In a new interview with Australia's DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy spoke about the recent passing of original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, yeah, losing Ace is a big one. For me, I was a KISS fanatic back in the '70s. I saw them in '77 at Madison Square Garden. I saw 'em in 79 at the [Nassau] Coliseum, and Ace was my first real guitar hero. Even though I was a drummer, he was my favorite member of KISS. And my nickname in elementary school even was Ace. So, yeah, it's been tough one to process."

Mike continued: "I've been listening to a lot of old KISS stuff and revisiting some of the great old shows that are on YouTube. And I was fortunate enough to have played with both Ace and Peter [Criss, original KISS drummer] back in 2013 when I was the musical director at [SiriusXM radio personality] Eddie Trunk's 30th-anniversary concert. So, yeah, I have a lot of history as both a fan and a fellow musician with Ace, and it's a really difficult loss."

Two months ago, Portnoy was asked by PipemanRadio what prompted him to become a musician. He responded: "Well, it was probably seeing KISS at Madison Square Garden in 1977 on the 'Alive II' tour. I was only 10 years old, but being in that audience, even before the show started, and seeing the big KISS [logo] light up, whatever you would call that, the backdrop, seeing it not lit in the arena, smelling the pot smoke in the air and just the excitement of the lights going down and [hearing], 'You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the world — KISS,' just that excitement and the bombs going off and the pyro, and that was it. From that point on, I knew that's what I had to do."

After interviewer Pipeman noted that the cover art of the first KISS album is what brought him to where he is now, Portnoy said: "It's so funny, because that album cover, for the first album cover, is so iconic, but when you think about it, it's really just an updated version of THE BEATLES' 'Meet The Beatles' album cover. So it was like taking the same album cover and just taking it for a decade later to a new generation."

Highlighting some of the other parallels between THE BEATLES and KISS, Portnoy added: "Paul Stanley is the Paul McCartney character. Gene Simmons was the John Lennon character. Ace Frehley was the George Harrison character. They align even. You had four guys that all sing and all create and contribute. When THE BEATLES came around, it was the first time there was a band of four characters. Up until then, you just had Elvis Presleys or Chuck Berrys, but when THE BEATLES came around, you finally had four distinctive characters. And it was the same with KISS, when KISS came around — you had four characters, and they were all bringing something to image of the band."

Five years ago, Portnoy talked about his love of KISS while going through his vinyl collection for a video on his YouTube channel. He said at the time:  "Yes, I still, to this day, am a KISS freak and a KISS fanatic. This just brings me back to my childhood. This is my childhood. I grew up with these albums. I have all the original ones in my collection still, but I had to rebuy the whole collection of all the early '70 stuff… Around '75, '76, '77, '78, they were my biggest heroes. I was the biggest KISS fanatic you could meet. I started with THE BEATLES. Late '60, early '70s, THE BEATLES, that was my thing — I was fanatical about them — but then, once I was around nine, 10 years old, whatever, KISS was like the new BEATLES to me. And there are a lot of parallels between THE BEATLES and KISS, believe it or not. I always pictured Paul Stanley as the Paul McCartney stereotype, Gene is the John Lennon stereotype, Ace is the George Harrison and Peter [Criss] is the Ringo [Starr]. So I think there was a lot of similarities between KISS and THE BEATLES when they came around. And like THE BEATLES, [KISS] had four very distinctive personalities. It was like four superstars, four superheroes in the same band. So very similar concept as THE BEATLES, but for a 10-year-old kid in the '70s, it was magical.

"The first KISS album [self-titled 1974 effort] — legendary. So many great songs: 'Strutter', 'Deuce'. The production was not so great. The production, I think, was even worse on [1974's] 'Hotter Than Hell' — the mix is really hard to listen to — but so many great songs. I love 'All The Way'. I still wanna cover that one these days. 'Watching You' and 'Goin' Blind', 'Got To Choose', 'Parasite'.

"[1975's 'Dressed To Kill'] is my favorite of the first three. I love 'Dressed To Kill'. I love the deep cuts. I love 'Room Service' and 'Getaway', 'Love Her All I Can', 'Anything For My Baby', 'C'mon And Love Me'. I mean, it is just song after song after song.

"Then [1975 live album 'Alive!'] was the big one. And I actually have my old 'Alive!' hanging on the wall, signed by all four of them through the years. But I bought the reissue, and it comes with all the same stuff and the booklets and everything from the original. But [it's] one of the great live albums of all time, which probably wasn't even recorded live, but it doesn't matter. This captured everything about the band that was great and all the best songs from the first three albums.

"[1976's] 'Destroyer' — probably their masterpiece of this era. Not my favorite, but probably the masterpiece. Produced by Bob Ezrin, who went on to do [PINK FLOYD's] 'The Wall'. Of course, 'Detroit Rock City'. I love 'Do You Love Me', I love 'King Of The Night Time World'. 'Beth' is on here, 'God Of Thunder', 'Shout It Out Loud'. So, a little bit of everything, something for everyone on this album.

"[1976's 'Rock And Roll Over'] is probably my favorite of the middle three. I would say 'Dressed To Kill' is my favorite of the first three, [and 'Rock And Roll Over'] is my favorite of the the next three. I love 'Rock And Roll Over'. I think it's one of the best-sounding of the old KISS albums. And once again, I love the deep cuts. I love 'Take Me'. I've always wanted to cover 'Take Me'. 'I Want You', 'Mr. Speed', 'Ladies Room'. 'Calling Dr. Love' — what a song. That came up on my iTunes shuffle a few months ago, and I was, like, 'What a perfect, perfect song.' Amazing.

"[1977's] 'Love Gun'. This was the tour that I saw them on for the first time. Actually, I saw 'em in December 77, so they were still touring on 'Love Gun', but I think 'Alive II' had just come out. And that's the first time I saw them — at Madison Square Garden, December 14th, '77. So, basically, this was the show I saw, the first time I saw KISS. And I remember they opened with 'I Stole Your Love'. Oh, it was just amazing to be in that room — even before the show started, to just see the KISS logo on stage all metallic, but not lit up yet, and to smell the pot smoke in the room. And it was just magical, incredible. And that was like one of those BEATLES 'Ed Sullivan' moments for me when I was a kid. And I taped it —I snuck in a tape recorder and taped it. And I have a bootleg of it somewhere on cassette still to this day.

"[1981's 'Music from 'The Elder''] is one of the most hated albums in their catalog, especially by Gene and Paul. I love this album. I think this is an incredibly underrated album. I know they looked corny at the time.

"When I fell in love with [early] KISS, by the time ['The Elder'] came out, I was moving on to other things and listening to stuff like MOTÖRHEAD and AC/DC. So my taste was changing, and all of their young kids were growing up, starting to move on to different things. But looking back now, I think this was a great album. I love the songs on here. It's Eric Carr on drums. I love 'Odyssey'. [That's] another song I've been wanting to cover forever. But I think there's great stuff on here. 'A World Without Heroes' is beautiful. 'Only You'. I mean, great stuff. So I'm still an 'Elder' fan."

In a new interview with Story Mode, former FEAR FACTORY drummer Raymond Herrera, who is also a composer and producer of music for video games, television, feature films and transmedia, spoke about his one-off collaboration with MEGADETH nearly two decades ago. He said: "That's actually a funny story. We [FEAR FACTORY] were on tour with MEGADETH in 2006, and I said to Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader], 'Hey, I'm working on this video game and the soundtrack is more on the electronic side, but I really want to get one of your songs on there. Could you get me the instrumental version or your recording sessions files?'. And he agreed. He said, 'Yeah, let's do it' and got me the files [for 'Symphony Of Destruction' from 1992's 'Countdown To Extinction' album] pretty soon after. And then we set about remixing it."

He continued: "So we mixed it over around two weeks and then met Dave. 'All right, dude, I got the remix. You wanna check it out?' I asked and played it for him. We were having lunch at catering before one of the shows and he listened to it and did not like it. I assured him that gamers would love it, and that I would cover the cost of mixing and recording it for the game. I even told him that if he didn't like the final version, we wouldn't use it. Eventually and surprisingly, he approved it, but, man, he did not like it."

In 1996, Raymond started to secure music licensing of FEAR FACTORY's music for dozens of video game titles, which allowed him to branch out and create Herrera Productions (which later became 3volution Productions) as a cross-genre composer-producer working on numerous video game projects. His experience writing and producing rock, metal, industrial and rap music, combined with orchestral, techno and other genres, led him to work on projects for many top video game publishers and developers in North America, Japan and Europe including Microsoft, SEGA, Sony, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, THQ, Midway, Capcom, Namco, Atari, Majesco and others.

Raymond's mechanically precise playing defined FEAR FACTORY's sound in the first 15 years of the band's existence. By the end of the 1990s, they had released three albums and played alongside BLACK SABBATH, SLAYER, IRON MAIDEN and MEGADETH, among many others. FEAR FACTORY split up in 2006 and a new version of the group was formed in 2009. Guitarist Dino Cazares is the sole remaining member of FEAR FACTORY's classic lineup.

Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson, who contributed a cover of METALLICA's instrumental epic "(Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth" to the recently released "No Life 'Til Leather - A Tribute To Metallica's Kill 'Em All", spoke to The Pipeman about his involvement with the project. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's some other riffs of Cliff that I think are very definitive. For me, of course it's 'Peace Sells'. That's my riff — that's my star that was blessed upon me. [BLACK SABBATH's] Geezer's [Butler] got 'N.I.B.', a bunch of stuff. [IRON MAIDEN's] Steve Harris has got 'Wrathchild' [off] 'Killers'. So we all kind of have our identified signature riffs. And so I thought about Cliff's signature riffs. And, of course, there's several inside of this piece of music with 'Anesthesia'. But I also thought, look, 'For Whom The Bell Tolls', that's his 'Peace Sells'. When you hear 'For Whom The Bell Tolls', that's really his riff. The other one that I really like is 'Orion'. I love that. And 'Master Of Puppets' is really one of my favorite metal records and one of my favorite METALLICA records.

"I got to talk with Cliff a bit," David continued. "They [METALLICA] were on tour with Ozzy [Osbourne in 1986]. Me and Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader] went to go see them [with] Michael Alago, who had signed them to Elektra Records. We were in town. Michael was courting me and Dave to sign MEGADETH to Elektra Records. And it didn't go that way, but we went over to see METALLICA. It was a big tour — them supporting Ozzy on the 'Master Of Puppets' tour — and I got to chat with Cliff a little bit about some of his composing on 'Master Of Puppets'. And then, of course, sadly it wasn't but a few weeks or a couple of months later he was was gone. Cliff and I never sat down with basses in hand and sort of broed down or anything like that, but just chatting as fellow musicians, fellow bass players, et cetera, seeing him perform a bunch… And that's why I said in the little video that I shot when I did the playthrough, I said, 'This is my homage to Cliff.' So, to me, I kind of tried to make it even a little bigger than just '(Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth'. I tried to make it really more of a salute to him as an artist, and tried to include a bunch of his music inside of that performance."

Ellefson and Dave Mustaine formed MEGADETH in 1983, after Mustaine got kicked out of METALLICA. METALLICA recruited Kirk Hammett and went on to record its debut album, "Kill 'Em All", later that year, while Ellefson and Mustaine began work on MEGADETH's first LP, "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!"

During a 2019 ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE conversation with moderator Ryan J. Downey at the MI Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Ellefson was asked if Burton was an inspiration on his bass playing during MEGADETH's formative years. Ellefson responded: " I met Dave [Mustaine] in June of 1983. He had just left METALLICA literally not more than eight weeks before that, in April. So I didn't know anything about METALLICA, didn't know who Dave was, heard nothing about Cliff Burton — knew nothing about it, coming from the Midwest. And I didn't know anything about Cliff. And because the only recording Dave had of METALLICA was 'No Life 'Til Leather', and that had another bass player on it named Ron McGovney. So when we did a cover of 'Mechanix', I played Ron McGovney's basslines."

He continued: "Really, quite honestly, my METALLICA bass player was Ron, believe it or not, and I kind of modeled what we did off of that 'No Life 'Til Leather' demo. And I remember the day when 'Kill 'Em All' and we sat… There was complete silence in the room, and we sat and we listened to the album. And the differences — tempos were pulled back. And obviously the bass solo, 'Anesthesia'. That was really my first experience hearing Cliff. And at that point, we were two months into… MEGADETH was well on its way.

"So, long answer to your short question is I didn't really have an influence [from Cliff]… That was not where my influence came from. And quite honestly, growing up in a rural area of Minnesota, bass players in rock and roll were cool, but when I started hearing some jazz players… Those guys were more of my influence, along with Steve Harris [IRON MAIDEN] and Geddy Lee [RUSH] and Ian Hill [JUDAS PRIEST] and the metal guys. But, for me, I went more into the jazz world… But those were the things that I brought in, and I think that made, me and Dave, our participation together with the MEGADETH sound something that was… And even then with Gar Samuelson and Chris Poland — they were jazz-fusion musicians. We really had a very different sound — different even from ANTHRAX, from METALLICA, from SLAYER — a very different sound. And I think that probably is what sort of set us apart as our own pillar of the 'Big Four.'"

"No Life 'Til Leather - A Tribute To Metallica's Kill 'Em All" is available on vinyl, CD, and digital formats.

"No Life 'Til Leather - A Tribute To Metallica's Kill 'Em All" track listing:

01. Hit The Lights - TAILGUNNER
02. The Four Horsemen - THE ALMIGHTY
03. Motorbreath - SOEN
04. Jump In The Fire - TYGERS OF PAN TANG
05. (Anesthesia - Pulling Teeth - DAVID ELLEFSON
06. Whiplash - MOTÖRHEAD
07. Phantom Lord - SAXON
08. No Remorse - DIAMOND HEAD
09. Seek & Destroy - TESTAMENT
10. Metal Militia - RAVEN

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", former ANTHRAX and current ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush spoke about the upcoming 35th anniversary of METALLICA's self-titled album (also known as the Black Album),which was the latter band's first LP to reach the top of the Billboard 200 chart. Released in 1991, it has since received a double diamond certification from the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales of more than 20 million copies in the U.S. alone. When MikeZ noted that the Black Album was very different from METALLICA's previous output, John concurred. "Yes, it was," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "But you knew that it just sounded so together. I think [producer] Bob Rock scared some people when he came aboard, but you heard it and you're, like, 'Wow.' Just the power of it and the production of it. It was very different from '…And Justice For All', let's face it. I think it was the right step, needless to say. It went on to be one of the biggest hard rock records of all time. So, it was the right move. They were ready to take that step. And I love that album. The Black album is incredible. James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman] just took his vocal level to a whole another place and the songwriting was incredible. And 'Wherever I May Roam' and 'Sad But True' and '[Enter] Sandman', 'Through The Never', those are all killer tunes, amazing songs."

Addressing METALLICA's decision to embrace a more streamlined direction compared to the thrash metal overtones of the band's first four albums, John said: "Look, METALLICA was already playing arenas by that point. '…And Justice For All', they were playing arenas and they were already that band. And then 'Justice' is really cool; it's just a different album, with really long songs. Certainly the production... So I think that for them to repeat that would've been weird. I think it was time to do something else, and I think it was a natural progression.

"The thing I always say about METALLICA, and I mean this sincerely, is that they're always willing to take chances," John explained. "They really are — whether it's 'Turn The Page' or cutting their hair or 'St. Anger' or the album with Lou Reed. These are not sometimes things that you're gonna go, 'This is a sure shot. Everyone's gonna get it.' I don't think everyone got the Lou Reed record, but they did it. And to me, that's the thing I always say about bands is taking chances… ANTHRAX is another band that did that. I mean, come on — 'I'm The Man' was a big, big chance. And it was successful. Same with 'Bring The Noise' and then getting in a new singer and doing 'Only', which was very different from certainly anything on 'Persistence Of Time'. And I say the same thing about ARMORED SAINT. We're always willing to try different [things], bring in different instruments. We're a blues band at heart. We're really just a heavy metal blues band, a hard rock band, and we always are willing to do things. [ARMORED SAINT bassist] Joey Vera sings his ass off on this [upcoming ARMORED SAINT] record; there's a ton of really killer background vocals.

"I think the bands that stay the test of time are ones that are willing to take chances," he added. "Sure, you can make the argument, SLAYER stayed [the same throughout their career], but they're SLAYER. So, at the end of the day, I think ones that can make it a couple of decades have to be adventurous in the way they do things. And I think METALLICA did that, and I think that's why they're the biggest band.

"If you're around long enough, not everything is gonna work. It's just not. It's just a fact. I mean, it's just not. If you're around for five years and you had a couple great records, like, 'Hey, we went on a high note,' like George Costanza [fictional character in the American television sitcom 'Seinfeld']. But the reality is, is that if you're around for four decades of music, you're probably gonna do some things that maybe the fanbase is gonna be, like, 'Eh.' They're still gonna go see you at the SoFi Stadium [in Los Angeles]. But the reality is maybe not everything is gonna have the same impact as 'Master Of Puppets' did. But the reality is you have to be willing to branch out and try different things. 'Cause if you don't, you feel stale. And I could say that from the standpoint of a singer and a musician myself. I love [ARMORED SAINT's] 'March Of The Saint', but I don't wanna do it again. We did it. So it's important to take the origins of what you are, but always grow from that. I think that's real important."

This past July, Bush, who was offered an opportunity to join METALLICA in the early '80s but turned it down, reflected on his decision in an interview with Get On The Bus. He said: "That is real. That actually happened before ARMORED SAINT even started, really, for the most part. It was, again, back to Jonny Z [founder of Megaforce Records], who was the manager of METALLICA at first. Then he became the manager of ANTHRAX. And he contacted me, which is kind of funny. And then he contacted me again about [joining] ANTHRAX [in the early 1990s]. I'm, like, 'Wait, okay, this is 10 years later, and you're calling me about maybe joining this other band.' It was kind of funny.

"But, yeah, again, it was an honor to be asked to sing in METALLICA," Bush continued. "I mean, I never can imagine anybody singing other than James Hetfield for that band. Ironically enough, I just saw James Hetfield and Lars [Ulrich] and Robert Trujillo, 'cause we played the Sonic Temple festival in Columbus [Ohio] last weekend, and METALLICA was one of the headlining bands; they headlined two nights, actually. And those guys came and watched ARMORED SAINT. And we played at, like, three in the afternoon. And that was very, very cool that they did that. 'Cause I was, like, 'It's very nice you're here. I don't think I would be here at three in the afternoon if I was going on at nine.' But they did. And that shows that they still, to this day, kind of think highly of us and give us love. And it's really cool."

Bush added: "It was always an honor [to be asked to join METALLICA]. It just was not my fate to be in METALLICA. But I did the one show, which was the — we [played at METALLICA's] 30th-anniversary shows in the Bay Area. They played four nights at the Fillmore. And ARMORED SAINT actually opened one. And then I came out and sang 'The Four Horsemen' with them and they told the story about it and how, 'We were gonna maybe get this guy, but it didn't happen. But this is what it would sound like if he did join.' And so that was a really special moment in my life. And you can see it on YouTube. And it was great. It was cool.

"There's always a connection because ARMORED SAINT ended up going out and touring with METALLICA on 'Ride The Lighting' and 'March Of The Saint' for us," John said. "And we have a lot of history together as friends. And one of the funny things is James, during METALLICA's set [at Sonic Temple], said, 'I was stoked to see ARMORED SAINT today.' This is in front of 50,000 people when they were playing. 'We destroyed a lot of hotels together.' I could have ruined metal. And that's just too much, man — that's too much pressure.

"Like I said, it just wasn't my fate," Bush added. "And I could never imagine anybody [else] singing those songs or not having James Hetfield as a frontman. That would've been a big loss for heavy metal. He was meant to do that. And James became an incredible singer. If you listen to 'Kill 'Em All' to the Black Album, his progression was just off the charts. And he's still an incredible singer."

In July 2024, Bush was asked in an interview with The Dan Chan Show what he thought of METALLICA's recent musical output. He responded at the time:  "METALLICA is a band that never rests on the laurels of what they've done. They're always taking chances, they're always doing different things, they're always expanding on their style and pushing the boundaries of the listeners, whether it's doing the orchestra stuff or doing a record with Lou Reed or making just a metal, powerful, thrashing record. The live performances — I want to see him at SoFi Stadium here [in Los Angeles], and it was phenomenal. It was really cool how they have these four different sections — they actually took this arena and yet when they were all together playing, it felt like you were almost watching them in some small room. It was amazing.

"When you're a band like METALLICA, everybody's expectations are so grand all the time," he continued. "And the reality is you're not always gonna hit the bullseye on everything, especially if you're willing to take chances, which they are. And I really commend that, because it would be easy to just kind of play it safe. And they never do. So I really respect them on that level.

"When I heard 'Lux Æterna' [the first single from METALLICA's latest album, '72 Seasons'], it sounded rad," Bush added. "It just sounded like them. It was really powerful. It's a great tune. And I was, like, 'Wow, it's cool.' And it just sounds fresh.

"James is one heck of a singer and just an awesome vocalist. And so, what are you gonna do? They're METALLICA."

Bush previously spoke about his decision to turn down an opportunity to join METALLICA in a December 2021 interview with Waste Some Time With Jason Green. He said at the time: "I've been talking about this for many years now. I'm always gonna be completely super flattered about the fact that I was asked to join METALLICA back in the early '80s. It just was never meant to be my destiny, is what I always say. There's no other singer that should have been the singer of METALLICA other than James Hetfield. That was meant to be, and that's kind of the way I see it. Like I say, I'm always flattered that I'm always connected to the history of that band — it's a huge feather in my cap, so to speak — but at the end of the day, it just was not my destiny to be the singer of METALLICA. I had a different fate in store."

Bush also talked about joining METALLICA on stage on December 7, 2011 for the second of four intimate shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the week-long celebration of the band's 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only. "Yes, that was very cool," he said. "That was an awesome experience. We did that at the Fillmore in San Francisco. It was the 30th-anniversary shows that METALLICA did, which were really, really cool. They had all these various guests coming on stage with them at the time — everyone from Ozzy [Osbourne] to King Diamond to Lou Reed to Marianne Faithful; a lot of people associated with METALLICA through the years. And ARMORED SAINT, we got to open for [METALLICA] that one particular show — one of the four — and then that was the day that I actually came on stage and sang 'The Four Horsemen' with them, which was an incredible experience. And the whole thing was really, really awesome — just a beautiful thing to be a part of. So I always have that as a great memory in my life. We had a couple of friends that were there that came with us, and my wife was there. And we had a lot of fun doing that. Like I said, I'm really flattered that METALLICA thought of me as a person that was good enough to be in their band. But, like I said, it just wasn't meant to be something that happened for the rest of the band's career."

Another singer who was being considered for the frontman position in METALLICA was Jess Cox of Newcastle, England's TYGERS OF PAN TANG.

Bush later said in an interview: "METALLICA did ask me to join, but I said no for all the right reasons. People must think that's crazy, but you have to remember the scene then. METALLICA was nobody. ARMORED SAINT was hot; you have to remember that. Also, I was very tight with the [ARMORED SAINT] guys, back to elementary school in fact. ARMORED SAINT was getting interest from all kinds of places, and we had a lot of people starting to turn up at shows."

He continued: "METALLICA came to see SAINT at a gig in Anaheim, at The Woodstock in 1982. I heard they were interested in asking me to join, which they did later. The thing was that METALLICA was this new kind of thing, and nobody back then. I don't care what they say now; nobody could have predicted what would happen. I didn't know the guys either, so there was no real interest. It was great to be asked — in fact, a lot of people asked — but ARMORED SAINT was really strong.

"Some time after 'Kill 'Em All' had come out, I heard the same thing again, but I never understood that because James was singing great then and he was doing a great job. I understood the lack of confidence back in '82 but not for 'Ride The Lightning'. James owns that record."

In a 1989 interview with Metal Forces, Ulrich talked about what METALLICA could have sounded like had Bush ended up fronting the group. He said: "Only a couple of days ago, we were actually sitting around talking about how it would be now if John Bush had joined the band. Obviously, it's impossible to know how different it would have been, but I can't imagine METALLICA without James Hetfield up there growling into the microphone, fucking curved over and everything. It's really weird to think about it. I mean, nothing against John Bush — I think he's a great vocalist — but ... Well, thank God it didn't happen."

Shawn "Clown" Crahan, co-founder and creative visionary of SLIPKNOT, has announced the launch of Vernearth, a sprawling, multi-mode Minecraft universe designed to redefine community-driven survival, creativity, and competition, has released a new trailer that gives Minecraft players a sneak peek into the mysterious realm of Vernearth.

Built on custom technology, handcrafted environments, and a play philosophy that rewards mastery across survival, PVP, creativity, and hardcore challenges, Vernearth launches with four major game modes: Oblivion, PVP/Event, Plotworld, and Challenge Mode. Together they form a unified ecosystem that supports every type of player. These modes will be rolled out starting at launch systematically to ensure a smooth player experience, so some of these modes may not be available right away. Explorers and builders to streamers, competitors, and high-stakes achievers will all have something innovative to experience in Vernearth, like:

Oblivion - The Core World

Oblivion is the heart of Vernearth. It's a vast, custom-generated survival world that blends realism with corrupted "clown"-inspired elements. Players explore treacherous terrain, battle custom factions, and uncover the lore behind the three great capital cities: Raziel, Seniomsed, and The City of Eternal.

PVP / Event Server - The Arena

Designed for fast, high-intensity competition, the PVP/Event server delivers recurring weekly tournaments and creator-friendly content moments. Players fight across four bespoke arena:

* The Circle Sphere
* The Blood Square
* The Blood Oval
* UnEden

There will be modes like Last Man Standing and Duels, earning "War" currency that unlocks exclusive cosmetics and items.

Plotworld - The Sanctuary

Plotworld provides a safe, collaborative creative space where players can build freely, merge plots, host social activities, and enter monthly build contests. With access to creative mode, limited WorldEdit, and a permanent Hall of Fame showcase, Plotworld gives players a way to contribute artistically to the world of Vernearth.

Challenge Mode - Vernearth's Signature Experience

Challenge Mode is a seasonal, limited-time hardcore world with only one rule: one life. Each 45-day season introduces a new SLIPKNOT-inspired theme, custom world generation, brutal mechanics, and high-stakes objectives.

Seasons:

Vernearth's Season Mode evolves from the blood-red, Heretic-Lord–ruled chaos of Season 1: The Heretic Anthem, to the twilight-shrouded decay of Season 2: The Dying Song where players fight to forge the Beacon of Life, and finally into the unpredictable madness of Season 3: Friend or Foe?, a world where mobs, loot, blocks, and consumables shift with total randomness.

Survivors earn permanent titles, exclusive cosmetics, Hall of Heroes placement, and a share of the prize pool.

Crahan is a founding member of the Grammy-winning band SLIPKNOT and a multidisciplinary creator across music, film, design, and interactive media. Vernearth continues his legacy of merging dark surrealist artistry with new frontiers in creative technology.

A BATTLE BEAST concertgoer died after suffering a heart attack during the band's performance Monday night (December 1) at Bratislava, Slovakia's Majestic Music Club.

Earlier today, BATTLE BEAST released the following statement via social media: "Yesterday in Bratislava, we were forced to stop the show due to a severe medical emergency in the audience, which tragically resulted in a person's death.

"We want to thank the local crew and promoter for responding to the situation with professionalism and care.

"To everyone who was present, thank you for your patience, respect, and understanding during such a shocking and difficult moment. We share in the grief and heaviness that many of you are feeling.

"Our deepest condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the person who passed away.

Support act DOMINUM added in a separate statement: "Bratislava, thank you for that amazing show we had together. We truly felt your energy, and we were completely hyped. Shortly after, during BATTLE BEAST's set, one person suffered a heart attack. Tragically, the person did not make it, and our thoughts are with the family.

"This is a situation we have never been in before, and we find ourselves missing the right words. But what we can say is how deeply moved we were by all of you. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for staying calm, for reacting so quickly, and for trying to help without a second thought.

"We are incredibly grateful for the way you stood together in such a difficult moment. Seeing a community care for one another so naturally, so instinctively, reminded us how powerful and meaningful this connection between all of us can be — not just during the music, but beyond it.

"Thank you for being there for each other.

"Our condolences go out to the family in these tough times."

Opening act MAJESTICA also addressed the incident, writing on social media: "Bratislava, we had a great time playing for you last night! Sadly the night tragically ended too early. Just a few of songs into the BATTLE BEAST set, one person suffered a heart attack and sadly didn't make it. Our thoughts are with the family. Thank you for being so patient, staying calm and reacting so quickly to try and help."

BATTLE BEAST kicked off its European tour on October 17 with the band's biggest German headline show to date at Hamburg's Inselpark Arena. The trek, with DOMINUM as the special guest and Sweden's rising power metal force MAJESTICA as the opening act, will keep BATTLE BEAST on the road until mid-December.

BATTLE BEAST released its seventh studio album, "Steelbound", in October via Nuclear Blast.

In May, BATTLE BEAST released the first single from "Steelbound", a song called "Last Goodbye". The album's second single, the "Steelbound" title track, followed in June.

BATTLE BEAST released its first live album, "Circus Of Doom - Live in Helsinki 2023", on April 11 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Image courtesy of RunoPe

Yesterday in Bratislava, we were forced to stop the show due to a severe medical emergency in the audience, which...

Posted by Battle Beast on Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Bratislava, thank you for that amazing show we had together. We truly felt your energy, and we were completely...

Posted by Dominum on Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Bratislava 🇸🇰, we had a great time playing for you last night!

Sadly the night tragically ended too early. Just a few...

Posted by Majestica on Tuesday, December 2, 2025

On November 16, 2025 at the San Antonio Fear Fest in San Antonio, Texas, EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt spoke to Robb Chavez of Robbs MetalWorks about his friendship with fellow thrash metal pioneer Dave Mustaine of MEGADETH. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah. We've done lots of tours with MEGADETH. And Dave's been one of my closest friends, musical friends, since the beginning. We hung out when he was in METALLICA. And I saw him when the last MEGADETH tour went [through]. I hadn't seen him in years. It's always like old friends."

Asked for his opinion on Mustaine's recent announcement that MEGADETH would release its final studio album and complete a farewell tour in support of it, Gary said: "He's earned it. I still love doing what I do, but I'd be lying if I said, man, the idea of retirement, after two or three more years…' 'Cause I'm 61 now. Do I wanna go till I'm 70? I don't know. But I can't retire. I need to keep working. So I'm gonna keep going as long as I can. But he's earned it, and I'm sure it's gonna be fucking awesome for him."

After Chavez noted that former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson recently questioned Mustaine's motives for announcing the MEGADETH farewell, suggesting perhaps that it was a ploy to boost ticket sales for the upcoming tour, Holt said: "I think his ticket sales are fine without it. We're not getting any younger. And [Mustaine] said himself the tour is gonna be two to three years. I think Dave's one year older than me, so [he's] 62 — that's gonna put him to 65 years old. I have three grandkids. I'd love to spend more time at home with 'em. Next year, when the new [EXODUS] album comes out, I'm gonna be on tour more than ever. So, I'm making the sacrifices now, so that maybe by the time I am 65 I can slow down, maybe do a festival here and there. I don't know. We'll see."

Holt was also asked for his opinion about the announcement that the final MEGADETH album, simply titled "Megadeth", would include Mustaine's version of "Ride The Lightning", the title track of METALLICA's 1984 album for which Dave got a co-writing credit following Mustaine's 1983 departure from the band. Gary said: "I haven't heard it yet. [Mustaine] wrote, I guess, probably half the [original] song, so why not? I can't wait to hear it, actually… Let's wait and hear it. I bet he plays it faster. When [EXODUS] did 'Tempo Of The Damned' and stuff and we went out on tour with MEGADETH, [Mustaine] put 'Mechanix' back in the set, 'cause I asked him to. And he played it at the old tempo — super fast."

"Mechanix" was the original version of "The Four Horsemen", the METALLICA song that was co-written by Mustaine and included on METALLICA's debut album, 1983's "Kill 'Em All'. METALLICA wrote new lyrics and renamed the song "The Four Horsemen" after Dave was kicked out of the band. The track "Mechanix" later appeared on MEGADETH's debut album, 1985's "Killing Is My Business...And Business Is Good!".

Holt's former bandmate, original EXODUS guitarist Kirk Hammett, was asked to join METALLICA 42 years ago as the replacement for Mustaine.

Although EXODUS rarely gets mentioned alongside the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX — the band's debut album, 1985's "Bonded By Blood", inspired the likes of TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL, VIO-LENCE and many others to launch their careers and is considered one of the most influential thrash metal LPs of all time.

More than a decade ago, Mustaine was asked by Radio.com which band should have been included if the "Big Four" (METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX) were expanded and considered the "Big Five". Mustaine said: "You know, people will say there's a whole another generation, like the 'Medium Four' [laughs], and I think there's a lot of great bands that fit that bill, too. But I think probably EXODUS, because there was nobody else at the time that had that kind of pull or that kind of importance in the metal community. Granted, it was with [late EXODUS singer Paul] Baloff, and Baloff had a voice that you had to have an acquired taste for, but you know, I liked him."

EXODUS and ANTHRAX will support MEGADETH on a Canadian tour in February/March 2026.

LION'S SHARE is back — stronger than ever! With six acclaimed albums and a string of successful digital singles, the Swedish heavy metal powerhouse is set to unleash its long-awaited comeback album, "Inferno", on March 27, 2026, through German label Metalville Records. This marks the band's first full-length studio album in 17 years, making it one of the most highly anticipated comebacks in the scene.

"For us, 'Inferno' is more than just a new album — it's a statement," says LION'S SHARE guitarist Lars Chriss. "We've spent years writing, refining, and pushing ourselves harder than ever. The goal was simple: make the strongest, heaviest, and most focused LION'S SHARE record of our career. I honestly feel we've achieved that. This is the album where everything fell into place."

LION'S SHARE vocalist Nils Patrik Johansson adds: "Taking 17 years between albums wasn't the plan — but it allowed us to come back with fire in our veins. We've never sounded tighter, and we can't wait to bring these songs to the stage. This album has the attitude, the hooks, the power… everything that made us fall in love with heavy metal in the first place. We're incredibly proud of 'Inferno'."

Formed in Sundsvall, Sweden, in 1987 by Chriss and keyboardist Kay Backlund, LION'S SHARE quickly carved out a unique sound through relentless rehearsals and high-voltage live shows. Their 1995 self-titled debut opened the door to extensive touring — including full-scale tours and extended runs alongside genuine metal titans such as MOTÖRHEAD, SAXON, DIO, MANOWAR, U.D.O. and Dee Snider.

Along the way, LION'S SHARE has collaborated with members of some of the most legendary bands in the world, including KISS, MEGADETH, KING DIAMOND, CANDLEMASS, SYMPHONY X and Yngwie Malmsteen. Albums like "Emotional Coma" and "Dark Hours" have earned critical praise for their razor-sharp riffing, massive hooks, and a perfect balance of heaviness and melody.

Since 2017, LION'S SHARE has operated as a dynamic duo, with Chriss on guitar and Johansson on vocals, calling on trusted friends for live and studio collaborations.

Now, with "Inferno", LION'S SHARE is ready to reclaim their place at the forefront of the heavy metal scene — a blazing comeback that promises to deliver everything fans have been waiting for and more.

"Inferno" recording lineup:

Nils Patrik Johansson - Vocals
Lars Chriss - Guitars
Andy Loos - Bass
Kay Backlund - Keyboards
Anuviel - Keyboards
Fredrik Johansson - Drums

Touring/live lineup:

Nils Patrik Johansson - Vocals
Lars Chriss - Guitar
Andy Loos - Bass
Magnus Ulfstedt - Drums

During an appearance on the latest episode of "The David Ellefson Show" podcast, founding METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof spoke about the band's new lineup, in which he is joined by longtime guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bass icon David Ellefson (MEGADETH),powerhouse drummer Ken Mary (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, FIFTH ANGEL, ALICE COOPER, HOUSE OF LORDS, TKO, CHASTAIN) and dynamic new vocalist Brian Allen (VICIOUS RUMORS). Regarding how the latest version of METAL CHURCH came to be, Kurdt said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it was a couple years ago, after we just did our Australia run. And when we came back, things just really fell apart. Stet [Howland, former METAL CHURCH drummer] quit, Stet left, 'cause he wasn't happy with the way business was going. The other two guys kind of felt the same. I felt the same for different reasons, and for me, it was, like, 'This isn't any fun and this is no good.' And at my age, at this many years of doing this, if it's not fun. I'm out. If there's just drama and stuff like that, I'm just not interested. So I let everyone know, 'Hey, I'm shutting this down. Sorry. I'm done with this. This is not working.' And, basically, I thought we were done. And then about a year and a half later, just out of the blue, these opportunities [came up] with people that were interested that would be a good fit if I was to resurrect the band, and it kind of resurrected itself. We ended up getting Brian Allen, the singer, who came through his friend, and our friend as well, Todd La Tore from QUEENSRŸCHE. He had pushed Brian to send some kind of audition tapes or something to me and to Joe [O'Brien] at Rat Pak [Records, METAL CHURCH's record label]. And he did, but I didn't know it at the time. And all of a sudden Joe sends me a couple of MP3 files. He goes, 'Hey, check this out.' And it was 'Start The Fire' and a song off 'The Human Factor'. And I started playing 'Start The Fire', and I was, like, 'Is this an unreleased vocal track of David Wayne?' I was, like, 'Wow. All right.' And then I listened to the other one, and it's, like, 'Well, he's singing the Mike Howe stuff too.' Again, at this point, I really hadn't made any decisions on what was gonna happen. Again, I thought we were done. And so that was very inspiring. That was kind of, like, 'All right. Well, okay. That just came out of nowhere to me. What are you trying to tell me?' And then after that, it was through Rat Pak — Dave was in contact with Rat Pak because of the ELLEFSON-SOTO record. And the discussion just kind of started."

Kurdt continued: "So, I guess to make a long story endless, I had really no intentions of starting up the band again, but the band resurrected itself through those kind of channels, and it was just something that just kept going step by step. Again, very similar to what happened a few years ago with the 'Congregation Of Annihilation' [2023] lineup. Again, I didn't really plan on it. It's the band that wouldn't die. So I'm embracing it, and it's really great. And to have somebody like Dave, and then also to bring Ken Mary on, and then to have Brian, who's just really nailing the METAL CHURCH sound. It's, like, 'Well, this is definitely worth doing.' And with the new song and the reaction to the new video, it seems to be a good thing to do. So that's kind of the long and short of it, basically. Again, it just kind of happened."

Elaborating on how the material for the upcoming METAL CHURCH album came together, Kurdt said: "Like I said, I'm sitting here and all of a sudden these great people just became available and were interested in doing this. And I had to literally stop, 'cause I was, like, 'Wait. What? I hadn't planned on this.' I wrote a bunch of metal stuff and a bunch of riffs and stuff, which I do anyway.

"When everything fell apart, I went on to make other records," he explained. "I did the HALL AFLAME record, the new PRESTO BALLET record, which are different styles, but I'm always writing something. So there was this pile of stuff, and it was already kind of right there. So as this thing kind of fell into place, it was definitely ready to go. And also [former METAL CHURCH drummer] Jeff Plate was initially gonna be involved [with the new METAL CHURCH lineup] when we decided to go forward, and he started, but then as the thing started, the SAVATAGE reunion just took off, and I couldn't be happier for him. So he wasn't able to really see it through. But kudos to Jeff… 'Cause they're [SAVATAGE] kicking ass right now and it's doing great. So he couldn't be involved. And then Ken Mary became available. And Ken and I have a history, 'cause we're both from Seattle and we did shows together way back in the day, in the mid-'80s, with TKO. And while we were in the studio with [producer] Terry Date, he was in the studio with FIFTH ANGEL, with Terry Date. Terry was playing our stuff to him and he was playing [their] stuff to us, and so there's this big incestuous kind of thing. So Ken Mary being available and interested in doing it just made perfect sense."

Last month, the new METAL CHURCH lineup released its first single, "F.A.F.O.". The track was produced by Vanderhoof and mixed/mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris at Planet Z. Those sessions have now evolved into a brand-new METAL CHURCH album, set for release in 2026 via Rat Pak Records. Additional details will be announced soon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Rick Moyer

In a new interview released today on The Sonic Road Podcast, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY bassist Bobby Landgraf revealed some of the band's plans for 2026, including a U.S. tour with CLUTCH which will tentatively take place in April. A European run will follow in June and July. Speaking with podcast host Beau McGranahan, Landgraf also confirmed that CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's upcoming follow-up to 2018's "No Cross No Crown" will be a double album. Landgraf went deep into the experience of recording the new material with renowned drummer Stanton Moore (GALACTIC). Landgraf described a revitalized energy in the studio, crediting Moore with bringing a unique, funk-driven heaviness to the classic C.O.C. sound.

"[CORROSION OF CONFORMITY guitarist/vocalist] Pepper [Keenan] has a home studio in Mississippi, and that was when I was in a room with Stanton," Bobby explained (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And, man, when I was standing there to Stanton Moore and we had two weeks of living together at the house and just being in each other's heads and there was nowhere to go — there's nowhere to go get in trouble; you're just there working on the stuff. And, yeah, I learned so much from Stanton — to be a bass player, to really hit the right spots and to catch that one. And, man, Stanton is such a big inspiration to me — and Pepper and Woody [Weatherman, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY guitarist]. He did [2005's] 'In The Arms Of God' record before [with CORROSION OF CONFORMITY], so he'd already done that, which is a killer record."

Bobby continued: "To be able to play with Stanton really, I think, elevated my bass-playing game more than… I'm not talking any shit about any other drummers, but Stanton, I believe, really helped me elevate my bass game. So when we wrote all these songs together, we had the best two weeks. We had the big room. The producer was there in the house with us, so we recorded every mistake, every goof-off, every mess-around thing, and some of the stuff came right off the floor."

Asked what made CORROSION OF CONFORMITY decide to release a double album now, Bobby said: "I will just go with what I watched happen in front of me, which is that we probably did 15, 16, maybe even more, songs at the writing session, so it came time to record and we just did it all. And Pepper's got a really good relationship with the label. They trust him. He [said], 'We gotta make this a double record.' They're, like, 'Okay.' I don't recall ever hearing a pushback story from the label. Pepper said, 'This is what I wanna do.' And they said, 'Well, then let's do it.' And then that just opened it all up to really getting into the recordings."

"Pepper has a brilliant concept for the record," Landgraf revealed. "For each side, it's different. The songs on this record go together, the songs on this record go together. And it's a very conceptual record. [It's got] beautiful artwork. Fantastic artwork, and it's amazing. And it will be a serious headphone record. You'll wanna sit at home and put phones on. Don't rip off the record by just hearing it on your telephone or your white earbuds."

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's new LP will tentatively be released in late March or early April 2026 via Nuclear Blast.

Some of guitar-recording sessions for the effort took place at a private Miami, Florida studio owned by Barry Gibb of the BEE GEES.

"Warren Riker, our producer, is so great," Bobby said. "He made us sound so great… They went to Barry Gibb's house because of our mutual friend Steve Gibb. Steve played in BLS [BLACK LABEL SOCIETY] and CROWBAR, so he said, 'Hey, man, come to my house. My dad's got the spot.' So they did guitars there. We went back to Pepper's studio and recorded some more guitars there and some vocals and this and that. So there was a lot of back and forth."

Regarding the musical direction of the new CORROSION OF CONFORMITY material, Bobby said: "There's heavy stuff that you'd expect from C.O.C., and there's some groovy stuff that you might not expect… Usually — I don't know; I'll just say the words AC/DC, and every song's gonna kind of have a thing to 'em. This is not that at all. You never know where you're going for the next song. Pepper did that by design. There's little interlude stuff, PINK FLOYD-y stuff in the middle of songs, a narration and talking and some sci-fi…"

This past September, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY released a special rendition of "Fire And Water" by English rock band FREE. The classic track was originally made availale in 1970 on the FREE album of the same name. CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's version came spontaneously in the studio during some downtime while recording their forthcoming new full-length, and serves as the first of the "Riffissippi Studio Jam Sessions", a special collection of jammed out interpretations of songs by some of the band's favorite artists.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY recently completed a North American tour supporting JUDAS PRIEST and Alice Cooper. The trek, which commenced on September 16 in Biloxi, Mississippi and ran through October 26 in Houston, Texas, included several CORROSION OF CONFORMITY one-off headlining shows scattered throughout.

Since forming in 1982, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY has woven their distinct riffs deep into the fabric of heavy metal for over four decades. Across ten landmark, critically acclaimed albums, the band has continued evolving. From the early days of thrash to their more recent, blues-infused metal, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY has managed to progress with each release keeping fans and critics alike guessing.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's last full-length album, "No Cross No Crown", was released in 2018 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. Recorded with longtime producer John Custer, the record marked the first studio recording with guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan in over a decade and, earning the No. 67 spot on the Billboard Top 200 chart, No. 12 on the Billboard Top Current Albums chart, and No. 3 on the Top Hard Music Albums chart upon its first week of release, is the highest-charting album of the band's career.

In October 2024, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY recruited onetime DOWN guitarist and current PANTERA bass tech Landgraf to play bass for the band on the 2024 edition of the Headbangers Boat cruise. He has since joined CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in the studio and on the concert stage.

In September 2024, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's founding bassist Mike Dean announced his departure from the band.

Reed Mullin died in January 2020 at the age of 53. The drummer, who co-founded CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in 1982 as a hardcore punk act alongside Weatherman and Dean, had missed a number of shows in the preceding four years due to a variety of health issues, including an alcohol-related seizure he suffered back in June 2016.

In 2014, after nearly a straight decade traversing the globe as a guitarist with New Orleans supergroup DOWN, Pepper reconnected with the core CORROSION OF CONFORMITY trio of Weatherman, Dean and Mullin to hit the road hard. "Reed called me and mentioned maybe playing a couple shows," Keenan recalled back in 2017. "I said, 'Let's just go to Europe and see if it works.' So we went to Europe and then ended up going back four times in one year... We toured for a year and then started tracking."

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY recorded "No Cross No Crown" in about forty days over the course of a year at a North Carolina studio with longtime producer John Custer.

Former VENOM members Jeff "Mantas" Dunn (guitar) and Antony "Abaddon" Bray (drums) reunited for a special concert on Sunday, November 30 at Shinjuku Antiknock, a legendary music venue in Tokyo, Japan.

Dunn and Bray performed three VENOM classics 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 came from SURVIVE and HELL FREEZES OVER.

Video of the "Welcome To Hell" performance from the Shinjuku Antiknock concert, courtesy of the Roppongi Rocks channel on YouTube, can be seen below.

Mantas and Abaddon 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 and Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting. 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. "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.

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."

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Australia's 7NEWShas uploaded professionally filmed video of AC/DC performing the song "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" on November 30 at bp Adelaide Grand Final in Adelaide, Australia. Check it out below.

AC/DC's performance at the bp Adelaide Grand Final reportedly helped pull in a record-breaking Sunday crowd of 102,000 to the Supercars event.

As previously reported, AC/DC's first Australian concert in a decade, which took place November 12 in Melbourne, registered on a local seismograph, which detects earthquake activity.

According to Billboard, AC/DC's ongoing "Power Up" tour requires 300 tons of steel to build the production, with 28 tons of PA and speakers pumping out the sound. A crew of 155 are working each show, which consumes 500kw of power every night.

Prior to the current dates, AC/DC last toured Australia and New Zealand in 2015 as part of the band's "Rock Or Bust" world tour. That trek sold more than 520,000 tickets across 11 dates, including shows in Auckland and Wellington.

AC/DC's nine-date Australian tour will include an additional dates in Perth on December 4 and December 8, before wrapping up in Brisbane on December 14 and December 18.

The "Power Up" tour shares its name with AC/DC's 2020 album, which debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA chart in Australia and 20 other countries around the globe. "Power Up" notably notched the band's third No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 and exploded as one of the best-selling albums of 2020 worldwide. It closed out the year on Rolling Stone's "Top 50 Albums Of 2020" and Consequence Of Sound's "Top 50 Albums Of 2020." Plus, it garnered Grammy Award nominations in the categories of "Best Rock Album', "Best Rock Performance" and "Best Music Video" for "Shot In The Dark".

In 2024, the "Power Up" tour kicked off in Europe with a staggering 1.7 million tickets sold in the first days of sales, eventually surpassing 2 million tickets sold across 24 shows. Earlier this year, AC/DC concluded 10 sold-out shows in North America and played 15 additional shows across Europe before returning to Australia.

AC/DC played its very first show on December 31, 1973 at Chequers Nightclub in Sydney, Australia. They are one of the most influential rock bands in history, with over 200 million albums sold worldwide. The band's "Back In Black" LP is the best-selling album by any band ever and the third best-selling album by any artist, with global sales of 50 million and counting.

AC/DC was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2003. The band continues selling out stadiums on multiple continents, selling millions of albums annually and generating streams in the billions.

The "Power Up" 2024 European tour marked AC/DC's first with the band's new touring lineup, consisting of longtime singer Brian Johnson, founding member and lead guitarist Angus Young, as well as rhythm guitarist Stevie Young (who officially joined the band in 2014, replacing his uncle Malcolm Young, who retired due to dementia),drummer Matt Laug (who joined in 2023, replacing longtime drummer Phil Rudd) and former JANE'S ADDICTION bassist Chris Chaney, who came on board in 2024 replacing longtime bassist Cliff Williams. Williams retired from AC/DC after the conclusion of the 2016 "Rock Or Bust" tour, although he did return to the fold briefly for the 2020 "Power Up" album and an appearance at Power Trip.

AC/DC's "Power Up" album came out in November 2020. The follow-up to 2014's "Rock Or Bust" was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked 2008's "Black Ice" and "Rock Or Bust".

AC/DC's current tour came nine years after Johnson bowed out of a 2016 run of shows due to a hearing condition.

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