Former MOTÖRHEAD and current SCORPIONS drummer Mikkey Dee is the featured guest on the latest episode of "Metal Sticks", the new podcast hosted by Nicko McBrain, the iconic drummer of IRON MAIDEN for 42 years, recently retired from touring, and Modern Drummer CEO David Frangioni. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about his working relationship with MOTÖRHEAD legend Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, Mikkey said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "There will never be another band like MOTÖRHEAD. There wasn't before, and it's never gonna be again, because there's so many ingredients that are so unique for that band. Let's start with Lemmy [himself]. His way of thinking, his way of living, his way of seeing the world reflects a lot in how this band was. I keep saying, if everybody was like Lem, we would never have a war, we would never run into this fucking political bullshit correctness, and everybody could take a joke and everybody could live life. And Lemmy was extremely intelligent, and that made him to what he was — a very simple, easygoing guy. He was never, ever a rock star. And the first thing he told me when I joined, he took me on my shoulders and said, 'You know what, Mikkey?! Good manners cost nothing. Remember that. But if you walk into a room and there's a fucking asshole in there, make sure you are the biggest asshole of them all.'"

Dee added: "[Lemmy] was extremely simple, which also made it very easy to work with [him] and also very hard, because you already knew what he was gonna say or think. And we were very much a democracy in MOTÖRHEAD, so it was not like Lemmy decided [everything by himself]. But in a way, of course, me and Phil [Campbell, MOTÖRHEAD guitarist], and earlier Würzel [former MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Michael Burston], of course it's Lemmy's band; it will never be anything else. And we automatically had to have Lemmy with us in decisions, of course. That's just common sense. But there was a few times where we actually had to walk across him or walk over him because he just made the wrong decision and we had to prove it for him. And we did. But it was such a great friendship and great democracy in this band that I don't think I will never, ever, ever experience anything like it."

Mikkey previously reflected on his friendship with Lemmy this past September in an interview with Get On The Bus. The veteran Swedish hard rock and heavy metal drummer, who landed the job as the drummer for SCORPIONS in 2016 after spending almost 25 years as a member of MOTÖRHEAD, said: "[Lemmy was] probably the most intelligent guy I know or [have] known. Here's a man that I describe as my father, my grandfather, my younger brother, even my younger sister sometimes. He was so simple and so easy to deal with because you already know, which made it hard and easy. And I have to explain that because… I was very much involved with the band — we all were equally involved — but if I had something, I had to go… I was maybe more involved with the business. Business came to me. I went to the boys, and the boys came to me, 'Oh, can you talk to' whatever? So I was kind of in the middle a little bit. And I asked Lemmy something, and I already [knew] exactly what he would say. It was frustrating sometimes because if I thought he was wrong, because he was so simple in a way and he wouldn't compromise himself or the music or MOTÖRHEAD, and that's why we were what we were. But sometimes it was frustrating. We thought that we were right — sometimes we were right, sometimes we were wrong."

He continued: "I'll give you an idea. Long story short, we were in U.S. in full recording [mode], and we got offered to fly to Argentina for one show, and it was a very, very important show because it would've given us some really great festivals. And we got offered X amount of money, and we tried to scale [our production] down. We were gonna have drums supplied down there, Marshall stacks, fly [with] as little as we could and not bring in the full crew from all over the world. And I came to Lemmy and Lemmy said, 'Absolutely no.' And I go, 'Oh, come on. We can't afford to fly all our shit, bring in the whole crew. We're gonna lose hundreds of thousands of dollars here.' And I was on him and on him, and he got irritated about this, and I gave him reasons why we should do this. And he just gave me one reason, and he said, 'What's the fucking point, Mikkey, to go to Argentina and be MOTÖRHEAD and not sound like MOTÖRHEAD?' And I go, 'You know what, Lem? You're totally right. Let's not do it.' He won that one."

Dee went on to say that he appreciated and respected Lemmy's "simplicity". He explained: "You've probably seen in documentaries how he lived. He lived very simple, very tight. He had a million things [at his home]. You couldn't even get into his… You had a little trail like that. You look at some of these hoarder people. Lemmy had cool stuff, but it was so much, you could barely walk in there. And I said, 'Lem, why don't you get a three-, four-bedroom house instead?' He goes, 'What's the point, Mikkey? You can only be in one room at a time anyway.' [Laughs] How do you beat these one-liners? He was fantastic there. Like what he said, 'If you think you're too old for rock and roll, then you are.' Simple, straight, no bullshit, and that made him who he was. And I keep saying if everybody was like Lem, we wouldn't have any wars, we wouldn't have all this political correctness, all this bullshit that's suffocating humanity today. He was in for the fun and for the real rock and roll."

Lemmy died on December 28, 2015 at the age of 70 shortly after learning he had been diagnosed with cancer.

MOTÖRHEAD had to cancel a number of shows in 2015 because of Lemmy's poor health, although the band did manage to complete the aforementioned European tour a couple of weeks before his death.

In June 2020, it was announced that Lemmy would get the biopic treatment. The upcoming film, "Lemmy", will be directed by Greg Olliver, who previously helmed the 2010 documentary of the same name, "Lemmy".

A custom-made urn containing Lemmy's ashes is on permanent display in a columbarium at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood, California.

Back in May 2021, Dee told the "Waste Some Time With Jason Green" video podcast that Lemmy refused to quit touring in the weeks leading up to his death, even when his health was clearly deteriorating.

"We played the last show the 11th of December [of 2015] in Berlin, and he passed just [two] weeks later," Mikkey recalled. "And that tells you, the guy died with his boots on. And both me and Phil [Campbell, MOTÖRHEAD guitarist] were trying to talk him out of starting the second part of the European tour after Christmas. But there was no way in hell we could do that. And I said to Phil, 'Look, instead of arguing with Lemmy or pushing him not to do this,' because we said maybe we should break for a couple of months for him to catch his wind, basically. I said, 'Let's not push him anyway. Let him decide what he wants to do. He knows best what he wants to do.' And he wanted to be on stage. So we said, 'Let's just support him instead,' and that's what we did. But we never made it to the second leg of that European tour, unfortunately. It was the U.K. that was on the next part of it, I remember that."

Asked if he knew when he came home to Sweden that it would probably be the end for Lemmy, Mikkey said: "No. Not at all. Because I talked to Lemmy after that show in Berlin. We were all gonna go separate ways, obviously. I was gonna just fly out to Sweden, and Phil went back home to Wales. Lemmy was flying back to L.A., but I believe he was gonna fly to London and stay one night or two or so and say hi to friends and then fly back home. And I spoke to him right after the show. I went down to Lemmy's dressing room, and I said, 'All right. Go back to L.A. and figure out, maybe, another two songs from [MOTÖRHEAD's final album] 'Bad Magic' that you think that we should do. And we take out the two songs that we already played on this leg, and we put in two new songs from the record.' And he said, 'Yeah. All right. I'll check that out.' And I said, 'Let's hook up after Christmas.' Because it was the 11th of December at that time, and I figured we'd talk between Christmas and New Year's Eve and decide which two songs that we agreed on on playing on that next leg. And he said, 'Yeah, I'll go back and work on that.' And that was it. He had no intention of not coming back to Europe and touring. So we did a little finger hook, as we always did, and that was the last time I saw him, actually. Very sad."

Dee went on to say that Lemmy had made some changes in his life to improve his health after dealing with several issues over the last few years of his life, including heart trouble. "But my personal belief is that it was maybe a little too late," he said. "He should have maybe changed a little earlier. But knowing Lemmy, he was not for that. He was doing it his way or the highway, basically. And that made him to what he was. He never compromised with his music, he never compromised with friendship, he never compromised with what way he was gonna go for anyone else in that way, which is why MOTÖRHEAD was MOTÖRHEAD, and still is MOTÖRHEAD. But with that said, of course, the three of us were talking a lot about stuff, and it was not like he was some kind of a boss here. But we all worked so good together, and that's what created the magic, I would say."

Running Wild’s classic albums, Death Or Glory and Blazon Stone, will be released as deluxe Picture-LPs (limited to 500 copies) on February 13, and are now available for pre-order via the following links:

– Hammerheart Records
– Napalm Records
– Hammerheart Records USA



Death Or Glory is the pinnacle of Running Wild’s career and one of the best heavy/power/speed metal albums ever made, the vocals, lyricism, drumming and guitar/bass playing here have no equal in their later or earlier efforts. It is a simply outstanding, passionate and epic project of legendary proportions, one of such albums that can be correctly labeled a “classic”.

Death Or Glory is best heard in full. As one 50-minute charge, it captures the spirit of true heavy meetal with few rivals. Some songs hit harder than others, but together they form a classic that still commands respect.



After the classic Death Or Glory, Running Wild decided to speed things up without sacrificing the melody of their two previous albums. The result was 1991’s Blazon Stone. It became their best-selling album to date, probably due to the critical success of Port Royal and Death Or Glory.

Running Wild rarely gets the recognition it deserves. What began as a band has become a focused force still burning with the spirit of its prime. Many creators change over time, and Running Wild is no exception. Few in metal history have delivered so many powerful albums across nearly a decade, a legacy that still commands respect.

Eight years after his last live show in the city, Steve “H” Hogarth returned to Rome. For the recording of SPQR, he, once again, was accompanied by Italian band RanestRane, who provided acoustic instrumentation with harp, mandolin, harmonium and tablas. For this show, reimagining Marillion classics and solo material through cinematic arrangements, they were also joined by the Flowing Chords choir.

Recorded on February 3, 2024, at Rome’s Sala Sinopoli, H said at the time, “It’s with great pleasure that I can announce a return to Rome on Saturday, 3 February 2024, to make another show – solo, and accompanied by local Romans, RanestRane, in an attempt to revisit the chemistry we had together last time in September 2015.” Furthermore, he states, “In England we have a saying ‘When in Rome… find yourself an amazing Italian band and gig with them.'”

Available for retail for the first time on 2CD+Blu-ray, SPQR offers the full concert experience, including songs such as “Thank You Whoever You Are,” “Afraid Of Sunlight,” “Estonia” and “Go!,” alongside renditions of The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love” or Leonard Cohen’s “Famous Blue Raincoat.” It’s a love letter to Rome and an unforgettable journey for fans everywhere.

It’s an intimate moment when Steve Hogarth delivers Leonard Cohen’s “Famous Blue Raincoat.” Stripped of all embellishment, Hogarth’s tender piano playing and deeply expressive vocals bring a new dimension to Cohen’s story of regret, longing, and quiet confession. Every note and lyric is infused with emotional nuance, creating a performance that is both haunting and profoundly personal.

Stream the single “Famous Blue Raincoat” here. A video can be found below.

Steve Hogarth is best known as the charismatic frontman and lyricist of legendary British band Marillion. Renowned for his expressive voice, poetic lyrics and emotional performances, Hogarth has helped shape the band’s evolution into one of the most enduring and respected acts in progressive rock.

Outside Marillion, Steve has carved out a rich solo career that allows him to explore music in a more personal, cinematic way. His solo releases and collaborations, including projects with Richard Barbieri and the Italian progressive band RanestRane, reveal his gift for storytelling and atmosphere, blending rock, classical, and ambient influences with emotional honesty. Hogarth is celebrated for his ability to connect deeply with audiences, whether on grand stages or in stripped-down, acoustic settings. His songwriting often examines love, loss, spirituality and human resilience, delivered through a voice that remains one of the most unique and emotive in modern rock.

Album formats:

– 2CD+Blu-Ray Digipak
– Digital Audio

Pre-order here.



SPQR tracklisting:

“Thank You Whoever You Are”
“Afraid Of Sunlight”
“White Paper”
“Famous Blue Raincoat”
“Cover My Eyes (Pain And Heaven)”
“Three Minute Boy / All You Need Is Love”
“The Deep Water”
“Sounds That Can’t Be Made”
“Waiting To Happen”
“Estonia”
“The Crow And The Nightingale”
“Nothing To Declare”
“Acid Rain”
“Go!”
“Man Of A Thousand Faces”
“Easter”

Music On Vinyl has announced the January 16, 2026 release of Deep Purple – Greatest Hits on limited edition gold vinyl.

Deep Purple – Greatest Hits

• Limited edition of 1,500 individually numbered copies on gold vinyl
• Deluxe 4LP slipcase with linnen laminate finish
• 180 gram audiophile vinyl
• Compilation of a wide range of live recordings and classics, including “Smoke On The Water” and “Child In Time”

Says Music On Vinyl: “The previous pressings of Deep Purple’s massive 4-LP Greatest Hits set sold out very quickly, and we’re bringing it back on limited edition gold vinyl.”

Further product details:

Deep Purple’s Greatest Hits, released in 2009, is a comprehensive compilation showcasing the legendary band’s most iconic tracks. Spanning their groundbreaking career, the album features classic live versions of hits like “Smoke On The Water,” “Highway Star,” “Child In Time,” and “Black Night,” offering a perfect introduction to Deep Purple’s influential sound. Known as pioneers of hard rock and heavy metal, the band’s virtuosic guitar solos, soaring vocals, and dynamic keyboard riffs shine throughout this collection. Greatest Hits captures the essence of Deep Purple’s heyday while celebrating their timeless appeal. It highlights the band’s ability to blend powerful rock energy with intricate musicianship, making them a cornerstone of the genre. For longtime fans and newcomers alike, this compilation is an essential addition to any rock music collection, solidifying Deep Purple’s legacy as one of the most influential bands in rock history.

To pre-order, head to musiconvinyl.com.



Tracklisting:

Side A
“Highway Star” (Live at Schleyer-Halle)
“The Cut Runs Deep”
“Vavoom: Ted The Mechanic”
“Ramshackle Man”
“A Castle Full Of Rascals”

Side B
“Perfect Strangers” (Live at Schleyer-Halle)
“Truth Hurts”
“Solitaire”
“Loosen My Strings”
“Anyone’s Daughter” (Live At The NEC)

Side C
“A Touch Away”
“Black Night” (Live at Schleyer-Halle)
“Nasty Piece Of Work”
“Slow Down Sister”

Side D
“Child In Time” (Live at Schleyer-Halle)
“Anya” (Live at Schleyer-Halle)

Side E
“Love Conquers All”
“Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming”
“Wicked Ways”
“The Purpendicular Waltz”

Side F
“Speed King” (Live at Schleyer-Halle)
“The Battle Rages On”
“King Of Dreams”
“Soon Forgotten”

Side G
“Knockin’ At Your Back Door” (Live At The NEC)
“Fire In Te Basement”
“Time To Kill”
“Cascades: I’m Not Your Lover”
“Fortuneteller”

Side H
“Lazy” (Live at Schleyer-Halle)
“Somebody Stole My Guitar”
“Hush” (Live At The NEC)
“Smoke On The Water” (Live At The NEC)

Australian hard rockers AIRBOURNE give fans — naughty and nice alike — a seasonal surprise with "Christmas Bonus", their spirited new single, unwrapped today.

Not only does the track contain a guitar solo cunningly constructed to unleash good cheer, even at a distance, but it also features references to the first "Die Hard" movie, surely the most explosive festive flick of them all.

AIRBOURNE frontman Joel O'Keeffe comments: "Christmas is a time to rock 'n' roll! I remember being a little kid, and I really didn't like carols at all — I thought they were annoying. I just wanted to listen to AC/DC and BLACK SABBATH. But then I got this new AC/DC record, 'The Razor's Edge', and there was this song, 'Mistress For Christmas'. I had no idea what it meant, but that's what I was playing for Christmas that year. Rockin' out at Christmas is one of the best times of the year to rock out — let's all headbang around the Christmas tree!"

Watch the NSFW animated music video for "Christmas Bonus" below.

"Christmas Bonus", alongside AIRBOURNE's recently released new single "Gutsy", were produced by Brian Howes, who worked with the band on 2013's "Black Dog Barking" album; engineering, meanwhile, was handled by Canadian studio legend Mike Fraser (AC/DC, AEROSMITH, RUSH, METALLICA),with Zakk Cervini (DAYSEEKER, BRING ME THE HORIZON, ARCHITECTS, Machine Gun Kelly) taking charge of the mix.

AIRBOURNE will return to Europe early next year, rockin' hard through the winter into spring.

The full list of announced 2026 AIRBOURNE live appearances is as follows: -

Jan. 30 - Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
Feb. 03 - Munich, Germany @ TonHalle
Feb. 05 - Klosterneuburg, Austria @ Raiffeisenbank
Feb. 07 - Berlin, Germany @ Columbiahalle
Feb. 09 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ Poolen
Feb. 10 - Oslo, Norway @ Sentrum Scene
Feb. 12 - Stockholm, Sweden @ B-K
Feb. 14 - Hamburg, Germany @ Georg Elser Halle
Feb. 16 - Utrecht, the Netherlands @ TivoliVredenburg
Feb. 17 - Luxembourg @ Luxexpo The Box
Feb. 20 - Cologne, Germany @ Palladium
Feb. 21 - Zenith Paris – Paris, France @ La Villette
Feb. 24 - Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy Birmingham
Feb. 25 - Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy
Feb. 28 - London, UK @ Roundhouse
Mar. 02 - Norwich, UK @ UEA (University of East Anglia)
Mar. 03 - Southampton, UK @ O2 Guildhall
Mar. 06 - Groningen, the Netherlands @ De Oosterpoort
Mar. 08 - Wiesbaden, Germany @ Schlachthof
Mar. 09 - Saarbrücken, Germany @ Garage
Mar. 11 - Lyon, France @ Transbordeur
Mar. 13 - Zürich, Switzerland @ Halle 662
Mar. 14 - Milan, Italy @ Alcatraz
Mar. 17 - Cenon, France @ Le Rocher de Palmer
Mar. 20 - Nîmes, France @ Paloma
Mar. 21 - Toulouse, France @ Interférence
Mar. 24 - Barcelona, Spain @ Razzmatazz
Mar. 25 - Madrid, Spain @ Sala La Riviera
Mar. 27 - Bilbao, Spain @ Sala Santana 27
Mar. 29 - Brussels, Belgium @ Ancienne Belgique

In a June 2025 interview with Louise Phillips of U.K.'s TotalRock, AIRBOURNE drummer Ryan O'Keeffe confirmed that the recording sessions for the band's sixth album were completed in April.

Asked by Phillips if AIRBOURNE has already decided on a title for the upcoming album, Ryan and his brother, Joel O'Keeffe, revealed that it would be called "Gutsy", which is also the title of the single AIRBOURNE released earlier in June.

"Gutsy" and "Christmas Bonus" feature AIRBOURNE's current lineup, consisting of Joel and Ryan, alongside longtime bassist Justin Street, and recent recruit Brett Tyrrell on rhythm guitar.

Tyrrell joined AIRBOURNE in 2022 as the replacement for Matthew Harrison, who stepped into the band in 2018 after the departure of founding member David Roads.

AIRBOURNE bassist Justin Street joined the band in 2004 as the replacement for Luke McKenzie.

AIRBOURNE is:

Joel O'Keeffe - Frontman/Lead Guitar
Ryan O'Keeffe - Drums
Justin Street - Bass
Brett Tyrrell - Rhythm Guitar

Photo credit: Andy Ford

According to a new social media post from ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante, the band has completed mixing its long-awaited follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" album.

The mixing sessions, as well as some of the recording sessions, took place at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Northridge, California.

ANTHRAX once again worked with producer Jay Ruston, who previously helmed "For All Kings" and 2011's "Worship Music" albums.

In a recent interview with Thomann's Guitars & Basses, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello stated about the band's next LP: "I think it's been almost 10 years since the last ANTHRAX record, which is insane. We all are very, very hungry, 'cause we're in mixing right now. The new ANTHRAX record, I'm proud to say, I'm very psyched about this, that it's mixing, and now we get to hear the whole thing of it. And just to hear them really come to life now after all that, and, really, the parts are all done. Everything's locked in. And to hear what they're gonna sound like for when people hear it, as a fan of the band, it's, like, 'Fuck yeah!' You get hungry and you're ready and you know you have the goods. So we're pretty psyched."

Elaborating on the enthusiasm he and his ANTHRAX bandmates feel about releasing a new album more than 40 years into the group's career, Frank said: "You know what it is, man? I think you never stop being a fan. Never stop being a fan, because that's where the gut is. It comes from your gut, and you are hungry. I'm an ANTHRAX fan, so I wanna hear the best of the best. What do we have? When you hear a bad riff, it's out. Something's gotta work and it's gotta be good enough for us. That's why we know if it's good enough for us, everybody will like it. And that's the way we've always worked."

Bello also talked in more detail about the ANTHRAX songwriting process, explaining: "It's all [about exchanging] demos at this point. It's all digital stuff, so we send each other stuff. Charlie's in Chicago, Scott's [Ian, ANTHRAX guitarist] in L.A., I'm in New York. So imagine traveling like that. The three of us get together after we have a collection that we think are strong enough, and we'll bat them down and really put 'em together and make sure they work."

This past July, Benante told the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast that he and his ANTHRAX bandmates would "release a song at the end of this year, to give people a taste of what's to come. I just finished the album cover, and that is fucking trippy as hell," he said. "I designed it with this artist, who is killer. You know David Blaine, the magician. He did a six-part series recently [National Geographic's 'Do Not Attempt'], and Mark [Stutzman], the artist, he did a lot of the conceptual art for it.

"It's so weird how things happen to me," Charlie continued. "It's, like, I was looking for an artist and I'm watching this David Blaine documentary, and there's this art, which is exactly what I wanted. And I contacted him, and he loved the idea and he was a fan. So it's so crazy how things just turn out that way. So I'm really happy about that."

Earlier in July, Bello told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the progress of the recording sessions for ANTHRAX's new album: "The record's done. It's going into mixing now. Look, I know it's a long time coming, and thank you to the fans that are listening right now, and I know it's been a while. But between COVID, side projects, everything, we've all had different lives, and everybody's very much into what we're doing now with ANTHRAX. So, you'll be hearing something before the end of the year, for sure."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk if that means that ANTHRAX fans will at least get a new song before the end of 2025, Frank said: "That is the plan, Eddie. That is the plan. 'Cause nobody puts out records right away — just a song and then a song, and you tease it out."

Elaborating on the musical direction of the new ANTHRAX material, Frank said: "I can't say the title [of the album yet], but what I can say is people who have liked the last two records, and there's been a lot of you, and thank you for that, I think we took another step from that. And this isn't just a salesmanship thing. I am, as a fan, really proud of the band stepping up like this — musicianship, songwriting. Joey's [Belladonna] vocals — I'm not even joking when I say this about Belladonna, it's one of the best singing he's done on an ANTHRAX record. I'm not even joking with that. So, we made sure the melodies, everything is right with this record. We're ready to go. It's been a long time, but I think we have the goods. I'm really proud of it, and I can't wait to play this stuff. It's gonna be a little challenging, definitely, but I'm looking forward to getting out there again."

Asked if 2026 has been "carved out" as the year when everyone in ANTHRAX will focus on touring with the band in support of the upcoming album, Frank said: "That is carved out, from my manager Mike Monterulo, straight from his mouth. We're concentrating specifically on ANTHRAX. Look, there may be shows here and there for other projects and that's fine when we're off, but it's absolutely focused on ANTHRAX and the record and getting it out there and really making people hear the stuff."

Earlier in July, Belladonna told Chicago's Rebel Radio 92.5 FM as part of the station's 31st-anniversary celebration that he had "finished the vocals" for ANTHRAX's upcoming album. "I'm really happy with what I've done," he said. "And the band sounds great on the record. And as far as I know right now, we're still finishing up a few things. We're not even mixing yet, so at this point I'd be just speculating [about a possible release date]. Obviously, things are going in the right form and the timing is right. So, all good. I'm happy. You're gonna love it."

In September 2024, Ian told Jon Wiederhorn of Guitar World magazine that he and hisANTHRAX bandmates hoped to finally release their new album in 2025.

"We're taking our time and not rushing anything because we want it to be exactly how we want it," Ian said. "We're not in a place in our lives anymore where we could have dropped everything and said, 'All right, we've got two months of studio time. Let's finish writing and then get in there and record it all and do the vocals. Mix, master and we're done — like in the old days.' We have families and commitments now, so it can't work that way anymore and hasn't in a long time."

Regarding the musical direction of the new ANTHRAX material, Ian said: "There are crushing riffs and great, hooky choruses. Even some of the thrashiest songs have great choruses. We're always looking for the hook, and I think we've accomplished that."

He added: "With the songs we've written, we'd be able to put together a nine- or 10-song record that would be thrashier than anything we've done in a long time. But there would also be a way to make it a very different kind of album depending on which songs we choose. And I can tell you, I know which way I'm leaning. And I think we're all on the same page. We want this record to punch people in the face. And then we can use the bonus tracks for other things, but in the context of the record, I really want it to hit hard."

As for his expectations for the new ANTHRAX album, Scott said: "I'd like to think this record will be a slew of songs that people are going to be very excited about hearing live for the next few years. I generally feel the riffs, the grooves and the breakdowns – we used to call them mosh parts in the old days — I think they're gonna connect with our fans. And a lot of these songs are tailor-made for our live show, so I hope we'll be playing them for a long time."

In August 2024, Benante told Metal Hammer magazine about ANTHRAX's upcoming LP: "There's a song which has the same kind of epic feel as 'In The End' [from 2011's 'Worship Music'] and 'Blood Eagle Wings' [from 'For All Kings']. It revolves around the journey we've been on in the band. And there are three songs that don't sound like anything we've done before. One called 'The Edge Of Perfection' I had way before COVID, and it has just stayed with me — the melody and the chords, but also the aggression."

In January 2024, Bello told Rodney McG about the long delay in getting new ANTHRAX music out: "There wasn't a rush, obviously. I know it's been eight years since our last record, but we wanna make sure it's right, and it is [right]. We are very confident. I'm not worried about how right it is. It's right on exactly where I think, and the rest of the band think, we need to be. I love that it's more complicated for me to play. I love the challenge of that. I think we stepped it up a little bit, the heaviness. Again, everybody's gonna prop their record. Doing this for so long, this is how I feel.

"I don't wanna get complacent," he continued. "I want the challenge, 'cause I'm a fan. I'm a fan, and it has to stimulate me. And it has to get me going on stage."

As for the musical direction of the new ANTHRAX material, Bello said: "On this record, there's stuff that we've never done before. I'm just saying right out — there's stuff, in a heavy way, which I'm very proud of. I like that we went that way with it and just went, 'What the fuck was that?' Some of the things that Charlie Benante does on drums, Scott and I were just, 'What the fuck was that?' And that's great, 'cause you wanna raise your game after that. I think it makes everybody step up a little bit. I'm doing some bass stuff that I had some fun with on this that I would never have done. I think there's a lot of cool stuff that's going on vocally, melody-wise. I'm really happy where the next ANTHRAX record is going."

In October 2023, Ian told "THAT Rocks!" that he and his ANTHRAX bandmates had "only really been working on" their new LP "for a year-ish, I would say… But then once lockdown and all that stuff happened, we just all walked away; nothing creative was happening at all with us through that whole period," he explained. "And then, slowly but surely, when we started playing shows again in '21 and going into '22, that's when we started working again, really. And then in the last year, we really started to put stuff together and Charlie and Frankie and I getting together and having writing sessions and arranging stuff."

In September 2023, Belladonna was asked by Tulsa Music Stream if he is typically presented with finished lyrics to sing or if he gets to contribute a lot lyrically to the content. Joey said: "I love doing lyrics, but there's a lot of lyrics that Scott — he just loves to do it. It's his thing. He just digs into such — these topics that he likes to go and get into, and we all kind of have our own little thoughts on the songs. But I get in there and I really kind of — I dig into the whole thing a lot further. There's a lot of stuff that I have to… When you start singing on something, you really have to find the pockets of what you wanna do, what kind of tone I wanna throw on it and how I wanna go for a certain range for certain things and how I approach it is very important. There are lyrics, but at the end of the day, I have to go in there and still sing as good and catchy and appropriate as I can to make this stuff my thing, my style. Obviously, we're not the hit-oriented type of thing, but I'm always going for something cool to catch you off guard and neat and different. I have my own style, so I just kind of do my thing."

During an August 2023 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Ian said about the musical direction of the new ANTHRAX material: "Certainly of the nine [songs] we've tracked so far, from a riff point of view, it's definitely — I mean it's riffs with all capital letters. Like if you were going to write, you would write 'riffs' in all capitals with an exclamation point. The riffs are killer. It's very riff-centric. There's a lot of faster uptempo material, certainly."

Ian added: "I will say there is a song — I won't say any titles yet, 'cause it's still probably a working title — there's definitely one song, it's the fastest thing we've ever done. There's another song that we haven't recorded yet that's also in the vein, more of a 'Gung-Ho' or a 'Caught In A Mosh'. Because Charlie and I talk all the time. I said, 'We still need something that's like a three-and-a-half-minute just ripper. You know, something like that.' And then we come up with something like that and I'm, like, 'Hey, I forgot I'm 60 now, and now I have to play this song for the next three years.' Just make my life harder."

Earlier in 2023, Benante was asked by Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules why it has taken so long for ANTHRAX to complete the writing process for a new LP. Charlie said: "If we didn't get hit with this whole global pandemic thing, it would have been out probably two years ago, three years ago. But we all know what happened. But now, being that some of the songs were [written] before the pandemic hit, they're old to me. So now there's a bunch of new songs that kind of came in the mix. So that's a good thing. You can never have enough… We're still working on the older ones because we really like a lot of those."

ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a number of special activities and events. Formed by Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Active over the past five decades, ANTHRAX has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple gold and platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with the "Big Four".

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

YES keyboard legend Rick Wakeman says that he is "doing really well" after undergoing "corrective" brain surgery last week to address some of the "health issues" that forced the postponement of his 2025 U.S. tour.

In a message posted to his official web site, Wakeman wrote: "As many of you may be aware, a few months ago I had to reschedule my American tour because of health issues as I was diagnosed with the neurological disorder 'normal pressure hydrocephalus' and following hospitalised operational tests in September, I had the necessary corrective 'shunt' brain surgery last week which I am pleased to say was very successful and I am now recuperating at home being cared for by my lovely wife and our wonderful furry healing animals!

"I have to take things easy for a while but have been told by my surgeon that I will be perfectly fine to travel to America for the tour with my son Oliver in March and will be fine for all future engagements after that — and I will also be fine for the 2 Saving Strays charity concerts in Norwich and Ipswich on December 19th and 20th.

"I am also pleased to say that it doesn't seem to have affected my piano playing in any way as I still seem to be very capable of hitting the odd wrong note here and there when I lose my concentration!! Once again, I'd like to thank everybody who wished me well over the last few months for a speedy recovery as it really did mean a lot to me.

"Thanks again… Rick".

Earlier today (Monday, November 24),Wakeman took to his account on X (formerly Twitter) to write: "a big thank you for all the lovely messages ..... I'm doing really well and driving my lovely wife nuts !!!"

Wakeman's rescheduled U.S. tour will kick off in March 2026, and will feature him performing with his son, and fellow keyboardist, Oliver. The trek, dubbed "Wakeman & Son", will mark the first time that Rick has toured with Oliver. Rick and Oliver "will be performing music which ranges from their joint musical heritage to their latest recordings."

Rick said in a statement: "It's always an honor for me to share the stage with one of my wonderful children, and for the first time, it's a thrill to be actually doing a tour with my eldest son Oliver. I know it will be very special — especially if, on the odd occasion, he buys me dinner!!"

The 13-date "Wakeman & Son" tour will launch March 11, 2026 in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and will run through a March 29 concert in Red Bank, New Jersey.

Rick first started establishing a reputation as one of rock's most original and proficient keyboard players in the late '60s, when he worked with the likes of David Bowie, Cat Stevens, Marc Bolan, Lou Reed, Al Stewart, Elton John and other artists too numerous to mention, as a much-in-demand session player. He stepped out of the recording studio and into the limelight when he first joined THE STRAWBS and then YES, helping to make the latter the most successful progressive rock band in the world by contributing to seminal albums such as "Fragile" and "Close To The Edge".

But outside of YES, Rick was really able to unleash his creativity with a series of groundbreaking concept albums, "The Six Wives Of Henry VIII", "Journey To The Centre Of The Earth" and "The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table", which have been performed in large-scale shows featuring bands, orchestras and choirs.

However, he is equally at home as a solo artist in up close environment of concert halls, performing music on a piano — both his own and tunes that have a special resonance for him — and recounting wickedly funny stories taken from the length of his career. In recent years, he has added a rack of electric keyboards to ring the changes and enable him to enlarge his live solo repertoire.

Wakeman has reportedly played on more than 2,000 records, including such classics as Cat Stevens's "Morning Has Broken" and David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and "Life On Mars".
a big thank you for all the lovely messages ..... I'm doing really well and driving my lovely wife nuts !!!

— Rick Wakeman CBE (@GrumpyOldRick) November 24, 2025

Guitarist/vocalist Joseph Duplantier of French progressive metallers GOJIRA has revealed that he recently underwent "minor surgery" on his right hand, rendering him unable to play guitar on the band's upcoming tour of France. 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 trek, which is scheduled to kick off on November 27 in Reims and conclude on December 12 in Strasbourg.

Earlier today, Joseph 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."

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BLACKMORE'S NIGHT, the renaissance-inspired rock band formed by Ritchie Blackmore and his wife Candice Night, recently postponed the last four shows on its six-date tour of the U.S. East Coast. The concerts at Newton Theater in Newton, New Jersey on Saturday, November 15, The Queen in Wilmington, Delaware on Thursday, November 20, Cohoes Music Hall in Cohoes, New York on Sunday, November 23 and Tarrytown Music Hall in Tarrytown, New York on Saturday, November 29 were called off "due to medical reasons".

Earlier today (Sunday, November 23),Ritchie released the following statement explaining his reasons for having to postpone the shows: "Very quick history, for those who have nothing better to do: I have a long history of lumbar and neck herniated discs. Consequently, I would have back injections before a tour to help me over the pain. Recently, I have acquired debilitating migraines. They come and go very quickly. When I see the visual disturbance of these ocular migraines, I know they are coming.

"When we did the long drive from Pennsylvania to Newton NJ we were booked into a hotel that had a wedding party going all night in the corridors. There was no heat in the room and the sheets were still damp. Which I assume culminated in me having a severe migraine attack. I couldn't stop vomiting. The room wouldn't stop spinning and I was extremely dizzy to the point of not being able to stand. Ambulance was called. I was taken to hospital and they gave me CAT scans and other tests. They were very gracious. The doctors came to the conclusion that my official diagnosis was severe vertigo. The results of this went on for days on end. I am now following up how serious these migraines are with various doctors.

"When one tours, you have a lot of people who have to be healthy. Unfortunately, I was the one who got hit this time.

"Hope to see you all one day again when I'm healthy.

"All the best, Ritchie, a guitarist".

In a recent interview with the Iron City Rocks podcast, Candice, who has been married to Ritchie for 17 years but has been together with the legendary DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW guitarist for 36, discussed the health status of her husband and BLACKMORE'S NIGHT bandmate. The conversation took place while Night was promoting her new solo album, "Sea Glass". Asked about the possibility of BLACKMORE'S NIGHT returning to the road in the coming months, Candice said: "One of the things that's so great about Ritchie is he can recognize — he's very in tune with his own body, and he stays on top of everything. Thank goodness. And when he doesn't, I nag him to stay on top of it, which he hates, but at least somebody's doing it — you know, like eating well and things like that.

"There's the three main issues with him that are going on," she explained. "He has a heart issue. He had a heart attack a couple of years ago, so we stay on top of that. He's got gout, so that's difficult. It's affecting his feet really badly. And it's starting in his forefinger, so it's hurting the mobility in that, so he just had an injection for that. And his back, of course, which has always been an issue. He hasn't taken any back injections since he had the heart issue. So everything kind of is working together. So, it's hard — it is hard for him. But he's at the point now where — he's very smart when it comes to things like that."

Elaborating on what makes touring so challenging for someone like Ritchie at this point in his life, Candice said: "It's not so much the travel on a plane. Honestly, it's the aggravation before you even get into the plane and after you get into the plane and it's all the sitting of traveling. So that'll affect his back and all the rest of it. And the jet lag that stresses your heart. All of these things. Waiting on those lines when you have to get to JFK [New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport] and you have to go transatlantic, and then coming off and going back through the security lines and the customs lines and all the rest of that stuff, and all of that stuff, it really does take a toll on a human — on a healthy human, so forget about someone who's 80 years old and going through these issues. But he did just say to me yesterday, which I wait for his… With Ritchie, if you try to pressure him to do something, he instantly says no. He's like a teenager. And so now I've got three of them. But learning how to deal with that a little bit better. So I wait for him to come to the realization, or I drop little seeds here and there and try to wait for him to be ready to talk about it. And he did just say, 'What about doing some BLACKMORE'S NIGHT dates in the fall?' So, of course, I got greatly excited about that. So now I've gotta contact the agent. But he would rather do places that he can drive to. He takes the night off the next day. Gone are the days where you do five shows in a row, including travel. That's just way too much. For anybody, it's difficult to do that. And we don't have a tour bus and we don't have private planes. If we go someplace, I'm driving. So it's like a mini road trip, but not really because we have to just get to the place, rest that night. Hopefully it's close enough to the venue. You get to the venue, you go back, you get a good night's sleep that night. Hopefully they're not doing construction or maintenance in the hotel or the maids don't wake you up at seven o'clock in the morning. and then you move on to the next place and have a day of travel. So it's a very slowed down way of doing it. But honestly, I'd much rather take something than nothing at all."

Earlier this year, Candice confirmed to Eonmusic that Ritchie had a heart attack in 2023 which resulted in six stents being implanted. "He's still got his back problem that he's had, so travel is difficult for him because of all that sitting," she explained. "And standing on stage, even standing with the guitar is tricky, although I do see a lot of people even younger than him at this point in the industry, showing up in wheelchairs. I don't think he wants to be thought of like that or remembered like that. I think it's great that people still get to see those people; I would still go hear them, just to be under the same roof and hear what they sound like, but we'll see. Maybe if we can get some of these medical issues under control, maybe I can get him back on a plane, but as for right now, they actually warned him a couple days ago not to fly. So, who knows? You know, put positive energy, out there in the universe, and]hope that maybe we can get him back on there."

Coronary stents are primarily used to treat coronary artery disease, a condition where plaque buildup narrows or blocks the arteries supplying blood to the heart. By inserting stents for the heart, doctors can effectively restore blood flow and alleviate symptoms.

BLACKMORE'S NIGHT plays "Renaissance music," or "medieval music," with most of the tunes featuring lyrics conjured by Night and melodies crafted by Blackmore.

Ritchie, Candice and their two children reside on Long Island, New York, near Port Jefferson.

Blackmore is a co-founder of DEEP PURPLE and wrote many of their most memorable riffs, including "Smoke On The Water", but he has not played with the group since his 1993 departure.

DEEP PURPLE drummer Ian Paice said in a 2017 interview that there was "no point" for the band to consider a reunion with Blackmore, explaining that he wouldn't be able to guarantee that every day with the notoriously moody guitarist would be fun.

Blackmore is a co-founder of DEEP PURPLE and wrote many of their most memorable riffs, including "Smoke On The Water", but he has not played with the group since his 1993 departure.

During his time away from PURPLE, Blackmore established the neo-classical band called RAINBOW, which fused baroque music influences elements with hard rock before gradually progressing to catchy pop-style hard rock.

Blackmore stepped away from his Renaissance-inspired brand of music with BLACKMORE'S NIGHT in 2016 to perform a handful of shows with a brand-new lineup of RAINBOW.

In addition to Blackmore and Night (backing vocals),the most recent incarnation of RAINBOW included singer Ronnie Romero, STRATOVARIUS keyboardist Jens Johansson, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT drummer David Keith, bassist Bob Nouveau (a.k.a. Robert "Bob" Curiano, ex-BLACKMORE'S NIGHT) and backing singer Lady Lynn.

The two shows RAINBOW played in Germany in June 2016 were caught on camera to produce "Memories In Rock - Live In Germany", which was released in November 2016 via Eagle Rock Entertainment on DVD+2CD, Blu-ray+2CD, and digital formats.

After Ritchie left DEEP PURPLE for the final time in 1993, he reformed RAINBOW for one album (1995's "Stranger In Us All") and one tour, ending things in Denmark in 1997.

Blackmore didn't join his former DEEP PURPLE bandmates at the group's 2016 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony.

Blackmore previously suggested that PURPLE's manager had blocked him from attending the Rock Hall induction ceremony, and he used that as an excuse for not attending the event.

Despite Blackmore being a no-show at Rock Hall, he was given several shoutouts during the induction speeches of the DEEP PURPLE members in attendance. In addition, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich, who inducted DEEP PURPLE into the institution, praised "Ritchie fucking Blackmore" for one of the most memorable guitar riffs of all time on "Smoke On The Water".

Ritchie would like to explain his reason for having to postpone the recent shows. "Very quick history, for those who...

Posted by Ritchie Blackmore Official Site on Sunday, November 23, 2025

On Tuesday (November 18),KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley was asked by a TMZ photographer in Beverly Hills, California about the possibility of him and his bandmates releasing new music in the not-too-distant future. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's possible. It's possible. Life's full of surprises."

Asked "what kind of vibe" the new KISS music would be if he and the rest of KISS decided to write and record something, Paul said: "I think we'd probably go for something that's classic, but everything has to have a beat. You gotta be able to dance to it, but it should still be rock."

As for the lyrical inspiration for hypothetical new KISS material, Stanley said: "Freedom, self-empowerment, enjoying life. That doesn't change. It doesn't matter how old you are. You're supposed to enjoy your life, you're supposed to do things your way. That's timeless. That's rock and roll."

On November 16, during a question-and-answer session at the "KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas" event held at the Virgin Hotels resort and casino complex in Las Vegas, Stanley said that "there may be some [KISS] music in the works. We like to tell you what we're doing, the things that are planned," he explained. "The problem is that so much of what we may bring up never comes to fruition, [but] music, yeah, that looks pretty damn… more than possible. Probable. I'm not going to give you any hints, but I only write when there's a project — and I've been writing."

KISS hasn't issued a full-length disc of new music since 2012's "Monster", which sold 56,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous LP, "Sonic Boom", opened with 108,000 units back in October 2009 to enter the chart at No. 2. It was KISS's highest-charting LP ever.

Four years ago, Stanley was far more non-committal about the prospect of new KISS music, saying during a question-and-answer session on the 2021 Kiss Kruise: "Why would we need a new KISS album? Any big classic band with a history, you go, 'Oh, put out a new album.' You know, if THE [ROLLING] STONES put out a new album, you go, 'Oh, that's great. Play 'Brown Sugar'.' … Yeah, maybe not now," apparently referencing the fact that THE ROLLING STONES recently retired one of their most popular songs due to lyrics that depict the horrors of slavery. "But the same is true for us. You can have great songs on the more recent albums, but people then go, 'Great. Play 'Love Gun'.'

"The reality is you really love the old songs, and nobody is going to embrace new material, no matter how good it is, like you do the past, because those songs are part — those are like snapshots from your past, and you're connected to them in a way new material never could be," he explained. We're happy going out and playing. That's where we live; that's our turf, is the stage."

Paul's comments during the November 2021 Kiss Kruise echoed those he made in March 2021 when he told USA Today in an interview that he didn't really see a "reason" for KISS to make any new music. "For the most part, when classic bands put out new albums, they're looked at and listened to and thrown away because they don't have the gravitas, they don't have the age that comes with something being a time capsule or being attached to a certain period of your life," he said. "I'm not alone in that. When you see any classic bands on TV or if there's a concert video, turn off the sound and I'll tell you every time they're playing a new song because the audience sits down.

"So it's odd to me that people always want you to do a new album, but then they go, 'That's great. Now play your hits.' So honestly, at this point, there isn't a real reward in it. There's much more of a reward in changing lanes — I'm still going forward. But in terms of recording more KISS material, I kind of go, 'Why?' I thought 'Modern Day Delilah' or 'Hell Or Hallelujah' were as good as anything I've written and as good as anything we recorded, but understandably, it's like new wine. It just hasn't aged. So I'd rather not try to roll a stone up the hill."

Paul had previously expressed uncertainty about the idea of making another KISS album in a number of other interviews a few years ago, telling the "Loudwire Podcast": "If we're going to do an album, it would be because we want to do an album, not because of sales. I think we're living in a time, obviously, now where albums don't sell what they once did, so you either do it because it's a creative outlet and because it satisfies something in you, or not. If you're doing it purely for sales, then you're probably doing it for the wrong reason."

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons had agreed with his bandmate, saying a while back in an interview that he was "not incentivized" to release another KISS disc unless there are some major changes in the way music is consumed. He said: "The idea that you work your ass off and then someone with freckles on their face decides they want to download your music and file share — that's not what I work for. How'd you like to be a plumber, come over somebody's house and work all day to fix their plumbing and then when it's time to get paid, they say, 'No, I just wanted to say thank you.' No."

Two years after the completion of their five-year, 250-date "End Of The Road" farewell tour with two shows at New York City's Madison Square Garden, KISS returned to the stage at their "KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas" event, which was held at the Virgin Hotels resort and casino complex in Las Vegas. After an hourlong acoustic performance on November 14, the band played an 85-minute set — their first "unmasked" electric concert on land in 30 years — the following night, where they were joined by former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick on two songs ("Lick It Up" and "Rock And Roll All Nite").

In a new interview with the Podioslave Podcast, Kevin Palmer (guitar, vocals) and Josh Moates (bass) of the reunited TRUST COMPANY spoke about the possibility of a follow-up to the band's last album, "Dreaming In Black And White", which came out in 2011. Kevin said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, we've been writing. The goal for us is new music. It's been an amazing process getting back in the band room again and just hanging out and writing. It feels like the old days, because we're just sitting there just writing music. The problem has been that since our schedules are so much tighter than they used to be, we don't get to get in there as much as we want to. So once a week, and then if somebody's got something going on that turns into, we can only get together two times this month or three times this month. So it's been a slower process, but it has been a fun process."

Kevin continued: "We've got — I don't know — five songs, maybe. Here's the crazy thing too: we've been having this conversation of, like, how do we release music now? Back in the day there wasn't Spotify and all this stuff. We just put an album out. Do you do singles? Do you do it on an EP? But we grew up in this world of albums, since we really wanna release an album. So we're kind of going down that rabbit hole now. How do you release? How many do we release? But the writing process has been so much fun for us."

Added Josh: "And it's so different now, because I'm not an engineer by any means whatsoever, but I do have a universal audio recording little setup that has like four inputs, so I can record the drums and then Kevin can overlay the guitars and stuff and I can take it home and do bass. So we can actually hear, for the first time in our entire life, a really pretty decent demo of what it could sound like, whereas before we would — I don't know — record on … a little tape machine and try to do that. But now we can actually hear what it maybe would sound like in a studio — obviously, way worse, but he actually could hear it and piece it together and I can now write bass parts after the vocals and so I'm not stepping on his vocals and Jason [Singleton, drums] could do drum parts that aren't interfering, whatever it is. It's such a different experience now, 'cause we can actually demo in our band room at no cost. And that's been really fun to layer stuff. And we didn't have that before, and now we get to do that. So that's exciting to me, is that part of it too."

As for a possible release date for the new TRUST COMPANY music, Kevin said: "The goal for us is to put something out hopefully early next year. Definitely next year, but hopefully early."

Regarding the musical direction of the new TRUST COMPANY material, Josh: "We don't have labels. We don't have to answer to anybody, so we could do whatever. Obviously, with the safety net of who we are as a band. We're not trying to be something we're not; we're just trying to do what we've always done. The songs do sound a little different than [TRUST COMPANY's debut album, 2002's] '[The] Lonely Position [Of Neutral]', but that's just how it is. But we write the same way and we're not trying to do anything outside of what we do. But it's heavy. There's some heavy stuff. I'm really excited about what we have so far. I got to hear some of the vocal stuff, and I'm really excited about it. So it's not just, like, 'Well, let's just put something out.' We've been working really diligently. There's a lot of cool stuff. I'm really excited."

A defining album for TRUST COMPANY and the greater scope of rock music, "The Lonely Position Of Neutral" is a must-have record in the collection of any die-hard 2000s rock music fan who wants to hold a piece of history in their hands. It is the band's most successful release to date, and was certified gold with over half a million copies sold.

The album was originally released on July 22, 2002, and after 23 years, Smartpunk Records has exclusively teamed up with the band for a special vinyl release of 2,000 total pressings, 500 of which are Smartpunk exclusive. This is the first time the album is on vinyl, and it is available for purchase online now.

Palmer commented: "It's wild to think that 23 years after its release, 'The Lonely Position Of Neutral' is finally available on vinyl. This record changed our lives, and we’re beyond thankful that it continues to connect with people all these years later."

The original lineup of TRUST COMPANY first reunited for a performance at the 2023 Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Alton, Virginia. During the performance, Palmer told the crowd that it was the first time the band played in front of an audience in 12 years and the group's first appearance with the original lineup in 17 years.

Formed in 1997 in Montgomery, Alabama, TRUST COMPANY has seen the many peaks and valleys of the music business. Previously signed to Geffen Records, the band has sold over 700,000 albums with hit singles such as "Downfall" in 2002 and "Stronger" in 2005. Extensive airplay on MTV for "Downfall" and continuous touring with bands like KORN, PAPA ROACH and DISTURBED earned the band an especially rabid following.

In 2005 the band went on hiatus. "It just stopped being exciting. We had to get away from the big machine for a while," said Singleton. After a few years, time had finally allowed the band to fall back in love with the reason they played music in the first place.

"When we finally got back together [in 2007] — which just started with an email asking if we wanted to jam — we let our wounds heal," said Palmer. "It had us focus on the music without any expectations. We started having fun again, and that was all the expectation we wanted. We played for ourselves. It was the same feeling that it was back in the good old days."

TRUST COMPANY carried out a small U.S. tour at the end of 2010 to promote the "Heart In My Hands" single from the band's third studio album, "Dreaming In Black And White", which came out in March 2011. In December 2010, the band released the music video for "Heart In My Hands" featuring Rachel Bolan of SKID ROW. The band went on a two-month tour with DROWNING POOL in promotion of the album.

Press photo courtesy of Atom Splitter PR

In a new interview with Robert Edwards of Talkin' Bout Rock, Don Dokken spoke about the possibility of making a new EP with some of the other members of the classic DOKKEN lineup, including guitarist George Lynch and bassist Jeff Pilson. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, we talked about it, 'cause [George] comes on the road [when we play gigs with the current DOKKEN lineup] and he plays [on the same bill] with … [LYNCH] MOB. So I said, 'Look, if you wanna do an EP,' it'd be up to them to do it."

Referencing the complications from his November 2019 neck and spinal surgery which rendered his right arm nearly paralyzed, Don continued: "I can't play guitar anymore, which is one of my biggest bummers, because if you see my hand, [the left hand is] fine; [the right] one doesn't move. That's all I got. So I can't play guitar anymore. It was a botched spinal surgery, and the doctor was a butcher. And so it was just one bad calamity after the other. So I said, 'Well, we'll keep going.' I can still sing."

Addressing his previous comment from an spring 2025 interview in which he said that would play his final DOKKEN concert "probably within the year", Don said: "I don't know what retirement means. When I say I'm thinking about retiring, kind of what I meant was we're gonna slow down. We don't wanna do 250 shows a year. You get older and you have other interests. You wanna be home, you wanna enjoy your career, all the success you had. You wanna be home in the garden and working and building things and stuff like that, and renovating the house. And you don't wanna live on a tour bus, 'cause we're older now… A lot of bands — KISS, I can name… There's a plethora of bands that are saying, 'All right, we had a good ride, we had fun, we were famous. Let the youngsters come in and take over.' I just saw that [David Coverdale was retiring]. David Lee Roth, he kind of comes and goes. You've got Coverdale. I mean, look, the list is endless. I think I talked to [WINGER's] Kip Winger. He's doing an orchestra album. He's gonna retire. George Lynch says he's gonna retire. But you know that stupid saying, you never say never, right? I mean, if we get a big festival in Europe, like Wacken [Open Air] or Sweden Rock or a big festival, we'll probably go do 'em. But it's different now. When you're 27 years old, you go on the road 'cause you have to. Otherwise you come home and your electricity's off. You go, 'Damn it, I didn't pay the electric bill.'"

Circling back to the possibility of playing more shows with Lynch as well as the likelihood of a new EP featuring the classic DOKKEN lineup, Don said: "Yeah, it's fun [to share the stage with George]. And George and I, we get along. And people like to see him up there play a couple of DOKKEN songs. But you get older and it becomes harder and harder to play. And then you come home and you wanna rest for a couple days. But to go on tour now costs a fortune. Gas is tripled in price. Bus rentals are tripled in price. Hotels are tripled in price. It's kind of a negative return. Now when we play, it's kind of just for fun. I've done a hundred shows this year so far. That's a lot of shows, for me. So we've done a hundred. And we have another one in two days. And I said, 'Let's take a break for the holidays.' So we are — we're gonna take a break for the holidays. But I wouldn't say retire. If those guys wanna get together and write me some music, I'd write the lyrics and sing it. And I'll participate like I always did. So that's where we're at now."

This past April, Don elaborated on his announcement that the band's latest album, 2023's "Heaven Comes Down", would likely be DOKKEN's final studio effort. He told Cassius Morris: "I feel after 50 years and 13 records, I figure I've written enough music. I'm okay with it… [But] never say never. Maybe [former DOKKEN guitarist] George Lynch and I will get together and write an EP… George and I did talk about it briefly, and I said I don't think I have the energy in me spiritually to knock out a whole record. That's a lot of work. But I said we might wanna do four or five [songs]. We did a new song eight years ago. It was called '[It's] Just Another Day'. That was [recorded by] all original [DOKKEN] members. We went to Japan [and played a few shows with that lineup], and that was an experiment to see how we got along and all that. And that was a cool video."

The 72-year-old Don, who has been open about how his neck and spinal surgery affected the making of "Heaven Comes Down", continued: "[George and I] had talked about doing a record. But if you listen to the last five George Lynch projects, they're totally different than the direction I'm going. 'Heaven Comes Down' has nothing to do with what George is doing. He's gone this way; I've gone that way. So I don't know if spiritually we could get together and write a song that works, that we're all on the same page about. I'm just not. So it is what it is. But I said what I would wanna do is, let's say I say, 'Hey, George, why don't you write me like four guitar riffs and let me see if one speaks to me in my heart and my spirit?' Just like the song 'Just Another Day'… and we wrote that one song, all original members, Mick [Brown, former DOKKEN drummer] and everybody. Obviously, we can never — Mick's retired and he's pretty stonewalled about, he's not gonna play again. He played since he was 10 years old — he's seventies-ish — and I understand that because he's worn out.

"I've always said the drummers have the hardest job — your elbows, your hands, arthritis, your kneecaps, your ankles, your feet, your back," Dokken added. "I mean, the drummer has the hardest gig. I can just stand there, stare up the ceiling and go, 'Hey, everybody, how's it going?' Or even when as a guitar player, you can just stand there and play. But Mick is the machine. Mick was the DOKKEN machine. I used to tell him, 'Play softer. Don't hit your drums so hard.' And he says, 'I don't know how not to play hard' to keep his time. He goes, 'I just hit.' So, it caught up with him and he retired.

"So we'll see what happens," Don said. "George and I have touched on it, but it would all depend on him writing, like, three songs — just music — and sending it to me. And I'd go in my recording studio and [take out] the pen and paper and go, 'Hmm, oh, this is kind of cool.' And chop it up and try to make it fit myself and crank out a couple of songs. And if people like it, they like it. If they don't, they don't."

Asked if he has a timeline in mind for when he might stop playing live shows, Don said: "Probably within the year. I mean, what's Paul McCartney — in his eighties? And Mick Jagger's in his eighties, and Keith Richards is still standing up. And even Elton John now, they bring him down and they lower him down to his piano chair, for whatever reason, 'cause we're all getting up there in age. So I think the time will come that I'll announce that it's over.

"The truth is, I guess I'm a selfish person," Dokken explained. "I wanna enjoy my life. I don't want to just keep singing and writing until I drop. I wanna be in my home far away from everybody. I live on top of this mountain [in New Mexico]. No neighbors. [I've] got the dogs. It's the perfect life. And I've had a great career. I started playing at 10 years old.

"If you have to tour and you have to play because you need to pay your gas bill, I understand that," Don added. "Thank God I'm not in that position. And whenever anybody says, are you thinking of calling it a day? I just go like this [and show them the gold and platinum records on my wall]. I've got a few of 'em up there… So I think I've made my point. I think I made my point musically. And, of course, I would've wanted to keep going, but if I can't compose, I'm screwed," he said, referencing the fact that his right arm became nearly paralyzed in the aforementioned neck and spinal surgery. "I am effed."

The follow-up to 2012's "Broken Bones", "Heaven Comes Down" was produced by Bill Palmer and Don Dokken and was mixed by Kevin Shirley (AEROSMITH, IRON MAIDEN).

In August 2023, DOKKEN released the music video for the album's first single, "Fugitive". The clip was directed by Chris Eyre ("Dark Winds", "Smoke Signals") and was filmed at the popular immersive arts venture Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

DOKKEN released an album called "The Lost Songs: 1978-1981" in August 2020 via Silver Lining Music. Featuring sleeve art by renowned U.S. artist Tokyo Hiro (MOTÖRHEAD, MOTLEY CRÜE),the effort contains material written and recorded by a hungry young Don Dokken as he embarked upon a journey which started in Southern California and Northern Germany.

DOKKEN's classic lineup of Dokken, Lynch, Pilson and Brown completed a short Japanese tour in October 2016, marking the first time in 21 years the four performed together.

A DOKKEN concert DVD focusing on the band's reunion tour, "Return To The East Live (2016)", was made available in 2018.

At some of the recent DOKKEN shows, Lynch has been rejoining the band on stage to perform three of the classic DOKKEN songs: "Kiss Of Death", "When Heaven Comes Down" and "Tooth And Nail".

Steve Vai has commented on WHITESNAKE singer David Coverdale's announcement that he is hanging up his "platform shoes and skin-tight jeans" following his legendary 50-plus year Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame career.

The iconic guitarist, who had a brief tenure in WHITESNAKE more than three decades ago, having played on the band's 1989 album "Slip Of The Tongue", took to his social media earlier today (Wednesday, November 19) to write: "I want to take a moment and congratulate Father Snake himself, David Coverdale, on 60 years of delivering pure, royal-grade rock 'n' roll brilliance.

"David has shaken the earth for over half a century with a voice that could level a mountain. With impeccable instincts for song, melody, swagger, and attitude, his music always gave the rest of us something to feel gloriously cool about.

"I was fortunate enough to tour and record ('Slip Of The Tongue') with WHITESNAKE in '89–'90 alongside Adrian Vandenberg, Rudy Sarzo, and Tommy Aldridge. That band was absolutely smokin', and sharing the stage with that kind of power was one of the true highlights of my career. And on every single one of those 119 shows of the 'Slip Of The Tongue' tour, David took the stage and delivered like a boss. Never complained, always a gentleman, always performing like a house on fire. It was a magical time in the music business, and I'm endlessly appreciative for that WHITESNAKE experience.

"On June 23, 2022, I played Hellfest with my band in France. WHITESNAKE went on after us, and David was kind enough to invite me up for the last song of the night, 'Still Of The Night'. I've always loved playing that tune… and to be back on stage with David, unleashing that historic monster of a track with the band, was an honor. Who could have guessed it would be the band's final performance — and that I'd get to play that last song with them? There's something beautifully poetic (and outrageously cool) about that.

"So, Brother David… After my own 50 years of being a professional musician, here's one thing I know for sure: the success is great, the stages are fun, the riffs are loud — but it's the people you meet along the way, and the friendships you forge, that end up meaning the most. And for our friendship, I'm deeply grateful. And friendship aside… your golden pipes remain this guy's all-time favorite rock voice to ever grace the planet.

"You're a class act. You came, you conquered, and you delivered, and we are all grateful."

Back in August 2020, Vai, Coverdale, Vandenberg, Sarzo and Aldridge reunited — virtually — for the first time since they finished WHITESNAKE's "Slip Of The Tongue" world tour for a question-and-answer session prior to a live stream of the band's legendary "Live At Donington" concert.

WHITESNAKE scored the band's third consecutive platinum record with its eighth studio album, "Slip Of The Tongue". Originally released in November 1989, it peaked at No. 10 on the U.K. and U.S. album charts thanks largely to its two Top 40 hits — "Fool For Your Loving" and "The Deeper The Love". The fan favorite turned 30 in 2019 and Rhino celebrated with several new versions, including a colossal seven-disc boxed set.

Following the eight-times-platinum success of its eponymous album in 1987, WHITESNAKE returned two years later with "Slip Of The Tongue". At the time, the band included Coverdale, Sarzo, Aldridge, Vandenberg and Vai. Vandenberg and Coverdale co-wrote all but one song on the album, but Vandenberg couldn't record them in the studio at the time due to a hand injury. To fill the void, Vai joined the band for the album and tour.

"When I had joined WHITESNAKE, the tracks were already recorded and Adrian had laid down guide rhythm tracks," Vai told Guitar World. "What had happened was Adrian developed this situation with his wrist that persisted throughout the tour. I'm not sure what caused it, but he'd have to soak his wrist after every show.

"Adrian's such a great player, but the injury made it so he couldn't really sustain for too long because of the pain. I've stayed pretty close with Adrian over the years and I see him whenever I'm in Holland, and when I spoke to him a couple of years ago, he was still having that wrist problem — but they located the source of it to his neck.

"So Adrian had made these guide tracks and that were basically chords and structures, and I obviously copped a lot of the riffs from those, but I put my spin on them because it was all like one track of guitar. I went in with 20 tracks on some songs; it's a very dense guitar record and I definitely did my best to decorate it. It was a departure for what WHITESNAKE was normally known for in the guitar department."

Asked if he had any reservations about not staying wholly true to WHITESNAKE's old signature sound, Vai said: "You have to find a balance between what's expected of you from the band, what the fans are expecting, what the song requires and is telling you to do — and also being true to your own voice. I had no choice but to express my own voice because that's all I know.

"If I had tried to sound like Yngwie [Malmsteen] when I had joined ALCATRAZZ, it just wouldn't have worked because I'm very satisfied with the way I play, but I also can't play like Yngwie. It was the same thing when I was playing with Dave [David Lee] Roth; I needed to deliver in a rock context — which was very natural to me — but I'm not going to compete with Edward Van Halen.

"There's no way those records would've been accepted if I didn't have some kind of rock integrity, but I knew what the songs needed and I knew what the audience was expecting and there's a side of me that I knew could deliver that. It was the same thing with WHITESNAKE.

"The foundation of WHITESNAKE's sound was rooted in rock blues, and there's a whole culture that emanated from Europe in that traditional solid rock blues guitar playing that had a real authenticity to it.

"Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Adrian Vandenberg, Ritchie Blackmore, Jimmy Page — that was the sound all WHITESNAKE records had been built upon. But WHITESNAKE had gone through different permutations of guitar sounds throughout the years, and the previous one to me was John Sykes, and he absolutely had his own sound.

"Sykes didn't sound like any other previous WHITESNAKE guitarist, but his thumbprint is an indelible part of the WHITESNAKE record he did. The fatness of that record and the rock integrity it had was all Sykes. So I knew I wasn't going to sound like Sykes and I wasn't going to try to.

"You cheat yourself when you try to do that and play like someone else. And the audience is a lot smarter than you think; they're very intuitive and perceptive and if you try to pull anything over on them — like biting someone else's thing — you'll get beat up for it."

On November 13, the 74-year-old David said in a video message before a remake of WHITESNAKE's 2011 song "Fare Thee Well": "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, brothers and sisters of the 'SNAKE, a special announcement for you.

"The last few years has been very evident to me that it's time really for me to hang up my rock and roll platform shoes and my skin-tight jeans. And as you can see, we've taken care of the lion's wig. But it's time for me to call it a day."

Coverdale expressed his gratitude to his loved ones and fans, who have supported him as the frontman for both WHITESNAKE and DEEP PURPLE, but said it was time for him to enjoy his retirement.

"I love you dearly. I thank everyone who's assisted and supported me on this incredible journey. All the musicians, the crew, the fans, the family. It's amazing."

Coverdale raised a glass as he delivered his parting message, "Fare thee well," referencing WHITESNAKE's song of the same name.

On June 28, 2022, WHITESNAKE scrapped three shows on its spring/summer European tour due to Coverdale's infection of the sinus and trachea. Three days later, the rest of the trek was also called off. At the time, David blamed the decision on "continuing health challenges, doctor's orders, and our concern for everyone's health and safety."

David was not the first member of WHITESNAKE to fall ill during the group's spring/summer 2022 European tour. Guitarist Reb Beach missed several shows on the trek in June 2022 after being "under the weather." On June 25, 2022, WHITESNAKE canceled its show at the Rock Imperium festival in Spain due to the fact that drummer Tommy Aldridge "went down" and "was bad enough at the time to have missed the first show ever in his career," according to Coverdale.

In April 2023, Coverdale told "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern" regarding the possibility of WHITESNAKE resuming its farewell tour in 2024: "It's not really a professional decision. It's literally a health decision.

"[In 2022] it took me seven months to get rid of a sinus infection that went so deep into my body… And then we discovered a secondary one, which is why I had to cancel the U.S. tour," he explained. "So all of that appalling antibiotics I had for three months, all the damage it did to my system, was a waste of time because this other infection was canceling it out. So I had to go on to heavier medications and steroids, and at the same time ignoring a torn rotator cuff.

"When I was onstage with Steve Vai at Hellfest [in France in June 2022], which turned out to be the last WHITESNAKE show — hopefully not the last WHITESNAKE show [ever] — underneath my shirt, my shoulder was taped up like I was going into the arena to face another gladiator," Coverdale revealed. "And you couldn't really tell. And thank God I could still fling the mic stand around. But as soon as I got signed off back in January, the infection had gone, I realized that we had to sort out the shoulder, 'cause that had been of secondary importance — minor compared to this, 'Am I ever gonna be able to sing again?' That's a big deal. It's something you wake up and almost take for granted.

"So, I'm getting a lot of approaches [regarding Las] Vegas residencies. I'm not quite sure about that. I feel I owe Japan. I feel I owe the U.S. I feel I owe South America. 'Cause I've been pretty successful for 50 years, and you can't buy that. It's people who've supported you to be in this position. It was a personal choice. I didn't wanna do a video going, 'Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, brothers and sisters of the 'SNAKE, thank you for 50 years. I'm done.' I wanted to be there.

"I wanted to retire in 2020," David added. "I thought the appropriate age for the singer of WHITESNAKE to step down was 69. But, of course, bloody COVID came [and ruined those plans].

"We have three to five years of projects here at my studio. So I'm certainly not finished with music. But my health will dictate whether I can take on [a full tour]. 'Cause it's incredibly physically demanding for me. I don't wanna do a half-assed [tour], standing-there stuff. I love telling my stories and moving and working."

Also in April 2023, Coverdale told Ultimate Classic Rock that the illness that forced him off the road in 2022 was "the worst sinus infection I've ever had in my life. And as a singer, I know them like fucking relatives of mine," Coverdale said. "This was one of the ugliest illnesses I think I've [ever] had. For seven months, I was taking ever-increasingly strong antibiotics and horrifying prednisone steroids."

WHITESNAKE launched its farewell tour on May 10, 2022 at Dublin, Ireland's 3Arena. The band's 14-song set, which was part of a European tour with special guests EUROPE and co-headliners FOREIGNER, marked WHITESNAKE's inaugural performance with the group's two latest two additions, keyboardist, guitarist and backing vocalist Dino Jelusick and bassist Tanya O'Callaghan.

Coverdale had both his knees replaced with titanium in 2017 after suffering from degenerative arthritis. He later explained that he was in so much pain with arthritis in his knees that it hampered his ability to perform live.

Prior to the pandemic, WHITESNAKE had been touring in support of its latest album, "Flesh & Blood", which was released in May 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

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