple bands that agencies talked to their agent and said, 'Hey, why don't you guys just kind of pull it together and it'd be a great summertime for everybody?' And some people are just resistant to that. And I have to respect that."

As for what MÖTLEY CRÜE's setlist for "The Return Of Carnival Of Sins" tour might look like, Nikki said: "We wanna get into some songs that we either haven't played or haven't played the long time. And it's hard, because you have the hits., and you have a lot of hits up there, and then what are you gonna do? Take 'Dr. Feelgood' out and play 'Knock 'Em Dead, Kid' from 'Shout Out The Devil'? I think some people are gonna be disappointed. So how do you get some of those deeper tracks — 'Too Young To Fall In Love', 'Piece Of Your Action' — how do you get those in there and not obliterate the fact that people are there to hear also those big hits. [Those songs were] a big part of them growing up and workout playlists, the whole thing. We hear everything about how our music has been infiltrated into people's lives over the years, whether they were teenagers or young adults. So it's always a balancing act. And it's hard because you have a contract. And fans don't know this, but we have a contract that says we can only play a certain amount of time. And that's because TESLA has this contract, 'cause they have to play, and then EXTREME, and then there's the changeover, and the whole thing is, like, it can't run late. As you know, you run past curfew and then it starts to get into all kinds of problems with stage hands. So it takes a lot of real conversations to be, like, 'Well, how many songs can we take in there?' We've been doing this really fun medley for years, and that's an easy one, to take that medley out and add two really cool tracks in there and people haven't heard in a long time. So we're starting to talk about it. We are, like — what? — eight months away till opening night. So it's nice to have the time."

Sixx also talked about Vince Neil's performance during CRÜE's recent return to the stage in Las Vegas. The residency shows at Dolby Live at Park MGM had initially been set for spring but were rescheduled after the singer revealed he had suffered a stroke last Christmas. Nikki said: "I'm proud of him, the fact that he had the courage to get up there. And when the whole thing went down and he had the stroke and we had to cancel the first residency, there was doubt. We didn't know, like, is he going to recover from this? And I know he had fear. But you put the time in, and there's a lot of stuff that you can do.

"Your health is everything," Sixx explained. "I don't care how big your band is. I don't care how big of a star you are. I don't care how wealthy you tell people you are. If you don't have your health, you've really got nothing.

"We've worked all these years, 40 years together, and been touring the world, and now it's something that could literally make it so he could never get on stage again," Nikki added. "So the fact that he did get on stage… And I'm appreciative that he went out and talked about [his health scare in a couple of interviews recently], because there's a lot of people that when stuff goes wrong in their life — and I could just speak about myself with addiction — people either write them off or they can't survive it. They can't survive it. And we were there, and we were there the whole time along, talking to him and him focusing on doctors and health and stuff. And we spent a lot of time in rehearsal to give him that opportunity to really get that muscle in shape, the vocal cords. And I was so happy. It just sounded so good. And it felt good."

Nikki wasn't the only member of CRÜE who was full of praise for Vince's vocal performances at the Las Vegas residency. During a September 15 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5 was asked how he, drummer Tommy Lee and Sixx felt Neil would perform less than a year after his health scare, John 5 said: "Well, we didn't really know, but when we got into rehearsal, we were, like, 'Oh. He's moving good.' And then he started singing, and we were, like, 'Oh my God, he's singing great, actually.' So I don't know what happened, but he is — I've been in the band for three years now, and he's singing so well. I'm, like, 'Wow, this is incredible.' And he looks great. And I just go into his room all the time and tell him how proud I am of him. Because in the [Las Vegas Review-Journal] interview [where Vince first revealed his stroke], he said, yeah, he had to learn how to walk again and all that stuff. I mean, that's serious stuff. So maybe he was just, like, 'Oh, okay, and then just everything clicked. I mean, he's killing it. And there's no tracks or anything like that. He's just singing great… When I heard 'Home Sweet Home', I was, like, 'Holy shit. This is really, really great.' So I'm just so proud of him. And the guys in the band were, like, 'This is some of the best shows we've ever done.' So, we're super, super excited."

In a separate interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, John 5 stated about CRÜE's latest Vegas residency: "The real magic was Vince Neil. What he went through and his struggles and how he performed and how he sang, I'll never forget it for the rest of my life. He did such a great job, and I was so proud of him because I knew what hell he went through, and I was so happy for the guy. What he said — he even said it — he was in a wheelchair and then he had to learn how to walk again. And I was, like, 'Oh my God.' The struggle and how terrifying that must have been. So that was the real magic of that residency. And I'm telling you right now — every single show was amazing. There wasn't a bad show. And I listen and I read those comments and I listen and I'm so focused in on every show. And every show was awesome. I was so proud of him."

Asked if there was a point, in his mind, when he found out what happened to Vince, that he thought he might never be able to play with MÖTLEY CRÜE again, John 5 said: "Well, I wasn't sure. Nobody really knew anything. And I would text with Vince, and he would say, 'Oh, I'm doing good, I'm doing good,' and things like that. But no one really knew what was going on. You heard rumblings. So it was wild."

A couple of months after Vince's health scare, MÖTLEY CRÜE announced that its residency at Sin City's Dolby Live at Park MGM — originally set to run March 28 through April 19 — had been delayed until September. At the time, MÖTLEY CRÜE's statement said only that the singer required a "medical procedure." The CRÜE also canceled May's planned performance at Maryland's Boardwalk Rock festival.

Two months ago, Vince revealed that he had actually had a series of strokes before he suffered the "big one" in his sleep last Christmas night, rendering him unable to get out of bed when he woke up the next day. Speaking to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" on September 24, Neil said he'd had "four strokes throughout the years. Two of 'em I didn't even know I had. One of 'em was a mini stroke that happened and I just lost feeling in my hand. And that was it. And I got over that pretty quickly. But then this last one, it was a big one."

When Trunk asked how doctors could tell that Neil had had previous strokes, the singer explained, "because they could see it in your brain. It's scarred right around the same spot. I had four scars in my brain, and the neurologist said those are all strokes." Neil added that you can have a small stroke and not even realize it.

When MÖTLEY CRÜE originally postponed the Las Vegas residency, the band said it was because Neil needed a "medical procedure," but offered no further details. Neil told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he went to sleep on Christmas night and then woke up and couldn't get out of bed.

"I'm, like, 'What's going on?' And my left leg wouldn't work, and my left arm wouldn't work. So I had to get help out of bed. I couldn't push myself up to get myself comfortable in bed. And I had to have help," he said. "And slowly but surely, the sensation came back in my legs. And I had to learn to walk again. I went from a wheelchair to a walker to a cane to — I can walk now, but for five months it was just off and on, not knowing what's gonna happen. And the doctor said that I probably wouldn't be on stage again. And I was, like, 'No, man. I can't do that.' And so I just tried. I worked my butt off to get back in shape to go on stage. And I was really sad to have to cancel those shows, but I just wasn't ready yet. I wasn't ready to be back on stage yet. It was really sad, but it's really worth it now, 'cause I can get on stage and sing and all that good stuff."

The deluxe box set version of the 40th anniversary of MÖTLEY CRÜE's "Theatre Of Pain" album is out now, featuring reimagined artwork, the newly remastered album on color vinyl and bonus material including a 1985 Long Beach live concert, rare demos and a 76-page hardcover book with never-before-seen photos and memories from that era.